One Friend

Fulfill your destiny,

I'll make them all remember me

Celine Dion, 'Immortality

'Okay all in all, we've switched places.' Elisabeth said to herself squeezing Sarah's hand, but as she expected, she didn't give any response. The girl lay there on a cold steel bed, that Betsy herself had the unpleasantness of sleeping on the night before. Wrapped in bandages from head to toe covered with a thin yellow blanket. Now she was on the outside looking in, just like Warren had to do with her. 'Warren?' the silver bells went off in head. She realized that he hadn't been back since yelling for the doctors to come and save they precious goddess among humans.

Betsy stood up to stretch her stiff body, looking the room over she only found the two patients and Joseph. He to, was asleep. The only thing that kept Marrow alive was the fact that Joseph used his powers to prevent from letting Storm her and dance on the young girl's grave. She made him go unconsciousness to prevent the med. Room from filling up, leaving only one part of his brain operative. As much as Betsy hated to admit it, her presence was needed somewhere else. She had to talk to the father of her children, to explain. If that was even possible anymore.

* Sarah? Are you still in here?* All she really had to do was think, not reach out with telepathy to her own mind. When Betsy tried to contact her earlier, Sarah said that there was a great deal of pain. Meaning possibly that she was retreating to her own body.

*Sort of* was the reply, weak but still a reply. Sarah's voice was slipping more and more into the dying or already dead body, whatever made her get 'into' Betsy was the same thing pushing her back.

*Did you see yourself? You look like a mummie*

*British charm coming out I'm sure*

"Go talk ta him--NO! He'll kill ya for sure this time! But you're a big girl! Just go in there an' get on your knees an' start..."

"Either shut-up an' come in or get your tail out o' here!" Logan's voice shouted from the other side of the heavy oak door. Rouge, on the other side in the hallway, had been pacing for half an hour. Now with an open invitation, she slowly turned the brass knob and let herself in. There in the middle of the unfurnished room sat Logan crossed legged with his index fingers lightly touching his thumbs. Eyes closed in concentration, and a small note book sat in front of him.

"Ain't easy to concentrate with you prancin' out there like a horse. Came 'bout the--same person I guess" He looked over to her raising an eye brow.

" Ah don't care what Jean says, ya have ta be a lil' phy..."

"I'm leavin' to find her."

' Talk about big surprises' Rouge thought absent-mindedly rolling her eyes. "Why Logan? She-They both died that night, and Ah thought ya were goin' ta play drill sergeant with Marrow." She gracefully moved over to his bed and let herself sit.

"That was before she rammed a blasted bone knife down my throat. C'vanna might not of, the government was all over us before that, they probably know somethin'. But that ain't why I wanted you to come in here." Logan closed his eyes once again and leaned his head back. "Look on the chair. There's a note that explains it all, take it an' go."

As swiftly as she came in, she left note in hand, breathing deep. Only when she was safe on the other side of the mansion, in the women's dormitory, second floor, third door to the right did she breath easily. Slamming and locking the door behind her, her hands fumbled to open the letter. Her eyes scanned it quickly.

"oh my God, he can't...but he is...how? Muh goodness." Rouge read it over three, four, five times over before putting her gloved hand over her mouth and closing her eyes. For some reason she didn't feel so good anymore.

Betsy made her way to the schools office, Professor Xavier's office. Some where in the back of her mind she knew why he'd picked that certain room to think the place where they would all go to turn questions into answers.

He was always there to help, or he use to be. Now they, the mighty X-Men were in, a way orphaned without the main father figure in their lives. Yes, some where deep in her mind she knew it, but saw no need to say anything. Turning into the doorway, she found Warren sitting on the window seat, the rain pounded on the window, lightning flickered every so often. Illuminating the full empty room. Without even turning his head he seemed to know who had come to bother him and only asked "Why?"

" Why what luv?"

He turned his head just as a lightning bolt flashed close by, making his eyes turn gold almost like a glowing ember, he looked like death. " Don't call me that and answer the question."

"Call you what?" half way, she was half way. Just a bit more longer and she would be able to sit with him to explain.

" DON'T YOU EVER CALL ME LOVE! DON'T CALL ME SOMETHING I'M NOT TO YOU!"

"Warren please Calm down!"

"Only reason I'm still here is because I want to know the truth. You have no right to call me love, hell I should make you call me Mr. Worthington for what you've done! And I said to answer my question! Why..?"

