1963-07-11 - Blood and Genetics Part II
Summary: The X-Men talk about getting serious in the aftermath of their newest rescue having breakfast.
Related: None
Theme Song: None
bobby alex moira xavier logan jean cannonball 


BLOOD AND GENETICS, PART II:
THE NEW STATUS WOE

/As young Jimmy Lewiston comes to grips with the loss of his mother and father a somber quiet has fallen over the X-Mansion as the family tries to figure out where to go from here/

The door to Xavier's chamber opens quietly and the Professor slips in with two cups of tea. One for himself, and one for Moira MacTaggert who has been watching him since he was dragged up the stairs. This was after he was given a clean bill of health, mostly.

As he walks towards the bed, and the chaise lounge that sits next to it, Moira lies sleeping on the chair. Xavier looks as though he's resting peacefully under the covers, while simultaneously setting down the tea. Gradually the image of the sleeping Xavier begins to disappear, even as the real one sits down at the edge of the bed.

*

"It's pretty big for a school," Jimmy says as he looks over at Alex. It's the kind of thing you say when you want to talk about anything other than what happened last night. Idle chit-chat holds a comfort, but it's not one he can cling to for long. Jimmy Lewiston is tougher than he looks.

In the Mansion things are starting up. Breakfast is being served, kids are doing their chores, that sort of thing.

*

Alex is dressed in slacks and a button up shirt, looking a little tired from the previous night, but otherwise holding his stuff together. Since breakfast is being served, he leads the kid towards the Cafeteria, "It is pretty big, really. Its an old family mansion, not even a school at all originally, the Professor has just had it renovated. Apparnetly it was in his family and he wanted to put it to some better use. Probably was intimidated by the idea of dusting all the rooms." He grins a bit over at Jimmy.

*

Second crack at the muffins. This time, raspberry. They were freshly picked and purchased on Xavier's dime from the farmers market, along with the wheat, butter, and whatever else was needed to make everything taste right.

And guess what?

This was even more horrible than the last set. This one tastes like five parts lard, six parts vomit and twelve fathoms of stinky feet. But Jean was happy. The smell was delicious and not too attrocious for her to even know that it tasted like such shit. Cooking was not her fortay. But it makes her happy..

..to burn things.

Ahem. The tray was sat down upon the middle of the table as she slides into her spot, nudging the tray of muffins over with but a glance and a subtle push of her telekinetics. Her favorite.. well now favorite book was soon picked up and read. Lord of the Rings; J.R.R Tolkien. (Published in 1954!)

*

Having fallen asleep during her vigil over the professor, still in her clothes from the day before, Moira MacTaggert begins to stir at the scent of tea in the room. She blinks drowsily, picking her head up off the back edge of the chair where it had dropped. Instinctively, one hand comes up to rub at where her neck suddenly hates her for sleeping in a chair like that. She watches him for a concerned moment, especially as she sees him sitting up. "You… should probably still be resting. I know you're not going to listen to me, though." She murmurs with a quiet, worried frown. She sits forward then, fingertips moving for his cheek, trying to turn his eyes towards her so she can study his gaze. At least his pupils weren't blown. He looked far better than last night.

*

At this point, the usual kitchen staff don't even bother trying to shoo Sam Guthrie out of the kitchen anymore. Hints and threats roll right off of the politely stubborn Kentucky boy, and the fact that the fruits of his labors more often than not end up as delicious bribes doesn't hurt, either.

Of course, today isn't just a day like any other. Today, Sam has prepared a spread of heavy breakfast foods the likes of which most Northerners never see. Sausages and bacon, country ham and cheese-covered eggs, a whole array of different toasted breads and gravy. Welcome to the South, where we eat our feelings. After a short pause, Sam sits across from Jean, giving her a mute, tight smile, and slides a plate of hash browns her way.

*

Bobby wanders downstairs, yawning. Barefoot, he's in jeans and a white tee shirt, making his way to the cafeteria. First thing he does is pour himself some coffee, adding sugar and cream, then going to sit down and look at the selection of food. "Did you make all of this Sam? I don't want to accidentally take something Jean cooked." It's impolite so spit things out at a public table.

*

Jimmy chuckles at Alex. "No offense to that guy, but I don't think he's ever done any manual labor in his life." The young man sticks his hands in his pockets, or rather someone else's pockets, since the Professor insisted on getting him some clean clothes. You know, clothes not caked in the blood of his parents. "What does everyone do for fun here?"

