Chapter Three

Much to her surprise, the next two and a half months flew by quickly. Though it took a while for her to get over the fact that she was here, life settled down amazingly quickly. In fact, her days became tediously routine. She took up the role of resident supervisor and music teacher. Her so-called duties were laughable. All she had to do was to make sure the students didn't kill each other during their club activities. That meant refereeing the odd basketball game or whatever random sports they had gotten their hands on or invented. These clubs were more or less cliques that had popped up within the small student population. Thanks to the Professor's teachings, they were more or less docile and Travis often found herself being bored to tears.

Despite being only a few years older, the students treated her as an adult figure. Her relationships with them were more or less… non-existent. Though she insisted being on a first-name basis, they were still distant. It was highly likely that it was mostly because of her really lame mutant power (ie. none). Though none of them knew she was not a mutant, Professor Xavier had forbidden her to leave the mansion unless she was accompanied by Scott, Jean, Ororo, or himself. Travis thought it was a ridiculous rule to impose on her. There hadn't been any kidnapping attempts the few times she did venture out. It was probably because nobody here even knew she existed.

Life at the X-mansion wasn't how Travis imagined it. For one thing, she thought she'd at least have some friends. Storm and Jean were always busy with one thing or the other. Plus, she always felt rather inadequate when they're around. They were a walking reminder of her short stocky frame and small breasts. The two women, like in the comics, were toned, well proportionate women who oozed self-confidence and sexuality. It was a bit ridiculous since everybody in the mansion was like that. Travis felt like she had literally been dropped into a Hollywood version of the Xmen. Though at second thought, that was probably what had happened...

Despite all that, she managed to find some solace in the Music Room.

The room itself, hidden away in the eastern wing of the mansion, was not acoustically perfect with its high box tile ceilings but was decorated in the same warm wood tones of the Professor's study. On one side were large glass windows attached to a hanging balcony that looked out to the side of the mansion with an amazing view of the surrounding wooded area. Opposite the windows were a few storage cupboards and right in the middle of the room sat a beautifully tuned grand piano.

It was love at first sight.

The next few days after this discovery were spent in seclusion as Travis rekindled her passion for music. Old pieces she had long memorized flowed from her fingers and a dusty digging through the cupboards uncovered an out-of-tune violin, and a couple of unstrung guitars. This started her musical re-education.

Eventually, all the noise had attracted some of the students and a few even asked for lessons. Delighted with this new found hobby, Travis jumped into the role enthusiastically. She begged Scott to take her to the mall and procured a few amazing speakers which she managed to set up successfully in the Music room. It became a general hang out place where music would always be playing. With a cheeky grin, she went to the Professor and allocated a General Music Interest class in a time slot. It was basically a music appreciation class as a result of the reaction she got from Scott on the first day. They were welcomed to stay and use the space however they liked as long as they liked the music. Every fifteen minutes, she switched the genres of music and if people found it not to their tastes, they left. Eventually, she managed to set up a music collection in the room for students to browse by burning songs from her massive mp3 player collection. Everything from Classical to alternative Rock was made available.

Being a bit of a Jack-of-all-trades when it came to instruments, Travis also began to give out basic instrumental instruction. Very quickly, she discovered there were a few students who were more talented with certain instruments and managed to set up a buddy system where those more skilled would teach those who wanted to learn. At the end of it all, she had managed to run a rather impressive music program. And though most of the students remained distant, she wrapped a protective warm blanket of music around her that made her happy in her existence there.

Then, it happened.

She would remember that date for the rest of her life.

It was the twenty-second of December.

Christmas was just around the corner and the atmosphere in the mansion was festive. Sometimes, a bit too festive for her taste as they were a reminder that she was not actually in her own home. Still, she made do with what she had. The music room was decorated by a few enthusiastic students who had taken it upon themselves to spread the disgustingly happy Christmas cheer.

Travis hummed to herself contently as her foot tapped in time to the music that blared from her newly acquired headphones. She was seated on the far side of the courtyard and kept a relaxed eye on the teenagers who skated around a makeshift ice-rink that had been set up, courtesy of Bobby. Her sigh of content steamed as she leaned back to look at the sky. It was the Christmas season. Here, stretched out on this bench and bundled up in a warm coat, she never felt more peaceful in her life. Bare branches of trees reached up to touch the clear sky and she reached out in imitation with a silly grin on her face. She didn't have to think or worry while she sat out there, staring at the sky.

