Striving for Redemption
Rahne watched the scenery pass by the car window. LA was not a nice place to live. It just reeked of hell. It was so appropriate that they had offices here. Suppressing a humorless chuckle, she glanced over at Paige. Curled in a tight ball, she favored her right arm. The meds she'd taken had yet to kick in and dull the pain. Such a marvelous mutation. Of course, if Paige would settle on one face instead of changing her appearance every day, she'd do less damage to her system. Rahne shook her head.
"Ah c'n hear ya thinkin' all the way over here." Paige's voice drifted across the vehicle.
"I'm just worried about you."
"Ah'll bit fine in a couple of hours. Ah just have to rest for a bit."
"Don't get too comfortable over there, we're almost at the office. You can settle in on Simon's couch when we get there." Just then, the nondescript black car pulled up before a drab stone building. "You see? We're here already." Rahne leaned across the seat to pop open the door.
A tall, gangling young man with a shock of cobalt hair hurried out of the building. He peered inside the vehicle. "Rahne?"
"Hello Simon." Rahne climbed out of the car and stood out on the street, looking up. Couldn't see the sky for the smog. No moon. No stars. Just gray blankness. She glanced over at Simon with a wry look. "Give Paige a hand, will you?"
Simon crouched by the car door and put his arm in. Despite a grumbled "Ah c'n get out on mah own," Paige grabbed hold of the proffered hand and levered herself to her feet. She swayed slightly, but quickly regained her balance and stalked into the building.
"Oh, she's going to be fun tonight," Simon muttered under his breath as the pair followed her in.
"It's been a bad day all around for her. She was in Dallas this morning and ran into the X-men there and then what with the government and overextending herself…" Rahne trailed off with a sigh and leaned her back against a door. Down the hall Paige slammed her way into the flat.
Simon laid a light hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing?"
Rahne gave him a weak grin. "I'm fine. As fine as I can be, anyway. Just tired." She rubbed her cheek against his hand. "It's nice to have someone ask, though."
Simon flushed a pale shade of pink. Rahne took pity on him and straightened up. "Come on. I'm sure Paige has some choice words for us."
"Right. Paige."
He's so sweet when he's flustered. Rahne thought as she watched him hurry down the hall. Still, I've got to stop doing that to him. She followed Simon at a more leisurely pace. Stepping through the doorway of their office, she noticed him standing in the middle of the room with an amused look on his face.
Their fearless leader lay sprawled on the couch snoring quietly.
"Should I leave her?" he asked, turning to glance at her.
"Yeah. She's apt to try and take your head off if you wake her." She smiled as he wavered uncertainly. "Go on. I'll take care of her. We'll be all right."
"Well, all right, I guess. G'night Rahne." He slid out of the room and down a dark hall. A door clicked shut softly.
"'Night Simon."
Simon quietly shut the door to his room and leaned his head against it. Stupid, stupid, stupid. You just had to get all nervous, didn't you? Of course. He groaned at the memory. One more to add to the collection. He hated it when she flirted with him. Well, not hated it, she was a good-looking woman, but it made him so damn…insecure. She was so much older than he was, though that didn't bother him much, but what was she playing at? Was she serious? Was she just having fun? A knot formed in his stomach. Why did that idea bother him so much? It's not like he worried about Paige flirting with him. That stopped him cold. Paige? Flirting? Nah… Rahne now, what if she wasn't just flirting? What if she…
He shook his head violently. Get that thought out of your head. We don't want to know, remember? He quickly took off his clothes and pulled on a pair of cut off sweatpants. We're gonna go to sleep and forget all about that whole thing. You were just imagining it. Yeah.
Simon climbed into bed and fumbled around with his alarm clock for a moment before turning out the light.
What if…
Paige rolled over on the couch to see Rahne staring at her with a reluctantly expectant expression. "What time is it?"
"Almost six-thirty."
"Christ, Ah'm gonna be late." She climbed off the couch and tested her arm gently. The silver barrel flashed in the morning sunlight, but no pain resulted from the movement. She peeled a small section of skin away at her wrist, removing a bit of the metal. Still no pain. Good. Ripping at her scalp, she tore away at her outer form to reveal a slight Hispanic girl with raven hair and dark blue eyes. The gun slipped from her hand into a pile of dead skin at her feet. She shuddered a little as a slight twinge ran up her spine. Still not one hundred percent yet, she thought, and hurried down the hallway to a small blue room. Digging though an old chest of drawers, she pulled out a simple black skirt and white blouse. She pulled them on and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Cursing quietly, she dashed toward the door.
