Okay. Last one. After this you have to wait for me to write some more. But I am on the case and I hope to have something soon(ish) ;o)

I don't own the X-Men, just Mattie

Fun

Tom ran. It was the only thing he could think to do. And still the thing came after him. He could hear it behind him. Turning he threw out his hands palms out. A volley of volts shot at the thing.

"Designation mutant. Destroy." It shrugged them off as if they were nothing. In return Tom found himself dodging another red blast.

He was exhausted, he knew he couldn't run anymore. With a cry of fury and frustration he gave it all he had, a maximum blast. He'd never unleashed his power like that, wanting totally destruction.

Barely breathing, struggling to stand, he blinked desperately to clear his vision. Had it work?

A red blast. "Destroy."

X

Emma Frost looked up from her casual perusal of the menu as he approached her table.

"You're late." She commented as he slipped into the seat across from her. The waiter hovered nearby to take his drink order.

"A bottle of the Malbec." He said, waving the waiter away.

Emma smiled thinly. "Trying to placate me with gifts?"

"Maybe a gourmet meal and a nice bottle of red will go some way to mollifying you. Hmm?"

She raised one eyebrow just enough to indicate that she was willing to play along, for now. Glancing at the menu again her smile broadened. "Lobster."

He rolled his eyes. Deliberately picking the most expensive choice. "That only works if money is a problem. And we both know that it is not."

"I happen to like it." She returned.

He sighed. "Very well." He raised a hand slightly and the waiter was once again at his beck and call. "Two lobsters."

The waiter bowed. "Yes, sir."

Another appeared with the wine. Offering him a sample to taste to ensure it was to his liking. He nodded and the waiter filled both glasses.

Emma had her chin resting on her hand staring across the restaurant, feigning boredom. It was no use. He knew her to well, she was seething about something.

"So? What have you learnt?"

Without moving her head she shot him a look. He met the look without comment. With a sigh she made an elaborate gesture of pulling herself together into a formal pose. "There is some interesting talent there."

He nodded. "We knew that."

"Well you were right." She said, her lips twisting at admitting it. "They have a lot of untapped potential."

"The X-Men?" He questioned.

"Difficult to get to. And they have the benefit of the most training, plus actual experience. The new recruits have possibly more power, but they haven't been at the school for as long. And most of them haven't been in anything more dangerous than team activities."

He nodded thoughtfully. This was as expected. "And their loyalty?"

"Total." She made a face. "They all adore him."

"So no chance of wooing them to us then." He murmured to himself gazing off into the distance. Then his eyes sought hers again. "Have you managed to witness them during a demonstration of their powers?"

"Witness? I had to take part." She shot back.

He managed to suppress a chuckle. Emma had never been one for taking orders unless they were ones she herself agreed with. The idea of playing at being a student and following instructions must really be grating. She had only agreed to infiltrating the Institute if she could live elsewhere. The idea of Emma having the submit to an evening curfew and lights out formed a smile on his face.

The look she shot him was pure poison.

"Apologies." He smoothed his face into a neutral expression. "Did you learn anything interesting?"

Her look was still dark. "I learnt that some people need to be taught a lesson."

He raised an eyebrow.

"I will not be humiliated." She told him. "Bad enough that I have to pretend to be their age, and they are such children! I have to be at a public school. I have to put up with hearing how marvellous their shitty little Institute is. I have to wear the disgusting lump of cloth that they consider to be uniforms. I have to take part in team games. Then some scruffy little witch has the audacity to attempt to drown me. In front of them all."

"Really? You didn't see it coming?" He himself had never managed to get a move past Emma that she hadn't sensed in his thoughts.

"She's quick." She sulkily replied. "She caught me by surprise, little bitch. I'll be watching her now."

He nodded to himself. This was certainly interesting information. At present Emma was the model employee. But that was not to say things would not change in the future. Learning peoples weaknesses was something of a hobby for him and this was one it would pay to remember. He surreptitiously glanced over to see if Emma was reading him. But she seemed distracted by her anger.

"They all saw it. And they laughed." She glared at him. "I am not going to take this lack of respect. You can find someone else to do your dirty work."

