HOME | DD

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Rose had unpacked taking up an empty drawer that Merrick left from last summer and was downstairs in the living room stretched out on the floor lying on her stomach playing with Faelan. She was still dressed in the same clothes she’d arrived in an off white floral lace tank top with a rounded neck, empire waist, a black ribbon fastening on the back and a scalloped hem paired with a medium washed denim shorts. Faelan seemed very happy to have her back showing her all the toys and thing she got for his birthday despite that she’d been on skype for the party. “You are just so precious…”, Rose sighed watching Faelan as he played. They both turned their heads to the archway of the living room hearing the rumble of the GTO pulling into the driveway. Rose quickly got up and went to stand in the foyer to greet Merrick. Merrick was carrying the boxes for Rose and the paperwork about the property, the donation to the sanctuary, and the bank accounts for him and Faelan along with the check for Rose. “So guess you’ll head home with Gina?”, Merrick asked as Zoe was walking in with him. He frozen as a familiar scent hit him and nearly dropped the boxes and papers as he saw her standing there. “Rose?!”, he exclaimed. Rose smiled a little. “Yeah I’m here babe.”, she nodded walking closer. Zoe walked in and closed the door just kind of hanging back. He’d been waiting months to see her again and this last week had been hell on him. Merrick set the boxes and papers on a small table to not drop them before pulling Rose into a tight hug picking her up. Rose chuckled a little hugging him back. “God I’ve missed you little wolf..”, he sighed before giving her a deep kiss. Rose smiled into the kiss returning it before pulling back. “I’ve missed you too.”, she replied.
“Dadda..”, Faelan said tugging at Merrick’s pants. Merrick hadn’t planned to let Rose go for anything, but then he looked down seeing Faelan and set her down to pick up their son. “Hey pup.”, Merrick smiled. Zoe smiled a little staying off to the side, Merrick hadn’t smiled much since Hazel passed away and of course Rose was the one to get him to smile. “Look it momma.”, Faelan said pointing at Rose. Rose chuckled a little, she loved hearing him call her that. “Yes…”, Merrick smiled looking at Rose. “That’s your momma. I told you she’d be home again soon.”, he commented. “So is my sister still here? She was going to be my ride home since she’s driving dad’s car.”, Zoe asked. Rose had almost not even realized Zoe was there just wrapped up in seeing Merrick again. “Zoe, I’m sorry I hadn’t seen you come in.”, Rose sighed and walked over without a thought and hugged the woman. Zoe was Merrick’s best friend, ignoring anything more that had gone on between them, and she’d been close to Hazel so she’d lost a Nana too. Zoe blinked having not expected to be hugged. “You kind of looked like you could use a hug too. I know you were closer to Nana Hazel than I was and I know how much she loved you.”, Rose said pulling back from the hug. Zoe nodded a little thinking about Hazel still got her to tear and she wiped her eyes a little with her hands, Rose noticing the ring on her right hand.
“That’s a lovely ring.”, Rose commented. “Oh...thank you. It was a birthday gift from Nana. She apparently had gotten it before her death while with Merrick and your friend Tristan. Merrick gave it to me yesterday with his gift of a music jewelry box.”, Zoe explained. Rose nodded. “Hazel was renowned for good taste. As for your sister’s whereabouts, she left with Sebastian shortly after I got here. I’m not sure where all the Haven went but they figured with me here Faelan was covered. They were going to Draven to meet my cousin Jimmy and some friends. I didn’t argue since Sebastian deserves a night with friends. I’m sure Merrick can drive you home.”, Rose said looking to Merrick. “Yeah. Not a problem, I can drive you hellraiser.”, Merrick nodded offering Faelan to Rose. “I could easily walk, I’m sure you two would like the time alone.”, Zoe said shaking her head a little. “It’s fine Zoe. Mom and dad are staying Boston tonight with Aunt Cordie since they plan to help her get more of Nana’s house organized and boxed. The others are all in Manhattan for some open mic night were Cora lee is performing to show some of the stuff she’s written. So till Sebastian and them get home, which will probably be late it’ll just be the three of us.”, Merrick said. “Have you eaten yet?”, Rose asked taking Faelan. “Not dinner, yet. Why?”, he asked. “Well you take Zoe home and I’ll make dinner.”, Rose said.
Merrick raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to cook?”, he questioned. “Why do you say that like you’re terrified?”, Rose asked. “Because I am.”, he laughed softly. “Hey...I can cook.”, Rose said hitting his arm. “I haven’t seen it. I spent a week in Cambridge and either we ate take out, Atif cooked or I cooked. beyond brewing coffee I’ve yet to see you in the kitchen. So pardon me for being terrified.”, he teased kissing her forehead. Rose growled a little shaking her head. “Yeah well I can cook so go and I’ll fix dinner for the three of us.”, Rose said giving him a kiss before shooing him to the door. “Alright. Just remember which side of the kitchen is vegan and which isn’t. Mom and Aislinn will have your head if you cross contaminate their kitchens.”, he teased. “Come on Zoe.”, he said beckoning Zoe tot he door. Zoe sighed shaking her head and stopped giving Faelan a kiss. “Bye cucciolo. Bye Rose.”, Zoe waved heading back out to Merrick’s car. “So you really scared of her cooking?”, she teased as they drove. Merrick smiled. “A little. Let’s recall my stomach is spoiled. I wake up to mom or Aislinn having made breakfast, then you make me lunch and sometimes dinner, and when you didn’t make dinner mom or Aislinn did and on the rare occasions I’ve cooked dinner. So yeah...I’ve been spoiled being cooked for by some of the best around.”, he answered parking at her place. Zoe rolled her eyes and nudged him. “Flatter.”, she sighed. Merrick smirked. “I’ve been told flattery gets you everywhere.”, he chuckled with a wink. “Yes well even if you don’t like Rose’s cooking you better eat everything on your plate and tell her it was delicious. Cause if you are thinking about proposing and moving to England to spend the rest of your life with her that’s the cooking you’ll get every day.”, she smiled. “She’s going to be a doctor and vigilante, I’d be the house husband cooking the dinners. But I’ll try to be nice if I don’t like her cooking. Night Zoe, call you later.”, he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Night Merrick.”, she nodded getting out of the car.
While Merrick went home to have a family dinner with just Rose and Faelan Sebastian was at the Draven with his friends. Taylor, Marco and Nathan were working the bar at the club discretely using their powers making the ‘virgin’ drinks to entertain the crowd at the bar. Jimmy was the first to notice that Sebastian and Gina had arrived. “Bastian’s here.”, he commented to the table as everyone had just sat down with their drinks requiring some refreshments after dancing. All their eyes looked to see Sebastian walking in with his hand in Gina’s. His face looked a bit worn they could tell even in the lighting of the club that his eyes were a bit bloodshot. None could fault him for that, he’d lost his great grandmother. None of them had yet to feel that great of a personal loss. Jimmy knew that his time to mourn would come sooner than he wanted, with his father having taken to wearing the power delimiter watch from Forge to allow him to age with his mother. In a way he knew it was romantic that his father would choose to give up being basically immortal for the chance to grow old with the woman he loves, but then there was the part of him that just knew losing both his parents was going to hurt. “Hey Sebastian! Hi Gina!”, Jimmy greeted waving them over. “I thought you two were babysitting Faelan while everyone was out.”, Lauren commented smiling at the pair.
“Hey guys. And we were, but kind of figured Faelan was in good hands when Rose showed up.”, Sebastian stated with a slight smile. “My cousin’s home? I thought she wasn’t flying till next week when Atif and Billy come home.”, Jimmy questioned. Sebastian shrugged grabbing a couple chairs since the booths were full and taking a seat. “With everything that’s going on, apparently Rose didn’t feel like waiting to be here with Merrick.”, Gina said sitting next to Sebastian keeping her hand in his. Owen nodded a little as Reine leaned into his side. “I can imagine that this week for Merrick has been rough. It’s been rough for your whole family, but you’ve had us and more importantly Gina.”, Reine sighed. Sebastian nodded squeezing Gina’s hand. “Yeah. Losing Nana I think hit Merrick harder than even dad. He’s had Zoe here for support and Malcolm has come by the house a couple times too, but he had finals so it was hard to get away.”, Sebastian sighed. “Well having Zoe is great, she’s an amazing best friend to your brother. But well having Aunt Rose here for him is different.”, Nikki commented. “Yeah it is different, Zoe can hug him and comfort him during the day and such as his friend but well she can’t be there during the nights. He’s put on a strong face, I know it’s for me and the rest of the family that he does it. That he tries to be the strong one because the rest of us are breaking. He doesn’t think I know that at night when Faelan’s in bed and he figures I’m asleep he does cry. That the night it happened turning the shower on covered his roar of anger or the sound of him punching the wall. He needs Rose here to get through this.”, Sebastian explained.
