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[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

After a session in the Danger Room Scott and Lorna head to the kitchen for a coffee and a talk

Sliding behind a car, Lorna tried to catch her breath. Picking over the side, she didn't see the attacker right away until she was ducking behind the car again covering her head. Reaching into her pocket she pulled out two small metal balls, they started to circle each other and rise from her palm. The car behind her started to move and Lorna stood up and one of the metal balls flung out towards the assailant. Ducking behind another car, thinking to herself she hoped that this training session was over.

Scott watched Lorna's fight from rooftop; he wanted to step in and attack, but he had to wait for the opportune moment. And besides, he thought, it's good to see how far she's come with the recovery of her powers.

He noticed the assailant recoiling from her attack before advancing on Lorna's new position, lining up to give him a perfect shot. Without hesitation Scott unleashed a series of blasts, smashing into their opponent and sending him flying into a row of parked cars. "Lorna" he shouted as he scrambled down the edge of the building, "finish it while he's stunned".

Peeking out from behind the car again as she saw a blast that came up above. Hearing her name she looked up to see Scott on a nearby rooftop. Nodding, she got up from behind the car and ran towards the opponent. The metal balls came together and formed a casing around her fist and her arm. She jumped up and punching a hole through its bck, grabbing whatever she could from within and pulling it out. Rolling to the side, the metal around her fist and arm slide off and formed back into its original ball. "Is it down?" Yelling back, seeing it twitch but not falling over.

Scott unleashed a high-powered blast at their opponent, driving it back through a wall and nearly shearing it in two. "It is now." he replied as he walked towards Lorna keeping one hand on the wall to steady himself. "That was more tiring than I expected" he muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath he turned to Lorna and held out a hand to help her up, "Nicely done" he said with a smile.

Leaning back on the car catching her breath. She was out of practice and if she was going to go on missions with her teammates she had to make sure she was up for it. Especially with had happened a year ago. Taking his hand and stood up, "Not bad yourself." Rubbing her left shoulder. "Was it just me or did this seem a bit tougher than it was a year ago?"

"Well, the danger room is always evolving and changing. Garisson and Paige are almost as evil as me" Scott wiped away an imaginary tear, "I'm so proud". Scott leaned against a car and looked at Lorna. "But you probably haven't had to use your powers in an actual combat situation in a while, you're probably jsut a little out of practice." An evil glint appeared in Scott's eye, "They say the best wat to get back into the swing o things is to practice, wanna go again?" he asked grinning,

"Ah that would explain it." Rotating her shoulder before letting it just hang. "Yea. It has been awhile. But this is why I need practice. Don't want to become a Polaris pancake." Seeing the evil glint in his eyes. "Only if you can catch up." Lorna hoped she wasn't pushing it.

Scott pushed himself up off the car he was leaning on "Well that sounds like challenge" he said before cocking his head and looking at Lorna. "Perhaps for another day, I wanna hear about what you've been up to; and they do tell me that too much training is bad for us." He shook his head, "I can't believe it myself" he continued dead pan. "How about we go get a coffee and you tell me about your year? We should probably let you ease back into training anyway."

She let out a sigh of relief. "I have something to look forward too." She smiled at him. He said the word coffee and Lorna perked up. "I am in. I'll tell you whatever you want to know if there is a coffee." She finally had her breathe. "Yea I don't want to see Jean so soon after arriving. Lead the way."

Scott offered his arm to Lorna, "If you'd care to accompany me?" he asked with a smile, "I'm sure we can find you a nice cup of the good stuff".

Lorna took his arm. "Off to the kitchens!"

*Jump to the Kitchen*

"Here we are. Just how I left it." Moving away from Scott, she started to make the coffee while pouring herself a glass of water. "Want any water while we wait for the deliciousness drink that is coffee?"

"Please" Scott replied as he walked over to the larder. "I'm sure I saw some cookies in here somewhere" Scott turned and tossed a cookie to Lorna "Head's up" he called. walking over to the table he collapsed into a chair. He turned to look at her, "So, how're you finding being back at the mansion?" he asked.

Pouring two glasses of water and set them on the counter near the bar stools. Looking up as and caught the cookie and set it down beside her drink, she sat down next to Scott. "The same as always. On my second day here I heard someone screaming in my head. Turns out it was one of the students." Taking a long drink from her water before continuing. "I heard that you recently came back as well. How is that?"

