Although they had drilled for this numerous times, somehow nobody had ever reckoned with a pile of powerful teenagers eager to protect their home. So, when Scott ordered his charges to head down to the safe rooms, he met a resistance worthy of the Second World War.

As the rest of the teachers scattered for their posts, Scott argued with the resistance leaders and official spokesmutants: Dani and Sam.

"Why're you teaching us to fight if we don't get to do anything except run and hide?" Sam asked.

"You're here to learn," Scott said, already distracted by reports coming in from Jean and the Professor.

"We're mostly about to graduate," Dani said, her hands clenched.

//There's no time to argue.// Scott shook his head sharply, hoping he wouldn't regret this. "Fine, everyone join your assigned teacher. Do what they tell you. If they say duck, then I want you on the ground. Go!"

The kids were gone in moments, Kurt grabbing Rahne's arm and bamfing away, Jubilee and Remy dashing away, both glowing with the energy of their powers, Paige taking a moment to strip away a layer of skin to reveal a surface that was probably adamantium.

Scott didn't linger any longer, taking off at top speed for his post, Kitty and John pounding behind. He was already revising defense plans to take advantage of the powers added to the available list.

**Professor? Tell everyone student reinforcements are on the way. Then have Kurt do some scouting over on the east side. I've got an idea.**

**I can feel at least ten individuals coming toward the gatehouse, and another ten behind the basketball court,** the Professor told Scott moments later, as the latter made his way toward the front of the mansion.

**What does Kurt say?**

**He can't see anyone, Rahne doesn't smell anyone, and I can't feel any minds there. The same is true for the stable side.**

**So they're just coming from two sides? No protection from telepaths? They can't be professionals. Never mind, we'll think about that later. Before they get a clue and spread out, get Logan, Hank, Warren and their kids outside where they've got some room to act.**

**I will let you know as soon as we have visual information,** the Professor said.

Scott's mind raced. He dove into a small closet tucked under the main stairs, pulling out an emergency visor to replace his glasses, as well as other handy supplies, which he tucked into his pockets. Then, he continued down the hall to crouch near one of the tall windows, peering through the glass.

Scott motioned to John, who flicked open his ever-present cigarette lighter, ready to shape the flame. Kitty, prepared to become intangible, hovered by her classmate waiting for instructions.

**They are not mutants,** the Professor said. **They are armed, masked humans. We must do our best not to harm them.**

**Yes, sir. Let's see how many we can trap before they catch on.**

The next few minutes were a flurry, as Scott filtered mental reports from the Professor, Jean, and even Betsy at one point, issuing instructions to his troops. They quickly took a number of the intruders out of commission (although not as permanently as Logan wished), and Scott could see glimpses of several of the remaining men from his vantage point.

There was a twist in his guts as he peered through the window, across the picturesque grounds. //Damn it, this place was supposed to be a sanctuary for the kids. First Mystique, and now this.//

**Logan reports that Rogue managed to lure two, and he knocked out one while Bobby froze the other in place. That's nine,** Professor Xavier said, dragging Scott out of his momentary reverie.

**We've got visuals on three here," Scott replied, **that means there are still eight others on the loose.**

**Yes. They seem to be hovering around the edges.**

**Well, they probably didn't expect a private school to be this defensible. Not to mention they've probably noticed some men missing. Okay, Kitty, John, and I can take out these three.**

**Be careful.**

Then, from outside Scott could hear percussive sounds that had to be gunshots. "Damn," Scott said both aloud and to the Professor, "no more time to plan, let's move."

Scott motioned to Kitty and John, and put his hand to the pressure point on his visor. Kitty grabbed their hands and they phased through the wall at a run. Scott's last sight of John showed the boy's eyes closed as his arm entered the wall. Scott grinned tightly and as soon as they were through, he ducked behind a pillar.

In their positions behind hedges and garden walls, the intruders froze in shock at the sight of people moving through walls. A belated couple of gunshots rang out, two going through still-intangible Kitty, and one brushing past Scott. A tight burst from his visor knocked the nearest gunman into a tree. Flame shot from Kitty and John's position and slammed into the back of another man aiming a gun at Scott.

