YAY! I finally got this chapter done and up! I kept getting interrupted whenever I would sit down to type. Thanks everybody for reviewing! It still makes my day when i get a review...I think I'm driving my sister crazy actually... how sad...Anyways thanks so much :)

2Snickers2: lol thanks :) I'm really glad you like it XD

Shiner: aw thanks! And trust me, everything I write I usually have my sister look over for grammar and stuff, it helps when you have someone look it over :) They point out mistakes and then you can fix it, you should have someone look over the stuff you write, whether they know the background or not =)

Once again thanks so much everybody :)

Enjoy!


The mansion doors opened with a bang, letting in a draft of cold air and snow as the hyper teens ran inside to escape the cold. Kurt dropped his school bag just inside the entrance and let out a whoop.

"Winter break, I am so ready to party!"

He and Bobby high-fived as Ray, Tabitha and several of the others let out crows of delight and rushed off to make phone calls, plans, and hot cocoa. Last to walk through the front door were Ororo and Rogue. The weather witch quickly left her coat on the rack and her boots by the cubbyhole, taking off to find Eponine, leaving the striped-haired girl to smile and shake her head at her brother's outburst.

"Oh, c'mon Rogue! Have a little fun; it's winter break! No school, no homework, no school, no Principal Kelley, and did I mention the part of there is no school!"

Rogue stomped her feet on the mat and moved to the overloaded coat hanger.

"Just because you have no homework, little brother, does not mean that I don't have homework," the southerner drawled, shrugging out of her coat and placing it gingerly on a hook. Kurt made a face.

"Who could possibly be so cruel as to give homework now! Have they no heart?"

The Mississippi girl slung her bag over her shoulder and put a hand on her hip.

"Do you or do you not know who Mr. Spielgmann is," she demanded. Kurt's eyes widened in horror

"Oh man, I totally forgot you had him," Kurt 'bambfed' over to her and gave her a hug. "I am so sorry miene Schwester, that man is totally heartless!" Rogue patted his back awkwardly, and he let her go with a sympathetic look. His face brightened immediately, however, too quickly for genuine sympathy; nothing, it appeared, was going to damper his high spirits and expectations of winter break. Not even infamous Mr. Spielgmann.

"I smell heiße Schokolade. I will meet you in the kitchen!" He gave her covered shoulder one last pat before disappearing with a 'bambf' and the smell of brimstone. Rogue sneezed and waved away the smoke, kicking off her boots. She trotted up the stairs and entered her room. Tossing her bag on the floor, Rogue flopped face down on her bed.

"I hate the cold," she informed her pillow.

Downstairs, Ororo sipped on hot tea and kept a watchful eye on Tabitha and Amara, who were tickling and cooing at six month old Eponine. Jamie was curled in an armchair, clutching a mug of hot chocolate while watching the two girls curiously. He didn't understand their obsession with the baby. He took a gulp of chocolate, leaving behind a hot chocolate mustache on his upper lip and continued to observe. The eleven-year-old tilted his head and wrinkled his nose when the baby started to cry.

Babies are so troublesome, Jamie thought. They aren't good for much. They poop, cry, pee, cry some more, and break things. The two girls tried to soothe the infant who let out another scream. Jamie buried himself into the chair as Amara looked at Ororo anxiously. The white haired woman sighed, handed the brunette her cup of tea and took the screaming baby girl away from the wild blonde. She patted Eponine's back and murmured soothing words. Gradually the cries lessened and came to a sniffling stop. The weather witch gave the now-sleeping baby back to Tabitha.

"I trust you can put her in the pen?" Tabitha nodded and Amara handed Ororo her tea before rushing off to the kitchen. With a sigh, Ororo fell back onto the couch and drained the contents of her cup. She caught Jamie's curious stare and raised an eyebrow. The boy blushed and left the warm living room to join the chaos in the kitchen, unwilling to ask her why women were obsessed with babies. Tabitha carefully placed the sleeping infant in the pen and watched her breathe for a few seconds before heading up the stairs to change into something comfier. On her way out she passed Logan, Hank, and the professor, all who had looks of determination set on their faces. She shrugged and ran up the steps.

"Ororo," Xavier called. The woman raised her head and looked at them. "The three of us need to speak with you." She raised an eyebrow, to which Logan responded to with a deep grunt and Hank with a nervous cough. "Now we discussed this in great detail-."

"We didn't want you to be anxious-," Hank added quickly.

"But we felt it would be best if-," Xavier continued. Ororo's eyes flickered between them.

"At least, we believe it's time-," Hank stuck in. Logan rolled his eyes.