Scott cupped his glass of water between his hands and stared into the water. "The same as you would expect, a few hiccups getting back into the swing of things". He looked up at Lorna, "But it was a nice homecoming, I wouldn't be anywhere else." He smiled wanly, "So what's your plan now you're back? Anything interesting on the horizon?"

"Oh I never congratulated you and Jean. So congratulations." The smell of fresh coffee filled the air. "Well, as you may know I am back on the staff here, in a non-teaching position. Just go from there and see where it takes me." Finishing off her water. "Just make sure I don't end up doing the exact same thing that happened in the past."

"Thanks", Scott's smile brightened. "You're the new chef and nutritionist right?" he asked. "Does this mean we're going to ge gourmet cooking for every meal?" he asked teasingly before turning serious. "If you feel things getting away from you, or you jsut need to talk, you know I'm always here right?".

Nodding. "Yup. I expect you to be in my office in the next week so we can discuss your eating habits." A chuckle  escaped her lips, she was enjoying herself. Nodding again. "Thanks Scott. I'll let you know." She went over to the coffee pot and grabbed two coffee mugs before coming back. "Have you heard from your brother?" Lorna asked as casually as possible.

Scott's eye's widened in mock horror, "My eating habits...I just remembered I have umm fieldtrip no a mission. All week."

He leaned back in his chair and smiled, "Alex...he's enjoying Hawaii, though I'd swear he spends more time surfing than actually working. So he is, of course, loving it."

"All week? I guess I can make room this Friday." Smirking. She poured the coffee into the cups and passed one to Scott. "That is good to hear." Lifting up her cup to her lips, blowing at it gently before taking a sip. What had she expect when she asked about Alex? "Any students I should look out for?" Changing the subject.

Scott looked sadly at Lorna for a moment before covering up with a cheerful mask, "Well you've already met Layla, she's probably have a nickname for you within a few minutes of meeting you." A look of pain flashed across Scott's face, "You probably want to watch out for Artie, he's...going through some difficult times at the moment".

Missing the look Scott was giving her as she was looking down at her coffee. "The one that isn't feel well. I am assuming she is the roommate of Madelyne." Trying to get everyone organized in her head. Seeing the look on Scott's face, she knew that look. She had seen it before on others and herself. "I'll keep that in mind if I cross paths with him. Any new rules? I didn't exactly get a welcome back package." She said light-heartily. 

"Yeah", Scott agreed, "That's Layla, she's a real character, in the best way." He took a sip of his coffee, "No really new rules, the same as it's always been. You know the school, never changing.". He shook his head and smiled, "You didn't get your welcome package? Someone must be slacking, I go away for 2 years and the mansion just falls apart without me" he joked.

"Just the people." Adding to his 'school never changing'. "Two years is a long time. I was only gone for about 10 months." Taking a sip of her delicious coffee. "If I was gone for two years, it would take me a long time to get back to a normal schedule. There would be simple too much to do."

Scott laughed, "So true, I think I spent my first few weeks just catching up on paper work. Although I did come up with some rather fun danger room programs. The biggest thing," he paused to take a sip of his coffee, "people change, quite a bit in some cases. That's the hardest thing to get your head around."

Lorna sipped her coffee again, wrapping her hands around the mug. Bleh - paperwork. Truth be told she had her own stack in her office and still had to unpack her office and her living quarters. "People are always full of surprises. I guess that what makes things interesting around here. Enjoying your coffee?"

"Interesting is one word to describe our life here" Scott replied, "I'd also accept crazy, awesome or any other of a range of adjectives". Scott smiled at Lorna and took an experimental sip of the coffee, "This is good, did you to something special to it?" he asked.

"It is like a box of chocolate. You never know what you are going to get." She used the quote from Forrest Gump. "I saw that you guys had been drinking the generic stuff. So I put back my normal stash. Much better if you ask me." Taking another sip and putting her cup down on the counter.

Scott took another sip from his coffee, and raised an eyebrow at Lorna. "A box of chocolates?", he laughed. "Well I completely approve of your coffee stash, much better than the old stuff." He shut his eyes and took another sip, "Ahhh, that hits the spot nicely".

"Each piece is different." She smirked. "I am glad to know someone else appreciates coffee as much as I do. There is more in the pot if you want more."