Disclaimer: I'm pretty sure you all know by now that I don't any character of this story.

Chapter 9

The five mutants stood around and watched the newcomer with curious glances, the tense moment from before fizzling into a confused yet calmer state of mind. The blue mutant looked around at the dazzled faces surrounding him until Storm said, "Kurt?"

His quizzical eyes locked onto Storm's confused ones before they lit up excitedly, and he smiled. "Ororo!" he called in his thick German accent as he widened his arms and smile toward the headmistress. "It's so vonderful to see you!" He launched himself into a tight hug, swinging her back and forth.

She returned the hug confused and happy to be returned to the ground. "Wow, um, Kurt. Where've you been all this time?" He didn't exactly leave a forwarding address when he had disappeared years ago.

"I've been traveling around ze European countries," he explained cheerfully, dropping a duffel bag on the marble floor.

"What for?" the question came barked from Logan, who still had a scowl on his face and his arms crossed. He wouldn't be in a warm, welcoming mood until he had words with Hank, not that he was a warm welcoming person normally.

Everyone eyed him warily but looked back at Kurt when he said, "I vaz looking for my muzzah," he said, eyeing the people he hadn't met, especially Emma.

"Your mother?" Storm repeated, still confused but interested. "Well, did you find her?"

His attention was snapped away from the curvy woman in white, and he shook his head quickly replying, "No, but I did find some information on her." His smile was wide as he explained excitedly, "It appears that she vaz living in a village in Germany vhen I vaz born. And people said zat she vaz blue like me!"

Storm smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "Well, that's great, Kurt. So what brings you back into our neck of the woods?"

But before Nightcrawler could even speak, Logan growled, "Not that this reunion isn't great or anything, but I'm gonna go check on Rogue." The glare he sent Storm, Hank, and Emma couldn't be missed, no matter how hard they tried to ignore it. "You know, since she's a lot sicker than I was told."

As he started up the stairs, Emma cupped a hand around her mouth and called, "Bring her down to the med wing and we'll get started ASAP!"

All they could hear was him grumble something in reply as he reached the top step and disappeared.

Emma looked back at the others and said, "Well, excuse me, I have to go deal with the vicious Wolverine and his southern belle."

"I'll assist you," Hank offered, following after the blonde.

Gambit took this opportunity to slip away also, without saying a word.

Once they were alone, Storm said to Kurt, "I'm terribly sorry, it's been a… hectic week."

"Zat's quvite alright," he replied. "I understand."

She gave a forced smile and asked, "So what brings you here?"

"Vell," he said, his wide grin covering his face again, "my findings in Europe led me back here! My muzzah is supposed to be in ze area!"

Storm patted him on the shoulder again. "That's wonderful. I'm sure we'll be more than happy to help once all of this other stuff is cleared up."

"Thank you," he replied, his gratefulness sparkling in his eyes. "Now, I'm starving. Vhere's ze kitchen?"

Storm led him out of the foyer, neither one of them aware that they'd been watched the whole time.

Watching from the balcony, Mystique changed back to her real form, knowing they were gone. Her heart was thudding hard in her chest. She'd never thought in a million years that the boy she'd given up would come try to find her years later.

James stood outside of the bedroom that he'd been told was Logan's. He wasn't sure how to approach the subject of Jean with Logan. There was a possibility that he could know nothing at all or he could know everything. It didn't make sense to James that he felt nervous asking about a woman he may not have even known.

Not that it would even matter if he didn't knock.

After taking a deep breath, he did. There was no answer. He knocked again. Still no answer. Slowly, he reached out for the doorknob and turned it, pushing the door open.

The room was dark with the blinds drawn, but there were a few beams of light shining through the cracks. The room had clothes strewn across the floor and it was only then that he noticed the girl tangled amongst the sheets on Logan's bed.

Flustered, he stumbled backwards, trying to get out of there before she woke up. But as soon as he reached for the doorknob again, he heard her say groggily, "Scott?"

He turned back around and gave her a sheepish look. "Uh, no, it's me, James."

She rubbed her eyes sleepily and said, "Right. What's up?"

The sheets were fully covering her, but he still felt a little awkward being there. "Um, sorry. I didn't mean to bother you… I was looking for Logan."

"Naw, it's fine," she replied, making sure the sheets were wrapped securely around her body as she sat up. "What do you need?"

"Um," he said as he shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Well, I just… I wanted to ask Logan about Jean Grey."

"Oh," she replied, starting to wake up more. "What did you want to know? I kind of knew her… A little…"

Stepping forward, James sat on the edge of the bed. "I just wanted to know a little about her. I saw the grave outside."

"Well, I guess… I know Jean and you…" she began, then corrected, "I mean, Scott. They were involved."

"Involved?" he repeated. "How serious?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. I know they shared a room. They were together before you…" Again, she stopped and growled out, "I mean, Scott, and Storm brought me to the mansion. And the two of them were together until… Well, until she died."

James could feel his heart hammer as he asked, "How did she die?"

She didn't hesitate before she replied, "Which time?"

There was no mistaking the confusion that appeared on his face. "What do you mean?"

Her eyes focused down on the blanket that Logan had placed on her. This was the first time she'd noticed it. "Well, the first time… Long story short, she sacrificed her own life to save the rest of us. A lot of us would've died had it not been for what she did. Me, Logan, Storm… Scott."

His eyes met hers for a moment before darting to the floor again. Jean had given her life to save them. To save Scott. And he couldn't even remember her. "What happened the second time?"

Rogue opened her mouth to answer when a wave of dizziness washed over her. Her head began to pound and all color drained from her already pale face. She placed a hand to her forehead as she let herself fall back onto the pillows.

"You okay?" he asked, scooting closer to her and reaching for her forehead.

Waving away his hand, she nodded. "Yeah. Fine. Just a headache."

Before James could question it further, the door swung open and Logan stomped through it. He barely glanced at James before he demanded, "Get out."

"We were just-" he stammered as he scrambled to his feet.

"Don't care," the gruff man snapped as he fixed his eyes on the pale figure of Rogue. "Just get out."

James hurried out of the room, not wanting to cross the already annoyed Wolverine, and closed the door behind him.

Logan knelt down next to the bed where Rogue gave him a weak smile. He placed his hands on both sides of her face and kissed her forcefully, ignoring the burning heat of her skin.

She gave a squeak in surprise, and when he released her, she asked, "What was that for?"

But he didn't answer. He just stood and said, "Come on, you gotta get dressed. We need to get you back to the medical wing."

AN: Yeah, I know, kind of a slow chapter, but it's building up for things to come. Keep on reading! And please review!