It had been a few days since he was declared dead and the funeral arragnements were all in place for two weeks from today. It was going to be a pain and call everyone to tell them he didn’t really die and he was sure he’d get a lot of people pissed off from it. Athena and a few of the X’s were taken care of. He got a hook into the eye but Athena seemed to get over it pretty quickly when she realized why he had done it. Good to know ‘stupid heroics’ was a get out of jail with a hook to the eye card with her he’d have to remember that.

The following days since his run in with Athena had been pretty boring, he remained out of sight pretty much only moving when he could tell no one was around. Bruno and Cammie however had an annoying tendency to track him down and make some noise when they couldn’t get into whatever room he was locked up in. His office, his bedroom, the man cave and finally the war room. Luckily for him getting from the mancave to the war room was nothing more than a fireman’s pole ride down or up. Either way those were the safest hiding places he could hold up in and still conduct the investigation to the guys that attacked him.

The man cave was located behind a bookcase in his office. Only a few X-Men and a few women knew of its location. Most of which were already aware that Sam was indeed alive. However it wasn’t fully accessible to just anyone you had to have the right mount of silver or the right amount of ice. Seeing as Streak and Sam made the entrance and the man-cave itself they should be the only ones with keys.

Sitting in the hot-tub with a beer next to him (something he seemed to be consuming a lot of recently) Sam flicked the channel of the large screen television to the next local news station just in case any more attacks happened. Nothing. Sam flipped the channel and set the remote down as he leaned back resting his head while the hot bubbles attempted to take some edge off.

Little did Sam know that Bruno was laying down in front of the entrance to the man-cave waiting for the door or in this case the bookshelf to open.

Dogs were strange animals.

Sara’s lights in her apartment were out. Her TV hadn’t been turned on in a few days and she’d only left the comfort of her warn couch, when Roxy asked to go out because even though Sara felt like the world should stop, somehow, to recognize it’s loss, a dogs digestive system didn’t.

Sara had gotten the news, and she’d fallen apart. Mentally she was a wreck and she didn’t even go out to her friends at the Dragon Inn. Physically, Sara was fine, but she was taking the loss of her friend, her family, hard and every time she seemed to reach the point of breaking, Roxy was there. Roxy didn’t know that her former owner was dead because dogs don’t talk. So they don’t understand things like that. They’re stupid that way, Sara thought to herself as she’d stroked Roxy who’d insisted on getting attention when all Sara wanted to do was be alone. She hated herself for the thought and knew that it was only her high emotions ebbing her mind in that direction, but the thought was there, and it ate at Sara from the inside out. And of course Roxy didn’t help sway her opinion in any other way because when Sara felt herself breaking down, the dog thumped her tail and licked at Sara’s face. She’d shoved Roxy away and the dog tilted her head at Sara questioningly. Damn it! She still loved the dog even if she thought her a fool.

Roxy padded away for a moment and Sara assumed that the dog was giving up. Maybe you really could teach an old dog new tricks.

Sara laid down across her couch, turning so that she could face the back cushions. Just as Sara was getting comfortable, she felt Roxy’s nose against the back of her head. Her shoulder flipped back and without looking she tried to push Roxy away again, but instead of her hand finding Roxy’s side, the dog put dropped a ball round, firm, and wet, in Sara’s paw like hand. Making Sara look over her shoulder at Roxy’s happy face with her tong lolling out the side of her mouth

Maybe some dogs never learn, or better yet, maybe they develop some of the attitudes and habits, their owners have, knowing exactly what their owners really need.


As long as Sara was taking Roxy out, she couldn’t help but wonder about Sam’s remaining dog and cat. She was sure that they had gotten sever people taking care of them at first, but had they continued to be taken care of? Maybe Bruno was smarter than Roxy and the collection of thoughts had brought Sara out to the mansion. She could use her time today to collect the rest of her belongings that she’d left at the mansion. With those that she’d found herself growing closer to either dead, or living out of state, she found fewer ties to the grounds of the mansion. Maybe it was time, like so many others, to move on.

