Betsy, Scott and Alex at the airport, Sunday night

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Betsy sees the boys off. Scott falls asleep on the plane.



Scott stared up at the departures board, grimacing a bit. The lights in the airport were definitely too bright. Too bright, and bourbon was definitely not a good thing to be drinking. Especially with ex-assassins who took it upon themselves to give you a pep talk. Led to a very surreal sort of experience.

~That's what you get for not going to sleep when told.~ Betsy could be felt grinning through the link. She was standing behind the security checkpoint, twirling her fingers at him in a mock-goodbye. Her smile evil in nature, all-knowing.

Scott turned, smiling a bit wearily at her. ~You said you weren't going to gloat... oh, wait, you said you weren't going to kill me. Whoops. Small mix-up on my part there...~

~You should be thankful for many things, dear.~ She walked along the security checkpoint, trying to get a better view of the two men. ~I was half-tempted to let you go through life thinking you were a poodle.~

Scott left Alex to look after the bags and wandered in that direction, keeping pace with her. ~Would you have put ribbons in my hair?~ he sent a bit whimsically. ~Because I like ribbons.~

~You do look ever so daper in blue,~ Betsy chided. She shook her head, laughing to herself. In the center of the checkpoint, she stopped, standing right before him. The realization finally hit that he was truly leaving her. Betsy inhaled deeply. ~You need to get away, you know. Some time away from all of this.~

~I wish you were coming, too,~ Scott sent back softly, ignoring the looks they were getting from one of the security guards. ~Another time? Soon?~

~So do I, but you and Alex need to do something together, as brothers.~ Looking up at him, her eyes glistening, she hastily wiped them. Betsy glanced over to her left, sensing the overt concern of the approaching guards and quickly dispensed with them. She sent them on another errand that was of the utmost importance. She looked back at Scott, a sheepish smile on her face. ~I can't help it if I don't want to feel rushed.~

~So long as you didn't send them off to do anything embarassing,~ Scott teased very gently, his smile wavering a little as he saw her too-bright eyes. ~I'll be back on Wednesday,~ he sent, a little more hesitantly. ~We'll talk then?~

~Alright.~ Betsy took a step back, her smile diminshing a bit. Part of her wanting to call out to Scott, telling him he should stay, so she could keep him safe. But she held onto her concerns with a vice grip. ~We'll talk when you get back.~

She looked over in Alex's direction and waved at him. ~You take care of your big brother for me.~ Betsy sent toward the young surfer.

Alex waved back cheerfully, nodding, and Scott smiled, looking back at Betsy. ~I love you,~ he sent back, a mental caress on the link. ~I know I've been driving you insane lately, but I do love you.~

~I know you do and I love you too,~ Betsy said, bowing her head slightly at the sensation. ~As long as you don't forget it, I'll be happy.~ She sent a rather provocative sensation down the link, ensuring that he wouldn't forget her for quite some time. An impish smile on her lips, as she saw the flush in his cheeks. ~Go now and enjoy your flight.~

---

Alex couldn't stand still as he and Scott stood at the gate at JFK waiting for the plane to board. Despite what had happened yesterday, the thought of going back to Hawaii was too much to keep him down for long.

Scott was well-aware of Alex's excitement, but at this point he couldn't even pretend to share it. If he hadn't made a promise, he wouldn't be here - wouldn't have left, after the incident at the blood drive yesterday. Not that there was much to do, he supposed. But there was a part of him drearily convinced that as soon as he got on the plane, something else would happen. And he'd be thousands of miles away, unable to do anything...

After looking at Scott out of the corner of his eye, Alex rolled them in response to what he saw. "Would you chill out please? If something happens, they can handle it! Let go for just a little while..."

Scott smiled faintly, no real energy behind it. "I'll be fine once we're on the plane," he said, hoping that would be true. Alex wasn't going to have a whole lot of fun on this trip if he had to drag along his walking-dead elder brother everywhere.

Laughing, Alex slapped him on the shoulder. "Geez I hope so. Just think, sun, surf and no teenage mutants besides me to worry about. You need this Scott."

"I could cope with that," Scott said, striving for a dry tone. Trying very hard to make an effort, for Alex's sake if not his own.

Boarding went quickly and smoothly, and they found themself sitting in a row with an empty seat between them. "Guess we lucked out," Scott said, settling into the window seat.

Alex was still fidgeting like crazy so it was lucky. "Yeah we sure did! This flight is going to be long enough as it is! The anticipation is killing me already." He playfully stuck out his tongue before turning to look out the window again.

"Please tell me you're not going to bounce in the seat all the way to Hawaii," Scott said, actually managing a chuckle.

He turned and glared at his older brother, before smirking playfully at the chuckle. It was a start. "I just might."

"Well, don't. You don't want to wear yourself out and have no energy to do anything but crash when we get there, do you?" The plane started to taxi down the runway and Scott buckled up as the seatbelt light came on.

Grinning, Alex winked at him. "Don't worry big brother, I'll wake you when we get there. You give your old bones a rest now."

"You still owe me a cane," Scott said. The take-off went smoothly, and Scott peered down at New York as the plane ascended. "Nice to have a non-stop flight," he observed. "no changing planes..."

"Heaven forbid you have something to worry about. Just enjoy the flight and we'll see about the cane when we land. I'm sure we can find something tacky with big fake flowers on it." Alex smirked before digging out one of his school books to read.

Once they reached cruising altitude, the drink cart came by. Alex got a Coke and Scott opted for water, figuring that he was probably a little dehydrated already. He couldn't quite recall if he'd eaten since before the blood drive yesterday. He knew he hadn't slept for very long.

Frankly, Alex was surprised Scott had made it this far without falling on his face. He put down the middle table and moved Scott's drink over. "Go to sleep big bro. You look like death warmed over. It's not like your going anywhere for the next few hours..." He curled his legs under him in one of those postions only a teenager can achieve."You need the sleep."

It really was too tempting a suggestion. "If I have screaming nightmares in the middle of the flight," Scott muttered, even as he shifted around in his seat inot a more comfortable position, "you get to explain to the stewardess..."

Alex didn't turn him, eyes still on his book. "And miss the look on your face when they wake you up...I don't think so."

"Sadist..." But he was drifting off already, as soon as his eyes were closed. The sound of the plane's engines was almost soothing.

"Correction...little brother." Alex glanced over and couldn't help but grin at his sleeping brother. Scott needed this and Alex was going to make sure he had fun and relax. Then he went back to his book, still grinning to himself.