Rekindling old flames.

[Soni]

"I love you too Ryan, I have since I met you. I don't think there will ever be a day my love for you will ever stop."

Her hand moved behind his, holding it for a moment before bringing it to her lips and kissing his palm softly.

"No matter where I went after I left this place, something would always remind me of you. Just the simplest little things, like the salty smell of the ocean, or watching birds flying through the skies. Just knowing that somewhere out there you were living your life without me, it was bittersweet. Lord knows I was hurting bad, and even jealous of whoever it was you were living you life with. But just knowing that you were alive at all made me happy. Those six months we spent together here were the happiest times of my life. I would live a lifetime of torture from Sinister, just to have that short time with you."

She rolled onto her back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling. A small tear trickled down the side of her face.

"I don't really know how to explain it all I guess. But I just knew you were out there and that made everything worth it, because it meant that I would have even the smallest chance of seeing you again."

[Falco]

For a time he merely laid there, thinking, trying to decide what to say and what course of action to take. Minute after minute went by of deliberation, of scratching at his mind to figure out what to say and do. Ultimately, there was only one thing he could do. Scooting close to her, wishing she was under the covers with him for it would be easier, he propped himself up on his right elbow and used his left hand to wipe her tear away while looking down at her hues.

"Just... stop..." He said, his own voice trembling now from unseen emotion. Turning her head towards him with the same hand that wiped her tear only seconds previous, he crashed his lips down upon hers. A rush of hot emotion burst into his veins just then and ran like a force of water over rocks to form rapids in his heart. He didn't stop kissing her, he didn't want to. He figured if she wished it to stop, then so be it, she would pull away. If not, then let their passion continue.

[Soni]

There she was just jabbering on about things that didn't matter anymore, the past. Here she was lying in his bed with him right beside her and all she could think about was what happened two years ago.

When he finally spoke up her lips stopped moving that instant. Her eyes met his as he softly turned her head back in his direction. But only for a moment, when his lips met hers once more, her eyes fluttered closed.

This kiss was stronger then any other they had shared before. More passionate was behind it on both parts. The old saying must be true, absence does make the heart grow fonder.

[Amy, Ave., Tiff., Stiff.]

Stiffania waked up to the door and knocked and spoke loudy and impassively, "I don't really care vhat you're doing, but I do need your names so that I can report to Lizz." her accent showed for a moment as she paused for their names she added, "Lizz should be back in a minute."

[Nightcat]

Liz teleported to directly outside the door. Ignoring Stiffania, she desperately pounded on the door, "Get out here! Show yourselves! I need to know!" Her voice shook as she waited for a response.

[Amy, Ave., Tiff., Stiff.]

Stiffania's doll looked at Lizz unsurprized by her sudden appearance, "I was just about to get their name Madam Lizabeth." the doll said hoping to be ignored she turned and reached the end of the stair case disappearing into the wall.

[Falco]

As his and Jade's kiss grew stronger by the second, something broke the mood. Something shattered the silent moment of sensory gold that had erupted. Pounding on the door. Hard, desperate pounding and a demanding voice. And then more pounding and a familiar voice. It was Liz. Oh boy, this was not going to be good. He had already gotten out of bed after breaking the kiss and began to frantically put his clothes on.

"Don't they know about us? The nice thing to do would let us have this night, but noooooooo. They have to go and come a knockin'" Ryan said in his trademark tone of sarcasm.

When he was finished putting his jeans and shirt back on, and boxers of course, he went over to the door and saw Liz. But she looked quite different. Her fur was still the same coat of beautiful violet-blue but the hair on her head was black and her eyes went from green emeralds to red ones that brought up a thought of demons. He didn't say anything, he merely cocked his head to the side like a dog that didn't quite understand something.

