Emil Lapin sat alone in the dark room, his eyes closed. Everything was falling into place. Marius was here. It was just the way he'd known it would be.

But there was one thing he hadn't counted on.  Emil opened his eyes, a heavy sigh of defeat escaping him.

Victoria Creed. He'd known who she was the moment he'd seen her, and he felt more helpless than he ever had before. Even with the visions, he'd considered himself in charge of his own destiny.

He'd seen her since he was a child. A face, long blonde hair—something always just out of reach. He hadn't thought she could be real. But she was. And from the moment he'd seen her, he'd loved her. Hell, he'd loved her even before then.

Emil shook his head. It didn't have to be fate. He wouldn't let the unavoidable happen. Nothing was written in stone. Even if things played out just as he saw them for everyone else, they wouldn't for him.

He pulled his good luck gator key chain out of pocket and smiled. He was in control.

*** *** ***

Rachel pushed her chair a little bit away from Cerebro, rubbing the back of her neck. "You know, if I wasn't so damn optimistic, I'd be declaring this a futile effort."

Lizzie chuckled. "Must be a Summers family trait, because I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel either."

Rachel stood up. "I'm going to get some coffee before I pass out. Want some?"

"You can go to bed if you want, Rae. Isn't Warren waiting up for you?"

"He's not home. Though I doubt he would be waiting if he were. We haven't been going to bed at the same time a lot recently."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow. "Anything you need to get off your chest?"

"Coffee or not?"

Lizzie could take a hint. "Two sugars, please."

Rachel nodded, walking out. She was gone for only a moment, before she heard Lizzie calling her. She ran back into the room. "What?"

Lizzie pointed to the screen. "I've found something."

*** *** ***

Marius was glad he was known for giving off one of those creepy vibes. That way he could sit in the rec room and appear brooding without being questioned. In all honesty, he was watching Marie and Kris. He didn't like the way Kris was with her. Every gesture he made towards her had blatant sexual overtones, and Marius felt himself growing suddenly territorial. He was going to claim Marie for his own someday, and he didn't like the idea of her being touched by anyone else.

He narrowed his violet eyes, wanting to rip off Kris's hand as it strayed to Marie's back. Marie laughed at something he said, and Marius had to fight to keep himself sane.

Marie was meant to be his. Sure, he had to wait, but they were made for each other. Together, they could turn the Guilds into something really formidable. All he had to do was bide his time, and make sure when she was old enough, Marie LeBeau knew whose arm she should be on.

And that meant it was time to get rid of a certain oversized Russian...

*** *** ***

They had it narrowed down to an area. Granted, they still needed to search a little more before they could alert the team, but knowing were to look was a big leap forward. Beat having to scan the whole world.

Rachel found herself actually grateful for the fact that the team was facing some sort of peril, although that thought made her feel guilty. Still, focusing on the X-Men meant she didn't have to feel so much. She could just be a part of the team for a while, and forget what real life was like.

Still, being with Lizzie made her wonder... She contemplated her question for an hour before asking. "You said I have children, but what am I like in the future?"

Lizzie looked over. "I'm not supposed to tell you that."

"Am I alive?"

"As far as I've seen. Things change, though."

"Am I still an X-Man?"

"It's complicated."

Lizzie looked away, and Rachel frowned. She knew what curiosity could do, but she wanted to know anyway. "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"

"I've already messed up the future enough," Lizzie said, thinking back to her conversation with Craig earlier that evening.

"If you assume the future is linear. What if it's not? What if you were meant to come back here, and by doing so you've created the future that was supposed to exist?"

"Reminds me of some of the debates my father used to get in with people when I was a child," Lizzie said. She laughed. "Always sort of gave me a headache."

"I can see where it would. Just watching episodes of The Outer Limits about time travel gives me a headache."

Lizzie grinned, then turned back to Cerebro, working silently for a few moments. She stopped. "Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it's wrong to want to change something about the future when you're faced with the opportunity?"

"I think everything happens for a reason. There's no one to say that that change wasn't supposed to occur. But I wouldn't recommend going around, changing things recklessly."

Lizzie gave a little nod, pondering that as she searched for the Ultramites. One question kept going through her head—would it be reckless to try to save Craig by trying to make him fall in love with her?

*** *** ***

Logan had to admit, there were some times when nothing could make her feel better save hitting something. She wished that Rachel and Elisabeth would hurry up and find those Ultra-thingies so she could beat up on something other than holographic Illyana Rasputins in the Danger Room.

