Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men. The canon ideas and original characters (Charles Xavier, Kurt "Nightcrawler" Wagner, Robert "Iceman" Drake, Jean Grey, Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr, "Black" Tom Cassidy, Peter "Colossus" Rasputin, Sean "Banshee" Cassidy, Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock, a.k.a. "Psylocke", and Mastermind) were created by Stan Lee and Marvel comics; therefore, X-Men belongs to them. Jennifer Kaneshige, David Forslund, and I co-own our original character David Forslund, but his nickname "Blacklight" belongs solely to me. I also created and own the characters Jet "Sidewinder" Black, Kristina "Phantom (X)" James, Tamiko "Sonic" Kaneshige, Caleb "Hephaestus" Tucker, Deanna "Medusa" Barnes, Matthew "Falcon" James, Tina Andrews "Gypsum" Black, Hanna "Evie" Black, Jason McCleod, Lauren "Sable" Shadoan, Dennis Owen, and any other character ultimately unrelated to the original Marvel universe. This story, "The Hunt for Black Tom", is © Kristina Jones 2003/2004/2005, and any plagiarism or copyright thereof without the explicit consent of the author is prohibited.

X-Men: The Hunt for Black Tom

"Forgive me, if now I wear the face of worry. This time alone would never cause any doubt. But I've been cold too long. Such a strange time to find myself coming down as the rain, with all these holes, my love, to fill up from the middle. This storm could stay all night now. So can you stay until we close our eyes? Till your dreams hold mine? Just stay until we know we tried one more time. 'Cause laughing lovers can overcome their closest demons. And they'll go on and they won't let go. They saw something that they know has never come so close. Can it stay here for us, for now? Can it stay till we know ourselves? I'm torn as I tell. You're the story that I know and fell from. I'm so far into your story; I don't know why we think we're in control, when we lie between the lines. We'll find a line to follow. It's got to show real soon, or we'll never reach this high. We climb a little further. 'Cause there's nothing we can't get around together. Further gets colder until nothing was all that I saw around. So we stay until the ground that we can't come down from splits us away. Maybe stars know why we fall. I just wish they were thinking out loud. I could wish all night." Finger Eleven, "Thousand Mile Wish"


Chapter VIII: A Lonely Rose

His grey eyes shone out brilliantly from behind a pair of thin wire-frame glasses that accented his freckled nose. Leaning against a white metal post, he dug his hands into the pockets of his brown wool trench-coat and stared out across the empty tracks of the subway underground. A massive crowd of humans pushed and shoved one another down the stairs below. Removing a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, he withdrew one, put it to his lips, and blew a soft breath of air into it. The tip quickly ignited in its own soft glow. Taking the smoke in with a long breath, Caleb smiled snidely as he blew the warm smoke out through his nostrils. A small tug at the necklace around his neck made him let out a relieved chuckle under his breath.

There was a moment where Caleb waited while humans brushed roughly past him only to melt into the colorless crowd below. "Haven't I told you that smoking is a filthy habit?" a cool, smooth voice stated from behind. "Or do you need the fire in your lungs in order to feel alive, Hephaestus?"

Letting out a calm, knowing snicker, Caleb turned and looked into a pair of matching, cool grey eyes. A small flame flickered about his thin fingertips then disappeared. "I was getting nervous that you weren't going to show up," he let out in a strong voice.

"Oh no, I always keep my word… and my arrangements," the man replied with relaxed ease as he cast his eyes around the crowded station. Looking up to the stairs that led to the frozen, bustling street, he said, "Shall we?" And the two men proceeded up the stairs as the train screeched to a halt on the tracks behind them.

The doors to the cars opened quickly, a gust of steam meeting Jet, Kris, and David as they stepped out onto the platform with the rest of the throng from inside the train.

Casting her eyes up to the stairs and out into the frozen, bustling street, Kris sighed and glanced at Jet, inquiring, "Should we go together, or separate?"

Pulling his black coat closer to him, Jet stared out from the under loose strands of his raven hair and said, "Together. I don't trust Caleb enough to let you go alone. I need you where I can keep my eye on you. What do you think, David?"

David, disguised by the same hunter-green sock-cap that covered his hair, only darted his brilliant eyes to Kris before nodding in agreement. Inclining to them, Kris proceeded toward the stairs, the two men in tow.

