The mutant formerly known as Joseph, Magneto, Magnus and Michael Xavier was having his hair brushed. Not very dignified, but if it would get her to shut up he was all for it. Jessica was making disapproving noises to herself, and Erik could just feel a lecture coming on.

"Humph! I'm sorry, but I'm gonna have to cut off at least two or three inches. The split ends back here are atrocious. Is there something about a Y-chromosome that makes it impossible for you to see the conditioner or something?"

"I don't mind, so why bother cutting it? And what's wrong with split ends anyway?" Jessica leaned around so he could see her tell-me-you're-joking look.

"No one is going to think you're serious and responsible if you can't even take care of your own hair. And split ends make your hair weak."

"Maybe that's why Apocalypse got rid of all his. Couldn't control the split ends. He tried to convince people that his theories on survival of the fittest weren't a load of bull, and they said 'Oh yeah? Well you're hair don't look so fit to me, bet mine could beat yours in a fair fight any day.'" Jessica looked up at the ceiling and waited for him to stop laughing.

"Why me? I must have done something really bad in a past life." She turned back to Erik, who wiped his eyes and tried to look composed. "As I said, no one takes you seriously." She reached for the scissors she just happened to have with her and started to trim off the offending imperfections, humming quietly.

Erik sighed. It probably wasn't wise to talk to her about this when she had something sharp and pointy in her hands, but he decided to risk it while she was in a good mood.

"Charles and I were talking the other day…"

"Uh huh? What'd he say?" Jessica squinted as she lined up her next cut and muttered the virtues of various hair products to herself.

"Actually, we talked mostly about you and the others." She stopped snipping and replied defensively.

"If it's about that credit card bill again, we explained the extenuating circumstances and I don't want to go over it again." Erik cursed inwardly. She was still behind him, still holding the scissors, and the good mood was probably a little tarnished by remembering the behavior surrounding that infamous bill.

"Well, how much do you know about Generation X?" That spot between his shoulder blades was feeling terribly itchy.

* * *

"Let me make sure I've got this straight, Emma. Charles Xavier has decided that we can take in two of Magneto's protegees for an unspecified amount of time, because he wants a sitter?!?" Emma looked crushed.

"It sounded so reasonable when they said it." She brightened suddenly. "But it will give the students a chance to meet new people with different powers and different opinions. Anyway, its not like he wants us to put them to bed while he's at the movies, he and Charles are going on some important mission. It's gotten around that these two are with him and wants them to be safe, as well as widening their horizons a little." Her eyes were wide, hopeful and a little vulnerable, and she was adorably biting at her bottom lip.

She looks like she really wants this. With what we've already got, another two can't be too much trouble… Then his brain caught up. Sean, this is the White Queen here! She's just trying to manipulate you. "Stop it Emma." It came out a little more sharply than he had intended and her expression instantly switched back to its usual cool self-containment.

"A girl has to keep in practice." She smiled a cold little smile. "But remember, this girl isn't only Magneto's darling, she snared most of the X-Men while she was there as well. It might not do much for our popularity to refuse. I'm looking forward to meeting her, not only do they both have very formidable powers, she sounds like an extraordinarily talented manipulator." Banshee sighed, admitting to himself that he was not only outgunned but that she was holding all the ammunition. They couldn't be too bad; it was probably just old prejudices showing.

"HEY EV!"

"Yeah, Jubes?" Everett Thomas looked up from his textbook. Hmm. Those little lights popping around her head can't be a good sign. What did I do? As Jubilee advanced he ran over recent events in search of something he'd done which might have gotten her mad, and couldn't think of anything. He'd just have to wait and see.

"Didja hear? Some of kids that hang with Magneto are coming here for a while, that girl that Iceman found and another guy. Can you imagine having trainee Maggie's around? We're doomed."

"Hey, it might be okay. From what Paige said she sounds okay, if a bit hyperactive. And Professor X is hardly going to send us a couple of terrorists-in-training, is he?" Jubilee looked less than convinced.

"Yeah, maybe, but remember she had amnesia. What's the bet they end up spouting crap about mutant supremacy and how we have to kill or be killed? Plus, Banshee didn't look real happy about it, while the Ice Bitch looked like the cat that got the canary. And way back when, her and Mags were like that." She held up two crossed fingers as a demonstration of their closeness. Everett sighed, and wondered if the Professor had forgotten Jubilee's attitude to Magneto since the whole adamantium thing. She was waving her hands in the air while fireworks paffed all around her and ranting.

"I can't believe-"

"-they're doing this to me!" Jessica had alternated between shout and sulk for almost a week. Before that she had tried crying, pleading, being reasonable, having a nervous breakdown, blackmail and straight refusal. Nothing had worked. They were sitting in a Boston McDonalds having lunch before their final stop at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Marcos sighed and tried to blot her voice out to a background whinge. He had managed to cope with the change fairly philosophically, Emma Frost sounded like a pretty good teacher from Erik's stories and there was even a student at the school with a similar background to his. Things could be worse.

