Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or the X Men. I created Evie and this rosy world she lives in.

Here's a reminder of the family so far. At this point all the weddings are done. Marie is due to have her baby just after New Year's, Jean is 5 months pregnant. Sissy is 14 and Jack is 15. Thomas is almost 3, Nadene is just 2, Bryan is 1, Mikey and Hannah are 8 months, Shawna is 4 months.

"Discoveries" has the time trip into the future if anyone wants a refresher on all the kids.

We're All Family

Chapter 6

The next morning Evie told Shalimar what her day would look like in case they needed her and then had Jesse clear the Helix for a flight. Adam was up before she was and went straight to his lab where she found him now to say goodbye. "Adam, I'm leaving."

"Leaving?" he glanced up at her for only a moment. Nodding, he spoke as he continued to work. "Oh, yeah, Jean. Have a nice time."

Sadness flowed over Evie like a tidal wave she couldn't control. She turned and went to the hangar.

Kitty and Shalimar were letting the kids play in the training room as they worked out. Suddenly Kitty stopped running on the treadmill and began crying.

"Kitty?" Shalimar called as she came to her side. "Are you hurt? What happened?"

"I don't know," she sniffed. "I suddenly felt an overwhelming need to cry."

"Maybe you should let Adam check you." Shal saw Kitty nod then meet her eyes.

"You don't think, I'm…" Kitty's eyes were wide.

The smile in Shalimar's voice was heard through out the lab. "Adam, Kitty's coming into the lab. I think she needs to talk to you."

Evie got to the mansion and didn't even have a chance to power down the Helix. Jean was in the co pilot's seat and smiling brightly almost as soon as the hatch was lowered.

"Wow, you're not a little anxious, are you?"

"I've been looking forward to this. I've read a few articles about this man's work. I really want to hear him speak and see if his work is as cutting edge as is reported." Jean fastened her seatbelt and watched as Evie shook her head and eased the Helix into the sky. "Thomas is so excited. Throughout the day, yesterday, he kept telling everyone that he was going to 'Dene's house.' It was really cute."

"They're always so cute together. I don't know if it's because we know their future or not." Evie smiled slightly as she thought of the day Thomas came back from the future and told Adam he had asked for Nadene's hand. 'Adam'

"Hey, what's going on?" Jean's sudden concern made Evie snap out of her thoughts and look to her friend. "I just got a really strange hit from you."

"I'm sorry, Jean. I guess I let my walls slip a little. I've just had a lot on my mind lately."

Jean concentrated then turned quickly to see Evie looking back at her. "Oh, Evie…that's wonderful…how far along are you."

Suddenly smiling, Evie chastised, "You're no fun. You didn't give me the chance to tell you…or deny it."

"We really are changing the future, aren't we? I don't remember another Kane. What did Adam say when you told him?" Jean watched in confusion as Evie's smile faded and she turned her attention back to piloting the Helix. "You haven't told him, yet? You haven't told anyone yet…Why?"

"Jean, it's a little complicated right now. I only just realized it a few days ago. Adam's been kind of preoccupied. We haven't had a chance to talk."

"But he didn't sense it himself?" Jean felt the sadness intensify around her as she reached out her hand to Evie's shoulder. "Evie, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Evie began as she started to feel defensive; "We just haven't had the time. That's all."

"Evie…don't. You know as well as I do that time has nothing to do with it. Talk to me. What's going on with you two?"

Evie checked the course readout, switched the Helix to autopilot then turned in her chair. "I don't know. He's blocking me. For the last week and a half he's been distant. His attention has been focused on something else but he hasn't told me what. When I tried to read him through our bond I found a wall. He's blocking me and I don't know why."

"You know how Adam gets when he's involved in something. He'll finish whatever it is and then tell you all about it."

"I don't think so. This is different. Last night…last night he went out. He didn't tell anyone where he was going or that he was going at all. I went to ask him to go out with me for some time alone and couldn't find him. He finally answered his com and just told me not to worry and he would be back late." Evie looked away. "Then he took his ring off."

"Evie, maybe he was meeting a contact. You know how secretive Adam's contacts are."

"He didn't get home until 2:30 this morning."

