Craig and Logan managed to get the redhead back to the mansion safely. She still hadn't woken up. "I think she needs a doctor," Logan said as Craig carried the woman into the mansion.

"Won't Angela be asleep?"

Logan frowned. She hated to wake up Angie as sick as she was, but she knew she would have to. "Bring her down to the medlab. Angela would want me to wake her up in this situation."

"All right."

The woman started to mumble. She opened her eyes. "Craig…" she said softly. "Did it not work?"

Craig looked at her in shock. "How do you know who I am?"

The woman frowned for a second, then smiled. "It did work." Her eyes closed again.

"Okay, take the creepy girl down to the medlab. I'm getting Angie," Logan said.

Craig nodded his assent and carried the redhead off. Logan rushed upstairs to Angela's room. She knocked on the door and Cable answered. He looked tired and cranky. "What?"

"Craig and I found a girl. She fell through some sort of light thingy, said the address of the mansion, and passed out. Then, when we got here, she knew Craig, but he didn't know her. He took her down to the medlab."

"Is she conscious now?" Angela peeked out from behind Cable, straightening her glasses on her nose.

"She wasn't when Craig took her down."

"All right." Angela telekinetically floated a robe over to her, slipping her wings through the holes she'd had tailored in the back. "You coming, Nate?"

"Yeah."

Craig already had the woman laying on a table when Angela got down there. "Logan said she fell out of a big light?" Angie asked as she taking her patient's vitals.

"Yeah," Craig replied. "It was the strangest thing…"

The woman opened her eyes again. She looked up at Angela and smiled. "I'm not sick," she said softly. "Just…very tired."

"Why are you tired? What happened to you?" Angela asked.

The woman's eyes started to close again. "I had a…long trip. Talk in the morning."

"Think one of us should scan her?" Nathan asked. "She doesn't look like she's going to answer any questions tonight."

"Maybe you should. I don't think I'm up to it," Angela said. "Just a surface scan. Make sure she's all right."

Nathan closed his eyes, touching the front of his mind. He hit a block almost immediately, and he could tell from the type that she was a telepath. But then the block fell, as if she was letting him in. And then he knew who she was.

"Nate? Honey, are you all right?" Angela put her hand on Cable's shoulder.

Nathan shook his head, pulling himself back into reality. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Could you get anything? You looked a little…pale," Angie said.

"No," Nathan said, hoping Angie couldn't sense he wasn't being completely truthful. "I think she's telepathic. She has some sort of block."

Angie frowned. "You want me to try?"

"No! I mean, I don't think you should, baby. You've been so weak recently. She'll be fine. I think she was telling the truth when she said all she needed was rest."

"Should we just leave her down here then?" Angie asked.

"No. I'll stay with her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Nathan, I…"

"Get some sleep, Angie." Cable kissed her lightly on the forehead.

"Let me know if anything happens down here."

"I will."

Angie left the medlab with Craig and Logan following behind her.

Nathan sat beside the sleeping woman and wondered exactly what he was going to do about her. He frowned. Whoever said karma was a bitch had been absolutely right.

*** *** ***

"Hey." Emil Lapin came into the living room and sat beside Vicky on the couch.

Vicky groaned. "What do you want? And if you say anything about your gator, I swear, you're going to die."

"Can I smell your hair?"

"Excuse me?"

Emil grinned. "Can I smell your hair?"

Vicky stood up. "No! Marie! Your creepy cousin is bothering me again!" She ran out of the room.

Emil started to chase after her, but stopped when he heard the doorbell ring. He shrugged and walked over to get it. "May I help you?" he asked, opening the door.

The blonde on the other side of the door gave him a funny look. "Who are you?"

"Emil Lapin. Who are you?"

"Do you live here?"

"No. Do you?"

The blonde looked highly annoyed. "Where is Angela Worthington?"

"I don't know her. Who are you?"

The woman sighed. "I'm Briana Braddock. Angela's cousin. What are you doing here, Emil was it?"

"I'm visiting my cousin, too."

"Oh." Briana pushed her way through. "That's nice." She turned back around. "Peter, follow me with my bags."

Briana walked past Emil and up the stairs. A thin man with black hair came in a few minutes later, dragging a few heavy suitcases. "Let me help you with those," Emil said, taking a couple of the bags.

The black-haired man looked up. "Thanks, mate. Apparently, the woman's too bloody important to carry her own bags."

Emil chuckled. "I know the type. I'm Emil, by the way. I'd shake your hand if these things didn't weigh a ton."

"Peter. And same to you."

Briana hung over the railing. "Are you coming, Peter?"

"Hold your bloody horses, woman!" he called up the stairs. "I'm your bodyguard, not your valet."