“I’m just glad that Merrick has someone he can open up to about it all. I know he likes to keep things to himself. My mom has tried to talk to him but Merrick always likes to think he can handle things on his own.”, Stephan frowned sitting a little separate from the group to allow his hidden wings some space. Usually he wouldn’t go out to the club with the others but he’d been talked into it by Ororo, despite the fact she wasn’t coming since she had a photoshoot she was flying to in Spain. She always tried to push him to get out and do things he normally wouldn’t. He did like getting to spend time with his friends outside of the institute, but he was actually closer to some of the younger students like Hiro and Evan and well Ororo of course. However they weren’t thirteen yet so they couldn't get into the club. Sebastian nodded a little. “Yeah, that’s just how my brother is. He figures he’s got broad shoulders so he can take it. I can’t, I’ve got an appointment with your mom in a couple days. She’s offered grief counseling to all of us. Though I think only me and Lily are taking her on the offer.”, Sebastian sighed. Gina smiled and kissed Sebastian’s cheek. “Well you don’t have to be like Merrick about everything sweetie. Everyone deals with grief differently. Merrick wants to mourn in private and only in front of people he feels safe to cry in front of, like my sister and Rose. And that works for him, but you my love are different you don’t hide or bottle your feelings. You wear them on your sleeve and I love that about you.”, she smiled.
“Oh like when he got pissed and decked Adam Frost?”, Nash laughed. Sebastian smiled a little. “Yes well...I shouldn’t have hit him.”, Sebastian sighed. “Bullshit, he was talking shit about your brother and trying to treat him like he’s not family when your family is going through mourning. That was a total dick move.”, Jimmy stated. “Yeah you stood up for your brother, like he’d have done for you. Adam deserved what he got.”, Owen nodded agreeing with Jimmy. “Yeah but I know I disappointed Merrick when I did it. yes he told me he was proud that I would stand up for family and that I delivered the punch exactly the way Damon and him taught me. But he also said he was disappointed that I handled it like that, especially during a time when we were all gathered to remember Nana and how much we love her.”, Sebastian frowned. “True. But come on it had to have felt good to deck him.”, Aurora smiled. Sebastian chuckled. “Alright so yeah it did. I kind of get why Merrick likes to fight so much and trains every morning. To release all your frustrations and anger feels really good. Generally I’m the one that let’s what people say just go, like water on a duck’s back. But when he said Merrick didn’t count, that he wasn’t a Frost. And then when he called him a bastard and brought up his biological father….I just well i lost it. Merrick has always been a Frost, he’s never treated any of us like we weren’t family. And to have one of my cousins who Merrick helped take care of like he did all of us kids at the Academy was just the last straw.”, Sebastian admitted.
“And there’s nothing wrong with defending family. I remember from before Uncle James came back, how my cousin Kirra and Cero treated Rose. How they didn’t want to accept her as a Howlett. And then Uncle James came back and he put them in their places in front of the whole family.”, Jimmy chuckled thinking back to the welcome home party of his Uncle James. Reine and Nikki frowned a little. “Yeah dad was a dick, and still kind of is about Aunt Rose. But he’ll never say anything in front of grandpa or Uncle John, he’s too afraid of them.”, Nikki stated. The band that was playing had taken the stage. “Well tonight my friend let’s not think about sad times and just focus on the happy. Come on dance with your girl.”, Jimmy suggest hopping over the back of the booth offering a hand to Lauren. Sebastian nodded and had to laugh a little looking at Jimmy and Lauren. Jimmy had his mother and sister’s complexion but otherwise looked like his Uncle he was named for including being short and it was just made worse with Jimmy standing next to Lauren with her fair skin and even wearing flats had a good five inches on Jimmy. But the pair worked, Sebastian figured that much like Rose’s father Jimmy figured being shorter than his girl just made him the right height so he could never be yelled at for staring at her chest as it was almost eye level. “Yeah, let’s see if I can have fun tonight.”, Sebastian agreed getting up with Gina and heading to the dance floor with the others.
Merrick returned to the Haven to find Rose had cooked and well it wasn’t horrible. Sure it wasn’t Zoe’s cooking, but Zoe had grown up in the food industry and learned things from her mother and since moving to America from her Uncle Alec. But it was still good, it wasn’t uneditable. “So how did the will reading go? Why did the lawyer want me and Zoe there?”, Rose asked cleaning Faelan up as Merrick cleared the table loading the dishwasher. “Because Nana added you to the will. And well other than some serious hate from many of my relatives it went alright.”, he shrugged. “What do you mean serious hate? What happened?”, she asked picking Faelan up from his highchair and setting him down. Faelan changing to wolf and went running to go play. “Well when everything was divided out Nana played favorites. My family never liked her playing favorites or that she would bluntly say I’m her favorite in front of them. And well she also showed that Faelan, you and Zoe were favored too.”, he explained putting an arm around her. “Come on you’ll understand but let’s catch up with our son.”, he suggested as they went to the living room. Rose raised an eyebrow sitting on the couch next to him. “Most of my family was given five thousand dollars. Lily and Josalyn were given twenty along with some china, and silverware. All the girls got some jewelry too. Sebastian was given ten thousand. My dad and uncles each got property and fifty thousand. Aunt Cordie got the main estate and eight thousand.”, he started to explain getting all the stuff he’d brought home from the will reading.
“Zoe was given ten thousand and jewelry including my Nana’s phoenix brooch that Papa Winston got her when their son was born. She only wore it on special occasions. You were given ten thousand british pounds and these jewelry. Which when my female relatives find out about this set in particular even Lily is going to be mad or at least envious.”, he explained opening the box of the pearls. Rose blinked. “Ten thousand.. and what would be valued enough that Lily would get mad…”, her voice trailed off as she looked at the pearls. “Those are gorgeous. But why would they make people mad?”, she asked lightly running her finger over the pearls. “Because these pearls are part of Frost legacy. Since 1903 these pearls have been worn on the wedding day of the new bride of the first born male. Nana was the last one to wear them whens he married papa Winston. Uncle Christian liked men so they didn’t go to him, none of the girls married, and Nana wouldn’t pick between my dad and uncles. And now she’s chosen to give them directly to you.”, he explained. Rose’s mouth fell open slightly and she gulped. she was being given bridal jewelry, and not just any set but a set that had been passed down over multiple generations of the Frost family and always to the bride of the first born male. She looked up at Merrick wondering what Hazel had known that she didn’t.
“But why me?”, she asked. “Because for my generation I’m the first born male, and she apparently wanted to cut out the middleman.”, Merrick shrugged. “This isn’t...this isn't’ like you trying to propose to me is it?”, she asked a little worried. They’d known each other for years but they hadn’t been a couple long and with the distance and such she wasn’t sure if she could say yes. Though giving her his Nana’s pearls was one hell of a way to pop the question. Merrick shook his head though he knew stashed away in his bedroom was the engagement ring. “No this isn’t me asking you to marry me. I kind of doubt either of us is ready for that right now. No this is just Nana putting in her two cents. Just like she did with what she left me and Faelan.”, he sighed. “What did she leave you and Faelan?”, she asked closing the necklace box deciding to look at the others later. “Well to the sanctuary she gave a hundred thousand. To Faelan she left sixty thousand. Then to me well she left me two hundred thousand...british pounds...and a house in Surrey,England.”, he explained saying the ‘british pounds’ and ‘Surrey, England’ as quietly as he could. Rose blinked. “What? Wow...I mean that’s...that’s a lot of money. And wait did you just say in pounds and a house in Surrey England?”, she asked.
