"So, Charles, what do you think?"

Professor Charles Xavier placed a thoughtful finger on his lips and looked up at David Stewart, the newest New York Senator to grace Washington and one of his oldest acquaintances. "I must admit that your plan is intriguing…"

David beamed.

"…however, I believe it best that the mutant community in general, and this school in particular, keep a low profile for the time being."

"How can it? Really?" David returned, sitting on the corner of Charles's desk. "I mean, I know you made deals about the Statue of Liberty incident but all it takes is one person, one person, to blow things out of proportion. Senator Kelly has already suggested that you have something to hide…now, I'm not suggesting that he's right, you know me better than that Charles. Mutant registration is wrong, but there is nothing wrong with securing how you look in the public eye!"

By now, David was pacing about the room, his eyes gleaming. Charles quirked a small smile. "Senator Kelly seems to no longer be a problem."

David paused and faced his friend. "He is not the end, only the beginning and you know it, Charles."

The Professor sighed and adjusted his wheelchair so that he could easily escort the Senator outside. "I will think about what you have said."

David Stewart smiled. "That's all I ask."

"But I do not want to go!"

"For once, I agree with the Elf," Logan added, for all the good it would do. He turned his attention back to the unlit cigar in his hand and ignored the look that Scott Summers threw his way.

"What do you have against baseball?"

"Not a damn thing, One-Eye," Logan returned, looking up just in time to see Jean hide a smile behind her hand. She was standing next to Scott, of course, but that didn't stop him from responding with a sly wink. A giggle escaped from the redhead and Logan would have sworn he could hear Scott's teeth grinding even from across the room. Perhaps the game would be fun, after all.

Logan lit his cigar and imagined Scott glaring at him from behind reflective ruby quartz. The latter opened his mouth to issue a loud protest, but Logan interrupted.

"Fine, I'll go."

The room went dead silent as everyone turned to gape at him. Jean and Ororo both hid smiles, Scott and Bobby frowned, Jubilee snapped her gum. Kurt Wagner stared as if he had just been stabbed in the back and Kitty flocked to his side. "Please, Kurt? It'll be fun! We all need a little fun after all that's been going on around here."

"But, but…Katzchen! The inducer, what if it fails?" Kurt looked forlornly at the seemingly innocent wristwatch that just had to like playing with his nerves.

"Please?" Big brown eyes met yellow, and Kurt's tail twitched as if irritated. Still, he smiled and muttered, "Ja, I'll go." Kitty grinned and hugged him before dragging him bodily out to the car. The group laughed and started to file out the door.

Jean lingered behind, waiting for Scott. He smiled at her and then looked out the door. "Think there's anything there?"

"Between Kitty and Kurt?" Scott nodded. "I don't know…I mean, I think they're just good friends."

Scott looked out the door and nodded again. Jean turned to face him and saw herself. She looked away. And you? she prodded gently.

Scott looked thoughtful for a moment and then grinned. "Just friends," he repeated, making the "ladies first" gesture towards the door. Jean grabbed his hand and pulled him into the sunlight.

"And that way he forces the man onto the next base!" Bobby finished with a flourish. He was standing—grinning like an idiot--in the stands of Yankee Stadium. Jubilee was beside him, yelling impossibly loud over the crowd. Scott and Jean were holding hands and Logan was scowling.

"Nein, I still don't get it," Kurt said with a shake of his head. He had spent most of the game watching himself rather than the players, ever since his image inducer had sputtered during the first inning. He was waiting for tanned skin to go to blue fur and nervously listening to Bobby try and calm him down by explaining the nuances of Baseball. He probably would have gotten it if he started looking at everything the blonde was pointing at.

Bobby Drake deflated besides him, giving an exasperated sigh and glaring at Kurt. When the response was an innocent smile, he reached over and poked the elf. Kitty giggled and started tickling from the left. Kurt shrieked, attacked from both sides and with no chance of teleporting. Soon the three of them were a giggling heap with Logan yelling at them to shut up.

