Timelined after The Awakening – The X-Men.
Carol: Ah, Boston. It was nice to be back even if it was only temporary. Carol flew over the familiar streets and took in the sights and smells before turning to head to a once very familiar home. She was well overdue a visit. Landing lightly on the doorstep, she fixed her hair (much easier job these days) and pressed the doorbell.
Shaw: Sebastian looked up at the front door sensor trip the moment before the doorbell rang. As he was right in the middle of making one of his never-ending adjustments to Widget, he could hardly ask the AI to answer the door.
Shaw: He checked the security feed on his phone and unfolded himself from his place on the floor, stepping over his tools to start for the door.
Shaw: As usual, Sharky was faster and streaked past him, jumping over a hassock and forming a membrane resembling a flying squirrel to glide to the lower level.
Carol: Hearing the skittering on the floor beyond the door made her smile. So someone was home.
Shaw: "Show off," he commented to the silver dog, taking the slower route and listening to the second step creak under his weight. Hrm.
Shaw: Sebastian arrived at the door and deactivated the security with a wave of his hand, then pulled it open. "Carol," he greeted, inclining his head and stepping aside to let her in as Sharky started yapping and jumped into the woman's arms.
Carol: "Hey!" She caught the silver dogthing and gave him a cuddle, passing Sebastian into the house, she looked around. Still the same. "At least you missed me, huh?"
Shaw: "It's good to see you," he chuckled, closing the door and turning to Danvers. Smirking, he took her free hand and raised it, bowing into a kiss.
Carol: Carol let Sharky go so he could hop around their feet and pulled Sebastian into a hug, "It's good to see you too."
Shaw: Sebastian laughed at the attempt to cover her discomfort over his greeting and returned the hug. "What brings you back to Boston?"
Carol: She shrugged, "I was in the area for work... had some free time so I figured I'd come drink all your coffee like the old days."
Shaw: "Well, by all means." Sebastian stepped back and gestured toward the stairs. "Jessica is picking Miriam up from school, so she should be home soon. After you."
Carol: "You sure I can remember the way?" she joked over her shoulder as she climbed the stairs.
Shaw: "Perhaps this is the test to ensure you're who you say." Sebastian avoided Sharky and started up after her, after reactivating the security system.
Carol: "There's gotta be a more fun way you can do that..." she tossed him a grin, aiming her finger-gun with a charge of energy ready to go.
Shaw: "Is that a threat or a come-on, my dear?" Sebastian was still playing the tripping game with Sharky until he made a clicking sound at the dogthing and Sharky leapt to his outstretched hand and shifted into a monkeyish form to climb to his shoulder.
Carol: She laughed, "I guess it could be either with you."
Shaw: "Indeed it could." He flashed her a playful leer as they went to the kitchen and he barked an order to the ridiculously complex coffee maker.
Carol: "You have coffee that makes itself now?" she looked between him and the machine.
Shaw: "I do!" Sebastian was as proud of this machine, as he should be.
Carol: "I need one..." that would really help her in the mornings.
Shaw: He laughed. "Perhaps I'll see what I can do." Sharky jumped from his shoulder to the top of the fridge and investigated a cereal box.
Shaw: "So, how is D.C.?"
Carol: She rolled her eyes, leaning against the counter in her usual spot of waiting for coffee, "It's so boring. Desk jobs are not my favourite."
Shaw: "That's hardly surprising, as I've always known you to be a woman of action." His head tilted and he gestured to her hair. "That's very becoming. New life, new look?"
Carol: She ran a hand over the back of her head, feeling the short hair self consciously, "Something like that... It was getting annoying having to do something with my hair every morning. Have to be in uniform when you're behind a desk..."
Shaw: "I don't envy any of you the trouble, but the effect is always lovely." Sebastian gave her a smirk and moved closer to the machine, which was whirring quietly.
Carol: "If I showed up in my uniform would I have got a hug?"
Shaw: "I don't believe your choice of attire would have made a difference." He tilted his head, then put on a playful leer. "Although I could think of a few options that could have."
Carol: She laughed, "Well, if you don't ask you don't get."
Shaw: A small door on the coffee machine slid open and two steaming cups sat inside. "And here we are," he said, fetching one to give to Carol.
Carol: "It's like it made my point for me," Carol held out her hands and gratefully welcomed the coffee.
Shaw: "Indeed." He chuckled and took the other cup, leaning against the counter as Sharky chittered just above his head.
Carol: "So what are you guys doing these days? I didn't interrupt anything important, right?" She took a sip of the coffee.
