Disclaimer: X-Characters are still Marvel's and are used without permission...
This takes place during Uncanny #460... definitely after Astonishing X-Men #6. Beyond that, your mileage will vary.

Chapter 2

Rachel froze in mid-rant. She had to suppress the urge to giggle- it may have looked like a scene from "America's Stupidest Video Clips", but the tension in the air was more than palpable. Kitty was sitting inside her nightstand and stereo, eyes wide in shock. X-23 was in a semi-crouch on the bed, claws extended, eyes flashing with danger.

"Whoa there, kids, I didn't mean to startle you there." A calm approach seemed best right now. "Just having a rough day, didn't mean to stress you two as well."

Rachel? Kitty thought at her friend. Please tell me I'm not where I think I am

You're in your stereo, yes. I told you that maybe the extended warranty might have been a good idea.

Kitty slowly pulled herself up. Stupid stupid STUPID! I can't believe I ruined another stereo. She slid the headphones off her ears when a thought struck her. Her eyes turned back to the cassette player, from which small tendrils of smoke were drifting upwards.

"Oh no…" she said softly. Numbly, she pushed the "Eject" button and removed her precious tape. She carried over to her closet and began rummaging through some boxes until she found an old walkman. After a few fumbling tries, she managed to get the tape in and the headphones on. She pressed play.

"Oh no," she repeated. She pressed fast forward and the cassette whirred. Play again. "Oh No! Oh no no no…"

Kitty! Rachel's mindspeak was sharp inside her head. Kitty, I need you to calm down, right now. You're freaking out X over there and we don't need this to escalate. The redhead walked over to her friend and put her hand on a shoulder.

"It's OK, X, everything's OK. Just a little misunderstanding here, nothing to get upset about." She slowly let out her breath as the snakt of sheathing claws echoed across the room. "I'm sorry for barging in like that, it's just been a really long day and I wasn't thinking."

That's easy for you to say. You didn't just lose your only copy of your favorite band's albums

Kitty thought angrily, her eyes tearing up.

Only copy, sent Rachel, you used to have copies all over, along with concert bootlegs, and autographed albums, and…

All right, maybe I'm exaggerating. A little bit. It's just that I can't find most of my collection right now and I only found this tape yesterday going through a box the Braddock's had sent, and now it's gone and I've had such a bad day and I didn't need this right now with Emma and Peter and everything else…

Grimacing at the images forming in her best friend's head, Rachel was suddenly very glad she was on a team that wasn't locked down to the Institute all the time. Hanging around Miss Frost and her fa- Mr. Summers on a daily basis would simply be unbearable. Hell, it was worth turning into a dino or fighting unstoppable killing machines to get away from them.

"You know, Kit, I was going to save these for your birthday, but hey, no time like the present for presents, right?" Rachel had a mischievous little grin and a twinkle in her eye. "Close your eyes."

Kitty wiped her tears away with her sleeve and looked suspiciously at her friend. "Why? What are you up to, Red?"

"Shut 'em, Pryde! Or do I have to generate an illusion of nothingness around your head?" When Kitty finally complied, Rachel telekinetically plucked a small package from the closet and levitated it to her hands

"Happy, um, un-birthday Kate."

"Does this mean I can look now? I'm really not in the mood for gam-." Her eyes opened at the small package Rachel had placed on her lap. "These aren't… I mean, where?… the band broke up a while ago… how did?…"

Rachel smiled warmly as her best friend ripped open the wrapping to reveal two CD's of Cats Laughing and Another Way to Travel. Kitty looked them over, her mouth still open in surprise.

Her eyes poured over the inscription the lead singer, Emma Bull had penned, and read it aloud.

"'Bands may come and go, but music and friendship are forever.'" She spoke softly, moisture again coming to her eyes.

In response to her questioning look, Rachel explained, "OK, so I felt badly about making that scene over you and Peter, so I did some browsing. I knew you had lost most of your copies in all your travels, and thought you deserved better than third hand copies anyway. I searched ebay and froogle, but it wasn't until I went to Emma's site that I found a link to her online store at cafepress. I e-mailed her and she asked how you were, and said she'd be happy to autograph them, and here they are. I, uh, also promised that you'd take the time to write…"

Rachel paused for a breath, and was suddenly swept up in her friend's warm embrace. The tears were flowing freely from Kitty's brown eyes, and as they held one another, Rachel's green eyes welled up to match. There had been so much tension of late, and in many ways the young women knew they needed this cry.

"So, friends again?" Rachel ventured?

Kitty smiled through her tears, "Always, Red," She grinned, "Now what we need now is a place to listen to some good music…"

to be continued...

Thanks to my reviewers- it's nice to see people are taking the time to look it over...
RandomMarvelFan- Glad you like it... I've got a few chapters ready, but several will need rewrites due to policies about lyrics...
Madripoor Rose-Yes, Kiotr is coming... a little Pryde-Wisdom too, but only in a flashback. There'll be much more Rachel- she's insinuated herself into the story, but I haven't too much comfort with X-23, so she's, alas, more of a plot device.