First of all, I would like to say that I just saw X2 and OH MY GOD!!! If you haven't seen it yet, go now! Now I say!

Lucky439: I told you they were bad, but you just didn't listen did you? Nobody ever listens to me.

T.: One explanation coming up, to an extent that is.

Buckster: *curtsies* Thank you, thank you. I try very hard, you know. I hope this chapter does not disappoint.

Cris-X: *shakes her head* Sorry, can't. If I do that, I'm gonna have to bring back all sorts of other people that really have nothing to do with this story. Believe me, I have a couple that I'd love to bring back, but they simply don't have any relevance.

Disclaimer: It belongs to Marvel, so just leave me alone.

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"So, Lucretia," Rachel began, "how'd you get past that doorman? He's not going to call up his boss every time some says they know her. I mean, it's just not economical."

Lucretia turned and smiled at the young red head, "Oh, you do pick up quick." She leaned in, "A lil tug o' gravity in all de right spots does a world o' wonders, ma petite."

Rachel blushed, but continued, "So you can control gravity?"

She nodded, "Now remember, don' tell no one here you from de Institute, dey won' take it lightly. Dey t'ink you a bunch a spoiled brats. Jus' be cool, k?"

Rachel and Chris nodded nervously.

"Y' want anyt'in' t' drink?" she had a clove cigarette hanging out of her mouth. Neither of them had seen her pull it out.

"Are you old enough to be doing that?" Chris asked.

"Non, mais I be old enough t' decide how I wanna spend my life. Now what do y' want t' drink? Anyt'in' y' want."

"Just water."

Lucretia rolled her eyes and walked to the bar. She came back with two tall glasses of an amber liquid and two smaller glasses of water. She handed the water to the twins and one of the amber glasses to her brother. "Now kick back an' relax. Learn how t' live a lil."

All Rachel and Chris could do was stare at the Lebeau siblings as they downed two entire glasses of what they could only assume was beer, and they knew both of them were underage. This was turning out to be a bad idea.

Storm watched Rogue from a distance. She was reading, but Ororo could tell that her friend's mind was not on the book. It was elsewhere, drifting, quite possibly to the events of earlier that evening. She moved closer, but stayed just far enough back that she wouldn't crowd her.

"What troubles you, Rogue?"

"Hmm?" she lifted her head suddenly from her book, surprised. "Oh nothin'," she said when she realized that it was Storm who had joined her.

The windrider allowed her self a small smile. Rogue could be so evasive. She sat down opposite from the Mississippi belle. "I have known you for quite a while now, long enough to think that I know you pretty well, and I know that nothing means something."

"Yoah jus' bein' silly, Storm."

"Am I? You haven't turned a page in that book for the last fifteen minutes."

"Wha? Oh Ah, well that is…Ah was…" she let out a heavy sigh of defeat, "Ya caught me."

"What is troubling you? You know I am always willing to listen. Does it have something to do with the events of this evening?"

"Not really, well kinda, in a roundabout way Ah s'pose."

"I am listening."

She slumped her shoulders, "Lucretia an' Nicky, they're good kids, they really are, but…"

Storm raised an eyebrow.

"They listen more t' their Pappa than they do me."

Most people would think that Rogue's worries were just a mother's paranoia, but Storm knew better. She had seen them interact with her. "Why do you think they do that?" she asked, slightly intrigued.

Rogue sighed again, "Tha guild, they've turned mah children against me." She looked at Storm with tired eyes, "They've nevah really accepted me. Ah've always been an outsider t' them, an they tell tha children that much. An' they feed them all this loyalty talk about Gambit. Like they've evah been loyal t' him! Ah can remember him tellin' me stories o' all tha times they tried t' off him cuz they didn' like him bein' head o' tha guild. An' befoah that, they kicked him out. Ah mean, honestly, what do they think they're tryin' t' pull?"

Storm opened her mouth to speak, but never got the chance.

"An' don't tell me that they woulda been bettah off heah. They woulda been snatched up faster than you can blink an' branded like cattle. Y' know, they weren't even registered until Lucretia was eight? We avoided them foah that long."

"I wasn't going to say anything of the sort. I was going to ask if you had tried to reverse the damage?"

Rogue smiled a little and nodded solemnly, "It goes in one ear and raht out tha other."

"Maybe living here will help."

"Maybe."

Lucretia was dancing with the hundreth guy on the dance floor. At least that's what it felt like to Chris. He leaned over to Nicky.

"Your sister seems quite popular."

Nicky gave the Summers boy a calculating look, "You better watch what you say 'bout her, she is my sister."

"I meant no offense. It's just that she doesn't really care who she's dancing with, does she?"

Nicky shook his head, "If dey can dance, she'll take 'em."

"I see."

Lucretia had taken a break from dancing and walked back over to them. "You gonna dance t'night or what, Summers?" she asked to both of them.

"We don't really know how to do that kind of dancing."

"It's easy, jus' move de way de music makes y' bend. Dat's all dere is to it. Come on, I'll show y'." She started to drag them on the dance floor, but was stopped by a hand on her back. She turned to see its owner. It was a tall man in black, with gorgeous eyes and silky brown hair. He whispered something to her over the roar of the music which, to Chris and Rachel's amazement, she heard. She turned back to them. "Nicky, keep an eye on de wonder twins, dis fella jus' gave me an offer I can' refuse." She winked at them and followed her guide through the mass of dancers. Chris merely looked at Nicky who shrugged.

Lucretia followed the handsome looking young man through the mazes of the dance floor until they came to a stairwell. They followed the stairs to an office. He knocked on the door.

"Enter." It was that accented voice from earlier, a voice that Lucretia trusted.

The two entered a lavishly adorned office. There was no desk, but there was red and black velvet furniture everywhere. The walls were draped with heavy fabrics and exquisite paintings. A lone woman occupied the room. She was dressed in red from head to toe and had rich auburn hair.

"You may leave, Joshua," she stated. It wasn't an order or a question, just a simple statement. He left quietly the way he came. The woman stood to greet her guest.

"Lucretia, it is so good to see you again."

"And you as well, Wanda."

"Life is treating you well?"

She scowled, "As well as can be expected, given the circumstances."

"Yes, I understand."

"How is your family?"

"Fine, and yours?"

"Complicated."

Wanda Maximoff laughed, "Yes I imagine they are."

"I have good news for you."

The mutant once known as the Scarlet Witch suddenly showed a look of deep interest.

"I found him."

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Well, that's this chapter. Lucretia and Nicky really are bad 'uns ain't they? You may notice that Lucretia lost her accent while speaking to Wanda. Well that's partially accident, but that's how I hear her in my head when she's doing 'business.' It just seems to fit that she would speak clearly and concisely when working out a deal with an employer. If you think you know what's going on, then you also know what's good for you and you'll keep your mouth shut. Now review!