Shuffling and purring was all Sam could hear as he rustled through his desk for the information he was looking for. The purring continued as he occasionally stopped looking for the papers to pet the larger Tabby on his lap. ”I know you’re here Cammie…” Sam said as he gave her some attention before going to look for the papers he need to give Garrett the information he needed on the job opportunity he had for him.

Public relations was something that Sam wasn’t fantastic at but as of late more and more work seemed to have been piling up around them and while he did what he could, he knew someone who could handle this subject matter far better than he ever could. Yes, he was going out on a limb giving this position to someone who had just returned to them after flipping sides working alongside the order for a while, however Sam was a firm believer in second chances and he had noticed the amount of good Garrett did to give the Sanctuary and all that branch off from them a positive look in the community.

An act that he figured could not have been accomplished by just anyone so why not use the gift that Garrett was bestowed with for the good of the team. So Sam placed a call and paged Garrett to his office where he would offer his formerly hairless friend two things, a position back on the team and the title of Head of Public Relations for the mansion and the X-Men.

The call had come to the Infirmary. Garrett had been studying the files of the Mansion residents under the guise of insurance fact-checking. It was fairly easy to bamboozle the DocProf. When the elder approached him about his pilfering, Garrett merely raised the large stack of files, gesturing at him. Once the gravity of insurance gaps and the volume of files were presented, DocProf quickly wanted no part of it, returning to the bowels of the lab area. One by one, candidates for tagging were selected to another pile, marked Pending.

The sound of Sam's voice startled Garrett, knocking some of the loose papers from his hand. They really needed some kind of tone prior to an announcement. Gathering up the loose paperwork, he was surprised to hear it was his name being called. Strange, as he thought that his initial talk with Sam would be enough for a while. Sorting everything and writing a small polite note about not touching any of his important paperwork, Garrett proceededout into the hallway, making his way to the office.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he had done something. Surely, he had done many things, but as far as he knew, no one was the wiser. Of course, RUPERT was able to track him down fairly easily and keep tabs on him. Maybe it was more of a question of the Mansion's capability to track him. Being a fairly open environment for the mutants training there, both the internal and external security was lax, to say the least. It was still a mystery to Garrett how they let not only their Head of Security be stolen, but the X-Jet as well. someone was laughing a long, dark laugh somewhere over that, no doubt.

Finding himself at the door, Garrett chose not to knock this time but just let himself in. he found Sam sitting at his desk petting a cat. it was an odd sight, to be sure, but appealing in some way. judging from his superior's posture and the amount of fresh paper on the desk, it appeared that therem ight be a solid reason for this visit. Closing the door behind him, he took a seat and looked over at the cyclopean leader. " Hello, Sam. what can I do for you?"

Ears perking up to the sound of the door opening and closing the tabby on his poked her head out from under Sam’s hand to investigate who exactly was entering in her home away from home. A sniff of the air and she lost interest to busy being petted to care what else was happing around them.

The hand that was petting the cat stopped and reached over for a file in front of Sam as he debated about tossing it in front of Garrett but decided not to, ”Garrett, how is everything?” Sam asked trying to determine if Garrett wasn’t already to over whelm with everything else that he was doing in his life. Regardless Sam was going to make the pitch and if his formerly hairless friend had to refuse he would understand. ”Well I guess I might as well get down to brass tax here, don’t want to keep you from the Infirmary too long…”

He cleared his throat and placed a hand on the side of his head scratching it in a modest and somewhat embarrassing tone, ”Your probably aware of most of the stuff that had been going around the mansion, Streak getting kidnapped and the Jet…” he paused and sighed, ”Well your aware of several breaches in security lately… well seeing as that had happened and with everything else going on with the team and the police work… well…” Sam paused again and placed both hands in front of him.

”I wanted to offer you two things, not too long ago we talked about you rejoining the team and helping us out, I’d like to offer you that position however, seeing as your life is pretty busy with everything that is going on now,” Sam was referring to the amount of work Doc liked to push on all his assistants something he was aware back when he was dating Alexandra. That and some of the things he had heard from Ghost in regards to the clinic. ”I wanted to try something else, seeing as of late we have been recruiting more and more for the team I wanted to put you on reserve status, meaning you wouldn’t be obligated to perform all the tasks the other members of the team have to perform.”

Other tasks included waking up at all hours of the night for missions, police work around the city, training sessions and meetings. He would be called should Sam think he should be needed for any of them but the things Garrett was currently doing would conflict with the X’s schedule so if anything the Team would be more of a part time job. ”There is a catch however to being on reserve… something I noticed when you were working with the Sanctuary…” Sam opened a file and skimmed it slightly, ”You know your brilliant when it comes to Public Relations…” he closed the folder in front of him and slid it in front of Garrett.

