AN: Here (after much procrastination) is the second chapter of the story that now has a title! Much thanks to my new beta, Liz. If you like this at all, you better thank her, too. She gave me lots of helpful suggestions.

Now, I want lots of reviews! They give me that warm fuzzy feeling. It's nice. Right, well... Enjoy!


Rogue hung up the phone and locked eyes with Peter from across the hotel lobby. He carefully waded through the sea of mutant children to her side and regarded her with a questioning look.

"Professor says they're coming home. I figure two of us should stay here and help the kids pack, and two of us should go to the mansion and start getting tents and stuff ready," she explained.

After returning to the mansion following the attack, they had found shaky staircases, doors filled with bullet holes, several charred ceilings, and other remnants of where the students had tried to defend themselves. Overall, the mansion was useable. However, Xavier was no fool, and he wasn't a newcomer to war and invasion. He knew that the soldiers more than likely mapped the entire property, including the secret passages. For this reason, he'd decided to rebuild the entire mansion.

So, after staying in the debilitated mansion for about a week, arrangements were made for the junior team and the students to stay in a nearby hotel while the construction teams worked on disassembling the old mansion and building the new school based on the blueprint that the professor had drawn up. Unfortunately, the workers had only managed to demolish the old mansion so far, and now the students were returning to what could only be described as an empty field. Despite the fuss that the hotel owner was making about having to rent out the entire hotel to a bunch of schoolchildren, Peter was sure that a little money from Xavier's inexhaustible supply would've bought them a place to stay for as long as they wanted it. However, building or no, the school was safer for the students. Having everyone on campus also meant that someone could be working on the mansion 24/7 and that the students could return to their usual classes earlier.

Peter nodded, glancing around the lobby. His eyes finally settled on a late teenage girl, who was settled in front of the TV, cheering on the two boys that were playing some video game.

"And Jubilee?" he asked Rogue, humor slightly tingeing his question. Rogue sighed and tucked the white streak in her chestnut hair behind her ears.

"She's staying here with you. The rest of us will go pitch tents. Be nice," she added as she started toward the hotel door. Peter looked around their temporary home, taking in the hard, green carpet, the hideous paintings on the walls, the harsh lighting, and the nauseating patterned furniture. Sleeping in a tent might be a welcome change.

Peter, Rogue, Bobby, and Kitty had been put in charge of the students while Logan, Scott, Ororo, and Charles were at Alkali Lake. The four had taken to the job nicely, but Jubilee was not happy about it. She was just as old as the other four, but she tended to get into more trouble. As punishment, Xavier had left Jubilee and Seth, her boyfriend and partner-in-crime, off the baby-sitter roster. Seth couldn't care less. He preferred not having to spend his days making sure little kids didn't get themselves killed. Jubilee, on the other hand, was being driven crazy by the fact that all her friends were in charge. They'd finally taken pity on her and had appointed her the "Honorary Vice Baby-sitter In Chief." Jubilee busied herself with waiting hand and foot on her charges. She was taking her responsibility very seriously.

"All right, guys," Peter called over the din of the children, his deep Russian voice bouncing around the crowded lobby turned playroom. "Professor X just called and gave us the clear to go home." The students cheered in unison. Peter waited until the room was quiet again before continuing. "Jubilee and I are here to help you with your bags while Kitty, Rogue, and Bobby set up tents at home. The mansion isn't finished yet, but it's home, right?" The kids nodded to each other. After a moment, Peter added, "Well, get to it!" with a grin that sent the students scattering to their rooms. Jubilee picked herself off the floor and walked to his side.

"Did they find anything?" she asked him. Peter regarded the Oriental Californian with a sigh. He shook his head.

"I don't know. Rogue spoke to him," he said.

"Oh," Jubilee paused, staring at the ground forlornly. "It's sad, what happened to them." Peter looked down at her.

"It happened to you, too," he said, remembering that Jubilee was one of the students who had been kidnapped.

