"Um... I'm a jerk, Emma. Now that's short and sweet," Bobby told himself. "I used a kid to try to get to you. Honest, but stupid." Bobby buried his face in his hands as he groaned. "Face it, I've messed up big time. Totally goofed up. Struck out in the game of love. And I'm starting to sound like Hank!"

He sat back down on Emma's poach and tried again. "I'm stupid... if I had wanted to ask you out I should have, instead of expecting you to... I don't know. . . realize I liked you." He shook his head. Too schoolboyish. He rehearsed what he was going to say again. "I'm sorry I agreed to go out with Paige. It showed a lack of judgement on my part and I'm trying to make it right. "

"That's true," Emma told him. "But I liked the 'I'm a jerk' speech a lot better." Bobby turned around to find Emma standing in her front door.

"Emma!" he started to get flustered. Then he stopped, taking in her appearance. She was wearing a sweatshirt and pair of jeans. Very un-Emmaish. But more worrisome was the glass of bourbon in her hand. It was only four o'clock and, from the flush on Emma's face, she had had more than one drink already.

Emma saw the way he was looking at her and told him, "Before you say a word, Jono's in his room, Paige is with Rogue at a football game. The rest of the kids are at a high school dance, and will go to a friend's apartment afterwards. Moira and Sean called to say they were going to a SOS couples' retreat for the next couple of days, and Sam and Rahne are going to Texas tonight. So I can get as drunk as I want." Emma lifted her glass as to emphasize her point.

Bobby stopped her. "I wasn't going to say a thing about that." Having apologized, he knew he could leave, or he could help someone that was hurting. Remembering what Paige had told him about Daffy, he decided to stay.

Bobby stood in the doorway and looked Emma in the face. "You need a friend." She looked so lost and lonely standing before him, he wanted to help her set everything right.

Emma snorted, "Never had one before, don't need one now." The ice in her eyes melted for a second and then came back.

Encouraged by this, Bobby objected. "Yes, you do. Emma, this isn't you." Emma started to disagree, but Bobby stopped her. "Erase my mind if you have to, but I'm staying tonight." He sat down in front of the door, as if to prove his point.

Emma sighed and ushered him in.

***

Rahne was getting ready to leave when an important question came to mind. As she was spraying her hair down, it occurred to her that she didn't know how they were going to get to Texas. "Sam," she called out, "how's this goin' tae work?"

Sam had been thinking about their relationship. "We'll make it work. Yer here for a week, at least. After that, Ah can fly over ta Muir Island once a week, or ya could take the Midnight Runner over ta see me. Logan would love ta see Kitty more, and ya should see the pool on what Storm's goin' ta do ta Pete. It's almost as big as the pot for what Logan's going ta do ta him. And then there's the phone and e- mail," he answered.

Rahne walked out of the bathroom and into the living area of the visitor's cottage. "No' that, silly. Gettin' tae Texas." Sam's eyes widened as he realized he had forgotten one key detail.

"Wouldja buy that Ah wanted ta see ya so much, Ah didn't think about that?" he told her honestly. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the PAC-RAT. There was a place not that far from Dallas that he could safely land, and Li'l Bit had told him that the door to what would have been her hotel room's balcony was going to be open, airing out the place. And he owed Bobby for at least three things from last night alone.

"Aye," Rahne smiled. "As far as excuses go, that's sweet and sappy. If A dinnae know ye cannae lie well, A'd still accept it." Sam smiled at that remark.

"Want ta help me payback the Iceman?" Sam asked and pointed to the PAC-RAT. "Ah figure Ah owe him big time, what wi' him goin' out with Paige, then tellin' y'all about that dress, and then tellin' me that Moira wanted you ta date Peter--" He stopped as Rahne started laughing.

"Sam," she started, "we are going tae take the ship." She shook her head and continued, "An' Moira would never let me date Peter, Kitty wouldn't let me, an' A wouldn't let me."

Sam quickly laughed as he added lying to the list of things to get Bobby back for. "Make that four things Ah owe him for..." He trailed off as he started to plan exactly what would happen to Bobby. Quickly, he called the mansion. "Hey, Logan. Ya goin' out tonight?" He nodded and then grinned. "Since it's just you, Shatty, and Bishop tonight, couldja get the phone? If it's Bobby, don't believe a word he says. The PAC-RAT will not be gone all night. But Ah kindof doubt that he'll call, he's, um, tied up with Emma." Rahne could hear the laughter from where she was standing. "Thanks! Bye."

He turned to Rahne and told her, "Logan's goin' ta help us."

Rahne giggled at that and took his arm. "A say, let's go!" He followed her out the door. "An' if ye get intae any trouble, then Pete's room is available," she grinned.

Quickly, they climbed into the PAC-RAT and flew off, leaving Bobby with no way to get back from the school.

***

Paige and Rogue left Kim at Toomer's Corner and made their way to the stadium. "And then Betsy makes your brother change five times!" Rogue was filling in Paige on her part of getting Sam ready for his date.

