Thought I had abandoned this story, eh? WRONG!!! Here's a long chapter to try to be forgiven.

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Chapter 11:

Shania woke up very slowly to the sound of someone repeating her name, and the feeling of a hand nudging her lightly. She moaned in discontentment and turned around to face the person that was trying to wake her up, without opening her eyes.

"Honey, its quarter past noon, you're sure you don't want to get up?" she head Logan's familiar voice ask.

Shania grunted in disapproval.

"You don't feel well?" Logan continued, feeling concerned. "You're boiling. Want me to bring you to Jean?"

Shania almost screamed at the sound of that woman's name. She absolutely wasn't in the mood to confront the red-head in a verbal attack, as she sensed the woman was going to lecture her about her unstable life and that she was better off away from Logan. Shany didn't need to be a psychic to figure that out. The words were written all over Jean's face every time she got near.   

"No, it's okay," she said, snivelling as she reached for the Kleenex box on the bedside table. "I just want to sleep."

Logan got up and walked to the bathroom, sighing deeply. He came out a few moments later, holding Shania's wet pyjamas, a vaguely curious look on his face. Shany smiled seeing him in the doorway with that look on his face.

"I . . . I went outside just for a little fresh air during the night," Shany mumbled, whipping her moist forehead with the back of her hand. 

"In that weather?" Logan shouted. "What-"

"Never mind," Shania interrupted, turning over and pulling the covers with her. "I just stayed a little too long outside . . . You must be starving. Go eat, I'm just going to sleep a little more."

"Fine," Logan whispered in her ear before kissing her. "I'll see you later then."

Shania heard him rise from her side and silently walk away, closing the door once he was in the hallway. She sighed and opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling.

*~*~*~*~*

Shania only got out of bed in the middle of the afternoon, to take a cold shower to try to get her temperature to cool down. It somewhat worked and, feeling her stomach growling for food, she got dressed and descended to the kitchen where she helped herself with a turkey sandwich.

After that, she got dressed and took a walk outside, on the now snow covered grounds. Storm was obviously feeling better. By the time she got back inside, her temperature had regained it's initial warmth.

She talked with some of the students, learning things about them, and in 'exchange', they wanted to hear how she had gotten to know the Wolverine. Shany told them the truth, of course, but dispensed herself from telling certain details.

Around six o'clock, Logan and the others were requested in the professor's office, for an important talk. Shan had no idea what the subject of their conversation was, and wasn't very curious about it. She didn't like prying in other people's business, as she didn't like people prying in hers.

Some time later though, Ororo came to get her, telling her that the professor wanted to speak with her. Starting to get interested, Shany accepted the invitation and followed Storm to the professor's office.  The others were walking out when she arrived, and she noticed the glare Jean gave her as she passed her, looking very unpleased about what they had talked about.

The door closed behind her and she was left alone with the professor. She turned to him with a smile, waiting for him to initiate the conversation.

"Good morning, Shania," he said, ever so calmly. "Please take a seat."

Shany walked to one of the seats he was indicating, seriously starting to wonder what he wanted to talk about. She just prayed that he wasn't going to question her about herself.

"How are you feeling?" the professor asked, Shania giving him a quizzical look at his question as she asked herself is he knew about what had happened last night.

*He's a psychic,* she reminded herself. *I don't think Scott would have told him.*

" . . . Fine, professor," she answered finally. "Thank you for your concern."

The professor smiled warmly and Shania felt a rush of affection towards that old man who was one of the rare people who cared about her well-being. He reminded her of what a father was supposed to be like.

"Do you feel ready to hear what I have to say?" he asked.

Shania didn't say anything, but nodded slowly.

"Now, this is information that you must keep to yourself," he said, getting serious. "Logan approved that you were intending to stay here, and if you are, there are certain things you must know . . . about this . . . 'school'."