Simon emerged in the doorway to his bedroom, rubbing his eyes. "What's going on?"
Paige pushed past him and grabbed her coat. "Move it, Simon."
"I'm moving. I'm moving." He grumbled quietly under his breath.
She shot him a dirty look before slamming out the front door.
"What was that all about?" Simon demanded, a disgruntled, half-asleep expression on his face.
Rahne's resigned answer offered no enlightenment. "Church."
Jubilee sat on the edge of Logan's bed dangling her feet.
I am going to kill her. Slowly. I want to burn her skin away one spark at a time, until her outside feels like my inside. That bitch.
How could she not tell us? How could she not tell me? My God, it's Logan! The man practically raised the both of us. I'd have been out of here like a shot with as many people backing me as I could get. Nothing would have stopped me. Did she think that I'd have taken him away from her? That she had to find him first? It's always been like that with her, but I thought, I would have thought that this…
I can't think about it. I don't know what to do. Hank's gone. Kitty is a pathetic mess. I'm so damn angry with her and I can't even find the heart to rip into her, it's not worth it. They've got her so tranked out on drugs, it's a miracle she doesn't float away. Well, she deserves it.
Pete says she's had a nervous breakdown. Pete says she didn't know anything. Pete says she's innocent. Pete says we should just stay here until things straighten out. Pete says it's for the best.
Pete says lots of things. Pete doesn't say that's he's still in love with her.
"Hon?" Everett crouched down in front of her. "C'mon Jubes, you can't sit here forever."
"I know."
"Wanna go get some food?"
"Yeah." She touched his shoulder reassuringly. "You go down to the kitchen and I'll be there in a minute."
His face lit up like a candle. "Okay. Don't be too long." He kissed her cheek lightly before heading out of the room.
Jubilee bounced on the mattress a couple of times before going to follow. She paused at the doorway and looked around the room.
Ev wants to wait a little longer. See what we can turn up. I guess we have some information on who they have captured, but not where or why. Like we really care why right now. We just need to get them out. Ev thinks we'll learn more by staying here. I'll try to go along with that for a bit, I guess.
Her eyes lit upon the dresser. Walking over to it, she picked up a framed photograph of Kitty and Logan, smiling.
I want to go find Hank. Hell, I want to go find Paige, 'cause it seems she knows so much about this. God knows she owes me. But we have to do something soon. I can't stay under the same roof as Kitty much longer. I just want to grab the kids and go.
She dropped the picture back down and walked out the door, shutting it quietly.
Before things get worse.
Hank stopped his car outside a picturesque white house. A perfect example of the American dream of yore, it came complete with white picket fence and rose bushes in full bloom. He climbed out and walked up to the door. Hesitating a moment before knocking, he could hear the sounds of voices as they neared him. Children squealed as an adult shooed them out of the room.
Jean's voice reached him even before the door opened. It swung wide to reveal the tall redhead. Tired and disheveled, she offered a welcoming hand. "What are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming."
Hank ran a hand over his head. "To tell the truth Jean, I didn't exactly know I was coming here until a few hours ago." He sighed. "Can I come in?"
"Sure." He could feel her gently probing at his mind, trying to puzzle out his motives for turning up on her doorstep. The Summers household was a good ten-hour drive from Westchester. Lightly she said, "Scott's upstairs, sleeping the day away. Do you want me to get him?" She led him into the living room. A small red haired girl of about ten years sat on the floor, an array of dolls spread around her. "Rae, why don't you go see what your sister is doing, okay, Hon?"
Rae looked up at the sound of her mother's voice and espied Hank lurking behind her. "Uncle Hank! When did you get here?" She launched herself into his arms.
With a chuckle he tossed her up onto his shoulders. "Just a moment ago, Weekin." He grappled for a hold on her foot as she tried to crawl around his side and tickle him. "Now, now…"
"Rae?"
Belatedly Rachel remembered her mother's presence. She scrambled to the ground and gathered her dolls into her arms. "Yes, Mommy." She fixed her imperious gaze upon Hank. "You'll stay for lunch?"
