Previously On X Men Evolution

"Yeah, look out below! Boom-Boom's bombin' in!"

"Tabitha sure knows how to have a good time," Ororo remarked.

"She's really somezhing," Kurt said.

"Just be careful around her," Scott replied.

"I got a feeling she already knows vhat it's like out zhere," Kurt told Scott.

"Hey Tabby," Jim Smith smiled. "Been a long search, but I finally tracked you down."

"Your mother and I .... we're trying to work things out ...."

"You want me to come home and pretend we're a family again!" Tabitha snapped.

"Once we get things settled and get the creditors off our backs."

"That's all I am to you! Someone to do your dirty work!" Tabitha yelled.

Without a word, Tabitha placed her bomb inside the lock.

"Freeze! Hands in the air!"

"In addition to the charges for coercing you, he's got several outstanding warrants," Xavier told her.

"I'll just get my stuff and ... be outta your hair," Tabitha mumbled. "It's just .... not a good fit."

"I need a place to crash," Tabitha told Lance as she strode past the dumbfounded boys.

"Lesson number 1: Get out of my room!" Mystique told her.

"See ya later. Myst-eeeeeek!" Tabitha called as the room exploded.

"AMARA!" Tabitha called as the guns trained on her friend. Without pause, she hurled several bombs at the gate and charged inside.

[

Xavier Institute

Tabitha hated mornings.

More correctly, she hated being awake for mornings. For her, they were times to recover the sleep she usually lost the night before. The idea of getting up, especially when the sun was still rising, apalled her.

Of course, it didn't help that most mornings here were before the sun was even visible. Not to mention she started most of those mornings running through a room dodging blades, guns, walls, and whatever else the overgrown badger and the Prof with his tight necktie came up with.

And it didn't help that, this particular morning, she was being poked through her sheets.

"Cut it out, Amara," she grumbled, curling up. "What part of 'sleeping' don't you understand?"

"The ti-ime," Amara sang, poking her again. "We're already late."

"It's 6 in the morning, girl; there's nothing 'late' about it," Tabitha mumbled, pulling the sheet over her head.

Amara snorted, then crouched next to her roommate's covered head. "Tabitha?" When the blonde didn't answer, she shook her head and continued. "If I don't wake you up now, Logan will." She was rewarded by a groan from Tabitha and the sheet flying toward her, landing on her head and falling around her. "You do that again, and I'm burning the sheets."

"The badger pulls us outta bed again, I'm blowing up his beer stash."

--------------------

It was almost as though Logan had heard her.

"I'm gonna kill him," Tabitha muttered as she limped into the kitchen, fresh off the Danger Room that had seemed to develop a vendetta against her this morning. "I'm gonna – oh."

Her plans of vengeance had fled her mind upon noticing the cabinet where Logan, despite Xavier's protests, had stashed his beer. Quickly looking around, she summoned a small bomb and stuffed it inside the lock. Within seconds, the lock was gone and the door swinging open.

"Ah wouldn't."

Tabitha winced. Caught. "Awww, come on," she moaned, grabbing a beer can and turning to face Sam, who was leaning against the doorway fighting a smile. "Don't be a spoilsport; want one?" She offered him the can, a wicked grin forming.

Sam shook his head. "Ah'll pass; and you'd bettah put it back 'fore Logan wanders in."

Tabitha looked him up and down. "Oh my god; you're turning into Scott Summers before my eyes." Opening the beer can, she took a swig.

"Tabitha ...."

"Sorry, Shades; Guthrie isn't here right now; leave a message," Tabitha joked as she sauntered towards the door. As she passed a dumbstruck Sam, she traced her index finger from his stomach up to his chin. "You'll let me know when he's around?"

Sam blinked as she disappeared through the doorway. He started as he heard a loud sniff from the other entrance. "Where is she?" someone growled.

--------------------

"KID!"

Kitty sighed and rubbed her eyes as Logan's roar reached her. She was so sick of the infirmary. That's the last time I tangle with that ... witch or whatever. A sudden headache drove away those thoughts as Tabitha burst in. "Hey, Kat," Tabitha said as she shut the door behind her. "How's the spell? No pun intended."

"Not funny," Kitty moaned as she clapped both hands over her head. "What'd you do this time?"

Tabitha shot her a surprised look. "Me? I'm being hunted here!"

"Yeah, you," Kitty grumbled. "And why are you running here?"

Tabitha shrugged. "This is the only place he won't trash, especially since you're in here."

"If I weren't weak as a kitten ...." Kitty snarled.

Tabitha sighed. "Girl, you're no fun when you're sick. Well, see ya!" Before Kitty could open her eyes, she was gone.

--------------------

"You done wit' de hose yet?"

"Vhen I am, I'll let you know. okay?"

"D'accord. Would you wake me up, den?"

"You are not sleeping off your probation ....!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Tabitha cried, running into the garage and cutting the bickering short. "Are you guys going to brawl again? 'Cause, if you are, just let me find a seat ..."

"Sorry, Tabitha," Kurt replied coolly, still clutching the running hose. "I don't start brawls anymore."

"I beg to differ," grumbled Remy, currently lounging atop the driver's seat of the X van while fiddling with the controls. "And, as I said to mon frere effrayant, dey ain't no cleanin' I can do while de tools remain in his possession."

"So steal them." Tabitha shrugged as Kurt sent a glare her way. "What? It's what he does, isn't it?"

"Don't give him ideas," Kurt muttered.

"Show respect, homme," Remy smirked. "I got ideas you would never ..... see ....."

The X Van roared to life.

".... comin'."

After checking his pockets and finding the keys he had insisted on holding, Kurt stared at the van. "Vhat did you do?!"

"Yeah, shuffles; I tried that a thousand times." Tabitha inquired, walking over to the X van to peer into the driver's side. "What's your secret?"

Remy grinned and leaned back in the seat. "It be .... a secret. And, thus, must remain .... unknown." A soap-soaked rag flew towards his head in response. Quick as a cat, Remy caught it in midair, only to find his face covered in suds anyway. Now, both Tabitha and Kurt were laughing.

"Why is he in there?" Scott's voice rang out from the doorway, where he stood giving the three a hard look. "Kurt, you said you'd keep him out of the cars."

"I tried! You just can't lock him out of anyzhing!"

"Why, merci."

"And, while I'm at it, where do think you're taking that van? That you haven't even cleaned yet?"

"Excuse me," Tabitha interrupted, backing towards the garage door. "Only so many fearless leader lectures I can take in one day. Bye!"

--------------------

Tabitha's thoughts were back in motion before she had taken ten steps. The morning was still young, and she already found herself hiding from Logan while trying to entertain herself; a tough challenge indeed. Maybe she could sneak up and surprise someone before high-tailing it into town ....

"Ooof!"

Then again, in the Xavier Institute, she got as many surprises as she gave.

Shaking her head free of the daze, she opened her eyes and found herself pinned beneath Roberto Da Costa, the Brazilian ... or was it Puerto Rican? .... hotshot, who was already flashing her his winning smile. "Hi there."

Tabitha just smiled back before lifting a glowing bomb in between their faces. Within seconds, Roberto was several feet away and picking up the nearby frisbee while she helped herself up.

A familiar bark drew both their attentions towards the large dog trotting up. "All right, Rahne," Roberto exclaimed, drawing his arm back as his body began to glow. "See if you can get this one!" One mighty swing later, they all watched as it drifted over the edge of the cliffs.

Instead of chasing the frisbee, Rahne just sat down and stared at Roberto. "Well? Go get it!" Rahne just bowed her head and looked up at him, her eyes sorrowful and pleading at the same time. Roberto sighed. "I hate it when you do that," he stated as he flared up again and leapt toward the cliffs.

Tabitha turned back towards Rahne, who was already changing back into her human form. "Girl, that was too easy."

The redheaded Scot shrugged. "Works every time."

"Say ...." As something occurred to her, Tabitha threw an arm around Rahne's shoulder. "You think you could .... spare those eyes for Logan?"

Rahne shook her head, giggling. "I'd keep on runnin' Tabitha."

--------------------

And run she did. At least until she caught sight of the Institute's latest project.

"Okay, Bobby, I got it," Jean instructed, her hands splayed, brow furrowed, and attention focused on a small ice sculpture – a griffin, if, against all probability, Tabitha remembered her summer readings. As Tabitha watched, Bobby gestured, crumbling the statue and letting it fall through what seemed to be an invisible hole in midair. "Amara?" As flames sprouted through her uniform, Amara placed her hands where the sculpture had been. Soon, the glowing liquid rock that had earned Amara her codename filled the space Jean had telepathically formed, recreating the griffin Bobby had destroyed earlier. Now, without a word, Bobby placed his own hands above the new sculpture. Immediately, the griffen hardened and lost it's glow, becoming solid rock. Sighing with relief, Jean passed it to the crowd of Jamies with their paintbrushes, most of them already hard at work on other rock sculptures.

"You gotta be kidding." Jean and the others looked up before Tabitha realized the words had escaped her head through her mouth. "Uhh .... what's the deal?"

Sometimes, it seemed like nothing could make Jean mad. "We're making statues for the roof and garden," Jean calmly explained, rubbing her forehead. "Want to give us a hand?"

Her mouth again running independant of her mind, Tabitha laughed before catching herself and swallowing the sound. "Uhhh ... sorry; I think I hear summer vacation ...." she stressed, sending a pointed glare towards Bobby, Amara, and Jamie, ".... calling my name."

And then she was gone again.

"That girl is impossible to thrill," Bobby grumbled, before he noticed the small, glowing bomb sitting next to him.

--------------------

Hank McCoy, in one of his more candid moments, had once compared a bored Tabitha to a substance at critical mass; having too small an outlet for the particles, or, in Tabitha's case, idle time, added, detonation became inevitable. In Tabitha's case, that 'detonation' came in the form of her small bombs appearing where they were not invited, pranks and thefts that would leave her housemates, be they X men or Brotherhood, in a state of fury, or, as Hank described it, 'a general increase in both volume and velocity.'

To someone with enhanced senses, this 'detonation' was especially noticeable.

Which was why, as Tabitha rounded the corner plotting her next move, she found herself face to face with a glaring Laura.

For the first time since practice, Tabitha fell silent and stopped cold, waiting for the violent reaction that had become expected around the Institute.

She should have remembered the daily surprises. "You make a lot of noise," growled Laura, crossing her arms.

Tabitha finally remembered her voice. "Uhh ... hey, Laura," she managed.

"Hello." The flat growl remained.

I'm still alive, still alive .... Tabitha reminded herself. "So .... what's up?"

Laura frowned and looked towards the sky. "Up?"

"I mean, what's happening? What's the sitch?" Laura continued to frown. "Uhhh ... sit rep?"

Laura narrowed her eyes, then turned her attention back towards the gate. "There's someone outside the gate."

"Really?" Bored as she was, Tabitha would gladly settle for anything that didn't involve extra chores or lectures. "You sure?" Laura glared. "Right, right; so what's he doing?"

Laura squinted as she looked back toward the distant gate. "Sitting in a vehicle with three others; drinking something; staring at the mansion."

"So?"

Laura glared at Tabitha again. "He's been there all morning."

--------------------

"That one?" Tabitha pointed toward the small, beat up car parked outside the gate. Sure enough, several men sat inside, coffee cups in hand and faces turned toward the gate. As the two girls approached, one of the men opened the door and stepped out onto the street, his gaze still focused toward the gate. Or, rather, someone he could now see behind it.

"We have to ..." Laura trailed off as she noticed changes nearby. A rising heartrate, a slight increase in perspiration, the release of cortisol; all signs of fear, coming from ....

She looked over at Tabitha. The blonde seemed like a different personality all together; her quickened breathe, tensed muscles, and clenched fists ....

Laura looked back at the man outside. Sure enough, his gaze was focused on Tabitha.

"Laura." Tabitha's suddenly cold, shaken voice interrupted Laura's analysis. "Get Logan or the Professor; tell them we have a stalker outside; I'll deal with him."

"I can ...."

"Now, Laura," Tabitha hissed, her eyes still ahead. "Please."

Please. She had heard that a few times; often from men begging for mercy right before she had ....

Laura shook her head. She was done with that life; maybe this was another test for her new one. "All right." She turned and began to run towards the mansion. Peeking over her shoulder, Laura noticed Tabitha swinging open the gate and walking out toward the car.

Please. Her victims had been begging for their lives. What was Tabitha begging for?

--------------------

"Tabby!" Had Tabitha been about a decade younger, the man's wide, friendly smile would have been a welcome sight; she would have greeted him as a member of the family.

Now, knowing who he really was, she stopped several feet away and glared. "What are you doing here, Maurice?"

The smile didn't fade. "Come on, Tab's; is that any way to say hi to an old family fr-?"

"And what part of 'I'm done' and 'leave me alone' did you not digest?" Tabitha spat before turning away.

"The part where it becomes your call." The suddenly cold tone froze Tabitha in mid step.

--------------------

"Who is he?" Logan demanded.

"I don't know." Laura's hands were at her sides, as though waiting for the next attack. "I only know he's been out there all morning."

"And when were ya gonna mention this to anyone?" Logan snarled.

"I wasn't," she replied coolly.

Logan fought the growl that tried to escape his throat; there was no intimidating this girl. "Fine, come with me; we'll see what he wants."

"What about Tabitha?"

Logan snorted in surprise. "Boom? What about her?"