The folder contained information on a job opportunity one that was titled ‘Head of Public Relations for the X-Men and the Mansion’ ”This is the catch if you could even call it a catch, I want you to help me with PR, promote us, get the word out that mutants are not only helping but coexisting with humans.” the job pretty much spoke for itself but Sam continued, ”I’m adequate at it but with everything that has been happing lately I need help, a staff I trust to help me out.” fixing his eye on Garrett he nodded his head, ”Pay is good perks are great and I would be indebted to you.” he paused and smiled hopefully, ”What do you think?”

Garrett got an image of Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget upon seeing the cat and the man in the eye patch. Wearing a smile made it easier to find this so amusing without being coarse. " Garrett, how is everything?" That was a big question with a bigger answer. Sucking his teeth slightly, the neural manipulator chose a flippant answer, just in case this was an actual inquiry over something. " Couldn't be better. Life is just falling into place for me finally. " Rarely could such a statement of open truth be uttered under the warm blanket of innuendo.

It looked like Sam was going to just jump right into things, as he always did. There was something very honest and pure about Sam which Garrett respected and appreciated. When he mentioned keeping him away from the Infirmary, Garrett chuckled. " Free time away from lab work and insurance forms is always a blessing. You could talk to me about anything if it gave me a legitimate break from DocProf." He smiled and listened on. Honesty and humility flowed from the ice man's lips like spring water, bubbling with clarity. Sam seemed as if he was finally getting to the point of the meeting, once he danced around it a few times.

This was not a browbeating. It was..a promotion? Garrett's posture softened as he sunk back into the chair a bit, both relieved and excited to hear more. Sam was offering him a position on the team. That by itself was enough to raise an eyebrow in surprise. Reserve status. it really had a nice ring to it. Its summary explanation sounded even better. be on the team in spirit. That sounded just about right. Before Sam could move on, Garrett spouted an obligatory "Thanks, Sam." whatever else he said, the fact that Garrett had basically been forgiven for all of his past transgressions made him even more whole than the neural bomb had.

Of course, there was a catch. At the utterance of the word catch, Garrett sat back up again. Of course there was a catch. When in his life had there not been a catch? Save the world, save humanity, save the mutants. In return, be nearly beaten to death and exiled from both of his previous homes. Or a better one. Find someone who makes you happy that isn't Maya. become close to her. Accidentally touch her and kill hundreds. Catches were the soup d'jour for the young man sitting across from Sam. Bring it on.

”This is the catch if you could even call it a catch, I want you to help me with PR, promote us, get the word out that mutants are not only helping but coexisting with humans.” Garrett was surely wearing a mask of confusion now. Promotion to reserve X-man and..a PR Director? He wanted to turn to invisible colleagues and ask if he had heard that right. None available, it left only the cat, who seemed in no mood for such petty discourse.”I’m adequate at it but with everything that has been happening lately I need help, a staff I trust to help me out.Pay is good perks are great and I would be indebted to you.” Was his mouth hanging open? It was slightly, so Garrett made a point to let his lips clap shut quietly. What words were there for such a thing? ”What do you think?”

Garrett was quiet for a few moments in reality, but in his mind it seemed like a near eternity. It was a natural occurrence of whatever had occurred when Herr Stein grabbed and stabbed him. " Of course I say yes. You are never indebted to me, though. I hope you know that. If anyone owes a debt to the Mansion and its students, it is me. This place saved me." Garrett stood from his seat, inspired by nostalgia and the memories of simpler times.

Stepping to the window overlooking the grounds, he continued, his memory lighting the way."Did you know that I came here because of Raina? I was actually standing outside the golden doors of the Sanctuary, homeless and starving. Back then I knew only one use for my gift and I think we both know what use I am speaking of. It was then that Raina came by handing out fliers about the Mansion and then she did something that was just perfect. She gave me her own food. She didn't have to ask nor did I. At that moment, any fool could see where darkness and light stood."

Garrett could feel the ache of guilt in his chest welling up. Turning back to Sam, he continued, hoping the guy wouldn't get sleepy listening to him talk. " I want to make it very clear to you why I left the night of the birthday fight. Seeing mutants fight each other in mortal combat, when humanity had just recently released us all from bondage just sickened me. The Order was no surprise. That's how they are wired. What surprised me was seeing Mansion residents lash out and do everything in their power to hurt or even kill other mutants. I was lost and ...I suppose in hindsight it was more the solidarity of the Order that attracted me. i know it sounds cuckoo, but even as they were bonded in blood and violence, I at least felt a bond. I felt something. To a man whose feelings are literally on the tips of every nerve in his body, that was a very powerful aphrodisiac."

