The church in Texas had wanted a regular mid-morning meeting, and the time change meant they all had to be ready over 2 hours in advance of the time.

Shine was graceful enough not to take as long this time and too tired to want to, so there was no arguing.

Rogue appeared when they were gathering and shrugged at them. She seemed uncertain about going, and if anyone had questioned it, she probably would have backed out immediately, but even Mystique said nothing. In fact, Mystique had not been nearly as snide at all the day before and wasn't even griping about being dragged along today.

The real shock? Scott announced he was coming.

It was not, in fact, because he'd had a change of heart.

"After the last place was attacked, I'm convinced there could be trouble," he said. "And since we'd have to go there anyway if there was a riot against mutants, I'm going to save time and just be there already."

The implication that they were putting mutants in danger was clear from his tone.

"Way to get ahead," was Wally's comment. Clearly, he didn't care.

Jean said she'd come if Scott was going.

Xavier and Hank remained the only hold-outs other than Gambit. Xavier didn't think it'd be his cup of tea.

Jubilee begged to be allowed to this time, but she was still turned down.

Shine told her that if nothing happened this time, it might be possible to convince them to let her come to the third meeting. Shine didn't think California was known for violent protests...in this timeline, anyway...but, to be fair, she was still pretty unclear about how much had changed in 30 years. Maybe she had a home State bias.

Wally said if it was his home State, it'd be a real trick to get a crowd, let alone a riot, that was big enough to be exciting anyway.

They all left.

* * *

Despite the early hour, El Paso, Texas was still 20 degrees hotter than New York. It wasn't so bad right then, but the day looked like it was going to be a scorcher by noon.

[On average, Texas summer is much hotter than New York, over 100 degrees F.

Also, all things depicted about El Paso in this will be pure fiction and not meant to represent the real El Paso.]

Shine landed them outside the town again, but being this city was much larger than Wild Oak, there were plenty of cars driving by, but luckily they were not in easy view of the road.

"I have a feeling this vill not be so easy," Kurt said.

Scott checked a watch. "You said we had to be there at 10 am? That's not much time from now. You're at least going to be punctual to this event, I hope."

One minute and Scott was already in charge, huh? Shine and Wally thought. But they swallowed their annoyance and shrugged.

"I did find this one on a map." Shine held up a printed map. "It's not too far from here, fortunately, probably just a mile or so into the city. We just have to get there."

"You ought to have come before light so Nightcrawler could have hid better," Scott said.

"You're right, Scott," Shine said. "We should have done exactly as you suggested to us, last night, when you announced you were coming, and it is completely our fault for not listening to your idea then."

Scott frowned. "But I didn't tell you last night--" It hit him a second too late she was being sarcastic. Shine's sarcastic tone was very hard to discern.

Logan snickered a little.

"I'm just saying you could have thought ahead a little bit more," Scott huffed.

"I think I can hide Kurt," Jean said, "as long as we don't run into too many people--if I use my helmet." She put it on. "We just need to hurry."

So they did hurry.

They were pretty hot and out of breath by the time they walked up the church drive.

Billings had gotten there the night before, and he was in the church lobby.

Now this church was much more like the modern contemporary setting, in that it had a lobby outside the sanctuary, a large parking lot, and the sanctuary was in the same building as the classrooms and dining hall.

Instead of pews there were chairs lined up, not wooden ones. And there was no stained glass windows and no pulpit, just a lectern. 

The band was a bit more traditional, but no keyboard.

"This reminds me of every church I've ever been to that wasn't Lutheran," Shine commented. "You know, I never gave much thought to how different they all look. Anything can be a church, I guess. I used to go to one that met in an office complex, and it had a Muslim office right over top of it.... That never got awkward, surprisingly."

"So what makes Lutheran different?" Rogue asked.

"Oh, in general, nothing, but the one I went to had stained glass windows and a separate prayer nook; it was huge," Shine said. "But I liked it. Beauty in a worship place can be a very peaceful thing. But it's not necessary. I mean, the early church met in the catacombs. Talk about a grave setting."

Wally laughed.

"I think I have jet lag," Mike said. "Anne was going to find us some coffee, but I think she got sidetracked talking to the ladies pastor here for the women's group. I was told we could expect up to 300 people, if they spread the word. That would make the biggest crowd I've ever preached to."

"At least the place can hold it," Shine said.

"300..." Rogue muttered.

