Leaving Home Ain't Easy

Posted on Tue Dec 19th, 2023 @ 10:40am by Charles Xavier & Scott Summers & Connor Bruin & Bobby Drake & Iris Walker & Cameron Hood & Jade Farwynd & Elias Buckley & Tammy Thompson & Bliss Hawkins & Shinobi Shaw & Ethan Hale & Aurora Summers & Kennedy Kelly

3,570 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Episode 3: X-Tra Ecclesiam
Location: X Mansion
Timeline: August 21, 1990

{ON}

Aurora stood alongside Scott in the room now filled with their friends and colleagues, the time had come for Scott to say his goodbyes. She’d been dreading this moment, her heart was pounding so hard she could feel every beat as she tried to maintain her composure in-front of everyone. She absentmindedly fiddled with the wedding ring on her finger as she waited for Scott to begin.

Jade stood next to Cam, whispering, "did we really have to be here for this?" The mess both Aurora and Scott created was bad enough, this fanfare now was over the top.

"We're either part of their lives, or we're not." Cameron whispered back with a slight shrug. "We'd witness the drama one way or another. At least now we've been given a warning."

Jade shrugged. "That's fair."

Bliss made her way into the room with a cool expression. She was still wearing her purple round sunglasses from her time outside. She leaned against the wall in the back of the room while she waited for this misery to end. But if there was anything she had ever learned in the system was just put up with the bullshit. Otherwise they prolong the crap to be even more torturous. She reached into her back pocket to take a piece of Bubblicious bubble gum and pop into her mouth. The chocolate mint took away the immediate urge to lose her last meal over the events about to occur. Scott and Bliss were not on the best terms as it was. She wasn't going to lose sleep over him fleeing the school. He had made the situation. Now he had to face the consequences.

Connor was about to ask why they were there, but the pop of bubble gum from Bliss's mouth made him blush so hard that he forgot all else. Bubblicious was her new pet name for him.

"Thank you all for coming," Scott said once Bliss had taken her seat and blown her bubble gum. "I have some hard news and there is no easy way to say it, so I'll just put it out there." Taking a breath, he said, "Professor Xavier has asked me to leave campus. And, honestly, I can't say as I blame him, what with circumstances being what they are." He took Aurora by the hand. "Last night, after the team came back from Boston, we... eloped. Aurora and I." He held up his left hand to show his wedding ring. "We did so because..." Taking another breath, Scott looked up and faced the entire room. "... she is pregnant."

Elias blinked out of the room at this revelation, no comment was made before his exit. Nope. No thank you.

"What? Pregnant? You lying piece of crap! You said you'd never date a student and now you have her pregnant?" Tammy was furious. Energy was crackling about her. "I don't like being lied to or having someone screw around with my feelings! Who do you think you are? If you weren't interested, say so instead of sleeping with her! Which by the way you said you weren't!" She let loose a lightning bolt by his feet! "I thought you were a good guy, Scott! Obviously I was wrong! You just couldn't wait to get her into bed! You know I liked you! You said you weren't going to be with her. That you didn't date students! It would be wrong! LIAR!"

Scott stood there and did his best not to flinch at her every word. "I didn't lie to you, Tammy, at least not intentionally. I won't make excuses for the the wrong way I've gone about things. There are things you don't know, but I understand why you're angry. I won't ask you not to be. I will ask for your forgiveness." He looked at everyone. "From all of you. What's happened affects the whole team. And... I'm sorry."

"WHAT THE HELL, SCOTT?" Connor chimed in with his device.

"What about Jean?" asked Bobby who had finally made his slack jaw start working again. "Are you just giving up on her?"

"No!" Scott retorted with a little fire in his belly. "I'm not giving up on anybody. This is... just... damn it. I just have to do the right thing now."

Bobby folded his arms and shook his head. "Now? Better late than never, I guess," he scoffed.

"FUCK. OFF. BOBBY." The words were manually typed into Connor's device while he glared at Bobby. Antagonism wasn't going to help the situation but there were only so many words to express that very thing while tempers were flaring. Connor made his own point in a terrible way.

"Eat a dick, Connor!" Bobby fired back. "I'm not going to stay here and listen to you or anyone defend this shit." He glared at Scott before walking out the door. "You deserved better, Aurora. So did Jean."

