Chamber was trying to read, but the way Jessica was staring at him kept distracting him.

~WOT?!~

"You're very depressed, aren't you?" He blinked. She'd been here for weeks and she'd only just noticed?

~You would be too if you were missin' half yer face and chest.~

"Well obviously it isn't s'posed to be that way."

~Pardon?~

"I said that it's not supposed to be that way, 'cause that'd be dumb. Evolution's not dumb, so you should be able to use your power without knocking holes in yourself."

~Oh, so it's all my fault fer not doin' it right. Thanks. That really cheered me up.~ She gave him a quick, fake smile.

"You're welcome. What I mean is, if using your powers makes holes, maybe there's s'posed to be a way the repair them afterwards or something. When Erik first started using his extensively, he started getting headaches and all sorts of things. It turns out he was actually doing terrible things to his own nervous system, but now he's okay after damage that should have been permanent. Maybe you can do the same thing, you just don't know it yet."

~Mmm. Right. So how did the ever-marvelous Erik who always has all the answers discover this wonderful ability? No, wait, I bet he had some annoyin' little blonde come along and point it out.~ She glared at him and stood up.

"Maybe you should try a little bit of positive thinking. Even if it did nothing for the hole, at least you wouldn't be sitting around feeling sorry for yourself and making the rest of us depressed." He threw his book at her. She caught it and looked at the cover. "You're reading 'Lord of the Flies'? No wonder you're depressed! I'm afraid I'll have to confiscate this for your own good." Jono started to try and rescue his book, but Jessica sprinted out of the room and he wasn't about to chase her like a little kid.

* * *

Sean sighed and looked around. Chamber was still annoyed with Jessica for stealing his book, Skin had tried to talk to Monet and been so insulted that he'd resolved not to talk to another female for the rest of his life, and Everett had just had an enormous fight with Jubilee and was now sitting scrunched up in a chair and muttering about "stupid girls". And Sean himself had just had a… heated discussion with Emma.

"Stupid, vindictive, self-righteous, opinionated girls. Can't get away from them, they're everywhere." Everett grouched, kicking the side of his chair.

"It is just hormones." Everyone looked at Mondo. "It is a well-known fact, women who live together often… synchronise." Banshee suddenly realised what Mondo was getting at, and started to sweat.

"Ye're telling me that every female in this house has PMS?" Mondo shrugged expressively.

"Jessica, Jubilee and Monet certainly. Judging by what she said to you, probably Miss Frost as well."

~Shit.~

"You said it, Jono." Everett looked a little wide-eyed. "Mr Cassidy, what are we going to do? I'm too young to die!"

"Just hold on, lad, we'll think o'something." Marcos came running in and threw Sean some car keys.

"We're out of here, my fellow males. Boston may be safe."

~So how do we explain why every guy in the house suddenly has to go somewhere, but they can't come?~

"I told Miss Frost we were going to do a little male bonding and sucked up a lot. Now let's move!"

"Miss Frost, why did they all leave like that?" Emma smiled.

"They thought that we all had PMS and decided to head for the hills."

"Oh." Jessica and Jubilee looked at each other and shouted in chorus.

"Those bastards!"

"Oh, well. We'll find something else to do, won't we J2?"

"I know just the thing. Miss Frost…?"

"Of course you can, dear."

"Lessee. Coke?"

"Check."

"Chocolate?"

"Check."

"The rest of that lovely junk food?"

"Check."

"Music?" Paige leaned over and hit 'play'.

"Check."

"This party is now in session." All four of them giggled, except for Monet.

"I still don't know why you are doing this in my room."

"'Cause you won't come if we don't. Now have some of these."

After a while the sugar and caffeine they pumped into her had the desired effect and Monet became almost as giggly and hyperactive as the rest of them. Suddenly, Paige spoke up seriously, right in the middle of Jessica's Iceman impression.

"Y'know, we bullied M into this, and now she's enjoying herself. But Miss Frost is all by herself while we have fun."

"We can hardly just move in on her, Hayseed. She'll just kick us out."

"No, it might work as long as she's not too crabby. Hang on." Jessica shut her eyes and screwed up her face in concentration. "Uh, all I can pick up is that she's feeling a bit lonely and philosophical." She panted and held the sides of her head. "Ow, that hurt."

"You can do that?"

"No, Jubilee, I'm just pretending. I can pick up feeling of someone I know well, someone who has some kind of link with me or just anyone I'm standing very close to, but it's hard and it hurts for a few minutes most of the time."

"Well let's grab this stuff and head to Frosty's, then. It probably wont be as much fun, though."

"Hey, I've heard stories about her. It could be heaps of fun."

Emma could feel them approaching her cottage. With a sigh she stood up and opened her front door just before Paige knocked. They were carrying various bottles, bags and appliances. Curious, she reached out and felt why they were there, then smiled. They wanted her to have fun as well.

"Come in, girls. I suppose if they feel the need to have a little male bonding, we can spend some time together as well."

"Miss Frost? One thing."

"Yes, Jessica?"

"Don't act like our teacher or anything, pretend you're just a kid like us."

"I'll do my best, but I'm afraid I was never a child like you. In fact I stopped being a child when I was twelve."

"That's terrible. You missed out on all the fun."

When everything was set up Jubilee looked around.

"Well, we could do some more X-Men impersonations, I'm sure Fr- um, Miss Frost knows some good ones."

"I do, but if I'm not being your teacher you had better call me Emma."

"Okay, Emma, you wanna show us one?"

They did superhero and villain impersonations for a while, then they all felt a bit sick from eating too much and had to sit down.

"Well, you're the experts. What do we do now?"

"Truth or Dare?" Jubilee suggested.

"Depends. I mean, I've got a few things I don't exactly want to tell anyone, so when me and Jenny play we use different rules."

"How are they different?"