The intruder yelped and rolled on the ground to put out the fire on his back. The third man stood and stared in utter shock, his gun slack in his hand. Scott knocked him over with a low-level blast, then ducked down. He scanned the area, looking for anyone they might have missed.

**Three down, Professor.**

Kitty and John, hand-in-hand and intangible once more, were also looking for other intruders. Scott jogged down the steps toward the man hit by John's flame. Fire out, the man's eyes were wide behind the ski mask he wore and he tried to jump and run. Scott grabbed his arm, swung him around, and slugged him in the jaw. The man went down hard, and Scott quickly dragged him over to where Kitty and John knelt, still looking around them.

Pulling some lightweight cord out of his pocket, Scott handed the unconscious man over to them. "Tie him up. I'll get the other two."

John bent over to tie hands and feet, while Kitty kept a hand on his shoulder, ready to phase them out at the sign of any trouble. Scott nodded with satisfaction and quickly dragged the other two men toward the teens.

He was just going to call the Professor for a report when the sun disappeared, covered almost instantly by a thick blanket of clouds. The wind began to pick up, moaning and rustling the leaves on the trees.

**Scott?** Professor Xavier called. **Ororo needs assistance.**

**On my way.** He looked at John and Kitty. "Make sure they're tied securely, then get under cover, but keep an eye on them." They nodded.

Scott started to work his way around the mansion, past the topiary and ivy-covered walls. **Professor? Betsy? Jono? Are there any intruders between here and there?**

**I don't see anyone, Mr. Summers,** Betsy replied.

**What's the situation?**

**Ms. Munroe is pinned on the roof in Remy's favorite spot. Paige and Ange are knocking out two men, but there are two more.**

Scott came around a corner in time to see Paige, her metallic skin a dull gray in the low light, slam a fist into the face of a man held by the long outstretched arms of Angelo. Scott didn't slow down, just kept going. Around another garden wall, a man in front of him turned, and Scott blasted him without a pause.

That left one man shooting at Ororo, a dim figure through the clouds and swirling winds of her powers. Scott took aim at the last man, but couldn't get a clear shot. He started to edge through the trees. Before he could act, lightning stabbed out of the sky, blinding him. The crack of gunfire stopped.

Scott ran forward, as Ororo floated down from the roof, worry in her expression.

"Is he..." She swallowed the rest of her sentence.

Scott and Ororo knelt over the prone figure, and Scott checked his pulse. "His heart's beating." The sky lightened almost instantly, and the ozone tang in the air retreated.

Then Scott stiffened. **Professor? Where's the last one?**

**All of the intruders are safely in custody,** the Professor said as Scott saw a flicker of movement to his right. He whirled, hand to his visor, as Sam walked out of the trees, a man slung over his shoulder. Dani--head held high--and Warren--wings folded neatly--followed Sam. Both teens struggled to contain their proud grins and Warren's expression was absolutely priceless, looking rather like a combination of shock and pride.

Scott's eyebrows rose as Sam dropped the man on the ground in front of him, a dog bringing a rat to his master. Warren rolled his eyes, then said to Scott, "I didn't even see him coming. Dani projected the image of a monster, which distracted him and Sam took him out."

Sam and Dani's grins emerged, so broad Scott thought their faces might split. "Quick thinking," he said, nodding his head at them, "very impressive." Then, he looked at the people gathered around him. "So, did we leave any of them *awake*?"

All he got in response was a round of blank stares.

**Professor? Any chance of someone to interrogate?**

It took a good ten minutes before the chaos was sorted out enough to get one of the few conscious intruders to Scott. Meanwhile, he occupied himself making sure all the unconscious ones were loaded into the back of an anonymous white van Logan found parked at the end of the long driveway.

Scott was standing by the gatehouse fountain when Remy and Hank finally carried out a man tied hand and foot with numerous loops of rope, almost a mummy of white clothesline. The look on Scott's face made Hank grin. "I am not responsible for this man's state. Jubilee was assigned the task of restraining him and she became a bit... overenthusiastic."

