Paige was the first to come down the stairs, dressed in the black dress she found on her bed. Her hair was pulled up into a french twist, and she wore rhinestone earrings. The dress itself, demure for a smaller female, was snug on her. Sam had to work not to say anything about it while Paige gave him the bag with her change of clothes.

Moira was more than a little upset to see the girl wear the dress she had picked out for Rahne. She had spent an hour looking for just the right dress, and it backfired on her. Rahne came out next, wearing a white dress that Moira would never had picked as something her daughter would wear. It was elegant, glamorous, and very sexy. It was upsetting, her little girl was growing up. But more than that, it looked like something Emma would wear. Was that woman trying to steal her daughter too?

Sam had to swallow hard, twice, as he looked at his date. It was the second time a dressed-up Rahne had taken his breath away. He wasn't one to notice clothes as much as attitudes. Rahne carried herself with a newfound self-assurance, as if she knew that there would be no other female that looked half as good as she did. And by judging from the hair, clothes, and jewelry, there couldn't be.

He opened his mouth, trying to say something- anything - and found he could say nothing. Finally words came to him. "You look real nice," and, for the lack of anything else, he added "Furtop."

Sam winced and mentally kicked himself. Using a childish nickname had to rank between "You look just like your mother" and "You are almost as pretty as your sister" as things not to say when picking up a date.

Rahne smiled, enjoying the effect she was having on him. It was wicked, but she loved the fact she had him speechless. And more than that, he was one of a handful of people that could call her "Furtop" and get away with it. She gave her adopted mum a kiss and whispered something to her. ***

Before the four got into the PAC-RAT, Paige pulled her brother over to the side. "Sam, I want you to promise you'll behavior politely tonight."

Sam shook his head, unable to get over his anger. "Ah can't. Sorry, Ah can't understand why you want ta go out with him."

Paige sighed, and settled on a part of the truth. "Because I felt sorry for him. People are starting to link him with Shatterstar and Rictor, and I wanted it to stop."

"Why?" Sam couldn't figure out why his sister would do that for a person she didn't really know. Heck, he almost wished she had asked out Ric or Shatty. Not like he still wouldn't want to kick their butts if they even considered saying yes, but he knew he could trust them a lot more than he could trust Bobby.

"Rogue was upset by it, and she asked me if I could help." Paige and Rogue had developed a friendship, premised on a love of country music and football games, that they both held dear. "And I needed a way to show Jono that I was tired of this mind game he seems to play." Sam could buy that his sister would try to make Jono jealous. At times, Paige was, well, a real blonde. Didn't think things through, just acted. "And if I get Ms. Frost mad enough she'll go after him with everything she's got and, when she's got him, she'll stop being so hard on us students." Sam smiled at the simplistic logic.

"Ah can hope yer right." What she lacked in brains, she made up for in guts.

"Pinky promise that you'll be nice?" Paige held up her little finger.

Sam sighed as he wrapped his little finger around hers. A pinky promise was even more unbreakable than promising on a stack of Bibles. "Pinky promise." With that, he walked off to tell Rahne of the change in plans. They would have to treat Bobby nicely. ***

Sean handed out the bribe money to his students with a smile on his face. "An' at what time do I want ye back?" he prodded.

Jubilee looked over the heathy chunk of change and ventured a guess, "Some part of this century?"

Everett gave her a disapproving look and corrected her, "Before our eleven--" Jubilee showed him the denomination of the top three bills. "our three am curfew." This was a one-time-only event, and he knew to milk it.

"And don't be feelin' the need to check in with me or Emma," Sean said with a smile. Angelo let out a low whistle at the sight of all the money. It was enough to keep them busy for hours, if not days.

Quickly, Monet, Jono, Angelo, Jubilee and Ev got Franklin, Artie and Leech ready to go to their sitter's. They weren't going to blow this chance, even if they didn't quite know what to do with it. Emma had a stack of papers to grade, and had made it clear that she was not to be interrupted for the entire evening. Sean was relieved to have the school to himself. ***

Moira waited just long enough for the PAC-RAT to disappear before she started searching for Emma. She had had enough of that mind witch's games. It wasn't enough to get between her and Sean, now the harlot was going for her daughter. It was going to stop. Now.

