Notes: If you knew anything about Yana (or the other two Rasputin siblings) prior to reading this, you probably think you know how the van just appeared like that.  But I might surprise you yet.

I have…manipulated one character's powers a bit, but maybe I can get away with it, since he's a bit mysterious.

Chapter 9: Reunions

Wanda carefully stepped out of the van.  "We can't be where I think we are."

Remy poked his head out of the window.  "Why's dat, chere?"

"We were too far away.  How could we…unless I…?"  She looked at her hands as if they were foreign objects.  "But I didn't even TRY to…"

"Well, we here now," Remy concluded, climbing out.  "And it's safe, non?"

"Um…yeah, sure, but…"

"Den it time for ol' Musty to stretch his legs.  'Sides, he need de fresh air."  Remy walked to the back of the van and threw the doors open.  "Come on out, mon ami.  We got you a BIG yard to play in."

Musty emerged slowly, still in the form of the great white Wendigo.  He paused upon exiting the van, then doubled back to carefully lift out the egg.

"Good tinkin', Musty.  Petite, she need to stretch, too."

"You guys better wait here," Wanda instructed.  "It's late, and we don't want to wake the students."

"Dis a school?" Remy asked, eyeing the mansion doubtfully.  "What dey study?  How to be rich brats?"

"Actually, Remy, they study how to be good little mutants," Wanda replied with a grin.  "Welcome to Xavier's.  Luckily, I know the headmaster, and should be able to get us some rooms…provided you don't steal or blow anything up…and that we can get Musty into a shower right away."

There was a loud sniff behind her.  "Well, at least you smell as good as ever."

Wanda spun around, fully prepared to slap whomever she found.  Her hand, however, was caught.

"You don't even know my voice anymore?" Nate asked, looking hurt.  "You are so deprived."

A slow smile spread across her face.  "Nate," she breathed in relief, throwing her arms around his neck.  "You lunkhead, don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, but you startled me first," Nate replied, holding her at arm's length.  "What are you DOING here?"

"I hope that's a trick question," Wanda said.  "You…didn't have anything to do with this?"

"Hey, I'm good, but not THAT good.  I've only ever managed one teleport, and it was just me, not a van full of mutants."  He leaned around her.  "Okay, I remember Gambit…whoa, he MUST be new…and is that an egg???"

"Not exactly," Wanda chuckled.  "Listen, maybe we'd better do this inside."

"Just what I was about to suggest," said a stern voice from the front door.

Wanda peeked around Nate and waved half-heartedly.  "Hey, Uncle Chuck."

Nate grinned merrily.  "'Uncle Chuck?'"

Xavier cleared his throat.  "Wanda, my dear.  Words can't express…how good it is to see you…alive."

Wanda frowned.  "Oh, great.  THAT rumor again.  I swear, when I get my hands on that-"

"Please, come in," Xavier interrupted.  "We will, of course, provide you with shelter.  But I am afraid your…friend?…might startle the students…not to mention the teachers."  He nodded toward the Wendigo.

"Who, Musty?" Wanda asked.  "Oh, he's harmless.  Just a big teddy bear.  Like Nate with fur."

"Um, I haven't exactly proven myself harmless," Nate whispered in her ear.

"What, you started a fight?"

"No.  I um…threatened Uncle Chuck."

Wanda grinned.  "Really?  And he let you stay?"

"Yeah, I think I scared him.  Or maybe the cutest little one vouched for me.  I still haven't figured it out yet, but-"

"Ahem," said Xavier, a bit loudly.

"Anyway, Musty wouldn't hurt anyone," Wanda insisted.  "As for scaring people, he has other forms."

There was a small explosion, in which the Wendigo became a rather large pink panda.

"See?  He likes kids.  And he doesn't ALWAYS smell like that."

"And he became 'Musty' how?" Xavier asked.

"Oh.  Well, at first we just called him Animus, but then he started to smell, and…um…"

"He bathes no less than four times a week," Xavier said firmly.  "And on days he doesn't bathe, he stays outside."

