A/N - Hey there! Practically An Avenger, my word. So glad you're sticking to it. ;) I'm sure it'll be a minute before you're caught up, but - HI! Welcome back! To our new readers - So glad to have you! If you have any questions, feel free to PM or comment. I don't usually bite. And finally - enjoy! - CC
Chapter 17 - Empty
Tommy hadn't been sleeping well, but eventually, he drifted into exhausted sleep despite his best efforts to keep his mind occupied.
And as had been happening for weeks now, as soon as he fell asleep, the memories he'd been trying to ignore drifted into the world of dreams.
It started, like always, with Apocalypse. He kept expecting losing an arm and fighting Tyler to loom larger in his mind, but that had all been bad, yeah, but not encompassing. He'd still had control of himself with them. With Apocalypse… god, it had been like being so sick that he wasn't himself anymore, only ten times worse and with constant torment to top it all off. There wasn't a way to explain what it felt like; only people who had been through it would get it.
So that was where the dreams started. He was hurt, he was dying, and he was going to be replaced. He knew he was going to be replaced. And it shouldn't have felt like a betrayal, but it did.
And then, eventually, there was Tyler and his arm and the ducts and the adamantium. There was James and the Cuckoos.
He sat bolt upright as he woke up gasping, shaking and sweaty and trying to calm back down. It was funny, really. He always started dreaming about everything Apocalypse had done to break him, but he always woke up when he remembered what the department had done to James.
He'd watched Billy's boyfriend die. He was sure of it. He just didn't know how much longer everyone else was going to hope that wasn't the case. It was going to break them when they finally realized what had happened.
He glanced over and saw that Billy was still sleeping - fitfully - and his dad was back home holding down the fort. His mom was still… he had to hope he hadn't woken her. So, still shaking, he slid out of bed and hit the hall, hoping to find something to do at this time of night so he didn't have to go back to sleep.
He was just about to close the door when he saw his mom, and he paused, meeting her gaze, and stepped back to let her out into the hall too. Billy needed to sleep.
They went down the hall, away from the residential areas, before Tommy pointed up, and when she nodded, he picked her up and skip-stepped up to the roof. His leg still hurt, but he healed fast, and he was tired of being so slow. It wasn't pretty, but… he hadn't run in so long.
"Ow. Okay, not a good idea, sorry," Tommy said as he set her down and leaned against the door to the roof. Speed hopping. Whee."
"You didn't even give me a chance," Wanda said before she snapped her fingers and took them right to where he had wanted to be on the roof.
"Oh, hey, I didn't know you were up to small spells! Awesome, Mom!" Tommy said, genuinely thrilled.
"Slow improvement," Wanda said before she ran a hand through her hair.
"Still, that's really great; I mean it," Tommy said. "Last I saw you before all this, you'd gotten shot twice, so, you know, small victories and all."
"Yeah, and I'm slowly building up again," Wanda said. "Great way to spend a little of it, though."
Tommy smiled at her and then gestured for her to sit with him on the spot that had the best view of the stars. "Always."
"So, what has you up so late?"
"Oh, you know. Did too much sleeping when I was sedated and don't wanna do that anymore," Tommy said carelessly.
"Mmhmm, try another one."
Tommy blew his breath out through his lips to the point that they vibrated. He thought about another quip, but seeing his mom showing some power, he realized that she needed to know James was gone - because she needed to save her power to stop Billy. "So… have you and the other senior members compared notes yet about what's going on with James?"
"I didn't realize that Hank had finished up," she said.
"He's, uh, trying to keep his body going, yeah," Tommy said without looking her way.
"Tommy …" She ran a hand through his hair carefully, taking her time as she watched him. "What are you trying not to say?"
Tommy squeezed his eyes shut for a second and then leaned into her touch. "I think they're keeping him on life support to prolong the inevitable," he said quietly. "And you need to stop Billy from breaking when that happens, because I know I sure as hell can't."
Wanda considered him for a long moment, the whole while still slowly running her hand through his hair and watching him. "I am clearly behind on what's going on. How did you get to that conclusion?"
"I was there, Mom," Tommy said. When he'd told everyone else that he'd talked to, he had tried to shore himself up, but for his mom, he sounded small. Tired. Scared. "I watched them pour adamantium into him. And I was across the hall when a whole flock of telepaths broke into his mind and did something so bad it left one of them brain dead from the backlash." He glanced up at her, and she could see the genuine fear there. "Nobody's accepting it right now, and maybe that's a good thing, right? It'll buy you time to get better so you can stop Billy from breaking something when he tries to fix it."