*

"I shall be alright, Moira," Xavier replies, looking up at her. He's still go the red-ness of his nostril from the bloody nose. A reminder that all was not so well last night. But, true, he did look quite a bit better. "I have brought you some tea; your favorite kind of course. Breakfast will be ready soon, but if scores of minds screaming out in terror have anything to say about the matter…"

"Stay away from the muffins."

*

Logan makes his own way in from outdoors, his shirt-sleeves rolled up. He's been chopping wood pretty steadily for a while now, preparing to work on a small cabin for his own use. He feels strange living in a school with a whole bunch of kids and he's never been much for roommates anyway - makes him feel like he's back in the military and he wasn't that fond of basic training.

"Should be grateful anybody bothers t'cook fer ya, boy," he says gruffly, slapping Bobby on the shoulder as he goes past. He already ate, for his part, having snared a hare and cooked it over a fire late last night, picking the bones this morning before his chopping. Still, coffee was here and he was in the mood for some. "You kids keepin' yer noses clean?"

*

A slightly skeptical look crosses Moira's eyes, though the tea is taken thankfully. She takes in a deep breath of it, the scent relaxing some of the worries in the back of her head, but her pale gaze doesn't waver from him. "If I go down and get you a tray, would you actually stay in bed and get some rest? God, Charles… you've still got blood on your nose. It… could have been so much worse." Moira's voice holds a barely restrained need to lecture, yell, explain how close he came to having a stroke, but she's trying not to stress him more. So the doctor walks that thin tight rope of concern without smothering. It's not easy.

*

Her green eyes watch Sam over the tops of her book as he slowly slides the plate of hash browns close, those eyes widening and a grin brought on which was hidden by the pages as well as a quiet 'Thank you'. Yes, it was quiet, for her mind was working, fingers releasing the book to allow it to float into the middle of the table, the fork way to the left that she was using to check the doneness of the muffins was slowly rattled, her hand reaching out to slide it to her person. She was getting a good workout, of that muscle.

Mind over matter and things shall bend.

Jean gives a slight wrinkle of her nose towards Bobby, Logan already reprimanding him but.. the fork was dropped into the plate of hashbrowns as she tries to attack the Iceman with a series of tickles. "You shut your pie hole! I did a good batch this time around!"

*

"Yeah, Bobby, Ah did," Sam answers, sliding a small plate of bacon toward the other boy and grabbing a strip to chew on himself. He has been glum all morning, but he can't help but smile at the tickle attack, and he opens up a little. "Couldn't sleep all that well, so Ah came down early," he explains. He glances down at the meal he prepared, easily enough for a family of four. "Ah guess Ah might've gotten carried away. Help yourselves."

He eyes Jean's muffins. Then he glances at his own bread plate: leftover banana bread, a couple of English muffins, raisin toast and several tablespoons of jam. He looks up, making eye contact with Jean, puts on a smile, and takes a muffin. He holds it below his nose for a second, then bites into it.

"Mmmmm," he says, for the Academy's consideration.

*

"We play games. Sports. Swim in the lake. Watch movies. If you're bored, you usually want to go find where Bobby is hanging out, because chances are he's up to something and it's going to be all kinds of fun." Alex explains to the young man, and he does grin, "And hey, the Professor is not exactly a manual labor guy, but don't let that fool you. He's no pushover. And he holds his own in sparring." He leads in to the cafeteria, and gestures around, "Plus meals are fun."

*

"I am Logan. I always thank the kitchen staff for cooking tasty food." Bobby tells him. And he'll thank Jean when she does too. Uh-uh-uh. No tickling allowed. Mostly because he's coated in a sheet of ice when he sees the fingers going for his side. Ice armor: rated against projectile weapons and fingers. "Thanks Sam." He piles food on his plate.

*

Logan snorts, "Truth, I'm beginnin' t'wonder if ninety percent o' life 'round this place is made up o' eatin'. It's a wonder the lot o' you ain't fat an' round as a milkmaid's…well, just never mind what," he says.

He lights a cigar as he gets his own coffee, grabbing a seat separate from the rest because he wasn't so much a damn fool that he thought the grown-up should sit around with the teens and twenty-somethings and talk about whatever damnfool thing they were payin' attention about. Probably that Ricky Nelson kid or somethin'?

*

"We got the boy," Xavier says sadly. With raised eyebrows, after a pause, he adds. "I wish we had also rescued his parents." He brings the tea up to his lips, thinking somewhere a million miles away. His blue eyes get that vacant look, sometimes when he's thinking and all the time when he's using his powers. A moment later he's back. "Probably not, Moira. There is an anger that is growing. In this nation and world. In this mansion. A push towards violence. I cannot lay in bed while some of these children draw closer and closer to the darkness of hate."

