YOU CAN ALWAYS GO HOME AGAIN

By Mike Bent

“…and what’s mine is yours. Excalibur, make yourself at home.”

As soon as he uttered the words Brian Braddock wasn’t sure if he would come to regret them. Holding open the doors to his family’s manor, Brian was glad to offer his teammates something they were without; a home. It was quite a home as well, the white-walled stone manor standing center on the Braddock family grounds. It was a noble home, one of refinered wealth and while it was the mansion of a nobleman, the doors had always been opened to all manners of weirdness in the past.

This go around, Brian figured he might as well have company that he had consciously invited to stay. In truth, he missed the old place and it was good to be back. From the expensive Persian rugs to the hand-crafted antique oak furniture, all in all, this place held a great deal of connection to the past. It was at times like this that Brian actually missed Emma and was glad to be back to see her. But there were other residents here now as well, such as Feron, who it would be good for the others to catch up with. The other was Jamie, and… Brian wasn’t how he was going to handle that one. Perhaps when it happened he would know.

“Always knew you grew up wit’ a’bloody silver spoon in yer mouth, Cap, but n’ver did I think it was this shiny.” Just to prove that he wouldn’t be the last one in, Pete Wisdom made sure to be the first to introduce himself to Braddock manor. Perhaps to spoil it with his pressence. He wanted to whistle whenever he looked this way or that, as he knew Brian had money, but… He would be damned if he was going to wipe his feet before entering. Bloody placed looked like it could stand a little trapsing of mud on those expensive rugs.

“Now Wisdom, play nice. Wouldn’t do to upset our host before we can even steal the towels, ja?” Kurt Wagner, friend and leader to most, wasted no effort in entering. Having stayed here before, Kurt was familiar where everything was, even his old room. Bounding up the stairs before anyone could catch him, he grined back, “Speaking of the towels, I shall have to put them to use. Dibs on the showers!”

Left with Brian, Pete lit up a cigarette to find some comfort in the familiar, niccotine, and to see if he could get away with it. Brian didn’t have the chance to object as the younger members of the team entered, literally flitering around the bottlenecking Wisdom, who stood in the entranceway just to be a nuisance.

“Aye, ’tis better than ye said it’d be, Brian,” said Rahne, who was close to a blinking Douglock. Her spirits were warmed a little with each step, as Rahne thought it was nice to have a place to stay, a home. Even if it wasn’t Muir, as her old one was now destroyed. With Doug preoccupied as he was studying the foyer in great detail, Rahne gestured up the stairs she asked, “Can we find rooms tae call our own? Ye mind Brian?”

Grinning, Brian merely waved the kids in hoping that this time things would works out better than the last time children stayed here. But these was for his teammates. “Just not the master bed at the end of the hall. That’s for Meggan and me. Go, explore.”

Without further adieu, Bridgit Shane, politely nodded a, “Thank you.” Arm in arm, the two wide-eyed redheaded Scottish girls headed upstairs to ‘ooo!’ and ‘aah!’ over what they could find up there.

This left Douglock just inside the doorway with Pete and Brian, the former who looked around perplexed. Wrapped in some unseen mystery, Doug peered into a drawer of a letter table and muttered, “Curious…”

Pulling his smoke away from his lips long enough to speak, Wisdom moved to the techno-organic lad to ask, “What’s got you spooked, Goldilocks? ‘Ave news for me that I’m not the only likely haunt of this place?”

“Calculating… One moment please. Found: I detect an obscure energy source. One that reminds me of what I was able to scan from Roma. Location: … the basement? Mister Wisdom, this is something I am completely unfamiliar with, so I am not quailified to make that kind of judgment. I have never scanned something like this. I am not sure how to even rationalize the energy patterns I am reading. Brian, if you would not mind I would like to investi…”

But before Doug could finish asking Pete moved forward to slip his arm around the young lad’s shoulders to lead him off in that direction. “Let’s go look. Per’aps there’s some hard liqour down there, to make this place seem more agreeable…” Anything to get a better look at this place. Or to get away before Moira entered. But in truth Pete was curious as well. What kind of skeletons did Brian have in his closet, in the way of the basement?

Frowning a little as the pair left, Brian muttered to himself once they were out of earshot, “No liquor for a couple of years now, thankfully.” He was sure that what they’d find down there would keep them both busy for a couple of hours at least, as Mastermind was a fascinating entity to study.