"Yeah, sounds like a lot," Logan said. "And with guns."

"Will you stop talking like it's the army?" Shine said. "It's Texas--they're going to have guns. Get over it. Most of them won't shoot anything that's not furry and four-legged...so basically, Logan, you'll have to run. Being a Wolverine and all."

Logan didn't find that very funny.

"I think you're taking this matter very lightly," Scott said. "Perhaps one of us should stand guard at each door."

"Because that will be reassuring and non-threatening," Shine said. "Scott, I wasn't going to do this, but that is it--I'm pulling rank. This is not your domain, it's ours. We put this together, and you're not turning it into some stupid safety procedure. We want people to feel like this is normal, not dangerous. You will sit down, in the back, and keep your mouth shut if you can't say anything that's pleasant and friendly to these people who invited us to come here at their own risk."

"You can't talk to me like that and expect me to listen," Scott said.

"You know, Scott, considering how you talk to us, I find that pretty ironic," Shine said. "And I don't want to return in kind here, but I really feel like politeness doesn't have any effect on you whatsoever, so I'll just be blunt. I can ask you to leave if you have an issue when the authority is on someone else's side."

Scott opened his mouth--and then shut it again.

"Let's not fight," Kurt said.

"This is to prevent that later, Kurt," Shine said. "If we argued in front of those people, it would be disaster, so I'm establishing now, no one is going to be insulting anyone here. Keep it civil. And, in L. M. Montgomery's words, if you can't look pleasant, look as pleasant as you can."

Mike looked at her a little oddly. "You run a tight ship, Mrs. West. This is a new side of you."

"I've been doing children's ministry for years." Shine shrugged. "And mentoring high schoolers."

"Ah." Mike must have known the feeling.

"Is that really how a Christian should be talk to someone though?" Jean said. "I mean...it's not very polite."

"I'll consider that," Shine said. "How about all of you go find seats? People are filling up the parking lot."

It was true, and the early birds were already filtering in, and some were giving the X-men odd looks.

It wouldn't have been Texas if a few men hadn't walked in wearing stetsons and big brass buckle belts--and the girls wearing kicks. But not all of them were embracing the cowboy image, most of them were dressed just like anyone else. The Texan drawls was pretty overpowering though.

Rogue was more at home, however.

They all took seats, again in the back.

The pastor of this church noticed them finally and came over to say hello.

"I'm Pastor Ted Hollister," he said. "You can just call me Ted--everyone else do. Welcome to Glory Church."

[Not picking a denomination for this one either--you take a shot at it if you want. Last one was probably more Baptist than anything else, but I'm not going to be definitive about it.] 

They said hi, trying to be friendly.... After the last church, they had a little more confidence.

The worship started. There was a contemporary song or two in there, but also some Bluegrass style stuff.

One that Shine and Wally both seemed to know already went like so:

https://youtu.be/e9iQdGRqF78

["Ain't No Grave" --Bethel. While it's been made popular again by Bethel, this song originally was recorded in 1942, making it not an anachronism, for once.... To be fair, neither were the Gospel ones in the prior chapter, but it's hit and miss with the older songs I know.]

The set up this time was a regular church service. Pastor Ted talked for a while about announcements and only invited Mike up afterward, and it was supposed to be short. They just wanted to hear the story.

Shine didn't help this time. Mike kind of knew the drill now, and the church hadn't wanted them to take up too much service time.

But after he was done, a few people snuck closer to the X-men.

"You're the mutants from New York right?" hissed one fellow.

"Yes," Storm said.

"We're mutants too," the same fellow said in a lower voice. "Not visible ones, but, yeah, we're glad you're here. This is the fist time any other mutants have visited."

"It's an honor," a girl said, tipping her hat playfully.

The other one, also a guy, nodded. "Howdy."

"I'm Joey," said the first.

"Lanie," said the girl.

"Cooter," said the last guy.

[Cooter is a real name in Texas, if you can believe it.]

"Don't give up what you're doing," Lanie added. "You've got no idea how much it meant to us to hear people were actually starting an outreach to mutants. I wish I had the grit to do something like that."

"Well..." Storm felt like they shouldn't be taking the credit. "It's really the Wests who started it, and Reverend Billings. We're just helping."

"You gonna give them the credit?" Joey said a bit skeptically. "Ain't they human? I mean, it's great that they're helping, but you guys must really be the ones taking the risks--you're heroes, right?"