"Come on, Jess, give it up. Fate has taken it out of our hands, we may as well make the best of it." She poked the ice in the bottom of her cup with the straw and stared at it, as if maybe the secrets of the universe were hidden down there, before giving up with bad grace.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it, but I'll try and be nice." She looked up and gave him an apologetic smile. "I must have been pretty terrible to live with this last two weeks." Marcos nodded.

"Fairly awful." But he smiled back and held her hand over the table. "But don't worry, we'll be fine." He stood up to put their rubbish in the bin, and gave her a quick kiss on the way. Amelia gave an exaggerated sigh and put her hand over her eyes.

"Please, don't you two ever stop? Remember my delicate upbringing." Jessica laughed and grabbed her bag before leading the way back to the car.

Jubilee was wearing the cowboy hat Wolverine had given her, but it was a bit too big and kept slipping down over her eyes. She stomped down the stairs, grumbling to herself.

"Just what we need, a couple of junior bucket-heads. Wonder if they come complete with helmets and capes? Just hope no one expects me to think that Magneto isn't a bastard…" She got to the bottom and realised that the all sound in the hallway had ceased except for a faint psionic snigger from Chamber. The silence seemed to listen. Jubilee pushed the hat up cautiously, just knowing who she was going to see. Nope, no helmets. But everyone was staring at her, and the woman with the red hair looked like she was trying not to laugh.

"And, ahh, this is Jubilee." Banshee coughed in a faintly embarrassed manner.

"I figured." Even Iceman's voice never sounded that cold. Jubilee looked her up and down in what she hoped was a disdainful manner.

Of course. Naturally she'd be gorgeous. Jubilee sighed inwardly. Pale blonde hair reached to her waist, falling in gentle waves over a calf-length leather jacket and a red silk shirt tied up to show off a good midriff. It went nicely with the black jeans and boots. Finally, she looked up into the blue eyes and animosity flared, making them instant enemies. Jubilee snorted dismissively and turned her attention the other new student. Well helooo, now this is the kind we should have more of. Aside from the same clothes, he was That Girl's exact opposite. Tall, black hair, olive skin and eyes with irises that had to be practically black because they couldn't be distinguished from the pupil. Very good-looking, and he was trying not to smile. But he didn't look too friendly either.

"And this is Jessica, and Marcos."

"Charmed, I'm sure." Jubilee murmured. The redhead raised a finger and pointed it at her charges.

"Now both of you had better behave." Marcos looked at her with wide, innocent eyes.

"Come on, Amelia, when have we not behaved?"

"Disneyland."

"We were just trying to make the "It's a Small World" ride a little bit more realistic. I was personally offended that there weren't any mutant dolls, so we added some and made the other dolls act accordingly. No big deal."

"How about when Minnie-" Marcos interrupted her before she could say what Minnie did.

"Hey, that doesn't count. I don't do hugs with strange men in mouse costumes." Amelia tapped her finger against her chin and made a show of thinking before delivering her final shot.

"How about lunch today?" Jessica gave an exasperated sigh.

"Well, if Ronald McDonald had've kept his hands to himself, the whole unfortunate incident could have been avoided." Amelia laughed.

"You always have a reasonable explanation for everything, don’t you?" Marcos shrugged modestly.

"Not always, but most of the time."

Amelia and Emma talked for a few minutes about those things that parents and teachers feel are important, while the rest of Generation X checked out the new kids and they did the same right back.

"I'd better go." Amelia hugged them both and gave some last little reminders and bits of advice before hopping back in the car and driving away, leaving Jessica feeling very forlorn and abandoned.

"Why don't you all help Jessica and Marcos get settled into their new rooms and show them around before dinner? Jubilation, stay here for a moment please." Jubilee decided that Ms Frost hadn't thought her little welcome 'appropriate' and steeled herself for a lecture.

Jessica watched over her shoulder as Marcos disappeared with a cluster of other guys, already talking and laughing. She felt completely and utterly alone, but would not cry in front of all these strangers. Seeing the look on her face, Paige was reminded of her own first day. Of course it was what she had always wanted, but she had still felt lonely and homesick for a while. Occasionally still did, and she was here by choice. Besides, even though she and Jubilee hadn't hit it off, Sam had really liked her and Jubilee had been pretty rude.

"Let's go. Girls dorm's over this way." Paige smiled and grabbed a bag in one hand and one of Jessica's in the other, leaving Monet the rest of the luggage. Jessica gave a small smile back.

"You're Sam's sister aren't you?" Paige rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Yes, and sometimes I even like it."

"Your accent isn't as strong as his."

"I don't really like it, so I try and tone it down. People don't take you seriously if they think you sound like a hick from Kentucky." Jessica though about that for a few seconds.

"I like it. I like most accents." She sighed and made a mournful face. "Wish I had one." Paige laughed.

"Well, Ah'll leave it in, just for you. Maybe ya'll pick it up. And…" she threw open a door with a melodramatic flourish. "This is your new room! It's right next to mine." They dumped the bags on the floor while Jessica looked around the rest of the room.

"Wow. Windows that open!"

