We already knew this was an AU fic and it becomes even more so in this chapter. I confess that I don't know a whole lot about X-Men other than what I've learned from watching the movie umpteen times and reading all of the novels I could find. I've yet to find much in the way of comics, and I know basically nothing about the characters backgrounds, but I'm guessing that Jean is not originally from Colorado Springs, but the Greys come from there in this story. If it bugs you, then send be some background info to work with. : D

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A few months later, Professor X wheeled into the study where the X-men had gathered. "Cerebero has detected a new mutant. It is a 15-year-old boy named Ryan Iverson and he lives

in-"

"Colorado Springs!" Reagan exclaimed.

"Yes," Xavier said thoughtfully. "You know him?"

"Uh huh. I went to school with his sister Susie. You remember her don't you Jean? Susie Iverson?"

"Vaguely." Jean replied. "Didn't you two become friends in high school? That was around the time I left to come here. I hardly remember her."

"Since you know the family well, Reagan, why don't you go visit with them and talk to them about letting Ryan join us? If they agree, you can bring him back with you."

"Sure, I'd love to go. I left some things at home that I'd like to bring back with me anyway. I can kill two birds with one stone. Could Jeanie come with me? The family would love to see her again and we really haven't had much time in the last few months to catch up with each other."

"No I need Jean here with me at the moment. Why don't you take ..." He looked at the others in the room speculatively. "Logan. Yes, you go with her Logan. You can protect them both should Magneto decide to go recruiting for the Brotherhood." Reagan and Logan looked at each other in surprise and then turned their disbelieving gazes on the Professor.

"Oh, no Professor. You must be joking! Why... why..." Reagan sputtered.

"Yeah Wheels. I thought you were off your rocker before but now I know I was right. We don't get along at all in case you've forgotten!" Logan had jumped of the couch and was pacing the floor.

"Yes I know," replied the professor. "That is why you are going together. You can get to know each other better on the way over and back. I believe that if you give yourselves some time you'll become good friends. I also thought you might be able you talk to Ryan, Logan. Tell him about the school from a man's point of view."

Logan finally realized that he really had no choice in the matter. He had been chosen to go and it was the least he could do after all the professor had done for him. The group moved as one to the garage to choose a vehicle for Logan and Reagan.

Logan's first choice was the Black Bird. It was fast and the sooner they got done the sooner they would get back and the sooner he could get away from being in close quarters with Reagan. He was not relishing the idea of spending even a few hours with her in the confined space of the Black Bird. It was then that Scott reminded him that he didn't know how to fly the Black Bird. Scott had freely offered lessons but because they were coming from Scott, they never progressed very far.

Jean suggested they take Reagan's convertible but taking a better look at it she realized that it didn't have a back seat or much in the way of cargo space either, so it too was ruled out. Then Logan suggested that he go alone, take the bike and bring Ryan back with him. Reagan couldn't help but laugh. The mental picture of Logan bursting into Mrs. Iverson's house claws splayed and demanding she send her son to the Institute was just too much for her. Jean caught on and projected the image into the other's minds and they laughed too. The picture was just too ridiculous. Logan fumed. One claw came out like an index finger and he pointed it at Reagan menacingly.

"That's enough." He ground out. "We'll take the X-van. That's final." He looked at the others as if daring them to complain.

"I think that's an excellent choice Logan. The two of you can take turns driving if you wish to get there sooner and there is plenty of room for what ever Reagan and Ryan may choose to bring back with them. You two may start in the morning." With that, the Professor effectively closed the subject.

* * * * * *

That afternoon Reagan and Logan could be found in heated argument over the rode atlas and their conflicting ideas for a trip itinerary in the den. Logan was sure they could drive straight through meaning they could get there by the next day. Reagan on the other hand had intended the trip to take at least two weeks. She had passed some tourist spots on her way to the Institute and she wanted to stop at them now, even though it would make the trip much longer. Scott leaned over the back of the couch to suggest that Reagan didn't really want to spend two weeks in a small enclosed space with Logan to which she snapped, "Mind your own business Scott. Very little gets between me and tacky tourist traps. They're most of the reason I go on trips at all. So stay out of it."

Scott rolled his eyes behind his glasses, turned off the TV and left them to argue on their own.

"Honestly." Reagan huffed. "I have no idea what Jeanie sees in that man."

Logan smiled grimly. "At least we agree on that." He muttered.

"Humm?" Reagan was once again focused on the map in front of her and had lost the thread of the conversation.

Eventually agreed to a compromise. Two days over, three days to stay in Colorado giving Reagan time to visit her family, pack more furniture and still give Mrs. Iverson and Ryan a few days to make a decision. Plus three days to get back to Institute. Reagan was a little put out that she would only be allowed one tourist trap each way, which was added to the bargain by the Professor when she turned rebellious, but even that could not keep the two of them from arguing for long. They would, in fact, argue all the way over and most of the way back from Colorado Springs covering a range of topics from clothing choices to sleeping arrangements to air-conditioning to tasteful manners.

Whenever Reagan went on car trips she always wore pajamas the entire time. It was much more comfortable. Nice pajamas, but according to Logan, they were pajamas all the same. He didn't want it to look like they were something they weren't. Namely, newlyweds or lovers or something like that. Reagan assured him that no one would assume such a thing as long as they continued to argue, and by the way what was with the ratty looking jeans he was wearing? They should have been cleaned and burned a long time ago.

