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om_mainScott helps Simon install a security system at the cabin, and Simon admits what it is for.
It was his own birthday, Simon reflected as he held one of the cameras for Scott and steadied the ladder. He was setting up a perimeter defense system in the woods of Canada on his birthday. And it had been his choice. If his birthday wasn't sabotaged by someone else, he could count on himself to do it.
"Thank you for your help with his," he offered quietly, though it wasn't the first time he'd said it.
Scott would have waved the gratitude off, but his hands were both busy with the camera he'd been handed and his power screwdriver. "Not a problem. Something on your mind, though, Tam? This level of paranoia used to be more Beaubier's forte. I'm kind of surprised he didn't beat us to it."
"We were going to bring it up with you and Lydia a little later," Simon admitted. "Jean-Paul wants both of your opinions."
"Bring up putting in a security system? Or something else?" Scott pushed the trigger and screwed the base of the camera into the eve.
"Bring up using this place as an...out, of a sorts. A place to run, should the worst happen," Simon murmured, fumbling for a few more screws to pass up.
Scott glanced down at Simon, more in response to the statement than the need for screws. "You guys want to make this a bug-out location?"
"It's come up," Simon agreed, rolling a shoulder.
"For whom?" It was a nice cabin, but it wasn't Xavier's mansion. There were limits to how many people could fit in there.
"Well, to be honest, I was only thinking of Jean-Paul, myself, River, and Jeanne-Marie," Simon admitted.
Scott nodded slowly, and turned back to screwing the camera base in. That made sense, particularly from Simon's perspective. "Okay. So...what's the question?" His voice wasn't hostile, but curious.
Simon blinked at him. "What question?"
Scott paused briefly, wondering if maybe he had misunderstood what Simon had said earlier. "What'd you want my and Lydia's opinions on," he clarified.
"More than just a few things," Simon admitted. "What kind of supplies we would need. What kind of plans we should make. You are both more tactically minded that we are. And, I think, that Jean-Paul would want you both to have a safe place here too, if we could manage it."
Another screw went into the wood above him, and Scott tugged on the camera lightly to ensure it was properly secured. "Well, supplies is actually one of the more straight-forward parts, though I guess a real answer would depend on how long you envisioned being here," he mused. "In terms of plans, the first step is transportation usually, but you've got an edge on most people there."
"Not necessarily," Simon sighed, stepping back to let Scott come down. "Jean-Paul can only carry one person at a time and not very fast. Also, they can't be that burdened, and weather is a problem."
Scott thought that over as he maneuvered his way down the ladder, before nodding. "So you'll need a planned, non-Beaubier method of transport or three, and save anything else as a last resort," he agreed.
"Just so you understand - this is my idea. Jean-Paul would rather stay at Xavier's. But I...I just can't be sure we'll always be safe there," Simon told him.
It quieted some of the slight sense of betrayal Scott had been pointedly ignoring. Not because Simon's method of thinking was a problem - he was protecting himself and his family, and Scott understood that - just that Scott hadn't expected it of Jean-Paul. "You don't need to explain yourself to me," he assured Tam.
"Yes," Simon told him, turning to pick up another camera, turning it over in his hand. "I do. I know how close you two are. I want you to know that he's against it. And I would never take him away from Xavier's if I didn't have to. You're good for him. But I... I can't let what happened to Benjamin happen to my sister."
Scott knew better than most that primal desire to stay alive, and how sometimes getting there required being selfish. He didn't mean 'selfish' in a bad way, either, but instead in the practical sense. He didn't know how to voice that, though, in a way that couldn't be taken, even accidentally, as an insult. He didn't know that he felt like explaining why he was so intimately familiar with making that choice, either. Instead, he said, "I appreciate it. You telling me. But you never need to justify protecting your family."
"At this point, I'd warrant that you count," Simon pointed out, looking up. "As family."
He was a little surprised, by the sentiment, but he managed to remove the expression from his face (well, mostly) by the time he'd touched down. "Uh, thanks," Scott managed. Even if Simon said it out of deference for his relationship with Jean-Paul, it was still a nice thing to say. Neither he nor Tam was overly demonstrative, though, so thanks was as much appreciation as they might be capable of in combination.
Simon nodded, then took a deep breath. "Do you want to take a break? It's freezing out here, and I could use some tea."
"If you want to break, we can." Scott could definitely feel the cold getting to his hands and toes, in particular. Still, he was willing to keep going if Simon wanted to.
Simon flashed him a knowing smile. It was like Scott to suggest he was fine to keep going, even when Simon could tell he wasn't, even without touching him. Simon was confident enough with himself to give first. "I do. My toes are going numb. If you don't mind stopping for a bit, I could use some time by the fire."
Scott shrugged. "Sure. No problem."
Nodding, Simon turned and headed inside, sighing that he'd jumped the gun on telling Scott. At least Jean-Paul could have a hand in talking to Lydia.
