When they got out of the cab to change at the townhouse, Paige pulled Sam aside. "For the record, I like Bobby as one of your friends. But, this isn't working out." Sam held back his smile, Rahne's plan had worked. "But, I'm also glad you didn't forbid me from going."

Paige sighed loudly as she continued, "We couldn't talk about anything! I've just finished reading 'True Women', and he thought that was a pornographic novel. This was a bad idea."

Sam smiled at that. "Ya always do the opposite of what ya tol'. Glad ya made up your own mind about Bobby."

"Why did you give me that cup of coffee?" Paige was still surprised that Sam would give her what was considered an adult drink when she knew he had to think that her actions were immature.

The truth was he was used to handing everyone a cup of coffee or tea after a meal. But that wouldn't make Paige feel better. "Yer growin' up."

Paige smiled at her brother. "Thanks," she said. "And Sam?" Her eyes grew a little dark. "Please don't be mad at Bobby. You are his teammate and you depend on each other. And I was the one that asked him out."

Sam had been brought up to place his family first, and couldn't dismiss a request for a favor out of hand. "Ah'll treat him the same Ah always do," he promised.

But he could plan to get back at Bobby later. The thing about country folk is that they do get even in the end.

***

It took less than five minutes for Rahne to slip out of her dress and into her change of clothing. Bobby was waiting in the living room, alone. Rahne smiled in greeting. "For the record, Sam said that he will treat me normally for the rest of the night," Bobby told her as she started to turn away from him.

That brought a wicked smile to Rahne's face. Yeah, right. After five years of knowing Sam, Rahne knew that he would find a way to get Bobby later. Once, in the New Mutants, after Dani had cut off the hot water mid-shower on Sam, he had waited six weeks to do the same thing to her. Right after Berto had stolen the towels out of the bathroom and right before Dani's date had arrived. Bobby's day would come.

Sam saw the grin on Rahne's face as he walked out of the bathroom in the outfit that the women had settled on for him. The jeans were tighter than he liked them, but Rogue had made him promise to wear them. "What?" He asked as he went to the bar for a cup of water.

"A was remembering that prank war we had as New Mutants and how it grew," Rahne explained as she looked him over. When he walked into the kitchen, she couldn't help but notice how good he looked in the jeans. That pocket really wore his butt well, and the shirt made his eyes look so blue. He looked... sexy. She shook her head, trying to get the idea of Sam being sexy out of her mind. It was a terrible heathen thought. Then she remembered what Kitty had said about a cute butt being a terrible thing to waste, and her smile returned. Sam wasn't wasting his.

Sam laughed as he remember how the prank war "officially" ended, years after it started. "Poor Scott!" he said as he remembered Scott eating the whole pan of laxative brownies on X-Factor's ship. After Beast got though scolding them, they had promised not to pull any more stunts like that.

***

Moira sat on the corner of her bed, reliving the scene at supper. She was disappointed in herself. She knew the words she wanted to say to him, but only now that she was away she could say them. Gathering her courage, she asked the computer where Banshee was.

They needed to talk, to say the words to each other that would plot the course of their relationship. She needed to hear that she was still important to him, she needed to tell him how ill she was. They needed to hold each other. Talk the night away as they sometimes did when they were first in love.

"Banshee is not on the school grounds," the computer told her. So much for that plan.

***

"Hmpf!" Tabitha sighed as the credits rolled across the screen. "Magnum is an idiot."

Bobby started to rewind the tape as he defended his idol. "He is not. He's cool." It was an old disagreement between two old friends.

"He couldn't see that his girl friend could make a great girlfriend," Tabitha sighed as Bobby got out another tape. Getting up, she continued, "She was so over his best friend it wasn't funny!" Plugging in the air popper she started more popcorn. It was very sweet of Bobby to invite her to watch tv with him, and she didn't even mind watching Magnum P.I., again, for the upteenth time.

