Arriving back again was never easy; this place had been his home almost constantly since he was 15, and apart from a few brief spurts of attempted ‘normality’ such as College and Internship at an accountancy firm, he always slipped back into trying to earn a living as a bona fide Superhero and that path inevitably ended up right back here again in Westchester, New York. This time however, there was far more sombre reasoning for his enforced absence, as a massive coronary had claimed the life of his father, William, and as an only child with no-one to share his burden as he had found it impossible to leave the side of Madeleine, his mother, as she had become almost crippled by grief. It had taken her two weeks alone to even leave her bedroom… forcing Bobby to grow up just a little bit more and to make all the arrangements regarding his father’s final resting place.

Leaving a long period of mourning to help settle his mother into her new life, it was time to get back on again with his own, and after walking inside a relatively deserted hallway, dumped what little luggage he brought with him just inside the door and wandered down to the study. Looking ofr one of a select few, he found the first person on his list at the very first try, for sat behind the desk, poring over a pile of important looking papers, was the man in the ruby red spectacles.

”An I’d thought I might find you taking a break Scotty!“
------

Scott Summers didn’t trust easily; They’d all been burnt too many times by shifting allegiances and enemies long thought to have shuffled off their mortal coil coming back to haunt them at their lowest ebb that several months of relative inactivity since the fall of Avalon sat uncomfortably with him. As a result their numbers had dwindled, as half of the active membership had gone off to sort out one personal crisis or another during the downtime, whilst the Professor’s interest now had been monopolised with launching the Helix Initiative to bring forward the next generation of mutants and having the mansion function fully as a school for the first time since the New Mutants had the run of the dormitory block.

That left him filling his time between finding new and exciting way to try and kill himself in the Danger Room and poring over any scrap of intelligence report a sympathetic ‘friend’ at SHIELD could accidently divert their way, or that Cerebro managed to pick up during the Professor regular hunts for any fresh blips or even one of the may news reports that tarred any powered criminal as a mutant to simply propagate the general populace’s unease about their genetic privileges. He was still coming up empty though as since their return to Earth, the Acolytes had all but vanished, and even the usual subjects that had switched between a Brotherhood to ‘Government-approved’ and back again where barely creating a stir.

Keeping his eyes tightly shut, he lifted up his Ruby Quartz glasses to massage his temples, before setting them safely back in place again and going back to today’s briefings when a familiar voice in the doorway gave him cause to stop. He knew the owner of course, before he even looked up at the beaming smile that greeted him.

”Bobby. When did you get back?“ Scott replied as he rose from the chair and crossed the room to greet him.

”’Bout five minutes ago. “ The grin stayed firmly attached to his face, as Bobby opened his arm wide in anticipation of a welcoming hug. He really should have known better though, as all Scott had on offer was a very formal handshake…. But he could have sworn that there was the start of a smile curling up the corners of his mouth.

”Well it’s good to have you back. “ Scott finished the greeting and started to move back around to the business side of his desk again, but there was another matter on his mind he needed to address ”So how are you?“

”Well, I got Slim Summers to smile, and I haven’t even brought out my best material yet“ Came the nonchalant reply, but despite his weak attempt to divert attention away from it Scott needed to air it in the open

”Bobby. Please.“ Bobby sighed heavily. Given the events of the last few months, he’d drawn heavily on the Scott Summers Guide of Life and tried to seal his lingering emotions about his father in a box inside his mind – Because that was hardly a timebomb waiting to explode was it. ”I’m okay Scott. Really. “

Scott didn’t buy it for a second; Bobby wasn’t like him – always the most openly passionate of the initial five of them growing up, Bobby had always been the one willing to put himself out there, and the first one to be hurt. Lorna Dane; Laynia Petrovna; Cloud. Girls were one thing, but losing his father was a different matter entirely. ”You know, we would have come to the funeral. You didn’t have to go it alone “

Bobby shook his head to confirm the negative, the smile slipping away from his face ”No. It’s okay really. It’s what he wanted“ It had been as much out of respect for his mother as anything else, that he insisted all the X-Affiliated had kept their distance from the burial of William Drake, because as Rogue could have attested first hand from the last time Bobby had seen his father alive, he was very openly opposed to his son being a mutant. It wasn’t like that when he had been younger of course; when Scott and the Professor had first come to liberate him from the shackles of domesticity in Long Island, his father had been almost supportive of him. The years that passed in between however and the sheer amount of anti-mutant propaganda that still continued to be spread about them despite all the good they achieved had only served to poison his mind.

”It took a while, but I think I get it now. He didn’t hate me, just what I am … and he blamed himself for that. And I forgive him.“ Bobby added, pragmatically. With that said, and needing it out of the way, he decided to try a distinct change in their conversation as he made the effort to fix the smile back on his face again. ”So then, what been happening here? The honeymoon period over yet then?“

”The honeymoon… is still on thank you “ Scott replied, trying to be as selective with his wors as he could for fear of setting up an innuendo, or worse. ”As a matter of fact, the last couple of months have been relatively incident free. Just as well, considering we’re becoming a fully-fledged school again. “

”What? Oh no, don’t say we’re letting kids have the run of the place again.“ He retorted, with a mocking shake of his head. He was thankful enough that he’d managed to be away at college whilst the newer Mutants had the run of the place, but given that the next generation had been such a debacle over in Massachusetts, did they really have to open the doors up to all and sundry. ”And who’s supposed to teach them? Us? “ He asked, before adding a laughing ”That’s such a bad idea.“

CF: Exterior -> Wasting My Time Away

"Nothing that would be terribly interesting conversationally. Well," Frost lightly pressed her right index finger to her lips as though in thought, "I am working on a way of deactivating Sentinels remotely. Still in a development phase."

She doubted that was true, but did not press the subject. To be a fly on the wall of her business office. But she didn't ask the question with the anticipation of Emma spilling her guts. It was more for polite conversation. This information was news to Jean, though she didn't doubt that it wasn't classified or anything of that nature. And It -was- good to know. "Oh, that would be helpful." The statement came out a little more bland than she intended. Any progress to be made in that arena Jean supported. When Emma sent James the mental note, she didn't feel inclined to follow it. It slipped through her mind like the background noise of a television.

Leading the duo into the mansion through the entrance, she let her telepathy precede her. A thrill went through her body in positive anticipation when the mental signatures of those just inside were easily identified. Jean opened the door, deactivating the automated system a touch of her mind, a smile showing on her features as her eyes sought out those that her mind already knew was there. She came in on the tail end of Bobby's comment. ~Sneaky little devil, slipping in here without me noticing.~ She slipped him the message as she approached, eyes twinkling with mischief. She had left the door open for the other two to come in behind her. Neither were complete strangers, and she hoped that her lack of decorum in her hostess skills would be overlooked.

"Not you for sure, Bobby Drake. I doubt Pranking 101 would be practical in the real world." She sought to hug him, the absence and the circumstances surrounding making the reunion that much sweeter. She resisted the urge to offer her support, her condolences and everything in between. She knew that he knew that if he needed her, she would be there in a heartbeat. It was hard not to take it personal that he didn't want any of his X-family present. For his sake, she didn't show him any of her feelings on the matter, feeling that they were selfish given the circumstances. Instead, Jean picked out a giant display of flowers that she sent in their stead, as well as looked up a local restaurant and had some food delivered to the house to help out. Once the obligatory hug was over - a linger the only indication that she was wearing her heart on her sleeve - she stepped back, knowing that he wouldn't want to show so much physical affection in front of guests...or at all.

Next, she addressed both. "We have visitors. Seems we've gained ourselves a new teammate." And she smiled at the duo, making her way to stand beside Scott. The physical barriers were much easier to cross. She let her hand travel over the muscular expanse of his shoulder, rubbing a couple of times in silent greeting accompanied by a smooth motion of leaning forward to press her lips against his cheek, a dimpled smile, before dropping her hand back next to her side. She added in a little pulse through their link. Warmth and affection gently colored with a little worry. It was automatic and something she hardly thought about. Their link was unnecessary, but she had always used it as an enhancement to their bond, not an accessory to it. Seemed these last few months had them at slightly opposite spectrums. While Jean was embracing the domesticity of being able to stick to a routine, Scott was ...being himself. Idle hands and all that. She just wished that while they had the downtime, he would take advantage of it. He could argue that he was.

"I don't know if you both remember James. James, my husband, Scott and Bobby." It was often hard to keep track of who knew or worked with whom and what all side intrigues everyone had going on. Jean found that if she had any question, she'd just introduce them, since a little extra politness was better even if occassionally the parties already knew each other.

[CF: Xavier's Mansion, Exterior Entrance: "Wasting My Time Away"]

"I would not discount the lessons Mister Drake could provide the students so quickly, Jean," Emma strode into the mansion without hesitation and followed the red head into the study area where the men were having their merry reunion. "Pranks take a surprising amount of thought and intelligence." Strategy and tactics if you will. You had to plan where, how, and most importantly when your prank struck. If your timing was off you'd hit the wrong target and while the shock might be terribly amusing, the consequences of that action could be... unfortunate. As unexpected as the premature execution. Perhaps even lethal--Frost knew she'd happily send Drake on a little mental journey into an abyss for, say, a lifetime or two if he caught her in his little web.

