Emma strode out of the hospital and hailed a cab. Both she and Lucy (in Forges body) slid in and sat down.
"Where are the fireworks happening tonight?" Emma asked the man. "We're looking to see Excalibur in action."
The old cabby smiled. "We've been told to avoid the junkyard and down town in general. I reckon that's where you're looking to go." He pulled down the little flag and pulled away from the curb.
Emma looked hesitantly at Lucy. "Are you okay in there?"
Lucy smiled a small tight-lipped little smirk. "He's too tall. I feel like I'm going to be walking in to things."
Emma smiled. "So… What's it like?"
"Walking in to things?" Lucy looked at her sideways.
Emma laughed. "No. Being a man."
Lucy thought about it for a moment. "Confusing." She decided at last, looking Emma over.
"How so?" Emma pressed.
"Listen, you've got great breasts. Is that what you want to hear, then fine. You've got great breasts. I don't care, but I can't stop looking either. Happy now?"
"I like 'em too." The old cabby added with a toothy grin.
Emma covered up. "Well, that… was unexpected."
"Oh, please, if you wore any less clothing you'd implode." Lucy told her pointedly.
"Implode?" Emma looked at her. "You've … changed. And I don't just mean the manhood."
The cabby eyed them in the mirror, confused by the exchange.
It took a moment but Lucy finally dropped her eyes from the outside view. "Was Forge… Okay?" She swallowed. "When you last 'felt' him?"
Emma nodded slowly. "He was… I think. He was distracted and I couldn't really 'reach' him but… He was alive. If I had to be on it I'd say that he's in your body somewhere."
The cabby wrinkled his brow.
Lucy looked back out the window. "You said he was… risking his life… for me? Didn't you?"
Emma nodded. "He was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital." Emma swallowed. "I brought his body in to tune with my own and let him use my energy to keep him alive. I thought I'd find him still holding on and bring him back. But he was creating that place for you and… her."
Forge/Lucy wiped away a tear. "I don't know how he does it." She said absently. "All his emotions are so close to the surface…"
Emma smiled. "Yeah, you … got yourself a good man there." She said softly, trying to comfort the girl. "You're… really lucky."
Lucy shot her a look and then looked away. "There's no one like that for you, is there?"
"No." Emma answered quickly. "Not like that. Never."
Lucy sat thoughtfully as the cab swung in close towards the flaming junkyard. "Then…" But then she seemed to think better of it and stopped talking with a mild shake of her head.
The cab pulled to a stop and Emma handed the driver a big bill. "Keep it. And wait." Emma told him.
Then Emma snatched Lucy/Forge by the arm as she/he slipped out of the cab.
"What were you about to say?" Emma demanded of her.
Lucy swallowed and looked on Emma with Forge's soulful brown eyes. "I… "
"You won't upset me." Emma assured her. "I've heard it all before."
Lucy smirked almost sadly and looked down at Forge's long legs and trim frame.
"I was going to ask what you were doing with your life." Lucy said softly. "Because… I think that people like Forge… are the only thing that makes it worthwhile."
Lucy pulled away and stepped out, but for a long moment Emma sat in the back seat. Lucy looked in after her.
"Are you coming?" Lucy asked her, and much to her amazement, Emma wiped her eyes, and replied in a small, squeaky, recovering voice.
"Yes." She smiled weakly, realizing it was true. "I am."
"I'm coming."
"Bamf!"
Tabitha jumped at the sound as it echoed behind her.
She felt Kurt grab her arm and twist, forcing her to her knees, and she felt the handcuff tighten around her wrist.
"Ah!" She gasped as he wrested her other arm behind her and secured the cuffs.
He grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head back to face him.
"We need to talk." He told her and then…
They both bamfed away.
They reappeared on the roof where Illyana had left Kurt.
"You left me!" Tabitha screamed at him, wrestling with the cuffs. "You ran off with Kitty!"
Kurt forced her to stay on the ground as she tried to rise and he searched her tear-filled eyes for any semblance of reason. There was none.
"There's nothing between Kitty and I." Kurt told her. "Nothing romantic anyway."
"LIAR!" Tabitha shrieked. "Why wont my powers work?"
"Forge's null-cuffs." He explained. "Illyana left them here. She must have known I'd need them."
"First Kitty! Now Illyana! You're just like all the others!" She spit the words furiously.
"Like all the others… Or like your father?" Kurt cocked his head sadly. "You know I'm not like that."
She whimpered for a moment, unsure and wanting to believe him.
"It's Watts. He did something to you Tabitha… So I need you to fight it for me. Okay?" He asked gently.
"No…" She continued crying. "You… you did it…" She sobbed. "You…"
"Love you very much." He said, slowly lowering himself to his knees to face her. "More than I've let myself say and so… Much more than you know."
"You what?" She whispered, as though waking through a fog.
"I love you." He whispered. "Without reservation… or expectation." He said, stroking her hair. "Do you understand?"
She looked around the roof as though lost. "Kurt what…" And then she met his eyes. "What did you just say?"
"I love you Tabitha."
She twisted, uncomfortably in the cuffs and then forced herself to smile through her teary and exhausted eyes. "Can…" She swallowed. "Can I get that in writing?"
Kurt reached around her and triggered a release that let the cuffs spring off her and she immediately threw her arms around him.
"I'm sorry. I'm so, so… so sorry." She began.
"Hush." He told her. "It's all okay. You know that."
She nodded in tears. "Yeah… I know… that."
She seemed to be working up her courage. "I never say…" She swallowed. "It…"
He leaned back slightly and met her eyes.
"I… never said it to anyone who… stayed … with me." She swallowed. "But I…" She hesitated and searched his eyes.
He could see the fear in hers. It was an awful and all consuming fear of abandonment and worthlessness.
"You don't need to say…"
But she interrupted. "I love you too Kurt." She sniffed. "I always have."
Kurt smiled. "You've got no idea… " He swallowed. "I always wanted…" He pursed his lips.
But she nodded in understanding all the same. "Now we can." She told him, running her fingers through his hair. "Now we can."
She pulled her arms from around his neck and pressed her two index fingers together. "Just as soon as you die!" She screamed and the small explosive bit of light flared to a dangerous size and leapt from her fingers, intent on striking Kurt square in his face.