Disclaimer: Ditto first chapter.

Azzandra Megaire:  I'm glad you liked it!  Gee…I hope he doesn't have a heart attack.  I don't want an angry mob to take out my muses and I just because I killed off the Professor.  I know what you mean though.  On my Mom's side, I have a ton of relations.

Renee LeBeau:  Hmm…Really, I don't know about the whole truth or dare thing.  But I suppose I could tweak the story for Rogue to get on kiss with our favorite Cajun.  You'll just have to read to find out.

Akai Kah'ghe:  Don't be scared!  Just give them to Doggy instead.

Laureate:  No, actually, her kin tend to center in about four states.  Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma.  Spike lives in Missouri, while Uncle Robbie lives in California.  Other than that, she doesn't have any relations.

hnh: If I spit it out, then I won't be able to tease my reviewers with the tidbits of info.  I suppose I will in the future (whether it be near or far) but as of now, he's a bits and pieces character.

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I moodily sat on the steps of the courthouse.  Hezibah and Doggy were with me.  It was raining.  Herman didn't like the humidity, so I gave him to Wanda for safekeeping.  Kally needed somebody to talk to anyway.

All of the others had gotten a hotel. I stayed here because Spike would be coming soon.  He actually lives out of state in Missouri, but he jumped at the chance to come see me.  He made some comment about being surprised I didn't call him sooner. We only had sixty hours left before we had to get out of Arkansas or be escorted by the state line by troopers.   I doubt that would look good on any resume' I plan on building.

There wasn't any real overhang to protect people from the rain, and it appears that once you've been banned from a state you can't go into the courthouse unless it's in handcuffs, so that's why I'm sitting on the steps, soaking wet, generally being a sponge.  Hezibah I know didn't like the rain but refused to stay behind after what happened earlier with the giant robot.

It was a learning experience.  You get certificates when you get banned out of states.  And little stamps on your licenses and stuff.  Yeah. I can just see me explaining that to. Mom.  'Hey Danny, do you want to go visit your family in Arkansas?'  'I would Mom, but you see, I got banned from Arkansas.'  That will go over SO well.

"I guess I sorta did turn out rotten."  I said aloud to myself.

"Hey, you turned out rotten, but you didn't turn out like Chrissy!" 

I jerked my head up.  Spike was at the foot of the steps with a big umbrella.

 Spike is, for lack of a better word, tall.  Now that I think of it, he's not really built like a bear.  He's too lean for that.  In fact, if it weren't for the way he carried himself and the fact that you could punch him in the gut and he wouldn't feel it, He might be considered a pushover.  Muscle, but not enough to really be called a bodybuilder. His hair is the same color as my own, except much shorter.  His eyes are green instead of blue, like mine.  He was wearing a Plaid over shirt that had a white t-shirt underneath, with khakis.  He was always the better dressed of us cousins.

"How's the cooking business, Spike?"

"I'm getting out of it, actually.  I figure you and Uncle Robbie and a few other people I shall not name need a place to hide out since you guys are in so much trouble, I'm going into the hotel business."

"I thought you liked to cook."

"Always room service."

"True."

He walked up the steps easily and stood next to me letting the umbrella lean over me.  Hezibah and Doggy immediately crowded him to get out of the rain.  He looked at Hezibah.

"Did you know Hyenas are more related to mongooses than dogs?"

"Oops."

"Yeah.  I'm surprised nobody figured it out before now.  Let me guess…You picked it up in Oregon."

"Oops."

"Somehow I knew that was the answer.  Let's go.  What happened to your cheek?"

"Funny story…."

I got up and he proffered an elbow to me like a gentleman. I linked my arm through his and we set off to find the hotel the others were staying at.

"I talked to Uncle Robbie.  He said you managed to get yourself in a lot of trouble."

"Probably as not as much trouble as if I told my parents what actually happened for me to be on a road trip."

"Yeah, your Dad is kind of a spaz…"

"Spike!"

"I calls them like I sees them, Sweetheart."

"Okay, he does overreact.  A little."

"A little?  Remember what happened the last time our families got together?"

"Your dad set one of our trees on fire!"

"In his defense he did not know that the grill was not supposed to be that close.  They have no instruction manuals for that, you know."

"Yeah...Well, actually, now they do."

"Yeah, I know.  Makes me proud that my dad could do something that could get him such recognition."

"Like the marbles in the nose incident?"  I asked innocently.

"That was a dare and you know it.  In fact weren't you—"

"—Oh look at that!  That's the hotel," I exclaimed quickly, cutting him off. 