Behind him the waiter appeared with the two lobsters. Looking across he could see Emma still simmering. He let her eat a few mouthfuls, before he changed the subject slightly.

"And the ones you showed me at the club? Would they be useful?"

"I had to get them in." She glared at him. "Me. On my good name. They don't deserve to be guest list."

"But that surely endeared you to them."

"That. My car, My shopping ability. Really. What is the point in going around all the shops yourself? Being shoved left, right and centre by people. You simply hire someone to do it for you. But no. They seem to think it entertainment in the highest order."

He was pleased that the food was providing a distraction. It was becoming harder to hide his amusement. He had rarely seen Emma so frustrated.

She shot him a look. "I know what you're thinking. Remember."

This time he didn't bother to hide the smile. "And I wouldn't have it any other way, my dear."

She sighed. "When can you pull me out?"

"When you have secured us some participants. Willing or otherwise."

"And how am I suppose to do that? I can't just spirit them away in the middle of the night."

"I leave it entirely up to your genius." He told her, inclining his head.

She rolled her eyes. "So I have to return, then." A wicked smile crossed her lips. "I suppose that if I have to have forced interaction with them, I can always spend some time teaching certain people the danger or crossing me."

"We have our own plan, Emma." He cautioned. "Whatever plans you have in mind for this girl are secondary."

She shrugged. "I'm sure I can make them overlap." A light flashed in her eyes. "In fact I may just have devised a way to deliver to you exactly what you want, while allowing me my fun."

He raised his glass. "To your fun."

She smiled so beautifully he knew that someone was in trouble. "My fun." She repeated.

X

Mattie sat in the back of the car desperately speed reading through the fifth chapter of A Room With a View.

"We've got a test on it today." Jubilee hissed beside her.

"I know." Mattie ground out, trying to concentrate on reading.

"And you're reading it now?" Jubes asked, while in front Sam rolled his eyes.

"She didn't have time last night." Paige put in, from where she sat the other side of Mattie. "She was busy."

Jubes frowned.

"Someone." Mattie glared meaningfully at the back of Bobby's head. "Suggested that we go for a walk."

"And she very nearly didn't make it back before breakfast." Paige added.

Mattie shot her a look. "It was not that late."

"Late enough that you took even longer getting up this morning." Her room mate replied.

"Well with the Danger room to look forward to, what's the rush." Mattie muttered.

"So… A walk, huh?" Jubes asked.

Mattie blushed. She knew exactly where Jubilee was going with that question. But the truth was they had just gone for a walk. Okay so it was a walk that had ended up with them on the ground, a lot of kissing and them both being very out of breath. But it hadn't gone where Jube's question was leading. She bit her lip. She and Bobby had been together over a year now, and she knew most of the students thought that she and Bobby had 'done the deed.' But they hadn't. The closest they had come had been that night in his room when she'd finally told him about why she hated her birthday and all the guilt she had over her mom's death.

Remembering that night brought on another bought of blushes. She still couldn't believe how lucky she was to have a boyfriend like Bobby. Someone who had done the best thing for her, rather than just taking what she had offered. And she'd offered it alright. But since then…

Bobby had said he wanted to wait until they were both ready. Mattie got the sense that he was ready, but was waiting for her to make the first move. And he wasn't going to push. Which was fine, except sometimes Mattie wondered if she might actually need a little push. Because trying to work it out in her own head just meant she went round and round in circles. Because it was Bobby. She loved him. And she knew that one day she would make the first move with him. But… She just didn't feel ready to make that move yet.

"Mattie." Paige nudged her. "You've been staring at the same page for ages."

She shook her head and once again tried to finish the chapter. But all she could think about was the person sitting in front of her. His strong hands on the steering wheel. She loved his hands.

It was way to early in the morning for thoughts like that, she chastised herself. Forcing her eyes away. They landed on the rearview mirror and she found a pair of blue ones staring straight back at her. "Something on your mind, Mats?"

She blushed and shook her head.

Coming to a stop at some traffic lights, Bobby turned to face her, beckoning her forward with a crocked finger.

