Chapter 5: "Your Unicorn is Right Here, You Idiots"

It wasn't until a few days after the big combined birthday party for James and Logan that Kari got back from her trip to London, but when she did arrive, she was sure to stop by to give James the present she'd picked up while she was out there: a jacket that fit him exactly right around the shoulders that she pointed out had the deepest red, sort of subtle lining around the edges.

"How'd you get the measurements right?" James asked.

"Oh please," Kari said, waving her hand. "If you think in a mansion full of X-Men I couldn't find someone to sneak them for me, you don't know your family well enough."

"I'm just curious who the snitch was," James told her before he slipped it off and went right back to lying on the bed with his head hanging off the foot.

"Not telling," Kari said with a shrug. "If I told, then I might not get to use them again."

"It was Malin, wasn't it?" James said, his eyes closed. "She thinks she's sneaky."

"Not telling," Kari said, this time in a more sing-song tone.

"That's a yes."

Kari laughed and threw the present bag at him. "Well, it looked very nice on a boy I met in London," she told him.

"Oh," he said, picking his head up with a troublemaking smile. "Trying to dress me up like your foreign lovers."

"Yes, exactly," Kari said, rolling her eyes. "Because what I want is for you to look like an airhead."

He shrugged. "I don't know your type. Could be."

"No, I'm looking for a magical combination of good-looking and smart and sweet that I'm starting to think is a unicorn," she sighed dramatically.

"So, look for the guy with the horn coming out of his head." He grinned at her. "One stomp for yes. Two for no. Give him a sugar cube if he prances right …"

Kari snorted at that. "Just for that, I'm going to see if I can find a mutant with horns. And I will send you the pictures of our date. Right after Dad accuses me of adding more demonic fire to our family line."

"As long as it's all clothed," James said.

"Like I'd send you anything like that," Kari said. "I'm a good Catholic girl, James."

"You are spending a lot of time in Europe …"

She let out a scandalized noise and hit him in the shoulder. "Shut up, James."

"Make me, fancy pants."

Kari let out a little noise before she simply pounced on him, and a moment later, she'd teleported them both to the lake, dropping him in before she hit and then teleporting herself to shore.

But when James resurfaced, he didn't shout or give her a hard time; instead, he just started to float, even if it took some work. "Nope. No unicorns here!" he shouted back after a while.

Kari stuck her tongue out from the shore but did teleport out to go get him, all but shouting out a "COLD!" when she got there and then teleporting them both in front of the fire. "Ugh. I hate you so much sometimes," she said, wringing out her hair.

"You're the one that thought swimming was a good idea," he argued before he started stripping off what he could, though that still meant dripping wet jeans.

She shook her head at him, teleporting off once more and then reappearing with towels and coffee and blankets. "Here," she said, all but shoving the coffee at him. "Who looks for unicorns in a lake? This isn't Arthurian England. Come on."

"Well, you tried Europe. Maybe they were mutated unicorns. Half fish. Half magic. All party."

She shook her head at him. "Shut up, James."

"Or what? I'm already soaking wet and half naked. Troublemaker."

"Or I'll… I don't know. Snuggle you to death, apparently," she said, wrapping her blanket around herself after she'd toweled out her hair.

"The horrors."

"Shut up and get over here and hug me," she said.

"I think your methods of communication need work," he told her. "Demanding artist."

"Jet-lagged, soaking wet…"

"Soaking wet was your own fault," James pointed out. "And I'm not hugging until I'm dry." he shook his head at her and headed for the stairs. "Annie gets mad if I strip down in the kitchen."

"Let me know if you find any unicorns in your closet!" she called after him.

"I'm not the one looking for them," he called back.

"Yes you are; I recruited you!"

"Nuh-uh," he said, shaking his head to himself, knowing full well she was going to teleport to where she could hear him. "I'm already on two teams."

Kari rolled her eyes and teleported over to him. "Mine is more important. Unicorn hunting."

"I think you're in a rush," James told her.

Kari shook her head and let out a sigh. "I'd just like to find someone that makes me as happy as Sying makes my sister. And apparently, that's impossible. It's very frustrating," she admitted, her tone a bit more serious.

