"I know Sean, yes, I know, but we have to do this, it's for the good of both teams!" Professor Xavier sat in his study, his hover chair humming quietly in the late afternoon air.

"Charles, that's what I'm here for! There's no reason ye should be sendin' th' X-MEN off ta baby-sit th' children!"

"It'll be good for your working relationship to go off together and limit the tension, thereby helping the team and showing the children what companionship can do for two opposing people."

Across the phone lines Xavier could hear the sarcasm in Banshee's voice. "Aye, right."

"Then they'll be there tomorrow." With a final decision the Professor hung up the phone, cutting off Sean's sputtering protests.

The Arrival

"Check the perimeters! NOW!" Shouted Bishop as he leaped out of the Blackbird.

"Lad, I dinnae think there's any danger." Banshee eyed him beneath his sunglasses.

"Except from the kids." Emma added under her breath.

"You can never be too careful." Bishop said reproachfully.

"Ah hear ya'll are goin' ta the Bahamas!" Rogue cried as she flew out of the jet.

"Yippee." Sean muttered as the former White Queen put her and on his shoulder and smiled.

"I can't wait to get there. I got a new bikini."

Banshee pulled away grimacing, at least.

"Ah see." Rogue said knowingly. Banshee grimaced-at-least again.

"Before I forget, here's your tickets." Cyclops said, handing them to the White Queen, much to Sean's dismay. "The professor sent a limo for you, here it is now." Banshee looked at the limo, then looked back at Cyclops and covered his eyes with his hand, holding back a sob.

Jean lifted Sean toward the car, forcing him to enter and sit among Emma's many suitcases. Emma eagerly got in the car and shut the door as it drove off, tires squealing.

The X-MEN approached the house and gathered their things by the front entrance way.

Bishop opened the front door, and immediately took a defensive stance as he was bombarded by Jubilee, Artie, Leech, and Franklin who demandingly asked for autographs and explantions to their arrival.

As Bishop made his way through the crowd of screaming, rowdy, candy fingered, black wristed, sticky handed, mouths ful of chocolate cake (We had it for lunch! Was Leech's excited announcement.) he quickly found that his once blue and yellow uniform was engulfed in chocolate stains and sticky gum.

Cyclops and the others stood back as Bishop was pulled further and further into the domain of TEENAGERS.

"You sure you want one of these?" Scott asked uncertainly.

"Aren't they cute?" Jean exclaimed, clapping her hands in glee.

"That's one word for 'em." Logan said gruffly before being knocked brutally out the door by a flying yellow trench coat.

The others laughed to themselves as they brought their luggage inside and asked to be shown to their rooms.

"What do you mean there isn't another house?! Jean and I are supposed to sleep alone for a month?!"

Chamber shrugged. Unless you want to explaim to the little 'uns what yer doin' in there.

"What--that was--how--I--you--we--us--"

We now know that you're very good at stuttering. So don't let anyone catch you two in the same room. Rumors are already flying that you're worse than the White Queen and Banshee.

Scott's mouth dropped at the receding back.

Working Out The Kinks

The hot sun beat down on Sean's disgsted face.

"Sean? I can't reach my back. Would you please put oil on there?" Emma smiled sickeningly.

He lowered his sunglasses and looked at Emma who was already sitting on her beach towel, waiting in her non-existent bikini.

"Lass, ye kin rub it on yuirself." The sun-bleached men behind her killed each other trying to get there first, overly willing to take Sean's place. She smiled as they swarmed around her.

"I'm goin' intae the bunkhouse. Come in when yuir done flirting."

Emma fluttered her fingers at Sean, turning her attention to the young man behind her.

As he entered the phone rang, and he picked it up as he dropped his towel on the bed, thinking as he did so, I've got tae find another room. I am not sharing a bed with that psycho slut.

"Aye?"

"Sean, how's everything going?" Came Xaviers tinny voice over the line.

"That depends on how long I'm goin' tae have tae live with her."

"Thirty days. But the real reason I was calling was to tell you that Moira called you, she wanted to talk."

"What'd ye tell her?" His voice came ominously close to cracking.

"That you were on a retreat in the Bahamas."

"What did she say tae it?" He asked cautiously.

"She said she'd get in touch with you there."

"{gulp}" With final words of discretion the conversation was ended.

Sean turned to see Emma through the window, striding towards the room purposefully.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mondo smiled and sniffed, the smell of pancakes burning reaching his nose. As he walked down the hallway the occasional expletives could be heard, coming from the direction of the kitchen.

He burst through the doors, his smile broadening as he shouted an enthusiastic "GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

He was answered by an even more enthusiastic splat as pancake mix slid off his face.