Glancing nervously around at the faceless crowd, David reached forward and touched Kris's elbow. She looked back at him as they walked, and slowed in step to match his. Next to her, David continued to walk as he whispered anxiously into her ear, "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" she whispered in return. "What's wrong, David?"

He watched his feet as they moved, and shook his head. There was something in the air that had pulled at him, and he stared around, unsure of what he felt. After long moments, he finally pursed his lips and replied, "N-nothing. I must be imagining things."

Nothing else was spoken until the reached the alley behind the club. They stood at the back doorway, waiting patiently as Jet glanced down at his watch. "He said he was going to be at the door at eight? It's 8:10, where is he?"

"Calm down, Sidewinder," Caleb's smooth voice stated as he opened the door. "I'm rarely ever late, but this morning I had to deal with some business." Motioning to them, he waved them inside, greeting each one of them in turn.

Leading them into an inner room, Caleb said, "Sidewinder and Blacklight, you two need to stay here. I'm taking Phantom upstairs to sort out the basics."

"What?" Jet inquired defensively. "No, we're staying with you at all times."

"Keep in mind, Sidewinder, that we're not in a courtroom. You can't make objections here. No, I asked you all to come along, and I shall use your assistance when I feel compelled. But for now, I only need Phantom." Caleb said all this with a bite of contempt. As he closed the door he said, "Make yourselves comfortable. There's drinks in the bar in the far corner." With that, he closed and locked the door.

Leading Kris away and toward the stairwell, he placed his hand on the small of her back and removed a pack of cigarettes from his pocket with the opposite hand. Holding the pack out to her, he inquired, "Want one?"

Frowning, Kris said, "I don't smoke, Caleb. You know that."

"Yeah, I know. I was just joking."

Kris let out a half smile, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. "Caleb, why are we coming up here alone? Seriously." Suddenly, Caleb came to a stop, staring intently at Kris.

"Because, I couldn't have them with us for this part. Phantom, this is going to be more difficult than I originally thought," Caleb whispered as they stood in the hallway outside a door. "Tom's got that place riddled with security. Even if you're invisible, he's got motion and heat sensors packed into every crevice. I surely have no reason or excuse to get in where he's keeping Sonic. Tom doesn't trust me that well."

"What about Blacklight?" Kris asked in desperation. "He can dissolve into shadow and get to her."

With a shake of his head, Caleb said, "I considered that. But Blacklight wouldn't be able to get her out. Tom's got Sonic in a sound-proof holding cell, so she can't get out on her own, and she very well can't walk out the door."

"If only we had someway to blot out security just long enough to get her out of the room," Kris muttered as an aside to herself.

"You're right," he replied. "Which is why I asked for a little help. I needed someone Tom trusts, someone I trust, someone who can get to Sonic, someone who can disrupt the security connections."

"But who- -" but Kris never finished her question, and she did not need an answer. Because without even seeing, she knew, because she felt him. She felt the warmth spread over her, making her skin tingle. It was strangely both comfortable and disquieting at the same time. The feeling she felt could not be forgotten. It was the way she had not felt for nearly ten years. His hanging aura, which she so easily felt in close proximity, continued to swirl about her.

Each person gave off a different aura, disposition, which Kris could feel in temperature, pressure, and her own bodily instincts. She knew Kurt by a gentle cool wind that tended to embrace her. Jet tended to have a sad disposition that was calm but angry at the same time. Tamiko was soft and light, a breeze full of laughter and hidden smiles. Every person was different, but she recognized them all, and never forgot any of them.

Her eyes grew wide, and she shivered. "Caleb?" she stuttered, anxiety and fear shaking her voice. He comforted her with a hand on her shoulder as he led her into the room. Opening the door, he brought her slowly inside. She froze in the doorway when her eyes locked with the cool greys of the man sitting across the room.

They stared into each other for long minutes, her grey-blue eyes reflecting his in strange familiarity. A silent exchange of emotion passed unseen between them, and was suddenly broken when Kris looked away.

"It's been a long time, Kristina," Erik Lehnsherr stated softly, a gentle smile playing upon his face.

Glancing angrily back at him, she whispered, "Pity it couldn't last…"

Erik chuckled and shook his grey head. "And you haven't changed." Reaching across the table at which he was seated, he picked up and brought a glass of wine to his lips. As he drank of it, Kris felt his pleasure escalate like electricity around them, and her heart thudded against her ribcage. "And how are you?" he inquired honestly. "I understand your body adapted to the venom in your bloodstream."