"That works out good, really.  He likes to hunt big bugs."

Xavier arched an eyebrow.

"I'm KIDDING!  We catch the bugs for him…"

* * * * *

"You LOST them?" Arkady asked incredulously.

"Lost the trail," Pietro corrected.  "Wanda might've figured out she was being followed, near as I can tell."

"I thought she couldn't teleport."

"She couldn't the last time I checked.  Maybe she's stronger and smarter than my father gave her credit for.  But we will find her.  Cal already has the scent again, and this time they won't be running."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because," Pietro replied, "they think they're safe."

* * * * *

Wanda stared at Nate in mild shock.  "You want to do WHAT to our egg?"

"Crack it open.  I'm telling you, the kid's stuck in there."

"No, she isn't.  She MADE the egg, Nate.  How could she be stuck?"

"The same way anyone could start putting together a puzzle and get stuck.  She's a kid that got scared and hid herself a little too well."

Over in the corner, Piotr watched the argument progress while Illyana poked at the egg curiously.  Most of the students had given up trying to sleep and were still poking their heads into Xavier's study regularly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the strange new arrivals.  Remy had scared off three of them with an exploding button, after which he was stripped of everything but his shirt, pants, and shoes by Logan.

"How can you even know any of this?" Wanda asked.

Nate shrugged.  "Well, I ASKED her, of course."  He tapped his forehead.

Wanda rolled her eyes.  "And she just told you she was stuck?"

"I asked why she was hiding, and she told me she wasn't hiding, she was stuck and needed some help getting out.  Look, mutants come here to learn about her powers.  So we can teach her not to get stuck next time, assuming we do get her out this time."

"So I assume you have some way of getting her out safely?  And if you say Remy…"

"No, it's much easier than that.  Have you met Piotr?"

After a brief introduction (and a gasp from Wanda as Piotr suddenly gained a lot of weight and gleaming, silver skin), they were ready to give Nate's plan a try. 

"He's not going to…break her, is he?" Wanda asked worriedly as Piotr carefully picked up the egg.

Nate shook his head.  "He's going to crack the egg, just like I said.  It's like cooking…for giant cannibals."

Wanda made a face.  "That's the last joke you get to make today, mister."

There was an audible cracking noise as a long, jagged line ran down the egg.

"We should keep her close to the floor," Nate suggested, and they moved to the couch (but only with a promise to clean up the mess immediately).

With a mere shift of his broad shoulders, Piotr cracked the egg.  Something small and mud-covered tumbled out of the egg, bounced off the couch, and darted under the nearest table that offered some cover.

"Well, she's healthy," Nate noted.  "Which is saying a lot if she's been in there as long as you guys say."

Remy peered under the table, trying to coax the new arrival out.  "S'okay, petite.  Remy not gonna let anyone hurt you.  Come on out, we get you somethin' sweet to eat."

There was no response.

"Petite, she a shy one," Remy said, standing.  "Don't like too many people around."  He regrouped with Wanda and Musty to try and figure what would lure their young friend out.

Piotr was the only one that finally noticed Illyana inching closer to the table, and by the time he began to call out for her to stop, she was already crouched down next to it.

"Hi," she said quietly.  "My name's Illyana, but my friends call me Yana.  What's your name?"

There was some movement, but nothing else.

"You must be real brave to hide all alone in the dark like that.  Me, I'd be scared.  That's why I always carry Miko with me.  See?"  She held out her fuzzy black bear.

Shortly, a small, grubby hand crept out from under the table.

Illyana pulled back a bit, but not noticeably so.  "You can hide under my bed whenever you want;  there's plenty of dark space.  I'd bring you candy, too.  Any kind you wanted.  My roommate always has some."

"Can…dy?" asked a hoarse, hopeful voice.

"Yup!  All the candy you want!" Illyana promised.

