"So you're CERTAIN this is the BEST you have?"

 The employee of "Mark's CDs etc." gave Professor Xavier a searching look.

  "Yah, dude, this is THE best we have." He persuaded, pushing the discman into Xavier's hands forcefully. The Professor looked the emplyee up and down quizzically, surveying the nametag labelled, "Mark".

  "Now Mark." He said with a raised eyebrow, making Mark sigh and cross his arms lazily. "How can this be the best you have when it is not the most expensive?"

 Mark's eyes looked confused.

  "Uh...sure dude, lemmie take you to the megabucks section..." He rambled aimlessly, amist unburdening Professor Xavier from carrying the discman any longer.

******* *******

 Jamie bounced merrily on a chair in the living room. The springs in the chair made it great for jumping, and everyone was so busy with other errands, it was not as though anyone would stop him.

 Or so he thought.

  "JAMIE!" Jack cried, catching him mid jump and tossing him onto the couch parallel to Jamie's excersize chair. "Don't do that, you'll mess your clothes!"

 This earned a raised eyebrow from the four Jamies now on the couch, all wearing identical brown pants and blue shirts, (designed by Jack himself, made by Pietro), brown shoes (picked out with Kurt's fashion eye) and a tie (much to the enjoyment of Kitty, and dissapointment of Jamie).

  "Mess my clothes? Who do I got to impress?"

 Lance appeared behind Jack, looking mysterious.

  "Oh, you got...people...now lets go, everyone's waitin' for you to open their presents!"

 Jamie nodded and grinned, jumping from the couch as now a lone Jamie and sprinting torwards the door.

  "Last one there is a rotton egg!"

 Lance scowled playfully at this comment, catching Jack's eyes in an amused manner.

  "Oh noooo..." He said loudly, and Jack narrowed his eyes. "We wouldn't want to be rotton eggs, now would we?"

 Jack shook his head.

  "No...we wouldn't..."

 Grinning, they exchanged mischievous looks, before breaking into a full out runs after Jamie, what sounded like Ancient indian battle cries escaping their mouths and causing Jamie to look back in alarm.

  "Ahhh!" He yelled gleefully as he was lifted into the air, kicking and laughing as Lance and Jack tickled him. "Noooo, noooo! Lemmie go!"

  "Never!" Declared Jack, holding Jamie up as a perfect target for Lance's tickling torture. "We will NEVER surrender!"

  "Help me! Help me!" A defenseless Jamie giggled, and breathed deep as Lance abruptly stopped what he was doing and jerked his head, alarmed.

  "Uh...Jack, why don't you uh...go on ahead, I'll be there, I got uh...you know."

 Jack nodded and smiled.

  "Common, Jamie, let's go! You got TONS of presents to open, I saw 'em! Theres a huge pile!"

 His smile a replica of Jack's, Jamie felt himself being lifted onto Jack's shoulders.

  "Tally fourth!" Jack cried dramatically as they moved down the hall and into the main room of the Xavier institute, where the rest of the X-Men were waiting. At the sight of the large group of people awaiting him, Jamie's eyes widened and his mouth dropped open.

  "Alright, Short Stuff!" Tabby greeted happily as he dismounted Jack's shoulders, shoving a lumpy present into his hands and appearing starstruck. This expression was not far off from the glazed, fish eyed look Jack was giving Tabby, his mouth opening and closing, but no sound escaping.

  "Hey...um...JACK." Tabby gave the taller, older boy a wink for effect. "I got you a present too."

For a moment, Jack looked confused, but his confusion immediately changed to delighted surprise when Tabby kissed him lightly on the cheek.

  "Now, open your present, Short Stuff!"

 Jamie nodded and carefully ripped the paper off of the strange shaped package. Inside was a hexagon shaped box, slightly hollow, colorful, and the contents of it was none other than...

  "A FURBY!" Jamie gasped, giggling. Pietro and the newly returned Lance exchanged wide eyed looks, while Tabby (who seemed more excited about the present than Jamie did) finally burst with her bottled up enthusiasm.

  "I thought it looked really COOL! I'll set it up for you, kay Short Stuff?"

 Jamie nodded and handed his Furby over to Tabby. Jean rushed over next.

  "Happy Birthday, Jamie!" She said, smiling affectionately at the twelve year old and placing a neatly wrapped box into his hands. Examining it closely, Jamie neatly removed the papaer from the box, sure to set it aside, unwrinkled, for effect, and opened the box. Out tumbled a black jacket and matching...bowler?

