Chapter 4: Short Cuts

For the first few months after Maria was born, Howard hadn't really had time to work on the portal that he wanted to work up, even if he fully intended to use it to make sure that Sadie's family could be there for every single milestone in their little family.

And there had definitely been a few milestones. That first little bit had been a lot of just… sleeping and eating and not much else. But right around Maria's three-month mark, she'd started smiling, and Howard had sent about a dozen pictures to his dad before the day was out.

But now that Maria was a little older, Howard had a bit more time to work on other projects. Though when he and Sadie came to New York for a weekend and he finally made his way to James' lab, he was surprised to see just how much work James had already put into working up a prototype from the blueprints.

Howard let out a low whistle as he closed the door to the lab firmly behind him — noting with a smirk that the idea-stealing intern was still doing her best to get inside. "You've been busy," he said.

"Someone had to be," James countered.

"Oh sure, take shots at the new dad," Howard chuckled, though he was more interested in inspecting the prototype for himself, grinning wider when he saw some of the tweaks that James had made to his design that would help it stay structurally sound and reinforce it against things like, oh, teenage mutants still learning to use their powers.

"Howard, I'll take shots at you for the rest of your life. You just keep coming up with excuses to hide behind."

"If Sadie hears that you think I should keep having 'new dad' excuses…"

"She'll neuter you."

"I like how nothing's changed and I'm still getting in trouble for your suggestions," Howard said, chuckling to himself.

"Nothing's changed and you're still responding to what I say like your Dad," James pointed out as he picked up an entire pigtail of wires to start snapping into place. "Gotta twist it to what you're after."

"Well, yeah," Howard said with a grin and a shrug. "More fun that way."

"Sure. If you're not talking about my sister," James said distractedly.

Howard kept grinning as he looked over James' shoulder, though the more he saw of what James was doing, the more the grin was for a different reason. "This… this is nearly done," he said.

"Uh-huh," James replied. "You know I can't sit still when I have something to do."

"We need to work up a second one… have you tested the first one to make sure it's got all of the transdimensional safeguards in place?"

"Preliminaries," he said with a nod. "Not a full test, though." He made a few adjustments on the pigtail and then started to tuck the wires out of the way, into the housing. "After all the times everyone's yelled at me for testing without backups, I figured I needed someone to at least say what happened if it blows up on me. Seeing as we're running this without any security footage."

Howard snorted out a small laugh at that. "Yeah, well, as long as you're not attached to anything in the lab right now…. Some of the bits might end up on the other end of the galaxy…"

"You know I have all the good stuff in Westchester," James said. "And I moved the company stuff to your dad's lab."

"Yeah, I figured you did, but I had my mom's voice in my head saying that I had to remind you," Howard admitted with a smirk.

"Oh, yeah … about that. I have her stapler to test with."

"Oh, so you want to die," Howard teased.

"I thought she might want to be a part of this in some very meaningful way," he said with a smirk.

"So you stole her stapler," Howard laughed. "Yes, that makes perfect sense. Of course."

"Well. For the first test anyhow. Second one — when we get the second one fired up too, I figured we can use her ficus plant."

"Probably a good idea. We'll need to test it on living matter," Howard said, though there was a spark of trouble in his gaze. "And when we build up to human tests, we can invite Cleo…" he couldn't help but say, just to get a rise out of James.

"Yeah, I'm entirely sure that's worth a lawsuit," James chuckled.

"But she wants to be part of the experiments, James!" Howard said mock-seriously.

"She's more or less accepted that she's not getting into my stuff," James said. "Now it's more about 'please fix my design'." He shook his head. "What's amazing is how few people in the labs with her can't see that there's a problem with what she's stolen. Not that I'm telling her what's wrong or how to fix it." He put the last bit of shrouding on the control box. "Unless … it looks like it might be a catastrophic failure. Then I ship her over to someone else that has a brain."

Howard snorted at that. "You sure you don't want any help? I could probably tell you who she's stealing from if I got my hands on the prototypes. Most of the inventors have a 'style' that I can recognize in an instant."

He sat back on his heels. "I already know," James said. "It's the kid that's been working on freezing tech. You know, the one that wants to work out the opposite of lasers? Cold welds … things like that."

"Oh, hey, I like him. Xander, right?" Howard said. "Brilliant kid, but he gets ahead of himself and is easily distracted. Which…" He shrugged. "Probably how he got his designs stolen, now that I think of it."