"So what was he going to do? He may like the girl, but he was afraid to do anything, what with her ex being his best friend Sam." Bobby didn't notice the slip, but Tab sure did.

"He could have asked her and believed her when she said, 'Bobby, I am so over Sam, it's not funny. He's on a date tonight, and I'm happy for him.'" Bobby looked at her as her words sunk in. "I'm with the one I want to be with tonight."

"You are?" He accidently hit play instead of eject, and the tape started over. He didn't notice.

Tabitha brought the bowl of popcorn over, sat down with a smile, and said, "I am."

"So Sam wouldn't get mad if I did something like. . . " Bobby's charm seemed to disappear. Magnum never had this problem. "Kiss you?" he finally finished lamely.

"I might if you don't," she told him just before she kissed him.

***

They were sitting in a corner booth at the dance club, listening to the music and talking shop. Paige sat back and took notes, while the others talked about their most embarrassing situation. Bobby was going on about last week. "So then Scott thinks that the Gene Nation meant that the bomb was hidden in the stables. So we all start checking out the stables. Wolverine turns to me and says- 'I think I know where it is' and then Beast starts prattling on about nitrates and it dawns on me. The bomb is in the manure. I've never wanted not to be a hero as much as I did then. We four have to start digging in the big compost pile. And then Jean calls to say that her team found the bomb— by the carousel horses!" Bobby let out a dramatic sigh. "What can I say? Part of the business."

Paige looked at Bobby and then at her brother. "Where were you?"

Sam smiled while Bobby laughed. "Where would Ah be on a Sunday morn? Salem Center Southern Baptist, back row an' everything." He was working to treat this as a normal situation, and he found he could almost forget that Bobby was dating his sister. It was a lot easier to do when Rahne was smiling or laughing.

Rahne laughed. "See, being a church goer will save ye in more than one way." She took a sip of her coke and smiled. "Ma most embarrassing moment on a team?" She paused, as if having to select a moment. "After Nate... had his accident," making it sound like the man had just run out of gas instead of destroying Muir Island, "Brian did a lot of the rewiring, but Kurt did some. It was a week before we could sleep in our beds. And for the couples, it was a celebration. And then we all found out that the intercom system was broadcasting. From every room intae the lab."

Bobby laughed as he finished his drink. "You don't mean?"

Rahne blushed. "Puir Moira, Douglock, and A were working in the lab when we heard these sounds -- an' nicknames. Things A don't wanta know about until me honeymoon. Puir Dougie! Ye shouldea heard the questions the next morning!" The table dissolved into laughter as Sam and Bobby started to imagine those questions. Having never met Douglock, Paige watched the three laugh.

Bobby finally stopped laughing. "So do you like being the only single female on an island full of couples?"

Rahne shook her head. "If A wasn't a nice lass, A know people would talk." She sipped her coke again and smiled at Bobby. "Ye get the worse of it, donnae ye?"

Bobby nodded. "Not as bad as it used to be, but yes. Jean fixes me up with every single girl she knows." He shook his head. "But now that Sam's free, they can couple us up." Bobby threw his arm around Sam. "Isn't that right, hon?"

Sam gingerly removed the offending arm and stared at Bobby. "Ah don't think so, Bobby." Paige laughed. It was great to hang with her brother and his friends, especially since Bobby and Sam were working so hard not to seem like they had started out the night as badly as they had.

"You mean our last date wasn't a success?" Bobby and Sam laughed while Paige and Rahne exchanged looks.

"Stop! Rewind." Paige ordered. "Last date? Should Momma know something?"

Sam sputtered while Bobby explained. "Well, since we are talking about embarrassing moments... The F. O. H. was having a gala and we needed to get in. The women were at Muir Island, getting their physicals when we got the invitations that day. We called Emma, but she was gone. X-Force was on a mission and we even thought about calling one of you girls to help, but Scott vetoed that idea. Now, it was Bishop, Gambit, Scott, Warren, me and your brother. Who do you think went?"

