9469/Visiting family, and studying.

Visiting family, and studying.
Date of Scene:	07 October 2019
Location:	Shannon's home Town
Synopsis:	And a Fun time is had by wings and her family.
Cast of Characters:	Cannonball, Nightingale

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Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie has cleared Shannon's classes for the day having given her a day or two making sure she is fully healed. He told her to meet him in the morning about 8am at the garage and to clear her day. He is standing besides his older station wagon waiting for her.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon doesn't dare to hope that maybe, just maybe that trip to look in on her family is actually happening, but Sam hadn't broken a promise to her yet. She's a bundle of nerves and excitement, almost like a little child at Christmas who was just told Santa wasn't real, and had just found out otherwise. She's got her laptop bag slung over her shoulder as she saunters in to the garage, her favorite poet's blouse, blue jeans, and her white sneakers. As per usual, she's got her little brown leather bag with her, with its first aid supplies tucked safely within. "Road trip!!"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and as she gets near him, he says "Yea, Ah figured we would take a bit more standard way of getting there. Plus gives you time to start studying this." He tosses her a paper drivers manual from the DMV. "If this is going to be something ya want to do, figure you should learn to do it right." He tells her.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon blinks, looking with utter confusion at the driver's manual. "Ummmm... I don't know if you realized this, but the DMV isn't exactly a very mutant-friendly thing. One whiff of the wings and it's goodbye, license. And I can't wear an image inducer forever. Sooner or later, it'd come out." Still, she holds on to the manual as if it were a precious illuminated manuscript, flipping through the pages almost reverently. "Something most people take for granted... they don't know how lucky they are."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to her, and says "Well one or two choices on that, you can go to the DMV near Mutant town, or you use the image inducer to get the license, and then put some fake wings on the back of your seat, and just engage the inducer if your pulled over or have to show the id." He tells her "We can find ways around it, and even if you don't want to get a licenses best to know how to drive just in case." He will say "GPS says about a two hour trip."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon cants her head slightly, considering this. "I'd rather be honest about what I am up front rather than get busted for it later. Maybe go to the DMV near Mutant Town, at least I'd stand the same chance as anyone else there." As it turns out she's riding shotgun on this particular trip, she clambers into the passenger side and shuts the door, buckling up. Oh yeah, she's definitely like a kid on Christmas morning, all giggles and smiles for a change.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and is tempted to use the blues brothers quote but it is not night, and the don't smoke. He does offer her a pair of sunglasses after putting his one, and fiddles with his phone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wL5z9cQfK5U) I see Fire starts to play not to loud for them to talk but as background music level. "You ready?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, and grins, slipping the sunglasses on. "A cannonball and a girl with wings, on a mission from god." She giggles, wriggling about happily in her seat, keeping the window cracked open a little bit, with a nudge to his side. "Just in case you decided to have chili for dinner last night." she teases.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles a bit and shakes his head "There is a cooler in the back you should be able to reach with a couple cold Root Beers and some Cheerwine in it." He tells her. he starts the car, and says "And away we go." He offers her a smile and starts heading down the drive.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon is reaching for one of the rootbeers in the cooler but then stops, intrigued by the appearance of the cans of Cheerwine. "What's that? Never heard of it." Le -gasp-. A half-Guthrie, having never heard of Cheerwine?! Sacrilege, I tell ya, sacrilege!!!

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles and says "The Cheerwine?" It is a drink out of North Carolina, you can try one if you want, it is a soft drink no booze in it, so no worries." He tells her, and as they get to the gate he uses a remote and it opens, and the two of them are officially on their way to her parents house.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon grins and gets them both a can of Cheerwine. "Hey, you only live once this go-around, right? Bottoms up!" She cracks open the can and takes a cautious sniff. "Smells like cherries." One sip, and she looks as if she's in heaven. "Oh man... this would make a killer soda float, with some vanilla ice cream in it. This is seriously good stuff!"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods, and says "They make it in North Carolina, and down there they make al kinds of stuff with it, that and a drink called Sundrop were all over the place when I was down that ways." He telles her, as he takes a sip keeping one hand on the wheel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoXq8o6r6So) starts to play next. He looks over to her, and says "Wanting to get anything from Salem center to take your parents?"