"Hey." one lady turned. "Sit down. You can talk after service. That's disrespectful. I'll call your mother over here, Joey Turner."

Joey winced. "We'll chit chat later." He slid back down to his seat, and the other two went to theirs also.

The sermon itself started; appropriately, it was about stepping out in faith. Ted said they ought to follow the example of these brothers and sisters of New York.

Not a lot of vocal response this time, a few amens here and there. These people seemed to be more the prim and proper type in church. But at least they were listening attentively.

"I don't feel we deserve the credit," Storm hissed at one point. "We had very little to do with all this."

"They're gonna think it's us just because humans don't normally help," Logan said. "Probably most people would think that."

"Which makes this more dangerous," Scott said. 

"I think if you just explain later they'd understand," Jean said. "I'm sure they only meant to encourage us, but not everyone will realize the finer details."

"Does it make you wonder why it ain't us?" Rogue leaned on her hands. "Seems like for all the effort we put in for years, no one noticed us."

"I think ve should be quiet," Kurt hissed. "This is not respectful."

They hushed.

The sermon didn't last much longer anyway, and there was a snack in the dining hall and drinks, and people were going in and sitting down.

Plenty introduced themselves to the X-men now, as well as Shine, Wally, and Billings, and talked about the idea of reaching out to mutants.

The conversation was cut across by the sound of several gunshots outside.

People all stopped talking.

And half the men in the room, and a good amount of women, pulled guns out of their jackets or belts or purses.

"All right, let's not get too worked up," Ted called. "Those shots were in the air, or I miss my guess. I bet it's just some neighborhood troublemakers. I'll go have a looksee."

A posse of men followed him to the door and peered out.

Scott followed also.

"If there is trouble, we can handle it," he said. "That is what we do."

"And I appreciate that kindly, Mr. Summers," Ted said, "but if you come out there and start laser blasting them, or whatever it is you do, we'll have the police down here in no time arresting you. Now look, they're just driving around in their pickups and shooting into the air. It's a little fun, is all."

"Fun?" Scott said.

More shots went off and loud hollering and whooping and some shouting: "Get out of town, muties!"

"We don't want no mutant lovers!"

"Why don't you leave us normal people alone!"

"Wow," Wally said. "What are the odds of them finding us so fast, huh?"

"Eh, well we did spread the word a lot," Ted said. "But mostly around these parts no one really cares about mutants. I'll bet you anything those fools are from one of the local colleges; some of them teach that mutants are hostile to regular people. My son tells me about it, but they won't be dumb enough to come in here--we're armed. They'll get bored and leave in a minute if we don't go out there."

"But, sir, they could become more violent if they are ignored," Scott said. "I've seen it many times. I think we should handle it."

"And I'm telling you you'll only poke the hornet's nest if you go out there. They'll leave," Ted said. "If they wanted to attack us worse, they'd be shooting at the windows, and they'd hit them, trust me--at least if they aren't drunk already."

"I think I know that one youngster there," said a deacon. "Trouble Tim, they call him. He likes to make trouble downtown, but dodge the police. They're probably fixing to just get a rise out of the people and make it into the paper or something. I ain't giving 'em the satisfaction of calling the police unless they stake us out."

"I don't think that's wise," Scott said.

Shine had followed. "Scott," she said, "rank. Go back inside. Leave it up to them."

"But this is my department," Scott said.

"And I'm warning you," Shine said, "you open that door, and I am sending you home. They know these fellows better than we do. Don't go out there."

Scott gave up because he knew Shine could make him leave, but he was not happy.

"You in charge of him?" The men were amused at Shine's "spunk".

"In this area," she said. "I organized the group, so I'm kind of in charge."

"Right on, girl," they said.

"Ah, look, I told you," Ted said.

The pickups were driving away.

"As long as they didn't rough up my truck, I don't care," said one of the other men. 

"Mmm," they agreed.

"Will it be safe for you guys to go home?" Wally asked.

"We'll wait a bit, but I'd bet my boots they're off to start trouble somewhere else," Ted said. "Not many people around here will make such a fuss."

He went back and told everyone it was just a minor thing.

Once they heard who it was, most of the people dismissed it and just said, "That Tim fellow is bad news."

"He needs Jesus."

"He needs to be arrested!"

"Or both."

"You don't worry, Darlin'," one lady said to Rogue and Storm. "Those rats won't bother coming back today. You'll be fine."