"Provided Mister Drake can forego the whoopee cushion in someone's chair and focus on training the younger mutants how to manage their surroundings." You thought Emma was going to give Bobby a blank compliment and elevation of his abilities? Besides, you always had to set someone up for a good fall first. Not that she disparaged their Icy fellow mutant; it simply seemed appropriate. Little way of inserting herself into the gears churning in Xavier's house.

Then their "hostess" made nice and introduced James. Seemed Jean hadn't been merely pretending to accept the idea unless she liked broadcasting "I'm a duplicitous bitch" before two All Stars of the X-Men. And in case anyone got the wrong impression, being an All Star on the X-Men was like being a cast member of the Young and the Restless--it might endure forever, but it was as far from quality as you could get. Somehow they managed to survive no matter how many times they landed in the hospital.

"I think everyone has a skill they can teach the students. Any of us can do the basics, but there are so many skills and field of knowledge each of us has picked up over the past few years they would never learn in school. Why even the study of 'ethics' has been relegated to the purview of Graduate level education." The White Queen sighed with a slow, slight shake of her head. "And people have the audacity to wonder what has become with the youth today." Part of her verbose discussion on the topic was just to see people's reactions. What could Emma say? The level of difficulty in manipulating these people varied on topic and this one she pegged as being 'easy.'

And on a less serious note, "If nothing else, I will make sure none of them engage in a fashion crime. Believe me," Frost planted a hand on her right hip, "I have seen some of the outfits that have come out of this mansion. Sometimes I think we tried ripping your clothes off just to force you to reevaluate your designs. Though I do have to reluctantly admit," for her own amusement, "Scott never has had that problem." Emma simply smiled when she was done. What a shame too. She wasn't in to seducing teenage boys; but Scott she would happily carry away somewhere private. All he had to do was give her an excuse.

~Sneaky little devil, slipping in here without me noticing.~

The voice in his head was the first warning that they were about to be joined by someone else, but this was hardly a vicious assault upon his cerebellum; the voice was the warm, welcoming and oh-so-familiar tones of his surrogate big sister, and as he turned around, there she was in the flesh.

"Not you for sure, Bobby Drake. I doubt Pranking 101 would be practical in the real world."

”And hello to you too, Mrs Summers“ He grinned broadly as he hugged Jean tightly. Unfortunately, just as pleased as he was to see the original Marvel Girl again, those that followed in her wake were not quite so welcome in his eyes. ”aaaaaaand…. The invasion of the body snatchers. “

That particular barb was aimed purely at Emma’s expense and given their shared history, animosity was only to be expected; he showed one iota of compassion as she lay comatose in the mansion, and the next thing he knew she had stolen his body and run halfway across the country in it. To compound matters, in her first five minutes, she showed more of the applications of his powers in that time, than he had managed since his early teens when his abilities first manifested. There was another problem too: He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head.

"I would not discount the lessons Mister Drake could provide the students so quickly, Jean, Pranks take a surprising amount of thought and intelligence. Provided Mister Drake can forego the whoopee cushion in someone's chair and focus on training the younger mutants how to manage their surroundings."

”Whoopee Cushion, pleeease. I’ve moves so far beyond that “ Bobby retorted, running the risk of having his brain violently rewired again with a wicked glint in his eye. ”Here… pull my finger.“

It had been months since the incident now and it was only getting worse in his head; from fleeting flashes in absent minded moments, to the occasional cameo when he dozed, up to full on romantic epics every time he went to sleep. To say he found it… distracting, was the only way he had found to sum it up; he didn’t like Frost and certainly not in that way. Okay, she had a pair of very obvious charms that she made little attempt to conceal with tactfully positioned handkerchiefs, but he tended to be attracted to girls that were only a little out of his league (and it was better if when their hair came straight from a bottle, it was green and not bleach)

"We have visitors. Seems we've gained ourselves a new teammate. I don't know if you both remember James. James, my husband, Scott and Bobby."

”Hey. Welcome aboard.“ Bobby nodded in James’ direction, not pushing for any further conversation simply because he hadn’t finished debating with Emma just yet. ”So you don’t think it’s an issue then to have a Phys Ed teacher who used to be a manufactured killing machine for the Canadian government with anger management issues? Actually, come to think of it, I’m fairly sure mine was. Or a hockey player. Either way, Coach Bendix was a nutjob.”

"I think everyone has a skill they can teach the students. Any of us can do the basics, but there are so many skills and field of knowledge each of us has picked up over the past few years they would never learn in school. Why even the study of 'ethics' has been relegated to the purview of Graduate level education. And people have the audacity to wonder what has become with the youth today. If nothing else, I will make sure none of them engage in a fashion crime. Believe me, I have seen some of the outfits that have come out of this mansion. Sometimes I think we tried ripping your clothes off just to force you to reevaluate your designs. Though I do have to reluctantly admit,"

”You count what you’re wearing as clothes“ Bobby interjected again with another barb, but Emma ignored it again as she put her attention firmly onto Scott.Taking the opportunigty then, he posed a question of his own to Jean ”So speaking of short and hairy, where is his grumpiness? “

((OoC: Don't skip my turn in the posting order again. I had to scrap a mostly-finished post because of it, and this one took over an hour to write and didn't turn out nearly as well.))

[Enter Warpath: CF: Wasting My Time Away]

He followed the two women in, enhanced hearing catching the conversation of two of the most senior X-Men in the mansion. Scott Summers and Bobby Drake. One had a stick up his ass you could ring a gong with, the other had the mentality of a thirteen-year-old on crack. Great. Jean commented on Iceman's rather poor skillset to be passed on, which the cryokinetic took with his usual good humor (heh heh, ice cream joke). Of course, Iceman was rather hostile toward Emma Frost, despite her defending his pranking abilities, which James knew required a thorough grounding in operational planning—or in other words, Iceman was a natural at planning for an assault. Jean walked over to her husband, announcing that he was joining the X-Men. If it felt weird coming from Emma Frost, it definitely felt weird coming from Jean Grey. “I don't know if you both remember James. James, my husband, Scott and Bobby.” He smirked, waving at the pair of them, certain that Scott Summers, at least, would be a little uncomfortable with this. After all, Warpath was a former enemy of theirs, here by Emma Frost's request. Not to mention, it was the original X-Men's capture that prompted Xavier to ask for John Proudstar's help in the first place.

”Hey. Welcome aboard.“ Iceman, younger, happier, less pressured by Xavier for excellence and responsibility than Cyclops, was entirely unperturbed by Warpath's easy admission into the ranks of the X-Men. Then again, it could simply be that he didn't think things like this through enough to consider that Warpath had decent reason to be cold (heh) toward them, or that his former teachers had given him a much grayer shade of morality than the X-Men were used to. He wasn't as bad as Wolverine, yet, but the Apache could and would kill if he deemed it necessary. And, quite frankly, he wasn't going to ask if it was okay with everybody before he did it. But he also wasn't going to bring that up, because it would just bring unnecessary drama, especially if a need to kill never happened. Best to just be quiet about it. While Iceman was insulting Emma's taste in apparel, James walked over to Scott and Jean and leaned against the wall. He grinned. “I'm surprised nobody's killed you yet, Eyeball. How's the mansion been? Still got those cages in the basement?”

((Edited By Request))

He and Bobby were hardly going to be left alone for long, as Jean and her assembled entourage came and joined them. For a man with a permanently dour outlook on life despite having to permanently view the world through rose-tinted spectacles, that women represented the single brightest spot in a life beset by personal tragedy and upheaval. As Bobby embraced her warmly, he flashed the smile he reserved for his wife alone as he stood back behind the desk again.

As for those that came with, the first to speak was Emma Frost: a former foe but now reformed and a firm ally and occasional houseguest. Given her more recent tangled past with Bobby, it was only to be expected that the motor mouth attached to the man of ice was going to respond before he had properly thought it through. Jean in the meantime had approached him and begun to rub his shoulder, before tracing her hand down his side and giving him a kiss on the cheek. He found her hand and gave it a little squeeze before she took it away completely – as openly affectionate as he was willing to get - and when she sent a pulse of warmth across their telepathic rapport, he thought the words ~Not fair~ back at her. The honeymoon wasn’t quite over just yet. Regaining his composure though, he made the most of her ability to multitask by adding ~Did you manage to get the new Helixers settled in?~ over their link before she moved onto the introduction

"We have visitors. Seems we've gained ourselves a new teammate. I don't know if you both remember James. James, my husband, Scott and Bobby."

James Proudstar. Whenever Emma reared her head, it was always to complicate matters and given what happened the last time I Proudstar had joined the team, he wouldn’t necessarily had been Scott’s first port of call given their current dearth of Active X-Men: James had been part of the Professor’s second genesis to help a recuperated Cyclops recover the rest of the team from Krakoa. The mission was a success, but settling him into the mansion was hardly an easy task, as his bravado led him to fall foul of the Danger Room, but even that failed to calm him down and on their very next mission out, he died trying to stop Count Nefaria’s escape. It was on Scott’s watch though, and losing him hurt him deeply and shook his self-confidence (Plus the grief cause an outburst in the grounds that led to him unleashing his power sand shattering a cairn that sealed a void to another dimension, but that’s another story)

It left a legacy too, because whilst Scott was away, with the redhead we don’t mention, James had been signed up by Emma little band of Hellions, but had tried kidnapping Banshee in an attempt to avenge John’s untimely death and leading to a brief conflict between the adult team and the Hellions. From there though, he managed to escape that fate that befell so many of that team and joined up with the New Mutants under his son, Cable, and stayed the duration as they reformatted into X-Force. Any hopes that Nathan might have forced some respect into him though obviously fell far short of the mark.

