FYI:

~Personal Thoughts~

ESP

%The Written Word%

[Flashback]

"Normal Conversation (Duh)"

* Com Link or Telephone *

*Sound Effects (usually just Kurt's bamfing)

{Background noise--music, crowds, etc.}

HYDRA

"I like totally can't believe you're going to be seventeen in two days!" I was in the living room with Kitty watching music videos on MTV2. She seemed shocked that a second MTV even existed.

The past month had been awesome, well, minus my time in the med lab. But i'd gotten out after another day of observation. It wasn't like going to a camp where you made new friends and then had to leave them behind to go back home. I was home now and was having a great time. I'd had some football practice and even gotten used to getting up at the crack of dawn for training sessions with 'Coach' Logan. On top of that, the professor had been doing extra sessions with me to help another trip to the med lab when I got to close to Bobby.

"It's not that big a deal. It's not like sweet sixteen or anything."

"No but it's your first birthday here at the institute, and if I have anything to do with it, it'll be like totally unforgettable!" ~That's what I'm afraid of.~

"Look Kitty, I'm not into big parties and stuff."

"Nonsense! Everyone loves a party. Besides it's a chance for us to doll you up and see if there's like a feminine side underneath that tough girl persona of yours." I frowned realizing it would take gagging and leaving Kitty bound in the Danger Room for the next few days to stop her from planning a party.

Just to be mean to her I flipped the channel over to ESPN to watch the endless scrolling of sports scores. She pouted but made no move to try and grab the remote back. "Just for that I'm like making the theme color pink." I scowled at her and flipped it on to VH1 and stood up and left.

As I was walking through the front foyer to go back upstairs the doorbell rang causing me to stop. ~I wonder who would be stopping by here?~ Out of curiosity I decided to open the door instead of waiting for an adult to come around.

I'm sure my heart skipped at least a half dozen beats when I saw the familiar blonde hair and broad shouldered football player. "Oh my God! Mark!" I jumped at him giving him a bone-crushing hug as he simply laughed. I wasn't totally sure it was him except there was the farm truck parked only ten feet away proving this really was my friend. "What are you doing here?" I stepped back to look at him making sure he was real.í

"Thought I'd surprise you for your birthday."

"Consider me surprised. This is really great. I can introduce you to ev'ryone, and…this is just great!" I laughed at how corny I was sounding at the moment. "Come on." I took his hand and led him back to the living room, which had gotten a few more people in it.

Kitty didn't turn around and but somehow knew it was me. "Like you're not going to talk me out of a party Allison. I live for a party and…" She finally turned around and her mouth formed a li'l 'o' as she saw Mark. "I though you said you didn't have any cute brothers."

"He's not my brother." I rolled my eyes as ev'ryone else tore their attention off the television and whatever else they were doing to look as well. "This is Mark, my friend from back home." Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sam stiffen as he stopped talking to Bobby.

"It's like totally nice to meet you. The pictures of you do you like no justice. You're like totally hot. Watch it Al if you don't make a move, I might have to."

"Have you forgotten Piotr?" Piotr was sitting on the couch silently shaking his head at his girlfriend's antics. Mark would only smile though as he put an arm around my waist. I quickly moved free of it and took to introducing him to ev'ryone.

"This is Kitty. She's a bit crazy." I spun my finger in circles around my ear to prove my point as Kitty pouted. I pointed to Piotr next. "That's Petey, her boyfriend. He's the quiet Russian. Sitting next to him is Betsy. She's my room mate." I led him around to where Sam, Bobby, and Ray were sitting and had been arguing over sports. "These are the guys, Sam, Bobby, Ray, and Roberto. They're cool. Sam's into football too."

"Really, what position?"

"Running back." Mark grinned as he nodded.

"You must be pretty fast then." Sam set his jaw as he nodded and I was thoroughly confused by the way he was acting. ~Normally he's real cool, what's his deal now? Whatever.~

I led him over to Jamie, Sarah, Rahne, and Roberto who were in the middle of a game of Monopoly. "That's Jamie and Sarah. They'll just be starting at the high school as freshman. Rahne and Roberto are going to be sophomores."

I next dragged him over to the other side of the living room where the girls sat staring 'Teen' magazines laying forgotten. "That's Amara, Tabitha, and Jubes. Amara and Tabby are going to be juniors and Jubes'll be a sophomore."

"A cool sophomore." She smiled prettily at Mark in what was supposed to be a flirting way. Mark missed it as I led him on. I caught her pout as we left and refrained from laughing.

"Last but not least, Scott, Jean and Kurt." I was grateful Kurt wasn't blue and fuzzy at the moment since I still hadn't gotten the nerve to tell Mark about my whole mutation thing.

"Hello." I restrained from gagging at Jean's flirty manner, which caused Mark to frown confused at her. ~She's already got a boyfriend, yet she still flirts. Well, so does Kitty, but Kitty's harmless.~

"Can I talk to you alone?" He brought me back out of my thoughts.

