"Ah'll tear ya head off!" Sam Guthrie screamed at his fellow X-man, Bobby Drake. "Iff'n Ah hear 'bout ya laying one hand on mah sister, Ah'll tear ya head off! Both of 'em."

Bobby carefully kept his eyes on Sam, who was standing near the kitchen sink. "Come on, it's one date. She called and asked me out, and ---" Silently, he was cursing his bad timing. There would have been no good way to tell Sam that he was going to date his little sister but it wasn't a good idea to do so where there were so many sharp, deadly things.

"Sixteen!" Sam shouted, "She's sixteen and you're twenty- six. That's ten years. Ah'd reckon y' should know better than ta say yes." Sam glared at his teammate as he jammed some dishes into the dishwasher. One of the plates broke.

Outside the kitchen, money was being exchanged as to the outcome of the confrontation. Sam was the odds-on favorite to win in a fist fight, with Cable and Wolverine each kicking in a hundred dollars. Gambit had bet two hundred that Sam would use his blast field to evaporate Bobby. With the exception of Tabitha and Domino, X-Factor had predicted that Sam would break more than four bones. Domino had bet that no blood would be shed, and Tabitha, acted liking an ex- girlfriend, had bet that Bobby would freeze certain parts of Sam's body. Shatterstar didn't understand what the fuss was about and refused to participate. Scott was staying carefully neutral, while Jean had bid twenty that Bobby would win. The rest of the X-men, except for Rogue, had agreed with her. Rogue felt that they would get into a fight and then become the best of friends.

The screaming continued and the kitty grew. Finally, they heard Sam fly away. Bobby walked out, wearing the remains of the meal. "I'd say," Bobby summarized as he removed a strand of spaghetti from his shirt, "he took it well."

Without a word, Jean telekinetically pushed the pot to Domino. When would they learn not to bet against her? ***

Paige was sitting on her bed, doing her calculus, when the phone rang. She smiled as she picked it up, "Hello?"

At the sound of Bobby's voice, she giggled. The laughter stopped as he warned, "Your brother's on the way."

Paige nodded, she had expected that. In fact, she had counted on it. "I'll handle it," she promised. "Are you okay?" She looked out the window and saw Rahne sitting on the steps. Moira had come to teach a medical class, and Rahne had come to take care of her adopted mother.

"Except for some pasta in my hair, yes." Bobby sighed and started to scrub another spot out of his shirt. "Still on for Friday?"

"Sure thing. What do you want to do?" Paige pulled out a listing of shows on Broadway and they debated the various pros and cons. ***

Rahne turned up her tape to drown out the sounds of her mother and Sean fighting. She didn't notice Sam dropping out of the sky until he spoke to her. "Rahne, what a surprise!" Sam told his former classmate. "It's great to see ya."

In the background, he could hear Sean and Moira fighting about Emma. "She's a shameless hussy!" Moira yelled. Rahne brushed away a tear. It was hard enough for her to get used to the idea that her adopted mum was dying, hearing her go though such a tough time with a guy she loved was torture. Rahne used to have dreams about having a step-father who didn't look down on her because she was a mutant and it seemed that was all they would be- dreams.

Seeing his friend so sad distracted Sam. "How long have they been fightin'?" he asked compassionately as he sat on the steps next to her. During the time that they had spent together as New Mutants, he had learned to watch out for the younger, tender-hearted girl. At the time, with him missing his family and needing to be a big brother, it was natural to be so protective. Maybe, he thought as he looked at her, he just couldn't stand for someone so innocent to be hurt.

"Since we arrived yesterday. A'm hopin' we leave Sunday." Four days of listening to those two fight would be enough to drive anybody crazy. Rahne sighed and got up. "Paige expecting ye?" she asked as she turned towards him.

Sam muttered darkly, "Ah'll say." At Rahne's concerned look he clarified, "She and Bobby have a date."

Rahne rolled her eyes, "What a womanizer! And tae ask out his best friend's sister tae!"

Sam shook his head. "Wrong Bobby." Roberto De Costa would know better to ask out his best friend's little sister. There was honor among big brothers.

"Isn't she tae mature for Iceman?" Rahne asked. Sam laughed.

"Ah think so." Sam thought about it. "That wasn't really a problem with Lila and me."

"An' what would Paige say about her own brother, who dated a woman older than him, forbidding her from dating a guy older than her?" she asked as she crossed her arms. Rahne and Sam had been friends long enough that Rahne felt comfortable helping Sam sort out his thoughts. They made a good team.

"That's different..." Sam started.

"How?" Rahne asked him.

