Briana smiled as she noticed Craig alone. He was staring out a window, and she hoped she could take him by surprise. She walked slowly to him, but stopped when she was almost close enough to touch him, and he said, "Don't."

"How did you know I was here?" she asked.

"I caught your scent the moment you walked in the room, Briana."

She reached out, running her hands down his back. "Did you now?"

"Yeah. Look, I want to be alone."

Briana leaned forward, whispering in his ear. "We're probably going to be sent out to fight the forces of evil again soon. Wouldn't you rather spend that time in my arms than standing around sulking?"

Craig spun around so quickly that Briana stumbled, and he grabbed her tightly by the arms. "I said don't, and I meant it," he said in a tone that made him sound eerily like his father. "I'm not like the rest of you. I've spent my whole life living things the normal way. I'm a stockbroker, for fuck's sake! You, you don't get that. You think you can just come in here and play with my heart as if I'm as invincible as you are. Well guess what, Captain, I'm not. If it weren't for Addie, I probably wouldn't even be here. So let's get one thing straight—I'm not fucking around with some heartless superhero who doesn't know one thing about the real world when all I really want is a woman I can build a life with."

"And you don't think I could do that with you?"

Craig let go of her. "No. Everything's a game to you. Nothing matters but getting what you want, and once you have it, you don't care."

"But I love you, Craig!" Briana said, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm sorry about Howard—that was a mistake. I left him because I couldn't stop thinking about you!"

Craig sneered. "Save your tears for someone who cares. I'm not playing along anymore." He pushed passed her, and Briana slumped. She sat down on the couch, burying her face in her hands and crying.

"I told you this was going to happen."

Briana looked up suddenly. "Peter! What the bloody hell are you doing here?"

Peter shrugged. "My job. I am supposed to keep an eye on Captain Britain after all."

"You…you heard that?"

"Every last word. And you know, I told you back in college that if you kept playing with men like that, one of them was going to burn you."

"Fuck you, Wisdom," Briana snapped.

Peter smirked. "If I remember correctly, you already have, luv."

Briana glared. "You and your sister have been nothing but thorns in my side since the day I met you. You've always wanted to make me miserable, and now I am? Happy?"

"Quite," Peter replied. "And if Gretchen were alive today, I'm sure she would be, too. But I haven't always wanted to make you miserable, and neither did she. She looked up to you like a big sister until you stole Andrew from her just because you could. And I...well, you know what I felt for you—until I came home and found you in bed with my best friend. Craig's a smart bloke not to walk back into your web. And as soon as this assignment is over I'll be sure as hell to never cross your path again."

"You won't have to worry about that, Peter, because I certainly won't be anywhere near you."

Peter smiled. "Why Briana, I do believe that is the sweetest thing you have ever said to me." He ignored whatever it was she responded with as he walked out of the room, chuckling.

*** *** ***

"So how exactly are we going to pull this off?" Logan asked once she, Rachel, and Lizzie were alone in the War Room. "I mean, we can't really just fly in without a plan and expect to have everything fall into place."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Why not, Addie? It's always worked before. Don't tell me you've finally decided that rash, unplanned attacks aren't the best way to go at it."

"Yeah, well, at least I know homicidal maniacs with lasers are a threat."

"Well at least I don't jump into bed with the guys that pride themselves on being brooding loners and then wonder why I end up alone."

"Cut it out," Lizzie said, stopping any retort Logan may have had. "No need to fight with what we have to face. We need to be acting like big, grown-up people and discussing what we're going to do to the threat that's facing the universe."

Rachel and Logan both grumbled something that sounded like a positive response, and Lizzie smiled. "Great. So we need to get into the Ultramites base in Antarctica and stop them from destroying time itself. From what I've seen, there are a few hundred of them, so fighting them all one on one is out of the question. Now, I believe they power their bases using a large central power unit—one that I'm pretty sure would set off a chain reaction that would destroy the whole base—and the Ultramites in it—were we to blow it up."

"So that's it?" Rachel asked. "We fly down to Antarctica, blow up their base, and the universe is safe again?"

"Not quite," Lizzie replied. "They're not just going to let us waltz in there. I figured there are going to be some guards, and most of the team is going to have to work on getting rid of them. They may be small, but they're tough fighters, and they don't go down easily."

"I've heard that small people do have a habit of not knowing when to quit. Must be their way of making up for the fact they lack in other areas," Rachel said.

"Yeah, and mouthy redheads have a problem knowing when to quit, too," Logan snapped.