Scott whipped around, glancing first at the hardened face of Mondo, then at the hysterical Jubilee, batter falling off her spoon. "That was uncalled for Jubilation. You know there's children in Africa . . ." Scott was cut off by Jubilee's martyred sigh.

Mondo broke into another grin at the sight of the pancake mix Scott was diligently stirring.

"I wasn't aware that you cooked pancakes!" Mondo cried, still grinning.

"They're perfectly fine." Scott said coldly, looking at Jubilee.

She snorted."Ask Artie. He thought that they were fine too. Now he's in the infirmary from food poisoning." Scott glared at the teen, then turned back to his arduous project.

"Surely it's not that bad!" Mondo exclaimed, taking the plate of hotcakes that Scott had spent all morning making, and had expected to feed to almost everyone.

"Sure you got enough?" Jubilee asked sarcastically.

"Are there more?!" Mondo asked as he shoved syrup soaked pancakes into his mouth.

"Can Leech not have pancakes? Leech wants Chocolate Coated Sugar Bombs!" He asked, walking into the room after having visited Artie.

"What do you mean you do not want pancakes? I spent all morning on these pancakes and you WILL eat them!" His gaze, even under the ruby-quartz sunglasses was enough to melt steel. But Leech wasn't afraid.

"Haven't you put enough people in the infirmary? Let the kid have his Sugar Bombs."

"Chocolate Coated Sugar Bombs are hardly a nutritious breakfast. Not to mention the fact that they are coated in sugar and will rot your teeth."

"Thanks, Timmy the Tooth." Jubilee muttered.

"This is a serious subject, Jubilation. Sugar in itself is bad enough. For breakfast it's almost criminal. You shouldn't be taking this lightly. Do ou want to have all your teeth pulled out?"

"Is this a trick question?" Jubilee eyed him.

"You--" He was interrupted by Leech who was tugging on his apron.

Scott looked down into the inoccent eyes of Leech, who informed him that, "But Iceman let Franklin have Chocolate Coated Sugar Bombs. AND donuts."

"Iceman also thinks that Elvis set up a daycare center for the Muppet Babies."

"But, can I have Chocolate Coated Sugar Bombs? And donuts?"

"Awwwwwww, c'mon Cyc. Let the kid have some fun." Jubilee said.

"And when the dentist says that you have to have all your teeth pulled out because they rotted, don't complain to me."

"So I can?!" Leech smiled happily.

"NO!!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I just don't think it's necessary to spend more of the Professor's money than we need to." Emma pointed out rationally as she began to change.

"I can give ye a couple reasons why it's 'necessary'." Banshee said, turning away.

"If you can name one good reason, I would be more than happy to get another room."

"Well for one, there's only one bed." He said, eyeing the bedspread, afraid to look up.

"Oh, I don't see that as a problem. Many men and women sleep together in only one bed. Most even like it."

Sean choked."Dinnae ye have any morals lass?"

She blinked innocently. "I didn't say anything. Whatever you're thinking you came up with it on your own. Having problems with Moira Sean?"

"What di' ye mean by "problems"?"

"Oh, I don't know. She's out there, you're here. Seems like you can't . . . see . . .each other much."

"I dinnae ken whut yuir talkin' aboot. We see each other all th' time." Sean wasn't sure where she was headed with this, but he knew it couldn't be good.

"You do?! Good for you Sean! All the kids in the house but that doesn't stop you. Not at all. So . . .when are you going to teach sex ed.?"

The phone ringing saved Sean from having to answer her increasingly sticky questions, and he snatched it up gratefully.

"Hello?"

"Sean?! Th' Professor said I could find ye here. Just whut di' ye think you're doin', goin' of on vaation wi' th' mind witch?!"

"I can explain, Moira."

"Well, ye'd better start or I'm flyin' doon ther in th' Midnight Runner ta see just what is goin' on!"

"Don't you trust me?" He sounded hurt and Moira almost started to soften, until she heard the White Queen's voice.

"Sean, where do you want me to put your underwear?"

"WHAT DOES SHE MEAN WHERE DO YE WANT HER TAE PUT YUIR UNDERWEAR?!?!?"

"I dinnae ken what she's talkin' aboot." Sean held the receiver slightly away from his ear, which was already almost deaf.

"Ma bloody foot ye dinnae ken what she's talkin' aboot! Sean Cassidy just what are ye doin' up there?!"

"Trying to compromise."

"ON WHAT?! WHICH BEDSHEETS TA USE?!!!!!!!!!!!"

He was about to answer when the crash on the other end of the line told him that the phone had been slamed back into the cradle, and most likely pulled out of the wall . . . .

"So, how did it go?" Emma asked, smiling like the cat that ate the canary.

"EMMMMAAAAA . . . ."

Twenty-nine days left.

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