It had come to this. All five of them staying just out of sight - an easy thing to accomplish on the docks of St. Vincent's Wharf where the kidnappers' trail of breadcrumbs had ended. They'd left no note at the ransacked house, but had dropped enough hints on the road away from it to alert Mystique that they were expecting her.

It was for this reason she was exercising caution, never raising her voice above a severe hiss while giving orders. It felt to Todd as though they'd been sneaking forever, staying always in the shadows of buildings and only as far as Mystique could see at a time, when finally she raised a hand and pointed up the side of the abandoned warehouse office.

Todd looked through the corroded rungs of the metal fire-stairs and saw a window tilted open, barely enough for a pigeon to squeeze through. He looked back at Mystique and found himself being stared at expectantly.

Cursing under his breath, Todd jumped and caught a hold of the stair rungs, climbing silently up and over the railing until he could reach the window. The fire-escape door at the top of the stair had no outside handle and he had no idea if anyone would be watching it.

Todd cautiously peered in through the dirty window and saw nothing worse than an employee restroom in desperate need of a janitor some years past. Wrinkling his nose, though it wasn't half as bad as the Brotherhood commode back home, Todd adjusted the window's opening as far as he could and started the process of wriggling inside.

Ten minutes later, he was inside. He checked the hall between bathrooms before leaving the alcove then crept to the door. The fire-alarm was disabled, and he double-checked to make sure before pushing it open. Lance's fingers wrapped around the edge and pulled it and Todd stepped back, allowing him and the others to pass by quietly.

Quicksilver darted past them, stopping behind a pillar and looking over the upstairs railing. He was back at their sides in less than a heartbeat. "Guns," he hissed. "Six." So that meant six men or more, all armed. Joy.

Mystique was silent. Todd had a quiet moment of cowardice in which he hoped she was reconnecting with her conscience about dragging four boys to their potential deaths. He knew had promised to go with her on the porch of Destiny's house, but that was before he'd heard the word 'guns'.

"Do you think you can you disarm them?"

"I'm positive," Pietro answered, lifting his chin. Mystique stared at him a moment, apparently trying to determine if he was being honest or cocky.

"You'll only get one chance. Fred, you cover us."

The bulky teen stared at her and then nodded and it took Todd a moment to figure out his confusion. Mystique gave orders to Lance then, and all Todd could think about was that she was calling them all by name. She knew they were here because they chose to be, and though it was meant as a sign of respect, the strangeness only added to the fraying of Todd's nerves. Mystique must've caught this in the nervous shaking of his hands, because when she addressed Todd she was a little more severe.

"You are going to find Destiny. Wherever they've got her in here, go there and untie her and do whatever you have to do to keep her safe. Break a window and carry her out if it sounds like you need to. Do not leave her, do not fail her. "

Or I will rip your legs off and beat you to death with them, was the unspoken addition. Feeling a little better with the familiarity, Todd nodded. His hands were still shaking so he clenched them tighter.

--

Todd's hands were clenched again as he stared at the kettle and the cup and the teabag as if he didn't know what they were for.

Mystique had carried Destiny in not more than twenty minutes ago, tersely ordering Pietro to tidy the place up and at least make the sofa more habitable. He'd grumbled and done so. If the rest of the Brotherhood hadn't known what Destiny was to Mystique, they knew now as she sat next to the woman and gave her water and gently folded dark glasses into her hand. And wisely they kept their mouths shut and turned the television on.

Freddy was upstairs gathering pillows and blankets and first aid stuffs to further Destiny's comfort, leaving Todd to be dubbed tea-bitch. He had been too introverted to complain much and watched the steam pour out the end of the kettle silently. There was no whistle - it had been lost somewhere in the sink. Todd poured the hot water into the cup and remembered to hold onto the string, watching as the water slowly turned dark.

Todd had kept his mind blank until now, because now he was back home and the danger was over. Now there was nothing to do but think. He grit his teeth, and added sugar to the tea.

"Hey, check it out!"

The volume of the television went up as Todd walked out, carrying the hot beverage. Everyone's eyes were on the news anchor except for his because he didn't want to know.

"Here," he said flatly and Mystique took the tea from his hands, blowing on the surface before pressing it to Destiny's lips. Todd stood behind the couch and looked down at Destiny who couldn't see him. Wordlessly, she turned her head towards him as though she knew he was there. Todd shivered, transferring his gaze to the threads in the couch, and though he didn't watch the news, he listened.