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" Kris spat, staring at him, unmoving. Erik moved his mouth to speak, but Kris abruptly interrupted him, saying, "I have no intention to speak with you, Magneto. You are of no more good to me, as I am to you. You have no need or desire to know how or who I am. So shut your mouth and leave me alone." Her anger was boiling just below her skin, and she did not care to conceal it.

Shifting uneasily, Caleb said, "I asked for Erik's help because he's the only one I know that can do this."

"We don't need his help," Kris nearly shouted in bridging animosity.

"Yes, you do," Erik raised his voice to match her own. Kris shot daggers at him in her icy stare. "I have gained Cassidy's trust in recent weeks."

Seething, Kris whispered in contempt, "Doing what, Magneto? Kidnapping Sonic yourself, maybe."

"Of course not," he countered with an offended shake of his head. "What good would that be to me?"

"I don't know," Kris let out sarcastically. "But, it gives you a pretty damned good excuse to confront me, doesn't it? You know, set up this whole scheme of kidnapping my friends just to get at me, so that I contribute as a lab-rat to another one of your damn experiments." Her rage bordered on fury as memories of past events flashed between their locked eyes.

His stare was grinding, and Kris reflected it in exact intensity. He read her eyes, and his flashed as something unspoken passed between them, and suddenly, his gaze softened, and he whispered, "That was a long time ago, Kristina. But there was a reason I chose you."

"Don't start! I don't want to hear it!" she screamed, pointing at him in penned-up frustration and tears.

"Kris!" He shouted shortly, startling her to freeze. Leaning forward onto the tabletop, he grew in quiet intensity and stated, "I am here to help you. Please, let me help you."


"All right," Caleb said, downing his shot of scotch, "here's what's gonna happen." Kris, who sat across from him with her own glass of wine, stared intently into the tabletop. Erik watched her in silence as Caleb continued. "Erik, you're going to go to Cassidy's compound with Blacklight, who will remain in shadow form, there only to help you if things go sour. During this time, Phantom and Sidewinder are going to go back to Xavier's mansion to alleviate any suspicion to their involvement in a rescue attempt. Then, I will meet Erik and Blacklight at our rendezvous point just outside of Cincinnati, where I have a second club. From there, Blacklight will depart back to New York with Erik, where they'll meet with Sidewinder and wait here for my return. I will take Sonic from Cincinnati to Buffalo, where Phantom will meet me. From there, Phantom will take Sonic back to the mansion, and I will return here to give Erik, Sidewinder and Blacklight the thumbs-up." Gazing between them, Caleb leaned further forward on the table, asking, "Have I left anything out? We've worked out all the compromises? Does this sound right?"

Leaning back in her chair, Kris inquired, "I don't understand why Blacklight can't just bring Sonic straight from Cassidy to the mansion. Why do we have to have so many interceptions and rendezvous?"

Shaking his head, Caleb replied, "Phantom, I've explained this. The more we intercept and trade off, the less likely it is that Cassidy can track us."

"Okay," she finally conceded, taking a sip of her glass. Erik then nodded to show his consent.

"Great, I'm going to go and brief Sidewinder and Blacklight on the plan," Caleb let out, pacing to the door. "Then, we'll get started." As the door closed behind Caleb upon his departure, Erik gazed thoughtfully at Kris, a discerning shadow in his gaze.

She glanced at him out of the side of her eyes, adjusting nervously in her seat as she turned the glass of wine round upon the tabletop. He knew that she felt his curious gaze, and he continued to watch her as she fidgeted under his stare. "What do you want?" she inquired finally out of exasperation.

Shrugging, he looked away for a moment and then moved back to watch her. His grey eyes sparkled in a mingle of curiosity and strange affection. "Nothing," he replied placidly.

"Then why are you staring at me?" she snapped defensively, not looking at him, only staring intricately into the colors on the glass.

"Oh, I was only pondering the lovely coincidence of your meeting David," he stated ever so gently and thoughtfully. "It's most unexpected. I could not have foreseen such a relationship possible."

"What is that supposed to mean, Magneto?" Her inquiry was sharp and cold, but a curiosity dwelt inside of her eyes that could not be masked by the coarseness of her demeanor. She had a strong desire to discover Erik's meaning, but she refused to reveal herself as so. A stronger desire kept her icy, and she indulged that want without recourse or remorse. Whatever he had to say about David, she would hear, only with the cruelest, apathetic ear.

