Scott and Wanda

[x-scarletwitch.livejournal.com]

After some searching, Wanda discovers Scott trying to find something to do in the garage. After talking to him, she manages to get him to laugh and they contemplate exactly what is in that tea Xavier serves.



Wanda had gone looking for Scott about an hour ago. Apparently
somewhere along the lines, the eldest Summers brother had developed
what some of the teenagers in the mansion would call "l33t ninja
skillz". Finally, she tried the garage, maybe he was working on his
bike.

Ah, there he was.

"Scott?"

Scott looked up, relaxing a little as he realized that it was Wanda.
"Hey," he said softly, turning his attention back to the bike. "Ought
to be doing... something else, I suppose," he said wearily, reaching
out for a wrench. "But I just couldn't focus properly on anything in
my office."

Pausing briefly to place a hand on his shoulder and squeeze gently,
she knelt next to him. "Normally I would ask how you are handling
this," she said quietly, "but I think I can figure that out. So, I
will skip that and simply ask if there is anything I can do."

He smiled weakly, patting her hand. "Don't think so, Wanda," he said
hoarsely. "Unless you have helpful suggestions on dealing with
resurrected fiancees?" He tried to make it a joke, but the smile
wobbled and faded. "I still feel like a horrible person for not being
overjoyed, you know."

Wanda stared at the ground for a few seconds, shaking her head.
"No--you loose someone very close to you and it leaves a hole," she
said slowly. "It hurts to think, to move, to live. And then, day by
day, you move on as much as you may not want to. When my mother died,
I was like that and I cannot imagine what I would do if she came back
from the dead. How I would feel. So, no, you are not a horrible
person, Scott. You're just a person."

"Haven't been able to talk to her yet," he said very softly. "I feel
like such a coward." He set the wrench back down, swallowing. "And I
just know, half the kids are wondering what the fuck is wrong with
me."

"Some, probably." She wasn't going to _lie_ to him. "Others probably
understand more than you think. And in the end, you need to do what's
right for you. Not for them, not for the staff or team." She glanced
over at him. "And perhaps not for Jean--you need to do what's right
for you."

"But I..." Scott bit his lip, his eyes burning helplessly again.
"Don't I owe her something? Not to go back as if the last two years
had never happened, I know, but... something. More than this." More
than this useless self-pitying lump he'd become. Again.

"Probably but how much good would it do either of you to go see her
right now?" Reaching over, Wanda took Scott's hand in her's and
squeezed. "Take the time to get your head on straight if you need
it."

He squeezed her hand back. "It still hardly seems real," he said
wearily. "This sort of thing... it's like something out of a movie,
damn it. People coming back from the dead."

"Our lives sometimes seem like a sci-fi movie. A stealth plane,
mercs, and now this. I cannot imagine how hard this is to cope with.
But if Jean is the type of woman that I've heard she is, then she
should be willing to understand why you need the space." She felt his
hand clench even more tightly around her's.

"She always did understand," he said quietly. "That was what... well,
it was one of the reasons I loved her so much, so fast. Even setting
aside the telepathy, she really..." His throat felt overly thick,
again. "She just could see me better than anyone else."

"Then she will understand _this_ as well, Scott," Wanda said, firmly.
She had yet to meet the woman but it was hard to get away from her
name. Not that she could blame anyone, this was quite a turn of
events. "Are you doing any better than you were yesterday?"

Scott nodded. "I talked to Charles," he said with a sigh. "It helped.
It... I don't even know why, because we didn't actually do that much
talking."

"Did you drink tea?"

Scott gave her a wry look. "Lots of tea. Earl Grey."

"Ahhhh, that would be it. I believe he drugs it with something to
make anyone who goes into his office feel better, even if there is not
much actual conversation happening. You were simply drugged." Wanda
watched him out of the corner of her eye, trying to see if that, at
least, would get a laugh out of him.

Scott realized he was laughing. Well, snickering, and it actually felt
kind of good. "So that's the reason," he managed, taking a deep breath
and rubbing at his jaw, unaware of the fact that he was leaving
smudges. "Charles drugs the tea, Maddie puts sodium pentathol in her
cookies... you know, it's all making sense now. It's all a dream
brought on by the drugs."

Laughing--oh thank God that had worked--she handed him a clean rag to
wipe his face off. "Why do you think he looks so serene all the time?
He is simply thinking 'The new shipment of calming drugs arrived this
morning along with enough Earl Grey tea to drown the entire city of
London'. His plans are falling into place."

"Ohhh. We have to keep it secret, you know," Scott bantered a bit
weakly, wiping his face. "Otherwise there might be consequences. Very
serious consequences."

"Like being forcefed cocktailed Earl Grey while we sleep," Wanda
whispered, snickering under her breath. "I think I will take my once
in a while drugging over that, thank you very much."