))) I can't believe how many reviews I have! Everyone likes my story! And I couldn't let my audience down, so here's the next chapter (((

Ron crept into Kim's room the next morning.

"KIM!" he shouted, startling her awake. He thought it was hilarious.

"Very funny," she growled, as Ron was slapping his knee happily.

"Hey, come on! Everyone's already at the table for breakfast," Ron said.

"Really?" Kim asked, realizing how hungry she was. "Well, I don't want to be rude." She started to get out of bed and groaned as her muscles protested, still sore from the Danger Room session the night before.

"I'll let you get dressed; I'll wait for you outside the door. Don't take so long this time!" Ron said as Kim chased him out.

A few minutes later, they walked down to breakfast together. Ron apologized for the both of them for being late. The professor said it was no problem. Ron sat down next to Kurt, leaving a seat for Kim beside him. Naddie was on the other side of Kurt, talking to Kitty animatedly.

"Hey, mouse, pass the eggs, will ya?" Logan asked in the general direction of Kitty and Naddie.

"I'm half-pint, remember?" Kitty said. "And I, like, can't reach the eggs, they're there by Naddie."

"I was talking ta that one," Logan said, motioning at Naddie with his fork.

"Oh, wow, I have a nickname already!" Naddie said, happy to pass the eggs to Logan. "I feel soooo honored!" She and Kitty giggled together.

When breakfast was over, Xavier suggested to the mutants that they take Kim, Ron, and Naddie into town to buy some clothes for them.

"We're going shopping!" Kitty said happily to Naddie. Kim sighed happily at the thought of seeing a mall.

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A couple hours later, Kim, Scott, Jean, Ron, Kurt, Kitty, and Naddie were all crammed (illegally full) into Scott's car on their way to the mall. Evan was visiting his parents that weekend. When they got to the mall, they decided where they would all meet up later and they split up- girls went one way, boys went another.

The girls stopped at several designer-name stores and bought several extra outfits for Kim and Naddie to wear. After at least a half-dozen stores, Naddie decided she had more than enough clothes and walked into a bookstore while the others were still at yet another clothes store. Kitty decided to go with Naddie.

"Oh, hi, Kitty," Naddie said when she saw her. "I just wanted to stop in here. I think I probably have enough clothes for now." She held up her four bulging bags of her purchases. "I feel kinda bad spending all this on clothes! I don't care about designer names! Is the professor paying for all of this?" Kitty nodded. "Wow."

The two bonding girls looked around at all the books until Kim and Jean finally came out of the clothes store. They were talking and laughing and seeming to have a great time.

"Kim and Jean are, like, getting along really well!" Kitty noted. Naddie agreed. "That's good, too. It's not like Jean's short on friends or anything, but I'm the only other girl at the institute, and we haven't really, like, bonded yet as much as the others have. That's why I'm so glad you're here!" Kitty said. Naddie smiled. "No, really, I hate being the youngest girl. Jean's always hanging out with Scott and there's nothing wrong with the guys, but, you know."

"Yea, I do know what you mean," Naddie agreed. "Back home, most of my friends are guys, but it is nice to have a girl to talk to. Guys just don't understand us is all."

"Yea."

"Hey, girls, sorry we took so long," Jean said as they met back up. "It's almost 1:30. We better head on over to the food court to find the guys."

"Sure," they all agreed, and headed off together.

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The guys were doing almost as much eating as they were shopping, at least Kurt and Ron were. Scott rolled his eyes as the two insisted on stopping at an ice cream vendor.

"Aren't two hotdogs and a pretzel each enough to tide you over at least until we get to the food court for lunch?" he asked, exasperated.

"Wa?" Kurt asked through a mouthful of vanilla ice cream. Scott sighed.

"Never mind."

Ron picked out a few shirts, pants, and some extra socks and underwear. ("Oooo! I like these boxers with SpongeBob on them!") He didn't need much, but he was starting to get hungry again. . .

"Guys, it's getting late," Scott said. "We better meet up with Jean and the others. You have enough stuff, Ron?"

"I'm coo'," Ron said. "'nuff stuff here."

"Good, then let's get to the food court," Scott said. "It's right up this escalator here." He led the way. Kurt and Ron followed.