Briana huffed and walked back down the hall. "I can see why she'd need a bodyguard," Emil said. "I've known her five seconds, and I want to kill her."

"Briana inspires people that way."

Peter started dragging the bags up the stairs with Emil close behind.

*** *** ***

"Angie!"

Angela jumped up. "Geez Warren, what? And be quiet! I have a patient sleeping over there."

Warren glanced over to where Cable was still sitting with the woman Craig and Logan had brought in the night before. "Right. The mysterious redhead or whatever. Look, I was just upstairs, and, um, we have a visitor."

"Visitor? What sort of visitor?"

"Family from overseas visitor."

Angela turned a little pale and sat down. "Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"Can't you just make her go away?"

"I wish."

Cable looked up. "You two aren't talking about who I think you are, are you?"

"Yeah," Warren said. "Briana's here?"

Cable groaned.

"Why is she here?" Angela asked. "I figured she'd be gone forever. Didn't she just get married less than a year ago?"

"Yeah," Warren replied. "And it's all ready over. She's here to get away from all the stress of the divorce. And she brought a British Intelligence agent hired to watch after her. He's about as friendly as a rabid dog."

"I would be, too, if I had to spend all my time with Briana," Cable muttered. Angela looked over at him and he shrugged.

"She wants to talk to you," Warren told his sister. "I think she wants to discuss how to survive a divorce."

"Oh dear lord," Angela said. "That is the last thing I want to think about. As far as I'm concerned, Kerrigan never happened, and I really don't feel like discussing him with Briana."

"Well, maybe she'll find Craig, and he can distract her for a while," Warren said.

Angela gave him a dirty look. "Don't wish that on the poor guy. Craig's decent."

Warren laughed. "I'm going out for a while. Taking Rachel to some boring chick-flick she wants to see. Just wanted to warn you."

"Thanks."

"Anytime."

Warren went back upstairs, and Cable walked over to Angela. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah, I'm okay," Angie said. "I just really don't want to deal with my cousin."

"Want me to make her go away? Because I can, you know."

Angela smiled slightly. "Thanks for the offer, love, but I think I'll be okay. I'll just have to spend a lot of time 'working.'"

Cable chuckled. "Let me know if you change your mind."

"Is anyone in here?"

Nathan and Angela both turned sharply at the voice. The redhead was sitting up in her bed, looking around. Cable swallowed hard, not sure if he was ready to face the consequences her being awake would cause.

Angela walked over to the woman. "Hello, I'm Dr. Angela Worthington, and you're at the Xavier Institute. Can you tell me who you are?"

The redhead nodded. "My name is Elizabeth Summers, and the world only has one week left."

*** *** ***

Craig stopped short in the middle of the hallway. He didn't believe what he was seeing. He really wished he'd just gone back into the city like he'd wanted to instead of Logan talking him into staying because of the late hour. "Briana?"

Briana looked up, her eyes growing wide when she say Craig. "I…I didn't expect you to be here," she said.

Craig frowned. "Well hello to you, too."

"I didn't mean that! I just…hi."

"Hi."

Briana reached out tentatively and hugged Craig. He returned the gesture stiffly. "So, how's Howard?" he asked.

"I wouldn't know. We're…separated."

"That was quick."

Craig's words obviously stung. "I…I know."

"Look, I need to get going. I want to get home," Craig said.

Briana looked down. "I was hoping…maybe we could talk some."

"I've said all I ever want to say to you."

"Craig…"

"You hurt me, Briana. Badly. I'm not the kind of guy who opens myself up for that sort of heartache twice. I don't want anything to do with you."

"Craig!"

"No. I'm leaving."

Tears shone in Briana's eyes. "But…I made a mistake leaving you. I love you! More than I ever did Howard."

"Too fucking bad." Craig walked passed her, refusing to look back.

*** *** ***

"What did you say?" Angela asked the redhead.

"I said the world only has one week left," the woman repeated. "Look, I need to get out of here. I'm fine, really."

"I can't let you do that," Angela replied. "You just woke up after being out for fourteen hours. I need…"

Elizabeth pulled herself off the bed. "I'm fine. Ask Nate."

Angela looked up at Cable, puzzled. "What is she talking about?"

"She is fine," Cable said. "Trust me. She was just…dazed. Time traveling takes it out of you."

"What?"

"Nathan read my mind right after I got here," Elizabeth explained. "He knows."

Angela frowned, remembering how Nathan has said the woman had been blocking his attempts to probe her mind. "Knows what?"

"Who I am."

"Who are you?"

Elizabeth met Angela's eyes. "Your daughter."

*** *** ***

Chapter three coming soon. Leave feedback!