Piotr was having a rare moment. He found that unlike his usual unperturbed state, he couldn't concentrate. He kept doodling and waiting for the bell to ring. Logan seemed to notice his agitation and walked over to him. "Something wrong, kid?"

Piotr turned, startled, trying to conceal the fact that he hadn't even felt the man behind him. Feeling his face mottle red, he shook his head. "No, but thank you," he said, always polite.

Logan didn't buy it, though. "Something's bothering you today. Go on, you don't really need to be here."

Piotr looked stuck between horrified and grateful. "Really, professor, I couldn't-"

"Piotr, it's gym." The man raised a brow as if to ask, 'do you really think you of all people need this class?'

Piotr looked down at his feet, shuffling. "Thank you, but I really-"

"Need to get out of here. You're edgy and mulling over something. Go on, kid. I'd hate to argue over something that I'm actually right about for once." Piotr's lips twitched in a smile and Logan grinned and walked away, leaving no chance for an argument.

Sighing, Piotr decided it was better to not make the man angry by staying, and he truly did feel edgy, which was unnerving in itself. Perhaps if he could guess what it was over...

Then again, he already knew. Rogue. Or Marie, but the name would never fit her as well as Rogue. She had a sweet, slightly wicked way of looking at things, and the way she was so careful of other people... He wondered if it was to protect them still, or to protect herself from being hurt by their opinions of her.

And he hadn't even noticed he'd decided to take a walk in the forest until he heard a rustle above him. Looking up from the ground, he noticed a pair of small boots just above and to the front of his face. His gaze was slowly drawn up slim, shapely legs, connecting to slightly rounded hips, a tiny waist, he skipped over the next items politely, and up the long neck framed by brown and white hair. The hair registered before he even laid eyes on her face, which was now grinning. Piotr turned red. Marie-he hated that name, although he couldn't figure out why- laughed and pointed a toe so she could reach his shoulder and nudge him.

"What brings you to my neck of the woods? And during class!" She shook her finger at him, tsking, but the laughter ruined the scolding sound.

He smiled at her obvious enjoyment and watched as for a second joy lit her face, as if his smiling pleased her. "Logan kicked me out."

Now wonder and disbelief warred over her features. "Logan... kicked YOU out?" For some reason his size bothered him now, as if the comment had offended him. She must have seen that strange emotion, because she bent forward, hands extended and shaking frantically. "Nonono, I didn't mean it like that. Stop thinking, dammit." Her swearing startled him enough to make that happen. She never swore. "I meant it as you're one of the best students in the school. You're always nice to other people, you never skip class, you do all your homework, and you're just the perfect person in general. Wait, that came out wrong. I mean you're-" Piotr couldn't help but start laughing as she turned red and buried her face in her hands. "I give up," she mumbled, and he laughed harder. She peeked out from in between her fingers and he saw a smile play over her lips.

"Why are you out here?" he asked as the thought crossed his mind.

Now she blushed even deeper. "I occasionally skip," she said, lowering her hands.

Piotr's brows drew together. "But never without a reason, if I'm correct."

Now she looked very embarrassed. Instead of answering, she jauntily swung back and flipped off the branch, making sure to avoid his head with her feet. Landing like a cat, she rose easily and grinned. "I can't exactly tell you. So let's go for a walk. Our one a week ago was interrupted by my waterworks, but I know a really cool spot! Come on!"

For once, she took his hand first, pulling him in a direction that was at an angle from their current path.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?"

"Of course. After Stryker's attack, I made sure to have lots of escape routes and while I was mapping one out I stumble across this really awesome thing!" Her steps quickened with excitement as she neared a sheer cliff. He had a moment to wonder if she expected him to climb before she disappeared. He rushed forward, looking to see where she'd gone, and found a bend in the cliff that held a crack tall enough and wide enough to probably let him in. He saw her head poke out again. "Do you think you can fit?" She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and noticed that it was just wide enough to let him through. After a few minutes, though, he felt a patch of steel cover his shoulder where the rock had nearly taken skin off; the tunnel was getting smaller. Concentrating, he felt the metal heat and become pliable, so he could move easily through the crevice.