Merrick sighed hear hearing was too good. “Yeah. her last will and testament specifically said ‘To my beloved great grandson Merrick Edward Bryant-Frost I leave my property in Surrey, England and two hundred thousand british pounds. I hope that was a clear enough hint for you Merrick.’ telling me what to do even in death.”, Merrick sighed. Rose nodded a little though she was sure he wouldn’t move. “Well it’s a lot of money and I’m sure the property is lovely.”, she commented. Merrick nodded. “Yeah it’s a six bedroom, four and a half bathroom victorian home that sits on over two acres of property with a fully fenced in property that backs onto a national park. It was the original Frost estate back before they cross the ocean to America.”, Merrick explained. “Wow that’s a lot of rooms. “Yeah not sure what I’d do with that many bedrooms...well other than have sex with you in all but Faelan’s.”, he smirked. Rose rolled her eyes but smiled. “Do you think you’d ever…”, she asked. “Move? I’m not sure. I want to be with you I know that, I love you and only getting you for a month out of the year is never enough. Just right now...with everything going on I don’t know.”, he sighed holding her hand. “You’ll figure it out.”, Rose assured lightly touching his cheek. “We’ll figure it out...eventually. Let’s get Faelan a bath and into bed so I can get you into bed.”, he suggested with a smirk. “Right...we’ll figure it out. And sounds like a great plan to me.”, she smiled giving him a kiss before collecting Faelan for bath time.
Atif and Billy left on their scheduled flight leaving Ashley, Skye, and Donovan to patrol the United Kingdom for Excalibur. Billy and Tommy had agreed they would both speak with their father and with Duncan’s permission their mother together about their engagements. The day came that Billy and Tommy had been mostly avoiding for the last six years of their lives, actually speaking to their parents. Their first stop was to meet with their father in a public space, they chose the park. Lily squeezed Tommy’s hand gently as the four stood waiting for St John to arrived. “It’s going to be fine. You’re dad at least didn’t go ballistic when you left the Academy.”, Atif tried to be encouraging as he hand his arm around Billy. Billy nodded a little. “Yeah. I guess. He just hasn’t spoken to either of us in six years.”, Billy sighed. “Talking is a two way street Willie.”, John stated while walking up to the bench that his two sons sat with their red head x-men. Billy blinked he hadn’t heard his father's voice or been called Willie in so many years it actually startled him. It was odd to see him, he looked a bit worn and tired. There were more age lines than what either of the twins remembered him having. More gray was visible in his blonde hair. He wasn’t smiling but he wasn’t frowning either. It was like life had been sucked from him. Which was a bit of an understatement. He’d been left alone to raise Tyler when Wanda was taken and Azazel took over. Which that was the worst for him, Azazel was mindful to keep anyone related to Wanda in their place. And he’d become the easier target because he’d been Wanda’s lover and father two the two sons that had betrayed the Academy.
“Dad...you..”, Tommy stuttered as he stood up. “I know I look like hell. Tyler tells me daily I look like shit since your mother was imprisoned and Azazel came to power.”, he shrugged. “So you two requested to see me. Want to tell me what is going on? And why after six years of not talking to me you suddenly want to talk and have brought your x-men with you?”, he questioned looking at the boys. “Atif isn’t an X-Men, he’s Excalibur and so am I. We help people, we save people’s lives.”, Billy stood up narrowing his eyes at his father. John rolled his eyes. “Potato Pohtato. What did you want to talk to me about?”, he asked his eyes darting from one son to the other. Lily and Atif stood up with a sigh taking the hand of their fiancees. “We wanted to tell you in person and together…”, Tommy started. “About our engagements.Atif and I plan to get married after he graduates so in, four years.”, Billy finished adding his part. “Lily and I are going planning to get married next year.”, Tommy added squeezing Lily’s hand a little nervous. John nodded. “And this required an in person meeting? You could have emailed me that, or texted or hell called me about that. Congratulations? Guess the Maximoff name won’t end up dead since Tyler is changing his last name to mine when he’s eighteen.”, John shrugged. Billy clenched his jaw.
“Seriously? You don’t care at all do you? We did the right thing six years ago helping to take her down. She ruined lives and we had to do something to fix what she’d done. This was stupid, we shouldn’t have bothered even telling you. You haven’t tried to contact either of us since we left the Academy so why did we even think you’d care that we are getting married. And you're wrong the Maximoff name is dead.”, Billy said. John raised an eyebrow. “We are changing our names when we get married. I’m taking the Bryant last name with Lily and Billy is taking Atif’s last name. We both refuse to carry that cursed name with us or pass it to our children.”, Tommy sighed shaking his head. “Oh I’m just thrilled. My oldest is marrying a guy and taking his last name and my middle is marrying the original traitor and taking her name. It’s not like I’d ever see these kids you apparently plan to have. Which I don’t want to think how you two plan to have kids.”, he commented looking to Billy and Atif. Lily narrowed her eyes a little. “You know what fuck you John.”, she let her anger slip out. John wasn’t the only one that blinked at the sudden outburst, both Billy and Tommy were a bit shocked. Atif covered his mouth to stifle a small laugh. “Excuse me?”, John asked crossing his arms over his chest trying to look as authoritative as he could. “You fucking heard me. I said fuck you John. And don’t for a second think your old limey ass could intimidate me. I have never really been afraid of you and I am sure the hell not starting now.”, she answered pointing a finger at him.
“Your sons are doing you a courtesy that you don’t deserve. Their your blood and you haven’t even tried to talk to them in six years. I ran away when I was eleven and still got birthday cards from my mom and Christian every year even before they went Haven. And your attitude is exactly why when Tommy and I have kids they won’t know your face. And don’t even start getting homophobic about Billy and Atif they will make great parents when they are ready and either choose to adopt or have a surrogate.”, Lily said poking John in the chest. “How dare you…”, John started to say reaching for his pocket. “Don’t even think about it…”, Lily glared the lighter in John’s pocket he was reaching for shooting out and hanging in the air ten feet above them. “You’re getting old and apparently slow. You seem to underestimate me John. I have been having a shitty last few weeks and you aren’t making my mood any better. I came here to support my fiance. Not listen to you shit all over his and his brother’s happiness. So you can be butt hurt all you like. But as far as I’m concerned this conversation is over. When you manage to get your head out of your ass you let us know and maybe you’ll get invited to the weddings or if not by then see your grandkids.”, Lily snorted. “You’re really going to let her talk to me like this?”, John asked looking to Tommy. “She’s right dad. You don’t deserve the courtesy we are giving you. If you don’t want to be involved in our lives that’s your choice. Which with how this meeting has gone I don’t know if the other meeting should even happen.”, Tommy sighed.
“Other meeting?”, John questioned. “We are still going to see her and we are going tell her in person.”, Billy stated calmly. “Tell who?”, John asked. “Wanda.”, Tommy and Billy answered in unison. “Wait..what? They are going to let you go and see her? They have never let any of the family go see her in the six years she’s been in prison.”, John demanded. “Yeah well given we helped put her there Duncan has given us a pass to go see her today. We want to be the ones that tell her that we are doing better without her and are the happiest we’ve ever been.”, Billy stated. “Come on let’s go guys. This was pointless.”, Tommy said ready to walk away. John had asked so many times over the years to get to see Wanda, to take Tyler to see her. Every time Duncan told him no, on the grounds that he did not trust that they would not attempt to break her out. Which John had to admit the first few years he probably would have tried something, anything to get her out. Despite knowing what she’d done and that she’d manipulated his own memories he still loved her. Others at the Academy over the last six years had tried to get him to meet new people. But he just couldn’t do it, it didn’t matter that he was never married to Wanda. She owned his heart. “Wait… if you are going to see her. Can you...I know this might be asking a bit… but can you tell her I love her. That I haven’t stopped and won’t stop.”, he requested. Bill and Tommy both stopped. He still loved her? After all this time and all the crap she’d put him through. “We’ll tell her sir.”, Atif said. “Come on let’s go to the institute.”, Atif smiled giving Billy’s hand a squeeze. Billy nodded a little as they walked away from John leaving him standing alone, the lighter falling from the sky where Lily had it suspended hitting him in the head.
The next stop the quartet made was the Xavier Institute. “You two ready for this?”, Lily asked as they walked to the elevator getting a few glances from some of the younger students. Tommy sighed. “I guess. I mean we haven’t seen her since the day Landon captured her. I don’t even know how she looks. I still remember how she looked then. But I mean dad looked very different from my memory.”, he frowned getting into the elevator. “I’ve not seen her in person, but I have seen her on the surveillance footage. She’s um...well it’s not pretty sweetie.”, Lily sighed. “What surveillance? I didn’t think any of us would have access to that type of stuff.”, Billy asked. “Landon, well you know him.”, Lily commented. Billy laughed a little shaking his head. “Never listens to Duncan. Why did he keep tabs on her?”, Billy asked. “Because he’s Landon.”, Atif chuckled with a smile giving Billy a kiss on the cheek. “She may have wanted him dead but she’s still your mother. And he knows a thing or two about having a mother you don’t like and is disappointed in the man you ended up being. He may not talk to Gina but he knows what's going on in her life and he figures that you two might someday want to know. He’s the one that pushed Duncan the most about letting you come see her.”, Lily explained. “That guys is something else.”, Tommy and Billy shook their heads.
