In the past week, things had been wonderful for Sam and Rahne. It was easy to forget that they were in the town undercover, they were so caught up in their own bliss.

He looked at the flowers Rahne had sent him this morning and smiled. Even Tad, the infamous cad, had never gotten roses. It was such a Rahne gesture. The phone rang, interrupting his thoughts.

"Hello, Tad Martin's office," he answered.

A very familiar, very southern, female voice came over the lines. "Can Ah talk ta the man that left me forty messages on muh machine?" She laughed.

"BIT!" he exclaimed. "How's it goin'?" Much to his chargin, he had almost forgotten about her.

"It's agoin'," she laughed. "Mike's pickin' me up tonight and Ah wanted ta tell ya Ah've accepted an invite ta appear on "The Cuttin' Edge" for tomorrow." Her voice had its usual spark and vibrance back, which made Sam smile.

He looked around to make sure he was alone before he said, "When ya flyin' in- or do ya need a Cannonball express?" That made her laugh again.

"Mike's pickin' me up tonight in Cumberland and driving me over ta Pigeon Hollow's airport," she explained. "Ah'll be in Pine Valley for breakfast."

"Whatcha doin' at home?" That interested Sam.

"Recoverin', but that's what Ah wanta tell ya about when Ah see ya." In the background, Sam could hear his mother fussing around the house. "Momma G thinks we need ta have a long talk anyways."

He heard his mother yell, "Ah said it's time ya two stop actin' like two wet cats an' go back ta bein' best friends. He's got the gal that makes him wanta miss Braves' games, and ya've got Mike. It's not like either of ya will fall inta each other's arms again!" Sam laughed at his mother's country bluntness.

"Tell Momma Ah said yes'am and Ah'll — shoot!" Sam looked at his calendar. "Ah have ta go back ta Salem Center for the mornin' tomorrow."

"No problem," Li'l Bit assured him. "Ah'll rent a car. And Mike is just a very good friend." She said the last part loud enough so that Momma G could hear it.

"Yeah, right," Sam chuckled, remembering the first time he'd seen Mike. That was his and Rahne's second date, when Li'l Bit came through with tickets to an event Rahne had wanted to go to. Mike and his group had met them in the band's hotel room, and the guy had had a crush on her then. "Bit, Ah have perfect confidence in yer ability ta get lost so Ah'll have Rahne or Paige pick ya up." That girl had no natural sense of direction.

"That reminds me, Sam." He could hear the worry in her voice. "Do Ah need not ta say anythin' ta Rahne?" He knew what she was thinking about, the night in her apartment. The night they had almost forever changed their relationship. "Ah mean- this is part of what Ah need ta talk ta ya about, but Ah'm glad we stopped."

"So am Ah, Bit, so am Ah." Sam wrinkled his forehead. "Ah'll tell Rahne over lunch today." This was one explanation that was way overdue.

"Okay, then, Ah'll see ya tomorrow. Bro. Billy is here now. Love ya. Bye." It was the way they had said goodbye for years.

"Love ya. Bye." Sam smiled, and then got to wondering what his preacher was doing at his mother's house. His single preacher at that. Then, with a smile, he remembered the way that Bro. Billy took care of Li'l Bit like she was his own daughter, which she might be. And if his mother was being courted, at least it was by someone decent like his preacher, and his daddy's cousin.

***

Mateo set down Sam and Rahne's order with a flourish. "We never got a chance to thank you for getting to the bottom of who owned Coreview," he started. "It means a lot to all of us."

Sam smiled. "It's Celeste Dubois ya should be thankin'. Ah just knew ta call her." It was easy to give his friend her credit.

"At least, let this meal be on the house." Mateo sat down for a second. "You see, my sister Jules and her husband Noah were going to leave the witness protection program if I hadn't been able to find out that the mob wasn't behind Maria's death." He pulled out a picture of Noah and Julia on their wedding day.

Sam looked at them and had a hard time containing his surprise. Noah and Julia looked a lot like the groundskeeper and school nurse at the Boston Academy. "Very strikin' couple."

Rahne saw the same thing he did and agreed. "Very pretty." So Celeste had managed to get a nurse and groundskeeper that would stay no matter what happened. Very smart of her.

"You know," Mateo started thumbing through his wallet looking for an old picture. "Celeste Dubois, she wouldn't be an actress, would she?" He held out a picture of a group of people at a New Year's Eve party. Celeste was posing next to a man who had his arms wrapped around her. She looked blissfully happy, unaware of how much her life would change before the sun rose the next day.

