Chapter 1

Rose Littrell looked up and smiled when she spotted Aiden enter Miss Ellison’s classroom. She waved when he looked her way, but he didn’t wave back, didn’t even smile. He bit his lip, shuffled his feet a little, then dropped into a seat beside Matt. Matt smiled nastily at her before bringing Aiden into the conversation at the group of desks with his friends.

The bully desks.

Rose stared, mouth dropping open a little. Pain twisted inside her. Aiden had promised he’d never sit with them, never stop being her friend.

He had lied.

Wilting, Rose hunched her shoulders and started rearranging her already tidy desk - notebook, freshly sharpened pencils, homework folder. She tried to ignore the whispers from that side of the room, but she already knew what they’d say.

Freak.

Freak kid with a freak family and anybody that wanted to be friends with her was a freak too.

She’d thought Aiden wouldn’t listen to that, would keep being her friend like he had since their first day in Miss Ellison’s fifth grade class. She’d been wrong. Just because her mama, daddy, and older brother David were mutants. It didn’t help either that she was the only kid in her class--in the whole school--with white hair. Only Mr. Anderson, the music teacher, had white hair, and he was older than her Papaw Littrell.

A nudge at her elbow made her look over. Brooklyn frowned at the group. “Ignore them,” she said, fiddling with one of her dark red pigtails. “If Aiden wants to stop being your friend, then he’s not mine either and he’s a bigger jerk than all the rest of them.”

Rose tried to smile. At least she still had one friend in the class.

“Who needs him anyway?” she asked, trying to sound brave.

But her eyes kept drifting over to him as class went on, through the different subjects. He never looked at her, not once, even when Matt and the others made rude faces at her.

And then recess came.

Most of the time it was easy to avoid Matt and his friends. They always hung out at the jungle gym or kickball field, while Rose and Brooklyn stayed by the swings or the hopscotch games. But not today.

Rose and Brooklyn were on the swings, giggling and trying to act like they didn’t need anybody but each other, when somebody suddenly grabbed her swing’s chains and yanked backward, sending her flying forward with a scream of fright. Rose hit the ground, the pebbles digging into her palms and knees.

“Hey!”

Rose whipped around at Brooklyn’s shout to see Matt and Benjamin holding their swings and laughing at them.

“No freaks allowed on the swings,” Matt said with a mean grin. “Take your freaky selves somewhere else.”

“That’s not fair!” Brooklyn protested. “You won’t let us on the jungle gym either. The playground’s for everybody!”

“Not for freaks like you.”

“We’ll tell Miss Ellison,” Brooklyn threatened. “And you’ll get in trouble again.”

Matt scowled. “You’ll have to reach her first. Time to run, freaks.”

~~

“Think Ella and the boys will make it to the show Saturday night?” Brian asked as Kevin joined him and Howie at the table, his plate laden with lots of fruit alongside gravy-laden breakfast biscuits, eggs, and sausage.

“That’s the plan,” Kevin replied. “I know the boys can’t wait to tell me about their week. Jerald had a field trip to the Natural History Museum on Tuesday, and I think Luke has one today.”

“What about Ororo, David and Rose?” Howie asked Brian. “Are they gonna make it out?”

Brian shook his head with a disappointed frown. “Not this round. We’ll be done here by the time Rosie’s out for spring break. So, they won’t get to see any kind of performance till we do publicity for Don’t Go Breakin My Heart, and then back here in July. Ororo might be able to make it out by herself, but we’ll see.”

AJ joined them then with his own breakfast plate and coffee. “Too bad none of you teleport,” he remarked. “Then they could pop up here and back home again in a blink.”

“Not even Kurt is that powerful,” Brian pointed out, referring to fellow mutant and his wife’s fellow X-man, Kurt Wagner, code-named Nightcrawler. “He’s a strong teleporter, sure, but even he’d have to make several stops along the way.”

The Boys jumped as a loud crash and scream broke through the gentle murmurings of the hotel’s other guests. Brian grunted and gripped the table, trying to brace himself against the wall of panic that ran into him, heart beginning to race to match the feeling.

“You try to prepare yourself for sudden ones,” he muttered, “but it never works.”

Almost eighteen years as an empath, and some incidents still took him by surprise. He exhaled slowly as most of the panic quickly subsided. A little bundle of it still remained, though, so he turned when he heard one of the restaurant workers speak.

“Are you okay, honey?”

A little girl’s voice answered. “I think so… What happened? Where am I? Where’s Brooklyn?”

The worker grunted in confusion. “You’re at the Fairfield Inn. Is Brooklyn a friend of yours?”

A group of patrons and restaurant workers were gathered around a cart they’d just righted and now worked to pick up the scattered dishes, blocking the child from Brian’s view. He knew his daughter had a friend named Brooklyn, but neither of them would be here.