Erik observed her crude manner, but saw the hint of curiosity in her eyes. Grinning in only the slightest manner, he sipped at his own wine and said loosely, "I know people, Kristina. David is too placid and passive while you are certainly very impulsive and shameless."

"So?"

"So, you face the world with either a smile or a scowl, a song or a shout. When you spy an opportunity to act as you please, you never disregard it. You dance in public fountains, sing loudly in shopping malls, hold open doors for burdened mothers and the next moment shout at an oncoming car. You're heedless, and don't really mind what others think."

"Why should I mind?" Kris interrupted in an honest, but calm defense. "Most of those people in the vicinity will never see me again. Besides, I'm hardly acting out of selfish anger or hostility. I'm usually doing these things in good humor and fun."

Lying his hands flat on the table, he said, "That's not my point."

"Then what is your point?"

"My point is, David is so much calmer. Blatantly said, he's rather shy." His statement was clearly spoken and civil, but Kris understood none of it. What was he trying to tell her? "And," he added with a sigh, ready to divulge his true thoughts, "do you know what he did to you?"

If she had been calm and mannerly previously, the next moments were ones of pure hostility and indignation. In a gesture of her inner rage, she slapped her hands down loudly upon the surface of the table and seethed, "Don't you dare speak another word."

"Why? So you can pretend that none of it ever happened? So you can hide it away somewhere deep inside of you where your superficial fury doesn't burn and act as though those events don't affect you?" He let out a grimacing chuckle and shook his head. "You're more like me than I realized."

Burning in utter rage, she shot daggers into him with her eyes and whispered in an effort to restrain her maddening fury, "Didn't I tell you to stop talking?"

"Kris, Kris," he muttered with a shake of his grey head, "has he told you everything? How he actually designed and manufactured the implants that inhibit any telepathic energy to enter into your mind? How he pumped I.V. after I.V. into your bloodstream to keep you stable long enough for the operation?" He paused and read her eyes. Clearly, he could see, she already knew, for her demeanor had not changed. Though, her anger was still growing. "Did he tell you anything else?"

"No, that's all he told me. That's all he remembered. That's all I care to know," she seethed in animosity.

Footsteps could be heard coming up the stairs, and Kris turned her head to the door. A feeling, almost like a wind streamed into the room through the cracks around the door that Kris could not see, but she felt it. She felt the presence of the one person, which she kept entirely to herself in the deepest and most private recesses of her soul. Never would she reveal to even the closest counterpart what she felt stream from him and around her, that special and unique aura. Turning back to Magneto, she whispered, "David's coming."

As the footsteps grew closer, Magneto leaned forward, closer to her and whispered in a manner to provoke thought and disbelief, "If he spoke nothing else to you, then I will. There's a reason I wiped him out of your memory, and you from his. Because for that time you were in my care, he broke a promise he made to me. He spoke to you… and—"

But he never finished his secret discharge, for at that moment, the doorknob turned and the door opened. David stared in at Erik, then at Kris, who looked decidedly uncomfortable. She stood and paced to David, who smiled softly into her. Glancing at Erik, Kris frowned, and then she wrapped her arms around her friend, who embraced her in return, feeling somewhat unsure of the reason for the embrace.

"Are you all right?" he asked in a gentle whisper, looking down into her eyes. She sighed, breathing in the air around him before slowly nodding her head.

Jet appeared in the doorway behind them, and slowly entered the room with Caleb at his elbow. Glancing at his watch, Caleb said, "The train leaves in about twenty minutes. I suggest Phantom and Sidewinder make your way down there. I want to make sure you both get safely out of the city before I send Erik and Blacklight."

Looking up into Jet's eyes, Kris nodded with him, and reached out and grasped his hand. "Let's go, Sidewinder," she said, leading him out the door. As they reached the top of the stairs, she stopped and looked back at the doorway. "David," she called out, and he appeared in the doorway, looking confident but sad. They stared into each other for long, passing moments of silence, and then she swallowed nervously and said quietly and earnestly, "Be safe, David."

"You too," he replied almost inaudibly.

Her grip of Jet's hand tightened in anxiety. Gasping, on the brink of tears, she asked, "I'll see you soon?"