"Dares are the same, but if you don't want to answer a truth question you just have to tell something else that the others don't know about you. It still works pretty well."

"Sounds good." Jubilee nodded. "How about the rest of you?" They all nodded. "Okay, who goes first?"

"You ask someone."

"Oookaaaaayy… Jess! Truth or dare?"

"Truth. I feel too full for a dare yet." Jubilee grinned evilly at that.

"Great. Now, you and Marcos have been together for a while, and you did play strip poker at one point."

"Yeah, almost two years, so hurry up with the question already."

"So have you two gone all the way?"

"Jubilee! That's a kind of personal question to ask on her first turn, wouldn't you say?" Monet looked a little shocked.

"It's okay, I'll answer. No, we haven't. My mother was seventeen when she had me, and I'm not planning to repeat her mistakes. Besides, Erik would go off his brain. Now it's my turn to ask. Paige, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Who's your favourite superhero and why."

"Sam, because he's my brother and I like him."

"Wimpy answer! Wimpy answer!"

"Yeah. Aside from him."

"Hey, I already answered my question, I get to ask. Jubilee, truth or dare?"

"Truth. I'll go with the flow."

"You like Ev, don't ya?"

"Course I do, he's my best bud."

"And mine was a wimpy answer? But you're blushing, Lee, so you don't need to say anything."

"I'm not blushing."

"Actually, Jubilation, you are."

"You traitor. Hang on, I'll get you. Truth or dare, Frosty." Emma took a deep breath.

"Truth."

"What's the deal with you and Drake?"

"Do I have to answer that? I don't want to embarrass him."

"You just have to tell us something else. But we don't mind if you embarrass him." Jessica smiled. "Blackmail material, y'see."

"Something else. I envy you and Jubilee. You can act like children, laugh, play tricks on people and be irresponsible, because you don't have to look after yourselves all the time."

"Bad things have happened to us too, Emma. We just don't let it get to us. You can do the same thing, it would make you feel better." Jessica reached out and patted her not-teacher's hand as she spoke.

"What? Act like a child and play tricks on people?"

"Sure. Are you still mad at Banshee?"

"Yes."

"Then I dare ya to let us help you regain your lost childhood." Emma looked around and groped for a way to refuse. "Of course if you don't do it, we'll never respect you again. That's the fun part of truth or dare."

"Fine, but you all have to help."

"No, no. You have to say 'I double-dare you to help.'"

"I double-dare everyone to help." Monet rolled her eyes, but Jessica and Jubilee were bouncing with excitement at the prospect.

"We'll do it! Now if it's gonna be good you hafta plan…"

At around eleven Sean pulled up in front of the house. Without the engine noise the faint trace of music reached them, and they looked at each other in confusion.

"I didn't know that Miss Frost was into U2."

By general consent they crept towards her cottage to investigate. Chamber even volunteered to shield them as well as he could. They wriggled through some bushes and looked in the window, staring at the stack of videos, the empty Coke bottles and the total teenage girlness. Paige was even braiding Emma's hair. Then Monet walked into the room, smiling slightly and looking at some pieces of paper in her hands.

"And the winner of the 'Best Butt' award is…." Unable to help themselves, they all leaned closer to the window. Then it hit them. Not and idea, but a lot of cold liquid.

"AAAAAAUUUUUUUGGHH!!" They all yelled, and there was a small explosion of fruit-smelling steam where it hit Jono's front. Synch cautiously licked his hand.

"Um, guys, this isn't water. It's kool-aid." There was a muffled laugh from above them and they all looked up to Emma's face looking down over the edge of her roof. She was trying not to giggle and looked happier than any of them had ever seen her.

"Nice hair Sean." Banshee managed to pull a bit of hair forward enough to see.

"It's purple!" Jubilee's head popped up next to Emma's.

"Don't worry, Mr C, it'll wash out in about a week. But none of the other guys have to worry, unfortunately." Sean looked around at the uniformly dark haired or bald students on the ground with him. Chamber and Skin were looking a little tinted, but Marcos and Everett were fine.

"Emma, I cannae believe you'd condone this sort of behavior! What's gotten into ye, woman?" Sean planted his hands on his hips and looked up at her, so getting the pudding right in the face.

"I do have a name as well as a sex, and I'd appreciate it if you'd use it! Besides, they dared me. And Jessica was right, it did make me feel better."

"Yeah!" Jessica agreed, her head appearing on Emma's other side. "We're helping her discover her inner child and for much less than your average psychiatrist. All we need is a slice of the action."

"Miss Frost, that was kind of immature." Everett looked at her reproachfully.

"Yeah, and the only thing those two are going to help you discover is your inner brat." Marcos ignored the way Jessica and Jubilee stuck out their tongues and searched for ammunition. But Emma just gave them a withering glance.

"Fine then. But next time there's a spider in the boy's bathroom I'm not getting it out for you." Everyone looked at Shadow and Synch, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, I hate spiders." Synch muttered, and Marcos shuddered in agreement. All the other students burst out laughing, except for Monet who just bit her lip and smiled. Eventually Paige gained enough control to ask for more details.

"C'mon, Miss Frost, hee hee, tell what happened." Emma smiled.

"Well I was reading quietly outside, minding my own business, when I heard this blood-curdling scream. Of course I rushed over, only to find these two tough guys bailed up by a spider. I decided to be kind, picked it up on my book and threw it out the window." Jessica and Jubilee suddenly stopped laughing.

"You threw George out the window? After all the trouble Jubes and me went to get him in there?! How could you! At least she didn't find Jack." Jessica crossed her arms and pouted. Skin coughed in an embarrassed sort of way.

"If that was the one who was in the shower, it surprised me and I sort of squashed it." He saw the looks of horror and hastened to reassure them. "But I didn't really mean to, and we gave him a nice funeral and a little prayer." Mondo nodded, but Jonothon looked at him in surprise.

