Scott and Ororo, late Saturday afternoon

[x-cyclops.livejournal.com]

Ororo finds Scott out for a walk - of his own free will! Scott takes the opportunity to broach a few team-related subjects to Ororo and finds that they're more or less in agreement that some changes need to be made. They retire inside for some hot chocolate to hash out the details.



There was the lightest gust of winds as Ororo landed gently, smiling to herself. She knew she'd seen Scott here somewhere as she was flying overhead, and the mere notion that he was out walking on his own, and that had been a smile on his face, was very much a cheerful one. The warmth of the winds faded slowly, letting the coat she was wearing fend off the cold now and she took out her gloves, slipping them on absently while looking about for her fellow team leader.

Scott, heading down one of the walking trails, spotted a familiar silver head ahead of him and grinned as he approached. "Ororo," he greeted her. "Keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't relapse and wander off?" he teased.

"Flying!" she replied with a warm smile, looking up to the skies lovingly. "And very happy to see you walking outside with a such a happy expression, my friend." Ororo looked at him for a moment, as thought satisfying herself than this was real, then stepped forward to claim a hug from him.

Scott hugged back without hesitation, relaxing even further. "I have," he said with a soft chuckle, "been an absolute idiot. Forgive me?"

"Always," was the instant reply. "Although I must say it's easier to do so when you admit to it so readily!" Ororo laughed a that, stepping back with that same, quietly content smile. That tense unhappiness was nowhere to be seen in the man before her, and it made her heart sing with joy.

Scott slid his arm through hers and they started down the trail together. "Don't get me wrong," he confessed as they walked. "I'm not under the impression that my problems have magically gone again. I'm right back in the situation that got me in the mess I was in the first place, and I know that. Which is one of the reasons you and I need to talk about something."

"Ooh?" Her accent slipped through even in the softly outdrawn word. The tall woman pushed aside a branch carefully, making certain to let it go slowly before nodding at him. "I would be very interested in hearing what you have to say." If Scott wanted to talk about something, it would take serious opposition just now to stop her from listening.

"I think we need to reorganize the teams," Scott said, then blinked. "Or... reorganize us, de-organize the rest. Sort of. Am I making any sense?" He laughed a little ruefully. "Still a bit loopy, I think."

"Yes, you are making sense." She'd been thinking alone those lines as well, for a while now. "Many things have been happening of late. A re-organization would only make sense - did you have anything specific in mind?" Ororo smiled serenely. "I've had a few ideas of my own but I'm curious to see what you've thought up already."

"I think we need more flexibility. As insane as those training schedules may have been driving me, I still think they're a good idea. Team or pair people up with complementary powers, see what combinations work best... go back to doing some full or at least larger-team exercises, but in different combinations, again." He waved with his free hand. "That way we'd have a pool of smaller units to draw on, so we could shape the teams for whatever the mission demanded."

"It would require more adaptability from the others, but I think we know they're capable of that already." Ororo nodded, satisfied that they had been thinking along the same lines. "And it would allow for those of us who are too tired or still recovering from injuries to be taken off the rotation of available X-Men knowing there were more than enough people available to compensate for the absence, as opposed to a team missing someone at all times."

Scott nods. "Requires something of a re-definition of the whole active/reserve idea... which wasn't quite flexible enough, anyway. I mean, there's a difference between Paige and Nathan, for example, although they're both technically on reserve status."

"Active, Reserve, Trainee." It was a simple enough distinction, as far as Ororo was concerned. "And off duty, although I'd rather find another term for that one, I think. Trainees would only be sent out on specific missions we judge to be learning experiences, and not potentially deadly." They had a responsibility to those in training, that way.

"There's something else, too," Scott said. "I know we've had... semi-official seconds, or at least I have. I think you need one. And I think we need a third command pair."

A wistful sigh greeted that. "It would be nice to have someone steady there, I admit. The idea has been nagging at me for a while." Ororo grinned a bit, patting his arm. "You've been thinking about this far more than I have, although what I did think of I have to say pretty much falls in line with your ideas." She wanted a firm second, she decided. Very much. "A third command pair... there certainly are enough of us now, that's a fact."

She glanced out towards the path stretching out before them. "Cycle the teams? Two on active call, one as back-up? It ensures we rest as well as the regular team members. Perhaps house duty, their priority always being to protect the mansion while the other two command teams can be called out?"

"I think it's become pretty clear lately that we need to keep a good portion of the team at home for defense purposes," Scott said wryly. "How would you say we should go about coming up with a third command pair? I'm tempted to make it democratic. See who everyone would prefer it to be."

"Well, I've always liked that option myself, for decisions like this. Of course, it means we'll be getting insight into how the others view their team mates, as well." Ororo paused, then nodded. "Perhaps the same should be done for my second, then?" She could work with anyone, after all.

"I have a couple of suggestions for your second," Scott admitted. "Kurt would be my first. Possibly Betsy, once she gets herself back in shape... and please don't tell her I phrased it like that or she'll smother me in my sleep." He nodded thoughtfully. "But for the third pair... yeah. Open it up for discussion, definitely. It makes sense, and it'll provide us with that insight you mention." He grinned suddenly. "Although I'll bet you dinner somewhere nice that I know precisely what the final consensus will be."

"I like either option, although I would want Betsy to have time to get back into shape first, yes." Ororo was very pleased with either option, in fact. A slow grin greeted his comment about the third potential command pair, although she didn't ask. "Notes given to the Professor, to be opened after the fact? I like having dinner in nice places."

Scott laughed aloud. "I'm sure Charles will be happy to facilitate, yeah." He shook his head, still grinning. "My prediction is based on the fact that I expect the... how shall I phrase this nicely, the old men? The old men among us to be predictable and opt for playing the NCO role, and instead suggest the most likely candidate from among us young whipper-snappers. Candidates, rather... although I'm not quite as positive on my guess for this person's second. We'll have to see."

"Well. There's that and the fact that a few of them like to work more as single agents than team players, isn't there?" Ororo grinned a bit, having a few likely candidates of her own in mind. "Shall we go inside to dicker out the details of the team set-ups between ourselves then, before running that by the others and telling them to select candidates of their own for the third command team?"

"Inside is good," Scott agreed as they headed in the direction of the mansion. "I have this ridiculous craving for hot chocolate all of a sudden," he said, wistfully but warmly as he thought of all the times he and Jean and Ororo had sat over hot chocolate and discussed the X-Men.

"Then hot chocolate we shall have," Ororo remembering those days only too well. She patted Scott's arm comfortingly. "With those tiny little marshmallows in it, I think."