"Don't ya usually have windows that open?"

"Nope" Jessica leaned out and sniffed the air. "Even if we didn't live in Antarctica, Erik would nail them shut in case I climbed out. It's not that he doesn't trust me, he's just a little overprotective." She rolled her eyes and smiled, and Paige grinned back sympathetically.

"Tell me about it. Older brothers are even worse than mothers are. So, you wanna unpack first, or tour first?"

"Unpack, I guess."

"Good choice. Mind if we help, or ya got private stuff all through here?"

"Nothing that private, look as much as you like."

They had put most of her things away and Paige and Jessica were arguing over where the whale poster should go, when Monet came across the photo in the bottom of the last bag.

"Who are the other people in this photograph?" Dispute forgotten, both girls came over to look at the picture. A group of people were standing in a garden, a de-aged Magneto in the front proclaiming it to be recent, with two unfamiliar teenagers standing next to him. Jessica and Marcos were above and a little behind them, while another, younger boy lay in front of their feet leaning on his elbow. They were all smiling at the camera.

"The one lying down is Danny and the other girl with the dark hair is Jenny. Erik and Marcos you know, the tall guy is Michael. Plus me makes our whole little family." She gently took the picture from Monet and stood it up on the bedside table, then kicked the empty bags into the bottom of the wardrobe. "That's everything. How about that tour?"

It began, of course, with 'this is the bathroom', and finished in the biosphere where they ran into the other tour group, plus Jubilee who had joined up with the guys. She looked a little subdued, but her and Jessica carefully avoided any form of contact.

"And this is where we get trained, practice and do other such physical things."Angelo waved a hand vaguely in the air. "You'll find out soon enough how much fun it all is." They wandered around the main features as they got to know each other.

"So, what are your mutant powers exactly? And do you have codenames that match?" Everett inquired casually. Marcos answered first.

"I fly, do shields and blast things basically. I got codenamed Shadow because of the way it looks." He held out a hand and a black ball of enery gathered around it. "Jessica does everything I do, plus some extra's because she's an electro-magnetic. Gets called Lightning for obvious reasons."

"Now onto the important questions." Skin literally draped an arm over Jessica's shoulders. "Are you two together?" Marcos replied in rapid spanish. The only word most of them understood was the 'si' at the beginning, but Angelo laughed and removed his arm. "A nice philosophy, amigo. 'Look all you like but keep your hands to yourself. I won't kill you, but remember poor Ronald McDonald.' By the way, what did happen to Ronald?" Marcos laughed.

"She kicked him in the shins, belted him with her bag and read him the riot act. But it's better than where she kicked Mickey." Jessica stuck her tongue out at him.

"Well if I'm not supposed to use my powers in public, you'll just have to get used to me using other methods when strange men try to hug me."

Erik settled more comfortably in his deckchair and looked out across the hotel's swimming pool. "This is nice, isn't it, Charles? A little holiday away from all those students and heirs and responsibilities. And they think we're out saving the world or something. What could be better."

Dinner at the academy brought no major dilemmas, only polite conversation.

"So, what to ye think of the school, lass?"

"I like it so far, but I've only been here a little while. The rooms are great though."

"Especially the windows you can climb out of." Paige added with a completely straight face. Jessica almost choked on a mouthful of potato, while Banshee raised an enquiring eyebrow.

"We were talking before, and I mentioned that if my room on New Avalon had windows that could open Erik would have to nail them shut, just in case."

"Doesn't he trust your judgement?" Ms Frost asked.

"Let me quote: 'Yes of course I trust you, it's just that I don't trust Marcos as far as I could spit him.'"

"You get caught playing one little game of strip poker and they hold it against you for years. It wasn't even like I was winning." Marcos sighed.

"I'll trust ye, Marcos, but no playing strip poker in this school."

"Of course not, Mr Cassidy."

"And don't call me Mr Cassidy, makes me feel old. My name's Sean."

"Marcos is Marcos, Sean is Sean, and Jessica is hungry. Would someone please pass the salad?"

* * *

Jessica sat on the bed in a baggy t-shirt and some old tracksuit pants brushing her hair. Dinner had been fine, and most of the people here seemed really nice, but she still didn't feel good about the huge fight she'd had with Jubilee just before bed. She knew that Erik felt guilty about what he'd done to Wolverine, but he'd been half under the control of the Onslaught personna that whatshername had created then, and had really been a few cards short of a full deck. Moira MacTaggert, that was her name. Poor thing hadn't realised what a mutated split-personality disorder will do if you poke it too much. But Jubilee blaming Erik for everything and calling her and nuts for staying with him was a bit much. They'd both screamed abuse without listening to what the other person was trying to say. She couldn't really blame Jubilee for thinking that way either. Erik had been a terrorist for most of his life, and she knew that was wrong. He'd decided that mutants were better than everyone else, and she knew that wasn't strictly true either. But everytime she thought that, she remembered him dropping everyting to help someone like her, or Marcos or Reenah. And she freely admitted to herself that she was biased, because she knew that if he stood trial she would have no place to go where anyone really cared about her. She'd try and have a civilised conversation with Jubilee in the morning.

