Some Places are Just More Famous (Open)

[xzavier Michael Evans]

He sat down and sighed, in front of him he saw two of probably some of the most famous places in New York. In a city full of famous places, Strawberry Fields and the Dakota Apartments weren't always on the most thought of, but he could gaurantee that everyone knew exactly what he was looking at now if he update his status with the picture that he was looking at in person.

Xzavier stretched and sighed, it was was such a relaxing moment. He'd been to what felt like every taxi service in Manhattan today while he was looking for a job fixing cars. It would be great if he got a mechanics job at one of them, otherwise he would be relegated to Stanton Island for a job. He sighed again stretching again. Someone was playing covers of Beetles songs as he sat looking at the Dakota Building from across the Imagine Circle. Behind him, if he stretched to look behind him the most romantic bridge in New York.

Even the drunk just down from him complaining about the world to the world, ("Ey! 'Ey! Shut up, no one wants to listen to music here, they come here looking to relax! Shut UP!") couldn't ruin Xzavier's mood at this moment. He checked his phone, but quickly put it away again, waiting for something that was never going to come just made him depressed. He couldn't understand how distant everyone had become over the last little while.

[Lily Rae Collins]

Lily meandered down the street dejectedly. She had hoped that coming here would cheer her up but Xzavier biting her head off the way he had had put her in a depressed funk that she just couldn't shake. She had done her best to tell him about the file but the blame game had caused her to choke up and she'd left in tears. Right now she didn't even know why she was staying. She had given him his news and he had decided that staying in New York was best right now but where did that leave her?

He felt betrayed and angry and in Typical Xzavier fashion he lashed out at the person he perceived as hurting him. Right now she didn't know what to do. Her ethics and feelings were at war and she'd gone with her ethics to keep from hating herself.

Then she saw him. Actually she was standing right in front of him and hadn't even realized it for two minutes she was so engrossed in her thoughts. Inwardly groaning she turned and pretended like she didn't see him. Making her way to a spot where she could catch a cab, hopefully before he caught up with her. It just hurt to see him and she felt so conflicted it almost blinded her with the feelings. Part of her wanted to punch him or knock him on his ass for being a dick and another part of him never wanted to see him as long as she lived. And the last part still loved him. Though that part was slowly dying with nothing but his anger causing it to shrivel up. One sided love was toxic and she knew better.

[xzavier Michael Evans]

The perfume on the air was relaxing he could almost imagine Lily hanging out here to relax. It was such a mortal safe spot. His mind started going over Lily in his mind, he didn't know why. He stopped frowning the last time they'd seen eachother they'd made it quite clear that nothing was ever going to be like it was. First Raye, then Lily... There was something seriously different about these people... Lily and the c-institute... Raye and her secret... "Oh don't tell me they work together?!" he joked out load with himself sarcastically.

He hadn't really put much thought into the folder that Lily had given him. He'd taken it home and thrown it onto the counter before he grabbed a soda and walked into his bed room to crash. But he sat back now that he was removed from the situation a little better he figured that he should look into it. If not for Lily's sake then for his brothers'.

Xzavier looked up from the circle of flowers people usually left around the circle, straight into the beautiful brown eyes of the one person that he wasn't ready to talk to yet. "Oh Damn it all," he said as he waved at her and stood up to start walking. "Why now of all times!" he said out loud, probably loud enough for her to hear and stood up to go. "I do not need this now."

[Lily Rae Collins]

Lily glanced up, startled as she brushed her hair out of her eyes and snapped back to attention, "I'm sorry...I didn't realize you were here." she said quietly as she backed off and raised her hands in a peace making gesture, "No, you don't have to go. I'm sorry for intruding on your thoughts, Xzavier." she said as she began to walk backwards to keep him from getting up in her face.

She was still mad, but she was too damn tired to go for world war three right now. Sighing softly, she hung her head to go. Gripping her purse closer to her and turning away, her hair fanning out behind her as she moved. Her boots clicking as she went to get out of his personal space and leave him to his thoughts, grim though they may be. She wasn't going to open herself to being hurt again she knew better.