"We'll see, Rae. Now get going. Your Uncle and I want to talk a bit."
She bit her lip, clearly torn between doing as she was told and determinedly standing her ground. At last coming to a decision, her expression cleared. Discretion was clearly the better part of valor, Hank thought, as she dashed up the stairs.
"She looks more like you every time I see her."
Jean smiled. "That's what everyone says. It's funny, I only see Scott." She sat down on the edge of the couch. "So why are you here, Henry? You usually call before your visit. Not that we mind your being here," she added gently, "But you seem to have another reason then just playing with the kids."
Hank sat beside her. "Jean, I.."
"Hank!" Scott bounded into the room. He looked liked the self-assured man Henry had always known. The hollow shell that he had been, blinded, embittered, was a memory now. His eyes were still blind, covered by sunglasses, but he "saw" via the images Jean transmitted into his mind. Henry suspected it was more of a drain on Jean than she was willing to admit. "Rae said you were here!" he crushed Henry in a hug.
"That little imp. She shouldn't have woken you up. You need your sleep." Jean gave him a rueful look.
"Nonsense. I'm glad she did. So what brings you here, Hank? I didn't know you were coming." Scott released the other man and settled back onto a chair.
Hank looked at his friends. There was no reason to try to soften what he had to say. "Scott, Jean, we've discovered that Bobby and the others are still alive."
Scott shook his head a couple of times, as if unable to believe the truth. "Bobby? And Logan?" he asked disbelievingly.
"And Lorna and Remy, as well."
"Remy?" Jean's shocked voice floated though the air. "But, he's dead! Rogue swore he was dead!"
"Not according to the information Kitty had received. They're being held by the government." "Do you know where?" Scott loomed over him, hands fisted at his sides.
"No."
"Can you get the information?" Jean demanded. "Are you sure it's the government?"
Hank shoved a hand into his hair. "The government seems to be the most qualified suspect right now, based on what I've heard and seen, but no, I'm not sure it's them."
"But can you find out?" Scott crouched beside the other man. "Is there any way we can.."
Hank cut him off. "I think so, but Scott, I think there's something else you should know before you ask me anything else. I left the X-men."
She crept into the last pew of the majestic church. An old familiar friend, she'd sat here many times before watching the mass unfold. From the balcony above her an organ quietly played an older hymn. She quietly hummed the melody, gazing across the small congregation, waiting for the Processional to start. She ran her fingers through her long black hair and smoothed her skirt. It was silly to be excited, she knew, but she rarely was able to attend his masses now. When he'd first been ordained she'd come regularly, a couple of times a month simply to watch him. She always adopted the same disguise and sat in the same place, it was as much a ritual to her as the mass. It'd been almost six months since she'd been here last.
The hymn started majestically, and the two young alter servers walked up the aisle, one barely balancing the large crucifix in his hands, the other watching the candle flame with a kind of quiet desperation. A small smile played upon her lips at the sight. To be that young again. A slight, old woman carrying the Gospel came next. And then Angelo. Dressed in his robes, hair combed back, he handed out smiles to the parishioners like candy. Paige's chest tightened with pride and other long repressed emotions as he passed close enough to her to touch. Her fingers worked spasmodically and she clamped them down on the back of the pew in front of her. He bowed at the altar and turned to face the congregation. His hands raised and his voice rang through the old church, strong and sure, offering praise and supplication to God.
Paige leaned forward, drinking in the sights and sounds. Words tumbled from her lips as she spoke the dimly remembered responses. The serenity of her surroundings sank into her skin.
"Peace be with you."
"And also with you."
"So she goes to church to see an old friend of hers."
"Something like that." Rahne stretched her arms up into the morning air and yawned. "Och, I need breakfast. Have you anything decent to eat? And not those sugar-bomb-thingers you tried to feed me last time."
Simon thought for a moment. "Coffee. Waffles, maybe. I dunno. I don't usually eat breakfast. It's all Patrick's."
"Is he coming in later?"
"Yeah. He thinks he's found another referral site listed in the files." The young man turned around and padded out past the makeshift workstations to the kitchen. "He didn't mention which set though."
"So long as the information's good. Did he say if the contact was listed at all?"
