Not every mission went well.

Impact and Shivs had just gone through a textbook example of a mission not going well. They were following a suspected SUPER Agent to gather intelligence. It should have been a lowkey fact-finding mission with the potential to unveil SUPER gathering spots and additional agents.

Unfortunately, the Agent caught sight of a mutant with antennae and entirely black eyes coming through the Rip and could not resist attempting to tag the young woman. It made sense; with the Rip binding two worlds together, it was easier to lose track of a person who passed between universes. SUPER dealt in the market of easily vanished people, so the Agent made an effort to pursue the new mutant, and as X-Men, Impact and Shivs had to intervene.

They scared off the SUPER Agent, but there was no time to celebrate. Two mutants had “assaulted” a “civilian” as far as the police knew, so two X-Men went from saving the day to fleeing from the authorities. Being a vigilante was a frustrating life.

Thankfully, Rebecca had a go-to place to lay low in situations where she needed heat to die down. Under a false name, she rented a room at a low-quality motel. Back in the day, Mirage and Impact had a habit of using mirrors to sneak into high-end hotels, but without a mirrorwalker or funds on hand, she had to make due with a bare-bones room. Their needs were basic; a locked door, a bathroom, and as always, basic cable was a plus.

Rebecca slammed the door behind her once they were both in the room, pulling off her blonde wig and groaning. ”I’m getting pretty damn tired of being treated like the bad guys. The Rip X-Men don’t have to deal with this rubbish.” It was hard not to be envious of Becca and Maya, knowing they were treated as deputized members of law enforcement in their world, while she was laying low from the cops with her (admittedly attractive) redheaded teammate.

Ugh, hard missions were never fun, a mission going wrong was so much worse. It was another case of them stopping some poor mutant being kidnapped and them being painted as the bad guys. God, she could see the reports now, claiming some knife wielding manic and her laser beam friend were assaulting innocent people in the city. No good deed went unpunished indeed.

Well, at least they saved the mutant, that was something at least. One less person kidnapped by SUPER, one less person held in their messed up labs getting brain washed or worse. That counted for something.

Stripping off her leather jackets and dropping her knife belt, she was glad to be rid of the weight. She was tired, she was aching and various little nicks and dings from the past few days were throbbing and generally reminding how rotten she felt right then.

Flopping down face first on the bed, she barely took in the bosses words with her massive headache pounding through her skull. Over using her power hurt, so much. "Yeah, I know how you feel, we've done nothing but help people and we're still hunted for it." It was stupid really. There was tons of video evidence of them saving peoples lives, stopping crimes and all around doing good and they were vilified for it.

"Still, who else is crazy or stupid enough do this and frankly boss, a mansion and lots of money sounds fun but do they have nearly as much awesome as we do?" No way they could match Grey's Strays in all their glory. Combatant alone could probably handle a bunch of them.

"Ugh, you got any painkillers? My head is killing me." Or a drink. A drink would be good right now after that debacle. Getting drunk with the boss sounded a great way to de-stress, lord knows they could both do with one. "Or some scotch, if you've got any. Hard liquor sounds good right around now."

Cait wasted no time flopping onto the cheap motel sheets. It was not the highest quality bed in the world, but it was a bed, and after a day like the one they were having, that was enough. They were on the same page: annoyed, underappreciated, and entirely exhausted. Rebecca followed her subordinate’s lead and dropped herself onto the bed. The mattress bounced her and Cait, but once it settled, she was on her back, laying perpendicular to Cait with her legs dangling off the side of the bed.

”Buncha ungrateful bastards,” she affirmed, letting some of her tension seep out of her back and into the mattress. It was nice just to be still for a moment.

It was impressive to see how, in the face of the garbage they dealt with constantly, Cait was still so positive about the team and what they did. Rebecca initially pegged the woman as a thrill seeker, but she had heart and drive and a surprising amount of dedication to doing the right thing. It was admirable, and one of the reasons Rebecca was thankful for some one-on-one time with her, regardless of the circumstances that lead to it.

Cait spoke highly of their team, which was heartwarming, but the realist in Rebecca had to smirk. ”I don’t know, Cait. They have three elementals. Three. That’s pretty awesome.” As she tried forcing herself to relax, it was easier to expose a more casual side of herself to Cait. Jesse, Tristen, and Agnes knew that side, but Rebecca was still selective with the people she let her guard down for.