Jessica got up and wandered over to the window. Using her flying to balance her top half, she leaned out the window and looked at the stars. She became completely absorbed in studing the unfamiliar northern constelations and didn't notice anything behind her until it was too late. There was a collar on her neck and a hand over her mouth before she could scream, and she was hauled uncerimoniously backwards out the window. Damn. Jessica reached out for the energy to stun whoever it was, and couldn't find it. They put an inhibitor collar on me! Stay calm, don't panic. Miss Frost! Help!! But on the other side of the campus, Emma Frost lay unconscious in her cottage and beyond hearing.

She hadn't even seen her kidnapper yet, they were always behind her. A gag was slapped professionally over her mouth, her hands tied, and she was half-pushed, half-carried off the grounds. There was a truck outside the gates, and they tied her legs before she was thrown into the back and shut in. The truck started up and drove away, bouncing her around the hard floor until she wedged into a corner. Someone else bumped into her and she stuck out her legs to stop them bouncing away again. But then for some strange reason she felt very sleepy and couldn't stay awake…

Jessica woke up feeling very sore, and tried to stretch. That was when she noticed that her hands were chained to the wall. After a moment of confusion she remembered what had happended and took stock of her situation. Her legs were untied and the gag was off, but the inhibitor collar ws still on. She was sitting on a hard floor with her back against the wall and her hands chained above her head. Turning to look around the room she gasped with surprise. Jubilee was not a meter away in a similar position, but she had still been asleep. The gasp must have woken her up, she yawned and blinked blearily.

"What the hell…" She gave an angry tug on her wrists and looked to her right. Then they stared at each other in shock. Jubilee looked away and surveyed the rest of the little room. Concrete walls and floor, a metal door and what looked like a very small bathroom in an alcove. No way out. "Oh, just great! How could my life possibly get any worse! I've been kidnapped by God knows who, God knows why, and it had to be with you!"

"Hey, I'm not so overjoyed about it myself! What do you think I did? Threw myself at their feet and said 'Oh please take me as well, making Jubilee angry is my whole purpose in life.'?"

"I'm not surprised! Your precious Magneto isn't happy unless he's making someone's life a living hell. Stands to reason that the junior bucket-heads would have picked it up."

"He's not like that!"

"Yeah, I'm sure he never meant to rip Wolvy's skeleton out and nearly kill him, he was just a little stressed."

"Was Charles Xavier responsible for Onslaught?"

"No."

"Then Erik wasn't responsible for that, but he feels bad about it anyway!"

"It's not the same thing!"

"Is so!"

"Is not!"

"So!"

"Not!" They broke off as the door burst open and slammed against the wall. A man was standing in the doorway, his arms stretched wide to encompass both girls and the rest of the empty room. He was wearing a dignified gray suit with a trenchcoat, and smiling.

"Ah, there's nothing like the sound of sidekicks fighting in the morning."

"Who the hell are you?" They chorused, both too angry to even think of being polite. He just smiled wider.

"I'm Chris Warwick. I don't need a codename, I am secure in my villainhood. But you two can call me sir."

"Uh huh. Well, Chris, I don't suppose you'd care to tell us why we're here?" Jubilee gave him the anti-authority sneer which even Banshee couldn't stand and tugged on her chains.

"You're here so that Wolverine and Magneto will give me what they want. It's very simple. Just a little information, nothing major, then you can go on your way. Of course, if they don't show you'll starve, but that's life. Now I'm going to unchain you, but if you try to jump me or otherwise escape I'll have to do nasty things to your mind, and none of us want that." He patted each of them on the head and released their hands. Both teenagers rubbed their wrists and gave him identical versions of the evil eye. "Now don't try to take those collars off, they're tamper resistant and since I'm a psychic I'll know. If that happens I'll just chain you up again. Have a nice day." Chris gave them one last smile and locked the door behind him. Jessica gave it the finger.

"What a prick! Ow, my butt." She stood up and tried to rub some feeling back into her rear end.

"Tell me about it."

"Which part?"

"Both. Ever heard of the loser?" By unspoken agreement the fight was postponed until a more appropriate time.

"Nope." Jessica shook her head. "Nothing like anyone I've ever been told about. You?"

"Not a clue. But I don't care if he's the King of Argentina, I'm gonna try and find a way out of this hole." They both searched the room from top to bottom and discovered no escape route unless they found a way to fit down the toilet. Jessica sat down on the floor and started to comb her hair with her finger.

"So why do you hang with Mags?" Jessica looked up sharply, but Jubilee didn't look like she was trying to start another fight, so she answered.

"My family was beyond dysfunctional. When I was thirteen I tried to run away, but I got picked up by the cops and returned. Lets just say that my dad wasn't exactly happy with me. He was drunk, and things got a little nasty. He hit my mother and she fell over, banging her head on the edge of the bench. I just kinda lashed out, and shocked him with my powers. He started yelling at me about being a filthy mutant, and I was pretty terrified anyway. He started coming towards me, and I guess I instinctively tried to put a shield up. He got caught in it and Erik told me later that it impaired the nerve function below his waist. I just knew that he screamed and the feedback stunned me. That's when Erik turned up and took me out a few steps ahead of the police. He helped me cope with it, taught me how to control my powers and gave me a place to live. He loves me, and he's the closest thing to a family I've got." Jubilee was silent for a few moments, thinking about this.

