The weeks passed lazily. Jean and Scott were revising hard for the end of year exams and Vixen still hadn't told anyone about the little nugget of information the old gypsy woman had told her and Jamie. She knew Jamie wouldn't tell, she could trust him.

One slow Saturday morning the students were all in the kitchen chatting about the funfair when the phone rang. Kitty reached for it, expecting a call from her parents.

'Hello? Xavier's institute here.' she said quickly, in the same manner as a secretary might answer a phone, peering at her painted nails. 'Yes… yes of course…' she held the phone out for Vixen who frowned at her curiously, 'It's for you.'

'Who is it?' mimed the blond girl, reluctant to take the call. Kitty shrugged unknowing. Vixen took the phone and pressed it against her left ear. 'Hello?'

'Hey baby.' came Pietro's voice flirtily through the receiver, reminding Vixen strongly of the faceless voice which had held her captive just the other night. 'Wanna go to the cinema later?'

'What's on?' she asked, trying to shake the memory from her mind. She was a little reluctant, she knew what he had in mind and it had nothing to do with a movie.

'There's a horror movie on, if you like.' he offered, 'It's called "the messengers", and it looks pretty awesome. Or we could check out that other one. A romantic comedy I think. Can't remember what it's called though, but I saw it on TV the other day.'

'Yeah, like you'd wanna go and see that!' she laughed sarcastically, 'That horror one sounds cool. What's it about?'

'That's usually the reason people go to see movies.' said the young man smiling. 'Come on, it'll be fun. And I promise I won't do anything. We'll just watch the movie, if you want.' Vixen smiled at his selflessness, a wave of affection brushing over her.

'Okay,' she answered finally, still smiling. 'Sounds fun. What time? Which cinema?'

'The big one.' he replied quickly. 'They do wicked popcorn.' Vixen giggled. 'How about eight? It's shown again at ten, but isn't your curfew at eleven or something?'

'Yeah, it sucks.' she replied, gazing down at the table she was leaning on. 'Okay then, eight at the big cinema! You're on!' then she put the phone down and handed it back to Kitty who placed back on it's pedestal.

'So,' started Scott smiling over at her. 'big date then?' he asked. Vixen looked at him pityingly.

'It's just a movie.' she replied getting herself a glass of orange juice. 'No big.'

'Yeah, but noone ever watches the film when they go to the cinema, do they?' pointed out Jean from over her magazine. 'There's always a bit of fondling, cuddling… even more sometimes.'

'And you'd know?' asked Vixen incredulously. 'Don't answer that, I don't wanna know.' Jade giggled from her place on Franky's lap where she was rocking herself back and forth.

'So do you want a lift into town later?' asked Scott, doodling absent-mindedly on his book. 'Cos I'm going into town at five, so I could drop you off then, you could do a bit of shopping, or something.'

'Why are you going into town?' asked the blond girl curiously, looking over at him.

'Do you want a ride or not?' he asked snappily. 'Cos otherwise, I don't care I can go earlier-'

'No, no!' she interrupted hastily, 'No, thanks Scott, that would be great. Sorry.'

'Well then.' continued Scott smiling again. 'Five o'clock. Sharp!'

'Sir! Yes, sir!' exclaimed Vixen putting her hand up in a salute. She then got up and left the room, setting out to her room to choose her outfit for that night.

She decided on an off-the-shoulder t-shirt with the word "snogaholic" embroidered on it, and a pair of baggy and torn jeans with her big skater trainers. She tied her hair up into a ponytail, which looked a little like Kitty's, her fringe brushed to the side.

Scott took her into the centre of town where he dropped her off just outside the cinema.

'See you later, then.' he said as she got out and closed the door behind her. 'You'll be okay to get back, right?'

'Yeah, Pietro can bring me home in a second.' she answered flicking her hand dismissively. 'Thanks Cyclops.'

'Have fun, Vixen.' he answered, smiling up at her as she walked invitingly off towards the doorway of the cinema, hips swaying temptingly, waving over her shoulder.

She got to the ticket booth and looked at the posters of the different movies on that night, most starting at eight o'clock. The was the poster of the movie Pietro had mentioned: the messengers. It looked pretty scary.

She set off towards the shops, setting an alarm on her mobile to tell her to get back to the cinema in time for the film, and switching on her I-pod.

She went into a fashionable shop and started looking at the flimsy-looking clothes. In her ears blared "I wanna be bad", by Willa Ford, not letting any other sound in and locking the girl in her own little world. The music made her restless and she began moving very slightly to the rhythm, nodding her head, moving her hips and shoulders discreetly.

Suddenly the song changed to a slower and more depressing song. It was Broken by Seether and Amy Lee. She loved this song, but she wasn't in the mood for depressing songs: she was shopping, about to go on a date with her hot boyfriend.

She pressed a couple of buttons on the gadget and on came a French song she had heard on the internet and had downloaded almost immediately afterwards. The beat thumped in her ears making her move more and flick her hair around. She bounced around on the balls of her feet in time to "Radio song" by Superbus.