"He got his designs stolen when she got him thinking below the belt," James pointed out.

Howard shrugged. "And what about you? Sadie's still upset thinking you're getting caught up with her, you know."

"I told her to not worry about it," James pointed out. "I'm not interested in her. Or anyone else, for that matter."

"Yeah, she's still gonna worry about it," Howard said.

"Not like I'm the first one to not go rushing into getting married."

"I'm pretty sure that's not the main thing that's got her twisted," Howard said. "I mean, I wouldn't take Maria back for the world, so don't get me wrong, but I think she'd rather you not do the same thing we did?"

"Yeah, not gonna happen," James said almost distractedly.

Howard shrugged at that and then went to looking over the prototype. "This could probably use one more pass-through… I think it needs one more tweak at the dimensional barrier capacitors…"

"Help yourself," James said. "I honestly thought you'd have been more into it before now."

"I thought I would too, but …" Howard shrugged openly with both palms upturned. "Right now, Maria and Sadie are the most important thing, and Maria's been eating all our time. I think we're just starting to get our heads above water on the whole parenthood thing, honestly."

"For you, maybe. Sadie's been okay I think since a couple weeks in," James said with a smirk. "Of course … she's seen it done a few times."

"Yeah, please keep in mind how very, very new I am to all of this."

"I'm not criticizing," James said, holding both hands up.

Howard shrugged at that. "Anyway, if we can get a second one made up, then we can really kick this into gear and work from both entry points," he said. "I can install one at home for a fixed point that you can aim for with our tests."

"Or … we can put it in the lab in Westchester," James said. "I've got new lock systems in there and an anti-teleportation field ready to go."

"Good, yeah," Howard said, already starting to fiddle with the prototype and nodding to himself. "We're visiting most weekends anyway."

"I can get this far anyhow on that one and you can look it over next time you're free." James said before he sat down to make notes on what Howard was doing — something else that Howard rarely remembered to do when he was altering things on the fly.

It didn't take long at all before both of them were fully involved in what they were doing, though unlike when Sadie had been around and Howard had been trying to explain the whole thing, they didn't actually talk much to each other except where it was needed. They just fell into a familiar pattern, and Howard was already working up plans for the second portal when Tony arrived to let himself in and watch the two boys at work for a while with his arms crossed and one eyebrow raised.

He had hoped that Howard and James would get along like this, especially when Howard had made it clear that he was more interested in Pepper's side of things than in the tech and inventing side of things — and when James turned out to be a certified genius, well that just cemented it. The fact that they got along personally on top of all that had Tony's gears working.

And now, seeing them at work, with James making sure that Howard's organic style actually got written down, Tony couldn't help but grin, sure that his company's development wing was in great hands with these two.

"You need something specific?" James asked over his shoulder at Tony before he tapped Howard's shoulder and handed him a different section of the blueprint and pointed out that the grounding needed to shift if he was going to use that particular route.

Howard nodded at that and shifted what he was working on, which just had Tony grinning wider. "Just thought I'd stop by and see how things were going," he said. "Howard gave me the short version of his idea, but it's more fun to see the prototype in person."

"Then you might want to come over and actually look," James said.

Tony chuckled appreciatively as he made his way over to look over the boys' work, grinning at everything he saw before he moved onto the blueprints. "Oh yeah," he said. "This is officially the best in-law visiting device I've ever seen."

"That doesn't exactly build a lot of faith," James muttered.

"And it's not an accurate description," Howard said.

"Sure it is," Tony said with a smirk. "I know what it's for. Really. My son: the family man." He grinned and ruffled Howard's hair despite Howard's attempt to duck away. "Own it, Howie."

"He does," James said before he hopped up on the bench next to the blueprints. "Already daydreaming about another one, aren't ya, brother mine?"

"Hey," Howard said, shaking his head. "I make one joke and suddenly I'm as bad as Chance."

"No one is as bad as Chance Summers," Tony said, shaking his head.

James just pointed at Tony as if that was pure explanation. "Not wrong."

Tony grinned widely at that and then spun on his heel. "I'll leave you guys to it. I have a date with Pepper."

"Twenty years in the making? Jeez, that's not smart," James said.

Howard snerked, and Tony chuckled. "Take it from me, kiddo: don't wait so long!" he sang out.

"Pretty sure I got more time than you," James called back.

Tony just laughed as he ducked out the door, and Howard chuckled as he went back to working with James to get the portals going while they were in town for the weekend.