Ororo smiled and watched the three of them settle down. Bobby joined Jubilee in her cheers and Kitty left to get drinks for everyone. Kurt alone remained sitting, looking uncomfortable, almost as if he were brooding. If she could have seen it, Ro was sure his tail would have been twitching like mad.

The storm goddess leaned forward. They were in the upper stands, slightly separated from the crowds. Being claustrophobic as she was, Storm had requested that they be under the sky and away from the thickest of the crowd. Logan had grumbled, but it was done. Storm smiled and tapped Kurt on the shoulder.

He jumped and the inducer sputtered in protest. Storm saw a flash of blue and frowned. "Perhaps you should go for a walk," she suggested carefully.

Kurt nodded and started making his way towards the tall cement entryway. He soon lost the crowds and breathed a sigh of relief. The farther he walked, the more barren the stadium became, a large tomb of arching supports and dull gray walls. He walked till he saw no one and then sat down on a nearby bench.

His inducer sputtered and Kurt swore at it in German. Sighing, he asked the air, "Just how long can this stupid game last anyway?"

"About two hours."

Kurt jumped and swore again. This was definitely not turning out to be his day. He peered into the shadows, looking for whoever had spoken. It was there, close enough to be seen, but still cloaked in darkness, and from the voice, female. He stood and she seemed to hover, as if trying to decide whether or not to come out.

Peeking down revealed that his inducer was still on and Kurt was puzzled by her hesitation. He stepped forward, trying his best to be casual. "I came out here for some air. Baseball isn't my favorite sport in the world." The words sounded lame to him but at least he was trying. She didn't answer and the silence stretched. He gave a nervous smile and tried again.

"I was just—"

"Do you have money?" she interrupted, startling Kurt into silence. He gaped and she repeated the question, this time speaking slowly as if he was a child. Or perhaps she was just having trouble forcing the words out...

He was cute. That was the first thing I noticed and it was…startling. Not that I wasn't the type to notice cute guys, I was…I had just never been a drooling, cover-my-ceiling-in-posters kind of girl. And it was such a normal thing to notice that, frankly, it frightened me.

It had been a long time since I had felt normal.

So he was cute, in a very innocent sort of way. From his expression to his eyes to the nervous way his tail was flicking around…was he scared of me? Of being discovered?

The latter seemed probable, from the way his…was it a hologram? Well, whatever it was, it was flickering every once in a while. I pretended not to notice, studying his features. Blue. How odd, how…familiar. The pointed ears were a nice touch. I opened my mouth to make a subtle joke about it, wondering just how nervous I could get him before he bolted.

"Do you have money?"

Classic could-have-kicked-myself situation. Did I really do that? Did I really just ask him if he had anything worth stealing? He looked stunned and betrayed and even cuter, more innocent than before. I was sorely tempted to just walk away but my stomach had other ideas. It growled loudly and I stepped from the shadows and waited for him to gasp.

To his credit, he made not a sound. I knew what I looked like. After all, I had designed it, made myself look as pathetic as possible. My brown hair was dull and lifeless, my eyes big like a puppy's. I looked like a twig, starved and broken. At first, I had hated deceiving people on such a fundamental level, but now the lie was so damn close to the truth that it made no difference.

His yellow eyes were filled with pity. I wanted it and hated it. I craved it and loathed it.

Get on with it, bitch.

I expected him to run as I neared. I was going fast enough to appease my stomach but slow enough for him to have an easy get-away. I expected him to flee or attack me or call the police…

He didn't move.

Kurt stared at the young woman as she neared him. She was that, a young woman, behind the starved body and the warring expressions. There was something…something in her eyes, an intelligence, a depth that said she was above this, above stealing, above a petty existence and that life was trying its best to prove her wrong.

He knew perfectly well what she wanted. He knew that he could get away in a heartbeat even if she suddenly decided that nothing in the world was going to stop her from taking whatever he might have.

"Do you like McDonald's?" he blurted. She stopped and blinked. Encouraged, Kurt went on, "I saw one a little way down the street…my treat, of course." He cut off and felt like bashing his head against the nearest wall.

But she didn't look offended or scared or confused…if anything, the slight way her head tilted to the side and the brief smile that touched her lips suggested that she was…intrigued.