"Ah, well, it's impossible because they're both delusional. That's a big part of it," James promised as they got to his room, though he stopped and turned her way. "Two. Minutes."

"Okay, but if I come in after two minutes and you're naked, my dad will strand you in the middle of the Pacific."

"I'm not making any promises, and I'd like to point out that you'd be the one barging in."

"Like he'd take that into account," Kari laughed.

"He might," James said. "He got a little antsy when he had to fish me out of the bay."

Kari rolled her eyes and pushed him at the shoulders. "Go. Change. I need snuggles from my best friend in the world. I'm unicorn-less. Clearly, I need consoling.'

He stepped into his room and closed the door. "Next time, you can expedite that by not dropping me in the lake." James dried off fast and changed into a warm set of sweats and a tee shirt before he went to his bed and laid down. Just to see how impatient she was.

When she teleported in to find him apparently lounging, she let out a little growl and teleported over to where he was to all but sit on him to snuggle him. "That's it. I'm not leaving here until you hug me properly, you loser."

He made a face at her and wrapped his arms around her head. "Like that?"

"Oh my gosh. I leave for two weeks and you forget how to hug!"

"I'm a remedial learner," he said with a smirk.

Kari let out another sound of frustration before she practically pinned him into a solid hug, wrapping her arms and her tail around him. "I missed your face, you lunatic."

Of course he returned the hug, shifting a little so she had more room to curl up. "Uh-huh. Sure you do. Sorry your unicorn hunt isn't going well."

"Yeah, me too," she said with a sigh. "I'm starting to think the only people who want to date me are vapid idiots. What does that say about me, James?"

"Not a thing," James said. "You should see the messes I'm dealing with lately. It's painful."

"Yeah?" She picked her head up to look at him. "Anyone I should hit?"

He snorted at that. "For what? Being too … ugh. Even the ones that seem okay to start with turn out to be nuts."

"That's frustrating," she said with a frown. "I liked Alyssa. I wish you could find someone like her, but… more stable. Less anxious. So she can hack it."

"I'm not really looking," James admitted. "More like caving from time to time."

Kari made a face. "Maybe I should do that. Stop looking," she said. "I mean, I've got time. I'm not even twenty yet. There's no rush, right?"

"That's what I'm saying," James agreed. "I'm just heading out now and again. Then regretting it almost as fast." He smiled a little. "But … good parties all the same."

"Well, that's something," Kari laughed. "I've been to a few good ones myself. And taken plenty of advantage of the drinking age across the Atlantic."

"They haven't tried to card me for a few years now," James laughed. "I think it's the Death thing."

"They always card me," Kari sighed.

"Because you're sweet and fluffy."

"Sure, that's it," Kari said, then snuggled in again.

"It is," he laughed. "You're sweet and fluffy, and they all can see it. Fuzzy."

Kari just shook her head at him and got a bit more comfortable. "If you say so, James. Right now, I'm just damp and tired."

"Fuzzy wuzzy. You don't want to fall asleep like this or you'll be a puff ball when you wake up."

"Shut up, James," Kari said, purposefully closing her eyes and wrapping her tail tighter around him like she'd done when she had come to watch him at night after he was Death.

James smiled to himself and acted like he didn't know she wasn't asleep until she started to relax. "Make me."

"James," she said, her voice honestly tired this time. "Shush."

He turned and kissed her forehead. "Good night, Fuzzy."

A few weeks had passed since the mess with the press, and as Howard made his way out of SI, he nearly missed a step when James fell into step next to him without a word. But it wasn't a total surprise that with James walking with him, the press was staying back enough that they had no trouble getting to his car.

"So, are you sticking around until they back off, or is this just a solidarity thing, or…?"

"What?" James said, frowning at him. "I had Kaleb teleport me in this morning. Late night. Drive, Jeeves."

Howard blinked at him for a moment before he burst into a laugh and started the car, still chuckling to himself as he hit the streets. "Oh, sure."

"Hey, if you'd rather, I'll just have him teleport me back, too."

"No, no," Howard said, grinning even wider. "I'm totally enjoying the absolutely unintended consequence of the press being terrified of your whole family and backing off of me too."

