Title: The X-Men Family

Author: Haruka

Fandom: X-Men Evolution

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Too many to mention and they change around throughout.

Archive: Yes, but tell me where, please.

Warnings: This is an AU where same-sex relationships are accepted without question because everyone is bisexual, and corporal punishment is common as part of normal family discipline. A WIP (197 chapters so far and I'm hoping to make it at least to 200.) Loosely based on a verbal RPG plotline from August 2001. If anything is canon here, it's probably an accident.

Feedback: haruka@eastlink.ca or on list.

Summary: Mystique has reformed and reunited with her children and their father, Logan, but she still isn't completely happy.

-

The X-Men Family
By Haruka
(haruka@eastlink.ca)



The mutant named Logan, codename Wolverine, never imagined himself a family man. His life was so full of violence just by the nature of who and what he was that it seemed better not to risk others being close to him.

So how did he end up playing instructor/babysitter to a bunch of mutant kids? He wasn’t sure. But the least he could do was teach them to protect themselves so they could survive out there. And the truth was, he loved his role at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters, and he loved the kids.

Perhaps more surprising was that he ended up not just being a guardian of sorts, but a father. Two of the young charges, Rogue and Kurt, had been revealed to be not only siblings, but twins – a shocking surprise to them both. To top it off, their mother, Raven Darkholme, known better as Mystique, had finally told Logan they were his biologically. Knowing better than to trust her word, Logan and the kids all insisted on medical testing as proof. They got it.

Mystique, a mutant herself, has spent the majority of her life on the wrong side, causing innumerous problems for the X-Men, the group of students organized and headed by Professor Charles Xavier. It was in his Institute where Logan and his children had been living, unaware of their familial ties, and where Mystique had recently agreed to join them.

It was a strange time for all of them. Kurt and Rogue had to get used to being siblings as well as friends and teammates, plus having their biological parents together and involved in their lives. Logan was adjusting to being a father and the reawakening of his feelings for Mystique. And as for Mystique herself ….

Something was wrong.

Her mutant name suited her well. For as long as Logan had known her, and that was a considerably long time, Raven had been secretive, and always seemed to have a hidden agenda. Since resigning her leadership of the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, she had genuinely seemed to be doing her best to fit in as an instructor at the Institute. She already knew all the kids as Principal of the school they attended, Bayville High, but it was quite a different thing to live with them and participate in their training sessions. The kids hadn’t been immediately trusting – after all, she had pitted her Brotherhood boys against them more than once – but it was coming. She seemed to want to help them learn to use their powers, and was working hard to finally be a mother to her own kids, as well as build a new relationship with their father. It was because of their becoming close again that he could tell she was once more hiding something from him.

It was late, and all their charges were in bed. Mystique lay on the couch in the living room, idly flipping channels with the remote. She had forsaken her usual white dress for a pair of torn jeans and a t-shirt. Her blue feet were bare, the toenails painted red.

Logan suppressed an animalistic growl in his throat. Even when they were enemies, he’d found Mystique attractive. Her long red hair, blue skin, and completely yellow eyes were more than just exotic, and she had as tempting a female figure as any man could imagine. Knowing she’d borne two children of his only served to heighten his interest and desire for her. Being Logan, however, he wasn’t the mushy type, not the kind to shower a woman in flowers and candy. That didn’t matter to Mystique. He knew she realized he was as much animal as the Wolverine for which he was named, and she loved him the way he was.

“Nothing on?” he questioned as he entered the room. Mystique looked up, the vaguely sad look vanishing from her face.

“Hi there,” she greeted, and waved a hand toward the tv. “Nah, just the news.”

Logan seated himself in a chair and regarded her seriously. “I want to talk to you.”

Her eyebrow lifted. “What about?”

“About whatever’s been bugging you the last few days,” Logan said frankly. “I’m not the only one who’s seen it, Misti – even the kids have said you seem distracted. And anytime you think no one’s looking, you look miserable.” He paused before continuing, “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No!” Mystique said quickly. “Not for a moment. I’m glad I’m here, Logan. I love all the kids, Charles, Ororo, and Hank have been wonderful to me ….” She smiled warmly. “And of course, there’s us.”

“Then what’s the problem?” Logan insisted. “_Something’s_ been eating at you.”

Mystique’s smile faded, and even without she having pupils or irises, Logan could see the sadness re-enter her yellow eyes. “It’s ….” She sighed and looked away. “I don’t think you’ll want to hear this.”

Logan tried not to feel fear. She had just said she was happy at the Institute and with him, so he’d have to believe that. “Try me,” he told her.

Mystique sighed again and turned back to face him apologetically. “I miss the Brotherhood. Not being _in_ it,” she added hastily, “I miss the boys.” She shrugged. “Okay, maybe I was a selfish bitch while I was with them, but being here with you and the kids and coming to understand Charles’ dream –“ She blinked and Logan was shocked to see tear in her eyes – Mystique was not a crier, “I _did_ care about them in my own way, and I’m worried about them. They’re totally on their own with no supervision or means of support. Magneto will only use them – he doesn’t care less about any of them, not even his own son ….” She buried her face in her hands. “I’m afraid for them,” she said tearfully.

Logan got up from his chair and sat beside her on the couch, putting a strong arm around her shoulders. He felt both guilty and proud at her revelation. On one side he thought he should have suspected she might worry about the four boys that made up the Brotherhood. Her maternal instincts had been running in high gear since she moved into the Institute – why shouldn’t that extend to the misfits of the Brotherhood? And that was why he was proud – Mystique must truly be reformed if she was willing to jeopardize her new life by admitting affection for those kids. Any last reservations he might have had disappeared, and he nuzzled her soft hair.

“I’m sorry,” he said, apologizing for more than she realized. “I know Chuck had been hoping those kids would come around, but so far there’s been no indication they’re interested.”

“Well, for Heaven’s sake, there wouldn’t be! Not after I got through bringing them together and teaching them to be enemies to the X-Men.” Mystique wiped her eyes and shook her head. “I did it and I have to undo it, if it can still be fixed at all.” She looked at him hopefully. “Charles wouldn’t mind if we brought them here?”

“Mind? Raven, you said you understood his dream. You must realize he won’t turn _anyone_ away.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “We’ll tell him how you feel and get his thoughts on how to do it.”

“All right,” Mystique said, sounding relieved. He could feel the tension ease in her muscles now that she knew something would be done.

“Come on, let’s go to bed,” he suggested. “We’ll work on it fresh in the morning.”

She nodded and smiled at him gratefully. “Thanks, Wolvie.”

He scowled. “Don’t call me that.”

“Okay, Wolvie!” She giggled and darted out of the room, an open invitation to be chased. Logan gladly obliged.




Part 2

“Good morning, Jean,” greeted Scott Summers as he came out of his bedroom. He was still wearing his pajamas, and of course, the ruby quartz glasses that kept his lethal eyebeams from obliterating everything in sight. He hoped for once to make it to the bathroom first. Jean wasn’t going to compete with him – she’d be going to the girls’ bathroom down the opposite end of the hall.

Jean Grey was the most beautiful girl he knew. Tall, with waist-length red hair and a lovely, friendly face, she was easily one of the most popular girls in Bayville High. And she looked cute in her nightshirt, too.

“Morning, Scott,” she said. “Sleep well?”

“I did, once Logan and Mystique stopped chasing each other around,” he said wryly. “I was tempted to get up and watch just to see them acting like children.”

“Well, if he got her mind off of whatever’s been bothering her, more power to him,” Jean remarked. “Her distress was starting to get hard to ignore.”

Scott could understand that. With her power of mental telepathy, it wasn’t always easy for Jean to block out the thoughts and feelings of others.

She sighed now as she saw Rogue enter the girls’ bathroom and shut the door. “Well, there goes my turn. Again.”

“Sorry about that, I should have let you keep going instead of stopping to talk,” Scott apologized.

“Oh, that’s all right,” Jean said good-naturedly. “I should be used to it by now. Being the eldest never gets us the privilege of dibs on the bathrooms.”

“Never,” Scott agreed, as he witnessed the boys’ bathroom door shut firmly. Since he never saw anyone come out of a bedroom to go into it, he concluded that Kurt must have teleported directly in – always a risk, since it could already be occupied. He’d have to talk to him about that.

“Good morning, children,” said Ororo Munroe, a stunning woman with long white hair and blue eyes that contrasted with her brown skin. Once worshipped as a Goddess for her power, she could manipulate the weather, and for that reason was codenamed Storm.

“Hi, Ororo,” Scott said. “Just waiting our turns in the bathrooms.”

She glanced toward the shut boys’ door. “I’m sure that must be Kurt in there, as Evan is likely to be loitering in bed. I’ll go rouse him.” She walked over to one of the doors and knocked, then looked in, and just as quickly ducked. A long bone spike shot over her head and embedded itself in the painting on the wall behind her. “Well, good morning to you, too, Evan,” she said dryly.

“Sorry, Auntie O!” came a cheerful voice from out of Scott’s view, “I was stretching and –“

“I know, dear, I know,” Ororo said tolerantly. Scott knew that as the youngest of the X-Men, Evan still needed a lot of training to gain control over his power of rapid bone growth. Not to mention a lot of calcium intake.

“Come ON, Rogue, get out of the bathroom already!” whined another voice at the other end of the hallway. Scott and Jean turned to watch Kitty Pryde pound on the girls’ bathroom door. “I have to _go_!”

“Ah’m comin’, Ah’m comin’!” Rogue’s Southern accent answered her. “Jus’ gimme five minutes!”

“I don’t think I can WAIT five minutes!” Kitty exclaimed. “Oh, forget it! I’ll go use the downstairs bathroom!” She sank through the floor and disappeared from sight.

“Sounds like everyone is up and ready for another day at school,” remarked a bald man as he rolled down the hallway toward Scott and Jean in a motorized wheelchair.

“And hogging the bathrooms.” Jean laughed, bending to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Good morning, Professor.”
“Hey, Charlie,” Logan and Mystique came up behind him. “We need to talk to you and Ororo before breakfast, if that’s okay.”

“Certainly, Logan,” Professor Xavier said. “Ororo?” he motioned to her. “We’re going to the conference room – please join us there.”

“Of course.” Ororo leaned in Evan’s door and said something Scott couldn’t hear, then shut the door and followed the other adults, glancing at he and Jean as she passed. “You two had better hurry or you’ll be late.”

They glanced at each other and stifled a laugh. “Okay, let’s get into the Bathroom War trenches,” Scott said, and turned to go take his place in line. “See you at breakfast, Jean.”

“Later!” she called out, running down the hall as she spied Rogue emerging from the girls’ bathroom.

“Y’all in a hurry, Jeannie?” Rogue said, then looked around, puzzled. “Hey, where’d Kitty go?”

--

“When are they going to come down here?” Kurt Wagner groaned as he stared longingly at the plate of food in front of him. Pancakes. They smelled wonderful. His long tail twitched in anticipation.

“They had something important to discuss,” Scott said to boy with the German accent. “We have to wait until they get here.”

“Just a little bit?” Kurt said hopefully, picking up his fork in the three fingers of his right hand and breaking off a tiny piece of pancake.

“Uh uh!” said Jean, and Kurt’s fork pulled itself out of his hand and settled back onto his plate. “Better not do that. Remember what your father is like about table manners?”

Kurt sighed and gazed mournfully down at the plate. “Ya, I know, Jean. Thanks for saving me from myself.”

“_And_ from Daddy,” Rogue teased, Kurt stuck his tongue out at her.

“You’d think they’d known they were siblings forever,” Kitty giggled, her brown ponytail bobbing against her back.

“They were acting like that long before they knew they were siblings,” Scott told her.
“Gotta agree with the Kurt-man, though,” Evan said with regret as he looked down at his own plate. “If the adults don’t get in here soon, I’ll start eating the silverware.”

“No need for that, Evan, here we are,” Ororo said as she and the other adults entered the dining room.

“I’m sorry we took so long,” Professor Xavier apologized as he took his seat at the head of the table. “But we had some important matters to go over, and now we would like to discuss them with you.”

“Bitte, may we eat while we talk?” Kurt asked hopefully.

Logan lightly tweaked one of Kurt’s fuzzy, pointed, blue ears as he passed by. “No patience as usual, Elf?”

“But it will get _cold_,” Kurt reasoned.

“Go ahead, everyone, and eat,” the Professor told them, and sipped his coffee while the kids started to dig in.

“What’s the big secret, Professor?” Scott asked.

“No secret, Scott. This will involve all of you, so it’s necessary that you know now,” Professor Xavier said. “But I think it would be best explained by the one who brought it to my attention. Mystique.” He nodded in her direction.

“Thank you, Charles,” Mystique said, taking a deep breath. “Kids, as I told Logan last night, and then Ororo and the Professor this morning, I’m worried about the Brotherhood boys.”

“Why?!” Scott asked, instantly alert. “Are they up to something?”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Mystique said. “I’m concerned _for_ them.”

The kids looked at each other. “Uh … why?” Evan asked finally, his handsome face the picture of confusion.

“Yeah,” Kitty piped up. “They seem fine at school. As arrogant and annoying as ever.”

“Todd even dropped a dead fly on my Sloppy Joe last week,” Kurt added. “And then he ate it.”

“The fly or the Sloppy Joe?” Rogue asked him.
“Both!” Kurt replied with a grimace. “You don’t think _I_ wanted it with a fly topping, do you?”

“Mystique,” Jean interrupted, “what is it that worries you about them?”

“Several things,” the blue-skinned woman answered. “They’re alone, for one. You can bet Magneto isn’t checking up on them. And they’re flat broke. I wasn’t the most generous of people while I was with them, but at least we had food in the house. If Todd ate your lunch, Kurt, it’s probably because he was starving.” She sighed, knowing her voice was starting to crack and she hated that they were all seeing it happen.

Logan put his hand over the one she had in her lap and squeezed it. “Guys, the bottom line is that no matter how you feel about those kids, they _are_ kids, just like you, and they deserve a good, safe home and decent food. The way things are now, they’ll end up using their powers to rob a gas station just so they can eat.”

“Pietro has a record,” Evan remarked, wide-eyed. “If he does something like that, he’ll never get out of jail.”

“Unless his old man busts him out again,” Kurt muttered.

“All I want is the chance to reason with them,” Mystique spoke up again, her yellow eyes pleading with those around her. “To tell them that they’re welcome to come _here_.”

“Ah don’t think they’ll do it, Mama,” Rogue said sadly. Other than Mystique, she knew the Brotherhood members better than the others, because she had been one of them. She’d never been able to bring herself to completely dislike them the way some of the X-Men did.

“I still have to try, Rogue,” Mystique said helplessly. “I owe them that much, since I’m the one who put them in that situation to start with.”

“You had help,” Ororo reminded her.

“Yes, Magneto directed me, but other than Pietro, I found the others and brought them into the Brotherhood.”

“What I propose is this,” Professor X said to them all. “We allow Mystique to approach the boys first and hope she still has some influence on them. If that doesn’t work and they still refuse, then the rest of you start to work on them. Rogue, you might be particularly helpful in this.”

“Don’t be so sure, Professor,” Rogue said with regret. “They think Ah betrayed them by defecting. Same with Mama. Ah don’t think they’re gonna listen to any of us.”

“They’re going to have no choice but to listen,” Logan said grimly. “It’s whether they’ll _hear_ us or not that’s the real question.”



pART 3

Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver, zipped down the stairs to see if there was anything that could reasonably be called breakfast left in the kitchen. Moving too fast to see, Pietro buzzed from cupboard to fridge to pantry, all of which yielded the same depressing results. Nothing.

“What’s for breakfast?” yawned Fred Dukes as he lumbered down the staircase. He was as wide as Pietro was thin, but then his mutant codename wasn’t The Blob for nothing.

“Air,” Pietro replied with his usual rapid-fire speech pattern. “Topped off with air and with a big glass of vitamin-fortified air on the side.”

Fred frowned. “I need more to eat than air.”

“Hey, man, even _I_ can’t live on air!” Pietro remarked, turning a tap hopefully only to watch a single drop of rusty water leak out. “Or without water.”

Another boy with a green hue to his skin hopped into the kitchen in the same fashion that a toad might – appropriate, as his codename was Toad. He leapt up to the countertop beside the sink and looked into it. “That’s just pathetic, yo. No water even?” A housefly buzzed in front of his face and an instant later a long, green prehensile tongue had flashed out to draw it into his mouth.

“Glad _you_ can eat, Todd,” Fred said flatly.

“Man, we have to _do_ something, this is ridiculous!” Pietro exclaimed. “Any ideas?”

“We could knock over a food delivery truck,” Todd suggested. “I mean for real – Fred could topple one easy.”

“Don’t tempt me,” Fred told him.

“Guess we’ll have to go the petty theft route,” Pietro remarked. “No choice, we
have to eat.”

“You’re not doing any stealing right now, Pietro,” the fourth Brotherhood member and the eldest, Lance Alvers leaned in the doorway. He brushed a lock of long brown hair from his handsome face. “You’ve got a record. The rest of us will handle it.”

Pietro shrugged and smirked. “Hey, it’s not like anyone’s gonna _catch_ me or anything! Not even close!”

“Can’t take the chance,” Lance said firmly. “You get busted, we’ve got no guarantees that your old man will get you out again. He’s been a no-show for too long.”

Pietro didn’t say anything. He knew Lance was right. His father, Magneto, had disappeared at the same time Mystique had defected to the X-Men. He might still be around, but whether he’d step in to help him was far from a certainty. In fact, considering the conditions they were presently forced to live in due to lack of financial support, it was rather unlikely.

“Todd can swipe some wallets, I’ll see what I can do with getting change and drinks out of the payphones and soda machines.” He frowned slightly. For a boy codenamed Avalanche, it seemed like a waste of his seismic power to be reduced to robbing vending machines. “Fred, see if you can shake down a couple of wimps for their lunch money – you know, the kind too chicken to tell on you.”

The large boy nodded.

“That might get us through a couple of days, Lance,” Pietro said. “But we have to think of the big picture. We’re going to have to find a way to get more money, BIG money, and fast.”

“Well, ‘fast’ is right up your alley, Pietro,” Lance remarked. “If you come up with anything, let us know, but _don’t_ go off on your own to do it.”

“Yeah, man,” Todd said, looking at the lean, white-haired boy. “You may be a conceited arrogant jerk, but that don’t mean we wanna see you in singing prison songs in a cage, y’know?”

“Don’t worry, don’t worry,” Pietro assured him, grabbing his bookbag. “I’ll see you guys at school.” He was gone before they could blink.

“He’d better not get stupid about this,” Lance muttered. “Come on, let’s get going.”

--

Not a bad haul, and I’ve only been here five minutes, Todd thought as he happily thumbed through the two wallets he’d managed to lift in the busy hallway before first bell. The first one only had ten dollars in it, but the other had twenty-six. It wouldn’t pay the water bill, but it would feed them for a day. If Fred didn’t eat too much.

“What’s that you’ve got there?” a German-accented voice inquired just before the wallets disappeared from his hand. “TWO wallets? And neither one of them yours. Tsk, tsk, tsk.”

Todd turned to glare at the thorn in his side known as Kurt Wagner. They had fought before, when Todd trespassed in the X mansion. The outcome had been a draw, since both boys nearly died in the Danger Room.

And now Wagner had their food money.

Todd’s green slimy tongue shot out to try and snatch the wallets from Kurt’s grip,
but Kurt held fast to them, struggling against the powerful muscle that was Todd’s tongue.

“Are you crazy, Tolensky?!” Kurt hissed, trying to shield the tongue from public view with his own body. “The hallway is filled! Someone will see you!”

“Don’ care!” Todd answered, his voice slightly garbled from not having his tongue free. “G’me da muddy!”

Although his tail was hidden by the holographic inducer he wore, Kurt could still use it. Grimacing in pure disgust, he wound his tail around Todd’s outstretched tongue. With Kurt pulling from two sources now, Todd couldn’t hold on and he knew it. He readied his powerful legs in preparation for kicking Kurt full-force in the stomach, hoping the surprise would make him let go.

Over the intercom came Principal Darkholme’s voice, “Will Todd Tolensky,
Lance Alvers, Pietro Maximoff, and Fred Dukes please report to the Principal’s office immediately? Thank you.”

Todd didn’t realize that he’d loosened the hold with his tongue when the announcement came on and Kurt jerked the wallets from him, darting away down the hall. No doubt to return them to their owners.

Pietro appeared next to Todd. “Did you hear what I heard?”

“Yeah,” Todd said grumpily. “And Mystique’s timing really stinks.”

“Well, you oughta know about things that stink,” Pietro remarked. “Come on, let’s go.”



Part 4

Lance scowled as he leaned against the office wall. He didn’t appreciate this summons from Mystique. She had abandoned them, and as far as he was concerned, she should just leave them alone.

Fred didn’t look any happier than he did, but he _did_ look worried. Lance wasn’t worried. Mystique couldn’t do any more to them than she already had.

Pietro zipped into the office and looked around. “Mystique’s not here?”

“She stepped out as soon as I got here,” Fred told him. “Said she’d be right back.”

Todd hopped in and leapt up to perch atop a filing cabinet, grumbling, “Gonna get that furry demon boy, yep, I am ….”

“What’s the matter with you?” Lance asked.

“I had _two_ wallets in my hand, yo,” Todd lamented. “But that brat Nightcrawler ripped ‘em off!”

“He stole them from _you_?” Pietro said in surprise.

“Probably gave them back already, huh?” Fred asked.

“Doubtless,” Todd muttered.

“Well, great,” Lance said in annoyance. “Can’t those do-gooders even let us eat?”

Mystique, in her guise as Principal Raven Darkholme, walked into the office. She took note that all four boys were present, then shut the door.

“Thank you for coming,” she said, walking over to lean back against her desk, changing into her normal blue-skinned, redhaired form as she did so. “I’ll get right to the point, boys. I’ve been worried about you, and how you’re getting along.”

“You have,” Lance said flatly.

“Yes, I have,” Mystique insisted. “I know Magneto isn’t providing any money for you – you must be running low on everything, and – “

“We’re fine,” Lance retorted curtly.

Mystique sighed. This was already going badly, but she was determined not to give up. “The real reason I asked you all here is because I want to extend an invitation. I want you to move into the X mansion with me.”

The four boys were momentarily stunned into silence. Pietro regained the power of speech first.

“You’ve gotta be kidding, lady.”

“Of course she’s kidding, yo,” Todd said. “Are we supposed to start laughing now?”

“Mystique, why are you doing this?” Fred asked with a frown. “It’s not enough that you dumped us – now you gotta make fun of us?”

Mystique gasped. “Fred, I’m not doing that, I swear!” She moved to his side and touched his massive arm. “I’m afraid for the four of you, all alone in that dump with no money or adults around.”

“Where was all this concern when you LEFT?!” Lance demanded, and Mystique felt the barest hint of a tremor under her feet.

“Lance, calm down,” she said, looking into his dark, angry eyes. “I’m going to tell you the truth. I feel terrible for leaving without you, but I’ve changed since then. Being with my family and the other kids at the Institute has made me see things differently, and I know what’s most important now.” She looked around at all the boys. “I was an unfeeling bitch to you when we were together, I know that. If you’ll give me another chance and come home with me, I promise you won’t regret it.”

“I’m already regretting just coming to this office,” Lance snapped and strode forward to stand in front of her. “Give me one good reason why we should believe anything that comes outta your lying mouth.”

“Because social services is probably going to descend upon you at any moment given the conditions you’re living in,” Mystique said frankly. “Are you that eager to go back into state foster care, Lance?”

The boy winced and Mystique had to steel herself against feelings of guilt. She was hitting him where it hurt and she knew it.

“I’d rather go to jail, if that’s what it comes to,” Lance finally answered. “But that’s not gonna happen. Anyone who tries to take us away will have a fight on their hands.” He sneered at Mystique. “Anyway, what are you offering that’s any different from a foster home?”

“A _permanent_ home, for as long as you want to stay there. With your friends and other mutant children. Adults who have been through it all and are willing to help you understand and control your powers and who actually care about
_you_.” She put her hand on his forearm. “Starting with me.”

He knocked her hand away. “Don’t touch me, Mystique,” he said. “Don’t talk to me anymore, just forget I exist – should be easy, you’ve done it once already.” Lance turned and walked out of the office. The other boys followed in silence.

All right, Mystique thought resignedly. The direct approach didn’t work for
me – let’s hope the kids have better luck.

--

“So that’s the way it is, huh?” Rogue remarked as she adjusted the books in her arms. “Mama blew it.”

Kurt shrugged. “She said she tried, but they wouldn’t listen. Lance especially seemed opposed, and the others followed his lead.”

“So the best idea is divide an’ conquer, huh?” Rogue nodded. “Could work. You know what boys are like when they’re all in a group.”

“Ja – hey, wait a minute! _I’m_ a boy!”

“My sympathies,” Rogue replied, patting her brother on the shoulder. “Ah’ll see what Ah can do.”

“Same here, I guess,” Kurt said, pouting. “Although I don’t think it’s necessarily a good idea to bring them into the X Mansion.”

Rogue looked at him, astonished. “Kurt Wagner, you oughta be ashamed of yerself! Why shouldn’t they have the same opportunities _you_ do?”

“Aw, come on, Rogue!” Kurt protested. “You can’t tell me you can honestly see guys like Lance or the Toad sitting down to breakfast with us, participating in training sessions, or actually obeying a curfew, can you?”

Rogue folded her arms. “_Ah_ was in the Brotherhood, Kurt, and Ah do all those things now.”

“It’s different,” Kurt insisted. “You’re my sister. And the daughter of Wolverine and Mystique. Pietro Maximoff is the son of _Magneto_!”

“Seems to me that means he’s especially in need of protection,” Rogue replied, then sighed. “Anyway, Kurt, if you don’t think yer gonna be able to follow the Professor’s instructions in this one, you’d better go tell Mama or Scott right now so they can fill him in later.”

Kurt frowned. “You know I’ll do it, even if I have doubts. You don’t have to blackmail me.”

“Well, here’s yer chance to prove it.” Rogue nodded down the hall, where Todd Tolensky was approaching his locker.

Kurt groaned. “Why couldn’t it be anyone but Todd?”

No one ever said being an X-Man was easy, little brother,” Rogue told him. “Come on – Ah’ll go with you. Maybe if we double-team him, we’ll have a better chance.”

--

Todd opened his locker and fished out his physics book. He still couldn’t believe Mystique’s nerve.

“Hey, Todd.”

He turned away from the locker to face Rogue and found Kurt there as well. “Can’t say I approve of the company you’re keepin’ these days, Rogue,” he said.

“I love you, too,” Kurt snapped, and Rogue elbowed him sharply. “Ow!”

“Todd, Ah wanna talk to you,” Rogue said. She wasn’t one to beat around the bush. “Ah know Mystique spoke to you earlier and Ah know what about.”

Todd looked at her suspiciously. “Yeah, she talked, we listened. So what?”

“So what are you gonna do about what she said?” Rogue pressed.

“What do you think we’re gonna do, yo?” Todd closed his locker. “Nothin’.”

Rogue leaned against the lockers. “Did you even think about it?”

“What’s to think about?” Todd replied, staring at her. “You know what she’s suggesting? It’s crazy!”

“_You’re_ crazy if you don’t take her up on it!” Kurt told him impatiently. “Do you like living in a dump so much?” He rolled his eyes and threw up his hands. “Look who I’m asking!”

“Hey, man, the Brotherhood house ain’t that bad!” Todd protested. “It’s cozy.”

“It’s a hovel,” Rogue stated. “And don’t tell me it ain’t, ‘cause Ah lived in the joint with you before it quite reached ‘hovel’ status, but it was getting there!”

“So what?” Todd dug his finger into his ear absently. “We’re okay there.”

“But you could be better. You could be sleeping in a warm bed, in a house with heat and running water, good food every day regular ….”

“And rules and adults yelling at you and curfews and grounding and spanking – “ Todd continued.

“Yer exaggerating now,” Rogue interrupted.

“He is?” Kurt asked.

“The Professor doesn’t yell, Kurt. And he’s _never_ spanked anyone!”

“That’s probably just because we can all outrun him,” Kurt said wryly. “And besides, Mother and Father – “

“Anyhow,” Rogue said quickly, “you should really consider coming to live with us, Todd. Yeah, there are rules, but they’re not unreasonable, and they’ll teach you to use yer powers to yer best advantage.”

“I already do that,” Todd said smugly. “We all do. We don’t need no trainin’.”

‘What about love?” Kurt asked quietly. “Everyone needs that.”

Todd laughed. “You sayin’ that if I move in with you, we’re gonna suddenly be all buddy-buddy?”

Kurt gnashed his fangs. “It could happen.”

“In your dreams, Wookie-Boy!” Todd made his way down the hall through the other students, leaving them behind.

“At least we tried,” Rogue said, watching him go. “An’ Ah’m not givin’ up, either. Mama’s right, they’ll be dead or in jail in a month if we don’t get ‘em outta there.” She gave Kurt a grateful smile. “Thanks for helping out at the end. Ah know it cost you.”

“Probably more than you know.” Kurt sighed.

--

This was going to be tough.

Evan really didn’t want to approach Pietro Maximoff. They had always been competitors, but had never actually been enemies until Pietro framed him for vandalism and later joined the Brotherhood. Now their rivalry was more heated than ever.

And he was about to invite Pietro to live with him.

May as well get it over with, he thought, and walked toward the blonde boy. “Hey, Pietro.”

One moment he was looking at the back of Pietro’s head, the next they were face-to-face, and Evan never saw the other boy move. “What do you want, Daniels?”

Looking at that perpetual smirk, Evan seriously doubted he could go through with this, but he was determined to try. “I want to talk to you about something.”

“Make it fast,” Pietro told him. “I haven’t got all day.”

“Don’t worry, this won’t take long.” I hope, Evan thought. He took a deep breath. “It’s about what Mystique said to you.”

Pietro cocked an eyebrow. “You know about that, huh? Well, no worries, Daniels – I wouldn’t live with you or the other X-geeks on a bet.”

Evan steeled himself against Pietro’s attitude, but it wasn’t easy. “Why not?” he asked. “What are you afraid of?”

“Afraid?” Pietro said in surprise, then laughed. “When have I been afraid of anything, ever?”

“Since now,” Evan replied. “You’re afraid to give the Institute a chance. Afraid they might actually have stuff to teach you.”

“There’s nothing I need to learn that they can teach me,” Pietro said, shouldering his bag. “I don’t need anyone.”

“Fine, but you need to eat, and if you stay where you are now, you’re either gonna starve or be thrown in Juvie Hall, and _this_ time you won’t be getting out so easily.”

Pietro scowled. “I don’t need to steal. The guys are providing just fine.”

“Okay, so _they’ll_ go to Juvie Hall.” Evan shrugged. “You’ll just be taken away by Child Welfare.”

“Nobody can catch me and you know it!” Pietro snapped.

“Do you really want to live as a fugitive?” Evan said pointedly. “Always moving from place to place, trying to keep ahead of them, never settling down?”

“I’m never stationary for long, anyway,” Pietro retorted. “You’ll have to do better than that.”

Evan snorted. “I’m not gonna beg you, man. If you don’t know a good thing when you hear it, you’re the one who’ll suffer, not me.” He shrugged. “Frankly, I don’t think it would work, anyway.”

“What do you mean by that?!”

“Think about it, Maximoff,” Evan said, tapping his head. “You’re a troublemaker. We don’t need that at the Institute. See you around, loser.” He walked away, wondering if reverse-psychology really worked. Even if it didn’t, he smiled privately, it had been fun trying.


Part 5

“Fred, will you just stop long enough to hear me out?!”

“I heard you. I’m tired of hearing you. Go away.”

Jean grit her teeth and stopped chasing after Fred Dukes. It was embarrassing and humiliating after all, and people in the hallway were already starting to snicker. Fortunately, Fred was so intent on avoiding her that he didn’t seem to have noticed. If he did, the results would be disastrous at best. Still, she _did_ need to talk to him. Holding out her hand, she concentrated on keeping his feet still with her telekinesis.

When Fred tried to take another step, he came close to toppling over, but managed to regain his balance just in time. To everyone else, it looked like he just stopped short, so nothing unusual was thought of it.

“That’s cheating,” Fred told her when she’d caught up to him.

“Whatever works,” Jean replied. “You wouldn’t listen when I asked you to stop.”

“Wouldn’t your Professor get awful upset about you using your powers in school?!”

“He’ll be more upset if you don’t listen to me,” Jean said. “Please, Fred, at least take a moment to consider coming with me and living in the X mansion.”

“Why should I?” Fred demanded. “You didn’t want me around, why should your stupid friends?”

“We’ve been over this before,” Jean said, trying hard to be patient. “I wanted to be your friend, but you took it too far when you kidnapped me.”

“Boy, you people sure hold grudges.”

Jean sighed. “The point _is_, Fred, that you’ll have lots of friends if you come live in the Institute. Plus you’ll be safe, and –“

Fred laughed heartily. “Safe? I’m already in the safest place there is _if_ that’s really something to worry about, which for me it isn’t. No one’s gonna try and bust into the Brotherhood house and leave intact.”

“There are other aspects to safety,” Jean continued. “Such as knowing you’re in a safe _house_. The four of you are going to end up getting sick or hurt and _that’s_ if Social Services allows you all to stay there much longer.”

“Stop trying to scare me!” Fred yelled at her.

“I’m not trying to scare you, you’re just living in a scary situation!” Jean exclaimed. “Fred, you of all people, are not going to be able to survive long on what food you can steal, and when you _do_ steal, sooner or later you’ll get caught, like Pietro did.”

“Pietro ain’t stealing, we won’t let him,” Fred told her. “Look, class is gonna start soon, and it’s at the other end of the school, so do you mind letting me go now?”

Reluctantly, Jean released his feet from her telekinetic hold. “Will you at least think about what I said?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Fred replied and lumbered away. Somehow, Jean doubted he’d taken her seriously.

--

Scott looked at Kitty. Kitty looked at Scott. They both looked to where Lance Alvers was getting a drink at the fountain.

“You want _me_ to go first?” Kitty said dubiously. “What makes you think he’ll listen to me?”

“You know he has a soft spot for you,” Scott told her in a whisper. “And I’ve seen you two walking to class together, laughing. You’re almost friends.”

“Stress that ‘almost’,” Kitty replied. “And I’ve never tried to talk him into doing something we already know he doesn’t want to do.”

“Give it a try anyway. I’ll come back you up if things get sticky.”

Kitty sighed. Lance was wiping his mouth and walking away now – she
couldn’t wait any longer.

“Hey Lance!” she called and jogged after him while Scott ducked behind the corner.

Lance paused and waited for her to catch up to him. “Hi Kitty.” He smiled, looking genuinely pleased to see her. “What’s up?”

“Oh, you know, nothing much,” she said, hugging her books to her chest. “What class are you going to?”

“My next one,” Lance joked.

Kitty grinned. Despite the things that had happened between them at their old school in Illinois, being around Lance could sometimes be fun. “Well, you’re going in my direction. Mind if I walk with you?”

“’Course not.”

Scott slipped out from behind the corner and began tailing the pair, ducking behind any convenient hiding place he could find along the way in case Lance turned around.

“Things have been really weird since we left Illinois, huh?” Kitty remarked casually. “It’s funny enough that we both ended up here, but on different sides.”

“Yeah,” Lance agreed. “But there wasn’t any other way it could have gone after everything came down.”

“You mean after our _school_ came down?” Kitty looked at him. “You sorta destroyed it, Lance.”

“That wasn’t my original plan, you know.”

“I remember your original plan,” Kitty said. “We probably shouldn’t talk about it.”

Lance shrugged. “Sure.”

They walked in silence for a couple of minutes, and Kitty realized she’d better get with it or Scott would step in.

“Lance,” she said slowly, “I know why Mystique wanted to see you.”

“Oh yeah?” he replied. “So be honest – isn’t it the dumbest idea you’ve ever heard?”

“No, it isn’t,” Kitty looked at him. “I think it’s a great idea.”

Lance shook his head in disbelief. “Aw, come on, Kitty, look at it from our point of view. We’ve been fighting against the X-Men all this time, why should we suddenly change our way of thinking and follow Mystique?”

“You trusted her once – if you trust her again you won’t be sorry,” Kitty said. “Lance, did you know that when the Professor came to Illinois for me, he also came for you? But Mystique got to you first.”

“No, I didn’t know that,” he admitted.

“Well, it’s true,” Kitty told him. “You might have been with me at the Institute from day one.” She grinned mischievously. “Then it would be YOU trying to convince Pietro, Todd, and Fred to join us.”

“You assume that I would fit in at the Institute,” Lance pointed out. “I wouldn’t. None of us would.”

“How do you know until you try it? _Rogue_ fit in there, and she was with the Brotherhood. And Mystique had some _real_ adjusting to do, but she had the guts to try.”

Lance stopped walking and looked at her, his eyes angry. “Are you suggesting I’m afraid?”

“You tell me,” Kitty challenged. “You have _nothing_ to gain by staying at the Brotherhood house, but you could have a whole new _better_ life at the Institute.” She touched his arm. “I’ll help you, Lance. Give me a chance.”

For a brief instant, it looked like Lance was actually considering her offer. Then he caught sight of something behind her and frowned. “Forget it, Kitty. I’d like to be with you – you’re the only one outside the Brotherhood I consider a friend. But there are just too many more reasons why I can’t.” He walked away at a pace he knew she couldn’t keep up with.

“I think he saw me.”

Kitty turned toward Scott and sighed. “Was that it?” She looked back in the direction Lance took. “I thought I had him there, Scott.”

The older X-Man patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’re not giving up.”

--

“The children are home,” Professor X said to Logan and Ororo just before the door burst open and their young charges began piling in.

“How was school?” Ororo asked her nephew as she kissed his cheek.

“All right, I guess, but Pietro Maximoff is still the most irritating, self-absorbed big mouth on the face of the planet,” Evan replied.

“I gather you had no luck with him, Evan?” the Professor said.

“We had no luck, period,” Scott admitted. “None of us.”

“The Brotherhood just won’t listen,” Jean sighed.

“No big loss,” Kurt muttered.

“Elf,” Logan said warningly.

“No man, he’s right!” Evan declared. “If Pietro comes in here, he’s gonna be rude and obnoxious – he’s not gonna follow rules or show any respect – “

“He’ll learn,” Logan told him.

“And if he doesn’t like it here, he’ll be free to leave,” the Professor said. “But first we must get he and the others here so they can see what it’s really like, and so they’ll be safe.”

Mystique came in, still looking like Principal Darkholme. As soon as the door shut behind her, she shapeshifted to her true blue-skinned form and searched the faces of everyone present. “They said no, didn’t they?” she said, making it sound more like a statement than a question.

“Don’t worry about it, Mysti,” Logan told her. “They just got started.”

“That’s right, Mystique,” Scott assured her. “We won’t stop until they agree to give it a try.”

She smiled gratefully. “I knew it was going to be tough when they left my office, but I still held out hope. I can continue to hope a while longer.”

Kurt turned toward Evan. “Will I be a terrible person if I hope they don’t come?” he whispered.

“If you are, then I am,” Evan replied flatly.



part 6

Pietro grimaced at the tv as he flipped past channel after channel. He seemed to be just doing it for the heck of it, but he could actually register every flash and whether each was worth watching or not. They weren’t. They wouldn’t have cable at all if Todd hadn’t known how to redirect it illegally. And after all that effort, nothing to watch. What a drag.

“Anything on?” Fred asked as he entered the room.

“Nah, nadda, zilch, zip, negative,” Pietro answered and tossed the remote to him. “You can look if you want.”

Todd hopped into the room followed by Lance. “You guys do your homework?” the older mutant asked.

“Yes, Daddy,” Fred replied. “Why?”

“Because if you don’t, Mystique will call you into her office again and she won’t talk homework.”

“Good point, yo,” Todd said. “Not that Mystique’s working alone on this.”

“Yeah, I had Daniels harassing me today, and this is a guy who doesn’t care less about me – he even said he’d be glad if I didn’t go,” Pietro said.

“Sounded like Blue Boy was pretty much thinking the same thing,” Todd agreed. “Ol’ Roguey tried to convince me otherwise.”

“So did Jean,” Fred admitted. “I know what kind of hypocrite she is, though.”

Lance dropped into a chair. “Kitty talked to me, too, but I saw Summers spying on us, so she was being coached.” He shrugged. “Let’s just forget it. Hey, how’d you guys do with our other problem? I got some from machines, brought some food in, too. Only snacks, though – that’s pretty much all you can get from the machines around here.”

“I lifted a couple of wallets, but you already know what happened there.” Todd shook his head. “No fair, man.”

“I shook down a couple of wimps,” Fred said. “They didn’t have more than eleven bucks between them.”

“Well, damn,” Lance said with a sigh. “Petty theft just ain’t what it used to be.”

“Guess I’ll go to bed, nothing else to do, and maybe I won’t think about being hungry.” Pietro started to speed out of the room in his usual way, but the lights went off suddenly and the other three heard a loud smack in the darkness. “OW!”

“You okay, man?” Lance got up, peering around, seeing nothing.

“No!” Pietro exclaimed. “Would you be okay if you ran into a doorway going faster than the eye can see?!”

“What’s with the lights?” Fred’s voice could be heard. “It’s not even rainy out, no interference or nothing.”

“I’ll bet the company turned them off,” Todd commented. “We got three notices of non-payment already.”

Lance sighed. “Todd, you’ve got better night-vision than we do. Go get the flashlight from the kitchen so we can at least get upstairs and go to bed. We’ll worry about the light bill tomorrow.”

--

Something stank. Lance came half out of his sleep-drugged consciousness and coughed. Something really stank badly. Probably his roommate, Fred, had let one go in his sleep again, turning the bedroom into a literal gas chamber. Lance coughed again and opened his eyes, then regretted it as they instantly began to tear. Something was thudding repeatedly on the roof – was Todd hopping around up there?

The smell wasn’t dissipating. If anything it was worse. Lance sat up, preparing to heave a pillow at Fred’s head for trapping him like this, when he was suddenly seized by a coughing fit. His eyes didn’t just water now, they burned, and the strong smell had turned acrid and asphyxiating.

Oh God, he realized suddenly. There was a FIRE in the house!

“Fred!” he yelled, scrambling out of bed. He grabbed the other boy’s arm and shook it. “Fred, wake up! Fire!”

“Wha - ?!” Fred started coughing before he could ask Lance what was happening. He tried to maneuver himself out of bed. “What’s that noise?!” he cried as the thudding became rumbling. It seemed to be all around them.

“I’m not sticking around to find out!” Lance coughed and stumbled to the door in the dark. He was about to open it when he remembered to test it first with his hand. Not hot. He jerked the door open and ran out into the hall.

It was like being delivered into a waking nightmare. The smoke was so thick he couldn’t breathe. “Fred, come on, HURRY!” he yelled and began pounding on the other bedroom door. “Pietro!” he shouted to be heard over the rumbling that was now becoming a steady roar. “Todd! Fire! Come on!”

The door opened instantly and Todd stood there, wide-eyed and frightened. “I can’t wake Pietro up!” he cried. “He won’t open his eyes! I ain’t sure he’s breathing, Lance!”

The older boy ran in and realized quickly that Todd was right. He couldn’t tell in the dark if Pietro was breathing or not, but he sure wasn’t waking up. He pulled the slender blonde up over his shoulder. “Get out of here, Todd, go!” he ordered. “Fred, you too, hurry!”

Todd didn’t hesitate and sprang down the hallway in gigantic leaps, coughing and wiping his eyes. Fred was coughing, too, but when part of the ceiling collapsed over them, he still caught the beams and kept them in the air so Lance could pass under with Pietro.

“Watch the banister!” Todd bellowed from the staircase. “It’s on fire! Hurry up, you guys! It’s all over the place!”

“Todd, get OUT!” Lance yelled. “Don’t wait for us!” His throat was closing in on him and his eyes hurt so much he could barely force them open. Not that it mattered – the fire provided the only light to see by, and the heat radiating from it hurt his eyes as much as the smoke.

Their progress down the hall had taken too long - the staircase was almost totally engulfed in flames. Lance couldn’t see Todd anymore and hoped he’d followed his orders and left the house. At least one of them would make it.

“Lance, gimme Pietro!” Fred commanded and then Lance felt Pietro’s weight leave him. Almost instantly, he fell to his knees – he was blacking out.

“Fred,” he wheezed, trying to tell him to get Pietro to safety. Barely conscious, he felt himself being lifted and thrown over Fred’s shoulder, the force of impact nearly making him vomit.

Then they were moving. Quickly. From his backwards, upside-down position, Lance saw the fire – Fred had to be running through it, carrying both he and Pietro. Fred was nearly invulnerable to impact, but did his mutant power include resistance to fire?

Fred gave a shout as he burst out the front door. Lance felt a blast of cool air and shivered involuntarily.

“Fred!” Todd was practically screaming. “You okay?! Are _they_ okay?!”

Fred grunted something that sounded like, “I’m fine,” and deposited both boys on the ground. Fighting the blackness that seemed determined to overwhelm him, Lance looked over in time to see Todd pounce on Pietro and plant his mouth on the unconscious boy’s. Oh _man_, Todd, it’s no time for _that_! he thought through a fuzzy haze.

“Lance!” Fred was saying from his other side. “Breathe, man, get fresh air into your lungs!”

Lance tried to inhale and began to cough instead. Todd was pushing on Pietro’s chest now – what the hell was he doing? Past them, Lance could see the house – their house. A solid wall of flame.

A siren came from far away.

“Gotta … go,” he gasped, struggling to suck air in and sit up at the same time. “Social Services … Child Welfare ….”

Dizziness overwhelmed him and he collapsed, unconsciousness finally claiming him.


part 7


When Lance next opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a monstrous, blue, hairy, fanged face just inches above his own. His eyes widened and he tried to scream, only to find an oxygen mask contained most of the sound.

“Professor, Lance is awake,” the monster said in a shockingly familiar voice. “Lance, I’m Mr. McCoy, your chemistry teacher. I’m a mutant, too, and I live here at the Xavier Institute. I wear a holographic inducer like Kurt’s at school.”

This … animal … was Mr. McCoy? Lance tried to get his mind around that while registering the rest of what he’d said. “I’m in the Institute?” his voice sounded weird through the mask.

“The four of you were taken to the hospital first, but in view of your being mutants, we felt it would be safer for you to be here in our infirmary. The Professor had a friend on the inside arrange transfer immediately. We couldn’t risk them putting a stethoscope to Pietro’s chest and hearing his heart beat 28 times a second, now could we?” Hank knew the poor kid had to be afraid and confused, even if he’d fight not to show it. He glanced toward Charles, who moved up alongside Lance’s bed.

“Lance, I’m Charles Xavier, and this is my Institute. You and your friends are welcome to stay here as long as you like.”

“Are they okay?” Lance asked, ignoring the offer for the time being.

“Fred is fine – his power kept him from harm. Todd suffered from smoke inhalation and a couple of minor burns. He gave Pietro mouth-to-mouth and CPR at the scene and saved his life – he’s breathing on his own now, and his heart rate is back to his norm, although he has yet to regain consciousness.” The Professor sighed. “With the way Pietro’s body operates, the smoke affected his system much faster than it would anyone else. It was fortunate you all got him out when you did.”

Remembering the flames surrounding them, Lance couldn’t help but agree. He coughed, grimacing. He didn’t like the mask. “Can I take this off soon?” he complained.

“Hmm, you can probably try going without it now.” Hank removed it and gave him a pointed look. “But you let me know if you find yourself short of breath, understand?”

Lance nodded, grateful to be free of the obstruction. Now he could prop himself up on his elbows and look around. Pietro and Todd were on beds nearby. Todd seemed to be sleeping peacefully without an oxygen mask, but Pietro still wore one, and was hooked up to monitors besides. One of them beeped at a speed that was all but incessant. “Is that his heart going like that?” he muttered.

“Yes, and I believe that’s normal for him,” Hank answered. “Amazing, isn’t it?”

“Where’s Fred?”

“We offered him a regular room,” the Professor answered. “He didn’t need to be in here, but he seemed tired. None of you got much sleep.”

“What time is it?” Lance frowned. It was weird, not having any sense of where or when he was.

“Almost six in the morning. The fire was estimated to have begun around midnight,” said the Professor. “The children will be up in another hour. You may stay in here longer if you wish, or you may get some more sleep in a regular room like Fred. If you’d rather stay up, you may join us for breakfast.”

“I want a shower,” Lance said. If he had to face the X-geeks sometime in the next little while, he at least didn’t want to smell of smoke.

“Certainly. As soon as you feel comfortable up and walking, you may use the bathroom here in the infirmary.”

Hank nodded. “Don’t lock the door. I’d rather you weren’t too far away from help this first time, in case the hot water makes you feel faint.”

Lance was about to give a snappy retort to say that he wasn’t THAT weak, but a wave of dizziness passed over him and he bit back the words. “Uh, okay.”

He took it slowly, but within half an hour, Lance had showered and changed – although he was uncomfortably aware that the clothes were probably Scott’s, since the fire destroyed everything he had. Hank insisted on checking his vitals one last time before allowing him to follow the Professor into the heart of the mansion.

“This will be your room,” the Professor told him, moving aside so Lance could enter.

Although he’d known from Pietro and Todd that the place was plush, he hadn’t known the bedrooms were palatial. They were huge! There was a fireplace and a balcony with French doors – it was like a suite in a fancy hotel.

“Thanks,” he said guardedly. “But I don’t know how long I’ll be staying.”

“It’s yours for as long as you want it,” the Professor said. “Lance, look at me.”

Aw, _man_! Why did grownups always pull this stuff? Reluctantly, he
turned to look down into the Professor’s eyes. This guy was the most powerful telepath in the world. He could be reading his mind at any time and there was nothing he could do about it.

“I want you to feel comfortable here, but that is something which can only come with time,” Professor Xavier told him. “You know Mystique wanted you here – right now Logan is barely able to hold her back from coming to see you all, but is doing so at my request. I want you to know she’s not the only one. You’re very welcome here.”

Lance had forgotten about Mystique. He wasn’t crazy about having to listen to her lie about how much she missed them and how she cared. Adults never meant crap like that. Even the Professor was probably just repeating the same spiel he always used. Like the other foster homes he’d been in, the ones in charge made money off having him stay. Hell, with all his kids, the Professor was cleaning up in _that_ department.

“Yeah, thanks,” Lance replied, figuring he’d play along for now. The main thing was to get Pietro up and around before they could make any decisions about where to go.

“I’m going to tell the children what happened as soon as they’re up,” the Professor continued. “Breakfast is at eight – you may occupy yourself however you wish until then.”

Lance watched him leave and wondered, now what? He was curious about the rest of the house, but didn’t want to run into the other kids as they started getting up. They might think he was there to cause trouble and attack him outright – he wasn’t physically up to a fight yet.

Resignedly, he shut the bedroom door and headed for the bed. Maybe he’d just get another hour’s sleep while he could.



Part 8

Did we do something wrong?” Rogue whispered to Kurt as they sat down on the sofa and waited for the rest to arrive.

“I don’t know,” he admitted, rubbing his yellow eyes. “I can’t imagine any other reason for a family meeting right after getting up.”

The Professor nodded toward Hank as he entered. “That’s everyone then. How’s Pietro, Hank?”

“I am gratified to say that he has regained consciousness,” Hank reported. “He was showing signs of stability returning overall – I don’t want to leave him alone too long in case he attempts to get up too quickly.”

“Professor,” Scott said, looking confused. “Why is Pietro here? What happened?”

“The Brotherhood house burned down last night,” he replied.

Kitty gasped. “Oh no! The boys - ?!”

“They’re all here and are doing well. Only Pietro’s condition remained a concern, but fortunately he seems to be recovering.”

“Man … and I was just arguing with him yesterday,” Evan said in disbelief. Ororo put an arm around him.

“What caused the fire, Professor?” Jean asked. “Do they know yet?”
“Yes, it was an electrical fire,” the Professor answered.

Logan snorted. “Considering the condition that joint was in, I’m not surprised.”

Professor Xavier nodded. “Indeed. Fred confirmed that the lights went out just before they went to bed, but they thought it to be the fault of the power company cutting them off.”

“Mystique, are you okay?” Scott asked her. Everyone looked toward the blue woman, who sat by Logan, her hand in his.

“I’m dying to go running up there to see them,” she admitted. “Charles and Hank felt they should have a little time to adjust first.” She sighed, shaking her head. “I just wish they had listened to us yesterday – they would have been spared the terror of the fire.”

“Things happen for a reason, Mystique,” Ororo said gently. “Because of the fire, the boys are all here, which is what we wanted. Now we need only make sure they feel welcome.” She glanced down significantly at her nephew, who looked wounded.

“Hey, Auntie O, you don’t think I’d really be mean to a guy who nearly died, do you?”

She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Of course not.”

“They’re going to need clothing,” Jean said.

“Yes, and we’ve already borrowed some from the clean laundry,” the Professor said. “Scott, Evan, Kurt, your clothes will fit Lance, Pietro, and Todd until we’re able to get them some of their own after breakfast. We’ve nothing ready-made that will fit Fred, but Ororo is sewing something basic that he can wear in the interim.”

“And I’d better get back to it or the poor boy will have to wear a sheet like a toga.” Ororo stood up. “I should be done by breakfast so he can join us all there. I’ll see you then.”

“Thank you, Ororo,” Mystique said.

The beautiful blonde woman nodded and smiled, then left the room.

“You may all go now and get ready for breakfast,” Professor Xavier said.

Jean glanced at Scott as everyone got up to go. “What are you thinking?” she asked.

“Can’t you tell?” he joked.

She gave him a Look. “Very funny.”

He chuckled and then sighed. “I was just thinking this was going to be weird.”

She nodded. “You’re not kidding.”

--

“Will you please hold still?”

“I’m tired of being still! I was unconscious for hours – I’ve been still long enough!”

Hank rolled his eyes skyward and prayed for patience. Young Pietro was undoubtedly the most difficult person he’d ever attempted to treat. He’d been fine … until he woke up. Then he was so impatient to get out of the I.V.s and monitors that he very nearly pulled the connections off himself until Hank stopped him and did it properly. Now there was no holding him back.

“All right,” Hank surrendered. “I guess if you’re well enough to fight me, then you’re well enough to get up.”

“Great!” Pietro jumped off the bed.

“Yahoo, the prisoner is sprung, yo!” Todd declared from where he’d been watching on his own bed. He leapt from there to land at the entrance to the infirmary just as Lance and Fred appeared there. “Hey boys! Pietro’s back on his feet!”

As if to prove it, Pietro sped to Todd’s side, grinning. “Time to blow this pop stand!”

“I can’t go anywhere,” Fred told him, spreading out his arms to indicate his outfit. It was a very basic tunic and a pair of shorts. “This is all I got to wear right now. The white-haired woman threw it together so I could go downstairs, and later they’re gonna get clothes for us all, but I don’t wanna go anywhere in it until I have to.”

“Besides, where would we go?” Lance said in a grumble. He hadn’t been able to sleep earlier because he’d been tossing and turning, wondering what their options were. The depressing conclusion was that they had none. “The Brotherhood house wasn’t much, but at least it was a place to crash. We don’t even have _that_ anymore. And Child Welfare will pick us up in no time if we try living on the streets.”

“Who wants to do that, anyway?” Pietro made a face. “Excuse me, but I’m used to a roof over my head, not the top of a cardboard box.”

“I can’t go long without food,” Fred admitted.

“I can live anywhere, even in a dumpster if I gotta,” Todd remarked. “But I ain’t gonna be the one to break up the Brotherhood, so if you guys are staying, I’m with you.”

“So I guess we’re stuck here for now,” Lance sighed.

“That’s the spirit!” Hank joked, clapping Lance on the back, nearly sending him reeling. Two big hands steadied him. “Sorry about that,” he apologized. “But seriously, despite your trepidation, you may discover that your arrival here was most fortuitous.”

“Huh?” Fred said. “Is he speaking English?”

“Nah, he’s speaking Teacher,” Lance answered.

“Hello boys,” Professor Xavier said as he arrived. “Pietro, I’m glad to see you up and around, we were concerned about you.”

“I’m fine,” Pietro replied.

“He is,” Hank concurred. “They have all come through their ordeal physically unscathed.”

“Very good,” the Professor said. “We’re going to have breakfast now, if you would like to accompany me to the dining room.”

“Mmm, breakfast!” Fred said eagerly.

Lance wished he could say that he wasn’t hungry, but the truth was he couldn’t remember the last good meal he’d had. He knew the case was the same for the others, too.

“Let’s go,” he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

--

“They’re coming,” Ororo told everyone as they sat at the dining room table. “Charles just contacted me.”

Mystique sat up straight and grasped Logan’s hand. “Relax,” he told her. “They’re here, the hard part’s over.”

“I’m not so sure,” she said. “They didn’t come by their own free will. They’re trapped by circumstances. I just want them to feel welcome enough so that they decide to stay.”

“Good morning, everyone,” the Professor greeted as he entered the dining room, Hank following. The Brotherhood boys hovered in the doorway uncertainly.

Mystique smiled. “Come in, take a seat.”

“Over here, Lance!” Kitty waved to the eldest boy. He looked relieved to see her and went to take the seat by her. The other boys found seats as well.

“Boys, I’m sorry about what happened,” Mystique said earnestly. “But I’m glad you’re here.”

“Nice o’ you to take us in for now, yo,” Todd remarked.

“You _are_ allowed to stay, you know,” Scott said. “You don’t have to make it sound temporary.”

“We know,” Pietro answered. “We’ll think about it.”

“Where _else_ would you go?” Evan murmured.

“Evan,” Ororo scolded.

“Nah, he’s got a point,” Fred admitted. “We don’t have any other choices now.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rogue told him. “Yer here and yer welcome here, so shut up.”

Todd grinned. “Roguey hasn’t changed.”

“After breakfast we’ll show you around – there’s a lot to see here,” Jean said.

Kurt looked up, wide-eyed. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“What do you mean?” Jean asked him.

“Well, they just said they might not stay,” Kurt said, not meeting anyone’s eyes. “They were our enemies … you want to show them all the secrets of the mansion to use against us later?”

“What secrets?” Pietro laughed. “Both Todd and I have already been all over this mansion, Blue Boy. You won’t be showing us anything we haven’t seen.”

“Don’t be so sure of that, Pietro,” the Professor told him. “And Kurt, that remark was uncalled for.”

Kurt bit his lip. How humiliating to be rebuked by the Professor in front of Todd Tolensky.

“Look, we ain’t gonna cause any trouble here,” Todd said. “At least, we ain’t gonna use nothing we learn here against you.”

“You didn’t have to help us,” Lance muttered. “We’re not so low that we’d take advantage like that.”

“How about when you needed help at survival camp?” Evan pointed out. “While Scott was busy getting you out, Fred and Pietro took advantage of the distraction to go after the flag.”

“This is different!” Pietro insisted. “You not only took us in, you saved me from being discovered as a mutant at the hospital. So for that, we owe you – no funny stuff.”

“There isn’t any reason for you to consider the X-Men your enemies, anyway,” Mystique said. “I was wrong to do so myself. Give them a chance to show you why.”

“We sorta have to,” Fred said. “Right now, we’re stuck here.”

“Well, there’s always Child Welfare,” Logan growled.

Lance looked up, paling. “No!” he said vehemently, then when he realized everyone was staring, he tried to compose himself. “I mean … don’t call them. Please.”

“We won’t, Lance,” the Professor assured him gently. “Don’t worry.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, which Kitty finally broke. “Hey, I just thought of something! With you living here, Lance, we can do our Chemistry homework together in the lab!”

“In _my_ lab?!” Hank squeaked.

“It’s _your_ homework!” Kitty reasoned.

Everyone laughed and the awkward moment passed, but Mystique knew she wouldn’t soon forget the panic she’d seen in Lance’s eyes at the mention of Child Welfare.



part 9


The first day together at the Institute didn’t look like it would be an easy adjustment for the Brotherhood _or_ the X-Men.

“Get out get out get OUT!” Jean screamed at Todd as she telekinetically threw him out of the girls’ bathroom and into the opposite wall.

“No reason to get violent, yo,” he muttered, rubbing his head. “How was I s’pose to know anyone was in there?”

“Try looking at the ‘occupied’ sign.” Rogue pointed to it as she stopped beside him. “And anyway, this is the girls’ bathroom – the boys’ is down the hall.”

“Well, shoot, anyone can make a mistake,” Todd grumbled and hopped down the hall toward the other bathroom just in time for Kurt to teleport into the doorway and shut the door in his face.

“Hey!” Todd yelled.

“Neener, neener, neener!” Kurt taunted from inside.

“I hate when he does that,” Todd muttered. “Fuzzy gecko’s gotta die.”

“Todd, are you almost ready?” Mystique asked. “We’re supposed to be
taking you clothes shopping.”

“I _will_ be, if I can ever get in the bathroom!” he complained.


“Clothes shopping?” Kurt said suddenly from behind the door. “May I go, too, Mother?”

“Only if you’re bringing your own money,” Mystique said. “You have plenty of clothes, Kurt.”

“You want your only son to be trendy, don’t you?”

“Did someone say ‘clothes’?” Rogue darted over. “Ah wanna go! The
goth store got a new shipment in, and – “

“Rogue, we need to get clothes for the _boys_,” Mystique said firmly.

“Yeah!” Todd said. “Unless you really want me walkin’ around nekkid, Roguey.”

“Ugh, forget it,” Rogue said scowling.

“Are we goin’ or what?” Lance asked as he came down the hall. Pietro zipped up alongside him.

“As soon as I get in a bathroom, yeah!” Todd complained.

“There’s another one downstairs,” Pietro said helpfully.

“Good thing!” Todd remarked and hopped up onto the banister. “I think
Fuzzball in there needs more fibre in his diet – he’s takin’ forever!”

“Maybe if I didn’t have an _audience_ I’d be faster!” Kurt yelled.

Pietro watched Todd leap off the banister and land neatly on the ground below, then head off in search of the other bathroom. “You think I should have told him that Kitty’s already in there?” he grinned.

--

Lance frowned and looked out the window of the X-van. He’d thought that when Mystique said she was bringing the four of them shopping for clothes that it would be just that – the four of them. He didn’t know that along with Mystique and Logan, that Scott and Jean would be going. The other kids had to sit this trip to the mall out, much to their dismay. Lance was sorry he couldn’t have switched Scott for Kitty – what was he doing here, anyway?

“Here we are,” Mystique said, pulling into a parking space.

“This is just great, yo,” Todd whined. “We get to go shopping with Principal Darkholme.”

“Yeah,” Fred griped. “What if kids from school see us?”

Mystique glanced over her shoulder through the glasses she wore in her principal guise. “Maybe they’ll realize you have an ‘in’ with the principal and will never harass you in school again.”

“Yeahhhh,” Todd said slowly, nodding. “That could work.”

“Hmmm.” Fred looked thoughtful. “Yeah, maybe.”

“Why do _I_ have to be here?” Logan grumbled, arms folded. “I hate the mall.”

“You expect me to supervise an outing with six teenagers alone?” Mystique said in amusement. “Some big brave man you are.”

“Don’t give me that, woman. You could handle an army of teenagers alone.” Logan got out of the van. “Come on, brats, move it.”

“He has such a way with kids, doesn’t he?” Scott grinned at Jean as they left the van.

“I figured it would take four of us to accompany the four of them,” Mystique explained. “They may not want or be able to shop at the same stores.”

“Good point,” Logan allowed, glancing in Fred’s direction. “We’ll have to get that one to ‘Big N’ Tall’.”

“I’ll go with him,” Jean volunteered.

“Where do you shop?” Scott asked Todd.

“Thrift shops, man! Whaddya think – I’m made of money?”

“Forget the thrift shops this time,” Mystique said. “You need a new wardrobe, all of you.”

“How about starting with Christian Dior?” Pietro piped up.

“How about starting with Sears?” Logan said firmly.

--

Half an hour later, Logan was trying to keep from growling out loud. He had lost him again.

With Scott and Jean looking after Todd and Fred, and Mystique having opted to take on Lance, he had been left with Pietro. Or maybe, he thought sourly, left _behind_ by Pietro was more like it.

From the moment they got into the mall, he’d been playing ‘catch up’ with the little speed demon. Every time he got close, the kid would catch sight of another store window he was interested in checking out and was gone again without warning. Then Logan would be stuck trying to locate him by scent, and that would have worked fine except that the boy would move again before he reached him.

“I didn’t know this trip to the mall would end up a training mission in tracking,” Logan muttered, looking left and right. His nose suddenly told him Pietro was close, but he couldn’t see him.

“What’s taking you so long?”

“Rrowrr!” Logan spun around, fists poised to pop his adamantium claws. Pietro was already two feet out of reach, having reacted instantly.

“Whoa, man! A little jumpy, aren’t you?”

“Don’t _ever_ sneak up on me,” Logan warned through gritted teeth. “I nearly sliced you in half.”

“You wouldn’t have touched me,” Pietro said blithely. “Anyway, listen – I’m seeing some stuff I want to look at, and you’re seriously slowing me down.” He threw an arm across Logan’s shoulders before he could stop him. “Here’s the deal – you hate the mall, right? And I hate excess baggage. So you just give me the money and I’ll do my own shopping and you can leave the mall if you want and do your own thing until we have to go back, sound good?”

Just listening to Pietro speak in that rapid-fire way of his could make someone dizzy, Logan mused. And while the white-haired hummingbird could talk circles around most people, he himself wasn’t so easily duped. “I can’t give you the money – it’s credit, and I’m _not_ giving you free access to the Professor’s credit.”

“How come? Don’t trust me?”

“Trust has to be earned, kid,” Logan told him frankly. “Maybe after you’ve shown you _can_ be trusted, things will be different.”

Pietro put his hands on his hips. “And just how am I supposed to do that if you don’t give me a chance?”

“Look, I’m not going to hold a debate with you,” Logan said in annoyance. “We’re going to get you some clothes but you’re going to slow down to _my_ pace, got it?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Pietro retorted. “Be sure to prod me awake every so often. I’m bound to doze off.”

“Sure, kid. I’ll prod your backside with the flat of my hand.” Logan took a firm hold of Pietro’s arm. “But for now, _we’re_ going shopping, whether it kills us both or not.” He started walking away, pulling the slender boy with him.



part 10


“I hope Logan and Pietro are all right,” Mystique remarked as she and Lance left a store.

“Pietro will be fine,” Lance said. “He can cover every store in the mall and be at the exit in less than five seconds.”

“But Logan can’t, and he’s the one with the money,” Mystique pointed out.

“Provided Pietro _waits_ for money,” Lance remarked. “He can do a snatch-and-grab and get out so fast that none of the detectors will even register it.”

Mystique realized that was probably all too true. “Well, he’d better not, because _we’ll_ register it if he shows up with anything that hasn’t been paid for.”

“Tolensky, get BACK here!”

“Try to keep up, yo!”

“Maybe I would if you didn’t leave me carrying everything!” Scott came into view with bags tucked under both arms and two more in his hands. He noticed Mystique and gave her a weary look. “Todd decided he _likes_ shopping.”

“We’re making good time!” Todd came over. “How’re you doing?”

“Pretty well,” Mystique said. “It’s not hard to shop for a kid whose wardrobe consists mainly of jeans and t-shirts.”

Scott chuckled and nodded at Todd. “Him, too.”

“Well, excuse us for not going in for the preppy look,” Lance muttered, eyeing Scott’s decidedly preppy attire.

“Come on, Alvers, we weren’t making fun of you,” Scott said easily. “Don’t be so sensitive.”

“We may as well all head for the drugstore together,” Mystique interrupted. “They’ll need personal items like toothbrushes and all that.”

“I’m not sure Todd uses a toothbrush,” Scott glanced at Todd’s green-toothed grin.

“He will now,” Mystique said firmly. “Which reminds me, we’d better get some strong soap for when we get him into the bath.”

Todd stopped dead. “BATH?!”

“Believe it or not, after awhile you get used to his smell,” Lance said.

“I don’t think we can wait that long,” Mystique said dryly. “I know _I_ never got used to it when I lived with you, and Logan has a very sensitive nose. Only his healing factor keeps him from blacking out around Todd, I’m sure.” She looked down at the green-hued boy. “Besides, you’re not going to put on clean new clothes when you’re filthy.”

“Never said nothin’ about having a _bath_,” Todd complained.

“Hey, everyone!” Jean greeted as she approached with Fred, who was carrying several large bags. “We’re just about done, how about you?”

“We’ve still got to go get stuff in the drugstore.”

“All right, we’ll go with you,” Jean said and smiled at Fred, who blushed.

“Did you model all your new clothes for her, Fred?” Lance said mischievously.

“_No_,” Fred snapped at him.

“Well, some of them he did,” Jean corrected. “Just when he wasn’t sure he liked them.”

Todd and Lance snickered, and Fred casually took a firm step to his right, knocking Lance over on top of Todd.

“I think we asked for that,” Lance groaned.

“Speak for yourself, yo! And get offa me!”

“No sign of Logan and Pietro?” Jean asked.

“I’m afraid not,” Mystique replied. “I just hope they come back together.”

“I don’t think you have to worry about that,” Scott said, nodding toward a point behind Mystique. Everyone turned, and the Brotherhood boys started laughing.

Logan was heading their way with a determined stride. Over his shoulder bounced Pietro, whose elbow was braced against Logan’s back as he propped up his chin on his hand. He looked as if he’d been riding that way for a long time.

“Well, you two look like you’ve had fun!” Mystique said, trying not to giggle.

“Oh yeah, I had a ball running after the fastest kid on Earth,” Logan growled.

“And I’ve had a load of laughs being humiliated all over the mall like this!” Pietro snapped.

“Your own fault,” Logan told him. “I warned you not to take off on me, and this is the only way I could always know where you are!”

“Did you actually get any shopping done?” Jean asked.

“Yeah, it’s already out in the van,” Logan said.

“We’re all going to the drugstore to get them toothbrushes and such,” Mystique told him. “Are you coming or did you already take care of that?”

“Are you kidding? At the pace _he_ shops?” Logan asked dryly. “We’ve
done that and everything else. We just came back in to tell you that we’d be out there.”

“Why couldn’t you leave Pietro out in the van instead of carrying him though the mall again?” Fred asked.

“Tried that – he was back inside the mall before I’d even left the van.” Logan glared at the boy over his shoulder. “Believe me, _this_ was the only way. See you all out there.” He turned and walked away, Pietro following not of his own accord.

Scott grinned at Jean. “Is it safe for _us_ to laugh now?”

“I hope so!” she said, and proceeded to do so.

--

Kurt loved his balcony. He could comfortably perch atop the railing and look out over all of Bayville. It was a wonderful view.

“Hey, Kurt!” Rogue greeted as she entered his room. Perfect balance or not, she didn’t want to startle her brother into falling off the wrong side of the railing. She crossed the room and joined him on the balcony, leaning her arms against the railing he crouched on. “Any sign of ‘em yet?” she asked.

“No,” Kurt replied. “Should be soon, though. You know how Father hates the mall.”

“Sure do,” Rogue agreed. She enjoyed the view for a couple of minutes, then looked at her twin. “Kurt … you know, yer going to have to try harder to welcome the boys. They’ve been good so far, and you got scolded by the Professor at breakfast.”

“Don’t remind me,” Kurt groaned, his blue tail twitching behind him.

“Well, that or worse is going to happen again if you don’t shape up.” She turned around and leaned back against the railing. “Besides, Kurt, they ain’t that bad. And don’t you think they deserve some consideration after what they’ve been through? Imagine being in a house afire ….” She shivered. “Gives me the willies just thinking about it.”

“I _am_ sorry for what they’ve been through, Rogue.” Kurt regarded her seriously. “Pietro nearly died – you think I don’t know how serious that was?”

“Then you’ll be nicer to them?”

He sighed. “Yes, of course.”

She patted his arm with her gloved hand. “Thanks, little brother. Now if we can just convince Evan to go along with it – “

“I’d leave that to Ororo,” Kurt said with a wry grin. “She’s probably already talking to him about it.”

--

“I’m _sorry_, Auntie O!”

“Sorry isn’t good enough once the words have been spoken aloud, Evan,” Ororo told him firmly. “People don’t forget when unkind things are said, so it’s best not to say them at all.”

“It wasn’t just me!” Even said defensively. “Kurt did it, too!”

“And you know what the Professor thought of _his_ behavior,” Ororo pointed out significantly. “You promised you would try. I expect you to stand by your word.”

Evan sighed in defeat. He really _did_ want to make his aunt proud of him. It was just hard to remember that where Pietro Maximoff was concerned. Not that he wasn’t as shocked as anyone else to hear about Pietro’s near-death experience. He’d never wish death on Pietro or anyone else.

He just didn’t want to _live_ with the guy.


part 11

Pietro zipped from the bags on the bed to the closet and drawers and back again. He repeated the process until everything was put away. Despite there being several full bags, the entire job was finished in only a couple of seconds.

He turned to leave then stopped. There was a really nice stereo system in the room that hadn’t been there before. What was up with that?

“You unpacked already?” Lance remarked as he leaned in the doorway. “Never mind, that was a stupid thing to say to _you_.”

“Yeah, it was,” Pietro agreed. “Hey, Lance, look at this.” He waved a hand at the stereo. “This wasn’t here when I left.”

“There’s one in my room, too.” Lance walked over and sat on the bed. “I don’t know if he does this for everybody or if he’s just trying to bribe us.”

“Well, he’s welcome to try, if it gets us a nice set-up like this while we’re here!” Pietro turned on the stereo and tuned the radio to his favorite station. “Great sound!” he said appreciatively, turning up the volume.

“See you found the stereo, yo,” Todd remarked as he hopped in the door, landing beside Lance on the bed.

Fred walked in after him. “We’ve all got them, I guess.”

“Why would he buy _us_ stereos?” Todd wondered out loud.

“Why would he buy us a whole new wardrobe?” Lance countered. “He’s
got money and likes showing it off maybe. Or ….” He sighed. “Maybe he just feels sorry for us.”

“Ugh,” Fred said with a frown. “You think so?”

“Who knows?” Pietro shrugged. “Let’s face it – our situation _is_ pretty pathetic.”

“Not as pathetic as seeing you being carried around by Logan!” Lance laughed. “How’d he manage to get hold of you, anyway? You losing your touch?”

“No way!” Pietro scoffed. “But he caught me coming out of a changing room and then wouldn’t let me go for the rest of the afternoon.”

“It sure was funny!” Fred chuckled.

“Oh yeah?” Pietro said. “How about you tell us what it was like modeling clothes for Jean?”

“I _didn’t_!” Fred insisted. “She was just there when I came out wearing them. It’s not the same!”

“Sounds the same to me,” Todd remarked. “Hey, Lance, did Mystique say anything when you were shopping?”

“Yeah, she said stuff like ‘you don’t want any colour but black? This is like shopping with Rogue!’”

“I thought she’d try to have a heart-to-heart with you or something,” Todd said.

“I was worried about that, too,” Lance admitted. “but she didn’t say anything except about shopping.”

“Sounds suspicious to me,” Fred remarked. “She hasn’t said much of anything since we got here.”

Pietro zipped over to the stereo and checked out a few more buttons and dials. “That’ll change,” he predicted. “She’s building to something.”

“Maybe not,” Lance said. “She’s already got us here – not much else to say.”

“I’m just wondering how long until they put us to work, yo,” Todd said grimly. “They ain’t giving us free room and board for long.”

--

Kurt paced in the hallway. He knew the Brotherhood were all gathered in Pietro’s room, and he should just walk in there and apologize to them as a group and get it over with.

“Hey Kurt-man, what are you up to?” Evan asked as he skateboarded over to him.

“About two feet over my head in trouble,” Kurt said miserably. “I have to go apologize to the Brotherhood.”

“Whoa, that bites!” Evan told him, shaking his head. “Well, good luck!” He started to leave.

“Hey, wait!” Kurt grabbed him, sending the board skidding down the hall. “Wasn’t Ororo upset with you? Don’t you have to apologize, too?”

“Well, not officially, no,” Evan said. “I just have to be nicer to them.”

“Same here! I just thought it would be a good start to apologize.” Kurt threw an arm around Evan’s shoulders. “And it would be _so_ much better if we both went in together, don’t you think?”

Evan looked at him. “Except I wasn’t planning to go in at all!”

Kurt’s tone turned pleading and he clasped his hands together. “Oh, _please_, Evan. I’d really appreciate it, and think how proud your aunt would be!”

Evan sighed. “Oh, all right. But if Maximoff says anything, you might want to get me out of there.”

“Just be positive and don’t let him get to you.” Kurt knocked on the door.

“Yeah, you remember that when Tolensky starts in on you, which he will,” Evan murmured.

Pietro opened the door and looked surprised, then suspicious. “What do you guys want?”

“To talk to you, all of you,” Kurt said.

Pietro smirked. “Okay, come in.” He moved aside. Evan glanced at Kurt and they walked into the room.

“What’s goin’ on?” Todd asked, frowning. “What d’ya want, Fuzz Boy?”

Kurt steeled himself. “I came to apologize for my behavior at breakfast. We both did.” He nudged Evan, who avoided Pietro’s gaze.

“Uh, yeah, that’s right.”

The Brotherhood boys exchanged amused looks. “Okay,” Lance said finally, “so who’s forcing you into this? Mystique?”

“No, I haven’t spoken to her about it,” Kurt answered. “I just felt badly about it and wanted to say so.”

“What about you, Daniels?” Pietro pressed. “Did you come here of your own free will, too?”

Evan folded his arms. “I don’t like you, Pietro. Chances are I never will. But you’ve been through a really bad time and it was low of me to kick you while you were down. So yeah, I’m here by choice to apologize for being a jerk earlier.”

The smirks on the Brotherhood’s faces faltered. Their expressions turned uneasy.

“Uh, okay,” Pietro said, and this time he was the one avoiding Evan’s gaze. He waved a hand in dismissal. “We accept. You can go now.”

“Come on, Evan,” Kurt pulled the other boy out.

“What the hell’s going on here?” Lance muttered.

--

“I trust the shopping trip was successful?” Professor Xavier said to Logan and Mystique as the couple dropped into chairs in the kitchen.

“It was,” Mystique replied. “The boys got the essentials, and enough clothes to last them a while.”

“While you were away, I arranged delivery of stereos for them,” the Professor said. “The other children have them – they should as well.”

“Something else I made sure we got for them that the others have are suits,” Mystique said. “I don’t think any of the four of them ever owned one.” She smiled wryly. “It took some doing just to get Lance to try one on.”

“Did you remember bathing suits?” the Professor asked.

“Yes.” Mystique nodded.

“Yeah, I got one for the Hummingbird,” Logan growled. “He gave me an argument, though. Told me he preferred skinny-dipping.” He folded his arms. “I don’t know if he was serious or not, but I told him if I saw his naked butt anywhere near the pool I’d make it match Mysti’s hair.”

The Professor gave him an amused look. “Threatening the boy on his first day with us might be detrimental to the welcoming process.”

“My thoughts exactly!” Mystique chimed in, giving Logan an indignant look.

“Tough,” Logan said, unruffled. “I know who the kids are and that this is going to be a big adjustment for everyone, but there’s no point in giving them any wrong impressions. While they’re here, they’re no different than any of the others, and if they screw up, they gotta pay the piper.”

“I agree,” Professor Xavier said. “But at least give them a little time to get used to the idea that this is their new home and they’re wanted here.”

“He’s right, Logan.” Mystique touched his arm. “If these boys feel at risk so early on, they’ll bolt. I know they will.”

Logan looked between them frowning, but finally heaved an impatient sigh. “All right, all right, you win.” He stood up and looked at them seriously. “Just don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you don’t lay down boundaries right away, they’ll be crossing them in no time and they can’t be held accountable. Besides, if you _really_ want them to feel welcome, I think treating them just like the others and not like guests is the only way to go.” He walked out.

“I guess setting him up with Pietro was a bad idea,” Mystique said with a sigh of her own. “Of the four of them, he’s the most consistent smart aleck. And Logan’s not used to having children run from him – successfully.”

“On the contrary, Raven,” the Professor smiled at her. “I can sense that Logan actually likes Pietro, but he _is_ concerned about his fitting in here.”

“Oh.” Mystique looked thoughtful, then smiled a little. “Thank you for telling me, Charles. I love him, but sometimes it’s impossible for me to tell what he’s thinking.”

“I didn’t read his mind,” the Professor told her. “It’s merely an impression.”

“Your instincts are better than most.” Mystique grinned. “That’s good enough for me.”


Part 12

Todd hopped down the hallway, humming to himself. It had been a good
day overall. They were living in a place that had running water and electricity, had been given lots of new clothes and great stereo systems. He missed the numerous flies and other insects that provided quick snacks at the Brotherhood house, but there again, they were allowed 24-hour access to the fully-stocked kitchen here. He knew Fred was in ecstasy over that. And to top it off, he’d gotten to laugh at Pietro’s embarrassing ride over Logan’s shoulder. It didn’t get much better than that.

“Hey, Todd,” greeted Scott casually as he came down the hall toward him. Which reminded Todd that driving Scott insane on the shopping trip had also been a lot of fun.

“Yo, Summers, whazzup?” Todd started to go by him, but Scott dropped a hand on his shoulder that stopped him in mid-spring. He looked up at the X-Man curiously. “Something wrong?”

“Not a thing, but could you come with me for a minute?” Scott invited. His expression was friendly, so Todd decided he wasn’t in any kind of trouble.

“Sure, guess so.” He followed Scott down the hall. “Where’re we goin’?”

“Just in here,” Scott stopped and opened a door for him. Todd hopped in, then froze.

They were in the bathroom, and right in front of him was a steaming bathtub filled to the top. The edge was lined with soap, shampoo, scrub brush, and other horrible things Todd didn’t want anything to do with. He turned back to face Scott, only to find the older boy had locked the door and was rolling up his sleeves.

“We can do this the easy or the hard way, Todd, but either way, we’re going to do it.”

“No way, man!” Todd leaped for the door, but Scott grabbed him around the waist and they both crashed to the floor.

“Lemme go, lemme go, lemme go!” Todd yelled, struggling in Scott’s grip.

“Not on your life!” Scott told him. “Maybe your buddies can stand being in close proximity of your smell but one of the household rules here is you can’t make people dizzy by standing near them!” He lifted Todd bodily and headed for the tub.

“Then let ‘em buy noseplugs, yo!” Todd’s tongue shot out and wrapped around the doorknob, keeping Scott from bringing him any closer to the tub.

“Let GO, Tolensky!” Scott ordered as he fought against the power in Todd’s tongue. Man, that thing was strong!

“Ith oo thay tho!” Todd replied evilly and released the doorknob. Startled, Scott lost his grip on him and fell backwards into the tub with a splash.

Todd sprang for the door. A bright red beam slammed into him from behind, throwing him against the wall. By the time his head cleared, Scott was standing over him.

“As I said,” he repeated through gritted teeth, “either way, we’re doing this.”

“Would you mind stepping back a bit, yo?” Todd grinned sweetly. “You’re dripping on me.”

--

Rogue stopped in the hall as she was passing the bathroom. It sounded like two people were fighting in there.

“Ororo!” She flagged down the blonde woman as she came upstairs. “What do you think is going on in there?” She pointed to the door. A shout, a couple of thumps, and a splash were heard from behind it.

Ororo smiled. “Scott is giving Todd a bath,” she explained. “We unanimously agreed it was a necessity.”

“And how did poor Scott get stuck with the job?” Rogue grinned.

“We figured if Logan had to do it, Todd would end up in many tiny pieces.” Ororo shrugged. “Scott is leader of the X-Men. Sometimes that is accompanied by unpleasant responsibilities.”

Another splash, a crash, and the distinctive sounds of Scott’s eyebeams came from inside the room.

“Get OVER here, Tolensky!” Scott yelled.

“Stop takin’ my pants off, pervert!”

“Let’s just leave them alone,” Ororo suggested. “Scott will do fine.”

Rogue had her doubts, but walked away from the bathroom door, despite the high-pitched scream she heard.

--

It was almost ten o’clock that night, when Logan realized something was missing. He and Mystique were on the couch in the living room, she comfortably nestled under his arm as they watched a movie. Jean was curled up in an armchair, studying from her binder during commercials, while Scott was stretched out on the carpet, his head propped up on one arm, totally engrossed in the movie.

“You know this runs past eleven o’clock and there’s school tomorrow,” Mystique mentioned to the kids.

Scott looked up apprehensively. “So far past that we’ll have to miss the end?”

“There’s always the VCR,” Logan remarked.

“But then we’ll have to go to bed and lay there, sleepless, wondering how it turned out,” Jean said.

“You could have told us it ran late at the beginning an hour ago,” Scott complained. “I was looking forward to this after what I went through with Todd.”

Jean giggled and he shot her a dark look.

“Relax, you can both stay up until the end,” Mystique said. “I plan to, and I have school tomorrow myself.” She glanced at Logan and noticed he was frowning. “Oh, come on now.” She nudged him teasingly. “It won’t hurt them to stay up an hour past bedtime.”

“It’s not that,” he said. “I had the feeling something was wrong in the house and I just figured out what it is. Two scents are missing. Fred and Pietro.”

“Curfew is in two minutes,” Jean remarked, glancing at her watch.

“It would be,” Logan said, giving Mystique a sideways glance, “if anyone had told them there _was_ one.”

“Well,” Mystique said uneasily, “they might not be too late. They know there’s school in the morning.”

“They’ve been four kids living on their own for a while,” Logan said. “I doubt they cared much about curfews and bedtimes.”

“They’ll have to get used to it if they’re going to stay here.” Scott shrugged, then when there was no response, he looked between the two adults. “Won’t they?”

“Yes, of course, they’ll have to live with the same rules as the rest of you,” Mystique said. “We’re just waiting for them to feel more at home.”

Scott and Jean exchanged a glance. “And until then … what?” Jean asked.

“Until then,” Logan said, “Mystique and the Professor want us to cut them
some slack.”

“I guess that makes sense in a way,” Scott said slowly. “It’s not like they _asked_ to come here. But if they choose to stay ….”

“Yeah.” Logan nodded. “Exactly.”

“And when does the transitional period end so that we all know they’re equal members of the household?” Jean asked.

“_That’s_ what no one’s sure of.” Logan smirked.

“Very funny,” Mystique said. “We’ll know when the time’s right.”

“Well, I’d say the time’s right when they come through that door,” Logan hooked a thumb at the foyer. “We can’t have those kids coming and going all night, Mystique. They don’t know the curfew this time, fine, but one chance is all they get.”

--

It was just before one a.m. when Pietro and Fred walked in the front entrance, only to run straight into Logan.

“Whoa!” Pietro jumped back instantly. “Have you’ve been standing here all night?”

“Someone had to wait for you two pinheads,” Logan growled. “You know what time it is?”

“Time to go to bed, I hope.” Fred yawned.

“Oh yeah, it’s that, all right,” Logan agreed. “But I’m talking about the time by the clock. It’s one in the morning, and you’re both three hours late for curfew.”

Fred and Pietro glanced at one another. “Three hours?” Pietro said incredulously. “Curfew in this place is at _ten_?! No wonder the kids here are so boring!”

Fred shook his head. “No one told me about any curfew.”

“No, they didn’t,” Logan said, gritting his teeth. “So I’m telling you now. Curfew at ten, bedtime at eleven on all school nights. Both are an hour later on weekends. There are usually pre-breakfast training sessions on weekdays, so believe me, you’ll be grateful for the rest.”

“Training sessions?” Pietro said dubiously. “Why would the Brotherhood attend X-Men training sessions?”

Logan stepped forward and pushed his face into Pietro’s. “The Professor may be generous to a fault, bub, but this ain’t no hotel. You stay here, you’re gonna be no different than the other kids.”

Pietro didn’t move back again. His mischievous blue-grey eyes turned
icy, making them look to Logan disturbingly like his father’s. “Lance is right about adults. We’ve barely washed off the smoke and you’re already making demands on us. Well, don’t worry, _bub_ - we’ll be out of your hair fast enough. Come on, Freddy.”

Logan watched the two boys go upstairs and gnashed his teeth. He hadn’t expected that reaction, but apparently Mystique and the Professor had. Neither of them was going to be happy about this. He didn’t want to think that he might have rushed things a little, but that was certainly what _they_ would think.

“Damn,” he muttered.



part 13

“Lance? Hey, Lance, wake up!”

He didn’t _want_ to wake up. He’d had an erratic sleep the night before to say the least – awakening while it was still dark out didn’t fit the plan.

But it was Pietro shaking him and the speedster normally would know better. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes. Not only Pietro, but Fred was there. Over Fred’s shoulder was a snoring Todd.

“Guys,” Lance muttered, “I’m _really_ not in the mood for a slumber party.”

“This is an emergency,” Pietro told him. “Freddy and I just got waylaid by Logan at the front door. He’s talking stuff like curfews and training sessions, Lance!”

“What time _is_ it?” Lance squinted at the bedside clock. “Oh man!” he groaned and laid back down. “It’s not even one-thirty! Go to bed, morons!”

“Lance, you’re not listening!” Pietro exclaimed. “He expects us to become X-Men!”

“Whazzup, yo?” Todd asked sleepily from over Fred’s shoulder. “Why’s the world upside-down?”

Lance moaned and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “Okay, what’s this about again?”

Pietro recounted the scene at the front door. “You were right, man,” he said grimly. “They don’t really care about us – they’re just trying to recruit new X-Men.”

Lance sighed. “That didn’t take long.”

“We’re the Brotherhood!” Fred said. “Just ‘cause we don’t have a house of our own anymore don’t change what we are!”

“They’re trying, though.” Todd looked up. “Summers made me take a _bath_, yo! You guys never did that!”

“Don’t mistake that oversight for approval, Todd,” Lance said wryly. “It took a long time to get used to your stink.”

“It’s all part of it,” Pietro said firmly. “We can’t stay here – we gotta go, and right now.”

“Forget it.” Lance lay back down and pulled up the blankets. “In case you’ve forgotten, Pietro, we _have_ nowhere to go. And I’m not gonna go out into the streets tonight because Logan wounded your ego. We can talk about it in the morning. Go to bed.”

“Yeah, take me back to bed, Freddy,” Todd said. “I wanna catch some more Z’s.”

Fred sighed and carried Todd out. Pietro hesitated, then zipped out the door himself. Lance pulled the blankets over his head and tried to go back to sleep.

--

Evan made his way to the bathroom after the morning training session. He needed a shower – it had been a hot, sweaty workout. He was just about to step inside when a gust of wind nearly blew him over, and the door shut in his face.

“Pietro!” he yelled, realizing it could be no one else.

“Relax, Daniels!” Pietro called out from inside the bathroom. “This’ll be the last time!”

“What did that mean?” Evan wondered out loud.

--

Logan walked into his bedroom, shedding his Wolverine uniform as he went. He was tired and grouchy. The kids had performed all right, except for a slight miscalculation by Nightcrawler that had cost his team some time. Logan regretted that he’d shouted at the elf for it – the hurt look on the kid’s face would haunt him until he saw him again. And he knew it wasn’t the session that bothered him. It was having to tell Mystique that he’d blown it with Pietro.

“Good morning!” she greeted him as she made the bed. “How’d it go?”

“Pretty good,” Logan said, and eyed her with mock disapproval. “You just dragging your blue butt outta bed now?”

“Hey, I didn’t have to be at the training session, and I was up late, too.” Mystique went over to the bureau and began brushing her long red hair, glancing at him in the mirror. “Is something else wrong?”

“Well … there’s something you should know …,” he started to say.

Mystique jumped suddenly and cocked her head. “Yes, Professor,” she said, giving Logan an apologetic look. He waited. Mental contact from the Professor could come at any time, he understood that.

“All right,” Mystique said finally and turned to Logan. “He wants to see me, I’m sorry.”

Logan nodded. “It’s okay, you go ahead. I’ll talk to you later,” he told her, hoping later wouldn’t be _too_ late.

--

Lance wasn’t surprised to find that Pietro hadn’t changed his mind from the night before. The other boy was flighty, but also stubborn.

“So after breakfast we’re outta here, right?”

Lance looked over at Pietro. He’d just finished having a shower and getting dressed. He’d expected this, but not so soon. The blonde must really have been shaken up by the argument with Logan.

“I don’t know where you expect us to go,” he said. “Have you given it any thought at all?”

“Well, not exactly,” Pietro admitted. “But we’ll find something.”

“Pietro, you were the one who said you were used to having a roof over your head,” Lance reminded him. “Hey, you think _I_ like this? Having to depend on our _enemies_ to provide for us? It sucks!”

“Then let’s go!” Pietro exclaimed. “We’ll find a place to stay somehow!”

Lance sighed. “You really don’t know how the system works, do you? In order for us to stay here, the Professor must have taken on custody of us through Social Services. He’s too straight-arrow to take kids into his house without going by the book.”

“So he’s our foster father or something?!” Pietro squeaked. “But you asked him not to go to Social Services! And you knew he already had?! That doesn’t make any sense!”

“I didn’t want to be put back into the system, that’s what I meant.” Lance looked at him. “I still don’t. And you don’t either, trust me. It would eat you alive, Pietro.”

“What do you mean?” Pietro scoffed. “I’d eat _them_ alive!”

“I don’t think either one of you would survive,” Lance remarked. “Look, maybe we ought to talk to the Professor about what happened last night and find out exactly where we stand. Then we can decide about leaving. Let’s get Todd and Fred.”

--

The Professor looked up from his conversation with Mystique and glanced toward the door. “The Brotherhood are here,” he said.

The knock followed a moment later. “It’s us,” Lance’s voice was heard saying. “Can we come in?”

Mystique went over and opened the door for them. “Hello, boys,” she greeted.

“Hey, we didn’t know you were here,” Pietro said warily.

“I can leave if you like,” she offered.

“Doesn’t matter,” Lance said. “We came to talk to the Professor.”

“Come in, boys,” Professor Xavier invited.

They filed in and Mystique closed the door, staying inside with them. If no one was kicking her out, she was going to remain.

“Is something wrong?” the Professor asked.

“I didn’t want to get into this so soon, but it was gonna happen sooner or later,” Lance said resignedly. “Fred and Pietro got told off by Logan last night over some curfew issue and talk of training sessions came up and ….” He shrugged.

“You want clarification. Understandable.” The Professor nodded.

“I can’t believe Logan did that after we asked him not to!” Mystique growled.

“You can’t?” the Professor said in amusement. “My, you and Logan _have_ been apart for a long time.”

“Well, I hoped he’d at least wait _one_ day!”

He said you expected us to be just like the other kids,” Pietro said accusingly.

“Well,” Fred interrupted, “he said that we had to follow all the rules and stuff.”

“Do you think you should be exempt for some reason?” The Professor asked curiously.

“For a good reason!” Todd piped up. “We’re Brotherhood, not X-Men!”

“You’re young mutants, and this is an institution where young mutants learn to control their powers in safety,” the Professor explained. “Becoming X-Men is not a requirement, but we want you to be as capable as you can be in using your powers to help others and protect yourselves at the same time.”

Lance laughed . “Help others? Why would we want to do that instead of helping ourselves?”

“You’ll have no reason to ‘help yourselves’ in the way that you mean it,” Professor Xavier remarked. “All your needs are provided for here – you won’t want for anything, I assure you.”

“But we have to play it your way, don’t we?” Pietro said, folding his arms. “We have to obey all the rules and the curfew stuff, and go to bed when it’s barely dark and get up at the crack of dawn ….”

“It’s not _that_ extreme, but yes, there are rules to ensure the safety and well-being of all the children.” The Professor regarded them curiously. “Don’t you think you deserve to be protected as they are?”

The boys looked at each other. None of them understood what just happened, but Mystique did, and silently cheered the Professor.

“I’m sorry this wasn’t made clear at the outset,” he was saying. “Perhaps Logan had the right idea after all, but I feared you might misunderstand if it was brought up immediately.”

“So it’s true, what Lance says?” Todd asked. “You’re our guardian, legal and everything?”

The Professor shook his head. “No, I’m not, Todd. A guardian _was_ appointed, and with my approval and backing, but it was not I.”

“It was me,” Mystique told them.

The boys gaped at her in genuine shock. “_You_?!” they said in unison.

“Did you think I was lying when I said I wanted to look after you?” Mystique asked, then sighed. “Of course you did and I don’t blame you.”

“Mystique wanted very much to be named as your guardian, otherwise I _would_ have done it myself,” the Professor said. “And now that you’re aware of the full situation, did you have any other questions?”

The Brotherhood exchanged looks. They had no questions, but a lot to discuss amongst themselves.



part 14

“Kurt, wait up!”

Kurt stopped in the school corridor and waited for Evan as he slipped through the crowd of before-classes students. “Hi Evan, what’s up?”

“I just wondered if you knew what was going on with the Brotherhood,” Evan said. “Pietro said something weird this morning like he wasn’t going to be around long. Then at breakfast he and his buddies hardly said two words.”

“Hmm, they _were_ quiet,” Kurt agreed. “But do you really think they’d leave already after the Professor bought them all those clothes and all?”

“I’m just saying how it sounded.” Evan shrugged.

“Hey!” Kurt said suddenly and pointed. “There they go!”

Sure enough, Evan could see the four boys going into the stairwell.

“Should we follow them?” Kurt asked.

“Of course,” Evan replied.

“We might be late for homeroom,” Kurt warned him. The hallway crowd was thinning – the bell was about to ring.

“No choice, man,” Evan said helplessly.

“All right.” Kurt waited until the only students left besides themselves were at the other end of the hall. He grabbed Evan’s wrist and teleported them both to the hidden spot under the stairs in the stairwell.

The Brotherhood were lounging around right over their heads.

“Well, there’s the bell,” Lance remarked with a sigh. “I’m going to be late for Chemistry.”

“Whoa, and you’ve got McCoy for your teacher!” Todd said with a laugh. “You’ll be hearing about it at home tonight!”

“That’s what this meeting is about,” Lance said. “_Is_ it our home? Are we staying there? And if we’re not, where _are_ we going?”

“I couldn’t follow what the Professor said,” Fred admitted. “He made it sound kinda good there.”

“It _is_ good in some ways – even I can say that,” Pietro told him. “The question is – is it worth it?”

“Well, let’s weigh the pros and cons, yo,” Todd said. “Pro – it ain’t the streets.”

“Con – rules,” Pietro said promptly.

“Pro – food and lots of it,” Fred pointed out.

“Con – adults _all_ the time, including Mystique,” said Lance.

“Con – the fuzzy gecko,” Todd said, making a face.

Under the stairs, Kurt gasped and started to get up. Evan held him back.

“Double con – Daniels,” Pietro sneered.

Evan let go of Kurt and started to get up himself.

“Pro,” Fred said quietly, “Safety. From hunger, cold, and Social Services.”

The other Brotherhood members said nothing for a few moments. Kurt and Evan remained still and waited.

“Pro,” Lance’s voice had softened. “Kitty.”

“That’s a pro for _you_, man, not for us,” Pietro told him.

“I don’t care,” Lance said stubbornly. “For me it’s a factor.”

“Con – BATHS!” Todd declared. “Big con there, guys!”

The other three looked at each other. “Pro – baths!” they said in unison.

“Hey!” Todd protested.

Kurt and Evan covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.

“Okay, look, guys,” Lance said. “We could keep going on like this forever. The thing is, we’re not gonna know what it’s really like unless we try it, and seriously, we don’t have any other options right now.”

“I guess if the X-geeks can take it, we can.” Fred shrugged.

“Yeah,” Pietro said thoughtfully. “Why should _they_ live in all that comfort while we live in squalor?”

“Because comfort comes with a price,” Lance said. “And we have to be willing to pay it. That’s what _they_ do with the rules and stuff. Maybe some of them don’t like that part of it, either.”

“So I guess we’re going back?” Todd said with a sigh. “Although, considering the bath thing, I think I’m making a bigger sacrifice than any of you.”

“We sacrificed long enough smelling you, little buddy,” Fred told him. “It’s our turn now.”

“Okay,” Lance said, with an air of finality as he stood up from the step he’d sat on. “Now that we know we’re going back, I have to deal with being late for McCoy’s class.”

The four of them left the stairwell and Kurt and Evan came out from hiding.

“That was enlightening,” Kurt commented.

“And infuriating and aggravating,” Evan added. “I’d love to punch Pietro in the nose if he’d hold still long enough.”

“Ja,” Kurt agreed. “I can’t believe they decided to stay, even knowing about the
rules and curfew and all.”

“That’s only half of it, though, Kurt,” Evan reminded him. “They’ll never be able to _follow_ the rules, which means they’ll have to deal with _punishment_.”

Kurt grinned in understanding. “And _then_ they’ll leave!”

The two boys shared a high-five.

--

At lunch, Lance headed for the cafeteria, his book bag over his shoulder. With any luck, he’d be able to use part of the next hour to get some of the extra homework done that Hank had assigned him for being late.

“Lance, wait!”

Since it was Kitty calling him, he waited. She ran over, her expression concerned. “Would it be okay if I sat with you?”

Was she kidding? “Sure,” he said, knowing he’d never get the homework done now, and not really caring anymore.

They went inside and got their trays, then sat down. Kitty regarded Lance worriedly. “You were so quiet at breakfast this morning, and then you were really late for Chemistry. Is anything wrong?”

“The guys and I had to talk over some stuff,” Lance explained. “It’s okay now.”

“Really?” she asked, then smiled in relief at his nod. “I was afraid you were thinking of leaving already.”

He grinned. “You didn’t want me to leave?”

Kitty blushed and averted her gaze, stirring her pudding with a straw. “Well … it would be different if you had a good place to stay instead, but you don’t, and I don’t want you to go out on the streets. No one should live like that.” She shrugged. “Besides, none of you have really given it a chance yet.”

“We decided we’re going to,” he told her. She looked back at him and beamed.

“Good then. You might like it, you know.”

“Maybe,” Lance said noncommittally, but with a smile. “We’ll see.”

--

“Hi guys!” Kurt greeted as he and Evan sat at a table where Scott, Jean, and Rogue were already eating.

“Well, if it ain’t Johnny-come-lately!” Rogue remarked. “Where were you that you missed the first twenty minutes of homeroom this morning, Kurt?”

Scott looked up. “You were late?” he asked.

“Uh, ja,” Kurt admitted, giving Rogue a dirty look.

“Ah wondered if you and Pietro had a fight or something, since he was late, too.” She chuckled. “Although he was a good deal faster arriving than you were!”

“So what kept you so long, Kurt?” Scott pressed.

“I … well,” Kurt glanced at Evan, who shrugged. He wasn’t going to incriminate himself if he didn’t have to. “I saw Pietro and his friends were going somewhere as a group just before the bell, so I followed them. They sat around in the stairwell and talked about whether or not they were going to stay.”

“Where were you?” Jean asked.

“Under the stairs,” Kurt admitted.

“Ah didn’t realize they were still thinking of leaving,” Rogue said with a frown.

“They were, but they decided not to,” Kurt answered. “They don’t like the rules and curfew and stuff, but thought they would try it out. They know they don’t have anywhere else to go right now.”

“Not exactly a great reason for staying, is it?” Scott said.

“Looks like one of them might have another reason,” Evan said, nodding toward where Lance and Kitty sat together. “Lance even said he wanted to stay partly ‘cause of Kitty.”

“How do you know what he said, Evan?” Jean inquired.

“Uhhh, okay. I was there, too,” he admitted.

“I hope Kitty is careful,” Jean said with a sigh. “I’m not so sure Lance is trustworthy.”

“I’m more worried about what they’ll be like during training sessions,” Scott said. “Will they work with us or against us?”

“If they work against us, it’ll only be once before Father stops them,” Kurt said knowingly.

“We’ll find out how it goes after school,” Rogue predicted. “There’s gonna be our first joint training session then.”



part 15

After school, the Brotherhood boys were surprised to find Mystique waiting by Lance’s jeep in the parking lot.

“What’s going on?” Lance asked. “Is your car on the fritz?”

“No, I can’t leave yet, I have paperwork,” she said. “I just wanted to tell you two things. The first is that I know you were late to homeroom this morning. Why?”

“Probably because you’re the Principal,” Todd quipped.

“Not why I know,” Mystique said, rolling her eyes. “Why were you late?”

“We were talking,” Lance said. “It won’t happen again, don’t worry.”

“Hmmph,” Mystique said. “The strange thing is that Kurt and Evan were late, too, and for the same length of time. Were they with you?”

“You don’t think we’d voluntarily spend twenty minutes with either of them, do you?” Pietro asked.

“I suppose not,” Mystique answered. “All right, the second thing I wanted to mention was that there’s going to be a training session when you get home, so get suited up as soon as you get there and don’t give Logan any trouble.”

“Is it okay if we give the X-kids trouble?” Fred asked hopefully.

“No,” Mystique told him firmly. “Trust me, Logan will be watching you closely at first, so he can assess your skills and experience. Do yourselves a favour and listen to his instructions carefully and show him your best.” She paused. “Make me proud,” she added.

The boys stared at her for a moment, then they climbed into the jeep in silence. Any students or staff around were treated to the rare sight of a warm smile softening their Principal’s usually-stern expression as they drove away.

--

Logan, wearing his orange and black Wolverine uniform, waited for the kids to assemble. Mystique had said she’d tell the Brotherhood that they were expected to attend the training session, but who knew if they’d show up for it.

To his surprise, they did, and on time at that. They were lined up with the others already.

All right, he thought, first step accomplished. Now to see what they can do.

“Okay, Cyclops, Jean, you two are sitting this first run out,” he said. “There are two identical obstacle courses. I want the two remaining groups of four to compete to see who can find and bring back the four handkerchiefs you’ll find tied at various points on both sides. I’m timing how long it takes both groups to get all the kerchiefs _and_ all members back here. Now GO!”

Quicksilver and Nightcrawler both disappeared instantly from sight and all the others took off at a run. He saw Rogue, Spyke, and Shadowcat wind their way through the course, avoiding and/or destroying the traps along the way. Toad, Blob, and Avalanche weren’t doing too badly themselves, but a pattern began to reveal itself.

“They don’t know how to work as a team,” Cyclops commented, watching them.

Wolverine nodded in silence. Cyclops had hit it on the head. The Brotherhood were doing okay, getting around or putting the traps out of commission, but none of them seemed to know what each other was doing. Avalanche destroyed a laser, nearly taking Toad down with it. Then Blob broke through a wall that popped up and almost crushed Avalanche with flying debris. Toad took to bouncing off the walls and got so far ahead the other two couldn’t keep up. But then, Quicksilver was already long gone, and ….

“Here ya go.”

Four kerchiefs dangled in front of Wolverine’s face. Quicksilver smirked at him.

“All done already, huh?” Wolverine took the kerchiefs. “Kind of slow time for you, wasn’t it?”

“I’ve been standing here for two minutes. It actually took me about five seconds to run the course – there was a tough knot in one of the kerchiefs.”

Wolverine tried not to look startled. Could the kid really have been there that long without him realizing it?

“It’s true, Wolverine,” Professor Xavier said as he came over. “I saw it from the control room.” He looked at Quicksilver. “However, I also saw you leave your teammates completely unaware that the kerchiefs have already been gathered, and thus they’ll waste valuable time searching for what isn’t there.”

Quicksilver frowned. “Nah, they’ll know I did it. They know how fast I am.”

“But for all they know, you were taken down by a trap,” Cyclops told him. “They might be looking for you in case you’re hurt.”

“They know I can take care of myself.” Quicksilver insisted. He looked around. “Didn’t Fuzzball come back yet?”

“Nightcrawler?” Jean said. “No, he’s still out there.”

“But he must have gathered the kerchiefs by now,” Quicksilver remarked in confusion. “Why didn’t he teleport back here?”

“See for yourself.” Wolverine pointed. Quicksilver looked back toward the course. There was Nightcrawler, teleporting to each of his teammates, showing each one to a central meeting place. Once they were all there, he teleported the whole group of them back and handed Wolverine the kerchiefs. He scowled when he saw Quicksilver. “We lost?” he said sourly.

“No, you won,” Professor X told him. “Quicksilver’s teammates are still out there.”

“At least they’re getting through the course,” Cyclops remarked, then shook his head. “They could do it more efficiently if they worked together.”

“Better let them off the hook or they’ll be at it all night,” Wolverine said, then shouted, “Time’s up! Come on back!”

The program shut down and the three Brotherhood members were able to walk back without being attacked.

“What are you doing back _here_?!” Avalanche demanded of Quicksilver.

“What do you think?! I brought the kerchiefs up here so we’d win! But you guys kept going!”

“If you’re gonna do something like that, Quicksilver, you oughta let us know you’ve done it,” Blob told him.

“Yeah, yo,” Todd chimed in. “How’re we supposed to know what _you’re_ doing when you run so far ahead of us?”

“Have a little faith, that’s how!”

“On a new course with unfamiliar obstacles programmed by a guy who knows your power?!” Avalanche snapped. “No one can predict anything!”

“That may be the smartest thing I’ve heard any of you say,” Wolverine remarked. “And he’s right. They had no reason to assume you made it back here unscathed.”

“But I did,” Quicksilver said smugly.

“Next time you may not,” the Professor said, “and if that’s the case you’d better hope you can count on your teammates to carry you out.”

“Sure we will,” Avalanche muttered. “If we can _find_ him.”

“We’ll work on it so you can,” Cyclops promised.

Quicksilver folded his arms and pouted. “I’ll bet you want me to slow down.”

“No, Hummingbird,” Wolverine said, “we don’t want you to hold back. We want you to push yourself harder. You’ll see what I mean in the next program.” He turned to the other Brotherhood boys. “All of you need to learn teamwork – we’ll start that now. Later, I want to work with you individually and find out what your limits are.”

Professor Xavier smiled at Cyclops and Jean. “New blood - Logan is in his element.”



part 16

Mystique smiled and waved at Logan as he came into the foyer. She was just back from work.

“Hi,” she said, “how did the training session go?”

“Better than I expected, darlin’,” Logan admitted. “Those boys of yours have some pretty amazing skills. Chuck and I want to take each one and test them on their own, but we also have to train them to work together.”

Assuming her normal blue form, Mystique looked happy. “They took part and didn’t give you an argument?”

“Well, I wouldn’t agree on the argument part – Quicksilver had a few things to say when he finished the course. During the second run he followed our instructions and although he sped through the course, that time he kept his teammates in mind, and instead of running back alone he was all over the place, guiding and running interference for them.” He shook his head in wonder. “The other three did better at teamwork that time, too. Toad drew fire away from the others, Blob threw himself in the path of damaging stuff, and Avalanche kept track of everyone, yelled orders, and got them all back before coming in himself.”

“I’m proud of them,” Mystique said, beaming.

“You should be,” Logan said frankly. “I am, too, and I told them so. You should have seen their faces, like at first they didn’t know what I meant. I don’t think anyone ever told them that before, Mysti.”

“Well, who would?” Mystique asked logically. “I never did, that’s for sure. Magneto certainly wouldn’t. That’s going to change, though. I’m going to give them as much encouragement as I can.”

--

Good work, Rocky. I’m proud of you.

Lance shook his head as hot water streamed down across his shoulders. He could still hardly believe that Wolverine had said that to him. And he wasn’t being sarcastic. He _meant_ it.

It almost made him like the guy.

His teammates had received equal praise, and he could tell they were as unaccustomed to it as he was, although of course Pietro tried to be nonchalant about it, like adults heaped compliments on him by the hour. Lance knew better. Of all of them, Pietro had probably needed the reassurance most. Magneto had always been more forthcoming with criticism than compliments when he’d ever deigned to make his presence known.

Lance finished up his shower and got dressed. He was starting to get hungry – probably because of the workout they’d gotten. And if _he_ was hungry, Fred was probably ravenous.

He left the room and nearly ran into Scott. Lance stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Hey, Summers.”

“Alvers. ” Scott nodded. He looked down at the carpet briefly, then back at Lance. “Hey listen, you and the others did a good job in the training exercise. You surprised me.”

“Why?” Lance challenged. “Didn’t think we were up to it?”

“No, that’s not why!” Scott snapped back in annoyance. “I’m just trying to be nice. Forget it.”

He stalked away and Lance felt inexplicably guilty. Why had he attacked Scott like that? The other boy hadn’t really said anything wrong.

“Maybe I’m too sensitive,” he muttered.

“Girls like sensitive boys.”

He jumped slightly, then smiled. “Hi Kitty,” he said. “Where’d you come from, through the wall?”
She giggled. “Could be! I saw Scott here – did you guys have words?”

“Not for long. I pissed him … uh, made him mad.”

“So apologize,” Kitty said logically.

Lance looked pained. “Do I _have_ to?”

“No … but you might be surprised at how good you’ll feel if you do.”

Lance sighed. He doubted that.

--

“Man, I thought those lasers were gonna fry my butt!” Todd exclaimed in between big bites of pot roast. “Just when I thought I got away, there was another one!”

“It was a great practice for your reflexes though, wasn’t it?” Jean remarked.

“For Pietro’s, too,” Kitty said. “He moved through the laser path so fast I’m not sure they’d have hurt him if they _did_ touch him.”

“They’d have knocked him off his feet,” Logan said.

“Ah was impressed with the way Fred blocked Lance from the lasers so he could get close enough to collapse them,” Rogue remarked.

“You all performed admirably,” the Professor told them.

“Of course we did,” Pietro said lightly.

“Yeah, thanks,” Lance said, feeling kind of embarrassed. But not as embarrassed as he expected to feel in a minute. He breathed deeply. “Hey, uh, Summers, I’m sorry I barked at you before.”

Everyone fell silent. Kitty beamed with pride and patted Lance’s arm. Scott put down his napkin. “No problem,” he said. “I shouldn’t have gotten huffy myself.” He smiled a little. “I meant it, though. You guys did great.”

Lance grinned, feeling some of the embarrassment ebb away. “Thanks.”

Mystique smiled at Logan and he could almost read her mind as clearly as the Professor. She was encouraged because the boys seemed to be fitting in a little better. He had to admit, he was glad himself – for as long as it lasted.

--

Rogue walked into Kurt’s room and dropped down onto the bed. “How’s it going, little brother?”

Kurt looked over from the desk where he was trying to do his homework. “Why is it that you girls go crazy if we walk in your rooms without knocking, but it’s okay for you to just stroll into ours? And anyway, you ought to know how it’s going,” he said in amusement. “We were in school together, then we were in the danger room session together, then we ate dinner together.”

Rogue laughed. “Yeah, Ah guess you’ve got a point there.” She stretched out her legs and studied her shoes. “Ah was just wondered if everything was all right. You and Evan were the only quiet ones at dinner.”

“I didn’t really have anything to add to the compliments, uh, conversation,” Kurt said, turning back to his books.

“Kuuuurt,” Rogue coaxed. “Come on now. Don’t tell me yer jealous.”

“No, I am NOT!” Kurt said hotly, spinning to face her. “I just didn’t have anything I wanted to say!”

“All right, all right,” his sister said soothingly. She went over and braced her gloved hands on his shoulders. “Look, Ah didn’t come here to argue with you, I thought maybe you’d want to come out with me and have some fun.”

“Doing what?” Kurt said, looking interested.

“What else? Shopping!” Rogue grinned. “Ah never did get to check out that new shipment at the goth store and I know you’d like to see what’s new in CDs.”

“Well ….” Kurt glanced at his homework. “I guess I can do this later. Okay!” He got up, switched on his holowatch and followed Rogue downstairs.

“Hi!” Pietro said brightly from where he was leaning against the front door. “Ready to go?”

Kurt looked at Rogue accusingly. She smiled sweetly. “Did Ah forget to mention that Pietro is coming with us?”

--

Lance knocked on Kitty’s open door and peered inside. “Hey there.”

The brown-haired girl looked up from the book she was reading. “Hi!” she said. “What’s up?”

“I was just wondering … um ….” He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

“Yes?” Kitty prompted gently.

“Would you … uh … want to go to a movie with me?” His face reddening, he looked at her hopefully. “There’s a good one at the theatre in the mall starting in about an hour.”

Kitty smiled radiantly. “That sounds like fun. Let’s go.”




part 17

Rogue’s eyes lit up as she pulled a package off the shelf in the goth store. “Ah don’t believe it! These black fishnets would go great with mah leather mini-skirt!”

“Yeah, they sure would!” Pietro winked. Rogue tried to hit him with the package and missed as he darted out of the way.

“Don’t flirt with me unless ya mean it,” she warned.

“Who says I don’t?”

“I says,” Kurt told him. “Lay off my sister.”

Pietro wiggled his fingers in Kurt’s direction. “Ooo, the protective brother routine! Maybe I’d be afraid if you were three times your size, Blue Boy!”

“Size has nothing to do with me teleporting you two miles straight into the air and dropping you,” Kurt retorted.

“All right now, behave yerselves or next time Ah’ll leave you at home!” Rogue said firmly.

The two boys stuck their tongues out at each other.

Rogue sighed and looked around for something to distract them. Although she wasn’t expecting it, she saw something through the store window that caught her own attention instantly. “Guys, check it out! Lance and Kitty are here together!”

Pietro was at the window in a flash. “Whoa, you’re right! Think they’re on a daaaaaate?”

Kurt peered past him. “Unless Mother sent them out with a grocery list, yes.”

“Keep an eye on them while Ah buy these!” Rogue hurried toward the counter with the stockings. “We can have some fun tailing them!”

--

Lance hadn’t realized how much he would enjoy being out with Kitty. Oh, he always had fun being with her, but something was different this time.

Maybe it was because they were away from everyone they lived with, both her friends and his. They could both really relax.

She smiled up at him now, and brushed some hair from her face in an endearing gesture. “This was a really good idea, Lance,” she said.

They were standing in line outside the mall theatre. It wasn’t overly busy, so they would probably get good seats. “Yeah, it looks like our timing was pretty good, too,” he said.

“So …,” Kitty said slowly, studying her shoes, “how do you like it with us so far?”

He grinned and shrugged. “So far so good, I guess. The training session was actually kind of cool.”

“Everyone was impressed – even Scott,” she said, and touched his arm. “I was proud of you for apologizing. I know it wasn’t easy.”

“Nothing’s easy where Summers is concerned.”

Kitty frowned. “Do you think you could try calling him Scott? It’s less antagonistic.”

“He calls me Alvers, you know.”

“That’s because you call him Summers!” She paused, then grinned mischievously and added, “At least add a ‘Mister’ to it if you insist on using his last name.”

“Okay, fine, I’ll call him Scott,” Lance said quickly. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “He’ll probably think I’m up to something.”

Kitty laughed. “Well, someone has to make the first move!”

“Hey, speaking of names, can I ask you something?” Lance said. “Why was Logan calling me ‘Rocky’ all of a sudden? Was he making fun of me?”

“Oh no, he wasn’t!” Kitty told him brightly. “He uses nicknames for all of us here and there. To him, I’m ‘Half-Pint’. Maybe you noticed him calling Pietro ‘Hummingbird’?”

“Now that you mention it, yeah.” Lance looked at her curiously. “So this is a _good_ thing?”

“A very good thing,” Kitty assured him.

“Hmm,” Lance mused. “Go figure.”

--

“I hope they don’t turn around,” Kurt said.

“They won’t,” Rogue predicted. “Look at them – they’re too preoccupied with each other. An’ besides, there are other people between us, so maybe they wouldn’t see us anyhow.”

“Is this line ever going to MOVE?!” Pietro complained, making short darts in and out of the movie line-up. He was always back in place before anyone realized he’d gone.

“Sure it will, see? It’s moving now – Lance and Kitty just went in.” Rogue nudged Pietro. “Hurry up and get in there so we can find out what movie they’re going to. Then come back out here.”

“Why can’t I just stay inside and wait for you?”

“Because yer a good guy now, and good guys don’t sneak into movies.”

Pietro frowned. “Obviously good guys have no fun.” He disappeared from sight, only to return a half-second later. “They’re going to the comedy.”

“Then so are we.” Rogue smiled.

--

Todd cautiously opened the door and peeked into the room. The coast was clear. He slipped inside.

He knew Kurt had gone out with his twin, so now seemed like a great time to leave him a little surprise somewhere in his bedroom.

Hmm, he thought as he surveyed his options. The drawers? The bed? The clothes in the closet?

The bed. It was just too good to pass up.

He hopped onto the bed and pulled back the blankets. Then he spit a large glob of green slime into the center of the sheet. He remade the bed and went to the door, peering into the hall. He didn’t see anyone, so he quickly left, closing the door behind him.

Yep, he thought smugly as he headed casually down the hall. There were gonna be advantages to living in the same house as Fuzzball after all.



part 18

Ororo passed a cup of coffee to Hank, who enveloped it in his large hand. “Thank you,” he said.

“Have you finished reading all those test papers you brought home?” the white-haired woman asked him.

“I have,” he said.

“Dare I ask how our students did?” She smiled.

“Overall, quite well.”

“No problems?” Ororo raised an eyebrow.

“You’re wondering about Evan?” Hank asked knowingly.

“Well, yes, I _am_ curious.”

“He did passable work,” Hank told her. “But he could do better.”

Ororo sighed. “I was afraid of that.”

“Don’t worry, I plan to speak to him about it.”

“As will I,” Ororo said. “I’ve known for a while that he’s capable of much more.”

“Well,” Hank gave her a sympathetic look, “some kids just don’t like school. They’ll do enough to get by, but aren’t interested in putting in extra effort.”

“How did Kurt do?”

“Very well. He’s one of my best students in that class.”

“Maybe he could tutor Evan. Encourage him to do better.”

Hank paused thoughtfully. “I have another idea.”

“Which is?” Ororo asked.

“There’s another student in their class who also excels. And if he agrees to tutor Evan, it might solve more than one problem.”

“Who is it?”

“Pietro.”

--

Scott came out the back door and dropped his towel onto a deck chair. He loved the way the pool looked at night, with the lights and the moon shining on the water and Jean ….

Especially Jean.

She hadn’t seen him yet. She had her eyes closed, and was languidly doing the backstroke. In a yellow bikini.

Wow.

He was about to climb down the ladder and get in with her when he heard “GANGWAY!” and instinctively dove aside. Fred leaped past him and cannonballed into the pool, creating a tsunami that lifted a screaming Jean right up and out of the water.

And into Scott.

It took a moment to realize the weight sprawled over his lap was Jean. She became aware of it at the same moment and scrambled off, pushing wet hair from off her red face.

“Are you okay?” they asked simultaneously. Scott could feel himself blushing, too.

“That was fun!” Fred said, standing up. He noticed then that the water only reached to his knees. “Hey,” he frowned, “where’d all the water go?”

--

“This is going to be perfect,” Rogue said as she settled into her seat two rows behind Lance and Kitty.

“Yeah, we’ve got a great shot at them from here,” Pietro agreed and picked up some popcorn from their bucket to throw.

“No, don’t!” Kurt caught his wrist. “They’ll catch us for sure!”

“So what?” Pietro yanked his arm back. “That’s half the fun of being here is having them know we’re bugging them!”

“No, Pietro, we want to spy on them,” Rogue said. “Bugging them can come later, after we’ve seen them do something worth teasing them for.”

“I’d still rather shoot popcorn at them,” Pietro said, but ate some instead.

“Give me some of that.” Kurt took a few kernels and tossed them into the
air one at a time, catching them in his mouth.

“Heeey,” Pietro said slowly, looking over his shoulder. “Look who _else_ is here
tonight.”

Both Kurt and Rogue turned to see who he was smirking at. A couple of rows behind them was their school football star, Duncan Matthews, and a couple of his teammates. They didn’t seem to have noticed them.

“Isn’t that the guy that Mental Girl dates sometimes?” Pietro asked.

“I don’t think Jean would appreciate your choice of codename for her,” Kurt said dryly.

“Ah don’t know, Ah sorta like it,” Rogue replied.

“But I’m right, aren’t I?” Pietro pressed. “I’ve seen her with him.”

“Yeah, they date occasionally,” Kurt said with a frown. “I’m not sure why. He’s kind of a jerk.”

“There’s no accounting fer taste,” Rogue philosophized. “Look who Scott is interested in.”

“Rogue!” Kurt exclaimed.

“Sssshh!” She slapped her gloved hand over his mouth. “Ah was just kidding.”

Kurt pushed her hand away. “Really?” he asked in a quieter tone of voice.

“Yes, really. Ah like Jeannie okay, you know that.”

“Most of the time, ja, but sometimes ….”

“Scott likes Jean?” Pietro said with interest, then something else drew his attention. “Hey, I think Lance is nibbling on her ear!” he hissed. The other two turned quickly to look.

“Nah, he’s just whispering to her,” Rogue said, leaning forward and frowning. “Ah think.”

“Hard to tell with her hair blocking the view,” Kurt remarked. “But I don’t think Kitty would let him do that, anyway.”

“You wish,” Pietro said smugly. “I heard you had a crush on her.”

“We’re _friends_!”

“Yep, uh-huh, sure. Doesn’t mean you don’t want more.”

“What I want right now is a big club so I can –“

“Kurt, stop it,” Rogue said sternly. “You too, Pietro. Can’t Ah take you two anywhere?”

--

“Hey, the lights are going down,” Lance remarked, as the theatre grew darker.

“Good,” Kitty said, settling more comfortably into her seat. “This movie got some great reviews. Evan saw it last week, or at least he started to. He says he got
kicked out of the theatre for trying to skateboard down the aisle.”

“Does he go anywhere without that board?” Lance asked.

“Not generally.” Kitty admitted. “He trained to ride it while he fights, too, so having it readily available is a good thing. Besides, he loves it.”

“He’ll never have a girlfriend if he spends all his time hugging that board,” Lance predicted sagely. Kitty laughed.

“I’m not sure Evan’s shopping for a relationship right now. He has enough trouble balancing schoolwork and training.”

Lance looked at her. “What about Kurt? I heard he wanted a relationship – with _you_.”

--

Two rows back, Kurt sat straight up. “I heard my name!”

“How can you hear anything over these advertisements?” Pietro asked dubiously.

“When it’s yer own name, you can hear it over an explosion,” Rogue said. “Go in for a closer listen, Kurt!”

The blue-haired boy ducked down and teleported to directly behind Lance and Kitty, staying low.



part 19

Kitty sighed and looked down at her soda. “Kurt’s sweet, but we’re just friends.”

From his position behind them, Kurt frowned. Okay, so it was what he had said to Pietro himself, but _still_. She didn’t have to agree with him.

“That’s good,” Lance said, then added hastily, “I mean, it could be awkward.”

“What could?”

“You know … us all living in the same house and both of us liking you ….” His voice trailed off, and for a moment Kurt heard nothing.

Then Kitty said, “I like you, too, Lance.”

Kurt didn’t want to hear more. He teleported back to his seat.

“Give me that,” he said and thrust his hand into the popcorn. Before Rogue could stop him, he’d thrown the whole handful at Lance’s head.

“Hey!” Lance yelled.

Rogue grabbed both Kurt and Pietro and yanked them down out of sight, but not before Pietro fired a popcorn missile of his own.

“Ew!” Kitty cried. She and Lance scanned the rows behind them and saw the only one nearby who might have done it.

“Matthews!” Lance snapped. “Knock it off!”

“Huh?” Duncan said in surprise and peered through the darkness. “Alvers? What’s your problem?!”

“Shhh!” complained other moviegoers.

The theatre began to rumble.

“Hey, I didn’t know this place had sensurround!” someone remarked.

“Let’s get outta here,” Rogue suggested. Kurt put a hand on her shoulder and she grabbed Pietro’s arm. They disappeared in a cloud of sulphurous smoke.

--

“Fred?”

The large boy looked up at the sound of Mystique’s voice, then turned back to look down at the pool. It was being refilled.

“Don’t feel badly, Fred,” Mystique sat down beside him. “It’s no big deal.”

“Tell it to Jean and Scott,” Fred replied flatly.

“They weren’t upset with you,” Mystique told him. “They were just worried that _you_ would be upset.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” he said in misery. “I ruin everyone’s fun.”

“That’s not true,” Mystique said firmly, then sighed. “Honey, we all have things about us that can cause problems at one time or another, but we just adapt and deal with them. You know, Charles told me that Kitty used to complain about Kurt getting fur in the pool.”

Fred looked surprised. “Yeah? But they’re friends.”

“That’s my point – even friends can have problems with each other, especially if they live together.” She smiled. “Hey, even Logan growls about me leaving my weapons all over the place. Not a very ‘mother-like’ thing to do, huh?”

“The kids like you,” Fred told her. “They all told us we should trust you.”

“I won’t ask if you do,” she said. “That will only come with time.” She looked at him. “But I won’t give up. I’ll earn back your trust, Fred. And in the meantime, try not to worry so much. You’ll see – if you relax, people will relax around you.” She patted his shoulder and got up to go inside, stopping as he caught her hand.

“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll think about what you said.”

Mystique smiled. “Hey, why don’t you come in with me and we’ll get a snack. I know where the chocolate cake is hidden.”

Fred grinned. “Lead me to it!”

--

Todd paused outside the door. He’d been checking around the place, getting a feel for it. He remembered that in this room was the control center for the Danger Room. It was locked.

He heard a click. “Come in, Todd.”

Creepy, he thought. Did the other kids ever get used to that guy knowing everything ahead of time?

He went into the room cautiously, looking around. The Professor sat before the controls. He smiled at Todd.

“Wolverine and Beast are just going through a practice run. You’re welcome to come and watch with me.”

Todd approached the big window and looked down into the Danger Room. It didn’t take long to see that both mutants had their own way of handling the obstacles. Beast would nimbly elude them, swinging over or around or under, while Wolverine used his indestructible claws to power straight through the middle. Both of them made it look easy.

“They’re pretty cool, yo,” he remarked.

“They are,” the Professor agreed. “As were you and your friends earlier.”

“Yeah, the _second_ time around.”

“That’s what training is for,” Professor Xavier said. “To find out where you’re going wrong and correct it.”

“Is it true you guys do this training stuff every day?” Todd asked uneasily.


“Yes, although the timing varies. Today it was after school, tomorrow it’s scheduled for before breakfast.”

“GAK!” Todd exclaimed. “First thing in the morning before our eyes are even open?!”

“They’d better be open,” the Professor said with a smile. “It’s difficult to avoid lasers by sound alone.”

“Man ….” Todd shook his head. “I don’t know about this. And _Lance_ sure ain’t gonna want to get up early.”

“After he’s done it a few times, he’ll get used to it.”

“You don’t know Lance,” Todd said firmly.

“I know more than you think, Todd,” the Professor said. “I’m not worried. Not about that, anyway.”

“If you say so, man,” Todd replied, not sounding convinced in the least.

--

“Do you think they saw us?” Kurt asked as he walked in the front door of the Institute.

“What do you care?” Rogue asked incredulously. “YOU were the one firing popcorn at them!”

“Hey, don’t give him _all_ the credit,” Pietro said. “I scored a great hit of my own. But I gotta admit,” he grinned at Kurt, “I was impressed that you fired first, Blue Boy.”

“Shocked is the word,” Rogue said, giving Kurt a sideways glance.

“There you are,” Ororo remarked, coming down the stairs into the foyer. “Did you have a good evening?”

“Not bad,” Rogue said and held up her bag. “I got new stockings anyway.”

“Doesn’t sound like much fun for the boys.” Ororo smiled.

“Oh, we had lots of fun,” Pietro said with a mischievous grin.

At that moment, Kitty stomped through the front door without benefit of opening it. The door opened a second later as Lance followed her.

“Kitty, Lance,” Ororo looked at them in concern, “is something wrong?”

“We got kicked out of the movie because Duncan Matthews is an immature jerk!” Kitty declared.

“I’m outta here,” Kurt muttered and teleported upstairs.

“Ah guess Ah’ll go up, too,” Rogue said. “Sorry yer evening got ruined, guys.”

“Oh, the rest of it was all right,” Lance said. “And at least Duncan and his friends got booted, too.”

Pietro turned away smirking, but before he could zoom up the stairs, Ororo put a hand on his arm. “Wait, please, Pietro. I’d like to speak with you if I may.”

Pietro was surprised at first, then suspicious. What could this woman, Evan’s aunt, have to say to _him_? Some complaint about his attitude toward her nephew maybe? “What is it?” he asked warily.

“I want to ask you a favour,” Ororo persevered. “Evan is in need of help in Chemistry class and Hank says you’re one of his best students. Would you be willing to tutor him?”

Rogue, who had been on her way to the stairs, stopped and turned to stare. Lance and Kitty blinked in shock, then Lance snickered. Kitty elbowed him into silence.

Pietro was looking at Ororo as if she’d grown a second head. “You’re kidding … right?”

“No,” she said. “I’m quite serious.”

“Why me?” he asked. “Kurt’s in that class, too, and his grades are
probably better than mine. Rogue, too.”

“Truthfully?” Ororo said. “Hank and I feel it would be good for both you and Evan to spend some time together in a non-confrontational fashion. It might put an end to the petty bickering between you.”

“Or they’ll just bicker at scheduled times,” Lance murmured to Kitty.

“Shhh!” she rebuked him, trying not to smile.

“Will you at least think about it?” Ororo asked Pietro pointedly.

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Yeah, sure, I’ll think about it.” He sped upstairs before she could say anything else.

“Well,” she sighed, “that’s more than I expected.”

“Don’t count on it,” Lance said, heading for the stairs. “He probably thought about it and discarded the idea before he even reached the top.”



part 20

Kurt yawned and closed his books. He couldn’t concentrate anymore. Not that he’d been doing such a great job in the first place, with images of Lance and Kitty interfering with his thought processes.

“Maybe I’ll just go to bed, “ he murmured.

After changing, Kurt turned out the light and slid under the covers. He froze. What the hell was THAT?!

Scrambling out from under the covers, Kurt snapped the light back on and looked down at the sheet in horror. Disgusting, green, sticky, smelly slime was everywhere! He felt a wave of revulsion as he realized it was all over his nightclothes - all over his FUR!

Kurt held onto his rage by a thread. He desperately wanted to teleport Todd Tolensky over the ocean and drop him there to drown. But he couldn’t. The kids might understand his justification, but the adults never would. His yellow eyes narrowed. He’d find another way to get even, and when he did, Todd wouldn’t have any spit to spray with.

--

Mystique entered the bedroom she shared with Logan and smiled at seeing him already in bed. “Did I take _that_ long checking on the kids?”

“Longer than usual,” he said, pulling down the bedcovers for her. He watched her shift her clothing into a black silk teddy before crawling into the bed with him. He pulled her close and kissed her. “Were all the kids in bed?” he murmured into her neck.

“No, that’s why I took so long,” she said, tilting her head back to make his access easier. “I had to hunt down Pietro, Lance, and Kurt.”

Logan raised his head to frown at her. “Where were they?”

“Pietro was everywhere. I found him in the kitchen at first, but he was in the living room and the library as well before he finally went to his room. Lance was in Kitty’s room, and yes, I chased him out of there pretty fast, even though they were only talking. Kurt was in the laundry room, and wouldn’t tell me what he was doing there this time of night.”

“Hmm,” Logan considered this. “Something personal, I guess.”

Mystique sighed. “I hope he’s not having some kind of bedwetting problem or something like that.”

“At his age? Nah. Wet dreams, maybe.”

Mystique elbowed him. “Our little elf?”

“Hey, he’s male, he thinks about sex,” Logan said.

“Well, in that case, I’ll leave it to you,” Mystique told him. “He’d only get embarrassed if _I_ press him about it.”

“Why do we have to press him at all? Allow the kid some privacy, Raven.”

“You think?” she asked, then sighed. “Well, all right. _This_ time. But if I catch him out of bed again after Light’s Out we’ll have to talk to him about it, agreed?”

“Sure, yeah.” Logan began kissing her neck again. She pressed against his bare chest and put aside her concerns for the time being.

--

“Oh Lance,” Kitty said breathlessly, her hands smoothing over his shoulders and chest. “You’re so strong, so handsome – “

“- so late!”

“Huh? Whazzat?” Lance blinked, then groaned as his blind was raised and sunlight hit him in the eye. He thought he’d heard Kitty’s voice, but she wasn’t in his arms anymore. Then he saw her on the other side of the room wearing her Shadowcat uniform and realized she never _had_ been in his arms. It was a dream.

Well, damn.

“Late?” he mumbled, sitting up in the bed. “What for?”

“The training session, of course! Remember I told you last night it would be early?” Shadowcat pulled his uniform out of the closet and tossed it to him. “Hurry and get changed – I’ll see you out front.”

“Out front?” he repeated as she ran off through his door. Then he remembered that at the end of the previous day’s session, Wolverine had said the morning session would take place on the front lawn.

Catching sight of the clock, Lance considered going back to sleep and skipping the session entirely. But what would Kitty think of him? Especially after she’d come to rouse him and risked being late herself. And what if the Professor kicked him out for not showing? Where would he go?

Groaning, Lance kicked off the covers and grabbed his uniform.

--

Cyclops checked the time and gave an impatient sigh. “I don’t think he’s coming.”

“Yes, he is!” Shadowcat insisted. “Give him a chance!”

“His teammates are already here … sort of,” Cyclops remarked dryly.
Quicksilver was wide awake and chattering to Rogue, but Toad was using Blob for a pillow in an attempt to catch some more sleep.

“He’ll _be_ here,” Shadowcat said stubbornly.

“It’s about time,” Wolverine said suddenly. Everyone turned to see Avalanche approaching.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said.

“It’s important to be on time for training sessions,” Cyclops told him firmly. “Otherwise it’s not fair to the rest of us.”

“He apologized,” Shadowcat said testily.

“Don’t let it happen again,” Wolverine told Avalanche. “Take your place over there.”

Avalanche did as directed, but gave Cyclops a dirty look as he passed.

Fifteen minutes later, the X-Men and the Brotherhood were fully immersed in their training session. Cyclops had done his best to put Avalanche and his lackadaisical attitude toward punctuality out of his mind. Now he was concentrating on directing his team to where they were supposed to go and what they were to do. He noticed Nightcrawler seemed half-asleep – if he wasn’t careful, he would miss a cue and someone would get hurt.

“Hey, Shades, watch your back!”

Cyclops spun around but Quicksilver was gone already. Not for long, though.

“What’s the matter? Can’t keep your mind on business?”

Cyclops turned again, but it was no use. The younger mutant had vanished once more.

“Distracted by sexy Jean in her tight uniform?”

This time, he barely saw the blur before it disappeared. What the hell was Quicksilver talking about?! How would _he_ know whether or not he was interested in Jean?! What if he told Jean about it – he had a big enough mouth that he just might! Infuriated, Cyclops closed his eyes and opened his visor, then waited.

“I know you like her –“

He opened his eyes.



part 21

Kurt yawned as he walked into Bayville High. Having to wash his sheets had seriously cut into his sleeping time, and the early morning session had only emphasized it. Besides, he may as well not have shown up for all the good it did. He winced, remembering how he’d missed a cue and Jean had nearly been diced by a gigantic sawblade. He supposed he should be grateful to Cyclops for inexplicably attacking Quicksilver – his father would have been a lot more upset about his mistake if not for that distraction.

He was so preoccupied with the memory of it that he was caught completely unaware when a pair of hands roughly shoved him up against the lockers.

“Hey, Wagner,” Kurt heard the superior leer of a senior by his ear. “Seen any good _movies_ lately?”

The hands turned Kurt around and he recognized Duncan’s friends, the ones from the theatre. Both of them were football players, and a lot bigger than he was. “I – I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, wishing one of his own friends would come by.

“I _know_ I saw you in the movie theatre last night,” said the one who held his arm. Kurt saw the name ‘Paul’ stitched on his letterman jacket. “You threw popcorn at Alvers and got us blamed so that the whole bunch of us were kicked out.” He made a fist and held it in front of Kurt’s face. “I’m gonna take the price of my movie ticket outta your hide!”

Kurt squirmed, but the second boy, whose jacket labeled him as ‘Steve’, grabbed his shoulder to hold him still. He couldn’t teleport to save himself, and the boys were too strong for him.

“Say goodbye to your pretty face,” Paul said and drew back his fist. Kurt shut his eyes and hoped Paul wouldn’t notice the nose he’d be breaking was covered in fur.

“Hey, knock it off!”

Help at last! Kurt opened his eyes and grinned, then his heart sank. There was a hand holding his attacker’s wrist, all right, but it belonged to Duncan Matthews.

“Duncan, remember I told you I saw Wagner at the theatre?” Paul said, still holding Kurt’s arm painfully. “It’s _his_ fault we got kicked out!”

“Wagner, did you start the fight with Alvers?” Duncan asked directly.

“Ja, I did,” Kurt admitted. “I didn’t mean to get you all blamed, I was just mad at him and couldn’t help myself.”

Duncan considered this. “I heard Alvers and his bunch were living with you guys now.”

“Ja,” Kurt said. “Professor Xavier took them in when their house burned down.”

“Let him go, guys,” Duncan told his friends. “With that bunch in his house, he’s got enough problems.”

Reluctantly, the two boys released Kurt. They started to leave. “You coming, Dunc?” Steve asked.

“In a minute,” he answered.

Kurt watched the others walk away, then turned back to Duncan. “Thank you,” he said earnestly, rubbing his shoulder where Steve had held him. “I _am_ sorry about what happened. I’ll tell Lance the truth.”

Duncan grinned wryly. “Then you’ll get your face bashed in, anyway.
Nah, don’t worry about it.”

Kurt smiled. “Thanks.”

“Hi Duncan,” Jean greeted, walking up to them. She looked justifiably startled to see them together. “Kurt?” She glanced worriedly between the two boys. “Is everything all right here?”

“Everything’s fine,” Kurt said quickly, “but I should get going. Jean, I’m sorry about what happened this morning before breakfast – you know.”

“That’s all right, no harm done,” she said.

“I’ll be more careful from now on,” he promised. “Thanks again, Duncan.” He slipped past Jean and hurried off down the hall.

“What was all _that_ about?” Jean and Duncan asked each other simultaneously.

--

“Are you all right, Pietro?”

The blonde mutant looked into Rogue’s concerned green eyes and smiled. “Of course I’m fine! Take more than a point-blank blast from ol’ Cyclone to stop me!”

“Cyclops,” Rogue corrected. “And maybe yer right, but it sure knocked you out for a few minutes.”

“It was worth it for the trouble he’s in over it,” Pietro remarked. “Wolverine looked ready to spit adamantium nails!”

Rogue sighed. “He sure did. Hope Scott’ll be okay.” She looked at him curiously. “So what set him off, anyway?”

“Whatever do you mean?”

“Come on, Pietro. Scott ain’t the volatile type – you had to have pushed him somehow.”

“I _may_ have said something about his little crush on Jean.” Pietro grinned. “Who knew he was so sensitive about it?”

“Oh, fer ….” Rogue put her face in her hands. “You _asked_ for that blast, boy! Ah’ve no more sympathy for you.”

“Awww ….” Pietro peeked around her shoulder cajolingly. “Not even a little bit?”

“Pietro!” called out Hank as he came down the hall in his induced form, which was as he’d looked before the Beast in him came out. “I was looking for you.”

“I’m okay,” Pietro said peevishly, annoyed to have been interrupted.

“I’m sure you are, it’s not that.” Hank stopped in front of him. “I wondered if you’d reached a decision about what Ororo discussed with you yesterday.”

“What’s that?” Rogue asked, puzzled.

Pietro stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Oh, she wants me to tutor Evan. Can you imagine that?”

Rogue smiled. “Ah think that’s a great idea!”

“Get real!” Pietro exclaimed. “We’d kill each other in five minutes. Actually _less_ than that for me!”

“Could you at least try a session or two?” Hank asked. “It would mean extra credit.”

“I don’t have the patience to teach anybody anything!” Pietro threw up his hands. “Everybody knows that!”

“Ah think it would show everyone that yer really trying to fit in at the Institute,” Rogue said.

Pietro almost snapped that he didn’t care about fitting in, but remembered that he didn’t exactly have anywhere else to go. He fell silent.

“Look at it _this_ way,” Hank said with a smile. “As Evan’s instructor, you would be in full command for the time you’re with him. He’d have to listen to you or answer to us.”

Pietro grinned. “Well, in that case, I might give it a try. On one condition.”

“And what’s that?”

“_I_ get to be the one to tell him!”



part 22

Scott sighed and swirled his straw around in his milk. What a rotten morning it had been. He knew it was all his own fault, and if there was any doubt remaining, the Professor would be sure to let him know once he got home from school. That is, if Mystique didn’t call him to her office first.

The incident with Pietro had only been the beginning. First Logan had told him off after the training session, but at least the dressing-down hadn’t lasted long, since they had to get showered and changed for breakfast. Then during breakfast he knew the other adults had heard about what happened from the disapproving looks he received. He’d left early to avoid having to talk to the Professor about it.

At school, things only got worse. In his homeroom class, he found his distraction at home had made him forget his homework. In his second class he’d been thinking about the training session and hadn’t heard the teacher call on him. In third period, he’d written a test and knew he’d done badly on it due to lack of concentration.

Now it was lunch, and Jean was eating with Duncan Matthews.

Yeah, his day was complete all right. And it was only half over.

“Hi Scott,” Kurt greeted. “You look like I feel. May I sit with you?”

“You know you can, Kurt. Come on.” Scott made space for Kurt’s tray as the other boy sat down. “I guess you’re still bugged by what happened at the training session, too.”

“Ja,” Kurt agreed, “but not just that.”

“Want to talk about it?” It’ll get my mind off my own problems.”

“Well,” Kurt said slowly, “only if you promise to keep it to yourself.”

Scott patted his shoulder. “You can trust me.”

“I know.” Kurt smiled, then sighed. “All right, here’s the thing. Todd played a really dirty trick on me and I want revenge, but I have to be sure he won’t snitch on me.”

“Hmm, maybe I’m not the right person to talk to about this after all,” Scott said thoughtfully. “As leader of the X-Men, I’m obliged to tell you that taking revenge could only get you into trouble and escalate the problem.”

Kurt raised an eyebrow. “And what would you tell me as a guy whose friend had his bed slimed and got it in his fur so that it took half the night to get it out and also had to do laundry after Light’s Out and whose mother caught him and now thinks he’s hiding a bedwetting problem or something equally humiliating?”

Scott winced. “Ouch.” He thought a moment, then smiled. “In that case, I’d tell my friend that a _little_ revenge might not be uncalled for. Any ideas?”

“Well,” Kurt sighed, then paused. A slow smile spread across his face. “As a matter of fact, yes. And you might be able to help me.”

“Whoa, hold that.” Scott shook his head. “I’m in enough trouble after this morning.”

“Yeah, what was up with that, anyway?” Kurt asked. “Why’d you attack Quicksilver?”

“He kept getting in my face. You know how he is.”

“Ja, but I also know how _you_ are, and you don’t push that easily. What else did he do?”

“He was bugging me about something,” Scott admitted, blushing as he remembered. “I lost my temper.”

Kurt saw the blush. “Ohhh,” he said knowingly. “I’m sorry, Scott. He bothered you about Jean, didn’t he?”

Scott looked at him. “You know, too?!” he asked in dismay.

“Everybody knows, except Jean,” Kurt added hastily.

“Unless Pietro gets it in his head to tell her,” Scott said miserably.

“Nah, that wouldn’t be any fun,” Kurt said. “He’d rather you just worry that he might.” He leaned back in his chair. “Anyway, like I was saying before, you can help me with Todd, and you don’t have to do a thing, just don’t stop me or tell him, okay?”

“That should be easy, since I have no idea what you’re planning.”

“You’ll find out in the morning.” Kurt grinned.

“Hey.”

Both Kurt and Scott looked up to see Duncan standing by their table. He was holding two plates with pie on them.

“What do you want, Duncan?” Scott asked suspiciously.

“Nothing from you, Summers,” Duncan said and looked at Kurt. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know the guys roughed you up before.”

“I’m fine, thanks for asking.” Kurt smiled. “And thanks again for stopping them.”

“No problem. See ya.” Duncan headed back to the table where Jean waited for her dessert.

“What happened earlier?” Scott asked Kurt curiously.

“Nothing to worry about. Really,” Kurt promised, glancing back toward the other table. Jean was staring back at him strangely.

--

“Hey, Daniels!”

Evan groaned inwardly at the sound of Pietro’s voice. He was having lunch with a couple of his skating buddies and the last thing he wanted was Pietro Maximoff annoying him in front of them. “What is it, Pietro?” he asked, rolling his eyes.

“Just thought you’d like to know that Mr. McCoy and your aunt have arranged a tutor for you.” Pietro grinned.

“Aw man!” Evan groaned. “I had a feeling Auntie O was gonna do something like this, but I didn’t know she’d decided!” He picked up his milk carton, frowning at the blonde mutant. “So how come you know about this before I do?” He
sipped the milk.

Pietro beamed. “Because _I’m_ your tutor!”

The milk sprayed across the table.



part 23

Rogue headed for her locker after the last bell. She spotted Jean already at her own locker and smiled in greeting. “Hey, Jeannie. How was yer day?” She snickered. “Of course, after staring that sawblade in the face this morning yer probably just happy to _have_ a day!”

“True,” Jean agreed. “Kurt apologized, and of course I accepted, but you’re right, it _was_ nervewracking.” She paused, then glanced at Rogue. “Speaking of Kurt, he’s your twin brother, so maybe you would know ….”

“Know what?” Rogue pressed curiously.

Jean’s green eyes met Rogue’s. “Kurt likes Kitty, right?”

“Heck, that’s no secret! Everybody knows that!”

“Yes, but what I’m wondering is ….” Jean bit her lip. “Does Kurt also like … boys?”

Rogue blinked, then frowned. “Ah’ve never heard him say anything about any guy before, but that doesn’t mean anything these days. Why do you ask?”

“Just wondering. No reason,” Jean said quickly and shut her locker. “I have to go to soccer practice.”

She was out of the hallway so fast, Rogue wondered if she’d been taking lessons from Pietro.

“Was that Jean?” Scott asked, stopping beside Rogue.

“Yeah, she was going to practice,” Rogue replied. “Kinda funny, though. She asked me if Kurt liked boys.”

Scott looked at her. “Does he? I thought he liked Kitty.”

“He does, but Ah guess he can be attracted to boys, too – most everyone’s bi now. Ah don’t know why Jean would care about Kurt’s preferences, anyhow.”

“Me neither,” Scott said, scratching his head.

--

Evan flung open the front doors of the X-mansion, breathless. “Auntie Ororo! Are you here?! Auntie Ororo!”

“Evan, what on earth is it?” Ororo asked, coming out of the dining room. Her nephew spun to face her, his expression desperate.

“Tell me it isn’t true!” he pleaded. “He’s lying! He’s gotta be!”

“Who is?”

“Pietro, of course!” Evan exclaimed. “He says you and Hank set it up so that HE would tutor me, and I know you couldn’t have done that because you love me and don’t want to see me go insane, right?”

“Evan, calm down and take a breath,” Ororo said, placing her hands on his shoulders. “Yes, I love you, but yes, we asked Pietro to be your tutor.”

Evan stared at his aunt in disbelief. “You can’t mean that,” he said, shaking his head.

The front door blew open and suddenly Pietro was standing next to Evan, grinning at him. “What are you doing just standing here – don’t you know we’ve got a lot of work to do? Man, no wonder you don’t get good grades if you can’t think ahead two minutes at a time! Let’s go to the library, come on, chop chop!” He zoomed off.

Evan turned back to Ororo. “Auntie O, _please_!”

“I think you should do as your tutor instructs and go to the library,” she said and walked away.

“Oh, Evaaaaaaan!” sang Pietro from the library down the hall. “I’m waaaaaaiitiiiiing!”

Evan’s shoulders slumped, and he began trudging toward the library, wondering who had put a curse on his life.

--

Scott got out of his convertible and closed the door, lifting his bookbag off the seat. He turned to face the mansion and sighed. He _really_ didn’t want to go in there.

Lance’s jeep pulled up and he, Fred and Todd got out. Scott looked at them, grateful even for the distraction if they could keep him outside for a couple more minutes. “How come Pietro’s not with you?” he asked casually.

“Why do you wanna know?” Fred asked in annoyance. “So you can blast him again?”

Scott sighed inwardly. He was really beginning to wish he hadn’t acted so impulsively earlier.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “He bugged me once too often and I lost it.”

Lance smirked. “I thought the big shot leader of the X-Men wasn’t supposed to give way to petty emotions in a training session.”

Scott began to get annoyed. “I do the best I can.”

“Which obviously isn’t good enough, yo,” Todd remarked and hopped into the mansion. Fred followed him, and Lance began to as well, then he paused and looked back.

“Why’re you hanging around out here?” he asked. A grin began to appear. “Hey, you’re afraid to go in, aren’t you? I noticed you slipped out this morning before the Professor could talk to you.”

Scott wanted to slug Lance. For a thug, he had an uncanny insight. Too much so.

“I’m just enjoying the fresh air,” he retorted.

Mystique drove up and got out of her car. “Hello boys,” she said, looking back and forth between them. “Is anything wrong?”

“We were just talking about this morning,” Lance said helpfully, casting an evil smile in Scott’s direction. “You know – the training session.”

Scott glared at him.

“Pietro’s all right, that’s all that matters to me,” Mystique said. “And I’m sure Scott won’t be doing that again – right, Scott?”

“No, Ma’am,” the X-Men leader said.

“Good.” She nodded. “And while we’re at it, I had a few reports about you from your teachers today.”

“I thought you might,” he admitted. “I was distracted.”

She studied him closely. “What exactly did Pietro say to you?”

“I’d like to know, too,” Lance said.

Mystique gave him a warning look. “Why don’t you go inside, Lance?”

“Because I’d rather be out here listening to his answer.”

“Go INSIDE, Lance!”

The brown-haired boy shrugged. “If you say so.” He nudged Scott, grinning evilly. “I’ll just go tell the Professor you’re home.”

“You think he doesn’t know?” Scott snapped.

“Scott,” the Professor’s voice came into his mind, “excuse yourself to Mystique and come to my office, please.”

“Oh, uh, sure, Professor.” Scott thought in return then looked at Mystique. “I’m
sorry, the Professor is asking to see me now.”

“That’s all right,” she said. “You and I can talk about school later.”

“Ain’t living with your Principal fun?” Lance remarked with a laugh and went inside, followed by Scott at a much slower pace.



part 24

“Do it like THIS!” Pietro scribbled out the formula before Evan could blink.

“Wait a minute!” Evan protested. “I didn’t see how you broke that down!”

“Weren’t you watching?”

“Yes, but you went too fast!”

Pietro heaved a sigh and started writing it out again. First, you do this,” he said, making an effort to go slowly, “then this … and finally this. So what you get is … this!”

“Oh, okay,” Evan said, nodding. “That makes more sense.”

“Try it with this one.” Pietro pushed the binder toward him and circled the next formula. Then he stood up and made a few short darts around the room.

“You know, that’s really distracting,” Evan complained.

“Not _my_ fault – I told your aunt and Hank that I didn’t have the patience for this job.”

“You should have tried harder, then we wouldn’t be stuck with each other.”

“Hey, if _you’d_ tried harder in class we wouldn’t be here, either! Now get back to work!”

--

“I know what you’re going to say,” Scott told the Professor as he walked into the office.

“And here I thought _I_ was the psychic,” Professor Xavier said in amusement.

“I’m sorry, I guess I should just wait until you’ve had a chance to speak.” Scott apologized.

“Have a seat,” the Professor said and waited until he did before continuing. “We need to talk about what happened this morning in the training session. It’s not like you to attack anyone without just cause. What happened?”

Scott looked down at the ground. “Well, um, Pietro was pestering me about something personal that he shouldn’t have known, and I guess I sort of lost my temper.”

“Sort of?” the Professor raised an eyebrow. “The boy was out cold for two minutes.”

“I’m really sorry.” Scott looked at him earnestly. “I’ll even apologize to Pietro. I just wasn’t expecting it.”

“What if it happens again? Pietro will know he got a rise out of you and could bring it up again.”

“Well,” Scott sighed, apparently it wasn’t as big a secret as I thought. Everyone else seems to know about it, too.” He paused. “Except Jean.”

Professor Xavier smiled. “Ah, I see. So you think you’ll be able to ignore Pietro’s teasing from now on?”

“In training sessions for sure,” Scott said firmly. “And as long as he doesn’t decide to go blabbing to Jean, I’ll be all right outside training sessions as well.”

“Fine,” the Professor said. “Then we won’t discuss it any further after this. Keep one thing in mind, though, Scott. If you’re honest about your feelings, you may find you’ll have nothing further to worry about from Pietro or anyone else.”

“I acted from my feelings when I blasted Pietro,” Scott said wryly. “But I know what you mean. I’ll think about it.”

“Do that.” The Professor smiled.

--

“So they’re together right now?” Hank asked Ororo as they walked down the hall.

“Yes, they’ve been working in the library for quite a while now and –“

The library door burst open and Evan stalked out. “I don’t CARE what you say, Pietro! I am NOT calling you ‘Mr. Maximoff’!”

Pietro appeared in the doorway, arms folded. “Well, if you’re not going to show proper respect for your tutor then we may as well forget the whole thing!”

“Fine with me!”

“_Not_ fine with me,” Ororo said firmly. Evan jumped and spun around.

“Auntie O!” he gasped. “I didn’t know you were here!”

“Obviously,” she said.

“You guys are just in time,” Pietro piped up. “You can see for yourselves that I have nothing to work with here.”

“We can also see that the idea of tutoring Evan has already gone to your head,” Hank remarked.

“Not _totally_,” Pietro sounded offended. “I didn’t bring a yardstick to smack him
with, did I?”

“Hey!” Evan cried.

“Now boys, that’s enough,” Ororo said. “Pietro, you agreed to tutor Evan, and Evan, you need the help.”

“But --!” the boys said together.

“But nothing,” Ororo interrupted. “You haven’t even completed one full session. I’m sure you both can do better than that.”

Evan sighed. He knew he wasn’t going to win this one.

“Okay, _he_ needs the help, but I’m not getting anything out of this if he won’t do things my way,” Pietro said stubbornly.

“He will, provided your demands aren’t unreasonable,” Ororo told him.

“Yes,” Hank agreed in amusement. “A whip and a chair would be overdoing it.”

“Darn, you read my mind.” Pietro smirked. “Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

--

The phone rang in the hallway as Kurt was coming out of his room. Since no one else was around to dive for it, he went over to answer. “Hello, Xavier Institute.”

“Uh, hi,” said a familiar voice. “That’s gotta be you, Kurt, with that accent.”

“Ja,” Kurt said, then realized who it was. “Hi Duncan. You calling for Jean?”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but no. I need to talk to Scott about a homework assignment in a class we have together,” Duncan said. “Hey, how are you doing? Any residual effects from today?”

“No, like I told you earlier, I’m fine,” Kurt said. “You stopped them before they could do anything much.”

Jean walked up the stairs and saw Kurt on the phone. She didn’t want to interrupt him, so she passed by quietly. He was looking down at the floor and didn’t seem to notice her.

“Duncan, that doesn’t make sense!”

Jean stopped and looked back.

“What do you mean they shouldn’t beat up on Sophomores? They shouldn’t beat up on _anybody_. And besides, weren’t you yourself beating up Todd Tolensky not long ago?”

Jean frowned. Since when did Duncan and Kurt have telephone conversations like this?

“He does too count!” Kurt said. “Although I’ll admit I like the idea of beating him up in theory –“

Jean cleared her throat. Kurt looked up, and although it was difficult to tell with the fur, she thought the tips of his pointed ears turned darker blue. “Oh, hi Jean.”

She held out her hand for the receiver. “That’s Duncan, right?”

“Um, ja, but he called for Scott.” Kurt passed the receiver to her quickly. “I’ll go find him.” He disappeared with a ‘bamf’.

“Kurt?” queried Duncan’s voice through the phone.

Jean raised it to her ear. “No, Duncan, it’s me. Kurt went to find Scott for you. It _was_ Scott you wanted?”

“Yeah, I need to ask him a question about the History homework.”

“I suppose I _could_ be offended that you call here and end up talking to two of my male friends instead,” Jean said lightly.

Duncan laughed. “That’s funny, Jean! Hey, once I get the answer to this question out of Scott, you and I can talk on the phone for hours, okay?”

“Well, we can talk for about twenty minutes, because then it’s time for dinner,” Jean replied.

“How about I take you out for dinner then?”

A phone in another part of the house was picked up. “Hello?” said Scott.

“Hey, yeah, it’s Duncan,” the football player said. “I need to ask you a question about the homework in History.”

“I’ll let you go,” Jean said.

“Be ready for me, Jean! I’ll be right over as soon as I get off!”

“You will?” Scott asked.

“Yeah, we’re going out to dinner,” Duncan said.

Jean interrupted. “I haven’t said yes yet.”

“Hey, do you two want to talk?” Scott said. “I can get off.”

“No, I need to talk about the homework!”

“All right, all right, I’ll be ready, Duncan.” Jean hung up her receiver.

“You two are going out?”

Jean turned to find Kurt had returned. He was looking at her with friendly curiosity.

“Yes, he’s taking me to dinner.” She sighed and smiled feebly. “Short notice,
huh?”

Kurt grinned. “Better than no notice.”

“Yes, I suppose he could have just shown up at the door.” Jean patted his shoulder. “I’d better go get ready.”

Kurt watched her head for her room, then slowly turned and went to his own.



part 25

“Nice night, isn’t it?” Mystique remarked to Logan. They were seated on the front porch, looking up at the clear, star-filled sky.

“Yeah, Ororo dissipated the cloud cover earlier. She said it wasn’t going to rain, anyway.”

They were quiet for a few minutes before Mystique spoke again, “ It’s going pretty well so far, isn’t it? No major problems.”

“Not bad,” Logan agreed. “Other than Pietro being attacked by Scott.”

She looked at him curiously. “Did Scott explain that when you talked to him?”

“No, but I think he told Charlie.”

“I keep expecting some kind of blow-up, especially between Kurt and Todd,” Mystique confessed. “Kurt was giving him some evil looks during dinner.”

“That’s nothing compared to the looks Evan gave Pietro,” Logan remarked. “Hope they don’t end up killing each other over this tutoring thing.”

“Same here.” Mystique paused. “Logan, what would you think about taking the boys out? And Kurt and Rogue, too, of course.”

“Out?” Logan frowned. “Where?”

“I don’t know, just to do something together that the kids would enjoy.”

“Doesn’t matter if _we_ enjoy it, huh?”

She elbowed him. “_We’ll_ enjoy just being with all the kids and each other. You and I haven’t bonded very much with Kurt and Rogue, let alone the Brotherhood yet.”

“Speak for yourself. Kurt and I have a good relationship.”

“As X-Man and instructor, not as father and son,” Mystique pointed out. “I think he was a little resentful of the attention paid to the boys by you over the training session.”