Painkillers would be helpful, but Rebecca did not carry them around in her civilian clothing. ”Sorry. Didn’t think we’d need painkillers, and I’m not just about to go around carrying scotch.” Well, to be fair, once upon a time it was entirely possible the X-Leader might have a flask nearby, but things had changed since then. Rebecca had good reasons to be laying off. ”In a few hours, maybe we can chance a quick supply run.”

Rebecca rolled her shoulders and sighed, recounting the events on the street and the way a police bullet just barely whizzed by her during their retreat. ”Do you ever regret it, Cait?” Rebecca’s eyes were still on the ceiling as she spoke to the other woman. ”I was adopted into this life, but you chose it. Do you ever think you made a mistake? Honestly.”

Snorting rather loudly, she frankly couldn't understand the hype. So what if they had elementals, the boss could shoot laser beams, Combatant was a one woman death machine and they had their own freaking angel. What could possibly top that? "Bet they don't have a Bijou though. Can't copy cuteness like that without some copyright issues that I will happily enforce." Through snuggles. That was the best payment.

"Ugh, shame I could have done with it. But a supply run sounds good, even if just for some pills. Don't want to even think what bottom shelf swill they have in the shops round here." Worst come to worst it'd be a blend. That was like one step above Irish whiskey and there was no way she was stooping that low.

Regret it? Where was this coming from? She knew she hadn't exactly given the best impression when she first joined, being a complete greenhorn and freaking out in combat more than once but she'd done alright in her eyes. "I'd be lying if I said it didn't frighten the hell out of me. Or frustrate me to no end." Turning towards the woman next to her and locking eyes, "but I will never say I've regretted a single moment."

What they did mattered, a lot. In their time they'd saved more lives than she could imagine, more they'd pulled mutants out of a living hell at the hands of SUPER. Who else would be willing to do that?

"Boss, knowing what I do now I'd take every second of heartbreak and bruised ribs, every little cut and scrape all over again. I might have had a choice in joining but I made it. No way you're getting rid of me now." They were family now, as close to here as her own parents were. Abandoning them just wasn't in her. "Plus, who's going to keep you lot from grumping up poor Astrid. That girl is too smiley to be surrounded by you lot on her own." The joke wasn't needed, but she couldn't leave the tone so heavy.

It somehow didn't feel right for the two of them to be talking so seriously. She was the screw up, the naivee idiot who was too trusting, not the confidant. Narrowing her eyes she got a twinge that something was up. "Why do you want to know Becca? Whats going on?"

Cait was an interesting member of the team, and she was one Rebecca was hesitant to even allow on. She had been following the team’s escapades, studying them closely until she figured out where they were operating and asked to join the team. She was as green as she could be, but she was interested and her power was incredibly useful in combat. The fact that she knew their faces also helped her case, since turning her away would leave the possibility of the stalker turning over their information to the police.

It still took convincing; after the loss of her first team, Rebecca was worried about taking someone with inexperience who would be a risk. She was also desperate for team members, so she put Shivs on the team on a probationary basis and, through training, she earned her place. Her happy-go-lucky attitude could be a point of frustration, but Rebecca was still glad to have her around after so many years.

It was nice to hear Cait answering honestly; they so rarely had moments to just sit and talk, and for all the problems of their day, it still felt important to take that time. Rebecca turned her head to meet Cait’s eyes when she faced her. She was frightened and frustrated, which proved she understood the gravity of what they did in spite of her typically unflappable positive outlook. Even with her fears, she was dedicated to the cause and the team. Rebecca even had to laugh at her dedication to keeping Astrid cheery. ”As long as you don’t guide her into some chipper rebellious teen phase.”

It was nice to enjoy a little laughter, but Cait realized something was up about the heaviness of the topic. Rebecca mulled over her answers, but she was not sure she wanted to lay out her whole hand yet. She might have more questions; she was getting ready for a conversation she never planned on having, after all. ”Guess I’m just getting introspective in my old age,” she joked.

Rebecca needed a momentary distraction, and a thought came to her that fit perfectly. ”Oh!” she exclaimed, popping up off the bed. In her initial frustration, she did not think about the amenities of the cheapo motel room, but upon further recollection, she remembered why it became one of her favorite hideouts. ”If you were really looking for bottom shelf swill, I totally forgot this place has a minibar.” To punctuate her point, Rebecca opened the door to the fridge, revealing some snacks, soda, and small bottles of booze and wine.

