Robert was frowning deeply by the time that Lee and Tarin had finished speaking. ”Those are quite serious worries for you to pile Kevin,”

”Why in the world would I have mentioned any of that to Kevin?” Lee asked, truly confused by Robert’s thought process. ”He’s got more than enough to worry about just with starting high school and learning how to use his powers. No, those are just a few of the things I’ve thought might come up in the next year or two. If and when one of those happen, then I’ll talk to Kevin about it.”

The problem for Lee was that even though she had come up with all of these different situations that might come up with Kevin’s powers, they didn’t know enough about how his power actually worked for Lee to make proper contingency plans; there were just too many variables.

Hearing Tarin sigh, Lee glanced at the TV to see that the teams were trading places again. ”Three outs already?” she asked softly. She wasn’t paying very much attention to the game, but that at bat felt like it was over very quickly.

”Well, hopefully none of those happen,” Robert said slowly. ”But are you telling me that you’ve sat here and actually thought all these things out?”

Lee shrugged as she turned back to Robert. ”Not so much during that first week after he got his powers, but yeah of course I have.”

As if Lee would go out of her way to needlessly worry Kevin about things that would or wouldn’t happen with his powers. Sometimes it seemed like Robert went out of his way to be purposely obtuse so he could be confrontational. Then again, Robert hadn’t ever had to think about any of this, so it wasn’t the most outlandish thing that Robert wouldn’t think about such things.

Lee commented on the game and Tarin nodded, ”Either this pitcher is having a career game or there’s some other unknown factor dragging their ability to bat into the dirt.”

This inning was going better defensively, at least, and it looked like the score was going to stay 2-0 for the time being.

Robert asked if Lee had really thought all of those things out and Tarin looked at the other man a bit incredulously. Did he know who he was talking about?

”If you haven’t noticed, your sister is a bit of a planner.”

Lee looked over at Tarin again, an innocent expression on her face this time when about an ‘unknown factor’ affecting the game. ”I have absolutely no idea what that could possibly be,” she told him.

And apparently somehow Robert didn’t know how in depth she worried about things and thought and planned what to do. Yes, most of it was simply in her brain and she didn’t talk about it a lot, but how could he simply not know?

”Just like I had made plans for what we’d do if Kevin’s powers emerged before the end of the school year. And I do mean plans, because depending on what his powers ended up being like, we would have done different things. And also what we’d do if his powers hadn’t shown up yet by the time school starts again in the fall.”

Yes, the final decisions on her plans would have had to wait until the situation happened, but Lee had come up with guidelines for herself.

”Why would you have to plan for if he didn’t have his powers yet?” Robert asked. ”He’d have just gone to the same high school with his friends.”

”No, he’d have still been going to the mansion in the fall,” Lee informed her brother. ”His father’s powers emerged when he was 11, and I was right around his age when the doctors visits started if I remember right.”

Tarin might have muttered to himself a bit as Lee played clueless about his superstitions regarding the game. The Mets had managed to get two on base, but the next two batters had struck out and flied out, so now they were back to two outs.

Lee was still talking about her plans for Kevin and when she explained why she had planned to send Kevin to the Mansion in the fall no matter what she mentioned when both she and Kevin’s father had gotten their powers.

Tarin couldn’t help but stiffen just a bit when Lee pointed out that Kevin’s father had gotten his powers at 11. That was another thing that was the same. Tarin could only imagine that the scenario had been similar too. It was something he hadn’t thought about, hadn’t wanted to think about, in a really long time.

Studiously keeping his attention on the game as the Mets got a third batter on to load the bases with two outs, he decided that this was a topic that he didn’t want to discuss. Things in his life had quickly gone downhill at that point and it had only been a few more years before he’d gathered all the money he could find and headed to New York. The rest was messy history.

Another pop fly. Three outs, 3 left on base. Good lord.

Tarin didn’t sound very happy about her feigning ignorance about what he thought would make the Mets win. But Lee was a little busy talking to Robert to make a comment about that.

As Lee continued, explaining to Robert about when Kevin’s father had gotten his powers, she felt Tarin’s body stiffen beside her. They hadn’t really talked about it at all, but based on that reaction Lee could only assume that both Tarin’s had gotten their powers at the same time, likely the same way.