With an affectionate smile, he nodded and said, "Ja. I'll see you soon, Kris." With that, she turned and proceeded down the stairs with Jet, who put his arm around her waist as a solace of comfort.


"Hello, Erik," Cassidy greeted with a boisterous grin. Reaching out, he shook the man's hand, saying, "I didn't expect you back here so quickly. It's been, what, nineteen months since Belfast? What brings you back?"

"Curiosity," Erik answered with a soft smile. By this time, Cassidy had lead Erik into an inner room of his underground compound, where they sat down at a set of sofas and recliners. Crossing his legs casually, Erik nonchalantly stated, "Word has it you've captured an X-Man. Is this true?"

"You don't miss a thing, my friend," Cassidy let out with a laugh. "Yes, I have. She's been with me for almost three days."

"Really?" Erik inquired with mock interest that felt honest. "Who is she? Anyone I know?"

"Perhaps," Cassidy replied, leaning forward on his recliner. "She's been with Xavier for about ten years, I think. Went through the school, and she teaches now. Goes by the alias, 'Sonic.' Have you heard of her?"

Thinking for a moment, Erik finally said, "The name sounds familiar, but it's difficult to tell. She can't be too important if I don't know who she is. But, since you've taken her on, she must be worth my interest. What's her story?"

Cassidy gazed into his counterpart's interested eyes for long, passing minutes, before leaning back and asking, "Why are you here, Erik? Business? Why would a petty little girl interest you so?"

Returning his stare with matching intensity, Erik smiled, the corners of his mouth curving downward slightly, and he answered, "Because word also has it that you are trying to get a hold of The Phantom. And I possess information that may lead you to her. You can choose whether or not you would like me to divulge it over to you, but it won't be free of charge." He paused as Cassidy's eyes slid downward in disinterest. "And, the X-Man was only mere curiosity. You know my history with Xavier."

Wagging a finger at him knowingly, Cassidy stood and went to a desk on the far end of the room. From the desktop, he retrieved a pile of newspaper clippings and magazine articles. Pacing back to Erik, he placed the articles on the coffee table between the two of them, and began to sift through them, showing each one in turn to Erik. "Look at this one," he said, holding out a German newspaper article with the headline reading: DAS PHANTOM KAM WIEDER (the Phantom has returned). And below the title was a photo of Kris all in costume of black and trench coat with her mask on her face. Her photograph stood at gunpoint of at least twenty German police officers in the middle of a crowded street. A smug grin played on her lips, and in her left hand she held a single rose.

Erik simply let out a small chuckle, one that rang in a sense of fatherly pride, and Cassidy cocked an eyebrow at him before continuing with a new article. "This one is the most recent," he stated, handing it over to Erik, who took it with interest. The article was titled, "THE PHANTOM IN THE U.S.?" And beneath it was a picture of Kris in the same costume, standing tall between the would-be executed David and the guards' pistols, again, a smug smile upon her lips. At second glance, Erik could see, that on a table near where David lie strapped down, lay a single, lonely rose, a black ribbon tied around its stem.

"I've been reading about this 'Phantom,' and I've learned some very interesting things. For example," Cassidy stated his excitement evident in the flare in his eyes, "at every place that she is sighted as The Phantom, she leaves a single red rose with a black ribbon tied in a bow around the stem."

Sifting through the many articles, Cassidy finally removed the cover of a magazine, which captured Kris's picture. The photograph of Kris was taken in Berlin, standing atop a massive Church. It had been zoomed in on her, poised next to a grey, stone angel. She wore the black boots and gloves with the black pants and shirt. But instead of a trench coat, she wore a long black cape that was caught in a draft of wind, the underside a blood-red color. Her mask was no longer the black cloth tied around the back of her head, but rather white, covering one half of her face just above her mouth.

Explaining the photograph, Cassidy said, "This was taken just after an unprecedented escape of thirty-three mutants from a 'mutant-control' facility just outside of Berlin. No doubt, she was involved in bringing about the escape. As a matter of fact, they found a rose lying on the chief facilitator's desk in his office at the facility. But her outfit changed slightly, to something far more proud and ominous. She has only been spotted wearing this costume two other times: once when she broke into a mutant-experimentation compound, where she freed and saved fourteen young children; the other time, she was seen praying inside a Church sanctuary in the middle of the night. The Church's priest claimed that he saw her lighting a candle beneath a statue of the Virgin Mary, and said she kneeled down on the floor where she began to weep and pray fervently, but when he approached her, she disappeared into the shadows." There was a silence before Cassidy said, "I believe that she only wears the 'special costume' when she is in the process of doing something of a serious or grave nature, or perhaps when she is accomplishing something of utmost importance."