Sam swallowed hard and then answered, "Celeste is a business woman and the mother of a teenager." Rahne took one last look at the very pretty woman wearing a micromini and nodded. She carried herself with the confidence of a woman who knew that she was attractive, and that life didn't consist of anything more than that. The woman they knew was as far removed from the girl in the picture as Rahne was from Emma. They both knew that Celeste had taken great pains to cut herself off from her old friends and her old life.

With a disappointed look, Mateo slipped the picture back in his wallet. Shortly after her parents died, Celeste had come to him with a wild story of being drugged by her date at his house and then raped. He laughed at her, and wouldn't believe that his two best friends, Tanner and Peter, could have done something like that. It took his wife being raped by Tanner for him to believe her. If he had a chance, he would apologize to her for not believing her.

He got up, leaving them to their meal. "What does that say about Celeste?" Sam wondered out loud. "Ta help the family of a friend she won't even talk about?" It spoke volumes about her loyalty and ability to forgive.

"A just hope she finds a way tae break up with Matt before it's too late," Rahne sighed. "But what can we do but pray and be her friends?"

Sam agreed and then changed the subject. "Rahney, Ah need a favor- Li'l Bit is comin' ta town in the mornin' and she needs a ride from the airport."

"Sure, no problem." Rahne smiled, looking forward to meeting Sam's oldest and dearest friend. She noticed a shadow cross his face, "Or is there?"

Sam sighed and looked uncomfortable. "Yep, there's a couple. Paige's problem is somethin' Ah've had ta keep secret, and it- Ah nearly tore us apart. Li'l Bit might be able ta help, but it's painful...." Rahne touched Sam's hand. "And there was a moment, a couple of months before we got together..."

Rahne nodded, letting Sam take his time. "We both wanted ta know if we worked as a couple, and had a few beers. We nearly destroyed our friendship that night... we almost had sex- but we stopped." Rahne nodded, not sure how to respond. "We don't work as a couple, and we never will. But we went very far to find that out."

Rahne smiled. "Sam, she's a big part of your past, and A want tae meet her. The way A figure it- its like the time before we got together that A kissed Douglock. Some things ye don't know unless ye go down that road. We both found out that there was nothin' there, right?" Sam nodded. "Then what's to worry about?"

"She's a drop dead gorgeous blonde..." Rahne laughed, taking in his warning. "But Ah love muh gal just the way she is."

"And A love my man just the way he is." She leaned over the table to kiss him.

***

While Sam was waiting for Paige to bring the desserts over, Rahne got up to powder her nose. As soon as she left, Gillian sat down across from him. He couldn't help but notice her way too short mini skirt, as short as a cheerleader's skirt. It honestly looked like she forgot the put on the bottom half of her outfit.

She leaned over to him. "I just wanted to thank you for helping out with my cousin the other night." She smiled at him and started rubbing his leg with her foot. Sam looked around the room, hoping that Paige would bring out his dessert or Rahne would hurry back. As Gillian flipped her hair over her shoulders, she continued. "If there's anyway I can pay you back, let me know..." She trailed off, smiling suggestively.

Paige was on her way over when she spotted her brother in trouble. She smiled as she adjusted the food on her tray. "Sam!" she said loudly, "I forgot...." The rest of what she said was forgotten as the ice cream fell off her tray and straight into Gillian's lap.

Gillian sputtered as Paige "tried" to help her clean up the mess, and only spread the hot fudge all over her front. "It's ruined now! Totally ruined," she started screaming. "My dress is ruined! You clumsy olf.."

Sam saw Scott enter and fight back his grin. "Let's take this into the bathroom," Paige suggested. "A little hot water ought to do the trick."

Laura and Kevin, the other two servers, smiled at Paige's efforts to rescue her brother. As Gillian and Paige got up, Kevin pressed a dollar into Laura's hand and then left to get Sam and Rahne their dessert. Scott made his way over to his ex-girlfriend.

***

Laura started bussing her table as she held back her laughter. That ought to show the princess a thing or two. Suddenly, she noticed Scott standing behind her.

"Hi," she whispered.

He nodded. "That was cute, the way Paige rescued her brother." Laura nodded, and then started to go back to the kitchen. He grabbed her arm. "Laura, we need to talk."

She stopped for a second, "Look, Scott, we said what we needed to say a while back." Which, if she remembered correctly consisted of Scott trying to get her to let him in on her secret, and she couldn't do that.