“My best friend,” the girl replied. “Is Fairfield Inn in New York?”

Brian stiffened. Impossible. Well, not really, but still…

“There might be, honey. But you’re in Las Vegas.”

Surprise and confusion bloomed as the girl said, “Las Vegas? How’d I get to Las Vegas? My daddy works here. He sings at Planet Hollywood.”

Brian’s jaw dropped. How? “Rose?”

He got to his feet at once, ignoring the blast of surprise and the confused looks. The move brought the child into view. Wavy white hair inherited from her mother, olive skin, blue eyes. It was Rose, all right. She spun around, trying to spot him, but the worker found him first and turned her in the right direction as Brian started toward them.

“Daddy!”

Rose raced around tables, and the other patrons wisely stayed in their seats to keep out of her way. Brian held out his arms and let Rose barrel into him. He held her tight and sent out a wave of comfort to counteract the fear and relief that emanated from his little girl.

He glanced up at the workers as they finished cleaning up the mess. “Did she break anything? You can put it on my bill if she did.”

The woman that had spoken to Rose--her tag said Mia--just waved it away. “Don’t worry about it, sir. You just find out how she got here from New York.”

So she hadn’t missed the comment after all. Brian nodded and turned Rose back toward the table. As they moved, he caught a tendril of a thought from the woman.

… more mutants in Vegas…

He glanced over his shoulder with a frown and studied her. He didn’t sense any animosity; more like frustration or weariness. Caught, her gaze darted away and she turned her focus to the other patrons. Tempted as he was to do the same, Brian had a more immediate need. Returning to the table, he saw that someone had pulled over an extra chair for Rose.

“What happened sweetheart?” he asked as they sat down. “You’re supposed to be in school. In New York. How did you get here?”

Rose shrugged, her blue eyes darting from him to the table. “I don’t know.”

Brian frowned at the answer as Rose’s fear started to push at him again. Fractured images started to slip into his mind. “What is it? Do you need me to see instead of tell me?”

Rose shook her head vigorously, eyes wide. For some reason, knowing he could read her mind was frightening, so Brian had promised years ago that he never would without her permission.

Howie slid over some fruit he and Kevin and AJ had shared from their plates. “Want something to eat, Rosie?” he offered. “It must be coming on lunch time for you.”

After a moment, Rose nodded. “We were at recess. Lunch was gonna be later.”

She took a slice of melon, but paused before taking a bite. “Aiden started sitting with Matt and Benjamin and Jackson.”

It took Brian a moment to realize who she was talking about. “I thought Aiden was one of your friends.”

“Me too,” Rose mumbled before taking another bite. “But Brooklyn said we didn’t need him if he was gonna be a jerk and stop being our friend and sit with all the bullies instead.”

“Bullies?” AJ repeated in surprise. “You getting picked on at school, Rosie?”

Rose hunched her shoulders and nodded, eyes on the table. She blinked rapidly and swallowed. “They keep calling me a freak,” she revealed. “And anybody who wants to be my friend is a freak too. Just ‘cuz mama and daddy and David are mutants.”

Brian closed his eyes, his heart breaking at her words. This wasn’t the first time his daughter had been bullied for being part of a mutant family, but this time she had lost a friend to them. He pulled Rose into a tight hug and placed a gentle kiss on her head.

“I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” he murmured.

Rose sniffled. “Me and Brooklyn were on the swings at recess--Matt and Benjamin and Jackson won’t let us on the jungle gym--but this time they made us get off the swings too. Said freaks aren’t allowed on the swings.”

Irritation from the other three at the table tickled Brian’s senses. Howie spoke. “Freaks aren’t allowed on the swings? I swear, bullying starts younger every year. Did you tell your teacher?”

“Didn’t get the chance,” Rose replied. “Matt said it was time to play ‘Tag the Freaks’ and they started chasing us.”

Brian frowned. That was a new one. “Tag the freaks? What on earth is that?”

Rose just poked at a grape and didn’t answer for a minute. Brian glanced around the table and noticed that his friends were just as horrified as he was. He could also sense the worry from Kevin. He understood. Kevin and his wife were both mutants, like Brian and Ororo, and their boys were both still in elementary school. There was still time before their powers, if any, emerged, but Kevin could now see that that didn’t mean they wouldn’t be made fun of or bullied.

Rose started to explain, her voice so quiet that the four men had to lean in to hear. “Matt and the others chase me and anybody else that’s still my friend until we’re too tired to run and then they catch us and push us and keep calling us names and--"

“How do the teachers not see this?” Kevin demanded.

“They don’t do it at school,” Rose admitted. “Before today. It’s on our street or at the playground.”

Brian’s eyes widened. “Is that why you come home scraped up and crying sometimes?”

She winced and ducked her head, nodding.

