Tabby slipped out of Lucy's room. Kurt was standing right outside.

He smiled warmly at her. "Missing each other completely… That's funny."

She struck a pose and put her hands on her hips. "You were ease dropping?"

"Guilty." He leaned back against the wall. "Mostly." He shrugged. "It wasn't my intention, but once done…"

"Yeah. I get it." She leaned back and faced him. "But… Now you owe me."

"Owe you what?" He teased her playfully.

"I want to know something." She looked slightly embarrassed.

"Such as?"

"What's up with you… romantically?" Her voice cracked a bit on the word 'romantically' but Kurt didn't seem to notice.

He sighed and slumped back against the wall. "Is it that obvious?" He shook his head. "You're here for an hour and you've got me figured out."

She cocked her head curiously.

"I broke up with Amanda this week." He shrugged. "Technically, she uh… let me down easy."

Tabby's heart broke just a little bit. "I'm sorry." She said. "Honest."

"It's a shame." He said softly. "But it's probably for the best. " He bit his thumbnail absently. "Two attacks in one night… That's an arrangement, not a coincidence. Being my girlfriend might not be the healthiest thing in the world for a human."

"Kurt?" Tabby smiled at him.

"Ja?"

"Have you ever stopped loving anyone you were close to?" She looked almost hopeful.

"N-No. I haven't." He admitted.

She smiled, but more than that, she was filled with a fuzzy warmth. Reaching out, she took his hand and pulled him out of the hall and towards the deck.

"Where are we going? Tabitha?"

She just smiled back at him and led him out the door.

"Whoa." She smiled and looked intimidated. "It's a long way down."

Kurt nodded as she dragged him to the railing and she peeked over.

"Oh my god!" She kept a firm grip on him as she peered over the edge.

"Look over there." He gestured with his chin. "The moon's coming up."

And she turned to discover that he was right. The moon was bright and full, reflecting broken in the water.

"Wow." She swallowed at the sight of the ocean stretching to the horizon.

A lump caught in her throat and she squeezed his hand.

He couldn't help but love having her there.

"It's a different world now, isn't it Kurt?" She asked.

He just looked at her.

"I mean, since the last time we held hands?" She smiled at him.

"Not so different." He said. "I think we've changed more than the world."

"Maybe." She admitted. "But…"

He loved just listening to her. "But what?"

"I wanted to tell you something. For years now, really…" She took a deep breath. "I want you to know that … I never …"

But she didn't say anything else.

"Tabitha?" He asked, turning her to face him. "What is it?"

Her eyes met his and she suddenly looked small and fragile to him. "I never left you Kurt. I left the mansion. I left Bayville, and I've left a million places and people since, but you…"

He just stared at her, patiently and filled with compassion.

"You would have been my only reason to stay. You understand? And it wasn't enough to stay, but …"

"You did stay." He interrupted, tapping his heart. "In here."

She pulled him close and hugged him. "I know that… now." She said. "I've known it since I heard you were coming for me." She sniffed, beginning to cry. "No one else… would have come for me…"

He held her close and pressed his eyes closed. I'll always come for you Tabitha. I promise…

"And I can tell… It's just a part of you…" She didn't want to let go of him and she kept her arms wrapped around his neck. "You're noble."

Kurt laughed.

"It's true." She said. "Where would Lucy be? Or Forge, or me?" She sniffed. "And I can tell… It's not over."

"What isn't?" He sounded shocked and pulled back to face her, still cradling her in his arms.

And he could see something strange in her eyes.

She smiled.

"What isn't?" He asked again.

And se smiled and dropped her head.

He met her eyes.

"The amount of good that you're going to do." She said. "And I want to be a part of it." She swallowed. "I might not be done screwing up in this world, but I am done screwing off. I need to do good now Kurt. I need to get back involved in live and make a difference."

"You have changed." He said softly. "You've grown up."

"Some." She admitted sheepishly, retreating just a touch from the embrace.

"A lot." He said, squeezing her hand. "A lot."

"I hope you don't mind my company…" She smiled. "I've been kind of starved for contact lately."

"Will you scrub my back in the shower?" He grinned.

She hit him playfully. "Kurt!"

"I like it really hot, so I'll stand in front." He said, pulling away slightly.

"Kurt!" She hit him again and he pulled away.

"Soap my tail?" He jumped slightly, forcing her to chase him.

"I'll soap you!" She said shaking her fist at him.

"You need to work on your banter." He told her, bounding towards the rail. "You should have offered to clean my clock instead."

"How about I mop the floor with you?" She offered, chasing him playfully as he ran.

"Where were you last week?" He shook his head. "Soot – Everywhere!" He laughed.

And she laughed too. Alistaire had mentioned the explosions in passing. "You're going to be sorry when I catch you!" She warned, trying to head him off.

"Ach!" He laughed. "You couldn't catch a cold!"

And just then he felt a tremendous yank … on his tail.

Across town Emma sat quietly, having just dropped her hands from her temples. Maybe they're already dead… She wondered. I wish I had known I was going to have to do things this quickly. I would have done it all differently.

She looked at his picture. "Well, you have to sleep some time." She hoped. And then we can talk…

She sighed. I'm getting too old for this. I've proven my worth to the club time and time again, but I know… If I have to settle this up tonight, then they're considering Illyana for my position.

And I just can't keep up any more. She's younger, faster, and she's got less to lose…

She's been bound to evil for cripes sake! Politics and big business are second nature to someone that evil… How can I compete? For all my posturing… I'm still 'new money' too. I pretend to have inherited my money… I feign good breeding… But it wasn't that long ago…

She shivered with thoughts of the asylum.

We did have the money to send me away though, didn't we?

She shivered as the thoughts returned. The maddening agitation of the drugs, the superiority of the doctors, the rancid smells, the sneering faces…

The hands of the guards when no one was watching.

She swallowed.

"No. Please!" She repeated with the memory, but it was no more effective now and alone than it had been then.

"Sane people don't hear voices Emma." The doctors words floated back to her across time. "You're not well. It's difficult to believe anything you have to say…"

She raised her head, sitting quietly at her home.

The phone rang.

She turned her head and looked idly at the phone and let it ring again.

"Hello?" She answered it.

And she paused. "Yes. In my office. To be taken to my… What?"

Her eyes opened wide. "Well find him!" She slammed the phone down. Damn… If that 'Bratsy' Braddock has her brother back she'll be coming after me too. Great. What else could go wrong?

And she shivered again, this time thinking of X12.

No. She told herlself. Don't

But it happened anyway. She cringed, shielding herself from the memory as it swam out of the darkness at her.

This time it was X12's face and rough, clawed hands – superimposed on to the memory and image of one of the sleaziest orderlies that ever lived.

And she felt it all – as though it were happening – all over again.