Another update! ^_^

Thanks to all my reviewers! 

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Chapter 12:

Shania opened her eyes, only being able to see darkness. She didn't move, letting her eyes slowly adjust to the thick obscurity. Some moments later, she was able to discern objects around her, the window at the other end of the room, the night tables, and the cupboard.

She was in her room. Turning her head, she saw Logan, still sleeping.

She figured that she hadn't used her mutation, since Logan was sleeping and that she was in her room, and not in the med lab. She sighed, visibly relieved that no one had witnessed her mutation.

She rose from the bed and made a few steps, feeling as if a large marble was rolling around in her head, hitting her skull with every step she made. She was tempted to go back to bed to lie down and try to calm her headache, but didn't want to go back to sleep.

"A glass of milk should do the trick," she muttered, walking towards the door.

She walked towards the kitchen, taking the quickest way to get there, and found Rogue sitting on one of the high stools in front of the window, sipping what seemed like a cup of hot chocolate similar to the one Scott had prepared her a few nights ago. Shania didn't say anything and walked to the fridge, feeling Rogue's eyes following her. The silence soon became suffocating.

"How's Jennifer doing?" asked Shania without looking at Rogue.

"She's in the med lab," she simply answered, no tone whatsoever in her voice.

A few moments later, Rogue walked to the sink, placed her cup there, gave Shania a look and walked out. Once she was gone, Shany couldn't help but smile at the way that girl was acting.

Still feeling her headache, she poured herself another glass of milk and walked to the chair Rogue had occupied. She sat down, looking outside but only being able to see her reflection in the glass.

"I can't say you need much beauty sleep," a voice said behind her.

She turned around and saw Scott in the doorway, scratching his head and yawning.

"What are you doing up, *again*?" she asked, taking a rather large gulp of milk. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were following me around."

"Of course," he said sarcastically. "I'm Scott the stalker." 

"I can almost see the headlines," she continued, yawning at her turn. "What time is it anyway?"

"Something close to three in the morning, I think."

He walked to one of the cupboards and pulled out a box of cereals that he placed on the counter. He started rummaging through other cabinets, probably looking for a bowl.

"I don't remember if I properly thanked you for saving my neck," she said.

"It's nothing," he responded, pocking his head out of the cupboard he was inspecting. "It's all about teamwork, anyways."

"You're probably right," she mumbled. "How long has the whole X-Men thing going on?"

"Many years."

Shany watched him prepare his cereals with mild amusement. He shook the box, looked inside with cocked eyebrows, hit the side and turned it over his bowl but nothing came out. He hit the top of it and all the cereals inside poured out, covering the bowl. Scott grumbled something, pushing all the exedent of cereals back into the box and finally reaching for the milk. He poured some in very slowly and stared contently at his 'work'. He took a spoon and finally took his first bite.

"What?" he asked, finally noticing that Shany was staring at him.

"Oh, nothing," she answered.

Scott ate in silence, occasionally looking at Shania from the corner of his eyes. She too stayed silent, looking at nothing in particular. Finally, she decided to go back upstairs, to Logan. Scott mentally tried to think of something to say to make her stay, but wasn't quick enough, and so watched her walk away with yearn, unconsciously envying Logan for the first time. 

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Shania walked up the stairs, unaware of what Scott was thinking. She rubbed her forehead, glad to see that her migraine was gone. She counted the rest of the stairs and looked up in the hallway. Anger zapped through her whole body as the saw something that displeased her in the most annoying way.

Jean was in the hallway, wearing one of those silk nightgowns that reached above the knee. She was talking to Logan right outside their bedroom door. He was shirtless, and wearing one of those grey joggings. He was leaning on the wall, unaware that Jean was totally hitting on him. She laughed again, one of those annoying little laughs that girls didn't like to hear coming from someone talking to their boyfriends.

Shania cleared her voice and walked forwards. Logan saw her and smiled, turning towards her, while Jean looked slightly irritated.

"Where've you been again?" Logan asked her, holding her in a sweet embrace.

"Just in the kitchen," she said, trying to soften down. "And you?"