*~*~*~*~*

Fifteen minutes later, Shania walked out of the office, a wide, mischievous smile on her lips. The others were right there, seeming to have waited at the door during the whole conversation. Scott, Logan and Ororo smiled, welcoming her on the team, while Jean pretended to be reading a paper of some sort. 

Ororo walked away and Scott strolled away with Jean seeing Logan march towards Shania. She smiled at him.

" 'X-Men' ?" she asked playfully, making him chuckle loudly.

*~*~*~*~*

Three days passed with no incident whatsoever for the residents at the mansion. Logan and Shania spent time together, Scott worked in the garage most of the time, while Jean was in the med lab and Ororo took care of the kids.

One day, the professor announced that the X-Men were all going to go get a teenage mutant in Baltimore, having the power to hear other's thoughts. She was in a state of deep depression and they needed to reach her quickly, or else she would only be good for the asylum, seeing that she was quickly slipping into madness.

The others were down in the lower levels, changing into their uniforms when the professor had called Shania up in his office again.

"Shania, there was one last thing that I wanted to discus with you," he said as she sat down. "I wanted . . . to hear . . . the reason why you refuse to tell us your mutation. I've figured out that you know perfectly well what it does, and yet-"

"My mutation is of no importance, professor," Shania interrupted. "I have no intention in using it. Ever."

"But why?" the professor asked. "A mutant refusing to use his attributed powers is like a bird refusing to fly."

"Well in my case it's like a skunk refusing to stink," she said coldly.

The professor leaned back in his wheelchair, accepting that she wanted to keep that information to herself.

"At least keep in mind that I am willing to help you, if you ever change your mind," he said.

Shania smiled, got up and walked out of the room, to get into her new X-Men uniform and join the others.

*~*~*~*~* 

Sitting in the jet next to Logan, who was holding her hand, Shania looked around at the others, all seeming to be used to all of this. Uniforms, a jet . . . she would have never thought that the professor had all of this. She had thought it was only a school. And she smiled seeing how wrong she had been.

The girl named Rogue was sitting further in the front. Shany had been told that there were also other members, such as a boy going by the name of Pyro, a boy she knew named Bobby, one nicknamed Gambit and two girls named Kitty and Jubilee. They hadn't been asked to come since they were simply retrieving a mutant. 

To what she had seen, it seemed that Scott was the leader of the group, being the one that gave out the orders and flew the jet. Ororo was the co-pilot, Jean sat behind them with Rogue, and Logan and herself were behind.

"Are flights always this silent?" she whispered to Logan, making him smile.

"Never really thought of it, but I don't think so," he whispered back.

Logan squeezed her hand a bit and she stayed silent for a while, only breaking the silence to complain about the absence of windows.

"And why didn't we just take a car?" she asked, trying to form some sort of conversation. "Can't the government trace down the jet? It is illegal, isn't it?"

"Nothing can trace down the jet, and so it is obviously illegal," Scott answered without looking away from the windowpane through which thick clouds could be seen. "And we couldn't have taken a car, because we need to arrive to this mutant quickly, before the authorities get her."

"And so . . . Jean is going to sort of stop her mind from catching other people's thoughts, or something?" Shania continued.

Jean looked at her for a moment, not even trying not to look bothered by her presence.

"No," Scott answered. "The professor will do that."

"Ah," Shania simply said. "So . . . are we there yet?"   

*~*~*~*~* 

The jet landed some time later right outside Baltimore, close to a friendly-looking neighbourhood. Since it was nighttime, they didn't have to worry about being seen. They simply walked to the house Jean designated, knocked and entered, walked up the stairs and arrived to the girl's totally up side down room.  

Storm was the first to enter, followed by Jean and Scott, but Logan stayed outside with Rogue and Shania.

Shan got a glimpse of the girl in the room, and immediately knew that something was wrong, or that they were going a mistake.

