A/N: So, I realized that some of the foods I'm mentioning may seem like a stereotype for southerners. It's not, these were just what I was craving at the time of writing those chapters.

Lunch consisted of salad and grilled chicken. Emma watched approvingly as three young kitchen helpers served the chamber members, correcting them occasionally. As soon as they were done, she led them back towards the kitchens with their empty trays. Leo began eating, listening to Xavier as he explained how Leo's stereo would work and how to activate the playlist Xavier had made just for him. Shade was in deep conversation with mother Silvia and her brother. Every now and then he'd catch a small snippet of their conversation, enough to tell they were talking of the morning's attack. After a little while, he was able to figure out that they thought someone inside the Outcasts had betrayed them and this wasn't the first time they'd thought that. He decided to bring it up with Shade later. With that, he ignored their conversation and listened again to Xavier as he finished lunch.

Leo waited until his training with Shade after lunch to ask her about her suspicions.

"So, you think it was an inside job?" he asked once they were alone. She raised an eyebrow at him, telling him she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"So you were listening. Good, I was hoping you would. As to the question; it's the only thing that makes sense. No one outside the Outcasts can get into the base. We made sure of that after the Traitor was exiled with those who were found to follow him. So, the enemy had to've been let in by someone inside. Add to that, supplies have gone missing recently from all over. Not too much to draw attention, but enough to make me think that they're not just being misplaced. It doesn't matter that I don't want to believe someone under my command betrayed us, but I gotta face the facts, no matter how dark they are." She said. Leo nodded in agreement. He didn't really know what to say.

"Well, we'll save that for another time. For now, let's teach you how to use a gun." Shade said, walking to the table against the opposite wall from the door. On the table was a revolver, just like Shade's, and a box of bullets. They were in the training room from before, which confused Leo.

"Why are we back in here? I thought there were actual shooting rangers." He said.

"There are, but for a Rookie shooter, being along works best. Less pressure that way. That, and it's my favorite way to practice shooting. Doesn't feel like the whole world has its eyes on your every move, just waiting for you to make a mistake." Shade answered, the last part a little quieter. Leo watched her, unsure of what to say, as she picked up the revolver and loaded it, flicking the chambers back with the skill of someone who had spent most of their life around guns. She turned and held it carefully out to him.

"This is a Colt Single Action Army revolver or, as I've always heard it called, a Colt Peacemaker. It's among the most famous pieces of Americana. It's known as 'The Gun That Won the West'. It shoots .45 caliber bullets with a six shot cylinder." She explained.

"Six shot cylinder?" Leo asked, taking the revolver in both hands. He hadn't understood most of the information she'd given him, but the last bit sounded the most important to him.

"You can get off six shots before you have to reload. We tend to start Rookies off with revolvers since they tend to have fewer shots than a pistol. Revolvers can be a little more difficult than other guns, but if you start with the difficult, everything else becomes a little easier. At least, that's what my dad always taught me." Shade said.

Leo nodded. "Sounds reasonable enough."

Shade smiled and proceeded to show him how to aim the gun and hold it correctly to account for the slight kick it would give. She showed him how to cock and fire the revolver. After all six shots were spent, Shade showed him how to reload the six chambers then prepare the gun to fire again.

Leo spent the next couple hours learning how to handle, load and fire the revolver. Shade would step in to give Leo advice or to fix something, but, as the minutes passed, this happened less and less until she didn't intervene at all, just stood to the side and watched.

When the dinner bell rang, Leo opened the chamber on his revolver. After making sure no bullets were left, he placed it back on the table. Shade remained by the door and as soon as he was done, the two left for the Mess.

"I'll show you how to clean it tomorrow. You're a natural with that gun. You sure you've never used one before?" she teased. He laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. My Sensei wasn't really into the whole 'gun' thing." He answered, sadness creeping into his tone. Shade decided not to point out that he'd used past tense when speaking of his Sensei. It made her think of Sam.

"I think you'll be able to use a glock in a few weeks. That's what most of the Outcasts use." She said, breaking the sad silence that had settled over them.

Leo smiled. "Sounds fun, but if everyone else uses glocks, why do you use revolvers?"

Shade took out one of her revolvers at this and handed it to him. He looked it over and she pointed out an engraving on the handle, faded, but definitely there.

"S.T?" He looked at her, confused.

"Samuel Taylor. These revolvers belonged to the man who raised me. He gave them to me for my tenth birthday. I've used them ever since." She said, smiling.

"Shade, there's something else I've been meaning to ask you. You told me this morning that you and Tristen spent a few years on the streets and that's where you were mutated and picked up by Sam. So, where's your biological father?" he asked. Shade's face hardened. Apparently, that wasn't a good spot of her life.

"Me and Tristen ran away from home when we were around seven. Our mom was killed in a car accident a few years prior. We barely remember her, but we for sure remember our dad always being around and being nice and everything. After our mom died, he got into drinking and he got pretty abusive. That's why we ran away. Actually, it was Tristen's idea. He knew more than me that it was wrong what our dad was doing. We weren't on the streets for more than a few months, maybe half a year. Tristen did his best to look out for me and I tried to do the same. He wasn't actually around when the accident happened; he was off getting food. The whole thing was actually my fault. I never could sit still with everything going on around me. Tristen's actually the only reason I'm still here after that." She answered.

"So, when Sam found you two…" he trailed off.

"It was a really cold night. It gets like that sometimes here. Tristen had managed to get an old blanket from some place earlier that day because it'd started to get cold at night. We were in some abandoned part of town, I don't even remember off the top of my head, but I'd recognize it right off if someone pointed it out. Sam approached us and asked if we wanted someplace warm to stay. Tristen was obviously on guard. I mean, he had every right to be. Two kids out on the streets and a random guy comes to talk to you? Add to that the fact that his younger sister had become a mutant fox. Sam wasn't alone though. He was with another girl, about my age, and a slightly younger mutant. I reckon they were the reason we came along. Good thing we did too. Any guesses to the girl and the mutant?" she asked, a hint of a laugh in her voice.

"Alix and Kyler. It's not that hard to guess. You and Alix are best friends; it makes sense that that's why." He answered. She laughed.

"Yeah, I guess it is." She said as they entered the Mess.