Chapter 1: 'All I Want Is To Be Held'
By
The Uncanny R-Man
Disclaimer- I don't own anything, all familiar characters belong to Marvel.
Notes- This is set shortly after Academy-X #3 and unusually for my Rahne- centric fics, I have chose to leave out Rahne's accent, just like they have in the comics (damn them!)
The Xavier Institute for Higher Learning-
We presently find Rahne Sinclair, the former New Mutant known as Wolfsbane, asleep in bed. It has been quite a busy few weeks for Rahne. First she arrived back in New York and beat Avalanche, on her own and without powers and rejoined the X-Men, planning to become a teacher like her fellow New Mutant and best friend, Danielle Moonstar. The things started to get a little... weird. After a kiss from a student with an ability to heal others, Josh Foley she regained her shapeshifting powers, but unfortunately, in her lupine rage, she seriously injured Josh and fled the institute. Dani, sensing that her psychic rapport with Rahne had returned, tracked her down and convinced her to stay. Rahne then began a short-lived relationship with Josh, kissing in secret but she soon broke it off as she realises the moral implications of dating a student.
Rahne turns onto her side and looks at her alarm clock.
'Six thirty?' She groans. 'Uch, half an hour 'til the wakeup call, I'll never be able to get back to sleep now.'
Rahne swings her legs up off the side of her bed and slowly walks into the bathroom. After a quick shower, Rahne comes back out with a towel wrapped around her waste and another around her head. She walks over to her closet and stares inside at her sparse collection of clothes.
'It looks like somebody's in need of a shopping trip.' She says to herself.
Later-
Rahne, now fully dressed in a red vest top and jeans, walks into the kitchen for breakfast. Remy, Rogue, Kitty, Rachel, Dani and Sam are already in there.
'Monrin' Furtop.' Dani grins. 'Sleep well?'
'As always.' Rahne replies with a grin.
'Geez Rahne, you make me sick.' Kitty groans. 'Only you could be this chipper at such an ungodly hour.'
'Uh, Kit.' Rachel replies. 'It's only quarter-past seven.'
'I miss college.' Kitty pouts. 'At least then I got to sleep in.'
'All your sleepin' privileges went out the window when yah graduated Pryde.' Rogue adds. 'Yah gotta live with it.'
'Sounds like you woke up awfully grouchy today chere.' Remy says. 'Anyt'ing de matter?'
'Just tired ah suppose.' Rogue replies. 'At least when we retired we could have... private tahme now that mah powers have gone.'
Rahne looks over at Sam, who has been pretty quiet ever since she walked in. Since she has returned to Xavier's and had her powers restored, Rahne has felt her romantic feelings for Sam come back too. They almost shared a kiss together but Sam broke it off as he was already spoken for.
'Penny for 'em.' She says.
'Huh, what?' Sam says.
'What're you thinking about Sammy?' Rahne asks.
'Just little things ah suppose.' Sam replies.
'Care to tell me about it?' Rahne asks.
'It's Lilah.' Sam replies. 'Ah got a phone call from her last night, we're finished.'
'She broke up with you?' Rahne asks.
'Yeah.' Sam replies. 'Again.'
'I don't see why you're so broken up about it.' Rahne says. 'Look at it this way, you're single again.'
Rahne chooses to ignore the snickers from Dani, Rachel and Kitty.
'Ah know what you're sayin' Rahne.' Sam says. 'Don't get me wrong, ah like yah, but ah don't want ta get into another relationship as soon as I've finished another.'
'Godammit Sam!' Dani yells.
Everybody looks at Dani in amazement at the sound of the sudden outburst.
'Oh my.' Dani blushes. 'Is that the time? I'd better get to class.'
'Yeah, me too.' Kitty adds. 'Advanced computing waits for no man uh... woman...'
'Ah'd better go too.' Rogue adds. 'Ah'm helpin' Kurt run a new simulation in the Danger Room.'
'I'm gonna go see if I can annoy Frost.' Rachel adds, getting up form the table.
'I've gotta go run a few errands down town.' Remy says.
'Yah won't be stealin', will yah?' Rogue asks suspiciously.
'Would I dare lie to you, chere?' Remy asks with a cheeky smile.
'Ah'm not even gonna dignify that with an answer.' Rogue mutters.
'Ah suppose that just leaves you and me Rahne.' Sam says. 'Oh, she's gone...'
The garage-
Rahne is now working on her motorbike. She often feels that tinkering with her bike helps her think. Yeah sure, she still has feelings for Sam, but it's not like they're ever going to amount to anything. Rahne stops tinkering as her heightened hearing picks up the sound of footsteps behind her and she catches the scent of cheap cigars and whiskey.
'Hello Logan.' She says. 'How can I help you?'
'I was hopin' that I would be the one doin' the helpin' darlin'.' Logan replies.
Rahne sighs and puts down her spanner as she turns to look at Logan.
'I'm not really in the mood for being cryptic.' She sighs. 'So if you're going to say something, say it.'
'I know yer still like Guthrie.' Logan says. 'An' I support yer choice, he's a nice guy, but be careful, he's just broken up with his girlfriend.'
'That isn't exactly telling me anything.' Rahne says. 'Sam told me all this over breakfast.'
'All I'm sayin' is, take it easy on the boy, he's hurtin'.'
'And I'm not?' Rahne replies bitterly. 'Sam never saw his mother shot down before him, unable to do anything to help her. You know, sometimes, all I want is to be held by someone that I love. Now that Moira's gone, I haven't got anybody.'
'We all thought that you were over it.' Logan says.
'That goes to show you what thought did, doesn't it?' Rahne replies.
Rahne finishes putting her tools away and grabs up her motorcycle helmet.
'If Dani asks where I am, tell me that I've gone into town.' She says, putting her helmet on. 'I don't know what time I'll be back, hell, I might even come home drunk, you never know with a healing factor.'
'Rahne, listen.' Logan says. 'Getting' drunk ain't the solution to yer problems, trust me on this one.'
Rahne just ignores Logan's pleas and starts up her bike, driving out of the garage and out of the institute.
Logan stands watching after her.
'Poor kid.' He sighs. 'All she wants is someone to love...'
TBC...