Of course, the alcohol might not completely distract Cait from the surprise line of questioning, but Rebecca had more assets at her disposal. She walked toward the bathroom, making sure to shimmy off her pants with a notable amount of butt-wiggling. Men were not the only people she could exploit. ”Grab something, but don’t get greedy. I’m footing the bill. I’ll be out in a bit.”

With her parting words, Rebecca half-closed the bathroom door behind her as she finished disrobing. It was not just a ploy; she felt disgusting and needed a warm shower, even if the water pressure would be mediocre. She turned the knob of the shower, allowing the water to heat up. Her time was quick, running shampoo from the tiny bottle through her hair and washing away the grimy feeling she earned from the escape.

Finished with her shower, Rebecca grabbed the robe from the hook, (still shocked the motel even had robes,) slipped into it, and reentered the bedroom. ”Hope I didn’t miss anything fun.”

"You say that as if she's not already there. Might I ask who snuck a certain ball of fluff into your house and used it's pure distilled cuteness to get you to keep it?" Astrid was a good girl, kind of the perfect daughter for Becca and Jesse but that didn't mean she wasn't still a teenager. A teenager who had very cleverly preyed on her mothers inability to say no to a stray, whatever adorable package they might be in.

The girl was smart, she was already using her natural good nature to good effect. Who else on the team could guide her, responsibly of course, to the right path? It was a burden Cait was willing to accept, although the boss might not believe how much of a sacrifice it was.

She might have been tired but that didn't stop a peal of laughter breaking forth. Becca, old? She must be joking. "Oh please, you're not that aged yet boss. How many tips do you still get at the bar thanks to your youthful good looks?" It was really not a lie, she might complain about some of the pervy clients but Cait knew how much she took advantage of her 'features' to bring in a little more money. The outfits she was in after a shift there were more than a little revealing. 

The woman was hiding something clearly and not very subtly but the lure of booze was too much. A deep primal part of her really needed something strong and caustic. Her dad would have called it her Scottish Stomach talking, and boy was it talking up a storm. No way she was ignoring it and they could always get back to the proper topic once her head was a little calmer.

Of course, there was no way she could be calm after a show like that! Either Impact had no clue about the effect she had on the Scot, or she was well aware and loved tormenting the poor girl. Not that she wasn't going to get a nice glimpse of her rear, it was a very nice one after all.

Oh God don't say she knew! The stupid teenaged crush she'd had on the boss lady since first joining had dulled since then but Cait would be lying if she said it was completely gone. Her friend/leader/boss was, well sexy as hell, red headed and had an alluring strength to her. And she was married. To Jesse. And was Astrid's mum. All very logical reasons for her to forget about stupid crushes.

Using the time wisely to down a horrible concoction she could only guess was some kind of blended local monstrosity pretending to be whiskey and try to get her head in order. It was tough, with the headache and other, distractions, didn't help but as the minutes went by she wrangled her brain into working order. And then she came out of the damn bathroom in a robe. Just a bathrobe.

Because of course that's all she was wearing. "Nothing much," her face turning more than a little pink, "just some American attempt at good booze. It is not good." Smooth girl, very smooth. No way she doesn't know about the crush. "The shower any good? I could do with getting this dye out before it knackers my hair."

Rebecca knew better than to think their cheap hotel room would have a single malt masterpiece in the minifridge, but it was better than leaving Cait suffering without something to numb her pain. ”Beggars can’t be choosers and bad booze is still better than no booze.” The alcohol would also encourage Cait to be honest with her, which was going to be important. Her fellow redhead was not untrustworthy, but she had the ability to keep things to herself if she thought it was best. She had managed to keep herself from sharing her obvious crush on Rebecca for years, after all.

Refreshed by her brief stint in the shower, Rebecca was ready to continue their chat, but fair was fair; Cait needed a shower of her own. ”It’s… well, water. Clean, but rubbish pressure. Should be fine for cleaning you off. Can’t promise it’ll get all the dye out, though.”

