By Raven Adams

The girl grabbed Wolverine's arm and flung him over her shoulder. He was so surprised by the attack, that he wasn't back onto his feet until he could see her running toward the wall that surrounded the Xavier estate. Dodging Cyclops and using Iceman's back as a ramp, she jumped the wall, doing a prefect flip in the air and landing neatly on her feet. She stared to run, and ran all the way into the city.

This had definitely been on of the more... interesting, and fun, jobs she'd ever had. It certainly had been challenging. But she got what she came for and she hadn't had to use her powers once. That made it all the better, not doing as Sinister wanted. She imagined he would kill her if he knew she had been so close to the X-Men and hadn't killed them as he had trained her to do.

Once in the city, she stopped only long enough to place the file she had hacked off of Xavier's computer, into the bag she had tucked into her belt. Then she slung the bag over her shoulder and continued down the street.

Men stopped what they were doing and gawked at her, some even whistle and called out, while women ether turned their noses up or stared at her in longing. She wasn't especially beautiful, at least she didn't thinks so, but the men around her disagreed. She had waist length black hair, with a blue strip down the center of it. Her mint-green eyes sparkled with laughter, and the smile she wore brought out dimples. She was five foot six, and thinner then she should have been.

She was in uniform, a blue-green almost skin tight one piece outfit, with flat heal boots that came half way to he knees. On each arm sleeve were the letters C.M.S with a raven underneath. She also wore a belt that had a raven on the buckle, and two little leather pouches on ether side of the buckle.

Turning a corner, she walked a ways, then back tracked though alleys and back ways. She walked to a little cafe and went inside. Her partner was waiting for her inside with two cokes at the table. She walked over and sat down next to him flashing him her biggest smile.

He grinned back and wiped a lock of blond hair out of his gray eyes, he was a hansom young man at eighteen, with his expressive eyes and the smile he almost always wore. "Did you get it?" he asked even thou the wasn't necessary, he knew the answer.

She snorted. "Did I get it, please. Don't insult me." She took a sip of her coke and reached into her bag for the file.

"I think that belongs to me." The guy said plopping down into the seat in front of them. They both looked up, surprised that he had come in without their notice. They looked at each other out the corner of their eyes while still facing the guy. They knew who he was even out of his iceform.

"Bobby Drake," the girl said turning her eyes back to him. "Didn't really think you'd be the one to find me. I thought it would be someone with a little more... experience." She gave a slight smile as Bobby, aka Iceman, turned a very becoming red. "Is this what you want?" She asked holding the file up over her head. When Bobby stood to grab at it she blew toward her hand and the file disappeared. "Oops! Did I do that?" She fringed surprise. "Sorry."

With his mouth hanging open as he tried to figure out what happened to the file, Bobby never saw her foot come up and kick the table down on top of him, pining him to the floor.

"Kurt catch!" She said throwing the bag at her partner who was halfway out the door.

"Met me at the jet!" He called back as he disappeared outside, the bag in his arms.

The girl wasn't far behind him. But as she got to the door, she found it blocked by Cyclops. A high round kick to his chest knocked him in to Bishop behind him, and sent them both to the ground.

She jumped over the counter, and giving the waitress behind it on of her most frightened looks said, "I'm the daughter of Charles Xavier. These men are trying to kidnap me! You've got to call the police." The waitress nodded and called to the back for someone named Buck. By this time Cyclops and Bishop were coming though the door, and Iceman, now in iceform, was pushing the table off himself. "Is there a back way outta this place?" She asked as if fearful for her life. Again the waitress nodded and pointed though the kitchen. The girl gave a rushed "Thanks" and was out the door, but not before seeing the 300lb "Buck" come at the X-Men.

Once outside she had to stop because she could no longer keep from laughing. She laughed so hard that she had to grab her stomach as she doubled over. The look on those X-Men's faces when they'd seen Buck was priceless. Oh, she hadn't had so much fun in a long time. True, she had almost been caught... but the key word there was almost, in her book she still had a perfect record. No one had ever caught her before and no one ever would. She was too quick on her feet. She was-

The SKENK of metal on metal sounded behind her and her laughter died away. "Chuckle it up kid. Ya ain't getin' a chance t' again." Three adamantium claws poked under her chin. She stood perfectly still, all but her mouth, which the corners of began to tern upward.

"Guess you're angry I tossed you on you back, huh old man?" She chuckled.

Wolverine didn't think it was too funny and proved this by pushing his claws up a little more and growling in her ear, "Where's th' file?"