He shook his head and wandered into the kitchen. "Nope."
"We'll take a look at it when he gets in." Rahne knelt by one of the computers and ran her fingers down a cord. "Are these all Networked, then?" she asked.
"Um…" Simon re-emerged with two mugs of coffee. "All except the one on the end there, I think. Why?"
"We need to get a couple more on an isolated server with that that one then. But not on the Network. That's how they found us in Seattle, I think. Bugged some files that we opened on the Networked computers and then followed the signal to us. I've still got the files though. I want to check them to see if the info on them is any good." Her eyes took on a hard gleam. "I also want figure out exactly what they used to find us and use it against them. It's only fair."
"Eminently." Simon handed Rahne her coffee before perching himself on the arm of the couch. "So have we got anything at all?"
"Not much that you don't already know about, just a few more names. A few more potential referral sites." She took a sip from the mug before continuing. "She really wants to find one of the larger holding sites."
"Larger?" Simon's body gave a suppressed shudder.
"Mm. Most of them are about the same size, but apparently there's a couple major facilities designed for really powerful mutants, and she's hoping…Simon? Are you okay?"
The young man had turned an ashen shade.
"Simon!"
He quickly looked up at her. "I'm fine. Really. It's just thinking that there are bigger places than the one I was at. Worse places…" Stark horror gazed at her from dark brown eyes.
"Which is why we're going to shut them down." She put down her coffee and reached forward to ruffle his hair a bit. "You'll see." Picking up the mug again and sipping from it. She noticed a faint blue tinge on her skin. She glared at Simon who had the grace to look slightly sheepish. "Touching up our roots, were we?"
"Yeah."
The lock on the front door rattled as a key was inserted and turned. A tall, dark skinned man walked in, burdened by several packages that appeared to range in content from spare car parts to groceries.
"Rahne! Are you all right?" The packages hit the floor as her rushed over to give her a hug. "Simon said you'd gotten into a fight with some Shades."
"I'm fine Patrick, although Seattle is trashed. How are you?" She gave him a squeeze before going over to the abandoned bags and collecting the rolling oranges into a pile.
"Here, I can get that." He stooped to help her. "Is Paige here too?"
"Church."
"Oh yeah. I'd forgotten about that. We gonna wait for her to get back?" He stuffed the fruit into a bag that was ready to burst.
Rahne grabbed another bag and led him onto the kitchen. "For breakfast, no. It's almost nine. She'll be back soon enough to talk about the rest." She called back over her shoulder. "Come on Simon, I'll make you an omelet."
As the last notes from the organ dissipated Paige was brought back to reality by the warmth of a hand on her shoulder. She glanced up at the man standing over her and quickly ducked her head back down. Oh God…
"I haven't seen you here in a while, hija . Are you visiting relatives?" Angelo slid into the pew next to the girl. He'd been surprised to see her. For years she'd always sat back here for his Sunday mass. Sure she wasn't the most regular parishioner, but aside from the little old ladies who liked to fuss over him, who was anymore? Maybe two years ago she'd stopped coming. He'd caught a glimpse of her back here once or twice since then, but he'd never been able to catch up with her. Didn't even know her name, and he prided himself on knowing everyone in his church. It was funny, he could swear she hadn't changed at all over the years. He frowned suddenly, realizing that she hadn't spoken. He tried again in Spanish, but with the same amount of success. "Miss..?" He'd started when she abruptly rose to her feet and started for the other end of the pew. Upset that he'd apparently caused her discomfort he stood, and following her to catch her hand, he turned her to him. She stared at the ground, her hair covering her face. " Senorita , I am sorry if I have disturbed you. I only wanted to meet you and tell you how happy I was to see you back."
Paige's heart was pounding. She needed to leave before he found her out. He won't know if you don't say anything. Head down. Mouth shut. Nod and get out. He looked so handsome. She hadn't seen him this close in years. His eyes still crinkled at the corners when he smiled.
" Senorita? "
His question broke through her reverie. Time to go. He couldn't see her like this. He couldn't see her ever. She started to pull away again, but his grip tightened on her fingers.
"Are you all right?"
She nodded quickly, hoping that he would be satisfied, but instead felt his other hand come up under her chin and tilt her head up so that he could see her face. He held her there a moment before she brought her eyes up to meet his. What was he saying?