Iris simply rolled her eyes and stayed silent. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since arriving and now didn’t seem like a good time. She was staying clear out of this mess.

Bliss sat in the back row taking it all in. She frowned when Connor got involved, but it is what it is. People were going to be angry with this whole inbred family-from-hell mess. Better to get the venom out of the wound rather than let it fester.

Scott was barely keeping his head above water at the moment emotionally. Was anybody going to be helped by this whole circus atmosphere? And where was the professor? If there was ever a time we needed emotional support as a group this was it.

When things settled down for a moment, Bliss pushed herself to her feet. She made it to the front of the room without getting shot in the ass with lightning from cowgirl. She offered her hand to Scott.

"I can't say that you've made very good decisions, but I do wish nothing for you and Aurora and your baby. It's going to take some time to heal, but maybe someday you'll get a chance to come back and become part of the school again."

"Thank you, Bliss." Scott swallowed the lump in his throat and shook her hand. "I really appreciate that."

Ethan had been standing at the edge of the crown feeling the tension going on around him. "Scott, not this is any of my business," he looked around the room, "or any of our business, but are you the biological father, or are you taking responsibility because that father isn't around?"

"I am the father," Scott replied, his face shifting toward Jade for a moment. "It's a shock, I know, but it's not in doubt. Aurora will remain here at the school where the best medical care for mutants can be found outside of Muir Island. Once I know more, I'll be in touch. But, for now, the Professor has trespassed me from the premises, so I can't linger any longer than is reasonable."

Aurora was struggling watching Scott taking blame from those who were angry with him, he’d warned her it wouldn’t be easy. She took a deep breath before speaking. “For what it’s worth, it was never my intention to alienate Scott from all of you.” She looked at Scott. “I saw a man in such deep pain, the pain of losing a woman he loved.” She looked back at the others. “When you were all in Boston I had brief, painful contact with Jean, after that things changed for Scott and I. I understood his pain better and I couldn’t let him suffer any longer. I love Scott, and being here without him knowing I caused this...rift, isn’t going to be easy. Once Scott finds us a home I’ll be staying with him, but I’ll still be a student here. Right now Scott wants our baby to be safe, as do I.”

Jade sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Neither of you really know what you're doing, or feeling." She said in an exasperated tone. "It's simple biology, 'feelings'," she did the air quotes, "aside. We're all still all on the same side, even though the mature people in this room disagree with you two."

Aurora was frustrated at, more or less being called immature, not that she was going to argue with Jade. She was trying not to let her feelings of frustration, and sadness get the better of her. “I love my husband, and I will be at his side until hell itself freezes over!” There was a brief flash of orange in her eyes before she gained control of her emotions again.

Jace leaned against a wall, content to let the "cool kids" hash it out. To say that he was surprised regarding Scott's announcement, though, would've been an understatement. The captain of the X-Men and a student. Who would've guessed.

But the one guy was right. It wasn't any of Jace's business who Cyke knocked-up. The reactions and the mention of Jean did put a smirk on his face, though. He wondered just how many women Scott had hooked up with over the years. And how many of them were still mad.

Jade sighed, itching to get out of the room. Theatrics were not her thing, in any shape or form.

"YOUR EYES WERE ON FIRE," Connor said to Aurora via his device. "THAT WAS AWESOME."

Aurora looked at Connor in surprise. “My eyes were on fire?” She looked at Scott, then back at Connor offering the first and only smile yet. “I guess that’s...kind of awesome.”

"Okay..." Scott sighed deeply with a hand against his forehead. His thumb and forefinger grasped his temples on either side. This was getting off rails. "I think I've said everything that needs saying. If anyone else feels differently, I'll be loading up my Jeep. You can come tell me differently there." With that, he gave Aurora's hand a squeeze and then left the room.

"Oh that's nice! Don't apologize! Just cut and run!" Tammy said lashing out at him. She was hurt! Badly! "How many more women did you lie to?"

Again, Iris rolled her eyes and stayed out of it.

Aurora stood for a moment already feeling at a loss, before she started for the door to see Scott off.

At Scott's appearance outside, where Elias had been enjoying a quiet roll-up while leaning against the front of the mansion, Fable slipped silently from one location back to the other. Wherever Scott was, Aurora was soon to follow, and the teen had no intention of listening to their mutual woes.