~You dropped 'im in the bog, said 'Amen to that' and flushed. I don't think that's a nice funeral even by spider standards.~

"It was a funeral at sea!"

Everyone had walked or squished off to do other things except for Jessica, who was getting the last of the things off the roof. Jonothon was almost glad he couldn't blush anymore.

~You need any help?~

"Yeah, if you could grab this…" He took the empty tub and tried to think conversationally.

~So who won?~

"What?" Still trying to sound casual Jono took the pile of empty bowls and put them down next to the sticky tub.

~That competition the illusions in there were talking about.~

"Oh, you mean the 'Best Butt' award." She sat down on the edge of the roof and smiled at him. "Promise not to tell anyone I told you?" He nodded.

~Promise, sunshine.~

"You did." Chamber stood there considering that for a moment before twisting his head around and trying to look over his shoulder.

~Yer kiddin' me.~

"Nope. By majority vote, it's a great behind. Congratulations. See? There are still good things in your life, you don't have to be depressed all the time. It really irritates me, you know."

~If I admit that there are still a few good things can I have my book back?~

"No, I'll give you a nicer one. 'The Revenants', maybe. Your style, still a bit depressing, and the main character has a bigger problem than you. At least you know what sex you're going to be when you wake up."

* * *

Professor Xavier woke up with a start as something large and heavy hit his bed. He opened his eyes to find Erik staring at him, with chin propped thoughtfully on one hand.

"Charles, I need your professional opinion."

"On what?" Xavier rubbed his eyes and tried to think properly.

"Am I nuts?"

"Yes. Always have been, always will be. That's part of the reason I like you so much, you're an occupational interest as well as a friend."

"I'm serious."

"So am I." Erik decided to ignore that.

"I have this dilemma. I know that I've reformed a bit, but I think I'm falling in love with a human and that goes against all my ideals. I don't want to. It isn't as if she's anti-mutant or anything, she's just…. human, and as a general rule, I hate them all at least a bit. The only explanation I can think of is that I'm insane."

"Erik, you can't pick and chose who you fall in love with, no matter how unsuitable you think they may be. You're talking to the man who is in a serious relationship with an alien empress, remember." A look of despair crossed Erik's face and he buried it in the bed.

"I'm doomed." Xavier reached out and patted his friend's shoulder.

"It might not be too late. Did you sleep with her yet?"

"Yes."

"You're doomed. The Acolytes are going to…what was it Jubilee said the other day? Oh, that's right. Chuck a mental." Erik whimpered and stuck his head under a pillow.

* * *

"Good book, Jono?"

~Mm hmm.~

"Is that why you missed the last two classes?"

~Shh. Reading.~

Jessica's eyes were apparently focussed on Banshee, but her brain wasn't paying attention.

Boredboredboredboredbored…this sucks. When do we get to go shopping? What's the point of living near a city if you can't go shopping? I'll ask Jubes, she'll know. Jessica quickly scribbled down a note and flicked it to Jubilee. Jubilee sent back the reply by the conventional route favoured by those who couldn't levitate the attached paperclip, ie. Everett. He dropped the wad of paper onto Jessica's desk without turning around.

"That's a very nice map ye've got there, Jessica." She screamed and slammed the book shut.

"No! You shall not see my secret plans!" Jessica leapt up and sprinted towards the door, book cradled against her chest.

"Hey! Come back here!" He was after her. Time to put the plan into action. She turned ninety degrees around the corner of Paige's desk, ran across the front of the classroom and dived out the open window.

Yay! Sweet freedom. What's that noise… AAAAAAAAHH!! He's still after me! Jessica sped up and started to veer to the left. By this time, the other students were leaning out the windows to watch and calling encouragement. Jessica managed to get onto the roof and keep most of it between her and Sean. He looked at her and stopped, holding up his hands.

"Steady on, lass. Ye've shown a fair bit of tactics and initiative here, I'd just like to know what compelled ye t' suddenly run out of a physics class."

"I was bored. Really bored. I guess I got a little carried away making my escape plans."

"Jess, 'tis a difficult subject, and I think ye'd be better off paying a little more attention."

"But I know all this molecular stuff, I can even tell you the practical applications of most of it. S'boring. And when I get really bored I start to act a little weird."

"That's true, Sean." Marcos added helpfully. "She's like Danny. If you don't give them anything interesting to do they go totally loopy, like last time when they blew up a bathroom for no apparent reason except to prove that they could." Sean gave a silent groan. That was all he needed.

"Well, why don' ye come back inside and I'll try to make it more interesting for ye." Jessica just looked at him suspiciously and moved further behind a chimney.

"If you try and make me go back in there, I'll be forced to implement phase two."

"What does phase two involve?"

"I try to lose you in the trees, then hightail it all the way to Westchester and refuse to let go of Gambit's leg until you manage to successfully bribe me. If you don't come up with a suitable deal within an hour, I throw a tantrum that lasts until a higher authority shows up or I puke. If I chuck, we move to phase three."

"What's phase three?"

"Classified." Banshee thought about it for a moment before deciding he needed help.

~What?~

~Well, it has to be better than trying to attract the attention of Mr Uncommunicative here. He's too busy reading to go to classes, but his emotional state is varying a little more than usual and I don't really want to stop that yet. What's the problem?~

* * *

~I'm finished.~ Jessica lowered Pawn of Prophecy just enough so that she could see Chamber over the edge.

"What did you think?"

~It was interesting. I don't usually go in fer fantasy, but it was good. Got any more?~

Jessica looked thoughtfully at the book in her hand. Naah. Not ready for David Eddings. Andre Norton maybe? Yeah, next time. I know what he should read now… "How about an English one? English writers are much better at subtlety."

~What's it about?~

"Religion and some interesting insights into the human condition. The most fascinating book on the apocalypse I've ever read. Highly recommended." She tried to look and think completely free of all guile. All true. I'm not concealing anything. Wonder if he can laugh psionically? He just shrugged.

