Hello and welcome to Chapter Four!

Episode 4: Family Matters

Kaylee laughed at Aaron's shocked face. "Didja miss me?"

"Kaylee, what the Hell are you doing in Bayville?!" Aaron cried, moving his head as a glass shard flew past his face. "I thought you were in Beverly Hills with Ma and Dad!" Kaylee's eyes glimmered and she leaned into the car, looking into Aaron's green eyes.

"Maybe THEY thought I was here with YOU."

"But what are you DOING here?!"

"Taking control of my life," she shouted. "Is that so wrong? It's MY life and everyone wants to run it FOR me! I won't spend another DAY under someone else's thumb!" Aaron leaned back into his seat as she yelled. "Do you know what Daddy dearest DID to me after we got to California?!"

"You said he kept you home, you e-mailed me and said you were fine," Aaron said weakly. What was wrong with his baby sister?

"He dropped me off at an orphanage and drove away!" Kaylee cried, tears forming on her angry face. "I called, 'wait!' but he didn't even look back!"

"Why didn't you TELL me?" Aaron said, trying to calm her down. He reached a hand for her cheek and she pushed it away. "Kaylee, why didn't you say something? You could have stayed here with me, I could have taken care of you!"

"I don't NEED anyone to take care of me anymore," she said, pushing herself out of the car and floating in front of it. Aaron was amazed by her control. Who taught her to move with such grace and speed? Who taught her to use her telekinesis? "I can take care of myself!"

"But you don't have to be alone," Aaron said.

"I'm NOT alone," Kaylee's eyes were glowing with power. "I have a NEW teacher now. Someone who won't step on my life like it's nothing. Someone who won't treat me like a baby!"

"Oh no," Aaron murmured. "This is NOT happening to me."

"Not to you," Kaylee grinned. "It's happening to ME. I have control, and I can use my powers now. And my mission is to pick up the one called Blackbird."

"Magneto's requiting again?" Aaron asked. "What's he doing THIS time?"

"Magneto?" Raven looked from Kaylee to Aaron. "Magneto is after ME?"

"That's right, baby bird," Kaylee said, holding out a hand. "You can come quietly or you can fight me. Your choice."

Raven shook her head. "I vill not vork for Magneto." She thought about the stories Ben had told them, the horrible things Magneto had done.

"Fine," Kaylee said, floating back. She pulled her hand backward and Raven's seatbelt unbuckled. Pulling again, Raven went flying through the hole in the glass. "I guess I'll have to take you by force."

"Kaylee, don't!" Aaron shouted.

Raven regained her balance and floated upward. "I do not vish to harm you, little girl. Do not push me."

"Well, what if I wanna push?" Kaylee slammed her fists forward and Raven flew backward. "What if I don't want to stop? You gunna TELL on me?"

Aaron shook his head. "Oh no…" He floated out of the car himself, winds swirling around him in a graceful dance. "I don't want to do this, Kay," he said softly. "Please, back out now."

"Do you think I'm scared of you?" Kaylee's eyes narrowed as her hair flowed around her.

………………………..

Kish woke up and rolled over, listening to Dominique's phone ringing. "Dom," he said, nudging her. "Dom. Wake up." He sighed as she pulled a pillow over her head. "Dominique, your phone is ringing."

"I hear it," she said angrily, voice muffled by the pillow. "Why don't you answer it?"

"What am I, your secretary?" Kish grumbled.

"No, you're my boyfriend," Dominique pulled the pillow tight over her ears. "Answer the phone."

Kish sighed again and picked up the cell phone. "Hello, Dominique Drewlett's answering service, how may I help you?" Kish said, ignoring the punch.

"Kish?" Eevee's voice drifted to him, soft and sad. "Can I talk to my sister?"

"Hey, Dom, it's your kid sister, you want it?" Kish said, nudging her.

"Merde," Dom moaned, pulling the pillow off of her face. "Give it to me. Hey, Eevee, ever heard of Time Zones?"

"I'm sorry," Eevee murmured. "Where are you guys now?"

"We're on our way to Munich, but we're in a hotel now," she said, annoyed. "What did you want?"

"Mom's dead," she said rather abruptly. "And your dad. And MY dad."

Dominique sat, mouth open and speechless. Kish tugged on her shirt and whined.

"What's wrong?"