She leaned forward and Bobby planted a kiss on her lips, ignoring the moans from the other occupants of the car. "Good morning." He said, his eyes decidedly playful.

A blast of a horn from the car behind indicated the lights had changed at Bobby gave her one last smile before waving casually to the guy behind and pulling away.

X

Bobby made his way to class wondering what had made Mattie blush. Oh he knew what had made her blush. But he wondered what about it she'd been thinking about in the car. He smiled to himself. Catching her thinking suggestive thoughts was the best one. His favourite trick was to judge it just right and shoot her a knowing look. That always created a beautiful blush. But she'd been thinking deep thoughts in the car. Mattie always seemed to over think things. She went round and round and covered everything from every angle. Sometimes doubling back on herself. He found the best way to get her to work things through was to talk to him. Most of the time he didn't even have to comment or really listen much. The actually act of speaking out loud helped her to slow down and think things through. Whether this was part of her naturally fast mutant ability or natural to her he wasn't sure. Either way he ought to try and talk to her later. Something was playing on her mind.

He slipped into his seat still musing over his girlfriend. She'd been glaring at him so hard this morning over breakfast as she tried to eat and read at the same time, while ignoring the general noise that accompanied any meal at the Institute. Fair enough it had been his idea to talk a stroll. But he wasn't entirely to blame for their delayed return. And she had done her fair share of distracting him.

"Can I check you're answers?"

Bobby blinked and found Emma's face only centimetres away from his own. "Huh?"

"The homework questions." She explained, leaning across the desk to open his folder. "Can I check what answers you've got."

"Um, sure." Bobby leaned back slightly to give her some space. Emma leaned even further forward to get a better look at his work. She secured a length of hair behind her ear, leaving a clear view straight down her blouse at the turquoise bra underneath it.

Bobby looked away quickly.

"Bobby?" Emma looked up at him, then back down at the folder. "This one here…"

"Forcing himself to look at his homework Bobby nodded. "Yeah?"

"Are you sure you got that right? Because…" She leaned even closer to him to reach for his text book.

Bobby closed his eyes in desperation. Should he tell her that she needed to button up, or just not lean like that. She was a telepath for crying out loud. She was gonna know exactly what was going on in his head. He'd come over as a pervert. He winced at that last thought. Mentally re-writing the sentence in his head.

"Here it is." Emma continued, pointing to a section in the book. "Look here."

Risking opening his eyes Bobby firmly glued them to the text book on the desk in front of him. Not daring to look up.

"See?" Emma asked. "This bit here."

"Uh huh." Bobby nodded. He could smell her perfume, he noticed. He didn't recognise the fragrance, but he could smell it, mixing with the scent of whatever she used as shampoo. She smelled good. He couldn't deny it. But she was very definitely making him uncomfortable.

He looked around, catching a flash of turquoise out the corner of his eye as he did so, there must be someone he could strike up conversation with to avoid this. He saw Mr Beaman walk in the room and couldn't remember a time when he'd been more happy to see a teacher.

Emma glanced towards the teacher, sending another waft of perfume Bobby's way, then she flashed him and smile and returned to his seat.

Bobby sighed an internal sigh of relief. No man in a relationship should have to go through torture like that.

X

"Paige?" Mattie stared up a the dark of their room. She wondered if her room mate had gone to sleep, she'd been wondering if she should even bother Paige. In fact she'd been wondering it for so long that it was highly likely that Paige was already asleep.

"Finally." Mattie thought she heard amusement in Paige's voice. "I've been waiting."

"Waiting?"

"I can hear you tossing and turning and sighing away to yourself over there." Paige told her. "What's got you worried, as if I didn't know."

"Over the last few days." Mattie started. "Like today for example. When we all came back after school. Did you think… Did you notice… Was it just me… Was Emma…"

"Was Emma all over Bobby like a rash?" Paige cut in. "Yes she was."

Mattie let out a sigh. Thank God. So it wasn't just her being an over protective girlfriend. She hadn't wanted to say anything, fearing that she was just being over sensitive, but apparently Paige had noticed something too.