~I'll trust your judgement.~

"Cool. I'll catch up with you as soon as I find it."

~It's lost?~

"Oh no. Just in my room somewhere." She left her book open on the couch and pattered off. Jono decided to go back to his room. If half of what he'd heard about her room was true she wouldn't find the book for an hour or two. Actually, it only took her fifteen minutes. Ah ha. Good Omens. Mr Pratchett, Mr Gaiman, you talented men, you are about to do something really good. If it works, I may just send you a letter and tell you about it. I'd have to change the names of course… what'll I call Jono? Tall, dark and depressed? Nah. Pooky? He he. No, he'd murder me. Um… Jessica pondered the virtues of various aliases as she wandered to the boy's dorm clutching her book purposefully. Hah. They can't throw me out this time, I have a legitimate excuse! Unfortunately, Everett spotted her creeping along and yelled a warning.

"Girl on the floor!" The two open doors slammed shut. That was the problem with Marcos and Angelo, Jessica decided, they could slam the door from anywhere in the room. But Everett was giving her a very good stern look and tapping his foot. "Well?" She waved her book smugly.

"Just lending Jono a book, no need to jump to conclusions. Geez, you'd think I had nothing better to do with my time than perve." She could feel him watching her suspiciously all the way down the corridor. Jono had settled himself a long way from everybody else. How fascinating. Jessica could both hear and 'feel' the electric guitar, but only softly either way. She didn't recognise the tune, but it was as dark and sad as the person who was making it.

~Y' can't sneak up on a psychic, Jess. Come in~ She dropped the book among the drifts of assorted crap on his desk, but showed no signs of leaving.

"What were you playing just then? Never heard it before."

~That's probably because I made it up.~

"Wow. If I could write stuff like that I'd have gone professional ages ago."

~Who says I didn't? Back when I still had a voice box. Not a lot of point anymore, is there?~

"But you didn't stop writing it, did you?"

~No. If I don't write 'em down they just float in me head for days.~

"Does this one have words? Is it finished?"

~Yes it's finished, yes it has words. Why do you care?~

"Ah ha! Words. Now you're talking my language! Give 'em here." She reached out and grabbed the loose pages, sitting down on the edge of the bed to sort through them. "Which one's them?" Jono would have sighed if he could, but instead he gave her another sheet of paper, firmly removing the others from her grip.

~Don't know why I bother. They'll never get sung.~

"Play it again, from the beginning. I'll see if I can imagine what it would be like."

~Of course, yer royal highness.~

"That's what I like in a subject. Obedience. Then I don't have to do terrible things to their amplifiers." He played it through once while she hummed along.

What're y' doing, Jono? You haven't played to an audience for years. But she's a cute little kid. Not tone deaf either, a nice change from the other people in this dorm. In Angelo's hands Bryan Adams is a deadly weapon. Worse, it drives yer insane before it kills you. Not that it matters, because Ev could raise the dead. Contrary to popular opinion, he wasn't this far away from the others because he was anti-social. Jono was just one of those unlucky people cursed with perfect pitch and low tolerance to off-key singing.

"Once more, and I'll knight ya." He started again. This time through she did a passable job of singing along.

~Not bad. Y've got a good voice.~

"Thanks."

~You've got the chorus okay, but the end of the first few verses is wrong.~

"What's wrong with them?" Jono looked frustrated.

~We'll have to go downstairs and use the piano. I can't show you with a guitar.~ He marched determinedly back to the piano in the elegantly appointed formal lounge. If she was going to sing his song, she'd do it right.

Emma felt the brush of student minds and absently browsed over the edges of consciousness available to her. She was just about to pull back when something gave her the feeling she should keep an eye on what they were doing. Possibly female intuition, possibly teacher's precognition. Emma was a firm believer in both.

Jono was wrong, you could sneak up on a psion, you just had to be a better one. She leaned against the wall next to the door and eavesdropped.

~See? It goes like this.~ He played the two bars again.

"I can't do that."

~Why?~

"I'm a girl, my voice doesn't go that way. Maybe if I start higher." Jessica hummed through it.

~That'll work. Needs some serious practice, though.~ Emma easily encouraged them to ignore her as they went past

For the next two hours they worked towards getting Jessica's singing to a standard Jonothon was satisfied with. There were a few nasty moments, old grudges from the days of convict colonisation to who won the cricket last weekend were aired out, various slurs and threats were made, but eventually they had to have a break. Jessica went down to the kitchen for a drink and Jono started his new book. The White Queen was leaning calmly against the fridge, looking as if she'd been waiting.

"So? Do we get to hear it?" Jessica had lived with enough telepaths that she wasn't surprised to find Emma had known what they were up to.

"Do you want to? We're not good enough for a public performance yet, but if you wanted to listen I'm sure Jono wouldn't mind. You're a telepath, maybe you can read his mind and tell me what I'm doing wrong."

"I'd be happy to."

Emma followed Jessica, who was now navigated the boy's dorm with the confidence of one who has legitimate business and cannot be removed. The other four inhabitants just kept their doors closed and checked the hallway carefully before leaving their rooms. It was Angelo who, on hearing the footsteps, poked his head out and was very surprised. He recovered magnificently.

"Miss Frost! Umm, what a surprise."

"You don't have to be so loud, Mr Espinosa, I'm right here." Emma gave a serene smile and decided to ignore the hurried scuffling noises coming from Synch's room. She could have private words with him and Marcos later, no need to embarrass them in front of Jessica. Of course, they would have to be embarrassed in front of her, she was their teacher. But she would be terrible sincere and understanding when she did talk to them. It had worked wonders with the Hellions.

"Jono, we're coming in like it or not." Jessica declared cheerily as she pushed the door open. Chamber was snickering to himself. "What's so funny?"