[Nightcat]

Liz stood here, looking up into a face that she never though she'd see again. She brought up a shaky hand, touching it lightly to his face. She shook her head as she backed away slight, "Nein... Unmöglich. It cannot be you. YOU LEFT!" She screamed her last words at Ryan. Her appearance was not the only thing that had changed since the man had last been in the mansion. Before him stood a very broken version of the girl he once knew

She backed away, her head still shaking from side to side. Her eyes started to glow as her breathing got hard. Holding up her arms, she fired a telekinetic blast at Ryan, "You abandoned me! You dare show yourself to me?!" She was hysterical at the sight of the man. She stood in the door frame waiting to see what he would do next.

[Falco]

He was surprised at her reaction. Very taken by it actually. He was about to remark on it when he was hit by a blast that threw him backwards into the wall opposite the door. It was a good thing no book shelf or anything was there. Falling to the floor after slamming into the wall, he shifted into a Mountain Lion in what seemed a fraction of a second and pounced on her, bringing her down on her back and digging his larger than normal black feline claws into her shoulders so that every move she made to struggle, she would get a nice dose of fresh pain that pushed passed the endorphins rushing to her nervous system to block out the pain. As his golden Cougar eyes glared down into hers and his hot steamy breath cascaded onto her face, he bore his teeth and brought his feline face close to hers and spoke to her through his mind. His voice an echo from deep within her subconscious.

<Do not, do that again. You may remember me as the old Ryan that could only shift into animals and shit like that. But in the passed two years I learned more about my ability and mutated the animals I could shift into; making them stronger, more resilient, and more effective in every meaning of the word. Do not under estimate me Liz. And don't think I wont hesitate to defend myself.>

Indeed Ryan was not himself either. He had become more cynical, more of a wise ass, and not one to fuck around with. He was stronger than ever before. Not invincible by any means, but vastly more efficient than he was two years ago. After his short pause, he continued.

<I left because I needed to find myself. To figure out who I was and what I wanted in life. I traveled the world, met many people from different cultures. I practiced, I experimented. You of all people should know what it is like to feel so alone and want to get away from it all. In that light, at least grant me some respect for my decision. Granted I should have said goodbye, but it would have made things harder.>

He maintained his grip on her shoulders with his near 5 inch claws protruding from his expanded paws and digging into her flesh. He could see out of the corner of his golden eyes that didn't move from hers, her blood trickling from the wounds on her shoulder and onto the floor.

[Nightcat]

Liz only heard about half of that. She was struggling too hard and kept trying to push him from her mind. The woman made small sounds of pain, but didn't stop struggling until she felt his voice leave her head. She had looked away at the mention of feeling alone and needing to get away. However this only made her mad, but she couldn't bring herself to hurt him. She looked back up at him, the pain shining through.

"You have no idea vhat I have been zrough... vhat I have done. Yes, I understand zose feelings, but I stayed. Gott knows how many times I zought of leaving or killing myself, but I still stayed because I have novhere else to go." Her velvety voice shook with anger. Her eyes glowed as she used telekinesis to life the cougar from her shoulders. She backed away quickly and pushed her back against the wall.

She narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "You are not ze only vone who has changed Falco. Ve all have."

[Falco]

When she set him back down, he shifted back into himself. It was a good thing he slipped his spandex like black X suit on under his clothes or he would have reformed in the nude. But there he was, standing before her in a completely black suit with the faint emblem of an "X" on his chest. He glared at her, it was true, he had no idea what she had been through. Then again, neither did she have any idea of what Ryan had been through throughout his life. He then spoke angrily towards her, nearly shouting.

"Then grant me some goddamn respect Liz! If I would have known I was going to be attacked after coming back I would have stayed away! If you want me to go, my bags are still packed, I will leave right the fuck now."

The last thing he wanted to do was leave. But he didn't want to be in a place where he was going to be ridiculed and attacked for doing something that probably saved his life in the end.