Scott shook his head, "I miss you Laura- I love you."

Laura gave her long, wavy hair a good shake. "That's the sad thing, Scott, I love you too. But you can't push me— I can't tell you what you want to hear." He'd hate her if he ever found out about the pictures. "And you can't tell me that this isn't about the fact I wouldn't sleep with you, because I know it is."

Scott disagreed. "Laura, I told you then, and I mean it now- we can wait until you are ready..."

Laura sighed. This talk was doing nothing except going over common ground. "Goodbye, Scott." She walked by him, just in time to hear him whisper- "Gillian and I never slept together." For some reason, that made her feel better.

***

Rahne noticed Paige trying to run Gillian's dress under hot water and tried to stop her. "Ye donnae use hot water tae get out a stain, it'll only set it." One of the first things they learned in the New Mutants was how to remove anything from anything.

Paige smiled at Rahne, "I accidently dropped hot fudge on her when she was hitting on Sam." Rahne smiled back as she set the outfit in the hot water, and then went out to check on her boyfriend. Once her brother's girlfriend left the room, Paige turned and glared at Gillian.

"What?" the older woman asked, innocently. She was only having a little fun with the guy, he was so cute when he blushed.

Paige called on every ounce of training that Emma had given her and fixed her iciest stare on Gillian. "Don't look at my brother again." She had worked way too hard to get her brother and Rahne together to let some Euro-tramp destroy them.

Gillian flung her hair over her shoulder. She liked a challenge. "I'll do whatever I want."

Paige knew that Gillian had been sent to Pine Valley because of her affair with a very married ambassador. Pictures of the two naked on the beach had been in all the European papers. "Emma Frost taught me well-" Gillian's eyes picked up at Emma's name. "There wouldn't be any pictures with me."

Walking out, Paige added. "Think about that. Your visa's about to expire."

For once in her life, the very dense Gillian had been successfully warned away from a guy.

***

Over drinks at the Valley Inn, Pete filled Kitty in on his latest date with Amanda, Trevor's six-year-old daughter. "Kit, she's so cute."

Kitty smiled at the 360 in Pete's attitude towards children as Pete told her about Jamie and Amanda playing in the park. Somehow, this little girl had turned her man, once a devoted hater of 'ankle biters' into a daddy wannabe. "What's sad is that Oyster's sister told Amanda about her mother's history— and then Janet and Trevor found out that Amanda has known for weeks, but been too afraid to do anything to mention it." Pete frowned as he added that last bit. "Could you imagine Kurt and Amanda's daughter finding out about her grandmothers?"

"Ouch," Kitty shook her head. "Or say, Logan having a kid?"

Pete nodded. "And looking at those two comfort little Amanda made me think- what if we do have kids..."

Kitty was surprised, this was the first time Pete had mentioned that possibility. "We would have to change a lot, including deciding to make a firm commitment to each other." She wanted her children to have both a father and a mother who were married, like she did growing up. Pete didn't want to get married because his childhood was so bad.

"I know Kit," Pete agreed, "I know." And for the first time, making the big commitment didn't seem like a bad idea.

***

The next morning, bright and early, Sam and Rahne sat down on the couch to watch 'Wake Up Pine Valley.' Rahne was sitting so her back was against the arm of the couch and across Sam's lap. He wrapped his arms around her. She laced his fingers with her hand. "Morn," she smiled at him.

He carefully reached over and took a sip out of his cup, happy to find it was coffee. Although they had learned to like each other's morning beverages, he preferred coffee over tea. "Ah nevah asked..." Sam said as she squeezed his hand, "But ya and Douglock? Maybe Ah've read too much science fiction--"

Rahne smiled and kissed his hand. "Nay. It was a bad idea." Sam smiled down at her.

Paige rolled her eyes at the lovebirds as she poured herself a cup of black coffee. When was her brother going to pop the question? "It'll be nice to see Bit again."

Sam smiled. "Rahne will take her from the airport to the station so we can talk. After we talk, she'll tape a segment on 'The Cuttin' Edge' and then come back here." Paige smiled at the idea of seeing her pseudo-adopted big sister.

"Sae A let ye out at Willow Lake sae ye can fly inta Salem Center and A'll hold a sign for Elizabeth Guthrie?" Rahne asked as she finished her toast. "Sounds easy."

***

Celeste sighed as Tony filled her in on what her sister had done last night. "I've failed her." Her sister had gone from a straight A honor student to a shoplifter in the course of several weeks.