Her spirit guide would surely want to kick her again. She thought deeply to herself. Roxy padding behind her and when the memory of the great white north hit Sara like a slap in the face combined with the power of Sam’s smell that still felt so alive. Her throat tightened closed and she sucked in the air, suddenly feeling like she’d been starved of oxygen, and it came in jagged. God, she wasn’t going to cry here.

“Come on Bruno.” Sara said to the St. Bernard with the most upbeat voice that she could come up with. Roxy stood at Sara’s heal and Bruno looked at the two of them like they were nuts, then put his head back down the way it had been when they’d entered. Sara leaned forward tapping on her knees imitating people that she’d seen in the park interacting with their dogs, but when Bruno didn’t move again, She felt like an idiot. Roxy trotted past her greeting Bruno with a bark and bowing to try to get him to play. The ball dropped out of her mouth.

Well Sara didn’t come here to force any dog out of his state of mourning. She didn’t think anyone would be bothering her in Sam’s old office, so she found her way to his desk. The smell thicker here, mingling with the mixes of the furniture. Sara melted into Sam’s office chair. Her knees pulled up to her chest and she turned so that she sat sideways in Sam’s chair. Leaning her head sideways against the shoulder and head support so that her nose could take in as much of the smell that was still there. Again, she could have sworn that the smell felt so alive, and it hurt. But she forced her head and nose to stay there because it also felt better than pulling away in sheer bitter mourning.

Sam was bored even with the hot water surrounding him trying ease his tensions he was still on edge. He was dead still and couldn’t find his killer meaning he’d have to stay dead a little longer till he could get a solid lead. Unfortunately for Sam that didn’t seem to be happening anytime soon meaning he’d have to sit around and twiddle his thumbs till he could find something out. By means of his own investigation or someone else’s. Sam knew there was a handful o people already conducting investigations on the attacks and those that performed them. Those people would share the information. At least that was what Sam hoped. Leo was his.

Sam’s hand reached out for the beer and failed to realize that the remote was right next to the beverage. A little water was all it took and then he heard the door open to the office he shared with Streak. Snapping his head up he cursed under his breath and floated to the side and quickly jumped out the water dripping from his swim shorts froze instantly and the dripping ceased.

”Streak? Find anything?” Sam asked rubbing his good eye while the bookshelf finished opening. He heard a bark he recognized as Bruno’s and he opened his eye looking at his dog. ”You couldn’t have opened it.” Sam said as he started to walk towards the entrance his sixth sense already starting to reach out into the room to see who might have somehow opened the entrance to the man-cave. Streak and he were the only ones with the keys to get in.

Another step forward and then a second dog appeared in the door way. Roxy, one of the dogs he found years ago with Ari. A pet he recalled giving to a certain cat-lady who he forgot to call. Sam didn’t bother taking a step in but rather hesitated and debated what to do. The door was open and Roxy barked and charged him.

The bookcase slid sideways opening up to an entrance that Sara didn’t realize had been there and she lifted her head away from the chair for a moment to stare at it. Her breathing furtively even so that her sense could better take in what was going on and her head tilted to the side. This was new.

Sara pulled her head away from the back of Sam’s office chair and her nostrils flared as she took in the smell that wafted into the room. Then froze. Not because of anything that the mutant who stood behind the hidden book case was doing, but because of the emotions that were suddenly running wild through her head.

What the… He’s alive?

Sara would have told herself that she was crazy, but it seemed that if she was crazy, then the dogs were too as both of them got up to greet Sam with a couple of barks. She heard him too. His voice carried all too easily over Sara’s stunned ears and they both pinned back against the back of her head. “Slick?” Sara called back. Her voice was trying to be forsively calm and collected, but she was far too upset for it to really sound that way and instead of coming out smooth, it shook. “You sonofa Bucktoothed $#!*&.” Sara Snarled.