--------------------

"See, as it stands now, we don't owe your family so much as the lint off our laundry," Maurice went on, brushing his expensive jacket. "You're the ones who borrowed what they couldn't pay back." He took a step away from his car. "You're the ones who've been sittin' in our minus column for months now." He shook his head. "We're gettin' real tired of waiting, Tabs; it's just not good busin-"

"You're wasting your time," Tabitha snapped, turning back towards the mansion. Spotting Logan and Laura exiting the mansion, she added, "And you're running low on it at the moment."

--------------------

"What are they saying?" Laura inquired, studying the confrontation as they strode towards it.

"Dunno." Logan's gaze did not leave Tabitha. "Still kinda far ..."

--------------------

"Y'know, I still remember the day your little secret went out on the news," Maurice remarked, leaning back against the car. "It was a hell of a story, with the kiddies on the run, the school going .... up." Tabitha stopped and scowled darkly at Maurice. "Seems some secrets never get out without a bang."

"You really outta watch that mouth and beat those feet." Tabitha growled, walking back towards Maurice.

"For the life of me, I couldn't imagine how that bald Brit kept it under wraps, what with all the .... bombs under his roof ...."

"I don't see you walking!"

".... him being .... crippled, and all ...."

"SHUT UP!" Tabitha's fist now buried itself in Maurice's face.

--------------------

"Damnit," Logan cursed, breaking into a run. This was new even for Tabitha. "Red; need ya at the front gate!"

--------------------

The other men were out of the car know, grabbing at Tabitha before she could drive another punch into Maurice's smirking face. As they dragged her away from the car, her old 'family friend' stood up and approached Tabitha. "You never did learn, Tabby Cat." Pulling something from his jacket pocket, he added, "I'll remind you one more time: You push me, I push back, even if I don't have the greatest ... aim." He reached towards her chest ....

"There a problem here, bub?"

Everyone quickly backed away from Tabitha as they caught sight of the group gathered at the gate: Logan, with unsheathed claws and the scowl the X men knew and feared; the smaller, but no less fearsome Laura; a fully iced-up Bobby, both hands aimed slightly toward the car; a lit up Amara, her immolated face wavering between concern for her friend and anger at the men surrounding her; and Jean, floating above the group with her hands splayed and her expression hard.

Maurice's expression immediately changed. "I'd say there is," he responded in a show of anger. "Your little mutie bitch here ...!"

"Watch yer mouth, bub," Logan warned, raising his claws ever so slightly.

"Don't tell me what to watch!" Maurice sputtered. A con man of the first order, he was playing his part to the hilt. "I can't take a goddamned drive down Greymalkin without one of your mutie kids picking a fight and breaking my face!" He spat blood toward the Institute.

"Tabitha?" Logan interrupted, ignoring the all-too common diatribe. "Get back in the house. Now."

For the first time in his memory, Tabitha offered no retort or resistance. Instead, with one last glare at Maurice, she strode through the gate, past the surprised X men, and toward the mansion.

Logan then turned his attention back to the gathered gang and crossed his arms. "So yer sayin' she picked a fight?" He glanced toward the car.

"Did I stutter?!" Maurice glanced over his shoulder and noticed the undamaged car. "She stood in the middle of the road and went off on me as soon as I got out. Ask any of my guys here."

Logan snorted and met Maurice's eyes again. "That's a nice parking job, bub."

--------------------

"Tabitha?" Sam stopped in his tracks as Tabitha strode through the front door, her face tight and eyes lowered. "Are you ...?"

"Not now, Guthrie," she muttered, continuing up the main stairwell. At that moment, Kurt poked his head through the garage door. "Is she okay?"

Sam shrugged helplessly. "Ah dunno; Ah've never seen 'er lahke this."

"Wha's all de fuss?" Remy called. Joining Kurt at the doorway, he added. "Some femme hit her time o' month?"

"That ain't funny, Mag-Man," Sam snapped. "An' stop pretendin' you give a damn."

Remy gave Sam a cool stare while strumming cards through his fingers.

Kurt shook his head. "Let's go," he told Sam, springing up the stairs after Tabitha.

--------------------

Locking the door behind her, Tabitha reached inside her shirt and pulled out the note Maurice had slipped her.

The message was short. ANTONINI'S PIZZERIA, RECEIVING AREA. 9AM SHARP. DON'T BE LATE.

Tabitha took a shuddering breath and put her hands to her head, which suddenly found itself boxed within a series of realizations.

It was happening again.

3 years since she'd pulled her last job. 3 years since she'd even thought of his name, and what he brought with him. 3 years, she thought she was free of that life.

Now it was back, and already closing in ....

There came a knock at the door. "Tabitha?"

Tabitha yelped and backed away from the door ....

BAMF!

Tabitha screamed and whirled around to face her intruder. "Kurt!!!"

"Woah, woah!" Kurt yelped, raising his hands. "Vhat's vith zhe big production?!" He paused as he realized what she'd called him. "And vhat happened to 'blue'?"

Before she could answer, the door burst open, admitting a concerned-looking Sam.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Tabitha shrieked.

"We ... uhhh .... just wanted to .... see what ...." Sam stammered.

"GET OUT OF HERE!!!!"

A shocked silence followed before Amara stepped into the room. "Ookay; you heard her, boys." She grabbed Sam's elbow and began dragging him towards the hallway. "Ladies only .... thank you, there's a good old boy ...." She looked at Kurt. "You too, Kurt, before one of us blackens your fur." Kurt looked at a wild-eyed Tabitha and remembered he had another car to wash.

As the furry demon teleported out of the room, Amara shoved the damaged door shut as best she could, then turned around to find her friend slumped against the far wall, her head in her hands and her breathing shallow. "Tabitha?" When the blonde didn't answer, she tried again. "You really drew a crowd this time."

Something approaching a chuckle escaped Tabitha before she looked up at Amara. "They still there?"

Amara glanced through the doorway. "Uh-huh."

"God." Tabitha's eyes returned to her hands.

Amara sat opposite Tabitha. "So what is going on?"

"For starters, my housemates are following me into my room and giving me the third degree," Tabitha muttered.

Amara sighed. "What about that guy out there?"

"What about him?"

"Did you know him?" Tabitha looked at her knees. "Did he know you?" Tabitha continued her silent scrutiny. "Tabitha, whatever it's about, you know I can keep a secret."

Tabitha let out a slow breath and finally looked up at Amara. "I need to go into town."

--------------------

"Tabitha?" Jean called, knocking on her door, still sporting the Sam-sized dent.

"Listen, kid, we gotta talk," Logan growled. "And it ain't about the beer."

When no response came, Logan sighed and pushed at the door with his foot.

An empty room greeted them.

"I thought they were in here," Scott said. Suddenly, they heard the screach of tires outside.

Logan slapped a palm against his forehead. "We need locks on the doors!"

[

Downtown Bayville – After 9 AM

"So?" Amara looked expectantly at Tabitha as the blonde carefully parked the X Van on the side of the quiet street. "You going to tell me why we stole the X Van and parked here?"

Tabitha leaned back in her seat without looking at Amara. Sighing, she looked out the window and spoke quietly. "I need you to wait here."

"Why?"

Tabitha checked her watch, then shoved the door open. "10 minutes, Amara."

"Tabitha ....!" Ignoring her, the blonde jumped out and shut the door behind her. Uttering a rare curse under her breath, Amara pushed her way out the passenger door.

Tabitha had barely travelled a few feet before she found her way blocked by an angry-looking Amara. "What's with you, Tabitha?" she demanded. "Everytime something doesn't fit right, you run off and hide?" When Tabitha tried to circle around her, Amara sidestepped into her path. "When did you stop trusting us? I thought we were friends!"

Keeping her eyes off her friend, Tabitha replied. "I'm in trouble, Amara; the kind none of you need right now."

"What kind of trouble? We can-"

"I don't want your help!" Tabitha snapped

Silence descended between the two friends as her words sunk home. Amara, her face caught in a rare scowl, shook her head. "Take a bus back, Tabitha."

"Amara ...."

"Don't." Amara turned her back on Tabitha and climbed into the X Van

Hurt, Tabitha bowed her head and turned away.

Amara glanced into the rearview mirror in time to catch Tabitha as she walked slowly down the street. Her hand paused on its way to the keys.

--------------------

Why did I even remember this number? Tabitha asked herself as she slowly punched numbers into the phone. It took a few minutes waiting, but, in the end,Tabitha found herself on the phone with someone whose voice she'd hoped to never hear again.

"Tabby!" she heard her father say, surprisingly cheerful despite his imprisonment. "About time I heard from my daughter! What took you ...?"

"Save it," she snapped. "What have you gotten us into now?"

--------------------

Why am I doing this?

Amara shook her head as she moved to start the X Van. Tabitha had never run out on her; even when lodging with the Brotherhood, she had hurried to warn them of Mystique's return and ended up pulling Amara out of the hostile Institute.

And now, here she was, about to run out on Tabitha just for keeping her out of the loop.

It's her own fault, she reminded herself. She's the one running out on us.

But it's not like her; not when it meant trouble for us! another part of her countered. What if she's the one in trouble?

She should have asked .... oh no.

Amara's thoughts took a rapid turn as she noticed the crowd of men filing out of a nearby building.

--------------------

"So it's me again, is it?" The cheerful tone was already gone. "That how it is? You run into trouble, and point the finger at me?"

Tabitha scowled into the receiver. "It was you who dragged Mom and I along while you dodged those creditors. You were the one who had me cleaning out banks and parking meters to pay off your little IOUs."

"I was trying to take care of us ...."

"Bravo," Tabitha sneered. "Look, I didn't call to listen to the same old stories and excuses,"

It seemed he had lost interest already. "Then why did you call?"

--------------------

HIM again?!

Amara held her breath and slouched in her seat as she watched the gang gather in the middle of the street; one of them the talker who had hung out at their gate that same morning.

"You sure she went this way?" the gate man asked.

"Positive," another replied. "What you want to do with her?"

The gate man shrugged. "I'll figure something out."

--------------------

"You still want to take care of us?" Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Then call off your old buddy Maurice."

"Maurice? How'd he get into this? And how am I supposed to 'call him off', anyway?"

"I don't care how. Call in a favour; wave his dirty laundry around; pay off your own debts for once! I just want him gone!"

--------------------

"Okay; let's go."

As the men filed down the street Tabitha had left through, Amara gritted her teeth and quietly pushed the door open. Tabitha, you're going to owe me big.

Her mind on her friend and the men heading for her, she took no notice of the ones on the other side of the street.

--------------------

"Just what kinda pull do you think I got?" her father demanded. "I'm alone in here Tabby. I got nothin' on anybody; no crew, no money, no influence."

"Boo-freakin'-hoo," Tabitha snarled. "So you're no good to anybody now, are you? Isn't that familiar?"

--------------------

"Uh, excuse me?" The men stopped in their tracks and turned to face the young, dark-skinned girl that had joined them in the side street. "Is this the way to the, uhhhh .... Bayville Bank?"

The men looked at each other, then Maurice stepped toward Amara. "Ain't you a little young to be roaming the streets by yourself?"

"I can take care of myself," Amara replied smartly.

"With what? Your fireballs?" To Amara's surprised look, he added. "I don't forget faces."

"Then you know how we handle trouble," she taunted, lighting up her hands.

--------------------

"You calling to make fun now?" her father asked angrily.

"That depends," Tabitha retorted. "Can you do anything or not?"

Her father was silent.

--------------------

Maurice snapped his fingers and his men began moving to surround Amara.

They were stopped in their tracks when parts of the pavement began to heat up. "You really don't want to do this," she warned.

--------------------

"Sorry, Tabby," he finally replied. "I've used up all my favours with Maurice."

"You're kidding!"

--------------------

Though his men were looking frightened at the prospect of a fight with a mutant, Maurice smiled calmly. "Don't worry about it," he assured. "She's an X-woman; she won't go burning down civilians out in public,"

"You know, you're right." Amara aimed a fireball towards Maurice. "It all depends on whether you start something."

--------------------

"Who do you think got me this phone?" he demanded. "Who do you think picked out my cell; not to mention my cellmate? Who do you think has allowed me to live in his red column, against his old man's advice, these past three years?!"

"Took good care of you, didn't he?"

--------------------

"Nah; you got me all wrong," Maurice laughed. "I never start anything." He then looked directly at Amara. "At least not without finishing it."

The blow came without warning, crashing into the back of Amara's head. Crying out as it knocked her to the pavement, Amara pulled herself to her hands and knees in time to receive another across her shoulders.

--------------------

"What's he want from you, anyway?"

"It doesn't matter," Tabitha snapped. "I don't work for him."

--------------------

Amara gritted her teeth and tried to call forth her powers, even as her back continued to scream its pain and the world before her eyes continued to spin. Faint voices reached.

"All ..... should do ...."

"Let's ..... want her .... see ...."

--------------------

"That's a bad move, Tabby," he warned. "Whatever he wants from you, I suggest you get it to him."

Though the focus of her dark thoughts was miles way, Tabitha scowled darkly at the phone. "You're just full of surprises," she muttered sarcastically before shoving the phone back onto the receiver.

"How is he?"

Tabitha hissed as she spun toward the voice behind her. "No," she snapped. "And leave your boy-toys at home next time," she added, nodding towards the crowd of men gathering behind Maurice.

Maurice smiled easily. "Sorry about that; we just don't like to be kept waiting."