*

"I guess I'll take your word for it," Jimmy says as he turns the corner. "That smells amazing." He gives a nod towards the food, "Is this stuff all free? I mean, for me." His eyes look over all of the new people: The guy with the big sideburns, the blonde guy shoveling food into his mouth, the redhead tickling—who is that? Suddenly he 'ices' up and Jimmy's eyebrows go straight up.

*

Pointing, "Iceman there is Bobby. At the table, there's Sam and Jean— uhh be careful of what she cooks, I've heard things, but yes, everything else is for you. Safe, I mean. To eat. Oh and free." Alex waves a hand a bit, totally blase about the question of money, "There's no one here who will ever charge you for anything. Logan's the guy with the cigar." He heads over to grab a plate, pauses, eyeing Jimmy a moment, "See, for breakfast, I like a bagel, creamcheese and lox, and keep a secret stash of the supplies. You want to try Sam's Southern Extravaganza, Jean's Mystery Muffins— really, don't go here— or the normal fare? Eggs and toast and stuff? Or my secret stash? Your choice, man. Your choice."

*

A quiet sigh escapes her lips and Moira leans forward, setting her tea down so she can shift from where she sits in that chair to actually sitting on the bed next to him, hip to hip, her eyes more serious than he's seen her since she's returned to their lives. "That is fine. And I understand why you are going down there, Charles. And I understand why you want to lead them… Need to guide them. I do. And I will never stop you. But I want you to take ten seconds before you pull something like you did last night again. Because if you push too hard, if you don't recognize your own limits, you *are* going to have a stroke. Or go insane. Or both. And then those kids are going to lose the one man they can all look up to. You got lucky this time. You won't always. You need to listen to me when I tell you it's too much. Or Erik. Or someone, for Christ's sake. Can you do that, at least? Because you're right, it's not about you, it's about those kids. ANd they don't need you to be the impossible hero. They just need *YOU*."

*

Gah, Jean was foiled! There was no tickling to be had anymore, and soon the plate was dragged towards her and she quietly begins to eat. Quietly. That was until Jimmy and Alex draw into the room and the description of her cooking goes down into history as the shittiest thing ever. Man..

..she was down in the dumps.

"You guys aren't really nice.." She says quietly, her head hung slightly as she looks up in time to see Sam bit the muffin. That there? That was solid. She beams brightly, her head picking up as she reaches over to steal a piece of bacon, her hand soon tossing it to the air as she catches it with that unseen force to float towards Jimmy. "I hope you like bacon."

*

"Noses clean, maybe, but we sure messed up good last night," Sam tells Logan, blues creeping back up on him as Jimmy does more or less the same. At least this is a plausible distraction from the muffin he's working on. He sets it down gingerly, then nods to the boy, assuming he'll be recognized. "Hiya, Jimmy. Y'like sausage? Eggs?" he asks gently, gesturing to the food. "Got plenty to share." Logan's disapproval notwithstanding, hearty meals are how his family has always dealt with loss.

*

The ice disappears once Jean goes back to eating. "Tell him you want to try it all, Jimmy. Except the muffins. Sam's being brave in order to impress a pretty girl." He gives the two in question a quick grin before taking a bite.

*

Logan doesn't know the Jimmy kid from anybody, but there's always more rugrats running around this joint. He can't keep much track of 'em. He takes a note of the name and the scent, though, for future reference. He sees Jean looking a little down in the mouth and frowns.

But he can also hear Charles and Moira's conversation not so far distant and he figures Chuck and his chick are on their way. He won't step on the Professor's toes and so keeps his peace, drinking the bitter black from a tin mug.

*

"Moira," Xavier says as he undoes the cufflinks on his dress shirt. "To you I go to far. To Erik, not far enough. And to Raven the death of every mutant is on my hands. I cannot possibly be everything to everyone."

"Still, that does not mean that your point does not stand. I will be careful, Moira. I will do better. I promise."

*

Jimmy tilts his head as if considering and then goes for the eggs, the toast, and for the hashbrowns. "Thanks, Alex. This is amazing." Having gotten his plate he follows along towards the tables, but stops abruptly.

On the wall is a cork announcement board, and stapled on said board is a flyer. Presumably it was placed by one of the teachers. It reads:

*

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PROUDLY PRESENTS
AS PART OF ITS LECTURE SERIES ON ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Dr. Ahmed Abduhl, Ancient Egyptian Professor, Cairo University

The poster gives a date, and Jimmy sort of stands there in a trance. His father always pushed academia on the young man, and it is his hope to become a Professor someday—most especially a professor of Ancient Egypt. Dr. Abduhl is sort of a big deal.