This argument led them through the gates of the institute and on their way. Three hours later the next disagreement occurred, this time over the air conditioning. Reagan was convinced that Logan was intentionally trying to freeze her out, so she shut her vents to freeze him out instead. He leaned over from behind the steering wheel and opened hers again. She closed them. He opened them. Reagan, growing tired of this nonsense touched a sparking finger to the dashboard intending to drain the power to the air conditioning. She had not been paying attention the last time Scott tried to explain to her what went on under the hood of the car, or she would have realized that the battery was what made everything in the van go. Her sparks hit the battery. The van died. Yes, she definitely should have paid more attention when Scott was teaching her how to disassemble a car.

They were on a rural road at the moment and there wasn't any traffic other than them. Logan just sat there, staring straight ahead.

"You hit the battery." He didn't even look at her.

"Seems like it." She said in a small voice.

"Won't it work the other way?"

"You mean, put the power back into the battery?"

He nodded.

"It would if I had taken it out, but I didn't. I just zapped it. My guess is it was going to die soon anyway. Want me to try though?"

He turned to look at her and Reagan could tell he was using all of his strength to hold back his anger. "What do you think?"

Yikes! If looks could kill, she'd have been six feet under by then. She jumped out of the van and Logan popped the hood. Reagan stood looking at the tangle of hoses and wires and funny looking boxes. Everything was covered with grime.

"Uhgg, yuck!" She mumbled. If memory served correctly the battery was box shaped. She stabbed her finger at the box experimentally. Nothing happened, not even a spark. "Huh. Well, maybe I just can't see what's happening. Ok! Start her up!"

Logan turned the key. All she heard was a clicking sound signaling that the battery was indeed still dead. This wasn't working at all. Logan was going to kill her. The electricity just wasn't flowing. She was drained and the only way she knew to get a good surge was when she was angry.

"Logan come make me angry so I can have a surge and jump-start the battery!" She called.

She had to be kidding, Logan thought. Make her angry? He'd show her angry.

"All right. Nobody's here. We'll just have a small war. Come and get me." He stepped five paces away and turned his back.

Reagan barred her teeth and accepted the challenge. He wasn't exactly high on her list of favorite people that day. She started a loping run and the last second before she would have run into him she sprung in an aerial over his head to land in front of him, her hands in a defensive position. But she knew it was useless to fight Logan hand to hand. With his metal skeleton it not only hurt when you got hit but when you attacked too. Powers it was. She backed up and let out a few sparks from her fingers in his direction. He dodged. And so continued the mini war Logan dodging the energy Reagan hurled in his direction and she tumbling out of the way of his claws. After a few minutes she began to feel like she was glowing with the electricity building up inside and she walked to the van opened her hands wide and prepared to zap the battery. Logan appeared behind her.

"Just give it a little ok? You don't want to blow up the van, just start it again."

She sniffed and aimed a short burst at the battery and they could hear the car start. Reagan grinned. "Hey thanks! I couldn't have done it without your help. Wow, I fixed the car!"

Logan grunted and got back in the van.

"Hey, Logan! Before we go come look at this quick, will you? I don't think this is supposed to be like this."

Logan sighed. "Now what? We've already lost an hour because of you and your sparking fingers. What is it?"

She pointed at one of the hoses that was dripping. "Is it supposed to do that?"

He looked at it closer. "Nope. Go get some duct tape from the emergency box. That should hold it until we get to a mechanic."

Reagan hurried away and Logan looked at the hose again and sniffed it. She came huffing back with the tape in time to see him burying his nose in the dirty mess under the hood.

"What are you doing now? Smelling fumes? Come on; let's get out of here. This place is starting to give me the creeps."

As they climbed back in the van, Logan explained that something under the hood didn't smell right. He thought someone had sabotaged the van. Reagan shivered and Logan continued to drive.

* * * * * *

Late that evening they stopped at a tiny motel in Missouri.

"We stay here tonight." Logan announced, putting the van into park.

"But it's always full here." Reagan complained.

"Then why is the vacancy light on?" Logan asked smugly.

Reagan gave him a dirty look. "The 'No' is probably burned out." She said sourly, but followed him inside anyway.

Logan sauntered up to the desk and pounded on the bell. A harried little man whose glasses looked liked they pinched his nose hurried out from the back office. His beady little eyes sized them up, Reagan in her now wrinkled pajamas and Logan in his ratty clothes.

"We need a room." Logan said looking the little man straight in the eye.

"Two rooms actually." Reagan chimed in from behind him. Logan shot her a hurt look but she ignored him.

"Two rooms huh? We're all out. Full. Booked. Not an empty bed in the place." The little man looked awfully pleased with himself.

Logan scowled at him. "Then why is the vacancy light on?" He asked.

The little man looked up in surprise. "Oh, the 'No' burned out last week." He answered, as if that explained everything.

"So you don't have any rooms?" Reagan asked sweetly. "None at all?"

"Nope, little lady, not a one. You might try down the street though. I think they may have a vacancy."

"Thank you." Reagan smiled at him. "Come on Logan," she pulled on his arm. "We'll look down the road a ways. Goodbye!" She called cheerfully back at the man as she practically dragged Logan out of the lobby.

"Told you the sign was burned out."

"Don't rub it in."

*Reviews are encouraged here*

So please review and don't make me zap you!