Uncanny X-Men 1943

Chapter 8

Emma waited until she and Scott had finished their dinner before she said anything. She was home late again, and, as always, Scott had waited to eat with her. Nathan was at Sam's house, and due home at half-eight, Rachel and Kitty were chatting in their room, and the twins were in the bath, but would have to get out soon. Just enough time to tell Scott the news before commencing motherly duties, then.

"We found Warren," Emma said, putting down her knife and fork.

Scott looked up. "He's alive?"

"Yes," Emma said, wiping her mouth with her napkin. "I can't say much, but thought you ought to know. We only found out this morning, and are in the process of planning how we'll get him back. Leave sometime next week, most likely. There's a few key pieces of intel we need to confirm, but there's no point waiting too long. I assume I'll have to work all weekend, sorry about that, darling, but if we can get him back, it'll all be worth it."

Scott pushed back his chair and picked up the plates. "You're not using a royal 'we', are you?" he asked, facing away from Emma as he placed the plates in the sink.

"Darling..."

"Emma," Scott said, turning back to her, "You have a family, you have - "

"A team, Scott. They're my team," Emma said, standing up. "My people."

"You don't have to go."

"If he was your team, your person..."

"You're my person, Emma."

Emma pushed her chair in and looked away. Scott was too sincere. Too real. Too close. She craved the closeness, and everything about him, yet, "I better go and get the twins out of the bath."

"Emma..."

"Don't try to talk me out of it."

"I never would. I just - I'm scared."

Emma sighed. "I know. I'm sorry, but this is something I have to do."

"I know," Scott sighed, and went back to the sink. "Ask Rachel and Kitty to come down and help with the dishes, would you?"

"I'm going to come back, darling. That is part of the plan."

Scott didn't reply. Emma half wished he'd shout and yell and put his foot down as her husband and force her to stay. But he didn't. He never did. And that almost made this worse.

Emma sighed. "If we go, we all go together." She looked up the stairs and the photos decorating the wall, then stepped back into the kitchen and closed the door. "That's what we promised each other when the War broke out. Together, or not at all."

"I know," Scott sighed, "But that was different. That was to keep our family together."

"You could come," Emma suggested, "You'd be - "

"Useful?" Scott smirked.

"Good," Emma said, "You'd be good on the team. Less of a hot head than most others. God knows we could use someone stable."

"No," Scott said, wiping his hands on a hand-towel. "You've already got plans for me, and I don't need to be a telepath to know that. I'm right where you need me, and you need me here. That's the price; you get to save the world, while I do the washing up and the running around. That doesn't bother me, Emma. It just - I guess I always had an inkling something like this would happen. And it scares me more than I can say."

Emma walked across the kitchen and wrapped her arm around Scott. "If this was the other way around, and you were running off to France, I'd be making a right fuss. I'd tie you up. I - I can't lose you."