Wanda frowned, but instead of arguing like Mia had, or giving him a 'wait and see', she simply nodded. "I'll do what I can," she promised. "But I think you have more sway than you realize."
"I'll try to help," Tommy promised. "But I can't stop magic, Mom."
"No, but you can talk sense into him. I've seen it happen."
"Okay." He let his shoulders drop and then rested his head on her shoulder. "That's what woke me up. For the record. I can't… I don't know how the scientists who were there sleep at night. And that's not a cliche. I was just a bystander, and I can't… it was like watching them boil him alive, Mom. And every time I saw him after that, until the telepaths came, he was just… god, he spent his last days so hurt."
Wanda pulled him into a hug, wrapping him up as much as she was able. "I can't imagine what you went through watching that."
"It was hell," Tommy said frankly, holding on tighter than he meant to at first, but when she hugged him, he sank into it. "It was right after I got out, when I first hurt my arm. I can't stop dreaming about it."
"Why do you think you're dreaming about it?" Wanda asked quietly. "Because figuring out the why might help you sleep."
Tommy let out a laugh that had no joy to it. "It's not just that. That's just the rotten cherry on top. I've got weeks' worth of other awful to relive too."
"And you haven't had a chance to process any of it," she said, still snuggling him close.
"Yeah… I think the last good night's sleep I had was with David," Tommy said.
"I'm sure Kate and Nate would let you snuggle him if it helped you sleep," she teased. "You'll make your brother jealous."
"Wrong David," Tommy said, rolling his eyes.
"You can say that now, but I've seen you with him."
Tommy shrugged into the hug. "Babies are easy. You just make sure they're clean and fed and hold 'em. Everything else sucks."
"Okay, sweetheart. If you say so."
"I do." Tommy stayed there with his head on her shoulder for long enough that he could feel himself getting tired, so he immediately straightened up and cleared his throat. "So, um…"
"I can get us back quickly if you're ready to call it a night."
"Nah, I should get back to looking at that coursework I was gonna do. Powers back on and everything, I should be able to get that degree fast."
"Then I can get you to your room, and you can take it from there," she said. "I won't be long."
"Thanks, Mom," he said quietly.
Wanda kissed his forehead. "Don't stay up too late. You do need to rest." A moment later, Tommy was gone in a swirl of red - and shortly after, she sent herself to the lab to check on James for herself.
The monitors were recording, and the lab was quiet. And thankfully, Betsy had finally taken a break, leaving Wanda alone to check in on him without interruption. She held her breath as she sat down in the chair Betsy had clearly been using, then took a moment to pick up James's hand as she watched him and considered what she wanted to do - and how that might be done best. When she finally realized what she wanted to do, she started without a word, casting a simple spell to find him while focusing on something more important than just his body.
This was more advanced magic than poofing herself and Tommy around, but it should have been simple. If Tommy was wrong, then she should have simply seen a glow in James's chest, a physical representation of his soul.
What she saw instead… was nothing. But the spell was still active, still searching.
She waited, keeping the spell going as long as she could. And just as she had exhausted her reach, she thought she felt something. Something familiar. Something warm and inviting.
It was only a second, but she couldn't deny what she'd felt.
For a long time after that, she sat in that chair, her hand over her mouth, her mind racing. She looked at all the instruments James was hooked up to and found herself suddenly agreeing with Tommy's assessment: Hank was keeping a body alive.
She simply didn't understand how this had happened. Or why. Or whether the Cuckoos were strong enough to send a soul to the other side by telepathy alone - or if it was reversible.
She didn't know when Betsy would be back, and she didn't know that she would even believe Wanda if she tried to explain the hopelessness of the situation. Wanda wasn't sure she even had the words.
When she stood, she realized that she was crying, silently, already mourning the son-in-law that she should have had.
She went back to the room she was sharing with her boys and simply sat there, watching Tommy drinking coffee and reading physics books, watching Billy sleep. Tommy was right. A loss like this… a loss like this would change everything. Especially because it was so senseless.
She wasn't aware of how much time had passed as she turned over everything she now knew. But when the sun rose, she frowned, nodded to herself, and got to her feet. She wouldn't tell the others. Not yet. Not until she'd had some sleep, not until she could talk to Lorna, not until she knew she could help Billy without falling apart herself.