~'But don't let the fog (with rain later, temperatures dropping to around forty-five degrees) give anyone a false sense of security. Just because it's a mild night doesn't mean that dark forces aren't abroad. They're abroad all the time. They're everywhere. They always are. That's the whole point.' There are some superheroes who haven't realised that yet. The author biographies were pretty good too.~

"It gets even better after you meet the demon and the angel. Now, Miss Frost wanted to listen to us. Since she's a telepath she might even be able to help."

~I suppose so.~ Jono wished he could sigh again and reached for the guitar. They played the beginning without a hitch, but, as usual, the fight broke out at the end of the third verse.

"It sounds just fine to me!"

~It's one of the most important parts of the song, you have to treat it that way.~

"Ahem. Allow me." Emma reached out and 'looked' at how Jono thought the passage should sound. She kept a mental finger on it and found Jessica's concept, then plastered the writer's perception over the performer's.

"Oh, I think I see what you mean now. Thanks Miss Frost. Try it from the beginning one more time?"

The opening bars flowed past and Emma sighed with pleasure as Jessica started to sing. They were really very good together.

"The darkness draws in closer

and there's no whisper in the cold night air.

I'm all by myself, but then, hey.

Life never promised to be fair."

* * *

Daredevil crouched on the rooftop and waited for his quarry to leave the office building. He stretched his senses to the limit and discovered that there were people creeping up behind him. A thought later he corrected himself. They weren't creeping, they were just moving carefully, probably out of habit the same way he did. DD turned around just as a blonde head popped up over the edge of the roof. It stared at him for a moment then turned sideways and hissed down at someone below it.

"Nice going, shrimp, this is the wrong one!"

A young voice wafted back up. "Wrong one? How could he be…" A smaller, darker head and a pair of hand appeared beside the first one. It puffed a little and threw an arm over the edge of the roof, then looked up. Daredevil stared back feeling very lethargic, almost disconnected, and completely unconcerned with the unusualness in front of him.. "Oh crap. I guess my search specifications of someone in red spandex swinging around New York on the lookout for crime were a little too broad. I'll try again." Yet another dark head came up and looked at him. A she, if he was any judge (which he was).

"Who else- Oh, I see. Make sure you get it right this time, I'm sick and tired of fending of muggers and it's late." The second head turned to face the third, while the first continued to stare. It was really rather unnerving.

"You're tired? You're tired?! You aren't the one who has to sift though the minds millions of paranoid, neurotic New Yorkers to find the one with the strange spider fixation! You aren't the one who has to keep hold of one elusive little mind while trying not to feel anything from the others! I am the one doing all the work here, so if the two of you don't shut up right now I will be forced to do something really nasty!" The young voice slipped up and cracked as he grew more agitated. The first person slowly turned to look it its companion, which seemed to be finding it hard to stay up. Matt Murdock felt a little relieved that that blood-freezing stare was directed at someone else.

"You and what army?" The tone wasn't threatening, but suggested that its owner was also tired and his temper could begin to fray any minute now.

"If the two of you have another fight I'll make you think you're Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots. Then you can really get stuck into each other." The blonde head looked as if it was about to make some retort, but was cut off.

"Wait! I think I've got him!"

"You'd better hope it's the right one this time, shrimp."

"Shut up, Michael. Now lets get moving before I lose him." To prove his point the second head disappeared and there was a muffled clang as he landed on the fire escape. The other two followed. After about five minutes his apathy disappeared and Daredevil mentally shook himself. He felt a brief moment of concern when he remembered the young one's comment about the spider fixation and realised that he wasn't very far from Peter Parker's house, but pushed it away. Spiderman was a big boy, and it didn't seem like the whoever-they-were's were trying to attack anyone. Besides, he had business of his own to attend to.

Mary Jane Watson-Parker opened her eyes and blearily squinted at her bedside table. The alarm clock's glowing red numbers cheerfully proclaimed that it was two fifty-three.

Whoever that is at the door, if the world isn't ending they're in really big trouble. She looked over at Peter while the knocking continues unabated. He didn't twitch. Mary Jane sighed and crawled out of bed, groping around for her robe. She slipped it on as she yawned her way down the stairs, flipping on lights as she went.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Keep your hair on." With the flip of one finger the outside light went on and MJ looked out the peephole. There were three teenagers wearing identical red silk shirts and - the model part of her was enthralled - great leather coats. But then most of the other parts of her weren't sure whether those were the sort of coats you let into your house at three in the morning. But then, and Spiderman was asleep upstairs and she was rather curious. Deciding on a compromise, she left the chain on but opened the door a crack and looked into a huge pair of blue puppy-dog eyes under a mop of curly brown hair.

"What do you want?"

"We'd like to talk to Spiderman. I know it's late but it's really important."

Now, Mary Jane knew the list of everybody that knew Peter's secret identity, and was sure that they weren't on it. She felt a little shiver of fear. The cute little boy on her doorstep didn't look dangerous, but you never could tell. Her own experience with shape-shifters was proof of that. She faked a laugh.

"Oh that's a good one. Now what do you really want, it's late and I'd like to get back to bed." The baby-blues looked back at her with exasperation.

"You can't con a con. Now let me in and let's be civil about this."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, now get lost." She went to close the door, but it didn't close. A rather ratty Nike was firmly planted in the way.

"Look, lady, it's late and I'm tired. Now I know I'm right this time, I'm not one of those villains you're so scared of, now just let me ask him one little question and we'll be on our way." The blonde, older-looking guy snorted.

"Are you sure, Danny? Last time you knew you were right we ended up with Venom."

"Hey! If you think you could do better, you go right ahead! I'll stay here, rest my feet and sleep off the truly disturbing memories tromping through my head!" By this point Danny had the older boy by the front of his shirt and was hopping up and down. Then he seemed to realise what he was doing and let go, patting the shirt back into place a little nervously.