"No, you haven't," Tony disagreed. There were some kids who wanted to walk a dangerous road, and Ariel was one of them. "You've done everything you could for her."

Celeste buried her head in her hands and hid her tears. How could she reach her sister? Last time they tried to talk, Ariel screamed at her that she loved her job more than her. "I'll call Matt again and let him talk to her."

Tony stood behind her, allowing her the privilege of crying unseen. "What about Emma?"

Emma could telepathically adjust Ariel's attitude, but it was like applying a band-aid to a gash. It was a quick, ineffective fix to a deep problem. "No, that wouldn't be right." Tony started out the office door as Celeste made one of her most painful decisions. "And Tony— next time she's about to get caught..."

Tony turned around to face her and nodded. "We won't stop it." Celeste smiled sadly. Emma's connections would stop Ariel from being charged, but maybe allowing her to spend the night in jail wasn't a bad idea.

"Am I a bad mother?" She asked him as she punched Matt's number on the speed dial. Then she flung down the phone and started to sob.

Tony quickly held his friend in his arms and made soothing sounds to help her calm down while rubbing her back. "It's okay, baby," he whispered, using an endearment that he'd never call her except when he saw her tender side. "It'll be okay." He looked down and noticed that his medicine bag, his personal good luck charm, was now pressed into Celeste's chest. The girl needed a break, and he'd do anything to give it to her.

Finally, Celeste stiffened up and tried to explain her behavior. "I'm trapped." She needed Matt's help to reach her sister, and that meant her boyfriend was able to talk to her any way he wanted. He didn't miss a chance to belittle her or to cut her down. And calling in Matt just meant that Ariel's behavior had reached a point that she couldn't take it anymore. Last night, Matt had mentioned how, if he moved in, he could tame Ariel.

Tony squeezed her hand, knowing that Celeste couldn't tell him all that went on with the two, the fact that her relationship with her boyfriend was verbally and emotionally abusive. He had taken to following her, and knew the situation very well. "Have you tried professional help for your sister?"

She nodded, "Ariel refuses to go. I feel like a bad parent."

Tony shook his head. "Cel, the only thing bad is putting up with Matt." Celeste started to explain herself for the hundredth time. "And if there was another way to get though to that kid, you won't be doing that. And if he wasn't so dumb, he wouldn't try to control you." Celeste was the kind of girl that he had been brought up to appericate, strong, free-willed, straight shooting. Matt had to be stupid to try and change her.

She smiled at him. "At least you are here for me." Tony reminded her that real men didn't treat women like Matt treated her. "And if I hadn't broken up with him in the first place--"

Tony didn't repeat the remark Matt had made about her rape weakening her, but instead reminded her, "Breaking up with him was the right thing for you to do."

Celeste nodded, knowing that fact. Tony knew her well enough to know telling her to break up with her boyfriend was a bad idea. She was so afraid of losing her sister, it wasn't funny. He knew she was acting the way she was because, deep down, she felt guilty over selling her daughter. That guilt, combined with the fact she couldn't have anymore children, expressed itself as a need to protect her sister.

He wondered, not for the first time, how he could get her to mourn for her daughter and the children she couldn't have. And he dismissed the idea, knowing that she had to cope with her problems her way. All he could do was be there for her when she needed him.

***

Scott Summers frowned at Sam's report. "What do you mean you haven't found out who is responsible for the hate crimes?"

Sam sighed. "We think we know-- Dimitri Merrick -- but we have no proof."

"You've been in the town for two months and nothing?" His frown deepened.

"No, sir, not nothin'. We've managed ta do good in our jobs- Rahne's got a real lead on her research, Kitty's goin' ta pitch ta S.H.I.E.L.D. Ah've helped a station director find positive research on mutants." Sam thought they had done a lot. Recent polls done by WRCW had indicated that people who watched The Cutting Edge were gradually changing their opinion about mutants.

"Nothing where it counts." Scott disagreed. "Look, Sam, you're not thinking with your head here. I need you back on the team--"

Sam didn't buy it, he'd never felt like he really was needed on the X-Men. They didn't need a field leader, they had several very qualified ones already. He didn't fill a need in terms of balancing out the team, and he'd begun to think about other opportunities.

With Kurt taking a less active role with Excalibur because of Amanda's pregnancy, and Rahne's mother being ill, he had thought about moving to Muir Island anyways. Brian wanted to be a scientist and Meggan was too kind hearted. Douglock couldn't understand people and Peter was mentally unstable. Moira, with her ill heath, wasn't on the list of future leaders, and Rahne lacked the confidence in herself to be a leader. That left Kitty or Pete to lead, but neither wanted the job. He and Kurt had talked in general terms about it, and they were in agreement. Excalibur needed Sam.

