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There was quite an uncomfortable silence for a while, but eventually, the words came out. "Ok... so maybe, just MAYBE... my words were really stupid. I mean, you know how I get when I'm all pumped up on the speed, I get that adrenaline and..."

It was at that moment that Pietro noticed a strange side effect to having his powers stripped away. He actually had time to process the words that were coming out of his mouth, and he was surprised at how much bullshit he was capable of spewing. "I'm sorry," he admitted. "There... wasn't any excuse."

It was weird. Looking back, there was a lot that he couldn't excuse himself for. Not with Sasha, or with Wanda, or with quite a few others. It was as though after a lifetime of highs, he was finally coming down. And it was depressing as hell.

He snapped himself out of it as Sasha began talking about the baby kicking. He'd almost forgotten. He stared at her belly for a moment, and agreed. "Um... yeah. I'm no biologist but that s**t doesn't sound right at all..."

Elsewhere, Hank had finally finished touching up Pietro's arm, and was making his way into the infirmary. He quirked an eyebrow at the small collection of students gathered around around the new, lizard-like student, and smiled inwardly that there might finally be someone else in the school with whom he might relate to. After all... mutants liked to claim they had it bad, but for those who couldn't hide their mutations, it was a lot more difficult.

He was snapped out of his daze as he heard Sonya mention something about the baby kicking. He chucked when he heard the news.

"She's not even showing yet, dear, she wont be feeling anything for a while. Trust me, for the moment at least, she's--" he began, before he looked over to Sasha, and noted that she'd grown considerably in only a few hours.

"Stars and garters..." he said with muffled concern, not wanting to alarm Sasha or anyone else there. "What is going on?"

"Where do you want me to start?," Jacen asked Evelyn as they enjoyed the quietness of being outside.

"The beginning, I guess. I imagine a lot must have happened for the Institute to welcome Brotherhood members," she replied.

"....Yea...." Jacen lamented on that. Alot had happened. Aside from the constant in his life, he had changed. Watching people standing next to you getting picked off so much as bugs does things to someone. He had experieced death before, but that was before. That was when he used to be a catalyst towards that end. He never had an emotional attachment, friendship or otherwise with a teammate ever. Until he came to Xavier's school. Somedays, he cursed the fact that he had found friends where he lived.

"Were you going to tell me, or just leave me in the dark?"

"Sorry....just thinking....."

"About?" Penance looked curious as she looked into his eyes.

"'Bout what's happened the past year. It seems like it was an eternity since I heard of your disappearance." Jacen looked right back into her eyes. "Not even two weeks after you were gone......something BAD happened. Your boyfriend Forge...OW!"

"Don't even joke about that!" Evelyn was a bit angered at that. "Just thinking about him gets me seething."

"Obviously," he said rubbing his side, "But anyways.....he decided.....he kind of stole some of Magneto's plans....namely......stuff that I...liberated from various locations while I was under his tutelage...." Evelyn didn't look too pleased to hear that. "Sentinels. Lots of 'em. Magneto's plan was to unleash them on the humans...give them a taste of their own medicine. Forge's.....you thought his assault on the Institute was sick....."

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting go of Evelyn. "He set up right in the middle of NYC and let them all loose. Mutants, humans....they were all game for him." He took another deep breath then continued speaking. "By the time I got to New York, it was nothing but chaos. Bodies everywhere, civilian and fallen heroes. By the time I left the city that day, I was saved by heroes I never met before, watched those same heroes fall...and lost alot of friends."

"And since then?" Evelyn gave him a small hug, maybe just to calm him down a bit.

"Since then...I've been training. Alot. Mainly to make sure I'm ready for anything anymore...and secondly...to take my mind off of everything." Jacen gave Evie a gentle hug in return and said, "I can give ya somethin' you'll love babe. How about a homecooked meal?"

{Eh, I suppose so...}

"Well, that's odd," mumbled Raze, as the lights suddenly shut off. "Geuss we're going to need a little bit of illumination," he added, tugging his gloves off. With a snap of his fingers, his hands had burst into orange flames. "Come on," he said, motioning to Kidd. "There should be flashlights in one of the storage closets."

" oh, why'd it suddenly turn dark... its been dong that alot today...." kidd wondered, then the boy's hand burst into flame. hum, his power is fire neat!
"kidd, if you don't mine d my asking can you controle that...?" she nodded toward his hand.

Sasha was so surprised and moved by Pietro's unexpected apology, and started to cry. "What's wrong?" asked Pietro.

"Stupid hormones," sobbed Sasha.

Pietro gently wiped away her tears, but she began to wince as she felt her tummy grow bigger, tearing her shirt a bit.

"Ahhh!" panicked Pietro. "Is there a doctor in the house?!"

As if on cue, Professor Hank arrived in the room. He too was quite surprised. "Let me take some tests," he said.

Sonya held Sasha's hand. "I'm here," she said, looking over to Pietro. "Listen, what happened to your arm was an accident and I apologize. You can forgive me or not, but I think we should settle things before the baby is born, since you and I will sorta be family, whether you like it or not." And she paused. "You know, I always wanted a big brother, ever since my father left."

Professor Hank came back in. "I dont know how you've done it, but you've defied the laws of nature," he said.

"What do you mean?" questioned Sasha. Just then, she felt liquid below her waist.

"Great lord! I was gonna say you're eight months along, but your water just broke! You're in labor!"

"Pietro my friend...and I use the term friend loosely...my opinion of you had increased dramaticly..." She said having heard his apology. "What?!" Cathy though having watched the whole process was surprised by it. She looked at Hank. "Well don't just stand there...help me get stuff ready already...." Hank of cource was already moving. "Figured...I'm always a day late and a buck short...." She said shaking her head.

The thought of Forge and what he did was actually making her sick to the stomach. She still had the deep rooted need to want to stab him in the neck. Then, the thought of Jacen cooking actually made her taste buds water.

"As much as I would love that," She said and looked back at the house, "I don't want to deal with the people in there yet.... I just tried to kill a bunch of people I mostly dont' know."

"Jade did, not you," He couldn't help but notice her jaw clench in the way it did when something was really bothering Penance. She was grinding her teeth at the moment.

Frowning she turned to him, "How did you deal with it? How did you deal with that Rage did? I just can't seperate what Jade did from my own conscience."