Disclaimer's Note:

The X-men characters are all Marvel creations. I claim no ownership over any characters except for Kaylee Ackerman, excluding her mutant power, which I attribute ownership to various artists, such as Stephanie Meyers. All characters are fictions, none being based on a real person. The events portrayed in this document are also all fictions, none being based on real events.

Reviews= extremely happy and grateful author (fyi please review)

Accalia's Peace

Character Info

Name: Kaylee Ackerman

Code Name: Accalia (she-wolf in latin)

Height: 5'8"

Date of Birth: 18 June, 1984

Appearance: Tall and lean, forest green eyes, short layered red hair and blond highlights, nicely toned

History: Born in a rich family in Nova Scotia, Canada, where her abilities were stifled due to father's hate of mutants. Accepted only because of her mother's love. Her mother died when she turned 15 for unknown reasons but her father blamed her, and her father kicked her out when she turned 16. She was living in hiding and on her own in the streets while hiding from the MRD & Sinister, and she trusted no one due to abuse (blocked from her memory) and thus developed several fine tuned survival skills.

Part One

She had to warn them, Sinister had sent his marauders, and they were coming to collect more mutants for their warped experiments and she could not let them get to these people. Kaylee pushed herself harder and felt the frosty air burning in her lungs as her muscles strained to go faster. Her feet barely touched the pavement, and Kaylee could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears, thumping to an unknown cadence, always faster than everyone else's. She had given herself the task of helping other mutants escape to Genosha, the proclaimed safe land; because Kaylee knew there could never truly be peace here, amongst the hate and fear. With the new regulations drawn up by Senator Kelly, how could mutants ever be accepted for who they were? At least in Genosha they could stand a chance of living a safe life. As she made it to the docks, Kaylee screamed for the mutants to run, but as the words erupted from her mouth, chaos broke loose, Sinister and his men emerged from behind the cargo containers where they had been hiding in waiting.

She desperately tried to catch her breath, as she watched in horror as the marauders started tearing family and friends apart. I guess I'm here now, she thought, may as well go kick some marauder ass! Using her senses, she allowed her instinct to guide her body's movements, letting them take the natural flow of movement she had learned in her martial art studies. She ducked as a harpoon was launched at her chest and landed a kick in the attacker's stomach, depriving of him of oxygen supply. Sensing an aggressor to her right, she swung her foot in an 180˚ arch aimed at the assailant's chest, but was swiftly blocked by the man's arm. Not to be out done, she dropped to a crouch and in a combined motion, swung her leg under his chins, knocking him flat on his ass. She then rolled and swung him over her head and sent him smashing into the cold pavement. Two down and, uh, many to go, she concluded, got to love this strength. A psychic wave was sent her way, but she felt it coming and jumped onto a nearby dumpster, avoiding its circular rays. She turned to face a spicky green haired woman.

" Honey, the woman said, if you think moves like that are going to save your pretty little behind, think again!"

She launched another wave of energy, but Kaylee jumped out of the way at the last second. Taking advantage of the woman's momentary recovery, she launched herself and placed a punch to the woman's nose. Upon hearing a satisfying crunch, Kaylee picked the howling woman up by the neck and threw her into the dumpster, where she lay unconscious. Kaylee turned her focus back to the fight only to realize she was not alone, several other mutants from what she was sure was the infamous X-Men had joined in. She watched as they worked in a synchronistic pattern, briefly wishing to be a part of their unity. She surveyed the scene and locked eyes with a shorter, muscled man who was using long razor claws to slash through his assailant's defences. As their eyes connected, she felt a pull to this strange mutant, and saw the open questioning from him, but when he made a move in her direction, Kaylee fled into the alleys she had grown up in, oblivious to a dark individual's stare.

Logan's POV

Upon arriving at the scene, Wolverine quickly assessed the situation unfolding before the team. Once again, Sinister and his marauders were preying on the innocent for their god forsaken experiments. Innocent mutants were scattering in all directions, and the marauders were using the chaos they had created to their advantage. He heard Cyclops cry out the orders to attack, and immediate sprang into movements. He extended his claws and started hacking away at Multiple Man's copies, eventually tracing the source. He knocked the mutant out with one of his large fists, dislocating the attacker's jaw.