"File? What file? I don't remember any file." Wolverine growled again and she snapped her fingers. "Ohhhh, that file. Why didn't you say so? I've got it right here." She said as she pushed her elbow into his stomach. She twisted around and kicked him, sending him flying into a pile of metal trash cans that crashed under his weight.

She was running again, she always seemed to be running. This time she ran down the ally and into the back door to some building. It turned out to be a night club, and it was packed with people dancing, or trying to dance. The girl blended right in, her body adomobele stepping into the rhythms of dance. The band was playing music from Collective Soul, and not doing a very good job, but no one seemed to notice.

She continued to make her way though the crowed by dancing, until a blond haired guy grabbed her arm. "Can I buy you a drink?" He to yell to be heard.

She started to shake her head no, but then a flash of blue and yellow caught the corned of her eye as Wolverine came though the door she had just used, fallowed byStorm. She looked back at the guy who held her arm, here was her free ticket out of there. "No," she yelled back, "but you can help me." She decided to use her powers just slightly in this case. She turned on her charm and gave him her most seductive look. "You can help me, can't you."

"Sure." He said, mesmerized.

"See that guy over there with the woman in purple?" She pointed over at Wolverine and Storm. The guy nodded. "He's a drug dealer. He says he'll kill me if I don't work for him... he... he" She broke down and started to cry, an instant later arms came around her.

"I'll take care of him."

"Oh... oh thank you." She fringed relief and leaned up to kiss his cheek. He called over to two of his buddies and they started toward the two X-Men. I'm having the best of luck finding the most gullible guys today. She thought to herself as she made her way though the crowd again, this time toward the stage. She felt like being the seventeen-year-old she was of once.

Jumping up on stage she began dancing with the lead singer and even sang some of the songs with the chorus. She spared the X-Men a glance, and saw that Wolverine had disposed of the three goons she had sent after him, and now was coming toward her. Looking around she quickly found her means of escape, and jumped into the crowd. Hands reached up and grabbed her, passing her to more outstretched hands, and then she was set down, much closer to the doors then the two X-Men, and she walked out. She was home free. She was-

She was in Bishops arms. Well, so much for home free.

******

She was dragged upstairs and into an office. Her hands were held in ice shackles behind her back because she had attempted to escape twice, and the last time almost got away. But Bishop had grabbed her arm and almost jerked it out of it's socket, something she have to pay him back for latter. Iceman had made the shackles around her wrists, and almost seemed happy to do it, she guessed he didn't like Buck too much.

The office was filled only with the people who had brought her, Iceman, Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine, and Bishop, but others fallowed them in. None seemed too happy about having their evening disturbed. But she was glad that he wasn't among them.

The bald man behind the desk regarded her for a moment. "I am Professor Charles Xavier, I'm told you think I'm your father," he said at last.

"That was pretty quick thinkin' wasn't it?" The girl smiled impishly.

"And you are?"

She just turned slightly and showed him her hands. "I don't talk until I'm outta these." Xavier nodded and Bobby broke the cuffs. "Thanks." She said rubbing her numb wrists. "Nice place you got here. Couldn't see much earlier when I was running through. You know," she said leaning slightly on Xavier's desk, "if I were you, I'd beef up security around here. Took me no time at all to get in, but then again I'm the best at what I do." She was ovusly avoiding the subject of her name.

"And what do you do?" Cyclops asked.

The girl shook a finger at him like he was a naughty child, "Of course I could tell you, Scotty, but then I'd have to kill you." She shrugged, "Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with that, seeing how you've ruined my perfect record."

"Record?" Xavier's asked.

She turned and faced him, "B and E, you know, breaking and entering. I've never been caught." She shrugged again. "But, oh well, there's a first time for everything. I don't think my boss with cut off my fingers or anything... at least I hope not." She said looking down at her hands. Of course, she knew full and well that her boss wouldn't lay a harmful hand on her, but these X-Men didn't, and it was proved by the worried looks they gave each other

She took the time to look around the room, study the pitchers on the wall, and look the X-Men over. She stopped in front of Bobby, who was still in iceform. He is kinda cute. she thought to herself. "Sorry I dropped that table on you. Had I know I would've gotten caught any way, I just might have let you catch me." If there hadn't been a layer of ice around him, Bobby would have turned pink. She kept looking at him, fascinated by his ice appearance.

"Enough." Cyclops said slamming his hand down on Xavier's desk. "Where's the file?"

She shrugged, still looking at Bobby. "Your guess is as good as mine. You saw the bag I tossed at my partner in that cafe, it was in there."