Placing the magazine on the table with the rest of the articles, Erik nodded his head and said, "She's religious." Silence then ensued them for passing minutes, and Erik then let out a laugh and said, "She thinks she's some sort of Phantom of the Opera. No doubt, she loves theatre…and symbolism."

Nodding, Cassidy said, "I already have The Phantom within my grasp. She is on her way here right now, I daresay. You see, Sonic is simply bait to bring The Phantom willingly to me. Sonic, I have discovered, is The Phantom's childhood best friend."

"Really? That is interesting," Erik acted with a hand to his face in speculation. "So The Phantom used to be associated with Xavier."

"Not 'used to be', Erik, but is again," Cassidy corrected in subtle excitement, leaning forward in his seat. "It's my belief that she has befriended David Forslund. The man nearly executed a few weeks ago. Do you remember Blacklight?" His words were slanted and stressed, aiming at something Erik knew or did not know. "I'm interested to know if they are planning anything, the two of them. So, I've questioned Sonic many times, but she won't break."

Seeing his opportunity, Erik seized it and stated, "I've questioned Xavier's men more times than I can count. I know what to do. Let me speak with her."

"Very well," Cassidy conceded after a thoughtful moment. And he stood and led the way down a corridor and through several locked doors and passages. Finally, after several minutes, they reached a heavy door, made of solid steel, which seemed to absorb sound rather than echo it. Pushing in a series of numbers on a keypad next to the door, Cassidy smiled and waited as it opened from the inside. Erik surveyed the area, letting out incoherent coughs to test the sound rebounding on and through the walls before stepping into the room.

As they paced in, the lights began to switch on, bright florescent lights that shined off of the stainless steel, hurting the eyes. Shadows played across the floor, leading toward Tamiko, who sat bound in the metal chair. Erik's eyes met hers, and she scowled in disgust.

"I know you like to do these things alone, so I'm gonna step out for a minute. Notify me through the intercom on the wall when you've finished." Cassidy stated this with full confidence, exiting the room, the door clanging shut behind him.

Striding over to Tamiko, Erik stood above her, staring down her bruised and bloodied face. "Good afternoon, Tamiko," he greeted sternly and smoothly.

Smirking, Tamiko looked up at him and muttered, "Go screw yourself, Haoli."

Clicking his tongue, Erik said, "Oh, I don't appreciate the Hawaiian racial slurs, but if we're going to play it your way, Slant Eyes, then I would have to ask you to step down from your superiority-complex and listen to what I have to say." It happened in a matter of seconds. The cameras in the corners all switched off, the bindings holding Tamiko to the chair unlocked and David appeared from nowhere. "Get up," Erik said, pulling the beaten young woman from the seat and leading her to the door. "I don't have time to explain. The second this door opens, you need to use your mutation to get the hell out of here."

"What? I don't—"

"There's no time, Tamiko!" David interjected, striding up next to her. "You just need to do this, and you need to do it quickly."

"And you're taking Blacklight with you," Erik added. "You can do that, correct?"

She nodded meekly, her eyes wandering in confusion. "David, you'll have to hold on tight," Tamiko instructed in a barely audible voice. Grabbing his hands, she pulled him up behind her and forced his arms around her waist. He locked his fingers and pulled tightly next to her.

Leaning down in her ear, Erik put his hand next to the door and whispered, "Run…faster than you have ever run before." Then, the door pulled open silently, and Tamiko and David disappeared in a deafening burst of sonic energy.


Trudging forward through the snow, Caleb spied Kris sitting atop the hood of her truck, waiting patiently in the nighttime snow. A faint wind rustled her dirty-blonde hair softly on a cushion of air that swirled around her neck as she stared up at the grey-cloud sky in intimate thought. Caleb smiled. This was the Kris he had always remembered, one caught in a daydream of thought. Supporting a weak and fragile Tamiko, Caleb sported her around his shoulders and continued to fight his way heavily through the mellifluous snow.