"But not like that," she said with a sad half-smile. "They were our poster couple, ya know? Long as there was Jean and Scott, we'd be okay." Peter nodded. He looked out one of the lobby windows, his gaze landing on Bobby and Rogue walking hand and hand.

"I guess they're our new couple," Peter said, gesturing out the window. Jubilee grinned and walked to the stairwell.

"I'm gonna go help Liz." Peter nodded absently and continued staring out the window.


"Hey, Bobby! Toss me a few stakes!" Kitty shouted as Bobby dug through a box of tenting supplies. He nodded and threw several stakes in the girl's general direction. "Bobby!" she complained when they landed a good 20 feet away. Bobby jogged across the meadow that had once been their grand mansion, picking up the stakes on his way. He dropped them at Kitty's feet with a grin.

"Close enough?" he asked jokingly. She looked up at him, trying to hide a smile.

"You mean I have to bend down?" she asked innocently.

"Yup, get down there," he kidded, a hand on her head forcing her to the ground. With the laugh, she wriggled away from his grasp and yanked his leg out from under him. Bobby joined her on the ground with a chuckle.

"Guys! Come one! I don't wanna be here all day!" Rogue yelled from across the field. Bobby paused in his play just long enough to cast a skeptical glance around the nearly empty lot. Three scattered tents stuck up pathetically in the shadows of a building's skeleton.

"I think we're going to be here all day anyway," he called. Kitty took advantage of his turned back and tackled him, slamming his face into the soft ground. She scampered over his fallen body and ran to where Rogue was wrestling with a tent.

"Let me help you with that," Kitty said innocently. She knelt across from Rogue and started yanking on the tent. Bobby had regained his balance and was sprinting over. Kitty pretended not to notice and rolled her eyes. "Boys just don't mature as quickly as we do," she commented to Rogue with mock superiority. Rogue offered her a half smile as she pegged a corner down.

Bobby ended his charge with a flying leap, intending to land on Kitty. Rogue watched gleefully without saying a word. Kitty remained oblivious to the flying teenager. Bobby crashed into Kitty, or rather, through Kitty with a bang. Kitty impassively watched his head crack into Rogue's jean-clad knees. He looked up at the girls with a shocked lop-sided grin. Kitty shook her head.

"Nice one, Drake."


Rogue sat on the edge of the skeleton frame of what would be a 3-story building. She let her legs dangle gently over the side of the 2nd floor. The new design of the mansion split the school into 4 buildings. The guest building was a small building made specifically for guest to register, deliver packages, and get information. It also housed Xavier's office and bedroom as well as the guestrooms for visitors to sleep in. The dorms for the students and the rest of the staff were located in a 4-story monster building surrounded by lush gardens and all sorts of outdoor sport courts. Then there was the actual school, the building she was sitting on right now. When it was finished, it would be equipped with the most advanced labs, classrooms, and teacher offices to date. It would also have a large music studio and an expansive art room. Xavier had skimped on nothing, resulting in a nearly perfect school. Well, when it was finished.

The fourth building, the only one that was even close to being finished, contained the gym and the auditorium. As the overly plush, comfy auditorium hadn't been completed, everyone was living in the gym. Unfortunately, the gym reminded Rogue an awful lot of some sort of unconstitutional jail. They slept in sleeping bags spread over the cold, hard wooden floor and had almost no privacy. Personally, Rogue was getting back pain and was constantly on edge in case someone got too close to a bit of uncovered skin. She stretched her aching body and pulled herself pack to the present.

She squinted her eyes against the vibrant evening sun, which burned the previously bright blue sky in a cascade of shimmering pinks, oranges, reds, and purples. Rogue had always been fascinated with the sky. It just seemed so... all encompassing. But now, she was scanning the horizon not for clouds that looked like George Clooney or her grandmother's magnolia tree but for Ororo Munroe, one of the people working on the 6 – 10 PM construction shift with her. Ororo had used her control of nature's winds to fly to the estate's massive but regal iron gates, where the supplies were being stored, to get some more nails. But that was over 10 minutes ago. It wasn't like they were in a rush or anything; she and Ororo were a good 15 minutes early. The others that would be working with them usually languished over dinner and wouldn't be there for at least another 10 minutes. Still, how long did it take to grab a few boxes of nails?