"That's what you get for messin around with me bub." He said while leaning down beside the man.

He got back up and saw with satisfaction that his teammates were quickly dissipating the remaining marauders, but paused before rejoining the fight. He noticed a woman who was not part of the X-Men swiftly fighting the woman known as Vertigo. As he watched her slam Vertigo into the dumpster, he thought to himself, why have I never seen her before? The young woman turned to survey the scene, and seemed surprised to find other mutants helping out. As she turned her head, their eyes connected, and he stared in a forest of green. He felt a pull towards this woman, but immediately attributed it to curiousness. He moved in her direction, intent on asking her who she was, put she quickly fled into the dark alleys, moving rapidly out of sight. He jogged over to where she had stood and smelt the air. A subtle, but distinct smell of sandalwood and jasmine, mixed with the smell of deep woods hit him, and he knew that he would never be able to forget that smell. Gambit, a fellow X-Men joined his side.

"So, you gonna tell Gambit what you be doin' standin round while the rest o' us be workin' our derieres off?" He questioned.

"None of your damn business Gumbo, now let's get back to the rest of the team and get the hell out of here, I need a beer." Logan replied.

Part 2

Kaylee finally came to a stop a couple blocks later, after realizing that is was not normal to see a woman running around in the dark for such a long time. She lowered her pace to a brisk walk, but continued to scan for pursuers. Experience had taught her that in order to survive, you had to be constantly alert, and the law of the fittest was a rule in the streets. Her old friend, Slim Jim, had taken her in when she first arrived in the city as a gangly 18 with little experience in the rules of the street. She spent several years working alongside him as a team. It was them against the world, as he had told her then. But nothing good ever stayed the same, and soon the hard and poor lifestyle had gotten to Slim. To avoid feeling the pain of a past he had never shared with her, he began to drink, and then do cocaine, and the friend she had started to know as her brother was taken away from her. To avoid falling into the same trap, she had fled the dangerous environment and started relying solely on her own abilities to survive. The last she had heard of him was that he had gotten involved with working for Genosha's ruler, ..... trafficking stolen weapons to feed his addictions.

Stop it, she scolded herself, there is no point in thinking of the past, only where you are now matters. She turned the corner and keyed into a small dingy apartment complex. The heavy wood door felt weightless to her, but she knew that the hinges were rusty, and an average person would have difficulty opening it. She sprang up a narrow flight of stairs, taking the steps four by four, and her feet making no noise as they hit the ground. As soon as she entered the corridor, her senses told her something was wrong. A strange smell, different from the usual mouldy dust filled air lingered, the scent fresh. She silently pattered down the hallway and paused outside her doorway. The smell was the strongest here, but she was not afraid and her instinct urged her to defend what was hers. Using the element of surprise, she rapidly opened the door only to find the tiny apartment destroyed. At a glance, all her furniture had been slashed, lamps lay shattered on the ground and the floor was deeply gouged, as though something, or someone, had ran their claws through it. From her position, she could see into the kitchen, the refrigerator door was ajar, and what few items that were in there were smeared on the floor. Cupboards hang open but most had been ripped off their hinges. She did not bother turning the light on, her night vision was excellent, and she could clearly see the destruction laid out before her. She made her way towards the bedroom, where the scent was the strongest. As she passed through the door, a large and tall figure rushed at her, pinning her to the ground.

"Been waiting for you love", rasped the voice, "seems like Sinister has got his eye set on you. And you're going to come with Sabretooth to meet him, humm." He ran a clawed nail down the back of her neck, and she could feel his heavy breath in her ear.

She shuddered with repulsion, which quickly turned into shakes that raked all down her body, fuelled by internal rage. She knew what was about to happen, but instead of pushing it back, she urged it on. The rage and bitterness erupted, and she tore from her skin, sending Sabretooth crashing through the wall. She shook herself off, and rose to her full height, she had found her true form; a giant grey wolf stood in her place, muscle tight and ready, teeth bared and clenched as a growl ripped through its throat. Sabretooth strolled through the new hole in the wall, but stopped in his tracks upon seeing the massive wolf in the room. His cockiness momentarily off balance was quickly recovered, and a smirk replaced the look of surprise on his face.