"Bacon? Yeah, I love it." There's a high stack on Jimmy's plate as he sits down near Jean. And across from Bobby. He begins to eat quietly.

"It's really good," Jimmy says to Sam, pushing some of his blonde hair out of the way. "All of it." And it looks like he tries all he can get on his plate. There's even a muffin dangling on the edge.

*

"It's not about me, or Erik. Or Raven. It's about *your* blood on that floor and your body, Charles. It's awful when your body gives up on you. Don't… don't push it that far." Moira chimes in quietly, staring at him even as he gets up and gets ready. She doesn't put it any further, though. She just slips forward onto her feet, leaning over enough to scoop up her crutch and put some weight on it as she situates herself. She then also grasps her mug of tea and moves to follow him out of the room. There were students who needed them more than they needed this conversation. Even if, should a student be particularly keen, she's clearly wearing the same outfit of yesterday AND has come out of the Professor's room with him. The rumor mill might be fierce about this one.

*

"Ah — what?!" Sam's blue eyes practically bug out of his head when Bobby calls him out. His cheeks immediately go bright red, and he bobs up off his seat for a second, as though he's about to jump the smaller teen. After a second, though, tempted as he might be to pin Bobby in a headlock and make him say uncle, Sam sits back down. There are ladies and young'uns present, who shouldn't bear witness to the kind of schoolyard whoopass he's inclined to unleash.

He does yank the rasher of bacon away from the Iceman and slide it over toward the newcomer, though. "Help yourself, Jimmy," he says pointedly, red-faced and glaring at Bobby. He hasn't had the heart to glance over at Jean for her reaction, and the new kid's interest in the flyer has been completely missed from Sam's vantage point in teenage embarrassment hell.

*

Alex pauses, and eyes Jimmy and the poster for a moment, "Want to go see the exhibit, Jimmy? We can probably arrange it. I have a tiny cubicle that's technically an office for my ever slow going doctoral thesis, and its in the Physics Department, but hey, I know people and can maybe arrange for an introduction." Mostly he'd talk to one of his bosses and see if they'll call over a favor to the History department. Still, he lifts a hand, "But back in a sec." And he's heading towards the kitchen.

*

Jean was distracted. Her eyes were upon the young man as whatever smile she once held.. fades.

Her brows furrow, gaze soon falling towards Sam.. then to Alex.. and back to Jimmy as he settles in to take purchase of the breakfast foods to eat.

"Jimmy?" She says quietly. "You want to be a professor?" She smiles a little, just to let him know that it's okay. "Me, too." She looks towards Sam now, her features crumbling into confusion, then towards Logan, and back to Jimmy. But as Alex makes his offer, Jean lets up. Her plate of hash browns were almost gone and there was a book in need of reading.

*

Bobby grins at Sam's response. The loss of the bacon is a small price to pay for teasing him. "You can study whatever you want here, Jimmy. In addition to the basics, of course. But if something really interests you, you can learn it."

*

Quiet is as quiet does, Jean slowly rises from her place at the table, taking her book and the rest of the food with her. Right to the corner of the cafeteria. She was just at the part when all of the hobbits were celebrating Bilbo's birthday. And it was a fantastic read.

*

Jimmy shrugs and takes some of the bacon. He grins a bit as Bobby and Sam go at it.

"Really? That'd be awesome, Alex. Thanks. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to do something with ancient Egypt. Dr. Abduhl is a great lecturer, from what my father told me. He spoke at KU back when I was just a little kid, but I was too young to see it."

He nods to Jean, "Well, it'll be a while before I get there, but that's the plan, yeah." He shrugs, "Or, it was the plan." Things have taken a sudden change since last night.

*

"That's funny," Xavier says with a bit of a grin. "I thought everything was either about Raven or Erik." He turn back and smiles wider, then goes back to fixing his tie. "Let's head down."

*

As Xavier and Moira enter the cafeteria, Jimmy turns to look up. "James, I see you found the food. We have a room set aside for you when you are ready. Paul, would you mind showing him the room when he is ready?"

"Sure, Professor," Paul responds as Jimmy nods.

After Xavier gets some food, grabbing some for Moira as well before moving to the table, Jimmy is just finishing up. "Professor, thank you so much for everything you've done. If it's just the same to you, I think I'd like to go lie down."

"Of course, James. Please let me know if you need anything."

Paul takes James up to his new room and out of the Cafeteria.

