Terry and Scott, Scott's office

[x-siryn.livejournal.com]

Terry stalks Scott to find out how her possible internship is going and gets some disappointing news. They reminisce about the old days and Terry tweaks him about being a workaholic.



Terry sat on the steps, chewing on her close clipped nails. She had a new piece she should be learning for her next lesson with Alison but she knew that Scott was usually busy but his schedule was open right now, at least if he was sticking to schedule, which he usually did because he was Scott after all but… Terry dropped her hand from her mouth and stood as she heard steps coming down the hall. She clattered loudly down the last few steps and feigned surprise as she nearly ran into her quarry. "Ah! Sorry, Mr. Summers, yeh all right?"

Scott steadied himself, then smiled at her. "I'm fine, Terry," he said, tilting his head at her. "You seem to be in a hurry to get somewhere," he said amiably. He was fond of Terry, and had actually become more interested in her well-being since becoming Sean's suitemate.

"Not really." Terry said cheerfully, smiling up at him, "Just following my feet. Actually it's lucky that I ran into yeh. Do yeh have a minute?" The question was casual with just the right hint of concern that he might really have something more important to be doing.

"Sure." He waved a hand down the hall. "Step into my office. I was just heading there anyway. A little marking to do, but nothing that can't wait."

Terry grinned and followed him to his office, her step lively. "The finals? Can I have a peek to see if I should take yer class?" She took a seat without waiting for permission but folded her hands neatly and crossed her ankles daintily.

"You're interested in engineering?" Scott asked, sitting down behind his desk and handing her one of the clean copies of the engineering exam. "Might be a good thing to take for the sake of breadth, you know." He grinned at her. "Look at me, marketing my class..."

"Never hurts to be well rounded," Terry chirped and scanned the exam, making a face at the very first question, muttering to herself on the second, shaking her head in bewilderment over the third and so on. She finally set it down looking slightly bewildered. "Well, I don't think I'll be giving Forge a challenge but what I understand looks interesting. Sure and it will be more impressive to the lads at the local P.D., right?" She gave him a hopeful look, hoping the segue hadn't been blatantly obvious.

Scott smiled back at her. "It's never wasted, a basic introduction to this sort of thing," he said softly. "That's still where you're planning to head? The police?"

Obviously not subtle enough. Terry kept her smile in place, "I just want to do something useful. After all the time Uncle Tom and I spent dodging the garda, it seems like I should make up for it. I don't know if I would want to do it forever but it would be a good place to start." She tilted her head to the side, "And I'm too young to be an X-man."

Scott's eyes widened a little behind his glasses. "Uhh. That's... well, you know, there are things you could do to prepare, I suppose," he floundered. "Have you... um, maybe talk to Doctor Bartlett? She's got a lot of background in law enforcement... she could make some helpful suggestions based on her own experience."

Terry sighed and sat back, "They said no, didn't they?" She had tried to convince herself that she expected it. But a little bit of hope had remained. "Aye, I'll talk to Dr. Bartlett. Though the FBI doesn't have an internship program."

"We tried, Terry," Scott said with a sigh of his own, slouching a little in his chair. "I don't honestly think it had anything to do with you yourself, if that's any consolation." He shook his head a little. "I've been trying to think of alternatives," he said, trying to be encouraging. "How do you feel about the rest of the justice system?"

"'First thing we do, kill all the lawyers,'" Terry quoted. "I saw Uncle Tom dodge the courts too many times. It's all right, Mr. Summers. I'll be 18 next year." And then she could join the X-men or go home or any number of things and Sean wouldn't have a right to say a word.

"Is it really about making up for what's happened in the past?" Scott asked, regarding her curiously. "You seem too keen on the idea for it to be just... repentance."

Terry shrugged, "I like justice. Seems to me that there is a need in the world for people who will work for what's right. I'm not interested in medicine like Clarice and I don't dream big like Jamie. I just want to do my part."

"We seem to have had a lot of people, interested in law enforcement or the X-Men... or both. It's interesting, thinking that maybe something here inclines people to that."

"Yeh don't think it's someone rather than something?" Terry suggested with a hint of a smile. "I've been here for years now. It's not the place, Mr. Summers. It's the people. Don't yeh know that yer inspirations to the kids?"