“Kurt’s not the jealous type, Mysti. He’s never minded me paying attention to the other kids before, anyway.”

“You weren’t a pseudo father-figure to the other kids. That’s the Professor,” Mystique told him. “It’s different where the Brotherhood are concerned. They’re _my_ foster children now, and my responsibility. And you’re my partner. It naturally follows that they’ll look to you as a strong male influence in their lives.”

“But as a father figure?” Logan said dubiously.

Mystique’s face fell. “It bothers you, doesn’t it?” She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s not that. I just hadn’t thought about it.” He picked up his beer and swallowed some. “I see your point, though. Even Pietro, who knows who his father is and has spent _some_ time with him, would have been better off without him anyway.”

“So you don’t mind if they look at you that way?” Mystique asked hopefully. Logan put an arm around her and gave her a squeeze.

“Darlin’, it’s okay with me. I sorta like the little buggers, as obnoxious as they can be. I can relate to the way a hard life can affect you – it would be good to give them something better. They’re tough, but they’re resilient, and I can relate to that, too. I’d like to know more about what makes ‘em tick.”

“But we can’t neglect Kurt and Rogue,” Mystique cautioned.

“Rogue’ll be fine,” Logan said firmly. “She half considers herself to still be Brotherhood anyway, and I think she’s glad to have the boys here. Kurt ….” Logan shook his head. “I don’t know. Maybe you’re right, considering how quiet he was at dinner.”

“Do you think something happened that we don’t know about?”

“Maybe, but you’ve gotta let kids work out some things for themselves,” Logan said. “We’ll keep an eye on them, though.”

“Hi!”

“Ahhh!” Mystique jumped and put a hand to her chest. “Pietro, we’ve got to put a bell around your neck!”

“Very funny,” Pietro said. “What are you guys doing out here?”

“Enjoying a few child-free moments,” Logan answered.

“Yeah, they can be pests, can’t they?” Pietro seated himself at their feet. “It’s still kinda weird to be here, especially at night. We were usually all together in the Brotherhood house at this time of night, just hanging out.”

“Hey, there you are,” Lance said as he came outside with Todd and Fred. “We were looking for you.”

“Have a seat,” Mystique said. The boys lounged around the porch comfortably.

“Gotta admit, this view sure beats the one from our old house,” Fred remarked.

“It does _now_ anyway,” Lance said, nodding toward where an expensive sports car was pulling through the gate and up the curving driveway.

“That’s Duncan Matthews car, yo,” Todd said.

The car stopped and Jean got out. “Thanks, Duncan.”

“Some gentleman,” Fred scoffed. “Doesn’t even open the door for her.”

“I think gentlemanly behavior is a dying art,” Mystique said ruefully.

“Is that a crack?” Logan asked.

“No, dear, just a fact.” She patted his arm and smiled. “But I’m partial to animals over gentlemen anyway.”

“Hmmph. Good.”

Pietro giggled.

Duncan tooted the horn as he drove away.

“Watch this,” Lance murmured to the others and sent a gentle tremor along the driveway in front of Duncan’s car, which suddenly began to bump up and down uncomfortably as it went.

Jean gasped as she watched and turned to glare at Lance. He grinned and waved at her.

Duncan had stopped his car to yell out the window. “Hey, you guys ought to have your driveway repaved!”

“We’ll do that, yo!” Todd snickered.

Duncan drove away and the boys laughed.

“Lance,” Mystique’s voice cuffed him lightly upside the head. “You shouldn’t do things like that.”

“Aw, come on.” He rubbed his head and grinned at her. “It was funny.”

Jean glared at them. “I don’t think any of you are funny at all.” She went into the house, nearly colliding with Rogue and Kurt as they came out.

“What’s wrong with her?” Rogue asked.

“She just got back from a date with Duncan,” Lance said casually. “I think it shook her up.”

The other boys burst out laughing again. Kurt frowned.

“Sounds like we’re missing the joke,” Rogue said, elbowing her twin. “So what are you all doing out here?”

“Just sitting around.” Fred shrugged.

Logan looked over at Kurt. “Come here, Elf.”

Kurt walked over to his father hesitantly. “Did I do something wrong?” he asked uncomfortably.

“Nah, just come here.” Once Kurt was within reach, Logan took hold of his wrist and pulled him onto his lap, wrapping an arm around him. Everyone looked surprised, but none so much as Kurt.

“What’re you all staring at?” Logan asked, eyeing the other kids warningly. They averted their gaze one by one, snickering to each other. Rogue alone studied her father and brother, smiling to herself.

“I don’t understand,” Kurt said to Logan.

“What’s to understand?” he asked, rubbing Kurt’s hair fondly. “You’re my kid, aren’t you?”

“Well, yes, technically,” Kurt answered. “But ….”

“But nothing. I feel like holding my kid. So shut up.” He pulled Kurt against him gently but firmly. Kurt knew the Brotherhood were making fun of him under their breath and for a moment considered resisting the embrace. But he didn’t want to. To hell with them, he thought, and laid his head against his father’s shoulder, sighing contentedly.


part 26

Kurt’s alarm clock went off and his tail swept out to hit the button. It was still dark, and for a moment he couldn’t remember why he was supposed to wake up so early. The it came to him.

Revenge.

He got up and opened his drawer, pulling out the ammunition he’d stashed there earlier, then teleported into Todd’s closet.

He almost stumbled at arriving in pitch blackness, but had done a dry run earlier so he would at least be certain nothing unexpected would be in his way on the floor.

Slowly, he opened the door a crack and peeked out. He could see Todd in bed, sound asleep.

Kurt turned in place in the closet and pulled out a pair of rubber gloves and put them on. They were an awkward fit with his two fingers and thumb, but at least they provided coverage, and that’s what he needed. He then produced a spray bottle of perfume he’d taken from Jean’s room in her absence. He sprayed the first shirt in line on the hangers, then the second, then the third.

He was going to owe Jean a new bottle of perfume, he thought with smug satisfaction as he soaked each piece of clothing in the row. In fact, he decided, pulling out a different bottle, he would owe Kitty some new perfume, too.

After he got through saturating the clothes with the second scent, Kurt could no longer stand being in the same closet with them. He slipped out into the room.

Apparently Todd was a fairly sound sleeper. Kurt didn’t even see him twitch as he crossed over to the drawers. He slid the first one open, and began using both bottles to spray everything inside.

Kurt tried not to think too hard about what his parents would do to him if they found out about this. After all, these were all the brand new clothes that the Professor paid for. But they could be washed, and _eventually_ the lingering scent of perfume might not follow Todd around. Maybe.

He finished with the drawers and slipped over to the bedside, where he sent a gentle spray of both perfumes over the bedspread from Todd’s feet right up to his head. He stirred slightly as the droplets sprinkled onto his face, and Kurt took that cue to teleport back to his own room. Todd rolled over and went back to deeper sleep.

--

Scott came out of his room, yawning. He was a little earlier than usual, but that was okay – at least he’d have uninterrupted access to the bathroom. He was about to go in there when a panicked voice hissed, “Wait! Wait!”

He turned to see Todd heading over in great leaps. “Wait yourself, Todd, I was here first.”

“No, man, it’s not that!” Todd landed in front of him, wide-eyed. “I need a bath! NOW!”

Scott almost wondered if he was still asleep and dreaming, but then a strong scent hit him, and it wasn’t Todd’s usual. It was almost as bad, though. Scott covered his nose. “Ugh, Todd! Is that some kind of cheap perfume all over you?!”

“I woke up like this, yo! Someone did it to me and I’ve got a good idea who!”

So do I, Scott realized. Kurt got his revenge, all right. With more than one kind of perfume, it smelled like.

“Please, Summers, you’ve gotta help me!” Todd grabbed the front of Scott’s robe. “Please! Before the guys get up!”

“Well, okay, I was supposed to give you another bath this morning anyway.” Scott pried Todd off him, nose wrinkling. “Just don’t get it all over _me_, okay? Come on.”

--

The other kids were beginning to stir when Todd returned to his room, wrapped in a big bathtowel. He’d forgotten to bring clothes to change into after the bath.

Thanks to the strong smell of perfume permeating the bathroom, neither he nor Scott had been able to tell if any of the scent remained on himself, but he hoped if any did, it wouldn’t be enough that the boys would notice.

Todd opened the closet to get fresh clothes and was hit full in the face with the strongest stench of perfume blend he’d ever smelled. It was gross!

Coughing, his eyes watering, Todd stumbled away from the closet and opened a drawer. At least he still had –

There it was again! Todd covered his nose as he leapt back, feeling nauseated. The smell was so strong – it had to be all over everything! Daring to venture in again, Todd opened another drawer fearfully. Oh God, it was there, too! He opened every drawer in turn and came to the same miserable conclusion each time. There was sickening perfume on every piece of clothing he owned. How was he going to go to _school_?!

--

“Come on, everyone, time to get up!” Mystique said as she knocked on doors she passed. Scott stuck his head out and looked at her.

“You need any help getting them up?” he asked.

“No, I’ve got it, thanks.” She noticed he was fully dressed and smiled in amusement. “You’ve been up for a while, I take it?”

“Yeah, I sometimes wake up like there’s a morning danger room session scheduled, even when there isn’t.”

Mystique laughed. “Well, at least you’re one kid I won’t have to drag out of bed.” She continued down the hall and knocked on Todd’s door. “Wake up, Todd!”

“M-Mystique! Come in here, yo!”

The blue woman stopped, frowning. Todd sounded strange. She entered the room.

Todd was standing just inside the door, wearing a bath towel and shivering. His hair looked nearly dry. The entire room reeked of more than one kind of perfume, and the combination and intensity was not good. She put a hand over her nose. “Good grief, Todd, what happened?!”

“I-I woke up s-stinkin’ of the s-stuff,” Todd explained, his teeth chattering. “Took a b-bath, but I d-don’t think it helped and I d-don’t have anything to put on!”

“What are you talking about?” Mystique asked and went to the closet. She opened it and staggered back. “Ew!”

“It’s in the d-drawers, too,” Todd said. “I didn’t know what to d-do. C-Couldn’t run around in the t-towel.”

“What is that STENCH?!” Logan demanded, walking into the room. “I can smell it all the way downstairs!” He looked at Mystique, then Todd. “What happened in here?!”

“Todd says he woke up soaked in it,” Mystique explained. “The closet and the drawers are full of it, too. The poor kid had a bath, then couldn’t change into anything!”

Logan growled. “Someone’s bad idea of a joke?”

“Of _course_ it is!” Todd said incredulously. “You d-don’t think I sprayed all that stuff around _myself_?!”

“Are you going to tell us who did it or do we have to guess?” Mystique asked.

“It was the furry blue rat, who else?!” Todd cried.

“You know this for a fact?” Logan asked.

“Well, I didn’t _see_ him, but I know he did it!”

“I can’t believe Kurt would do something so destructive,” Mystique said, carefully looking through the clothes in the closet. She coughed and wiped her tearing eyes. “It’s so strong … the perfume must have been sitting on these clothes for hours – it may not come out easily.” She gasped in dismay. “Oh Logan, it’s on the suit, too! That’s dry-clean only!”

“Whoever did it will pay for it,” Logan said grimly. “In more ways than one.”

Todd listened with smug satisfaction. Serves you right, Fuzzball, he thought. I’ll bet the next time Daddy calls you to his lap, it ain’t gonna be for a hug.



part 27

Kurt finished getting dressed after his shower, wondering what Todd was going to do about school. In fact, what would he do about _breakfast_? He’d never come downstairs smelling of perfume and with all his clothes covered in it.

He grinned. He might never see Todd Tolensky again.

A knock came at his door. “Kurt?” Scott said from the other side.

“Come in,” Kurt answered. Scott walked in, his expression one of concern.

“Hey buddy,” he said. “You might be in for some serious trouble, and soon.”

Kurt turned to him. “Why?” he asked warily.

“I know what you did to Todd, and I heard Logan and Mystique in there with him. They’re pretty mad.”

Kurt’s eyes widened. “Do they know it was me?”

“I don’t think Todd has any reason to keep it a secret, especially when the truth could get you killed.”

“But then I could tell them what he did to _me_!”

“Yeah,” Scott agreed, “but what if he thinks it would be worth it?”

Kurt swallowed. “In that case my blue pelt will probably be mounted on the wall before the day is up.”

“Kurt,” Logan said from the doorway. Mystique was with him, and both looked angry. “We want to talk to you.”

“I’ll leave you alone,” Scott said, patting Kurt on the arm.

“Do you have to?” Kurt whispered nervously.

“Yes, he does. Goodbye, Scott,” Mystique said firmly. “Close the door on your way out.”

Scott gave Kurt a sympathetic look as he left the room, shutting the door.

Logan turned to his son, folding his arms. “You’re in big trouble, kid.”

“W-Why?” Kurt asked.

“You _know_ why and don’t try to deny it. You may have showered, but my nose can still pick up a trace of perfume on you.”

Kurt wished he hadn’t lingered in the closet so long when he’d been spraying it. “I only did it because of what he did to me last night,” he said defensively.

“And what was that?” his mother asked.

“He spat on my sheet and remade the bed so I couldn’t tell until I got in!” Kurt made a face at the memory. “It was disgusting! It smeared all over my fur and stuck there. I had to empty the tub three times to get it out, and was up the rest of the night washing the sheets!”

“So instead of telling me about this when I caught you in the laundry room, you kept it to yourself so you could get back at him like this?!” Mystique demanded.

“I couldn’t tell you,” Kurt said indignantly. “Unlike Todd, I’m not a snitch.”

“You outsmarted yourself, Kurt,” Logan told him. “If you had left the kid _one_ thing to wear, he might have covered up what happened like you did, but you fixed it so that he couldn’t leave the room until someone came for him.”

“So now we’re even?” Kurt said hopefully. “He got me, I got him - over and done with?”

“Wrong,” Mystique said. “Todd’s prank only lost you some sleep. _Yours_ may have ruined his entire brand new wardrobe.”

Kurt looked between them, feeling increasingly anxious. “But clothes can be washed!” he said desperately. “Like I washed my sheets!”

“Wrong again,” Logan snapped. “From the strength of that scent, it’s going to take more than a couple of washes to get that stuff out, if it _ever_ comes out completely, and you know as well as I do that Todd won’t wear any of it if there’s even a hint of perfume left.”

“And where is he supposed to put the clothes if they _do_ come clean?” Mystique asked pointedly. “Back in the closet that reeks of it? Or in the drawers that were filled with it and then shut tight?”

“And by the way,” Logan added with a growl, “the suit you sprayed was dry-clean only.”

Kurt knew he was in more trouble than he’d expected. What if they were right and the clothes really _were_ ruined for good? What would the Professor say?

“You blew it, Elf,” Logan stated. “You know what happens now, don’t you?”

“I’m in financial debt to the Professor for the rest of my natural life?”

“We’ll pay for more clothes ourselves if the others can’t be salvaged,” Mystique told him.

“What else happens, Kurt?” Logan repeated.

“I have to apologize to Todd?” Kurt asked reluctantly.

“No, considering what he did to you, I think he’d know you weren’t sincere.” Logan said. “I’ll give you a hint.” He walked over and put his hand on the boy’s shoulder, turning him around. He reached down and took hold of the tail, then brought it around the front, placing it in Kurt’s hands. He pushed down on his shoulder, bending him over. “Figured it out yet?”

Kurt swallowed. “Can’t we discuss this?”

“Yep. Right after we finish.”

--

“Good morning, Lance,” Pietro greeted the other boy as he came out of his room.

“Hey,” Lance said, looking around. “Is Fred down at breakfast already?”

“Nope, already checked. Todd’s not there, either.”

“I’m right here, yo,” Todd said, coming out of his room. Pietro studied him curiously.

“Hey, that’s not your sweater – it’s Daniels’,” the white-haired mutant said. “And those pants are too big for you, too. What’s going on – you just get all kinds of new clothes and have to swipe other peoples’ already?”

“That’s not it,” Todd snapped. “It’s all Blue Boy’s fault. He wrecked all my new clothes overnight so now I gotta borrow from others. Mystique brought these from Daniels, but they’re too big, so I don’t think I can go to school in ‘em.”

Lance stared at him. “Kurt wrecked _all_ your clothes? Why?”

“’Cause he’s a jerk, whaddya think?!”

“Who’s a jerk?” Rogue asked, walking over to them.

“Your brother, apparently,” Pietro said.

“Pietro!”

“Hey, I didn’t say it, Todd did!”

Rogue turned on Todd, crossing her arms. “You’d better have a good reason fer insulting my brother.”

“Hey Rogue,” Lance said, his nose wrinkling, “no offense, but you need to find a new brand of perfume. That one kinda reeks.”

“What the heck are you talking about?” Rogue demanded. “Ah’m not wearing perfume!” She paused, sniffing, and made a face. “Now that you mention it, though, Ah can smell some nearby.”

“Me too,” Pietro agreed.

They all slowly turned toward Todd.

“Heh heh,” he laughed weakly. “I guess it’s still in my hair or somethin’ huh?”

“Oh, Todd,” Lance shook his head, “as bad as your smell was, man, wearing perfume to cover it up is NOT the answer.”

“I didn’t do this on purpose!” Todd cried. “The gecko did it! He sprayed perfume all over my closet and drawers and bed – I’ve got nothing left that doesn’t stink of it! My whole ROOM smells like the front counter of Sears! I can’t even stand being in there anymore!”

“Whah would Kurt do something like that?” Rogue said in disbelief.

“I sorta played a gag on him first ,” Todd grinned sheepishly. “But mine was confined to his bed!”

“I don’t think I wanna know,” Pietro said.

“You said Mama knows about this?” Rogue said suddenly. “Oh man, Kurt’s gonna die if Ah don’t get to him in time!” She started to head over and ran straight into Scott. “Out of my way, Ah gotta get to Kurt fast!” she began to go around him but he grabbed her arm.

“No, don’t,” he said gently. “It’s too late. Your parents are in there with him.”

“Both of them?” Rogue said faintly, then sighed. “Poor Kurt.”

“Why?” Pietro asked. “What’s going to happen?”

“Let’s go listen and find out, yo!” Todd said and leapt right over Rogue and Scott, hopping down the hall.

“Hey, Todd, get back here!” Rogue ran after him. The boys followed. They all caught up to Todd outside Kurt’s room, his ear pressed up to the door.

“Todd, get away from there!” Scott ordered.

“Yeah, so _I_ can get in!” Pietro said and leaned over Todd to get his own ear to the door.

“Both of you get outta here!” Rogue told them, pushing them away.

“Yeah,” Lance said grimly. “You don’t have to be that close, anyway.
Listen.”

They all fell silent. From inside the room came a strange repetitive thumping sound.

“What’s that, yo?” Todd asked.

“Sounds like someone’s plumping a pillow,” Pietro said, looking confused.

“Or whacking a fur-covered butt,” Lance said. “Right, Rogue?”

“Right,” she said sadly. “Damn it.”

“You’re kidding?!” Pietro stared at her. “You mean every time your father threatened to spank me over the last couple of days he really MEANT it?!”

“You think mu father says anything he _doesn’t_ mean?” Rogue asked him incredulously.

“He wouldn’t do that to us,” Todd said with certainty. “He’s not _our_ father.”

“Dream on,” Scott told him. “Mystique’s your foster mother, and she shares the same beliefs as Logan so far as corporal punishment goes.”

“Sure, she does,” Rogue said. “She’s whaled on _my_ butt before. Not that Ah didn’t have it coming, mind you ….”

“And this is _okay_ with you?” Pietro squeaked.

Rogue shrugged. “It’s not like they beat us hard enough to bruise or anything. The most they ever give us is ten good swats, and it’s not debilitating – it just gets our attention. Kurt and Ah know we’re taking our chances when we do stuff wrong.” She grinned and patted his shoulder. “And now _you_ know, too.”

Pietro and Todd looked at each other uneasily. Lance turned and walked away. Rogue ran after him.

“Lance,” she touched his arm with her gloved hand to stop him. “You okay?”

He met her eyes seriously. “You being straight with us? They’ve never seriously hurt you before?”

Rogue crossed her heart. “Ah swear to you, Lance, they never have. They’re strict, but they love us to pieces. You saw Daddy with Kurt last night.”

“Yeah.” Lance stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I almost envied him.”

Rogue smiled and gave him a quick hug. “Don’t let this throw you, Lance. Really, it ain’t a big deal. Kurt and Ah love our folks and they love us and they’re gonna love _you_ if they don’t already. Just relax, okay?”

He nodded. “If you say so.” He looked back down the hall. “Is it okay if I feel a little sorry for your brother?”

Why not?” she asked with a sigh. “Ah do, but not so much because his behind’s gonna hurt. His feelings are gonna be hurting worse.”



part 28

“You okay, Rogue?” Pietro asked her. The girl kept looking back toward the dining room entrance, worry written plainly in her features. Scott had hustled all of them downstairs shortly after their discovery, but Rogue hadn’t wanted to go.

“They should be coming down soon,” she said. “I want to go see Kurt when they do.”

Jean and Kitty walked in. “Good morning,” Jean said, looking around curiously. “Where are all the adults?”

“Logan and Mystique are busy kicking the crap outta Fuzzball,” Pietro said helpfully.

“PIETRO!” Rogue yelled.

“Oh no,” Kitty said sadly as they sat down. “Kurt’s in trouble? What did he do?”

“He was getting revenge on Todd for something he did, only he took it too far,” Scott explained. “I feel guilty myself – I knew he was going to do something and I kept quiet about it.”

“What?!” Todd exclaimed. “You knew this could happen and you didn’t warn me?!”

“Hey, you aren’t blameless in this, Todd,” Scott told him. “You spat in his bed, for crying out loud!”

“Ew, that’s disgusting!” Kitty cried. “I don’t care what Kurt did, you deserved it, Todd!”

“Maybe I should spit on _you_ next!”

Lance shot him a dangerous look. “Don’t even joke about that, Todd.”

“Aw man, Lance is choosing his girl over his friends now, yo,” Todd said, shaking his head mournfully.

Kitty blushed and looked at Lance, who reddened as well. “Shut up, Todd,” he said uncomfortably.

“Can we get back to Kurt?” Jean asked. “What did he do exactly?”

“Sprayed perfume all over Todd’s clothes and bed,” Scott explained.

“Is _that_ what that smell is?” Kitty looked at Todd, making a face. “You?”

“Aw man,” he said, scowling. “I’m not going to school like this, no way! I get beat up enough normally, I don’t need to get beat up for smelling like a flower!”

“You mean a stinkweed,” Pietro told him.

“I’m getting worried about Fred,” Lance remarked. “He should have been the first one down here.”

“I’m right here, Lance,” Fred said as he walked into the room. Evan followed him in.

“The adults are coming,” Evan said, the two of them taking seats. “They’re still with Mystique and Logan upstairs.”

Rogue sat up straight. “They’re out of Kurt’s room?” She got to her feet and headed for the door, stopping short as her mother walked in.

“Rogue, sit down,” she said. “We’re going to eat now.”

“I want to go see Kurt,” Rogue insisted.

“You heard your mother,” Logan told her, coming in behind Mystique. “Your brother’s fine, you can see him after breakfast. He won’t want to see anyone right now anyway.”

Rogue sighed, realizing that was probably true. She returned to her seat.

“Good morning, children,” the Professor said as he came in with Hank and Ororo.

“Not for everybody,” Evan remarked. Ororo silenced him with a look.

Scott searched their faces and those of all the latecomers. “Is something going on, Professor?”

“Yes, Scott,” he said. “I have an important announcement to make. I would have preferred we were all present, but we’ll have to inform Kurt later.” He looked around the table at all of them. “The Institute in Massachusetts is having a crisis situation. One of their instructors had to leave just after an influx of new mutant children were enrolled. For that reason, I have asked Ororo if she will go there to help, and as she promised her sister that Evan would stay with her, he will be going along to enroll there himself.”

Everyone looked stunned. “Ororo and Evan are leaving?” Jean said in disbelief.

“It was the only logical option,” Ororo said. “Hank can’t leave his teaching position at Bayville High, and Raven is the Principal there. Logan must stay with his family.”

“We’ll miss both of you,” Scott said, reaching out to touch her arm. “Very much.”

“Are you okay, Evan?” Kitty asked.

He shrugged. “I’m not happy about it, but I don’t have a choice. At least the Professor says I’ll be a junior instructor there, like Scott and Jean are here, because I’ve had more training than any of the kids there.” He gave Pietro a wry look. “Guess you won’t be able to torture me in tutoring sessions anymore.”

“Who says?” Pietro retorted. “We might be able to squeeze in a couple more before you go.”

“Well, one more, anyway,” Ororo said. “We leave tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Pietro blinked. “So soon?”

“Awww,” Evan teased. “Are you going to _miss_ me, Pietro?”

“In your dreams, Daniels!” Pietro turned away, red-faced.

“He’s blushing!” Rogue gasped.

“I am not!”

Lance was ignoring the exchange going on – he was studying Fred. The large boy was staring down at the table even though there was no plate of food in front
of him yet. “Fred, are you okay?” he asked finally.

Fred looked up at him and Lance was shocked to see tears in his eyes. “The Professor ain’t finished, Lance,” he said.

“That’s right,” Professor Xavier said. “Ororo and Evan aren’t the only ones I’ve asked to help out in Massachusetts.”

There was a moment of silence, then Lance cried, “Fred, _you’re_ going?!”

“What?!” Todd and Pietro exclaimed in unison.

“Are you, Fred?” Jean asked.

He nodded. “He offered me the choice. I decided to go.”

“Why?” Lance demanded. “Are you sure he isn’t forcing you?!”

“Lance,” the Professor interrupted, “I wouldn’t do that. Fred has almost perfect control of his powers – only his interpersonal skills need work. I feel that as a junior instructor in charge of a group of mutant children he’ll learn what he needs to know out of necessity, and will excel in the position.”

“We know that Fred is actually a very gentle young man when he’s not being attacked,” Mystique said softly. “He’ll be good with the other children.” She bit her lip and Logan put an arm around her.

“I’m sorry to leave you guys,” Fred said. “And Mystique, too. I just wanna try it out and see how I do there. I think … I think I’d kinda like teaching other kids that they’re not freaks, you know?”

“You’re always welcome to return, Fred,” the Professor told him. “If it doesn’t work out for you, you still have a home here.”

“I can’t believe it, yo,” Todd said, sniffling. “The Brotherhood is breaking up.”

“Not breaking up,” Lance corrected, fighting tears that threatened in his own eyes as he patted Fred’s arm. “Just spreading out a little.”



part 29

Kurt hugged his pillow a little closer and wiped his eyes against it, his tail tucked under his arm. He didn’t want to take the chance that it would brush against his backside anytime soon. He didn’t feel like breakfast, and really didn’t want to go to school, but he knew he’d have no choice about the latter.

“Kurt?” said Rogue from outside the room. “May Ah come in?”

“If you really want to.”

Rogue slipped inside and shut the door. She went over and sat on the edge of the bed. “Ah’m sorry.”

“Me too,” Kurt answered, his voice sounding stuffy. Rogue passed him a tissue and he blew his nose.

“Everybody knows – you may as well be prepared for that.”

“I figured they would. There’s no keeping a secret in this house.” Kurt sighed. “I suppose the Brotherhood is getting a good laugh over it.”

“Actually, they were sorta stunned. Ah don’t think they believed Mama and Daddy did that, even though Pietro’s been threatened six ways from Sunday already.” Rogue shrugged. “Anyway, they pretty much forgot about you after the Professor dropped his bombshell. Ororo, Evan, and Fred are all going to the Massachusetts Institute.”

Kurt was so shocked he sat up, then winced. “Oh, I wish I hadn’t done that.”

“Ah’ll bet,” Rogue said knowingly.

He looked at her. “They’re really all going? When?”

“Tomorrow. Sad, huh?”

“Ja,” Kurt said quietly. “I’ll miss Ororo and Evan a lot.”

“The Brotherhood and Mama are gonna miss Fred,” Rogue told him. “Ah think they’re taking it harder than they’re letting on.”

“I suppose Pietro can console himself over Fred by knowing he at least won’t have to put up with Evan anymore.”

Rogue smiled wryly. “You’d think that, wouldn’t you?”

--

Pietro zipped around the swimming pool twice, then stopped on the edge and looked down at the water thoughtfully. He made another blinding circle of the perimeter, then changed direction and crossed to the opposite end directly over the pool.

“Did I just see you run on water, Hummingbird?”

Pietro looked over at Logan as he approached. “Yeah,” he said with a casual shrug. “No big deal, I’ve done it before.”

“Well, _I_ think it’s a big deal. I’ve never seen anything like that. I’d like to test you on something bigger, like a lake.”

“Sure, if you want,” Pietro feigned a bored tone. “If you want, someday I’ll show you how I can run up the vertical side of a building.”

“Good,” Logan said. “We can test how high you go before you drop.”

Pietro’s eyes widened and he gave a short laugh. “And then what happens? I hit
the concrete?”

“I’d catch you,” Logan promised seriously.

Pietro held his gaze for a moment before looking away. “What are you doing out here, anyway?”

“Giving you a chance to talk about it.” Logan sat down on a deck chair.

“Talk about what?”

“Anything. Everything. You’ve had a couple of bad blows this morning. I’m concerned about you.”

“I’m fine.” Pietro made another quick dash over the pool.

“I saw your face at breakfast and now you’re all alone out here. You’re not fine.”

“What difference does it make?” Pietro shrugged again. “Can’t do anything about it. Life goes on.”

“It’s all right to be upset, kid. You’re losing two good friends.”

Pietro looked up sharply and next thing Logan knew, the boy was directly in front of him. “Who says Evan and I are friends?! When were we _ever_ friends?!”

“All your lives, Ororo tells me,” Logan said frankly. “Yes, you competed with each other, but friends do that, too.”

Pietro sneered. “Friends don’t put friends in jail.”

“Things went too far. You might have become more rivals than friends lately, but I don’t think you ever got to the point where you really hated each other.”

The blonde mutant turned away with a snort. “Then you don’t know either of us very well.”

A strong arm encircled Pietro’s slim waist and suddenly he found himself sitting on Logan’s knee. And being held there.

“Hey, what gives?” he demanded, struggling to get up.

“Relax, kid, I just want to talk and I can’t do that with you buzzing all over the place,” Logan told him. “There’s no one here but us and I’m not going to tell anyone, not even Mystique. I just want you to be honest with yourself. We all know you’re going to miss Fred, but I think you should admit that you’re going to miss the Porcupine, too.”

“No, I won’t,” Pietro said stubbornly.

Logan lifted an eyebrow. “Is that the truth? Can you _tell_ the truth, Pietro?”

“Of course I can!”

“Then why can’t you be honest about this? Now, before it’s too late!”

“It’s _already_ too late!” Pietro cried. “Fred’s leaving, Evan’s leaving – it doesn’t matter anymore!”

Logan gave the speedster a subtle squeeze of reassurance. “It still matters if there’s time to say goodbye.”

Pietro’s obstinate visage had crumbled. His lip trembled slightly.

“Why does everyone leave me?” he muttered.

“Not everyone will, Hummingbird,” Logan said gently. “Mystique left you once, and spent all her time since regretting it. She’s not going anywhere now that she has you back. And neither am I.”

Pietro didn’t know what to say or do. He’d never been held by an adult like this before. The arm around him was strangely comforting. And what Logan said … he wanted to believe it. It scared him how much he wanted it.

Logan patted him on the back. “You’ve got to get to school, kid. But if things get bad enough that you can’t deal with it today, you can come back . Or you can just go to the office and talk to Mysti – she’s feeling the pain, too.”

Pietro nodded silently. He felt the pressure around his waist ease and knew that was his chance to get up and go. He hesitated for a moment, then did so.



part 30

What a lousy day, Kurt thought as he trudged through the halls of Bayville High. He was convinced his butt still hurt, especially when he sat on the uncomfortably hard chairs in class.

*SWAT* “Hi Fuzzball!”

Kurt cried out involuntarily and spun around, grabbing Todd by the collar. “I’m going to _kill_ you, you slimy sleezoid!”

“Hey, you had that hidin’ comin’ for what you did to me, yo!” Todd snapped.

“What about what _you_ did to me?!” Kurt yelled. “You did it _first_! And you didn’t even get punished!”

“What do you think I’m doing _here_?!” Todd exclaimed. “Mystique made me come to school while I still smell like two girls at once!”

“Oh, you can hardly smell it at all unless you have a nose like my father!” Kurt retorted.

“I’m smellin’ it all day long!” Todd told him stubbornly.

“What’s going on here?” Lance’s voice demanded just before he shoved them roughly apart.

“He _swatted_ me!” Kurt growled, gnashing his teeth. “And he had the nerve to tell me I deserved what I got!”

“You _did_!” Todd insisted.

“Todd, you wouldn’t be saying that if you got spanked for sliming his bed,” Lance said. “I think you should just lay off Kurt today.”

Todd gave an indignant sniff. “Okay, fine, but only ‘cause he ain’t worth anymore of my time.” He hopped away down the hall.

“Thanks, Lance,” Kurt said, looking at him strangely. “But why would you defend me to Todd?”

Lance shrugged. “I felt bad for you this morning, that’s all. And you _did_ get it worse than Todd.” He looked like he was going to say something else, then changed his mind. “Anyway, I’ll see you later.”

He started to walk away, but Kurt put a hand on his arm.

“I’m sorry about Fred leaving,” he said earnestly.

Lance nodded. “I’m sorry about Evan, too. Todd’s upset about Freddy – that’s another reason he’s not himself today.”

Kurt didn’t say that he thought Todd was acting normally – for Todd. As long as the toad-like mutant didn’t whack him again, he’d gladly leave him alone.

--

Jean finished her stretch and looked over to where Duncan stood by the bleachers right behind her. “….So they’re leaving tomorrow,” she finished what she’d been saying. “Fred and Evan didn’t come to school today, either. They need to pack in a hurry.”

Duncan watched Jean do a couple of knee bounces with her soccer ball in preparation for the practice that was about to start. “I’m sorry your friends are leaving,” he said. “Although I gotta admit, I never really thought of Dukes as one of your friends.”

“Well, I was the first person he met here. Things didn’t go very well at first, but it’s been okay since he moved in. The boys he lived with in the Brotherhood boarding house are really going to miss him.”

Duncan paused thoughtfully. “I guess that’s why Kurt looked so depressed when I saw him this afternoon in the hall. He’s good friends with Daniels, isn’t he?”

“Yes.” Jean caught her ball and looked at him. “But Kurt had another reason for being upset today. Todd pulled a nasty prank on him and when he retaliated overnight, _he_ was the one to get punished. He always hates it when his parents are angry with him.”

“Sounds rough,” Duncan remarked, then shrugged. “I never have to worry about my parents. They’re usually in Europe or someplace.”

“Well, Kurt’s still adjusting to his – it wasn’t all that long ago he and Rogue found out about their relationship and that with Logan and Myst – uh – Raven. Kurt has self-image problems anyway so when his new family or anyone else are annoyed with him, he takes it personally.”

“Poor guy,” Duncan said.

Hank blew his coach’s whistle out on the field. “Jean, we’re ready to begin,” he called out.

“I have to go,” she told Duncan. “Talk to you tonight?”

“You bet!” He grinned and watched her jog off before heading for the parking lot.

--

Kurt sighed and slowed his pace down a little. He was in no hurry to get home. Yes, he wanted to spend time with Evan before he left, but his father was there and so was the Professor. By now they’d have determined if Todd’s clothes were a write-off or not, and if they were, maybe the Professor would punish him, too.

Just as he was envisioning himself waxing the X-jet for the rest of his life, a car horn honked, making him jump. He looked over and saw Duncan wave to him from his convertible. The car pulled up alongside Kurt and he stopped walking. “Hi Duncan, how are you?”

“Better than you, I hear,” the blonde boy said, resting his arm on the door casually.

Kurt froze. How much did Duncan know? How _could_ he know? Did Jean blab for some reason? Trying to sound calm, he said, “What do you mean?”

“I mean your friend Evan moving away,” Duncan said. “You must be feeling pretty down.”

Kurt almost fainted from relief. “Oh, ja, I guess I am.”

Duncan leaned over and pushed the passenger side door open. “Get in – I’ll give you a ride home.”

Kurt shook his head. “Not necessary, thank you. I’m not all that anxious to get home today. I’d rather walk.”

“In that case, I’ll take you somewhere else to kill time,” Duncan suggested. “How about Burger Barn? My treat.”

That was enough for Kurt. The thought of eating a free Gut Bomb sure beat the idea of facing the Professor. He smiled in gratitude and got into the car. “You may regret that. I’m a big eater.”

“That’s okay.” Duncan winked. “I’m a big spender.”

--

“Hey Rogue! Pietro! Wait up!”

The pair stopped and turned around to watch Scott as he jogged to catch up with them. “Whaddya want, Cyke-o?” Pietro asked with a smirk.

Rogue smacked Pietro in the arm, trying very hard not to laugh. “Cyke-o?! Do you realize how that _sounds_? Aw, never mind, of course you do ….”

Scott didn’t laugh. He wasn’t about to encourage the insolent speed demon, even if Rogue inadvertently was. “Listen,” he said, summoning all the patience he could, “I just wanted to apologize for what I did in the training session yesterday. It was behavior unbecoming an X-Man.”

Pietro raised an eyebrow. “Are you _really_ sorry or just saying that?”

“I’m sorry I reacted like that when you were so obviously trying to bait me,” Scott clarified. “I should have been able to resist the temptation.”

“Well, at least _that’s_ honest,” Pietro chuckled.

“What I want to know is how you found out about – “ Scott glanced toward Rogue then back at Pietro, “what you were saying then.”

“You mean your crush on Jean?” the younger boy grinned widely and hooked a thumb at Rogue. “_She_ told me!”

Rogue smacked a hand over her face.

“Rogue?” Scott looked at her and sighed. “I guess Kurt was right. Everyone _does_ know.”

“Except Jean,” Rogue replied wryly. “She’s as clueless as you are.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Pietro caught sight of something past Rogue’s shoulder and stared. “Hey, since when is Fuzzy Wuzzy so buddy-buddy with Duncan Matthews?”

Scott and Rogue followed his gaze just as Kurt rode by in Duncan’s convertible.

“What the heck is he doing with _Duncan_?!” Rogue exclaimed.

“Didn’t I just say that?” Pietro asked, scratching his head.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Scott frowned. “But I’m sure going to ask him when we get home.”



part 31

Duncan stared at Kurt’s tray and laughed. “You weren’t kidding! You _are_ a big eater!”

Kurt looked down at his two Gut Bombs, large fries, and double milkshake and blushed. “This is the first time I’ve eaten today. I guess I was hungrier than I thought.”

“Don’t worry about it, it’s okay.” Duncan sipped his own milkshake and glanced at Kurt as he began eating. “Hey, you won’t get into any trouble for not going straight home or anything, will you?”

“Why would I?” Kurt looked up at him.

“Well,” Duncan said uncomfortably, “I didn’t mean to bring this up, but Jean said you were in trouble this morning, and I just realized I didn’t want to make things worse for you.”

Kurt shook his head. “No, I’m not grounded or anything. Although that would have been preferable,” he added wryly.

“I won’t ask,” Duncan promised. “But you know something? Even if your parents are tough on you, you know it’s just because they care, right?”

“Ja, I know.” Kurt sighed. “I guess today I just wish they cared a little less.”

“No, you don’t,” Duncan said so firmly that Kurt looked up to meet his eyes. “Don’t ever wish that, Kurt. You’re lucky to have your parents with you all the time, watching out for you. I couldn’t even tell you where mine are right now, and they sure as hell don’t care what _I_ do with my time as long as I don’t tarnish the family name.”

Kurt stared. “But if your parents are never around … who brought you up?”

“Nannies, mostly. Until I got to be about twelve, then my parents decided I was old enough to be left alone at home with just the servants, since they provide for all my needs, anyway.” He shrugged. “Oh, my parents _do_ come home sometimes, of course, and they’ll stay for a month or so and then go off again.” He looked at Kurt and chuckled in embarrassment. “Listen to me go on and on. Sorry about that. I brought you here to cheer you up, not bring you further down.”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind,” Kurt told him. “I’m just sorry things are like that for you.”

“Oh, hey, it’s not _all_ bad. I’m used to it, and it can be cool not to have any rules to live by.” Duncan shrugged. “But it’s not so cool seeing my teammates’ parents cheering at all the games while mine are off on the Riviera. Or having Principal Darkholme get that disgusted look on her face when I tell her she can’t call a conference with my folks because I don’t know where they are. Again. Or putting up the Christmas tree with the butler instead of my dad.” He smiled wistfully at Kurt. “All things considered, I think I’d rather have them home and on my case some of the time if it meant they’d be there for those other things, you know?”

Kurt nodded and put a hand on Duncan’s arm. “I understand. Thank you for telling me. I guess I should stop feeling sorry for myself, shouldn’t I?” He sighed. “I’m still nervous about going home, though. My parents might be through with me, but the Professor might be angry now.”

“Well, from what Jean says, he sounds like a pretty good guy – he isn’t gonna kill you or anything,” Duncan said reasonably. “And if it’s just having him angry with you that bothers you, then apologize to him.”

“You’re right, I probably should – even if he’s not angry. I owe him that much.”

“Now stop worrying and eat,” Duncan told him. “Stress isn’t good for the digestion.”

Kurt grinned and held up the Gut Bomb. “Where these things are concerned, mein freund, I don’t think _anything_ will save the digestion!”

--

“It looks like you’re almost ready for tomorrow.”
Evan glanced over at his aunt in the doorway of his room and closed his last suitcase. “Yeah, I’m pretty much done.”

“Fred is ready, too,” Ororo said and walked over to him. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “It’ll be all right, Evan. You’ll make a lot of new friends at the other Institute, and the children can benefit from your experience.”

“Yeah, I know,” Evan said. “Fred and I did some talking earlier today. At least he and I will start out already knowing each other. I mean, we’ve never been friends before, but we may as well try it now that we aren’t enemies. We can help each other settle in, you know?”

Ororo smiled and hugged him. “And I’ll be there, too, don’t forget that.”

He grinned and kissed her cheek. “I won’t.”

“Hey, Daniels.”

Evan and Ororo saw Pietro leaning against the doorframe.

“I’m _not_ being tutored by you today, Pietro,” Evan said firmly. “I’ve got too much else on my mind.”

“I’m not here for the tutoring, Slo-mo. I just want to talk to you.”

“Then I’ll leave you boys alone.” Ororo headed for the door. She gave Pietro a pat on the arm. “I’ll miss you, Pietro – you made life interesting.”

“Yeah, I’ll think of you every time it rains on my parade.” Pietro grinned wryly.

Ororo smiled and left. Pietro zipped over to look down at Evan’s packed luggage. “All ready, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Evan glanced at him curiously. He didn’t want to push the other boy to start talking.

“You know,” Pietro said. “It’s possible we won’t ever see each other again.”

“Unlikely, but possible, I guess,” Evan said.

“Well, anyway,” Pietro continued without looking at him. “I just wanted to say it’s been fun.”

“What has?” Evan asked. “Our friendship or our rivalry?”

“Whichever. Take your pick.” Pietro turned and extended his hand. Evan paused, then grasped it.

Pietro spun in a tight circle, the centrifugal force hurling Evan onto his bed.
When he looked up, Pietro was gone.

“Sucker!” the blonde mutant sang back from down the hall. Evan shook his head and smiled.

“I’ll miss you, too, you jerk,” he said softly.

--

“Come in, Kurt.”

The teleporter started. It was unnerving the way the Professor knew he was there before he’d even had the chance to knock. He walked in.

The Professor was seated in front of his mutant-detection machine, Cerebro. The device that fit on his head to enhance his psychic abilities was firmly in place – he was obviously at work, but turned to smile at Kurt. “We missed you at breakfast this morning.”

“Yes sir,” Kurt said. He walked over to stand in front of the man’s chair and lowered his head. “I want to apologize to you, Professor. When I got revenge on Todd last night, I wasn’t thinking that it might be permanently destructive to the clothes or anything else. I guess I wasn’t thinking much at all, I was just so angry. I’m sorry.”

“We had all the clothes dry-cleaned,” Professor Xavier told him. “It was the quickest way to eliminate the scent satisfactorily.”

“Then it worked?” Kurt said hopefully.

“Yes, the clothes are scent-free once more,” the Professor assured him. “However, we had to move Todd to a different room, so the clothes could be put away in a closet and drawers that aren’t still saturated with perfume.”

“I’m sorry for the expense you had to go through,” Kurt said sincerely. “I’ll understand if you want to punish me.”

The Professor smiled gently. “I don’t think that will be necessary, Kurt.”

The boy nodded. He was pretty sure the adults knew as well as the kids did that his parents had already spanked him – it looked like the Professor was willing to let it go at that. “Thank you,” he said.

“You’re welcome.” Professor Xavier turned back to Cerebro. Kurt curiously moved up behind him to look over his shoulder. “What is that blip on the map?” he asked.

“A new mutant signature I’ve been picking up recently,” the Professor answered. “At first it only appeared occasionally, but over the last couple of days it’s been almost constant.”

“Do you know who it is?” Kurt inquired.

“Yes, I do.” The Professor clicked a button and a split-screen took over featuring two pictures; one a head shot and the other a full-length picture of a male teenager. He had long auburn hair and eyes that were red on black.

“A sixteen-year-old boy living on the streets of New Orleans. His name is Remy LeBeau.”




part 32

Remy LeBeau smiled charmingly at the waitress who served him at the outdoor café in New Orleans’ French Quarter. It was a beautiful clear night and the streets were teeming with life. Too bad he couldn’t relax enough to enjoy it, since people were trying to kill him.

At least it hadn’t been a total shock when the first attempt had been made two weeks ago. He’d suspected as much would happen when he was forced to run away from home, but if he hadn’t, he’d already be dead. And _that_ realization had been the real shocker.

He’d never forget the night he came downstairs and overheard the conversation between his father and his worst enemy, the head of the Assassin’s Guild. As head of the Thieves Guild, it was unthinkable for the senior LeBeau to have that man in their house, but as Remy stealthily moved into a position where he could listen in, the reasoning became clear.

His father was finalizing a deal to sell him to the Assassins’ Guild.

Remy knew he’d gained a reputation in New Orleans as the most notorious thief around. Even at his tender age, he was already more highly skilled at their craft than his father, and there had been rumours amongst their compatriots that Remy would be taking over leadership of the Thieves’ Guild much sooner than anyone had expected. With no love lost between father and son, it shouldn’t have surprised Remy to find out he was being sacrificed in such a way, but it had. And it hurt, at least for the first five minutes. Then he turned his attention to saving his skin, and had slipped out of the house before his father’s business could be concluded.

With his escape came a change of game plan, and the Assassins’ Guild were forced to try tracking him down rather than having him delivered to them as was the original intention. He’d managed to avoid being killed up to this point through either evasive techniques or outright head-on fights, but he knew it couldn’t go on forever. He was but one, and the Assassins were many. With his father in control of the Thieves, he not only couldn’t trust them for help, but knew they were making their own attempts on his life at his sire’s direction.

“I hope you enjoy, monsieur,” the waitress said to him, responding to his smile. Remy touched her hand and stroked it.

“I’m sure I will, cherie,” he replied smoothly.

The girl giggled softly and reluctantly went back to her work. Remy watched her go, admiring the view. Then he sat back and brushed his long auburn hair back from his face, scanning the streets.

Just as he was about to sip his coffee, he heard the soft ‘shing’ of steel against scabbard. Snatching a packet of sugar from the table, Remy dove from his seat and rolled. The packet was charged with kinetic energy before he came to a stop, and when he did, he fired it with deadly accuracy at the Assassin before he could throw his dagger.

The Assassin was blown back through the café window as the explosion rocked all the businesses on the street, sending people screaming. Remy got to his feet and ran, disappearing into the shadows.

--

Kurt cautiously turned back his bedcovers and took a good look to make sure they were still clean and unslimed. He wondered how long it would be before he stopped feeling the necessity to do that.

Probably never, so long as Todd was around.

There was a knock at the door. “Kurt, it’s Scott, may I come in?”

“Sure,” Kurt answered and sat down on the bed as Scott walked in.

“Hey buddy,” he said. “How’re you doing ?”

“I’m all right, why?” Kurt asked.

Scott turned the desk chair around and straddled it. “Well … it hasn’t exactly been a great day for you, has it?”

“Not one of my best, no,” Kurt admitted. “But I feel better about things now than I did this morning.”

“Really?” Scott said curiously. “How come?”

“I talked to someone who helped me put things in perspective.”

“You don’t mean Duncan, do you?”

Kurt started. “How did you know?”

“Rogue, Pietro and I saw you in his car.”

Kurt turned away. “He could tell I was depressed and took me to Burger Barn,” he said. “No big deal.”

“Well, it’s just strange,” Scott said slowly. “Duncan never cared about any of us before except for Jean, and I don’t think he really cares about her, either.”

“He’s not that bad!” Kurt said sharply, then regretted it.

Scott was staring at him. “Relax, Kurt. I didn’t mean anything by it. I just hadn’t realized you and Duncan had gotten to be friends.”

“I didn’t mean to snap,” Kurt apologized. “And I know the way Duncan always acted before.” He shrugged, looking embarrassed. “It’s just been different the last couple of days. I don’t know why.”

“I guess even Duncan is entitled to a moment now and then, huh?”

“Scott, stop it!” Kurt told him, sounding irritated again. “We had a long talk – he doesn’t have a perfect life, even if he is rich.”

“I never begrudged him his wealth, Kurt. It’s the way he treats people that bothers me.”

Kurt relaxed. “Well, you’ve got nothing to worry about where I’m concerned. Yesterday he stopped his friends from beating me up and today he bought me dinner.”

“You’re right, I’ve got nothing to worry about,” Scott said with a chuckle. “It’s _Jean’s_ boyfriend you dated!”

“DATED?!” Kurt exclaimed, jumping to his feet. “Are you out of your mind?!”

“Kurt, he asked you out and bought you dinner, albeit a greasy, cholesterol-raising one. In _my_ book, that’s a date.”

“But it wasn’t like that!” Kurt argued.

“Are you sure?” Scott asked. He stood, placing his hands on Kurt’s shoulders. “I’m not judging you, okay? All I ask is that you be careful. About Duncan, about Jean, about … everything.”

“I think you’re worrying for nothing,” Kurt said frankly. “But to make you happy, I promise to be careful.”

Scott nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning.” He left the room. Kurt dropped back down onto the bed.

“I went on a _date_ with Duncan Matthews?” Kurt said in disbelief. “Mein Gott, I hope Jean never finds out!”



part 33

No one would have known there were eight teenagers gathered at the breakfast table in the Xavier Institute Saturday morning. Complete silence dominated the room.

“Good morning, everyone,” Professor Xavier said as he entered with Logan, Mystique and Hank.

“Logan, you’re back from Massachusetts already?” Scott said in surprise.

“You know how fast the Blackbird is,” Logan said as he sat down. “By now, Ororo, Evan, and Fred are settled in their new rooms and have probably met all the kids.”

“Hooray,” Pietro said, twirling a finger in the air.

“Well,” the Professor said, “I can see we need a new focus here. Fortunately, I have just the thing.” He sat back in his chair. “We have to take a trip to New Orleans.”

Kurt looked over. “Because of the new mutant Cerebro found?”

“What new mutant?” Jean asked.

“And how come Kurt knows about it already?” Kitty wanted to know.

“He happened to be with me while I was investigating,” the Professor said.

“Fill us in, Professor,” Scott said.

“The mutant is named Remy LeBeau. He’s the sixteen-year-old heir to the Thieves’ Guild, but it appears they’ve been instructed to turn on him instead. So right now, young Mr. LeBeau is the target of not only his own people, but the Assassins’ Guild as well.”

“I can understand why the assassins want him,” Mystique said. “Killing the heir to the Thieves’ Guild would be great for them, they’ve been rivals as long as they’ve been in existence. But why would his own Guild be after him?”

“From what I’ve been able to determine, his father, the current head of the Guild, has ordered it,” the Professor said.

“Sheesh, some father!” Lance said scathingly. “He’s got half of New Orleans gunning for his kid!”

“Remy has been on the run for two weeks,” Professor Xavier told them.

“It’s amazing he’s still alive!” Mystique said in genuine shock. “How on earth has he managed to stay ahead of them?”

“Two reasons,” the Professor said. “He’s the best at what he does, and that makes him very hard to track. Then there’s his mutant power.”

“Which is?” Kurt asked.

“He can charge anything with kinetic energy causing it to explode.”

Todd gave a low whistle. “That sounds pretty cool, yo. Who’d _want_ to get close to him knowing they could blow ‘em up?”

“Professional assassins and thieves don’t know much fear, especially from a kid,” Logan said. “And they don’t always have to get close to get the job done.”

“Exactly,” the Professor said. “Which is why we _must_ track Remy down and get him out of New Orleans. His life will be in danger until we do.”

“When do we leave?” Scott asked.

“Immediately after breakfast,” the Professor said. “In order to cover as much ground as possible, you’ll be splitting into three groups.”

“Hey, wait a minute!” Lance interrupted, looking surprised. “Three groups – you mean _we_ get to go?”

“Of course,” the Professor told him. “We’ll need all the help we can get, and you’ve proven in the past that you can use your powers in battle situations _and_ rescue missions.”

“Wow,” Todd said, grinning at Pietro. “This is pretty cool, yo!”

“Here is who we are looking for.” The Professor began passing around a print-out of Remy’s picture.

“Are those his real eyes or a colour problem with the printer?” Kitty asked.

“They’re real.”

Kurt took the picture and passed it to Rogue, having already seen it himself. His twin sucked in her breath so sharply he glanced at her. “Are you okay?”

“Ah’m … fine,” she whispered, staring at the picture.

Pietro peered over her shoulder. “Hey, he’s kinda … different-looking. Eyes are weird, but sorta cool.” He chuckled. “He looks cocky.”

“Takes one to know one,” Jean murmured. Scott grinned at her.

“Give it here, Rogue,” Lance held out his hand for the picture. When his hand
hovered in the ozone unacknowledged for a few moments, he snapped his fingers. “Hey, Earth to Rogue!”

“Yeah, coffee, thanks,” Rogue said softly, studying the red and black eyes in the picture. Her friends exchanged puzzled looks.

--

Remy woke up, but didn’t open his eyes. To do that would tip off the man bending over him.

He’d had some suspicions when the guy he’d beaten at cards offered him a place to stay for the night. There was such a thing as being too good a loser. But when the guy gave Remy the key and let him go back to the apartment alone so he could stay and play and drink some more, the young Cajun decided a head start never hurt.

The apartment was a dump, but Remy hadn’t expected any better. All he cared about was that it had running water so he could take a hot shower and food. Clean and full, he’d gone into the second bedroom and locked the door, then surrendered to some much-needed sleep.

Apparently, the lock was faulty, and Monsieur Beer-Swiller was now looking for payback. Remy mentally chastised himself for allowing fatigue to overcome his better instincts. Now he’d have to fight his way out.

Not that it would be much of a fight.

“Tres beau, garcon,” the man murmured and fingered Remy’s hair. It wasn’t until the roaming hand slid over his hip when Remy flicked the button on the expandable bo-stick hidden under his coat. The stick extended to full length, the end of which slammed into the man’s groin. He fell backwards, cursing.

Remy jumped to his feet and turned to run for the door, but the man grabbed his ankle and he crashed face-down on the floor.

“Oh non, you don’ !” the man snarled, yanking Remy back toward him.

The pig is stronger than he looks, Remy thought, trying not to panic. He still felt he could get out of this unpleasant situation if he could just reach him ….

The man didn’t realize that Remy was allowing him to draw her closer until two things happened at once – he grabbed the rim of Remy’s pants and the teenager grabbed his arm.

“You will let me go, cochon,” Remy said evenly, “or you lose dis arm.”

“Shut up!” the man ordered and tried to jerk Remy’s pants down.

“Don’t say I did not warn you,” the boy sneered.

The man was so preoccupied with trying to get Remy’s pants off that he didn’t notice his arm glowing until he felt the rapid build-up of heat in it. He looked at it and screamed, releasing Remy, who finally escaped out the door.

He was safely down the hall when the explosion came.

“Damn, dat was too close,” he muttered, heading out onto the streets again.



part 34

Toad shook his head. “I don’t know, man. It don’t look good.”

“Yer not kidding,” Rogue said, leaning over for a closer look. “Fading fast, Ah’d say.”

“That’s for sure!” Quicksilver chimed in. “He’s as green as you, Toad!”

Avalanche sank a little deeper into his seat. “Can’t you all just leave me alone to die in peace?”

Nightcrawler turned away from looking out the X-Jet window to regard the others. “What’s wrong with him?”

“I hate flying,” Avalanche groaned.

“Leave him alone, you guys!” Shadowcat began shoving them all away from around Avalanche’s seat and crouched down by him herself. “Are you okay?” she asked in concern.

“Better not get too close, yo!” Toad said mischievously. “He might throw up on you!”

“Some friend you are!” Shadowcat said hotly and gave him a hard push. Caught off-guard, Toad fell backwards onto Jean.

“Hey!” she yelled and used her power to throw him off forcefully. He flew through the air and slammed into the front window.

“Knock it off, all of you!” Wolverine shouted from the co-pilot seat. He yanked Toad off the control panel and threw him over his shoulder back toward the seats. “Keep it up and I’m coming back there to bust some butts!”

“Couldn’t have put it better myself,” the Professor commented as he tried to fly the jet despite the distractions. “Beast, Mystique – could you please maintain some order back there?”

“Certainly, if we have permission to toss everyone under eighteen out the door,” Beast said cheerfully.

“HEY!” the kids collectively protested.

“Why don’t we go over the plan?” Mystique said constructively. “Cyclops?”

“We split into three groups,” Cyclops recited. “Myself, Toad, and Jean with Mystique; Avalanche, Shadowcat, and Nightcrawler with Wolverine; and Quicksilver and Rogue with Beast and the Professor. The three groups surround LeBeau according to where the Professor pinpoints him, keeping in contact through our communicators in case we need to adjust our positions. The first ones to find him approach in a non-threatening manner and explain who we are, inviting him to come back to the Institute with us. If he agrees, we get him back to the jet as quickly as possible because an attempt on his life could be made at any moment.”

“Very good,” Mystique said. “And you should also watch out for yourselves out there – just standing near Remy can get you caught in the crossfire.”

“Man, it gives me the creeps to think of so many people after that poor kid,” Rogue remarked.

“Yeah, and professionals, too,” Quicksilver agreed. “Bet he jumps at the chance to get outta town with his skin intact.”

“Don’t be so sure, Quicksilver,” Professor Xavier said. “Remember, Remy is one of those professionals himself. It might take some convincing to show him what’s the best course of action to take.”

“We’ll do our best, Professor,” Cyclops said.

“And if it doesn’t work, we’ll just clunk him over the head and drag him back caveman-style, yo!” Toad said cheerfully.

“TOAD!” everyone yelled in unison. Toad shrank back into his seat.

“Geez, can’t you people take a joke?” he said weakly.

--

He couldn’t shake the feeling. Remy shuddered again, remembering the sensation of hands jerking at his pants, caressing his hair ….

It took a lot to unnerve Remy, and although he hated to admit it, it appeared the attempted rape had succeeded in doing just that. He tried to fight down the nerves – being distracted by those or anything else could get him killed.

“Get a grip, LeBeau,” he told himself sternly. “Dis is not a good time to fall apart.”

Something pricked at his senses suddenly and he turned. There were four people at the end of the alley he was in. One was in a wheelchair, another was huge, gorilla-shaped and blue. The other two were kids about his age. He blinked and in the time it took to do it, one of the kids had appeared directly in front of him. Remy didn’t show his surprise by flinching, but the other boy – a good-looking blonde with mischievous blue-grey eyes – did a double-take himself. “Wow, his eyes really _are_ black and red!”

“Quicksilver, back off of him!” the other kid, a girl, approached. She was exotic with her dark make-up and a white streak in her red hair. Big green eyes met Remy’s and she smiled apologetically. “Ah’m sorry, “ she said, pulling the blonde boy back a couple of steps. “He doesn’t understand the meaning of ‘personal space’.”

Remy smiled. “You can invade my ‘personal space’ anytime.”

Rogue returned the smile and Quicksilver grinned at her. “Hey, you’re blushing, Rogue!”

“Shut up.” She elbowed him.

“Remy,” the bald man in the wheelchair approached, “I am Professor Charles Xavier. My students and I have come from Bayville, New York with an offer for you.”

“How you know me?” Remy asked, then turned his gaze toward the big blue monster. “And who or what is dat?”

“A mutant, like yourself,” the Professor said. “And like all of us.”

Remy raised an eyebrow. “I know about mutants, and I know I am one. But you still have not answered my first question, Monsieur.”

“I found you through your mutant signature. I’m psychic,” said the Professor. “I run a school for young mutants – where they can learn to use their powers and not be afraid.”

“I already know how to use my powers, mon ami,” Remy said. “And I fear no one.”

“Sounds like me, doesn’t he?” the blonde boy named Quicksilver remarked. He stepped forward and began speaking with the speed of a machine gun, “Hey man, it’s a good deal at this Institute, at least so far. I ain’t been there long myself. Big rooms, good food, expensive toys to mess around with – okay, the curfew sucks eggs and the adults are way too strict, but so far we’ve been sticking it out, and – “

Remy looked amused. “I’ll bet I know what _your_ power is.”

“Quicksilver can get a little overenthusiastic,” the big blue monster surprised Remy by speaking. “But he’s right about one thing – the Institute is a good place for young mutants.”

Remy noticed other kids coming into the alley. Like these two, they wore fighting costumes. There were a couple more adults with them.

“Are dey all yours?” he asked.

“My students and instructors, yes,” the Professor told him.

“Is he coming with us?” asked another, younger, blue creature with long hair and a tail. He had a German accent. Remy couldn’t help but stare at him.

“You people sure like de colour blue, oui?”

“That’s my twin brother, Kurt. His codename’s Nightcrawler,” Rogue said.

“You have a codename?” Quicksilver asked.

“Mais oui,” Remy answered. “Je suis Gambit.”

Rogue smiled. “Ah like it.”

Remy gave her a wink in return, then started to walk away.

“Where are you going?” the Professor asked.

“It’s not safe here,” Remy replied. “Too many of you. People are after me – dey find me, dey find you. Maybe you die. Don’t want you all dead.”

“You don’t have to leave to protect us, kid,” said a brawny short man in an orange and black suit. “We can take care of ourselves.”

“It’s not just dat,” Remy insisted, still walking past them all. “I’m not interested in your offer.”

“Why not?” demanded a tough-looking kid wearing a fruit bowl on his head. “You’d rather be a sitting duck for all the assassins and thieves in New Orleans?!”

Remy paused. “You know about dat, too?” He shrugged. “C’est la vie,” he said and continued out of the alley.

The next voice heard was the Professor’s – directly into his head.

“Remy, I know something happened to frighten you. It’s keeping you from trusting us. You can tell me privately – it might help to talk about it.”

The boy stopped and looked back down the alley toward the Professor. He figured the man could read his mind, so he thought his answer toward him. “De last time I accepted an invitation to go home with someone, dey try to force me to have sex with dem. I’m not taking dat chance again.”

“We want to help you, not hurt you,” the Professor replied into his mind. “I promise nothing like that will happen at the Institute.”

“I’ll be fine,” Remy answered in his thoughts. “Remy, he can take care of himself.”

He turned and ran from the alley.



part 35

Rogue shivered as she surveyed the view from her hotel room balcony, even though it wasn’t cold. She wondered if it ever got cold in New Orleans, and if it did, how would Remy survive on the streets? If the assassins let him live long enough to feel the cold, that is.

An arm went around her shoulders and she gazed up into Pietro’s blue-grey eyes. He didn’t look cocky for a change. He looked concerned.

“You okay, Rogue?”

“Oh yeah,” she said with a sigh. “Ah was just thinking about Remy, out there all alone and scared.”

“You think he’s scared? He said he wasn’t.”

“You’ve said that, too,” she pointed out. “Is it true when _you_ say it?”

Pietro looked out over the city of New Orleans. “Sometimes,” he answered. “Sometimes not.” He grinned at her. “I usually believe I mean it when I say it, though.”

“Maybe he does, too, but deep down Ah think he’s scared. An’ Ah think the Professor agrees, or he wouldn’t be keeping us here in the city after Remy already turned us down.”

“What could he be afraid of with us that’s worse than what’s out there?” Pietro said in confusion. He shook his head. “I meant what I said to him, it’s not so bad at the Institute, at least so far. Logan’s an okay guy, I sorta like him. And Mystique … I’m still working on trusting her fully, but if she’s sincere, it’ll be a different relationship than we had with her before. A nicer one.” He looked at her. “There’s something else happening at the Institute that I never figured on, though.”

“What’s that, Hummingbird?” Rogue asked, smiling.

He reached out and fingered her hair carefully. “It gave me the chance to spend more time with you. I’ve always liked you, you know.”

“Have you?” Rogue said softly.

“Yeah, but I was too in love with myself to think seriously about having a girlfriend.” Pietro grinned sheepishly. “And by the time it started to dawn on me, you were gone.”

“Ah wasn’t on another planet, Pietro,” Rogue reminded him. “Even Lance pursued Kitty while we were on opposite sides.”

“Yeah, but Lance gave up a lot of his pride to do that – we ribbed him about it all the time.”

Rogue threw up her hands. “Ah’ll never understand boys and their egos!”

“You don’t have to – you’re a girl,” Pietro said simply. “And a sexy one at
that.”

“Hmmph.” Rogue tried not to smile and failed. “Well, yer pretty sexy yerself, boy. Like you didn’t know that already.”

Pietro laughed. “You know me so well! But it’s nicer to hear _you_ say it.”

Rogue reached out and put her gloved hand over his. “Okay, so we both think each other is sexy. Nothing can come of it, you know.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Pietro remarked. “Okay, so there are definitely some things we’ll never be able to do, but I’ve thought about it and there’s at least one thing I’d like to try.” He winked. “With your permission, of course.”

Rogue’s green eyes gleamed. “You’ve got it.”

Pietro faced her and put his hands on her shoulders. She stared at him – what was whizzing through that speed-of-light brain of his?

Then it happened. It was too quick to see him do it, but she felt it.

He’d kissed her. On the lips.

And he was still standing.

“Pietro?” she whispered, putting her fingers against her lips. He was there in her head all right – just a touch of him. There’d been contact for sure.

He’d KISSED her!

“Whew!” Pietro had a hand to his forehead and was weaving on his feet slightly, but he gave her a mischievous grin. “You sure know how to go to a guy’s head!”

“Are you all right?!” Rogue grabbed his shoulders to steady him.

“Oh sure, I’m fine. It’s already clearing up. It was just a quick rush – hey, isn’t that redundant?”

Rogue smacked him on the arm. “You could have been hurt, you idiot! Why’d you do that?!”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he asked. “I like you and I wanted to kiss you.” He beamed. “I figured if anyone on the planet could do it, I could. Who else is fast enough?”

Tears filled Rogue’s eyes. “Ah ought to knock you upside yer fool head.”

“But you won’t,” he said with a smile. It faded slightly. “Right?”

She hugged him tightly. “Right,” she murmured.

Pietro put his arms around her and squeezed. “Don’t be mad at me, Rogue. We’d never know if we didn’t try, and I knew you wouldn’t consent if I told you ahead of time.” He pulled back and looked at her happily. “I mean, I know it wasn’t _much_ of a kiss at that speed, but it’s better than nothing, isn’t it?”

Rogue wiped her eyes. “Ah thought it was beautiful. And _you’re_ beautiful for thinking of it and risking yer neck for me.”

“For _us_,” he corrected, eyes twinkling. “I’m hoping to do it again. Often.”

She grinned. “So long as it doesn’t do you any harm, Ah ain’t about to stop you!”

--

Remy shuffled his deck of cards idly. If nothing else, the meeting with those other mutants had given him his focus back. Protecting himself was all-important now – he couldn’t afford to trust anybody. Especially not some bald telepath inviting him into his home.

Been there, done that.

Although, Remy had to admit, the kids intrigued him. Rogue’s cute Southern accent made him smile. And her lovely green eyes did something else to him entirely. He hated to think that the bald man or any of the other adults had forced her to do something unsavory in order to stay at that Institute, but they probably had. What a shame.

Tucking the cards away in his coat pocket, Remy wondered what would happen if he went to the hotel where Rogue was staying and asked her to stay with _him_ instead. She’d be safely away from their coercion then. He sighed. But then she would be a target for his enemies. Too bad – he’d have liked to save her, and all those kids with her – but taking them from one bad situation into a worse one wasn’t an option.

A woman screamed nearby and Remy ducked instinctively. A bullet whizzed over his head and struck the man behind him in the shoulder. Remy ran. He couldn’t throw any charged items into the crowd, so escape was his only choice.

He was going to die if this kept up. There were too many assassins – he couldn’t recognize them all before they had a chance at him. If that woman hadn’t screamed at the sight of the gun, he’d be dead _now_.

What the hell was he going to do?



part 36

“Everyone, come look at this.”

The X-Men and Brotherhood assembled in the living room of the hotel suite at the Professor’s mental summons. They watched the news report showing a murder attempt on Bourbon Street. Someone had caught it on their home movie camera.

“There’s Remy!” Rogue gasped, staring.

“Yes,” the Professor said grimly. “He escaped injury, but the man near him was struck.”

“The kid’s not only a danger to himself out there, but to everyone around him,” Logan said. “I say we go with Todd’s suggestion after all.”

“Yeah!” Todd cheered.

“We can’t force him,” the Professor said firmly. “He’d only run away.”

“Not if we break his legs!” Todd said helpfully.

“Now _that_ I don’t agree with,” Logan said, giving Todd a light cuff.

“What is the boy afraid of, Charles?” Mystique asked. “Why wouldn’t he come yesterday?”

“Someone tried to take advantage of him when he accepted their invitation to go to their home,” the Professor explained. “He’s understandably cautious now.”

“There’s got to be a way to convince him we aren’t like that,” Mystique said with a sigh.

“I think the answer lies with the children,” Professor Xavier told her. “Remy won’t
believe any of we adults at this stage.”

“Then let _us_ go, Professor!” Rogue spoke up quickly. “Pietro and Ah already talked to him some, an’ Ah think he might respond if we have another chance at him!”

“Yeah, she’s right.” Pietro nodded. “We can do it.”

“All right,” the Professor said. “But I want Kurt and Todd to go with you so you can get out quickly in case of danger.”

“Hey, ‘quick’ is my first name!” Pietro grinned.

“Yes, but you can’t carry Rogue with you,” Mystique pointed out. “Kurt can.”

“And carry Remy, too,” Rogue said firmly. “The danger is following _him_, so we have to protect him.”

“Of course,” Kurt agreed. “He’s the one we came to help.” He frowned. “But why is Todd coming? He’s just an extra person for me to have to ‘port.”

“He’s another set of eyes that can be watching for trouble while Rogue and Pietro are speaking to Remy,” the Professor explained. “With you and Todd standing guard, you’ll all have more chance of returning safely.” the Professor said. “Now I’ll find out where he is currently and you four can get started.”

“Be careful,” Mystique cautioned, worry written into her features. “I don’t like sending you into a situation where people are being shot at.”

“You didn’t send us, Rogue and I volunteered,” Pietro said. “And Kurt and Todd can back out if they want.”

“No way,” Kurt said.

“For once I agree with Fuzzball,” Todd said. “Although dodgin’ bullets ain’t exactly my favorite way to spend a day.”

“Just don’t take any stupid chances,” Logan told him. “We want you back in one piece.”

“We’ll be fine,” Rogue said. “Now let’s get going!”

Scott leaned toward Jean. “Pretty anxious to run into the line of fire, isn’t she?”

“It could be her sense of duty,” Jean remarked, then smiled. “But I think it’s more likely a pair of sexy red and black eyes.”

“Huh?” said Scott blankly.

Jean patted his shoulder. “Never mind.”

--

Remy put down the payphone receiver. He was relieved to hear that the man who’d been struck by the bullet would be all right, but how long would luck like that hold? Sooner or later, some innocent person would die in his place. And he knew better than to think the Assassins or Thieves would ever give up. As long as he remained in New Orleans, they’d continue to track him down.

He didn’t want to admit it, but Remy knew he’d have to leave this city he loved, where he’d lived his whole life. It was both galling and depressing to know he was being driven away.

“Remy?”

He whipped around, playing card in hand, ready to be charged. Then he recognized Rogue and relaxed. “Bonjour, petite,” he said, and noticed she wasn’t alone. He didn’t recognize one of the boys with her, but one of the others was Quicksilver, although he wore jeans instead of the costume of the previous day. Rogue herself was in casual clothes, and looked great in a short skirt. But why was she wearing gloves in this New Orleans heat?

“You remember Quicksilver – but he’s just Pietro today,” Rogue said, indicating the blonde.

“Hmmph,” Pietro folded his arms, “there’s nothing ‘just’ about Pietro Maximoff!”

“And this is Nightcrawler, my brother Kurt – you met him yesterday.”

Remy studied the boy, who wasn’t looking at them, but rather scanning everyone else in the area. “Dis is not de brother you introduced me to.”

“Yeah, it is, but today he’s got his holographic inducer turned on, for obvious reasons.” Rogue smiled.

Kurt glanced over his shoulder and nodded to him. “Guten tag,” he said. “Nice to see you again.”

“Yeah, and alive, too,” the other ‘sentry’ searching the area said.

“That’s Todd, one of my best friends,” Pietro told him. “He and Blue Boy came along to help guard us all while we talk.”

Remy sighed. “You know about last night, do you not?”

“It was on the news,” Rogue told him. “We’re all really worried about you.”

“And about anyone near you,” Pietro added.

“Oui,” Remy said, scuffing his boot against the ground. “I am worried about dat, too. A man … he got shot.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” Pietro told him. “It’s not like you asked those guys to target you.”

“De attacks, dey are coming more frequently now,” Remy said. “I think dey have upped de ante on my head, or maybe put a time limit on de amount so dat it goes down if I’m not dead soon.”

“Remy, now that you know what _can_ happen – other people getting hurt – you know you can’t stay here, right?” Rogue met his eyes.

“I was just thinking about dat when you came,” he admitted.

“Then please reconsider coming with us ta the Institute,” Rogue urged. “Ah swear to you, there’s nothing to be afraid of. No one there has ever hurt us.”

“Except for blue boy getting his butt kicked yesterday,” Pietro piped up.

“Oh, thanks a lot!” Kurt yelled over at him. “Tell everyone in the world about it!”

“You deserved it!” Todd shouted back.

“If I did, so did you!”

“Qu’est ce que sais?” Remy asked, looking curiously from they to Rogue.

“Long story,” she said. “But it’s nothing to worry about, really.”

Remy paused and looked thoughtfully at her. “If I go with you, no one will try to molest me?”

“No one except maybe the person you’re asking.” Todd snickered.

“What are you talking about?” Pietro looked at him strangely.

“He’s being an idiot, as usual!” Kurt turned toward Todd. “Will you be quiet and do your – “

“Look out!” Todd yelled and threw himself at Kurt, bringing them both crashing to the ground. A bullet ricocheted off the wall behind where Kurt had been standing.

Rogue screamed. “Kurt, get us out of here! Remy, Pietro, grab onto Kurt!”

Remy didn’t understand, but he could see the Assassin out in the open now, taking aim for a much closer shot. With one hand he pulled out a playing card, charged and threw it – with the other, he grabbed Kurt’s shoulder, hoping Rogue knew what she was talking about.

The explosion and the teleportation happened instantaneously. One moment they were out on the streets of New Orleans and the next they were all in a fancy suite in a hotel room with a lot more people around them.

“Sacre bleu!” Remy murmured. “How dat happen?”

“Are you all okay?” Mystique asked fearfully.

“That was close!” Pietro exclaimed.

“Todd, you can get OFF me now!” Kurt said, still trapped underneath the other boy’s weight. When there was no response, he pushed against him. “Come on, Tolensky!”

Rogue shrieked suddenly. “Oh my God, he’s bleeding!”

Logan was there in a second and bent down to turn Todd over. Both he and Kurt were covered in blood, and Todd was unconscious.



part 37

Lance ran a hand through his hair. He cast another glance toward the Institute’s infirmary door. What was taking so long?

Pietro was racing up and down the hallway unceasingly. Remy and Rogue watched him sadly.

Kitty touched Lance’s arm. “I’m sorry, Lance. I’m sure Todd’ll be all right. Hank and the Professor know what they’re doing, and both Logan and Mystique have experience with gunshot wounds ….”

“He has to be okay,” Lance said. “He has to be.” He bit his lip. Kitty embraced him and he hugged her tightly.

Kurt appeared in the hallway in a cloud of black smoke. Pietro stopped short of running straight into him. “What are you doing here?! Get lost!”

“I wanted to see how he was doing,” Kurt sounded hurt.

“If it wasn’t for _you_ he wouldn’t be in there bleeding to death right now!” Pietro snapped.

“Pietro!” Rogue ran over and caught him by the shoulders. “You don’t mean that – yer just upset about Todd!”

“What if he _dies_, Rogue?!” Pietro cried, tears filling his eyes. Rogue hugged him, careful not to touch his skin with her own. She could feel him trembling in her arms.

“I’m sorry Todd got hurt,” Kurt said, his voice shaking. “I never wanted that.”

“It is not your fault, Kurt,” Remy walked over. “De fault is mine. If I had agreed to go with you de first time, none of you would have been in danger. I am so sorry.”

“No,” Lance said, wiping his eyes as he separated from Kitty. “I don’t blame you for thinking twice about this place. We did, too.”

“It’s nobody’s fault,” Scott said firmly. “We’re in a dangerous line of work, people, and things like this are going to happen. I wish they didn’t, but they will. All we can do is our best – train hard and be as prepared as we can.” He sighed. “And even then, we might be unlucky, and someone could be seriously hurt.”

“Or killed.” Pietro said miserably.

“Todd isn’t dead, Pietro,” Jean told him. “I promise you that. Right now, he’s still alive. I can feel it.”

“But that could change at any second! He – “

The infirmary door opened and Logan came out. “He lost a lot of blood, but he’ll be all right.”

Everyone broke out into cheers except Kurt, who burst into tears. Scott hugged him. Logan went over and rubbed the back of his son’s head.

“It’s okay, Elf,” he said gently. “He’ll be fine.”

“He’s been blaming himself,” Scott told Logan, who nodded.

“Figured he would. But he shouldn’t.” He tapped the top of Kurt’s head. “Todd doesn’t blame you, you know.”

Kurt looked up uncertainly. “He doesn’t? How do you know?”

“In the X-Jet on the way home, he regained consciousness briefly. He knows he was baiting you. Again. And that’s how you got distracted. Maybe now you two can put aside your petty bickering and act like superheroes, huh?”

Kurt dried his eyes on Scott’s shirt. “Bitte, may I see him? I want to thank him.”

Logan shook his head. “Not yet.” He looked around at the other anxious faces. “No visitors right now – he’s too exhausted. In a couple of hours maybe. For now, go relax and eat something. Scott, show the Cajun to a room, will ya?”

“Sure, no problem,” Scott assured him.

“We’ll do it,” Rogue volunteered. “Come on, Pietro – yer not allowed to see Todd anyway, and this’ll get yer mind off things.”

“Okay,” the blonde sighed.

“Don’t worry, Hummingbird,” Logan told him. “As soon as the Toddpole can have
visitors, we’ll let you know.”

“Thanks,” Pietro said, then took a deep breath and grinned over at Remy. “Okay, Troublemaker, let’s stuff you in a room.”

Remy smiled. “With an invitation like dat, how can I refuse?”

--

Todd stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was red hair and a blue arm. Mystique was by his bedside, her face buried in her arms. He reached out a hand and placed it on top of her head. She looked up quickly, her face wet with tears.

“Hey, Boss Mom-Lady,” Todd said weakly. “Hope you’re not cryin’ over my worthless hide.”

“Hmm,” she said, brushing at her eyes and giving him a watery smile. “Would I waste my valuable time on anything worthless?”

Todd chuckled, then grimaced. “My shoulder hurts.”

“No wonder, it has a hole in it,” Mystique told him. “The bullet went clean through, but you lost a lot of blood. You need to rest.”

“I guess that means the guys can’t come in, yo?”

“Later, after you’ve rested more.” She stroked his hair. “That was a brave thing you did, young man. You saved Kurt’s life.”

“Yeah, I know.” Todd grinned. “He owes me, big time. Always wanted a personal slave.”

“He owes you thanks, not indentured servitude.”

“Aww, can’t I just put him on a little?”

“No,” Mystique said firmly, tucking in his blankets. “You two have had enough squabbles between you to last a lifetime. Isn’t this incident a good reason to put aside your differences?”

“Hey, I already took a bullet for him – what more do I have to do?”

“Just … don’t torture him.” Mystique sighed.

“I’ll think about it,” Todd said mischievously.

“_I_ think you’re already feeling better,” Mystique told him wryly.

“Hey,” Todd began, then shifted a little and winced, “ouch! Uh, hey, did the French kid come back with us?”

“Yes, he’s here,” Mystique said. “Mission accomplished.”

“Wait’ll we call Freddy and tell him about this,” Todd said smugly. “Our first mission here and I’m a hero!”

Mystique laughed and kissed his forehead. “You certainly are.”

Todd blinked in surprise. “You … kissed me.”

“Yes,” she said, “that’s all right, isn’t it?”

“I guess,” Todd answered, “but … no one ever has … before.”

Mystique smiled warmly and squeezed his hand. “Get used to it, honey.”


part 38

“Dis is a beautiful home de Professor has,” Remy said as he opened the French doors to the balcony of his new room.

“It’s your home now, too,” Rogue told him. She walked onto the balcony and leaned back against the railing. “Ah think you’ll be happy here.” She smiled. “Ah hope so, anyway.”

Remy smiled back and reached out a hand toward her cheek. “I know I will, petite.”

In a flash, another hand held Remy’s wrist, preventing him from moving closer.

“You don’t wanna do that, LeBeau,” Pietro said firmly.

Remy raised an eyebrow in his direction. “There is no need for dat, mon ami. I mean no harm.”

“Neither does he,” Rogue said, taking Remy’s hand in her gloved one and gently directing it away from her face. “He’s trying to help you.”

Remy looked confused. “I don’t understand.”

“My power,” Rogue said with a sigh. “When people touch my skin, Ah absorb their memories, and in the case of mutants, their powers, too.” She looked away. She knew she’d have to tell him, but had hoped it wouldn’t be _quite_ this soon. “It can be bad for the person who gets absorbed, but Ah can’t control it.”

“And for her, too,” Pietro said. “Sure, she gets their power for awhile, but having extra people in her head is pretty creepy for her.”

“I’m sure it is,” Remy said softly, gazing at Rogue with sympathy and regret. “I am sorry. Maybe when you get older you will be able to control it?”

“Maybe,” Rogue said with a weak smile. “But Ah can’t depend on it.”

“Non, you can not depend on much of anything in dis life,” Remy said solemnly and shrugged. “Twenty-four hours ago, I never thought I would live anywhere but N’Orleans, but I have not de choice anymore.”

“Maybe someday you can go back,” Pietro said.

“Perhaps, but I can never live there again,” Remy said with regret. “There will always be a price on my head.”

--

Scott was glad to see Kurt eat after they all went down to the kitchen – anytime the elf’s appetite was off it meant something was seriously wrong. Since Kurt was only having a bowl of cereal, though, it meant he was still bugged.

“Kurt,” he said, “didn’t you believe Logan when he said Todd would be fine?”

“Ja,” Kurt replied. “But now I have to figure out what to say to him.”

“How about ‘how are you’?”

“Well, that’s obvious, but I mean about saving my life. Do I say ‘thanks’ or ‘sorry you got shot’, or what?”

“You can say both if you’re unsure.”

“Ja, maybe I will.”

“Hey, you know what?” Jean said, getting up from the table. “I don’t think anyone has checked the answering service messages yet.” She went to the phone and punched in some numbers, then listened.

“One for you, Scott, from your friend Ken … one for Pietro from some girl … two for Pietro, another girl … three for – well, I guess the girls have discovered where he’s living now ….” She groaned. “Oh! Ororo and the boys called! Too bad we
missed it!”

“Yeah, I would have liked to have talked to Fred,” Lance said with a sigh.

Kitty patted his arm. “You should call him anyway, to tell him about Todd.”

“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Lance noticed that Jean, who had been smiling as she continued listening on the phone, was now frowning. “What’s up with you, Red?”

“Hmm?” She looked at him. “Oh, nothing. Duncan called.”

“Goodie,” Scott said. “I know _my_ day is made knowing that.”

When Jean didn’t respond, everyone looked in her direction, but she was punching a button on the receiver and then putting it to her ear again.

“What’s going on?” Kitty asked.

“I wanted to listen to something again. I don’t think I heard it right the first time.” She paused, and the frown returned. She put the phone down. “Kurt, Duncan asked about you.”

“Me?” the boy said. Jean noticed the tips of his ears were darkening again. Why did that happen every time Duncan was mentioned lately?

“Yes, he said he hoped you were feeling better.”

Kitty frowned. “Feeling better how? Does he know Kurt got spanked?”

“KITTY!” Kurt wailed, putting his face in his hands. “Do you have to just blurt it out like that!”

“Sorry,” she said apologetically. “But we all know, Kurt, and we’re all sorry about it. I just don’t know how Duncan could know.”

“He _doesn’t_,” Jean said firmly. “He knows Kurt got punished, but not how.”

“Oh ja,” Kurt said thoughtfully, “he mentioned that you’d told him I was in trouble.”

Jean stared at him. “And when did you have that conversation?”

Lance and Kitty watched with interest. This was getting good, although they weren’t exactly sure why. It’s not like Kurt was any threat to Jean’s relationship with Duncan – but the way the pretty redhead looked at him, she seemed to be thinking that way.

Scott watched as well, his expression one of concern.

Kurt looked uncomfortable now. “The same day you talked to him about me – he … drove me home. Probably felt sorry for me after what you’d said.”

Scott thought it was wise that Kurt was leaving out the trip to Burger Barn. Jean didn’t need to know that.

“Oh,” Jean said quietly. “Well, I’m sorry if I embarrassed you by talking to him about it, Kurt. I didn’t go into details, I swear.”

Kurt sighed and shrugged. “You may as well have, he probably guessed. It felt to me that day as if _everyone_ knew.”

“Was that the first time?” Lance asked him. “That they’d … you know.”

“No,” Kurt said with a faint smile. “And probably won’t be the last.”

“Well, maybe it _would_ if you behaved yourself for two days running,” Scott said good-naturedly and ruffled Kurt’s hair.

“Spoken like a true goody-goody who’s never been in trouble in his life,” Lance said wryly.

“Oh, come on, I have so,” Scott said irritably.

Lance leaned forward, looking straight into Scott’s glasses. “Name once.”

“Well,” Scott thought hard, “there was the time when Kurt, Kitty, and I used our powers in public to save a busload of children. It ended up on the news and the Professor was pretty upset – “

Lance shook his head. “Did you get punished?”

“Well … no. I mean, we saved the kids and all ….”

“When you can come up with something you actually got punished for, I’ll consider being impressed,” Lance said, sitting back in his chair. “But it’s not going to be anything like what Kurt has to deal with. You ain’t ever gonna get spanked.”

Logan walked in and poured a cup of coffee. “Who’s not getting spanked?” he
asked, leaning back against the counter.

“Scott,” Lance answered. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Kurt buried his face in his arms. “Do we _have_ to talk about this so openly?”

“No harm comes from talking, Elf,” Logan said and sipped his coffee. “No one’s giving you a hard time about what happened, are they?”

“No,” Kurt admitted. “Everyone’s been supportive, actually.”

“Then stop dwelling on it.” His father went over and rubbed Kurt’s hair fondly. “You did wrong, you got punished, you aren’t gonna do that particular thing again.” He looked over at Lance. “Now what’s this you’re saying about Scott? Why should it be obvious?”

“Well, think about it!” Lance gave a short laugh. “He’s Mr. Straight-Arrow-Rod-Up-His-Butt!”

“Hey!” Scott protested.

“I don’t think the thought of breaking the rules has ever even entered his mind let alone taken root there!” Lance continued. “And even if it _did_, he’d never get spanked for it!”

“Never say never, Rocky,” Logan told him.

“What do you mean, Logan?” Jean asked curiously.

“Uh, yeah, I’d kind of like to know, too,” Scott said.

Logan looked at them. “I guess you don’t know,” he said. “Thought you did. Chuck gave me free reign with all you kids way back when I first started as an instructor here. I know Ororo had it already, and he’s since given it to Hank and Mysti. How we choose to discipline _any_ of you is completely up to our own discretion.”

Scott’s jaw dropped.

Logan went to the sink and rinsed his coffee mug. “Anyone check the
messages?”

“Um, yes, I did,” Jean said. “Ororo phoned.”

“I’ll tell Chuck,” Logan said and walked out.

Kurt reached over and closed Scott’s mouth for him. “Welcome to the club,” he said wryly.



part 39

The phone rang and since Lance was passing it in the hall, he picked it up. “Yo, talk to me – I mean, Xavier Institute.” He shook his head. He’d never get used to being here.

“Hi, this is Taryn. May I speak to Jean?”

Lance saw Jean come out of her room. “Yeah, sure, just a second. Hey, it’s for you!” he called, waving the receiver.

Jean walked over. “Thanks,” she said and held out her hand. Lance lifted the receiver out of reach over her head.

“You gotta guess who it is first,” he said devilishly.

Jean rolled her eyes and made a motion with her outstretched hand. The receiver jerked from Lance’s grip with a strong invisible force that made him stagger. “Whoa!” he said. “Way to rip off my fingers, girl!”

Jean turned her back on him and spoke into the receiver. “Hello? … Hi, Taryn. How are you?”

Lance straightened himself up. “You telekinetics are no fun,” he accused, stalking away.

“What was _that_ he said?” Taryn asked Jean.

“Oh, nothing. That was just Lance being … a guy.” Jean sat down on the telephone seat. “So, what’s up?”

“Well … I’m not exactly sure how to tell you this ….”

Jean tensed. “Tell me what?”

“It’s just … people are starting to talk. Um, Jean … how solid are you and Duncan?”

“Duncan and I?” Jean said in surprise. “Well, we’re not _officially_ going steady
or anything, but we’ve pretty much been dating exclusively. Why?”

“Because … because my cousin works at Burger Barn, and she served Duncan the other day when he came in with … someone else. A guy.”

Jean sighed. “Taryn, you scared me for a moment. Obviously the guy was just a friend – probably one of his football buddies.”

“No, Jean, it was Kurt Wagner.”

Jean’s hand suddenly felt clammy where it gripped the receiver. “You must be mistaken.”

“My cousin knows Kurt – he practically lives in Burger Barn. And everyone knows who Duncan is,” Taryn paused. “It’s not the first time they’ve been seen together. I saw them myself in the halls, and Donna says she saw them riding in Duncan’s car while you were at soccer practice.”

“It’s all a misunderstanding,” Jean said quickly. “I was telling Duncan about Kurt having been punished and how his friends were leaving and that he was depressed. Duncan is a great guy – he probably ran into Kurt and took him out to cheer him up, that’s all.”

“Hmm, maybe you’re right. You know him better than we do.” Taryn giggled. “Wow, I’m relieved! I was afraid that Duncan was two-timing you with a boy, and one you live with at that!”

“Well, Kurt’s a nice kid, he makes people want to be nice _to_ him,” Jean said, twisting the phone cord around her finger.

“Okay, well, I’m glad you cleared that up! Hey, I’ll see you in school tomorrow, okay?”

“Sure, Taryn. Bye for now.” Jean hung up the phone, stunned. Kurt … and Duncan? Was Duncan really just being nice or was there something going on
there? And if there wasn’t – why didn’t Kurt mention the trip to Burger Barn when they were talking earlier?

“Jean?”

She jumped, startled. Scott was looking down at her in concern.

“Oh, hi.” She got up from her seat. “Did you want something?”

“I just thought you looked upset,” he said. “Who was on the phone?”

“Taryn.” Jean glanced at Scott thoughtfully. “She says Kurt has been seen with Duncan a lot lately. Including at Burger Barn.”

The fleeting look of guilt crossing the X-Men leader’s face made Jean gasp. “You _knew_?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” Scott said. “But I don’t think Kurt is trying to put one over on you or anything – he was hungry and depressed and Duncan offered to feed him, that’s all.”

“But why would he offer?” Jean said irritably. “He’s never paid any attention to Kurt before.”

“Well, what did you tell Taryn about it?”

“That Duncan was a nice guy being nice, that’s all.”

Scott shrugged. “So believe it. I mean, I wouldn’t say that about Duncan myself, but from what Kurt said, he’s not as bad as we think.”

“_I’ve_ been telling you that all along,” Jean said wryly.

Scott smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I know. But it’s easier to hear it from Kurt.”

Jean put her hands on her hips. “And why is that?!”

“No reason,” Scott said quickly. “Anyway, maybe you should talk to Kurt and Duncan if it’s really bothering you. See you later.”

Jean watched him go in disbelief. She’d never understand boys.

--

Todd tried to sit up in the bed and yelped.

“Careful there, Todd,” Hank told him. He wrapped a large hand around the boy’s other shoulder and easily hoisted him into a sitting position.

“Thanks, yo,” Todd said. “Laying flat and staring at the ceiling is boring.”

Kurt walked into the infirmary. “Mother said I could come in,” he said quietly. “Is it all right?”

“Certainly.” Hank patted his shoulder. “I’ll leave you two alone. Try not to destroy the place, hm?”

“Ha ha,” Kurt said flatly. “We’ll try.”

“Hey, Fuzzball,” Todd said as Kurt approached and Hank left. “What are you doin’ here?”

“Come on, Todd, don’t play games with me,” Kurt said. “You _know_ why I’m here. You saved my life.”

“Why, yes, I did.” Todd chuckled. “I’m still wondering why I did that.”

“Gee, thanks a lot!” Kurt said snidely.

“You can manage a better ‘thank you’ than _that_!” Todd exclaimed. “Geez, save a guy’s furry blue hide and get no gratitude at all!”

“I have gratitude, I’m _filled_ with gratitude!” Kurt yelled. “I wasn’t thanking you for saving me, I was being sarcastic because you’re sorry you saved me!”

Todd laughed. “Man, you are _way_ too easy to bug!”

Kurt forced himself to keep his hands at his sides so he wouldn’t wrap them around Todd’s throat. He tried to remember why he was there.

“Todd,” he said, “if you’ll let me be serious for two seconds, I really _am_ grateful for what you did. I’m sorry you got hurt.”

“Me too!” Todd said. “Let me tell you something – being shot _hurts_ and I don’t recommend it!” He grinned. “But I guess I’m glad I saved you. You’re the only one I can fight with around here who can keep pace with me.”

“So that means we have to keep fighting?” Kurt said in surprise. “We can’t call a truce?”

“Welllllll,” Todd said thoughtfully, “I guess we can agree to fight on a less malicious level.”

Kurt grinned. “Okay, deal.”

“Outta the way, Blue Boy,” Lance said as he came in. “Pietro and I want to see our bud now.”

Pietro arrived at Todd’s bedside. “Hey, Todd! How’re you doing?”

“I hurt, whaddya think, yo?”

Kurt slipped away, leaving the Brotherhood to their reunion.

“Man, I can’t wait to get outta here,” Todd said, then winced. “Although, laying here is good, too.”

“Don’t rush it, man, we want you in good shape,” Lance told him.

Pietro nodded. “Yeah, for sure.” He grinned evilly. “After all, you don’t want to miss any more of those Danger Room sessions than absolutely necessary, right?”

“Drop dead, yo.”

Lance laughed. It was good to be there with Todd and Pietro – he just wished Freddy was still there, too. He looked at Pietro suddenly. “Hey, where’s Rogue? I thought you two were joined at the hip.”

Todd perked up. “Huh, what’s this? Have I missed something important?”

“Aw, come on, Todd,” Lance said. “You must have seen how often Pietro and Rogue have been together lately. Practically since we moved in they’ve been hanging out.”

“Hey, now that you mention it, they _have_ kinda been doing the twosome thing lately.” Todd looked at Pietro, who was trying to pull off a nonchalant expression. “So come on, Quickie, spill it. Are you and Rogue just friends or what, yo?”

Pietro grinned. “What do you guys expect? That I should kiss and tell?”

“More like ‘kiss and drop’ where Rogue is concerned,” Lance said.

Pietro blew on his fist and rubbed it against his chest. “Not for me.”

Todd and Lance stared at him, then Todd said slowly, “Are you sayin’ …?”

“Yep!” Pietro beamed. “I kissed Rogue and stayed conscious to talk about it.”

“That’s impossible!” Lance exclaimed.

“As I said before, not for me,” Pietro told him. “I’d been thinking about it for a while, and I realized I might just be fast enough to kiss her and not suffer the usual consequences.”

“And it worked?” Todd said, wide-eyed.

“Sure did. Oh, I got a bit of a head rush.” He winked. “But maybe that wasn’t her mutant power at work at all.”

Lance shook his head. “Well, I’m impressed, man. I mean, it can’t have been any kind of lingering kiss at all, but it’s still more than she ever expected, I’m sure.”

“Does this mean you guys are girlfriend/boyfriend now?” Todd asked.

Pietro smiled. “I think so.”

“Cool, man, congratulations!” Lance grinned. “Now you won’t be able to bug me about Kitty anymore!”

“Maybe he can’t, but now I can bug _both_ of you,” Todd said cheerfully. “Anyway, Pietro, getting back to the original question – where’s Rogue now?”

“Showing Remy around, I think.”

“Oh yeah?” Lance said quietly. “Hey, Pietro, you might want to keep an eye on that. He was giving her some pretty interested looks from what I could see.”

“Yeah,” Todd agreed, “and she sure jumped at the chance to go talk to him again in New Orleans.”

“Stop trying to get me worried about stuff like that,” Pietro told them. “There’s no reason why they can’t be friends. I like Remy myself, he seems cool.”

“Sure he does,” Lance agreed. “We’re just saying … protect your interests.”

“Okay, fine, whatever,” Pietro said. “Listen, Todd, I gotta buzz. I’ll come see you again later.”

There was a gust of wind and he was gone.

“What d’ya think, Lance?” Todd asked. “Is LeBeau really gonna go after Rogue?”

“Let’s put it this way,” Lance said. “I’m glad it’s not Kitty he’s ‘befriending’.”



part 40

Jean looked over at Kurt’s empty place at the dinner table. The adults had just come in, and besides Todd, who wouldn’t be down, the only ones still missing were Rogue, Remy, and Kurt.

“Todd seems to be doing really well,” Lance said happily.

“Yes, he’s in pain, but is dealing with it bravely,” Hank remarked.

“Nothing wrong with his appetite,” Mystique said. “When I brought up the tray I thought he would tackle me, sore shoulder or no.”

“And here’s the dining room,” Rogue said as she led Remy inside. “Looks like we’re just in time.”

“Sit down, please,” the Professor invited. “How is it going so far, Remy?”

“Fine, thank you,” the boy said, taking a seat next to Rogue. “My room is magnifique – I was not expecting anything like dis.”

Rogue smiled at Pietro on her other side. “How’s Todd doing?”

“Pretty good!” Pietro said. “It hurts a lot, but his spirits are fine.”

“Where’s Kurt?” Rogue asked, noticing the empty chair.

“That’s what I was wondering,” Logan said with a frown. “I can’t smell him in the house.”

A sudden ‘bamf’ and Kurt’s appearance in his seat made Remy jump. “Okay, _dat_ surprised me!” he admitted, a hand to his chest.

“You get used to it,” Rogue assured him.

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t you, Elf?” Logan said, picking up his fork while everyone began eating.

“I’m sorry,” Kurt said, switching off his inducer so that his blue form was visible. “I had an errand to run.” He opened a bag he held on his lap and brought out two bottles of perfume. “Kitty, Jean, these are for you.” He passed them around the table to both girls. “I owe them to you for using yours.”

Remy raised an eyebrow and leaned toward Rogue. “Your brother, he likes perfume?”

She laughed. “Nah, he used it to play a gag on Todd.”

“Thanks, Kurt!” Kitty smiled, accepting the perfume. “I appreciate this.”

“So do I,” Jean said. “Thank you.”

“I won’t ever touch it again, I promise,” Kurt said.

“I hope not,” Mystique said. “And we’d all appreciate it if you two girls don’t stand too close together when you wear it.”

“That’s for sure.” Logan grimaced. “Those scents do _not_ blend well.”

Everyone chuckled except Remy, who smiled at Rogue. “I think I am sorry dat I wasn’t here for dis joke.”

“Just don’t say that too loud,” she whispered. “Kurt got in a heap of trouble for it.”

Pietro glanced over at the two of them thoughtfully, but didn’t say anything.

“Charles, would you like me to register Remy in Bayville High tomorrow?” Mystique asked.

“We may have to hold off on that, Raven,” the Professor said. “Remy tells
me that his formal education has been somewhat lacking over the past couple of years – I want to evaluate him before we decide what grade he should be placed in.”

“He’s got to get clothes, too, Professor,” Rogue piped up. “All he has with him is what’s on his back.”

“Yes, Rogue, you’re right, of course,” the Professor agreed.

“Back to the mall, Logan,” Pietro teased mischievously. Logan growled.

“That’s all right, Ah’ll take him,” Rogue volunteered.

“You still need an adult along to pay for it,” Mystique reminded her.

“If you want, I can go,” Scott offered.

The Professor nodded. “All right, Scott, you’ve got the card.”

Rogue stared at him. “You’ve got a copy of the Professor’s credit card? How come you rank so high?”

“Because he’s the eldest and he’s leader of the X-Men,” Logan told her. “And
because _he_ won’t use it to buy anything other than what he’s sent to get.”

“You know what I’m looking forward to?” Scott said in an effort to change the subject. “Getting Remy into the Danger Room.”

“Is there anyone here who _couldn’t_ have predicted that?” Lance asked, rolling
his eyes.

“Dare I ask what is a ‘Danger Room’?” Remy said.

“It’s the place where we practice so we can be in top shape when we go on missions,” Jean answered. “Like when we went to get you.”

“You’ll get your wish after school tomorrow, Scott,” the Professor said. “In fact, I’d like for all of you to come straight home then so we can begin initiating Remy into the team right away.”

“Great!” Rogue said happily.

Kurt laughed. “Since when are _you_ so excited about going to a Danger Room session?”

“Ah think it’ll be fun this time,” his sister replied huffily.

“The Professor says you blow things up, Remy,” Kitty said. “How does it work?”

“Well, cherie, what I do is I take anything – dis fork, dat mug, whatever – and I charge them with kinetic energy. Then they blow up.” He reached into his duster and pulled out a pack of playing cards. “Usually I use these. They’re light, they throw well, and you get fifty-two of them at a time.”

“Ingenious,” Hank said.

“I don’t know,” Pietro speculated. “Wouldn’t Tic Tacs be even better?”

Remy shook his head. “Non, mon ami. They are so tiny – hard to get hold of and keep hold of.” He winked. “Drop one after it’s charged, an’ I blow my own foot off!”

“Scary thought,” Mystique said.

“How big a blast can you make?” Lance asked.

“Depends on how big de charge. I can make a little bang or a devastating boom.” He smiled a little. “I am not always so good with control. Usually, I overcompensate and make big boom for everything.”

“We’ll help you gain that control, Remy,” the Professor promised him. “Everyone here is still learning.”

“Except me,” Pietro bragged. “I already have perfect control of my power.”

“Too bad it doesn’t extend to your mouth,” Logan said wryly.

--

“Kurt, I need to talk to you.”

For some reason, when Kurt heard Jean say those words after dinner, it sent an ominous chill through him. He forced a smile and turned away from his bedroom doorway to look at her. “Sure, Jean, what about?”

She nodded into the room. “Let’s go in. It’s kind of personal.”

Kurt reluctantly preceded her into the room. He’d give Lance everything he owned to cause an earthquake about now.

Jean shut the door. “I just want to say before we begin that I don’t want to make a big deal of this – I just want to know what, if anything, is going on.”

Kurt sat down on the bed and swallowed. “Okay.”

Jean leaned back against his desk and regarded him seriously. “You were in Burger Barn with Duncan, right?”

Kurt blinked and although she wasn’t purposely trying to ‘read’ him, Jean felt a sudden and extreme swell of fear, and something else. Guilt?

“J-Ja, we were, I mean I was,” Kurt stammered. “But it wasn’t anything – I mean it was something, but not what you’re thinking. If you’re thinking anything, that is! He was just being nice, that’s all. We talked about parents and stuff.”

Jean wasn’t sure what to think. Kurt was an honest kid, but the emotions he was projecting were contradicting his words. Probably he was just confused.

Maybe it was _Duncan_ she should talk to about this.

“All right,” she said and headed for the door.

“Jean?”

She paused and looked back. “Yes, Kurt?”

He had a hangdog expression on his blue furry face. The kind that usually made her want to hug him. “Are you angry with me?” he asked in a small voice.

She smiled. “No, I’m not angry, Kurt.” Not _yet_, she thought, and left the room.


part 41

Scott wondered if he’d still have volunteered to take Remy and Rogue shopping if he knew Pietro would be going as well.

He doubted it.

“Where’d that guy get to _this_ time?!” he complained, looking around for the platinum blonde head that was nowhere to be seen.

“Hmm?” Rogue looked over from where she stood with Remy in front of a mirror, adjusting a jacket on him. “Pietro? Ah think he ran over to the Gap.”

“He can’t afford that place,” Scott muttered, looking across the hall to the other store.

“Remy LeBeau, stop fidgeting!” Rogue scolded. “You’ve got to get yerself a jacket – you can’t wear that big ol’ duster year round – you’ll roast!”

“I _like_ my duster.” Remy frowned at his reflection. “I need de big pockets to hold my ammo. If I can take de heat of N’Orleans, I think I can take de heat of N’York.”

“All right, all right, forgit the jacket. Let’s look at some jeans.”

“You two stay here – I’m going to go get Pietro,” Scott said, turning to leave. A ‘whoosh’ of wind blew by him and suddenly Pietro was standing in front of Rogue wearing a pair of tight black leather pants.

“Hey Rogue, what do you think?” he asked, turning around. “You like them?”

Rogue smiled broadly. “Whoa, yeah, I like them a _lot_! Wow, Pietro, they’re real sexy on you!”

“They look good, mon ami,” Remy agreed. “They suit you well.”

It took a couple of moments for Scott to recover the power of speech. “Pietro!” he finally managed to exclaim. “Did you put those on in the Gap?!”

The blonde mutant looked at him. “Yeah, why?”

Scott put a hand over his face. “You CAN’T try things on in another store
and run over here to model them! It’s stealing!”

“I’m bringing them back, so it’s just borrowing,” Pietro said logically, then grinned. “And besides, the alarms didn’t go off, did they? Obviously no crime committed here.”

“The only reason they didn’t go off is because you’re too fast to register on the detectors,” Scott said through gritted teeth. “But you’re going back and you’re taking those off _now_.”

“You know,” Rogue said thoughtfully. “If they’ve got stuff like that, we ought to bring Remy over to do his shopping there. Then Pietro can try on stuff and not get into trouble, and Remy can get some good clothes.”

“Sure, come on!” Pietro said and sped back across the hall. Remy took off the jacket, and he and Rogue left both it and Scott behind.

“If I was getting paid for this, I’d say it wasn’t enough,” Scott remarked flatly, and followed them.

--

Todd sighed. He was bored. Bored, bored, bored. Both Lance and Pietro had stopped by after dinner – they were going out, they’d said. Pietro was going shopping with Rogue and Remy, and Lance was taking Kitty someplace ‘special’ that he refused to elaborate on.

And he was stuck here in the infirmary.

“Hi.”

Todd looked over to see Kurt coming in. “What are you doing here, Fuzzball? I thought you’d be going out like everyone else.”

“I don’t really have anywhere to go tonight,” Kurt said and held up a deck of cards. “I thought you might be bored enough to consider a game of cards.”

Todd shrugged, then yelped. “Gotta stop doin’ that, yo,” he groaned, then managed a smile. “Anyway, I guess I’ll give cards a try. Beats starin’ at the wall.”

Kurt sat on the bed with him and shuffled the deck. “No cheating,” he cautioned. “I’m watching you.”

“Hey, _you’re_ the one with the extra appendage to pluck cards outta the deck,” Todd said. “I’ll be watching you _and_ that tail of yours!”

--

“May I open my eyes now, Lance?”

“Just a little further, Kitty. Trust me.”

I do, Kitty thought, or I wouldn’t be riding in your jeep at night, going who-knows-where because you won’t let me look.

It had been impossible to say no to Lance when he proposed the idea. He’d looked like an eager little boy, saying he wanted to show her something, and it was a surprise. A month or so ago, she wouldn’t have considered it, but she
_did_ trust him now. He was still Brotherhood, but he was an X-Man, too. And more importantly, he was her friend.

She felt the jeep stop. “Okay, you can look now!” he said.

Kitty opened her eyes and gasped in delight. They were in a secluded little cove, with a small beach surrounded by trees, and gentle waves lapping at the sand. City lights were visible in the distance across the water.

Lance got out of the jeep and walked around to help her out. “The boys and I have had a couple of good bonfires here, just the four of us. But since I’m the only one with a vehicle, I’ve been here alone, too.”

“I love it,” Kitty said honestly and smiled at him. “Thanks for showing it to me.”

“I thought we could have a little fire ourselves.” He brought out a bag of wood chips and another bag filled with marshmallows out of the jeep. “If you want to,” he said, pausing uncertainly.

“Of course I do!” Kitty said and took the marshmallows from him. “Let’s get it started!”

--

Logan walked up behind Mystique, who sat at the desk with papers spread out all over it. He put his hands on her shoulders and began nuzzling her neck.

“Hmm …,” she said, tilting her head back. “You’re not helping me get my work done.”

“How about we work on something else?” he growled in her ear.

“Logan, I lost the whole weekend in New Orleans and I _have_ to get this done by tomorrow ….”

“You will, you will,” he said. “Just take a break for a while.” He kissed around the base of her neck.

“These are unfair tactics,” she murmured. “But all right.” She turned in her chair and embraced him. He lifted her up and carried her to the bed, laying her down.

“Have I told you how much I love you?” she asked, smiling as he crawled onto the bed with her.

“Right back at ya, darlin’.” He kissed her. “And in case I haven’t told _you_ lately, you’re a good mother, and a good instructor.”

She hugged him happily. “Thank you.” She looked at him thoughtfully. “You know, I think having Remy here will be good for the boys. They’re not feeling so much like newcomers themselves with someone else to acclimatize.”

Logan began unfastening her shirt. “Mysti, like I said, you’re a good mother. But for the next little while, don’t talk about the kids, okay?”

She laughed and made her clothing disappear. “Better?”

“Much,” he said with a feral grin.



part 42

Kitty giggled as she licked some more sticky marshmallow from her fingers. “Wow, this stuff is like glue!”

“No kidding,” Lance said, studying his hand. “I can’t separate my fingers!”

“I’m going to go wash.” Kitty went to the water’s edge and dipped her fingers in it, swirling them around.

Lance joined her and began washing his own hands.

“Maybe sometime we can go swimming here,” he suggested.

“That would be fun,” Kitty said with a smile. “If you’d warned me, I’d have brought a suit with me this time.”

He grinned. “Guess you wouldn’t consider swimming in our underwear, huh?”

To his surprise, she looked like she was thinking about it.

“No …,” she said slowly. “But I did bring my Shadowcat uniform. I could swim in that if I leave off the boots.”

Lance laughed. “Great, but I can’t swim in my Avalanche uniform. All that metal would sink me like a stone!”

It was hard to tell in the moonlight, but he thought Kitty blushed.

“You can swim in your shorts if you want. I’ve seen you walk around in them at bedtime in the mansion anyway.”

Lance smiled. “Okay, let’s go for it!”

“I’ll go change behind the jeep.” Kitty ran back toward the vehicle and continued on through it.

Lance quickly pulled off his clothes, leaving only his shorts. He ran straight into the water and found it freezing cold, but started swimming anyway. When he stopped to look back, he saw Kitty swimming toward him. She paused to tread water and smile at him, and that’s when he realized it.

Her shoulders were bare.

She shrugged and smiled sheepishly. “I changed my mind. I’m in my camisole and undies, so no peeking when I get out of the water, okay?”

He held up his hand. “I promise.”

“Good,” Kitty said, then splashed him in the face. “Gotcha!”

Lance wiped the water off his face. “Oh, you’re gonna get it, girl!” He grinned.

Kitty laughed and began swimming away as fast as she could. Lance was happy to pursue her.

--

Duncan walked into the ice cream parlour and looked around. He saw Jean’s bright hair instantly and waved to her, making his way over to her booth. “Hey there,” he said, sitting across from her, “this is a switch – you asking me out!”

She smiled, but it looked strained. “I needed to talk to you – do you want to order first?”

He studied her expression. “Maybe we should talk first. You look tense.”

“Maybe you’re right,” she said and drew a deep breath. “I need to ask you something, and I hope you won’t take offense, but …,” She looked at him, “are you interested in someone else?”

He blinked, then looked down at the table and rubbed at a crack in it. Jean frowned slightly. He’s not meeting my eyes, she thought. This isn’t good.

“I won’t insult you by pretending I _haven’t_ noticed anyone else,” Duncan said finally, then looked at her. “But so have you … right?”

Now it was her turn to be startled. It wasn’t true, she thought fervently. She
cared about Duncan, why should she become interested in anyone else?

An image of Scott’s face passed through her mind and she pushed it away, angry that her subconscious would betray her like that. And it wasn’t true!

Was it?

“Anyway,” Duncan continued gently, “Noticing isn’t the same as dating, right?”

Jean’s green eyes snapped up. “You _did_ date him!”

Duncan paled. “I – I don’t know what – “

My God, Jean thought. Now he looks guilty.

“Just tell me the truth, Duncan,” she said. “Are you interested in Kurt Wagner?”

Duncan’s face went from white to red and she had her answer.

“You could have told me _before_ you took him out, you know,” she said grumpily. “My friends are pitying me for being two-timed by one of my roommates.”

“Jean, slow down a minute, will you?” Duncan said and ran a hand through his hair. “I guess … I guess I _am_ attracted to Kurt, but I’m still interested in you, too.” He sighed. “Hell, I don’t know what I’m thinking anymore. I wasn’t thinking of it as a date when I asked him to Burger Barn – he didn’t feel like going home right away and I was giving him an out.”

“And it didn’t hurt that it meant you’d get to spend time with him,” Jean said wryly.

Duncan suddenly looked defensive. “Hey, I don’t hassle you about all the time you spend with Summers or try to turn it into something else!”

Jean flushed. “Scott has nothing to do with this!”

“He has as much to do with it as Kurt does – maybe more!” Duncan insisted. “I’m not just a dumb jock, Jean, and I’ve seen how you look at him sometimes, _especially_ when some other girl is talking to him!”

Jean turned away and tried to hold onto her temper. “Are we breaking up, Duncan?” she asked quietly.

“If we are, it’s because you want us to,” he said. “Not me.”

“Is it?” She looked at him curiously. “You aren’t interested in dating Kurt again?”

Duncan didn’t answer right away. After a minute, he sighed resignedly. “I guess I am.”

Jean nodded. “Okay. Thanks for being honest.” She picked up her purse and stood.

“Hey, wait a minute, Jean.” Duncan caught her hand. “I’m not trying to hurt your feelings or anything! I still like you a lot.”

“I like you too, Duncan,” she admitted. “But I don’t want to wait around for you to get Kurt out of your system.” She took her hand from his grasp and started to leave.

Duncan got up and went after her. “Well, are we at least still friends?” he asked.

“Right now, I’m not even sure I’m still friends with Kurt,” Jean replied and walked out.



part 43

“I said _no_, Pietro!” Scott told the blonde mutant for the tenth time as he went through the stack of clothes they’d gathered for Remy.

“Aw, come on, Rogue _likes_ these pants on me!” Pietro put the leather pants on top of Remy’s pile. Scott took them off again.

“You _had_ your shopping trip and you got plenty of clothes that day. You don’t need those, too.”

“It’s _only_ another couple hundred dollars! Moneybags’ll never miss it!” Pietro dropped the pants back onto the pile.

“Don’t call him that,” Scott scolded. “And while I’m responsible for this credit card, we are _only_ buying clothes for Remy!” Scott pushed the pants back into Pietro’s arms.

“So we’ll buy these for Remy and then I’ll borrow them. Permanently.” Pietro
replaced the pants on the pile. Scott shoved them off.

“For the last time, no!”

“What is de problem here?” Remy asked as he and Rogue walked over.

“I want to get these pants and Scott won’t let me,” Pietro complained.

“Why not?” Rogue demanded. “They looked great on him, Scott!”

“Rogue, the Professor instructed me to buy clothes for Remy,” Scott said in annoyance. He didn’t appreciate their ganging up on him. “Pietro had his turn already, and these are two hundred dollar pants!”

“Dis is not a problem,” Remy said. “Take off something of mine and get him de pants.”

“Take off something of yours?” Rogue said mischievously. “Is that a request?”

Remy grinned and winked. “Could be, petite. Could be.”

Pietro looked at them sharply.

“Remy, _you’re_ the one who needs clothes, not Pietro!” Scott declared.

“Mon ami, I don’t need so many clothes as you have allowed me,” Remy said reasonably.

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Scott said stubbornly.

“Principle schminciple!” Rogue said. “If Remy don’t mind, Ah don’t see why you should.”

“We’re not talking about this anymore,” Scott said decisively and handed the credit card to the sales clerk.

Rogue sighed. “Sorry, Pietro. We tried.”

Pietro was glaring at Scott’s back. “I should have just stayed out of the store with them.”

“Oui,” Remy agreed with a sad nod.

“_No_,” Rogue said firmly, putting her hands on her hips and giving both boys a stern look. “Ah know both of you have a history of thieving but you’re with the X-Men now and X-Men don’t steal!”

“I’m not an X-Man!” Pietro looked up from where he’d been watching Scott sign the charge slip. “I’m Brotherhood!”

“Don’t look at me.” Remy shook his head. “I just got here.”

“No excuses,” Rogue told them. “And _no_ stealing.”

“All right, let’s go,” Scott said, handing Remy a couple of bags and taking a couple himself. “We have to go get personal items and stuff next.”

Pietro followed them out of the store, making a couple of short darts back and forth and circling them.

“WHAT is wrong with you?” Scott asked finally, stopping. “Everybody can see you zipping around like that, you know!”

“I don’t care,” Pietro said. “They’ll just think they’re imagining it. And I need to move fast. You guys are walking too slowly.”

“Then go on ahead!” Scott told him in exasperation.

“Okay!” Pietro sped off and disappeared in the distance.

“Dat is amazing,” Remy said with admiration.

“Impressive, ain’t it?” Rogue grinned. “He lives in the fast lane, fer sure!”

“Now I know why Logan swore never to go shopping with him again,” Scott grumbled.

--

Pietro made the round of the entire mall and was back in front of the store they’d just left. He saw Scott, Remy, and Rogue getting onto the escalator to go down. Grinning, he pulled out Scott’s credit card, which he’d nabbed while speeding around the trio. He wondered if LeBeau the professional thief could have done it so neatly.

Going back into the store, he waited until the clerk who’d served Scott was occupied away from the counter, then quickly picked up the leather pants that had been discarded and took them to the other clerk, handing her the card. He’d taken note of how Scott had written the signature, and was sure he could duplicate it with no trouble. Then he would go out to the car and stash the bag, using the keys he’d also filched from Scott, and return both items to ol’ One-Eye before he even knew they were gone.

Possession of the pants he would explain later.

--

Jean walked into the X-mansion and shut the door. She was in a lousy mood and knew it, so decided the best thing she could do was go hide out in her room and avoid everyone until she felt better.


It was just Kurt’s bad luck that he came downstairs at that moment.

“Hi Jean,” he said uncertainly. “You look upset – is anything wrong?”

She looked at him and Kurt backed up a step. Her expression frightened him.

“You’re the last person I want to talk to,” she said. “Just get out of my way.”

Kurt felt a telekinetic shove and he staggered aside. Jean passed him and headed up the stairs.

Kurt stared after her. He couldn’t believe this was his ‘big sister’ Jean talking to him like this. She must really be upset. Instantly, he teleported to the top of the stairs.

“Jean, listen,” he said gently as she approached, “I don’t know what’s wrong, but– “

She stopped in front of him. “No, you don’t know, and I refuse to help either of you out by telling you. You’ll have to find out on your own. Now leave me alone!”

Kurt was suddenly lifted into the air and flipped back over Jean’s head, toward the stairs.

“Yahhhh!” Kurt cried out as he flailed wildly, finally grabbing the banister with his tail and landing skillfully atop it. When he looked back, Jean was gone.

“Kurt, are you all right?!” Hank bounded up the stairs to stop by him. “I heard you from the kitchen and came out to see what was happening.”

“Jean knows I’m an acrobat _and_ a teleporter,” Kurt said shakily. “I’m sure she wouldn’t have done that if she didn’t know I’d land safely.”

“Perhaps not,” Hank said grimly. “But I think I shall have to speak to her about it.”

Kurt put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait until she cools off. Otherwise she may hurl you out the nearest window or something, and _you_ can’t teleport.”

“No, but I bounce,” Hank said good-naturedly and gave Kurt a reassuring smile before heading up the stairs.


part 44

“We’re back,” Scott said, stopping the car in the mansion’s driveway. “Let’s get the stuff out of the trunk.” He popped the lid.

“Okay!” Pietro zipped around the back of the car and grabbed some bags. He was inside the house before anyone else was out of the car.

“Is he always dat eager to help?” Remy asked.

“Never,” Scott and Rogue said in unison.

--

Pietro zoomed up the stairs and into Remy’s room, chucked his bags onto the bed, then sped to his own room, where he put the bag with the leather pants under the bed. He made sure the whole process was so fast, no one would have seen more than a blur.

He was pretty sure Rogue wouldn’t tell on him if she found out, despite what she’d said about stealing. He didn’t think Remy would, either, being a thief himself. But Scott definitely would.

“Hey, kid.”

“Yipes!” Pietro jumped to his feet, turning red. Logan watched him from the doorway curiously.

“You all right? Sorry if I startled you.”

“I’m fine, of course I’m fine, why shouldn’t I be fine?” Pietro asked.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t give Scott a hard time in the mall, did you?”

“Of course I did. You knew I would. That’s why you don’t want to shop with me anymore.”

Logan chuckled. “Yeah, you’re right. Okay, see you later.”

Pietro watched him walk away and flopped back onto his bed. That had been too close.

--

“Thank you for helping me shop, petite,” Remy said to Rogue as they put the last of the bags on his bed with the others.

“Hey, it was my pleasure,” Rogue said. “You want some help putting it all away?”

“I would appreciate that,” he answered, looking around at all the bags.
“Otherwise, I think I’ll be at it all night.”

Rogue laughed and they began unpacking the bags.

“Ah think yer doing fine here so far,” Rogue said, placing some items in a drawer. “Everyone seems to like you real well.”

“I’m glad,” Remy said, then gave her a sideways glance. “Do _you_ like me, Rogue?”

She turned away from the drawers and put her hands on her hips. “Now what kind of question is that? Haven’t Ah done my best to make you feel welcome?”

“You have.” Remy walked over to her. “But what I want to know is how _much_ you like me.”

“H-How … much?” Rogue repeated lamely. She wasn’t prepared for the intimate look in his unusual eyes as he gazed at her.

“Oui,” Remy said, his voice softening as he reached up to finger a few strands of her hair. “I like _you_ very much, Rogue. I have from de moment we met. I felt
… some kind of irresistible pull. You understand?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “Ah felt something too, Remy. Back when Ah saw yer picture, before we came after you.” She forced herself to turn away. “But there’s something you don’t know. About Pietro an’ me.”

“He is votre amant,” Remy said knowingly. “Your lover.”

“Whoa, hold yer horses there,” Rogue said quickly. “You know Ah can’t be doing anything like that with anyone.”

Remy shrugged. “Does not mean you would not like to, n’est pas?”

“Yeah, well, that’s beside the point,” Rogue said.

“C’est vrai. The point is dat you love Pietro, oui?”

Rogue nodded. “Yeah. Ah do.” She sighed. “Ah feel terrible. And confused. Ah mean, Ah _know_ Ah love Pietro, but Ah’ve also got these strong feelings fer you, and – “

Remy took hold of her shoulders. “I know you are confused now, but don’t be. And don’t worry about Pietro. I know exactly what to do.”

Rogue looked as if she might cry. “What do you mean? Remy, Ah just told you how Ah feel about both of you, what can – “

Remy took her gloved hand in his. “Trust me,” he said, then in one fluid motion,
slid the glove off her hand.

Rogue felt near panic and tried to pull her wrist away, but his other hand held it firmly. “Remy LeBeau, what’re you doing?! You can’t -- !”

“You touch me, you see de truth?” he asked pointedly. “You see what Remy’s thinking, you know he will not hurt you?”

“No! It’s too dangerous!”

“Not if you give just a little touch, right?”

Rogue didn’t know what to do. It was true – she could just tap Remy and since their discussion was at the forefront of his mind, she’d surely see exactly what he
was thinking, but ….

The Cajun boy rolled his eyes. “If you don’t do it, I will!” He kissed the tip of his finger and tapped it against her lips. Then dropped like a stone.

“REMY!” Rogue screamed and knelt by him. How could he have been so foolhardy! Did he think he could possibly touch her with the same speed Pietro could? Honestly, boys were so DUMB sometimes!

“I’m okay,” Remy gasped. “I did not go unconscious, I just black out for a second.”

“What’s the difference?!” Rogue exclaimed, trying to help him up.

He turned his head and grinned at her. “Difference is, I was awake to hear you cry out for me.”

Rogue pursed her lips. “I ought to drop-kick you out the window!”

“Relax, Rogue,” he told her gently. “Just help me to de bed.”

She did so, then regarded him sternly. “An’ having done that, what was the point of the exercise?”

“You should know now,” he said. “Think about it.”

Rogue took a moment from her annoyance with Remy to realize what new thoughts he’d passed on to her through the contact. Her green eyes widened in shock and she stared at him. He smiled.

“I told you,” he said confidently. “I know what to do.”

--

Pietro pressed up against the wall outside Remy’s room, his heart pounding even faster than usual. He could hardly believe what he’d just seen and heard. Rogue loved him, but was also falling for Remy? Lance and Todd had been right. And Remy, he wasn’t mincing words – he wanted Rogue clearly enough. And now he was trying to convince Rogue to help him plot against him so they could start their own relationship!

It hurt, damn it. He’d _liked_ Remy, and here he was stabbing him in the back. But Rogue wouldn’t actually go along with whatever the Cajun was planning – would she?

“Pietro?”

He spun around so fast that Mystique took a step back. She blinked in surprise when she saw his face and her expression softened. “Honey, what’s wrong?” she asked gently.

Pietro didn’t understand why she was looking at him like that until he brought a hand up his own cheek he realized in horror that it was wet.

“Nothing, just leave me alone,” he said and disappeared down the hall.

At the top of the staircase, Logan felt the gust of wind. He looked down the hall at Mystique. “Was that Pietro?”

“Yes,” Mystique said worriedly. “And something’s terribly wrong.”



part 45


Lance pulled the jeep into the garage and shut off the engine. “Okay, we made it in time for curfew. Happy now?”

“Don’t be like that,” Kitty told him. “You don’t want to end up grounded so we can’t go back to the cove, do you?”

Lance snorted. “Kitty, if they find out we were alone at that cove, we’re gonna have a lot more to worry about than that!”

“Well, I don’t plan on telling them!” Kitty grinned and jumped out of the jeep. Lance climbed out as well and walked around to join her.

“They’re going to know something’s up anyway if they see us with wet hair on a clear night,” he pointed out. “I think we oughta take the roundabout route up to our rooms, if you get my meaning.”

“Gotcha,” Kitty agreed. “Through the back walls we go.” She took his hand and they exchanged a smile before disappearing into the garage wall.

--

Jean brushed her hair in front of her vanity in preparation for bed. She was beginning to have a few qualms about how she’d treated Kurt, but wasn’t ready to talk to him yet. She sighed and put the brush down. Between Duncan and Kurt, she didn’t expect to get much sleep that night.

A knock came at the door. “Come in,” she called.

Hank entered. “Good evening, Jean. I’m doing the bed check tonight.”

“I’ll be going to bed in a minute,” she said.

“May I take the opportunity to speak with you?” Hank asked as he walked over. “About what happened earlier with Kurt?”

Jean turned in her chair to look at him. “How do you know about that?”

“I witnessed the climax,” he admitted. “You know, Kurt could have been hurt by being flung through the air like that.”

“I suppose he could have, but I really didn’t think he would, with _his_ abilities.” Jean sighed. “But I suppose I shouldn’t have done it, anyway.”

“Truer words were never spoken,” Hank said. “The question is – did you really have a grievance against Kurt, or were you just taking out your temper on him?”

“I told him that I didn’t want to talk, and he wouldn’t take no for an answer.” Jean shrugged.

“Is that all?” Hank asked gently. “What happened to put you in such a mood to begin with?”

The redhaired beauty stood up and went over to sit on the bed. “I may as well tell you – everyone will know before long. Duncan and I broke up.”

“I’m very sorry,” Hank said gently. “I understand now.”

“Not fully,” Jean told him wryly. “The reason we broke up is because Duncan has developed an interest in Kurt.”

Hank’s eyes widened. “Oh, my stars and garters ….”

“_Now_ you understand,” Jean said.

“I do.” He nodded slowly, then put a large hand on her shoulder. “And I _am_ sorry.”

“Kurt doesn’t know yet,” she said. “And maybe it’s immature and petty, but I don’t want to help by clueing him in.”

“I imagine that he’ll find out if Duncan wants him to know,” Hank said, then looked closely at her. “Are _you_ going to be all right?”

Jean pulled back her covers and slid under them. “Maybe tomorrow. Tonight I think I’ll just be depressed.”

“All right,” he said and patted her arm. “Just remember – if Kurt doesn’t know yet, chances are he’s an innocent party in this. And he’s still your friend.”

“I know,” Jean sighed. “I know.”

--

Logan knocked on Pietro’s bedroom door. “Hey kid, it’s me. Can I come in?”

“Yeah.”

When Logan walked in, he found Pietro had sped out onto his balcony and was facing away from him. He went out there himself. “It’s bedtime, you know. Hank is doing check tonight, but I told him I’d come here.”

“Why?” Pietro asked, sounding like he really didn’t care.

“Because Mysti and I are worried about you,” Logan replied and leaned against the railing beside the boy. “What’s wrong? And don’t say ‘nothing’.”

There was a long silence before Pietro answered. “Rogue … she and I … we realized we really cared about one another.”

“Oh?” Logan said, lifting an eyebrow. He knew the two had been hanging out a lot lately, but didn’t know anything deeper had been discussed.

“I knew she liked Remy, but I didn’t think she _liked_ him, if you know what I mean,” Pietro continued, his speech speeding up even more than usual. “The guys tried to warn me but I wouldn’t listen because I thought Remy and I were
friends and now she and Remy have decided that _they_ like each other and he’s going to do something to make sure they can be together, and – “

“Okay, stop, time out,” Logan interrupted. “You mean Rogue told Remy she wants to be his girlfriend, even though she told you the same thing first?”

“Something like that.” Pietro looked at him, the pain obvious in his blue-grey eyes. “What do I do now? I thought about confronting her or punching his lights out, but I don’t want to hear Rogue tell me she doesn’t want to be with me anymore. I’m … scared.”

Logan sighed. “Well, Hummingbird, I’m in a bad position on this one. Rogue’s my daughter, and I’m not sure either you _or_ the Cajun are good enough for her.”

“Gee, thanks,” Pietro said wryly.

“But I do know one thing – it’s got to be her choice. Unless you don’t want to wait for her to make it and decide to dump her first.”

“I think she already _has_ made it,” Pietro’s voice broke and Logan squeezed his shoulder.

“Hey, don’t count your chickens, kid. You may still have a chance. I thought you were some kind of hot-shot ladykiller at school – you gonna give up so easily?”

Pietro looked at him in surprise. “You’re right. I’m not just going to hand Rogue over to him on a silver platter. If he wants her, he’s going to have to _fight_ me for her!”

“There you go,” Logan said proudly. “Tomorrow you tell both of them exactly how you feel and don’t mince words.”

“Words nothing!” Pietro retorted. “I’m going to wipe up the floor with Remy right now!” He attempted to speed back into the room, but Logan held firmly onto his shoulder. “Hey, what gives?!” the blonde mutant demanded.

“You’re not starting anything tonight – Hank’s probably sent him to bed by now, and that’s where you should be going, too.”

“I hardly sleep, anyway!” Pietro protested. “The best I can manage are periodic catnaps!”

“Then take one now.” Logan took hold of his other shoulder and steered him back into the room, toward the bed. “Get undressed and get in there and stay put until morning. Or if you _really_ can’t sleep, you can get up, but don’t leave the room. You know we all get up early around here – the rest of us need our sleep.”

“How am I supposed to sleep when I have a phony friend to destroy?!” Pietro exclaimed. Logan pushed him down onto the bed.

“Try.”

Pietro folded his arms and pouted. Logan patted his head lightly and walked out. The blonde stuck his tongue out after him. Lay awake all night and think about Remy plotting against him? No way! He’d wait until all the adults were in bed, then he’d confront his so-called friend and make him eat those playing cards of his.

--

Mystique glanced up as Logan entered the room and shut the door. “Well, what’s wrong with Pietro?”

A low growl began deep in Logan’s chest. Mystique looked over at him. “Logan?”

“Did you know Pietro and Rogue were ‘involved’?” he asked evenly.

“I knew they were getting closer,” she said. “Why? Does this have something to do with their being a couple?”

“I didn’t know they liked each other that way,” Logan grumbled. “I’m not sure I’m ready for this, Mysti. Rogue’s pretty young to have a boyfriend, whether it’s Pietro _or_ Remy.” He shook his head and held up a hand. “But I was good – I listened to him and didn’t rip his lustful, salivating head off.”

Mystique laughed. “Logan, for Heaven’s sake! He’s a fifteen-year-old boy, not a werewolf! And anyway, you _know_ Rogue’s about as safe a daughter as any parent can have – she can’t be touched!”

Logan folded his arms and snorted. “The speed demon’s pretty smart – he might find a way.”

“She could do worse than Pietro, you know,” Mystique pointed out. “I happen to love the brat and you said yourself that you liked him.”

“I know, I know.” Logan sighed and sat down on the bed. “Allow me my moment of indignant, overprotective fatherhood for my daughter before I start worrying about what’s wrong with our would-be son.”

“Does it have something to do with Remy?” Mystique asked. “You mentioned him before.”

“Yeah,” Logan replied and looked at her. “I think there’s gonna be trouble.”



part 46

Hands touching him. Grabbing him, trying to yank his pants down. A leering face, lust in the eyes ….

--

Pietro peeked out his bedroom door. It had been an hour since he’d talked to Logan, and he couldn’t stand to wait any longer. He focused on Remy’s bedroom door and darted over to it. He was about to go in when he heard something inside. Remy’s voice? Who was he talking to?

A chilling thought hit him. What if _Rogue_ was in there at this time of night?!

Well, there was only one way to find out. He burst into the room.

Remy was there, alone and asleep in bed. He was moving around a lot, murmuring in French and perspiring. Pietro had studied some language books one night to kill time and could understand most of it. Remy was pleading to be released, and was becoming more agitated, his moving turning into thrashing. Pietro sped to the bedside and saw tears mingling with the sweat on the other boy’s handsome face.

The attack, he realized. He’s dreaming about the attempted rape.

As angry as he was with Remy over Rogue, Pietro couldn’t help but feel a swell of pity for him. He’d seen Lance have dreams like this before at the Brotherhood house – sometimes he even woke up screaming. After the first couple of times, he’d admitted to his friends that some nasty things had happened in the foster homes he’d been in. Things like what happened to Remy.

“Non … NON!”

He had to do something. No matter what was happening between them, once was more than enough for anyone to experience terror like that – he didn’t need to re-live it in dreams. Pietro was about to lean over and shake Remy when he decided that standing over him would only lend more fear to his awakening. He crouched by the bed and reached out to shake the other boy’s shoulder. “Remy, wake up! It’s Pietro.”

Almost instantly, Remy sat bolt upright in bed, a charged card in his hand. His red and black eyes were wide and fearful until he focused on Pietro. “Oh … it is you.” The charge dissipated and Remy wiped his damp face, his breathing slowing down. “Je desole,” he apologized. “Was I shouting?”

“No.” Pietro stood up. “But you were seriously dreaming.”

“Oui,” he admitted. “I think it will take a long time before dat stops.”

Pietro saw that Remy’s hand was still trembling as he brushed back his long hair. He made a miniscule move as if to sit down with him then suddenly remembered why he’d come in the first place. He thought about Rogue and how Remy had betrayed him and his pain and anger flared back up full force.

Remy turned so that he sat on the edge of the bed and looked up at him curiously. “So if I did not yell, why did you come in? Is something wrong?”

“Everything’s wrong,” Pietro retorted. “And don’t bother playing innocent with me – I know all about you and Rogue!”

“What about us?” Remy asked. “You mean our interest in each other?”

“You’re _admitting_ it?!” Pietro cried. “Man, you’ve got a lot of nerve!”

Remy looked amused. “You just told me not to act innocent, mon ami.”

“Don’t call me that!” Pietro told him. “Friends don’t do to me what you’re doing!” He felt his eyes burn and as much as he wanted to punch Remy in the face, something still held him back. What the hell was wrong with him?

Remy stood up and walked over to him. “Pietro, mon chere, we need to talk.”

“Yeah, let’s talk about how you and – “ Pietro stopped and looked strangely at Remy. “Wait a second, what did you just call me?”

Instead of answering, Remy grabbed him and kissed him. Hard.

Even for Pietro’s lightning-fast brain, it took a moment to realize what was happening.

And another quarter-moment to realize he was enjoying it.

He’d noticed guys before, but had never kissed one. Remy was taller than
he was and his lips felt different. His hands were strong, his chest broad –

What the hell am I DOING?! He thought suddenly.

He shoved Remy away and wiped his mouth. “I ought to KILL you for that!” he snapped.

“For what?” the other boy asked. “Showing you how I feel? I am sorry I forced dat on you, but you weren’t in the mood to listen.”

“What kind of idiot do you think I am?!” Pietro demanded. “I _heard_ you talking to Rogue, okay? I know how you feel about her, and I know you want to have a relationship with her! This is some sick, twisted plan of yours to freak me out so that you can move in while I’m going nuts!”

Remy was shaking his head. “You did not hear me say _dat_. I told Rogue to trust me, because I knew what to do. Dis is what I meant.”

Pietro really began to wonder if he was losing his mind. “Kissing me?!”

“Well,” Remy smiled, “I meant just to tell you I was attracted to you and wanted to be your boyfriend. The kiss was a last-minute substitution.”

Counting to ten usually worked to calm people down, but Pietro counted far too fast for that. So he didn’t bother trying. “Your solution was to tell me the same thing you told ROGUE?!” he yelled. “What kind of game are you playing?!”

“It is no game,” Remy said calmly. “I am quite serious.”

“But you’re saying you want to have a romantic relationship with me!”

“Oui.”

“And you’re saying you want to have a romantic relationship with Rogue!”

“Oui.” Remy nodded. “And you two are already involved with each other.”

Pietro’s sense of logic was spinning. “So you’re talking about a ….”

“Three-way relationship.” Remy grinned.

The door opened and Logan glared at both boys. “I _thought_ I heard yelling in here. Pietro, get your butt back to your room NOW!”

Pietro glanced at Remy, then zipped past Logan, down the hall to his room. Logan turned back to Remy and looked him up and down.

“Well, you don’t look like things came to blows,” he said. “I knew he was upset earlier, but I’d told him to wait until tomorrow before talking to you.”

“Not to worry,” Remy said cheerfully. “Everything is fine now.”

Logan gave him a measuring look. “Go to bed,” he said, then left.

Remy smiled to himself as he went back to his bed. He had felt Pietro respond to the kiss. After he’d had some time to think things over, he’d realize that as unusual as his suggestion might be, there was genuine merit in it. Then they’d just have to convince Rogue, but he didn’t foresee that as being a problem.

No, the problem would be when the _adults_ realized what they were doing. But he was in love with the two most stubborn kids in the mansion. He was confident that united, the three of them could handle anything.


part 47

“Good morning, Professor,” Hank greeted as the two of them met outside the infirmary door. “I guess we both had the same idea about looking in on Todd before breakfast.”

“I checked on him during the night, as well,” the Professor said. “He was sleeping peacefully.”

Hank glanced at him as he opened the door. “Did you have some concerns about his condition that you haven’t voiced to me?”

“No, I was just restless and so took the opportunity to check him.” The Professor went through the door and Hank followed.

“Bad dreams?” Hank inquired.

“Yes,” the Professor answered. “But not mine.”

Hank was going to say something else when he noticed Todd sitting up on the edge of the bed. “And where do you think _you’re_ going, young man?” he asked as he walked over.

“I’m _bored_, yo!” Todd said. “It hurts, but I can take it. Let me have breakfast with all of you, huh?”

“I’ll check your wound,” Hank told him and began unwrapping the bandage. “If there’s no sign of leakage, you may eat with us, but don’t get any ideas about going to school.”

Todd grinned. “No danger of that!”

--

Lance came out of his room whistling. Scott, who was just leaving the bathroom, looked his way in surprise.

“Since when are you so happy to get up early, Lance?”

The other boy shrugged, grinning. “Maybe I had some good dreams for a change.”

Scott watched him go into the bathroom and shut the door.

“Good morning.”

He turned and smiled at Jean. “Hi! Did you sleep well?”

Her own smile was wan. “Not very.”

Scott was instantly concerned. “Really? Wow, I’m sorry! Are you coming down with anything?”

“No, no, just had a lot on my mind.” Jean patted his arm. “You’re sweet to worry, though.”

“Is there anything I can do?”

Jean paused. “Maybe I should tell you now, before you find out at school.” She looked at him. “Duncan and I broke up.”

The way Scott’s eyebrows shot up, Jean knew that behind the glasses, his eyes were huge. “You did?”

She nodded.

“I ….” Scott stopped himself. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Thanks for not saying you’re sorry,” Jean told him. “I know you wouldn’t mean it. You never liked Duncan.”

“The feeling’s always been mutual,” he said. “But … I _am_ sorry if you’re feeling badly.”

“I’ll get over it.” She tossed her hair. “Anyway, he’s Kurt’s problem now.”

“Kurt?” Scott said breathlessly. “You mean he really thinks he’s interested in him?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jean said wryly. “At least enough to know he wants more than just that one Burger Barn date.”

“I know you must be mad at Kurt now, but I hope he doesn’t get hurt by that guy,” Scott said. “He doesn’t have your self-confidence to fall back on.”

Jean sighed. “I know. And I’m working on not being upset with him – it’s not his fault. I’m more mad at Duncan, but then it’s not his fault either.” She gave Scott a faint smile. “You can’t help who you fall for, right?”

“Right,” he agreed with a wistful smile of his own.

--

Remy looked around the hallway and knocked quickly on Rogue’s door. “Rogue, I need to talk to you! Immediatement!”

She opened the door and looked at him curiously. “What is it?”

Remy stepped inside and shut the door. “I spoke to Pietro about us.”

“Really?” Rogue said, her expression anxious. “How did he react?”

“He was surprised,” Remy admitted. “Especially after de kiss.”

“Yeah, Ah guess he would be,” Rogue said, then blinked. “Say WHAT?!”

“I told you dat I knew what to do,” Remy said.

“THAT was yer big idea?! Kissing Pietro?!” Rogue turned away, feeling overwhelmed with confusion.

“Just listen to me, petite,” Remy said, placing his hands on her shoulders from behind. Rogue spun around in fury and knocked his hands away.

“Just what are you doing, playin’ head games with us?” she demanded. “First you say you love me, now yer kissing Pietro – “

“Rogue, I _do_ love you,” Remy insisted.

“Then why are you kissing Pietro?!”

Remy grabbed her arms and held her still. “Listen to me. You love Pietro, oui?”

“You know Ah do!”

“And you love me?”

“God help me, yeah, Ah do,” she confessed miserably.

“What if I told you dat I love Pietro, too?”

Rogue stared at him, her eyes filling. “Then Ah’d drop-kick you from here back to New Orleans fer toying with me! Ah thought it was a question of being with either him or you, not the two of you being together and cutting me OUT!”

“You are not understanding me!” Remy said in frustration. “I love Pietro, but I love you, too! I love _both_ of you, just like you love both of us!”

Rogue’s confusion began to fade as his meaning finally sank in. “Yer saying …? Nah, you can’t be suggesting – “

“The three of us. Not a couple – a trio!” Remy grinned. “Think about it, Rogue!”

Against her better judgment, she did.

And she liked it.

But she shook her head. “It can’t work.”

“And why not?” Remy asked.

“Well, for one very big reason – Pietro will never go for it! My God, Remy, Ah don’t think he’s ever kissed a boy before – he probably hates you now!”

Remy chuckled. “Judging from his response to de kiss, I think not.”

“This is crazy,” Rogue said. “Crazy and nuts and impossible.”

“It is different,” Remy admitted. “But then, so are we, n’est ce pas?”

--

Pietro came out of his room, feeling for once like he’d needed sleep he didn’t get. Laying awake all night staring at the ceiling will do that to you, he figured.

He’d gone over and over what Remy had said, not to mention re-lived the kiss a hundred times in his mind since it happened. There was no point in lying to
himself – he’d enjoyed it. And once he’d allowed himself that realization, he began to remember other things. How he’d found Remy’s picture attractive, and how the real thing had been even more so. How he’d enjoyed hanging out with he and Rogue together. How much more fun the three of them could have.

And yes, there was that guilty little part of him that liked the idea of being able to kiss someone who loved him. He adored Rogue, but she couldn’t touch him like Remy could.

He’d been attracted to guys before, and knew they’d been attracted to him. How could they not? In fact, he was pretty sure that Lance had a thing for him back when Kitty still wouldn’t give him the time of day. But living together in the
Brotherhood house with Mystique hanging around and her attitude about affection at the time – it just wasn’t worth the trouble to explore it. Then there was Evan. Now that the was gone, he could admit that he’d had more than a few thoughts like that about him, too. Maybe because of the intensity of the relationship they already had, he could picture it evolving if given a chance.

But all that was then. This was now. And now he was being made the offer of a lifetime.

One guy, one girl. Both of them gorgeous, sexy, and crazy about him. The best of both worlds.

He saw Lance heading for the stairs and sped over to met him. “Hey, Lance, can I ask you something?”

“Pietro, my man, I’m in such a great mood, you can ask me anything.” His friend smiled.

“What if you were interested in somebody but a relationship with them would freak out everyone around you and possibly even get you into trouble. Would you still go for it?”

Lance laughed. “I’ve been doing that all along with Kitty!”

Pietro thought about it and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess you have.”

“Is this about Rogue?” Lance asked. “I thought you guys already had an understanding.”

“We do,” Pietro said firmly. “It’s just that things might be about to change.”

“In a way that’ll freak everyone out?” Lance guessed, then shrugged. “I’m surprised you’d even ask me about it, man. After all, you’ve never hesitated to stir up trouble before. I actually thought it was your hobby.”

“True enough,” Pietro said with a grin. “Thanks, Lance!”

He left the other boy at the stairs and zoomed off toward Rogue’s room.



part 48

A series of rapid-fire knocks on the bedroom door made both Rogue and Remy smile. “Ah think he’s here,” Rogue said, and opened it. Pietro sped in, swinging her around in a circle.

“Good morning, beautiful!” he greeted.

“Good morning, yourself,” Remy replied cheerfully.

Rogue laughed and Pietro put his hands on his hips. “And what makes you think I was talking to _you_, you egotistical French playboy?!”

“Look who is talking about being de playboy!” Remy said. “I hear you were well-adored in school, and look what you have done here!”

“What do you mean?”

Remy walked over and put a hand against Pietro’s cheek. “You make both Rogue and me fall in love with you.”

Pietro was speechless. He looked at Rogue to see how she was taking it. She was smiling broadly.

“Pietro, relax,” she said. “You don’t have to hold back on my account. Ah love both of you.” She went over and put an arm around both boys. “Ah think Remy’s brilliant and this idea could work. No, it _will_ work, if we all want it. And Ah
want it.”

“So do I,” Remy said.

“So do I,” Pietro told them, grinning.

“All right!” Rogue cheered and the three of them shared a group bear hug.

“Now the question is – do we try to hide dis from the others?” Remy said, looking at the other two. “I do not care one way or the other. You two have the friends and family to deal with.”

“They’re yer family now too, Cajun,” Rogue told him.

He nodded. “Perhaps, but if dey get angry with me, it is not the same. I don’t know them dat well.”

“They’re mad at me all the time anyway.” Pietro chuckled. “Might as well be for something interesting! I say we don’t hide a thing.”

Rogue nudged him. “You just wanna see the fireworks, troublemaker!”

“Of course!” He grinned at her. “Don’t you?”

“Not yet,” she said. “Ah don’t want them getting any ideas about sending Remy away to the Massachusetts Institute or nothing.”

Pietro’s grin faded. “You think they would?”

“Ah don’t know,” she admitted. “But Ah don’t think we should take any chances just yet.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he agreed quietly.

“They already know we’re friends,” Rogue said. “They can just keep thinking that a little longer without knowing about the rest of it.”

Remy kissed Pietro on the cheek and Rogue on the hand. “Then it will be our secret, mon cheres.”

--

“Here, Professor,” Scott said as he walked into the dining room and over to the man at the head of the table. “These are the receipts from Remy’s shopping trip last night.”

“Thank you, Scott,” the Professor said, accepting them.

“Hey Todd, good to see you at the table,” Scott remarked as he sat down.

“Yeah, good for me, too, yo!” Todd said. “I miss everything being in the infirmary!”

“It’s great to have you back,” Lance told him. “Pietro will be surprised if he ever
gets down here.”

“Kinda weird, he’s usually so fast arriving everywhere!” Todd laughed.

Kurt appeared in his seat and took a wary look around. “Guten tag,” he said, then smiled. “Hey Todd, you’re up already?”

“Yep! Can’t keep a good toad down, yo.”

“So when do you want to schedule our first fight for?” Kurt asked mischievously.

Todd put a hand over his bandage. “I’ll get back to you on that one, Fuzzball,” he said ruefully.

Jean walked in and glanced in Kurt’s direction just as he looked up. Their eyes
met and Kurt gave her a tentative smile. Jean looked away, taking her seat. “Good morning, everyone.”

“Jean, did you happen to see Rogue, Remy, and Pietro up there?” Mystique asked.

“No, I’m sorry, I didn’t.”

“Hmm, I hope everything’s okay up there,” Logan muttered.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” Hank asked him.

“The boys are competing for Rogue,” Logan admitted, folding his arms. “Pietro was going to confront Remy about it, and I caught them about to get into it in the middle of the night. I broke it up, but they might be finishing things now.”

Mystique looked alarmed. “Maybe we should go check on them! They might be coming to blows!”

“No need for that, Mystique,” Professor Xavier said. “They’re on their way.”

A moment later, Rogue walked in with the two boys following. “Sorry we’re late,” she said.

Everyone watched Pietro and Remy closely as they took their seats. Pietro noticed the sudden silence and attention. “”What?!” he demanded.

“Nothing,” Logan said, giving the others a significant look so they wouldn’t contradict him.

“Well,” the Professor said, “Remy, after breakfast I’d like you to come with me so we may begin your academic level testing.”

“Oui, Professor,” Remy agreed.

“And don’t forget to come straight home after school, everyone, for Remy’s first training session.”

“We will,” Scott assured him.

The phone rang.

“Don’t people have any respect for the breakfast hour?” Hank remarked.

“I’ll get it.” Mystique stood up and went to the phone. “Hello, Xavier Institute,” she said into the receiver. “Duncan? Yes, this is Principal Darkholme.”

Both Kurt and Jean looked up, then Jean turned back to her breakfast. Scott gazed at her in concern.

“I’ll put Jean on this time, Duncan, but in the future please don’t call during breakfast.” Mystique paused to listen and a strange look crossed her face. “What was that?” She looked toward her son. “You want to talk to _Kurt_?”

Everyone stopped and stared except for Jean. Kurt seemed to sink into his chair, avoiding all eyes.

“Kurt.” His mother was holding out the receiver. He got up and went over to take it, turning away from his audience. Mystique went back to her seat, but watched him curiously.

“Hello?” Kurt said softly.

“Kurt?” Duncan’s deep, confident voice was clear and searching. “I can hardly hear you.”

Kurt cleared his throat and raised his voice. “Sorry,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

Duncan chuckled. “Well, I thought maybe I could do something for you, like give you a ride to school in something other than Summers’ bucket of bolts.”

Kurt glanced over his shoulder at Jean. She was watching him out of the corner of her eye and pretending not to. “I’m not sure why you’re asking _me_,” Kurt told Duncan.

“Because I want to spend some time with you,” Duncan said, then paused. “Didn’t Jean tell you? We broke up last night.”

Kurt swallowed. It all made sense suddenly. Jean’s mood with him and how she’d used her power on him – Duncan was interested in him and must have told her so. His heart began to pound. I should say no, he thought. I should turn him down until I know things are all right between Jean and I. Until she gives her blessing.

“Okay,” Kurt said.

“Great! I’ll be there in about half an hour, okay? See ya!”

“Bye.” Kurt hung up and returned to his seat. He picked up his fork.

After a couple of beats of silence, Rogue exclaimed, “WELL?!”

“He’s driving me to school,” Kurt said with a tone of finality that clearly stated he wanted no further questioning.

“I thought Duncan was _your_ boyfriend,” Lance said to Jean, puzzled.

“We broke up,” she said curtly.

“Oh,” Lance replied and looked at Kitty, who shrugged, her expression as confused as his.

Logan looked like he could have spoken volumes if given the chance, but Mystique touched his arm and shook her head slightly.

Todd grinned over at Scott. “See what I meant before?” If I’d stayed in the infirmary, I’d have missed all this!”



part 49

I can’t believe it, Kurt thought as he brushed a lock of hair from his face. I’m in Duncan Matthews’ car and he’s driving me to school. Me. How did this happen?

“Hey, you’re awfully quiet,” Duncan said. “You okay?”

“Ja, I’m fine,” Kurt said, smiling over at him. “Thanks again for the ride.”

“My pleasure,” Duncan said and glanced at him. “I’m sorry about the awkward moment when I arrived.”

“That’s all right,” Kurt told him. It wasn’t Duncan’s fault that he was getting into the car just as Jean came out of the house. The look she’d given them could have frozen hot oil. His stomach twisted and he hoped she wouldn’t be mad for long.

“I know all of this probably took you by surprise,” Duncan said. “It did me, too, once I realized.”

“Realized what?” Kurt asked.

Duncan looked over and smiled. “That you’re an interesting person and I find you attractive.”

Kurt flushed with pleasure. Duncan was a senior, and two years older than he was. And he found _him_ attractive?

“Thank you,” he said. “I … I find you attractive as well.” And it was true. Maybe Duncan hadn’t always been nice to everyone, but there was no denying that he was handsome, well-built, and had a sexy deep voice. Mein Gott, Kurt thought. I
can’t believe I’m thinking this way about him.

“You know something?” Duncan said. “You’re the first boy I ever said that to.”

“I’m honoured.” Kurt grinned jokingly.

“I’d really like to take you out on a real date – something better than Burger Barn,” Duncan said, sounding endearingly hopeful. “Would that be okay?”

“Ja,” Kurt said, smiling shyly. “I’d like that.”

“Great! We’ll finalize the plans at lunch.” Duncan looked up ahead. “Okay, we’re here. Ready to walk into Bayville High beside me?”

Kurt gulped, but nodded bravely. “Let’s do it.”

--

Lance leaned against the lockers and watched Kitty pull her books out. “Man, I wish we didn’t have to go to classes today,” he said wistfully. “I’d rather cut and go to the cove, wouldn’t you?”

She gave him a Look. “Don’t joke around, Lance.”

“Who’s joking?”

“YOU are!” she said firmly. “At least you’d better be.”

“Just think about it,” he cajoled, tugging lightly on her ponytail. “You and me, the private cove, no risk of intruders, everyone else sweating away in school….”

“I _like_ school, Lance.”

He sighed. He could tell he wasn’t going to win this one. At least not today.

Kitty looked at him and smiled. “Oh, don’t look like that. We’ll have plenty of time to go back.”

“Not today we won’t,” he groused. “We have to go straight home for that stupid practice session.”

“It’s important,” she told him reasonably. “Aren’t you interested in seeing what Remy can do?”

He gave a short laugh. “I’m already seeing some of what he can do. He’s very carefully trying to win Rogue away from Pietro while making Pietro think he’s his friend.”

Kitty frowned. “If you really think that, you should warn Pietro.”

“I have. He doesn’t believe me. And more than that, he was asking me about
relationships this morning and said his with Rogue is about to ‘change’, whatever that means.”

She chuckled. “Well, knowing Pietro, it won’t be a secret for long.”

--

Pietro draped an arm around Rogue’s shoulders as they walked down the hall and grinned at her. “You feel as good as I do today?”

“Are you kidding?” She beamed. “Ah feel great!” She slipped her arm around his waist. “Ah was so worried about what to do about you and about Remy … his idea never occurred to me.”

“Well, who _would_ think of something like that but him?” Pietro laughed. “Lance and Todd were trying to get me all upset about the two of you – I had no idea what he was thinking, either, until he kissed me!”

She nudged him. “Ah’m just sorry Ah missed that kiss! Ah would’ve loved to have seen the look on yer face!”

“Yeah, I’ll bet I don’t often look _that_ shocked.” His blue-grey eyes gleamed. “But don’t worry – you’ll see us kiss again if you’re good.”

“Oh yeah?” She tickled his ribs and he laughed out loud, pulling away abruptly.

“Don’t do that,” he told her, rubbing his chest.

“So yer ticklish, huh?” she said evilly. “Ah’ll remember that for appropriate punishment times, boy!”

“Don’t you dare or I’ll put gloves on and tickle _you_ so fast you’ll have to beg for mercy!” he warned.

She waved a hand at him blithely. “Too bad fer you Ah ain’t ticklish.”

Pietro was about to challenge that theory right then when he spotted Kurt come through the main entrance with Duncan. “Hey, look at that,” he said. “Does your brother look nervous to you?”

“Yeah, kinda, but then everyone’s staring at him,” Rogue said.

It was true – the other students were turning away from their own conversations to follow Duncan and Kurt with their eyes. Duncan strode along confidently, but Kurt’s gaze darted left and right, well aware of the attention he was receiving and clearly not comfortable with it.

“You know,” Pietro said, “you might want to talk to Kurt about the wisdom of starting a relationship with Duncan.”

“How come?” Rogue frowned. “Maybe they’re not a couple anyone figured on, but it has as much chance of working out as any other relationship,”

Pietro looked at her significantly. “Except that Duncan can’t ever touch him.”

Rogue’s eyes widened and she looked back to where Duncan was talking to Kurt by his locker. Would the football hero still be smiling if he knew his new love interest had blue fur and a tail?

--

Professor Xavier sipped his coffee as he watched the usual screens flash by on his computer. He had just finished the evaluation sessions with Remy and phoned Mystique with the results. Now he’d take a couple of minutes to do a little online banking before talking to Logan about the afternoon’s training session.

He entered his codes and waited, then skimmed the screens that showed his accounts. He transferred some funds, then paused. Something wasn’t right. After another few moments, he realized the amount charged on Scott’s credit card the previous evening didn’t match the total of the receipts. It was off by two hundred dollars.

It was completely unlike Scott to neglect to keep receipts, so he must simply have missed passing some on to him. They were probably still in his wallet – he’d ask for them later.



part 50

“Ptooey!”

Todd watched as another spitball hit the ceiling above his bed. He eyed it with a critical gaze.

A knock came at the door. “Come in, yo!” he called.

Remy entered. “Bonjour, Todd,” he said. “I thought I’d come visit you, since you must be as bored as me.”

“I’m not bored, man. I’m making art!” Todd pointed at the ceiling and Remy looked up. Dozens of wet paper wads were stuck in a developing pattern.

“Very nice, mon ami.” Remy grinned. “Would you like me to leave you and your creation alone?”

“Nah, I can get back to it later,” Todd said. “Have a seat.”

Remy pulled up a chair and sat down. “How are you feeling?”

“Could be worse,” Todd said. “So long as I move slow, I’m okay.”

“I never got de chance to thank you for risking your life for me,” Remy said seriously. “You saved Kurt, but you also saved me.”

“Hey, except for getting shot, it was almost fun,” Todd said, then grinned. “I kinda like this hero stuff. I like bein’ part of a group that supports each other. The Brotherhood was tight and always will be, but these guys have pretty much accepted us into their bigger group.” He dug some dirt out from under his fingernail. “We still got some individual issues, but basically, it’s all good, y’know?”

“I don’t know _yet_, but I think I will,” Remy said. “The only group I was a member of was de Thieves Guild, and you know what happened dere.”

“You got no worries now, man. These guys, they’ll teach you that control you need and send you out on missions to save other mutants’ butts.” Todd regarded him thoughtfully. “You know something? If things had been different, you might have fit in with the Brotherhood before the X-Men. You seem pretty cool – even Pietro likes you.”

Remy looked at him curiously. “Why should he not?”

Todd met his eyes pointedly. “Come on, French Boy, we all know you’re after Roguey. And she and Pietro have an understanding, if you know what I mean. You’re cuttin’ in on him and acting like his buddy at the same time.”

“Well,” Remy smiled, “you are half right.”

“Come again?”

“I _was_ after Rogue,” Remy agreed. “And I got her. But you know what else?”

“What?” Todd asked curiously.

Remy winked. “I got Pietro, too.”

“Huh?!” Todd gasped. “What do you mean?!”

“I mean Rogue was not my only interest. In fact, she was not my _first_ interest. I saw Pietro up close before I saw Rogue, and I wanted him. Then I met her and I wanted her, too. She was more approachable, and so we got together first. Then last night, I kiss Pietro, and now we are a happy threesome.”

Todd stared at him, flabbergasted. Eventually, he grinned. “Man, I’ve got to shake your hand! You are some smooth operator!”

Remy laughed and shook Todd’s extended hand. “Do not give me too much credit. I am lucky de two of them accepted _me_.”

“Hoo boy, wait’ll Lance hears this!” Todd cried.

“If you tell him, be sure he knows not to tell the adults,” Remy cautioned. “We are not sure dey would approve.”

