I know, I'm evil for using a cliffhanger-esque ending (so I might as well apologize in advance for this one...) but I promise answers and happiness (for you, not necessarily them) in the next chapter. Really! I promise!

So review to my hearts content, because the more you review, the happier i am, and the happier i am, the faster i write!

Chapter 10

Call and Conversation

Dinner that evening was a solemn affair. Besides Storm, three others were missing from their midst. Logan had been dispatched almost immediately after Jean had contacted the mansion, armed only with Ororo's last known location and all of the information that Jean had picked up from her last, urgent call. Jean herself and the Professor were absent as well, still hard at work trying to locate Storm or Magneto, while simultaneously tracking Logan lest he meet with any trouble. With so many empty spaces at the table, even Kurt was finding it difficult to do more than pick at his food. Of course, the general loss of appetite could also have been attributed to the fact that Kitty had taken it upon herself to cover for Storm, whose turn it was to cook, but the gloomy atmosphere had little to do with the less than appetizing texture of the pasta primavera.

Excusing herself from the table, Kitty took her plate to the kitchen and began to wash up absently. Her thoughts were not on her task, but on the handwritten note she had left in Lance's locker only half an hour before Jean had contacted them all. Now more than ever she had to know what the Brotherhood was up to, but she knew Lance wouldn't tell her anything until he was sure that none of the other guys could find out what he was doing. It was a remarkable show of faith, believing without question that he would come through when the stakes were this high. Biting her lip nervously, she glanced at the phone. She could only hope that he would come through soon.

Abandoning the kitchen, Kitty slowly climbed the stairs to her room, intent on taking a shower before attempting to do her homework. The distant rumble of clattering silverware and chairs scraping the floor told her that the others had also given up on dinner; she quickened her pace, not in the mood to talk to anyone else. Selecting two pink towels and a half empty bottle of jasmine body wash, she hurried to the bathroom.

Half an hour later, Kitty re-entered her room feeling a little better, if not yet completely relaxed. Changing into her pajamas, she checked her cell phone. One missed call and message. From Lance. Heart in her throat, Kitty entered the password to retrieve her message. At first, there was nothing but static. But just as she was about to curse and hang up, she heard Lance's voice speaking softly over the white noise. She listened intently.

"Kitty," Lance began hesitantly, "It's me."

Pause

"Listen, I can't really talk. Right now, or…damn it.

"I can't tell you much, but…never mind Kelly. He has nothing on you, just a

suggestion that some of the X-men might have wrecked the place. Nothing about

being mutants, so forget him."

Rogue walked in just then and was about to ask if Kitty had seen her math book, but was immediately shushed by the younger girl, who was still listening to Lance's message with her blue eyes wide, afraid to move lest she obscure his voice:

"Kelly's not important," Lance was saying, "but this is. It's not a lot, but pay

attention to the U.N. talks going on in New York City. It's all I can tell you, I'm

sorry. I've already said too much. Listen, I gotta go….Be safe. I'm sorry."

Click

Kitty clutched the phone in her hand, speechless. If what Lance had said was true, then something huge was going down, big enough to involve the United Nations, and surely Magneto was behind it. But if so, they had also just gotten their first big lead. Oh, Lance, she thought to herself, Thank you.

"What was that all about?" Rogue asked, shaking her out of her reverie. Kitty rushed over to her, a desperate look to her eyes. "Rogue," she breathed, clutching her friend's arm, "This is big. This is like, huge. We have to go get the Professor."

"I wouldn't do that," a tired voice said softly from the doorway. Kitty and Rogue looked up sharply to see Jean leaning in the door frame. "Jean, ya look…" Rogue started, taking in the sight of her hair hanging limply over her shoulders, dark circles formed under her glittering eyes. "Terrible?" the telepath supplied, coming into the room and sitting on the bed. Brushing her hair out of her face, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. "Jean, you need to eat, you look like you're getting sick," Kitty admonished her. "Let me get you some dinner, I wrapped up plates for you and the Professor." Jean waved her hand tiredly. "I'm all right, I'm not hungry," she answered, "But if you have some ibuprofen, that would be great." Kitty opened her top drawer and tossed Jean the bottle, then hurried to the bathroom to get her a glass of water. Rogue watched as Jean opened the bottle and dry-swallowed five pills without opening her eyes. Must be one hell of a headache, she thought as Jean massaged her temple, wincing slightly. That's way too many pills to be downin' on an empty stomach.

Kitty rushed back into the room and handed Jean the water, which she swallowed gratefully. "Thanks," she sighed, holding the cup in her lap. "There's still no sign of Storm or Magneto. Logan's not having much luck, but he's all right. I just talked to him." Kitty handed her a granola bar from her desk. "Eat," she commanded. "Why shouldn't we go see the Professor? I just heard from Lance, and you're not going to believe how big this thing is. Kelly has nothing to do with it; we're talking, like, planetary." Jean shook her head. "I want to know, and we should tell Dr. McCoy," she said. "But right now, I don't think—" She broke off and looked out the window. When she turned back, Rogue and Kitty were startled to see that she was fighting back tears. "Right now, I don't know if we can trust Professor Xavier," she said sadly, her voice barely audible.