Furious, she pounded on the door to Emma's house. "Come oot here ye harpy!" A long moment later, the door opened revealing Emma in her usual dominatrix-style clothing.

Coldly, she raised a single eyebrow and stared, unblinking, at Moira. "You wanted to speak to me?" she said, in a voice more fitting to royalty than to a Massachusetts school grounds.

Moira was not fazed. "A want ye tae leave me daughter alone!"

"Indeed?" Emma removed a strand of hair from her outfit. "She didn't mind my help when I offered it." The calm, collected manner only succeeded in riling up Moira.

"She's an impressionable lass. She doesn't know what looking like tha' can lead tae!" Her daughter had looked older than her eighteen years in that dress, and she had looked like she enjoyed that fact. If Moira had been able to calm down, she would have realized that part of her anger was fear. She had only had five years of being Rahne's mother and her little girl was growing up. And Sam was far from the worst of the dates she'd let Rahne go out with.

"So you allowed your daughter to go on a date with a man that you believe might take advantage of her naivete?" Emma shook her head, "At least I've trained my students to know about situations--"

"Aye, ye use yuir body as a demonstration during Sex Ed," Moira spat out.

Emma continued, "And I loaned a dress to a visitor to this school. She took it, and more than that, enjoyed the look it gave her. She's growing up, Moira, accept it."

"A'll accept it as much as A'll accept ye stealing Sean away from me."

Emma smiled a smile of bored amusement. "If I wanted him, you would already have lost him. You haven't given him a single reason to stay with you, except he loves you. But luckily for you, he's not rich or powerful. I'd be bored with him while I was using him." With that, Emma shut the door.

Moira stared at the door and realized that there was an element of truth to what Emma had said. Sean had been the one to call her, he had been the one to fly out to see her. She had been too busy in the lab to answer the phone or take time to spend with him. Emma was a easy excuse for the fact that their relationship was crumbling. ***

"Hope y'all don't mind," Sam started, "but Ah've been having a hankering for some real steak." He flipped on the lights to Warren's penthouse on Park Avenue, and held the door open for Rahne and Paige. "So Ah called the Steak Company and had 'em deliver us some."

Paige looked confused and muttered, "They don't have steak houses in New York City?" It was her first time in the city, and she wanted to see as much as possible.

Rahne turned, her sensitive hearing catching the words. Laying a hand on Paige's arm, she pulled her aside, allowing Bobby and Sam to make their way to the kitchen. "What yuir brother is trying not tae say is tha' 'cause A was a member of X-Factor, A'm ken as a mutant."

Comprehension dawned on Paige's face, and then she began to worry. "Is it a bad idea to go to the show and dancing?"

Rahne shook her head. "A donnae think so. It's more crowded, and people are looking for the movie stars and such."

Paige nodded and let the topic drop. "So have you been line dancing before?"

Rahne blushed as she asked, "Is it anything like the can- can?" ***

"Bobby," Sam asked, "Couldja hand me the blue covered bowl in the ice box?" He had planned a fairly elegant meal for the ladies and had flown down to start it before he had gotten dressed.

"Mixed greens salad, steak, twice baked potatoes with garlic and chives, broccoli with hollandaise sauce— and black and white cheese cake?" Bobby read the list, nervously. The thought of being in the kitchen with Sam still scared him. "Someone's been watching too much Julia Child." He handed him the bowl.

"The Frugal Gourmet," Sam corrected him. He opened the bowl and lifted the steaks out of the marinade. Selecting a knife, he trimmed the fat off the edges.

Remembering Logan's warning, Bobby nearly flinched as Sam turned to him. Sam started to laugh at the look on Bobby's face. "Paige made me promise, best manners. Ah'm not gonna hurt ya."

Bobby relaxed a little. "This has got to be hard on you."

"Ah don't like the fact that yer dating muh sister," Sam admitted. Paige had made him promise to be on his best behavior tonight.

Bobby nodded. "And I promise to be a gentleman with her."