Todd laughed. “I’m sure Logan _wouldn’t_ approve of his daughter dating two guys who are also dating each other, but I’d sure love to see the fireworks when he finds out!”

--

On his way to the cafeteria at lunchtime, Kurt reeled a little as a strong hand clapped him on the back. “Hey, Kurt, nice to see you.”

“Uh, thanks,” Kurt said, rubbing his shoulder as he watched the Senior walk away. He didn’t even know who the boy was.

This had been happening all morning. Everywhere he went, older kids were greeting him in a friendly way, both boys and girls. A lot of other Sophomores who’d never talked to him much were suddenly all smiles, too. It was a little disconcerting, but not unpleasant. It was better than being pushed around or being made fun of for his accent.

“Hey there!”

Now _that_ voice he knew. He smiled as Scott approached. “Hi!”

“I’ve been hearing your name all over school today, buddy,” Scott said with a grin. “You seem to be Mr. Popularity.”

“I’m afraid it has very little to do with me and everything to do with Duncan,” Kurt said ruefully.

“Don’t be so sure,” Scott told him. “Maybe being with Duncan got their attention, but you being one of the coolest kids in school will keep it.”

Kurt smiled at him. “Maybe you’re right. If popularity by association were that reliable, I should have been experiencing it before now. I’ve been _your_ friend and Jean’s since I arrived in Bayville.”

“Thanks.” Scott patted his shoulder. “Um, speaking of Jean, have you seen her yet?”

“No,” Kurt admitted, “and I’m a little worried. Did she say anything to you on the way to school?”

“Not much,” Scott admitted. “But we had talked earlier. She knows it’s not your fault and is trying to deal with it all. She may need some time, but I’m sure she’ll be okay and won’t hold a grudge against you.”

“Really?” Kurt looked relieved. “I don’t want to hurt her, not ever.”

“If Duncan isn’t interested in her anymore, Kurt, then staying with him _would_ hurt her,” Scott said.

“And besides,” Kurt added mischievously, “there’s someone _else_ who likes her who has a shot now.”

“Who?!” Scott demanded.

Kurt hit himself in the forehead and murmured something in German. “Scott, I’m talking about YOU! Now’s your chance to let Jean know how you’ve always felt about her!”

“Now?” Scott said weakly. “While she’s on the rebound?”

Kurt shrugged. “Unless you’d rather wait until she’s dating someone else.”

“Kurt, over here!”

Scott looked past Kurt to where Duncan was coming down the hall, waving. When he reached him, he put an arm around Kurt’s shoulders. “Sorry it took me so long – I had to talk to my last period teacher.” He looked at Scott and nodded. “Summers.”

“Hello, Duncan,” Scott replied. “Congratulations on stirring up a hornet’s nest at our house.”

“Couldn’t be helped,” Duncan replied. “At least when _I_ see something I want, I go for it.” He gave Kurt a squeeze. “Come on, Kurt, let’s go to my table.”
He began leading him away.

“See you later, Scott,” Kurt called over his shoulder.

“Okay!” Scott replied. “Don’t forget to go straight home after school!”

He watched them disappear into the cafeteria and scratched his head. “And what exactly did Duncan mean by _that_ crack?” he muttered.



part 51

Jean shut her locker door, grateful the long, agonizing school day was over. She hated being the object of pity, and even though the break-up had been mutual, everyone seemed to think Duncan had dumped her.

For Kurt.

At least now she could go home to the training session and work off some frustrations. Although for Kurt’s sake, she hoped they wouldn’t be pitted against each other.

“Hey Jean,” Scott greeted. “Want a ride home?”

“Sure, thanks,” she said, then gave a wry smile. “I guess Kurt and I have switched places in a weird way. He used to ride home with you, and I used to ride with Duncan.”

“Well,” Scott smiled, “I’m happy to have you with me, but I’m not sure I’m happy for Kurt. Duncan still isn’t one of my favorite people.”

“You and me both.”

They went out to Scott’s car and got in. “Have you talked to Kurt yet?” Scott asked. “I think he’s really worried you’re angry with him.”

“I’m not exactly _angry_ with him … I’ll talk to him after the training session,” Jean said, then frowned as she saw something across the parking lot. “Or I would, if Kurt was _going_ to the training session. Look!”

Scott followed her gaze. “Oh no.”

Kurt was riding beside Duncan in his car, which was pulling out onto the street, going in the opposite direction from the Institute.

“Maybe they’re just taking a quick detour?” Scott said hopefully.

“For Kurt’s sake, I hope so,” Jean remarked. “But Duncan can be pretty determined when he wants his own way. He may not have given Kurt much choice.”

--

I’m going to be in _so_ much trouble, Kurt thought as he tilted his head back to enjoy the wind on his face. But it’ll be worth it.

He was blowing off the training session. Deliberately. He hadn’t planned on it, but when Duncan suggested they go on their first date right after school, and smiled at him in that roguish way, any resistance he might have had crumbled.

“I hope you’ll like the country club,” Duncan was saying as they drove. “We can play some tennis or go swimming and then have a nice dinner in the dining room.”

“I’m not really dressed for such a nice place,” Kurt said, looking down at his school clothes.

“There’s no dress code, don’t worry,” Duncan assured him. “I’m wearing jeans!”

Kurt grinned, then a fleeting look of concern crossed his features. Duncan looked at him worriedly.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, then gasped. “Hey, I remember now! Summers said you were supposed to go straight home after school! You should have reminded me – I’ll turn around.”

“No,” Kurt told him earnestly. “I want to go with you. I’ll explain at home later.”

“No way,” Duncan said firmly. “Jean always gave me the impression that they were pretty strict over there, and you were already in trouble recently. I don’t want to be the cause of you getting punished again.” He pulled into a store parking lot and turned the car around.

“Duncan!” Kurt protested. “I just said – “

“I heard you,” the football player said. “But look at it this way, Kurt. Your family and friends are going to have a hard enough time accepting the idea of you and I dating at all – if I start causing you to be late and break rules, that’ll give them all the excuse they need to try and stop us from seeing each other.”

Kurt sighed and sank back into the seat. Duncan was right. If he missed the training session, everyone would be furious with him, and because it had never happened before, they’d blame his association with Duncan.

“Thanks,” he said sheepishly. “For saving me from myself.”

“Anytime.” Duncan smiled.

--

The Danger Room was starting to fill up with the Institute’s young mutants. Avalanche and Shadowcat were talking quietly off to one side, Rogue and Gambit were laughing at something Quicksilver was saying, and Cyclops and Jean had just arrived and were both glancing back toward the entrance with concerned expressions. All of the adults and Todd were in the control room.

“Has anyone seen Nightcrawler?” the Professor’s voice came over the intercom. “He’s the only one missing and he’s not in the house yet.”

Jean and Cyclops exchanged a glance. “We saw him going off with Duncan,” Cyclops admitted.

That got Avalanche’s attention. “So I guess it’s official, huh, Red? You got dumped for Fuzzball!”

Jean used her telekinesis to pull his feet out from under him so that he landed on his butt.

“Ow!”

“Hey!” Shadowcat yelled, crouching by Avalanche. “Jean!”

“Jean, that’s enough of that,” Beast said from the control room. “Remember what we talked about?”

From his position on the ground, Avalanche pressed his hand against the floor and sent a subtle flow of seismic energy across it toward Jean’s feet, then yanked it back. Jean lost her balance and fell on top of Cyclops, knocking them both to the ground.

“Oof!”

“Sorry!” Jean said, trying to struggle off of him. She accidentally kneed him in the groin.

“Ung ….” Cyclops fell back over, groaning.

“Oh, gosh, I’m so sorry!” she cried, reddening in embarrassment.

The Brotherhood members laughed so hard they gasped for breath.

“Knock it off, Toddpole,” Wolverine warned the mutant beside him. He spoke into the intercom. “All of you, cut it out. I’m coming down there and we’ll get started without Nightcrawler.” He left the control room, entering the Danger Room just as Nightcrawler appeared in a cloud of smoke, suited up and looking apologetic.

“Verzeihung!” Kurt apologized. “I’m so sorry I’m late, I – “

“Maybe you wouldn’t have been if you came straight home as you were told,” Cyclops scolded him as he climbed to his feet.

“Cyke’s right, Elf,” Wolverine said as he approached. “I hear you went running off with Duncan Matthews instead of coming here.”

“Only for a couple of minutes!” Nightcrawler protested. “Then he – “

“Don’t listen to anything Duncan tells you if he’s trying to talk you into something,” Jean warned. “He’s used to getting his own way.”

“Oh yeah?” Todd piped up from the control room. “How much of his own way did he get with _you_?”

“Todd!” Mystique cuffed him.

“Ow, hey, watch it! I’m injured!”

“Not in the _head_!”

“You sure about that?” Avalanche chuckled.

“Knock it off, all of you!” Wolverine faced Nightcrawler. “Next time you tell that guy you’ve got responsibilities at home and don’t let him push you around, understand?!”

Nightcrawler looked frustrated. “It wasn’t like that at all!”

“I don’t care right now,” Wolverine said firmly. “We’re late getting started.” He called to the others, “Everyone take your positions! Gambit, over here – I want to go over things with you again.”

Nightcrawler trudged into place, fuming. Too bad Duncan had been so stubborn – if he knew he’d be blamed for Kurt’s lateness anyway, maybe they could have at least had fun at the country club before everyone condemned him.


part 52

Scott looked up from his homework at the knock on his door. “Come in,” he said, putting his pen down. The Professor came into the room.

"I’m sorry to interrupt your work, Scott,” he said. “I won’t be long.”

"Don’t worry, Professor, I’m almost done.” Scott turned in his chair to face him. “Is it about the training session? Despite the shaky start, I think it went pretty well. Gambit had a _lot_ of power in those charges!”

“He certainly did. Repairs are being made to the west wall now,” Professor Xavier said wryly, then looked serious. “Actually, I came to see if you’d found any other receipts from Remy’s shopping trip. There are a couple missing.”

“What?” Scott said in surprise. He pulled out his wallet and searched through it. “No sir – I know I put every one of them in here, and they’re all gone. I’m sure I gave them all to you.”

“Hmm … that’s odd. There’s a two-hundred dollar discrepancy between the receipts and what was charged.”

Scott’s jaw dropped. “That’s impossible!”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I – I don’t understand how that could be.”

The Professor steepled his fingers. “Of course I know that you believe you had all the receipts, but is it possible any were misplaced or lost?”

Scott scratched his head. “But I was being so careful. Of course, Pietro was really distracting me, what with pestering me for leather pants and buzzing around us like an annoying bumblebee ….” He stopped suddenly, his jaw slack.

The Professor cocked his head curiously. “Scott?”

“Two hundred dollars …,” Scott said slowly. “The pants Pietro was after were worth that much.”

“How would Pietro not only obtain the credit card but use it without your knowledge and then return it to you?”

“Aw, come on, Professor, you know how fast that guy is! He could do it no problem!”

“Perhaps, but we must give him the benefit of the doubt,” Professor Xavier said.

“I don’t know what else could have happened,” Scott said. “How do we find out without accusing him outright?”

“Let’s go down to the library and discuss it with Logan, Mystique and Hank,” the Professor suggested. “Together we might come up with a way.”

*

Kurt threw down his pencil. He wasn’t accomplishing anything at this rate. It still bothered him how everyone had jumped on him at the training session, and no one had even considered that he might have another story to tell if they’d just listen to him. It wasn’t fair.

“Kurt?” Rogue walked into the room.

“Do you EVER knock?!” he snapped.

She put her hands on her hips. “Don’t yell at me, Kurt Wagner! Ah _did_ knock this time – ya just didn’t hear me or else ya ignored it!”

Kurt deflated. “I’m sorry, Rogue. I’m still a little bugged about what happened before.”

“Then why’d ya show up late?” she asked, bouncing onto his bed. He teleported himself over there to sit by her.

“If it were left up to _me_, I wouldn’t have shown up at all!” he declared. “It was only because of Duncan’s insistence that we turned the car around and hurried back here.” He wrapped his arms around his knees. “Then I come in and they all get down on him. It hurt, you know?”

“Wow,” Rogue said breathlessly. “Of course it did. Ah’m sorry no one gave ya a chance to explain.”

“No one bugged Jean when _she_ was going out with Duncan,” Kurt murmured.

“Yeah, well, Jean’s Miss Perfect who never does anything wrong and therefore no one got the chance to blame Duncan fer nothing.” Rogue regarded him curiously. “So tell me about it. Ya really like him?”

“I do,” Kurt admitted. “I mean, it’s still really soon and everything, but we get along well and he’s _nice_, Rogue. No one else thinks so, but he really is.”

“Ah guess we’re _both_ involved in something new and different fer us then,” Rogue remarked.

“You mean you and Pietro?” Kurt asked. “I was wondering about that.”

“Here’s more food for thought,” his twin said conspiratorially. “It’s not just Pietro and me anymore. It’s us and Remy, too.”

Kurt gave her a strange look. “I don’t get it.”

“Ah know it’s out there and weird, but Ah really think it’s gonna work fer us, Kurt,” she said, her eyes dancing. “Pietro and Remy and Ah all love each other. The three of us, together.”

Kurt stared at her for a couple of moments then burst out laughing. “Only _you_ would manage to snag two boys and keep them both!”

“Hey, they snagged each other somewheres along the way, too!” Rogue said. “And Kurt, this doesn’t leave this room, okay? Everyone’s gonna find out, but we ain’t rushing the issue.”

“No, I would imagine not!” Kurt said. “Mother will kill you if she finds out. And Pietro, too.”

“Which leaves Remy fer Daddy to slice and dice.” Rogue sighed. “Ah know.”

Kurt grinned. “Well, when they _do_ find out, they’re not going to care so much about my dating Duncan! I owe you for that!”

“Ah don’t know, Kurt,” Rogue said gently. “There’s still one big difference that you don’t seem to have thought of.”

Kurt looked puzzled. “What?” he asked.

Rogue put her gloved hand on his shoulder. “Duncan doesn’t know about mutants, but if he touches ya, he will.”

Kurt’s yellow eyes widened slowly as the meaning hit home. Rogue felt terrible as she watched her twin’s fantasies crumble one by one.

“Ah’m sorry,” she said softly.

He nodded and looked down at his blue two-fingered hands. “Who was I kidding?” he said. “I can’t date Duncan or any other human. No hand-holding, no slow-dancing … certainly no kissing. Ever.”

“Aw Kurt, that’s not necessarily true,” Rogue told him. “You can have a relationship with another mutant.”

Kurt shook his head. “Even other mutants find me repulsive, Rogue. You weren’t here when Kitty avoided me like the plague.”

“She came around, though!” Rogue said. “She thinks yer cute now!”

“Ja, and now she’s going out with _Lance_!” Kurt exclaimed. “The only available mutant left in the house is _Todd_!”

“Well,” Rogue said slowly, “you two have a lot in common, and – “

“Don’t even _joke_ about that!” Kurt cried. “We may not be mortal enemies anymore, but that doesn’t make us … I can’t even say the words with Todd in mind!”

“All right, all right,” Rogue soothed him. “Hey, Ah’d offer ya one of my two – but Ah don’t wanna.”

“So much for twins sharing everything,” Kurt said in a dry tone. “Just kidding – Pietro’s not my type, and I don’t think I’m Remy’s type.”

“There’s _Scott_,” Rogue began.

Kurt shook his head. “You know how he feels about Jean, and vice versa. If I interfere with that, this time she’ll make my brain explode.” He sighed. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. It’s Duncan I’m interested in, and Duncan I can’t have. I’ll … I’ll tell him tomorrow I can’t see him anymore.”

Rogue hugged him. “Ah’m sorry, little brother. Ah really am.”

Me too, Kurt thought miserably.


Part 53

Professor Xavier put down the phone. He regarded Scott and the adults gathered in the library seriously. “I spoke to the manager of the store where Pietro tried on the pants. She located their copy of the receipt for them – with Scott’s signature on it.”

“Professor, I never authorized that purchase,” Scott said firmly.

“I know you didn’t, Scott,” the Professor assured him. “But unfortunately, that confirms our suspicions about Pietro.”

"Hmmph,” Logan said. “If the Hummingbird hadn’t returned the card to you, we might have thought someone else stole it and forged your signature.”

Hank shook his head. “But as it is, who else _could_ have taken it and returned it just as easily?” he said. “He may as well have hung up a banner proclaiming his guilt.”

“What do we do now?” Scott asked.

“I know what _I_ do.” Logan got to his feet. “I find the little sneak-thief and paddle his skinny butt until he confesses.”

“Confesses,” Mystique repeated thoughtfully, then looked at Logan. “Hold off on that a minute,” she said. “I’m really disappointed that Pietro would do something like this. Not just that he stole the pants, but that he probably doesn’t think he did anything wrong because they _were_ paid for. I agree he should be spanked, but I first want to find out if he has any kind of conscience at all – maybe even enough to confess _without_ being punished into it.”

“You’re losing me, Mysti,” Logan admitted.

“I must confess to floundering in the dark a little myself,” Hank told her.

“What if Pietro thought that someone else took the heat for what he had done?” Mystique said. “It’s one thing if it’s a victimless crime, but if someone else was punished for it, wouldn’t his conscience force him to admit his own guilt? I’d like to think he would, and it would give us some reason to hope for him.”

“Interesting idea, Raven.” The Professor nodded slowly. “If Pietro does confess, then his punishment would be that much more effective because it would clear his conscience and he could feel better about himself. If you go after him now, Logan, I fear his only regret would be in getting caught.”

“And what if he _doesn’t_ confess?” Logan asked pointedly.

“He will,” Mystique insisted, then sighed. “I have to believe that he will.”

“I think it’s worth a chance,” Scott said. “As angry as I am with him over stealing my card and forging my name, everyone deserves a chance to redeem themselves.” He paused, frowning. “But who could we get to act like they were blamed for it?”

There was a moment of silence in which all the adults stared at him.

“Oh.” He said in a small voice.

“Think of it as your leadership duty to help guide Pietro onto the right track,” Hank told him cheerfully.

Scott looked uncomfortable. “How exactly am I supposed to let him know? And what do I tell him?”

“You can’t directly tell Pietro anything unless he asks,” Mystique said. “He’d get suspicious. Fortunately, he’s curious enough that given any noticeable reason, he’s _bound_ to ask. And even if he doesn’t, one of the other kids will, and the word will spread. He’ll find out, no doubt about that.”

“You mean _everybody_ has to think I’m in trouble?” Scott asked incredulously.

“They’ll learn the truth later, Scott,” the Professor assured him. “I’ll make sure of it.”

“Okay,” Scott conceded with only a little reluctance. “If you say so, Professor.”

“So the story is that there was a two-hundred dollar discrepancy that you couldn’t – or wouldn’t - account for,” Mystique said. “Pietro might even think that you suspected it was his fault and you tried to protect him.”

“Yes, he’d be even more inclined to confess that way,” Hank agreed.

“And what happened to me for keeping my mouth shut?” Scott asked.

“You were punished,” the Professor said. “In the same manner that Pietro will be.”

Scott stared at him, then around at all the others. “Oh, MAN!” he groaned. “You’re asking me to voluntarily humiliate myself in front of all my teammates! In front of _Alvers_!”

“It’s a noble sacrifice, Scott,” Mystique said gently. “And it’s for Pietro’s sake.”

He sighed heavily. “Okay, okay. It’s not going to be easy faking having been spanked, though.”

Logan and the Professor exchanged a minute glance before Logan patted Scott’s shoulder. “You’re a good boy, Scott,” he said, “but unfortunately, you’re not that good an actor.” His grip on the teenager’s shoulder suddenly tightened and he bent him at the waist.

*WHACK!*

“OW!” Scott yelled.

*WHACK!*

“OW!”

*WHACK!*

“OW!” Scott felt the hand leave his shoulder and he spun around. “Logan, that HURT!” he shouted.

“Sorry, Shades,” Logan told him helplessly. “But you needed just enough to make it convincing.”

Scott massaged his backside, grimacing. “You could have at least given me a _chance_ to fake it!”

Mystique stood up and hugged him. “I’m sorry, Scott. I love you for what you’re doing for Pietro.”

“Now I know why they say love hurts,” Scott mumbled.

“You should go now,” the Professor told him. “You needn’t wait for Pietro to approach you – just answer the first person who asks you about it. They’ll do the rest. And thank you, Scott. We’re all very proud of you.”

Scott managed a wan smile before slipping out of the library and shutting the door. He rubbed his butt again and winced.

“Maximoff, if you don’t confess after this, I’m gonna wring your scrawny little neck personally,” he vowed.



part 54

Scott winced as he headed down the hall. His butt still smarted, and he suspected it would for a while. Until today, he hadn’t been spanked since he was six and tried to flush his little brother Alex down the toilet. He hadn’t encountered anyone since leaving the library and wished he never had to. He wasn’t anxious to experience death by humiliation.

Up ahead, Lance came out of his room and started in his direction.

Scott glanced upwards briefly. “You hate me, don’t you?” he murmured.

“Talking to yourself, Summers?” Lance remarked with a smirk that quickly faded when he noticed the stilted way in which Scott was walking.
“What’s wrong with you?” he asked.

“Uh …,” Scott felt his face start to burn again and without thinking, his hand went back to massage his rear.

Lance’s eyes widened, then he moved closer, lowering his voice. “Scott, this isn’t very likely, but I saw you and the adults disappear into the library earlier and … did you get spanked?”

Scott looked away, his jaw set. He did _not_ want to talk to Lance about this, but he’d gone too far to back out now. “Yeah,” he muttered.

To his surprise, the other mutant put a hand on his shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “I’m sorry, man. I can’t imagine what you did, and you probably don’t want to talk about it, but – “

“Two hundred dollars is unaccounted for from Remy’s shopping trip,” Scott said quickly. “I was responsible for the spending we did, so I got punished.”

Lance frowned. “So where _did_ the two hundred go?”

“I have my suspicions,” Scott said, glancing briefly toward Pietro’s room. Lance picked up on it.

“Pietro?” he asked, then shook his head. “No way. He wouldn’t bother charging anything if he could steal it.”

“Charging it to the Professor without permission _is_ stealing it, Lance,” Scott told him. “Besides, there’s reasoning behind it. He was bugging me for a pair of two hundred dollar leather pants I wouldn’t let him have.”

“Uh oh,” Lance said. “That _does_ sound incriminating.” He met Scott’s eyes in confusion. “So how come you didn’t turn him in?”

“Well, I don’t have proof,” Scott admitted. “And stealing is a more serious offense than irresponsibility, so they went easier on me than they would him.”

Lance shook his head in wonder. “You’re either the nicest guy in the world or a big sap to take that for him.”

“Gee, thanks.” Scott said wryly.

“Anyway,” Lance said, “I think you should tell Pietro what happened, even if it’s embarrassing. He oughta know the trouble he caused.”

“Like I said, I’ve got no proof. I can’t accuse him without it.” Scott shrugged, then winced. Lance mirrored the wince in sympathy.

“Maybe you should just go lie down for a while. Try a cool facecloth on your skin, too – it helps.” Lance gave him one last pat on the shoulder and walked away. Scott watched him go thoughtfully. He didn’t know if Lance would spread the word to the other kids or not, but somehow he doubted it. For reasons Scott didn’t want to think about, he’d been strangely understanding, and blabbing what happened to everyone didn’t fit with his empathetic attitude.

However, for that same reason, he was almost certain that Lance _would_ confront Pietro with it. He hoped so, anyway, because he didn’t think he could go through the whole scene again with any of the other kids.

“Scott?”

He looked up to see Jean gazing at him worriedly.

Kill me, he thought in misery.

*

Mystique glanced over at Logan as she sat at the table. He was pouring coffee for them, more concentration on his face than was necessary for the job. “Logan, you’re not still thinking about what happened with Scott, are you?”

“Hmm?” He looked up. “Oh, no. That’s under control. Good idea you came up with, too.”

She smiled ruefully. “I’m not sure Scott thinks so.”

“He agreed to go along with it, Mysti. Besides,” Logan looked at her seriously, “Shades had that coming for letting that card out of his possession. Chuck agrees with me, although he didn’t want to admit it at first.”

“Well, you can’t blame Charles – he has a soft spot where Scott is concerned.” She looked at him. “Anyway, if you weren’t thinking about Scott just now, what _were_ you worrying about?”

“A couple of things,” Logan said, joining her at the table and sliding a mug toward her. “Kurt and that Duncan kid for one. The Elf is pretty easily swayed by anyone paying him special attention. Dating a Senior could go to his head – there could be more instances of his being late or skipping out on sessions entirely. And what if they _keep_ dating, Mysti? Sooner or later that guy is going to want to _touch_ him!”

She gave him a wry look. “If he doesn’t want to do that already he’s the weirdest seventeen-year-old boy _I_ ever heard of!”

“Be serious, Raven!” Logan snapped. “You know that kid can’t touch Kurt!”

She sighed. “Yes, I know.”

“I think we should tell Kurt he can’t see Duncan anymore,” Logan said grimly. “For his own safety.”

Mystique lifted an eyebrow. “How much of that decision is Kurt’s being a mutant and how much is Duncan being a football player who’s two years older than he is?”

“Does it matter?” Logan grumbled. “Kurt being a mutant makes their break-up unavoidable.”

“What was the other problem?” Mystique asked. “You said a ‘couple’ of things bothered you.”

“Yeah.” Logan swallowed some coffee. “The other problem is I can’t figure out what’s going on with Pietro and Remy. I thought they’d be at each other’s throats today, but they’ve been acting like buddies. You saw they and Rogue laughing together at the session.”

“_I_ wonder what’s going on with Rogue,” Mystique said significantly. “She’d better not be stringing both of those boys along.”

“Well,” Logan said, “maybe so long as things are quiet, we shouldn’t rock the boat too much. If the boys start going at it, _then_ we step in.”

Kurt appeared in the kitchen with a ‘bamf’ and his parents looked over at him. He didn’t seem to notice them as he opened the refrigerator door and stared inside, unmoving.

“Kurt, honey,” Mystique said, “the house is already air-conditioned.”

He glanced at them, then shut the door. “Sorry,” he said and headed out of the room.

“Just a second, Elf,” Logan said. “We want to talk to you for a minute.”

“About what?” Kurt asked, not turning around.

“About you and Duncan.”

“Don’t bother.” Kurt looked over his shoulder, his expression unreadable. “I already know I have to tell him we can’t continue dating.”

Logan and Mystique exchanged a look. “Well, good,” Logan said. “I’m glad you came to that conclusion on your own.”

“Yeah,” Kurt said flatly and teleported out.

Mystique sighed. “Damn it. I wish I could switch places with him – give him my power. He shouldn’t have to give up dating a boy he likes, it’s not fair.”

“No, it’s not,” Logan agreed grimly. “But in this case, I think it’s for the best.”



part 55

Rogue knocked on Pietro’s door. “Come in!” he called.

She did, and smiled at seeing both her guys lounging on the bed. “Is this a private party or can anyone join?” she joked.

“Not everyone, just you,” Pietro told her, and moved over to make room. She dropped down onto the bed beside him.

“Did you get all your homework done, Pietro?” she asked.

“In about half a second,” he said. “Remy and I were just talking about how he’ll probably be coming to school with us tomorrow.”

“That’ll be awesome!” Rogue enthused, then gave Remy a warning look. “Just don’t go falling for any cheerleaders or nothing or Pietro and Ah’ll have to kill ya!”

“Pietro told me de same t’ing!” Remy laughed. “I will remember!”

“How long do you guys think it’ll take everyone to figure out about us?” Pietro asked.

“At school or at home?” Rogue asked.

“Well,” Remy said sheepishly, “I confess someone at home already knows. I told Todd about us.”

“Remy!” Pietro cried. “I thought it was our secret!”

“Uh,” Rogue looked at him uneasily, “don’t scold him too much. Ah told Kurt today, too.”

Pietro stared at them both. “You _guys_! What am I gonna do with you? And here I thought _I_ was the big mouth in this relationship!”

Remy shrugged. “Todd t’ought I was stabbing you in de back – I could not let him t’ink I would do anyt’ing to hurt you.”

“And Kurt’s my twin,” Rogue said, as if that explained everything.

Pietro threw up his hands. “Okay, fine, the secret’s out. At least no adults have come bursting in the door yet.”

The door burst opened and Lance strode in. “Pietro, I need to …,” his voice died out when he saw both Rogue and Remy there.

“Geez, Lance, you scared us!” Pietro said. “We were just saying – “

“Listen,” his friend interrupted, “I need to talk to you alone.”

“I’ve got no secrets from these guys,” Pietro said lightly.

Lance frowned. “This is someone else’s secret.”

“In that case, Ah’m _definitely_ staying!” Rogue grinned. “Ah’m not missing any juicy stuff!”

“Rogue!” Lance said angrily.

“Hey, don’t yell at her!” Pietro warned. “Just spit it out, Lance! You know nothing around here stays secret for long, anyway.”

“Okay, maybe you’re right,” Lance said grimly. “And anyway, maybe Rogue can straighten you out.”

“What do you mean, straighten me out?” Pietro said in surprise. “What did _I_ do?”

“You charged a pair of two hundred dollar pants without permission,” Lance said frankly. “Didn’t you?”

Both Rogue and Remy turned to stare at Pietro, who glanced at them nervously before facing Lance. “Where’d you get that crazy idea?”

“From Scott,” Lance told him. “He got blamed for the discrepancy on the Professor’s credit card and was punished for it.”

“Oh no,” Rogue breathed. “What’d they do to him?”

“What do you think?” Lance asked her. “They spanked him!”

Pietro paled. “T-They did?”

Remy sniffed. “Dey try dat stuff wit’ me and someone is gonna get hurt.”

“Yeah, _you_,” Lance told him frankly. “Don’t kid yourself – any one of the adults alone can take us down. They’re too experienced to take lightly, even _I_ know that.”

Remy shrugged, making no further comment on the subject. “Anyway, I was under de impression dat Scott did not get into trouble much.”

“Scott doesn’t get into trouble at ALL!” Rogue exclaimed and turned to the blonde mutant. “Pietro, did you _really_ do that?!”

“Uh …,” Pietro said uneasily. “Uh ….”

“And there’s poor Scott all sore and feeling like crap because he’s being blamed fer something he didn’t do!” Rogue said. “You oughta be ashamed of yerself.”

“Hey, I didn’t say I _did_ it, did I?!” Pietro demanded.

“Did you do it?” Remy asked pointedly.

“Uh ….”

“Anyhow, I just thought you should know what happened,” Lance told him.

“Well, thanks for ruining my whole evening,” Pietro pouted.

“How d’ya think _Scott_ feels?!” Rogue demanded. “Pietro, ya gotta set things right!”

“Huh?” Pietro said blankly. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Tell them the truth!” Rogue said.

“Are you crazy?!” Pietro said incredulously, jumping to his feet. “After what they did to Scott?! If I tell them I did it, what do you think they’ll do to _me_?! No way!”

“He has a point, petite,” Remy said. “Scott has already been punished. Telling dem da truth won’t change dat.”

“Ah shoulda figured a professional thief wouldn’t see why he should do it,” Rogue said wryly. “But he _should_. It’s only right!”

“What do you t’ink, Lance?” Remy asked.

“I don’t know.” Lance shrugged. “I just wanted Pietro to know what his actions caused. I’m not going to tell him to walk into a beating. Bad enough one person already got it today.”

“Lance?” Kitty’s voice preceded her peeking in the door. “Ah, you _are_ here!” She looked around at the others. “Why all the serious faces?”

“Hey, Kitty, yer pretty smart,” Rogue said. “Maybe ya can help us with this.”

“Well, I’ll try.” Kitty walked in and smiled at Lance, who returned it shyly.

“Here’s the problem,” Rogue told her. “Pietro charged a two-hundred dollar pair of pants to the Professor using Scott’s card and Scott got punished fer it. Ah think he oughta confess and clear Scott, even if it means he gets punished, too.”

“Well, of course he should.” Kitty looked at Pietro. “You _have_ to.”

“But Scott got spanked!” Pietro exclaimed. “What if they want to do the same thing to me?!”

“Scott was spanked?” Kitty repeated, wide-eyed. “Wow! Poor guy! In that case, you should confess _and_ apologize to Scott. Oh, and take the pants back. That might help them go easier on you.”

“Hey yeah, no one thought of taking them back.” Lance grinned and gave Kitty a one-armed hug. “Beautiful _and_ brilliant!”

“Aw, shucks,” she joked.

“I don’t know if I can take that chance,” Pietro said dubiously. “What if they still want to spank me after I take them back? And besides, I don’t _want_ to take them back.”

“PIETRO!” Rogue yelled.

Two pairs of eyes peered around the edge of the door. “We heard shouting in here, yo,” Todd said.

“Is everything all right?” Kurt asked.

“Not really,” Rogue said. “Come in and listen to this.”

“Hey, wait a minute,” Lance said. “I don’t think Scott really wants the whole world to know about this.”

“Know about what?” Kurt inquired. He teleported to the top of the headboard while Todd walked in, cautiously guarding his shoulder.

“That Scott got spanked and it’s all Pietro’s fault,” Kitty replied.

“Kitty!” Lance cried. “I just said – !“

“No way!” Kurt gasped. “Poor Scott! When we found out it could happen I didn’t actually think he’d do anything to deserve it!”

“He didn’t, Pietro did,” Rogue said, giving her blonde boyfriend a significant look.

“Hey!”

“Well, you did!”

Lance sighed. “Scott got blamed when Pietro charged expensive pants on his card.”

“And Rogue and I think he should confess,” Kitty added.

“But Lance and I are not so sure,” Remy spoke up. “Pietro will likely get spanked, too, if he does.”

“Are you crazy?!” Kurt said indignantly. “He has to confess! Scott shouldn’t suffer for Pietro’s crime!”

“I don’t agree, yo,” Todd said. “Where spankings are concerned, avoid ‘em at all costs. Why should he speak up now when it’s all over with?”

“It’s not over for Scott!” Rogue snapped. “He must feel terrible!”

“His rear end must feel terrible, you mean!” Todd retorted. “Pietro, keep your mouth shut and stay healthy.”

“Nein!” Kurt protested. “Tell the truth and take what should have been yours in the first place!”

“You guys are all useless counselors, you know that?” Pietro said dryly. “Can’t you all at least reach a consensus?”

“If we could, would you go along with it?” Rogue asked hopefully.

“Hell, no!” Pietro gave a short laugh. “I’m not going begging for punishment under _any_ circumstances! Meeting adjourned!”

He disappeared out the door before anyone could stop him.



End of part 56

Jean sighed, trying to be patient. “Scott, please. There’s no reason to be embarrassed.”

“Jean, I’m not taking my pants off while you’re here!” Scott exclaimed. He was laying face-down on his bed, while the beautiful redhead stood over him with a jar of cream in her hand.

“How am I supposed to apply this if you keep your pants on?” she asked reasonably.

“You can’t,” Scott said firmly. “I’ll just have to suffer along without it.”

“Are you in much pain?” Jean sat in a chair beside his bed.

“No, my pride hurts more,” Scott admitted. “Logan only hit me three times.”

“That’s not much,” Jean said. “I thought Rogue and Kurt said they usually get ten swats.”

“Yeah, well, this was in front of three witnesses and I didn’t do anything wrong.” He looked up at Jean. “The truth is, this was an idea of Mystique’s to trick Pietro into confessing.”

“So _he’s_ responsible for the discrepancy you mentioned?” she asked.

“Yeah, and they think my being punished will guilt-trip him into admitting it.” Scott shook his head ruefully. “I thought I was just going to have to fake it when I agreed to do this. Logan actually spanking me took me by surprise.”

“Hmm,” Jean said knowingly, “I’ll bet he was only half thinking about the plan, and the other half thinking about how you let Pietro get hold of your card in the first place.”

Scott blinked, then sighed. “Guess I should consider myself lucky I _only_ got three swats, huh?”

“I’d say.” Jean smiled.

“I didn’t even apologize to the Professor for what happened with the card,” Scott realized. “I know it’s tough to keep up with Pietro, but if I hadn’t let him out of my sight, he wouldn’t have been able to do it.”

“Well, don’t berate yourself too much – you were already punished for it,” Jean advised.

“And with any luck, so will Pietro be,” Scott said. “If Lance told him, that is.”

A knock at the door preceded Rogue walking in cautiously. “Hey Scott, you okay?”

“Uh,” Scott said uneasily, “yeah, why?”

“Um, no reason. See ya!” Rogue shut the door on her way out.

“That was weird,” Jean remarked.

“Yeah, I wonder – “

Kurt teleported into the room. “Scott! Oh, hi Jean,” he said, turning back to the other boy. “I’m really sorry, Scott. I know how you must feel.”

“About _what_, Kurt?” Scott asked.

“Um, you know. Everything,” Kurt said, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “I guess I should go and let you recov – uh, rest!” He disappeared.

Jean waved the smoke away. “I’m beginning to suspect that Lance told more people than just Pietro.”

A firm knock was heard, but this time the door didn’t open. “Hey, Scott, it’s Lance. Uh, listen, don’t be mad, okay? Everybody knows what happened, but it wasn’t my fault. It just sort of spread. Pietro knows, too, and he’s run off somewhere.”

“Let him in,” Scott told Jean. She opened the door telekinetically. Lance had his hands stuffed in his pockets and was looking contrite.

“Come in,” Jean invited.

He did, giving Scott an embarrassed look. “I meant to just tell Pietro – so he’d know what he’d done to you – but Rogue wouldn’t leave and Remy was there, then everyone else just sort of showed up. I’m really sorry.”

“_Everyone_ knows?!” Scott said in dismay. He buried his face in the pillow. “I’d like to die now.”

“Is Pietro at least going to own up to it?” Jean asked Lance.

“He refuses,” Lance said. “And no offense, Scott, but I don’t blame him.”

“You didn’t tell him that, did you?” Jean stared.

“The vote was split equally, anyway.” Lance shrugged. “Half of us thought he should keep quiet, the other half wanted him to confess.”

“And Pietro refuses.” Scott sighed. “Great.”

“Again, I’m sorry. I-I’ll see you later.” Lance walked out. Jean reached over and patted Scott’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry. “Maybe he’ll come around.”

“And maybe I’ll have to throttle both Pietro _and_ Mystique,” Scott muttered.

“Now, now.” Jean wagged a finger at him. “Remember, you deserved those three swats for losing the card.”

Scott sighed and smiled wanly. “Doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it.”

*

Pietro came to a stop under a street light. He’d been running flat out for a while, getting as far from the Xavier Institute as he could and still be within Bayville limits.

He didn’t feel guilty. He didn’t. Why should he? Just because Scott was careless enough to let him get hold of the card in the first place ….

There you go, he thought smugly. It was all Scott’s fault anyway, and he already got spanked. Case closed. He wasn’t going to think about it anymore.

But … if he hadn’t even _attempted_ to take the card, Scott wouldn’t have been punished.

Oh God, he groaned inwardly. It _is_ my fault.

“Great,” he muttered. Reluctantly, he could now see where Rogue was coming from. Sort of. Even though Scott had already been punished and it couldn’t be taken back, the X-Men leader might feel a _little_ better if Pietro admitted his own guilt.

Which, of course, would immediately make Pietro feel worse, as his butt was personally introduced to Logan’s adamantium-boned hand.

“I can’t do it!” he said, then yelled back in the general direction of the Institute miles away. ‘You hear me, Summers? I can’t do it! No way, no how, no chance!”

Silence was the reply he received, and yet he had the odd feeling that _someone_ heard him. He looked around. The street was deserted, but ….

Come on, Pietro, he told himself firmly. Don’t go getting paranoid. You’ve got enough problems.

He remembered Rogue’s face, and her voice telling him that it was only ‘right’ that he confess. Didn’t she care if _he_ got punished? Remy, Lance, and Todd understood, why didn’t she?

Because she’d been with the X-Men too long and was now one of the ‘good’ guys. Now he understood the problem Lance had been dealing with all along with Kitty. Could a good girl and a bad boy (or in Rogue’s case, a good girl and _two_ bad boys) really have a steady relationship? Were he and Lance really that bad anymore?

Well, yeah, sorta. Not bad bad, more like naughty bad. And he _really_ didn’t want to admit his guilt to the adults. How could he even go home? Now that all the kids knew the truth, even without confessing himself, someone was bound to let it slip or maybe even tell them outright.

“What are you doing, Maximoff? Soliciting customers?”

Pietro spun around, his heart in his throat. Duncan Matthews was sitting in his car, smirking at him. When had he pulled up?

“What are you talking about, Matthews?” he asked in annoyance.

“Well, you’re parading around under a street lamp – what do _you_ think it looks like?”

Pietro turned red and glared at him. “It’s none of your business _what_ I’m doing! And why are you all the way across town, anyhow?!”

“The team had a night game at another school,” Duncan said. He paused for a moment. “You want a ride home?”

“Why?” Pietro asked suspiciously.

Duncan rolled his eyes. “Because you’re far from the Institute, I don’t see a car waiting for you anywhere, and it’s getting late. I know the curfew there – you’re going to miss it if you don’t leave now.”

“Why should you care if I do?” Pietro asked. “This is the first time we’ve ever exchanged words before.” He gave Duncan a smirk of his own. “Or are you tired of Kurt already and have decided _I’m_ your next conquest?”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Duncan snapped. “You want a ride or not?”

Pietro knew he could _run_ home faster than Duncan could drive him, so the curfew wasn’t a big worry. However, there wasn’t really any reason to stay where he was any longer. He shuddered slightly and frowned. Besides, he still had that funny feeling that someone else was nearby, watching both he and Duncan. It was giving him the creeps. He hopped over the door into the passenger seat. “Let’s go,” he said, a little more urgently than he meant to.

Duncan looked at him strangely, then shrugged and started driving back toward town. “You’re dating Kurt’s twin sister, right?”

“We’re going steady, yep,” Pietro replied, enjoying the cool breeze. It was soothing, and now that they were on the move, he felt a little more relaxed.

“How’s she taking us? And the others at the Institute? I don’t want Kurt to be put through a lot of hassle over this.”

“Well, what’d you expect?” Pietro laughed. “Jean and Kurt live together, you know.”

“Yes, but Jean has other interests, too.”

“Oh yeah, Scott,” Pietro said knowingly. “She’s probably comforting him right now. He needs it after getting spanked.”
Duncan stared at him. “Did you just say Scott Summers got _spanked_?!”

Uh, yeah,” Pietro admitted. But I wish I hadn’t, he added with a mental groan. Man, for someone whose brain is supposed to work so fast, my mouth has it beat hands down ….

Duncan shook his head in disbelief. “Anyway, about Kurt,” he said, “I’m more worried about his parents getting on his back because of our age difference than anything else.”

“Believe me, Dunckie-boy, that’s the least of their concerns,” Pietro said blithely. “And anyway, you two won’t be seeing each other much longer.”

Duncan looked at him sharply. “What makes you say that?”

“Kurt’s going to break it off with you tomorrow.”

“What?!” Duncan exclaimed. “How do you know that?!”

“Kurt told Rogue, Rogue told me.” Pietro shrugged. “Tough luck. You just chose the wrong guy to get interested in.”

“I don’t understand – why would he do this already? We haven’t even gone on a real date yet! And he sounded interested in going to the country club – we actually would have gone today if I hadn’t heard Scott tell him to get home early.”

“So it was _you_ who got him to come home?” Pietro said in surprise. “Go figure – everyone was blaming you for making him late!”

Duncan sighed. “Maybe that’s why he’s breaking it off. If he’s going to get into trouble for being with me ….” He frowned. “But it doesn’t make sense. If the age difference doesn’t matter to his folks, what does?”

“Uhhh ….” Pietro mentally kicked himself. He shouldn’t have dismissed the age difference so quickly. He was pretty sure it _did_ matter to Logan and Mystique, although nowhere near as much as Kurt’s being a mutant and Duncan being human. “He just lost interest.” He shrugged finally. “It wasn’t his parents’ decision – it was his. Decided it wasn’t worth the trouble, I guess.”

Duncan’s jaw tightened and he faced the road. “I hope you’ll understand if I’d rather hear this from Kurt before I believe it.”

“No prob,” Pietro said lightly. “As I said, he’ll be talking to you tomorrow.”

They road the rest of the way home in silence.



part 57

Kurt pushed his covers down and stared at the ceiling above his bed. What a perfectly horrible day this was going to be. He finally liked someone who liked him back, and he was going to have to break up with him. In the meantime, his twin sister was starting her own male harem.

Life didn’t get much worse than this.

*

Life didn’t get much worse than this, Scott thought as he got dressed for school. His backside didn’t hurt anymore, but his pride still did. Especially since as of last night, Pietro still hadn’t confessed. He’d found out from Rogue just before going to bed that Pietro had returned in time for curfew but had gone immediately to bed without speaking to anyone.

Someone knocked on the door. “Scott, it’s Professor Xavier. May I come in?”

Scott wondered briefly what would happen if he said no, then mentally slapped himself. Come on, Summers, stop acting like a petulant brat. He went over and opened the door. “Come in, Professor.”

“How are you this morning?” the older man asked as he glided into the room.

“I’ve been better,” Scott admitted. He sat on the edge of the bed and regarded the Professor earnestly. “Sir, I owe you an apology, and I’m sorry I didn’t realize it sooner. I never should have let Pietro get into a position where he could take my card.”

“Your mind doesn’t work the way Pietro’s does, Scott,” the Professor said. “You couldn’t have anticipated that he would steal the card from you. However,” he added, “with something so valuable, extra precautions might have been called for in a crowded mall.”

“Yeah,” Scott admitted. “Like I should have kept my wallet in any other pocket but my back one, where I couldn’t see anyone attempting to take it.”

“Exactly,” the Professor said. “I’m glad you understand.”

“I understand more than that,” Scott said. “That bit of punishment Logan gave me for the plan – it wasn’t _just_ for the plan, was it?”

“No, Scott.”

He nodded and smiled wryly. “I’m slow, but at least I eventually get there.”

“In this case, I was rather slow myself, I’m afraid,” the Professor said. “I wasn’t sure at first that you should be punished. Your track record is exemplary, and this seemed more Pietro’s fault than yours. However, as Logan pointed out to me, one couldn’t have done it without the other. And also, as leader of the team, we’re forced to hold you to a higher standard of conduct than the others.”

“I know,” Scott said. “And I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“It’s unfortunate that our ploy to make Pietro confess hasn’t yielded any results.”

“Lance says he refuses to confess,” Scott replied.

“Hmmm …,” the Professor looked thoughtful. “I know Raven has her heart set on the boy coming forward, but if he hasn’t done so by this evening, I’m afraid we’ll have to confront him, and hope he tells the truth then.”

“What if he lies?” Scott asked quietly.

The Professor sighed. “Let’s hope he doesn’t.”

*

Rogue and Remy looked cautiously up and down the hall before slipping inside Pietro’s room.

“Ah don’t believe it – he’s still asleep!” Rogue said, looking down at the boy on the bed. “He _never_ sleeps whole nights, Remy.”

“I t’ink he did not sleep much de night before with what was going on between us,” Remy said. “Maybe it just caught up with him.”

“Well, he’s probably filled his quota of sleep for the week just in that one night.” Rogue dropped onto the bed heavily. Pietro jolted awake.

“Huh? What? Who?” he gasped, then focused. “Oh, Rogue. Remy. What time is it?”

“Time to get up,” Rogue said. “We’re mad at you, you know. Sneaking back in here last night, not a word to us even though we were so worried about ya.”

“Don’t do dat again, chere,” Remy warned him.

“I’m sorry, guys. I was kind of strung out last night.” Pietro jumped out of bed and changed clothes with the speed of a tornado. “I’m ready,” he said.

“Man, you take all the fun outta being in yer room first thing in the morning!” Rogue declared. “I didn’t even get to see ya nekkid!”

“Tough luck, baby. Maybe next time.” Pietro gave her a lightning-quick kiss on the cheek, staggered briefly, then grinned. “Whew! Now _that’s_ a wake-up call!”

“Don’t forget de snooze alarm ….” Remy embraced Pietro and kissed him. Rogue’s green eyes widened in delight as she watched the two of them. Pietro’s arms encircled the taller boy’s neck and he pressed against him.

“Whoa,” he said breathlessly, looking into Remy’s unusual eyes just above his own. “And I’m supposed to just sit through school after that?”

Remy reluctantly let him go. “I am afraid so,” he said. “But take heart, for I am going with you.”

“It’s true, Pietro!” Rogue said, nodding. “We just saw the Professor in the hallway, and he said Remy’s going to be enrolled in _our_ grade today!”

“Really?” Pietro said excitedly. “But you’re a year older, Remy!”

“De Professor t’inks it will be easier for me to get used to school again if I stay back a year,” Remy said. “I missed so much anyway dat he is probably right.”

“Should we thank him fer doing us a favour?” Rogue laughed.

“I t’ink he could tell we were happy about it, petite,” Remy said with a smile.

“Is he in a good mood then?” Pietro asked. “I’m debating whether or not to eat breakfast here or go to Burger Barn or something.”

“Oh no, ya don’t,” Rogue said firmly. “Ya ain’t copping out and hiding, Pietro. Yer staying here and at least facing Scott, even if yer too chicken to confess.”

“CHICKEN?!” Pietro gasped.

“Rogue, dat is not fair,” Remy said.

“It most certainly is!” Rogue insisted. “Why else doesn’t he confess except that he’s scared of being punished?”

“You know, Roguey,” Pietro cocked his head. “A lot of guys with enormous egos, which I admittedly have, might be easily influenced by something so base as a cute girl calling them ‘chicken’. A lot of guys might even do stuff that they wouldn’t normally do because of it.”

“So are you gonna confess?” Rogue asked eagerly.

“No, whaddya think, I’m stupid?!”

Remy laughed. “Nice try, Rogue.”

“Hmmph. Fine, don’t confess,” she said. “But if they find out about yer part in the whole thing later on, yer gonna be in a whole lot _worse_ trouble.”

“How could it get worse?” Pietro said incredulously. He looked down at his outfit critically. “Hey, you know what? Maybe I should wear the leather pants to school today!”

“If you do _that_, ya may as well paint a big ol’ target on the rear end of ‘em, boy,” Rogue told him dryly. “You’d be better off taking them back for all the good they’ll do ya now.”

Mystique rapped on the partly-opened door and looked in. “Better hurry up, you three, breakfast is ready.”

“Coming!” Pietro zoomed past all of them and disappeared from sight.

Mystique looked at the remaining two. “What’s his mood like this morning?” she asked.

“Same as every morning.” Rogue shrugged.

“Except,” Remy mentioned, “he apparently slept de whole night. Dat is unusual for him, oui?”

“Yes,” Mystique said thoughtfully, “it is. I’ll see you downstairs.”

Rogue watched her mother leave and gave Remy a confused look. “Wonder what that was about?”



part 57

Pietro didn’t like the way things were going. Against his better judgment, he’d stayed for breakfast and was immediately aware that almost everyone was staring at him. Only Scott and Kurt ignored him, but then Kurt seemed to be ignoring everyone. It was almost a relief to go to school, especially with Remy along for the first time.

“Dis is a lot bigger den my last school,” Remy remarked, looking around as they entered the building.

“Did Mama say you had to go up to her office first?” Rogue asked.

“No, she gave me my schedule at da house.” He pulled it out and showed it to her. She and Pietro pored over it.

“Hey, cool, she gave you _our_ schedule!” Pietro said happily.

“Probably because she knows we’re friends,” Rogue said.

“And because she _doesn’t_ know what else we are!” Pietro laughed.

“I am glad you are feeling better, chere,” Remy told Pietro. “You were so quiet at breakfast.”

“_Everybody_ was quiet at breakfast!” Pietro said. “I couldn’t believe the way they all were looking at me – like they all _want_ me to get caught!”

“I do not want dat,” Remy said, shaking his head.

“Ah don’t want you caught,” Rogue said. “Ah want you to be honest and confess.”

“Why bother?” Pietro said. “It’s over – even Scott’s fine now.”

“Physically, maybe, but not mentally.”

“Yeah, I’ve suspected that for a long time.”

“Pietro!”

Remy laughed. “Give it up, Rogue. He is not going to do it.”

They rounded the corner and saw Scott at his locker. Duncan was talking to him, and the more he talked, the more pale Scott became.

“Uh oh,” Pietro said, doing a little paling himself.

“What?” Rogue asked, then saw what he was looking at. “What do _those_ two have to talk about?”

Pietro gulped. He could think of _one_ thing ….

Scott said something to Duncan and the blonde was about to answer when he spotted Pietro and pointed at him. Scott turned to look his way, and even behind the glasses Pietro could tell the X-Men leader was glaring at him.

“Whoa,” Rogue breathed. “What did you do _now_?” she asked Pietro.

Duncan said something to Scott and then headed off down the hall. Scott started toward the group of three.

“If this is my last day on Earth, I want you two to hock the leather pants and elope to Mexico, okay?” Pietro said nervously.

Remy and Rogue exchanged a worried glance and moved a little closer to Pietro as Scott reached them.

“Maximoff,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “by any chance, did you happen to tell Matthews I got spanked yesterday?”

“Is that what he said?” Pietro asked feebly.

“YES!” Scott yelled, startling everyone in the vicinity.

“Pietro!” both Rogue and Remy exclaimed.

The blonde winced, but stood his ground. “It slipped out! Really it did – I didn’t mean to blab!”

“You know, if he hadn’t told me that YOU were the one, I might have thought Kurt did it!” Scott snapped. “And then when I found out the truth, I’d have had to burn a hole through your skull the quick way.” He touched the arm of his glasses as a hint. “Duncan says he won’t tell anyone, and you’d better hope he meant it or you _are_ going to have more than one kind of hole in your head!” He stalked away down the hall.

Rogue turned to face Pietro. “You know what? I’m starting to change my mind about wanting you caught! It might be the only thing that’ll keep you outta worse trouble in the future!” She headed toward her locker and banged it open.

Remy put an arm around Pietro’s shoulders. “She will cool down and regret she said dat,” he assured him.

“I’m not so sure.” Pietro sighed. “About anything.”

*

Kurt trudged through the halls at lunch time wishing he could just keep walking out the front door. He’d rather do just about anything other than face Duncan and tell him what he had to.

He’d been so distracted thinking about it all morning that two of his teachers had scolded him for inattention and the third had threatened to send him to his mother’s office. He’d managed to talk his way out of that one, but the afternoon would only get worse.

Not that he expected to feel better _after_ he talked to Duncan.

“Kurt!”

He turned and waited for Duncan to catch up with him. “Hi,” he said, “I was looking for you.”

“I thought you might be,” Duncan said, his expression serious. “Let’s go somewhere and talk.”

Kurt looked puzzled. How could Duncan know he had something to tell him? He followed the other boy outside.

“Let’s go off-campus,” Duncan said, leading the way to his car. “I don’t think either of us are going to want witnesses.”

“To what?” Kurt asked in surprise. “Are we about to commit a crime?”

“Not technically,” Duncan replied and got into the car. “Although somehow it seems like it should be considered one.”

Kurt got into the passenger seat feeling confused. Duncan drove away from the school parking lot.

“I know what you want to talk about,” Duncan said, staring straight ahead at the road. “Although I can’t say I really want to hear it.”

“What I want to know is how you knew I wanted to talk about _anything_,” Kurt said in confusion.

“On my way home last night I found Pietro on the other side of town – I gave him a ride,” Duncan explained. “He said you were going to break up with me today.” He gave Kurt a sideways glance. “Is it true?”

Kurt couldn’t believe it. “He had no business telling you that!”

“Then it _isn’t_ true?” Duncan asked. The hopeful look in his eyes made Kurt’s stomach twist. Duncan really liked him – this was so unfair! He felt moisture sting his eyes and he looked away.

“Kurt, answer me! Don’t I deserve that much?”

“It’s true,” Kurt murmured. “Although I wish it weren’t.”

“I don’t understand!” Duncan said in frustration. “You’re breaking up with me – but you don’t _want_ to? Why do it then?”

“I – I have to.”

“Is it your parents? The age difference bothers them, right? Or they don’t like me dating you because I was dating Jean and you guys live together … _what_, Kurt?!”

“I can’t tell you!” Kurt cried, turning to Duncan as tears began coursing down his cheeks. “I wish I could, but I can’t!”

“This is ridiculous!” Duncan pulled into the parking lot of a closed store and faced Kurt, his expression changing to one of dismay when he saw the tears. “I don’t get it! You’re this upset about breaking up, but you’re still going to do it, and you won’t tell me why?!”

“I would if I could,” Kurt said miserably. Duncan’s gaze softened and he reached a hand toward the other boy’s wet cheek. Kurt back away. “No, don’t!”

Duncan blinked. “I wasn’t going to hurt you.” He moved as if to take Kurt’s hand, but it jerked away before he could touch it. “What the hell --?!”

He demanded. “Why won’t you let me touch you?!”

Kurt buried his face in his hands and his shoulders shook. Duncan couldn’t just sit there and watch him. In one move he slid across the seat and put a strong arm around Kurt’s shoulders. The other boy stiffened for a moment, then Duncan felt the resistance drain away as Kurt leaned into him.

“There’s got to be a way we can work this out,” Duncan said softly, giving Kurt a squeeze. He began stroking his hair soothingly – it was so silky. “If we’re just honest with each other, it should be okay, shouldn’t it? Just tell me the truth—“

Duncan froze suddenly. His hand petting Kurt’s hair had made contact with his right ear. And it felt … odd.

Kurt was so upset that he didn’t seem to have noticed the way Duncan’s hand gently brushed against his ear, nor the way he paused in shocked realization.

Kurt’s ear was … fuzzy. And _pointed_!

Duncan looked down at the head against his chest. The ear was visible, and it looked normal enough, but ….

He carefully rubbed Kurt’s hair again, allowing his palm to brush against the ear once more.

Definitely fuzzy, definitely pointed.

My God, Duncan thought, what’s going on here?

Then he realized Kurt had stopped crying and had gone very still.

He knows that I felt it.

Kurt drew back to look at him. Duncan’s hand was still on his head as he did so, and when Kurt moved back, he allowed it to slide over the ear, down onto his cheek. His wet, fuzzy cheek. Soft, like fleece.

Fur.

Kurt’s eyes were huge. The anguish in his expression was heartbreaking.

“Kurt,” Duncan said breathlessly, “what --?”

He never got to finish. Kurt’s face crumpled and he cried out something in German, then vanished right before Duncan’s eyes.



part 59

Rogue frowned over at Kurt’s empty seat in Math class. He hadn’t been seen since lunchtime, and it was worrying her.
Suddenly she gasped. Pietro and Remy both looked at her in concern.

“Petite?” Remy murmured, trying to keep his voice down in the classroom so the teacher wouldn’t notice. “Are you all right?”

“You’re awfully white,” Pietro remarked. “More so than usual.”

She rubbed her arms. “Something ain’t right,” she said. “Ah feel something building, like it’s gonna explode.” Tears stung her eyes. “It hurts so _bad_!”

“You’re in pain?” Remy sounded frightened now.

“No, not me ….” Rogue looked at them in fearful realization. “Kurt!”

*

Todd knew it was pathetic, but he was starting to look forward to returning to school. Now that even Remy was gone, he was completely and utterly bored.

Maybe it’s time for another gag on Fuzzball, he thought gleefully. Not a mean one, since they had a truce of sorts, but a fun one. He headed for Kurt’s room to get some inspiration.

It was disgustingly neat and tidy for a teenage boy’s room. Heck, he himself hadn’t been living there all that long and his own room was comfortably messy.

Well! He thought, rubbing his hands together gleefully. Let’s see what we can do here!

There was a ‘bamf’ and a cloud of smoke, and then Kurt was there. He was facing away from Todd, his shoulders heaving like he was breathing hard or crying. What was he doing home in the middle of the day? Todd opened his mouth to let him know he was there when Kurt suddenly snatched his pillow up and hurled it across the room with a furious cry. Then he picked up the lamp and threw _that_, narrowing missing Todd. He used his back legs to kick over his night table, tore all the blankets off the bed and shoved the mattress over, then began grabbing all the books off his shelves and firing them at nothing in particular, all the while screaming something in German.

Todd avoided the projectiles but could see that Kurt was getting more frenzied by the second and decided he’d better high-tail it out of there. Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, he crouched down and bounded out the door in one gigantic leap.

“Professor!” he yelled. “Yo, Professor! Kurt’s gone crazy!”

*

“MAMA!” Rogue cried, bursting into Principal Darkholme’s office without waiting for the secretary to announce her. Remy and Pietro were right behind her and all three looked on the verge of panic.

“Rogue, boys, what’s going on?!” Mystique demanded, jumping to her feet.

“Call home!” Rogue grabbed the phone and started dialing, shoving the receiver into her mother’s hand. “Kurt’s not in class - find out if he’s there! Don’t ask me how Ah know, but something’s so wrong Ah can’t even tell ya and he’s in such PAIN, Mama …!”

Pietro wrapped his arms around Rogue while Remy stroked her hair. Mystique waited tensely for the phone to be answered.

*

Logan and Professor Xavier were talking in the library when the phone rang. “It’s Raven,” the Professor said before picking it up. “Hello, Raven.”

“Charles, Rogue is in my office and she swears something is wrong with Kurt. He’s not in class and wonders if he’s at home.”

“I see ….” The Professor paused, then spoke again. “Yes, I sense Kurt’s presence in the house, so at least we know where he is.”

“Kurt’s here?” Logan said in surprise. “At this time of day?” He sniffed the air. “Yeah, damn it, he _is_ here.”

The library door burst open and Todd almost fell in. “THERE you are!” he gasped. “You guys had better go stop Blue Boy – he’s trashin’ his room!”

“What?!” both men said together.

“What?! What?!” Mystique demanded on the phone as Logan charged out the door with Todd following.

“Raven, we’ll call you back.” Professor Xavier told her and hung up, heading after the others. As soon as he got out into the hallway, the bell rang at the front gate. He paused to mentally assess who it was, and was surprised to recognize Duncan. He pressed one of the releases to open the gates, then went to the front door to wait.

*

Logan ran into Kurt’s room and stopped short. Todd hadn’t been kidding – the place was a disaster area already and Kurt wasn’t finished.

His sweet little elf was about to swing a chair into the window.

“Kurt!” Logan charged over and snatched the chair out of his hands. “What is the _matter_ with you?!”

“Why do I even bother TRYING to be normal?!” Kurt yelled tearfully and tore off his image inducer, reverting immediately to his true form. “I’ll always be an untouchable freak, no matter how we cover it up!” He hurled the inducer against the wall with as much force as he could muster.

Logan dropped the chair and grabbed his son by the biceps, shaking him. “Stop it, Kurt! STOP it!”

Kurt stared into his father’s face for a moment, then a low, keening sound came from his throat along with a soft whimper.
Logan pulled the boy against him. “What happened?” he asked more gently, rubbing his back.
“It’s not fair,” Kurt said, fresh tears spilling over. “I only wanted to go out with him ….”
“Duncan?” Logan frowned. “You said you were breaking up with him.”
“I didn’t _want_ to,” Kurt murmured, “but I did it because of my being a mutant. And ….” A sob escaped him. “I’m sorry, Father. He knows.”

“Knows what?” Logan asked, knowing he wouldn’t like the answer.

“About my ears … my fur,” Kurt admitted miserably. “And … I teleported away from him to come home.”

“What?!” Logan growled. He let go of Kurt and headed for the doorway where Todd was hovering. “We’ve got to find that kid and have Chuck mindwipe him before he tells anyone!”

“You don’t have to go far to find him, yo,” Todd said helpfully. “He’s downstairs.”

*

“I want to see Kurt and I’m not leaving until I do.”

“Please calm down, Duncan,” Professor Xavier said. “Let’s discuss what happened.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d really rather just talk to Kurt,” Duncan said firmly. “Is he here?”

“You bet he is, bub,” Logan said from the top of the stairs. “But he ain’t seeing visitors.”

Duncan walked over to the foot of the stairs and looked up. “Could you at least tell him I’m here and let him decide?”

“The decision is made,” Logan said evenly. “I’m his father.”

Duncan nodded. “Okay, look. I’m not here to cause trouble. Kurt was very upset when he … uh, left … and I just want to make sure he’s all right.”

Logan didn’t budge from where he guarded the upper floor. “Chuck,” he said, keeping his gaze steadily on Duncan, “he knows about Kurt. All of it.”

“I see,” the Professor said significantly.

Duncan looked between the two men, sensing a strange current running between them. “Yeah, I know something’s different about Kurt, but right now it’s more important that I make sure he’s okay, so may I please go up there and see him?”

“I’m sorry, Duncan,” the Professor said, sincere regret in his tone. He touched his temple and began concentrating.

“Wait, Professor!”

Logan turned to see Kurt walking toward him, right out in plain sight. Todd had told of his tail and was trying to pull him back.

“Elf, go back to your room!” Logan told him.

“It’s too late for that,” Kurt said, turning to look down the stairs at Duncan, whose mouth had fallen open. A moment later, he had teleported down to stand directly in front of the football player.

Logan started down the stairs, but the Professor held up a hand and spoke to him mentally, “Stay calm, Logan. This is important to Kurt. If Duncan reacts badly, I can still clear his memories of it before he’s out the door.”

Logan stopped, clenching his fists and watching the two boys intently.

Duncan was staring at the unusual being with Kurt’s voice. The hair was the same, and the face shape, but now he could see the pointed ears, the _blue_ fur, yellow eyes, strange hands and feet and … a tail?

“This is the real me,” Kurt said softly. “I wear a holographic inducer so that I can go out in public.”

Duncan licked his very dry lips. “Uh … are you … um … from another planet?”

Kurt smiled, and for a moment Duncan thought that was the same as always until he saw the fangs. “No. I’m a mutant. That’s why I can teleport – it’s my mutant power. Everyone born with an X gene has one.”

“X gene?” Duncan said weakly.

“We’re all mutants here, Duncan,” the Professor said. “I’m a telepath. So is Jean.”

“Jean?” the boy repeated.

Todd leaped over the upstairs railing and landed neatly in front of him. “Guess what MY power is, yo!” He grinned.

Duncan backed off a couple of steps. Kurt sighed.

I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I wish … things could have been different.” He turned away and started to go upstairs.

“Hey, wait!” Duncan said and went after him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Logan came down a few more steps, ready to spring into attack mode.

Kurt looked up at the older boy earnestly, his yellow eyes shining with tears. “I really liked you,” he admitted. “It wasn’t fair of me to pretend to be something I wasn’t.”

“I can see why you had to,” Duncan said, then nervously ran a hand through his hair. “Look, Kurt, I’d be lying if I acted like I wasn’t surprised by this, but … does it have to matter?”

“Doesn’t it?” Kurt asked him incredulously. “LOOK at me!”

“I am! And …,” a sideways grin spread across Duncan’s face, “you’re pretty cute.”

“He is?” Todd scratched his head. “I think maybe you’ve been hit by one too many tackles, Matthews.”

“Shut up, Tolensky!” Duncan and Kurt ordered, then laughed, smiling at each other.

“You really don’t mind … the way I look?” Kurt asked him. Duncan reached out and touched his cheek, running his thumb against his jawline.

“I _like_ the way you look,” he said firmly, then grinned. “_And_ feel!”

“Okay, that’s enough of that.” Logan moved in between them, meeting Duncan’s eyes seriously. “Chuck,” he said, “what kinda reading are you getting from this?”

“He’s being sincere, Logan,” the Professor said. “Duncan, come with us to the living room where we can better explain things to you.”

The front doors opened and Duncan saw Principal Darkholme run in with Rogue, Remy, and Pietro. All four stopped to stare from Kurt to himself then back again.

“Welcome to the coming out party, yo!” Todd told them.




part 60

“Scott, may I speak to you?” Hank asked, stopping the young X-Man in the school hallway.

“Sure, what is it?”

“I seem to have lost half of my Sophomore class, and all of them are students at the Institute,” he said in concern. “Kurt, Rogue, Pietro, and Remy are all missing.”

“What?” Scott said in surprise. “But it’s Remy’s first day!”

“I know,” Hank said. “I gather you had no idea about this mass exodus either. I didn’t want to upset Mystique, but I’m afraid I should call the office.”

“Yes, I think you should. May I wait with you?”

“Certainly.” Hank went to the nearest intercom. Scott leaned against the wall beside him and waited.

“Hello, may I speak with Ms. Darkholme, please?” Hank paused. “She did? Hmm. Thank you.” He hung up the receiver and looked at Scott. “She’s gone home, and the secretary says three children went with her.”

“Maybe I should go,” Scott said. “Sounds like something’s wrong.”

“That might be a good idea,” Hank admitted. “I can’t leave – I have two more classes to teach – but you gather the all the others and get home as quickly as you can. Mystique will excuse you to your teachers later.”

“Right!” Scott ran off to find the rest of his team.

--

Duncan listened to everything Professor Xavier explained to him about mutants and the X-Men – what they were, what they could do, and how they had to hide. Throughout it all, he could hardly take his eyes off Kurt, who was perched –not sitting, but crouching – on the sofa next to him. The tail swished slowly behind him like a cat’s. It was almost hypnotic. Like Kurt’s yellow eyes. He could easily get lost in those ….

“Duncan?”

The football player snapped to attention. “Yes sir?” he said. Rogue, Pietro, and the new kid – Remy – all laughed at him good-naturedly.

The Professor looked vaguely amused. “I realize this is all a little overwhelming – do you have any questions?”

“A couple,” he said. “I know your power and Jean’s, and I know Kurt can teleport, but what about the rest of you?” He looked over at the woman he knew as Principal Darkholme. “You’re Kurt’s mother, right? Does that mean you teleport, too?”

“No,” she said. “I have a different sort of power.”

With that, Duncan watched in utter amazement as the stern visage and severe clothing of Bayville High’s feared principal physically changed into a stunning red-haired, blue-skinned bombshell in skimpy black leather. His mouth went dry.

“Well,” he said weakly, “I see where Kurt gets his good looks.”

“And his good colour?” Todd piped up. Rogue elbowed him.

“Yeah, that, too,” Duncan said, oblivious to the other boy’s sarcasm. “Prinicipal Darkholme – “

“Here you may call me Mystique,” the beauty purred. Somehow her voice, although identical to his Principal’s – sounded a lot more sultry coming out of this woman.

“Um, Mystique,” he said, “I think if the student body knew you really looked like this, there’d be a run on people having themselves sent to your office.”

“Yeah, but for other reasons entirely,” Logan said gruffly. “You can see why she can’t show herself in public anymore than Kurt can.”

“Why?” Duncan asked.

Pietro leaned toward Remy and murmured, “I knew he was a dumb jock, but does he have to take it so literally?”

“Duncan,” Kurt said softly, “people were scared of me when I was growing up in Germany, before I had the holowatch. Some even tried to hurt me.”

“People fear what they don’t understand,” the Professor said to Duncan. “And sometimes, that fear can come out as violence.”

“Yeah, I know that,” Duncan said. “But I don’t think you’re giving people
enough credit.” He looked around at them. “People don’t get freaked out as easily as they used to. Take Kurt and I – a hundred years ago, I hear you hardly ever saw two boys dating openly, and those that did were persecuted by narrow-minded jerks. But these days, _everybody_ is bisexual and it’s no longer an issue.”

“That’s true, but not exactly what we’re talking about in this instance.”

“Okay, you say your X-Men are heroes – well, isn’t there a group of little girls running around in sailor suits in Japan preventing world domination of evil? They’ve all got unexplained powers, and people aren’t hunting _them_ down. And you’ve _got_ to have seen those humanoid ducks playing hockey in Anaheim – they’re fighting world domination there, too, and everybody loves them, especially NHL fans!”

“The Sailor Senshi keep their true identities a secret, Duncan,” the Professor said. “And the public knows they have nothing to fear from the Mighty Ducks – their manager publicizes their every secret so that they’ve nothing left to hide.”

“I understand having to keep identities quiet so your enemies don’t know where to find you,” Duncan said. “But I don’t think you have to hide the existence of mutants. If the public can take reincarnated planetary princesses and talking ducks, they can handle mutants.”

“You have a good point, Duncan, and I _will_ think about what you’ve
said,” the Professor told him. “But the fact is that we _do_ have enemies, and so hiding their powers is an unfortunate necessity for my X-Men.”

“That’s cool,” Duncan said. “I won’t tell anybody. I’d never want to put Kurt at any kind of risk.” He smiled over at the blue-furred boy, who gave him a fanged grin.

The front doors opened and in rushed Cyclops, Jean, Shadowcat, Blob, and Avalanche, fully suited and ready for battle. They stopped and stared at the picture of Kurt and Mystique’s true forms exposed in front of a human.

“Duncan?!” Jean said in surprise.

“Hey Jean,” Duncan greeted, then grinned, looking her up and down. “_Nice_ costume!”

Something smacked him upside the head. “Ow!” he cried, looking around for the source of the attack. Kurt shot him a significant look and waggled his tail in warning. Duncan chuckled and rubbed his head with a rueful smile, “I get the point.”

“Professor,” Cyclops said slowly, “what’s going on here?”

--

Lance yawned and glanced at the clock. An hour had passed since he and the others had rushed home, and in that time Duncan had been told exactly what each one of them could do. It had been fun watching his reaction to some of their demonstrations, but now Lance was bored. He made his way over to Kitty and took her aside.

“What do you say we blow this meeting?” he asked. “There are enough others here to handle it.”

“Sure,” Kitty said, “I guess we could still go back to school for last period.”

Lance looked at her pathetically. “I _hope_ you’re kidding me.”

She giggled. “Of course I am! But what did you have in mind?”

“Nothing specific, but maybe we could plan to eat out, and then we can stay out all evening.”

“That sounds good,” Kitty agreed. “I’ll tell Logan and we’ll – “

“No, don’t tell him,” Lance said quickly. “He might find some reason why we shouldn’t go, since technically we _should_ be in school now.”

She frowned. “We can’t just take off without a word to anyone.”

“We’ll leave a note,” Lance promised. “Come on – let’s go get ready!”

Kitty grinned at him and the two of them slipped out of the living room.



part 61

“Good grief,” Mystique said as she looked at the devastation of Kurt’s room.

“He almost put a chair through the window,” Logan said, pulling the mattress back onto the bed. “Caught him just in time.”

“At least he didn’t wreck the stereo,” she noted, picking her way through the mess carefully.

“I didn’t know going out with Duncan meant that much to him,” Logan said, then scratched his head. “Well, maybe it was just being able to go out with _anyone_ ….”

“Yes,” Mystique agreed softly, “but Duncan is the one he wants, and the boy still likes him, Logan.”

“I know, I know.” Logan sighed. “And Chuck says he’s sincere – he’ll keep our secret. I guess so long as Matthews minds his manners and respects Kurt’s age they can keep seeing each other.”

“One problem solved then,” Mystique said, then gave a small sigh of her own. “But still one remaining.”

Logan nodded seriously, looking over at her. “The Hummingbird still hasn’t confessed.”

“No,” she said with regret, “and I just spoke to Charles – Scott told him that Pietro knows the situation and _refuses_ to confess.” She stood the bedside table upright again. “I guess … I was wrong about him.”

Logan went over and gave her a comforting squeeze. “Sorry, Mysti,” he said. “Maybe it was too much to expect too soon. You did too good a job making the kid Brotherhood.”

“Don’t give me _all_ the credit,” Mystique said dryly. “His good-for-nothing father had something to do with it, too. He wasn’t brought up to care about others or to feel shame for doing something wrong.”

“It’s up to us to re-train him,” Logan said. “We can do it, don’t worry. So long as we love the little bugger, we can teach him right from wrong in a way that’ll last.”

Mystique smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said softly.

He kissed her. “It’ll be all right. We’ll talk to him and make sure he understands everything before we punish him.”

“I guess there’s no point in putting it off any longer,” Mystique admitted. “If he hasn’t confessed by now, he never will.”

“Let’s go find him.”

The two adults left Kurt’s room just as Remy was passing by, so Logan caught him by the shoulder. “Hold up there, Cajun. Have you seen Pietro around anywhere since Duncan left?”

Remy’s black and red eyes searched the serious faces of the couple in front of him. He smiled. “Mais out, Monsieur Logan. I last saw him down in de kitchen.”

“Come on, Mystique,” Logan said, and they headed down there. Remy waited until they were out of his line of sight, then sprinted for his room as fast as he could.

Pietro and Rogue nearly jumped out of their skin at his sudden entrance. “Man, Remy, are you trying to give us heart failure?!” Pietro exclaimed.

“No, but Logan and Mystique are looking to give you somet’ing _else_, chere!” Remy glanced back out the door. “I sent dem on a wild goose chase to de kitchen, but dey won’t be dere long!”

“You mean they’ve decided to punish me _anyway_?!” Pietro squeaked. “You’re right, I’d better move!” He gave Rogue a tight hug then kissed Remy. “Thanks for the warning – stick near the phone and I’ll call to see if the coast is clear later.”

“Pietro, don’t go!” Rogue started to say. “It won’t help --!”

But the speed demon was already gone.

Rogue elbowed Remy. “Ouch!” he cried, rubbing his ribs. “What for you do dat? You don’t want to see him get spanked, do you?”

“Of course Ah don’t, but Scott already was and it ain’t _fair_, Remy!” she said angrily. “Pietro’s gotta learn to take responsibility for his own actions!”

“You sound like one of de grown-ups, petite,” Remy said, giving her a charming smile. “Relax and be glad for him dat he got away.”

She gave him a direct look. “Maybe instead Ah should just go tell Mama and Daddy that you tricked them so he _could_ get away!” She walked out of the room with a purposeful stride. Remy’s smile faded and he ran after her.

“Rogue, wait! Don’t do dat! ROGUE!”

*

Duncan shut off his car engine and turned to smile at Kurt in the passenger seat. The mutant’s image inducer had been damaged, so he was wearing a full-length cloak and hood to hide his appearance. In the dark, Duncan could only see Kurt’s yellow eyes glowing from within the depths of the hood. “I’m glad you rode home with me, even though it meant covering up like that. No one’s around here to see you, at least.”

“I’ve worn it before,” Kurt said, pushing the hood down. “The Professor should have my inducer fixed in time for school tomorrow.” He sighed.
“I’m so ashamed of myself for breaking it, and for acting so childishly in throwing a temper tantrum at all.”

“Hey, you were entitled.” Duncan reached out and stroked his fuzzy cheek. God, it was soft. “I’m kind of flattered that dating me meant that much to you.”

“It did, for more than one reason,” Kurt admitted. “I really like you, Duncan.”

“I really like you, too, Kurt,” the football player said. “Even more so now that I know the _real_ you.” He cupped Kurt’s cheek in his palm, leaned across the seat and kissed him gently.

Kurt closed his eyes. My first kiss, he thought. And it was nice.

Duncan sat back slowly, searching Kurt’s face. He was relieved when the younger boy opened his eyes and smiled shyly at him.

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” Duncan promised.

“Ja,” Kurt said, tentatively putting his hand over Duncan’s. “And thank you for understanding.”

Duncan squeezed the two-fingered hand firmly. “No need to thank me for what should be common sense.”

Kurt gave him a dazzling smile. “Good night,” he said, and teleported away.

Duncan shook his head. What an amazing discovery he’d been let in on today. He knew a telepath as powerful as the Professor could have easily erased his memory of what he’d learned, but he was trusting him. They all were. And he wasn’t going to let them down.

Especially not Kurt.

*

“That was good,” Lance said, getting into the driver’s seat of his jeep beside Kitty.

“Yeah, I love stuffed-crust pizza,” she agreed. “But what are we going to do now? We still have a couple of hours before curfew.”

“I guess it’s a little too chilly tonight for the cove,” Lance said with regret.

Kitty smiled and patted his arm. “Next time we go should be on the weekend, so we’ll have lots of time and daylight.”

“It’s a date then.” He grinned. “We’ll go on the weekend.” He paused and sighed. “Unless some other mutant is getting shot at and needs us to go traipsing across the country.”

Kitty laughed. “That doesn’t happen _every_ weekend, Lance! And anyway, don’t you like Remy?”

“Yeah, he seems like an okay guy. I’m just worried about what he’s doing to Pietro.” Lance frowned. “Every time I looked for him today, Rogue _and_ Remy were there. Pietro’s not stupid – can’t he see what Remy’s doing? Hell, Todd and I even tried to warn him, but he still doesn’t seem to care.”

“Is it possible that you’re wrong about Remy?” Kitty asked. “Maybe he just wants Rogue for a friend, and wants to be Pietro’s friend, too.”

“I really don’t think that’s it,” Lance said. “I don’t know what it is – I can’t put my finger on it.”

“Hey, Lance, look!” Kitty said suddenly, pointing. “A new dance club! Let’s check it out!”

He grinned. “Sure. I know how you love to dance.” He turned the jeep around. “But chances are it’s not an all-ages club, you know.”

“Don’t be such a defeatist,” Kitty said, her eyes shining with excitement. “Our coming this way was fate. Didn’t you see the name of the club? It was made for us!”

“It was?” Lance pulled into a parking space and got out of the jeep. He looked toward the club entrance. Just below the ‘Now Open’ sign was the name of the club in neon lights -- ‘THE MUTATION’

“See?” Kitty said smugly as she joined him.

Lance laughed and took her hand. “So what are we waiting for?”



part 62

“He’s gone?” Mystique repeated after Rogue finished telling she and Logan about Pietro. The Professor and Hank, who had been having coffee together in the kitchen, listened with serious expressions. Remy hung back in the doorway, not willing to go in and yet unable to leave.

“Ah’m sorry,” Rogue said. “Ah tried to stop him, but he was outta there so fast ….”

Logan turned his frown on Remy. “YOU told us he was in here when you knew he was in your room. Why are you protecting _him_ all of a sudden?!”

Remy shrugged. “I did not want to see him get spanked.”

“Why should you care?!” Logan demanded incredulously.

“He is my friend.”

“And you’re after his girl, aren’t you?!”

“Daddy!” Rogue protested. “This ain’t the time right now!”

“I agree,” the Professor said. “The important thing is to find Pietro. If he’s afraid to come home, there’s no telling where he might go.”

“Can you use Cerebro to find him?” Mystique asked.

He shook his head. “Cerebro has a hard time picking Pietro up – his signature moves too quickly to focus on. I’ll see if I can pinpoint him on my own.” He paused, concentrating. After a few moments, he shook his head. “All I can determine is that he’s still in Bayville, but he’s on the move.”

“Then there’s no point in going after him until he stops,” Hank said simply. “None of us can catch him while he’s running.”

Mystique leaned back against the counter, her arms folded and her head down. Rogue went over and touched her shoulder. “He’ll be okay, Mama.”

“This is all my fault,” she murmured. “If I hadn’t thought he’d confess ….”

“Huh?” Rogue said in confusion.

“Nothing,” Logan said gruffly and turned back to Remy. “You’d better hope nothing happens to him, kid. And I’ll tell you something else – you ever lie to my face again and you’ll be over my knee next and _that’s_ a promise!”

Remy blinked and looked about to protest, but Rogue rushed back over to him and clapped her gloved hand over his mouth. “He understands,” she said firmly.

Scott walked into the kitchen and looked around. “Is something wrong?”

“The Hummingbird’s gone,” Logan said grimly. “He got tipped off that we were going to punish him tonight.” He gave Remy a dirty look. Scott saw it and groaned in disgust.

“Oh, for – you mean he gets away with it _again_?!”

“No, he will not,” the Professor told him. “He can’t keep running forever – he’ll come home eventually.”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Scott said. “Professor, is it all right if I go look for him?”

“Certainly, Scott, but I don’t see how you’ll be able to catch up to him.”

“Nor how you could convince him to come home knowing what awaits him,” Hank added.

“I have something in mind,” Scott said, and started to leave.

Rogue headed after him. “Let me come with ya!”

“Not this time, Rogue,” he replied and left.

*

Lance sat down at the nearest table for a breather. He knew from school dances that once Kitty got going, it would be a long time before she wound down, and he was having trouble keeping up with her.

“What’s wrong, Lance?” she teased. “Feeling your age?”

“Ha ha,” he said flatly and pulled her down to sit on his lap, wrapping his arms around her. “Having fun?”

“Yes! Aren’t you?”

“Oh yeah!” he said with a smile. “It’s great. I’m glad it turned out to be an all-ages place after all.” He looked around at the mostly-teenage crowd, all enjoying themselves eating or dancing or just hanging out and talking.

“It’s funny, though, isn’t it?” Kitty remarked. “I didn’t think it was at first, because of how the bouncer at the door gave us such a once-over. I mean, why scrutinize so closely if it’s all-ages, anyway?”

“Yeah, that was kind of weird,” Lance said. “Maybe he was wondering how a bum like me ended up with a gorgeous date like you.”

Kitty smiled. “Or maybe he wondered how I ended up with such a sexy guy.”

Lance blushed. He and Kitty had gotten a lot closer lately, their tentative relationship becoming more solid and sure, enough where they could safely take some little liberties, like he taking her on his lap and she calling him sexy. It was nice.

But they still hadn’t kissed, and Lance really wanted to. He wondered if Kitty did, too. He hoped so, anyway.

“Hey, Lance, look at that guy over there!” Kitty nudged him. He followed her gaze to a boy who’d just walked in. He was almost too pretty to be called handsome with his perfectly sculptured features, winsome smile and wide, innocent blue eyes. Silky blonde hair shimmered over his shoulders like starlit gold. Other people in the club greeted him eagerly with waves and calls – he was obviously well-known and liked.

“Stunning, huh?” Lance remarked.

“Very,” Kitty said and squeezed his arm. “But I think you’re better-looking.”

Lance grinned. Even if it was a lie, it was nice to hear.

As they watched, someone walking by with a full glass of soda was accidentally jostled by one of the dancers and they lost their grip on the glass just as the blonde boy was passing. Lance and Kitty saw a strange flash of gold just before the pretty boy bent down to adjust the strap on his boot. The glass of soda sailed harmlessly over his head, hitting the counter between two barstools.

“Man, that was some timing!” Lance said in disbelief. “It would have hit him dead on!”

“I don’t think he even knows it happened,” Kitty said, watching the blonde stand back up and continue across the floor.

The newcomer walked by their table and paused, seeing them. He smiled at them. “Hello! You two look like a nice couple!”

Lance hugged Kitty a little tighter. He had to admit, he loved hearing the word ‘couple’ and having it mean the two of them together.

“Thank you,” Kitty said. “We’re new here – that is, we only just found this place tonight.”

“It hasn’t been here very long,” the boy said. “My girlfriend’s father owns it, and the finishing touches were just put in last week.” He laughed. “Pardon my manners.” He extended his hand. “My name is Longshot.”

Kitty then Lance both shook his hand. “I’m Lance and this is Kitty,” he said, giving the guy a curious look. “Longshot is an odd name.”

“Not for a mutant,” the other boy said cheerfully and looked between them. “So what kind of powers do _you_ have?”



Part 63

Well, here I am again, Pietro thought, looking around. He was back where he’d been the other night when Duncan found him – on the other side of Bayville, under the same street light. Why did he keep coming here?

Actually, a better question right now would be – where would he go next?

He couldn’t return to the Institute, not knowing that Mystique and Logan were looking for him with one purpose in mind. How could he? It would be as good as walking in the door and holding up a sign that said, ‘Spank me, please!’ Uh-uh, not interested.

In an effort to stop thinking about the inevitable, Pietro surveyed his surroundings. It was actually a nice part of town – there was a park right behind him, and across it he could see a street with a row of fairly large, well-kept, two-story houses. It wasn’t the decadence in which Duncan Matthews lived, but it was homey. Kind of like where he’d lived with his foster parents before moving into the Brotherhood house.

He hadn’t thought about his foster parents for a while. They’d been good people -- spoiled him rotten in the few years he’d lived with them. Although he felt some mild affection for them then, he’d always maintained some emotional distance. After all, his own father was still alive, and would come back for him someday.

Yeah, right.

When Magneto _had_ come for him, it wasn’t until he needed him for his own purposes. That was cool at the time, since getting busted out of jail was something Pietro needed himself. But if he’d been expecting to suddenly have a close father-son relationship with the Master of Magnetism forever afterwards, he learned fast that it just wasn’t happening. If anything, with the way Magneto ragged on him twice as hard as on the others whenever he’d deigned to show up, he’d just as soon have been left in jail.

Where had he gone when he disappeared? Off to continue his rise to power, using other unsuspecting kids? Leaving behind his only son and ….

Pietro shook his head. He didn’t want to think about the other loose end his father had left. It still hurt too much.

Instead, he shifted his train of thought back to his current problem. He couldn’t go back to the Institute, but with Rogue, Remy, and his friends there, he couldn’t _not_ go back, either. What a mess.

A car horn honked and he jumped. He looked over in surprise to see Scott Summers driving down the street toward him.

“Geez, do I have some kind of homing device attached to my back or something?” he muttered. As he waited to see what Scott would say when he reached him, something else caught his attention.

That strange sense like he’d had last time he was here – the one that said someone was watching him.

It was back. And it was closer.

“I had a feeling you would be here,” Scott said as he pulled up.

“You had a better feeling than I did. I had no idea I’d be here until I _got_ here,” Pietro said.

“Duncan mentioned this morning that this was where he found you last night,” Scott said, then added wryly, “right before he expressed his condolences for my having been spanked.”

“Heh heh.” Pietro ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. “Sorry about that. Like I told you before, it slipped out.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Scott got out of the car and walked around to sit on the hood. “Let’s talk.”

“I’m not going back,” Pietro said stubbornly.

“Boy, that was fast,” Scott replied. “But then, look who I’m talking to.“

“Well, that’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it? That I have to go back?”

“Even _you_ know that you have to go back sooner or later,” Scott said reasonably. “You’re not going to just leave Rogue and your friends.”

“Not forever,” Pietro said. “Just until the adults get the idea of spanking me out of their minds.”

Scott shook his head. “That’s not gonna happen, Pietro.”

The blonde put his hands on his hips. “Why not?” he demanded.

Scott gave him a direct look. “Because I’ll keep guilt-tripping them until they do it.”

“HEY!”

“Hey, yourself!” Scott snapped back seriously. “Look, I’m not absolving myself from blame totally here – I was stupid enough to turn my back on you – but you took advantage of me and got us both in trouble!”

“You’re the leader of the X-Men, right?” Pietro said mischievously. “Aren’t you supposed to sacrifice yourself for us?”

“I already _did_,” Scott told him. “Mystique had this crazy idea that you would confess if I pretended to have been punished instead. Then they used that opportunity to spank me for letting you take the card and at the same time make it all look more convincing.”

Pietro stared at him. “You mean it was all a trick?”

“Not ALL of it,” Scott retorted. “I _did_ get spanked! And so far, you haven’t.”

“Yeah, well, it’s staying that way, man,” Pietro said, turning away. He searched the surrounding area, wondering what was the source of that strange ‘I’m-being-watched’ feeling.

“That’s your final word, huh?” Scott said slowly. “You don’t care that Mystique had faith in you? Or that I had to be humiliated to try and prod your non-existent conscience into action?”

Pietro winced slightly. The truth was, he _did_ feel badly about those things, but was too proud to admit it, let alone return home and accept punishment. He squared his shoulders, not wanting Scott to see even the slightest hint of guilt in his body language. “Yeah, that’s my final word,” he said firmly.

“Suit yourself.”

Pietro heard Scott rising from the hood of the car and figured his next move would be to get in and drive home. He certainly did not expect the older boy to grab him by the arm and sit back down, yanking him clear off his feet and over his lap.

“WHAT THE HE –OUCH!” Pietro cried as Scott whacked him solidly on the rear with his hand.

“Be grateful I’m letting you keep your pants on,” Scott told him grimly. “After what you’ve put us all through, you don’t deserve it.” He whacked the younger boy again, harder.

Pietro cried out in pain and fury. “You let go of me, Summers, I mean it!” He struggled violently, but with his feet off the ground, he had no means to use his speed. Scott held him firmly in place and delivered another solid whack to his bottom, then another, and another.

Pietro yelped as the spanking continued and to his horror, tears formed in his eyes. Damn it, this was _hurting_! And Scott wasn’t pulling any punches – every whack was as forceful as the one before it and he wasn’t showing any signs of letting up. And to make things worse – they were out in the open where anyone could pass by and SEE them! He squirmed desperately which only succeeded in speeding up the succession of spanks until he gave up and ceased to fight.

“Stop!” Pietro sobbed finally, gasping through his tears. “Scott, _please_!”

It stopped. Pietro felt his breath hitch in his chest as his entire body shook. Scott took hold of his shoulders and pulled him upright. Pietro gasped as the material of his jeans shifted against his tender skin.

“You’ve been indulged too long, Pietro,” Scott told him. “That’s not the way things are in the Institute. We _all_ live by the same rules, and if you screw up, one way or another, you’re gonna get punished.”

The blonde mutant jerked out of his grasp. “I should have gone home after all!” he yelled. “Maybe I would have been spanked there, too, but at least Logan and Mystique CARE about me!”

Scott sighed and massaged his wrist. “I care, too, you know. Maybe we don’t know each other that well, but you’re a part of my team now. And more than that ….” He looked off in the distance. “You’ve had a lot to deal with. Your father … and then Evan and Fred leaving … I know what it’s like to be apart from people you care about.”

Pietro threw his hands into the air. “So why couldn’t we have put my stealing the pants down to being in need of kindness and understanding?”

Scott gave him a wry look. “Because you dragged _me_ down with you.”

“Hmmph,” Pietro replied with a pout and gingerly rubbed his backside. “And what do you think will happen when I tell them you did this to me?”

“I’ll tell them myself and find out then,” Scott said with a shrug. “Unlike you, I take responsibility for my actions.” He walked around and got into the driver’s seat.

“Ah-HAH!” Pietro said triumphantly. “So you admit what you did to me was wrong!”

“I didn’t say that,” Scott replied. “All I said was that I’ll admit to having done it. The adults will decide if it was wrong or not.” He looked over at the younger boy. “Are you riding or running?”

Pietro eyed the car seat dubiously. “Thanks to you, I’m in no shape to run. But I’m not crazy about the idea of sitting right now, either.”

“Stretch out on your stomach in the back seat then,” Scott suggested.

Pietro gave him a strange look, wondering why the X-Men leader would offer him any helpful suggestions after what happened between them. Still, it was a good idea. He carefully crawled into the back seat on his hands and knees, then stretched out onto his stomach. Scott started the car and as he pulled away from the curb, Pietro could have sworn he heard laughter from the surrounding shadows.



part 64

Kitty nestled her cheek against Lance’s chest as they danced to the slower-paced song. She could see Longshot not far away, chatting amiably with one of the bouncers, who actually lost their stern visage while listening to him.

“I still can’t believe it, Lance,” she said. “_All_ the kids here are mutants!”

“At least now we know why that guy at the door was looking at us so closely,” he said. Longshot had explained that that particular bouncer had the mutant power to be able to detect _other_ mutants. No humans were allowed past the door.

“Wait until the other kids find out about this place,” Kitty said. “Kurt will love it!”

“He’ll have to come alone,” Lance pointed out. “They won’t let Duncan in.”

“Hey, that’s right,” Kitty frowned. “Their dating is going to be kind of weird, isn’t it?”

“Maybe, but it should be better than when Jean dated him. At least he knows about us now.”

Longshot walked over and smiled at them. “Having fun?”

“Yeah, this place is great!” Kitty said. “We were just saying our friends would love it.”

“Bring them with you next time,” Longshot suggested. “Hopefully my girlfriend will be here then, and I can introduce you.”

“That would be neat,” she said. “Is she busy tonight?”

“Her father wanted her to stay home and study,” Longshot told her.

“Ugh, one of my least favorite past-times,” Lance remarked. Kitty elbowed him.

“We should be studying ourselves to make up for missing classes today.” Kitty looked at Longshot curiously. “Do you go to Bayville High?”

“Impossible,” Lance said. “We’d have noticed him before.”

“I’m privately tutored,” the blonde boy said.

“Really? How come?” Kitty asked.

“Maybe it’s personal,” Lance told her.

“No, not at all,” Longshot said good-naturedly. “It’s just that with the schedule on the set, it’s easier that way.”

“You make it sound like you’re in show business,” Lance said.

“I am,” the other boy replied with a smile. “I’ve done commercials for a while, but I just landed my first movie. I don’t even have to go on location – it’s filming right here in Bayville!” He blushed slightly. “Good thing, since I’d just gotten involved with someone and would have hated to leave her already.”

“That _is_ kind of lucky, isn’t it?” Lance remarked.

“Well, ‘luck’ would be my middle name – if I had a last name.” Longshot laughed. “I’m going to get something to drink, excuse me.” He headed to the counter just as the man at the counter pushed a large soda toward him.

“Here you go, Longshot. Some guy ordered a drink for his girl but it was supposed to be diet – you may as well have this one.”

“Hey, thanks!”

Kitty shook her head in wonder. “_What_ did he say his mutant power was?”

“Come to think of it, he never did,” Lance remarked. “I think I’m getting an idea, though.”

*

Scott pulled up in front of the Institute. “We’re here,” he said over his shoulder.

Pietro groaned as he tried to crawl out of the back seat with minimal movement. He rubbed his throbbing backside. “Man, I feel sorry for your future kids, Summers. You’ve got a good right!”

“You can feel sorry for me if my kids are anything like _you_,” Scott retorted. He put a hand on Pietro’s shoulder “You’re coming with me to talk to the Professor, okay?”

“Are you crazy?!” Pietro stared at him. “I don’t want to see anyone while I’m in this condition! Talk about humiliating!”

“Yeah, let’s talk about how humiliating it was for me getting spanked in front of all the adults,” Scott countered, then shrugged. “But of course, if you _do_ just go on up to your room, Logan will catch your scent in no time, and he and Mystique will go up to punish you. They won’t believe you if you say I already did it, and _I’ll_ be with the Professor.”

Pietro gave him an admiring look. “I never thought of you as being Brotherhood material before, but now I’m starting to wonder.”

“Does that mean you’ll come with me?”

“Like I have a choice?”

The two boys went inside. Scott saw the Professor through the living room doorway and headed in that direction. Pietro reluctantly followed, wincing.

The adults looked up as the boys entered. “Pietro!” Mystique said, sitting up straight. “Are you all right? We were worried about you!”

“No, I’m not all right,” he said peevishly.

“Tell me about it upstairs,” Logan said, getting to his feet and taking Pietro by the arm. “We have some private business to attend to there.”

“Wait, Logan,” Scott told him, “it’s already been taken care of.”

Logan frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Yes, Scott,” the Professor said, “what are you trying to say?”

The young X-Man drew a deep breath. “You don’t need to spank Pietro – I already did it.”

There was a moment of silence in which everyone looked at Pietro, who turned red. “You can all stop staring at me anytime now,” he groused.

Mystique found her voice first, “What were you _thinking_, Scott?!” she demanded. “Who gave you permission to discipline Pietro or any of the other students?!”

Scott flushed. “I’m sorry if I stepped over the line, it’s just that he wasn’t planning to come home at all because he was afraid, and – “

“I was NOT afraid!” Pietro said hotly.

“You weren’t coming back because you didn’t want to get spanked!” Scott accused. “Wasn’t that the only reason?!”

“That doesn’t mean I was afraid!”

“What would you call it?!”

“Self-defense!”

“HEY!” Logan bellowed. “Knock it off, both of you!”

The boys fell silent. Pietro folded his arms and pouted.

“I can’t believe this,” Mystique said, shaking her head. “Scott, you only spanked Pietro because you were angry with him that _you_ got spanked, isn’t that the truth?”

“I’m not denying that was part of it,” Scott admitted. “The only reason I was punished was so that he would admit his guilt, wasn’t it?”

Mystique glanced at Pietro. “He doesn’t seem surprised – you told him the whole story?”

“Yes, I didn’t see any reason not to once I found out he wasn’t coming back.”

“Scott,” Hank said, “you’re forgetting something. Your punishment wasn’t just part of the plan – you deserved it.”

“No, I’m not forgetting that, Hank,” he said. “But I was required to let my punishment become public knowledge so that Pietro would hear about it and _that_ was just for the plan. And it was humiliating to no end!”

“Okay, Slim, we understand where you’re coming from,” Logan said and turned to Pietro. “What _I_ want to know is whether the Hummingbird here has learned anything from all this.”

“Yeah,” Pietro said sourly, massaging his rear, “don’t piss off the guy in the dark glasses.”

“Is that all?” the Professor inquired.

“No,” the blonde mutant admitted, sighing, “I shouldn’t have charged the pants to you without asking, even if it _was_ amazingly easy to put one over on Summers.”

“Hey!” Scott protested.

Mystique looked at the younger boy. “In retrospect, Pietro, would you have come home if you’d known what Scott had in mind?”

“Yes,” he said without hesitation and looked at Scott accusingly. “Because as embarrassing as having you guys spank me would be, it wouldn’t have been half as bad as being spanked by a guy my age out on a public STREET!”

“No one was around,” Scott told him.

“Yes, there was!” Pietro insisted and turned to Mystique. “And not only that, but I don’t think you guys would have hit me as many times as he did!”

Logan raised an eyebrow at Scott. “How many times _did_ you hit him?”

Scott looked uneasy. “I don’t know. I didn’t count.”

“Logan,” Professor Xavier said, “please take Pietro to his room and assess the damage. Scott, go to your room and stay there until Logan gets back to me.”

“Yes sir.” Scott sighed and walked out as Logan began pulling Pietro along.

“Hey!” the speedster said suddenly. “What does he mean ‘assess the damage’?!”

“I’ll show you upstairs,” Logan told him.



part 65

“All right, kid, off with your pants.”

Pietro spun around in place, the speed of which pulled several sheets of paper off his desk to flutter onto the floor. “WHAT?!”

“How else am I supposed to find out how badly you’re hurt?” Logan asked him, folding his muscular arms.

“I’m okay,” Pietro said hastily, backing away. “You’ve seen me walking.”

“Yeah, that’s just it - you’re walking instead of buzzing around like the Hummingbird we’re all used to. Besides,” he gave the boy a pointed look, “we need to know because of Scott, too.”

Pietro cocked his head, eyeing Logan craftily. “You mean if I’m hurt badly enough, Shades is gonna get it?”

“He’ll get something anyway,” Logan said. “How severely we deal with him depends on this, yes.”

“Ooooh,” Pietro groaned, holding his rear with both hands. “It huuuurts!”

Logan rolled his eyes skyward. “Mind letting me see for myself without the theatrics?”

“Yeah, I mind!” Pietro exclaimed. “Haven’t I been humiliated enough for one day?!”

“Probably not,” Logan replied. “Considering all the problems you caused everyone, and the way you let Mystique down.”

Pietro flushed. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I just … I mean, come _on_, Logan, put yourself in my place! Would you have admitted to being guilty if you’d already gotten away with it?”

“It would depend on the circumstances, kid,” Logan said. “If someone innocent were being blamed, then yeah, I would.”

Pietro was quiet for a moment, then looked at him earnestly. “What should I do?” he asked.

“To square things with Mysti? Apologize. To her, to the Professor, and even to Scott. And mean it.” He headed toward him. “And the other thing you should do is drop ‘em so I can tell Chuck what he needs to know and we can put Scott out of his misery. Or into more, as the case may be.”

“All right, all right.” Pietro unfastened his pants and turned away, then pushed them down. His face flamed as he felt Logan’s hand on his back, bending him slightly as he carefully touched the skin on his rear with his fingertips.

“I think you’ll live,” he said. “It’s angry-red, but the skin’s not broken and there are no welts. I figure he hit you about twenty times – twenty-five max. You can get dressed again.” He gave Pietro a fatherly pat that made him yelp involuntarily as he hurried to yank his pants up.

“So he _did_ go overboard,” Pietro said, still red-faced.

“Yep, but it might not have been uncalled-for this time.”

Pietro ignored that. “You think the Professor will punish him?”

“That’s up to him,” Logan said and snapped his fingers. “Give me the leather pants, kid.”

“Awwww,” Pietro said with a pout. “Do I have to?”

Logan gave him a Look. “What do YOU think?”
Muttering under his breath, Pietro bent down and pulled the bag out from under his bed. “Never even got to wear them,” he complained.

“Good thing you didn’t or we couldn’t take ‘em back.” Logan took the bag from him. “So are you going to take my advice?”

“About apologizing?” Pietro said, then sighed. “I guess so. But it’s not my strong suit, you know.”

“It doesn’t have to be Oscar-worthy – just sincere,” Logan told him and turned for the door, then paused and looked back. “Listen, kid, I’ve got to talk to you about something else. What’s going on with you and the Cajun?”

“W-What?!” Pietro gasped. “Nothing’s going on, I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“I just don’t get it,” Logan said with a frown. “We talked about it before, how you knew he was after Rogue and you were all ready to pop him one. I even caught the two of you the other night about to go at it. But you’re still hanging around with him and tonight he lied to protect you. What’s going on?”

“Nothing,” Pietro insisted. “We just … talked things out, that’s all. He knows about me and Rogue and he’s cool with it. We’re both just friends with him now.”

“Hmmph,” Logan replied. “Well, if you say so. See you later.”

Pietro waited until he’d left the room, then crawled onto his bed and lay down on his stomach, wincing. Part of him felt badly enough about getting Scott involved that he hoped they’d let him off. The other part – particularly the one below the waist – wished fervently that the X-Man leader would be sleeping on his own stomach that night.

*

Lance laughed as he swung Longshot in a circle. He’d been a little surprised when the blonde asked Kitty to dance, but not jealous. For some reason, it seemed impossible to dislike Longshot, even when he might be moving in on his girl. Then he blew that idea anyway by asking _Lance_ to dance next. What’s more, it was fun!

Kitty clapped for them when the song was over. “You guys were great!” she enthused. “But Lance, we have to get going – it’ll be curfew soon.”

“Okay, let’s go.” Lance clapped Longshot on the back. “It was nice meeting you.”

“Same here!” He grinned.

Lance took Kitty’s hand and they moved through the crowd toward the door. Just as they opened it, another girl came in and her eyes met his, startling him. He’d never seen her before, he knew that. She looked tough with her short hair, heavy make-up and tight, revealing clothes. But her blue-grey eyes – he’d seen those eyes before.

She broke off the eye contact and pushed past him to enter the club. He looked over his shoulder and watched her head straight for Longshot, who embraced her happily. He’d never seen two such opposite-looking people together before.

“Lance?”

He turned back to Kitty. “Did you see that?” He nodded toward the pair.

“I guess that’s his girlfriend,” she said, noticing the way the short-haired girl’s arms were encircling Longshot’s neck as they began to dance. “The one whose father owns the club.”

“There’s something familiar about her,” Lance remarked. “Her eyes ….”

Kitty looked at him curiously. “What about them?”

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “Anyway, we’d better get going or we’ll be late.” He held the door open for her and they went out into the cool night air.

*

“Pietro?” Rogue knocked on his bedroom door and cast Remy a concerned look when no one answered. He reached forward and opened it, peering inside.

“He is dere – on da bed.” He went inside and approached Pietro with Rogue following. He appeared to be asleep.

“He’s on his stomach,” Rogue observed. “That ain’t a good sign.”

“Well, we knew it would happen, petite,” Remy said with a sigh. Pietro stirred a little and opened his eyes. He smiled.

“Hey, guys,” he said and yawned. “Man, did I actually fall asleep? What time is it?”

“Almost ten-fifteen,” Rogue said, sitting on the edge of the bed and placing her hand on his leg. “You all right?”

“Kind of sore, but as Logan says, I’ll live.” He turned onto his side, wincing. Remy knelt by the bed and stroked Pietro’s hair.

“I am sorry we could not have saved you from dis, chere,” he told him.

“You tried,” Pietro pointed out. “And I appreciate it, even if it made Logan suspicious.”

“Oui, I did not t’ink of dat,” Remy admitted. “But we can not pretend we are not friends, or we will never be able to spend any time together. I just can not be touching Rogue in front of people.” He winked at the girl.

“_Or_ touching Pietro,” Rogue said. “That would _really_ throw everyone for a loop!”

“Don’t worry – we’ll all be careful,” Remy said. “Is dere anyt’ing we can do for you, Pietro?”

“Yeah, don’t tell anyone what I’m about to tell you guys,” he said. “It wasn’t Logan who spanked me – it was Scott.”

The other two stared at him. “Scott?!” Rogue cried.

“Ssssh!” Pietro shushed her. “I’m trying to keep everyone from finding out, remember?”

“How come he do dat to you?” Remy demanded.

“I made the mistake of telling him I wasn’t coming home and I wasn’t going to confess,” Pietro said.

“So what did they do to _him_ for it?” Rogue asked.

“I don’t know yet. Maybe nothing.” Pietro pouted. “Logan took the pants back.”

“Too bad, you looked damn sexy in dem.” Remy sighed.

“Don’t worry, Hummingbird,” Rogue ruffled his hair. “Maybe the three of us can find a way to get them fer ya honestly.”

“That’d be cool,” Pietro reached back to rub his rear. “But I don’t think I’ll be needing them for a long time!” he added ruefully.

A quick knock came at the door and Lance looked inside. “Oh hey, I didn’t know you guys were here, too.”

“Come on in, Lance,” Pietro invited.

His friend walked into the room. “Kitty and I were at this new club and – “ He frowned suddenly at seeing Pietro on his stomach. “Uh oh … did you end up confessing after all?”

“No,” Pietro said dryly. “Summers nailed me first.”

Lance was silent for a moment, then when he did speak, his voice was cold, “He spanked you? Without permission?”

“You got it.”

The room rumbled ominously as Lance strode out.

“Cool!” Pietro said cheerfully, “if he’s going where I think he is, I’ll have one less person to apologize to!”



part 66

Scott sighed and looked at the clock again. It seemed like he’d been waiting a long time for the adults’ decision, but in reality it had only been about fifteen minutes. In that time, Logan had to check out Pietro. He hoped the kid wasn’t too badly off. He’d made sure the spanking would be memorable, but he sure didn’t want to damage Pietro permanently. Why hadn’t he remembered to count the swats?

He stood and paced, wondering if he was going to end up being spanked again himself. His butt hurt just thinking about it.

The door opened and he turned, expecting to see Logan. What he saw instead was Lance’s fist just before it connected with his jaw, knocking him to the ground. Scott saw Lance coming at him again and lifted his glasses, blasting the other boy off his feet and out the door into the hallway. He slammed into Mystique, who had been on her way to Scott’s room. The blue-skinned woman slammed against the opposite wall, smacking her head. She slid to the ground, but Lance didn’t notice he’d hit her and struggled back to his feet and charged Scott again.

*

In the library, the Professor started visibly enough that Logan noticed. “What’s wrong?” he asked tensely.

The other man looked at him quickly. “Scott’s room,” he said. “Mystique’s been hurt.”

Logan charged out of the library.

By the time he reached the hallway outside Scott’s room, the kids were all there, either gathered around Mystique’s still form or cautiously peering around the doorway into Scott’s room. Todd looked up at Logan from where he cradled Mystique’s head in his lap. “She’s out cold!” he said, sounding frightened.

Logan took one look at his beautiful mate laying unmoving and turned to shove his way past the bodies blocking the doorway to Scott’s room. He caught Lance by the back of the neck and hurled him onto the bed, then reached down and hauled Scott up by the shirtfront, throwing him over to land by the Brotherhood leader. “What the HELL are you two doing?!” he yelled. “Didn’t either of you idiots notice that Mystique is unconscious out there?!”

The two teenagers looked shocked and Logan correctly assumed they hadn’t. He sneered at them in disgust and strode back out to kneel by Mystique.

"Raven,” he said, patting her cheeks. “Come on, Raven, snap out of it. You’ve gotta wake up and change, darlin’ ….”

Scott and Lance came to the doorway and looked out. “I never even saw her,” Lance said in stunned disbelief.

“Mama?” Rogue shook Mystique’s shoulder. “Mama, wake up!”

“Mother!” Kurt cried. “_Mother_!”

“Come _on_, Raven,” Logan urged between gritted teeth. “Don’t do this to me.”

Mystique groaned softly and her eyelids flickered. “Logan?” she murmured.

Her eyes seemed unfocused – that wasn’t good. Logan stroked her cheek. “Shift, darlin’. That’s all you’ve gotta do.”

She winced and put a hand to her head, but made the effort to start a change. She gradually shifted into her guise as Principal Darkholme, then back to her original form. She blinked clear yellow eyes at Logan, who breathed a sigh of relief.

“Took you long enough,” he muttered.

“I love you, too.” She smiled, touching his face.

“What happened here?” he asked, helping her to her feet.

“I was blindsided as I approached the door,” she said. “I was coming to talk to Scott – that’s all I know.”

“I – I guess it was my fault,” Lance admitted. “I must have crashed into you when I fell out the door.” He glared at Scott. “But that wouldn’t have happened if _he_ hadn’t hit me with those stupid beams of his!”

“Hey!” Scott protested. “Who’s the one who barged into my room and attacked me in the first place?!”

Jean put a hand on his shoulder, gazing at him with worry in her green eyes. Kitty was at Lance’s side, dabbing a handkerchief at a cut on his jawline.

“Everyone go and get ready for bed,” the Professor’s voice carried over everyone else’s. “Except for you two boys.”

The other kids started to leave slowly. Pietro paused and looked at his redhaired guardian.

“Hey, Mystique?” he said, meeting her eyes seriously. “I’m glad you’re okay. And … I’m really sorry. For everything.”

She smiled and gave him a brief hug. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate that.”

Logan patted Pietro’s head as he passed by, then turned back to Scott and Lance. “What was this all about?”

“He had NO right to spank Pietro!” Lance declared, glaring over at Scott. “I understand that while we’re here we have to accept the adults’ rules and punishment but we DON’T have to take it from _him_!”

“Sometimes as the eldest, Scott is given adult privileges in our absence,” Logan said. “But this wasn’t one of those times, and you’re right, he shouldn’t have done it.” He looked at the other boy. “In fact, Charles, Hank, and I had decided you needed another spanking to remind you of your place here.”

Scott paled.

“But Mystique talked us out of it,” the Professor told him.

“What?” Scott looked toward the woman in disbelief. “But … I thought you were the most upset over my having spanked Pietro.”

“I was,” Mystique admitted. “But I got you involved in my plan and because of that I feel I’m partially to blame for the way things ended up.”

Scott smiled in relief. “Thanks, Mystique.”

“Don’t get too excited, kid,” Logan warned. “You’re not totally off the hook. _Someone_ has to go back to the store and return those leather pants, and we’ve decided you and Pietro are going to do it.” He glanced at the other boy. “And for starting this fight, Rocky, you can accompany them. It’ll take two of you to keep an eye on Pietro at the mall, anyway.”

“Great,” Lance muttered.

“Now go to bed, both of you. Come on, Raven.” He put an arm around her and led her out of the room.

“Goodnight, boys,” the Professor said to them and left.

Lance stood up and glared down at Scott. “You got off easy, Summers.”

“You don’t know _what_ I’ve been through the last twenty-four hours, Alvers, so just leave me alone,” Scott warned him, standing up.

“No problem.” Lance looked straight into the dark glasses. “Just keep your hands off my friends from now on.”

“You’re perfectly welcome to take over giving Todd his bath in the mornings,” Scott told him.

“You _know_ what I mean!” Lance snarled. “Just back off!” He stalked out of the room and Scott resisted the urge to slam the door after him.



part 67

Finally, the weekend! Rogue pushed her covers down and stretched luxuriously. It seemed impossible that they’d all managed to get through the rest of the week without disaster. There was going to be a training session late that afternoon, of course, but other than that she was free, free, free!

Too bad one of her guys had an appointment at the mall.

Pietro would have to sacrifice part of his Saturday to return to the scene of his crime. Lance and Scott had been sentenced to go with him. She just hoped they’d all return in one piece.

Someone knocked on her door. “Petite?”

“Come in, Remy!” she called. He walked in and smiled.

“You are not yet out of bed?”

“Ah’m getting there, don’t rush me,” Rogue told him. “Why are you up so early?”

“Now dat dey have got me so conditioned to going to bed early, I can’t sleep in anymore, even when we are allowed to.” Remy made a face. “And I am hungry, too. How do breakfasts work on Saturdays here?”

“We fend fer ourselves. Can ya cook at all?”

“I am no chef, but I can make pancakes.”

“Cool! You go get started – Ah’ll be down directly. Make enough fer Pietro, too.”

Remy shook his head, grinning. “Dat was smooth. I don’t remember volunteering.”

“Sure ya did, just now.” She went past him and ruffled his hair. “See ya down there!”

She whistled as she continued on her way to the bathroom. Remy sighed and shrugged, walking out.

“Don’t know how dat happened, but she’s good …,” he murmured.

*

Scott chewed his toast thoughtfully, his mind already in Bayville Mall. He didn’t trust Pietro any further than he could throw him, and he was determined the speedster wouldn’t pull any ‘fast’ ones, so to speak.

“Good morning,” Jean greeted as she walked in. “How are you?”

“All right,” he said. “Not looking forward to later on, though.”

“Maybe he’ll behave himself,” she answered, pouring herself some coffee. “He might actually have learned something, you know.”

“Yeah,” Scott said wryly, “quote – ‘don’t piss off the guy in the dark glasses’.”

Jean chuckled and sat down with him. “I’ll admit I was surprised when you told me what you’d done to him, but let’s face it - _all_ of us have wanted to spank Pietro at one time or another.”

“Don’t tell Lance that or he might hurt you,” Scott said. “And then I’d have to kill him.”

Remy walked in. “Bon matin, Scott, Jeanne.”

“Welcome to your first Saturday with us, Remy,” Jean answered. “Do you have any plans?”

“Right now, my only plan is to make pancakes for Rogue and Pietro,” he said, searching for the ingredients and pulling them out.

Scott and Jean exchanged a look. “Hey, Remy,” Scott said gently, “you know that Rogue and Pietro are involved, right?”

“Oui, I know dat.” Remy started heating up a frying pan.

“Well,” Scott continued carefully, “It’s great that you’re friends with them, but don’t you feel sort of like a … third wheel? You’ve been hanging out with them almost exclusively all week.”

“And it’s not like you didn’t have other kids at school interested in getting to know you, “ Jean added.

“I _did_ meet some new people,” Remy said. “But I enjoy Rogue and Pietro’s company, and dey do not seem to mind having me around.”

“I wish you and Rogue could be the ones taking him to the mall then,” Scott sighed. “I’m not looking forward to this.”

“After what you did to him, I don’t t’ink Pietro will be causing you any trouble,” Remy said and gave Scott a significant look. “On de other hand, you might want to watch out for Lance.”

“Trust me, I intend to,” Scott said.

*

Lance looked up and down the hall before knocking on Kitty’s door. “Kitty?” he said in a hushed voice. “It’s me!”

She opened the door and looked at him curiously. “Why all the secrecy, Lance? You’re allowed to talk to me.” She smiled.

“I know, I just don’t want anyone to hear this,” he said. “We’re still on for going to the cove today, right?”

“Of course,” Kitty said, “right after you get back from the mall ….”

“I was thinking we could go now,” he said with a coaxing grin. “That way we’ll have all day – if we wait until I get back, we’ll only have a couple of hours before we have to come back for the training session.”

Kitty shook her head. “Uh uh, no way. Going to the mall with Scott is your punishment for starting the fight. If you run off, you’ll be in a lot worse trouble.” She reached out and squeezed his hand. “I don’t want that to happen.”

Lance sighed. “Oh, okay. But Summers and I will probably get into it at the mall anyway, and then there’ll be trouble regardless.”

“So _don’t_ make trouble,” Kitty told him seriously. “You and Scott were making progress toward being friends – sort of. But now you’re going back to being enemies, and it’s not good, Lance. You guys are the leaders of your respective teams, and the adults expect better of you. So do we.”

“I know, I know.” Lance stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Okay, I’ll go to the mall, but only to watch out for Pietro.”

“Scott isn’t going to hurt him,” Kitty said quietly. Her eyes were pleading and Lance felt guilty. He hated to think she was disappointed in him. He wanted things to be like they were at the club the other night.

Which gave him an idea.

He smiled. “Hey, I know what. It’s okay if we only get a couple of hours at the cove – we can spend the whole evening at The Mutation. Okay?”

Kitty smiled radiantly and his day was made. “That would be great!”

“Yeah,” he said, hoping his own smile wasn’t too goofy. “Anyway, I’d better go down and see if they’re ready to go. I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll be here!” she said cheerfully and went back into her room. Lance mentally congratulated himself and resolved to do his best _not_ to let Scott get to him. The last thing he wanted was for anything to interfere with his date with Kitty.

He turned toward the stairs only to find himself face-to-face with –

Those eyes. The blue-grey eyes of that girl from the club.

“What are you staring at?” Pietro asked, frowning.

Lance blinked and took a step back. “What are _you_ doing appearing out of nowhere?!” he demanded.

“It wasn’t out of nowhere – I was down the hall and just came over to see if you were ready to leave. Not my fault you were making sheep’s-eyes at Kitty’s door and didn’t notice.” He sped toward the stairs. “Hurry it up and let’s get this over with!”

Lance stared after him. He wasn’t usually given to such things as premonition, but he had the feeling something decidedly weird was going to happen.



part 68

Kurt came out of his room feeling wonderful. It was Saturday and he and Duncan were finally going to the country club. He’d made a point of dressing nicely without overdoing it, and his inducer was switched on already, so as soon as Duncan arrived they could leave.

“Hey Kurt, you look nice,” Kitty remarked as she approached.

“Thank you,” he said. “Duncan is taking me to the country club for the first time.”

“That should be fun,” Kitty said, then smiled gently. “Are you nervous?”

“A bit,” Kurt admitted. “I won’t know anyone there.”

“You’ll know Duncan,” she said cheerfully and patted his shoulder. “Hey, Kurt, I know you love to dance as much as I do, so I thought you might like to know about this place Lance and I found called The Mutation.”

“It’s a dance club?” Kurt asked.

“Yes, and get this – it’s just for _mutants_, Kurt! They don’t even let humans past the door.”

Kurt smiled wryly. “Reverse discrimination? I won’t be able to take Duncan there.”

“Maybe you can – since he knows about mutants. It wouldn’t hurt to ask the bouncer, right? Or better yet, Lance and I are going there tonight – if the owner’s daughter is there again, we’ll ask her.”

“Kitty, did you tell the Professor about this place?” Kurt asked. “It seems kind of weird that someone would open such a club, doesn’t it?”

“I know, but it’s really fun there. Nothing suspicious was going on,” Kitty said. “And we _will_ tell the Professor. Tomorrow. He might even already know about it.”

“True, he seems to know about almost everything,” Kurt said, then grinned as the doorbell rang. “That’ll be Duncan, see you later!” He teleported away.

“Well, he was in a hurry!” Mystique remarked as she came down the hall. “He was dressed nicely for a Saturday.”

“Duncan is taking him to the country club.” A mischievous look crossed Kitty’s face and she regarded the woman thoughtfully. “Hey, Mystique, maybe you could help me with something ….”

*

Quiet now, quiet ….

She carefully padded down the stairs and pulled her boots on at the door. She’d told Longshot that she would meet him at the mall in twenty minutes and had no intention of being late.

Even if she was supposedly grounded.

The door didn’t creak when she opened it, for which she was grateful. She stepped outside and pulled it closed behind her.

Too smart to consider herself home-free yet, the girl hurried to the car in the driveway and grabbed the driver’s side door handle. She ‘felt’ the locking mechanism melt away so she could open the door and get in.

She started the engine without benefit of keys and began backing out of the driveway.

Then the car stopped.

The engine was still running, but the wheels were taking it nowhere. The girl peered through the windshield and saw her father standing at the front door. Swearing under her breath, she got out and regarded him in annoyance. “Okay, I’m out of the car. Happy now?”

“I’ll be happier when you’re back in the house where you belong,” the white-haired man said calmly. “You seem to be forgetting that you’re grounded. As you did last night.”

“You wanted me to study. I studied.”

“For all of fifteen minutes before you slipped out. You’ll never make up what you’ve missed if you don’t apply yourself.”

“And whose fault is it that I’m so far behind?!” Her blue-grey eyes met his angrily. “I think we can agree that you’ve messed up enough of my life. Just leave me alone!” She stalked down the street and kept going until she reached the park. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed.

“Longshot, hi. I’m going to be late getting to the mall – the old man stopped me from taking the car.”

“No problem, I’m on the road,” Longshot replied. “I’ll tell the driver to head over so we can pick you up.”

“Great, I’m at the park. See you in a while.” She put the phone away and sat down on a bench to wait.

*

“Hard at work already, Charles?” Hank remarked as he walked over to stand behind the other man’s chair. He was watching the Cerebro screen closely, and Hank saw the activity that held his interest. “A new mutant?”

“No, it’s one I’ve seen before,” the Professor answered. “That one, as well.” He pointed.

“I didn’t see that one,” Hank said.

“They’re in rather close proximity now, but a few minutes ago were even closer.”

Hank glanced at him. “Charles, is something wrong? You sound disturbed by this.”

“Not exactly disturbed, just cautious.”

“Why? Who are they?”

“This one,” the Professor indicated, “is Wanda Maximoff.”

“Maximoff?!” Hank gasped.

“Yes. She’s Pietro’s twin sister.”

Hank digested that bit of information before continuing. “And the other?”

“Her father.”

“Magneto?!” Hank exclaimed. “He’s returned?!”

“He’s been at that location on the other side of Bayville for a while,” the Professor said. “Other than Wanda, there haven’t been any other mutant signatures around him, so I haven’t been too concerned, particularly as his power has only shown itself in minimal ways.” He paused “I’m concerned about Wanda, though. Eric put her into an asylum when she was still a child because she couldn’t control her anger, and when those outbursts occurred, her power would manifest in devastating ways. If he’s taken her out, either she’s gained control or he needs her for something.”

“Which do you think it is?” Hank asked.

“At this time, I’m inclined to think it’s the former,” the Professor said. “The instances I’ve detected of Wanda’s power being used have been small scale, like Eric’s.”

“Hey, there’s another blip heading for Wanda!” Hank pointed to the screen. “A third mutant!”

“His name is Longshot. He might be her boyfriend – they spend a lot of time together when Wanda’s not at home.”

“How come we haven’t approached him?”

“I’ve investigated – his guardian is his manager and it’s not likely he’ll allow Longshot to live here, even if he weren’t filming right now.”

“He’s an actor?”

“Yes, and he’s starting to gain a following,” the Professor said. “So it might not be a good idea for him to be here. Besides,” he added, “he already seems to have almost perfect control of his power – as much as he _can_ control, that is.”

Hank wondered about the cryptic nature of that last statement, but had a more pressing question. “Are you going to tell Mystique and the boys about Magneto?”

“I haven’t so far,” the Professor answered, “but I didn’t want to alarm anyone or have them go out there to confront him when he may not be up to anything.”

“I think you should tell them,” Hank said gently. “Mystique and Pietro especially deserve to know.”

“Perhaps you’re right,” Professor Xavier conceded. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened when the children learned their principal was Mystique in disguise.” He peered at the screen. “On second thought, it may be too late.”

“Why?” Hank asked.

“Longshot and Wanda are traveling together now,” he showed the other man.

Hank drew a slow breath. “Are they going where I think they are?”

“Yes,” the Professor said with a sigh, “to the Bayville Mall.”



part 69

Pietro rolled his eyes. His two babysitters were giving him a headache.

They fought on the way to the garage. They fought over whose car they’d take. They fought in the car. They fought on the way to Bayville Mall. They fought in the parking lot. And now that they were actually in the mall ….

“Pietro, if you don’t stop darting off like that, I’m going into that pet store over there and buy a collar and leash!” Scott threatened.

“Didn’t know Jean was into that stuff,” Lance remarked.

“You _know_ what I meant, Alvers!”

“Just stop picking on Pietro! Maybe he runs off, but he always comes back!”

“Like he did before I spanked him?”

“Hey!” Pietro spoke up suddenly. “Keep it down, Scott! You want to ruin my rep?”

“Yeah, you didn’t want the whole world knowing when _you_ got it, did you?!” Lance snapped at Scott.

“Nobody heard me say that but you!” Scott said in frustration. He stopped in front of the clothing store. “Okay, here’s the place where you got the pants, Pietro. Let’s go in.”

“Do we have to?” Pietro asked with a cajoling smile.

“YES!”

“You don’t have to shout at him!”

Scott counted to ten. “Alvers, I think Pietro and I should do this alone. Do us both a favour and guard the door so he doesn’t take off.”

“You worry too much,” Lance grumbled, but leaned back against the window by the store entrance. He wanted a couple of moments to think in peace, anyway.

He couldn’t understand why the Pietro seemed to have forgiven Scott for his abuse already. Granted, the blonde had the attention span of a hyperactive flea, but still, he could have tried holding the grudge a little longer just on principle. Too bad he couldn’t have kept those pants, too. They would have been great for him to wear at Mutations once he finally got the chance to tell he and Todd about the place. Thinking of the club reminded him of Longshot’s girlfriend – he wanted to tell Pietro what a freaky resemblance there was between them when he looked in their eyes. His friend would probably laugh at him, but Lance had the feeling he should tell him anyway.

Then, amazingly, he saw her. She was riding down the escalator with Longshot, who spotted him and waved.

“Okay, we’re done.” Scott came out of the store and Pietro zipped out after him. The blonde turned toward Lance, beaming. “Scott bought me a present!”

Lance looked at the t-shirt Pietro proudly modeled – it was the same blue-grey shade of his eyes, and written across it in big block letters was BRAT.

“Summers!” Lance yelled.

“Hey, he _wanted_ it!” Scott said helplessly.

“Yeah, Scott saw it and said it was made for me!” Pietro told him. “I thought it was great so he offered to buy it.”

“_Not_ on the credit card,” Scott said significantly. “I may never use it again.”

“Hi Lance!” Longshot greeted as he and the girl approached. “Hey, I’d like you to meet – “

“WANDA?!”.

Everyone looked at Pietro, who had gone sheet-white as he stared at the newcomer like she was an apparition.

The black-haired girl with Pietro’s eyes looked surprised to see him as well, but nowhere near as shocked as he did. She recovered quickly, glancing at his t-shirt with a smirk. “Pietro,” she said, then looked at a bewildered Scott and choked back … a laugh?

“Is something funny?” Scott asked.

“Just remembering something I saw recently that was _very_ funny,” the girl named Wanda said, and focused back on Pietro. “You’re taller, but otherwise not much different.”

“You look a _lot_ different,” Pietro managed to say.

Wanda’s expression grew harder. “Yeah, well, spending your formative years in an asylum will change a person.”

“Pietro,” Lance had to ask, “who _is_ she?”

“My twin sister,” he said weakly.

Lance and Scott exchanged a look.

“How …?” Pietro started to say, then changed his mind. “Who …?”

“How did I get out?” Wanda supplied. “Who got me out?” She moved closer to him. “Who do you think?” she asked pointedly. “The same man who put me in.”

“Father?” he murmured.

“Yes,” she said, smiling evilly. “He took me out and we’ve been living alone together.”

“F-For how long?” Pietro asked.

“Two months.”

Pietro stared at her in disbelief. “It’s been that long and – “

“That’s right,” she said smugly. “He didn’t tell you.”

“Pietro,” Lance said quickly, “don’t let it bother you – Magneto’s not worth it!”

“He’s changed,” Wanda said. “He’s trying to be a father to me. Granted, he’s pretty ineffectual, but at least now he wants me with him.” She gave her brother a significant look that clearly said, ‘but not you.’

Scott moved to position himself between the twins. “Pietro, Rogue is waiting for you back home, remember?” he said. “We should go.”

Lance grudgingly felt gratitude for Scott’s take-charge abilities. Neither of them knew exactly what was going on between Pietro and Wanda, but it was obvious that their speed demon was getting more distressed by the moment. That meant they had to put a stop to it, and quickly. “Yeah, Pietro,” he added. “And Kitty’s waiting for _me_ - I don’t want to hang around here all day.”

“Wanda,” Pietro tried again, “I’m at the Xavier Institute now – “

“I know,” she said. “Father told me.”

“He knows?” Pietro said so softly that it hurt Lance just to hear it.

“Of course,” his sister said. “you should know Father even better than _I_ do. He knows everything.”

“What about you,” Pietro persisted. “Where do you two live now?”

Wanda’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “Let me give you a hint.” She reached around Pietro to give him a good swat on the butt, then winked. “Thanks for the show last night. You too, Shades.” She turned away with a laugh and hooked her arm through Longshot’s. “Let’s go. We’ve wasted enough time with them.”

Longshot glanced back at Lance as Wanda urged him away. “Um, it was nice seeing you again, Lance. Say hello to Kitty for me.”

The boys watched the couple walk away, then Lance and Scott began to turn back to Pietro. “Hey, Hummingbird,” Scott began gently, “it’s – “

Suddenly Pietro was gone, the backdraft of his escape smashing several store windows. People screamed and ran, thinking the mall was under attack.

Scott surprised Lance further by swearing out loud, just before grabbing his arm. “Quick, start a low-grade tremor!”

Lance nodded and held out his hands toward the floor. The rumbling that passed along it didn’t ease the panic of the mall customers, but when he ceased it a few moments later, they calmed significantly and began talking about the damage to the windows that the rare ‘earthquake’ caused.

“Now let’s get out of here and hope to hell Pietro went home,” Scott said and together they ran for the parking lot.



part 70

“So, where do you want to go first?” Wanda asked Longshot as they walked through the mall.

“That bench.” Longshot pointed and began heading toward it.

“We just got here and you want to rest already?” Wanda joked. Longshot pulled her down onto the bench beside him.

“I want to talk about what just happened,” he said seriously, looking into her eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a twin brother?”

“Because I haven’t _had_ him since I was ten years old!” Wanda said. “Our father dumped _me_ in an asylum and kept Pietro. I wrote both of them off after that!”

“I know how you’ve felt about what your father did, but since he took you out you and he have gotten along all right,” Longshot said.

“’Gotten along’ is about the extent of it,” she said snidely. “We aren’t close.”

“I imagine you both are responsible for that.” Longshot smiled.

Wanda smiled a little herself. Longshot could always manage to calm her down and make her smile. “I guess,” she admitted. “But that’s our business. Pietro isn’t a factor anymore. Father hasn’t made a move to approach him and I don’t care. It’s _his_ turn to be the abandoned twin!”

“Why can’t you both be the reunited twins?” Longshot asked sensibly. “You could get to know each other again and be friends, and you could both get closer
to your father.”

“Ha! Not likely!” Wanda stood up. “Come on, Longshot, don’t tell me I swiped my father’s credit card for nothing – I want to shop.”

He sighed and got up. “Okay, let’s go then,” he said, then winked. “But we’ll talk about this again.”

--

“Run, Kurt, get it!”

Kurt lunged and gave the yellow ball a smack with his racquet – it whizzed over the net and past Duncan’s head.

“Hey, that was great!” Duncan laughed. “You sure this is the first time you’ve ever played?”

“I’m sure!” Kurt replied, grinning. He was really enjoying himself at the country club. He’d been afraid the people there would all be snobs and not accepting of someone who didn’t come from money. But so far, they’d all been very nice and made him feel welcome.

“You want to get a drink?” Duncan asked him.

“Maybe in a little while,” Kurt said. “I want to play some more first.”

The football player assumed a mock-afraid look. “Oh no, I’ve created a tennis monster!”

Kurt approached the net and motioned him closer. “Just imagine if we were alone – I could hold a racquet with my tail, too.”

“Ah, but is your tail a lefty or a righty?” Duncan teased.

“Both!”

“Hey, you lovebirds!” called out one of Duncan’s friends from the sidelines. “You wanna whisper sweet nothings in each other’s ear then let someone else use the court!”

Kurt blushed and Duncan deliberately reached across the net to hug him. “Okay, Rick, it’s out of our systems for now!” he called out. “I’ll go back to letting Kurt cheat now.”

“Hey!” Kurt swung the racquet at him jokingly and Duncan ducked and ran, laughing.

--

“Ah think you cheat, Cajun,” Rogue said as she put down her cards. “Don’t you ever lose?”

“Not if I can help it, petite,” Remy said, gathering up the cards. “Not at cards and
not in love.” He winked at her.

“Yeah, well, you already got me and Pietro – you better not think about ‘winning’ anyone else!”

“Don’t worry! Two lovers at once is all I can handle! Well … maybe not, but I won’t try for more.”

Outside the door, they heard a loud WHOOSH in the hallway.

“Pietro’s back!” they said in unison, and hurried to go see him.

They were surprised to find his bedroom door locked.

“Pietro?” Rogue knocked, then tried the knob again. “Come on, Pietro, what’s up?”

Remy put his ear to the door and frowned.

“What is it?” Rogue asked.

“I think … he is crying.”

Now Rogue was alarmed. “What could have happened to make him cry?!”

“Sssh!” Remy cautioned her. “Don’t let him know we hear him – allow him his pride.”

“Pride schmide! Ah want to go in there and find out what’s wrong!” She headed down the hall with a determined stride.

“Where are you going?” Remy hurried after her.

“To get Daddy,” she answered. “_He’ll_ get that door open, even if he has to slice it into firewood!”

Remy caught her arm. “No, don’t do dat. I can get us in quietly.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Then do it.”

He smiled and shook his head in amazement. “It is a good thing dat I love you because you are de bossiest girl I have ever met!”

“Like mother like daughter, Ah guess,” Rogue said and pointed. “Door.”

Remy went back and pulled something out of his pocket, then leaned down over the doorknob. Rogue couldn’t see what he did, but he was rewarded with the ‘click’ of the door opening, and that’s all she cared about. She went inside and
Remy followed.

Pietro was sitting on the bed with his knees drawn up and his face buried in his arms. His shoulders were shaking.

“Pietro?” Rogue said softly as she sat by him. Remy sat down as well, watching him worriedly.

“Don’t you guys have any respect for a locked door?” Pietro asked, his voice thick with tears and muffled in his arm.

“We didn’t think it was meant for us,” Rogue said. “Tell us what happened. Yer not this upset about returning the pants.”

“No.” Pietro wiped his eyes. “It’s my twin sister, Wanda. She’s back.”

“Yer twin ….” Rogue hesitated. “You have a twin sister?!”

“I did not know you had a sister, either,” Remy said.

“I haven’t had one for five years. She was put in an asylum by our father because every time she lost her temper, her power went nuts.” He sighed. “I ran into her at the mall. She says she and Father are living together now.”

“Why does this upset you so much?” Remy asked. “Is it not good dat your sister is better?”

“I don’t know that she _is_ better!” Pietro said helplessly. “But I know it bugs me that Magneto dumped _me_ just in time to take her out and start playing House!” His lip trembled. “Why does he only ever approach me when he needs something?”

“Because he’s a jerk who doesn’t know what a wonderful thing he had when he had it!” Rogue said emphatically. “He ain’t worth thinking about. Mama and Daddy love you, you know – yer more their kid than Magneto’s! And Remy and Ah love you!”

“I know,” Pietro said quietly. “Thanks.”

Remy put a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe you and your sister can make amends, at least. Do you know where to contact her?”

“Only indirectly,” Pietro said, “but she doesn’t want to talk to me.”

“Give her time to get used to the idea,” Rogue said. “She just saw you again after several years. She’ll wanna talk to you soon. Twins can’t stay apart once they’ve been brought together – take my word for it.”

“And don’t cry over your father anymore,” Remy said, brushing Pietro’s cheeks with his thumb. “You can take _my_ word on dis – the best fathers are not always those we are related to.”

Pietro sighed and managed a watery smile. “I love you guys, you know that?”

They both hugged him tightly.

“Hey!” Rogue said suddenly, sitting back to stare at Pietro’s ‘BRAT’ shirt. “Where’d you get the t-shirt?”

Pietro grinned. “Scott bought it for me.”

They laughed. “There, you see?” Rogue said. “You not only have parents here, and the two of us, but a whole bunch of brothers and sisters who love you enough to tell you the truth!”



part 71

“But Pietro’s okay?” Kitty asked Lance as she played with his bangs. They were at their private cove, relaxing on the beach, his head in her lap.

“Yeah, I checked on him as soon as Scott and I got back. Rogue and Remy had already talked to him, I guess, and he seemed all right.” He frowned slightly. “Still can’t figure out why he lets that guy stay so close to Rogue all the time.”

“Yeah, it’s funny. The three of them are almost always together.” Kitty looked over toward the waves lapping at the sand. “It’s sad, isn’t it? Having a twin sister you hardly know and a father who doesn’t care?”

“He’s got us,” Lance said firmly. “All of us. We’ll make up for it.”

“I know you want to, Lance,” she said gently, “but it’s not the same as having your own father want you.”

“I wouldn’t know – I never had one until I came to the Institute.” He sat up and sifted some sand through his fingers. “We’re all putting so much on them, Kitty. Logan and Mystique – if they were to betray us now, I think it would destroy Pietro and Todd.”

“And you?” she asked softly.

He nodded. “Yeah, me too. I made the mistake of letting my guard down – I care about them now. And … I like that they care about me, even if they’re strict.” He gave her an embarrassed look. “Dumb, huh?”

“Not at all!” she said firmly. “We’re all a big family at the Institute, Lance. The Professor and Hank – they care about you, too. And all us kids.” She put a hand over his and met his eyes. “Especially me.”

Lance held her gaze for a long moment, then bent his head to touch her lips with his own. Kitty returned the kiss, placing her hand on his cheek.

“Wow,” Lance said finally, blushing a little as he smiled at her.

“Yeah,” she agreed, grinning, “wow.”

*

The Professor sighed. “I must apologize to all of you, especially to you, Pietro. I knew about your father and sister being in Bayville.”

Pietro had just finished telling everyone at the dinner table about the run-in with Wanda at the mall. The Professor’s confession took not only he, but everyone else but Hank by surprise.

Mystique looked stunned. “Charles … why didn’t you say anything before this?”

“So long as he wasn’t doing anything suspicious, I felt it was better not to worry everyone,” the Professor said.

“It’s okay, Professor,” Pietro said quietly. “It I _had_ known sooner, all I would have done was wonder why he was ignoring me.”

“I still can’t believe you never told us about your sister, yo!” Todd said. “A twin yet! Are you identical?”

“God forbid,” Jean joked.

“Boy/girl twins can’t be identical,” Kitty said.

“But they _can_ be half-identical,” Mystique said. “Like Rogue and Kurt.”

“We’re half-identical?” Rogue said in surprise and looked at Kurt.

“I didn’t know, either,” he admitted. “What does it mean?”

“It means an unfertilized egg split in two and then the two halves were fertilized by different sperm,” their mother explained.

“Hey, we’re eating here, yo!” Todd complained.

Kurt snorted. “So says the guy who eats BUGS!”

“I don’t know what kind of twins Wanda and I are,” Pietro said thoughtfully.

“Bobsey?” Todd suggested.

“Minnesota?” Kurt grinned.

“Warped?” Lance elbowed Pietro.

“Estranged,” Pietro sighed.

Rogue put an arm around his shoulders and gave him a squeeze.

“Try not to worry, kid,” Logan said. “Now that she’s seen you, she may start missing you.”

“Or she may build up even _more_ hatred and unleash her power on me next time we meet.” Pietro shuddered.

“What _is_ her power?” Jean asked.

“She throws hexes that affect probability,” the Professor said.

“Is _that_ what it is?” Pietro asked. “All I know is it was chaotic and dangerous!”

“I think she must have some degree of control now, or your father wouldn’t have taken her out of the asylum,” the Professor said. “But if it makes you feel any better I intend to ask him about it.”

“You do?” Scott said in surprise. “You know how to reach Magneto?”

“Scott, I’m surprised at you,” Hank said. “Charles can reach anyone telepathically.”

“As long as he’s not wearing his helmet, yes, I can do that,” the Professor said. “But I prefer more conventional means.”

“Pietro, Ah think you need to get yer mind off things,” Rogue said. “Mama, is it okay if we go out tonight?”

“Sure, honey,” Mystique replied. “In fact, I’ll be going out myself for a while.”

“You will?” Logan looked surprised. “Where are you going?”

“I’ll tell you after dinner,” she said.

Kitty chuckled and Lance looked at her curiously. “Did you say something, Kitty?”

“No,” she answered with a smile. “Nothing at all.”

*

“NO, I’m not kidding, Freddy! Pietro has a twin sister!” Todd was saying into the hall phone. “Yeah, that’s right! Today was the first time he’d seen her in five years, can you believe it?”

“Hey, Todd – “ Lance said as he arrived at the top of the stairs. “I need to talk to you and ….” He stopped, seeing the other boy on the phone.
“Who’s that?” he asked.

"Freddy,” Todd replied, then spoke into the receiver. “Sorry, man – what…? Oh, okay! Talk to you tomorrow! Bye!” He hung up.

“Hey, I might have wanted to talk to him, you know,” Lance said in annoyance, then frowned. “What do you mean, you’ll talk to him tomorrow?”

“We’ve talked every day since he left,” Todd said. “Gotta keep him up on things, yo.”

“Well, yeah, and we’ve ALL talked to him, but every _day_, Todd? Did you clear that with any of the adults?”

“No, but be careful or you’ll be starting to sound like one yourself.” Todd grinned. “What’s up, anyway?”
Lance shook his head, then took a deep breath. “I wanted to invite you to come with us to The Mutation tonight,” he said. “You’ve been stuck in the house all week because of your injury, you must be going stir-crazy.”

“You’re right about that,” Todd agreed. “But what’s The Mutation?”

“It’s a dance club that Kitty and I found – only mutants are allowed in,” he explained. “I was going to tell Pietro about it, but there’s a problem – his father owns the place.”

Todd’s eyes went huge. “Magneto is running a DANCE club?!”

“I know, I know,” Lance said. “See, we met this guy Longshot there, and he said his girlfriend’s father owned the place. We found out his girlfriend was Wanda, so I put two and two together.”

“Man oh man.” Todd shook his head, then looked at him. “Does the Professor know about this?”

“Kitty and I will tell him tomorrow, we want to have fun there tonight in case he tells us we can’t go anymore.” He grinned. “So, you wanna come?”

“Sure!” Todd grinned. “I’m dying to get outta here, and maybe I’ll catch a glimpse of Pietro’s sister there, too!”

“You never know,” Lance said. “We’ll be leaving in about fifteen minutes, so get your butt in gear.” He went to his room.

“Todd,” Hank said as he came down the hall, “could you come to the infirmary with me so that I may check your wound?”

“Could you do it fast, yo?” Todd asked. “I’m going out!”

Hank frowned. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You’re still healing. Where are you going?”

Todd hesitated. Lance didn’t want the Professor knowing about the club yet – but what about Hank?

“Nowhere I’ll get hurt,” he said, grinning. “Please, Hank? I’ve been stuck here forever, and almost everyone else is going out. I’ll be with Lance – he’ll make sure I don’t overdo.”

“All right then, I’ll talk to Lance and make sure he knows to watch out for you,” Hank said.

Todd jumped up and down in glee. “Thanks, man! I gotta go get ready!”

Hank watched him take off in leaps and bounds and smiled to himself. “I think he’ll be all right,” he said.



part 72

having a good time. Mystique made her way over toward the refreshment counter and ascertained that no alcohol was in sight, but knew that didn’t necessarily mean anything. “Hey there!” she said in a distinctly British accent and signaled the man behind the counter. “Any chance a girl can get something stronger than ginger ale?”

“Root beer,” the man offered.

“Krikey, luv, I mean something more along the lines of some _real_ ale.” She smiled cajolingly at him.

“Root beer,” he said firmly. “This is an all-ages club, kid. No alcohol on the premises.”

Mystique sighed heavily and shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for trying,” she said, and sat on a stool, turning to face the dancers. It was like a high school dance, except no one was trying to spike the punch. The kids seemed to genuinely be having fun.

Lance and Kitty came in with Todd, which gave her a flash of concern, then annoyance. He shouldn’t be out and about already – he hadn’t gone to school all week, why should he be in a dance club?! She wondered if any of the men at the mansion had lost their minds and given him permission for this or if he’d just slipped out without telling them.

Kitty looked in her direction and Mystique winked at her. The girl appeared startled for a moment, then grinned and returned the wink.

Todd hopped over to the counter and onto a stool. “Gimme a brewski, yo!”

“Here you are,” the counterman said, passing him a frothy mug.

Todd slurped some, then frowned. “Hey, this is root beer!” he protested, but drank some more. He glanced at Mystique and grinned widely. “Hey, babe! What’s a good-looking chick like you doing in a place like this?”

The purple-haired girl smiled back. “If that’s your pick-up line it’s no wonder you didn’t bring a date,” she said in her real voice.

Todd fell off the stool. “Mystique?!” he gasped. “Is that you?!”

“Aye,” she replied, switching back to the teenager’s voice and accent as she helped him up. “You should watch that shoulder. Who gave you permission to come out tonight?”

“Hank,” he said, studying her closely. “Wow, you make a gorgeous kid! What are you doing here?”

“Kitty asked me to come,” Mystique said. “She wants me to review the place for Charles. That way when she tells him about it, one of the adults will already be able to tell him it’s safe, and it’ll be more likely that he’ll allow them to come back.”

“Cool!” Todd nodded, climbing back onto his stool. “Good idea. How’s it look so far?”

“So far so good, but I haven’t been here very long.”

Todd looked around. He didn’t see anything here that the Professor could object to and Mystique was sure to tell him that. He turned his attention to Lance and Kitty. He had just touched her on the shoulder and was pointing toward the front entrance. Todd looked there himself and his mouth fell open.

Despite never having had a partner, Todd had experienced crushes like anyone else. There’d been no point in acting on them – those he’d found interesting were already involved with others or else he knew they didn’t like him. He’d gotten over them, maybe because it was never true love.

But _this_ … this was definitely love. At first sight.

“Todd,” Mystique said, grabbing his arm. “Do you see that girl who just came in with the blonde boy? That has to be Pietro’s sister – look at her eyes!”

“Huh? Oh yeah, I see her all right.” He turned to Mystique suddenly. “Pietro’s sister? You mean Wanda?!”

“Unless he has some other sister he’s kept quiet about,” Mystique replied. “Besides, Lance and Kitty obviously know them – it must be her.”

Todd watched the couple stop in front of Lance and Kitty. The blonde seemed happy to see them and appeared to be introducing Kitty to Wanda, who obviously couldn’t care less. “So the guy must be Longshot, her boyfriend. Lance mentioned him,” he said.

“Really?” Mystique replied. “Someone should tell him to go into show business with a face like that.” She got off the stool. “Let’s go over there – introduce me as Risty and remember, Kitty’s not supposed to have met me, either.”

“Over there?” Todd squeaked fearfully.

Mystique stared at him. “Yes, Todd, over _there_. Where the kids are. I want to meet Wanda and Longshot.” She frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” He gulped. “Uh, okay. Let’s go.” He hopped off the stool and for the first time in his life felt like his powerful legs might buckle beneath him.

*

“It’s been a long time, Charles.”

“Yes, Magnus, it has.” The Professor sat back in his wheelchair holding the phone receiver.

“I’ve been expecting to hear from you,” said the man on the other end of the line. “I’m sure you’ve been following my activities ever since Cerebro picked me up again.”

“Yes, of course. I’m gratified that no world takeovers have occurred since then.”

“You needn’t worry about that, I’m occupied with other matters at this time.”

“Your daughter, perhaps? I’ve been reading her signature along with yours.”

“Wanda is with me. That is to say, she lives here. We aren’t together as often as I would prefer.”

The Professor frowned thoughtfully. “How is she coping with her power these days?”

“A world of difference, Charles. Oh, it still leaks out now and then in times of extreme stress, but now she can actually get irritated without altering the landscape. I wouldn’t have removed her from the facility if that weren’t the case.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” the Professor paused. “Did she tell you that she and Pietro ran into each other at Bayville Mall today?”

“No, but then I haven’t seen her since she left the house early this morning. Was any damage done to the mall?”

“Some, but it wasn’t Wanda’s doing and my students covered it up. I’m afraid most of the damage was done to Pietro’s feelings.”

Magnus sighed. “Yes, I’m sure that Wanda made a point of telling him that he was not welcome in our lives.”

“This isn’t the case?”

“Charles … my outlook on many things has changed since we last met. I’ve given serious thought to what your school is all about, and on a smaller scale, am trying to give something to the young mutant community myself. Righting the wrong I had done to Wanda was my first priority, and that I’m still working on. Pietro is another matter, and in some ways a more complicated one, but I assure you that if Wanda said anything to him today, she was not speaking for me.”

“I’m sure he would be glad to know that, if I could get him to believe it.”

“Yes, no doubt _that_ would take some doing,” Magnus said. “Would it be possible for me to come over there tomorrow and talk to you, and to my son, too, of course.”

"Yes, we can do that,” the Professor said, then drew a deep breath. “Magnus, it’s obvious that you already knew Pietro was living with me, but are you also aware that Mystique is here now, as well?”

“I found out about Pietro and the boys after the fire in their house,” the other man said. “But no, I didn’t know about Mystique.”

“She’s reformed. She and Logan have resumed a relationship they started many years ago, and are raising their children, and the others here, together.”

“You’d better warn her I’m coming then, Charles. She and I still have … issues,” Magnus said. “And now I must go – I have to retrieve my daughter.”

“Is ten o’clock too early to expect you tomorrow?”

“No, that’s fine. I’ll even bring Wanda … if she’ll come. Good evening, Charles.”



part 73

Pietro closed his eyes and savoured the mouthful of ice cream and syrup. “Mmm, this was a great idea you guys,” he told Remy as they sat at the outdoor picnic table in front of the store. Rogue was still inside, trying to make her decision from over three dozen flavours.

“I am glad dere is nothing wrong with your appetite, chere,” Remy told him with a smile.

“Nah,” Pietro said, licking his spoon. “I’m fine. Pretty much over it.”

Remy didn’t argue. He admired how sexy Pietro looked licking that spoon and finally couldn’t resist touching him anymore. He reached out and brushed his knuckles over the other boy’s cheek. Pietro looked at him and the Cajun grinned. Pietro returned it and they came together for a deep kiss.

*

Magnus knew he was only another mile or so away from his destination, and was already trying to figure out how he could get his young daughter to come home with him without causing a scene. Unfortunately, she was good at that. He hated to admit it, but he admired Charles’ ability to keep control over his domicile and all the children therein. Granted, he had help from other adults … but Mystique being there was probably proving more of a hindrance than anything else.

He rounded a corner and headed down a street peppered with fast food places, arcades, and other teenage hangouts. He glanced toward one ice cream parlour that had outdoor tables set up.

And saw Pietro. Kissing a boy.

Since when did his son have a boyfriend? And who _was_ that kid, anyway?

He’d have to ask Charles tomorrow.

*

Kitty saw Mystique approaching in her disguise with Todd and reminded herself that she wasn’t supposed to know the girl. “Hi Todd!” she greeted. “This is Longshot and this is Wanda. Guys, this is Todd – he lives with us at the Institute.”

“Nice to meet you, Todd.” Longshot smiled.

“Charmed,” Wanda said in a bored tone.

“Yo!” the green-hued boy said with a grin. “This here is Risty – I just met her, but she’s pretty cool. Risty, that’s Kitty and Lance.”

“Cheers!” the purple-haired girl said. “Nice to meet all of you.”

“You have a pretty accent,” Longshot remarked. “Where are you from?”

“Bayville!” Todd chirped.

Longshot laughed and Wanda rolled her eyes. “I think he was talking to your friend,” she said.

“I’m from England,” Risty answered. “This is my first time in this club.”

“Wanda’s father is the owner,” Lance said.

“Really?” Risty said, and smiled at Wanda. My God, Mystique thought, those eyes _are_ Pietro’s. “Tell your father thank you for us – this place is great!”

Lance gulped suddenly, staring at the entrance. “You can do that yourself,” he said.

Mystique went cold at the sight of Magneto. The last time she had seen him … was the last time she’d wanted to see him.

The boys obviously felt the same way. Lance put an arm around Kitty’s shoulder as if to protect her, and Todd instinctively moved closer to Mystique.

The distinguished-looking man made his way over to the little group. His gaze flicked over Lance and Todd in recognition, and Mystique saw him take notice of Lance’s arm around Kitty. Then he stopped by them and nodded to the blonde boy. “Good evening, Longshot.”

“Mr. Lensherr,” he said politely.

Magnus looked at Wanda. “Hello, daughter,” he said.

“Father,” she replied, showing no emotion except possibly a trace of boredom.

“You’re coming home with me now.”

“Don’t you even want to be introduced?” she asked snidely, waving a hand toward the others.

“We’ve met, as you well know.” He took a second look at Risty and paused. “Except for this young lady.”

Mystique summoned all of her acting ability to smile winningly at him. “I’m Risty Wilde – I’m new here. Thank you for starting this smashing club for all of us.”

“You’re welcome,” he said. “And what is _your_ mutant power, my dear?”

Uh oh, Mystique thought. “Mine hasn’t manifested yet,” she said quickly. “but I’m told I possess the X-gene.”

“Shouldn’t be much longer, at your age.”

“You’re not kidding, yo,” Todd murmured then yelped from a mysteriously inflicted pain. Risty maintained her smile.

Magneto had turned back to Wanda. “We’re leaving now. I’ll wait for you outside.”

He walked out and Todd glared at Mystique. “You didn’t have to kick me, you know,” he muttered.

“Yes, I did,” she answered, then said brightly, “I guess you’ll be going then, Wanda? It was nice having met you.”

“Yeah,” she replied and looked at Longshot, her expression softening slightly. “I’m sorry, I guess I’d better go or he’ll force me. He’s good at making scenes.”

“It’s okay.” He gave her a hug. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow, unless you’re grounded.”

“You mean like I was grounded today?” She laughed. “We’ll definitely talk tomorrow.” She kissed him and headed for the door.

“Goodbye to you, too,” Kitty muttered.

Longshot looked at the others apologetically. “I’m sorry about that. Wanda’s still not used to dealing with people her own age. She’s … been sheltered for a while.”

“That’s okay,” Lance said. “Are you going to stick around awhile now that she’s gone, or do you have to go, too?”

Longshot grinned. “I’ll stay. I don’t have to be on the set until tomorrow afternoon.”

“He’s an actor,” Kitty explained to Risty and Todd.

“They even film on weekends?” Todd asked. “Slave drivers, huh?”

Longshot laughed. “Sometimes it’s a necessity if they want to stay within budget.”

A new song started and Kitty squeezed Lance’s hand. “Let’s dance, okay?”

“Sure, that’s what we’re here for.” They went back onto the floor.

“Do either of you want to dance?” Longshot asked Risty and Todd.

“Thanks, but I’m going home myself,” Risty replied. “Just wanted to check the place out this first night – I’ll stay longer next time.” She patted Todd on the back. “Bye, luv. Have fun.”

“Yeah, thanks, Mysti – Risty!” Todd said, colouring.

Longshot watched the purple-haired girl walk away, then turned back to Todd with an engaging smile. “Well, do I have to dance by myself or not?”

Todd’s usually slimy throat failed him as he felt it dry up completely. “Not,” he managed to squeak out. “I’d, uh, like to dance.”

“Great! Come on!” Longshot took his hand and started toward the other dancers. He grinned suddenly, looking down at it. “Hey, you’ve got webbed fingers! Cool!”

Todd automatically looked down as well and gasped. “You’ve only got three fingers?”

“Yep, on both hands.” The blonde boy held up the matching one. “Born that way.”

“Same here,” Todd said, spreading his fingers to show the webbing.

“Part of what makes us mutants, I guess!” Longshot said good-naturedly. He found them a clear spot and began to dance. Todd joined in, a genuinely happy smile spreading across his homely face.

Now _this_, he thought, staring into Longshot’s bright blue eyes, is a classic example of Beauty and the Beast. Get rid of the wicked witch and maybe we can live happily ever after.



part 74

Ka-BOOM!

Kitty sat bolt upright in bed, her eyes wide with fright. It was dark in the room for half a second before lightning illuminated every square inch.

Kitty yelped and hugged her stuffed dragon closer. She hated lightning storms with a passion. It hadn’t been that bad when Ororo was still around – she could take the edge off any storm if it got too bad and that knowledge had been enough to make Kitty feel safer.

But Ororo was in Massachusetts.

Ka-BOOM!

Kitty whimpered and pulled the blankets over her head. Maybe if she couldn’t see the lightning –

The brilliant flash that followed proved that a couple of blankets wouldn’t be enough of a shield.

KA-BOOOOM!!!

That did it. Kitty scrambled out of bed and ran straight through wall after wall until she reached Lance’s room.

She’d never seen him asleep before. He looked so sweet and cute that she wanted to hug him.

Especially when the next lightning flash lit up the room.

“Lance!” she cried and dove onto the bed in panic.

“NO!” Lance yelled and shoved her away, pressing back against the headboard, breathing heavily. Kitty stared at him in the semi-darkness as he recognized her. “Kitty?” he asked weakly.

“Yeah, it’s me,” she said. “I’m sorry I scared you – the storm … I’m afraid of them.”

Lance ran a hand over his face and looked at her apologetically. “I’m sorry, too.”

“No,” she said gently and touched his arm. “I should have known better than to jump on you like that. You told me that you’d had bad experiences in the foster homes with people trying to ….” She sighed and moved closer, hugging him. “I’m just sorry.”

He held her tightly. “It’s okay, forget it,” he murmured, then drew back and met her eyes. “So you came in here because of the storm?”

Ka-BOOM!

Kitty hugged Lance’s neck so tightly he couldn’t draw breath. “YES!” she cried.

Carefully, but firmly, he dislodged her. “It’s okay – you can stay here with me.”

“Really? It’s okay?” she asked hopefully.

“Sure, get in.”

Kitty hesitated and Lance grinned. “Under the bedspread, over the sheet – okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled, and crawled into the bed. Even though the sheet was between them, she felt much safer as he drew her into his arms. Lightning flashed and she stiffened briefly, but Lance gave her a squeeze and she relaxed immediately.

“Think you can sleep now?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” she said, closing her eyes as she nestled against his chest. “Goodnight, Lance.”

He rubbed her back. “Goodnight, Kitty.”

*

Scott yawned as he came out of the bathroom. It looked like he was the first one up. Not that it surprised him at this hour.

He was about to go into his bedroom when he saw motion out of the corner of his eye and looked toward it.

There was Kitty, coming out of Lance’s room. At six in the morning. In her sleepwear.

He quickly stepped behind his own door and watched as she crept down the hall and into her own room.

Scott shut his door and tried to make sense of what he’d just seen, even though it made NO sense whatsoever. He could easily believe Lance didn’t have any morals, but Kitty? She was a good girl, not the type to casually spend the night with her boyfriend right under their guardian’s noses.

At least, that’s what he’d thought.

A knock at the door startled him. “Scott, are you up?” Jean asked.

He opened the door and she jumped. “My, that was fast!” She laughed.