"Um…sure." I took him through the ballroom to the balcony that overlooked the grounds and part of the bay. "I kinda wanted to tell you something too, but you first."

He took a deep breath and avoided eye contact with me for a few moments causing me to wonder what had really brought him up here. "I'm not so great with words, so I'll try and be plain. I like you, Al, a lot." He looked back at me with a lot of self-doubt hovering in his eyes. To say the least I was caught off guard but not completely surprised. ~Well, a guys doesn't kiss you for nothing.~

"I like you too, Mark." He heaved a sigh of relief as he took my hands and his and leaned down to kiss me. I slowly backed away hoping not to hurt his feelings. I wasn't the kind of girl who jumped to making out and heck the only kiss I'd ever had was with him the day I left. "But there's something I need to tell you first."

He hesitated as fear creeping back into his eyes. "Okay, what?"

"Please, don't hate me."

"Nothing could make me hate you. What is it?"

"I'm different, Mark."

"I know that, that's why I like you."

"No, I mean really different. I'm a…a mutant." I looked away from him and waited for him to scream or something. Instead he did nothing but squeeze my hands tightly. I looked back cautiously and saw that he was about ready to laugh.

"That's it?"

"That's a lot, at least I thought so. I've been trying to figure out for a month how to tell you." He dropped one of my hands and cupped my cheek in his large weathered hand. I leaned into it slightly completely unsure of myself now. He leaned down and kissed me gently and pulled back so that he was only an inch away from my face.

"It doesn't matter. At least not to me." He closed the distance with another kiss and I moved my hands to around his neck pulling him closer. I could feel his hands on my waist as the slowly worked around to the small of my back.

I finally pulled back gasping for breath and shaking my head. "This'll never work."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I'm here and you're back home and then college and…it'll never work."

"We can make it work." He gave me a quick peck on the cheek and gave me a warming smile. "Just sleep on it. I'll be here for a few days. I called and the Xavier guy said it would be okay for me to stay." I nodded numbly as I let this information sink in. ~He'll be here for a li'l bit and I can just think. This is going to take a heck of a lot of thinking.~

CANNONBALL

I watched the two of them leave and buried my head in my hands. ~Can somebody say strike two?~ "I'm taking a walk."

"Ooo…somebody's jealous." I socked Bobby as hard as I could in the shoulder as I stood up.

"I'm not jealous. There's nothing to be jealous of." I did my best to act like nothing was wrong as I stormed outside and took a walk around the grounds. ~Who was I kidding? There's always going to be another guy around the corner who's taller, better looking, nicer, so on. First Betsy and Warren, now I'm gonna lose any chance I might have had with Allison to this guy Mark.~

I sighed as I turned the corner of the mansion and came across the two of them on the ballroom balcony—kissing. ~Going, going, gone.~ I stuffed my hands back into my pockets and turned back the way I'd come feeling defeated. ~Well, that would be the kick that comes after you're already down.~

I walked back inside and went down into the lower levels to find the gym. I peeled off my denim jacket and started attacking the punching bag viscously trying to work off some of my frustration. I dropped down in defeat and drenched in sweat.

"Doing some extra training, bub?" I laid back and looked at the doorway to see an upside down Wolverine with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Maybe."

"Try using the gloves. It hurts less." He picked up the punching gloves and tossed them to me and they landed on my stomach. I realized what he was talking about when I noticed that nearly half my knuckles were cut and bleeding.

"Thanks."

"I don't do this often, but what's your problem?"

"I really like this girl, but I don't think she even realizes I exist."

He raised an eyebrow and sighed. "I'm sorry I asked, but I did. I'm not the greatest in this category, but why don't you try talking to her."

"I do…all the time. I just don't think she sees me as anything other than a friend."

"Kicks, huh?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"To everyone but her, I'm guessing." I groaned inwardly. ~The guys will never let this go. Hell, I'm asking Logan for advice, I'm more screwed up then I thought.~ "Well, good luck, kid."

"Thanks." I sat back up and put the gloves on and began a second attack on the punching bag. After another fifteen minutes of pure exertion, I gave up and grabbed my jacket and headed back to my room so that I could get a shower

SHADOWCAT

"Okay, we've got food, decorations, gifts, anything else?"

"Like we need music. How could we forget that?!?! Her birthday's tomorrow! Like what is she into?"

"I dunno. I think a little of everything, luv." We sat at the dining room table seeking a little bit of piece from the rest of the students as we tried to get together the finishing touches for Al's birthday party. "I've heard her listening to everything from punk to country.

I twisted my bangs around my finger trying to figure out what we'd do. "We could steal her CDs for the evening."

"She might notice that they're missing."

"We'll just like have to take a chance then. We can throw some of our stuff in too since she seems to…" I stopped talking as I watched the door to the kitchen open and Mark came walking in.

"She seems to what?" I made a slashing motion across my throat and she turned to see Mark poking in the fridge.

"Don't stop talking 'cause of me." He smiled as he popped open a can of soda and moved to sit down at the table with us. I let out a squeak as he picked up one of the lists we'd made. "Planning something?"

