The water crashed and didn't crash gently against the side of the yacht. Madelyne "Maddie" Pryor, is standing calmly on the balcony. Some would even venture to say a little too calmly, but right now, those people can't be found. Her own hands gently rub against her own stomach, her child, like the waves against the yacht. She lets her hair flow into her eyes, she doesn't bother to move it. She looks gently at Sebastian Shaw. His body. His hair. All of him, her eyes feast upon as he lays in bed. He in turns stares at her. His own eyes, feasting upon her beauty, her hair, her likeness to the former Black Queen, Jean Grey. But none of that matters. None of that really matters now. He has his own plans for him, Maddie, and the child growing inside of her.

"A normal, no spandex, wearing day!" screams Cecila as she walks down the mall. Her own problems forgotten for the day. The fact that she can no longer practice medicine where she wants to. That's all forgotten. She's just happy she gets to spend a day like a normal person, at a mall.

"Would you please calm down, Cecila?" asked Ororo. Her own body, emotions, thoughts constantly monitored, by the fact that if she lets her own emotions out of control, the surrounding weather would do the same. But she knows, deep down, she may even admire, Cecila's own ability to just open up and let her own happiness out.

With a jutting elbow, and a happy smile, Jean speaks: "`Ro, do loosen up. We are here to celebrate. To have fun," and with a shaking of her chest, "to cut loose!"

"You are right, Jean, it's just that we do not want to attract unwanted attention upon ourselves."

"I'll tone it down a little," promised Cecila.

Her energy, her vibrance reminds me of Jubilation's, thinks Ororo. "Your energy is indeed understandable, I will try myself to loosen up."

"That's more like it, now, there is a sale at Macy's," said Jean, her voice dropping low, "the last one there, has to pay the bill." And they were off. Ororo taking an early lead, with Jean and Cecila tied for second. As the girls run through the mall, with their destination close in hand, Jean slows by the door, the exit of the mall, and watches as rain begins to fall. And then it all passes, and she picks up her pace and passes Ororo to take a lead. Ororo and Cecila can't help but notice the `glow' around Jean. Her pure happiness revealed by the `glow'. They can't help but also notice the fact that Jean isn't even touching the floor, she's floating, at least a few centimeters. Things others wouldn't notice, but not one of her closest friend and the newest X-Men Cecila Reyes.

The rain has picked up. Hitting the people standing outside with a vengence. Almost warning them that if they dare to enter this building and go along with it all, they will face a fate that they shouldn't. "Just go away," the rain seems to say. "Just go back to your yacht and forget this. Please." But they ignore it. Fight pass the feeling in their stomachs. One of the people removes her hood and reveals her flowing red hair. She looks to one of her companions, Sebastian Shaw. She nods gently then looks around her, at the others gathered here. Selene, the Black Queen. Trevor Fitzory, the Black Rook. And Tessa, Sebastian's closest confidante and personal telepath, and she nods in agreement. With a single command "Go!", from Sebastian it begins. From seemingly no where, hundreds of soldiers, charge at the building. And Maddie slowly looks up and reads the label: THE HELLFIRE CLUB. Sebastian, himself, can't believe that it's finally happening. He will have his position back. It's calm and cool out here. But inside, it's not, anymore. The small brunch going on, is disrupted by the hordes of soldiers. The members, and candidates, and various others, jump from their seats. They scream and start to run. The soldiers, soon regain order. They form a circle around the brunchers.

"What is the meaning of this!" shouts Shinboi Shaw.

And within seconds of that, Selene enters, followed by, in this order, Trevor, Tessa, Maddie and finally, Sebastian.

"I repeat: what is the meaning of this!" Shinboi shouts again.

Sebastian crosses his arms, as Maddie stands behind him. Sebastian then replies: "Quite simply, Son. I'm retaking my place as Black King, so step down, or we'll be forced to hurt you."

"How dare, you!" And with that Shinboi jumps. He knows they can't physically attack him. His power won't let it. His ability to phase one part of his body at any time, just won't let it. But he never anticipated, or even hear of, Madelyne Pryor.

"My dear would you?" Sebastian asks.

"Of course dear," Maddie responded. And with a twitch of her eyes, Shinboi goes flying against a wall.

The clothes, all in neat little lines, looked beautiful. The many assorted colors, assorted types, and amazingly over priced stuff. Jean moved quickly from rack to rack. She hardly looked at the clothes. Ororo, and Cecila had to run just to keep up. Then suddenly she stopped. Her head looked up from the clothes, and she looked at Cecila and Ororo.

"You think, I'm going to get fat after the pregnancy?"

They didn't know how to respond. The question, came out of left field. Was this a trick question, they wondered in silence.

"Well," Cecila finally answered, "I could come up with a health and diet plan so that you don't gain too much weight, and if you do you could easily lose it."

"Thanks," Jean responded. She then went back to looking through the clothes, as Cecila and Ororo looked at each other. Then Jean stopped again. "I should be looking in maternity clothes, not this!" And she ran off into Macy's again. This time Ororo and Cecila didn't run as fast to catch up with her. They took their own time, going through the clothes. Taking what they wanted to purchase and throwing them over their arms. And when they finally did meet up with Jean, she looked bewildered and undecided.

When she looked up she asked: "I can't decide which to buy."

"Well, Jean," said Ororo, "I do like this one here. The one with the stripes."

"And I like this one," Cecila stated. "I love the little fish on it."

Jean sniffled. "Thanks guys. I love them too. It just makes me think. If I can't decide on some simple clothes, how can I raise a child?"

"Jean, you are forgetting," Ororo reassured, "it is not just you raising the child. It is you, Scott, Bobby, Cecila, and all the other X-Men who will help you. And if you need it, you take time off from the team."

"That's right," Cecila said. "That's what you kept telling me when I joined. `We are more than a team, we are a family.' Remember?"

Jean wiped her cheek. "I sure do. How could I've been so stupid."

"Oh, we all have our little brain-farts."

"Cecila!" exclaimed Ororo.

"Sorry," she whimpered.

"No, it's okay, Ororo," Jean interrupted, "I needed a good laugh. Listen, gals," Jean threw her arms around them and drew them closer, "especially you, Cecila. I need you right now, to help me get through this. And Cecila, and like to ask you to be my second opinion."

Cecila's mouth gaped open, she didn't know what to say, but eventually she found the words. "I'd be honored."

Then with no warning, Jean fell to the ground, whimpering herself. "My head! My head!" And in the New York Hellfire Club, Maddie also felt the pain. But she didn't fall. Or cry. She just let one tear fall, and then she laughed a little. But, the pain quickly passed from both. Jean stood up, and dusted herself off. Tears falling, quickly down her cheek.

"Jean, you alright?" Ororo asked.

"I'm fine, just felt a little pain is all."

"That was more than a little," Cecila stated. "I want to get yo back to the Mansion and check you out while doing that second opinion."

"Alright. Let's just pay for these and get going.

Who knows what the pain was. It could have been the universe trying to correct itself. It could have been Maddie's subconscious attacking Jean, and un knowingly attacking itself. It could have been the unborn babies, fighting. Who knows. But one thing is certain. Maddie muttered something, after it was gone. "Jean's child, or mine, there will be one."

fin.