None of them were prepared for what waited for them in the containment area in the lowest level of the institute. Landon had thought to tell them about what he’d known had happened during the last six years of Wanda’s incarceration, but he didn’t want to scare them. The cell she was help it had a mutant suppressor, similar to the one she herself had used at the Cage to keep her mutant captives powerless. Duncan had very strict regulations when it came to dealing with Wanda. Anyone who’d been held prisoner by her and their spouses were not allowed to see her. Sure Duncan trusted his people, to a point but he knew all too well what a thirst for vengeance against someone who’d hurt you or someone you love could be. For her captives; Logan, Warren, Alison, and Mary none wanted to see her. Logan had already seen her when he first returned, he’d had his claws to her back and could have easily ripped her spine out but he’d chosen to not. He’d seen what the path of pure rage and violence could get a person, and he didn’t want to take that path. He was still Logan, still Wolverine and still the best at what he does however he did have some morality and killing Wanda for the sake of what she’d done to him and everyone he cared about that satisfaction didn’t outweigh the fact he’d scar eight kids, two her own children and one his own. No instead he helped train Landon to take her down in a way that wouldn't get anyone killed.
So generally it has only been Duncan and Forge that have dealt with Wanda directly. She had been having sessions with Isis, till she tried to stab Isis using a plastic fork from her dinner. After that their sessions became Wanda in her cell and Isis on the outside of the bulletproof glass. She was allowed to go outside under the strict supervision of both Forge and Duncan while wearing an adamantium anklet with the mutant suppressor and adamantium shackles. Neither man was going to take the risk of her getting out. No they knew what she’d do if she did get away. She’d go straight for Landon and do whatever it took and kill whoever stood in her way to kill him. That’s why without Duncan’s permission Forge allowed Landon access to the surveillance footage. If he had a nemesis that wanted him dead he’d want to keep tabs on them, so he figured Landon deserved that. The first three years all Wanda would talk about was how she was going to get out and find Landon and how she’d slowly rip him apart. And sometimes she went into great graphic detail of how she’d kill him. Then she just stopped talking one day, Duncan thought maybe it was she realized she was never going to escape. But then she started pulling out her own hair with her madness, to the point that now he had to keep her hair shaved so she couldn’t.
As they walked into the room all four were taken back as they saw her. She was in the middle of her cell wearing an orange jumpsuit the sleeves torn off doing one handed pushups on the floor. Her one long wavy dark hair was gone just a bit of stubble of the dark hair left as they recently cut her hair. Tommy and Billy froze as her head raised and her dark brown eyes locked on them. “Hey kids.”, Forge greeted having been told to wait for them just in case she went...well ballistic. The four jumped a little and turned to look at the biomechanical man known as Forge. For being in his late forties Forge didn’t really look it. Probably the benefit of his Native American heritage he was aging gracefully only a few age lines on his face but not a gray to be found in his think long black hair he had braided. “Um hey Forge..”, Lily greeted uncertain having not expected him. “Duncan insisted that someone be here just in case.”, Forge smiled a little at the four before looking to Wanda who was glaring at them with a deep rooted hatred. It wasn’t as intense of a look as he’d seen her give at even the mention of Landon’s name, but it was bad.
“Wanda, you remember Lily and Atif. I’m certain you remember Thomas and William. They’ve come to talk to you. So let’s try to be nice and maybe speak today.”, Forge spoke. Wanda glared at him as she got up from doing her push ups and sat on a chair looking at the four. They’d aged, she saw that and reminded herself of course they’ve aged they were only in high school when they put her in here. She gestured with her left hand to tell them to speak. Tommy raised an eyebrow and looked at Forge. “She hasn’t spoken in years. We talk to her every day, Isis comes down twice a week for sessions like clockwork. But she won’t speak.”, Forge explained. Billy let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. “Fine then maybe this will go easier than when we spoke to dad.”, he stated. Wanda’s eyes flickered and looked to Billy when he said ‘dad’. It was obvious she certainly understood that as that glimmer of recognition as they mentioned John. “He wanted us to tell you something.”, Tommy stated. “Yes, he asked us to tell you he still loves you.”, Billy explained. Wanda just nodded a little. “Now for why we came here. This will probably be the only time we see you but we wanted you to know from us and no one else. We are both getting married. Billy proposed to Atif back in February and I proposed to Lily in April. Lily and I plan to marry next year and Atif and Billy plan to wed in about four years after Atif finishes university.”, Tommy explained. Wanda’s eyes narrowed looking at Lily and Atif with hate.
“And when we wed neither of us are keeping the Maximoff name. I will take the Alston name and Tommy and Lily plan to take just the Bryant name. We’ve also heard that Tyler plans to change his last name to dad’s when he turned eighteen.” Billy explained tightening his grip on Atif’s hand. Wanda’s eyes flashed with anger. The Maximoff name was going to die? She’d worked so hard to keep that name alive. With her twin brother dead she was the one left to carry the name onto the next generation. And now here her sons were spitting in that legacy. Wanda swiftly stood up and threw her chair against the glass. Tommy took a step back but not far as Lily held firm her green-yellow eyes locked on Wanda. She refused to show this woman fear. This woman who’d disown her sons for doing what was right, the woman who had wanted her cousin dead, who’d caused the rift between her family that took years to repair. Atif and Billy stayed motionless but they’d been spending their college years in the field often under attack when performing their Excalibur duties. “Have your tantrum...Wanda. It does not change anything. My brother and I are happy and we are in love. And more than that we are better men because you aren’t in our lives. Thomas has graduated with his bachelors in film and I’ve graduated with my bachelors in astronomy. I’m a hero now. I joined Excalibur with Atif, Ashley, their Scottish cousins Donovan and Skye, and our leader is Roselyn Howlett. My life is spent helping people, saving them.”, Billy said glad to rub salt in the wound.
Wanda’s eyes focus on Billy glaring at him hearing the name ‘Howlett’. Rose had helped Landon put her here. “You worthless pieces of shit!”, Wanda shouted. Forge blinked. “She speaks.”, he commented. “Of course I speak you mechanical asshole! I just have nothing to say to you or any X-Men. You are not worth my words. And now you bring these traitors before me with their X-Men whores for them to tell me that my family’s name is dead, that our legacy has been expunged.”, Wanda continued to shout hatefully. “That’s ENOUGH!”, Tommy yelled. “I’m so done with this crap. With you and with John. We did what was right. I don’t regret it. I’d do it again. Because in my heart I know helping Lily and the others...that helping them stop you...that saving Logan...that saving Landon was the right thing to do. I love Lily no matter what you have to say. I came here just to tell you that and this will be my final contact with you. As far as I’m concerned you and him are no longer my parents.”, Tommy said getting angry taking a step forward. Wanda punched at the glass but only served to hurt her own hand. “Don’t you dare say his name before me.”, she growled. “What Landon? Landon Landon Landon Landon.”, BIlly said. “He’s a good man. He’s compassionate, caring and loyal to fault. He has been nothing but nice to us and accepted us as friends.”, Tommy said.