“I'm surprised nobody's killed you yet, Eyeball. How's the mansion been? Still got those cages in the basement?”

”Why? Did you want to stay in one.“ Scott replied, without a hint of irony in his voice. Given the sentiment he had expressed, he shot a look over to Bobby, who had, after all, just returned from burying his father, but never wanting to create an argument that wasn’t his to begin with, decided to move on. ”I do know Cable always spoke highly of you though “

"… Believe me, I have seen some of the outfits that have come out of this mansion. Sometimes I think we tried ripping your clothes off just to force you to reevaluate your designs. Though I do have to reluctantly admit,"

”You count what you’re wearing as clothes. So speaking of short and hairy, where is his grumpiness?”

Emma’s barb at his expense at the end of her speech failed completely to get a rise out of him (;)) , as neither did Bobby’s retort: Even after five minutes of marriage he knew well enough to stay away from any kind of comments regarding another women’s wardrobe, and especially so in case of Emma Frost’s wardrobe of designer originals that seemed to have prices that went higher as they amount of material used just diminished to nothing.

”Logan is on an extended leave, same as you were.“ Scott replied to him, matter of factly. Truth was, they didn’t know where Logan was as it had been several weeks since he last checked in. ~Reminds me. Can you try Cerebro later? See if you can get a trace on him at last~ He thought in Jean’s direction, before returning to Bobby, ”And as far as specific skill sets go, we thought you might want to put that Accountancy degree to good use and teach the math class.“ Scott still had one matter to deal with though and as Emma had finally completed her diatribe on their clothing choices ”And Emma, I take it … Warpath you were going by now, wasn’t it, comes with your seal of approval?“

If she expected Emma to stand quietly while they had their dialogue, she was painfully disappointed. Emma interjecting her thoughts on Jean's simple comment regarding Bobby's hypothetical insecurities about teaching nearly had her gagging in her mouth a little. It was almost not worth it to tell Emma that she had hardly been serious. Emma knew exactly what she was doing. What did she hope to prove by chattering on with that air of superiority as though any of them had asked her opinion on teaching. And then as though the comment wasn't painful enough, she just kept talking. And talking. Branching out into a discussion that hardly needed addressing. It was hard to keep her arrogence in check. Jean hardly knew everything about teaching students...yet. But Emma criticising their approaches when she didn't know the first thing about what they were doing or had planned was irksome at best. Which was, exhaustingly, perhaps the woman's point all along.

Why did this dreadful woman bother her so? Was it perhaps the manipulation with which Emma chose to let permeate her very demeanor? How she did or said things just for her own personal amusement? While Emma spoke, Jean just...stared at her. Those grass-green eyes showing incredulation without managing to let the feeling seep into her facial expression as a final confirmation. "Interesting perspective, Emma. We appreciate your input." Liar. Not that anyone would know...except perhaps Scott since the backwash of loathing that was filtering behind her mental shields would not be hidden from their link. Moving right along.

The woman must have been cooped up all day. Though she doubted that a telepath could ever really feel alone if they put their mind to it. This talk of uniforms and fashion sense actually brought a laugh out of her. Unfortunately, Emma wasn't completely done with her comment. The laugh died somewhat abruptly. Internally, she twitched inside. Her eyes travelled Emma's face after the comment regarding Scott left her lips. She looked to Jean like the cat that had just licked a whole bowl of cream. Nothing inherently amiss, but too much satisfaction. Or perhaps Jean was inventing facial expression on the woman's face. Not like it was a stretch. The comment was delivered far too casually. Jealously flared white-hot and she had to actually exert an effort to keep it hidden. Her first reaction was that of many women put in the same situation...plaster Scott with a kiss far too graphic for the setting, thereby claiming her property. The sudden mental image was so absurd and out of proportion for the situation that it served as an ice bath for her flare of emotion. The resulting effect was a small period of stillness, followed by a light dusting of smugness over her features. Regardless of what it all meant, Jean had the power here. Scott was -her- husband. He -chose- to be with her. Emma was just an outsider looking in. She could have pining feelings for her husband all she wanted. Ultimately, Jean was the one who would be sleeping next to him at night.

As it turned out, Jean did not have to say anything to Emma at all which was perhaps the smartest thing. Bobby was more than comfortable picking up that topic and running with it. She could have kissed him. As though to further wash away any negative thoughts that Emma might have inspired within her, Scott's words in her mind reinforced her confidence and the White Queen slipped from her mind momentarily as she answered her husband. Sometimes there weren't enough hours in the day. She had figured that the twelve year interlude and raising a child together was more of a honeymoon than she could have hoped for. It was easy to forget that she could still have an effect on him, as stoic as he was. Green eyes flickered up to the ceiling as though she could peer through walls, although she didn't need x-ray vision to know what was going on. ~Mostly. I've got a tour scheduled in a little while. Seems like he's making himself at home.~ There was no sense in worrying Scott over the little 'fire' incident. Jean was ready to insert herself at a moment's notice and ultimately, they solved the problem themselves.

Scott went on to give James a summary of what was expected of him. They were the words that Jean never found the voice to say even if she thought them. She was of the 'trust them until they proved you wrong' mentality, but that wasn't always the wisest. Sometimes it was nice to rely on Scott to be the 'mean' one. CYA. Bobby inquired about Logan and Jean frowned faintly, the wash of embarrassment causing her to lower her head, ponytail partially obscuring her face even though she couldn't put a placement on the origin of the sudden emotion. She didn't like not knowing where he was. She felt like it was her job to keep tabs on everyone even though logically, she knew that was impossible. Her link to the feral was inexplicable although she considered him a friend. It was hard to understand why he would disappear and not keep someone updated.

"I don't know." There wasn't anything more to say. Scott's inquiry came through moments later. ~Certainly, dear.~ She thought to ask why he wanted to know where he was, but the thought died before she pushed it through their link. Most of the time, she was grateful that he was so acclimated to their link and her telepathy. Not that he had a choice in the matter, but he embraced it more than she could have ever hoped for in a mate. It wasn't going away and she wouldn't stop using it. She just knew that her life would be so much harder if he were intolerable of the connection they had.

"The invasion of the body snatchers."

Emma merely smiled when Bobby expressed his genuine affection for the White Queen. So it seemed the man had yet to get over that little episode. She'd allay his concerns, but the comment she refrained from imparting to the young man would perhaps be too caustic in light of them being in public. Really, though, Drake needed to move on. She hadn't stolen his body for that long and she'd given it back in the condition she'd found it. Which was to say he shouldn't eat so much pizza or he'd lose that boyish physique. Actually, she'd given it back better than she'd found it; Emma had opened his mind to the possibilities of what he was capable of. Why even Xavier should thank her for that.

"Here… pull my finger."

At the show of how far Bobby had come, Frost laid her complete attention on him. "How sophisticated, Mister Drake. One for your memoirs, perhaps?"

Was it wrong to find amusement in setting the X-Men up? Emma could become Jean's bestest friend in the whole world... but, really, where was the fun in that? Instead she'd given them all just enough rope to hang themselves with; though it was Jean that'd taken most of the supply. The laugh had died a quick death. Evidently Jean did not take to the thinly veiled, suggestive quip about Scott not giving Emma enough reason to get his clothes off--yet. As expected she didn't react otherwise, but Emma would have loved if the red head had. After all, Frost could easily dismiss the entire thing as a 'misunderstanding' and note that Scott had the finest clothing no doubt inspired by his lovely wife. It really wouldn't taste putrid to say that if she had to; lies could be just as sweet as the truth (often more so in her experience).

"And as far as specific skill sets go, we thought you might want to put that Accountancy degree to good use and teach the math class."

Well that was a minor miracle. Mathematics. Precious little chance Robert Drake would bring up the young mutants steeped in a rose-colored view of the world. Sadly Jean Grey and Scott Summers remain major players in the game and would no doubt pass on all the wonderful misconceptions of it being a wonderful world where everyone is equal and opportunities exist in droves if only you have the will to go out there and find them. As if these people knew what the world was like because they fought 'evil' people. Sometimes Emma even wondered if they even knew the Corporate World--or what she liked to call the 'Real Society'--existed. There were opportunities. You could seize them, but they weren't going to be handed to you on a plate and you couldn't play nice and expect to be treated fairly.

"I have known James for some time now, Scott. You two may need to work out some operational differences," Scott being the Straight Man and James being probably too much like Logan for Scott to enjoy, "but you could use his skills." Even if the X-Men refused to kill. Just because James was a big, strong man didn't mean he had to kill. Though Emma wouldn't be the one chastising him if he did--unless it was someone she liked.

"Well, if you change your minds, Dears, I will be around more often again. I know we have had our differences in the past, but I hope you will keep in mind my work in Massachusetts. If nothing else," Emma looked off to the side a bit as though studying a book in one of the shelves, "I do not need a physical room to help those in need." If she wasn't invited to play along, all Emma had to do was wait for one or more of the youth to zone out from boredom before she invited them into a world of the imagination and explored far more interesting topics. Why she could even make their physical bodies sit up so whoever was boring them didn't feel judged. She was only trying to help.

