Five years.

It had been five years since Paige last laid eyes on the Mansion. Five years since she ran away from everything to find herself. It looked pretty much the same from the outside, but she wondered who was still around that she remembered. There were a couple of people she owed an apology. Some she owed a thank you for having faith in her than she did. This place brought back so many memories, some good, others not so good.

Pink flats clacked against the sidewalk as she walked up to the front door. She was wearing black leggings under a pink mini-skirt, a pink tee shirt, and a thick black jacket. Her blonde hair hung down around her shoulders, and over her shoulder was a guitar case.

She made it to the door, slowly opening it and nervously making her way inside. "Hello?" she called out. "I used to live here...just came by to visit?" Green eyes glanced around as she looked around, heart racing. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Either way it was too late to turn back now, and if there's one thing Paige was done with, it was running.

Clearly younger Sam had a better taste in music; what’s more impressive was the size of wireless headphones. Sam would have killed for a set like this when he was in T.A.T. he his kept getting confiscated when they were discovered harder to hide the massive earphones that wrapped his head. Thankfully older Sam was fine buying the best. They were small compact and perfect for the danger room.

Walking the mansion with his head set in blasting his eardrums he kicked a little dance into his strut as he headed down to the danger room he was never into any rap music but he found in the decade that he missed they seemed to have more artists that were up his ally. Tennis shoes, basketball shorts and shirtless simpler things seemed to be best in the danger room. Not only that but it was free advertisement.

Passing the entrance to the mansion he stopped his strut when he spotted a blonde. A very attractive one with a guitar strapped to her back. The pink was what made him notice. She was talking. Sam looked around to see if anyone else was around. There was no one. Taking his headphones out and not stopping the music ”Yo.” he waved, ”Need some help? I’m a teacher here.” he said lying and offering his hand. ”Sam.”

Paige blinked when a...shirtless gentleman approached her. He looked familiar, albeit a good deal younger than the person he reminded her of should have been. She quirked an eyebrow, though she did reach out and accept the handshake with a firmer-than-expected grip. A teacher? That young? That...didn't make any sense, but...he looked like someone she knew...and that name...

"Not really. I lived here between five and six years ago, just got back into town and thought I'd see who was still here that I knew, maybe catch up, stuff like that," the woman replied, shaking the hand with a probably firmer-than-expected handshake. She quirked an eyebrow at him. While he was attractive, Paige had to assume he was either a prodigy, or more likely, a terrible liar.

"A teacher, huh? Aren't you a little young for that?" she asked, wondering what kind of explanation he might give. "Paige Mason. Or Alex, if you prefer, I tend to go by both nowadays. Sam, you said? Funny...I knew a teacher named Sam back when I was here...you look sorta like him, but...a lot younger. You got a brother?" Yeah because he'd totally have a brother with the same damn name. Smart, Paige. She inwardly kicked herself, but she relaxed against the doorway.

"Though if you're not busy....mind showing me around, maybe let me get reacquainted with the place?" She flashed him a charming grin.

She shook his hand and he listened to her trying acting surprised when she questioned him on teaching and his older self. Sam smirked, ”Well, technically I’m on sabbatical. I do have a brother.” Sam said nodding his head, ”Haven’t met him yet.” Sam said thinking about it, ”I called him. Said he was too busy to meet. Finals or some ****” Sam shrugged. It was a shame he wasn’t super close with his brother but he only knew his brother for three years before he was abducted.

”So you met my older more brooding self.” Sam said covering his eye where an eye patch would have been if he was his older self. ”Paige…” he said trying to remember any files in his hard drive from older Sam. Maybe she was on the team at some point? Not like he actually read anything his older version gave him anyways.

Sam then shrugged, ”I was only going to the danger room.” Sam then smiled, ”I got no problem showing the mansion to someone as beautiful as you. It would be an honor.” Sam said looking down at his exposed chest and willing some ice to form over his chest so he could at least be considered decent.

”There we go. What name do you prefer?” he asked curiously.

Okay so the brother thing wasn't necessarily the explanation she was looking for, but hell, it had been worth a try at least. Though as she learned a long time ago, the simple explanation was rarely ever the right one.