Lizzie raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly she was missing between the two of them. "Anyway, as I was saying...about the important subject of saving all that exists...we're going to have to assemble a small team, maybe of two or three people, to go in and actually blow up the base. There's a chance that the people that go in may not come out, so it's going to have to be people who would know the risks and still be willing to take them, and we can't really appoint anyone for that. Something like this, it's going to have to be a personal decision."

Logan nodded. "We should probably call the team back in then," she said.

"I agree," Lizzie replied. "Rachel, would you mind getting them?"

Rachel stood up. "Not at all."

"Okay, what's up with the two of you?" Lizzie asked when Rachel was gone. "That type of bickering in the team isn't good."

"I know," Logan replied, "And I have no idea what's up. Granted, we've never been best buds, but Rachel's never gone around trying to provoke me or anything."

"There's nothing that's happened that you can think of?"

"No. I don't know, maybe she's just tired or something."

Lizzie nodded. "Yeah, that's probably it." She didn't say what she was thinking—that the waves of aggression that were rolling off of Rachel every time she had as much as glanced up at Logan had been so strong that Lizzie had barely been able to block them out. She just hoped it didn't effect the situation they were about to face...

*** *** ***

Rachel had managed to round up the entire team and get them headed towards the War Room except for Warren. She sighed, going up to their room, hoping she'd find him there. Sure enough, he was lying back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She stood at the edge of the bed. "War, Lizzie wants us to come back. We need to discuss some things as a team."

Warren got off the bed. "Thanks for coming to get me, babe." He kissed her on the cheek and walked out of the room.

Rachel sighed, then hurried to catch up with him. "Are you all right?" she asked.

Warren sighed. "Rachel, we're facing a crisis of epic proportions. Now is not the time to nag."

"I'm...I'm not. You just...I mean, I'm worried about you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess you just haven't seemed yourself lately. I feel like you're not happy with me."

"Rachel, I love you, and we have a comfortable relationship. What more could I want?" He started walking a little faster. "Come on, don't want to keep anyone waiting."

Rachel stopped, wondering if Warren would even notice she wasn't beside him anymore. She forced herself not to cry as she said softly, "You could want Logan."

*** *** ***

The phrase "possible suicide mission" did not sit well with the X-Men. Even after all they'd been through, death seemed like something elusive, something they wouldn't ever have to really face. Now, it was a reality.

Craig broke the silence. "I'll go."

Lizzie cringed. She'd been afraid of that. The Craig in her reality certainly had never turned down a chance at death. She started to protest, the idea of anything ever happening to Craig Marshall too much for her, but she didn't. What if his misery in her reality had been a reflection of the fact he wasn't really supposed to live? She wouldn't interfere with the time line anymore than she had, letting the changes play out on their own.

"I'll go, too," Logan said. "With my healing factor and Adamantium bones, I might have a better chance at getting out alive, should something go wrong."

"Count me in," Vicky said. "Might as well make it the three with the healing factors. We can take the most and still come out ticking."

The others didn't argue. It was logical that the members of the team best equipped for living through things that could kill most people try something like this...

Lizzie nodded. "Then I say we leave tomorrow morning—give us a little longer to get things together and rest up some. Anyone disagree?" No one did. "Good. Back here at six tomorrow?"

The team nodded, then got up to leave. Emil Lapin stopped Vicky as soon as she got out in the hallway. "Don' do it, Victoria."

Vicky frowned. "Do what?"

"Go on de suicide mission. Logan an' Craig, dey can take care of it."

Vicky stared at him. Emil hadn't been in that meeting. "How did...how did you know?"

"I know a lot of t'ings, chère. Jus' listen t'me, Vicky. You don't need t'be dere."

"I make my own decisions in life, swamp rat."

"I'm not makin' it for ya. I'm just...givin' you advice."

"I don't need it."

"Please," Emil begged. "Don' do it, Vicky."

Vicky was too creeped out to keep having that conversation. "I need to go."

"Please."

Vicky walked always quickly, not looking back.

*** *** ***

"An' I t'ought de T'ieves were supposed to be always aware of dere surroundin's."

Marie jumped. "Marius Boudreaux! How the hell did you get in here?"

Marius grinned, and the look in his violet eyes made Marie shiver. "You t'ink you're de only one dat knows how to pick a lock, petite?"

"You need to get out of here."

"You really want dat?"

"Yes!"

Marius reached out and stroked her face. "You look like a scared lil doe, Marie, but I t'ink you like it, non?"

"No! Get out, Marius. I have too much on my mind to deal with you."

Marius kissed her forehead. "Bon nuit, ma fleur."

As soon as he was gone, Marie's knees trembled as she reached out, clutching the side of her dresser for support.

*** *** ***

"You know, those things'll kill you."

Illyana started, then turned around. "Peter?"