Paige laughed. "Wish I could of seen it. I'm glad you decided to help, by the way."

Rogue shrugged the thanks off. "Like Ah told ya when ya called, those two belong together." She handed her ticket to the person at the gate and changed the subject. "Didja ever go out with Nate?" Emma had invited Nate Grey to attend classes with Generation-X, but he had refused. However, he and Paige had hit it off.

Paige shook her head, "Sam would have said no, so Momma would have said no. He just doesn't trust him, but that reminds me." She paused and then smiled as she pulled out her phone and dialed Sam's cell number, "Sam, I forgot to ask you," Rogue rolled her eyes. "There's this guy--. He's under eighteen, yes." She paused for a second and continued, "Yes, I know the rules and I'll follow them." Sam asked something else, and Paige answered "His name? Nate. And it's for the youth group trip." Sam gave his permission and Paige beamed. "Great!"

Rogue looked at her friend and sighed. "Gal, you and muh Momma have a lot in common."

Paige was surprised by the comparison. "And?" She asked questioningly.

Rogue warned her, "Nobody really trusts her, even when she's tryin' ta help." Paige mulled that over for a second. "Just watch what ya doin' and to who, okay?" Rogue loved the chanch to play mother hen.

"Okay," Paige promised.

***

Bobby noticed a small picture of a teenager on Emma's desk. The girl looked a lot like Paige, yet in some way more like Emma. A sister, perhaps?

That was wrong. While Emma had been in her coma, he had had to find her natural parents. Once he'd found her birth certificate, he dug a little deeper, hoping to find someone who could come to help Emma because her parents were dead. She had no sisters or brothers and her parents were only children. And the girl in the picture looked too like Emma to not be related. Then who was she?

Emma was the only one that knew for sure, and she wasn't going to say. She was making Bobby a martini and talking about her students. "Jubilee's grades have improved, and aside from her one trip from the clinic--" Something about that word rung a bell with Bobby. Some fragment of a memory, long buried. Jean had warned him that some of Emma's memories would stay with him, even though she was out of his mind.

And then he remembered what Paige had told him about Daffy. She had been abused, and didn't trust anybody. Had someone hurt Emma?

Bobby shook his head, trying to stop him mind from jumping to conclusions that he had no way of verifying. "Bobby?" Emma asked, "Do you want fish sticks or chicken?" He turned to Emma and dropped the picture.

Bobby started to answer "fish sticks" but found another set of words tumbling out. "How old were you when your daughter was born?"

The frozen food dropped out of her hands and tears welled up in her eyes.

***

Sam smiled at Rahne and explained what they had to do to get these tickets. "So we have tae stop these people from gettin' nervous?" Rahne asked. "Why would they? They're the best. A love their song 'Angel Among the Outcast.'" After you've saved the world a few times, it seemed foolish to be worried about something like singing in front of a few thousand people.

"Ah don't know, but that's how we've got the tickets." Sam knocked on the hotel door and was met by a tall, brown-haired man wearing blue jeans.

"So you're Sam!" The guy smiled warmly, grabbed his hand and pulled him in. "Come on in!" Sam smiled at him, wondering who the heck he was, and why was he getting such a warm greeting. After a moment, the guy smiled. "Li'l Bit talks about you so much I thought I knew you." There was laughter from the other three guys in the room.

Rahne looked puzzled as Sam explained, "Bit is a singer- and evidently knows these guys. Ah grew up with her in Kentucky." Rahne nodded, sensing there was more to the story than that, but decided to trust Sam to tell her the whole story when it was time.

"I'm Tommy," he introduced himself, "Cub," he started pointing out people, "Art, and Mike, our country crossover. Li'l Bit must of mentioned Mike a time or twenty."

Sam smiled politely. "One of her many adoring fans?" he ventured a guess.

Mike blushed slightly, "She wrote my first country hit." Sam laughed, he had seen that look on too many of Bit's friends. The guy had a crush on her. "But we're just friends."

Sam looked at him and tried to figure out which song it was. "Somewhere Between Like And Love?" he guessed correctly. He had wondered about that song, one of a man divided between friendship and love for a girl. It had seemed like something Li'l Bit would write.

"Ah'm Sam and this is my --" he smiled again as he used the title publicly for the first time, "-- girlfriend Rahne." Rahne returned the smile.

The guy introduced as Art stared at her for a second as if trying to place her. "You were with X-Factor!" He smiled as it clicked in place.

Instinct born out of years of rejection caused Rahne to turn towards the door. Sam grabbed her hand and whispered, "Let me hand this Rahney, okay?" He knew from experience he couldn't stop her from doing what she wanted to do, but making her think about what she was going to do was the quickest way to prevent her from flying off the handle. Rahne nodded.

Sam turned toward the young man and said "She was, but she's with Excalibur now." He had trust in his friend's judgement, that she would never be close friends with anybody that wouldn't accept her best friend for who he was.

