Diane stomped off by herself, leaving everyone else to their homework. She wandered the grounds again, looking for peace but finding it no where. Logan was in the garage. Jean had a class on the lawn. She didn't know the mansion well enough to risk getting lost in the many passageways just to go exploring.

She wandered out towards the back, getting herself lost in the seemingly endless trees. She sat down on log that was conveniently in her path. She stretched out on the log, faintly noticing that she was still wearing her green costume, including the cowl.

Wolverine came up silently behind her. She's been so intent on getting away from people that she hadn't noticed she was being followed through all her wanderings, since Logan had seen her look into the garage and then disappear, finding it occupied.

Wolverine came up silently behind her. He sat on the log. She opened her eyes.

"What?" She demanded, then instantly wished she didn't sound so sharp. But he ignored her tone.

"What happened?"

"Alex." He really hadn't needed to ask the first questions. He could smell Alex all over, as well as Bruce. He sighed.

"Don' like 'im?"

"I do. That's the problem." She held her hands a couple inches from each other. "This is what's happening." She smacked her hands together. "This is about where we are." She held her hands almost, -almost- touching each other, but not, -not- quite. Then she mimed trying to pull her hands apart and not being able to do it.

"Ah." He understood, and wasn't going to push it. She'd work it out for herself. Marie had told him she was a strong girl that could take care of herself. "I was goin' t' ask." He stopped for a second, "If y'd like t' work with th' bikes.I'd be willin' t' give y'." He hesitated again.

Diane looked up, her eyes incredulous. "Really?"

"Really. I've been lookin' for someone t' help."

"Prof. won't let me. He's mad at me for beating on my leader."

"I already asked. He said I could. Y'll need a bike, then, c'mon."

Diane ran her fingers lightly over the forest green metal on 'Gaea1000'. "We won' run 'er t'day. Too late. After classes, including yer class with 'Lex , come up here. We'll run 'er t'morrow."

Alex woke up around twelve to hear the panel by his bed beeping incessantly. He touched a few buttons on the plate near his head. A feminine computer modulated voice came out of the speaker.

"INTRUDER ALERT."

"Voice command, Alex Summers, where?"

"UPPER GARAGE, LEFT SECTOR."

"Damn."

"LANGUAGE, ALEX."

He'd forgotten Jean had programmed the machine with his cursing in mind. The last time the computer had told him off had been before he'd left the X- men the first time. Ah, well. One of the kids was in the motor cycles. Wouldn't be the first time. He pulled on jeans and a black t-shirt and set off at top speed, hoping the alert system hadn't wakened anybody else, and hoping to dear lord the kid hadn't taken Logan's bike.

He reached the garage in time to hear the low growling of one of the bikes. He leaped onto one, absently forgetting a helmet, and started it with the ease of practice. He just saw the red light on the back of the cycle disappear, and shot his bike after it.

Whoever was riding was good, he had to admit, to be driving in the dark. The thief's machine was at top speed, not counting supercharge mode, which he hoped to every god and saint he knew of, this person didn't know about. He knew how to drive with it, but he hated it, and he doubted whichever kid took the bike even knew where the button was, or how to drive it if he hit it on accident.

Whoever it was swerved and shoved his bike sideways, spraying gravel all over his bike, and forcing him to stop, thus giving the other rider precious seconds to speed through the first set of gates with. Kicking his bike back to life and after the other rider, he wished he could tell who it was. Their helmet was jet black, and they were wearing black leather, making it impossible to tell what size or sex they were. The bike as also black.

The other rider streaked down the lane speeding past the second pair of gates and, instead of taking the road to the city, skidded onto the one that led out towards the country. Alex growled. This person had ridden before. He was gaining on him, though, whoever it was hadn't ridden in a while. Suddenly, he was alongside the other bike. He saw the sleek black helmet turn to look at him.

Well, whoever it was would know it was Alex. The information did not slow the other rider down. A leather gloved hand slammed the supercharge button down. Alex did too. They both streaked off, literal blurs.

Damn, damn, damn he thought as he hurtled after the black cycle. Damn. He'd known where the button was. Damn. Someone who hung out with Logan. Damn. Marie? Damn.

The supercharge button was punched so fast and the cycle in front of him slid lengthways in front of him in a perfectly timed stop that made him pop up so he could get the supercharge off and stop his bike, therefore pitching him onto the ground.

"Enough of that, 'Lex?" Said a female voice from the helmeted figure. Whoever it was got off her bike in a practiced swing and helped him to his feet with one gloved hand.

Looking at her off the bike, he had an awful thought. He glanced at the bike, which was green, not black. His eyes caught the plate. Gaea1000. He groaned.

