Hi there, everybody! It seems that people out there like my story – weird ain't it? – so I shall make the extreme sacrifice to devote my time to this story and continue. What do mean I'm addicted to reviews?!? That is sooo not true!

Leave me alone. . .nyaa!

And a special hello to elf doll Dolly who loves Jamie. You're welcome!

It's happy, happy disclaimer time! If I owned X-Men. . .hmm. . .well as usual Bobby would die. . .Phoenix would die. . .Rogue would have puffy hair. . .and Gambit would have a real Creole accent instead of a southern lilt.

And the passage from The Once and Future King is from pg 107 which I just copied straight from the book. Please don't feed me to the amoebas!!!

That is all. Thank you.

*~*~*~*~*

Maid Marian

The boys had felt disgruntled at first, at being put in a woman's band. They would have preferred to have gone with Robin, and thought that being put under Marian was like being trusted to a governess. They soon found their mistake. She had objected to their coming, but, now that their coming was ordered, she accepted them as companions. It was not easy to be a companion of hers. In the first place, it was impossible to keep up with her unless she waited for them – she could move on all fours or even wriggle like a snake almost as quickly as they could walk – and in second place she was an accomplished soldier, which they were not. She was a true Weyve – except for her long hair, which most of the female outlaws of those days used to clip. One of the bits of advice which she gave them before talking had to be stopped was this: Aim high when you shoot in battle, rather than low. A low arrow hits the ground, a high one may kill in the second rank.

Jamie looked up from his book and glanced at his watch. It was nearly seven o' clock. The next bus would be here in just a minute.

Slowly opening the door to the boys bathroom in which he had hidden himself, Jamie peered out into the station. There was no one there. It was quite dark.

He crept out, clutching his bag and book. Harold's gone…He's really gone.

It had been an hour and a half since Harold had left; since –

I can't say it. It was so strange.

Jamie had been face to face with himself. Face to face to face, physically. And Jamie had no doubts in his mind it was himself he saw; he had noted every detail about the two figures that had sat next to him. Every mark, every bleeding cut, every scar had a parallel on his own body.

Confused, Jamie had reached out to touch one of their faces, dreading that it was real and yet hoping he was not hallucinating from a concussion. What happened he still could not explain.

The instant his fingers touched the skin on one cheek, Jamie felt a strong pull towards his other self. It pitched him forward and he collided into one of them. It disappeared. Jamie fell through the empty space only to land on the remaining one. It too vanished, leaving Jamie all alone in a dark corner of a bus station, bleeding from cuts on knees and elbows and cheeks, and feeling very bewildered.

Perhaps once he got to Philadelphia he should have a visit to the doctor. It was not safe to let any damage Harold's burly arms inflicted go for long. He had gone too far this time. If he wasn't careful, Harold could still win.

The bus' headlights cut through the dark. With a hiss the doors opened and tired-looking people stumbled off, legs rubbery from disuse. Jamie slowly came forward, hoping no one from Old Town would be coming off. When the path was clear he dashed onto the bus and took a seat next to a window. All he could see outside was black. It was almost like floating in space. It was cool and peaceful and he was alone. He took out his book again.

"If I am made to get married," thought the Wart, who had doubts on the subject, "I will marry a girl like this: a kind of golden vixen."

It was only a few moments later when a woman's voice floated over to him.

"Is the seat next to you taken?"

It was high and soft; a voice that faded into the surroundings. Jamie looked up. The woman glanced at the space next to him.

"You can sit here if you like," he said.

Jamie returned to his book while she placed her belongings in the above-head rack. When she moved to sit down, her motions were silent and unnoticeable.

When sitting, Jamie found her incredibly on edge. At every movement her eyes twitched this way and that. She jumped at every noise. After a remarkably short amount of time, Jamie could no longer stand it. With a deep sigh, he put down his book and turned to face the woman.

"Hello."

She gave him a small, preoccupied smile and an almost inaudible hello. Her eyes shot behind to the baby that started howling in the rear.

"My name is Jamie. I'm headed to Philadelphia. How about you?"

"New York." She still hadn't turned back to look at him.

"The city or the state?" Jamie asked in hopes of starting a conversation and perhaps calming her down.

"State."

Jamie saw this exchange was going nowhere fast. This is going to be a very long ride.

The engines started with a deep rumble and the bus rolled forward onto the road.

By ten o' clock, they passed Augusta. Jamie had never been so far from home. The farthest he could ever remember travelling was to Bangor for an aunt's wedding. That had been a forty-five minute drive. This was three hours.

And for the entire three hours, the lady had not stopped fidgeting. Jamie resolved himself to staring out the window so as to not be irked by her incessant moving. Instead, he watched the road signs pass, knowing with each mile, he was that much further from Harold.

The bus hit a pot hole and Jamie hit his head against the window. For a moment he saw double. Then he blinked and it cleared.

Maybe I did hit my head too hard.

"Jamie."

Jamie whipped around in surprise. It was the woman.

"How did you know my name?"

"You told me, when I sat down."

"Oh…Yeah." Headaches, double vision, forgetting things. Not good signs, Jamie.

"I was wondering where you were going all by yourself. It's not often you see little boys travelling this far alone."

"I'm visiting my grandma. She lives in Philadelphia." The strange thing is, Jamie noticed, She's like a completely different person. It was true. In the past few minutes since Jamie had last turned to look out the window, she had become placid and calm. She was no longer jumping at everything, choosing instead to relax in her seat. Her eyes were fixed intently on Jamie. She didn't even blink when someone laughed abruptly across the aisle.

"And your parents don't worry about you?"

"Naw. My parents don't worry too much about me. They got so excited when I decided to take this trip." Well, it's sorta the truth. Harold got so excited, he nearly killed me. "Where are you going in New York?"

"Just some place a little north of the city. Small town. I have a couple of friends there that called me up and asked me to come."

"Have you ever been to New York before?"

"I used to live there. Worked in a school and dealt with a lot kids. They started to drive me insane." Her lips turned up slightly at something she remembered. She turned again to Jamie. "Let me guess. Forth grade?"

"Fifth. I'm a bit small for my age."

"Young kids were never my specialty. Teenagers on the other hand…I've seen enough of them." She sunk once more into her memories.

With a blink she returned to the present.

"I'm sorry, Jamie. Sometimes I get carried away." She offered her hand to Jamie. "I don't believe I told you my name. I'm Raven."

Jamie shook her hand. "Hi, Raven. Nice to meet you."

*~*~*~*~*

La! There goes another chapter!

Well I go to take a practice Regents and run off to karate! Fun and games until I get frustrated and stab someone in the eye with a number two pencil. . .

I harbor no violent natures. . .I swear. . .