Disclaimer: Once again these characters don't belong to me, they are Marvel's who at night like to sneak into my fridge and take my cheese. Stan likes cheddar.

Author Notes: Well first thank you to all of you who reviewed the story, kind of shocker to see Jamie die so violently huh?
Mwahahhaha!
Anywho, this isn't the end of the troubles and travels of the New Recruits, there will be more stories about them on their own. So look out for those.
(These of course will all be part of the Mutatis Mutandis timeline being archived at www.originofspecies.cjb.net)

Home Sweet Home
Chapter Four
By starched_undergarments

Somebody once said, 'at least things can't get any worse.'

As far as Ray Crisp was concerned, that was a load of bullshit.

Things, had in fact, gotten a lot worse. The team had only begun to grieve the loss of their friend Jamie when Ray lost his job, and even though it had been particularly humiliating it had at least helped put food on the table.Two days after that Tabitha came home with a black eye and a split lip - apparently a few tough guys had spotted her on one of her 'outings' and she had been jumped and beaten for being a mutant This of caused the other kids to be terrified and to believe that it was no longer safe outside the house.

Rahne was a complete wreck, spending the days either curled up on the floor in an almost catatonic state or crying in the broken bathroom. At night she would sit outside and howl, the sound eerie and full of sorrow.

Amara and Jubilee were trying to be strong, but late at night Ray would hear the two of them whispering softly to one another, the sounds of their muffled crying drifting across the still night.

Everyone else was lifeless, trudging around as if in some kind of daze. Roberto in particular had been very quiet, his usual snide remarks kept to himself.

Everyone had seemed to lose all hope. Everyone, that was, but Bobby Drake.

Bobby remained almost desperately positive, trying to convince the others that the Professor and the X-Men would be along any day now, any day. Ray had at first favored the idea, but with time the prospect of their teachers arriving to save the day became dimmer and dimmer. Ray found he grew more resentful of the other boy's hope day by day.

In fact hadn't he, just the other day, told Bobby to shut up about "the goddamn X-Men" or he was going to throttle him? Yes, it had made him feel like the biggest dick on earth, but the eagerness and blind faith that the boy demonstrated almost physically pained him. He had felt guilty but as time went on the idea of being saved, like some sort of useless damsel in a storybook or a helpless child, frustrated him. It was almost as if Bobby was insinuating that he couldn't do his job, couldn't take care of them.

Because you're doing such a bang up job so far. Ray snorted and got up from his position on the front steps, pitching a chewed to death tooth-pick to the side.

He entered the dark household only to find it empty; not even Tabitha was around. Ray sat down on one of the musty couches and tried to unwind, tried to think of more pleasant things, like puppies or some damn thing.

It was then that he heard the screaming, the high-pitched squeal of someone out back. Ray bolted from the couch toward the back door. Bursting out into the open he stopped dead in his tracks.

It was Professor Xavier.

***

The screams had in fact been emanating from Amara and Jean, who were now hugging one another and crying. Ray looked around as if in a dream and saw all of the X-men and even the Brotherhood standing in their back yard. The Brotherhood stood off to one side, obviously a little uncomfortable about being there. Lance was kicking uneasily at the dead grass.

Storm came forward with the Professor, pausing and giving him a tired and weary smile.

"Uhh, hey," Ray said awkwardly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Everyone looked exhausted, even Kitty, who was usually brimming with excitement.

"Thank the goddess you're all safe and well," Storm said and touched his shoulder gently. "Go get Jamie and we shall leave this depressing foundation. You children need not suffer any longer."

Ray stiffened at the mention of their former teammate.

They didn't know.

None of them did.

He was suddenly filled with rage, and a bitter anguish that brimmed in his heart. He jerked his arm away from Storm's touch, angry tears springing to his eyes.

"He's dead," Ray said bluntly, Jean looked at him as if he was speaking another language.

"What?" She whispered.

"I said he's fucking dead!" He shouted at them. The X-men stared at him uncertainly, their eyes full of confusion. The New Recruits stood behind him, their heads down, all silent.

"Dead?" He heard Storm ask shakily.

"Yes! DEAD! Do you speak English? Dead, gone, deceased, no longer among us, D-e-d, DEAD!" He could see Rahne starting to cry again and Tabby bit her lip as fresh tears streaked her heavy make-up.

"How?" asked the Professor, oddly calm. This in turn angered Ray even more. How dare he take it so calmly, so coolly, as if Jamie didn't mean anything to him, as if he was just another student, a pawn, a kid?

"He died because of you!" Ray screamed at his teacher, electricity flaring from behind his eyes. "Where were you? All of you!" He stared at them accusingly. "While you were off playing super-heroes we stuck here, alone and afraid! And now he's dead! He's dead because he was trying to help us; he was doing what you weren't! And that's NOT FAIR!!"

His voice cracked and he pounded a fist down onto his leg, feeling his rage boil and spark within him.

"No it's not," he heard the Professor say. "And I'm sorry, but…"

"But nothing!" he yelled, sparks flying off his hands. "You lied to us! You said we would be safe and we weren't, you said that we wouldn't be hurt for what we were anymore, and that's bullshit! All of it!"

He sniffed and wiped away his tears, peripherally aware of Rahne sniffling behind him. He regarded the Professor with cold eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere with you, I don't trust you or your dream anymore. As far as I'm concerned you left us a long time ago and I've learned that I don't need you or your fucking school. I'm better off on my own."

He turned away and started to walk towards the house, stopping when Rahne touched his arm gently. "I'm staying here as well. With Ray," she said, her voice hoarse from crying.

"I cannae be going back, not without Jamie, not yet." She held onto Ray's arm and he gave her an appreciative smile. Tabby walked over to the two of them silently and stood next to them, her eyes cast downward.

"Tabby!" Amara began, but Scott shushed her.

"It's their decision," he stated softly.

"Children please!" Storm pleaded, looking at them with wet eyes. Sam turned to her, his usually warm blue eyes cold and clouded with anger.

"We ain't children," Sam said with an odd strength in his voice. "Not anymore."

***

In the end all the New Recruits save Bobby decided to leave the X-men. Kitty had pleaded with them but was only met with dull, lifeless stares. After brief and awkward goodbyes the X-Men and Brotherhood had left, leaving the New Recruits once more on their own against the world.

The End.