Quicksilver (X-men) One shots

Growing Up

It was about halfway through the school's summer vacation, on a sunny 6afternoon that Erik stood in the downstairs living room, watching out the window. Not far from the building, Peter was around in the shade of a few large trees in the garden. The weather was getting too warm for even Peter to run around outside in the glaring sun, but there wasn't all that much for them to do.

It seemed that even crime slowed down during summer vacation, and the X-men hadn't had a mission in over 2 months.

Unlike most teens who stayed home during the vacation, the young mutants didn't feel very much like going out to the beach. And although Isabel and Ororo did their best to suggest fun activities for the kids, their ideas had run out by now, and the boredom was settling in. Due to Peter's perception of time, it hit him harder than anybody else. Erik knew his son regretted not going on vacation with his family, but he didn't realize it until it was too late already. And so Peter spent his days running around in the shade, trying to run up the trees, or watching TV inside for hours on end.

Erik's trail of thought was interrupted when he heard someone come up to him.

'How long has he been out there?' Charles asked.

Erik sighed. 'About an hour at least.' He answered without looking at his friend.

'It's the great burden of a mutant to know that the gift you have will also, always be a burden. For Peter, his perception of time makes leading a normal life nearly impossible. Even here, when surrounded by people like him, others barely understand what life is like for him...' The professor softly stated.

Erik leaned against the window still and looked at Charles. 'I try my best to help him, Charles, but this is one problem I have no solution for. Even if I would understand his perception of time, I wouldn't know what someone of his age would do to pass their time...'

Charles looked up at Erik. 'I might suggest asking Isabel or Ororo. Since their other friends left for the summer, they have gotten quite close. Isabel also is quite close to Peter in age, so I am sure she would be able to suggest something.'

Erik sighed slightly. 'Alright. Do you know where she is?'

'The library.' Charles answered as he rolled his wheelchair back down the hall to his office.

When Erik entered the library, it seemed completely abandoned. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. But in the corner of the room, sitting in a comfortable chair by the window, a blonde haired girl sat with a book in her hand. Erik slowly walked up to her and sat down across from her.

'Hello Erik.' Isabel didn't look away from her book as she reacted to the metal bending mutant.

'Hello Isabel.' Erik offered a smile, but was pretty sure she didn't notice, and sighed. 'I need your help Isabel...'

The blonde haired girl put took her time, putting a bookmark into the book and putting it down, before looking up at Erik. 'Of course you do... why else would you come to talk to me.' She snickered slightly. 'So, what's up with Peter that you need help with?'

Erik chuckled. 'Are you sure you're not psychic?'

Isabel smiled. 'Pretty sure. You are just rather single minded person. You are either focused on fighting for mutant rights, although with a very wrong approach, or you are completely obsessed with making sure your son is happy and healthy every moment of his life...'

'I guess you are not entirely wrong.'

'So what is the problem?'

'Peter is bored, and not bored like any normal teenager would be. His perception of time and the world around him, make it difficult for him to deal with not doing anything, but with so many people gone, and there being no missions, he doesn't really have anything to do. I am at my wits end...'

Isabel sighed. 'It's not just right now in the summer, honestly. It's just that during the rest of the year nobody really notices... I have suggested to him before that maybe he should become a teacher too, but he always avoids the subject whenever I bring it up.'

Erik's eyes somewhat lit up and he stood up. 'You are brilliant, Isabel! Thank you.' Erik quickly left the library.

'You're welcome.'

At around midnight, the mansion had gone quiet, but in the living room the soft hum of the TV could be heard. When Erik walked in, he found his son lying on the couch watching random TV shows.

'Hey dad.' Peter mumbled.

Erik sat down next to his son and turned off the TV. 'Peter, have you ever thought of becoming a teaching here at the school?'

Peter looked at his dad with a surprised look. 'Are you crazy? I wouldn't be a good teacher, I barely graduated!' Peter reached for the remote again, put it soared away just as Peter was about to grab it. He glared at his dad. 'Come on, dad!'

'I mean it Peter, you are bored out of your mind. And you can't just be an X-men for the rest of your life. Don't you want to do more with your life, Peter?'

Peter sat up straight. 'Yeah, of course I would like to do more with my life, but I am nothing. I barely graduated high school, there is nothing I am good at, nothing I can teach anyone. The only thing I can do, is run!' Peter sighed and fell back against the couch, tears in his yes. 'All I am is my mutation.'

Erik saw the tears in his son's eyes and took a deep breath. 'Peter, you are much more than just "fast". You are much smarter than you give yourself credit for. I've seen you with the children at the mansion, Peter, you are great with kids. I think you would be a great teacher to the young kids here. Just have a bit more faith in yourself.'

Peter looked up at Erik. 'The professor would never let me, I don't have a teaching degree.'

Erik shrugged. 'He let Isabel teach English and History. Why wouldn't he let you teach?'

'Because Isabel was taking classes to become a teacher...'

Erik laughed slightly. 'Well, fair enough. But I think Charles would be happy to have you as a teacher, Peter.'

Peter shrugged again, but Erik took it as a yes. And so the next morning Erik took Peter to Charles's office, when most of the students were still asleep.

Erik was right, and the professor was happy to have Peter as part of the official staff of the school. And so when Peter and Erik left the office, Peter was officially a teacher for the first graders. They still had to work out what subject he would be teaching, but the most important thing was that Peter was once again excited. He was no longer bored, but looked forward to the start of the year again.