"No it wasn't. I saw it in your hand, and then it disappeared." Bobby said changing out of iceform. "You still have it."

"Ever hear about slight of hand?" She turned back to Xavier's. "Look, ether send me to the cops, or let me go. Holding me here is called kidnaping." She said that last word slowly. "Can you say 'kidnaping' or how about 'felony'?"

"Braking into someone's home and stealing files off their computer is a felony too, young lady." Cyclops seemed to be losing his patients.

"You do realize that I'm a miner don't you?" The girl said with a smirk. "I wouldn't be in but twenty-four hours. And even if I wasn't a miner I wouldn't be in long." She didn't collaborate, "Look. Let me go now.

"You're in no position to be making demands." Cyclops said angrily.

"Actually I am." she was beginning to lose her own patients. "Look, Boldly," she said leaning with both hands on the desk, "if you let me go now, I just might be nice enough to give you back your files... We really don't need them anyway. If you don't let me go, I could have this place turned to ruble, and believe me, I don't care it I'm in the middle of it. No biggie, I'm dead, who cares?" She heard Wolverine growl behind her and felt someone grab the back of her shirt and push her into a chair.

She brought her hands up to her face and began to cry. Soft snuffles at first, then she broke down into a fit of loud sobbing. "I- I just want to go home. I'm sorry." Without taking her head from her hands, she turned her charming ability onto the nearest person, Cyclops.

Suddenly, he didn't know why, Scott Summers began to feel sorry for the girl, and wished he could take back yelling at her. He was about to try and comfort her when Xavier spoke.

"Give us our file back, and you may leave. Otherwise, you will be staying here." He wasn't giving into the girl's tears.

She looked up at Cyclops slightly, and again he felt sorry for the girl, and for some reason, the thought of letting her go came suddenly to his mind. He shook it way. Well this wasn't exactly going the way she planed. So she'd just have to go to plan two.

She jumped up and through the chair she was sitting in at the X-Men. While they were still surprised by this sudden change, she bolted toward the door, only to have it blocked at the last instant by Bishop. She frowned up at him, and punched him in the stomach, if she wasn't going to get away, she could at least discomfort someone. That someone happened to be her as she quickly drew her hand back and winced in pain. "Oh, I think I broke my fingers." She wimpiered as Bishop sat her back down into her now upright chair. She sat and cradled her hand in her lap as Beast stepped forward to examine it.

"Okay. I've had it. I could escape here in an instant." She said glaring at Xavier across his desk and trying to shake Hank away from her. "It's my choice not to depend on or use my Mutant powers th-" Realizing what she'd just said, she clamped her mouth shut and held her good hand tightly over it. Her eyes got so big as she realized what she'd given away about herself, that they threatened to pop out of their sockets, and they even changed color from mint green to brown.

"You're a Mutant." Jean stated. That explained some things, like how she could use Cerebro, but not all.

Realizing she had done something against her own code and that she wasn't going to get out. She leaned back, cradled her injured hand in her lap, and closed her eyes.

She sensed, rather then felt, Cyclops lean over her. "Who are you, and who sent you?" She didn't answer, so he asked again. This time she responded in French.

("Agent 21-532-9406 of C.M.S. and the U.S./Canaden collective governments. But my friends call me 9406.) Since no one in the room spook French, no one knew what she was saying, but there was one person in the house that did know.

Xavier nodded and Jean went out of the room to find Gambit. He watched the girl and puzzled over her for a few minutes. She was a mutant, that explained why he couldn't feel her mind. She must be a very strong telepath to block out even Xavier. But why didn't she use her powers to escape? She tried almost every other means, short of jumping out of the window, she had even hurt herself. He'd have Henry bandage her hand after they were through with her, but for now it didn't seem to give her much discomfort.

Her head popped up, a grin sp read across her face as she looked at the X-Men out the corner of her eyes. "No." Xavier said, he realized she had been listening in on his thoughts. He'd have to w atch out about that. "Warren, please come stand by the window." To her he said, "You would risk your own life to escape?"

She shrugged and said something in French. Xavier looked behind her questionably.

"De girl say her life mean 'bout as much as an ant t' her."

She gasped, she kn ew who it was, she just hope she wouldn't see him, but she also wandered if he'd recognize her. She turned in her seat to stare up at a hansom red haired man with red on black eyes. Her mouth dropped open as she recognized him. Sure she hadn't seen him in eight years, but it was him. She had his pitcher in the locket she wore around her neck, the one she had taken from her mother's body before she was taken away.