Wanda flipped her cot in her anger listening to them speak about Landon. “Okay I think maybe meeting is over.”, Forge suggested watching Wanda losing it in her cell hearing Landon’s name. Billy and Tommy nodded. “Fine. Just one final thing Wanda when someone asks us who our parents are and who any children we have will call grandma and grandpa it’ll be our foster parents David and Aislinn Bryant.”, Billy said his eyes narrowed on his mother. “Thank you for letting us see her Forge.”, Tommy said turning to not look at his mother anymore. Forge nodded glancing at Wanda who was losing it in her cell. “Not a problem. You boys deserved to have this if you wanted it. Congratulations to all four of you. You boys prove Charles right that he’d seen good in Erik and that good did get passed to you boys.”, Forge smiled. Wanda continued to rage in her cell hitting her chair against the glass wanting to break something. “Thank you Forge.”, Billy smiled shaking Forge’s hand. Atif and Lily just hugged Forge. “Bye Forge.”, they smiled letting their teacher go. “You kids stay out of trouble. And Atif, Billy if Xavier needs any help with some of the equipment you all are using over on your side of the ocean tell him to call me.”, Forge smiled. “We will. Bye.”, Atif smiled to Forge refusing to look at Wanda. None of them looked back at her as they left the area. It was done, they had spoken their final words to her.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

Rose had unpacked taking up an empty drawer that Merrick left from last summer and was downstairs in the living room stretched out on the floor lying on her stomach playing with Faelan. She was still dressed in the same clothes she’d arrived in an off white floral lace tank top with a rounded neck, empire waist, a black ribbon fastening on the back and a scalloped hem paired with a medium washed denim shorts. Faelan seemed very happy to have her back showing her all the toys and thing she got for his birthday despite that she’d been on skype for the party. “You are just so precious…”, Rose sighed watching Faelan as he played. They both turned their heads to the archway of the living room hearing the rumble of the GTO pulling into the driveway. Rose quickly got up and went to stand in the foyer to greet Merrick. Merrick was carrying the boxes for Rose and the paperwork about the property, the donation to the sanctuary, and the bank accounts for him and Faelan along with the check for Rose. “So guess you’ll head home with Gina?”, Merrick asked as Zoe was walking in with him. He frozen as a familiar scent hit him and nearly dropped the boxes and papers as he saw her standing there. “Rose?!”, he exclaimed. Rose smiled a little. “Yeah I’m here babe.”, she nodded walking closer. Zoe walked in and closed the door just kind of hanging back. He’d been waiting months to see her again and this last week had been hell on him. Merrick set the boxes and papers on a small table to not drop them before pulling Rose into a tight hug picking her up. Rose chuckled a little hugging him back. “God I’ve missed you little wolf..”, he sighed before giving her a deep kiss. Rose smiled into the kiss returning it before pulling back. “I’ve missed you too.”, she replied.
“Dadda..”, Faelan said tugging at Merrick’s pants. Merrick hadn’t planned to let Rose go for anything, but then he looked down seeing Faelan and set her down to pick up their son. “Hey pup.”, Merrick smiled. Zoe smiled a little staying off to the side, Merrick hadn’t smiled much since Hazel passed away and of course Rose was the one to get him to smile. “Look it momma.”, Faelan said pointing at Rose. Rose chuckled a little, she loved hearing him call her that. “Yes…”, Merrick smiled looking at Rose. “That’s your momma. I told you she’d be home again soon.”, he commented. “So is my sister still here? She was going to be my ride home since she’s driving dad’s car.”, Zoe asked. Rose had almost not even realized Zoe was there just wrapped up in seeing Merrick again. “Zoe, I’m sorry I hadn’t seen you come in.”, Rose sighed and walked over without a thought and hugged the woman. Zoe was Merrick’s best friend, ignoring anything more that had gone on between them, and she’d been close to Hazel so she’d lost a Nana too. Zoe blinked having not expected to be hugged. “You kind of looked like you could use a hug too. I know you were closer to Nana Hazel than I was and I know how much she loved you.”, Rose said pulling back from the hug. Zoe nodded a little thinking about Hazel still got her to tear and she wiped her eyes a little with her hands, Rose noticing the ring on her right hand.
“That’s a lovely ring.”, Rose commented. “Oh...thank you. It was a birthday gift from Nana. She apparently had gotten it before her death while with Merrick and your friend Tristan. Merrick gave it to me yesterday with his gift of a music jewelry box.”, Zoe explained. Rose nodded. “Hazel was renowned for good taste. As for your sister’s whereabouts, she left with Sebastian shortly after I got here. I’m not sure where all the Haven went but they figured with me here Faelan was covered. They were going to Draven to meet my cousin Jimmy and some friends. I didn’t argue since Sebastian deserves a night with friends. I’m sure Merrick can drive you home.”, Rose said looking to Merrick. “Yeah. Not a problem, I can drive you hellraiser.”, Merrick nodded offering Faelan to Rose. “I could easily walk, I’m sure you two would like the time alone.”, Zoe said shaking her head a little. “It’s fine Zoe. Mom and dad are staying Boston tonight with Aunt Cordie since they plan to help her get more of Nana’s house organized and boxed. The others are all in Manhattan for some open mic night were Cora lee is performing to show some of the stuff she’s written. So till Sebastian and them get home, which will probably be late it’ll just be the three of us.”, Merrick said. “Have you eaten yet?”, Rose asked taking Faelan. “Not dinner, yet. Why?”, he asked. “Well you take Zoe home and I’ll make dinner.”, Rose said.
Merrick raised an eyebrow. “You’re going to cook?”, he questioned. “Why do you say that like you’re terrified?”, Rose asked. “Because I am.”, he laughed softly. “Hey...I can cook.”, Rose said hitting his arm. “I haven’t seen it. I spent a week in Cambridge and either we ate take out, Atif cooked or I cooked. beyond brewing coffee I’ve yet to see you in the kitchen. So pardon me for being terrified.”, he teased kissing her forehead. Rose growled a little shaking her head. “Yeah well I can cook so go and I’ll fix dinner for the three of us.”, Rose said giving him a kiss before shooing him to the door. “Alright. Just remember which side of the kitchen is vegan and which isn’t. Mom and Aislinn will have your head if you cross contaminate their kitchens.”, he teased. “Come on Zoe.”, he said beckoning Zoe tot he door. Zoe sighed shaking her head and stopped giving Faelan a kiss. “Bye cucciolo. Bye Rose.”, Zoe waved heading back out to Merrick’s car. “So you really scared of her cooking?”, she teased as they drove. Merrick smiled. “A little. Let’s recall my stomach is spoiled. I wake up to mom or Aislinn having made breakfast, then you make me lunch and sometimes dinner, and when you didn’t make dinner mom or Aislinn did and on the rare occasions I’ve cooked dinner. So yeah...I’ve been spoiled being cooked for by some of the best around.”, he answered parking at her place. Zoe rolled her eyes and nudged him. “Flatter.”, she sighed. Merrick smirked. “I’ve been told flattery gets you everywhere.”, he chuckled with a wink. “Yes well even if you don’t like Rose’s cooking you better eat everything on your plate and tell her it was delicious. Cause if you are thinking about proposing and moving to England to spend the rest of your life with her that’s the cooking you’ll get every day.”, she smiled. “She’s going to be a doctor and vigilante, I’d be the house husband cooking the dinners. But I’ll try to be nice if I don’t like her cooking. Night Zoe, call you later.”, he said giving her a kiss on the cheek. “Night Merrick.”, she nodded getting out of the car.
While Merrick went home to have a family dinner with just Rose and Faelan Sebastian was at the Draven with his friends. Taylor, Marco and Nathan were working the bar at the club discretely using their powers making the ‘virgin’ drinks to entertain the crowd at the bar. Jimmy was the first to notice that Sebastian and Gina had arrived. “Bastian’s here.”, he commented to the table as everyone had just sat down with their drinks requiring some refreshments after dancing. All their eyes looked to see Sebastian walking in with his hand in Gina’s. His face looked a bit worn they could tell even in the lighting of the club that his eyes were a bit bloodshot. None could fault him for that, he’d lost his great grandmother. None of them had yet to feel that great of a personal loss. Jimmy knew that his time to mourn would come sooner than he wanted, with his father having taken to wearing the power delimiter watch from Forge to allow him to age with his mother. In a way he knew it was romantic that his father would choose to give up being basically immortal for the chance to grow old with the woman he loves, but then there was the part of him that just knew losing both his parents was going to hurt. “Hey Sebastian! Hi Gina!”, Jimmy greeted waving them over. “I thought you two were babysitting Faelan while everyone was out.”, Lauren commented smiling at the pair.
“Hey guys. And we were, but kind of figured Faelan was in good hands when Rose showed up.”, Sebastian stated with a slight smile. “My cousin’s home? I thought she wasn’t flying till next week when Atif and Billy come home.”, Jimmy questioned. Sebastian shrugged grabbing a couple chairs since the booths were full and taking a seat. “With everything that’s going on, apparently Rose didn’t feel like waiting to be here with Merrick.”, Gina said sitting next to Sebastian keeping her hand in his. Owen nodded a little as Reine leaned into his side. “I can imagine that this week for Merrick has been rough. It’s been rough for your whole family, but you’ve had us and more importantly Gina.”, Reine sighed. Sebastian nodded squeezing Gina’s hand. “Yeah. Losing Nana I think hit Merrick harder than even dad. He’s had Zoe here for support and Malcolm has come by the house a couple times too, but he had finals so it was hard to get away.”, Sebastian sighed. “Well having Zoe is great, she’s an amazing best friend to your brother. But well having Aunt Rose here for him is different.”, Nikki commented. “Yeah it is different, Zoe can hug him and comfort him during the day and such as his friend but well she can’t be there during the nights. He’s put on a strong face, I know it’s for me and the rest of the family that he does it. That he tries to be the strong one because the rest of us are breaking. He doesn’t think I know that at night when Faelan’s in bed and he figures I’m asleep he does cry. That the night it happened turning the shower on covered his roar of anger or the sound of him punching the wall. He needs Rose here to get through this.”, Sebastian explained.