The girl, seeming pretty young, was sitting on her bed, curled up in a corner, both hands clasped tightly on her ears. Her cheeks were covered by wet tear strains, her eyes were all bloodshot and long bangs of her blond hair stuck to her sweaty forehead. She was in her pyjamas and seeing the state of her wrists, she had evidently tried to get rid of herself by cutting herself. She glared at the people who entered, moving further in a corner, screaming to them to get away.

Jean tried to reason her but she just won't listen. Ororo, Jean and Scott spent the next fifteen minutes trying to explain to her that they were friends and that they wanted to help her, but she was just so stubborn.      

Time kept on passing when suddenly, a loud bang was head down in the kitchen. Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen. Another bang was heard.

Cyclops came out of the girl's room, his hand to his visor and Logan unsheathed his claws.

"Wolverine, come with me," Scott said, heading for the stairs.

They were already downstairs when Ororo saw what was going on by the window.

"Magneto's here," she said. "Jean! Quick!"

There was no need to tell her twice. As Cyclops started shooting outside, Jean was already reaching him to fight along with them.

"Ororo, go help them," Shania said, trying to make herself useful. "I'll try to convince the girl."

"Okay," Storm said. "Rogue, come with me."

Shany walked inside the room for the first time and the girl backed up a bit more, still covering her ears.

"Hi," Shania started, sitting at the end of the bed. "I'm Shany. What's your name?"

" . . . Jennifer," she whispered.

"And how old are you?"

"Twelve."

"I think you've realised that you've become a mutant, hum?" Shania continued, trying to ignore the trashing that was going on outside.

Jennifer shuddered, more tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You're not a monster, sweetheart," Shania whispered, getting a little closer. "You're gifted . . . but now your power is hurting you. Let us bring you with us. We're going to help you. You're safe with us."

Jennifer looked up into Shania's eyes.

" . . . who's Tracy?" she asked.

"Tracy?" Shania asked, returning her the question.

" . . . you think I look like Tracy."

"No I don't," Shania said, frowning a little. "I don't even know who is this Tracy."

"It's in your mind," Jennifer said, uncovering her eyes. "You think I have Tracy's face but Carol's eyes."

Shania was starting to panic.

"I don't know these people," she said.

Rogue came into the room, interrupting their conversation.

"Quick! We need to go, now!" she said.

Shany took Jennifer in her arms, finding that her weigh was a simply touch heavier than a feather's, in a matter of speaking. She jumped down the stairs, following Rogue.

They arrived outside, where the X-Men were fighting off Mystique, Magneto, Toad and Sabertooth. Logan had informed her about these characters, and they were obviously not to be messed with. And they were obviously after Jennifer.

Shania made her was up to the jet and was about to enter when someone kicked her behind the knees making her fall. She let go of Jennifer and fell on her back, her head hitting the ground. Feeling dizzy, she saw that the person that had tripped her was Mystique and that the blue woman was now trying to grab Jennifer.

Shania kicked her ankles, making her fall to the ground, but she still took a longer time to get up than her enemy did. Before she knew what was happening, she had received two punches in the stomach. Growling, she made a few steps back before moving sideways and hitting Mystique sharply in the neck, and making her knee connect with the blue woman's back. She fell to the floor again and Shania was about to hit her again when a big hand grabbed her around the neck.

Sabertooth lift her above the ground, turning her towards him as she struggled to let air reach her lungs. She clawed at his hand, kicked him, but nothing was working and she was quickly loosing her strength.

~I can't get unconscious,~ she thought desperately. ~It's going to activate my power . . . I can't . . .~ 

Before she knew it, Sabertooth had dropped her to the ground as a flash of red light hi him across the chest. Coughing, Shania felt Scott pick her up and bring her in the jet. She barely had the time to thank him before the others came in.

"I'll take her, thank you very much," Logan said to Scott in a very hostile manner.

Scott smiled widely before returning to his place and starting the engine. Before the jet took off, Shania fell asleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Okay, the last part between the little (*~*~*) thingys, was a bit messed up.

In the next chapter, Jean hits on Logan. What is Shany going to do about that??? Well, the more the reviews, the quicker I update.