“No, I was already standing here,” he said, then took her arm. “Come in, Jean, I need to get your opinion on something.”

*

“Settle down, everyone,” Professor Xavier said. “I have something to tell all of you.”

Conversation around the Sunday breakfast table quieted down as children and adults alike turned their attention to the Professor.

“Thank you,” he said. “Actually, there are two things I need to tell you. The first is about The Mutation all-ages club that some of you have been to. Mystique checked it out and assures us that it’s safe, so you may continue to go there until further notice.”

“I never heard of the place,” Pietro said. “What’s this about?”

“I was going to tell you yesterday,” Lance started to say. “But … then we ran into Wanda.”

“Pietro,” Mystique said gently, “your father owns the club.”

“You’re kidding?!” Pietro gasped. “My father is running a club for _kids_?!”

“Which brings me to my other news,” the Professor said. “Magnus is coming here this morning, and he’s planning to bring Wanda. He’d like to talk to you, Pietro.”

“He would?” the boy asked uncertainly.

“Ah don’t know about that,” Rogue said. “That man does nothing but hurt Pietro – and all of us – every time we run into him!”

“You’re right, Rogue,” the Professor agreed. “However, Magnus claims to have changed.”

“Not to be rude, but how can you believe that?” Lance asked.

“Yeah, man,” Todd agreed. “He’s bad news.”

“To put it mildly,” Mystique muttered.

“Coming here to speak with me without his psi helmet on is proof that he is telling the truth,” the Professor told them. “He knows I can tell if he is lying to me when in my presence. I’m not sure yet of his motivation to open the club, but I _do_ know he is trying to raise his daughter and is having some difficulty.”

Pietro snorted. “What else is new?”

“You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to, kid,” Logan told him.

“I want to meet dis man who makes everyone wet themselves at de sound of his name,” Remy remarked with amusement.

“He will want to meet you, as well, Remy,” the Professor said. “But I hope all of you will understand if we adults speak to him alone first.”

“Fine with us,” Kitty said with a shudder. Scott and Jean looked at both she and Lance with odd expressions.

The phone rang and Logan glanced at Kurt, who reacted defensively, “It’s not Duncan!” he protested. “I told him not to call during breakfast again!”

“Don’t worry, Kurt, it’s for me.” The Professor went over and picked up the phone. “Hello Magnus.”

Everyone fell silent and listened while pretending not to.

“Yes … I see … of course you may … don’t worry … fine, I’ll see you then.” The Professor hung up and returned to the table. “Magnus has convinced Wanda to accompany him, but she would only agree if she could bring Longshot.”

“So he’s coming?” Todd asked eagerly.

“Why should you care so much?” Scott asked with a grin.

Pietro frowned. “Is he that skinny guy she was with at the mall?”

Lance snorted. “Look who’s talking about being skinny!”

“Hey, you gotta admit, that kid’s a beanpole compared to me!”

“That’s because he’s a lot taller than you are,” Todd piped up.

“A lot cuter, too,” Kitty teased.

“Impossible,” Rogue said, draping an arm around Pietro’s shoulders. He looked triumphant as he stuck his tongue out at Kitty.

Logan glanced at Mystique. “Between Magneto, Pietro’s asylum-sprung twin, and her beanpole boyfriend, this is gonna be one interesting morning.”



part 75

Lance had just finished doing a cursory straighten-up of his room. He hadn’t noticed how much of a pigsty it was getting to be until that morning, when he realized Kitty had seen it in full daylight before leaving. At least now it was presentable.

He paused for a moment to remember the previous night, and how Kitty had slept nestled in his arms. It felt good to protect her from something that frightened her, and even better that she’d come to _him_ for that protection. He didn’t understand being afraid of storms himself, but then his power was earth-based and the earth and its weather were all tied in together. He’d told Kitty that she could come back anytime she was afraid and he meant it.

When a knock came at the door, he thought it might be she and went eagerly over to answer it. What a disappointment to find Scott there instead. “What do you want?” he asked, none-too-politely.

“To talk to you. Now.” Scott walked into the room.

Lance shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t wait for an invitation or anything, just barge right on in.” He shut the door and folded his arms. “Okay, what’s your problem?”

“My problem is you taking advantage of Kitty’s innocence,” Scott said through gritted teeth. “How dare you do something like that to her – and right here in the mansion! Do you even know the meaning of good taste or is it all in your mouth?!”

Lance stared at Scott blankly. “What the hell are you talking about?!” he demanded finally.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know, you jerk!” Scott suddenly shoved Lance, who was caught off balance and fell against the bureau. The mirror rattled and several items fell over. “Kitty’s like my little sister! I ought to kick your head in for what you’ve done!”

Lance regained his balance and thrust out his hand toward Scott’s feet in a sudden burst of seismic energy. The unexpected tremor caused Scott to stumble and fall on the ground, and Lance quickly jumped him, pinning him there.

“You’d better start telling me _exactly_ what you’re accusing me of, Summers, and I mean now!”

“Fine, if you want to play games!” Scott spat out. “I _know_ Kitty slept with you last night! I don’t know what kind of con-job you did on her to get her to do it, but – “

Lance punched Scott in the face.

*

“Kitty, may I speak to you for a moment?”

The ponytailed girl looked toward Jean curiously. “Sure, what is it?”

Jean looked around and did a quick check to see if anyone was nearby. Then she turned back to Kitty. “I heard from a reliable source that you spent the night in Lance’s room.”

Kitty nodded. “Yes, I – “ She stopped, eyes widening. “Hey, you’re thinking that we -- ?”

“What _else_ can I think?” Jean asked, then sighed. “Honey, I know Lance is an attractive older guy, but you’re both too young to be doing that kind of thing. What would your parents think?”

“Jean!” Kitty cried incredulously. “You’re overreacting! It wasn’t like that at all!”

“Okay then,” Jean folded her arms, “suppose you tell me what it _was_ like?”

Kitty drew a deep breath. “I slept in his room, but nothing happened.”

“Where did you sleep?” Jean asked.

Kitty hesitated. “In the bed,” she admitted, then added quickly, “but it was totally innocent!”

“Oh, come on now,” Jean said impatiently. “How can you expect me to believe that?”

“Because I said it’s so!” Kitty exclaimed. “You’re calling me a liar if you don’t!”

“Hey, hey!” Hank said as he approached. “What’s going on here, girls?”

“Nothing,” Kitty said, giving Jean a warning look.

Jean held her gaze for long moment before looking away. “Nothing.”

“It didn’t sound like nothing to me,” the blue-furred man said reasonably. “Would either of you care to elaborate further?”

“No sir,” Kitty said.

“No,” Jean said.

“Then I suggest you both stop this and get ready for the arrival of our guests,” Hank said with a pointed look. The girls shot each other a dirty glare and turned away to head for their rooms. Hank shook his head, then paused. Was that the sound of another fight he heard?

In a couple of bounds, he had followed the noise to Lance’s room. He opened the door and saw Lance and Scott wrestling on the floor like they were trying to kill each other.

Hank wasted no time – he went straight to the boys and grabbed both by the back of their shirts, lifting them off their feet and holding them suspended there with ease.

“I’m so angry right now I can barely formulate words enough to speak to you,” Hank warned them. “Did the two of you learn NOTHING from your last fight?!”

“It’s not my fault!” Lance yelled, trying uselessly to find the floor with his dangling feet. “Summers barged in here and started throwing accusations around and then he attacked me!”

“Hey, you’re the one who threw the first punch!” Scott accused. “AND you used your power on me!”

“You shoved me before that, you jerk!”

“I don’t know what this is about,” Hank said grimly. “But I do know, as do both of you, that fistfighting and using powers against each other are strictly against the rules here. Do either of you have anything to say in your defense?”

Lance wasn’t about to bring up what Scott had said to him and give the garbage anymore credence than it deserved. Scott glared at him through his glasses but didn’t say anything either.

“So be it then,” Hank said. With one fluid motion he deposited Lance over his shoulder, leaving both hands free for Scott. He tucked the X-Men leader under his ape-like left arm, bending him over, then slammed his huge hand against his backside repeatedly.

“AAHHH!” Scott yelled in protest. “Hank, no! OUCH!”

Lance struggled to worm his way off the chemistry teacher’s shoulder, but even while Hank was spanking Scott, the upper part of his long right arm managed to pin Lance’s legs in place.

“OWWW! OUCH! Hank – OW!!”

Hank eventually released Scott, who quickly put some distance between them, rubbing his bottom and hastily brushing tears off his face. Lance felt himself being pulled off the man’s hairy shoulder and tried to make a break for it, but the large hands held him firmly. He was turned around and bent over, pinned under the opposite arm as Scott had been, and then he felt the first painful, pummeling blow. It drew an involuntary yelp from him, but after that he clamped his mouth shut so that only grunts escaped to show he was suffering.

By the end of it, he knew there were tears staining his cheeks, but he’d been unable to stop them. He took small satisfaction in knowing that at least he’d not made as much noise as Scott had.

Hank stood back and regarded both boys sternly. “I’m very disappointed in both of you, as will Charles, Logan, and Raven be. You’re supposed to be setting an example for the younger students – what is this constant attacking of each other supposed to teach them? I allowed you the dignity of keeping your pants on this time, but I will instruct the others that if you’re caught fistfighting again that there is to be no such mercy next time. Now, I suggest you two learn to get along, and quickly. Remember, we have guests coming and you ARE expected to put in an appearance.”

He left the boys alone.

“I never got spanked before you and your friends came here,” Scott groused, his voice hitching.

“Don’t blame me,” Lance retorted, trying to keep his voice from doing the same. “I was minding my own business when you came in here this morning!”

“I wasn’t going to let you get away with what you did to Kitty,” Scott told him angrily. “It’s only for _her_ sake that I didn’t tell Hank about it!”

“At least HE would have given us a chance to explain,” Lance snapped. He carefully massaged his throbbing rear and winced. “Although it’s none of your business, Kitty and I didn’t have sex. She was scared of the thunderstorm and came to me for comfort. We kept a sheet between us in the bed.”

Scott stared at him. “That’s all there was to it?”

“Yes, that’s all!” Lance said in annoyance. “Kitty’s not ready for anything like that! We only had our first kiss yesterday for cripe’s sake!” He looked over at the other boy seriously. “I love her, and I’m in this for the long haul. I can wait as long as she can and I’m NOT going to take advantage of her, no matter what you think!”

“I – I didn’t know,” Scott said lamely.

“Try asking next time instead of assuming the worst.” Lance limped over to stretch out on his bed on his stomach. “Now get out of here and let me suffer in peace.”

Scott left the room in silence and Lance pulled a pillow into his arms, burying his hot face in the coolness of it.

“Lance?”

He looked up to find Kitty kneeling by the bed. “When did you get here?” he asked.

“Right after Scott left,” she said. “I … heard what happened. Hank talked to Jean and I just before he started coming over here, so I followed and … listened.” She bit her lip. “I heard what you and Scott said after Hank left, too. I’m sorry you got punished because of me.”

“Not because of you,” Lance said firmly. “Because of Scott and his dirty mind.”

“He must have shared it with Jean – she thinks the same thing,” Kitty said wryly, then touched his shoulder. “But I’m still sorry. Hank shouldn’t have spanked you – you’ve had enough of that in your life.”

“Aw, that was different, Kitty,” Lance sighed. “Those other people didn’t care about me – at least Hank does. And we didn’t give him any choice. He offered us a chance to explain and we clammed up.”

“You were protecting me,” she said, her eyes welling up. He reached out an arm and hugged her around the neck.

“Don’t cry, okay? If you do, I’ll start again, too.”

“Okay,” she whispered. “I won’t cry.”

He settled back into the pillow and Kitty stroked his hair softly.


part 76

Hank sighed. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t see any alternative.”

“Don’t apologize, Hank,” Professor Xavier said. “You did the only thing you could under the circumstances.”

“How did Lance take it?” Mystique asked worriedly. “With his past ….”

“Rather well, considering,” Hank answered. “Neither of them are very happy campers right now, though.”

“They’ll be a lot _less_ happy if they ignore your warning and do this again,” Logan growled. “After what happened to Mysti during the last one, I can’t believe those two were fistfighting.”

“And the problem isn’t necessarily over,” Hank said with regret. “They wouldn’t tell me what the fight was about.”

“They’d better work it out,” Mystique said, shaking her head. “Good thing at least the girls around here can keep themselves under control.”

“Barely,” Hank said. “Just before I went after Scott and Lance, I had to break up an escalating argument between Jean and Kitty.”

“And what was _that_ about?” Logan asked.

“They wouldn’t say.”

“Chuck, maybe we should invest in a cattle prod – might get us a few more straight answers around here.”

“Don’t tempt me, Logan,” the Professor told him with a half-smile, then sighed. “Well, people, let’s hope the children at least behave themselves while Magnus is here. Wanda may not react well to agitation.”

“Personally, I’m worried about Rogue,” Mystique admitted. “If either Magnus or Wanda say anything to upset Pietro, she’ll be all over them.”

“I don’t know why, but I think the Cajun would react the same way,” Logan said, shrugging. “For some reason, he’s appointed himself Pietro’s second-string support team.”

“That _is_ weird,” Mystique said. “Remy certainly was showing an interest in Rogue, and Pietro knew all about it. But the three of them stayed all chummy, and as you said, Remy’s been protecting Pietro – like when he lied to us the other day.”

“Yeah, and he knows better than to do _that_ again,” Logan said firmly.

“Here’s a possibility none of us ever considered,” Hank said suddenly. “What if Remy’s interests have switched and he’s now interested in Pietro instead of Rogue?”

The other adults looked at each other. “I didn’t think of that, but it makes a degree of sense,” Mystique said slowly. “And what if Pietro returns those feelings? That means it’s _Rogue_ who is being cheated on.”

Remy stuck his head in the living room doorway. “De guests are driving through the gate now,” he reported.

“All right, Remy,” the Professor said. “If you and the other children would please go upstairs for now, we’ll call you later.”

“Oui, Professor.” Remy started to leave.
“Wait a moment there, Cajun.” Logan got to his feet and walked over to stand in front of him. “I have one quick question and you only have to answer yes or no. Are you and Pietro involved romantically?”

Remy raised an eyebrow. “No, Monsieur Logan, we are not. Pietro and Rogue are a couple, you know dat.”

“Okay,” Logan said. “Go on, go upstairs.”

Remy left and Mystique glanced at the Professor. “He sounded sincere. Was he?”

“Strangely enough, I couldn’t tell,” he admitted. “But then he, of all the children, is the best at masking his thoughts from me. It’s natural, not intentional. Ingrained from his days as a thief, I suppose.”

“Well,” Hank stood up and rubbed his hands together, “let’s welcome our guests, shall we?”

“Go right ahead,” Mystique said under her breath. “I’m in no hurry.”

Logan put a reassuring arm around her.

*

“Move over a little, Todd!”

“No way, I want a good view, yo!”

“_What_ are you all doing?” Jean asked as she looked down to where Todd, Kurt, Rogue, Pietro, and Remy were crouched behind the upstairs railing.

“Ssh!” Rogue told her. “Either duck down here with us or stop looking at us – we’re not supposed to be here!”

“Why?” Jean looked down to the front doors where she recognized Magneto being let inside. It was odd to see him in street clothes. Beside him was a tough-looking short-haired girl and a perfectly beautiful blonde boy. In spite of herself, she crouched by the others and peered through the bars of the railing. “Pietro, is that your sister?” she asked.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “We don’t look much alike, do we?”

“You look more alike than Rogue and I,” Kurt said wryly. “At least you have the same eyes.”

“Is Scott downstairs with the adults?” Jean asked, looking around.

“Sorry, Jeanne,” Remy told her gently. “He is in his room. I t’ink he and Lance were punished earlier – dey were fighting again.”

“Oh no,” she said softly and stood up. “I’ll be in there then.”

“It’s okay, Jean.”

Everyone looked over as Scott approached. He was dressed neatly but looked rather subdued. Jean went over to him.

“Are you okay?” she asked in concern.

“I’ve been better,” he admitted and glanced down to the first level. “I figured they’d be calling us soon now that they’re here.”

“Can we talk later?” Jean asked.

He nodded. “Sure.”

The sound of a door opening down the hall drew their attention and Lance came out of his room with Kitty. He and Scott locked eyes for a moment, then both looked away.

“What were you guys fighting about?” Kurt asked.

“None of your business,” Scott replied. Kurt looked hurt.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to pry.”

Scott sighed and ruffled Kurt’s hair. “Sorry I snapped. It’s been a really bad morning.”

“And now my father is here to brighten it for all of us,” Pietro said drily.

*

“It’s good to see you again, Magnus,” the Professor was saying.
“Likewise, Charles,” the tall white-haired man said.

“This is Henry McCoy. Hank, this is Erik Lensherr, or Magnus, as I know him.”

Hank nodded to him. “A pleasure, sir.”

“For me as well.”

“Wow!” The pretty blonde boy said with a wide grin. “You’re BLUE!”

Hank blinked, but had to smile himself at the boy’s guileless awe. “Why, yes, I am,” he said. “You’ll find it’s a rather popular colour in this house.”

“You’re right!” the boy exclaimed, staring past him. “SHE’S blue, too!”

Mystique and Logan walked over to join them, her gaze focused on Magnus. “Long time no see,” she said.

“If I had not been warned beforehand, this would be about the last place I’d expect to see you, Mystique,” he replied.

“Ditto,” she said evenly.

“You’re beautiful,” Longshot said frankly. Mystique looked at him in surprise, then couldn’t help smiling.

“Thank you,” she said sincerely.

“This is Longshot,” Magnus explained. “And this,” he touched the girl’s shoulder, “is my daughter, Wanda.”

“I’m glad you both could come,” the Professor said to the teenagers.

“Me too!” Longshot said eagerly. “What a beautiful home you have! He surveyed his surroundings and glanced up at the first floor, his smile widening. “Hi Lance! Hi Kitty!” He waved.

The adults followed his gaze. Slowly, the kids who weren’t already out in the open stood up with sheepish expressions, except for Pietro. He took on a defiant stance, folding his arms and glaring down at his father.

“You may as well come down,” Professor Xavier told them, “and we’ll all go into the living room.”



part 77

Pietro watched as the adults and their guests headed into the living room, the other kids following. He turned to Rogue and Remy. “I’ll be right back, wait here.” He zoomed down the stairs and over to the Professor, whispering something to him. The bald man nodded and Pietro sped back up to them.

“What was dat about?” Remy asked.

“I told him I didn’t want to have my first go-round with Father in front of a huge audience – he said he understood and he’d call me later when it was just the adults there for support. He said you two could come with me then.”

“All right, we’ll wait with you up here until it’s time,” Rogue said, putting an arm around him. Remy did likewise and the three of them headed for Pietro’s room to wait.

*

Scott was always proud to be leader of the X-Men, and while introductions were made and small talk begun, he as also grateful for it. Being leader meant he could stand by the Professor’s wheelchair in ‘right-hand man’ position. More importantly, it meant he didn’t have to sit down.

He noticed Lance wasn’t sitting, either. The eldest Brotherhood boy had propped himself up against the wall, being careful not to touch his rear against it. His eyes were still red. At least that was something else Scott knew he didn’t have to worry about personally.

The adults were finally finishing up the small talk as Longshot gleefully exclaimed over Kurt’s ‘blueness’. Then they started getting down to business.

“Many of the children have been enjoying your new dance club, Magnus,” Professor Xavier said. “I must admit, I was surprised to hear about it.”

“To tell you the truth, Charles, I’m not exactly sure what I had in mind with the club except that young mutants should have a place to be
themselves without fear.” Magnus shrugged. “I especially wanted Wanda and Longshot to have a safe place to go. You know what kind of trouble teenagers can get into these days.”

“Yes, I do,” the Professor agreed, then looked at the young girl. “Wanda, how are you handling your power these days? I know that at one time it was too much for you.”

“Not anymore,” she said, then a sly smile spread across her pretty face. “Want a demonstration?”

“Wanda,” Magnus said in a warning tone.

“If you can do so without causing harm to the house or those within it, certainly,” the Professor said to Wanda.

She held out her hands and made a quick series of gestures. A roaring fire suddenly appeared in the fireplace, startling everyone.

“Impressive,” the Professor said. “Your control is much improved.”

“Most of the time,” Magnus said wryly, looking at his daughter.

“Yeah, well, I still have a problem now and then,” Wanda said with a shrug. “When I’m ticked off.”

“Flares of temper can cause all kinds of problems.” The Professor glanced up at the boy standing next to him. “Am I right, Scott?”

He swallowed and blushed. “Yes sir.”

“Why do you wear dark glasses inside?” Longshot asked. “I noticed you wearing them at the mall, too.”

“Scott’s eyes emit powerful beams that he can’t control except with those glasses, Longshot,” the Professor explained.

“Oh,” the blonde boy said, nodding. “I see.”

“What’s your power, Longshot?” Jean asked.

“I generate a probability field, sort of like Wanda,” the blonde teen said. “Only in my case, it makes me lucky.”

“That explains a few things.” Kitty smiled.

“Is that reliable?” Mystique asked dubiously. “Can you control it?”

“Not in the slightest!” Longshot said cheerfully. “But my other power I _can_ control. I can ‘read’ the history of any object I touch. It’s called psychometry.”

“That sounds cool!” Kurt picked up a pen from a nearby table and held it out to him. “Can you read this?”

“Sure.” Longshot reached out his hand and Kurt gasped to see that he only had three fingers and a thumb. Longshot noticed Kurt’s two fingers and thumb and smiled. Their eyes met in mutual understanding as he accepted the pen, then he paused to concentrate. “It’s only a few months old,” he said. “Most recently it’s been used mainly for telephone messages , tv guide crossword puzzles, homework, a doodle on Kitty’s hand – “

Kitty put her right hand over her left, hiding the little drawing of a flower she’d doodled there while on the phone the other day.

“Oh!” Longshot said suddenly. “And a boy named … Evan … used it to make crib notes for a Chemistry test a month and a half ago.”

“Evan was cheating?” Hank said in surprise. “Well, considering his grades then, perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised.”

“We’ll ask him about it next time we speak to him,” the Professor said. “Longshot, that was quite impressive. Evan doesn’t live here anymore – you couldn’t have known him.”

“With something older I can go back for years – the whole history of the item and who touched it,” Longshot said, looking pleased at the praise.

“Any other skills?” Logan asked. “How are you in combat?”

“I’ve never actually been in a _real_ fight before, so I guess I don’t know,” the boy admitted.

“He’s got a lot of potential in that area,” Magnus said. “He does all of his own stunts on the movie set. Aside from that impossibly lucky streak of his, he’s a fast and agile acrobat. He’s also got incredible aim with throwing knives, but there again that might be the luck.”

“Do your parents know you’re a mutant?” Scott asked.

“I don’t have any parents,” Longshot said.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Scott said. “I don’t, either. That is – I lost mine in a plane crash years ago.”

“I never had any parents that I know of,” Longshot said.

“There are a couple of things that make Longshot unique among mutants, Scott,” Magnus said. “He wasn’t born – he was made. In a lab, in another dimension.”

Everyone looked surprised except the Professor, who nodded. “Well, that explains why his signature is so hard to read.”

“He’s only been here a few months,” Magnus said. “And before that, he apparently had little to no contact with children his own age. Because of it, he’s very innocent, as you may have surmised from his reactions and questions.”

“My investigation showed that Longshot’s guardian is his manager – is that true?” the Professor asked.

“Yes, and he’s the one who told Longshot he was genetically engineered. He _says_ he created him personally.” Magnus frowned. “I have my doubts, though. This man doesn’t strike me as any kind of scientific genius, and he seems to only be interested in using the boy to make money.”

“I _like_ acting,” Longshot said. “It’s fun.”

“But you aren’t getting paid – that man takes it all,” Magnus pointed out.

Todd looked confused. “Wait a minute, yo. Shouldn’t Longshot know whether or not the guy raised him?”

“I should, I guess,” the blonde said sheepishly. “But I don’t remember my home world or anything that happened there.”

“No wonder he seems naïve,” Lance remarked.

“It’s not his fault!” Wanda snapped.

“I didn’t say it was!” Lance retorted. “Sheesh!”

Longshot put a hand over Wanda’s and she glanced at him, calming somewhat.

Magnus cleared his throat, “I’m almost afraid to ask – how is Pietro? I only saw him for a split second before he disappeared again.”

“I’ll call him back in shortly,” the Professor said. “He wanted to speak to you with a few less people present.”

“I’d like to speak to him, too,” Magnus said. “Now that Wanda and I have made a start, I’d like to rebuild a semblance of a relationship with my son.”

“Can’t rebuild what you never had,” Wanda muttered. “And who says _we’ve_ started anything?”

Magnus glanced at her, then gave the Professor a weary look that said he could speak volumes if they were alone. He took a deep breath and shook his head. “Anyway, as I was saying, I’d like to speak to Pietro, especially after what I saw yesterday.”

“Oh?” Mystique said.

“He and a partner were putting on quite the public display,” he said. “I wondered if you knew whether he was involved in a relationship or just playing around.”

“He’s in a relationship, and we’re keeping an eye on the situation,” Logan said firmly. “We’re responsible for both of them.”

“So his date lives here, too? I didn’t get a good look.” Magnus’ gaze swept around the room, wondering which of the X-Men it was. Then it occurred to him he might be with Pietro at that moment. “Upstairs?” he questioned the Professor.

“Yes, with Pietro and another friend. He’s new here, you’ve not met him before, but I think you’ll find him interesting.” He looked up at Scott. “Maybe it would be a good idea to take the others upstairs now and send Pietro and the other two down.”

“Yes sir,” Scott said and signaled to the other kids. They all started to follow him out except for Wanda and Longshot. The latter looked at Magnus.

“Should we go with them so you can talk to Pietro without any kids here?”

“Hell with that, I’m staying,” Wanda said, folding her arms.

“No, I think Longshot is right,” Magnus said. “You go with the others.”

“Forget it, I don’t know them – why should I follow them anywhere?!”

“We’ll just go sit out on the front porch then, okay?” Longshot took her hand and stood up. She did as well, pouting.

“Nice meeting you all.” Longshot smiled and the two of them left the room. Pietro, Rogue and Remy were about to enter at the same time and the twins found themselves facing each other once more.

“Wanda,” Pietro started to say, but she walked around him and went out the front doors. Longshot gave him an apologetic look and went after her.

Rogue patted Pietro on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it fer now.”

Oui,” Remy agreed gently. “One thing at a time.”

“Yeah,” he said, turning back toward the living room entrance. “First comes Father.”



part 78

The adults looked up as Pietro, Rogue, and Remy walked into the living room. Magnus looked first at his son, then at the pair with him. He recognized Rogue, but it took a moment to realize this boy was the one Pietro had been kissing so passionately in public. He was handsome, and from his swaggering walk, obviously very self-assured. He looked quite a bit older than Pietro, and that concerned him.

The white-haired speedster walked straight over to where Logan and Mystique sat and settled himself between them, giving Magnus a significant look. Rogue and Remy stood at either end of that sofa. Like sentries, Magnus thought.

“Hello, Pietro,” he said.

“Father,” the boy replied coolly.

“Magnus, I would like you to meet one of our new children, Remy LeBeau from New Orleans,” the Professor said. “Remy, this is Erik Lensherr, but we call him Magnus.”

“Bonjour, Monsieur Lensherr,” Remy said with a gracious nod.

“It’s nice to meet you, Remy,” Magnus replied. “May I ask how old you are?”

Remy looked a little surprised. “I am sixteen. Pourquoi?”

“You look older,” Magnus said, sounding rather relieved. “But then, I shouldn’t be too surprised. Longshot looks older than he is, too.”


“Oh?” Hank said. “How old is he?”

“Fourteen,” Magnus answered. “He looks seventeen because of his height, and has an innocence factor of about six.” He studied Remy with knowing eyes. “I don’t think _you_ have that problem, do you, young man?”

A slow, sly grin began to spread over the Cajun’s face. “Non, I do not,” he answered.

Rogue and Pietro exchanged a frown. Magnus seemed a little _too_ interested in Remy – but why?

“Pietro,” Magnus began, “I understand that you and Wanda ran into each other in the mall. I want to apologize if she said anything to upset you.”

“’If’?!” Rogue exclaimed. “She sure did! He hightailed it outta there so fast Ah hear he busted some windows in the backdraft!”

Magnus nodded. “I was afraid of that. Wanda … is still angry with me. And in the same vein, she’s also blaming you, Pietro.”

“I gathered that,” he replied.

“Believe it or not, she’s been a lot better in controlling both her anger and her power. Longshot has done wonders for her, too.” He gave Pietro a wry smile. “You remember what Wanda’s outbursts were like when she was younger? Right after I took her out of the asylum, for the first couple of weeks, she would still lose control if angered. Then she met Longshot – a boy whose uncanny luck allowed him to get close to her, even as sharp instruments flew by his head. They became very close.”

“As close as Wanda and I _should_ be now?” Pietro replied bitterly.

“I’m sorry you lost that closeness you shared as children,” Magnus said. “Maybe now that Wanda is home, you can start to rebuild.”

“I just want to know why you didn’t tell me she was home,” Pietro snapped. “You knew where to find me!”

“I regret to say that I’ve had my hands full with Wanda,” Magnus apologized. “I heard about the fire in your home – when I learned that Charles had taken you in, I knew you’d be safe and well-cared for.” He smiled a little, noticing the protective body language in those around Pietro. “I see I was right.”

“But would it have killed you to CALL me?!” Pietro cried. Mystique put her blue hand over his while Logan placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I wanted to have things established first – the house, Wanda, the dance club – I knew Charles would limit our contact if he suspected I wasn’t sincere in my commitment to be a family man.” He looked at Pietro earnestly. “You were already in the care of the person I trusted most in the world. Until the timing was right where we could do what we’re doing today, I felt you were better off knowing as little as possible about my activities.”

“You say you’re trying to be a family man now,” Logan said evenly. “Where does that leave Pietro?”

Mystique looked at him sharply, her hand tightening over Pietro’s.

“He is my son,” Magnus said. “If he wishes to come live with Wanda and I, he is more than welcome.” He looked at the startled boy. “However, I won’t attempt to force him. He has familial ties here as well now, plus I understand he is training as an X-Man. I won’t make him leave his new life to join us.”

“It’s up to him,” Logan said.

“Logan -- !” Mystique gasped, sounding frightened.

“Raven, he’s earned the right to choose,” he told her, then squeezed the teenager’s shoulder. “You know we love you like our own, Hummingbird. That isn’t going to change if you decide to live with your father.”

Pietro looked at Logan. “I know you don’t want to influence me, but can you tell me how you feel about it? I … I need to know.”

“I want you here with us,” Logan said frankly. “You’re _my_ kid now as far as I’m concerned.”

“And mine.” Mystique kissed his cheek. “We love you, sweetheart.”

Pietro’s eyes filled suddenly and he hugged the blue woman tightly. She smiled in contentment, holding him closely.

“I know you don’t believe me, Mystique, but I’m gratified to see the boy so well-loved,” Magnus said. “By you, Logan, Charles, Hank,” he looked toward the two other teenagers, “and his friends. Speaking of which, I understand you’re involved in a relationship, Pietro.”

“Huh?” Pietro said, caught off-guard. “Oh … yeah.” He jumped to his feet. “I’ll bet you adults have stuff to talk about. I’m glad we had this little chat and I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon. Come on, guys!” He sped for the exit while Rogue and Remy began to follow.

“Wait!”

Pietro skidded to a stop at the doorway and looked back at his father, who had also stood up.

“Come back, please. I want to get to know your partner better.”

The three teenagers exchanged a quick glance, then Pietro smiled innocently at his father. “Sure!” he said, and put an arm around Rogue’s shoulders, leading her back into the room to sit on the couch. Remy leaned against the doorway, maintaining a safe distance.

Magnus looked from Rogue and Pietro to Remy. Something decidedly odd was going on here. If there was one thing he knew about young Rogue, it was that she and Pietro could not possibly have been kissing outside the ice cream parlour, even if it were true they were involved. Her power wouldn’t allow it. Besides, now that he’d met Remy, he was certain _he_ was the one he had seen with his son. Scanning the faces of the adults present, they obviously weren’t surprised to see Pietro behaving as if Rogue were his girlfriend, and none of them were watching Remy for any kind of reaction to their contact.

Maybe Pietro was a playboy after all, and neither Rogue nor any of the adults knew it.

He decided to keep quiet about it for now, while the children were present. Once they were gone, however, he’d have some questions for their guardians.



part 79

Jean sighed and put the jar she held down on the desk. “All right, if you’re sure. But you still seem to be in pain.”

“I _am_ in pain,” Scott admitted as he leaned against his bedroom wall. He was still unwilling to sit down. “But I can’t let you put that stuff on my butt, Jean. I’d be too embarrassed.”

She giggled suddenly and he looked at her. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing,” she said hastily, trying not to smile.

“_What_, Jean?” Scott sounded annoyed now.

“I shouldn’t repeat it, but since you’re insisting,” Jean said, smiling mischievously. “You said you’d be embarrassed. Am-bare-assed. Get it?”

“JEAN!” Scott exclaimed.

The pretty girl covered a face as red as her hair. “It was just a passing thought -- _you_ made me tell you!”

“It’s just so unlike you, “ Scott replied.

Jean shrugged. “We all have our moments, I guess. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was making fun of you. I wasn’t.”

“I know.” Scott gave her a faint smile. “I think I’m oversensitive today.”

“Do you think Lance and Kitty are telling the truth?” Jean asked as she sat on the bed. “About not having done anything wrong?”

“I don’t know,” Scott admitted. “Lance sounded pretty convincing, though. I guess we should give them the benefit of the doubt.”

“Then we owe them apologies, don’t we?” Jean sighed and crossed her arms, a rueful smile on her face. “I hate apologizing.”

“Me too,” Scott said. “But we have to – it’s only right. I doubt Lance will accept mine, though, especially since his butt’s still hurting.”

“Let’s get it over with.” Jean got up and took his arm to pull him along. “Quick and painless.”

“Well, quick, anyway,” Scott joked.

*

Todd looked through the glass front doors and studied Wanda and Longshot where they sat on the steps. They were talking – he couldn’t hear them, but Longshot seemed to be trying to calm Wanda down. Todd pursed his lips. That poor guy, he thought. He shouldn’t have to spend all his time playing therapist to a psycho.

Not that he was prejudiced or anything. Yeah, right.

He wanted Longshot. That much he knew. And Wanda was in the way. Did they really love each other, like Rogue, Pietro, and Remy did? Well, maybe not like them, but _were_ they in love?

If they were, then Wanda had nothing to worry about. But if they weren’t, he wasn’t going to hold back. He opened the doors and went out. “Hi there!” he greeted.

Longshot looked up and smiled, making Todd’s stomach flutter. “Hi Todd! How are you?”

“Not bad, yo,” Todd replied and sat down with them. Wanda gave him an annoyed look.

“Is everything going all right in there?” Longshot asked, brushing his long blonde hair back from his face. “I know Magnus was worried about talking to his son.”

“We weren’t allowed to stay while they talked,” Todd said. “But I hope Pietro’s okay.”

Wanda snorted. “He’ll be fine. He always lands on his feet and running.”

“Why can’t you try to be nicer to him, yo?” Todd asked. “He never did anything to you.”

She turned on him. “What do _you_ know about it?!” she demanded. “He just stood there while our father put me in that terrible place!” And then he got to play Daddy’s Boy all on his own with him!” A flowerpot nearby burst into pieces.

“He wasn’t with Magneto much longer than you were!” Todd shot back, ignoring the destroyed pot. “The guy dumped him in foster care so he could start his world conquest for mutantkind! He didn’t seek Pietro out again until he’d grown up and mastered his speed – he only wanted to use him and Pietro knew it, but went along with it anyway because he wanted the man’s approval so damned much!” Todd stopped to take a breath, realizing he was letting his own temper get the better of him. “Anyway,” he said more calmly, “the way I see it, both of you were victims. You should be getting closer now that you can.”

“And closer to Magnus, too,” Longshot said, and looked at Todd. “He’s been really good to me. I know he used to be a bad guy, but he’s not anymore.”

“Hmmph,” Wanda sniffed. “You’re too kind-hearted for your own good, Longshot.”

“But it’s _true_, Wanda!” the blonde insisted. “He’s been watching out for me on the side – that’s how he knows my guardian is stealing from me.”

“I hope he can put a stop to it,” Todd said firmly. “You should get to keep your money.” He paused, then looked at the other mutant curiously. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure!” Longshot said with a smile.

“How do you know for sure that you came from a lab if you can’t remember your home world?” Todd asked. “Are you just taking the word of
your guardian on that?”

“When I told Magnus what my guardian said, he brought me to a doctor he trusted – a mutant. He ran some tests and did x-rays. I’m not like other people inside. My bones are really light, like a bird’s, and I’ve got two hearts.”

Todd’s eyes widened. “Whoa!”

Wanda frowned. “Don’t look so shocked – he’s not a freak or anything!”

“Girl, you’re WAY too sensitive,” Todd scowled. “You think someone like me would call _him_ a freak? I think he’s beautiful!” Too late the green-hued boy realized what he’d said and he hastened to cover it. “I mean, hey, look at him and look at me – no comparison, yo.”

“You’ve got that right,” Wanda sneered.

“Hey, come on,” Longshot said gently. “Don’t fight, you guys. Can’t we all be friends?”

The last thing Todd wanted was to be any kind of friend of Wanda’s. Not only had she hurt Pietro, but she had the boy _he_ wanted. However, he also didn’t want to upset Longshot, whose bright blue eyes were searching their faces with concern. It seemed a little strategy was in order.

“I’ve got no problem with that,” Todd replied lightly, and stuck out his hand toward Wanda. “How about it?”

“How about you drop dead?” she asked, and got to her feet. She started walking down the driveway. “Longshot, I’m going home.”

The blonde looked torn. “I think your father wants us to wait for him, Wanda,” he called after her.

“I think I don’t care,” she replied and paused to look back at him. “Are you coming or not?”

“It would be rude to leave without at least telling him,” Longshot said uneasily.

“Frog Boy there can tell him,” Wanda said. “Can’t you?” She looked at Todd.

“You want _me_ to tell Magneto his kid left and embarrassed him in front of all the X-Men?” Todd squeaked. “No way, yo!”

“Wanda, this meeting was important to your father,” Longshot said. “Please don’t leave.”
The girl sighed and walked back toward them. “You’re a bad influence on me,” she said with a small smile. Longshot grinned widely and took her
hand, pulling her back down to sit beside him.

Damn, Todd thought, looking at their entwined fingers dejectedly.

*

“Lance, Kitty,” Scott said as he came down the stairs with Jean beside him, “may we speak to you for a minute?”

The pair he addressed were at the bottom of the stairs. Lance was leaning against the banister while Kitty sat on the lowest step. “I guess so,” Lance said warily. “Just don’t start anything – my butt can’t take another walloping today.”

“Mine either, and it shouldn’t have happened,” Scott stopped in front of him. “I just wanted to say I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have accused you like that.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” Lance agreed coolly.

“I’m sorry, too, Kitty,” Jean said earnestly. “I was really unfair. I hope you can forgive me.”

Kitty looked at her thoughtfully. “Does that mean you believe me now?”

“Yes. I should have believed you then.”

“Well …,” the younger girl smiled a little, “I guess it _did_ look pretty bad.”

“Next time we’ll listen to you, or anyone else, before we doubt their word,” Scott promised.

Lance paused, then shrugged. “Like Kitty said, it looked bad. And I guess I can’t blame you for wanting to protect her – I’d go after any guy I thought was taking advantage, too.”

“Thanks,” Scott said sincerely.

Remy came out of the living room and headed for the stairs. “Rogue and Pietro are coming,” he said. “I t’ink de adults want to talk alone now.”

“How’s Pietro doing?” Lance asked.

“Pretty good,” Remy answered.

The two teenagers came out of the living room, looking relieved to have escaped.

“Was it _that_ bad?” Kitty joked.

“Not exactly,” Rogue said, glancing at Remy. “Hard to explain.”

“Think they bought it?” Pietro asked her.

“Ah hope so.” She sighed. “Come on, let’s go upstairs and unwind.”

Scott, Jean, Lance and Kitty all watched as the three of them passed by and went up the stairs.

“What was _that_ all about?” Jean wondered out loud.



part 80

“Now that the children are gone, Magnus, why don’t you tell us what’s disturbing you?” Professor Xavier said to his old friend, steepling his fingers. “I couldn’t help but pick up on the surprise you registered when Pietro and Rogue sat back down to talk to you.”

Magnus gave him a wry smile. “Never could keep anything from you, Charles,” he said. “And you’re right – something is bothering me, but it wasn’t my intention to cause even more problems for my son.”

“That sounds ominous,” Mystique said.

“Yeah,” Logan agreed. “What are you talking about?”

Magnus sighed. “When I spoke of Pietro and a partner putting on a show in public, I should have been more specific. They were kissing – rather passionately, at that.”

The adults exchanged puzzled looks. “But Rogue can’t kiss anyone like that,” Mystique said. “The most she and Pietro can manage are quick-as-lightning kisses.”

“I never said it was Rogue he was kissing, Mystique,” Magnus answered. “It was a young man, and after having met him I can tell you in all certainty that it was Remy.”

“Remy?!” Mystique gasped

Logan’s teeth were clenched. “I asked him straight out if he and Pietro were involved and he denied it. He lied to me.”

“Which either makes him very brave or very foolish,” Hank joked.

“Substitute ‘stupid’ for ‘foolish’ and you’ll be closer,” Logan growled.

“He’s not the only one who lied, Logan,” Mystique said flatly. “Pietro sat right here and lied to all of us as he presented Rogue as his girlfriend to Magnus.”

“And the poor child is being misled,” Hank remarked. “She obviously still believes in her relationship with Pietro, and both he and Remy are deceiving her.”

“Charles,” Magnus said, studying his friend, “you’ve been very quiet about this revelation. Do you have anything you’d like to add?”

“Only one thing,” the Professor said. “Pietro wasn’t lying.”

“Now I’m confused,” Mystique said.

“When he was talking to you about his relationship with Rogue, he was being sincere,” the Professor explained. “He meant it when he said he was in love with her.”

“He can’t be in love with _both_ of them!” Logan exclaimed.

“It’s possible,” Magnus said. “But Rogue obviously doesn’t know about Remy.”

“Remy knows about the importance of covering his relationship with Pietro,” Mystique said grimly. “Pietro might be torn between them, but Remy knows exactly what he’s doing.”

“Yeah, pretending to be Rogue’s friend,” Logan cracked his knuckles. “He lied to my _face_!”

“Well, Pietro may be torn now, but once Logan gets through with Remy, I suspect he may have to choose Rogue by default,” Hank pointed out lightly.

“I hope it all works out. Please keep me posted.” Magnus got to his feet. “I’m afraid I must leave now. It’s almost lunchtime and I’m sure the children are all hungry.”

“You’re welcome to join us,” the Professor invited.
“I’d like to, but I have to get Longshot to the movie set – they called and asked him to come in a bit early,” Magnus said. He smiled at the other man. “I’m glad we came today, though.”

“As am I. You, Wanda, and Longshot are welcome anytime.”

“Speaking of which, I’d better go find them – providing Wanda hasn’t made off with my car.”

“And _I’m_ going to go find Remy,” Logan said firmly. “I made a promise to him I intend to keep.”

--

Rogue flopped back onto Pietro’s bed. “Ah think that went rather well, considering.”

“Yeah, we handled it perfectly,” Pietro agreed, dropping down beside her. “No one suspects a thing.”

“Why should they?” Remy sat on the edge of the bed and gave Pietro’s leg an
affectionate squeeze. “We have covered ourselves well.”

The bedroom door pushed open and Remy pulled his hand back instantly. Logan walked in.

“Hey, don’t knock or anything,” Pietro said jokingly. “Has Father left?”

“Yeah, he’s gone,” Logan said, stopping in front of Remy. “I want to see you in your room, Cajun. Now.”

Rogue sat up. The tone of her father’s voice worried her. “What’s wrong,
Daddy? Remy’s not in any trouble, is he?”

“He’s been with us all day, he hasn’t done anything,” Pietro added.

Logan took hold of Remy’s arm and gently, but firmly, pulled him to his feet. “Let’s go,” he said, and began heading for the door, still holding onto the French teenager.

Rogue and Pietro exchanged a quick, fearful look and hurried after them. “Logan, wait!” Pietro used a burst of speed to position himself in front of the doorway, blocking it. “What’s going on?!”

“Dat is what _I_ would like to know!” Remy exclaimed, resisting Logan’s iron grip on his arm.

“Pietro, get out of the way,” Logan told the slender boy.

“You’re obviously angry with him, what did he do?!” Pietro insisted.

“You don’t want me to get into it here, believe me,” Logan said.

Pietro folded his arms. “Well, you’ll have to because I’m not budging.”

Logan stepped forward and pushed his face close to Pietro’s. “If you don’t move aside, Hummingbird, then once I get finished with the Cajun, I’ll come back here and wallop _your_ bare backside.”

“You think you’re doing dat to _me_?!” Remy said indignantly and began to struggle in earnest. Logan had no problem holding onto his right arm, but when the teenager reached inside his duster with his left and pulled out a card, it was Rogue who grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t do it, Remy!” she cried and turned to Logan, whose expression had darkened further. “Daddy, he’s just scared! He doesn’t understand!”

“Then let me make it very plain so he _will_ understand,” Logan turned Remy toward him and took hold of his other arm so he had to face him. He looked him straight in the eyes. “I promised I would spank you if you lied to me again. You had fair warning, but you did it anyway. Do you really want me to tell Rogue the details of your lie or are you going to come with me quietly and accept your punishment like a man?”

“I’ll go with you,” Remy answered, holding his gaze.

“No!” Pietro and Rogue cried in unison.

“I’m not going to tell you again, Pietro,” Logan said evenly. “Get out of the way.”

Instead, Rogue moved over to stand beside Pietro. “Daddy, tell us what Remy lied about. Please. There may be more to it than you know.”

Logan searched their faces. “All right,” he said. “You were gonna have to find out, anyway. I asked Remy earlier if he was involved with Pietro and he said no. He lied to me. Magnus saw the two of them sharing passionate kisses in public.”

An anxious look passed between the trio. Logan saw it, too. But what he didn’t see was shock or anger or anything else he’d expected. And then he realized.

“You knew about it,” he said to Rogue in disbelief. “You knew about these two being involved.”

“Yes, Ah did,” she said seriously.

“What the hell -- ?!” Logan demanded. “You don’t care if your supposed boyfriend _has_ a boyfriend?!”

Rogue glanced at Pietro. He looked nervous, but nodded. They both looked
over at Remy, who gave a grim nod of his own. Rogue took a deep breath and faced her father again.

“It’s okay with me if Pietro and Remy are involved with each other, Daddy,” she said bravely, “because I’m involved with both of them, too. The three of us are a unit – we all love each other.”



part 81


“WHAAAAAAAAT?!!”

Mystique jumped visibly and looked toward Hank and the Professor. “That was Logan!” she said, and ran for the stairs.

“You go, too, Hank, it sounds like trouble,” the Professor advised. “I’ll catch up.”

Hank took off after Mystique in great bounds. By the time they got upstairs, the other kids had emerged from their rooms to investigate the disturbance as well, and were hesitantly hovering outside Pietro’s room. “Out of the way!” Mystique ordered, pushing her way through them with Hank right behind her.

“Logan, calm down!” they could hear Pietro begging. When Mystique and Hank got inside the room, they saw an infuriated Logan raving in front of three very frightened-looking teenagers who were backed against the wall with their arms around each other.

“How dare you tell me to calm down while pitching this garbage at me?!” Logan exploded. “You CAN’T have a serious relationship with THREE people!!”

“What?!” Mystique and Hank said in unison.

“Uh-oh,” Kurt and Todd murmured from outside the door.

“But we’re doing it, Daddy!” Rogue said. “Pietro and Remy and I love each other equally! There’s nothing wrong with it!”

“Is she kidding?!” Mystique exclaimed and faced Rogue. “Are you _kidding_?! I can’t even begin to tell you how many things are wrong with that!”

“Dere is nothing wrong with it!” Remy said defensively. “I love Rogue and I love Pietro – how can love be wrong?!”

“A relationship is TWO people, Cajun, not three!” Logan snarled.

“Who says?!” Pietro demanded. “There are a lot of societies where people have more than one mate!”

“But THIS isn’t one of them!”

“We know you don’t like it, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” Rogue lifted her chin, looking disturbingly like her mother when she got stubborn. “You can’t stop us from loving each other or even seeing each other!”

Logan opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. He looked at Mystique and Hank. “She’s right,” he said. “How can we stop it when they live in the same house?”

“By removing one of them from the house?” Hank suggested. “We could send Remy to the Massachusetts Institute.”

“NO!” Rogue and Pietro cried, then glued themselves to Remy in a tight hug.

“Stop that!” Mystique yelled at them.

“Everyone calm down,” Professor Xavier said as he entered the room. “Logan, Mystique, Hank, back off a little and let the children breathe. Intimidation tactics aren’t going to change this situation.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it, Chuck,” Logan said, glaring at the three teenagers.

“You _have_ tried, Logan, and Rogue just told you it won’t change anything. She’s right – if they love each other, we can’t make them stop. And yes, we could remove Remy, but I don’t think any of us wants to go that far, do we?”

“No, of course not,” Mystique said, looking grudgingly toward the French boy. “We went to a lot of trouble to save him, and I’ll admit to being fond of the charming little bastard. He’s part of the family now.”

“Thank you,” Remy said wryly. “I think.”

“Yeah, Mysti’s right,” Logan growled. “We love ya, Cajun, even if you make us nuts. But I DON’T like this three-way relationship thing!”

“We knew you wouldn’t,” Pietro admitted. “That’s why we tried to hide it.”

“Speaking of which,” Logan stepped forward and took hold of Remy’s arm. “We may love you, Gumbo, but you still lied to me. I don’t care why you did it – you still did it after I warned you.”

Remy held his gaze for a few moments, then nodded. “I understand,” he said.

“Good, let’s go to your room.” Logan began leading him out.

“No!” Pietro protested, zipping into the doorway.

“Pietro!” Mystique said sharply. “Move it or lose it!”

“But -- !”

“Logan _does_ love him, Pietro,” she said more gently. “He has to do this for Remy’s sake, and he’s not going to take out his feelings about your relationship on him.”

“You’re sure?” Pietro asked dubiously. Logan looked at him.

“Don’t you trust me, Hummingbird?”

Pietro glanced at Remy, then back at Logan. “Yes,” he admitted.

“Don’t be too hard on him, Daddy,” Rogue pleaded. “He was protecting us.”

“Lying is lying, Rogue,” Logan told her seriously. “But don’t worry, he’ll be all right.” He walked out, pulling Remy along with him.

“Okay, everyone, it’s lunchtime,” the Professor said. “Let’s go downstairs. Rogue, Pietro, you two as well.”

The pair exchanged a worried look. Mystique shook her head, watching them.

“A three-way relationship,” she muttered. “Good grief!”

--

Logan closed the door to Remy’s room. “Take off the duster, kid.”

Remy sighed as he removed it. “I guess it would do no good now to say that I am sorry I had to lie to you.”

“You should be,” Logan said frankly. “Trust is important, and you’ve lied to me more than once. Can you give me even one good reason why I shouldn’t give you a sore backside?”

“Only that I did it to protect our relationship,” Remy told him earnestly. “We knew you would not approve.”

“Not good enough. You must have known we’d all find out sooner or later,” Logan replied. “Frankly, I’m surprised you kept the secret hidden as long as you did.”

“You are not really going to do dis on my bare skin, are you?” the boy asked
reluctantly.

Logan took his chin in his hand and looked into those unusual eyes. “If it had been once, I’d be more lenient. But you lied to me twice, and the second time was after you’d been warned. I may not be your father, Remy, but I love you enough to punish you when you’ve done wrong.”

Remy’s eyes grew wet. “If you love me, that makes you more of a father then I’ve ever had before.”

Logan gave him a brief hug. “Okay, let’s do this and get it over with – we’ll both feel better.”

“Somehow I doubt that!” Remy laughed nervously.

“You’ll be surprised.” Logan told him and sat on the edge of the bed. “No more stalling – pants down.”

Remy began unfastening his pants, feeling his face heat up. He’d no sooner finished pushing them down when Logan caught his wrist and yanked him face-down over his lap. He gave him a solid whack that made Remy gasp out loud. The sharp clarity of skin-striking-skin sounded as if it must be heard throughout
the entire mansion.

“Hurts, huh?” Logan said grimly. “Maybe by the time you’ve had a few more like it, you’ll think twice before lying to me again.” He landed another firm wallop and Remy yelped.

“I am re-thinking already – OUCH!” the boy cried involuntarily at the third whack. “Believe me!”

Logan continued spanking Remy evenly, keeping a level force to each blow. The teenager quit trying to talk, but couldn’t disguise his increasing discomfort and distress. By the tenth whack, he’d given in to tears.

“Okay, that’s enough,” Logan said gently and helped him up, giving him a hand in dressing. “I’m sorry that was necessary, Cajun. Don’t ever make me have to do it again.”

“I will try not to,” Remy told him, wiping his eyes. “Mon pere.”

Logan ruffled his hair affectionately. “Get yourself together then come down for lunch.” He started to leave.

“Logan?”

He stopped and looked back.

“Are you really disgusted with us?” Remy asked uneasily. “About the trio we have formed?”

“I’m not disgusted,” Logan told him. “I just want all of you to be happy. It seems like you’ve chosen a more complicated relationship than was necessary.”

“But for us it _was_ necessary,” Remy said sincerely. “I love both of them, and they love me, and each other. Dere was no other way.”

Logan shook his head. “I find that hard to believe. In any case, we may not be able to stop it, but none of us has to like it. And you three have to live with that.” He left the room and Remy sighed, then winced. He’d heard that Jean had some kind of cream that was good for afflictions like his – he decided to put his thieving skills to good use and ‘borrow’ it before facing the rest of the household.


part 82

“Wanda, your behavior back there was appalling,” Magnus told his daughter as they road toward Longshot’s movie set. “I’m sure they must all think you’re a spoiled brat and that I’m the worst father in the world.”

“Ha!” Wanda laughed sarcastically. “They thought that about you before they ever met me!”

“I’m lacking in certain parental skills, it’s true,” Magnus admitted. “But if Charles will permit me, I plan to learn from he and his staff how to be more effective.”

“You’re going to take parenting lessons from _Mystique_?” Wanda asked incredulously. “I thought you said she was a conniving, underhanded, backstabbing bi-“

“I thought she was nice,” Longshot remarked. “Beautiful, too.”

“I’m giving Mystique the benefit of the doubt,” Magnus said. “I saw a different side of her today. Her children, and my own son, seem to adore her. There must be a reason. If she’s playing Mother, she’s obviously a success at it.”

“So even Mystique is a better parent than you,” Wanda said. “Just don’t get the wrong idea. Not all of the kids there are winners. That Todd is a little creep.”

“Wanda, he is not!” Longshot told her. “He’s my friend, and he’d be yours, too, if you were nicer to him.”

“I don’t want to be nicer to him or any of those losers!” Wanda snapped. “Now that we’ve been there, can’t we just forget them?”

“I’m afraid not,” Magnus said. “I plan to visit again, and you’re going to come with me when I want you to.”

“May I go, too?” Longshot asked eagerly.

“If you don’t have to film, certainly. At least if you’re along, they’ll be sure to welcome us, in spite of Wanda.”

His daughter blew a raspberry at him and Magnus heaved a sigh. How do you do it, Charles? He wondered. How?

*

Rogue and Pietro looked at each other outside Remy’s door. “What if he wants to be alone?” Pietro asked.

“He’ll tell us,” Rogue said.

“Okay. So knock.”

“_You_ knock.”

“Why me?”

“Yer the big brave man!”

“Who told you that? I’m a little chicken boy!”

The bedroom door opened and Remy regarded them both with amusement. “Are you going to come in or stand out dere all day?”

“We didn’t know if you’d want company,” Rogue admitted as she and Pietro stepped into the room and shut the door. “Some people just want to be alone after a spanking.”

“I understand, but I am not one of dem.” Remy put a small white jar in Pietro’s hand. “And I could use your help, chere.”

Pietro studied the jar. “There’s no label on it. What’s it for?”

“It is some soothing cream dat supposedly is good for sore behinds.” Remy winked and took off his duster. “I heard Jean had some, but I found it in Scott’s room.”

“Why would Jean need this stuff?” Rogue sniffed. “She never gets spanked.”

“Heh,” Pietro chuckled, “if it was in Scott’s room, maybe she was helping him with it, if you know what I mean.”

“Well, why not?” Remy grinned. “It is a good excuse, is it not? And speaking of which ….” He went over to the bed and began unfastening his pants. Pietro opened the jar and sped to the bedside.

“This is gonna be fun!” he said, opening the jar and dipping his fingers into it.

“Mind if Ah watch, boys?” Rogue smiled and sat down in the desk chair.

“Enjoy yourself, petite,” Remy told her and pushed his pants down.

Rogue gasped at the sight of his red bottom as he lay face-down. “Oh, Remy, he really whupped ya, didn’t he?”

“Yowch,” Pietro seconded, wincing.

“It could have been worse,” Remy shrugged. “Logan does not go too far. My father – he used to beat me with a belt or a switch – anyt’ing he could reach. And did not always tell me why. Dis time … at least I know why, and I deserved it.”

“Incoming!” Pietro announced cheerfully and began to smooth the cream over Remy’s bare skin. The older boy sucked in his breath.

“Ooo, dat stings a bit,” he admitted.

“Ah thought it was supposed to help,” Rogue said, angling for a better view of the strangely erotic scene.

“Probably stings at first, then cools,” Pietro said, slowly and deliberately stroking cream over all of the reddened areas.

“Oui, it is cooling already. It feels nice now.” Remy closed his eyes.

“Careful, Pietro,” Rogue said mischievously. “Yer gonna put him to sleep!”

“Really?” Pietro grinned. “That’s sure not what it’s doing to _me_!”

Remy glanced over his shoulder at the blonde. “Too bad I am not in shape to help you out.”

“Remy!” Pietro laughed and gave him a swat.

“Ahhh!” the French boy yelped, then chuckled. “Dat was not nice, chere.”

“Ya had it comin’, Cajun,” Rogue confirmed, winking at Pietro.

*

Longshot came off the set smiling. He’d had a lot of fun filming the last scene, which entailed cartwheeling, flipping and spinning in mid-air to avoid machine-gun fire. Of course they weren’t real bullets, but they could have been and it wouldn’t have made any difference.

“That was great!” he enthused to his manager, the man who claimed to have created him.

“You did fine,” he replied. “Hurry up now – you have an appointment.”

“I do?” Longshot looked surprised. “I thought you said filming was all there was today because it was Sunday.”

“Are you arguing with me now?” the man asked. “After all I’ve done for you?”

“N-No, of course not,” Longshot said, confused by the change of tone. It seemed like his manager got into these strange moods more and more during the last month or so – particularly since filming started. He wondered what he’d done to upset him so much.

“Then shut up and do as you’re told,” the man said and began walking toward the limo. Longshot followed unhappily.

“What’s the appointment for?” he asked in a soft voice as they got into the car.

“There’s a very important man who wants to meet you,” his manager said. “If he’s impressed enough with you, your career is a sure thing.”

“But … I thought you said my career was going well so far.”

The teenager received a sharp look for that. “Do you have to question _everything_ I say lately?” His manager frowned. “I’m not so sure hanging around with that girl has been good for you. She looks like a punk, and ever since you’ve known her you’ve been giving me attitude.”

Longshot didn’t think that was true, but knew better than to say so.

“And her father,” the man shuddered, “I don’t like the way he looks at me. _Or_ you. You’d be better off if you stayed away from both of them.”

Tears pricked at Longshot’s blue eyes, but he blinked them back. He hoped this wouldn’t become a point of contention between them or he might have to defy this man for the first time since he’d known him.



part 83

“All right, Longshot,” said the boy’s manager as they waited outside the front gate for entrance, “I want you to be polite and very nice to Mr. Belanger. He’s been known to make or break careers – you _want_ his approval.”

The gates opened for them and drove along the curving driveway. Once they walked up to the front door, a butler opened it for them.

“Right this way,” he said, and led them up the winding staircase. Longshot looked around as they climbed. It was a beautiful home, but it wasn’t as inviting as the X-Mansion. This place was too quiet, too cold.

The butler brought them to a receiving room. There was a distinguished-looking man there, dressed in what looked like an expensive suit. He was smoking. Longshot tried not to let his distaste for the stench show in his expression.

“Hello, Mr. Belanger. I brought Longhot, as you requested.” The man who was his manager patted Longshot on the back.

“Come closer, young man,” said Mr. Belanger, putting his cigarette down in an ashtray on the table beside him. He got to his feet.

Longshot felt his manager’s hand on his back urge him forward toward the man. He usually liked meeting new people, but something about this didn’t smell right, and it wasn’t just the cigarettes. It was something about the way his manager was acting, all nervous and anxious. And there was something about Mr. Belanger, too. The closer Longshot got to him, the further away he wanted to be.

“He _is_ handsome, isn’t he?” the obviously-wealthy man said, reaching out to touch Longshot’s cheek. He frowned slightly. “His skin feels odd.”

“Peach fuzz,” the manager said hastily. “He _is_ fourteen, after all.”

Mr. Belanger’s eyebrows lifted. “Is that all? He’s a big boy for fourteen.” He fingered Longshot’s silky golden hair. “Beautiful,” he murmured.

Longshot knew that his memory loss and resulting innocence meant he didn’t always know what was going on around him when everyone else did. But he was no fool, and could tell that something was very wrong here. And he _did_ know how to find out the truth. Putting on his best and brightest smile, he extended his hand toward the man. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Belanger.”

The man smiled slowly. “The feeling is mutual, Longshot.” He accepted the extended hand, and Longshot immediately began to ‘read’ him.

He saw other hopeful young actors and actresses with this man – he promised to make them stars. But the price was that they had to belong to him in body until he grew weary of them. Some said yes, some said no. Those that said yes did receive a career boost, but their spirits, and sometimes their bodies, were broken. There was no happy future for anyone who stayed with this man.

And now he wanted Longshot, who kept the smile on his face, even when the handshake ended without the man releasing his hand.

“You can leave us now,” Mr. Belanger said to the manager. “Longshot and I need to get to know each other.”

“You’ll see he gets back to the hotel?”

“Certainly, but don’t expect him before morning.”

Longshot’s manager gave him a stern ‘be nice’ look before leaving him alone with the evil man, who still hadn’t let go of his hand.

“Come and sit by me,” Mr. Belanger said, his smile reminding Longshot of a stalking wolf he’d seen on the Discovery channel. Summoning all of his acting ability, Longshot turned up his smile a few watts.

“I’ll be able to relax more comfortably, sir, if I could go to the bathroom first,” he said sweetly.

“By all means,” Mr. Belanger said, releasing his hand at last. He stroked Longshot’s hair slowly. “Second door on the right – hurry back.”

“Yes sir!” Longshot said brightly, and headed out of the room, careful not to look like he was in too much of a hurry. Looking over the stair railing, he saw too many servants milling around to be able to safely pass – for all he knew, they might be trained to detain children who tried to leave. He followed the directions given him to the bathroom and locked the door behind him, then sped to the window.

It was small – too small for some people – but Longshot was sure he’d fit. He opened it as wide as it would go and looked out, down toward the ground. A free fall would kill him from this height, but he didn’t plan to free fall.

Longshot hoisted himself up and through the opening. It was a tight squeeze, but by pulling his shoulders in a little, he made it. He held onto the sides of the window while slipping his long legs out one at a time, then sat on the ledge and looked down again. His left eye flashed gold, and he jumped.

He grabbed the extended thin branch of a tree that wouldn’t support him for long, but made a good, quick, gymnast’s bar. He flipped around it in a wide arc, releasing it at just the right moment to sail him toward a sloping canopy that shaded the patio below. He slid down the length of it on both feet and somersaulted off it into the swimming pool.

Longshot quickly swam to the edge of the pool and climbed out, then sprinted for the back fence. There was a line of apple trees lining it, so he chose one that looked to be the tallest and sprang for the nearest branch. Once he’d climbed to the top, he performed another perfect somersault over the top of the fence, landing perfectly on his feet.

He was out. Now he just had to get to the only safe haven he knew.

*

At the X-Mansion kitchen table, Lance shook his head and looked at Todd. “I can’t believe you already knew about that weird relationship and actually kept the secret.”

“I knew, too,” Kurt admitted. “Rogue told me.”

“It’ll never work,” Scott said. “There’s no way.”

“But it looks like they’ve already been making it work,” Kitty said. “Did you see the way they defended each other? It was kind of touching.”

“I thought it was weird, like Lance said,” Jean admitted. “But then we’re talking about Rogue.”

“Rogue isn’t weird!” Kurt said defensively, then paused. “Just her relationship is.”

“At least _that_ we can all agree on,” Lance said.

Rogue and Pietro walked into the kitchen and stopped, looking around at the others who were staring at them. “Gee, should we go back out and come in again?” Pietro asked dryly.

“Nah, don’t bother, we’ll still stare,” Todd replied.

“How’s Remy?” Kurt asked.

“Feeling a little better now.” Rogue plopped the jar of cream in front of the redhead. “Thanks, Jeannie.”

“Oh … you’re welcome.” Jean smiled at her. “But it’s not mine. I just borrowed it to give to Scott.”

“Jean!” Scott protested.

“Not that he’s ever _used_ it, mind you,” Jean added. “He keeps refusing.”

“Why? Remy liked it.” Pietro sat at the table.

“Remy liked the _application_ best, Ah think,” Rogue said mischievously as she took a seat beside him.

“Oh, don’t tell us that,” Kitty groaned, covering her face. “Mental image overload!”

“This stuff really work?” Todd asked, picking up the jar and studying it.

“Not for me,” Kurt lamented. “Can’t use it on fur.”

“If it’s not yours, Jean, whose is it?” Pietro asked curiously.

“Uh, mine,” Lance said, taking it. “And I wish I’d had it earlier today.” He shrugged. “But who cares, I still need it.” He grinned at Kitty. “Wanna help me?”

Her eyes widened. “What?!”

“Just kidding,” he said, and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll see you later.”

Rogue watched him go, then nudged Kitty. “Ya shoulda taken him up on it.”

“Don’t tell her that,” Scott protested. “It’s bad enough they slept in the same bed last night!”

“WHAAAAT?!” everyone but Jean and Kitty exclaimed.

“Thanks, Scott,” Kitty muttered.

“Uh, sorry about that,” he apologized sheepishly.


part 84

Wanda rolled her eyes. “Meat loaf?”

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Magnus told her, placing the hot pan on the counter. “You liked it last time we had it.”

“That was last time,” Wanda retorted. “I wanted pizza tonight.”

“How unfortunate for you – we’re having meatloaf.”

The doorbell rang and Wanda looked up. “Maybe the pizza delivery gods heard me.” She headed out of the kitchen.

“If they did, you’re having pizza topped with meat loaf!” Magnus called after her.

“Ha ha,” Wanda said flatly and opened the door. “Longshot!” she gasped. “You’re soaking wet! What happened?!”
“Is Magnus here?” Longshot asked wearily, leaning against the doorway.

“Yeah – FATHER!” Wanda called urgently, then helped Longshot inside. It was rare – and frightening -- to see him so tired. He seemed to have limitless energy most of the time.

Magnus hurried into the foyer, took one look at Longshot and lifted him into his arms. Despite his lanky height, the boy’s weight was negligible. He carried him into the living room and laid him on the couch. “Wanda, get him some of my clothes and a blanket.”

For once, his daughter hustled to do what he bade her. By the time she got back, Magnus had Longshot out of the wet clothes. He took the dry ones from Wanda. “They’ll be big on you, but at least they’re dry.” He looked into Longshot’s blue eyes. “Now tell us what happened?”

“It started when shooting was over,” Longshot began, and went on to tell everything that occurred since then. Magnus’ expression darkened the longer he spoke, and Wanda’s eyes grew wide.

“Oh, Longshot,” she said softly. “Are you sure you’re okay? You ran all the way across town!”

“I’m feeling a little better already,” he admitted, then sighed. “I’m just scared. My manager is going to be very angry.”

“Don’t worry about him,” Magnus said grimly and got to his feet. “I’ll go pay both he and that producer a little visit. Wanda, don’t let anyone in the house while I’m gone. You have my permission to use your power on anyone who gets stubborn about it.”

She nodded. “Damned straight I will.”

“What are you going to do, Magnus?” Longshot asked. Magnus put a hand under the boy’s chin.

“I’m going to become your new guardian and manager, Longshot,” he said. “You’ll never have to see that man again.”

Longshot smiled and squeezed Wanda’s hand.

*

“No, I’m not kidding, Freddy!” Todd said into the phone receiver. “Magneto was here in the house today and actually acted like a normal guy! I mean, like a _father_, even! With both Wanda and Pietro. Scary, isn’t it? But the best thing is they brought Longshot with them – “

A beep came over the other line and Todd groaned. “Just a second, Fred.” He pressed the button to switch lines. “Yo, Xavier Institute.”

“Todd, get Professor Xavier,” came Magnus’ voice through the phone.

“Oh, uh, yeah, right now.” Todd hopped off down the hall, hunting for the Professor. He found him in the library with Hank. “Hey, Professor, Magneto’s on the phone. It sounds important.”

“Thank you, Todd.” The Professor picked up the receiver and Todd left to go back to the living room phone he’d been on. He picked up the receiver and was about to put it down when he remembered he hadn’t said goodbye to Fred, who might still be on the other line. And since he couldn’t hang it up, he might as well listen. He brought the receiver to his ear.

“But the man didn’t hurt Longshot?” the Professor was saying.

“No, he escaped before anything could happen, but it’s shaken him. I’m in my car on the way to visit the producer, and then I’m going to see his manager.”

“Magnus, don’t go to the producer. He’ll only deny it. If Longshot can name all the other children who were involved, then the man can be prosecuted legally. As for the manager, yes, he needs to be paid a visit.”

“He’s going to release custody of Longshot to me, Charles, or things won’t go well for him,” Magnus said grimly. “He could have destroyed that boy.”

“If he refuses, call me back. I’ll do what I can to ‘persuade’ him.”

“Thank you, Charles. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Goodbye, Magnus.”

Todd heard one line hang up and was about to hang up himself when the Professor said, “Todd, you know you shouldn’t eavesdrop.”

Gulp. Of course the Professor would have known he was listening in. “No, sir, sorry. But … um … is Longshot okay?”

“Yes. He was frightened, but he’s fine. Magnus will take care of him.”

“He’s gonna adopt him?”

“Well, because he came from another dimension, Longshot doesn’t legally exist here, so a formal adoption would cause problems. But Magnus will take him in, once he guarantees that his manager will leave him alone.”

“Okay,” Todd said, then paused. “I guess we’re lucky someone like you took _us_ in, Professor. Thanks.”

“It’s been my pleasure, Todd. Say hello to Fred for me.”

“Sure thing, I ….” Todd felt his face heat up. “Uh, sorry about that, too.”

“It’s all right, Todd, although I’d appreciate it if you would ask first. He’s still waiting on the other line – you’d better get back to him.”

“Yes sir.” Todd clicked the button and wondered if it would still be ‘all right’ if the Professor knew he’d been calling Fred daily. “Uh, Freddy? Sorry to keep you waiting, but I’ve got some more news, and I’ve got to make it fast ….”

*

Logan put an arm around Mystique as they settled back against the pillows. “How are you doing, darlin’?”

“I’m good, better than I thought I’d be.” Mystique sighed. “I was afraid for a while this morning, Logan. For more than one reason. But … if Charles says Magnus is telling the truth, he must be.”

“Good thing,” Logan said. “Too many of us can be affected now by what he says or does.”

A knock came on the door and Pietro peeked in. “Could I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure, Hummingbird, come in.” Logan patted the bedspread. Pietro sped over and jumped into the center, kneeling there.

“I just wanted to tell you guys not to worry about anything Father said this morning. I don’t have any plans to leave you. You’re … you’re my parents now.” He paused. “That is, if you still want me after finding out about our three-way relationship.”

“Of course we want you.” Mystique pulled him into her arms. “We’re not getting rid of Rogue, are we?”

“Or Remy, for that matter,” Logan added.

“Well, I just wanted you to know where I stood, in case you were worried or anything.”

Logan ruffled his hair. “Thanks, kid.”

“Don’t mention it.” Pietro grinned. He jumped off the bed. “See you tomorrow!”

Mystique smiled at Logan. “I feel a lot better now.”

“Yeah, me too.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “How long do you think that threesome is gonna last?”

“They’re probably the three most stubborn children in the house,” Mystique said wryly. “It’s going to last forever.”



Part 85

Jean sighed as she looked over to another school lunch table nearby. Lance and Kitty were there, talking in low voices and giggling. Yes, Lance was giggling. It sickened her, but not nearly as much as watching Duncan and Kurt. They were at a different table, feeding each other.

Neither of those couples were attracting as much attention from her fellow classmates as the one ‘triple’ in the area, though. Now that they no longer had to hide their relationship at home, Rogue, Remy and Pietro had apparently decided to go public at school, too. Pietro would sneak a fry from Rogue’s plate and deliver a quick kiss to her cheek, then Remy would pluck the fry from Pietro’s fingers and kiss _his_ cheek. Then they’d all laugh and hug each other.

Jean pushed her tray away. She’d lost her appetite.

“You look like I feel,” said Todd as he hopped onto the seat beside her. “Except I know why _I’m_ miserable – why should you be?”

“What?” she asked.

“Come on, Red, you got it all,” Todd told her. “You’re beautiful, sexy, talented, popular – “

“Ha!” Jean interrupted bitterly. “If I’m so popular, why isn’t someone stealing _my_ fries?”

“Uhhh … I don’t know,” Todd admitted, then shrugged. “Maybe because you’re dumb.”

Her head whipped around and green eyes bore into his. “What do you mean by _that_?”

“I mean that you like Scott and he likes you, but you’re both too dumb to do anything about it, yo,” Todd said frankly.

Jean sighed. She watched Lance tug playfully on Kitty’s ponytail and she muss his hair in return. “What am I supposed to do?” she asked. “Scott’s so shy, he’ll never make a move.”

“So _you_ make one,” Todd told her. He grinned. “Take me, for instance. I’ve found my true love, and I’ll be damned if I don’t plan on going all out to get him.”

“Him?” Jean repeated in surprise. “Who is it?”

“Longshot,” he answered. “Unfortunately, he’s already involved. For now.”

“Yes, with Wanda,” Jean said. “What if he really is in love with her?”

“Then I’ve already lost,” Todd told her. “But I don’t think that’s the case. You heard Magneto, Longshot is a total innocent. And he hasn’t dated anyone but Wanda since he got here. How’s he supposed to know about love that way? Anyhow, I’m not gonna let that relationship stop me – I want him to at least give me a chance before he chooses Wanda for good.”

Jean looked thoughtful. “He’s probably always going to retain some degree of that innocence, Todd. He may never fully understand relationships the way we do.”

“No, he’ll understand them the way they _should_ be, without game-playing or secrets – he’s totally _open_, Jean! It’s such a rare thing, and I’m sure Wanda doesn’t appreciate it like she should.”

“Well, I wouldn’t be sure about that, but if you really think you’re in love with him, you should go for it.”

“I will, believe me,” Todd said firmly. “Just like you should.”

“What?”

“With Scott, yo!” Todd told her, rolling his eyes. “Isn’t that what we were talking about?”

“You think I shouldn’t wait for him?” she said.

“You do, and you might be waiting forever,” Todd said frankly.

Good point, Jean mused privately.

*

Professor Xavier put down his cup of coffee and regarded Magnus curiously. “All right,” he said, “tell me what happened.”

His friend looked over to where Longshot and Wanda were leaving the mall food court. They had eaten with the adults and were now allowed to wander around while the two men talked.

“Longshot is mine now,” Magnus said. “That’s all you need to know.”

“Magnus …,” the Professor said in a warning tone. “You should know better than to hedge with me.”

Magnus sighed and gave him a resigned smile. “I’m just trying to spare you details that you would rather not hear, old friend.”

“I asked for them. You are absolved from blame for what I hear as a result.”

“Very well,” Magnus said. “The producer is in the hospital, but because I knew how squeamish you could be about these things, he will live. He will not, however, molest another child. You might say he is no longer physically capable.”

“And the manager?” the Professor asked calmly.

“We had a brief discussion. He wanted Longshot back, but not more than he wanted to live.” Magnus sipped his coffee. “And while I was at it, I got him to admit that he was _not_ Longshot’s creator and therefore has no rights to him anyway.”

“So you will be handling the boy’s career from now on?”

“I never planned to get involved with show business, but he enjoys it and is good at it, so I see no harm.”

“If it becomes a problem, Magnus, Longshot is welcome at the Institute.”

“I knew you would say that, but it’s all right, Charles. I love him, and I’m going to keep him with me for as long as he wants to remain. Perhaps with him I can succeed where I failed with my own children.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve given up on Wanda already? You still have her with you, after all.”

“Given up, no,” Magnus admitted. “But she still has a lot of resentment to work through. Longshot makes it very easy – he’s an open book, a clean slate. If you love him, he loves you back, no second-guessing involved.”

“That’s true for most children,” the Professor pointed out. “If you love them, they’ll love you back.”

“Perhaps. However, I did not learn that with my own until it was too late, and now I’ll have to earn back their respect before we can even begin to think about love.”

“Pietro is very happy right now,” the Professor said. “His frame of mind is such that he may forgive you more easily and be willing to spend some time with you.”

“I still can’t believe what you told me about his relationship with that boy and girl,” Magnus said, shaking his head. “It’s about the last thing I would have suspected.”

“Don’t feel badly – I didn’t know either, and I’m supposed to be the world’s most powerful telepath,” the Professor chuckled.

“You’re allowing the relationship to stand?”

“There’s not much we can do to prevent it. Logan _did_ punish Remy for lying to him when he asked about his involvement directly, but he knows he can’t stop them from seeing each other when all three live in the same house.”

Magnus looked curious. “How did he punish the boy?”

“He spanked him,” the Professor said. “He was warned ahead of time that’s what would happen if he lied again. We have to be consistent.”

“Hmm,” Magnus said thoughtfully. “Has Pietro been spanked since he’s been there?”

“Once,” the Professor admitted, trying not to smile, “but that case was a little out of the ordinary.”

“Where Pietro is concerned, I’m not surprised.” Magnus looked at his friend. “Do you think that works? I haven’t spanked the twins since they were very young.”

“It doesn’t stop them from making mistakes, but they never do the same thing twice that they’ve already been spanked for,” the Professor told him. “At least not so far. Scott and Lance were punished by Hank for fistfighting – it was their second fight in recent days, but they weren’t spanked the first time. I’m hoping he got through to them. As the two eldest and the leaders of their groups, they need to be examples, in more ways than one.”

“I’ll be honest with you, Charles,” Magnus said. “I’m having a lot of trouble with Wanda and her attitude. I love her and I want her respect, but I can’t believe she’ll ever give it if I don’t take a stand and stop her from acting the way she has with me.”

“And yet, you’re afraid of making her hate you by punishing her.”

“She already _does_ hate me.”

“No,” the Professor shook his head, “she does not. She and her brother are not so very different, Magnus. Both of them need love and boundaries desperately. All children do. And in Wanda’s case, although she’s angry about your putting her in the asylum, now that the two of you are reunited, I’m sure she wants to be your daughter again. She’s just testing you.”

Magnus nodded slowly. “Thank you, Charles. I think I know what I need to do now.” He gave him a wry smile. “Let’s just hope I survive it.”



part 86

“All right, listen up, everybody!” Wolverine called out to all the kids in the Danger Room. “For this exercise, you’re all going to run through the course one after another and you _will_ be on a time limit.” He looked around at them all. “Also, we’re going to have two more people to check out.” He nodded toward the entrance. Wanda and Longshot walked in wearing their own trademark uniforms. Wanda’s long coat resembled a cloak as it billowed around her.

“You’ve all met Longshot and Scarlet Witch,” Wolverine said. “Now we’re going to see what they can do.”

*

Up in the control room, Mystique opened the door to let Magneto in with the other adults to watch the session. He was in costume as well, but without his psi helmet.

“I’m interested in seeing what happens, Magneto,” Professor Xavier told him. “They could be valuable members of the team if they wish to join.”
“I’m afraid Scarlet Witch isn’t much of a joiner,” Magneto said. “But stranger things have happened. Just don’t get your hopes up.”

The Professor glanced up at him. “Any progress on the other matter we discussed at the mall?”

“Fortunately, there hasn’t been any cause to put it into practice. She’s been too concerned with Longshot’s adjustment to give me much grief.”

“Much?” Mystique looked at him. “If she gives you _any_, that’s your cause.”

“She’s right,” Beast agreed. “Consistency is the key.”

“They know what they’re talking about,” the Professor said.

“Yes, I’m sure you _all_ do,” Magneto sighed. “Wanda hasn’t been that bad lately, really. But she _does_ still speak disrespectfully to me.”

“Then stop her,” Mystique told him. “It might only take once. I didn’t even put up with that from the boys when I was still at the Brotherhood house!”

Magneto nodded thoughtfully.

“They’re ready to begin,” the Professor said, turning back to the window that looked out over the Danger Room.

*

Wolverine finished explaining the course to Scarlet Witch and Longshot while the others waited. Quicksilver watched cautiously, unsure how his twin was going to perform here or if she would even make an effort at all. Toad had his eyes fixed on Longshot, admiring the lines of his lanky frame in the tight black leather he wore.

“So have you got it?” Wolverine asked them.

“Yeah,” Scarlet Witch replied, sounding bored.

“Me too!” Longshot piped up. “It sounds like fun!”

Wolverine tried not to smirk. “Yeah, well, for some of us it can be, but it’s still not an easy run, so don’t get too cocky.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound that way,” Longshot said softly.

“You didn’t,” Scarlet Witch assured him and gave Wolverine a dirty look, which he ignored.

“Okay, get to the back of the line – I want you two to watch the others first. We’re about to start.”

The young mutants formed a line with Cyclops taking the lead. As soon as the start buzzer sounded, he was running. The others watched him fire at the lasers and avoid the obstacles.

“He makes it look easy,” Scarlet Witch remarked to Longshot.

“You’ll have no problem – we’re allowed to use our powers,” he told her.

Toad, who had made sure to position himself directly in front of Longshot, looked over his shoulder at him. “You worried, Longshot?”

“No, it looks like fun,” Longshot said, then covered his mouth. “Oops … I guess I’m not supposed to say so.”

“Why not, if that’s how you feel?” Toad asked.

“Well, you heard Wolverine,” Longshot said. “He didn’t like it when I said it before.”

“He’ll be happy if you do well, though,” Toad assured him.

“Really?” Longshot said with a smile. “Then I’ll be sure to do well so he’ll be happy.”

Longshot and Scarlet Witch watched everyone go through the course. Each of the others had their own unique methods of navigating the course, and not all made it through unscathed, but they _did_ make it within the time allotted.

Toad poised for his turn, giving Longshot a grin. “Time to go, yo!” He hopped off into the course, using his slime to coat the lasers while he sprang over the obstacles.

“He’s very agile, isn’t he?” Longshot said to Scarlet Witch.

“I guess,” she said. “Nightcrawler was better.”

“Except he could only avoid the lasers – Toad put them out of commission.” He watched a wall spring up from the floor just as Toad was trying to
go past. He wound up splatting flat against it.

Scarlet Witch snorted. “Now _that_ was toad-like.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Longshot said, looking concerned. “I hope he’s not hurt.”

Wolverine paused the program to clear Toad’s inert form off the course. “He’s okay, keep going!” he called back to Longshot and Scarlet Witch.

Longshot noticed the lasers had been rotated and the slimed ones had been replaced. He faced the course and his left eye flashed gold just before he ran out onto it.

The first laser exploded before Longshot had taken two strides – one of his throwing knives had hit the mark. Wolverine, a groggy Toad, and the others who had already run the course watched the pretty blonde boy flip, somersault, and dodge his way through the obstacles with as much grace as if he were a figure skater on ice. Every laser met with the same fate as the first, only half the time, Longshot didn’t even seem to be watching where he was aiming.

“That’s amazing,” Cyclops murmured. Wolverine folded his arms and said nothing, but kept his eyes on Longshot right up until he finished the course well within the time limit.

The lasers rotated again and the program reset for Scarlet Witch. Quicksilver shared a glance with Rogue and Gambit, then focused on his sister.

She stepped out onto the course calmly and the lasers trained immediately on her. Forming her fingers into a distinct pattern, she flicked them in the general direction of the first one. It melted completely. The first obstacle snapped up in her path. It exploded, leaving the path clear.

Wolverine raised an eyebrow. He looked up toward the control room and caught Mystique’s eye – she gave him a surprised look in return.

Toad stared as Scarlet Witch annihilated all dangers along the course without so much as flinching when new ones appeared. The further she walked, the more destruction was left in her path until even the very walls of the Danger Room began to shimmer as weaknesses were made known.

Scarlet Witch didn’t make the time limit – the buzzer went off before she reached the other end of the course. But then, she hadn’t made a move to hurry or pick up her pace. She’d walked through the entire thing.

Wolverine found his voice. “Why didn’t you at least make an _effort_ to stay within time?!” he demanded of her.

She looked at him icily. “I obliterated your course. What else matters?”

The Professor’s voice came through the intercom, “That’s it for this morning, students. You’re dismissed.”

The group headed for the exit. Wolverine gave Scarlet Witch a glare that was met with a smirk just before she followed the others. The burly X-Man went up to the control room and stalked in.

“That girl needs an attitude adjustment,” he said. “She’s worse than the Brotherhood boys were when they first arrived!”

“My apologies,” Magneto told him. Wolverine looked up at him steadily.

“Don’t apologize. Discipline her. Soon. Or _I_ will, if she comes to another session with that attitude.”

“Her power is incredible,” the Professor remarked. “As were Longshot’s abilities.”

“Yeah,” Wolverine agreed grudgingly. “Damned if that lucky kid didn’t have fun on the course after all.”

“If you want to, you may offer them a place on the team,” the Professor told his old friend. “They’re welcome here – as are you.”

Magneto raised an eyebrow. “What are you saying, Charles?”

“I’m saying that we can always use new instructors, Magnus,” Professor Xavier replied. “You’ve led teams before, and I think the students could benefit from your teaching. I’m offering you a place here at the Institute.”


part 87

Logan gave Mystique a sideways glance as they headed down to the kitchen. “Are you all right, Raven?”

“Oh sure, I’m fine,” she said. “Just preoccupied.”

“Chuck’s offer to Magnus surprised you, huh?”

She looked at him. “Didn’t it surprise _you_?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I wasn’t expecting it so soon. I sorta figured it was coming, though.” He grinned at her. “So long as he doesn’t invite Sabretooth to teach here, I can deal with the rest of it.”

“Well, you’ve got your nemesis and I’ve got mine, but mine might be moving in with us,” Mystique groused. She took a seat at the kitchen table and put her chin in her hands.

“You look like you need a beer, darlin’,” Logan remarked and opened the fridge.

“That’s a good idea. Maybe I can get drunk enough for the both of us, since you can’t,” Mystique joked. She could hear Logan pushing things around inside the fridge.

“Just don’t let the kids see you, and you can go right ahead.” Logan paused, then said, “My beer’s gone.”

“What do you mean it’s gone?” Mystique looked over her shoulder at him. “You told me you put a six-pack in there last night.”

“I did, and it’s gone. See for yourself!”

The blue woman stood up and looked into the refrigerator. Sure enough, there was no sign of any beer.

“Well, that’s … weird,” she said.

“It wasn’t Chuck or Hank, we know that,” Logan said grimly, shutting the fridge door. “And that means it was someone too young to be drinking.”

*

Longshot looked at Magnus as they walked into their house – the man had seemed to have his mind elsewhere on the drive home and he was concerned. “Are you all right, Magnus?” he asked finally.

“Hmm?” The older man turned to the blonde youngster. “I’m sorry, Longshot, I was thinking about something.” He ruffled the boy’s hair.

“I sort of figured that,” Longshot said with a knowing smile. “You and Wanda didn’t fight in the car on the way home.”

“Are we that bad?” Magnus asked, then chuckled sadly. “I suppose we are.” He glanced back at his daughter as she came in behind them. “Would you two please come with me to the living room – I have something to discuss with you.”

The pair exchanged a puzzled glance but followed him. They sat on the couch together while Magnus took the easy chair, even though his stiff posture belied the name.

“I have a very serious decision to make,” he said to them. “Charles has invited the three of us to move into the mansion, and offered me a job as an instructor. The question is – should we do it?”

“Yes!” Longshot said eagerly just as Wanda declared, “No!” emphatically. They stared at each other in surprise.

Magnus sighed.

“I _don’t_ want to live with those geeks OR Pietro!” Wanda said angrily.

“But he’s your brother, Wanda!” Longshot argued. “And the others are very nice! Plus wouldn’t it be fun to train in the Danger Room on a daily basis?”

“NO!”

“Well, I think it would,” Longshot said with a shrug and gave her a sideways look. “And what’s more, I think it would be good for you to be with Pietro _and_ other kids. The only time you ever see people our age is when we go to the club, and then you don’t talk to anyone but me.”

“What makes you think I’d behave any differently THERE?” Wanda challenged. “The answer is NO, Longshot!”

“Actually,” Magnus said, “the answer is yes, Wanda.”

She stared at him. “You’d already decided?! Why’d you even bother ASKING us?!”

“I knew which way I was leaning, but I wanted to hear your opinions.”

“And mine doesn’t matter, obviously.” Wanda folded her arms and pouted. “That figures.”

Magnus put a hand on her leg. “That’s not true, Wanda,” he said seriously. “It’s because of your reaction that I think this is the best thing to do. Longshot is right – you’ve become terribly antisocial.”

She looked at him incredulously. “Living in an asylum will do that to you.”

“Yes, and I’m sorry about that,” Magnus said. “But you’ve been out of the asylum for a few months now – it’s time to start being part of society.” He gave her leg a pat. “And I think joining Charles’ team will be the best thing for all of us.”

“You want to know what _I_ think?” Wanda said, leaning forward to meet his eyes. “I think you have the hots for the bald guy in the wheelchair and the rest of us will have to suffer because of it!”

Magnus’ jaw dropped. He made a visible effort to get himself under control before speaking in a very controlled tone of voice.

“Young lady,” he began, “my feelings for Charles, one way or the other, are none of your business. It’s true that at one time, we were more than just friends, but that was a very long time ago. Right now, my concern is for you and Longshot. Both of you need to be amongst children your own age, and you’ll have that at the Institute. Not to mention that _I_ need adult conversation myself. Even better, they have the facilities for skills training and practice that you need. Logan was right, Wanda – simply destroying the course isn’t enough. You’ll learn why there.”

“So we’re going?” Longshot said happily.

“Yes,” replied Magnus with a firm nod.

“I wonder if there’s still room for me back at the asylum,” Wanda muttered. “At least there are _some_ sane people there.”



part 88

Jean walked up to Scott’s door and lifted her fist to knock. Then lowered it. She raised it again. Then lowered it. She started to turn away, then stopped and gave herself a mental kick.

“This is getting me nowhere fast,” she muttered. With an expression of determination on her pretty face, she turned back to face the door and walked up to it briskly, knocking before she could change her mind again.

“Just a second!” Scott’s voice came from inside. Jean waited uneasily, looking up and down the hall as if someone seeing her at Scott’s bedroom door would somehow lead to accusations.

The door opened and she looked toward it, gasping audibly. Scott wasn’t wearing a shirt. Behind him on the floor were a couple of weights. She hadn’t known that he worked out on his own like that.

“Jean!” he said in surprise, glancing down quickly at his naked chest and blushing. “Uh, sorry about this.” He hastened to pull on a shirt and she walked in slowly, pushing the door over behind her.

“No problem, I’m the one who interrupted you,” she said. “I could come back ….”

“No, that’s okay, I’m pretty much done anyway.” He looked at her curiously. “What’s up?”

“Nothing,” she said, then shook her head. “Well, no, not nothing. That is I came for a reason ….”

“What is it?” he asked.

“Well ….” Jean ran a hand through her long hair in a nervous gesture.

“Jean,” Scott said gently and walked up to her. He touched her shoulder and gave her the friendly, boyish smile that always made her smile in return. “This is _me_, remember? You can tell me anything.”

“Yes,” she said. Get a grip, she told herself sternly. Todd was right – she had to be the one to say something and say it now, before she lost her nerve completely. “Scott, I just wanted to tell you – “

A firm knock on the partially-open door made her jump and both she and Scott looked toward a grim-faced Logan. He sniffed the air a couple of times, then eyed the two of them suspiciously before starting to leave. He paused for a moment to deliberately push the door open all the way before heading off down the hall.

Now both teenagers were blushing. Logan’s action of opening the door wide like that spoke volumes, and Jean knew she couldn’t say anything now. The timing was all wrong.

“Listen, Scott – we’ll talk later, okay?” she said, barely glancing at him as she hurried out of the room.

Scott watched her go in dismay. He had the feeling Logan had just ruined what was about to be something very important. He kicked one of his weights in frustration, then hopped around on one foot, muttering under his breath.

*

“I’m serious, Freddy! Longshot was amazing in the session!” Todd said excitedly into the phone receiver. “He flips his body around as easily as Kurt and me, and hits the mark with those knives of his every time – “

A knock came at the door. “Just a second,” Todd said into the phone quickly, then covered the mouthpiece. “Yeah, who is it?!”

Mystique opened the door. “It’s me,” she said, following the phone cord that extended under the door from the hall. “You should use this at the phone seat, Todd, someone could trip over it otherwise. Who are you talking to, anyway?”

“Longshot,” Todd said promptly.

“Oh?” she said. “Did he say anything about Magnus’ decision?”

Todd looked puzzled. “Decision about what?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Mystique said hastily, then glanced around the room like she was looking for something. “All right,” she said slowly, sounding distracted. “Anyway, either finish up your call or move outside before someone kills themselves on this cord.”

“Will do!” Todd waited until she left, then breathed a sigh of relief. “Sorry, Freddy, that was Mystique,” he said. “Thank goodness it wasn’t the Professor – you can’t lie to him without getting caught.” He got up from the bed and headed out into the hall with the phone. “She acted kind of funny, and she said something weird about Magneto, too. Something fishy is goin’ on, yo. Anyway, enough about this place – tell me what’s new with _you_ …?”

*

Logan stepped outside the back door and was met with a face full of cold water.

Rogue gasped and lowered the hose. “Oh, Ah’m sorry, Daddy! I was aiming for Pietro!”

The white-haired boy, who had slipped behind Logan the moment he came out, made a face at her. “You missed!” he taunted.

“Well, it’s no fair trying to hit you!” she complained. “Ya move too fast!”

Logan wiped off his face and looked around. Remy was paddling around languidly in the swimming pool, and both Rogue and Pietro were dripping wet and dressed for swimming as well. The smell of chlorine was strong to his sensitive nose, but not so strong that it would override any scent of alcohol on the three children. There was none.

“Did you want something, Logan?” Pietro asked curiously.

He ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately. “Nah, go back to what you were doing.”

Pietro zipped out of the way and Logan was once again hit in the face with water.

“SORRY, Daddy!” Rogue cried. “He did it again!”

“Just hold your fire until I get back in the house,” Logan told her with a reassuring smile and went inside. He was cold, wet, and no further ahead in finding the beer-stealing culprits.

“Logan?” Mystique said as she approached, then stopped and covered a smile with her hand. “Um, were you caught in a sudden shower?”

“Sort of,” he said, shaking his head violently to rid himself of water droplets. Mystique squealed as they landed all over her.

“Heh,” Logan said with satisfaction.

“Beast!” she accused jokingly, smacking him on the arm.

“That’s Hank, I’m Wolverine, remember?” He pulled her into his embrace.

“Oh Logan, you’re wet!” she complained, but didn’t try to get away.

“So? Now we both are.” He kissed her and she leaned into it.

“Mmm, that was nice,” she murmured, then met his eyes. “Did you learn anything?”

“No,” he grumbled, releasing her. “Scott, Jean, and the Love Triangle out there are all clean.”

“So is Todd,” Mystique said. “Kurt isn’t here – I gave him permission earlier to go out with Duncan to the Mutation club. I can’t find Lance and Kitty – did they tell you they were going out?”

“No.” Logan sniffed the air. “They’re not in the house, though. Maybe one of the other two gave them permission.”

“We’d better check on that,” Mystique remarked, then sighed. “So right now we’re no further ahead.”

“It could still be any one of them, Mysti,” Logan told her. “Just ‘cause the beer is gone now, doesn’t mean the one who took it drank it right away. They might have hidden it for later.”

“So why doesn’t that fantastic nose of yours smell beer in a can, huh?” she teased. “We could have tracked it down by now!”

He slung an arm around her shoulders. “Too bad old Mags isn’t already here, huh? He could find those metal cans no problem. Come on – let’s go talk to Hank and Chuck about this and see what they think.”


part 89

Professor Xavier listened closely while Logan and Mystique explained the situation of the missing beer and their search so far. He and Hank exchanged a look when they were finished.

"I don't know anything about the beer, I'm afraid," the Professor said. "Nor was I approached by Kitty or Lance about going out. Hank?"

"I'm sorry, I won't be any help, either," Hank admitted. "But I guess it could still be any of them - like Logan said, the guilty one may have it hidden."

"Or Kitty and Lance took it with them," Mystique said grimly. "Even Kurt could have taken it before he left."

"Whoever did it, we _must_ find out," the Professor said firmly. "We cannot allow stealing and drinking."

"I want my beer back," Logan said petulantly.

"It might already be gone, Logan," Hank said reasonably.

"Then they'll buy me more."

"Minors can't buy beer."

"Then they'll just pay for it." Logan cracked his knuckles. "Monetarily _and_ physically."

The phone rang. "It's Magnus," the Professor said and picked up the receiver. "Hello, Magnus ... yes ... well, that's fine ... all right ... goodbye." He hung up and looked at the others. "Magnus has accepted my offer. So now we have more than one reason to call the children together."



Pietro sat between Remy and Rogue on the sofa and tried to read the faces of the four adults. "What do you think this is all about?"

"I'm sure I do not know, chere," Remy said. He frowned in concentration as he too tried to guess what was going on in the adults' minds. He was more practiced at reading people than Pietro, but all he could tell was that they were very upset about something.

"Someone is in trouble," he remarked.

Scott heard Remy and glanced at Jean. She shrugged as if she didn't know what was going on. Todd shifted uneasily in his seat and wondered if the phone bill had come in.

"Where are the others?" Rogue asked.

"Kitty, Lance, and Kurt are all out," Mystique answered and turned to the Professor. "The rest are all here now."

"Good," he said. "Logan, why don't you tell the children what this is all about."

"Be glad to." Logan walked over to stand in front of the kids, folding his muscular arms. "This morning I had a six-pack of beer in the fridge. Now it's gone."

"Shame on you, Logan," Remy drawled with a mischievous smile. "Six beer in one day? And while on de job, too."

"Not me, Cajun," Logan said grimly. "Not any of the adults."

"Uh oh," Scott said, turning to face the other kids, who were all looking at each other.

"Do any of you have anything to say?" Mystique asked.

The kids looked blank.

"Charles," said Hank, "perhaps if you ask individually?"

The Professor nodded. He would be able to tell the truth that way. "All right," he said, and looked at the X-Men leader. "Scott, do you know what happened to Logan's beer?"

"No, sir, I don't," Scott said.

The Professor faced the redhaired girl beside Scott. "Jean?"

"No, Professor," she answered.

"Remy?" he eyed the Cajun next.

"Non, monsieur, I do not."

"Wasn't me, either," Pietro said quickly. "What good would beer do me? It would run through my system before I had a chance to get drunk!"

"All right," Professor Xavier said and looked at the Southern girl. "Rogue?"

She gave a short laugh. "I ain't stupid enough to take Daddy's beer, ya kiddin' me?"

"Smart girl." Logan nodded.

"Todd, how about you?" the Professor asked.

"Sorry," the green-skinned boy replied. "I don't know a thing about it, yo."

"Thank you, children." The Professor nodded. "They're all telling the truth," he said to the adults.

"So that means it's either Kurt, Lance, or Kitty," Mystique said.

"Here's another thought," Hank said. "Wanda and Longshot were also in this house today."

"No way, it wasn't Longshot!" Todd protested. "He probably doesn't even know what beer is!"

"Maybe," the Professor said thoughtfully, "but we can't discount either of them as possibilities." He took a deep breath. "And now that you've mentioned them, that brings us to our other reason for bringing you here. Today I offered Magnus a position as instructor here at the Institute, and he has accepted. He, Longshot, and Wanda will be moving in tomorrow."

Mystique and Logan watched Pietro carefully for his reaction. He looked stunned at first, then glanced toward them. "You guys are okay with this?" he asked.

"As long as you are, Hummingbird," Logan said.

"I don't know," he admitted. "I still don't trust Father, and Wanda doesn't trust _me_ ...."

"It's going to be an adjustment for all of us, Pietro," the Professor told him. "Magnus realizes that most of you have only known him as an enemy in the past, and that you and he in particular have some issues to work through. He's not trying to cause you any pain or problems and he doesn't want to interfere in your relationship with Logan and Mystique."

"In that case, I guess it'll be okay," Pietro said. "I'll try to be open-minded."

Rogue squeezed his hand reassuringly and Remy gave him a brief one-armed hug.

"What about _you_, Mystique?" Scott asked pointedly. "Don't you and Magneto still have issues yourselves?"

"We do," she said. "But like Pietro, I think we'll both try to be open-minded." She smiled a little. "You all gave me a chance when I came here - I owe Magnus the same courtesy. Hopefully we can all put the past behind us."

"One last thing, children," the Professor said. "Do any of you know where Lance and Kitty are? They left without permission so we are unaware as to their whereabouts."

The kids all shook their heads. "Dunno where they are," Todd said. "But I'll bet they're together!"

"Which only worries us more," Logan grumbled.



part 90

Kitty laughed as Lance chased her up onto the beach. The two of them had been swimming again, only this time they had the foresight to wear bathing suits under their clothes. He caught up to her just as they reached the blanket they’d laid out on the beach and both collapsed onto it, giggling.

“I love this place more every time we come here,” Kitty said , pushing back her loose wet hair.

“Me too,” Lance agreed and touched her cheek. “I especially love being here with you.”

He leaned over and kissed her and she returned it. Their kisses lasted a lot longer now than the hesitant ones they began with, and they felt comfortable enough to embrace each other closely during it.

After several long, sweet kisses, Kitty sat back and smiled at Lance. He was so handsome, even with his long hair wet and plastered to his face. She decided she couldn’t wait any longer to surprise him.

“I’ve got something for you.” She winked. “Close your eyes.”

Grinning, Lance obeyed. Kitty jumped up and ran to the jeep. When she returned, Lance felt her press something cold and hard into his hand. “Okay!” she said.

He looked down at his hand and his eyes widened. “Kitty, this is beer!” he exclaimed.

“I know.” She beamed, then hesitated. “You’ve had it before … right?”

“American beer, yes.” Lance held up the can and studied it. “Imported Molson’s, no. Am I wrong or is this Logan’s?”

“You’re not wrong,” she said, pouting slightly. “I thought you’d like it. You don’t?”

“Oh, I probably would, since Logan is always saying Canadian beer makes ours taste like weasel piiii … uh, anyway, that’s not the point. He’s bound to notice it gone and then he’ll be on the warpath.”

Kitty grinned. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of Logan!”

“Of course not!” Lance retorted, then grinned. “I’m afraid of Mystique.”

Kitty laughed, then held up a can of her own. “I’m willing to risk it if you are.”

Lance stopped grinning. He hadn’t seen the other can. “Kitty, you’re just a kid.”

“And you’re not?” she asked.

“I didn’t say that, but I’m an _older_ kid,” Lance reasoned. “You’re too young to drink.”

“It’s only one can each – what can that hurt?” She started to open hers, but he put a hand over it to stop her. “Lance!”

“It can hurt a lot, Kitty,” he said softly. “I have to drive you home – I don’t want to have an accident that could end up with you being dead or crippled. And I _don’t_ want to see you get punished by Logan.” He took both cans and put them aside. “Maybe we can sneak these back into the fridge.”

Kitty stared at him. “You’re serious, you don’t want it?”

“Sure I want it, but not at the expense of your life,” Lance said firmly.

Kitty held his gaze for a long moment, then smiled and shook her head. “You’re not at all what they think you are, are you, Lance Alvers?”

“Hey, don’t ruin my rep.” He chuckled and put an arm around her. “If it was just me involved, sure, I’d take the beer. But I’ve been protecting you all along, Kitty
-- I’m not gonna start risking your life now.”


“I’m sorry,” she sighed. “And here I thought I was surprising you.”

“Oh, you did that all right!” He laughed. “I’ll bet Logan is even more surprised. Did you take the _last_ of his beer?”

“Oh no,” she assured him. “I left four more cans. He might not even notice.”

--

Kurt brushed his long dark hair from his eyes and smiled over at Duncan, who returned it. He loved riding in Duncan’s convertible, and now that they’d eaten, they were heading to Mutations to dance the evening away. Kurt couldn’t imagine anything better. Once he was inside the club, he wouldn’t even have to keep his inducer turned on if he didn’t want to. It was a nice feeling.

Almost as nice as when they stopped for a red light and Duncan leaned over to kiss him. Kurt leaned into it, his heart beating a little faster. God, Duncan was a great kisser ….

As the light changed, Duncan turned back to the road and Kurt remembered something. “Guess what?” he said excitedly. “I brought you something!” He dug into the pack he’d brought and held up a can of beer. “Ta-dah!”

Duncan looked over and he gasped, “Geez, Kurt!” He pushed the other boy’s hand down toward the seat. “Don’t wave that around like that! It’s illegal to have booze in the car and we’re both minors!”

“Sorry,” Kurt apologized, tucking it back into the pack.

“Where’d you get that, anyway?”

“I took it from our fridge,” Kurt admitted. “It’s Canadian beer – my father gets it specially.”

“You gonna survive it being missing?” Duncan asked with a smile.

“Only if he doesn’t catch me.” Kurt grinned.

“Well, keep it hidden until we get inside the club,” Duncan advised. “Speaking of which, are you sure they’ll let me in?”

“I hope so,” Kurt admitted. “But there’s a chance they won’t.”

“If they don’t, we can go somewhere else.” Duncan smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry.”

Kurt smiled back. Duncan was always concerned with his feelings, and he knew that Kurt would be more upset about his being denied entrance to Mutations if it happened.

After they parked near the club, they approached the bouncer at the door nervously. That is, Kurt was nervous. He noticed Duncan didn’t seem to be, but then if there was one thing the football captain never lacked it was confidence. Kurt took a deep breath and tried to borrow some of that courage as he faced the man with a smile. “May we go in?” he asked.

The man gave them both a once-over. “You can. Not him,” he said, nodding toward Duncan.

“It’s all right,” Kurt assured him. “He may be human, but he knows about mutants. He’s my boyfriend.”

Duncan put an arm around Kurt’s shoulders. The bouncer studied him thoughtfully for a few moments, then nodded.

“Okay, go in,” he said.

“Danke!” Kurt said happily and pulled Duncan inside before the man could change his mind. As soon as he was out of sight of the street, he turned off his inducer.

Duncan grinned at him. He loved seeing Kurt in his natural form – he just thought it was sad that he had to hide it most of the time. “Come here, handsome,” he said, pulling Kurt closer. “Let’s dance, huh?”

Kurt nodded eagerly and they headed out onto the floor.

Over the next hour, Duncan found out why Kurt’s friends called him a party boy – he had limitless energy on the dance floor. He finally had to coax the young mutant to a table with the promise of food.

“How did you know I was hungry again?” Kurt asked as he sat down.

“You’re always hungry!” Duncan laughed, pushing the tray of nachos toward him.

“That’s because teleporting takes energy – I have to eat a lot to be able to do it effortlessly.” Kurt popped a nacho into his mouth.

“Plus you just love junk food,” Duncan teased.

“I do.” Kurt nodded. “But hey, the way I was raised, cut off from civilization for my own protection, I practically _had_ no junk food until I came to America.” He stuffed more chips into his mouth and brought out the two beer cans from his bag. “Here you go!” He passed one to Duncan.

“Thanks.” The older boy opened it and took a slug. “Mmm, that’s good stuff, Kurt.”

“Glad you like it.” Kurt had opened his own can and tilted it back to swallow some. He immediately began coughing.

“Hey, you okay?” Duncan rubbed his back, looking worried.

“Went down the wrong way,” Kurt explained, rapping on his chest with his fist.

“Have you ever had beer before?” Duncan asked him, taking another drink from his can.

“Ja, of course, I’m from Germany!” Kurt grinned. “All that’s missing is a genuine beer stein. Plus I’m half-Canadian on my father’s side – I’d _better_ know my beer!”

Duncan smiled in amusement. “And so how much experience _have_ you had?”

“Well, this is my third time,” Kurt admitted with a laugh. “And the first two I got punished for when my foster parents caught me.”

“Ha! Well, you’ve got to start somewhere, huh?” They tapped their cans together and drank.

“Okay, you two, out.”

Kurt and Duncan looked up at the bouncer who had screened them at the door. He was glaring at the cans they held.

“No alcohol allowed on the premises, strict rule. You’re outta here.”

“You don’t understand, my good man,” Kurt said in a calming tone as he smiled cajolingly. “I know Mr. Lensherr, the owner, and – “

“Mr. Lensherr said anyone caught bringing in alcohol gets the boot, and if they do it again, they’re banned for good. Now get out!”

Kurt felt humiliated as the bouncer escorted he and Duncan to the door. It felt like everyone in the place was watching.

“I’m sorry, Duncan.” Kurt sighed as they headed for the car.

“Don’t apologize, it’s not your fault,” Duncan assured him with a quick hug. “At least we can go back sometime.”

“We lost the beer, too,” Kurt lamented, looking back over his shoulder at the club before hopping over the door into the passenger seat.

Duncan got behind the wheel and glanced at him curiously. “Did you bring any more of it?”

Kurt shook his head. “I didn’t dare. I took two cans, and left two in the fridge. That way, he might not even notice.”

--

*sluuurrp*

Wanda leaned her head back to rest against her headboard. Her father and Longshot had both gone to bed, but she was wide awake. Maybe the beer she had stolen from the X-Men would help with that.

Her father was acting weirder all the time since the meeting with Xavier, and he was constantly on the phone to him now, too. She didn’t like it, and she didn’t like Xavier, or anyone else in that stupid mansion.

Especially her twin brother.

She took another swig and crushed the empty can, dropping it into the wastepaper basket beside her bed. Then she reached over and picked up the second can, popping the top.

A soft knock on the door was followed by Longshot peering in. “Hi Wanda, can I
come in?”

“I thought you’d gone to bed,” she said, swallowing some of the amber liquid.

“I did, but I was too excited to sleep.” He went over and sat down on the
edge of the bed. “What’s that?” he asked, looking at the can in her hand. “It smells funny.”

“It’s beer. Father told you about beer, right?”

“Yes,” Longshot said slowly, “he said we were too young to drink it.”

“That’s his story.” Wanda drank some more and held out the can to him. “Try it. It won’t hurt you.”

Longshot took the can hesitantly and sniffed it. “I don’t know, Wanda. If Magnus said not to ….”

“Don’t worry so much about what he says. He’s _my_ father, and I don’t even pay that much attention to his babbling.” She nodded at the can. “Go ahead, try it. It won’t kill you. All teenagers do it eventually.”

“Really?” Longshot asked. He wanted to be like normal kids. He took a swallow of the beer and made a face. “Ew, Wanda, it tastes terrible!”

“You get used to it,” she assured him. “Why don’t you take it with you? I already had one.”

“Okay,” he said doubtfully and headed out of the room, sipping it again and grimacing. Wanda stretched and turned out her light for bed, vaguely wondering who would get blamed when someone at the Institute discovered the last of their beer missing.



part 91

Mystique went out the front door and down to the driveway. She followed it over toward the garage, where Logan stood like a specter of Doom, guarding the open door, arms folded.

“Are you going to stand out here until they return?” she asked, putting her arms around him.

“They can only park the jeep here or in the driveway,” Logan said. “Either way I’ll see them.”

“What if Duncan stops outside the gate and Kurt teleports straight to his room?”

“Charles will know the moment he appears in the mansion,” Logan replied. “He said he’d tell me if Kurt got past me.”

“What if all our kids are innocent, Logan?” Mystique suggested. “Hank had a point – it could have been Wanda or Longshot.”

“If that’s the case, we’ll know after the others get back.” His expression softened a little as he looked at her and patted her arm. “Why don’t you go back inside? You’ll know as soon as they get back, believe me.”

“From the pleas for mercy?” Mystique half-joked. She kissed his cheek. “All right, I’ll go wait with Charles and Hank then. First I’ll make sure all the kids are occupied and not hanging around waiting to watch the fireworks.”

“Good idea,” Logan said and watched her go, then turned back to face the front gate at the end of the driveway.

*

Lance pulled up the jeep outside the Institute’s gate and leaned out the window to press his hand against the identification sensor. A computerized voice responded, “Identity confirmed. Welcome, Lance Alvers.”

The gates opened and he was about to drive through when he saw a shape standing outside the open garage door. “Kitty,” he said, peering through the darkness, “is that who I think it is by the garage?”

Kitty leaned forward and gasped. “Oh no, it’s Logan! You think he’s out there because we left without clearance or because of the missing beer?”

“Could be either or both,” Lance said grimly. “And with the beer in the jeep, we’re as good as dead.”

“But it’s not open!” Kitty said. “That has to mean something, right?”

“Sure, it means we took it to have later, that’s all. We’ll never convince him otherwise.” Lance looked thoughtful as he glanced into the back seat where the beer cans were.

“_We_ didn’t take it, I did,” Kitty said firmly. “It was my mistake, Lance. I’ll tell him the truth and at least you won’t get punished for the beer – “ she stopped abruptly at the sound of a pop top opening and spun around in horror to watch Lance swallowing beer from the can. “LANCE!” she cried. “What are you _doing_?!”

He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and poured some of the beer into his palm, wiping it all over the outside of the can. He grabbed the second can and wiped it as well. “Whatever you do, don’t touch them – your scent on them should be covered now,” he told her, tossing both onto the floor of the back seat. He started driving toward the garage.

Kitty was near tears. “What are you doing, Lance?! Why did you drink the beer?!”

“We’re both already in trouble for not asking permission to leave,” Lance said seriously. “I don’t want to see you punished doubly for taking the beer. So from now on, you didn’t know a thing about it, got it?”

“NO, that’s not right!” Kitty exclaimed. “You’ll get spanked for something that isn’t your fault!”

“But it’s the way I want it, Kitty,” Lance told her. He turned his head to look at her fondly. “I’d take anything for you, don’t you know that?”

Tears slipped down Kitty’s cheeks. “And what makes you think that I wouldn’t do the same for _you_?”

“If that’s true then you’ll keep quiet about your part in taking the beer,” Lance said. “It’s not going to surprise them any that I would do it – they expect that sort of thing from me. It’s different with you, and I don’t want your relationship with them to change. _Please_, Kitty!”

She searched his brown eyes and saw the plea in them. She hated the thought of letting him take all the blame – it wasn’t right, it wasn’t honest, and it wasn’t fair. But how could she say no to him when he was so vehement about it?

“O-Okay,” she said quietly.

Lance visibly relaxed. He smiled at her. “Good,” he said. “I’ll handle everything. I don’t know if I can keep them from punishing you for leaving the house with me, but I’ll try.”

“Lance …,” she said warningly, “I didn’t agree to _that_!”

“Just let me try, okay? Please?”

She sighed. Why did he have to look so cute and puppy-like when he said ‘please’? And without even trying!

Lance took her sigh for acceptance and turned his mind back to the situation at hand. He stopped the jeep in front of Logan.

*

Mystique sat down in the library with a sigh. “Logan has stationed himself outside in front of the garage,” she told Professor Xavier and Hank. “If I were a kid in trouble and saw him waiting there, I’d turn around and drive for the border as fast as I could go.”

Hank laughed. “It _would_ seem the safest course of action to take.”

“Lance and Kitty are home,” the Professor said.

The other two didn’t doubt him. “Well, that’s a relief, at least,” Hank said. “Those children have some questions to answer about sneaking out, even if they had nothing to do with the beer.”

“I don’t understand why they _did_ sneak out,” Mystique said. “Where were they going that they thought we wouldn’t approve?”

“Or it might simply be a case of forgetfulness,” the Professor suggested. “Lance still isn’t used to asking permission before going out, and in her excitement, Kitty may just have forgotten.”

“It makes no difference,” Mystique said. “They broke the rules. It wouldn’t be fair to the other children if we let them get away with it.” She sighed. “I just hope Lance didn’t have anything to do with the beer disappearing. Other than the fights with Scott, he’s been doing very well here.”

“Kurt’s home now,” the Professor stated.

*

Just outside the front gate of the Xavier Institute, a debate was taking place.

“I still think I should drive you to the door,” Duncan was saying, but Kurt shook his head firmly.

“Nein,” he said. “I can teleport into the bathroom and rid myself of any residual beer odour before my parents find out I’m there. If you bring me to the door, I’ll never make it that far.”

Duncan ran a hand through his blonde hair and looked frustrated. “This isn’t good, Kurt. You still might get caught, only I won’t be there to help you.”

Kurt grinned. “What do you think you could do? I’m the one who brought the beer to _you_, remember? No, meine liebe, if you go in with me, YOU might end up being punished. My parents aren’t all that discriminating. And this way, we should _both_ get away with it.” He leaned over and kissed Duncan. “Goodnight.”

Before the football captain could stop him, Kurt had disappeared in a cloud of sulphurous smoke.



part 92

*BAMF!*

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief that the boys’ bathroom was unoccupied. He brushed his teeth and used mouthwash, then took a quick shower. He stuffed his clothes into the laundry chute and wrapped a towel around his waist, then teleported into his bedroom.

“Hello, Kurt.”

“YAAAAH!” the German boy leapt straight into the air. He clung to the overhead lamp with one hand and his tail while the other hand kept his towel on. He stared down at Hank with a rapidly beating heart.

“I know it’s a fine evening to hang around,” Hank said in amusement, “but I would like you to come down here, please.”

Kurt jumped down to land in front of the powerful blue mutant. “You startled me, mein freund,” he said, trying to smile.

“Perhaps that wouldn’t be the case if you weren’t sneaking around.”

“I’m not sneaking,” Kurt said brightly. “I just decided to ‘port up instead of walking. But I guess I should have let someone know I was here.” He winked. “Wouldn’t want to be accused of missing curfew.”

“Oh, no worries there, you made it in plenty of time.” Hank walked up to Kurt and sniffed significantly. He made a face. “That’s strong mouthwash.”

“I had onions on my burger,” Kurt explained. “Is there anything else, Hank? I’d like to go to bed.”

The chemistry teacher looked like he wanted to say something else, but finally shook his head. “No, nothing else. Goodnight, Kurt.” He turned to leave.

Kurt breathed a sigh of relief and dug out his pajamas.

“Kurt?”

He looked over at Hank, who had paused in the doorway.

“Did they let Duncan into Mutations after all?”

“Oh, ja!” Kurt said happily. “There was no trouble with that once I vouched for him.”

“Good,” Hank said thoughtfully. “Goodnight.”

He left, closing the door behind him. Kurt flopped onto his bed and allowed his nerves to calm themselves. He was in the clear.

*

Logan had heard from Professor Xavier that Kurt was home, but was told not to worry because Hank would check on him.

In the meantime, he had Lance and Kitty to deal with.

“Hi Logan,” Kitty said nervously as she got out of the jeep. “Is something wrong?”

“Yeah, Half-Pint, something’s wrong and you know it.” He eyed her levelly. “You left without clearing it with anyone and no one knew where you’d gone. Where _did_ you go, anyway?”

“Out,” Lance replied as he approached. Logan smelled the beer before he’d even turned to face him.

“You’re in big trouble, bub,” he growled. “Where’s the rest of my beer?!”

“Both cans are in the back,” Lance replied. “I only opened one.”

Logan went to the jeep and reached into it. The open can had spilled beer all over the floor of the vehicle. The outside of the second, unopened can was slick with it. All Logan could smell everywhere was beer.

Including on Lance’s breath.

“Get inside, both of you,” he told them. His tone spurred Kitty into motion, and she grabbed Lance’s arm, pulling him with her.

Mystique was coming down the stairs when Logan and the kids came in. “Ah, they’re back,” she said. “And just where have you two been?”

Lance opened his mouth to respond and Logan shot him a dangerous look. “You say ‘out’ and I’ll bare your backside right here and now.”

Lance shut his mouth.

Mystique’s expression was grim. “I can smell the beer.”

“He’s got it all over him,” Logan said.

“And Kitty?” Mystique asked.

“Not a drop,” Logan replied. “Luckily for her.”

“Yeah,” Kitty muttered miserably. “Lucky.”

“You mean Lance downed a whole six-pack by himself?!” Mystique exclaimed.

“I only found two cans,” Logan held them. “One’s not open.”

“I only _took_ two!” Lance said. “Are the rest of them gone, too?”

“Never mind that!” Logan yelled angrily. “You went out without permission to who-knows-where, stole MY beer, drank it, and then drove home! What were you _thinking_, boy?!”

“He obviously wasn’t thinking at all,” Mystique said, her yellow eyes filled with disappointment as she looked at Lance. “I was so proud of you. You’d behaved so well except for those fights with Scott, and those were only half your fault. Now you’re sneaking around, stealing, drinking, and endangering your life and Kitty’s.” She shook her head. “I’m ashamed of you.”

Kitty could see Mystique’s words were getting to Lance. His eyes were shining with unshed tears as he listened to his foster mother scold him. He’d come to love Mystique as much as she did him – it just wasn’t right to let her think the worst of her new son.

“Lance,” Kitty started to plead.

“I’m okay,” he cut her off quickly.

“Not for long, you’re not,” Logan told him, taking hold of his arm. “Let’s go up to your room, Rocky.”

“You shouldn’t call him that, Logan,” Kitty said.

The burly X-Man looked at her strangely. She’d never objected to his nickname for Lance before -- why now, at a time like this? “So what _should_ I call him?”

Kitty met her boyfriend’s eyes and smiled, even though she felt like crying. “Lancelot,” she said softly.

Lance smiled back at her while Logan and Mystique exchanged puzzled looks. “Come on,” Logan said finally, and began taking Lance toward the stairs.

“You, too, young lady,” Mystique crooked a finger at Kitty. “We have a little matter of sneaking out to discuss in your room.”

Kitty gulped. She’d never dealt one-on-one with the blue-skinned woman before and still found her a little intimidating. But any worry for herself was nothing compared to her fear over what would happen to Lance.



part 93

Hank entered the library and sat down. “And what was the verdict with Kurt?” the Professor asked.

“Clean,” the chemistry teacher replied. “At least it would appear so.”

Professor Xavier raised his eyebrows. “You have doubts?”

“Perhaps I have a suspicious nature,” Hank said. “It’s not so unusual for a boy who can teleport to go straight upstairs instead of coming in the front door. Or for him to shower, use mouthwash, and dispose of his clothes before bed. But it _is_ odd for him to do it all at once – isn’t it?”

“It could be,” the Professor said thoughtfully. “Especially as Logan just informed me that only two of the beer cans are accounted for with Lance and Kitty.”

“Then there are still four missing,” Hank said. “I wonder if Magnus was at Mutations tonight – he might have noticed anything unusual, as Kurt and Duncan were there.”

“We can call Magnus in the morning,” the Professor said. “We’ll have to talk to him, anyway, now that we know our children may not solely be responsible for the missing beer.”

*

Logan let Lance enter the bedroom ahead of him and shut the door. “Are you sure there isn’t anything you want to tell me before we do this, kid?”

Lance shrugged. “You already know everything.”

“No, I don’t,” Logan said frankly. “I don’t know why you and the Half-Pint sneaked out of the house, or where you went. Care to enlighten me about either of those?”

“Not really,” Lance said.

“I’d also like to know why she has suddenly decided that you’re her ‘Lancelot’.” Logan’s dark eyes searched Lance’s face. “Makes me think you might be protecting her or something.”

Lance looked at him impatiently. “You came in here to punish me, right? Can we just get it over with?”

Logan held his gaze for a long moment. “Suit yourself,” he said. “Just know one thing, Lance – you’re not doing either of you any favours.” He alked over to the bed and sat on the edge, looking up at the tall boy seriously. “I don’t usually use a belt on you kids. Hand-spanking with ten good swats is generally enough to get our messages across in most cases. But this is different. This is multiple offenses, one of which could have gotten you and Kitty killed. So you’ve got a choice. Ten with the belt or twenty with my hand, both on your bare backside.”

Lance swallowed. He had too many bad memories of belt-spankings from the other foster homes to ever ask for that. But twenty swats from an adamantium-laced hand? He remembered how Kurt had sobbed from just ten, and he didn’t even think he’d been naked for that. Getting ten from Hank had hurt enough, but the pain wasn’t so much as the humiliation. This way he’d be sure to have plenty of both.

“That’s some choice,” he muttered.

“If it’s too hard for you, I’ll make the decision myself.”

“No, no, that’s okay,” Lance said hastily. “I’ll take the twenty.”

“Come here then.”

Reluctantly, Lance approached. Logan unfastened his pants and guided him over his hard thighs to his satisfaction, then pulled down his underwear. Lance’s face burned. If anyone told him a couple of months ago that he would find himself face-down and bare-bottomed over Wolverine’s lap, he’d have laughed. Nothing was funny now.

Logan rested his hand on Lance’s backside briefly. He could feel the boy trembling. He fought down a sigh of disappointment. He’d come to love this hard-nosed tough kid with the great leadership potential. Lance had problems with authority figures, he knew that and didn’t blame him. He’d been badly abused in the past. Mystique was right – he’d behaved quite well during his time at the mansion save the disputes with Scott. What he’d done tonight just didn’t make sense, but if this was the way he wanted to play it, Logan had no choice but to follow through. He just hoped that when the truth came out, he wouldn’t have to do this again. He gave Lance’s rear a firm, painful whack.

Lance shut his eyes tightly as the spanking commenced. Logan wasn’t pulling punches, even knowing there was a lot more to follow. He understood why – the man thought that he had broken several rules and endangered lives. If he had a kid, he’d do the same. But that didn’t make the physical or mental pain any less.

Logan kept count as he repeatedly walloped Lance’s behind. He varied the blows so far as placement, making sure that the boy would never know where the next would land. It wasn’t long before Lance was squirming, his butt cheeks clenching as if it would somehow protect him, and his soft grunts were becoming groans but he still had yet to cry out. Logan raised his right knee slightly, bringing the teenager’s bottom a little higher. He began firmly spanking his sensitive undercurve, wanting him to feel and remember the pain every time he sat down for the next few days. After only a couple of whacks to that area, whatever resolve Lance had to be silent failed him.

“AHHH!” he cried. “Ohhhh!”

Logan expected him to start begging for mercy after the half-way point, but although he could tell the seventeen-year-old had begun to cry, he didn’t plead. Logan was proud of him.

Lance knew he must look ridiculous. His bottom hurt like the blazes and was probably bright red, and no doubt his face wasn’t far off that from being upside-down. Uncontrollable tears were streaming down his cheeks and dripping onto the ground. Thank goodness Kitty couldn’t see him now.

Kitty. What was happening to _her_ with Mystique? His foster mother didn’t have any reason to spank Kitty, did she? Okay, they snuck out, but –

“OWWW!” he yelped as pain brought his thoughts back to his immediate situation.

Logan felt any residual resistance leave the boy across his knee as the end of the punishment drew near. Lance had stopped squirming, and finally wasn’t even voicing his pain anymore. He was sobbing too hard to speak. Logan delivered the last two whacks to the centre of his scarlet cheeks and rubbed Lance’s back. “It’s over, kid,” he said gently.

Slowly and painfully, Lance maneuvered his way to his feet with Logan’s help. He hissed as he pulled up his underwear and jeans, shoulders still shaking from sobs he fought to repress.

“Come here.” Logan pulled the teenager into a warm hug. He thought Lance might resist, but apparently he was in too much pain and was too worn down to fight it. He not only allowed Logan to embrace him, he leaned into it as if needing the comfort.

“I wish I didn’t have to do that,” Logan said softly, stroking Lance’s hair. “I really do. You didn’t give me any choice.” He drew back and took the boy’s face in his hands. “I don’t _ever_ want to hear of you drinking and driving again or next time it _will_ be the belt, understand?”

Lance nodded. “I-I’m s-s-sorry.”

“I’m just glad you and Kitty weren’t hurt,” Logan said.

Lance stared at him. “Weren’t _hurt_?!” He rubbed his throbbing rear significantly.

Logan pointed at him. “You had that coming, bub.”

The teenager sighed, and his shoulders sagged. “Yeah,” he murmured.

Something was still wrong here, Logan knew, but didn’t know how to draw it out of Lance. He decided to see what Mystique had come up with. He pulled the boy toward him again and kissed his cheek paternally, mussing his hair. “Go to bed.” He walked toward the door.

“Logan?”

He looked back at Lance, who gazed back with clear eyes.

“I _do_ understand,” the teenager assured him.

Logan nodded. “Good boy,” he said, and left the room, closing the door. He brushed off his shirt to straighten it and frowned as he felt something odd between his fingers. He rubbed them together and looked at the tiny, gritty grains.

Sand?



part 94

Mystique looked over at Kitty as she closed the bedroom door. She was glad that the rooms were large and far enough away from each other that they probably wouldn’t hear what Logan was doing to Lance. Probably. She didn’t want any distractions from their own conversation because she had a feeling the girl knew more than she was letting on.

“All right, Kitty,” she said calmly. “We need to talk.”

“Um, sure,” Kitty answered, not certain if she should sit down or remain standing. She decided that so long as Mystique was on her feet, she’d better stay that way, too.

“The first thing you have to tell me is where you and Lance went tonight,” Mystique said, folding her arms. “We just can’t have you two running off to parts unknown without permission.”

Kitty had been afraid of just that very question. “I’m really sorry, Ms. Darkholme,” she said as if they were in Mystique’s office at school, “I can’t tell you.”

The blue woman didn’t tell Kitty that she didn’t need to be so formal. If the girl wasn’t comfortable enough to call her by her first or code name, then she couldn’t force it. Besides, maybe a little of ‘Ms. Darkholme’ was what this situation called for.

“_Can’t_ tell me, Kitty?” Mystique looked down her nose at her pointedly. “I don’t think that’s what you really mean, is it? What you’re actually saying is that you _refuse_ to tell me.”

Kitty shook her head so hard that her ponytail swept back and forth from shoulder to shoulder. “No, Ma’am, I mean I _can’t_. It’s not my secret to tell!”

Mystique considered this. Kitty sounded like she was telling the truth, but then it was hard to doubt those wide, innocent blue eyes. At that moment she would gladly trade her shapeshifting abilities for some of Charles’ telepathy – just enough to tell fact from fiction. She leaned back against the desk, not breaking eye contact with the pretty Freshman. “And whose secret _is_ it, Kitty? Lance’s?”

“Partially,” she answered reluctantly. It almost seemed to pain her to admit that much. “Please don’t ask me anymore about it,” she begged.

It was obvious she wasn’t going to pry anything more out of Kitty on _this_ topic. She didn’t want to leave this little meeting with nothing accomplished, especially as Logan had taken on the troubling task of punishing Lance. All right, so it was Logan’s beer that was taken, so maybe that gave him first dibs, but still, Lance had been her responsibility for so long already, and what if Logan didn’t remember that he had been abused in the past ….

Mystique shook her head slightly. She didn’t want to think about what was going on in the other room. Logan was perfectly capable of handling it without her and worrying wasn’t going to do any good at this stage, anyway. She brought her attention back to Kitty.

“All right, we’ll drop it,” she said. “For now. But if we have to interrogate Lance on this matter and he doesn’t tell the truth, you may both regret that you didn’t tell me first.”

Kitty’s eyes filled with tears and she stared down at the floor, but remained silent.

Mystique didn’t want Kitty to realize she was frustrated, so she didn’t allow herself to sigh out loud, even though she felt like it. “I suppose this is somehow related to why the two of you sneaked out instead of checking with us first?”

Kitty nodded.

One more thing they couldn’t talk about. This was getting to be a very one-sided conversation. She figured she might as well go for broke. “Okay, how about this? What was up with Lance downstairs? Some private message passed between you when you mentioned the ‘Lancelot’ thing – what has he done for you lately that rates such high praise?”

“Nothing,” Kitty replied too-quickly. “I just thought it would be a cute nickname.”

Mystique smiled wryly. “Are you phasing right now, Kitty? Because I can see right through you.”

Kitty frowned. “What does _that_ mean?”

“In short, I don’t believe you.”

“I can’t make you believe me,” Kitty murmured.

“You’ll have a better chance of it by telling me the truth,” Mystique said, then sighed. “Kitty, don’t you realize that all this secrecy is probably making things look worse than they are?”

Kitty took a deep breath and tried to look brave. “I’d like to go to bed soon.”

“So would I, but that’s beside the point,” Mystique told her. “Are you asking me to hurry up and spank you?”

The girl’s eyes widened. “ARE you going to spank me?” she squeaked.

“I haven’t decided yet,” Mystique admitted. “You aren’t giving me any reason NOT to, and refusing to answer my questions is enough excuse for me to go ahead with it.”

Kitty looked like she might cry. “Please don’t.”

“Then tell me the truth!” Mystique insisted.

“We didn’t do anything really wrong,” Kitty sniffled. “We didn’t go anyplace bad, and we didn’t do anything against the rules except for leaving without permission.” She hugged herself, head lowered. “If you want to spank me for that, I won’t argue with you,” she said softly.

Mystique was utterly confused. How could Kitty stand there and say they didn’t do anything wrong when Lance came home saturated with Logan’s beer? Kitty was a highly intelligent girl – she wasn’t in advanced classes for nothing. Surely she knew the difference between right and wrong. Was leaving without permission enough reason to spank her? Possibly, but she had a feeling it wasn’t the best approach at this time. Kitty was hiding something – she didn’t know what, but she strongly suspected it had something to do with ‘Lancelot’ and something he was doing for her. If intimidation couldn’t get the truth out of her, maybe guilt would.

And what better guilt than to minimize her punishment, knowing Lance was getting the worst?

“All right, Kitty, here’s what we’re going to do,” Mystique said. “I’m not going to spank you, but you’re grounded.”

“For how long?” Kitty asked tentatively.

Mystique gave her a direct look. “Until I get some truthful answers to my questions.”

She saw Kitty blanch, which boded ill. Obviously the girl expected to be confined for a very long time. Well, maybe ‘Lancelot’ would confess to get her out of it. One way or another, Mystique wasn’t willing to let all this secrecy pass indefinitely.

*

Logan was already in bed when Mystique got there. They took one look at each other’s faces and knew.

“No luck, huh?” Logan asked.

“Zero.” Mystique shifted her clothes into a negligee and crawled onto the bed with him. “I feel like I failed – I couldn’t get her to talk at all, not about why her boyfriend is suddenly ‘Lancelot’ or where they went together.” She sat back against the pillows and sighed. “I ended up grounding her indefinitely. If she wants out, she – or Lance – have to give me some answers.”

“Lance is hiding something, too, and not just their whereabouts. If the answers will get her spanked, too, they may _never_ speak up,” Logan mused.

“Then I guess all their dates will take place right here in the mansion because I’m serious about this.” Mystique looked at him. “How’s Lance?”

“Very sore and unhappy, and he didn’t do any talking, either. He’ll be all right, though, so stop worrying.” He turned out the light. “I did find out
_one_ thing, though.”

Mystique’s yellow eyes glittered in the darkness. “What’s that?”

“At some point during the evening, they were at a beach. Lance had traces of sand on his clothing.”

“Sand?” Mystique frowned. “But why would that be such a big secret? The children are allowed to go to the beach, aren’t they?”

“Public beaches, yeah,” Logan replied.

“Ohhhh,” Mystique said slowly. “I see.”

“And if you were a teenage boy with a private beach somewhere that you could take your girl to, would _you_ tell the adults in your life?”

“No, but … wait a minute,” Mystique said suddenly. “Kitty said that their whereabouts was ‘partially’ Lance’s secret – that means someone else knows, too.”

“Hmm,” Logan said thoughtfully. “So maybe it’s not so private after all.”

“Then why don’t they just tell us about it?”

“Who can figure out kids?” Logan growled and put his arms around her. “If Kitty’s confinement gets the truth out of she or Lance, we can deal with it then. If it doesn’t, we won’t have to worry, since they’ll never be leaving the house for dates again.”



part 95

Professor Xavier picked up the phone as it rang. “Good morning, old friend,” he said as he answered.

“Charles,” greeted Magnus, “I trust I didn’t wake you.”

“You know we don’t sleep late here, Magnus,” the Professor said. “Have you begun preparations to move in?”

“I have. We should be over there by noon. It won’t take long to finish packing the essentials we’ll need – the rest can be moved in time.”

“Let me know when you’re ready and I’ll send the X-Van for you,” the Professor told him. “Do you mind if I change the subject to ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

“Have you seen either Wanda or Longshot yet this morning?”

“No. In fact, I haven’t yet left my room. Why?”

“Some beer of Logan’s went missing yesterday. Six cans. Two of them are accounted for, but four remain missing.”

“You think Wanda or Longshot took them?”

“I don’t know. We interrogated all the children who stayed home last night and they all came out clean. However, of the ones who went out, Lance was found to be one of the culprits and has already been dealt with, Kitty seems to be hiding something and is grounded until she tells the truth, and Kurt is still a mystery. He may or may not have been drinking and just managed to cover it up. However, he _did_ spend part of the evening at your club with his human boyfriend.”

“So you would like me to check with my staff and see if anyone noticed anything unusual.”

“Yes.”

“If alcohol was discovered in my club, _that_ would be unusual. I’ll ask for you. And I’ll talk to Wanda and Longshot, just in case, although I can tell you now that Longshot would never disobey me, and I’ve told him not to drink. Wanda, on the other hand ….” He sighed. “I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you, Magnus. I look forward to having you here – as you can tell, we need all the help we can get.”

“I’ll do my best, Charles, but it seems I’ll have to take some parenting lessons before I’ll be as effective as your existing staff.”

“We learn as we go along, Magnus. Trust your instincts and handle the children with love, even while disciplining them. That’s all it takes.”

“I’ll see you in a few hours, Charles. Thank you.”

Professor Xavier heard Magnus hang up and did the same, smiling to himself thoughtfully.

Magnus took a few minutes to think after his conversation with Charles. He couldn’t phone his club staff yet – it was too early. However, he _could_ check on Wanda. He wasn’t worried about Longshot. With the innocence of a child, he tended to do as he was told, especially where Magnus was concerned. Wanda, however, was likely to do just the opposite.

He left his room and paused, listening. He could hear someone in the kitchen, so that’s where he went.

The morning sun caught Longshot’s bright hair as he bent down to pull a pan out of the oven. “Good morning, Longshot,” Magnus said.

The teenager turned and smiled. “Good morning!”

Magnus walked over to look down at the pan. “Croissants? Where did you learn to make those?”

Longshot laughed. “Oh, I didn’t. I just heated them up.” He put them on a plate and placed them on the table with the butter, then brought over some coffee and set it at Magnus’ place. He sat down and watched as Magnus took his seat.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Magnus asked.

“No, I’m not hungry.”

“Why is that?” Magnus asked. “You usually eat breakfast, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I feel a little yucky this morning,” Longshot admitted, then smiled. “It was worse earlier, but it’s a lot better now.”

Magnus knew the boy healed faster than most, although not nearly at Logan’s level. He reached out to feel Longshot’s forehead – no fever. He decided to try the direct approach.

“Longshot,” he said, “I have a question to ask you and I’d like an honest answer.”

The crystal blue eyes widened. “I’d never lie to you, Magnus!”

He smiled. “I know you wouldn’t intend to, but if you thought I’d be angry with you, you might be tempted to.”

Then he saw something he never expected to see on Longshot’s face – guilt. “Oh,” the boy said softly.

This isn’t good, Magnus thought. Please, not him. “Have you done something that you think I’d be angry about?” he asked carefully.

Longshot nodded silently, staring down at the table.

“Look at me.”

Slowly, reluctantly, Longshot raised moist eyes to meet Magnus’.

“If you don’t tell me the truth, I _will_ be angry,” he told the boy. “Now what have you done?”

“I drank beer,” Longshot admitted in a small voice.

Magnus cursed silently. He wished he’d signed up for those parenting lessons from Charles a long time ago. He’d just been put in a position where he was forced to punish a child he never expected would be a problem. “Where did you get the beer?” he asked, hoping Longshot would admit to taking it from the Institute and not try to lie about it.

“From Wanda.”

Well, I should have seen THAT one coming, he thought ruefully. Unfortunately, that didn’t change things with Longshot. The fourteen-year-old looked very upset now, and the tears that glittered in his eyes were already starting to trickle down his pretty face.

“I’m sorry, Magnus,” he said. “Are you angry with me?”

Be strong, Magnus told himself sternly. Don’t give in to him just because he’s crying. He’s like a young child – he needs to learn now, or next time he could get hurt. “I’m not angry, Longshot. I’m disappointed,” he said seriously. “You obviously hadn’t forgotten what I said about drinking or you wouldn’t have expected me to be upset. That means you deliberately disobeyed me.”

Longshot bit his lip and lowered his gaze. He sniffled. “Yes,” he murmured. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m glad, but when you do something wrong, you still have to be punished, even when you’re sorry.”

Longshot looked up at him, eyes wide with curiosity. “What are you going to do, Magnus?”

Good question, the older mutant thought. But even as it crossed his mind, he already knew the answer. He knew how discipline was handled at the Institute – Charles had made it clear. If he was going to teach there, he could do no less.

He was about to answer the boy’s question when Wanda walked into the kitchen. She took one look at Longshot’s tearstained face and was by his side in a flash, glaring at her father accusingly. “What did you DO to him?!” she demanded.

“Longshot,” Magnus said, not taking his eyes off Wanda, “go to your room and finish packing. We’ll continue this later.”

“Okay,” Longshot said quietly. He stood up, glanced between them worriedly, then left the room.

“Why was he crying?!” Wanda asked angrily.
“Because he disobeyed me and I’m going to punish him,” Magnus said, keeping his tone even. “Just like I’m going to do with you.”

“What?” Wanda said in surprise. She gave a short laugh. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m not joking. I know you gave beer to Longshot. He drank it by choice, so he’s not off the hook, but you’re the one who stole it from the Institute, aren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Wanda replied. “Just two cans – that’s all that was there.”

“I don’t care how many cans there were. First of all, they didn’t belong to you; secondly, you’re underage; and third, you gave it to Longshot. You’re going to be punished, Wanda.”

“Yeah? What are you going to do? Spank me?” She laughed derisively. “Try it and I’ll bring this house down around your ears.” She picked up a croissant. “And don’t even _think_ about touching Longshot. Same rule applies.” She walked out, munching on the croissant. Magnus started to hold out his hand, about to use his power of magnetism to haul her back by the iron in her blood if necessary. Then he hesitated, lowering his arm. Her threat hadn’t been an idle one. She could very well collapse the house, and several other houses around it. As furious as she would be, she wouldn’t stop to consider the fact that she or Longshot might get crushed in the process. Even if she did, there was no guarantee she _could_ stop once she got started – her control, especially when angered – just wasn’t that good yet.

As much as he knew he should deal with this now, he couldn’t. However, if Wanda thought the matter was settled, she didn’t know him very well. Magnus went over to the kitchen phone and dialed.

“Hello, Charles,” he said into the receiver. “Two things – first of all, I know what became of two of the missing cans of beer. Secondly, I need to ask a favour of you ….”



part 96

Kitty shifted from foot to foot nervously as she let the other kids come down the stairs and pass by her on their way to the kitchen. She wanted to talk to Lance before they had to join the others for breakfast.

“Hey, Kitty,” Jean paused at the foot of the stairs, “where did you and Lance go last night?”

It was an innocent question, but Kitty’s mind was on Lance and his condition. “None of your business,” she replied, looking past Jean and up the stairs.

Jean frowned. “There’s no need to be rude, I was only asking.”

“Lance!” Kitty exclaimed suddenly, waving. Jean shook her head and continued on to the kitchen.

Lance came down the stairs, grateful that Kitty looked okay, at least from a distance. He’d worried about her half the night. “Hey,” he said, taking her aside, “how are you doing?”

“I’m okay, but I’m grounded until I tell Mystique where we went,” Kitty sighed. “How about _you_ though? Did Logan spank you?”

“Yeah,” Lance admitted, then added quickly, “but I’m okay.”

“How _can_ you be?” Kitty said miserably. “You must still be in pain. You shouldn’t have taken the blame, Lance. You didn’t deserve to be punished like that.”

“What kind of man would I be if I didn’t protect my girl when I could?”

“An honest one.”

Lance pouted. “I couldn’t let him spank you, even if it meant lying.”

“But what if they find out the truth?” Kitty asked. “Then I’ll get spanked anyway, and you’ll be in worse trouble than ever for lying – you KNOW how Logan feels about that, ask Remy if you don’t!”

Lance grimaced. “Yeah, but ….” He shook his head. “I just can’t do it, Kitty.”

Kitty sighed. “I guess _neither_ of us can do it now. But the beer aside, Lance, we have to tell them about the cove, otherwise I’ll be stuck in this mansion forever!”

“Nah, they’ll get tired of having you around in six months.”

“LANCE!”

He chuckled and hugged her. “I’m just kidding. Don’t worry, I’ll think of something.”

Kitty sighed and laid her cheek against his strong chest. Lance wouldn’t leave her grounded forever, she knew he wouldn’t. But how he’d get her out of it without giving up his secret place or somehow getting into trouble, she didn’t know.

*

“What’s the matter, Jean?” Scott asked the pretty redhead as he took his seat at the kitchen table. Everyone else but Lance and Kitty were already seated.

“Oh, I asked Kitty a question and she bit my head off,” Jean replied grumpily.

“She’s probably in a bad mood because she’s grounded,” Logan said.

Kurt looked up in surprise. “Kitty? Grounded? What for?”

“She won’t reveal where she and Lance went when they slipped out yesterday,” Mystique answered, sipping some coffee.

“So Lance is grounded, too?” Rogue asked.

“No,” Logan replied. “He was responsible for two of the missing cans of beer. I spanked him.”

Kurt choked on his milk.

“So,” Remy said slowly, “if he had two cans – what happened to de other four?”

“Wanda took two of them,” Professor Xavier said.

Pietro rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Unfortunately, she gave one to Longshot, who chose to take it rather than heed Magnus’ warning against drinking alcohol,” the Professor continued.

Todd looked alarmed. “What did he do to Longshot?”

“Nothing yet. He can’t act with Wanda ready to unleash her power at him. He’ll deal with the two of them after they arrive here today.”

“Gee,” Pietro said jokingly, “it was a real nice mansion you had here once.”

The Professor chuckled. “Don’t worry, Pietro. The mansion will remain intact, I assure you.”

“Do you know where the last two cans of beer went?” Scott asked curiously.

“Not yet,” Logan said with a growl. “But we’ll find them.”

Kurt felt what was left of his appetite dissipate.

Lance and Kitty walked into the kitchen and everyone looked at them. Kitty’s face turned red and she dropped into her chair, pouting. Lance took his seat gingerly, hating that everyone apparently knew why but not able to help himself.

“You okay, Lance?” Pietro asked quietly.

“I’ll be fine,” he answered.

“Sorry about what happened, yo,” Todd told him.

“Me too,” Lance replied.

Scott looked at him in disgust. “I can’t believe you were drinking and driving. Don’t you have _any_ brains at all, or has all that rock-moving shattered it into little dust-size bits?”

“Shut up, Summers,” Lance growled a warning.

“You could have killed Kitty, you moron!”

“Scott!” the Professor interrupted sternly. “Lance has already been punished. It is not your place to admonish him.”

“Yes sir,” Scott answered, but clearly wasn’t satisfied.

“If it’s all right,” Kurt said, jumping up from his chair, “I’m going to go eat breakfast in Burger Barn.”

“Are you okay?” Hank asked him.
Kurt nodded firmly and gave a bright smile that showed his fangs. “Sure, I’m fine. No problem. Just one of those early-morning Gut Bomb cravings, you know. See you all later!”

He disappeared with a *BAMF!*

“Certainment, he was in a hurry,” Remy remarked in surprise.

“Yes,” Hank said thoughtfully, “he was.”

The phone rang. “It’s Magnus,” the Professor said and moved over to take it. “Hello, Magnus … Oh really? … They were? … Oh, he did, did he? … Yes, thank you … All right, I’ll see you later.” He hung up and turned back to the table. “Magnus received a call from his Mutations bouncer,” he said. “It seems that Kurt and Duncan were caught with beer at the club. Kurt tried dropping Magnus’ name to the bouncer, but he threw them out anyway.”

“KURT took my beer?!” Logan exploded.

“Ah’m gonna be an only chiiiild,” Rogue sang.

“The little sneak put one over on me.” Hank shook his head. “I regret now that I didn’t go with my suspicious nature after all.”

“And now he’s gone,” Logan growled, eyeing Kurt’s empty seat.

“Ah, but you forget,” Mystique smiled sweetly, tapping the tips of her blue fingers together, “he’s coming to school, and that’s _my_ domain.”



part 97

Lance pulled Kitty a little more firmly under his arm as they walked down the halls of Bayville High. Both of them picked up their pace, trying to outdistance the buzzing insects that insisted on tailing them.

“You got off easy, Lance,” Scott was saying. “You should have been grounded and had your jeep keys taken away in addition to getting spanked!”

“Got off _easy_?!” Lance glared over his shoulder at him. “_You_ try taking what I took and tell me that!”

“Leave him alone, Scott, or I’ll tell the Professor you’re disobeying him!” Kitty snapped.

“Scott’s right, Kitty!” Jean insisted. “Don’t you realize you both could have been killed?”

“Mind your own business, Red,” Lance warned.

“Don’t speak to her like that!” Scott said.

Lance spun to face him. “Or what?”

Kitty grabbed his arm. “Lance, let it go. You’re in enough trouble, and if Hank sees you two fighting ….”

“Hey, there’s Kurt!” Jean pointed.

They all looked over to where Kurt was pulling his books out of his locker. Duncan came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. The younger boy turned and smiled in delight. Duncan put his hand against the locker on one side of Kurt and leaned down to talk to him.

“We should warn him that he’s in trouble,” Kitty said.

“No,” Scott said firmly, “the Professor told us not to if we saw him before Mystique did.”

“If you’re so concerned with following the Professor’s orders, why are you still harassing _me_?” Lance retorted.

Scott ignored that. “The bell’s going to ring soon, anyway. Kurt’s going to have to face his mother without our interference.”

*

Kurt smiled up into Duncan’s handsome face. “I feel fine, how about you?”

“Ah, it was only one beer, and not even a whole can,” Duncan said easily.

“I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish them,” Kurt said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Duncan assured him. “Hey, you didn’t get caught with booze on your breath when you went in, did you?”

“No, I ‘ported to the bathroom and got rid of all traces.” He frowned slightly. “Lance got spanked for drinking, though, and some more beer was taken by Wanda and Longshot ….”

“Wait, you mean it somehow ended up with _all_ Logan’s beer going missing?” Duncan said in astonishment, then laughed. “Man, good thing you didn’t get caught, huh?”

“Ja,” Kurt agreed readily, nodding for emphasis.

The bell for first period rang. As soon as the peal stopped, Mystique’s voice came over the intercom. “Would Kurt Wagner and Duncan Matthews come to the Principal’s office immediately? Thank you.”

“Are we in trouble?” Duncan asked Kurt.

“No,” the German boy answered with a sigh. “Dead men have no troubles.”

*

Mystique, in her Principal Darkholme guise, waited while her son and his boyfriend walked into her office. She shut the door and went to lean back against her desk while they sat down in front of her.

“Either of you care to hazard a guess why you’re here?” she asked them.

They both remained silent. Kurt studied the hologram image of a shoe at the end of his foot.

“All right then,” Mystique said. “Kurt, after you left the house this morning we received a call from Magnus. He spoke to his bouncer.”

Kurt and Duncan glanced at each other. “Oh,” Kurt said softly.

“Oh,” Mystique mimicked, then looked down her glasses at him. “Young man, you’d better come up with something better than that.”

For the life of him, Kurt couldn’t _think_ of anything better. It was all he could do to keep from cringing when his mother called him ‘young man’ in front of Duncan.

“Well?” Mystique pressed, her tone taking on a dangerous edge.

Kurt squirmed. “I … I took two cans of Father’s beer.”

“I know that,” his mother said sternly. “What I want to know is why. Why you would do something so incredibly stupid, risk your father’s wrath and mine, stealing, breaking the law, taking alcohol into Duncan’s car _and_ into Magnus’ club, covering it up at home and lying to Hank and all of us – did I miss anything, Kurt?”

“How about being dumb enough to show up for school today?” Kurt joked feebly.

“THAT was the only smart thing you’ve done in the last twenty-four hours!” Mystique told him, her voice raising slightly.

“Ms. Darkholme,” Duncan interjected, “it wasn’t all Kurt’s fault.”

“Damn straight it wasn’t,” Mystique agreed. “Why else do you think _you’re_ here?”

“Mother, please – “ Kurt started to say, but Mystique held up a hand to stop him and stayed focused on Duncan.

“Kurt’s father and I already had doubts about this relationship because of your age difference and this instance hasn’t improved our outlook. Kurt probably took that beer to impress you, but you had the chance to act maturely and tell him it wasn’t a good idea. Instead, you accepted it, drank it, and DROVE my son home!” Mystique slammed both hands against the desk. “You could have killed _both_ of you last night, just like Lance could have killed himself and Kitty. And Kurt already knows what we did about _that_.”

So did Duncan, Mystique noted with grim satisfaction as the blonde boy paled. Kurt looked horrified.

“Mother, you can’t be suggesting --?!” he gasped.

“Kurt,” Mystique interrupted, “I’m speaking to Duncan right now. YOUR fate is already sealed – his is still up in the air.”

“What do you mean?” Duncan asked.

“I mean that everyone involved in this beer fiasco is being punished – there’s no reason why YOU should be an exception,” Mystique told him. She walked around to sit behind her desk and rested her elbows on it. “Your parents, typically, are out of town. I tried to call them before bringing you two up here.”

“You should have just asked me,” Duncan said with a shrug. “I would have told you they were overseas. They’re not coming back for a while, either.”

“Yes, that’s what your butler told me.” Mystique gave him a direct look. “Allowing you to get away with this is not acceptable to me, not if you’re going to continue to date Kurt. So here’s what we’re going to do. After school, you both are going straight to the Institute – “

“I’ve got football practice,” Duncan said.

“—where you will both receive punishment for what you’ve done,” Mystique continued as if Duncan hadn’t spoken. “Your father will want to deal with you personally, Kurt, so that means you will be mine, Duncan.”

“This isn’t happening, this isn’t happening …,” Kurt murmured from behind the hands he had over his face.

Duncan gave a nervous laugh. “Ms. Darkholme, I’m sorry about what happened, and yeah, I should have told Kurt no about the beer, but you don’t really think I’m going to let you do to me what was done to Lance, do you? You have no right – “

“Legally, no, I don’t,” Mystique agreed. “And it’s certainly your option NOT to come over and submit to a spanking. However, if that is your choice, Duncan, know this – you won’t be dating Kurt anymore.”

Kurt looked up, panicked, “MOTHER!” he cried.

“That isn’t fair!” Duncan protested.

Mystique shrugged. “It may not be my legal right to spank you, Duncan, but it’s certainly my right to keep an irresponsible kid from dating my son.”

Kurt glanced at Duncan, who looked extremely uncomfortable. “I’ve never been spanked before,” he murmured. “I don’t think I can start now, at my age. And what about football practice?”

“Hank has coaching duties today,” Mystique pointed out. “I think he’ll understand that this is training of a different kind that you’re sorely lacking at the moment.” She sat back in her chair. “You won’t get exactly what Lance did, Duncan. He was being punished for a number of infractions including sneaking out of the house and stealing the beer. You drank and you drove, and while you may deserve more, since it’s your first, I’ll keep your spanking to the minimum that the children usually receive – ten swats. You _will_ be bare for it, though.”

Duncan was shaking his head like he was trying not to hear what she was saying or else couldn’t believe it. Kurt watched him miserably.

“You have the rest of the day to make your decision,” Mystique said. “Now before I send you both back to class, Kurt and I have a little business to take care of first.” She faced her son. “Because you took the beer from your father, I’m deferring to his right to spank you when you get home. However, there’s something I feel the need to do myself.” She opened her drawer and brought out a wooden ruler, then stood up and walked around the desk to stand in front of him. “As you know, Kurt, I spent a good part of my life on the wrong side of the law. If anyone had cared enough to stop me when I was your age and was just getting started, maybe I wouldn’t have become a spy, terrorist, thief, double-agent or any of the other things I regret misusing my power for. So as a warm-up for later today, I’m going to give you something to think about. Stand up.”

Kurt exchanged an uneasy look with Duncan and got to his feet, facing his mother.

“Stealing is against the law, Kurt, regardless of who you steal from. Hold out your hand.”

Kurt slowly raised his left hand. Mystique took a firm hold of it and turned it palm-upwards. She met his eyes seriously.

“The next time you’re tempted to take anything that doesn’t belong to you, I want your hands to tingle a warning, remembering what you’re about to feel,” Mystique brought the ruler down sharply on the palm of Kurt’s hand, making him gasp audibly. She struck him again and although he pressed his lips together tightly, the pain was obvious in his expression.

Duncan winced as he watched the ruler come down again and again on Kurt’s sensitive palm. It didn’t sound like other ruler-spankings Duncan had seen in school over the years – the sound of impact was muted because of Kurt’s fur. It was an odd effect, since the younger boy had his inducer on and his hands looked like anyone else’s. The pain he experienced wasn’t diminished, though, as evinced by the outcries he began to make and the tears that tracked down his cheeks.

Kurt’s mother spanked each of his hands ten times with the ruler and didn’t hold back. Duncan wanted to hug him in comfort but was afraid to move in case Mystique decided to turn the ruler on _him_. He finally remembered to breathe when the Principal went around the desk and put the ruler away, but tensed up again when she headed back toward her sobbing son. To Duncan’s surprise and relief, she hugged Kurt and kissed his wet face, murmuring softly to him. He couldn’t hear what she was saying, but Kurt nodded in response and lay his head on her shoulder as she embraced him again.

“Okay, boys,” Mystique said, and Duncan thought her voice sounded a little thick, “you’ve missed most of first period but you’ll probably catch the last ten minutes of it.” She wrote out passes for them – Kurt accepted his with his fingertips and still winced in pain as the skin on his palm flexed. “You can go now – I hope to see _both_ of you at the Institute after school.” She gave Duncan a significant look.

The two boys left the office, and Kurt hurried through the waiting area into the silent hallway. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hands and winced again.

“Are you okay?” Duncan asked gently, knowing it was a stupid question.

Kurt showed him his scarlet palms. With the inducer on, the image of his body reflected normal imperfections when they occurred, even if they wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye on his natural form. Duncan sucked in his breath.

“How are you going to do your schoolwork with those hands?” he asked.

“Slowly and painfully, I imagine,” Kurt sighed. He looked up at the older boy. “What are you going to do about this afternoon?” he asked softly.

Duncan averted his eyes. “I … I don’t know, Kurt,” he admitted. “I really like you and I sure don’t want to stop seeing you, but … I don’t think I can voluntarily submit to what your mother is asking of me.”

Kurt lowered his head. “I understand,” he whispered. “I’ll see you at lunch,” he added and disappeared, teleporting out of the hallway. Duncan sighed heavily and trudged to first period.



Part 98

Logan glanced over his shoulder at the two children behind him in the X-Van. One looked angry, the other depressed. He turned back to Magnus in the passenger seat beside him. “A couple of real happy kids you’ve got here, bub.”

“They’re going to be even less so in a while,” Magnus replied and glanced at him. “I understand that some of yours are not very happy today, either.”

“Chuck told you about Lance and Kitty, right?” Logan asked. “And Mystique called me earlier to tell me that Kurt and his boyfriend are on notice, so yeah, the mansion will be full of miserable kids today. Their own fault for stealing my beer.”

“I must apologize on Wanda’s behalf for that,” Magnus said.

“She can apologize for herself,” Logan said, glancing into the rearview mirror. “After.”

Wanda frowned and leaned toward Longshot. “They look like they’re plotting against us up there. Can you hear what they’re saying?”

“No, I wasn’t paying attention,” Longshot answered sadly. “Do you think Magnus is still mad at me?”

She put an arm around him. “Don’t worry about it. No one can stay mad at you for long.”

“But he’s still going to punish me somehow, so he _must_ be mad,” Longshot lamented.

“He’s not going to punish you _or_ me,” Wanda said firmly. “No way.”

Logan tried not to smile when he heard that. He didn’t want to give away the surprise.

*

Hank nodded with approval as he listened to Mystique tell him what had happened with Kurt and Duncan. It was lunchtime and the cafeteria was filled. “I think you did the right thing, Raven. At least we’ll find out once and for all if Duncan is right for Kurt.”

“I called Logan and warned him. He thought it was a good idea, too.” Mystique looked over to where Kurt was sitting alone at a table, but was quickly joined by other kids from the Institute. She couldn’t see Duncan anywhere.

*

“Kurt, are you okay?” Rogue asked as she joined her twin at his table. The other Institute kids were sitting down as well, looking concerned.

“Ja, I’m fine,” Kurt replied, but it sounded like an automatic response that he’d given too many times already. He tried to manipulate his fork without it hurting his hand and found it impossible, so he gave up. He wasn’t hungry anyway.

“Come on, Kurt, talk to us.” Scott put a hand on his shoulder. “We won’t make fun of you or scold you, I promise. What happened in the office?”

Kurt looked at him. “You know, don’t you? Why Mother called us in there.”

“Yeah, we do,” Scott admitted.

“We weren’t allowed to warn you about Magnus’ call,” Jean said apologetically.

“That’s okay, I couldn’t have gotten out of it, anyway.” Kurt turned his hands over and showed them to the others.

Rogue whistled. “Oh, Kurt ….”

“What is dat?” Remy frowned in confusion.

“Ruler spanked,” Pietro replied. “Sorry, Kurt.”

