Disclaimers and other pertinent info is included in the first part.
___________________________________________________________________

I'm sitting here with my head in my hands trying to convince myself that what
I've done was wrong.

It's not working out real well.

The air is cold out here on the fire escape, but there's too damn many people
inside. The apartment wasn't meant to hold that many people. There's no peace,
no privacy, nowhere to be alone, even for a moment.

I went in there, and I intentionally killed those men. It was a rush, I could
feel the energy move through me. I don't regret what I've done, and I know I
should.

The first time I killed someone, I was a wreck. That had been an accident- I'd
only meant to block her, not pierce her throat. I cried for days afterward.

Right now I can't even bring myself to be upset.

Jesus, when did a life begin to mean so little to me? I know that there had to
have been a better way to get this done with the resources at hand. Hell, we
had two more bodies than we usually do. I could have planned it another way.
But that's the job. We all know what we're getting ourselves into when we sign
up. Death is a definite possibility.

How cold that sounds.

Bobby's safe. I want to savor that knowledge.

Of course, according to Rahne I'm trying to kill him as well.

I'm being unreasonable, and I know it. I know that we don't have the proper
equipment here. We're working on a shoestring. We sunk everything into leasing
the offices and the computers and we've got to get out of here soon. They have
to know where we are by now. Shit. I don't know how we're going to do this.

Never mind. I'll worry about that later, after we get Bobby taken care of. We
should send Ange to Muir with him. Yeah. Heh. There's a plan. Get them both out
of here and somewhere safe. That's important.

Angelo's here. I don't know how to deal with that. I was so angry, I am so
angry at what they'd done to him. He shouldn't have been involved.  But then,
how stupid am I for having gone to see him? I just couldn't stay away, could I?
I couldn't resist seeing him.

Something else is bothering me as well. How convenient was it that Ev and
Jubilee turned up at Angelo's church? They just up and decided to visit their
friend Angelo when I saw them in Dallas no more then a week ago?

Maybe I'm grasping at straws.

Jubilee is more than upset. She said she was okay, but she's not.  Ev will take
care of her though. I look at the pair of them and I envy them.  They've always
had each other. But this thing with Bobby... Rahne looked her over, treated her
for little frostbite, but she can't heal all of it. Not what's inside her head.

I need to go back in and deal with my problems. But I think I'm going to sit
here a while longer and enjoy the quiet.

----

"Hello, Luv." Pete swung into the chair Scott had so recently left vacant.

"You didn't tell them," Kitty said colorlessly.

He shook his head. "No. I didn't see the need to."

"Why?"

The question hung in the air for a moment before Pete let out a gusty sigh.
"Because they don't need the extra ammunition." He stood and crossed the room.
"Brian wants to remove you from the council. He said something about having
Theresa in your place."

Kitty stared at the ceiling. "Theresa." She let out a strained cackle. "Hell,
that's appropriate."

"It's really more the fit you had than anything." Pete grimaced, "Although I
don't doubt that he's heard some lurid things. So far as they know, you've just
withheld information. Rumors, really, if you want to paint them as such. No
real reason to-"

"Just... just stop it, Pete." Kitty's tired voice cut across the room. "Stop
making it look so simple."

He fell silent, giving up the charade.  "All right then. D'you know what yer
going t' do?"

Kitty pushed herself up against the pillows. "Not yet. I almost wish you had
told them." She waved her hand at the chair he was in. "Scott was here. He said
pretty much the same thing. Tried to give me a pep talk and get me to do some
leader bonding." She made a disgusted sound. "So that's it then? I step down
and Teresa is put up in my place?"

"It's not exactly like that..." He mumbled.

"No?"

Pete had the good grace to look uncomfortable as he made his way back to the
side of the bed. "It's already happened. Not officially, Terry's just been
named as interim leader while you're out, but it's as good as."

"I see."  Kitty's face lost all of its expression.

Pete sat down and leaned forward. "Brian could be talked 'round, Kit. Nothing's
set in stone."

"No. I'm not going to beg for anything," she said dully. "Well, that's that
then."

Pete's hand crept over hers on the bed and squeezed. After a moment, the
smaller hand underneath it slowly turned over and gripped it tightly.

----

"Hey."

Paige lifted her head and saw Angelo trying to climb through the window. He
still had a large bandage perched over his right eye, but he looked much better
than he had previously. "What the hell are you doing? You're going to hurt
yourself." She crawled over to the window and tried to help him through.

"Naaaah. I'll make it." His fingers shot across the fire escape, wrapping
themselves around the rail on the other side. Slowly he pulled himself through,
wincing quietly.