He swallowed at the word 'casualty' and gripped the back of the sofa until his knuckles turned white when they said where in the building police had found the body. Security cameras having been disabled, the news anchor read out an information hotline number, and Todd's stomach decided that it truly hated him.

"Turn it off, Pietro."

"But--"

"Either turn it off or change the channel. Pick one," Mystique ordered, coldly. Destiny touched her arm and she turned to look over her shoulder, just in time to see Todd's hunched shoulders disappearing back into the kitchen.

Mystique muttered a few choice words and went in after him. Todd was crouched in the space between the trashcan and the counter and looking utterly ill. She huffed and seized his elbows, hauling the boy up and ignoring his panicked attempts to push her away. Mystique gave him a good shake which settled him down, but did nothing to improve the violent trembling.

She said nothing, but waited and sure enough the frantic babbling began. "I didn't mean it - I didn't mean to fucking kick the guy that hard, yo - he was coming with a gun and I thought he was gonna shoot me - IwasjustfollowingordersandI'msorr--"

Mystique gave true testament to her mothering skills and slapped Todd, cutting him off. "Be quiet," she said calmly, and when he attempted to sink down and hide his face in his arms again, she forced him to stay on his feet. "You did what was necessary."

"No!" Todd shouted, shaking his head. "I didn't want this! What the fuck am I supposed to do? I can't - I can't tell him, yo - he's totally gonna freak . . ."

That caught her interest. She pulled him back by the shoulders to peer into his face. "Tell who?"

Todd glanced up, pleading. "He . . . He'll . . ." His eyes widened and he realized what he'd said, skin flushing. The blood just as quickly drained from his face when he realized who he'd said it to. Todd looked away and swore. He missed Mystique's eyes softening.

"I see," she said, thoughtfully.

Todd kept silent, head down and no longer fighting to pull away.

"If that's what's worrying you, then you should tell him."

"I can't, yo. He's . . . I can't." He hunched down, as though expecting to be hit again.

"Out of sheer respect for how you aided me tonight, I'm not going to demand you tell me who 'he' is. However I think you should call 'him' and either tell him what happened or break it off. If he's anyone decent, if he knows you, then he'll hear you out. If not . . ." Mystique didn't finish the sentence and Todd wisely did not argue further, though he maintained the poise of a frequently beaten dog.

She retrieved the portable phone that she'd dropped on the counter after Destiny's frantic call, hours ago. It had some battery life left in it. Mystique pressed it into Todd's hand and curled his fingers around it firmly. "Call him. Upstairs. Now."

"No," Todd muttered. Mystique tilted his face up, and stared at him coolly.

"Do you care about this person?"

"Y-Yes, but-"

"Then you will call him. Tonight. I don't need this hanging over your head, I've got enough to deal with. Either end it or resolve it. That's an order."

Todd looked at her in bewilderment. Mystique was either trying to do good for him, or she was following her usual cold bitch routine. Either way, an order wasn't something he was ready to defy and she knew it. His mouth set in a grimace and nodding once sharply, Todd turned his back on her and walked to the stairs.

She followed him out of the kitchen and watched him ascend in silence. Todd wasn't sure at the moment whether or not he hated her.

--

He dialed the number wrong the first two times and hung up before anyone answered. Shaking, he concentrated on not losing his nerve completely and dialed again. It was the number to Kurt's cell phone - the same cell phone he'd first laughed at Kurt for getting. Todd had come to appreciate it once he realized he'd never have to ask for Kurt through Logan or Scott again.

He heard it ring and mentally composed what he was going to say. Hi fuzzy, I've just killed someone. Still on for dinner an' a movie?

Fuck. Todd felt his courage dissolve completely and was just about to hang up when Kurt's sleepy voice came on. "'Allo? Vas - Todd, this is kinda late . . ."

"Hey," Todd croaked, and it was all he could get out. He clutched the phone as if it were a lifeline, hearing the plastic crackle. God, how in the hell did he think he could do this?

"Are you all right? Frosch-beine?"

"I . . . ." Todd's throat closed on him. Frosch-beine - it was German for 'frog-legs' and he hated it when Kurt called him that, any other time but right now.

"What's wrong?" There was alarm in Kurt's voice and he heard rustling, the elf sitting up.

Todd managed to swallow. "Hey," he said, and realized he'd already said that. He swore inwardly, covering his face with a palm. Well, this was going just brilliant.

