Disclaimer: "There's having bad luck. And then there's being you."

(An: First off, this is a weird-pairing fic. There are a few canon, two slash, and a lot of hurt-comfort, so if that bursts your fanfic bubble, turn back now, mortal. There's also character death and angst. That said, it can get a little fluffy, and there are a couple of pairings that are just for fun. Oh, and it's really, really Rahm. Rahne/Sam, for the perpetually clueless. And we're imagining that Jubilee came back sometime earlier than Rahne.)

When Sam saw Rahne stroll into the mansion after two years away, he thought he was dreaming. God knew he'd imagined the scenario before- but every time he'd woken up.

But now it was real- he knew it was, because Rahne was tackling Jubilee, not him, and Bobby and Ray were there too, hovering around her.

Sam himself was watching, a little shocked, from the common room. Rahne hadn't seen him yet. All he would have to do was walk in there and he would be next to her again.

"All right, all right, get off me!" Rahne cried, giggling, as she shoved Jubilee away. "I missed you too, but this is ridiculous!" She stood up and brushed herself off. "Hey, Bobby," she said, smirking at the two of them.

"...BODY SNATCHERS!" Bobby yelled.

"The hell?" Ray demanded, rubbing his ears.

"That's the only explanation!"

Rahne put her hands on her hips. "Bobby Drake, have you really lost what brains you had? Did you have a funeral, Jubes?"

"He never had any," Jubilee replied.

"So then why are you dating him?" Ray returned.

"He's got a cute ass," she answered, cocking her head.

Bobby stared. "Body snatchers," he repeated, in a more normal tone.

Bobby's confusion was understandable; Rahne had changed a lot in the time she'd been away. She'd gotten taller, for one thing. While she still dressed pretty much the same, she'd traded in her sneakers for biker boots and her pigtails for letting her hair hang down to her shoulders. A pair of sunglasses was stuck in the reddish length.

"Any of you guys know where Rob is?"

Jubilee exchanged a glance with Bobby. "Why?" Bobby asked, after a moment.

"Because I want to say hello to him, daftie!" Her accent hadn't changed either; if anything, it had gotten thicker.

"I think he's out back," said Jubilee, with a warning glance at her boyfriend. She linked arms with Rahne and walked off.

Walking quietly for once in his life, Sam followed.

"I got a new roomate," said Jubilee. "She moved in about a year after you left. Her name's Dani. She's cool. I think you'll like her."

"Either that, or I'll have to bite her for stealing my room," Rahne agreed, and both girls laughed.

Sam knew why she wanted to see Rob- she'd had a crush on him for most of her time at the Institute. Rob was pretty much clueless to this- they'd flirted once or twice, but only Sam and Jubilee, Rahne's confidants, had known of her crush.

Sam swallowed as he remembered the close relationship they'd had. They'd been best friends. It wasn't until after she'd left and his world had crashed down around him that he'd realized just how close it could've been. Could he maintain that, now?

His questions were pushed to the back of his mind as Rahne and Jubilee and their unknown observer ran into Rob and Dani.

"Rahne, Dani, Dani, Rahne," said Jubilee.

"Hi!" Dani chirped, grinning at Rahne.

Rahne cocked her head and studied her for a moment, then returned it. "Hi yourself," she said, sitting beside Rob. She elbowed Rob. "Miss me?"

Rob rolled his eyes. "No, not really," he said, and then he laughed. "Stupid question, stupid answer, wolfy."

There was a light in Rahne's eyes whenever she was around Roberto.

Now, as Rob knotted fingers with Dani and both turned and smiled at Rahne, Sam watched that light die. It made his heart hurt to see her like that.

Jubilee saw it too- it didn't cause her pain, it just made her uncomfortable. "I'm gonna go find Bobby," she said, after a moment of biting her lip. "He'll be looking for pods soon if I don't stop him."

Dani burst out laughing.

"Oh, crap," said Rob. "I'll have to go with you- me and him have punishment duty in ten minutes!"

The two got up and walked away.

"So..." said Rahne. She was looking at her feet.

Apparently, in the weird language girls spoke, this meant a lot more than it usually did. "We're dating. Have been for a while now."

"Uh-huh."

Dani looked at Rahne and frowned. "Look," she said after a moment, "I don't know what it was between you and him, but I want us to be friends, ok?"

Rahne sighed, and looked up at Dani. "Aye, me too... and there wasn't anything. I just wished there was."

Dani raised and lowered one shoulder, as if to say "What can you do?"

Rahne copied the shrug, and got up and walked off... right past where Sam was hiding. She paused, frowning, and then spun. "Samuel Guthrie," she said, "why were you spying on me instead of coming out and talking to me like a normal person?"

Sam stepped out in front of her. He wanted to tell her why- tell her everything, for that matter- but he just... couldn't. He was always useless around girls, and it was only after Rahne had left that he'd realized she'd been one. Great time to get tongue-tied, Guthrie, he mentally yelled at himself. She wants an explanation! Say something! Anything, dammit!

But as hard as he tried, he couldn't say anything of meaning. All that came out was "I... um..."

She glared at him. "Not once," she accused, coming very close to him and glaring, "not once in two years did you call me, or send me a postcard, or anything to say you acknowleged I was still alive. And now you spy on me- when you knew what I thought of Rob!" Her eyes narrowed, and Sam realized she was close to tears. "You're not the person I thought you were."

She turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving Sam standing there, still stammering and wondering exactly what he'd just done to upset her so much.

(Ok, yeah that fight probably sounded really bad, buuuut there is a deeper explanation for it. This chapter is kind of short, but the other ones should get longer- there's more I want to pack into them. Hopefully, anyway.)