With a single smooth motion, Sara leapt off of the chair, sending it spinning backwards into the wall, and she vaulted the desk. Her feet hit the floor, crouched, into a flat out run and she nearly flew across the room. Her tail whipping the air behind her. Sara didn’t like being fooled, and well…. She did tend to take things a little too personally… Just ask an old friend who went by the name Luke Jacobs.

Sara’s feet skittered across the floor as she twisted. Her turn wasn’t perfect and her feet slipped only for a step or two. She wasn’t being very careful in her anger, but she made up for the lack in coordination, in the amount of speed she had, moving across the room, then leapt at Sam, aiming to collide with him and pin him against the floor.

He let the tackle happen, his legs covered them selves quickly in ice glad they were still wet from the hot tub ice started to coat his shoulders and his stomach as well. He had been tackled by Sara before and he knew if he didn’t take certain precautions he knew her feline like claws would easily dig into his skin. Even with the ice it was sometimes nothing more than a buffer. As she leapt and Sam went limp making sure his head didn’t slam on the floor. The insult was all he heard as he was starting to look at the ceiling, dogs were barking somewhere in the background as well but he was focused on the large cat woman on top of him.

”Bucktoothed?” Sam tried to play off the anger that was obvious in her face, he knew no amount of humor would have eased the tension but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t try. ”I know they are large but bucktoothed?” Sam asked raising his one good eyebrow as he looked up towards Sara the plain white ceiling behind her. ‘When did we paint the ceiling?’ Sam thought to himself his arms and legs pinned to the ground.

He remained silent for a moment trying to think what would best help the situation. Faking ones death to protect your home and loved ones without calling said loved ones to inform them that your death was faked. Not much you could say at this moment. So Sam tried to flash a innocent smile.

”So…. Obviously you’re mad.” Sam feeling the body temperature of the woman on top of him the heat from the hot tub and the two dogs that were now running around them their tails wagging excitedly clearly under the impression it was time to play. It wasn’t. ”I was gonna tell you!” Sam said quickly trying to explain before she started to flash her teeth and or throw him. ”If it makes it any better I didn’t tell my girlfriend either?” Sam knew that wouldn’t help.

Sam iced up and Sara couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied when she felt her weight come down on top of him. She hadn’t realized that her claws had come out when she’d landed and though the ice kept them at bay, mostly, she’d still managed to crack it. She could get past the ice if she had really wanted to anyways. Sara shifted her weight so that she was better balanced as the two dogs decided that it was play time… Dogs were really stupid… (Even if she still loved Roxy.)

“Yes Bucktoothed..” Sara hissed. Her jaw tight as her lips slid around her clenched teeth. “You always laugh and think that everything is a joke. You think that this is funny right now?” Ok. So Sara didn’t really want to hear any sort of answer so instead, she lifted Sam’s shoulder up by his upper arm and then pushed it back down against the ground, hard.

Her eyes were wide, and she glared down at Sam. “So let me get this straight. You stage your own death? I saw the photos from the..” Sara’s right hand clenched into a fist. God she wanted to kill Sam herself right now. “I thought that you were gone!”

He didn’t fight when he was lifted and slammed into the ground the ice took the brunt of the force. He didn’t say anything until she was finished, he owed her that much. He had been noticing he had been screwing up a lot recently. He also made a mental checklist of everyone to call. Ghost would be a good one to add to the top of the list. Last thing he needed was for her to show up and suck the air out his lungs.

He shifted his eye back towards Sara from the ceiling. ”Technically…” Sam debated not finishing that statement, he knew that Sara was gonna start throwing him around either way so he finished the statement. ”I was…. But you know me… too stubborn to die.” Sam said trying to smile knowing she had just yelled at him for trying to make everything a joke.

”You don’t think there was a reason why I faked my death?” Sam asked his smile fading as he started to adopt a more serious tone for Sara knowing that she didn’t want him to be laughing. ”They had been watching me for some time apparently, still trying to figure out who they are. Shin, Streak and I decided this was the safest option, fake my death and lull whoever attacked me into a false sense of security until we find them.”