 Jean immediately burst into explanation.

  "I realized you didn't have a coat, so I decided I would buy you one. It gets just as cold here as it does in Rhode Island. And, well, I couldn't stop there, I just had to buy you a hat to go with it!" She looked positely giddy with satisfaction as she put the hat on him.

  "Thanks Jean!" Jamie pulled the jacket on reluctantly. The jacket WAS stylish, and he didn't want to make Jean feel bad.

 Along with those two presents, Jamie got a pocketknife from Wolverine (much to the dissaproval of the older X-Men), a CD from Jubille (more like a "oh my gosh I want this CD so I think I'll buy it for Jamie and then borrow it forever" present), a strange set of cards from Amara, an ice cube tray from Bobby (okay...), a basketball from Tyler (and a promise to play), cologne from Pietro ("I use it myself, it attracts lady like hellfire!"), a few others, and sunglasses similar to Scott's from Ray (worn immediately after opening, of course.)

 Tabby and Jamie were both lying on the floor, poking and patting and feeding his Furby, when silence began to envelope the room.

  "Atty way, OBI!" The Furby belted happilly, unaware of the sudden stillness that the room held. Curiously, Jamie looked around to where the others were looking, and his eyes widened behind his glasses and a gasp escaped him.

 There, standing in the doorway of the room, was a woman around the age of thirty eight, her eyes a clear shade of blue, and her dark brown hair pulled back into an adventurous bun. The cheap looking green shirt she wore was stained with the tears that flowed from her eyes.

  "Mo..." Jamie was unable to finish the word as he stood up, pulling off the sunglasses and staring in amazement. "M-m-mom?"

 The woman choked out a sob as she ran forward to the boy, engulfing him in a tight hug.

  "Jamie...Jamie...it's been so long...so long..." She whispered in between sobs, never releasing her son from the death grip she held him in.

 Jamie could feel tears dripping from his eyes, and desperately wished he could put his sunglasses on. His mother was there, in front of him...after so many years, she was there. Hugging him. He could smell her. She smelt of cinnamon. She always smelt of cinnamon on special occasions.

~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

  "Waffles, mommy, I'm makin' waffles!" Four year old Jamie demanded, mixing the batter in the bowl somewhat clumsily. His mother raised her eyebrow at him questionably, eyes darting to the kitchen covered with scattered ingrediants, then back to her son.

  "Waffles, huh? Who're they for?"

 Jamie turned and gave his mother a look that clearly said "duh".

  "For you, mommy, these is for you! For mothers day!"

 A glimse at the calander. October.

  "Mothers day, hmm? Well, I geuss, if they're for me, you won't mind be adding some..." Hilary Madrox pulled out the hidden bag of chocolate chips mischeviously. "Chocolate?"

 This earned a giggle from Jamie as the two scooped handfuls of chocolate chips into the batter of the waffles, always carefully stirred and then poured into the waffle iron.

  "Watch out mommy!" Jamie cried, pointing behind Hilary as she backed up to examine the mess before her. She stopped, but not fast enough. Her foot made contact with a broken egg on the kitchen floor, and she fell promptly into an opened sack of flower, showering the contents thoroughly over the room. Identical blue eyes blinked at each other under layers of flower that caked their clothes and faces.

  "Are you okay mommy?" Jamie asked, jumping down from his stool and running to his mother's side. To his utter surprise, he was greeted with a faceful of flour.

  "Flour fight!" Hilary sqealed, hitting Jamie with another handful of flour. But this time, the flour was mutual, and her face was soon white with the powdery goodness.

  "I think this is the best mothers day ever!" Jamie claimed after the flour had been cleaned. Hilary gathered her son up into a hug and carried him over to their couch, snuggling her chin into his hair as the both lay down for a much needed rest.

  "You know what Jamie." She said, hugging her son close while he slept, breathing in the strong scent of cinnamon about her. "So do I."

~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

******** ********

 CRASH! The bike fell with a shattering impact onto the sidewalk, scratched and crestfallen five year old with it.

  "Mooommmeeeee!" He whined, rubbing at his now bleeding knee. Hilary Madrox stood in front of Jamie and picked him up, kissing his knee in sympathy.