She dropped the pair of tight looking hip-huggers she had been inspecting and started dancing outright, unable to control herself an longer. Then the song changed again, and on came "blue" by Eiffel 65. She smiled as she thought of Kurt and how this was soo his song, as she continued to dance alone in the fashionable clothes shop.

Suddenly she had an idea. She quickly walked out of the shop, not noticing the weird glares she was getting from the shop owners and shoppers alike, and made her way to the pharmacy just down the road. There she bought several packs of hair bleach and shoved them into her bag, ready to use them later.

Just then her phone started buzzing, telling her it was time to go to the cinema. She made her way back to the cinema, still jigging about, flicking her long blond hair around and shaking her shapely hips.

She hung around the entrance, waiting for Quicksilver to arrive, but he didn't arrive. She huffed to herself and leant against the wall.

'How the hell could he be late?' she asked herself moodily, glaring at the passers by. 'He has no reason not to be here. Not even a dumb reason.'

'Have you been forgotten too?' came a Russian male voice beside the young girl.

'Yeah.' she sighed angrily. 'I guess I have. And it puts me in a foul mood. Sorry if I'm not very polite. I hate being set up.' she finished, growling menacingly.

'I'm used to it.' answered the man next to her. She looked up at him pityingly, and she started: he was huge! At least a meter taller than her, incredibly toned chest and arms, and a hard yet friendly face.

'Why are you used to it?' she asked, looking up and down his body her eyes wide.

'Look at me.' he replied sadly. 'I'm a freak of nature, I'm Russian and I'm not much of a looker anyway.' He shrugged companionably.

'Looks aren't everything, you know?' retorted Vixen raising an eyebrow. 'And what's wrong with being Russian? I think it's cool. Gives you an extra… Je ne said quoi.'

'Exactly.' he said sadly. 'They date me once, and find that the Je ne said quoi is just a first date thing.' he laughed harshly. 'And you can hardly talk about looks not being everything, you're pretty.' She smiled.

'Well, I'm just lucky.' she answered shrugging. 'But there's always gonna be someone prettier or sexier than you. I guess you just gotta accept it.'

'Deep words.' he answered with a look of agreement on his rugged face. 'What's your name?' he asked, the Russian accent very heavy in his deep voice.

'Vixen.' she replied raising an eyebrow at him. 'How about you?'

'My name is Piotr.' he answered slowly, smiling down at her. 'But you can call me Peter. It's easier to pronounce, or so my friends tell me.'

'I guess it is.' said the girl who was feeling a little insignificant in front of this daunting man.

'Umm… Since we're both erm…' he started tentatively, looking away and scratching the back of his neck. 'You know… would you like to… err… catch a movie?' He smiled apologetically at her.

'Sure.' she answered with an encouraging smile on her face. 'Since my date hasn't shown up. What do you wanna go see? My date and I were gonna go see a horror movie.'

'Sounds interesting.' he said, smiling gratefully at her from his immense height. 'It's on me. My treat.' he added taking out a wallet and handing a few bills over the counter to the check out woman who pointed them down a dark corridor.

During the film, Vixen felt his large arm sneak around the back of her head, and she smiled as he gently let it rest on her opposite shoulder. She looked sideways at him with a flirty look in her emerald eyes and put her head smoothly on his chest, feeling his rhythmic breathing.

After it was finished they made their way out, chatting about their favourite bits, an empty goblet of coke in her hands and an empty box of popcorn in his.

'I liked the bit when the kid was in the closet.' said Vixen looking excitedly up at him. 'And he was like, whoa! And then the woman was like, Oh my god!'

'I liked the part where you got really scared and cuddled up to me.' said the man smiling down at her. 'It made me feel strong, even without my pow-' he stopped himself, a look of horror on his face.

'You're a… mutant?' asked the girl excitedly, smiling up at him animatedly. 'So am I!' she continued.

'Oh, I'm so relieved.' sighed the man obviously sincere. 'When I let that slip I thought I was done for!'

By this time they were outside, in the cold breeze. There was a long pause where they just smiled at each other companionably.

'Do you want to get something to eat?' he asked jabbing his thumb over his shoulder indicating a long line of restaurants down the street.

'Oh, I'm sorry.' she said, an remorseful look on her face. 'I've gotta get home… Curfew and all that crap.' she finished irritated.

'I really enjoyed tonight.' said Peter romantically. 'I had lots of fun. Do you want me to take you home?'

'I had fun too!' answered the girl smiling happily, 'But that's fine thanks. I can fly home.'

'You have wings?' he asked inquisitively.

'No, I can morph into animals.' she replied shrugging. 'What can you do?' she asked curiously.

'Colossus?' came a familiar voice away to Vixen's right (and Peter's left), 'What the hell are you doing with my girlfriend?!?'

'Quicksilver?' exclaimed Peter incredulously. 'Your girlfriend?'

'Pietro?' cried Vixen also incredulous. 'Why didn't you come? You left me standing here alone, and Peter came and was really nice to me so we watched the movie together and had loads of fun, which is more than I would have had if he hadn't been here!'

'Baby I'm so sorry…' whimpered the white-haired boy taking a step forward. 'My dad called for me and-'

'Oh, so you couldn't even call and say that you'd be late?' she asked angrily.