"We're sticking 'Ponine in the girl's wing," he stated firmly. The weather witch narrowed her eyes. "We need the sleep and it's not as if she's in a completely different house, just a different hallway. Stripes and Red are old enough to take care of her if she wakes up and the rest can go fetch you if something major happens."

"Eponine isn't old enough yet! She needs constant supervision and attention," the woman insisted. "Give it a few more months." Logan shook his head.

"Ro, she's getting her own room by the end of this week. We are giving her the room between Red and Stripes with Half-Pint. We have 'Ponine covered. Besides," he added. "You leave for New York City on Wednesday and Eponine is staying here." Storm bit her lip and sighed.

"It would be nice to sleep an entire night again," she admitted. The three men visibly relaxed. Logan and Hank had had enough of Eponine's cries, and their sensitive ears were starting to ache, Xavier was glad to have the baby's garbled "thoughts" dampened by the distance. Storm gave them a stern look. "This doesn't mean I agree with the situation in any way."

Xavier gave her a small smile. "Of course, Ororo, but I do believe it is the best we can do."

"And we'll get you a baby monitor," Logan added, hoping to entice his friend. Her features relaxed and she nodded reluctantly. The three men glanced at each other, the relief evident in their eyes.

"I do believe that some of the students are getting picked up on Wednesday," Xavier said, changing the subject. "Christmas is right around the corner and some of them were hoping you would give them a ride into the city."

"I assume that is my cue to round up the shoppers?" She asked with amusement. Logan grumbled something about 'checking up on the runts' and disappeared. Xavier chuckled at his friend's escape.

"If you are willing to step into the cold once more."

"I'm a weather witch, Charles. A little snow won't do much to me." The woman said with an indifferent shrug. The bald man nodded. "I'll leave in thirty minutes." She pushed herself off the couch and left the room.

"Thank you, Hank," he murmured once Ororo was out of earshot. "I believe that little Eponine will do just fine in the girl's wing." Hank smiled widely.

"No problem, my friend. I was rather desperate to put some space between my ears and her cries."

Xavier winced slightly. "Mm, you and me both." He rubbed his temples. Hank loped off to the med-bay, claiming that he had paperwork to do. Xavier wheeled himself over to the pen and looked at the sleeping baby.

"You, my dear," he told her softly. "Are going to give us all sorts of trouble." Eponine sighed and her mouth opened to form a little 'o'. Xavier nodded and put his fingers to his temples.

Students, in thirty minutes Ororo will be going to the city. If you have any plans, whether they be Christmas shopping or meeting up with friends, meet her at entrance. She has agreed to take you. He heard a few thoughts pondering whether it was worth going out into that snow. For those that stay behind, I am sure Logan has a Danger Room session he can run. He laughed to himself as those "pondering"s turned into definite 'yes, going back into the snow is worth it'. There really was no session with Logan, he just needed the excited teenagers out of the mansion for a while.

An hour later, the large group was finally on their way. Xavier watched them go from the window. He had stayed behind with Logan, Hank and Rogue. The second Logan had heard the sound of running feet, he darted off to the Danger Room and started running a program. Hank had stayed on the porch until the two vans were through the gate, then loped back into the mansion and down to the Med Bay. Rogue hadn't bothered to leave the warm confines of her bedroom. By the left window near the piano, Eponine stirred in her pen and gave a cry, informing anybody within earshot that she was awake and looking for attention. Xavier sighed and wheeled over.

"What are we to do with you?" The baby merely yawned and reached up her arms, slowly blinking her brown doe-like eyes. The powerful mutant chuckled and reached his arm over and his fingers tickled her belly causing her to squeal and kick up her tiny feet. His smile widened when she grasped his finger. She put her right hand to her mouth, palm up, to suck on her middle finger as she had come to do. He peered down at her.

"That, child," he told her. "Is a very strange way of sucking your finger." Eponine smiled at him, showing her pink gums. He laughed and withdrew his hand. Her little nose scrunched up and she started crying. A terrible smell reached Xavier's nose and he coughed. Rogue I am afraid I need your assistance, he called. He got no response and realized that the striped-haired teen was asleep.

Rogue!

Upstairs, Rogue jerked awake.

"Wha," she slurred. "What's happening?" She got no response and yawned, ready to go back to her nap.

Rogue I need you down here, she heard. She sighed and rolled of her bed, snatching her gloves off the nightstand. She tied her two-toned hair into a ponytail on her way down.

"Professor," she called, following Eponine's wails. The telepath was looking at the baby, seemingly frustrated. Rogue called him again. His head jerked up and he gave her a relieved smile.

"Ah, there you are. Eponine needs changing," he told her. "Would you mind-?"

"Professor, I am not changing her!" Rogue exclaimed, horrified. The professor shook his head.