Lanie nodded. "They've harassed us a few times," she said, "just at school...but they wouldn't hurt us much. People around here wouldn't tolerate it. One time Tim knocked my schoolbooks out of my hands and took my lunch. My Daddy went to his house and said he'd tan his hide if he ever came near his daughter again. After that he just jeered at me from a distance."

"That's still not good," Storm said.

"Yeah, but compared to what other mutants go through, I think I'm lucky," Lanie said. "Anyway, Tim and his gang are just dumb bigots who's parents didn't teach them no better, that's all. Tim ain't had a good role model in his life ever. Maybe he just hates us because he got nothing else to do with himself."

"How can you take that light a view of it?" Rogue asked. "Doesn't it just gall you how they pick on us for being born different?"

"Yeah, it do, sometimes," Lanie said. "More when I was younger. I mean, you know, you meet so many more kind of people in college, you can't get too hung up on a few of them. But I also figure they just don't know me. I'm like anybody else. 'Cept I can see in the dark."

Her pupils expanded slightly, and her irises gleamed a bit but then went back to normal. "They found out I was a mutant my first Summer Camp, staying out late. Most of the kids thought it was cool, but some thought I was a freak. That's about how it goes. Used to make me mad. But one day God just told me that if I was gonna be so down about this one thing that made me different, how did I expect to ever be able to stand out for my faith? Put it into a bit more perspective.... You can choose to be different. But I never had the nerve to do what you're doing, like I said, to draw attention to it.... Maybe I'll get braver now." She smiled. "You can't let people scare you."

[I made up this character and her mutation, so if there is a Marvel mutant who matches it, that's a total coincidence.]

Lanie went off to grab coffee.

"She's lucky, though," Rogue said to Storm. "Her daddy defendin' her. Most of us don't have that."

"I'm sure many mutants have families who protect them." Storm didn't know Rogue's full story there. All Rogue had ever said around her was that her father had almost died of shock when he found out she was a mutant. But she'd never mentioned that he kicked her out of the house.

Rogue looked sad. "I guess so."

"I'm sorry..." Storm said. "I hadn't thought of it, but I know very little about your past."

"Ain't much worth knowin'." Rogue forced a weak smile. "The important thing is where I am now.... I wonder if they're gonna find us at every place we go."

"They might." Shine joined them. "They may chase us everywhere, like the hounds of hell itself, until they finally realize we're more stubborn than they are. But evil always fails eventually, Rogue. They think they can bark loud enough and we'll turn tail, but we'll just have to show them. And this is good--it means we are getting people's attention. And see? No one around here was that spooked."

"Not sure that's true." Rogue had seen some people whispering and looking displeased with the whole thing.

"Well, a few of them maybe," Shine admitted.

"I begin to think you would not be scared off by anything," Storm said to her. "The fire didn't faze you, gunshots don't, angry bigots don't. Do you really not fear anything?"

"I was afraid every time, Storm," Shine said. "But I have reached the point in my walk where fear is a voice in my head, not my master. That's all. I hear it, sure, but I tell it to be quiet. I pray. Often I only feel brave as I actually do it and not even the second beforehand. Most of us are like that. God tends only to take our fears away once we've stepped forward in faith to begin with. We must be willing to face them."

"I wish I could face fear that way," Storm said. "I turn into a coward.... I can't help it." She sighed.

Shine tilted her head. "Storm, all you have to do is ask Him. He can give you the ability to resist that fear. It may not be overnight, but you'll be able to control it. 'For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind.' 'For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by which we call out, "Abba Father."'"

She put a hand on Storm's shoulder. "Next time you feel afraid, ask God to be with you. Think of how He's the most powerful Being in the universe, and He's greater than any closing in walls or darkness or rocks. A strong tower, a shield to us. Our hiding place, and ever present help in time of trouble. If you keep that in your mind, you may feel fear, but you'll be able to act anyway. It has always worked for me, and I had way more fears than you do, at one time. Of course, the older you get, the more fears you realize you've always had, but the nice thing is they do go away."

"You honestly think that would help?" Storm said.