"That's what I came to talk--"A loud clash came from something that had been thrown towards the wall right by her, a beer bottle? Betsy didn't see it at first nor felt the pain, a shard of the brown class scarred her upper arm right by her elbow. Leaving a long gash, that blood started to creep out of. There was no time for little things right now, she thought, we've got two Doctors here--they can take care of it later.

"Do not interrupt me when I'm talking to you! That was only the beginning of my question's it just so happens they all start with WHY! Tell me why you didn't tell me as soon as you knew! Tell me why you passed out! Tell me why did you do this to me!" Warren could barely stop his voice form breaking, choked with unshed tears of betrayal.

"Do what! IF you think I had any intention of getting pregnant by your mighty highness, you are sorely mistaken! " She closed her eyes and took a long breath before continuing. "Listen Warren I know your mad, I can understand that, but if you think for one bloody minute what I'm going to go through... am going through you would get off the high horse you saddled yourself on, and think of someone besides yourself. You might be happy for me and you!"

"You were going to leave me."

"Wha...what ever gave you that idea?"

"You were a model not an actress, this little bird called up to check on your reservations for flight number stupid two-o-four! The little bird was called British Airlines! So you were going to leave me weren't you?" he had to look away from her, although his short outburst took care of most his questions one still weighed heavy on his troubled mind--How could she doubt his love?

"I thought it best, you didn't want these kids!" temper's were rising, emotions flying free, and both being voiced, this was not the way she expected to tell him about the twins

"And what about you Ms. Conservative? I remember you saying that you'd rather sell your soul before letting the perfect body go to waste. But I guess you couldn't do that since you already put a price on..."

"I didn't have a thing to do with that! You put a price on my life not I! I guess screwing up your own life and selling your own soul wasn't good enough for you! Tell me something Warren, did you stay with me out of love or out of pity?" That struck a nerve in him, he never would have voluntary hurt her. Or at least he didn't think he would. Now she mocked him over the choices he made for here sake?

" So you little sod what do you have to tell me?" Betsy crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping on the hard polished wood floor with her bare foot. To caught up in her own anger to realize what she was saying.

"Only one thing 'luv'."

"And that is?"

"Have nice time explaining to them who their father was, Good-Bye Elisabeth Braddock." The large window flew open and taking no time Angel flew off into the eye of the storm.

'This is worse than a hangover, that is if I could remember what a hangover was like.' Joseph laughed to himself, only causing his head to throb in more pain. 'Lame jokes are not going to help much now'.

"You got that right laughing boy." A small squeaky voice announced.

"Sarah is that you?" he muttered, he throat practically stuck together with lack of moisture.

"AAAAAANNNNTTT! Guess again bulimia boy." That voice sounded as if was calling from the--sink? Impossible. If sinks started to talk to him then he was headed straight for padded walls at the funny farm. But still weakly he managed to pull himself up and stager towards the annoying steel sink.

"You called?" Of course it sounded silly, but what else could you ask a talking piece of metal?

"For the last time! I. Am. Not. The. Sink! My name's Kipper but that's all I can tell you right now. See the dripping faucet?" he shook his head in reply. "Good then plug up the drain and fill up the sink."

"I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?!"

"You'll drown if I do."

"Of all the sorriest ...no brained--okay listen I am water, at least for the time being, so it won't hurt me or you one bit okay?" Joseph's magnetic grip strangled the pipes beneath the ground making it impossible for water to escape. Then turned the water on full blast, when the sink was overflowing a small hand from within the water shut it off.

"You know you could of just used the drain stopper college man."

Whatever dream like state that he thought he was still in ceased to be when a life size two-foot figure with small wings appeared to grow from the watery hole. "Dear Lord in Heaven! What are you?!"

" Of course he's there, where else would he be? Anyway listen 'cause I'm only going to explain this once, I'm a fairy, yeah that's good, anywise, I came down here when I saw you all depressed for yourself, so me being a good little...um Samaritan decided to give you what you wanted."

"A corvette with forty billion dollars in the trunk?"

"Your right lame jokes don't help one bit, anyway you wanted a friend so I gave you one. But now you gotta take care of her."

"Who? Sarah?"

"I can see you're a simpleton. Of course Sarah! Anywise, look I switched Sarah with Betsy, Betsy with her soon-to-be Heaven and I took the place of Sarah! Oye- but that was before the shadows decided to get her back for some reason now she's dying and you need to play mister super hero and save her! Get it?"

"Yeah sure."

"Great then handsome, --WAKE UP!"