"Then don't." Tabitha glared at Maurice. "I'm not coming; find some other sucker."

"Tabitha," Maurice shook his head. "This'll be your last chance to clear your father's debts and wipe the slate clean." Tabitha snorted and turned away from Maurice. "I know you can walk out on me. His face hardened. "You proven that already, but can you walk out on him?" he called.

Tabitha stopped for several seconds, then turned to look at the payphone. When she met Maurice's eyes again, hers had gone hard. "You don't follow, do you?" she asked softly. "He already walked out on us. Kinda like this." She turned her back on Maurice and headed toward the other end of the street.

"That go for your housemate here too?"

Tabitha froze as she heard the sounds of dragging behind her. No, no, no ..... she prayed as she slowly turned around.

Her blood turned colder than Bobby's skin as she spotted one of the men dragging an unconscious Amara into view. "You son of a ....!"

"Now, now," Maurice coaxed, grabbing Tabitha as she tried to run past him. "Let's not make any dumb m – OOFFFF!!!!" he grunted as Tabitha's knee drove into his groin. "Al!"

The man holding Amara nodded firmly, then dropped Amara none too gently to the pavement.

"AMARA!" Tabitha yelled before she ran into one of the men surrounding her. Before he could wrap his arms around her, Tabitha swung her elbow, catching him across the jaw. As another man grabbed her arm, she instinctively drove her foot into his knee. In the next instant, another had an arm around her neck. Snarling, she jabbed her fingers into his eyes, seconds before another swung his club into her gut. Gasping in pain, she straightened herself and backhanded her attacker across the face, only to find her arm caught by another man. Then another grabbed her other arm. Then others joined in ....

Maurice finally straightened himself and limped over to where the crowd of men struggled to restrain Tabitha. "Sorca!" swore one of them, rubbing his bleeding eyes. "That cat's a tiger ...!" Maurice's slap cut him off. "Only one Tiger here, Amico."

He then positioned himself in between Tabitha and Amara without blocking the former's view of her unconscious friend. "So what's it going to be, Tabitha?" The blonde just glared hatefully at Maurice, who nodded and strode over to Amara. Within the blink of an eye, he had drawn a small knife and drew a long cut across her leg.

Despite the arm wrapped around her throat and each of her limbs, Tabitha snarled and lunged forward as the blood began to flow. The men grunted and doubled their efforts.

Maurice, apparently unconcerned, took a rag from his pocket and wiped the blood off the knife. "That was a flesh wound, Tabitha. The longer you keep us waiting, the deeper they're gonna become." He looked coolly at Tabitha. "I'd hate to end up hitting a vein or vital organ."

Tabitha grunted something unintelligible.

Maurice nodded towards his men. With visible relief, they released Tabitha, who immediately ran and knelt next to Amara. As she snatched the bloody rag from his hands and worked furiously to tie it around the wound, he bent at the waist until his face was even with Tabitha's. "I didn't catch your answer."

Tabitha finally looked up from her unconscious, bleeding friend. "One condition."

[

Xavier Institute

The phone rang.

"I'll get it," Kurt told a moaning Kitty, and hopped over to the phone. "Guten tag, Xavier Institute, zhis is ..."

"Kurt?"

"Tabitha?" Kurt straightened up as he heard Tabitha's panicked voice. "Vhere have you been? Zhe Professor ...."

"Listen, Kurt," Tabitha interrupted. "Can you meet me just outside the gate right now?"

"You know I'm still on probation ..."

"Please, Kurt."

Kurt frowned. Tabitha had not sounded this panicked in years. "Vhat's going on?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Amara's hurt."

"Vhat?" Kurt bounded toward the window. "Vhat happened? Vhy can't you bring her ....?!"

" Kurt, are you gonna help me or play twenty fucking questions?!" she screamed.

Kurt recoiled. "All right, vait outside zhe gate."

--------------------

"Vhat happened to her?" Kurt gasped as Tabitha dragged a battered, bleeding Amara before the gate.

Tabitha grunted as she pulled Amara within Kurt's reach. "Can you get her to the infirmary?"

"Ja," he replied, taking Amara in his arms. He looked up in time to see Tabitha backing away. "Tabitha? Vhere are you going?"

Tabitha glanced to her right at something Kurt could not see. "I .... gotta go," she mumbled.

"Go vhere?" he demanded. "Vhy are you avoiding us now?"

Tabitha looked down the street again, then shook her head sharply. "Look, if the Prof asks, just tell him I had a family emergency, okay?"

"I thought ve vere your family!" Kurt yelled as she began running down the street.

"That's the emergency!"

[

Downtown Bayville: Antonini's Pizzeria – 30 Minutes Later

"Cell phone," one of her two escorts demanded.

"Sorry; you're not my type," Tabitha replied snarkily. Without another word, he grabbed her wrist, reached into her pocket, and snatched the phone.

"Security reasons, Tabs," Maurice explained as they strode through the door. "Remember this place?"

Tabitha took a look around.

It seemed like a century since she had finally stopped coming here with her dad, all the times he couldn't afford a babysitter while her mom was working. Surprisingly, it had changed little: the ground still maintained its dark red color, with the drain in the middle. Today was obviously the chefs' day off, as the kitchen's ovens were cold and the burners silent, clean of whatever had been 'cooked' on them. Down the hall ahead of her was the large doors leading to the freezers where they kept 'supplies'. On the wall to her left was the large receiving doors, where they took out their 'trash.' Officially, a perfectly 'legitimate' business, according to the law. Of course, being the nosy child she had been, it had taken her under a month to find out what they did that didn't become official.

Finally, she looked at the group of suited men gathered around the tables that had been pulled into the receiving area. Usually, when she'd accompanied her father, the men have given her a quick once-over, perhaps the occasional greeting, before ordering her to wait outside while they discussed their 'business'.

Now, her father was far away, and the men were all staring at her, looking expectant for some reason.

She crossed her arms, leaned back against the wall near the doorjamb, and glared back. "So? Anyone going to say something, or do I have to read someone's mind?"

Maurice discreetly shrugged toward his bosses, then extended his hand toward Tabitha. "We got a seat saved for you, Tabs."

"I like it where I am," she replied. Which was, of course, close to the exit withe her back against a wall.

"Have a seat, Tabitha." The smile was gone, and his other hand now rested inside his jacket pocket.

Tabitha took another look around, then slowly crossed the room to the table, her mind on the two larger men behind her. As she sat down, she folded her hands together and placed them on the table, her narrowed eyes darting among the guests. "So?" she demanded. "If we're going to sit and stare at each other, let me just say I'm not enjoying the view; next time, bring some guys under thirty for me."

Several of the older men started then looked down at the table. One of them, a balding sixtysomething with an Armani suit and a permanent scowl turned his attention toward Maurice. "Dovreste insegnare al suo rispetto, Maurice."

Maurice shrugged. "Al e ho cercato per anni; che la ragazza non rispetta nessuno."

"Si puo controllare il suo ou no?"

"Ti to detto che poteva; Che non è cambiato ..."

"Excuuse me," Tabitha interrupted. "English, please? My Pig Latin's is a bit rusty."

Scowl glowered at Tabitha.

"Tabitha, these are not the people you run off at the mouth around," Maurice whispered. "Show respect, or ..."

"Shut up, Pussy Cat," Tabitha snapped. Pushing her chair back, she stood up, narrowly missing Maurice's chin. "I wasn't invited here; I was dragged. Somebody want to tell me why so we can get this over with and get you out of my life?"

A long silence followed, during which the men at the table continued to stare while the men on the floor tensed up, fingers drifting towards their weapons. Tabitha herself continued to glare at Scowl while Maurice hovered behind her.

The silence broke when Scowl did something that surprised everyone else in the room.

He began to chuckle. "I like her," he said in perfect English.

"Yeah, thanks, but sorry, Pops," Tabitha retorted. "I don't do older guys."

Everyone else in the room froze while Scowl continued laughing. "Maurice?" he finally called. Still in shock, Maurice stood up straighter. "Explain to her."

Maurice nodded. "Grazie." Circling around the table to join Scowl at his spot, Maurice turned to face Tabitha. "You should have figured the short of it by now, Tabitha: your father owes us money that he's been neglecting to pay for months now. And you know what happens to those who stay too long in the red."

Tabitha nodded slowly, her expression dark. "Yeah, I know."

"You should know that I've pulled for your father as many times as I could; nobody else has stayed in his column this long, considering what he owes."

"Where's this going?" Tabitha glared at Maurice. "If you want money, you're wasting time; I don't have any, and my Prof wouldn't loan his ties to any of you. No offence."

"See, that's the problem," Maurice explained. "Your whole extended family couldn't scrape up enough to pay what Jim owes. And my bosses here," he added, indicating the men sitting silently at the table, "aren't interested in robbing Bayville and raising the heat to pay off anyone's debt."

"Ohhhhh," Tabitha leaned back in her chair. "You want me to do your dirty work for you, now."

Maurice shrugged. "That was the first idea." He leaned on the table. "But, there so happens to be a new market out there; a low-risk, legit information transfer business with huge potential."

"Is this turning into a lecture?" Tabitha yawned. "What is this market, anyway?"

"Like I said: information, which a lot of people are willing to pay for."

"Like I said: information on what?"

Maurice smiled. "On mutants."

[

Xavier Institute

"Will she be all right?" Jean asked as she, along with Kurt, Sam, Scott, Kitty, Rogue, and Xavier, watched Hank tend to Amara.

Hank sighed and straightened up. "Well, she certainly took quite the beating. Thankfully, the damage is all superficial; she should be all right after a few hours' rest."

"We know who did this?" Scott asked.

"Another bigot," Rogue snapped. Her own experiences in Kentucky were still fresh in her mind. "Why do we gotta play nice with those people?"

"Because we're better than them, Rogue," Jean chided, drawing a glare from the southerner.

"This hardly looks like a hate crime, anyway," Xavier cut in, rolling towards Amara. "It's too ... deliberate; almost calculated ...." He looked over his shoulder. "Kurt, are you sure Tabitha gave no indication ...?"

"Nein." Kurt shook his head. "But she looked scared; zhey must be bad news."

"Unless she was scared of us." Scott suggested.

"She should be," Rogue muttered.

"Will you quit it, Rogue?" Sam snapped.

"Ahem," Hank put in.

"Me?!" Quitting wasn't Rogue's style. "Will no one else say it? That girl owes us answers, and she's off hiding who knows where ...!"

"None of us know why she's hiding ...." interrupted Scott, his voice rising.

"Enough! Both of you!" Xavier interrupted. When everyone finally quieted down, he spoke more softly. "Judgment can wait; we have more immediate issues to address, starting with the students' safety. For now, all off-campus outings will have to be scheduled in pairs until the criminals are found."

"Great. So she gets everyone else grounded." Rogue snorted and stalked out of the room.

"Rogue's got a point, Professor," Scott put in, crossing his arms. "What are we going to do about Tabitha?"

"We will discuss this with her when she returns."

[

Antonini's Pizzeria

"Are you insane?!"

"Not what I'd call it," Maurice deadpanned. "There's some large figures floatin' around for anyone who can track down a live mutant. Trouble is, most of 'em have gone to ground; and if someone actually finds one, the mutant usually gets spooked and bolts, leaving us back at square one."

"Good for them," Tabitha retorted. "You're still wasting time, though; I don't know where any of 'em are."

"Didn't think so." Maurice glanced at Scowl, then folded his hands behind his back. "But your Professor does."

Tabitha said nothing, but her eyes widened and her breath hissed past her teeth.

"See, there's a few ex-government employees on the street trading stories; one of 'em about some .... mutant detecting gizmo your Professor keeps in his little mansion." His gaze did not leave Tabitha. "A mansion you happen to live in."

"No, no, no, no, no." Tabitha shook her head as she got up and and backed away from the table. "No way; not going to happen; forget it."

"Come on, Tabs," Maurice coaxed, standing up from his own chair. "One quick, easy grab, your family debt gets wiped clean," He slapped his palms together. "Fresh start, and everybody wins."

"What about the people on the list?" Tabitha demanded. "Who are you selling them to, anyway?"

"A middleman with money," Maurice replied. "What do I look like: a detective?"

Tabitha looked at Maurice as though meeting him for the first time, then shook her head in disgust. "You really dug low this time, Tiger. And I'm not coming down with you."

As she turned to leave, she found herself staring at her escorts drawn guns. "No leave yet," one of them ordered.

"You really oughta reconsider, Tabitha," Maurice said. "See, I promised these gentleman a resolution, one way or another. Either the debt gets cleared, or the debtor gets cancelled." Circling around the table toward Tabitha, he added, "I'd hate to have to call your dad's cellmate."

For several long seconds, Tabitha glared hatefully at Maurice. "He's all yours," she finally snapped and turned back toward the doors, bringing her hands together. "Excuse me."

"Maybe you don't understand, Tabitha." Maurice was directly behind her now. "We didn't bring you here to ask your permission."

"Who's gonna stop me?" Tabitha whirled to face Maurice, opening her folded hands.

In them lay a glowing ball, still expanding in size.

Amidst a string of Italian curses, Scowl and the other 'gentlemen' leapt up from their chairs and backed away from Tabitha. A shocked Maurice, along with her escorts, quickly joined them, their guns now aimed toward Tabitha's head.

Tabitha smirked at them and began balancing the large bomb on one hand. "So? Anyone want me to drop this?"

