Having seen his guests to their cottages, Sean returned to his own. He was quite surprised to find Everett waiting for him inside.

"Ev? Lad, what are ye doin'--"

"Is it true?" Everett asked,walking right in front of Sean, nearly standing in his face.

"Is what true?"

"That she doesn't remember what happened? That she doesn't even remember Generation X?"

Sean sighed. "Aye, lad, I'm afraid so." He placed a gentle hand on Everett's shoulder, preparing to lead him into the living room. "Let's go sit--"

"I don't want to sit down," Everett said, his voice rising. He stepped out of Sean's grasp. "So she doesn't know who any of us are?" Despite the anger in his voice, Sean could see past it, at the hurt and pain in his eyes.

"No, lad, I'm sorry t' say that she doesnae recall the past couple of years. She still thinks she's a member of the X-Men. In fact, she was quite afraid of Emma-- still believed her t' be an enemy."

"Is it permanent?"

"The doctor seems to think that her memory will return eventually."

"He thinks? Doesn't he know?"

"He feels it likely that, with time, the memories will come back t' her."

"Did he have anything positive to say about her being crippled?"

"Who told ye that?!" Sean shouted, his anger flaring, as he grabbed Everett's uninjured arm.

"Ms. Frost said she was paralyzed," he replied, trying to pull away.

"She did, did she?" Sean was fuming. Emma accused him of neglecting the students, and then she gave them misinformation, leaving them to worry unnecessarily. "Well, Jubilee's not paralyzed," Sean replied, letting him go. "She's already got feeling back in her legs."

Everett looked at least somewhat relieved.

"What else has Emma been telling ye?"

"Why, what else is there we should know?"

"Nothin'." But Sean hesitated for the briefest moment. That moment was enough.

"You're lying." Everett glared at him. "I'm tired of being coddled. Damn it, Mr. Cassidy-- my best friend is lying in a hospital bed, and she can't even remember me! I want to help her-- more than anything, I want to make it all right-- but if she saw me, I would be a stranger."

*Damn it, Cassidy. Ye've been so wrapped up in Jubilee's condition, ye've been neglectin' Everett, an' all that he's goin' through. Scott was right: Ye can't put her before all the others. Ye made a commitment t' yer students-- all of them.*

"Yer right, Ev, we haven't been totally up front with ye, an' we were wrong. We were tryin' t' protect ye from bein' hurt, an' in the process, we only caused ye more pain. F'r that, I'm truly sorry. Now, come on in t' the other room, an' I'll explain everythin'. I, f'r one, need t' rest me weary bones."

*If Emma gets wind of this-- which she most likely will-- she's gonna kill me f'r tellin' him before I tell her. . . .*

Everett silently followed Sean into the living room, and sat down in a chair across from the couch.

"Now, ye've just got t' promise not t' say anythin' t' the other kids. At least, not until I can speak t' Emma."

"All right. Please, Mr. Cassidy, just tell me. . . ."

Sean sighed. He stared at his hands, which were clasped between his knees. "Dr. Knight told us tonight that social services wants t' put Jubilee inna home f'r orphans who require special attention. They don't think she can get proper care here at the school."

Everett's eyes widened. "That's ridiculous! Of course she can get good care. We're the ones who care about her-- we're her friends. Her family."

"I know, son. I couldnae agree with ye more. Unfortunately, the government doesnae see it that way."

"Well, then, we'll have to make them see. How do they expect her to get her memory back if she's not even in familiar surroundings? She needs to be here if she's going to get better."

"If worse comes t' worse, I only hope that her memory will return before she has t' leave."

"You sound like you're going to just let her go."

"If it comes t' it, I don't have much choice. Jean, Scott, Logan an' I are workin' on it. But I'm afraid that, ultimately, we're not goin' t' be able t' stop them."

"We can fight them! We can tell them-- prove to them-- that she belongs here, at the school."

"I wish we could. But I think we've got a lot goin' against us. An' we think the doctor's hand is being forced."