“Rose, why didn’t you ever tell us the whole story? I thought it was just you and your friends getting a little too rough. Mom and I could have talked to their parents. We could have let Miss Ellison know and she could help. This needs to stop. Speaking of Miss Ellison,” he paused and pulled out his phone, “I need to call her and your mom and let them know you’re okay.”

Scrolling through his contacts, he prompted, “You said those kids started chasing you and Brooklyn. What happened then?”

Rose made some uncertain noises, her nose scrunched as she tried to think. “We were running, and Brooklyn was calling Miss Ellison, and I wished you and mom were there to stop it and… I don’t know… I was here and ran into that cart thing.”

Brian glanced at AJ as he brought the phone to his ear, having found Ororo’s number. “AJ, you joked about having a teleporter in the family a minute ago. Looks like you might be right.”

Chapter 2

Ororo moved to Beast’s side as their students gathered around them on the field for today’s lesson. This group had a mix of energy users and telekinetics and she couldn’t remember what else, so Beast had decided to take today’s class outside to the farthest practice field on the front lawn of the Institute. She spotted her son David whispering with a couple of girls, and they were all smiling.

She shook her head. If it hadn’t been for the fact that his curls were white instead of blond and he had darker skin, he’d look exactly like his father. Jackie had shown her pictures almost every time the four of them flew out to Kentucky for a visit, just so she could see how much David looked more like Brian every day. Seeing those photos had been an amazing surprise. Not just that Jackie had been right, but the chance to hear and see more about Brian’s childhood. Over the years, Ororo had wished she’d had the same type of childhood instead of living as a little orphaned thief in Africa after her parents had been killed when she was a little girl. Once Brian had heard her story, he’d teasingly sung the chorus of As Long As You Love Me to her. And for the first time, that song became her favorite. She’d suddenly realized just how true it really was for her and Brian. Brian hadn’t judged her; he’d known the kind of woman she was now, had fallen in love with, and it didn’t matter what she’d done in the past because she had moved beyond it and left it behind to become an X-Man.

Hank stood there waiting for the students to settle, large furry hands clasped behind his back. When most had settled down, but not all, he tried clearing his throat for attention. When that only got a couple more eyes on him, he shot a glance at Ororo. With a flick of her hand, a short, sharp breeze blasted across the group.

That got their attention. She wasn’t pleased to see that David had been in that last group and now looked sheepishly up at her and Hank.

“Now that we have your attention,” Beast began, “let us begin. As a reminder, though you should not need one, please silence your cell phones so that your full focus can be on learning and not the Internet.”

Ororo grimaced when her phone rang in her pocket just then. The students laughed as Beast made a face at her.

“I believe I just said something about silencing cell phones, Storm.”

She blushed and pulled out her phone. “Sorry, Hank.” She was about to reject the call when she realized it was from Brian. She frowned. Brian knew class was in session here. He’d just be sitting down to breakfast himself, if she remembered right.

She chose to answer the call, hoping it wasn’t an emergency. “Hi, honey. Can I call you back in a--”

“Rosie’s here in Vegas.”

Ororo stopped and blinked, not quite understanding. “What?”

“Rose is here with me,” Brian repeated, “in Las Vegas. She popped out of nowhere, right in the middle of the restaurant.”

Ororo’s mouth dropped open, her eyes immediately going over to where David stood watching her. Seeing her look his way, he frowned and mouthed “what?” Instead of answering, Ororo told Hank to just keep going, then turned and moved away from the group.

“How did she get there?” she demanded. “Rose should be at school!”

“I know. I think we have a teleporter in the family, Ro.”

“What? But she’s only ten!”

“Considering how I got my powers, should we really be that surprised that it hit her this young? And age doesn’t stop the bullying.”

Ororo’s heart sank. Oh no. “What happened?”

“One of Rose’s friends started hanging out with the kids that bully her instead of with her and Brooklyn. At recess today, those kids forced the girls off the swings and started chasing them. Seems that’s what happens when she comes home scraped up most of the time after she’s played with friends, but she was scared to tell us the truth. Rose said she wished you and me were there, and all of a sudden she was here and crashed into a cart of dirty dishes.”

“Is she okay?”

“Other than freaked out that she’s somehow here and not at school and doesn’t know where Brooklyn is, she’s okay. Hungry, too. Kev, thanks for getting her some food.”

“Are all five of you there?”

“All but Nick,” Brian replied. “He’s still home. We had plans to meet up with him later. I might ask if I can leave Rose with Lauren and Odin until the show tonight.”

Ororo heard her daughter protest at once. “No! I wanna stay with you!”

She chuckled, then asked, “Does her school know what happened yet?”

“Not from me, yet,” Brian said. “I wanted you to know first in case they contacted you once they found out she’s missing. We need to let her teacher and Brooklyn know. I’m sure Brooklyn is gonna be freaking out that Rose suddenly disappeared.”