"Idiot." The word dropped good naturedly from Paige's lips as she reached over
and wrapped her arm around him. "You're not supposed to be out of bed yet," she
reproved as he bumped into her shoulder. She crawled partway into the apartment
and snagged his crutch, which had been abandoned unceremoniously on the floor.
"Here." She handed it to him.

"Eh." He tossed it aside again and settled down beside her, rustling around in
his pockets.

"Now, what are ya doin'?"

"Looking for these." He grinned widely and he produced a pack of cigarettes and
a lighter.

Paige grabbed them from him. "Give me those." She tapped on the end of the pack
gently.

"Since when do you smoke?"  Angelo asked with an eyebrow raised.

"A while." She lit one and took a long draw before handing the pack back to
Angelo.

"Huh. I seem to remember someone lecturing me about the evils of smoking."

"Yeah?" Paige blew as cloud of smoke into the air. "Must have been Monet. Ah'd
never do such a thing."

Angelo snorted. "Whatever you say."

She smirked at him. "Ah knew you'd see it my way."

Angelo settled back against the rail. "So, what's goin' on in there?"

Paige gave him a wary look. "Not much different from what you already know."

"Yeah? Wanna tell me what Ev and Jubes are doin' here?"

"Ya haven't seen them yet?" Paige sounded somewhat puzzled.

Angelo shook his head. "Not really. Spent most of the day sleepin' and Jubes
has been kinda upset since you all got back..." He trailed off.

Paige's face became closed. "Huh."

"Paige, why is Jubilee so upset?" Angelo prodded gently.

"There...was a problem. With Bobby."

"Is that it?"

"What else do you want to know?"

"Something. Anything. I don't know."

"..."

Angelo made a frustrated noise. "You trust me that little?"

"Ah'm not the same innocent li'l country mouse you used to know." Paige looked
away from him, over the edge of the fire escape.

"Where the hell did that come from?" He gave her an incredulous look. "Maybe
I'm not the same person I was the last time you saw me either, Paige. Ever
think of that? That maybe, just maybe in the past twelve years I'd become more
responsible? More of an adult?" He lit a cigarette and stared at it. "Y'know,"
he began slowly, "when you came to talk to me the other night I thought that
you were starting to have some faith in me again, that you were going to let me
in. Dios, why is it so hard for you to trust me? You used to."

Paige laughed bitterly. "Ah used to do a lot of things Ah don't do anymore.
Maybe the problem isn't you."

"What?"

"Maybe the problem is that Ah can't trust you. Or anyone. That makes the
problem me."

"That is such bullshit, Paige."

"Is it?" She picked at her hand, tearing off small shreds of skin. "Look...
Ah'll do my best. Just don't expect a miracle, all right?"

"All I'm asking for is for you to believe in me a little."  Ange tossed the
cigarette over the side of the fire escape and poked her in the ribs,
playfully.

Paige wrinkled her nose at him. "Ah said Ah'll try."

"That's all I want right now.  So, are we friends again, then?" His large hand
covered hers, stilling them.

"Friends." Paige nodded her head slowly. "Ah think Ah can do that."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Paige stood with a groan and
stretched. "God, Ah'm not looking forward to this."

"Hm?" Angelo began to rise to his feet.

Paige looped an arm around his waist and helped him up. "We're going to send
Bobby to Muir. Ah have to tell Rahne that."

Angelo gave her a knowing look, but let it go. "Help me inside?"

"Sure."

----

"No. You don't have to do that."

Rahne frowned at Jubilee. "Sending him to Muir is the best thing we can do for
him right now. I would think you'd agree with that."

Jubilee shook her head. "No. No it's not. Not yet anyway. I called..." She
shifted uncomfortably. "I called Jean and Scott. They're in Westchester.
They're going to get a hold of Hank and send him here. He can at least go to
Muir with Bobby."

Paige stood in the kitchen beside Angelo. "You did what?"

"Calling Hank is the very least you could have done," Jubilee insisted
stubbornly. "Aside from being Bobby's best friend, he was his doctor for
years."

"No. Ah'm not arguing that."

"You let them know where we are," Rahne explained.

"They know that already." Jubilee stated bluntly. "We were on our way here to
begin with when we ran into you at the church."

"Shit. Ah knew it." Paige ran a hand through her hair. "How did you find out?"

"Kitty-"

Rahne cut Jubilee off. "There will be enough time for that later. When is Hank
supposed to arrive?"

"Soon. He was on his way here, anyway." Jubilee held her hands up before her in
a defensive stance. "LA, I mean, not specifically here. They didn't have that
information..." Her voice trailed off and she looked at the door as if she
expected Hank to knock on it at any second.

Surprisingly enough, he did.

----

"Scott?"

The door to their bedroom creaked open and Jean stepped in. "There you are."

Scott stared at the phone for a moment more before looking up. "Oh, hey, sorry.
You were looking for me?"

