These are first come, first serve if anyone wants them.



Vic/Mac and Bobby/Darien

I mostly just wanted to write the introduction scene below.

In OaT universe, all survived explosion. V/M lived together to help during rehabilitation and the just seemed to fit. Being vulnerable and having to help each other stripped away all the layers of bullshit between them. Now, a couple of years later, they are, as the Director says, "revoltingly happy." The events of the finale affected a sea change in the relationship between Di and the team. They have all accepted their roles as agents and she has relaxed her old a little how that she's more secure in them.

A few years back, Di did a favor for Charlie and now she needs his help in settling some internal strife within her Agency. The Head died without leaving a clear successor and now there's a vicious power struggle going on. Di is not participating, but is the favorite for the position anyway. All of the Directors are in Canada to hash it out. Some of the opposing Directors have begun a threatening others to sway their decisions. Di needs to somehow find out who are the offending parties.

She doesn't know about Darien, but Charlie owes her big time, so he sends out his big gun. This is almost immediately after the IM finale, so things are still a little shaky between Bobby and Darien. They both want to completely reconcile, and both are trying to get things back to the way they were before, but something indefinable has changed.

Darien hasn't quite twigged to exactly what's going on - he's still trying to grasp the new freedom he has - but Bobby hasn't spent all those years in therapy for nothing. He knows what's between them, but isn't sure if it can or should happen. As much as he wants and probably loves Darien, Bobby feels he's too much, too crazy to be in a relationship with anyone. He doesn't realize he's been in a relationship with Darien for years.

So, Bobby and Darien go to Canada.

The situation at the Agency is rather tense, just as Darien and Bobby arrive there's word that one of the Directors favored to take over has been killed. The whole team is scrambling to both acquire information and make sure Di is protected.

SCENE - INT. DAY BRIEFING ROOM

MAC, LIANNE, & JACKIE are seated in their customary places around the table. Jackie is working on laptop and frowning. Lianne is on the phone, holding a hand over her free ear and reaming someone out on the other end of the line. Mack is arguing with VIC who is pacing around the room.

THE DIRECTOR is sitting at her desk, watching the circus around her and keeping one eye on the door. She hasn't told her team she called for reinforcements.

VIC: I don't care how good you are, Mac, there's no way you can break into the meeting.

MAC: Vic -

VIC: Mac, it's too dangerous. You'd have to be invisible or something to pull it off.

The door slides open, allowing BOBBY and DARIEN to enter. Bobby immediately takes up a defensive position in front of Darien as he checks out the room. The OaT team stops what they're doing to check out the newcomers. They recognize and catalogue Bobby as a career agent, a threat if threatened. They obviously don't know what to make of Darien. He's dressed in one of his goofy outfits, but somehow manages to look brutally hot. He's obviously not carrying a weapon and doesn't move like he knows any martial arts.

Darien allows Bobby's reconnaissance of the room, knowing it's important to him, before moving to stand shoulder to shoulder with him.

The Director stands and moves to lean on the front of her desk

DIRECTOR: Agents Hobbes and Fawkes, I presume?

Bobby nods.

BOBBY: The Official sent us. He said we could probably help out with some problems you're having.

VIC: You brought in outside talent?

LIANNE (ending her phone conversation): That was completely unnecessary, Di. We -

MAC & JACKIE: Have this under control.

The Director saunters around the table, pausing to run her fingers through Mac's hair and to pat Vic on the butt, causing Darien and Bobby to exchange a serious, WTF? look.

DIRECTOR: Shhhh, children. You know I don't doubt your many talents, but an old friend assured me these two would be invaluable.

She circles around Darien and Bobby, running a finger over Bobby's shoulders and making an approving noise. He tenses, but doesn't make any other protest. Darien, on the other hand, makes a move towards the Director, but a look from Bobby stops him. He's obviously not pleased, though.

DIRECTOR: How is The Official? I haven't seen him in years.

Bobby keeps his eyes forward as she traces his spine and answers as if he's standing at attention.

BOBBY: He's happy to be of assistance, ma'am.

The Director runs a nail up the back of Bobby's neck and over the top of his head.

DIRECTOR: The Official wasn't very forthcoming as to exactly what makes the two of you so invaluable, Agent Hobbes.

The Director releases Bobby and makes a move towards Darien. Before she can touch him, Bobby pins her wrists behind her and moves her away.

BOBBY: We'll help in whatever way we can, ma'am.