"If you ever need anything Senorita , don't be afraid to.. Dios ."
She wrenched her hand from his, a quiet tearing sound whispering through the church as he found himself holding a handful of her skin. Angelo stared at it in disbelief, not wanting to believe the truth.
She was racing up the aisle before he could say a word. Reacting instinctively as she reached the door, his hands flew out and wrapped themselves around her waist and shoulders. He tried to draw her back to him as she struggled panickedly.
"Stop. Stop, you're going to hurt yourself." He tried to sound soothing, but failed, his voice eager and demanding. He finally managed to pull her against his chest and forced her to look up at him. Eyes gently wondering, he searched hers for a long minute. "Paige?"
"Who?" She tried to give him a confused look, but he caught the guilty expression the flitted across her face. His eyes closed as a spasm ran through him. When he opened them, they had hardened and his grip on her tightened.
"Don't play that game with me, Paige. I know it's you. You never could fool me." He shook her shoulders. "Why?" Sorrow, anger, and disbelief all tangled together. "Why now? Why here?"
Paige looked up at Angelo though the veil of hair that covered her face and swallowed a hysterical giggle. This wasn't supposed to be happening. She was supposed to be out the door and long gone be now. "You weren't." She tried again. "Supposed t' see me. You weren't supposed to know ah was even here." She ducked her head and began to twist away from him. "Let me go, Ange. "
"No!" She wanted to leave. She couldn't leave. Not yet. Not until he had some answers. "No," he said a bit more calmly, "You left me ten years ago without so much as an excuse, Querida , you're not going to do that again."
A man who had risked his life repeatedly the night before had a right to sleep late. Pete staggered to the bathroom. It wasn't like he hadn't been up until dawn anyway. Shower. Yeah, a shower was definitely in order for today. Shower. Coffee. Food. Cigarettes. He reached in and turned the faucet, praying that there was hot water. He luck seemed to hold. Good. Finally. Something. He stripped out of his boxers and climbed in, letting the water pelt down his face and chest.
Last night had been a nightmare. He'd gotten to the conference room in time to see Jubilee launch herself at Kitty, Everett scrambling to catch her. Hadn't really mattered, Kitty had phased herself so that Lee went flying right through her. But that wasn't the disturbing thing. The fact that Kitty sat there, phased, silent with tears streaming down her face was. Didn't move, didn't seem to notice the attack upon her person. Jubilee had been screaming obscenities at the top of her lungs. She had an impressive vocabulary. It took both Sam and Everett to get her out of the room. Theresa left on her own, smug little bitch. Kurt hadn't wanted to leave. Wouldn't leave, actually. After an hour he went to find something in the medlab to solidify her with so we could at least get her to lie down.
Soap. In my eye. He cursed and wiped at it ineffectually, slathering more in. Fuck. He turned his face up to the water and tried to open it. Owwww. Out. Get me out. Half blinded, he tripped over the edge of the tub and crashed into the sink. Bloody damn small miserable…He slowly popped his one good eye open and stared at his reflection in the steamed mirror. Not bad looking, considering, if you ignored the thinning hair on top. McCoy had wanted to try some growth hormone on him, but he'd refused.
'Course that didn't matter now that McCoy and left for parts unknown. Not that he'd even consider it after what he'd done to Kitty. The sod. She'd come out of her trance after Kurt left and started crying on his shoulder, "I didn't know Pete, I swear I didn't know!" Over and over, like a little girl. She'd held her and told her that everything was going to be fine, that he'd take care of everything. And he did. When Kurt came back they sedated her 'til she was as high as a kite and as about as coherent. After they'd settled her, he'd gone around telling everyone that she'd had a breakdown and was totally innocent of any wrong.
But she wasn't. He dried himself off and struggled into one of his suits. She had known, and she'd lied to him. He didn't know what hurt more, that she'd felt the need to lie to him, or that she'd been involved with this whole mess to begin with.
Didn't matter. He struck out of his room in the direction of the medlab. It was his fault that she'd come to this. It was his responsibility to get her out of it.
Or else.
It's all dark here. I'm Harold and I've got my crayon. Words write themselves out in purple in the dark and I can see them falling away from me. I can hear them but they don't make much sense. They trail light as they go. Hee. I'm dizzy though, and I don't like that much.
