Ok here it is, the final chapter!  Hope you guys like it.

The Potluck

Bobby deftly moved the butter knife spreading the icing out perfectly.  The creamy chocolate frosting coated the surface of the cake and filled in the cracks between the stacked Twinkies.

Bishop held his knife and stared skeptically at the counterfeit cake.  "There's no way this is going to work."

"Of course it is," Bobby argued and cemented another Twinkie in place, "Its perfect, its genius."

Bishop shrugged, "Well I suppose its not like we have much choice anyway."  He glanced at the brick they had baked earlier.  He pulled out a glob of icing and began to smooth it out. "I hate to admit it, but this doesn't look half bad."

In the dining room several groups had gathered to put their dishes out on the long table set up there.  Jean continued to add last minute touches to her salad as Storm and Logan walked up, lasagna in hand. 

"Wonderful isn't it."  Jean said to Storm, a slight acid tinge in her voice.

"Yes, its very lovely."  Storm said half heartedly as she placed a potholder down so Logan could rest the lasagna on it.

Jean glared at Storm, "Of course it is you just…"

"Pardon ladies." Hank cut in as he pushed between the two to set a golden potpie on the table, "My what and extraordinary salad Jean, exquisite even."  He beamed and then looked to see the lasagna, "And Ororo, that lasagna looks fantastic.  You two are true culinary wonders."  They smiled at him and he gestured with his hand towards the dining table and chairs, "after you ladies.  I'm sure that Scott will be along shortly and we may begin feasting."  They both journeyed to the table and sat down.  Logan reached out and gripped Hank's shoulder.

"Nice save."

"All in a days work."  They both took a seat along with Sam and Warren.

Rogue set down a tray of ornate looking deviled eggs and joined Gambit at the table who pulled out her chair before sitting down.

"Ah wondah what's takin Cyclops so long." She mused after waiting at the table a few minutes.

"I can't believe you actually think this is going to work."  Cyclops grumbled as he watched Alex slather the chicken and he pulled grass out of his hair.

"Oh yes it is, trust me.  Barbeque sauce is like the cooking equivalent of duck tape.  It fixes anything."

Cyclops sighed and dusted off his clothes, straightening himself before picking up the tray of charred chicken.  "You better be right about this."

They both came in to find the other's already seated and waiting.  Cyclops glanced around the room and nodded until he noticed they were still one team short.

"Where is…"

"Right here!" Bobby called as he and Bishop hurried into the room, cake in hand.  "Sorry, we just finished icing it."

"Well put it on the table so we can get started."  Bobby took the cake and set it down at the end of the table.  As he headed to join the others he passed along the table.  Seeing the perfect lasagna he grimaced and gently touched the side of the metal pan.  Trailing his finger along its width as he passed he smiled smugly and joined the others. 

"Well alright, I see you all managed to work together and get this done."  Cyclops said while standing at the head of the table, "The dishes all look great…"

"ExceptforScott'sburntchicken." Alex said quickly in a cough.  Cyclops glared at him.

"I'd just like to say congratulations and let's eat.  One person from each team should serve while the other makes them a plate."

They all stood up and headed for the table, plates in hand.  "Now I want everyone to try a little of everything alright?"  They nodded and began to serve themselves.

"Dere you go Sam, deviled eggs with Cajun charm."  He placed several eggs on Sam's plate and then moved onto the next one in line.

"Jean could ah have some of yo salad there fo me an Gambit?" Rogue said sweetly while the others waited in line behind her.

"NO!  THIS SALAD IS FOR DISPLAY PURPOSES ONLY!" she screamed and covered up the salad with her body.

"Jean, you really need to…"

"BACK OFF SCOTT!" she screamed and hit him with a tk burst, "NO ONE TOUCHES MY MASTERPIECE!"  Her eyes glowed with fire and the others stepped away.

"What the hell?!"  Logan roared from his position down the line as server of the lasagna, "This damn things frozen solid!"  Beast leaned over from his place in front of the potpie and tapped it with his spatula.

"Indeed, how very odd.  Are you sure you baked it at the right temperature?"

Logan glared at the frozen dish and growled, "Yeah, but that don't matter after a certain popsicle freezes it.  Where are you Drake?!"  He rumbled and then caught site of Bobby cutting up his cake, "I'm gonna kill you!"  Logan leapt at him and Bobby bolted, racing around the dining room calling out for help.

"AGGHHHH!!!! THIS IS HOT!!!" Sam screamed and suddenly his blast shell appeared and he began to ricochet off the walls screaming.

"These things ARE hot!" Warren yelped and spit out the egg.

Rogue turned on Gambit, "Did you muss up mah deviled eggs wit yo stupid Cajun charm?!"

Gambit smiled sheepishly and ran.  Over his shoulder he called back, "Dey taste fine to Gambit!"