[xzavier Michael Evans]

Xzavier stopped and turned to her, a cold fire in his eyes. "Intrude? Intru..." He stopped, rolled his eyes turning back to her. Xzavier made a one eighty from where he had been standing and turned to her and made to grab her arm. With her triceps firmly in hand Xzavier pulled her off away from where more people were standing to over hear them to a more secluded place. Damn New York City... There were to many people here. "You!" he almost shouted and then lowered his voice. "You are always intruding on my thoughts woman!" he spat close to her shoulder as he dipped his head in to keep the bystandards out of the ensuing conversation.

He pulled her between a couple of trees that there wasn't anyone quite that close enough to over hear. "If you're around your going to get killed by my world, so I try to make you safe. And how do I get repaid?! You run off and join that institution of yours!" He threw her arm back at her. "Lily, it's stupid and reckless. What could you possibly be thinking joining a place like that?!" He glared at her for a full second. "Well?!"

[Lily Rae Collins]

Moving to keep up with him she found herself dragged over to someplace more secluded, "Xzavier slow down!" she called as she rubbed her arm when he let go, "I didn't know what they did, Xzavier. I swear it was just a job investigating. When I got there I found out otherwise and they offered to train me. I mean I wanted to help people. Make a difference in someones life since I obviously didn't in yours with how you were ignoring me." bitterness crept into her voice and she closed her eyes.

Pinching the bridge of her nose she exhaled,. "I finally had a family with you and then you tell me to get lost for my own good and ignored me for a year after Ev gave me the all clear to come back. I did what you wanted and look what it got me. Ignored. So yeah I moved to New York because you made me feel freaking useless and I took what I thought was a job catching CEOs banging their secretaries and found out it was a job getting rid of evil. I wanted to quit but then I saw this file on this woman that had reciently been on the media. You know, Marina Sinclaire the one whose dad went nuts and raped her then hung himself? Well I was curious cause there was no reason for them to have anything on her and it turns out they've been spying on her. Then I saw your family name and what you did too and I realized they were spying on a lot of people, Xzavier. But now, if I leave none of us will know what they are doing and do you really think they would safely let me leave knowing what I know??"

She exhaled and looked at him, "Xzavier, you have a brother you didn't know you had and a daughter named Riley by a woman called Raye Shields. How was I supposed to tell you that over the phone or in a coffee house???" she looked at him sadly, "It wasn't my place to say anything but in spite of how you hate me right now I still care about you and what we had and your brothers. You have to grow up now. You have a little girl that might need a dad and a lot of things to worry about besides me."

[xzavier Michael Evans]

"Of coarse they won't, and that's what I'm talking about!" He motioned both hands at her in a straight jerky movement. "I wanted you to find a nice, human guy that I would hate because you loved him and he love you and it was perfect, and have a bunch of kids and get a job as a PI or something." He sighed and looked at her his eyes going from cold fire to just cold. "But you thought I was ignoring you? What would you do in my shoes? Psycho Vampire is after your little brother's boyfriend; You couldn't remember having a little brother in the first place because some evil guy is having a field day with your memories; Your roommate is being abused by her dad and moving back in with him and you 'n' your brothers every other week; and to top it all off there's a person that you care about that you can't talk to out of safety!" He threw his hands in the air. "What would you have done in my place?" He jabbed a hand into his chest, obviously upset again. But somewhere deep down inside he was glad they were talking it out even if it was while they were arguing. "Please tell me how I should have behaved, because I'm at a loss."

Suddenly Lilly dropped the biggest bombshell ever back on him... He what? Huh? Raye... There was a name he hadn't expected to hear... He had a daughter? By Raye... He deflated hearing her say that... "Wait... Huh? What?" He put his hands up between them and tried to physically slow the conversation down. His typical stoicism took over as he started trying to process everything that wasn't Lily. Why did she have the ability to push his buttons like that...? He finally looked at her passed his brow as he kept his face pointed away trying to become calm again. "Where are you getting that information from?"