Nightingale has posed:
"Oh gosh, I wouldn't know what to get them. I sure can't bring them anything to do with the school, not the way anti-mutant sentiment is down there. I mean, that huge thing with the Sentinel factory was literally just one town over, so that ought to tell you something." She tilts her head, pursing her lips in thought. "I don't know, is there anything unique to the area you can think of that wouldn't cause them any problems later on?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie hmms and says "About the only thing Ah really found is some small gimmicy things from one of the souvenir shops to be honest. It is a quiet little town around here. What type of things your parents like?" He does take his time through Salem center just in case she thinks of somehting she wants to get.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon laughs softly, and shrugs. "Probably something kitschy like a magnet or a snowglobe or something, or a picture frame. Or one of those cheesy little snowglobes you can slip a photo into, don't know if there's any of those around here. Classic New England stuff, or anything antique-y. Mom passed on her appreciation of antiques and music to me. Dad... he can't carry a tune in a leaky bucket." She giggles softly, shaking her head. "God, this is a conversation I didn't think would ever happen."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles a bit and says "Ah am the same way can't carry a tune, but might make ya suffer some. He jokes as (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UePtoxDhJSw) starts playing the next song "So want to stop or save it for the next time we go see them so you can put some more thought into it?

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon chuckles, listening to the song. "I think if there's some saltwater taffy somewhere, they'd be just as happy. Next time... god, you have no idea how nice it is to be able to think in those terms." Her eyes crinkle up a little at the corners, and her shoulders shake with mirth. "Mom will be lucky if she gets any of the taffy. That's like catnip to my dad." Edible gifts are safe, a'right?

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie makes sure to find a place they can stop and get some "We can get enough we can have some too if ya want." He looks to her, and says "Well you don't have to be away from them all the time, we just gotta work on it and find a way to get things done.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, and cracks a smile, glancing over at Sam. "There's a lot more critical things going on than a road trip to the old homestead. Hate to say it, but it falls pretty low on the totem pole compared to dealing with things like trickster gods, Sentinels, Friends of Humanity, and all that crap. Besides... I should be a little bit less of a baby about the whole thing." She giggles a little bit and bobs her head in answer to his suggestion. "Probably a good idea if you want to try any of it. Is saltwater taffy something you've ever had?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie says, "A bit but not real often, more of a beach candy, and well I was mountains growing up and all. And Family is important kiddo, we have to remember why we fihgt for."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles wide, and nods. "Grew up near the coast. Haven't been away from the ocean or my family for this long. Ever. You're right, it's good to remember what we fight for." She pauses, looking down at the manual in her hands. "Ummmm, got a little question on this, though. I can't use the school as my address when I finally go for my license, and I'm not sure they'll accept an out-of-state address, either...."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie hmms and says "Probably can use the offices of X-corp there are some apartments there, and would make sense a mutant working and living out of there." He smiles and says "Do you want to learn to drive?

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon chuckles. "It's a good skill to have. Hate having to use an X-corp address, though. The school's home. And I hate lying." Her eyes twinkle with mirth, and she peers at the steering wheel. "You do have good health insurance, right? Because you or whoever tries to teach me to drive are liable to get scared half to death."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smirks a bit and says "Ah got a blast field, just don't be to freaked out if ya look over and Ah am glowing now and again." He teases a bit and the music plays and they chat, soon they are pulling up towards the house "OK, inducer on till we get inside." He tells her.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, and turns her image inducer on, those large, snowy white wings vanishing from view. As they pull into the driveway, there is one car present, where it looks like there is usually room for two or three. It's a little red 1994 Toyota Paseo that looks as if it's been well-maintained over the years. "Huh, looks like just mom home at the moment." She glances down at the dashboard clock, and grins. "But not for long. I'll lay you odds that mom will be on the phone to him within about two seconds of us going through that door and it'll be maybe fifteen, twenty minutes before he joins us."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles and says "Ah would think so, aint taking that bet." He grins finds a place to park, where her dad can get his car still parked when he gets home. He looks to her, and says "So you want to go up alone first or want me to come with ya?" He will offer letting her choose.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon bites her lower lip and thinks on this for a moment. "Stick close, but I call dibs on the first hug." She gets out of the station wagon and shuts the door, careful to keep her wings out of the way even though they are invisible. "Oh man... she is going to be surprised. I'll lay you odds she's probably in the crafting room right now. You should see some of the crazy quilt wallhangings she makes. Puts what I can do to shame."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to her, and says "Ok, Ah think ah can handle that. HE will walk over to put an arm around you and give a hug "Ah am willing to bet, you she will forget about any crafting when she sees ya."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon fishes around in her right pocket and pulls out a key, giggling. "Let's see if we can sneak up on her, really surprise the living heck out of her. Wouldn't be the first time I brought a friend home, but it'd be the first time I get to tell her, "Hey mom, meet my new adopted brother. Oh yeah, by the way, you just gained a whole new branch of the family."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie 's brow raises and says "You sure?" He seems a bit more cautious and says "Sure she won't be scared if we pop in like that/