((Continued from: Worldwide – North America: Buzzkill))

Richter tossed tipped the cab driver as he hoisted himself out of the sun cracked seats and on to the smooth concrete of the circle drive. Richter couldn't help but notice how new it looked, without the blemishes of oil stains and sun crazing. Of course it probably was new. Three months was a lot of time. More than enough time for any one of a dozen supervillian types to trampled through the place, only to have the X-Men clean it up. He'd never spent more than a couple weeks here, and in those weeks he'd seen and heard enough to question whether or not this place would ever have a moments quiet. He surveyed the dormant campus grounds, well kept and trimmed, despite the chaos undoubtedly stirring inside and wondered if this was such a moment of tranquility. It wouldn't last.

He let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he left the concrete sidewalk and took a stroll through the grass to examine some of the vibrantly adorned bushes surrounding the bushes. The Earth really did feel different here. Of course it would, Richter thought inwardly; everyone must have known that, and none of them needed mutant powers to draw ant sort of conclusion. But that was wrong, they didn't know so much as they felt or believed it, perhaps even sensed it. But standing on the edge of the building's perimeter Richter knew it empirically to be right. Different things lived here than in the arid Guadalajaran desert expanses. He felt the presence of water in the soil and was aware of the subtle movement of the Earth in ways he'd formerly only sensed from fault lines. This wasn't exactly new, he'd noticed it during his first visit home earlier this year, but he'd been too distracted and busy since to really acknowledge it until after he'd spent some time at home and began to suspect there might be fundamental differences in what he observed there ad what he observed here. So that was that. It wasn't as useful as knowing the temperaments of fault lines or seismic soft spots, but Richter could imagine situations in which he might be happy to have this information. Stepping away from the shrubbery he returned to the sidewalk path leading the mansion's double doors.

Most of what Richter knew of Emma Frost revolved with her stint as the Hellfire Club's White Queen. He didn't know much about the hierarchy of the Hellfire Club but from what he had heard they rarely acted with anyone's interest at heart but their own. X-Force's encounter with Shinobi Shaw, son of Sebastian Shaw, known chairman of the Hellfire Clubs Inner Circle, a little less than a year prior had also left him with a bad taste in his mouth, and more than a little suspicion of the club's motives since Shinobi was himself featured prominently among their ranks. He had also heard that Emma Frost had experienced a change of heart, following the loss of her students. Richter didn't want to outwardly question her grief at the loss of her school, but how sincere could she really be, keeping the White Queen title and likely maintaining ties with many of her old Hellfire club buddies. Perhaps he was being unfair, but Richter was too often right in his prejudices to completely dismiss them.

Emma waited in the hallway beyond the doorway, apparently conversing with Mr, and Mrs Summers, Iceman, and James, who likewise must have chosen now to return to the fold. Perhaps he was as eager to find Terry as Richter was to find Star. He hadn't known many of the details concerning their relationship outside of what Tabby occasionally let slip in a fit of gossip. He could safely assume there was...something going on between them. His relationship with the Summers oughtn't to have been as awkward as it was, of the people assembled here, he'd known them longer than anyone. His unease stemmed from the fact they were too old to be his siblings, but too young to be his surrogate parents. At least Bobby had ways of making himself more approachable where Scott and Jean it had been all business all the time.

“I'm surprised nobody's killed you yet, Eyeball. How's the mansion been? Still got those cages in the basement?” Richter wanted to believe that James hadn't just gone there. While Richter remembered his momentary imprisonment in the mansion's basement as vividly as anyone, and still left a bit sore over the defeat that had landed him there, bringing them up in casual conversation seemed to push the boundaries of politeness. Combined with his first comment about killing Scott, Richter had to wonder if there was an intentional barb here directed towards Scott. Cyke had also noticed this contradiction and gave James a decidedly chilly reply. Was Richter absolutely sure James returning to the team, because at this point it seemed more likely he was leaving it? He seemed to be here at Emma's request, or something like that. He'd known about James's beginnings with the Hellions and their murder. Was he to interpret this has Emma giving her approval of the transfer?

Invisible, continued to listen at the doorway. Logan was away. Richter didn't know the man personally but had read enough about him off the X-force databases to know that his issues had issues and that he probably had more enemies and endured more tragedies than the rest of the team combined. Something in Richter looked up to the way he seemed to take all that upon himself and work it out as he saw fit. At the same time he understood how lonely that probably was, though if he'd known just how many chicks that little guy had picked up in his exiles he'd have dropped that line of reasoning immediately. So they were rehiring older X-Men members as instructors. The school was actually becoming a school. It seemed a bit reckless. A lot of dangerous people came knocking at the mansion's doors from time to time. But Richter didn't actually have any problem with this. He'd been a ward of the X-Men and survived. More than that he'd learned something. Provided they could rally themselves to protect those who counted on them there was nothing wrong with this place opening its doors to the public.

“I might be jumping to conclusions here Miss Frost, but it almost sounds as though you're considering suiting up with the team,” Richter interjected in response to Emma's last comment. Surely that was ridiculous, and Emma would waste little time correcting him as such, but it couldn't hurt to someone explain the purpose of this meeting in concrete terms.

Afterward, he went around the room making eye contact with everyone he knew and nodding his greeting before addressing Cyclops and Jean. “I know I left this place in a huff some months ago. I didn't agree with one of Cable's decisions and decided to take some leave to think about it and try to resolve some issues at home,” and hadn't that gone swimmingly. “For better or worse, that's over with. If you've kept my spot on the team open I'd be glad to fill it. Otherwise I just want to check in on someone, and I'll get out of your way.” Richter didn't even set his bags down as he waited for a response.

”Logan is on an extended leave, same as you were.“

‘Logan on extended leave’ – Well, one crime family, Japanese Clan or tiny South American Island with a corruption problem is about to go through a sharp population decline, thought Bobby idly, as the Owlverien extra-curricular excursions tended to have him come back smelling of beer, cigar smoke and with a faint undercurrent of blood.

”And as far as specific skill sets go, we thought you might want to put that Accountancy degree to good use and teach the math class.“

”Haha, good one Scotty “ He tried laughing it off, but to little avail. Never let it be said then that Scott Summers couldn’t surprise him. But as the remarkably lost for words Iceman looked over at Cyclops, hoping to spot any signs that he was joking. Okay, so it was a long shot considering the eldest Summers was the quintessential straight man, but he had to hope…
Scott’s face didn’t move an inch. ”Oh my god, you’re actually serious “ He added, with a frightened shudder that belied his normally frozen physique

“I might be jumping to conclusions here Miss Frost, but it almost sounds as though you're considering suiting up with the team,”

Whilst he was still suffering from the shock of Scott’s latest news, they were joined by another face from the past: Rictor, whom had first come into their lives when the original X-Factor had to save him from being used as The Right’s pawn in bringing San Francisco crumbling down to its knees. He’d stayed with their other young charges in Ship for a few months after that, but ultimately left along with the rest of them to join the New Mutants. They met each other a few times since – mostly when their mutual team missions crossed-over – but not enough to be close. ”Rictor!“ He expressed, with some amount of surprise, before adding ”What’s shaking buddy! “ with the pun very much intended.

Before the younger mutant could address everyone though, Bobby decided this was his time to leave and get himself settled in back upstairs before any more blasts from the past turned up to join them. ”Right, I’m off to find my room and see if I can’t give my jackets some leather elbow patches. “ Bobby announced, before backing out of the room, muttering ”Me a teacher.. “ barely under his breath and grabbing his bags.
He was halfway to the staircase, before he shouted back ”HILARIOUS! “ for their benefit, but wasn’t around to hear what would come next.

[[EXIT. TBC: Upper Level -> Dorms -> Apart]]

"Why? Did you want to stay in one."

There was a lack of sarcasm in Scott's voice that made the NAtive american think he might be serious about that. But his grin didn't waver, because the Number Two of this organization didn't scare him in the slightest. Threatening to keep someone confined lost effectiveness when your only power was to shoot a fist out of your eyes and knock them away. But, Scott seemed to reconsider his position when he mentioned that Cable held Warpath in high regard. Well, of course he did. Warpath came pre-trained for missions as a unit, after all. Well, so did Sam, but James had a shade of morality closer to Cable's. Now, if only Cable hadn't insisted on those stupid bo staff lessons. Bleh. He caught a scent on the air, though, as Cyclops spoke with the others. Familiar. Old friend. Ric! Julio was here! Well, he'd gotten to see Emma and now he'd get to see Richter, so there were at least two good things to come out of his returning to New York. And on the same day, even! Will wonders never cease?

Emma gave Warpath her seal of approval, naturally, although she mentioned operational difference. Oh boy. He was hoping not to breach that particular topic today. Luckily, Richter intervened, commenting that it sounded like Emma was joining the team. While Warpath didn't particularly think it was a bad idea, super senses told him that Emma's dig at Scott had gotten to Jean, if momentarily, and the idea of them working together under normal circumstances stretched the limits of his imagination. Sure, if maybe Apocalypse rose up out of his tomb they would join forces, but he couldn't see a cohesive unit in this situation. Maybe they should split the X-Men into two units? Those With Sticks and Those Without. Heh. Warpath skipped the lame jokes, fugring he'd never be a match for the master, but he did put one arm around Julio's shoulders and lifted his fellow former X-Forcer in a light hug. "Been awhile, Ric. How you been?" He wanted to ask where their other teammates were--Sam and Tabby and 'Star and Terry. Mostly Terry, of course...but he'd been doing his best not be so brooding or angry over the past few months, so he pushed her to the back of his mind.