By now, the others were paying attention, but she took no notice of them.  "Of course I'd let you borrow Miko, too.  So you wouldn't have to hide in the dark all the time."

A pale, mud-streaked face and dirty, short red hair emerged from under the table.

Illyana took a few steps back.  "Miko says to tell you hi."

Finally, a girl only slightly smaller than Illyana crawled into the open, glancing about warily.  She quickly moved to Illyana's side, where she was rewarded with Miko.  Most predictably, she latched onto the soft bear and smiled a tiny smile.

"What are you all standing there for?" Illyana asked, finally acknowledging all the stares.  "Get my new friend some candy!" she ordered.

"I'll…um…wake up Jubilee."  Nate waved to the small girl before hurrying out.

Remy leaned close to the girl.  "Betta wipe ya face before ya eat, petite."

She nodded, brightened upon spotting Musty and walked over to him, only to wipe her face in his fur.  For some reason, Musty didn't seem to mind at all, not even bothering to change forms when she was done.

"So she can stay in my room, right, Professor?" Illyana asked, a pleading look on her face.  "Jubilee won't mind, I just know she won't."

"I'm not sure that would be wise," Xavier said, stroking his chin.  "I would first like to discuss the nature of the girl's powers, in order to ensure everyone's safety."

"But look at her, she's tired," Illyana pleaded.  "I bet she wants to go right to bed."

Remy began to volunteer himself to watch over both girls, but a sharp look from Wanda shut him up.

"I gotta side with Uncle Chuck on this one," Wanda said, but she didn't look happy about it.  "The poor kid had a rough life until she met us.   That egg was a defense mechanism; she's way too instinctive for normal people.  She might have a nightmare and hurt someone without meaning to."

"You're gonna make her sleep alone?" Illyana asked in horror.  "But you can't!"

"I will guard the girl," Piotr said quietly.  "I believe I am…best suited…for any dangers she might pose."

"So she goes from being alone to sleeping with boys?" Wanda asked skeptically.

"Don' look like you get much say in dis, petite," Remy muttered, before realizing that no one was listening.  "Huh?  Where you get to, petite?"

* * * * *

"You woke me up this late so you could raid my candy stash?" Jubilee groaned.  "Nate, you are really testing the strength of our friendship here.  You know that, right?"

Nate didn't look up as he rummaged through her drawer.  "Sorry, Jubes.  Yana said the kid wants candy, and she's so cute, even with all the mud.  I just wanted to do something nice for her."

"Can't you have a big heart during normal business hours?"

"Doesn't work like that.  I can't help but think…she's a lot like me."

"How's that?" Jubilee yawned, finally giving up on getting to sleep.

"When I first touched her mind using Cerebro, I knew what her power was…and how it's been cursing her all her life without her even knowing.  I'm betting she doesn't even know what a mutant is.  All she knows is how to survive.  If I still have to die, I wanna do it knowing I made a kid happy. "

"What, did you just forget about Yana?"

"…okay, TWO kids.  That's gotta count for something later."

Jubilee's eyes widened.  "Nate.  Either we got BIG rats, or you've got a shadow."

There was a slight tug on Nate's leg, and he looked down to see the new girl, minus much of the mud on her face.  "Hey, you clean up pretty good.  And without water, no less."

The girl stared curiously at Jubilee.

"She's so small," Jubilee whispered, moving closer.  "Did they feed her?"

"No, they sent me for food."  He bent down and offered the girl a bag.  "Sorry, kiddo.  Looks like it's just gummy bears tonight."

"Milk," said the girl quietly, refusing to touch the bag.

Nate blinked.  "What, you want milk instead of the bears?"

Jubilee shook her head and laughed.  "Nate, I think she wants the milk WITH the bears.  This is truly a kid after my own heart."

"Okay, fine.  I suppose you want the milk warm?"

The girl nodded.

"We can do that.  Anything else?"

She frowned, as if she'd forgotten something, then nodded seriously.  "Four glasses, please."