Rebecca returned, plopping down at the foot of the bed with a light bounce. Her robe was cinched at her waist, with the top hanging loosely enough to expose some skin. ”There’s another robe in there. I’ll admit, for a run-down place like this, they’re comfy.” It had been a long day; they deserved to be comfortable, right?

Grabbing the remote and flicking through available channels, Rebecca off-handedly added, ”Oh, and when you get out, I’ve had something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.” Her tone was nonchalant, off-setting how ominous a sentence that actually was. ”Enjoy your shower, Cait.”

Cait could almost hear her days voice in the bosses response. There was just something so....British about it. A solid practicality about needing to get drunk and not caring how. "You know, if we ever get a chance you should meet my Dad. I get the feeling you two would get along pretty well." Maybe not her mum though, she was a little too prim and proper for all the sweariness and blunt speech that Impact used.

It didn't have to be good, just a nice warm shower and a clean robe afterwords would be pure bliss, after the day they'd both had. Hopefully everyone else had better luck but until they met up there wasn't much chance of knowing. Still, she figured she might as well make the best of the situation and frankly sitting in a room with a slightly undressed Becca wasn't a half bad way to do it. Sure she was off the table but who could blame the Scot for enjoying the view.

"Sure, sure. Not like I'm going anywhere," she nodded distractedly, already discarding various bits of clothing on the way to the shower. Hey if her friend could do it so could she. Fair was fair after all.

A slightly longer than normal shower later and a good portion of the naff dye gotten rid of and Cait was moderately more alive and a hell of a lot more relaxed. Just the finishing touch of drying of and slipping on the soft robe and she was a happy little camper again. And a less distracted camper, why was Becca wanting to talk? Did it have something to do with why she was asking those questions? Time to find out.

"Well, they might be the fanciest I've ever worn but these robes are comfy. And warm." Her own was cinched up tight, unlike her curvier friend Cait didn't have much to show of anyway, no point bruising her ego any more than was needed. Plus tight worked for her, most of her clothes were that way anyway so it kind of felt natural.

Slumping back down on the bed and giving the boss a look, "So then, what you wantin' to chat about? Anything big or important?"

Rebecca watched and grinned as Cait walked toward the bathroom, disrobing piece by piece in front of her. It was clearly retribution for her own little show and Rebecca was just fine with that. She was married, but her and Jesse were riding high on trust, love, and baby hormones, so a little looking was not going to spoil that.

While her teammate was in the shower, Rebecca grabbed an overpriced can of decaffeinated soda and flipped the television in the room on. She settled on a channel with some movie playing, but it was just there to be white noise while she thought about Cait. She was still not the best fighter, but she worked hard to make herself better. She was clever and devoted, not just to their cause, but the people on her team. When she joined the team, Rebecca never thought she would see so much promise in the giggly, sunny redhead, but time brought surprises as it ticked along.

Eventually, a robed Cait with mostly red hair emerged from the steamy bathroom to rejoin Rebecca. She made an appreciative comment about the robes, but wasted no time moving forward into whatever discussion her team leader had waiting for her.

Rebecca grabbed the remote and muted the movie, shifting on her spot on the bed so she could face Cait properly. ”Who do you think would make a good leader for the team?” she asked bluntly. ”If, Heaven forbid, something happened to me, who would you choose as the leader and why? Serious question,” she felt the need to clarify; otherwise, Cait might refuse to answer based on the premise of her current team leader dying or leaving.

Impact was being serious. With her. Cait. She hadn't morphed into someone more reliable in the last couple of weeks had she? Like, she was still the same cheery screw up that got admonished for squeeing over the pure adorable that was Bijou. Wasn't she?

Oh God, she wasn't. She was, responsible. Dependable. She was an adult.

When the hell had that happened? Worse had other people started noticing her lack of immaturity lately? Of course Becca had but the idea this had spread further was a scary one. Maybe it had something to do with the missions she'd been doing recently and the whole vetting stuff she was doing with Benji. Yeah, that was it, nothing else. Raine couldn't ever know though, no way she was an adult person to her and Cait was damn sure keeping it that way.

"Well, s---. That's a hard question." Not normally one to swear the enormity of the inquiry made it slip out unnoticed. "Honestly I don't know, you've kind of always been the boss that the idea of someone taking over hasn't occurred to me." They were Grey's Strays after all, who else was going to keep the X's running but Becca herself? Definitely not Combatant. Sure Cait loved the woman like a sister but she wasn't a leader, just a scary, scary fighter who frightened her probably as much as the warrior did the bad guys.