"Yeah. I think I know what you mean. After my parents died I bounced around a few foster homes, ended up living in a mall. Then I met Wolverine and it didn't matter so much, because someone cared about me. I met the X-Men and it was like one big family." Jessica nodded slowly.

"But you knew that your parents loved you. Mine are trying to establish an Australian chapter of the FoH."

"You're Australian? I lived there for a while! It is such a kewl place." Jessica smiled.

"I like it. I try and go back and visit when I can."

"When was the last time?"

"A couple of weeks ago. But it was, ah, a flying visit." Jubilee raised an eyebrow.

"Care to explain?"

"Well, after that whole thing with Joseph passing himself off as Magneto it wasn't very safe at New Avalon. So me and the others, runaways and street-kids all, fell back into old habits and took off. But we used his credit card to finance this little trip. So when he got the bill, things got nasty." As she'd been talking Jessica had been trying to plait her hair, but it kept getting away from her.

"Here, let me help." Jubilee shuffled across the floor and took over the hairdressing. "So how did you get to Australia?"

"Admittedly, we did go a little bit overboard, and he was pretty annoyed. But it was one of those fights which is almost a game, just trying to win without really being angry. At one point it involved him chasing me through New Avalon, and so I though 'I'll give him a bit of exercise' so I flew all the way to Australia and threw myself on the mercy of the Victorian police." She giggled. "So here we are in this police station, I'm hiding behind a constable and Erik's sitting on the front desk. The poor police don't know what to do, there's a mutant terrorist in their station but what are they supposed to do? Try and arrest him? I think not. So he's sitting there reading from the bill while this little old lady who came in to complain about the digracful behaviour of young people nowadays is hyperventilating in one of the plastic chairs. He goes 'The rental Ferrarri, I have gotten over. The eight-hundred dollar room service bill I will let slide, just this once. I just have one little question. There are five of you. This tells me that I paid for four rooms. So who was sharing? I have to know who I'm going to have to force to get married.' And he looks all disappointed and shocked, y'know, like they do. And then this old bird stands up and gives me the hairy eyeball, going 'That's just what I mean! They've got no morals!' And she gives me this whole lecture while he makes approving noises and occasionaly adds bits. Then when she starts talking about long hair she gets up and walks over to the counter, pointing at me with her brolly for emphasis. But the old bag musta been short-sighted 'cause she finally gets a good squiz at Erik, who you must remember has long white hair, looks twenty-five and is wearing spandex and a cape with his helmet under his arm. And he's nodding politely and agreeing with her! So she stops and just gapes, opening and shutting her mouth without making any noise, so he continues for her. 'Well? Are you going to tell me who it was and come out of there by yourself, or do I have to come in and get you?' and I lean out from behind my spunk of a constable and play my part to the hilt (but let me tell you, I could've just as happily stayed back there all day). So I sez, in my best suspicious voice, 'Promise not to make anyone get married?' and he sez 'Okay, I promise', but he's got a smirk on his face so I narrow my eyes and go 'Promise not to neuter anyone?' and he snaps his fingers and goes 'Rats. She's onto me.' Half the cops laugh, 'cause we're both smiling by this time, and he says 'So what was the deal with the four rooms?' and I answer him honestly. 'Me and Jenny were sharing.' But the old lady musn'ta realised that I meant in separate beds because she fainted." Jubilee laughed, and Jessica joined in.

"Wolvy's like that. Loves me, would do anything for me, but some guy looks at me funny…" Jubilee sighed. "Don't do much for my social life." There was a pause, and the silence began to close in on them. The good mood they'd had for a few minutes evaporated, and Jessica, now that she had stopped talking and had nothing to occupy her, was looking increasingly frightened. "Y'okay?" Jessica wrapped her arms around herself and took a deep breath.

"Y-yeah, I guess so."

"Anything like this ever happened to ya?" Jubilee began to feel a little protective as Jessica shook her head. Gawd, she doesn't look sixteen anymore. I'm used to this crap, I'll be fine, but she ain't that bad, doesn't deserve this. "Trust me, it'll be okay. This is the Jubester we're talking' about here, I'm always fine. You don't think that Wolvy and old bucket-head'll let this creep get away with doing this to us, do ya? They'll kick his sorry butt from here t'China and back again." Jubilee patted her reassuringly on the shoulder. "One of the perks of bein' a sidekick that ol' Chrissy doesn't know about. Now what's the time? If we're lucky we've already missed training and chemistry." Jessica looked at her watch.

"Nup. S'only six-thirty."