Before anyone else could leave, however, Professor Xavier entered. He would have had to pass Scott in the hallway but there had been no exchange between them. The Professor was followed by a tall young lady.

"Good afternoon," he said to everyone. "I can see that Scott has broken the news of his leaving. While I make no apology for exercising the rules and standards of conduct as I have, I wish to make clear that my office is open for the remainder of the day for anyone who wishes to speak privately over the matter. And when I said 'privately,' I do include respect for the privacy of everyone involved."

With that said, he moved on to the next order of business. "I am preparing another trip. I had intended to leave today, but present circumstances have led me to delay it until tomorrow morning. I would ask that Iris, Jace, and Elias accompany me at that time. For now, allow me to formally introduce everyone to our newest student. This is Kennedy."

Looking up as his name was called out, Elias gave the Professor a simple upward nod in response to the suggestion of a mission. He was 100% up for that, anything that took him away from the hear and now and the Aurora Situation sounded pretty damn awesome. That decided, he turned his attention to the new girl.

Aurora gave Kennedy a polite nod, she knew what it felt like being a newbie at the Mansion. “Welcome to the Mansion, if you’ll excuse me I have to go.” She gave Xavier a glance before she started for the door.

"Of course," Xavier said, "but, Aurora... perhaps we should speak later."

“Umm… hello and goodbye…” Kennedy awkwardly mumbled to the redhead who dashed from the room.

This was by far one of the worst meetings she had ever walked into. The room was filled with enough tension that it was palpable, not exactly the best place to meet people and make friends.

“Hi, it’s..ahh..it’s nice to meet all of you.” She waved to the room full of mutants, avoiding eye contact with everyone before she nervously folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to feel a little less exposed.

Kennedy was rather tall and thin in build, her lithe figure accentuated by the short romper she wore. Her long blonde hair was gold in color and her eyes a bright blue, they matched well with the tiny pink and blue flowers scattered across the print of her outfit. Her face was heart-shaped with the faint cut of high cheekbones and her mouth rested in a natural pout, which seemed a fitting expression for the mood of the room.

Tammy tried to be nice but she was pretty worked up. "Sorry, now's a very bad time!" Right now she hated both Scott and Aurora. She felt very betrayed right now!

“It’s nice to meet you all and I look forward to getting to know each and every one of you.” The words were polite but almost sounded robotic in their delivery. Kennedy’s eyes drifted to a nondescript spot on the floor as she stood next to the Professor.

Jade was almost amused at the psychotic outburst of young, slighted love. Oh how glad she was that she was out of her teens. Those years sucked.

She nodded to the new girl. "Jade Farwynd, school nurse. Need anything medical, I'm usually down in the infirmary." She said to Kennedy.

Kennedy mumbled a few additional hellos to the nurse who introduced herself before her eyes turned to the floor. She wanted to leave or at least sit down.

“Oh good grief,” said Iris, finally addressing the group at large as she stood and crossed to Kennedy. “It’s not her fault. I’m Iris,” she said holding out a tiny hand in greeting. “Welcome to the mansion.”

Kennedy was lost in her own thoughts when a small voice suddenly appeared right next to her that made her visibly jump. Iris seemed to have materialized out of nowhere.

“Thanks and Hi.” Despite her initial surprise she appreciated the greeting, Kennedy reached out and shook her hand.

Iris was already petite in stature but standing next to Kennedy made her small size even more obvious. If a giraffe and a mouse had become friends, this is what it would look like.

“It’s nice to meet you Iris, I’m sorry I jumped. I guess I’m a little preoccupied and you snuck up on me.”

“It’s okay,” replied Iris with a grin. “I’m pretty good at sneaking up on people.”

Bliss stepped up and offered a warm smile.
"Welcome to the international House of mutants. I'm Bliss, and you are going to love it here. The Professor told me you're going to be my roommate. And that's cool. So if you need anything, you let me know. Oh my gosh your skin is flawless. You got to show me your routine."

“Thanks and it’s nice to meet you.” Kennedy returned the warm smile “I’ve never had a roommate before, it should be fun.”