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon pouts a little and slips the key back into her pocket. "Okay, okay, maybe you're right. But I love the idea of surprising her. Besides... with Charity running around, she's probably already got an idea someone's here anyw..."

/WOOF! WOOF!/ There's insistent, very loud barking that can be easily heard as they get closer to the front door. Shannon just rolls her eyes and laughs. "Yep, I knew it. Who needs a doorbell, when you have an Old English Sheepdog?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles a bit and looks to her and says "Ah think when she sees you it will be a surprise enough for her, warning ya she might be a bit worried about you, not seeing the wings and all." Seems Sam thinks about these type of things.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, and smiles. "Well, I'll be able to turn the inducer off when we get inside, then she can stop her worrying and start ooh-ing and aah-ing over the wonders of the thing." She tilts her head, thinking for a moment. "Just how elaborate can these things go, anyways? If I had to go completely incognito, could I set it to have me look like a bird if I have to fly somewhere like Metropolis again?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie says, "I aint sure if it can do that or not ussually always seen them be human shaped and such Kurt would be the one to ask about that." He waits with her at the door."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods and smiles. "I'll have to do that when we get back, or fire off a text." She's about to open her mouth and say more, but....

...a big, furry head appears at the door, bouncing up and down. Grey and white fur, with so much fur the eyes aren't very easily seen. A big, black nose, and a floppy pink tongue. Shannon bursts out laughing, leaning in towards the door and tapping the glass. "Hey, Charity... go get mom! Go on!" But the dog is too happy to see her to even think of moving away from the door, at least for the moment. But soon enough, a woman just a little bit shorter than Shannon comes walking out to the front hallway to see what all the commotion is about. She's got warm brown eyes about the color of cocoa, deep auburn hair cut short and kept in soft waves, and a winsome smile that echoes the winged teen's in eerily similar fashion. The look of shock on the woman's face is plain, and she lunges for the dog's collar to guide her away from the door. "Shannon! Honey, what are you doing home?!" With the dog moved behind her, the door opens, revealing Shannon's mom. She's dressed in a pair of loose black harem-style pants, a flowing black sleeveless top that drapes gracefully down to mid-thigh, and a duster jacket of shimmering material with large red roses on a field of black.

"Mom... it's so good to se..." Shannon's cut off, sure enough, by the very thing that Sam had mentioned. "Where are your wings, honey?!"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smirks a bit and says "She is alright ma'am, if we can step inside might be able to answer your question a bit easier, when we don't have to worry about prying eyes and ears." He says. Sam has met her once before briefly when he came to check on them for Shannon, but Shannon does not know it yet.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon's mom nods, and moves aside so they can step inside and close the door. Shannon is promptly mobbed by a big bear of an Old English Sheepdog, who is barking and jumping up to slobber kisses all over her face. She laughs and scratches the dog behind her ears. "Come on, Charity... sit!" The dog promptly obeys, though you can imagine if she had a tail, it would be doing a very good job of dusting the floor, as one can see that backside wiggling happily back and forth.

     Shannon giggles as she tries to wipe her face clean, turning to face Sam and her mom. "Sam, this is my mom, Terry... mom, this is...."

     Terry gets a quirky little smile on her face, her left eyebrow lofting as she finishes her daughter's sentence. "...Samuel Guthrie." Shannon just goes very quiet as this sinks in, looking between the two, then she just turns towards Sam.

     "Okay, big brother, 'fess up. What's going on here?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles a bit and looks over and says "Well you were worried about them, and while Ah did not feel comfortable taking you into a possible dangerous situation, Ah flew down to check on them, and make sure they were ok. Was gonna evac them if there was need for it." He admit.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon looks between Sam and her mom and moment longer, and pulls both into a hug. "Thank you." It's plain she's choking up from hearing the admission, but the smile on her face is wide enough to swallow an X-wing. It's an emotional moment, but Terry has them soon heading for the kitchen. "Come on, kids. Sit down, let me get you something, and you tell me all about what you've been up to."