"That isn't what I was going to ask." Rogue blushed in embarrassment. Eponine continued crying in her pen. "I need you to take her down to Hank. I would do it myself but-" he gestured to the chair and Rogue nodded in understanding.

"It's OK Professor. I'll take her down." He smiled at her gratefully and exited the room before calling back:

"Oh, and Rogue," the girl looked over from the pen. "Can you give her a bath? Ororo won't be back with the others for a while and Eponine needs to be washed." Rogue made a face as he left, sending a 'thank you' over his shoulder. Rogue scowled down at the crying baby.

"Can't touch anybody without rendering them unconscious but, hey, why don't I give the six month old baby a bath?" She muttered sarcastically to no one in particular. The room gave no response; Eponine just wailed louder.

.oOo

Wednesday rolled around soon enough, and the students went off to visit their families as they did every year. The one change this year was that Scott was going to spend New Years with Jean and her family after spending Christmas with his little brother, Alex, in Hawaii. They all said their 'good byes' and 'happy holidays' to one another and spent ten minutes each cooing to Eponine. The baby was wrapped up in many layers and was snug in Rogue's hold, the only student to spend the holidays at the mansion. She had rejected Kitty's request of spending it with the Pryde family and had politely turned down Kurt as well; both had an inkling that Rogue was hoping that maybe the thief who had taken her to the Big Easy the year before would show up if she was alone. Rogue, of course, never said a word. As the last van drove through the gates, Xavier, Rogue with Eponine, and Hank turned to go inside, escaping the cold and the snow.

"Well," Hank sighed. "I will be in my lab if you need me." Xavier nodded.

"I have bills to pay," he said and the two men went off into the house as Rogue started freeing Eponine of the many coats Ororo had wrapped the baby in before stripping off her own coats and scarf. She blew a lock of white hair out of her face and looked down at the infant.

"We, Eponine, have the house to ourselves," she informed the baby. "Logan - off in Canada. The Professor - paying bills. Hank - playing with chemicals and Storm - off to New York City. What are we gonna do with ourselves?" Eponine said nothing, merely stared at the 17 year old with big eyes and sucked on her finger. Rogue wrinkled her nose and Eponine smiled. "We gotta give you a nickname, sugar." Rogue sat on the couch and laid the baby on a pillow on her lap. The little girl kicked up her feet, and the teen flinched back.

"You can't touch my skin, remember," she wagged her finger at the giggling baby. Rogue sighed and pushed back a lock of white hair, studying the infant on her lap. "Eponine. I don't like 'Eppy' too much and calling you Ponine isn't that much of a difference from Eponine." The six month old reached her slobber covered hand up to Rogue, who eyed the hand warily before submitting her gloved finger to the baby's grasp. Chubby little fingers grasped Rogue's slender one and Rogue gave a soft smile, a sudden longing filling her heart. She would never get this again. The next baby to crawl through these halls would have a mother to care for him/her. A father to tickle them silly. Parents who could touch.

Tears stung Rogue's eyes, and she shoved them back, blinking rapidly. Eponine tried to grab the fabric of her glove and gave grunt when she failed. Rogue heaved a sad sigh, ridding the depressing thoughts with a shake of her head. The baby continued to pull at the glove and the teenager rolled her eyes. She knew a million things could go wrong, but it was a risk she would take. She slipped off the glove and quickly hid her lethal skin by the sleeve of her purple sweater.

"Here," she told the baby. "You play with this one and I'll find myself a different pair." The baby squealed at her new gift. Rogue picked her up and got up, heading to the stairs, to find a new set of gloves. Just when she had reached the second floor, Eponine dropped the glove and started to whimper, stretching a chubby little arm down to her fallen "toy". Rogue sighed, and altered her hold on her so she could bend down and pick it up without dropping the fragile baby. She handed the retrieved glove back to the whimpering infant.

"Don't cry, Nina," she crooned. "Here it is." The baby gave her a toothless smile and took back the glove. Rogue blinked. "Nina," she said thoughtfully. "I can work with that."

"Merry Christmas Professor!" Kitty's jubilant voice rang through the phone. Xavier chuckled.

"Thank you, Kitty, but don't you celebrate Chanukah?"

"Yeah but, like, nobody else at the mansion does! Besides," she told him brightly. "You, like, tell me 'Happy Chanukah' every year and you don't celebrate it." Xavier smiled. "So, like, where are the others? And am I the first to call?"

"I don't know if you were hoping to be first but you are third. I'm afraid Jean and Scott beat you."

"Drat," she muttered and he chuckled again. "So, what about the others?"

"Hank is down in Med-Bay, Ororo isn't returning from New York City for a few more days, and Rogue took Eponine out to the city."

Kitty remained silent.

"Kitty?"