Jubilee stopped grinning.  "Okay, she's NOT sleeping in my bed."

"Four…glasses?" Nate repeated slowly, as if he'd heard wrong.

The girl nodded again, looking perfectly serious.

Nate had little choice but to do as she asked, and soon found himself watching the girl down her FIFTH glass of milk.  He was still amazed that she hadn't demanded chocolate or strawberry milk (but she had eaten the gummy bears first).

"Okay, cut me a deal here," he said after she let loose a loud belch.  "I fed you.  I'd say you at least owe me a nickname.  It doesn't even have to be yours."

The girl didn't take long to answer.  "Marrow," she replied with a note of finality.

It was pretty late, so Nate gave up without a fight.  "Works for me.  I'm Nate, and until further notice, I'm probably the ONLY person around here who will ever give you that much milk.  So if you plan to keep this habit up, it might be a good idea for us to get along."

"Can I sleep under your bed?  The big people won't let me stay with Yana."

Nate noticed that as she frowned, three tiny bumps suddenly appeared between her eyebrows.  "You just have to find ways around their rules.  Check this out."  He placed a hand on her head and closed his eyes for a few seconds.

Marrow shivered as a warm feeling rushed through her body.  "What did you do?"

"Telekinetic shield."  At the blank look on her face, he added helpfully, "Like a force field."

"Oh.  How do I turn it on?"

"That's the thing: YOU can't.  Only your brain can."

"Huh?"

"Every time you shoot those bones out, your brain has to send a message to your body, even when you're asleep.  The shield is triggered whenever that particular message goes out.  So it'll either stop the bones completely, or slow them down enough where they can only poke someone gently."

"So I can sleep under Yana's bed now?" Marrow asked.

"Well, we'd better test it first.  You'll have to stay under my…what is it with you and dark places?  I would give up the bed if you wanted it."

"No," she replied.  "I like the dark.  Anyway, beds are bad for my back; they're too soft."

* * * * *

Mutants are often like puzzles: seemingly simple on the outside, much more complex on the inside, but worth the effort once you figure them out.

Such was the case a boy at Xavier's simply known as Ernie.

One could argue that he didn't belong there, since he had no mutant powers to speak of.  But Xavier himself had confirmed that the boy was indeed a mutant, if only in terms of his genetic makeup.  There was still a very good chance that he might discover his hidden gift an day now.

Precious little was known about Ernie, save that he, like Marrow, had somehow survived where nearly all other Morlocks had not.  For that reason, Xavier thought he must have some sort of incredible defensive power, triggered during times of extreme stress, just as in Marrow's case.

Had Xavier taken a bit more time to study Ernie, he might have learned just how defensive the boy's powers could be, or that Ernie had not come out of the Morlock massacre as unscathed as Marrow had.  True, both children would always retain some amount of trauma, but Marrow was lucky in that she hadn't been in the thick of the slaughter.

Ernie had been, and ended up surviving for two reasons only: 1) The murderers had mistaken him for one of their own in the darkness, especially since he ended up killing everyone within his reach, whether they were Morlock or assassin.  2) Afterwards, there had been no traces of a huge, gray behemoth with a taste for blood…but that was because he had taken a more convenient form.

For Ernie was little more than a shell to contain his own true potential. 

The other kids stayed away, as he tended to talk to himself, and anyone else present inside his head.  While few of those voices rarely ever made sense, one of them usually did.  It was silky soft, like a mother's would be, and always gave Ernie the best advice.

Recently, for example, it had been telling him to keep an eye out for an old friend.  Sure enough, it wasn't long before some part of Ernie's mind recognized Marrow.  But she did not remind him of the shy, innocent girl he had known before.  Instead, she reminded him of how hot and sweaty and bloody and utterly fast that night had been.  She reminded him how much…FUN he'd had, and how much he'd like to do it all over again…

The only reason he did nothing yet was because that voice insisted that he wait just a little longer, until the time was right.  Then he could have all the fun he wanted…