Logan was pretty sure pounding on representations of a teammate was a taboo, but she figured it had worked for her father. Besides, it raised her spirits. Especially after having just had to watch Illyana shove her tongue halfway down Ric's throat. Kacie had told her weeks earlier that Billy had told her that Ric didn't even love Illyana—hell, that he didn't even really like her. He'd apparently said then that he'd dump her any day then. But he hadn't. He'd kept right on putting up with her shit. Logan's claws shot from her hand as she shredded one of the many Illyanas. She guessed there wasn't much a guy wouldn't do for easy sex.

The program ended, and Logan remained in a defensive pose for a moment before slumping. She wasn't sure if she really loved Ric anymore, but she knew for certain that she was jealous. Every time she saw Illyana touch him, it just reminded her of what she could never do.

Logan pulled her claws back in, the pain fading away with the cuts. She thought for a moment about how her powers had seemed to bleed over into her personality. Her body healed so easily that she was certain the rest of her did, too. She could try to tell herself that she was long over Ric. And after Tristan, well, any brooding could be attributed to the way he'd hurt her.

Logan walked slowly from the Danger Room, admitting to herself for the first time that her brief affair with Tristan had been only a symptom of the pain she was feeling...not the cause.

*** *** ***

"So there you are!"

Craig jumped a little at Briana's voice, cursing himself for not staying on alert. Now he was faced with her again. He looked up, and almost stopped breathing. Why did she have to be still beautiful? "Um, hi Briana."

Briana sat down on the couch beside him, moving just close enough to make his mouth dry, but not enough to make him lose control. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you've been avoiding me, Marshall."

"I have been, Braddock."

She moved closer, almost touching him. "And why would you do that? Don't you remember what is was like between us?"

Craig did remember—all too vividly. That was the main part of the problem. "It can't happen again."

"Why not?"

Craig cursed her for still having this effect on him. "It's over. I can't trust you now."

"You don't have to trust me to sleep with me, Craig. And you know you want to."

"It isn't worth it."

Briana pouted. "No?" She pressed herself against him. "Are you sure about that?" She got in his lap, her knees resting on either side of his legs. "I think it would be more than worth it."

It was more than Craig could take. He grabbed her, kissing hard enough to bruise. Briana kissed back, passion for passion, pain for pain.

They stopped a moment later at the sound of someone clearing her throat. Craig looked a little sheepish when he looked up and saw it was Logan. "Rachel and Elisabeth found something," Logan said, glaring at Briana. "They want us all in the War Room."

Briana smiled at Logan as she got off Craig's lap and straightened her dress. "Then I guess we best go see what they need." She winked at Craig before sauntering out of the room.

Logan looked back over at Craig as Briana left, crossing her arms over her chest and raising an eyebrow.

Craig wiped Briana's lipstick off his face. "What?"

"Don't do this to yourself."

"What's it to you?" Craig asked.

"I'm your little sister. I care."

Craig stood up. "It isn't your place, Adanya, so just back off, all right?"

Logan decided not to comment on the fact that his defensiveness was probably a sign that he knew he was wrong. "Fine. Just don't say I didn't warn you when she goes back to being a bitch from hell. Remember who it was you cried to when she left the last time. I know what she did to you, and frankly, I don't want to see it happen again."

"It's not going to."

"She hasn't changed."

"I know."

Silence hung in the air for a long moment. "We should get to the War Room," Craig said.

Logan nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

*** *** ***

The moment Rachel Summers announced where the Ultramites had been located the entire team looked as if they'd rather her say just about anywhere else. Well, everyone except Kacie, who didn't seem to understand why everyone else started complaining. Sounded like the perfect vacation spot to her.

"I don't think I can go there," Marie LeBeau said. "My family doesn't have good luck with that place."

"Well, that's where the Ultramites are," Rachel replied. "Not like we can call them and ask them to move someplace tropical."

"But Antarctica?" Marie said. "Can't you check and make sure it's where they really are? I mean, what if we go there, there are no Ultramites, and we get mauled by wild penguins?"

"Marie, I really don't think penguins are quite as vicious as Dad always says," Ric said. Marie just gave him a dirty look.

"We checked and double checked," Lizzie said. "It's where their base is located. If we're going to stop them, we're just going to have to brave the cold."

"Can't we just send Kacie?" Marie asked. "I mean, she'd be happy as a little frozen clam down there."

"Do you really want the fate of the universe resting in Drake's hands?" Logan asked.

"Really," Kacie replied. "I would sooo mess it up."

Marie crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her chair with a pout. "Fine. But none of you better try leaving me there."

"So we better start planning this thing then," Lizzie said. "Rachel and Logan, seeing as the two of you are the field leaders, I need to speak to the both of you. Everyone else, well, just consider yourselves on alert."

The majority of the X-Men filed out of the room, leaving Rachel, Addie, and Elisabeth alone with the task of determining how they were going to go about saving time.

*** *** ***

Please review! I want to know if you like where this is going...