"Oh, I woke up and saw you weren't there and before I could go looking for you, Jean arrived," Logan said casually. "We talked a bit. It seems that she woke up too, and Scooter wasn't there."

"He's in the kitchen," Shany said coldly, turning towards Jean, not noticing Logan's frown.

Jean didn't answer, smiling at Logan and walking away, using the stairs Shan had arrived from. Logan turned Shania towards him and pressed her lips against his softly. She passed her arms around his neck, but before anything else happened, Logan pulled away, still keeping her close to him.

"What's going on with you and Scooter?" he asked quietly.

Shania felt the air in her lungs tighten and a shrill coldness swiftly passed in her back. Her eyes widened with shock and she pulled away quite violently.  

"Me and SCOTT?" she asked. "Shouldn't it be what's going on with you and miss-flirty-redhead-who's-engaged?"  

Logan frowned.

"Jean's-"

"Jean is a bitch who's breaking Scott's heart," Shania interrupted savagely. "I see it on his face every time we're together. Its-" 

"So it wasn't the first time you were seeing him at night like this?" he said, making a step towards her and unavoidably frightening her.

"Oh, Logan!" Shany said, obviously frustrated by that last comment.

"IS IT?" he asked louder, cornering her, both hands on either side of her head, leaning on the wall.

"NO!" she yelled, seeing the colour in Logan's face vanish.

He didn't answer anything, staring at her, not even looking as if waiting for an explanation.

"Logan, you don't understand!" Shany said. "We talk! That's all! I can't believe you would think that! You're so overprotective!"

"Overprotective?" he said, getting an inch closer to her face. "I thought its what you wanted. To be protected and loved. But it was all a game for you wasn't it? You've been playing me all along, hun?"

"Logan, no!" Shania said, tears starting to get visible in her eyes.   

"And what? You've been going out at night with *Cyclops*?"

"Logan its not true!" she begged. "I love you!"

Instead of calming him down, that statement only flared up his anger. He turned around ad punched the wall, leaving a hole. Shania was now reasonably scared, but she still wanted Logan to calm down. She made a few steps forward until she was right behind Logan. He, absorbed in his destruction, trying to get rid of his anger, did not hear her approach. He unsheathed his claws and was about to turn around and stab the wall on the other side . . . but he realised only too late the Shany was there.

Many of the students were now awake, thanks to Logan's thrashing, and were looking out of their dorms.

The rest passed in slow motion. Logan had turned around and, thinking that the wall was not that far behind, plunged his claws through the air. His fuming face disappeared when he saw Shania right there, in front of him. It took some time for his mind to register what had happened since he concentrated more on her face. She didn't look hurt or scared, just having a look of utter surprise on her face, looking at his eyes, her mouth slightly open, as if waiting for an explanation. He almost sighed of relief that she wasn't hurt, but he was mistaking.

He had forgotten about his claws and was just looking at her face. She still looked totally astonished, but her lips were almost forming a smile. She realized that she had held her breath and finally breathed out, almost amused. But she saw the look on Logan's face . . . He was afraid . . . but of what?

She felt a sweet and sugary taste in her mouth, one that was ever so familiar. It leaked out from the side of her lips.

She rose her hand, wiped her mouth and wanted to swallow, but she couldn't. More of the sweet and sugary taste entered her mouth. She couldn't breathe. She looked at Logan, frightened, and spat to the floor, feeling incapable of breathing in because of the taste in her mouth. She wiped her lips again and looked at her hand. It was covered in cherry coloured blood. She looked at Logan, and saw her fear reflecting on his face. She backed up slowly, looking down at her stomach just in time to see Logan retract his claws.

She couldn't breathe, she couldn't hear the screams. She could only start feeling the pain, sweeping over her completely. The feeling was so familiar, it was terrifying. After a few more steps of backing up, she finally reached the wall, leaned on it, and slid to the floor without a word spoken. She could now hear the students. They were screaming. She felt footsteps arriving very quickly.    

All started going black, and the last thing she saw was Logan, fright, anger and powerlessness in his eyes. He bent down. He was holding her.

"I swear I love you," she whispered, trying to hold back the tears.

But she couldn't breathe, she couldn't see and couldn't feel anything but the pain that was consuming her.

Everything went black.  

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