[Lily Rae Collins]

"I would have trusted me with the truth." Lily said quietly. "If you cared about me then you should have trusted me. Its as simple as that. Lying to me was not protecting me from anything when you know I'd figure it out and go digging anyway. At least if I knew I might have been able to be someone you talked to for your own sake if no one elses. At what point are you going to realize that a dead martyr does no one any good? You have the right to a life, Xzavier. Even if its not with me you should seize it with both hands and not let go because it keeps you human and keeps you from becoming a mindless killing machine."

"That file I gave you that you didn't read obviously. Its all there, Xzavier. You can tell yourself its crap and walk away but can you afford to be wrong?" she raised an eyebrow at him and stood there. She waited quietly just letting him absorb all of it while the breeze teased her hair gently.

[xzavier Michael Evans]

The normally stoic Xzavier made an exacerbated noise and looked at her. "Oh yes Lily let's try that now and see you you don't have me committed." He put on a ridiculously stupid smile and looked at her, "Lilly, the reason that I left you in College, the reason that despite not being over you I have to leave you now is that Magic is real. Not like, you know, Maryln Manson Vampires and Wiccan Witches, but you know like Dracula and Irish faries and An American Werewolf in Paris." He exaggerated his shoulder movements as he continued, keeping up this dopy look on his face. "Well... Okay there are Witches and all that, but they're not quite like you think... And I guess what I'm telling you is that magic is real and if I don't leave you I'm going to get you killed." He let his arms flat and gave a look that said all he thought she needed too. Let her come up with an argument to that.

This folder... He shook his head. "No... I..." He sighed and leaned against a tree. "I hate fighting with you Lily... And I..." He sighed again and rubbed his face. "I hate being this emotional, it takes away from your ability to process what's going on around you. And I just threw the folder on my counter, had a soda and went to sleep. Then I had to find a job... I don't trust this Institute of yours, and I want to be close by if something happens to you, or you need someone with a power to fight with you..." He smirked, "You know, be Mr. Incredible or something... Cause that's really all I am. So I need a job that will help me afford my rent." He sighed. "I haven't had a moment to sit down and process that yet..." He looked at her. "Are you sure it's all true? There's like no doubt that it might maybe be false?"

[Lily Rae Collins]

She laughed and shook her head, "You know me better than that. And I know you. I know you wouldn't say something like that without proof." she said softly as she looked him in the eyes.

"And whether we are together or not they are still real. The guy at the pool could be a pooka waiting to drag me underwater or maybe he's just a guy that hasn't figured out speedos are a privilege not a right, but I'm not gonna hide in my house and hope the monsters under the bed go away. I'm going to get my gun and tell them to gtfo of my house AFTER I cock my shotgun."

"I could die crossing the street when some lazy guy runs a red light. You can't protect me from everything. When its my time its my time. Telling me I can't handle it is an insult. I've buried all my family. I think I'm stronger than you give me credit for." she said as she folded her arms and stood there. "Could haves and maybes aren't the way to live life. You just live, Xzavier. You grab life for all its worth and you hold on tight."

"I wouldn't have called you here if I hadn't corroberated these files. Its true. Folks have seen your brother and I talked to the nurse that attended at the birth...though she said something odd. She said that a bunch of doctors came in from another hospital. She didn't have time to ask questions but they said they were Raye's personal team of physicians but no person has a team of specialists at their beck and call. I mean if they need it because of a difficult birth they usually pull it from the hospital they delivered at and it wasn't like Raye had a rush delivery on the waiting room floor at a strange hospital. She saw the same doctor all the way through her pregnancy. But...the odd thing is...half her bills were paid by an unknown source. I mean they didn't even get to her. Its like they weren't on the books. Someone was obviously showing an interest and that does not bode well for Raye or your daughter, Riley." she said simply as she looked at him, "Its sweet you want to keep me safe and I love you for that but you need to talk to Raye. I love you, Xzavier and I probably always will but this is bigger than just me now and I'm not going to be selfish. Talk to her. I mean if you're a dad...well that's pretty amazing in my eyes."