And of course, since she jinxed herself, a tiny pebble bounced off the back of her head and disturbed her peace.

Immediately, Travis jerked upright and pulled her headphones off. She twisted around on the bench to find who threw the rock. From behind the giant oak near the large wall that surrounded the mansion's grounds, her eyes locked with familiar red on black ones. Travis blinked and stared at him in shock. He waved his fingers at her with a grin before he gestured for her to come closer.

Travis chewed on her bottom lip in thought. Then, with a quick and slightly anxious glance at the teenagers to see if they noticed, she quickly got off the bench and headed towards the direction of the oak.

"'ello petite, miss me?" he asked with a grin as he leaned against the concrete wall with his arms crossed. Travis stuffed her hands into her coat pockets with a grimace. He looked the same, trenchcoat and all, despite the cold.

"Aren't you cold dressed like that?"

"Why? You wanna help Remy warm up?" he asked flirtatiously. Travis rolled her eyes though deep, deep inside, the inner Travis screamed a heartfelt YES! YES! Take me here now you Cajun! But she was better than that. So, she ignored her inner self.

"What do you want LeBeau?"

"Remy say he will find you so here he is!" he replied with a flourish of his hands and a mocking bow.

"I can see that, but what do you want?" she asked patiently. She was pretty sure that he was not supposed to be here… especially with the mansion's security system. The last thing she wanted was to try and explain why and how she knew him to the Professor. And knowing his character, he was probably up to something…

"'member when we first met?"

"Uh-huh?"

"You need to keep your part of the promise petite."

Travis blinked. What was he talkin- … Oh.

"You want to know how I know who you are?" she asked thought it sounded more like a statement than a question. He nodded with a charming though dangerously predatory smile.

"Remy's life story non' so easy to get out an' you know everyting." He fidgeted with a card in his hands. Her eyes locked on his twirling hands. She wasn't sure if he fidgeted because he was nervous or if he was perhaps contemplating her murder.

Travis sighed in defeat and ran a hand through her hair, "I think that I should warn you that it's very hard to believe."

"Try." That was more of a command than a request.

"Right," Travis sucked in a deep breath before she explained everything in an exhale, "I'm from another world where everything that happens in this world is manufactured by a comic book company called Marvel. And you're one of the characters."

"…"

"And I'm not crazy."

"…"

"Don't look at me like that! You said you wanted to know!" she accused with a huff, "So that's my end of the promise. Even though your help wasn't that great. I mean, all you did was toss me loose change!"

"Petite… you sure you non' crazy?"

"YES!" she snapped irritably. She hadn't dealt with this disbelief in over two months and now that Remy was here, it brought up the whole uncomfortable subject of how and why she was here in the first place.

He raised his hands in a placating manner, "Sorry petite. It just hard to believe."

She sighed, "I know."

Then she paused.

"Wait… you mean you believe me?"

"It's hard but don't see why not. Remy been through a lot an' he know you non crazy. But you know dat already oui?"

Travis exhaled though she did not know what to make of this new development with the Cajun… he was after all, someone outside the mansion. Still, this whole exchange felt slightly liberating.

"Anyways, why are you standing behind the tree?"

"Here? Dis de best hiding spot from security cameras," he replied with a secret wink. Despite herself, Travis had to grin in reply, "Guess I'll have to keep that in mind if I'm planning my escape."

He frowned at this statement, "Why? Dey don't let you run around?"

Travis made a face, "Yeah, the Professor thinks I'm going to get kidnapped or something if people found out my origins and what I know. It's ridiculous." He raised both eyebrows.

"Why petite? 'Ow much do you know?"

"Enough… I think I know what's going to happen… Actually, about 90% sure what's going to happen…. Assuming it starts to happen…" she mumbled vaguely. The Cajun frowned in her direction.

"You non' makin' any sense."

"I know," she said with a sigh and rubbed at her forehead, "It's… a little bit overwhelming." But she looked up and smiled brightly in his direction, "I try not to dwell too much on it."

