Jamie, Wisp, and Strawberry's talk was interrupted abruptly when Jamie's father, Henri ran into the room, breathing heavily.

"T'ere's been un accident," Henri informed them. "De X-men need Jamie an' Wisp immediately..."

"What happened?" Strawberry asked.

"I dunno," Henri shrugged. "T'ey jus' said t'ey needed Jamie an' Wisp t' come t' de Institute immediately."

Jamie sulks. "Aw, can't school ever be normal?" he complains.

Wispy glares at him, standing up. "Well, we'd better go."

Rennet sighs, closing the book he'd been reading. "Come on, Jamie. Before Wisp decides to kill us."

"One mo' t'ing," Henri said. "Fo' un reason o' anothe', de Professor has requested dat I, y' uncles Emil, Theo, an Etienne come wit'. We don' know why. All we know is dat t'ey need a few t'ieves fo' whateve's happenin'."

"Can I come?" Strawberry asked. "Please? I know my mutant power stinks and is kinda wimpy, but..."

"I don' t'ink they'd mind," Henri said. "From de soun' o' it, t'ey need all de help t'ey can get. Come on, we already loaded up de van."

When the got to the carport, they found Theo and Etienne waiting by the large, midnight blue van, and Emil dancing to a song only he could hear.

"I get t' go on a mission!" Emil exclaimed happily, still doing his happy dance. "I get t' go on a mission, I get t' go on a mission!"

Jamie rolls his eyes, climbing into the van. "Can I drive, pere?" he asks Henri. "Mama lets me drive d'boat, sometimes..."

Wisp slides into the backseat with him, as does Rennet, lost in his book again. As an empath and limited telekinetic, Wisp's and Jamie's mood swings gave him a headache. Reading was the only way to escape.

Henri thought about it. "How old are y' again?"

"Come on, le' de boy drive," Theo said.

"I dunno if I trust Jamie not to run into a tree and kill me..." Strawberry murmured. "That would be so embarrassing, if I died just because Jamie's a bad driver..."

Mercy ran toward them from the door.

"HEY!" she cried. "Y' were really gon' leave wit'out tellin' moi goodbye?"

"Je suis desole, cherie," Henri hugged his wife and kissed her on the cheek.

Mercy pointed at her husband. "If y' die, I will neve' forgive y'," she threatened.

"Understood, cherie," Henri smirked.

"An' y'!" Mercy pointed at Jamie. "Don' y' even t'ink abou' goin' an' doin' somet'in' stupid dat'll wind up wit' y' killed. Y' hear moi, boy?!"

Jamie nods vigorously. "Oui, Mama." he says meekly. "Jamie'll be on his bes' b'havior."

Wisp smirks in the background, elbowing Rennet, who winces. "We'll keep an eye on him, Mrs. Lebeau." he says without looking up.

Mercy nodded. "Y' better!"

Strawberry chucked. "Don' worry, we'll keep all the bad guys from hurting little wittle Jamie! Cause we all know he can't protect himself!"

"Was dat sarcasm?" Mercy gave Strawberry a look.

"Amazingly enough, no. I was being completely serious," Strawberry said.

"Wha's y' name?" Mercy asked.

"Strawberry!" Strawberry answered.

"Seriously?!" Theo gave the brunette girl a look.

"What? My parents were weird," Strawberry answered.

"I don' t'ink it's all dat bad," Etienne said.

"I like it!" Emil nodded.

Strawberry smiled widely before getting in the van herself.

Henri climbed into the driver's seat. "Adieu, mon amour," he told Mercy. She kissed him on the cheek.

Jamie grumbles, glaring at Strawberry. "Y'lucky I ain't sittin' next t'y'." he says meaningfully.

Wisp smirks. "Mr. LeBeau! Jamie's being meaan..."

Rennet tries to imagine himself anywhere else. And so, he thought, began the worst drive in his entire life.

Jamie..." Henri said in a warning tone. "Be nice t' Strawberry. She jus' tryin' t' keep people laughin'. She jokin', right, Strawberry?"

"Of course, Mr. LeBeau," Strawberry said, feigning innocence and smiling at Jamie, fluttering her eyelashes at him with a mischievious gleam in her hazel eyes.

Henri started up the car and started driving.

Strawberry finally took notice of Rennet. "Oh, cheer up, Ren! Mind if I call you Ren? Anyway, cheer up! It'll be fun! I mean, at least you have a cool power! I mean, empathy and slight telekinesis? Awesome! Mine's wimpy..."

"What is y' power, anyway?" Etienne asked.

"I can control plants..." Strawberry said. "Not a very cool power. Anyways, Rennet, you need to SMILE! Do you know the meaning of the word smile? Be happy! All this angst cannot be good for you!"

Rennet grits his teeth. "I AM happy." he grumbles.

Jamie pokes him. "No y'ain't."

"Yes, I am." Rennet replies.

"No y'ain't."

"Yes, I am."

Wisp joins in. "Sure you are."

"No I'm not." Ren retorts, then realizes what he just said. Groaning, he puts his head in his hands. "See what I live with?" he appeals.

Strawberry frowns. "Awww...I know, Ren, it must be hard putting up with Jamie all the time. But...look at it this way, once we get to the Institute, I'll help you shove him in the pool!"

Theo looked at the squabbling teens. "'Ey, be nice."

"So sorry! Won't happen again," Strawberry smiled innocently. "Anyways, Ren, you need to smile! I'm sure you have a lovely smile! Smile for me Ren-Ren!"

