WARNING!!! One scene in this chapter portrays a physical assault on a woman. Children under 13 should not read it without an adult's permission. It is rated PG-13.

"Scott, you didn't handle this very well." Jean said to her husband as he washed up in the bathroom.

He answered quietly, "I know."

"What's wrong?"

"Jean," Scott started as he walked into their bedroom and sat down next to his wife on the bed, "I'm sorry. It's just..." he trailed off.

Jean rested her hand against his cheek, "What?"

"When we got the call from Bishop I was scared. Ever since all that happened with Nathan I have been worrying about it happening again. All the possible worst case scenarios ran through my head. When I found out that it wasn't Nathan or anyone else on the team all that fear turned into relief and aggravation over being afraid."

Jean finished for him, "You were so emotionally exhausted that you went on auto pilot. At that point you were only concerned with getting things in order."

"Yes." Scott whispered and then he asked suddenly, "What were you trying to tell me earlier."

"What I was trying to tell you was that I have a suspicion that Andromeda could be a telepath. I tried scanning her and Orion before they entered the room. She has such a complex system of psi-shielding that I was unable to get any readings from her."

Scott's eyebrows arched and Jean continued, "I also talked with Dana after she had brought Andromeda to her room. Dana said that she could not feel anything from her either."

"I'll have to arrange for Henry to run some tests on Orion and Andromeda to see exactly how far their powers go."

Jean shook her head resolutely, "I wouldn't advise that, at least not right now. They are both suffering a severe loss and will need time to adjust to their new surroundings as well. If we start forcing tests on them before we have gained their trust it could be damaging."

"Okay, I see your point. We'll wait." Scott agreed, smiling slightly at his wife, "You know, sometimes I think you should be the one leading this mad house."

"If I ever decide to dear, I guarantee I will give you a run for your money."

"I don't doubt it." Scott replied before kissing her tenderly.

There was a light knocking on Dana's door. She had been lounging across her bed, staring off into space and nothingness. She didn't even hear the knock the first time but when it came the second time she was brought back to reality.

"Come in." she called groggily.

Sam peeked his head through the door, "Hi, you okay? You didn't come down to eat."

"I came down earlier to get a supper tray together for Andromeda. Beast was hoping that she would let me heal the burns on her legs if I offered. She barely thanked me for the tray and when I offered..." Dana sat up suddenly looking upset, "Sam, she refused my help!"

"That really doesn't surprise me. She seems like a proud lady to me." Sam shrugged.

Dana started again, "But some of the burns on her legs were really bad. I could have healed them so that there would have been no scars left behind and she refused my help. She completely refused my help. She didn't seem angry when she refused but it doesn't make sense to me!"

"Is that the only thing that's bothering you about it?" Sam asked seriously.

Dana stopped a moment before answering, "Yes and No. Sam, someone died today and I could have saved that person if I had been here, but I wasn't. Now Andromeda and Orion have lost their friend. What if Andromeda blames me for that?"

"And you feel like you owe her something because of it?" Sam asked as he crouched to the floor infront of Dana so he could look into her eyes, "Dana, you just weren't here."

"Yes." Dana sighed softly.

Sam took her hands in his, "There are going to be times when you are not going to be able to help someone. You can not be everywhere at once, it's just not humanly possible. You can't lock yourself in this mansion waiting for something bad to happen either."

Dana nodded. She knew Sam was right but it still hurt to think that she wasn't there when she was needed and someone had died because of it.

Sam leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead, lingering there for a moment. Dana moved closer and put her arms around him. He held her for a long time without moving. Dana rested her head on his shoulder. It didn't take the pain away, but it did soothe it slightly.

After a while Sam got up again saying, "I had better go and see how Orion is doing. Did Andromeda eat anything?"

"Yes she did."

"Orion hasn't touched anything and he won't even change out of his clothes. I don't know what we're going to do about it."

"I'm sure he'll be okay. It must be from the shock."

Sam nodded his agreement and went out the door.

Wolverine couldn't stay in the house tonight. He couldn't find Bishop but he did find Gambit looking through the refridgerator in the kitchen.