”But why would you send Kevin to a school for mutants before he had powers?”

Lee’s eyes closed and she shook her head as she turned back toward the TV. ”God Bobby,” she muttered, head still shaking slightly. ”I just…I can’t anymore today.”

Lee took a breath as she noticed the teams switching again. ”How’s the game…” Lee started to ask Tarin, but her words trailed off as she saw the look on his face. Yeah, the game was not going well.

”Fine…” Lee groaned. Then she reached out, pulling Tarin’s hat off his head and putting it on hers. ”Only cause I love you,” she whispered.

”Because it was a foregone conclusion that Kevin was going to get powers at some point and since it’s a transitional year anyway it would have been easier that way.” Lee and Rachel had clearly gotten all of the intuition in the family leaving poor Robert to wait for neon signs and for people to spell things out.

Lee asked how the game was and Tarin gestured vaguely at the screen and made a kind of disgusted noise. Things hadn’t gotten any worse but they definitely hadn’t gotten any better either.

Lee stepped up though, whether she believed in the hat or not and when she pulled it off his head Tarin grinned and gave her a little squeeze, ”Yayyyy” he said, then grinned when Lee said it was just because she loved him.

”Just watch, they’ll be tied after the next at bat.”

Thankfully, Tarin stepped in to explain to Robert about why she had been planning on sending Kevin to the mansion in the fall regardless of whether he’d had his powers or not yet. It was obvious, wasn’t it? Lee couldn’t remember actually discussing this specifically with Tarin, and he’d only been partially paying attention to the conversation because of the game, so it had to be pretty obvious.

”They haven’t fully figured out the way that the x-gene is inherited yet, but we do know that it’s not a guarantee-”

”No.” Lee said, her tone flat, her eyes continuing to look at the TV as she spoke. ”We knew he was a mutant, Robert. We’ve always known.”

Tarin’s hat was now settled on her head, and Lee couldn’t stop the smile from appearing as she heard and saw his reaction. ”If you say so,” she replied to him, the smile still on her face as she shook her head slightly.

”You were that certain?” Robert started questioning again. Lee’s eyes closed and she was shaking her head even while he was still speaking. ”So you had him tested, then?”

”No,” Lee said, her voice muffled as she rubbed her hands over her face, still shaking her head. With how Robert seemed determined to question and debate everything she was saying, there was no way she felt like she could even begin explaining Alice to him. ”I can’t…Not this, today. I’m done, Robert.”

Robert also couldn’t read a room. Once he latched on to something he was like a dog with a bone it couldn’t let go.

Why were they even still talking about this hypothetical situation that hadn’t happened?

Tarin could tell that Lee was getting upset…because she practically said it. Lee didn’t want to talk about how she’d been so sure that Kevin was a mutant. Tarin didn’t know and he didn’t really care.

”We don’t need to hash out hypotheticals. None of it matters now anyway.” Tarin said, ”Besides, the magic is about to happen.”

Sure enough, the Mets were up to bat and already had a runner on second. The same
pitcher was pitching, the same batters were batting…but Lee was wearing a hat from another world that had never had any kind of luck attached to it before.

The first pitch was a strike, the second a ball, and on the third CRACK.

”See! I told you! Irrefutable evidence.”

Sure he was excited about the game, but just maybe Tarin was playing it up a little to help change the subject.

Tarin started talking, pretty much telling Robert to shut up without straight out saying those words. Lee just hoped that Robert finally got the hint. With a deep breath, Lee dropped her hands into her lap, leaning against Tarin slightly. ”Magic?” she questioned as she turned to look at him.

A moment later, Lee heard the ball be got, and she turned back to the TV.

”See! I told you! Irrefutable evidence.”

Lee let her head fall back, though it hit Tarin's arm more than the back of the couch. ”I'm going to be stuck wearing this hat every game now, aren't I?”

”Magic.” Tarin had confirmed right before the home run.

Yep. It had to be magic. Some sort of cross dimension magic where it didn’t work if he had the hat on but did if Lee had it on because she was from this side and the energy could flow through her…

Right. That had to be it. It made total sense.