Spotting them as they maneuvered toward her, Kris started in long-held anxiety before jumping off the hood of the truck into the ankle-deep snow. Rushing to them, she embraced Tamiko, tears spilling over her cheeks. Tamiko placed exhausted arms around her friend's shoulders, her bruised head melting into the fabric of Kris's wool coat. Holding her tight, Kris looked into Caleb's grey eyes and graciously mouthed without a sound, "Thank you…" Smiling humbly, he kicked at the snow and shrugged her off with a feeble wave of his hand.

With strong hands, Caleb assisted Tamiko into the cabin of the truck where she sprawled across the seat, falling into an almost instant sleep. Kris watched her for long moments as she stood in the open door, her arms crossed over her chest for solace. Moving away from the truck, Caleb resolutely glanced back at Kris who surveyed him silently. Meekly, she reached out a hand to him, and he took it with gentle care and grace. "Caleb—I…" she stuttered, "…want to thank you for—"

"You're welcome," he whispered, bringing her mutterings to a halt. She stared longingly into him for long minutes, and he smiled in mild humor. "It was good to see you again, Phantom," he stated, nodding his head to her. As he turned to walk away, Kris mumbled his name and gripped his hand, turning him toward her. In a moment, she had her arms around him in an aching embrace. He held her close, his face in her hair, yearning for her. Her eyes closed tight, Kris leaned her forehead against his, and he slowly but surely brought his lips to hers. It was soft, warm kiss that lasted only seconds, and then Caleb drew away, falling out of her embrace.

Taking her hands into his, he whispered, "I have to go now. You should go too. Sonic needs more care than we can give her alone. Get her to a doctor." Nodding, Kris froze as he looked down at her nail-bitten fingertips. "I hope to see you again someday, Phantom," he stated with a warm smile. "Until then… goodbye." With that, he nodded to her in farewell, and turned away.

Kris watched him until he fell out of sight in the moonlit distance. And with an accepting nod of her head, she turned and climbed up into the driver's seat of the truck.


"Lie down, Tami," Kris instructed, helping her beaten friend onto a bed in a small motel room. Tamiko leant back onto a pillow with a weak groan of pain and weariness. Kris then went to the bathroom, where she retrieved a wet washcloth. Blotting the cloth onto her bloodstained skin, Kris sat down on the bed as Tamiko moved her head into her friend's lap. "We're only going to be here until sunrise. You need some rest."

Her eyes closed against the soft light of the lamp, Tamiko snuggled up against Kris's stomach like a poor child and whispered, "How did you rent this motel room? What name did you use?"

Smiling in love, Kris ran her fingers through Tamiko's dark hair and said, "I used the name Jennifer…Kaneshige."

"But you're not Japanese," Tamiko let out in a meek whisper, her tone completely serious in her exhaustion.

"I said that my husband is," Kris explained patiently.

Nearly asleep, Tamiko asked, "What name did you use for me?"

"Tami, I didn't use your name for anything. He only needed mine," Kris replied. But Tamiko only let out a disgruntled wine from the back of her throat, a weak protest. Smiling in compassion, Kris finally came up with a quick lie, "Marie. I called you Marie."

"Marie what?"

Here, Kris paused and considered her friend who had opened her eyes and stared up curiously into Kris's face. "Jones," she finally answered. "You'll be Marie Jones for tonight."

"Okay, Jennifer." This was her friend's reply, though in a soft and somewhat muffled voice. As Tamiko fought the sleepiness that struggled to overcome her, Kris grew silent and grave, watching her best friend battle exhaustion with bruised and swollen eyes.

"Tamiko," she whispered after several minutes, her voice soft and humble. "I'm so sorry, Tamiko." Tears sparkled in her eyes and she continued to run her fingers soothingly through her hair.

"Kris, can I ask you a question?" Tamiko whispered this, her eyes shut with weariness. She let out a sigh and asked, "Do you really think Bobby is too tall for me?"

Laughing, Kris replied, "Of course not."

"Do you think Bobby would be happier with someone a bit taller?" Her question came with pure curiosity and concern.

Shaking her head, Kris leaned over and turned out the lamp. As the darkness filled the room, Tamiko drew closer to Kris for comfort and repeated her question. "You know what, Tamiko?" Kris replied in a whisper. "You're not the tallest person in the world. But Bobby loves you. I love you." A pause, and Kris then whispered ever so softly, "And we wouldn't want it any other way."