The gentlemen glanced at one another, babbling in Italian. Scowl, by contrast, kept his cold gaze on Tabitha while whispering in Maurice's ear.

Maurice finally sighed. "OK, you win this round, Tabs." Crouching down, he took something from his pocket and slid it over to her. "Here's your phone back."

Her eyes still on the group, Tabitha crouched to pick up the device, then pocketed it and reached for the door.

"This is still gonna happen, Tabs," Maurice called. "It's up to you how hard we have to push."

Tabitha's expression tightened. "I wish you didn't go and say that."

In one swift motion, Tabitha hurled the large bomb into the air towards the group. As the men broke into a run in the opposite direction, Tabitha bolted through the door.

Hearing the explosion behind her, Tabitha finally allowed her breathing to quicken and her lips to tighten into a slight smile as she thought over what she'd managed.

It was over.

With any luck, Maurice and his Godfather-wannabe bosses would be blown away, never to pick on Tabitha or her friends again. And, unless their group had changed radically since she'd forgotten about them, the remnants would be too busy sorting out who was in charge to worry about old debts or retaliation.

She was free.

--------------------

Inside the crumbling building, Maurice Antonini wiped the blood from his face as he pulled himself up. That mutie bitch! he seethed.

He looked around. His men had taken the brunt of the blast. Good men.

As far as he could see, all of his father's lieutenants were buried under rubble. Good riddance.

Finally, he steeled himself to look at his father, still scowling even as he grunted in pain from the debris lodged atop his chest.

"Maurice?" he gasped.

"It's okay, Pops," Maurice replied, kneeling next to his prone father. "I'll handle everything. This will get done ...."

"This .... never .... should have .... started!" Mario Antonini wheezed. "I ..... told we .... shouldn't .... go down this road ...."

Maurice shrugged. "It's the future, Pops." Even blinded by tears, Maurice was not too blind to see the opportunity before him.

Mario shook his head. "I'm disappointed, Maurice," he whispered. "I'll see you soon .... I think ...."

His face tightening, Maurice stood up and walked away, leaving his dying father behind.

He had a story to tell; an empire to inherit and direct.

But, for the moment, he had his own, more immediate business.

[

Xavier Institute

At some point during the long bus ride back, Tabitha's elation had given way to horror at what she'd done.

We do not engage in the wilful or negligent taking of human life. She could almost hear the Professor say that to her; only partly because he had, when he had welcomed her back to the team. Back to her friends, to ....

Tabitha almost gasped at the thought. To the geeks annd heroes that became my family.

And now, even if Maurice was gone, she had thrown it all away trying to protect them.

As though following her train of thoughts, the Greymalkin bus stop slid into to view. Sucking in another deep breath, Tabitha pulled herself up and dragged herself to the exit. Time to face the music.

--------------------

There was one stop she had to make first.

"Tabitha?" Sam looked up as the blonde wandered into view. "I was startin to think ya flew the coop again."

Tabitha smiled tightly. "Hey, Sam," she replied in a flat tone no one in the Institute had heard from her. Her eyes fixed themselves on the infirmary door Sam had parked himself outside of. "How is she?" she asked quietly.

Sam glanced at the door. "Uhhh ... okay, so Ah heard; Mr. McCoy's checkin' her now." He returned to studying Tabitha's face. "And you?"

If anything, Tabitha's expression darkened. "What about me?"

Sam sighed. "Seriously, Tabs." Hearing no answer, he went on. "You've been freakin' out ever since those boys dropped by this mornin'; then you disappear into town, drop Amara in the infirmary, and disappear again fer the whole mornin' and afternoon." Tabitha just crossed her arms and looked away from Sam. "What's goin' on?"

Tabitha turned her gaze toward her feet as she spoke. "I .... had some personal ... baggage I had to take care of."

Sam stared. "Baggage." He blinked several times before continuing. "Ya got all worked up over suitcases?"

"You ask me again, Guthrie, and I'm going to have to lie to you," Tabitha blurted out before finally looking at Sam, who started when he noticed her eyes brimmed with tears. "Don't make me, okay?"

Before Sam could begin to think of a response, the infirmary door swung open. "You're doing great," Hank encouraged as he and Rogue supported a still-woozy Kitty. "In fact, I just might have to release you."

"As long as I can sleep somewhere .... oh, hey Tabitha," the brunette said surprisingly bright. "How's it ....?"

"What's she doin' here?" demanded a suddenly tense Rogue, who was now glaring at Tabitha.

Taken off-guard by Rogue's hostility, Tabitha was, for once, slow to respond. "She's here to see Amara," she heard Sam cut in.

Rogue snorted. "Ah thought ya were a little .... busy fer that. Ya sure were this mornin'."

"Rogue ...." Hank tried to warn.

"So who were these new buddies o' yours, anyway?" Rogue continued. "An', while Ah'm at it, who they comin' fer next? You know, in case you actually gave a ...."

"Hey Rogue! Why don' you ....!"

"Don't bother, Sam," Tabitha interrupted, putting a hand on his shoulder. She then faced Rogue. "They weren't my buddies," she added sullenly, before turning around and walking away from the group. After shooting his own glare at Rogue, Sam turned and hurried after her.

"So not cool, Rogue," Kitty mumbled.

--------------------

"Tabitha!" Sam yelled as he pursued the blonde down the hall. "Will you wait up?!"

Tabitha finally turned to face him. "What?"

Sam blanched at the sight: it was as though Tabitha's face had lost the energy needed to form expressions, and had thus taken on a dull, lifeless look. Quickly, Sam worked to recover his thoughts. "Is Tabitha around? I'd like to talk to her."

Her face did not even twitch. "What do you want, Sam? She's right here."

"Really?" Placing his hands on his hips, Sam opted for the stern expression he'd developed while leading the new team. "Haven't seen her since this mornin'; what happened to her?"

Tabitha just bowed her head. What could she say? Oh, nothing much, Guthrie; just got one of my friends mixed up with my old pal and his pals, landed her in the infirmary, and then put my old pals in the morgue. Just another day,' she thought bitterly.

"Tabitha, how many ways do we gotta ask what's goin' on?" Sam persisted.

Tabitha huffed. "Is anyone here allowed any privacy?"

"Whatever it is, we can help ...."

"No." Tabitha cut in, her face tightening. "Don't."

"Why not?"

The song 'Walking on the Wild Side' erupted from Tabitha's pocket, cutting into the conversation. With a quickness that belied her apparent lack of energy, Tabitha reached into her pocket and spun away from Sam while pressing the phone to her ear. "Yeah?" Sam let out a sigh as she listened to the caller. "Okay, Mom, give me a second." Covering the receiver with her free hand, Tabitha looked expectantly at Sam.

"Okay, I know," Sam said, holding up his hands. "Ya wanna be left alone. Again."

As Sam finally walked out of sight, Tabitha quickly pushed her way into the nearby ladies washroom. "Mom? What's the sitch?"

"Hey, Tabby."

Tabitha froze as the all-too familiar voice reached her ears. "Hey, Tiger," she managed.

"You sound surprised," Maurice went on. "You know, this is why you never got recruited, despite your 'talents.' You never had the stomach to make sure to finish the job."

"My bad," she replied coolly, despite the sense of panic building in her. "What do you want?"

"I already told you this morning."

"And I told you no, remember?"

"Yeah, well," he replied nonchalantly. "I got something to add." A loud smack, and a cry of pain, filled the phone.

Tabitha lunged toward the wall as she recognized her mother's voice. "You son of a ....!"

"Easy, Tabitha," he snapped. "No need to make a scene; now, when can I expect the stuff?"

"Forget it," she growled, her voice shaking. "I never gave your sorry butt up; why would I start with them?"

"Well ...."

At the other end of the phone, her mother screamed in pain again.

"STOP IT!!!"

"I hate to repeat myself, Tabitha," Maurice opined. "It takes up too much time, and I got a lot to do, so here are the rules: you bring one disc of the mutants names and locations to our old playground – you know what I mean – around midnight tonight. Can you repeat all that?"

"Yeah, right," Tabitha said sarcastically.

"Oh, and I almost forgot: you stiff us, or go Demolition girl again, we'll be making a call to your dad's cellmate and your mother's new sitter. Same goes for you telling the police or the X men about the arrangement."

"You think you'd see them coming?" Tabitha sneered.

"Maybe not; but I'd hear you spread the word." Something clicked in the background. "Listen closely."

To Tabitha's shock, she heard Sam's voice. "Seriously, Tabs. You've been freakin' out ever since those boys dropped by this mornin'; then you disappear into town, drop Amara in the infirmary, and disappear again until dinner. What's goin' on?"

Her own voice replied. "I .... had some personal ... baggage I had to take care of."

"Baggage."

Maurice's voice returned. "Feds tried to tap us, so we started makin' use of their equipment." His voice grew an edge. "You see now, Tabitha? You fucked us over once, so we're not taking chances. You breathe a word, we'll know, and well make the call." After a pause, he added. "And, if you mess with the device, we'll make the call then."

"Goddamn you ....!"

"Don't give me the high horse; it doesn't suit you. Now, I'm gonna ask you one more time: when do I get those Xavier files?"

Tabitha took a shuddering breath. "Tonight .... midnight ..... at the .... 'playground .... '" she mumbled.

"That's more like it; see you then?"

"Oh, I'll see you," Tabitha growled in a voice she barely recognized. As the dialtone began, she added, "And I'll make sure I finish the job this time."

Only when she snapped the phone shut did she allow the tears to flow.

--------------------

"Tabitha?" Jean called, knocking on the washroom door. "Are you in there?" She suddenly winced as a sense of anguish reinforced by fear hit her. "Tabitha? Are you okay?"

"I'm PMSing; leave me alone," Tabitha grumbled.

Jean frowned; she had sensed others during the painful points of their periods; it had been nothing like what she was sensing here. Maybe if she .....

No, she reminded herself. She was not going to waltz into anyone's mind again. Once had been enough.

"Well, the afternoon session's starting soon ...."

"I'll be there."

--------------------

After a grueling Danger Room session, which everyone noticed Tabitha attacking with a yet-unseen vengeance, everyone staggered back to their rooms, hoping for a quiet dinner.

They weren't disappointed.

During the meal, Tabitha claimed a seat a one corner of the table and proceeded to eat in silence while the rest of the X men, in between curious glances she did not return, spoke of the days sessions, the recent news on mutant rights, the latest gossip .... anything that didn't relate to the days event that stayed fresh on their minds.

Part of Tabitha wanted to scream at them. Did they not see the empty chair that would have been occupied by someone still sleeping in the infirmary? Had they forgotten that she'd been AWOL the whole day ..... ??!!

Shut up, she reminded herself, stabbing the ham slice and furiously cutting into it. The attention was something she did not need right now, given what she was going to do to them.

Before she realized it, her plate was empty. Looking around she realized that the others were still well into their first helping. Feeling her gut clench, Tabitha took her plate and stood up. "May I be excused?" she asked quietly.

Xavier blinked and took another look at Tabitha. "Of .... course," he replied, wondering if Mystique had taken Tabitha's form.

--------------------

"It is your night, comrade."

"Dishes. Pah."

"Everyone takes a turn ..."

"Je sais, and we all spread de gospel o' peace, love an' understanding fo' all de bigots and ...."

Piotr chuckled. "Comrade, it is dish duty; zhink of it as .... cleaning up zhe scene, as you call it."

"Quoi vous parlez? Besides," Remy added as they entered the kitchen. "Dese dishes ain't worth stealin' anyway, so ...." he trailed off as he noticed the unusually quiet blonde already at the sink, her hands moving slowly through the sudsy water.

Tabitha looked up and quickly pulled her hands out of the sink. "Oh, hey," she stammered. "It's not my turn, is it?"

"Errrr .... no," Piotr replied, staring at Tabitha. "Your turn was last night."

"Oh. My bad." Tabitha shook her hands and backed away from the sink. "It's all yours."

"Well, far be it from me to cut into a femme's work .... hey!" Remy exclaimed as Piotr shoved him toward the sink.

"I zhink not, comrade," Piotr smiled. "Everyone ..."

"I know, I know; dieu," Remy grumbled as he rolled up his sleeves. "Say au revoir to yo' paintbrushes," he grumbled.

"You mumble too often, comrade," Piotr spoke up as joined Remy at the dry rack, towel in hand.

"Kinda de point."

Tabitha almost smiled as she watched the two banter. Besides the free beds and meals, this was what kept drawing her back to this place; or at least it's people. Whatever leashes the Professor and other instructors had tried to tie around them, the students had always found ways to sneak through and let loose; often in the form of full-blown firefights that had dominated her early days at the institute. Thankfully, none of them had destroyed the building, or left any long-lasting injuries. Not the way she was about to.

"Hey, can I ask you guys something?" she found herself blurting out.

"Is it my bank number?" Remy asked without turning around. "Ow!"

"Of course you can," Piotr replied, returning his open hand from the back of Remy's head to his own side.

"Well ...." Tabitha looked at her own hands. "When you were with the bucket head ...." Both men's faces fell, and their hands slowed. "Did he ever try to make you do something .... you know .... you didn't want to do?"

"He made me work for him," Piotr replied. "I think that qualifies."

"You couldn't .... take him out or run and hide?"

"My fondest wish," Piotr muttered.

"But ol' Mags was not someone you could say no to wit'out inviting a world o' hurt," Remy added.

