"We have joining us now from Washington DC Dr. Valerie Cooper, and Evangeline Whedon of the Mutant Rights Coalition…"

"Bist du still wach?" Lucy asked. After a long final day of testimony, the day was far from over. They had said a rosary on the Luminous Mysteries while in Adoration, and stuck around for evening Mass as planned. Then Kurt reminded Kassandra, not that she needed it, that she offered to show him around Washington DC, and he hoped that would include some nightlife.

"And we can pray all the while that this won't be our last opportunity for all of us to enjoy this time together," he said, with a sad, knowing smile that no one but Kassandra seemed to understand. And so, after supper with the others, yet again at Gregor's, they caught a swing band called Hybrid Vigor playing at the Helix, a new and refreshingly non-segregated club near the famous Lincoln Theater. And all that seemed to lift Kassandra's spirit a bit. Or so Lucy thought.

"Ich kann nicht schlafen," said Kassandra, her eye still on CNN. "I'd been having the most terrible dreams."

"Kassandra, you were successful. Now that everyone's talking about how that cult was genuinely dangerous rather than just misunderstood, nobody will ever again try to pull what they did. And most everyone's saying after Jack's closing statements, it looks like you might be home free."

"Wir können hoffen," said Kassandra, dryly. Indeed, throughout the whole trial, Jack couldn't have done a better job if he was Gregory Peck playing Atticus Finch.

"Such is the life of a mutant, Ich verstehe," said Lucy. "You know what I had observed among my hyenas lately? The family groups started behaving aggressively toward certain solitaries. And we also had a case of one clan turning against another. I'd never seen anything like it. But I also noticed their social structure is suffering as a direct result."

"That's abnormal for them, nicht wahr?" said Kassandra. "And people think we're so much smarter than the animals."

"Now try not to get too cynical. I don't think Kurt would like that." Lucy finally got Kassandra's full attention. "Speaking of Kurt, I'm surprised you didn't ask him to stay with you."

"Well, I may have been the difficult child, but I got Mama's point- why she had us both help at the hospital, and why she and Ugogo insisted we learn umshiza. And espionage is never like the James Bond movies, anyway, you can rest assured of that. For some reason, right now I can't trust myself to avoid being impulsive. Like I said, I'm not feeling quite like myself. But I suppose my feelings have been pretty obvious."

"Oh, ja, sehr klar. And also the way he looked at you, danced with you, insisted yet again on walking you home even though we all had a ride-"

"You know I prefer walking or running anyway."

"Ja doch, especially if it means more time alone with Kurt, nicht wahr?"

Kassandra blushed. Lucy had her and Kurt both pegged.

"Anyway it was as if he was wondering if he should start negotiating lobola. We suspected, oh, ever since you came to your senses about John, that it was just a matter of time before you and Kurt kicked the friendship up a notch."

"Ich weiß. Michael told me he had planned to ask Kurt for no lobola other than a promise to keep me out of trouble. But that would be a bit much, nicht wahr?" said Kassandra, sardonically. "Not that it matters."

"Kassandra, this depression or whatever, especially after we've all had such a great time, is so not like you. No more watching the news. How about..?" Lucy began changing channels. Mostly news. Some infomercials. The only thing remotely good on included Law and Order reruns, a Metropolitan Opera production of Bluebeard's Castle, and, on AMC, The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex.

And as if a dam finally ruptured, Kassandra finally burst into tears.

As if to make up for that annoying tendency to evade telepathy, Gamesmaster found toying with this girl's emotions delightfully easy- at least as long as that telepathic friend of hers wasn't on guard. He didn't need to even project anything, just direct her focus to some things she was already feeling. But there were more important things for him to concentrate on than just having his own kind of fun.

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The call came far too early the next morning.

"Kassandra, I'm afraid the jury has already finished deliberation," said Jack.

"And it doesn't look good, nicht wahr?" said Kassandra.

"I may be good, but not that good," said Jack.

"Can I clean up the apartment and say goodbye to the Slawsons first?"

Kassandra filed into the courthouse with her family, all looking somewhat the worse for wear. But instead of proceeding to the courtroom, all decided they were going to sit in the mutants' gallery. Security followed them frantically in there, protesting.

"I'm a mutant, aren't I?" snapped Kassandra. "And if you will not let all my friends sit in the courtroom like you do for other defendants, I will seize what few rights I can."

"Während sie still kann,"thought Kurt, as he took his seat behind her, beside her mother. All rose as Judge Montgomery entered and took her place at the bench, then resumed their seats. And with minimal fuss, she asked if the jury had reached a verdict.

They had.

Kurt braced himself. He would have liked to leave his hand resting on Kassandra's shoulder, but she had to stand yet again. On her own. That just seemed so wrong. And he could see in her face and posture, as well as feel in his own knotted stomach, that knowing it would likely come down to this didn't make facing the reality any easier. But Dr. Altheim, for once sitting right behind her daughter and yet powerless to protect her was trembling. Michael held one hand. Kurt took the other, giving thanks that Logan had the presence of mind to decide he really should not be there.

"Very well," said Judge Montgomery. "How do you find?"

"On the first charge, murder in the first degree," said the foreman, "we find the defendant, Kassandra Altheim..,"

Kurt nearly winced in pain as Dr. Altheim's grip tightened, her fingers digging into his.

And the probability solidified into certainty. The verdict was delivered. Each word the same, like one of Wolverine's clawed fists to the stomach, times forty.

Guilty. Kassandra's knees buckled, but a stone-faced Jack steadied her. Dr. Altheim's face blenched. Havok and Archangel both were aghast. Michael sat still, but for his mouth and forehead, contorting with every repetition of the word.

"Oh, no, no, no." Cyclops wasn't even particularly fond of Kassandra, but he knew Jean was already unhappy about this. And he found himself losing his resolve to be a strong example for Jubilee, who clearly wondered just what evidence the jury saw, but for once had her mouth tightly shut against the raging conniptions that threatened to erupt. Jubilee was at least thankful that wherever Logan tended to run off to at times like these, it was usually far away from people and property in general. Matching almost Logan's own ferocity was the torrent of tears Lucy shed, sobbing on Vincent's own quaking shoulder.

Amid the courtroom celebrations Miranda Eastman found increasingly morbid and distasteful, she looked toward the monitor, on which she could see the devastation in the mutants' gallery. She couldn't imagine herself feeling any sympathy for the girl who made mincemeat of her sons, but at the very least for the sake of her mother, brothers, and sister, couldn't the foreman have just read "Guilty on all charges," instead of reading out all forty of them, one by one, drawing it out like this?

A guilty verdict on forty felony charges, fifteen of which were capital offenses. Kurt looked upon Kassandra through his own tears. He wanted to reassure Kassandra. The fencing practices. The way Kassandra blushed when he'd compliment her. Movies, conversations, letters, and moments when all he wanted to do was hear her music. And finally the kisses. So cruel that he would reclaim all his memories of his dear friend and eventual beloved, for her to then be torn from him like this. But he knew the possibilities, and he would not have given up any of that just to make this moment easier. He wanted to tell her that, or say something, anything, to be of comfort, but the lump in his own throat got in the way. Kassandra had regained her footing, if not entirely her composure. She stood, head down, eyes half shut, tears streaming down her own face, her mouth moving almost inaudibly.

"Es tut mir leid. Es tut mir leid. Vergeben mir, Mama, Kurt…" She whispered.