Sam waited a second before continuing, ”They had no trouble attacking me in public and they didn’t care who got hurt in the process, you think I want some people like that knowing I was alive and at the mansion? The kids had enough trouble from me already, didn’t want to endanger them.” Sam said pausing, ”I should have called you and told you. I’m sorry.” Sam said his voice still a serious one before his lips twitched, ”You missed me didn’t you?”

“Shin and Streak knew that you were alive?” Sara laughed but it wasn’t a laugh of actually being happy. Oh she had at least two other visits to make while she was at the mansion.

The next thing that Sam had to say made Sara’s anger melt away for a moment and her attitude sobered for the time being. “They?” Sara’s head tilted. Her ears were still pinned against the back of her head but there was concern in her voice suddenly more than the growl that had been there for the last few moments. “you mean the they as in the numbers tattooed and branded into mutants they?”

Sara’s tail whipped behind her. In the back ground, Roxy and Bruno were bowing and barking at each other. Roxy running back and forth in front of Bruno and Bruno’s tail brushed something random off of Sam’s desk in his office.

”You missed me didn’t you?”

“Dam Skippy.” Sara backed up a few inches. She was still on top of Sam, but she wasn’t pinning him down with her hands anymore. Instead, she had them clenched into fists. “You should have told me!” She’d kill for Sam. She didn’t have to remind him or herself of that.

”Honestly, I wanted to tell everyone but… word of mouth could have been heard by someone who wasn’t supposed to hear it. Couldn’t risk putting anyone here in danger because of me… not again.” Sam said ignoring the dogs who ran from his office to the man cave and back again. Sara inched back a little her hands in the form of fists Sam debated putting ice over his face. He doubted Athena would like it if Sara messed it up. He was pretty sure his face was one of the few reasons Athena let him off with only a punch to it.

”No, not them. T.A.T. wouldn’t’ draw the publics attention. No matter how bad they want me dead. I haven’t heard from them since we got back from Colorado. After the stunt the pulled with me and some of the kids… they know not to %%%% with me. They made it personal.” Sam said getting a sour taste in his mouth. One that made him lick his lips a little. Deciding on letting Sara stay on top of him, for his own safety, she’d get off of him when she was ready Sam continued, ”No these guys were someone and I wasn’t the only one they attacked.” Sam said shrugging. ”They went after a few other “high profile” mutants.”

Sam paused for a second and then some of the ice around his shoulders started to crack and become fragile. He wasn’t worried too much about the claws anymore. ”Shmucks got me leaving a bar. One was up front and personal the other sat off in the distance and threw shit at me till I could move.” Sam said shrugging his shoulders. ”You want to get off now?” Sam asked curiously.

”Also don’t take it out on the other two, it was my idea.” Sam lied. They had enough to deal with at the moment.

There were some clear signs that Sara was cooling off. She was backing off of Sam inch by inch. She wasn’t snarling when she talked. Even though her hands were in fists, she no longer kept her claws pushed out against the armored ice coating that Sam had first put up between the two of them. And even on the inside, she was starting to realize where she was sitting was cold. Sara was about to let Sam off of the hook till there was something that he said that set her off again. He was coming out of a bar. “Let me get this straight. You’re one of the leaders here in the x-men, and you were coming out of a bar when the two got you.” Suddenly there were a few things in the reports that Sara had read and seen that made more sense. “Were you Drunk?”

Oh. Sam wanted Sara to not give Shin and Silver a rough time about this because it was his idea. If Sara started following directions like that she might as well shave her tail and call herself WereRat.

Sara’s fist clenched hard enough that the fur around her knuckles shifted and stood on end. With another snarl, Sara leaned forward shooting a punch for the floor next to Sam’s head. But just threatening didn't feel quite so good as what she really wanted to do. Her other fist aimed to go through the ice at Sam’s stomach. “You know that there’s crazy mutants out there going after people and you were drunk! Sam if you’re a leader here, you have to grow up!” Ok. Sara might have been jumping to conclusions, but she knew what Sam was like from time to time.

