xp_logs | (no subject)

Scott and Alex have a much needed talk about things, including faith and pain.

Scott wasn't hard to find. He was making himself more and more visible around the school since the hurricane. He didn't always talk to everyone, but it was almost spooky how often he was around.

Alex found him standing in the doorway to one of the parlors, looking as if he was staring intently at something.

Alex crept forward almost afraid to disturb the intent look on Scott's face. He'd been looking for his brother and was now wondering if it had been such a good idea. Hugging his arms around himself, he took a step toward his brother. "Scott...?"

Scott turned at Alex's voice, but not startled. "Hey," he spoke quietly. "What's up?"

Alex stepped forward again, coming closer to study the look on Scott's face, trying to read his mood. "I was wondering..." He looked away, "How are you taking all this?"

Smiling softly, Scott turned around, leaning against the doorframe. "Which this do you mean? Betsy? The hurricane? Jamie losing a dupe? Our latest arrival?"

Alex looked up at Scott's tone. "Well, all of it I guess, but mostly Betsy..." Out of habit, he began rubbing his hands, as he often did now.

"You okay?" Scott nodded at Alex's hands. "Think you're going to have another flare-up?" He leaned forward a little, almost going to Alex. He stopped himself and leaned back against the frame, holding himself in check.

Alex started and looked at his hands, for he hadn't even realized what he had been doing. "oh ummm..." he crossed his arms over chest, as if to avoid the subject. "Their fine. You didn't answer my question..."

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I wasn't avoiding, just ... concerned. But we'll talk about that after."

Alex nodded, though he shifted his feet uncomfortably.

He fidgeted a moment before continuing. "I'm ... abiding. And I'm trying to make myself more available." He shrugged. "She's alive, just ... not awake. Yet. But she will be."

Alex frowned slightly. "I know how she is. I was asking about you..."

"Ah, but see, that's part and parcel of how I am, Alex," he smiled again, that small, soft smile. And resisted reaching out to ruffle Alex's hair. He didn't think he brother would appreciate it. "She's not gone. She not like...Jean. I have faith."

"Faith..." Alex muttered the word softly and then looked down for a moment. When he looked back at Scott, he smiled softly. "One shouldn't lose faith in anything..."

"Kurt might be surprised, but he'd be happy to hear us saying that, I think. But all that said, I don't want that to miss anything again." He grinned, a bit wider than previously. "Or at least try my damnest not to. So, what's up with the hands?"

Alex smiled then startled at the sudden change in conversation. Knowing he couldn't hide it, especially from Scott, he uncrossed his arms and looked at his hands. "Don't know really. They've been hurting lately and I'm not sure why. Hank did an x-ray for me and couldn't find anything medically wrong so, ya know, I figure it because of...yeah." He sighed, hoping Scott got the point. Then Alex looked up at his brother expectedly. "I don't really know what to do about it..."

"Have you tried talking to Hank?"

Alex shrugged. "He's as stumped as I am. He says that until I can actually do something about controlling the energy inside of me, there's nothing really he can do to help, except give me pain medication..."

Scott finally moved forward then, and motioned for Alex to give him his hands. "We need to do something about that. Have you ever tried meditation?"

Biting the inside of his lip, Alex held his hands out to Scott and shook his head. "They've never hurt like this before...the only time they ever hurt was when I lost control...." He swallowed, not wanting to go on.

Scott looked up from inspecting Alex's hands. "Just like before?"

Alex nodded. "Just before...boom."

"Maybe you should speak with Emma. She designed something to ... contain Jono. Maybe she could do something for you."

Alex shrugged. "Contain what? We don't even know what kind of energy I'm storing..." He shook his head. "And we know how much that helped Jono. They only just fixed the hole in the music room wall..."

Scott looked back at Alex's hands. "It *did* help, even if not 100%. It's worth a shot, Alex. It couldn't hurt."

Alex swallowed hard, looking anywhere but at Scott. He nodded. "Your right, it can't hurt...I couldn't bare it if I lost control here...it would be worse then Hawaii...so much worse." He trailed off; Lorna's words about telling Scott the truth ringing in his ears.

"Hey, hey," Scott pulled Alex into a hug. "We'll make it through this, bro. Together. You and me, and Lorna, too. The whole school."

Alex hugged his brother back; thankful Scott hadn't tried to pry. "I hope so bro, I really truly hope so..."

Scott pulled back, and finally gave in to the impulse to ruffle his brother's hair. "If you feel it starting again, try to get to the Danger Room. Or, talk to Kurt. He might be able to get you to a safe distance and away quickly. But do talk to him beforehand."

Alex smiled and ducked playfully away from Scott's hand. "I'll try both and we'll what happens."

"Good. Now, what was this about Lorna and cooking? Think there's anything left?" Scott began moving toward the kitchen, arm around Alex's shoulder.

Alex laughed. "Hopefully, she was cooking up a storm when she chased me out of the kitchen earlier. But then again, anything she makes never lasts long in this mansion!" He reached up and squeezed his brother's hand.

Scott squeezed Alex's hand back, grinning at him. Whatever shadows had been there when Alex first approached him were gone.