Disclaimer: Marvel owns everybody you recoginze. I own everybody you don't. Actually, Heather King owns herself (she's my best friend) and she owns Brandon too! :^) I don't own "Anytime" or Brain McKnight (But boy do I wish I did! Yummy!) This (yackty smackty) is private thought.

Timeline: Takes place in the future, about 3-4 years to be exact. All the math gave me a headache!

The snow was beginning to fall faster. They swirled and danced as it fell from the sky to join their sisters and brothers already on the ground. Because of the heavy snowfall, the ground was a pure white. Nothing had disturbed the fallen snow, so that it looked not unlike a giant blanket had been placed over the ground.

Samuel Guthrie was oblivious to the snowfall. No, the 24-year-old mutant had more pressing matters on his mind.

"Let me get this straight, Amara. You wanna invite all the New Mutants here, even the ones we haven't seen in years, to spend Christmas." Sam asked the blonde, staring at her like she was out of her mind.

"Yes. It's been to long since we've seen them all, I'd like to know what they have been doing." Amara DaCosta replied, straight faced.

" 'Mara, that's crazy. We don't even know where most of them ARE! Ah mean, Ah know where one, maybe two at the most, that ain't on one of the teams is. How do you propose that we find them all?" Sam argued.

"It should not be that difficult. We have one of the most sophisticated computers ever at are disposal, and a few of the best hackers. How hard could it be?" Amara asked him, smiling because she knew she was right.

"What makes you think that they will even want to come?" Sam tried a new tactic. "Some of them left us on pretty bad terms."
0
"Name one." Amara challenged. Sam glared at her.

"Amara, Sam, what are you two talking about?" An English accented voice asked.

The pair turned around to see Kitrine Rasputin standing at the door. The beautiful brunette's hand rested on her swelling, seven-month pregnant belly, and she had a slightly amused expression on her face. "I could here you yelling down the hall!"

"We are not yelling. We are having a discussion about--" Amara began.

"One of 'Mara's ridiculous ideas!" Sam broke in, ignoring Amara's glare.

"And which one of Amara's "ridiculous ideas" is this?" Kit asked, tipping her head to one side.

"I think it would be nice to get all of the New Mutant's together again for Christmas." Amara answered.

"I don't see what is so bad about that. Why don't you want to see all your old friends again Sam?" Kit asked, a curious look crossing her features.

Sam glared at the both of them. Turning on his heel, he stormed out of the room, shouting back over his shoulder "Ah just don't!"

After he had gone, Kit looked over at Amara. "Wot was that all about?"
Amara sighed. "I don't really know. He's been like that since I came back to the team. Bobby's never said anything about it, and I do not really wish to ask. I am under the impression that it is personal."

"Yes, it is." A new voice said from behind the two women.

"Bobby!" Amara cried going over to kiss her husband of six months hello.

"Hello, my love." He answered, kissing her in return.

Kit smiled at the pair. They looked so in love. Kit shook her head, smiling. "Mind telling us wot is Sam's problem with his old friends?"

Bobby sighed. "Not all of them. Just one of them."

"Who?" Amara asked, tipping her head to the side.

"Her name is Tabitha Smith. She's the woman who broke his heart." Bobby replied, gazing off into space.

"How?" Kit asked, almost spellbound. She loved this kind of thing.
"When we were younger, they were together. I, along with the rest of us, thought they'd be together forever. Anyway, after Sam left for the X-Men, they seemed to grow farther and farther apart. I think he realizes that it was mainly his fault. She kept trying and he just kept pushing her away. Then one day she was just�gone. We went looking for her one morning for a training session, and she was just gone. She took all her things, and didn't even leave a note."

"Is that what happened to him? Is that why he's like this?" Kit asked shrewdly.

"Yes. After she left�he just went crazy. For four days after she left, he wouldn't eat or sleep or bathe. All he did was look for her. I think he managed to convince himself that she had been kidnapped and that if he could only find her, then everything would be all right. It was horrible. After that he slumped into a depression. He's never really made out of it." Bobby finished sadly.

"Oh, Sam." Amara whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

*****

Sam stared at the picture sitting on his dresser drawers. She looked so beautiful, smiling out at him like she use to. (Oh God.) He whimpered to himself. (How am Ah suppose to live with out you Tabitha? Ah love you so much. Ah know Ah drove you away, but please forgive me girl. Please.)

Sam's tears slipped down his cheeks again, falling faster and harder then the swirling snow outside. (Why, girl, why?)

Sam's radio was on, to drown out any other noise he might make while he cried. He didn't want anybody else to know. Suddenly, a song came on the radio. It was one he had heard a few times before, but had never really paid attention to. But for some reason this time, he did.

I can't remember why we fell apart
From something that was so meant to be
Forever was the promise in our hearts
Now more and more I wonder where you are

Do I ever cross your mind - anytime?
Do you ever wake up reaching out for me?
Do I ever cross your mind - anytime?
I miss you

Still have your picture in the frame
Hear your footsteps down the hall
I swear I hear your voice driving me insane
How I wish that you would call to say

Do I ever cross your mind - anytime?
Do you ever wake up reaching out for me?
Do I ever cross your mind - anytime?
I miss you, I miss you

No more loneliness and heartache
No more crying myself to sleep
No more wondering about tomorrow

Won't you come back to me?
Come back to me
Oh, ho, oh

Do I ever cross your mind - anytime?
Do you ever wake up reaching out for me?
Do I ever cross your mind - anytime?
I miss you

As the music faded away, Sam felt his eyes fill with tears again. That was exactly how he was feeling right now.

"Oh Tabitha, why?" Was all Sam could say, as the tears feel freely from his eyes.

****

Tabitha Smith looked out the window at the bleak landscape of the Arizona desert. She had lived her for nearly five years now and she still wasn't use to it. Tabitha sighed, and turned back to her typing. She was a secretary for the only doctor in town, so she normally was pretty busy. Today, however, there was almost nothing for her to do but sit and mope.

(Good Lord, what was I thinking when I left? Just because he hadn't been paying all that much attention to me�I'm such an idiot!) Tabitha thought to herself.

"Hey, Tabby? It's time to get out of here!" Her boss, Dr. Heather King, called out to her.

"Is it?" Tabitha asked, looking around dazedly.

"Yeah, I gotta get out of here. Brandon's taking me out to dinner tonight." Heather giggled, a mischievous look in her hazel eyes.

"Have fun." Tabitha smiled at the short doctor.

"You, too!" Heather called back as she ran out the door.

"Yeah. I'm sure I will." Tabitha grumbled.

Tabitha reached for her jacket hanging up behind the door , while looking at the clock.

"Damn!" She swore. "I better hurry."

Tabitha ran out the door after making sure everything was turned off and all the doors locked. Heather may be nice, but she can be such a ditz at times, Tabitha thought to herself. She climbed into her old truck, and pulled out in traffic, her mind still a million miles away. But this time, it was on something other then Cannonball.

(Did I get the milk?) Tabitha wondered to herself as she pulled up into a driveway. A half a dozen children were playing on the front lawn. One of them, a tiny child with waist length auburn hair and doe blue, broke away from the rest. The child cam running over to Tabitha, and threw her arms around her waist.

"Mommy, Mommy, guess what I did today?"

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