I grabbed the list back and frowned at him. "It's none of your business."

"You're planning a party for Al, right?"

"Sure thing, luv."

"Just don't play oldies, Britney types, and classical and you'll be okay."

"Thanks for the help, luv."

"No problem. Could you tell me where to find Al?"

"I think she's like tinkering with her truck in the garage. Something about the radio or was it the transmission?" I scratched my head trying to remember.

"I think the radio. Transmission and she wouldn't have made it to New York."

"Like right. I totally knew that." He laughed as he took his soda with him and left. "He's like soo cute. Do you think Allison will ever just admit she likes him?"

"I thought you were trying to fix her up with Sam." Betsy didn't seem to be paying much attention so it surprised me when she answered after scratching some stuff on another sheet of paper. She didn't look up at me as she spoke though. "Or have you given up that mission?"

"Like no way, there's still hope there."

"So why are you cheering for this Mark guy?"

"I dunno. Both Sam and Mark seem so cute and they both totally dig Al so…I forget why now." Betsy smirked as she continued to list party songs.

HYDRA

I was leaning over the engine of my truck with a pair of pliers and wire cutters as I messed with the radio. After a while I had it unconnected and reached for the rag to wipe the grease off my hands. "Don't hit your head." Of course I did then and rubbed my temple where I'd banged it off the hood, which had just banged back down.

"Hello, Mark. Why do you insist on jinxing me like that?" I sat in the passenger seat and carefully removed the radio from the dash. I carried it over and dropped it unceremoniously into a large garbage can.

"Making some alterations?"

"Yep."

"Need help?"

"Nope."

I opened a box holding a new radio/CD player system and carefully removed the precious system that had cost me an arm and a leg. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, should I?" I got back into the front seat and held the radio in place as I used a screwdriver to insert the various screws and such that would hold it in place.

"I just thought that after last night…"

"I'm confused, okay?" I moved back around and popped the hood back open and went to work reconnecting the wires.

"About what?"

"Ev'rything right now." He leaned in next to me as I finished and I ducked back out dropping the hood. He ducked back just in time chuckling.

"You're just the queen of subtlety."

"Yeah, I'm as subtle as an atomic bomb." I got in behind the wheel and turned on the ignition and smiled as the radio played beautifully.

{So hold me when I'm here, Love me when I'm wrong, Hold me when I'm scared, And love me when I'm gone, Everything I am, And everything you need, I'll also be the one, You wanted me to be}

"Good work."

"As always." I retrieved the rag and wiped my hands off again relishing in my victory over the radio.

{I'll never let you down, Even if I could, I'd give up everything, If only for your good}

"I never figured out where you learned mechanics."

"I dunno, comes naturally." I shrugged as I got back in and prepared to turn off the engine again.

{So hold me when I'm here, Love me when I'm wrong, You can hold me when I'm scared, You won't always be there, So love me when I'm gone}

The lyrics died out as the engine died with the turn of the key. I jumped back out and tossed the rag over my shoulder into the trashcan without looking. "That puzzles me too."

"What?"

"The whole playing ball thing. You're too good." I smirked as I brushed past him.

"You're just jealous." As I exited the garage and pulled the door down the guys were passing. Bobby had a football in hand and was tossing it up into the air. "Hey guys."

"Hey, Al. You up for a game?" I was kinda surprised by the fact that Bobby asked but after the incident at the beach he'd been a lot nicer to me.

"Sure. Mark'll even things out."

"Yeah, but we're breaking up the dream team." It'll be me, Ray, and Sam versus you, Ray, and Mark."

"Just don't cry to hard when we kick your ass. So what are the rules?"

"No pads, no helmets, just balls. Got a problem with that, lady?" I growled at him as he snickered. "That and ten seconds before you can tackle the QB."

I nodded. "Okay, Mark cream his puny butt after the ten seconds, Roberto cover Ray and I'll take Sam."

"Blue forty-two, set hut!" Ray flicked the ball back to Bobby and Mark began the count down.

"One-mississippi, two mississippi…" Sam took off down the lawn and I gave chase. "nine-mississippi, ten…" Bobby chucked the ball down field towards Sam's general direction. I realized he'd catch it unless I could tackle him so in a flying leap I pinned his arms down and brought him crashing back down to earth.

PSYLOCKE

"Kitty I thought you were helping me?" She nodded absent-mindedly as she continued to stare out the window. "Alright what is so fascinating out there?"

"The guys are playing football."

"Since when were you into football, luv?"

"Since it looked like a make-out session." She was completely caught up in whatever was happening and I finally gave in and looked out as well. I was a little shocked to see Allison laying on top of Sam as a football fell to the ground nearby and had to shake my head to remove it from the gutter.

"That's just a tackle, luv."

"Looks like more to me."

"If you start looking at tackles that way, you're going to think all football players are gay." I shook my head and sat back down at the table to put the finishing touches on the party for tomorrow night. "So are you ready to hit the mall?"

"Like duh. Can I drive?"

"Nope." The pouted as I picked up the notepad with our shopping list and left.