The DNA scan had been effective ("Naturally Isabelle" Hank had smiled a little, "where you really expecting one of my inventions to fail?") they'd finally found a small trace and Bobby and Rogue had been sent out to find further traces with the modified scanner attached to the base of the Blackbird. Once she had got over her fear of flying the jet, Rogue was possibly one of the best pilots the X-men had ever had. There was little else for everyone to do other than wait it out. Though the atmosphere in the room where they'd gathered was not exactly tense it still felt…alert. Isabelle smiled a little, listening to the others speaking. She was curled up beside Hank on the sofa, their fingers curled together and his arm resting easily over her shoulder. Ororo and Kurt sat opposite, not holding hands but sitting very close together. The mutant called Cyber – Martin Jules – had joined in at some point and even Logan had sat smoking quietly in a nearby chair. Isabelle had listened and laughed to the sounds of past missions, getting angry along with them and sensing the deeply buried pain. Kurt and Martin were having a heated discussion about theology when Hank leaned down and kissed her ear,

"I've just had a thought, Belle…I've got to get to the lab… I'll be back in a bit" He murmured. She squeezed his hand even as he rose a desperate look in her eyes,

"Please-" Don't leave me,

"You'll be fine, you're charming" He smiled, cupping her cheek gently in one hand before looking up and gaining the weather goddesses attention, "Ororo, could you remind Isabelle where the kitchen is? I don't think she's eaten for a while"

"Sure thing, Hank" They watched him exit. Storm sighed, smiling ruefully "He doesn't change much"

"No…isn't it strange that it's not alright for me to not eat but he can go for days without food" Isabelle wrinkled her nose, "Except for Twinkies" She turned to look at Kurt who had chorused that with her, breaking off the debate. He grinned and shrugged expressively,

"I take it you hafe not been here ven he has asked me to re-stock his Twinkie supply?" Isabelle shook her head, unable to stop a smile as the expressive man rolled his eyes, "zer last one vas at three in zer mornink!" He shook his head. Isabelle laughed,

"Come on, lets get you fed, later Cyber…when was the last time you ate?" Ororo asked, leading the way, her hand swinging freely in Kurt's,

"Erm, yesterday morn - no, the night before yesterday morning…we came up and stole someone's takeaway" She pulled a face, "it didn't feel like that long ago" She added, just a little defensively as the two exchanged looks,

"Vat is it you are workink on vis zer Doctor?" Kurt asked, slipping onto one of the high stools that surrounded a vast breakfast bar. Isabelle shrugged, dithering a little between helping Storm and sitting down,

"I'm not really working with him, just assisting. He's trying to find out who the mutant DNA on the DVD we received belongs too…um, can I help out at all?" She asked the white haired woman,

"No, sit" Storm said easily, waving her away, "I'm afraid it's only sandwiches, never got the hang of cooking, is that alright?" On queue Isabelle's stomach growled,

"I guess so" She laughed, sitting beside Kurt, "I don't mean to be rude but…what's it like? Teleporting? Does it hurt?" Kurt beamed, seemingly proud that someone had asked,

"Not at all. Vould you like to try?"

"Don't take her far Kurt, I'm almost done" Storm said over her shoulder,

"Try? Really?" Isabelle slapped a hand to her forehead, "I wish I'd stop saying stupid things" She murmured. Kurt laughed, climbing off the stool and offered her his hand,

"It is a little strange zer first time" He shrugged, "but you get used to it" Storm laughed incredulously behind them as Kurt hugged her,

"Should I keep my eyes opened or closed?" Isabelle asked, blushing,

"I recommend closed the first time, it's a little weird" Ororo said with a little shake of her head. Kurt rolled his eyes,

"You are all…how do zer chiltren say? Ah, you are all wusses" He grinned, "close your eyes" She did as she was told and – Bampf! – it had been the strangest, split second feeling…something like all over body de ja vu as she was split into a small cloud of atoms and particles before she felt solid ground under her feet again. She heard Kurt snigger a little as she staggered back, falling flat on her backside as her senses reeled. It was dark, there was grass under her palms. She turned to see the mansion a little way away, Storm watching from the window of the kitchen, smiling and waving. Isabelle waved back dazedly, looking up at Kurt, "good, ja?"

"Ja…er…yeah" He smiled kindly, reaching down to help her up, "um, mind if I walk back?" He laughed at her shaky tone,

"No, I do not mind" He shrugged, glancing up Storm,

"I wouldn't mind walking alone if you want to go back to her. I know you've been away for a while" She smiled, shrugging one shoulder, "I'll walk slow. Give you a few minutes to chat" Kurt blushed as she added, "or other things" The teleporter bowed his head a little in shy thanks,

"Danka" He murmured. Isabelle shuddered, turning her head away at the soft Bampf as he teleported back to the kitchen. She sat down with a sigh, trying to stop her head spinning, letting the lights that wanted to crawl over her skin do what they wanted. She watched the flashing move up and down the length of her arms,

"I hate you" She murmured at the lights without much feeling, they ignored her, shaping themselves around where Hank had last touched her arm. She smiled as his hand print emerged on her skin,

"Pretty" She nearly jumped out of her skin at the voice behind her, standing up and whirling round faster than she thought she was capable of,

"Wolverine" She murmured, sighing as she tried to still the beat of her heart, willing the lights back to the hiding place of her belly,

"Don't make 'em go" He reached out, poking her hand curiously. The lights raced there of their own accord and he smiled up at her, almost childishly, trailing a finger along her hand and up her wrist,

"I'm not a light display you know" She smiled, unable to stop a laugh at the audacity of the man,

"So, other than act like a light bulb, what else can ya do?" He asked, pulling his hand away, watching as her lights danced over his own palms for a few seconds,

"That" She pointed to the last light before it faded from his skin, "is energy. I can give energy to people when they need it most, it's why the lights tingle" She smiled warily before it fell away, "and…injure people by giving them too much…look I'm sorry I-"

"So you're the human cup of coffee?" He asked. Isabelle laughed, despite herself,

"I suppose so yeah" She lifted her brows and tilted her head a little as they headed towards the house, "just call me Caffeine Girl" The stoic man snorted a little,

"Explains why Hank looked so peppy after bein up for so long…what's your name then, caffeine girl?"

"We've told you. Isabelle" The wolf man rolled his eyes,

"No, what's your name?" She frowned and shook her head not understanding. Logan sighed as if put upon, "Logan…Wolverine. McCoy…Beast. Ororo…Storm" There was a slight lift of one eyebrow as he added, "Jane…Tarzan, get it?"

"I'm not an X-man" She replied with a one shouldered shrug. Logan grinned blowing blue smoke into the night air,

"Neither was I"