"Do you want me to come over? Are you home?"

"Yes," Todd squeaked out without hesitation. There was silence for the briefest moment and a few clicks.

"Okay. I'm coming over." The line clicked again and went back to a dial tone. Todd hung up numbly and waited. Though he was expecting it, he started violently and almost fell off the bed when Kurt suddenly appeared. As he rebalanced, Kurt reached out a hand to steady him and Todd launched forward, hiding his face in the elf's shoulder and swearing shakily under his breath.

Kurt knew that Todd swore when he didn't want to show certain emotions, and so something was definitely wrong. Todd's hands were twisted in the back of his shirt, wringing the material and catching fur as well. Kurt winced and held on, wondering with mad impatience what the hell was going on.

Todd finally seemed to gain control and gasped something into his shoulder. Kurt didn't quite catch it. "What?"

"I . . .think I . . . someone's dead."

It took a moment to sink in and Todd's body went lax, expecting to be shoved away. Kurt didn't do anything that drastic, but he did push Todd back by the shoulders to study his face. "Who's dead?"

"I - I - I didn't mean it. I kicked him - it was an accident I swear - I-"

"Whoa, whoa, easy! Whatever happened, it'll - it'll be fine." Kurt pulled Todd back against his chest and held him. Todd squirmed, breaking away.

"The hell, dawg? You - You can't be okay with this! You're fucking Catholic, remember? 'Thou shall not kill'?" Sneering, Todd brought up his hands to shove Kurt away. "There's no way it's gonna be fine cause you can't be okay with it!"

Kurt caught his hands and tried to embrace him again, murmuring soothingly.

Todd panicked and raised a leg, threatening to kick him away. His foot was pressed against Kurt's chest for a second, then he remembered the feel of ribs cracking around his foot and how easy they had just given way. Todd made a low noise and scrambled away to the other end of the bed, hands raised to ward Kurt off.

"Fucking stop it! Just stop! You aren't supposed to just . . ."

Kurt stood and drew nearer and though Todd kept his hands raised, he didn't attempt to kick Kurt again. "Listen, it's going to be al--"

"No, it ain't gonna be alright, dawg," Todd snapped miserably, drawing his legs up protectively. He peered up at him. "Why the hell are you still here?"

Kurt's patience ran out. "Todd, listen to me. I'm not 'okay' with the fact someone is dead, and if you could hear yourself - neither are you! That's why I'm still here. Now calm the hell down and tell me what happened."

Todd didn't answer, but he relaxed visibly. He stayed that way so long as Kurt kept his distance. Several shaking breaths later, the story came out.

--

Find Destiny, keep her safe. Simple job really, he didn't even have to fight nobody. Just find her and stay with her.

There were no men on this floor, not that Todd could see and so for a moment he thought he had the easy job and if she wasn't up here she'd be down there where Mystique already was. He heard gunshots from below then and voices from three doors away raised in alarm.

Todd dove behind a junction of wall, nearly taking out the potted plant and froze as two men ran by him to the stairs. They were still armed and his gut twisted as he realized they would shoot any of his friends from behind if they got the chance. He should warn them, but he knew there wasn't any way in his position. If he stopped one, the other would turn and shoot at him.

Fervently wishing Lance luck, since he was the one with the bowl on his head and therefore most successful a target, Todd moved toward the door the two had raced out of and shouldered it open.

She was there, and her eyes were open - irises pale and colorless. Destiny may be older now, but Todd could tell she had been a looker in her younger days. Not that it mattered to him, but damn, who knew Boss Lady had taste? Destiny's head turned toward him, and Todd moved closer, reaching out to the rope that tied her feet to the chair legs.

He'd got the first knot when she made a noise, warning him. Before Todd could turn, someone slammed into him, knocking him down on the floor. A boot pressed down on the back of his head and he squawked in pain as bits of debris and glass ground into his cheek.

"Don't fucking move!" snapped the man above him and Todd didn't know whether he had a gun; he couldn't turn his head. He was dead either way if he didn't move so Todd twisted his hips and lashed out, landing a clumsy kick on the man's knee. The pressure on his head was relieved and Todd began to scramble up, only to feel something hard and metal crash across his mouth.