"Well, if you're so sure, read his mind and then we can go."

"He's asleep! He's not thinking about Generation X! I can't just traipse through his memory like that, not only is it incredibly rude, but I hate doing it."

"Then make her let us in."

"No! That's even ruder!"

"More rude." Mary Jane corrected automatically. Danny looked back at her and smiled.

"Let me explain why we want to talk to your husband and then you can decide whether to let us in or not. Okay?"

"Okay, but I…" Mary Jane fell into twin blue pools. The other two and her hallway disappeared, she was floating in sparkling blue light with Danny facing her.

I have to help my friends. They're with Generation X and Spiderman might have some idea where they are. It's really important! She could feel the urgent sincerity, and couldn't help but believe it.

Okay, you can come in. But you'll have to put me back in my body first. Reality blinked and she was back. MJ quickly shut the door and slipped of the chain.

"Thank you!" Danny yelled as he sprinted up the stairs. They followed him up.

Spiderman woke up reluctantly. This is the first good night's sleep I've had in ages. Why do I have to wake up now?

"Wake up and tell me where Generation X are!"

"Dunno. Try the X-Men. Go 'way."

"Shit. He doesn't know." Peter Parker blinked and rolled over to see Danny staring into the distance. "Oh no." The kid clutched the sides of his head and sat down. "Oh enough with the violence already! Can't I ever get stuck with memories of when you watched Striptease?"

"He picked up a few memories from the heroes we ran into before we found you." Explained the recently-introduced Jenny. "They sort of sneak up on him and he can't stop them until they play out."

"Bummer." murmured Mary Jane. Danny's frowned at whatever it was his unfocussed eyes were seeing.

"Hey, wasn't she trying to kill you just now? Where's your self-control? Who knows what you might find missing when you wake up the next morning?" He frowned for another few seconds, then turned brilliant scarlet and clapped both hands over his eyes. "Aaaaaagh! I didn't mean it with the Striptease crack! I'm only thirteen, I'm too young to watch this sort of thing!" Then he flipped up the back of his coat and wrapped it around his head. "Oh, that just makes it worse!" Danny pushed the black leather away and ran out of the room. "There has to be something here that can distract me!"

Everyone followed him with the fascination reserved for those who are acting slightly insane. He skidded to a halt a minute later.

"TV!! My saviour!" He ran over and switched it on, flipping through the channels as he mumbled to himself. "Something really brain-numbing…ah ha!" He settled down ten centimeters from the screen and smiled blissfully as a blonde woman who looked like the queen of all bimbos told him all about why he should buy this specific exercise machine.

While Danny tried to flatten his brainwaves with home shopping the rest of them followed Peter into the kitchen.

"Can't handle this sort of stuff in the middle of the night without some coffee. Anybody else want some?"

"Yes." Jenny said as she sat down. "I could really use some stimulants."

"Okay. Well, now that I'm awake, how about you tell me who you are and why you want Generation X."

"Two of our friends are staying with Generation X. Yesterday we found out something, something that's being planned for us that they really should know about. Quickly." Michael paused. "As for who we are… you know Magneto? He sort of looks after us. Has for years, but now he's off with Xavier on some secret mission and wanted Jessie and Marcos to stay with Generation X. Erik claimed it was because they'd be safer, but knowing what I do now, I have some serious doubts about that."

"Uh huh." Spiderman quietly pinched himself under the table. Maybe stress and lack of sleep was finally getting to him and he was hallucinating. "Well, I don't know where they are. They never actually told me their address. Have you tried the X-Men?"

"Nobody's home."

"Oh. How odd. Actually, now that I think about it, I saw one earlier on today. On surveillance or something, gave me a number. Hang on…" He hunted around for a few minutes, turning up three lost phone numbers but not the one he was looking for. MJ heaved a long-suffering sigh.

"What does it look like?"

"It's a bus ticket with Logan and a number on the back."

"Oh, that one. I found it in your pocket when I did some laundry, it's on top of the washing machine."

"What would I do without you."

"Quite possibly never make it out of the house." The number located, the rest was just dialing.

"Now this had better be really urgent, because if I've woken Wolverine up so that you can ask where the lucky red tiddlywink went, I'll kill you before he gets to me. Ah, Wolverine. Spiderman here. Sorry to wake you up- oh, you weren't asleep? Good. Y'see, I've got three teenagers in black and red in my house demanding to know the whereabouts of Generation X, because they have some friends staying in that group they must deliver some urgent information to. … Yes, as a matter of fact they did claim to belong to Magneto. … Uh huh. … Yeah, they said no one was home. Apparently I wasn't the first hero they tried either. … What? … Oh, the youngest one appears to be a telepath or something. … Um hum, secret identity out the window. … Okay." Peter turned to Michael. "He wants to talk to you." Michael took the receiver.

"Yes? … Yeah, that's us. … Okay. Two-one-four-eight. Want me to quote you the secret identities of all the X-Men as well? … Well, let's see. Originals, there's Scott summers, Jean Grey, Bobby Drake, Hank McCoy, Warren Worthington. Then there's you, Sean Cassidy, Kurt Wagner, Piotr Rasputin- …Oh, only the one's still in? Well, Sam Guthrie, just-Bishop, Ororo Munroe, Remy LeBeau,- … Nope. My first name's Michael, middle name's James, last name's none of your business. That's the rules we work by. … Thank you. Can you tell me the address now? … You're kidding. I could've just looked that up in the phone book. Okay, thanks anyway. … No, I can't tell you that. Maybe later, after I tell them. I'm sure it'll all come out eventually. … She'll appreciate that. Bye." He hung up the phone and looked disgusted.

"What did you mean you could have looked it up in the phone book? Is it listed under X or something?"

Michael looked at Spidey and sighed. "Yes. Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, Snow Valley, Massachusetts."

