Ororo took another sharp turn, and their prisoner took another tumble to the other side of the jet.

He woke up.

'Damn.' Scott muttered. 'Hey, Logan, we could use some help!' he yelled as the stranger tore his bonds apart.

Jean let out one of her most pain-wraked screams yet.

'Yes, that's right.' Murmered her ex-captor, even as he turned to block Wolverine's clawed-attack.

The juet flipped. 'Storm!' Scott yelled up to her.

'Sorry, everyone alright?' Jean's following yell was answer enought, though it had nothing to do with Storm's flying.

'What's going on out there, anyway?'

'That guy's friends are back.' Ororo called, though Scott almost didn't hear her over Wolverine's batter scream.

The jet shook as something hit it. Storm's cry that they were going down was just heard as wind rushed out of a hole that had spontaneously appeared in the vehical's wall. Logan and the stranger went flying over Scott's head, hitting the far far wall and landing in a heap. Logan got up, followed closely by the stranger.

'Hey, Scott, could you sap him or something?' Logan demanded, crouching like a cat ready to pounce.

Scott looked up from his wife's shaking body and brought a hand to his visor, aiming at the thing that had put Jean in such a situation.

But before he could 'zap' him, Amp leaped into the air and came flying towards him. Being unable to dodge, Amp hit his target. Momentum carried both of them across the floor and out of the jet's hull breach into Ororo's artificial storm.

Moments later, the jet hit the ground.

************************************************************************************

Logan made his way to Jean, who was by now habing contractions so close together that it seemed they never stoped. Storm's beaten and bloody body could be seen laying on the floor of the cockpit, but Logan could also see the slow rise and fall of her chest. She, at least, would live.

He was shocked to discover just how worried he was for Scott. It seemed their mutual dislike of eachother had become some sort of weird, twisted friendship. However, for the time being, Jean was the one who needed his help.

'Isn't there some strange breathing thing you're supposed to do?' He asked Jean as she took a break from her contractions.

She nodded. 'It's too soon. Almost four weeks...'

'Well, I don't think you have a choice. If you can-' he was cut off by another bout of yelling. 'If you can tell me what to do...'

Again she nodded. 'There's a med-kit somewhere around here, next to it there should be some blankets and...' her breathing became ragged as the tried not to yell again. 'and some sterile... cloths.'

It was his turn to nodd, and he scrambled about in search of the objects she had requested.

************************************************************************************

Scott hit the ground and rolled. The attacker was right behind him. Before he had time to react, the thing's fist colided with the side of his head and knocked his visor to the earth.

Red light sprayed wildly about, melting the snow that surrounded them. Quickly, instinctively, Scott closed his eyes, then fell to the snow, unconsious. Beside him, in a smoking heap, lay Amp.