The trouble was that Emma hadn't really done anything that she could pin down. It was just the way that she seemed to be listening attentively to anything that Bobby said. And she'd be sitting really close to him. She kept teasing him and then she'd nudge him playfully when he teased her back. But really that was exactly what everyone else did. Paige was always thumping Bobby. Mattie herself regularly jabbed Sam or Ray when they were mocking her. It was nothing that anyone else at the Institute wouldn't have done. They all acted like an extended family with each other. Yet it had set her teeth on edge watching Emma behave like that.

A rustle in the dark told her that Paige was now sitting up in bed. "Mattie, I know you are trying to rationalise this all, and I know you like Emma. But I am telling you. She was all over your boyfriend."

"But she wasn't really." Mattie told her miserably. "I mean she didn't do anything much."

"It's not what she did, it's the way that she did it." Paige replied. "God even Ray noticed and it takes forever to get anything through his thick skull."

"What did he say?"

"Just that he thought Emma was staking a claim. Which she was. I mean she might have well have sat on Bobby's lap and told him he had a sexy body."

"Which is something that Tabby has done in the past." Mattie pointed out.

"Well that's just Tabby." Paige said dismissively. "She does things like that. Anyway, you called her on it."

Mattie nodded, then realised Paige couldn't see that in the dark. "So if I let Tabby do that, why am I in such a state over Emma doing practically nothing?"

"Because you haven't called her on it."

"But what would I say? 'I don't like the way that you laugh with my boyfriend?'"

"I don't know." Paige admitted after a moments thought. "I agree that there is very little hard evidence. But I'm telling you she is up to something."

"I think that I must have it wrong." Mattie said. "Why would she do it. She knows that Bobby and I are an item. I think she must just not realise that it's bothering me. She's new, and she's just trying to fit in. Maybe this is her way of fitting in."

"Fitting into your shoes."

"We misjudged her once before."

"Mattie!" Paige exclaimed in exasperation. "She's playing you for a fool."

"I just can't think why she'd do it."

"Because she's a bitch. You can think whatever you like, but if you won't watch your own back then I'll just have to watch it for you."

"What are you planning?" Mattie asked, suddenly suspicious.

"Nothing." Paige replied. "Yet. I'm just going to keep a very watchful eye."

"Don't say anything."

"Not a word." Paige assured her. "No point in letting her know we're on to her." There was a pause before she asked: "Have you said anything to Bobby?"

"What would I say?" Mattie asked her again. "Anything that I do say just makes me sound like a clingy, insecure girlfriend. And I don't want to be that."

"Well if Ray's noticed something then you can bet Bobby's noticed something."

"Do you think they've talked about it?"

"If they have I'll get it out of Ray." Paige promised. "And if not him then Sam for sure."

"Do you think Bobby would say anything to me?"

"Why don't you ask him and find out."

"Because that takes me back to clingy girlfriend territory."

Mattie heard Paige lay back down in her bed. "This could go round and round all night. I suggest that we shelve it for tonight. Because Logan will not be sympathetic in the Danger room tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Night." Mattie agreed, turning over and closing her eyes. But she knew she wouldn't be sleeping any time soon. She just didn't know what to do. She couldn't believe that Emma was deliberately trying to steal her boyfriend. On the other hand she couldn't see any other explanation for her behaviour.

What she should do is sit down and talk to Bobby. She knew that. It was the obvious thing to do. She just… Couldn't. Which was stupid and likely to cause more trouble. It didn't change the fact.

Maybe she should just talk to Emma instead. Except she wasn't sure how exactly you went about asking someone if they were trying to steal your boyfriend.

Or she could do nothing. She could let things play out and see where they went. Paige had said that Ray had noticed something. So in all likelihood he had at least mentioned something to Bobby. So that meant that Bobby probably knew something was going on. He'd have to be pretty oblivious not to notice the attention Emma was giving him. So if she assumed that Bobby did know something, she just had to trust him. And she trusted Bobby more than anyone else.

So that was her plan. To let things work themselves out. Not much of a plan, as plans go. But certainly the best one she was going to come up with tonight.