"Well, I did know an older Sam with an eyepatch, so I'm going to venture a yes," she said with a nod, not really questioning it. Hey, she could transform into inanimate objects, the most common of them being a spork, so anything was possible, she supposed. I'm

"Charming, but cliche. In your case I'm willing to let it slide," she teased lightly, a small playful smile teasing her lips as she straightened up. The Sam she'd known could do stuff with ice too, so his story, as brief and insane as it sounded, was starting to ring true. She'd figured it best not to question, and just go with the flow.

"I went by Paige when I was here, but Alex is more or less my stage name," she mused. "I'm not really a professional type....and I'm not working, so you can call me Paige." She offered her arm to him, shifting the guitar on her back a little bit. "Lead the way, Sam," she practically purred.

She had a stage name… did that mean she was a stripper? Sam eyed the woman who offered her arm to him and he took it without a second thought. The guitar was the only reason he didn’t think about asking. ”Paige it is.” he agreed and started to walk down the hallway.

”So a few years ago?” he asked curiously, ”You probably have some good stories about me then?” he asked hoping he’d know more about the guy he became hoping it wasn’t just a depressed alcoholic mess.

”I woke up younger and missing a decade.” Sam quickly summed up, ”Not the only one. Some other people here had the same thing happen to them. I don’t know if you remember Ami.” Sam tried offering up a name then shrugged, ”Gawain is still here and so is Becca.” Sam put his hand on his stomach and gestured it growing. ”They got a kid on the way.” he said wondering if she knew any of these people.

”Any place in particular you are curious about?” Sam asked wondering why the woman seemed more familiar the closer she was to him.

Paige smiled brightly at him, nodding. "Oh yeah, I've got a couple," she replied. "When I first met you, I was roaming the halls late at night and ran into you. Er...Older you? Whatever. Anyway, I'd gone through some ****, you took me back to your mancave, we talked, played pool, and you gave me a guitar to make up for the one some ***** blew up," she started, then led into the next story. "Then, a few weeks later some asses tried to hit on me in a bar I'd played at--I was too young to drink then--and I turned into a baseball bat, which you used to lay the beatdown on 'em." Then, she smiled, and added air-quotes as she said "Allegedly." She winked.

Paige listened to the story; it was honestly a weird one, but from what she remembered about being here that was basically another day at the office. "So it wasn't just you then...huh, that's pretty strange, but you've made it through stranger, from what I remember," she said confidently, with a nod of faith. "Don't remember Ami, don't think I interacted much with Gawain or Becca, but I'm familiar with both of them." She grinned even wider. "Whoa, that's awesome! It's nice to know people are doing well."

Her face saddened briefly, but she bit her lip and managed to swallow the feelings a bit. "I don't really know, I honestly didn't think this plan through beyond the front door," she admitted, looking at the younger mutant.

The young icemancer laughed at her story and decided he was going to start using the word allegedly as well. It does sound like something he’d do. She must have been too young for him to hit on. That or he wasn’t interested. Maybe that was one of the times he had a girl friend that didn’t try to kill him or maybe she just needed a friend. He did that from time to time. ”Both of those sound like me, er old me?” Sam said still confused by the situation.

”Guess I have, haven’t I.” he agreed and thought about it. Other than ‘not supposed to fly the jet’ rule it wasn’t too bad. He had a roof over his head a dog and a cat and a handful of women down a hallway. He guessed he was doing pretty well.

Sam recognized the look on her face and started to figure she was in the same boat as him. She had five years from the mansion, given with how many times a day the place caught fire he figured there were some changes. ”I still have the man cave.” Sam said turning back around the way they came towards where his older self had hidden the man cave.

”You can tell me about the guitar.” Sam said he couldn’t and wouldn’t take his older self’s place but if she needed a friend or someone to talk to he was willing. Sometimes people just need a ear. Bartending 101.

"I mean...you're still you, right? Only...ten years younger or something..." She said with a shrug; that was hard to wrap her head around and Paige was glad that wasn't directly her problem to deal with. Though she hoped those affected worked it out, de-aging was something she wasn't equipped to deal with.

