(no subject)
More Than a Fair Dealer
Summary: June, April and the Burkes visit Xavier's School for the Gifted.
'Verses: White Collar and X-Men
Previously: More Than a Poker Game, Less Than a Scale, More Than a Partner and Less Than a Confidant
***
Xavier was surprised by June’s associates. He welcomed them with the same Old Money Manners that June had remembered from their first meeting. He used that old tell of two fingers to his temple and he still seemed confused about Peter. He left April’s recruitment to the teens and teachers and focused on the Burkes. Elle was easy enough and June was sure that her thoughts were matching her actions. It was Peter that flummoxed the mutants. Teachers came and went, each engaging the FBI agent in conversation but none of them seemed to click.
And then the stern headmaster, Scott Summers, with his strange red sunglasses made an oblique math joke and the two were debating some math topic that June didn’t understand. Everyone else looked bemused at the conversation.
“MATHletes,” the infirmary doc complained to Elle. The two men trailed the rest of the tour group around the school. June saw the state-of-the-art infirmary and the cozy dorm rooms. She even got to meet the girl who could walk through solid matter that would be April’s roommate. The old con woman couldn’t help but wonder about the possibilities of Kitty being a thief. From Peter’s narrow gaze, he knew exactly what she was thinking. His eyes twinkled and June swallowed a laugh. Peter would catch her if she fell off the straight and narrow. He would figure a way; he was stubborn like that.
The tour walked them through the common areas and the classrooms. June was impressed with the quality of education and the teacher to student ratios. April’s excitement increased with every step. Instead of dread for leaving her friends, she was starting to look forward to making new ones among all the other opportunities.
It was such a nice day for January, everyone wore their jackets and ate lunch outside with the students. Once the students finished their lunches, some worked on school work and others played various games. Peter was distracted watching the basketball game. The teams were rather unevenly matched, but no one had complained so the teachers were letting the students determine their own set of fair rules. Peter wasn’t watching the kids that they were bugs under a microscope but more like he was keeping score. After the younger team was down fifteen points he looked at his wife beseechingly.
Elle kissed him and told him, “Go play.”
Peter gave her a bright smile and his jacket and gun, leaving on the harness. He talked his way onto the younger team within moments and had them playing as a coherent team in minutes. The entire school staff watched avidly. By the time the younger team tied the older, most of the mutants had lost their hatred of law enforcers and some were in awe. Peter genuinely liked children and it reflected in his actions.
“I’ll double his salary if he’d come teach here,” Xavier told Elle. “You could come as well and do whatever you wanted in the kitchen.”
She laughed at him. “Thank you, but we are very happy in our current professions.”
“Seminars, perhaps?” Xavier asked. “Perhaps he could be a referee for the games. The students will trust his sense of fairness.”
“I’ll talk to him.” Elle looked at April and June. “I’m sure an occasional night out of the city will be welcomed.”
“We will work around his schedule,” Mr. Summers promised.
***
Summary: June, April and the Burkes visit Xavier's School for the Gifted.
'Verses: White Collar and X-Men
Previously: More Than a Poker Game, Less Than a Scale, More Than a Partner and Less Than a Confidant
***
Xavier was surprised by June’s associates. He welcomed them with the same Old Money Manners that June had remembered from their first meeting. He used that old tell of two fingers to his temple and he still seemed confused about Peter. He left April’s recruitment to the teens and teachers and focused on the Burkes. Elle was easy enough and June was sure that her thoughts were matching her actions. It was Peter that flummoxed the mutants. Teachers came and went, each engaging the FBI agent in conversation but none of them seemed to click.
And then the stern headmaster, Scott Summers, with his strange red sunglasses made an oblique math joke and the two were debating some math topic that June didn’t understand. Everyone else looked bemused at the conversation.
“MATHletes,” the infirmary doc complained to Elle. The two men trailed the rest of the tour group around the school. June saw the state-of-the-art infirmary and the cozy dorm rooms. She even got to meet the girl who could walk through solid matter that would be April’s roommate. The old con woman couldn’t help but wonder about the possibilities of Kitty being a thief. From Peter’s narrow gaze, he knew exactly what she was thinking. His eyes twinkled and June swallowed a laugh. Peter would catch her if she fell off the straight and narrow. He would figure a way; he was stubborn like that.
The tour walked them through the common areas and the classrooms. June was impressed with the quality of education and the teacher to student ratios. April’s excitement increased with every step. Instead of dread for leaving her friends, she was starting to look forward to making new ones among all the other opportunities.
It was such a nice day for January, everyone wore their jackets and ate lunch outside with the students. Once the students finished their lunches, some worked on school work and others played various games. Peter was distracted watching the basketball game. The teams were rather unevenly matched, but no one had complained so the teachers were letting the students determine their own set of fair rules. Peter wasn’t watching the kids that they were bugs under a microscope but more like he was keeping score. After the younger team was down fifteen points he looked at his wife beseechingly.
Elle kissed him and told him, “Go play.”
Peter gave her a bright smile and his jacket and gun, leaving on the harness. He talked his way onto the younger team within moments and had them playing as a coherent team in minutes. The entire school staff watched avidly. By the time the younger team tied the older, most of the mutants had lost their hatred of law enforcers and some were in awe. Peter genuinely liked children and it reflected in his actions.
“I’ll double his salary if he’d come teach here,” Xavier told Elle. “You could come as well and do whatever you wanted in the kitchen.”
She laughed at him. “Thank you, but we are very happy in our current professions.”
“Seminars, perhaps?” Xavier asked. “Perhaps he could be a referee for the games. The students will trust his sense of fairness.”
“I’ll talk to him.” Elle looked at April and June. “I’m sure an occasional night out of the city will be welcomed.”
“We will work around his schedule,” Mr. Summers promised.
***