Her first question about him being a leader of the X-Men and getting jumped by two mutants made Sam smirk, ”Weird right? To think I got jumped in the street after exiting a bar. I wasn’t sober.” the smirk faded and the room got a little cold due to his mutation activating to get a point across. ”Riots were over, crime dropped and I decided to go meet Mirror and Eve up for a beer. How’d I know that two mutants that were specifically picked to counter my mutations attack in public when I was least expecting it? I forgot I was a freaking Precog!” Sam smirked and smacked his head mockingly.

His hand dropped his hand and his smile faded, ”I’m fully aware of the situation, I never wanted to be a leader her. If someone is better suited for the position they can take it.” he never asked for a leadership position it was something that was handed to him and out of respect for Neena and Tricity he took it hoping that it wasn’t as permanent as it had been. He knew that his history would come back one day to bite him in the ass and put everyone he cared about in danger and it did and he was still trying to recover from the most recent events. Sam still couldn’t sleep a full night without hearing a distant scream or a face that called out to him. One of Amanda’s parting gifts.

Feeling her body shift and her hand move Sam looked to see what she was doing. Lifting his hips and using the ice already formed he slid out from under Sara his hands up in a guard as he practically yelled, ”I did grow up! People like us never had a chance to be kids Sara! I’m fully aware that me drinking has repercussions I can’t be on guard all the %%%%ing time!” okay that was a little uncalled for he’d admit later but he was kind of irritated with his current situation and needed to vent off a little steam. He knew that the mention of her childhood was a touchy subject like his.

The temperature was dropping around the two of them and Sara was all the more less happy with the situation as she noticed that she could now see her breath in the air. Thank you Sam. Point observed and not appreciated. She gave Sam a look that was somewhere between a deadpan stare and a glare when he mocked her again not having the gift of precognition. WhoopdiDO Well as long as they were being sarcastic… “Oh right. Because no one has ever gotten jumped outside of a bar before. Couldn’t have seen the possibilities of that happening.”

When she moved to punch down, Sam kicked off, sliding away from her on his ice. Her fist missed him, but the handy thing about being around Sam, was that there was always extra things to break when he was around. Namely the ice and she felt herself fall forward for a moment as her fist shattered the ice and flamed into the floor. “You could always just Quit!” Sara grumbled then blew a stray strand of hair out of her eyes in a huff. “If you really want to that is…”

”I did grow up! People like us never had a chance to be kids Sara! I’m fully aware that me drinking has repercussions I can’t be on guard all the %%%%ing time!”

Sara pulled some broken, cracked, ice from the floor and flung it at Sam because like the ice being something to break whenever Sam was around, the ice also always provided something decent to throw. Her eyes narrowed on the hot tub for a moment where she spotted an open beer bottle. He was still drinking, and her ire rose. “Then join a soccer team and provide the ice cream weather your team wins or looses.” Sara hissed.

Sara knew that starting a fight with Sam wasn’t a good idea at this time. He’d been in a hot tub. The tub was still full, and despite the water being hot, Sara knew that it would take Sam no time to cool it’s temp. The air was full of moisture as well from the tub’s heat. Then again since when did really follow reason when she was angry. So she flung another clump of ice at Sam’s head. “How dare you mention our past!”

Ice shattered on his chest harmlessly as she continued to throw it, he was starting to get way past irritation and he knew his most recent comment got her on the point of no return. She was throwing things now and despite the room being filled with moisture a weapon he could easily turn to ice and attack her with he didn’t. He looked around briefly still focusing in on her body heat in particular, a sudden movement and she’d be on top of him beating his face in that was something he wanted to avoid for the moment. He realized everything in his man cave was fragile and expensive and he wanted to prevent everything from breaking. It wasn’t like he could go out and buy new things at the moment.