"Huh? Like, sorry Professor," she said sheepishly. "I was just, like, thinking about Rogue."

Xavier grew concerned. "What about her?"

"Well, I don't know," the valley girl replied hesitantly. "It's just, like, she's there and this time without Scott or, like, another student and, like you said, she's out." She paused. "With Eponine."

Xavier frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand." The girl hesitated again.

"Never mind," she said quickly. "I'm just overthinking everything is all. Merry Christmas again! Tell Hank and Rogue for me okay! Bye!"

"Thank you, Kitty, I will," he assured her. "Have a wonderful holidays and I'll see you next week."

"I will, Professor! You too!" And with a 'click' she was gone. Xavier hooked up the phone and slumped in his wheelchair. He knew that Kitty could sometimes- okay, most of the time- be over dramatic and read too much into the situation, but on occasion the girl was right to worry. Normally he would wave away her concerns, but this time she wouldn't even voice what was bothering her. His thoughts were interrupted by the phone ringing loudly. He sighed and reached over, hitting the speaker button.

"Xavier's Institute, Professor-," he started.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS PROFESSOR! Am I the first to call?" Kurt's cheery voice said and Xavier laughed. It was going to be a long morning, Christmas or not.

Two days later, Rogue was pulling into the garage with Eponine strapped snuggly in her car seat, having just returned from the book store. She turned to park in what she considered "her spot" and slammed the brakes.

"Ugh," she groaned, slapping the steering wheel. There, sitting in her spot was a shiny, red car. Rogue glared at it for a second, then her eyes widened and she really looked at the shiny red car. It wasn't just a shiny red car, it was a shiny red, two door Ferrari. The roof of the car was black, making Rogue wonder if it slid back, and if the owner of this drool worthy car was a single guy. A hot single guy... that wouldn't mind if she took it out for a spin.

In the back, Eponine scrunched up her little nose and opened her mouth, letting out a demanding cry, rudely yanking Rogue away from her fantasies. The teen grumbled and went to find another spot.

With Eponine in her arms, Rogue went into the mansion. She had one goal in mind: find the owner of that beautiful car. She passed by Hank, and gave the furry mutant the baby who immediately grabbed onto his fur.

"Rogue-."

"Where is the Professor?" She demanded.

He blinked.

"Office, but-."

Rogue took off, taking the stairs two at a time, pausing just long enough to shout "Thanks!" over her shoulder.

"Rogue!" Too late - she was out of earshot. hank sighed, shaking his head. In his arms Eponine giggled as his fur tickled her cheek.

"Well, Charles can tell her I guess." He glanced down at the entertained infant. "We, my dear Eponine, have a new member." The little girl continued to grab fistfuls of his blue fur and tug. "Ouch! Don't tug so hard! Let's go find you something to play with." Hank flinched as she gave a particularly rough tug in response and loped off to find something for the little girl to fix her attention on.

Upstairs, Rogue rapped on the Professor's open door.

"Professor! There is a car in my parking spot!"

Xavier looked up at her, his pen in hand poised over what looked like an application of sorts.

"Ah! Rogue! I was hoping you would come by," he put down his pen. "While you were out with Eponine, we got a new member."

"Professor," she said slowly. "There is a red Ferrari in my parking space! And I know for a fact that is not Scott's car!" She pointed in the general direction of the garage. Xavier looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "Well, I was hoping you would tell me who stole my parking spot."

Someone cleared their throat in the doorway. Xavier looked behind Rogue and smiled.

"Ah, Piotr! Come in." Rogue stared at the man in the wheelchair as the Russian came into the office. "Rogue, meet your new teammate." Rogue turned and was faced with a stomach. She looked up and made eye contact with the big man. He gave her a soft smile and stuck out his large hand. Rogue eyed it before placing her gloved one in his. They shook.

"I'm sure the two of you will get along well," Xavier beamed. Piotr chuckled and reached into the pocket of his jeans. He pulled something out and offered it out to the teenage girl. Her eyes widened and she looked up at him.

"Are you serious?"

He grinned. Rogue grabbed the offered object and rushed out of the room.

"I'll be extra careful," she shouted from down the hall. The two men heard the garage door open and then slam closed. Xavier rolled over to his window and Piotr stood behind him as the red Ferrari tore out of the opening garage and made its way down the drive way.

"Yes, Professor. The Rogue and I will get along just fine."

Xavier chuckled. "Welcome to the X-Men."


we all know what I'm going to ask: please review ^_^

Oh, by the way, should I have Kitty with Lance or Piotr? I can never make up my mind! It'll occur in chapters to come but for the part that I have planned idk who to stick her with :/ you can either PM your answer or leave it with your review :) either way I'll see your choice and make note of it ^_^

So review! thanks =)