'Vixen, this is your boyfriend?' asked Peter, pointing at Pietro. 'But- this is bad…'

'Do you guys know each other?' asked the confused mutant girl, looking from one to the other.

'Peter is working with my dad.' said Pietro slowly. Vixen sighed angrily. 'Nothing to do with me.' he continued quickly, shaking his hands at her.

'Why does noone tell me anything?' she said in frustration, grabbing her hair and tugging at the blond locks. 'Dammit!!!'

'I'm sorry, Vixen,' started Peter apologetically, starting towards her with his arms out hoping for forgiveness. 'I didn't know.'

'Yeah, right!' exclaimed Pietro angrily, glaring at Colossus and smiling apologetically at her. 'Come on! There aren't ninety seven Vixens in this town!'

'You guys both suck!' she screamed out in frustration, glaring at her. 'I'm going home.' she turned around and started out in the other direction, Pietro started after her but she turned back around to glare angrily at him. 'And don't try to follow me.'

'But, Baby-' started the white haired mutant, but Vixen cut across him.

'Don't Baby me.' she retorted furiously. 'You- I- Why didn't you-' She growled out of frustration and rage. 'Just… chill for a bit.'

Whereupon she morphed into a bird and took off into the darkness in the sky, in the direction of Xavier's institute for gifted youngsters.

When she got back to the institute she slammed the door behind her and leaned against it, wondering vaguely why she had been so outraged. She didn't understand why she had blown up at them both. She guessed she had just thought that she knew everything about Pietro, and finding out that her new friend was working with is father had thrown that idea.

She let herself slip into a sitting position with her back leaning against the door. She felt her eyes begin to prick as tears started to well up behind her eyelids.

She shook her head vigorously. Get a grip! She thought to herself, why the hell was she this upset? She didn't get it. Maybe she was still worked up by her attack and how that voice reminded her so much of Quicksilver's. She let a sob escape from her salivating mouth as tears started tumbling down her flushed cheeks.

'Vixen?' came a quiet voice from the lounge. She immediately tried to hide her anguish from whoever it was, but obviously failed, because he continued. 'Are you okay, Vixen?' came Jamie's voice coming closer.

She nodded dynamically, still not looking at him directly. But he clearly didn't believe her, because he came and sat next to her linking his arm with hers and taking her hand in his.

'Come on.' he said a little annoyed. 'Don't take me for an idiot. I wasn't born yesterday. Everyone thinks they can take me for some kind of dumb… kid, just because I'm younger than everyone else.'

'I'd treat anyone like this right now.' said Vixen sobbing a little and looking at him, with a small and uncertain smile on her tearful face. 'Don't feel special.' Jamie laughed and she giggled tearfully.

'Isn't it weird how you're always crying around me?' he asked ironically. 'I'm beginning to see a pattern.' She giggled again.

'It's cos you're always there for me when I need you most.' she answered, putting her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulders, feeling her warmth and her rhythmic breathing, interrupted now and then by a sob or two.

'Vixen?' came another voice from up the stairs. The cuddling teenagers both looked up to see who the culprit was, but they couldn't see anyone. They heard a light bamfing noise away to their left and automatically looked towards it and saw Kurt coming towards them. 'What's going on?' he asked making his way towards them.

Suddenly Vixen felt a intense need to hug him, to be in his arms and not Jamie's, to feel his warmth, his breath, smell his scent mixed with a faint smell of brimstone. She felt Jamie shrug next to her, making her move a little with his motion.

'How was your date?' asked the blue teenaged boy, looking awkwardly at the other two. Vixen slowly got up, unwrapping herself from Jamie's protective (if a little small) arms.

'It sucked.' she replied, the tears welling up again in her stunning emerald eyes. She sniffed and continued. 'Pietro was a no show, but I met another guy called Peter who is a mutant too, and then after the movie Pietro was outside and he saw Peter and he told me that he was working for his father and-'

'Okay wait…' interrupted Jamie standing beside her with a confused look on his face. 'Pietro's working for this Peter dude's dad?'

'No.' corrected Vixen, 'Peter is working for Quicksilver's dad, and I got really annoyed, and I don't know why…' she broke down again into tears. Kurt rushed forwards and took her in his arms, rocking her gently back and forth as she continued to weep into his shoulder.

'Shhh…' whispered Kurt soothingly, kissing her hair adoringly. 'It's okay… you're home now. Come on you should go to bed now, I'll take you.'

'But it's only ten thirty.' piped up Jamie, frowning jealously at Kurt as he started to lead her away. 'She doesn't wanna go to bed at ten thirty.'

Vixen turned around and gazed at him with a smile on her face.

'I'm sorry Jamie.' she said, 'But I think I'm tired. I need a good nights rest. I'm sorry if that's not what you expect of me. Goodnight, sweety.'

'Night.' answered Jamie quietly, whereupon Kurt and Vixen turned and made their way up the stairs to her room. Jamie wondered vaguely whether there was more to their friendship than met the eye.

He shook his head, hoping he was wrong and made his way back to the lounge where he, Bobby and Jubilee had been watching a documentary on volcanoes only to find they had changed the channel onto wrestling.