Memories

Snow!

Disclaimer: What do you think?

If you want to use Tora, or any of my other characters, PM me.

She crept up behind the man and suddenly dumped her armful of snow on his head before running away, laughing madly.

"TORA!"

"Catch me if you can."

Swearing colourfully, he chased after her.

"Going to kill you…"

"Really?"

Another face-full of snow came his way. Somehow, she could run in the snow, throw snowballs and still not run into anything. He tried to throw some snow but it fell short. Tora laughed again, her face sparkling with laughter. He was larger than she was and sank into the snow. She was quick and able to slip over it, as well as wearing shoes designed for thick snow. Then she tripped and he came up behind her with a pile of snow.

"Prepare to be punished for that."

Then he ran straight into Logan, Bobby, Kurt and Warren, all with evil grins on their faces.

"Er…guys? Please don't."

"Not a chance Slim."

And the leader of the X-Men was suddenly covered in the snow Eloise had been holding telekinetically over his head.

"And that, students, concludes our demonstration of what not to do when someone challenges you."

Scott stuck his head out from the snow.

"Not. Funny."

Which had the others rolling about in the snow laughing.

Jean laughed as well.

"That was brilliant. Freezing Scott and having a laugh at the same time."

"Yes. It was difficult to plan something like that."

"Very difficult."

"Later on though, it was easy."

"You know, Emma was good for him, in her own way."

Laughter. Friendship. Sitting together, just like old times, presents flying as Bobby threw them across the room.

"Xixy, this one's from Tora."

Xixy opened it to find a new set of labware.

"Now Hank can't complain about you blowing up his stuff. I sort of 'borrowed' this from Reed. I think his equipment is the most industrial strength stuff. I did put money down, it's just Reed's stuff is darn near impossible to get hold of."

"You stole it?"

"I placed three times it's worth on the desk. It's not my fault the bills were soon buried. Reed's lab is organised chaos."

They were laughing again. More gifts were exchanged, art equipment for Piotr, science stuff for Hank. They were a family, or as close as a family could be. There was teasing and jokes, nicknames used. Friends. Forever. No more, no less. At least, that's what everyone thought.

"Unca Bew!"

And Hank had slightly sticky hands grab onto his fur as Jamie snuggled into the warm chest of his favourite 'Uncle'. There was a contented snort and then small snores.

"Is it just me, or does Jamie like using you as his snuggle blanket?"

"I assure you, I am not his snuggle blanket."

"Then why will he only sleep with a royal blue faux fur heated blanket?"

Laughter followed this remark.

"Hank, it's official. You're Jamie's snuggle blanket."

"I am not!"

And Luke immediately chorused in a sing-song voice.

"Oh yes you are!"

"I am not!"

Betsy joined in.

"Oh yes you are!"

And no one was able to remain on their seats as they laughed their heads off.

The three cosmic entities, who should know better, laughed as well, until a hand crashed into the water, shattering the image.

"Careful! This is a highly reactive scrying glass powered by life itself. You do not, I repeat, not hit it."

"You used to hit computers."

"They were computers. I'm still not entirely sure how this thing works."

"You've had the entire span of the Universe and you still don't know how this works?"

"It's complicated."

She frowned.

I'm not interested.

But you need to learn.

I can learn later. I'm happy where I am.

But you need to know how to be Dragon.

I thought I was doing it very well, thank you very much.

You are still too human. You insist on holding onto your little worries. You must dispense of these.

I am human. I cannot be anything else.

You must be. You are Dragon.

I am Tora.

You must be Dragon. Else there is no hope.

For what? You never tell me anything.

You must trust me.

After the whole trying to kill the X-Men thing? Not a chance. You need to trust me.

This is difficult. I cannot explain the importance of what must happen in a language originating to scream insults to the monkey in the next tree.

You're quoting Hex.

I cannot help it. I am Knowledge. And the Past. I cannot change. You are adaptable. And this is why we will survive.

Excuse me?

I need you. You need me. Simple.

I do not need you. I managed perfectly well without you.

So you would have survived that stabbing?

I'm an X-Man. Death is something that happens to other people.

You are impossible.

Why thank you.

That wasn't a compliment.

I know.

And she cut off the link, fed up with the constant demands.

"That was the beginning of everything going wrong, wasn't it?"

"The beginning of her hating Dragon? Yes it was."