When Erik met Lorna again she was carrying a thick manila envelope. She sat down on the bench next to him.
"I had to pick up my prom pictures at the school office," Lorna said, "I almost forgot about them and I figured I'd pick them up later. But then I thought you might want to see them?"
Her voice was tentative and questioning. It was strange how, after all he knew about his daughter's increcible bravery, she could still be so hesitant around him. Every day that went by he was slowly breaking that image down.
"Of course I do," he said, "I didn't think you were old enough for prom."
"I turned seventeen just in time dad," Lorna smiled.
Inside of him he felt warmth; she had called him 'dad'. It was the first time she had done that to him, and probably to anyone. The fact that she didn't mark the occasion was also special. She had fallen into casual usage of the title after only knowing him a few days. He looked forward to hearing her use it in the future.
Her fingers scrabbled at the envelope. It was closed with tape and staples. She hesitated before raising her hand and magnetically pulling the staples from the paper and into her hand. Erik frowned.
"Why'd you hesitate?" he asked.
Lorna gave him a sheepish grin.
"There are...people around," she said, "I don't want to attract attention."
A nerve twitched in his forehead.
"Are you afraid that something may happen if you do?" asked Erik.
"Not everyone is as understanding as my mother," Lorna said.
"As I well know," he said, "But why should you need thier understanding?"
She paused midway through opening the envelope.
"When they understand they won't be afraid," said Lorna, "That's what the Professor says anyway."
He rolled his eyes.
"While Charles is a genius he seems not to understand human nature that well," Erik said.
"I'm not sure I follow," frowned Lorna.
Erik could sense that he had an advantage and pushed it.
"They'll always be afraid of what's different. Humanity," said Erik, "If they even knew people like us were out there they'd panic; running around like chickens with thier heads cut off."
"Only the idiots are like that," Lorna laughed, "And really, look at the state of the government. They already have thier heads cut off. They don't need our help."
With another laugh she ripped the envelope open. He could sense that the moment was over, but he was sure that another would come. It was enough that he was planting the seeds in Lorna's mind.
She pulled the pictures from the envelope and Erik felt his heart stop.
"This is Alex and I at prom. We're dating right now," she said, "He splashed out for the whole deal; corsage, pictures, real nice about it."
He swallowed.
"LIAR!"
Erik turned furiously at Alex. He remembered him as the rebel, the boy who had been wary of them even after they'd gotten him out of jail. Alex had never seemed to agree wtih Charles' theories, but no one would have known that from the way he was standing and shouting defiantly.
"Were you there that you know so much?" Erik demanded.
"The Professor told us what you and Mystique did!" snapped Alex.
"And here's the rest of us," Lorna said, oblivious to his reaction, "We're close. They're like brothers to me, I can't even begin to talk about how many times Hank's helped me with my homework. And Sean's been really good at helping me with my powers. That's why Alex wanted a picture of all of us together."
Through his shock he saw a picture the four of them with their arms over each other's shoulders. The boys he'd helped train and the daughter he'd never known all together in one place. The X-men at prom. It sent home the fact that his daughter was deeply involved with his enemies. He swallowed down the words that he wanted to say; words that would have shocked her and made her recoil.
"He sounds like a decent young man," Erik said instead, hoping that he sounded fatherly.
"He's great. He went home for the summer," said Lorna, "but I hope you can meet him someday."
"I'm sure I will," he answered, reflecting on the irony of life.
"How can you be thinking of sending the back in the fall!"
"Christopher, just calm down," Katherine said.
"No, I won't! How can you even consider sending them back with those freaks?"
Alex stood with his back to the wall. His hands were clenching into fists and he swallowed the anger that rapidly grew as the conversation progressed. In his mind it was Christopher and Katherine talking, not dad and mom. There was too much distance between them for him to think of him that way.
"We don't have any other option," said Katherine, leaning against the table they were seated at, "What if someone knocks off Scott's glasses? Alex can keep his...problem under control-"
"The neighbors still lock their doors at night because of Alex," snapped Christopher, "God knows something's wrong with him. All of that trouble with those lawyers, and then the government, our name's practically mud in this town."
"But there's nothing like that with Scott," said Katherine, "Heaven knows how hard we tried to make sure that he didn't end up like his brother."
Oh yes, they'd tried very hard to make sure Scott didn't end up like Alex. They'd just never tried very hard to make sure that Alex didn't end up like Alex.
"So? He's still the brother of a criminal to them."
The stairs creaked. His parents were too deep in their argument to hear, but Alex did. On the stairs was Scott in his Flintstones pajamas. Beneath his sunglasses Scott's eyes were wide.
"Go back upstairs," Alex whispered.
Scott shook his head and stood by Alex. He peered around the doorframe but Alex grabbed him and pulled him back. Scott wrested free, looking surprised.
"Mom and dad are talking right now boy scout," he said, "Go back upstairs."
"Listen," he heard Katherine say, "I don't like it any more than you do but-"
"Alex can go to a normal college or go down and get a job like anyone else," snapped Christopher, "And Scott's in control enough to go to normal school now."
"But I don't want to go to normal school!" Scott said, jumping into the room, "I like it there! I wanna go there!"
"What are you doing up?" demanded Christopher.
Alex smacked his palm into his forehead. Still, he stepped behind his brother.