"I just have one question," Paige said. "Who wore the dress, and what color was it?"

"Pink. Frilly." Sam muttered. The group broke into laughter. The image of Sam wearing a dress just could not be banished from Paige's mind.

"Why?" asked Rahne.

"Lost the coin toss." Sam started to blush. That had been embarrassing enough when it had happened, and it didn't get easier with time. Bobby was going to pay for this one. In spades.

Bobby continued, enjoying being the center of attention. "Now this, you have to understand, was no ordinary, wear a image inducer situation. No sir. We had to call Stevie in." Rahne perked up at the mention of her old teacher. "She took one look at Sam and called Myrtle in Pine Valley." Bobby lost it then.

Rahne bit her lip for a second, counting on the pain to give her a straight face. "Why no help from the inducer?"

Bobby laughed harder and then explained, "Forge was adjusting them." He choked on his laughter and couldn't speak. At Paige's pleading look, Sam sighed and continued.

"So Ah had to fly into Pine Valley, git fit into an old bridesmaid dress, get this Opal woman t'do my hair and make-up." Sam shook his head. "And when it was all done, her grandson Kevin made a pass at me. And then Myrtle takes me to Holiday's and another guy, Michael, hits on me."

Rahne smiled as best she could. "At least the dress worked..."

Sam had to laugh then. "Michael and Kevin are gay and they knew I was in drag." Rahne could feel the heat from Sam's face as he blushed. She winced in sympathy.

Paige was shaking by this time. "My poor bubba! What he won't do for a world that hates him. How did you avoid looking like a drag queen?"

Bobby stopped laughing enough to continue the story. "Sam flies back, and Bishop makes him shave his legs." Rahne cracked up at that one. The thought of Bishop standing over Sam with a razor was comical. "And Gambit teaches him to walk in heels! When those two get done with him, there was no way he could be mistaken for a male."

"And then what happened?" Paige demanded.

Sam sighed, "We get to the party and nothing happens."

Bobby croaked out, "Don't lie!" Sam blushed red enough to stop traffic. "He had to go to the bathroom."

That was it, Rahne started laughing loud enough that the people at the next table turned around and stared. "Which?"

Sam blushed neon. "The ladies'." Paige was laughing so hard, she had to dash to the bathroom. Rahne quickly followed.

***

Jubilee couldn't move. On either side of her, there stood an enemy ready to shoot her. She nestled deeper in her corner and hoped they would pass. Getting shot wasn't an option here.

No such luck. Guided by an instinct, one of the marshals stopped and approached her hiding place. She had only one chance to do this right and, even then, there was no promise that, when she took down the first man, the other wouldn't shoot her.

A loud sound let her know that Monet and Angelo had taken the enemy's base. They would hit it again and again, until their time ran out. All was going according to plan.

Suddenly, using her battle instinct, she knew Ev was nearby. A slight sound let her know that he had taken out one of the people hunting her. Quickly, she turned around and shot the other. The music kept playing as she and Ev ran off.

"That was so neat, man!" Ev grinned. "We make a great team."

Jubilee nodded as reloaded. "Even better than Scott and Jean!" She moved out of the way, noting the score. Gen-X was mopping the floor with the marshals.

"That reminds me--" Jubilee knelt down and shot someone who was following them as Ev continued. "That high school dance Ariel said she would wave us in to?" Jubilee nodded as she heard Ariel and her boyfriend Brad defend their base. "Do you want to go with me?"

Jubilee turned around. "Let me get this straight- you're asking me out? In the middle of a battle?"

"Sure." Ev and Jubilee started to wind their way back to the middle section.

"Sure!" Jubilee smiled at the thought. Logan would be sure to agree, especially since this was a school dance, and he wanted her to get out more with kids her own age.

***

Once inside the bathroom, the two females held each other for support. "Yuir poor brother!"