Ororo nodded. She knew how close Rose and Brooklyn were. To suddenly have her best friend disappear like that would scare anyone.

“On top of that,” Brian continued with a sigh, “looks like it’s also time to move Rose to the Institute. I mean, she made it here in a single jump, Ro. Not even Kurt can do that.”

Ororo shook her head in disbelief. “She’s so young. I don’t know if we’ve ever had a student her age here. David hasn’t been here a full three years yet himself.”

“Didn’t you say he’s still discovering powers, too?”

“And I think we’ve found one more. We think he has your ability to communicate in dreams.”

Brian whistled. “Wow. How many does that make now?”

“Three, I think. The energy shield like yours, the dreams, and his own phasing through solid objects. He’s actually in the group of students I’ve got with Hank right now.”

“Then I’ll let you get back to class, and I’ll call Foxwood. And go ahead and tell David about Rose when you get the chance. I’m sure he’s curious.”

Ororo made a face. “Especially since my phone rang just as Hank said to silence them.”

Brian chuckled. “Whoops. I’ll let you go, then. I love you, Ro.”

“Love you, too.”

She heard Rose call out, “Love you, mama!”

Smiling, she said, “Give her a kiss for me. We’ll figure out how to get her back home later.”

When she returned to the group, her phone now silenced, she found David waiting with Hank instead of on the field practicing with his classmates. He’d evidently been focused on her instead of Hank’s instructions, so Hank had pulled him off the field to wait. When Ororo told them about Rose, David wanted to rush out to Las Vegas and get her right then.

“She’s okay, David,” Ororo reminded him. “Your dad will look after her and call the school. We can head out later tonight or tomorrow. In the meantime, you can keep practicing and focus your powers. And get ready to see Rose here every day once we get her back home.”

When David reluctantly returned to the field and his classmates, Hank remarked, “She’s rather young, isn’t she? But then, with the way her father got his powers…”

“That’s what Brian said, too.”

“Do you think we should run any tests when she gets here?” he asked. “To see if we can predict any other changes she might go through?”

Ororo frowned. Some of the training David went through here wasn’t just to stretch his growing powers. It was also to see if the DNA he’d gotten from his father could harm David, too. Brian had nearly died before they’d discovered too many powers inside him and found the way to save his life. She’d been afraid to admit that she was worried that same thing might happen with David and Rose. Brian had understood--had had the same worry, in fact, when they’d learned Ororo was pregnant with David, with the baby they had lost in between him and Rose, and then Rose herself. Rose had also been a difficult pregnancy, and they had almost lost her, too. But, by some miracle, she pulled through and came into the world screaming and ready to live.

“I don’t know.”

~~

“Brooklyn, I don’t know how it happened! Daddy says I might be a teleporter, ‘cause I just disappeared from school and showed up in Las Vegas.”

Brian watched as his daughter clutched his phone tight in her hands, pleading with her best friend to understand. Her fright grabbed at him and nearly made him sick. With a great deal of reluctance, he put up an empathic block. They had a big day ahead of them, and as much as Brian loved his daughter, he couldn’t spend all of it fighting off Rose’s emotions.

A hand on his arm made him turn. “You okay?” Kevin asked.

“I’ll manage. I heard you talking to Ella.”

“Yeah, I told her about Rosie. She said to give her a big hug from the whole family as soon as I could. We’ll wait to tell the boys until you and Ororo say so.”

Brian smiled. “Thanks.”

“Betcha they’re gonna be excited, though,” Kevin admitted with a grin. “When they learn their cousin can teleport.”

“They’ll want her to show off all the time,” Brian agreed.

“Yeah, I promise,” Rose said into the phone, drawing his attention. “Once I learn how to do it right, I’ll show you.”

Brian started to interrupt, but stopped. Rose needed to make that promise. She needed her best friend to stay, had probably thrown out the offer like a lifeline. And Brian knew that with enough time and training, she could keep it.

A moment later, Rose’s smile told them everything they needed to know. Brian sighed in relief at the sight. He didn’t want to admit that his mind had gone to the ugliness that had happened over several months when he had first discovered his own mutant powers eighteen years ago. Until they had discovered what had really happened when that light had fallen on Nick and paralyzed him and how, Brian had nearly lost AJ as a friend. Even fans had turned away when they’d realized Brian was a mutant. Only a tiny number, thankfully, and all the work they’d done in the years since had brought new fans into the fold. To have a bond like that taken away was shattering. Brian would give Brooklyn a big hug when he saw her in thanks that she hadn’t abandoned her best friend.

The girls soon said goodbye. Rose returned Brian’s phone nearly crying with relief. Brian held her tight for a moment and sent waves of comfort to her.

