Reviews:

Courtney Summers: You're back! Yay! I know, I know. I'm sorry I haven't put them in much, but they will show up! Promise!

D2D: Yep. Wolvie's mad!

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together.

~Erma Bombeck

AND NOW….

ON TO LUNA!


I groaned as I slowly opened my eyes. The room I was in was thankfully dark. I sat up, wincing at the pain I felt in my chest.

"Oh, good. You're up."

I hissed and popped my claws before registering that the voice belonged to Hawk. I calmed down warily, not sure what he was doing here.

"We brought you back to base," he explained, raising a wing in an attempt to placate me. "Cougar said that you had stayed behind to fend the guards off her. She was able to get the animals to the vet, thanks to you. They all survive. We hurried back to the facility after hearing that you weren't with Cougar. We found you on the floor, bleeding out. You were nearly dead, even with your healing factor."

"Why?" I managed to get out.

"The bullet managed to knick your Carotid Artery, causing the blood to rush out faster than you could stop it. I stepped in and sealed it as best I could before bringing you back here."

I nodded. "Thank you," I said. I moved to get up.

Hawk moved aside to allow me to get up. He steadied me with a wing.

"Why help me?" I asked, frowning at the stain in my beautiful fur.

"You helped Cougar. A debt repays a debt."

Lion walked in and gave me a smile. I could feel the calm that he sent my way, I felt myself calming down. I sat down on the bed.

"You have proven yourself to us. We will not trust you fully, but you have a place here now, if you wish." Lion smiled and spoke calmly to me.

I took a deep breath. "Okay," I said with a nod. "Do I get a uniform or somethin'?""

Lion nodded. "Panther has it now."

I got up and went to my room for a shower. I washed the blood from my fur and let the hot water wash over me. It felt good to have a team that could relate to how I felt… To understand that they didn't need to worry about me all the time.

I stepped from the shower thirty minutes later, refreshed. The pain in my chest was completely gone making me wonder how long I had been out. "They saved me…" I muttered to myself. I knew then without a doubt that this was the place for me. I just knew…

There was a small box sitting on my bed when I entered my room. I opened it slowly and pulled out my new uniform.

It looked as if it had been tailor-made, just for me. It was a flexible leather-like material that was very easy to move around in. The main suit was a one-piece body suit. There were fingerless gloves with it, along with black combat boots, which I ignore for the moment. I shook out the box and a pair of black mirrored sunglasses fell out, along with a note. I picked it up.

Dear Tigress,

Welcome to the team.

Signed,

Your new teammates,

the Ferals

I changed into the uniform, satisfied with it as soon as I stepped into it. I tugged n the gloves and slid the sunglasses on.

I took a deep breath, then ventured into the living room.

Everyone looked over as soon as I stepped into the room. Lion nodded when he caught sight of me. I couldn't help but smile back.

Coyote looked up, eyes lighting up when he saw me in my new uniform. "It fits-" he started to say.

Bengal stood up and approached me. I stood expectantly as he looked me up and down. "Good it fits you well," he said, clearly please. "I had t estimate on the sizes. Good to know I had them right."

I nodded, tail flicking bot. "I know y'all don't trust me completely, but you will. I'm a Feral now, I said, not very bog on speeches. I sat down among my eight new teammates.


The Institute

Logan shook his head irritably. He's been on the search for days now, but the rouge operatives must have moved locations. He had managed to track them back to their old base, only to find it empty. Everything of importance was gone.

He had understandably thrown a fit and trashed the place. Afterwards, he's tried to find a scent, but they had covered it well.

He just couldn't help but deny it. He denied the thought that Luna had quit. He refused to thing that she was gone.

He looked again at the note. "I quit," he muttered to himself. He crumpled it up and threw it in the fire.


Kayla shook her head. "Come on, Luna," she whispered, scanning the newspaper. She was hoping there would be some kind of clue in the headlines, but so far there had been nothing.

Kayla threw the newspaper down in frustration. Logan had told the team all about the mission, with some persuasion of course, after they had all read Luna's note and searched for a few days. She was upset at him, but she knew that he was only doing what he thought best. This gang was dangerous, and ferals on top of that. Luna was perfect for the job.

They just never thought she'd run off.

Kayla sighed and looked at the paper again.

Celeby sighed and flipped in the T. the news. They had been on the search for her Tigey for days, weeks even, and had not seen her. Celeby refused to cry, though. Twelve-year-old X-Men- in-training didn't cry.

"Where are you, Tigey?" she whispered, opening the locket her Tigey had given her on her eleventh birthday. It held a picture of the whole team on one side. On the other was just her and Luna. Luna had her on her shoulders and was laughing as Celeby tugged gently on her ears.

"You missed my birthday, Tigey," she whispered, shutting the locket. "I forgive you though. Just come home. Please…"


Awww! Luna missed Celeby's birthday! :C R&R, please! I feel like y'all are maybe tiring of the story? Action to come next! Promise!