She made her way to where Lorna was staying with Alex, who was set to have several medical appointments over the next little while, since his arm had been broken when he was caught and never tended to, and without some intervention, he'd lose a lot of movement on that side. As it was, he probably wouldn't get full range of motion back.
She knocked on the door and heard, as expected, Alex's groan of protest at such an early morning visit. "Lorna," she called through the door.
"Someone's up early," Lorna called back as she got up and pulled on an overshirt. "Give me two minutes."
"Alright," Wanda said, taking that time to try to calm her own emotions as she waited.
When Lorna opened up the door, she was clearly still a little bleary-eyed. "Is Tommy alright?"
"No, but that's another discussion," Wanda said, seizing Lorna by the arm to pull her toward privacy.
"Billy, then?" Lorna asked as she let Wanda drag her along.
Wanda waved at her for silence until they were up on the roof - and didn't say anything until she confirmed that no one else was around. "It's James," Wanda said.
Lorna seemed to wake up a little faster. "Is he being awful to Hank? Because sometimes that's actually funny."
Wanda tried to smirk at that, but she couldn't manage it. "No," she said, though as soon as she did, she could feel herself getting emotional - but this time, instead of the deep, mournful sadness she'd been feeling all night, she was angry. Had she had even an ounce of power left, she would have been floating. "No, and he won't," she said, rage dripping in every word.
Lorna's teasing expression fell away in a blink. "What do you mean? Of course he will. Once he gets past the worst of the guilt complex, he'll be terrible in all the best ways."
Wanda shook her head. "No, Lorna." She paced a small path and then turned back to her. "He's not going to wake up. It doesn't matter what they try; he's not coming back."
Lorna narrowed her eyes. "You don't know that."
"Do you think I would give up on him if I didn't know for sure?" Wanda demanded, her voice thunderous. "He was mine. He was as good as my son. And they took him senselessly and let him die in agony and didn't have the decency to let his body die with him!" With every word, her voice rose, her expression twisting into one exactly like her father would have worn. She gestured with one hand toward the door that would have led back down. "I searched for his soul last night, and I couldn't find it-"
"I thought you didn't do soul hunting," Lorna cut in. "it's too dangerous."
"I was hoping it would only be a short spell to ease Tommy's mind," Wanda admitted. "I should have simply cast it and then seen it glow in his heart and been done with it."
"Tommy's mind?" Lorna shook her head. "I know he was there, but -"
"He was there for the adamantium - and he was there when the Cuckoos tore James from his body. Whatever it was, it killed one of them," Wanda nearly snarled. "And they did it for what? An empty vessel that can't survive away from a lab? It's so senseless."
Lorna considered her sister for a moment. "It was a mistake, then. They screwed up."
"And James paid the price." Wanda let out a sound through her teeth and then tried to rein herself back in. "I don't think anyone else is ready to hear this, and I know Billy isn't. Tommy's terrified his brother is going to lose it, and I used all my power looking for James. But I wanted to talk to you, because…" She paused. "When Logan and K died…"
Lorna's shoulders drooped, and she let out a breathless sound of protest.
"I wouldn't ask if anyone else could do it - or anyone else I could trust."
"I want a second opinion," Lorna said. "Maybe a third, too."
"I know." Wanda closed her eyes and then all but collapsed as she sat down. "Betsy's searching for him now. Hank is doing what he can."
"No, I mean a magical second opinion," Lorna said. "Dr. Strange. And Forge if we can talk him into it."
Wanda was quiet for a long time. "I'll talk to them," she said at last, but she didn't get up to move.
"Get all of them to agree with you - and get Scott and Billy to agree with timing," Lorna said. "And then … yes, of course. I won't let anyone use him any worse or … desecrate the body."
Wanda nodded, a lot of the tension leaving her now that Lorna had agreed to help. "Thank you," she said softly.
"Just as long as you remember he was mine first."
"Sure, sure. If you say so." Wanda bumped shoulders with her sister. "So," she said in a desperate bid to change the subject, "how is Alex, anyway?"
"Alex is Alex. But battered and having nightmares about the lies they told him about his family."
"I'm sorry. It's hard to watch them hurt."
"He'll be okay eventually."
"Of course. He's Alex," Wanda said with a quiet smile.
"He won't be okay until his brother levels out."