………………………………

Aaron blasted a small gust in Kaylee's direction, sending the small girl rocketing back to avoid it. "Please, Kaylee, just LISTEN to me," Aaron shouted. Raven tried to jump into the fight, but Aaron pushed her back. "Kaylee, knock it off!"

"I don't WANT to knock it off," she cried. "I want to knock YOU off!" She pushed forward with her telekinesis and Aaron was knocked back. She wasn't holding back at all. Aaron tried as hard as he could not to hurt her.

"Kaylee," he cried. "Please, stop this!"

"I WON'T!" she shouted back. Aaron felt himself being slammed into concrete, and he tasted blood. "I won't," she moaned. "I…. I…" she dropped to the ground, running to him. "Airy, Air head, I'm sorry," she cried, kneeling next to him. "Aaron!"

"I'm… okay," he tried to smile.

"Airy, 'm sorry, please be okay…"

"I'm fine," Aaron lied, feeling his head spinning. He was remembering Scott's lessons for some reason. Never hold back, even for people you care for. Never hold back. "Really, Kaylee, it's just a bump."

"You're bleeding," she sobbed.

Raven floated down and kneeled on Aaron's other side, helping him sit up. "Should I get help?" she asked quietly. "I could call Ben…"

"Go," Aaron said, wincing. "Go get Johnny, have him run to the institute."

Raven nodded and flew away.

Kaylee sobbed into his shirt. "Aaron, I'm SO sorry," she said.

"Hey, I forgive you," Aaron said quietly.

"Really?"

"What's… family… for?" Aaron groaned, spots in his eyes.

"Airy?" Kaylee shouted as everything went black. "AIRY?!"

…………………………..

Dominique listened to Kish knock on the bathroom door again. She leaned on the sink, staring at her reflection. "Dom, you okay?" He called.

"I'm fine," she whispered.

"I don't believe you," Kish said. "What did Eevee want?"

"Nothing, she was just calling to ask where we were," Dominique said loudly, trying to get him to go back to bed. "I'm okay, just go to sleep. I'll be there in a second."

Kish teleported behind her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, putting his nose in the hollow of her neck. "No secrets. What's wrong?"

She felt a tear fall down her cheek, smudging her mascara. "I… I shouldn't be upset. I hated them…"

"What?" Kish bushed her tear away.

"My parents," she sobbed. "Both of them are dead, just like that. Eevee's dad is dead too."

"You didn't hate them," Kish said. "And they didn't hate you."

"You didn't know my father," Dominique turned around and buried her face into his Weezer T-shirt. "He did hate me. He sure didn't love me!"

"Sometimes…" Kish looked down. "Sometimes parents don't know how to show that they care. Sometimes they're afraid…" he remembered his father, the endless hours of torture Kish endured, telling himself again and again that Eric Magnus Lensherr loved his son. "Sometimes you just have to trust that they are trying to help you."

Dominique sobbed. "I hope you're right," she said. "But I doubt it. You're stupid."

Kish smiled. "Hey, I know about some things."

………………………….

Eevee sat alone on her bed, looking out the window and wiping tears away. "Daddy," she whispered. "Oh, daddy. Why did you do it?"

There was a small knock on the door, the familiar knock of Ben. "Hey Eve," he called. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," she called back. "I'm okay, thanks."

Ben stood outside the door, deciding against pushing the subject. She just wanted to be alone. He sure knew what THAT felt like.

……………………

Aaron woke up in an infirmary bed, feeling a warm body curled beside him. He reached down and petted Kaylee's silver hair. She murmured with her thumb in her mouth, moving a little closer to him. Smiling, he leaned his head back and winced in pain. He felt the bandage on his head. When Henry walked in, he looked at him questioningly.

"You're alright," Hank said. "You have a thicker skull than most people."

"Ha ha," Aaron said.

"You have a slight fracture," he said. "But we were able to get to you before the injury was serious. You'll be back on your feet in a week or so, back in the Danger Room in a month."

"Great," Aaron said. "Is Kaylee…?"

"She's alright," he said. "She hasn't been awake long enough for the professor to talk to her, but he will."

"Somehow, I don't think she'll be staying here," Aaron whispered as Hank left. He waited for a few moments, then glanced back at her. He was right—she was gone. Smiling a little, he leaned back. She'll be okay, he told himself. We'll be okay.

NEXT: Chloe

Another Chapter in the same day!!! I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF!!!!! Please review.