Diane pulled off her helmet, gold hair spilling over her black leather. For some reason she was very different than she had been during the day. She didn't seem mad at him. In fact, she was almost smiling. She was.- flirting-? Her eyes were shining with amusement, sparkling out of her perfectly smooth face, her gold hair in a total mess, shining in the soft light, stark on the dark leather.

He fought, and won, barely, the sudden urge to kiss her. Maybe she didn't know exactly -how- good she looked in black. But he couldn't make himself yell at her. She was working her hardest not to smile now, still waiting for him to start telling her off. She absently ran her tongue over her dry lips, which was finally just too much for Alex.

He took the two steps forward that separated them, trapping her between his arms. She looked surprised now, her mouth a little o, her eyes wide, blue, as innocent as the summer sky, though darkening quickly. He kissed her softly.

She gasped. She'd been kissed.but she'd never, -never-, been kissed like this. Fire raced through her body, sweetness through her veins. She could feel the scorching heat of him even through her leather jacket.

Suddenly he was gone. He'd stepped back before he did something he'd regret. His dark eyes met hers for a moment. He took the helmet from her, slipping it over her face. They both got on their bikes and roared back home, never having said a word to each other.

Diane was exhausted the next day. She stumbled through classes, noting that Bruce had a black eye, and Marie watched her carefully. In power class, Alex paired her up with Cyrene, and by the end of the class, she was covered in scratches. Bruce, who was working with Alex seemed to be doing his best to smash the teacher up.

After the class, anxiously dabbing a cut on her cheek, Diane hobbled up to the garage, knowing that Logan would know. However, Logan said nothing, and the tank on her bike was full. She ran 'Gaea1000' through all the speeds except super-charge, and Logan approved of her riding.

Diane ambled down one of the halls towards her room, swinging her jet-black helmet absently. She almost whacked Bruce with it when he came around a corner unexpectedly. He ducked, then stood up with a grin.

She probably had no idea, but her hair was in a tangled mess, helmet hair, there was a smudge of grease on her cheek, her eyes were shining with intense happiness, and she was very, very beautiful.

"Hey Bru." She said, almost smiling.

"Been busy. I was watching you."

"You ride?"'

"Some."

"Got permission?"

"Race ya."

"You'll win."

"Naw."

"You're much better."

"That's nothing in a race. Just a moment." She walked all the way back to her room without noticing. She came back out with her jacket and gloves.

She'd decided on the old road that she'd raced Alex on the other night. Bruce was a good rider. He'd been modest. He didn't have a bike like she did. Of course it really wasn't her bike.she was just using it.

She grinned under her helmet, and revved her engine twice. So did Bruce, and they shot off. He was very good. He cut her off. Instead of swerving, she tipped up and flew over him on a invisible ramp, her wheels spinning. She landed well in front of him, but the turns were starting to tell on her, and she was slowing down. So was he, but he was still gaining on her. She jumped again, but he managed to jump after her, before she'd quite gotten rid of her ramp. They raced along, her knee almost touching his. They kept going, occasionally sliding ahead of each other.

The road branched off but didn't keep going. Unspokenly, this was the end for their race. Diane sped ahead for a moment, but before she would see what he'd done, he'd jumped her, landing well over the edge of the road. Diane squealed to a stop, pulled off her helmet, and hung it on her handlebars, grinning. Bruce turned around slowly. He actually looked nervous about something.

"Dinner on the winner." He looked as if wondering whether she'd say no. She walked over and hugged him lightly.

"Loser." She retorted.

"Winner."

"Loser." He had to give in now. She was practically nose to nose with him, faking a glare. He stepped backwards . She stepped forwards. He couldn't move now, she trapped him with her eyes. All of a sudden, Bruce just happened to realize how close they were.

"Don't tempt me, Diane."

"Am I really?" She asked innocently.

"You've no idea."

"Oh, but I do."

"Well then, just for that, -I- pay for the movie."

"Oh, there's a -movie-?" She asked innocently.

"There is now."

"Cool."

She stepped backwards, and he had to fight not to step forward, as though a rubber band were connection them. She went to her bike, pushed a couple buttons, and it roared off without her.

"Where does that leave me?" He asked plaintively, knowing.

"With me on your back." She said with a mischievous grin.

Diane grinned, on the back of Bruce's cycle. She was truly evil. They roared off. She probably wouldn't do this to anyone but Bruce, or maybe Alex if she was in a really good mood...but she leaned forward, running her long nails over the smooth muscles in Bruce's back. She felt him shudder slightly, and grinned a feline grin.

"Diane, quit it! Do you want me to -crash-!" He asked after a moment or two. She was pleased to note that he sounded raspy, and he was definitely breathing faster. She stopped with her nails, though she did stay leaning on him, her breasts pressed lightly on his back. He should be nicely close to hyperventilating by the time they got back to the mansion.