  "You wanna give up, Jamie?" She asked, noticing the many bruises and cuts that her son now carried. But the boy shook his head.

 Smiling slightly, Hilary held the bike in place while Jamie mounted.

  "Ready, hunny?" Jamie nodded, his lips pursed in determination. Hilary ran beside the bike, accelerating it, than let go.

  "PETAL, JAMIE, PETAL! YOU CAN DO IT, I BELEIVE IN YOU!"

 Jamie put his feet on the petals and petalled firmly.

  "BALANCE, JAMIE!"

 Biting his bottom lip in concentration, Jamie pulled on the handlebars for balance, and his eyes widened in surprise.

  "Mommy! Look, Mommy, I'm doing it! Look!"

 Hilary could be heard cheering behind him as Jamie pushed backward on the petal to signal the brake.

  "Mommy! I did it! I did it!"

 His mother's eyes were filled with tears as she clapped for him.

 The two shared a memorable silence before Hilary pulled Jamie into her arms in a hug.

 "How about we go to bed now, champ? It's past your bedtime."

 Jamie nodded and wheeled the victorious bike back into the garage, his beam lighting up the dark room. His mother had known he would do it... because she smelt like cinnamon.

******** ********

~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*

  "Jamie! Jamie, your mother's on the phone!" Mrs.Darren yelled up the stairs, covering the mouthpeice of the phone with her hand as she yelled for the six year old. The response was a pounding of footsteps down the stairs, and a mad dash for the phone.

  "Mommy!" Jamie yelled enthusiastically into the phone. "How's Austramial?"

 Hilary could be heard chuckling on the other end of the line.

  "Thats AUSTRALIA, hunny, and it's great. How are you behaving for your babysitter?"

 Jamie smiled at Mrs.Darren angelically.

  "She says I'm a little angel."

 Hilary chuckled again, but she could feel her throat becoming tight, and her eyes start to itch.

  "Thats great, sweetie. Now, I have to talk to Mrs.Darren. You be good now."

 Jamie nodded, despite the fact his mother could not see him.

  "Yes Mommy."

  "I love you, my little angel." Hilary said quietly, sniffing back the tears that threghtened to fall, and hearing her voice crack.

  "I love you too, Mommy! See you soon!" And the phone was handed back to Mrs.Darren.

  "Jamie, go outside and play now, scoot!" Mrs.Darren ordered, covering the moutpeice with her hand as she so always did. Jamie nodded and grabbed his favorite toy, a purple ball with a star on it, before running outside. He had left the wooden door open, so that if Mrs.Darren needed him, she could just yell, and he could hear her.

 Sitting in the driveway, Jamie pondered. What could he do for his mother for when she got back? He could buy her something, but he had no money. He could make her something, but he was never really very good at arts and crafts. Maybe he could...he eyed the chalk scattered on the grass happily, and gathered it.

  "I could draw Mommy a picture, for when she gets back." He said to himself, drawing a large, purple heart on the driveway with the chalk, than coloring it in semi-neatly. He was in the mist of trying to figure out how to spell "Hilary" when a voice behind him made Jamie jump.

  "It's a lovely picture." A voice mused behind him. The voice was deep, far too deep to be a male child. The voice sounded almost fourty.

  "I'm not alloud to talk to strangers." Jamie stated promptly, proud of himself for remembering as he drew a dark blue "H" over the heart. Soon the man was crouching beside him, watching him.

  "You just did."

 At this remark, Jamie looked up, confused.

  "Huh?"

 The man, clad all in black, picked up a white peice of chalk and toyed with it, throwing it from one leather-clad gloved hand to the other.

  "You said 'I'm not alloud to talk to strangers', but you just did. You told me that, didn't you?"

 Jamie stood up, not reaching the crouching man's height, but still eyeing him suspiciously.

  "My Mommy's not home. Mrs.Darren's here." As though this solved everything, he gathered up his chalk and threw it into the bucket it had come in, before walking over to his ball and bouncing it a few times against the cement.

 When he looked up again, the man was still watching him, and Jamie began to grow nervous.

  "Mrs.Darren's in THERE." He stated, pointing to the screen door. The man shook his head and smiled sadly.

  "I'm not here to see Mrs.Darren."

 Jamie threw his ball down beside him in frustration and blinked nervously at the man, picking up his teddy bear from its perch on the cement.

