Already Gone

Scott kept his mind firmly on the work he had to do. He was tracking Magneto. He wasn't certain, but the man would probably be heading towards the pharmaceutical company that Warren's father owned. He had hated trying to ply information out of the younger man, but it had been necessary.

It had also been an irritation. Warren had plastered himself to Scott's side. It wasn't as though the young man was flirting with him or anything, he just made Scott uncomfortable. He kept with Scott and no one else, but Scott had a feeling it was trust issues. He had always been the one that children had come to when they had problems. Charles had always told him he had a calming presence that others found very easy to trust in.

Warren clearly trusted him more than the other members of staff, and Scott couldn't bring himself to tell the man to piss off, annoying though he was. Scott was a man who appreciated silence. It wasn't so much that he wanted to be alone as he needed it. Jean had understood, Logan did understand but Warren did not. He was surrounded by children all day, from as early as 8am some days until after dinner. He needed time to himself, as all the teachers did. It was a definite reason for having members of non-teaching staff who could look after the kids after school hours.

Their new adult did not understand this. He was around the children during breaks and when they had free periods, but not during class time as well. It wasn't that he spoke, because he didn't always. He sometimes made conversation, or tried, until he realised Scott wasn't interested in holding his end of it. Usually, he was just there. Scott did not know if it was the great white wings, or if it was the fact that he loomed just in Scott's peripheral vision, a constant presence that kept Scott's own guard up constantly. He also irritated Logan.

The 2 could not be in the same room anymore. At first, Logan had just scowled when he had seen the other, sometimes he had gotten a look that made Scott sure the man was ranting inside his head. It had escalated to Logan snapping a response to anything Warren said, and then Warren had started taunting.

It wasn't even just that though. It was the way Logan seemed protective of him. He had gotten into the habit of standing in front of Scott when he spoke to Warren. The young man did not know if this was just because Wolverine had pack instinct wired throughout him, or if it was something else.

This something else really could be one of two things, Scott decided one day as he stared at the faded grey of Logan's leather jacket. The back of his jacket, a view Scott was getting very used to. He was probably at the stage where he could recognise Logan just from his back now- Though it didn't seem necessary. Scott could already tell when Logan was in the room without looking for him. He had that kind of presence.

The first of the 2 things was protectiveness. They were still sharing a bed, so Logan always knew when he had a nightmares, or bouts of insomnia. He could hide it from others, but Logan still acted a little afraid he'd shatter or something. It was really quite infuriating. He wanted to shout out and object. Yes, he did know how useless he had been. However, seeing Phoenix had woke him up. She'd given him a much needed kick and he had started putting himself back together. He was trying, even though he knew he probably seemed like a child clumsily gluing old pottery back together- trying to find the right pieces to stick together and he'd probably lose some pieces on the floor, to be swept up with the rubbish. He knew he'd just be an ugly old vase glued back together to make something even more hideous. Useless.

Or, Logan could be jealous. The very thought send a shiver through him. It stubbornly contradicted his own self image and no matter how hard he tried, it was not a thought he could squash. Logan always seemed angrier with Warren when Scott was feeling tired, or down, or when he just couldn't be bothered with Scott. He had gotten used to those warm brown eyes drilling into his own. The man seemed capable of picking up his different moods from one look.

However, those looks really were something. They warmed him to his bones. It was embarrassing how often he lay in bed with the man and couldn't talk to him. Physically could not talk to him. His throat would close up and his face would start to burn. The man probably viewed him as a child, still in need of some security blanket.

There were times he told himself this was acceptable. He had lost his best friend and fiancée, and then he had lost his father. He felt undeniably alone and sharing a bed with someone gave him strength to get up on a morning, to go face his students, to go face the other dangers that still troubled the X-Men.

Magneto. Maroon Magneto. Why would the man want to go to find the cure? He was convinced this was where they would find the other, but he was not sure why. He knew he had freed dangerous mutants, he knew that during one of these excursions his faithful sidekick, Mystique, had been shot with the cure. He knew the cure worked. Unless he planned to destroy it... Or planned to kill however had created it.

Scott had no doubt the man had reacted just as vehemently as 'Ro had to the idea of a cure. The beautiful white haired witch with chocolate coloured skin and pale eyes. She was a good friend. She had been a dear friend to his own Jean and the view of the red phoenix who had taken her place- it had shaken her up. She had taken over as a field leader of the X-Men. The transition had been physically painful, but Scott could not do it anymore. He was still torn between mutant and human. Lost and uncertain. He worked hard though. They had 2 new science teachers, a woman from Ohio, a few years older than him- She would be nearer Jeans age. She could tell people's sincerity. It was such a weird gift, but no doubt very useful when dealing with children. She also had an eidetic memory. It was useful for taking notes about certain situations as her memory held the details longer than most others. She had started going out with the X-Men. Scott could remember her long black hair hanging in a ponytail encompassed by the black of their uniforms. He had been unable to name the 2 different types of black; it had left an itch in his mind for several days.

The other teacher was a man in his 60s. He was a gentle man with thin silver hair which had retreated back over most of his head. He could chatter happily and never touch on uncomfortable. It was very relaxing to speak with him. He was a soft spoken but undeniably firm teacher and the students liked him. His accent placed him from somewhere in Northern Canada, but Scott wanted to work it out on his own, rather than request to see all the places he had lived before his previous residence in the West of New England.

Scott had now become the principal of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Not that he didn't love paperwork, but he was glad all the paperwork was out of the way. He was even more pleased that the official visit was complete. They had had several individuals prowling the school, questioning various children, interviewing all the staff. He'd had to keep Warren in the sub-school levels with Hank, Kurt and several of the children who were not officially enrolled into the school.

The children had been asked to refrain from using their powers to show off. They were not prohibited, but simply cautioned from making a spectacle. As 'Ro had loudly pointed out, it was not against the law for them to use their powers... Even if Scott did pessimistically add 'Yet' to that statement.

Logan had gone back to being very protective of him during that time. He'd even made Warren back off. But, Scott had been worrying horribly and Warren was not an idiot- he knew when to back down and stop causing hassle.

With the school side of things running more smoothly, Scott had set about observing anything to do with Worthington Labs. Warren had said they had several spots around the country where the cure would be given out, but it would be after they had finished it would first be given to mutants in San Francisco. Scott was uncertain whether or not Rogue would go to the first 'vaccinations' or whether she was with her parents and would wait for the more wide spread ones.

He knew they had to go to the first one though. Magneto was likely to show as it was so near the labs and he planned to do something. He desperately hoped Phoenix was not with him. He knew he would be unable to stop her if she went for burrowing inside his body and pushing his very self apart from the inside out; as she had tried to do to him at Alkali Lake; As she had done to the Professor.

He focused entirely on his work, determined not to think about it. There was an hour until dinner. He would still beside him and revel in the safe feeling he got from the man.

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