DBThanks: It's a Lake.....HOUSE....it's mighty mighty...

[Sara Stanton]

"H-hello Mister and Misses Stanton... That... that's Onyx."

[Will Stanton]

"We got to that part but...who IS she?"

[Sara Stanton]

"A friend?" A short pause. "Who... likes helping out?" she awkwardly adds at Onyx helping with the groceries and realizing it's a bit too late for that route, judging by the looks on Max and Rita's faces. "She... already told you, hasn't she?"

[Will Stanton]

"She said she was...she said she was...she said she was..."

[Sara Stanton]

"It's not anything like... well... I didn't mean to... I just wanted to free her, you know? X-Corp has custody of her, we're jsut trying to get her to fit in..." Sara stammers.

[Will Stanton]

"Y...you mean it's true?"

[Sara Stanton]

Sara nods, inspecting the floor, walls, anything but Will's parents."She's... an actual slave from Madripoor..."

[Will Stanton]

"She's...she's our friend, and we asked her to come for Thanksgiving, izzat OK?"
"Well, y-yeah..."

[Sara Stanton]

"I'm sorry. I kind of surprised Will with it..."

[Will Stanton]

"More than once," Will muttered under his breath, squeezing Sara's hand.

[Sara Stanton]

"I thought it might do her good to be included in something like this. I don't think she's ever really had a 'family' before..."

[Will Stanton]

"O....OK, alright...just...just next time...next time...call, will you?" she smiled hesitantly.

[Sara Stanton]

"It... was kind of a spontaneous decision. Will already was on the plane and I missed it and I had lost my cellphone, so Onyx teleported us over... it's a long story..." Sara smiles apologetically as she walks over to help Onyx with picking up the dropped groceries.

[Will Stanton]

Will walked out too. "Oh, I see pie making ingredients. I see lots of pie making ingredients..." he laughed. "You two have not HAD a pie until you've had mom's pumpkin pie."

[Onyx]

Onyx finishes collecting the groceries and begins taking them to the kitchen.

[Will Stanton]

"O...Onyx, yes?" Rita smiled. "Um. I'm sorry about....here, let me help you...you're from...Madripoor, they said? Nice place?"

[Onyx]

"I'm fine, ma'am," Onyx says, "And no. Most people would find it very unpleasant."

[Sara Stanton]

Sara smiles at Onyx as a silent 'Thanks' as she walks off. Sara wait until she's in the kitchen again before turning to Mr. Stanton. "I know it's really weird, but she's actually disappointed when you turn down her help. We're hoping she'll get better in time, but just... look at her as a friend of Will and me and a... over-enthusiastic maid, yes?"

[Will Stanton]

"Oh, my. Um, are you liking Xavier's better, then?" Rita stumbled, attempting to salvage small talk as her form of mental defense.



"A maid? This is...this is all a bit much...this isn't one of your....one of your 'games', is it?" Max frowned.

[Sara Stanton]

"Oh god no! No no no! I'm hoping eventually she'll accept being paid and go her own way, life her own life. I thought I'd just set her free, but she said if I did that she'd go back to Madripoor."

[Will Stanton]

"Well...couldn't someone ELSE have taken her in? Why you two?" he said, exasperated.

[Sara Stanton]

"There's another person I could have passed her off on." she admits. "But... she's kind of a scary woman and... well in a way it's a responsibility. I shouldn't just run away from that..."

[Will Stanton]

Max's frown deepened. "I....I suppose..." he sighed. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Sara. You've got a lot on your plate, already," he said, his eyes darting down.

[Sara Stanton]

"I... I know... But Will and I can do it." she says, grabbing Will's hand.

[Will Stanton]

"She's really been a big help, and she'll really help us with the kid...she told me she really really likes them..." Will said, holding Sara's hand.
"Mmmm..."

[Sara Stanton]

Sara nods. "She's a sweet girl, she's just... from a very different world."

[Will Stanton]

Max looked dubious. "Well...I trust you to make the smart decision, Will. Just...be careful you two..."

[Sara Stanton]

"I trust her. And... with the school being what it is it's kind of comforting to know that she'll be able to take us to safety halfway around the world should anything happen."

[Will Stanton]

"She can wha?"

[Sara Stanton]

"She teleports. To anywhere she's been to before."

[Will Stanton]

"And you two FLEW out here?"

[Sara Stanton]

"Will did. Because he's an idiot." she smiles lovingly at Will and kisses his cheek.

[Will Stanton]

Will frowned slightly and whispered "that's not why I flew out here."
"Well, this is fantastic! You two can stop by all the time!" Max said, cheerfully.

[Sara Stanton]

"I know." she whispers back, squeezing his hand.

"Mhmm. No hours of flying for anyone for the kid to see it's grandparents." Sara smiles.

[Will Stanton]

"Alright. In THAT case, I give my blessing," he rumbled, laughing.

[Sara Stanton]

"And she'll get better eventually. She just needs a place that accepts her for herself."

[Will Stanton]

"If you say so. I just hope you know what you're doing."

[Sara Stanton]

"The school is helping with getting her back on track. And she's... already shown small signs of getting better. It'll be fine, I'm sure of it."

[Will Stanton]

"Well, that's a good sign--just..don't get too comfortable with your own...whatever."

[Sara Stanton]

She nods. "If I ever act like that someone please slap some sense into me."