"Yeah, but it's nothing m- What's wrong?" Jean went over to him and ran her
hand down his arm.

He took her hand in his. "Jean.. You know how you said last night you felt a
familiar presence?"

"Yeeeesss...?"Jean looked up at him, puzzled.

"Who did it feel like?"

She ducked her head and looked down at their conjoined hands. "Well, I... I
don't know exactly. It was familiar in a close friend, non-threatening kind of
way, but it didn't really match up with anyone in particular like Hank or Alex
or.."

"...or Bobby?"

Jean brought her head up rapidly." Scott?"

"They found Bobby last night, Jean."

"Oh my God."

Scott pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "Shh. It's okay.
Everything's going to be okay. I just talked to Jubilee. She's out in
California with Paige. They broke Bobby out of some kind of lab. There's all
sorts of...really fucked up shit going on out there right now." He rubbed his
hand over the small of her back.

"Is he all right?" Jean's voice was muffled by his shoulder.

"Jubilee said that he's... He's in really tough shape, Jean. They're talking
about sending him to Muir so Moira can treat him. I talked to Hank over the
psilink and he's already on his way there."

"We should go too." Jean pulled away from him and began to rummage through
their dresser.

"No."

"No? Why not?" She whirled around, a wild, confused look lit her eyes.

"Jubilee pointed out that Paige is going to be upset enough when Hank arrives,"
Scott soothed, coming up beside her. "If we show up as well, it'll only spook
her some more and God only knows what she'll do. I know you're worried about
him. I am too. But Hank will take care of him. You can ask him for yourself,"
he teased gently.

"No, no." Jean turned back to the dresser and began to place the clothes back
in it. "I'm sure you're right."

"Jean.."

"No. It's okay." She gave him a brittle smile, her eyes suspiciously bright.
"You're right. I know you're right. It just... I want to be there, Scott. I
want to be there for him." She started crying in earnest, tears running down
her face faster than she could wipe them away with the back of her hand. "Oh,
God..."

-----

Hank stood in the hallway gazing at the rather militant looking brunette who
stood blocking the doorway. "May I come in, Paige?"

"I don't really have much of a choice right now, do I?" Paige moved aside, so
that the older man could get by.

Hank walked past her into the apartment. Jubilee stood just inside the
doorway and pulled him into a hug as soon as he was inside. He returned it
distractedly. "I'm so glad you're here," she whispered into his ear.

Hank nodded. Across the room Rahne beckoned to him. "Come with me," she said
quietly.

She led him through the oddly quiet apartment and down the hall, pausing
outside a door near the end. "I'll wait out here until you need me. I've left
all the medipad printouts on the dresser, the one on top is from an hour ago."

"Thank you." Hank hesitated a moment with his hand on the doorknob before
entering. Shutting the door quietly behind him, he walked over to Bobby's
bedside, gazing at the thin, pale figure that lay there.

A quiet sob broke the silence, followed by another as the large man crumpled in
on himself.

-----

"Are you going t' go with them?" Paige had re-entered the living room and stood
by the door. Angelo was curled up in a chair nearby, watching all of them with
a carefully blank expression on his face.

Ev looked up at her in surprise. "What?"

"Ah asked what your plans were, if you were gonna go to Muir with Henry and
Bobby."

"We hadn't planned to," he said, carefully.

Paige cocked her head to the side. "What are ya planning to do, then.?"

"That depends." He looked down at Jubilee, his eyes searching hers. "But I
don't think we're going back to Westchester."

Paige nodded slowly. "All right."

Rahne stood in the hall doorway. "Simon? Could you open up a 'port to Muir.
I left the coordinates in the pad beside the desk."

"Sure." The youth emerged from a shadow beside the refrigerator and began
tapping the codes into the computer.

"Do you need me to help you with Bobby?" Everett offered.

Rahne smiled wanly. "Thank you, Everett, but I think we're okay." She stepped
aside and Patrick and Hank carried Bobby out into the room, lying limply on a
makeshift pallet.

"Are we ready?" Hank asked. A portal opened in front of him and he stepped
through it, carefully balancing the stretcher.

Rahne followed them over to the portal. "I'm going with them. Moira will need
to know more about his current condition than Hank can tell her. I'll be right
back," she promised Paige, and stepped through.

The remaining group watched the portal close.  Paige turned to Everett and
Jubilee. "So. Are you in or out?"

Jubilee looked up at her husband and nodded.

"In." Everett stretched out his hand to Paige.

She took it.

~End Arc 1~

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Please watch for 'Christening', coming soon.

=====
WGSarah - wondergoddesssarah@yahoo.com / http://wgsarah.hispeed.com/
Leaving Normal: Bright White Light, Crimson Phrases & More
"She dreams in digital, She's guilty by design.." - Orgy