"Dat's good, I tink… Petite? Petite! What's wrong?"

Travis had doubled over and laid trembling on the ground. She gulped on air desperately in hopes of relieving some of the pain that had pierced every part of her body. Though Remy fretted about her, she was deaf to his worried exclamations.

It started as a throbbing pain from the very center of her and escalated to a virtual hum. She dug her hands into the cold earth in hopes of trying to control the pain that vibrated through her. Everything shook and she clenched her teeth in fear of crying out lest he be discovered. Her head spun from the effort and an anguished half grunt and growl tore itself out from her throat. Amidst the excruciating pain, it felt as if her stomach was going to be sucked into herself. She clutched her middle desperately. Her head throbbed and her entire body seemed to phase in and out of existence. Remy's hand reached out to hold her steadily. His voice echoed somewhere in the back of her mind but she could not make out any of the words. A desperate hand groped for his and once he gave it, she clung on for dear life. The physical contact seemed to steady her spinning mind.

Though it was over in mere minutes, it felt like hours. She laid limply on the ground as she heaved, sweated, and trembled. The entire experience was surreal. It was incredibly hard to describe… the only thing that could come close in her mind was physically experiencing white noise in every part of her body. It felt as if her entire body had become one giant 'channel-not-found' TV screen.

"Petite? Petite? Can you hear me?" the Cajun's voice slowly came into focus. Travis grunted an affirmative. She was too exhausted and weak to really do anything, much less to muster up the strength in her vocal chords to form words.

"Remy gonna help get you attention, oui Petite? You non go anywhere, Remy will go but Remy will get help," he told her hastily. He pressed a chaste kiss on her sweating forehead and then, was gone.

The next thing she knew, she heard worried fuzzy voices around her. After that, her consciousness slipped in and out. First, she was on the ground surrounded by a group of worried chattering teenagers, the next thing she knew, she opened her eyes to the hallways of the schools flying by. She closed them again only to open them to see herself staring up at round sterile florescent lights and the worried faces of Jean and the Professor.

"Everything will be alright Travis. Just relax and let us take a look at what's wrong…" came the soothing voice of Xavier in her head. Her eyelashes wavered before they closed.

Then, everything slipped into a peaceful serene darkness.

Her eyes were heavy and her mind felt foggy as if a blanket of sleep suffocated her head. Through her lashes, she saw the same steel sterile ceiling that she lost consciousness to. The outline of blurry forms moved around her and through her groggy hearing, it was as if someone was trying to tell her something. The lights flashed painfully in her eyes and she closed them. She felt cold and warm at the same time. She must've trembled because someone placed a heavy blanket over her and she grunted at the added weight. A cool hand pressed against her forehead.

Her world exploded into a myriad of lights.

She was at home in her apartment. The clock on the microwave blinked 8:30 and her heart thudded in her ears. She was going to be late! Lateness as a TA was not to be tolerated. With high and somewhat desperate hopes that her things were already in her backpack, she snatched it up along with her keys and banged the door shut. As she hurried down the stairs, the next door neighbor, Max, was just stepping out of his own door to head to work. He waved a friendly hello and she waved back. It was the usual meaningless common pleasantries in the morning but this time, she was running late. She dashed out of the front door of the small four story apartment complex and rushed to the bus stop.

Only to watch helplessly as the bus pulled away.

With a choice swear word from her extensive vocabulary, she started to power-walk down to the bus stop about five blocks away to catch a different bus. The express bus wouldn't take as long of a time as her usual bus… so long as she caught it in time. She fiddled around in her pockets to fish out her mp3 player and shoved the earbuds in. The trumpet introduction to one of Cat Empire's song came on when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head and a sickening twist in her stomach. It felt like an onset of a delayed hang over. Did she drink yesterday?

She felt sick to her core. She leaned against a tree and promptly dry heaved…

And then she jerked awake. Someone spoke softly and gently to her. With a firm hand, she was pushed down again. She shuddered as another nervous wave of trembles wracked her body. There were more murmurs that she couldn't make out. There was a flash of red from the corner of her eyes. Her confused mind thought it looked a lot like flash of fire.