“I’m just glad that Merrick has someone he can open up to about it all. I know he likes to keep things to himself. My mom has tried to talk to him but Merrick always likes to think he can handle things on his own.”, Stephan frowned sitting a little separate from the group to allow his hidden wings some space. Usually he wouldn’t go out to the club with the others but he’d been talked into it by Ororo, despite the fact she wasn’t coming since she had a photoshoot she was flying to in Spain. She always tried to push him to get out and do things he normally wouldn’t. He did like getting to spend time with his friends outside of the institute, but he was actually closer to some of the younger students like Hiro and Evan and well Ororo of course. However they weren’t thirteen yet so they couldn't get into the club. Sebastian nodded a little. “Yeah, that’s just how my brother is. He figures he’s got broad shoulders so he can take it. I can’t, I’ve got an appointment with your mom in a couple days. She’s offered grief counseling to all of us. Though I think only me and Lily are taking her on the offer.”, Sebastian sighed. Gina smiled and kissed Sebastian’s cheek. “Well you don’t have to be like Merrick about everything sweetie. Everyone deals with grief differently. Merrick wants to mourn in private and only in front of people he feels safe to cry in front of, like my sister and Rose. And that works for him, but you my love are different you don’t hide or bottle your feelings. You wear them on your sleeve and I love that about you.”, she smiled.
“Oh like when he got pissed and decked Adam Frost?”, Nash laughed. Sebastian smiled a little. “Yes well...I shouldn’t have hit him.”, Sebastian sighed. “Bullshit, he was talking shit about your brother and trying to treat him like he’s not family when your family is going through mourning. That was a total dick move.”, Jimmy stated. “Yeah you stood up for your brother, like he’d have done for you. Adam deserved what he got.”, Owen nodded agreeing with Jimmy. “Yeah but I know I disappointed Merrick when I did it. yes he told me he was proud that I would stand up for family and that I delivered the punch exactly the way Damon and him taught me. But he also said he was disappointed that I handled it like that, especially during a time when we were all gathered to remember Nana and how much we love her.”, Sebastian frowned. “True. But come on it had to have felt good to deck him.”, Aurora smiled. Sebastian chuckled. “Alright so yeah it did. I kind of get why Merrick likes to fight so much and trains every morning. To release all your frustrations and anger feels really good. Generally I’m the one that let’s what people say just go, like water on a duck’s back. But when he said Merrick didn’t count, that he wasn’t a Frost. And then when he called him a bastard and brought up his biological father….I just well i lost it. Merrick has always been a Frost, he’s never treated any of us like we weren’t family. And to have one of my cousins who Merrick helped take care of like he did all of us kids at the Academy was just the last straw.”, Sebastian admitted.
“And there’s nothing wrong with defending family. I remember from before Uncle James came back, how my cousin Kirra and Cero treated Rose. How they didn’t want to accept her as a Howlett. And then Uncle James came back and he put them in their places in front of the whole family.”, Jimmy chuckled thinking back to the welcome home party of his Uncle James. Reine and Nikki frowned a little. “Yeah dad was a dick, and still kind of is about Aunt Rose. But he’ll never say anything in front of grandpa or Uncle John, he’s too afraid of them.”, Nikki stated. The band that was playing had taken the stage. “Well tonight my friend let’s not think about sad times and just focus on the happy. Come on dance with your girl.”, Jimmy suggest hopping over the back of the booth offering a hand to Lauren. Sebastian nodded and had to laugh a little looking at Jimmy and Lauren. Jimmy had his mother and sister’s complexion but otherwise looked like his Uncle he was named for including being short and it was just made worse with Jimmy standing next to Lauren with her fair skin and even wearing flats had a good five inches on Jimmy. But the pair worked, Sebastian figured that much like Rose’s father Jimmy figured being shorter than his girl just made him the right height so he could never be yelled at for staring at her chest as it was almost eye level. “Yeah, let’s see if I can have fun tonight.”, Sebastian agreed getting up with Gina and heading to the dance floor with the others.
Merrick returned to the Haven to find Rose had cooked and well it wasn’t horrible. Sure it wasn’t Zoe’s cooking, but Zoe had grown up in the food industry and learned things from her mother and since moving to America from her Uncle Alec. But it was still good, it wasn’t uneditable. “So how did the will reading go? Why did the lawyer want me and Zoe there?”, Rose asked cleaning Faelan up as Merrick cleared the table loading the dishwasher. “Because Nana added you to the will. And well other than some serious hate from many of my relatives it went alright.”, he shrugged. “What do you mean serious hate? What happened?”, she asked picking Faelan up from his highchair and setting him down. Faelan changing to wolf and went running to go play. “Well when everything was divided out Nana played favorites. My family never liked her playing favorites or that she would bluntly say I’m her favorite in front of them. And well she also showed that Faelan, you and Zoe were favored too.”, he explained putting an arm around her. “Come on you’ll understand but let’s catch up with our son.”, he suggested as they went to the living room. Rose raised an eyebrow sitting on the couch next to him. “Most of my family was given five thousand dollars. Lily and Josalyn were given twenty along with some china, and silverware. All the girls got some jewelry too. Sebastian was given ten thousand. My dad and uncles each got property and fifty thousand. Aunt Cordie got the main estate and eight thousand.”, he started to explain getting all the stuff he’d brought home from the will reading.
“Zoe was given ten thousand and jewelry including my Nana’s phoenix brooch that Papa Winston got her when their son was born. She only wore it on special occasions. You were given ten thousand british pounds and these jewelry. Which when my female relatives find out about this set in particular even Lily is going to be mad or at least envious.”, he explained opening the box of the pearls. Rose blinked. “Ten thousand.. and what would be valued enough that Lily would get mad…”, her voice trailed off as she looked at the pearls. “Those are gorgeous. But why would they make people mad?”, she asked lightly running her finger over the pearls. “Because these pearls are part of Frost legacy. Since 1903 these pearls have been worn on the wedding day of the new bride of the first born male. Nana was the last one to wear them whens he married papa Winston. Uncle Christian liked men so they didn’t go to him, none of the girls married, and Nana wouldn’t pick between my dad and uncles. And now she’s chosen to give them directly to you.”, he explained. Rose’s mouth fell open slightly and she gulped. she was being given bridal jewelry, and not just any set but a set that had been passed down over multiple generations of the Frost family and always to the bride of the first born male. She looked up at Merrick wondering what Hazel had known that she didn’t.
“But why me?”, she asked. “Because for my generation I’m the first born male, and she apparently wanted to cut out the middleman.”, Merrick shrugged. “This isn’t...this isn't’ like you trying to propose to me is it?”, she asked a little worried. They’d known each other for years but they hadn’t been a couple long and with the distance and such she wasn’t sure if she could say yes. Though giving her his Nana’s pearls was one hell of a way to pop the question. Merrick shook his head though he knew stashed away in his bedroom was the engagement ring. “No this isn’t me asking you to marry me. I kind of doubt either of us is ready for that right now. No this is just Nana putting in her two cents. Just like she did with what she left me and Faelan.”, he sighed. “What did she leave you and Faelan?”, she asked closing the necklace box deciding to look at the others later. “Well to the sanctuary she gave a hundred thousand. To Faelan she left sixty thousand. Then to me well she left me two hundred thousand...british pounds...and a house in Surrey,England.”, he explained saying the ‘british pounds’ and ‘Surrey, England’ as quietly as he could. Rose blinked. “What? Wow...I mean that’s...that’s a lot of money. And wait did you just say in pounds and a house in Surrey England?”, she asked.
