The professor opened the door to total chaos. Logan had his claws out and was running around the room alternately chasing a white blur and Remy, laughing in a way that would make any mad scientist proud.

"Logan!" Logan stopped faster than one would have expected given his weight and momentum, and sheathed his claws, attempting to look harmless. "You weren't about to disembowel one of our students or young Pietro by any chance, were you?"

"Of course not, Charles." His tone was all sincerity.

The professor asked him mentally what had been going on and "heard" Logan's account in an instant. "Good. I'd hate to have to explain another 'accident,'" he said, gravely, playing along.

Pietro and Remy both turned white as sheet. "Umm, accident?" Remy uncharacteristically squeaked.

"Oh, yes." Xavier nodded grimly. "When Logan first came to the institute, we had another student besides Jean and Scott." The two teens looked to Logan, whose face remained still. "A young man, just like you two... Logan was still recovering from his Weapon X experience, so he wasn't in the right state of mind... Very unfortunate. Oh, well, that whole messy business is behind us now." The professor smiled again as if pushing away unpleasant thoughts.

Remy and Pietro looked at each other. Then, in unison, "ROGUE!!!!!!" They ran headlong toward the kitchen and girl with super strength and invulnerability inside it.

Logan's mask cracked and he chuckled when they were out of hearing range. "That was a good one."

The professor laughed as well. "Yes, quite amusing."

"They'll never touch my liquor again."

Xavier frowned. "I'm not quite so sure about that... and really, Logan, if you're going to keep liquor around teenage mutants, one of whom is a known thief with a liking for bourban, you should learn to hide it better."

Logan's expression darkened. "Oh, believe me, I know."



In the kitchen once again, Rogue was bombarded by both Remy and Pietro on the counter. Luckily, she had just finished her cup of cider so when she saw them coming, she tossed the empty mug to Lance milliseconds before she was tackled. They clung to her like a lifeline.

Rogue glanced wildly between the two of them a couple times, exchanging glances with Lance as well. He just shrugged, a smirk appearing on his face.

"All raht, someone tell me why the hell the two a' you are hangin' on me like a pair of love-sick leeches," she said calmly, keeping her voice from the actually screeching she wanted to do.

Pietro began babbling at a speed none of them could even begin to understand and Remy had apparently forgotten how to speak English. "Oh, yes, that's very helpful," she sighed, exasperated. "Look, if ya ain't gonna explain then ya're gonna hafta get off me."

"NO!!!" they yelled in unison and clung even tighter, their babble resuming at more frantic pitch. Rogue gave Lance a 'what the HELL is goin' on here?!' look.

He just shrugged, highly amused. "You seem to have upset them further."

"Thank you, Sherlock."

"Wait, I think I heard the word 'Logan'"

"QUE?!"

"WHERE?!"

As if they hadn't been holding on tight enough already, they clung to her slim body even more. "A li'l help?"

Lance laughed, as he had been enjoying the show. But, he couldn't say no to a damsel in distress, so he raised his arms up and shook the earth a bit. All that really accomplished was knocking the trio off the counter. They clambered to the floor, all still attached. Now Rogue had leverage though.

She pushed the both of them off, frantically pulling at her gloves with her teeth. She spit the gloves out of her mouth and held her now bare hands out in front of her. "Stay back, Ah'm warnin' both a' you." She rose up in the air and flew backward, still watching them, to the door of the kitchen. "Stay."

They both looked up to her, and she could've sworn she heard them both whimper. "LOGAN? WHAT THE HELL DID YA DO TA MAH BOYS?"

"Logan..." the boys said, cowering on the floor.

Rogue rolled her eyes and flew out of the door. "Keep an eye on 'em foh me, Lance," she called over her shoulder.

He chuckled to himself. "No problem." He crouched down beside them, where they were huddled separately on the floor. "Guys, what happened to you?"

"Acc'dent," Remy murmured, rocking back and forth slightly.

"Oh geez. I'd get more intelligent conversation from Fred. Later." He stood up and went off in search of the rest of his team.



Professor Xavier and Logan were in the foyer, talking quietly and looking very amused. Rogue floated to a stop in front of them, hovering a foot or so above the ground, arms crossed in front of her. "Okay, Ah would like ta know why there are two mutant boys, usually arrogant ta the point o' stupidity, cringin' in the kitchen an' Ah would like ta know NOW."

Logan smirked. "I never touched 'em, Stripes."

Xavier covered his mouth and coughed to cover up a smile that was quickly spreading into a seldom seen grin. "We felt the need to teach them the consequences of alcohol abuse."

"By scarin' 'em shi- mindless? Gee, thanks." She landed on the ground, arms still crossed across her chest.

"They'll be fine in awhile, Rogue. You were against this operation of stealing Logan's liquor, were you not? So why are you upset that it was a failure?"

"Because now they're whimpery, sobbin' li'l puppies on the kitchen floor, an' Ah have no use foh people like that," she snorted.

"What'sa matter, Dixie," Logan challenged. "You afraid to comfort 'em?"

Rogue glared at him both for the nickname and the statement. "This ain't a matter 'bout mah insecurities, so stop avoidin'-." She threw her hands up in the air. "Screw it!" She turned on her heel and stomped out of the room.

Logan turned to Xavier. "Gotta love the holidays."