"Give us two more months and we'll have your man." Sam stated. He wasn't asking for permission, he didn't need it. If push came to shove, he'd leave the X-Men before he married Rahne, not after.

Scott backed off, feeling that Sam was firm. "Two months, then I want you back." The X-Men were supposed to polish Sam's abilities, he'd promised his son that they'd take good care of the man.

***

Rosa Santos hugged her history book against her chest as she went to her teacher's classroom. She'd heard the news- WRCW was going to be attacked soon because it was mutie friendly.

Her teacher, Mike Delaney, was setting up his lecture on the holocaust as she walked in. She remembered how, the last time he'd given this lecture, he'd publically outed himself in front of his class. Her parents had pulled her older sister Anita out of his class, just because he was gay. It hadn't been right then, and the attack wasn't right now.

"Mr Delaney- sir-" Rosa started. He turned around. "Timmy and Oyster and all their friends are at the FOH rally." It wasn't easy to tell on her boyfriend but she was. "And they are going to attack the TV station."

Mike closed his eyes and frowned. "Thanks, Rosa." Quickly he pulled out his cell phone and called the police.

***

Li'l Bit Walton, Rahne discovered, was a woman of incredible energy. She bounced from place to place, running to get her luggage, running to get her a coke, running to the car. This girl seemed like she'd discovered the ability to find joy in life after a long, dark spell.

Right now, she was cheerfully dishing good dirt on Sam and putting on her makeup at the same time. Rahne smiled as she drove down to the station. "So he says 'Ah'm the king of the universe, whatcha gonna do about that?'" Bit lined her lips as she in paused her story about Sam's first day of kindergarten. "And Ah say, 'Sit down and shut up!' And he does." Taking a breather to put on her lipstick, she smiled warmly at the girl. "So yer the girl he's in love with, huh?"

Rahne smiled. "Aye, and A love him."

"Good! We're goin' ta be great friends, Ah can tell. Ah've always wanted a sister from another country- and if'n ya marry him, ya get me as part of the family deal. Just a warnin'" She laughed. "Disclaimer- Guthries are a larger clan than they appear." Li'l Bit looked like a country singer, a woman who wore boots, denim and pearls. But more than that, she looked like a woman assessing the new woman in her pseudo-brother's life.

Rahne laughed at that remark. "That reminds me, Ah need ta call Sam." Li'l Bit smiled at the slight southern accent in her voice. Sam was rubbing off on her. They were at a light so she got out her cell phone. If Sam was back from Salem Center, his phone would be on. If not, it would be off. The phone rang and his voice mail picked up. "He's back."

"Good, Ah need ta talk ta him." Li'l Bit had finished putting on her blush and smiled in the mirror. "Ah'm back and Ah'm beautiful- Life can't get any better." Rahne smiled, really liking this girl.

***

Jake Martin and Allie Doyle had been sitting in Tad's office, giving him a crash course on anorexia, when the rock came flying through his window, hitting Allie full force. She slumped over, moaning.

Immediately, Jake turned to his friend while Tad looked out the window. "Gang," he whispered, "we've got trouble."

***

Sam had been at work for five minutes when the crowd started to gather out front. The police pulled up a second later, and Sam saw the FOH and SCUM banners outside. He motioned for the secretary to get back away from the door. This could get ugly fast.

Liza heard the crowds at the same moment and ordered a camera crew to get behind shatterproof glass. This was great news.

The small police force was trying their best to keep the mob from getting any closer to the station when Sam ordered everyone to get in the studio. If something was to happen, that would be the safest place to be. He didn't notice his cell phone ringing on his desk.

Tad and Jake came rushing by, carrying Allie. Sam quickly helped them get settled on the couch in the studio.

The chanting grew louder as Liza allowed her crew to set the camera to autotape and escape. She grabbed Sam and turned him to face her. "Look, it doesn't matter a hill of beans to me that you were an X-Man-" Sam was stunned by what she said. He knew Tad had to know, but he didn't expect her to know too. "I just found out that Adam and I are pregnant again— I don't want to lose this baby too." Her eyes had a worried look to them.

Sam nodded. "Just get inside the studio, ma'am, and Ah'll do what Ah can ta protect ya."

Liza started to run back. "And you've got a raise coming, Sam."