Did the fire just speak to her?

Something cool pressed against her burning forehead and she slowly allowed herself to relax… maybe she was actually going crazy… If she was, there was no point in fighting it really…

She was on the main street downtown. Closed shops loomed on both sides of her as she stumbled along, giggling and laughing with her friends. They had just left a pub and on top of the pitchers they ordered, they had each taken a couple of shots for the road. The combination of whiskey, rum, and tequila worked quickly on their systems as the group of friends slowly made their way down to the beach. It was a cool summer night and they collapsed onto the sand, all the while giggling like school children who had just stolen from the teacher's desk.

"What are you gonna do when you graduate, Trav?"

"I dunno man… Hah, maybe I'll go back to school. I like the torture."

"Can you imagine you teaching?"

"Fuck, you're kidding right? People keep asking me if I'm gonna become a teacher. FUCK no."

There was a chorus of laughter.

"Trav? You ok man? You don't look too good."

"H…-urk!"

Her stomach heaved. Then, the sky spun out of control.

Travis blinked blearily up at the ceiling. Where was she? The blanket of suffocation was gone. She slowly shifted herself. Her joints felt stiff as if she had been bedridden for a long time. Travis wiggled her toes and slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. She was in the same sterile room that they had initially brought her to. The muscles in her body stretched as she tried to get the blood flow going through her body again. Gingerly, she massaged her legs. They felt dead and lifeless. It was as if she had been sick for a while. As she glanced around her surroundings, she recognized the room to be Jean and the Professor's underground secret but not-so-secret medical lab. A frown marred her forehead as she considered why they had placed her here instead of her own assigned room to recover. The last thing she wanted to be, apart from make-shift babysitter, was medical experiment. Travis rubbed her temples and turned her head before she froze at what she saw in the next table over.

It was the man himself.

Logan. Wolverine.

Well fuck.

Travis was suddenly unable to move. Her eyes were mesmerized by the still and shirtless form in front of her and not just because of the chiseled body. The subject of posters, images, comics, movies, not to mention a massive fan base laid just a few feet from her. Her breath stopped. She felt like hyperventilating.

He can't be real. He can't be real. He can't be real…

Can he?

She willed her body to move but was unable to snap out of it. The man in front of her had an uncanny resemblance to Hugh Jackman in the films except for one key difference.

He, most definitely, was not Hugh Jackman.

Like all the other comic book counterparts, the unconscious form before her exuded something intense, as if the essence of the very character radiated from his being. This was Wolverine. Wolverine with a capital 'W', and usually followed by several exclamation marks. Hugh Jackman would have never been able to encompass the very meaning of the person lying before her, regardless of how much training he had. From where she was, she was unable to see him very clearly but the impression was all she needed.

A shudder ran through her body. This was just too weird. The number one pop culture icon in her world… and he was lying, unconscious on a lab table across from her. Was she still dreaming? Travis held her arm out and pinched herself… and winced. Nope, this was real alright.

The door to the right hissed open (Travis could not believe that the door ACTUALLY hissed open) and who else but Jean Grey stepped through. At first, the tall redhead stopped in mid-step when she saw her.

"Oh! Travis! You're awake! Hang on, let me let the Professor know," she said with a bright smile. Travis smiled uncertainly back. The smile itself was genuine but she knew that deep down, Dr. Grey's own strangely out of character happiness was probably linked to the now unconscious man lying on the table. He wasn't even awake and Travis could already feel the electricity cackle between them. She grimaced inwardly; she had never been a fan of the pairing. Jean concentrated for a moment before she looked back at her with a wide smile.

"The Professor's expecting you once you're ready to be out and about. But take your time." Travis nodded in understanding before she glanced back hesitantly at the still form of Wolverine. Jean cocked her head to one side with a soft smile, "I see you've met our new arrival."

Travis blinked, unsure of how to respond to that, "Urm… sure. Wait… how long was I out?"

"Almost two months now I think. We've both tried to raze you out of your sleep but something kept holding you back," she informed her as she busied around the lab to prepare the materials to check on her new patient. Travis knew that those preparations were probably be in vain but figured that it was best to see it being played out instead of getting involved. On the other hand, she was genuinely disturbed by the fact that she had been unconscious for the past two months.