Jace came up off the wall and gave the new blonde a half smile and a nod as he went by. "Ladies." With hands in his pockets, he sauntered on over to Xavier. "Wassup, Prof? Am I gonna need an overnight bag or a week-long bag?" Jace chuckled inwardly as he didn't really have enough clothes yet to pack a week-long bag. He'd been doing laundry very often since moving into the mansion. It'd been nice to have a washer and dryer and not need to wash them in whatever he could find.

Elias fell in beside Jace, but didn't say anything yet. Right now he was just listening to all the noise and picking up the vibes of the room.

"We'll talk more a bit later," said the Professor. "An overnight bag may not be a bad idea however."

"Okay," Jace simply answered. There was nothing in his tone or voice that indicated anything other than pure acknowledgement. He tossed up a Boy Scout salute to the Professor despite having never been in the Scouts. It was going to be hard for Jace to polish off the street kid edges. He walked back to the newcomer, intent to not shrug her off. The 'new' still hadn't worn off him yet. "Don't mean to interrupt. Name's Jason. People just call me Jace."

“Hi Jace, it nice to meet you too.” Kennedy pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear as she offered him a small smile. The friendly gesture felt more like an attempt to be polite, but she was trying to be social.

“Are you going on a trip with the Professor? Where to?”

Elias, slightly to Jace's side, opened his mouth to say they didn't know yet, but the Professor's voice responded first.

"That is a private discussion for a later time," said the Professor. He smiled at the fact everyone was struggling to use good manners when meeting a new student. There had been a few ways to deescalate the mounting tension in the room and he had chosen the fun one. He was pleased to see the young adults were, more or less, aiming to act as such. "Jace, Iris, Elias, please meet me in the War Room before nightfall."

"Yessir," Elias responded simply. He looked to New Girl and offered a wry smile, his dark eyes enigmatic as they met Kennedy's. "Heya Kennedy," Elias noted, his words gentle and friendly enough. "I'm Elias. You ever need a swift exit from an awkward situation, just hit me up," he said, a wry grin colouring his features. "I can port you anywhere you wanna go."

“I could have used you ten minutes ago.” Kennedy attempted to joke about tense and awkward the room had been when she had first walked in. “But it’s nice to meet you and I just might take you up on that offer one day.”

The Professor bit back a pleased grin. Somedays it was rough running a school. Other days... it was downright rewarding. There was nothing better than watching young adults transition from children to grownups.

Jade nodded to Cam, squeezing his shoulder gently. "I'll see you later." She didn't like crowds at the best of times, especially teenage hormone induced crowds. Thank Moria for developing her earbuds, the noise from all the angsty bloodstreams would be loud as all hell right now, she knew.

Cameron gave her an understanding smile and nod. "See you later." He walked a few paces with her towards the exit, stopping to say hello to their newest addition. "Hello Kennedy, I'm Cameron. Combatives instructor, landscaper, chauffeur, and whatever else is needed. Welcome to the School." He extended his hand and gave her what he hoped was a friendly smile.

“Hi Cameron.” Kennedy shook his hand and continued to smile. She was grateful that they had all started talking to her, she she would have to thank Iris for breaking the ice and moving everyone past the uncomfortable situation.

“I could probably use some ‘combative instruction’. I knocked a cop over just by touching him.” She looked down at their shaking hands and quickly withdrew it. “But I was really upset, it doesn’t just happen, or at least I hope it doesn’t. I dunno… this is all new to me.”

"EVERYONE IS NEW AT SOMETIME," Connor offered.


~ Elsewhere ~

Following Scott, Aurora hurried to find him. When she did she offered a misty eyed look. “I thought I’d help you. If anyone comes out I’ll leave you to talk.” She paused. “Seems we have a new student.”

"Yeah..." Scott looked at the floor for a moment before he took both of Aurora's hands in his own. "Look..." He forced hs chin up. "I need to do this alone. I'll gather up what things I need, load the Jeep, and then come find you. Alright?"

Aurora nodded, understanding how hard this was for Scott. “Of...of course, Sorry.” She gave him a brief smile before starting to back away. “I’ll...be in my room.” With that she headed back inside. Not being in a mood to rejoin the others she headed upstairs to her room, where she could be alone.

A little bit after Aurora departed, Bliss emerged from the house, after sneaking out of the meeting. She walked to Scott with an unreadable expression.

"I thought you might need a hand getting your Jeep packed."

Scott nodded. "You want to grab that shop trashcan over there?" Together they set to work.

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