What was it that Paige had told him a friend of her had said? "Ya better be a gentleman --- or ya will be a lady." Bobby gulped as Sam started to chop a cucumber into paper-thin slices. ***

Sam brought the appetizers out of the kitchen and set them on the table. "Paige, Bobby's in the kitchen, grilling the steaks." Paige took her cue to join her date.

Rahne was sitting by the fire, touching a bead on her bracelet. "What's that?" Sam asked as she dropped it. He walked over with her drink.

"It's me prayer band." Rahne held it out for Sam to see. "Something me preacher told me about. Every time A promise ta pray for someone A add a bead."

Sam held her hand in his and looked it over. "Pretty full," he said as he touched several of them.

"So's me heart." Rahne had one of the biggest hearts he knew, and yet at the same time was one of the most innocent people he knew. "Tis one's me Mum," she pointed to the first bead, "and me church, Excalibur, and the other teams," pointing to other beads. "Tis one's me birth mum, and tis one's Dani," she stopped on a gold bead.

"Why Dani?" Sam hadn't heard anything about his former co-leader in a long time.

Rahne's eyes dropped as she answered. "Dani's... she-- attacked Muir Island not too long ago. A asked Lady Moira not tae mention she was there." Danielle Moonstar had been Rahne's best friend when they were in the New Mutants.

Sam closed his eyes, remembering all the good memories he had of his friend. He shook his head and muttered "Chief" in disbelief. "That must a' really hurt ya," he finally said. "Ya two were as close as two friends could be."

"Aye, it did." Rahne was silent for a long minute, and then continued explaining her prayer list. "This one's ye," she said after another two beads. "A heard that ya were having a hard time fittin' in and A put you on my bracelet."

Sam smiled at that. That was Rahne, one of the most compassionate people he knew. He squeezed her hand, and thanked her. She continued to explain her list, showing him the beads for mutual friends, and the one she had just added for Emma Frost. "And the last one is for my future husband. A pray daily for his safety and God's guidance, and that A may be the kind of woman the kind of man A want deserves," she concluded.

Sam looked at the bracelet again and smiled. Suddenly, he was aware of how long he had held her hand. Embarrassed, he dropped it. Rahne smiled as if she understood his confusion. ***

Paige handed Bobby the rosemary to throw on the indoor grill. "So, um, looking forward to the show tonight?" she asked him.

"I guess." Bobby flipped the steaks, carefully not to get juice on his white shirt. "It's better than doing Warren's books."

"Well, you get a chance to earn extra money. After taxes, rent, food, and bills, my five hundred a month training allowance is down to a hundred." Emma insisted her students have some idea how to function in the real world and made them pay a portion of their training expenses from the allowance she gave them.

Bobby was a little surprised at that. "I didn't think Emma would --- good for her." Bobby had worked hard to be a CPA so that, if the time ever came and he really wanted to, he could live away from Xavier. "At least your class will have an advantage from the others."

"I know," admitted Paige, "but it makes me a little mad. Everybody gets paid the same, no matter how well they do in school. Angelo never studies, and Jubilee, even though she tries to hide it, works pretty dang hard."

"Welcome to real life-" Bobby nearly added the word kid, but stopped. The last thing he needed to do was remind Paige and, more specifically her knife-wielding brother, of the ten-year age difference.

"Growing up sucks!" Paige shot back with a grin on her face. "It's not bad enough that Ms. Frost treats me like I have the potential to be like her, but its— it's funny the different kind of life mutants have," she finished. Bobby flipped over the steaks.

"Do me a big favor Paige... if you ever wear one of Emma's outfits to the mansion, call ahead so we can be prepared to administer CPR to your brother." Paige laughed at that one as Bobby moved the steaks a quarter turn.

"Ms. Frost isn't that bad once you get to know her," Paige defended her teacher. "She's, well, she's like a dog we once had. Sam found this dog that someone had abused. She couldn't trust anybody and barked at everything. Daddy said it would be best if he shot it, but Sam started camping outside and feeding it. Gradually, Daffy learned to trust him— but it took six weeks. She reminds me of Daffy when Sam started to take the time to tame her- 'fraid and scared and expecting him to hit her."