Shaw: "I was upgrading Widget." He smirked and blew on the scalding hot coffee. "Again."
Carol: "Never ends, huh? Maybe you should just build him a new body and put his head on it... or wherever his brain lives..."
Shaw: "I don't think Jess would ever forgive me." Sebastian looked toward the living room where Widget and his tools were spread out.
Carol: "If he was a real kid he'd have gotten taller by now... maybe ask her?" Carol followed his gaze, "Or ask Widget."
Shaw: "We always could." He shot her a grin. "But I sense you're not here to watch me tinker with my pet project.”
Carol: "I have nothing better to do," she laughed and gave a half shrug, "I'm avoiding going back to my boring desk job so anything that helps with that..."
Shaw: "I don't suppose this visit to Boston has anything to do with the recent revival of Charles Xavier?" Sebastian took a sip of his hot coffee and watched her.
Carol: She looked shifty for a moment, "Maybe...."
Shaw: "You recall I am a telepath, yes?" Of course, he was a terrible one, but that hardly mattered. He had Monet.
Carol: She nodded, "I do know that. But I'm not so I have no idea what you know or don't know."
Shaw: "Well, he sent a ripple across the astral plane that could have awakened the dead."
Carol: She nodded again, taking a sip of coffee, "First I heard about it was when Rogue showed up at my door and asked me to take over Tony-sitting duties for a couple days..."
Shaw: "I understand he has summoned some of his former students and staff." He smirked over the cup. "I, of course, was not invited."
Carol: "I came here with Tony - Xavier wanted to talk to him about something.... He thanked me for looking after the school so that was... weird." She shrugged a shoulder, having another sip of coffee and wishing it was scotch.
Shaw: "Well, he always had impeccable manners, if also an overly idealistic worldview." He surveyed the cup, then her. "Something, eh? I don't suppose you would like to enlighten me on what that something entails?"
Carol: She sighed, talking to her coffee, "He asked Tony to officially sanction the X-men."
Shaw: Sebastian's cup stopped before it reached his lips. "Pardon?"
Carol: Rather than repeat herself, Carol continued with the rest, "Tony, being Tony, gave it about thirty seconds of thought before he said 'sure'." She turned to put her coffee down because it wasn't scotch.
Shaw: "Of course he did." Sebastian recovered enough to take a long sip of too-hot coffee. He winced. "Why in the unholy depths of hell would either of them want to do that?"
Carol: "Because it's Tony's last year and he wants to go out with a fanfair and Xavier wants to capitalise on this good feeling toward mutants he's been fostering. It's like the perfect storm."
Shaw: "It truly is." Sebastian sighed and eyed the coffee. "We may need scotch for this."
Carol: "Yes! Let's make it better with scotch." She was already on her way to the glassware.
Shaw: His eyebrow rose and he checked the time, then shrugged one shoulder and followed.
Carol: It was good knowing where everything was. She helped herself to scotch and poured Sebastian a glass, offering it out to him.
Shaw: Sebastian accepted the glass of his own scotch with a quirked brow and a slight nod. Across the room, Widget burbled a little. "I'll finish soon," he assured him.
Carol: She gave him a small grin as she raised her glass to take a drink, "Scotch and I are good friends. It makes paperwork less boring."
Shaw: "It does at that." He took a small sip as well, then swirled the glass, watching the amber liquid turn. "I don't suppose they've worked out any of the details of this harebrained plan?"
Carol: "Not yet... think they're gonna touch base with some former students and see who might be interested in a job I guess..." she frowned, going to take a seat on the sofa. "It's not my problem."
Shaw: "Mm. Indeed." Although he wondered if Jessica would be interested.
Carol: "Is it bad that I kind of want it to be a little bit my problem? Am I a masochist?"
Shaw: That made Sebastian look up from his contemplation of the scotch. "What's that? You want to sign on to the circus?”
Carol: "It's gotta be better than sitting on my ass behind a desk all day? I'm so bored... I'm going crazy. I literally get up, go to work, come home, sleep and do it all over again. At least when I lived here and did all that crazy at the school I was doing stuff when I wasn't working... like actually seeing people."
Shaw: "Well, in that case, you are more than qualified," he said with a shrug. "Speak to Tony, then, and Xavier."
Carol: "And make sure I tell them I don't want to see any paperwork," she nodded sagely.
Shaw: "You may wish to make that clear, yes," he chuckled, taking another sip of his scotch and savoring the burn.