"Oh; sorry I asked."

"Nyet; it is not problem," Placing the towel on the nearby counter and leaning on it, he went on. "Magneto gave me a choice: I either work and fight for his cause, or I don't see family again."

Tabitha snorted. "No real choice there, huh?"

"Oh, dere always be choices wit' Mags," Remy replied. "He was like some o' de dealers in de Bright-Light city: stack de deck, pick de hands he sends your way, and make you 'choose' how you deal wit' dem." After a particularly vicious scrub of the dish in his hands, he handed it to a grim-looking Piotr and added. "Dey just didn' seem much like choices to us."

"Why didn't you get out of the game?" Tabitha asked.

"I did," Remy replied. "Once he was outta de picture, and I could deal m'own hands."

"That easy, huh?" Tabitha looked down at her hands.

"Not what we called it." Passing another dish to Piotr, Remy turned to face Tabitha. "Why de sudden interest in ancient history?"

Tabitha shrugged, her hands clasped together and eyes still cast downward. "Just ... passing the time ... looking for kicks ...."

Remy and Piotr glanced at one another. "So: Got any stories fo' us?" Remy asked.

"Tabitha?" Kurt popped into the middle of the room, starting everyone in the room.

"I'll never get used to dat," Remy grumbled.

"What's up, blue?" asked a relieved Tabitha.

"Professor's looking for you; he vants you in his office."

"Fine; but I'm walking."

--------------------

"Did he say what he wanted?"

"Nein," Kurt replied, hopping after Tabitha as they headed down the hall towards Xavier's office. He glanced at Tabitha. "You okay?"

"Peachy," Tabitha snapped without looking at Kurt.

"Uh-huh." Kurt returned his gaze to the hall.

Sighing, Tabitha looked over at Kurt. "Am I supposed to read your mind now?"

"Are ve?"

Tabitha huffed and walked ahead. "Can a girl not have a bad day without ending up on everyone's couch?"

"How bad a day's it been?"

Tabitha whirled to face Kurt again. "When did it become your business?"

"Woah." Kurt hopped back. "Vhy so touchy all of a sudden?" Tabitha just turned around and continued walking. "Are you in trouble again?"

"Haven't you heard? I am trouble." Tabitha continued until she found herself face-to-face with Kurt.

Kurt glared. "Vhy don't don't you trust us? Vhy von't you get help?"

"Did you?"

Kurt's face fell. "No." Tabitha just raised her chin and stalked past the now unmoving Kurt. "And look how zhey found me." Tabitha stopped. Kurt hopped to the floor. "I ran off into hell, and didn't even see it until it had me." Hopping in front of Tabitha, he added. "Vhat are you running into?"

"A sitch I can't port out of," Tabitha glared at Kurt. "And I don't need anyone else in it. Okay?" With that she strode alone down the hall, leaving her friend behind.

--------------------

"Have a seat, Tabitha," Xavier, seated behind his desk with his hands folded, ordered softly.

Tabitha glanced around as she slowly slipped into the seat in front of Xavier. Near the window behind him stood Ororo, wearing the serene, cold expression that was well-known as a sign of impending trouble. Hank was leaning on the left end of the desk, his relaxed posture belied by his inquisitive look. Behind her, she could hear lumbering footsteps as Logan closed the door and leaned against the nearby wall. To Tabitha's right stood Scott and Jean; Scott with arms crossed and his hard glare showing even through his red opaque glasses; Jean, with eyes that almost seemed to be searching Tabitha.

Damnit, what if she is? Tabitha's thought's flashed back to her meeting with Maurice; she had been marched into a room and onto the receiving end of a staring contest by those big-shots. Only now, she was at her home of several years, among people she called friends, and yet the room felt just as tight, she was just as exposed .... just as trapped as she'd seemed then.

"So?" she asked, trying to keep her face and look cool. If she could get them talking, maybe she could keep them too busy to probe her mind, if they hadn't already .... "What'd I do now?"

Xavier took a slow breath and brought his folded hands up to his chin. "We were just waiting for you to tell us."

"Uhhh ..." Tabitha put on her best confused expression. "Am I supposed to get that?" She looked among the silent instructors. "Hey, I'm not a mind reader, you know." Damnit! Don't give them ideas!

"You know we don't do that," Jean insisted, almost defensively, as she placed her hands on her hips. "We're just ... concerned about the way you've been acting."

"Anything you'd like to share, Tabitha?" Ororo asked quietly.

[

Downtown Bayville – Warehouse District

"How's it going?" Maurice asked as he strode into the small office he'd claimed.

The young Giulio looked up from the stolen phone-tap device. "Clear as a whistle."

"You're sure she can pull this off?" asked Enrico, his father's old friend and the family's interim leader.

"Let's see for ourselves," Maurice replied. "Put it on speaker."

[

Xavier Institute

"Houston, you're losing me," Tabitha insisted. "Anyone wanna clue me in here?"

"We're the ones that need clueing in, Tabitha," Scott snapped. "What are you getting us into here?"

"Scott," Xavier warned before returning his attention to Tabitha. "Tabitha, to begin, you already know about the incident at the gate this morning; probably more than any of us."

[

Downtown Bayville – Warehouse District

"Are they onto us?" asked Enrico.

Maurice shrugged. "They're scratchin' their heads; the feds do that all the time without botherin' us any."

[

Xavier Institute

Tabitha could almost feel Xavier's eyes digging into her soul. "So? They're gone, aren't they?"

"You gotta be ...." Scott began before being silenced by a glare from Xavier.

"You should also know that Amara is making a speedy recovery."

"Is she awake?" Tabitha immediately asked, leaning forward slightly.

"Not at the moment. However," Xavier folded his hands in his lap, his eyes still not leaving Tabitha. "She was conscious for several minutes. Long enough to describe that same man following you in the middle of downtown Bayville; right before they assaulted her."

Tabitha's mind raced frantically. "Some crazy ...." she muttered. "He said he had a special spot in hell picked out for me; told me I better watch my back." She shrugged. "Thought it was all talk then."

No one's expressions changed. "I see," Xavier replied slowly; he sounded almost disappointed. "Are you certain you didn't recognize any of them?"

"Didn't I just say that?!" Tabitha stood up and allowed some of her anger to enter her voice. "Is this why you dragged me in here? To call me a liar?!"

"We`re not calling you anything, Tabitha," Xavier said sharply. "But your behaviour today has been .... difficult to figure out, to say the least."

"Kurt told us you dropped Amara off then fled," Ororo added smoothly. "What was the emergency you were running off to?"

"I told him: it was a family emergency." Tabitha scowled and sat back down. "As in family; not school problem, not X men problem."

"Are you referring to the Antonini family?" Hank asked.

"I ...." Tabitha tightened her jaw as she realized how close she was to letting her secret slip, along with her parents. "Whatnow?" she finally mumbled.

--------------------

"Shit," Enrico observed. "She's spillin'."

"Have a little faith," Maurice assured.

--------------------

Hank frowned and glanced at the papers in his hand. "There was an explosion in downtown Bayville this morning." He placed the papers on the desk and looked directly at Tabitha. "Antonini's Pizzeria, to be precise."

Tabitha said nothing, but her jaw tightened, along with the rest of her body.

"The bodies of several known members of the Antonini crime family were found there," Xavier stated. "They've yet to identify the cause of the explosion."

"So what's that to me?" The cell phone in Tabitha's pocket seemed heavier than usual.

"Your father was a known associate of that same family."

--------------------

"That's it, we're done," Enrico snapped. "Have everyone clear out; we gotta cut our losses ...." Enrico trailed off as he found the knife buried in his stomach.

Giulo jumped away from the scene. "Are you insane?" he hissed.

"Just keep listening." Maurice pulled his cell phone from his pocket and prepared to dial the number of his man in the prison.

--------------------

"So that's it, huh?" Her latest expression was easy; even knowing what she was keeping from them, that had hurt. "Suspect .... by association?"

"Tabitha, please!"

"Are we done here?" Tabitha asked, glaring around the room. "Or should I run and find a cell, save you all the ....?"

"Look, kid," Logan growled, quieting the startled Tabitha. "Whatever personal baggage yer carryin' is yer own; no one here is askin ya to wave it around if yer not ready."

"Really? Then what's with all the questions?" Tabitha replied smartly.

"'Cause that guy you seem to know just put one of our kids in the infirmary," Logan growled. "We're not diggin' for family histories, but we need to know if he'll be comin' our way again!" Logan stepped forward and glared down at Tabitha. "You mind at least explainin' why you were so scared when he first showed?"

Tabitha shook her head, her lip trembling. "I'm not scared."

Logan snorted. "How long you gonna keep lyin' to us?"

"You tell me."

"Tabitha." To everyone's surprise, Xavier reached out and gently took hold of Tabitha's hand. "I did not ask you here to condemn you."

"Yeah; it shows," Tabitha muttered bitterly, yanking her hand away.

"The fault is mine then." Xavier folded his hands on his desk. "But I asked you here because, despite the tumultuous road you travelled, with us and your family, you've always come through when it mattered." Tabitha kept her gaze focused on her lap. "I believe this matters as well; will you come through again?"

Tabitha rubbed her head and finally met Xavier's eyes. "I'm sorry, Professor."

--------------------

"I don't know what to tell you."

The silence that followed hung in the air, even over the crackling speakerphone. Finally, the old professor's voice was heard. "All right, Tabitha; I'll have to discuss this with the staff. In the meantime, you're confined to the Institute until further notice."

The scraping of chairs and heavy steps followed. Breathing a sigh of relief, Maurice punched in a different number.

[

Xavier Institute

"So what now, Professor?" Scott glanced toward the door Tabitha had left through. "She's not telling us anything."

Instead of answering, Xavier stared in front of him for several seconds before heaving a long sigh and reaching for his phone.

"Chuck?" Logan asked, his eyes widening slightly.

After a few moments, Xavier spoke. "Hello? This is Professor Charles Xavier with the Institute for Gifted Children; is Chief Bronson available?"

--------------------

"Happy now?" Tabitha snapped at the phone.

"Happy ain't the word," Maurice replied. "Always knew you'd come through."

"Yeah." The glare Tabitha was sending towards the nearby mirror did not fade.

"So I should expect you tonight?"

"Right." Tabitha glanced toward her door. "And then I gotta disappear."

"Makes two of us." Maurice's good-natured tone made Tabitha sick; it was as though they were still playing one of their childhood games. "Don't suppose you wanna come with?"

"Maybe." Tabitha leaned against the headboard. "Is Tiger coming?" she asked.

"Why don't you ask him?" She could almost hear the familiar grin over the phone.

"I thought I just did." Tabitha's face softened slightly. "What happened to him, anyway?"

Maurice sighed. "We all gotta grow up, Tabitha."

"That what they're calling it, now?"

"Doesn't matter what they call it; it still happens," Maurice retorted. "Like tonight." He hung up.

Tabitha cradled the phone, her face hardening. If only you knew, Tiger ...

--------------------

Later that night, Tabitha took a quick glance around as she slipped into her old Sirens costume; one of the reminders of her brief spout of independance from the Institute. Tabitha sighed as she snapped her top shut and slipped the sunglasses atop her head. Right now, that time seemed so far away, yet at the same time, so near.

She started down the hallway. Back then, she had revelled at her freedom from Xavier's rules and the endless Logan sessions; most of which still chafed ever since she had returned full time.

Now, when it seemed that she was heading back toward that life, the sense of renewed freedom never formed. In its place hung an empty void.

Tabitha shook her head as she approached Cerebro's hallway. Time to put the chin in hand later; for now, she had work to do.

Tabitha punched in the code she had taken from Xavier's office and walked quietly inside.

The large, round room greeted her. After carefully walking across to the small machine sitting in its center, she sat down before the silent screen.

Within minutes, after logging in and searching through functions, she found the program she was seeking. RECENT SCANS

She clicked that option. Sure enough, the screen was filled by a map of the globe filled with blinking yellow lights signifying mutants and their approximate locations.

Thousands of people like her; people with no mansion and, if she went through with this, no secret to protect them.

With shaking hands, she slipped the stolen DVD into the machine's drive and began the download.

"Ya know, ya just missed lights out."

Tabitha shrieked and whirled around. "Sam?!!!! What are you doing here?" she hissed.

"Was about to ask you." Sam, his face hard and arms crossed, stepped toward her. "So that's it, Tabitha? That's the big secret? Stealin' from Cerebro?"

"You. Don't. Understand." Tabitha glanced desperately at the blinking screen.

"Do you?" Sam brought his arms to his side. "Do you get what yer startin'? What's gonna happen to those people once you sell 'em out?" Tabitha turned back toward the screen. "Do ya care?"

Tabitha's shoulders quivered for a second, then tightened. "Stay out of this, Guthrie."

"Little late fer that." Sam took another step toward her. "Yer stealin from our house. Our team. The people we're tryin to protect."

"Who's we?" Tabitha pulled the DVD from the machine and slipped it into its case.

"All of us. You included, fo' a while." Sam put his hands on his hips. "I don't get it, Tabs, what's gone and changed your mind?"

"Who says I changed my mind?" Tabitha sneered, turning back toward Sam. "Me and this place were never a good fit."

Sam's face fell. "Yer call, Tabs," he replied. After spreading her legs to block her exit, he held out a hand. "But the disc stays; hand it over."

"No."

