Lucy stood for a long moment under the stream of the shower. The water was so hot that it was burning her skin, but it was healing just as quickly so she didn't mind. It was taking her a while to begin to feel clean again after her encounter with X12.

The thought of his tongue on her face made her turn it in to the stream of water. The heat felt wonderfully pure.

She swallowed and squeezed some shampoo from the bottle in to her hand. She lathered, rinsed and repeated as instructed on the bottle.

But sooner of later her mind drifted back even further.

She sniffed absently, tears coming to her eyes.

So it was X14…

She swallowed.

Does it matter? She wondered. That he was a mutant and not a human?

Her head hurt to think about it.

Logan said that killing happens… And now I know what he means. I didn't want to kill anyone tonight. And I had to kill X12.

She thought of Betsy and how she knew when she had been beaten and then of X12's last frenzied attacks.

He knew that wasn't going to get him free. He was just trying to hurt me… To make me pay for it… Maybe cost me my eye.

She nodded. He probably doesn't know my 'grow-back' trick with the meat. She wondered. Maybe that's why he looked like that… Too much face damage and no meat to heal…

She took a deep breath in through her nose and grabbed the bottle of body-wash, soaped up and then began trying to get the little bits of him out from under her nails

She felt better, slowly.

So… She nodded. I didn't really kill a human in New York…

She wanted to tell Logan that very, very badly. The wounded look in his eyes when she had told him what happened came back to haunt her as she stood there, and she actually had to steady herself and shake off the feeling.

The only difference was … I wanted to kill X14. She stepped up and let the water flow over her, rinsing her hair and the tears from her eyes.

He hurt me, and was going to … She shivered despite the hot water. He was going to hurt me worse… And I was mad…

She reached down and turned off the water.

She opened the curtain and grabbed one of the large fluffy towels off the rack and wiped her face dry.

And I don't think it matters… She reasoned. I think I was right both times

Although… Wanting to kill him made me feel bad after… When I thought he was just some human…

She shook her head. So I don't think I'll do that again…

It would be like hunting an animal, hurting it and then not eating it.

Killing for nothing.

Logan's right about that. We're strong enough that we don't have to kill weaker people.

It's the stronger people that make us dangerous.

She wrapped the towel around her self and squeezed the water out of her hair over the tub.

She took several deep breaths, wiped off the mirror and looked at herself.

I'm doing it… She thought. I'm living like a normal person.

And she smiled, thinking of X14. And I'm doing it even better than I thought… And she put this thought down in her mind as though 'for the record' so far as she was concerned.

Since I've been on my own… I've never killed anyone who didn't deserve it.

It was as though a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. And slowly, she began to get dressed.

Alistaire smiled sheepishly at Lucy as she slipped out of the bathroom.

She eyed him as she passed and went to leave the room. Then… she hesitated and turned back to look at him.

"What?" She asked.

"What 'what'?" He shrugged, still smiling slightly.

"You're smiling." She said. "At me."

He nodded. "Yes. I am. I'm glad you're okay." He dropped his eyes. "Miss Braddock… She… told me what happened."

"Oh." Lucy dropped her eyes.

Alistaire smiled, puzzled by her reaction. "I… Um…" He smiled. "Good job."

She looked up curiously. "Hunh?"

Alistaire nodded. "Well… He sounds like exactly the type of person that Kurt's office was set up to deal with. It's not as though the police could have stopped him from hurting anyone."

"No… I guess not." She agreed. "The shark was easier to kill." She added absently. "Even though I sink like a stone unless I'm swimming hard."

"Really? About the shark I mean."

She nodded. "The shark didn't … take it personal."

Alistaire nodded. "I see."

Lucy seemed to be thinking about something. "I think I'll … go for a walk soon." Her face clouded over slightly. "Maybe follow his scent and see how he got here."

"You can do that?" Alistaire asked.

She sniffed him. "Today you spoke with an old man who smoked a pipe." She said.

"Incredible." Alistaire looked at her in disbelief.

"He was eating peanut butter crackers – the kind in vending machines." She finished. "And drinking flavored coffee."

His eyes opened wide.

She smiled. "I can smell it in his breath – on your jacket." She giggled a bit.

Alistaire sniffed his sleeve. "All I smell is…"

"Spicy beef and newspaper." She said. "From that sleeve."

His eyes betrayed his shock. Dear lord… that pastrami sandwich I had last… no, two weeks ago. I got the mustard on my sleeve…

And he did always tuck his paper under that arm.

"That's quite incredible." He said at last. "Amazing really."

"Thanks." She grinned and bounced off happily.

And scary… He tried to stifle a laugh. I'm not so sure I'd want to know that much about everyone…

He sighed. But I'm glad she's on our side.

Be terrifying any other way.

Kurt slipped past him and he looked at his watch.

"I know! I know! Kurt said. "I had to hose off the blood and now I'm filthy. Give me two minutes in the shower."

"The press is coming." Alistaire said. "And I've half a mind to just send them in to the shower to get you." He chuckled. "If they didn't already think you were a pervert."

"Ach!" Kurt rolled his eyes.

Alistaire smiled. "It's all going to change sir. You'll see."

"I hope so." Kurt smiled. "I live with too many women. Sooner or later some boyfriend is going to want to kick my blue fuzzy butt over something I didn't do."

Alistaire pursed his lips. He hadn't mentioned it but they were still painting Kurt as a playboy and plastering a picture of him and Kitty from the reception all over the place.

"Yes, and I'm afraid that unless we do some introductions now they're going to begin speaking badly of the people they're not aware of yet."

Kurt nodded. "Tabitha and Lucy."

"And probably Miss Braddock if they catch wind of her. She's quite attractive when not wincing in pain."

Kurt nodded. "How do we straiten it out?"

Alistaire smiled. With anyone else in the world I'd have to say that we'd spin the story to reflect differently. But not for him "We just tell them the truth sir. It's actually far more interesting. Trust me."

Kurt smiled, looking surprised.

"Believe me Alistaire. I do." And Kurt slipped off to get in the shower.

Forge slipped up behind Alistaire. "How's the car?" he asked.

Alistaire jumped and spun on Forge. "Excellent. I can't thank you enough."

Forge looked grim. "I made you something else too." He produced something from behind his back. "Recent events had made me thing that the people without combat powers may need a little edge. And Kurt mentioned that you've had early morning 'visitors' soo…"

Forge handed him the device.

"It's a …" Alistaire looked at it.

Forge smiled. "It's a non-lethal stopping device. Treat it like a ray gun. It'll short out any nervous or electrical system you fire at. People will get back up eventually but machines will stay fried."

"That's amazing, thank you…" Alistaire was examining the little gun. "How many shots will it fire?"

Forge smiled. "Every time you pull the trigger it produces enough energy to fire two shots. It'll never run out of fuel." He shrugged. "I HATE buying batteries." He added.

Alistaire laughed.

Forge slipped past him "Yeah. I call that model The Bosley Special."

Alistaire nodded and looked at the gun. "Oh, yes… You've written it along the other side."

Forge smiled, enjoying the joke. "Engraved it, yes." He smirked and slipped out of the room.