Scott let out a huff of breath. "Well, better safe than sorry. Besides, I refuse to offer a class in 'henchman tying' so I suppose this is the result."

Hank chuckled, then propped the struggling man up in front of Scott and loosened the ropes enough that he could stand upright on his own.

Scott stepped forward and yanked the ski mask off, revealing a thoroughly ordinary thug, short brown hair sticking upright in tufts and a nose that looked like it had been broken a few times. He was trying to look tough, not easy when you'd recently been tied up by a teenager chewing bubblegum.

Scott looked him up and down, then pushed his face near the other man's. "Just what the hell did you think you were doing shooting at my kids?" He spoke quietly, but put all his anger over the students' safety into his voice.

"We didn't know you was muties," the man said, with a hint of whine. "He just hired us to scare you off with the guns and stuff, we wasn't even supposed to shoot anybody, just shoot near 'em."

"Who hired you?" Scott asked.

"Jackie Silver," the goon said immediately.

Scott took a step back and stared at him. He'd been expecting the government, Magneto, anything except the name of the local real estate developer who'd been pestering the Professor all week. "You must be joking."

"No way. I didn't sign on to get hurt, this was supposed to be a milk run, scare off a few kids, I got no loyalty to Silver."

"Why did he want to scare our kids?" Scott blinked, then answered his own question. "Scare the kids, get the parents to take them home, shut down the school, build condos. Jesus." Scott stared at him. "What the heck are we going to do with you?"

The guy jumped a little at that, his feet stumbling on the paving stones. //Huh, he must have seen Logan in action to look that worried.//

"We're not going to kill you," Scott said, adding under his breath, "tempting as it is for the scare you gave us."

**I heard that, Scott,** Jean said.

**Then you know I'm joking.**

**Mostly.**

**True.** Scott glared at the man. **So, shall we turn them over to the police?**

**The Professor hasn't seen any signs that anyone has contacted them, so they won't be here unless you decide to call. It seems that our nearest neighbors are chalking the noise up to youthful exuberance.**

**That's pretty tolerant for Westchester.**

**That's minding your own business.**

**Huh. So if we want the police, we need to call them ourselves.**

The Professor joined the mental conversation. **I have no desire to draw attention to the school.**

**But we can't simply let them go,** Jean said firmly. **I'm calling now.**

**Can I let Logan have a little chat with them first?** Scott asked hopefully. **I'm finally finding a use for him.**

**Scott,** Professor Xavier began.

**But Daaaaad, you never let us have any fun,** Scott whined.

Jean's laughter tickled his mind like champagne bubbles and even the Professor managed to send some amusement.

With a sigh, Scott looked at the man standing in front of him, then over at the teachers and students who had gathered. "Okay everyone, time to clean up and come up with an explanation of how a bunch of schoolteachers knocked out a van full of thugs. The police will probably be here in a few minutes, so get moving."

"We're just gonna turn them over?" Bobby asked.

"I think this guy and his buddies are well aware that it's best if they leave us alone in the future."

The man nodded his head furiously. "Oh yeah. We're not stupid. You couldn't pay me enough to go up against you again. Plenty of safer jobs out there."

"And it might be best if you didn't mention what you saw here," Scott said quietly. "Safer all around."

Two hours after the first alarms sounded, the police had come and gone and the defenders could be seen sprawled on the front lawn recovering under the late afternoon sunshine. Jean and Hank were ministering to minor wounds, while the other teachers worked on mansion clean up. Scott and the Professor were in the latter's office, where they could talk in private while keeping on eye on everyone.

"We will do a full debriefing later," the Professor said, "but I must say I'm most pleased with everyone's performance. The children took orders much better than I expected. And your story was convincing enough the police required only minor attention from me."

Scott nodded absently from his seat by the window, where he was watching Jean inspect a gash on Rahne's leg. The young woman was curled up in Kurt's lap, and he gently stroked her arm. Jean didn't look worried, so Scott decided he wouldn't worry either.