"Gumbo, we're goin' out." Wolverine announced to him and started heading for the door without waiting for Remy's answer. Gambit shrugged and followed him out to the garage. They both got on their motorcycles and sped toward the nearest bar.

Once there, Logan shouted over to the bar, "Give me a brew." which the bartender supplied him with immediately. "Thanks."

Gambit ordered a bourbon while Logan procured a pool table and started to rack up the balls. He broke while Remy chalked his cue. They played pool for two hours like that, neither of them saying a word. Eventually they tired of the game and moved back to the bar to sit down. The bar was practically empty with only the tones of an old jukebox playing.

Remy lit a cigarette and took a long drag after ordering another bourbon. Finally he posed the question, "You wanna' talk?"

Logan's only reply fell somewhere between a grunt and a snort which Gambit accepted without argument. They had gone out drinking numerous times and Remy supposed they were almost friends. If not friends, then it was just a mutual respect for one another that went beyond words. He had grown accustomed to Wolverine's company and knew better than to force him to talk. So they continued to nurse their drinks in silence, mulling over their own separate thoughts.

*He jus' need to t'ink.* Gambit resolved within his mind.

Andromeda slowly crept down the halls of the mansion. A quick scan of the occupants revealed that everyone was asleep. Everyone except Orion. She could feel his restlessness and grief amplify with her every step. The pain was getting to be unbearable but she wasn't turning back. Andromeda was going to have to face him sooner or later.

She felt foreign in this house where she could go wherever she pleased, sleeping in a room where she wasn't locked in, wearing these clothes that were not her own. Rogue had been good enough to lend her a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, promising to take her shopping as soon as possible. Still, she knew the clothes didn't belong to her and it made them feel strange, almost uncomfortable against her skin.

It had been the same with Dana. The girl had offered to take away the burns on her legs. The offered gesture had touched Andromeda but she couldn't accept it. Her legs, her burns, her scars, they belonged to her alone. They were the only things that were truly hers here.

*Why should I be the one to get away unscathed anyway? Ursa didn't.*

Andromeda stopped at the door to Orion's room. His pain seeped through the walls like water through a sieve. Carefully she clutched the knob and found herself hesitating. Her sweaty finger tips made the knob slippery.

She had faced down Mojo, been beaten time after time without so much as a whimper, she fought guards and even risked discovery by helping other slaves. Now, at this moment, her courage was abandoning her. The only thing that made her turn the knob and enter the room was the fact that she owed it to Ursa.

Her eyes made out Orion's figure through the darkness. His emotions raged and yet he just sat on his bed with his shoulders slumped forward, unmoving. Andromeda swallowed hard, took a deep breath, leveled her head and gently closed the door behind her. Everything was still and Orion didn't stir. Andromeda began to wonder if he even realized that she was there.

Slowly she moved forward until she stood directly infront of him. Her hand reached out and gently rested on his shoulder before she whispered, "Orion..."

She didn't get a chance to finish what she was going to say because Orion suddenly lunged at her. She felt herself fall through the darkness and hit the floor heavily. Orion landed on her and punched her hard in the gut. Andromeda tried desperately to gasp some of the air back that had been knocked out of her.

*It should have been you. It should have been you.* Orion mentally repeated over and over. He got back on his feet and took a hold of her hair in one of his balled fists. Her eyes welled up as she was forced to her feet.

Once on her feet, another stinging blow landed across her temple and caused her to lose her balance. She tried to turn and reach out her hands in an attempt to break her fall. Instead she struck her head against a table and knocked a lamp to the floor with a crash.

She tried to shut out the pain and think straight, fighting to keep conscious. Again she was pulled roughly from the floor and pushed until her back was against a wall. *Why wasn't it you?!* she just barely made out through her pain numbed mind.

He was holding her up by her collar, forcing her sagging head to remain up. She knew she could stop him with a single thought but she restrained herself. She didn't even make a move to protect herself physically. Instead her mind groggily replied, *I'm not arguing with you. It should have been me.*

End of Chapter 5