Hope everybody had a GREAT 4th!

I do not own any Marvel characters or anything related to Marvel. And they are probably very relieved about that.

Please R & R. I love feedback!......

Rachel stared at the large white envelope, ominously. A certified envelope could only mean one thing. A vote. Donivan Enterprises was not a part of her life anymore. The Munich Circus was her life now, and Kurt was at the center of it. She ripped the envelope open, almost angrily.

Sure enough, the smooth, clean type set of the letter informed her that a vote was being held and her 20% stock interest was being called in to settle a dead lock. Enclosed was all the information pertaining to the issue at hand.

A dull throb rose up in her temples as she started thumbing thru the binder. She wasn't the least bit interested in what Donivan Enterprises was doing these days. As she flipped thru the pages, she gleaned that there was a proposed business venture with the National Security Division working on some kind of biological detection technology for mutants. She understood why the vote was so close. The "mutant problem" was a touchy one and only radicals on either side voiced strong opinions.

She heard the door open and Kurt breezed in with his usual grace and agility. "She lives!" He cried, teasing her. He leaned down and gave her a kiss. She returned it generously. He poured himself a cup of coffee. "Want another cup?" he offered.

"Yes, please." she yawned, handing him her mug. She had spent most of the night helping one of the camp's children. Her Shepard mix was delivering her first litter. Out of five, all but one had lived. Not too bad for a first litter. Rachel yawned again. Normally, she could be up all night, catch an hour's sleep and then work all day. She figured her age must have finally caught up with her because she was nearly exhausted this morning.

"What's that?" Kurt asked conversationally. He sat down across from her, pushing her cup to her.

"Thanks." She said gratefully, squeezing his hand before he retracted it. "This is a monster of Donivan Enterprises." She sighed flipping thru a hundred or so pages of tiny type. "I get to go vote yea or nay on this multi million dollar deal. Don't I feel special!?" She threw the binder down sarcastically.

Kurt picked up the binder and opened it to a random page. His eyes stopped on the bold words midway down. 'Mutant Registration Act.' "What is this million-dollar project exactly?" he asked staring at the words. He had read about the law they were trying to enact in America. It gave him an uneasy feeling.

Rachel cocked her head. "I would have to read the whole thing, but it seems that Donivan Enterprises has been approached by the National Security Division to develop some kind of 'mutant finder' technology. I guess so they will have it ready if/when they ever pass the Mutant Registration Act." She took a sip of her coffee, long slender fingers wrapped the bright red ceramic container.

"How do you feel about that?" Kurt's voice was tense, but Rachel was oblivious. His eyes still glued to the words, 'Mutant Registration Act.'

"I guess it's a good idea." she shrugged in answer.

Kurt put down the papers, "What's a good idea?" His focus was completely on her now.

"To have a way to locate mutants." she answered innocently.

"To hunt them down?" His voice was terse now.

"Well, no....not exactly." Rachel was confused by Kurt's demeanor. "But some mutants are dangerous to the rest of us." She offered in explanation. "I know, I would feel better if we knew where they all were."

"How can you say that?" He was openly angry now. He stood up abruptly. "A gypsy, of all people, should know what kind of fear and hatred prejudice breeds!"

"Kurt, there's nothing to get angry over." She said defensively. "I'm not saying we should shoot mutants on sight. They should have rights. But some of these mutants....they are just evil."

"Are they evil because they are mutants? Or are they mutants because they are evil?" He voice was now low and dangerous.

Rachel knitted her eyebrows in bewilderment "Sweetheart, I was in New York when that mutant, Magneto, attacked Liberty Island." She shuddered at the memory. "There was nothing anyone could do to stop him. How can you let people with that kind of power just run around loose?" She tried to reason with him.

Kurt looked at her as if she was something dirty. "I can not believe that you would support something like this." He picked up the binder and flung it back down on the table.

Rachel jumped when it landed on the table with a loud 'THUMP!' She stood up and faced off with him, her hands spread open. She desperately did not want this to become a fight. "Kurt, please calm down. Why are you making such a big deal out of this? I mean, My God, it's not like you're a - " the word died in her throat. For the first time, Rachel saw her Blue, her childhood friend, the man she loved, the rest of the world did. Everything about him that had always just been uniquely 'Kurt,' now had a name, a label, a curse -

Mutant.

"Go ahead. Finish." Kurt's voice was torn between pain and anger. "I'm not a what?"

"Kurt - " she started weakly. She felt light headed, her breakfast threatening to come back up.

"Why don't you just put big yellow stars on us and parade down the center of town?" His voice was becoming angrier and louder. He clenched his fists in livid balls.

"Kurt, I'm sorry." She pleaded. "I didn't mean it like that." she tried to take his arm, but he jerked away from her.

"But you did, liebe." He stared her down. "You meant every word of it." His voice was lethal. He turned to the door and opened it.

"Where are you going?" She cried, rushing to the door.

He didn't answer.

"Please," she begged. "Please don't leave like this. We can talk this over." She tried again to reach for him, but he shook her off. Without a word he stormed out the door, slamming it behind him.

Rachel sat back down in the booth, heavily. She was completely still and silent, except for tears that slid, one by one, down her cheek.



A week later, Kurt was laying on his bed in his tent, engrossed in a book. He looked up from his bed to see a small white flag being waived in the slitted doorway. He sighed and closed his book.

"Can I come in?" Rachel asked timidly. Kurt sat up and motioned her inside. She stepped in, shaking off the chill of the night air; summer was fading fast.

They stared at each other for a long time. Finally, Rachel cleared her throat. "Kurt, I don't know what to say, except I'm sorry." Her voice was tired and sincere.

Kurt watched her. More than anything, he wanted to take her in his arms and forget any of this ever happened. But, how could he hold her, knowing she hated and feared the very thing he was? What future was there in that?

He nodded, but said nothing.

"Kurt, say SOMETHING." She cried, exasperated. She threw her hands up. "Say you hate me or you love me or ...or anything, but I can't take this anymore." She was close to tears. She knelt down on the ground beside his bed. With a hand on his leg, she looked up earnestly in his face. "Kurt, I love you. I'll do anything to make things right between us, again."

With a heavy heart, Kurt caressed her face. "I don't hate you, Rachel. I could never hate you. But, I don't think this can be undone." His voice was reserved, but not unkind.

"I don't believe that." She countered. "There has to be something." She searched his face for answers. "I'll vote against the mutant project." She offered.

Kurt shook his head. "If Donivan Enterprises doesn't build that technology, some one else will." He motioned around his tent, "the problem isn't out there." Then, pointed between them, "The problem is right here."

"Just tell me what you want me to do." she begged. She was openly crying, now, her face in her hands. He felt like salt was being rubbed in an open wound.

He kissed the top of her forehead. "I want you to leave." he said softly. He watched her stand up and continued. "There just is no future here between us. You're a human and I'm a mutant. In your heart, whether you realize it or not, that will always be between us. I'm sorry."

Rachel backed away towards the tent door. If she was still crying, she was doing so silently. But, she nodded her understanding. "Ok." she said, like a ghost. She stared one moment longer, then disappeared out the door.

Kurt let out a painful breath and laid back down on his bed, trying not to cry himself.