Author's Note and Disclaimer: I don't write in accents for fear of screwing it all up, so just pretend. No, I don't own X-Men: Evolution or any characters with the exception of Nikki Berelli.

Bright, warm rays of April sunlight streamed in through the window and onto the peaceful face of Kitty Pryde. She didn't stir. Kurt frowned, temporarily defeated by Kitty's deep slumber and lack of annoyance. His expression changed suddenly to that of an evil madman. Grinning psychotically, he retuned the radio, turned the volume to max, and flipped it on. Excruciatingly loud heavy metal blasted, slightly shaking the room. Kitty flung herself out of bed, screaming. She ran to the stereo and shut it off.

"Kurt! You like, terrified me! It's Sunday morning, let me sleep!"

"It's already eleven. Anyway, Scott told me to wake you up. The professor wants to talk to us." Kitty continued to glare at him.

"So why didn't you just shake me awake?"

"I didn't think of that." Groaning, Kitty put on her bathrobe and followed Kurt downstairs to the dining room. Everyone else had already assembled, even Logan, who was on his second cup of black coffee. Professor Xavier wheeled in.

"Good morning, students. I have an important announcement to make. A new student will be arriving at the Institute this afternoon."

The statement invoked excited chatter among the young mutants.

"There's more. This particular student is not a mutant. She is Kitty's cousin, Nikki. Her parents got reassigned to Japan, and felt it would be best if she stayed in the States."

Kitty almost choked on the orange juice she was downing.

"Nikki?!" she asked shrilly.

"Yes."

"NO WAY! This is like, totally awesome! She's gonna be staying at the Institute? Wow! She can share our room, right Rogue? Oh my God! This is so cool!"

"Oh, how cute, their names rhyme. Kitty and Nikki." Kurt laughed.

Kitty scowled at the blue mutant. Jean smiled at the younger girl.

"I'm guessing you two are close."

"Yeah! Nikki used to live right down the street from me! We're like, sisters! You will so love her! She's so funny and nice, and she's a totally awesome artist! This is so cool! Can I go to pick her up, Professor?"

"Of course you can. I realize that you two must have missed each other a lot and have a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh, great. Do we have to deal with another Valley Girl now?" Rogue muttered to herself, rolling her eyes. One Kitty was bad enough, but two? Was the professor trying to torture her?

"I'm going to go wash up and figure out what to wear!" Kitty bounced back up the stairs, giggling excitedly.

Logan watched the confused and surprised (and in Rogue's case, pained) faces of the other students.

"Two half-pints? This could be interesting."

Rogue glared out the window, eyes narrowed, arms folded, lower lip jutting out slightly. Why was the professor doing this to her? She was perfectly fine sitting on the couch, watching TV, but the professor had made her accompany Logan and Kitty to the airport. She didn't even want to meet Kitty's cousin! It would be a nightmare. She'd be stuck listening to them Valley Speak for the entire trip back, then she'd get to room with them too. Why couldn't she have her last moments of sanity to herself? Next to her Kitty was talking a mile a minute about the time Nikki and her tried to make lemonade by putting lemons in a blender when they were seven. In the front, Logan was grumbling about the full parking garage. But it was inevitable now: they were at the airport and Nikki's flight would be arriving soon. Logan pulled into the only parking spot left, and they filed into the airport.

"Aren't you like, so excited, Rogue?"

Rogue looked blankly at Kitty's bright expression.

"Sure."

"It's so cool she gets to stay with us, even though-" Logan glared at her and motioned to the crowd, and she stopped.

"Flight 231 from Kansas City International has arrived on deck C at Gate 32," a disgustingly cheerful voice announced over the loudspeaker.

"That's her plane," Logan said, leading them to dock C.

"I thought you said she lived down the street from you. Aren't you from Illinois?" Rogue inquired.

"The year before I -uh, changed, Nikki moved to Kansas City. It was so awful. The whole thing would have been a lot easier if she was around then."

"Oh." Rogue suddenly felt a little guilty as she saw Kitty's eyes tear. They made it over to Gate 32 C just as people began to file into the airport. A young girl wearing bright red jeans and a black paint-splattered tank top that said "I Love Pollock" on it emerged. Her curly dark brown hair was pulled into a high, tight ponytail. She looked remarkably like Kitty, although her eyes matched the color of her hair and her chin was less defined. When she saw Kitty, she smiled brightly and rushed over to give her a hug.

"Hey Kitty! I've missed you so much! How's up?"
"Oh, Lord, does she talk like an idiot, too?" Rogue whispered to Logan.

"I can't believe you're here, and you're gonna stay at the Institute! It'll be so great!"

"Yeah, when Mom told me about Japan, I told them I wanted to stay with you. They thought it was a great idea."

"Thank you, Uncle Dan and Aunt Lisa!" Kitty laughed, "You're gonna have so much fun in Bayville. They guys are-"

"Ahem." Logan cleared his throat.

"Oh, I'm so rude! I'm sorry. I'm Nicole Berelli," she thrust her hand towards Rogue's gloved one.

"I'm Rogue. You like Jackson Pollock?" Nikki nodded excitedly. He's one of my favorite abstract expressionists."

"I'm a fan of Dali myself,"

"Really? Looks like we'll get along fine." She turned to Logan.

"I'm Logan. Do you have your stuff? I don't like crowds." he said gruffly. Nikki nodded, picking up her Care Bears suitcase.

"Good," he replied, sniffing the air, "Let's get outta here."