"What happened to Daffy?" He was doing his best to ignore the fact that Paige had indeed compared her teacher to a real bitch.

"She still sleeps in the barn, and only really trusts Sam, but she's one heck of a ratter." ***

Jubilee snorted as she waved goodbye to Franklin. "So didja see what the Hayseed did?"

Monet keep her eyes on the road, but despite her best intentions listened in as Angelo answered, "I couldn't believe it, that's a new way to use her powers."

Jubilee rolled her eyes. "I don't see how Jethro didn't pop a top when he saw her!"

Ev's curiosity got the best of him, "What did she do?"

Angelo broke down laughing as he answered, "She went from a B cup to a double D!" Monet cracked a smile at that. Jono only sighed telepathically and turned on the radio.

"I don't know what Paige's problem is," Jubilee continued. "It's like she started taking this independent study class with Frosty and she's doing things like asking the Bobster out." ***

Paige started to set the food on the table when Bobby stopped her. "Let's give them a few more minutes." Paige nodded and set the tray down. "Your brother deserves to have some time with an old friend."

"So how's the X-Men holding up since the professor left?" She placed the iced glasses on the tray. It had been a couple of months since Xavier was taken away, and the team was still regrouping.

"Well, the contractor just finished putting in the plumbing, so we're happy." Bobby smiled. Due to the condition of the house, the contractor had to almost tear it down to rebuild it. "Mentally, it's another story. Onslaught was the professor's fault, and I don't see how we missed the warning signs." The X-Men had come to depend on Xavier as their mental stronghold and it was surprising that they had missed the signs. Bobby had been too busy concentrating on using his powers, Hank wasn't Hank, Warren and Betsy were away, Logan was feral, Scott and Jean were caught up in their own life, and Sam had been battling depression. Those were their reasons, but they had no excuse for missing the signs.

Paige nodded, "Rogue said you're having a hard time too." The last couple of times Rogue had called, she had mentioned that Bobby was down and needed a pick-up.

Bobby nodded, "I kindof wondered about the timing of your call." His ex-girlfriend, Opal, had just announced her engagement to an old friend. Rogue had spent hours talking with him about it, and Paige and Rogue were good friends.

Paige made a motion to shrug it off. "This isn't a pity date, I do have my reasons for wanting to go out with you."

"So Rogue didn't tell you that Opal was engaged?" Paige looked at him blankly. The name didn't ring any bells. Paige shook her head.

"I was mad at Jono and then ..." Paige stopped for a moment. "Promise ya won't tell Sam this, 'cause Momma wants to tell him?" Bobby nodded, and Paige continued. "My sister Elizabeth's getting married in a couple of weeks."

Elizabeth was fifteen years old, Bobby remembered Sam saying, hardly old enough to be getting married. "Why?" Bobby asked as he saw the hurt look on Paige's face.

"She done got caught." Paige pointed to her stomach, to indicate that her sister was pregnant. "And she's marrying my ex- boyfriend too." Bobby placed a friendly hand on her shoulder. "So Ah decided ta do something foolish," she finished with her accent showing. Paige and Craig had broken up because she didn't like to be pressured, and he was pressuring her to sleep with him. It hurt her that her younger sister, who grew up knowing what could happen if you got pregnant, started sleeping with her ex.

"Jean told me that she could see us getting together when you were older," Bobby said with a smile. "How about when you turn eighteen, we go paint the town red?"

Paige smiled. Why was that men offered a woman anything if she looked sad enough? "Sure!" At times like this, she agreed with Emma, getting what she wanted from a man was too easy. ***

Sam looked at his old friend as she got an appetizer. She really is pretty, he realized. Changed a lot from the time we first met, too. Rahne stared at the fire. Not that Ah would wish what she had to deal with on anybody, but Ah envy the inner strength and quiet peace she has.

The silence switched into one that two friends could be comfortable in sharing. Rahne bit into a shrimp puff and smiled. "This is good."

"Thanks. Momma felt that boys should know how to cook too." Sam poured her some sparkling cider. "So how is Kitty and her new boyfriend?"