"Scott?"

"I'm sorry, sir," he said, turning around, "what did you say?"

Professor Xavier smiled. "Just that the children did a good job. Why don't you go outside and tend to your troops? I think they'd appreciate a few words from you. I'm going to do a final scan with Cerebro."

"No, you should be the one--"

"They're yours. You lead them, not me. Now go on, I'll be out in a few minutes. I know they'll worry until everyone has seen all the teachers safe and sound." The Professor rolled out of the room, leaving a pensive Scott to watch the scene outside before heading out the door.

The moment he stepped outside, he was besieged.

"Is Professor Xavier okay?" Rogue asked, her brows furrowed.

"He's fine. Just doing a quick search with Cerebro."

Jubilee danced around him, unable to squelch the tiny plasma sparkles that shimmered around her hands. "Didja see? Did Hank tell you? I burned 'em from one side and Remy here blew stuff up on the other and they didn't know if they were coming or going!"

"You did a great job," Scott said.

"And you should have seen the way I found them and Jono blasted them," Betsy said, looking happy, for once. "I even knocked one of them silly with just my mind."

"A great job," Scott said again. He continued to move through the group of kids, trying to stop and praise each one.

"Mr. Summers?" Kitty looked up from where she and John were leaning back-to-back. Her face showed exhaustion, and somehow she looked more adult than she had earlier in the day.

Scott shook off his ruminations. "Yes, Kitty?"

"Do we still have to do the final assignment?"

Scott stifled a grin as John covered his eyes and other students groaned and flopped down onto the ground. He couldn't leave them in suspense for long. "No, the Professor and I have decided that this afternoon could stand in lieu of that final assignment."

"How'd we do?" Sam asked from where he sat with his sister.

All heads turned toward Scott, and he took a deep breath. "As I think you can guess, you all passed. You passed with flying colors. We're proud of you, and your willingness to protect the others. You worked with your fellow students, you listened to the orders of the teachers, and protected the school."

Scott looked at the kids as he spoke. "Perhaps best of all," he said, "the teachers report that each pair worked together as if you'd been doing it for years, just as we've practiced and hoped. I think you've all learned the value of teamwork, perhaps not in the way we intended you to learn, but that's a lesson in itself."

Every face was turned toward him. "For all your arguing this week, when you needed each other, you were there. Remember that. Hold onto it."

And unexpectedly, the kids started to cheer. Faces shining, they clapped for him, for each other, they hugged and jumped up and down. Bobby and John pounded him on the back, looking abashed when they realized what they'd done, but still grinned at each other.

Then Jean stood beside him, her love flooding through their link, warm and bright. "It's okay, Scott," she said. "We won today."

"No, they won."

The sun was long set, the proud and excited teens finally tucked into bed after a raucous celebration. Scott and Jean stumbled into the bedroom, where the click of the door latch allowed them the illusion that they could, at least briefly, shut out the rest of the world. The warm color of the walls and simple decorations had rarely looked quite so welcoming.

Scott flopped bonelessly onto the bed, followed quickly by Jean. They lay like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the silence, before Jean started to chuckle.

Scott rolled onto his side to look at his wife, tucking a pillow under his head. "What's so funny?"

"Everything," she said, shaking her head slowly. "The kids, us, the other teachers, the past week." She stopped chuckling, and looked right at him. "We're actually remarkably lucky. Did you know that? With all the challenges we face, we're here, we have our friends, a bunch of wonderful and aggravating students..."

Scott brushed a lock of silky hair out of her face and ran his fingers from her forehead down to her chin, before leaning down to kiss her. "Sometimes I think I'm the luckiest man in the world."

She smiled up at him.

"Then Logan pisses me off. Or Bobby freezes the water pipes. Or Betsy pitches a fit over the quality of tea we serve."

She stared at him for a moment before beginning to laugh again. "Oh, Scott," she managed through the laughter as he grinned at her. "You just can't let a romantic moment go by without comment, can you?"

"Shut up and kiss me," he said.

And she did.

END