Practice with Jean at the helm was a lot less different than the team had expected - likely because she and Scott were in constant contact all the time anyhow and any time that Jean found herself unsure of a direction, she could easily cheat and use Scott's knowledge and exhaustive list of plans and options with a thought.
But it was enough to keep Scott happy. She was out of the way - safe - and keeping an eye on the group in a way that was next to impossible unless one was in an elevated position. And she could still very easily keep the team in close contact with a telepathic link up.
To Scott's surprise though, Logan was still questioning Jean's calls. Not necessarily because he suspected Jean was using Scott's plans - but because he was honestly questioning the calls. And for the first time, with the filter of Jean between them, Scott could more objectively listen to what Logan was saying. Maybe because he didn't have the pressure of digging through the options himself while being in the thick of it.
On its own - that could have really helped things if not for the fact that as soon as practice was over, Scott caught it out of the corner of his field of vision when Logan gave K a long kiss and started off at a jog with Hank right behind him. "Damnit," Scott breathed out, knowing perfectly well that the two of them were headed to the Avengers.
I take it you haven't talked to him yet, then? Jean projected to Scott.
Yes. Well - No. I thought I'd have time after this, to be honest. We got cut off before practice.
So take the time to think over what you want to say. I'm sure he'll be home tonight.
Right. Scott let out a breath as he headed to the locker room to clean up, reminding himself that he'd been the one to put off this talk.
Meanwhile, Hank and Logan were both a little irritated as they headed to the tower. Neither of them had time to shower or change - and though Hank knew Scott was under the impression that this was for a meeting on the training academy that Steve had decided needed to be built, it was simply another team practice. It was only unusual in that they almost never happened so close to one another.
But ... there was just enough time for the two of them to get there and race for the simulation room without missing either practice. It was just their luck that both teams were acting as though it was mandatory for them to be there suddenly.
Which, Logan was sure was a load of crap - until they actually got into things. Enough people had been added or rotated into or out of the roster that they actually did need the work. No one was entirely gelling and it was clear that the group had grown too reliant on one member or another to the point that they weren't functioning. Nothing was as easy as it had been in the past. Even the tag team work Logan was doing with Spider-Man wasn't coming as easily as it usually did, which made Cap's summarization at the end of practice sink in a little more as Peter pulled Logan to his feet from where he'd been slammed into the ground. The Avengers teams needed a lot more practice together. It didn't matter what the root cause of it was - the fact was simply that they needed it to work seamlessly. Especially with the trouble they were getting from Hydra.
And when Steve said they were moving up their practices from once a week to three times a week - required outside of missions - Logan had to agree. That practice was bad enough that he couldn't find an angle to argue it.
"Looks like you and me get to spend a lot more time together, eh, Wolvie?" Peter said as he draped one arm over Logan's shoulder and leaned into him.
"Get off me," Logan grumbled, shoving Peter back by a few paces.
"See! This is what Cap was talking about - there's a dissonance here. We have to fix it -but if you're gonna be a jerk, I'll just request a different partner!"
"Go for it," Logan grumbled, more than ready to get a shower and into clean clothes after two practices that had run overly long.
"Oh, come on. You don't mean that, do you, you hairy, overly-grumpy little weasel?" Peter called out - only to get flipped off by Logan. "Cap! Did you see that?"
"No," Steve said, which only had Peter sputtering as Logan started to head out, but his progress was halted when Steve stepped up next to him.
"We need to sit down and talk about this academy," Steve said.
"Had some plans, Cap."
"Yeah, you two always have 'plans'. You know, Logan - I thought you were on board for this. Weren't you the one telling me how important it was that kids get a fair shot?"
Logan frowned and turned to correct him. "I was talkin' about the mutant kids that get railroaded when they're not shipped off or murdered."
"Right. But you know as well as I do that the best way to protect all of those kids is to show a bigger mutant presence on the Avengers. Prove to the world that one gene isn't something to be feared," Steve said. "Besides ... most of the kids that go through that school of Xavier's end up on the other team. Every year it's looking less and less like a school and more like a training camp."
Logan narrowed his eyes. "That's not the case, Cap. More kids leave that place and go on to just live."
"But self defense is required for everyone?"
"You bet your ass it is," Logan agreed. "Or did you already forget what it was like to be smaller than everyone around you and pushed around?"
Steve's eyes flashed. "You know that's not the case." As the two of them headed toward the locker room, he tried to steer the conversation back on course. "I thought you said you'd help me with this."