"My hotels will be better.  And they'll cater to family crooks."  He said smugly.  I rolled my eyes and led him to the elevator.  The doors shut lowly and I felt a slight tug from gravity as we pulled away.

"Who created elevator music?"  My cousin mused.

"Someone sadistic?"

"Probably."  There was a slight ding and the doors opened.  Spike grinned down at me. 

"Fifth floor: Children's toys, wild animals, and misdemeanor mutants."

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There was crash of breaking glass and scream.  Hank calmly turned another page in his book.  For the last four hours Jean, Pietro, Piotr, Scott, Bobby, and Rahne had been trying to catch the elusive sunspider.  And failing spectacularly.  Rahne would not go up to it because it fell down her shirt, Pietro just didn't want to touch it period, and the little thing just did not seem to want to die.  Leave it to a spider to beat six trained mutants.

Scott and Pietro suddenly ran into his study and shut the door.

"It's evil.  Not even Apocolypse can stop that thing!"  Scott gasped. His back against the door.

"Something wrong, you two?"

"OhnothingWejusthavethisspiderchasingus.Iknow!Let'sblowupthemansionthatwillkillit."

"I think not, Pietro.  It's just a spider, not a global disaster."  There was another sound of breaking glass and a sudden stream of Russian obscenities from just outside the door.  Scott and Pietro both pointed at the door in a sort of 'see?'  gesture.

"Oh…I wish the others were back."  Hank sighed.  "Then maybe Danny could just call the spider to her or get something that would catch it for her."

There was another crash and what sounded like a Scottish voice was screaming some none-too-polite words with the Russian.

"I'm staying here."  Scott decided.  Then a furry black lump skittered under the door and went up his jeans.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"  Pietro tried to open the door to get away from Scott but it wouldn't open.

"Pull Pietro.  It swings in."  Hank said with an amused under tone.  Pietro finally managed to get the door open and took off, with Scott a close second.

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"So you're the people who have been dragging my cuz around, hunh?"

"More like she's been dragging us around."

"I object to that.  You know I had you guys' best interests at heart…."

"Whatevah."

I was actually a little surprised.  They all took to Spike very well.  Well, I shouldn't be surprised.  They aren't my family—I mean, my original family, after all.  My original family would have stuck up their nose at him, no matter how well he was dressed.  Just one of those things, I guess.

Introductions went all around and everybody got acquainted. Everybody seemed beter at ease now.  See what spending a couple hours in jail will do to people?  Not that I speak from personal experience, of course.

"So you need me to bail out your van right?  Hey Dan, what are you going to say to your Mom when she tells you you're going to visit our relations in Arkansas?"

"Uhh….I have to visit you first?  Then I'll stay out permanently."

"Harsh."

"You have family here?"  Ray asked.  "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because they're all a bunch of—"

"Language Spike."

"Sorry."

"What he meant to say was…The relations I have here aren't ones I trust with the well-being of myself or my friends.  And another thing is I really don't like them."

"That could throw a wrench in the works."  Lance commented dryly. 

"So," I continued, "I guess I could tell them…any ideas, Spike?"

"The truth?  Oh wait, you're rotten now, so that won't work.  How about you just say there a guy in Arkansas that stalks you?  Then they won't let you anywhere near it and it's almost true."

Wanda stared at me.  "You have a stalker?"

"Yeah a little like Todd and you but more discreet."

"Actually I kind of miss that slime ball.  But just a little.  It's not like I like him or anything." 

"Sure.  Anything you say."  Ray snickered, then ducked down fast when Wanda threw a hex bolt at him.  It hit Sam, who had been unlucky enough to stand by Ray.  He hit the carpet.  We all stared, then continued talking.  Sam would be up in a while anyway.

"So what is exactly with your stahlkah?"  Rogue asked.

"Actually, it's one of my cousins.  He's older than me and Spike had to punch him out once because he wouldn't leave me alone."

"Gross!"

"Actually, we're related only by marriage, so it isn't that bad."

"Yeah it is."

"Okay, yes it is.  But Spike broke his nose for me."

"Is Spike your real nahme?"

"No, actually it's Richard or something like that, but I like to be called Spike."

"That's a bettah nahme."

"Thanks."

Our conversations lasted well after the rain stopped.  We talked about all of our misadventures, the problems, what excuses we were gonna hand out when we got home, that sort of thing.  Spike always added something that we didn't think of.  He's like that.  It was generally decided that whoever fell asleep would drive the bus, so they did everything they could to keep me awake.

Just make one little incident.

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Spike is fun to write for.

Sunny is once again taking reviews!  She's also popping up in other places, as is expected of her for her training, so keep an eye out for her!