"I hear I was brought up in conversation?" The slender hand put down the coffee and sat across from Psi. If she didn't know better she would think she was talking to a ghost.

"You know the yellow eyes give it away," She took a small sip, watching the steam escape her lips, "Thanks for the coffee. It's cold."

"Yeah, but I get more attention this way," She blinked and the deep purple of Betsy's eyes looked straight back at her, "besides it's not everyday I get to be a dead woman."

"An ex-assassin who loves being noticed," Psi smiled. "Sounds like an oxymoron to me."

"Calling me a moron dear?" Mystique shifted into Cyclops, "Now this is a moron." Both women chuckled.

"Let's shop, I need to work some stress off." Psi zippered the black bomber jacket all the way up. Even growing up in the suburbs of Boston hadn't made her fully accustomed to the cold of winter. Mystique nodded and shifted back to her normal disguise, the normal red haired but pale skinned woman. Psi had always admired how pretty she was blue skin and all. She wished for the day that her friend could walk down any street in the country, fully blue and not be afraid, although Mystique was the kind of woman that wouldn't be afraid to do it now. The upcoming vote on the Mutant Rights Act was a crucial step. It meant that simple things wouldn't be complicated anymore, she wouldn't have to mask Remy's eyes when they went out for dinner or a movie, she wouldn't have to lie to court officials about what her powers were. Hopefully, things would be simple again. Psi hadn't noticed that Mystique had stopped until her friend had grabbed her arm.

"Let's go in here."

"Yeah because you need another pair of sexy underwear." Psi smiled and followed her friend into the store.

"That's the beauty of being a shape shifter; I don't really need to buy anything if I don't want too. I can just come here, get some ideas and replicate them later." The accomplished smile on her face told Psi to just smile and find something to wear for Remy. "It's only when my lovers insist on taking the damned things off that I buy them."

"You want to share that power of yours? Remy doesn't care how they come off as long as they do. And I spend way too much money on these things."

"So how is lover boy? You're not still having that problem with him trying to charge you out of excitement are you?" Intrigue and concern laced the ex-assassins eyes. It was true that at one point the X-men had been her mortal enemies; it was still true that most of them didn't trust her but Mystique didn't care much for them either. But this one was different. Psi and Mystique had once been pawns of the Hellfire Club, and the then extremely young telepath had risked her own life to save her. After Irene's death and the rift the formed between her and Rogue, Mystique found herself actually leaning on the white haired telepath for friendship. Mystique had always felt bad about her friend's hair; Psi had put herself between Mystique and the very evil, very deadly Selene. Selene had been draining the life force from the assassin's body, when Psi pissed off the Black Queen enough to have her focus on killing the young telepath. Mystique had just enough energy to knock Selene out, but the damage was already done. Psi was near death and her hair was completely white save for two chunks of hair in the front. After apprenticing under Psylocke, Psi had dyed them purple. Mystique had always thought it was a good decision; the light brown of her original color didn't look right on her anymore.

"…learned to control it so I don't have to telepathically lock out his powers during sex."

"It's a shame that you're that good in bed and I haven't seduced you yet." Mystique jumped back into the conversation.

"Yea well. We all know you like red heads better."

"Why is Jean looking?" Mystique was thoroughly intrigued.

"Probably not," Psi grumbled. "Fucking Scott."

"As much as I would love to have a bitch fest about that….man." Psi could tell that Mystique felt the same, "Let's talk about something that won't put us in a bad mood."

Psi nodded her agreement and continued to look through the rack of black lace panties. Every lingerie shop had a rack of black corsets, and in every one Psi skipped over them. Even after eight years the sight of them brought back memories of how her life could have turned out. She turned away to go over to the rack of teddy's.

"So have you talked to Rogue lately?"

"She called me last week," Mystique said, a shade of sadness was on the woman's face, "She called to ask what Irene's middle name was, for the marriage license."

"This wedding is exactly what the team needs" Psi squeezed her friends arm before moving to another rack. "Bobby's come to me about improving his control."

"Why?" Mystique looked puzzled.

"Well even though he's learned to control his powers so well that he can stay in his human form, they still have the equivalent of an ice condom."

"And he wants help so he can?" She was still confused.

"He wants kids, Myst." Psi waited to see the woman's reaction. The prospect of grandchildren from her only daughter was obviously something that Mystique had never thought would happen. Up until five years ago none thought it was possible, hell up until five years ago Rogue had never been able to really be touched in that way. When Bobby came to Psi to ask her for help, she hadn't really believed that what he proposed would work but she helped him anyway. It had taken him six months just to be able to stay in human form and produce a very thin layer of ice on his lips that would allow him to kiss Rogue without her powers kicking in.

"But wouldn't her powers kick in during delivery?" The woman's eyes held both hope and concern.

"I suppose she could have a c-section, she's had to have surgery before." Psi smiled as Mystique thought about the concept. Rogue was virtually indestructible but somehow Hank had managed to operate on her when her appendix had to be taken out. It was more than possible that he could figure out a way for her to deliver. And if he couldn't do it on his own Psi was more than happy to telepathically shut off Rogues' powers as best she could.

The two women walked through Salem center continuing their conversation about the upcoming wedding, what everyone would be wearing, the latest gossip from the mansion, and just generally catching up. Once again they found themselves nestled near the fireplace of the coffee shop. Mystique let out a small sigh before turning to her friend.

"Well love, it's getting late and I have a plane to catch in the morning." The shape shifter moved to collect her bags. "You know how that works."

"Send me a post card before you leave?" Pushing a strand of purple hair behind her ear, Psi winked at her friend. The telepath gathered her things as the two women walked out to their cars. Psi lifted the hard cover to place her bags in the truck bed before facing Mystique. The two mutants embraced, and the telepath brushed the assassin's mind with love and concern. Both women were more than capable of taking care of themselves on their various missions but neither would deny that they truly worried for each other's safety.

"Jesus woman, you're going to make me go soft." Mystique broke the embrace and stepped back. She looked over her friend and then glanced at the truck behind her. "What happened to the old truck?"

Psi chuckled before biting her lip with a mischievous gleam in her eye, "I accidentally backed into Emma's Benz."