"Um." Scott mustered a wry smile. "That's as alarming as it is flattering, you know, Terry. But," he conceded, "if what you're learning here is making you want to make a contribution, that can't be anything but good." He stopped, laughed ruefully. "I sound so pompous. I swear I'm secretly fifty."

"It's only alarming if you think about the bad habits the little ones are picking up now that Mr. LeBeau and Mr. Gavin are here. Or if yeh think they'll all take Nathan as a model of good health." Terry grinned unrepentantly. "Besides, we've all learned that yeh have more fun as a good guy. We don't get opportunities to do crime nearly as often."

Scott blinked and laughed. "We're trying to cut down on the school-sponsored crime," he quipped. "Wreaks havoc on the insurance policy and all..." He leaned forward a little, regarding her steadily. "Do talk to Maddie," he suggested. "She's not just got the background in law enforcement, she's got the background of a woman in law enforcement, and from what I gather there are certain special challenges and the like."

"Aye, challenges being a woman, challenges being a mutant," Terry shrugged, "I'm Irish. I'm used to challenges. We're bred to them, yeh know."

"You'll... do what you want to do," Scott said after a moment, still smiling. "Whatever gets in your way, obstacle-wise, you'll get over it. I've known you for a while now, Terry - I know how stubborn you are." His smile grew. "That's actually a good thing, most of the time."

"Yeh didn't think so the time I moved into the garage and insisted I wouldn't leave until someone took me back to the airport so I could go home." Terry reminded him.

"I was younger and far less patient back then. Although that was probably when I realized that you were seriously stubborn. I mean, you'd been here for what, six months?"

Terry nodded, "Someone had been watching that movie about the man who won the lottery then died and his town collected. Made me homesick."

"'Waking Ned Devine'. I like that one," Scott mused. "Haven't seen it in quite a while."

"It's not actually set in Ireland, yeh know. It's the Isle of Man." Terry informed him.

"Gorgeous scenery, in any case," Scott said with a smile that turned a little wistful. "Would be a nice place to visit, I bet."

"County Mayo's better." Loyalty would have had her saying it anyway even if she hadn't believed it to be true. "Cassidy Keep in the spring will take yer breath away. It's so green it hurts your eyes." She smiled wistfully, eyes faraway.

"I want to get away, sometimes," Scott said, without really thinking about what he was saying. "Somewhere really different..." He stopped, hearing himself, and blinked.

But Terry just grinned at him like that wasn't at all unusual. "Yeh should come to the Keep. It's like nothing yeh've ever seen." Her smile faltered, "Though it would be Sean who would have to properly invite yeh. The Keep's his after all."

"Well, you know, your father and I are suitemates," Scott said with a chuckle.

"That puts yeh in good position to get an invitation then, I'd say." Terry pointed out brightly.

"Eh, I need to give up vacation-related thoughts that involve more than a couple of days at a time, I think. They never seem to work out." And how he was being just depressing. He made himself smile at Terry, instead. "Can you think of other good Irish movies? Or almost-Irish movies?"

"I can make yeh a whole list. But it doesn't beat going there." Terry paused, giving him a considering look, "I don't want to be rude, Mr. Summers but why don't yeh take a vacation? Maybe with Dr. Grey?"

"We're going up to Alaska for a couple of days this month," Scott said. "To see my grandparents. Should be a nice break for both of us, I think..."

Terry blinked but covered her surprise that Alaska might be a nice break for the doctor. "Aye but yeh should take more than a couple of days. It's summer holidays. Take a real trip."

"Vacations are for lesser folk," Scott said, reflecting that the humor was beginning to sound a little forced. "I live for my work, remember."

"If yeh aren't careful yeh'll end up like the Professor. So filled up with work his head doesn't have room left for hair," Terry scolded. With a little shrug, she stood up, "Speaking of work, I'm keeping yeh from yers. Can I take this?" She picked up the engineering final again.

"If you like," Scott said with an only slightly relieved smile. "And hey... don't forget to talk to Madelyn, all right? I'm sure she'd be happy to sit down and chat with you. Bring donuts."

Terry laughed, "Aye, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for yer time, Mr. Summers."