"Joseph...psst...come on wake up." Beast whispered, lightly tapping the silver man's face ' What is with these people? No one can stay awake anymore?'. "Joseph. I know you're in there. Don't you want to come and meet your adoring fans?"

"AAHHHHHHH!" The sudden outburst made the blue doctor jump back and let out a small scream himself. "God, What do you think you were doing? What about the talking sink? Where's the water fairy?"

"ah...Water Fairy? Talking sinks? Joe have you been getting into the medicine cabinet again?"

"No there was a-a thing that told me that Betsy was really Sarah and that Marrow was Kipper. My head is killing me"

"Can only imagine why." Hank mumbled turning to the medicine cabinet and pulled out two aspirin, Half filled up a glass of water. Then dumped it out again, if Joe was thinking that water could talk he sure didn't want to hear the conversation. " Here take these."

"You think I'm crazy do you not?"

"Not crazy as so much as insane."

"That's comforting to hear, how's Sarah doing?" Joseph climbed to his feet leaning back to stretch his muscles, then tried to walk towards the bed, but fell. " Feet must have feel ' to sleep' "

"There not the only things."

"Hank?"

"Yes Betts?" being the only one with that distinct accent he never had to turn around to see it was Elisabeth.

"Can you give me and Joseph a moment, please?"

"Well...uh certainly Elisabeth. Just tell me if their conditions change." Then turning on his heels he made his way towards the kitchen. While Joseph regained his footing and made his way to sit by Marrow's bed.

"I over heard your talking sink conversation, about the shifting of bodies, I believe you." She said leaning over Sarah's body to make eye contact with Joseph. "I think your right, but tell me what this Kipper is?"

"I think she is not a what, she's a who, and who she is, is what she isn't. So what Sarah isn't, Kipper is. I think. All I know is that she looked like a little angel, not cute angel, but physical description angel. I know it makes no sense what so ever but that's as plainly as she told me. Confused you yet?"

"No not yet. But Sarah was a part of me, for three days. I tried to call her again in my own mind, but she seems to have been 'returned' to her own mind and body. I invaded her mind and discovered things about Storm and Gambit, I'll tell you about them later with her permission of course." He merely nodded his head. Then an uneasy silence came over the room, only the soft beeps from the heart monitors were making noise

"Since were talking, on friendly terms, do you mind if I bring my dead love life in the conversation to brighten the mood?" She said half heartily, taking a seat right by the girl and picking up the limp hand from where Betsy had put it earlier.

"Sure if you like."

"Alright then, you now know that I'm expecting, right?" he nodded "Then let me ask you this, how would you act if you were told you were going to be a father? Honestly."

"Well honestly, I'd probably be thrilled. But that sort of news is something I will never have to worry about, or hope for."

"He left me, He told me to have a nice time telling Heaven and Reid about him."

"Who?"

"My babies," she said patting her small stomach, smiling.

"Nice names, what are the full names though?"

"Heaven Lee Juliet and Kenneth Reid Romeo, but your getting off the subject."

"Can't blame me for trying, I don't exactly have men troubles."

"No I guess not. But now I can remember someone telling me that he would always come back for me. Do you think he will?"

"His a fool if he doesn't. I've seen you two together, don't worry, He'll come back." He reached over and lightly patted it.

Less than a mile away, all of their answers sat in the mind of an intrusive uninvited little angel. Kipper of course sat at the bottom in the stone made chair, and the ice in front of her glowing brightly, like a TV showing her the two new friends talk.

"Great midnight! Midnight! Four days down and three no! Two! Two more days left to get them all happy, okay master can't yell at me for telling him who I was in a dream. Oye, these people made me feel hate, love, death, and now I've been booted outta my host, just because of a little shadow accident, geez, don't I have all the luck!"

A slight hum went of from Kipper's mini cerebro, using the waters to scan for a new empath or telepath. When the water started to form solid ice, which meant she had hit jackpot. With a small wave of her hand the tiny screen flashed with color then showed a brown haired girl huddled in a dark corner, shaking, and mumbling to herself.

"What's this? Example." With another wave of her angelic hand, the scenery changed, now the girl was engulfed in black flames. "Interesting. No really it is. What's with her fire show though?" waving her hand again words started to appear on the ice screen.

"Did she now? Well that's nice. Considering that's exactly what they made me feel I say we return the favor. So here's my new little stooge, even from above I can contact her easily enough, through food, and of course water. Little fishes swimming around my head, dear waters say hello to the new actress on the X-men stage of life, Black Flame. But first on to the next to days of my bargain."