Rahne smiled at that topic, "Pete Wisdom is a bloody heathen, has terrible table manners, an' Lockheed hates him. A like him, he's good for her." And eating at the same table as him had caused Rahne to lose five pounds, another plus for Pete.

Sam smiled at that. "Seems fittin' she'd fall for someone older. But what Ah've heard, Ah can't picture the two together."

Rahne made a dismissive gesture. "Ever notice that ye can't predict couples? Sometimes likes attract, sometimes opposites do." Sam thought briefly about Lila and Tabitha, and then looked at Rahne. She was so different from them, yet in a way the same. Rahne had been involved with Rictor and Doug, and then there was the thing with Alex. "Take Brian and Meggan, upper class person in love with the adopted child of gypsy folks. Kurt and Amanda, the Catholic and the sorceress. But the reason A like Pete best is he gives mum a hard time."

Sam laughed. He had heard about the battle of wits going on across the pond. Rahne continued, "He'd give her a hard time if she was sick or well. A've seen Mum muttering his retorts for half a day and then spend the other half thinking up somethin' tae say back. At least it stops her from trying tae fix me up with a nice young man. Meggan and Amanda do it enough."

"That bad?" Sam asked. Rahne rolled her eyes, and he laughed.

"After the last year, A need a reason tae laugh, and the dates do do that." The women meant well, but some of the men they fixed Rahne up with were bad. The last one, one her mother had picked out, had his cat's skull glued to the dashboard of his car.

"Ah know ya've had it rough. Ah should have called more," Sam apologized. In the past year, one of Rahne's closest friends had died, another had had a heart attack, and her mother had found out that she had Legacy. All this had resulted in Rahne moving to Scotland, and joining Excalibur.

"A ken that ye had a hard time too, Sam. After we stopped the Phalanx, things went from bad to worse for ye." Sam had been "promoted" to the X-Men, found out his sister had joined a cult, and broken up with his long-time girlfriend. Perhaps the hardest thing to understand was the reason behind Xavier's transformation into Onslaught, and if it was a result of Sam's mentor losing his mind or not. "And ye seemed so down, and that was what worried me most."

Sam nodded at that one. "Ah was so down for so long, Logan took me to see a chinese herbalist he knew. She said Ah was depressed, and gave me some herbs. They worked great." Sam regretted not going sooner, he had been so absorbed in his dark mood that he couldn't really help Tabitha when she needed it most.

Rahne smiled at Sam's explanation, she had seen a psychologist for a while and knew there was nothing wrong with getting help when you needed it. "A'm glad tae hear it."

"Blind dates that bad?" Sam brought the conversations back to a better topic.

Rahne though about it. "A'm a Christian, and A believe that some things should wait until marriage. Mum doesn't really understand that, and when ye live with a bunch of people that are..."

Sam nodded at that one. "Ah understand." Rahne looked at him, thinking about Lila and Tabitha, and he blushed. "Momma and Daddy got married and Ah was born six months later. Ah... saw the sacrifices they had ta make. Daddy asked me to stop and think if that one night was worth it, ta her, ta me.... Ah couldn't. . ." His voice trailed off as he looked away from Rahne. It was a non-issue with Tab, who was struggling with the abuse she had faced as a child.

Rahne looked at him with a bemused expression on her face. "A just say A'm a Christian and let it stop there." After a second, Rahne added, "But since A've found out that the Reverend's me father..."

Sam looked at her stunned. He remembered meeting the 'good' Reverend and seeing the hate he had for Rahne. "Ah'm so sorry."

"Sae am A, sae am A," Rahne finished off her drink. "Kitty an' Mum have offered tae help find me birth mum. Even Pete's offered tae dae some snoopin'. A'm hoping tae start searchin' for her soon." Rahne looked like she was going to cry, thinking about what might have happened to her mother.

"If ya need help, let me know." Sam offered, wishing, not for the first time, that he could have a few minutes alone with the bastard that raised his friend. He put his arm around her shoulder and let it stay there. At times, a simple touch could speak more than a thousand words.