"Where did Gambit learn to walk in heels?" Paige grabbed a napkin to blot her tears with. "My goodness, no wonder Jubilee has great memories of the X-men." Silently, she decided to forgive her friend for the next round of "When I was an X-man".

Rahne sat down on a couch. "Yuir brother is such a gentleman- even when he's a lass!"

Paige smiled, that was the break she was hoping for. "Seems to me you really like him."

There was nothing like laughter to bring two people closer. "Aye, A do, but there's nothing that can be done." Rahne knew Sam well enough to know that she would spoil things if she didn't let him make the next move.

Paige shook her head. "Just give him a little time, he'll open up." Privately, she was betting that it would take less than an hour before Sam kissed Rahne.

"Ye think?" Rahne looked at her hopefully. Paige nodded. "He seems to want to be closer, but something is holding him back."

Paige sat down next to her. "Sam feels things deeper than most people, and treasures his friends from the New Mutants. He's afraid that if he shows you how he feels, he'll lose your friendship."

Rahne thought about that and then shook her head. "If nothing happened, A'd be happy tae say we got closer as friends, but if something were tae happen, then A'd be very happy. A've liked yuir brother for such a long time, A even prayed in a Catholic kirk that God would take away me anger that Sam like Amara better." Paige shook her head and tried to imagine lacking the confidence in herself to pray that God would make someone like her better. Rahne was the strangest mixture of aggression and shyness that she'd ever met.

"Rahne, let me say this. Sam's an, well, he's an old soul. He looks like he's seen too much too soon, and he has. But tonight, when he looks at you, he's happy, younger. Ah want to thank you for that." Paige gave the girl a hug. "He needs someone to make him remember how to laugh, and you do that. You are the best thing to have happened to him in a long time."

Rahne smiled at that. "Thank ye."

***

Bobby watched the girls run to the bathroom and then turned to Sam. "I guess I overdid it, huh?"

Sam shot him a look that could have killed him. "Depends. . . shall Ah tell them about yer date with Janet Green?" All was not forgiven.

Bobby face flushed as he remembered escorting Janet to the "Couple of the Year" celebration for Liza and Adam Chandler. What had started out as a friendly date between colleagues had gone downhill as her daughter's father took deep offense to Janet being there with another guy. He was still wondering about they got into a fist fight. And since the DA and the chief of police were old friends of Trevor Dillon's he had ended up in a heap of trouble. Scott had to bail him out of jail the next day.

After a long moment, Bobby spoke again. "I couldn't believe it when I heard that Moira wants Rahne to date Peter." He couldn't believe it because he had never heard it, but the remark made Sam sputter. Paige wasn't the only one that could meddle with her brother's love live.

"Peter's crazy! He's not a Christian, can't nurture her, she'd be the one taking the lead in that relationship, and that would be ta stop him from sinking deeper into insanity!" Sam quickly said. He had called Muir Island the night Peter had attacked Pete, and had seen how distressed his friend was about it. "Rahney doesn't need that, she should be loved and respected and cherished."

"So," Bobby asked him, "who would you pick to date her? It could be anyone we know." He knew he had struck a nerve by suggesting someone so wrong for her. "Douglock, maybe?"

Sam's lips started to move, but he wasn't aware of it. Somehow, tonight, he had crossed the line from liking Rahne as a friend to liking her romantically. Rahne, dear, sweet Rahne was the kind of girl any guy would feel lucky dating. Strong, stubborn, devoted, loyal, loving. How could he not have seen it before now?

Bobby noticed the wave of emotions cross Sam's face and wished his friend good luck. That, and hopefully, Sam would forget to get him back later.

***

When he got back from his drive, Sean walked around the school grounds, dejected. He had tried his best to talk honestly to Moira about their relationship, but he had failed. They had failed.