“Ow, that must have hurt a lot,” Kitty said sympathetically.

“Not as much as what’s coming later,” Kurt said with a tremor in his voice. “Father’s going to kill me and Duncan’s breaking up with me. Or if he isn’t, then Mother is going to kill _him_!”

The others looked at each other, puzzled. “Could you maybe say that again and make sense this time?” Pietro asked him.

“Father’s going to kill me,” Kurt repeated.

Scott squeezed his shoulder. “No, he won’t. Logan loves you.”

“He loves Lance, too, but he still blistered him enough that he can barely sit,” Kurt replied unhappily.

Lance stopped in the middle of shifting position in his seat to find everyone looking at him. “It hurts, okay?” he said in annoyance.

Kitty pouted and touched his arm. His expression softened.

“Can’t you find something _encouraging_ to say to him?” Scott asked Lance, nodding toward Kurt.

“Nothing he doesn’t already know,” Lance said and looked at the younger boy. “Kurt, I ain’t gonna lie about it – it hurt like hell. But Logan still loves me, and he’ll still love you, too. Don’t sweat it – just take it like a man.”

“You’re closer to being a man than I am,” Kurt murmured.

“I think it was mean of Mystique to make you wait all day and suffer like this,” Kitty remarked. “Worrying about being spanked is worse than actually getting it.”

“How would _you_ know?” Pietro scoffed. “You didn’t get spanked last night.”

“Pietro, drop it,” Lance warned.

“Kurt,” Jean said slowly, “what was it you meant before about Duncan? Why would he break up with you?”

Kurt sighed. “That’s the worst of it, and it’s why Mother is making us wait. While Father is punishing me, she expects Duncan to let her punish _him_. If he doesn’t, he’s not allowed to see me anymore.”

“Duncan?” Jean gasped. “Getting _spanked_?”

“It’ll never happen.” Scott shook his head. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I know you like the guy, but there’s no way Duncan Matthews would voluntarily submit to humiliating punishment like that.”

“I have to agree with Scott,” Jean said. “He didn’t tell you he was going to do it, did he?”

“No,” Kurt said softly. “He said he didn’t think he could.”

“Jerk,” Scott muttered.

“It’s not his fault he’s not used to being punished like that!” Kurt protested.

“But it is his fault if he lets you take de heat alone, mon ami,” Remy told him.

“He’s not even here in the cafeteria, is he?” Kitty said, looking around.

“Hey, neither is Todd,” Pietro said suddenly. “He’s never late for lunch – wonder where he went?”

*

Todd caught a bug on the fly as he traveled in great leaps down the road. He wasn’t far away now. He sprang up to cling to a telephone poll for a bird’s eye-view and saw the Institute. The X-Van was pulling through the gate.

“That’s gotta be them, yo!” He grinned, then leapt down to the ground and continued toward home. He knew the adults had something planned for Wanda to punish her for stealing the beer, but his concern was for Longshot. If they had any ideas about spanking _him_, Todd wanted to be there. If he couldn’t stop it, and knowing the adults, it wasn’t likely, then he at least wanted to provide some support for the beautiful mutant boy.



part 99

Duncan sipped some ginger ale as he tried to enjoy the view from the terrace of the country club. It was hard to enjoy it when he wasn’t really seeing it.

“Hey there, luv!”

He looked up and smiled a little at the sight of Heather Cameron. Tall and blue-eyed with waist-length golden-blonde hair, Heather was not only beautiful, but nice. She had the healthy glow of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors. Her Australian accent was cute, too. “Hi Heather, how are you?”

“Good,” she answered and sat across from him. “Our school is off today because of teacher conferences. I guess yours is, too?”

“No, I’m just here on lunch break – I have to leave in a couple of minutes.” Duncan looked back at the view of the rolling green lawn and sighed.

“Come on, what’s the trouble?” Heather asked. “You’re _never_ this depressed.”

“No, I’m not,” Duncan agreed. “Why should I be when I’ve got it all? Money, the football team, a lot of friends – “

“A gorgeous girl,” Heather supplied. “I saw Jean at the last soccer game. She’s beautiful.”

“I guess we haven’t talked for a while,” Duncan said sheepishly. “Jean and I broke up. I’ve been going out with Kurt Wagner, one of the other students at the Xavier Institute.”

Heather smiled. “Ooo, a boy this time! Is he cute?”

“Very. He’s German, has kind of longish dark blue hair, and the best smile.” Duncan smiled himself thinking about it. “He’s funny, a real character. A little young though – he’s fifteen.”

“Bah, that’s not much difference,” Heather scoffed. “So what’s the problem?”

“Well,” Duncan said slowly, “he stole some beer from his father to surprise me with. We took it into this new club and ended up getting thrown out because they don’t allow alcohol.” He shrugged. “Anyway, his parents found out. His mother expects me to voluntarily submit to a spanking as punishment for my part in things, and if I don’t do it, she won’t let me see Kurt anymore.”

“Oiy, ouch!” Heather winced. “Either way you decide – ouch!”

“Yeah, I know, it’s a lose-lose situation.” Duncan sighed again. “The question is, what do I do?”

“Depends on how much you like the bloke,” Heather said sensibly. “If he’s just a cute tush to you, then don’t put yourself out over it. But if you really like him, and the thought of not seeing him anymore pains you, then you’ve got no choice.”

“I like him a lot, Heather,” Duncan admitted. “I mean a _lot_.”

“Then do the right thing.” She elbowed him, winking. “Your bum may hurt for a while, but think how heroic you’ll look to your boyfriend!”

Duncan smiled a little. He liked the idea of Kurt finding him heroic. It might make some of the complete and utter humiliation he’d have to face worth it.

“You’d better get going back to school, mate,” Heather cautioned him, pointing at the clock. “It’s almost one.”

“Oops, yeah!” Duncan jumped up and bent down to give Heather a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thanks for the talk. I feel a lot better now.”

“I hope you’ll still feel that way after your punishment!” She laughed.

“You know,” Duncan said with a thoughtful smile, “I think I will. See you later!” He hurried off to his car and began speeding back to Bayville High.

*

Professor Xavier was waiting on the front porch when the X-Van pulled up. Magnus got out and went over to him, Wanda following in sullen silence. Longshot began helping Logan take their things out of the van.

“Welcome,” the Professor said, smiling warmly. “It’s good to have you all here.”

“Thank you, Charles,” Magnus said. “I’m sorry we seem to be arriving in a time of domestic crisis.”

The Professor chuckled. “This kind of crisis never ends, Magnus. It comes with having children.”

Wanda folded her arms and looked bored, then scowled as a familiar annoying voice was heard.

“Longshot! Hey, Longshot! Over here, yo!”

The pretty blonde mutant smiled and waved. “Hi Todd!”

Logan gave the green-skinned boy a stern look as he hopped in front of him. “You know you’re not supposed to leave school grounds in the middle of the day, Toddpole.”

“Yeah, but I just decided to come home for lunch. That’s okay, isn’t it?” He grinned over at Longshot. “Welcome to your new home! How are you doing?”

“Not very well,” Longshot admitted sadly. “Magnus is going to punish me.”

“NO, he’s not!” Wanda said firmly.

“Why don’t we all go inside?” the Professor suggested. “Lunch is waiting.”

Wanda’s blue-gray eyes narrowed as she watched Todd sidle up to Longshot, taking the bag from his grasp as if doing him a favour. It was ridiculous – Longshot was a lot taller than Todd. She frowned, but followed as everyone began heading inside the mansion.

“You can leave the things down here in the foyer for now,” the Professor advised. “You’ll want to eat first.”

“Are you gonna be okay?” the shorter boy asked Longshot in concern as he put the bag down by the door.

“I guess so,” he answered uncertainly. “I know Magnus only wants to do what’s best for me, and I _did_ do something wrong.”

Wanda snorted.

“You drank beer.” Todd nodded. “Yeah, that’s not a good idea, yo.”

“Magnus had already told me not to drink alcohol,” Longshot said softly, eyes downcast. “I should have listened to him, but Wanda said all
teenagers did it, and I want to be normal ….”

“It’s more important to listen to your guardian than your girlfriend, kid,” Logan told him as he put a box down on the floor beside him.

“He knows that now, Logan,” Magnus said calmly, placing a hand on Longshot’s shoulder. “And if he doesn’t, he soon will.”

Todd took a chance and reached out to squeeze Longshot’s hand encouragingly. Logan noticed that Wanda looked like she wanted to kill someone, but couldn’t decide between Todd or her father. He exchanged a significant glance with the Professor.

“Right this way, everyone,” said the man in the wheelchair and led the way to the dining room. Logan hung back until the others had passed, then brought up the rear. Just in case Wanda decided to unleash her power at someone, he wanted to be close enough to do anything he could to stop her, at least until lunch was over and the _real_ welcoming ceremony began.



part 100

Todd wished lunch could last forever. Conversation between the adults was pleasant – at least a lot more than Todd would expect with both Magnus and Logan being a part of it. Longshot seemed too preoccupied to talk or eat much, and Todd was worried about him. There wasn’t much doubt in his mind what Magnus intended to do to the pretty blonde, and he wished he could somehow prevent the inevitable. However, he was realistic enough to know that wasn’t likely. Magneto was always unmovable when he was backing up the Brotherhood, there was no reason to think he’d suddenly become a pushover.

“That was very good,” Magnus said, finishing the last of his coffee.

“Yeah,” Logan agreed and looked over at Todd. “You should be getting back to school, kid.”

“Hey, would it really matter if I missed one class?” Todd grinned hopefully.

“I don’t know. Why don’t you call up Mystique and ask her?”

“Okay, okay, I’m going back.” Todd got up reluctantly and gave Longshot a helpless look. “I wish I could stay,” he said.

“I’ll be okay.” Longshot smiled a little. “And I’ll see you after school.”

Todd nodded. He saw Wanda’s gloating expression and wished he could stay if only to see her get hers.

After Todd left, Professor Xavier prepared to leave the dining room himself. “You’ll want to unpack and get settled in, but I think you have some unfinished business to take care of.”

“Yes,” Magnus agreed and stood up. “Come, children.”

Wanda looked bored again, but obeyed. Longshot sighed unhappily and followed. Logan brought up the rear.

“Where are we going?” Wanda asked, frowning as they went into an elevator and it began to descend. “Your bedrooms aren’t in the basement.”

“No, but like they said, there’s other stuff to take care of before you go there,” Logan told her. The elevator stopped and they headed down a corridor.

“Ohhh, yeah,” Wanda laughed sarcastically and looked at her father. “This is where you make a feeble attempt at punishing me, right? And my power wrecks havoc all over you. Why don’t you save yourself the embarrassment of being overpowered by your fifteen-year-old daughter?”

“Right in here,” Professor Xavier said, keying in a sequence that opened a sliding door.

“Isn’t this the Danger Room?” Wanda asked, going inside with Longshot and Magnus.

“It is,” the Professor said and nodded at his friend. “Magnus, Logan and I will see you when you’re finished.”

*

The door closed, leaving Magnus, Wanda and Longshot alone in the Danger Room.

Magnus walked over to the chair and sat down. “Longshot, come here.”

The blonde boy exchanged a glance with Wanda and went over to his guardian.

“You know that both you and Wanda did something wrong, correct?”

“Yes,” Longshot said softly, “and I _am_ sorry.”

“I know you are.” Magnus patted his arm. “But I do have to punish you. I think you understand that and accept it, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Longshot swallowed, “but I’m scared. I’m not sure what you’re going to do.”

“You’re about to find out, because I’m going to punish Wanda first.”

“Ha!” Wanda said. “That’s what YOU think!”

“No, daughter, that’s what I know,” Magnus said calmly. “Now, Longshot, I’m not going to punish you until we’ve gone back upstairs, because I know you won’t fight me or hurt anyone. But Wanda needs to be punished, too, for her own good. And I need your help to make sure she gets the punishment she deserves without anyone else being hurt.”

Wanda’s eyes narrowed. What was her father up to?

“For her own good?” Longshot repeated. “Really?”

“Yes. You’ve seen the way she acts with me. She’s almost as bad with other people. And now that we’re living here, she must be treated no differently than any other disobedient child. She’ll be better for it.”

“I may puke,” Wanda muttered.

Longshot was nodding slowly. “I think I understand, Magnus. I’ll help you, for Wanda’s sake.”

Magnus pulled him into a quick hug. “Good boy. Now you move around behind my chair and put your hands on my shoulders. No matter what happens, don’t move from that position, all right?”

“Yes sir,” Longshot said and did as he directed.

*

“You’re sure this will work, Chuck?” Logan asked as they watched from the control room, high above the Danger Room.

“Magnus and I discussed it at length,” Professor Xavier said. “The Danger Room contained her power before, so at least the mansion and surrounding areas are protected.”

“Yeah, but what about _them_?” Logan nodded toward the three people in the Danger Room. “You really think that kid’s unpredictable lucky streak is enough to counteract the girl’s power and protect them?”

“Magnus says Longshot’s luck works so long as he has pure motives. He just gave him those pure motives.” The Professor leaned forward, concentrating. “But just in case, I’m ready to stop Wanda myself with a series of psychic blasts if it becomes necessary.”

*

Wanda wasn’t sure what her father was doing with Longshot, but she knew she didn’t like it. At least he wasn’t spanking him, but she wasn’t kidding herself – her father seated in the only chair could mean but one thing. And she wasn’t playing along.

He and Longshot were both looking at her now. “Come here, Wanda,” Magnus said.

She shook her head. “No, thanks.”

“That was not a request,” her father said. He reached out a hand and made what looked like an insignificant gesture. Wanda felt a violent tug on her left wrist, or more specifically – the metal in her wristwatch. It jerked her right off the floor so that she landed squarely across her father’s lap. She gave an outraged shriek.

“Don’t you DARE!” she warned, struggling.

Magnus felt something in the atmosphere shifting, and suddenly he couldn’t move his hands. Wanda started getting up.

“Longshot,” Magnus said, “are you feeling lucky?”

The blonde boy squeezed Magnus’ shoulders and his left eye flashed gold. “Yes sir.”

Magnus’ hands were freed from the invisible force that gripped them. He yanked Wanda back down firmly and wrapped an arm around her waist. He used his control over metal to easily unfasten and unzip her jeans, then pulled them down manually, followed by her underwear.

“Oh!” Longshot said in surprise at the sight of her nakedness.

“For her own good, Longshot,” Magnus reminded him, and brought his hand down on his daughter’s bare bottom.

Wanda screamed and power exploded all around them, but Longshot’s eye flashed once more and the power didn’t touch them. Magnus ignored the fireballs, explosions, and crackling energy that filled the rest of the Danger Room and got down to the business of exerting parental discipline on his child.

*

Logan stared incredulously at the scene below. In the centre of complete, devastating chaos was a little clearing in which Magnus was soundly spanking Wanda while Longshot watched from behind. In his expert opinion, for a rank amateur at administering punishment, Magnus was doing very well. He knew Charles was still concentrating, ready to run interference, so he didn’t say anything to distract him. He sure had a lot he _wanted_ to say, though.

Magnus managed to keep count of how many blows he was delivering to Wanda’s crimson backside in spite of the danger that threatened just beyond Longshot’s barrier of good fortune. He was well over half-way through, and a definite change was coming over Wanda. She wasn’t screaming, swearing or making dire threats as she had done at the outset. She was crying.

But her power was still activated and posed a threat. He would have to use his advantage to teach her a lesson in control. He hoped.

“Wanda,” he said, pausing in her punishment, “you have to try and control you power.

“I … can’t!” she sobbed. Another explosion occurred nearby, but no fallout came near them.

“Yes, you can,” Magnus told her. “You must.”

“You can do it, Wanda!” Longshot urged.

“Noooo …!”

“If you don’t at least try, I’ll have to keep spanking you until you do.” He whacked her backside again.

“AHHH!” she cried. “O-Okay, I’ll try!”

“Good girl.” Magnus rubbed her back. “Just do your best.”

Although she was still face-down, hiccupping and crying with her bottom blazing, Wanda tried to calm down. She focused on how good it would feel to get off her father’s lap and into the bathroom where she could apply a cool cloth to her butt.

*

“It’s easing off,” Logan murmured, watching the flames get lower and the sparks of energy crackling up and down the walls lessen.

“Good, very good,” Professor Xavier said. “She _is_ learning to control it, even while agitated.”

“Heh,” Logan said dryly. “She’s not agitated anymore, Chuck. She’s just another humble punished kid.”

*

Magnus looked around the room, and when he decided Wanda had things completely calmed and under control, he stood her up and helped her dress.

“I’m sorry that was necessary, Wanda,” he said. “But I love you, and it’s my job to make sure you learn self-control even more than control of your power. Stealing is wrong, talking back to adults is wrong, and trying to kill your father is wrong.” He smiled a little. “I hope you’ll remember all that in the future.”

Wanda sniffled and wiped her eyes, her already-ruined make-up streaking the back of her hand. She gazed back at her father miserably. He could see the doubt in her eyes.

“Wanda,” he said gently, touching her cheek, “believe it. I _do_ love you.”

“I wish I could,” she said quietly, and headed toward the exit. Magnus knew mending their relationship would take time, but at least for once, there had been no resentment in Wanda’s voice. Maybe he had reached her on some level after all.

He signaled Charles in the control room to open the door for Wanda from there and he did. She walked out, massaging her tender backside. Longshot started to go after her to offer comfort, but Magnus’ heavy hand fell onto his shoulder.

“Sorry, Longshot, but you and I have to go up to your room before you do anything else.”

He met Magnus’ eyes nervously. “Are you going to do to me what you did to Wanda?”

“Yes,” he answered truthfully, “although in your case I think I can be a little less severe and still get my message across.”

“Whatever you think is best, Magnus,” Longshot said bravely. The older man smiled and rubbed the boy’s hair.

“We’re going upstairs, Charles,” he called out. “I’ll come and see you when I’m finished.”

“Certainly, Magnus,” the Professor’s voice came through the intercom. “And congratulations on a lesson successfully taught.”

“Let’s hope it was, Charles.” Magnus sighed. “Let’s hope it was.”



part 101

Longshot obediently followed Magnus to his new room. What just happened with Wanda had frightened him in more ways than one. Despite it being in her best interests, there was a good chance Wanda would resent his having helped Magnus like he did. He hated the thought of her being mad at him. Then there was fear of the punishment itself. Wanda’s bottom had been so red, and she had _cried_. He’d never seen her cry like that.

“In here.” Magnus opened the door for him and he went in, then the door was shut. He liked this new room – it was so big! But there wasn’t any time to enjoy it yet.

“Longshot,” Magnus put both hands on his shoulders, “you know I love you, don’t you?”

He smiled. “Yes.”

“Because I love you, I have to spank you, just like I spanked Wanda because I love her. I don’t _want_ to, but I must.”

Longshot nodded nervously. “I know.”

“All right then.” Magnus sat on the edge of the large bed. “Come here.”

Longshot went over to stand beside him. “Do you want me to undress?” he asked meekly.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Magnus told him. “This is your first offense, and I’m aware there was coercion involved.”

Longshot looked puzzled. “What does that mean?”

“Wanda talked you into it,” Magnus explained. “But you still listened to her instead of minding what I’d already told you, and that’s wrong.”

“Yes sir.” Longshot lowered his head. He hated to hear Magnus sound so disappointed in him. Tears stung his eyes.

Magnus felt a tug on his heart as he looked at the beautiful mutant boy. He was reminded of Pietro when he was younger and less jaded. He’d come close to ruining his own son with neglect – he wasn’t going to let it happen with Longshot. Taking hold of the boy’s left wrist, he guided him over his lap.

Longshot didn’t struggle, so Magnus only needed to hold him in order to keep him steady. The boy ducked his head, his long hair hiding his face. Magnus could feel his two hearts pounding against his knee and decided to get the punishment over with as quickly as possible. He brought his hand down on Longshot’s leather-clad bottom solidly.

“Oh!” Longshot gasped. Magnus knew it was more from surprise at the impact than pain. He swatted him again, then again.

Longshot squeezed his blue eyes shut tightly. It was uncomfortable being in that position over Magnus’ lap. He felt helpless, like he was somehow younger than he was – and he was already years younger than he appeared from a creation standpoint. But laying there, held in place, with Magnus’ hand descending repeatedly on his bottom, he _felt_ younger. What if Magnus didn’t love him anymore when it was over? He’d been so bad that he’d forced the man to do something he didn’t want to do. Hot tears trickled down his cheeks. The thought of Magnus not loving him was worse than the punishment, although he realized that it was actually starting to _hurt_.

Magnus heard Longshot crying, but he brought his hand down to connect with his backside twice more to bring the count up to ten. “All right, it’s over,” he said gently, then carefully stood him back up. He got up himself and embraced Longshot tightly. The boy began to sob, and he stroked his hair and rubbed his back.

“I’m sorry, Magnus. I’m so sorry ….”

“I know you are,” he said. “I forgive you, and I still love you.”

“Really?” Longshot looked at him hopefully. “You do?”

“Of course I do.” Magnus took Longshot’s face in his hands. “Listen to me very carefully, all right? As our life together continues, I may not like some of the things you _do_, but it will never change how much I love you. Do you understand?”

Longshot smiled in relief. “Yes, Magnus. And I’ll always love you, even if you have to punish me.”

Magnus felt tears well in his own eyes. He hugged the boy to him again and just held him for a long time.

*

Kurt came out of Bayville High after classes and paused on the front steps. He didn’t want to go home knowing what was waiting for him – just getting through the afternoon was torture. His palms still stung, but not as badly as his eyes every time he thought about Duncan. He sighed resignedly and walked down the stairs, preparing to face the music at home alone.

A car horn beeped and he turned to see Duncan driving up to meet him.

“Duncan?” he said, unsure that he could really be there. “Aren’t you supposed to be at football practice?”

“We have a more pressing engagement elsewhere, don’t we?” The blonde leaned over and opened the passenger side door. “So how about it? Want a ride to Doomsville?”

Kurt’s smile lit up his face. “Ja, I would.” He jumped into the car and shut the door, then slid closer to Duncan. “Is it too early in our relationship for me to tell you that I love you?”

Duncan wrapped his arms around the smaller boy and hugged him closely. “I hope not, because you’ve _got_ to know I love you or I wouldn’t be doing this!”

*

Scott and Jean came out of the school in time to see Duncan’s car driving away.

“Hey, what do you know?” Scott said in surprise. “Matthews came through for him after all.”

“I’m so glad,” Jean said. Scott looked at her.

“Are you? Really?” he asked. “It wasn’t all that long ago that you and Duncan ….”

“I know, but he and I never clicked like he and Kurt have,” she replied, then smiled at him. “Besides, I have other interests now myself.”

He grinned, blushing slightly. “Yeah? Um … you know … maybe it’s time we – “

“Outta my way, coming through, make way for the Toad, yo!” Todd hopped right over their heads and headed away from school in great leaps. Scott straightened his glasses, although they didn’t need it, from force of habit. A promising moment between he and Jean was broken. Again.

“He was certainly in a hurry,” he remarked.

“I think he wants to see Longshot,” Jean said. “He seems to have a crush on him.”

“Hope the kid is okay, I like him.” Scott adjusted his shoulder bag. “Give you a ride home?”

“Sure.” She smiled. “But how about we go get a snack and kill some time first? I don’t really want to go home now with everything going on there.”

“Good idea.” Scott waved at Kitty as she came out of the school with Lance. “Kitty, tell them at home that Jean and I will be back a little later. We’ll definitely be home for dinner, though.”

“Okay,” she replied.

Scott and Jean exchanged a quick smile and headed for his car.



part 102

Kurt held hands with Duncan as the two of them entered the mansion. He needed the support and figured Duncan might as well. Especially when they found Logan in the foyer waiting for them.

“Hello, boys,” he said, and nodded at Duncan. “Glad to see you showed, kid. You’ve got guts.”

“I love Kurt, sir,” Duncan said, gazing fondly at the boy beside him. “If the alternative is never seeing him again … then there’s no other option for me.”

Logan studied the pair. Love, huh? It had reached that stage already? He noticed their joined hands. “Your mother told me how she punished you. I guess your hands are feeling better?”

“Better than the rest of me will feel soon,” Kurt said. “Right?”

“Right,” Logan told him. No point in lying to the kid. He put a hand on Kurt’s shoulder. “Let’s go on up to your room. Duncan can wait here for your mother.”

Kurt nodded. He looked at Duncan apologetically.

“Don’t worry,” the older boy told him reassuringly. “It’ll be okay.” He leaned down and kissed the top of his head. “In case we don’t see each
other afterwards, I’ll call you tonight, okay?”

“Okay,” Kurt said, giving him a faint smile. Logan steered him toward the stairs.

Duncan took a deep breath to try and calm himself down as he watched them go. The doors opened and Lance and Kitty came in. They both glanced at Duncan, then Kitty turned to Lance. “I have to go give Jean’s message to the Professor.”

“Okay, see you later then.”

Kitty hurried off and Lance looked over at Duncan. He shook his head.

“Gotta admit, Matthews – none of us thought you’d do it.”

“What choice did I have?” Duncan shrugged. “Don’t get me wrong, Alvers, I’d rather NOT be in this position – “

“Do you even have a clue _what_ position you’re going to be in?” Lance asked curiously. He cocked his head. “HAVE you ever been spanked before?”

“What difference does that make?” Duncan asked irritably. He was nervous enough, and didn’t really want to talk to Lance about it, especially knowing that the other boy had just gone through it himself.

“Just that it can be kind of shocking if you’ve never experienced it.” Lance told him casually. “It’s not every day you get stripped half-naked and beaten until your butt hurts so bad you’d promise miracles just to get it to stop ….”

“Do you MIND?!” Duncan exclaimed. “I don’t need to be hearing this right now!”

“Hey, just trying to help,” Lance said in a friendly tone, although the sly quirk of his smile belied his words. “Look at the bright side – at least you’ll be dealing with Mystique. Save your pity for Kurt – he’s probably getting what I got last night if not worse.”

“Lance, _what_ are you doing?”

Both boys turned to find Mystique standing in the doorway behind them, still in her Principal Darkholme disguise. She was peering sternly through her glasses at the Brotherhood leader, who had the decency to look sheepish.

“Nothing, Mystique,” he said. “Just having a little fun.”

“Yeah, I’ll bet.” She swung her briefcase jokingly at his backside, letting him dance out of the way before it could connect. “Knock it off and go
do your homework. Duncan and I have business to attend to.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Lance laughed and grinned evilly at Duncan. “Lotsa luck, Dunc!”

“Thanks a heap,” Duncan muttered, watching the other boy go upstairs.

“I’m sorry about that,” Mystique said, changing into her normal blue form in front of Duncan’s eyes. “He’s had a rough twenty-four hours. Self-inflicted, mind you, but still, he’s just blowing off steam.”

“I don’t care,” Duncan said. “I’m just worried about Kurt.”

“Logan loves Kurt – you don’t have to worry about him,” Mystique said and crooked her finger at him. “You have to worry about _me_. Now let’s go to the library.”

Duncan swallowed and followed her.

*

Kurt waited while Logan closed the bedroom door. His palms were hurting again. Maybe it was anticipation of other pain making them react. Or maybe he was imagining it all. He flexed his two fingers and thumb, wincing. No, it hurt all right.

“Okay, Kurt, let’s get down to business,” Logan said, and Kurt winced at that, too. His father hardly ever called him by his given name, preferring to use the nickname ‘Elf’. And Kurt loved hearing it.

“Come and sit here for a minute.” Logan sat on the edge of the bed. “I want to talk to you.”

Kurt went over and sat beside him. Logan reached out and turned switched off the holographic inducer so that his son visibly resumed his normal form.

“That’s better,” Logan said. “Okay, now I want to know what the hell you thought you were doing by stealing my beer and taking it into a non-alcoholic club, then letting your boyfriend drive you home after having some?”

“Temporary insanity?” Kurt suggested.

“That goes without saying,” Logan agreed. “Hope you’ve got something better than that.”

“I ….,” Kurt said uneasily, “I thought Duncan would like it.”

“You were trying to impress Duncan?”

“I guess,” Kurt admitted.

“I’m really disappointed in you,” Logan told him frankly. “You broke our trust in you for nothing. You stole from me, you lied to Hank, you could have gotten Magnus’ club shut down, and worst of all, you and Duncan could have been killed.”

“I know,” Kurt said. “One bad idea after another.”

“You’re not a stupid kid, Kurt, but this whole thing was stupid and unnecessary. And you’re going to find out just how much so right now.” His father met his eyes. “As I told Lance last night, multiple offenses mean a different degree of punishment, and I’ll give you the same choice I gave him; twenty with my hand or ten with the belt. Both bare.”

Kurt swallowed. He wanted to choose the unmentioned number three – neither of the above – but knew that wasn’t going to be an option. He’d never been spanked with a belt before, but hand-spanking had always been bad enough. He didn’t want to think about getting _twenty_ whacks. It would mean being exposed and uncomfortable for twice as long, too.

“Time’s up,” Logan said. “Which will it be?”

“I – I guess the belt,” Kurt said reluctantly.

Logan kept his expression carefully schooled. “All right.” He unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops, doubling it. Kurt didn’t wait for his father to tell him to strip, but while unfastening his pants and threading his tail through those and his underwear, he couldn’t take his eyes off the belt. How much would it hurt? Had he made a mistake in asking for that instead of extra hand spanks?

Kurt was so deep in thought, he didn’t realize he was ready for punishment until Logan took hold of his wrist and pulled him across his knees. Instinctively, the muscles in his tail pressed it between his legs in anticipation of what was coming.

“Kurt,” Logan said warningly. “You know better than that.”

“Sorry,” he murmured, and had to reach back to physically move his long tail out of the way, not sure he could relax the muscles deliberately and make it move itself. Drawing it against his side exposed his vulnerable blue bottom.

There was an instant where he thought he heard a whistle, then ….

PAIN.

Kurt screamed.

*

Lance looked up sharply from where he was doing his homework in his room.

“Stupid kid,” Lance remarked and turned back to his books. “He chose the belt.”

*

Todd jumped upon hearing Kurt. He was in the hallway, outside Longshot’s room, so the sound easily reached him. “Remind me never to take the hairy dude’s beer,” he murmured to no one but himself. He looked at Longshot’s closed door again and tried to work up the nerve to knock. He wanted to offer some comfort to the blonde mutant, especially if he was feeling anything like Kurt sounded right now. He winced as another anguished cry was heard. It was enough to stop his hesitation – he didn’t want to hear any more of _that_. He knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Todd ventured inside. Longshot was unpacking, and looked pretty healthy to him. He breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. “Hey there!”

“Hi Todd!” Longshot smiled back at him. “How was school?”

“It was okay, but I was worried about you.” He went over to him. God, he was so beautiful. How could someone so gorgeous exist? “Uh, how are you feeling?”

“I’m fine, thank you,” Longshot said and hung up a pair of pants. “Magnus spanked me.”

Todd’s eyes widened a little. “And you’re _fine_?”

The other boy laughed. “Well, I wasn’t fine earlier, but I heal pretty fast. Besides, the worst part wasn’t the pain, it was Magnus being mad enough at me to _do_ it – does that make sense?”

“Sure it does, yo,” Todd told him. “That’s a very mature observation.”

Longshot grinned. “Thanks. I’m going to try really hard not to do anything bad again so he won’t have to spank me anymore. I didn’t like it. He didn’t, either.”

“All you can do is your best,” Todd said. He was quiet for a moment, then had to ask, “How did things go with Wanda?”

“She got spanked before me,” Longshot said. “I guess it was all planned ahead of time so she couldn’t hurt anyone, and she didn’t. I had to help, sort of. I just hope she doesn’t hate me.” He gave Todd a sheepish look. “I haven’t had the nerve to go see her yet.”

“I don’t blame you, man,” Todd told him with a shudder.

*

“Wanda?” Magnus knocked on his daughter’s bedroom door and waited. It had been hours since her spanking, and he hoped she’d have cooled off by now.

“Leave me alone,” her voice came back. “Please.”

He’d wanted to offer her some comfort, but it seemed she still wasn’t ready. At least she hadn’t thrown a hex bolt at the door in reply. She’d even said ‘please’, which indicated to him that he’d managed to impress a little something about proper behavior into her. It didn’t stop him from being concerned, though.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll come back a little later.”

Pietro peeked around the edge of the stairs and watched his father walk away. He studied Wanda’s door thoughtfully, then made a decision.



part 103

Kurt cried out as another crack of his father’s belt landed on his fur-covered bottom. “F-Father, stop _please_!” he begged tearfully, squirming and kicking desperately. “I can’t take it anymore – AHHHH!” he screamed as he was struck again.

Logan hated having to punish Kurt like this, but he’d given him no choice. The last thing he wanted was to find out his little elf had been killed in a drunk driving accident, and he was going to make damned sure it never happened. He ignored his son’s tears and pleas for mercy and delivered several more cracks of the belt to Kurt’s tender backside.

Kurt was sobbing uncontrollably when Logan finished giving him the last and final tenth spank. He put the belt aside and pulled Kurt gently to his feet and embraced him tightly.

“I love you, Elf,” he murmured as he stroked the boy’s hair. “The thought of you being mangled in a car wreck tears me up. I can’t let you do stupid things that will get you killed, you understand?”

Kurt nodded, his sobs subsiding a little. He said something through his hiccupping and sniffling that sounded vaguely like, “I’m sorry.”

“I know you are.” Logan rubbed his back. “But don’t just be sorry, be smart. Don’t do anything like this again. You might not be so lucky next time.” He moved aside and helped Kurt stretch out on his bed on his stomach. He leaned down and kissed the top of his son’s head, then left the room. Kurt wiped his eyes on his pillowcase and sighed in misery, wondering how Duncan was doing and if he’d still have a boyfriend left when his mother was through.

*

I’m not nervous, Duncan told himself. I’m not.

Mystique closed the library door and turned to face him.

Okay, I’m nervous, he admitted internally.

“Duncan, I’m going to make this easy on you and not waste a lot of time on small talk. We both know why you’re here, anyway.” She moved aside. “Face the desk, take your pants and underwear down and brace yourself.”

Duncan followed Mystique’s instructions, feeling his face heat up as he bared his backside for her. The only thing that kept him from telling her to forget the whole thing were thoughts of Kurt, and how he was being punished in his room. If he could take this, he’d have earned the respect of his boyfriend’s parents. It wasn’t something that used to matter to him, in previous relationships, but this was Kurt, and he really wanted it to work out. He braced his hands on the desk and wondered just how much this would hurt.

*WHACK!*

OUCH! Yeah, about that much ….

Mystique walloped Duncan’s bare bottom evenly and methodically. She kept count of the spanks – she’d promised him ten and that was all he would get. She spanked him as she would any of the other kids at the Institute. She knew she had a heavy hand – Kurt and Rogue had told her that ruefully enough before – and it seemed sufficient enough to make Duncan’s skin a bright red and draw grunts of pain from him.

It _hurts_, Duncan thought, and he knew he was starting to leak some tears. Only partly was it because of the pain and embarrassment. Mostly it was because he knew Kurt was enduring even worse suffering due to the emotions involved. Kurt really loved his parents, and having Logan angry with him was probably bad enough without any punishment. Duncan couldn’t even imagine what that was like. He hoped he’d get to see Kurt before he left and assure him that he was all right.

“Okay, Duncan, we’re done,” Mystique told him.

He drew a shaky breath, grateful that it was over and he’d survived it without falling completely apart. He got dressed in silence and turned to go, but felt a hand touch his shoulder. He was then surprised when Mystique, Kurt’s mother, aka Principal Darkholme, gave him a hug.

“You’re a brave young man, Duncan,” she told him. “I hope your parents appreciate what they have in you.” She drew back and put her blue hands on either side of his face. “You’re welcome here _anytime_, all right? For any reason, not just to see Kurt. But on that subject, I think he’s very lucky to be dating you.”

Duncan’s mouth was dry. He’d hoped for respect, but hadn’t expected this. “Thank you,” he managed to say. “I think _I’m_ the lucky one.”

Mystique smiled and patted his back. “I don’t know if he’ll want to see anyone right now, but I can check for you, if you want.”

“Please?” Duncan asked. She nodded and motioned him to follow her as she left the library.

*

Wanda was out on her balcony when she heard the knock at her door. She was all set to yell at her father to go away again when Pietro walked in. She spun around, furious.

“You knock and then just barge in?!” she exclaimed. “Why bother knocking at all?!”

“To let you _know_ I was about to barge in.” Pietro glanced around to make sure Wanda’s power wasn’t about to bring down the ceiling on him or send blunt instruments his way. When he turned back to Wanda, he saw that she looked like hell. Her heavy makeup had run like she’d been crying, and hadn’t bothered to clean herself up. “Wanda,” he began,” I’m really sorry – “

“Spare me your pity,” she cut him off. “You don’t know how I feel.”

Pietro gave her an incredulous look. “Are you kidding?! You watched Scott spank me, remember?!”

“That’s not the same!” Wanda snapped.

“Head goes down, butt goes up, hand hits butt – sounds the same to me,” Pietro replied. “You’re just mad because they proved your power can’t save you here.”

“I’m not mad!” Wanda protested. “I’m just … surprised.” She shrugged. “He got me, okay? I’m sure he feels very smug about it.”

“I don’t care how he feels,” Pietro said frankly. “I care how _you_ feel. You’re my twin sister.”

“That didn’t stop you from letting him lock me away.”

“I was a little kid!” Pietro yelled. “And he dumped _me_ right after that! He only came back when he wanted something from me!” He drew a deep breath. “Please, Wanda? We’re living here together now – can’t we be friends?”

“Why do you _want_ to?” she asked finally. “You just said he dumped you – and when he finally got me out, he kept me with him, but didn’t keep you. Why don’t you hate me for that?”

“Because if he’d snapped his fingers I’d have licked his shoes,” Pietro admitted. “I’d have done _anything_ for him just to have his attention. It’s not your fault he never loved me. Why should I blame you?”

“He never loved me, either,” Wanda murmured.

“He does now,” Pietro said. “At least that’s what he says.”

“You think he loves you, too?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Pietro admitted. “Doesn’t much matter anymore. Mystique and Logan love me.” He went over to stand in front of her. “But it does matter to me if _you_ care or not. We were so close when we were children, Wanda ….” He bit his lip. “Is hate all you feel for me now?”

Her blue-grey eyes held his matching ones until she finally looked away. He took a chance and stepped even closer.

“I still love you, Wanda,” he said, his voice catching.

He saw her squeeze her eyes shut.

“Wanda?” he said tentatively. “Please … say something.”

“I … I ….” She clenched her fists, still avoiding his eyes.

“No one is going to make fun of you if you stop being hostile,” he promised. “Least of all me.” He slowly reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at the contact and looked at him. Her eyes were moist.

Pietro decided he may as well risk life and limb once and for all. He stepped forward and embraced his twin for the first time in five years.

Wanda stiffened and Pietro felt a shift somewhere in the air as if her power was activating.

But nothing happened, and after a few moments he felt Wanda relax in his arms. “Pietro,” she said quietly, “I ….”

“Ssh,” he soothed, rocking her gently. “You don’t have to say it.”

She hugged him back wordlessly.


part 104

Magnus sat down in the deck chair beside Charles and passed him some iced tea. It was a nice, clear evening and the weather was warm enough for the children to all decide to go swimming in the backyard pool. The adults had gone in earlier, and cleared out to make way for the thundering herd. Now they lounged at poolside, watching the kids enjoy themselves and eating the barbecued hamburgers and hot dogs Hank was producing.

“Wanda and Longshot have fit in rather nicely,” the Professor remarked, watching Todd playfully chase Longshot around the pool. At the other end, Pietro was splashing Wanda at superspeed as she flailed her arms, finally hexing her twin right out of the pool.

“There’s still a way to go with Wanda,” Magnus said. “She only hangs around with Pietro and Longshot unless either of them draws her in with a group.”

“It will come with time – it’s only been a few days,” Charles said. “How is she behaving with you?”

“She hasn’t been mouthy lately,” Magnus said. “She’s still holding most of herself back from me, but she hasn’t been hostile. Believe me, that’s a big improvement in our relationship.”

“All of the children have recovered well from the incident with the beer,” Hank remarked as he flipped a burger.

“Yes, even Kurt has bounced back from those thousand lines you had him write for lying to you.” Mystique grinned at Hank. “The same day I spanked his hands, at that!”

Hank smiled back, showing his fangs. “Writing ‘I shall not tell falsehoods to my esteemed instructors’ one thousand times was good, but his having sore hands to start with was an added bonus. I don’t think young Kurt will be lying again anytime soon.”

“Now if we could just coax some truth out of Kitty.” Mystique pointed out, leaning back against Logan on a deck chair. “She’s still grounded.”

“Yeah, and she and Lance are both starting to go a little stir crazy,” Logan remarked. “He won’t go out because _she_ can’t.”

“A romantic, noble soul is our Lance,” Hank stated.

“’Stubborn’ is more like it, Hank,” Logan replied. “He still won’t say anything about where they were that night. Neither will she.”

“But you think it was a beach?” Magnus asked.

“We’re pretty sure of it,” Mystique said. “A secluded one, no doubt.”

“And the other kids know Kitty is grounded until we learn the truth,” Logan said. “But if any of them know about the beach, they aren’t speaking up to help her.”

“I’ve noticed a couple of people speaking up lately in ways they shouldn’t,” Mystique mentioned. “Scott and Jean have been getting into a lot of arguments with Lance and Kitty. I’ve had complaints from teachers about all of them, and I’ve broken up more than one verbal skirmish here.”

“I, as well,” Hank admitted. “They generally stop once caught, but there’s an undercurrent simmering that bodes ill.”

“Yes,” the Professor agreed. He watched Scott swim lazily around the pool, pausing to chat with Remy for a moment. It disappointed him that Scott couldn’t seem to get along with Lance and vice versa, but at least they hadn’t come to blows again.

*

Kitty sighed as she climbed out of the pool to sit on the edge. Even swimming was no fun anymore. She was tired of being stuck at the mansion, and it was only worse now that the weekend was starting. She wanted to be able to go dancing at Mutations or to the mall or to the cove.

Would they ever be able to go to the cove again? Not likely, since she would probably be in the mansion the rest of her life.

Lance swam over to her and rested his folded arms on her knees. “Are you okay? You’re frowning.”

“I’m just tired of being grounded,” she admitted. “It’s been _forever_, and now it’s the weekend! I wanted to go out with you.”

“Same here,” Lance said. He glanced over at Pietro and Todd. “I’ll go talk to the guys right now and see if they wouldn’t mind my telling the adults about the cove.”

“Thanks.” Kitty smiled in relief.

Lance grinned and kissed her knee before swimming off toward Todd. Kitty blushed.

“When are you going to get yourself off the hook?”

Kitty turned, startled out of her reverie by Jean, who was treading water below her. “What do you mean?” she asked warily, afraid she already knew the answer. Jean had been bugging her all week, putting Lance down and suggesting he wasn’t worth getting in trouble for. She was fed up to the teeth with it.

“Come on, Kitty, you know what I mean,” Jean said gently. Oh sure, Kitty thought sourly, she acts like she’s my friend, but how can she be when she dislikes Lance so much?

“Jean, just lay off, okay? You and Scott have been at us all week. Lance was punished already – it’s not fair to keep bugging him.”

“But you’re being punished, too, and that isn’t fair at all,” Jean said. “Why won’t you tell where you were unless you’re protecting Lance, and
he doesn’t deserve it. He could have gotten you killed.”

Kitty put her hands over her ears. “I’m tired of listening to this!”

“Well, you _should_ listen!” Jean insisted. “Kitty, you could do so much better than Lance. He’s never going to change, he proved that this week!”

The younger girl gritted her teeth. “Stop it, Jean, I mean it.”

“No, I won’t! I care too much about you to see you get hurt by him. Kitty, he _stole_ from Logan, sneaked you out of the house to some secret
place, drank beer and then drove home! Honey, you’re lucky he didn’t try to force you into sex while he was drunk and you were alone – “

Kitty slapped Jean soundly across the face. All the noise the other kids were making suddenly stopped, and they and the adults stared in the girls’ direction. Jean blinked twice, then her green eyes narrowed and she gave Kitty a telekinetic push that threw her back several feet.

“KITTY!” Lance cried and swam like mad for the pool ladder. Scott called out to Jean, but she was already scrambling out of the pool just as Kitty recovered and leapt for her.

“Whoo-hoo, chick fight!” Pietro grinned, obviously enjoying it. Rogue elbowed him sharply.

“Girls!” Professor Xavier was shouting just as Logan yelled out, “HEY!” Mystique was on her feet and running toward them, but Hank was faster. In one bound, he landed beside the combatants and pulled them apart none-too-gently. Mystique grabbed Lance as he tried to reach them and held him back.

“This is NOT the way for young ladies to behave!” Hank told the two girls.

“SHE started it!” they both accused.

“Kitty hit Jean first!” Scott called out.

“Scott, we don’t need your help,” Logan warned him.

“Who cares?!” Lance shot back at Scott. “She wouldn’t have done it without being provoked!” Mystique gave him a little shake, still holding him back from the girls.

The Professor moved closer to the scene. “Girls,” he said sternly, “start explaining, please. Kitty, why did you strike Jean?”

Kitty pressed her lips together, glaring at the redhead.

Hank looked surprised that the girl would refuse to answer the Professor. “Katherine,” he said firmly, “answer him.”

“She was saying things,” she muttered. “I don’t want to repeat them.”

“Jean?” the Professor queried.

She folded her arms. “I was only trying to help her.”

“In what way?”

Jean looked over at Kitty. “I was telling her that Lance is no good for her. I’ve been telling her that all week. And it’s the truth, Professor.” She glared in Lance’s direction. “He hasn’t changed at all since moving in here. He’s still a punk who doesn’t care who gets hurt as long as he gets what he wants.”

“That’s not true!” Kitty protested angrily, and Hank had to hold her back from attacking Jean again. “He’s a wonderful guy! You just don’t know him like I do!”

“You’re blind where he’s concerned!” Jean snapped. “You’re ignoring the trouble he gets into just because he’s handsome! Wake up, Kitty, before he hurts you or gets you killed!”

“He wouldn’t DO that!” Kitty yelled back, hot tears of anger spilling over. “He’d never hurt me, he’s PROTECTING me! He hasn’t done anything wrong at all, it was all MY fault!”

“What are you saying, Half-Pint?” Logan asked, frowning. “I was there when you two got home that night – are you saying his stealing beer and drinking and driving isn’t wrong?”

“NO! I’m saying he didn’t do it!” she declared and looked over at Lance apologetically. “I’m sorry, Lance, I can’t do it anymore. I can’t let everyone think you’re so terrible when it’s really _me_ who’s the criminal!”

“Kitty,” he said softly, looking as if he might cry himself.

She turned toward the Professor determinedly. “It was all my doing,” she said quickly, as if someone might stop her. “I took the beer and gave it to Lance – he didn’t even know I’d done it until then. He refused to drink it and wouldn’t let me, either. When we came home, he took one swallow and spilled it all over himself to make himself look guilty and to cover up my scent on the cans.” A sob caught in her throat. “He took all the blame to keep me from being spanked – please don’t be angry with him, it was all MY fault!”

Mystique looked at Lance. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” he admitted. He went over to Kitty and hugged her, rubbing her back soothingly.

“I’m sorry, Lance,” she murmured into his chest. “I’m so sorry ….”

“It’s okay,” he said. “I shouldn’t have asked you to lie, you’re too honest.”

“Too bad that’s not a trait of yours, Lancelot,” Mystique said wryly. “Chivalry is admirable, but you know damn well that lying is wrong.”

“If I have to be spanked again for lying, okay,” Lance said, although his voice shook slightly. “But please don’t spank Kitty.”

“Why should she be exempt when she does something wrong?” Hank asked.

“She shouldn’t,” Professor Xavier said firmly. “Kitty and Lance, you two go to the Library. Jean, to your room.”

“Me?!” Jean squeaked. “But -- !”

“You heard the man, Red,” Logan warned. “Don’t make it worse.”

“Perhaps she would prefer the matter is settled right here,” Magnus said casually.

Jean’s eyes widened. “I’m going,” she said, and hastily made for the mansion. Scott got out of the pool and started after her.

“Scott,” the Professor said, “no.”

The young man stopped and gave a heavy sigh. Everyone watched Lance and Kitty head inside.

“All of you kids stay out here until we get back. That’s an order,” Logan said. “Scott, man the barbecue and keep a lid on things.”

The adults headed inside.



part 105

Hank noticed that Jean’s jaw had a stubborn set to it when he entered her room. “Hello, Jean,” he said. “I volunteered to come see you because of our last private conversation when you lost your temper and nearly hurt Kurt.”

She looked confused. “What does that have to do with this?”

“You don’t noticed a similarity?” Hank asked. “You threw your power at Kitty out there. She scraped up the backs of her legs on the cement.”

“She _hit_ me!” Jean exclaimed. “It was a self-defense reaction!”

Hank’s expression was stern. “A physical reaction might have been expected, although still not recommended. However, there is no excuse for using your power against your teammate outside of training sessions. You know the rules.” He shook his head. “I feared I had made a mistake when I let you off the first time after you attacked Kurt. I can’t let it pass this time. Stand up.”

Jean’s mouth fell open. “Oh, Hank … no … please ….”

“Come now, Jean,” Hank said reasonably. “You broke the rules, and I suspect you’ve been provoking Kitty as well. Both you and Scott have been rather vocal with your opinions lately.”

“Well, how were we supposed to know what really happened?” she asked. “Lance _wanted_ us to think he was bad!”

“Yes, but it’s really none of your business whom Kitty goes out with or what she and Lance do. You leave those concerns to us. Now let’s get his unpleasantness over with, shall we?”

Jean stood up, not believing this was really about to happen. It was hard to continue with that disbelief when Hank took her under his massive arm and bent her over, then began swatting her backside with his gigantic hand. She was only wearing a bathing suit, and it did nothing to protect her from the stinging impact that soon had her dancing in place trying to wriggle free.

“Ahhh!” she cried. “Hank, stop – OW!”

“I’m sorry, Jean,” he said, but continued the punishing assault on her bottom until he’d counted ten spanks. He released her and she straightened up, both hands on her backside, glaring at him accusingly through moist green eyes.

“Don’t look at me that way, young lady,” he cautioned. “You openly broke one of the rules and it isn’t the first time. You deserved what you just got.”

“But I was practically naked!” she complained, wiping her eyes. “I know that Kurt and Rogue have been spanked with clothes on before, it isn’t fair!”

“Spanking Rogue without something between your hand and her skin would prove detrimental to the discipline process, as the spanker would be out cold after the first blow,” Hank replied. “As a result, she usually ends up either clothed, or experiencing a hairbrush on her bottom.”

“I don’t think I deserved that many, either,” Jean groused. She knew she was pushing her luck, but couldn’t keep quiet about the injustice of it all. “Kitty hit me first. Is she getting that many?”

Hank sighed. “It was only ten, Jean. Lance received twenty for what he claimed to have done a few days ago, and Kurt’s ten were administered with a belt. You got off lightly.”

The pout on her pretty face said she felt differently, and Hank began to wonder at their discipline practices lately. Maybe Jean had a point, and there should be a bit more uniformity to things so the children would know what to expect. He decided he would speak to the others about it once their own disagreeable business was concluded.

*

Professor Xavier, Magnus, Logan and Mystique listened silently as Lance and Kitty again recounted the truth of what happened the night the beer went missing. Kitty was already crying by the time they finished.

“I didn’t _want_ Lance to take the blame – I wish he hadn’t, because now he’s in trouble for trying to protect me,” she sniffled.

“I talked Kitty into going along with it,” Lance said. “Don’t blame her for the lying, okay?”

“Believe it or not, Lance, you’re not impossible to say ‘no’ to,” Mystique told him. “She shouldn’t have gone along with it.”

“What happens now?” Kitty asked reluctantly.

“What do you think, Half-Pint?” Logan replied. “Lance got a good spanking for what _you_ did. You’re gonna get exactly the same thing.”

“No!” Lance protested. “Logan, you can’t! Mine was for multiple offenses – you gave me more than usual!”

“She made the same multiple offenses, Lancelot, except for driving home, but she would have let YOU drive both of you home when she gave you the beer.” Logan shook his head. “It isn’t gonna kill her, she won’t even bruise, I promise.”

Kitty wiped her eyes, but the tears kept coming. She was afraid now. “You aren’t going to spank me _here_ are you?” she asked miserably.

“No, we’ll go to your room,” Logan said.

“What about me?” Lance asked scuffing his shoe on the carpet, avoiding Logan’s gaze. “I lied to you.”

“Yeah, you did,” Logan said sternly. “And you know how I feel about that.” He folded his arms. “But you already got punished for something you didn’t do. I guess we can count that as your punishment for the lie.”

Kitty gave Lance a watery smile. She was relieved about that. He couldn’t smile back – he was too worried about her own upcoming punishment.

“Before you go,” Professor Xavier said, “there’s still the matter of where you two were that night. And this time we expect a straight answer.”

Lance and Kitty exchanged a look. “Okay,” Lance said finally, “I’ll tell you. It’s a private cove – a little secluded beach. It’s something the boys and I found. I’ll show you where it is, if you want.”

“Thank you, Lance,” the Professor said. “For your safety, yes, we would like to know where it is. Further, we’ll have to ask that no fewer than three of you visit this spot at a time.”

Kitty wiped her eyes and sighed. So much for anymore romantic encounters on the beach.

“Come on, kid,” Logan motioned to her. “Let’s go to your room.”

Kitty stood up. Lance caught her hand and she looked at him. He gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, his expression sad. “I wish things had been different,” he said.

“I know,” she said, smiling softly. “You’d have protected me forever, no matter what the cost to you. But this is for the best – I really do feel better now.”

“Yeah, but you haven’t gone upstairs with Logan yet.” Lance sighed.

Logan put a hand on Kitty’s shoulder and steered her toward the door. She looked back at Lance, who waved goodbye morosely.

*

“This bites,” Pietro complained as he finished off his hot dog. “We’re agreed we want to go to the club tonight, but only one of us can drive and none of us has a car? Sheesh!”

“An’ Lance isn’t gonna wanna take us by the time the grown-ups are finished with him,” Rogue said with regret as she sat back in the deck chair.

“So far we’ve got Wanda coming with us, and she’s dragging Longshot, and Todd decided he wanted to go after he heard that – think we can get Scott to drive us all there?” Pietro said.

“No,” Scott replied from where he stood at the nearby barbecue.

“He is too worried about Jeanne, I t’ink,” Remy whispered.

“Probably right,” Rogue remarked, then sat up. “Hey, here come the adults.”

Professor Xavier, Mystique, and Magnus came out onto the patio. “Why all the long faces over here?” Magnus inquired as he took a seat.

“Oh, we want to go to Mutations and don’t have a ride,” Pietro complained, pouting.

“I’ll take you,” Magnus offered. “I haven’t been there for a while myself – I’m sure there’s paperwork that demands my attention.”

Pietro looked surprised. “Uh, sure. Thanks.”

“All right!” Rogue cheered. “We’re goin’ dancin’, boys!”

“You hear dat?” Remy called over to the others in the pool. “Wanda, your father is giving us a ride to de club!”

"Yippee!” Longshot cheered. “Thanks, Magnus!”

The black-haired girl looked over at her father briefly, then glanced at Todd. “YOU still going?” she demanded.

“You betcha, yo!” he said with a mischievous grin.

“Great.” Wanda rolled her eyes. It was going to be one crappy evening.



part 106

Kitty felt like she was going to faint, she was so scared. Logan was going to spank her, and Logan’s spankings had been known to bring seventeen-year-old BOYS to tears – what hope did _she_ have?

Of course, she was crying already, anyway.

Logan looked over at Kitty as he closed the door. The kid looked so frightened – she was pale and wide-eyed, her breath coming in short gasps. The crying wasn’t helping with that, but he had to ignore it all and get down to business.

“Over here, Half-Pint,” he told her, and sat down on her bed. “Pants and underwear down and then over my lap.”

A sob caught in Kitty’s throat, but she didn’t argue. Lance had gone through this for her, after all. She pushed her pants and undies down, her face going from white to red very quickly. “How many times did you hit Lance?” she asked softly, maneuvering herself across his knees. God, this was embarrassing! How did Lance, with HIS pride, ever stand it?

“He got twenty with the hand – chose it over ten with the belt,” Logan said. “Guess you’ve got something else to be grateful to him for.” He gave Kitty’s bare bottom a solid whack.

It was the first of too many as far as Kitty was concerned, and in between the pain and humiliation, there were more tears. Not so much for herself, but for Lance, and how he’d endured this very punishment on her behalf.

Logan was impressed with how Kitty took the spanking. She cried, yes, but she’d been doing that since the Library. What he noticed was that she didn’t beg for release or leniency. She squirmed when the pain grew too great to lay still, but she didn’t plead or fight to escape.

“Okay, kid,” he finally said, standing her up and letting her dress before giving her a warm hug. “You did real well. I’m proud of you.”

“Th -Thanks,” she sniffled. “It hurts ….”

“Yeah, well, it’s supposed to. The pain is to remind and stop you from ever doing anything so stupid again.” He pulled her back and met her eyes. “NO drinking, understand?”

She nodded. “Y-Yes.”

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll leave you alone then.” He rubbed her hair and headed for the door. “Want me to keep Lance away?” he asked.

“No,” she said, then reconsidered. “Well, maybe for a little while.” She gave him a rueful grin. “I need to cool down my butt first.”

Logan chuckled and left.

*

Scott knocked on Jean’s bedroom door with his right hand, holding a mug of tea in his left. He hadn’t gone up to her right away, figuring from his own experience that she may not want company immediately. Now that most of the other kids were gone, it was probably as good a time as any. “Jean?” he said tentatively. “It’s Scott.”

“Come in.”

He did. The beautiful redhead was in the doorway to the balcony. “Hi,” she said, and looked at the mug in his hand. “Is that for me?”

“Yes.” He gave it to her. “Um …,” he blushed, “how do you feel?”

“Still angry and embarrassed. And sore, let’s not forget that.” She sipped the tea. “I think Hank overdid it, considering Kitty hit me first.”

“How many did you get?” Scott asked, then added hastily, “Uh, if you don’t want to tell me – “

“It’s okay,” she said softly, her face turning pink. “He struck me ten times, and I was still wearing just the bathing suit then. It hurt, Scott.”

“I’ll _bet_ it did!” Scott said indignantly. “Ten on a wet bathing suit? That _had_ to hurt! And trust me, I know Hank’s hand covers the entire butt in one swat.”

“I don’t think it’s fair,” Jean said. “I’m going to complain to the Professor.”

“I’ll back you up,” he offered. She smiled radiantly at him in gratitude.

*

I can’t believe I let Pietro talk me into this, Wanda groused in silence as she and the others followed Magnus into Mutations. Yeah, she liked the club, and yeah, she liked going there with Longshot. She didn’t even mind going with
Pietro. But he was bringing his ‘dates’, and Todd was making himself a sixth wheel. Then, of course, there was having to show up with her father.

At least _that_ meant no waiting in line.

The club was as busy as usual, with young mutants milling around dancing, talking and eating. She turned to say something to Longshot, only to find that Todd was already dragging him out on the dance floor. The nerve of that little green jerk!

Pietro noticed, too, and looked at her apologetically. “Sorry, Wanda,” he said.

“How can you be friends with that creep?” she asked, frowning. “He’s ugly and stinks, and – “

“Hey, he _is_ my friend, okay?” Pietro said. “Anyway, he smells a whole lot better than he used to – he actually bathes more than once a month now. And he may not look like Longshot, but I wouldn’t call him ugly – “

“Speaking of Longshot, _what_ does he see in him?!” Wanda exclaimed. “He’s naïve, but surely he can tell a troll when he’s with one!”

“Wanda!” Pietro laughed. “Stop it! Longshot still loves you as much as he ever did!”

She pouted and looked over to where the pretty blonde boy was apparently having a great time with Todd. “I’m starting to wonder if he ever _did_ love me as more than a friend or pseudo-sister.”

“I don’t think he understands love like we do yet,” Pietro admitted.

“Hey, Pietro!” Remy called. “Come here! Rogue an’ I want to dance wit’ you!”

“Go ahead,” Wanda told him. “Your boyfriend … AND your girlfriend, are waiting.”

“Okay,” Pietro said. “But you save me a dance, too.” He kissed her cheek and sped off. Wanda went to one of the tables off the dance floor and sat down.

It wasn’t long before she figured out that watching other people have fun wasn’t much fun for _her_. Especially when one of those people was Todd. She decided to go find her father in the back and tell him she was taking a cab home. She had just stood up when she heard a musical voice with an interesting accent.

“Hey, mate, you don’t have to give me the once over – you know me well enough!”

Wanda looked in the direction of the front door. The bouncer was nodding at a girl as she passed by him and danced down the stairs into the club. She was easily the most beautiful girl Wanda had ever seen. Long, sun-kissed blonde hair bounced against her back and bright blue eyes surveyed the room with anticipation. She had a healthy, vibrant glow about her, like she spent a lot of time outdoors. And she had the figure of a goddess -- or a Playboy bunny.

Wanda tried to swallow, but found she had no spit.

The angel-come-to-Earth continued across the floor until her gaze fell on Wanda, who couldn’t turn her eyes away to save her life. A smile that would light up New York spread across the newcomer’s face as she looked back at Wanda curiously. “G’day, luv. Is there something I can do for you?”

Marry me, Wanda thought, then forcibly shook herself out of the daze. “Uh, um, no. That is, uh, I – I’m sorry for staring.” Wanda wanted to kick herself – she was NEVER like this!

If possible, the other girl’s smile grew brighter. “Hey, I know you! Aren’t you the owner’s daughter?”

She knows me! Wanda felt an unreasonable thrill shoot through her. Then she realized that if this girl knew her, they must have both been here at the same time on another occasion. How could she have MISSED her?! “Yes!” she said suddenly. “I am! That is, he is … my father, that is.” Wanda shook her head and tried to get her brain back in gear. She managed a smile that she hoped wasn’t completely dopey-looking. “I’m Wanda Maximoff.”

“Heather Cameron,” the beauty replied. “Nice to meet you!” She looked around. “Are you here with someone? Like that blonde model I saw you with last time?”

“Who?” Wanda said. “Oh! Longshot!” She glanced toward the dance floor where he and Todd were holding hands and swinging each other around. “He’s here, but … we’re not exactly … together.”

Heather followed her gaze. “I see,” she said knowingly, then turned back to Wanda. “How’s about you and I give it a go, huh?” She winked. “I came alone myself, hoping to find a dancing partner. I didn’t expect to find such a cute one so quickly, though.”

There went the spit again. Wanda managed a nod in response, and Heather grabbed her hand.

“Great, let’s go!”

Next thing Wanda knew, she was on the dance floor with the girl of her dreams. She reminded herself to kiss Pietro later for talking her into coming, and maybe her father, too, for starting the club where they met.



part 107

“Professor?” Scott said as he peered into the Library.

Professor Xavier was there alone, writing something at his desk. He looked up. “Yes, Scott. _And_ Jean. Come in.”

The kids exchanged a sheepish glance. Jean had been behind Scott, and out of sight, but of course the Professor would know she was there. They entered the room.

“What can I do for you?” the Professor asked, folding his hands.

“Professor,” Jean said, “I’m sure you know what Hank did to me – “

“I do,” the bald man said with a nod.

“Well, it’s our opinion that what he did wasn’t fair,” she continued.

“The fact that he spanked you for wrongdoing wasn’t fair?”

“The _way_ he spanked her wasn’t fair,” Scott said firmly. “He hit her ten times on a wet bathing suit -- that’s the same as not wearing anything, and she didn’t deserve that.”

“What _do_ you think you deserved, Jean?” the Professor asked.

“Well,” she folded her arms, “I certainly don’t think I deserved to be nearly naked when others get spanked with pants on.”

“She’s right, Professor,” Scott said. “A bathing suit isn’t any kind of protection. And it was her first spanking here – I think a little leniency – “

“So when Remy lied to Logan he should have received leniency because that was his first spanking here?”

“Not exactly,” Scott said uneasily. “But … um ….”

“Well, don’t worry, children,” the Professor said. “We share your concerns for equality and consistency, and are taking steps to ensure both as we speak.”

“Okay,” Jean said uncertainly. “Thanks for listening.”

“You’re welcome.” He smiled at them warmly and went back to writing his notes. The kids walked out slowly.

“What do you think _that_ was all about?” Jean asked.

“I have no idea,” Scott admitted. “But I guess we’ll find out.”

*

Pietro laughed as Remy swung him around, then he swung Rogue himself. They were all having a great time.

“Ah love this place!” Rogue declared. “No wonder Kurt always wants to come here now!”

“After de beer stunt, he is lucky Magnus lets him come at all,” Remy remarked.

“Yeah, but he was punished in spades, Magnus knows that.” Rogue eyed Pietro. “How are ya doing about yer father being around the past week? Ya haven’t said much about it.”

Pietro shrugged. “Not much to say. We’re semi-sorta-kinda tolerating each other, I guess.”

“He might like to talk to you in depth, mon chere, if you give him de chance,” Remy pointed out.

“But why?” Pietro said. “I can deal with him being around – I’ve _been_ dealing with it. I just don’t need to open up a can of emotional worms, you know?”

“I t’ink you will have to talk to him sometime,” Remy commented. “Living in de same house, t’ings will get tense otherwise.”

“He’s right,” Rogue said. “It wouldn’t kill ya to talk to him alone for a few minutes.”

“It wouldn’t change anything, either,” Pietro argued. “Come on, you guys, don’t ruin my good mood.”

Rogue sighed and looked over at Wanda, dancing with a girl she didn’t know. “Well, it looks like yer sister is having a great time!”

“Yeah, I’ve been keeping an eye on them,” Pietro replied with a grin. “I wouldn’t have guessed that a girl belonging on Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue would be Wanda’s type, but hey, why not?”

“At least she is not glaring holes in Todd’s head anymore,” Remy chuckled.

“Go figure,” Pietro said. “She must really be infatuated with that girl if it’s made her forget Longshot already.” He cocked his head curiously, watching the girls dance. “I wonder what her mutant power is?”

*

“Lifeguard!”

“Huh?” Wanda replied. “What do you mean?”

Heather smiled at her. “You asked me my mutant power, right?”

“Yes, but – “

“That’s it – I’m a lifeguard. That’s my codename, too, by the way. What’s yours?”

Wanda wasn’t sure she understood what Heather meant, but answered her question anyway, “My codename? It’s, uh, Scarlet Witch.” Wanda thought she felt herself blushing. What is _wrong_ with me?! She wondered incredulously. I never blush!

“Scarlet Witch!” Heather exclaimed. “Krikey, that’s sexy!”

Wanda grinned in spite of herself.

“And what does a codename like that indicate to me?” Heather speculated out loud. “Hmm … can you cast actual spells?”

“Well, more like hexes,” Wanda explained. “My power is kind of … unfocused. I affect probabilities. It’s hard to describe, but for a while I couldn’t even control it – it was too strong for me. I’ve gotten more of a handle on it lately.”

“I can’t control my power, either,” Heather told her. “It happens when it’s needed.”

“Sounds sort of like Longshot’s luck,” Wanda said, then realized with a start that it was the first time she’d thought of Longshot since Heather entered the club. She looked around the other dancers and noticed he and Todd laughing together as they did some sort of crazy dance that probably had no formal name. It was hard to suppress the urge to throw a hex in Todd’s direction – she still had no use for Amphibian Boy – but at least she didn’t have to feel guilty for neglecting Longshot while he was having fun with someone else.

“Is something wrong?” Heather asked, following her gaze. “Has he got a new boyfriend then?”

“No,” Wanda said firmly. “He’s just being nice to that guy. I mean, look at him. His codename is Toad for a reason.”

“He’s certainly jumpy!” Heather giggled, watching Todd hop up and down in place. “He’s kind of cute, in an off-beat sort of way.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t see it,” Wanda told her. Not even for Heather would she pretend to like Todd Tolensky. Heather looked at her and smiled in understanding, drawing her a little closer as they swayed to a new, slower-paced song.

“Relax, luv,” she told Wanda. “He’s not my type. _You_ are.”

Wanda saw her father come out of the back area of the club and saw him notice she and Heather right away. Feeling mischievous, she slipped her arms around Heather’s neck and pressed against her.

“There you go.” Heather grinned. “That’s the way to relax.”

Wanda lay her head on Heather’s shoulder, smirking. She was willing to bet her father wasn’t feeling very relaxed right then.



part 108

Kitty glanced over toward Scott and Jean. She thought once it was proven that Lance had nothing to do with the beer being stolen, that they might apologize to him. But so far, it hadn’t happened.

All of the kids were gathered in the Library on Saturday morning after breakfast. Professor Xavier had said there would be an important meeting and attendance was mandatory. The adults had not yet arrived.

Wanda grinned at Pietro as she told him about Heather. She and the beautiful blonde had hung out together at the club all evening.

“And you’re _sure_ Father saw you together?” Pietro asked.

“I made sure of it,” Wanda replied smugly.

“Are you _that_ mad at him still?”

She shrugged. “Maybe not so much. But the opportunity came up, so I did it.”

Pietro grinned. “Yeah, why not?”

Kitty was leaning over toward Jean. “Hey Jean,” she said pointedly, “did you and Scott apologize to Lance yet?”

Jean looked at her in surprise. “What for?”

“For saying terrible things about him all week,” Kitty said.

“Why should we apologize for thinking exactly what he encouraged us to think?” Jean asked. “He should apologize to all of us for all the lying he did!”

Kitty pursed her lips in annoyance, then sat back, arms folded.

“Nice try,” Lance told her.

“Is someone in trouble?” Kurt murmured to Rogue. “Is that why we’re all here? I hope it’s not _me_.”

“Why?” Rogue asked with interest. “Have ya done something lately you could get into trouble for, little brother?”

“No fair asking.” Kurt grinned. “Nah, nothing to worry about, but maybe I did something wrong without realizing it was wrong … or something.”

“Yeah, grownups are funny that way.”

“Hello, children,” the Professor greeted as he and the other adults entered the Library. “I’m sorry if we kept you waiting.”

“That’s all right, Professor,” Scott said. “But what’s this about? Is something wrong?”

“Yes and no,” the Professor said, taking his place behind the desk. “Something _has_ been a problem – you and Jean mentioned it yourselves yesterday – but we believe we’ve found the solution.”

The other adults sat down except for Logan, who remained standing by the desk. The Professor opened a folder and pulled out a small pile of papers, which he handed to Logan. The other man walked over to Scott and gave him the pile. “Pass them on, Shades.”

Scott kept a copy and passed the rest to Jean. One by one the kids gained a copy of the paper for themselves. One by one, they frowned.

“What … is … this?” Jean asked slowly.

“That is a compilation of the new guidelines for family discipline in this household which the five of us have compiled,” the Professor answered.

“We adults each have a copy, but we also have another list, which includes various transgressions and what degree of punishment they merit. I assure you we will all abide by it,” Hank told them. “However, that part which you now possess is for you to review, so that _you_ know what to expect from now on.”

“Why don’t we read them out loud?” Mystique suggested. “Jean, would you read the first one, please?”

The pretty redhead flushed as she consulted her sheet. “’All spankings will be received on bare skin’,” she read.

“There has been some argument in the past as to whether one person’s punishment was worse than another’s because of the lack of clothing,” the Professor said with a hint of reminder in his tone. “That will no longer be an issue.”

“Hey, what about Rogue?” Lance demanded. “You planning on giving extra life insurance to the person who spanks _her_ bare?”

“Who says Ah’ll ever need to get spanked?!” Rogue exclaimed. “Ah ain’t _that_ bad!”

“It’s happened before,” her twin reminded her.

“Not fer a long time!”

“For Rogue, whoever spanks her will be required to wear latex gloves – the thin kind like dentists wear,” Magnus spoke up. “Not bulky enough to interfere or provide extra cushioning for her, and yet just enough to protect the wearer.”

“What about the gecko’s natural cushioning – the fur?” Todd asked. “He’s never totally naked!”

“I can’t GET anymore naked than down to the fur!” Kurt yelled back.

“Kurt’s fur doesn’t really cushion him, Todd,” Mystique said. “It’s not that thick. That’s why we call him ‘fuzzy’ instead of ‘hairy’.”

“Ja, ‘hairy’ would be more like Father,” Kurt said mischievously.

“Wise guy,” Logan growled, but with a smile.

“Kitty,” Mystique said, “will you read the next item on the list, please?”

“Oh, uh, sure,” Kitty looked at the list. “’The number of spanks received will match the child’s age.’”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Wanda asked.

“It means in your case, Wanda, that if you had to be spanked again, you would receive fifteen spanks because you are fifteen years old,” Magnus explained.

Pietro smirked in Scott’s direction. “It also means Leader Boy is gonna be hurting more than the rest of us if he screws up!”

“But so will _Lance_!” Kitty cried.

“I don’t get it,” Scott said frankly. “Why should we older kids get more just _because_ we’re older?”

“Because you’re supposed to be more mature and have learned not to misbehave,” Professor Xavier told him.

“Lance, why don’t you read the next item,” Hank instructed. “Considering what happened to you earlier this week, you might want to remember it.”

Lance exchanged a look with Kitty, then read from the list, “’For multiple offenses, the child will receive their age plus one-half. The extra swats will be administered by an instrument of the child’s choosing – either a belt or hairbrush.’” His brown eyes widened and he stared up at Logan. “You mean I’d get ….”

“Twenty-six swats, nine of which would be with either a belt or a hairbrush – your choice,” he said.

“Hey, seventeen is an odd number! Why choose the high side to increase it by? Why couldn’t it be twenty-five swats?”

“Call it an extra deterrent,” Logan replied.

“Like we’d need _more_?” Scott muttered.

“So I’d get _eight_ extra swats if I do more than one thing wrong?” Kurt gasped. “And those eight would be with a belt or hairbrush?!”

“Some choice,” Rogue remarked sarcastically.

“It’s your choice to do something wrong,” Mystique pointed out to her. “If you do several things wrong at once, there have to be extra penalties.”

Professor Xavier looked at Todd. “Will you read the next one, Todd?”

“Uhhh,” the green-skinned boy studied the list, looking for where they’d left off. “’Non-physical punishment such as extra chores, going to bed early, removal of privileges, grounding, corner time, essays, etc will be given for appropriate transgressions. For example, mouthwashing for swearing. These may also be used in addition to physical punishments when warranted.’” He looked up, wide-eyed. “MOUTHWASHING?!”

All the kids started talking at once.

“Corner time?!” Scott exclaimed. “That can’t mean what I think it does, Professor!”

“Nooo,” Kitty whimpered. “NOT grounding! Anything but that!”

“You can’t be serious about this!” Jean said.

“What exactly _is_ mouthwashing and corner time?” Kurt asked.

“You don’t wanna know, yo!”

“QUIET!” Logan bellowed. Everyone fell silent.

“Thank you, Logan,” the Professor said. “Kurt, mouthwashing is when you are made to take non-toxic soap into your mouth and use it as you would mouthwash. It has proven effective in the past when used for verbal misbehavior such as swearing or lying. Corner time means a child stands in a corner for as long as an adult directs.”

“It’s for _babies_, Professor!” Kitty said.

“Then don’t act like babies and you won’t be treated that way,” Mystique said reasonably.

“Kurt,” Hank said, “I think you should read the next one.”

Kurt consulted his paper. He blushed when he read the next line. “’Hand-spanking with ruler will be used as additional punishment for stealing.’”

“It made an impression on you the first time around,” Mystique said. “Let’s hope there’ll never be a next time.”

“All right, Scott,” the Professor said. “You may read the last one.”

“I’d rather not,” Scott grumbled.

“Scott,” Professor Xavier’s tone took on a hint of warning, “don’t make me repeat myself.”

Scott pouted, but looked at the paper. “’In the case where someone else is hurt, physically or otherwise, by a child’s actions, that person or persons may be present as witness to the child’s punishment.’”

“You mean we’d get spanked in _public_?!” Pietro exclaimed.

“Not in public,” Magnus answered. “In front of the person who was wronged by your actions. It might make some of you think about how what you do can affect others.”

“That makes sense,” Longshot said.

Scott turned to him incredulously. “How can you say that? None of this makes sense!” He got to his feet. “Professor, I can’t believe that you approve of all this!”

“I not only approve of it, Scott, I came up with many of the ideas,” the Professor said. “You were the one who wanted more fairness and consistency in the way discipline is handled here.”

“But … but things are WORSE now!” he protested, shaking the sheet of paper. “And these are unreasonable!”

“We don’t agree,” the Professor replied calmly. “And now that you have all heard the new guidelines, there are no excuses of ignorance accepted.”

Scott glared at him from behind his ruby quartz glasses. He then held the sheet up in front of his line of vision and lifted the glasses slightly. A bright red beam shot from his eyes and lit up the paper. It disintegrated.

“Scott!” Jean gasped. The other kids stared.

“If you were trying to make a point to Jean and I, you made it,” Scott said, bracing his fists on the desk as he leaned over to speak to the Professor. “But don’t penalize _everyone_ for it!”

“Scott,” the Professor said gently, “we’re not doing that. We’re trying to be _fair_ to all of you. Forewarned is forearmed. Now that you know the consequences that could befall you, we’re hoping that you’ll try harder to make smart decisions before you act.”

“That’s bullshit, Professor!” Scott exclaimed. “How can these childish punishments make us more mature and – “ He stopped, sensing the room go still. He looked around. “What?” he asked as everyone, kids and adults, stared at him.

“Speaking of smart decisions, yo,” Todd remarked, shaking his head. “THAT wasn’t one of ‘em.”

“I know that word!” Longshot proclaimed. “I hear the crew use it on the set all the time.”

“It’s a bad word, Longshot,” Magnus told him, although he was watching Scott. “One you are _never_ to use.”

Scott paled, finally realizing what he had done. He put a hand over his mouth and turned back to the Professor. “Sir … I’m sorry. I was just – “

“I know, Scott,” Professor Xavier said, “but being upset is not an excuse. If this new system is to work fairly for everyone, we _must_ abide by it consistently.” He looked at the others. “You all are dismissed. Scott, come with me.” He rode his motorized wheelchair out of the room. Scott glanced at Jean, who gazed worriedly back at him before he followed.



part 109

The adults had all left the Library after Professor Xavier dismissed everyone, but the other kids remained, still stunned by what they’d seen and heard.

“So I guess we all have YOU to thank for this, huh, Jean?” Pietro said, turning to the redhead. “You and Scott? The Professor said you guys were making complaints!”

“Well, we didn’t expect THIS!” Jean protested. “And anyway, Scott’s paying for it right now.”

“What d’ya think is happening to him?” Rogue asked no one in particular.

“He swore,” Lance said. “He must be getting his mouth washed out.”

“It even _sounds_ disgusting,” Kurt remarked.

Kitty put her hand over Lance’s and squeezed. “I’m sorry – this must be awful for you. You put up with so much in the foster homes, and now this.”

“I don’t t’ink he sees it dat way,” Remy glanced in Lance’s direction and the two shared a look of mutual understanding.

“Remy, that’s the first thing you’ve said since this started,” Rogue remarked. “What gives? Don’t you feel strongly about this thing, too?”

“I do, petite, but I think I feel strongly in a different way. Like Lance.”

“Yeah.” Lance nodded.

“I don’t know what _either_ of you are talking about,” Pietro said in frustration.

“You don’t like dese,“ Remy waved the list, “because dey are strict and you don’t want to t’ink about how you will be punished if you do somet’ing wrong. With dese you have fair warning – you can still choose not to do wrong t’ings and den you never experience de punishments.” He put the paper down and sighed. “But Lance and me, we know what it is like to never get fair warning. To get punished sometimes for doing not’ing at all. Sometimes dey wake you up just to hurt you because you are dere. And never is dere a limit on how long it can last and never any choices. Dey hit you wit’ whatever is handy until dey get tired or you pass out.” He looked around at the others. “De grownups here, dey love us all very much to make dis list. Dey want us to feel secure in de knowledge dat we will never be treated unfairly by any of dem.”

A tear slipped down Kitty’s cheek and she lay her head on Lance’s shoulder. The others regarded the lists thoughtfully.

“I guess,” Jean said slowly, “we owe them an apology.”

*

“In here, Scott,” Professor Xavier went into the kitchen and over to the sink. Scott followed reluctantly, still not fully believing that this was happening.

“Professor, I’m really sorry for what I said,” he told the older man.

The Professor took a glass and filled it half-full of water. “You so rarely swear, Scott, we just want to try and keep it that way.” He picked up the bottle of dishwashing liquid and squirted a little of it into the glass, stirring it so that the contents turned a faint yellow colour. He held it out to Scott, who took it dubiously. The teenager saw the name on the bottle of soap as the Professor put it down. “’Joy’?!” he exclaimed.

“Ironic, isn’t it?” Professor Xavier said. “Take some and do as you would with mouthwash – swish for thirty seconds, then expel.”

Scott gazed mournfully down into the glass. Bubbles had formed on top. Shiny, lemony-scented bubbles.

“Professor …,” he whined.

“_Now_, Scott.”

Scott swallowed hard. He pinched his nose shut and took some of the liquid into his mouth. For a moment, he thought he was going to gag, but he fought the impulse down. Slowly, he began swirling the concoction around in his mouth and could feel the bubbles in and around his teeth, gums, and tongue.

“Ten seconds,” the Professor informed him. “Twenty left.”

I _am_ going to gag, Scott thought in panic. The bubbles were turning into a nice froth and he had to lean over the sink as some of it leaked past his lips. Oh great, I’m foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog ….

“Ten seconds left.”

Yuck, yuck, YUCK! Scott screamed inwardly. All he could smell was lemon, and he suspected that’s all he would taste for days afterwards.

“All right, Scott, you can spit it out.”

The teenager did, but just spitting didn’t rid his mouth of either the residual bubbles or the taste.

He took the glass and rinsed it out quickly, then filled it with fresh water.

“Scott, I want to talk to you.”

“Yeth, juth ath thoon ath I rinth,” Scott tried to say through a mouthful of foam that just wouldn’t stop. He began bringing the glass to his lips.

“No, Scott, I did not say you could rinse,” Professor Xavier told him. “Not yet.”

“Profethor!” Scott wailed. “Thith thuff ith FOUL!”

“You may rinse shortly – I want to talk to you first.”

Reluctantly, Scott put the glass down, eyeing it longingly for a moment before turning away to lean back against the counter, facing the Professor.

“Scott, I don’t think I need to explain why you shouldn’t curse,” his mentor said. “You know they’re words that people use when they can’t think of anything intelligent to say. No one respects someone who speaks that way, and I know my X-Men are better than that.”

“Yeth thir.”

Also, some of the others are still impressionable by example of their peers, especially Longshot. We don’t want to teach him bad habits.”

“No thir.”

“But the cursing isn’t all that concerns me about your behavior in the Library,” the Professor said seriously. “You could have made the adjustment to the new guidelines much easier for all the children, but instead you threw a temper tantrum. I was very disappointed in you.”

Scott forgot about the dish soap residue in his mouth. He hated hearing those words from the Professor. “I’m thorry,” he murmured.

“I don’t want you to just be sorry, I want you to understand why we felt these guidelines were necessary. We are five very different adults, and all of you children are very different as well. It was getting too easy for instances to arise where one child or another felt unfairly treated because the adults had their own methods of discipline that differed from one another’s. Without those guidelines, there would only be more of that happening, and more resentment as a result.”

Scott was quiet for a few moments. “I think I underthand. I thouldn’t have reacted so quickly. If I’d thought about it, I would have theen the reathoning behind it.” He sighed. “It wath a childith reacthon. I’m thorry.”

Professor Xavier smiled and opened his arms. “Come here.”

Scott gratefully bent down and hugged the man he loved like a father. The Professor held him firmly and rubbed his hair.

“I love you, Scott. Most of the time, I’m very proud of you as well. But even when I disapprove of your actions, I _always_ love you.”

“I love you, too,” Scott murmured.

“You may rinse now.”

Scott didn’t have to be told twice. He grabbed the glass of water and began rinsing and re-rinsing in a desperate effort to rid himself of the last of the bubbles. Unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be working.

“Oh man, it won’t go away!” he groaned.

The Professor suppressed a smile. He knew that it was only Scott’s imagination at work. He and the other adults had done some tests using themselves as guinea pigs and they knew exactly how long the effects would last.

“Professor?”

He and Scott both looked toward the kitchen doorway where the other kids stood in a group, with Jean at the forefront. She walked over to him, still holding the list of guidelines.

“We – that is, all of us,” she indicated the other kids, “want to apologize to you and the other adults for the way we reacted to these. We talked about it, and we know now that you’re trying to be fair to us and give us a sense of security. We should be grateful, not complaining. We’re sorry.”

Professor Xavier smiled at her, then at the others. “Thank you all, “ he said. “I’ll be sure to pass this on to the rest of the adults.”

Jean nodded, then glanced at Scott. “Is … everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he said with a heavy sigh as he put the glass aside. “I guess it’s as good as it’s going to get.”

“Come on.” Jean smiled at him and hooked her arm through his, pulling him out of the room. Magnus came into the kitchen as the group of children were leaving and looked curiously toward Charles.

“What was that all about?” he asked.

“Come and sit down,” his friend invited. “We’ll have some coffee and I’ll tell you.”



part 110

Todd studied his sneakers with the laces that never stayed tied. The sneakers were very interesting. He hoped they’d continue to be interesting, because if they ceased to be so, he’d have to think about something else.

Like how the Scarlet Harlot was having a private conversation with Longshot.

They were within his line of sight, but not hearing. Longshot was ready to go to the movie set and was just waiting by the front gate for the limo to arrive. Wanda was there with him, and the two were having what looked from a distance to be more than a casual chat. There was no physical contact, but Todd could tell they were speaking seriously.

Then two strange things happened. Wanda and Longshot hugged, then Longshot looked up and ran around the corner. A moment later, he dashed back and handed something to Wanda. They exchanged a few more words, then Wanda waved and headed back toward the mansion.

Magnus came outside then and looked down to where Todd sat on the steps. “Hello, Todd. Where’s Longshot?”

“By the gate.” He pointed.

“All right, I’ll go wait with him – we’re going to the set. I’ll see you later.” He started down the driveway, meeting Wanda as she approached.

“Here,” she said, holding out some envelopes. “The mail just came. There are a couple of bills there, I think.”

Bills?! Todd sat up straighter.

“I’m going to the set with Longshot, he has to have an adult with him by law,” Magnus said. “Would you mind taking the mail in to Charles, dear?”

“I’ll do it!” Todd leapt between them in one bound and snatched the envelopes. “I’m going back in anyway, yo!”

He knew Wanda and Magnus were staring after him as he rushed back into the mansion, but there was nothing he could do – he needed a moment alone with the mail.

He was about to head upstairs when suddenly a flash of blue passed in front of his vision and then the mail was gone.

“Vas is das?” He heard Kurt’s voice overhead and looked up. The other mutant was clinging to the chandelier by the tail, his hands free to sift through the envelopes. “Junk … junk … electric bill … phone bill … letter for Jean ….”

Todd felt his stomach turn to ice. The phone bill _was_ there! His first instinct was to pounce up after Kurt and wrestle him for it, but if Fuzzball realized how important it was to him, he might just teleport away with it. He tried to sound casual as he spoke.

“Hey, if you wanna take up Jean’s letter to her, I gotta go see the Prof anyway, so I can take the rest to him.”

For what seemed like hours but was really only a few moments, Kurt seemed to debate whether it would be more fun to play ‘keep away’ with
the mail a little longer. Apparently, he decided there wasn’t anything there that Todd was that interested in and he probably wouldn’t play along. “Okay!” he said finally, and jumped down to land in front of Todd. He gave him everything but Jean’s letter and disappeared with a ‘bamf’.

Todd separated the phone bill from the rest and stared at it. Okay, now he had it – what was he going to do with it?

Wanda came in and Todd turned away, quickly stuffing the mail into his shirt. “Boy, it didn’t take you long to go to the Professor,” she remarked.

“No, it didn’t,” he said, then frowned. “I’m surprised you didn’t go with Longshot to the set.”

She snorted. “I’m surprised _you_ didn’t.”

“Huh?” Todd blinked.

“Oh, come on, you’ve been hanging around him enough. You and I know what’s going on, even if he doesn’t,” Wanda said frankly. “He knows I like Heather, though. She’s coming over here. And he knows you like _him_.”

“How does he know _that_?!” Todd exclaimed.

“I told him,” Wanda said. She smiled a little. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”

“But … why?” Todd asked, baffled. “You hate me, yo.”

Wanda shrugged. “You’re Pietro’s friend. For his sake, I’m trying to get over it. And he promised me that if you hurt Longshot, he’ll stand still for my best shot.”

Pietro said that? Todd figured he owed Pietro a present or something. HE sure wouldn’t want to be in the line of Wanda’s fire.

The buzzer rang at the front gate and Wanda’s face lit up. “That’s Heather! She promised to show me a demonstration of her power in the Danger Room!” She hit the gate release button and ran outside to meet her new girlfriend. Todd shook his head in wonder. Funny how things work out – Wanda seemed happy, and with any luck, he’d make Longshot happy.

If I live that long, he thought, remembering the loaded phone bill in his shirt. He took the envelopes out and looked at that one thoughtfully.

Right now, if he wanted to, he could lose it. Pretend it hadn’t come. But eventually, another notice would be sent or maybe a phone call.

He could pay it himself – if he had any money. Which he didn’t.

But what would happen to him when the Professor finally got wind of the bill? Would he get spanked? Probably, and maybe with extras because he also stole and lied ….

Todd bit his lip. He didn’t want to get spanked, but how could he avoid it now?

Unless … he threw himself on the mercy of the court.

He went off in search of the Professor.

Scott came out of his bedroom and headed for the bathroom. He needed to rinse again. It seemed that no matter how many times he did so, it wasn’t helping, but he figured he’d try, anyway.

Lance opened his door as Scott passed. The X-Men leader averted his gaze quickly – the last thing he needed was for Lance to start bugging him about what happened.

“Hey, Summers!”

Scott groaned inwardly. “_What_, Alvers?”

“I just wanted to compliment you,” Lance grinned, “on having such lemony-fresh breath!”

Scott’s jaw clenched and he turned to face the other boy. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”

“Actually, I think you’re funnier,” Lance told him. “It was a riot seeing the look on your face when you realized what you’d said and what it meant.”

“I was upset, okay?!” Scott snapped.

“We were all upset at first, but YOU were the only one stupid enough to swear.”

“Why don’t you shut up for once in your life?!” Scott yelled.

“Boys, what’s going on here?”

They looked up to find that Hank was watching them.

“Nothing,” Scott said quickly.

“Nothing,” Lance parroted.

“Your ‘nothing’ is getting rather loud,” Hank pointed out. “Please go about your business and stop sniping at one another.”

The boys exchanged dirty looks and went in different directions.

“Hank?” Mystique said as she approached. “Was that Scott and Lance I heard again?”

“Yes, Raven,” he replied. “I think we’re going to have to do something about those two. I had thought they’d have learned to get along by now, but the way things have gone, I’m afraid they may come to blows again.”

“And if _that_ happens, they won’t like the results,” Mystique said. She paused thoughtfully, then looked at him with a mischievous smile. “Hey, you know what? I think I’ve got the perfect solution!”



part 111

Professor Xavier looked up from his conversation with Logan as the control room opened. “Hello, Todd,” he said, “I thought you might be Wanda. She’s bringing a friend over.”

“Yeah, Heather,” Todd said. “Can I talk to you before they get here?”

“Of course.”

“You want me to go?” Logan asked.

“Um, I guess not. You’ll all find out anyway,” Todd said with a sigh. He brought out the envelopes and put them on the console, but held one out to the Professor. He took it with a questioning look.

“That’s the phone bill,” Todd said. “Uh, it’s probably a little high.”

The Professor opened the envelope and removed the papers from inside. Logan watched over his shoulder as he skimmed them. Both men frowned slightly.

“What’s with all these calls to Massachusetts?” Logan asked.

“I think Todd knows.” The Professor folded the papers and looked at the teenager.

“Uh, yeah, I know,” Todd admitted. “I’ve been calling Freddie every night since he left.”

“Every …!” Logan started to say, then turned away.

“I suspected when I caught you on the phone with Fred that time that you weren’t truthful with me,” the Professor told Todd. “It’s very difficult to lie to a telepath, even lies of omission.”

“I’m sorry,” Todd said quietly. “I know you’ve gotta punish me, yo, but I’d really, really appreciate it if you didn’t spank me.” He grinned in what he hoped was a friendly, appealing manner.

“What do you think, Chuck?” Logan asked. “It’s your money he was using.”

“I don’t think what he did was right, and as you know we have strict rules about lying and stealing,” the Professor said and regarded Todd seriously. “I know you’ve missed Fred, but I think daily updates were excessive and unnecessary in a house with many computers from which you could have emailed him. And I _would_ have allowed you to call him now and then, Todd.”

“Yeah, I know you would,” Todd sighed. “I’m really sorry.”

Professor Xavier nodded. “As I said, we have rules with expected punishments for transgressions such as these. However, you came to me on your own, whereas with the bill in your possession, you could have tried to hide it or otherwise keep me from finding out about it. It was brave of you to confess, and for that honesty I don’t think spanking you is necessary.”

Todd visibly relaxed. “Oh, thank you, thank you!” He hopped up and down, then grabbed the Professor’s hand and shook it vigorously. “You’re a prince, man, a prince! You can’t believe how scared I was!”

“Don’t get too excited, Toddpole,” Logan warned. “You’ve still got _some_ punishment coming.”

“Yes, indeed,” the Professor said. “To begin with, you may not use the phone for one month.”

Todd nodded. “Okay, I understand. No problem.”

“I mentioned the computers – you may not begin using those for one month, either. If you want to keep in contact with Fred during that time, you’ll have to write him a letter.”

“Um, okay.”

“I don’t expect you to pay this bill, Todd, but I think a few extra chores will substitute nicely,” the Professor continued.

“I don’t think some extra private training sessions with _me_ would hurt him, either,” Logan suggested, eyeing Todd sternly. The boy swallowed hard. He’d heard horror stories about Logan’s ‘private sessions’ and the frayed nerves and sore muscles that resulted.

“Certainly, Logan.” The Professor faced Todd again. “All right, you have your punishment, Todd. You’re dismissed.”

“Thanks again,” Todd said. Even though he feared Logan’s sessions and would miss communicating with Fred for a while, he still felt he was fortunate to get out of a spanking. He made himself scarce from the control room quickly, just as Mystique and Hank were coming in.

“He was in a hurry,” Mystique remarked.

“Yeah, wait’ll you find out why,” Logan said.

“Could it wait a moment first?” Hank asked. “We have something to discuss with you before Wanda arrives with her guest. It’s about Scott and Lance.”

“Was there another altercation?” the Professor asked in concern.

“An argument that was rapidly becoming heated,” Hank answered.

“But I think I’ve got a solution,” Mystique said. “That is … I might.” She sighed. “If it doesn’t work, things could be worse than ever.”

“Well, _I’m_ filled with confidence, how about you, Chuck?” Logan joked. Mystique elbowed him.

“Just listen ….”

*

Todd was so happy, he almost didn’t notice the two girls approaching down the corridor but managed to spring over them at the last second.

“Hey!” Wanda yelled. “Watch it!”

“Hi Todd!” Heather waved. “What’s all the excitement?”

The green-skinned mutant couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “The Professor is all right, yo! I just confessed to calling Freddie long distance every night since he left and I’m not getting spanked!”

Wanda’s jaw dropped. “You’ve got to be kidding?!”

“Nope!” Todd said gleefully. “I’m still getting a lotta other punishment, but he’s not spanking me because I went to him voluntarily. Cool, huh?”

“Lucky, you mean,” Wanda said dryly. “Some of Longshot’s luck must be rubbing off on you.”

“Hey, I’ll take it!” Todd chuckled. “I just wish I could tell Freddie.”

Wanda shrugged. “Ask Pietro or Lance to do it. Or maybe the Professor would – he’s got people out there to talk to, doesn’t he?” She turned to Heather. “Come on, let’s get to the Danger Room before they forget we’re coming.”

Todd looked curious. “Hey, what _is_ your power, anyway?”

The Professor’s voice was suddenly heard in all the kids’ heads at once, “Would everyone please suit up and come to the Danger Room? We’re going to have a demonstration of power from a new acquaintance.”

“Krikey, that’s weird having him in my head like that!” Heather laughed.

“I hope you don’t mind the audience,” Wanda groused. “I didn’t know he was going to do that to you.”

Todd snorted. “You should know by now that the X-Men do most everything as a group, yo. And the Brotherhood has to come along for the ride. Better go change!” He hopped off down the hall.

“I’ll take you in before I go change myself,” Wanda said to Heather. “At least then you can talk to the adults about what kind of program you need.”

“Okay,” Heather said amiably. “And I don’t mind the audience, either. I just hope they’re not disappointed.”

Wanda didn’t think _anyone_ could be disappointed while watching Heather do just about anything, but kept it to herself. “Come on,” she said, and they headed for the Danger Room.



part 112

“What’s this all about?” Nightcrawler asked as he and the other X-Men and Brotherhood members entered the control room in uniform.

“Wanda’s new girlfriend is gonna show us her power, yo,” Toad replied.

Cyclops coughed, grimacing. Jean looked at him in concern.

“Are you okay?” she asked.

Avalanche smiled. “He’s just foaming at the mouth.”

Cyclops turned toward him, fists clenched. “Professor, when the girls are finished, can you program a sequence into the Danger Room where Avalanche and I can attempt to kill each other safely?”

“No,” the Professor said. “But I’d like for both of you to remain here afterwards. We need to talk about your behaviour with each other lately.”

“Hey!” Scarlet Witch waved as she yelled from inside the Danger Room. “We’re ready down here!”

“We’ll talk more later,” the Professor told the two boys and turned to face the window that looked over the Danger Room.

“All right, Scarlet Witch, we’ll begin. Lifeguard, we’ll follow the instructions you gave us – be prepared.”

*

Down in the Danger Room, Scarlet Witch glanced at Lifeguard. “I must have missed something – what instructions did you give them?”

Lifeguard smiled sheepishly. “Like I told you, I can’t control my power. It needs extreme circumstances in order to be triggered.”

“So what circumstances?” Scarlet Witch asked.

There was a jarring sensation under their feet and the section of floor they stood on began to rise into the air. Before long, they were fifty feet up.

“Lifeguard!” Scarlet Witch cried, backing away from the edge. “What were the instructions you gave them?!”

“That they should try to kill you,” Lifeguard admitted.

“What?!” Scarlet Witch exclaimed just before the section of floor she stood on collapsed underneath her. She fell, screaming.

“Wanda!” Quicksilver yelled in horror as he watched her fall.

“Hey, look at Heather, yo!” Toad pointed to where the beautiful blonde girl dove straight off the platform after Wanda.

And as Heather fell, she sprouted wings.

It happened so fast, Scarlet Witch didn’t have a chance to throw out her power to save herself – if indeed she could have. Just as she thought, “I’m going to die!”, she felt something stop her descent.

She opened her eyes and saw Lifeguard’s face just above her own. Then to her astonishment, she saw the enormous golden wings. The two of them swooped gently down to the floor, where she was set on her feet.

“Wow,” she murmured, staring at the wings. “They’re beautiful!”

Lifeguard smiled, then something she saw behind Scarlet Witch made her eyes widen in fear. “Look out!” she warned, and shoved the other girl behind her.

Past Lifeguard’s shoulder, Scarlet Witch saw laser cannons coming up out of the floor. Before they could fire, Lifeguard changed.

Scarlet Witch stared in amazement as the wings disappeared, then golden armor formed over Lifeguard’s entire body. The lasers began firing, but they couldn’t penetrate the armor. Scarlet Witch was safely shielded behind her.

“That was incredible!” Scarlet Witch declared when the lasers stopped. Lifeguard looked gorgeous to her even covered in the golden armor that was like a second, metallic skin on her. It glittered and shone under the lights as Lifeguard turned to face her.

“Are you starting to understand now?” she asked Scarlet Witch.

“I think – YAH!” she screamed as the floor opened up underneath her and she felt water close in over her head. The long coat of her costume made swimming next to impossible and she started to panic.

Then she felt arms around her, pulling her upwards. Her head broke the surface of the water and she saw Lifeguard was in the water, holding her. The armor was gone, but on the side of her neck were … gills?!

Lifeguard began dragging her toward the edge, giving a powerful kick with – not her legs, but a stunning, scale-covered fish tail. Scarlet Witch gasped, then half-laughed, “You’re a _mermaid_, too?”

“I’m whatever it takes to save a life that’s in danger.” Lifeguard smiled.

“So you really _are_ a ‘life guard!’” Scarlet Witch said as she climbed out of the water.

“In more ways than one. I’m a traditional lifeguard, too – you know, the kind on the beach? That was my part-time job back in Australia.” Lifeguard’s body changed back to normal as she got out of the water.

“You girls can relax,” the Professor’s voice came to them. “That’s enough of a demonstration for now. Thank you.”

“No problem, mate!” Lifeguard called out, then grinned at Scarlet Witch. “Hope you’re not mad that you ended up being a sort of test dummy.”

“I guess not.” Scarlet Witch smiled back. “You _did_ save me.”

Lifeguard took hold of her hand and squeezed it. “And I’ll do it again if you need me,” she promised.

“That was really impressive,” Cyclops remarked as the other kids began clearing out of the control room. They had been dismissed already, but Cyclops was still in awe of Lifeguard’s power. “And she can’t control it at all?”

“That’s what she said,” the Professor replied. “Her body automatically adapts to whatever is necessary in order to save a life.”

“Are you going to invite her to join the X-Men?”

“She has a standing invitation – I told her that earlier. She may train with us, and she’s offered to go on missions with us, but she won’t be moving in. She has a happy, stable homelife here in Bayville and doesn’t want to leave her family.”

Cyclops nodded. There had been other young mutants who had chosen not to move in, including Kurt’s friend, Forge, and his own little brother, Alex. At least Wanda was lucky and could still see Heather regularly. Alex lived in Hawaii with his foster parents.

“Avalanche!” Wolverine called as he saw the other boy slipping out with Shadowcat. “Back here!”

He groaned. Shadowcat patted his shoulder in comfort and left, while he trudged back to the adults and folded his arms, pouting.

Mystique went and closed the door and Professor Xavier turned to face the two eldest boys.

“Scott, Lance,” he said, “I shouldn’t have to say again how disappointed we all are by the way you two have continued to act toward each other. It’s a bad example to the younger students, and bad for you, as well. As the leaders of your respective groups, it is _imperative_ that you learn to get along if the X-Men and the Brotherhood have any hope of working together in the future.”

“I’m sorry, Professor,” Scott told him. “I _have_ tried, but – “

“You haven’t tried at all!” Lance accused. “You’re too busy putting me down and accusing me of things I haven’t done!”

“You accused YOURSELF of things you hadn’t done!” Scott shot back. “If you don’t want people to think you’re a punk, stop trying to convince us you are!”

“Gentlemen!” Hank interrupted sternly. “That will be sufficient!”

“Thank you, Hank,” the Professor said. “Now then, I think it’s obvious that we have to do something drastic or this situation will never improve.” He nodded toward the blue-skinned woman. “Mystique has come up with what we think might be a good idea, and it is going into effect immediately. Follow her and she’ll show you what I mean.”

“Come on, boys.” Mystique crooked a finger at them and headed out of the control room. Lance and Scott eyed each other warily and followed.



part 113

Lance took off his helmet as he followed Mystique alongside Scott, who had already switched his visor for his glasses. They’d change out of their uniforms as soon as they found out what this big secret was. Lance hoped they weren’t about to be punished somehow – he and Kitty were planning to go out later.

Scott saw Jean come out of her room – she had changed already. She raised an eyebrow at seeing the two boys following Mystique and gave Scott an encouraging smile. He was so busy looking at her that he didn’t realize Mystique had stopped until he nearly knocked her over.

“Scott, pay attention!” she told him as she steadied herself, shooting Lance a warning look as he snickered.

“In here, both of you,” Mystique stood aside so they could pass. Scott and Lance obeyed and walked through the doorway of one of the spare bedrooms. The only thing that made it different from most of the other rooms was that there were two beds in it.

“Boys,” Mystique said, “welcome to your new bedroom.”

“WHAT?!” they both cried.

“You heard me.” Mystique folded her arms. “We’ve tried everything else to put an end to this animosity between you, so you’ve no one to blame for this but yourselves.”

“Let me get this straight,” Lance said in disbelief. “You all know we can’t stand each other, so in order to avoid more fights, you’re making us ROOMMATES?!”

“You’ll have to learn to get along or you’ll both be miserable. It’s up to you.” Mystique began walking away. “You’re to start moving in right away.”

“When will we get to move BACK?!” Scott asked desperately.

“THAT depends on how things go,” she called over her shoulder and went downstairs. The two boys turned to glare at each other.

“This is all YOUR fault!” they accused.

*

Duncan grinned as he slid the spoon out of Kurt’s mouth. Not a trace of ice cream was left on it.

“Umm, that was good,” Kurt said, licking his lips.

“I’ll bet it was,” Duncan joked, looking down at his empty dish. “I never got to taste it.”

“Very funny!” Kurt said with false haughtiness. “I only ate _half_ of yours.”

Duncan chuckled and leaned closer to Kurt to be heard over the noise in the ice cream parlour, “So you were saying you don’t mind all those new guidelines and stuff?”

“No, they’re not that bad. I told you what Remy said, and he’s right – we could have been a lot worse off.”

There was a rumble of thunder outside. Duncan noticed someone pop open an umbrella as they walked by the parlour window – it looked like it was starting to rain pretty hard. He turned back to Kurt. “So why was it you couldn’t meet me earlier?” he asked. “I was just about to leave the house to come here when you called.”

“Oh, Wanda’s new girlfriend Heather Cameron came over to show us her mutant power,” Kurt said. “It was amazing, Duncan. She’s called Lifeguard, and her body adapts to whatever conditions are necessary for her to save a life and – why are you looking at me like that?”

Duncan’s eyes were huge. “Heather Cameron is a mutant? I’ve known her for a long time from the country club, and her brother Davis, too. And you say she’s dating _Wanda_?”

“Ja, they seem to really like each other,” Kurt said. “Wanda is just friends with Longshot now, which is fine with Todd, because he really likes _him_.”

“Todd and Longshot.” Duncan shook his head. “What a weird combination.”

“Sort of like us?” Kurt asked shyly.

Duncan took Kurt’s hand in his and rubbed his thumb over the back of it, feeling the fuzzy fur that he couldn’t see under the hologram. “We’re not all that different. Not in the ways that count.”

Kurt smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

“Mmm,” Duncan said mischievously when it was over. “So _that’s_ what my ice cream tasted like.”

“Oh, you!” Kurt gave him a teasing smack on the arm.

“Hey, Kurt! Long time no see!”

Duncan looked up to find a very attractive boy about Kurt’s age smiling at the blue-haired boy. And Kurt looked positively delighted to see him.

“Forge!” Kurt exclaimed happily. “Ja, it _has_ been a while! Where have you been?”

“Trying to catch up on twenty years worth of homework!” the boy named Forge laughed. Duncan studied his silky, longish dark hair that flipped up slightly at the shoulders, and the perfect skin that was rather exotic in tone – Indian descent, he decided. He cleared his throat to remind them both that he was still there.

Kurt looked at him and smiled. “Duncan, this is my friend, Forge. Forge, this is my boyfriend, Duncan Matthews.”

“Nice to meet you,” Forge said with a friendly grin and offered his hand. Duncan shook it, sizing the other boy up. Not a football player’s build, but not a stick like Pietro, either. Still, he could take him easily –

Unless he was a mutant, and with a name like Forge, he probably was.

“You should come by the Institute, it’s been too long,” Kurt told Forge.

“I’d like to,” he agreed. “Hey, maybe I’ll head over there now – I’m not doing anything. Are you going back yourselves?”

“No,” Duncan said, just as Kurt said, “Sure.” They looked at each other.

“On the other hand, I’ll just head over on my own.” Forge started backing away uncomfortably. “I don’t want to interrupt your date or anything.”

“Well, we only came out for ice cream, and we’re finished,” Kurt said.

“We could have found something else to do,” Duncan grumbled.

“Kurt, it’s okay,” Forge assured him. “I’ll see you later – I might still be at the Institute when you get back.” He waved and walked out.

Kurt looked at Duncan. “It’s pouring! We could have just given him a ride – you’ve got your car. Then we could have gone out again.”

“You would have wanted to stay there,” Duncan said, crumpling up a napkin. “You haven’t seen him for a while, you said.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “He’s my _friend_, Duncan. Nothing more.” He touched his arm. “You aren’t going to start getting all possessive and jealous on me, are you?”

Duncan sighed. He bent down and kissed Kurt softly. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You’re right, I’m being a jerk. Let’s go catch him.”

Kurt smiled at him gratefully and they both ran out the door into the pouring rain.


There he was. The target.
A familiar scent?
Then he saw the source clearly, despite the veil of rain.
Oh no – he couldn’t be this lucky.
_Logan’s_ kid.
He gunned the engine and took off.


Duncan wished he’d brought an umbrella as he watched Kurt run ahead to catch up with Forge. All three of them were soaked now, but fortunately the car wasn’t far away. Kurt was talking to Forge now and pointing back toward Duncan, who gave a friendly wave. He was about to tell them to get under cover while he ran to bring the car around when a motorcycle engine roared further down the street, gaining momentum and getting louder as it approached. It was a huge chopper, with an equally huge driver. Long wild hair flew behind him, and something about his animalistic facial features made Duncan shudder, even from a distance.

With the speed the driver was going, Duncan fully expected him to zoom on by, but instead he veered toward the sidewalk -- straight for Kurt and Forge.

Duncan’s saw Kurt’s eyes widen and he grabbed Forge’s arm as if he intended to teleport away, but the driver was too fast for him. In one smooth motion he’d grabbed both boys and slung them over the seat of his cycle without slowing down.

Duncan broke into a sprint that had scored many a touchdown for Bayville High. He managed to grab hold of the guy’s arm as he tried to pass by and meant to use his momentum to pull him off the chopper. But Duncan found himself suddenly off his feet and flying through the air – the guy had just flung him aside like he weighed nothing! He rolled as he hit the wet pavement, saving himself broken bones. He jumped up immediately to see that the chopper and the three occupants had disappeared, the boom of thunder and pounding rain drowning out the fading engine noise.



part 114

Please answer, please answer ….

Duncan did his best to steer the car while holding his cell phone to his ear. He was already on his way to the Institute, but wanted to tell them what happened right away.

“Xavier Institute, Raven Darkholme speaking.”

“Oh God, Mystique, he took them!” Duncan babbled. “He just grabbed them right off the sidewalk and took off with them!”

“Duncan, is that you? Slow down – what are you talking about? Who took who?!”

Duncan took a couple of deep breaths and tried again. “Kurt and his friend, Forge -- they were just kidnapped by some huge, hairy animal-guy on a motorcycle. I tried to stop him but he was so strong he just threw me aside without even trying!”

“LOGAN!”

Duncan pulled the phone away from his ear as Mystique screamed for the other mutant. He could hear Logan arrive and the two of them talking.

“What’s wrong, Raven?”

“It’s Duncan! He says Kurt was just kidnapped!”

“Give me the phone.”

The phone changed hands and then Logan’s gruff voice came through clearly. “Duncan, tell me the details.”

He repeated what he had just told Mystique and was surprised when Logan actually growled a name as if he were cursing.

“Sabretooth.”

*

If this doesn’t end soon, I’m going to throw up, Kurt thought, wishing fervently that he hadn’t eaten all that ice cream. The face-down ride across Sabretooth’s motorcycle seat was not only incongruous but uncomfortable. At least he was better off than Forge, who was underneath him in the same position. His friend certainly wouldn’t appreciate it if he _did_ throw up.

He’d recognized Sabretooth the moment he saw him. It was no secret that he and Logan were mortal enemies, and even Kurt had faced off against the man-monster himself. He didn’t want to spend a moment longer with him than he had to – it just wasn’t good for the health.

He heard Forge grunt as they hit another bump and more water splashed up to hit them in the face. Sabretooth was driving at breakneck speed – way too fast to teleport. But as soon as they stopped, he’d get himself and Forge two miles away from their abductor – at least that would give them a good head start, and from there he could use his communicator to contact home.

After what seemed like a hundred years, the chopper skidded to a stop. A powerful hand wrapped around the back of Kurt’s neck and hauled him upright. He got a brief close-up of Sabretooth’s frightening visage just before he was hit in the head and everything went black.

*

Forge felt Kurt’s weight leave him and tried to push himself up from his awkward position. He was dizzy and nauseous, but that was nothing compared to the fear he felt when he saw the creature that now had an unconscious Kurt slung over one shoulder.

“Come on,” the man-animal growled and grabbed his arm with a clawed hand. He dragged him effortlessly along into a normal-looking house and shut the door. Only then did he release him.

“I’m only going to say this once,” the man told him, yellow and red eyes boring into his. “I know where you live and that your parents are human. That makes ‘em easy pickin’s for me. You want to keep ‘em alive, you’re gonna whip up some kinda gizmo to keep _this_ one from teleporting outta here.” He jerked his head toward a nearby door. “There’s a hotshot electronics workshop in the basement with anything you should need. Better hurry, because if he wakes up before you’re done, I’ll have to knock him out again, and it won’t take much more of that to scramble his brains.”

Forge started to turn toward the basement door, but the man grabbed him again. “Don’t use that … thing … you do with your arm,” he warned. “Use the regular tools down there. And make a second gizmo like it for _you_ to wear – both of ‘em better be something only _I_ can turn on and off.” He shoved the boy away from him.

Forge quickly ran for the basement, his heart pounding. With the right materials, he knew he could do what the creature demanded, but what if he didn’t have what he needed? Would he kill Kurt? Would he kill _him_? His parents … he couldn’t let this animal hurt them.

And he still didn’t know why they’d been kidnapped in the first place.

*

The Library was silent as everyone sat down. Magnus and Longshot were back from the movie set, so everyone was present and accounted for.

Except Kurt.

His absence was only made more apparent by the fact that Duncan was there. The kids saw how grim the men were and that Mystique had obviously been crying.

“Mama,” Rogue said, her voice trembling, “something’s happened to Kurt, hasn’t it? I can feel it – something’s wrong.”

Logan squeezed Mystique’s shoulders as she looked over at her daughter. “Kurt’s been kidnapped,” she said.
Everyone looked at each other, murmuring in surprise and horror. “Duncan, were you with him when it happened?” Scott guessed.

The football player nodded. “I tried to stop it.”

“You couldn’t stop him, kid,” Logan grumbled. “No human can stop him.”

“Who are we talking about?” Pietro asked.

“Sabretooth.”

Most of the kids gasped, having been involved with Sabretooth before. Only Longshot and Wanda looked blank. Duncan just looked miserable.

“Oh God,” Rogue whispered. “If Sabretooth has Kurt … but why would he take him? Why not just – I mean, he hates all of us!”

“Me most of all,” Logan said grimly. “I don’t think he’d kill Kurt – there’s no challenge in it. He’d rather get me.”

“There’s more to it than just Kurt,” Professor Xavier mentioned. “Forge was also taken at the same time. They were together.”

“Forge?” Kitty said in surprise. “But why? His parents aren’t rich, are they?”

“No, and if that was Sabretooth’s motivation, he could have left Kurt and Forge and taken _Duncan_,” Hank pointed out.

Magnus cleared his throat. “As you all know, Sabretooth used to work for me. Money can be as much a motivation for him as anyone, but he usually has ulterior motives on the side as well.”

“I’ll second that,” Mystique sighed. “He and I have worked together in the past. Money is fine, but the chance to hurt people in some way is his real motivation.”

“Do we have any leads at all?” Lance asked. “Any idea where they went?”

“None,” the Professor admitted. “Cerebro hasn’t picked up the boys’ signatures yet, but the first time either of them uses their power it should.”

“And Sabretooth?”

“That’s more difficult, I’m afraid. His healing factor is too subtle to pick up very easily.”

“I might have been able to trace the scents from the scene if it wasn’t pouring rain,” Logan snarled. “If that bastard hurts Kurt ….” His adamantium claws popped out with a *snikt* sound. Mystique drew her knees up and wrapped her blue arms around them, burying her face in them.

“So where do we go from here?” Jean asked softly.

“I have to call Forge’s parents,” the Professor said with regret. “After that, all we can do is monitor Cerebro and hope the boys are resourceful
enough to get in touch with us or escape on their own.”



part 115

Victor Creed, also known as Sabretooth, wasn’t a patient man. It had been almost an hour since he’d sent that Forge kid downstairs. The brat was supposed to be some kind of super genius – so what was taking him so long to do one simple thing?

Logan’s kid, Kurt, groaned at his feet, then shivered. He was still wet from the rain, but that wasn’t Sabretooth’s concern. _His_ concern was making sure Kurt didn’t teleport away. He didn’t think he’d leave without his friend – the X-Men just didn’t abandon people – but he didn’t want to take any chances.

And now he was waking up. It looked like he’d have to give him another clock in the head after all. He reached down for him.

“Wait, wait! I’m finished!”

Sabretooth turned to see Forge running toward him. He, too, was shivering, but didn’t seem to care. He held out a couple of armbands toward him.

“These should work,” he said. “They’re triggered by a numeric code, which you have to program into them yourself if you don’t want me to know it.” He slid one onto his own left arm, all the way up to the bicep and tightened it. “Okay, now you pick a four-digit code and punch it into that keypad, then press the red button to activate it.”

“This better work,” Sabretooth said and studied the device. The keypad was so small that he ended up having to use the point of one claw to punch in a code, then he pressed the red button. The tiny window in the centre lit up with the word ‘ACTIVATED’.

“How do I know it works?” he asked Forge warily.

The teenager swallowed. “Well, I guess you can only take my word for it – I couldn’t test it until you put in the code.” He held out his other
arm and tried to activate the mutant power that would form it into a highly-versatile, precision robotic tool. Nothing happened. “It’s working on me,” he said in ironic relief.

“Get the other one on him.” Sabretooth nudged Kurt with his boot.

Forge knelt beside Kurt, who finally was able to focus on him. “Forge?” he queried, then looked up and saw Sabretooth. His eyes widened and he grabbed the other boy’s arm. “We’re getting out of here!” he said.

“Wait, Kurt, don’t!” Forge shoved the armband onto him and tightened it. “Okay,” he told Sabretooth.

Kurt shied away from the huge man as he bent down over him, but his head gave a throb and he hesitated just long enough for Sabretooth to do
something to the band that was now attached to his arm.

“Okay, it’s activated,” Forge said, and sat down heavily on the floor. “I’m sorry, Kurt,” he murmured, not meeting his eyes.

“Never mind, let’s just get OUT!” Kurt grabbed hold of him and tried to teleport – but nothing happened. Finally it sunk in what just occurred. “Forge, what did you DO?!” he cried, grabbing at the armband. “What ARE these things?!”

“Don’t try to take them off!” Forge warned him. “Only _he_ can de-activate them by punching in his code again.” He nodded toward Sabretooth. “If we attempt to remove them now, the resulting electric shock will knock us out cold.”

Kurt glared at Sabretooth, then looked seriously at Forge. “What did he threaten you with to make you do this?” he asked.

“I said I’d go after his parents,” Sabretooth answered. “And you know I mean it.”

“But WHY?!” Kurt demanded angrily. “Why did you bring him here in the first place? You could have just taken me!”

Sabretooth threw back his head and laughed nastily, then reached down and hauled Kurt up by his left arm, just below the new armband. He pulled him close enough so that their noses were practically touching and sneered at him.

“Who said I was after you to begin with?” he snarled. “You were just a lucky bonus, kid.” He shoved Kurt away from him and nodded toward Forge. “HE was the one I was after. I just decided to grab you at the last moment to piss off Logan.”

The two boys exchanged confused looks. “But … why me?” Forge asked. “My parents don’t have any money for ransom.”

“Who cares?” Sabretooth replied. “I took on a contract to grab you for someone else – someone who knows about your brains and skill. I’ve been watching you for a few days, but never had a better opportunity than today.”

“So you’re making money by kidnapping Forge for someone _else_?” Kurt exclaimed. “And you think it was smart to bring ME here?! You know the X-Men, and especially my parents, are going to be looking for me!”

“I hope your old man finds you, too,” Sabretooth told him with a humourless grin. “It’s been a long time since our last fight. But I’m not gonna make it easy on him – let him miss you for a while and get _real_ riled up. I’m gonna enjoy knowing that he’s worrying about you being with me. And in the meantime, I’m not supposed to deliver Brainiac here for a while – you can keep him company while the two of you make yourselves useful doing stuff around here for me.”

“What _kind_ of stuff?” Forge asked warily.

Sabretooth looked at him directly. “Anything I want.”

*

Scott put a box onto his new bed and glanced over to where Lance was hanging things up in the closet. Fortunately, it was a rather large closet, so between it and the drawers, there _should_ be enough room for all their clothes. Besides, Lance never seemed to wear anything but jeans and t-shirts – how many of those could he have?

He sighed internally. How could they make them go through with this move when Kurt was with Sabretooth? There didn’t seem to be anything anyone could do until Cerebro picked up a trace, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t on everyone’s mind.

A knock came on the door and Kitty peeked in. “Hi guys. How’s it going?”

“Okay,” Lance answered with a shrug, which was basically true. Neither of them had said a word, so at least they weren’t fighting.

“I wonder why Kurt hasn’t teleported home,” Kitty sighed. “Scott,” she looked at him, “do you think he’s okay?”

“I sure hope so, Kitty,” he replied. “Kurt has done well at outmaneuvering Sabretooth before, but he’s not alone. He has to consider Forge, and although he’s a mutant, he hasn’t done any training with us.”

“But Kurt can just teleport _both_ of them out of there!” Kitty said. “Why hasn’t he done it?”

“I wish I knew,” Scott admitted. “Rogue says she’d know if anything … terrible … happened to Kurt, so I’m sure he’s still okay.”

Lance shook his head. From what he’d seen of Sabretooth when they all worked for Magneto, anyone within reach had very little chance of staying ‘okay’ for long.

*

Mystique was trying to pull herself together, but it wasn’t easy. She knew Sabretooth as well as Logan did, but in a different way. They had worked together and against each other. They’d had a very brief affair that resulted in their now-adult human son, Graydon Creed -- someone they both wished had never been born, considering his low opinion of mutants. It didn’t matter that Kurt was her son as well as Logan’s – Victor didn’t have any feelings for her except perhaps animosity. Logan was right that there was no challenge in killing Kurt for Victor, but there might well be some satisfaction in it if he thought it would hurt the boy’s parents.

“Hey, Darlin’.”

Mystique wiped her yellow eyes and tried to smile at Logan. “Hi.”

“I’m gonna go out there as soon as the rain stops and start trying to track them down.”

“Your nose is wonderful, Logan, but even you can’t sniff all over Bayville.” Mystique sighed. Logan embraced her tightly and she leaned into it.

“It won’t be any fun for Sabretooth if we _don’t_ find him,” Logan told her. “He’s trying to get to _me_ -- there’s no other reason for him to take Kurt.”

“I know, “ she said. “But he took Forge, too. Something weird is going on.”

“Logan, Mystique,” Professor Xavier said as he came to the doorway, his expression grave. “I’m sorry to disturb you, but something terrible has happened.”

“Kurt?” Mystique whispered and Logan tensed.

“No,” the Professor said. “It’s about Forge’s parents. I called them to tell them what happened, and that we would do our best to find he and Kurt. They didn’t want to wait and said they were going to the police.” He paused as if he were having difficulty speaking. “The roads are treacherous in this downpour … there was an accident ….”

“Oh Charles, no,” Mystique said. “They weren’t ….”

He nodded. “Both of them.”

Logan swore under his breath and Mystique’s eyes filled with fresh tears. “That poor boy,” she said. “He won’t even have his parents to come home to when we _do_ find him.”

“It will be hard on him, but he’ll be all right, we’ll make sure of it,” the Professor told her firmly. “But first we have to locate he and Kurt as quickly as possible.”



part 116

“How do you feel?” Forge asked Kurt as he pulled the towel off his head.

“Drier,” Kurt answered. “That rain made my fur wet through.” He looked down at his blue fuzzy arms. Sabretooth had taken his inducer away in one more effort to keep him from leaving the house. He had also taken his communicator.

“Me too,” Forge sighed and hung up their towels. Both boys were in the upstairs bathroom, having just changed into their clothes again after running them through the dryer.

“Hey, Forge,” Kurt put a hand on his shoulder, “don’t feel guilty about these things.” He pointed at the armbands. “After what you told me he was going to do, I don’t blame you a bit.”

“Thanks, Kurt,” Forge said gratefully. “I wish it hadn’t been necessary, though.” He looked over at him. “It’s been a couple of hours, hasn’t it? You think they’re searching for us yet?”

“I don’t know what they can do,” Kurt said with regret. “Cerebro probably won’t pick us up unless we can use our powers, and now we can’t. Father won’t be able to trace our scent from the scene thanks to the rain.” He glanced at him. “You heard Sabretooth, though. Sooner or later, he _wants_ Father to find us so he can fight him again.”

“I hope it’s sooner rather than later,” Forge said, his expression sad. “My parents must be so worried, especially considering the last time I turned up missing in the 70’s, I didn’t come back for twenty years.” He shook his head. “It was so weird when I got out of that Middleverse dimension, Kurt. Everything and everybody had changed except me. My parents are old now – really old. I was born to them late in life to start with, then I had fifteen years with them and then I got caught in Middleverse for all that time … I don’t know how much more they can take.”

Kurt put a comforting arm around Forge’s shoulders. “Professor Xavier will tell them what’s going on – at least this time they’ll know you aren’t caught in another dimension.”

“No, this time they’ll know I was kidnapped as merchandise to be handed over to someone else.” He sighed. “What if they want me to build something that will hurt people, like bombs or something?”

“Can you do that?” Kurt asked.

“I can build just about anything,” Forge answered. “But that doesn’t mean I _should_, or want to.” He shook his head. “Whatever they want, it isn’t going to be good.”

“Then we’ll just have to make sure we’re out of here before Sabretooth gets the call to deliver you,” Kurt assured him.

“That’s right,” Forge suddenly turned to him, eyes wide, “because if he gets that call before your parents find us, what do you think he’ll do with _you_?”

Kurt gulped.

*

“Nothing, not a trace.” Professor Xavier removed the Cerebro helmet and shook his head. “I don’t understand it.”

“What are we going to _do_?” Mystique asked no one in particular. She looked like she might cry again. Magnus patted her shoulder, surprising her.

“They’ll be all right, Mystique,” he said. “They’re both resourceful boys.”

“Yes, but Victor knows that, too,” she insisted. “He’ll take precautions.”

“How?” Hank asked. “He can’t keep Kurt from teleporting.”

“Maybe by threatening Forge he can,” Mystique said. “They’re friends – he wouldn’t let Victor hurt him.”

“But Kurt could still slip out briefly to tell us where they are and then go back,” Hank said.

“No, he can’t,” Logan said gruffly. “Sabretooth has a nose like mine. He’ll know the second either Kurt or Forge are out of range.”

The phone rang. The Professor looked up sharply. “It’s Sabretooth!”

Both Logan and Mystique grabbed for the phone – Logan got there first. “I want my kid back NOW!” he yelled. Mystique reached over and pressed the button for the speakerphone so that they could all hear the response.

“I’ll bet you do, runt,” Sabretooth chuckled. “That’s just one reason why I’m gonna hang onto him for a while.”

“I’ll find you, you know I will,” Logan snarled. “And when I do, if I find out you’ve hurt him – “

“I’m not gonna hurt him,” Sabretooth interrupted. “I need him right now. He’s keeping the other brat company and they can do all the work around here so I don’t have to.”

Mystique glanced at Logan. “Then it’s not Kurt you were after in the first place?” she said.

There was a brief pause, then Sabretooth said, “I didn’t know you were there, Mystique. Nah, it wasn’t your kid I wanted – he was just in the wrong place at the right time.” He laughed at his own joke.

“Why did you take Forge, Victor?” Mystique demanded. “His parents aren’t wealthy and now they’re – “

“My reasons for THAT are my own,” Sabretooth cut her off. “It’s got nothing to do with ransom.”

“How long are you planning to keep the boys?” the Professor asked.

Another pause came as Sabretooth registered the different voice. “Not forever,” he said. “Once the smart kid is in his new home, I’ve got no use for yours.”

“Victor,” Mystique said, her voice shaking, “please. Don’t … don’t kill him. I’ll beg you if you want me to, just please ….” She covered her face with her hands and began to cry.

Sabretooth growled into the phone and then swore. “Don’t bother crying, Raven. You know that doesn’t work on me.” He paused. “I’ll tell you what. I won’t kill your kid -- hell, I’ll even let him call you now and then so you know he’s okay -- _if_ Logan agrees to fight me one-on-one when it’s over. No funny stuff like having your little X-Men gang up on me. Just me and the runt.”

Logan popped his claws over the phone so Sabretooth could hear it. “You got it, Pops,” he said, smiling wickedly.



part 117

Sabretooth opened the bedroom door and looked down at the two sleeping figures in the twin beds. Kurt and Forge both looked so comfortable and warm in slumber – it seemed a shame to wake them.

He let out a deafening animal roar.

Forge fell right out of bed, landing hard on the floor. Kurt leapt straight up and clung to the ceiling. They both stared at Sabretooth with wide, startled eyes.

“This ain’t no hotel,” Sabretooth snapped. “I’m hungry. Make something or I might eat one of _you_.” He left the room.

Forge looked up at Kurt. “Think he would?”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t already.” Kurt jumped down to land on the bed. “We’d better get going. Can you cook?”

Forge gave him a deadpan look. “I just found out what a microwave is last week.”

Kurt sighed. “He may end up eating us after all.”

*

“For the last time, I do NOT snore!”

“Yes, you do! You kept me up half the night with it!”

“Well, how about YOU?! You talked in your sleep so much I thought you’d never shut up! And all of it mindless drivel! ‘Oh Kitty, my sweet Kitty ….’”

“You LIAR!” The Institute began to rumble.

Magnus, dressed in his intimidating Magneto uniform, threw open the door and leveled a stern gaze at Scott and Lance. They were nose to nose glaring at each other, each one only half-way suited up for the morning training session. Scott’s Cyclops uniform was hanging from his waist. He had both boots on, but hadn’t yet switched his glasses for the visor. Lance had his uniform on, but no boots or helmet.

“Lance, stop the tremors right now,” Magneto said. “You both are about to be late and you’re getting loud.”

“But he said --!” Scott began.

The rumbling intensified as Lance protested, “He was saying --!”

“I don’t CARE!” Magneto thundered, drowning out the earthquake, which stopped abruptly as Lance blanched. Both boys fell silent.

“That’s better,” Magneto told them. “”Show an iota of the maturity you claim to possess and finish getting ready or we will choose _new_ leaders who can be at sessions on time. Do you understand?”

The boys nodded wordlessly.

“Good.” Magneto nodded and left the room. Scott let out a breath he’d been holding.

“Was he always that scary with the Brotherhood?” he asked.

“Scarier,” Lance admitted. “We’d better move it.”

*

“Well,” Kurt said, looking around the kitchen, “the important thing is that _we_ survived.”

Forge had to agree as the two of them surveyed the disaster area that was once the kitchen. There wasn’t a surface that didn’t have pans, plates, utensils, flour, water, milk, syrup, package wrappings, or all of the above covering it. Several more pans and bowls were in the sink, some of which were scorched black.

“You know,” Forge said, “all of this might have been worth it if we got even one decent waffle out of it.”

“Waffles?” Kurt said in surprise. “I thought we were making pancakes!”

“What the hell happened in here?!”

The boys winced at the sheer volume of Sabretooth’s roar.

“Um, breakfast?’ Kurt said tentatively.

Sabretooth looked around ominously. “I see the mess – where’s the food?”

Forge held up a plate with two black shapes on it. Sabretooth’s sensitive nose wrinkled.

“What is _that_?!”

“Waffles,” Forge said.

“Pancakes,” Kurt replied.

“How about panfles?” Forge suggested jokingly.

Sabretooth stared at them both incredulously, then finally shook his head. “I can’t eat THAT!”

“Well, we could try again,” Kurt offered.

“NO!” Sabretooth said quickly. “At least not now.” He looked around. “Clean this up, then I’ll cook and you two will watch and learn.”

The boys exchanged an astonished glance. “YOU can cook?” Kurt asked.

“I’ve been on my own a long time, kid – longer than you can imagine. You think I eat everything raw? Now get busy!” He walked out and Forge
looked at Kurt.

“Just how old _is_ he, anyway?”

“Well, he’s my grandfather, and I know my father was born in the 1800s – his healing factor keeps him from aging much, and Sabretooth has the same healing factor. So I guess he must be really, _really_ old.”

“He might get a whole lot older waiting for us to finish cleaning this,” Forge remarked, surveying the mess.

*


“Are you okay, Todd?” Longshot asked the green-skinned boy in concern. Todd had just crawled out of the Danger Room and was laying flat-faced on the floor.

“That Wolverine is a slave driver, yo!” Todd exclaimed. “How unfair is it for me to have my punishment training session immediately following the group one?”

“Is there anything I can do for you?”

“Just stay with me while I recuperate,” Todd said and raised his head enough to watch the other boy seat himself against the wall beside him. “Do you have to go to the set today?”

“No, not today. I’m going to have tutoring with Wanda and the Professor, though.” Longshot paused, then looked at Todd. “Do you think Kurt and Forge are all right?”

“I don’t know,” Todd admitted. “When Sabretooth called he said they were, but how good is _his_ word, y’know?”

“It must be scary to be kidnapped,” Longshot said, frowning slightly. “Magnus says I’m in danger of that because of being a celebrity now, so I have to be careful.”

“Well, most people would be at risk in your place, but I think your luck would keep you from being taken,” Todd said confidently.

“Maybe,” Longshot said thoughtfully. “I wish I could help them, though.”

Todd looked at him suddenly. “Hey, maybe you can, sorta! Come on!” He jumped up and hopped down the hall like he’d found his second wind. Longshot followed him up to the control room, where Logan was just coming out.

“You did a good job in there, Toddpole, I’m proud of you,” he said.

“Yeah, thanks,” Todd said. “Listen, Longshot and I were just talking, and I had an idea. You guys still have that gadget Forge made for Fuzzball, right? The one that screwed around with his powers?”

Logan frowned. “Yeah, why?”

Todd nodded toward Longshot. “Let Lucky Boy here touch it – he might be able to ‘read’ something about their future. Like if they still _have_ one.”

Logan glanced from one boy to the other. “Yeah, that could work. But let’s not tell Mystique until after we get the results. Come on.” He brought both boys into the control room and went over to a cabinet. “Both Forge and Kurt touched this, so you should be able to read both their imprints, right, Longshot?”

“Yes sir,” Longshot replied. He and Todd watched Logan bring out an odd-looking contraption connected with wires and straps. “It’s not hooked up, but I guess that doesn’t matter. Here you go.” He held it out toward Longshot, who took hold of the mask portion in both hands and closed his eyes.

“Wow!” he breathed. “I can see the Middleverse dimension they both went to and the dimension Kurt passes through when he teleports – you went with him once during the slow-motion trip, Logan – I … I can see the kidnapping ….”

Logan straightened. “Can you see where they are?” he demanded.

“Um …,” Longshot concentrated. “I can see the house – inside and out – but not the way to get there.”

“What about their future, yo?” Todd pressed.

Longshot paused and Logan began to feel sick inside. “Kid?” he prompted.

“I see a future for both of them – Kurt’s home with you,” Longshot said, then paused again. “Forge … it’s unclear. He’s okay, but I’m not sure
here he’ll be.” He removed his hands from the helmet and looked at Logan apologetically.

“Hey, don’t look like that,” Logan told him, patting his shoulder. “This is _good_ news, you know. Mystique will feel a lot better having something besides Sabretooth’s word to hope for.”

“I don’t blame her,” Todd remarked dryly. “Come on, Longshot, let’s go.”

“Thanks, kids.” Logan looked down at the device in his hands as they left, remembering when he’d accompanied Kurt on the slow-motion teleport and how frightened his Elf had been by the experience. Facing the monsters they’d discovered in that dimension probably seemed like a picnic now compared to being Sabretooth’s captive.



part 118

“And _that_, you useless pups, is how you make pancakes _and_ waffles.”

Kurt and Forge exchanged surprised looks, then gazed hungrily down at the plates. Stacks of golden pancakes and waffles with amber-coloured syrup dripping down the sides sat there, squares of melting butter decorating the centres.

“This one’s mine!” Kurt grabbed the pancakes.

“I’ll take the waffles!” Forge snatched the other plate.

“Hey, WAIT a minute!” Sabretooth yelled. “D’ya mind if I eat, too?!”

“Not at all,” Forge said.

“Go for it,” Kurt agreed.

Neither of them relinquished their plates.

“Put them DOWN!” Sabretooth ordered.

Reluctantly, the boys put the plates back down. Sabretooth took some pancakes and some waffles onto his own plate. “There,” he said, “four each
hould still be enough for you!”

Kurt pouted. “Well, we _are_ growing boys, you know.”

“Try to run off with my food again and I’ll _stunt_ your growth,” Sabretooth warned.

Kurt laughed. “That sounds like something my father would say!”

Sabretooth spun around to glare at him dangerously before leaving with the plate.

“_You_ said the wrong thing,” Forge said to Kurt sagely.

*

“Mama!” Rogue ran up to Mystique, grinning. “Me, Remy, and Pietro are going out, okay?”

“Okay, honey – be sure to take your communicators in case we hear news about Kurt,” Mystique told her. “Will you be back for dinner?”

“Yep!” See ya later!” Rogue started to skip away happily.

“Rogue, wait!” Mystique said suddenly. “Where is it you’re going?”

Her daughter paused. “Oh, uh, didn’t Ah tell you?”

“No, you didn’t,” Mystique said, looking even more curious.

Rogue smiled. “We’re going to the cove. See ya!”

“Stop!” Mystique ordered before Rogue could move. “No way.”

“Aw, but Mama, why not? You guys know where it is and all, and the Professor _did_ say that it was okay if no fewer than three of us went at a
time!”

“Ha ha, very cute,” Mystique said. “I applaud your effort, Rogue, but you know that for you and your boyfriends we have to make _four_ the
limit.”

“Mama, _please_ ….”

“Don’t even try it, Rogue.” Mystique laughed. “You’re _not_ taking those boys to a private beach.”

“It’s not like Ah can _do_ anything with them!” Rogue exclaimed. “They can’t touch me!”

“But they can touch _each other_!” Mystique countered. “The answer is still no, unless you can find a fourth person to go with you.” She turned to go downstairs, then paused. “Hmm, now there’s an idea.”

“What idea?” Rogue asked suspiciously.

“Why don’t we all go?” her mother said. “Most of us haven’t actually been there yet, we’ve just seen it on a map. And with all the worry about Kurt, it might do your father good to relax.”

Rogue’s eyebrows went up. “He’d probably say the same about you.”

“Well … I wasn’t sure whether or not to believe what Victor told us, but when your dad told me about Longshot’s reading, it reassured me somewhat.” She sighed. “I’ll still worry, but I have to function.”

Rogue smiled and put an arm around her mother. “In that case, Ah think you’re right. Ya’ll should come with us, everybody.”

Mystique gave her a grateful smile in return and hugged her. “Okay, then,” she said. “Let’s see if we can get this organized.”

*

“Forge?”

“Yeah, Kurt, I’m down here!”

Kurt jumped from the top of the basement stairs down into the workshop where Forge was bent over a weird-looking device that might have once been a toaster. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Just fiddling. It relaxes me.” Forge looked at him. “What’s Sabretooth doing?”

“Watching the news. Maybe he’s checking to see if your parents reported your kidnapping.”

“I wonder if they did.”

“The Professor would advise against it, don’t worry.” Kurt hopped onto a stool and perched there, studying the device on his bicep.

“I know you’d love nothing more than to teleport out of here, Kurt, I’m sorry,” Forge said softly.

“It’s okay,” Kurt told him earnestly. “I’m not going to leave you, and I’m not going to put your parents at risk. So far, he hasn’t really done anything to us except scare us.”

“He’s good at that.” Forge chuckled.

“He’s good at cooking, too. Go figure,” Kurt remarked.

Forge put his tools down. “Okay, now this toaster can be used as a time machine!”

“What?!” Kurt nearly fell off the chair. “Really?!”

“No.” Forge grinned. “Just wishful thinking.”

Kurt shook his head. “You almost had me going for a moment there, mein freund. With YOU it might have been possible to make such a thing.”

“Well, hey, I’ve messed with time before. I somehow connected with Middleverse, and that was certainly the land that time forgot. And I slowed down your teleport speed,” Forge pointed out. “But I think I’ve got a ways to go before I master time travel.”

“If you know what’s good for you,” came Sabretooth’s voice from the top of the stairs, “you’ll travel in record time back up HERE. I’ve got stuff for you brats to do.”

The boys exchanged a surprised glance. “Almost gives you the impression that he has a sense of humour, doesn’t it?” Forge whispered to Kurt.

“Almost,” he murmured back.

“I HEARD that!” Sabretooth warned. “And I DON’T have a sense of humour!”

The boys giggled.

*

Duncan frowned as he stood outside the ice cream parlour. He could almost see Kurt, still on the sidewalk, just before Sabretooth grabbed him.

Sabretooth. Even his _name_ was intimidating.

Mystique had phoned him to tell him that Longshot saw Kurt had a future. When she’d explained it more clearly, it had made him feel better about Kurt surviving the ordeal, but who knew what would happen to him _during_ it.

He supposed that he should be glad Kurt wasn’t alone, but somehow knowing he was trapped with a cute guy like Forge made it worse. Deep relationships had come out of adverse situations before.

“Duncan, hi!”

He turned at the sound of Heather Cameron’s voice and waved. “Hey there, Heather,” he said as she approached. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” she said, then touched his arm and looked concerned. “I heard about Kurt, though. I’m really sorry.”

Duncan nodded. “Not much we can do about it right now, I guess. I don’t even know why I came here.” He pointed down the street. “Right over there is where the guy snatched him.”

Heather sighed. “I hope he and that other bloke are okay.”

“Me too,” Duncan agreed, then smiled a little. “Hey, I heard you gave an impressive demonstration in the Danger Room. Kurt was telling me about it just before he was taken.”

Heather blushed. “He told you about that, huh?”

“I didn’t know you were a mutant, but it’s cool,” Duncan said. “And you’re going out with Wanda Maximoff? That’s even _more_ surprising!”

“I like her,” Heather said. “She’s serious, but loosening up more all the time.” She grinned. “Hey, maybe when Kurt gets back, we can double-date, huh?”

“That’d be cool,” Duncan said, then frowned slightly. “I just hope when he gets back that Kurt still wants to date _me_.”

Heather’s blue eyes widened. “Krikey, why on earth wouldn’t he want to?”

Duncan stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Oh, no reason, I guess. It’s just that Forge is kinda good-looking and he and Kurt have been friends for a long time and now they’re being held captive together ….”

“Now stop right there,” Heather said firmly. “You care about Kurt, don’t you?”

“Yeah, a lot!” Duncan answered emphatically.

Heather smiled. “And I’m sure he cares about you, too. You just have to _trust_ him.”

Duncan nodded. She was right – he was being unfair to Kurt. He’d stop worrying about whether he and Forge were getting involved.

And just go back to worrying in general.



part 119

Hank looked around and nodded. “They were right, this _is_ a nice place.”

Mystique had to agree. The cove was quiet and peaceful, but also beautiful. She was looking forward to a dip in the waves herself.

“Out of my way, Summers! Do you have to hog the whole beach like you do our room?!”

“I’m just STANDING here, Alvers! If you weren’t so lazy, you could walk around me instead of complaining!”

Logan shook his head. “And here I thought that having them drive up in separate vehicles would keep them from fighting.”

“I think this beach isn’t big enough for the both of them,” Magnus said.

“I’m sorry,” Mystique told them. “I guess my idea isn’t working out very well.”

“They’ve only just begun to learn to live together,” Professor Xavier reassured her. “I believe your idea will work in the long run -- we have to give them some time.”

“I’m thinking of giving them something _else_,” Logan said firmly.

*

“Scott, will you STOP looking over there?” Jean said impatiently. “Lance is far enough away that he won’t bother you.”

“He’ll find a way, I’m sure,” Scott said, watching Lance and Kitty kick a beach ball back and forth. Todd jumped in between them, stealing the ball and tossing it to Longshot, who ran away with it, laughing. Todd, Lance, and Kitty chased after him.

“See? They’re going all the way to the other end of the beach,” Jean pointed out. Scott sighed and turned to look at her apologetically.

“I’m sorry, Jean. It’s just that this new rooming arrangement is getting to me. Lance and I are complete opposites.”

“That’s not quite true,” Jean said, pulling her feet back as the surf threatened closer to where they sat. “You’re both stubborn.”

Scott pouted. “That’s not funny.”

“I wasn’t being funny. You and Lance _are_ stubborn, but you have more than that in common. You’re both leaders, and very passionate about
the things that are important to you. If you two could ever learn to work together, you’d make an unbeatable team.”

Scott shook his head. “I can’t see it happening.”

“Well, you may not have a choice if you ever want your own room again.”

“Good point,” the X-Men leader admitted, then brightened. “Hey, if I kill him, _that_ would solve the problem, too!”

“No, Scott.”

The beach ball bounced off Scott’s head.

“Hey, you mind keeping your fat head out of the way of our ball?” Lance called out.

Flat-eyed, Scott looked at Jean. “Are you _sure_ about that?”

*

“Lance!” Kitty gave her boyfriend a disapproving look. “You did that on purpose!”

“You think my aim is _that_ good?” Lance laughed. “I just got lucky!”

“You should go apologize,” she told him.

“No way, I’m through apologizing to that guy,” Lance said firmly. “But at least I won’t have to worry about him being my roommate much longer.”

“Really?” Kitty said in surprise. “Why not?”

“Because I’m gonna kill him next time he opens his mouth.”

“Lance, you are _not_, now stop it!”

“Hey, aren’t we playing anymore, yo?” Todd called out, tossing the ball up and down.

“You and Longshot can keep playing with it,” Lance replied. “Kitty and I are going for a walk!” He took her hand and they headed down the beach. Lance glanced over his shoulder toward Scott and Jean and saw that Scott was watching him as well.

*

Remy laughed at Rogue, who was stubbornly trying to splash Pietro as the blonde boy avoided her efforts. “How can you be so fast in the water?!” she demanded.

“I’m fast everywhere!” Pietro bragged, then squealed as Remy wrapped two wet arms around his waist from behind. “Remy, no!”

“Ha!” Rogue said triumphantly and splashed Pietro mercilessly as he was held in place by the Cajun.

“Okay, okay, I give!” Pietro sputtered, trying not to laugh.

Remy let him go. “She got me, too, chere,” he said, wiping his red and black eyes.

“That’s your own fault!” Pietro told him. Remy grinned and pulled him back into his arms, facing him.

“Don’t be mad at me,” he murmured and kissed him, his hand brushing over Pietro’s bathing suit-clad bottom.

“Mmm …,” Pietro purred, slipping his arms around Remy’s neck. “So who’s mad?” He grinned mischievously.

Rogue watched them kiss with a smile. Yes, she wished she could kiss both of them too, but if it wasn’t to be, it wasn’t. She was content just
nowing they both loved her – how many other girls were as lucky as she?

“Remy LeBeau!” Logan bellowed from shore. “Move that hand or lose it!”

“I am sorry, monsieur!” Remy waved with the hand he’d had on Pietro’s backside, winking at he and Rogue.

“Yeah, right!” Logan replied. “Just watch it!”

“I _am_ watching it,” Remy said softly, glancing down toward Pietro’s butt. “And I am enjoying the view.”

“I HEARD that!” Logan yelled. “Start swimming and stop looking!”

“Daddy’s got real good hearing, Remy, ya know that.” Rogue grinned and started to swim lazily through the waves.

Remy chuckled. “Too good, petite!”

Pietro did a sidestroke and glanced toward the shore. Logan was still watching them steadily, and to his surprise, so was Magnus.

Kurt sat back on his haunches and exhaled. He was hot, tired, and sick to death of waxing the foyer floor. Certainly Sabretooth couldn’t have known that he’d had an aversion to wax ever since he’d been sentenced to a month of waxing the X-Jet daily. The punishment had nearly ruined his fur, not to mention put a serious cramp in his social life. Now here he was again – up to his tail in wax, only this time it wasn’t punishment. He strongly suspected it was ‘busywork’.

“Hey Kurt,” Forge said as he came in from the kitchen carrying a bucket. He looked as tired as Kurt felt.

“Watch out, I still have to wipe the wax up, so it’s slippery.” Kurt pulled the buffer pads off his hands, feet, and tail where they’d been attached so that he could use all five appendages at once to work with.

“The floor’s mopped in the kitchen,” Forge said wearily. “You think that’s all we’re going to be doing here is slave labour?”

“Probably,” Kurt replied. “He’s got built in slaves – why not use them?”

“Hey, you kids --” Sabretooth said as he came in from the living room.

“Watch out!” Kurt yelled. “The floor is --!”

“YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!” Sabretooth howled as he skidded across the slippery floor, desperately trying to backpedal. Forge tried to get out of his path, but Sabretooth barreled into him, knocking him off his feet and sending the bucket of dirty mop water flying. It landed on Sabretooth’s head.

The two boys stared in horror for half a beat before scrambling to make themselves scarce. By the time Sabretooth got the bucket off his slimy, soapy head, they were nowhere in sight. He knew he could track them down by scent –

As soon as he got the smell of Mr. Clean out of his nostrils.



part 120

“Pietro, I want to talk to you.”

The white-haired teenager looked up from where he was eating a BLT on a beach blanket with Rogue and Remy. “Father?”

“Come,” Magnus said, and walked away.

Remy and Rogue glanced at Pietro. “You supposed to follow?” Rogue asked.

“Yep,” Pietro sighed and stood up. He caught up with his father in no time.

Magnus led him away from the others on the beach to stand near the trees. “Pietro, I want to talk to you about that little display I saw in the water,” he said sternly. “I was not pleased.”

Pietro wasn’t sure how to answer. His first instinct was to do what he’d always done in the past when his father expressed disapproval – wimp out. But then he remembered that Magnus was only his father in name now – Logan was his real father. He drew himself up and met Magnus’ blue-grey eyes with his identical ones.

“There’s nothing wrong with what we did,” he stated defiantly. “I happen to love Remy, and he loves me. And we BOTH love Rogue, who shares our feelings. There’s nothing wrong with people who love each other expressing it!”

Magnus looked surprised briefly, then his eyebrows knit and his voice lowered, “But there IS something wrong with a fifteen-year-old boy allowing himself to be fondled in public. What I saw was disgraceful.”

Pietro smirked. “Would it be any less disgraceful if we’d done it in private?”

Magnus paused for a moment, then did the last thing in the world Pietro expected. He took Pietro his son by the shoulder, turned him around, and landed a firm whack to the seat of his bathing suit.

“OW!” Pietro yelled.

Magnus turned him back to face him, hands on both shoulders. “Does that answer your question?”

“Yes,” Pietro muttered, rubbing his bottom.

“I care about you, whether you believe it or not,” Magnus said, his tone softening. “If I didn’t, it wouldn’t matter to me what you did.”

Pietro didn’t reply. Then Magnus did the second-to-last thing his son would have expected – he embraced him and held him for a few moments before releasing him.

“You can go back to your friends now,” Magnus told him and patted his head, then headed back toward the adults. Pietro scratched his head.

“What just happened here?” he murmured.


Kurt was panicking. Forge was nowhere to be found –not upstairs, not downstairs, not in the kitchen, bedroom or bathroom – and it wouldn’t be long before Sabretooth discovered it, too.

He was about to leave the kitchen when he caught a glimpse of something outside. He leapt to the window and saw Forge on the front lawn, doing something to the ride-on mower.

Kurt wasn’t sure if they were even allowed outside – the nearest house was visible far down the road, but no one from there could see details of people in Sabretooth’s yard without binoculars. Still, he decided he’d better go grab Forge before Sabretooth saw him.

The other boy didn’t notice him until he tapped his shoulder. Forge dropped the screwdriver he was holding.

“Man, Kurt, you scared me!” he said, one hand on his chest.

“Sabretooth would scare you worse, believe me,” Kurt crouched beside him. “If he finds you out here – “

“He knows I’m here,” Forge said with a smile. “He told me to mow the lawn.”

Kurt looked around the uncut lawn and then at the array of tools laying on the grass beside Forge. “Is something wrong with the mower?”

“No, I’m just making some improvements,” Forge said, brushing his hands off as he stood. “Now it should be able to mow the lawn without supervision – it’ll run around the perimeter of the property and gradually make smaller circles toward the centre.”

“But won’t it just keep going around in the same circle over and over?” Kurt asked in confusion.

“I put a sensor in it – it will avoid going over already-cut grass.” Forge grinned. “That’s why it will just keep adjusting itself into smaller circles as it makes the rounds of the property.”

“Wow, you really ARE a genius!” Kurt said admiringly.

Forge blushed slightly. “Well, thanks! I love doing stuff like this, though. It’s fun. Now let’s give it a test run.” He reached over and turned on the switch. The engine came to life, but the mower didn’t move.

“What’s wrong?” Kurt asked.

“Nothing,” Forge assured him, “I just have to program the coordinates so that it knows to start on the outside edge.” He leaned over to access the new control panel he’d installed.



Inside the house, Sabretooth noticed two things. One was that he couldn’t hear the lawn mower yet, and he’d sent that kid Forge outside to do the lawn almost an hour ago. The other was that both Forge and Kurt’s scents were out front. He strode to the door and slammed it open. “HEY!”

“YAHHH!” Forge and Kurt yelled, spinning around in fear.

“What’s taking you so long with the lawn?!” Sabretooth demanded, then a look of horror crossed his features as he stared at a point behind the boys. “HEY, STOP THAT THING!”

Kurt and Forge turned and saw that the ride-on mower was chugging its way toward the driveway – and Sabretooth’s motorcycle

“Auugh!” Forge yelled and charged after it. “The coordinates were interrupted when you startled me! It’s out of control!”

Kurt and Sabretooth both lunged after the mower as well, but the driveway and motorcycle were only a few feet away from where the machine started and it had a head start. It plowed into the motorcycle – and over it – before continuing merrily on its way. The three mutants stared down at the mangled mess of metal and chrome.

“Did I mention I also improved the traction and cutting durability?” Forge said in a small voice.

Kurt swallowed and glanced uneasily toward Sabretooth, who was still gazing at his destroyed motorcycle in shock. “Forge, if I were you, I’d
worry about your OWN traction and durability and start running.”



part 121

Sabretooth wasn’t happy. In one day, his two so-called ‘victims’ had destroyed the kitchen, nearly killed him with the waxed floor and mop water, and weed-whacked his motorcycle.

Exactly WHO was the victim here?

But it was going to stop, if he could figure out what to do to control them. He was used to killing anyone who annoyed him – he couldn’t do that in this case. He couldn’t do any real damage, either.

So what DID you do with kids that you didn’t want to maim?




“Kitty, will you stop being mad at me already? I said I was sorry!”

“You shouldn’t have had to say so, Lance, because you should have just ignored Scott and paid attention to ME!”

Lance ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He hadn’t MEANT to be looking over at Scott when Kitty was pointing out a squirrel – but he’d heard the X-Men leader laugh at something and was sure it was he.

“You’re getting downright paranoid where he’s concerned, and you really have to get a grip on it or we’re not going to have any fun!” Kitty told him in annoyance.

“Sorry,” Lance said earnestly, then his gaze shifted to where Scott was, and he saw the other boy was watching him warily. Jean saw it, too, and smacked Scott on the arm.

“You see that?” Kitty pointed out. “Jean’s tired of this, too. And if you guys aren’t careful, you’ll be stuck hanging out together outside your room as well as in it because your girlfriends will have left you!” She stomped off toward the adults.

“No, Kitty, come back! I’m sorry!” Lance ran after her.

“Not NOW, Lance!” Kitty called back and picked up her pace. Lance stopped chasing her and kicked a mound of sand. The ground began to rumble.

Quickly, Lance tried to calm himself and the earthquake stopped. He looked around to see if anyone else noticed, but they didn’t seem to have. At least this time I was outside when I lost control, he thought. But Kitty’s gonna be mad at me all day, anyway. Resigned, he sighed and started stripping off his vest and t-shirt, heading for the water to have a swim. Maybe it would help get his head together.



Jean was still talking about how Scott should ignore Lance when he did it again. He saw Lance walking toward the water, shedding clothing as he went until he’d kicked off his jeans to reveal his bathing suit. Scott studied his physique and automatically began comparing it to his own.

Then Scott’s head began to turn. He wasn’t doing it himself, but it was turning all the same. He resisted for a moment, but the pressure he felt made him give up, and next thing he knew he was facing Jean.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” he demanded. “You could have broken my neck!”

“Then stop staring at Lance!” Jean snapped back. “He’s not hurting you, is he?!”

Scott glanced back toward the water with a frown. “Do you think he’s better built than I am?”

Jean gave a frustrated shriek and stood up. “I think I’ll go see what Kitty is doing, since she seems to have known enough to give up sooner than I did!”

“Jean!” Scott called, but all he got was a toss of her long red hair as she flounced away.

Well, THIS is great, Scott thought unhappily. He’d waited so long to get Jean’s sole attention and he’d blown it.

In the meantime, Lance was swimming with strong, sure strokes and Scott couldn’t help wondering if he could beat him in a swimming race.



Forge wiped his palms on his pants and looked over at Kurt with wide eyes.

“What do you think he’s going to do?” he asked Kurt for about the tenth time.

Kurt forgave Forge for being repetitive because he knew he was scared out of his wits. Once Sabretooth had come out of his shock by the mangled motorcycle, his expression had been frightening to behold. “I don’t know,” he answered truthfully.

“You know, there wasn’t much to do in Middleverse except work on getting out of there, and reading,” Forge babbled. “I probably read every book in the school library. One of them was about the Inquisition, and some of the methods of torture ….”

“Forge, don’t DO this to yourself!” Kurt told him. “Or to ME! He sent me to our room, too, you know.”

“I’m sorry for getting you into this, Kurt,” Forge said sincerely, then paused. “Maybe he’ll just snap my neck quickly and NOT pull my limbs off first.”

Kurt grimaced. “If being a genius gives you such a grisly imagination, I’m glad I’m not one!”

Forge looked surprised. “You think he’s above torture?” he asked hopefully.

Kurt thought about it and shook his head. “Not necessarily, although he likes outright killing more.”

“Oh good,” Forge sounded relieved.

The door opened and Sabretooth walked in. He looked toward Forge and started over.

“No, don’t do it!” Kurt cried and sprang over Forge’s bed to stand beside him defensively.

“Wait your turn,” Sabretooth growled and shoved Kurt out of the way so that he fell onto the bed. He grabbed Forge’s arm, put his foot up on the bed and bent the teenager over his upraised knee.

“Wha --? OUCH!” Forge yelled as Sabretooth’s massive hand connected with his backside sharply. “What are you – OUCH!!”

Kurt stared in stunned disbelief as he watched Sabretooth apply several more solid whacks to the seat of Forge’s jeans. The Indian teenager protested, squirmed and kicked, but Sabretooth’s strength kept him cemented effortlessly in place.

Although he’d only been struck five times when it was over, Forge’s face was bright red and his dark eyes were shiny with tears of frustration and embarrassment as he was stood upright again. Sabretooth bent down to look him in the eyes.

“Don’t go making any more ‘adjustments’ to ANYTHING in this house without my permission, got it?!”

“Got it,” Forge managed to say.

Sabretooth turned toward Kurt, who suddenly remembered what he’d said about ‘waiting his turn’. The blue-furred mutant tried to spring off the bed, but Sabretooth grabbed his tail and pulled him back.

“YEOW!” Kurt cried, but didn’t have anymore chance to protest the tail-pulling – he was already being turned face-down over Sabretooth’s strong thigh. The first whack landed on his tail. “OWW, not my tail!” he yelled, and pulled it quickly out of the way. Sabretooth’s hand came down four more times on his rear end, and no amount of wiggling or kicking helped Kurt to escape the blows.

Finally he stood Kurt back up and faced him directly. “YOU learn to be more careful!” He pushed Kurt back onto the bed and glared at both boys. “I don’t want anymore ‘accidents’ from either of you or next time it’s gonna be worse!”

He strode out of the room and the teenagers looked at each other in amazement.

“What just happened here?” Forge asked.

“Sabretooth spanked us,” Kurt answered, rubbing his bottom. “And it HURT!”

“That’s what I thought.” Forge winced as he sat down. He shifted position and lay on his side, propping his head up on one arm. “Well,” he said slowly, “I guess it beats having your limbs pulled off, huh?”

“He nearly DID pull one of my limbs off!” Kurt massaged his tail. “But still, I guess it could have been worse. I wonder why he went so easy on us? Probably he has to keep YOU alive and healthy, but why would he spank me instead of breaking my arm?”

“I don’t know,” Forge admitted. “But either way, I think we’d better be more careful.” He chuckled softly. “I haven’t been spanked in over twenty years! I forgot what it’s like.”

“I’d like to forget myself,” Kurt said, then paused. “Hey, Forge? I have a question for you – and you can say no if you want, but here it is ….”



part 122

Sabretooth was sitting in front of the television, but not really seeing it. His mind was still going over what happened with Kurt and Forge earlier.

He’d never spanked a kid before. He hadn’t raised Logan or Graydon. If these couple of days were any indication, parenting was a tougher job than he thought. Of course, he wasn’t trying to be a parent – he was a kidnapper. There was nothing about him that was even remotely parent-like. Kids would fear him, but not respect him. And why should he care? He didn’t like kids.

“Grandfather?”

Sabretooth looked up sharply, so startled that Kurt and Forge had managed to reach him without his noticing that it took him a second to register how Kurt had addressed him. “Uh, yeah, what?” he said gruffly.

“We want to apologize,” Kurt told him.

“For all the disasters that have happened since we got here,” Forge added. “And I’m really sorry about the damage to your bike.”

Sabretooth wondered briefly if the two of them were being smart with him, but their expressions were earnest. Was this because he'd spanked them? Who knew a few swats on the backside could turn a couple of out-of-control, careless teenagers into complete angels? Maybe he was on to something here.

"Just don't do it again," he warned them. "I meant what I said up there -- next time, it'll be worse."

"We understand," Forge said hastily. "Don't worry, it won't happen again."

