X-Men: The Gifted Ones

37. CHARLES' OFFICE, XAVIER MANSION, WEST CHESTER, NY

"Charles, can we talk?" Jane asked as she knocked on Charles' office door.

He looked up and saw Jane standing there, looking frustrated. He grew worried. Why would his own wife be so formal as to knock on his office door and wait? Normally, she would walk in, maybe tease him a little bit, rumple his hair, give him an affectionate kiss on the cheek if no one was looking. The reservation and formality at his office was new.

He realized it was her military training. Some of that would always linger.

But he still didn't like it, especially now. She was his wife, his partner, his companion. She was his equal in the school. Why did she act as if she was having a meeting with a boss? Why the distance?

"Is this about Jason?" he asked. He had just finished meeting with the boy. Apparently Jane had sent him down here for upsetting Dazzler. Again.

"Yes," she said, walking in. "He also caused a panic, cast an illusion that the classroom was on fire, and that they were all trapped in. The kids ran to the windows to try and pry them open and... God knows, jump out the windows? It was terrifying."

"Did you see the fire?"

"No. I almost was trampled trying to break the illusion."

"And he didn't try any on you today?"

"He did, but it wasn't important."

"Sit down," he motioned, on his lap. Enough of the formality. He was relieved when she accepted the invitation and sat down, placing her arm around his shoulder. "If he cast one on you, it is important, too."

"I knew it was one from the start," she dismissed. "He had you walking into the classroom."

"That's all?"

She shook her head, "It doesn't matter. I can deal with it, he's not as horrid to me as he is the others. He knew I knew it was all an illusion, so when I didn't react, he targeted Dazzler. I don't know what he did to her, but it was enough to upset her. Then the fire... Charles it terrified me, I barely broke the spell in time! Someone is going to get hurt if he keeps it up, he is going to get hurt if he keeps it up."

"What do I do? Send him away?"

"I can't ask you to do that," she said, toying with his hair a little. It was a slight return to her usual companionable behavior. "But is there anything you can do to make him stop? I worry about him. You know as well as I do we can't send him back to his family. You saw the state he was in when he arrived! They may send him back to that wretched hospital, and that's worse than death! I'm afraid what his dad will do once he's back from Vietnam, God knows what the man has in mind for the child! But he can't keep terrorizing the kids here, either."

"Tempted to have Erik come visit," Charles confessed. "Erik could scare him straight."

"Is that...wise?"

"Hell no, it's utterly foolish. I'd be out of my mind to do such a thing, Erik is entirely too sadistic, and I fear he'd appeal too much to Jason's vicious streak. Both of them have had childhoods that made them prone to this kind of rage. Last thing Jason needs is anyone who encourages it."

"But you just said Erik could-"

"The temptation to appeal to the boy's sadistic tendencies would be too great for Erik to resist. He'd never do as I asked with this one. No, I have to try and take care of this with just us. If he gets too out of hand, I can always call Erik as a last resort."

"I hope it never comes to that."

"Me, too," he sighed. "Me, too. Shall I call him back down here?"