He could talk to Ric about X-Force later. Right now, He was feeling just a little crowded in here. He'd get used to it again, eventually, but for someone to have lived outdoors for three months to transition back into crowded indors areas was a little unrealistic. Particularly when that person could very easily knock walls down for the sake of fresh air. So, even as Iceman was making his escape upstairs, Warpath backed away from the group. "Think I'll slip out now too. I'll be in the back somewhere, so if you need me, just come outside and yell, I'll hear you. Ric, Emma, talk later, okay?" A later he doubted would come in the White Queen's case, as she had never been one for small talk or "catching up" with people. Still didn't hurt to try though, right? He reached the backdoor, icking up the scents of those outside as he opened it. Wolverine was here after all. Sam's sister, Scott's brother. Two people he wasn't sure he knew. And...was that smoke? Was there a fire out in the woods?

...

Hmm.

[Exit Warpath: TBC: Spoils of Normalcy]

”Haha, good one Scotty… Oh my god, you’re actually serious “

Bobby knew him too well to think that he might be playing a joke on him and that terrified him. Pretty much exactly the reaction Scott wanted then, as despite the stoic exterior, he was definitely smirking inside, because it wasn’t very often that he got to send some of Bobby’s annoyingly ‘playful’ nature straight back at him and he had to take those moments. In truth, it was the idea of letting ‘Professor’ Drake loose on the younger generation that gave him a cause to shudder as he had no doubts that five minutes into his first class he’d have them jumping on their desks, and shouting out “oh captain, my captain” whilst tearing up their textbooks, before leading them all outside on a iceslide and starting a snowball fight.

Still, couldn’t hurt to worry him for a little longer yet, as he called out ”We’ll have your class schedule ready for you by the end of the day, Bobby “ as his old friend beat a hasty retreat back to reclaim his bedroom, which lead to him turning to Emma instead.

"I have known James for some time now, Scott. You two may need to work out some operational differences, but you could use his skills."

”I’ll take that under advisement then.“ Scott replied as he watched James in the red hues provided by his visor. It was true that amongst their numbers they tended to have a dearth of super strong individuals, compared to the other superhero teams; sure they had those who could more than hold their own, like Rogue and Hank, and of course Piotr standing at the top of the pile, but the lacked a Hulk or a Thing though, so another pair of muscles would hardly go amiss. Now they just had to work on his very obvious attitude problem – only more evident when he ignored Scott’s inquiry about his current choice of callsign – and they might have the makings of a half decent X-Man.

And not a repeat of his brother.

"Well, if you change your minds, Dears, I will be around more often again. I know we have had our differences in the past, but I hope you will keep in mind my work in Massachusetts. If nothing else, I do not need a physical room to help those in need."

Ah yes, Emma’s mysterious new initiative back in Massachusetts since handing the Generation X kids back to the fold. He was happy at least to count her firmly amongst their allies now, rather than the almost apocalyptic consequences of their first encounter, but operating on her own so far out of sight did leave him with a knot in his stomach that whatever it was she was working on might not completely be in their best interests. ” You know our door is always open to you Emma. What state was your work in when you left?“ He added, trying to fish for clues no doubt unsuccessfully.

With Iceman leaving, and Warpath following suit a minute afterwards, there was just one other to be addressed then. ”Rictor. Welcome back. “

“I know I left this place in a huff some months ago. I didn't agree with one of Cable's decisions and decided to take some leave to think about it and try to resolve some issues at home, For better or worse, that's over with. If you've kept my spot on the team open I'd be glad to fill it. Otherwise I just want to check in on someone, and I'll get out of your way.”

” Don’t worry about it“Scott replied with a shake of his head. This was a fresh start, and if they throwing open the doors to all and sundry – including those questioning why he was still among the living – then for a brief falling out with his son was more than forgivable. Most people took Scott for being a strict disciplinarian, but in Cable, the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree and more so in fact. It came from his time in the future, of course, because all it saved his life he would spend his adult life fighting a war against incredible odds. Back in this time then, he had been the strict taskmaster the new mutants had needed after Xavier and Magneto dropped the ball with them, but it was only natural some would have rallied against his rules. ”It’s a clean slate for everyone, Ric, although you may want to clear the air with Cable when he comes back.“

CF: Looking For Something

The mansion was not the hard to navigate and it as only out of habit that her mind was weaving through her own memories of her high definition mind remembering, comparing, and examining all the aesthetical aspects of the mansion that were the same, similar, if not different. There were some fond memories among the many that were questionable, and indeed that is how she reflected on much of her time here. She questioned a lot of Charles motives, and reasons for not allowing her to join the team, something that would have made her the first official member of the X-Men. However, he had plans that were much different, and it was because of him that she dedicated all those years under cover in the Hellfire Club. She was not perfect, apparently, as some major things went on that she could not stop, the main one being Jean's phoenix ordeal brought about by Emma Frost, Sebastian Shaw, and Donald Pierce. It was beyond her control as there were just a few things that even Shaw did not share with her. Sage's mind came back to the present as she turned the corner and could hear talking in the distance. This meant she was going to encounter more as expected.

Her mind was sealed off tightly and what telepathic powers she had hidden within the natural fortress of a mind that was only bolstered by her experience as well as the extensive teachings she received from Xavier himself. If the leading ladies there were telepathically keeping tabs on the area one things was for sure, that being the fact that they would not even "see" this woman of such a quiet and inconspicuous nature coming. She had only got the gist of what was being conversed, but it was enough for her to formulate thoughts of her own and suddenly add her two cents to the price tag here, that being a question of her own directed at Scott Summers. "Does that also include one such as myself?" Indeed, it was a question posed with the intention of getting an answer as well as accentuating the rather unpredicted appearance she apparently made, not to mention an equally unpredictable effect that she had on others that had already been initiated with Logan. Out from around the last corner Tessa walked into the present of those who remained there, those primarily being Emma, Scott, and Jean.

If there was something one would have anticipated in regards to what Sage felt at that moment of her physical revelation it was that of anticipation of the worse while hoping for the best. Indeed, it was true that even the living computer had hopes and aspirations along with inspirations of many different kinds. It was always, however, hidden behind the perfectly maintain straight face that she was more known for than not. She was not sure as of yet how the three of them were getting along, and how her presence would either help that or offset it. Surely it would probably be the latter, but even that had to be seen firsthand in order to gauge how much or little she impacted them. With that being thought about, and her debut being made she stopped in front of them with one hand on her head which she commanded to pluck off her shades before she folded them up and slipped them on the collar line of the shirt right were cleavage would be, if she had worn such a shirt to begin with. "Jean, Emma, Scott..." she said in that order after she nodded at Richter.

Indeed, let the ball fall where it may; fore, the four of them had a rather intertwined past, more so the women than Scott, and her untimely appearance was surely bound to make things ever the more interesting. Her blue eyes shifted between all of them there and silent throughout the short duration of the next moment she actually wondered about what they were thinking. Would she be accepted among them, or would she simply be denied access by the more leading roles here. She only hoped they would, for sure, accept her and a clean slate was exactly what would be given to her as well.

She was feeling irritated. It wasn't really hard to see why. And it wasn't the added stress of having new additions. It was completely set at the feet of the blonde standing near her. This simple but hardly secret revelation to herself made her angry that she could let someone make her feel this way. Regardless, she had little patience to continue to dealing with her. Plus, she was too busy to even pretend otherwise.

Scott wasn't providing an adequate distraction, not that he necessarily should, so there was no link, no obligation tying her to this room. Before long, Ric joined them and Jean offered him a small smile. Scott took over the introductions and gave her less and less of a reason to be there. With a little nudge of TK, she moved a clock on a nearby shelf so that she would be able to examine the time. She did have a tour scheduled, which would be a perfect excuse for her.

Separate, apart from all of this scheming, she was evaluating Scott's reactions to certain things. This in itself wasn't abnormal. Being linked to your husband in such an intimate manner caused the evaluation of feelings and thoughts to be as second nature as naming different smiles or categorizing the raise of an eyebrow. She liked that he gained some sort of amusement out of interacting with Bobby. Even a few months absence had left the mansion cold. (Har Har) It was rare that he showed such a crack in his exterior that relished in these little moments that his amusement filtered through their link.

She resisted the urge to send him something back, knowing that at this point it would just be an unecessary distraction. At this time, her mind, performing the routine scans of the mansion and immediate grounds picked up a signature that she was honestly surprised to run across given their very recent conversation. A certain feral was back in the limelight right when she was instructed to find him. A myriad of emotions fought for control. Worry, happiness, anger, annoyance. How long had he been around? Jean felt they were friends enough that she should have at least deserved some sort of head's up. A frown shadowed her delicate features as the emotions toyed with themselves for dominance. In the end, she settled on annoyance. It being safe as well as accurate.

Mentally, she nudged Scott, giving him access to the information of her scan (almost as though he had performed it himself) void of any other distractions that she routinely filtered through, other signatures or emotional ties to what she found, so that he would both know that Logan was back and his current whereabouts. This was news hardly worth verbalizing. Just as she was about to excuse herself, secretly frustrated that she didn't get away and then guilty for thinking that, Tessa walked into their little group, inquiring as of her own status.