The kitchen door swung open accompanied by frightened yelps from the two boys. "It's just me," Rogue said disgustedly, stepping inside. They both lunged at her. "Freeze!" They both obeyed instantly. 'Okay, so maybe this has one or two perks,' she thought. "Where's Lance?" Both pointed wordlessly to the other door. Rogue sighed. "Well, Ah suppose we should go track down the rest of them..."

She started for the door again, but didn't hear them move. She looked over her shoulder to see that they hadn't shifted position at all. "Don't take everythin' Ah say so literally. C'mon!" She watched them slowly move to stand behind her. "Okay. Now, Ah want ya ta just act like they nevah said anythin' ta either of ya. You're scarin' me now." She shuddered. "No more actin' like zombies and more like egotistical pretty boys ya were, all raht?"

Pietro nodded, smirk gleaming in his eyes. Remy on the other hand... "Is that all I am? Egotistical an' pretty?"

She pouted and poked at his lips. "Ah just said it generally so as not ta hurt Pietro's feelin's." She leaned in close and huskily whispered, "You're the hot one, remember that."

Remy's eyes lit up, and he grinned at Pietro. Pietro just shrugged. He was tired of the macho bullshit competing for her attention. Rogue started the line up once again and they filed out of the kitchen.

"Man, you need some self-esteem, stat," Pietro whispered to Remy out of Rogue's hearing.

"It's worth bein' dis low t' have her. Don' y' t'ink?" They both took a moment to stare at Rogue, one more wistfully than the other. Pietro just settled for another shrug. He could've had his chance, but he didn't take it. He glanced between the two southerners and a smile so quick as to be unnoticable graced his lips. 'They really are made for each other. Remy's probably the only one who can and would put up with her mood swings and Rogue's probably the only one who could keep his attention. 'Doesn't mean I can't continue to mess with him.' The latter part of his thought was accompanied by wicked, albeit silent laughter.

"Y'all whisperin' 'bout me behind mah back?" Rogue asked from ahead of them as she reached the stairs, turning slightly to give them a raised eyebrow. They were spared from answering as the sound of a small explosion sounded through the mansion, followed by hysterical male laughter that sounded suspiciously like Lance's. "Ya know, Ah wish Ah could say Ah wasn't expectin' something lahke that..."

"Dammit, Rocky!" A voice that could only belong to Tabitha yelled back.

"I got you out of that freakin' net, what else do you want?"

"Hair that isn't fried beyond all reason, for one thing!"

"Yo, Tab, that was your own fault really..." they heard Todd whimper.

"Ugh! Why do I put up with you people?!" Stomping was heard and Tabitha all but ran over Rogue, going down the steps.

"Because you can't stand to live here," Fred reminded her helpfully as he followed.

She sighed in frustration. "Yep, that's gotta be it. No offense, Rogue."

Rogue shrugged. "None taken. Is everyone else all raht up there?"

"As well as they can be. I was in the middle of making another bomb to threaten Todd with because he was starting to sing 'I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves' and Lance came in, shaking the place up enough for me to lose my concentration, hence, my scruffy appearance." She flipped at her hair. "You have any leave in conditioner handy?"

"Nah, Ah'm low maintenance. Jean's section of the bathroom should provide more than enough of hair goop to calm that down though. She couldn't have brought everythin' with her," Rogue said with slight annoyance.

"Ugh. Using Jean's hair products. How much lower can I sink?"

Pietro grinned. "I dunno, Tabby. Seen the football team lately?"

"Y-you just be quiet," Tabitha growled, pointing a finger at him.

"Ooooh. Did I hurt widdle Tabby's feelwings?" he crooned in a baby voice.

"If you don't shut up right now I will sneak into your room in the middle of the night and cut your hair." Pietro looked horrified, his hands flying to his perfect hair.

"You're not that evil..." He sounded unsure though.

"Try me."

Remy's hands instinctively went to his own precious locks. "She looks pretty serious, homme."

"Ah suggest you keep one eye open at night, Pietro," Rogue said as she stepped between the two of them, heading up the steps. "Ah think it's safe ta say that Fred an' Todd are okay, raht?"

"As okay as they can be," Tabitha answered harshly. "If he came up with any more of the world's most annoying songs I would have strangled him instead of blasted him." Her words came out like venom.

"This is the song that doesn't eeeeend... It just goes on and on my frieeeend..." Todd sang out cheerfully, hopping down the stairs.

"Not that song!!!!!! Shutup!!! Shutup!!! Shutup!!!" Lance shouted, wild-eyed, right behind him.

Remy glanced over at Lance and edged away slightly as tremors began shaking the foundations.

Tabitha glared at him, breath coming out in huffing snorts. She began to toss a bomb in her hand idly, waiting for the perfect moment. Rogue watched her out of the corner of her eye, trying to think of what she should do. Let Todd get fried or save him from a fury of a few well-placed "homemade" cherry bombs? Unless, of course, Lance shattered the foundation of the institute first. Decisions, decisions.

With a sigh, she decided to save the frog's ass. She flew up next to him and tugged at her glove. He stopped mid-verse and gulped. "That's yoah only warnin'. Enough." Okay, it was a harsh way of saving him, but it did calm Tabitha down. The shaking even stopped too.

"Eep?" With that small sound Todd fell silent except for a yelp as Tabby's bomb exploded in midair.

"Smart move."

~I apologise for intruding, children, but would you please come into the foyer for a moment?~ came the professor's voice in their heads.

TBC...