"I'm not askin'," Sam snapped. "Give it here."

"Out of the way."

"No." Sam glared at Tabitha. "Gimme the disc before I wake up the household."

Fear finally showed itself on Tabitha's face. "Sam, don't."

"Then put the danged disc down."

"I can't!"

"Why not?"

"'Cause they're going to ....!" Tabitha suddenly stopped and glanced at her phone pocket.

"Who's gonna what?" Sam stared at Tabitha.

To his surprise, the blonde started to laugh. "I don't know who, and I don't care." She stepped toward Sam. "'Cause they're going to pay some serious green for this disc; and I'll be sittin' this little crusade out on the quietest beach I can find. I was thinking Hawaii, or maybe that little island in the Bahamas." She moved closer to a shocked Sam and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Wanna come with?"

Sam's shocked face tightened into a glare as he shoved Tabitha to the floor with both hands. "What happened to you, Tabitha?"

The blonde was already crawling away. "Grew up! Too bad you won't!" she called.

Sam suddenly felt a growing heat in his pajama pocket. Yer kiddin!

Without warning, the bomb went off.

--------------------

The alarm was already blaring before Tabitha had made it down the hallway. Tabitha growled; shewas sick of that security system.

Pausing only to slip the disc into the pouch she'd pilfered for the occasion, she raced up the stairs. With any luck, she could slip out the front door before anyone else rolled out of bed.

Then again, this was the Xavier Institute.

"This is your choice, Tabitha?"

Tabitha gasped and stopped short as she spotted the large, metallic Russian blocking the front door. "Who said it was a choice, Tin Grin?"

"There is always a choice," he replied, holding out his hand. "Just give me the disc."

"Sorry; no can do." A large glowing bomb flew towards his outstretched hand.

Tabitha turned and ran up the stairs as it went off, accompanied by a very familiar grunt. So much for the front door she thought. There's always the windows ... A pair of slippered feet slamming into her chest put the lie to that idea.

Grunting in pain, Tabitha grabbed the railing and pulled herself up before throwing herself back down the stairs and around the railing toward the basement in time to see a pajama-clad Rogue land in front of her. "Did I forget to check out or something?"

"You ain't goin' nowhere!" Rogue snapped before swinging her foot in a roundhouse toward Tabitha's head. Tabitha ducked and swung her own foot towards Rogue's, knocking the southerner to the ground. Growling, Rogue rolled onto her hands and knees and drove her leg out, connecting her heel with Tabitha's stomach.

Gasping for breath, Tabitha swung her left arm, only to find it caught and twisted into an arm lock. As Rogue shoved her against the wall, she hissed. "Kinda figured you'd sell us out."

Tabitha groaned. Sparring with the Rogue; great plan she chided herself, before remembering she was way beyond planning. Thinking quickly, she tossed a small bomb over her shoulder towards Rogue's face. Yelping, the southerner turned pulled away and averted her eyes, giving Tabitha time to pull away from the wall and run for the corridor, dropping a trail of bombs behind her and burying the Rogue in explosions.

--------------------

"Professor?" Scott now stood in the Professor's doorway, fully uniformed. "She's on the move."

A fully dressed Xavier nodded, then turned towards his phone. "Chief? She's making her move."

--------------------

Already panting for breath, Tabitha leaned against the nearby walls. Looking around, she spotted the hallway leading past the infirmary to the hangar bay, concealed by the large waterfall. Guess that's my exit.

"Tabitha?"

Tabitha's face snapped towards the nearby infirmary door, where Amara stood, staring aghast at her friend.

Tabitha's expression shifted to concern. "Girl, what are you doing out of bed?!" she exclaimed.

"The Professor said you were running again." Without taking her eyes off Tabitha, she leaned against the doorjamb to steady herself. "He said you were selling Cerebro."

"That old man's full of stories," Tabitha sniffed.

Amara's glare did not waver. "Why are you lying to me again?"

"Ask me again, I'll do it again," Tabitha retorted, turning towards the hangar, only to see a jet of flame shoot past her.

Amara raised a glowing, shaking hand. "Don't, Tabitha." Her voice was flat.

Tabitha looked back at Amara. "Do you really wanna do this now?" she challenge.

"No." Her arm continued to shake. "It's up to you, Tabitha."

Tabitha scoffed. "Right. Choices again." She took another step.

"Tabitha, stop!" Amara took a step forward, lighting her hands up. "You don't have to do this again!"

Tabitha's face turned cold. "Sorry; I'm better on my own." She took another step.

"Tabitha, one more step and I'll light you on fire!" Amara yelled

"THEN LIGHT ME ON FIRE!" Tabitha screamed before running for the hangar.

Amara slowly lowered her arm and watched as her friend blew open the hangar door and dove through the water fall.

--------------------

"X men." Glancing around the room, Xavier confirmed that the whole remaining team was gathered in the war room. "As you may or may not know, Tabitha has fled the Institute and is currently on the move. What you may not know," he paused, "is that she downloaded sensitive information from Cerebro."

"What kind of information?" Chief Bronson's voice rang out of the phone Xavier carried on his lap.

--------------------

Finally seeing a cab pull up near her, Tabitha pulled open the door and hurled herself in. "Warehouse District?"

The driver glanced back at her. "This time of night?"

"Trust me; you don't wanna know. Just drive."

--------------------

Xavier looked over at Hank, who took a deep breath. "As far as we can tell, she's accessed the most recent worldwide scans over the past week and downloaded the data to a DVD."

"That data contains the approximate location of every manifested mutant across the planet." Xavier glanced at Alex, who was already paling. "I'm sure I don't need to explain what would be in store for those innocent mutants when they are exposed."

"Why would she do that?!" Bobby blurted out. "Is she insane?!"

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," Xavier replied grimly.

--------------------

"Thanks," Tabitha told the driver as she dropped the last of her bills into his waiting hand. As he drove away, Tabitha looked over at the darkened warehouse. Their old playground.

"Hah! Got ya!" Maurice laughed as he wrapped his arms around Tabitha's waist. The short blonde squealed and shoved playfully at her friend. "Your under arrest!"

Tabitha glanced around. No one in sight, so they had to be inside. She took a deep breath and walked towards the door she had never opened.

"What are they doing in there?" Tabitha asked as she and Maurice sat panting after a particulary vicious round of Cops and Robbers.

"I dunno," Maurice shrugged. "Papa always tells me not to ask."

"My daddy says the same thing." Tabitha looked back at Maurice, a wicked smile forming on her face. "Wanna go peek?"

"You'll get us in trouble!" Maurice yelled as she hopped up and crept over to the door.

"I'm just wanna ..." Tabitha stopped as the door swung open.

Tabitha hopped up on a nearby crate and peered into the darkened room. Suddenly the door swung open.

"What're you doing here, Tabby?" her father asked, staring down at her as he wiped something from his hands.

"Uhhh ...." Tabitha glanced over her shoulder at Maurice, then replied. "Lookin for a place to hide, Daddy; we're playing Hide and Seek."

"Uh huh." Tossing the rag over his shoulder. "Well, playtimes over, Tabby; we gotta go." Before he finished speaking, he was already reaching down and grabbing Tabitha's arm.

Tabitha landed in a combat-ready stance facing the door.

"You're early," whispered the figure at the door.

"That a problem?" Tabitha snapped, walking toward the door.

Playtime was so over.

--------------------

"Are you all clear on your tasks?" The shocked students nodded. "Good; then move out immediately; we have little time."

As the teams filed out of the room, Xavier turned to his phone. "Chief?"

"My men are on the move now," Bronson replied. "You sure you can find her?"

"Without a doubt," Xavier replied.

--------------------

Tabitha's first steps inside the warehouse found her staring into the muzzles of several submachine guns. Without a word, she slipped two fingers into her pouch and lifted the disc in front of her.

"It's all right," she heard Maurice call. "She's with me."

Tabitha let out a long sigh as the guns lowered. "You wish," she mumbled. She glanced around, her heart already sinking. At least a dozen men had gathered in front of her, all fully armed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could already see others taking positions along the balcony that ran across the back of the warehouse. "What's with all the guns, Maurice?" she called.

"Security." Maurice brought his hands together in silent applause as he approached her. "And here I thought you'd never surprise me again," he grinned. "Did you know everyone here bet you'd never make it out of the mansion? I already made a killing before you got here!" Nearing Tabitha, he reached for the disc. "Now, back to business ..."

"Slow down, Tiger," Tabitha replied, pulling the disc out of reach. "You going to call the dogs off or should I?"

Maurice grin seemed to waver. "Come on, Tabitha ..." he coaxed.

"Look, I did what you asked," Tabitha snapped. "I boosted the info, and I didn't say a word about it."

"Yeah, but you got caught." Maurice grin was gone now.

"They don't know where I am, or who I'm with," Tabitha retorted, glaring at Maurice. "Just call them off, then you get the disc and off my back. How's that work for you?"

The carefree smile returned to Maurice's face. "Damn, Tabby," he chuckled. "Still as feisty as ever; how'd your dad put up with you?"

"Who says he did?"

--------------------

Xavier put his hands to his temples. I have a location; Bayville warehouse district, north end, Rical Imports building. Are you all in position?

We're heading there now, Professor came Scott's reply.

Logan?

Pullin in now. Logan growled over the mindlink.

All right, everyone; you know what needs to be done. Do not hesitate.

--------------------

"The disc, Tabitha," Maurice insisted.

"Oh, one more thing," Tabitha added, hugging the disc to her chest. "I want to know who I'm selling this to."

"I told you; I don't know," Maurice replied, his voice rising. "What's with the questions?"

The blonde shrugged. "Never liked middlemen; can't a girl be curious, anyway?"

"You've been out of the game too long." Maurice snapped his fingers and the men near Tabitha moved closer to her, hands resting on their weapons. "Curiosity can be a real killer."

"Right, right," Tabitha yawned. "Why do you think I found a new game?"

Maurice rolled his eyes. "Yeah. The mutant peace corps or whatever." He scoffed. "Did you really think you'd fit into that life?"

Tabitha shrugged. "Worked for me."

"And look where you are now," Maurice waved to the men surrounding Tabitha. "This is taking too long; just hand it over."

--------------------

"You sure yer up to this, half-pint?" Logan growled. Kitty just glared at him and hopped off the bike next to Laura.

--------------------

"Okay, I got it," Kurt told Xavier. He glanced over at his partner. "No games, zhis time, okay? If we mess zhis up ..."

"Je sais, je sais," Remy grumbled. "Mo' boots to clean."

--------------------

We're here, Professor Scott thought as he and the rest of the remaining team inched towards the warehouse.

Very well; the police are on their way. Wait for them before you move.

--------------------

"Just who in the hell do you think you are?!" Maurice demanded as Giulo pulled a cell phone from his pocket. "You're alone, Tabitha; and you're playing by my rules now." As if on cue, the men nearby pulled raised their guns. "What's it going to be? The disc, or the phone call?"

Tabitha slowly eyed the armed men around her, then the cell phone in Giulo's hand, before putting her hands to her face. Then she did something none of the men in the room would have bet a cent on.

She laughed.

It started as a slight quiver in her shoulders, which most mistook for sobbing. Before they could stop her, her hands slipped away, revealing teary eyes contradicted by the wide grin.

Maurice blinked. Of all the reactions he'd thought of, this was not one of them, and it left him frozen. "What the hell's so funny?"

Tabitha continued to giggle. "You keep forgetting," she gasped. "I never play by the rules!"

[

Xavier Institute - Earlier

Tabitha rubbed her head and finally met Xavier's eyes. "I'm sorry, Professor." But if I say a word, my parents die, she added through thoughtspeak.

Xavier frowned. Tell me more, but keep talking.

"I don't know what to tell you." Okay.

--------------------

"So what now, Professor?" Scott glanced toward the door Tabitha had left through. "She's not telling us anything."

Instead of answering, Xavier stared in front of him for several seconds before heaving a long sigh and reaching for his phone. She just did.

"Chuck?" Logan asked, his eyes widening slightly.

She's told me everything. "Hello? This is Professor Charles Xavier with the Institute for Gifted Children; is Chief Bronson available?"

--------------------

"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," Xavier replied grimly. "The buyers have threatened her family to ensure her cooperation."

Amid the gasps and whispers that followed, Jean's voice broke through. "So what do we do?"

"We need three teams for this mission."

--------------------

"My men are on the move now," Bronson replied. "You sure you can find her?"

"Without a doubt," Xavier replied. "Because I already know where she's going."

--------------------

"And who says I came alone?" she smirked.

Maurice and Giulio glanced at one another. "Didn't she just blow away her teammates?" asked a confused Giulio.

"Sounded that way," Maurice replied.

Tabitha continued to laugh.

--------------------

"Ugghhh," Sam mumbled, rubbing his head. This a show, or another session?

It's necessary, Sam, came Xavier's reply. Gather everyone in the War Room; I will explain everything.

--------------------

"Who went an' started de con wit'out moi?" Remy demanded as he pulled Piotr to his feet.

"Who is ... conning?" the Russian groaned.

"In case ya didn't notice, Cajun," Rogue snapped as she joined them, a little worse for wear. "That actually hurt!"

--------------------

Before Tabitha dove through the waterfall, she turned and grinned at Amara, who gave her a thumbs up.

--------------------

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME?!" Maurice snapped.