"Tessa, it's been a while. You've come to the right man for that answer. Emma, Ric. You must excuse me. I've got to prepare for a tour with some of the newer students." Green eyes locked with each in turn, her standard smile playing about her lips. Fingertips sought out Scott's shoulder for a quick rub before she was slipping out the opposite direction Tessa had come from. All the while, an amused apology filtered through their shared link. She didn't know if it would bother him to have Tessa thrust upon his lap, figuratively speaking, and she wasn't about to stick around to find out. At the same time, she would go along with whatever his judgement dictated. She usually did. Her grudges from the past...all except for one, seemed to be blurred and not hold as much weight as they should.

[EXIT Jean: TBC - Admin Edit: Living Area // Touring Greatness Pt. 1]

A fine brow rose at a voice calling out from behind her. Yes, the man behind the presence eavesdropping on them had something to say. Her smile grew at the suggestion. "I am positive Scott and Jean would rather I did not,' the Queen's eyes slowly swinging back toward the two of them standing there. Emma being there was probably enough to deal with; having her out there on missions of all things might be complicated. She certainly wouldn't keep her mouth shut if the "leader" in the team seemed to be making bad decisions. Any such concerns would be dispensed with the utmost discretion, of course. "My skills would be better served here, or in the city." Which was, truthfully, to say Emma didn't want or need to out herself as a mutant.

She could always adopt her alter ego, but then no one knew about that little ability did they? No need to waste it showing off to people that wouldn't care given their history together. Best save it for a time when it was truly beneficial.

Frost remain silent as Drake stammered in the face of Scott's idea, greeted an old "friend," and then left with a laugh. Even James, shortly after, made his own escape. Well at least everyone got in a round of pleasantries without a brawling breaking out. Baby steps. As for her own part in these light hearted events, well when she had nothing good, or snarky, to say Emma didn't waste breath saying just anything; that task was left to everyone else present.

Which brought her to Scott. The Queen smiled as his ever so gentle effort to learn more about what she was doing outside of Xavier's. "In progress, Dear. Really nothing worth mentioning right now. I will be sure to let you know the moment there is any worth while development." Complete fabrication. Frost would let them know, when she felt like letting them know, once everything was complete and ready for operational status. Provided something didn't inform them prematurely. For now, Emma was happy to let everyone think whatever they thought they knew.

As for Jean, well Emma didn't really respond to the woman excusing herself and slipping out of the room. Her blue eyes had ever so slowly turned, along with her head, in the direction of the calm voice of one Tessa Niles.The edge to those icy rings melted only a little when the White Queen smiled politely. "What an unexpected surprise." The problem was the unexpected part. What was Tessa doing here? Emma knew Shinobi hadn't been taken with his Father's old adviser/confidant, but the X-Men? No, Emma did not see the logical connection of Ex-Member to X-Men; the goals of the two organizations were completely different.

She turned her attention then back to Scott to observe his reaction. The man was the leader, present, and the woman had asked a question. Was Sage on the guest list? Maybe Frost needed to examine today's Surprise Guest list before any one else surface. Sebastian Shaw himself perhaps? Have a little reunion.

The familiarity of Bobby's humor was the probably the most welcome of touches Richter had experienced since returned to the states. The feelings it invoked were warmer than the meticulously maintained facade, and circle drive that greeted him as he stepped out of the taxi, stronger than the inviting dignity of the hallways which drew him deeper into the ancestral mansion. Of course James and him had been comrades in arms if not friends, and they would have to catch up later, when everyone wasn't in such a hurry.

Julio waved to the two as they left and returned his attention to Cyclops and Jean who had no issue taking him on as a member of the team. Work things out with Cable? They'd tackle that problem when they came to it, but he'd at least try to explain himself. So he'd gotten the answer he'd wanted, he had other questions though. Why did Xavier decide to open this place up to the public, and what did that mean for the X-Men and those members who kept secret identities? Before he'd managed to barrage the couple with questions a another visitor, a woman, appeared at his back.

“Does that also include one such as myself?” she said. Richter turned to face her and was met with a question. She wasn't very tall, or overly built, and the tone of her voice wasn't notably imperious or demanding. Her presence was none the less imposing. She carried herself with poise and discipline, while her choice in clothing reminded Richter of the women Wolverine seemed to attract. He couldn't see her eyes clearly and couldn't tell her age which likely also contributed to his impressions. It wasn't that she wasn't unapproachable, but Richter felt he'd need good reason to solicit her attention. Still it seemed rude to ignore her.

“Tessa?” he asked, repeating the name he'd overheard from Jean, hoping it wasn't nickname. He knew better than to get too formal too fast. He offered the woman his hand somewhat self-consciously, “Julio Richter.” He didn't bother her with small talk, something told him he'd be talking to himself before long. Instead he stepped away from Tessa to let her continue her conversation with Scott and addressed Emma.

“I don't know a lot about you. I've heard somethings. Most of that hasn't been very flattering, sure. But if you're chilling out in these hallways it must mean the people here are okay with you. Julio.” Again he extended a hand and quietly prayed the White Queen wouldn't humiliate him. “People don't usually come here to hang out, and a lot of people are seem to be dropping in. I don't think I've ever seen Cyke so popular. It makes me think something big is happening possibly something serious. Do you know anything about what's going on? I leave for three months, come back and the place is a school.”

He left it somewhat vague hoping the White Queen might interpret this as an opportunity to talk. Of course she might just as easily use it to shrug him off and volunteer nothing at all. Growing up with the X-Men, he imagined the White Queen as an exceptionally guarded and calculating individual, dealing exclusively in half-truths and deceptions. Though she'd insisted that was very much a thing of the past, and had clearly worked to develop an alliance, if not a working partnership. Those kinds of relationships required trust. And trust required confidence. Confidence which, in turn required information exchange. So she simply had to talk to him. Couldn't she see their relationship depended on it?

Pushing the creepiness aside, it occurred to Richter somewhere along this train of thought, that his desire to capture the exclusive attention of Emma likely had more to do with the fact that she was Emma Grace Frost and the attributes that name implied, than his professional curiosity. He halfheartedly chided himself to maintain better focus in the future.

Jean excused herself and left; nothing unexpected in that as she seemed to be taking the brunt of the orienteering of the Helix class to the Mansion and grounds. And their numbers swelled, it was almost time to begin their formal training classes, but that lay in the hands of the Professor, just as his own all-encompassing education had been, but not before one last addition joined the room.

"Does that also include one such as myself?" Tessa; Sebastian Shaw’s girl Friday herself, and just as complicit as Emma had been in the Hellfire Club’s attempts to take control of the Phoenix as their Black queen that had backfired spectacularly for a planet full of asparagus people. For Jean to leave then with only the barest of greetings was understandable then, considering that the redhead he’d been forced to watch helplessly sacrifice herself on the blue are of the Moon was not the same woman, but he had suffered through it every step of the way.

Scott had taken his time to speak, trying not to let his temper get the better of him as he viewed her from the top of his lenses; his head tilted down to face the table. His breathing was heavier now – even more so that than when Warpath asked why he was still alive – and almost snorting heavily from his nose ”That depends… can you give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blast you through the wall and back to the Hellfire Club!“. The fact that he was willing to greet Emma as a friend spoke of the way she had sought to redeem herself since and the work she continued to do towards their greater good. Tessa, on the other hand, had made no such reparations and given his understanding that the Inner Circle of that infernal club had seen a coup of sorts take place and a new order take the helm; Sebastian Shaw was out of the picture – and possibly even dead – so now she wanted out and sanctuary from them?

Her explanation had better have been spectacular than, but she did have their current open-door policy and their storied history of taking in any waif and stray with a mutant ability to work against his strong reluctance to her living under their roof, but there was also the philosophy of course to keeping your enemies closer…

In any event, other matter were about to take precedence, as a telepathic shout echoed around his head, but this was not the familiar, loving tone of Jean, nor the authoritarian Professor; this was Betsy Braddock, and it was urgent. ~Logan and I had a situation at the pub. I'm injured. He's been taken away, unconscious. Don't know where. I need help.~. To the observer, Scott’s head would have been seen to shake slightly as he tried to listen in and given that to his knowledge, Logan was still many miles away ‘getting back to nature’, so how was he now in the pub with their Japanese accented Brit. That in itself asked more questions then he’d get answers to, but the only one who might have known was Betsy… and that’s where he needed to be.

”Mmmmm, Something has just come up, I’m afraid that I need to deal with.“ He almost growled as he tidied up the papers on his desk, before turning to the White Queen ”Emma, can you do the formalities for me, please.“ And with that he left the office and with a fast stride, headed straight for the Infirmary

[[TBC: Calling for Reinforcements [Med Bay] ]]

Oh this was interesting as she was just waiting for the answer from Scott while she shook the hand of Rictor "Yes, Tessa or Sage" she said. When she got what she asked of Scott the only thing that came from her was a smile and "Well, that depends on if you could hit me before I were to hit you in such a case were I the enemy, as I am not. That is all the reason you need." she said monotonously right as he suddenly felt compelled to get up and take his leave. His optic blast was fast, but her mind would have surely been considerably faster than the blinking of his eyes. How unfortunate it was that almost all she had come across as of yet lacked significantly the ability to critique as well as call it straight down the mason dixon line; fore, if this were a game of checkers or chess she would have, yet again, already won. They were so blinded by the likes of their own hate and self righteousness that they were naive enough to believe that because one wears white and think herself to be "good" that such was actually even close, for someone of such a devious nature, to accomplishing it. Silly they were to think that she could actually successfully teach them anything other than pure betrayal as well as deceitfulness. It was that of a fact that even she could teach that and much better than most in the building. She was more than sure he heard her as he walked out, and that left her and her old friend alone. "how convenient." she thought to herself.