Scott was pulling himself off the floor when Alex came up to stand over him.  "Troubles with the little lady Scott?" he grinned.  Cyclops gritted his teeth and stared at his brother.

Just then Beast's potpie spontaneously exploded and blobs of gravy and chicken bits sprayed around the room.  "Wow, this is going pretty bad huh?  Burnt chicken?" He offered a piece to Scott.

Cyclops yelled and tackled Havok to the ground.

Back at the table Jean was shielding her salad with her telekinesis and Storm walked up, shaking her head in wonder.  "Such fuss over a little salad."

Jean shrieked and leapt at Storm, and the two began to fight, pulling hair and screaming.

Cannonball careened off the ceiling and came flying down at the table.  He crash landed face first into Bishop and Bobby's cake, coming up covered in frosting and licking his lips, "Hey, those are Twinkies."

"You know our secret," Bishop said almost hypnotically, "Now I must kill you."

"Heh, that's pretty funny Bishop." Cannonball smiled uneasily, "With the gun and everything…um, that things not loaded right? Bishop?  Somebody help!!!!!" He ran as a shot was fired and a pitcher of lemonade shattered.

Sam ran by Beast screaming but the blue mutant was busy poking at the leftover crust remaining in the pan, "There must have been some sort of chemical reaction during the heating process, curious."  He used his claw to gently pry apiece off and examine it.  "Oh dear." He whispered as the pastry began to vibrate, he tossed the fragment away just as it exploded.  

"Gang way!!!"  Iceman screamed as he slid on a stream of ice across the room, Wolverine in close pursuit.  Warren saw the approach and took to the air, colliding with the battling Storm and Jean.  All three dropped to the ground, crash landing on top of Gambit who quickly tried to squirm out from beneath the pile to get away from Rogue.  He was saved when a stray blast from Cyclops struck Rogue and sent her flying and crashing amongst the others. 

Iceman was frantically looking back over his shoulder at Logan and didn't see the pile up until he was on top of it.  Wolverine tripped over a chair Havok had tossed at his brother and grabbed hold of Beast trying to save himself from falling, only to pull Beast down with him and they both slid across the floor on the icy patch and wound up bunched with the others. 

Cannonball came screaming by and dove into the pile, begging the others to shield him from Bishop who slammed into Havok.  The two also became a part of the mess and the X-men lay in a heap on the floor, cursing and trying to fight their way out.  Cyclops stepped out from behind an overturned table and groaned.

The walls of the dining room were covered in debris and craters; the floor was awash with spilled fluids and chunks of food; and his team lay in a heated mess in the center of the room.  Covering his head with his hands Cyclops sat nearby the pile and tried not to sob.

Slowly the others disentangled themselves, shoving each other away and forming a circle around Scott.  They were a sorry looking group as most of them were covered in some kind of food mush, and all of them had some sort of wound or injury.  They all looked at their leader and each other, not sure of what to do.

"Scott?" Jean said gently and knelt down beside him, "Are you okay?"

"No," he mumbled from underneath his hands, "this went so bad.  I was stupid to think this would work."

"Oh Scott, its not your fault, your not stupid." She looked up at the others for help.  They stared at her blankly and she glared at them.

"Um…yeah Scott your not stupid, your…" Iceman said and shrugged.

"Naïve." Beast put in, "but in a good way."

"Your just a little to optimistic." Storm clarified. 

"Yeah an besides its not that bad." Sam said, staring doubtfully at the room and X-men.

Cyclops looked up angrily, "How is this not bad? Even the food was bad.  The eggs were to hot, the lasagna was frozen, the cake wasn't real and your potpie exploded  Not to mention my charred chicken. We were supposed to be getting along like a family, and hell I can't even get along with my own brother!"  He gestured at Havok who rubbed his arm self-consciously.

"We were gettin along like one." Rogue said timidly.

"She's right," Warren agreed, "were just a little dysfunctional."

"Try a lot." Iceman laughed and Bishop smacked him in the back of the head.

"So we're no Brady Bunch."  Jean said while helping Scott up, "But you have to remember the things we do together, and the reasons were a team.  Its not every family who can go out and save the world and then come home and live in the same house together."

"She's right." Storm said with a smile, "If you think about it it's pretty amazing how well we do get along." 

"Yeah, and if you ask me." Bobby said with a grin, "Those Brady's were a crazy bunch.  That or really high." 

Cyclops rolled his eyes and then smiled at his team.  "I guess you all are right. Well I think this mess can wait, what say we go out and get something to eat?"

"Good, enough of this 'We are family' crap," Wolverine said distastefully, "the way you all are talking makes it look like we actually like each other or somethin." 

Cyclops nodded, "Ok then, so where should we go?"

"How about Denny's?" Iceman cheered.  

So what did you think?  I hope you all liked it.  Thanks for your reviews and I hope to be back soon with another tale.  Until then I am adam_bat!