"Oh. Gee, you joke about that sot of thing all the time but never really look it up. Wonder who else is listed in there."

"We're not, but at the moment I don't really care. Thanks for all your help and sorry about waking you up. We'd better go now we know where to go to." Jenny, who'd sat silently and observed the entire time actually said something.

"And sorry if we seemed rude, it's been a long day."

"We understand. Just call later and tell us how everything turns out."

They pried Danny away from the TV and left. Out on the street they discussed transport.

"Can't you just teleport us, Mike? Or fly?" Danny looked hopeful. Michael raised his eyes to heaven in a silent accusation.

"Oh yes, I can teleport us to a place that I only know is somewhere in Massachusetts. I'll absorb the radiation from that piece of uranium you keep in your back pocket to get enough power, too."

"There's no need to get sarcastic, a simply 'no' would have been fine. But we'd better not be walking."

"No, this is New York. There has to be a taxi around here somewhere."

Jenny looked incredulous. "A taxi to Massachusetts? I hope you're paying."

"Nope, Erik is. I think we can find a driver who'll do it for a few thousand."

* * *

Ahhhh. Friday. Jessica stretched and grinned as she prepared to leave the classroom.

"Not bored anymore, Jessica?"

"Nope. Thank you Miss Frost, this advanced stuff is pretty interesting. And being on the same level as Monet is totally cool, especially the way it pisses her off." Jessica picked up her books and walked towards the door. "Oh, one more thing. Marcos got grounded the other day, and most unreasonably I might add. Can you un-ground him if he promises to play chauffeur?"

"What's in it for me?" Jessica smiled and put her things back down, ready to debate and haggle.

"Well, he's out of your hair."

"I concede point. But it may undermine Sean's authority."

"No, we'll just make it a sort of community service. He'll think you two are good at the cruel and unusual punishment thing, which, by the way, is all he usually responds to. You ground him, he just lazes on the couch. Being dragged around female clothes shops, that he'll dislike."

"Point again. Nicely reversed. But it won't always be unpleasant."

"No, which will stop him from resenting it too much. We'll have fun, but he'll still get the message. If it makes you feel better, Jubilee and I will take total charge of what happens and not let him make any decisions. That should make any fun purely coincidental without making you look like ogres. I mean, one paper aeroplane at a bad time."

"One more point and I'll agree."

"If he can laugh at it, he'll learn. And I want someone to carry my bags."

"You've convinced me. Have fun, and don't be out too late." Jessica called a thank-you as she ran out the door.

She leaned around a corner. Damn. They're in front of the TV already. Angelo and Marcos were settled down watching sitcom reruns.

"Hey, Shady."

"What do you want, Jess? I'm trying to watch TV."

"I got you out of being grounded. Now you just have to be chauffeur for little while."

"If this includes taking you and Jubes clothes shopping I think I'd rather be grounded, thanks." Jessica walked around and stood in front of the screen.

"I think you misheard me, I said you just have to be chauffeur. No one offered you a choice, darling. And Ev, Paige and Monet are coming too." Marcos groaned.

"Oh God. Well, I suppose there isn't much I can do except face up to it and pray. You coming, Ange?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Angelo grinned maliciously.

"Some friend you are."

"Which shirt looks better, this one or the first one? Marcos? Marcos! Get out from under there! You can't hide from me."

"C'mon, Monet, have a heart."

"It is better than underwear shopping with the others, is it not?"

"Yes. Definitely yes. The first one looked better."

"Why?"

"It, um, just did?"

"Was it the colour, the style, the pattern, what?"

"The colour and the material."

"Hmm. Now I just need to find pants that match."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO…."

"Okay. We got underwear, we got clothes, we got jewelry, and we got all sorts of weird smelling things for splatting on yourself. Are we done yet?"

"Almost." Jessica smirked at him.

"What's left?" The girls all turned and looked at each other.

"SHOES!"

Everett licked the last of the salt off his fingers and thoughtfully finished off Jubilee's drink for her. She just as thoughtfully hit him across the back of the head with the bag holding her new pajamas.

"Ow, that hurt. Where did you girls get the backing for this monster shopping trip anyway?"

"Erik. I think he was feeling a bit guilty or something, I wasn't expecting him to give me more money for a long time."

"He must have been feeling really guilty." Angelo surveyed the mounds of shopping bags piled around their table. "I think you could have bought yourselves a small African country for this."

"Oh no." Marcos sounded both sarcastic and awed at the same time. "They hunted around for hours comparing prices before returning to the original place to actually by whatever."

"You just don't understand bargain-hunting, Shady. It's the testosterone, it kills the part of your brain that understands shopping." Jessica smiled condescendingly, and Paige giggled.

"Nice nickname, Marcos. Mind if I use it?"

"Yes. I only put up with it so that I can call her shortarse."

"I'M NOT SHORT!"

"Of course you aren't, shortarse."

"Okay, that's it. We're going to go see that farm animals petting display we saw." Paige and Jubilee high-fived.

"Come on, Jessie. You know I hate anything that can't be housetrained."

"Grab the bags, smartarse."

Paige and Jessica were trying to show off their superior knowledge of all things farm, while Jubilee ran around enthusiastically patting everything. Angelo and Marcos were standing in a corner, remaining city slickers to the core. Everett smiled and looked around for Monet. She was hovering uncertainly, not really looking like her usual Miss Perfect. Maybe it was the warm fuzzy feelings that accompany most small fluffy creatures, but he walked over to her.

"Monet? Come over here." She followed him a little dubiously to the artistically rustic stack of hay bales. "Look at that cute little kid."

"It is not a child, Everett, it's a baby goat."

"Um, yeah. Silly me. Pat him." She reached out nervously, then dropped her hand.

"It might bite me."

"M, you're invulnerable."

"It might… mess on me."

"Not if you stay up the head end." He grabbed her wrist and patted it with her hand. The kid nuzzled at it and her eyes went misty.