Once it looked like Howard had finished with the preliminary mock up, James shifted gears to making a list of everything he'd need to build the second one. "Lucky me; neither team has anything scheduled this weekend," James said.

"We'll try to will Hydra and Stupidity Rising into not doing anything stupid in the next two days then, huh?"

"I'm … the wrong Howlett for that," James said with a smirk. "And that probably won't work anyhow. It's still pretty regular."

"Well, I'll probably be here all weekend anyway. I know Sadie's going to curl up with the family, and Maria will get totally spoiled by the army of baby-hungry X-Men over there."

James nodded at that. "I've got the lab set up already to let you in. So if I'm gone, help yourself."

"Thanks, James," Howard said, flashing him a smile as he made a few last notations on the mockups.

Meanwhile, Sadie had gone to Westchester, where, as expected, Maria was hardly in her arms for five seconds before Charlie stole her and started making a fuss over her. Not that Charlie had been hard up for baby snuggles with her tiny niece and nephew around the house.

Sadie had come at a perfect time, too, because the twins had figured out that they could make a sound that sort of resembled their mother's growl, and both of them loved to play with their new sound. Matthew was far more involved with his, putting his all into it and trying to look intimidating too, which was just making everyone laugh and making him more frustrated that no one was backing off like they did when his grandparents or his mother growled.

It was entertaining the telepaths in the house, too, who could hear his thoughts as he tried to figure out why it wasn't working.

But when it got to the point that he was getting fussy and refusing to behave, Elin stepped in, leveled with the little guy so that she was touching foreheads with him, and let out a low, rumbling, quiet growl that got him to blink out of his hissy fit. "Silly little Scotty," Elin muttered as the little boy finally let out a great, hitching yawn and started to snuggle in right.

"Magic," Gerry teased from where he was sitting by Charlie and Maria.

"All the kids listen to the growl," Elin defended. "You did, too."

Charlie couldn't help but chuckle at the look on her husband's face and leaned over to kiss him. "It's alright, sweetheart. You've got your own magic: you can get all of them to giggle in a heartbeat."

"True," Gerry said, tipping his head to the side before he decided to try it out on Maria, who of course gave him a big gummy smile and tiny little laugh when he tickled her.

"Oh good, Aunt Sadie's here," Sying said from the doorway with a grin, taking in the group of their friends all playing with the newest additions to the group. He had Ariel on his shoulders, but of course, she scrambled down quickly when she saw her auntie.

"Sadie Sadie Sadie Sadie!" she chanted, rushing over to hold up her hands to be picked up so she could kiss Sadie's cheek. "I missed you! I missed you!"

"You'd think you haven't seen me in forever," Sadie said as she snuggled up with her. "I was here last weekend too."

"Uh-huh, but Mommy said I couldn't tell nobody about my little brother until you got here, and you were gone for forever!"

Sadie just stared at her for a moment and then looked over at Krissy and Sying, along with the rest of the gathered group. "Little brother, huh?"

Krissy looked a little brighter purple than usual, though Sying was outright laughing at this turn of events. "We … don't… know yet," Krissy said softly.

"That's why she's been hiding away from the family," Elin said.

"Well, we wanted to get to actually surprise someone," Sying teased. "We're due in April."

"My Dad didn't bust you out last time," Elin said, shaking her head.

"Yeah, until he put me in a collar and stranded me at your mom's place," Krissy pointed out.

"Because you would have done something stupid," James said. "And gotten yourself hurt."

Krissy just shrugged up both shoulders rather than get into that particular argument. "Well. Anyway. Surprise!" she said.

"Uh-huh. Su-pprise!" Ariel echoed, grinning at Sadie.

"Did you tell your dad yet, or are you waiting for the rumors to make it to him?" James asked.

Krissy shook her head. "No, we told both of our parents before we told Ariel," she said. "But Ariel has been asking when she can get a little brother… I don't know what we'll tell her if it's a girl."

"No girl," Ariel insisted. "I wanna brother." She turned back to Sadie. "Silly Mommy."

"What's wrong with sisters?" Sadie asked.

"I got lotsa friends that are girls," Ariel insisted in a perfectly matter-of-fact tone. "I gots Chelsea and Lily. And I like John and Kurt and I want another one!"

"You have Matty, too," Elin pointed out.

"Uh-huh. And two little girl friends!" Ariel said. "I wanna little boy."