"Rogue!" he said automatically, wanting to share his discovery. She didn't even notice the slip of names as she turned worriedly. He held up his hand and the light reflected off his steel fingers- his steel, RIPPLING fingers. They looked like liquid, only they had a solid reflection off them, like molded metal.

"Piotr, what-"

"I can control the level of my mutation!" he looked like a little boy who'd found a puppy. "I can make it solid or bendable like this." He put his hand up against the wall and Marie watched as the metal molded itself around the rocks. As he moved his hand the steel ran like water over the surface, reforming itself to adjust to the bumpy wall.

"Piotr that's wonderful!" Not thinking, she reached out to touch his arms and congratulate him at the same point he shouted, "No!" she felt a burning sensation right before a snap echoed in her brain.

Piotr let go of the steel as she crumbled to the ground. He'd tried to let it go in time to save her, but this sort of change was new to him and he wasn't able to let it go in time. He'd seen the heat sear her before she'd... collapsed… he didn't understand it, but he prayed she wasn't dead. Trying to turn around, he found his shoulders were too wide and he cursed. The only way out was forward. He knelt down and picked her up, checking to see if there was a pulse. He thanked every higher being he knew of that could possibly exist as a steady beat thrummed under his fingers.

He made quick work of the rest of tunnel, as it seemed they'd been near the end of it. He stepped out and felt the distance as the space widened dramatically, and he titled to the side at the sudden change. Stumbling, his shoulders brushed something smooth, and within seconds the entire cave tunnel was lit up. This seemed to go around a bend, where a strange yellow light was glowing. Turning his head, he noticed round crystals set in the wall that glowed a pale blue. But now wasn't the time to observe. Marie still hadn't woken up, and even if he did turn back, he didn't know the way to the manor. He cursed the fact that he'd let her convince him to come out here. But mostly he cursed himself for hurting her.

Carrying her easily, he walked with quick, sure steps down the short, wide hallway. Turning the bend, he stopped.

Holy god, it was no wonder she'd wanted to show it to him. A domed cave was before him, going so far up he couldn't even begin to guess how high the ceiling was-80, 100, 120 feet?- but at the center of the top was a mass of spinning, writhing light, not quite as bright as the sun, but orange and red and yellow spinning and giving off heat like the sun did. Below stretched a landscape he knew would be etched in his mind forever. Flat, it had to be nearly a half a mile to a mile wide, and a perfect circle. The ground was covered with small grasses and a few trees every so often. Stepping forward, he cursed and drew back. They were standing on a ledge a few feet high. Not really anything to worry about, but high even to sprain or break ankles for people with less dense bone structures.

He walked for a short time and noticed large pools dotted the cave floor, some shallow and warm, some so deep he couldn't see the bottom, and since all the water was crystal clear, he knew that had to be extremely deep. Finally he found a pool that had a large flat rock next to it, covered with moss and grasses to lay her on. He set her down with more care than he'd ever taken before. Slowly, with a worried and fearful gaze, he checked her neck, wanting to make sure it wasn't broken from the fall. The moment he touched her skin, though, his turned to steel. Odd, he thought, and tried again, with her arms this time. Same reaction. Finally he braved himself to look at her hands and hissed in a breath. It must have burned like acid before she had passed out. He touched the back of one, wanting to comfort her, but how could he when she wouldn't wake?

He closed his eyes and cursed his lack of control. What had he done?

A feeling snapped him from his reverie. Sparks played against their skin, and he moved to jerk his hand away; hers came with it. He watched in horrified fascination as the metal from his fingertips spread and encased her entire hand, shining like liquid steel as it flowed gently over the burn. When every fingertip was encased, he drew back slowly, letting her hand fall away from his. It fell with a hollow sound against the rock, spread out like a puddle, then solidified back into a hand before the steel gave way to skin again. Clear, healthy skin.

Her powers were back.

The thought raced with an enthusiasm and guilt that made his mind dizzy. She would hate this, but he was just glad there was a way to heal her. Taking her other hand quickly into his, he watched the more rapid ebb and flow of the steel; her body was used to it again.

'Mulling' this over, as Logan had said, Piotr sat down and laid his head just below her fingertips. He didn't even realize when his eyelids began to droop and his thoughts slowed to a halt.

The day had taken its toll on him as well.