Disclaimer: I do not own any of the X-Men so don't sue me `cause I have no money either way. And once this story develops a plot-it will belong to me.

Again, sorry for the delay it's been what.*counts* five months?? Geez. I am sorry. I hope you don't hold it against me, but, you know how it is with crappy writer's block, and picky muses. They can be bitchy at times.

(huge thanx to all readers and reviewers, *grovels at their feel* forgive me!! LoL. Not only for the wait but this chappy hasn't-repeat-hasn't been edited.)

Chapter 5- Panic Song in Joy and Sorrow

Rayne lay in the tiny bed with a strong arm draped across her, and her back pressed up against a bare warm chest that was rising and falling in a comfortable rhythm. A sleepy smile reached her lips as watered down memories of the night before flooded her mind. Repositioning herself carefully, Rayne ended up face-to-face with the feral mutant, and lay there for endless moments staring at the beautiful man before her.

"He looks so innocent when he sleeps," she thought with a mental laugh, raising a hand and placing it gently on Logan's cheek.

Suddenly, a wave of guilt swept over her. While her life had taken a turn for the better, Joshua was in the basement fighting for his life, and it was all her fault. A rouge tear escaped her eye. Rayne slowly slid out of the bed and grabbed a random t-shirt and pajama bottoms from the floor to throw over her shorts and tank-top. Glancing back at the sleeping man, Rayne snuck away from the room like a thief in the night.

Rayne made her way to the kitchen as quietly as possible, seeing only one other person in the hall way-that person being Scott Summers. Out of habit she turned invisible, which she couldn't really say that it was habit that kept her invisible it was more due to the fact that she didn't want to hear him scold her about being up at this hour.

Rayne opened the door of the fridge and sighed. "Only healthy food," she muttered to herself, remembering something about how Ororo was in charge of groceries. 'Maybe I should mention to her that it wouldn't kill us to eat a bag of chips or some good ol' greasy food-stuff that normal people eat.' Shaking her head she grabbed the carton of milk, and shut the door.

"I hope you're not gonna drink that out of the carton?" a groggy voice chimed from the doorway, forcing Rayne to jump, almost dropping the milk.

It took a moment for Rayne's eyes to refocus to her surroundings before she saw the feline figure leaning on the door frame with her hair disheveled around her face that held a toothy grin.

"Lyra, you scared the shit out of me. . . what are you doing up?" the blue haired mutant said before reaching up to a cabinet and retrieving two glasses for herself and Lyra.

"Couldn't sleep. I'm still not used to this whole sheltered thing. I'm a bit surprised to see you down here after the little show you and the Wolverine put on," Lyra let out a distinctive laugh. "But anyway, what are you doin' down here?"

Rayne poured two full glasses before answering, "Uh, pretty much the same- couldn't sleep."

"Uh-ha. . ." Lyra took a sip of her milk while looking at the other mutant girl with a knowing stare.

"What?"

"Nothing," the feline mutant said in an innocent tone. "I just find it hard to believe that you couldn't sleep with Logan by your side. But, anyways, what do you think about it here?"

Rayne ran a hand through her hair and contemplated the question. Sure the whole Logan aspect was an amazing aspect of it, but could she see herself making a life here? Become part of the X-Men-if they'd even have her.

"It's kinda like a story how there's people uniting-and fighting for the welfare of mutant kind. . ." the young woman paused for a second biting her lower lip slightly before continuing. "It almost seems fake, but I guess it comes from being on your own, not thinking that anyone else will care about you. . . but people surprise you sometimes." Rayne realized that all her words were rough and ran together in not very well thought out sentences. "Sorry, if any of that even makes a little bit of sense."

Lyra nodded in agreement, "It does have that feel to it, but the way I see it is that we've experienced the worst that our kind can have it and in order for there to be some suffering, there has to be some good-something that is worth fighting for, or even more, people who are willing to fight for it."

Rayne smiled, this girl was wonderful, and suddenly-not just by her words, for words can be hollow without meaning to spark the soul-she knew she was going to be happy.

"C'mon," Lyra said, tossing her glass into the dishwasher. "I think it's time to go to bed."

Lyra and Rayne linked arms and headed towards their rooms, but in the hallway, therein lay a problem. Several imposing figures appeared before them, and once more out of shock Rayne turned them both invisible, but it seemed as though her luck had run out. Two of the men that now surrounded them reached out holding a small black devise in hand; Rayne felt a searing white hot pain in the small of her back before darkness engulfed her.