“Whit th…? Och, I take it Wisdom’s been in already. Bluidy cancer sticks, tae things’ll kill him some day,” fumed Moira MacTaggert herself as she waved her hand in front of her nose to rid her senses of the hanging cigarette smoke. “Would be a shame, but donnae let him know I care,” Moira teased to Brian, to see if that would stir him from his preoccupation over thougths of the past.

“Pardon, Moira?” Brian turned to greet the good doctor to his home. “Ah, yes, Pete has been in as have most of the others. Kurt is in the shower, the girls likely finding the large double sized room that has the wonderful view of the lake out back, and Douglock and Pete have gone to find a little secret in the basement.”

Keeping her suitcase close, which held all of her personal affects she could salvage from the pile of rubble that was once her own manor, Moira looked about Brian’s. The heirlooms were different, but for the most part she was painfully reminded of her own home that was now gone… “I can see why Meggan was babbling aboot being glad tae be back here. ‘Tis a lovely place, Brian,” she said, a touch of remorse in her voice over her own loss.

Knowing this couldn’t be easy for Moira, Brian thougth perhaps if he brought the conversation to something else it might ease things just a little. “Speaking of my wife… Meggan. She is coming inside sometime, isn’t she?”

“Made mention o’ it. She wanted tae show th’ wee lassie Tangerine th’gardens. Something aboot checking on the trees. I suspect they missed her as much as she missed them.” Moira did try to better as she noticed what Brian was trying to do for her, and she gave Brian a little smile to show her effort. “Donnae worry, lad. She’ll be right ‘long. Noo, where can ’tis old lady settle her weary bones? Carry her tae her room?”

Smiling as Moira did at her own jest, Brian replied, “Moira, I have no doubt about your own ability to look after yourself. Please, as I said when I offered to bring you all here, my home is your’s. You’re all my friends and extended the full benefit of all I have to offer.” Lord knows he felt the strain on his pocketbook, having financially supported all the incarnations of the team. “As long as needed.” Yet with Moira he did feel as though there was a debt to be repaid, especially how he had lived in Moira’s manor for some time. A bit of old world gentlemanliness perhaps.

Moving off then to find a room to claim her own, to not pester Brian any longer than she need to, Moira grined a warning, “Wit’ this lot, ye may want tae be rethinking tha’.”

Running a hand through his hair, Brian remained in the doorway alone now for a moment. He indeed gave that thought creedance, as who knew what manner of mischiefness people were up to throughout his home. Especially considering Pete. But all of this worry was eased away as suddenly he was tackled by a very happy Meggan from behind.

Wrapping her arms around his neck and moving around to hug him tight from in front, she said, “Brian, it’s home! It’s our home now that we’re married. Last time when we were here, you were lost to the time stream and I was so sad. But now everything about this place is just so special, because it’s our’s.”

Holding her, Brian always marveled at how easily pleased she was with the most simple of pleasures. But she did have a point. To think of it that way was a rather pleasing thought. Even when she had first come here in his days before Excalibur he shared all of this with her, but as he looked to her he felt it as well, that added meaning.

Brian smiled to his beautiful wife, “Well, I also have a surprise for you in our bedroom. It’s exactly like the one we had at the Lighthouse…”

Squeeling with hopeful anticipation, Meggan released Brian to clasp her hands together excitedly. Radiating with contented energy, Brian felt her smile in more ways than just his eyes could behold, her empathy sharing her excitement with him. Meggan lept to the air, flying off quickly towards the bedroom. “Oh, Brian you didn’t?!? The large screen telly…?!?”

Putting his hand to his head again, Brian frowned. All he could do was watch Meggan dart off before he could explain. Muttering, he sighed, “Actually, I meant the large round bed…”

“I think that I am too young to hear this sort of thing,” said a small voice behind him. Surprised as he thought he was alone once again, Brian turned to notice the last guest to his manor, Tangerine. Standing in the doorway the young girl hugged her duffle bag of belongings to her chest. All of them borrowed and not really her own.

‘Sigh… Kids. I don’t think that I’ll ever be used to or ready for them.’

Timidly Brian was given a reply, mentally. {…we’re really that bad?…I think Meggan will make a great mother…}

Sighing, Brian gave a hopeful apologetic smile. “No, you’re not at all. And yes, Meggan would be an excellent mother. But any children we might have would have to suffer with me as the father.” Mentally promising not to think so loud next time, Biran offered the lone girl another smile. He hoped this one would inspire a return smile for his self-inflicted joke.