"Did… did anything happen?" she asked tentatively though she was not sure if she wanted to know the answer. Jean glanced at her again with a friendly look, "It's best to ask the Professor. He was with you most of the time that you were unconscious."

Of course he was. The bald man wanted to get inside her head and figure out what sort of dangerous information she might hold against him. Probably.

"Oh… so…" Travis glanced at the newcomer with a bit of curiosity, "When did he arrive?"

"Just today actually. Scott and Ororo brought back a girl who was travelling with him also. They were attacked before they could get to them on time. Managed to get them here in one piece though… well…. Sort of," she muttered as she started to examine the man's bandaged wounds.

Travis looked away. She knew what was going to happen anyway, and what Jean was going to get from her inspection. As Jean slowly inspected the specimen on the table gently with her eyes, she began to prepare the IV needle. From the doctor's sudden gasp, Travis knew that Logan was awake and probably had been for a while. She glanced over to see that Logan had already broken the needle and had his arm around the doctor's throat.

Though she knew what to expect, the sight was still a bone chilling one. She knew what his stamina and strength was capable of. So, she sat there, frozen to the make-shift bed as she stared at the sight. Logan himself looked a bit uncertain and unsure of himself as he stared at the choking doctor. His other arm was already out, ready to unsheathe the claws that he hid beneath his knuckles. Travis' breath caught in her throat. She couldn't exhale the breath that she didn't know she took.

Slowly, painfully slowly it seemed, he turned his head to look at her and she got a good look at his face. His jaw was more square and his brows were more furrowed than his real world counterpart. It was definitely not Hugh Jackman. Hugh Jackman could never hope to be this scary. His intense eyes locked on hers and her eyes widened as he stared at her with a look of what seemed to be familiarity and confusion. It was as if he had recognized her somehow… but that was impossible. It probably was all in her head. Or at least, she really hoped so. The look only lasted a few seconds but it felt like an eternity to Travis and all she wanted to do was crawl into a hole so that he'd stop looking at her.

He dropped Jean to the ground and she scooted back in fear as she coughed and tried to regain her breath. Travis was unable to move as he took two steps towards her with a frown of concentration.

"I… I know your smell…" he murmured as his eyes pierced her to the cot. Travis' eyes only widened even further as she clutched the sheets beneath her. Her vocal chords refused to work as he stared at her with such intensity. Impossible. It was impossible. This was impossible. Impossible, impossible, impossible... Oh gods… she felt faint.

He half grunted and half snarled as if his reaction answered all the questions in his mind. One last look at her and then back at the redhead on the floor who looked at both of them with disbelief before he took off through the Star Trek hissing replica door.

Travis stared after him. Her mind refused to work. Smell? He knew her smell?

No. Fucking. Way.

And with that, just to add irony to injury, she fainted.

When she came to, the resident redhead was standing over her with a look of worry.

"Travis? Are you alright?" she asked as she pressed a cool hand against the girl's forehead. Travis grunted.

"Yeah, just feeling kinda sick of being unconscious… How long was I out that time?"

"Only a few minutes. He's left… I think the Professor's luring him to his office."

"So what do you think doc? Am I alright to walk?" she asked with a wry grin. Jean stood back with a tired smile, "No better time than the present to test that out. The Professor's expecting us in one of the lecture rooms."

"Of course he is," Travis muttered as she gingerly swung her legs over and stepped down onto the floor. Quietly and swiftly, she followed Jean out of the medical lab and into a sterile hallway. On one end, there stood the familiar leather uniforms with the door of one slightly ajar. Travis did not need to examine the cupboard to know that one of the sweatshirts was missing. As she shuffled after Jean into the elevator in silence, her palms sweated in anxiety. She did not know how she was going to handle facing Wolverine again. Much less the Professor, especially when she did not know the reason why or how to explain to him Wolverine's reaction to her...

There was a cheesy elevator 'ding' before the door rotated open and the two stepped out before the door swung close again. Travis was back in the now familiar part of the mansion. Though she had spent the last few months within these walls and they still did not feel like home. As Jean continued to walk down the hallways, Travis followed, all the while, she nervously fidgeted and fretted. When they finally came to a stop at a doorway to one of the lecture rooms, Jean walked in while Travis strayed behind and hid behind Ororo's and Scott's back.