"And his brother won't level out until… well, we'll see what Strange says," Wanda said. She rubbed her eyes. "I'm going to get some rest. I've been up most of the night. I'll make some calls when I'm not sleep-deprived. I just…" She bumped Lorna's shoulder again. "Thank you, again. I can't do this alone."
Lorna rolled with the bump, then put her arm around Wanda's back. "You wouldn't want to do this alone anyhow."
"That's true." Wanda sighed and got to her feet. "Wish me luck."
"I'm not the one that can make wishes come true," Lorna teased softly.
"Then I'll wish you luck," Wanda said as they headed back inside.
As it turned out, Betsy had decided that, all things considered, Scott needed to know sooner than later. So, without consulting with anyone, and convinced that there was no other viable option, she made her way to the suite Scott was sharing with Annie and gently rapped at the door.
Yes, it was early in the morning, but … this simply couldn't wait. She took a step back, her hands folded in front of herself as she looked not at the door, expectantly, but toward the floor - once again running through everything she knew and all she didn't. She was hoping against all rational thought that she could be wrong about this. That a miracle would happen before Scott could answer his door.
For a moment, she hoped that maybe he was sleeping soundly enough that he hadn't heard her - and she took a step back in preparation to leave him in peace for one morning. But naturally, that was exactly when Scott called back to her.
"One second," Scott called out - not sounding like he'd slept much at all.
"Take your time," Betsy whispered, steeling herself for how she was going to break the news.
Scott opened the door a few moments later, looking, as she'd suspected, like she hadn't interrupted his sleep. He had dark circles under his eyes, and she could see the beginnings of a beard coming in - which was never a good sign. He always neglected himself when he felt like his world was spinning out of his control. He'd been clean-shaven for the rescue, and now…
Well, it was funny how well she knew him. The details that he hadn't changed since they were young. "Is Nate alright?" Betsy asked, hoping to hear some good news before everything fell to pieces the moment she told Scott what she knew.
"Better every second he's able to see with his own eyes that Kate and I are still alive," Scott said diplomatically as he waved her inside. "But I doubt that's what you came here to talk about."
"No," Betsy agreed, her shoulders drooping. She looked past Scott, then took his arm to lead the way to a more private spot where there weren't guards walking by - because as easy as it would be to simply project to him, she knew this was something that needed to be said out loud. When he frowned, she tipped her head for him to follow. "Please, trust me for a moment."
"Always do," Scott said automatically, though his frown hadn't lessened in the slightest.
She felt horribly guilty about not just ripping the bandage off, and yet … When they finally took a seat, tucked away far from everyone, Betsy took a moment to put up some severe psychic shields to keep their conversation private. And by then, she was pretty sure Scott knew where the conversation was headed. It took her another moment to compose herself and get her emotions in check before she could start, too.
"Hank asked me to come and check James over," she said in a controlled tone. "There was an incident in the lab just before he was set to turn in for the night. He wanted a second opinion - and an explanation as to why the device attached to James is needed."
"Is?"
"Yes," Betsy said, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Don't interrupt, please." She cleared her throat and shifted in her chair as she reorganized her thoughts. "I spent most of the night with James - searching his mind for him." She frowned as she could feel herself backtracking on what she wanted to say as she watched Scott hold his breath. "His mind is vast, and usually, it's simply a matter of walking in and finding him. But … outside of his home base, it looks as if it's the entirety of the north woods. I couldn't find him or any trace of him anywhere." She met his gaze. "You'll have to ask Hank for more specifics on the device, but it's my understanding that it monitors his vital signs and defibrillates when his heart stops."
Scott had his arms crossed, and with every word from Betsy, she could see him drumming his fingers along his arms. "So someone shoved him out of the way," he said slowly.
"I … don't know," Betsy said carefully. "If that's the case … I can't figure out why his heart keeps stopping."
"I just…" Scott let out a long breath. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I can't see them wasting all that adamantium. I hate putting it that way, but it's the truth. So I can't figure out what they did, knowing that."
"If it was just about the metal," Betsy sighed. "We wouldn't have found him, Scott."
Scott nodded his agreement. "So," he said at last, "tell me what you and Hank suspect. You wouldn't have pulled me aside for speculation."
"He wanted me to find his mind," Betsy said. "But, as it stands, he won't live on his own without the monitors and the machine." She shook her head. "I couldn't find him. No sign at all. It was bizarre and nothing I've ever heard of."