[xzavier Michael Evans]

He gave her a sarcastic look. "Like what? It's not like I'm a witch who has some sort of powers to show off... I'm just Superman who's lost the ability to fly... Or shoot lasers out of my eyes... And I'm not affected by Kryptonite..." He scoffed.

Xzavier shook his head. "But they affect so few people Lily... I... Really, really care about you and the closer you were to me, the closer they were to you... Like how do we know that this C-Section place didn't want you so they could keep tabs on you? Now you're in this position and I feel like it's my fault." He reached out for her again, this time much gentler. "How can I live with myself... Yea that creepy guy could be a pooka shell or what ever... But the most likely thing is I drop you off at home and the Vampire waiting outside just bursts down your door because it was waiting to attack you." He tried to look her square in the eyes. "How could I live with myself for putting I cared so much about get put in that kind of danger?"

"Oh, I'm talking to Raye..." Xzavier said almost dangerously. "Lily you know me..." He pointed at his chest. "Would I have been a bad father? I mean yea, I'm an awful boyfriend, but a father? I'd make sure that kid had everything... And there was no reason for Raye not to tell me... We tried it didn't work... There was alcohol involved I think..." He smirked at her... "Well there was at least one night..." He waved his hands, "But the fact remains, right now, I could believe anything about my family... I mean I hadn't realized I'd always had that adorkable Axel around... You know the one I normally wanted to bash in the the head with a brick? Before Everette decided to become a right imbecile... Because I don't the brick will be enough anymore. Anyway the point is the brother... That isn't shocking or hurtful right now..." He sighed again. If started to feel like he'd been doing alot of that, but right now he felt like he'd been punctured in the lungs a couple of times.

The wear of the last few years weighing on his face. "In this day and age there is no reason for her not to have told me that I had a kid... And I'll start looking into this group stalking my..." He pointed at her. "You said it was a daughter?" He shook his head. "Heaven's above... They decided to treat me to what I'd been doing all this time huh?"

Suddenly he lurched forward his normal, care free, happy face returning. "But first!" He grabbed Lilly and pulled her into a tight bear hug. Gently, Xzavier squeezed her. "Don't think I've forgotten that little comment about me hating you," he breathed into her hair for a moment before putting his head on top of hers. "I don't, nor could I ever, hate you. Hate what you're doing yes... But hey I just talked about beating my own brother's skull in..." He looked down at her, barely moving to do so as he tightened his bear grip around Lily's shoulders.

[Lily Rae Collins]

"Well did it ever occur to you that if Everette told me his secret that I'd believe you? I've known about Ev for months. Why do you think I got pissed when I could tell you were lying?" she said as she raised one delicate eyebrow and looked him straight in the eye.

"I hate to clue you but I don't need a being with fangs to end my life. By that statement it could have just as easily been a rapist that stalked me on my way home. Only difference between the two is if I stab the first one in the chest I pull out my little hand vac and clean up the mess. The second is a little harder to explain."

"Xzavier, you don't know the story. Maybe she tried to tell you and you weren't listening. I mean hell look at what I've been trying to tell you for a year that you didn't get. Sometimes you have a one track mind and no one can get through. Either that or she figured you were a player and didn't bother with contacting you. I mean its before my time so its not like I'd know." she shrugged and grimaced at the thought of him getting drunk and being dumb.

"All I'm saying is listen to her side of it. Yes, you have a daughter and you will have to protect her from men like yourself one day. Karma's a bitch but the puppies are cute." she quipped as she looked at him and sighed as she brushed her hair over her shoulder.

The shift in his mood caught her off guard and she reflexively hugged him back, inhaling the fresh clean scent of him and feeling the cotton of his shirt against her cheek, "I hate fighting with you. And Axel is...a dork. I'm not happy with him right now. He was a total jerk to me." she exhaled as she looked up into his eyes, "So...what happens now? I'm not exactly sure where that leaves us or even if there is an "us" any more." she murmured softly, needing to know before she did something stupid that she would regret later. It was so hard not to fall into old patterns with him holding her like this.