"Maybe she's right," Sying said with a little smile. "And we'll get a fuzzy white boy."

"He's on her side," Krissy said, shaking her head and pretending to be disappointed in them, though anyone could see that she was grinning widely, and Chance made sure to wrap her up in a hug before she could sit down by him and Elin.

"Congratulations, Kris. Knew you were hoping for one."

She beamed at him as she returned the hug. "Thanks, Chance."

Elin sat down by James and poked him with her elbow. "Looks like you're going to need a permanent studio, the way things are going."

"Good thing Kari's learning how to shoot," James said.

"She's getting really good," Krissy agreed, looking proud of her little sister. "She wanted to show you some of the pictures she got of Ariel trying to teach Liliana how to play peek-a-boo. They're perfect action shots."

"I'm sure they're great," James said. "She's got a good eye. And she's an actual artist."

"Oh, she wanted to tell you something about a new published project?" Krissy said. "She wouldn't tell me, but she talked to Sying about it. I guess he was in it."

At that, Sying smirked James' way. "She said she couldn't come up with a reason not to put them out there anymore."

"That's what I told her," James said. "She was being a chicken hawk. Carrying on the family tradition." He was sure to say that part a little louder, since Kurt and Kate were walking past the room, and he knew he'd at least get a dirty look for it.

Sure enough, Kate ducked her head in to stick out her tongue at him. "That's so not a thing."

"It clearly is," James said. "If I follow your reasoning, that is. Seeing as you're so sensitive about it."

Kate let out a little huff, though Kurt was chuckling as he wrapped his tail around her — and then laughed outright when there was a beat of silence that little Matthew decided to fill with his best attempt at a growl to try to intimidate the latest newcomers.

James leaned over closer to him and gave him a growl of his own just to watch his reaction as the little guy stared up at him and then puffed up his chest and tried to do one like James had done.

But when James gave him a little smirk and tickled him, he looked torn between laughing and being irritated. "Aww, he's out to prove himself like his Dad," James said. "Starts early."

"It's genetic," Charlie agreed, earning a dry look from her brother.

"Oh … new pendant on the bench," James said her way before he settled in a little deeper. "If you're interested."

Charlie smiled up at him softly for that one. "Of course I am," she said, though she didn't move to get up just yet when she was too wrapped up in Maria — which really was an indication of how wrapped up she was in Maria, since she wasn't one to miss the latest Amy update.

"She likes it when you sing," James said, though he'd closed his eyes and leaned his head back trying to see how much Matthew would copy — which had Chance chuckling when the little guy almost fell backwards trying to lean his head back as far as he could.

And when Elin saw the obvious competition, she simply slipped the little guy to her brother. It was even more fun to watch from that point when James tipped his head just a bit and then cracked one eye open to peek at him. When Matthew grinned at him, James made a better effort to look more relaxed and comfortable — a dirty trick, considering Matthew still liked to fall asleep on James.

It didn't take long for James to get Matthew arranged so that their heads were close, and then, he was sure to do his best job of looking like he was asleep, complete with ignoring it when Matthew tried to wake him up. Eventually, Matthew gave up and started to snuggle into James, and it was almost instant: he was out within minutes.

Which really just had Chance chuckling as he bounced Liliana on his knee on the other side of Elin. "Favorite babysitter."

"He was tired," James defended.

"And competitive," Charlie said with a small smile. "Not that you need an empath to tell you that."

"Yeah, he didn't want to be the first to pass out," James said with a smirk. "Not like that ever worked on his dad." He turned toward Chance and gave him a pointed look.

"Oh yeah, I'm the least competitive person you'll ever meet," Chance said dryly. "I have no idea where he gets it from."

"Kinda," James replied. "As long as you think you're winning …"

Charlie snorted at that before she turned her attention back to Maria, who was also starting to drift off. She hadn't exactly been paying attention when Gerry leaned over to rest his chin on her shoulder and jumped slightly, which had him grinning.

"Wow, you were off in your own world," he said with a teasing smile.

She glanced up at him and smiled softly before she turned back to Maria, though Gerry frowned and leaned in a bit closer. "You okay, Lottie?" he asked in an undertone.

"Not right now, Gerry," she said just as quietly.

Gerry frowned even deeper, sitting back slightly as he watched Charlie and the tiniest Stark, though when he saw the exceedingly careful kiss that she gave Maria once the baby girl fell asleep, he leaned over to kiss her cheek to try and get a smile out of her.