"Oh well, we'll be so traumatised by our terrible ordeal that we hafta take a whole day off. Yeah, that's what we'll do. Make everyone feel really sorry for us, so they pander to our every whim." Jubilee leaned back against the wall and grinned. "Be great fun. All the ice-cream we can eat and all the TV we can watch. Wonder what Oprah's doing this week…"

"It's half-past six. When are those two going to drag themselves out of bed?" Angelo had the look of a person who is not happy to be awake, but since they must suffer, other people will as well. Paige wandered in brushing her hair.

"Which two?"

"Jubilee and Jessica, chica. Didn't you wake them up?"

"I was going to, but their rooms were empty. They must be up already."

"Maybe Miss Frost is talking to them about that fight they had, she hasn't shown up either." Synch ate another spoonful of cereal. "Hey Monet, you want to use those powers of yours and see where they are?"

"I don't see why you are worried, they are all perfectly capable of looking after themselves."

"We aren't worried." Marcos protested. "We just don't want them to make us late for the training session. Thrashing all of you is going to be boring enough without dragging it out."

"I'm afraid you have your wires crossed, amigo. If we can beat up OZT we aren't going to have a problem with you two."

"If we can hold our own in a session against Exodus, I don't think this is going to be too hard." Marcos gave Skin an exaggerated glare.

"One thing does bother me. It's probably stupid, and you can laugh at me later if you want, M." Everett was looking thoughtfully at his bowl of Sugar Bombs. "But when was the last time J missed a meal?" Marcos frowned.

"Now that I think of it, Jess can't go more than six hours without a sugar hit. She should be onto her second bowl by now." Marcos and Everett looked at each other across the table.

"Oh GOD I'm hungry." Jubilee moaned. "If Sabretooth offered me something with sugar in it, I'd kiss him. Tell me another story, it'll help take our minds off it."

"Okay, how about…" Jessica thought for a few moments. "How about the time we got caught playing strip poker?"

The door to Jessica's room opened quietly.

"Nothing here either. Let's go wake Emma up, she'll know where they are."

"Good one! Geez, I'd love to be able to see the expression on his face…" Jubilee wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes and took a deep breath. "Okay, my turn. You know Iceman, bit of a practical joker, right? Well this one time…"

Erik cursed as his phone rang.

"Always when you're in the middle of dinner…" He smiled apologetically at his dinner companion. She smiled back. "Yes? What…" There was a short silence as he listened, then his fist tightened and the wineglass shattered, spilling wine and broken glass all over the table. But his voice remained calm. "So where did he say? I'll meet you in Snow Valley in three hours." He hung up and wiped his hand absently on a napkin. "I'm sorry, but there's and emergency involving my…daughter. How about we postpone this until later?"

"I didn't know you had a daughter." Erik sighed. She was giving him a suspicious look, obviously assuming he was married.

"I adopted her a few years ago. Being a single parent isn't easy, but it is rewarding. I apologise for having to hurry off, but I have to find my friend and tell him where I'm going." He flashed her a charming smile and stood up.

"I'll find him for you. And I hope she's okay."

"Thank you. Just tell him to contact Scott if he wants to know what happened."

As she watched him hurry away Sara sighed. Why did her dates always end like this? Well, if he comes back, you never know. He's good looking, intelligent, and if he's got a daughter he can't be the love-'em-and-leave-'em irresponsible type. And he can hold his liquor. How many daiquiris did those two drink anyway? Every second order I had was theirs. She sighed again and set off to find his friend.

"Miss Frost? Are you alright?" Emma groggily opened her eyes and almost fainted again. One Monet was bad enough, but now there were two. With a effort worthy of Xena herself, she focussed and forced the number of students hovering over her to halve.

"I'm…'kay, but wha' hit me?" She tried to sit up and quickly lay down again, holding her head. "Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. Would one of you darling students like to get me a glass of water and a box of asprin?"

"Emmmaaaa! Cyclops just called and…" Sean Cassidy stopped to take in the situation. The students were hovering over the headmistress, who was lying fully dressed in the middle of her living room floor. She was also smiling brightly and talking to herself.

"Oh my, are you alright Emma? I mean, it looks like some asswipe just hit you with enough psionic energy to stun a rhinoceros. You must feel terrible. Is there anything I can do aside from not shout?" She turned to Paige. "I said ASPRIN!! NOW!" She looked back at the ceiling, sighed and waggled her hands in the air. "Now somebody help me up." When Emma had been shifted to the couch and the asprin had taken effect she remembered something. "So what did Cyclops want?"

"Two of our students have been kidnapped. Apparently they're bein' held hostage so that Magneto and Wolverine will give him information." There were various gasps and horrified exclamations from around the room. Emma just frowned.

"Makes sense. Knock me out, and no one will notice until the morning. Was there anything else?"

"Jean's had no luck findin' them with Cerebro, says their powers are probably being inhibited. Magneto and Wolverine are on their way here so they can arrange the swap, but…"

"But the chances of them being reasonable are slim to none. I just hope whoever it was didn't do anything that would provoke them more."

"Kind of like this?" Sean handed her what lookedlike a fax of a polaroid photograph. It showed Jessica and Jubilee chained to a concrete wall, both wearing collars and unconcious.

