xp_logs | Nathan and Cain, early Sunday morning

Cain is dealing with a beaver dam when Nathan drops in. Literally. Someone's in a crappy mood and it's not just because he still hasn't quite mastered this whole 'landing' thing.

Cain wrinkled his nose at the stale smell of stagnant water as he hauled another massive handful of sodden branches and leaves out of the creek, watching the water flow over the now-demolished beaver dam. Every autumn the creek would have its regular swell, and if the dams weren't regularly knocked down, the small gorges would flood and then freeze once winter hit. Which wouldn't be a problem, but exploring kids loved to play on ice, which itself loved to crack under them. And this far out from the house, the last thing anyone needed was one of the brats catching hypothermia, or worse in a few months.

Watching the last of the beaver dam flow downstream, Cain shook the water off his hands, grabbing a rock outcropping for purchase and flinging himself up the hill. The sun was starting to come up, and he paused for a moment to watch it cast the first rays over the lake and the small waves from the October wind.

The peace of the pastoral scene was abruptly broken as a familiar firebird came hurtling over the ridge on the other side of the lake at a very alarming angle and promptly clipped a wing on the water. It proceeded to careen through the air, barely making it to the other side of the lake and hitting the shore in an awkward somersault. Amazing, it did not leave a crater. Or even a trench.

#GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!#

Cain calmly walked over to where he saw Nathan hovering above a puddle, nose barely clearing the muddy water as the glowing exoskeleton faded. "Better than airbags, huh?" he quipped, taking a seat on a rock and unholstering the thermos of coffee from his belt. Pouring himself a capful, he passed the thermos over to Nathan. "You know, some people take up jogging, I hear."

Nathan righted himself, looking rather sullen as the exoskeleton collapsed inwards. He did however give Cain a nod of thanks for the thermos, taking a long sip of the coffee before he said anything. "The damned thing is still about as manueverable as a tank," he said curtly, his feet finally touching the ground again.

He stared out flatly at the lake for a moment before the next words burst out angrily. "I am not one to quibble with second chances, you know? I figure I got more than one. Given everything I've done in my life, forget any crap about mitigating circumstances..." Nathan stopped to take a breath, and seemed to remember that Cain probably had absolutely no idea what he was ranting about. "Logan," he muttered. "I watched the security tapes from the gym. And then I went back and pulled some of the other tapes of his classes, and fuck us all for blind idiots, how the hell did we allow him to keep teaching for this long?" His hand was shaking visibly as he handed the thermos back to Cain.

Cain shook his head, accepting the thermos and screwing the cap back on. "Well, I figured stabbing you in the leg was a good start. Chuck trusted him, Summers trusted him, Ororo... well, I got my own theory there," he drawled with a arch of his eyebrow. "But sometimes Chuck's too trusting, too big on second chances. Works sometimes," he gestured at Nathan, "and sometimes it don't."

"I remember a place where fifteen year olds were badgered and pushed and expected to conform." There was a strange, screaming tension just beneath the surface of Nathan's otherwise level voice, and as he stared out at the lake, it was perfectly obvious that water and trees was not what he was seeing. "I never thought I'd ever see that here. Never once... and I tell you, Cain, never again. Or I pack up Rachel and the boathouse and go join Moira on Muir permanently."

He paused, laughing a bit shakily, but rubbing his forehead as if his head was hurting. "Okay. Feels a little better, having said that aloud now..."

Cain thought about that for a while. "I learned early on here, can't treat these kids like they're privates out at boot camp. Ain't a matter of respect, it's just that they ain't going to listen. What's worse, they get to start butting heads back. You ask me, 'bout time the runt got his clock cleaned."

Pausing for a moment, Cain finally threw his head back into a loud peal of laughter. "And by a little girl! I tell you, if he ain't split to Canada by now, he's never living that one down."

Nathan cracked a smile. "Okay, so that part was a little funny. Maybe." He laughed again, a bit more steadily, and rubbed at his temples briefly before letting his arms fall to his sides. Golden glow slipped down them, shrouding his body, the wings of the exoskeleton taking shape folded behind him.

"I," he said, "am going to go practice diving without crashing for a little while longer, and then go make my redheads french toast. Rachel likes to throw it at the wall."

"You know," Cain said, saluting Nathan with the thermos, "if you cut the crusts into little sideburns, you can pretend it's your very own action replay."

"Don't tempt me. I was already considering showing her the tape," Nathan said over his shoulder as the exoskeleton's wings unfolded and he drifted upwards. "Little mimic that she is. Later, Cain."