Recieving the responce he had hoped for, Tangerine smiled a little. Tilting her head to the side a little and giving Brian a funny little grin, she replied, “Nah. I think you’d be fine at it if you gave yourself half a chance. You’re doing fine now, aren’t you?” Again Tangerine smiled.

What a little perceptive one this one is, Brian thought. Spooky, but sharp. But this time he made sure to think all of that in private. Chuckling a little, Brian offered, “I supppose. Say, what do you say about us finding you a room, okay?”

“…but then Bridgit found ’tis room wit’ a wonderful view o’ th’ outside. There’s a waterfall oot back, mum. Bet it would be a nice place tae read by. ‘Tis almost as good as Muir wis, aye mum?” Rahne sat on the edge of her adoptive mother’s new bed as she spoke to Moira.

The elder woman sat at the desk in the room she had come to find. It was at the far end of the upstairs hallway, tucked away int he corner. It wasn’t large and it wasn’t small either, but it was modest enough. A bed, dresser, private bath, and decorated with humble furniture, as compared to the rest of this museum of a house. Also, there was a computer in here atop the desk, once Moira attempted to acess.

“Bluidy thing. Perhaps I’ve been spoiled on Shi’ar technology and state o’ th’ art for too long,” Moira mused to herself. If she was going to continue her work she’d have to learn to adapt, to work with what she had. Like in the old days, like when Joe left. “There! Connected… finally… Now, muh wee bairn, ye were saying?”

“‘Tis nothing mum,” Rahne said, thinking better of what she had been rambling on about any way. Especially considering how dear Muir Isle had been to Moira, as the manor had been her family’s for centuries.

“Bridgit, eh? See, yuir old mum’s listening afterall. Haven’t lost my hearing, yet.” Moira turned away from the screen long enough to give her daughter a warm and encouraging smile before she looked back.

“Aye, Bridgit. I think she could realy use a friend right now, especially one tha’ ken understand what she’s going through.” Rahne was still painfully aware at the pains that Reverend Craig could cause, and while she had laid her demons to rest with him, she knew that Bridgit still had many of her own to work through. Especially as she wouldn’t have the chance to confront him any longer, after she torched him to death. “We’re going tae be roommates.”

“That’s fine news, Rahne. Th’ Shane lass, she could use a friend like ye. So much pain, I wish I could help as well…” But as Moira was wondering if she could help rescue Rahne as she had done with Rahne, she was able to open her email and noticed something amazing in the first she opened. Suddenly she sat up in her seat and let out a soft gasp! Whispering, “I cannae believe it!”

Shocked, Rahne’s curiousity overtook her as she asked, “Whit is it, mum? Whit’s it say?”

The sudden surprise was enough to draw the attention of Bridgit who was passing by outside in the hallway on her way by. Poking her head in to she asked, “Everything fine? I donnae mean tae barge in, but…”

“Aye, Bridgit. Come in, come in! Tell th’ truth, everything’s more than fine. ‘Tis the best news I’ve heard in days since… well, I’m getting muh facility back! Well, at least I have th’ chance tae get it back now. Seems like it at least. P’rhaps nae as big an’ bonnie as b’fore but wit’ th’ money…”

“Mum, wait. Slow doon. What money?” Rahne made room on the edge of the bed for her new rommate to join her. Bridgit accepted, wrapped up in this mystery just as much as Rahne was, wanting to know. Soon Moira was the center of attention as both girls looked at her intently, waiting.

“I wasnae sure if they appreciated muh work, but I guess it was important tae them as well. I donnae ken how they did it but somehow they did it. And so soon as well, but itsays here they need muh work to continue. God bless each and every one o’ them! Suppose ’tis means I’ll need tae put even more time intae th’ lab once it’s rebuild tae show my make up for th’ lost time? They put together th’ funding tae rebuild muh center.”