"Forced? By who--?" Everett stopped suddenly. As the answer suddenly dawned on him-- it was perfectly obvious, once he thought about it-- his expression hardened. "Shaw," he muttered contemptuously, clenching his hand into a fist. "It's not bad enough that he nearly killed her. Now he's got to take her away?"

"I know how ye feel, lad. But I promise ye, we'll do everythin' in our power t' keep her here."

"Damn my parents for making me leave now. Jubilee needs me here, to help her remember. . . ."

"I know, lad, I know. But you should be grateful that you have parents who love you an' want t' care for you."

Gravely, Everett nodded. "I don't want to go. I feel like I'm abandoning her. It's bad enough I couldn't protect her from Tessa--"

"Ev, that wasnae yer fault. You two were outmatched."

"I should have fought harder. There had to be something I could have done."

"Ev, I know how dreadful 'tis t' be in a position where you're helpless t' aid a friend. 'Tis a horrible feelin'. But you cannae blame yourself."

"I know," Everett whispered, looking down at his lap. "But it doesn't make it hurt any less. And now, my having to leave the school. . . ." He shook his head. "I don't want to leave her. I care about her. A lot. She needs me, now more than ever. She needs me. . . ."

Sean looked at him sympathetically, and placed a hand on his knee. He was beginning to see that when Everett spoke of Jubilee, he spoke of more than friendship. His feelings went deeper than any of them had realized. "Well, maybe things will work out all right, and you'll both be back here next semester." He smiled, trying to look hopeful.

Everett looked less than convinced. "Yeah. Right. Sure. Maybe." *If hell freezes over,* he finished silently.

"C'mon, lad. I'll walk ye back t' the dormitory," Sean said, getting to his feet. *An' then I'll go see Emma an' give her a piece of me mind. . . .*

Sean plodded determinedly toward Emma's cottage. Before he could even raise his hand to rap loudly on the door, he heard her voice in his head.

Come on in, Sean. The door's unlocked.

He opened the door and stepped inside. It was completely dark in the entrance way. He could see a faint glow coming from a room at the end of a narrow corridor.

I'm in the bedroom.

Annoyance adding to his anger, he walked into her bedroom. The light came from a small fire that crackled in the fireplace. Emma lay on her side on the bed, a glass of brandy cradled in one hand. She was dressed in her typical fashion-- scantily and seductively-- in a low-cut silk nightgown which hugged her figure tightly, revealing every sensuous curve. One long leg peeked out from the slit that extended nearly to her hip. Sean was too upset to make his typical comment about the impropriety of her clothing. In fact, he hardly noticed it at all, and did not give it a second thought.

"How dare ye, Emma!"

"What, you don't like it?" she asked, indicating her outfit. "I thought you would appreciate--"

He ignored her sorry attempt at flirtation. "How dare ye go behind me back an' tell the kids that Jubilee was paralyzed!"

"I hardly went behind your back, Sean. You were at the hospital, and I was here at the school. The children asked me about her condition, and I told them. It's as simple as that."

"But it ain't even the truth! She's got feelin' back, an' she'll be walkin' soon enough!"

"Sean, when I left, she could not feel her legs. She could not walk. And you neglected to inform me that she had improved--"

"Don't ye dare try t' pin this on me, Emma!" he spat, raising an accusing finger. "Ye could have been a little more sensitive t' their feelin's. Why, Everett was blamin' himself f'r her injuries, wishing that he didnae have t' withdraw. . . ."

"And don't *you* dare take that holier than thou attitude with me, Sean Cassidy! If anyone has a right to be upset, it's me! How dare you second-guess me in front of Jean like that! I thought we were supposed to be partners in this."

"We are, Emma. But *I* am Jubilee's legal guardian, an' tis me responsibility t' see t' what's best f'r her. I made me decision with her personal welfare in mind. I'm sorry if me words were harsh, Emma, but it seemed the only way t' make ye listen."

Emma sighed, realizing that this was the closest he would ever come to an apology. "I spoke to Everett's parents this evening," she said, indicating that the subject was closed.

"Any changin' their minds?"

Sadly, she shook her head. "They'll be here at the end of the week to take him home."

"Damn it!" He ran his fingers through his hair. "We're losin' them. One by one, we're losin' them."