"I did, and I will," Logan said, slowing to a stop. "But I have other things I need to do, too."
"So bring the family with next time," Steve said with a smile. "I think I'd like K's outlook on some of this too."
Logan nodded to himself, but didn't say anything. Not when he still had to sit down and hash out what it was that Steve needed to get the academy running. "I'll meet you at your desk in ten," he said finally - which earned a broad grin from Steve and a clap on the shoulder.
"Make it fifteen," Steve said. "You're not the only one that needs a rinse-off."
"I wasn't gonna say anything but ...."
"I don't think I should take too much to heart considering the source," Steve said.
"That's your call, Cap," Logan said as the two of them went to clean up. It didn't surprise Logan one bit that Steve didn't wait to get started on their chat about the new academy, stating up the chat the moment they were out of the locker room.
The kids at Xaviers were making up for lost time while the adults buzzed around them. Jean and Scott were always wrapped around each other - when Scott wasn't trying to wait on her hand and foot - but Rachel had quickly learned to stay out of their way when they were doing that, and as her father settled in to a late lunch with her mother, Rachel followed the sounds of children to find her friends.
Abbey was reading a story to Michael and Rose, but James was well away from the group under a tree and laying on his stomach with his chin on his arms. "Wanna play?" Rachel asked as she dropped down to sit next to him.
"Lookit," James said, holding out his hand and showing her his treasures - three four leafed clovers already ... and one that had six leaves. "Wanna help?"
Rachel giggled happily to herself and quickly followed suit - copying James by laying on her stomach in the lush clovers, though she wasn't quite as good at counting as James was yet - and in no time, she was picking random three leafed clovers that were just very big and well formed.
But James didn't correct her right away, and when they both had a handful of clovers, they retreated deeper into the shade of the tree and started laying the clovers out on their jeans. James scooted closer to her as she happily lined up her prizes, but after a moment, Rachel seemed to realize ... something was a little different. And just about when she did - James picked up one of his clovers to show her what it was.
By the time Scott came out to see how the kids were faring with Kitty, Rachel was counting clover leaves in an easy, metered tone. "One .... Twooooo .... Threeee.... Dat has three. One ... twoooo ... threeee ... dat has three, too!" She made a little sound of irritation and crossed her arms until she saw her father - and then she only just stopped herself from jumping up and rushing to him. She didn't want to mess up her clovers after all. Even if they were only stupid three leaved ones.
Rachel watched Scott closely as he came toward her with a smile, and she was so distracted, she didn't notice when James reached over to put one of his four leafed clovers in her pile.
"You guys looking for lucky clovers?" Scott asked as he first crouched down - then sat down with the two of them, close enough to Rachel that she wouldn't knock over her collection.
"Uh-huh!" she said. "But I - but I - I only gettin' 'toopid free leafses." She held out a handful of clovers - half of that what she had was grass, too, but Scott wasn't going to correct her. "Three! All three!" She stomped her foot and stuck her bottom lip out in a perfect pout.
Scott let her dump the pile of clovers into his hand and he started combing through them with her. "You have to try to count them before you pick them, sweetheart," Scott said, then couldn't help but smile when he saw how clearly un-mangled the four leafed one was that James had slipped in. "Like this, see? Count with me?"
Rachel's eyes went wide and she gasped softly, nodding as she carefully giggled her way through counting. "One ... twooooo .... Threeeeee ... " she paused and gasped again. "Four! Four! Lookit! Four! I gotta four!" She jumped up to her feet, though she almost fell over when she did. Scott handed her the clover and she rushed for the house as quickly as she could- calling for her mother.
Before James could get up, Scott reached over to mess up his hair - not that it wasn't messed up most of the time anyhow - and pulled him over in a one-armed hug. "You're a good kid, you know that?" Scott said as James squirmed to get loose for a moment, though when it was clear that wasn't happening, he relaxed into Scott and tipped his head back to look up at him.
"Hi."
"Hi," Scott replied, unable to stop the smile as James settled in, abandoning his attempt to escape for the time being. Scott sat there with him for a little while as James showed him his clovers, but the instant that Scott let go of him enough - James was off like a shot. Not ... that his little legs could get him far enough fast enough for Scott hot to catch him. Which, of course he did - just as Jean was coming out with Rachel. One second, the two of them were rushing across the lawn - and the next, James was upside down with Scott tickling him - and inadvertently drawing all the kids away from Kitty to tackle him.