Art noticed the exchange between the two and explained his remark. "One of our songs is about you, 'An Angel Among the Outcast'." Rahne smiled at the honor. "I wrote it about you the day the cameras ambushed you outside your church." Rahne remembered that day too well -- she had been asked to not to return to that church.

Mike defended his absent friend, "Li'l Bit is so pro-mutant, she nearly shoved her Bible down someone's throat who condemned mutants- literally. I removed it from her clenched hands." Sam laughed because he knew it would be true. Rahne laughed and decided she liked the sound of this girl. Sam would have to arrange for them to met someday.

"Besides," Cub added, "Last time I read my Bible, God is God for all of us sinners." It had been a long time since Sam or Rahne had heard such unconditional acceptance from perfect strangers.

It was a great start to a wonderful evening.

***

"Sixteen," Emma told Bobby. "I was sixteen when Cordelia was born." She took a deep sigh and continued. "When I was fourteen and first developed my telepathic abilities," she finished her glass of cognac. "My parents sent me away to a... clinic that they had heard. They'd dumped me at the door and walked away. The doctor gave me a handful of pills and ignored what was happening at night."

Bobby clutched Emma's hands. "You don't have to go on," he told her.

Emma shook her head, "I — need to say this. The girls know I was committed for a period of time, and my assistant knows more of the details, but I need to say this." Emma pulled her hair away from her face and then poured herself some more liquid from her crystal container. "I didn't take the pills the first night," she said as a tear trickled down her cheek.

"But after the guards were done with me, I— I. . ." Her voice trailed off. "My roommate's name was Cordelia. She comforted me as best she could. She was my only friend- ever." She tried not to think about that night. Angrily, she blotted the tear away and bit her lip. Emma Frost, queen of ice, would not- could not cry.

She stood up, carefully turning her body away from Bobby, and continued, "It was every night. It was hell. Things happened because the men were in control. And sometimes, I feel as if I never left." Bobby put his hand on her shoulder. "About six months after my fifteenth birthday, Cordelia killed herself. She had been saving her medicine for a month and then took it all at once. I held her hand as she died." She was silent for a moment and then finished her story.

"That night, my only thought was to get out. I reached out and got control of one of the guard's mind. I made him kill every other guard and then burn the place down. Eighteen helpless teenagers died. That night, I decided no man was ever going to use me again." Bobby muttered a curse as Emma pulled herself together. Once she was back in control, Emma turned to face Bobby.

She told him the events quickly so she didn't have to think about them. "I gave birth to Cordelia and I took her to my parents, they could afford to raise her. I psionically convinced them she was their daughter, and I walked away from my baby. Every now and then, I'd sneak in and see her, carefully erasing the memory after I left." It was for the best, there were many worse things she could have done for the child. "Today is her birthday."

Bobby looked at her with new respect as Emma finished her story. As corny as it sounded, he understood her better after hearing the nightmare she lived through. Looking her straight in the eyes, he told her, "It's okay to cry."

Emma shook her head, "If I cry, then I'm weak." Carefully, Bobby held her. "Then why do I want to be so weak?" she whispered.

Bobby patted her back and said softly, "It's okay to be weak around me." Emma started to cry. "Just remove my memories when you're done," he offered again. "But don't through tonight alone."

He held her for as long as she needed to be held and listened as she told him story after story about Cordelia. He smiled as she explained why she was so proud of being a self-made billionaire. They laughed at some of the stunts the Hellions had pulled, and grew silent as they remembered the class's death.

Emma listened as Bobby told her about his father and their reunion. She smiled as he told her of his plans for the future, and they laughed at some of the pranks he had done.

They reached an understanding of who they were, why they were like that, and where they were going. In short, they became friends that night, and that friendship held the promise of more nights like this one and the ability to talk to each other openly and honestly. Bobby knew it was the start of something real special, something that he had spent his lifetime looking for.

***

Jono sat in his room and sighed. The group knew he couldn't go out to the dance. One look at his face and the kids would run. And he couldn't join them playing Q-zar or at the movies for the same reason.

Everett and Paige were the only ones who tried to look past his bandages. But they stopped being nice after a period of time. It was okay, nobody would ever want someone like him. He was deformed, hell spawn, as his mother had called him.

Jono looked around the room where he was and sighed again. He was as locked away from normal people as a person in jail. And when he was most honest with himself, he knew that he was his own jailer.

***

Bobby insisted on staying that night and took the couch. Emma got up out of bed around one A.M. and made her way over to him. He was so cute when he was asleep, she thought as she pulled the covers up around him. A faint feeling stirred in her as she stared at him. Something she hadn't allowed herself to feel in such a long time -- so long she couldn't remember its name. Could it be that the ice queen's heart was thawing? Carefully, she smoothed his hair down and smiled at him.

Soft music was playing. Bobby said it was the only way he could get to sleep. She started to switch it off, but stopped. Let him have some small measure of comfort, she decided as she began the task of removing her story from his mind. No one could see her as helpless.

Once finished, she got up and started to go to bed. Then she turned around and gave Bobby one memory back. Cordelia was her daughter.