"Well, looks like there was a reason why Sinister wanted you after all," he remarked, "let's play pup, and I'll show you what it means to be wild!"

Accalia let a snarl rip from her body, and tensed up her muscle in anticipation, as she moved into a crouch, ready to spring at Sabretooth's throat. She met his eye, even at a crouched position she was still a little taller than him, and saw the open mockery, which ignited the fury ragging within the animal. She launched herself at him at the same moment that he moved in her direction, and through the wolf's eyes they seemed to almost move in slow motion. As they slammed together, she felt claws sink through her thick fur, slicing through her skin. Not to be deterred, she sunk her teeth into his shoulder, tearing through the muscles and tissues. She could feel the warm blood tricking down her muzzle, the taste of it fuelling the wolf on. They moved together in a gruesome dance, each locked to the other. However, when his claws went for her neck, she loosened her grip on his shredded shoulder to avoid the attack. This time, when their eyes met, she saw hatred in Sabretooth's eye and another animal expression not to far from her own. Seeing her own reflection in his eye, she saw the savage hunger that she had grown to fear in herself. She knew that if she continued, she may loose control of herself, and with a staggering leap, she crashed through the old window pane, glass shattering into crystal shards that were too small to pierce through her fur. Landing on the ground, she heard Sabretooth laughing hysterically, as if he was experiencing an incredible adrenaline surge that made the whole situation hilarious. Maybe it was, another part of her suggested, and she turned around to show him a wolfish grin that would have stopped anyone dead in their tracks, but he knew it meant another time. She turned back around and launched herself into the dark abyss of the city, heading north to the city's exterior borders.

Part 3

Accalia cooled herself down just enough, after running a through the city, to transform back into Kaylee. In a dark alleyway, Kaylee inspected herself for damage, but her wounds had already started healing, the long gashes on her side closing up nicely. Next, she made sure that her clothes had all morphed back to the right order, right boot on right foot, check, and so forth. She picked up some snow to clean the blood off her face, her hot skin protected from the bitter cold. There, she thought, that should be good enough to blend in with the riff raff. She casually strolled out of the alley so that no one would find it unusual that she was there, her leather boots crunching on the crisp snow, and headed towards a little run down bar called the The Royal Mile, a place she had not visited in a few years. She did not know what she was looking for, but she did not really have anywhere else to go. One beer won't hurt me, she reasoned, and after what I've been through, I bloody well deserve one.

As she stepped through the small doorway, the usual ruckus of music, drunken individuals and the sound of the pool cues hitting balls greeted her. The warm air was thick with the smell of wood burning, alcohol and old perfume, a welcoming smell in its own. She sauntered over to the wooden bar and sat on one of the old red bar stools and called the bar tender over.

" Hey Kay, haven't seen you in these parts in a while, where you been?" the old bartender asked.

"Oh, you know, 'round the block. Just been busy and stuff I guess..."

" Ha ha, I see you haven't changed much, vague as ever. So I 'magine you want to usual then?" he said while barking out a laugh.

" Ya, that would be fine Joe, and just leave it in the bottle this time, don't think you've had a clean glass here since your wife left."

Joe gave her a toothless grin and grabbed a bottle of Alexander Keith out of the dingy fridge. At least its cold, she thought, can't beat that. She took a long drink and then put the bottle down on the scrapped counter.

"You know that stuff will kill you." A familiar voice remarked.

"Slim! Wow, I haven't seen you in forever, last I heard you were working in weaponry." Kaylee walked over to the pool table where her old friend was playing and gave the big man a hug.

He gave an awkward laugh, "Ya, that's a polite way of putting it Kay, things haven't been that nice for a while. There's a war comin' my friend, and I don't know what side is right anymore. The weapons we've been collecting aren't bein' used to defend no more, and every day I see innocents on both sides getting caught in the cross fire. I can't remember what I was doin this for, been thinkin of retirin', goin' out west somewhere, you could come if you wanted..."