Tarin could see Robert staring from the other side of the couch and he glanced over and shrugged, ”Every time she wears the hat, they win. I was just thinking it must be some kind of cross dimensional positive energy thing. Whatever though, can’t argue with results.”

Tarin felt Lee’s head drop back against his arm and he smiled down at her again, ”Only until they lose.” it was inevitable, but this was fun while it lasted.

Robert, did not pick up the topic of Kevin and his powers again, he just sat kind of awkwardly at the end of the couch.

”As much fun as this is at this point, I think it’s about time I left. When does Kevin get home?”

Next thing Lee knew, Tarin was explaining her wearing the hat to Robert, and how it was apparently some kind of interdimensional magic. But at least Robert wasn't back to talking about Kevin's x-gene.

”Only until they lose.”

”Uh huh,” she said, not sounding too happy about that, though she smiled back up at Tarin.

Robert was now asking when Kevin would be home. And commenting that he should get going. A very good idea, Lee couldn't help but think. ”The 16th,” Lee replied.

Getting up, Lee saw Robert out, returning to the living room a few minutes later. ”Did I miss anything?”

Tarin had to vaguely wonder if Lee not wanting to wear the hat would be equivalent to wanting the Mets to lose and if that would somehow mess with things worked with the hat. Was Tarin being a bit ridiculous, yes. Was there any actual chance that the hat was actually responsible for turn around in the game? No. It was fun to play though, and all the silliness paid off a few minutes later because Robert was leaving.

Out of the room they went, and Tarin had to think that the last several minutes had really been excellent. Eventually the door closed and Lee made her way back asking if she had missed anything.

”Nope.” Tarin said with a grin, ”Just a couple more hits, but they didn’t amount to anything.” There were commercials on now.

”That man is exhausting and you are a saint among saints for even trying with him.” Tarin said, ”You okay?”

Lee nodded as she sat down. She couldn't help but wonder if Tarin would somehow find a way to blame that on the fact that she hadn't been in the room

At least he didn't say anything about it. Lee was glad. He didn't say anything about it, at least. Even if he might be thinking it.

And Tarin was right; Lee was emotionally and mentally tired after that afternoon. ”I knew he was going to have trouble understanding, but had no idea he would be questioning everythingI said.”

Leaning her head against Tarin's shoulder as she got confused. +And yes I'm ok. I just knew that there was no way I would be able to explain Alice to him today and still be ok.”

Lee sat down and Tarin draped his arm back over Lee’s shoulders. Lee spoke and Tarin frowned, he’d honestly expected pretty much exactly what had happened.

” It’s like once he decides something, it’s nearly impossible for him to change his mind. He did eventually come around though…” It was like Lee had said earlier, Tarin didn’t think he would ever be friends with Robert, but…

”At least he didn’t hit me this time…”

Lee leaned her head against his shoulder and Tarin tightened his arm around her shoulders a bit as she spoke. It had been hard enough for Lee to talk about the little girl in the shared dream when she had known that Tarin would believe her. To have someone question the validity or existence of someone so real and tough for Lee to think about…

”I get it.” he said, ”You sure you want to watch the game? We could always find a movie or something.” Baseball was entertaining to him, but Tarin knew that Lee was often bored when they watched, maybe something else would get her mind off the day.

It was strange, because what Tarin described did seem to be how Robert was acting. ”It’s weird. I don't remember him being like that when we were younger,” Lee said. But people did change as they grew older. She certainly had. And Robert apparently had become more and more rigid in his thinking.

”At least that shows he is capable of learning, if slowly,” Lee replied to Tarin's comment about Robert not hitting him this time ”After the last couple times he's been around, even he had to realize he'd be an idiot to try that again.”

Tarin was now giving the option to find something else to watch, saying that they didn't have to watch the rest of the game. Lee shook her head against Tarin's shoulder. ”How will I know the hat doesn't work if we're not watching the game?” she asked looking up at Tarin with a small smile.

But even as she settled in to watch the game, Lee couldn't seem to get her mind off Alice.

”Do you remember when we were talking with Michael in the park?” Lee ended up asking after a couple minutes. ”And she was talking about how her daughter ended up in the fountain?”

Lee paused for a moment before continuing, her voice very soft. ”And I mentioned Turtle Pond. It was Alice that did that, not Kevin…”