Scott was quiet for a long time, all motion stopped but very soft breathing. "Okay," he said at last, slowly.
"I don't want to give up on him," Betsy admitted. "But I don't know where to go from here."
"Yeah." Scott let out a long breath, tapping his foot. "Can Hank - can we get him mobile?" he asked suddenly.
"I'm sure we can find a way," Betsy agreed. "What are you thinking?"
"I think … I think neither of my kids will be satisfied until Nate looks for himself," Scott said. "I don't doubt you. That's not what I'm-"
Betsy was nodding well before he could finish his thought. "No, I agree. No telepath of his caliber wouldn't take anyone's word without looking for themselves."
"And …" Scott dragged a hand down his face and then looked for a place to sit down, feeling suddenly tired. "And when he sees an empty mind, he doesn't deserve to fall apart where everyone can see." He found a seat on a metal bench and gestured for her to join him. That's all I can think to do, Bets. I have to protect at least one of them.
You do, she agreed. I still have my family home in the countryside. It's private and staffed, so you wouldn't have to be bothered by anyone. There's enough room for whoever you choose to bring with you, too. And I hate to say it, but I think you need to make sure Billy goes with you.
You're right, Scott said, sounding shell-shocked even in his mind. I'd have killed anyone who stood between me and Jean at the end. Can't separate them.
Betsy nodded; then, after a moment, she took a chance at reaching over to give him a hug. "I'm so sorry, Scott."
He tensed when she reached for him, not expecting to move, but as soon as she had him in the hug, he relaxed into it, resting his forehead on her shoulder. He wasn't projecting anything to her, but she could hear all the same the resounding echoes of feeling like he'd failed not just James but his parents. And she knew she couldn't argue him out of that when it was so fresh.
I'll need to bring Annie along, he said after a while, straightening up and trying to move into a plan.
Of course, Betsy said. Anyone you need, you know you're welcome to take. The house is yours as long as you want it.
Thanks, Bets. Scott took a deep breath. She's stressed out of her mind, and it's still the first trimester, so we can't be separated right now.
I've been waiting to congratulate you, she replied. Though I'm sure it feels hollow now.
Doesn't feel like the right time, no, Scott said.
I think we should send Remy along, Betsy said, then almost stumbled as she tried to justify it. For Annie.
That's actually not a bad idea, Scott said. I was going to suggest Kate and David come along as well; I think Nate will have a heart attack if he can't see Kate for any extended period right now. I know he's still having nightmares about that.
Them too, Betsy agreed. The house has plenty of room, I promise. She shrugged and finally looked a little more like herself. Braddock Manor … it's more or less a castle.
"Thanks, Bets," Scott said, putting his hand on her shoulder to thank her as well as to help himself to his feet. "I… should go talk to everyone."
"I'll notify the staff," she said. "Take your time."
"If it's all the same to you, no one in my family can do anything right now, and you know how well we do with that. I think I'll get moving on this, thanks."
"Yes, well … I'll make sure they're prepared for you," she said, forcing a smile.
He let his shoulders drop and reached out to touch her arm. "How's Warren? I meant to ask."
"He's in considerable pain, but in decent spirits. He was suspicious when I left him more or less alone last night."
"Neglecting him," Scott said in a whisper of a tease.
"Terribly, as always," Betsy agreed. "He loves it, of course."
"Of course." Scott shook his head at her. "Take care of yourself too, okay?"
Betsy gave him a moment to head off, just to make sure he had some privacy on his way back before she started toward her own room where Warren was waiting with Angela - she was very sure. But that left Scott on his own to wander back.
He was shifting his outlook into one that those that knew him had seen before, focusing on the family he had left and closing everything else off until it was a to-do list he could wrap his head around. He had to talk to everyone who needed to come to the manor, and beyond that, he needed to talk to the second wave, the ones he'd need to involve if Nate couldn't find anyone.
So it was almost fortuitous that he saw Wanda as he was heading to talk to Billy. "Any chance I could borrow your son for a bit?" he called out to her.
"Of course," Wanda said, though as she got closer, it was clear that she hadn't slept either. "Something special in mind? Just tell me it doesn't involve magic."
"No, and I wouldn't ask that of him right now anyway," Scott said. He took a deep breath and let it out. "I'm taking James somewhere private so Nate can have a go at helping him."
Wanda's shoulders relaxed, but she looked more stressed around her eyes. "Alright, but - you need to get me if Billy tries to work any magic," she said.