"I think it's fair to rule out Combatant, just never tell her I said that and Doc's lovely but he's just not a leader." Who then? Not many had the experience, grit and frankly blind stubbornness to stop them killing each other. "Out of everyone I'd say Jesse, even with the mirror issues. They've got a lot of experience with how we work, has a damn good idea of what you do to keep us running and we all respect them. If we divvied up some of jobs they couldn't do behind a mirror I think we'd make it work." It was the only logical choice, there wasn't anyone else with the combination of traits they really needed. At least no one she could think of.

Giving the boss a serious look, "OK, I get you're trying to be subtle but I'm not stupid boss. What are you trying to find out." Cait was pretty sure Impact was one of the few people who actually knew she wasn't daft but something was going on, her intuition was practically screaming that. "I mean I'm flattered you trust me enough to talk but there's clearly more to this than just curiosity." 

It was a good question. It was a good question because Rebecca took a moment during her last “office hours” to look up interview questions. Most of them were bollocks, “tell me about a time” questions, but Rebecca was interesting in who Cait would pick as a leader if she could. There was a lot she could glean from her answers. If she picked herself as Rebecca’s successor, she would have to defend her opinion of herself. If she picked someone else, it was evidence that she was not just power-hungry and it would show what she thought was important in a leader.

She started by ruling out Combatant and Doc, which made sense. Combatant was great in the field, but she did not want to be the glue that held the team together. A leader needed to be that glue. Doc had tenure and he was amicable, but he served a more supportive role on the team.

Jesse was a good answer. Rebecca’s spouse had experience and an understanding of the job. It was also telling that Cait included delegation in her answer. Rebecca herself was not a stellar delegator, but she knew it was a good trait for a leader.

Of course, Cait was not an idiot. She kept reminding Rebecca and her actions backed it up. She was light-hearted and even silly at times, but she had a solid head on her shoulders. Rebecca would answer, but in a more roundabout way. ”I’ve been giving thought to what I’d want from a team leader. They’d have to have some combat and mission awareness, obviously. I’d want to know they understand things are not always going to be neat. Things have to get done, and sometimes we do things we’re not going to be comfortable with. They’d need to be able to accept that, but they’d also need to help their teammates deal with that, too.”

Rebecca brushed locks of red hair of her face and met Cait’s eyes. ”Most importantly, I’d want a leader to treat this team like her family and protect them with her life. I gave these things some thought. And that, Cait, is why I want to ask you to be a Team Leader.”

Cait just stared, unsure if she should laugh or question the bosses sanity. Her, a team leader? There was no way this wasn't some kind elaborate prank because no one was stupid enough to put her in charge. She was the idiot, the naive child of the group. Granted she was older and had more experience than Raine but still. Christ she wasn't even a senior member of the group. Why the hell would Becca choose her?

True, with their last big mission she'd stepped over the line a little and done some things she was not proud of but that was only because Astrid was in danger. Even then she'd actively tried to not kill the people who'd done it. "I.....Well I've got to ask boss but are you mental? Because that's the only way that thought entered your head. Seriously I just, if this is a prank I will not speak to you again for days." Good threat there girl, that was probably up there on Impact's lists of a present from the sunbeam in human form. Why not also promise to not bother Bijou and always be on time forever.

Maybe the older woman was just trying to gauge her reaction to the idea, get a feel on how she'd act if the job was dangled in front of her. Which she would be crazy to take because seriously who would trust her to run stuff.

Then again it was tempting just to see the look on Combatant's face. Not that she'd ever rub it in because the Scot did not have a death wish. Or any plans on eating through a straw for any length of time.

"Honestly I'd be honoured but I think you've got the wrong girl. Why not Jesse after all?" They did need more team leaders but this was all a little out of left field. There just had to be more to it than that.

As Rebecca expected, Cait was going to put up a fight. She even thought her leader was having a proper laugh at her expense, when nothing could have been further from the truth. ”I need you to take more credit. Yes, you can be a goofball and yes, I have torn into you about taking things seriously, but I’ve also seen you take things seriously when it matters,” Rebecca explained, hoping she could get Cait to see that she had more worth than she gave herself credit for.