It was exactly what Scott needed to distract him from his concerns about everything else, though even that ended up being fairly short lived.
Dinner time came and went, and though K and the kids were there with the group, Logan and Hank were not. What's more, Hank ended up showing up hours before Logan did - and with no soothing explanation as to why - only that Steve had more to talk over with Logan than Stark had to discuss with Hank.
"What took Stark so long with you?" Scott asked calmly, since Hank had been an Avenger almost as long as he'd been an X-Man and he knew Hank would never leave the team. Logan though ...
"We were devising a better system to screen aptitude," Hank said. "We'll be testing a few known subjects to see how well the system scores, but I believe we have a superior method than what is already in place."
"In one afternoon."
"Well it did take longer than we had originally anticipated," Hank said in a teasing tone - which had Scott rolling his eyes with the laugh.
"Of course. What was I thinking. "
"Logan, however," Hank said, pausing for a moment but very sure that he knew what Scott was concerned over. "When last I saw him, he and Captain Rogers seemed to be doing more reminiscing and drinking than they were planning and plotting." When Scott's smile fell, replaced quickly by a locked-jaw expression, Hank tried to smooth it over. "But seeing as I was with Stark for so long, I'm sure that is simply the natural progression after a planning session for the two of them. Considering their long history-"
"Yeah, Hank - I know all about their history."
"Scott," Hank said, half-holding his breath when he saw how irate Scott was. As much as Hank hated to do it ... Scott needed someone to step in before things got out of hand. "I know I can't advise you too much on how to deal with the Logan situation, but ... if I may give you a word of advice - if you don't want to talk to Logan, or if he's being too vague..."
Scott narrowed his eyes behind his ruby lenses as he waited for Hank to finish.
"... watch K instead," Hank finished, glancing over to where K and Jean were chatting amicably. "She doesn't look like one who has one foot out the door."
"No," Scott said after just a moment. It was clear the two women were getting along well and seeing as Jean had Rose on her lap and K was curled up with Rachel and James ... "No, she and the kids look pretty comfortable still."
"And I'd imagine that won't change unless someone makes them uncomfortable."
Scott nodded to himself. "Right." He nodded a few more times as he watched Jean laughing at something K was telling her. "Those kids don't look like they got enough dessert."
Hank smirked to himself and shook his head as Scott headed over to get snacks for the group - emphasized by the fact that Abbey was insisting they watch a movie now that dinner was over. "I didn't mean to bribe the children."
"I'm getting caramel corn for the ladies, too," Scott defended, which only had Hank laughing harder.
As it turned out, Logan and Steve had stayed up well past midnight drinking, and when Logan came in, it was to find most of his family already curled up and asleep. Most of them.
"You really do like stirring up trouble, don't you?" K asked as she stretched out in the middle of their bed - obviously not intending on moving one way or another for him.
"It's not that bad," Logan said, smiling to himself as he tried to find the right angle of attack that wouldn't end with him getting launched across the room. She wasn't mad ... but she did have a look of pure troublemaking that he knew well. He just really didn't want to wake up the kids - or the Summerses. "Sounds like he just wants someone to get 'em started - run an assessment, let them take over from there."
K smiled crookedly and shook her head slowly. "I call bullshit," she crooned in a low, smoky tone as Logan paused at the edge of the bed to see if K was going to attack.
"Yeah, me too, but it sounded like it was more than just kids."
"Oh?"
She still hadn't launched herself at him, so he kept moving a little closer. Better for quiet conversation anyhow. "Yeah, Carol was in agreement ... half the team could use a tune up or better."
"Good thing Carol's there to do it."
"She said she don't have the time."
At that K stopped outright and pushed him back with her hand in the center of his chest. "You're trying to be funny, right?"
Logan frowned. "No ..."
"Sweetheart ..." K let out a breath as she sat more upright making it crystal clear that whatever game Logan thought he was in for was over. "You ... are on more teams than anyone else, and you have a family to contend with."
He frowned and tipped his chin down. "It's just short-term," Logan said in a soft purr.
"We'll see about that."
"It is," he insisted. "Just want to get him up on his feet with this thing - and if it works like it should, then we might just have our load lightened a little with the influx of kids."
"Oh ..." K said, letting her shoulders settle as she let her breath out, all doe-eyed and breathy. "I never had you pegged for a delusional optimist."
"Take it back." Logan blinked at her for just a moment as she smiled wider before he lunged forward and K bit her lip trying to keep from laughing outright at him as he tackled her back into the pillows.