"I believe you've already met Dr. Jean Grey," the Professor commented as the redhead strode through the room to stand by him. Travis watched as Logan's eyes followed Jean's form before he turned back to lock eyes with her. Travis swallowed a lump in her throat.

"And you?"

"Erm… Travis," she managed to squeak out.

With a frown, the Professor focused on her, "Travis? Would you mind giving us a few moments? You were gone for a couple of months and I'm sure the students would love to see that you are finally out and about."

Sullenly, she nodded, left, and closed the door behind. With a huff, she marched straight towards the music room, feeling like a chastised child with every step. Not even a hello, oh how nice to see you're up from the Professor. When she finally burst into her sanctuary, she was surprised by the amount of students who greeted her with genuine concern.

"Travis! You're up!" Kitty exclaimed as she rushed over and enveloped her into a tight hug. Travis wheezed and awkwardly patted the teen on the head, "Urm… nice to see you too."

Bobby and John came over with a new girl in tow. She did not need to be introduced to know who this particular new member of the gang was.

"Travis, this is Rogue. She's new here at Mutant High," Bobby told her as the girl gave her an uncertain and shy smile. Travis smiled tiredly back, "Hey Rogue. Welcome to the music room. Are you settling in alright?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied quietly in her lilting southern accent. As Bobby and John excitedly told her about the events that had transpired since she was in a coma, Travis could not help but examine the shy young woman who stood in front of her. Though shy, she could feel the energy that radiated from the young girl. Like the others, she held power and potential that was unlike any other. Her face was a lot more angular and her eyes a lot warmer than in the movie though at the moment, they held a light of confusion and a thirst for acceptance. Yet with it, there was a strange fierceness that the girl probably unconsciously held. Travis had to smile to herself. It was probably why Bobby was drawn to her in the first place.

"Teach, you wanna sit?" John asked, his hands constantly flicking the zippo lighter open and close. Travis winced, "You know you should never call me that. It makes me feel ancient."

The pyro shrugged and tucked his hands into his pockets. His was of complete nonchalance though for some reason, Travis thought she saw a flicker of concern from him which was strange since she was used to his animosity. She wondered if Bobby or Rogue had anything to do with this.

"Well," she said after she cleared her throat and beamed at the group of teens in the room, "I'm glad to see that you guys haven't utterly destroyed the place. So just go on about your merry way. You know the rules. I'm gonna be lazy and go for a walk."

"You want us to like… come with you? Just in case something happens?" Kitty asked with concern. Though refreshingly delightful, Travis was in no mood to entertain another.

"No, no," Travis replied with a dismissive wave of her hand, "I'm fine. I'm not that old yet. Besides, I just really want some fresh air."

With that, she left the teens in charge of her precious sanctuary. She did snatch up her precious mp3 player from the shelf though. A lovely walk in the spring weather with some choice tunes was just what she needed and craved. This new development was not only disturbing but nerve wrecking as well. What did Logan mean when he said he knew her smell? She headed to the large expanse of the mansion inaptly named the 'backyard'. She seated herself near the fountain, and with the headphones in, she pondered this new predicament.

There was no way that he had met her before… It was an impossibility. She was sure of it. It was probably all on his head. He was probably confused. Besides, in the first movie, Wolverine had no recollection of his origins… or even who Sabertooth was. If they had met previously, there was no way that he would've remembered her particularly. Travis shuddered. She hoped she will never meet his nemesis. Wolverine had left a bad enough impression on her sanity. Sabertooth would push her over the edge. With a sigh, she sank into the bench. She had been up for less than an hour and already, she felt as tensed and as nervous as if she had just arrived here in this strange universe.

Then, amidst the music that played and the small tendrils of cold sunlight, she felt the Professor in the back of her head.

"Travis? Come to my office at once. There's something we have to discuss."

She sighed.

And here we go.

A/N: Well, there's chapter 3. Sorry it took me a while... a loooong while. Hopefully it didn't disappoint. There's a bit more plot development now... sorta. Anyways, R & R! Let me know what you think.