"I will," Scott promised. He gave her a tight almost-smile but couldn't quite manage it. "To be honest, Wanda, this…" He trailed off, cleared his throat, and tried again. "This is a Hail Mary."
She was nodding, clearly fighting back tears. "I know."
He faltered. "You know?"
She bit her lip and looked positively miserable. "Yes. I know. Tommy told me what he witnessed while they were captive. They were horrible to both of them, but he saw when those clones went into James's cell. He said whatever they did left one of them brain dead, and he's been having nightmares about it. That didn't sound very promising with everything else going on," Wanda said in a rush, her cheeks red as she talked about it, and her hands shaking in glowing fists. "And there's nothing magical I can do that won't … I just know the price would be steep, or I'd do it in a heartbeat."
Scott could feel himself going pale and cold, but it was so obvious Wanda was upset that he stepped toward her and took her glowing hands, covering them with his. "Wanda, it's okay," he said, though he felt like he was listening to himself say it from far away. "I'd never ask that of you or Billy."
"You wouldn't have to," Wanda said, though that was as far as she could make it before she broke down crying.
Scott caught her as she doubled over and brought her to sit, still in too much shock himself to join her, so he just held her. "It's okay," he said, because he couldn't think of anything else to say as they sat there, with Wanda in tears and Scott barely feeling anything at all.
After a long moment, Wanda managed to mostly pull herself together, apologizing left and right and feeling horrible all the while. "I'm sure he'll want to go with you for whatever you're going to try."
"I just don't want him to feel like he was left out," Scott said. He closed his eyes and let his breath out again. "And … when we get back, too many people will want to say-" He cleared his throat. "So he should get time with him before that."
Wanda nodded. "Yes, yes, of course," she agreed, doing everything she could to pull herself together and look a little more normal. "Anything you need. Always. It may not have been official, but we're still family."
"I'll need to talk to Lorna," he said, using the fact that she was getting a hold of herself to talk over her head rather than look at her expression when he knew if he fell apart, he wasn't getting back up for a long time. And he was needed.
"I already talked to her," Wanda said, shaking her head. "Just a bit ago. I'm going to talk to Doctor Strange and maybe Forge if he's willing to double-check for both of us. We're not giving up just yet either."
"Good. If you find something, we'll be at Betsy's old family home," Scott told her.
"That sounds lovely," Wanda said, smiling - though even then, it was very clear she'd been crying. "Let's go get our boy, hmm?"
"Yes, let's," he agreed, offering his arm, still feeling distant and feeling like he should have been more upset.
Just before they reached the door where the twins were, Wanda managed a tiny spell to make herself look fresh - and temporarily bolstered her tone so she didn't sound like she was on the verge of crying again. Which made for a pretty harsh switch when she gently knocked on the door and pushed it open. "Boys, I know you're not sleeping - or if you are, you're not sleeping very hard. You have a visitor."
"For little old us?" Tommy called out, and in a rush of wind, he had opened the door for the two of them - though his practiced smile fell immediately when he saw who it was, and he shot his mom a wordless look.
"Yes, little old both of you," she agreed, then stepped away from Scott to give him a chance to phrase it how he liked - if he was able.
"I was hoping I could borrow you, Billy," Scott said carefully, one hand on the doorframe to steady himself. "We're going to take James somewhere private so Nate can try telepathic intervention without the hubbub here. And…" He trailed off and looked toward Wanda before he looked back at Billy. "And we don't want to separate you and James when things are so tenuous."
"Yeah, I'd wish myself there if you tried anyway," Billy said frankly.
"No magic," Wanda warned, sounding deadly serious.
Billy frowned at her. "Mom, I'm fine. I'm feeling fine. I can-"
"Of course you are," Wanda said. "And little parlor tricks are one thing - but nothing major. Promise me."
Billy frowned at her. "Mom… what's going on?"
"It's a serious consideration," Wanda replied. "And I am working on magical backup if needed - so you … don't."
Billy frowned between Scott and Wanda and looked toward Tommy, who was standing in solidarity with them, so he knew it was bad. "Okay, I'll pack a bag," he said without making any promises.
"Do you want some space to do that?" Wanda asked, guessing that Billy might just ask Tommy what had him holding the line with her and Scott.
"Not really." Billy waved a glowing hand, and with a whispered wish, he was holding a suitcase. "All good."
"Billy."
"What? It's parlor trick level!"
