Author's Note: The 365 Project is an experimental project to write and post at least one short every day for the next year, not including my semi-regular bi-weekly updates. Whether or not that goal can be reached, we'll see... This is The 365 Project, 10 January.

Disclaimer: "X-Men: Evolution" and all associated characters and situations are the property of Marvel, used for entertainment purposes without permission or intent to profit. Apologies to Ray Stevens, no offence is meant by any reference to any of his songs - he's been a favorite of mine for years.

Probably takes place sometimes late in Season two - just before Mystique's return to the Brotherhood - or mid-Season three after things have settled back down.

"Taste of Home"
By J.T. Magnus, 'Turbo'

"It was a secret meeting in the dead of the night with mysterious sanctimony, in accordance with prescribed rituals, a time-honored ceremony. Matters of grave concern were weighed with dedicated caution... like whether or not to raise at Stud or Draw or 'Spit in the Ocean'!"

"Sam, turn tha' blasted thing off!" One of the room's other occupants snapped, "Ya want the whole dang town comin' to find us?"

"Sorry, Rogue," Sam Guthrie answered, turning down the volume on the cd player, "Just felt like some good music instead of that stuff we're always hearing at the Institute."

"Look," Rogue hissed, "Ah appreciate the sentiment, Sam, ah really do - ah share a room with Kitty, queen of the pop, after all - but secret meetings are supposed to be jus' that; secret."

Another figure stuck their head in the room, "Besides, Coy's fooling around with a red-head in that song - you want any of the red-heads we got to deal with bothering us?"

Considering who that would be, Sam winced, "Nah, I think I get it,, y'all. Jeeze, y'all know how to ruin a good song."

Rogue sighed, "Song, song... The important stuff ready yet? That's what ah wanna know, Fred."

"Ya know the old sayin'," Fred Dukes answered, "'An hour if ya help'..."

"...'Thirty minutes if ya don't'," all three of them finished together.

"Ya ain't helped," Fred continued, "So 'bout five more minutes, I figure."

"Thank God," Rogue shook her head, "It's been way too long for some of this stuff, ah was beginning to forget..."

"Not gonna happen," Sam countered, "Leastwise not with me."

"Well, it was your idea, anyway," Rogue reminded him.

And it was. It didn't take long after Sam had joined the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning for him to figure out that he was part of an unsung-minority, one of a small and proud band that crossed the lines between the Institute students and their rivals in the Brotherhood... You see, Sam Guthrie was many things; oldest of the ten Guthrie children, mutant, Institute student, teenager; but besides being his sibling's brother, one of the most important things about him to him was where Sam came from. Sam was a proud Kentuckian, something that most of the mutants in Bayville didn't understand, so he ended up reaching out to the two that did; the Texan and the Mississippian, otherwise known as Fred 'The Blob' Dukes and Rogue, 'just Rogue', and they began to get together and jaw about their home states. The get-togethers were Sam's idea, but it was Fred who came up with a way to make them even better...

"Aw'ight," Fred announced as he entered the room, a serving tray as big as the top of the table the other two were sitting at in his hands, "Supper's ready, you two. All the usual; real gut-bombs and not the Big Mac-knockoffs from up here; RC Cola and classic Moon Pies with none of those goofy new flavors they're making; the okra's fresh-breaded and deep-fried; got some cornbread with real corn in it; the sweet tea's been sun-brewing all day; a little bit of pecan pie for dessert; all the usual good stuff, right?"

After Fred had set the tray on the table, Sam held out his hands for the others to take; "Y'all know the drill... Oh, Lord, bless this food to the use and nourishment of our bodies, Amen."

"Amen."

"Ah-men," Rogue added, "Pass me some of them gut-bombs, Sam."

"Sure thing," Sam picked up one of the bags and held it out to her, "Pass some of that fried okra back this way, please."

Rogue slid one of the bowls filled with the green vegetable over to him, before she dug into the bag filled with fresh, hot, small square sandwiches, "Ah swear, if ah had to hear Kurt talk about how great that 'Gut-Bomb Burgers' place is again, ah was gonna do somethin' drastic. Those ain't no 'gut-bombs', like you said, Fred - these are gut-bombs."

The Kentuckian stopped indulging himself in okra for a moment to look at the Texan, "You know, Fred, you never told us just how your cousin gets this stuff up here, especially with the burgers stayin' hot and the RC and the tea stayin' cold."

Fred finished chewing the Moon Pie that was in his mouth before answering, "I asked D.W. that, ya know what he said?"

"Let me guess," Rogue answered drolly, "He said, 'don't ask'."

"Aw," the mohawked mutant scratched his head in disappointment, "How'd ya know?"

"'Cause ya wouldn't have said that if he didn't," Rogue pointed out, causing Fred to scratch his head again.

"I guess you're right," Fred nodded, "Who's ready for some pie?"