"Well, that's good to know at least. I got through a few breakdowns there. And I never properly thanked you," she said sadly. "And even though you probably don't remember it right now...I want to apologize for leaving the way I did. Don't know how that had to have made you feel but...I had a lot going on and just needed to go find myself," she said, discretely wiping a stray tear as they walked.

At mention of the guitar, she looked down at the guitar pick she wore on a necklace, and flipped it over to where a small shard of purple-painted wood was super-glued to the back. "The one that got destroyed was a purple acoustic. My first one. I'd lived in my own apartment at the time, but was about to be evicted because I couldn't make rent. I decided to blast my guitar and somehow led to a fight with one of the neighbors. Blew up the acoustic. I since bought an identical one, but...I'm not as bitter about it anymore; this is just a reminder of where I'd come from." She smiled over at the kid. Maybe he wasn't the Sam she remembered, but...he was still Sam.

"Also....it's not the one I have with me, but...I still regularly play that guitar you gave me. It's a black electric, and it's still one of my favorites."

”Kind of. When I woke up I was here. Never been here. Everyone else knew me of heard of me. Lot of people keep comparing me to my older self. I’m a lot of things but I will never become that guy!” Sam said firmly, old Sam was a quitter. That wasn’t who he was.

The icemancer noticed the hand under the eye while they walked together. He didn’t comment on it nor did he feel like he should. Paige was still kind of a stranger he’d be thankful if strangers didn’t point out when he was feeling down. So instead he tried to encourage, ”Seemed to work? I mean you are back right?” Sam asked rhetorically because she was next to him. ”Also no thanks needed. I might not be him but he did seem to have a good judge of character.” Sam said before quickly adding, ”I will never admit that.”

”Bummer about your other guitar.” Sam said as they approached his older versions office that was just storage for paperwork apparently. According to Becca he was on sabbatical so the paper work wasn’t his issue. He looked at his desk that was buried and he shook his head before pulling the book that opened up the secret door. ”I’m glad it is getting some use! I don’t know how to play that well.”

After doing some research he learned how to open the door from this entrance, which was good because Juniper wasn’t always around to phase him in. Once the bookcase opened Sam pressed the entrance while blasting his mutation to the right temperature. The door whooshed open and all the lights kicked on in the man cave.

”Welcome back, I’d say make yourself at home but I’m pretty sure the homeless guy got in and drank all the beer again.” Sam said walking to the fridge. ”Want one?” Sam asked as he opened the door and grabbed one.

"Hey, I know I'm only one person who knew that 'guy' like six years ago, but I liked him. Sure, he had problems, but...who doesn't? But I will say...become the person that makes you happy. I didn't get a ten year reset, but that's what I did," she said, trying to encourage him. It was kind of funny, before it had been him encouraging her. My how times changed.

"Yeah, I'm back. I have an apartment not far from here but I could drop by from time to time to visit people. Maybe even see about teaching guitar lessons to those who are interested. I mean...it's worth a shot," she said with a shrug, just spitballing. "I mean...I tried to join the X-men before things hit the fan and I left, and while I feel like that ship has sailed...I can contribute in other ways." Paige smirked before it turned into a more devilish grin. "Can't be too sure; who knowswhat kinda person I was back then, hm?" she said with a wink.

"Yeah but...that was a long time ago," she said as they made their way through the office, and she idly looked at the splinter glued on the back of the pick again. She hadn't exactly let it go, because if she had, why was she literally carrying it around with her? "Well, the older you wasn't half bad, but I've been playing since I was little, so even at nineteen I had the experience edge."

Back in the mancave, somewhere she honestly never thought she'd see again. But there was still something so relaxing about it. She felt more at home here than she had in any other part of the mansion, besides her room....and someone else's but that was a long time ago, and those days were long gone.

"Oh, I'd gladly take one. Last time I was here you hogged em all. And I was technically too young," she said with a laugh as she set the guitar against the wall and plopped into a seat and relaxed, crossing one leg over the other.

Hearing that someone else liked his older version didn’t help but he made sure not to talk bad about his older self around Paige. So far she wasn’t as bad as Serena or Mirror but he’d have to be careful from now on. Otherwise he’d get another reminder Sam wasn’t him and that just gave him a headache.