I'm cold, too.
"Get me a blanket for her." Now I'm not. Pictures fade in and out and I draw on them. There's a kitty in the tree. And I gave Brian a mustache. "Now Kitty, blah, blah, blah." Dumbass. It's all floaty. Where's Lockheed? I want Lockheed. They've taken Lockheed away!
"Nobody's taken Lockheed, Kitty, he's still in your room, sleeping."
My little dragon. My teensy, wee dragon. He loves me best. Him and Pete and Logan.
Oh God, Logan.
Jubilee thinks it's my fault. Jubilee wants to hurt me. I can see it. Can't you see her? She hates me. Everybody hates me. They think it's my fault. It's not my fault!
"Shhh, Kitty. Calm down. It's not your fault."
No, no, no, no. Stop staring at me! Tell them I didn't know, Pete! Tell them it's not my fault! I would have saved them if I could have! I was trying…
"Oh, Kit."
He wouldn't tell me where they were. He wouldn't tell me where they were! He said he'd kill him if I didn't help him! I didn't want to, you know that!
"Help them?"
"Shut up and get the sedative now!"
;I didn't want them to kill Logan! You didn't see it, you didn't see the pictures. They had him all…all... Make her understand that. Please Pete, make her understand. I didn't mean to let them have him! Make her stop…
"Shh."
Please…Pete…Jubilee…I didn't know…
"Shit." Pete slid down into a chair be side Kitty's bed.
"You okay man?" Everett glanced over at the other man.
He didn't bother to look up. "Fuck no."
Everett nodded and started putting away the bottles of drugs that had been scattered in the rush to sedate Kitty. Help who with what? What had Kitty been doing? She apparently knew more than she was telling. Wisdom hadn't seemed overly surprised her ravings. Had he heard them before? Did that make them true? Was it just the drugs?
"You don't need to mention this to the others." Wisdom's dead voice carried through the air.
Everett looked over at him, startled. "You mean Jubilee?"
"Any of them. They're out for her blood already, they don't need any more reasons." He scrabbled in a pocket for a cigarette and came up empty. "Christ. She's out of her mind. You heard that. Going on about bleeding crayons and shit. Just let it go."
Everett shoved the last few bottles in the cupboard and shut the door. "Yeah. Fine. I'm going to see what the kids are doing." He stalked out of the medlab in the direction of his suite. Maybe Jubilee was right. The situation here was getting worse. And that scene just now… He stopped in the hall and switched directions, heading for Kitty's suite of rooms. There was something that they weren't being told and he was damned if he wasn't going to find out what it was.
"Let go of me! Angelo!" Paige stood with her back pressed against the wall, hands held apart high over her head. She tugged at her arms but they wouldn't budge.
"I always wondered why no one ever thought to do this," he mused, "It's simple really. Catch you in a non-defensive mode and keep your hands apart. You can't change when you're like this." His eyes took on a predatory gleam. "Can't get away either. Now tell me the truth Paige, what are you doing here?"
"Going to church."
"Since when did you become a practicing Catholic?"
He wants the truth? "Oh, years ago," she said flippantly. Let's see what he makes of it.
"Sure. And I suppose you're about to become a nun too."
"Oh no, not all of us have felt the religious calling." she replied sweetly.
"And being a terrorist is such a noble career choice?" his expression altered, taking on a more somber, concerned attitude.
Paige seethed. She didn't need his approval. "It's not like that, Angelo."
"Is it? The media have you painted to be some sort of demon bitch. Just the type of mutant the norms should be afraid of. It's not you've exactly been secretive about what you've been doing. Hell, I've seen you on the news myself."
"What do you know? Hiding in here in your church. Oh how sacrificing, how noble. Father Angelo - 'I was once as you are now'. Such bullshit. You were never like them."
"Paige…" he moved closer again, a menacing expression on his face.
Her voice scathing she goaded him on. "Well I'll tell you what 'sunshine', you were different. You will always be different. But you gave up. City mouse, church mouse. You think you're doing good here? Maybe you are. But you're wasting your life. You could do so much more."
Angelo turned his face away from her and stared at a window of the Blessed Virgin.
"What, we have all these little insights into my life, but we can't take a couple of looks into yours?"