James smirked, then turned toward Howard. "What? You mean they don't do that for you? What is it I'm doing different?"

"Well, for one thing, I don't have the murder strut down pat like you guys do. I know. I'm letting down the whole family," Howard said with a smirk.

"You know, I've heard that before, but I still don't know what it means," James said as he leaned back a bit in his seat.

"Easier to see from the other side, I guess," Howard said.

The two of them just drove for a long while, though when they got to Graymalkin Lane, James broke the relative silence. "I know you guys have plans for Christmas Eve, but missing the morning would tick off Mom. Don't do that."

"Sadie already warned me. Dad's got a flight programmed; we'll get in with plenty of time to spare and sleep through the whole trip," Howard said.

James nodded and leaned back further. "Good. I think you might be surprised."

"Dad's been over for Christmas a few times. He says it's like an extravaganza of food."

"Yeah, but you haven't been," James pointed out. "Starts off at seven. Ish. Mom handles breakfast, then everyone clears out while the Hale girls start a revolution."

"I've heard about those too," Howard said, grinning a little wider. "Dad says it's the eighth wonder of the world."

"I'm not sure your Dad's been around early enough for Mom's thing, though," James said. "If he has, it was before I can remember. And that's the fun one anyhow."

"Well, it's usually just me and Mom and Dad in Malibu, so it'll be a whole new thing for me no matter what," Howard said with a shrug. "Did you know joining your family is like culture shock? Because it is. Just so you know."

"Yeah, I've heard," James said. "It's culture shock even for people with bigger families. We're a little more old-fashioned than people give us credit for."

"Yeah, well, I hope Sadie doesn't mind the much smaller Christmas Eve."

"It'll probably be a relief," James told him earnestly. "Even Mom and Dad have taken an odd year off now and again to disappear with us into the woods. Or go alone."

Howard nodded and seemed to consider something before he said, "Sadie doesn't want to live in the tower or anything. So I've been looking at places. And there's an internationally ranked ballet studio in California… but… how mad would your dad be if I took her across the country?"

James weighed it out as they pulled up to the Institute. "Honestly? I think that as long as you make sure she's home for the big dates — major holidays, birthdays — he'll be alright. I'm on a little shorter leash just because of my monumental stupidity, but that's kind of special." He shook his head. "They want us to grow up and be happy. Whatever that looks like."

Howard looked relieved to hear it and nodded slowly. "Alright. Good. Because It's a really nice beach house…"

"If she's happy with it, they'll be happy with it." James shrugged. "Pretty simple formula."

"Great." Howard nodded again as they pulled up to the house. "And hey. Play dumb all you want, but I do appreciate the shield from the bloodsucking reporters. Honestly."

"When it doesn't work anymore, I'll figure something else out," James promised. "Not like they aren't watching me too closely anyhow."

Howard shook his head. "The wedding's just a month away. I think I can make it a few more weeks even if they do start up again. I'm too excited to be marrying her to let them drag me… well… too far down, anyway."

"Not just talking about up to the wedding," James said. "Keep your mood up for my sister. Let me deal with the idiots."

Howard smirked at that and nodded. "Thanks, James," he said. He parked and pulled his keys, then hopped out. "But hey, I'm not your butler. You have to open your own door," he couldn't help but add.

"Keep it up and I'll fire you, ya ingrate."

"From my own car?"

"Yeah, weren't you paying attention?" James asked with a wicked sort of smirk before he headed off for the team practice he was already late for.

Howard shook his head at that but made his way up to where he knew Sadie would be with Elin again; she'd practically moved in with her sister. And it wasn't just because she needed someone to commiserate with, though that was part of it. Elin was just miserable with twins, and Sadie genuinely wanted to help her big sister feel better. So snuggles it was.

"You guys don't have to hang out here," Elin said when Howard knocked and let himself in. "I know it can't be any fun for you."

"What, and leave you girls to your own devices?" Chance teased as Howard shook his head. "The world would crumble in your wake."

"Not what I meant," Elin said wearily. "And you know it."

"He's not wrong, though," Howard said with a smirk. "You two could take over the world."