“Moira, ’tis great news! All of Scotland knew how important yuir work was, ’tis nae denying tha’. While I’ve but known ye f’r a wee bit, I know how much it hurt ye tae have lost it all. Saw it in yuir eyes when we left the Isle. ‘Tis great that ye can get it back, even if it’ll require a great deal of work. I’m sure if ye need help Rahne and I would be glad th’ lend a hand. I feel as though I have much tae repay ye all f’r. Ye’ve been so nice tae me when ye dinnae have tae be…”

“T’would be much appreciated, muh lassies! Aye, it’ll be a great deal o’work, needing all o’ th’ effort we can muster. It’ll be taking ye lasses up on th’ offer, I promise. Och, ’tis great news!” Rising to her feet Moira sighed softly, the pleasure evident on her face. A sight Rahne was joyed to see. “I have tae go spread the good news.”

And then getting a mischevious grin, Moira winked to the two girls. “I think Wisdom first. Either o’ ye know where’d the trouble maker get off tae?”

“I believe he’s in th’ basement wit’ Dougie,” offered Rahne, “Investigating something nae right. Seemed rather involved in it, Dougie mentioning something aboot Pete teaching him all aboot weird things. Ye know Wisdom.” As soon as Moira heard she hurrying out of the room, to find herself what trouble the boys might be up to as well as to share her own good fortunes.

Elbowing Rahne as soon as Moira was gone, Bridgit grinned. “Anything I should ken aboot ye and this Dougie, Rahne? We’re roommates now so ye can share with me, aye? Ye got a wee bit o’ a crush on th’ walking computer?”

Blushing, Rahne smiled, “Please, Brigdet, Dougie’s just a friend. But he is more than a machine, if he donnae seem it. He’s a good soul, Bridgit. I promise ye.”

Scoffing slightly, Bridgit smiled like a cat that got the canary as she had all the answer she needed. “Sure, Rahne. Donnae worry. I’ll keep yuir secret.”

“Should we be down here?”

Decending into the darkness with Douglock, Pete Wisdom grinned back to his fellow journyman into the mysterious basement of Braddock manor. “Sure we should. Couldn’t hurt to poke around a little. No harm in just just lookin’, right? What more excuse do you need.”

It was hard going down here, what with the lack of light and all, as Pete could only make out the glimmer of metal by the flame of his zippo style lighter. Moving and looking in either direction Wisdom could make out a complex of computers, and muttered, “You’d think with all of those buttons they could have rigged a light switch…”

Yet the lad of metal with him didn’t seem to mind the lack of vision as Doug moved further into the large room. “There is a doorway just ahead, Wisdom. The source of this radiation is originating from there. Just a little bit further, right?”

“Right,” Pete replied around the last end of the cigarette that was still between his lips. Moving to take up a place behind Douglock, just to be safe, Wisdom had to wonder if everyone knew Brian’s family history. How his father was from an another dimension, one of power that overlooked all universes, the Otherworld.

“I wonder if the ‘trinket’ Black Air claimed they wanted really is down…,” but as the duo found the doorway, which was no more than a hole in the wall, Pete fell silent.

Douglock found the answer to Pete’s concerns along with his own, as both were light up with the eiry green glow of Mastermind. A massive cavern was open before them both, the walls being covered in a complex computerized net of a glowing crystal. “Wow, this is… impressive.”

“You could say that, Doug,” Wisdom muttered, electing to remain in the portal of the doorway while Douglock moved to the middle of the chamber. “Look, ‘Lock, perhaps we shouldn’t be done here messing with this.” Especially if this was what Black Air thought it was, what it could be capable of. “We had our peak. Now, we should be gettin’ back upstairs…”

Looking back to Pete over his shoulder, Doulock’s face glowed a soft green to match that of Mastermind, and mirrored the Brit’s words back to him. “No harm in just looking, correct?”

Perched on her toes squatting on the floor, Meggan pressed her nose a little closer to the telly’s screen and reached for the volumne control. To turn it up another notch. How’d Brian expect her to catch her cartoons with him speaking that loud? Even if it was with Kurt.

Standing in his bathrobe and a towel around his head, Kurt felt a bit odd being in Brian and Meggan’s bedroom. Especially with so little on. But it was Brian that stopped him on the way back to his room and had pulled Kurt in here. But look around nervously he couldn’t help but notice something in particular. And being the slippery devil that he is, he had to point it out. “Nice bed, Brian. The one from the Lighthouse…???”

Brian sighed his responce, “Glad that you noticed, Wagner….”

“Wie Bitte?”

“Nothing Kurt, really. Ah, anyway, I suppose I should just get right to the point. You see why I pulled you in he…”

A sharp ‘Shhht!’ came from Meggan, who didn’t dare look away form the telly. Not wishing to miss a moment of her show she reached for the proper knob that turned it up another notch.

