Rebekah

I sit on the bed, trying to ignore the hunger pangs. Silver-Paw hops up next to me.

"You look a lot better like this Two-Tongue."

"Thanks."

He pads around me.

"How are you going to be a cat?"

"What?"

"You are like me. You are four-legger now. So you must act like a four-legger."

I blink.

"How?"

He makes an odd facial expression.

"Well, first, we need to work on your emphasis. I could understand when you were two-legger, but there's no excuse for not using your body to help me understand."

"What?"

"To make what you say angry, swish your tail like so."

He moves his tail and he instantly sounds angry. I hadn't realized that this movements gave his words emotions. He tilts his head.

"Try it."

I swish my tail the same way he did and decide to mess about.

"This is very interesting."

It comes out as a scream, pure anger. I stop waving my tail. Then I think of something that makes me mad and shout it and it comes out in a perfectly normal voice. Then I think about something even worse and as I scream it, I feel my tail sway from side to side.

"THEY HAVEN'T A CLUE ABOUT THIS!"

And they don't. I'm stuck in this body, unable to turn back, unable to communicate and all that. Reactions have ranged between scientific interest and hilarity. I leap off the bed.

"You said there was a cat community in the woods."

"Yes."

"Can you take me there?"

He frowns.

"We need to work on your protocol. Your language is good. Your manners, less so."

I sigh. He pads over to me.

"I can go to speak to some of them about you and come back later to take you there."

I give the cat version of a smile. He butts his head against mine and runs out of the door. I go and curl up on the bed, trying to ignore the hunger.

"Hello."

I turn my head. Kurt's standing in the door with a plate.

"I thought you'd be hungry."

I make an odd contented noise.

"Did you just purr?"

"Is that what I did? Oh, I'll never live that down!"

He laughs.

"I take it you hadn't realised you did that."

I nod and he puts the plate down in front of me. It's mainly meat, cut into small cubes. I wolf it down and brush my face on Kurt's hand. He instantly smells better, marked by a cat. He laughs again.

"I take it you were hungry."

I don't answer because I've just seen something swishing backwards and forwards and I have to pounce. The thing jerks and then Kurt bursts out laughing.

"That's my tail."

I immediately back off but keep staring at the tail flicking backwards and forwards. I want to chase it. I want to pounce on it and chase it and hunt it. Are these the mood swings Beast mentioned? Kurt moves so I can't see the tail anymore and I want to cry. I want to chase it! He bursts out laughing.

"Do you know how sweet you look?"

I make a face and he laughs even more.

"I think you look even sweeter like that!"

He is not helping his case here. I am really very close to scratching him. He seems to realised I'm annoyed because he bows his head.

"My apologies. We tailed ones must stick together mustn't we?"

I grin and he smiles back. Then he pushes the door open.

"Do you wish to go down?"

I nod and run out, sliding on the wooden floor and going straight through the banisters to land on a blond head. I instantly extend my claws and dig in to the scalp. There's a scream and someone's trying to throw me off, which just makes me cling on even harder.

"WHAT THE %$%!"

"HELP!"

Suddenly the person stops trying to throw me off.

"Logan. Point those claws somewhere else!"

"Wings, just let her get off."

I immediately leap off the person's head, onto Logan's chest where I stick my head under his arm in a vain attempt to protect myself. His chest starts rumbling as he laughs.

"Warren, Rebekah. Rebekah, Warren."

I peer out at the blond man, white wings curving over his head. I then stick my head back into Logan's shirt. I am so, so embarrassed. I mean, clawing Angel's head when we first meet is probably not the best first impression to make. Angel is frowning.

"Why are you introducing me to a cat Logan?"

Again with people thinking I'm just a dumb animal.

"This is one of the two kids we called you about."

Kurt suddenly sticks his head over the stairs.

"Rebekah?"

Typical. He's been laughing whilst I've been thrown around.

Isaac

I felt someone shaking my shoulder. I opened my eyes slowly, my brain trying desperately to work out where I was. Logan's face loomed into view.

'Why you sleeping outside?' He asked. I looked around. I was in the woods. Everything came rushing back to me.

'I was training. I must have fallen asleep.' I said as Logan helped me to my feet. A attack of dizziness hit me and I had to steady myself against a tree to stop myself from retching.

'Why were you training? Don't I work you hard enough?'

'I was doing some teleport training. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.'

'You can do that inside with Kurt. You had everyone worried sick. We thought you'd gone and joined Magneto or something.'

'As if,' I laughed. We walked in silence back to the mansion.

'By the way, I've got a friend I'd like you to meet.' Angel landed out of the sky like a thunderbolt.

'So this is the other kid. Pleasure to meet you,' Warren said offering his hand. I was too tired even to be surprised by his unexpected arrival. I held up my gloved hand and we shook briefly.

'So what do you do?' He asked studying my gloved hands with interest.

'I steal powers. They call me Thief.'

'Do they now?' Logan asked surprised.

'I thought it up recently.'

'Not bad.'

'I usually need to have physical contact with someone though,' I reassured Warren. 'And I don't take physical mutations so your precious wings are quite safe.' Warren looked over his shoulder at his wings as if noticing them for the first time.

'My wings aren't my only ability you know. I have enhanced strength and almost telescopic vision. Among other things.'

'I can't top your sight but I'm certain I'm stronger,' I said with a smirk. Angel looked at me curiously.

'I bet you are.' We reached the mansion gates. Warren spread his wings and with a little leap he cleared the gates easily. He looked back with a smug smile. I walked through them effortlessly.

'Doesn't anyone use the gates properly anymore?' Logan grumbled opening them and walking through.

'Where did your sense of adventure go Logan?' Warren asked. A tortoiseshell cat comes trotting out the door meowing.

'Good to see you too,' I said to Rebekah. She growled and ran back inside.

'It's a shame she can't talk,' Logan said.

'Hopefully she won't stay in this state too long.'