Merrick sighed hear hearing was too good. “Yeah. her last will and testament specifically said ‘To my beloved great grandson Merrick Edward Bryant-Frost I leave my property in Surrey, England and two hundred thousand british pounds. I hope that was a clear enough hint for you Merrick.’ telling me what to do even in death.”, Merrick sighed. Rose nodded a little though she was sure he wouldn’t move. “Well it’s a lot of money and I’m sure the property is lovely.”, she commented. Merrick nodded. “Yeah it’s a six bedroom, four and a half bathroom victorian home that sits on over two acres of property with a fully fenced in property that backs onto a national park. It was the original Frost estate back before they cross the ocean to America.”, Merrick explained. “Wow that’s a lot of rooms. “Yeah not sure what I’d do with that many bedrooms...well other than have sex with you in all but Faelan’s.”, he smirked. Rose rolled her eyes but smiled. “Do you think you’d ever…”, she asked. “Move? I’m not sure. I want to be with you I know that, I love you and only getting you for a month out of the year is never enough. Just right now...with everything going on I don’t know.”, he sighed holding her hand. “You’ll figure it out.”, Rose assured lightly touching his cheek. “We’ll figure it out...eventually. Let’s get Faelan a bath and into bed so I can get you into bed.”, he suggested with a smirk. “Right...we’ll figure it out. And sounds like a great plan to me.”, she smiled giving him a kiss before collecting Faelan for bath time.
Atif and Billy left on their scheduled flight leaving Ashley, Skye, and Donovan to patrol the United Kingdom for Excalibur. Billy and Tommy had agreed they would both speak with their father and with Duncan’s permission their mother together about their engagements. The day came that Billy and Tommy had been mostly avoiding for the last six years of their lives, actually speaking to their parents. Their first stop was to meet with their father in a public space, they chose the park. Lily squeezed Tommy’s hand gently as the four stood waiting for St John to arrived. “It’s going to be fine. You’re dad at least didn’t go ballistic when you left the Academy.”, Atif tried to be encouraging as he hand his arm around Billy. Billy nodded a little. “Yeah. I guess. He just hasn’t spoken to either of us in six years.”, Billy sighed. “Talking is a two way street Willie.”, John stated while walking up to the bench that his two sons sat with their red head x-men. Billy blinked he hadn’t heard his father's voice or been called Willie in so many years it actually startled him. It was odd to see him, he looked a bit worn and tired. There were more age lines than what either of the twins remembered him having. More gray was visible in his blonde hair. He wasn’t smiling but he wasn’t frowning either. It was like life had been sucked from him. Which was a bit of an understatement. He’d been left alone to raise Tyler when Wanda was taken and Azazel took over. Which that was the worst for him, Azazel was mindful to keep anyone related to Wanda in their place. And he’d become the easier target because he’d been Wanda’s lover and father two the two sons that had betrayed the Academy.
“Dad...you..”, Tommy stuttered as he stood up. “I know I look like hell. Tyler tells me daily I look like shit since your mother was imprisoned and Azazel came to power.”, he shrugged. “So you two requested to see me. Want to tell me what is going on? And why after six years of not talking to me you suddenly want to talk and have brought your x-men with you?”, he questioned looking at the boys. “Atif isn’t an X-Men, he’s Excalibur and so am I. We help people, we save people’s lives.”, Billy stood up narrowing his eyes at his father. John rolled his eyes. “Potato Pohtato. What did you want to talk to me about?”, he asked his eyes darting from one son to the other. Lily and Atif stood up with a sigh taking the hand of their fiancees. “We wanted to tell you in person and together…”, Tommy started. “About our engagements.Atif and I plan to get married after he graduates so in, four years.”, Billy finished adding his part. “Lily and I are going planning to get married next year.”, Tommy added squeezing Lily’s hand a little nervous. John nodded. “And this required an in person meeting? You could have emailed me that, or texted or hell called me about that. Congratulations? Guess the Maximoff name won’t end up dead since Tyler is changing his last name to mine when he’s eighteen.”, John shrugged. Billy clenched his jaw.
“Seriously? You don’t care at all do you? We did the right thing six years ago helping to take her down. She ruined lives and we had to do something to fix what she’d done. This was stupid, we shouldn’t have bothered even telling you. You haven’t tried to contact either of us since we left the Academy so why did we even think you’d care that we are getting married. And you're wrong the Maximoff name is dead.”, Billy said. John raised an eyebrow. “We are changing our names when we get married. I’m taking the Bryant last name with Lily and Billy is taking Atif’s last name. We both refuse to carry that cursed name with us or pass it to our children.”, Tommy sighed shaking his head. “Oh I’m just thrilled. My oldest is marrying a guy and taking his last name and my middle is marrying the original traitor and taking her name. It’s not like I’d ever see these kids you apparently plan to have. Which I don’t want to think how you two plan to have kids.”, he commented looking to Billy and Atif. Lily narrowed her eyes a little. “You know what fuck you John.”, she let her anger slip out. John wasn’t the only one that blinked at the sudden outburst, both Billy and Tommy were a bit shocked. Atif covered his mouth to stifle a small laugh. “Excuse me?”, John asked crossing his arms over his chest trying to look as authoritative as he could. “You fucking heard me. I said fuck you John. And don’t for a second think your old limey ass could intimidate me. I have never really been afraid of you and I am sure the hell not starting now.”, she answered pointing a finger at him.
“Your sons are doing you a courtesy that you don’t deserve. Their your blood and you haven’t even tried to talk to them in six years. I ran away when I was eleven and still got birthday cards from my mom and Christian every year even before they went Haven. And your attitude is exactly why when Tommy and I have kids they won’t know your face. And don’t even start getting homophobic about Billy and Atif they will make great parents when they are ready and either choose to adopt or have a surrogate.”, Lily said poking John in the chest. “How dare you…”, John started to say reaching for his pocket. “Don’t even think about it…”, Lily glared the lighter in John’s pocket he was reaching for shooting out and hanging in the air ten feet above them. “You’re getting old and apparently slow. You seem to underestimate me John. I have been having a shitty last few weeks and you aren’t making my mood any better. I came here to support my fiance. Not listen to you shit all over his and his brother’s happiness. So you can be butt hurt all you like. But as far as I’m concerned this conversation is over. When you manage to get your head out of your ass you let us know and maybe you’ll get invited to the weddings or if not by then see your grandkids.”, Lily snorted. “You’re really going to let her talk to me like this?”, John asked looking to Tommy. “She’s right dad. You don’t deserve the courtesy we are giving you. If you don’t want to be involved in our lives that’s your choice. Which with how this meeting has gone I don’t know if the other meeting should even happen.”, Tommy sighed.
“Other meeting?”, John questioned. “We are still going to see her and we are going tell her in person.”, Billy stated calmly. “Tell who?”, John asked. “Wanda.”, Tommy and Billy answered in unison. “Wait..what? They are going to let you go and see her? They have never let any of the family go see her in the six years she’s been in prison.”, John demanded. “Yeah well given we helped put her there Duncan has given us a pass to go see her today. We want to be the ones that tell her that we are doing better without her and are the happiest we’ve ever been.”, Billy stated. “Come on let’s go guys. This was pointless.”, Tommy said ready to walk away. John had asked so many times over the years to get to see Wanda, to take Tyler to see her. Every time Duncan told him no, on the grounds that he did not trust that they would not attempt to break her out. Which John had to admit the first few years he probably would have tried something, anything to get her out. Despite knowing what she’d done and that she’d manipulated his own memories he still loved her. Others at the Academy over the last six years had tried to get him to meet new people. But he just couldn’t do it, it didn’t matter that he was never married to Wanda. She owned his heart. “Wait… if you are going to see her. Can you...I know this might be asking a bit… but can you tell her I love her. That I haven’t stopped and won’t stop.”, he requested. Bill and Tommy both stopped. He still loved her? After all this time and all the crap she’d put him through. “We’ll tell her sir.”, Atif said. “Come on let’s go to the institute.”, Atif smiled giving Billy’s hand a squeeze. Billy nodded a little as they walked away from John leaving him standing alone, the lighter falling from the sky where Lily had it suspended hitting him in the head.
The next stop the quartet made was the Xavier Institute. “You two ready for this?”, Lily asked as they walked to the elevator getting a few glances from some of the younger students. Tommy sighed. “I guess. I mean we haven’t seen her since the day Landon captured her. I don’t even know how she looks. I still remember how she looked then. But I mean dad looked very different from my memory.”, he frowned getting into the elevator. “I’ve not seen her in person, but I have seen her on the surveillance footage. She’s um...well it’s not pretty sweetie.”, Lily sighed. “What surveillance? I didn’t think any of us would have access to that type of stuff.”, Billy asked. “Landon, well you know him.”, Lily commented. Billy laughed a little shaking his head. “Never listens to Duncan. Why did he keep tabs on her?”, Billy asked. “Because he’s Landon.”, Atif chuckled with a smile giving Billy a kiss on the cheek. “She may have wanted him dead but she’s still your mother. And he knows a thing or two about having a mother you don’t like and is disappointed in the man you ended up being. He may not talk to Gina but he knows what's going on in her life and he figures that you two might someday want to know. He’s the one that pushed Duncan the most about letting you come see her.”, Lily explained. “That guys is something else.”, Tommy and Billy shook their heads.