"She's muh sister!" Sam started. At his friend's dark look, he quickly said, "She'd say that Ah was bein' a two-faced hypocrite." He really didn't have much room to talk when it came to dating older people, he had done it. "What should Ah do?" Sam appreciated Rahne's help. She was saving him from sounding like a total fool in front of his sister.

"Let them go oot?" Rahne liked having a chance not to think about Moira's troubles. Besides, the last "Nanny" episode she watched had a great plan. Let the date happen, let the younger girl find out on her own that they were too different, and then she would dump the guy. "Like on 'The Nanny'..."

"Not alone!" Sam objected, "But maybe a double date.... Somethin' where Paige would enjoy herself, but make Bobby feel uncomfortable. Bobby hates country music, but Ah know Paige loves it." He was on the A list at 'Gone Country', thanks to an old friend.

Rahne had won four tickets to see "Beauty and The Beast" on Broadway from a radio call-in contest. She had planned to take Jamie, Moira and Sean to see it, but she got a better idea. "Why don't ye take them tae see 'Beauty and the Beast' and then dancing? Ye could take ma tickets."

"That'll be nice. You, me, Paige, and Bobby." It was unthinkable for him to take advantage of Rahne's kindness. "We could catch up on old times." He liked the idea of being able to talk to her, they had a lot to talk about.

"Sure, why not? Be better than staying around here." From inside, they could hear the sound of a door being slammed. Sam put an arm around Rahne sympathetically. "Much better," she sighed. ***

Paige, from her room, looked down at the two sitting on the front steps. Sam and Rahne made a striking, if somewhat unusual, pair. Sam needed a girl that needed him. He needed to play the part of protector, but he needed a girl that could tell him to back off also. Rahne was becoming a strong woman, but she didn't like having to always be that way. She needed someone that would let her be weak, and then step aside so she could be herself again. They needed each other, even if they didn't know it yet.

So much had made them good friends. They both had an innocents about them, a shy sense of humor, and an ability to balance each other out. He appreciated her fire, she appreciated his restraint. >From the time that Sam had first written home from Xavier's School for Gifted Students, Paige had hoped that they would get together romantically. Instead, they had settled for friendship with out trying for more. Her brother deserved the brass ring and Paige wanted to give him a chance to get it.

So when Jubilee let it slip that Kitty let it slip that Rahne had always had a thing for her brother, Paige felt it was important to try to get them together. After all, she could read between the lines of her brother's letters and see he had feelings for Rahne. And this would be a girlfriend her mother wouldn't worry about. Lila was too old, too modern and Tabitha was too brazen. Rahne was a sweet, kind woman.

Paige nodded in response to what Bobby had said. "Okay, then, I'll get the tickets." She turned her attention back to the phone call.

"What about your brother? I have to live with him and I really don't want him mad at me -- or you." Bobby was very worried about that. He was beginning to doubt that this date was a good idea. Already, Logan had talked to him to make it very clear that he was never, ever to date Jubilee.

"Why don't I invite him and Rahne to double? That way, he can't accuse you of what he thinks went on," Paige suggested, biting back a grin. This was almost too easy.

"That sounds like a good idea," Bobby agreed. "I've got to go work out." They quickly said their goodbyes and hung up.

Paige returned to her homework, this time opening a notebook and checked off a line in a list. After five minutes, she saw Sam get up and walk in the mansion. Deciding to wait for him to come to her, she finished her problem. ***

Sam politely knocked on the door. Thank goodness Rahne had been outside, or he would be very upset by now, Paige thought as she told him to come in.

"Hey, Sam," she said. "I've been expecting you." She sat up on her bed.

"Then you can guess Ah'm not that happy about your date with Bobby." He crossed his arms and tried not to seem too big brotherish.

"I know, Bobby told me. He said it would be a good idea for you and Rahne to come along with us. That way, you can keep an eye on us and not worry." Paige closed her book as she saw the look of surprise cross his face. "We do care what you think... After all, you are my bubba."

Sam was surprised that Bobby was sensitive enough to suggest a double date. Maybe, he had gotten worked up over nothing. And his heart always melted when Paige called him bubba. "That sounds like ... a real good idea."

"Great!" Paige let out one of her heart- melting smiles. "Could you help me with my cal homework?" She opened the book and pointed to a problem.

Sam got a pad of paper and worked the problem for her. "You understand?" Paige looked at the answer and frowned. "See here in the next problem, you just use the same formula." He worked that one for her.

"I get it!" Paige smiled and proceeded to start the next problem wrong. Sam took the pencil from her and showed her the steps again. "Oh, I see." Paige set up the last problem and solved it.

"Any more homework you need help with?" Sam liked having the chance to spend quality time with his sister.