Rogue leaned her head back, determined to enjoy the dying embers of sunlight that were flitting across her face and neck. She was just jumpy since the attack on the mansion. That's what she'd been telling herself since they got home from Alkali Lake. The feeling of unease had been growing in the pit of her stomach while the X-men were digging around at Alkali. By the time Xavier had called the junior team at the hotel, she'd nearly convinced herself that some apocalyptic event was well underway. But when the call came, Rogue breathed a sigh of relief and decided to ignore the sense of impending doom that still remained. Maybe she was just paranoid now. It would make sense after –

"You awake?" came a gruff question from an equally gruff Canadian just to the right of her ear. Rogue jumped, nearly throwing herself from her precarious perch. Logan reached out and steadied her by grabbing the back of her jacket and shoving her a few extra inches from the edge. "Easy, kid," he warned as he swung himself from the top of the ladder onto the building.

"Christ, Logan!" she exclaimed, pushing herself to he feet. Where did he get off on being so quiet! "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Are you?" he echoed with a smirk.

"No, I'm not. And of course I'm awake!" she paused, her heart rate returning to normal. Her eyes settled once again on the breath-taking sky. "I was just enjoying the sunset. It's beautiful, ya know?" Logan nodded and carefully lowered himself to the spot she'd vacated. The wood creaked ominously beneath his weight, but he ignored it and patted the space beside him. She eyed it skeptically. "Can it hold me, too?" He looked at the structure under him as though seeing it for the first time, then met her eyes with an amused grin.

"I hope so. It's gotta hold another story later." Smiling at her own stupidity, she settled at his side contentedly.

"You're here early," she commented absently, her attention again focused on the conflagration burning billions of miles above them. Logan grunted some excuse and spread himself on the sun warmed wood. Rogue couldn't quite stifle the laugh that surged up in her throat when she next looked at him. She couldn't help but liken him to her old calico cat, Trax. He was sprawled on his back with one hand tucked under his head and the other half-scratching his stomach with a languidness that could only come from a cocky assurance that he was in complete control. Eyes that had been closed in utter relaxation popped open at her laughter.

"What?" he asked, a slight furrow creasing his brow. Rogue's own eyes widened at his question. Deep hazel eyes penetrated her as her giggles died as quickly as they'd begun. She frantically searched for a response while he stared at her with eyes that missed nothing. She couldn't very well tell him that he reminded her of a mangy old cat she'd had when she was 7.

"Just a thought," she said in an attempt to play it safe. He raised an eyebrow but closed his eyes again. "Ya know, we need to get you some new clothes," Rogue added, eyeing his clothes disdainfully. Logan looked down at his raggedy clothes. The oil stains on his wifebeater, the threadbare quality to his jeans, and the tears in his rough leather jacket apparently escaped his notice.

"What's wrong with my clothes?" he asked curiously. She sighed and looked him over with a critical eye.

"Your jacket has bloodstains!"

"So?" Rogue grinned at him; he really didn't get it.

"So they shouldn't be there! It's just… grody."

"Grody?" he asked, his face graced with an amused smirk and a wicked gleam lit his eyes.

"Hey, look! Storm's here!" she said with more enthusiasm than strictly necessary, springing to her feet and thanking the woman's impeccable timing. She hadn't meant to say "grody" in front of Logan. He was going to bust her butt about that forever! It was just some stupid made-up word she used with Jubes and Kitty. It was like the teenage girl translation of "gross." To make it worse, Rogue felt heat rising in her cheeks.

Storm let her winds lower her to the 2nd floor, her long, snow-white hair gently billowing around her face in the warm evening air. Ororo looked from Logan's devilish grin to Rogue's burning cheeks and cast a curious glance at the younger woman. Rogue shook her head almost imperceptibly and stepped forward to retrieve a few boxes of nails.