Todd almost fell again, and cursed - apparently the man did have a gun - though why he was using it as a bludgeon instead of shooting him was a mystery. He raised an arm, deflecting the next blow, and ignoring the blood welling up from his cut lip. The next time the gun arched down, Todd managed to catch it. "S'matter? Outta bullets, shithead?" he taunted.

A fist glanced off his cheek but the bastard's real intent had been to kick him in the family jewels and the blow hit true. Todd went down with a yowl of indignity, curling around himself. Below, shots rang out again.

"Hey, Joel - you copy? The hell's going on down there?" The man was yelling into a radio, Todd could just make it out through his blurred vision.

"I called in - there's too fucking many! They said to abort! Finish the old lady and get the hell out!" Other words followed, but there was a burst of loud static.

"I copy," the thug said, dropping the radio. He raised his gun high, but not to shoot Destiny. Todd's breath hitched. Apparently he was out of ammunition, but not out of the brutality necessary to finish the job. Before the man could brain her, Todd's tongue shot out and yanked the weapon out of his hand. He got up, gripping the desk for support.

"Now, that ain't very nice, yo," he scolded, tossing the gun behind him in the cluster of broken desks.

"Yeah, well neither is this." Todd stared in disbelief as the man planted his foot against the side of Destiny's chair and pushed it over. She went with it, letting out a cry of pain as she crashed hard on her side.

And then there was no time to think because he was running at Todd, obviously thinking mass was enough to win - and it was, provided one knew how to use it. Todd crouched, ready for it, and in his mind saw Kurt in that chair instead of Destiny gasping on the floor as new bruises formed. And then he saw nothing but red, moving under the man's hurtling form and kicking hard.

Ribs gave way with a sound like breaking eggs. The most horrible wet gasping choked out of the man as he went sailing over Todd and crash-landed into the mess of furniture in the corner of the office space.

Panting and sore, Todd struggled to his feet, ready to fight as soon as the man got himself up. He stared, still struggling for air, and slowly realized that it wasn't going to be a problem.

The man had screamed when he'd landed and he hadn't stopped, though now it was turning into more of a bubbling drawn out squeal. Destiny moaned faintly from the floor, and Todd was grateful for the excuse to turn his back on the scene.

He finished undoing the knots and lifted her gently to her feet. When she couldn't stay on them, he put her arm around his shoulders and supported her to the door. There were no more sounds of gunshots now.

Todd left the door open behind him so the paramedics or someone could find the guy (who hadn't stopped making that god-awful sound) and he half-carried Destiny to the top of the stairs, babbling to her about Mystique and how everything was going to be alright now and how worried Boss-Lady had been, and anything he could think of to drown out what he could hear from the office.

All noise had stopped by the time Mystique and the others had reached the top of the stairs. Todd had let Freddy carry Destiny the rest of the way and had tried not to think about what the silence meant.

--

Kurt leaned his back against the wall, across from Todd and stared at his hands. "So you did it for . . . for Mystique. For Destiny. You saved her."

"And I killed somebody," Todd said blankly. "Don't matter if I saved someone doin' it."

"Yes, it does-" Kurt began, but a look from Todd silenced him.

"You X-geeks save people all the time. You guys ever kill anyone?"

Kurt fell silent, at a loss. "Luckily not."

"Thought so," Todd said sourly and looked away. Uncomfortable silence reigned again. Then, "Dawg, how the hell can you not be bothered by this?"

"I am. But you are too. If you weren't, it'd be a different story."

"How's that?" Todd shot back. "Whether or not I'm sorry doesn't change what I did!"

"He was going to kill her and probably you, if he'd had the chance! If he'd had the bullets!"

"That don't make it right. I didn't have to kill him -"

"You weren't trying to, right? You were trying to stop him and you made a mistake. But it was still something you had to do, because between you and him, you were worth saving!" Kurt edged closer trying to make eye contact with the other boy.

Todd avoided his gaze. "I killed somebody," he muttered again, though this time quieter than before.

"You saved somebody's life. Two lives. Somebody I love," Kurt reminded him gently. He reached forward, brushing a thumb lightly over Todd's lower lip and leaned in to kiss him. Todd felt Kurt's mouth on his and just barely returned it.

After a long moment, he leaned into Kurt, forehead pressed against his chest and eyes closed. The screams would still echo in his mind for a while, but right now there was a heartbeat and it was Kurt's. Todd listened to it and thought maybe if things were still alright between them, he just might be able to face everything else.

This time, when Kurt bowed his head to kiss him, he didn't hold back.