Behind he heard pair of dogs growling over the situation both Roxxie and Bruno were facing them. Sam looked from the dogs to Sara then sighed a snowball formed in his hand and he threw it at her, ”You know I can’t quit. I’m the only one that is still hands on!” two pairs of ice hands rose up near where Sara was standing and reached out and grabbed at her feet hoping to pin her even if for just a moment.

Another snowball was thrown towards her as he ran for the closet door, that led to a fire pole that in turn lead to the basement. The war room wasn’t his intended target, he had the danger room schedule memorized and knew it was empty. Making his way through the war room he entered the danger room god room and made a quick order, ”Danger room, Scenario Cold Steel!” Sam hopped through the open window of the god room having a feeling he just narrowly missed Sara running in the god room behind him. He knew that here they both could let off a little steam.

Throwing things was always fun. At least when you were the one doing the throwing. Even if she wasn’t doing any real damage to Slick, there was some terrible satisfaction in hitting Sam with his own ice. When Sam threw a snowball back at her, She turned sideways, dodging it so that the ball flew back, behind her. She moved away, around the room, and hopped up on the end of the hot tub.

Two hands shot up out of nowhere and Sara tumbled to the side as they reached for her. One snagged her foot just long enough for Sam to escape, even though it only took her a second to kick free from the snow hand.

Sara should leave well enough alone. She should have just let Slick escape down the fire pole and then gone about the rest of her business at home. Thanks to the last few days, she had chores that she had been neglecting… Then again…

Sara stood there next to the hot tub, glaring at the hole in the floor where the fireman’s pole disappeared. One hand grabbed the beet bottle with one hand. Her other hand grabbed the corner of Sam’s big screen TV and with her claws digging into the corner around the buttons, she dropped it off of the wall. “oops.” The screen flashed, crashed, and died and with a twist, she broke a piece of the corner of the TV off. Yeah. She was feeling better and better.

Beer bottle in one hand, and piece TV in the other, she moved to follow where Sam had disappeared. Not bothering to use the fireman’s pole, but rather hopping straight down and landing on her feet, crouched, with a thump. Sam always told Sara that if anything had to be settled with a fight that x-men were supposed to settle their differences in their dangerous room.

Sara stomped into the room just as she heard Sam give the commands to the computer. “Tell ya’ what. I’ll cut a deal with you. I find more of this….” Sara jiggled the beer bottle and what was left in the bottom of the container, holding it up so that Sam could get a good look. “… Then I break more of your stuff.” She tossed the broken corner of the TV at Sam’s feet.

Sam frowned when the corner of the television landed near his feet. He let out a dissatisfied grunt and then looked to Sara. ”I liked that T.V.” Sam said plainly as the danger room started to shift the scenery around them. Instead of grey and metal the ground and walls and roof shifted. Blue skies complemented with clouds and a bright yellow sun reflected in a small lake nearby as trees and mountains dotted the background. Him and Sara were now standing on a dirt road leading up to a familiar house. One he cared not to see ever again one that was a painful reminder he was in a different world, one that was far more depressing and that just added to his anger.

”I also liked that beer!” Sam yelled as another snowball formed in his hand and was thrown in her direction. ”I had a mom Sara, you aren’t her. I drink when I damn well want. Next time I leave a bar I leave watching my back and expecting an attack!” he stepped forward and the ground near him coated over in ice. The air around him became cold as he yelled up to the computer, ”Computer remove house, and the family!” the house shimmered and vanished. Sam looked back for a second and he pictured the house there on fie briefly. His rage became more apparent and he shot a few shards as he turned to Sara.

She could handle them, he never had to worry about holding back with her. Even if he did manage to hit her with a fist or a shard he knew her healing factor would patch her right up. Even if he was pissed with her he wouldn’t even dream about hitting any vitals. Not Sara. She was the annoying sister who always had his back. ”You’re paying for that TV!”