Garrett's initial urge when Sam had said these things was to revel in the convenience of his RUPERT post working in tandem with this new position. That was still going to happen, but the more he spoke, the more he could not stop himself from confessing. " I made those choices, though, Sam. The aftermath of every decision I make follows every step I take from that day to the last day. But I am alright with that. Anyway, I am happy to help you in this endeavor and any other one. I humbly thank you and appreciate your thoughtfulness in selecting me for this position."

What occurred next was completely natural and at once very surreal. As if from some lost memory of a past life, Garrett's body snapped into a a straight stance, his feet slightly apart, his knees slightly bent. At the same moment, his left fist clapped into his right palm and he bowed at the waist, honoring Sam by remaining in eye contact. As he stood from the formal customary bow of a future's past, he inhaled deeply through his nose, his chest expanding. he let the breath hold slightly and then exhaled slowly through his mouth. His body remembered something he clearly did not. He took his seat again across from Sam.

A smile touched Sam’s expression as he got the answer he was looking for and then some. Watching Garrett get out of his chair and walk to the window. His hand started petting the cat that nudged for his attention however most of his attention was fixed on Garrett who seemed to explain his past actions.

Nodding when appropriate Sam waited for Garrett to take a seat or finish his words before Sam commented on what was said by the man now sitting across from him. ”Yeah, the birthday thing got out of hand, I myself joined in but it wasn’t to kill or hurt at least that wasn’t my intent and I can speak for a few others, Raina included… we were there to protect, first reaction when someone like the Order show up at our front door, we panicked and acted with out trying to get things straight and then well you know what happened after that… I might have been a little over excited during that time as well…” one epic fight after another anyone from a mile away could hear the commotion good thing they weren’t located dead center of the city otherwise Garrett would have had his work cut out for him.

Now he had to think about the bow… it was something he was familiar with back when he was another person a much darker and ignorant one but it was something that stood out even when he tried to explain why he acted out during the birthday incident. However it was no excuse on his part for being so overeager back then… now that he thought about it, it wasn’t even that long ago that he acted like that. A lot has changed in that short period of time.

He moved the cat from his lap despite the quick meow in protest. He pushed back his chair and mirrored the bow Garrett had done moments before to show that Sam thought of him as a equal and was grateful for him. ”Didn’t know you had that in you…” Sam said in response to the bow.

Smiling and still standing Sam extended his hand forward and then continued, ”Well I know you were working before I called you and seeing you agreed to the position I don’t see any reason to keep here longer than you need to be, last thing I want is you to fall behind in the work, I already feel a bit guilty asking so much from you.” Sam continued to smile before he added, ”Though I wouldn’t be opposed to catch up sometime in the near future when our schedules clear up a bit.”

Garrett listened to Sam as he explained the events surrounding the birthday brawl. It was a definite lesson in perspective, as of course his own was skewed. " I understand about the fight. I mostly wanted to explain my own position there. Hopefully, we can keep those kind of confrontations to a minimum from now on. I'll do whatever I can to help." He watched as Sam mirrored the bow, smirking as he remarked on it. " To be honest, I didn't either, Sam. It just came naturally, but thank you."

Standing as a hand was extended in his direction, Garrett took it and returned the handshake firmly, Sam's neural map cascading over his form at the same time. " It's really no problem, Sam. While I do stay very busy, I will give this position the attention it deserves. Do you mind if I take Neena's old office? I imagine that's the only one that still has any space in it for work. As far as socializing, I am easy enough to find, so just let me know and we can sort out hanging out soon." Releasing the grip, he waited to hear about Neena's office. It would be an honor to have it, without being thrown out the window of it again.

Garrett explained his perspective of the brawl well, from the way he made it sound his friend and new college did what he thought was right. Regardless if Sam approved of it or not he had to respect Garrett for making the decisions he did leading up to here, it was by no means easy decisions to make. ”As long as we have such opposing views I doubt we can always avoid confrontations but you have my word I’ll do what I can to make them unneeded.” his word was his word and Sam stood by what he said. Although he hadn’t heard much from the Order he knew that they were doing something that would eventually come to his attention.

If they were all about mutant supremacy there was no doubt they would do something that would draw his attention for now however he was just focused on getting things around the mansion and the X’s running efficient as possible.

”I have no doubt in my mind, I picked you for a reason!” Sam said with a smile only to have it fade slightly when Garrett asked for Neena’s old room. ”You’d think that is the case but, we just had a few rooms recently refurbished, I actually took the opportunity to give you one of these offices it’s two doors over from Neena’s office.” Sam said with a smile as he then nodded his head again, ”Expect me to stop by sooner rather than later then!” Sam said as he lifted a key and offered it to his new Head Public Relations.