Carol: "I just want to punch bad guys. No responsibility, thank you," she laughed.
Shaw: "The paperwork is always the tricky part," he agreed.
Carol: "I wouldn't mind being the boss if it wasn't for the paperwork... I need a robot me that likes paperwork... wanna build me one?"
Shaw: "I'm afraid I don't trust any AI, no matter how advanced, with tackling the paperwork." Widget whistled. "Hush, that doesn't count."
Carol: "Spoilsport." She punctuated this statement with a drink from her glass. Then paused as a chorus of loud 'wheek!' sounds erupted through the house. "What the fuck is that?"
Shaw: "Ah... you recall Jessica's habit of picking up strays, yes?" Sebastian set his glass of scotch aside.
Carol: "... are you telling me a person made that sound?"
Shaw: "Guinea pigs," he clarified. "They can hear her car." Sebastian could, too, but did not squeak about it.
Carol: "Guinea pigs? Seriously?" Now she wanted to go see them... but she should say hi to Jess first probably.
Shaw: "She uses them for therapy work." He shrugged one shoulder and smirked.
Carol: Carol decided to finish her drink rather than abandon it then set the empty glass down on the table. "You know I love her, but your wife is crazy."
Shaw: "Oh, I know." Sebastian just grinned, looking like his namesake shark.
Jessica: The door from the parking garage opened and Jess' voice called out, "I can hear you talking about me, you know!" The chorus of wheeks started up again at the sound of her voice, "Yes, yes, let me get in the door...." she told the guinea pigs. Miriam's quick footfalls preceded her appearance in the doorway to the living room, "Daddy!" she dove for Sebastian.
Shaw: "Hello Miri!" Sebastian scooped up his daughter, who attached herself to his neck, babbling about her day. As he settled her in his arms, he pointed. "Look, we have a visitor."
Carol: Carol raised her hand to wave at the little girl, "Hey, kiddo. You got big!" she gave Miriam a smile and reminded herself she should probably drop in on another little girl at some point... but for that she had to call ahead.
Shaw: "I did!" Miriam puffed up, copying her father's smirk. "That's what kids do, after all." Sebastian laughed.
Carol: "Yeah they do do that," Carol laughed, nodding in agreement, "It's always a surprise it happened when you haven't seen them in a while though."
Shaw: "Well then you should just come see us more." Miriam said this with absolute certainty.
Carol: That made her laugh again, "Oh yeah? You don't think your dad'll get upset when I drink all the coffee?"
Shaw: "Nuhuh, he has lots." Sebastian set Miriam down and she quickly noticed Sharky, who jumped from the cabinet into her arms.
Carol: "Well good! I can drink lots," she watched Miriam run off to play with Sharky, "So, she's still adorable."
Shaw: "Thank you," he said, watching his daughter flounce off. "We like to think so."
Jessica: "Miriam! Backpack! Bedroom! Now, please!" Jess called after her daughter before she appeared in the doorway, "Hi, Carol, long time no see." She gave the other woman a smile.
Carol: "Hey yourself, mom-voice-Jess," she returned the smile and moved to give her a hug.
Jessica: "Yeah, I don't know where it came from... it just showed up one day." She returned the hug, "I owe some guinea pigs some veggies."
Shaw: When she released Carol, Sebastian snagged Jess with an arm around the waist before she could get to those vegetables. He gave her a quick greeting kiss and a smirk.
Jessica: Jess smiled at her husband and wrapped an arm around him to give him a squeeze before spying Widget, "Oh dear, what has daddy been doing to you?"
Shaw: "Nothing at all." He blinked. "Why do you ask?" Widget gave a sad warble from the next room. "Your legs will work again shortly."
Jessica: "Poor baby," she went to give Widget a reassuring hug, "I'll make sure he fixes you up before dinner."
Carol: "You're in trooooublllle...." Carol sing-songed quietly to Sebastian.
Shaw: Sebastian shrugged and watched his wife fuss with the robot. "Aren't I always?"
Carol: "I'd hope not," she gave him a small grin.
Shaw: "Why would I want life to be boring?" He grinned.
Carol: "Because you like to get laid?" She suggested.
Shaw: "That happens anyway," he said with a wave of his hand. Sebastian went to Widget to wrap things up enough to set the AI free.
Carol: "Well aren't you lucky?" She laughed, deciding to help herself to more scotch before following Jessica to meet the guinea pigs.
Shaw: "Oh, I am." He gave her a playful leer and watched Jess with her veggies.