Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution. If you recognise it, it's not mine.

I'm really, really sorry about the long wait – I've been a bit distracted with other stories and Real Life.

Chapter Three – Fluctuation

November 1999

For a few seconds, Evan stared at her, unsure of what to do. Then he took a tentative step forwards. "Okay, I'm going to wing it now. I was expecting anger – I was ready for anger. Are you sure you don't wanna hit me?"

Wanda shook her head. "I don't know what I want." She admitted in a small voice.

Evan observed her for a few minutes. Shit. What now? He held his arms out, praying it would work. "Maybe not. But you look like you could use a hug."

Without a word, Wanda walked into his arms and began to cry into his shirt. Evan was momentarily taken aback; he had been expecting her to deny it. Unsurely, he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back soothingly, taking the opportunity to steer her back into her room and sit her down, all the while holding her tightly. "It's alright."

"No, it's not alright!" Wanda disagreed, but without any of the heat she had been expecting. "My so-called father left me with people who saw me as a fucking experimental subject! And they lied to me about it! Everyone did!"

"No, no, not everyone." Evan protested. "The X-Men had no idea, I think Kitty and Lexa are ready to kill them for not telling you."

"Are you telling me that you would have told me if you'd known?" Wanda asked challengingly.

Evan hesitated. "Probably not. But not for the sake of lying to you," he added hastily, "honest! You were trying to kill him, Wanda! They were just worried about you doing something stupid that would get you taken away again."

He knew it was a risky play, even as the words left his mouth. But he needed to get her to listen to their side of things and sometimes risks had to be taken. He felt her shudder in his arms and move closer and knew he had a matter of seconds to follow it up, before it backfired spectacularly.

"They wouldn't let that happen." Evan whispered. "Neither would we."

"What if they come back?" Wanda asked, her voice terrified.

"They won't get anywhere near you." Evan vowed, shifting to meet her eyes. "I promise, Scarlet."

It had been his nickname for her even before her code-name had been created; an inside joke on how much she loved 'Gone With the Wind'. Although he would never admit it to Pietro, who had assumed it was to do with the highlights Violet had helped the girl add to her hair, he also quite enjoyed the film and used to watch it with her. Hell, forget Pietro; I'd never admit that to anybody.

Finally, she smiled.

It was a small smile and there was still pain behind her eyes.

But it was a smile nonetheless.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Evan kissed her forehead lightly. "Do you want me to go and get Lorna?"

Wanda shook her head, tightening his grip on her arm.

"Alright, I'll stay here." Evan assured her. "Do you want me to ask Jean or Kitty to send Lorna up here?"

Wanda hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"What's happening?" Pietro asked, pacing up and down. "What's going on? Has she killed him? He's gone, isn't he? We shouldn't have let him go in alone!" He seized the front of Lance's shirt and shook him slightly. "He was too young to die! Why him?"

"Pietro, snap out of it!" Kitty chided, rescuing Liam – who seemed to find the whole thing incredibly amusing by the way he was giggling at his godfather – from between the two men. "He's fine."

"Oh, good." Pietro sobered up immediately. "Well, he won't be for long."

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Lorna, he wants you up there."

Lorna, worried sick about her half-sister, didn't need to be told twice. She ran back to the house, navigating the staircases and corridors with ease, not even needing to think about the route anymore.

Finally, she reached her destination and tapped on the door, not waiting for a response, before pushing it open.

Like Evan, she had been expecting anger and, like Evan, she was stunned to see the mess Wanda had been reduced to.

"Oh, honey …" Lorna hurried to her side and hugged her as well. "I'm so sorry …"

Even as she said them, the words sounded hollow … meaningless …

"It was like being trapped in a vicious circle." Wanda whispered. The only sign she had given to show that she registered Lorna's arrival was to shift so that both were embracing her. "They said that my arms should be restrained no matter what happened, because I need them free to use my powers. But my powers were provoked by fear and it was terrifying."

Horror coursing through her, Lorna tightened her arms and planted a kiss on her sister's head. "It will get better, Wanda. We'll make sure it gets better."

"Do you want me to go?" Evan asked.

Wanda shook her head. "No. Don't go."

"Okay." Evan said simply. "I'll stay."

"Why didn't he do something?" Wanda sobbed. "Why didn't he help me?"

"I don't think he knew how." Evan answered slowly. "I think that he believed your father to start with that it was for the best and then he didn't know how to go about changing things."

"Do you think maybe you'd better talk to him?" Lorna suggested quietly. "You want me to get someone to send him up?"

Wanda didn't respond, so Lorna decided to listen to her gut instinct. Jean, Kitty, could one of you send Pietro up?

It was Kitty that responded, naturally dubious. Are you sure that's a good idea?

Trust me. Lorna thought. I think this is going to work.

Alright. But on your own head, be it.

Before the thought was even finished, there was a knock on the door and Pietro peered round it. "Hey."

As Lorna looked up, she felt Wanda stiffen in her embrace and saw the guilt in her brother's face. Come on. She prayed, wishing that she was telepathic. Step up; don't run away from this. Please don't backfire on me.