Shannon ducks ahead to the kitchen. "Nooooooo no no no no no... mom, you burn water, for god's sake! I'll go put something together and see if I can bug dad at the funeral home."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will hug back, and chuckles softly "She has been missing you ma'am, so ah figured a day trip was called for, give her a chance to see you and her Pa. She can get here now, without folks realizing it is her, or at least not seeing the wings. Ah have even been talking to her about getting her license so when things settle down a bit she can visit more often.

Nightingale has posed:
     Terry nods, and walks with Sam towards the kitchen. "I know. We hear it when she calls home every week. She tries to sound all chipper, but we hear it. It just about broke our hearts having to take her to the Institute, but we didn't know what else to do. It seemed like the best chance we could give her at a good life, with people who could help her maybe a little better than we could." As they make their way down the hall, one door is slightly ajar, and a familiar-looking, single white star is on it, with no other adornment. "She's talked so much about her friends there, though. It feels as if we already know them. She mentions you a lot, how you've been like a brother to her." The middle-aged woman stops a moment and smiles to Sam. "I don't know what she's told you, but we were never able to have a son. If we could, though... I would have been proud if they were like you."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says "Well, Ah have took her in as part of the family, she reminds me a lot of a couple of my sisters. Ah aint sure if she told you, but Ah am the eldest 10. He will bring up a picture of them on the phone to show her. "Pretty sure we could put her, and you in that pic and people would still think just a family pic. Heck my brother even has wings."

Nightingale has posed:
     Terry smiles as she looks at the picture, zooming in to look at each face in turn. "You all look really happy," she remarks. She appears a little less comfortable on a smartphone than her daughter, sometimes zooming out when she meant to zoom in, tapping the screen a bit harder than she should with frustraton. However, she does laugh. "Give me a dumb phone anytime. How do you kids manage?"

     From just down the hallway, in the kitchen, Shannon can be heard chattering excitedly on the phone, with a -click- as the receiver is set down. "Looks like we're gonna have a full-on family reunion here!" she calls out, laughing. "How's some French toast sound to everyone, and maybe some scrambled eggs?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says "If your wanting to cook sure." He looks to Terry and says "Ah think she spends more time in the kitchen at the school than most any place else." he does not mention the medlab part of it. "Ah was using an older one till recently myself but needed a more up to date one for my job." he tells her. "She is doing god at the school, has made a few friends besides me Ah believe.

Nightingale has posed:
     Terry just smiles, pulling out a stool at the kitchen counter. It's more of a peninsula than an island, really, with a teal laminate surface. The floor is white ceramic tile with a marble-like appearance, with each tile being about six inches square. It's a considerably smaller room than the kitchen back at Xavier's, with one stove/oven, an oven fan above it to draw smoke, and the kitchen sink to one side. Sliding glass doors lead to what looks to be an outdoor patio/garden area, with a small pond central to the planting, and a wisteria tree growing up behind it. It looks as if most of the patio furniture has been put away for the season, with just hints of dirt around cleaner areas indicating perhaps where each piece once rested. "Good. We're proud of her, but we understand that it's something we can't talk about. I can't imagine that it would make things any easier on her, and could possibly put her and all of you in danger, if people knew about the school." She settles down on a second stool, sighing in relief as age has begun to tell on her, with pains in her joints that are relieved by getting off her feet. "If you'll forgive the expression, it was a wing and a prayer, even finding it to begin with."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to her, and has a seat. "Well we are glad to have her, you can always just say she is at a boarding school. Not going into which one if ya have to." He will offer. If you have any questions about what has been going on will do my best to fill you in. Anything your worried about or curious about will do my best to help ya out.

Nightingale has posed:
     The smell of egg-dipped bread frying fills the kitchen, and for the moment, Shannon's turned off her image inducer. She's shaking what her momma gave her, humming "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This" as she works, making what looks to be a fairly sizeable batch of the breakfast goodies. Outside, the sound of another car pulling into the driveway can be heard, with its door slamming shut. The dog reacts to this, running to the door and barking like crazy.

