The back door to the house slowly opened as Paige stuck her head through and peered into the empty kitchen. "It's okay, c'mon!"

She tip-toed across the kitchen tile, followed by her boyfriend who she'd met at the party.

"Nice house!" the young man whispered behind her.

"Thanks!"

As Paige finished, the main door to the kitchen flew open and Hank walked in.

Paige flung herself on Mark, shoving them down behind the center counter.

Beast made his way to the refrigerator and poured himself a glass of milk.

"Who is it?" The boy asked.

"Shh!"

Hank looked up after closing the fridge.

Silence followed.

"Hmm." He walked quickly out and turned off the light.

"That was so close! C'mon!" Paige again peered out into the living room, which would be the battlefield they'd have to cross to get to the stairs. "No one, lets go!"

They held hands as they snuck across the room.

"Excuse me Paige, but aren't you grounded, and isn't that a boy?"

They stopped in their tracks and turned to face Beast.

"Uh, I'm, um, that is, we were, he's, I'm . . . dead!"

"Uh, Mr., I didn't, ya know, mean nuthin'!"

"Come here . . .?"

"Mark!"

"Come here, Mark."

Mark verrrrry slowly and cautiously made his way to Dr. McCoy.

In a blink McCoy reached out and grabbed Mark by his shirt, pulling him close ( and almost off the floor). "If I ever see you with Paige again . . . I've got a shotgun and a shovel. LEAVE!"

Hank opened the door and threw Mark down the steps of the porch.

"Paige . . ."

She sat sobbing on the stairs, her arms folded and covering her face. "Paige--what's the matter?!" Hank hated crying girls.

"You are, Dr. McCoy! You don't know any of us, yet ya think you're our dad or sumpthin'!"

"Paige, I . . ."

"NO!" Paige ran upstairs, balling her eyes out and screeching. "Ah hate you!"

Henry P. McCoy paused, then sat on the couch, rubbing his forehead.

"What is it?" Jean asked as she came down the stairs.

"I don't want to talk about it, Jean."

"Fine." The suspense was killing her. " . . . What happened??"

Beast sighed. No getting away from Jeannie. "Paige let some kid in and was planing something, and I threw him out."

"Oh. Well, that's something to cry over isn't it?" Jean teased.

"But I feel terrible!"

"Don't. Give her five minutes, she'll get over it." Jean stood up and left, going into the kitchen.

"Why me?" Beast wondered aloud.

Sixteen days left . . .

Back to the X-Mansion
Back to the living room