"If faith is real and it's of any use, it's first should be to remove fear," Shine said. "It sounds quaint, I know. But try it. It's worked for many a person, even ones who aren't Christians. Faith in anything gives people courage. But for me, Jesus is the answer to our secret, personal fears, because only He can come inside them with us. That is how I stopped being afraid of the dark. I was until I was 14. Coincidentally, that's when I started doing this job. Go figure. My very first mission was to help someone overcome crippling fear. We were a lot alike. I felt like I was preaching to myself on that mission. I hardly knew what I was doing, but somehow it worked. Good thing God can use even novices, if we're sincere." She smiled dryly. "But no matter where I go, Fear is always one big problem people have. I almost have forgotten the memory now. But you know, that doesn't make it any less real. I think you never really forget...at least, we shouldn't." She looked down now. "When we forget how it was to be afraid, we despise people who are still afraid, and that's abominable. All of us are cowards, we're all weak, we're all frail and dust, as the Psalmist says. We all need God's help to conquer fear. People who act like cowardice is beneath them are fools." She shrugged. "Those idiots outside scared you? That's okay. Just don't let it rule you, that's all."

Rogue remembered what she'd told her just yesterday about not letting her fear of what would happen rule her...

But Rogue was still afraid and had been her whole life pretty much since she got her power.... She'd never been the chicken type before, but...

And there was Storm, who was fearless in every area except her one crippling disability.

It looked pretty hopeless for both of them, but Storm was hanging on every word Shine was saying.

Rogue had a feeling she was going to try it.

It might work for her; her fear was just in her head, after all, bad as it was. But Rogue knew her fear was based on what was guaranteed to happen if she made a mistake and somehow got too close. It wasn't the same. You can't just not think about real dangers.

She was so lost in thought she didn't notice Shine had moved on.

"Are you all right?" Storm asked her.

Rogue didn't want to talk about it. "Yeah." She forced another smile. "Just thinkin' we should probably be getting a move on back. Scott don't look so happy."

Scott wasn't.

* * *

"It could have been a disaster," he said, back at the mansion. "This is exactly why I thought it was a bad idea."

"It's not really your choice, man." Wally was tired of it.

All of them were in the living room, and Xavier and Hank had joined them too.

"It'll probably happen at the next place," Scott said. "Everyone will just not accept mutants in a place like the church. It's too sacred to them."

"How would you know?" Shine said. "You have never gone to one till today. And the people harassing you were not in the church--they were avowed troublemakers. They would have harassed anyone who was an easy target."

"And mutants are always easy targets," Scott said. "You can keep playing with your safety, but I won't have it."

"Why do I get the feeling you just came to prove us wrong to yourself?" Shine said. "And you'd take what was really a minor incident, and make it into a huge thing?"

"A nice accusation, Likstar," Scott said.

"She's right." Mystique of all people shocked them by saying something.

She had her arms crossed and she was on the couch, but she looked up. "You'd never have cared if the X-men had come up with this idea. But you hate these two, don't you?"

Dead silence while they all tried to think how to handle her just saying something like that.

Leave it to Mystique to make it as awkward as possible. Rogue frowned at her.

Still, even Gambit didn't bother to take Scott's side here. They all knew it was true.

"I don't think Scott hates them," Xavier tried.

"Even if I did," Scott said, "it would be for good reason."

"And what is ever a good reason to hate, Scott?" Shine said. "That we were born?"

More awkward silence.

"But you can hate us if you like," Shine went on. "I don't care, but stop trying to stop the others from doing new things. You don't own them."

"You're trying to sway them over to you," Scott said.

Shine went quiet.... Oh, how often she'd heard that in her life, even from her own father.

Wally knew this. "Hey, that is not okay!" he said. "Shine does not do that. She plays fair. You're the one trying to scare them. How many more times do we need to go over this? It's worth the risk. It's helping mutants in the long run."

"Mutants do not need your help," Scott insisted. "We were doing fine on our own."

"Oh, clearly," Shine muttered.

"See? There it is--you disparage our efforts," Scott said.

Mystique sniffed contemptuously.

"And, you, stay out of this." Scott frowned at her. "The last thing I need is the wanted criminal telling us we're doing it wrong. Who are you to talk anyway? You've never done anything good in you life."

"Hey, don't talk to her that way," Shine said.

"Yes, brother, please," Kurt said.

"It's true," Scott said.

Shine's eyes flashed gold. "Do you know anyone who's really a good person, Scott? All the time? Why throw stones? Do you want them thrown back at you?"

"I won't listen to you," Scott said. "And as team leader, I think I have the right to say the X-men are not going to be going to the next one of these meetings. It's too dangerous. Risk your own necks, not ours."

[Ohhhhh...crap.]