"There he goes being Mr. Leader again," Kurt said sarcastically, so Scott couldn't hear.

"Yea," Ron laughed.

"Uh, hey, Ron?" Kurt asked after a moment. "Do you and Naddie. . ."

"Oh, is she my girlfriend?" Ron replied, confused. "No, not Naddie. I've known her since I was really little. She's kind of like a sister, actually. Why, you don't. . ." Kurt looked away. "Kurt, man, you like her!"

"Shh! Don't say that so loud!" Kurt insisted.

"But you do, don't you?"

"Well, maybe a little. . . but it doesn't matter. You guys are only here for awhile."

Ron nodded. He was right. It would be useless to start a relationship here, right?

"There they are," Scott said, bringing them both back to reality.

"Hi, Scott! Over here!" Jean waved.

"Hey, Ron, wha'd ya get?" Naddie asked.

"Um, clothes," he replied. Naddie rolled her eyes and then looked at Kitty. They giggled at some inside joke.

"I think they're getting along together a little TOO well, if you ask me," Kurt whispered.

"They're plotting against us, I know it!" Ron added.

"Hey, let's freak them out and pretend we're talking about them," Kurt said with an evil grin.

"Blah, blah, blah, NADDIE, blah, blah, KITTY. . ."

The girls stopped talking long enough to give them funny looks, then they started laughing again.

"They giggle too much," Kurt muttered.

"They're making me all paranoid!" Ron said. "Why DO they have to giggle so much?"

"You hungry?"

"I could eat something," Ron said. Rufus, who had come along for the ride, popped out of Ron's pocket and agreed.

"Hey, fuzzy-less dude, you hungry too?" Kurt asked the naked mole rat. Rufus nodded.

The teens decided to order a couple of pizzas to split. While they were waiting, they picked out a nice table near a fountain with an ugly looking fish spitting water out of its mouth. Just when everything was going great, the Brotherhood showed up.

"Hey, Pretty Kitty," Lance said as he pulled a chair up next to Kitty and sat down.

"Hey-who-are-your-new-friends?" Pietro asked. Kim raised an eyebrow at hearing him speak, but didn't say anything.

"Not that it's any of your business," Scott said curtly. "But they're visiting. This is Kim, Ron, and Naddie," he said, pointing them out.

"Yo, baby doll, what's goin' on?" Todd asked, zeroing in on Naddie.

"Bug off, Todd," she replied.

"Wait a minute." Todd said. Naddie grimaced as she realized what she'd done. "How'd you know my name?"

"Um," Naddie started.

"We warned her about you guys!" Kurt covered. She mouthed her thanks. Luckily, the Brotherhood accepted this explanation.

"I like your hair," Blob said to Kim. "It looks kind of like Jean's hair." He reached for it. Kim pulled back and put her hands in front of her protectively.

"Heyhey! No touching, please!" Kim exclaimed.

"Boys, please," Jean started, trying to be civil. "We just want to sit here and enjoy our pizzas."

"Oooo, pizza!" Blob said.

"No, wait," Lance said. "I want to know what the new guys' powers are. . ." He leaned in close to Kim and winked. Kim looked nauseas and Kitty just rolled her eyes and groaned.

"They're not mutants," Scott muttered.

"What? Oh, that's hilarious. Do they know what you are?"

"Yes, now can you please just-"

"-leave, boys, now!" A thin woman in a business suit and glasses hurried over to the table. She smiled strangely at Scott, then motioned that the Brotherhood should come with her, NOW.

"Well, at least now we can eat in peace," Kurt said.

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" Scott asked, distracted.

"No, what happened?" Jean asked.

"It was nothing, I guess," Scott said. Naddie remembered the next episode. The field trip! Mystique was after Scott. But it would turn out alright. The good news was that Rogue was coming soon, Naddie remembered. She smiled.

"Why so happy all of a sudden, Naddie?" Kurt asked, noticing her grin.

"Oh, nothing," Naddie said. "Just thinking about what happens next.

))) so what do yall think? I'm still wondering who to pair with who. I got several 'votes' for Kurt/Naddie, which you can see I've been toying with that idea for a few chapters now. Who else? You guys tell me what you would like to see. I can't promise anything, but I'm always open to suggestions. Please review on your way out. See ya! (((