"Don't blame him," he said, "You'd wake the dead."
Christopher rolled his eyes.
"Now is not the time for this Alex."
"Look," he said, trying to be reasonable, "You guys know I won't get accepted to any other college with my criminal record. And Scott likes it there."
"As we've heard," said Katherine tiredly, "Go back to bed."
Her condescending tone made his stomach churn. He'd fought terrorists in the past few years; he didn't need to just roll over.
"I'm not two," Alex snapped, "I'm eighteen. Don't 'go back to bed' me. I know what you were talking about."
"So now you're a thinker," Christopher said.
"Hey, it's called going to school," said Alex, thumping his chest, "It does wonders."
"It's done wonders alright," said Christopher, "I've got one son with a criminal record who can blow things up and another who has to wear sunglasses so he doesn't do the same. Now go back to bed."
Scott shrunk back. He touched his sunglasses with a trembling hand. Alex glared.
"At least they tried to help us."
It was out, he'd said it. Christopher slowly got out of his seat.
"Excuse me?"
"You know exactly what I meant," Alex said, deciding that there was no going back now, "The first time I used my power you ran. You ran so far and so fast."
"Anyone would have," he replied coldly.
"I know a girl back at school. She accidentally sent knives around the room her mother was in," laughed Alex, thinking of Lorna, "And when she cried afterwards her mother scooped her up in her arms and comforted her. Not everyone would have run."
"Listen, Alex-" Katherine started.
"No, you listen to me for once! Neither of you even wanted to be in the same room alone with me," said Alex, unable to stop, "And how many days did you make Scott walk blindfolded before the sunglasses Hank made arrived? Did you even let him out of his room?"
"I'm not going to take this tone from you," snapped Christopher, "I'm your father and so help me you're going upstairs right now!"
"I'm your father and you're going upstairs right now," Alex mimicked, "You make me sick. Face it, you abandoned your children when they needed you! So don't you go and call yourselves parents when it's convenient for you!"
Christopher swung his fist. It hit Alex in his eye and the world started spinning. Although he was too shocked to block the blow he was in control enough to catch himself before he hit the floor. Scott cried out behind him as Alex rolled and got back up. Christopher swung again and Alex caught it. Using a move Moira had taught him he twisted the arm behind his Christopher's. He shoved him onto the counter, twisting his arm back further to secure him. Alex watched dispassionately as Christopher cried out.
"Alex, stop it!" cried Katherine.
"How about Christopher stop it?" snarled Alex, "How about that?"
The whites of his father's eyes were all but glowing.
"What's wrong dad?" Alex sneered, "Whatcha scared of?"
"I'm sorry if I don't want the world to know that my sons are freaks," Christopher said, gasping, "I sure as hell wish I didn't know."
The world stopped spinning. Alex stared down at Christopher, his eyes burning.
"You feel the same?" he asked, turning to Katherine.
She looked away, but her lack of an answer was more than enough. Alex released Christopher's arm and shoved him away. Then he turned on his heel and strode out of the room. He took the stairs three at a time. To his surprise he didn't feel furious, didn't want to break anything. Instead he packed his bag with a terrifying intensity and calculation.
Slinging his bag over his shoulder he clomped down the stairs. He grabbed his coat off the hanger and put it on, careful to shift the bag to accomodate it. Briefly he let his eyes slid over to the door to the kitchen. Scott was still standing there, frozen and touching his sunglasses. He paused, wondering if he could ask him to come with him. No, he was only eight. He wouldn't want to leave his parents and eight was too young for him to come with him.
So Alex only ruffled his hair as he walked past. He couldn't choke the words to say goodbye to his brother past his lips.
"Alex?" Katherine called.
He heard footsteps coming after him as he opened the front door. Ignoring them he slung the bag over his motorcycle and started up the engine.
"You don't want a freak for a son?" Alex asked, "Okay, fine. You won't."
"Where do you think you're going?" demanded Christopher.
"Home," he said, "Also known as upstate New York."
Alex kicked the stand of the bike and got ready to pull out. He saw then that Scott had followed his parents out, only he'd put his coat and shoes on first. Neither of his parents had stopped to put on a coat or shoes but he had. For the first time since he packed his bag he felt a glimmer of hesitation. It was only a glimmer, but it was enough for him to put the kickstand down again and reconsider his decisions.
Maybe he wasn't too young.
"You wanna come with me boy scout?" he asked.
Scott paused, and then nodded.
"Scott!" Katherine said.
She tried to hold him back but he was able to slip through her arms. Still moving fast he clambered onto Alex's bike. Scott sat in front of Alex who ruffled his hair again and gave him the helmet.
"Buckle that on and hold on tight," Alex said.
"So you're just going run away?" snapped Christopher, "For all your lofty words you haven't changed at all."
He gave a cursory glance back.
"Running away implies we don't know where we're going," said Alex, "But we know where we're going. And I never had the guts to leave before. So actually, I've changed a lot."
Katherine and Christopher looked at him like he was some stranger who had waltzed into their life. Alex looked back at his brother. Scott had gotten the helmet on and he was holding onto the front bars. He was secure enough. He kicked the stand again and pressed the acceleration.
The motorcycle revved into life and started forward. It was going slower because of its heavy load, but it was fast enough that they left their neighborhood soon.
"Looks like we're starting school early," Alex said to Scott.