"Well Slim, you know you were never really in it to help, you needed the money for the booze among other things. I never held it against you, you know. I knew it was your way of dealin', 'sides, we were too close for grudges. I can't come out west with ya, I'm helpin out here, and I know it ain't much, but I have to do something."

"You know, you always were the strongest one Kay. You don't have anything to prove or atone," he said gently, "You deserve peace like the rest of them."

"I know Slim, but if I didn't help, maybe others would follow suit. As for peace, I wasn't meant to be part of it, from square one. So, instead of mopin' around, let's shoot some pool, unless you're afraid of loosing again!"

"You're on, and this time I will win, been practicin' you know."

The pair took over a well used pool table, taking turns poking fun at each other until Kay grew serious again. Sensing she was worried about something, Slim Jim asked her what was really going on. She explained about the fight at the docks, finding the apartment trashes and being attacked by Sabretooth while mounting concern appeared on Slim's face.

" Kay! What didn't you tell me bout this sooner? Sabretooth is a messed up bloke, and if Sinister has turned his attention to you friend, you had best just leave this city. He is known for always gettin' what he wants, and now that you escaped Sabretooth, he will be after you, just for the pleasure of takin you down."

"I'm not going to run Slim, you know me better than that. Sinister can go to hell if he thinks he can tame me, and as for Sabretooth, well, he doesn't concern me either. I'm a big girl Slim, been looking after myself for a long time now, don't worry. What you should worry 'bout is your rep., 'cause I just kicked your ass again."

" Now wait a minute, that's not possible, been practicing of late! I want a rematch!"

Just then, the door flew open and the man Kaylee had seen with the X-Men entered. He walked over to the bar where Joe handed him a glass of French whiskey. He took it and downed it in one shot, letting go a satisfied sigh.

"Thanks bub, been lookin forward to this all day" he grumbled.

He turned around, and Kaylee tried to move out of his vision, but he saw her and headed her way. Slim Jim moved in between the two, sensing Kaylee's apprehension.

"What do you want short stuff?" Slim demanded.

"None of your goddamn business big guy, so step out of the way." He growled back.

"It's ok Slim, let him go through, I can look after myself, now how many times do I have to say it?" Kaylee gently scolded.

"Ok Kay, I know, I'm sorry. If you're sure," he gave the new comer a warning glance, "I've got to head out, but look me up if you change your mind about goin' west, alright?"

"I will Slim, but don't hold your breath, you know where I stand. It was really good seeing you, I have missed old times" She gave him once last hug and watched him briskly walk out.

"Name's Logan, and I just want to talk with you kid, now stop your pacin', I ain't here to hurt ya. So you got a name to go with that attitude?"

"The name's Kaylee, and I have no interest in talking to you, old man. And as for attitude, you're one to be talkin', interrupting my game and strolling in here like you own the freakin' world."

Logan barked out a laugh, deciding that he liked Kaylee with her faded light blue jean, leather jacket and white tank. Normally he would have given up but something told him that this woman was different than most, so he pushed the issue.

"Saw you fightin' today, thought you might be interest in a proposition." He let his words sink in and saw a spark of curiosity flicker in her eyes.

Kaylee's first reaction was to not trust Logan, a man she knew nothing about, such as experience had taught her. But she knew he was part of the X-Men, and she had nothing to loose at this point, so she humoured him.

"I'll know if I'm interested when I hear your proposition." She replied.

"Well, I'm not one to fish around, so here the basics. The team saw the way you were fightin', and who you were fightin' for, and we, uh, we wanted to know if you wanted to join us."

To his amazement, Kaylee burst into laughter, and tears started pouring down her eyes as she bent over grasping her sides. Her laugh was infectious, and he found himself unconsciously laughing along, not having any clue as to why she was laughing.

"What the hell is so hilarious?"

Through gasps, she answered him, "You, want me, of all people, to join the X-Men. You don't even know me!"