"Wanda, I'm so sorry." Pietro whispered, falling to his knees beside them. "I tried …"

The energy in the air changed from pain to anger and Lorna cursed under her breath. Please, please don't backfire on me!

"You're lying!" Wanda insisted, the air beginning to crackle with energy.

"Uh oh." Lexa murmured. "You feel that?"

Kitty groaned. "I knew this was a bad idea."

Jean frowned. "Maybe I should go up and …" Breaking off with a cry, she staggered sideways, clutching her head.

Scott quickly looped an arm around her waist, supporting her. "What's wrong?"

"It's her emotions." Jean muttered, massaging her temples. "She's projecting."

"No, she's not." Kitty disagreed. "At least, I'm not picking up on anything. So either my telepathy's disappearing, or yours is getting stronger again."

Jean's face paled. "Oh, please say it's yours! I can't go through that again!"

"Yeah, it's still not a good idea for you to go up." Kitty told her. "Not if you're reacting from here. Maybe I should … Hang on." She frowned in concentration. "It's working!"

"Wanda…"

Apparently ignoring his sister's fluctuating power, Pietro continued to move towards her; Lorna felt Evan move her hand away from the other girl's arm. As Wanda's arms were freed, some of the tension seemed to disappear and the three watched Pietro approach.

Slowly – out of character for him – Pietro reached out and took his sister's hand. "I'm sorry."

For a few moments, the twins stared at one another in silence. Then Wanda let out another choked sob and fell into his arms, beginning to cry in earnest.

Lorna breathed a heavy sigh of relief and sent a message to Kitty. I think it's worked.

Thank God. Kitty responded. But I think we may have another problem.

What? Lorna asked immediately, dreading the answer.

I don't know yet. Kitty admitted. But it won't be good.

A few hours later, everyone was in the new Danger Room simulation, enjoying the sunshine and great food.

"What I don't get," Lance commented, picking up another chicken wing, "is why your telepathy is draining and the others aren't."

His remark drew Kitty's attention away from Pietro, Wanda and Lorna, who were sitting with Lexa, Alex and Evan on the side of the 'park'. "Lance, my telepathy is as strong as ever. It's Jean's I'm worried about – I think it's evolving again."

"But what about what happened last time?" Lance asked, shooting a worried glance at his sister.

"I don't think that'll happen this time." Kitty assured him. "I think something will happen, I just don't know what or when."

Liam made a soft gurgling noise – his habit of not crying when he was awake had continued unless he was startled – and she lifted him from the blanket, kissing his nose, and settled him in her arms, quickly adjusting her shirt so she could feed him.

"Whatever it is, it'll keep us on our toes." She concluded, without missing a beat.

"It's amazing how you do that without even thinking anymore." Lance told her softly. "You make such a beautiful mother." He leaned over and kissed her softly. "I love you."

"I love you too." Kitty smiled brightly, letting Liam gasp her finger.

There was something strange about feeding Liam. Good strange, as she had told Lexa, but strange nevertheless. She guessed that it was something to do with the fact that the relationship between mother and child was the most basic and strongest in the world, that she and Liam were connected on some spiritual level she didn't understand, but at moments like this, as well as when she put him to bed and watched him sleep for a few minutes, it was like she became so much more in tune with her powers. The very core of her power seemed to pulse with some kind of strange energy that at first had scared her, but now it comforted her. It seemed to make her telepathy expand and she wondered whether Jean had it as well, but it was so difficult to explain that she had never asked.

It did so now, sending out a sort of blanket over her team and family, not reading thoughts, just mind signatures, almost like her powers wanted to make sure Liam was safe.

Suddenly she stiffened.

"What's wrong?" Lance asked, picking up on it immediately.

"I don't know." Kitty murmured. "Something's not right." She handed her son to his father and fixed her shirt again, scanning with a feather-light touch, working her way through the team, until she found what she was looking for.

Her 'emphatic blanket', as she'd come to call it in her own head, had picked up a state of confusion and fear. At first, she had assumed it belonged to Carole, or Paige, or Sarah, but they had all been accounted for.

Focusing more on thoughts than emotions, Kitty finally picked up on Jean's voice calling for help. Chancing a glance at the Summers family, she was surprised to see that Jean was laughing and playing with the twins, as though nothing was wrong.

A glance at Scott, though, told a different story, however much he was trying to hide it.

Something wrong? She asked.

Scott didn't look in her direction. Jean's acting weird. Normally, we have some kind of connection, but it's like she's blocking me and I don't know why.

Hang on. Kitty turned her attention to the redhead. Jean, are you alright?

No … Jean's voice replied, but it was faint … pleading … No … Need help … please …

Can I help you? Another voice asked. It sounded like Jean's, but there was a grating quality to it, a tone that made Kitty shudder.

Who are you? Kitty demanded, squeezing Lance's hand to let him know she was right. He, in turn, flashed a signal to Pietro, who reluctantly left his sister's side and disappeared from the room.

I am power. The voice replied. I am strength. I am the two things this foolish girl has denied herself to keep her 'control'. But no more. I am Madeline Pryor and now I control her!

AN: In case you're wondering Kitty's extra powers aren't going to stick around forever (it was around this time last time that I got a complaint – for want of a better word – about that). Review please!