It was his own birthday, Simon reflected as he held one of the cameras for Scott and steadied the ladder. He was setting up a perimeter defense system in the woods of Canada on his birthday. And it had been his choice. If his birthday wasn't sabotaged by someone else, he could count on himself to do it.
"Thank you for your help with his," he offered quietly, though it wasn't the first time he'd said it.
Scott would have waved the gratitude off, but his hands were both busy with the camera he'd been handed and his power screwdriver. "Not a problem. Something on your mind, though, Tam? This level of paranoia used to be more Beaubier's forte. I'm kind of surprised he didn't beat us to it."
"We were going to bring it up with you and Lydia a little later," Simon admitted. "Jean-Paul wants both of your opinions."
"Bring up putting in a security system? Or something else?" Scott pushed the trigger and screwed the base of the camera into the eve.
"Bring up using this place as an...out, of a sorts. A place to run, should the worst happen," Simon murmured, fumbling for a few more screws to pass up.
Scott glanced down at Simon, more in response to the statement than the need for screws. "You guys want to make this a bug-out location?"
"It's come up," Simon agreed, rolling a shoulder.
"For whom?" It was a nice cabin, but it wasn't Xavier's mansion. There were limits to how many people could fit in there.
"Well, to be honest, I was only thinking of Jean-Paul, myself, River, and Jeanne-Marie," Simon admitted.
Scott nodded slowly, and turned back to screwing the camera base in. That made sense, particularly from Simon's perspective. "Okay. So...what's the question?" His voice wasn't hostile, but curious.
Simon blinked at him. "What question?"
Scott paused briefly, wondering if maybe he had misunderstood what Simon had said earlier. "What'd you want my and Lydia's opinions on," he clarified.
"More than just a few things," Simon admitted. "What kind of supplies we would need. What kind of plans we should make. You are both more tactically minded that we are. And, I think, that Jean-Paul would want you both to have a safe place here too, if we could manage it."
Another screw went into the wood above him, and Scott tugged on the camera lightly to ensure it was properly secured. "Well, supplies is actually one of the more straight-forward parts, though I guess a real answer would depend on how long you envisioned being here," he mused. "In terms of plans, the first step is transportation usually, but you've got an edge on most people there."
"Not necessarily," Simon sighed, stepping back to let Scott come down. "Jean-Paul can only carry one person at a time and not very fast. Also, they can't be that burdened, and weather is a problem."
Scott thought that over as he maneuvered his way down the ladder, before nodding. "So you'll need a planned, non-Beaubier method of transport or three, and save anything else as a last resort," he agreed.
"Just so you understand - this is my idea. Jean-Paul would rather stay at Xavier's. But I...I just can't be sure we'll always be safe there," Simon told him.
It quieted some of the slight sense of betrayal Scott had been pointedly ignoring. Not because Simon's method of thinking was a problem - he was protecting himself and his family, and Scott understood that - just that Scott hadn't expected it of Jean-Paul. "You don't need to explain yourself to me," he assured Tam.
"Yes," Simon told him, turning to pick up another camera, turning it over in his hand. "I do. I know how close you two are. I want you to know that he's against it. And I would never take him away from Xavier's if I didn't have to. You're good for him. But I... I can't let what happened to Benjamin happen to my sister."
Scott knew better than most that primal desire to stay alive, and how sometimes getting there required being selfish. He didn't mean 'selfish' in a bad way, either, but instead in the practical sense. He didn't know how to voice that, though, in a way that couldn't be taken, even accidentally, as an insult. He didn't know that he felt like explaining why he was so intimately familiar with making that choice, either. Instead, he said, "I appreciate it. You telling me. But you never need to justify protecting your family."
"At this point, I'd warrant that you count," Simon pointed out, looking up. "As family."
He was a little surprised, by the sentiment, but he managed to remove the expression from his face (well, mostly) by the time he'd touched down. "Uh, thanks," Scott managed. Even if Simon said it out of deference for his relationship with Jean-Paul, it was still a nice thing to say. Neither he nor Tam was overly demonstrative, though, so thanks was as much appreciation as they might be capable of in combination.
Simon nodded, then took a deep breath. "Do you want to take a break? It's freezing out here, and I could use some tea."
"If you want to break, we can." Scott could definitely feel the cold getting to his hands and toes, in particular. Still, he was willing to keep going if Simon wanted to.
Simon flashed him a knowing smile. It was like Scott to suggest he was fine to keep going, even when Simon could tell he wasn't, even without touching him. Simon was confident enough with himself to give first. "I do. My toes are going numb. If you don't mind stopping for a bit, I could use some time by the fire."
Scott shrugged. "Sure. No problem."
Nodding, Simon turned and headed inside, sighing that he'd jumped the gun on telling Scott. At least Jean-Paul could have a hand in talking to Lydia.