“It’ll all be okay, sweetheart,” he promised.

Nick had a big hug for her too when they all met up at the studio. His disappointment at the bullying when Rose told her story again flowed so heavy Brian was almost surprised that he couldn’t physically see it floating around the room.

“You know,” Nick said, “I’ll just bet they’re really jealous because your family has powers and they don’t. But they just don’t want to show it, so they act mean.”

Rose crinkled her nose. “Really?”

Brian felt the spark of hope mixed with her disbelief. Don’t build her hopes up, Nick. It might not be true.

“You never know,” Nick replied with a glance at Brian. “Some people are like that. A friend of my ex-girlfriend finally admitted to me one day that she’d done everything she could to break us up because she’d been jealous that I had powers.”

“Why?” Rose asked.

Brian echoed her confusion. He remembered the woman, recalled that he’d sensed jealousy in the friend but had just assumed it was because she liked Nick as well as his girlfriend did.

Nick shrugged. “It never made sense to me, but she apologized anyway. So, who knows what those kids really think when they’re bullying you?”

“Daddy could. He can read minds.”

“But he won’t unless we say it’s okay,” Nick reminded her.

Nick’s explanation seemed to satisfy her for the moment. So, she sat and listened while Brian and the others worked on songs. Nick also kept her entertained when he wasn’t in the recording booth, using his telekinesis to play one of the guitars, making it seem like someone invisible was playing it. Sometimes he’d even float her around the room and turn her upside down, leaving her giggling. Once, Kevin helped her plink out some nonsense tune on the piano. AJ and Howie would make silly faces with her for photos and Instagram posts (with Brian’s permission). When Brian wasn’t in the booth and Rose wasn’t otherwise occupied, she was right by his side either on his iPad or just listening to the music. After a couple of hours, Brian not only realized that Rose had finally begun to relax, but she was starting to nod off. She’d fight it, though. Her head would start to droop, but then she’d jerk back awake. Her fear when that happened fluttered at him so often that he finally knelt beside her and whispered that if she needed rest, it was okay.

“We’ll still be here when you wake up,” he promised.

He placed a kiss on her head and sent a wave of comfort with it to help her relax. Within half an hour, she was asleep. Brian sighed in relief. A sudden spike of irritation and fury turned his gaze to the others.

“You’d think ten-year-olds would know better,” Howie remarked.

“Why?” Brian asked. “They’re ten. They’re still taking example from their parents on right and wrong. The three that bully Rose, I know their parents. All the couples are split on how they feel about mutants--one parent accepting mutants, the other not so accepting and more racist.”

“Guess which one is loudest, then,” Nick grumbled.

“And Rose pays the price,” Kevin said with a sad sigh. “Should I be grateful my boys haven’t faced any of this yet? Or do I ask them if they’ve been bullied, but haven’t told me and Ella?”

Three hours later the men called it a day at the studio. Now it was time to head to Planet Hollywood for some more rehearsals. Brian woke Rose with a gentle shake and led her out to the car.

“Why you gotta rehearse?” Rose asked when they got to the theater. “You do this all the time.”

“We need to make sure we really remember all the steps and the words,” Brian explained, “and where we need to be on stage. We also gotta to make sure everything’s working right. We don’t want to be left hanging in the air like we did that one time.”

Rose frowned. “How come Uncle Nick didn’t fix that? He could’ve.”

Nick replied, “Because the people in charge of that didn’t want me to. They wanted to try to fix it themselves.”

Brian could see that it didn’t make sense to her, but it would in time.

Chapter 3

Rose waited at the edge of the stage as the Backstreet Boys went through several routines, in and out of costume, giggled at their soundcheck antics. Her daddy and Nick were the silliest. Kevin offered her his mic once and asked if she wanted to sing. Her stomach tightened, her eyes widened, and she shook her head rapidly.

“Come on, Rosie,” her daddy said, “you sing like an angel. It’s just us.”

She bit her lip but took the microphone anyway. “Will you sing with me?”

He smiled. “When have I ever said no?”

Rose smiled back and started singing one of her favorite songs.

“Well, well,” Kevin murmured, his voice gone high like he was surprised.

“It’s her favorite,” daddy said, then joined in.

Rose was surprised when Kevin, Howie, AJ and Nick joined in, too. She hadn’t known they knew this song, too. Kevin took her hand and led her out farther onto the stage. Was she ever glad it was just the six of them! If there had been way more people, Rose wouldn’t have done it. The thought made her stomach go tight again, so she made herself stop thinking about that and just finished the song.

“You weren’t kidding, B-Rok,” Nick remarked when the song ended. “She does sing like an angel. You guys haven’t done any family Christmas albums yet, have you?”

“Not with Rose, yet,” he said. “Just with Ororo and David. Maybe for this year?”