     Terry chuckles and looks briefly to the door. "Looks like you'll be meeting Paul in a few minutes. He may growl but he just loves our little girl." It's not hard to see where Shannon gets her tendency to seek out the best in everyone from. Terry glances back to Sam, pinning him with a look that will brook no opposition and nothing but the truth. "I've seen some of the news broadcasts about protests and the robot attacks. And the past couple weeks, Shannon hasn't called as much as usual. When she does, I keep getting the feeling there's things she isn't telling us. Whether it's because she can't or won't, I don't know."

     Shannon, meanwhile, is overhearing this, and sighs softly, her wings drooping. "Mom... I'm okay. There's gonna be some things I can't tell you. Some things I wish I could."

     "But why can't you, honey? You've always been able to talk to us about everything, you know that...."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to Terry, and says "For your safety and hers as well. There are bad people who if they knew you were related to a mutant would want to hurt you, or use you to find out information about us and the school. The less you know is most time better. Ah will be honest, probably some she could tell you more than she does but being new, she still aint sure what's ok and what's not. I can tell you yes she has been at a couple of the protests where the sentinels have been and she has tried to help people. If one of them happens to show up where we are, we do our best to make sure the students and any civilians are all safe.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, moving the frying pan off of the burner and turning around to hug her mother. "Mom... if I could tell you I would Sam's right, though. There's been some pretty dangerous stuff." The auburn-haired woman opens her mouth to protest, but Shannon just holds up her hand. "Before you say anything, I have no intention of leaving the school. I've had chances to make a difference that I could only dream of as a kid. And I'm not even through my first semester yet."

Terry does frown, eyeing her daughter critically. "But your powers, honey..."

Shannon nods slowly. "Yeah. I've had to use them. It hurts but it's done some good."

The two women are interrupted by the arrival of a big bear of a man in a charcoal-colored 3-piece suit and a red silk tie, with close-cropped salt and pepper hair, and intense brown eyes set amidst a strong face. "Shannon!" His voice fairly booms out, a grin spreading across his face. The young lady in question giggles, and... does nothing. Knowing Sam's already been here once before, she sees no reason to get in between the two men.

"Samuel," the older gentleman rumbles. "Good to see you. Have you been taking care of our little girl?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie offers the bit man his hand and a firm shake. "Doing my best sire, trying to keep her out of trouble, and giving her a firm talking to when Ah can't." He looks to Shannon and says "Ah can tell you one time she has used her powers to help someone. You may have heard of the woman who was hurt trying to protect the kids from the Sentinels? Shannon met with her, and was given a choice she could help her, or if she thought it was to much not. She helped the woman and was out of commission for a few days. Her own healing does seem to be getting more robust and quicker. Ah have been talking to her about making sure she puts thought into it before helping someone, but you know her, Ah don't believe she would ever turn someone away she thought she could help.

Nightingale has posed:
     Both Terry and Paul give Shannon the 'look'. You know, the classic look parents everywhere seem to pick up magically when they have kids, and have to ask them WTF without swearing. The young winged mutant actually seems to shrink back a little bit, but just a little bit, before squaring her shoulders. "Mom... the problem with this world is people don't help each other. If they got busy doing that instead of fighting over being different, we'd be a whole lot better off. I couldn't say no. Not when she almost gave everything to help those kids."

     Paul turns back to Sam, shaking his hand. "I owe you a drink the next time you visit, son. You'll need it to wet your whistle, if you have to talk to her as much as we did."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles a bit and says "Yea she is stubborn but you both did a good job with her. She is a good kid. She is adjusting well to being around more kids. She has even started working on learning german from one of our teachers and a fellow student. " Sam does not say anything about her liking the fellow student but wagers she might give it away with her reaction. She is doing very well in her classes, and we are working on some things she had not thought about. " He looks to Paul "As I was telling your wife, hoping to actually having her driving and maybe able to visit on her own within the next year.