Before Tabitha could answer, the roar of a helicopter was heard overhead. "THIS IS THE BAYVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE THE PLACE SURROUNDED; DROP YOUR WEAPONS AND COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!"

"Fill'e bagassa!" Giulio yelled, looking around frantically. "She did spill!"

In all the years she'd known him, Tabitha had never seen Maurice so angry. "Make the call!" he ordered. Giulio began to punch the number.

And Tabitha moved.

Giulio grunted as the bomb exploded near his hand, shattering the cell phone and burning his hand. Hearing the explosion, several armed men spun back towards Tabitha and opened fire.

--------------------

Bronson swore under his breath. "That's it; everyone move in!" he yelled.

--------------------​

Tabitha yelped as she ducked behind a nearby crate, narrowly avoiding the spray of bullets that quickly peppered Giulio, dropping his bleeding body to the ground. She quickly pulled her arms and legs in as the barrage continued.

Seconds later, explosions at the doors drew the gunmen's attention. "Hold 'em off!" Maurice yelled as he backed towards the last intact door.

As the masked policemen began to file into the warehouse, Maurice's men obediently turned their fire toward them. Several policemen took several steps before realizing they had no cover on their end.

No cover except for the invisible wall in front of their targets. Startled, the gunmen stopped firing until they spotted the statuesque redhead floating behind the policemen.

"Mutante!" one of them screamed, at which point a red blast slammed into his rifle.

"You noticed?" Scott quipped. As the men turned their remaining guns toward him, they were greeted by a blinding display of red beams from Alex and electric bolts from Ray slamming into their weapons.

Aiming for the mutants, the men hiding near the wall were unprepared for it crumbling behind them, admitting Evan, Rahne, Roberto, Hank, and Jamie, who all set to work on the nearby attackers.

Up on the balcony, the remaining men aimed their weapons, only to find their guns turning to solid ice, along with the balcony beneath them. As the men slipped, staggered, and cursed, Scott carefully aimed at the balcony's support beams and fired several shots, collapsing that end and turning the balcony into an icy slide, which the now-disoriented gunmen slid down, too busy seeking footholds to even think about her guns.

A pleased-looking Bobby soared down toward Tabitha. "Hey, Tabs; having fun ye-ack!" he grunted as something slammed into his shoulder, knocking him to the ground.

Horrified, Tabitha looked toward the nearby exit, where she spotted an armed Maurice. With a low growl, she hurled another bomb toward his hand, destroying the gun. Snarling as he grabbed his injured hand, Maurice sent one last glare toward Tabitha. "Too many freaks for me," he spat before pulling out of sight.

"We're secure, Chief!" one of the officers as they approached the downed gunmen.

"Everyone all right?" Bronson asked as he strode inside, followed by an older, white-haired man in plainclothes. "Agent Duncan: anybody you recognize?"

Duncan took a careful look at the downed men now being handcuffed by the police. "Just the muscle, Chief," he replied. "I thought you said there'd be at least one of the Antonini's here."

"That's what Tabitha told us," Scott put in as he approached the group.

"Well, where is she?" Agent Duncan demanded.

Scott's face fell as he scanned the warehouse. "I don't see her ...." he something else caught his attention. "Bobby!"

The young X man was being examined by Hank as he lay groaning and clutching his aching shoulder. "Scott," he grunted, pointing toward the exit. "She ran after ...."

--------------------​​

Maurice muttered a few choice words to himself as he ducked behind a nearby building. What had seemed like a safe, lucrative exchange had turned into a mess he hadn't even dreamt of; not only had Tabitha spilled, but he had not figured it out until her whole damn mutant army was on the meeting, with the cops at their back! How had she pulled that off?!

Not that it mattered, for the moment. For now, the best he could do was get to his boat, hopefully before the cops found it, and disappear somewhere, start again somehow.

He pulled out a cell phone and began to punch in a number he'd memorized. Suddenly pain flared in his hand and the phone went flying.

"What was that you said about finishing the job?" Before Maurice could react, Tabitha had grabbed the back of his neck and shoved his face into the wall.

As Maurice collapsed to the ground, clutching his broken nose, Tabitha just crossed her arms and glared down at him. "Get up." Apparently ignoring her, Maurice began crawling down the alley.

He had only travelled a few feet, however, when Tabitha's foot crashed into his ribs. "You know, Tiger, I owe you a few myself." After waiting until her old friend had struggled to his knees, Tabitha lashed out with her fist, her mind on Amara's battered body. Then, hearing her mother's screams, she struck again. Then she struck again, seeing Bobby tumble. Then again, for the disappointed looks from her friends. Then again. And again ....

Suddenly, a sharp pain to her side drew her attention.

Tabitha froze, her arm already in mid-punch. Below her, Maurice grinned. "You never could beat me," he said, bringing his knife up near his face. Something red had stained it.

The world around her, along with her own memories, was already swimming out of focus as something warm began to run down her waist. She barely noticed as Maurice shoved her off of him and reached for something before grabbing her hair and bringing a cell phone close to her face. "Stay with me, Tabby; I want you to hear this," he hissed before bringing it to his ear. "Hey Leo, it's me. She screwed us. Make the call."

[

Smith Residence

After signing off, Leo Antonini punched in the number they'd saved for the occasion. "Hey Paolo? The job's a go. Just don't make a mess, and you'll be square for life."

As Paolo acknowledged, Leo hung up and looked towards a bound, gagged, and frightened Allie. Smith.

[

Bayville City Jail

After hiding the prepaid cell under his pillow, Paolo stood up and stretched. Just one more job, one less favor owed; a feeling he definitely enjoyed.

As stepped out of his cell, his eye fell on a nervous-looking Jim Smith.

[

Warehouse

"This was your call, Tabitha," Maurice remarked as he stood up. "You know that, right?"

Tabitha, her hands clutching the wound in her side, just glared back at him.

[

Smith Residence

Allie Smith's eyes widened as Leo laid a plastic sheet behind her. "Nooo ..." she moaned through the gag.

"Don't bother, ma'am," Leo replied as he rose from his crouch. "Say what you want; I got no more say than you do."

[

Bayville City Jail

Jim Smith finally caught sight of the approaching Paolo. Damnit, Tabby, he cursed silently as he backed away. He had to get away, find a C.O or something, or ... He gasped as rough hands seized him, halting his flight.

Paolo nodded to the pair that had grabbed Jim Smith. They were both men who owed him small favours that he'd collected over the years inside. Without a word, they shoved him into the nearby cell.

--------------------​​

"Never occured to me an X gal ...." Maurice chuckled, "would sign off her own." He shrugged. "Then again, I never thought you would go and throw in with them."

--------------------​​

"Don't worry; it'll be over soon," Leo told Allie as he gently laid her down on the plastic sheet. "Just think of something else," he added as he loaded his pistol.

--------------------​​

"Wait, wait, wait!" Jim insisted as Paolo followed him into the cell. "Whatever they're paying you ....!"

--------------------​​

"Anyway, I gotta run for now," Maurice said as he rose to his feet. "I'll leave you to your parents dead bodies." As he turned, leaving the bleeding Tabitha behind An ashen-faced Tabitha finally whispered a reply.

--------------------​​

Leo carefully aimed at the center of Allie's head.

--------------------​​

"Save it," Paolo grunted as he carefully removed the shiv from his pocket. "You had your chance."

--------------------​​

"I didn't catch that," Maurice said as he knelt next to Tabitha. "Say what?"

The ashen-faced blonde drew in a shaking breath. "That is ..." she gasped faintly, "... so ... weak."

--------------------​​

Suddenly, the backyard seemed to explode in a display of bright colors. "The hell ....??!!!" Leo exclaimed, his attention drawn away from Allie.

--------------------​​

Before Paolo could take another step towards Jim, the cell seemed to fill with smoke.

--------------------​​

By the time Leo's attention returned to his target, she was .... Leo blinked. Sinking through the floor?!

"We interruptin', bub?" growled a deep voice behind him.

--------------------​​

Paolo coughed. "Who in the ...?!"

"Now, now, mon ami," drawled an unfamiliar voice. As the smoke ckeared, he finally noticed a tall, auburn haired man – Cajun, by the sounds of him – taking his wrist. "No reason we can't settle dis like gentlemen."

--------------------​​

Losing his cool for the first time in his life, Leo yelped and fired toward the voice; and was rewarded by a snarl and the clink of metal.

Before he could fire a second shot, he heard a shriek above him just before three blades skewered his hand and the gun in one smooth motion. As he screamed in pain, he noticed the small form next to him before its foot swung up into his chin.

--------------------​​

"Who the hell are you?!" Paolo demanded.

"Just a fellow wit' an interest," the Cajun grinned stepping toward him. "You mind if we talk outside?" For some reason, Paolo found himself backing outside the cell. In full view. Shiv in hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Paolo looked towards the face of a glaring C.O.

--------------------​​

Laura snarled and brought her free hand up for a stab to the face.

"Easy, Laura," Logan grunted as he dug at his shoulder. "How's the lady?" he barked.

The sound of sobs rang out over Logan's comlink. "Soooo messed up," replied a tired-sounding Kitty, "but she should be okay."

"How 'bout you, half-pint?"

Kitty huffed. "MR LOGAN! I swear, if you, like, ask me that again ....!"

"Eewwwww," Jubilee muttered as she joined Logan and Laura inside. "Is that blood?"

"Just tie him up, already," Logan snapped, rubbing his head.

--------------------​​

"You have got to tell me how you do zhat," Kurt remarked as they watched the guards drag the screaming Paolo away.

Remy shrugged. "Gifts what we call 'em, no?"

Kurt shot a slightly suspicious look. "You ... you haven't used it on us, have you?"

Remy grinned back at Kurt. "Don't work if dey no surprise, Crawler," he said with a wink.

Kurt sighed, then closed his eyes. Professor? We're done here.

Well done, both of you, replied a tired-sounding Xavier from his post outside. But I can't hold the illusion much longer; hurry back, if you please.

On zhe vay. As he reached for Remy's elbow, he glanced over at a wide-eyed Jim. "Oh; your daughter says hi."

[

Warehouse

"Wolfsbane; can you track her?" Scott demanded.

Rahne took a deep breath. "Too many scents," she growled.

"Then we have to search the place," Scott declared.

"You're kidding, right?" Bronson eyed the seemingly endless rows of warehouses.

--------------------​​

Maurice stood up sharply. "No ..." he breathed. "You're .... kidding."

Tabitha's lips formed into a weak smirk.

"God ... damnit!" Maurice swore, whirling away from Tabitha. "Just how many mutie friends do you keep around?!" he yelled. He felt as though he had caught fire; anger burned within him, like none he'd ever felt before. He spun back to face Tabitha, knife in hand.

--------------------​​

"All right; everyone, spread out," Bronson snapped. "Check every building, every alley, every sewer! Move!" His men moved, followed swiftly by the X men.

--------------------​​

Tabitha grunted as the knife broke the skin on her arm. "Who'da thought the girl'd have so much blood in her?" Maurice growled. Planting a foot on her side wound, he glared hatefully at his old friend. "I don't get you anymore, Tabs." He shook his head. "There was a time I could count on you for anything; you always came through. Now, you split for six years, I find you ... you give me nothing but surprises!" He pressed the boot down hard. "There anything else I oughta know?!"

Tabitha continued smiling before she mouthed. "Back. Pocket."

Maurice then realized something else was burning within him. Or, his pockets, at least.

Maurice screamed as he found himself on fire for real. Grimacing, Tabitha clenched her fist.

--------------------​​

"You hear that?" Scott froze as the scream reached his ears.

"Look!" Jean exclaimed as a small, yet recognizable, explosion appeared a couple warehouses down.

The pair immediately broke into a run. "Everyone, converge on the explosion!"

Scott's order was soon echoed by Bronson, who had a couple men near the alley. What they found stopped them cold.

"Bitch!" rasped a fully immolated Maurice while Tabitha lay still, a pool of blood forming in front of her. Apparently unaware of the uniformed police gathering at the end of the alley, he reached into his burning pocket and pulled out a pistol.​​

The officers finally remembered themselves. "Bayville Police! Drop the gun!" one of them shouted as they drew their weapons.

"Thought you'd send me to hell before you?!" Maurice snarled, staggering toward a prone Tabitha.

"Put the weapon down now!"

"Here I thought I'd make you wait ...!"

"Don't do this!"

"Put it down!"

"But it looks like I'm on the way too!" Maurice mumbled, dropping to his knees.

"Last warning!"

"Drop it!"

"And I'm tired of waiting ...!!!!" Maurice drawled, raising the pistol.

The effect was immediate. Maurice jerked as the bullets lanced into him, driving him to the pavement where he continued to burn.

"Everyone all right?" Jean asked as she and Scott arrived. "Where's ..." she trailed off as she spotted the still form next to the burning Maurice.

"Jean?" Scott asked, noticing the horrified look appearing on Jean's face. "What's ...?" Scott too trailed off as he noticed what had caught Jean's attention. "Oh no ...."

"TABITHA!" Jean finally screamed as she and Scott raced toward their pale, bleeding friend. MR MCCOY!!! After wincing slightly at Jean's psychic shout, Hank raced towards the alley.

His breath caught in his throat as he found Tabitha cradled in Jean's lap, bleeding freely from several wounds and staring in front of her with lifeless eyes. "You two; give me your jackets," he snapped at the two nearby officers. After yanking them from the officers hands, he leapt over to Tabitha. "Scott; put pressure on her side," he ordered, handing him one of the jackets.