”Ships sailed often make it back to port. Or sink.” Sam said thinking about it. ”You haven’t sunk, why not try again? I mean I am a team leader.” Sam said lying, he was on sabbatical. ”Think you got a shot.”

Saph was here again. Most of the beer was gone from the fridge there was only a handful left. Either that or Juniper snuck in and grabbed a few. Two beers exited the fridge both of which popped before finding their respective places on the counter. Sam took a swig of his. ”At least older Sam was smart enough not to get a minor drunk while he was a teacher.” Sam laughed and then raised the bottle in a cheers.

”****” Sam said snapping his fingers and running to where the juke box was, there was a vinyl collection he knew why the woman was so familiar now. He didn’t recognize it at first because her ‘stage’ name threw him off. ”I knew you looked familiar when I saw you.” he hefted one of her records and walked back over to her and the countertop with his beer. ”I’ve seen like a dozen of these in the mansion.” he said smirking.

She noted that he didn't say much to her words of encouragement, so made a note to keep the focus on him and not his older self. They were technically two different people, after all? Besides, she liked this one too. He was nice enough, and just as easy on the eyes...She smirked again.

"I wouldn't say my ship has sunk, it's just...found a different destination," she said after thinking on it for a bit. "Like, I feel like there might be more...useful applications for what I can do. I think I do more good with a guitar in my hands. Unless you think I'd make a fitting weapon for someone on the team? In which case I'll need a suit that can shift with me," she said, mostly teasing, though the idea of someone carrying her as a baseball bat in an X-men uniform was rather amusing.

"Yeah...You're winning right now though because you actually share your beer," she said with a sly grin as she raised her bottle and took a healthy gulp. She gave him a quizitive glance with the bottle to her lips as he swore and walked toward the jukebox.

Her smile grew when he produced her album. Sam had actually bought her album, and put it in his jukebox. That was...that really lifted her spirits, actually. "A dozen? That...wow. It's nice knowing I have fans around here; at least one, anyway. I wouldn't put it past the old Sam to have bought fifty albums and just put them where they'd be found and listened to." She laughed again as she took another sip of her beer, looking him over.

Setting the record in cover down in front of her he reached for a marker and offered it up to her. ”Who knows maybe I’ll go back to old Sam. Made enough trouble for him least you could do is sign it for me for him.” he said with a laugh. He kind of hoped he wouldn’t re-age he was enjoying the mansion as it was not to mention all the people he met. Paige included now. It be a shame if he had to give that all up.

Sipping his beer, ”Never fought anyone with a baseball bat yet…” Sam said imagining it wasn’t that much different from hitting someone with a bo staff or a lead pipe. ”Do you feel things when you turn into stuff?” he asked leaning on the counter top beer still in his hands.

”Also glad I remembered the record.” Sam laughed, ”When you said stage name I thought you might have been a dancer or something. Would have been the last thing I would have expected for my older self.” Sam said teasing. ”I like Paige better.” he said with a smirk.

"At this point, I wouldn't complain one way or another," Paige admitted with a shrug. Taking the marker, she signed the cover 'Alex Mason, Sam's favorite spork~' complete with a little heart smiley face. "Though maybe one--or both--of you can have more than just a signature to remember me by," she said with a wink as she coyly took another swig from her beer. Was she flirting? Maybe. As it stood she was just having a little fun, toying with the young man.

"In a sense, yeah, but it's not that bad unless I'm broken or something, in which I immediately shift back and I'm not in a good mood. I don't get recognized terribly often, so...that was nice." At the dancer comment, she jokingly wrinkled her nose. "You were thinking 'stripper,' weren't you?" she teased, with a shrug. "Never really considered that path but I probably wouldn't be terrible....especially if I can have the guitar for my gimmick..."

Paige finished her beer and flawlessly chucked the bottle into the trash can, sitting back in the chair. "Honestly I'm not picky about what I'm called as long as it isn't something overly offensive. I mean I went by Thingamajig for awhile, so whatever you wanna call me works." She smiled again as she turned partially sideways in the chair, swinging both legs over the armrest.