They all went in and started looking around the large and expensive looking house, snooping into Vixen's parent's private life and what had been her own.
The house was spotless. Just as Vixen had remembered, the framed pictures forever showing her and her brother as they grew up over the years. Franky as a toddler pulling Vixen short and very fair hair, Vixen as a pre-schooler jumping onto his back, both of them as grubby pre-teens in football kit.
Vixen gave a sarcastic laugh as the memories flooded back to her. Her life before being a mutant, her life as a popular girl at school without a single blemish apart from a little disrespect for the rules.
'You played soccer?' came Sam's voice from over her shoulder. Vixen started a little, smartly wiping her damp eyes and turned to look at him.
'Briefly.' she replied, shrugging uninterestedly. 'But I beat all the boys, so they kicked me off.'
'I like the pun.' finished the blond boy smiling at her, then noticing her humid eyes he continued. 'Are you okay? And before you try and brush me away, I know something is wrong. Just tell me, I won't tell.' She smiled at his impertinence.
'It's just that,' she started but she had to stop. She didn't really know how to put it into words for others to understand. Her old life, her old friends, her old status. 'I… kinda miss it.' she said finally with an apologetic smile. 'You know… Being normal. Having a normal life, a normal boyfriend. That sort of thing.'
'Yeah.' sighed Sam understandingly, nodding at her. 'I do too. Not having to worry about crashing through the wall every time a break into a run. Not having to worry about girls burning me to a crisp every time I ask them out.'
Vixen laughed. She liked this boy, he was nice and easy to talk to. She vaguely wondered if he had ever managed to chat a girl up properly, due to his insecurity and lack of confidence.
'At least your boyfriend didn't run all the way to Paris just to get you an authentic croissant.' she retorted smiling back at him, trying to out-do him.
'Indeed, my boyfriend never went to Paris.' He replied pretending to be disappointed. 'That is, if I had a boyfriend.' There was a short pause in which he frowned and gazed at the girl in front of him curiously. 'Did Pietro ever go to Paris just to get you a pastry?' He asked at length.
'No.' admitted Vixen, looking away in mock embarrassment. 'But he did go down to the local grocery store just to get my favourite breakfast cereal. Does that count?'
'Close enough.' conceded Sam, nodding and admitting defeat.