She made her way over to brush the hair out of his face and kissed his cheek. "Please."
Billy let his shoulders drop and kissed her cheek right back. "Love you too, Mom."
"If you need me-"
"I'll call you if I need help, I promise," he said. "Besides, it's Nate. He's the strongest telepath in the world. He'll fix it."
Scott held onto the doorframe a little tighter. "He's got the best shot at it, yeah," he said. He cleared his throat. "I have a few more people to talk to. If you want to help Nate and Kate pack up David's things…"
"Might be faster to just give me a list of who needs to be packed up," Billy told him, though he wasn't smiling the way he usually did when he showed off. "If this has a shot at working, let's go now."
Surprising absolutely none of the people who had come with Scott and Nate for this last-ditch attempt to save James, Betsy's family home was stunningly gorgeous. It was out in the countryside, with no one else around for miles beyond the staff, who greeted them all warmly and already had a big meal prepared for them.
Kate had just fed David, so she was starving and ready to dive in, but Annie was feeling nauseous and elected to take a tour of the place, since being around food made her ill.
And the place was big enough that by the time she had walked around all of it, she was starting to feel hungry again and could nibble off of Scott's plate, since he wasn't eating as much as he should have been.
She tried very hard not to point it out, since, well, she had no room to talk. But she still did give him a raised eyebrow look until he sighed, rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and knocked her shoulder with his.
And that was, at least, a sign of life. She was glad to see that, because she couldn't hear anything from his mind lately but shock. He was moving on automatic pilot, and she wished she knew how to fix it.
She knew from listening to the projected concerns of everyone who knew Scott that this wasn't the first time he'd done this. When Jean and the others had died, he had been moving robotically, living for the kids and not much else. And when Jean had died the first time, he hadn't had the kids to consider, and he'd just stopped.
And she was glad - she was - that he hadn't stopped. That he was trying to be there for his family and for her. But she was dreading this trip, because he didn't seem to have any hope that it would work. He was already mourning, and that wasn't a good sign.
She could tell, too, that Nate had picked up on his dad's resignation, because he seemed to be doing the opposite of Scott and shoring himself up, determined not to give up just yet and ignoring anything that would indicate otherwise. And that made sense, she supposed: if he went into this project already thinking he was going to fail, it was almost certainly going to fall apart.
But that didn't make it any easier watching the two of them trying to hold themselves together in such different ways.
Kate seemed to be approaching the whole thing the same way Nate was, though Annie wasn't sure if that was because she had faith in her husband or because she knew Nate needed her to have faith in him. Maybe it was a little bit of both; this was the same girl who had used an engagement strategically during a trial. But she wasn't showing any cracks in her optimism mentally, even if Annie could hear her planning ahead to how she'd take care of Nate if he couldn't pull off the 50-yard passing play, which was the analogy she was using in her head.
Remy had been a surprise when Scott told her that he was asking him along. They got along well, especially after everything that they'd both been through on Genosha. But apparently, Remy was moral support in a literal sense. She hadn't even known about his emotion-related mutant powers when the flashing cards were so, well, flashy.
But it made sense to her that for something that was, frankly, this much of a long shot, if this failed, with the levels of power on the people involved, they needed emotional backup.
So why was Remy staying so close to her?
Oh, right.
Annie looked down at herself and sighed. She hadn't had a chance yet to be as excited as she wanted to be about this pregnancy. It was a miracle in every sense of the word, not least because she'd honestly given up on having her own kids once she got into her late thirties. But so much else was happening that she sometimes forgot she was even pregnant.
You okay?
Annie felt Scott's mind brush hers and glanced up to see him watching her intently, visible strain around his eyes. He was holding himself together with strings; it was obvious.
So, she gave him a tight smile of her own. I'm alright, she promised. It's a lot, but I'm alright.
You sure?
I'm sure. She reached out to grab his hand and give it a squeeze under the table. I was just thinking about our family.
Scott's gaze flickered down to her stomach. Oh?
She smiled, this time more genuinely, and squeezed his hand again. I forget I'm pregnant sometimes with how much is going on, but I think it's important to hang onto the good things, or we'll drown in the bad. That's what I was thinking.
I'm trying.
I know. It wasn't a - I wasn't indicting you. I was trying to keep my own hopes up, she promised quickly.
And I just need to get through this.
I know. She waited for him to meet her gaze. Whatever happens, I'm here. I promise.