"How's Kurt?" she asked, correctly guessing the only thing that could hold Ororo. Storm subconsciously shoved Kurt's latest letter deeper into her pocket with her free hand as her eyes settled on the sinking sun.

"He's fine. Right now, he's visiting the Cistine Chapel."

"That all he had to say?" Rogue asked while she leveled one of the support beams.

"That's all that was interesting," Ororo answered, glancing meaningfully at Logan with guarded eyes before returning her sight to Rogue. The junior X-woman nodded understandingly and began to noisily pound nails into the frame just below Logan's head. He pulled away from her wild swings immediately. Was she trying to decapitate him or just give him a headache with all that racket? Regardless, one look at Ororo quickly explained Rogue's sudden barrage against the plywood. Storm's heart was pulsing in his ears almost as loudly as Rogue's hammering a few feet away.

"Alright!" he said, his voice overpowering Rogue's hammer attack. She stilled her hammer, allowing it to hang limply at her side. Logan grabbed his own hammer, some 2 by 4's, and a box of nails before starting down to the other end of the building. "You want your girl talk, go ahead. But keep your voices down," he added, reminding them of his super sensitive ears. Rogue gave him a chance to get about 100 feet away before she burst into giggles.

"Was it that obvious?" she asked, staring at the hammer like it was a foreign object. Ororo nodded, a rich laugh of her own joining the evening's natural music. "So what did Kurt really say?" Rogue questioned curiously as she dropped indian style on one huge pile of plywood, her work completely forgotten. Ororo smiled softly and turned to one of the walls. She hadn't confided in anyone since Jean's death. Rogue was a bit young to truly understand some of her problems, but Ororo was seriously craving some chat time. And Rogue obviously suspected something between her and Kurt, even if she wasn't completely sure.

"Well, just the standard 'wish you were here' sort of thing," she allowed, her back still to the other woman.

"Did he say when he's coming home?" Rogue asked, shifting on the wood stack as several splinters dug through her jeans. Storm continued to occupy herself with the construction as the conversation moved on.

"That's the thing," she said. "Kurt doesn't know if this place is his home. He said that's why he's going to all the ancient churches. He's looking for some guidance – kind of like a sabbatical."

"But why? The professor invited him to stay, didn't he?" Rogue said, giving up on her seat in lieu of getting some real work done. Ororo nodded.

"Yes, Charles even suggested that Kurt just be a teacher and forget about the team until he's comfortable with the idea."

"Woah – why doesn't he want to join the team?"

"In case you haven't noticed, he's not exactly the most pugnacious person on the planet, Rogue. Fighting, even for a good cause, just isn't in his nature."

"So, if the professor already worked it out, why's he need to seek 'guidance?'" Rogue wondered aloud. Ororo turned a smile tugging at her lips.

"Never try to understand men," she said with a shrug. Rogue laughed and nodded in agreement.

"So do you guys think you have something?" she asked, lowering her voice further. Storm sighed.

"I think we could have something… someday," Ororo revealed cryptically. "We'll just have to wait and see." After a comfortable moment of hammering, she added, "He invited me to go church touring with him. I said no. I mean, this school is my life! I can't just take off whenever I feel like it! I guess I'm just torn between possible romance and home. Have you ever had that problem?" When Rogue didn't answer after a minute, Ororo assumed that she'd asked Rogue one of those questions that the girl couldn't answer. Hoping that she hadn't made the situation too awkward, she changed the subject. "Can you hand me that screwdriver? These nails are impossible, don't you think?"

Another minute passed in silence.

"Rogue?" Ororo turned her head to the space Rogue had been working. She wasn't there. With increasing anxiety, she turned from the wall she was working on and took in the entire roof. Logan worked alone at the other end. Storm raced to the opposite side, and leaning on one of the support beams, looked down. "Rogue!"


-ahem- Aren't you forgetting something? That's right, click the review button. You know you want to. You know I want you to. Just make us both happy.