"That's not too bad," Jean lied.

"When he got in bed and kissed my cheek, I…got a hit from him." Evie stood up and paced to the back of the cabin. She turned suddenly and met Jean's eyes. "He was thinking of another woman."

"Evie…" Jean began to protest.

"I felt it, Jean. His blocked slipped the moment his lips touched me."

Just then the Helix began signaling the approach to its destination. Evie quickly took up the pilot's position, cloaked and landed. Evie turned to see Jean still looking at her. She took a deep breath and smiled. "There isn't anything to do right now. Come on, we have a lecture to attend." Evie stood and waited for Jean to rise. "I want to hear what this man is doing and I need a little distraction." Quietly the women made their way into the conference area of the hotel.

Earlier, Adam couldn't stop thinking about last evening. She's just the same as I remember her. I can't believe it. Older but…still my beautiful Dria…

The hotel suite door opened and an unfamiliar face met him. "Good Evening, Doctor Kane" the handsomely dressed young woman greeted him as if she'd known him all her life.

"Good Evening," was Adam's polite response as the woman moved to the side and gestured that he enter. He moved into the living area and placed his case down on an end table. As he straightened and turned, he saw her. She was beautiful and his heart nearly stopped in his chest. For what seemed like an eternity, Adam stood frozen in place as his eyes met hers. A million memories, regrets and fears flooded together. As a smile crossed her face, he heard his name on her lips. In three strides he was across the room holding her in his arms. All the tension of his work, all his worry, all his regrets melted away as he felt her arms around him and her head resting on his shoulder. "Dria…Dria," he repeatedly whispered as he kissed the top of her head.

"I've missed you so much, Adam," she said through her tears of joy. "Never did a day go bye without you in my thoughts."

"Oh, my sweet Dria," his arms never loosening their hold around her. Suddenly his joy turned to panic as he felt her fall into him even more; her knees weakening under her own weight. In an instant he moved and had her petite frame safely in his arms as he carried her over to the sofa. Gently placing her to rest he sat beside her. The worry in his face asked all his questions.

"It's alright, Adam. I just can't stay on my feet that long," she sighed.

"Then you shouldn't have been up at all," he tried to smile as he gently pushed a stray strand of her still deep strawberry hair away from her light brown eyes.

"I didn't want you to see me like this, first," Dria looked away, "weak and lifeless. I so much wanted to run and jump into your arms like I used to," she whispered sadly. She felt his hand slide around her cheek and down to her chin.

Slowly he pressured her until she looked back up at him. "Don't ever, ever…hide from me." His voice was stern, yet soft. "Now that you're here, I won't allow it. I was furious when Andrew took you away from me." Adam turned slightly and looked at his fisted hands. With quiet fury and unnatural menace in his voice he gritted, "Had I been able to get to you,…I would kill him myself if he weren't already dead."

"No, Adam," Dria whispered as she put her hands over his fists. "You're not cruel. You never could be. It's over. I'm here now and I want to be able to enjoy the time we've been given, how ever long it may be."

At her words, Adam's head snapped up; worry crossing his handsome features. Taking her into his embrace once more he vowed never again to let her get away from him.

Shalimar walked Kitty to the lab to make sure she wouldn't chicken out along the way. "Adam, I think you should scan Kitty."

"Why, is something wrong?" Adam's attention snapped back to the lab and like the devoted leader and father he always was, his attention was now fully on the young woman sitting in the chair.

Kitty looked at Shalimar, doubt clear in her face.

"Go on, just tell him," Shalimar encouraged.

"Tell me, what?" Adam looked with concern between the women before him. "Kitty, if you're not feeling well, I need to know. Is it your mutation?" He looked down at her and took her hand in his as reassurance.

"This is gonna sound crazy," Kitty began, "but we were just in the weight room and all of a sudden…I felt like crying."

Adam looked skeptically from her to Shalimar.

"I thought she'd hurt herself but when she told me, the first thought I had was…well, you remember how emotional she was while she carried Brian."

With understanding finally dawning on his already overloaded mind, Adam smiled down at Kitty then turned without a word to initiate the scan. "This will give me a physical reading if you're far enough along."