[xzavier Michael Evans]

"He WHAT?! Oi! I'm going to beat the ever living snot out of him when I see that bloated prick again... He doesn't think about the consequences does he? Did you know he resurected our brother? Yea, I heard about that... And poor Axel had to dig himself out of his own grave! Ooohhoh, but when I'm done with him I'm going to bury him in Axel's old grave!" Xzavier fumed a moment then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "But to the matter at hand... Yes I would have told you had I known. I'm pissed that he did, and I would have beaten him on the spot when I learned that he had... But if he's in his immature glory," he growled, "has figured out how to tell you so you'd believe..." He sighed again. "Then I would have told you the truth as well..." He smeed a bit dejected a moment and then tilted his head and looked up at her. "Speaking of truth... Why didn't you ever tell me you knew... You know that whole, it's frustrating when you lie kinda thing...?"

He shook his head violently. "NO, No, no! There was no talking. Raye has never spoken to me since that week... There's no records of it on my phone records... And you can double check me on that!" He slumped against a tree.. Trying desperately to regain his composure before he ripped a tree out of the ground and threw it at some unexpecting kid...

Xzavier snorted at Lily's response to Axel. "Well, I'll give him a few days to work out our heads... We all had a bit of a wake up call with his death... But then I'll ruff him up a bit too." He moved his head from onto of hers and buried it into her neck. He remembered this scent, it felt like nothing had changed that everything was the way it should be. He smirked into her side. "You know maybe the only thing I have to worry about now is your job... After all they'll train you in things I couldn't right? And they'll teach you how to defend yourself as a human against the supernatural... Maybe this whole thing is good for us." He leaned back and looked at her trying to read her thoughts. "Hmm... Was there ever not an us? Look, the world seems to work to take away all the things I was being a block head about... So if you can live with me being..." the words caught in his throat, he was going to have a few words with Raye. "Well you know... Yea there's still an us."

[Lily Rae Collins]

"Now don't be mad at Everette for telling me the truth. I told Axel that I knew what he was and he played it off like it wasn't anything when I asked him what was going on." she said quietly as she locked eyes with him and smiled the tiniest bit.

"Well I would have but Axel got all defensive and refused to answer my questions when I asked him straight out what was going on with you three. I mean he basically lied to my face and he knew I knew it so by the time I got to you I was too mad to think straight. I just knew that people I trusted had lied to me and if Axel was going to dodge the question you probably would too." she shrugged dejectedly, "Then when I tried to show you the file you about ripped my head off so I kinda just gave up."

"Well just take it easy. You're going to give yourself a stroke if you keep on like this. Breathe, Xzavier." she said as she shifted her weight a bit and tried to settle herself a bit and absorb all this new information.

She relaxed into his embrace now that she knew he wasn't angry or likely to lash out at her. "I think we will just have to take the job thing slowly. I still want to know what is going on there but we can't just rush in and attack. We need proof they are doing something wrong. As for not being an us..well there was that six month stretch where you didn't talk to me but I'm willing to forgive that." she chuckled as she looked up into his blue eyes, "We'll figure it out, Xzavier. Right now...I just want to take a picture and send it to your brothers for proof." she chuckled softly and hugged him gently.

[xzavier Michael Evans]

Xzavier shook his head he was going to to understand Axel's reactions right now. "You know, if you'd been through some of the things that he's been through recently, you'd be grouchy too you know?" he pointed out. "You'd been fighting with your brothers for a long time, thought you'd grown up with one family and a set of memories and experiences to make you a certain way and thinking that you were there for one reason." He held one hand out to point out that he was at step one. "Then you get taken over by a demon, try to kill your brothers, get killed by them instead, and then wake up god knows how long later and have to dig your way out of your own grave." His hand moved to position two infront of himself as he explained. "Now you have two sets of memories about people and places and things and someone's trying to pry inside your head while you're learning to process everything." He put his first hand down and put his other hand out in postion three.

He nodded she was right. "I know, I know... But I thought my brothers were a little brighter then that... Or at least more responsible then that." He threw his hands in the air and deflated. After a silent moment he looked up at her with a smirk. "You sure you want a family like mine?"