It took a minute to realize daddy was asking her. “Uh… maybe.”

After a few minutes, they said it was time to head backstage again. When they got there, Rose realized she had to go to the bathroom. Security promised they’d look after her. When daddy and the others headed off, saying something about the box screens, one of the men offered to help her to the bathroom. Relieved, she eagerly followed his lead.

But it seemed like he led her down one hallway after another. “Aren’t there any bathrooms any closer?” she wondered.

“Yes, but they’re broken,” the man said. “Here’s one you can use.”

Rose darted inside almost before he’d finished speaking. As she did her business, she thought about that morning. Why had Aiden started sitting with Matt and the others? Had she done something to make him mad or hurt his feelings? She’d thought they were friends. Was it like Nick thought, and they were all jealous that her family had powers and they didn’t? Could she get Aiden back as a friend if she showed him how she teleported like she was gonna show Brooklyn? It was worth a try.

“There you are,” the man said when she left the bathroom. “For a minute there I thought you’d turned invisible and snuck away from me.”

Rose thought that was a weird comment for a minute, then she remembered that her daddy could turn invisible. That would have been a cool power to have. Then she could have just hid from Matt and the others until they got bored and did something else.

“Well, let’s go.”

Rose frowned when he started walking. It looked like the same direction they’d been going. “Didn’t we come from the other way?”

“We got a little turned around,” he replied. “This way should get us where we need to go.”

But when he opened a door a few minutes later and it turned out to be stairs, Rose knew he was wrong. They’d never gone up or down any stairs or elevators or nothing.

“That’s not it,” she said, backing away.

The man scowled at her and grabbed her arm. “I said it’s the way we need to go. Now move it!”

Rose tried to pull her arm from his grip. “Let me go! That’s not the right way!”

“Stop fighting me, you little misfit!”

He dragged her into the stairwell, but Rose kept fighting for him to let go. She somehow broke away and raced for the doorway. The man grabbed her around the middle and lifted her up.

“No!”

A ball of fire built up inside and exploded out as she screamed.

“DADDY!”

~~

“DADDY!”

Brian’s hands flew to his ears in shock at the volume of the scream. The others shouted in surprise. They’d all felt the scream vibrate through the mic stands and the box screens they stood in high above the stage. For a moment, Brian couldn’t move, trying to process every sensation hitting him: the piercing shock; the swirl of confusion; somewhere, distant, a burning fear.

“What happened?” Howie asked. “Was that Rosie?”

That snapped him out of it. Frantic, his gaze darted around the backstage area. “Where is she? Where’s Rose?”

“Colby took her to the bathroom,” Mike remarked.

Brian frowned, his heart beginning to race. “Who’s Colby? We don’t have a Colby working for us.”

Mike frowned. “I thought he was an intern. That’s what he said.”

Brian shook his head, then looked to his left. “Nick, get us down,” he pleaded. “We gotta find her.”

“You got it.”

Brian felt himself lifted off the box screen and quickly lowered to the stage floor. As soon as his feet touched, he was off and running. “Nick, hurry! I think I’m gonna need your help.”

He didn’t wait for a response as he raced off, but he sensed nearly half a dozen people following him.

We’re coming sweetie, he thought. Would she be able to let him see where she was? He reached out mentally as he ran, seeking her familiar presence.

“B, I’m locking the doors so they can’t get out.”

“Thanks, man,” he called back, once again glad that Nick had received his telekinetic ability eighteen years ago. Once Brian and Ororo had returned from their honeymoon, they had gone back to New York, bringing Nick and Kevin with them to the Xavier Institute so the two could learn how to use their abilities and Brian could continue to strengthen his. Nick had been beyond thrilled when his control over telekinesis kept getting stronger, thanks in part to Jean’s tutoring. Now he was strong enough to put an entire building on lockdown.

Hallway after hallway came up empty except for the regular Planet Hollywood workers. Passing some, Brian thought he heard radios squawking with the announcement to look out for Rose with anyone suspicious.

Another scream rocked the building as Brian raced down the stairs toward the first floor. He stumbled, but quickly caught himself and leaped down to the landing. Thoughts from Planet Hollywood security slipped into his head--Caucasian male, dark hair and tattoos, struggling to hold a little girl, heading for a side door. Brian altered course to follow other security heading the same direction.

He called to Rose again, and this time was rewarded with a moment inside her head. She fought to get loose, but the man held tight, ordered her to stay still. Shouts drew her gaze. Men in uniforms running toward them both, passing fake plants and big chairs. They demanded the man let her go. He slammed into a door. It wouldn’t open. Pushed again. Nothing. Rose wriggled again and kicked out. The man’s pained shout echoed in Brian’s mind as the sight faded away and he realized he was coming up on them fast. One security slammed into the man, sending both to the floor. Freed, Rose scrambled away. Another guard reached out for her, but she darted away with a small scream.