"Oh! It's so soft." She started patting it with both hands and soon lapsed into baby talk. "What a little darling you are. Aren't you? Yes you are." She giggled as it bleated back. Everett tactfully removed himself. Then a familiar voice drifted past and he almost passed out trying to conceal his laughter. Marcos was mean, and if he cracked now there would be terrible things in his bed.

"Oh gross! Somebody get this walking hamburger away from me! Cow drool… eeww."

"Nah, that's a sheep I think."

"That's seriously sad, Ange. The Bad Pun Police will get you."

"Hey, Ev." Synch felt a small tug on the back of his jacket and turned around to find Jubilee standing there looking teary. "Come and look at this poor sheep." The 'poor sheep' was being held back by a large man in overalls, who was apologizing profusely to a snobby-looking woman. She had a small, wailing child wrapped around her leg.

"Ma'am, nothing like this has ever happened before. Snowy here must be getting old."

"Well, you had better make sure it never happens again."

"Of course. Just as I said."

"I saw that little brat do it." Jubilee hissed. "He pulled her ears. I would've bitten him too. And now this old jerk's gonna have her put to sleep, I heard him talking to the bitch woman." Everett looked at Snowy, and Snowy looked back. There was a hint of crafty intelligence in those yellow eyes that seemed remarkably out of place on a sheep. He almost thought she was daring him to look away.

"We've gotta do something." He turned his head to look at Jessica and could've kicked himself. He'd just lost a staring competition with a sheep. Everett looked back at Snowy who widened her eyes, then began to innocently glance around at the gathered crowd and chew something.

"What do you propose we do, run up an say 'Hi, we're representing a mutant terrorist group and would like to buy that sheep off you.'?"

"Good idea, Ev! I'll offer to buy her!" Jessica ran off and talked at the Snowy's owner as he dragged the sheep bodily out of the pen. He emphatically shook his head and said something back with a sneer on his face. Jessica walked back to the rest of their group visibly drooping. "He didn't go for it. Said a city kid like me couldn't look after a goldfish, let alone a vicious sheep. And it's not true! I look after my mouses really well."

"You have mouses - I mean mice?" Angelo looked surprised.

"Yeah. Erik gave me the first pair years ago to try and cheer me up. I named them Scott and Jean, but now I think back on it that might have been a mistake." Skin couldn't help himself.

"Why was it a mistake?"

"They bred like mad, and now I have nearly a hundred mouses, they take up an entire room on New Avalon. Some of them are even from alternate futures."

"How do you know?" Angelo was entranced. He hadn't heard a story like this since Franklin had tried to explain who really drank all the chocolate milk.

"Oh, they're the ones carrying big guns and wearing costumes with no zips."

"Is the chica telling the truth, Marcos?"

"Everything except the mice from alternate futures, we've never been able to prove that."

"Right, so everybody knows what they have to do?"

"I can't believe I'm doing this." Everett muttered to himself.

"I know what you mean. I wonder how long you'd spend in jail for conspiring to steal a sheep." Angelo raised his eyes heavenwards for a moment, then shifted around so that he could see past their covering car to where Snowy was waiting to be loaded into a truck.

"Hey, we're doing the right thing. If someone was, like, wanting to put me to sleep because I bit some little snot, you'd just let them?"

"Of course not Jubilee, because you aren't a sheep."

"I'm shocked! What a hypocrite! Claim to be fighting for mutant rights when you're a speciesist yourself."

"Shut up, we're going in now."

* * *

Exhausted, grotty and crabby after a truly foul trip involving more kinds of transport than they had anticipated, Jenny, Michael and Danny dragged their cramped selves out of the car which had driven them the last ten kilometers and gave the driver the agreed amount. As he drove off, Michael turned to Danny.

"Why didn't you tell me you got carsick on buses?"

"You never asked?"

Sean Cassidy rushed out the front door and found three strange teenagers arguing on his doorstep. But he recognised the uniforms.

"Michael, Jenny and Danny, right?"

"Sean Cassidy?"

"Yes."

"Yeah, that's us. We're looking for Marcos and Jessie, it's urgent. Where are they?"

"Actually, I was just on my way to get them. Would you like to come?"

Michael looked at the Irishman's humorless grin with suspicion. "Where are they?

"They just got arrested, they're at a police station in Boston."

Jessica kicked the wall.

"I can't believe they arrested us. We were doing the right thing for once."

"Jessica, the sheep didn't belong to us, therefore technically it's stealing."

"He didn't want it anymore."

The door opened and a policeman leaned in. "Okay you two, a nice man and a few kids are here to bail you out. Out you come." Jessica and Monet followed him towing the sheep Jessica had refused to let go of, eager to get out of the cramped cell and each other's company. They met up with the rest of their little gang of thieves from other cells and went out to face the music.

While Sean, the farmer and the cop discussed things, Marcos and Jessica had a quick reunion with Michael, Jenny and Danny. The Frightening Five was together again.

"By the way guys, we've go something really important to tell you…"

Jubilee pricked up her ears, but never found out what it was. A glowing white circle appeared next the little huddle, and several screaming and cursing figures seemed to fall past on the other side. Each and every one of Magneto's youngest disciples plus the sheep were sucked in, then the portal disappeared with an almost self-satisfied pop. The policeman stared, opening and shutting his mouth. Snowy's owner started to pray. Banshee was more used to this sort of thing and, recovering quickly, decided to press his advantage while he had it.

"So, ye still want to press charges?"

Okay, after all this time, assignments, and more exams than I want to think about part three is finished. I didn't plan on it, but it looks like there will be a part four. Not as long as this, though. In case you're wondering what just happened in the end there, it will be continued, but not here!! This dangling plotline will be picked up in 'The Grand Crossunder' which I'm working on with Yatzel, Lynx and Dyce. When that will be finished only god and Destiny know.