None of them were prepared for what waited for them in the containment area in the lowest level of the institute. Landon had thought to tell them about what he’d known had happened during the last six years of Wanda’s incarceration, but he didn’t want to scare them. The cell she was help it had a mutant suppressor, similar to the one she herself had used at the Cage to keep her mutant captives powerless. Duncan had very strict regulations when it came to dealing with Wanda. Anyone who’d been held prisoner by her and their spouses were not allowed to see her. Sure Duncan trusted his people, to a point but he knew all too well what a thirst for vengeance against someone who’d hurt you or someone you love could be. For her captives; Logan, Warren, Alison, and Mary none wanted to see her. Logan had already seen her when he first returned, he’d had his claws to her back and could have easily ripped her spine out but he’d chosen to not. He’d seen what the path of pure rage and violence could get a person, and he didn’t want to take that path. He was still Logan, still Wolverine and still the best at what he does however he did have some morality and killing Wanda for the sake of what she’d done to him and everyone he cared about that satisfaction didn’t outweigh the fact he’d scar eight kids, two her own children and one his own. No instead he helped train Landon to take her down in a way that wouldn't get anyone killed.
So generally it has only been Duncan and Forge that have dealt with Wanda directly. She had been having sessions with Isis, till she tried to stab Isis using a plastic fork from her dinner. After that their sessions became Wanda in her cell and Isis on the outside of the bulletproof glass. She was allowed to go outside under the strict supervision of both Forge and Duncan while wearing an adamantium anklet with the mutant suppressor and adamantium shackles. Neither man was going to take the risk of her getting out. No they knew what she’d do if she did get away. She’d go straight for Landon and do whatever it took and kill whoever stood in her way to kill him. That’s why without Duncan’s permission Forge allowed Landon access to the surveillance footage. If he had a nemesis that wanted him dead he’d want to keep tabs on them, so he figured Landon deserved that. The first three years all Wanda would talk about was how she was going to get out and find Landon and how she’d slowly rip him apart. And sometimes she went into great graphic detail of how she’d kill him. Then she just stopped talking one day, Duncan thought maybe it was she realized she was never going to escape. But then she started pulling out her own hair with her madness, to the point that now he had to keep her hair shaved so she couldn’t.
As they walked into the room all four were taken back as they saw her. She was in the middle of her cell wearing an orange jumpsuit the sleeves torn off doing one handed pushups on the floor. Her one long wavy dark hair was gone just a bit of stubble of the dark hair left as they recently cut her hair. Tommy and Billy froze as her head raised and her dark brown eyes locked on them. “Hey kids.”, Forge greeted having been told to wait for them just in case she went...well ballistic. The four jumped a little and turned to look at the biomechanical man known as Forge. For being in his late forties Forge didn’t really look it. Probably the benefit of his Native American heritage he was aging gracefully only a few age lines on his face but not a gray to be found in his think long black hair he had braided. “Um hey Forge..”, Lily greeted uncertain having not expected him. “Duncan insisted that someone be here just in case.”, Forge smiled a little at the four before looking to Wanda who was glaring at them with a deep rooted hatred. It wasn’t as intense of a look as he’d seen her give at even the mention of Landon’s name, but it was bad.
“Wanda, you remember Lily and Atif. I’m certain you remember Thomas and William. They’ve come to talk to you. So let’s try to be nice and maybe speak today.”, Forge spoke. Wanda glared at him as she got up from doing her push ups and sat on a chair looking at the four. They’d aged, she saw that and reminded herself of course they’ve aged they were only in high school when they put her in here. She gestured with her left hand to tell them to speak. Tommy raised an eyebrow and looked at Forge. “She hasn’t spoken in years. We talk to her every day, Isis comes down twice a week for sessions like clockwork. But she won’t speak.”, Forge explained. Billy let out a breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding. “Fine then maybe this will go easier than when we spoke to dad.”, he stated. Wanda’s eyes flickered and looked to Billy when he said ‘dad’. It was obvious she certainly understood that as that glimmer of recognition as they mentioned John. “He wanted us to tell you something.”, Tommy stated. “Yes, he asked us to tell you he still loves you.”, Billy explained. Wanda just nodded a little. “Now for why we came here. This will probably be the only time we see you but we wanted you to know from us and no one else. We are both getting married. Billy proposed to Atif back in February and I proposed to Lily in April. Lily and I plan to marry next year and Atif and Billy plan to wed in about four years after Atif finishes university.”, Tommy explained. Wanda’s eyes narrowed looking at Lily and Atif with hate.
“And when we wed neither of us are keeping the Maximoff name. I will take the Alston name and Tommy and Lily plan to take just the Bryant name. We’ve also heard that Tyler plans to change his last name to dad’s when he turned eighteen.” Billy explained tightening his grip on Atif’s hand. Wanda’s eyes flashed with anger. The Maximoff name was going to die? She’d worked so hard to keep that name alive. With her twin brother dead she was the one left to carry the name onto the next generation. And now here her sons were spitting in that legacy. Wanda swiftly stood up and threw her chair against the glass. Tommy took a step back but not far as Lily held firm her green-yellow eyes locked on Wanda. She refused to show this woman fear. This woman who’d disown her sons for doing what was right, the woman who had wanted her cousin dead, who’d caused the rift between her family that took years to repair. Atif and Billy stayed motionless but they’d been spending their college years in the field often under attack when performing their Excalibur duties. “Have your tantrum...Wanda. It does not change anything. My brother and I are happy and we are in love. And more than that we are better men because you aren’t in our lives. Thomas has graduated with his bachelors in film and I’ve graduated with my bachelors in astronomy. I’m a hero now. I joined Excalibur with Atif, Ashley, their Scottish cousins Donovan and Skye, and our leader is Roselyn Howlett. My life is spent helping people, saving them.”, Billy said glad to rub salt in the wound.
Wanda’s eyes focus on Billy glaring at him hearing the name ‘Howlett’. Rose had helped Landon put her here. “You worthless pieces of shit!”, Wanda shouted. Forge blinked. “She speaks.”, he commented. “Of course I speak you mechanical asshole! I just have nothing to say to you or any X-Men. You are not worth my words. And now you bring these traitors before me with their X-Men whores for them to tell me that my family’s name is dead, that our legacy has been expunged.”, Wanda continued to shout hatefully. “That’s ENOUGH!”, Tommy yelled. “I’m so done with this crap. With you and with John. We did what was right. I don’t regret it. I’d do it again. Because in my heart I know helping Lily and the others...that helping them stop you...that saving Logan...that saving Landon was the right thing to do. I love Lily no matter what you have to say. I came here just to tell you that and this will be my final contact with you. As far as I’m concerned you and him are no longer my parents.”, Tommy said getting angry taking a step forward. Wanda punched at the glass but only served to hurt her own hand. “Don’t you dare say his name before me.”, she growled. “What Landon? Landon Landon Landon Landon.”, BIlly said. “He’s a good man. He’s compassionate, caring and loyal to fault. He has been nothing but nice to us and accepted us as friends.”, Tommy said.
Wanda flipped her cot in her anger listening to them speak about Landon. “Okay I think maybe meeting is over.”, Forge suggested watching Wanda losing it in her cell hearing Landon’s name. Billy and Tommy nodded. “Fine. Just one final thing Wanda when someone asks us who our parents are and who any children we have will call grandma and grandpa it’ll be our foster parents David and Aislinn Bryant.”, Billy said his eyes narrowed on his mother. “Thank you for letting us see her Forge.”, Tommy said turning to not look at his mother anymore. Forge nodded glancing at Wanda who was losing it in her cell. “Not a problem. You boys deserved to have this if you wanted it. Congratulations to all four of you. You boys prove Charles right that he’d seen good in Erik and that good did get passed to you boys.”, Forge smiled. Wanda continued to rage in her cell hitting her chair against the glass wanting to break something. “Thank you Forge.”, Billy smiled shaking Forge’s hand. Atif and Lily just hugged Forge. “Bye Forge.”, they smiled letting their teacher go. “You kids stay out of trouble. And Atif, Billy if Xavier needs any help with some of the equipment you all are using over on your side of the ocean tell him to call me.”, Forge smiled. “We will. Bye.”, Atif smiled to Forge refusing to look at Wanda. None of them looked back at her as they left the area. It was done, they had spoken their final words to her.