"Oh dear." Emma murmered, absently pushing Everett away with one foot. What he didn't see couldn't worry him.

"Wolverine had to be sedated."

Jubilee sighed. The guard Chris had just posted outside had put an end to their hilarious reminisences. Now she was feeling hungry, uncomfortable and grumpy. Then an idea hit her and she grinned. Shuffling over to Jessica she whispered quietly into her ear.

"Paige said ya can sing." Jessica nodded, looking a little confused. "Can ya sing bad?" Jubilee jerked her head towards the door. Comprehension dawned and Jessica nodded again, more enthusiastically. Jubilee grinned. This probably wouldn't do much good, but it would be fun and they were too valuable to damage. Chris wasn't dumb. "How 'bout '99 bottles of beer'?"

"Hey, stop whispering in there!"

"Okay!" Jessica called out and grinned back at Jubilee, who mouthed a countdown.

"NINETY-NINE BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL, NINETY-NINE BOTTLES OF BEEEEEEEEEER….." Not by the greatest stretch of the imagination could it have really been called singing. They didn't get a single note right, but they did eventually run out of bottles. There was an audible sigh of relief from outside the door.

"Whatta ya reckon? Too limited?" Jubilee nodded. "You watch Sesame Street?"

"One Grey Elephant? Good choice."

"ONE GREY ELEPHANT BAAALANCIIING, STEP BY STEP ON A PIECE OF STRIIING…"

Emma turned her head to protect her face from the flying splinters.

"I think he took that well, don't you?" Sean looked at the three-metre wide crater where there used to be a rather nice tree.

"Could'a been worse." Magneto was taking deep, calming breaths.

"I'm sorry, I'm fine now." He turned around, his face calm and reasonable though his eyes were frigid. "Of course I will have to rip his heart out, but that's life."

"No kidding." Marcos was the only student who wasn't being intimidated by either Wolverine or Erik in their respective paternal rages. "He was even warned. Jessica was wearing her 'philosophy of mutant life' t-shirt." Three of the four adults present gave him curious looks. "It says 'Shit Happens'. By the way, how did you get here so fast? I thought you were on an important mission."

"I was." Yes, relaxing. "But Charles is quite capable of holding down the fort for a little while." He'd better be. If he lets that waitress get away I will be extremely pissed off. His annoyance must have been showing, because Marcos took a step back, while Wolverine gave an incredibly feral grin, made even less cheery by the prominent canines.

"Well Mags, we had better be going. Wouldn't want to keep the girls waitin'."

"If you don't mind, Erik, I'll hitch-hike in your brain."

"I don't think so, Emma." Her eyes flashed.

"I do think so. They are my students, left in my care, no matter how much the two of you may care for them. It is my responsibility to make sure they are alright." Erik sighed. She had always been very attached to her students, and she would either get her way or or be in the way.

"Fine. But if I get so much as a hint of you poking around where you shouldn't, you'll be out so fast your head will spin." She looked hurt.

"Really, Erik, I don't do that sort of thing anymore."

"You are a woman, and a very curious one. Pandora's box wasn't just a pretty story."

"You flatter yourself. Besides, I've already seen everything in your mind that's worth seeing." Emma gave him a knowing smile and winked suggestively. "There's some really rather racy parts in there." Sean almost smiled. It was nice to see her sharpening her claws on someone else for a change. She got what she wanted, as usual. Erik and Logan left with an extra passenger.

The complex was large and sprawling, a perfect place to hide two teenage girls. Circling low, ostensibly to find the purple and yellow flags that were marking their entrance point, Wolverine's keen senses combined with Magneto's powers and Emma's psychic scans gave them a lot of information. Sorry, I can't smell 'em, but I can smell plenty of others. Mostly men, and some of them smell like mercs.

~You can smell mercenaries?~

All the buildings have people and working machinery, but those towards the center are drawing more power. I can't sense Jessie, so her abilities must still be blocked. Emma took note of his unconcious use of the nickname, but didn't mention it.

~Those interior buildings are also psychically shielded.~

Chris Warwick watched them land on the security cameras. Everything was going according to his recently-revised plan.

"Okay, that’s enough of the elephants." The guard had been yelling obscenities, so now was the time to let him think it was over before starting something worse. "The song that doesn't end?" Jessica nodded.

"Build up to the climax."

It was all Erik could do to not kill the disgusting, greedy little slimeball standing in front of him. Look at you, thinking that you are in control of this situation. You'll never know what hit you. Emma had resented being taken unawares by an amatuer, and was looking forward to her revenge.

"So, do you have the information I asked for?"

"Show us the girls first. Alive and well or you're a dead man."

"All in good time."

~Don't trust him.~

~He's a true capitalist, and can only value things in terms of money or power. The little worm has decided that since you both responded so co-operatively that the girls must be very powerful, and he wants to keep them so they can be exploited for his gain. I'll show him a thing or three.~

~I'll take care of that, just be quick.~ And she took the fight to the astral plane, stunning the two bodyguards on her way.