He drops her arms as if they are distasteful and steps back to stand with Darien. The Director narrows her eyes before turning to head for her desk.

DIRECTOR: How is Dr. Jacobson these days, Agent Hobbes? He's made great strides in his field, don't you think?

Bobby reacts visibly, but before he can regroup, Darien jumps in. The easygoing look drops from off his face, making him look dangerous. When he speaks, Bobby recognizes the QSM voice.

DARIEN: Oh, I don't think so, lady.

The tone of his voice brings everyone to attention, sharpening what had been an enjoyable moment of watching other people get harassed.

DIRECTOR: Excuse me?

BOBBY: Fawkes -

Darien silences Bobby with a quick look and a hand on his shoulder and stalks towards the Director. She holds her ground, but her team quickly moves to cover the room. Bobby shifts nervously, but doesn't do anything to make the situation worse.

DARIEN: If you want us to play with you, you have to play fair.

He emphasizes his final clause in the above with a tap to her nose on each word.

DARIEN: And that means Bobby's file stays confidential, okay?

The Director trails a finger down the center of Darien's chest.

DIRECTOR: What about your file, Agent Fawkes?

Darien smiles and it's scary.

DARIEN: Oh, I don't think you have clearance to read my file.

She leans forward to speak in a whisper only he can hear.

DIRECTOR: There are some interesting bits from your... second stay in prison, I think it was. It takes a strong man to recover from something like that.

Whatever reaction she was hoping for it was Darien leaning forward to speak just as softly.

DARIEN: I'd be careful who you mention that around. If Bobby doesn't kill you where you stand, before I can do it, your own agents might. They both had quite a few admirers in prison if I read their files correctly.

He pats her cheek before straightening up. He smiles at Mac and Vic and backs off.

DARIEN: No, my dear Director, you obviously do not have clearance to read my whole file.

Darien goes Quicksilver and his path of destruction can be traced around the room. The Director jumps as if goosed. Jackie's laptop levitates briefly before settling back on the table. Lianne's dropped jaw is carefully pushed closed. Mac's chair is spun in a circle. Vic's jacket is pulled up over his head. Darien laughs from next to Bobby and shakes off the Quicksilver. He's how resting his bent arm on Bobby's shoulder.

DARIEN: Man, I will never get tired of that.

BOBBY: You're thirty-two. How can you still be a juvenile delinquent?

DARIEN: Just lucky, I guess.

They head to the table and sit down in two unoccupied chairs. Darien slouches down, one bent knee resting against the side of Bobby's leg.

DARIEN: So, why did The Official send up to the Great White North?

The Director recovers first and fires up the projector while Vic stumbles to his chair.




Johnny/Bobby

"Wait."

It was one word. Four letters. An imperative command. And it changed everything.

In the second before he said it, Bobby saw the future spiral out before him. John would leave, angry and, yes, jealous. Maybe he'd make it inside the facility only to have Logan or Ororo or someone yell at him and he'd finally have had enough. Or he wouldn't even make it inside before Magneto or whoever else was lurking around found him and killed him. Or convinced him to follow them. Oh, Bobby would have Rogue, sort of, but eventually she'd leave him for Logan or some as-yet-to-be named mutant and he'd be alone. No girlfriend. No *best* friend.

Alone.

So he picked another path.

"The two of us have a better chance." And the look on John's face - not smugly triumphant like Bobby was afraid of, no it was relief and a little disbelief. Like he was sure Bobby had picked the other path.

"Bobby, Logan said - "

"I know what Logan said." It wasn't that he disliked Logan; he actually liked the guy when every woman in a five-mile radius wasn't panting after him. Not that he could blame them, and that was really a thought to be examined much, much later.

Like never.

"But John is my best friend."

"He's a delinquent, Bobby."

Now that was uncalled for. Not entirely inaccurate, but uncalled for. "Yes, he is, Rogue -"

"Hey!"

"But I think a little delinquency is needed here, don't you?"

Bobby watched Rogue's eyes flicker back and forth between him and John for a second before she seemed to come to some sort of decision, "You're both delinquents. Get out of here."

"Come on, Pyro. Let's go kick some ass."
***

The ass kicking did not go as planned.

Between John's complete lack of tolerance for the cold, the crazy, debilitating headache, and Magneto's Faustian appearance, they were lucky to have made it back to the Blackbird in one piece.

Jean wasn't so lucky.