"And if she's not…?" Shalimar asked.

"The scan won't register if she's just conceived. I'll have to run blood work to confirm." The scan stopped and Adam turned to read the results. Shaking his head and walking to the cabinet on the far side of the lab in silence then back to Kitty, Adam stopped by her side. "The scan was negative, so we'll have to check this way." He smiled as she pouted. For as strong as all his kids were, they all hated needles. "There, all done." He kissed her head. "I'll run this and let you know. I should have the results in about 15 minutes. Want to wait?"

"Uh…no. I'll check on the kids with Shal and then come back."

Jean and Evie waited in the registration area. There was quite a turnout, even for the week before Christmas. The line was presently out the door and down the hall but moving along well enough. "Evie," Jean appeared in her friend's mind. "You can't think that all of a sudden, Adam has…taken up with someone else. Just in the last two weeks?"

"I don't know what to think. I would have sensed something sooner if he was…building a new relationship. Wouldn't I? I've thought about this all night. It can't be someone completely new…but…"

"But what?"

"Before we got married, Adam told me he had…that there had been…a few women in his past. What if he…"

"What?" Jean asked incredulously. "Wanted to start up with one of them again? I doubt that. Maybe one of them did contact him but I don't think you would have to worry about it."

"I just don't know…I mean… the hit I got was strong. She was filling his thoughts."

When they made it as far as the door they could finally see into the room. Rows of chairs all facing a set of risers with a podium set upon it was standard set up for such a conference.

"Wow, there are a lot of people here," Jean said, nonchalantly, as she moved toward the table to register.

Evie waited her turn and continued to look around the room. As she notice Jean move aside and stepped into her place to register, a small easel set up with a poster caught her eye. Shock froze her in place. It was only the repeated question that pulled her attention away.

Adam waited for the results of Kitty's blood test. The analyzer did all the work. All he could do was sit…and think...and remember…He had just finished his last class, only finals left, in the next two weeks. On his way back to his dorm, he stopped to check for his mail. He smiled as the young woman at the desk handed him an envelope.

"You know? I've been giving you your mail as long as you've been here. I give you boxes and letters decorated with doodles and sprayed with perfume. You've never once told me about her."

Adam smiled shyly at her.

"Now that you're leaving will you at least tell me her name?"

Adam looked at the letter. For the first time, he noticed that the doodles that indeed used to cover his mail had now become small touches in the corner. He also noticed the perfume was not fruity but elegant. She was growing up. "Her name is Alexandria."

"And," the woman coaxed, unsuccessfully.

Adam just smiled at her and turned to leave. As time went on, Dria had written him often as promised. It wasn't quite every day but at least twice a week he could count on something. Short notes, long letters, pictures and sometimes gifts would be there to get his mind off his studies for just a few moments. He would always take the time to respond and they stayed close. 5 years had gone by since he left for school.

Though young, Adam was on more than the fast track to his career. He moved through high school at a pace that nearly frightened those around him. He learned fast and his appetite for knowledge was insatiable. He studied year round, taking only one break a year, usually around Christmas, to go home and see his parents and Dria. Now 20, he was getting ready to leave and begin his internship. He opened the letter as he walked to his room to begin packing. By the time he got inside, the smile on his face had been replaced by a scowl. Dria wasn't going to be there when he went home for Christmas.

"Excuse me, Ma'am; your name, please." A young man seated at registration asked…again.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Doctor Evelyn Kihliya," she said as she turned a bright smile to the young man.

Jean heard her response and immediately turned to face her. Remaining silent, she waited for Evie to get her name tag and step away. They walked silently toward the back of the room where they found seats. Looking at the brochure given her, she kept her face calm and neutral.

"Dr. Evelyn Kihliya? I'm willing to bet you don't use that name very often anymore." Jean walked up to Evie in her mind.

"Jean, did you know there was another speaker, here today?"

"No. I only heard about Dr. Winslet. Why?"

"Look toward the risers."

Jean casually looked up from her feigned reading. Forcing the smile to stay in place she continued her telepathic conversation. "Dr. John…Adam Kane…Now Evie, you can't think…"

"What was your first thought? I don't know what to think."

TPC