The expression on Gambit's face mirrored the girl's exactly, even down to the gaping mouth, only his eyes remained red on black while hers turned from blue to gray. But he regained himself before she did and looked at Xavier. "What she do?"

"She broke in here and stole some files off of Cerebro." Cyclops said, his eyes narrowing. "You know her?"

Gambit smiled and knelt in front of the girl. "Really mon Petite Belle?" He asked with pride before switching over to French. ("You're making my friends very unhappy. How about giving me the files back?")

The girl leaned away from him slightly as if repulsed by being so near him. "Look, you were having trouble talking to me before," she said to Xavier without taking her eyes away from Gambit, "but I'm definitely going to be silent around this man. I don't even want to be in the same room with him." It was a lie.

Gambit sat back on his hunches, surprised. "Petite Belle?" She looked away from him, and he felt as if a hundred needles had been stuck though his heart.

"Henry, take her to the infirmary to look after her hand." Xavier said when he realized she wasn't going to speak anymore. Beast helped her up and held her elbow as he guided her toward the door.

******

"Incredible." Beast said taking his glasses off and wiping them on his lab coat. "Simply incredible." The girl was sitting on an examination table flexing her finger for him. She hadn't said another word since leaving Xavier's office, but did everything he asked her to do.

"When I earlier examined your hand, it seemed you had fractures in every finger. Now they are as new. It would seem you have an ability to regenerate damaged bones. An advanced healing ability." he said more to himself ten to her. "The only mutant I've ever heard of that has such an advanced healing ability of the like is... Logan." The girl was looking down at the floor, but Hank didn't miss the tear that fell from her eyes.

******

It was a prison.

She had been led to a room after Beast had examined her and she was locked in.

It really wasn't a bad room, she had a bed, and a nightstand with a lamp, a desk and chair, even a TV. But she was locked in like an animal, there wasn't even a window in the room by witch she might try to escape. Not that she couldn't escape at any time, actually, she could, but she wanted to wait and see if Gambit would come see her. She wasn't so much surprised that he was there, she had know that he was an X-Man for some time now. It was more to the fact that she hadn't braced herself for the meeting, although she knew she should have. And now that she had seen him, she wanted to see him again, just to keep a fresh pitcher in her mind, or so she told herself. She hadn't meant what she'd said earlier to Xavier about not being able to even stand being in his presence. It was one way to make sure he would come latter, if just to see why she hated him so.

Beast had stopped by not too long ago with a try of food and a few books. He was surprised to find that she had already read every book he brought, and was delighted when she asked if he had any books on Greek Mythology. He did and brought them to her only a moment later.

He was further delighted when she had thanked him and picked one of the books out, Homer's Odyssey, sat crossleged on the bed and opened the book to her favorite passage. They had talked about the epic for a few minuets, but then, remembering himself, he left the room, once again locking her in.

It was after midnight when Gambit finely opened the door and walked in. He was more then a little startled to see that she was still there, but he was happy too. He showed this by coming over to her and giving her a hug, but she pushed away from him. He looked a little hurt, but the look quickly faded as his eyes scanned over her. "You look good, Petite Belle. All grown up." He said running his fingers though her hair. "Just like your momma, 'cept f' de eyes and dis." He was holding a strand of her blue hair in front of her eyes. "Why you die yer hair, eh?"

"I didn't." She said as she pushed his hand away and shook her head slowly. "You're just as I remember," she said softly. "Momma loved you so much."

"How is she?"

She narrowed her eyes slightly in suspicion. "You mean Belladonna didn't tell you?"

It was Gambit's tern to be suspicious. "She didn' tell me what?"

She was surprised. She figured that Belle had gloated over what she had done to Remy's old lover and her daughter. "Belle killed her. Eight years ago."

"What?" he whispered the word, not even really meaning to say it.

"We got a letter from you, saying to meet you in Paris. When we got there, it turned out that Belladonna was the one who sent the letter. She was waiting for us. Some where along the way she met this man, Sinister, and made some kind of... deal with him, I call it a pact with the Devil himself. You have herd of Sinister right? I've been told he doesn't like your Cyclops to much.

"Any way, Belle made a deal with him: Kill Momma and he could have me. She died trying to hide me, but it didn't work. With Belle's help, I was found and dragged back to Sinster's lab. I guess I was too scared to think about disappearing." She wasn't crying, nor would she, the tears had long since dried up. She was standing now, facing away from Gambit who sank down on the bed. "He did experiments on me. Infusing me with one mutant power after another. Do you remember the place I use to go to hide?" She asked turning around. Gambit nodded. Her mutant power was to disappear and go to a realm of her own design. She use to hide things there. That's where he figured the file she had stolen was. "I would withdrawal inside myself and hide from Sinister there. But he figured out a way... a very painful way, to bring me back. I go there as little as possible now."