"No way!" Kurt agreed emphatically.

"Hmmph," Sabretooth replied and turned back to the television he hadn't been paying attention to anyway. After a minute or two, he realized the boys' scents were still nearby, and he looked up again. They hadn't moved, and were looking at him expectantly.

"What?!" he demanded.

"Do you forgive us?" Kurt asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"For what we did," Forge said. "We'd feel better about it if you said you forgave us."

Sabretooth might have thought he was on Candid Camera if he hadn't actually brought these kids into the house himself. He didn't know if they were playing some sort of game with him or if, for SOME reason, they actually cared about his forgiveness. It sounded like a stupid concept to him, but if he didn't say something, they'd stand there staring at him like two wounded puppies all day.

"Yeah, sure, I forgive you," he grumbled. "Now get lost."

They grinned -- and was that _relief_ on their faces? "Okay, thanks!" Kurt said, and the two of them ran out of the living room.

"Kids are harder to figure out than women," Sabretooth muttered.




In the foyer, Forge looked at Kurt with admiration. "I've got to hand it to you, Kurt. You were right."

"To be honest, I wasn't all that sure it would work," Kurt admitted sheepishly. "But usually after I apologize to my parents, things are a lot better between us after I've done something wrong."

"I should have remembered that myself but I'm out of practice," Forge said. "So you think things will be better between us and Sabretooth?"

"I may be crazy, but ja, I do." He chuckled. "At least, so long as we don't have anymore 'accidents'."

Forge nodded. "Let's avoid those, huh?" He glanced toward the kitchen. "Want to take a stab at making dinner?"

"Okay, but we'll work from instructions and follow them exactly," Kurt said firmly. "We've had enough inventiveness for a while."



Scott walked into his room and put his stuff down on the bed. He began stripping his clothes off -- they were itchy with sand.

Lance pushed the bedroom door open and Scott jumped, stopping in the middle of pulling his pants down. "You could have knocked! I'm changing here!"

"Too bad you aren't changing into somebody with a brain," Lance retorted and shut the door.

Scott glared at him for a moment, then finished undressing and pulled on his robe. He hadn't gone into the water, so didn't figure he needed a bath, but he did want fresh clothes. He went to the closet.

Lance looked toward Scott's back as he stood at the closet. It was weird living in the same room as someone and never talking to them. But whenever he and Scott _did_ talk, they ended up fighting. Not that he objected to that personally, but the adults had made their feelings pretty clear on the matter.

Then there was Kitty. He had to stop fighting with Scott or drive her away. He wondered which was more important to him -- swallowing his pride or keeping his girlfriend.

Tough call. He'd think about it while in the bath. He began pulling off his clothes, shaking the sand off onto the floor as he did so. He left the clothes on the floor with the sand and pulled his own robe on.

Scott turned away from the closet with fresh clothes in hand in time to see Lance tying the belt on his robe as he headed for the door, his discarded shirt and jeans in a heap on the floor. He frowned. It was going to be impossible to keep their room neat with Lance being so much of a slob. But considering the condition of the Brotherhood house, he knew he shouldn't have been surprised. And there was no point in saying anything to the guy -- it would just start another fight.

If he ever wanted to get his own room back, he'd have to at least _pretend_ to get along with Lance. He wondered if he was that good an actor.

Lance looked back at him as he opened the bedroom door. When he saw Scott was already looking at him, he scowled and left.

No, Scott thought resignedly. I'm not ….




"It was a nice day, wasn't it?" Professor Xavier said to Magnus as they shared a cup of coffee in the kitchen. "The children had fun, and we adults got to relax for a while."

"Well, most of the time," Magnus remarked. "Some of us still had some parental duty to attend to."

"I'm proud of how you handled Pietro," Charles told him. "I know it wasn't easy for you."

"Actually, it was easier than I expected, even though he _did_ try to justify it all. I think I made my point on his backside, though."

"Sometimes that's the only kind of discussion that gets their attention," the Professor replied. "And I'm afraid Pietro is a little more stubborn than some children."

"That's for sure," Magnus said dryly. "But I'm glad that he finally saw things my way." He sipped his coffee and smiled warmly at Charles. "Did I ever thank you for inviting us to live here?"

"No thanks are necessary," Charles replied. "We're both grateful and fortunate that you've joined us."

"'We' are?" Magnus asked, and placed his hand over the Professor's where it rested on the table. Charles gave it a gentle squeeze.

"_I_ am," he amended, returning the smile.




part 123

Logan's wrong, Mystique told herself as she steered her car into the parking lot of the Bayville Mall. This is _not_ a disastrous idea.

"Okay, we're here," she said, trying to sound cheerful. But considering the three of them had made the entire trip from the Institute in total silence, she couldn't help thinking it sounded as false as it felt. She looked over her shoulder to where Scott and Lance sat in the backseat, both with arms folded, deliberately facing out opposite windows.

She decided if the friendly approach wouldn't work, the Principal Darkholme approach was the best way to go. "All right, listen to me, you two," she said sternly, looking from one boy to the other. "We're going in there to shop for things to dress up your room. It looks like the two of you are going to be there for quite a while and I think it's only fair that you make it more of a place that feels comfortable to you DESPITE whom you're sharing it with. This is all going to be accomplished with a spirit of cooperation and good-will because you will have to agree on curtains, bedspreads, etcetera." She picked up her purse and put it over her shoulder. "So, that having been said, let's go inside and start shopping and NO fighting or else!" She got out of the car and pushed the door closed forcefully.

"What do you think 'or else' means?" Lance asked Scott grudgingly.

"Do you _really_ want to know?" Scott replied flatly. "Come on, let's go."




Jean pressed the button on the remote control over and over. There didn't seem to be anything good on tv at all. Or maybe she just couldn't concentrate.

"Hey Jean," Kitty greeted as she walked in. "Anything good on?"

"I haven't found anything yet," Jean admitted, tossing her the remote. "Here, maybe you'll have better luck than I am."

Kitty took the remote and began flipping channels herself. "I think Mystique should have taken someone else along with her, don't you?"

"I think she can handle it," Jean said. "She deals with an entire school of teenagers every day." She sighed. "But then, they aren't all mutant kids who are spoiling for a fight with each other."

"I still can't believe the way they acted on the beach today," Kitty said. "Lance and I were taking a nice walk, and all he could do was think about Scott and what evil plot he might be hatching to get on his nerves."

"And Scott is all obsessed with competing against Lance! 'Do you think he has a better build than me?'" Jean mimicked. "If they had both relaxed and forgotten about each other we all could have had fun today."

"Hi girls," Longshot greeted shyly as he walked into the room.

Jean smiled warmly at him. He was such a nice kid, albeit immature. That wasn't his fault, though. "Hi Longshot. Sit down with us. We _were_ trying to find something to watch, but with no success."

"Here." Kitty passed him the remote. "You can have a go at it."

Longshot accepted the remote, then glanced at them hesitantly. "Are you two going to break up with Scott and Lance?"

The girls stared at him. "What gave you that idea?" Kitty asked incredulously.

"The way you were all mad at them on the beach," Longshot said, turning the remote over and over in his hands nervously. "You walked away from them."

"Well," Jean said, "we were angry with them, yes, but that doesn't mean it's all over." She blushed slightly. "Not that Scott and I have any kind of official understanding anyway -- we haven't even kissed yet."

"Lance and I DO have an understanding," Kitty piped up. "And so far as I know, nothing has changed. He's just been preoccupied with this nonsense over Scott lately."

Longshot smiled in relief. "That's good."

Jean gave him a little hug. "You're a nice guy, Longshot, but don't worry so much about the rest of us. We'll be okay."

"Yeah," Kitty agreed, "you just concentrate on you and Todd." She winked. "You two seem to be getting closer already."

Longshot flushed. "He's the most interesting person I've ever met. He's a lot of fun, too. He doesn't mind that I don't know everything someone my age is supposed to know yet."

"And you and Wanda are okay as friends?" Jean asked. "She's not angry that you chose Todd?"

"I didn't even realize I _was_ choosing," Longshot admitted. "I just thought we could all be close. But she and I are still friends for sure -- we talked a bit on the beach today. She really likes Heather a lot, and I think they're a nice couple."

"Yeah, they are," Kitty said. "But I'm glad she's staying friends with you."

"Me too," Longshot agreed.

"Well, if it's okay with you guys, I'm going upstairs," Jean said and got to her feet. "I'm feeling a little restless -- maybe a hot bath would help."

"I've got some more homework I could do," Kitty said with a sigh. "Not the most fun way to spend an evening, but I don't think I'm much in a tv mood." She stood up and patted Longshot's shoulder. "See you later, huh?"

"Sure," he said with a smile and watched them both go. He was glad they'd reassured him, and yet he still wasn't completely satisfied. He wasn't psychic the way Jean and the Professor were, but he was observant, and he'd seen the girls' expressions on the beach.

He looked down at the remote control in his hand. Kitty had been the last one to touch it before him, and maybe Jean had held it before her. He should be able to 'read' both of their futures through it if she had. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

What he saw made him drop the remote.



"I don’t like it."

"Why am I not surprised?" Mystique muttered. No matter what they'd looked at so far -- curtains, blinds, bedspreads, throw rugs -- Scott and Lance had not agreed on any of them. They had been in the mall for two hours already and the only thing she'd bought was a bottle of aspirin.

"What's wrong with it?" Scott demanded.

"It's a wussy pattern," Lance remarked, then smirked. "Must be why YOU like it."

"Oh yeah?" Scott snapped intelligently and started to advance on Lance. Mystique put a firm hand on his chest and held him back.

"None of that!" she warned. "In fact, none of _this_! No more arguing or trying to antagonize each other. We have accomplished NOTHING since we got here because of it!"

"It's all HIS fault!" both boys accused, then they gasped and said, "It is NOT my fault!"

"Did either of you hear me?!" Mystique asked angrily. "I told you I want no more of this!"

"If he would just act his age, maybe we could get something done!" Scott said.

"You're crazy!" Lance exclaimed. "Mystique, he's crazy! He's the one disagreeing with all my choices just because they're mine!"

"_Don't_ call me by my codename out loud like that!" Mystique hissed. "And you've done just as much of the spoiled brat routine tonight as he has!"

"Spoiled brat?" Scott repeated indignantly. "I hardly think that's fair!"

"I not only think it's fair, I think it's downright justified and I'll tell you both something -- anymore childish behavior while we're here and you'll regret it and _that's_ a promise." She took a deep breath. "All right, now we're going to go into that department store over there and pick out bedspreads. I don't care if they match, just pick out what both of you want for your own beds."

The three of them went into the store and found the linen department. After a little looking around, both Lance and Scott placed their hands on the same bedspread.

"THIS one!" they announced.

"Great!" Mystique said happily. "You both like it, and they have two of them, I'm sure, so we actually made a decision that matches!"

"No," Scott said.

"Forget it," Lance remarked.

Mystique looked at them in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I don't want it if HE wants it!" both boys stated.

Mystique's 'Principal Darkholme' glasses slid down her nose. She stared at the two seventeen-year-olds in disbelief, but only for a moment. Then she grabbed an arm on both and pulled them over to a table that was displaying neatly folded sheet and pillowcase sets.

"What are you DOING -- auugh!" Scott cried out as his feet were suddenly swept out from underneath him and he landed flat on his back. Mystique then planted a foot squarely on his chest to hold him down, and at the same time shoved Lance face-down on the table, bent at the waist.

"You can't be serious!" Lance protested into the pink sheet his cheek was pressed against. "No, DON'T!" he cried as Mystique unfastened his pants.

"I warned you, but you didn't listen," she growled, then looked around at the staring patrons who had paused in their own shopping to watch. "Don't mind us, folks," she said. "Just a little matter of parental discipline to take care of."

Several of the adults nodded, some giving Mystique admiring looks for the way she was handling two boys who were bigger than she was. None of them moved on, but rather continued to watch as she yanked Lance's jeans and underwear down and gave his bare backside a firm whack.

"OWWW!" he yelled. "Aw, come on -- OWWW!"

"You brought this *WHACK!* on yourself, Lance! *WHACK!* I warned both of you *WHACK!* and you've been warned *WHACK!* repeatedly by all of us *WHACK!* lately but you just aren't *WHACK!* listening! Maybe having a sore bottom *WHACK!* will help you remember and *WHACK!* if THIS spanking doesn't do it *WHACK!* then you can take a turn with *WHACK!* each of the men when *WHACK!* we get home!"

Lance's backside was burning by then and he was all too aware that this punishment was being delivered in a crowded department store in front of multiple witnesses. He knew his face had to be as red as his bottom, and to make it worse, he felt tears slipping down his cheeks.

From his flat-on-his-back position, Scott had all-too-good a view of Lance's spanking and knew his turn was coming. He might have been able to shove Mystique's foot off of his chest and make a run for it, but where would he go but home? There he'd be lucky to escape a date with Logan's belt or the hairbrush -- he certainly wouldn't get off with a hand spanking. Oh God, but it was going to be so humiliating ….

"Scott Summers?"

He turned his head to the left and saw Taryn Fujioka staring at him. She was standing with a woman whom he recognized as her mother. He had met Taryn through Jean and had dated her briefly a long time ago. "Uh … hi, Taryn. Mrs. Fujioka."

"Um," Taryn said, "why is Principal Darkholme spanking Lance Alvers and standing on you?"

Because she's gone insane, was Scott's first instinct to answer, but fortunately for him, he bit it back. Mystique answered herself as she finished up Lance's spanking with a couple more sharp swats to the undercurve, bringing her count to seventeen.

"Get dressed," she told him, then turned to look at Taryn and her mother. "I'm sure this must look unusual here in public but these boys are under my charge and they've been making me crazy since we got here. Repeated warnings and threats didn't work, so I've had to resort to sterner methods."

Taryn's mother nodded, watching Lance move aside, wiping his wet face as he pulled his pants back up to cover his scarlet backside. "I understand," she said. "Sometimes there's no other way."

"Come on, Scott," Mystique took her foot off his chest and grabbed his arm, pulling him up. He gave her a pleading look -- not with TARYN here, he begged silently. But if Mystique cared about his plight, she didn't show it. She turned him to face the table and pushed him down onto it, then began unfastening his pants.

Tears sprang to Scott's eyes instantly. He'd never been so humiliated in his life. This wasn't FAIR! Lance didn't know Taryn personally, or any of these people! He couldn't believe Mystique would do this to him.

The first painful whack made it reality, and it was quickly followed by another that was equally hard. Fire exploded along the surface of his skin and every blow only added more fuel. Scott shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to see the witnesses. But even over the sound of the spanking, he could still hear the unmistakable sounds of a department store around him, and closer still, the murmured comments of those who watched.

"I wonder what they did …."

"Two boys that age ought to know better."

"She's not the Principal of the high school for nothing -- she obviously knows how to handle naughty children."

"Taryn, I don't want you dating him ever again."

"You think I _would_ after this?"

Scott wanted to crawl under the linen and die.



Lance watched Scott's spanking while trying not to look at any of the people around them. But he heard the exchange between Taryn and her mother, and for no reason he could think of, it ticked him off. He turned wet, red-rimmed eyes on the girl and said, "Yeah, and I guess YOU'RE always perfect, right? Well, you know what? Scott already wrote you off a long time ago."

Two bright red spots appeared on Taryn's cheeks and she pressed her lips together. Without a word, she turned on her heel and stalked away. Her mother gave Lance a dirty look and followed her daughter.

Take that, you stuck-up snob, Lance thought with satisfaction.




Despite the increasing pain, never-ending humiliation, and the repetitive smacking of skin-on-skin, Scott had heard what Lance said to Taryn. It was a good thing he had, since he wouldn't have believed anyone else who might have told him about it. He wasn't sure he believed it anyway.

*WHACK!* Ohhh, how many were they up to? It HAD to be over soon.

*WHACK!* Fresh tears seeped past his lashes.

*WHACK!* "All right, Scott, that's it. Get dressed."

Scott pushed himself up and began pulling his pants up. To make it all ten times worse, the watching crowd burst into spontaneous applause. He looked around and realized there were three times as many people there now as there had been when Lance's punishment began.

"Come on," Mystique told them both grimly. "We're going home."

The two boys brushed at their eyes as they silently followed her out of the store, avoiding the collective gaze of the onlookers.



part 124

"Phone for you, Jean!"

"Thanks, Pietro." Jean went over to take the receiver from him, but when she reached for it, he moved it to the right so fast she couldn't register he'd done it until it appeared there. She reached again, and it appeared higher up. He grinned as he zipped it out of reach three more times before she finally used telekinesis to yank it out of his hand.

"Ow, hey, I need those fingers!"

"This game is getting old, Pietro, now stop acting like a little brat," Jean told him and spoke into the receiver. "Hello? … Oh, hi Taryn." Jean frowned. "It's awfully noisy on your end, where are you? … What? … _WHAT_?!"

Pietro had been about to leave, but at the sudden change in Jean's tone, he decided to stick around and eavesdrop.

"Yes, that's true, but -- " Jean shook her head. "I want to feel sorry for them but the way they've been acting, I don't really blame Raven … Okay, bye." She hung up.

"What's up?" Pietro asked eagerly.

"Mystique spanked Scott and Lance in the mall," Jean said, sounding like she couldn't believe it herself.

"What, really?" Pietro said, wide-eyed. "You mean in public?"

"In the linen department of Sears," Jean replied. "Taryn saw the whole thing."

Pietro paused for a moment, then looked at her. "You think it will help? Nothing else got through to them."

"I certainly hope so, but I hate to think what will happen to them if they fight again." She sighed. "I just wish Scott weren't so hotheaded when it
omes to Lance."

"Lance has always had a thing about Scott, too. I think it's that Alpha Male business rearing its ugly head again." Pietro nodded sagely.

Jean looked at him in amusement. "Well, you're a boy, too. Aren't you interested in being Alpha Male of the guys here in this house?"

"I don't even think I'm Alpha Male of the guys in my _relationship_!" Pietro laughed.

Jean laughed with him. "Well, at least you're honest about it!"

"Uh oh." Pietro went still. "I heard a car door."



Mystique walked into the mansion and held the door open for Lance and Scott. "Upstairs to your room, both of you," she ordered.

Logan walked into the foyer and watched the two boys run up the stairs. "What's with them?"

"I just gave them the spanking of their lives in the Bayville Mall," Mystique told him as she changed back to her natural form. "We didn't get anything else accomplished except to give the two of them sore backsides and me a migraine."

"More fighting, huh?" Logan said. "Think they need a little extra nudge from me?"

"No, I kept to the guidelines and gave them both seventeen whacks on the bare butt," Mystique told him. "Neither of them said a word in the car, so at least they weren't fighting afterwards."

"You bared their backsides in a department store?" Logan said admiringly. "I'm proud of you."

She smiled wearily and leaned against him as he put an arm around her. "I'm tired, Logan."

"Hey, you took two bickering teenagers shopping and delivered two wallopings -- you've got a right to be tired, darlin'!" He scooped her into his arms. "So how about I just carry you to our room and you can get ready for a nice bath. I'll tell the others what happened and keep an eye on the two criminals."

"Mmm …." Mystique lay her head on his shoulder. "I _like_ that idea."



Scott stretched out on his bed on his stomach. He couldn't remember ever having felt worse. The car ride home had been murder on his tender backside and it wouldn't have surprised him to learn that Mystique had deliberately driven over every pothole she could find.

"Scott?" Jean's voice came tentatively from the doorway. He remembered passing she and Pietro at the top of the stairs -- she must have followed him.

"I don't feel like talking, Jean," he answered, cringing at how he sounded so obviously like he'd been crying. He wasn't sure he'd ever stopped.

"O-Okay," Jean said. "Let me know if you need me."

He heard her leave and closed his eyes miserably.




Lance didn't blame Scott for not wanting to talk to Jean or anyone else. He wasn't feeling particularly chatty himself. Now that the ordeal was over with , he had way too much time to think about happened, and there was only one conclusion to draw.

He and Scott would have to reach an understanding.

Mystique was obviously serious about their not fighting anymore. She'd publicly humiliated them instead of waiting until they got home. Upon sober reflection, he supposed they _had_ been acting like brats and probably had the spankings coming, but did it _have_ to be public? So much for his rep as a tough hoodlum; once Taryn got through shooting her mouth off at school, and she would, everyone would know how he'd bawled like a baby as his 'Mommy' spanked him bare-assed in the mall. He'd probably have to beat up half the student body to earn their respect again.

He heard Scott sniffling. Was he still crying? Maybe, but then he had more to lose. Unlike himself, Scott was a popular, well-respected guy at Bayville High. But the most popular kids always had people around them who wanted to see them fall. If his own first day back at school would be difficult, Scott's would be hell.

"Lance?"

The sound of Scott speaking his first name out loud in the quiet room startled him. "Yeah?" he answered warily.

"Why did you defend me to Taryn?"

It was a fair question. Too bad he didn't know the answer.

"Did you hear what she said before that?" he asked Scott.

"Yeah," he replied quietly, his voice still thick from his stuffy nose. "I heard what her mother said, too."

"Well, I guess they just got me mad," Lance admitted. "What was going on with us and Mystique was none of their business, and it didn't mean you
were suddenly a creep. I mean, _I_ know you were a creep all along, but Taryn didn't used to think so."

Scott made a noise that sounded like he was suppressing a snort of laughter. "Gee, thanks." There was a pause, then his tone changed.
Seriously. Thanks."

"No problem," Lance replied. He heaved a sigh. "Listen, Sum-- Scott. We've gotta do something about all this. I don't know about you, but I don't want another go-around like what we got in the mall."

"Me neither," Scott agreed. "And it's going to be tough living in the same room and fighting all the time."

"Yeah," Lance nodded. "So … truce? I mean, we can try it, anyway. We don't have to be friends, but we don't have to be enemies, either."

"Sure." Scott looked over at him. "We can try it."

"Good," Lance sat up and gasped. "Damn, that hurts. I wonder who had that butt cream of mine last -- I want it back."

"If you find it, how about making your first gesture of goodwill since our truce started and sharing it with me?" Scott groaned and rubbed his rear. "I seriously need it."

Lance grinned wryly. "Sure, but _I_ get it first. I'll go check the boys' bathroom." He gave a hiss as he stood and limped his way toward the door.

"Check the girls' too -- Kitty might have used it when she got her spanking from Logan that time."

"YOU go check the girls' bathroom. You wanna share the stuff, you're gonna help me find it. Besides, I don't want to be out there seeing people anymore than you do."

Scott sighed but started to get up. Lance was right -- fair was fair. Besides, with both of them looking, they'd be more likely to find the cream quickly and give their poor burning behinds some relief.



They tracked down the cream to the girls' bathroom. Lance pushed the door shut and locked it.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked.

"We may as well use it here," Lance said, opening the jar. "Take your pants off. I'll do you first."

"What?!" Scott squealed.

Lance looked at him strangely. "I'll put the cream on you first. What did you think I said?"

"Nothing," Scott said, red-faced. "I'm just embarrassed."

"Yeah, well, we saw each other's butts pretty clearly in the mall -- "

"Along with the rest of the free world," Scott added dryly.

"Yeah, exactly," Lance agreed ruefully, "so what's the difference now?"

"Good point," Scott said. He unfastened his pants and pushed them down with his underwear. "Hey, I thought you said in the bedroom that YOU wanted to go first."

"Changed my mind," Lance said, then gave a low whistle. "Man, if my butt looks like yours, no wonder I'm in so much pain."

"That's encouraging," Scott remarked in a wry tone. "Come on, if you're going to do me, then _do_ me."

Lance did a double-take and gave Scott a funny look. The other boy had his back to him by then and didn't see it. Lance shrugged and dipped his fingers into the cream.

Scott felt uncomfortable standing against the sink with his pants around his ankles. But that was nothing compared to how he felt when Lance began applying the cream.

It was nothing like when Jean had put cream on him. She had been gentle, but he'd sensed hesitation. Lance's fingers were no-nonsense firm. There was nothing gentle about the way the Brotherhood leader stroked his fingers across Scott's bottom, covering every inch of it with the soothing cream. Surprisingly, the firmness didn't cause his tender skin any worse pain -- it actually felt good.

"Okay, you're done," Lance said finally, and straightened up. Scott thought the other boy's face in the mirror looked flushed, but through his ruby quartz glasses it was hard to tell since everything was in shades of red.

"Thanks," he said, dressing carefully to avoid wiping the cream off. "Okay, I'll take that." He accepted the jar from Lance, who started to unzip his jeans.

"Don't be afraid to push, it won't hurt," Lance told him, turning toward the sink and shoving his jeans down.

"Push?" Scott repeated weakly.

"Yeah, push your fingers into my skin firmly, don't just tickle me or the cream won't soak in." Lance braced his hands on the counter. "Go ahead."

Scott made sure he had a good amount of cream on his fingers, then bent down to spread it firmly over Lance's buttocks.

Lance grit his teeth. The application didn't hurt, just as he'd said, but the shock of suddenly feeling Scott's hand on his skin took him by surprise, even though he'd been expecting it. There was a sureness to Scott's strokes -- he was being careful to cover all the worst areas first and work his way outwards. It didn't tickle, but the intimacy of it, even though none was intended, was still unsettling. Did Scott feel this way when he'd put the cream on him? Probably, since his face was as red as his own when he'd finished. And now he suspected both their faces were even redder.

He felt a couple of swipes on his undercurves that made him go up on his toes. "Yaaahhh!"

"Sorry, but she must have got you there a couple of times. It's really sore-looking." Scott applied more cream to the same spots and Lance had to fight the urge to go up on his toes again. Man, that felt … weird!

"Okay, all done," Scott said, turning away to put the lid on the jar and give Lance a chance to dress himself.

"Hey, who's in there?" Rogue demanded as she knocked on the other side of the door. "Ah've been waitin' forever!"

The boys exchanged a glance, then Scott took a deep breath and opened the door. "Hi Rogue, excuse me." He moved around her.

"Hi," Lance said to Rogue and followed Scott. Rogue stared after them, then looked at the symbolic 'women' figure on the door sign.

"Ah dunno about those two," she murmured, shaking her head as she went into the bathroom and shut the door.



part 125

Sabretooth had to admit it, the two boys had been perfectly well-behaved since his little talk with their backsides. Dinner had not only gone off without any fires, floods, or natural disasters, it was actually pretty good. They'd cleaned up afterwards without any hesitation and then had spent the evening in their room. He almost felt guilty that there was nothing in there for them to do but talk -- maybe he should think about getting them some books or … whatever it was kids liked.

Okay, now _why_ was he thinking things like that?!

"Grandfather?"

Sabretooth looked at Kurt and Forge, who were standing in the living room doorway. "Yeah?"

"We just wanted to tell you that we were going to bed, if it's okay," Kurt said.

"No," Sabretooth said. "We're going to do something first."

The boys looked at each other nervously. "What are we going to do?" Forge asked.

"I told Mystique that she could talk to her kid soon -- now's as good a time as any."

Kurt straightened. "Really? I can talk to Mother?" he asked excitedly.

"I'll be right there, so no funny stuff." Sabretooth picked up the phone and dialed.



Mystique was drying her red hair with a towel when the phone rang. Before she could reach for it, Professor Xavier's voice came into the mind of everyone in the house.

"It's Sabretooth!"

"I've got it, Charles," Mystique said, both out loud and mentally. She wasn't psychic, but knew he could read her thoughts if she wanted him to. She picked up the receiver. "Hello, Victor."

"Hey, Raven. You psychic now?"

"No, Charles told us it was you." Mystique looked up as Logan came in and joined her on the edge of the bed. Others began slipping into the room or hanging around the doorway, watching in tense concern.

"I told you I'd let you talk to your kid -- he's right here. I'll give him the phone, but I'll be beside him and you know how good my hearing is."

"Yes, I know," Mystique said. "Please … let me talk to Kurt."

Sabretooth handed the receiver to Kurt. "I don't care what you say to her as long as it doesn't give away our location," he warned the teenager.

Kurt glanced at Forge and spoke into the receiver, "Mother?"

"Kurt!" Mystique said. "Honey, are you all right? Has he hurt you?"

"Well, he spanked us both this afternoon, but we've sort of been driving him crazy," Kurt admitted sheepishly.

Mystique looked at Logan -- she knew his hearing was as keen as Sabretooth's and he'd have heard that. He was scowling. "He SPANKED
you?" she said to Kurt incredulously. The other kids and adults in the room exchanged looks.

"Ja, but not much. We'll try to be more careful for sure," Kurt said, glancing at Sabretooth.

"Kurt," Mystique said, "is Forge all right?"

"Ja, he's as well as I am. He's right here with me."

"Can he hear me now?"

"No, this isn't a speakerphone."

Mystique paused. She knew Victor would hear her regardless, but she had to get this message to Kurt alone. There was only one way she knew how to do it.

"Kurt, listen carefully," she said, then launched into German.




Sabretooth frowned. Mystique was talking to Kurt in German! He knew _some_ German himself, but not a lot. He couldn't catch what she was saying because she was going as fast as any native speaker would when conversing with another.

Kurt understood, though. And whatever she told him made him drop the receiver.

"Kurt, you okay?" Forge asked worriedly while Sabretooth retrieved the receiver.

"Kurt?" Mystique's querying voice came through it.

"What did you say to him, Raven?" Sabretooth asked, studying Kurt. "If he wasn't blue, I think he'd be white."

"Never mind, Victor," Mystique told him.

"Okay, fine. Well, you've heard him -- you know he's okay. Time's up." Sabretooth hung up the phone.

Forge had a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Kurt?" he inquired again.

The blue-furred boy slowly turned to look at him. The expression in his friend's eyes gave Forge an inexplicable chill. "Something's _really_ wrong, isn't it?"

"Didn't you say you two were going to bed?" Sabretooth growled. "So go. Now!"

Forge took Kurt's arm and pulled him upstairs. Once inside their room with the door shut, he turned to him. "Kurt, come _on_. Talk to me!"

"I'm okay, Forge," Kurt said. He managed a weak smile. "It was just hard. Hearing my mother's voice and not being able to go home."

"Yeah." Forge relaxed a little. "I understand. My parents must be worried sick."

No, they're not, Kurt thought miserably. Oh, Forge ….




"Poor Kurt," Kitty said to Jean as they headed down the hall.

"Yeah," Jean agreed. "I'm not sure Mystique telling him about Forge's parents was the best thing to do."

"Well, Forge _has_ to know." Kitty sighed. "I don't envy Kurt having to tell him, though."

"And she says Sabretooth _spanked_ them! Can you imagine?"

"No, I can't," Kitty said frankly. "He isn't the spanking type -- he's more the homicidal type."

"I guess they survived it, though. Kurt said it wasn't much."

"In that case, Sabretooth must be a more lenient spanker than Mystique!"

"Hey gals, hold up there!" Rogue jogged to catch up to them. "Can Ah talk to ya'll for a moment?"

"Sure, what about?" Jean asked.

Rogue looked around to make sure no one was nearby. "Y'know how Lance and Scott have been obsessed with each other lately?"

"How can we _not_?" Kitty rolled her eyes.

"Well, now don't get mad at me for saying this, but did ya think maybe there's another reason for it other than mutual animosity?"

"Like what?" Jean frowned.

Rogue's eyes glittered. "Like mutual desire."

Jean and Kitty stared at her, then at each other.

"That's the craziest thing I've ever heard!" Kitty exclaimed finally.

"I have to agree. Rogue, what are you basing this ridiculous notion on?" Jean asked.

"Just a couple o' snippets of conversation Ah heard while they were locked up in the girls' bathroom together," Rogue told them. "Ah didn't hear everything, mind you, but when phrases like 'just do me' and 'don't be afraid to push' started coming through, Ah had to wonder! Eventually they took so long in there that Ah had to knock on the door. They hightailed it pretty fast, and _man_, were their faces red!"

"I - I don't believe it!" Kitty declared. "I just don't! Lance hates Scott!"

"And Scott feels the same way about Lance," Jean stated. "They just got spanked in public for fighting a couple of hours ago!"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah'm just telling you the truth as Ah heard it."

"I'm not doubting your word, Rogue, just your interpretation," Jean assured her. "But I'll ask Scott about it, anyway."

"Yeah." Kitty pouted. "I'll talk to Lance, too."

"In the meantime, Rogue, don't you dare tell anyone else about this," Jean warned. "They're having a bad enough day without rumours like these starting."

"Hey, Ah ain't one to blab!" Rogue sniffed. She watched the other two girls leave and murmured to herself, "Ah only told Remy and Pietro before you."



part 126

Kurt couldn't sleep. The weight of his mental burden kept crashing down on him, jarring him awake. No matter how he tried to think of a gentle way to tell Forge he was an orphan, he kept coming up blank. Oh, he could tell Forge gently, but the effect would still be devastating, no matter how he phrased it.

Protecting his parents from Sabretooth was the only reason Forge was co-operating, _and_ the only reason Kurt was helping. There was no reason to stay now. Forge _had_ to be told, or the people who paid Sabretooth to snatch him might call to collect him before they had a chance to escape.

But he didn't want to tell him. Not at all.

Kurt sat up and sighed. He looked over at his sleeping friend. Forge was good-looking, brilliant, and genuinely nice -- why was this terrible thing happening to him? How could he just destroy his whole world? He wasn't sure he could.

"Gott, give me strength," Kurt murmured.

Forge sighed in his sleep and rolled over. Kurt decided he was going to end up waking him if he didn't get out of the room for a while, so he carefully made his way to the door. Forge deserved one last peaceful night's rest.




Sabretooth put his coffee cup in the sink, debating whether or not to go to bed. It was still kind of early for him, but with the kids in bed, it made sense to sleep when they did, so he'd be awake when they were up and around and possibly making mischief.

He was about to turn away when he thought he saw movement outside the kitchen window. He frowned, not altogether certain his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. He opened the window and sniffed. It was Kurt! He couldn't see the kid, but he could definitely smell him.

Wasting no more time, Sabretooth went to the front door and strode outside. "Okay, kid, I know you're out here!" he yelled, surveying the dark front yard. How could the teenager just disappear like that when his nose was telling him that he should be visible?

Then Kurt _was_ visible, stepping into the light that came from inside the house behind Sabretooth. "I wasn't running away," he said quietly. "I just needed some fresh air … to clear my mind."

Sabretooth growled and grabbed his arm, pulling him inside and closing the door firmly behind them. "I think what you need is another spanking for being outside at all after I told you to go to bed!"

Kurt didn't react to that the way Sabretooth thought he should. No fear in his eyes or begging for a second chance. Instead, Kurt wrapped his arms tightly around himself and lowered his head. His shoulders shook and his long hair blew outwards slightly as a sob escaped his lips.

Oh _GEEZ_, Sabretooth groaned internally. This kind of thing was definitely out of his league -- hell, he didn't even want to be in the ballpark!

But … damn it, the kid was really crying. There had to be more to it than just being afraid of a spanking.

"Uh," Sabretooth started to say gruffly, "what's, uh, why, um …."

"Oh, _Grandfather_!" Kurt wailed and threw himself against Sabretooth. It took a couple of moments for the large mutant to realize the boy was hugging him as he sobbed into his midriff.

Sabretooth was at a complete loss. Crying women never bothered him, and he'd never have thought that a crying child would, either. But _this_ kid … this fuzzy, blue, pointed-eared elf that insisted on calling him 'Grandfather' … he didn't seem to have an insincere bone in his body. Which meant he was genuinely distraught about something.

And suddenly, Sabretooth realized why.

He grabbed Kurt by both biceps and pulled him back far enough to look down into his tear-streaked face. "What did your mother say to you earlier?" he demanded. "This all started when she spoke to you in German, and I want to know NOW what it was she said!"

Kurt gazed up at him miserably. "Forge's parents are dead."

Sabretooth stared at him. Mystique wouldn't tell her son something like that if it wasn't true. He let go of Kurt's arms and tried to think about what this meant.

The first thing that came to mind was what the look on Forge's face would be when he heard the news. If Kurt was a wreck, that other poor kid would be a basket case.

Sabretooth checked himself. What was he doing? For a moment, he'd actually felt a swell of pity for Forge. What were these kids _doing_ to him? He'd never cared about orphans before. Hell, he'd MADE orphans before!

He remembered Forge's flour-smudged face in the kitchen, standing in the ruin of the infamous pancake/waffle disaster. The look of horror as the 'improved' lawn mower devoured the motorcycle. And contrition after the spanking, when he'd asked for forgiveness.

Then he thought again about how he'd look when he learned his parents were gone.

Damn it.

Victor Creed wasn't one to lie to himself, at least not for long. These two kids had somehow wormed their way into the miniscule speck of affection he hadn't thought he ever possessed. NOW what was he gonna do?

"Grandfather?' Kurt inquired in a small voice.

Sabretooth looked at him. He reached out and took hold of Kurt's left bicep again, turning it over so that he could see the device Forge made that was suppressing his power. He punched a couple of keys and it beeped.

Kurt felt the difference instantly. If he wanted to, he could now teleport again. He met Sabretooth's eyes, puzzled.

"It ain't worth it," the powerful mutant growled. "The money … this time … it ain't worth it."

Kurt's eyes filled with fresh tears. "Thank you, Grandfather."

Sabretooth snorted and looked away.

Kurt fingered the device. "I don't know how to tell him," he admitted softly.

"There's no 'how' that'll make it any better," Sabretooth said. "We'll do it in the morning."

"We?" Kurt said in surprise.

"Yeah, we," Sabretooth repeated and headed upstairs. "Go back to bed."

"Wait!" Kurt hurried over to him. "Could I … sleep with you tonight?"

Sabretooth stared at him. "What?!"

"Every time I look over at Forge, I want to cry," Kurt said. "Please?"

"Kid, do you know who I am?" Sabretooth demanded.

"Yes," Kurt answered earnestly. "You're my grandfather."

Oh, he's good, Sabretooth thought. And this was another one he wasn't going to win.

"All right, all right, come on," he growled, continuing up the stairs. "But if you snore, I'll chuck you out the window, I swear it."



part 127

Forge came downstairs the next morning wondering where Kurt was. His bed had been slept in, and was left unmade, but he didn't seem to be upstairs.

Apparently, he wasn't in the kitchen, either. Forge checked the time. Sabretooth would be up soon -- he may as well start breakfast. Hopefully, wherever Kurt went, he'd be back before Sabretooth came down so he wouldn't get into trouble.



Sabretooth woke up to find a warm, furry body curled up against him. He looked down at Kurt's face in slumber -- damn, he looked so innocent. And hey, maybe at fifteen he still was, about some things, anyway. Maybe that was part of why he was starting to kind of like having Kurt and Forge around.

Forge. Sabretooth could smell coffee brewing and that meant the other boy was up. He looked at Kurt again. A lock of hair slid down into his face as he slept. Carefully, Sabretooth used a single claw to brush it back.

There was no reason for Kurt to be involved in this. He could help pick up the pieces later.

Moving cautiously to avoid jostling the sleeping child, Sabretooth got up and dressed, slipping out of the room silently.



Scott and Lance knew something was wrong. They had expected to have everyone in the Institute know about their humiliating punishment, and it seemed initially that they did. However, the snickering from some of them was another matter. Didn't they know that it could have been any one of them instead? Or were they laughing at something else entirely?

Then there were Kitty and Jean, neither of whom were snickering or looking at them. They focused on their plates, glowering. The two boys exchanged a puzzled look.

The adults seemed preoccupied with other matters -- most likely the call from Sabretooth the previous night. Logan looked like a thundercloud. Mystique was trying to urge him to eat.

"Come on, have some egg."

"Hmmph."

"Logan," Mystique said patiently, "Kurt sounded fine. I'm sure Victor didn't really hurt him -- "

"I don't care!" Logan told her. "He had no right to spank MY kid! What could the elf have done that would make him even consider spanking him?!"

"Kurt admitted they were driving him crazy," Mystique glanced toward Lance and Scott. "Believe me, that's motivation."

"Way to go, Kurt!" Rogue cheered.

"No, not 'way to go'!" Logan snapped. "What if Sabretooth had killed him instead?!"

Hank looked at him in amusement. "So are you angry with Sabretooth or angry with Kurt?"

"Hmmph," Logan grumbled and stuffed some egg in his mouth.

"Since Kurt sounded all right, I don't think you should worry, Logan," the Professor said. "I'm more concerned with Forge, and how he'll deal with
is grief."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "You think there'll be trouble?"

"We really don't know much about what has gone on in that house or how Sabretooth is relating to the children." Charles sighed. "Forge will need comfort, and only Kurt is there to offer it."

"Professor," Scott said quietly, "Forge is a strong kid. He lived alone in Middleverse for twenty years. I think he's used to dealing with things on his own."

"He's been out of Middleverse and back with his parents for a little while," Mystique pointed out.

"Nothing we can do about any of it right now," Logan grumbled. "Hope the little genius will be okay."



Forge looked up when Sabretooth entered the kitchen. "Good morning!" he greeted, smiling. "Um, Kurt will be here any minute, he's, uh …."

"He slept with me last night," Sabretooth said. He took hold of Forge's arm and deactivated the device attached to it.

"W-Why?" Forge watched in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Kid," Sabretooth started to say, then changed his mind. "Forge," he started over, "I have to tell you something."

The handsome Indian was looking more wary by the moment. Sabretooth's first-time use of his real name, his uncharacteristic gentle tone, and turning off the device -- something was seriously wrong. "Is Kurt okay?" he asked anxiously.

"He's fine, he's still asleep," Sabretooth said. Looking down into Forge's fearful dark eyes with the lock of hair that always fell across them, he found it a lot harder than he'd expected to continue.

"What IS it?" Forge pressed. "You're scaring me!"

Sabretooth took a deep breath and met his eyes. "Your parents are dead."

Forge paled. "What?" he whispered.

"It's true," Sabretooth told him. "I'm … sorry."

"Sorry," Forge murmured numbly. "You killed my parents and you're sorry…."

What?! Sabretooth thought. "Hey, I didn't -- !"

Down by his side, where Sabretooth wasn't looking, Forge's arm changed shape to form a tool with a pointed end nine inches long. "You BASTARD!" he cried and drove the point through Sabretooth's chest.

The bigger mutant staggered backwards. Forge yanked back his arm and blood poured from the wound. The teenager turned and bolted from the room.

Sabretooth grabbed the counter to steady himself while his healing factor kicked in. He swore under his breath, wishing he could will it to hurry up. Forge was alone out there, and despondent with grief -- there was no predicting what he'd do after THIS. He might even hurt _himself_, and the thought of that was more than Victor wanted to deal with right then.

The wound had healed enough, and would continue to do so while he ran. He charged after Forge.



"Charles, what is it?" Magnus asked, putting a hand on the other man's shoulder as everyone at the table watched in concern. Professor Xavier had straightened suddenly, a look of shock on his face.

"Cerebro is active," he said. "It's picked up on one of the boys' powers."

"On it," Logan said, and charged out of the kitchen, Mystique following at a run.



Forge was blinded with tears. All he could think was run, keep running, don't stop running or you'll have to think ….

He'd left the house through the back, running across the open field toward the woods he saw in the distance.

His parents were dead and he'd stabbed the man who killed them. It should have given him some satisfaction but how could it? He still had nobody and nothing left. Where would he go? What was he going to do now?

And who really cared?

Why did he always have to end up ALONE?!




Even if Forge hadn't been slowed down in his escape by stumbling several times over the uneven ground, Sabretooth still would have caught up to him easily. The animalistic mutant not only reached, but passed him within moments, cutting the boy off so that he ran straight into him. Forge bounced off the solid wall of chest and fell backwards.

From his position on the ground, the boy stared in shock to see that the wound he'd inflicted on Sabretooth had completely disappeared. Of course it would -- Kurt had told him about his grandfather's healing factor!

Before the kid could consider stabbing him again, Sabretooth reached down and grabbed him by both biceps, lifting him to his feet and holding him there.

"I DIDN'T kill your parents, boy!" he yelled. "There was a car accident in the rain! An ACCIDENT! Do you hear me?!" He shook Forge for emphasis.

The teenager stared at him for a few moments, then his face crumpled. Tears turned into body-wracking sobs.

Sabretooth loosened his grip on Forge, but for some reason, didn't want to let him go. He wanted to _do_ something … anything ….

Instinctively, he pulled the boy gently against his chest. He felt whatever resistance Forge had left drain out of him and he clung to Sabretooth in pain and desperation, crying helplessly.

The sound of a *BAMF!* was heard nearby and then Kurt was there, looking frightened and distressed. He and Sabretooth locked eyes briefly, then he lay a two-fingered hand on the back of Forge's hair and rubbed gently while Sabretooth tightened his embrace. There was nothing else they could do for the moment.



part 128

"There it is," Wolverine said grimly to Mystique in the seat beside him. The X-Van was crowded with X-Men and Brotherhood members and they were following the feed-in from Cerebro on the dashboard screen. Both Forge and Kurt's powers had been picked up on and pinpointed to the house just ahead of them.

"I'm going in first," Wolverine said.

"I'll be right behind you," Mystique told him.

"So will we," Cyclops assured them.

"Why don't I just stay behind in the van?" Toad suggested. Longshot giggled.

Wolverine got out of the van and ran straight for the front door, Mystique and the others close behind him. He popped his claws as he ran and
sliced right through the door without stopping.

If Wolverine was expecting Sabretooth to come charging out to attack as soon as he crashed into the house, he was disappointed. Instead, he and Mystique stopped short at the living room doorway.

Sabretooth was seated on the couch with Forge on his lap. The teenager's head was on his shoulder and Sabretooth's arms encircled him protectively. Kurt was in a nearby armchair, and his eyes widened when he saw his parents.

"Mother! Father!" He bounded over on all fours and launched himself into his mother's waiting arms.

"Oh, my baby!" she murmured, stroking his soft hair.

"What are YOU staring at, runt?" Sabretooth growled at Wolverine without moving.

"Father, put those away," Kurt told him, glancing at the claws. "There's no need."

Wolverine looked at his son. He retracted the claws, then reached out to touch his furry cheek. "You all right, elf?" he asked.

"Ja," Kurt assured him. "Grandfather took good care of us."

"Grandfather!" Wolverine sneered.

"What's wrong with that?!" Sabretooth retorted. "That's what I am to him!"

"Well, you're MY father, but I ain't calling you Daddy!" Wolverine retorted. He went over to stand by Sabretooth and Forge and reached out toward the boy. "Come on, kid," he said gently. "You're coming back to live at the Institute with us."

Sabretooth knocked Wolverine's hand away. "Forget it!" he snapped. "He's staying with me!"

Mystique gasped. "Victor, you can't seriously expect us to let you go through with selling Forge!"

Sabretooth swore. "Who said anything about selling him?!" he demanded. "Didn't I just say he was staying with ME?!"

"You mean forever?" Beast asked in surprise.

"Why not?!" Sabretooth asked. "He ain't got nobody, I ain't got nobody."

"There's a REASON why you don't have anyone!" Wolverine told him. "You're a vicious, bloodthirsty criminal!"

"So maybe it's time for a change," Sabretooth told him evenly. "These kids got to me somehow. I found out I liked having them around. Kurt's your kid and you've got a right to take him back, but Forge is MINE."

"I want to hear it from him," Wolverine said and looked at Forge, who hadn't budged or even looked in his direction. "Forge, we've got a place for you at the Institute. We'll take care of you there. Do you want to come with us?"

For a few moments, Wolverine wasn't sure the Indian was going to answer. Then finally, his sad, dark eyes turned toward him. "Thank you, but I'd rather stay with Victor."

_Victor_?! Wolverine exchanged a flabbergasted look with Mystique, who crouched next to Forge and put a blue hand on his leg.

"Forge, honey, are you sure about that?" she asked. "Victor kidnapped you -- he was going to hand you over to someone else, not caring what they would do to you."

"It's different now," Forge said. He wiped his eyes. "I know you all probably think I'm too emotional right now to think clearly, but this is what I want."

"See?" Sabretooth said triumphantly, then sighed. "I'm not pulling a snow job on you, Raven. I'm serious."

"And what about when those people come for him, Creed?" Wolverine demanded. "Who's to say you won't suddenly change your mind again?"

"We won't BE here by then," his father snarled. "We'll move into town. The kid's gotta get schooling -- he says he's still got a lot of catching up to do because of being in that other dimension so long."

"Charles would tutor him, like he does Longshot and Wanda," Mystique said.

"Great, so he can tutor him, but he's gonna live with ME."

"If you're gonna keep a kid you can't be doing the illegal stuff anymore!" Wolverine told him. "What are you going to do to make a living?!"

"I got plenty of money -- I've been making it longer than you've been alive, runt, and we both know how long THAT is," Sabretooth said.

"You aren't going to want to just hang around the house all day and play Poppa," Wolverine sneered. "You'll take off and leave the poor kid stranded!"

"I WILL NOT!" Sabretooth bellowed.

"You did with _me_!" Wolverine yelled back. "And God knows how many other kids you fathered! Why should we think this will be any different?!"

"Because I'm _choosing_ to do this," Sabretooth declared. "The other kids were wished on me -- THIS time, I'm choosing!"

"I have an idea!" Kurt piped up. "Why don't BOTH of you come live in the Institute? Grandfather would make a great instructor!"

"NO!" Wolverine and Mystique cried.

"Why not?" Kurt demanded. "We took in MAGNETO, for crying out loud!"

"This is different," Wolverine said through gritted teeth.

"How?" Kurt challenged.

His father glared at him. "This is why some species eat their young."

"Aw, don't get your adamantium in a twist," Sabretooth growled. "I ain't gonna live at that Institute." A slow smile spread across his face, showing his fangs. "But being an instructor there might not be a bad idea. Your kids sure need more help than YOU can give 'em."

"Oh no," Cyclops groaned and turned away shaking his head.

"Besides," Sabretooth continued, "I want Forge to get some physical training there, and I want to supervise it. Right now the only defense he's got is his brain, and as brilliant as he is, my clients ain't the only ones who are gonna be after him in the years to come. He's gotta learn to defend himself when we're not around."

Forge looked at him significantly. "My _only_ defense is my brain?"

Sabretooth chuckled. "Yeah, okay, so you ain't bad with your ready-made knife, either. And by the way, I still owe you a swat for that one -- you don't go stabbing people unless it's self-defense. You didn't give me a chance to explain."

"I guess not," Forge said sheepishly. "Oops."

Sabretooth ruffled his hair. "I still want you to get some real training. For you own safety."

Mystique glanced at Wolverine, who was staring at the pair as if the floor had fallen out from under him. He finally shook his head to break out of his shock. "Okay, okay," he said. "So you want to stay together, at least we got that established and it doesn't look like you're changing your minds anytime soon." He heaved a heavy sigh. "I guess you'd better both come with us to the Institute and talk to Charles. He'll help set you up in a house faster than you could on your own. And I'm not leaving Forge in THIS place when those goons you were going to sell him to know where he is."

"You think I couldn't protect him?" Sabretooth demanded.

"I'm just not taking chances," Wolverine countered. "Get whatever stuff you want to take with you for the night and come on -- we're leaving in five minutes." He stalked out of the room. Kurt watched him go, then looked over at Forge and smiled. His friend returned it.



part 129

Duncan kissed Kurt's lips, cheeks, eyelids, nose, then his lips again. He trailed his fingers through the other boy's hair and down his back. He was here and he was safe -- he'd never let anyone take him away again.

It was Monday morning, the day after Kurt had come home. He and Duncan had talked on the phone most of Sunday evening, but as far as Duncan was concerned, there was nothing like holding the other boy in his arms and kissing him -- even if they were standing in the open front doorway of the Institute.

"I was so worried about you," he murmured into Kurt's hair, then nuzzled his ear.

"I'm fine, really, he didn't hurt me." Kurt closed his eyes as he and Duncan kissed deeply.

A low, rumbling growl came from somewhere nearby. Kurt opened his eyes and smiled at a point behind Duncan. "Hi Grandfather!"

Grandfather? Duncan turned around and found himself staring into someone's collarbone. He raised his eyes until they were met by a pair that were red and yellow … and angry.

"What are you doing to my grandson?" the human mountain demanded.

Forge peeked around the side of the large man. "Hi Kurt!" he greeted.

"Hey Forge!" Kurt said. "You remember Duncan, right?"

"Yes, hello," Forge greeted.

"Hi," Duncan half-waved, not wanting to take his eyes off Sabretooth. He remembered how the guy had tossed him easily aside while on a moving motorcycle -- if he looked away, he might just take his head off with one swipe. He certainly looked like he WANTED to.

"Grandfather," Kurt said, and hugged Duncan's arm, "this is Duncan Matthews, my boyfriend. Duncan, this is my grandfather, Victor Creed."

Duncan knew Kurt had explained on the phone that things were different between he and his kidnapper now, and that he shouldn't be concerned that they were going to be seeing a lot of him around the mansion. He tried to keep that in mind and nodded to the man. "Mr. Creed."

Sabretooth's response was another growl. He turned his disapproving gaze on Kurt. "Your mother know you let this kid paw you like that?"

Kurt blushed under his fur. "He wasn't doing that. He was just happy to see me -- it's been a few days."

"If he got any happier you'd be wearing the same skin," Sabretooth retorted. He glared over at Duncan. "You wouldn't want to compromise my grandson's virtue … WOULD you?!"

Gulp, thought Duncan.

"_Grandfather_," Kurt put his hands on his hips, "now stop it!"

"Stop it, nothing," Sabretooth said. "I see him all over you again like that and he'll be singing soprano and _you'll_ get the spanking of your life, got it?"

Kurt bit his lip. "Yes sir."

"That goes for YOU, too!" Sabretooth warned Forge.

"Gee, and I'm sure Duncan WAS planning to paw me next," Forge joked cheerfully.

Sabretooth's steady glare stopped his chuckling. Forge cleared his throat and nodded. "Got it," he promised.

"Well, that was impressive, Victor," Mystique said as she and Logan walked into the foyer. "I couldn’t have done better myself."

"Five adults in this place and you can't keep the boys off my grandson?" Victor remarked. He sneered at Logan. "Should have known YOU'D be ineffectual as a parent."

"Look who's talking, Pops!" Logan flared.

"That's enough, both of you," Mystique warned. "I already delivered two public spankings this weekend to little boys who couldn't stop fighting -- let's not make it four, okay? Kurt, if you're ready for school, you can get going -- the other children have already left and I'm on my way now." She changed her form to that of Principal Darkholme and kissed Logan. "Be good," she told him firmly, then looked at Victor as she passed. "You too. Goodbye, Forge. Kurt, Duncan, I'll see you at school."

"Bye!" Forge waved.

"She's right, we'd better go," Duncan said, grateful for the chance to get out from in between Sabretooth and Logan. "Uh, nice meeting you," he murmured to Victor and hurried past him, pulling Kurt by the hand.

"See you later!" Kurt called back.

"Don't forget to turn on your inducer, elf!" Logan called after him, then shut the door. Forge looked back and forth between the two men and clapped his hands together.

"Well, I guess I'm supposed to see Professor Xavier about starting tutoring, right?"

"Library," Logan said without taking his eyes off Victor.

"Okay," Forge said, backing away in that direction. "Um, like Mystique said, be good, okay? Don't, um, tear up the place or each other or anything …."

"Don't worry, child," Magnus said as he walked in. "Showing Victor around and filling him in is my task for the day at Mystique's request. You go join them in the Library -- they're waiting for you."

Forge gave him a grateful look. "Thanks! See you later, Victor!" He jogged off toward the Library.

"Mr. Creed, if you'll come with me, please," Magnus directed then looked at Logan. "You may accompany us, but if any trouble starts you'll find your adamantium skeleton fastened to the floor until our tour is over."

"I'm coming all right," Logan said, glaring at Sabretooth. "But I don't cause trouble, I finish it."

"That'll be the day," Victor grinned nastily.

Magnus gave an internal sigh. It was going to be a long morning.



Scott Summers was not a happy camper.

First, Jean and the other kids had continued to act strangely toward him all day Sunday. And now that he'd arrived at Bayville High, he could tell something else was wrong. Considering the giggling, snickering, pointing classmates he passed, he had a bad feeling that he knew what it was.

"Hey, Scott, wait up!"

He turned and saw his friend Paul coming down the hall toward him. "Hi Paul," he greeted in relief.

Paul reached him and pulled him aside. "Scott, listen. There are some awful rumours going around about you."

Scott felt his stomach clench. "What rumours?"

"That you and Lance Alvers got spanked in the mall with your pants down by Principal Darkholme," Paul hissed. "Is it true?"

Aw crap, Scott thought. He didn't want to lie to his friend but he really didn't want to admit to it, either. For a moment, he truly hated Taryn Fujioka and her enormous mouth.

Paul finally drew his own conclusions from Scott's silence. "Geez, man, I don't believe it!"

"Yeah, well, YOU try living with her and maybe you will," Scott grumbled and started to walk away. Paul grabbed his arm.

"Hold it, wait!" he said. "There's more!"

"There _is_?!" Scott said in surprise. What else could there be when his most embarrassing moment in life was now public knowledge?

"People are saying you broke up with Jean Grey," Paul told him.

Scott's jaw dropped. "WHAT?!" he cried. "Look, Jean and I don't even _really_ have an official relationship yet, and we've supposedly broken up already?" He wondered where that story had come from -- did Taryn start that one, too, to cause trouble between he and Jean?

"I heard Lance broke it off with Kitty Pryde, too," Paul said. "Everyone's talking about it."

Scott shook his head. "This just doesn't make any sense, Paul. Why would anyone think Lance and I would stop seeing Kitty and Jean?"

Paul met his eyes seriously. "So you could go out with each other, man."

Scott stared at his friend for several moments before bolting down the hallway.

He heard the sound of a fight going on around the corner and followed the noise. In a clearing made by a crowd of onlookers, Lance was slugging it out with another boy, who looked like a member of Duncan's football team. Lance hit him a good shot across the jaw, knocking him into the lockers.

"You sure you wanna keep this up, Alvers?" the other boy sneered, rubbing his jaw. "If Mommy Darkholme finds out, she might paddle your little bottom again, only this time onstage during assembly!"

Lance lunged for the boy once more, but Scott moved quickly to restrain him. "Lance, knock it off!" he warned. "He's an idiot, but he's right about not wanting Ms. Darkholme to hear about this!"

"Hey, look!" another boy in a letterman jacket called out. "Alvers' lover is trying to protect him!"

"WHAT?!" Lance yelled and tried to go after the other boy. Scott had all he could do to hold the Brotherhood leader back and considering what the guy had said he wasn't all that sure he wanted to.

The bell for first period rang then and the crowd began to break up. Scott didn't dare let go of Lance until after the football players had moved on, laughing and taunting them until they were out of sight. The long-haired boy then turned toward him.

"Do YOU know what that was all about?!" he demanded.

"Not much more than you do," Scott admitted.

"No wonder Kitty won't talk to me," Lance murmured, brushing himself off.

"Jean, too," Scott said, then paused. "But that would mean the rumour started right in our own house. The girls were mad at us _yesterday_."

A teacher walked by and gave them both a level gaze. "Get to class, boys."

The two seventeen-year-olds exchanged grim looks before obeying, both lost in their own thoughts.



part 130

"Raven, I need to talk to you," Hank said as he approached the Principal during lunch hour.

"Oh Hank, good, I need to talk to you, too." Mystique was looking somewhat stressed, which Hank found disturbing. At school he had seen her angry before, but not stressed. Raven Darkholme was a professional in anything she did.

"You go first," he told her.

"People have found out about my spanking Scott and Lance," she said, sounding upset. "I know it was public, but it was the linen department of Sears! Not the most populated part of the mall, you know? And yet all morning I've been hearing about it from teachers here in the school, parents have phoned me, and even a couple of school board members left messages!"

Hank looked concerned. "Have they been giving you a hard time?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. Either they were very supportive or they were asking for child-rearing advice or they were just nosey about the details for some weird reason." She looked as if she might cry. "If all those adults know, the children must know."

Hank nodded grimly. "They know. That's one of the things I wanted to tell you. From what Pietro says, Scott and Lance have been, if you'll pardon the pun, the 'butt' of many jokes."

Mystique frowned. "I don't think I'll pardon that pun, Hank."

"Sorry." He grinned sheepishly. "But Raven, don't beat yourself up about this. Any of us would have done the same thing in your position, and you DID warn them repeatedly."

"I know, but I didn't think their classmates would find out." She sighed.

"It may not bother them as much as the OTHER rumour going around," Hank said.

"There's more?" Mystique asked weakly.

"Well, this one I had to find out about on my own, but it wasn't difficult, as it seems to be carrying more weight with the kids than the spanking story," Hank replied. "According to more than one overheard conversation, Scott and Lance have broken up with their girlfriends in order to start a relationship of their own."

"That's INSANE!" Mystique exclaimed.

"You know it and I know it, but the students here either truly believe it or else they're just enjoying the spreading of idle gossip," Hank said. "And to be honest, the way Jean and Kitty are behaving toward the boys isn't helping dispel the rumours."

Mystique sighed. "I noticed the girls seemed upset with them at home yesterday, but with Kurt coming home I didn't give it much thought." She looked at Hank, frowning. "Wait a minute -- wouldn't that mean that the rumour about their relationship started at the house then?"

"Yes, it would," Hank agreed.

"Hmm," Mystique looked thoughtful, "we might have to confer with Charles and the others about this one. Scott and Lance are being hurt by this, not to mention their relationship with Jean and Kitty."

"We'll get to the bottom of it," Hank promised and gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. "In the meantime, stop feeling guilty about what happened. You were completely justified."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I enjoy seeing them miserable." She gave him a wan smile. "Come on, let's get some lunch before the kids hog it all."




Although Scott was not someone to start fights, he was beginning to understand why Lance was. He was ready to punch the next person who said anything about the spanking or breaking up with Jean.

Then he saw Jean, sitting with Kitty. Lance was already there, and it looked like he and Kitty were arguing. Scott headed over.

Unfortunately, he was intercepted.

"Hi Scott. How are things with you and _Lance_?"

Scott clenched his fists at his sides as he turned to face Taryn. No, it wouldn't do to break a girl's nose. Even if it scared him how much he'd love to do it.

"Taryn, haven't you caused enough trouble by telling everyone you saw us in Sears?" Scott asked through gritted teeth. "Do you have to wreck Jean and I, too?!"

"Hey, I may have told people what I saw, but I didn't say anything about you and Lance being an item!"

"We're NOT an … oh, forget it, why should I even bother?!" Scott stomped away toward his table. A hand fell on Taryn's shoulder and she looked into the face of a grim Principal Darkholme.

"I heard," she said. "I'll see you in my office in fifteen minutes to discuss the evils of spreading rumours."



Lance was growing more frustrated by the minute. "Kitty, will you just _listen_ to me!"

"Lance, you can't tell me it didn't happen!" Kitty shot back. "You and Scott were … doing things together!"

"What are we supposedly doing?" Scott asked as he sat down. He looked at the beautiful redhead. "Jean?"

Her face was turning red. "I don't want to talk about it, Scott."

"I think we _need_ to," he said. "Because one of us doesn't have a clue what's going on!"

Jean looked around to make sure no one could overhear. Plenty of people were watching them, but she didn't think they'd hear her if she was quiet. She lowered her voice, "You were overheard in the bathroom with Lance … _doing_ things."

"That's what Kitty just said," Scott reminded her. "Could you be a _little_ more specific?"

"All right," Jean said, her face now nearly as red as her hair. "You two were having sex."

"WHAT?!" Scott and Lance exclaimed.

"You weren't?" Kitty said dubiously.

"NO!" Lance cried. "Good grief, until Mystique spanked us we could barely talk without fighting. You KNOW that!"

"But Rogue said -- " Kitty began.

"Rogue?" Scott interrupted. He looked at Lance. "She was outside the bathroom, remember?"

"You _were_ in the bathroom together?!" Jean gasped.

"Jean, we were using that stupid cream on our butts," Scott hissed. "Believe me, we needed it!"

Jean stared at him. "Th-That's all it was?"

"Of course!" Scott said. "I would have told you if you had asked me!"

"We _were_ going to talk to you guys about it," Kitty said sheepishly. "But we were too embarrassed to bring it up."

"That's just great," Lance griped. "You know the way you've been treating us makes it look to everyone else like it was true?!"

"Scott, I …," Jean started to say.

"Jean, I'm sorry, I don't want to hear it right now," Scott said. He was honestly hurt that she wouldn't bother to ask him something so important. He looked over to where Rogue was sitting with Remy and Pietro and started to get up. "I've got something to do."



"Don't look now, petite," Remy said, nodding past Rogue's shoulder, "but our esteemed leader is approaching, and he looks … how you say? Pissed off."

"Uh oh." Rogue looked up just as Scott reached her. She could sense the glare through the ruby quartz glasses. "Uh, hi Scott," she said with a weak smile.

"Rogue," he said through gritted teeth, "have you been telling everyone that Lance and I had some kind of … affair?!"

"No, Ah have not!" the Southern beauty said indignantly.

"But you did tell Jean and Kitty," Scott pressed. "THEY wouldn't gossip about us, so you must have told at least ONE other person." He looked over at the boys. "Or maybe _two_."

Remy sat back and regarded Scott coolly through red and black eyes. "Are you suggesting dat I would spread rumours about you, mon ami?" The fork he was holding glowed, then didn't, glowed, then didn't ….

"Stop that!" Scott warned him in a stern whisper. "You know better than to use your power in public!"

"No one knows what it is, to dem it looks like a trick of de light," Remy replied in a level tone. "Now you answer my question."

"I don't think YOU would say anything Remy. It's not your style," Scott admitted. He looked at Pietro, who studiously ignored him. "Pietro?" he questioned evenly.

"Sorry, Shades, I'm not admitting to anything that can get me a trip to the Library," Pietro told him with a smirk. "Besides, do you really think I'd gossip about one of my best friends?"

"Yes," Scott said frankly. "But I can't prove your involvement." He turned back to Rogue. "On the other hand, I _can_ prove yours, and I'm not going to let this pass, Rogue. Not only is our reputation here completely trashed, but our relationships with Kitty and Jean are in trouble because of you."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "If your relationships were solid to start with, nothing _Ah_ said could have done any damage."

Scott held her gaze for a long time before he turned and walked away.



part 131

"I must say, Forge, this device of yours is quite ingenious," Professor Xavier remarked as he studied one of the armband power-suppressors that Forge and Kurt had worn. All of the mutants who didn't have to be at Bayville High that afternoon were present.

"Well, I just threw them together in an hour, so they could stand a lot of improvement, especially in size and comfort," Forge said modestly.

"You made these in an HOUR?" Logan said in disbelief.

"That's all the time he gave me," Forge said, grinning toward Victor.

"Hey, you did it in time, don't complain," Victor replied.

"I don't think I could have done that," Wanda said skeptically. "Locking a device onto myself that controlled my power? Talk about self-defeating!"

"Oh, I could have turned it off at any time," Forge said lightly.

Victor stared at him. "What?!"

"All inventors put in an override feature, Victor," Charles told him. "A back door, so to speak."

"Of course," Forge agreed. "My own code would take precedence over all others. But I didn't dare use it." His expression clouded over and Victor placed a large hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he told the boy, and gave him a brief hug. Logan watched warily.

Forge nodded. "I know you are," he said.

"Once you've made the modifications, these devices could be a godsend for some of the students," Magnus said. "Rogue and Scott in particular."

"They're not a perfect solution," Forge warned. "They have to be recharged regularly. I'll work on that, too, but it may be something they'll have to live with."

"It beats living with not being able to touch anyone, or seeing the world in shades of red," Logan remarked.

"Exactly," the Professor agreed. "If there was any way either Rogue or Scott could control their powers on their own, we would have trained them to do so. But Rogue's absorption can not be mastered, and any control Scott might have had was eliminated when he hit his head in that plane crash as a child. We want them both to have the highest quality of life they can."

"I hope it works out for them," Forge said.

"You're welcome to use our workshop until yours is ready for you in your new house," the Professor told him.

"Thanks!" Forge said. "I'll get started right away then, if it's okay."

"Sure, kid," Logan said, but to his surprise, Forge was looking expectantly at Victor.

"Yeah, go on," he answered.

Forge beamed. "Okay! I'll see you all in a little while." He picked up both devices and left with them.

"Come on, Longshot," Wanda said, and they went out as well.

"Now that it's just we adults, did you have any questions, Victor, about how things are done here?" Charles asked.

"Nah, Magnus told me everything," he said. "Including about your guidelines for punishment -- do they really work?"

"They haven't been in effect very long, but at least now the children know what to expect from all of us."

"As I said earlier," Magnus told Victor, "since you and Forge don't live here, you're not obligated to stick to the guidelines."

"However, when Forge is here for tutoring or training sessions, he's subject to the same rules and penalties as anyone else," Charles added.

"Yeah, I know," Victor said. "I, uh, don't know much about raising kids -- "

Logan snorted. Victor shot him a glare, then continued.

"But they all seem happy here."

In the foyer, the front doors slammed open. "Life SUCKS and I hate it!" came Lance's shout.

"The happy children are home," Magnus said dryly.

--

The silence was deafening. Mystique and Hank had filled the adults in on what was going on at school, and word had gotten around to all the kids one way or another. No one wanted to talk about it.

Except Victor, who had been invited to dinner along with Forge and wasn't concerned with tact. "Twelve kids in this room and no noise," he remarked and looked at Mystique. "You sure you don't use whips and chains to keep 'em in line, Raven?"

"There's been more than enough talking around here for _some_ of us," Scott grumbled, glaring over at Rogue.

"Hey, she's not responsible for everyone at school finding out!" Pietro said defensively.

"No, THAT distinction belongs to YOU!" Lance accused.

"Would I do something like that to you?!" Pietro exclaimed.

"YES!"

"It was Taryn who blabbed about your punishment, mon ami," Remy pointed out.

"But it wasn't Taryn who spread rumours about me and Lance being --" Scott stopped himself. "Anyway, that was all your girlfriend and boyfriend's doing!"

"Hey, _I_ haven't admitted to anything!" Pietro protested.

"Just for the record, Taryn has been dealt with," Mystique said. "I paddled her in my office."

"You did?" Jean gasped. "Have you ever done that before?"

"To Taryn, no, but I've paddled students before," Mystique admitted. "Corporal punishment has always been permitted in Bayville's schools, and the Principal and all the teachers are allowed to use it."

"And you paddled Taryn?" Scott said, trying unsuccessfully not to smile.

"Yes," Mystique said. "I promised her that if she opened her mouth again I'd post a Principal's List of disciplinary cases and how they were handled where everyone could see it -- with HER name at the top."

Logan looked at his mate with admiration. "I knew there was a reason why I love you."

Mystique elbowed him, smiling. "That better not be the ONLY reason."

"Thanks, Mystique," Scott said quietly. "You didn't have to do that for us."

"I felt like I did," she told him seriously. "I didn't want you both to be tormented in school for what happened. It was just bad luck that Taryn was there."

"Well," Lance said carefully, "one might say that if you hadn't spanked us in public, none of it _could_ have happened."

Mystique leveled a gaze at him. "One might also say that if you hadn't driven me crazy after being warned a million times that none of it would have happened."

Lance sighed. "Okay, you win that one. And Scott's right, I'm glad Taryn got hers. But what about the OTHER rumours -- the ones that are complete lies and started here, ROGUE." He gave the Southern girl a direct look.

Professor Xavier also turned his attention to Rogue. "Mystique and Hank spoke to us about this when they got home, so we do know about the rumours in question. What we need to know is how they got started. Rogue, did you have anything to do with it?"

"Uh, well," Rogue shifted uneasily in her seat, glancing toward Remy and Pietro before turning back to the Professor. She knew she couldn't lie to him without his knowing it instantly. "Ah guess Ah sorta did start it, but Ah never meant for it to leave the house, Professor. And Ah really DID believe it was the truth!"

"You could have ASKED us!" Lance yelled.

"Hey, Ah was embarrassed, okay?" she snapped back. "The things Ah heard in the bathroom were more than suspicious! And even your own girlfriends had their doubts!"

"'Had'?" Lance mumbled. Kitty ignored him and stabbed at a carrot on her plate with her fork.

"Regardless, Rogue, it's obvious that your starting this rumour has hurt both Lance and Scott, and Jean and Kitty as well," the Professor said. "I'm afraid you'll have to be punished, and by the rules, the others are permitted to witness if they so desire."

"What?!" Rogue exclaimed.

"I'll be there," Lance said instantly.

"Not me," Kitty replied.

"I'll think about it," Jean said.

Scott didn't answer and everyone looked at him expectantly.

"Shades?" Logan prompted. "You gonna be there or not?"

"Yeah," he said quietly. "I will."

"This ain't fair!" Rogue protested. "Ah didn't tell anyone outside the house!"

"Then who did?" Magnus asked. "How many people _in_ the house did you tell?"

"Ah told Jean and Kitty," she answered.

"WE didn't tell anyone at school, Rogue," Jean mentioned.

"Who else did you tell?" Logan asked his daughter.

"You can stop badgering her now," Remy spoke up. "She told me."

"YOU, Cajun?" Logan stared at him skeptically. "You aren't the gossiping type."

Remy shrugged. "De Professor can tell dat I am speaking de truth."

Mystique studied him closely. "But you aren't saying whether or not you told anyone at school -- only that Rogue told _you_. Did you tell anyone yourself, Remy?"

The sixteen-year-old sighed. He shook his head. "Non."

"Pietro did it," Scott said frankly. "Ask HIM."

"Okay, Hummingbird, your turn," Logan said. "Did you tell anyone else what Rogue told you?"

"Who says Rogue told me anything?" Pietro feigned innocence.

"ANSWER me!"

The blonde teenager winced at the volume of Logan's demand. "Uh … um …." He glanced toward Professor Xavier, then down at the table, then toward Rogue, who looked miserable. "Okay, okay," he grumbled. "I may have told … a couple of people."

"A couple?" Lance said skeptically.

"A few then."

"Maybe it would be easier to account for the number of people in school you DIDN'T tell," Scott retorted.

"No comment." Pietro folded his arms. "I'm not saying anything else."

"You've already said enough," Logan told him. "You'll get the same punishment as Rogue, with the same witnesses."

Pietro's jaw dropped, then he clamped it shut, his blue-grey eyes stormy.

"After dinner, in the Library," the Professor said. "Victor, Forge, I'd like to ask that you remain until after we're finished. As you know, there is some other business to attend to this evening."

"Yes, Professor," Forge said.

Rogue sank down in her chair, no longer interested in eating. Nor was she interested in whatever this 'other business' was. She and Pietro were dead meat -- what else mattered?


part 132

Rogue and Pietro shared a nervous, unhappy look. They were seated in the Library and would have preferred to stay that way, since standing would mean exposing vulnerable parts of their anatomy to punishment. They both wanted to avoid that as long as possible.

The adults were already there, talking quietly amongst themselves. Lance was there, too, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. Remy was hovering in the open doorway, trying to give some support to his mates without actually venturing into the room since he had already been chased out twice.

"Excuse me," Scott said to Remy and moved around him into the room.

"Is Jean coming or not?" Logan asked him.

Scott shook his head. "She decided not to."

Rogue and Pietro gave a sigh of relief. Remy slipped over to them and knelt in front of them, murmuring.

"Cajun!" Logan yelled. "If you don't get out and stay out you'll be getting the first spanking!"

"I am going, I am going!" Remy said hastily. He gave Pietro a quick kiss on the cheek and Rogue one on the hand, then sped out of the Library. Mystique went over and closed the door behind him. Scott took a position standing by the Professor's chair.

"You two have any questions before we do this?" Mystique asked the culprits. "I'm sure there's no doubt in your minds as to why you're here."

"Because I didn't get a chance to hire a lawyer?" Pietro suggested.

"Believe me, Hummingbird, no lawyer would take your case," Logan said. "They only do that when there's a chance to _win_."

"Ha ha," Pietro said flatly, pouting.

"Come on, Rogue," Mystique said, pulling on a pair of latex gloves. "Get up."

"Ah can't believe yer spanking me in front of the boys!" Rogue protested as she got to her feet.

"You know why," her mother told her grimly. She pulled up a chair and sat down on it, then lay a blanket across her legs. "All right, come here."

Reluctantly, Rogue went to her mother's side. Mystique took hold of her wrist and pulled her across her knees.

"Ah ain't liking this!" Rogue remarked.

"You'll like it even less soon," her mother said, and pulled up the girl's skirt, then tugged down her tights and underwear.

Rogue's positioning meant that she couldn't see anyone else in the room unless she turned her head, and that was fine with her. She didn't _want_ to see them. It was bad enough just knowing they were there, and that her naked backside was now in plain sight.

Mystique lay her palm against Rogue's behind briefly, then whacked her sharply.

"YEOW!" the Southern girl cried out. Damn, that hurt! She'd forgotten how hard her mother could spank.

Her memory was soon jolted by a series of fast and painful attacks on her bare bottom. Her mother's hand descended again and again, landing in the same spot several times on one cheek then the other, making it feel like her skin was on fire.

Pietro knew he shouldn't watch, but he couldn't help himself. Besides, with so many adults watching his trio's every move, this was probably his only chance to stare openly at Rogue's bare butt. It was very cute and perky -- and rapidly turning bright red. The spanking was obviously starting to hurt her a lot. Her feet were kicking and she was squirming on Mystique's lap, but still couldn't wriggle her way free.

Pietro swallowed. If Mystique was spanking Rogue, that probably meant he'd be spanked by Logan. And in front of Magnus. But … what if Magnus was supposed to spank him? The thought made him cringe inside. Too many times in the past already, his father had shown his disapproval with him, but with no love to back it up. Maybe he _did_ care now, like he professed to, but Pietro wasn't ready to let him act like a father in this capacity yet. That one swat at the cove had been enough -- he hadn't proven himself enough for his son to accept more.

"Logan," he hissed, motioning him over. The burly X-Man moved toward the couch and leaned down.

"What is it, kid?" he asked quietly.

"Are you going to spank me?" the boy asked, still watching Rogue and Mystique. His girlfriend was crying now, but her mother wasn't letting up.

"Why do you want to know?" Logan inquired.

"I just …." Pietro's eyes flicked briefly toward Magnus. "If I get any choice in the matter … you're my dad now, right? You should do it."

Logan had seen the quick look Pietro shot Magnus and understood. He gave the boy's shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Hummingbird," he assured him. "This is your first here. I wouldn't let anyone else do it."

Pietro nodded and Logan felt a little of the tension ease in the shoulder he held.

Scott watched from beside the Professor as Mystique thoroughly punished her wayward daughter. The memory of his own recent spanking at Mystique's hand was still so fresh, he could almost feel the blows on his own backside, which clenched involuntarily more than once. Rogue was suffering, all right, but he didn't feel any pity for her. In fact, he wished he could be administering her punishment personally, considering how he and Lance suffered because of her. He glanced toward the Brotherhood leader and was surprised to see how his usually olive complexion had turned rather white. What was wrong with him?

Rogue yelped again and tried desperately to move her blazing backside out of harm's way, but it did no good. Her mother's heavy hand always found its target and let it know that with a resounding smack. Rogue wished she'd kept track of the amount so that she would know when it would be over. She knew reaching under the blanket to grab her mother's bare leg would end the spanking sooner, but would only result in another worse one once Mystique regained consciousness.

*WHACK!*

"OWWW!" Rogue wailed. She'd given up trying not to cry a long time ago.

*WHACK!*

"AHHH! MAMA, STOOOOP!" She kicked her feet uselessly. Her mother's right knee shifted and raised her slightly. In the instant Rogue realized that her bottom now made a better target, she was struck two more stinging blows on her undercurves.

"WAHHHH!" she cried.

"All right, honey, that's fifteen. It's over." Mystique rubbed her back, then helped her stand up, pushing her skirt down. With sobs racking her body, Rogue kicked off her tights and underwear entirely. It was bad enough that the skirt was brushing her tortured skin.

Mystique stood up and pulled Rogue into her arms for a hug, careful not to brush her legs against those of her daughter which weren't usually bared. "I'm sorry I had to do that, sweetie, but you know why I did."

Rogue nodded, but didn't say anything. Knowing why didn't mean she had to like it. She knew she wouldn't be permitted to leave yet, so she made her way back to the couch, wiping her eyes and sniffling. She winced as she lowered herself down, and then made the mistake of glancing toward Scott. Was he _smiling_? The rat! She turned to glare over at Lance, figuring he looked just as smug. He didn't. He actually looked sort of sick.

"Okay, Hummingbird, let's go," Logan motioned at Pietro and went to take Mystique's place on the chair, pushing the blanket aside.

"Hey, don't get rid of that so fast," Pietro said with a shaky laugh. "I wouldn't mind folding it up and laying it over my butt before we get started."

"Cute," Logan said and crooked a finger at the boy, then pointed down at his lap. "Plant it."

Pietro zipped over and sat in Logan's lap. "Well, this is comfy," he said hopefully.

Logan met his eyes. "You've got a nanosecond to bare your backside and get into position before I start adding to the count, kiddo."

Pietro jumped up and tugged down his pants, mumbling something about Logan's lack of a sense of humour.

Logan yanked the slender teenager over his lap. "Laugh it up, kid," he said and whacked the naked backside.

Rogue winced as Pietro started howling. He never was one to miss an opportunity to vocalize, and it looked like he was going to do so in spades. She stole a glance at Scott -- he was still smirking. She tried not to think that he might have a right to take pleasure in their punishment. Then she tried not to think how she, Remy, and Pietro would feel if someone rumoured any of them to be cheating on each other. Dang it all.

"NOOO! OWWW! LOGAN, STOP -- OOOOWWWW!! WAHHHH!"

Scott wondered how Logan was able to keep Pietro on his lap with all the squirming around he was doing. If the kid kicked his feet any faster, both he and Logan and the chair would probably start to propel across the floor. Pietro's pale skin really showed off the effects of the punishment brilliantly, and if there was any doubt, the tears streaming from his blue-grey eyes were another giveaway.

A movement across the room drew Scott's attention, and he was surprised to see Lance heading for the door. Logan didn't pause in his work and Pietro was too busy screaming, but everyone else followed Lance with their eyes as he pushed the Library door open and went out. Scott hesitated for a moment, then followed.

"Lance, wait up!" he said as he shut the door behind him and ran after the other boy. Remy, leaning against the hallway wall shuffling a deck of cards, watched them go by without a word.

Scott caught up to Lance at the stairs. "Hey, hold it." He grabbed the other boy's shoulder to stop him. "What's wrong with you?"

"I just didn't want to watch anymore of it." Lance looked at him. "Is that so hard to understand?"

Scott remembered how Lance was abused in the foster homes. He'd taken his own punishment well from Mystique, maybe because he knew, like Scott did, that they both had it coming. But he supposed he couldn't really blame him for not wanting to be exposed to anymore of it if he didn't have to.

"No, it's not," Scott admitted. "Suddenly I don't feel much like seeing anymore, either."

Lance nodded and continued on his way. Scott sighed, unsure what to do now.

"Are they done in there?"

He looked up at Victor and started, still not used to seeing Sabretooth there in the house with them. The sight of Forge standing beside him made it easier to take. "Uh, not yet," he answered. "I just decided to leave."

"Don't go far," Forge advised. "I think the Professor wants you to stick around for the other business we've got going on tonight."

If that's what the Professor wanted, he'd have to do it, Scott knew. Even if he'd really rather go for a long drive and just be alone for a while.



part 133

Scott waited while the adults came into the Danger Room. Forge was looking really excited about something -- he wondered what was going on. He also wondered if Lance was okay. He'd been pretty shaken up by Rogue and Pietro's punishment.

"All right, I think we may begin," Professor Xavier said. "Forge, what did you come up with?"

"It's a lot lighter now, and with more visible readings like charge level and a timer," Forge said, holding up something that looked like a bracelet. "The timer can also be used as a regular wristwatch, like Kurt's inducer."

"Have you tested this new model?" Hank asked.

"On myself, yes," Forge said. "It's operating at maximum efficiency."

"Then why don't you try it on a different test subject, just to be sure," the Professor said and regarded the only other teenager in the room. "Scott?"

"Yes sir?" he said in surprise.

"Do you mind if Forge tests his new device on you?"

"I guess not," Scott answered. He didn't know what this was all about, but he trusted the Professor.

"Thanks, Scott!" Forge said happily. "Just hold your wrist out, okay?"

Scott did so and the Indian fitted the bracelet on him. He checked the LCD window and tapped a button on the side a couple of times.

"Okay, it's activated," he said, looking from Scott to the Professor. "We're ready."

"Scott," the Professor motioned, "come here."

He obeyed. "What does this thing do, Professor?" he asked curiously.

"We're about to demonstrate that," the telepath said. "To be on the safe side, face the opposite wall." He nodded toward it.

"Okay," Scott replied, sounding bewildered. He did as instructed and faced the further wall of the Danger Room. There was nothing there but empty space. "Now what?"

"Take off your glasses."

"What?!" Scott exclaimed, spinning to stare at him through the ruby quartz lenses. "I can't do that, Professor!"

"Please, Scott," his mentor took hold of his hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "Do it."

"Okay," the boy said uneasily, and turned back toward the wall. He took a couple of steps forward, not wanting anyone to get caught in his peripheral vision when the inevitable happened. Slowly, he reached up and gripped the arm of his glasses, then removed them.

Nothing happened. The wall remained intact.

Scott looked at his hand where he was holding the glasses. He saw the sleeve of his sweater just above it. It was green. How long had it been since he'd seen any colour but red?

"Turn around, Scott," the Professor urged gently.

Scott slowly turned, not fully believing that this was really happening. But when he looked up and saw them all for the first time with no obstruction in the way, he believed.

"Oh my God," he murmured.

Hank and Mystique were really blue -- he'd known they were, but they'd looked almost black to him. Mystique's yellow eyes were striking in her lovely indigo face. Magnus' white hair was so much brighter than he'd known before -- he wondered if Pietro's was the same.

The Professor's smiling eyes were brown.

"Professor," Scott said in an awe-filled voice, "how -- ?"

"It's Forge's doing," the man answered. "he modified the power nullifiers he and Kurt had to wear."

"You have beautiful eyes, Scott," Mystique remarked. "I had no idea they were such a brilliant blue."

Scott couldn't stop looking around the room at all of them. "This is so incredible," he said, then focused on Forge. "I … I don't know what to say except -- thank you."

Forge smiled. "You're welcome! Oh! I should check your levels." He took Scott's wrist and began punching buttons on the side of the bracelet.

"Congratulations, Scott!" Hank said heartily.

"Thanks!" Scott grinned so widely his face hurt. "I can't wait to see Jean -- I mean REALLY see her!" He looked over at the Professor. "Could you call her down? I want to surprise her!"

"Certainly," the Professor said with a smile. "She'll want to celebrate your good fortune."

Victor was ignoring Scott and everyone else except Forge. He watched his young charge study the read-outs on the bracelet and saw his expression change. It went from surprise to dismay to horror in a matter of moments.

"Scott, put your glasses on," Forge said suddenly.

"Huh?" Scott looked at him. "What did you say, Forge?"

"Put your glasses on, hurry!" Forge cried.

Scott quickly affixed the glasses onto his face and Forge removed the bracelet from his wrist. It made a *BEEP* sound.

"What is it, kid?" Logan asked.

Forge gazed down at the bracelet in his hands, not really seeing it but not wanting to face Scott, either. The bracelet gave another *BEEP*.

"What does that sound mean?" Scott asked.

"It's a recharge warning," Forge said quietly. "When the nullification is being drained and it needs recharging, that's how it tells you. The closer it gets to being completely uncharged, the faster it beeps."

*BEEP*

Forge silently pulled out a small charger and placed the bracelet into it.

"Did you not charge it before I put it on?" Scott asked hopefully.

"It was fully charged," Forge admitted reluctantly.

"Then what happened?!" Scott exclaimed. "I was looking right at everybody -- do you know what I could have done to them?! I only had the thing on for a few minutes!"

"I didn't think it would …," Forge said, sounding upset. "I didn't realize the effect a power like yours would have on it."

"What do you mean like his?" Magnus asked. "Why should his effect be any different than yours and Kurt's?"

Forge looked up, his dark eyes full of sadness. "Scott's power is turned 'on' all the time -- it's always in use, the glasses just hold it back. That constant usage drained the system way too fast. For Kurt and I, the nullifier only needed to activate its resistance when we attempted to use our powers. We didn't risk trying after the first time, so the systems remained stable the entire time we were with Victor." He lowered his head. "I can probably manipulate the device into nullifying a non-stop power like Scott's for up to fifteen minutes. But … that's all." He bit his lip. "I'm so sorry, Scott," he whispered.

"It's not your fault, Forge," the Professor assured him. "The devices will still be useful."

"But not for me," Scott said resignedly. Logan patted him on the back and Scott forced a smile. "Easy come, easy go, huh? I guess I'm no worse off than I was before."

"You'll still be able to use the bracelet occasionally, Scott," the Professor told him. "If Forge is right and he can fix it so that it remains active for fifteen minutes at a time, you should be able to at least get a look at your surroundings in true colour when you want to -- you just can't prolong it."

"And if you're ever in a position where you lose your glasses, you'll have a fifteen-minute window of opportunity to find them or get to someone who can help," Mystique pointed out.

"That's true," Scott agreed. He squeezed Forge's shoulder reassuringly. "Don't beat yourself up, kid. I'm okay."

"I wanted to help you," Forge said unhappily. "And Rogue."

"Rogue will still be able to touch people for fifteen minutes at a time, Forge," the Professor reminded him. "That's more than she had before."

The Indian teenager nodded. "I'll make the adjustments right away. Is it okay if I go back to the workshop? It won't take long." He looked hopefully at Victor.

"Yeah, go, but don't be all night at it. You've got tutoring tomorrow and probably homework to finish tonight."

Forge nodded. "Okay," he said, and hurried out of the Danger Room.

The Professor looked at Scott. "Are you all right?" he asked gently.

"I will be," Scott told him. "It's still an incredible thing to be able to take my glasses off for brief periods, but …." He sighed.

"I know." The Professor patted his arm. "I know."



part 134

It was after midnight, and Victor decided to go to bed. He went upstairs, where the bedrooms were in their new house, and was going to head for his room when his sensitive hearing picked up something unusual. He stopped by Forge's bedroom door and listened. Yeah, it was coming from there, all right. He opened the door and went in.

The room was dark, but with the moonlight coming in and his own night vision, he could clearly see Forge in the bed. And he could hear him crying.

Victor was getting used to the fact that when Forge hurt, he hurt himself. He couldn't explain it and wasn't sure when exactly it had happened, but hearing Forge's heart-wrenching sobs made him want to rip to shreds anyone that would hurt him. He went over to the bedside and realized he didn't know exactly what to do. Well, the direct approach always worked for him before.

"Hey kid," he said and sat down. He placed his large hand on Forge's head and rubbed. "Hey, come on. You want to talk about it … or something?"

Forge turned his head to look at him and Victor felt his heart break at the look of despair in his eyes.

"Victor," Forge sniffled, "I did such a horrible thing."

"What are you talking about, kid?" Victor frowned. "You couldn't do anything that bad if you tried."

"But I _did_!" Forge's voice hitched and more tears slipped down his cheeks. "I got Scott's hopes up for nothing! He tried to be so nice about it but I could see how crushed he was." He buried his face in his pillow, his shoulders shaking.

Victor stared at him for a moment, then reached down and pulled the boy into a sitting position on his lap, holding his arms firmly. "You listen to me," he told Forge. "You didn't do anything wrong. Cue Ball wanted you to do this, didn’t he?"

Forge gave him a chiding look. "Victor, you shouldn't call him that."

"Yeah, whatever. My point is that you can't blame yourself if he wanted to try the thing on Scott."

"But I wanted to do it, too," Forge said miserably. "I wanted to help." He sighed. "It's like what happened with Kurt all over again. I tried to help him by slowing down his teleportation, so he could see what it was like in the other dimension and maybe go further than he could before. It worked all right, but he nearly got killed for it." He sniffled. "Maybe I should just stop making inventions. They seem to cause more harm than good."

"You can't stop making inventions any more than I can stop my healing factor from working," Victor said. "Although I guess I _could_ with your device."

"I should have tested it on you or Logan first," Forge said with regret. "Your healing factors are another power that's 'on' all the time."

"Bah, the only test Logan could pass would be for crash test dummy," Victor replied. "Anyway, it's over now, so don't worry about it. No one is blaming you."

"Except me," the teenager said softly.

"Because of you, Logan's girl is gonna get to touch someone in the flesh for the first time since her power kicked in," Victor pointed out. "That's a GREAT thing, Forge."

He looked at Victor hopefully. "You think so?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do," he answered.

"Thanks," Forge told him. "I just wish I hadn't hurt Scott."

"No more of that -- it wasn't your fault." Victor got up and lifted Forge as well, depositing him over his shoulder. "Come on, you can sleep with me tonight." After all, he thought, it seemed to comfort Kurt when he did it, maybe it would work for Forge.

"I'd like that," Forge said, giggling in spite of himself at the way he was being transported. When Victor dropped him onto his bed in the other room, Forge got under the covers right away. Victor changed and joined him, putting an arm around him and drawing him near. Forge lay his head on Victor's chest and relaxed.

"Victor?" he said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

There was a pause, then Victor said, "Anytime, kid."



Scott changed position in bed and felt his new bracelet shift on his arm. Forge had made the adjustments and the charge now lasted for fifteen minutes, they'd tested it. He had a charger unit for it, too.

He hadn't yet shown Jean. He wasn't sure why, he just hadn't felt much like it after learning the effects were temporary. He'd tried not to let on how disappointed he'd been -- Forge was obviously feeling badly enough -- but now that he was alone, he decided it was okay to feel just a little sorry for himself.

A soft groan came from the other bed in the room. Okay, so he wasn't _completely_ alone there. Lance was asleep, though.

Scott wondered briefly what it would have been like to show up at school without his glasses. No more would people make fun of him for trying to act like a 'movie star' or something. Granted, most of his classmates were used to it by now, and they all thought he had an eye condition that meant he had to protect them with the glasses. However, there were always jerks around who deliberately looked for something that made people different and exploited it. And to actually go around school seeing people in their true colours -- it would be amazing. Sure, he _could_ use the suppressor to do that now for a few minutes, but it would blow his 'eye condition' excuse and he'd be back at square one. He sighed into the darkness and idly turned the bracelet on, then removed his glasses. Moonlight sure gave a different cast to a room, he thought.

Lance groaned again and rolled over. He murmured something in his sleep, then changed position again. Scott looked over at him, wondering why he was so restless.

"…. Don't …," Lance mumbled. "Please … no …."

Oh man, he was dreaming. Scott pushed his blankets aside and sat up, studying the other boy. Lance was pale and perspiring, his brow was knit and he was frowning. He shifted restlessly in the bed.

"No … please … didn't do it …."

Scott didn't know what to do. Should he wake Lance up? It would probably embarrass the guy to know he'd been talking in his sleep. Would Lance resent it if he awakened him?

"Don't … hurt me …." Tears slipped out from under Lance's closed eyelids and trickled down onto the pillow. "Please, no!"

The room began to rumble ominously. Scott swallowed as he suddenly guessed what Lance was dreaming about and why. He was getting more agitated and this dream could only end badly. Maybe he'd even take the house down with him!

The Brotherhood leader began to cry in earnest and he gripped the blankets so tightly his knuckles whitened. "No … NO!"

The rumbling increased and things started falling off the shelves. Scott knew he couldn't wait any longer. He went to Lance's bedside and sat down. "Lance, wake up," he said, taking hold of one shoulder and shaking him. "Come on, wake up!"

"DON'T HIT ME!" Lance yelled and the bed gave a violent lurch. Scott was thrown forward onto Lance just as the other boy's eyes opened and Kitty ran through the closed door.

"Lance, are you -- ?!" She stopped short upon seeing Scott and Lance nose-to-nose.

The boys were staring into each other's eyes in mutual shock, but Scott recovered first and instantly tried to push himself up. "Kitty, this isn't --!" he started to say.

"What the hell?!" Lance struggled to free himself from Scott's weight on him.

Kitty looked like she was going to cry. "I guess all that rumbling was just the earth moving for you two, huh?" She turned and ran back through
the door and Scott heard other voices in the hallway. He finally managed to get to his feet and Lance sat up just as the door opened and Logan and Mystique came in.

"Are you two all right?" Mystique asked fearfully and went over to Lance, touching his shoulder. "The whole house was shaking!"

"Lance was dreaming," Scott explained. "I was trying to wake him up." Logan studied him and frowned slightly.

"You look pretty shaky yourself there, kid."

Scott didn't want to mention what Kitty had seen so he used another excuse. "Well, uh, you know, the earthquake scared me. You can see it moved the beds around and knocked some stuff down."

Logan stared at him for a couple of moments before turning away to see how Mystique was doing with Lance.

"I'm okay," the long-haired boy muttered to Mystique as she stroked his bangs off his damp face.

"Is everything all right in here?" Professor Xavier asked as he looked into the room. Behind him were Magnus and Hank and a few of the kids. Scott couldn't see Jean amongst them.

"Seems to be under control now, Chuck," Logan remarked and gave Scott a push toward his bed. "Go to sleep, you've got school tomorrow."

Mystique kissed the top of Lance's head and murmured something to him. He nodded and she stood up.

"Goodnight, boys," she said.

"Goodnight," they both replied, and the adults left, closing the door behind them.

*BEEP!*

"Oh man," Scott muttered and picked up his glasses from atop his bedspread, putting them on. He took off the bracelet and stuck it into the charger on his bedside table.

"I've never seen you without your glasses before," Lance remarked. "How'd you do that?"

"It's one of the power-nullification devices Forge made when he was held hostage," Scott explained. "He hoped I'd be able to use it all the time, but it'll only give me fifteen minutes."

"Oh," Lance said, then fell silent. Scott got into his own bed and wondered whether he should say anything more or not. Finally, he decided to risk it.

"I'm sorry about Kitty. It was an accident -- the bed jerked and I fell …."

Lance held up a hand. "It's okay," he said. "I know what happens when I dream like that. I'm just glad the ceiling didn't cave in this time." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess it was watching Rogue and Pietro get spanked … I don't think I'll accept anymore invitations like that no matter WHAT anyone does to me."

"You really had a lousy time in those foster homes, didn't you?" Scott said softly.

"As bad as it gets and worse," Lance replied with a note of bitterness in his voice. "Trust me, you don't want to know details. They don't make for good bedtime stories." He stretched out and pulled up his covers. "For what it's worth, I've never gone back into the dreams twice in one night, so we should be okay for now."

They were quiet for a few moments, then Scott asked, "Do you think Kitty will listen to reason in the morning?"

"She'll listen, but the way things have gone lately, I doubt she'll believe it," Lance said flatly. "Goodnight." He rolled over to face the wall.

"Goodnight," Scott replied with a resigned sigh as he closed his eyes. He hoped he wouldn't start dreaming himself. He wasn't sure what kind he would have if he did.




part 135

Rogue hissed as she pulled her pants on over her still-tender bottom. Owie, that hurt. Maybe not as much as the previous night, but still.

She and Pietro had cried on each other's shoulders for a good long time, with Remy hovering around them both, offering comfort where he could. Now it was a new day and she had to get ready for breakfast and school. Oh, it was gonna be rough on those hard school chairs.

A knock came at the door. "Who is it?" she asked. It wasn't likely to be either of her boys -- they tended to just walk right in.

"It's your parents," her mother's voice responded. Rogue sighed, wondering what this could be about.

"Okay, come in."

Mystique and Logan entered the room, closing the door. "Hi honey," her mother said. "May we talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure, Ah guess so." Rogue was curious in spite of herself, especially when she saw something in her mother's hand. "What's that? A bracelet?"

"Yes," Mystique answered, "but it's more than that." She handed it to Rogue. "It's something Forge invented."

Rogue examined it. It appeared to be a combination bracelet/wristwatch. She put it on her wrist. "So what does it do?" she asked.

"Before we tell you that, there's something you have to know first," Logan cautioned. "The effects of this thing are only going to last you fifteen minutes at a time, and then it's gotta be charged for a while before it can be used again."

"Uh, okay," Rogue said, looking at him strangely. "Fifteen minutes of WHAT effect?"

Mystique punched a couple of buttons on the bracelet and watched the LCD window for a moment. "All right, it's activated," she said breathlessly. Then to Rogue's utter shock, her mother reached out and placed a hand on her cheek.

"Mama, don't!" she cried, her gloved hand flying up to push Mystique's away. Logan caught her arm before she could connect, and her mother was still touching her. And smiling.

"Mama?" Rogue whispered. "How?"

Mystique put her other hand on Rogue's left cheek, cupping her face. "It's a power nullifier, honey. The effects don't last long, but it's better than what you had before." She kissed her daughter tenderly. "My baby girl …."

A sob caught in Rogue's throat. This was too good to be true. She could _feel_ her mother's touch for the first time in much too long.

Then she felt a heavier hand on her head and turned to look at Logan. Her father smiled and gave her an affectionate chuck on the chin before pulling her into his arms and kissing her cheek. Rogue began to cry in earnest.

"Ah can't believe this!" she said. "Ah can't believe this!"

Mystique stroked Rogue's hair, tears slipping down her own cheeks. "It's like a dream come true."

Rogue removed her gloves and tentatively touched the blue skin of her mother's face, then the grizzled chin of her father. She grinned through her tears. "This is so amazing!"

"Remember, you only get fifteen minutes at a time," Logan told her. "When that thing beeps, that's your cue."

"Then Ah've still got some time!" Rogue said suddenly. She kissed both her parents and headed for the door. "Ah've got a whole bunch of people to see and Ah'm gonna kiss every one of 'em!"

Logan put an arm around Mystique as they watched her go. "I'll bet I know who gets the biggest kiss," he said.

"Remy?" Mystique said wryly. "Pietro?"

Logan shook his head and smiled. "Forge."




"Okay, so Kitty talked to you. So what? Now _I'm_ talking to you - won't you let me explain?" Scott asked Jean in the hallway.

She turned and faced him, folding her arms. "Okay, explain."

"I was trying to wake Lance up when his earthquake jarred the bed and I fell!" Scott gave an incredulous laugh. "You don't really think I'm ATTRACTED to Lance, do you?!"

Jean met his eyes. "You forget, Scott, I'm psychic, like the Professor. I won't read your mind, but I can sense truth in statements."

"Or maybe you're looking so hard for something that isn't there that you're imagining things!" Scott said. "You're not on the Professor's level, Jean, you've said that many times yourself."

"Hi guys!" Rogue interrupted as she burst in between them. She grabbed Scott's face in both bare hands and kissed him soundly, then did the same to Jean. They stared as she skipped off, giggling.

"What …?" Jean said in disbelief. "How?!"

Scott sighed. "I was going to tell you. Forge invented these power nullifiers." He clicked his on and then took off his glasses. Jean's green eyes widened as she stared into Scott's blue ones.

"Oh my … Scott …," she whispered.

"They only work for fifteen minutes," he said. Man, Jean was even more beautiful like this, with the green of her eyes so vibrant.

"Still," she said, a faint smile touching her lips, "it's a wonderful thing for you and Rogue."

"Looks like she's really having fun with it," Scott said, then sighed. "Jean, can we please work out this dumb idea about Lance?"

The smile faded and she kissed his cheek softly. "I'm happy for you, Scott. Really I am," she told him, her voice tinged with sadness. She walked away.

Scott wondered exactly what she was happy for him about. He didn't like the air of finality her tone had taken.



"Yeah, it still hurts," Pietro groused, rubbing his backside. The truth was, it really wasn't that bad anymore, but the memory lingered on.

"Pauvre petit," Remy murmured in his ear and kissed it. Pietro giggled and squirmed away.

"That one tickled," he complained with a grin. "No fair making me smile -- I wanted to be crabby today."

"You sound like dat little girl from de Charlie Brown comics, de one who say she likes to be crabby." Remy played with Pietro's right hair tuft. "Maybe I make you feel good, oui?"

"And maybe if Logan or Mystique walk by the door they'll see it and make BOTH of us feel worse." Pietro gently but firmly pushed Remy away just as Rogue danced into the room.

"Hiya, Cajun!" she greeted and suddenly wrapped her arms around Remy's neck, kissing him deeply. Remy's red and black eyes widened and Pietro stared.

"Rogue!" the blonde said, sounding shocked.

She disengaged herself from Remy, who reeled slightly, but didn't collapse as he would normally have done. "What's the matter, Petey-Pie?" Rogue grinned. "Jealous? Don't be -- there's more where THAT came from!" She took hold of the slender blonde and kissed him hard, dipping him at the same time. Remy started to laugh as he watched Pietro's outstretched leg waggle frantically in the air until Rogue stood him upright again.

"WHOA!" Pietro gasped.

"Roguey," Remy said. "Chere, how is dis possible?!"

"Through the genius of our very own Forge!" Rogue declared happily and held out her wrist. "This bracelet is some kinda power suppressor. It only works for a few minutes, but dang it, it's a lot better than what Ah had before!"

"That's amazing, Rogue!" Pietro crowed. "Truly awesome!"

"I must agree," Remy said, and took Rogue's bare hand in his, kissing the back of it. "It is a precious gift for all of us."

As both her boys kissed her cheeks at once, Rogue thought she must be the luckiest girl in the world.



Lance felt as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. "What do you mean it's over?" he asked.

"Just what I said," Kitty told him, not meeting his eyes.

Lance turned away from her and brushed a hand through his hair. This couldn't be happening, he thought. "You're condemning me on circumstantial evidence," he told her, his throat tight. "That isn't fair."

"It's not just that," Kitty said. "I know you and Scott told the truth about what happened when he fell on you."

Lance spun around to stare at her. "Then why DO this?!"

"Because I also know what Jean has told me about things you've said the last couple of days -- BOTH of you!" Kitty accused. "You say one thing and you're feeling another! It's not even like you know you're lying because you think you're telling the truth!"

"You're confusing the hell out of me!" Lance told her in frustration. "You mean you're going to take the word of that girl who has NEVER liked seeing us together over mine?!"

"But it's not just you this time, Lance -- it's Scott, too," Kitty said miserably. "When I ran in last night, for just a split second before you both looked up at me, I saw …." She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not psychic, but I didn't have to be. I saw it with my own eyes."

"What you saw was me being scared outta my mind to find Mr. Laser Beam Eyes at point blank range!" Lance exclaimed. "He could have blown my head off if his power was working!"

Kitty bit her lip. "There's nothing else I can say. Sooner or later, you'll realize what I was talking about, and know I was right." She went up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "Goodbye, Lance," she murmured.

He was going to call after her as she started to run out of the bedroom, but Scott suddenly appeared in the doorway, and she pushed past him to escape. Scott watched her go, then looked curiously at Lance. "Was that as bad as it looked?"

"Worse," Lance said, feeling numb. "She just broke up with me."

"I think Jean just did the same thing with me," Scott admitted.

"BREAKFAST!" Logan bellowed from downstairs. "What's keeping all of you?!"

"This day is going to royally suck," Lance muttered.

Scott sighed. "It already does."



part 136

Lance could hear Rogue babbling happily as he and Scott approached the kitchen. It sounded like almost everyone was there already. How was he going to handle sitting at the table with Kitty and not beg her for another chance?

But then … another chance for what? He hadn't done anything wrong! He glanced at Scott out of the corner of his eye. The X-Men leader looked as confused and hurt as he felt. How ironic that after all their fights and the way he and Kitty had squared off against Scott and Jean, the two girls were now leaving the boys behind. And for no good reason.

Kitty thought he had a thing for _Scott_?! He didn't know WHERE to begin telling her what was wrong with that idea! It was as stupid as Kitty suddenly developing an attraction for _Jean_, who had up until lately had only annoyed her. He wondered briefly if somehow that _was_ the case, but other than speaking civilly to each other, he hadn't seen any indication that they were in love.

And as for Scott, he couldn't really claim hatred anymore. He'd been very kind to him about the nightmares, despite the resulting earthquake causing the whole misunderstanding with the girls. But just because he didn't hate him didn't mean he was in LOVE with him! He wouldn't even say they were friends yet!

The two boys entered the kitchen and looked around. Kitty and Jean were the only two who weren't there.

"Scott, Lance," the Professor said, "please take your seats. I have something to tell all of you."

The boys glanced at each other and sat down.

"What's this all about, Chuck?" Logan asked. "Why aren't Red and the Half-Pint here?"

"Maybe they're slow coming down?" Mystique remarked.

"I can't smell them in the _house_, Raven," Logan told her.

"What?" Lance said and looked at the Professor. "Where are they?"

"They've gone home," he said. "To live with their parents."

Everyone began talking at once.

"But why?!"

"What could have happened?"

"This just came out of nowhere!"

"Just like that? All of a sudden?"

Lance and Scott said nothing. They stared at the table without seeing it. Longshot sighed.

"The girls both decided they needed a break from the Institute and wanted to go home, which is their right," Professor Xavier said.

"Both of them at once?" Hank said skeptically. "There has to be more to it than that, Charles."

"I'm sure you're right, Hank," the Professor agreed. "However, that is all they would tell me. I tried to convince them to tell me everything, but neither of them was forthcoming."

"I'm going to miss them," Kurt said sadly.

Todd was studying Longshot curiously. "Hey, do you know anything about this?" he asked, nudging the pretty boy. "You didn't seem all that surprised just now."

"I knew," he admitted. "I 'read' their future recently -- I saw that they would be leaving."

Lance looked up sharply. "Why didn't you SAY something?!" he demanded.

"Should I have?" Longshot asked uneasily, looking around. "I didn't think it was my business to talk about it."

"It wasn't your business to read their future unless they asked you to, either," Magnus pointed out to him.

Longshot looked contrite. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

Magnus patted his shoulder. "You didn't _cause_ any, Longshot, but you shouldn't pry uninvited."

"Do YOU guys know why they left?" Pietro asked Lance and Scott bluntly.

"It's none of your business, Pietro," Lance growled.

"When did THAT ever stop me?" Pietro replied. "Come on, did you have a fight or something?"

Lance jumped up and slammed his hands down on the table while the entire house rumbled around them. "I DON'T want to discuss it!" he yelled and ran out. Scott got up and left as well. The rumbling gradually stopped.

"They had a fight," Pietro nodded sagely.



"Lance?"

The Brotherhood leader looked toward the garage entrance. Scott was there, looking concerned. Lance climbed into his jeep and lay back his head. "Now what am I going to do?" he murmured.

Scott walked over and leaned back against the jeep. "I don't get it either," he admitted.

"She didn't even say goodbye," Lance said miserably.

Scott was quiet for a few moments. "I always thought I knew my own mind," he said finally. "I may not always have been the first to admit my feelings but at least I knew WHAT I was feeling." He sighed. "After what Jean said, I'm not even sure of that anymore."

"Aw, come on, Scott," Lance said incredulously. "Those girls are out of their minds! They WANTED to break up with us and made up an excuse so they could do it guilt-free."

"You're probably right," Scott allowed. "It's a depressing thought, though."

"Yeah, no kidding." Lance turned the engine on. "I'm gonna go eat in Burger Barn and go to school from there. I don't want to go back inside."

"Me either. Mind if I follow you?" the X-Men leader asked.

"Nah. At least you know how I feel right now."

"Funny, huh?" Scott said as he headed for his own car. "I know how you feel, but I don't know how _I_ feel."

"Yeah, well, maybe you can at least tell me how I feel over breakfast. We'll sort YOU out later," Lance said wryly.




"Victor, hurry UP!" Forge complained as he stood at the door and looked at his watch for the twentieth time in two minutes. "I don't want to be late for tutoring!"

"Hold yer water, kid, I'll get there when I get there!" Victor called from the kitchen. "Baldy ain't gonna start without you."

"Will you stop calling him things like that?" Forge sighed. "You really shouldn't."

"Logan shouldn't call him 'Chuck' either, but he does that all the time."

"But what if you do it in FRONT of him?!"

"Then he'll probably give me a brain-blast that'll fry my circuits for a while." Victor came out of the kitchen, frowning. "I _know_ I didn't drink it, where the hell did it go?" he muttered.

Forge swallowed. "I'll be waiting outside …." He turned to leave.

"HOLD it!"

Forge hung his head. This wasn't going to be good.

Victor walked over to the teenager and towered over him, his expression dangerous. "What do you know about the six-pack I had in the fridge?"

"I didn't drink it," Forge promised.

"That's NOT what I asked!" Victor said, trying very hard not to snarl.

"Um, I sort of, uh …." Forge visibly squirmed.

"Forge," Victor said, forcing patience into his tone so that it wouldn't sound like the kid's very life was on the line. Even if it was. "Where is my beer?"

"I … uh … poured it down the sink," Forge admitted, cringing slightly at the fury that entered Victor's eyes.

"You did WHAT?!" the large mutant bellowed. "How could you DO that?! WHY?!"

"Because beer is bad for you," Forge explained, and to his credit, his voice didn't tremble. Much. "I don't want you to get liver disease, or to crack up on your bike, or -- Victor, are you okay?"

Victor had turned away and was attempting to get his temper under control. The kid had what HE thought were good intentions. Forge was recently orphaned and was understandably protective of the only parent he had now.

But this was his BEER!

He spun around and roared so loudly that Forge stumbled back against the front door, his dark eyes wide.

"You do NOT ever touch my beer again, do you understand me?!" Victor yelled. "You don't throw out ANYTHING I bring into this house!"

"I'm sorry," Forge managed to say. "I was only thinking of you -- "

"Don't LIE to me," Victor warned. "I've been around over a century, kid -- I can make my own decisions. And that same healing factor that has kept me alive that long makes sure that I don't get much of a buzz outta the beer anyway. Not enough to crash my bike, WHICH, by the way is still a mangled wreck, and it wouldn't even get close to causing my liver or anything else any damage."

"Oh," Forge said quietly. "I guess I should have realized that. But I wasn't lying -- I really _was_ thinking of you."

"You were thinking of you, and how you don't want to be left alone," Victor told him frankly. "I know why you're thinking that way, but you don't have to worry. I ain't normal, kid. I'm gonna be around longer than you, probably."

"Okay," Forge said, a look of relief on his handsome face. "I'm sorry about the beer -- I shouldn't have done it."

"No, you shouldn't have," Victor agreed. "And if we had the time, I'd wallop your backside so that you'd be standing up at that tutoring session."

Forge attempted a grin. "Good thing we don't have time … right?"

"Maybe I'll MAKE time," Victor reconsidered and took a step toward the teenager. The doorbell rang.

"Company!" Forge announced unnecessarily and started to turn around, then thought better of it. He reached back for the knob without looking so that he wouldn't have to expose his bottom to possible parental justice. Finding it, he opened the door, moving forward with it as he did so. "Um, who is it?" he asked Victor sheepishly, since he couldn't look without moving his rear from its protected spot.

"Logan's girl," Victor said.

"The name's Rogue," Forge heard the Southern mutant say. "Ya'll had better learn it if yer gonna be helping us in training sessions. Is Forge around?"

Victor pointed at the back of the door. Rogue peered around it and smiled widely.

"THERE you are!" she declared.

"Hi Rogue -- MMMPH!" Forge suddenly found himself liplocked with Rogue, with she clung to him so firmly that he couldn't free himself if he tried. And since he wasn't passing out, he couldn't see any reason to try.

Finally, she drew back, grinning. "Ah love you, you little genius you! Just look at me!" She ran her hands through his straight silky hair and across his cheeks. "Ah can touch people! Ah can kiss my boyfriends and my family, and Ah can take a swim without worrying about brushing against people -- "

"Rogue, you know the effects are temporary, right?" Forge asked her tentatively, not sure he could take the devastation on her face if it came as news.

She nodded firmly. "Oh, Ah know, but still, this is SO great for me, Forge!" She smiled. "Ah just wanted to let you know how grateful Ah am."

He smiled back. "You're welcome, Rogue. I'm really happy I could help in some way."

"Ya'll should be getting up to the Institute now -- they're waiting on ya. And Ah've gotta get to school myself." Rogue gave him a hug. "Thanks again!"

"Bye!" Forge said as she ran out.

"Feel better now?" Victor asked him.

"Yes," Forge replied, smiling happily. "You were right -- my invention _did_ do some good after all."

Victor felt strangely good himself at seeing Forge's joy. He remembered holding the kid while he cried over what happened with Scott. This was a big improvement. He didn't even feel like spanking him over the beer anymore, not if it would wipe that smile from his face.

But he remembered something the adults had told him when he was over at the Institute. About consistency, and how it was good for kids. That they get confused when you back off on promises made for either punishment or reward. And that they'd also be likely to repeat their mistakes. He couldn't have THAT happen, either!

"Can we go now, Victor?" Forge asked. "We're late."

Damn, he didn't want the kid to show up for tutoring in tears and he was right, they WERE late. "Yeah, we can go," he said finally. "But look at me."

Forge raised his eyes to meet Victor's.

"We're not finished over this beer thing," he warned. "You did something wrong, and I think you knew it was wrong, even if you thought it was right."

"Huh?" Forge said in confusion.

"You KNOW what I mean!" Victor told him in frustration. "Anyway, you're still gonna get a licking before the day's over."

"Is this open to negotiation?" Forge inquired hopefully.

"If you had money and were old enough to buy beer, I'd say yeah, but you don't and you're not, so it ain't." Victor took Forge by the shoulders with his large hands and steered him out the door. "Let's get going. In case you didn't notice, you're late."



part 137

Scott was surprised that he was actually able to eat. He would have thought that Jean leaving would have ruined his appetite for weeks. Maybe it was because she didn't even say goodbye. They'd never kissed during their long friendship and short relationship. Maybe friends were all they were ever supposed to be.

"You all right?"

He looked across the Burger Barn table at Lance. For a long time, ever since they'd met, he'd never faced the other boy without seeing a sneer in return. Lance wasn't sneering now. The brown eyes behind his bangs were serious, his expression one of concern.

"I'm just thinking about everything," Scott answered. "Wondering how close Jean and I could have been if she could just leave like this."

"I _know_ Kitty and I were close. I really loved her, and she loved me," Lance said, then shrugged. "But somewhere along the line she got it into her head that you and I had something going on. And couldn't let go of it."

"I'm sorry," Scott said earnestly.

"You know what this is going to mean at school, right?" Lance shook his head ruefully. "People were just speculating before. Now they'll take the girls being gone as proof positive."

"I didn't think of that," Scott admitted. "You're right."

"I'm getting used to being a target for jokes there, anyway," Lance said sourly and crumpled up the wrapper for his breakfast burger. "Why should today be any different?"

"Well," Scott said slowly, "_we_ know it's not true. And if they never see us together, they'll have nothing to go on."

Lance grinned in amusement. "Scott, we're together right now. If anyone from school comes in, they'll be calling this a DATE."

Scott nearly spit out the sip of juice he'd taken. His eyes watered as it went down the wrong way and he coughed. Lance waited for him to get over it.

"This is crazy," Scott finally said when he was able. "Nobody listened when we said it wasn't true, because the girls weren't defending us or denying it. Now they're gone, so everyone will just believe what they want, anyway."

"Right," Lance said. "And since we've already tried arguing and beating people up and nothing works, we should probably just ignore them."

Scott smiled. "That sounds like something I would say, not you."

"I can't beat up the entire student body," Lance replied. "Mystique would have my hide … again."

Scott shuddered. "Yeah, let's avoid that at all costs."

Lance swallowed some juice and watched Duncan and Kurt come in and head for the counter. He saw Kurt give his order while Duncan draped an arm around his shoulders, giving him an affectionate squeeze. "Did you ever date a guy?" he asked Scott thoughtfully.

"Before today, you mean?" Scott joked, then combined a yelp with a laugh as he was kicked under the table. "No, never. I've looked at some now and then, but never asked anyone out. When I was younger, I was kind of shy, and then I came here and met Jean … she was pretty much it for me. How about you?"

"No," Lance said. "I …." He paused, staring down at his straw as he played with it. Scott sensed he was debating whether or not to continue. He decided to keep quiet and not press him.

"Some stuff happened in the foster homes," Lance said softly. "The kind of things that triggered those dreams."

"Beatings," Scott said gently. "I'm sorry about that."

Lance shook his head. "More than that. Men … coming into my room at night."

"Oh geez, Lance," Scott breathed. He'd thought he'd known the worst, but this was altogether different.

"I was thirteen the last time it happened," Lance said, looking across the restaurant but not focusing on anything. "I was kind of scrawny then."

"Wouldn't know it to look at you now," Scott remarked.

Lance glanced at him in surprise, then gave him a wan smile. "Thanks, but at that time, I hadn't started to fill out or anything and I hadn't come into my power, either."

"Did you ever tell anyone?" Scott asked. "So that they could take you out of there?"

"By then I was already pretty much convinced that no one cared about me, so I didn't think there'd be any point." Lance pushed his tray aside. "There was one more attempt at a different home -- I was fifteen by then. That's when my power came out for the first time."

"What happened?" Scott asked.

"The whole house came down around us," Lance said. "I barely got out myself, and I don't care if he did."

Scott found he had a new respect for Lance. He'd had his own problems when his power came out, but never in his life had he experienced the kind of abuse Lance had. He really was a strong person, outside of being a powerful mutant. "So … that's why you never considered dating a guy?" he asked. "Because of those incidents?"

Lance shrugged. "I guess. Once I got to be as big as a man myself, I wasn't afraid of them anymore, but I never really thought of them as dating material, either." He gave a snort. "Considering my luck with girls, I may have to reconsider."

"Hi guys."

Both boys looked up at Kurt, who stood by their table holding a Burger Barn bag. Duncan still had an arm around Kurt's shoulders.

"I heard about the girls leaving," Duncan said. "How are you gonna explain that at school?"

"We don't owe anyone an explanation, Duncan," Scott said.

"He knows that," Kurt said. "But people are still going to wonder, especially considering all the rumours -- "

"People can think what they want," Lance snapped. "They will, anyway."

Kurt looked from one to the other, then walked away with Duncan.

"If he helps spread those rumours, I'll shave his fur off," Lance vowed.

"He won't, he's not like that," Scott said. "Pietro would have been the biggest worry there, I think, but his butt's still reminding him to keep his mouth shut. Everyone from the Institute should be safe knowing that."

"Doesn't matter, the fuzzball is right," Lance said. "People will talk and wonder and I don't care -- they're not my friends, anyway."

"We are, though," Scott said sincerely. "All of the X-Men are your friends now, Lance." He smiled a little. "Even me."

Lance grinned. "Then I'm in more trouble than I thought."




"Wow, that was interesting!" Longshot declared, turning the page of his textbook. "There's a lot of history to this world!"

"Too much, I'd say," Wanda muttered, glaring at her own history text. She didn't feel like being stuck in the Library studying -- she wanted to be out on the beach with Heather. But then, Heather was in school, so neither one of them were having any fun. And now the Professor was keeping them waiting between classes while he left to make a phone call. She looked over at Forge and expected to see him poring over the books, but instead he was gazing toward the window, looking completely preoccupied. "Hey, Brainiac, what's your problem?"

"Huh?" He looked at her, startled. "Oh … nothing."

"You're not the type to lose your focus," she said. "Something must be up."

"Well," Forge said slowly, "I'm kind of in trouble with Victor and it's pretty much all I can think about."

Longshot's blue eyes widened. "Big trouble?"

"Big enough," Forge admitted then blushed. "He says he owes me a spanking some time today. I, um, poured all his beer down the sink."

Wanda gave a whistle. "Yeah, I'd say you've got a spanking coming. Why'd you do a stupid thing like that for?"

"Alcohol is unhealthy," Forge said. "I didn't want Victor to get sick or drive drunk or anything. I didn't realize that his healing factor meant it doesn't really affect him."

"Maybe he'll take pity on you because you did it in his best interests," Longshot suggested.

Wanda rolled her eyes. "Longshot, PLEASE. Don't you remember what got us OUR first spankings here?"

"Oh yeah," he said in a small voice.

Wanda faced Forge. "The adults around here are kinda freaky about their beer, especially Logan. I'm betting his father is no different."

"I'm dead," Forge groaned.

"How about if you replace it?" Longshot said suddenly.

"How?" Forge asked. "I'm too young to buy beer."

"I can get it for you." The pretty blonde grinned. "They keep beer on the movie set all the time. They don't let me drink it, of course, but I'm sure I can get someone to give me a few cans to take home. And I'm going to the set this afternoon."

"It might be too late by then," Forge said.

"Not if you come with me," Longshot offered. "Wanda, you want to come, too?"

"Sure, why not?" she said. "I haven’t been for a while."

"You think Victor would really let me go since I'm supposed to be punished?" Forge asked dubiously.

"He will if Longshot says they need some tech help there," Wanda told him.

"Wanda, I'm NOT going to lie," Longshot said seriously. "You were just talking about the last time we got punished -- I don't want that to happen again."

She sighed. "Okay, no lying." She patted Forge on the shoulder. "But don't worry -- we'll think of something."




part 138

Fred J. Dukes liked his position as a junior instructor at the Massachusetts Institute. He missed his friends in Bayville, but he'd made new friends amongst the students, especially the other junior instructor, Evan Daniels. Ororo Munroe, Evan's aunt, was in charge and she was very kind, but very firm -- just what the Institute needed.

But there were times when he missed the Brotherhood house, where he didn't have any responsibilities. Like now.

"Evan, where did they go?" he asked, eyes darting left, right, up, and down.

"I … I don't know, man," Evan admitted. "We lost them again. But be on your guard, they -- "

*ZOOOOOM!*

"Ahhh!" Fred cried as one blur passed over his head and the other weaved between he and Evan in a figure-eight pattern. He tried to grab at them, but it was like grasping a handful of air.

Evan produced a long bony spike from his arm and tried to trip up the weaver. They went over it instead and continued their pattern between them in mid-air. Throughout it all were two voices giggling mischievously.

Then as suddenly as they came, they were gone.

Fred shook his head. "I can't take much more of this," he said. "My nerves are shot."

"The other kids are as fed up as we are," Evan told him. "They painted Sunspot's windows black, dropped Magma in the pool so she could 'cool off', turned Iceman's bedroom heat up to maximum to make him 'melt', gave Wolfsbane a fleabath, short-circuited Jubilee, and nearly electrocuted Berzerker!"

"What's next?" Fred groaned.

*ZOOOOOM!*

"I wish you hadn't asked that," Evan sighed.

"HEELLLLLLLLLP!!!" cried Sam Guthrie, otherwise known as Cannonball. He was flying through the air, but not of his own power for once. There was a giggling blur holding onto him.

"Hey!" Fred yelled. "Let him go!"

"As you wish!" replied the blur. "Commence launch!"

Cannonball was released, and his mutant power took over, making him invulnerable in flight. Unfortunately, his control was still limited, and he couldn't stop himself.

"DUCK!" he yelled helplessly.

Evan threw himself to the ground. "He'll go through the wall!" he cried. "Again!"

"You're forgetting I'm the unmovable Blob!" Fred told him and blocked Cannonball's path. Evan covered his eyes, not wanting to see Cannonball go _through_ Blob, like he generally did to anything he hit full-force.

Cannonball's head connected with Blob's midsection and he bounced right off -- unfortunately firing him back in the other direction. He'd crashed through the opposite wall before Evan or Fred could react.

And the cause of it all had disappeared.

"What on Earth?!" Ororo said as she came down the hall at a run. "Is that Cannonball?"

"Who else?" Fred asked. "Not his fault this time."

"Guess whose fault it really was," Evan said dryly.

"Sam, are you all right?" Ororo called.

The blonde teenager stood up on the other side of the hole, unharmed. "Yes'm," he said sheepishly. "Sorry 'bout the wall."

"Uh oh!" Fred said suddenly, looking over his shoulder. "Multiple!"

"Lemmegolemmegolemmegolemmego!" Twelve-year-old Jamie Maddox was yelling as he was being held aloft by a speeding blur. They zoomed past the three instructors and paused just long enough at the top of the stairs for Jamie to be dropped.

"Jamie, no!" Ororo cried.

It hadn't been a far drop, but Jamie, also known as Multiple, landed at the top of the stairs just overbalanced enough that he began to roll all the way down. And with every stair he hit, identical clones of himself appeared until there were thirty Jamies laying in a heap at the bottom.

"I'm okay," the original Jamie called out in a muffled groan from under the pile. "I think …."

"That does it!" Ororo said angrily. "Those two are out of control and we are not equipped to handle them on our own. I'll have to call Charles."

"Would you?" Fred begged.

"Please?" added Evan.

"I have to," she said, and headed grimly for the phone. "Before I'm tempted to turn them both into lightning rods."

Fred sent a mental apology to Todd, Pietro, and Lance for what they were about to receive. But better them than him.




Mystique closed the file folder on her desk and was about to make a phone call when her intercom buzzed. "Yes?" she said to her secretary.

"A couple of latecomers, Ms. Darkholme."

"Send them in," she replied and turned off the intercom. A knock came at the door. "Come in."

To her surprise, the guilty pair were Scott and Lance. They gave her embarrassed looks.

"Well," she began, tapping her fingers on the desktop, "you left before breakfast was over and _still_ managed to be -- " she checked the clock, "ten minutes late for homeroom?"

"We sort of lost track of time in Burger Barn," Lance admitted.

"We're sorry, Ms. Darkholme," Scott told her. "I guess considering everything, we weren't very anxious to get here."

"I'm supposed to give you detention for tardiness," Mystique said thoughtfully. "But I won't this time. I know you were both hurt by Jean and Kitty leaving so suddenly."

"Thank you," the boys said gratefully.

Mystique wrote them both passes. "Okay, take these and get to class before you miss anymore of it."

"I wasn't missing it at all," Lance quipped. Scott laughed, then stopped when Mystique leveled at look at them.

"I can still change this to a detention notice," she warned.

"We're going, we're going!" Lance grabbed the pass and ran out. Scott took his and nodded.

"Thanks," he said, and left quickly.

Mystique shook her head in wonder. Lance and Scott lost track of time together? And Scott laughed at Lance's joke? She smiled thoughtfully. Maybe her plan was finally working, and those two boys would wind up as friends yet.




Victor had been feeling funny all day. He'd tried to pay attention to what Magnus and Logan had said to him about training scenarios (despite how listening to Logan went against his grain), but it had been hard to get his mind off Forge, and the punishment he'd promised him. He wasn't looking forward to it, and wagered the kid wasn't, either. He almost wished he'd just spanked him on the spot before they left the house. He wondered if it would be a mistake if he called it off entirely. Surely worrying about it all day had to count for _something_.

"Okay, Forge, time to go home," he said as he walked into the Library. He was surprised to find it deserted.

"Hey, what gives?" he demanded, looking around. He sniffed the air and realized Forge wasn't anywhere in the house.

"What's wrong, Victor?" Professor Xavier asked as he came down the hall.

"Forge left without me, I guess," Victor grumbled. There was nothing really wrong with that, he supposed, but it wasn't like the teenager to be rude.

"Didn't you give him permission to go with Longshot and Wanda?" the Professor asked. "They all left with Magnus to go to Longshot's movie set."

"_What_?!" Victor exclaimed. "NO, I didn't give him permission! And he didn't tell me he was going anywhere!"

Charles glanced past him into the Library. "It looks like there's a note on the desk."

Victor turned and saw the paper, then walked over to pick it up. He skimmed it, and his frown deepening.

"It's from Forge, all right," he growled. "He talks about going to the set --" Victor stopped, scowling at something on the paper. "What is he up to?"

"Is something wrong?" the Professor asked.

"We had a … _talk_ about something he did wrong this morning," Victor said, stuffing the note in his pocket. "I promised him a spanking for it later. Now he's gone off to 'try and fix things' as he says in the note."

The Professor looked curious. "Can he fix things?"

"Not unless he ages a couple of years and comes into some money," Victor said frankly.

"Would you like a ride to the movie set?" the Professor offered.
"Yeah," Victor said. "He should've come straight home with me, not gone off like this and just left a note." He gnashed his fangs. "Like he _knew_ I'd say no!"

"It wouldn't be the first time a child made the wrong choice, and it won't be the last," Charles told him. "I'll have Logan drive you there."

"On second thought, I'll wait for him at home," Victor said hastily and walked away. The Professor shook his head and smiled ruefully. He was about to leave himself when the phone rang in the Library, so he went in and picked it up.

"Well, hello, Ororo," he said into the receiver. "This is a pleasant surprise indeed. How are things?"



part 139

Forge was having a great time. He'd never seen a movie being made before. And Longshot was amazing to watch in it.

Wanda smiled at him. "He's terrific, isn't he?"

"He sure knows what he's doing," Forge remarked.

"Yeah," Wanda agreed. "Having the time of his life!"

"Cut!" yelled the director. "Good work, everyone! That's a wrap for you today, Longshot."

"Okay!" The blonde mutant headed over to his friends. "I've just got one stop to make back by the trailers, then we can go." He winked at Forge.

Magnus didn't notice the significance. "All right, we'll wait in the limo."

It wasn't a long wait, not more than ten minutes, but when Longshot came back, he was carrying a small canvas bag.

"Ready!" he said cheerfully as he got into the car. He passed the bag to Forge. "Here you go!"

There was a soft 'clink' sound from inside the bag as it shifted and Magnus frowned. "There's something metal in there. What is it?"

"Something I promised Forge," Longshot answered.

Magnus held out his hand and the bag sailed over to his own lap. He opened it and looked inside.

"I hope you both have a good explanation for this," he said seriously. "Beer is what got you into trouble last time, Longshot."

"Oh, we're not drinking it, Magnus!" Longshot said firmly.

"No, this is for Victor," Forge explained. "I sort of owe him some beer, and Longshot said he could get some."

"He didn't take it, Father," Wanda told him. "He asked for it -- didn't you?"

Longshot nodded. "Yes, Eddie the gaffer gave it to me. I told him my friend needed it to get out of trouble."

Magnus shook his head and passed the bag back to Forge. "I'll be checking with Victor about this later," he warned.

"I understand," Forge said gratefully. "Thanks for letting me keep it."

"I'm not happy about that man letting Longshot walk off with beer," Magnus said. "But I supposed other than that, no offense is being committed here."

"I'm trying to _correct_ an offense," Forge said, looking down at the bag. "I hope it works."



Victor heard the front door open and caught Forge's scent.

"Victor?"

"Living room," the large mutant said and stood up from the couch. He crossed his arms as Forge came into the room.

"Hi!" the teenager greeted cheerfully. "Did you miss me?"

"I missed you after your tutoring session when you took off without permission," Victor stated.

Forge looked sheepish. "Oh. You got my note, though, right?"

"Yeah, and you're damned lucky you wrote that but you still should have asked me first."

"You're right, I'm sorry." Forge said. "Next time I'll ask, I promise."

Victor nodded. "Good. Now we've still got some business, you and me. I was thinking of forgetting it until you took off like you did, but now -- "

"Wait!" Forge held up his hands. "Before you say anything more, I want you to see this." He handed Victor the canvas bag. "It's for you."
Puzzled, Victor opened the bag and looked inside. "Beer!" he said in surprise. "Where … and _how_ … did you get this?"
"You said you might not spank me if I could replace the beer," Forge reminded him. "Longshot got it from a guy on the set, and Magnus said it was okay to take it to you -- he'll be calling to make sure I did." His dark eyes were hopeful. "Does this make up for my dumping the other? I really _am_ sorry about that."
Victor was stunned. After returning from the Institute, he'd been thinking about little else other than spanking Forge when he got home. He never expected anything like this, but he _had_ said it would make a difference if he replaced what he'd thrown out. And he'd done it legitimately. Really, the only thing he'd done wrong was sneaking off without permission, but he'd left a note and was with an adult the entire time.

"Victor?" Forge ventured uncertainly.

"It's okay, I was just thinking." Victor put the bag down and walked over to Forge, placing his large clawed hands on his shoulders.

"You're a wonder, kid. You did something wrong, but you did what you could to make up for it. I still don't like that you sneaked off, but even there you made sure I wouldn't be worried."

"Does this mean what I hope it means?" Forge smiled tentatively.

Victor sighed and growled at the same time. "Yeah, I guess it does." He pulled the boy under his arm and squeezed. "Just don't get too cocky because you got off this time."

"I won't!" Forge assured him.

"Good, don't." Victor nodded and picked up the bag of beer. "I'm going to put this away and then we can get some dinner."

Forge breathed a sigh of relief as Victor went to the kitchen. He was glad that he got out of the spanking, but mostly he was relieved that Victor wasn't mad at him anymore. He headed after him to help with dinner, happy that he could tell Longshot and Wanda that their efforts on his behalf paid off.




"I wonder what this meeting is about," Lance remarked as he leaned back against the sofa in the living room.

"I don't think anything major happened at school," Scott said, sitting beside him. "Mystique wasn't even mad at us for being late."

"And we didn't get into any fights over the rumours," Lance replied. "Although it took a lot of self-restraint not to."

"I know what you mean," Scott admitted. "I ran into some jerks myself." He grinned. "At least they're not talking about our getting spanked anymore."

Lance snorted. "Yeah, we've got that much to be grateful for."

Kurt suddenly appeared on the back of the sofa between them. "What's this all about? You guys know?"

Lance grimaced and fanned the air. "I wish you'd aim your arrivals further away from me. Your smoke stinks."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "I know, but it's a small price to pay for being able to teleport."

Todd hopped up to join Kurt. "Easy for YOU to say, yo -- you never seem to smell it!"

"Look who's talking about smell," Scott said, his nose wrinkling. "You're due another bath, Todd."

"Whoa, hey, don't get any ideas!" Todd warned. "I can take care of it myself!"

"When was the last time you did?" Scott asked.

"No fair asking."

Kurt made a face. "Whenever it was, it wasn't recently enough!"

"Who asked YOU?!" Todd demanded.

"Right after the meeting, Todd," Scott told him seriously.

"Okay, okay!"

"What's wrong?" Longshot asked as he approached.

"Todd stinks," Kurt said helpfully.

Todd pushed Kurt off his perch then jumped on him. The two began wrestling and leaping all over the room in pursuit of each other. The rest of the kids were used to their play-fighting and ignored it as best they could.

"Someone must be in trouble," Rogue said. "None of the adults have come yet."

"I just hope it's not you or me," Pietro said. "We were spanked last -- it's not our turn anymore."

"Pietro!" Scott exclaimed. "Nobody is taking TURNS! You get punished when you do something wrong!"

"Forge almost got it from Victor today," Wanda told them. "But he phoned a little while ago -- Victor changed his mind."

"Fortunate for him, eh? Remy commented. "I would not want to be spanked by Sabretooth."

"Who wants to get spanked by _anybody_?" Lance asked.

"I'm glad Forge wasn't punished," Longshot said. "He _did_ fix what he'd done."

"With our help," Wanda pointed out.

"Okay, so Forge escaped punishment," Pietro said, zipping to the center of the room. "But SOMEBODY has to be next, and I vote for Todd!"

"Say WHAT?!" Todd stopped wrestling with Kurt to stare at his friend.

Pietro shrugged. "Sorry, pal, but you're the only one left who hasn't been spanked yet. You're overdue."

"That's crazy! I object! I decline the nomination!" Todd cried.

"Relax, Todd," Lance said, trying not to laugh. "He's just teasing you. It doesn't work that way."

"Better not," Todd mumbled, then was bowled over again by Kurt.

"Okay, you two," Logan said as the adults walked in. "Settle down and listen."

"See, they were in some sorta meeting," Rogue said. "Someone _is_ in trouble."

"Sorry to disappoint you, dear, but you're wrong," Mystique told her.

The adults settled around the room and Todd and Kurt got comfortable on the floor.

"Thank you all for coming," Professor Xavier said. "As Mystique said, no one is in trouble. However, we _do_ have interesting news for you."

"What is it, Professor?" Scott asked.

"I received a phone call from Ororo -- " the Professor began.

Todd perked up. "How's Freddy, yo?"

"And Evan?" Kurt added.

"Hey," Logan frowned, "don't interrupt. Mind your manners."

"Sorry, Professor," Kurt apologized.

"I have manners?" Todd sounded surprised.

"You'd better," Mystique warned him. "And right now."

Todd made a motion like he was zipping his lip.

"Thank you," Charles said. "And to answer you both, Fred and Evan are doing well, but they and Ororo are having a problem with two new
students. A pair of rambunctious thirteen-year-olds. They simply aren't equipped to handle them."

"Excuse me for saying so, Professor," Scott spoke up, "but it's hard to believe there's ANY student Ororo can't handle."

"I agree, Scott, and I said as much to her. But she has admitted defeat in this case, and considering how they're still understaffed there, I can't blame her."

"What's different about these kids?" Lance asked.

"Their powers make them very difficult to control, and they seem determined to cause as much mischief as they can," the Professor answered.

"Just give them five minutes with Logan," Pietro said. "He'll straighten them out." He made a show of rubbing his butt. "BELIEVE me!"

"It's not that easy, Hummingbird," Logan told him. "Unless we put Forge's devices on them, spanking them may not do any good."

"Has Ororo tried it?" Rogue asked.

Mystique gave her a wry smile. "Apparently, none of them can get close enough."

"I'll take 'em down for you no problem," Pietro boasted. "They can't possibly be fast enough to escape me, and then one of you can take over."

A strange look passed between the adults and was gone before any of the kids could analyze what it meant.

"It certainly sounds like a challenge, Professor," Scott said. "When are they coming?"

"Tomorrow," Charles replied. "Logan and I are going in the X-Jet to pick them up, and I'd like two students to come with us."

"What about our tutoring session?" Longshot asked.

"Magnus will handle that for me," the Professor answered. "All right, everyone is dismissed. I'll contact those I wish to come on the trip later."



part 140

"Estimated time of arrival, five minutes," Kurt said over his shoulder to his passengers in the X-Jet. There weren't many this time -- only four of them altogether in the aircraft -- but Kurt loved being allowed to do the flying and wanted to do everything properly.

"Thanks fer taking me and Kurt along, Professor," Rogue said to the telepath. "Everybody wanted to go, so they could see Evan, Ororo, and Fred again."

"I thought Scott would be coming for sure," Kurt agreed. "He's like the perfect big brother image -- isn't that what these kids need?"

"Kurt, these children are only thirteen," the Professor reminded him. "To them, _you're_ big brother material as well."

"Kurt at least has good people skills, but Ah don't," Rogue said. "So why am Ah here?"

"These are boy and girl twins, Rogue," said the Professor. "So are you and Kurt. And I want the girl to see that we _do_ have other girls at the Institute in Bayville."

"Not many anymore," Kurt said.

"No, but for a while, there'll be one more."

"Pietro and Wanda are boy/girl twins, too," Rogue pointed out. "Why not them?"

"We love those two, Honeysuckle," Logan said, "but neither of them are particularly friendly with strangers." He frowned. "Besides, if what Ororo says is true, we might have a problem with these kids and the Hummingbird."

"Uh oh," Rogue said.

"Seatbelts everyone, we're landing!" Kurt announced and began taking the Jet down.

"There's Ororo!" Rogue said excitedly, pointing out the window.

The X-Jet finished its vertical landing. Kurt teleported outside first and hugged the beautiful white-haired woman. "Ororo, it's so good to see you!" he said happily.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Kurt," she said.

"Kurt!" Evan greeted, nearly tackling him. "My main elf!"

The other passengers finally caught up and Rogue launched herself at Ororo, kissing her soundly on the cheek. "Surprise!" She grinned.

"Rogue!" Ororo gasped.

"Ain't it great?" Rogue giggled, holding up her wrist. "They don't work for long but it's long enough! I gotta go kiss Evan and Freddy -- where are all the other kids?"

"Inside," Ororo said. "The twins are there, too."

"Well, the house is still standing, that's a good sign," Logan joked.

"Don't laugh," Ororo told him seriously. "If it had been much longer, it might not have been. Come -- let's go in so you can meet them."




By the time the adults made it into the house, Kurt and Rogue were deep in the midst of the students, getting reacquainted. At one time or another, all of them -- Ray, Sam, Bobby, Amara, Jamie, Roberto, Jubilee and Rahne -- lived at the Bayville Institute. Rogue gleefully kissed every one of them and they rejoiced in that newfound ability.

"Hey Rogue, how about another one!" Roberto asked, slipping an arm around her.

"One kiss to a customer, buddy boy," Rogue said. "Besides, the effects are gonna wear off pretty soon."

Roberto took back his arm.

"And you say Scott has one of these?" Amara said. "It must be great for him!"

"He hasn't been using it much," Kurt said.

"Wow, weird," remarked Ray. "Hey, are you guys hungry?"

"Not enough to risk your cooking." Rogue grinned. "Nah, we ate before we left."

"We're glad you came so early -- we'd have been in school otherwise," Jubilee said, mussing Kurt's hair. He yelped and fixed it again, making his twin laugh.

"He's so vain about his hair," she confided.

"And why shouldn't I be?" Kurt said with mock snootiness. "I happen to have GREAT hair."

"True enough, you egomaniac," his sister teased affectionately and mussed his hair again.

"ROGUE!" he protested while the others laughed.

"Hello, children," the Professor greeted as he, Ororo, and Logan came in.

"Professor! Logan!" the Massachusetts kids crowded around them and all started talking at once.

"How's everyone in Bayville?"

"Is it true you've got a real actor living with you?"

"Ororo said Jean and Kitty left, is that for real?"

"Are you _really_ taking those brats away?"

While they'd been trying to answer the first questions, both Charles and Logan were startled by the last one and looked in surprise at Sam, who had asked it.

"Sam, that's not like you," the Professor said, and it was true. Sam was raised in a big family from Kentucky, and was one of the more polite kids he'd ever known. "Why would you say something like that?"

Sam blushed a little and lowered his eyes. "I'm sorry, Professor," he said. "But … it's just that …."

"It's true!" Bobby spoke up. "They're not only brats, but monsters!"

"Demons," added Rahne with a nod.

"There were times when we coulda said the same about some of _you_," Logan reminded them sternly.

"It's not like that," Jamie, the youngest, said. "These kids are … they don't have any respect for anything."

"We were never THAT bad," Jubilee said, then paused. "Were we?"

"No," Ororo assured her, stroking her hair. "You were never that bad."

"Where are the twins now?" Charles asked.

"Probably finishing their packing," Ororo said and went to the foot of the stairs. "Children!" she called. "Professor Xavier is here! Time to come down!"

*ZOOOOOM!*

It happened so fast no one saw it, but immediately following the gust of wind, two children stood in front of Ororo. They were slender and of average height for their age. Both had jet-black hair with white highlights and bright blue eyes. They were strikingly beautiful.

"Whoa," Kurt breathed. "Did they teleport?"

"No," the Professor said. "They flew."

"Man, we're in trouble," Rogue muttered, then gasped, "Hey, they have pointed ears, Kurt!"

Her brother stared in surprise. "You're right," he said. The ears, along with their unusual upswept eyebrows, gave the twins an oddly exotic look.

Ororo urged the youngsters toward the newcomers. "Children, this is Kurt Wagner, his twin sister Rogue, their father, Logan, and Professor Charles Xavier. Everyone, this is Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, also known as Northstar and Aurora."

"Bonjour," the twins said in unison.

"It's nice to meet you both," the Professor said.

"They're French?" Logan asked.

"French-Canadian," Ororo said. "From Quebec."

"Well, if they're from Canada, they can't be _all_ bad," Logan remarked.

"Father," Kurt admonished. "He's a little biased," he explained to the others.

The twins were staring at Kurt openly. "You're blue," said Jeanne-Marie.

"Ja, I am," Kurt replied with a friendly smile. "Furry, too."

"You have a _tail_!" Jean-Paul exclaimed.

"And you have pointed ears," Kurt remarked. "So do I."

"But _we_ are not blue," Jeanne-Marie said firmly.

"Or furry," added her brother.

"Too bad for you, huh?" Rogue replied.

Jean-Paul studied her for a moment, then looked toward the Professor. "Are you really the strongest telepath in the world?" he asked.

"That I am aware of, yes," he answered honestly.

"You are taking us to Bugville in your plane?"

"Bayville," he corrected. "And we will travel there in my X-Jet."

"How fast is this X-Jet?" Jeanne-Marie inquired.

"Does Mach 5, kid," Logan answered proudly.

The twins giggled.

That slow?" Jean-Paul said and grinned at his sister. "If we knew the way there, we could beat it easily!"

You're _that_ fast?" Kurt asked, trying to keep the skepticism out of his voice for politeness' sake.

"But of course!" Jeanne-Marie replied with a shrug. "It is a nothing to us."

Logan leaned toward Ororo and murmured, "They got the goods to back up those mouths or what?"

"You'll have to clock them at your Institute to get exact data," she whispered. "But I don't believe they're exaggerating."

The twins looked up at the adults, smiling sweetly. "May we go now?" they asked together.



part 141

Magnus looked at the three students seated around the table. "Did all of you understand that?"

"Yes," said Forge.

"Yes," said Longshot.

"Understand what?" Wanda asked, then held up her hands at her father's Look. "Just kidding. Yeah, I got it."

"Good, then you have your homework assignment for the day," Magnus said.

"Magnus," Charles' voice came into his mind. "We've arrived in the hangar."

"They've returned," he told the children and got to his feet. "Let's go greet the new recruits, shall we?"



Victor smelled the arrival of the X-Jet and newcomers with it. He met up with Magnus and the children as they arrived at the hangar.

"There they are," Forge said as they saw the twins disembark. "Cute, aren't they?"

"I've never heard of boy/girl twins looking so much alike," Wanda said in surprise. "If her hair wasn't so long, they'd be identical."

"They have pointed ears!" Longshot grinned.

"And Mr. Spock eyebrows," Forge said.

"Who's Mr. Spock?" asked Wanda.

"Quiet, you three," Victor warned as those from the jet finally reached them.

"Welcome back," Magnus said to Charles. He thought the telepath looked a little strained and wondered what kind of trip it had been.

"Thank you," the Professor said and looked at the twins. "This is Magnus and his children, Wanda and Longshot, and this is Victor and his son, Forge. Everyone, this is Jeanne-Marie and Jean-Paul Beaubier."

The twins' blue eyes had been fixed on Victor all along, and now they finally broke out of their trance.

"Alors, it is a monster!" Jeanne-Marie cried.

"Un bête grotesque!" Jean-Paul agreed.

Victor's eyes narrowed. "And don't you forget it."

"Victor, you don't even know what he said!" Forge scolded and turned to the kids. "He's not a beast! Like the Professor said, he's -- " he looked at Victor and smiled. "He's my dad."

Although he was trying to maintain an intimidating visage, Victor allowed himself a smug smile.

When Forge faced the twins again, he found they were no longer staring at Victor, but at _him_. And the looks they were giving him were the last he expected.

"Kurt, Rogue," the Professor said. "Will you please show the twins to their rooms?"

"Rooms?" Jean-Paul looked up with a frown. "We prefer to stay together."

"Boys and girls don't stay in the same room here, kiddo," Logan told him.

"They do now," Jeanne-Marie said firmly. "We will not be separated."

Magnus raised an eyebrow and glanced at Charles, who gave him a look in return that said this was par for the course with these two. Victor's reaction was a little more obvious.

"Want me to bang their pointy little heads together?"

"Is that all you know how to do is kick people around?" Logan growled.

"Like father like son, right, runt?"

"I thought _he_ was your son," Jeanne-Marie said in confusion, pointing at Forge.

"I'm recently adopted -- sort of," Forge replied. "Logan is Victor's biological son."

"Don't remind me!" Logan and Victor both yelled.

"If we might get back to business," Professor Xavier interrupted and spoke to the twins. "I'm afraid we must insist that you two keep separate rooms. We'll make sure they are right next to each other."

"You can insist all you like, but ultimately you cannot keep us apart," Jean-Paul said.

"Hey," Logan said sternly, "don't talk to him like that, kid."

"Like what?" Jeanne-Marie looked at him curiously. "He only spoke the truth."

"Why don't I take them up now, huh? Come on, Rogue," Kurt suggested, trying to stave off a potentially bad situation. Rogue touched his shoulder, and he in turn put a hand on both of the twins, then teleported all of them away.

"Were they like that all the way home?" Magnus asked.

"I think they've been like that their whole lives," Logan remarked.

"We have to show a moderate amount of tolerance for their new situation," Charles said. "They're in a new home with a lot of strangers."

"Well, they're gonna become real good friends with the flat of my hand if they don't watch their mouths," Logan promised.

"I'd almost rather rip out my tongue than say so," Victor growled, "but I agree with him. Those two have 'brats' written all over them."

"Perhaps once they've spent some time with the children, they'll feel more at ease," the Professor said hopefully.

"There were a lot of kids in Massachusetts, weren't there?" Wanda pointed out dryly. "And didn't they just succeed in terrorizing all of them?"

"True," Charles admitted. "But we hope to succeed where they failed. Remember, they _are_ just children, and they need reassurance and
security."

"That's not what _I_ think they need," Logan said firmly.




Kurt, Rogue, and the Beaubiers appeared in the upstairs hallway outside a pair of empty rooms. "Here we are!" he said cheerfully.

" Sacré père, what was THAT?!" Jean-Paul exclaimed, wide-eyed.

"My power is teleportation," Kurt explained. "I should have warned you, though, I'm sorry."

"It was fast," Jeanne-Marie said. "Almost as fast as us."

"'Almost'?" Rogue repeated and glanced at Kurt, who shrugged.

"These are our rooms?" Jean-Paul asked, peering inside.

"Ja," Kurt answered. "I hope you'll like them. They're next to each other, like the Professor promised."

"And like _we_ promised, mon ami, we will sleep where we like, regardless," Jeanne-Marie replied, tossing her glossy black and white hair.

Rogue smiled gently and put a gloved hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Jeanne-Marie, Ah think you'll wanna curb the attitude a little here. The adults love us all to bits, but they're pretty firm about how kids oughta behave, especially toward their elders."

"So what?" Jeanne-Marie asked, puzzled.

"Soooo," Kurt continued, "if you're sassy, they'll punish you."

"In what way do they think they can punish us?" Jean-Paul asked.

"There are different ways, but they usually spank us," Kurt admitted. "And it's not fun."

The twins looked at each other and burst into giggles.

Kurt and Rogue exchanged a glance. "Is spanking funny?" Kurt asked.

"Not to me, it ain't," Rogue stated and looked at the younger kids. "Is there some reason ya'll don't think they can spank you?"

"It is unlikely that they could catch us, for one thing," Jean-Paul said.

"But even if they could," Jeanne-Marie added, "it would not matter."

Kurt was going to ask why when the Professor's voice came into his head. "It's time for lunch," he reported. "Then they want to give you a tour of the mansion. There'll be a Danger Room session tonight so you can meet the whole team and see what we can do."

Jean-Paul smiled mischievously. "And so you can see what WE do, n'est-ce pas?"

"Yeah, of course," Rogue said. "We're a team -- we have to know all we can about each other's abilities and weaknesses."

"My sister and I are already a team," Jean-Paul told her. "We need no others. And we have no weaknesses."

"But," Jeanne-Marie continued, "we will still attend your little session. And if we feel like it, we will show you some of what we can do."

The twins trotted downstairs together, leaving Kurt and Rogue to stare after them incredulously.

"Well," Kurt said finally, "I know _I_ feel blessed to be in their esteemed presence, don't you?"

"'Blessed' ain't exactly the word I was thinking of," his twin replied dryly.



part 142

Wanda's face lit up as she opened the door and let Heather Cameron in. "I'm glad you could come," she told the beautiful blonde. Heather smiled and put her arms around Wanda, kissing her warmly.

"I'm glad Professor Xavier invited me, luv," she said, taking off her jacket. "Are these kids really as bad as you said on the phone?"

"Worse," Wanda said, leading her through the foyer. "Their egos are bigger than the Northern hemisphere and so far I haven't seen them do _anything_ except brag. Come on -- we'd better suit up and get to the Danger Room. They're meeting everyone there."




"And on behalf of the entire team, I'd just like to welcome you to the X-Men," Cyclops was saying as Scarlet Witch and Lifeguard entered the Danger Room. Standing in front of the group of X-Men and Brotherhood members were Northstar and Aurora. They wore matching form-fitting, full-length bodysuits in a striking black and white starburst pattern.

"Merci," they both said.

"Oh, and here's Lifeguard," Cyclops said. "She's a friend of Scarlet Witch, and an honorary member of the team."

"G'day!" Lifeguard greeted, smiling at the twins. "Hey, they're a pretty pair, aren't they?"

"Even Chucky was a cute doll until he picked up the knife," Avalanche murmured from nearby and received an elbow in the ribs from Cyclops, who quickly changed the subject.

"Okay, let's get started now that you've met everybody," Cyclops said. "You two go up to the control room where the Professor is and we'll run through a few sequences to show you what we all do."




Professor Xavier explained to the twins what was going on in the Danger Room below as each of the sequences was run. All of the X-Men were involved, but only twice did Charles get any reaction from the pair. The first was when Forge had to run through an obstacle course only to meet up with Toad at the end. It didn't take long for the green-hued mutant to take out the inventor with his prehensile tongue and a well-aimed spit blob.

"He is great, n'est-ce pas?" Aurora sighed happily.

"Oui, he is magnifique," Northstar breathed.

"Toad is quite amazing indeed," the Professor agreed. "His skill is -- "

"Toad?!" the twins exclaimed, then burst into laughter.

"M'sieur le Professeur, you are too funny!" Aurora said, smiling.

"Of course we were talking about Forge," Northstar told him.

Forge? Charles looked back down into the Danger Room. Forge had handled the obstacle course all right, but Toad had eliminated him easily and now he was desperately trying to clean green goo off his face. He didn't blame Forge -- the boy had only just begun his physical training with the X-Men -- but exactly what were the twins seeing that he wasn't?

"Forge just failed the exercise," he explained. "The idea was to get through the course and make it all the way to the finish line unscathed."

"Who cares about the silly exercise?" Northstar replied, then pointed. "Ma soeur, look! See the way his hair slips into his beautiful eyes?"

Aurora giggled. "It has done that five times in the last three minutes. How cute!"

NOW Charles understood. He wasn't sure whether to feel more sorry for himself, for having to get the twins' minds back on track, or for poor unsuspecting Forge.




Quicksilver ran the course in an eighth of a second and was rather proud of himself. He knew these kids were supposed to be fast, but they had to be made aware right away that there was NO comparing themselves to him.

"Nice work, Quicksilver," Wolverine told him.

"Naturally," the teenager said and looked up toward the control room. "Think that was enough to put them in their place or should I give them a _real_ demonstration?"

Wolverine debated with himself for a moment, then put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Hummingbird, from what Ororo told us, and what we saw in Massachusetts, there's a chance these kids can equal your speed, if not sur -- "

"Impossible," Quicksilver cut him off. "No one is faster than I am, especially not two punk kids barely come into their powers! I demand a comparison test -- a race! Me against them!"

Wolverine heaved an internal sigh. He knew this would happen, but he'd hoped it wouldn't be quite so soon. However, judging from the stubborn set to Quicksilver's chin, he wouldn't be satisfied until his wish was granted.

"All right," he said resignedly. "Lemme talk to Chuck."




"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Nightcrawler asked his father uneasily once they and all the others were up in the control room. Wolverine had wanted to send the other kids out, but Quicksilver insisted they stay and watch.

"I'm sure it's a bad idea," Wolverine replied. "But an unavoidable one."

Mystique looked at him worriedly. "You saw the twins in action in Massachusetts, didn't you?"

"No," he said grimly. "They were so fast that I _didn't_ see them."

"Uh oh," she sighed.

"Petite," Gambit murmured to Rogue, "what is _your_ opinion of what you saw?"

"It's hard to say," she admitted. "Ah've seen Pietro move as fast as Ah saw them go, but it was just a short dash, nothing lengthy."

Gambit looked down into the Danger Room, where Quicksilver, Northstar, and Aurora were sizing each other up. "Dey cannot be faster den he is."

Forge came into the control room and shut the door. "Okay, they're all wearing my new devices and they're ready to go. Are you ready to record, Professor?"

"Yes."

"What new devices are these?" Nightcrawler asked.

"Something I whipped up before the session," Forge replied. "They'll measure the distance and speed traveled by each individual wearing one. Joggers wear similar devices already, but these are fashioned to take speed exceeding that of sound and light."

"You seriously think those two little kids can move THAT fast?" Avalanche asked incredulously.

"We don't know," Professor Xavier admitted. "That's why we agreed to go through with this test." He spoke to the trio in the Danger Room. "All right, we're ready up here. The race is simple -- go as fast as you can around the track, and as many times as you can before the buzzer sounds. Do not interfere with each other's progress or we will end the test immediately. You may begin when the first buzzer goes off. Good luck."

"As fast as we can?" Northstar's voice came back. "I would advise you to cover your ears when we begin then."

Magnus looked at Mystique. "Cover our ears?"




Quicksilver turned toward the twins with his arms folded. "Get ready to eat my dust, wannabes."

"Get ready to eat your words, slowpoke," Northstar retorted.

Quicksilver gasped. "SLOWP -- !" he glared. "Okay, that's it you little monsters, put your powers where your mouths are!"

"We will be happy to, m'sieur blowhard," Aurora said, smiling sweetly.

The warning lights began to flash and the three of them turned to face the track. The lights went from red, to yellow, to green and the buzzer sounded.

The racers took off, and something exploded.

No one had heeded Northstar's warning but slapped their hands over their ears at the sound of the explosion. Kurt was grimacing in pain. "What WAS that?!" he cried.

"A sonic boom, I think." Hank shook his head to clear it.

Forge's eyes widened as his readings started coming back onscreen. "This is impossible!" he said.

"Everything is working smoothly, Forge," the Professor said. "So it would appear it is quite possible, although remarkable."

"I can't see anything down there but a blur," Cyclops admitted.

"Look at the readings," the Professor told him. Cyclops moved over and peered at the screen in amazement.

"Does that mean what I think it does?" he asked.

"What _does_ it mean?" Scarlet Witch asked. "Care to enlighten us?"

Forge looked over at her. "It means they haven't exaggerated their power."

Professor Xavier sounded the buzzer, and the three speedsters stopped running.

"Well?" Quicksilver called out.

"I'd like for you all to come up here so you can watch the playback of the tape," the Professor said.




It wasn't long before everyone was gathered around the big screen in the control room. Quicksilver was smirking.

"Let's get this underway, shall we?" He gave an imperious look to the younger twins. "I want this proven once and for all."

"Very well," Professor Xavier began playing back the tape of the race, then started to slow it down. Finally, Quicksilver was visible onscreen, shooting around the track like a rocket.

He frowned. "Where are _they_?!" he asked.

The Professor slowed down the tape even more. Eventually, the twins could be seen ahead of Quicksilver.

The white-haired mutant was getting upset. "What does this mean? How come we could see me first?"
No one said anything and up on the screen, Northstar and Aurora circled the track and passed Quicksilver, then did it again. And again.
Quicksilver spun around to face Forge. "I want to know the speeds!"

