Disclaimer: See Prologue

"Shhh! I can't hear what the adults are talking about!"

"Scoot over" "Move your hands". The X-babies as they're affectionately referred to, behind their backs of course, were doing their best to listen to the argument taking place amongst the adults in the med-lab from the safety of Jamie and Artie's room. Among the brood was Tara, whose hearing was superior to Sabretooth and Logan.

"If you guys don't shut up I can't hear them" hissed Tara. The kids got quiet, and Tara continued listening and relating the ongoing events.

"How dare you get on your self-righteous, sanctimonious, soapbox Summers? Who do you think you are! Any of you! Not a damn one of you has any room to judge anyone's past! Not any one of you!"

"You don't understand Shox! Remy was responsible for the Morlock massacre! As in he organized the whole damn thing. My God, he willingly went to Sinister, unlike the other Marauders!" roared Scott. The entire team was assembled in the med-lab, with the exception of Jean and Ororo, who were with the Professor at conference on Muir Island and not due to return for another week.

"Wrong Fearless Leader! I know exactly what Remy did and he still didn't deserve to be ABANDONED by his family in fucking ANTARCTICA! He's an X-man! We don't pull this kind of shit on each other! And Rogue-I always knew not being able to have human contact affected you, I just never realized what a heartless bitch it turned you into! All these years I doubted you but I guess you're right- Marie is dead!"

Silence descended upon the room. Logan unsheathed his claws and growled, "Shox yer on thin ice never talk to Rogue like that again! Never!" As for you, directing his glare towards Remy, 'bub you ain't welcome here! Get yer ass outa here now or I'll see you out!"

"You of all people don't have the right to judge anyone's past!" shouted an angry Shox. All the shit you've done-assassinations, torture, rape, pillage and God only knows what other crimes you've committed. Oh yeah you conveniently had your memory wiped. Poor Wolverine can't remember the shit he's done, therefore its okay. Instead we'll take pity on the unfortunate feral and make him an X-man. Never mind all the running off to supposedly search for clues to your past. Where do you go Logan? How do we know you aren't part of a terrorist operation when you're not here? How do we trust you? After all you were nothing more than a Weapon X lab rat-who's to say you're still not under their control?" Logan inched closer with each word until he was toe to toe with Shox. With claws extended, catching the fluorescent lights across the edges, he placed one hand directly underneath Shox's chin and placed the other on her carotid artery. A thin line of blood appeared and ran down her neck into the collar of her blouse. The X-Men had drawn blood from one of their own.

Before Logan could speak, Shox did. "Lower your claws or we'll see how well adamantium conducts electricity."

The air crackled with electricity and the lights within the mansion flickered. The students in Jamie and Artie's room huddled closer together. They'd never seen their teachers disagree over anything and this argument scared them.

"Miss Manning's right, they should let Mr. Lebeau back." "I agree with you Tara", said Artie. Siren nodded her head in agreement. "Well, I think he shouldn't come back, well at least not before saying he's sorry" countered Tabitha. "I just want them to stop fighting. I really wish the Professor was here. He'd know what to do" replied a very solemn Sam. On that note the students all agreed.

Meanwhile, in the med-lab, "I'm with Logan. He's not an X-man, not anymore. Never should have been. Remy's an enemy-one who should be punished for his crimes" shouted Marrow. Several X-men murmured their agreement including a seething, but tearful Rogue. Remy, who had been standing silently in a corner, made his way out of the med-lab.

"Merde! Remy should'na come back", mumbled Gambit as he walked along the wall. He hoped for Shox's sake, Wolverine lowered his claws. He knew Shox was beyond rage and was this close to frying the Canadian. Gambit also knew at some point she would regret her actions and feel guilty. He wanted to spare her those feelings.

"Someone as beautiful and kind as Shox shouldn't go through that, 'specially cause of moi" he thought to himself. Gambit considered going back to the med-lab and telling Shox to let it go, however he continued down the hall to the elevator. "If someone wants to fight Remy's battles den let'em. Mebbe she might win. Dat femme is one hellva lawyer. As the elevator doors closed, Gambit could hear Shox's voice take on a deadly edge.

"Logan, I'm warning you." Logan slowly retracted his claws from Shox's neck. The blood from her wound trickled in a path down her smooth café au lait skin onto Logan's hairy knuckles where his claws were leaving red stains against a tanned backdrop. Each X-Man stood completely dumb-founded. Normally Shox and Wolverine were considered friends. Some speculated the gruff Canadian even held sisterly feelings towards the Institute's resident lawyer. With the exception of Rogue, she was the only other person who could go toe to toe with him.

At the sight of blood, Hank went into doctor mode and broke the silence. "Oh my stars and garters! Sasha, you're bleeding. Let me bandage your wound." Before anyone could react, Shox electrocuted Logan with several thousand volts of electricity. "Hank, I think Logan needs you more than I do". Upon glaring at the charred remains of burned flesh, Shox erected a force field to prevent Hank from offering Logan any medical assistance. In a voice Shox didn't recognize as her own, "On second thought leave him be. He has a healing factor-let it earn its keep."

The smell of burned flesh permeated the air. Bishop cocked his gun, Cable's eye glowed as his arm began forming into a weapon of sorts as Hank bared his fangs, losing his 'doctor visage'. Cyclops' hand held his ruby quartz glasses as Rogue lunged towards a still bleeding Shox from across the room.

"You crazy bitch! How could you do that to him! You may have killed him! Ah hate you!" With a smirk playing on her full mouth, the tip of her tongue ran sensually across the bottom lip. "So you wanna dance, bring it on! Lets see how well Ms. Marvel can handle me!"

Shox stood in an attack position, the electricity crackling in the air, her body radiating rage, ready to counter Rogue. Bishop set his gun to the highest stun setting as Cable aimed at Shox's chest. Betsy tried in vain to reason telepathically with the team, but with so much rage in the room she couldn't communicate clearly with anyone. Warren, Bobby and Kurt watched in horror as the scene before them unfolded in slow motion. Just as Rogue's fist was about to connect with Sasha's ribs, Bishop and Cable fired their weapons.