Her eyes only watched the man with a cute butt, and overly naive mind walk away. She then turned to Rictor and Emma only to smile only momentarily. After that it was back to the straight face that she held on a day by day basis. She was going to have a ball amongst team of mutants, and showing them how to accomplish things in an unbiased nature may be a bit challenging in some regards, but it was going to be oh so sweet to see their eyes widen when they see that all is not as they saw it, and such even applied to those they worked with. Perhaps it was an undermining of her abilities for them to treat her this way, but then again she acknowledge that their aggressiveness was out of ignorance, and the false assumptions in regards to them knowing who their true enemy was. Thus, it made it that much easier to dismiss idle threats as she could have attacked anyone of them, even the white queen herself, if she so wanted to before they would have even known she was there, right around the corner. Indeed, this team needed a lot of work and when she was done proving both to them and all that she was a valuable asset, as well as not an enemy, she would have worked many of them mentally into shape in regard to knowing how to analyze, assess, and then act, rather than shooting then asking questions later...so wolverine such an approach was. She was going to open their eyes to many things, and not so much as even have to use what meager telepathic abilities she had, that is compared to the others. Sage was now on a mission to prove herself, not out of the necessity to, but merely because she wanted to as it was logical to do so.

In the next moment she looked directly in the eyes of Emma Frost who was supposed to be over formalities here. However, Sage had little tolerance and time for her pretentious mannerisms, something she apparently shared with Jean Grey. None of them knew Sage yet, and that was why she understood their demeanors as well as their perspective on things. However, if they so much as thought they could run her away so easily, and undermine any of her own intentions then they would be better thinking twice, turning around, and thinking again; fore, maybe then and only then would the see things with the acute clarity of mind that she housed within herself. "Do not bother Frost, I know my way around exceptionally well." she stated as she walked out as well only looking over her shoulder to speak to the young man "It was nice meeting you Julio Richtor."

[tbc: From Afar]

"Do not bother Frost, I know my way around exceptionally well."

Emma Frost snorted as the woman left the room only a short time after Scott himself had. "As though I would waste the time." Whether Sage heard the comment or not didn't matter to the White Queen. It was nice to know where the woman stood. How delightful she'd shown where her misplaced loyalty lay. After all, for being a double agent Tessa had been quite useful. Perhaps at times even instrumental in the HellFire's activities. People wondered how Emma slept at night being the cold bitch that she was. Perhaps they would all find a new curiosity in their very own. Little matter that might need discussing with Xavier; oh, but Tessa's discussion with Xavier would be all the more captivating. Were that they would have it in public for Emma to witness.

The White Queen's blue gaze turned to the remaining person in the room. The smile returned as her perfect mask. She'd shaken his hand earlier, but had neglected to respond until now with everyone running off in a hurry. "Julio," how informal of him to introduce himself by the first name, "Charle's mansion has always been a school. Since the unfortunate incident in space, however, it seems he felt it best if everyone were kept close. The Academy further North had its problems," that being it wasn't without its own security breaches, "and evidently Charles felt the students were too exposed." Seeing as how Emma hadn't been raising a secret army... well, not like the Hellions anyway.

She had doubts about everyone being in the mansion of all places, of course. The Academy had its problems, but intrusions on the Estate were of a far graver nature. Unfortunate that Xavier was the one that held all the strings at the time. A matter Emma planned to rectify with her latest project. Next time Frost wasn't going to let anyone else dictate terms. These people wanted to cloister in shadows and harbor grudge let them; the White Queen didn't let others pen her in. And they tried so very often.

"Have you heard otherwise?" Emma asked before giving Julio as warm a smile as her perfect complexion, light blue lips, and sparkling blue eyes could give. What thoughts were rampaging about in Julio's head, she wondered? At least Emma could entertain someone that wasn't blatantly offended by her very presence. A refreshing change at Xavier's mansion. Pity it was only one person to date; aside from James, of course.

[CF: Start Spreading the News]

Having spent most of the day convincing himself that this was a good idea, along with getting the full treatment before heading into the unknown world of reuniting with his sister, Christian had fought off a couple of anxiety attacks, paid lavishly for a new hair cut, fitted suit, shoes, and accessories, and still had enough money to easily survive within New York for a long time. What Daken had left behind for him to use was a ridiculous amount of money, but when wanting to deal with someone like a Frost nothing but the best could be worn. Emma would, no doubt, be able to spot a fake from a thousand yards and he didn't wish to give any pause to the plausibility that they were related. So after several hours in the hands of professionals, Christian hailed a taxi out to the Xavier's School for the Gifted where the philanthropic work that Emma was supposedly taking part in was located. It was a quiet ride, the music on the taxi's radio was the only sound produced but the blond male couldn't keep his mind from racing, and did his best to focus upon his breathing to attempt to remain calm and his from heart from beating out of his chest. Tonight was going to be a difficult night for him, full of emotions that he could only wish were happy in nature, but time changes things and people, and what Christian was getting himself into was nothing more than a shot in the dark.

Stepping out of the yellow vehicle, Christian generously tipped the woman before turning around to take in the massive school that stood before him. Taking in the vast sight, Christian could feel his heart beginning to churn now that the meeting was only moments away from him, and he felt his feet turn into cement as he just stared in awe of the architecture erected before him. Turning to see if he could have made a run for it, the taxi had already left and there was nowhere else to go but inside and ask for a telephone but by that point, people would have noticed him and how much he stuck out as an uninvited guest. Certainly, he wouldn't be able to slip away in the event people caught onto such a fact, and then the psionic would have to explain to the group why he was there and he would shame the Frost name, and no doubt cause some social deflation on Emma's behalf. His breathing quickly became shallow as he found himself running through horrible mental images of what could befall him, like is Emma wasn't present or if she didn't want to see his ex-junkie brother in a room full of other rich people, God why hadn't he had thought this through before jumping at the impulse of meeting Gracie here. Stupid, stupid, stupid Christian mentally muttered to himself as he began to pace the small entrance way of the school, there had to be something that he could about turning around without calling too much attention to himself, but what? Taking a step towards the door, he heard an automated voice loudly welcome him to the school, and asked that he come inside and awaits the arrival of someone who would be willing to help him... Fuck...

The large wooden doors opened slowly, showing Christian the wonderful interior of the waiting room, and the sounds of voices could be heard as he took a couple steps into the school. Maybe that's where Emma was to be found, but what if not? He had years of etiquette training to survive a night with strangers, all of which were no doubt wealthy and had expectations when it came to mingling with new faces, politely and briefly before turning to their friends in hopes of learning more about this mysterious stranger. Nothing new to one trained from an early age, it was just that most of his cultural understanding and reference points were horribly outdated so making small talk would be more difficult than necessary but by smiling sheepishly and nodding a lot, he could get away with a lot. Stepping towards the voices, Christian took a deep breath and just hoped for the best, here goes nothing.

As Emma and Rictor had begun to talk, the White Queen paused sensing someone drawing closer to the door. Her blue eyes slid down the hall in anticipation of that person's arrival. She didn't track every person in a building habitually, but she did keep a telepathic ear to the door to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Espionage was nothing new to a member of the HellFire Club or the CEO of Frost Enterprises; as a woman with planets-full of secrets, she preferred private conversations. If only she could hold them telepathically... but few knew she was a mutant and for now she preferred to keep it that way for the tactical advantage.

She lifted her right hand just a bit to cut Rictor off as the person drew near; not one of the regulars with how the person they moved so timidly. Cautious. Empathy was child's-play to Emma and she could tell there was a lot of anticipation and consternation in the man interrupting their little chat.

When Christian Frost stepped into view the White Queen's chin lifted and she turned to face her brother. She knew who it was, but she didn't know why he was here. More to the point, she didn't know who he'd become over all this time. People changed. Not most people, but given severe enough conditions in life like those Christian and her had undergone they most certainly did. After all, who'd expected Emma to be as devious and independently wealthy as she'd become? She'd been the Black Sheep of the three sisters. No doubt the remaining family had thought she'd end up working at a fast food restaurant when she stormed out.

"Just a moment, Rictor," she said, following up on the nonverbal signal she'd given a second ago.

Staring at the man would be less than productive, however, "Christian." Alright, there was a lot of questions she could ask. How did you find me? Why are you here? When did you get out? Did you escape? Did anyone else know? How was he? Truthfully she'd really liked to know how he found her. If could be a coincidence, but Emma didn't rely on coincidence--too unreliable. "You look well." There was less haughtiness in her voice; a sign of the confusion at seeing him there. Seeing any of her family made her question the entire circumstance of their arrival, but Christian... he'd been gone so long Emma wasn't sure what to think; their past was the only reason she didn't give him an icy reception, however.