He lifts a brow. "Ren-Ren? Really? An' I thought my uncle was cruel." he remarks.

Jamie snickers, flicking a rubber band at the back of Etienne's head.

Wisp just rolls her eyes, stealing Rennet's book. "An Introduction to Physics and Genetic research? That's what you're honestly reading?"

Etienne turned around and gave Jamie a look. "Jamie, please don' flick rubber ban's at people. It ain' nice an' trut' be tol' it kinda hurts."

"Uncle?" Strawberry looked at Rennet. "What's wrong with your uncle? And yeah! Ren-Ren! It's your nickname! And Physics and Genetics? That's science stuff right? Hey, do you think you could help me with my science homework sometime? I stink at science!"

Jamie sulks. "But Uncle Remy tol' me he used t'flick rubber bands at y'." he replies innocently.

Wisp snickers again. "You should hear Jamie at school." she adds. "It's always Uncle Remy this and Uncle Remy that."

Rennet nods at Strawberry. "Sure. That sounds good."

Etienne sighed. "Oui, but dat don' mean y' should follow Remy's example..."

Henri laughed from the driver's seat. "Jamie always did hold a lotta respect fo' Remy, never t'ought he'd start actin' like 'im. But remember, Jamie, y' start flirtin' wit' girls an' I will tell Tante."

Strawberry smiled even wider. "Thanks so much, Ren-Ren!"

Jamie turns bright red, mumbling sonething under his breath at his father's remark and turned pointedly to stare out the window.

Wisp fights back a snort of laughter. "Please, Jamie flirt? The kid can't even make eye contact." she replies.

Jamie bristles. "Jamie can too talk to girls." he replies indignantly.

Rennet offers a hesitant smile. "You're welcome."

Etienne smiles at Jamie's reaction to his father's warning.

Theo snorts. "Wisp's right. Boy definitely ain't as charmin' as Remy was. But don' worry, kiddo, dat's a good t'ing."

Strawberry claps her hands together in delight. "I DID IT! I made you smile! And, I got a new science partner to teach me what all those crazy symbols mean! HAPPY DAAAAY!"

Jamie glowers at his uncles, before trying to subtly smooth his unruly dark hair. "Jus' y'wait..." he mutters, already plotting. To console his wounded pride, he pulled out the card deck he'd "borrowed" from his uncle the last time Remy was home and began to shuffle through them.

Wisp looks at Jamie, then at the back of Henri's head. "Mr. LeBeau?"

Rennet grins at Strawberry's mood.

Henri looked back a Wisp. "Oui, petite? Wha's wrong?"

Strawberry's grin, if possible, grew wider. "OH! Now that, my friends, is a full on Ren-Ren smile! I did it! Everyone, admire my awesomeness! I have managed to make Ren-Ren happy! Oh, Ren-Ren! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT! I'm so proud! Me and you are gonna be great friends, I just know it!"

Wisp smiled innocently. "Can I stuff a sock in Jamie's mouth?"

Rennet looked alarmed at Strawberry's behavior.

Henri thought about it. "Sure. Why not?" he finally answered.

Strawberry looked at Rennet, noticing his reaction. "What? Aren't I allowed to be happy to get a HAPPY science partner instead of a grumpy one?"
Jamie looks annoyed. "You touch me an' I'll charge y'seatbelt." he threatened, his eyes narrowin
Rennet nodded sheepishly.
"Jamie..." Henri said in a warning tone. "Be nice t' Wisp. An' everyone else fo' dat matter."

Emil nodded. "If y' can't say not'in' nice, we actually will stuff a sock in y' mouth."

Strawberry smiled at Rennet.
Jamie looked offended. "Wispy started it." he complained. "Why can't y' scold her?" he added, muttering something in French he'd learned from his grandfather.

"HEY!" Henri exclaimed. "Y' watch y' language, boy! Y' see, it's de attitude dat we scold y' fo', usually."

"Are we t'ere yet?" Emil asked.

"Soon," Henri answered.

"Whoa, wait," Strawberry blinked. "The Institute's in New York."

"Exactly," Etienne nodded. "We goin' t' de airport. We flyin' t'ere. Did y' really t'ink we'd drive dat far? Dat take t' long."

"OOOH!" Strawberry nodded. "I thought we were going on a road trip!"

Jamie rolled his eyes, still in a bad temper. "An' dat's why Strawberry ain't in no critical thinkin' classes." he muttered.

Rennet looks queasy at the thought of flying.

"HEY!" Strawberry cried out indignantly. "The reason I'm not in a critical thinking class is because I'm homeschooled! I haven't ever gone to the Institute, remember?! I don't even know what it looks like! I only met you guys a few weeks ago!"

"Jamie, be nice o' else I will pull dis van ove'," Henri warned.

"Don' like flyin'?" Etienne asked Rennet.
"And," Strawberry added. "'Ain't in no critical thinking classes' would mean I WAS in critical thinking classes, oh bad-grammar-user you!"

Theo snorted. "De fille gotta point, Jamie."

Jamie made a face. "What, so suddenly y'all sidin' wit' dis femme over y'own flesh'n' blood? Dis ain't right! Pere..." he whined.

Rennet shook his head. "No, not very much, sir." he replies.

Wisp interrupted, bouncing up and down in her seat and squealing. "I LOVE flying! Almost as much as I love fire!"