Once the young man is out of earshot, Xavier begins in earnest. "For those of you who are privy to what happened last night, or watched on television, I want you to know that I understand and feel your anger. Things are getting worse, not better. Mutants are clearly being hunted, only now it is being done in the open and without the empathy of the community as a whole. Things are getting worse, to my chagrin."

*

In the new room Jimmy is crying the tears that come when there's no sound fleeing your throat. He's scrunched up on his side, knees to his chest and finally letting down his guard a bit now that he's by himself and now that he's coming to grips with how to move on from here."

*

"The Lewistons were not mutants, at least not that we know of. And that their son is in only happenstance. We have a choice. We can either fight back as mutants and take it to humans, punishing them because of a choice few and throw gasoline upon this smoldering war."

Xavier tilts his head, "Or we can look at all people as our family and fight for everyone. One thing is clear, however. Many of you have pushed for us to be more active. To push harder towards our goal of equality for all. Some think the X-men should do /more./"

"After last night, I agree."

"

*

"I don't want a war with the humans." The way Alex says 'the humans' clearly has him falling on the side of not really considering them… one family. Not anymore. Not after last night. Perhaps not for awhile. But especially now that he has a family, a rael family, again. "I don't see any positive outcome in punishing them. But I won't let any of our people get hurt, get lynched, get murdered for the sin of being near a mutant, either. I don't know if we'll ever have a world where there's equality for all" He sounds a little bitter about this, glancing over at Bobby for a moment before he shrugs, "but I'll settle for a world where we have a safe haven that we protect, and where we do everything in our power to protect the mutants who aren't lucky enough to be here in Sanctuary."

*

While it might normally be cause for some rumors, compared to the speech that Xavier just gave, Moira is probably barely noticed. She comes in after him, to the kitchen, not taking the center position but leaning off to the side. She watches the kids' faces as Xavier speaks, a quiet, low frown on her lips, but her eyes are all concern. Protective concern. She'll mentally note any student who seems like they could use more one on one after this. Tea or breakfast is the last thing on her mind now.

*

Logan shakes his head, "War," he says. "War ain't a thing you have 'tween just folks. Ain't no countries involved here. Not even tribes. Just people. They're people. We're people. I ain't got no interest in' yellin' 'bout humans, cause humans come in every shape an' size," he says.

"Now, that said," he says, rising up and putting down his coffee cup, "I'm gonna do some sniffin' around for the specific people what had a hand in the trouble. And when I get a hold of 'em, well, they'll be wishin' they were soldiers in a war. Cause in a war, there's rules, regulations. Codes o' conduct," he says, then holds his fist up in front of his face and pops his claws.

"I ain't plannin' on followin' no Geneva convention."

*

"What just happened is the kind of thing we can't let continue." Bobby says quietly. "Whatever the cause, whatever our response, it has to stop. They have to stop. And if they aren't going to stop, they're going to need to be made to stop one way or another."

*

Sam's expression goes positively dismal as Xavier enters. He listens to the Professor's words with his head down, picking at his eggs in a forlorn, listless way. It's hard for him not to take them as a personal rebuke. Once Alex, Logan, and Bobby have had their say, he feels compelled to add, "We screwed it up pretty bad, sir, and no mistake. We gotta do better'n that next time." He hikes up his shoulders, wincing, and says, "We need to be smarter, more careful. Better planners." He looks up at Charles, then Moira. "Ain't gonna do no good havin' no-account dumb-dumbs like me goin' off half-cocked without the first clue what we're about. Ah ain't proud of what happened last night. Ah don't think none of us should be."

*

Xavier grabs a piece of bacon as Alex speaks and nods to him once. Despite the Professor usually interjecting in talk about the separation between humans and mutants, he does not seem to want to interrupt. Instead, he munches on the bacon. Moira's mind may be on other things, but if he's fine enough to eat she may conclude that he's come to grips with his decision.

"Be that as it may, Logan, it is your military expertise I would like you to impart upon our graduates. He nods to Alex, "Alex will take the lead in our new initiative, with help from Bobby. It is my hope that you will be willing to share the tricks of the trade, as it were."

There's a head shake towards Sam, "Any mistakes that were made are as a result of poor planning. I bear the burden, not you, Samuel. There will not be that excuse in the future, rest assured."

*

A timezone away, down in the depths of Lawrence, Kansas coroner's office, two dead bodies have the paperwork filled out by the proper authorities. From there, with a lack of exuberance, Mr. and Mrs. Lewiston are slid into the coolers, with the loud slam of the closing metal echoing throughout the tile-encompassed room.

TO BE CONTINUED.

"

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