There was much to be thought out, which should have been done before Christian had been so rudely interrupted by the electronic doorman thing, so much conversation to run through his head to see what would have been best when the blond finally found his sister. What could he start with, something that would just take the two of them back in time and act as if nothing had gone wrong, as if he had never been shipped off and Emma hadn't been the one to have saved him before accidentally delivering him into the hands of the maniacs within the mental hospital. Something that would have made their meeting something to be thought about for ages, and people would think that they had lived the perfect posh life Winston had done his best to show off to his acquaintances but there hadn't been time for the psionic to plan ahead since the doors had been opened to him much too soon for his liking, and Christian found himself within a foreign place with one mission and that was causing on his otherwise calm collection exterior. Had there not been voices to gravitate towards, he certainly would have roamed freely around the school to find some composure, maybe even make a friend to take his mind off the fact that he was having a joyous reunion with his sister.

Keeping his hands at his sides, he could feel them start shaking in anticipation as he did his best to keep his face seemingly perfect, nothing above his neck would show off his nervousness and that would be the focus of the attention he drew would culminate. It was easy to fight off sections affected by emotion, as the body was almost much too good at demonstrating when it experienced any powerful emotion. A couple more steps and Christian found himself awkwardly chilling next to the wall, even for someone as trained to deal with social situations, something of this caliber was something that was beyond basic training. Doing his best to keep his breathing normal, the sound of his voice captured the man's attention much quicker than he would have imagined, turning his head he was face to face with his sister... whose appearance wasn't as childlike and flat as he recalled. There had been some major changes in her appearance, hopefully they hadn't translated over into her personality as well; with his mind going a million miles a second, just taking everything in, a goofy smile grew on his face as it was the only thing that was keeping Christian from tackling his sister out of pure joy. There were people around, and it wasn't going to be exactly the most socially acceptable thing to do.

"You look well."

Doing his best to keep his composure, Christian brought one of his hands up to his mouth in order to stifle laughter as there were dozens of ways in order to have started this conversation but something so formal was almost too much for the blond man to handle. There should have been happiness and tears and jumping and screaming and anything more than a polite greeting from one sibling to another, certainly had the roles been changed Christian would have given Emma much more than a casual salutation. With his free hand, Christian rubbed his forehead where one could see the scars from the electroshock therapy he had endured during his time being treated for homosexuality, as he did his best to remain composed. "Thanks Gracie, I've been okay since getting rescued slash escaping from everything." Casually mentioning things, he couldn't help his laughter permeating his words as he did his best to keep in control over himself. "And you look like you've ... erm, that everything's going well for you. Sorry to have dropped in uninvited but you're not exactly the easiest of people to get ahold of these days. I'm certain Daddy dearest would be so proud to see where you are now, without his money." If possible, his smile seemed to grew even wider the longer he just looked at his sister. She wasn't exactly as how he remembered, but Christian couldn't have been happier to have had this opportunity to meet again.

[TBC: Frost Family Reunion]

What good feelings Cyclops may have been radiating towards evaporated as Scott turned his attention to Tessa, and impelled her to leave the premises on threat of violence. It skirted dangerously close to the line from Richter's perspective. Had he not just asked the man for a position on his team he might have shared some choice words with X-Man himself, complicated relationship be damned. At present he could barely manage to composure to clear his throat and pretend as though that exchange hadn't just gone down. Richter had to wonder what might have prompted him to threaten her like this. He gave a woman another look over, double checking to make sure he hadn't missed something. Her expression hadn't changed, displaying neither bemusement nor outrage, as she passively weathered Cyclop's ire. It wasn't long before Richter found her lack of a reaction a little unnerving, and begin to allow his suspicions to take hold.

The moment passed a bit too late to avoid awkwardness. Sage's response was challenging, almost even aggressive, and she made it clear she would not be looked down upon by the likes of the X-Men. Did she too have a past grievance to air with Cyclops? X-Teams relationships with their past foes might always have been strained but it rarely extended beyond a mutual acknowledgment of their opposing ideals. This might have personal. And how serious was Sage about joining this team, to come here knowing she would be an enemy, you would think she'd have some pressing pressing reason that would allow her to set such differences aside for the sake of whatever it was that brought her here. Cyclops's verbal slap in the face was probably unjustified, but her defiant retort was no less baffling. She seemed more willing to throw down, than suit up. And if she'd hadn't really been seeking an place on the team one had to wonder why she'd shown up at all.

Cyclops's attention wavered, a telltale sign of some kind of outside, potentially telepathic distraction, and with a few words he left them in the pregnant silence of the entrance hallway. Tessa departed soon afterward. Conflicted, Richter turned to wave, likely a bit too slow; he doubted she'd caught more than a silhouette of the gesture in the reflection of her sunglasses. Emma, like Scott didn't have anything nice to say. The best way forward with conversation was probably to resume the old topic and pretend she'd never been there. He doubted even Emma would give him an unbiased account of the woman.

So the Xavier Institute. With a winsome smile she recounted the mansion's progressive shifts towards accepting more and more students. Though he'd lived though some of that history, he'd admittedly learned something, despite Emma being Emma. She was right, after all hadn't Rahne been a member of this selfsame school? His question rephrased was, why had Xavier decided to expand the roster so generously? He didn't get a chance to ask this question though, before an immaculately groomed gentleman strolled though the double doors. They might have been revolving doors for all the traffic moving though the place. Richter granted this was probably how the architect intended the hallway to be used, but this was getting ridiculous.

Richter took in a new suit, definitely custom tailored, matching shoes, accented flourishes, and a do that could only have pulled off by the most skilled of hair stylist. All in all the man was probably wearing more money than Richter could squeezed from his dwindling savings before he'd booked a last minute international flight across the North American continent. It occurred to Richter's long dormant inner thug that this get up was probably intended to intimidate people like him to giving them a wide breadth. But Richter knew opulence, and knew it wasn't half as impressive wielded like a weapon as it was wielded casually. The get up was only a tool advancing the man towards some greater purpose, but the confidence was lacking. The implied ease of the clothes seemed to clash with a subtle anxiety welling behind his eyes. Richter felt it more than he saw it and the hints of fading scars peeking around the edges of his suit only highlighted the contradictions surrounding this newcomer.

“Christian, you look well.” Emma apparently knew him, and turned from their conversation to give him her full attention. Richter half-believed the two bore a resemblance before he considered his apparent nervousness and concluded they'd be more at ease with one another were they actually siblings. They were on a first name basis though, and if anyone knew the the familiarity such a greeting implied, it was Emma. Yet, her words were so measured, Richter had to wonder if they were even friends. Richter knew it was rude to look on at their meeting. One could easily accuse him of eavesdropping, and doubtless would if they walked in to find him so thoroughly transfixed on the exchange. It might have been the obvious intrigue budding before his eyes, or it might have been the spontaneous concurrence of beautiful people. Richter could not avert his gaze.

Daddy dearest? Gracie? It seemed to Richter that this was as delicate a moment for the Emma as it was for anyone coming from a complicated family situation. He hadn't known Emma had siblings, but that was probably because he hadn't looked. But as their awkward greeting continued Richter began to hear more that enough to make him uneasy. So Emma's relationship with her father had strained to a point such that he'd decided to 'cut her off'. He knew from wasted hours watching Entertainment Tonight, that things like this happened only in the most dramatic circumstances. The show's commentators often went on to gossip about the prodigal child's incoming financial and social ruin with relish bordering on sadism.

The shame was intended to force people into complying with the wishes of whatever authority figure held the purse, but that only worked so long as the ostracized party didn't prove themselves equally successful without their support. Such things demanded respect, and Richter would've loved a compliment Emma on it if there was a way he could bring it up without having to admit to eavesdropping.

“I'm going to go search for an empty room, I want to unpack before all the insanity returns.” He turned to collect his bag from the couch. “It's been fun.”

[To Be Continued: The Great Equalizer]

Frost stood still as Christian spoke, not moving or taking her eyes off the man before her. It was unsettling seeing him there. There were implications... and then there was Emma's honed skill at anticipating the schemes of others. After all this time he just walked in through the front door? The only member of her family she wouldn't expect a knife in the back from given the earliest opportunity. Was it the same man? Was it even Christian? Of course, he probably had expectations from her with the way he stared and tore himself away briefly as he adjusted. Emma couldn't just "let go," however. Others could be wild and carefree, but she had too many enemies and not nearly enough friends. Price for playing the role she did.

Thankfully--and not because he was bad company--Rictor soon excused himself. "We will talk again later," the White Queen replied as the man gathered his things. Her eyes lingered on Christian, but her voice remain as cool and clear as polished, Antarctic ice.

"Christian," Emma stepped forward to take one of her brother's hands and pull him to the side toward an empty conference room slash living area. Didn't seem to be any need to explain as she hurried the two of them inside and slid the doors shut behind them for a bit of privacy. Last thing she wanted was one of her esteemed "Fans" walking down the hallway and bumping into the brother she never mentioned. Not that Christian should be offended seeing as how she didn't talk about any member of her family unless it was absolutely pertinent to a business endeavor.

With the doors shut behind her, Emma slowly stepped forward away from the wood panels. There were several questions that came to mind, but this shouldn't be an interrogation (hopefully). "How long ago did you...?" Escape? Get released? She wasn't even sure regarding the conditions of Christian's internment, or if he'd gotten our years ago and only now found her. All of which could play a part in why he was here today. Happy reunion? It... was possible, but it having been so long Emma hadn't expected to see Christian ever again.

[TBC: Xavier's Mansion, Main Level Living Area: "Frost Family Reunion"]