"But why you not use your o'er powers t' get outta here?"

"Because that's what Sinister wanted: for me to use my new powers to kill the X-Men." She chuckled at the look he gave her. "I escaped about a year latter, and came back to New Orleans to look for you, but Grandpere said you were no longer in the Thief's Guld, that you had disgraced the Guld and then disappeared. He offered me a home, as long as I did what he said and gave no complaints. Momma always said I was a free spirit, and I was even more so after I escaped from Sinister, so I felt better on the street then around him.

"So there I was, a ten-year-old living on the street. I wasn't out there maybe a month before I picked the wrong guy's wallet. Well, it seem like the wrong guy at the time, but now I'm glad I did it. The man wasn't too happy, started even to bring me to the police, but when my eyes changed colors he realized I was a mutant. He offered me a home, a job, even a family. With nothing else going my way, 'cause I wasn't going back to Grandpere, I excepted.

"He brought me to his 'school' to learn. I was his first student, he calls me his 'Foundling'. He gave me everything he said he would and more. He adopted me. I'm doing good work, something I love, even using the skills you gave me: stealing, and using very little of the mutant powers Sinister gave me, although I have been know to spread my wings and fly every once in a while." She said with a tight smile.

Gambit on the other hand was far from smiling, he seemed on the verge of tears. He hadn't heard but a little of what she had said. All he kept thinking was Juliet is dead. He had thought that she'd just run away with the girl and left him. Had thought that she had been living happily somewhere all this time... But now to find out she had died, that Belladonna had killed her... Sinister. Sinister had taken the girl, had done experiments on her.

He reached out and grabbed her, pulling her into a bear hug, and threatened never to let go. She didn't return the hug, but he didn't notice. "I so sorry mon Petite Belle. So sorry. I should have been dere f' you."

She pushed away from him. "That's not going to help. You can't just hug me and call me your little beauty and expect everything to be okay. It just doesn't work like that anymore. It hasn't worked like that in a long time." She took a couple of steps away from him and tried to push his hurt expression from her mind. "Look, I told your professor I'd give him his file back if he'd let me go. I'm offering you the same. Help me get out and I'll give you the file. Deal?" She held her hand out for him to shake. It took him a moment but he nodded and took her hand in his.

******

A hour later she was outside the gate. It must have been one or two in the morning, she didn't know witch, so everyone was sleeping. She disappeared. Gambit wasn't worried that she wouldn't come back, because he knew her Momma and Poppa had raised her to do as she promised. And indeed she did come back a few minutes latter, this time with a file in hand. She held it out to Gambit and he took it from her.

For a few minuets they just stood there starring at each other, nether knowing what to do or what to say, but nether wanting to leave the other's company. Finely, impulsively, the girl threw herself in his arms, witch quickly rapped around her. They stood in an embrace for a few moments more then she drew away. Tears were running down her cheeks, the first real tears she had cried in almost six years. They somehow made her feel... human again.

She thrust something into his hand then turned from him and ran into the night. Gambit simply watched her until he could see her no more. He looked down into his hand, it was a gold heart shaped locket. He opened it, in it was a pitcher of Juliet on one side and himself on the other. He felt his own eyes begin to water, as he realized what her giving him this meant. He walked slowly back to the mansion, still looking at the locket in his cupped hand.

******

She ran all the way to the jet. Kurt, her partner, was leaning against it waiting for her. When she got there, the look on his face told her that he knew what had happened. And why shouldn't he? Their minds were linked one to another, and she hadn't shut out his access to her thoughts as she was being held.

He helped her prepare the jet, not saying anything. But when they were ready to leave he grabbed her arm and studied her face. **You should have stayed and talked to him. You should have told him more, Par.** He sent telepathically to her.

She shook her head. **You don't understand.**

"I understand you as well as you understand yourself, remember?" He tapped his finger on his forehead and then on hers. She smiled back at him. "No you don't. If you did, then you would realize that my job isn't finished. I'll be back to finish what was started... finish all of it." She climbed into the jet without waiting for him to say anything else. He shook his head. After being her partner for three years, she still seemed to surprise him every now and then. He climbed in beside her and they lifted off.

******

Two weeks latter a knock came at the X-Mansion door. Jean answered it only to have a hand thrust in her face. "Hi." Said the owner of the hand, "My name is Lizzie LeBeau. I'm here to see my father."

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