"Jesus," muttered one of the officers as he approached.

Hank snarled in frustration. The cut on her side was too wide to simply stop. And with the amount of blood she had already lost .... "We have to get her to the Blackbird."

"She's already in shock, Hank!"

"Then we'd best not waste another second," Hank snapped, scooping the blonde up in his arms. "Hold on, Tabitha ....!"

Tabitha continued to stare.

[

Bayville City Jail – Two Days Later

Jim Smith glanced at the clock yet again. 10 minutes now he noted. What the hell was taking ... whoever was visiting ... so long?

In the days since the attack, he had been sitting in AdSeg; apparently, the attempted hit on him had finally convinced the warden to move him away from general population. Not that the warden looked happy about it; in fact, he had begun talking about the loony ward when Jim had told him about the blue fuzzy man and the Cajun that had appeared in his cell.

Only today had several C.O.'s dragged him to the interrogation room with barely a word.

Finally, the door swung open. "Thank you, Warden," Professor Xavier told the elderly man next to him. "I'll just be a few minutes."

Xavier now turned his attention to Jim, who was already out of his seat and backing away. "You here to pluck my brain?" he snarled nervously.

"Sit down, Mr. Smith," Xavier said coldly.

After a moment returning the glare, Jim sat in front of the balding Professor. "Whaddya want?"

Xavier folded his hands in front of him. "Not too long ago, some associates of yours ..."

"I don't have any ... OOWWWW!" Jim suddenly cried, clutching his head as pain swelled within his head.

Xavier glared, and the pain disappeared. "Please let me finish." After waiting for Jim to return to glaring at Xavier, he continued. "Some men connected to organized crime recently tried to coerce one of my students into stealing sensitive information from the Institute." He locked his eyes on Jim's. "Your daughter, to be precise."

Jim snorted. "I take it she didn't play ball."

"No." Xavier shook his head, his eyes not leaving Jim's. "As a matter of fact, she volunteered to assist the authorities in their arrest."

"What?!" Jim shot to his feet. "You let her go against the Antonini's? Are you insane?!"

Xavier's face did not move. "The Antonini's were already moving against us, Mr. Smith, against several of my students. The only reasonable course of action was to put the family behind bars. And only Tabitha was capable of accomplishing that."

Jim gritted his teeth. "Well, where is she now? I wanna see her!"

Xavier finally cast his eyes down. "I'm afraid Tabitha .... won't be joining us."

"What the hell happened?!"

"She sustained several grave knife wounds during the sting." He took a slow breath. "Given the loss of blood, and the time it took to find her ...."

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!" Jim's hands were on Xavier's collar now. By now, lost in his own fury, he could not even hear the door slam open. "You were supposed to protect her, and you send her off playing snitch!" He jerked back, almost pulling Xavier over the table. "Who the hell do you think you ...?!" Jim trailed off as an officer rushed in and wrapped an arm around his throat.

"Stop it!"

The melee came to an abrupt halt as Jim noticed the voice.

An equally surprised Xavier turned and glared toward the door. "Hank, I thought she ...!"

"I've said it all, Charles," the large blue furry mutant sighed as he pushed the wheelchair and its occupant toward the doorway. "Never have I had such a .... dangerously stubborn patient."

"Xavier?" asked one of the guards, still clutching a stunned Jim.

Xavier nodded. "Let him go."

"You're kidding, right?!" asked the other guard incredulously.

Xavier sighed. "I promise you, if he does it again, I will see to it that he wakes up tomorrow with a throbbing migraine."

The guards glanced at Jim, then at Xavier. "Works for me," one of them grunted.

As they made their way out of the room, Xavier turned his attention to the blonde in the wheelchair. "Tabitha, you really should be resting; you're lucky to be ...."

"I just need a minute," she whispered. "Alone."

Xavier glanced at Hank, then shot a tight glare over his shoulder at Jim. "One minute," he finally relented, his voice stern. "Then you get your rest."

As Hank carefully wheeled Tabitha in and Xavier out, Jim looked his daughter over for the first time in years. His fists clenched again as he noticed the bandages on her arm, shoulder, and her left side. She looked pale as he'd ever seen her, and wore a near-lifeless expression, the only facial movement being her rapidly blinking eyelids. "What happened to you?" he finally managed.

Tabitha's lips curled into a weak sneer. "The usual," she mumbled. "You rack up big debts, I get stuck paying for 'em. No biggie."

"They weren't my ...."Jim began.

"Don't," Tabitha interrupted. "I don't wanna hear it."

"Hear what? Are you psychic, now?" Jim growled.

Tabitha slowly shook her head. "No. I've just heard it all since you .... since you took me on your little 'shopping spree.'"

Jim's face softened slightly. "Tabby .... I didn't see any other way."

"Yeah." Tabitha glared. "Heard that before too. In fact, you just told me the same thing about Maurice."

"And look where your way got you," Jim retorted, his eyes still on the bandages covering his daughter.

Tabitha sighed and focused her gaze on the table. "Look, I'm gonna pass out in a minute, so I can't go over all this again."

"Then what are you doing here?" Jim demanded.

Tabitha continued to study the tabletop. "I talked to that fed outside. He said there's a spot for you and Mom in his ..."

"Witness program?!" Jim stood up sharply. "You turned me over to the feds? What makes you think I'd tell them ....?!!"

"I really don't care." Tabitha replied dully. "But this is the last lifeline I throw you, Dad. From here on out, you're on your own." She leaned forward slightly. "And if you ever try to drag me or my friends into your messes, I'll see to it that my Prof makes you forget we ever existed."

Without another word, she rolled away from the table and turned toward the door.

"Tabitha ..." Jim called, his face aghast.

Ignoring him, Tabitha reached for the door handle.

"Tabitha, wait a second."

Tabitha opened the door.

"Tabitha, goddamnit, I'm your father!"

Tabitha finally stopped and looked over her shoulder. Her expression was hard. "You should've acted like one."

Jim stared as the blue-furred doctor came in and wheeled his daughter out of the room. Out of his life.

As the door shut behind her, Tabitha looked over at Duncan standing next to a grim-looking Bronson. "So what happens now?" she asked.

Duncan shrugged. "Your mom's being relocated now; your father, on the other hand ..." he shook his head. "It's up to him whether he gives us enough to justify witness protection."

Tabitha's face did not change. "Good luck with that."

"What happens to Tabitha?" Xavier asked.

Duncan looked over at Bronson, who shrugged. "Given the men's .... criminal histories, their actions against your Institute, and the fact that they were all armed, it's going into the books as self-defense."

"I'd still like you to reconsider ..." Duncan began.

"No," Tabitha replied. "I'll be fine here where I am."

"She's as safe within my Institute as she would be in any of your safehouses," Xavier added.

"It's still a high-profile target; she won't be hard to find," Duncan argued.

"It's also the best-defended building in New York State," Xavier replied. "It's survived numerous attacks without loss of life; and I can take extra measures to ensure her safety until she goes on the record."

Sensing defeat, Duncan nodded tightly. "All right, it's her life. Just .... oh." Tabitha had fallen asleep sometime during the argument.

"I think that's our cue," Hank whispered as he turned to wheel her out of the building.

[

Xavier Institute – Later that Evening

Tabitha groaned under her breath as she slowly opened her eyes. Will those men ever stop arguing? Waait a minute ....

As her eyes finally adjusted, she realized the room looked nothing like the police station she had threatened Mr. McCoy into taking her. In fact, if the shelves full of bottles and bandages in front of her, and the soft bed under her back were any indication ....

She sighed. Back in the infirmary. Again. Probably for a while now, according to McCoy.

Her memories had become blurred from the moment she had lit her old friend up. She had finally relaxed then, waiting for sleep to claim her, for an end to the insanity her life, inside a day, had become.

Instead she had felt a series of shocks to her chest, dragging her back towards alertness. Someone had thrown something warm atop her. Voices had clamored for her to hold on, stay with them .... it was enough to make Tabitha wish she had the strength to scream. After several more blurry, disjointed experiences, she had finally woken up inside the infirmary, where McCoy had reluctantly told her of Xavier's meeting with her father.

Now, having dumped her father from her life and hidden her mother away with the feds, here she found herself again. Alone.

"Feelin' better?"

Tabitha groaned and rolled her head toward the voice. Okay, wrong on one count. In the bed next to her sat a concerned-looking Sam. "You kidding?" she grumbled, dragging herself up to a sitting position.

"Woah, easy," Sam coaxed, standing up and reaching over to slide Tabitha back toward the headboard, a motion that caused her stomach to jump and spin. Stupid drugs, she told herself. It had to be that. Wait .... hadn't McCoy told her she wasn't on any?

"Thanks," she mumbled as Sam sat back down. Finally looking directly at him, she asked. "How's everyone?"

Sam shrugged. "Nobody worse off than you right now," he replied. Smiling slightly, he added, "Though ya did destroy my favorite shorts."

Tabitha snorted slightly. "I'll cover them when allowance day comes. Unless you want one nabbed now?" she teased.

Sam chuckled softly. "I'll wait."

"Goody-boy." The infirmary fell silent for several long seconds before Tabitha spoke again. "So where are the others?"

"Watching the news," came a new voice from the doorway.

"Hey, girl," Tabitha greeted the brunette as she came into the infirmary, paper bag tucked under her arm, and sat on the other side of Tabitha. "Am I in it?"

Amara shook her head. "It's all about those crooks and the 'heroic efforts of the Bayville Police.'" Her expression perked up slightly. "Did you know they're wondering why the Sirens didn't show up?"

"Puh-lease," Tabitha scoffed. "I'm the one with the war wounds and they get to go on TV?"

"An' Ah thought those Sirens were just a rumour," Sam said. The girls just laughed. "What?"

"You're behind, good ole boy," Tabitha giggled.

"Again?" The laughter quickly died down. Smooth, boy he told himself. Hoping to change the subject, he asked Amara. "Well? Did you get it?"

"Get what?" Tabitha asked.

"Well, since you been in such a sorry state these past few days, we had ta think o' somethin' to bring ya back up," Sam explained.

Reaching into the bag, Amara looked intently at Tabitha. "Just so you know, we're not supposed to have this."

"An' ya didn't see it here," Sam added.

"See what?"

"That'll do." Without another word, Amara reached into the bag and pulled out its contents.

Tabitha's eyes widened as she saw the large, very expensive, if she remembered, bottle of wine in her friend's hands. "Where did you ...?!"

"Prof's desk," Sam replied.

"You guys broke into the Prof's desk?" Tabitha asked, her eyebrows raised.

"Well ..." Ignoring Amara's shaking head, he went on. "Actually we had ta .... hire someone."

"But we can't say who!" Amara put in.

Tabitha looked at the wine, then up at Amara. "What'd he charge you?"

"All of our allowance, an' we had ta cover a couple cleanin' duties." grumbled Sam.

Tabitha just shook her head, looking at the wine. All that effort and sacrifice, just to boost her spirits ... There was only one way Tabitha knew to react to such gestures. "Wow; you got played!" She looked at Sam and Amara. "You guys gotta let me negotiate next time, okay?"

Sam and Amara laughed. "Fair enough."

"So: we drinking or not?" Tabitha asked impatiently.

"Bottoms up," Sam replied, passing out plastic cups she had brought for the occasion. "Now, uhhh ..." he frowned at the sealed bottle that had suddenly become a mystery.

"Let me." Before Sam blinked, Amara had plucked the bottle from his hand, aimed toward the ceiling, and twisted the bottle. After a loud pop, and a complaint from Sam as the cork landed on his head, she was busily filling each cup with the sparkling liquid.

"Okay, to ...." Tabitha trailed off, holding her cup in the air.

"Having Tabitha back?!" Amara suggested.

"Works fer me," Sam smiled.

"Yeah, I'll bet," Amara said under her breathe, drawing a blush from Sam. She looked at Tabitha. "How about you?"

Tabitha, her smile now a little ragged, looked at her hands that had taken so many lives within the day, then at her friends. "Tell you after we drink up," she replied, bringing the cup to her lips. Sam and Amara followed suit.

For several seconds, the teenagers sat in silence as the wine sat in their mouths. Soon, they decided.

"P'taahhh!" Tabitha spat, leaving a dark purple stain on her sheet.

"Ugghhh!" Amara grabbed a nearby drain pan and spat into that. A disgusted looking Sam added his own.

"What a rip off!" Tabitha groaned. "I can't believe the Prof keeps that in his desk!"

Sam coughed and spat in the pan again. "Sorry, Tabs!" he replied.

"No, I'm sorry," Tabitha replied, rubbing her face.

"For what?"

"Well ..." Tabitha paused as she realized how much she was sorry for.

"GUMBO!!"

The three teens started as the heard the shouts and crashes upstairs. "Right now, I'm feeling sorry for the Cajun. Almost," she added.

"Quick, dump the stuff," Sam urged. Her hand glowing, Amara quickly brought the drain pan and bottle over to the sink.

Tabitha finally allowed herself to relax against the headboard. It was good to finally be back. Trouble and all.

The End

Author's Notes

And there you have it: my latest chapter/episode in my version of X men Evolution's fifth season.

Yes, this was heavily Tabitha-centric. It is my hope to drop most, if not all, of the New Mutants under the microscope this season.

Anyway, about the next chapter: mutiny is an ugly word, especially when it occurs close to home.