"Then don't call it joinin', more like a test run, it's not like its set in stone kid, just try it out." He cajoled.

"I guess I don't have anything to loose at this point, so I'll give it a try. And stop calling me a kid goddamn, the name's Kaylee, or Kay if you want, pick your poison, makes no difference to me."

"All right then, lets get out of this joint then, I ain't got all night."

They made their way out of the crowded bar, Logan clearing the path for them. They had to stick closely together, much to Kay's dismay, but they made it to the door quickly enough. They crossed the street to a small parking lot on the other side. She followed Logan, starting to wonder if she had made the right choice, only to run in to him when he stopped abruptly in front of a large Harley.

"Watch where you're goin' kid, didn't know you were so clumsy." He mocked while getting on. He looked at her purposely and patted the seat behind him.

"Oh hell, you have got to be kidding me."

"Why, are you afraid of a little bike ride?" he teased.

At that she determinedly slid behind him, but was left unsure of what to hang on.

"Oh for christ's sake kid, grab on and hang on, the snow makes for a fun ride."

She put her arms around his waist, practically cringing at the contact, but grabbed on tighter when Logan gunned the bike and took off. Oh my god, she thought, I am going to die all because this crazy man doesn't know how to drive! But soon she began to feel the exhilaration of the wind flying by and the speed of the bike, and she found herself wanting to go faster. Kaylee could feel the warmth coming from Logan's back, even through his worn leather jacket, and she started feeling less worried about her decision. She placed her head on his shoulder to block some of the bitter wind and decided to enjoy the rest of the ride.

A little while later, they drove up a long dirt driveway and came to a stop in front of a beautiful old mansion. The snow covered the roof top, icicles glittered in the light of the half moon and the trees were covered with snow. As Logan turned off the motor, Kaylee absorbed the silence that followed it. It feel almost peaceful she thought wilfully, such a beautiful place, I hardly belong here.

"You planning on letting go anytime soon? Or am I going to have to call for back-up?" she heard through her reverie.

"Oh, uh ya, sure." And with that she removed her arms and went to get off the bike. She wobbled on her feet a little, but it was enough for Logan to place his hand on her shoulder.

"You goin' to be good enough to find your way in while I park this?" she turned around and once again saw the mockery in his eyes.

"Ya, don't worry 'bout it, I can find my way, always have before."

She started walking up the entrance way as he drove towards to garage on the other side of the building. Seeing a plaque on the side of the door, she paused long enough to read it. It read:

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning

Mutatis mutandis

1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center

Huh, she thought, higher learning, hey? This should be interesting, I heard about his place, supposed to be like some kind of training facility for mutants. She silently opened the polished wood door

and went inside. Already waiting for her was a tall man wearing a long brown cloak and fiddling with some cards. His long hair gleamed in the dim light and he flashed her a dazzling smile. Not so hard on the eyes, wonder what his story is?

"Bonjour ma cherie, I'm Gambit, or Remy if you want, so your de new one I been hearin' 'bout. Bienvenue to de X-Mansion, dis your first time 'ere?" he drawled in thick Cajun starring directly into her eyes. His eyes were red, almost glowing, surrounded by a black outline and the pupil was pitched black. There was no malice in those eyes however; only an open interest and perhaps what could be kindness. He extended a hand to her, and she shook it, but he took longer in letting go, almost caressing. She pulled as quickly as she could without trying to seem too impolite.

"Thanks for the welcoming. The name's Kaylee, but you can call me Kay.C'est ma première fois ici, alors, comment on se trouve dans cette place, c'est tellement gros. *It's my first alright, so how do you get around this place, its so big.*" She replied in French.

"Alors ma Chérie, vous parlez français? Mais c'est merveilleux, you talk to Remy in French sometimes then? Your accent is strange, non?" he said delighted.

"Yes, I learnt it in my province of origin, Nova Scotia. I picked it up from Quebecois', so it is tinged with English and Quebec French."

"How interestin', dis be the first time Remy has met such an accent. So, you want de tour?"

Just then, Logan returned from the garages to interrupt the exchange.