Sadie smiled, but Elin gave him a dry look. "I'm not taking over anything."

"She doesn't need to prove she's scary," Chance said with a smirk, leaning over her to kiss her and to steal a few of the grapes she and Sadie were snacking on.

"I'm not scary; I'm the size of a house," Elin replied with a little growl.

"Still scary to me," Chance said with a crooked smile.

"That's really not … nevermind," she said with a more weary tone before she shifted a little, trying to get comfortable.

Howard watched Chance and Elin as Chance tried to help her get into a position she could relax in before he tapped Sadie on the shoulder and pulled her aside to the couch in the room. "So," he said, "I think I have a place we could, you know, raise a family together."

"Already?" she said, looking honestly surprised.

"Well, yeah, I know I said it might take a while, but Dad said he'd buy us a place as a wedding present and put it in my name once I was eighteen, so I started looking at ballet studios and found a great one in California that has a reputation for internationally renowned shows and—"

"Howard," she said, shaking her head. "I doubt I'll be doing ballet again any time soon."

"Well, not until June anyway," he agreed. "But I'm thinking long-term here."

She laughed and shook her head again. "Even if I do dance again … I don't think I'll be good enough for that."

"What?" Howard looked like she had sprouted a third head. "Of course you will. And there's even a youth dance studio a twenty-minute drive from the house so Maria can learn too," he added, pulling up some pictures of the villa on his phone to show her. "I read the reviews. Teacher's got all the parents gushing. I didn't want to go somewhere and find out the ballet is awful, though we could always get a private instructor or put Aunt Nat on retainer…"

"Howard … you can't pick a place based on that …"

"Sure he can," Chance said with a smirk. "We'll bring the kids to see the recitals, too, won't we, El?"

"Shut up, Summers," Elin said with her eyes closed.

Chance shook his head and leaned over to kiss her temple. "Love you, Elin. Sorry you're miserable," he told her softly.

"No you're not," she almost sang back.

"I am — I'm just not sorry about why," he shot right back with a huge grin.

"This is why we should always listen to Dad," Elin said to Sadie, though she took a hold of the nearest pillow and whipped it at her sister. "Yes. He can be an idiot and pick your home based on a ballet studio, and if you even so much as whisper a word about how you can't do what you love because you'll have a baby, I'll tell mom you said she wasn't any good at what she does."

Chance started to laugh. "Oh, yeah. There's my scary wife. That's legitimately terrifying."

Elin growled and smacked him with a pillow too. "Shut up, Summers."

"You can look through the pictures," Howard said. "It's got a great view, it's close to the beach, it's got plenty of rooms and a basement for me to set up a lab if I feel like tinkering… and I wanted to put in a dance room where the game room is. It's the perfect size."

"She loves it," Elin said. "Now get out."

Sadie gave her sister a dry look and then threw the pillow back at her. "You're a horrible big sister."

"There's a fire in the fireplace downstairs," Howard offered.

"That sounds perfect," Sadie said before she blew her sister a kiss and the two of them headed off, though that just left Chance grinning after them as he settled in with Elin.

"That wasn't hard to do," Elin told him. "How come you didn't think of that?"

"I was too scared of my wife to think straight," Chance said, perfectly straight-faced.

"I could stab you," she said. "Give you a reason to be scared."

Chance shook his head and leaned over to kiss her. "I really am sorry you're miserable," he told her softly. "And I'm sorry I got you pregnant with twins — even if I'm not sorry we're having kids."

She shook her head slowly at him. "You know what I could go for?" She poked him in the chest when his response was to just look like a retriever ready to fetch. "I could go for you heading downstairs and having a cupcake or whatever sugary thing your mom has stress baked today while I soak up the silence."

Chance smiled at that and leaned over to kiss her. "Want me to get you anything while I'm down there being sugared up?"

"No," she said, shaking her head again. "Just quiet. And alone time."

Chance nodded and stole one more kiss. "Love you, Elin."

"Love you too," she replied, then let out a heavy sigh as she started to settle in, and Chance slipped out to go find something sweet. And possibly pass out on the couch downstairs. Or play with the littlest ones. It was a tossup as to how much energy he had when he got sugared up.