"Well, at least Jubilee is still with us."

He looked at her sheepishly. "Not f'r long, if social services gets their way."

"What do you mean?" she asked, quickly sitting up.

He walked over to the bed. "Emma, there's something I need t' tell ye." She gestured to the bed, and he sat down beside her. He could smell the liquor on her breath, mingling with the sweet scent of her perfume. "Lord, Emma, how many o' those have ye had?"

"Something tells me not enough," she replied, taking another large sip from the glass. "Tell me, Sean."

Slowly, he related to her what the doctor had told them that evening, and their suspicion that Shaw was behind it.

"I don't believe this!" she seethed, getting to her feet. "He tried to kill me. He blew up my home and murdered my workers. He kidnapped and tortured my students. Innocent children! Everett's already leaving because of his interference. And now he wants to have her sent away? She's been punished enough. How could he take her away? How?!" Channeling all of her frustration into one quick movement, she threw the glass across the room.

It crashed into the fireplace, and the flames flared up as the alcohol caught afire. She looked at Sean, and he saw that same fury lighting her eyes. "I know why he's doing it. He knows that my students are important to me, that I feel responsible for their welfare. He thinks that by getting rid of them, he's taking away a piece of me. And he's right," she whispered, turning from him. She paused a moment. When she spoke again, her low voice revealed no emotion. "It's just like with the Hellions. I couldn't save them. And now I'm going to lose Everett and Jubilee."

"This isnae like the Hellions. Jubilee an' Everett are alive. They may have t' leave the school, but they're alive an' well."

"But it's still my fault."

He shook his head. "No, it's not. 'Tis nae yer fault that they were hurt. Ye're nae t' blame f'r their leavin'. Just like it wasnae yer fault about the Hellions. Ye've got t' let that go."

"I can't," she whispered, voice tinged with regret. "I'll always have their blood on my hands. 'Till the day I die."

"Oh, Em." He reached for her, but stopped, his fingers inches from her back. Remembering how she had rejected his comfort earlier at the hospital, he silently returned his arm to his side. Still, he could not let this go.

Though she did not outwardly express it, he knew she must be hurting inside. "Ye mustnae blame yerself, Emma. 'Tis water under the bridge now. Beatin' yerself up about it will nae bring them back. Ye've got t' let it go."

She did not reply, but merely wrapped her arms around herself.

"We've got to concentrate our attention on these kids. Aye, we must try t' stop them from takin' Jubilee. But we've also got t' make sure the others are all right as well. I realized tonight, when I was talkin' t' Ev, that I'm neglectin' the others. They've got t' be hurt an' confused by all o' this. I've got t' speak t' them, t' help see them through this. An' I need yer help, Em. Can I count on ye? Can ye help me be strong f'r them?" he asked, gently touching her shoulder.

She turned to face him and silently nodded her head.

"Good. That's a lass." He regarded her silently, smiling to show his encouragement.

Emma stared back, gazing into his eyes. How did he do it? How did he manage to always be so considerate? Why did he now show her such compassion, when a moment earlier she had exploded at him in anger? It was his love and devotion for the kids that fueled him, she knew. But that in no way obligated him to offer her a few kind words. And yet, they did not have a patronizing undertone, but were instead uttered with complete sincerity. Sean Cassidy was a truly amazing man. One she was glad she had the opportunity to know.

She reached up to touch his cheek. She drew her face toward his, and gently brushed his lips with her own.

He said nothing, but simply looked down at her and took her hand in his own, giving it a gentle squeeze. That small gesture sent a delicious shiver up her spine.

"It's late," she said, walking away. "I'm sure you must be tired."

For a moment, he said nothing, and simply looked at her. But then Sean seemed to return to reality. "Aye, ye're right, 'tis late. I'll be leavin' now." He began to walk to the door.

"Sean," she called after him.

"Aye?" He looked back.

"Thank you."

He smiled. "I'll see ye tomorrow mornin', at breakfast, t' discuss our options."

She returned the smile. "See you then."

End of Chapter 10
Jennifer Sorowitz '98