“Rose!”

Brian’s shout drew most of the attention before the guards turned back to the man fighting to get free. Rose barreled into Brian, already crying. He held her tight and whispered soothing words, keeping an eye on the man who’d tried to kidnap her, and fought to catch his breath.

Nick landed beside him. “I thought you could fly without turning into a hawk.”

“That went dormant several years ago,” Brian replied. “The hawk’s the only way I can do it now.”

“Oh, that’s right. So, who is this punk?”

“Let’s find out.”

Rose tightened her grip and whimpered when they tried to step toward the man now being handcuffed. Brian handed her off to one of the group’s own guards that had followed them and then the friends approached the would-be kidnapper.

“Why’d you take my daughter?” The raging anger nearly sent his voice into a growl.

One of the guards reached out to hold him back as he got close. “Sir, let us handle this. We’ve caught him, so just get back to your daughter.”

“Tell me,” he said, ignoring the guard.

“Sir--”

“To give the Diversity a new leader,” the man replied.
Brian blinked in surprise. That was not an answer he’d been expecting.

“You may be Brian Akelason, but you’re not the man meant to lead the Pocatello clan.”

Akelason. He hadn’t been called that since the Old One had died and given him power and leadership over the Pocatello clan of the Enigma Diversity.

“You had your chance to speak up five years ago,” he pointed out. “Why didn’t you do it then? And why did you think taking my daughter was the way to bring the clan a new leader?”

“I’m not part of the Pocatello clan,” the man revealed. “But I know someone that is. And Akela bound him to silence for whatever he’d done until after the Old One passed on.”

“Kidnapping is still an offense,” said the security guard holding the man. “In the judicial system and the clans.”

Brian looked up at him in surprise. The guard’s green eyes flashed brown for just a moment. How had he not recognized a fellow clan member?

“So, let’s get the police here,” another guard said. “Have them take care of it.”

The first shook his head and yanked the kidnapper to his feet. “This one’s a clan matter. Leadership’s been challenged inappropriately in at least two ways. Now, which clan do you belong to?”

“Wait a sec,” Nick interrupted. “How well known is the Diversity here in Vegas? It’s practically a secret in Idaho, isn’t it?”

“It is most places,” the first guard replied. “But Vegas is more accepting. Now,” he turned back to the kidnapper, “which clan? Surely you’re not stupid enough to do this and be part of the Vegas clan. I don’t recognize you.”

But it seemed the man had decided to go silent.
“Then I guess we’ll have to turn you over to the Pocatello clan and they’ll take care of your punishment. I wouldn’t hold out for much sympathy since you tried to kidnap Mr. Littrell’s daughter.”

Brian felt a subtle change inside, an acceptance of responsibility, and knew what he had to say. “He’ll still get a fair trial from my clan. But what happens after that is not up to me.”

“We’ll arrange to get him on a plane to Idaho as soon as possible, then.”

“Thanks. I’ll call Cassidy and tell her to expect him, and to get ready for the trial.” He raised an eyebrow at the spike of fear from the kidnapper. “Well, now. What do you have to be scared of? The trial? Or is it Cassidy?”

The man didn’t reply; the fear only grew. So, the guards led him away toward an office where he’d be kept until the plane was ready.

“All the clans know Cassidy Holt,” the Diversity guard revealed once the man was out of sight and the other security had begun to disperse back to their assigned posts. “You don’t mess with the Raven of Pocatello. She protects her clan as fiercely as its leader does.”

Brian grinned at the use of his friend’s title. Not many knew he’d been the one to give her that title years ago. He’d given it as a joke, simply because she was the only raven in the clan. But when a neighboring clan had tried to attack theirs about two years after Brian had joined, and Cassidy had been a major part in defeating them, the name stuck. Her fame had evidently spread throughout the clans all over the country.

“Thanks for your help,” Brian said. “What’s your name?”

“Mark Ryan,” he said as they shook hands. “Andrea assigned several of us to watch over you and your group during your stays. I don’t know how this guy slipped past us.”

Brian nodded. Andrea Whittaker was the leader of the Las Vegas clan. He’d met her last year when the Backstreet Boys had arrived for the Vegas residency, partly to meet other clans and partly to assure her his wasn’t trying to move into her territory. “Somebody said he’d claimed to be an intern. That’d probably slip by anybody. I’m just glad you were able to catch him before he got away with Rose.”

“Me, too. How’s she doing?”

She’d calmed down a little, they discovered, but she was definitely ready to go home.

“When Mom and David arrive,” Brian promised. He looked her over carefully. “Are you okay? Did that guy hurt you?”

Rose nodded and rubbed her arm, first at her elbow, then her shoulder. “He grabbed my arm and tried to drag me down stairs. He picked me up when I wouldn’t stop fighting. I tried to get away, but I couldn’t. He wouldn’t let me go.”