”In the thick of things, you are decisive and you prioritize the mission and your team above all else. You’re smarter than you act, Cait. It’s time you show that to everyone.” Rebecca would provide Cait with guidance as she took a role of leadership, but she wanted the younger woman to make the role her own.

Cait, in her effort to discredit her claim to leadership, asked why Rebecca was not offering the position to Jesse, who in many ways was her right hand. ”Jesse is wonderful and they’d be a resource for you as well, but the team needs someone in the heart of the action to make decisions and keep everyone safe. That’s why I trust you for this, Cait. In the years you’ve been on the team, you’ve not only impressed me with your growth, but you’ve always had my back.” It was true; in a pinch, she knew she could rely on Cait to cover her, just like she did in the SUPER lab.

Taking a more relaxed seating position on the bed, Rebecca smirked. ”I mean, for the longest time I just assumed that had to do with your massive crush on me, but now, I really think you’re just a great teammate.”

Damn, the boss saw through that whole carefree act then. Sure, she wasn't stupid but that didn't make her some kind of great tactician. In fact on the few rare occasions she'd been relying on her own plans they hadn't exactly gone great. Christ one of them had ended with her and Raine screaming out a door at high speed and crashing onto a nearby roof. Damn miracle no bones had been broken.

Then there was the whole base raid incident when she had gone just a little 'stabby'.

Shrugging, "I just do what you trained me for. Any of the others would have done the same in my boots." Maybe with a little more flair or, knowing Agnes, far more bodies. "I just....don't see it, Becca."

OK, so she had a point about needing someone more, available, than Jesse but it was kind of shocking to the Scot that Impact saw her that way. She'd certainly never thought about herself that way, after all she was just doing what felt right to her. Arguably stupid too given how young and inexperienced she'd been when she first joined, but the boss was right on that count. She had changed since then and it was hard to not see how much more capable she now was.

Then then woman across from her, who was still in a loose fitting robe casually dropped a bombshell. She knew! "I....I...wh..." Cait tried stuttering out some words while her face turned a similar colour to her hair. Since when had Impact know.

Oh God. It wasn't possible she'd seen through Cait from the very beginning, right? Sure she hadn't joined the team because of Becca but, well being close to her had been a nice perk. Plus she'd been a teenager, one who'd on recently gotten used to the idea of being bi. And the boss? Well she was something else. Who wouldn't get a crush on the woman, being all strong and self confident. And well built. So well built.

"How!? And when!? Oh God, oh God, oh God. This is not happening. This is just a dream, you're going to turn into a cat and fly away because there is no way this is real."

Cait was having a hard time dealing with the reality that her team leader did not see her as some bubbly screwup. Their personalities were vastly different and Cait could be over the top, but not every leader had to be like Rebecca. Cait knew what had to be done when the chips were down, but she might offer a lighter hand to lead the team. When Rebecca was done being sidelined, they could provide complimentary styles, filling roles the other did not.

While Rebecca’s decision was surprising, it did not hold a candle to how shocked Cait was to realize her big secret crush was not such a secret in actuality. The reaction was pure and adorable as the redhead turned crimson and lost control of her words. She went so far as to go into total denial that the conversation was even happening.

All too amused, Rebecca leaned forward from her spot on the bed. ”Really? Is that what I do in your dreams? Pretty boring compared to the kind of dreams I was expecting,” she admitted, teasingly. Maybe she found it humorous and a little empowering to know Cait was definitely struggling to deal with her boss suddenly antagonizing her crush.

She placed a reassuring hand on Cait’s knee and tried to stop chuckling. ”I’m sorry, Cait, but you’re not exactly subtle. I’ve known for… well, let’s just call it a while.” She could leave the illusion that Cait’s crush was not outed from day one. ”And it’s flattering. Believe me; if I was younger and unmarried, I would have given you quite the ride,” she admitted. It was only fair to let Cait know that, in a different reality, she would have certainly had a shot with the tattooed team leader.

Nonchalantly, Rebecca shrugged. ”But as it stands, I’m still pretty keen on Jesse and it would be poor etiquette to cheat on them when I’m carrying their child.” Rebecca was all about dropping bombshells on Cait that night. She could not help it; the redhead had such fun reactions, and she could only wait to see how the biggest news would go over.