"Don't worry 'bout it Gumbo, she's covered. 'Sides, it's late enough anyways, 'magine Kay will want to hit the sack?"

"Huh, sure, guess so. On se vera demain Remy? *We will see each other tomorrow Remy?*"

"I look forward to it ma belle." Gambit answered her.

Kaylee followed Logan up the large staircase, neither of them making noise as they moved. The mansion smelt nice, like wood burning, perhaps leftover spaghetti, and some lemon cleaner. She could feel the soul of the place, filled with happiness, hopefulness, and strength, and knew this was a sanction in itself. The dark wood floors were well travelled, but nicely maintained; the walls were painted with warm beige and had several photos hanging on them, and there were large windows letting in the light of the moon.

"This is one of the wings used mostly by the team," Logan explained, "The students are in the other two wings. You'll get to meat the rest of the crew tomorrow, and as you discovered, they knew you were coming. Your stuff can be picked up tomorrow, so don't worry bout that."

"Don't bother," she said darkly, "Someone has done the honor of destroying the few things I had, and the sucker would have died…But don't worry, I got some money." Kaylee cut herself off in mid-sentence, forgetting that she didn't truly know this man, and that if he knew about what she could do, he would probably alert the rest of the team, and she would be out on the street, not that that was anything new to her.

"Ok then, here is your room," he gave her a key card, "if you need anything, I'm at the end of the hallway, last door to the left. Uh, good night then." And with that, he strode down the hallway to his own room, wondering who would have a problem with her.

She opened the door and entered a small, but comfortable room. The room walls were light blue, and a single plant sat on a cushioned window seat. There wasn't much for furniture, a bed with an iron frame was set against the right wall, an oak bed table with a lamp and clock was positioned at the bed side, on the left opposing wall there was an oak dresser, the closet faced it, and at the very end of the room a simple bathroom had been added. She flopped down on the soft bed, smelling the fresh scent of lilac fabric softener and tried to calm herself down. The alarm clock read 1:00 am, but time had no influence on her sleep pattern. This is pointless, she thought, a night run might do the trick though. With that, she silently opened the window latch, launched herself through the opening, and transformed mid air, landing softly on the pads of her paws. Accalia paused to sniff the crisp air, and then broke into a sprint, making a fresh path through the snow and heading towards the silent woods, her breath sending up clouds of mist.

Logan's POV

Logan lay on his own bed, thinking about the mysterious Kaylee. Why the hell can't I get her out of my head, he wondered, and her scent won't bloody leave me alone. He remembered looking into her green eyes, seeing the forest dance in them and the feeling of jealousy when he saw the Cajun talking to her. It's all just curiousity, he reasoned, I know nothin' bout' her, so of course I am thinking about her. Just then, his ears picked up the sound of a window latch. He swiftly rose from the bed and watched Kaylee jump out of her window, but was amazed to see the young woman transform into an immense gray wolf. He watched her hit the ground and in one graceful movement, launch herself through the snow, powerful muscles barely exerting themselves. The wolf picked up speed as it ran to the woods adjourning the mansion. That's interesting, he thought, she never mentioned being able to do that to me. His mind wandered to the words she had said before he said goodnight to her, and mulled over the possibility that perhaps Sinister had set his eye on her. I'll have to talk this over with Xavier he decided. Poor kid has had enough troubles; she doesn't need Sinister on her back as well. He lay back down and waited patiently for Kaylee to return from who knows where she had gone. Around 4:00 am, he heard the soft thumping of paws on the ground, and got back up to the window. He intently watched her quickly transform back and jump, swing and climb her way back up to the window, so silent that he was sure he was the only one that could hear her. Satisfied that she had came back, he layed back down and sunk into a dreamless sleep.

Kaylee POV

She shut the latch quietly behind her and sighed with contentment. There was nothing she loved more than the feeling of the wolf's powerful muscles propelling her effortlessly on. She only wished she never had to stop, but life did not permit such joy from lasting to long. She flopped down on the soft comforter and fell into her usual restless sleep, distorted images floating in and out of her dreams.