A/N: Little question I have...I searched Laura/Julian and X-23/Hellion (in hopes of finding more stories about them); this I found...but my story did not show up. Curious, I begun searching specifically for my story, using different keywords (including the title)...with no results. I couldn't find it on the X-men page either. Any ideas?? 8S

Chapter 14: reunited

"Damn," Julian said, sitting at the café table that Magneto had walked away from. And continuing to sit there because he could
not afford to pay the bill. Yes, the X-men had destroyed his life; they had given him a much better one—and then taken that away,
too, just to make sure he was really miserable.

"Sir? Would you like your bill now?"

"Er—" Julian didn't look up. "Ma'am, this is really awkward, but I don't have money for this bill. I'm in some real hard luck—can I have
a tab here? I swear I'll come back to pay for it." He looked up and his heart stopped.

"You—"

"Hi," Laura said, smiling. "I will pay your bill."

"What—"

"Do not ask questions. I came as soon as I could. I have been watched, closely. Something is not right in the organization."
Laura put her hand on his shoulder, then leaned in and kissed him quickly. "Go to this address. It is safe. I will be there tonight,
at twenty-one hundred hours and eleven minutes." She turned and left, Julian still unable to put a coherent thought together.

"Damn," he said again.

…

"Laura? Are you here?" Julian called after glancing at his watch for the millionth time. It was finally, finally 9:11, an oddly symbolic
number. The day had crawled by so slowly; he'd spent it walking by the wharfs, his hands in his pockets. He'd taken them out once,
only to find they were shaking. It was like he was having some kind of withdrawal or something. He wondered if any of the other
X-men would be with Laura.

"Hi," said Laura's voice. He looked up, and saw her on the beam above him, watching. She was dressed in an entirely different uniform
than the one he was accustomed to; gray and black, with a face mask that had red, glowing eyes.

"Laura?"

"Yes." She swung down from the beam and landed in front of him, raising her mask. He grabbed her by the sides of her face and kissed her,
hard and desperately, his hands sliding down her neck and body to wrap around her. Laura reciprocated; and he moaned against her.
It had been too long…far too long…he felt like he was drowning and Laura was an oasis of pure air…

"God," he said when they broke apart. "What the hell happened? I've never felt so confused…or lost. I just tried to sell myself over to Magneto,
in case you didn't hear my pathetic attempt to be evil."

"I heard," Laura said. She was so fricken vague yet so precise, her voice so melodic, her eyes so green. He'd missed it all like crazy.
He held her tighter. How long had it been? Two, three months? Four?

"Are you upset?"

"No," Laura said. "I do not care. It has been difficult, this…time. Nothing is what it seems to be." She touched his shoulder, as if she couldn't
believe he was real, either. "What's up with the uniform?" Julian asked, restraining himself. He was really far more interested in finding out
how to get it off her, since it did not seem to have an accessible zipper. He was hoping Laura would volunteer the information, as she sometimes did.

"I am part of a new unit now." She looked down. "It is a microzipper, located under my left arm joint."

Julian's fingers caught the catch, and he jerked it down as fast as it would move. "You're killing?" he asked, really not concerned at the
moment. That would come later. Laura nodded at him, her fingers hooking under her mask and pushing it off of her head entirely.
It floated to the ground, and was soon joined by other articles of their uniforms.

…

"I think Frost has snapped," Julian said later. "She just left me, all alone. My parents moved away too, sold the house and I can't find them.
Think she had anything to do with that?"

Laura watched him over her shoulder, her gaze unwavering. She was lying on her side, her face in her hand, her elbow propped up on the
tarp-covered cement. with Julian curled protectively around her like a spoon. They were in the corner of a warehouse. Julian hadn't even
bothered to look around; he could not take his eyes off her, either. He felt like he had been starving, and suddenly he was
presented with an abundance of food.

"Circumstances have changed. Frost is attempting to ensure that you are safe," Laura said seriously. "It is not safe to be a mutant,
Julian. More so now than ever before."

"How come they didn't abandon you, too?" Julian asked, a little envious.

Laura looked down. "I…because they need me," she said, her voice growing low and sad. "As X-23. I do not need or deserve to be protected."

"That's bullshit!" Julian rubbed his thumb over her shoulder.

"I am also not afraid to kill."

Julian sat up, alert. "The X-men are killing now?" he asked. His eyes were wide, serious; even he had instincts, and they were all
screaming at him that this was wrong. "What about Wolverine? He knows what the facility did to you, how can he let them make you kill again?"

Laura frowned. "It was my choice. This sector…allowed me the most freedom. To find you." She looked at him again, her expression serious.
"Frost informed me that you were dead. And Wolverine is no longer my protector."

"…" Julian gathered her into his arms and held her tight, confused. He didn't know what to say first; he wanted to cry like a little boy that had
been left behind, but at the same time he wanted to comfort her and be grateful for what he did have, now. "It's okay," he told himself and
Laura at the same time. "Logan's a fucking asshole. He smells like one, too. Want me to kill him for you?"

Laura allowed herself to smile slightly. It felt strange; she hadn't smiled for months before today. She'd even gone back to cutting herself.

"I am his clone, Julian," she replied, in her own manner of a joke.

"I think you're a lot different," he replied. "For one thing, you're a lot prettier. And you've got boobs. Nice boobs. Anyways…did I say you have boobs?"

"Yes," Laura said seriously.

…

"I want to go with you." Julian shifted, his hands in his pockets. For some reason, he was asking her, instead of just grabbing her and
declaring the fact like he usually did. Perhaps because he knew he couldn't.

"No," Laura said. "I cannot guarantee your safety." She turned away, pulling down her mask. "I will return, next Tuesday, at the same time.
Be here. We will speak regarding the future. Obtain new civilian clothing."

"What are you going to do meanwhile?" Julian felt useless.

"Missions. And I will search records, find information…and sabotage. If I am to discontinue my affiliation with the team, I must ensure that they
will not be able to find me later." She looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes glowing red.

"What's that stuff over your eyes?" he asked.

"A special kind of optical lens. It detects body heat. I do not require its assistance, but it was provided and I did not refuse."

"Are they forcing you to help them, Laura?"

Laura paused. "No. Yes. I don't know. I will not know for certain until I stop assisting them. I can only tell you that things are not the same,
and people have changed, in ways I am uncomfortable with."

Julian crinkled the note in his pocket. "This guy…he'll help me out?"

"Yes," Laura said. "Mention my codename, X-23. He will provide you with shelter and food, possibly a job. I will bring you more money next time.
I do not want to take too much at once and risk alerting anyone monitoring my funds."

"I thought you kept it in cash," Julian said.

"Yes. Some of it. I still do not trust that no one is aware of it." She turned around and kissed him one last time, her hands holding his for a brief moment. "I must go."

"Take care of yourself," Julian mumbled, his voice choked. He thought he might cry, he was so afraid he wouldn't see her again. Wish I had a mask.