Nightingale has posed:
     Sure enough, Shannon turns bright, bright red at the mention of said student, which gets raised eyebrows from both her mother and father. She coughs and busies herself with finishing up the French toast, but can't quite suppress a tell-tale little giggle. Paul looks over at Sam, crossing his arms. "Do I need to talk to anybody?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the man and says "He is a good kid, had a bit of a hard past, but Ah believe he would die before he hurt her." He tells the man "Plus most know Ah consider her my sister, am the type to protect family." He tells him. "Ah might not should and she might kick me on the way back to the school, but his name is Sam, as well. Ah figure should tell ya that, so if it becomes more than friendship, ya don't come looking for me with the shotgun." He jokes

Nightingale has posed:
     Sam gets a dish towel flung in his general direction, to the tune of much embarrassed giggling from Shannon. "You -had- to go squealing about that, didn't you?" Terry's trying not to laugh, Paul looks torn between hunting down the other Sam and giving him a talking to, and ribbing his daughter. He wisely stays out of the fray for now. Shannon just goes to make the scrambled eggs, keeping her mouth shut--but can't keep the twinkle out of her eyes. Oh, my.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "Oh if Ah was not making your life more interesting, what kind of big brother would Ah be? But as I was saying she is doing really well. She is working hard on both her academic classes, and understanding and working with her abilities. She also may have a chance once she has graduated to work with a new mutant friendly corporation to go some real world job expereince, in what ever field she decides she wants to. right now yes it looks to be medical, but trying to make sure she keeps her options open.

Nightingale has posed:
     Terry looks right at Sam, her eyes pleading, and her voice low. "Don't let her limit herself. We're proud of her no matter what she does, as long as she's following her heart." Just visible in the hallway at their current angle, is the door to Shannon's bedroom, with its white star on the door. "She's had so few she could look up to. We're glad she has you. We tried to understand her... but the fact of the matter is, we're not mutants. She's in a world we may not ever completely understand."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie reaches to take Terry's hands and says "It is the same world your in, she may see things different, and people may see her differently but we all go through the same thing just different degrees of it. No matter where she goes or what she does, she will be your daughter, and love you. Ah believe she had two people better than me to look up two. Both of you, you have done your best, and when you felt she needed more you sought help. "Miss Lance, Ah will be honest with you, we have students who were kicked out of there homes cause they were mutants, ones who were attacked by their own parents. You and Mr. Lance provided her with a loving home, a place where she could bloom, and learn to be herself. You made sure she had what she needed and a fair amount of what she wanted. A kid, mutant or human could hardly have it better.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon pulls four plates from the kitchen cabinets and serves out the French toast and scrambled eggs, retrieving some good maple syrup from the fridge. You know, the stuff in the fancy little glass jugs that you find in a roadside stand or at a sugarhouse in New Hampshire. Without another word, she pulls her mom, dad, and adopted big brother into one great big hug, as much as her arms and wings will allow. "Sam's right. Heck, I helped bring another girl to the school just a few days ago, and her story... it'd break your heart. See, I know I'm lucky to have you two love me so much, that you did the best you could and did the hard thing when it came down to it. Okay, sure. I've gotten to meet my heroes. Maybe one day if I'm lucky, I'll earn the privelege of calling them friends. But before even the Captain... I had you two. You two are my biggest heroes of all."

Both parents get a little misty-eyed, though Paul is a bit more stoic about it. Terry, on the other hand, just hugs her little girl tighter.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will hug back, but does not hold it to long not wanting to make her dad feel awkward. "I figured if you two were up for it, we could spend the day here, so you and she could get a bit of time together, and recharge the batteries so to speak.

Nightingale has posed:
     Of course, the more stoic Paul Lance breaks the hug, and Shannon's sliding a plate full of French toast and scrambled eggs in front of each. It's a very informal affair, a quick, hearty meal easily whipped up at a moment's notice. The young mutant is happier than she's seemed in a while, her wings fluttering to the beat of a classic 80's rock anthem.

     But Paul is not one to mince words. After a few bites of the meal, he looks right up at Sam. "Sam, we have to ask. What else can you tell us about what Shannon's been doing? Is she in danger?"

     Shannon just looks right at her dad, and shakes her head quickly. To Sam, she shoots a quick 'help me' look.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to the parents, and says "Honest answer.. some yes, but in general less than she would be here with people seeking to hurt her. " He will look to the two and says "Being a mutant brings with it danger, and being one that is obvious more so. At the school she has people around her who know what to look for with possible danger, and experience in dealing with it to help protect her." He looks to them, and says "Ah know you both want her safe and away from any type of danger, but honestly ah believe this is where she is safest, and Ah look after her as if she is my own flesh and blood.