"Damn it Paige, I'm not against you. I'm not you enemy here." He moved so that he stood over her staring into her eyes. "I'm not going to hurt you." He could feel the heat radiating from her body.
Her eyes flashed. "Ya coulda fooled me." Bracing her back against the wall she brought her legs up and slammed them into his stomach. He staggered back and loosened his grip on her wrists. She hit the floor with a dull thud. Scrambling to her feet, she grasped the door handle.
Muttering an expletive he stood, clutching his stomach. "Paige, I know about the kids." When she didn't react he tried again, his breathing still labored. "I know what you're trying to do."
Paige opened her mouth and shut it again abruptly. "Stay away from me Angelo." She shoved the heavy oak door open and ran out.
Angelo stood in the aisle, looking at where she'd been. "Damn."
Scott sat on the edge of the coffee table. "And you're sure Kitty knew about this?"
Hank nodded. "For quite some time, it seems."
"Was she involved with…" His voice faltered. Jean came around him and laid a hand on his shoulder. He reached up and squeezed it. "Was she involved with any of the centers?"
"I don't know. I don't think so. There wasn't any indication of it in the information I received." Hank watched as hid friend's face took on a familiar look of determination. "Scott, I really don't think..."
"I think Jean and I ought to make a quick trip to the mansion. Visit some old friends. See how things are going."
Jean nodded thoughtfully. "We haven't been up there in a while. I'm sure Rae would love to see little Logan and Emma. And we could check things out while we're there."
"Are you sure you want to bring the girls?" Scott looked up at his wife questioningly, "Maybe they could stay at the Allen's."
"Scott?" Hank half rose from his chair. Jean waved him back down.
"I suppose, but having them with us would lend more credence to the surprise visit cover. Maybe you're right. I'll give them a call before we leave."
"Fine. So where are you going, Hank?" Scott turned to look at him.
"What?" Hank gave him a slightly dazed look. He'd forgotten how quickly the two of them could come together like this.
"Where are you going," Scott repeated. "Is there any way we can keep in touch with you?"
"Not any means that can't be traced right now. As to where I'm going… I was planning on attempting to locate Paige Guthrie. She seems to know more about this than anyone. I was hoping that she would have some answers." Hank gave Scott a measured look. " Now about your going to the mansion, I can't condone that. You've got the girls to consider and…"
Jean cut him off. "Don't worry about us Hank. What did you think we'd do, sit by and do nothing? We'll be fine. Now," she said with a scheming glint in her eye, "Do you remember the psychic links that the Professor had us all establish with each other?"
Hank nodded slowly. "Yes. We all let them go dormant after he died. Why?"
"I want to reactivate the one between us. Just a simple link, easy to block or ignore, but it'll provide a basic, and more importantly, untraceable communication link between us while you're looking for Paige. All right?"
"Are you sure you won't.."
"All right?" she repeated impatiently.
"All right."
"Then let's get started."
Rahne was waiting for her in the kitchen when she got in. "Where were you? You were supposed to be back here this morning around nine. It's almost midnight."
Paige kicked off her shoes and slumped in a chair. "Around. Ah had some thinking to do."
"You could have let us know. Patrick is here. He's got some useful information on one of the…" her voice trailed off as she noticed Paige staring listlessly at the silent TV. "Are you okay?"
"Ah…" Paige shook her head slightly and started again. "I saw Angelo today."
Rahne gave her a curious look at the deliberate change of accent. "I know, Paige, but you've seen him say mass before. It's never sent you off like this.'
Paige swung her face around to look at Rahne. "No, I talked to him. I guess." She started to tremble. "If you could call that talking. It was more of an endless stream of insults really. Ah kept trying to hurt him…"
Rahne came over to the shaking woman and put her arms around her. "It's okay. Everything's okay."
"No. No it's not. Not at all."
"Yes it is. You're just still shaken up over the whole thing."
"Ah suppose. Ah feel like such crap."
"I'm not surprised. C'mon. Why don't you get into bed and we'll worry this out in the morning."
"Ah dunno."
"You're tired and worn out, Paige. Pressing yourself emotionally is not going to help. It'll keep. I promise we'll talk about it in the morning."
"All right." She stood and began to shuffle down the hall. "Rahne?"
"What?"
"Thanks."
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