"Just this one essay question." Paige read the line from her literature term paper. "'Compare and contrast Ahab's obsession with Moby Dick with Xavier's and Magneto's quest for mutant-human peace. Consider their goals, means, and history. Which do you think has/ had been the most successful. Why?'"

Sam let out a low whistle. "Can't help you much on Ahab, but Ah can help with the rest." They spent an hour setting up the outline for that answer. Paige's knowledge of Moby Dick combined with Sam's knowledge of Xavier's and Magnus's philosophies from long nights talking with both his former teachers made for a good discussion. It helped to put to ease any worries Sam had about the quality of education Paige was receiving and gave Paige an interview reference for her paper's bibliography. ***

Moira sat in one of the chairs in the front room. She was tired, her body ached, and she had a headache. Compared to what she normally felt at this time of day, this was good.

She wrapped a blanket around her body. It was too far to walk to her bedroom, so she was going to take a little nap in the comfortable chair. An hour or so, and she would be as good as new.

Why had she come to teach this class? She was committed to a week or more of seeing Sean every day. Did she hope that they could patch things up, or did she want to put a graceful end to their relationship? Moira didn't know the answer to that one. Or better yet, down deep, she didn't want to act on that answer. That would require more courage than she had.

She could see Rahne from where she was sitting. Rahne, the daughter who blessed her later years and helped her have courage to face each day. If Rahne hadn't come to Muir Island, Moira knew she would have given up a long time ago.

Moira heard Sam walk out the front door. From her vantage point, she could see him make his way over to Rahne. There was a special smile on Rahne's face when she saw him. A smile that told her mother that her daughter had more than friendship feelings for her old teammate. And it meant a lot to her mother when Sam returned that smile. The two wandered off to talk.

How long had it been since it had been that easy for Sean and her, Moira wondered. Was it before the Phalanx, back when she was keeping her secret about Magneto, or even before that? Had they ever have it that easy? ***

"So after Ah helped her with her math, Ah helped her with her essay," Sam told Rahne. "It was a doozy of a one, too. Guess Banshee and the White Bitch---"

"Sam!" Rahne protested, "Watch what ye say aboot her."

Emma smiled at that comment from Rahne. She had been taking her evening walk when she had heard Sam's voice carry across the garden. Deciding against confronting the two former New Mutants, she had slipped behind a near by tree.

Emma shook her head. Paige, her prized, straight "A" student, didn't need her brother's help. But by acting helpless, she had gotten a good amount of her homework done. Most teachers would have called that cheating, but Emma prided herself on teaching her students how to survive. Using others was just one way. Paige had earned her "A".

Emma had been lost in her track of thoughts, and had barely heard the rest of the conversation. "So A'll see ya Friday, then?" She heard Rahne ask.

"Sure shootin'. Bobby and Ah'll pick you and Paige up around four so we can get to the city and get somethin' t'eat before the show. Dancin' after, remember." Emma noticed a softness around the two, something that made making supper plans strangely intimate. It was too sweet for Emma's taste.

How dare Paige think she could go out with Bobby? Robert Drake was Emma's, she was only waiting for the right time to claim him. There was only one thing to do, torpedo the date any way possible.

There was no comparison, Emma thought as she looked at her reflection in the pond. It would be nothing to ruin the date without lifting a finger. She hadn't taught Paige all the tricks in the book. Yet.

Rahne snuck up behind Emma, which wasn't easy to do with a telepath of her caliber. "A know ye was listening all the time," she confronted the older woman. Mentally, Emma gave the girl some credit. The old Rahne wouldn't have had the audacity to do that.

"So what if I had?" Emma brushed off the comment.

Rahne looked at the woman with pity. As she had grown older, she realized that Emma was a hurt girl in a woman's body. "A want tae thank ye for staying out of sight." If Emma had shown up, Sam would have overreacted.

Emma hadn't expected that from Rahne. "You don't think much of me, do you?" It was a statement instead of a question.

Rahne debated her answer. "A don't think tha' much about ye, so A couldn't answer." Rahne's gentle face grew dark as she added, "But remember, Catseye was ma friend."

Emma nodded. She never expected to earn the respect of the New Mutants. Privately, she had cried many tears over the loss of her class, but publicly, she held her head high. "Your religion teaches forgiveness, doesn't it?"

Rahne taken aback by that question. As a Christian, she believed she was forgiven for her earthly mistakes and should forgive others for theirs. After all, her Lord and Savior was the only one who could judge. "Aye, but Jesus didn't say keep turning ye cheeks."

Emma started to walk away. Maybe it was too much to hope for some measure of forgiveness from others. She stopped when she heard Rahne say, "A'll pray for help tae forgive ye."

It was a peace offering, and Emma knew it. "Thank you."