  "Well, my Mommy's in Austrami...Austra-li-a. She's not coming back for..." He held up five fingers. "This many...five...days."

 The man nodded.

  "Precisely. Now, I beleive you should come with me, Jamie, so we don't disturb Mrs.Darren." The man held out this gloved hand, and Jamie backed up, his eyes wide.

  "Uhh...uh..." He hugged his teddy bear helplessly. The man pulled his hat down further over his eyes and took a step closer to the small boy.

  "W-what do you want?" Jamie asked, his small voice becoming even smaller as he hugged his teddy bear tight, desperately wishing that his mother were here.

  "I want you boy, and only you, and I'm not leaving till I get what I want."

 The man's voice was eerie and cold, sending shivers down Jamie's small spine as he tried to look up into his eyes, no luck comming to him. As quick as lightning the man's hand shot forward, grabbing Jamie's small arm tightly and yanking him forcefully towards one of the many vans parked in front of his house that he had not noticed before.

  "STOP! Let me go!! Let me go mister! I don't want to go with you, I don't like you! MRS. DARREN! MRS.DARREN! MRS.DARREN!" Jamie started screaming at the top of his lungs, and, being six years old, it was quite loud. Jamie heard the man curse softly as Mrs.Darren came running out of the house, flour on her hands and a frantic look on her face.

  "Jamie? JAMIE!" Mrs. Darren cried out in fear, starting towards the man holding Jamie with her rolling pin held high over her head. "You let him go, you hear me, you hooligan? Let that boy go this INSTANT!"

  "Mrs.Darren!" Jamie cried, trying to free himself from he firm grip of the man, failing miserably, but seeing a faint bruise starting to appear where his fingers were squeezing on his white skin. The man twitched his head towards the vans, and in an instant there were five men surrounding Mrs.Darren.

  "Somebody! Help me! HELP!" Jamie cried, trying to attract the attention of the neighbors that always seemed to be in your buisness when you didn't want them there, but when you needed them, they were anywhere but at home. "HELP! HE WON'T LET GO!"

 Rage filled the man's features as he realized what Jamie was trying to do, knowing it would work if he didn't put a stop to it. Lifting his free hand, he brought it down upon the boy's neck as hard as he could, watching as the small figure crumbled to the ground, uconcious.

  "JAMIE!" Mrs.Darren cried, trying to get through the strong-loking men surrounding her. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM? JAMIE! SPEAK TO ME!! JAMIE! WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?! WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH HIM?"

 The man smirked from his postion at the end of the driveway and picked up the small form that was Jamie, throwing the limp body over his shoulder like a sack of potatos, before waving his hand at the men to signal.

 Mrs.Darren looked frantically from man to man, all faces from all sides smirking evilly at her. She did not even notice one man that slipped from the group to go behind her. The man got behind Mrs.Darren and positioned his hand perfectly, so as to make just the right hit, before bringing his hand town upon her neck, causing her to crumble to the ground, eyes closed and body motionless.

  "Let's go boys." Kevin Madrox said to his followers, entering the middle van and slamming the door behind him. All three vans drove off.

~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*

 Hilary Madrox finally released her lost son from the hard grip she had held him in.

  "After they took you, we searched. Mrs.Darren and I...we searched for three strait months for you, hunny. I missed you so much..." She sobbed and pulled Jamie into a hug again. Scott, Lance, and Jack all sent each other appreciative smiles, and then turned to give the mother and son privacy.

  "Oh yes..." Hilary said to the speechless Jamie, pulling out a paper bag. "I...I bought these so long ago for you. From...Austramial." The two smiled at the memory.

  "Jamie?" Jack's voice interrupted the two sometime later, talking quietly. "Uh...sorry to interrupt, Jamie, but Tabby really wants you to try her cake that she made..." He grinned at the thought of Tabby. Jamie nodded.

  "Mom...this is Jack. He's my half brother."

 Hilary's eyes darted from Jamie to Jack, easily spotting the resemblance they had to each other and their father.

  "You mean..." Her eyes twinkled. "I geuss this means I'll be setting another place at the table during school vacations?"

 This earned a laugh from the three as they headed into the dining room where everyone was waiting.

  "So, this means you're not going anywhere for awhile?" Jamie asked cautiously as they stood outside the door to the dining room. Hilary sighed and pulled her son close to her, squishing him against her stomach.

  "I'm not going anywhere, Jamie...you can count on it."