"Quick, let's go." Wolverine sniffed and shook his head in disgust.

"He's been all over this place recently, and there's no guarantee he checked on the girls anytime in the last few hours. We'll just have to scout the old-fashioned way. Is there enough left of Emma's telepathic link for you to keep us in contact?"

"I think so. You take that hallway, I'll go this way. Knock out anyone who sees you and hide them somewhere." They split up, Wolverine searching for a trace of scent, Magneto scanning for the unusual field produced by inhibitors.

"YES IT GOES ON AND ON MYYYYY FRIIIIEEEEND…" They broke off and took a few deep breaths to prepare for the grand finale.

"OH I KNOW A SONG THAT'LL GET ON YOUR NERVES, GET ON YOUR NERVES, GET ON YOUR NERVES, OH I KNOW A SONG THAT'LL GET ON YOUR NERVES AND IT GOES A LITTLE LIKE THIS. OH, I KNOW A SONG THAT'LL GET ON YOUR NERVES…"

Wolverine was not happy. He knew that this was one of the hazards inherent in many of the various occupations he had had over the years, and he could accept them for himself, but to bring innocent kids like Jessica and Jubilee into it was different. That would require inflicting nasty and painful things on whatever Emma left behind. And a secret part of him that was glad that he was with someone who would not only condone this sort of behaviour, but make creative suggestions and whole-heartedly join in. His hyper-sensetive hearing picked up something that sounded familiar.

Hey, Erik. I think I can hear them. C'mere. Magneto ran around the corner a few seconds later.

"Are you sure it's them?" Wolverine gave him a reproachful look.

"Oh, ye of little faith. I know the sound of a teenage girl singing. And who else in a place like this would be singing that song about the rubber ducky?"

J1 and J2, as they had nicknamed themselves in a moment of whimsical boredom, were working on the dance routine when they heard familiar voices. They both threw themselves at the door and yelled, just in case.

"WOLVY! GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

"ERIK! IN HERE! GET THIS STUPID COLLAR OFFA ME!" She pounded on the door for good measure. Wolverine sniffed. There had been a guard here at some point, but his smell was strange. Emotions going all over the place, but anger and distress the most prominent. Erik was more direct, magnetically wrenching the door off its hinges, and hurling it back down the corridor where it embedded itself in the wall. There were two dirty, rumpled and innapropriately dressed girls on the other side.

"Traumatised!" Jubilee hissed before throwing herself at Wolverine. Jessica got the message, and stood there looking desolate for a few moments before bursting into tears. Real ones. She was upset, bruised, hungry and beginning to feel hoarse.

"There there, sweetheart, its over." Erik was patting her hair and rocking her gently, which was nice. He never noticed doing this, but she took great comfort in it. She felt safe again. Jessica allowed the tears to taper off to endearing snuffles and wiped her face on his shoulder. Erik looked down and his slightly snotty costume and sighed. He tried to make sure she always had a handkerchief, but as she was dressed for bed and obviously hadn't been planning on going anywhere it didn't really matter.

~Aaaawwww, that is so ka-yuuuuute.~

~Seriously, darling. I'm getting warm fuzzy feelings, in fact I almost envy you.~ The mental voice had become almost wistful, but returned to normal Emma before he ws sure he'd heard it. ~But then from here it looks like Jessica is in a very enviable position as well. Now come back and pick me up, I'm done.~

"Come on, we have to go pack and pick up Emma before we can leave."

"You brought Miss Frost as well?"

"Kind of."

Emma's astral form was standing over an unconsious Chris Warwick looking very pleased with itself.

~Hah. That'll teach you to mess with me. Erik? Could you do me a favour?~

"What?" The psychic illusion gave him a vindictive smile.

~Kick him. Hard.~

"Wait!" Jessica stepped forward. "I think me and Jubilee should get to do that."

~Of course dear. I'm sorry, I should have asked you first.~

After they had gotten their own revenge, Emma assured them that Chris had been suitably punished and wouldn't be causing any more trouble. When questioned further she just buffed her imaginary nails against her non-existent jacket and looked smug.

"C'mon Mags, let's book." Jubilee looked at him pleadingly. "I'm starved."

"Very well. We can come back and look through this place later. Logan, you and Emma are with me, Jessie, you take Jubilee."

"Can't she just go in the bubble with you?" Erik gave her an impatient look.

"It will be faster if you take her." Jessica pouted and crossed her arms.

"I hate doing the bubble…" she muttered to herself.

"Jessica Anne! Stop trying to be difficult." She tucked her chin down and looked up at him with wide eyes. "And don't make the kitten face either I'm not in the mood." She stuck her tongue out at him and slipped her arm around Jubilee's waist.

"Don't worry, J1, I won't make you go with all those" She paused, searching for a suitably withering insult. "grown-up people!"

Well, there it is peoples, Part One. Part Two is already well on its way, but the whole thing was getting a little long, so I decided to break it up. So far there's gambling and drinking and even a shower scene, so trust me, things can only get worse can only from here. Remember, I looove e-mail so even if you hated it, let me know.