Forge glanced at the Professor nervously and checked the device Quicksilver wore. "Your highest speed clocked here was 175 miles per hour," he reported, then went over to check the readings on the twins' devices. His jaw dropped. "My God …."

"What IS it?!" Quicksilver demanded.

"Their highest speed clocked here is 186,272 miles …." Forge swallowed, "per second."

Quicksilver blanched. "But … but that would mean …!" He looked back toward the screen and saw the twins passing him again on the track.

"That they can lap you 38 times before breaking a sweat," Forge concluded. "Unbelievable."

Quicksilver tore his appalled gaze from the screen to stare at the twins. They smiled in return.

"As I said," Northstar told him sweetly. "Slowpoke."

Quicksilver sped from the control room.



part 143

"PIETRO!" Lance called out, then frowned. "Damn, where is he hiding?"

"We gotta find him, yo," Todd agreed. "He was real upset about that race."

"Do you blame him? His speed is everything to him." Lance didn't want to tell Todd, but he wasn't just worried about Pietro now, he was frightened for him. Not only had he been beaten by the Beaubiers, but humiliatingly so. In front of his friends, his teachers, his sister, his lovers --

And Magnus. If there was anything Pietro had always hated it was disappointing his father. Granted, now he considered Logan his dad, but Magnus was still 'Father' to him -- the man for whom nothing less than perfection would do.

What if Pietro decided it was all over for him? Lance knew what that felt like personally, and he'd come close enough to ending it all that he never wanted Pietro to reach that point without someone there to stop him.

"Professor!" he thought toward the X-Men mentor. "Have you found him yet?!"

"I'm sorry, Lance," the Professor replied mentally, "I can only tell that he's in the house. As usual, his mind is moving too quickly for me to pin down."

Logan came down the hall with Mystique. "Logan!" Lance stopped him. "Have you found him?"

"Still tracking, kid. He's in the house, though."

"That's what the Professor said," Lance sighed.

Mystique touched his arm. "He'll be all right, honey. We'll find him."

"But you know how melodramatic Pietro is, Mystique," Lance said. "I'm worried he may … hurt himself. This really hit him hard."

"Hey, has anyone had any luck?" Scott asked as he jogged over.

"Not yet," Todd admitted.

"We've got the house blanketed and Kurt is popping all over the place," Scott said.

"What about the punks?" Lance asked sourly. "If they find Pietro first, it may drive him over the edge."

"They're not looking," Scott told him. "The Professor has them in the lab -- he's running physicals on them while keeping tuned on Pietro."

"Everyone," the Professor's voice entered their minds all at once, "Longshot has found Pietro in the X-Jet."

"Should have figured the lucky one would find him," Logan said out loud. "Hey, Chuck, tell everyone Mystique and I are on our way there so the whole crowd doesn't turn up." He looked at the others. "You kids stay here. Come on, Raven."

Lance, Todd, and Scott watched them go.

"Why would he be in the X-Jet?" Scott remarked. "He can't fly it --the only other recruit besides myself who can is Kurt."

"Pietro isn't always logical, yo." Todd shrugged.

"I hope he'll be okay," Lance murmured. Scott put an encouraging hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Lance glanced at him gratefully and gave him a wan smile.




Longshot knew Pietro was inside the X-Jet -- he'd gone on and peeked in at him. The Professor had told him not to approach Pietro, but to wait for the adults. Therefore, he was very relieved to see Logan and Mystique arrive.

"He's still in there," Longshot told them.

"Good work, Lucky," Logan said, heading onto the jet with Mystique following.

They found Pietro in the cockpit pilot's seat, his knees drawn up and his face buried in them. Mystique went straight over and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind. "Pietro," she said and kissed his hair.

"Why did you look for me?" he asked flatly.

"Because you're our son and we love you," she told him.

"How CAN you?!" He looked up at her with anguished blue-grey eyes. "They're FASTER than me, Mystique! And not only can they run, they can fly just as fast, can't they?!" He lowered his head again. "There's nothing special about me now. Anything I can do, they can do better. I'm a failure."

"That's not true, Hummingbird," Logan said, crouching beside his chair. "You think Mystique and I love you because you're fast? Your mutant power has nothing to do with who you are to us."

"It was everything to Father," Pietro whispered. "He only ever showed interest in me after my power manifested."

"Magnus is not the same man he was, Pietro," Mystique said, then smiled wryly. "You know it's not easy for me to admit that, because Logan and I would like to keep you all to ourselves, but I _do_ believe your father loves you, too."

"She's right, Pietro," came Magnus' voice from the back of the cockpit. He walked over to them and laid a hand on Pietro's head. "What happened in there isn't important. You always do your best when you train, and I'm proud of you."

"But I'm not THE best!" Pietro declared. He jumped up out of his seat and faced his father. "Being 'good' was never enough for you -- I had to be the BEST! Why isn't it important now?!"

"Even adults get their priorities mixed up," Magnus said gently. "You as a person mean more to me than your mutant power. No, it wasn't always like that, when I was consumed with thoughts of world domination that blinded me to all else -- but I've changed."

Pietro held his gaze for a long time, then sighed, his shoulders sagging in defeat. "What do I do now?"

"Come back inside with us and hold your head up," Magnus said. "Your friends are all worried about you."

"Actually, I was thinking instead of flying to Massachusetts," Pietro said. "I can stay with Freddy and the other Beaubier Brat survivors."

"You aren't going anywhere except back inside," Logan told him firmly. He reached down and picked the slender boy up, flipping him over his shoulder.

"What the -- ?!" Pietro cried. "Logan!"

"If you won't walk under your own power, I'll have to walk for you," Logan said simply, carrying him out of the Jet.

"Hey, I wasn't done feeling sorry for myself!" Pietro protested, kicking his feet. Logan gave his upturned rear a light swat.

"Don't do that, I might drop you," he said.

"Logan!"

The X-Man turned and looked back at Magnus.

"Take care of him," the white-haired mutant said and smiled at Mystique. "You too."

"We will," she promised, and hurried to catch up with Logan.

They brought Pietro to his room, where they found Rogue and Remy sitting on the bed. "Should have known you two would be here. Move it," Logan instructed.

"Daddy!" Rogue gasped as she and Remy jumped up. "Why are you carrying Pietro around like that?!"

"Because I didn't want him flying the X-Jet to Massachusetts considering he doesn't know how to fly." Logan deposited the teenager onto his bed. "Stay!" he commanded, pointing a finger at him.

"Woof," Pietro replied.

"Ya'll were going to _Massachusetts_?!" Rogue exclaimed. "Are ya crazy, Pietro?!"

"Oh, I wouldn’t really have done it," Pietro replied. "Like he said, I don't know how to fly. I could _run_ there …."

"NO!" Logan, Mystique, Rogue and Remy yelled.

"Okay, okay." Pietro chuckled, then pouted. "Hey, no fair making me laugh."

Mystique stroked his hair lovingly. "Pietro, honey, try not to feel so competitive with those kids, okay? None of us can keep up with them alone."

"Yeah, it looks like it'll be a team effort to bring them into line," Logan agreed dryly. "I understand Chuck wanting to give them some space on the first day, but after that, they'll learn damned quick what happens to mouthy, disobedient kids around here."




part 144

Pietro felt a little better by bedtime, but not completely. He knew now he was loved and valued by people, regardless of his power, but that wouldn't make facing those Beaubier brats easier.

"Pietro?"

The speedster gave a start. The Professor was mindspeaking to him. He made an effort to slow down his thoughts to make it easier for the telepath. "Yeah, Professor?"

"Would you please come to the Library?"

"The WHAT?!" Pietro sat bolt upright and could have sworn his butt gave a throb from his recent spanking. "Hey, I didn't do anything! I'm innocent! Why are you guys picking on me all of a sudden?! It was probably Scott -- HE did it! Don't be fooled by that boy-next-door look, he--!"

"Pietro, STOP!" Professor Xavier said, trying to penetrate Pietro's mind, which had inadvertently sped up again. "There is nothing for you to fear -- we just want to give you some information."

"Oh, well, in that case --" Pietro sped to the Library and stopped in front of the Professor's desk before the man could blink. "--what is it?"

"Hank and I thought you would like to hear our test results on the Beaubiers," the Professor told him. "We have established the differences in your make-ups and why they can do what they do."

Pietro folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Okay, I don't know why I should care, but you may as well tell me."

"The difference is that your power goes hand-in-hand with your physical make-up -- everything about you is geared toward superspeed," Hank told him. "Your metabolism and the chemical processes of your musculature. Your joints are smoother and lubricated more efficiently than those of a normal human being and your tendons have the tensile strength of spring steel. Your bones contain unknown materials significantly more durable than calcium. We estimate that you have sufficient energy reserves to run at 175 mph for about four hours."

"It all sounds great -- so why are they FASTER than me?!" Pietro demanded.

"Because their power isn't tied into their physical being in exactly the same way," the Professor explained. "What they do is tap into the random atomic motion of their own molecules and provide it with a single direction. From what they've told us, Northstar is faster than Aurora, and she has greater endurance than he, but only in fractional differences."

Pietro frowned. "I'm not sure if this is good news or not. Heck, I didn't even understand half of what you said."

"Basically, Pietro, any race between you and the Beaubiers isn't a fair test for any of you because of the different ways in which your speed is attained," Hank said. "If they had your physical make-up or you had their ability to harness your molecules on command, it would be different, but it's like comparing apples and oranges."

"I wonder which rolls further if you drop them down the stairs," Pietro considered.

"Don't try it," the Professor advised wryly, then sat back in his chair. "Anyway, Pietro, I hope that alleviates some of your concern over this matter."

"I guess," the teenager said, "but they're still faster than I am."

"And Hank has more hair than I do," Charles admitted wryly. "But there are some things we can do nothing about -- we can only accept them and value that about us which is special. You're still faster than 98% of the people on this planet, Pietro, and your thought processes move faster than even the Beaubiers."

"Plus they still have to eliminate," Hank said cheerfully. "Since your body constantly expels waste products during your accelerated respiration through exhalation, you haven't needed to since your came into your power."

Pietro stared at him, then burst out laughing. "I'm special because I don't have to go to the BATHROOM?!"

Hank grinned and shrugged. "Well, it's just ONE reason."

Pietro shook his head and smiled at the two men. "Thanks, you guys. For trying so hard to make me feel better."

"We're just telling you the facts, Pietro," the Professor said. "There's no reason for you to feel badly about yourself."

"I don't," he stated. "Not anymore. See you later!" He sped out of the room.

"Was he telling the truth, Charles?" Hank asked.

The Professor smiled at him. "Yes, Hank. He was."




Logan continued down the hall, doing the nightly bedcheck. Pietro was out of his room, but the Professor had already let him know he was in conference with he and Hank. He heard voices in Scott and Lance's room and noticed the light on under the door before he got there. He opened it and looked in.

The boys were both in their beds, each with an arm propping up their heads, facing each other. They'd obviously been having a conversation.

"It's after lights out, you two," he said.

"Sorry, Logan," Scott said. "I guess we lost track of time." He reached over and switched off the lamp.

"No more talking -- go to sleep," Logan told them. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Scott said.

"'Night, Logan," said Lance.

Logan pulled the door shut behind him. It looked like those two were starting to become friends after all. Mystique would be happy to hear it. He headed off to check more rooms.

It wasn't until he reached Jean-Paul's when he realized the occupant was absent. He sniffed the air and followed the scent to Jeanne-Marie's room.

He walked in. The light was out, but he could still smell both twins there. He strode over to the bedside and turned on the light.

They were there, all right. Apparently asleep, but that didn't matter to Logan. He reached down and lifted Jean-Paul into his arms.

Jeanne-Marie frowned in her sleep and made a querying sound. Jean-Paul opened his blue eyes sleepily, then looked frightened for a split second before his expression turned furious.

"What is this?!" he demanded.

"I'm taking you to your own room where you're supposed to be," Logan said and began carrying him away.

Apparently Jeanne-Marie had awakened, too, because she cried a protest. "Non! Do not take Jean-Paul!"

"He'll be right next door, kid, relax," Logan replied. Jean-Paul began thrashing in his arms.

"Let me go! Put me down! Immediatement!" he ordered.

Logan could hardly hold onto the struggling boy, so he put him over his shoulder. Jean-Paul promptly began pounding on his back and swearing at him in French. Jeanne-Marie jumped out of bed and launched herself at Logan, screaming more French that he couldn't catch.

"Knock it off, both of you!" He scooped the girl up under his other arm so that now he carried both of them. He brought Jeanne-Marie back to her bed and dropped her on it.

"You go to sleep!" he commanded, and took Jean-Paul out of the room.

"Is everything all right?" Mystique asked as he entered the hallway.

"Just guard her door until I get this one to bed," Logan said and headed for Jean-Paul's room.

"Damn you, put me down!" the thirteen-year-old yelled and began using his speed to slam his fists against Logan's back a hundred times a second. Even with his healing factor going to work immediately, the relentless blows hurt.

"I SAID knock it off!" Logan snarled and raised a hand, intending to swat Jean-Paul's unprotected bottom. Then he remembered that he'd promised Charles he wouldn't spank the twins on their first day, and technically, the day wasn't over yet. He grabbed the boy and dropped him firmly onto his bed.

"You stay there," he told Jean-Paul. "I'll be checking again later, and if I find you in each other's bed after midnight, I won't be breaking my promise if I spank you."

The bright blue eyes narrowed at him. "What makes you think you COULD?!"

*SNIKT!*

"Don't push me, kid."

Jean-Paul stared at the adamantium claws, but didn't say anything. Satisfied that he'd made his point, Logan left.

Jean-Paul considered his options. Logan's claws popping out like that had startled him, but he wasn't afraid. These people weren’t the type to slice up children, no matter how they annoyed them. However, if Logan was determined to try and spank them, they'd never get any sleep just from dealing with the guy. He reluctantly crawled under the covers and tried to go to sleep, vowing to make Logan's life especially miserable the next day.



part 145

"Jean-Paul, are you up?"

"Oui, come in." Jean-Paul looked over as Jeanne-Marie entered. "Bon matin."

"I did not sleep well after that nasty man took you away," Jeanne-Marie admitted as she sat on the bed.

"It was the same for me." Jean-Paul frowned. "He threatened us -- he said he would spank us today if we misbehave."

Jeanne-Marie laughed merrily. "As if he could!"

"They all think they can do whatever they want to us and we will cower with fear," Jean-Paul said. "They have a lot to learn about the Beaubier twins, n'est-ce pas?"

His sister smiled at him. "You are right, ma frère."

Downstairs, the doorbell rang.

"Alors!" Jeanne-Marie leapt up happily. "Forge is here!"

"Let us go greet him!" Jean-Paul said, and they were both off in an instant.



"Did you do your homework last night?" Victor asked Forge on the Institute's front steps.

Forge rang the doorbell. "You said if I didn't do it, you'd bust my butt." The teenager grinned. "Of course I did it -- oh gosh, that was fast!" he said as the door opened instantly.

"Bonjour, Forge!" the Beaubier twins chorused, bright smiles adorning their pretty faces.

"Uh, hi," he said, puzzled by the intensity of their gaze. He glanced at Victor, who scowled at the twins.

"Move aside, rugrats, we're coming in."

"Forge is welcome, of course," Jean-Paul said and stood aside so the Indian could enter. Then he closed the door in Victor's face.

"RRROWWRRR!" Victor bellowed, and Forge jumped two feet into the air.

"Victor!" he cried and hurried to open the door. "What happened? Weren't you right behind me?"

Victor stalked in and glared down at Jean-Paul. Forge had to give the kid credit -- he showed amazing nerve in the face of a furious Sabretooth.

"This kid shut the door in my FACE!" Victor bellowed.

"I guess he does have redeeming qualities at that," Logan said to Mystique as they came downstairs.

"Good morning, Victor, Forge," the blue woman greeted.

Victor turned on her, ignoring Logan. "You guys are such hotshot disciplinarians -- how come these kids are acting like brats?!"

"What did _I_ do?" Jeanne-Marie inquired innocently.

Victor looked at her and scowled. "Well, for one thing, you're glued to my kid's arm like a leech!"

Forge had noticed that himself, but didn't know how to politely extricate his arm from Jeanne-Marie's grip.

"Ma soeur, we must share," Jean-Paul said good-naturedly and latched onto Forge's other arm.

"But of course," Jeanne-Marie agreed with a smile.

Forge looked helplessly from one twin to the other, then at the adults.

"All right, you two," Mystique said. "You can let go of him now."

The Beaubiers made no move to release the older boy. "He does not mind, do you?" Jean-Paul asked, then firmly squeezed Forge's backside just as Jeanne-Marie boldly grabbed his crotch. Forge cried out and stumbled backwards.

"HEY!" Victor bellowed and slashed at the girl. Only her speed saved her from being struck down, and both she and Jean-Paul were suddenly airborne, hovering up near the ceiling. Victor let out an enraged roar and leaped up to try and reach them. Although he made powerful jumps, the twins could always elude his claws with swoops and dives, giggling all the while.

Logan might have been amused by Victor's efforts if he hadn't been so angry himself. For those two thirteen-year-olds to molest Forge so openly was infuriating. Mystique was reassuring him, but the poor kid was blushing so brightly he could probably light up a dark room.

And if he were honest with himself, Logan knew that if it had been Kurt, he'd probably be the one slashing at the divebombing twins now instead of Victor.

"WHAT is going on here?!"

Everyone fell silent at the sound of Magnus' commanding tone. Charles was beside him, looking grim.

"Just a little fun, M'sieur," Jean-Paul said, carefully keeping out of Victor's reach.

"Come down here, please," the Professor told them. "Victor won't hurt you."

"The hell I won't!" Victor snarled. "They put their hands on my kid!"

Logan looked at Charles. "His privates," he clarified.

The Professor and Magnus exchanged a look, then glanced at Forge. He was still nodding at Mystique, an embarrassed smile on his scarlet face as he assured her he was okay. Charles could sense the lie in that -- the boy was shaken and humiliated, but was trying to appear good-natured about it.

"Jeanne-Marie, Jean-Paul," he said seriously, "we have rules here, and one of them is that you're not allowed to hurt anyone else. You owe Forge an apology, and you'll have to be punished.."

"Whaddya think I'm TRYING to do to them?!" Victor demanded, leaping at the twins again.

"Killing ain't the same as punishing, Pops," Logan sneered.

Victor stared at him for a moment, then leapt on him.

"Victor, stop!" Forge yelled.

The two mutants wrestled on the floor. Logan's claws popped out with a *snikt!* but Victor grabbed his wrists so that he couldn't slash at him with them, and shoved him face-down on the floor, pressing a knee into his back to hold him there.

"You gonna shut up and mind your own business, runt?!" Victor demanded.

"I'm not gonna let you rip up a couple of kids, you homicidal bastard!" Logan snapped, struggling to get free. "That isn't the way to punish them!"

"You think I don't know what you people mean by 'punishment' here?!" Victor asked incredulously. He shoved Logan's right wrist into his left hand with Logan's other wrist and held both firmly, then used his freed hand to give Logan's backside a brutal whack.

"OW!" Logan bellowed. "DAMN YOU, YOU SONOVABITCH, LET ME GO!"

Victor whacked him again and again, using as much force as he could muster. Between Logan's adamantium skeleton and his healing factor, he wouldn't feel it otherwise. "Don’t ever tell ME I don't know how to deal with smartmouthed, disobedient brats!" he stated, punctuating it with a few more bruising whacks before getting to his feet. Logan was up in an instant, the fury on his face frightening to behold.

"Logan!" the Professor said sharply. "Let it go!"

Mystique ran to Logan's side and grabbed his arm. "Don't," she pleaded.

"Later," he promised Victor evenly. "In the Danger Room. You'll pay for that."

Victor grinned, fangs showing. "You got it, runt."

Up above everyone, the Beaubier twins laughed.

"M'sieur Logan got _spanked_!" Jeanne-Marie said. "Ma frere, isn't that what he said he would do to _us_?"

"It is indeed," Jean-Paul replied. "But instead, he got it himself -- how fitting."

"Get DOWN here, both of you!" Logan yelled up at them.

"We may be young," Jean-Paul retorted. "But we are not stupid!"

They flew upstairs so fast only the gust of wind and their sudden absence was proof that they'd moved.

"It appears we have a serious challenge on our hands," Magnus remarked.

"I'm going to call the team together," Charles said. "I don't think any of us will be able to do this alone."

"And it's gotta be done, Chuck," Logan told him. "Or those kids may as well be sent home to Canada, because they'll never respect any of us if we can't make them act decent." He shot a glare in Victor's direction only to find that he'd gone over to Forge and was hugging him protectively.

"I don't know who's harder to figure out," he muttered, rubbing his butt. "Those twins or Sabretooth."



part 146

"They did WHAT?!"

"You heard him, Elf," Logan said to Kurt, who glanced over at Forge, as did everyone else in the room at that moment. The inventor lowered his gaze and felt his cheeks heat up again. A strong arm went around his shoulders and he leaned into Victor with relief.

Kurt turned to the Professor indignantly. "Just tell me what you want me to do so we can have those two punished for this."

"First, we will have to strategize. Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie are as determined to avoid us as we are to catch them."

"Why don't you just hit them with a mental bolt?" Lance asked the Professor. "That'll bring them down fast enough."

"Yes, but at the height and speed they're traveling, to drop like stones would cause serious physical damage. I can't risk it."

" No one else here can fly!" Wanda said. "So how _do_ we catch them if we can't use our powers to shoot them out of the air?"

"Bait," Charles said, and looked toward Forge, who swallowed nervously.




"Where did everybody go?" Jean-Paul wondered out loud as he and his twin swooped through the halls of the Institute.

"I think they are all in the Library," Jeanne-Marie said. "I heard some murmuring as we passed by there."

The two of them flew down the stairs into the foyer. In passing the living room entrance, Jeanne-Marie did a double-take. "Jean-Paul, Forge is in the living room by himself!"

"Alone?" Jean-Paul grinned. "Then let us go see him - after all, M'sieu le Professeur did insist we apologize, n'est-ce pas?"

They banked in flight and sailed into the living room.

Forge looked up apprehensively at them and the look turned wary as they landed in front of them.

"Oh, cher Forge, do not look at us like that," Jeanne-Marie said, pouting prettily.

"We did not hurt you, but we are sorry if we scared you," Jean-Paul said. "We were trying to pay you a compliment."

"Pretty aggressive compliment," Forge remarked.

The twins sidled up to him on the couch suddenly. "That was nothing," Jean-Paul whispered in his ear.

"We can make you feel very nice if you let us," Jeanne-Marie added, her hand coming to rest on his thigh.

"Well," Forge said slowly, "maybe I'm being too hasty." He slipped an arm around each twin's shoulders. "I mean, you guys were just being friendly, right?"

"Oui!" Jeanne-Marie said brightly.

"Very, very friendly!" Jean-Paul agreed, nodding.

Forge rubbed both their heads, brushing his hands over their pointed ears slowly. "Yeah, see, I knew it had to be something like that."

His fingers suddenly tightened on the points of their ears and squeezed them firmly.

"Hey!" Jean-Paul said in surprise.

"What are you doing?" Jeanne-Marie asked.

"It's something you learn," said Forge, his voice changing along with his shape, "when you're the mother of a child with pointed ears." The hands holding the Beaubiers' ears turned blue and Mystique's voice became clear. "The tips are very sensitive to touch, including pain."

"They are?" Jean-Paul said.

Just as Mystique noticed they didn't seem to be reacting to her grip the way they should have, Logan strode into the room.

"Good work, Raven. Hold 'em."

"I am," she answered uncertainly, "but -- AHHH!" Mystique was abruptly lifted into the air as the Beaubiers took flight and she was forced to release their ears, falling down onto the couch. Logan sprang for them and missed, but at that moment a blue energy field hit home, enveloping both twins within it. They both yelled protests in French.

Logan glanced toward the doorway where everyone else had gathered and Wanda held the twins in the grip of her power.

"Good girl, Wanda," Logan said. "Set 'em down."

The black-haired mutant girl lowered the pair she held captive and set them on the ground. Logan walked up to them but didn't touch the energy crackling around them.

"Okay, shut it off," he said.

Wanda let her hands drop and the energy field disappeared. Logan grabbed hold of a wrist on both twins.

"What is wrong with you people?!" Jeanne-Marie snapped, trying to take flight again as Jean-Paul did the same.

"Give it up, kids, you'll never get my adamantium skeleton off the ground," Logan smirked. "And now you're gonna get it!" He sat down and pulled both of the twins over his knees at the same time. "Mysti, get their pants down -- I don't want to risk letting go."

Mystique moved to do as he asked.

"NON!" Jean-Paul protested. "Jeanne-Marie!" he said, reaching out his hand toward her.

"Oui, mon frère!" she said firmly and grasped his outstretched hand with her own.

Blinding light, as brilliant as a million flashbulbs, filled the room.

The reaction from their spectators was instantaneous. Everyone cried out and covered their eyes, including Logan. Freed, the twins zoomed over the heads of all present and disappeared.

"I can't see!" Lance yelled.

"They've blinded us!" Rogue cried.

Scott blinked several times. His ruby quartz glasses had protected him from the worst of the glare although he was still seeing light-spots before his eyes. He stumbled to the foyer, but didn't see the Beaubiers. "They're gone!" he called back.

"Everyone, calm down," Professor Xavier was saying, even as his own eyes watered and showed him nothing but dark splotches tinged with lighter outlines. "I'm sure the effects are temporary."

"They DID do this, didn't they?!" Victor snarled, shaking his head to clear it as his healing factor sped up the recovery of his vision. "Those little hellions did this somehow!"

"It happened as soon as dey touched hands," Remy said, rubbing his black and red eyes. "I saw it just before de light appeared."

"I'd say this was an aspect of their power that they neglected to share with us previously," Hank said. "Wouldn't you agree, Charles?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so, Hank," the Professor said. "And Ororo didn't know of it, either, or she'd have said something."

"There's more," Mystique said. "I don't know why they didn't react to my grabbing their ears like that. Applying half that pressure brings Kurt to his knees."

"Ja, but THEY'RE weird," Kurt groused, blinking fast.

"They started to fly with me still holding onto them," Mystique insisted. "How can just the tips of their ears take my weight without hurting them?"

"Perhaps they have no nerves in the tips," Magnus suggested.

"Well, they've got plenty of nerve of a DIFFERENT kind," Logan grumbled. "And they're making me seriously ticked off."



part 147

"Well, _that_ was a total failure, wasn't it?" Scott said to Kurt as they walked down the hall at school. "Maybe there really is no stopping those twins."

"And now most of us are in school," Kurt said. "I wonder if they'll have taken care of it by the time we get home."

"I feel sorry for Forge, though," Scott said. "Only three kids left at home with them and he has to be one of them."

"Hey Kurt!" Duncan jogged over to them and gave Kurt a quick kiss.

"Duncan, people can see," Kurt said, blushing.

"Good, because I'm happy to be seen with you," Duncan smiled. "And I wanted to ask you something -- do you want to go to the dance with me?"

Kurt perked up. "There's a dance?"

"Yeah, on Friday." Duncan pointed to a poster advertising the event. "Do you want to go with me?"

"Ja!" Kurt said eagerly.

"Great!" Duncan smiled, then looked at Scott curiously. "Hey, who are you going with now that Taryn's on your you-know-what list and Jean is gone?"

"No one, I guess," Scott said with a shrug. "I haven't really thought about it."

"Hey, here's a thought," Duncan said mischievously. "Why don't you go with Lance?"

"Duncan!" Kurt exclaimed.

Scott gave the blonde football player a Look. "That's not even funny."

"But it's what everyone is probably expecting." Duncan pointed out. "You know what they say - 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.'"

"That doesn't make sense in this case!" Scott argued.

"I'm just saying that people are going to believe what they want, regardless. You know that," Duncan continued. "It would be different if you and Lance were still fighting all the time, but -- "

"That's it!" Scott cried excitedly. "Thanks, Duncan!" He took off down the hall.

"What's it?" Duncan asked Kurt, who shrugged.

--

"Forge, would you please give me the answer to question three?"

"Four thousand, two hundred and fifty-six point seventy-one."

"That's correct," Professor Xavier said, then checked the clock. "All right, children, I'd say it's time for a short break."

"Great!" Wanda stretched. "Who volunteers to go get us all a snack?"

There was a whooshing sound, and suddenly Forge's chair was empty.

"I guess he volunteered?" Longshot said.

--

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Forge cried as he found himself flying through the halls at a tremendous speed. "Put me down!"

"We are sorry, Forge," Jean-Paul apologized from his left side.

"Oui," Jeanne-Marie agreed, "but as much as we love you, we must punish you for allowing Mystique to trick us using your form."

Forge had horrible visions of being dropped off a cliff by these two wild kids. He suddenly formed his arm into his metal tool. Unprepared, Jeanne-Marie lost her grip on it. Jean-Paul couldn't hold Forge's weight alone and lost him as well.

"YAAAAAHHHH!" Forge yelled as he fell toward the foyer floor, thirty feet below. The horrified twins sped to catch him.

There was a flash of something large springing into the air from below, and Forge was snatched in mid-fall. He wasn't sure by whom until he looked up into Victor's furious face.

They landed safely, but Forge's heart was still pounding. "Thanks, Victor," he said, hugging him.

Victor gave the boy a fierce hug in return. He'd nearly had a heart attack when he saw Forge free-falling like that. He glared up at the twins, flying out of his reach.

"We did not mean to drop him," Jeanne-Marie said defensively. "He did the funny thing with his arm and he slipped!"

"It was not our fault!" Jean-Paul agreed.

"If you hadn’t been carrying him around to start with, it wouldn't have happened!" Victor yelled.

The others came into the foyer. "What happened?" the Professor asked seriously.

"You okay, Forge?" Longshot asked in a worried tone.

"He's fine, no thanks to them!" Victor snarled, shooting another murderous look at the twins. "They dropped him from high enough up that he could have broken his neck!"

"He slipped!" Jean-Paul argued. "We were just going to drop him in the pool outside!"

"We did not want to hurt him!" Jeanne-Marie seconded.

"If you truly mean that, you'll come down here and apologize to Forge properly," Professor Xavier told them.

"You just want us down so you can try to punish us," said Jean-Paul.

"I notice he said 'try'," Wanda remarked dryly.

"This is no more fun. Let's go, mon frere." Jeanne-Marie said and then they were gone.

"They've gotta come down sometime," Victor growled. "They can't sleep up there."

--


Lance shut his locker. He was wondering what they were serving for lunch in the cafeteria when he was suddenly accosted by Scott.

"THERE you are!" the X-Man exclaimed. "I've been trying to catch up to you all morning!"

"Why?! What's going on?!" Lance was taken aback. He couldn't remember when he'd last seen Scott so excited.

The other boy looked around as if he was afraid of being overheard, then took hold of Lance's bicep and pulled him into the corner, where they could see anyone approaching.

"You realize that by dragging me over here in a secluded corner, those rumours about us are only going to get worse," Lance told him. "So this better be good."

"It's _about_ the rumours," Scott said in a conspiratorial whisper. "I know how we can stop them forever!"


part 148

Logan looked at Charles as if he'd just eaten something sour. "As much as I hate to agree with Creed, he's right. This is the only chance to bring those kids into line."

Professor Xavier looked around the room at the determined faces of the adults. He nodded in concession. "All right," he said, "I'll contact Kurt -- you be ready."



Kurt was getting into bed when the Professor's voice entered his head.

"Kurt, would you please come to the Library?"

The teenager gasped. "The Library?! But Professor I didn't do anything! It was probably Pietro or Todd -- "

"Kurt, you're not in trouble, this is about something else entirely."

"Oh! Okay then." Kurt teleported instantly into the Library and looked nervous again upon seeing all the grown-ups around him. "Are you sure I'm not in trouble?"

"I think this room is acquiring a bad reputation," Hank joked.

"Indeed," the Professor said. "Kurt, we need your help in exacting discipline on the Beaubier twins."

"After what they did to Forge, I'll do anything you want," Kurt told him.

"We only need you to do one thing," Mystique said to her son, then proceeded to tell him what it was.




Jeanne-Marie was warm and comfortable in bed, snuggled up to her twin. No one had tried to keep them from sleeping together this time. In fact, no one had approached or spoken to them since the incident with Forge earlier that day.

She thought she heard a soft sound nearby that was vaguely familiar and lifted her head slightly to peer into the shadows. Nothing. She lay her head back down and closed her eyes once more.

Then the smell reached her -- the awful smell of Kurt's teleportational smoke. Her eyes flew open. Kurt was standing over them!

She opened her mouth to scream but Kurt put his hands on both she and Jean-Paul, then suddenly she was on the floor. In the Library.

"What is this?!" Jean-Paul demanded, having been abruptly awakened.

"That is what I want to know!" Jeanne-Marie declared, then gasped as Victor grabbed her arm while Logan clamped his hand onto Jean-Paul's wrist.

"This is getting what you deserve, kid," Victor told her, and both twins were yanked out of reach of each other before they could touch hands.
"You bastard!" Jean-Paul yelled as Logan sat down and pulled him over his knees. Jeanne-Marie was similarly deposited across Victor's lap. Neither man wasted any time by moving the thin nightclothes aside -- these kids had been too full of tricks in the past to take chances with them. Almost as one, Logan and Victor began to spank the two children.

Kurt hadn't been told to leave, so he didn't -- he wanted to be able to give details to the other kids, anyway, especially Forge, who really deserved to be witness to this.

Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie were angry, that much was obvious from how they protested and fought, but it wasn't long before Kurt began to notice something unusual. Most kids when being spanked, and he knew this from personal experience, tended to yell extra-loudly with the impact of each blow. These two didn't. In fact, other than struggling and demanding to be released, they didn't seem to be reacting to the spanking at all. There were no tears, no grunts of pain, and certainly no apologies or promises to behave. Kurt frowned in confusion and looked at the Professor, whose brow was knit. He'd noticed as well.

"Logan, Victor, stop," he said finally.

The two men obeyed, but both looked a little annoyed, like they weren't finished.

"It is about time!" Jeanne-Marie exclaimed, still trying to get free. "Will you stop this nonsense and let us UP now?!"

"Oui, this is ridiculous!" Jean-Paul declared, fighting to get off of Victor's lap. "You cannot hurt us, do you not realize that?!"

Logan and Victor exchanged astonished looks. "Why the hell NOT?!" Logan demanded of the twins.

"Because we are INVULNERABLE!" the Beaubiers yelled.

"They're telling the truth," Professor Xavier told them.

Logan and Victor released the twins, who got to their feet and straightened out their nightclothes.

"First you can fly and run at supersonic speeds," Logan growled, "then you can produce blinding light together. Now you're invulnerable? Is there anything ELSE?!"

Jean-Paul gave him a smug look. "Does there need to be? Come, ma soeur."

The pair left the room.

"Well, THAT was fun," Kurt remarked dryly. "And now I guess _I'll_ be at the top of their hit-list for bringing them down here. Thanks, guys." He teleported away.

"Sorry, Charles," Mystique said. "You know he's not usually that rude."

"I know, Raven," the Professor said. "I'm afraid the Beaubiers are starting to scare some of the children, and considering what happened to Forge, and to some of the others in Massachusetts, I'm not sure they aren't right to feel that way."

"They go anywhere NEAR Forge again," Victor began, "and I'll -- "

"You'll what, Pops?" Logan snapped. "Give them another opportunity to laugh in your face?" He looked at the Professor. "I hate to say it, Chuck, but these two may be beyond hope. They won't behave because they don't have to, and it looks like there's gonna be no way we can enforce discipline on them!"

Magnus lay a hand on Charles' shoulder. "Logan may be right. We may have to face the fact that these two cannot be reached and send them back to Canada."

"And have them spend their teenage years thinking that they can do whatever they want, no matter who gets hurt?" the Professor looked up at him. "I can't accept that, Magnus. If everyone gives up on them now, we may as well stamp 'future criminal' on their foreheads for when they're adults, because by then, consideration for others will be a completely foreign concept."

"I'm not so sure that isn't the case NOW," Hank admitted, and the others slowly nodded in agreement. The Professor sighed.

"All right," he said. "Give me one last chance to make this work. If we don't succeed tomorrow, I'll send them home."



part 149

Lance shook his head as he got dressed the next morning. "I really don't know about that idea of yours, Scott."

"You don't think it will work?" Scott asked, pulling his shirt on over his head.

"Sure, it will work at school with the kids, but Mystique will annihilate us."

Scott shrugged. "I don't like the idea of that, either, but I can't think of anything else. Can you?"

"No," Lance admitted. He sat down on his bed to put on his socks. "I guess staging a big fight at the dance _is_ a good way to convince everyone we're not in love, but -- " He winced in memory. "Mystique will be chaperoning, and what if she decides to spank us in front of the entire student body?"

"Then we leave Bayville in disgrace and go to school at a monastery in Tibet or something." Scott shrugged. "After school we'll book some private Danger Room time and stage the whole thing so neither of us gets hurt. Most of the kids can't use the Danger Room alone, but we two leaders will be able to."

"Okay," Lance agreed, "but even if Mystique doesn't kick our butts in school, we won't be sitting at home for a long time. _PLUS_ we'll never get our own rooms back."

Scott hesitated. "I didn't think of that." He looked at Lance. "You want to call it off?"

Lance met his eyes briefly, then looked away and shook his head. "No, we'd better do it or they'll be pairing us off together forever."

"Okay, so it's decided," Scott said. "We'll work on it this afternoon, and then we'll be ready when the time comes."




"Good morn--" Pietro skidded to a stop in the kitchen and eyed the Beaubiers sitting at the table with the others who had already arrived. "Decided to come out of hiding, huh?" he sneered as he sat down.

"We were _never_ hiding," Jeanne-Marie scoffed. "We just stayed out of reach."

"So why aren't you guys spanking them?!" Pietro demanded of Logan, Hank, and Magnus, who so far, were the only adults present.

"We did, last night," Logan growled. "Turns out they're invulnerable."

"Now that they know there is no point in trying to hurt us, there is no need for us to stay away," Jean-Paul said.

"This bites," Pietro groused and sat down, glaring at the twins, who smiled sweetly in return.

Professor Xavier came in. "Sorry I'm late," he said and glanced toward the twins. "It's nice of the two of you to join us this morning."

"We need to eat, too," Jeanne-Marie pouted.

"No one ever tried to stop you, my dear. You were the ones avoiding us."

"Good morning," Mystique said as she came in with Rogue. "Are we the last to arrive?"

"You are," Magnus said. "But you may sit down anyway."

"Very funny," Mystique said and sat beside Logan.

"How is everyone this morning?" Rogue said as she passed others by on the way to her chair. She paused in surprise at suddenly coming across the Beaubiers. "Hey, since when did you come down to Earth?"

"Must we explain this to every person who comes in?" Jean-Paul asked in annoyance.

"Nah, don't bother," Rogue said and moved behind their chairs. "Just say night night." She placed her bare hands on the sides of their faces.

Jean-Paul dropped his fork as his eyes rolled back in his head. Jeanne-Marie gave a sigh and slumped in her chair. Both twins were out cold.

Pietro jumped to his feet. "Roguey, you did it!" he cheered.

"I don't believe it!" Kurt exclaimed happily.

"Thank you, Rogue," the Professor said. "That worked as well as I hoped. How are _you_?"

Rogue turned to him with wide eyes. "Mon dieu!" she said. "Two at once is more than I am used to, Messieur le Professeur."

"Hey, her eyes are _blue_, yo!" Todd pointed out.

"I'm not surprised, she got a double-dose," Mystique said. "And there's the doorbell -- that'll be Forge coming early with the power nullification bracelets you asked for, Charles."

"HEY!" Victor's voice came from the foyer. "Doesn't anyone answer the door in this joint?!"

"Patience ain't one of his virtues, is it?" Logan remarked.

"Now, now," Mystique chided.

"Good morning!" Forge said, peering cautiously into the room, his gaze falling on the unconscious twins. "Oh good, they're out," he said in relief and walked into the room.

"Bonjour, Forge," Rogue purred and sidled up to him.

"Huh?" Forge squeaked at her.

"DOWN, petite," Remy said firmly and pulled her away. "Forgive her, Forge, she has been infected with too much Beaubier personality."

Rogue shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "Ah'm sorry, Forge, he's right," she said. "Better stay clear of me or Ah might glomp ya again."

"Uh, okay," Forge said and looked at the Professor, holding up two bracelets. "Should I get these on them?"

"Yes," he answered. "Please do."




"Rogue, get DOWN from dere!"

"I don't think she's coming down," Pietro murmured to Remy.

"Wheeeeee!" Rogue cried joyously as she zoomed around the foyer, swooping and diving. "No wonder those two are so arrogant, this is amazing! You feel like nothin' can touch ya!" She flew down to land and ran around the two boys a few times with blinding speed. "Hey, Pietro, wanna race?" She laughed.

"No way!" he stated firmly. "It's bad enough being beaten by those two little brats -- I don't want to be outrun by my own girlfriend!"

"Oh, oink to you, too!" she teased, then stopped suddenly. "Uh oh."

"What is it?" Remy asked in concern.

"It's leaving me," she said, looking at him with eyes that were once again green. "They must be waking up."



Jean-Paul groaned as consciousness began to return. His first thoughts were of Jeanne-Marie, and he was relieved to find her beside him on the sofa he was sitting on. Until he realized they were in the Library.

"Jean-Paul," his sister said suddenly, looking around at the assembled adults, "we are back in this place again."

"The difference is _this_ time there's no way out for you," Logan told them.

Jean-Paul grabbed his twin's hand and they tried to activate their light. Nothing happened. "Hey!" he yelled, noticing the bracelets. "What is this?!"

"Forge made those," Victor said. "They keep you from using your powers. Don't bother trying to take 'em off -- only Forge and Xavier know the code to shut 'em down."

The twins looked at each other, then toward the door. Mystique was leaning back against it with her arms folded. No exit there.

"Now we're going to talk seriously," the Professor said to the Beaubiers. "You two have hurt and frightened a lot of people, both here and in Massachusetts. You're abusing your powers in a way that goes against what these Institutes stand for. If you are to stay here or there, you'll have to learn that there are rules, and everyone has to abide by them." He nodded at Logan, who approached the two children.

"Come on, kid," he reached down and grabbed Jean-Paul's wrist, pulling him up and over to a chair he'd placed in the center of the room.

"Non!" Jean-Paul cried and tried to struggle. Logan sat down and unfastened the boy's pants, then took him over his knees and pulled down his underwear.

"Stop!" Jeanne-Marie protested on her twin's behalf and tried to go to him. Suddenly Mystique was there, taking hold of her arm. The blue woman took Logan's place on the sofa and pulled the girl over her lap, flipping up her skirt and yanking down her panties.

Jean-Paul and Jeanne-Marie both screamed in pain and outrage as the first blows descended on their unprotected bottoms. After a few minutes as the spankings continued, more of the anger left their protests to be replaced with tears and pleas for mercy.

*WHACK!* "Waahhh!" Jeanne-Marie wailed, squirming and kicking on Mystique's lap. "Madame, arrêt!"

" S'il vous plait!" Jean-Paul begged. *WHACK!* "AHHHH!!!"

"First I want to hear you tell me why you're being punished and what you're gonna do to change your behaviour in the future!" Logan told him with another solid whack to his scarlet backside.

"That goes for you, too, Jeanne-Marie," Mystique said firmly and spanked her undercurve sharply.

"OOOHHH!" Jeanne-Marie squealed and more tears spilled down her cheeks. "No more, please!"

*WHACK!*

"OWWW!" Jean-Paul hollered.

"Start talking, kid!" Logan told him.

"W-We are being punished because we were bad," the French boy cried.

"Jeanne-Marie, I'm waiting!" *WHACK!*

"WAHHH!" the girl bellowed. "We misused our powers!"

"And?" asked Logan. *WHACK!*

"AHHHH!" yelped Jean-Paul. "We were disrespectful and rude!"

"Next?" said Mystique. *WHACK!*

Jeanne-Marie broke down. "We hurt people and scared them!"

*WHACK!* "WAHHH!" wailed Jean-Paul. "We will not do it again!"

*WHACK!* "OWWW!" Jeanne-Marie cried. "We will be good! We promise!"

Logan and Mystique delivered a few more solid spanks to the now very tender little bottoms. Both children stopped talking and were reduced to nothing but heart-wrenching sobs.

One exchanged glance and the two adults ceased the punishment. They rubbed the backs of the twins for a couple of moments to reassure them somewhat, then helped them to their feet and dressed them. The Beaubiers usually-pretty faces were as red as their backsides and streaked with tears. Neither of them looked smug or defiant any longer. They looked like two well-punished thirteen-year-olds. Sobs continued to rack their bodies.

"Okay, come here," Mystique said gently and pulled Jeanne-Marie into her arms for a hug. The young girl didn't resist, but rather leaned into it, allowing her tears to flow freely.

Logan similarly embraced Jean-Paul and the boy actually slipped his arms around the X-Man's neck. Logan felt him trembling and his shoulder grew damp.

"Sssh," he murmured soothingly as he rubbed his back. "It's all over."

After a few moments, Jean-Paul whispered, "Why are you being nice to us?"

"Because you're still just kids, even with all your incredible powers, just like _all_ the kids here," Logan explained. "We don't hate you, Jean-Paul -- that isn't why we did this. We'd have done it to any of the kids who acted the way you two did."

"If you'll give us a chance," Mystique said softly, taking Jeanne-Marie's wet face between her hands, "we'll love you as much as we do the others."

"They're right, children," Professor Xavier said. "We want you to be a part of our family, whether it be here or the Massachusetts branch. We are all X-Men, and we _are_ all family."

The twins' tears were reduced to sniffling. "The other kids," Jeanne-Marie said softly, "they will be mad at us."

"Not after this, they won't," Magnus assured them. "The children understand that your having been punished clears the slate."

"You oughta apologize to them, though," Victor pointed out. "Especially Forge."

"And make an attempt to be their friends," Hank suggested. "You'll find them to be very protective and supportive of you if you allow them to be."

"What about our powers?" Jean-Paul looked at the Professor and held out his wrist. "Must we wear these always?"

Professor Xavier took his wrist and punched in a code. "It is now deactivated," he said. "I cannot remove the bracelet -- only Forge's special tool can do that once it's locked on."

Jeanne-Marie went over and allowed him to shut her bracelet off as well.

"You both have your powers restored," he said. "If you use them responsibly, I promise you'll have a good home here."


part 150

"Hey, Kurt, come on in!" Forge greeted and stood aside so the other boy could enter. It's just me here -- Victor had to go out. Want a soda?"

"Sure!" Kurt grinned and they headed for the kitchen. "I haven't seen you at the mansion for a couple of days."

"I've been there for tutoring while you guys were at school," Forge said, "but I had something I needed to work on at home, so I didn't stick around afterwards." He handed Kurt a can of soda. "Come on, I'll show you."

Kurt followed the inventor out to the garage and gasped. "You fixed Grandfather's motorcycle!"

"Yeah," Forge said proudly, polishing the handlebars with his sleeve. "He doesn't know yet -- he says coming in here and seeing it mangled shuts down his healing factor and gives him heartburn."

"He's going to be so happy, Forge," Kurt said. "And I guess that'll be a load of guilt off YOU -- I know it is for me."

"No kidding!" Forge agreed. "I think Victor figured it was beyond help, but couldn't stand the thought of getting rid of it." He led the way back into the house and sat down on the living room sofa. "Are you and Duncan going to the dance tonight? The Professor mentioned Bayville High was having one."

"Ja, we're going. You want to go? Even if you're not a student there anymore, Mother would allow it."

"That's okay. Who would I take? Besides, I have to do a maintenance check on the twins' bracelets and the remote controls."

Kurt looked curious. "I didn't know there were remote controls."

"The Professor asked for such a thing before the bracelets were put on them. They enable the adults to activate them from a distance." Forge smiled wryly. "As you know, it can be hard to get close to those two."

"That's a great idea," Kurt said. "I'll admit one thing, though -- they've been pretty well-behaved since the spankings. Kind of quiet, actually."

"I know. They sit in on our tutoring sessions now, and they've been pretty subdued. I think they've been in shock, but that can't last much longer. I make sure to sit on the opposite side of the table from them, just in case."

"There you go, man, bring THEM to the dance!" Kurt laughed. "You'd have two beautiful dates!"

Forge threw a cushion at him. "I think I'll pass!" he said, grinning.




"Goodbye children, have fun," Professor Xavier said.

"Bye Professor! Bye everyone!" various voices called out as they left for the dance together or were picked up by dates.

"It's gonna be quiet around here tonight with just we three and the twins," Magnus remarked to Charles and Logan. "It was nice of Hank to volunteer to help chaperone the dance."

"Volunteer nothing, Raven drafted him," Logan said.

"Is everyone gone?"

The three men turned toward the Beaubier twins. They looked a little forlorn.

"Yeah, they've all gone to the dance," Logan said. "You wouldn't have liked it -- it's mostly older kids and you wouldn't know any of 'em."

Jean-Paul looked at him. "We'd know the ones who live here."

"And Forge," Jeanne-Marie added.

"Forge isn't going, either," the Professor told her. "He's coming over here to do a maintenance check on your bracelets and the new remote controls, but he probably won't be here for another hour."

Logan went over and picked up both kids around the waists. "How's about we do some Danger Room runs to keep you busy until he gets here?" he suggested, walking off with them. The twins giggled at the way they were being transported.

"We haven't had any trouble from them since they were spanked," Magnus remarked as Logan took them away. "What a relief."

"They know about the remote controls and that we can turn their bracelets on and off if they start to misuse their powers again," Charles pointed out. "But being children, I'm sure they'll still have their moments." He gave Magnus a wry smile. "Just in case, we'd better make sure they aren't left alone with Forge tonight."




"I can't believe we're doing this," Lance said as he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of Scott's car.

"Me either, but neither one of us came up with anything better." Scott got out himself and walked around to join Lance. He saw people glancing at them knowingly as they headed into the dance. "See? They expected to see us together. Now they'll see us 'break up' and it'll all be over."

"Right," Lance said, then sighed. "Let's get this show on the road." He held out his hand. Scott hesitated for only a moment before he took it, and the two of them headed into the school together.




Duncan was holding Kurt closely as they danced when he caught sight of a new couple coming in the gym doors. "Kurt, look!" he said, and turned the other boy toward them.

Kurt stared in disbelief. Scott and Lance -- holding HANDS?! And SMILING at each other! He looked over to where Rogue, Remy, and Pietro were standing near the snack table and saw that they had noticed, too. Not far away, Todd and Longshot stopped dancing and Todd's jaw dropped.

Mystique, in her Principal Darkholme disguise, was monitoring the doors and saw the two boys arrive, but couldn't believe it. She'd thought they were becoming friends -- but dates?

"Raven," said Hank as he came up beside her, "did you see --?"

"I did," she admitted. "Have we been so wrapped up in dealing with the Beaubiers that we just didn't notice?"

"It would appear so," he remarked. "I'm going to check into it." He headed over to the pair just as the next song began and they started dancing.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," Hank greeted. "Raven and I couldn't help noticing this -- unusual new arrangement."

"We only realized it ourselves recently," Lance replied and gave Scott a secretive smile. The X-Men leader actually blushed.

"Interesting," Hank said. "Well … enjoy yourselves." He headed back toward Mystique.

"What did they say?" she asked.

"It wasn't so much what they said," he answered. "It was the way they acted. They obviously feel some genuine affection for each other."

"Go figure," she said wryly. "I never expected THIS when we put them together."

"Hmm, yes, we might have to change those room arrangements in the morning," Hank commented.




"It's working, Scott," Lance said, glancing toward the adults. "Even Hank and Mystique are fooled. That blush you faked was perfect."


"Oh, yeah. Good," Scott answered, wishing he really _had_ faked the blush. It had just happened when Lance smiled at him. Probably because he knew how that smile would look to outsiders and it embarrassed him that they would think that. Even though _that_ was what they were supposed to be thinking already.

If this kept up, he'd get a headache.

Lance could tell that Scott was uneasy. Not surprising, considering what they were trying to pull off, and how angry Mystique and Hank were going to be once their 'fight' started. But he couldn't help wondering if there was another reason. Scott seemed almost embarrassed when Lance had mentioned how he'd blushed, as if it hadn't been deliberate. And if it wasn't, why _had_ he blushed?

"Come on, we're half-way there," he said to Scott. Let's not blow it." He grabbed Scott's hand and spun him around, getting back into the fast-paced dance.

Scott was grateful that Lance took charge and got their minds back on track. For the first part of their plan, they were supposed to show everyone how they really were together, like they'd all thought, so he smiled and began responding to Lance's dance moves and the music.

_That_ was better! Lance thought, seeing Scott relax at last. The X-Men leader was actually a good dancer.

Three songs later came a slow number. The two boys locked eyes. They had discussed this likely possibility and were prepared for it, but that didn't make the initial move easy to make.

Scott finally did it by stepping close to Lance and slipping his arms around him. The Brotherhood leader brought up his arms, wrapping them around Scott's waist. They pressed close together and began swaying to the music.

If either boy had looked around them, they would have seen expressions of astonishment on the faces of their fellow Institute kids, not to mention Hank and Mystique. But they didn't look.

The last time Lance had danced with anyone, it was Kitty in his arms. Holding Scott was altogether different. He wasn't as small or soft as Kitty, but he had to admit, he smelled as good. He wondered briefly what cologne the other boy was wearing. Scott's arms around him were strong, almost protective. He wasn't feeling the same terror that had been there when he was younger and another man embraced him. Scott felt safe to him. And why shouldn't he? There was a reason why everyone liked Scott Summers -- he was attractive, smart, loyal, and an all-around good person. Now that he could finally be objective, Lance admitted to himself that all those things were true. Jean didn't know what a good thing she had when she had it.

Scott marveled at how comfortable he was close-dancing with Lance. They had been enemies from the get-go, rivals in every way. Now look at them. Lance probably understood him better than anyone else at the Institute, given what they'd experienced together lately and how the former loves of their lives had dumped them. They'd shared secrets no one else knew of them. If things had happened differently, Scott could see himself really being as attracted to Lance as Jean tried to tell him he already was. He was handsome in a bad boy sort of way and had proven his bravery more than once. Despite a background of pain, abuse, and neglect, Lance had retained his sensitivity, and still cared about other people. Scott admired that about him, and more.




"Lance? Scott? Hey, you two, snap out of it!"

Lance opened his eyes and lifted his head from Scott's shoulder to find Mystique standing beside them, an unreadable expression on her face. Scott blinked and looked around the gym, puzzled.

"Where is everybody?" he asked.

"Gone," Hank said from their other side. "The dance is over."

"WHAT?!" both boys exclaimed.

"I'm not surprised you didn't notice," Mystique said wryly. "The two of you were in your own little world. You slow-danced for three hours, no matter what kind of music was playing."

"By the way!" Kurt said cheerfully as he bounded over, "you two were chose King Couple of the dance! Congratulations!" He deposited a pair of plastic crowns on their heads.

"I've got to hand it to you, Summers, you had me fooled about your feelings for Alvers," Duncan said. "Congrats -- you make a great couple." He left with his arm around Kurt.

"Let's go home, boys," Mystique said to the flabbergasted duo. "Tomorrow you'll get your own rooms back."

Scott and Lance looked at each other, neither one knowing what to say. Slowly, as if in a daze, they turned and headed for the exit.



part 151

Neither Scott nor Lance said anything during the drive home from the dance or as they went upstairs to their room. They changed in silence and got into bed, then a knock came at the door and Logan looked in.

"Just saying goodnight, boys," he told them, looking from one to the other. "You two all right? We're all kind of concerned about you."

"We're fine, Logan," Scott said. "We just need to get some sleep."

"Okay, see you in the morning." Logan left, closing the door behind him.

"We're not fine," Lance stated.

"Not even close," Scott agreed with a sigh. He sat up and swung his legs over the edge of his bed. "We need to talk, Lance."

The other boy nodded and sat up as well. "I don't know what happened back there."

"You don't?" Scott asked. "I do."

Lance smiled a little and looked at him. "I guess I do, too. Not much point in pretending anymore."

"I didn't realize I _was_ pretending," Scott admitted.

"Me either, but I guess Red knew something we didn't. We slow-danced for three hours, Scott!" Lance said incredulously. "I lost complete track of time because I was … with you." He ran a hand through his long hair. "How the hell did this happen?"

"Well, it happened to both of us, so maybe we should just stop fighting it." Scott stood up and moved over to sit beside Lance. "I loved dancing with you," he said earnestly. "I loved being held by you, and holding you myself. I love … you."

Lance felt tears prick his eyes. The girls _had_ been right, they had to be, because hearing Scott say it made him happier than he could have imagined possible. He reached out and placed a hand on Scott's cheek. A tear slipped out from under the ruby quartz glasses and came to rest against Lance's thumb. He softly brushed it away and leaned over to meet Scott's lips with his own.

Scott experienced so many emotions and feelings at once with that kiss, it was hard to sort them all out. But one thing was absolutely clear. He wanted more. He leaned into the kiss, deepening it, his arm moving around the other boy instinctively.

Lance hadn't known what to expect when he kissed his former rival, but it certainly wasn't to have Scott Summers slip him the tongue. It both surprised him and enflamed his desire. His hand came up behind Scott's head and held him fast as he kissed him back hungrily.

Lance's strong hand at the back of his head was all the encouragement Scott needed. He pulled the other boy against him and together they toppled over to lay on Lance's bed.

For a few moments, all they did was kiss -- softly at first, then passionately, even roughly -- then Lance's hand slid inside Scott's pajama top, prompting a low moan. Scott's mouth moved to Lance's neck, the long hair brushing against his face. That only excited him more.

Lance decided he loved the sensation of Scott's mouth on his neck and rubbed the other boy's head to encourage him while his other hand began fumbling with the buttons on Scott's pajama top.

Scott took a break from Lance's neck to assist the other boy in removing the pajama top, then he pulled Lance's tank top over his head and dropped it on the floor. He leaned over and kissed Lance's chest.

"Mmmm …." Lance ran his hands over Scott's bare back, resisting the urge to dig in his nails. However, it wasn't easy when Scott began suckling his nipple. He enjoyed the feeling while he slipped his hand under the waistband of Scott's pajama bottoms.

For an instant, Scott flinched at the hand that drifted across his bottom. The memory of his recent spanking was still too fresh. But then it began to feel more like when Lance had administered the cream afterwards and he relaxed. This time, he was allowed to enjoy it.

Lance felt Scott press back against his hand in silent demand and he was happy to oblige, especially while his partner was laving his navel with his tongue. He squeezed Scott's left buttock and received something like a purr in return. He liked the sound of that, and began to smooth his palm softly over the rounded flesh, making small circles. Scott nuzzled his stomach and actually nipped him when Lance brushed his fingers over his undercurve.

"Ouch!" he said good-naturedly.

Scott looked up in concern. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"No," Lance said gently, rubbing his knuckles against Scott's jaw. "You know, if we go much further, it's going to be harder to stop."

Scott looked surprised. "You want to stop?" He shivered as Lance ran a fingertip along the crease between his buttocks.

"No," the Brotherhood leader admitted. "You?"

"No way," Scott said firmly. He pulled himself up and kissed Lance's mouth hungrily. "No way," he repeated breathlessly.

"You're a virgin with guys," Lance said, concern tingeing his voice. "And I don't have any lubricant."

"You will, once we get started," Scott chuckled and nuzzled his ear. "Even _I_ know that much."

"You don't mind … being under me?"

Scott lifted his head to look into Lance's brown eyes. He really was worried about this. He even looked a little guilty. Then Scott realized why. Softly, he kissed the other boy's cheek. "I love you, Lance," he murmured. "You told me what happened to you with other men, and I'm not going to push you. I'll lay under you forever if that's the way you want it. I understand."

Lance's eyes filled with fresh tears and he embraced Scott tightly. "It won't be like that," he promised. "It's different now, because … I love you, too. And I trust you."

They kissed deeply for several moments, then Scott whispered into Lance's ear. "Don't stop. Next time you can reciprocate. Let me go first for you now."

Lance nodded and held Scott's head in place, claiming his mouth again. The X-Men leader returned the kiss, then began pushing down his pajama bottoms.



part 152

Scott stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes. Lance's handsome face was only inches from his own. He looked so sweet in slumber -- nothing like the tough hoodlum he made himself out to be at Bayville High.

The alarm clock went off and Lance opened his eyes. He smiled at Scott. "Good morning."

"You too." Scott turned the alarm off and kissed Lance. "I could get used to waking up like this."

"It would be nice," Lance agreed, sitting up. "Too bad they'll be moving us into our own rooms today."

"Yeah." Scott sighed and sat up himself. He yelped.

"Hey, you okay?!" Lance looked alarmed as he put a hand on Scott's shoulder.

"Yeah." The other boy grinned ruefully at him. "Just a little sore still from, uh, last night's activities."

Lance chuckled. "Oh. Sorry about that."

"SURE you are!" Scott laughed and stood up, wincing as he put a hand to his lower back. Lance's expression changed back to one of concern, but Scott gave him a reassuring smile. "Don't look so worried, I'll be fine. But I've really got to take a quick bath."

"Good idea, I'll go after you do, and in the meantime I'll get rid of the, um, evidence." He began gathering up the bedding.

"I've got an idea -- change my bed, too. I'll be back soon and explain," Scott promised and left the room. Lance watched him go, then went to the double doors of the balcony and opened them wide. He let the fresh air blow in while he was changing the sheets.



Forge watched Victor finish breakfast and was pleased to see he'd eaten all of it. "I guess my cooking skills are improving a bit, huh? You didn't even gag!"

"Hmmph," Victor replied, trying not to smile. "It's edible."

"Are we going straight up to the Institute?" Forge asked as he took the dishes to the sink.

"Why? Is there some place else you want to go this early in the morning?"

"Not far," Forge replied. "I just want to show you something in the garage."

Victor frowned. "You got a reason for wanting to ruin my whole day?"

"Come on, Victor. Please?"

"Oh, all right," the large mutant grumbled. "Let's get this over with."

They went to the garage together and Forge opened the door, letting Victor enter ahead of him.

At first, he tried to avoid looking at his mangled motorcycle until he realized there was nothing else of interest in the place. "Forge, what --?" he stopped as he finally turned his gaze toward it.

"Surprise?" Forge said hopefully.

Victor walked over to the fully-restored motorcycle. It looked beautiful -- as good as new, maybe better.

"I swear I didn't make any adjustments this time," Forge told him. "I know you told me not to touch it -- I hope you're not mad."

Victor looked over at the boy, then headed toward him. Forge didn't know what to expect, but he held his ground and Victor's gaze until the man stopped in front of him. Without a word, Victor pulled Forge against him in a warm embrace. The teenager relaxed happily.

"You done good," Victor said. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Forge smiled up at him.

"Come on, kid." Victor ruffled his hair. "Wanna ride up to the Institute in style?"

Forge grinned mischievously. "So long as I don't have to ride face down and sideways this time!"




"Ah mean it, Ah'm ticked!" Rogue declared at the breakfast table. "Pietro and Ah got spanked because they were supposedly so upset that we spread 'false' rumours about a relationship between them and then last night ya couldn't pry them apart if ya tried!"

"She's right, we got a bum deal!" Pietro agreed, then paused. "No pun intended."

"Maybe they really _weren't_ involved then," Kurt suggested. "Maybe it just happened yesterday."

"The girls didn't leave for nothing, yo," Todd pointed out and shook his head. "I just can't believe it. Lance and _Scott_?!"

"I guess it's safe to say they're friendly enough that they can return to their own rooms," Magnus remarked dryly.

"Yes," Professor Xavier agreed. "It seems the punishment was effective in the end."

"Yes and no," Mystique said. "I didn't plan on _this_ happening."

"Hey, isn't anyone gonna say something about our unjust punishment?" Rogue demanded.

"Whaddya want?" Logan asked. "You two were spanked -- we can't change that!"

"An apology would be nice," Rogue grumbled.

"Well, if you're lucky maybe Lance and Scott will apologize to you," Mystique told her. Rogue sniffed.

"How about a freebie?" Pietro suggested. "A 'get out of spanking free' card for the NEXT time we do something wrong."

"Dream on, kid," Logan replied, then frowned. "Hey, where _are_ those two, anyway? Everyone else is here."

"Good morning," Scott said as he walked in with Lance directly behind him.

"Hi," said the Brotherhood leader.

"Good morning, boys," Professor Xavier replied, then frowned. "Scott, are you all right? You seem to be limping."

"Probably from standing in the same position for three hours last night," Longshot said without guile, but nevertheless prompted giggles from the other kids.

"Heh, yeah," Scott said as he tried to take his seat without wincing. Only sheer will power helped him succeed.

"May we talk about this now that you're both here?" Mystique asked. "What happened last night? Or the day before? Or wherever it was that it happened and we somehow all missed it?"

"Not _all_ of us missed it," Rogue grumbled.

The boys looked at each other. Knowing they'd have to get into this, they had discussed it upstairs and worked out a way to explain it that hopefully wouldn't come across to the Professor's psychic lie detector as anything but truth. "Well," Lance said carefully, "when we decided to go to the dance together, we didn't have falling in love in mind."

"Right," Scott chimed in. "It was just … sort of an experiment. To see what would happen."

"Well, even if none of us expected this, at least it means you get your own rooms back," Logan told them.

Scott nodded. "We anticipated that -- we changed our bed linen since we won't be sleeping there anymore. At least it's ready for other kids if necessary."

Lance smiled behind his juice glass. His new boyfriend was a genius.

"All that aside, the fact is that you two hung all over each other at the dance and Pietro and Ah got gypped," Rogue said. "You owe us an apology."

"For what?" Scott asked blankly.

"We got punished for saying you two had some stuff going on and you DID!" Pietro told him.

"Pietro, we didn't know how we felt until last night," Lance said. "Sorry, man, you don't have a case."

Pietro pouted, but only for a moment. Then his natural curiosity took over. "Soooo, Lance," he said mischievously, "what exactly changed your mind about Scott here?"

"I don't know how to explain it," Lance replied. "Can YOU explain how you can be equally in love with two people at once?"

"Sure," Pietro replied. "I live in the fast lane and it takes two lovers to keep up with me."

"PIETRO!" Mystique exclaimed.

"I meant lovers in the non-sexual sense of the word, of course!" Pietro corrected swiftly, holding up his palms as if in defense.

"You'd BETTER!" Logan warned him. "If I find out any of you have been up to that sorta stuff you'll learn what my belt on your bare backside feels like, got it? Sex isn't a game for kids, I don't care how the movies glamorize it."

"Logan is quite right," Professor Xavier said seriously, looking around the table at his young charges. "There will be plenty of time for that when you're responsible adults and ready to handle it. Now is not that time."

"Don't worry, Professor," Kurt told him with a grin. "I think we're all smart enough to control our raging teenage hormones."

"Like I said to the Hummingbird, you'd better be," Logan said firmly.

"Good morning!" Forge greeted as he and Victor came in.

Logan turned to the Beaubier twins. "That goes double for you two when _he's_ around!"

While the two thirteen-year-olds began to proclaim their innocence, Lance and Scott nervously clasped hands under the table.



part 153

"Glad to be back in your own room, Lance?" Todd asked as he hopped onto the top of his friend's desk.

"Yeah, of course," Lance replied, glad that it wasn't Professor X who asked him that question. The lie in his response would be pretty obvious. He missed Scott already and they'd only been back in separate rooms for five minutes.

Oh boy, he had it bad. And with Logan's threat looming over them, that probably wasn't a good thing. He wondered if Scott would ever let him touch him again after that.

"Only ten minutes until the training session starts, yo. Imagine having to work this hard on a Saturday," Todd jumped down from the desk. "I hear it's gonna be a real tough one -- Logan wants us all to get a good workout."

Lance picked up his Avalanche helmet and thought again of Scott. How would his lover manage a hard Danger Room session in his current physical condition?




Cyclops emerged from his room, moving slowly. He really wasn't ready for this and he knew it. There was no way he could let on about it, though.

*ZOOOM!*

He ducked instinctively as two speeding blurs passed overhead. "Hey, Northstar, Aurora! Be careful!" He received joyous laughter in return and shook his head. The Beaubier twins were thrilled to be able to cut loose with their powers again. And with permission yet. So long as they didn't cause any trouble, they were free to use them. Forge's remote control devices tuned to their bracelets would stop them instantly if necessary, and they knew it.

*ZIIIIP!*

Cyclops was spun around in place as Quicksilver passed by too closely, trying to catch up to the twins on the way to the Danger Room. The
X-Men leader groaned as he steadied himself against the wall.

"They're rather excited, aren't they?" Professor Xavier remarked as he approached. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, they are," Cyclops said, carefully avoiding the second question. "I hope they and Quicksilver aren't going to get into it again."

"I think not," the Professor said. "Quicksilver doesn't like that they're faster than he is, but he's accepted it." He paused to study Cyclops and the teenager felt fear clutch at him. He was almost positive the Professor was about to change the subject and that he knew what the next one would be. He wouldn’t be able to avoid the truth for long if he was right.

"Scott," Professor Xavier said gently, "I hope -- " He stopped suddenly and turned his head toward the banister overlooking the foyer.

"Professor?" Cyclops queried.

"We have company," his teacher replied, and the tone of voice indicated he was more than a little surprised. "We'll have to delay the training session -- I think this is going to take a while."



Longshot had been on his way to the training session when the doorbell rang.

"Longshot," the Professor's voice came into his head, "you're nearest the door -- would you please let our guests in and show them to the living room? I'll be there directly."

"Okay!" the pretty boy said cheerfully and went to the front doors, wondering how the guests made it past the security system between there and the front gate.

When he opened the door, he did a double-take. "Wow, great costumes!" he commented. "But … aren't you guys a little old for trick or treating? And it's the wrong time of year, too."

The three men in the doorway regarded the tall youngster with patience. "Just tell Professor Xavier we're here, child," said the one in the black cape with the silhouette of a bat on his chest.

Something about his intense gaze through the dark cowl subdued the irrepressible Longshot. "Um, he knows," he answered. "He said I should show you to the living room." He pointed toward it. "He's on his way."

"What's your name?" asked the only man not wearing a mask. He had a large letter 'S' spanning his muscular chest.

The boy gulped. "Longshot."

"Thank you, Longshot," the man smiled kindly and led the way toward the living room. The third man, who wore red with a yellow lightning bolt on his chest, gave Longshot a friendly wink as he passed.

"Oh, my stars and garters," remarked Hank as he bounded over to stand beside Longshot. "It would seem we have some important visitors."

"You mean they're for real?" the alien teenager asked, although he'd already guessed the answer. Hank patted his shoulder.

"Let's go keep them company until the Professor arrives."

Longshot nodded wordlessly and they headed for the living room.



Wolverine didn't think he'd ever heard such absolute silence in a room containing twelve children before. However, after Professor Xavier had conferred with the three guests briefly, he had summoned the entire team to hear what was going on. Every one of them had fallen silent with awe as they entered the room and took a seat or standing position where they could see. Wolverine wasn't as impressed -- he had met plenty of superheroes in his time -- but he _was_ curious.

"Now that I've introduced all the children," Professor Xavier was saying, "and although I'm sure it's just a formality at this point, allow me to introduce our guests -- Superman, Batman, and the Flash." He nodded to the three men. "You said you needed our help. Please tell us what we can do."

"We're very concerned about our charges -- the children to whom we act as mentors," Superman explained. "The three of them formed their own teenage version of our Justice League called Young Justice. This was done with our consent and conditional approval."

"We allowed Superboy, Robin, and Impulse to use our old headquarters and supercomputer," Flash chimed in. "Plus they had Red Tornado available if they should need adult aid. But for some reason, they've abandoned it all to find their own headquarters."

"WITHOUT telling us its location," Batman added with a growl.

Several of the kids exchanged looks. It was pretty obvious from Batman's tone that he was extremely displeased about what had happened. They didn't envy Robin once he caught up to him.

"We've managed to track them to Bayville, but the trail has gone cold," Superman continued. "They'll give themselves away -- they always do -- but the longer they're on their own without _any_ adult supervision at all --"

"The more likely disaster is to happen," Flash concluded. "Especially where Impulse is concerned."

"So you want us to find the children?" Mystique asked.

"Yes," Batman answered.

Sabretooth snorted from where he leaned back against the wall. "And what do we do then? Say we see Superbrat --"

"Boy."

"Whatever, walking down the street. There, he's found. But you already know he's here in town, so you don't want the kids found -- you want the _headquarters_ found."

"That would solve the problem if we could get there before they know we've found it," Flash said. "But these aren't ordinary children. They've been missing for almost a week. That's more than enough time for Robin to have built a new supercomputer and installed a security system. Superboy can fly and see people coming from above, and Impulse can do a reconnaissance search through the entire city in a microsecond. Chances are, the only way to find them is away from headquarters, while they're distracted with other activities."

"And if we _do_ find them out on the street?" Sabretooth pressed. "They ain't gonna say 'hi, sure we'll show you our headquarters.'"

"No, they won't," Superman agreed. "What we need is to find them so we can reason with them. We'll be looking, too, but we can't be everywhere at once."

"So if you find them away from their headquarters, we'll need you to detain them until we can get there," Batman said. "If you can get close enough."

"You have doubts about that?" Wolverine asked evenly. "Why come to us if you don't think we can help?"

"Professor Xavier is famous for knowing how to handle children with special 'gifts'," Flash said. "We trust he _and_ his X-Men to be able to detain the boys if, like Batman said, you can actually lay hands on them. THAT will be the hard part."

The Professor steepled his fingers. "Tell us more about these boys. Forewarned is forearmed."



It took another half-hour for the meeting to conclude and then the Justice League members prepared to take their leave.

"Here is the number for our contact, Max Mercury, the Zen master of speed," said Flash as he gave a slip of paper to the Professor. "He's Impulse's guardian, and has volunteered to coordinate messages between your group and ours since we won't be easy to reach while we're searching."

Professor Xavier accepted the number. "I'm sure with all of us searching for them, we'll locate your boys and convince them to wait until you arrive."

"'Convince' them," Sabretooth chuckled under his breath. "Nice way to put it."

As the superheroes were being shown out the door and Superman was saying goodbye to the Professor, Flash noticed that Batman was eyeing two boys in particular -- the ones that Xavier had said were the leaders of their respective teams. "Something wrong?" he asked the caped legend.

"I was just wondering if the adults here were aware that those two boys had an affair last night," Batman murmured.

Flash's eyes widened and he glanced back at the boys. "How do you know that?"

"Cyclops' body language makes the deed evident enough. The concern and guilt Avalanche evinces with every painful movement the other boy makes proves him to be responsible."

"I guess that's why they call you the world's greatest detective," Flash remarked, impressed. "But are you going to clue Xavier in?"

"Not at this time," Batman said and turned to leave. "We'll see if he finds out on his own by the time Young Justice are found."




part 154

Things had worked out rather well, Robin thought.

He remembered when Young Justice had come up with the idea of changing locations. Strangely enough, it had been the scatterbrained Impulse who first mentioned it, although he had meant it as a joke. But when Robin looked at Superboy and saw they were both thinking the same thing, it went from there to packing and Robin writing a note to Red Tornado.

It wasn't that the old headquarters wasn't good enough for them -- Justice League had used it, after all. It certainly wasn't any kind of grudge against Red Tornado. The man of metal wasn't there all the time, he gave them their space.

It was the surveillance cameras.

When their adult mentors finally told them that visual logs were kept of everything that went on in the cave, the three teenagers had been livid. The Justice League members had explained that this was for security purposes, and had been going on since the time when they were using the cave themselves, but that didn't matter to the boys. Just because logs were made, didn't mean the adults had to watch them. So even though Red Tornado was unobtrusive, they rebelled against the constant camera vigil by getting away from it. For good.

The debate about where to relocate took place after they'd already left, and were flying high overhead in the Supercycle. Impulse didn't care where they went so long as it wasn't where he lived with Max Mercury in Manchester, Alabama. Superboy just wanted to stay clear of the current Justice League headquarters and Robin needed to avoid Gotham City. In the end, they decided on Bayville -- mostly because the Supercycle set them down there and refused to budge until they'd unloaded their things. Robin wondered then if the vehicle, which was actually a sentient being in its own right, had an ulterior motive. It wouldn’t do anything to cause them harm, so he trusted it, and from the way things had shaped up with their new home, it looked like the car knew its stuff.

A hand clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, Rob, how's it going?" Superboy asked. "Anything new on the screen?"

Robin shook his head as he studied the huge supercomputer screen that took up one entire wall of their basement. His gloved fingers flew over the console. "Nothing major going on, but I think tonight we should do another patrol."

"_I_ think tonight we should do some major club-hopping," Superboy told him as he half-sat on the console. "Come on, we're here, there are FINALLY no adults around, either in real-life or hidden camera form -- we have to take advantage of that."

"Sure, we can do both," Robin replied. "And get your butt off the console before you fry something."

Superboy stood up, his face the picture of shock. "You actually agreed to come out to clubs with us? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I want to relax for a while now that everything is settled with the house."

"You did it?" the older boy grinned. "You hacked the real estate records?"

"It's done," Robin confirmed. "As far as the city records are concerned, this house that was for sale no longer exists. However, some minor adjustments made to the water, heat and phone companies will keep us in those necessary utilities."

Superboy pumped his fist in the air with a whoop. "This is SO cool! The Justice League will never in a million years think of looking for us in a normal house just down the hill from the Xavier Institute! You're a genius, Robbie!"

"It's a curse I try to live with." Robin did some more typing and the screen changed to show a list of files.

"What's that?" his friend asked curiously.

"This is the encrypted site that Batman and I upload to," Robin replied and began checking the new files.

A third boy in a white and red bodysuit with big yellow goggles and a thick mop of wild brown hair appeared next to them. "Guys, listen," he said anxiously, "I just did a scout around town and there was no sign of Justice League --"

"Good!" Superboy said.

"--until I got back HERE!" the younger boy declared frantically. "They're up at the Xavier Institute!"

"Bad!" Superboy exclaimed and grabbed the smaller boy by his thin shoulders. "Impulse, are you sure?!"

The boy in the goggles gave him an 'oh, come on' look. "No, I'm not sure. There must be a MILLION guys dressed like Batman, Superman, and Flash running around Bayville, right?"

"But did they SEE you?"

"Of course not. Flash is the only one who _could_ see me in motion but he had his back to me. They all did -- they were going inside the mansion." Superboy was suddenly holding empty air and Impulse was over by the console, looking up at the screen. "Hey, what's that?"

"These are new files that Batman uploaded to our private site," Robin explained, clicking open the last one.

"Hey!" Impulse grinned as he saw it. "Looks like he left a message for you!"

All three boys read the message in silence. Impulse's grin vanished. Robin grew pale.

"Wow," Impulse remarked. "Um, that would … uh … sorta … HURT, wouldn't it?"

Superboy gave a low whistle and patted Robin's shoulder. "Sucks to be you, buddy."

Robin looked at them. "You think it'll be any better for YOU guys if we get caught?"

"Wally won't do anything to me," Impulse insisted.

"No, he'll just bring you home to _Max_."

Impulse bit his lip briefly, then grinned. "Ah, but I haven't left Max in the absolute dark! I've been keeping him up on our progress all along! He might not be as angry because of that."

"WHAT?!" the other two boys cried.

"Bart, tell me you didn't PHONE him!" Robin pleaded. "They'll have traced the call!"

Impulse folded his arms. "You think I'm stupid?"

"Only when you give me straight lines like that," Superboy said wryly.

"I _didn't_ phone him. I wrote him. Once every day." He shrugged. "I didn't want him to worry."

Robin put his face in his hands. "The letters will have been POSTMARKED! That's probably how they found us!"

"It was not!" Impulse retorted and disappeared, returning a moment later munching a cookie. "I mailed them all from different states and one from Canada."

The other two boys looked at each other. Seeing as Impulse could run anywhere on the globe in no time at all, his story was more than likely true.

"Sorry for accusing you, Imp," Robin apologized.

"No biggie," Impulse said easily and whipped out a batch of postcards. "You guys want some of these to send home?"

Superboy grabbed the postcards and groaned. "Are these what you've been writing to Max on?"

"Yep, why?"

Superboy showed them the picture. "It's the BAY, you twit! And in small print on the back it says 'A glorious view of Bayville, New York'!"

"Oopsie!" Impulse said sheepishly.

"Well," Robin sighed, "now we know for _sure_ how they tracked us here."

"What are we gonna do?" Superboy asked. "We just got settled and now they're here, and maybe enlisting the X-Men -- do we have to leave again?"

"No," Robin said decisively. "This is our new base of operations. If they find us, we'll deal with it. Bu we're not running."

"Even knowing what could happen?" Impulse asked, glancing back at Batman's email on the screen.

Robin clicked a button and shut off the console. "Yes," he said, and hoped he sounded braver than he felt.



part 155

Scott glanced toward the members of his team sharing his car with him -- the team he'd chosen for himself to search specifically for Robin. The Boy Wonder was unlike his counterparts in that he was not only raised in a more or less normal environment before meeting Batman, but he didn't have any kind of superhuman skills. Everything Robin could do, he'd learned from training under Batman and Nightwing, who had been the first Robin.

"So where do we start, mein freund?" Kurt asked. He was wearing his hologram to disguise him and none of them were in uniform. Logan had suggested that since it would make it easier to approach the boys in a non-threatening manner.

"Batman says that Robin is used to going out of his way to stay out of the limelight," Scott replied. "He might not show himself during the day in costume at all, especially when he knows Justice League are looking for them. So either he stays inside all day or goes out as a civilian."

"In which case," Remy drawled, shuffling a deck of cards, "we don't know what he looks like."

"Did Batman give us a picture?" Longshot asked.

"No, and he wouldn’t tell me Robin's real name, either," Scott said, trying not to sound too frustrated. It wasn't easy. First of all, he was still in pain, and hoped to do as little running around as possible, but Batman was making their job harder than necessary. He understood the Dark Knight's need for secrecy but considering they were being trusted with bringing Robin in, he thought the man could give them a little more to go on.

"Doesn't sound like we'll run into Robin anytime soon except through dumb luck," Kurt remarked dryly.

He turned to look toward Longshot, and slowly, the others did as well.

"Guess that would be my department, huh?" Longshot said cheerfully.

"If only your luck was that reliable," Scott said with a sigh.

"Well, it's worth a try, right?" Longshot grinned. "My intentions are pure enough -- Young Justice's mentors and guardians are worried about them --"

"Was Monsieur Batman worried?" Remy laughed. "To me he just looked pissed off."

"Remy!" Scott scolded.

"I think he was worried," Longshot said thoughtfully. "Maybe he just doesn’t know how to show it."

"No wonder Robin ran away," Kurt remarked.

"Look, we're not here to give Bat-family counseling," Scott said irritably. "We're just supposed to find Robin and detain him."

"If we can," Remy said.

"That's why I chose you three for this team -- you and I are well-experienced at hand-to-hand fighting, Remy, and Kurt and Longshot are the best acrobats we have. Those are Robin's skills, and we outnumber him. That has to count for something."

"Let's hope it makes up for the fact that we're not supposed to hurt him," Longshot said.

Scott sighed. "Exactly."

"Hey, looks like Grandfather has new neighbours!" Kurt said as they drove down their street. "That house isn't for sale anymore."

"Good thing the houses are far apart," Remy said. "I don't t'ink Sabretooth is de neighbourly type."

"Let's get our minds back on business, guys," Scott interrupted. "The new neighbours aren't our concern -- finding Young Justice is."



"Lance, are you okay?" Rogue asked with a frown. "That's the third time Ah've asked you the same question and you ain't heard me yet!"

"Huh?" Lance looked up in surprise. He'd been thinking about Scott and worrying about how he was coping physically when he was supposed to be concentrating on the mission and driving the jeep.

"Forget it, our leader's a space case," Wanda said in disgust. "Guess that means it's up to us."

"No problemo," Todd said, lounging on the back seat of the jeep. "We can take down Superdude all on our own, yo."

"SuperBOY," Lance corrected. "And it's not that easy. He can fly, and doesn't have to worry about keeping it a secret, so he flies all the time. Plus he's invulnerable to physical attacks."

"Which is why Wanda's here, huh?" Todd remarked, glancing at the black-haired girl. "Her power would work on him."

"Superman says Superboy _is_ affected by energy or magic attacks," Lance said. "So yeah, Wanda's power should work on him. Rogue's would be better, though, if we could get her close enough. He's not a mutant, so she won't absorb his powers, but she can knock him out. And believe me, from what Superman says, we don't want to fight Superboy if we can avoid it."

"What do _I_ do, yo? What do I do?" Todd asked eagerly.

"What you do best, Todd -- cause a distraction," Lance told him. "Neither you or I will be able to do much against him ourselves, we just have to make sure the girls can do their job."

"Don't look now, kiddies," Wanda said, staring up at the sky. "It's a bird--"

"It's a plane?" Rogue joked.

"Hey, it's Superkid!" Todd declared, pointing.

"SuperBOY," Lance repeated. "Wanda, how's the range?"

"Not sure," she said. "He's pretty high up. I could try it, and if you're right he won't be hurt by the fall --"

"But he may fall on someone else or through the roof of a house," Lance concluded. "Not good. Better not try anything until we can either see where he'll land or until he comes down on his own. Until then, we'll tail him." Lance turned the jeep in the direction Superboy was flying.




Cakewalk, Pietro thought as he sped through the streets of Bayville far too fast for anyone to identify him. That's what this hunt was going to be. Scott had assigned him the position of field leader in charge of finding the teen speedster, Impulse. It was only a team of three, but considering who his underlings were, it was worth it to Pietro. What's more, he was supremely confident that they'd wrap this up in no time.

"Pietro?" came a voice over the communicator. Still running, he spoke into it.

"Yeah, Jeanne-Marie, any sign of him up there?"

"Not yet," the French girl said. "But we have seen Supergarçon flying around. Should we intercept him?"

Pietro felt a swell of satisfaction that she actually asked him for instruction. I could get used to this leader stuff, he thought.

"No, don't go near him. He's stronger than you are, and right now he's Lance's--WHOA!" Pietro yelled as something zoomed by him on the road, his own velocity causing him to spin around so fast that he created a mini-tornado.

"Pietro!" he heard two shrill voices calling over the communicator. Pietro caught himself and stopped spinning. "I'm okay!" he said into the device. "And I think we've just found our boy!"

"I see him!" Jean-Paul said. "Or at least, I see the vapour trail behind him -- Pietro, there is ENERGY crackling in his wake he is going so fast!"

"Stay on him!" Pietro started running again. "Give me directions, Jean-Paul! Jeanne-Marie, get ahead of him and land, cut him off! He probably won't run down a girl!"

"Probably?!" she squeaked.

"Just go! I'm on my way!" Pietro poured on the speed, but he knew there was no way that he could get there before Jeanne-Marie did, even though Jean-Paul was giving him directions from high above as fast as he could. The Impulse kid seemed to be everywhere at once and it didn't feel as if he was getting any closer to catching up to him.

"Jean-Paul!" he called out finally. "Where IS he?!"

"I - I have lost him," the younger boy admitted, sounding upset.

"What?!" Pietro stopped running. "Jeanne-Marie, did you cut him off yet?"

"I could not!" the girl was obviously close to tears.

"What do you mean you couldn't?!"

"I could not get ahead of him!"

"That's impossible!" Pietro exclaimed. "You guys can do Mach 10!"

Neither twin said anything, and Pietro knew why, although it was hard to believe.

Impulse was faster than they were.



part 156

Forge looked over at Victor, pausing at the back door of their house. "How come you're not out there helping them search? You seemed interested in what was going on at the meeting."

"I was amused by it," Victor snorted. "Supposedly some of the most powerful superheroes on the planet and they can't control their own kids."

"Actually, Impulse is the only one related to any of them -- he's the Flash's cousin, but he doesn't live with him --"

"So? I ain't related to YOU but you're still MY kid!"

Forge smiled. "True enough. And I guess it _is_ ironic that those powerful men have lost their charges. But don't you think it's important to find them?"

"Why, do you?" Victor asked.

"Well, wouldn't you worry if _I_ ran off?"

"I'd kill ya."

Forge laughed. "Victor, be serious."

"I am. I'd kill ya. Running off without a word, worrying me -- it's irresponsible."

"Right. So they _should_ be found."

Victor shook his head, smiling wryly. "Okay, you win. But why should I help?"

"You're a hunter by nature, aren't you?"

"Yeah, and I could do the job, but Baldy wants the kids working on it alone for now. He doesn't want to spook the boys with a bunch of grownups chasing them."

"Oh," Forge said. "Why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"

"More fun this way."

Forge grinned. "Ha ha. Anyway, I'm taking the garbage out back."

"Don't get lost or I'll send a team of superheroes after you," Victor said. "Then I'll kill ya."

Forge chuckled as he lugged the bags out the back door. After dumping them into the can, he heard a loud whistle from across the yard. He looked in that direction and saw a male robin sitting on top of the fence. It hopped onto a nearby tree branch and over to a nest. Forge wondered if there were any eggs or babies in it, and when the bird flew off, he walked over to see if he could hear any peeping.

As he neared the fence alongside the tree, something else brightly-coloured caught his attention in the yard next to theirs. He froze, forgetting about the nest entirely. It was Robin. Not the bird, but the boy. Although the properties in their area all had huge lawns that ensured privacy for the houses, it wasn't so far away that he could miss the red, green and yellow costume.

He ducked down behind the fence and peered over the top edge. Why was Robin out in broad daylight like that? Sure it was in a fenced yard, and no one would see him if they weren't right up by that fence like Forge was, but --

Oh, okay, he seemed to be rigging up some kind of sensor. No one else would recognize them from that distance unless they were someone who knew everything about electronics, like Forge. So why would Robin be rigging that yard with a security system? Unless ….

Unless he was _living_ there.

"Oh my gosh," Forge murmured. "I found the Young Justice headquarters and it's right next door!"

He had just been telling Victor how the boys should be found and returned to their mentors and here one of them was right in front of him. So why wasn't he running in after Victor?

Well, he could do that anytime. Right now might be the only chance he had to talk to a living legend. He started climbing over the fence.

Almost before his feet touched the grass he realized his mistake. Fortunately, he threw himself to the ground before the Batarang could take his head off. It imbedded into the fence behind him instead. A gloved hand hauled him to his feet.

"Are you okay?!" Robin asked. "Do you realize what could have just happened?!"

Forge glanced back toward the Batarang in the fence. "I've got some idea," he said, then looked at Robin. He was shorter than he'd expected him to be -- a lot shorter. Nice hair, though. Blue eyes through the black mask.

"I thought you were an enemy," Robin explained, pulling the Batarang out of the fence.

"No, just a neighbour … I guess." Forge looked toward the house. "You're, um, living there?"

Robin's shoulders sagged and he put a hand over his face. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Considering everyone figured you were hiding in a cave somewhere, neither can I," Forge replied. "And don't feel badly -- it was actually a good idea to use a normal house -- they'd never think to look for you there."

Robin was staring at him incredulously. "How do you know all that? Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Forge, I live over there." He pointed. "And I'm also an auxiliary member of the X-Men."

Robin raised his eyes skyward. "Could this possibly get worse?"

"Well, yes," Forge said, "and it will, if Victor finds me over here, because he'll find you, too. The X-Men are supposed to be bringing you in."

"I was afraid of something like that when I heard Justice League went to see them," Robin sighed. He looked at Forge. "So how come you're not turning me in right now?"

"I'd rather hear why you left first," Forge said.

Robin looked surprised. "Why do you care?"

"I'm just curious, I guess," Forge said. "Your mentors must have reason for wanting you back, and you must have yours for leaving them."

"We haven't left them, let's just get that established," Robin told him. "All we've done is relocate to a place that is ours alone. We've kept in contact so they know we're okay, but we don't want them hovering over us every second and we _don’t_ like hidden cameras recording our every move."

Forge gasped. "They were _spying_ on you?!"

"Yes," Robin said frankly. "The cameras were there before we moved in, but they continued watching what was recorded."

"And they didn't tell you?"

"Not until they had to," Robin said. "So, is that good enough reason for you?"

"Yes," Forge said. "And I'm sorry."

Robin smiled. "So am I, for nearly taking your head off."

Forge returned the smile. "I wish I could talk more, but Victor's going to come looking for me if I don't go back in."

"Well," Robin said thoughtfully, "my friends are insisting that we go clubbing tonight -- if you know of a good one, maybe we could meet there and I could introduce them to you." He paused. "That is, if you're going to keep our secret."

"I'll keep it," Forge said firmly. "I can't condone their spying on you -- there's no excuse for that. You guys put your lives on the line just like they do. They should trust you."

"Forge!" Victor bellowed from the back door. "Where are you?!"

"I've got to go before he tracks my scent," Forge said quickly. "I'll meet you at the Mutations club at seven-thirty -- you won't be able to get in without me, so we'll have to meet outside." He turned and ran for the fence and climbed over it. "Hi Victor! I'm right here!"

"What were you doing over there?" Victor demanded with a frown.

"Bird watching." Forge smiled.


part 157

Logan came down the stairs and saw the Professor coming out of the living room. "Hey Chuck, any word from the kids yet?"

"No Logan," Charles said. "It shouldn't be much longer before they check in, it's been hours since --"

The front door opened and Pietro stomped in. "I can't BELIEVE this! We never even got CLOSE!"

The Beaubier twins followed, looking sullen.

"Uh oh," Logan said. "Couldn't find Impulse?"

"Oh, we found him all right!" Pietro put his hands on his hips. "He led us on a chase that covered three states!"

"And he STILL outdistanced us," Jean-Paul muttered.

"It is true," Jeanne-Marie grumbled. "We could not catch up to him. How can he be faster than we are? We can go Mach 10!"

Professor Xavier looked at them kindly. "When The Flash first had to catch up to Impulse, he was going Mach 20. He _is_ younger cousin to the fastest man alive."

Pietro stared at him for a moment, then looked at the Beaubiers, who were wide-eyed with shock. He burst out laughing.

"Oh man, I don't believe it! That kid is faster than you two!! Ha ha ha ha! Now you know how it feels!"

"Hummingbird," Logan reprimanded, but Pietro wasn't listening. He zipped over to put an arm around both twins.

"This is so cool! You know what? Now I want to catch this guy more than ever -- he may just become my new best friend! Bwahahaha!" Pietro disappeared up the stairs, still laughing.

"Don't listen to him, kids," Logan told the twins.

"Why not?" Jeanne-Marie looked at him. "He is right."

"Impulse did not even have to break a sweat to keep out of our reach," Jean-Paul said with a sigh. "I am sorry, Monsieur le Professeur, but it would seem that we are not the ones to catch him after all."

"We failed at our first mission." Jeanne-Marie pouted. "How embarrassing."

"Don't feel badly about it," Scott said as he came through the door behind them, followed by Kurt, Remy, and Longshot. "We didn't have any luck, either."

"Which is surprising," Remy remarked, glancing at Longshot.

"Hey, I told you I have no control over it," the blonde said. "And we don't know for sure that we _didn't_ have any luck."

"Longshot, we were supposed to find Robin and we didn't," Kurt reminded him. "That's not lucky."

"We found Superboy."

"Ja, flying high overhead where we couldn't do anything about it!"

"He was our department anyway," said Lance as he and his team trudged through the doors. "And we blew it."

"You got nowhere, too?" Logan said in surprise.

"We tailed him for as long as we could before we ran outta road," Rogue said. "We can't fly and he didn't land -- what were we supposed to do?"

"Hmm," the Professor said, glancing at the Beaubiers. "Then perhaps next time you two go out, you should focus on finding Superboy instead. He's fast, but nowhere near your league, and you two _can_ fly."

"We get another chance?" Jean-Paul said in surprise.

"What did you think, that you'd be kicked outta the X-Men just for not being able to catch up to Impulse?" Logan asked. He went over and ruffled their hair. "Remember something -- we're the clean-up team here. Justice League haven't been able to pin these kids down, and if we can't do it, there's no shame in it. But we're gonna keep trying, right?"

"Right!" The twins grinned at him.

"You want us to go back out right now, Professor?" Scott asked.

"No, Scott," he said. "You've been at it all day and it's almost dinner time. Stay here and eat, and then the evening will provide new options. Rather than running around blindly, we'll try having you stake out specific places where Justice League think the boys are most likely to appear."

"A stake out?" Rogue grinned at Remy. "Pietro will HATE that. It requires staying still for a long time!"

"All part of the job," Logan said. "Come on, let's go eat."




"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Robin crossed his arms and waited for his two friends to stop laughing like hyenas.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"All right already!" he exploded. "It's not THAT funny!"

"Are you kidding?!" Impulse giggled, lifting his goggles to wipe tears of mirth from his yellow eyes. "It's a riot!"

"That's for sure!" Superboy agreed. "Mister Man-of-Mystery gets nailed in his own backyard! And by an X-Man at that!"

"He's not a real member of the team -- just an associate," Robin corrected. "And while you're laughing like morons did it occur to you that maybe this could be the end of everything for us?"

The other two looked at each other, then at him. "Is it?" Impulse asked.

"No," Robin said. "At least, I don't think so. I wouldn't have agreed to meet him if I didn't think he was trustworthy. He could have told on us right away, but instead he hid the fact that he talked to me from his guardian."

"So we're gonna meet him at this Mutations club, huh? Cool!" Impulse speed-changed into street clothes in a heartbeat. "And you know what? It could be great for us to have someone on the inside of the X-Men, telling us how close they are to finding us, etcetera."

"We don't need to know how close they are to finding us, Imp," Superboy said. "They _already_ found us around town. They were tailing me half the day!"

"Same here," Impulse admitted. "They've got some speedsters in that group, and two of them can fly! I don't think they're in touch with the Speed Force, though -- they couldn’t catch up to me."

"They're mutants. Their speed comes from something else," Robin said. "Anyway, so it seems we were ALL seen today -- I just had the bad luck to have it happen here at headquarters. At least Forge isn't going to tell on us. I think you guys will like him."

"Shouldn't we get going then?" Impulse said eagerly.

"Yeah, but wait a minute," Superboy said, looking between the other two. "Are we going out in costume or not?"

"I can get back in costume if you want!" Impulse did so instantly.

"If we do, we're pretty much asking to get caught," Superboy said, giving Robin a significant look. "But if we don't, that means …."

"Hey, yeah!" Impulse declared with a wide grin. "That means Robin will finally have to show us what he looks like without his mask!"

"S'up to you, Rob." Superboy shrugged. "We know you're big on the whole secrecy thing because Batman drilled it into you, but we're not the general public here, we're your best friends--"

"We'll go in costume," Robin said, and headed for the door. "I'll warm up the Supercycle."

The other two watched him go. "Geez," Superboy groused, "why does he have to be so anal about this? Even Superman shows his real identity to the other members of Justice League! If Robin is really our friend, shouldn't he trust us?"

"Maybe if we're really _his_ friends, we shouldn't push him," Impulse remarked softly.

Superboy glanced at him, then looked back toward where Robin had left. He sighed and nodded, smiling resignedly.



part 158

"What do you MEAN I can't go?!" Forge exclaimed in horrified disbelief. Victor frowned at him.

"What do you mean what do I mean? You heard me -- it ain't safe."

"Victor, it's perfectly safe," Forge tried to sound calmer than he felt. "Magnus owns Mutations and only mutants can get in -- "

"So what?" Victor asked bluntly. "Those guys who had you kidnapped HIRED a mutant, remember? You're not safe going anywhere alone yet."

"When WILL I be?!"

"Never."

"VICTOR!"

"FORGE!" his guardian bellowed, getting to his feet to glare down at him. "You will NEVER be safe alone again because word of your genius has spread to the underworld. You will always be at risk, and the only thing we can do about it is teach you self-defense and maybe get you armed. Until I'm satisfied that you're as well-protected as you can be on your own, you ain't going ANYWHERE alone, is that clear?!"

"Yes," Forge said softly. "I'm sorry I yelled."

Victor pulled the boy against him in a crushing hug. "I don't want to lose you, kid," he said gruffly. "Those people don't play nice. They'd torture you to get what they want outta you, and I'll be damned if I'll let anyone hurt you like that. As far as I'm concerned, you should never be out alone again in your life, even after you're trained, but I can't do that to you, either. As an animal, I don't like cages, and I don't wanna keep my kid in one." He drew back, his large hands cupping Forge's face between them. "Just give us enough time to make you as safe as we can, okay? And in the meantime, you've got a lot of friends with the X-brats. They'll go out with you."

Forge nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Victor's obvious love for him made him feel warm and secure, but guilt threatened to overwhelm it. He knew he would have to disobey this new father of his that night, and he wasn't proud of himself at all.

"Okay, Victor," Forge said finally. "Um, I guess I'll go downstairs to the workshop for a while. I'll come up in time for bed."

"Okay, kid," Victor ruffled his hair, and sat back down.

Forge hesitated a moment, then headed downstairs, closing the door at the top. If Victor made a point of sniffing for his scent, he'd find it missing within the next few minutes. But he didn't think that would happen, because Victor trusted him.

He wished he didn't have to ruin that, but he'd made another promise, and the members of Young Justice were probably already gone. He prayed for just a little of Longshot's luck as he slipped out the basement door.

Forge's timing had been perfect and the cab he'd called on the sly was arriving just as he approached the road. It took him directly to Mutations, and as usual, the club was jumping with activity that spilled out into the parking lot. Forge searched the teenagers in the crowd but didn't see Young Justice.

"Forge?"

The Indian gasped and turned. "Robin!" he said in relief. "You startled me! You weren't there a second ago."

"I was on the roof," the Boy Wonder explained as if it was a perfectly normal statement to make.

"Where are your friends?" Forge asked. He'd barely gotten the words out when there was a crackle of yellow energy and a new figure stood before him. The first two things Forge noticed was that he had a huge mop of wild brown hair and equally huge feet. Other than that, he was slightly built, wearing a red and white bodysuit, big yellow goggles, and a wide endearing grin. Forge couldn’t help noticing that he and Robin were the same size -- extra short.

"Hi, I'm Impulse! You must be Forge!"

"Yes, it's nice to meet you." Forge smiled. It was hard not to when faced with that infectious grin. "Where's--?"

"Right here."

Forge turned and blinked, finding himself face-to-face with a pair of the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. The newcomer had jet black hair, a tendril of which curled over a smooth forehead, and a small gold hoop shone in his left ear. He wore a cocky, lopsided smile that faltered momentarily as he and Forge locked eyes.

"I … uh … I'm Superboy," he said slowly. "My name's Kon-el. You can call me Kon."

"I'm Forge," he said, staring. "Nice to … um …."

"Meet me?" Superboy asked, gaining some of his grin back.

"Yes." Forge nodded. "Meet you. Nice. Yes."

Impulse and Robin exchanged a look, then Impulse sped around them. "My name's Bart! Is Forge your real name?"

"It's the only one I have," he said, forcing his eyes away from Superboy's.
"You actually have to reverse some letters to get Bart's _real_ name -- it's Brat," Superboy confided with a wink. "We just call him Bart to humour him."

"Heeeeyyyy!" Impulse said. "That's not true!"

Forge chuckled and looked at Robin. "Are you going to tell me your name?"

"Maybe he will someday," Superboy interrupted before Robin could answer, "if he ever tells _us_."

"Ha ha," Robin said flatly and looked toward the club entrance. "So, can we go in? We're a little conspicuous out here."

"Well, in those costumes, you're going to be a little conspicuous anywhere," Forge told him. "But yes, we can go in. Come on."



part 159

Scott scanned the streets as he drove, watching for any sign of the Young Justice boys. They were heading for one of the busier hangouts in Bayville -- an area that included various fast food joints, the Community Centre and Library, and a Youth Club. On the way there, they had to pass Mutations.

"Hey, Scott," Longshot said suddenly, "maybe we should check out Mutations! It's the busiest place for teenagers around here at this time of night."

"They won't be in there, Longshot," Scott said reasonably. "Only mutants can go in, remember? They would need a mutant to vouch for them with the bouncer at the door, the way Kurt does for Duncan."

"That's true," Remy agreed. "And dere are no mutants who know dem."

Longshot continued to watch Mutations as they passed and continued down the street. He still had the feeling that they should have stopped, but if the others didn't agree, there wasn't much he could do about it.




Forge was having the time of his life, and it was all due to the members of Young Justice. Impulse was a hyper kid who said exactly what he thought, IF he thought, and seemed to live to have fun. Robin was much more reserved, but when Forge got to talk to him over a couple of sodas for a while, he began to suspect that the Boy Wonder was not only his intellectual equal, he might even surpass him. It was a humbling realization.

Then there was Superboy -- Kon-el. He was handsome and charming and although it made heat rush into Forge's cheeks to think about it, he was pretty obviously interested in him. And Forge felt the same way.

That in itself was new and different for him. Naturally he had found people attractive before, but had never actually done anything about it. This time, he couldn't help himself. Although it was completely out of character for him, he found himself reacting to Kon's blatant flirting in an encouraging manner. And enjoying it.

"You're an amazing dancer, Forge!" Kon told him, swinging him out and around and then back in close.

"You're not bad yourself!" Forge grinned.

"Thanks for getting us in," Kon said. "I wonder why only mutants are allowed here."

"The owner is a mutant and wanted a place where young ones could go and just be themselves, even if they look unusual, like my friend Kurt," Forge explained.

"They should be able to go _anywhere_ and be themselves," Kon remarked. "I mean, I can go anywhere as Superboy, so what's the difference?"

"I guess it's getting nearer to a time when that's possible," Forge said. "Ever since the Mighty Ducks landed in Anaheim, people stopped caring so much about those who are different, especially when they help save the planet."

Kon grinned. "Then you X-Men should be fine!"

Forge returned the grin. "I'm really having a great time with you, Kon."

"Same here," the other boy said, his blue eyes meeting Forge's dark ones seriously. "I'm glad you invited us."

The music changed to a slower number and the two boys drew together to dance in each other's arms.



Heather Cameron walked into Mutations happily. The place was jumping, just as she liked it. She knew Wanda was working with the X-Men that night and wouldn't be there, but she was meeting her brother, Davis, and the two of them were expecting some friends from school to show up as well. She spotted Davis right away and headed over, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Hey there, little brother, did you miss me?"

"More than you know, I'm just glad you got here in time!" Davis said excitedly. "Check it out!" He took her by the shoulders and turned her around to face another direction.

At first Heather wasn't sure what he was showing her -- the floor was crowded with dancers, some she knew, some she didn't. Then she spotted a dark-haired boy in a recognizable green mask. "Crikey, that's Robin!" she gasped.

"No kidding!" Davis told her. "And he's not alone --"

"I can see that," she said as a mop-haired boy with goggles appeared in front of Robin and the two talked for a couple of seconds before the other boy vanished again. Robin moved around a couple of dancers and tapped the more muscular one on the shoulder. He moved away from his partner slightly and that's when Heather saw two things -- one was the large 'S' on the bigger boy's shirtfront, and the other was his partner. It was Forge!

"Heather, you okay?" Davis asked.

"That's Young Justice!" she said to him. "And Forge is with them!"

"I know who Young Justice are," he said. "Hey, isn't Forge that kid who was kidnapped not long ago?"

"Yes, and his kidnapper is his guardian now," Heather said, frowning. "I don't understand -- the X-Men are _looking_ for Young Justice right now. That's why Wanda isn't here. She said they had a big meeting with some of the Justice League members about it, but I guess either Forge wasn't there and hasn't heard about it or else he's keeping them busy until back-up arrives."

Davis grinned. "Looks like he's keeping Superboy busy, anyway!"

Heather pulled out her communicator. "Just in case, I'd better tell Wanda."




"Okay, we'll see you guys over by the drink counter in a minute," Kon was saying to Robin. "We just want to finish this dance."

Forge grinned.

Impulse appeared between them suddenly. "Hey Forge? You know how you wanted to know when it was nine-thirty? It's ten o'clock."

Forge stopped grinning. He turned white.

"Hey, you okay?" Kon gripped his shoulder, worrying that the other boy might collapse. He certainly looked like he might.

"Ten o'clock?" Forge repeated weakly. "I needed time to get home before Victor discovered me missing -- he's probably walking downstairs to get me right now!"

Forge heard Impulse say, "Hang on!" and the next thing he knew, things were moving too fast to focus.



Wanda yelled, "WHAT?!" into her communicator so loudly that her teammates all turned their attention from scanning the mall food court to stare at her.

"You heard me, luv," Heather's voice came through the communicator. "Young Justice are here in Mutations with … hey, wait a minute! They're all gone!"

Lance swore from behind Wanda as he heard that.

"Gone?" Wanda repeated. "Are you sure you didn't just lose sight of them?"

"Of all of them? No, they're gone, all right. Sorry, Wanda."

Wanda looked up at Lance, who was shaking his head, covering his face.

"It's okay, Heather," she said, then frowned. "Hey, hold it! How did they get in there, anyway? They're not mutants!"

Heather sighed. "There was a mutant with them …."



"Forge?" Victor called down the stairs. There was no answer and he started down himself. "Forge, where are you?"



"--orge, where are you?"

Forge was momentarily disoriented. One moment he'd been in Mutations -- where was he now?

"Hey kid," Victor's voice came through and he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Forge looked up at his father, blinking stupidly for an instant until
he realized what must have happened. He remembered Impulse grabbing him. He glanced at the clock on the wall. Virtually no time had passed since that happened and yet here he was, back in his basement. Alone with Victor. Relief flooded through him and he sent a silent thank you to Impulse before smiling at Victor. "I'm sorry, I was thinking about something."

"One of those things better include bed, because that's where you're going." Victor picked Forge up and slung him over his shoulder, causing the boy to giggle. The older mutant turned toward the stairs, then paused. He frowned deeply, but Forge couldn’t see it from his position.

"Victor?" he queried. "Is something wrong?"

When the reply came, it was a low, dangerous growl. "Whose scent is that all over you?"



part 160

The sudden fear that clutched Forge at Victor's question was so thick he knew his father must sense it. "S-Scent?" he managed to squeak.

"Yeah." Victor buried his face in Forge's side, still positioned over his shoulder. He scowled. "That scent is MALE and it's all OVER you!" He pulled Forge off his shoulder and put him on his feet. He moved further into the room, sniffing the air, then went back to Forge. "It's ONLY on you, no one came in here!" His gaze darkened further. "You left this house."

"Victor, I was okay," Forge said, holding up his hands in a calming gesture.

Problem was, Victor wouldn't be calmed.

"You were okay doing what?! And where?! And with WHO?!" Victor demanded, then realization began to dawn on his face. "That's why you wanted to go to Mutations earlier! You were meeting a BOY there!"

"No!" Forge exclaimed. "That is, not exactly …."

The phone rang upstairs and Victor pointed at Forge. "Come with me -- I don't want you out of my sight."

Forge obediently followed Victor upstairs, feeling miserable. He was in more trouble than he could have imagined. Victor knew he'd sneaked out and lied and even knew he'd been close -- very close -- with a boy. He was as good as dead.

"Yeah, whaddya want?!" Victor demanded into the phone receiver. "Oh, hi Raven … Huh …?" He looked over at Forge, who had the sinking feeling that somehow things had just gotten even worse.

"Okay, thanks for letting me know, Raven. I'll call you back later." Victor hung up the phone and faced the teenager, who wondered what had been said.

"W-What is it?" he asked nervously.

"You were seen in Mutations," Victor said darkly. "With Young Justice."

Forge swallowed. This was definitely worse.

"WELL?!" Victor shouted, making Forge jump. "Explain yourself! You may as well start with me, because Mystique says the X-Men have a lot of questions for you, too!"

"Victor, there's a very good reason why I didn't turn them in!" Forge said quickly. "Justice League were spying on them -- there were cameras in the old Headquarters! They just wanted some privacy!"

"I don't care WHAT they wanted!" Victor retorted. "You were at that meeting at the Institute and you knew people were worried about them! Besides that, you left your friends running around searching for nothing!"

"Since when do you care about my friends?!" Forge exploded. "You call them the X-brats!"

"I don't KNOW most of them yet -- how can I care?!" Victor countered. "But I _do_ know Kurt, and he _is_ your friend, isn't he?!"

Forge deflated. "Victor, I really didn't want to cause trouble. I just didn't think they should be turned in."

"Who were you dancing with?!" Victor demanded suddenly. "It WAS just dancing, wasn't it?"

"Yes!" Forge exclaimed, his face heating up. "Of course it was!"

"Well, how the hell do _I_ know?!" Victor snapped. "You lied about everything else tonight!"

"I'm sorry," the Indian said softly. "I really am."

"You deliberately disobeyed me," Victor said evenly. "I love you, kid, and I want to be your father. But I ain't no liberal wimpy kind of parent who's
afraid to back up his rules. You understand me?"

"Yes sir," Forge said, feeling his stomach knot up. He knew he was completely in the wrong and Victor was right about all his transgressions, but that didn't make him any happier about whatever was about to happen.

Victor turned and headed for the back door. "Come with me," he said. It wasn't a request.

Forge didn't know what was going on when they walked outside into the night air and started across the back lawn. "What are we doing out here?" he asked uncertainly.

Victor looked over at him. "I'm going to teach you how to cut a switch."




Kon-el was laying back on a deck chair in their backyard, staring up at the stars and thinking. He knew his friends were surprised by his interest in Forge. It wasn't like him to stick with one person all evening, and yet once he and Forge began dancing, he hadn't cared about anything else. He envisioned the beautiful dark eyes, the silky hair that slipped across the top of his shoulders, the full lips….

Damn, Kon-el thought. I didn't even get a chance to kiss him.

"THERE you are!" Bart said as he appeared next to him. "Robin and I were worried about you."

"I'm fine, I was just thinking about Forge." Kon looked at him. "He's gorgeous, smart, and has no ego about either."

"Unlike you," Bart said.

"Unlike me -- hey!" Kon aimed a swipe at the other boy but as usual he moved too fast to be struck.

"You're right, though -- Forge is a great guy," Bart said from the foot of the deck chair. "He's really putting his butt on the line for us."

"You DID make it back with him on time, right?" Kon asked worriedly.

Bart gave him an oh-come-on look and he relaxed. "Sorry man. Should have known better."

"S'okay," Bart said with an easy shrug. "Want me to go make sure he's all right? His dad won't know."

"Yeah!" Kon-el sat up straight. "Go for it!"

Robin came outside in time to see the crackle of energy left in Bart's wake. "Where's he going?"

"To check on Forge for me -- uh, that is, to make sure Forge didn't get in any trouble."

Robin grinned knowingly. "You know, Bart _did_ say that he and Forge were alone in the basement when he got him back into his house."

"I know!" Kon-el said in slight annoyance. "But what if his father had already been down there looking before they arrived?"

Before Robin could reply, Bart was back, his expression uncertain. "Kon, I don't know what's going on, but it doesn't feel right."

Kon-el was on his feet in a second. "What do you mean?!" he demanded.

"Forge and this really huge scary guy -- I guess it's his dad -- are walking toward the rear of their lawn. Forge looks really upset."

Kon started running toward the fence and Robin followed. Bart beat both of them back to it and all three peeked over the top. They saw Forge and his father standing by a tree, but it was hard to see what they were doing in the near-total darkness.

"I don't get it," Bart admitted. "What are they doing there?"

Kon-el frowned. "I'm not sure. Ripping a twig off the tree, it looks like."

"Not exactly," Robin said tightly. "They're cutting a switch."

Kon gasped. "No way!"

"What's a switch?" Bart asked.

"A long, thin, flexible object, in this case, part of a tree -- that is used to administer punishment," Robin explained grimly. "It stings like nothing else."

"How do you know?" Bart inquired curiously.

"We have to DO something!" Kon-el cried and gripped the edge of the fence like he was about to climb over it. Robin grabbed him.

"Don't!" he warned. "Things are bad now, but you'll make it worse if you go over there!"

"You're just worried about giving our location away!" Kon accused.

Robin looked hurt. "That's not -- "

"Bart, go!" Kon told the other boy, who responded instantaneously by diving over the fence. He immediately bounced back off something large and unyielding. The three boys looked up into the frightening visage of Sabretooth.

"Even someone half-deaf could hear you clowns a mile away, and I ain't got no hearing aid." He glared down at them through narrowed eyes. "But I _do_ have an enhanced sense of smell." He focused on Kon-el dangerously and reached over the fence to haul him up by the shirtfront. "YOU'RE the one I smell all over my kid!"



part 161

"Victor, put him down!" Forge cried, pulling on his father's arm that held Kon-el suspended. "Nothing happened! We were only dancing!"

Somewhere in the last half-beat, Bart had changed into his Impulse costume and he and Robin had leapt the fence, ready to defend Kon-el. "Wait, everyone, wait!" Forge yelled. "Victor, I mean it, put him DOWN! You can't hurt him, anyway, he's invulnerable!"

Victor snarled in Kon-el's face and flung him aside forcefully. The teenager managed to catch himself in mid-air and flew down to land safely out of Victor's reach. Forge took a step as if to run to him.

"FORGE!" Victor thundered, freezing the Indian in his tracks.

"Listen, Mister … uh …," Kon-el searched for a name to call Victor by but knew none. "Uh, sir, we don't mean any harm. _I_ don't mean any harm. Like Forge said, all we did was dance, there was nothing more than that." He glanced toward the switch that Forge was holding. "Please don't use that on him."

"I oughta use it on all FOUR of you!" Victor told him and glared at the boys. "Your people are worried about you!"

"No, they're not," Impulse said. "The know we're okay -- we've kept in touch."

"And how do they know you told them the truth?! How can they trust you when you go running off and won't tell them where you are?!"

"With all due respect, our mentors have already proven they will never trust us," Robin stated. Victor looked at him.

"You're Robin, aren't you? Batman said you were really smart. If you are, you should know that even grown-ups can make mistakes."

"Like that?" Kon said hopefully, nodding toward the switch.

"NO!" Victor snapped. "Like the cameras in your headquarters. They probably regret that."

"Batman never regrets anything," Robin said frankly.

"He might this time, since you ran away over it," Victor said. "In any case, you'll find out, because he's gonna hear where you are."

Robin nodded resignedly. "I know."

"Ooo …." Impulse winced. "That email he posted for you …."

"Imp, please," Robin said tiredly and regarded Victor, serious blue eyes showing through his green mask. "It's not our place to interfere with your discipline methods -- "

"Like fun it's not!" Kon-el said hotly and marched over to take the switch from Forge. "You said yourself these things really hurt!"

Robin's face flushed but he continued, ignoring Kon, "but you should know that Forge wouldn't have joined us or hidden our location if I hadn't asked him to. I accept full responsibility."

"Robin, you don't have to do that," Forge said. "Victor knows I made my own choices."

"That's right," Victor said and poked the 'R' on Robin's chest. "But I still hold YOU responsible for expecting him to hide you from your mentors while betraying all his friends. That wasn't fair OR heroic of you."

"You're right," Robin agreed. "And I'd much rather you whip me than Forge."

Forge's jaw dropped. Kon-el blinked in surprise, then frowned.

"Hey, if anyone's going to be a hero on Forge's behalf it's going to be me!" he said firmly and faced Victor. "I'll gladly stand in for Forge if it means you won't whip him!"

"Kon-el, no!" Forge protested.

"Uh, Kon?" Impulse said. "You know that the switch won't hurt you, right?"

"So what?" he demanded. "It would still be embarrassing!"

Victor couldn't decide whether to get annoyed or to laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. He looked at Impulse. "What about you, puny? You want to volunteer YOUR rear end, too?"

Impulse's hands flew to cover his backside, then he paused. "I _did_ say earlier that Forge put his butt on the line for us -- I guess I should do the same." He removed his hands and squeezed his eyes shut behind the goggles. "Sure, okay, I volunteer, too."

"Impulse!" Forge exclaimed.

Victor shook his head, looking at them. "You're all nuts," he said frankly.

"Is it working?" Kon-el asked. "Will you take us instead of Forge?"

"Hey, I already said I thought you ALL needed it," Victor told him. "And NO, I'm not leaving Forge out of this! He's the one who lied to me and disobeyed me -- that other stuff with the X-Men is secondary to that."

"You mean you're going to whip us all ANYWAY?!" Kon-el said incredulously.

"I didn't say that," Victor snapped. "Forge is my responsibility -- you three aren't. You got your own parents or whatever to deal with you, and I'm gonna let them know where you are as soon as I'm finished with my own kid. Come on, Forge." He grabbed the switch from Kon-el with one hand and Forge's arm with the other and headed into the house. Forge looked over his shoulder at Kon-el imploringly.

"Go home," he begged. "Please!"

The door shut behind them.

Kon-el started after them, but Robin stopped him.

"DON'T, Kon!" he said. "He doesn't want us to hear or see, that's why he wants us to go home. Let's respect that."

"But --!" Kon-el looked back at the door, clearly at war with himself.

"There's no way to stop it now without making it worse later," Robin said and steered his friend away.




Forge's heart was pounding and his breath was short as Victor brought him to the living room. He hoped Young Justice had done as he asked -- he couldn't bear the thought of his new friends witnessing this.

"Okay, kid," Victor said, releasing his arm. "I know neither of us wants to do this, but we're gonna do it anyway."

"Do we have to?" Forge looked up imploringly.

"Yeah, we do," Victor said seriously. "You did wrong and you knew it and you did it anyway. You're a smart kid, what would you do in my place?"

Forge was starting to hate trick questions. He felt tears fill his eyes and didn't understand why -- he hadn't even been struck yet. He wanted to beg Victor not to do this, but was too proud.

Victor put a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Take your pants down and kick 'em off, then bend over the sofa and put your hands on the cushions to brace yourself."

Feeling as if he were part of a really bad dream, Forge moved to the rear of the couch and unfastened his pants, pushing them down. He stepped out of them and moved them aside with one foot. He started to remove his underwear.

"No, keep those up," Victor told him.

Already on tremulous ground with his emotions, Forge choked back a sob of relief and bent over the back of the sofa. He placed his palms flat on the cushions and held his breath.

*FWIP!*

"AHHHH!" Forge cried. He'd known it would hurt, and badly, but even his imagination hadn't prepared him for this.

*FWIP!*

The tears he'd been fighting streamed down his cheeks as he bit his lip to keep from crying out again. It didn't seem to him like the underwear was protecting his skin at all, the biting pain was so intense.

*FWIP!*

"OWWWW!" Forge was crying hard now, his hands gripping the edge of the sofa cushion. He shifted from one foot to the other, wishing he'd just pass out and be done with it.

*FWIP*

Inadvertently, Forge kicked out with his right leg and started to rise, but a firm hand in the center of his back pushed him back into position.

"Don't do that again," Victor warned. Forge broke down in fresh tears, his head hanging.

*FWIP!*

"AHHH-HAAAAH!" Forge wailed. He was sure Victor was breaking the skin with every blow -- couldn't he see the blood soaking through his underwear? How could he continue like this? Didn't he care about him at all?

*FWIP!*

That one had caught him across the undercurve and was the worst yet. Forge felt a wave of dizziness pass over him and he wondered if he would be sick.

"That's the last one," Victor told him.

Forge slid off the back of the couch to fall on the floor. His bottom hit the ground first and drew a scream of pain. Victor reached down to help him up, but Forge pushed him away with a strangled cry and tore up the stairs, half-blinded by tears. The slam of his bedroom door reverberated through the house.

Victor dropped the switch and shook his head. "Sorry kid, you aren't getting rid of me that easily." He headed upstairs.

Victor's sharp hearing could detect Forge's heart-wrenching sobs before he was even half-way down the hall. He walked right up to his bedroom door and walked in.

Forge was face-down on the bed, his face buried in a pillow, crying as if his heart would break. Victor eased himself onto the edge of the bed, careful not to brush against the boy's hip. He felt the Indian stiffen.

"I know you hate me right now," Victor said. "And that's okay, it's natural. Just don't think that I hate you, okay? I don't. I love you, otherwise I wouldn't have done that." He chuckled softly. "If I hated you, I'd have gutted you instead."

Forge sniffled, but didn't respond. Victor knew he was listening, though. He reached out and rubbed the silky dark hair softly.

"I don't know what it is you've done to me, kid, but I never cared about much of anything before except my own hide. Now I find myself thinking about you first thing when I get up and last thing when I go to sleep. I worry about you whenever you're out of my sight and if I had actually found you missing tonight I'd have torn apart half the city trying to find you before you got hurt or killed." Victor realized his voice had changed and his throat felt tight. When he inhaled, he heard a sniffle that didn't come from Forge. The teenager slowly turned to stare at him, his shocked expression plainly saying that he was as surprised to see tears in his father's eyes as Victor was to find them there.

"I don’t know what I would have done if something happened to you," Victor confessed. "You've become my whole world already."

Forge scrambled to his knees and threw himself into Victor's arms. The animal-like mutant held him with fierce possession.

"I'm sorry I disobeyed you," Forge sniffled into his shoulder. "I really am."

"I know you are," Victor told him, giving him an extra squeeze of reassurance. "Just try not to do it again. I didn't like what I had to do down there."

"Neither did _I_," Forge half-laughed and wiped his eyes. Victor took the boy's face in his hands, paused for a moment's consideration, then kissed his forehead. Forge sighed happily and settled back against his father's strong chest. Despite the burning reminder of his wrongdoing in his backside, he was content.



part 162

Robin and Kon-el exchanged a look. Both of them would rather be just about anywhere else on the planet but sitting in the Xavier Institute living room. Bart was with them -- more or less. He came in with them and sat down with them, but as soon as Victor and Forge showed them to the room and left them there, Bart was on his feet and had disappeared from view.

Kon-el leaned back and stretched out his legs. "Are you scared, Rob?"

"Yes," his friend admitted. "I'm scared they'll shut us down entirely. Scared we'll be separated and Young Justice will be over."

"I meant scared of Batman."

Robin was quiet for a moment, then said, "Yes."

Kon-el looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Don’t be. It's not like I can avoid him now -- he'll be here any minute."

"Was that email for real?" Kon asked softly.

"You know Batman never says anything he doesn't mean."

"Well, yeah, but …."

"Kon," Robin gave him a resigned smile, "don’t worry about me. I'll be okay. I'm not as worried about what Batman might do as I am about what he might _say_."

Kon-el fell silent for a few moments. "Forge is in a lot of pain still."

"He was switched. Yeah, he's in pain. But things are okay between he and his dad, that's the main thing."

The older boy looked at him. "That's what's bothering you most about Batman, isn't it? Not that he'll punish you, but that he won't trust you anymore."

Robin lowered his eyes. "I had no choice," he murmured. "He _has_ to understand that."

At that moment, Professor Xavier entered the room. The other adults and Scott came in with him.

"Hello boys, I'm Charles Xavier. I know you are Robin and Superboy, but where is Impulse?"

"Right here!" Bart said, appearing on the couch beside Robin. "You've got a really cool place here! I love the Danger Room -- that mega-computer is total virtual reality, just like I grew up in!"

"How and when did you access the Danger Room, kid?" Logan demanded.

"How? I vibrated through the door. When? About two minutes ago or less."

"Impulse," Professor Xavier said, "in the future you are not to vibrate into rooms that are locked. Some of them could pose a danger to you."

"Nah, don't worry, I can take care of myself --"

"He said _NO_!" Victor bellowed. "What part of NO don't you understand?!"

"You're still mad about last night, aren't you?" Bart asked him.

"There's the doorbell, Professor," Scott said with relief. "I'll get it." He left the room.

Kon-el and Bart felt Robin stiffen between them and they exchanged a concerned look.

Scott returned, bringing Batman, Superman, and a stranger in a blue and white costume into the room. Bart's face lit up with a huge smile.

"MAX!" he cried and flung himself into the arms of the elderly but very fit and well-muscled man.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been about you?" the man named Max asked as he squeezed the boy tightly. He looked toward the Professor apologetically. "I asked Wally -- the Flash -- if I could come instead. Bart is like a son to me, I need to be in on this."

"Of course," Professor Xavier said. "Everyone, this is Max Mercury, the Zen Master of the Speed Force. Have a seat, gentlemen."

"That won't be necessary, Professor," Batman said, his eyes trained on Robin. "You did as we asked and we appreciate it. There's no reason for any of us to stay any longer."

"Actually, there is," the Professor said. "Please, give us a moment of your time. We want to help you."

"I don't recall asking for additional help," Batman said, and although he didn't sit, he moved to stand behind where Robin sat on the couch. The Boy Wonder tried not to look nervous.

"Young Justice set up their Headquarters not far from here," the Professor said. "Right next door to Victor and his son, Forge, actually. They have said that the reason they left you was because in their previous Headquarters, they were being monitored by hidden cameras."

"Those cameras have always been there," Superman said. "From as far back as when we used that place for Justice League. They were for security purposes."

"But you guys _watched_ the tapes of _us_!" Kon-el exclaimed. "You used them to keep tabs on us!"

"We felt you needed more supervision," Batman said.

"If you didn't trust Red Tornado to look after us, why did you put him in charge?" Bart asked. "He was doing okay."

"Except that whenever he told you not to do something, you went ahead and did it anyway."

"Only when we had to," Kon-el said stubbornly.

"Robin," Batman said, "what do you have to say for yourself?"

"If I had it to do over again, nothing would change," Robin said firmly. He looked over his shoulder at Batman. "And I will, if you try to break up Young Justice."

"Me too!" Kon-el chimed in.

"Me three!" cheered Bart. Max looked at him sternly.

"Bartholomew Allen," he said, "you will NOT do this again, do you understand? Even if Batman and Superman agree to let Robin and Superboy stay together, I'd have to hear some good reasons why I shouldn't take you home to Alabama with me."

"I can give you reasons!" Kon-el declared. "Impulse is my friend! And Rob's my friend! We may all drive each other crazy sometimes, but we're like brothers, and brothers are like that!" He gestured toward Scott. "I'll bet the X-Men don't get ripped apart and dragged to different parts of the country ever time _they_ screw up! If you want to punish us for running away, fine, but don't split us up!"

"Kon-el," Superman began, "you weren't listening. We have to insist that if Young Justice were to stay together that there would need to be an adult keeping an eye on things. Red Tornado loves you, but he has a daughter, and he can't leave her to live in Bayville to supervise you."

"Well, uh," Kon-el said, looking around, "what about HIM?" He pointed at Victor. "He lives right next door! He could check on us once in a while!"

"Now WAIT a minute --!" Victor began.

"Yeah!" Bart said enthusiastically. "He's got a kid of his own, he's Kon's boyfriend -- "

"His what?" Superman said in surprise.

"He is NOT!" Victor yelled.

"See?" Bart said triumphantly. "Would YOU disobey a guy that scary-looking?"

"Bart," Max warned.

"Kon," Superman started.

"Robin?" Batman questioned evenly.

"You heard what I had to say," Robin told him. "I meant it."

"All right, everyone, let's try to get through this calmly and with some order," Professor Xavier said, and turned toward the visitors. "Am I correct in assuming that you gentlemen would still be willing to let the boys stay together if they had regular adult supervision?"

"Yes," Superman said.

"It would depend on how qualified the adult is," Max remarked. "I don't expect them to live with the boys, but I'm serious about their having supervision."

"What about you, Batman?" the Professor asked.

The Dark Knight was quiet for a few moments, then said, "Overall, Young Justice has been good for Robin. Although they have a tendency to ignore orders, take chances, and disregard advice, they have learned to work as a team and having friends their own age is important. Especially friends who understand what it's like to be a hero." He gave the boys a glare. "BUT there can be no more of this running away. There WILL be an adult overseeing things and you will obey them."

And to that end, Victor," the Professor said, "_would_ you consider taking on that responsibility?"

"But why ME?!" Victor exclaimed in disbelief. Logan gave a snort and Victor shot him a glare.

"Because, as Kon-el pointed out, you're right next door," the Professor answered. "You don't have to be there all the time, just keep an eye on them and be available if they need you. You only have one child of your own, and you're either at home or over here during the day, and that's still not far away from the boys. This shouldn't be too much of an imposition."

"Mr. Creed, there is another aspect to this," Superman said. "If Kon-el and your son really are interested in each other, then I would consider it a personal favour if you would do this. I would feel better knowing someone with a vested interest in their relationship was monitoring things."

"Can't believe _I_ suggested this," Kon-el said, shaking his head. "What was I thinking?"

"Not your brightest move," Robin agreed.

"Well, Victor?" the Professor asked.

Victor looked at the three very different teen heroes. Bart grinning at him as if he knew no one could resist the opportunity to be his unpaid babysitter. Then Robin, expression unreadable, but his scent radiating fear for reasons Victor wasn't sure about. And Kon-el, the one Forge liked. He saw Victor looking at him and a cocky half-grin appeared on the teenager's face. Victor wasn't sure if Kon-el really wanted him to do this or not. If he said no, Young Justice would be gone from Bayville and his worries about Kon-el and Forge would be over. But how would Forge feel about that? He'd probably stop socializing and bury himself in his inventions, like before.

"Victor?" prompted the Professor.

"Yeah," he said resignedly. "I'll do it. And stop snickering, Logan."



part 163

Batman closed the door to the Library, which Professor Xavier was graciously allowing him to use for a few minutes so he could have a private discussion with Robin.

The Boy Wonder looked at him. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Are you?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I worried you."

Batman nodded.

"Thanks for letting us stay together," Robin said. "Young Justice, I mean. We work well together."

"So do we, when you're honest with me."

Ouch, Robin thought. "Well, um, about honesty, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"You want to reveal yourself to your friends," Batman said. It was a statement, not a question.

"Yes," Robin said firmly. "I do."

"No, you can't."

"Why not?" the Boy Wonder demanded. ""There's nothing about me that will trace back to you!"

"I'm not thinking about me right now. You consider who you're dealing with. Impulse barely manages to keep his _own_ identity a secret. You can't count on him."

"Yes, I can," Robin insisted. "Anyway, it's MY risk. In fact, I'll make you a deal. If my identity gets out to the wrong people because of Young Justice, I'll … I'll retire as Robin."

"Tim," Batman said gently and put a hand on his shoulder, "neither of us wants that."

"You're right," Robin admitted. "But doesn't that show you how important this is to me?"

Batman was quiet for a few moments, then nodded. "All right," he said, "you can show them your face and tell them your name, but _only_ your first name."

Robin tried not to let his excitement show on his face, but couldn't stop a smile. "Thank you."

"Now that that's out of the way, we have other business to attend to."

Robin sighed and nodded. He should have known Batman wouldn't forget about that. He unfastened his black and yellow cape and put it aside.

"You got my message," Batman said.

"Yes," Robin confirmed and walked over to the desk, facing it. He began to push down his tights.

"No argument? No attempts to defend your actions?"

"No sir," Robin replied. "You said I was never to disappear for longer than a day without letting you know because you would assume I'd been kidnapped. Just because I was with Young Justice didn't mean anything - we might _all_ have been abducted."

"That's true. Do you remember what you said to me then?"

"I promised you I wouldn't. I broke my promise." His backside bared, Robin put his hands on the desk and braced himself, closing his eyes.

Batman brought out one of his Batarangs and held it by one end. It was thin but strong, but with just enough give for it to have the consistency of a metal ruler when struck against his palm. Or Robin's bottom.

The teenager bent over the desk felt a gloved hand on his back and tensed. The sharp *SMACK!* of the Batarang striking flat across his rear end made him hiss and draw in his breath. He'd been through this before -- he knew exactly how long it would last, how methodically the blows would fall, and what Batman would say through the duration.

Except this time, he was wrong. No second blow fell, and the hand was already off his back. Puzzled, he looked over his shoulder to see Batman putting away the Batarang.

"Did I miss something?" Robin asked. "Was it so bad that I've already blotted it out of my memory?"

"Do you want more?" Batman asked. He didn't tend to joke, but that was as close to it as he ever came.

"No thanks, that was fine. I mean, that hurt enough." Robin quickly got dressed. "It's just that in the email you said --"

"I said I was going to apply the Batarang to your bare backside. I believe I just did that."

Robin blinked. "Well, yeah, I guess you did. But I thought -- "

Batman put both hands on his shoulders. "Tim, you weren't the only one who made a mistake. You were right about the surveillance tapes. We shouldn't have watched them. You may be children, but you deserve some privacy."

"Thank you," Robin said earnestly.

"You're welcome," Batman said. "Now let's go back to the others. I need to consult with Mr. Creed before I leave."

--

Bart and Kon-el exchanged anxious looks. Things were not going well. First Batman had taken Robin away for a private 'discussion'. Then while awaiting their return, Superman and Max had begun giving Victor Creed, apparently also known as Sabretooth, advice and instructions on how to handle their charges.

"Bart's curfew is seven o'clock," Max was saying. "He goes to bed at eight."

"Kon doesn't have an official curfew, but in view of his living with these other boys now --" Superman started.

"Eight o'clock?!" Victor said incredulously to Max. "What kind of fourteen-year-old kid goes to bed at eight?!" He turned to look at Superman. "Don't worry, if I'm watching the kid, he's not gonna be running around at all hours of --"

"The kind of kid that takes four hours to fall asleep at least," Max argued. "Bart doesn't settle down for the night easily, and if he's going to be awake in school the next day --"

"School, yeah, that's another matter," Victor said. "Do they actually GO to school, like with Birdboy in costume and everything?"

"Kon-el doesn't go to school -- he'll need a tutor," Superman said.

"A tutor?! Now WAIT a second --!"

"Bart goes to regular school in Manchester," Max said. "I'd like for him to continue having as normal a life as possible --"

"Yeah, well …." Victor began.

"Mr. Creed," Superman interrupted, watching Forge walk slowly over to Kon-el and Bart, "I can't help but notice that your son seems to be in some pain and he's reluctant to sit down."

"What?" Max said, looking concerned. "Mr. Creed, I wouldn't presume to tell anyone how to raise their child, but you should know that I've never spanked Bart and he may not even know what a spanking _is_ --"

"He knows," Victor replied dryly. "And if I'm gonna be looking after him, it's gotta be my way or you can find yourself another babysitter and THAT goes for all of you!"

Both Max and Superman closed their mouths. Batman walked into the room with Robin.

"Looks like we've missed an interesting discussion," Batman remarked. "Anything I should know?"




part 164

"Thank you very much for your help and the help of your X-Men, Professor Xavier," Superman said as they were shown to the door by Charles and Logan.

"You're welcome, Superman," the Professor said. "Although in the end, your charges were discovered purely by accident, it was good practice for my X-Men."

"Thank you also for agreeing to tutor them," Max said. "I'm afraid with Bart's attention span, you may find it more of a challenge than you'd expect."

"I'm sure we'll be fine. Bart is a very nice boy, and I've dealt with limited attention spans before. Don't forget we have Quicksilver."

"Were you and Robin able to come to an understanding?" Logan asked Batman.

"I believe so," the Caped Crusader answered and turned to Professor Xavier. "There is another matter I feel I should address before we take our leave."

"About the children?" Charles asked.

"About _your_ children," Batman told him. "I wondered if you were aware that two of them have engaged in sexual relations."

Both the Professor and Logan looked shocked. "How do you know that?" Logan demanded. "It's impossible for anything like that to have happened without our knowing!"

Charles held up a hand to calm him. "Logan, you're talking to the world's greatest detective. If Batman says this so assuredly, we must believe him."

"Thank you," Batman replied. "I would not have brought it up had I not been certain. I just felt you should know."

"Okay, so can you now tell us HOW you know?" Logan asked. "And more importantly -- who?!"

"I could tell you," Batman said. "But perhaps it would be better if you give the children a chance to confess."

"You're ticked off because I didn't believe you right away, aren't you?" Logan groused.

"You know how to reach me if you don't find out on your own," Batman said and turned to leave. The other two heroes nodded their goodbyes and followed.

Logan looked at Charles. "NOW what do we do? What kid in their right mind would confess to THAT?"

"Let's hope we find out," the Professor said in a pre-occupied tone. Batman's news disturbed him greatly. This was one transgression for which the guilty parties would have to be made an example.

--

Victor grumbled to himself. Arguing with Superman and Max Mercury together had been nothing like arguing with Batman. The guy in the cowl had his own way of doing things and didn't much seem to care how Victor felt about it. That was, until he outright rescinded his offer to take care of Young Justice. Then Robin, Kon-el, and Bart whined so much that it proved too much even for the Dark Knight, and he and the other two adults gave in. Victor was allowed to run his own show. For his part, Victor promised to treat Young Justice as he would his own son. Considering Forge's present condition, no one was sure that was a good idea, but they all knew their options were limited.

The X-Men were all very relieved when Batman, Superman, and Max Mercury had left the living room, escorted by the Professor and Logan. Victor had then turned to his three new charges, who eyed him back. They were the only ones left in the room.

"Okay, that's out of the way," Victor said. "The Prof agreed to tutor the three of you with his daily class so you're set there."

"I don't know why I couldn’t go to my own school in Manchester," Bart said. "I have friends there, and I could just run there and back every day, no problem."

"YES, problem! It could get awkward if one of your teachers wants to talk to your guardian about you, which Max tells me happened on an almost daily basis!"

"They could still talk to Max."

"Right now, fleetfoot, Max is your guardian in name only," Victor told him. "There's just you and me now." He looked at the trio seriously. "I'm gonna try to be fair with you, but I'll tell you this much -- you screw around with me, I'm gonna land all over you, got it?"

"We understand," Robin said quickly, before Kon-el could open his mouth.

"Victor, stop trying to scare them," Forge said as he approached.

"I'm not, I'm being upfront with them," Victor argued. "And it ain't all bad news. Bert --"

"Bart," the boy said.

"Whatever," Victor replied, waving a hand. "Just forget about all that bedtime crap. I know damn well I can't enforce an eight o'clock bedtime when you're living in a different house."

"Really?" Bart said happily. "So when _do_ I have to go to bed?"

"When have you been going to bed since you three left?"

"Uh," Bart looked at the other two, "it varied …."

"Well, basically I don't care when you go to bed -- any of you -- so long as I don't get complaints from the Prof that you're falling asleep in class. If THAT happens, or if I get any other kinda complaints from him about your behaviour during classes, then we got problems. Got it?"

Bart gulped. "Yes."

"Okay, then let's get outta here, Forge. You three can go back to your house -- you know where I am if you need me and I'll be dropping in on you unannounced in case you get any ideas."

"Ideas?" Kon-el smiled innocently. "Us?"

"Polish up the halo, kid, it looks a little tarnished. Come on, Forge."

Victor took his son out and the other boys looked at each other.

"I can't believe it was that easy," Bart said.

"Me neither," Kon-el agreed, then gave Robin an apologetic look. "Well, easy for you and me, Bart, but Rob still had Batman to deal with. You okay, Rob?"

"Tim."

"You okay, Tim -- HUH?" Kon-el did a double-take. "Say WHAT?!"

"My name's Tim," Robin told them with a smile. "Batman gave me permission to tell you that much. And when we get home, I can take off my mask."

"Wow!" Bart grinned. "That's great!"

"That's _weird_!" Kon-el claimed. "Why would he do that for you when he was so mad?"

"He wasn't as mad as we thought," Robin said. "He actually understood. And he kept the punishment to a minimum."

"Go figure, Bats has a heart." Bart grinned.

"'Bats'?" Robin repeated with a laugh. "Don't ever let him hear you call him that!"

"I've heard Wally call him that before," Bart argued.

"Yeah, but he can't spank The Flash."

"Probably would if he could catch him," Kon-el remarked, then winked. "Come on, guys, let's go home! Now that we're free and clear, we've got some serious partying to plan!"

"God help us." Robin groaned.


part 165

Mystique drew up her knees on the sofa and wrapped her arms around them. She and the other adults were gathering in the Library at Charles' request, but from the expressions on those around her, none of them knew what it was about, either.

Except Logan. He came in last and from the grim set of his jaw she could tell he knew something.

"Okay, Chuck, Cyclops and Avalanche are running a practice session in the Danger Room so all the kids are occupied." Logan shut the door. "And we're all present and accounted for."

"Thank you, Logan," Professor Xavier said, then regarded the others seriously. "People, we have a problem."

"I think we gathered that," Mystique said. "Shouldn't Victor be here?"

"He already left," Logan said with a scowl. "Anyway, this doesn't concern him -- it's X-Men business."

"What is it, Charles?" Magnus asked.

The Professor folded his hands on the desk. "Just before he left, Batman told Logan and I that two of our children have engaged in sexual activity."

Hank frowned. "How does he know that?"

"He didn't explain," Logan snorted. "Didn't tell us who it was, either. But Chuck's sure he knows his stuff."

"So all he told you was that two of the kids here had sex together?" Magnus asked.

"Actually, all he told us was that two of them had sex," Logan said dryly. "He didn't say anything about their doing it _together_. So it could be one of the couples here or it could be two separate kids and their dates on the outside."

Mystique stared at him. "But that means it could be ANY of them!"

"Yeah," Logan said grimly. "Kurt and Duncan, or Rogue and her TWO boyfriends…."

"Remember Logan," the Professor said, "Batman told us it was 'two' of the children, not three."

"Okay, so Rogue could have done it with either Remy OR Pietro. That doesn't make me feel much better."

"Or the boys could have done it with each other," Hank added wryly.

Magnus shook his head. "This is ridiculous. We can't eliminate _anyone_."

"And it could still be an unusual couple here, not necessarily an established one," Hank speculated. "For instance, if Kurt were to cheat on Duncan --"

"He wouldn't," Mystique said quickly. "And with whom WOULD he? Todd??"

"No, that would be Longshot's department." Magnus sighed.

"Okay, so we've got Todd and Longshot as possibilities," Logan began listing. "Rogue, Remy, and/or Pietro …."

"But Rogue's power --" Mystique started.

"With Forge's power nullifier she's got a fifteen minute window," Hank reminded her.

"Fifteen minutes?! What kind of affair is THAT?!"

"The best she can manage," the Professor concluded. "She's still a candidate."

"So is Wanda," Magnus admitted. "If Kurt and Duncan could do it, so could she and Heather."

"What about the Beaubiers?" Mystique asked. "They're only thirteen! Who would sleep with them?"

"I hate to say it, but they _were_ fighting to stay in the same bed, remember?" Hank pointed out.

Logan groaned. "I don't wanna go there."

"Unfortunately right now, we can't rule them out," the Professor said with regret.

"Then there's Lance and Scott," Magnus mentioned. "They are the eldest after all, and in a new relationship at that."

"Yes, _brand_ new," Charles said. "It seems to be surprising even the two of them, so I don't think they'd be that intimate already."

"Charles," Mystique said gently, "you probably don't think Scott would do that at _all_."

"It would be hard to believe, Raven," the Professor agreed. "In addition to his general adherence to rules and common sense, he's rather shy."

"That's true," Logan said. "But Lance ISN'T."

"How are we ever going to figure this out?" Hank asked. "It really could be any of them."

Magnus looked over at Logan with a wry expression. "I don't suppose you're able to smell virginity or lack thereof."

"I wish. I can smell 'em if they're in the middle of it, or just finished. Hell, I can even smell lust. But virginity? Nah."

"I wonder why you didn't know when it was happening then," Magnus said thoughtfully. "Perhaps it didn't take place in the house, or maybe it was at night while you were asleep --"

"Call Batman!" Mystique told the Professor. "It's damned unfair for him to drop a bombshell like this and not tell us who's involved! Wouldn't he want to know if it was Robin who had done this?"

"If I were Robin and had that particular gentleman looking over my shoulder, I would try to avoid impure thoughts until I was thirty," Hank joked.

"Batman _will_ tell us if we ask him," the Professor said. "But I would rather we handle this ourselves."

"Yeah, if he wants to play games, let him," Logan scoffed. "We don't need his help."

"Except that he was the only one who knew this had happened at all, so he already gave his help," Mystique pointed out.

"We can't let this go too long or there might be a repeat performance," Magnus said in a grim tone. "If Wanda, Pietro, or Longshot have done this I want to know about it and make sure it does NOT happen again."

"I'm with you," Logan said. "I'd sure as hell rather deal with this now instead of after it gets to be a habit."

"Charles," Mystique ventured, "I don't suppose you'd consider …."

"No, Raven, I would not," he said firmly. "I won't probe the childrens' minds. That would be as bad if not worse than Justice League watching those surveillance tapes."

"Okay," Logan said. "So what IS our strategy?"

"We can't confront them as a group," Hank said. "We don't want all the kids to find out this has happened if we can avoid it."

"But even if we confront them individually they'll all figure it out and talk amongst themselves," Logan said. "They'll probably know who did it before WE do!"

"Unless we get lucky right off with the first kids," Mystique said. "Charles will know if they're telling the truth, even if they don't confess."

"I wish you wouldn't use the phrase 'get lucky', considering the circumstances," Hank remarked.

The Professor sighed. "We have no other recourse. We'll begin the individual interviews right after their practice session."



Part 165

It didn't take long for the Institute adults to unanimously vote on the one person they all suspected the most of being guilty. Professor Xavier prepared to summon them.

--

Scott smiled at Lance as they both came out of their rooms. "I think that was a pretty productive session, don't you?" Scott asked.

"Yeah," Lance agreed wryly, "except when one of them started trying to take advantage of the fact that no instructors were there."

"Quicksilver," they said in unison, then laughed.

"Bonjour, mes amis," Remy greeted, sauntering over. "Have de grown ups put in an appearance yet?"

"I was about to go check downstairs," Scott said.

Remy paused, frowning. "Never mind, I t'ink I know where dey are."

"Where?" Lance asked.

"De Library," Remy replied with a scowl. "De Professor just told me to come."

"Good luck," Lance said and watched him go, then turned to Scott. "Are you getting the feeling that something weird is going on?"

"Definitely," Scott replied. "First they keep us all busy with a kids-only Danger Room session and now Remy is summoned to a private audience. He hasn't done anything."

"That we know of," Lance added. "With Remy you never know for sure."

"Hi guys!" Pietro said, appearing next to them. "Hey, sorry for giving you a hard time and all in there. No hard feelings, huh?"

"Pietro, has Remy done anything wrong lately?" Lance asked. "He just got called down to the Library."

Pietro gasped. "Oh no, THAT'S never good!"

"You have any idea why?" Scott asked.

"None, zip, zero, nada."

"Something's up for sure," Lance muttered.

--

Remy vowed to remain calm as he entered the Library and saw all the adults there. It was about the last thing he _wanted_ to see, especially as there were one or two slight deviances from the rules that he had made recently that he thought he'd kept hidden, even from Rogue and Pietro.

"Have a seat, Cajun," Logan told him and shut the door. Remy obeyed, his black and red eyes searching those of the older mutants warily.

"What is dis all about?"

"It's about a very serious question that we have to ask you, Remy," Professor Xavier said.

"Quelle question?"

"We need to know if you have recently engaged in sexual activity," the Professor asked.

Remy stared at him. "Maybe I am misunderstanding you. Are you asking me if I have had sex recently?"

"We are," Hank confirmed.

Remy's eyes narrowed. "Dat is none of your business."

"We need you to answer this," Magnus told him and Remy shot a glare in his direction.

"I don't care what you need," he said firmly. "Dat is a personal question and I am refusing to answer it."

"No, you are NOT refusing, Remy LeBeau," Mystique told him sternly. "You're one of our children and we love and care about you and we're not just asking this to be nosy! We have rules about behaviour and conduct and if you're guilty of it then you'll damn well own up to it!"

"I am sorry, Mystique, but I still say no. I will not answer," Remy said stubbornly.

The adults exchanged frustrated looks. "All right, Remy," the Professor said. "You're to go straight to your room and stay there until further notice."

"I'll walk him up," Logan said, locking eyes with the teenager. "Just to make sure he doesn't take any side trips."

They waited until Logan and Remy had walked out, then Mystique said, "And what if _all_ the kids pull the same line?"

"Then, I'm afraid, we'll have to take a firmer stance," the Professor said in a grim tone. "We'd better call Pietro next, and then Rogue. We may not need a confession from Remy if we get it from one of them."

--

Pietro was uneasy. He _hated_ being summoned to the Library, and to be called right after Remy had to be a bad sign. He was with Rogue at the time, and neither one of them could figure out why Remy had been called. But when _he_ was summoned next, they knew it could mean only one thing -- the adults were doing a 'process of elimination' thing.

"I didn't do it," Pietro said as soon as he sped into the room. "I've been really, really, good lately. Really!"

"We're not accusing you of anything, Pietro, but we need to ask you a question," Mystique said. "We have to ask if you've been sexually active recently."

"Say WHAT?" Pietro laughed. "Why would you even ask?" Then his smile faded and he remembered what he and Rogue had been discussing. "That's what you brought Remy in here for, isn't it? You asked him the same thing!"

"Right now we're asking you," Magnus said. "And you _will_ give us an answer."

"No!" Pietro exclaimed.

"No, you won't answer?"

"No, 'no' I haven't done anything!" Pietro turned to the Professor. "Did you catch that Professor Lie Detector? A question I can answer honestly and NOT get into trouble! No, I have NOT had sex recently!"

"How about 'ever'?" Magnus asked.

"That wasn't the question," Pietro said cheekily. "But I'll give you a break and tell you anyway -- no, never ever. Not yet."

"Not ever," Logan told him.

"Don't push it."

"He's telling the truth," the Professor said. "Pietro, you may go, but I caution you, DON'T tell the other children what we asked you. We have reasons for not wanting the entire group to know."

"I'll bet you do! Someone has had sex and you don't want anybody to get any ideas!" Pietro hooted, then paused. "Hey … you're still suspecting Remy, aren't you? 'Cause I know him, and he wouldn’t tell you anything."

"Pietro, GO," Logan ordered, opening the door. The teenager sped out in a flash.

"Next." Mystique sighed, slumping back against the sofa cushion.



part 167

"Ah don't believe it!" Rogue said indignantly to Remy, Scott and Lance. All four of them were in Remy's room, listening to the Cajun tell what had happened in the Library.

"It is de truth, petite," he said. "I refused to answer and now I am to stay here."

"Refusing probably makes you look guilty." Rogue pouted. "Ah don't want ya to get punished for nothing."

Scott and Lance looked at each other. "Remy, when they ask you again, tell them the truth, okay?" Scott said. "You know the Professor will find out eventually."

"Dat does not mean I have to make it easy for him to invade my privacy," Remy said stubbornly. "It is a matter of pride."

"But yer pride is gonna be black and blue if ya ain't careful!" Rogue protested.

"Hey guys!" Pietro appeared in the doorway. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone this, but you know what they asked me down there? Well, Remy probably knows, but --"

"Dey asked you de same t'ing?" Remy said, shuffling a deck of cards idly.

"About having sex, yeah!" Pietro confirmed. "They asked and I told them no!"

"You did?" Remy said in surprise. "Chere, you did not have to."

"Why the heck shouldn't I?" Pietro asked. "I don't want to get blamed for something I didn't do -- I get in enough trouble of my own legitimately!"

Lance patted his shoulder. "I think you did the right thing. Maybe you can convince Remy to do the same."

"I doubt it." Pietro cast a fond look toward the boy with the cards. "He's too much Remy to compromise himself."

Scott looked pleadingly at Lance. "Can we go out? No one said we had to stay in the house."

"Yeah, why not?" Lance agreed in relief. "I don't really want to stick around for the rest of the interrogations, anyway. If they want to harass us, they can do it later just as easily as sooner. See you later, guys."

The younger kids watched them go. "If they really are asking everyone, Ah guess they're right and they'll be suspects, too," Rogue said thoughtfully. "Funny, considering how they fought all suggestions that they were together and all the trouble me and Pietro got into over it."

Remy was staring at the doorway, not really listening to her. "Maybe dey are right," he said slowly. "Maybe I should confess."

"What?!" both Rogue and Pietro exclaimed.

"But … but you haven't DONE what they said you did!" Pietro said, then hesitated. "Have you?"

"Non," Remy replied. "But I t'ink I know who did."

His partners' eyes widened. "You don't mean --" Pietro looked back toward the door. "No WAY!"

"Ah gotta agree with him," Rogue said. "They only just started getting involved. And can you imagine Scott having sex with Lance?"

"No," Pietro said frankly.

"I can," Remy said, nodding. "I noticed de last day or so, Lance was being very tender and attentive to Scott when he thought no one was looking. And in de practice sessions Scott was not in top shape, he seemed to be in pain and not walking smoothly. Today he was a bit better, able to hide it." He smiled. "And dey _were_ sharing a room after de dance."

"Whoa," Rogue murmured, then frowned. "Okay, hold it. If yer so sure they did it, why are _you_ gonna confess?"

His black and red eyes met her green ones. "Dere love is new and precious. Dey need time to get to know each other as boyfriends and lovers. To have dere lovemaking uncovered and to be punished for it would spook Scott enough dat Lance would be lucky to get even a kiss from him in dis house afterwards." He shrugged. "I love dem both. I want dem to be happy together."

"But Remy," Pietro looked worried, "if you confess, the Prof will know you're lying. And then they'll still get in trouble when they're discovered and you'll be in trouble for the lying!"

"Not if I do it smart," Remy told him, then looked at them both reluctantly. "But dere is another problem. If I confess alone, dey might want to know who I was with. I _could_ say dat I cheated on you both --"

"No, you couldn't," Rogue said firmly. "Mama knows Ah'd kill ya first." She sighed. "Ah guess it's gotta be me -- Pietro already told them it wasn't him."

Remy nodded and took her gloved hands. "You do not have to do dis, petite, but I will not do it without you."

"I think you're _both_ crazy if you do it," Pietro stated. "Rogue and I were already spanked recently because of them! Why should she _ask_ for it now?"

Remy smiled at the girl. "Rogue knows why."

She sighed. "It's not fair of you to appeal to my romantic soul, Cajun."

"But we _are_ romantics, you and I. It is our nature. And confess, Rogue, do you not t'ink dere love is a wonderful t'ing for dem both?"

"Yeah, Ah do," she admitted. "Ah had feelings for Scott once -- Ah'm glad to see him happy now. But … are ya sure this will work?"

"Oui," Remy said. "We will save not only de two of dem, but all de kids will be spared dese humiliating questions."

"But Logan and Mystique!" Pietro cried. "They'll be really upset with you both! And everyone else will think you had SEX!"

Rogue smiled at him. "They'll understand," she said. "For so long Ah couldn't touch at all. Now that Ah can for brief times, no one will begrudge me wanting to experience it all."

Pietro gave a short laugh. "Good luck convincing Mystique of that!"



part 168

Scott leaned back his head and let the open air blow over his face. They had taken Lance's jeep, and he was happy not to have to drive -- he was shaking so much he didn't trust himself anyway.

"You okay?" Lance asked, glancing toward him in concern.

"Not really." Scott sat up straighter. "I'm scared to death," he admitted.

"It's pretty obvious they were tipped off somehow, huh?" Lance said resignedly. "They didn't find out about us specifically, but they're on a hunt for sure."

"And it's only a matter of time," Scott sighed. "There's no way they'll let it rest if they suspect any of us have done … what we did."

Lance felt something twist inside him. "Do you wish we hadn't?" he asked, his knuckles whitening on the steering wheel.

Scott looked at him. "Pull over, Lance."

Confused, Lance obeyed. They had been on their way to the cove, and were already on the more secluded, less-used roads. He turned to find Scott facing him. He couldn’t see the X-Men leader's eyes, but there was no mistaking the gentle caress of Scott's palm against his cheek.

"I'll never regret it," Scott said. "No matter what else happens, I'll always treasure that memory. The way I felt, the way it felt to touch you, and to have you touch me. The moment we joined and how you loved me -- God, Lance, it was the best night of my life." He smiled. "No matter what they do, they can't take that away from me."

Lance leaned over and kissed Scott deeply. "I'm just afraid," he whispered, "if their reaction is bad enough, it could taint --"

"Never," Scott said firmly. "That's their problem, not ours."

"You're _sure_?" Lance pressed.

"Yes," Scott answered. "I didn’t do it impulsively, Lance. I considered the ramifications."

"Well, that makes one of us," Lance said mischievously. "I just considered how much I wanted you."

The boys drew together and kissed.

"Okay," Lance said softly, "if they're gonna make our lives miserable when we go home, let's make the most of our last day together in freedom."

--

Rogue gave a start and looked fearfully at Remy and Pietro. "The Prof is calling me down, boys!"

"Relax, petite," Remy told her. "Tell him you'll talk to your father up here in my room. De Professor will not refuse dat."

Rogue nodded and closed her eyes so she could mentally respond to the Professor without distraction. The she opened them and sighed.

"Daddy's on his way. Ah hope Mama doesn't come with him -- Ah don't know if Ah can go through with this facing them both at once."

--

Logan had a very bad feeling as he went upstairs. If Rogue had refused the Professors' summons outright that would have been one thing, but to have her ask him to go to her -- in Remy's room yet -- boded very ill.

He found the two of them there along with Pietro. "Hummingbird, you want to give us some privacy?"

"It's okay, Daddy, he already knows what Ah'm gonna tell you so he might as well stay." Rogue sighed. "The thing is, Remy and Pietro and Ah have been comparing notes, and we figure we know what you're gonna ask me downstairs so -- " she paused, glancing at Remy for support.

He looked at Logan, meeting his eyes. "You would have found out de truth if you asked her downstairs and we preferred to confess in private."

Logan sat down -- fortunately there was a desk behind him. "Then it _was_ you two?" he said in a deceptively calm voice.

"Oui," Remy replied. "Rogue and I. You already know Pietro was not involved."

"Poor deprived me," Pietro joked.

"That's not funny," Logan said. Then his voice was hard, "Get out of here, Pietro."

"But --!"

"OUT!" Logan thundered. Pietro sped out of the room so fast no one saw the door open or close.

"Okay," Logan said, "before I do both of you serious bodily harm, I want to know how you pulled this off without any of us catching you."

Rogue glanced toward Remy. She hadn't expected to be grilled on the non-existent details!

"We were not on de property," Remy said.

"Did you use protection?!"

"DADDY!"

"Don’t give me that horrified look, girl -- you ain't entitled to it!" Logan warned.

"We used protection, oui," Remy answered.

"Great, but she's still taking a pregnancy test. Condoms aren't foolproof."

"Daddy, with my power being what it is, Ah don't think Ah can conceive!" Rogue said, knowing she was red-faced.

"We'll find out," Logan told her. "But you'd better hope you aren't pregnant this time!" He started to unbuckle his belt.

"Daddy, no!" Rogue cried. "Please!"

"Rogue, you knew what to expect when you did this," Logan said. "Activate your bracelet."

"Non." Remy got up off the bed, moving between Rogue and her father. "You can not do dis."

Logan met the red and black eyes with a hard look. "Watch me."

"You said it yourself -- she might be pregnant," Remy said coolly. "You can not beat her if dat chance remains."

Rogue gasped and Logan's eyes narrowed.

"You know I am right," Remy told him.

"Yeah, but I don't have to like it," Logan growled. He looked over at Rogue. "No, I can't take the chance." He turned back to Remy. "Looks like it's all yours, kid."