Nightingale has posed:
     Both parents are silent for a moment, looking at each other as if doubting for a moment their decision to send Shannon to Xavier's. At any time, they could pull her out of there, and they knew it. The young woman just holds her breath, waiting. Would she have to leave behind everyone she'd come to know and love, as much as if they were her two greatest heroes, right here?

     Finally, Terry speaks up, reaching over to pat Sam's hand. "If we'd ever been able to have a son," she says. "We would have wanted them to be like you. You're family to us, just as much as she is. Take care of our little girl."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods his head a bit and says "Ah promise you Ah will do my best. On the good news front, she is doing really well with her classes so far and seems to be making friends fast. Even has a few there she can go flying with on occasion." he reassured them. As I told Mrs Lance, I can't tell you everything for security reasons but will tell you what I can, and as I have told Shannon, there are some hotels in Salem Center, you guys can come up for a weekend, and she can spend time that way as well.

Nightingale has posed:
     Terry's gone all misty-eyed, and she hugs Paul. "Our little girl's growing up. She'll be helping save the world one day, I just know it." Shannon tries not to smile, winking at Sam. Oh, if only her family knew how close to the mark they were! Laughing, she brings out the box she'd been holding back, and nudges her dad. "Here. You and mom can fight over these." Yep. It's the saltwater taffy.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says 'Well at the very least she is already helping trying to make it a better place. She has been known to ride out to bushwick with me, and while Ah am working, she has been working at some of the shelters and clinics

Nightingale has posed:
     Paul nods, a small hint of a smile lightening his otherwise deadpan expression. "Just like she'd do here. We're proud of her." Shannon's munching on her French toast, and she frowns a little. "Guys... I kind of just thought of something. What are we going to do for Christmas? Are you and mom coming up to the school? Am I coming home? Or... maybe is there some way we could get both our families together? I've never had a Christmas without you and it'd really suck if I had to start now."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks to them, and says "Well, I have had to miss a couple with mine will be honest, but this year planned on heading back, don't want Jay to have to miss his first one either. Getting all my family out of the mountains, would be one heck of a project don't see it happening kiddo.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just looks heartbroken, her wings drooping visibly behind her. She was not liking the sound of this one bit. Oh sure, it had been bound to happen someday, but she'd hoped to not start missing the holidays with her family now. Her parents both hug her, and Terry does her best to offer some comfort. "Sweetie, all we can do is try our best. Even if we don't make it right on Christmas, we'll still figure something out."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie says, "You can come home for Christmas kiddo, lots do. Ah just don't see both of our families getting together for it. Maybe next year something can be planned, but we are looking at what 2 and a half months or so is a bit of short notice, for your parents to pack up, and head out intot he mountains of Kentucky."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly, twirling her fork around on her plate. "You're right. I'm sorry for being so silly about it." Well, at least there was the image inducer. She could make the trip down safely. "Stupid idea anyways."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie shakes his head, and says "Stupid no, maybe a bit hurried. I think we should maybe do a trip like this to my home so you can meet ma and the kids, and then maybe see about your parents and mine meeting.." he pauses and says "You realize this sounds like something other than me and you being brother and sister right?" he teases, her.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nearly chokes on her next bite of breakfast, and coughs. Loudly. "That's just.. WRONG. NO... nooooooo no no no no no no... oh HAIL NO!" And what's Paul doing? Laughing at the ribbing his little girl is taking about this. Both men promptly get a dish towel flung at them by the young winged mutant.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles a bit and smiles at her, and says "Hey last girl I took home was a girl friend, but I have taken some of the others home too. Illyana, Dani, and Rahne have all been home with me Berto, and Doug also.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles. "Well... I still want to find your family something to send with you for a Christmas present. But I don't know what they'd like. So, who better to ask than my brother from another mother?" Perhaps plans were afoot after all, in some form.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles and says "Well I am sure we will have time to talk about it today is for you and your parents. so what would the three of you like to do with the day

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles a little more, and nibbles on her breakfast. "Well... going out somewhere would probably not be a great idea. We could always play a game, or see what movie we'd want to watch, or just hang out, maybe? And Sam... you're part of this too."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says "Well we can go out with the inducer if ya want, and Ah will go along with most anything. This is my gift to you guys

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon looks much, much happier now, there with her family, and her adopted big brother. The chatter goes on for a while, with plans for the day being made, talk of holiday happenings, and a single white star overlooking them all, hung from her bedroom door.