Kurt smiled as the reporters left. Vhat a great night! He basked in the glow of his accomplishment. Even if we do need a new TV.
Alistaire hung up his cell phone. "Good news, your crates from Xavier are on their way… Although some of the contents have been … disassembled."
Kurt laughed. "I'm not worried. We've got someone to take care of that."
Forge waggled his eyebrows from across the room as he was slipping off to make a sandwich.
Lucy smiled at him as he went. I'm glad. She decided. Glad we're 'connected' like this… She sighed slowly so that no one would notice. Because I don't think I could find the words to say what I feel…
Forge paused in the kitchen and smiled. He took a deep breath and felt a wave of contentment sweep over him before he continued on – sandwich bound.
"Where's Kitty?" Alistaire looked around.
"She's out on the rocks looking for that little robot." Lucy volunteered. And feeding her dragon… She's so lucky!
"I think I'll join her." Alistaire smiled and hustled off.
Lucy imagined him seeing the dragon. Hehehe… I'd like to see that.
Forge stopped in the middle of what he was doing. Dragon? He shook his head. I must have heard that wrong.
Lucy giggled.
Tabby had been sitting next to Kurt, and suddenly she shifted in her seat, leaned over to him and snuggled up against him, wrapping his arm around her.
He settled back slowly. "Uhhh… Tabitha…"
"Shhh." She told him. "I know."
"Know what?" He asked.
"That it's too soon after Amanda." She smiled. "And it's okay."
"It is?" He blinked twice. Normally Tabby gets what Tabby wants, and Kurt knew it.
"Sure." She snuggled him. "I know where you live."
He smiled, settling in to her embrace. Ja. That you do.
Illyana was helping Betsy to bed. "Are you sure you should have been standing?" She asked, concerned.
"I'm pretty sure I shouldn't have been. You don't think that the reporters noticed, do you?" Betsy replied.
"I don't think so. If they did, they were very gracious about it."
"Yeah. I guess they were." Betsy smiled. "You know… My brother likes you."
Illyana dropped her eyes. "Well… He shouldn't."
Betsy hesitated. "Listen, I don't know what you've done… But … I took care of Brian for a long time when he was sick… or… under that spell I mean." She paused. "I'd work as much as I could and then come home and have to change his diapers." She explained. "But it wasn't his fault. He was under a spell."
"It's not that simple." Illyana said.
"But it could be." Betsy told her. "If you let it be."
"I was evil. I enjoyed being… nasty." She swallowed. "So it's not really the same… He was hurt. I was thriving."
Betsy nodded several times. "So, you make up for it as much as you can." She smiled. "And you let the rest go – because – beyond the healthy use of that guilt, it's worthless."
Illyana met her eyes.
"You're just his type." Betsy continued. "So he isn't going to stop flirting. You're still alive, no matter what you've done, and a big part of that is living."
Illyana broke in to a small, soft smile. "Thank you." She said.
Betsy nodded and indicated the bed. "No, thank you." She smiled and lowered herself down. "Can you get the light on the way out? I'm exhausted."
"No problem." Illyana paused at the door, smiled warmly and flipped the switch to 'off' before closing the door.
"Thank you." Brian smiled.
She turned quickly. How does someone so big sneak up so quietly? "Oh, Brian… You're… welcome. Of course."
"What's wrong?"
Illyana hesitated. "It… it's nothing." She smiled as she lied. "Ummm… You know…"
"What?" He asked anxiously.
"Once you get your powers under control…" She smiled. "I've always wanted to … go flying."
His eyes lit up at the encouragement. "Are you trying to pick me up Ms. Rasputin?" He asked coyly.
"Only if it's a date." She told him with a hint of an embarrassed smile.
"Then…" He almost looked at a loss for words. "Then you are definitely trying to pick me up." He laughed. "Because… It is soooo a date."
She laughed too. "Good." She smiled. "Let me know when we can go."
"I'll do that." He nodded. "Definitely."
Kurt snored softly in Tabby's arms.
"Awww…" She smiled. He's tuckered himself out! That's so sweet! She cuddled him a bit more.
I'm sleeping. Kurt realized. I wonder if…
And as if on cue, Emma floated out of the darkness at him. "Well," She began. "I am impressed."
"Me too." Kurt admitted. "Some times I even surprise myself."
She smiled sadly. "You realize that you've stripped away most of the authority I was interested in, don't you?"
Kurt nodded slowly. "I thought there might be something like that." He admitted. "Although… my offer still stands. I'm not about to turn anyone away – and as you've said yourself – you could still be useful."
She pursed her lips. "Kurt…" She exhaled slowly. "I can't. With Illyana gone I'm unopposed in the club. And without the other incentives of your position…" She smiled and tried to change the subject. "In fact, you've created quite a few vacancies in the club tonight."
"Good." Hopefully there will be more to follow…He nodded in understanding. "You know that I will arrest you if I have to." He told her.
"I know." She admitted. "If you can prove anything. You've limited yourself by creating the oversight committee. You'll need proof now."
"I can get it if the need arises." He shrugged.
"Maybe." She admitted. "What has Illyana been telling you?"
Kurt shook his head. "Now Emma, that would be telling."
She smiled. "I thought that might have been too easy."
"Ja." He sighed. "Listen, Emma… It doesn't make any difference to me… But…" He met her eyes. "Try and keep your nose clean, will you? Just try playing by the rules for a while and see if you're any good at it. It could save us a great deal of difficulty in the future."
She smiled seductively. "Kurt… we both know that I could make things a lot more difficult for you than you could for…"
She had to stop because he was laughing.
"What is it?" She asked him.
"Try waking up." He told her. "Open your eyes in the real world if you can."
She concentrated. She forced herself… and nothing happened.
Kurt laughed again. "How's it feel to be trapped Emma?"
"HOW?" She demanded.
"A device." He told her. "Something that detects brain wave patterns other than mine and locks the signal open."
She began breathing heavily and feeling claustrophobic on the great astral expanse. "What… What are you going to do to me?" She asked.
"Nothing… now." He replied. "But so help me… If I have to… I could wake up and leave you here if I wanted to. And even with a door to door search of the city to find your body I could still have you in custody before letting you wake up."
"You have been busy, haven't you?"
"You sure you don't want to switch sides?" He asked.
"Are you?" She countered.
He laughed. "Oh, Emma. Try and play it straight. You're too much fun to send to jail."
She looked worried. "I'll … try." She said at last.
He met here eyes with a serious stare. "See that you do."
And it was like she was hit by lightning; A blinding flash, followed by a thick pain in her head and a rush of heat.
But when she opened her eyes, she was back in her apartment.
Kurt stirred slightly as he awoke with a smile. This has been a REALLY GREAT night.
Forge was just rejoining them with a sandwich half as thick as his head.
Kurt tapped the small device that was strapped to his wrist. "Forge, the psychic lock works great. I want one built in to every one of those new communication watches you were working on. The entire team gets one."
Forge looked at him quizzically. "Sure thing… You tested it just now?" He pressed.
Kurt nodded.
"How'd she take it?" Forge smiled.
"Hard." Kurt laughed. "And not well at all."
"What are you talking about?" Tabitha asked.
"Long stories that can wait until morning… will." Kurt told her. "Now I'm going to bed."
"Me too." Tabby smiled slyly.
Kurt eyed her for a moment. She had that 'no is not an answer' look in her eyes. Uh-oh… He shrugged. I guess I'm glad I took the biggest bed.
