Chapter 7

Angel sat on her bed, watching the moonlight that spilled into her room. She rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. 12:53 A.M. stared back at her. She sighed lay back down. Tonight would be a sleepless night, of that she was sure. Angel never had been comfortable sleeping in a bed that wasn’t hers. Counting sheep hadn’t worked; it only reminded her that she had gone to bed on an empty stomach.

She smiled when she heard faint voices across the hall. Her sister was still awake, most likely talking to Nate. “At least one of us is having a good night,” Angel thought. “But they’re probably doing a bit more than talking by now.”

Rose leaned back against her pillow, her bright green eyes watching his every move. Not that Nate had moved much in the last few minutes. They were both still a bit surprised; Rose at what he had just told her, and Nate for actually being able to tell her. They had sat in silence for the better part of an hour, until Rose decided to break it.

“Nathan,” she said quietly, “you have to go soon, don’t you?”

He slowly nodded, not daring to look at her. Telling her that he would be “out of town” for a while had been harder than he expected, especially since it would put a tremendous strain on their relationship.

“You’d better get going then, Nathan.”

Nate shook his head. “I’m not going, Rose. I won’t hurt you like that.”

Rose sighed. “This is your responsibility.”

“It’s not worth losing you,” Nate pointed out.

Rose shook her head and looked at him. “You don’t have a choice, dear. You can’t just ignore the problem because you want to stay with me. That’d be selfish of us both.”

Nate stared at her for a few moments. She was right, but he didn’t want to leave her like this. “I’m sorry, Rose.”

Rose smiled sadly and kissed his cheek. “I know, Nathan. Just come and visit me sometimes, okay?”

He smiled and hugged her. “You’re wonderful, Rose. Thank you.”

“Just one more thing,” she said as he got up to leave. “Do you still love me?”

“Forever and always,” Nate said. “Goodnight, my angel.”

“Goodnight, Nathan,” she replied, masking the pain in her voice. Nate turned off the light and quietly closed the door behind him. Rose waited a few minutes before she finally buried her head into her pillow, crying for all she was worth.

Betsy went through the woods, slipping in and out of the shadows. A quick walk around the mansion’s grounds had done wonders for her boredom. She jogged towards the rear entrance, and made her way around the house, avoiding the numerous alarm systems.

Just as she reached the back door, she sensed a great anger from above. Betsy glanced up and guessed it was coming from the roof. Diving into the nearest shadow, she emerged behind the chimney seconds later. She spotted a lone figure sitting on the roof, dangling its legs off the edge. Betsy scanned the being again, finding only darkness within its soul.

In one swift movement, Psylocke flew through the air, aiming a kick at the being’s back. But at the last possible moment, the being turned slightly, avoiding her attack. Instead, she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, while a hand covered her mouth. “Tell me, Ms. Braddock,” the being’s deep voice said within her mind , “do you always attack without thinking first?”

Psylocke struggled within his grasp, racking her brain for that certain judo throw that would work perfectly right now. “Careful,” he warned her, “wouldn’t want to fall off, would you? Nasty way to go.” She relaxed a bit, then threw him over her shoulder. He landed just in front of her, only having mere seconds to avoid the kick that sailed over his head.

Psylocke cursed herself for a fool. Not only had she picked a fight with a stronger opponent, he was also quick and agile. Though he had many opportunities, he never attacked her, only blocked her every move. “He’s toying with me,” she thought, and that worried her even more. Muttering a few choice words under her breath, Psylocke lashed out with a flurry of kicks. Her opponent stepped back and promptly squatted, delivering a wide-arching leg sweep.

He smiled as she began to fall, almost as if in slow motion. Moving with a speed few had ever seen before, he caught her just before she hit the roof. As he leaned over, the moonlight finally spilled over him, revealing his face. Psylocke stared at him before finally asking, “Nate, is that you?”

“Well, let’s see, Betsy. How many people do you know that sit on a roof after midnight?”

Nate saw a trace of a smile on her face right before she angrily pushed him away. “Why didn’t you say anything? Don’t you know I could’ve killed you?!”

Nate arched an eyebrow. “That’s highly unlikely, Betsy. You rushed in without thinking. And as you can see, I’m not without my physical defenses. Powers aren’t everything.”

“Fine, Nate. Then explain why I couldn’t place your psi-signature,” she said.

“I wasn’t masking it,” Nate replied, “but I imagine as the world’s most powerful psi, that might happen occasionally.” He closed his eyes for a few seconds and said, “Try now.”

Betsy reached out with her mind and got a firm lock on Nate’s psi-signature. The results were somewhat surprising. “Nate, I’ve never seen anything like this. Your signature...it’s different somehow.”

Nate shrugged. “I am different, Betsy. I’ve changed since you last saw me. I’m not the little kid with a crush on you anymore.”

“I agree,” she said, “you’re twice as cute now. And instead of a crush, it’s turned into an obsession.” There was complete silence for a few moments before she blurted out, “I was kidding! Except for the cute part, of course.”

A sigh was his response as Nate sat down on the roof’s edge. “I’m in no mood for jokes, Betsy. Especially not those.”

She frowned and sat down beside him. “What’s wrong?”

Nate decided to avoid the subject. “You know how I feel about you, Betsy.”

“No, I don’t. If you’ve changed so much, who knows how you feel about me?”

“It’s not my feelings for friends and family that has changed; it’s my view of the world. I was wrong about it.”

“How so?” Betsy asked.

“I made the mistake of thinking it was a happy place,” Nate answered. “You’d be surprised how much hate there is.”

“Nate...who am I to you?”

“Three answers spring to mind.”

“I don’t suppose trusted companion is among them?” she asked.

“Close enough,” he replied.

“Close friend?”

“Bingo,” said Nate.

“Okay....what else?”

“I’d rather not say.”

Betsy frowned. “That’s not fair, Nate, and you know it.”

“I’m sorry, Betsy, but that’s the way I feel.” He got up and headed for the stairs.

“You could at least have the decency to tell me!” she said, jumping up to block his way.

“Fine. You really want to know?” Nate asked.

“Yes, I do, so spill it.”

He sighed and said, “Betsy, you were, are, and always will be my first love. Goodnight.” He quickly stepped around her, avoiding her eyes.

Nate reached his room minutes later, and collapsed on the bed. “Yeah, my day’s been just great. First, I have to rule some place I’ve never even head of. Then I have to tell Rose about it. Finally, I play a very revealing game of True Confessions with the one person I care about most. Face it, Grey, things can only go uphill from here.”