Peter nodded, then pointed towards her cigarette. "How long have you been smoking?"

"About five years."

"I'd hate to see what your lungs look like."

"Me, too. But, well...I'm stressed."

"And facing a slow death at the hands of all the chemicals you're putting into your body right now isn't stressful."

Illyana gave him a dirty look. "Doesn't your father smoke?"

"He did. I got this speech from my mum."

"Are you going with us there tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Gotta keep my eye on Captain Britain an' all."

Illyana smirked. "You seem like you'd rather just let her die."

Peter shrugged. "I don't like the woman, but I take my job seriously. As long as she's in my care, I'd give my own life for her."

"That's very noble of you."

If Katherine Pryde had been even half as beautiful as Illyana was when she'd known his father, Peter could see why he'd fallen so hard. He wanted to kiss her, but knew better than to make a move on a seventeen-year-old girl. Especially when her father was a dead ringer for the Terminator. "I'll watch out for you, too," he said, the words coming out of his mouth as if under their own power.

"Thank you," Illyana stood on her toes to kiss his cheek, and Peter took a deep breath. He wasn't going to rob any cradles, even if he was sure he wouldn't be the first.

"Don't stay out too late," he said, stepping back. "You've got a big day ahead of you, young lady."

Illyana laughed. "Don't worry. I'm just going to finish this cigarette and go back in. Ric is waiting for me anyway."

Peter ignored the flash of jealous at the mention of her boyfriend's name. "Good. Well, um, I'll be going in now, good night."

Illyana smiled like a woman who knew too much. "Good night."

*** *** ***

"Craig?"

Craig turned around. "Dammit, Briana, don't you know when to quit?"

"Please. You're going on a suicide mission tomorrow! Let me just have this one night with you."

"No."

"Craig!"

"No!"

"But don't you still love me?!"

"Of course I do!" Craig yelled before he could even think. He took a deep breath. "But that doesn't mean I don't hate you, too."

"I said I was sorry."

"Women like you always say they're sorry. They never mean it."

Briana went to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing herself slowly up against him. "Let me show you how sorry I am. I can make you feel so good Craig..."

The feel of her so close made him moan. "I know..."

"Then take me to your bed, Craig. I won't make you regret it this time."

Craig steeled himself and pushed her away. As much as he wanted her right then, he wasn't going to let it happen. He couldn't let her get him again. "Good night, Briana."

Briana let him walk away, but she vowed that they all lived through this, she'd have him again.

*** *** ***

"Da...er, Nathan?"

Cable gave Lizzie a nod. "Yes, Elisabeth?"

Lizzie started to speak, but instead she fell over on him, crying. Cable didn't know what to do, but hold her for a moment, comforting her as she got the tears out. After a moment, Lizzie looked up. "I'm sorry," she said, sniffling.

"It's all right," Cable replied.

"It's just...well, you're dead in my reality. And I...I really miss you."

Cable felt his heart tighten in his chest. He knew exactly what she was feeling. "Maybe you've changed that now," he said, trying to comfort her as best he could.

"I don't really want to go back," Lizzie said. "I wasn't happy there. But here, all the bad things, they haven't happened yet."

"Things may change for you when you get back. We of all people understand the ever-changing nature of the future, Elisabeth."

"I know."

"Nate?"

Nathan looked over towards Angela, who was standing in the doorway. "Yes?"

"It's getting late."

Nathan looked back over at Lizzie who nodded, and he knew she understood. "Good night," he said as he got up.

"Good night."

*** *** ***

Craig had a hard time sleeping that night. Every moment he'd ever spent with Briana played through his mind, and closing his eyes just made it worse. He got out of bed, deciding to go down to the kitchen to see if there was anything down there that could help him sleep.

He discovered he wasn't the only person in the mansion still awake. Lizzie Summers sat at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of tea. "Rough night for you, too?"

Lizzie jumped a little. "Craig! I...I didn't notice you come in."

"What was on your mind?"

Lizzie sighed. "Lots of things. This whole experience hasn't been easy for me."

"I can imagine." Craig walked over and crouched down in front of her, taking her hands. "It's all going to work out, Lizzie. You didn't come here for no reason. I promise."

"Thank you," Lizzie said, her voice almost a whisper.

Craig could hear her heart speed up, could smell her reaction to his closeness. Her face flushed, and her eyes grew a little wider. He leaned in and kissed her, letting his senses be flooded by the feel of a woman. She obviously wanted him, and he didn't want to be alone. Was it so wrong? He moved from her mouth to her ear and whispered. "Come to bed with me."

Lizzie just nodded as he pulled her to her feet and walked with her out of the kitchen.

*** *** ***

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