Emma was standing on her front porch as Sean walked by. They waved to each other and he walked off. "Sean, wait." Emma called out as she finished her drink. "Some advice- once you give up someone you love, you never get them back." Those words were said in a dark tone of voice, as if she knew what she was talking about.

Emma's eyes were bright, her voice shaky, almost as if she had been crying. Her advice could have been about herself, or it could have been for him. But it was true. He watched as she went back into her cottage.

Emma turned off her light, leaving Sean to feel as if he was the only one around. Things couldn't stay the same between him and Moira, nor could they go back in time. He still loved her, and he knew she loved him. If breaking things off wasn't their only option, what was?

***

Rahne and Paige walked out of the bathroom and sat back down at the booth. "Miss us?" Paige asked as she watched her brother look at Rahne.

"Not at all," Bobby answered as he saw the way Rahne was looking at Sam. "I was going to give you half an hour more before I'd start to worry."

The band came back from their break and started the next set. "Want to dance?" Sam asked Rahne formally. She offered her hand to him and smiled as the band started to play 'Kiss The Girl'.

Paige looked at Bobby with a smile. "How did you manage to time that one?" Sam and Rahne were dancing very closely as the music played around them. Rahne loved Disney tunes and the countrified adaption of this song was one of her favorites.

"I didn't," Bobby told her honestly. "Didn't even think of it. I don't know much about country music."

Paige nodded. "I love the fast songs and spunky female singers. Country music just is more truthful..." She trailed off, trying to find the right words.

"I guess I could manage a slow song," Bobby offered as the pause grew louder between them.

"And I'll teach you the steps to the faster ones." Paige got up and started to dance with Bobby. In the distance, she could see Rahne lay her head on Sam's shoulder.

***

Sam looked at Rahne smiling blissfully as they rocked back and forth. He was going to take things slow, he decided. Ask her out tomorrow, call her up on Muir Island, find a reason to fly over. Slow and steady was the way to go. He didn't want to scare her with his feelings for her.

Rahne had her eyes closed, enjoying the closeness of this moment. Her keen hearing could make out the sound of Sam's heartbeat, and she breathed deeply, enjoying his unique smell. The whole world had drifted away, leaving them and the song urging Sam to "Kiss The Girl". Even if he didn't, she would treasure the moments she spent in his arms.

All too suddenly, the music stopped, leaving Sam the feeling that he had lost a wonderful chance. Rahne looked at him and blinked as a new slow song started. He held her tight, letting her know that he wasn't willing to let her go. It was alright with her, so she laid her head back on his shoulder.

Sam recognized the first few bars of the next song, and held back his groan. This song was how he was feeling, he realized, as the music started. The lead singer sang "Well they shouldn't have played that good/ I got carried away and let the music go to my head." That was almost true, there was something about a soft love song. "Well she shouldn't have worn that dress/ The way it curled around when she was spinning/ Just killed me dead." He thought back to the way she had looked when he had picked her up that night. "My heart began to tell my body and my soul/ That it had gotten in the mood to lose control." And that was the problem, his heart was taking over his common sense. Sometimes, even the music was against you.

The rest of the band joined in. "Oh, no, when did neon light turn into moon glow?/ When did that jukebox turn to a rainbow?/ I'm about to give in to this urge. / One more slow dance with her arms around me, one more long glance and nothing will slow me down/ I got no chance, If I'm not in love, I'm on the verge." And Sam realized that it was true.

Rahne heard the song drift in though her blissful daze and agreed. Her feelings for Sam were stronger than her feelings for Doug or Rictor. She hugged him tighter as the music continued. Too shy to kiss him, she could only hope that soon he would break down and realize that he had feelings for her.

Sam was battling his resolve as they danced. The next words were perhaps the most true. The lead singer sang, "All I wanted to be was cool/ It ain't my style to overheat, much less burn/ But as we floated across the floor/ All at once I flashed right past the point of no return."

Paige and Bobby watched contentedly as Rahne and Sam kissed.