A/N: NOOOO back to school today! Spending the last few hours of freedom in X-Men Land! Here's an idea for somebody to bounce – Sentinels. Should I bother, or sequel, or forget it? Now you MUST review! Mwahahaha!

PS. This chapter (and Ch 20) is dedicated to Fireball! She knows why… ;-)

            Sabere lay back on the couch again, trying to ignore the sickening feeing of despair.  She was deathly worried about Kurt, not just because of their friendship, but because without him, they would never find the base.  Rogue turned the television back on and found some stupid reality show.  Sabere ignored it and stared up at the ceiling.

            Suddenly a large quantity of water poured over her head.  At first she thought that someone had popped one of the pipes, but then she realized that Storm was huddled on the floor – and it was raining in the house.  The TV sparked and sizzled before shutting down, and everyone tried to get away from the electronics before they were all zapped.

            As abruptly as it started, the rain stopped, and Storm got to her feet.  The carpet and all the furniture was soaked, and the media equipment was probably ruined.  Logan sighed and stood up. 

            "Well, there's more than one TV in here.  Since we don't have anything else to do…"

            "Maybe Storm should go outside?" Kitty asked timidly.

            "Are you kidding?  I'm safer in here.  Outside I can reach the elements better and who knows what kind of storm I'd whip up."  Storm shook her head and led the way out of the room.  Logan hurried away to find a bathroom.

            The group went back upstairs to find another television.  Storm paused beside a door and looked inside.  Xavier, Jean, and a boy Sabere didn't know lay on a bed, all unconscious, with Scott crouched next to Jean. 

            "I was hoping they'd be awake," Storm said quietly.  "All three of them are telepaths, but only Jean and the Professor can use Cerebro and try to find Kurt."

            Sabere was watching Scott.  He was holding Jean's hand, and though she couldn't see his face, his shoulders were shaking like he was crying.  Sabere regretted her former view of Jean, especially now that she had seen how much everyone in the mansion really cared for her, and how desperate Scott was to not lose Jean again.  I guess I'd feel the same…but for whom?  If Andy came back, would she still care as much as she did?  She wasn't sure what to think, especially now with Kurt in her life.  So much has changed…and it's changing again.

            Down the hall, they heard the sound of a news anchor's voice.  "Today, mutants dominate the breaking news.  President McKenna was not available for comment on the apprehension of the mutant, now identified as Kurt Wagner, who attacked the White House last November."

            Storm and Sabere raced down the hall, catching themselves on a half-frozen couch and staring at the screen.  "No word has been given on where the mutant was taken, but rumors say he will be held at the high-security prison that formerly contained a mutant known as Magneto before his escape.

            "In other breaking news, a large portion of lower Manhattan Island suddenly caught fire.  Fire and police forces are trying to put out the seemingly supernatural blaze, and have no idea what could have caused the fire.  One eyewitness claims to have seen something very unusual – "

            A smoke-streaked man waved his arm frantically at the blaze behind him.  "Well, I was running out of my house, and I saw this kid sprawled out in the middle of the street on his back.  I ran to pick him up and carry him out, but his hands, his hands shot fire, I swear it, he must've been a mutant or something!"

            "John," Rogue said quietly. 

            "Magneto said he'd been drugged," Sabere reported.  "I wonder if he's out there now."

            "I hope he's okay," Bobby said.  "I mean, I don't like him much, but I don't want him dead."

            Sabere shivered suddenly.  "Bobby, I assume it was you who froze the couch?"

            "Well, yeah, but I didn't mean to!"

            "I know, I just – "Another explosion sounded downstairs, and the light fixture on the ceiling rattled and came loose.  Instinctively Sabere held out her hand and concentrated on the light –

            - and it froze in midair. 

            Sabere gasped.  The drug is gone!  Nearly laughing with joy she set the light down with exaggerated care in front of the TV.  Storm sighed with relief.  Even if no one else had recovered yet, at least the end was in sight.

            Almost at the same time Professor Xavier rolled into the room, with Jean and Scott behind him.  Storm laughed and somehow managed to embrace all three of them at once.

            Xavier smiled and looked at Sabere.  "As I understand it, we have some rescuing to do."