Remy nodded. "What do you want me to do?"

"Start stripping." Logan doubled the belt in his hands.

Rogue decided she didn't want to stay around for this and got up to leave.

"No, you don't," Logan stopped her, pointing at the bed. "Sit down. You can't get spanked yourself right now, but you can witness his."

"Is that fair under the new policies?" Rogue asked dubiously.

"You can check the laws and procedures later -- right now, I don't care," Logan said frankly. "This isn't between you and the Institute. This is between you two and ME. I'm your father, and yeah, I'm talking to you, too, Cajun. I love you both and this is a personal family matter and I'm well within my rights to whale the tar outta you." He snapped the belt between his hands. "Clothes off, Remy, or they're coming off the hard way -- in shreds."

Remy pulled off the duster and passed it to Rogue. She met his eyes briefly and hers filled with tears when he gave her an encouraging wink.

"Don't stop there," Logan told him grimly. "You were happy enough to take it all off and do the deed. You're gonna pay for it the same way."

They watched as Remy removed his shirt. Rogue watched as well, feeling more nauseous by the moment. She loved Remy for wanting to do this but half of her wished fervently that Scott and Lance would return, having changed their minds about going out in favour of confessing all. And what if Remy was WRONG, and it wasn't that pair at all?

Remy hesitated briefly. He had taken everything off except for his underwear, and he didn't intend to go any further without a directive from Logan. He glanced toward the burly X-Man and waited.

"Keep going," Logan said grimly.

A dismayed squeak came from Rogue, but Remy gave no reaction. He slipped off his underwear and met Logan's eyes.



part 169

"I don't know, yo," Todd said as he and Longshot walked down the hallway together. "There's something in the air today -- all the adults have disappeared. Not that that's necessarily a BAD thing in theory, but it's givin' me the creeps."

Longshot nodded, glancing around. "All the kids have gone into hiding, I think. Maybe something is happening that we should know about."

The sudden distinctive sound of a leather belt meeting bare skin was heard behind the bedroom door they were passing. Both boys jumped.

"Uh oh," Todd murmured. "That's Remy's room, yo. Wonder what he did."

"Pietro will know," Longshot said.

"What are we waitin' for then?" Todd bounded over to Pietro's room and hopped in without knocking. "Pietro, you know what's going on out there, man?!"

"Yeah, I know," Pietro said. They all heard another sharp slap of the belt and he winced. "Close the door, will you?"

Longshot pushed it closed. "I don't understand," he said. "Is Remy involved in whatever it is that made the adults disappear?"

"Yeah, sorta." Pietro sighed.

"Are you gonna tell us about it or what?" Todd asked, jumping up to sit on the bed.

"What."

Todd frowned. "What what?"

"You asked if I would tell you about it or what," Pietro replied, turning to look at him. "The answer is 'what'. In other words, I'm not gonna tell you."

"How come?" Todd demanded, then a slow, knowing smile spread across his green-hued face. "Heeeyyy, I get it. This is something REALLY juicy, isn't it?"

"Juicy?" Longshot repeated, puzzled. "Like an orange?"

"Well Pietro?" Todd asked expectantly. Aw, come on, man, talk!"

Pietro could feel the words forming -- he really _wanted_ to tell them -- but he knew the adults wanted to keep it all quiet, and Remy and Rogue probably wouldn't want it spread all over, either. The people who found out, the more chance that their lie would be discovered, and that would not only mean worse trouble for them, but for Scott and Lance, too.

This time, just once, he would keep his mouth shut.

"Todd, you guys oughta go," he said. "I'm not in the mood for company."

"Huh?!" Todd said in disbelief. "You mean you really aren't gonna tell us, yo?"

"That's what I mean," Pietro said. "Please leave me alone, okay?"

Longshot opened the door. "Come on, Todd, let's go."

"Okaaayyy," Todd groaned and hopped toward the door. "But it ain't fair!"

So what _is_? Pietro wondered, wincing as he heard another crack of the belt from Remy's room.

--

Rogue wasn't sure she could take much more of this, even if Remy could. She'd forgotten to count the blows, so she didn't know how many he'd gotten or how many he could expect, and she wasn't even sure if Logan would stop when he reached seventeen or if he was just going to keep going until he tired. And he never would.

Remy was bearing it well. He was bent over at the waist, his hands bracing him against the wall. He hadn't made any outcry, and Rogue had no clue how he was managing to hold out. Her father wasn't holding back, and Remy's bare backside was scarlet and welted.

Logan cracked the belt against Remy's thighs, and finally the Cajun gasped out loud. Rogue saw tears slip down his cheeks.

"Daddy, stop, please!" she begged. Remy would never plead for himself.

"Not yet," Logan said and landed another blow across Remy's thighs.

"Ahh!" the teenager cried out, then clenched his jaw shut. The belt struck him fully across his raw bottom and he lowered his head. Rogue saw a tear drip onto the floor. She heard Remy murmur something in French that caught in a sob. Logan paused for a moment and Rogue wondered what Remy had said. Neither of them seemed inclined to enlighten her.

Logan seemed to debate for a moment whether or not to continue. Finally, he put his belt back on his waist.

"All right, Cajun. We're done."

Rogue ran over to Remy and wrapped an arm around him to help him straighten up. His hands clutched at her as though he wasn't sure he could remain standing without her.

"I love you both," Logan told them, watching them hold onto one another. "I wish I hadn't had to do that, Remy, but you gave me no choice. You're more streetwise than any of the kids we've got here, and they admire you. This could go either way if they find out -- either they think you're the coolest thing to hit town, or they think you made a big mistake and they don't want to end up in your position. That's why I was so severe with you. Like it or not, you've gotta think about how things you do affect not just yourself, but everyone. This one's going to affect Rogue for sure, and she's as responsible as you are. But it's going to affect Pietro big time. You think he's not going to feel hurt that you two did this and left him out? And NO, I'm not saying you should have included him -- I'm saying you shouldn't have done it at all!" He folded his arms. "Then there's what I was saying about the other kids. If they find out about this, it'll affect everybody. So you're not to tell anyone why you were punished, got it? And you're NEVER to do this again until you're grown up and out on your own and I don't have to know about it!"

"Yes, Daddy," Rogue said.

Remy nodded in silence, not meeting Logan's eyes. The older X-Man went over and took the boy's face between his hands, gently forcing him to look at him.

"I'm angry, Cajun, but I _do_ love you. Don't forget it."

The look in Remy's red and black eyes was heartbreaking. Logan frowned slightly. Why was he looking at him like that? Hadn't he heard him?

"Remy?" he prompted. "Say something, kid."

" Je suis désolé," Remy said earnestly.

Logan nodded slowly. "Okay," he said. "Let's just never repeat this. I don't want to do that again."

The teenagers watched as Logan left.

"If this _does_ come up again," Rogue began, "I say Lance and Scott are on their own."

--

Logan ran into Mystique as she was starting up the stairs. "There you are!" she said. "We were wondering what was taking so long. Is Rogue all right?"

Logan took a sniff of the air to make sure no one was in the direct vicinity and lowered his voice. "We've got a problem, Raven."

"I can see that," she said, studying his face with concern. "You look like you've been through the wringer. What happened?"

He ran a hand over his face -- he _really_ didn't want to tell her this, but had no choice. "It was Rogue and Remy. They had sex."

Logan swore the colour in Mystique's face faded to a lighter blue. "You're not serious?" she said breathlessly.

He nodded grimly. "'Fraid so. I just gave the Cajun a whipping he won't ever forget, but we've got to give Rogue a pregnancy test before we can punish her."

"They didn't use protection?" Mystique squeaked.

"They did, but I don't trust it. I want to know for sure."

She slumped against the banister. "God, Logan … what were they thinking? I mean, all right, I KNOW what they were thinking, but good grief! They must have known we'd find out!"

"We might not have if not for Batman," Logan said. "I'm not sure he even did us a favour -- there are some things I'd almost rather NOT know about."

"I know what you mean." Mystique sighed. "But like it or not, we're responsible for teaching these kids right from wrong, and there is NOTHING right about having sex at their age. And what if Rogue IS pregnant?!"

"Then things get much, much worse," Logan admitted. He put an arm around her. "Come on, let's go tell the others the bad news."

"You mean I don't even get a shot at them myself?" Mystique asked indignantly. "There are a few things I want to say, even if I can't lay a hand on them!"

"After Rogue clears the test, you can deal with her all you want," Logan told her, steering her firmly toward the Library. "But right now, let's go talk to the others."



part 170

"Sure, I mean it! This place is all ours, perfectly safe, and it's gonna be a rippin' party!"

Tim looked toward Kon-el sharply. "Who said we're having a party?!"

"Just a minute, Cassie. Rob's here and he wants to say hi!" Kon-el pushed the phone receiver into Tim's hands. "It's Cassie, say hi," he told him sweetly.

Tim covered the receiver. "This isn't going to work, Kon," he hissed, then spoke into it. "Hi Cassie ... Yeah, it's nice to hear your voice, too ... Oh, you know, the usual ... Party? Well, not really --"

The receiver disappeared from his hand and he heard Bart's voice behind him. "Hey Cassie, is Rob telling you about our party?" he said enthusiastically. "It's gonna be GREAT! We're far enough away from other houses that we can pump up the music full-blast and no one will care! And there are no grown-ups to boss us around and tell us to stop--"

Tim tried to grab the receiver back, but Bart always moved it just out of reach at the last moment. "Oh definitely invite them! Yeah, Cissie's gotta come, and Lobo --"

"Lobo?! Are you CRAZY?!" Tim exploded.

"Lighten up, Rob!" Kon-el told him cheerfully. "We've got it made here, my friend! Justice League are going to keep their noses outta our business, and we're gonna throw a party like this town has never seen before!"

"Uh-huh, right," Tim said. "And have you forgotten Sabretooth?"

"What about him?" Kon-el asked. "He doesn't really want to be bothered with us, you know. I'm betting he ignores us totally."

"I wouldn't take THAT bet on a bet!" Tim told him.

"Aw, what do you know?" Kon-el scoffed.

Tim shrugged. "Maybe nothing. But you're the one who is always reminding me that I was trained by the world's greatest detective. You might think that somewhere during my apprenticeship I'd have learned how to read people."

Kon-el considered that while Bart moved from the couch to the floor to the chair to the desk, sitting or laying or lounging wherever appropriate, changing positions every two seconds while continuing to chat on the cell phone.

"HEY, Cissie! I didn't know you were there with Cassie! What a cool surprise! ... Yeah, we're having a party! It's going to be a blast!"

Kon-el looked from Bart to Tim. "Okay, so even if Sabretooth doesn't like the idea of a party, he can't exactly stop us from having one, can he?"

"I think he can quite easily," Tim replied.

Kon-el frowned. "Well, maybe." He grinned slowly. "Buuut only if he finds out about it!"

"How could he not with Bart planning to blast the music out of the stratosphere?"

Kon-el threw up his hands. "I don't know, man! All I DO know is that we're gonna have this party and you're gonna have fun if I have to clobber you!"

Tim grinned. "Oh yeah, THAT sounds like a ton of fun. IF you could lay a hand on me."

"Aw, come on, you know I was just kidding," Kon-el mussed Tim's hair. He could still hardly get used to seeing Robin without his mask, or calling him by a 'real' name. It was going to take a while for that to become _normal_ to him.

"Sure, bring them, too, definitely! The more the merrier!" Bart declared into the phone from the kitchen. He sped back into the living room balancing a soda and a large bag of chips along with the phone. "Oh, I don't know, it's some old phrase Max likes to use …Yeah, there are a lot of kids near here -- the X-Men! Sure, I think they'll come, too, why wouldn't they?"

"There goes your secret party entirely," Tim said wryly. "If the X-Men kids come, the X-Men grown-ups won't be long in finding out where they went."

"Aw, so what -- I wanted Forge here anyway," Kon-el said with a smile. "Besides, it'll be kind of fun for our old friends to meet our new friends."

"We aren't really FRIENDS with the X-Men yet, Kon -- we hardly know them."

"We will by the time we have the party."

Bart covered the receiver with his hand. "Hey, yeah, while you're on the subject, when IS the party? Cissie and the others will need some time to get organized and come here and all."

"Tell them to take their time," Tim told him. "We won't be able to have it until next weekend if you want the X-Men here. They have a heavy schedule during the week."

Bart turned back to the phone. "Friday night, Ciss!"

"Whoo-hoo!" Kon-el cheered. "Par-TY! Par-TY! Par-TY!"

Tim shook his head. His friends' enthusiasm was infectious. Maybe the party was the worst idea since cigarettes, but he still found himself secretly looking forward to it.

--

Remy didn't want to move. He was hurting all over, with the most intense pain centering in the heat of his backside. He'd glanced over his shoulder to assess the damage and then was sorry he had. It looked as bad as it felt.

"Remy?"

He turned his head toward the door and saw Pietro peeking in. "Come in, chere," he told him. The speedster was kneeling by the bedside in a second.

"Man, Remy, your butt looks like raw hamburger," Pietro said helpfully.

"Merci," drawled Remy in a wry tone.

Pietro assumed a shamefaced look. "Sorry about that. It just looks so bad, I feel awful for you."

"I do not feel so good for me, either," Remy admitted. He was laying face-down and naked on the bed, not caring about his exposure. He hurt far too much to care, and in more ways than one.

"Where's Rogue?" Pietro asked, looking around.

"She was called to de Lab for a pregnancy test," Remy said with regret. "After it is done, dey will find out she is not pregnant and den she will be punished, too."

Pietro sighed. "I hate this, Remy," he murmured, his voice trembling. "I hate seeing you guys get hurt like this when you didn't DO anything."

"Ssh," Remy told him, reaching out to brush a finger across his pale cheek. "Do not speak of it -- we can not risk dat someone will hear you. T'ings would get so much worse if dey do."

"I know, but …." Pietro struggled to keep tears from filling his eyes, but one more glance toward Remy's tortured bottom made it impossible. The tears welled and spilled over. "First you … and then Rogue …."

Remy decided this was worth moving for. He propped himself up on one elbow and reached over to slip an arm around Pietro, pulling him down for a one-arm embrace. "Do not cry, chere. We have been through worse, both of us."

"It _will_ be worse, Remy. Just like you said, if they find out --"

"As long as Scott and Lance kept quiet, dere is no reason why dey should," Remy told him, kissing his wet cheek. "Be brave. Rogue will need you."

Pietro nodded and sat up straighter, wiping his eyes. "At least there's one thing I can do for you guys. As soon as Lance and Scott get back, I can tell them what's going on so they don't do anything stupid, like confess."

Remy relaxed at that. "Merci beaucoup. I was worried."

"You can count on me," Pietro promised, and sped out of the room to stand watch on the front porch. Remy lay back down and tried to send silent vibes of support to the Southern girl they loved.



part 171

Rogue didn't think she could stand the wait any longer, and yet she never wanted it to end. Hank was checking the results of her pregnancy test, and she already knew how THAT would come out, which would at least make her pacing father happy.

Unfortunately those results would be the equivalent of declaring open season on her butt.

She thought about Remy, and how brave he was during his terrible punishment. She doubted she would be that brave.

"Rogue."

She looked toward the Lab entrance and saw her mother with her hands on hips, and a decidedly not-happy look on her blue-skinned face.

Now she knew for sure -- she definitely wouldn't be as brave as Remy.

"Hi Mama," she said weakly. Logan nodded toward his mate, then went back to pacing.

"Any results yet?" Mystique asked her daughter tightly as she approached.

"Should be soon," Rogue replied.

Mystique stopped in front of her. "I just want to know one thing, Rogue. Where was your BRAIN?! How could you do such a thing? We trusted both you and Remy!"

"If ya trusted us so much, how come he was the first person called down to the Library?"

"Would it make more sense if we had called Longshot?" Mystique countered. "Come on, Rogue. Remy is no innocent."

"Maybe not, but he ain't no slut, either!" Rogue snapped. "And neither am Ah!"

Mystique sighed. "I know that, Rogue. I don't think that of you _or_ Remy. But you admitted yourselves that you did it THIS time, and we trusted you!"

There wasn't anything Rogue could say to that, so she lowered her gaze to the floor and studied her shoes.

Hank came into the waiting area. "Ah, Raven, you're here, too."

"Did you think I _wouldn't_ be?" Mystique asked. "Do you have the results?"

"I am the bearer of glad tidings," Hank told them with a smile. "Rogue is assuredly NOT pregnant."

Her parents' sigh of relief was audible. "Thank God," Mystique said.

"Rogue, I thought YOU would look happier about this," Hank remarked.

She managed a weak smile. "There IS a downside, Hank."

"Speaking of which," Logan said, giving Rogue a significant look. Mystique followed his gaze and nodded.

"Okay, let's go to your room, Rogue," she said. "Thanks, Hank," she called over her shoulder as she headed out the door. Rogue pushed herself up off the sofa and trudged after her.

--

Pietro zipped from one side of the porch to the other and back again. He had already done this nearly a thousand times since he'd been outside, with the occasional dash to the front gate to see if Lance's jeep was coming down the road. He was feeling really anxious now -- it couldn't be much longer before Rogue was punished. If Lance and Scott got home first, they might stop it … but that would be bad for Remy, who might get punished again, and then Rogue would be punished anyway. There was no winning in this situation for his boyfriend and girlfriend, but he at least wanted to make sure Lance and Scott didn't mess things up worse.

The sound of a motor drawing near caught his attention and he sped back down to the gate. The jeep was coming! Pietro opened the gate for them and they drove through. He ran ahead of them to arrive in the garage first.

"Hey Pietro," Lance said, looking at him curiously as he got out of the jeep. "Is something wrong? You look a little freaked."

"That's an understatement," Pietro said, looking from Lance to Scott, who walked over to stand beside his boyfriend. "I needed to catch you before you went inside -- a lot has happened."

Scott and Lance exchanged a concerned look. "Okay, so tell us," Lance said.

"Remy figured out that it was you guys that the adults were conducting the manhunt for," Pietro told them. "He decided you two keeping your affair going was more important than his own hide."

Scott paled. "What do you mean?"

Pietro folded his arms. "I mean that Remy and Rogue decided to take the fall for you, Loverboy. And you are NOT to tell anybody anything different, got it? It's Remy's call."

"Whoa, hold it, time out!" Lance interrupted. "Are you saying Rogue and Remy took the blame for something WE supposedly did --?"

"No 'supposedly' about it," Pietro said evenly. "You guys had sex, right?"

Scott went from white to scarlet and Lance yelled, "PIETRO!"

The slender boy waved his hands. "Look, whether it's true or not, I don't care. I just want you to know that was what Remy figured out, and he didn’t' want you guys punished for doing what comes naturally, y'know? So keep your mouths shut or you'll get them in even bigger trouble."

He sped off and left the two older boys staring at each other.

"I can't believe this," Scott breathed. "How could things have gone this far?"

"Because WE went too far?" Lance joked. Scott gave him a deadpan look. "Sorry."

"We have to do something, Lance!" Scott said firmly.

"Yeah, we do," Lance told him. "We have to act like we don't know anything."

"Lance!"

"Scott, you heard Pietro." Lance put his hands on his shoulders. "We CAN'T do anything or it'll get worse for Rogue and Remy!"

"That's ridiculous!" Scott argued. "You went through this with Kitty and the beer! Didn't you learn anything from that?!"

Lance's brown eyes met his blue ones through the glasses. "Are you willing to tell the Professor what we did, Scott? THINK about it!"

The X-Men leader fell silent. _Could_ he walk up to the Professor and admit that he'd broken the rules, his trust, and the morality code he'd tried to instill in him? Could he tell his mentor, the man he loved like a father, that he had completely disregarded his teachings and set such a bad example for the younger recruits under his charge? He closed his eyes. Just the thought of his teacher's resulting disappointment hurt beyond words.

Lance hugged him. "I'm sorry, man. Just … maybe we should talk to Rogue and Remy before we decide anything, okay?"

Scott nodded reluctantly and the two of them went inside.



part 172

*WHAP!*

Rogue grimaced, clamping her jaw shut to keep from crying out. When she got up that morning she'd never expected to be facing the carpet at close range again so soon after the last time.

*WHAP!*

And OH, how she hated that antique hairbrush!

"I don't enjoy doing this, Rogue," Mystique was saying grimly. "It's for your own good." *WHAP!* "You got lucky not getting pregnant this time -- you might not be so lucky again." *WHAP!*

I don't FEEL lucky, Rogue thought, a grunt escaping as the brush descended forcefully on her bare backside once again. The only comforting thought was that her mother couldn't keep this up for longer than fifteen minutes without her bracelet running out of time and her power kicking in. Of course, after fifteen minutes of this, she might never sit down again in her lifetime.

*WHAP!*

"AAAHH!" Rogue couldn't keep from crying out anymore and the tears she'd held back spilled over.

--

Scott and Lance both stopped at the top of the stairs, hearing Rogue's shriek. "Oh Lord," Scott murmured.

"Come on," Lance said, steering him away toward the boys' rooms. "Let's check on Remy." They went to the Cajun's bedroom door and knocked.

"Come in."

They stepped into the room and closed the door. Remy was wearing only a robe, standing by the doors to his balcony. His expression was impossible to read.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?" he asked.

"Pietro told us what's been going on," Lance said. "Rogue is being spanked right now."

Remy nodded and shrugged. "We made a choice. I stand by my decision -- she will, too."

"Remy, you two didn't have to DO this for us!" Scott told him. "We'd never have asked it of you or anyone!"

The Cajun looked at him and smiled. "I know you would not. Consider it a gift, not a favour."

Scott glanced toward where the other boy's clothes lay over a chair and looked him up and down. "I'm afraid to ask how bad it was."

"Den don't," Remy advised him. "I did not do dis just to make you suffer through a description of the results. Forget what has happened. I will be fine."

"How can I forget it?" Scott asked miserably. "I feel terrible about this!"

"Why should you?" Remy inquired. "I _confessed_, Scott. I was not blamed unjustly -- I told dem I did it. Dere is no one responsible for my condition but me."

"Did you get the belt?" Lance asked seriously. Remy met his eyes and nodded.

Scott groaned. "God, Remy …."

"Thank you," Lance told the younger boy earnestly.

"Lance!" Scott exclaimed.

"You are welcome," Remy said to Lance, then looked at Scott. "You listen to him -- he understands. Your relationship is new, you do not need to have it condemned so soon."

"And Rogue?" Scott pressed. "What about HER sacrifice? We haven't exactly been her favorite people lately -- why should she do this for us?"

Remy shrugged. "It was her choice, as it was mine."

Scott shook his head. "I appreciate what you both did, but I can't let this go on. I have to tell the adults the truth, no matter how hard it is."

Remy looked back out the glass doors. "If you do dat," he said slowly, "dey will know we lied. It will all be for nothing."

"He's right, Scott," Lance told him.

"But it isn't RIGHT, Lance!" Scott protested. "Maybe their punishment is over, but all the adults will believe they had sex when they didn't. That just isn't right."

Remy snorted softly. "Dat is hardly de worst thing anyone ever thought about me, Scott. Do not let it worry you so much."

"What about ROGUE'S reputation?!" Scott cried. "Doesn't she care?!"

"If she did, she would not have agreed to dis," Remy told him.

Scott looked frustrated, and Lance put an arm around his shoulders. "Come on, Scott," he said gently. "Let's just accept the gift they've given us and move on. We'll pay them back somehow, when they need our help."

"I hate this, Lance," Scott murmured.

"I know you do, but you'd hate the disappointment on the Professor's face more," Lance reminded him. He nodded to Remy gratefully and took Scott out of the room. They both stopped abruptly. Rogue was coming down the hall, sniffling and rubbing her backside. She looked up at them, startled.

"Rogue," Scott said, his voice thick, "I -- I don't know what to say."

She glanced over her shoulder to make sure her mother hadn't come out yet. "Just don't blow it for us," she told him. "Please." She moved around him and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door.

"Come on." Lance urged Scott to keep moving toward his room. Numbly, the X-Men leader obeyed.

--

Dinner was a strained affair. The kids who didn't know what was going on could tell something was up and only a few of them knew what it was. None of the adults were very talkative, either. However, Remy and Rogue looked very uncomfortable when they sat down and they ALL knew what that meant. Finally, Kurt put his fork down and looked around the table. "Okay, WHAT happened?"

Logan looked at him. "What do you mean, Elf?"

"Come on. SOMETHING big happened here today, and it started with that unscheduled training session with just us kids and all you grown-ups disappearing. When do we get to hear the big secret?"

"I'd like to know, too, yo," Todd chimed in. "I tried to get it outta Pietro, but for a change he wouldn't open his mouth!"

Pietro focused very hard on his plate, ignoring the looks he received at that. It surprised the onlookers enough that he would let a remark like that pass by.

"Is something wrong?" Jeanne-Marie asked, frowning. "Whatever it is, we did not do it." Her twin nodded his agreement with that.

"You aren't in trouble, Jeanne-Marie," the Professor assured her. "There was a situation earlier that had to be dealt with and it is now over with. There's no reason to discuss it further."

"I can think of a reason," Wanda remarked.

"And what's that, Daughter?" asked Magnus.

"We don't know what it IS!"

Several of the kids began talking at once, trying to prod the adults for information and being firmly cut off. Mystique was glad that Kurt chose to probe Logan for answers instead of herself -- she was still not in a great mood after what happened with Rogue. As she turned back to her dinner, her gaze fell on Scott and Lance and something struck her as odd. They were the only two kids who didn't already know what was going on who weren't pestering them for clues. In fact, they seemed to be trying to ignore everything going on around them. She wondered if Remy, Rogue, or Pietro had filled them in on all of it already.

"Okay, that's ENOUGH!" Logan shouted suddenly and the table fell silent. "Kurt, knock it off, and that goes for the rest of you, too! The Professor just told you that it's over, it doesn’t concern you, and that's the END of it, capiche?! The next one who brings it up is going to bed without supper and if you don't think I mean it, just try me."

No one said a word. Some of the kids pouted, but went back to eating without further argument. Logan gave a satisfied nod and continued eating as well. Mystique saw Scott and Lance exchange a glance that seemed to speak volumes between them, and yet she didn't understand it. She hoped they _hadn't_ learned the truth -- the last thing they needed was the two eldest boys getting it into their heads that having sex at their age was a viable option.



part 173

"All right, everyone," the Professor said during the Thursday tutoring session at the Institute. "We'll break for lunch and be back here in an hour."

Kon-el waited until the Professor had left the room, then hopped up to sit on the table. "Guess what ladies and gents? You are all invited to a party at our house tomorrow night!"

Jeanne-Marie's eyes lit up. "C'est vrai? A party?"

"Uh, sure," Kon-el said uncertainly. "How old are you kids?"

"We are thirteen," Jean-Paul told him.

"Well ... okay. Sure, you can come."

"Kon," Robin warned.

"Aw, come on, Rob, what's the diff? Bart's only fourteen, and he's a co-host!"

"We are very mature," Jeanne-Marie claimed seriously.

"I sure hope so," Kon-el told her. "Because this is gonna be a wild party!"

"Sounds like fun," Wanda remarked.

"Yeah," Forge said uneasily. "Uh, Kon, you didn't happen to mention this to my father or anything, did you?"

"Think I'm crazy?" Kon-el grinned.

"Only if you DON'T tell him," Forge said firmly.

"You've gotta be kidding, Forge," Wanda remarked, leaning back in her chair. "Sabretooth would never okay a party."

"Then maybe they shouldn't have it," Forge insisted and turned back to Kon-el with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like a wet blanket, I'm just worried about you guys. You KNOW what my father can be like."

Kon-el gave him a lopsided grin and put his hands on his shoulders. "Don't worry so much. If your father finds out, we'll deal, no problem."

Forge looked at him in skeptical amusement. "And what colour is the sky in YOUR world?"

Robin chuckled. "I've been telling he and Bart they're crazy all week, but they're insisting. They've even invited friends of ours from out of town."

Forge looked alarmed. "How big is this party going to BE?"

"Depends on how many of the X-Men wanna come." Kon-el shrugged. "They're all invited, anyway."

"Yay!" Longshot cheered.

Forge didn't say anything else as the others cleared out of the room, but Kon-el could tell he was still worried. He put an arm around his shoulders.

"Hey, come on. You have to relax or you won't have any fun at the party at all." He paused. "You _are_ going to come, aren't you? I was hoping you'd be my date."

Forge gave him a reassuring smile. "Of course I'll go, but I'm kind of in a spot. I can't go anywhere without Victor knowing where I'll be, and in this case I can't tell him the truth." He lowered his voice, blushing. "I _really_ don't want another switching, Kon. The welts haven't faded from the last one."

"You don't have to lie to him, Forge -- just don't tell him the whole truth," Kon-el advised. "If he asks where you're going, tell him you'll be at our house and reassure him that all three of us will be there so he doesn't think you and I are up to anything." He winked.

Forge grinned. Over the last few days, he and Kon-el had spent much of their free time getting to know each other better. Victor hadn't said anything about it, but Forge knew he'd been keeping his eye on the situation.

"You think that will work?" he asked the other boy.

"You're the genius, you tell me!"

Forge laughed. "Okay, you're right. Victor won't punish me just for attending your party." He patted Kon-el on the shoulder. "On the other hand, _you_ three will be dead meat if he catches you."

"Why?" Kon-el asked cheerfully. "It's not like we're breaking any rules or doing something he told us not to do."

The Indian shook his head. "You're talking normal grown-up logic. Victor doesn't care much about structure or black and white rules -- he cares about common sense and honesty."

"What's more honest than a party?" Kon-el said, spreading his arms wide. "A bunch of friends getting together to let loose and be themselves!"

"Remember that argument when he catches you," Forge advised.

--

Rogue closed her locker and started down the hallway, hugging her books to her chest. She stopped at the water fountain and got a drink. When she straightened up, she noticed her mother, in her usual school guise of Principal Darkholme, talking to Hank a little further down the hall. She thought about the last several days since the revelation of she and Remy's supposed affair. Her mother had barely spoken to her, and when she did, she never met her eyes. Her father was no better, and she'd seen them both act the same way with Remy. The other adults would look at them, but nobody ever smiled when they did so. Not even the Professor.

They had been punished, but instead of that clearing the slate, it seemed to have done absolutely nothing.

The only good thing was that none of the other kids had found out what happened; except of course, for Lance and Scott. She knew they still felt terrible over the whole thing -- Scott's guilt was especially easy to see when he talked to her. But there was nothing any of them could do about the situation now.

"Rogue?"

She turned to find Kurt studying her. The dark eyes of his holographic image showed concern. She forced a smile.

"Hey Kurt, what's up?"

"Can I talk to you for a few minutes? It's important."

"Sure," she said, although something told her it was a bad idea. She followed him to a more secluded corner of the hallway between two rows of lockers and turned back to him. "What's on yer mind?"

"Well, actually … you are," Kurt replied, shifting the books in his arms. "I know you haven't wanted to talk about why you were spanked last weekend --"

"Would YOU want to remember something like that?"

"No, but it's just kind of weird," Kurt continued. "The adults have been acting funny around you and Remy, and Pietro is defensive all the time, and Scott hardly talks to anyone except Lance, and … and you're miserable, Rogue." He met her eyes sincerely. "I can FEEL it."

Damn, she thought. As much as she loved Kurt, she didn't always think about the fact that they were twins until situations like this one, when extreme emotions kicked in. She should have known that a sensitive kid like Kurt would not only feel her pain, but see the other changes that had taken place in those around him. And there was nothing she could tell him to ease his concern, nothing!

"Ah'm sorry, Kurt," she said honestly. "Ah still don't want to talk about the circumstances, and it wouldn't help, anyway. We all just have to wait until it blows over."

"Will it?" he asked pointedly. "Ever?"

"Ah sure hope so," she sighed, but couldn't see it happening anytime soon.



part 174

Forge looked at Victor across the dinner table and decided that if he planned to go to the Young Justice party, he had to say something now.

"Victor," he said, "is it okay if I spend the evening next door?"

Victor glanced up. "Next door at the Institute or next door at Young Justice Headquarters?"

"Young Justice," Forge answered. "All three of the guys will be there."

"You're sure about that?"

"Absolutely," Forge told him. "I knew you wouldn't let me go there otherwise."

"All right then," Victor conceded. "So long as you're back by curfew."

"Okay, thanks!" Forge said, trying not to sound _too_ eager. It was going to be kind of embarrassing, having to slip out of the party before everyone else, but it was better than not going at all.

--

Lance leaned in Scott's doorway after dinner. "Did you decide whether or not we're going to the party?"

Scott looked at him in the mirror where he'd been combing his hair. "You want to go, don't you? I figured we were."

Lance shrugged. "Yeah, it sounds like fun. I just wasn't sure if you'd want to since we can't tell any of the adults where we're going."

Scott paused. "I know, and I can't lie about it, either."

The other boy grinned at him. "How about this? We tell them we're going somewhere else, and we actually go there for about an hour -- like the club. Then we can go on to the party, and it won't have been a lie."

Scott chuckled. "You're an expert at getting around adults, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't say 'expert', but I've got a knack for it, yeah," Lance told him with a smile. "So what do you say?"

Scott put down his comb. "Sure, okay. Club first, party later."

Lance was relieved. He'd noticed how Scott had been pre-occupied all week, and was glad to be able to get him out socializing again.

--

Forge could hear the music before he reached the back door of Kon-el's house, but it wasn't so loud that he figured Victor would suspect anything other than normal teenagers turning their music up like usual. He knocked, then after a couple of minutes he tried again, this time pounding a little harder.

The door swung open and Kon-el grinned at him. "Hey there! I'm glad you came -- you got away okay?"

"Yeah, I just did what we said and told Victor I was coming but all three of you would be home." Forge stepped inside. "Who else is here?"

"So far, just X-Men. Our friends from out of town haven't arrived yet, but it shouldn't be long. Want something to drink?"

"Sure, what do you have? And you'd better not say 'beer'."

Kon-el laughed. "With Robin around, are you kidding? Anyway, we don't need that stuff to have fun, right?"

Forge smiled. "Right."

Once they got into the living room, Forge saw that most of the X-Men were there already. In fact, the only ones who weren't there seemed to be Scott and Lance.

"Hi Forge!" Kurt greeted, a Pepsi in one hand and a piece of pizza in the other. "I wasn't sure Grandfather would let you come!"

"He doesn't exactly know about the party, but I can't believe he'd object TOO much if he knew," Forge said, sipping the root beer Kon-el had given him. "He knows all the kids here, at least so far, and there's no alcohol or anything like that--"

"MAKE WAY FOR THE TOP TEEN!"

Forge nearly jumped out of his skin as some kind of strange flying motorcycle with a large skull at the front of it zoomed past his head.

"Lobo, don't bring that thing into the house!"

"Hey, watch out for the lamp!"

*CRASH!*

"Bart, quick! Open the door!"

*Zwip!*

*ZOOOOM!* "YAHHHOOOO! Be right back, kiddies!"

Forge and Kurt exchanged a grin. It looked like the party was about to get a lot wilder.

--

Scott laughed as Lance swung him around then dipped him. "You idiot, stop it!"

"Why? You can dip me next time," Lance told him good-naturedly as he helped him upright and gave him a kiss. "I don't know about you, but I'm having enough fun here that I don't even care if we go to the party."

"Same here," Scott said as they walked over to the snack bar and ordered a couple of drinks. Mutations was as busy as ever, and Scott was once more surprised to find out how many teenage mutants there were in town who WEREN'T X-Men. He studied the crowd, wondering about the various individuals and what their powers might be.

"Good grief!" Lance said suddenly and elbowed Scott, nearly making him spit out his mouthful of soda. "Is that a WOMAN?"

Scott followed his boyfriend's gaze to the entrance of the club, where a very tall, very muscular mutant had just entered. The shape of her chest and hips showed that she was indeed female, even though her bulging biceps and thighs might have said otherwise. She was completely bald, with beautiful bronze skin, but as she turned her head, the boys noticed she had harsh, animal-like features. She wore strange eye make-up that reminded Scott of the ancient Egyptians they'd studied in school.

"She's not pretty but she's certainly … exotic," Scott commented.

"I wouldn't want to arm-wrestle her," Lance admitted.

Just behind the bronze-skinned woman a petite girl swaggered into the club. She wore black leather pants and a matching jacket. Her hair was platinum blonde and cropped close to her head. She had six earrings in each ear, an eyebrow ring and a nose stud.

"What is this, freak night?" Lance commented.

"Hey, we're all mutants, we're all freaks," Scott chided.

"Yeah, well, some are more freakish than others. And she might not be a mutant -- look."

The bouncer had stopped the leather-clad girl and looked as if he might keep her from going inside. She said something to him in annoyance, but he looked firm. She called out to the large woman, who stopped and turned back.

"She's with me," she said to the bouncer. He held her gaze for a long moment, then let the blonde girl continue into the club.

"Well, that was fun entertainment," Lance commented, draining his drink. "Want to dance some more?"

"Sure, " Scott said, eyeing the newcomers warily. "But let's give those two a wide berth, okay?"

"No kidding," Lance said wryly, taking his hand and heading out onto the floor. "I wouldn't want either one to fall on me. One would crush me and the other might pierce me with some of her jewelry."

Scott laughed in spite of himself and began dancing again with Lance. He didn't notice the petite blonde eyeing them as she took their place at the snack bar.

"It's him," she murmured.



part 175

Robin wound his way easily through the crowd in their living room that was spilling out into the rest of the house. Their old friends and their new friends seemed to be mixing nicely, except for Lobo, whom everyone tried to avoid, himself included.

"Hey Robin, is everything all right?"

He turned to smile at the ethereal girl named Greta whom they tended to call 'Secret'. The X-Men had been a little freaked at the sight of her, but then she was pretty much a living spirit whom they considered a friend.

"Am I that transparent?" he asked her with a rueful smile.

"No, that would be me!" she joked. "But seriously, you look like you're thinking a little too hard for a party."

"You'll laugh at me," Robin said, then sighed. "I was just wondering if I should slip out for a short patrol."

"In the middle of a party? No way! Kon would never let you forget it." Secret gave him a reassuring smile. "Look, if it's really bothering you, why don't you send Impulse out to do a quick run around the city? It'll take him all of one second and that way neither one of you has to miss much of the party."

"That's a thought," Robin said. "Thanks, Secret."

"No problem. Now come back to the party, talk to Impulse, then dance with me."

Robin grinned. "Okay, let's go."

--

"Avalanche!"

Lance started at the sound of his mutant codename and Scott did a double-take as well, because it had come from the petite blonde with the piercings. The two boys watched her approach, getting a good look at her eyes for the first time. They such a pale blue only the faintest tinge of colour was visible. The muscular woman followed her, but kept a respectable distance -- close enough to hear, but far enough to give the illusion of privacy.

"Do I know you?" Lance asked the blonde.

"Not yet," she said. "We came to find Magneto."

Lance looked at Scott, who frowned slightly. "What makes you think I know where he is?" Lance said finally.

"You were working for Mystique, weren't you? And she was reporting to Magneto."

"Yeah, but that was a while ago," Lance said, wondering how she could have known that. "Magneto has retired sorta."

"Retired?" The girl frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"He's with the X-Men now," Scott told her. "So is Mystique for that matter. And the Brotherhood."

"And Sabretooth," Lance chuckled. "I didn't realize until just now how crazy this all sounds."

"Crazy doesn't BEGIN to cover it," the girl said, still looking confused. "You mean Magneto isn't trying to lead mutants in his crusade anymore?"

"There IS no crusade," Scott said gently. "He came to his senses and wants to help people now."

The girl looked back at the big woman who shrugged. The blonde swore under her breath. "Well, this is just great! We finally get here to help him and he's turned traitor!"

"Hey, look," Lance said, "I don't know who you are, but if you want, you can come home with us and talk to him. If you've got nowhere else to go, you can stay, too."

"Stay with the X-Men?" The girl gave a harsh laugh. "Well, if Magneto has given up and there's no more hope for the cause, I guess we'll just have to fill our time some other way. I'm sure even a hick town like Bayville can be a lot of fun, given the right circumstances." She turned to leave, then looked back at them. "Oh, and as for who I am, you can call me Rebel."

She and the large woman left. Lance glanced at Scott wryly. "So … does that make her a Rebel _without_ a cause?"

Scott smothered a laugh. "This isn't that funny, Lance. She and her friend might be about to start some trouble."

"What can two of them alone do? And the blonde's not even a mutant -- you saw what happened at the door."

"But why would she want to fight for mutant rights by Magneto's side?"

Lance shrugged. "I've seen it before, Scott. Even in vampire movies, you get human hangers-on, wanting to be part of the winning side when they know their own kind doesn't have a hope."

"I guess that's true," Scott admitted. "Anyway, I think we ought to go home and tell Magnus about this -- he might actually know who they are."

"They aren't gonna take over the world tonight," Lance said, pulling Scott into his arms. "Let's enjoy what's left of the evening and tell him when we get back."

Against his better judgment, Scott allowed Lance to take him back onto the dance floor.

--

Out in the parking lot, Rebel folded her arms and pouted. This really bit the big one. Here they were counting on offering their services to Magneto, who was the closest thing to a mutant God any of them knew, and just when they'd found him, he'd gone out of the evil overlord business. How annoying was THAT?!

She meant what she'd said, though. If they couldn't make a difference to the mutant world with Magneto, they could at least have some fun aggravating the X-Men until something better came along. At least then they would have some real credentials to offer the next mutant who decided to take over the world.

"Animal," she said, looking over at the large woman, "find their car."

The Egyptian paused, sniffing the air. She threaded her way gracefully between the parked vehicles until she came to stop by a red convertible with a white stripe down the hood. "This one," she said.

"Hitch a ride," Rebel told her. "Find out as much as you can about the X-Men and whoever is with them now. I'll get home on my own and update the others."

Animal began to shrink, going from well over six feet to inches in moments and then even smaller. Her shape changed along with her size and by the time she was through, nothing resembling her human self seemed to remain. A common housefly buzzed into the air from the pavement. It flew into the car and crawled under the front seat.

Satisfied, Rebel turned and headed for the bus stop. She decided that first order of business tomorrow would have to be getting a car. She hated public transport.

--

Impulse blinked a couple of times and wiped the front of his yellow goggles. He had agreed to go out on a patrol at Robin's request and had been passing by Mutations when he caught sight of a strange pair standing by Scott's car. He was on the other side, peering around the edge of a mini-van, when he saw the big woman start to shrink. He couldn't hear what the blonde was saying -- the music coming from within the club was too loud for that -- but she was definitely talking, even though it looked like the other woman was gone. When the blonde left, he zwipped over to the opposite side of the car. Yep, the big one was gone all right, so who had the little one been talking to?

Oh well, after all this _was_ a mutant club, and even Kurt could disappear when he wanted to. Nothing so strange about that. He sped off down the street to continue with his patrol.


part 176

The pretty girl with long blonde hair smiled when she saw Impulse appear in the living room right in the midst of the party. "Bart, you're back!"

"Was I gone that long?" he asked.

"No, I was just wanting to dance with someone and Lobo's the only one free right now." She took his hand and began to dance. Impulse grinned and joined her.

"I'm glad you came, Cissie. It's been a long time since we've seen any of you."

"Well, that's your fault. You're the guys who left." Cissie spun around, spinning Impulse with her. He laughed.

"Does your mother know you're here?" he asked.

"Are you kidding? You know I tell her as little as possible. Right now she thinks Arrowette is on an all-nighter, guarding a bank that was rumoured to be robbed tonight."

"Let me guess -- you started the rumours, right?"

She looked at him with admiration. "Who said you're not the brains of this outfit?"

"Probably Kon -- he thinks he does it all alone," Impulse said, not realizing that she wasn't really asking him a question.

"Outta the way, Bigfoot -- I wanna dance with Arrowbabe!" Lobo muscled his way in between the two of them. Cissie rolled her eyes and backed off a couple of steps, signaling to Impulse, who vibrated through Lobo and took up dancing with his partner again.

"Awww," Lobo groaned. He turned and saw Forge all alone over by the refreshment table and sauntered over. "Hey there, pretty boy. Feel like a dance?"

"He sure does -- with _me_." Kon-el took Forge's arm and steered him away, giving Lobo a look over his shoulder. "Try Cassie or Secret."

"Already did!" Lobo complained.

"Then try Robin."

"Try sitting on your thumbs, Superjerk," Lobo snapped. He watched them walk off, then shrugged. "Okay, if I can't have fun with a date, I guess it's time to break out the _real_ refreshments and make my own fun by seeing how stupid THEY can all get ...." He slipped a flask out of his shirt and watched for an opportune moment to spike the punch.

--

Scott and Lance came out of Mutations with their arms around one another. Scott stopped in the parking lot and turned toward his boyfriend, kissing him warmly.

"Mmm," Lance responded, running his fingers through Scott's auburn hair. "That was nice."

"We've got to go home," Scott said reluctantly, then kissed him again. "Soon."

Lance chuckled throatily and reluctantly disengaged himself. "Keep it up and 'soon' will mean tomorrow morning." He took Scott's hand and squeezed it. "Come on -- at least we're going back to the same house."

Scott smiled and they went to the car and got in.

--

Although she had assumed the body of a housefly, Animal's mind was still entirely her own, and she recognized the boys' voices before they opened the car doors. She remained under the front seat as they started the engine and began the drive home.

The night was cool, and the open top didn't warm things up any. Animal's fly form wasn't made for cool weather, but she figured she wouldn't have to maintain it outdoors for very long, so she didn't bother changing to something more hardy.

She was right about the length of the trip -- she heard one of the boys make a comment about nearing home shortly before the cold began to bother her.

"Geez, listen to that music at the Young Justice house!" one of them commented. "I'm surprised Sabretooth hasn't charged in there yet."

"Just as well we're going home, I guess," the other remarked. "Hope nothing's going on over there."

"Other than a party? I doubt it. You worry too much, Scott."

"You knew that when you laid me."

"SCOTT!" laughed the other boy so hard he nearly choked. The one named Scott was laughing, too.

"Sorry. I can't believe I said it, either."

"Is that _my_ bad influence showing on you?" the other's voice had gotten husky now, and even through the bad vision of her fly eyes, Animal could see his feet shift slightly on the car floor, as if he were leaning toward the driver.

"Lance, if you'll hold on about two minutes you can do that _without_ having me run us off the road."

A resigned sigh. "Okay, but it's gonna be a damned long two minutes …."

When the car finally came to a stop, Animal flew out from under the seat. Her eyes gave her the multiple-image impression of the two boys necking.

"We'd better go in," the one she now knew as Scott said reluctantly. "We still have to talk to Magnus."

"Okay, Mr. Responsibility, but I don't think those two are going to be much of a threat," replied the other one -- Lance -- as he got out of the car. "Now that they know Magneto is out of business, they'll probably just go back where they came from."

"I hope you're right," Scott said, getting out himself. He left the garage with Lance and Animal followed them.

The instant the front door opened she buzzed gratefully inside. The temperature was much more fly-friendly in there.

"There you are," a gruff voice said as a short, burly man walked into the foyer. "Where have you two been?"

"The club," Scott said. "We told Hank we were going there."

"Oh yeah, he mentioned that," the man said. "Are the others there, too? Everyone seems to be out tonight."

"They aren't there," Lance said. "But we ran into a couple of Magneto groupies you guys may want to know about."

"Troublemakers?" the man asked warily.

"Not sure yet," Scott replied honestly.

Animal settled on a light fixture, out of sight. No one said anything for a few moments until Lance ventured, "Uh, Logan? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I guess," the man growled. "I thought I caught a stray scent, but it's probably someone the two of you brushed up against at the club -- pretty faint, anyway. Come on -- Chuck's doing a sweep with Cerebro, you can tell him about your groupies."

Cerebro? That sounded promising. Animal buzzed after them, alighting on the back of Lance's shirt. The man named Logan was leading them, so she would be downwind if she stayed toward the rear. Even in fly form she could sense someone with power not that far off her own, and for that Logan was best avoided. For now.


part 177

Duncan stopped his car in front of the Institute and looked at Kurt. The younger boy hadn't spoken a word to him since they left the party at the Young Justice house. "Okay, you're mad."

"Ja, I'm mad!" Kurt exclaimed, turning to him accusingly. "We were having fun! We were dancing and eating and getting to know all those new kids -- why did you make us leave already? And what were you telling all my friends that made _them_ leave, too?

"You know that weird-looking guy with the white skin?"

"Pietro?"

"NO, the muscular weird-looking guy! Bobo or something like that." Duncan sighed. "I saw him spike the punch."

Kurt stared at him. "_What_? Why didn't you say something?"

"I did. I said something to all your friends and they decided to leave before things got messy. I thought you'd be happy about that."

"Well, I _am_, but Forge is still there!"

Duncan shrugged. "I couldn't talk to him -- he was with Superboy and Wonder Girl."

"You should have told _them_, too! What if Young Justice drinks that punch?!" Kurt shook his head. "Mein Gott … the thought of Impulse hyped up on booze is frightening!"

"I didn't want to ruin their _entire_ party," Duncan said defensively. "They should get the idea when they realize most of their guests left all at once!"

Kurt gave him a sideways look. "Once they start drinking the punch, I don't think they'll care."

--

Lobo smiled to himself. This was working out even better than he'd hoped, even if half the people had mysteriously disappeared before the fun could start. There had been several fast-paced songs in a row, and almost everyone left was made thirsty as a result. They drank some of the punch, and not long afterwards, started going back for more. After that, a few things changed.

The music got cranked up even higher. Cassie and Forge were both trying to dance with Kon-el at the same time. Bart was zwipping around the room non-stop, dancing with everyone or no one, depending on who paid him attention. Cissie divided her time between dancing with Bart when he popped in front of her and pouring fresh drinks for everybody. Robin was dancing alone -- on top of the coffee table.

"Lobo," Secret said as she floated down beside him, "what's wrong with everyone?"

"Nothing's wrong, Greta. They're just having a good time." He grinned innocently. It didn't quite come off.

She gave him an intense look. "Lobo, what did you do?"

He shrugged. "Livened things up with a little al-kee-haul."

Secret groaned. "Oh no! I was wondering why all the X-Men left -- they must have suspected! We have to DO something!"

"Yeah, let's dance!"

Secret put both hands over her face.

--

Victor frowned and looked up from his newspaper. The bass of the music coming from next door was starting to bother him now, they must have turned it up. He glanced at the clock and was surprised to realize that it was just past Forge's curfew.

Well, he thought as he threw down the paper and got to his feet, at least this way he could kill two birds with one stone. Well, one bird, one speedster, one egomaniac, and one inventor, anyway.

--

"Come in, boys," Professor Xavier said to Lance and Scott as they followed Logan into the Cerebro room.

"Find anything new, Professor?" Scott asked, walking over to look at the screen.

"All of the new activity seems to have taken place in or around Mutations tonight, which is hardly unusual," the Professor told him. "With all the patrons being mutants, and many of them with powers that are turned 'on' at all times, I'd be surprised if there _weren't_ any new signatures in that area every day." He removed the helmet that was connected to the console and paused, frowning. He looked around the room as if searching.

"Something wrong, Chuck?" Logan asked.

"No, everything is fine," he said out loud, but mentally he spoke only to the three of them. "I sense another presence in this room -- be careful what you say."

The boys glanced at each other. "Uh, we met a couple of unusual people at the club," Scott remarked out loud. "They were looking for Magneto -- they knew Avalanche used to work for him."

"Do they mean Magneto harm?" the Professor asked.

"No, they wanted to _join_ him," Lance said dryly. "A little late for that."

"Indeed. You should tell Magnus -- he might know of them."

"We will," Scott said.

The Professor put Cerebro's helmet back on and turned to the console once more. He began focusing his energies on scanning all mutant signatures in the Institute alone. The other children were all home from the party, and he picked up on them one by one. Then there was Mystique … Hank … Magnus … and finally, those in the room with him.

Her image came up on his screen. Her name was Neva. Her codename was Animal. And she was in the room.

Lance opened his mouth to say something when he saw her picture on the screen, but Logan shook his head in warning.

"This woman is in here with us," the Professor said to the three of them mentally, studying the data on the screen. "She can transform into any kind of non-human creature, be it warm or cold-blooded."

Logan sniffed the air. He could smell that faint scent he'd caught in the foyer. "Whatever she is, she's small," he thought back at the Professor.

"Logan says she's small," he relayed to the boys' thoughts. "For all we know, she's no bigger than a flea."

"Considering her real size, that's some accomplishment," Lance couldn't help thinking.

Animal sensed that something had changed in the atmosphere of the room and decided she wanted a better look at the screen. She flew off Lance's shirt and buzzed toward the console.

Logan and the Professor both focused on the fly at once. "Chuck?" Logan queried.

"Yes," he said.

Quickly, Logan slapped both hands around the fly, capturing it between his palms without crushing it. They heard it buzzing angrily from within.

"Man, I don't believe it!" Lance exclaimed, staring at Logan's hands. "That's really that huge woman in there?"

"Her name is Neva," the Professor told them. "An Egyptian name -- first heard in Cleopatra's time. It was the name of her favorite servant."

"Yeah, well, this one has all the earmarks of 'lackey', too," Lance remarked. "She stood back and let the one named Rebel do all the talking, just sort of loomed behind her like a bodyguard."

"Considering the size of her body, sounds like a good move," Scott said. "What are you going to do with her?"

"Take her outside," Logan replied, and left the room. The boys followed.

Logan didn't stop until he'd walked all the way down the driveway to the street outside the gates. Then he opened his hands.

The fly buzzed several feet away before alighting on the ground. Then it began to grow and reshape back into the large bald woman that the boys had met in the club.

"Nice try," Logan told her and popped his claws. "But from one animal to another, this ain't a place to go snooping around. As you can tell, you won't get far, no matter what shape you take. And next time I won't be so nice about letting you go."

The dark eyes decorated with Egyptian make-up bore into his for a moment before she turned and ran off down the road. Before she was out of sight, she seemed to disappear, but an owl swooped up into the air from where they'd last seen her.



part 178

When the hell had all THIS happened?!

Everywhere Victor looked were kids, and those kids were rip-roaring drunk. He could smell it in the air, he didn't even have to get close to them.

And Forge was one of them.

He ignored the others and made his way over to where his son had Kon-el by one arm and some girl he didn't know was hauling away on the other arm. Kon was too drunk to mind, even though it looked to Victor like the girl was probably hurting him. He stopped by Forge and put a hand on top of his head. His son looked up.

"Victor?" he asked.

"Who ELSE would it be?" Victor demanded. "You didn't tell me when you came over here that there was gonna be a party going on! And a party with booze at that! You're in big trouble, kid!"

"Booze?" Forge said in confusion. "No booze, just punch, see?" He pushed a cup of the stuff up under Victor's nose. He didn't have to taste it to smell what was in it.

"That stuff is SPIKED, Forge!" he told him. He grabbed the boy by the chin and looked into his eyes. "I can't tell right now if you knew about it or not, but we'll get into that once you're sober. In the meantime, go home. Right NOW." He gave the Indian a shove toward the door. Wisely, Forge did as he was told.

"Yay! Now I have you all to myself!" declared the girl that had been sharing arm-pulling duties with Forge on Kon-el. He hugged her closely and looked around blankly.

"Where'd Forge go?" he wondered out loud.

"Never mind Forge -- worry about your own backside!" Victor told him, and tried to forcefully separate the pair. He was surprised to find he couldn't. "Oh for --!" he snapped. The girl must have super-strength like Kon-el. Not that his own strength was anything to be ashamed of, but he wasn't allowed to rip their arms off to get them apart.

"Hey, who're you?"

Victor turned to find a weird demon-like kid with white skin and spiky black hair glaring at him. His eyes were red and had no pupils. "I'm Sabretooth," Victor told him with a growl. "Who are YOU?!"

"Formerly Lobo, the Main Man, now L'il Lobo, the Top Teen." The weirdo grinned at him.

"How come YOU don't reek of alcohol?" Victor demanded as he tried repeatedly to grab Bart as the boy ran by. He didn't even come close. "Stand still, you insect!"

"I don't need to drink to have a good time," Lobo replied with a shrug. "Can't say the same for this bunch, though. Things were pretty dull until they started downing the punch."

"Where'd all these kids come from?" Victor complained, snatching at empty air again as he missed Bart for the twentieth time. "Who's that girl with Superboy?"

"Who, Wonder Bra?" Lobo asked, then yelped as Cassie threw her shoe at his head.

"That's Wonder GIRL, you jerk!" she yelled.

"Okay, Wonder Girl," Victor said firmly. "Let go of Stupid Boy and get outta here -- the party's over!" He turned to face the others. "That goes for all of you, go HOME!"

"Well, it was fun for a little while," said a female voice from above Victor's head. He looked up and was startled enough to stagger backwards.

"What the hell is THAT?!" he asked incredulously.

"I'm Secret," the mist-like figure of a pretty girl told him as she floated down to hover beside Lobo. "I'm sorry I couldn't stop them from drinking the punch -- it was too late by the time I found out."

Victor decided he'd figure out how this girl could exist later. Right now he had to finish booting out the extra kids and killing the remainders. "Okay, whatever, just get out of here," he told Secret.

"Are the others in trouble?" she asked worriedly. "They didn't know about the punch being spiked when they drank it.'

Victor looked at her sharply. "How do you know that?"

"Because I told her," Lobo said proudly. "I'm the one who spiked it."

Victor slowly turned toward him. "YOU'RE the one who got my kid drunk?! And without his knowledge?!"

The look on Victor's face should have been enough to frighten most intelligent beings. Lobo simply grinned at him. "Yep."

Every instinct Victor had told him to rip this little brat to shreds, but he couldn’t very well do that anymore. Taking on Forge and hooking up with the Institute, while it didn't _completely_ put shackles on his way of doing things, forced him to think before he attacked.

"You've got exactly ten seconds to get out of here," Victor hissed. "If you're still standing here after that, I'll assume you _want_ to be hurt."

If anything, Lobo's grin widened.

Secret dove in between them. "Lobo, get out," she told him.

"No way!" he exclaimed. "I haven't had a decent fight in ages! If this bastich wants to be fragged, I'm gonna --"

"What you're going to do is LEAVE with me!" she told him. "Or I'll just possess you and MAKE you leave!"

Lobo frowned. "Heyyyy, that's not fair!"

"You've caused enough trouble for Robin, Kon, and Bart," she said, and Victor saw her arm go solid, as if that part of her was alive. She grabbed Lobo's bicep and began steering him toward the door, calling behind her, "Come on, Cissie! Cassie! We have to go now!"

"Y'know, i could break free of this hold real easy," Lobo told her casually.

"If you do, you might hurt me," she said. "You really want to do that?"

Lobo frowned and threw a glare over his shoulder at Victor. "This ain't over, ugly! Next time I'm in town, you and me got an appointment for some serious fraggin'!"

Victor had no idea what 'fragging' was, and didn't much care. He was just glad the troublemaker was leaving. He grabbed the other two girls, who hadn't listened to their friend's call, and propelled them none-too-gently toward the exit. "Get out of here!"

"Hey, jerk, watch it or I'll shove an arrow up your butt!" one of them threatened.

"Yeah, yeah," he said in a bored tone and slammed the door behind them. Now all he should be left with were the Young Justice boys.

One of whom had just leapt onto his back.

"How dare you treat the girls that way, you villian!" Robin was declaring as he yanked on Victor's long hair. "We won't let you get away with it!"

"Hey, that hurts!" Victor snapped, and reached back to yank Robin off his back. At the same time, he felt a breeze wash over him and suddenly his ankles came together and he threatened to overbalance. Something hard hit him from behind and he toppled over.

"YAAAY!" he heard three drunk teenage voices cheer. "Young Justice triumphs again!"

"I can't believe I ain't getting paid for this," Victor muttered into the carpet.



part 179

Victor was not impressed.

Immediately after clearing out the party guests and being hogtied by Young Justice, he realized Bart was fast-feeling the effects of the alcohol as it rushed through his hyper-accelerated system. As a result, he'd gone instantly from drunk to hung over, announcing the change by abruptly throwing up on Victor. He'd managed to break free from the bonds they'd tied around his wrists and ankles, then spent half an hour holding Bart's head as he vomited into the toilet.

Bart was feeling better after that, but both Kon-el and Robin were still drunk, and had begun a shoving match in the living room in his absence that was escalating into a food fight. Victor got in between them only to be hit simultaneously with a cup of spiked punch and a bowl of onion dip. Between that and what Bart had done to him earlier, his sensitive nose was starting to suffer.

"Okay," he said darkly, "you three are going to go to bed. Right now. I'm going to come back here in the morning. I don't care if the place is cleaned up, I don't care if it EVER gets cleaned up. You're the ones that have to live with it. But God help you if you aren't here when I come back tomorrow. Now GO!"

To their credit, even drunk, Kon-el and Robin realized that Victor had reached his limit and high-tailed it out of there. Bart was gone before they'd even moved.

Now he had to go home and make sure Forge was in bed.

--

Rebel looked up as Animal walked into their motel room. "Hey, how'd it go? What'd you find out?"

"That sneaking into that place will be better accomplished when Professor Xavier is not at home," she replied. "I wasn't in there five minutes before they threw me out."

"Don't tell me Xavier knew you were there?" Rebel said in surprise.

"We didn't realize he'd be powerful enough to pick up on a mind the size of a fly's," Animal admitted.

"Oh well, don't worry about it," Rebel said easily. "Bullseye might be able to get in soon, and don't underestimate Dazzle, either."

Animal sniffed. "I have a hard time taking THAT one seriously."

"He's over the top, but he knows his stuff," Rebel assured her.

"Well," Animal said as she sat down, "I did learn one thing. Those two boys we met at the club -- they're lovers."

"Oh really?" Rebel looked interested. "How do you know?"

"They spoke of it in the car."

"Well, what do you know?" Rebel chuckled. "And here I thought the X-Men were supposed to be so clean cut! Good work, Animal. We may not be able to take over the world, but at least while we're here we can have some fun at the X-Men's expense."

--

"No, I've not heard of either of them."

The Professor sighed and put down his book. "Well, they certainly know you. The boys say they came to Bayville just to find you."

"And they said that I was out of the world domination business. Yes, they told me." Magnus left the doorway and crossed to Charles' bed. He sat down on the edge. "Is it all right if we don't talk about that just now?"

"Is there something else you wish to talk about?" the Professor asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact there is." Magnus placed his hand over Charles' and met his eyes. "And I've wanted to discuss it for a long time."

"Magnus," Charles said with a warm smile, "what kept you?"

"Trying to find five minutes alone with you in this house has proved to be a challenge." Magnus' eyes twinkled. "Fortunately, there are few children who would dare violate the sanctity of your bedroom." He began leaning toward Charles when a knock came at the door.

"Professor? It's Scott. May I come in?"

"Except THAT one," Magnus sighed and smiled resignedly. The Professor squeezed his hand.

"Come in, Scott."

The teenager walked in, stopping abruptly when he saw Magnus in his robe sitting on the bed, holding the Professor's hand. "Uh, I, um ...."

"Speak up, boy," Magnus told him good-naturedly. "No one is going to bite you."

Scott's face was red. "I just wanted to say I was sorry if Lance and I led that woman here. We should have been more cautious."

"It wasn't your fault, either of you," the Professor told him. "Neither of you are psychic, nor do you have heightened sense of smell or any other way of knowing that she was with you. And she did no harm, so don't worry about it."

"Okay," Scott said, looking between the two of them uneasily, "um, goodnight." He took off down the hall, leaving the door open. Magnus went over and shut it, chuckling.

"It would appear that the children are as uncomfortable with intimacy between adults as we are when it happens between them."

Charles' eyebrow lifted. "Are we going to be intimate, Magnus?"

"You're the psychic," the other man smiled as he removed his robe, "what do you think?"

--

"Scott, are you all right?"

The X-Men leader paused in the hallway to look at Rogue, who was watching him curiously. "Yer face is redder than a ripe tomato!" she added.

Scott ran a hand through his hair. "I just wasn't expecting to find Magnus in the Professor's bedroom this late."

Rogue was wide-eyed. "What were they doing?"

"Nothing ... well, holding hands."

"Aw, that's sorta sweet. Ah'll bet he stays there tonight."

"Probably." Scott paused, then looked at her. "How are things between you and your folks?"

Rogue shrugged. "They're about the same, Ah guess. They aren't openly hostile or anything, just kinda … distant."

"Rogue, why don't you talk to Remy? Get him to let us come clean about what happened --"

She shook her head firmly. "NO, Scott. We've been over this. My parents will come around. They ain't even married themselves -- they shouldn't be throwing stones over this. And now the Professor and Magnus --"

"Yes, but you know they'll just say that they're adults so it's okay," Scott said. "I'm worried about you two."

"Don't be, we're fine." Rogue patted his arm. "Either go to bed or go visit Lance -- he'll probably find that blush charming."

"Har har," Scott said as she walked away giggling. He hoped she was right, but even if she was, he still felt guilty knowing they were all living a lie. The question was, could he live with that guilt forever?

A pair of strong arms encircled him and he smelled Lance's cologne as the other boy kissed his neck. Forever? Maybe not. But thinking about it further could wait until morning, at least.



part 180

"So you two are leaving, huh?" Logan said to the Beaubier twins at breakfast Saturday morning.

"M'sieur le Professeur thinks we are ready to go back to Massachusetts," Jean-Paul said.

"And you're going today?" Todd asked.

"Oui," said Jeanne-Marie. "Right after breakfast we are to pack and then we will go." She looked at the Professor. "Will Forge be coming by before we leave?"

"I'm afraid not," he said. "Victor called earlier -- it seems there was a party over at the Young Justice house that got a little out of hand, and Forge is hung over." He searched his students' faces. "He said none of you were there when he arrived, but I know better than to assume you didn't know about the party."

Remy cleared his throat. "Most of us were there, Professor, but we left when we were informed that the punch had been spiked."

"I'm glad you showed that much foresight, Remy, but I am not pleased that you all attended a party without our knowledge," the Professor said. "Since no harm was done and none of you stayed to drink, we'll overlook it this time, but next time we want to know if you're going to be at a party, understood?"

The kids all nodded except for Todd, who looked thoughtful. "Professor," he said slowly, "you think maybe I could go to Massachusetts, too?"

"You mean to visit Fred?" he asked.

"No, to stay. At least to try it out."

Everyone looked startled. "Todd, you're kidding!" Lance said. "You wanna leave us, too?"

"I don't wanna leave, yo," Todd said. "But I've really missed Freddy, especially since I haven't been allowed to even talk to him, and yeah, I know that's my own fault, but I still miss him. And I know he misses us." He shrugged. "I just don't think he should be the only Brotherhood member out there, y'know?"

"Hey, no fair!" Kurt said. "Who am I going to play tag with all over the Institute who can keep up with me like you do?"

"We weren't playing tag, Fuzzball! We were fighting!"

"Ja, but the only things that ever got hurt were our surroundings ...."

"Sounds like you'll save some on insurance if he goes, Chuck," Logan joked.

"Todd, of course if that is your wish you may go," the Professor said. "But we will all miss you."

"That's for sure." Mystique leaned over and kissed the top of his head, then frowned. "When was the last time you washed your hair?"

"Uhhh, when was the last time Shades made me do it?"

Mystique wiped her mouth and smiled wryly. "Well, I'll still miss you."

"So will I," Longshot said softly. Todd looked at him helplessly.

"You don't know how hard it is to give you up, yo. I'll probably never have anyone as gorgeous as you pay attention to me again. But as fun as it's been, I haven't been able to forget about Freddy and ... I just think I've gotta try this."

"I understand," Longshot said with a sad smile. "You'll keep in touch?"

"You bet! At least I'm allowed to talk to _you_!"

"Just make sure you get Ororo's permission before calling here, Todd," the Professor suggested. "Or you'll end up with the same problem all over again."

--

Well, isn't THIS a lot of fun, Victor thought as he held Forge's head while his son got sick. He loved the kid, but seeing as he'd already been through this earlier with Bart, he wasn't feeling very charitable anymore. Still, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity over Forge's sobbing.

Apparently, this was the Indian's first hangover and it had hit him hard. He'd awakened complaining of a nuclear meltdown occurring in his head, followed instantly by projectile vomiting -- on Victor. They'd both been in the bathroom for almost an hour, and it looked like things were finally slowing down. Forge was pretty much just dry-heaving now.

"Okay, kid," Victor said as he wiped Forge's face with a cloth and gave him a glass of water. "Go back to your room -- I'm gonna clean up some and then I'll go in and we'll talk."

Forge was too worn out to do much more than sniffle as he made his way out of the bathroom. Victor cleaned up the room then himself, taking a much-needed bath while at the same time giving Forge time to think now that he was sober.

By the time he went back to Forge's room, he saw that his son had also done some cleaning up and was sitting on the bed hugging a pillow, looking at him guiltily.

The blind was still drawn, so Victor went over and raised it. Forge groaned and buried his face in the pillow.

"The headache will last you longer than the nausea," Victor told him. He went to stand next to the bed and folded his arms. "Well?"

"Do I remember you saying in there that I was drunk?" Forge asked quietly.

"No, today you're hung over. Last night you were drunk. So were Young Justice."

"I'm sorry, Victor. I … I don't know how it happened. There wasn't any alcohol at the party, I promise, but … I guess there's no way to convince you I'm telling the truth."

"You're telling the truth as YOU know it, but the truth is that the weird-looking pasty-faced kid spiked the punch."

"Pietro?"

"No, the other pasty-faced kid. With the red eyes."

"Oh! Lobo. Kon said he hangs around with them and helps them sometimes, but he's usually more trouble than he's worth."

"I believe it," Victor replied.

Forge gave him an uneasy look. "So how much trouble am I in?"

"I ain't blaming you for the alcohol. You didn't know about it." Victor met his gaze directly. "BUT you didn't tell me when you went over to that house that there would be an unchaperoned party going on, and I don't think it came as a surprise to you."

Forge shook his head, averting his eyes.

"That's a lie by omission, kid, and a lie is a lie. I oughta bust your tail for it."

Forge hugged the pillow tighter. He didn't cry, but looked like he wanted to. Victor put his large hand on the boy's head.

"Relax," he said. "Not this time."

The teenager looked up in relief. "Really?"

"Yeah," Victor told him. "I'm not happy about what you did, but I don't think you're gonna do it again. And you're not getting off scot-free, either. You're grounded for the weekend, and I don't want you even sticking your big toe past the door, you got it?"

"Yes," Forge said. He dropped the pillow and knelt so that he could hug Victor where the man stood. "Thank you."

Victor knew his son was still feeling physically lousy enough that he didn't particularly want to go out anyway, and Forge was grateful for the excuse and the reprieve. He hugged him back.

"You ever get drunk deliberately and we'll be having a very different conversation," he warned. "In the meantime, get some rest. I've gotta go yell at your friends next door."



part 181

Bart looked around and nodded with satisfaction. The house looked decent again, and it had only taken him a second or two for the entire clean-up. He knew Sabretooth was coming over soon, and although he remembered him saying he didn't care about the house being clean, he figured the fewer reminders of the party there were the better.

From the condition of his two roommates, however, forgetting the party would take a little longer.

"Dear God, someone SHOOT me!"

"Gladly, if it'll make you shut UP!"

"Hey guys?" Bart asked, sticking his head around the edge of the hallway. "Anything I can make you for breakfast?"

A batarang and an alarm clock embedded themselves in the wall next to his head.

"Guess not," he said, and zwipped back to the kitchen. A pounding on the front door caught his attention.

"Bart, knock it OFF!" his friends yelled, then groaned in unison.

"Wasn't me!" he replied and sped for the door, but Victor was already walking in.

"Well, YOU look normal enough ... for you," he commented.

"I'm fine," Bart said. "Should I not be?"

"How are your buddies?" Victor headed for the bedrooms.

"They're sick, both of them. I think they caught a bug or something." Bart followed him.

"They're not sick, they're hung over," Victor growled. "You were, too -- don't you remember?"

"I remember being sick, but not hung over," Bart answered. Victor whirled to face him and the boy jumped back instantly.

"You were HUNG OVER!" Victor snarled. "You threw UP on me!"

"B-But I didn't drink ...."

Victor held up a hand. "Don't start -- I want the others here so we don't have to go through this three times." He strode into Kon-el's room. The teenager was face-down on the bed, his pillow over his head. The shade was drawn and the room was dark.

Just as he had with Forge, Victor first went to open the shade. Kon-el gave a groan from under the pillow.

"Bart, pull that shade back down or I'll yank out your tongue and wrap it around your throat."

"It's not Bart," Victor said. "Get up and come out to the living room in two minutes or I'll drag you there and trust me, you won't enjoy that." He went back into the hall and saw that Robin had already apparently come out of the bathroom but hadn't made it any further. He was laying on the carpet at Victor's feet, wearing nothing but his mask.

"Good grief," Victor muttered and went into the boy's room. He returned with a robe, which he wrapped around him and lifted him into his arms. Robin creaked an eye open and gasped at the frightening face so close to his own.

"Relax, it's Victor. You know me."

"Yeah," Robin said and rubbed his eyes, careful not to knock the mask off. "God, I feel like hell."

"Good, you deserve it." Victor put him down on the sofa. "Bart, come sit here with him, I'm gonna go get Superbrat."

Bart sat down and studied Robin. "You look awful."

"Thank you. I feel almost that good."

Victor went back to Kon-el's room. The boy hadn't moved a centimetre.

"All right, have it your way." Victor reached down and took hold of Kon-el's right ankle, then headed back to the living room.

"What the -- HEY!" Kon yelled as he was dragged backwards off the bed and across the floor. He scrabbled for purchase with his hands but couldn't grab hold of anything until he caught the door frame.

Victor felt the resistance and looked down to see what Kon-el was doing. He gave a yank, but the boy's super-strength kept him anchored, even in his sick and weary state.

"Okay, kid, you can keep hanging on, but I'm gonna keep pulling. Now something is gonna separate and I'm betting it'll be your arms from your shoulders, what do you think?"

"You can't hurt me like that, I'm invulnerable!" Kon-el snapped.

"Oh yeah?" Victor let go of his ankle. "I guess your head is invulnerable, too, huh?" He let out a deafening animal roar that made not only Kon-el whimper in agony, but Robin do the same in the living room.

"Get up and follow me or next time I'll actually do it LOUD," Victor told him and went to the living room. Kon-el was there a few moments later, glaring daggers at Victor. The mutant pushed him onto the couch with Robin and Bart.

"Okay, now we're gonna talk about last night," Victor said, then looked at Robin in annoyance. "Will you take that mask off already, Tim? Batman already told me your name when it was agreed I'd be looking after you."

Tim pulled off the mask. "I had it on for the party and just forgot about it," he said and rubbed his eyes. "God, I can't wait until this headache goes away."

"You'll have to, and I might make it worse in a minute because there's going to be some yelling," Victor warned. "First of all, what made you think you could throw a party WITHOUT telling me and WITHOUT any chaperones?"

"We thought of it because if we'd told you, you would have said no," Bart answered honestly.

"Then can you give me a good reason why I shouldn't spank all three of you for being underhanded? Or for having a party rowdy enough for everyone to get drunk?"

"I don't know HOW we got drunk," Tim said in confusion. "There was no alcohol here --"

"Yeah, there was," Victor said. "Your buddy Lobo spiked the punch."

Kon-el looked at Tim. "Remind me next time we see Lobo that I want to break all his teeth."

"Only if I get to feed them to him," Tim replied wryly.

"What can I do?" Bart asked.

"You can run for help for your two friends here if they ever THINK about letting that Lobo kid back in this house," Victor told him.

"We didn't let him in anyway, he just invited himself, like he usually does," Kon-el said.

"Listen, Mr. Creed," Tim said seriously. "I'm sorry about the alcohol and what Lobo did -- I hope you believe that we'd never have given alcohol to other kids or had any ourselves. We're supposed to be heroes and uphold the law."

"Yeah, but even heroes screw up -- I hear the X-Men do it regularly themselves."

"But you believe us about the alcohol, right?"

"Yeah, I believe you," Victor said. "But that doesn't excuse trying to sneak a party past me. If you hadn't had the party, or at least had a supervised one instead, Lobo would never have made it to the punch bowl and MY kid wouldn't have gotten drunk!"

Kon-el looked suddenly concerned. "How _is_ Forge?"

"Grounded," Victor told him. "So don't bother trying to call him or see him until Monday."

"So you didn't spank him," Kon-el said in relief.

"No. His only mistake was not telling me you were having a party. I think grounding him is enough for that."

"Then it should be enough for us, too, right?" Bart asked hopefully.

Victor considered that. He _really_ didn't like the involvement of the booze, but these boys weren't the ones responsible for that. On the other hand, as he'd said, if there'd been no party, or if they'd at least had a chaperone, it wouldn't have happened. Still, was that enough reason to spank them?

"Doesn't matter to _me_," Kon-el muttered to Tim. "He can't hurt me, anyway."

The way Victor's sharp gaze pinned him said clearly that he'd heard that remark.



part 182

"Get up," Victor told Kon-el in a dangerous tone.

The blue-eyed teenager felt a chill run through him at the look on Victor's face. He glanced nervously at Tim and Bart, both of whom looked suddenly afraid for him.

"What's wrong, smart mouth?" Victor prodded. "You just said I can't hurt you, so what are you waiting for?"

A glint entered Kon-el's eyes and he boldly got to his feet, folding his arms across his muscular chest.

A moment later, Victor had put one foot on the coffee table and yanked Kon-el over his upraised knee. He swung his arm and landed a vicious whack to the teenager's backside.

And he felt it.

"YEOOWTCH!" Kon-el bellowed. "HEY, how the hell did you DO that?!"

"What? This?" Victor whacked him again, harder.

"AAAHHHH!" The teenager struggled to get free, but Victor had him bent over far enough that he was on the tips of his toes and couldn't get any purchase. "No fair! Knock it off!"

"Say 'please' and I'll think about it," Victor told him calmly. *WHACK!*

"OOOOOWWW!"

Bart and Tim stared in disbelief as Victor somehow managed to deliver an obviously painful spanking to the seat of their friend's pants. "I don't get it," Bart whispered, wincing as blows continued to connect. "I thought Kon couldn't feel a spanking."

"So did Kon," Tim said sagely.

"OHHHHH!" Kon-el cried out, not only furious and sore by then, but dangerously near tears. How could this be happening?! Why wasn't his invulnerability working for him?! "STOP, ALREADY!"

*WHACK!*

"OWWWWW! PLEASE, stop! Okay?! PLEASE!!"

Victor stood the boy up and turned him to face him. "You didn't think I'd take on this job and let you escape punishment when you've got it coming, did you?" he asked.

"B-But how?" Kon-el asked, his expression one of pain and confusion. "It's impossible!"

"Your body is invulnerable, kid -- your mind ain't," Victor told him. "I asked Xavier to plant a little mental suggestion in your brain so that any time I spank you, you'd think you were feeling it. Your butt probably isn't even pink, but I'll bet it hurts like the devil, doesn't it?"

"It's all psychosomatic?" Tim asked in surprise.

"If that means it's all in his head, yeah," Victor replied. "It won't work for anyone but me, and ONLY works if I hit him on the butt -- that's as far as Xavier would go. And he got Superman's permission to do it first."

Kon-el rubbed his bottom, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe I didn't really feel that," he murmured.

"You thought you did, that's all that matters," Victor said. "So now maybe you'll think before you open your big yap again, huh?" He pushed Kon-el back onto the couch, and the boy actually hissed when his backside made contact with the seat. "Here's what we're gonna do, kiddies. I don't think I need to spank you for this --"

"NOW he tells me!" Kon-el exclaimed.

"Hey, THAT was for mouthing off!" Victor told him. "And there's more where it came from if you want it!"

Kon-el clamped his lips shut.

"Better," Victor said. "Now like I was saying, I don't think spanking you is necessary this time, but grounding you for more than a day or two is a problem, since your whole 'Young Justice' thing means you've gotta go out and patrol the city for crimes and stuff, right?"

"Basically, yes," Tim answered.

"Okay, so grounding you for any length of time is impossible, but staying in for the weekend should be okay -- the city can live without you for that long. But I don't think just that is enough, so what you're gonna do is call your guardians and tell them what you've done. That oughta do it."

"Aw, grife!" Bart rolled his eyes. "First you tell us that you're not going to spank us and then you say we have to tell our guardians? MY guardian can run here and start spanking me himself before I hang up the phone!"

"That's the chance you take," Victor told him. "But in your case, I wouldn't worry too much -- Mercury never spanked you before, did he?"

"Well, no, but sometimes ideas like these can be catching," Bart said worriedly, glancing toward Kon-el.

Victor shrugged. "That's too bad. I never promised I'd keep your screw-ups a secret. Besides, they oughta know the kind of company you're keeping."

"They know, they know," Kon-el sighed. "Lobo's not exactly subtle. Hey, since I was already spanked, do I have to call Kal?"

"Who's Kal?"

"Superman."

"Yes."

"Crap."

"I'll go first," Tim said resignedly and got to his feet. "And while I'm listening to Batman's forty-five minute lecture on the evils of not being upfront with our stand-in guardian, you guys can take some time and figure out what you're going to say when it's your turn."

"I already know what I'm going to say," Kon-el replied.

"As little as possible?" Bart offered.

"You know it."

"Cute," Victor told them and handed Tim the phone. "Call."

--

"Here we are," Magnus said as he stopped the car on the movie lot and looked at Longshot. "Are you going to be all right today? I know you miss Todd already."

"I'll be fine, I'm a professional," Longshot brushed some of his long blonde hair back behind one ear. "Besides, today's kind of exciting -- our guest star should be here and he'll be filming his first scenes with us. He's a big teen idol." He caught sight of a familiar figure on the set and pointed. "There he is! Rain E. Morning!"

Magnus looked at him in disbelief. "You're kidding."

Longshot giggled. "No, seriously, that's his real name. The 'E' stands for Early."

"His parents must have hated him," Magnus commented, watching the teenager Longshot had indicated. He looked to be older than Longshot, about seventeen or eighteen, and despite being cursed with a stupid name he was really very attractive. With shoulder-length jet black hair and features suited to the idol status he apparently held, Rain also seemed the friendly sort as he joked with the crew. He turned his head at one point and noticed Magnus and Longshot, and instantly headed toward them.

"Hello there!" he greeted, extending his hand. Magnus noticed he was wearing wire-rimmed glasses that somehow added to his attraction rather than detracting from it. "You're Longshot, I recognize you from your photos. Going to be the next big star and give me some competition, huh?"

"I'm trying!" Longshot laughed as he shook Rain's hand. He already liked this boy -- there was no air of movie star pretension about him, despite his fame. "This is my guardian, Erik Lensherr -- we call him Magnus."

"Very nice to meet you, Mr. Lensherr," said Rain. "I'm looking forward to working with Longshot, and don't worry -- I'll show him how to elude the tabloid writers."

"That would be appreciated, young man, thank you," Magnus said. "Although I daresay that when they realize the two of you are performing together they'll probably make up their first story based on a romance."

"Won't be anything new for me -- EVERY movie I've been in they pair me with my co-star," Rain remarked, rolling his green eyes good-naturedly. He smiled at Longshot. "In this case at least they'll be choosing a beautiful partner for me."

Longshot grinned. "Likewise."

"Yes, well, at least we know it's all fabrication in those tabloids, hm?" Magnus gently steered Longshot toward the set. "You'd better get going -- they'll be waiting for you."

The musical lilt of a cell phone ringing could be heard on Rain's person. "Oh, sorry!" he apologized and pulled it out. "It was nice meeting you, sir." He nodded to Magnus. "Longshot, I'll see you in a few!"

"Okay, bye! See you later, Magnus!" Longshot jogged off toward the trailers and Rain moved off several feet to take his call in privacy. Magnus spared him a glance and nod as he passed him on his way to where he would watch the filming. Rain waited until he was gone before speaking into the phone.

"I'm at work, Dawn, what do you want?"

"Don’t CALL me that! Is he there yet?"

"Yeah, just arrived, and get this -- Magneto was with him!"

"Good, you know what to do, Bullseye."

"Leave it to me. I think I'm going to enjoy this one." Rain clicked off the phone and tucked it away, then put a friendly smile on his handsome face and strolled back onto the set.



part 183

Victor watched while Tim dialed the phone. He reached over and hit the button for the speaker so they'd all be able to hear the conversation. Just as quickly, Tim turned it off.

"No," he said firmly.

Victor glared at him. "Do that again and I'll break your finger. I want to hear what Batman says to you about this."

"Look, you're allowed to know MY identity, but not Batman's," Tim told him. "I can't take the chance that something personal won't be said."

Victor growled. "All right, fine."

Tim waited until the phone was answered then said, "Hi Alfred, it's Tim, is he there? ... Huh? ... Oh, um, excuse me a moment." He covered the mouthpiece on the receiver and looked at Victor. "Batman isn't home, he's out of town on business."

Victor muttered a curse. "Okay, fine, I guess we'll have to find another way to punish you then --"

"Uh, not so fast," Tim told him, then spoke into the phone again, "Sorry about that, I'm not alone ... Well, as a matter of fact, maybe you can." Tim brushed back some of his black hair in a nervous gesture. "You know the situation I'm in with Young Justice, right? ... Yes, well, the truth is that the man who is kind of watching out for us here is making me call Batman because of something that happened that he felt he should know about ... Well, we had a party without permission and without any chaperones." Tim shifted uneasily. "Yes, and one of the kids who came spiked the punch and everyone got drunk ... Yes, I was one of them." He bit his lip and sat down on the arm of the sofa. His body language suggested that he expected to be there for a long time as he listened. Kon-el and Bart exchanged a glance, and Victor raised an eyebrow. Whoever this Alfred was, it appeared he might be as capable of scolding Tim as Batman would be. He nodded with satisfaction and sat back to wait.

--

"After we finish this we'll do _your_ car," Lance said as he carefully sprayed water over the hood of his jeep. Scott was soaping up the doors, and as he bent down to squeeze his sponge over the bucket, Lance openly admired his firm, curving buttocks in the blue shorts. To his surprise, Scott turned suddenly, an amused expression on his face.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"I said after we finish --"

"No, _after_ that," Scott told him. "You said something about my butt."

"I said that out loud?" Lance laughed. "Oops!"

Scott threw the sponge at him and Lance ducked to avoid it, holding up the hose. "Careful, Summers, I'm armed and dangerous!"

Scott's mischievous gaze dropped deliberately to Lance's crotch. "You certainly are," he drawled.

Lance dropped the hose. "SCOTT!" he laughed. "I can't believe you said that! Geez, you're shocking me all the time now, boy!"

"Must be YOUR influence," Scott told him with a grin, but his face was burning. Lance went over to him and touched his cheek.

"Aw man, look at this. You embarrassed YOURSELF." He leaned forward and kissed him. "If you can't handle the dirty talk you shouldn't use it. Maybe next time I'll spank you if you do."

Scott gave a short laugh. "And maybe next time I'll blast a hole through your arsenal." He touched the rim of his glasses and looked between Lance's legs once more.

"Ho man, are YOU gonna get it!" Lance warned teasingly and made a grab for Scott, who yelped and dove out of the way, but not fast enough to keep Lance from grabbing his wrist. The Brotherhood leader twisted Scott's arm behind his back and forced him up against the hood of the jeep. Both boys were laughing.

"Yecch, I'm getting wet!" Scott exclaimed.

"Now you're gonna get sore," Lance told him and gave his boyfriend's defenseless bottom a firm swat.

"OUCH! Hey, cut it out, kink-boy!"

"This isn't kink, Summers, this is punishment for being naughty," Lance joked and swatted him again.

"You'd better not be leaving big wet hand prints on my butt, Alvers!" Scott tried squirming out of Lance's grip. They both knew that with his training he could easily get free if he was willing to hurt Lance to do it, but he wasn't.

"What if I am?" Lance swatted him again and Scott felt heat rising in his face all over again. Realizing that embarrassed him more than anything else.

"Okay, Lance, that's enough -- someone might come in."

"Oh, all right, but you'd better behave yourself." Lance helped him stand upright and gave him a roguish grin. "I was enjoying the view, though."

"YOU were enjoying touching my butt!" Scott accused good-naturedly and slipped his arms around the other boy's neck. They kissed deeply.

"Mmm," Lance murmured and gave a mischievous downward glance of his own. "Somehow I don't think I was the only one enjoying it." He kissed Scott again, and they pressed together.

Neither of them noticed the rumbling right away, so intent were they on enjoying their closeness. But the moment the kiss broke off, Scott felt the ground shifting slightly under his feet.

"Lance, stop it! Get ahold of yourself!"

"Huh?" Lance said in confusion.

"Earthquake!" Scott cried, grabbing the jeep for balance as things began to fall off the garage shelves.

Lance realized in horror what Scott was talking about and concentrated on bringing the quake under control. Usually this wasn't a problem, but for a few frightening moments, he wasn't sure he had a handle on it. Then the rumbling began to ease up and finally cease entirely. The two boys stared at each other.

"What happened?" Scott asked.

"I don't know," Lance admitted, his brown eyes confused and afraid. "For a second there, I wasn't sure I could stop it."

"HEY!" Logan yelled as he ran into the garage. "Are you two okay? We felt that in the house!"

"I … I guess it was my fault," Lance said. "Sorry."

Logan looked between the two of them suspiciously. "You two weren't fighting, were you? You know we've got rules about using your powers against each other."

"It was nothing like that, Logan," Scott assured him.

That made Logan wonder exactly what it _was_ like if not that. You never could tell with two kids in a new relationship -- passions and tempers alike tended to run hot, and _something_ had put that blush in Scott's cheeks.

"You know, I think the bike could stand a wash," he remarked. "Think I'll stay out here with you for a while and share your bucket."

"Sure," Lance said. He didn't mind as much as Logan might think he did -- the earthquake had bothered him more than he let on. He'd already had pretty good control of his power before coming to the Institute, and the X-Men training had only helped to hone that and fine-tune it. So why was he suddenly losing control for no good reason? He looked over at Scott and received a reassuring smile from him. It made him feel better and he vowed to be more careful. No way did he ever want to put Scott's safety at risk.



part 184

"I think I like this Alfred guy," Victor remarked with a grin. Tim had slid off the arm of the couch and was squirming on the cushion now, his face bright red from some secret embarrassment that only he could hear through the receiver.

"Yes, Alfred, I know," Tim said softly. "I'm sure he will be … Well, I didn't exactly _invite_ Lobo, he just sort of showed up, and …." He winced as if realizing too late that was the wrong thing to say. "Yes … my responsibility, I know … Um, you would?" Tim glanced at Victor. "Are you sure about that? … All right, just a moment." He held out the receiver toward the mutant. "He'd like to speak to you."

Victor accepted the receiver, even though he wasn't sure who he'd be talking to except by name. "Yeah, whaddya want?"

"My name is Alfred, Mr. Creed, and I take care of both Robin and Batman. I understand Master Tim has given you a bit of trouble this weekend?"

A British accent, Victor recognized, and an older man. "Yeah, he and his friends," he replied. "They had a party without permission and things got out of hand -- he told you what happened. Of course he left out the part where he jumped on my back while drunk, pulled on my hair and later puked his guts out. My own kid was one of the ones who got drunk at that party, and I ain't happy about it."

"I'm sure you are not, sir. As I told Master Tim, if you wish for me to fly out there and exact proper discipline upon him in Batman's absence I shall do so."

"Nah, I can do that if that's the way you really want it, I ain't squeamish. What do you think the Bat would want done?"

"If you are in charge of his discipline at this time, Mr. Creed, he would leave that to your discretion. However, we both trust that you will impress upon the young sir that the responsibility for what happened is his, and is not to be passed off to a guest who would not have been there if no party had occurred."

Boy, Victor thought, this guy's almost as hard-assed as Batman. He glanced at Tim, who had his arms folded across his knees and was gazing down at the carpet resignedly.

"Mr. Creed?"

"Yeah, I'm still here," Victor said. "Look, if this is really up to my, uh, discretion, then I didn't plan on punishing the kids any more for this. I was keeping them in for the weekend and making them call their guardians, but --"

"I see. Well, as I said, sir, Batman trusts you to take care of Master Tim and so I shall leave it to you. I hope there will not be any repeats of this incident."

"There won't," Victor stated and hung up the phone. He didn't like this sudden feeling of inadequacy. Alfred hadn't said he doubted his ability to deal with Tim, but somehow that was the impression Victor was left with.

"Do you want me to go to my room now?" Tim asked.

"What for?" Victor asked, frowning.

"To prepare for my punishment," the boy replied. "I know Alfred, and I love him, but he's even more strict than Batman. I know what he would give me for this."

"Yeah, well, he ain't here and _I'M_ in charge, so shut up. There are two more calls to go." Victor looked at Kon-el and Bart expectantly.

"You first!" they both told each other simultaneously.

Victor closed his eyes. It was going to be a long day.

--

Longshot used both hands to pull his long blonde hair back from his face and grinned over at Rain. "That last one was a great scene! I couldn't believe you didn't need any rehearsal for that knife-throwing, you hit your mark perfectly the first time!"

"I hear you're pretty good throwing knives, too," Rain said generously and handed Longshot a towel for his damp face. "Not to mention doing your own stunts -- I wouldn't attempt that!"

"I just seem to have a lucky streak, so I don't get hurt," Longshot said.

"Hey, now that filming is over for the day, did you want to show me around town a little?" Rain suggested. "I just got here today and haven't seen anything."

"I'd have to ask Magnus, just a second." Longshot ran off to his guardian while Rain watched. A moment later, Longshot smiled and waved him over, pointing to the car. Rain nodded and gathered up his things.

Sight-seeing with Magneto. It didn't get much better than this.

--

"I think Victor's home." Forge and Kurt looked up as the front door opened. They stood and went to meet Victor in the foyer.

"Hi Grandfather!" Kurt greeted. "I hope you don't mind that I came by to visit."

"Wow, you look beat," Forge observed, studying Victor worriedly. "Things ... went badly?"

"They could have been better," Victor said wryly. "First I had to deal with two of them being sick as dogs, then we got down to business, and your buddy Kon-el gave me attitude, so I spanked him."

Forge looked stricken. "Oh Lord, tell me you DIDN'T spank the guy I'm going out with!"

"I just told you I DID." Victor gave him a strange look. "And he deserved it! Shocked the hell out of him to realize he could feel it, thanks to Xavier's telepathy." He went into the living room and dropped into his favorite armchair. "I decided to ground them all for the weekend and make them call their guardians. Tim got a long lecture from some guy named Alfred -- by the end of it I think he would have preferred Batman. Then Superman wasn't home either, and no one else answered, so Kon-el lucked out there -- for now. But for all I know Bart and Max Mercury are STILL having it out in the living room!"

"Max Mercury came here all the way from Alabama?!" Kurt exclaimed.

Victor shrugged. "It's no big deal to him, I guess he runs around the world every day keeping an eye on things. He sped up here as soon as I got to the part about Bart having been drunk -- one second I'm talking into the phone, next second the doorbell is ringing."

"Poor Bart," Forge commented, then looked at Victor sincerely. "I'm sorry that Kon mouthed off to you. I think a lot more than the other two, he's allowed to get away with practically anything."

Victor gave him a surprised look. "What makes you say that?"

"Because he told me that Superman allows him to get away with practically anything," Forge said wryly.

"That doesn't make any sense," Victor said, shaking his head. "Superman was just as adamant as the other adults when this arrangement was made. It _sounded_ like he cared about the kid."

"He does -- according to Kon, they love each other a lot." Forge shrugged. "But unlike Batman and Max, Superman has never cared for a kid before, and Kon says sometimes he looks at him like he doesn't know what to make of him or the things he does. Kon isn't Superman's son -- he's a clone of Superman that was created, and he's never had a real family life."

"No wonder he acts like a punk," Victor remarked.

"Oh, he's not that bad -- you just don't like him because he likes _me_," Forge teased.

"Hmmph." Victor looked at him. "Speaking of which, you seem to be feeling a lot better. Did you eat anything yet?"

"Um, no, not that brave," Forge admitted.

"I made him some tea, he took that, at least," Kurt said, hopping onto the back of the couch. "Hey, did you guys feel the earthquake earlier?"

"I thought I felt something, but figured it was a big truck going by," Forge admitted.

"We didn't feel anything at the other house," Victor said. "Was it a real earthquake or Avalanche?"

"It was Avalanche, but he said he didn't do it on purpose," Kurt answered. "I heard Father talking to Mother later and he said he thinks Lance and Scott were goofing around in the garage and Lance somehow lost control."

Victor snorted. "Damn fool kid better get a handle on that power of his or _everyone_ will end up paying for it."



part 185

"Thanks for the tour, Longshot, Mr. Lensherr," Rain said with a charming smile as he got out of the car in front of his hotel. "I had a lot of fun."

"So did I!" Longshot agreed. "Hey, just a second." He looked at Magnus. "Would it be okay if I invited Rain to the mansion?"

"You may invite him," Magnus said, and looked at the dark-haired boy. "I'm afraid you can't come today -- the Professor and the others like to have some advance warning of guests."

"Oh, that's okay," Rain said. "But thanks for the invitation."

"How about tomorrow for dinner?" Longshot suggested. "You can ride home with us from the set."

Rain smiled again. "That would be great! See you tomorrow then!" He waved and went into the hotel.

Before he'd even walked into his hotel room, Rain could hear loud dance music. He unlocked the door and entered.

Music and flashing coloured lights surrounded him, along with about forty people dancing and cheering on the band that was up onstage. He focused on the lead singer -- a very tall, lanky creature with a waterfall of straight silky hair spraying up from a ponytail high on top of his head. The hair flowed around him like a cape all the way down to his calves. Everything about him was colour and glitter. Bright red leather pants with laces up the seams, a silk shirt that shimmered with sequins, pink lipstick, sparkling silver eyeshadow -- even the ultra-long hair was lavender with pink and blue streaks.

Rain covered his ears to block the din. "Dazzle, give it a rest!" he yelled. "Where's my sister?"

"I'm right here, stupid!"

Rain frowned and looked around, but still couldn't see where her voice was coming from. He turned back to the singer in annoyance. "Will you turn it OFF, already?! I can't find Dawn!"

A moment later, the dancers were gone, as was the band and the flashing lights. All that remained of it was the singer, who stayed every bit as colourful as he had been while onstage -- a stage that had disappeared.

"Party pooper," purred Dazzle in a thick British accent. "You're late coming back, luv."

Rain ignored him. He could now clearly see Rebel lounging on the sofa and went over to her. "Guess where I've been, Dawn?" he said.

She glared up at him. "How many times do I have to tell you NEVER to call me by that name?!"

He grinned mischievously. "What, how can you NOT love a name like Dawn Spring Morning? It's a perfect name for an actress."

"Well, I'm NOT an actress and I hate the name so call me Rebel or nothing." She sat up and gave a bored sigh. "So, where _were_ you?"

"After filming I went on a tour of the city with Longshot _and_ Magneto."

Rebel looked up sharply. "And what did you find out?"

"Nothing much yet," he admitted. "But I've been invited to the mansion for dinner. That should make things easier."

"Maybe yes, maybe no." Rebel frowned. "It's too hard getting around in that place without either the Professor or that guy with the nose figuring out that you're not where you should be. If we're going to learn anything, I need to go myself."

"That's no good, two of the kids have already seen you," Rain reminded her.

"Maybe I could help!" Dazzle said brightly. "I'm sure my illusions could fool the guy with the nose."

"But NOT the Professor," Rebel said. "I've got other plans for you, anyway." She turned back to her brother. "Look, Rain, this is what you're gonna do …."

--

Pietro stifled a yawn. Even though it was two a.m., it wasn't a yawn of exhaustion, but of boredom. He had already put in three hours of sleep, which was pretty much his limit per night, and now it looked like he was going to be good and bored for the rest of the night. He debated crawling into bed with Remy to see what would happen, but decided that if Logan caught them, it would be WAY more excitement than he was craving right then.

He decided that maybe eating would be a good way to kill some time and started to speed down the stairs. Half-way there, he was lurched off his feet as the ground shifted underneath him and the entire house shook and rattled.

"Lance!" he gasped, grabbing the banister for support. It _had_ to be Lance -- two earthquakes in one day were too coincidental. But why the middle of the night?! A nightmare, he realized -- that must be it! Pietro put on a burst of speed and made a beeline for Lance's room.

He expected to find Lance thrashing around, disturbed by his nightmare, but was surprised to see that his friend was sleeping peacefully, even with the room shaking around him.

"What's going on?!" Logan demanded as he ran in, several of the others visible in the hallway behind him.

"Lance, wake up!" Pietro was saying, shaking the older boy. He heard one of the girls scream and felt plaster dust falling onto him from the ceiling. "LANCE!"

"Huh?!" Lance woke up abruptly, realizing all at once that everyone was crowded in and around his room. "What the --?!"

"Lance!" Scott cried as he pushed his way in. "Stop the quake!"

The Brotherhood leader tried, but the bed kept shaking and a crack appeared in the wall. "I CAN'T!" he cried.

"Sorry, kid, but I have to do this!" Logan said and punched the teenager in the jaw, knocking him off the edge of the bed onto the floor, into unconsciousness.

The earthquake stopped.

"What the hell is going on?!" Rogue demanded. "Lance never lost control like this before!"

"Before today, you mean," Scott said worriedly, stroking Lance's hair. "It happened earlier, too."

"I believe I know," the Professor said seriously as he arrived on the scene. "I was hoping that if it happened to any of you, it would not be Lance, but there seems to be no ignoring it any longer." He looked around at all the kids. "We'll talk about it in the morning -- Lance more than anyone else deserves to hear this. Back to bed, all of you."

"What about Lance?" Mystique asked in concern. "When he comes to, this could happen again."

"Logan, take him to the Danger Room and set up a bed there, then turn on the reinforcements," Professor Xavier instructed. "He'll be safe there -- and we'll be safe as well."



part 186

When Lance finally woke up, the first thing he noticed was that his jaw hurt. He rubbed it as he sat up, trying to remember what happened.

Then it hit him -- he'd caused another earthquake, and he hadn't been able to stop it. He remembered Logan's fist coming at him.

He stood up and got dressed, then headed out of the room. He was stopped at the door when the knob wouldn't turn.

"Hey!" He pounded on the door. "What's going on?! Someone let me out of here!"

"Lance, calm down."

The teenager stopped -- Professor Xavier's voice was coming through speakers, as if he was in the Danger Room.

The walls of his bedroom disappeared and he saw that the Danger Room was indeed where he was. He looked up at the control room and saw not only the Professor, but Logan and Mystique.

"What's all this about?" he asked.

"Before we tell you, I need to ask you a question," the Professor said. "The last few tremors -- when they occurred, did you get a headache?"

Lance shook his head. "No, it was weird, but I didn't. What's that got to do with anything?"

He saw the adults exchange significant looks, then Mystique stepped forward. "Lance ... honey ... you're going through a growth spurt. Not a physical one, but one that affects your mutant power."

"A growth spurt?" Lance said in confusion. "How do you know this?"

"Other children have gone through it before," the Professor told him. "Not everyone does, but many do."

"I was one of them," Mystique admitted. "I didn't have anyone to tell me what it was at the time, but I remember it well." She sighed. "I couldn't control my changes. I would be disguised as a pretty blonde in a miniskirt and high heels and would suddenly shift to an elderly man I had disguised myself as three months earlier. Then a few minutes later, I changed into a cat. And the worst thing was I couldn't MAKE myself change either into or out of any particular form."

Lance stared at her, then at the men. "But ...what does that mean for me?! I can't control my earthquakes at all for ... how long?!"

"It's impossible to say exactly, Lance," the Professor told him gently. "It could be a week, a month, or three months. But you'll know when the process is complete when you're able to start and stop your power on your own."

Lance turned away and held out his hands, focusing his mutant power on the floor. Nothing happened.

"Damn!" he yelled in frustration and looked back up at the control room. "What am I supposed to do until then?!"

The adults exchanged uneasy looks and Lance felt all colour drain from his face. "I have to stay in _here_, don't I?"

"I wish there was another way," the Professor said sadly. "With some powers, the spurts can be hidden, but in your case, Lance, if a spurt is strong enough, you could conceivably crack the planet in two."

"Dear God," Lance murmured breathlessly.

"We'll do everything we can to make you comfortable," said the Professor. "I'm sorry, Lance."

The teenager nodded silently. He understood, but still couldn't believe this was happening. He looked up at them suddenly.

"Does Scott know?"

"We're going to tell all the children at breakfast," Mystique answered.

"Will … will he be able to come see me in here?"

Logan shook his head. "Too much risk, kid. The Danger Room can contain your power and keep it from going outside, but it can't stop you from hurting anyone who is in there with you."

Numbly, Lance walked back over to the bed and sat down. He stared down at the ground. "Will you ask him to see me from up there, where you are?" he inquired without looking up.

"Yes," Professor Xavier said. "We can do that. Again, I'm sorry, Lance."

The Brotherhood leader didn't reply.

--

"It's gotta be bad news," Pietro said, zipping back and forth across the kitchen.

"Quiet, Pietro!" Wanda warned him, glancing toward Scott. The older boy had his elbows on the table and his face in his hands.

"They'll be in soon, Scott," Rogue assured him. "Mama said Lance was fine."

"I know," Scott said, "I just wish --"

"Hello children," Professor Xavier greeted as he, Logan, and Mystique entered. "Would you all please take a seat?"

Everyone in the kitchen sat down at the table and faced the Professor.

"What's wrong with Lance?" Scott asked worriedly. "Please tell me."

"He's going through a power growth spurt," the Professor said. "It could happen to any teenage mutant, but doesn't happen to them all. In Lance's case, it is a particularly dangerous time, as it means his power is gaining strength -- too much for him to control yet -- and you all know what that could mean."

"So where IS he?" Kurt asked.

"In the Danger Room, Elf," Logan said. "It's the only safe place for him to be right now."

Scott paled. "You mean he has to stay there ALL the time? For how long?!"

"We don't know," the Professor said with regret.

Scott stood up and ran out of the room.

"I know where he's go-ing ...." Pietro sang.

--

Lance was laying on his bed and staring at the ceiling, so much higher overhead than it used to be, when he heard Scott's voice come over the intercom. "Lance!"

He jumped up and looked to where Scott was watching him from the control room. "Scott!"

"The Professor just told us," Scott said. "I ... I can't believe this is happening." He put both hands on the Plexiglas and gazed down at him longingly. "What are we going to do?"

"Probably exactly what we're doing now," Lance said bitterly. "Talking to each other through speakers, no physical contact."

Scott rested his forehead against the window miserably. "Is this some kind of cosmic punishment for what we did?"

"Who cares?' Lance asked, his tone softening. "I still don't regret it."

Scott looked up and met Lance's eyes across the room. He smiled. "Neither do I."

"I'll get control of this, Scott," Lance told him. "One way or another. I promise." Because I can't stand to be away from you any longer than I have to be, he added in silent resolve.



part 187

"Is this some kind of cosmic punishment for what we did?"

That's what he'd heard Scott say. What it meant, he had no idea.

Well, maybe _some_ idea.

Logan had been suspicious since day one of this relationship, and he had only become more so as things had moved on. But when he'd gone after Scott when he'd charged off to see Lance in the Danger Room, and then had overheard their heartfelt conversation, it gave him even more cause to wonder.

And worry.

"What's that face for?" Mystique asked and Logan started. He'd been so deep in thought, he hadn't heard or smelled her approach. She realized it instantly and became even more concerned. "Logan?"

He looked at her. "Raven, we should talk. I need to get your opinion on something."

--

"Sure, Rain, I'm sure that'll be fine. Just let me check," Longshot said into the phone receiver, then looked around for the nearest adult. "Hank!" he called out, waving. "Could you come here a moment?"

The blue and hairy teacher made his way over. "What is it, Longshot?"

"I had asked my co-star Rain to come over for dinner, but he says his sister is in town with him and he can't leave her alone at the hotel. Is it okay if I invite her as well?"

"Of course," Hank told him. "You know this place -- always room for one more."

"Thanks!" Longshot turned back to the phone. "Rain, it's okay, you can bring her ... Yes, at six ... okay, bye!" He hung up and frowned suddenly. "Hey, Hank, I wasn't thinking about what's going on with Lance -- do you think maybe I should have postponed this?"

Hank put a large hand on the boy's shoulder. "No, I don't. It's unfortunate that Lance is going through this phase, but we don't know how long it will last and the rest of us must continue with our lives in the interim. Besides, we would all like to meet your co-star."

Longshot grinned again. "You'll like him, he's really nice. I didn't know he had a sister, though. I wonder what _she's_ like."

--

"Wow, that's some story!" Duncan Matthews remarked as he strolled alongside Kurt through the gardens behind the Institute. "So Alvers can't control his earthquakes at _all_?"

"Not while he's going through this growth spurt, he can't," Kurt said, pushing his hair back off his face. "It's really got me frightened."

"Why?" Duncan asked curiously. "You said he's locked in the Danger Room, right? It should be able to withstand whatever he's got."

"Well, we HOPE so," Kurt said. "But it's not Lance I'm thinking about."

"What are you worried about then?" Duncan asked.

"Myself," Kurt admitted, chewing on his lower lip. "Think about what could happen if _I_ go through one of those spurts, Duncan. I could be sitting in the middle of Math class and suddenly disappear from my desk and end up on the roof of the school! Or I could appear in front of a crowd at the mall!"

Duncan turned Kurt to face him and smoothed his hands over his shoulders to rest on his biceps, rubbing them slowly.

"Try not to think about it, Kurt -- you'll drive yourself crazy. You said yourself that not all mutant kids go through this, it might not happen to you at all. And if it _does_, you'll deal with it when the time comes." He brushed a finger over Kurt's fuzzy cheek. "And I'll be there to help you any way I can."

Kurt's eyes filled with tears. "I love you, Duncan," he said. They drew together, slipping their arms around one another as they kissed deeply.

--

Mystique stared down at her right hand as she made each finger change to those of five different people she had been in her life. It was good practice in control, especially when she was hearing something that could easily cause her to lose _all_ control and kill a child or two.

"Raven, are you listening to me?"

"I heard you." Her hand changed back to its normal blue and she looked over at Logan. "Do you really think that's what happened?"

"Yeah. I have no proof, it's just a hunch. Plus what Scott said to Lance in the control room."

"It certainly makes more sense than Rogue and Remy," Mystique said wryly. "You just _can't_ have good sex for the first time in fifteen minutes -- it would take them that long just to figure out where everything goes."

Logan shook his head. "I don't when or how Scott and Lance could have done it without my knowing, but we know how they hid it afterwards. Rogue and Remy AND Pietro all knew about it and covered for them."

"But we have no proof, as you said," Mystique told him, standing to pace around the room. "Without a confession, we can't do anything about it."

"That's where Charles comes in," Logan said grimly. "I hate giving him reason to be disappointed in his Golden Boy, but if they did the deed then they ain't getting off any more than the others did. And Chuck can ask direct questions and get honest answers."

Mystique stopped pacing, her expression angry. "What's with these kids, anyway? Can't they just be boyfriends or girlfriends without having to go all the way anymore?"

Logan shrugged. "At least now we can be pretty sure that Rogue and Remy _didn't_."

"And they'd better NOT," his beautiful mate said, resuming her pacing. "We have to have a zero tolerance attitude on this one, Logan. Even some BOYS are starting to get pregnant in today's world, it's just not --" She stopped dead by the window, staring out of it. The next moment she'd thrown it open and stuck her head out. "Duncan Matthews, if you don't get your mitts off my son I'll SHOOT them off!"

"Mother!" Logan heard Kurt whine. He joined Mystique at the window and popped his claws with a *SNIKT!*

"Would you rather I _cut_ them off, Elf?" he asked pointedly.

Duncan and Kurt moved a chaste distance apart.

Logan retracted his claws and he and Mystique shook hands.

"ZERO tolerance," they agreed with self-satisfied nods.



part 188

Rain E. Morning came out of his room wearing a new suit and tie, his black hair clean and shining as it swung around his shoulders. He posed in front of Animal and Dazzle where they lounged on the sofa. "How do I look?"

"Smashing, as usual," Dazzle projected the illusion of a spotlight shining over Rain's head and the young actor beamed, enjoying the attention.

"Thank you, thank you," he said with a performer's bow. "I only hope I'm not completely embarrassed at this dinner by the presence of my insane little sister, the pincushion." He shook his head. "I don't know how Rebel thinks she's going to get past the door once they recognize her from Mutations."

Animal glanced past him and commented, "You should know her better than that."

Rain frowned, puzzled, then turned. His mouth dropped open and Dazzle gave a wolf-whistle.

"Rebel?" Rain questioned uncertainly. The girl who had just emerged from the other room bore little resemblance to his punk-leather sister. This girl was ... cute. She wore a nice dress of a decent length with no leather in sight. She had on knee socks and loafers. But the most shocking of all was her face. Except for one earring per ear, all her piercings had been removed. She had on only a trace of makeup, the highlight of which was pale pink lipstick. She looked like a normal sweet young girl. The only recognizable features were her close-cropped white hair and her pale blue eyes.

"Rebel, luv, if I weren't primarily interested in males I'd make a pass at you, darling," Dazzle told her.

"Thank God for small favours," Rebel retorted, then glared at her brother. "What's YOUR problem?"

"I haven't seen you look this normal since you were eleven years old," he remarked, grinning.

"Yeah, well, that's about how old I feel in this get-up, but I had no choice," she said. "And remember -- tonight and ONLY tonight you call me Dawn. I can't go by Rebel there."

"You're so sure you're going to be able to look around without getting caught?" Dazzle asked.

"I can't predict anything not even knowing how many people are there, but I've got a better chance than any of you," Rebel replied and headed for the door. "Call the limo for us, Animal -- we'll see you later. Come on, Bullseye."

Rain shrugged at the others and followed his sister -- it was something he was used to.

--

Professor Xavier listened closely to what both Logan and Mystique had to say. By the time they were done, he felt as if his heart was sinking into his stomach.

"While I agree you may have reason for concern," he said slowly, "you _do_ admit that you have no real proof."

"There's nothing to prove that Rogue and Remy did anything either, except for their word, and they could be covering up for Lance and Scott," Mystique pointed out.

Logan looked over at the Professor from where he leaned against the desk, arms folded. "Chuck, I know you don't WANT to think Scott and Lance would do that, but I just have a gut feeling about this. There have been clues leading to those two, but nothing about Rogue and Remy except their word, like Raven said. They don't act any differently toward each other since supposedly having sex, but Scott and Lance do. Then there's that conversation I overheard. What were they talking about when Scott said, 'Is this some kind of cosmic punishment for what we did'? It sounded very intense to me."

"I'm sure I don't know, Logan," the Professor admitted. "But since the two of you seem to think your theory has some weight, I _will_ investigate further." He checked his watch. "However, it will have to wait until after dinner. Longshot has invited his co-star and the boy's sister over and they should be arriving shortly."

"Do the children all know about this?" Mystique asked.

"Yes, I told them telepathically earlier. They know not to show any powers in the guests' presence." Charles cocked his head. "They're here -- I think."

"You THINK?" Logan said in surprise.

The Professor was frowning. "I can only sense one mind at the gate. Perhaps Rain's sister couldn't come after all."

"Well, someone had better buzz him in," Logan remarked and headed out of the room.

"And I'd better change for dinner!" Mystique said cheerily. Shifting her form into that of Principal Darkholme, she followed Logan. Charles waited a couple of moments before leaving himself. The thought of what Scott might have done with Lance disturbed him greatly, and he didn't want that distraction to keep him from being a gracious host to Longshot's guest.

--

"Who is it?" Logan said into the intercom at the door. It didn’t hurt to be careful.

"Hi there!" came the bubbly voice in return. "I'm Rain E. Morning -- Longshot invited us to dinner."

Us? Logan frowned. So there were two of them after all? He hit the buzzer for the gate and opened the door. He watched a limo pull up the driveway and let out two teenagers, a boy and a girl. Both pretty, both wearing big friendly smiles.

"Hi, I'm Rain," the boy said. "This is my sister, Dawn Spring Morning."

"Nice to meet you," the petite girl said, giving a little curtsey.

"I'm Logan," he replied. "Come on in."

As the pair stepped inside, Longshot came leaping down the stairs. "Hi Rain! Is this your sister?"

"Yes, this is Dawn. Dawn, this is Longshot," Rain said.

"Wow, it's nice to meet you!" the girl said, shaking Longshot's hand. "Rain has told me so much about you, but I'd already read about you in magazines anyway," she giggled. "Thanks for inviting me!"

"You're welcome, I'm happy to meet Rain's sister," Longshot told her. "Hey, come on into the dining room -- dinner will be ready soon!"

Logan watched the three kids head off and frowned. Something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Then he had no time to think about it as the other kids began barreling down the stairs on their way to dinner. Scott was the only one not running, he walked past Logan with a preoccupied, melancholy look on his handsome face.

He was right about that one. He knew it. And the sooner Charles did some digging, the sooner they could put matters right where some dishonest kids were concerned.



part 189

Dawn wiped her mouth delicately and smiled at Professor Xavier. "This dinner is wonderful, thank you for inviting us."

"It's been our pleasure," Charles said, and although he returned her smile, he had to force it.

It wasn't that he didn't like the girl -- both she and her brother Rain seemed to be very nice teenagers and they were certainly polite dinner guests. The other children seemed to like them as well. But something was wrong and he still couldn't put his finger on it.

He suspected Logan felt the same way, he could sense the other mutant's discomfort around the girl. And that was the key -- discomfort. That's what he was experiencing himself. But why?

It didn't help that he was distracted by thoughts of Scott and what might have happened between he and Lance. He was half-way surprised that despite being the only telepath in the house, everyone else couldn't pick up on HIS feelings. They were that strong.

"Did you ever want to get into acting yourself, Dawn?" Kurt asked.

She grinned. "No, I don't think I have the talent for it."

Rain made a muffled noise behind his glass of milk.

"Could someone tell me where the washroom is?" Dawn asked, putting down her napkin and getting to her feet.

"Certainly," Mystique said. "There's one just down the hall to the right, and another just off the foyer."

"And more upstairs!" Longshot told Dawn. "We've got enough people in this place that we need a bunch of them."

"I'll bet!" Dawn laughed. " I'll be right back." She left the room.

Professor Xavier spoke mentally to Logan, "There is something bothering me about that young lady, but I don't know what it is. How about you?"

Logan knew Charles could read his mind, so he thought, "It's nothing in particular. She seems like a good kid, but something doesn't smell right." He stopped suddenly. "Hold it, Chuck, that's it! I couldn't SMELL the girl! Not at the front door and not now -- she doesn't have a scent!"

The Professor looked at him, so startled he nearly forgot not to speak out loud. "She must have a scent, Logan, but why can't you detect it?"

"How the hell do I know?!"

"Logan?" Mystique said, distracting him from the mental conversation. "Are you all right? You look like you're choking or something."

"I'm fine, darlin'," he replied, but he could tell she didn't believe him. She knew him too well for that.

While the children continued chatting with Rain, no one noticed that Wanda hadn't yet said anything until she looked at him directly.

"I guess your sister must live a double life, huh?"

Rain met her eyes, startled. "Uh, sorry, I don't know what you mean."

"I'm talking about her piercings," Wanda said calmly. "She's not wearing jewelry in them, but she's got at least twelve other holes besides the two earrings she's wearing, and that includes her nose and eyebrow."

Scott looked up sharply. "What was that?"

"Oh, THOSE!" Rain chuckled. "Yeah, she likes to look tougher than she is when she goes out at night --"

"A tiny blonde girl with multiple piercings," Mystique said, glancing at Scott, who nodded and gave Rain a suspicious look.

"I think we may have met your sister before."

"Indeed," Professor Xavier said, noticing how, despite the young actor's composure, his mental anxiety level was suddenly shooting up. He decided to make a quick mental search for Dawn.

He couldn't find her in the mansion.

Stretching his mental outreach beyond the property, he tried to locate her in Bayville. Nothing. The state. Nothing. The country ....

Dear God, he thought as it hit him. I can't touch her mind. And Logan can't smell her.

He spoke mentally to all his X-Men, "People, that girl _is_ a mutant after all, and one of the most dangerous we've encountered."

--

Damn it, Rebel thought as she quickly darted through the various halls of the mansion. Lots of bedrooms, but all the important rooms were locked up tight and needed bloody handprint codes for access. And she was out of time to look any further.

She hurried back down to the dining room and composed herself before walking in with a smile. It faded when she saw the way everyone except her brother was looking at her and HE looked puzzled and concerned.

"Hello, Rebel," Scott said evenly.


part 190

"What are you talking about?" Rebel asked, trying to feign innocence as she looked around at the accusing faces.

"Oh, give it up, already," Wanda told her. "I saw the piercing holes, and we all put two and two together."

"Are you in on this, too?" Scott looked at Rain.

He opened his mouth to reply but Rebel interrupted, "He doesn't know anything," she said curtly, then her voice softened, "I'm sorry, Rain."

Professor Xavier watched the exchange carefully. Still nothing from the girl, but he expected that now. Her brother, on the other hand, was schooling his emotions, trying to show nothing. Trying hard enough that Charles knew it.

"He knows," he said.

Rebel gave her brother a disgusted look. "You can't even keep from THINKING guilty? What kind of actor are you?"

"It's not his fault I'm a powerful telepath, Rebel," the Professor said. "Now let's talk about you, and your mutant power."

"How can she be a mutant, Chuck?" Logan asked. "Cerebro didn't pick her up. You said --"

"Yes, Logan, and Rebel's mutant power is precisely the reason that happened, as well as the reason why I can't touch her mind with my telepathy and you can't smell her with your animal senses." He looked at the blonde. "Isn't that right, Rebel?"

She pretended to clap. "You're good, Professor. It usually takes people a lot longer to figure it out."

Pietro shook his head. "Call me stupid, but I still don't get it."

"You're stupid," Wanda obliged. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"I'll show you, Speedy," Rebel smirked. "Hit me with your best shot."

Pietro looked at Mystique, who shrugged. "She asked."

He grinned maliciously and was out of his seat in a flash. No one saw him move from point A at the table to point B where Rebel stood in the doorway, but they all saw her stop his fist with her hand before it could connect. Pietro stared at her, stunned.

"How did you --?"

"How did I see the punch coming? Easily. To me, you move at normal speed." She looked over at Rain. "Come on, let's get out of here. The party's over."

Rain stood up and walked over to his sister. They turned to leave.

Scott got to his feet. "You're not going anywhere until you tell us what you came here for."

Rebel stopped and turned, looking over her shoulder with sly blue eyes that belied her little-girl appearance. "Try and stop us."

"Don't, Scott," the Professor warned.

"Why not? There are only two of them and we haven't even seen them DO anything yet!"

"Bullseye," Rebel said casually, "you can head out."

"All right," her brother said, giving Longshot an apologetic look. "Sorry."

"Bullseye?" Longshot repeated in confusion.

"My codename," Rain said with a sad smile. "Don't make me demonstrate."

"I mean it, Rebel," Scott said, raising a hand to his glasses. "You're not leaving without an explanation."

"Watch me." She turned away.

Scott let a thin warning beam fire to hit the doorway by her shoulder. She didn't even flinch, but kept walking, following her brother into the foyer.

"Kurt, Pietro, cut them off!" Scott ordered. Kurt teleported out of the dining room and Pietro sped after the pair. The other kids followed Scott, and the adults hurried after them.

In the foyer, Rain and Rebel were nearly to the front doors when Kurt appeared in front of them, Pietro suddenly at his side. "Out of the way, boys," Rebel told them as she approached.

"No way!" Kurt said. "And if you touch me, I'll teleport you into a secured room of the Institute where you'll have to stay and answer our questions!"

Rebel walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Try it," she challenged.

Kurt attempted to teleport she along with him to the Cerebro room. He blinked in surprise to find himself there alone.

In the meantime, Rebel reached for the front door, only to have Pietro grab her arm.

"Sorry, chickie," he told her, and went into a superfast pivot that should have spun her back into the crowd of other X-Men. His hands slipped off her and he spun by himself, stopping abruptly to stare at her. "Hey, what happened?!" he demanded. "I had a good hold on you!"

"You still don't get it, do you?" she asked, then shook her head as if he were too stupid to bother talking to further. She opened the door.

"Stop or I'll shoot!" Scott warned.

Rain turned, pulling a gun out of his pocket and pointing it at Scott. "You shoot, _I_ shoot."

"That's the prop gun from the movie set!" Longshot announced. Rain shook his head slowly.

"No Longshot, it's _my_ gun. But if you prefer a different type of gun …." He took a tube from an inside pocket, still keeping the first weapon trained on Scott. "Old-fashioned blow gun." He held up the second weapon. "I've got more, want to see?"

"Your power is shooting guns?" Mystique remarked dryly. "I can have my own gun out and a bullet in your brain before you blink, kiddo."

"Mystique," The Professor cautioned.

"His power isn't GUNS, Blue," Rebel said to the startled Mystique, who was still in her Principal Darkholme form. "He's got knives, poison darts, throwing stars, a slingshot -- anything that ever was or is a weapon he can use like an expert and he _never_ misses. He's not called Bullseye for nothing." She put her hand over the muzzle of her brother's gun. "But it's not necessary right now, Bullseye, just get behind me -- I've got it covered." She eyed Scott squarely as her brother obeyed. "You said you wanted to shoot? So shoot." She gave him a slow, evil grin. "Hey, is that what you told Lance when he screwed you the other night? Animal heard the conversation about it in your car, Loverboy."

All the colour drained from Scott's face. He'd heard audible gasps around him, and he knew that not only did _all_ the kids know now, but also the adults, including the Professor. His eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he glared at the blonde girl who had just ruined his life. She wanted him to shoot? He'd oblige. He lifted the glasses and fired a full-force beam at her chest.

It should have been enough to blow her across the property and past the front gates. But Rebel didn't get thrown back. In fact, she didn't move. His beams had no effect on her as she stood there smirking at him.

That's when the truth finally hit Scott and he lowered his glasses back over his eyes.

"That's what the Professor meant," he said grimly. "You ARE a mutant. Your power is that you're immune to OTHER mutant powers."

Rebel grinned and winked at him. "See you later."

She walked out, leaving the stunned X-Men staring after her.



part 191

Pietro arrived in the Danger Room's observation area almost immediately after Rebel left the Institute. "Lance!" he cried. "Emergency!"

"What?! What is it?!" Lance was on his feet in a second. "Is it Scott? Is he okay?!"

"Not for long!" Pietro told him. "Those guests of Longshot's turned out to BOTH be mutants and one of them just announced the news of yours and Scott's affair in front of EVERYBODY!"

"Everybody?" Lance repeated softly. "Oh no ...."

"Yeah, you're not kidding! And guess who she was? That little blonde chickie you and Scott met at the club -- the one who runs around with Animal!"

"Rebel?" Lance growled. "That little --"

"I feel the same way," Pietro assured him. "Especially since MY butt's on the line, too! They'll know I was in on the lie!"

"I'm sorry, man, but what do you want me to do about it NOW?" Lance asked, looking frustrated as he ran his hand through his hair. "Scott's out there having to defend us to the adults and I can't even go help him!"

The room began to rumble. Lance saw it and quickly stretched out his hands, trying to stop it. The rumbling worsened.

"Lance, RELAX!" Pietro yelled.

"I can DO this!" Lance cried. "I HAVE to -- if I can control it, I can get OUT of here!"

"You can't! It's getting louder!" Pietro covered his ears against the worsening noise as the room shook and the Plexiglas between them rattled dangerously. The reinforced Danger Room should have held up against Lance's earthquake so neither boy would get hurt, but it still made Pietro nervous. If Lance's power increased too much, he didn't think anything could contain it.

Lance could feel the earthquake gaining in strength and wasn't sure what would happen if it got much worse when it suddenly stopped. He nearly collapsed with relief.

"Did YOU stop that?" Pietro asked. Lance shook his head.

"No," he replied. "It didn't _feel_ like my work. It just stopped." He looked up at the blonde boy. "Pietro, I really am sorry about this whole mess, and even MORE sorry that I can't be out there dealing with it along with you and the others." He clenched his fists in frustration. "You don't know how much I want to be with Scott right now."

"Don't worry about Scott," said a voice off to Pietro's right. He and Lance both watched as Logan and Mystique walked into the control room. Remy and Rogue were with them, and neither one looked happy.

"Glad you're here," Mystique said to the slender speedster. "We wanted you in on this, too."

Logan glared down into the Danger Room and pointed at Lance. "You've got some heavy-duty explaining to do, bub."

--

The silence was deafening, but Scott didn't want to be the one to break it.

"I'm waiting," Professor Xavier said. There was an edge to his usual patience that showed in his voice.

Scott turned away from the Library bookshelves he'd been facing, but still couldn't bring himself to look at the father-figure and mentor in his life. "I don't know what I'm supposed to say," he answered lamely.

"You're supposed to take responsibility for everything you've done," the Professor told him. "Can you do that, Scott?"

Now he could face the man. "Yes sir, I can. I wanted to say something sooner, but --" he stopped, not wanting to make things worse for the others.

"But you couldn't implicate Remy, Rogue, or Pietro in their deceit," Charles finished.

Scott looked surprised. "Pietro didn't do anything."

"He helped with the cover up," the Professor pointed out. "That much was obvious by his lack of reaction when his two 'mates' confessed their deed." He folded his hands and met Scott's gaze. "You know, Scott, we had no idea that putting you and Lance in that room together would have such extreme results. We were surprised by your relationship, but foolishly, we never expected this."

"I didn't expect it, either, Professor," Scott said earnestly. "Neither did Lance. We were as stunned as anyone else by what happened at the dance, and then when we got home, we were still caught up in all the new emotions and …." He sighed. "I don't want you to think it was an impulsive decision that we were sorry for later. Lance deserves better than that."

"So you're not sorry at all?" the Professor asked carefully.

"I'm sorry Remy and Rogue got involved," Scott answered. "If I'd known ahead of time that they were going to do that, I would have stopped them."

"How about stopping YOURSELF, Scott?!" Professor Xavier suddenly demanded, making the teenager jump. "You've had more than enough training in self-control and that applies to _all_ things, not just in battle! You and Lance are the two eldest students and the leaders of your teams -- the others look up to you!"

"I know, Professor --" Scott started to say.

"Don't interrupt me!" Charles admonished him. "This is not something like missing curfew or not doing homework. Those things are important, yes, but this is a bigger life issue with enormous possible ramifications! You _do_ know that some boys are developing the ability to become pregnant these days, don't you?"

"Yes sir." Scott swallowed. It wasn't something any boy liked talking about, but they'd all been informed about this possibility in Biology class.

"Did either of you use protection?"

Scott bit his lip. "No sir. But I don't think I'm one of those boys who can -- I mean, I haven't had a period or anything --"

"One doesn't necessarily follow the other where males are concerned," the Professor said grimly. "We'll have to have you tested." He shook his head. "I TRUSTED you, Scott. That's what bothers me the most about all this."

Scott felt a wave of shame but something else flared inside him and he gave voice to it without thinking, "How can you come down on me about this with Magneto sharing YOUR bed every night lately?!"

Charles Xavier locked eyes with his protégé and Scott found himself wishing he could take back the last ten seconds of his life.

"When you are an adult and self-sufficient, Scott Summers, you can make whatever decisions regarding your personal life that you want," the Professor said evenly. "But until then, you will obey the rules for students of this Institute, do you understand me?"

"Yes sir," Scott murmured, lowering his gaze to the carpet.

Professor Xavier moved his wheelchair from behind the desk and closer to Scott. "You know what happened to Remy when we thought he was the guilty party, don't you?"

Scott nodded reluctantly. "Do you want me to go wait in my room for Logan?"

"No," the Professor said. "As with Rogue, we first have to make sure you're not pregnant. If you are not, then you and I will resume this alone." He nodded toward the door. "Go to the Infirmary -- I'll tell Hank to meet you there and perform the necessary examination."

Scott headed for the door, feeling miserable. He wasn't sure what kind of examination this would be, but was pretty sure he wouldn't enjoy it. And the follow-up meeting with the Professor he expected he would like even less.


part 192

Scott grit his teeth and shut his eyes tightly. He'd thought that being spanked in Sears was the most humiliating thing that would ever happen to him. He was wrong.

"Try to relax, Scott," Hank told him gently, laying a large hand on the boy's bare hip reassuringly.

"Relax?" Scott repeated in disbelief, and even to him his voice sounded high-pitched and more than a little frantic. He followed it up with a yelp.

"Ssh," Hank said soothingly. "I'll be finished in a minute. Really, you wouldn't be so uncomfortable if you tried to relax."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have abnormally LARGE fingers, Hank -- OW!" Scott cried and tried to pull away, but the hand on his hip held him firmly. He felt tears stinging his eyes and fought them back. "Couldn't we have checked me for pregnancy some OTHER way?!"

"This is just the exam to see if you are capable of conceiving," Hank explained. "If it turns out you are not, there's no point in doing the other test."

Scott groaned, then yelped again. "Hank, STOP, it hurts!"

"Hold your breath," the chemistry teacher advised. "Alllll right, there we go."

Scott felt both hands leave him and he shuddered from relief. "Thank God," he murmured as he slowly sat up, grimacing.

"Don't get too excited," Hank said. "It is my dubious privilege to inform you that you _are_ a breeder, Scott."

The teenager looked up at him sharply. "I can conceive?!" he asked fearfully.

"That's what being a breeder means, yes." Hank walked around the table to face him and looked serious. "It appears to be a very recent development."

"But that … that could mean I'm --" Scott felt the colour drain from his face and he started to pitch forward.

"Hold it there!" Hank caught him and lightly slapped his face a few times. "Hang in there, boy, we don't know anything for sure yet."

Scott nodded wordlessly, trying to slow his suddenly shallow breathing.

"We'll do the pregnancy test now," Hank said, giving his shoulder a gentle pat. "Don't worry -- no invasive procedures for this one."

Scott was so terrified at the thought of being pregnant that he almost didn't care what the test was like. God, Lance, he thought desperately. I wish you were here.

--

"You lied."

"Technically, oui, mais --"

"Technically nothing, Remy, you LIED!" Logan shouted. "You and Rogue and Pietro -- you all lied. And you know what, Cajun? I really HATE being lied to!"

"It was for a good cause, Daddy," Rogue said. "Ah ain't saying what Scott and Lance did was right --"

"Oh, Rogue, of course you are, or you wouldn't have helped them," Mystique snapped. "You were angry with them, but you pulled off this lie to protect them because you thought it was romantic!"

"Mama, it was their first time -- that's supposed to be really special!" Rogue said. "It shouldn't have been tainted by their getting punished so severely!"

"You're not getting any points for being noble and taking it yourself, Rogue," Logan told her. "To us, you were just part of the lie. But you and the Cajun WERE punished already, and harshly. Maybe not for the lie, but for doing something you didn't do. I don't think we need to whip your butts again for that."

"But YOU, Pietro, got off scot-free," Mystique pointed out. "That's about to change."

"Leave him alone!" Lance yelled from the Danger Room. "Enough people have suffered on our behalf already! It's me you're upset with!"

Logan and Mystique exchanged a look, then she nodded. He turned to the other culprits.

"You three go to your rooms. Get comfortable there, because you're grounded until further notice."

"You mean I'm NOT getting spanked?" Pietro said hopefully.

"Not unless you're still here in the next two sec--"

"He's gone," Mystique said dryly, her hair settling back into place from the gust of departing wind. "Rogue, Remy, you two get going."

They obeyed quietly. Mystique looked through the Plexiglas and down at Lance. "You wanted it, pal, and you're going to get it. I'm on my way in there -- you'd better be ready for me."'

"You sure you want to do this alone?" Logan asked. She patted his shoulder.

"It only takes one of us, Logan," she told him. "And I feel responsible for this. It was my idea to put them in the same room."

"You've got fifteen minutes," he told her and pressed one of Forge's bracelets into her hand. She kissed him and left the control room. Logan turned to leave himself, then decided he'd better stick around, just in case anything went wrong.


part 193

Lance heard the swish of the doors opening in the Danger Room and looked over to see Mystique approaching alone.

"I guess this is it, huh?" he remarked. "Thanks for not spanking Pietro."

"Don't talk about it too much or I might change my mind," the blue woman told him. She held out the bracelet. "Put that on."

Lance took it and did as she asked. He was relieved when he switched it on and felt the disconnection with his powers. He was afraid that his fear over the upcoming punishment and what must be happening with Scott might cause his power to explode at any moment, and he didn't want Mystique hurt as a result.

She moved a pillow into the middle of the bed. "Pants and underwear off, then lay face-down and make sure your hips are on this pillow."

Lance turned away from her as he unfastened his pants. "Is Scott okay?" he asked, pushing them down.

"Lance, for the next few minutes you should just worry about yourself, and what you might learn from what is about to happen."

The teenager kicked off his pants and underwear and climbed onto the bed. He positioned his abdomen on the pillow and realized this raised his bottom just enough to be embarrassing. He glanced over at Mystique and saw her doubling a belt in her grip. His eyes widened.

"Don't tell me you're surprised, Lance," she said. "This is what Remy got, and is likely what Scott will get once they're through testing him for pregnancy."

Lance swallowed. God, Scott, he thought, his throat tightening.

Then his thoughts were effectively distracted as the belt cracked against his bare backside. Unprepared, he cried out, then clamped his jaw shut to keep from doing it again.

Mystique knew she had a reputation for having a heavy hand, but she wasn't about to hold back for this. In fact, she made sure that she put a good amount of force into every blow she delivered to Lance's backside. The resounding *CRACK!* of leather against skin echoed and amplified throughout the entire Danger Room, and after a few excruciating blows, Lance's muffled groans joined the other sounds.

He tried not to cry, but as he felt the belt's searing sting burn repeatedly into his buttocks and the tops of his thighs, it became more difficult to hold back. When he thought of Scott as the belt connected again, the tears fell freely.

--

Pietro peered into the Control Room. He saw Logan watching through the Plexiglas and heard the unmistakable sounds of someone receiving harsh punishment nearby.

"What are you doing back here, Hummingbird?" Logan asked without looking his way. Pietro sped to his side.

"I was worried about Lance," he admitted and looked through the Plexiglas. He gave an audible gasp at the sight.

"He deserves it," Logan told him. "He knew better, and he did it anyway. Plus he endangered Scott, who might be pregnant right now."

"What if he is?" Pietro looked at Logan curiously. "Will he and Lance have to get married? Or will they have to abort? Or --"

"Let's not think about any of those things until Hank gets the test results back," Logan replied. "And you go back to your room -- this time, stay there. You’re grounded, remember." He aimed a swat at the slender boy's bottom, but Pietro shifted aside so quickly he missed. The blonde glanced at Logan, who gave him a significant look in return. Pietro heaved a sigh and bent over. Logan gave his rump a light swat.

Pietro yelped and zipped out of the room. Logan smiled to himself briefly, then the smile faded and he turned back to his vigil.

--

Scott stared down at his lap, wondering if the knot in his stomach would ever go away. He was seated on the sofa in the Library, with the Professor sitting behind his desk, looking thoughtful and serious. Magnus was there as well, standing behind Charles with both hands on the seated man’s shoulders, giving them an encouraging squeeze every so often. Scott wished there was someone there to offer HIM support, but he supposed he didn’t deserve it.

They were awaiting the pregnancy test results.

Logan and Mystique hadn’t arrived on the scene yet, and that worried him. Chances are, they were with Lance, and his beloved was probably on the receiving end of some painful parental discipline by now. He didn’t know what was happening with Remy, Rogue, or Pietro, either. Others had been affected by what he and Lance had done.

And what if he WAS pregnant? Then there’d be a whole new little person to be affected by this, and not necessarily in a good way. The thought of having a baby now scared him to death.

When the door opened and Mystique entered with Logan right behind her, they both glanced in his direction before sitting down.

“Lance?” he asked quietly.

“He’s all right,” Mystique assured him, holding his gaze. “I gave him a bare-bottomed whipping with a belt that he’ll feel for days, but he’ll live.”

Scott felt tears sting his eyes. Lance was suffering and he couldn’t even go to him. It wasn’t fair.

“Ah, good, you’re all here!” Hank said as he walked in. Scott felt his stomach turn to a block of ice and he forgot how to breathe.

“What did you learn, Hank?” Professor Xavier asked the scientist.

Hank looked straight at Scott. “Our young Mr. Summers is NOT pregnant.”

The ice melted and Scott exhaled. “Thank you, Hank,” he whispered.

“Don’t thank me. You were just lucky,” Hank said sternly. “It could just have easily gone the other way.”

The Professor took a deep breath that showed just how anxious he had been before the announcement. “If you all wouldn’t mind leaving Scott and I alone for a while …?”

Magnus gave his shoulders one last squeeze and followed the other adults out. He closed the Library door behind him.

“Hank was right,” the Professor said to Scott. “You were fortunate this time.”

“Yes sir,” Scott agreed softly.

“You will be put on the new male birth control immediately, but that is not leave for you and Lance to continue with a sexual relationship,” his mentor told him seriously. “Do you understand?”

Scott nodded.

“I hope you do. But perhaps what comes next will help reinforce that.”



part 194

Once the Library was emptied of everyone but himself and the Professor, Scott cast his mentor a contrite look. "I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am that everything came down this way, Professor. The lies, the cover-up --"

"The irresponsibility, the selfishness?" Professor Xavier added with helpful dryness.

Scott flushed. "I didn't think it was selfish."

"You didn't think at ALL, Scott. That's the problem. And you still don't regret what you did with Lance, in spite of what it cost others besides yourselves." The Professor shook his head. "I suppose there's really nothing left to say at this point, so let's get to the business at hand. Take down your pants and underwear and lean over the front of the sofa -- take hold of the back to brace yourself."

Scott stood up and undid the button of his pants. He turned away to face the sofa as he continued to undress. He could hear the Professor's desk drawer open and shut, and then the sound of his wheelchair approaching. He resisted the urge to look over his shoulder and instead followed the instructions he'd been given. Gripping the top edge of the sofa back, he found he had to bend over pretty far to maintain his balance. He felt his face get hot. I must look ridiculous with my bare butt jutting out like this, he thought.

Not that Professor Xavier cared. He came up alongside Scott, who finally did look back. He saw with a start that the man was holding a long wooden paddle, like something he'd only seen in movies about rowdy fraternities and initiations.

"I never knew you had one of those," he admitted, his voice a little strained by his awkward position.

"There was never a need for you to know about it until now," the Professor replied. "I'm sorry a need ever came up."

"Me too," Scott murmured, then felt the paddle slam forcefully across his buttocks. He went up on his toes automatically.

"Don't do that again, Scott."

He lowered his heels until both feet were flat on the ground again. Then he braced himself for the next blow.

--

Victor hung up the phone, frowning. He had just spoken to Mystique and been brought up to date on happenings at the Institute. It was hard to believe what he'd heard.

Remy and Rogue having sex he could have believed, but Scott and Lance? Those two who were enemies not that long ago, and Scott being the Institute's Golden Boy and all. Xavier must be having kittens.

"Forge!" he called. He wanted to talk to his kid and make sure he got it through his head that having sex was a bad idea, despite what some of his peers seemed to think. "Hey, Forge!"

When there was no answer, he sniffed the air and scowled. When had the kid left the house?

He strode out the back door and headed for the Young Justice house.

He smelled Robin and Impulse first – they were in their backyard. They seemed to be engaging in some kind of practice session that involved Robin firing batarangs in several different directions at once while Impulse retrieved them all before they hit the ground or any targets.

“Did you two see Forge?”

“No,” Robin said.

“Yes,” Impulse replied at the same time. The two looked at each other.

“Oops,” Impulse said sheepishly. “Sorry, Rob.”

Victor’s eyes narrowed at them and he strode past, going in their back door.

“Go!” he heard Robin hiss to Impulse, and the speedster took off. Victor anticipated the action and was already in mid-lunge. He managed to catch the fringe of the boy’s wild hair as he passed, yanking him back and covering his mouth before he could scream.

“Not a sound,” he warned.

Then Robin darted past him.

“Oh, for --!” Victor grabbed hold of the teenager’s cape just as Impulse vibrated out of his grip and was gone before he could catch him again.

“Heyyouguysyou’dbettergetupbecauseVictor’srightbehind –“

Victor stomped into the living room only to find Superboy and Forge standing in front of the couch looking more than a little flustered and guilty. Their clothes and hair were too rumpled for Victor’s liking.

“Okay, that does it,” he said, his already-gravelly voice taking on new territory in grit. “From now on Forge is not allowed in this house unless I’m here. YOU –“ He poked a sharp claw against the big letter on Superboy’s uniform, “—are not to do anything with him rated above PG-13 or I’ll be making a tattoo of this ‘S’ with my claws. And YOU two,” he looked at Robin and Impulse. “The next time you cover up for him I’ll wallop your backsides so hard your grandchildren will still be feeling it – got me?!”

“Victor!” Forge cried.

“Oh, don’t YOU even get started – we’ll do our talking at home. Come on!” He threw Forge over his shoulder and headed toward the back door.

“I’m getting awfully tired of being carried around this way,” Forge complained.

“And I’M getting tired of doing it, what’s your point?!”

--

“All right, Scott, we’re done.”

It took a few moments for Scott first to register what the Professor had said, and another couple to force his fingers to relinquish their grip on the back of the sofa. His bottom and thighs were burning and throbbing so badly he feared he might not sit until he graduated from college. But worst of all was knowing it had been Professor Xavier who did this to him, and that this man he loved like a father had been disappointed enough to do it. Biting his lip painfully, he got dressed. As he turned to leave, the Professor caught his hand.

“I’m sorry that was necessary, Scott,” he said earnestly. “I hope you know that I still love you, and I always will.”

Scott choked back a sob and fell to his knees by the wheelchair, allowing the man to embrace him tightly.



part 195

Victor marched into his house and stopped by the couch, flipping his son off his shoulder to land on the cushions. "I don't EVER want to see you looking like that again!"

"What, happy?" Forge asked.

"NO" Victor yelled. "All messed up and guilty-looking and standing next to that son of an S!"

"Fine," Forge shrugged, "next time I won't look guilty."

Victor slammed a hand onto the top of the couch and bent down so that his face was right in front of the teenager's. "No, you won't because you won't ever do that again, got me?!"

"Calm down, okay?" Forge pushed him back enough to sit up himself. "Kon and I didn't do anything much. We were just kissing."

"Kissing doesn't get your hair and clothes messed up," Victor growled.

Forge looked away and cleared his throat. "Well, um, it does if you're kissing in a, uh, horizontal position."

Victor grabbed his shirt front and pulled him forward so he couldn't look away. "NO horizontal positions. NONE."

"But we --"

"NONE, I SAID!" Victor bellowed. "I'll make it really simple for you, kid -- you either promise me there'll be no more funny stuff with that guy or you don't see him anymore."

Forge stared at him. "You can't be serious!"

"Damn straight I can! If you HAVE to kiss him, I can live with that. I don't like it, but I'll accept it. But I will NOT accept anything beyond that. Do you understand?!"

"Yes," Forge said.

"And do you promise you'll obey me in this?"

"Of course I do," Forge told him. "Victor, I wasn't even thinking about having sex with Kon-el!"

"Hmmph," Victor snorted. "Maybe not, but now if the thought ever enters your head, you can picture me chasing it out again."

"Okay, okay, but can you at least promise me that you won't threaten Kon's LIFE every time you see him? Please?"

"Only if at those times I see him he doesn't have his hands on you."

Forge sighed resignedly. "Deal."

--

Lance threw his textbook on the floor, not caring much whether it ripped or not. He was tired of trying to study and his butt hurt too much to concentrate anyway. Besides, no matter how he tried, he couldn't get his mind off Scott, and wondering how he was faring.

He heard the intercom click on and automatically looked toward the control room to see who was up there.

Scott.

"Lance, are you all right?" he asked. "I was so worried about you."

"Not half as worried as I was about YOU!" Lance jumped to his feet and a grimace escaped him. He wasn't in jumping shape at all.

"You're in pain," Scott said unhappily.

"That happens, lover, when belt meets butt," Lance replied. "I'm okay, though."

"No, you're not. How CAN you be?" Scott put his hands on the Plexiglas and balled them into fists. "God, I want to go down there so badly it hurts!"

"Speaking of which, how much hurting are YOU doing?" Lance pressed. "They must have punished you by now."

"Yes," Scott said, then changed the subject, "They told you about the test results, right?"

"Yeah, Hank came by and told me. Wouldn't tell me anything else -- like how you were being punished."

Scott sighed. Lance wasn't going to let this one go. "The Professor paddled me."

Lance looked surprised. "The Professor did?" He shook his head. "Man, Scott. That must have been terrible for you."

"It wasn't fun," Scott admitted.

An uneasy silence fell between the two boys. Neither could come up with anything to say that hadn't already been said.

"I have to go," Scott murmured. "I was told to keep it short -- I'm supposed to stay in my room for the rest of the day."

"It's okay," Lance said. "Go and take care of yourself -- we've both had a crappy day."

"I love you," both boys said at once, then smiled.



part 196

"Damn it all to hell," Wanda muttered as she stalked down the hallway in school. She stopped by her locker and opened it, fishing around for her Math textbook. When she couldn't find it, she slammed the door shut.

"Ooo, temper, temper!" Pietro teased as he suddenly appeared, leaning against the locker beside her. "What's got you so upset today?"

Her full lips pouted. "Heather asked me to meet her before school so we could talk. She broke up with me."

"Ouch," Pietro said with a wince. "Sorry, Sis."

"I don't care. I never really liked her, anyway." Wanda spun away and headed down the hall. As she passed the water fountain, it cracked and fell apart, spraying water up toward the ceiling.

"Yeah, sure you didn't," Pietro remarked dryly.

--

Lance tried to relax. He knew Logan and the Professor were watching the monitors closely, and that his being released from the Danger Room was dependant on what they saw. He looked down at the sensors attached to his pulse points and breathed slowly. Calm, Alvers, think calm.

After what seemed like forever to Lance, Logan went over and removed the sensors. "Well?!" the teenager probed.

"Let's do the control test first," Logan said. "Get up and let's see what you can do."

Lance got out of the chair and headed back into the Danger Room. He shuddered as he passed through the doors. Would he ever get out of this place and STAY out?

"All right, Lance," the Professor said through the intercom, "just begin by seeing if you can activate your power on your own at all."

Lance nodded and held out his hands. Please, he thought. Please let me do this.

He felt the tremor before it manifested, but when he saw the ground shake and begin to open up, he felt exhilarated.

"Can you stop it now?" Logan asked.

Lance concentrated, focusing all his energy on pulling his power back. The response was so quick and smooth he gasped. One moment the world around him was shaking, the next it was still.

"How'd that feel, kid?" Logan asked.

"Good," Lance admitted. "Great, even. It did exactly what I wanted it to do." He looked up at them. “Does that mean I’m over this stupid growth spurt thing?”

"Not so fast, Lancelot," Logan said gently. "We need to run a few more tests first. We have to be completely sure about this."

Lance sighed, then steeled himself. He did it once, he could do it again.

--

"I'm really sorry, Wanda," Longshot said, touching the dark-haired girl on the shoulder. The two of them were in Wanda’s room at the mansion after school, and Longshot had closed the door so they could speak privately. "Did Heather tell you why?"

"She's moving," Wanda grumbled. "Back to Australia. Her whole family is going."

"Oh!" Longshot grinned. "So it's not that she doesn't like you anymore!"

"What difference does it make?!" Wanda snapped. "The end result is the same!"

"I guess YOU could go to Australia," Longshot said slowly.

Wanda was silent for a few moments, then shook her head. "No. I've got unfinished business here. And my control over my power isn't complete. I turned one of the school hallways into a lake today because I wasn't holding it in."

A knock came at the bedroom door and Wanda sighed. “Yeah, what do you want?”

“To come in,” replied her father from the other side.

Longshot jumped up and went over to open the door. “Hi Magnus! Maybe you can make Wanda feel better.”

“Longshot!” Wanda hissed.

“It’s all right, daughter, I already know about Heather,” Magnus said, walking over to take Longshot’s place beside Wanda on the bed. He nodded to the blonde boy, who gave him a thumb’s-up and slipped out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him.

Wanda gazed at her father suspiciously. “How do you know? Pietro told you, didn’t he?”

“Well, yes,” Magnus admitted. “But only because he was concerned for you.”

“It’s no big deal!” Wanda argued, getting up and walking to face the French doors leading to the balcony. “She has to go, and I have to stay. These things happen.”

“True,” Magnus agreed. He went up behind her and laid his hands on her shoulders. “But that doesn’t decrease the pain, does it?”

Wanda bit her lip and Magnus felt her tremble under his hands. Then her shoulders began shaking as a sob caught in her throat. He gently turned her around and hugged her closely, rocking her.



part 197

Kurt and Scott glanced at each other in amusement before turning back to the scene before them. “Pietro,” Kurt said, “how can you possibly have any FUN when you play tennis by YOURSELF?”

Pietro zipped from one side of the court and gave the ball a whack with his racket, then sped back to the other side and returned it. “This way,” he said as he passed, “I always win!”

The other two boy laughed. This was typical ‘Pietro logic’ that they’d gotten used to.

Then the speed demon stopped, grinning in Scott’s direction.

“What?” the older boy asked. All went dark suddenly as a pair of hands covered his glasses.

“Guess who?”

“Lance!” Scott cried happily and turned to embrace him. “You did it, you’re free!”

“Yeah, I passed all their tests and they decided I was good to go.” Lance smiled and brushed his knuckles over Scott’s cheek lovingly. “We’ve got some time to make up, boy.”

“You’re telling me!” Scott grinned and they drew closer for a deep kiss.

Pietro appeared at Kurt’s side and the two of them watched with interest.

“It _still_ weirds me out to see the leaders of our respective groups in serious lip-lock,” Pietro admitted.

“Well, it weirds me out more to see my sister with both you AND Remy,” Kurt said dryly, then shrugged. “And I can’t talk, I’m dating Duncan Matthews.” He looked at Pietro thoughtfully. “How is Wanda doing?”

“How do you think _you’d_ be doing if Duncan moved away?” Pietro asked. “She’s devastated and trying not to show it.”

“I hope she’ll be okay,” Kurt said. “She’s a pretty girl, but she scares the kids at school sometimes. It might be hard for her to find someone else.”

“I don’t think she’s looking right now, anyway – HEY, you guys!” Pietro yelled at Lance and Scott. “Come up for air, already!”

--

“Remember, Longshot,” Magnus said to the pretty blonde boy as their car came to a stop inside the movie lot, “just do your job and stay away from him whenever possible. Hopefully your luck will protect you if he tries to pull anything.”

Longshot tucked a long strand of hair behind one ear. “I’m not sure he will,” he said softly. “He won’t want to jeopardize his part in the movie.” He gave Magnus a reassuring smile. “But I’ll be careful, anyway.”

“All right. Then let’s go.”

Rain E. Morning watched from his chair as Magnus and Longshot got out of the car. He and Longshot would be filming their first scenes together since the revelation of who he really was, and he wasn’t sure what to expect from his lucky co-star.

As it turned out, Longshot wasn’t the first one he had to face, although he would have been preferable. The blonde was whisked off to make-up, and it was Magnus who made his way over to Rain first.

“There was a time when I could have used a young man such as yourself,” he remarked. “Your sister has an amazing talent as well.”

“I’m flattered you think so,” Rain told him earnestly, his green eyes looking up into the face of the man he would have called the King of Mutants if things had been different. “We admired you very much, you know.”

“But I’m not in the world domination business anymore,” Magnus said. “However, that doesn’t mean you can’t still join me – at the Xavier Institute. You could be one of the ‘good guys’, Rain.”

The teenager paused. “Rebel isn’t interested in that,” he finally sighed. “She thinks it’s copping out. Giving up.”

“And what do YOU think?”

Rain shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. I have to stay with Rebel – she’s my little sister. And she refuses to consider reformation.”

“You realize that makes you potential enemies of the X-Men,” Magnus pointed out in a cool tone. “You don’t want that, Bullseye.”

“Hey, we aren’t planning anything major.” The young actor grinned. “We just want to have a little fun.”

“Just be careful what kind of ‘fun’ you choose,” Magnus warned, then turned away to walk over to where non-cast members waited during filming. Rain watched him go, feeling a twinge of regret, but at the same time resenting the distinguished man for making that doubt enter his mind.



part 198

Scott couldn’t stop grinning. It had been so long since he’d seen Lance anywhere but through Plexiglas, but there were no barriers now.

They had taken Lance’s jeep and had spent a while just driving around Bayville, getting reacquainted without outside interference from friends or adults. Then they finally stopped for something to eat.

“That was the best pizza I ever had,” Lance said, then glanced at Scott and chuckled. “I guess it was for you, too, since you haven’t stopped smiling since we got here.”

“I haven’t stopped smiling since I saw you at the tennis court,” Scott told him. “I’ve missed you a lot, especially with all the trouble –“

“I’m really sorry I wasn’t there for you.” Lance frowned and crumpled up his napkins. “It’s not fair, what they did to us, you know.”

Scott sighed. “Yes, it was fair. We knew the rules and we broke them, and we lied and let others lie, and ….” He shrugged. “We were wrong.”

“Does that mean you regret what we did?” Lance asked, tensing.

Scott reached over and squeezed his hand. “You know the answer to that.”

Lance relaxed and grinned. “Sorry.”

Scott was about to say something else when he stopped, and Lance saw his expression turn guarded. “She’s here,” he said.

Lance turned in his seat and looked toward the door. It was Rebel, back in her usual leather and piercings. There was another individual that would have looked more at home in a dance club. Or a rainbow convention.

"Is that a male or female?" Lance asked.

"Flat chest -- male," Scott replied, then frowned. "I think."

"I've never seen anyone with hair that long in my life," Lance commented. He started to get up. "But who cares about him? I've got a few words for that girl for giving us away like she did."

Rebel saw Lance standing and nudged the colourful person beside her. They headed over.

"If it isn't the lovers!" she declared. "How'd you guys fare the other day after they all found out?"

"None of your business!" Lance snapped, advancing on her. "You know, I usually make it a policy not to hit girls, but in this case --"

"In this case, luv, you'd better think twice about that," the tall one with the ultra-long hair suggested.

"This is Dazzle," Rebel said. "He's with me."

"And," Dazzle said cheerfully, "so are _they_." He pointed toward the window of the pizza shop and when Scott and Lance looked that way, they saw at least seven tough-looking, leather-clad bruisers killing time smoking and shoving each other around.

"Who are they?" Scott asked. "Your gang?"

"Just friends," Rebel remarked. "After all, a girl can't be too careful."

"Yeah, well, you'd better just keep on being careful then," Lance growled. "Maybe _you're_ immune to mutant powers, but I'll bet _he's_ not," he jerked his head toward Lance, "and _they're_ not." He motioned at the window.

"But you're the good guys." Rebel smirked. "So you can't do a damned thing. Come on, Dazzle."

Lance glared in frustration. "Yeah, go, get lost!" He gave the tall guy a hard shove, sending him stumbling. Scott, who had been watching the gang outside to see if they were about to come in and land all over them was shocked to see them vanish.

"What the --?" he gasped, then turned to Lance. "It's an illusion! All those guys outside -- that must be HIS power!"

Dazzle regained his footing despite the six-inch heeled boots and flashed Scott a smile. "Aw, you caught me. I do _lovely_ illusions, but you messed me up when you pushed me. How naughty of you!"

"I guess we'll be off then," Rebel said, not seeming to care that Dazzle's weakness had been uncovered. She glanced back at Lance. "If Magneto ever decides to get his act together, tell him we're still interested."

"Ta ta!" Dazzle waved and followed her.

Scott and Lance exchanged a disbelieving look. "And I thought me, Freddy, Todd, and Pietro were a weird bad guy group once," Lance said wryly.

--

Forge walked up the driveway of the Young Justice house and rang the doorbell. He had gotten Victor’s permission to go over this time, with the warning that he might drop in unexpectedly to make sure he and Kon-el were remaining ‘vertical.’ Thinking about it, he rolled his eyes and shook his head as he waited for the boys to answer the door.

It was taking too long, though. He decided to see if they were around back and hadn’t heard the bell.

As soon as he got there, Forge realized something was wrong. He had an affinity for gadgets, and had admired Robin’s work in the yard with the security system. But he noticed one of the sensors was gone right away, then as he searched for the others, he found them missing as well. Quickly, he went to the back door and knocked, then tried the knob. It was unlocked.

It didn’t take long for Forge to come to the conclusion that the three boys had vacated the house. Then an envelope with his name on it confirmed it.

--

Victor didn’t look up when the door opened – he could tell from the scent it was Forge returning. “That was fast,” he remarked. “Superkid not home?”

“He’s gone,” Forge said numbly. “They’re all gone.”

“What are you talking about?” Victor frowned.

Forge held up the note. “Kon wrote me this. He says they found out that Justice League somehow managed to bug the new house – probably Flash did it one time when they were out back or something. So apparently they just won’t trust them even with your supervising them. They’ve left and are going to decide whether to just give up or find another hiding place, but they won’t tell us where they are right now. That way, he says, we won’t have to lie to Justice League if they ask.” He sat down heavily on the couch. “I really liked him, Victor,” he said softly.

Victor made a sound somewhere between a sigh and a growl. He put his arm around the boy’s shoulders and squeezed. “Yeah, I know you did. Love’s a dangerous thing, kid. It’s better to avoid it.”

Forge looked up, his dark eyes wet. “Even with me?”

Victor pulled the teenager against him. “Nah. You’re the exception for me.”

--

Longshot pulled back the covers of his bed and sat down, yawning. It had been a long day on the set, but he had finished all his key scenes. All there was left was a little bit of dubbing work. He and Rain had managed to concentrate on their work without discussing anything personal. It wasn’t a pleasant working relationship, but they got the job done. Besides, Rain would be leaving soon, anyway.

No one had told him this – he’d ‘borrowed’ the information by using his power, and only felt slightly guilty about it. He’d slipped into Rain’s trailer and picked up his hairbrush to ‘read’ his future. He’d only hoped to find out whether or not he would decide to stand up to his sister or maybe convince her to give up being bad. What he saw instead surprised him. Rebel and her bunch, Rain included, were going to leave Bayville suddenly in pursuit of something big – something that frightened Longshot enough that just the impression of it made him drop the brush and cut off the vision.

He shuddered, trying to shake off the memory, then remembered that he hadn’t brushed his own hair yet. Knowing the long locks would tangle if he didn’t, he reached for his brush, thinking again of what he’d seen without wanting to.

He gasped as another vision suddenly hit him and realized too late that his power was activated unintentionally. He’d seen a flash of his own future without meaning to.

“Oh no,” he murmured, and drew up his knees, wrapping his arms around them, burying his face in them.

--

End of part 198

X-Men belongs to Marvel.

(2001)