Kevin knelt beside them and gently pulled up her sleeve to look. No bruising, as far as Brian could see, but it would still hurt. He saw the slight glow under Kevin’s fingertips that indicated he’d already started healing the injuries.

Rose continued, “I started screaming like you told me to if I ever got in trouble. Is that how everybody found me?”

“It sure was,” he replied. “You did the right thing, honey.”

“In fact,” Kevin remarked, “your screams were so loud and powerful, they made the whole building shake.”

Rose’s eyes widened. “They did?”

Brian made a face at Kevin, but his cousin ignored it and said, “Sure did. Looks like you’ve got another power.”

Rose smiled at that. “Like daddy and David?”

To Brian’s surprise, he thought he sensed relief coming from her along with excitement. Had Rose been worried she wouldn’t have any powers at all? It wouldn’t have been a bad thing. But at least maybe the worst of the bullying would stop once she was out of Foxwood and attending the Institute.

Kevin released her arm after a few more seconds. Rose rolled her shoulder and wiggled her arm, then a big smile filled her face and she hugged him tight with repeated thanks. She stuck close to both him and Brian as they headed back to the theater with Nick and the few security guards that had followed them. Brian wasn’t looking forward to the conversation he needed to have with Ororo after this.

Rose stuck to Brian like glue the rest of the day and would only let him or the other Backstreet Boys take her to the bathroom if she needed it. She rode with him in his box screen a couple of times; Brian felt the thrill of her excitement and smiled. When she wasn’t there with him, she stayed close, in a chair or on the lowest step of the stands on stage as she watched the five of them rehearse.

After a couple of hours, when Mark stopped by and mentioned that a plane was ready to take the kidnapper to Idaho for trial, Brian finally remembered to call Cassidy and let her know what had happened. After expressing outrage, she asked how Rose was doing and to hear the story from her point of view. Brian understood as he turned the speakerphone on so Rose could answer. During any kind of trial among the Diversity, the victim’s presence was required except for extenuating circumstances. A concert that they couldn’t cancel or postpone and Rose’s unconventional presence in Las Vegas were extenuating enough. A recorded accounting over the phone would have to do for now. Brian also asked Cassidy to get in touch if she needed anything else before the concert started in a few hours.

“Just don’t forget to come and visit your clan once in a while,” she reminded him. “You might have made me the steward, but you’re the leader. You need to be here, or that challenge to your authority won’t be pointless.”

“I’ll be up there more once we’re done in Vegas for this round and Rosie’s settled in at the Institute,” he promised. “In the meantime, see if you can find out who our kidnapper was talking about.”

“I have an idea,” Cassidy revealed, “but I’ll find out for sure.”

“Thanks, Cass. You’re the best.”

Ororo and David arrived a couple of hours later. Brian wasn’t surprised to see that Kurt had come along with them. The blue-skinned, demon-like mutant was the strongest teleporter he knew and would likely be the best teacher for his daughter. Rose greeted Kurt in broken German, surprising him. Brian smiled at the sight. He knew Rose had been intrigued by Kurt’s stories of life in Germany and his years among the X-Men. Around Christmas, she had told him and Ororo that she wanted to learn German to surprise Kurt. She had put her whole heart into the effort.

While David greeted the rest of the group, Brian pulled Ororo to the side and quietly told her about the kidnapping attempt. Her eyes literally sparked in anger, both at the attempt and that Brian hadn’t told her sooner. He apologized and promised that their daughter was okay, and that she had stayed close ever since.

Husband and wife turned at a quiet pop to see that Rose was no longer at Kurt’s side. But before they could panic, they saw his grin, his tail swishing in pleasure. At David’s shout of surprise, they followed Kurt’s gaze and saw Rose standing beside him, Howie, and AJ, grinning and bouncing and brimming over with excitement.

“I did it!” she shrieked. “I did it, Uncle Kurt! I teleported!”

“Yes, you did, my little Mäuschen,” Kurt replied right after he teleported to her side. “Well done.”

David swooped his sister up in a hug, and Brian smiled at the excitement that rolled off his children. But it also reminded him of Rose’s sonic scream when she’d been kidnapped.

“Two in one day?” Ororo remarked in awe when he told her. “That didn’t happen with David.”

“It did with me,” Brian said. “I had my telekinesis first, but then Charles and I discovered my empathy shortly after I got to the Institute that same day. And remember when the telepathy hit?”

Ororo nodded slowly. “Around the same time as your invisibility.”

“We’ll have to keep a close eye on her,” Brian continued as they watched Rose try to teleport again. She managed it, but from the frown on her face, it wasn’t in the right spot. “If these two came so quickly, so young, who knows what else is inside waiting to come out?”