Leaning in to whisper to Kurt, Brian continued. “It was nothing really, about the bed. Yet any way, I was hoping to chat to you abou the team to be honest. Excalibur. What with all that has been going on with us recently, I would think that now would be the best time to settle on some rather important things.”

“Ja, things have indeed been up in the air, but I think that things shall settle themselves nicely.” Kurt slipped Brian a little smile as he returned the whispering, not wanting to disturb Meggan from her all-important task. After Meggan’s empathic bout with the cows he thought she could use the wonderous powers of television to get her life back to a more normal channel of being. For Meggan that is. Yet, he continued on, “Especially now that you have been kind enough to open your doors to us. Having a place to home, even for a bit, is a very comforting thing. It should go a long way to help everyone, besonders das Kinder.”

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to ask you about. Your ho…” and Brian had to stop as he sharply got ‘Shhht!!’ed again. Clearing his throat he adopted the hushed tones again, “…your home. Only recently did you return from the X-Men, but for to be frank; for how long? To tell the truth Kurt, what with my condition and all, where I’m still fully healing from the beating Black Air gave me, we could use you. I’m not even sure I’m fit to attempt to be Captain Britain once again. I’m in no position to be commanding people in the field, physically. As for emotionally? I’m still not very sure… But with all of that said, no one’s going to keep you. Force you to stay if you want to head back to the X-Men. I can explain it to the others.” And truly have to wear his costume once again.

“Brian, I know as well as you do that Moira’s given you a clean bill of health, nein? The costume will surely help, ja? I’m touched at the white lie, verklicht. In truth I knew this would be coming up at some point or another…”

Cutting off the other man, Brian brashly cut to the basis of his agruement. “Okay, I’m not going to pull my punches here, Kurt. Honest, we need you. I’m staying because I feel the team needs me, nothing more. Even then, it wouldn’t the same without you. We both know how I am at the leadership thing.”

Smiling to Brian, Kurt continued his whispering, “Come now Brian, you are not that bad! Nothing stays the same forever, mein freund. All things change, such as ourselves. It’s the williness to work through that change together that binds us, keeps us together as a whole. Brian… you’re a fine man, one I’d gladly follow. One that I would trust with my life.”

“Thank you Kurt. Thank you indeed. It’s a sentiment I return to you, I assure you. But this isn’t about me as this is about the team. And right now it is fragmented. With your guidance, I’m sure that we could could ge…”

“He’s staying.”

Kurt smiled broadly as Meggan spoke up, never looking away from the telly. Heck, Kurt wasn’t even sure if she was even blinking. Brian looked puzzled however, asking, “Meggan, darling, how’d you know?”

“Empathy,” Kurt grinned, answering for Meggan to in fact answer for himself. “That or she noticed the way I’ve been smiling around you all Brian, since I have come back. The X-Men are… they are family, but right now there is another family I belong to as well, one that needs me. In truth, it is one I need as well. Excalibur is my home and this is where I intend to be. This is where I belong.”

And before Brian could reply, even with a sigh of relief, Kurt is granted a rather stern ‘Shht!!’ “It’s all settled. Kurt’s staying, no need to talk. Not here.” Meggan was talking now, in control, speaking her works short. But this was her telly-tone, speaking between words of the people on the screen so as to not miss anything. “Moira’s really happy. Downstairs. In the kitchen. Perhaps you both should go. See what the news is.”

“Meggan, I think we get the hint. Brian, shall we away?” With that Kurt gestured to the door with a dramatic bow to allow Brian out of his own room first. Brian nodded to Kurt and before departing made sure to kiss Meggan atop her golden blonde head, to which he was granted a warm smile, as a commecial she had already saw once before came on. Kurt darted to his own room to dress so that he could make his own announcement to the team about his remaining. Brian was off to see what was happening in his kitchen, as well as concerned as to what could be taking place in his basement.

Finally left with the telly Meggan gestured a hand in the direction of the door. A soft breeze obeyed her request to usher a soft CLICK as the door was then closed.

Good telly. Nice telly.

It was good to be home.

NEXT ISSUE: They’re baaack! Returned to cause the kind of mischief only they can, an group of old rivals to the team come home to London! Trust us, it will be a howling good time!