[Nightcat]

Liz took the shouting better than a lot of the other thought she might have. This was the second person that had returned that she had attacked. The first time it had been Chris and she had managed not to run her sword through him. Now she steadily held Ryan's angry gaze. She looked down at her bleeding shoulders and the wounds started to glow green as she used telekinesis to stop the bleeding.

She sighed, "Stay. Who knows... ve might need you. I should tell you vhat happened. I saw ze vay you looked at me..." She looked away from the man and clenched her hands before standing. She pushed past him into the room, "JADE! Vake up!" She didn't have the strength or the desire to attack the woman in the bed so she resorted to yelling at her. Liz turned and sat down on the couch that Ryan had in his room and waited for the two to snap to it.

[Falco]

He began to think to himself that maybe he should leave. He didn't take kindly to Liz's so called welcome and if it had been any other day he would have done a hell of a lot more damage to her. He walked back into his room, his shoulders square and ready, his mind alert to possibly defend Jade first, and then himself. He sat on the bed, though, and continued to glare at Liz.

"Tell me what the fuck is going on or I swear I will leave this place and the next time you see me I will be facing you in battle. You know me Liz, you know how much I love this place. I come back to it, I come back to those I care about, my family. And you attack me? I think you need to tell us both what the hell is wrong with you or mark my words, they will be the last said to you before we see each other next you know where."

Ryan surprised even himself with his assertive and commanding attitude, but he was backed into a corner and fiercely disrespected. He would not let this one go.

[Soni]

One minute Jade was in the arms of her long lost love, the next all hell had broken loose. When Ryan had gotten up to answer the door, Jade had rolled over and thrown her feet of the side of the bed. Just as she was going to stand, Liz had shown up and actually attacked Ryan, sending a strong TK blast at him that threw him against the wall.

Whether it was the shock of Liz's reaction or the power of her blast, Jade found herself stuck on stupid, almost paralyzed where she sat. She couldn't speak at the moment, let alone move. She just watch with a look of shock plastered on her face as Ryan and Liz had their little exchange. It wasn't until Liz walked over and screamed at her that she was able to pull herself back to reality.

"Dear god . . . what has happened to you?"

She spoke barely above a whisper.

"Elizabeth, I know you have to feel abandoned, but you have to understand why we left. Ryan left because he was still searching for himself, and you know what happened to me after he left. All I did was mope around this place like a lost puppy, and I knew that if I didn't leave I would never get over him. Not to mention the fact that my psycho father still was after me, he and his little henchmen had already done enough damage to this place and the people I cared about. I refused to let him hurt any of the people here ate the mansion anymore. I had to leave, we all knew that I couldn't run from him forever, so I had to get strong so I could face him alone."

She paused for a moment looking back and forth between Ryan and Liz.

"Liz you are not the only one that has been through hell these past two years. This place has always been a safe haven for mutants, when they had no where else to go. But as far as I can tell, that has changed. I understand your hurt, and horrible things must have happen to you, because you are not the Liz I remember. I came back to be where I thought I belonged, but if this is how things are, don't think for a minute that I won't walk right back out that door.

And you Ryan, what the hell was that? Jesus, you can see that she has changed, not that agree with her methods but you going buck wild isn't going to help the situation at all. So keep your claws away and talk, we are grown adults here.

Obviously your hurting Liz, and I know you feel like we abandoned you, but I know that is not the case. And deep down you know it too. I know I have to earn my place back on this team and I am willing to do, even if it takes the rest of my life. But I will not allow either of you to sit here and attack one another."

She didn't know where or not either would listen to her, but she prayed they would.

[Falco]

Ryan being who he was, he made a wise ass remark in a deep, angered tone as he waited for Liz to respond.

"Yes mother..." He said to Jade but still kept his eyes trained on the ball of fur in front of him. He spoke again, but this time to Liz in a more calm voice.

"Listen, Liz, I agree totally with what Jade is saying. Just because you have been through hell and back doesn't mean you have to bring hell to whom ever is around you. Just chill. I am sorry I attacked, but I was merely defending myself."