A/N: Okay, so this chapter did not work out like I had hoped. I ended up getting caught with some bad writer's block and so I ended up with a horrible chapter that barely advances the story. Sorry. Fortunately, the next few chapters are going fine so fear not! Things are about to get much better.
And Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanzaa to everyone!
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The next few months passed quietly for the X-Men. They kept a close watch on the new Senator Kelly, who was quickly emerging as a leader in Congress and gaining plenty of respect around the nation. So far, he hadn't proposed any new legislation, but everyone knew it had to be coming. The X-men were worried about Kelly, but they soon found it easy to put him out of their minds and ignore his actions. The Professor warned everyone not to underestimate the senator, but it was hard to live everyday on high alert for a threat that may be months or even years away.
As time went on, they began having short field trips that allowed everyone to get out of the mansion's lower levels and enjoy some fresh air every now and then. During these trips, the X-men mostly camped outside. They were all sick and tired of being indoors all the time and so the monthly camping trip became a highlight of their lives.
At Christmas, they held a very small celebration that included no gifts since shopping was out of the question. To the surprise of all the adults, the kids actually got along pretty well despite the constant close quarters. In fact, everyone's friendships seemed to be flourishing in this environment!
All except for one friendship, that is. Two of the X-men were no longer friends. In fact, they downright hated each other. These two were Scott and Logan. Ever since the episode with Jean, the two hadn't been on good terms. Multiple Danger Room sessions had been abruptly stopped so the X-Men could break up a fight between them. Things had gotten so bad that both mutants had learned never to be around the other one, as a fight would surely ensue if they ever stayed in the same room together for more than a few minutes. The only exception to this rule was at meals, where they sat on opposite ends of the table and refused to so much as look at each other.
The Professor had spent many hours with Scott, Jean, and Logan to try to end the feud, but it was all to no avail. It seemed that nothing could end the ongoing fight between Cyclops and Wolverine. Over time, the other X-men learned to accept the struggle between them and simply look past it.
Through all this, Jean found herself caught in the middle. The feud had begun because of her, after all, although it had progressed to being more about who was "better" than who was with Jean. Though it had been 4 months since Jean had chosen to stay with Scott, she was dismayed that she still had feelings for Logan, though not enough to rethink her position.
Despite these troubles, the relationship between Jean and Scott was growing more and more serious. Jean was beginning to think of Scott as the man she would eventually marry, but she couldn't tell if Scott was thinking the same thing. It wouldn't matter if he was or not though, as she wasn't really ready for that commitment quite yet. But she caught herself daydreaming about it often.
Likewise, the relationship between Rogue and Remy was progressing well. The two were much more rambunctious than Scott and Jean, but everyone enjoyed seeing them together. They were a fun couple and both made up well for the other's shortcomings, especially in Danger Room training sessions. However, they still hadn't quite figured out how to deal with "the Problem," as Remy now referred to Rogue's powers. He was growing more and more willing to steal a quick kiss though, and Rogue had learned to sense when he was about to strike so that she could focus and not absorb too much of his energy.
It seemed that love was just in the air at the Institute. The only young mutants not paired off were Kurt and Kitty, who had come to a mutual agreement that they wouldn't let the others pressure them into a dating relationship. They had decided not long after Rogue and Remy began dating that they were just friends and neither saw the other as anything different. They were content to just sit back and watch the soap opera unfold before their eyes. In fact, when talking to Kurt, Kitty often referred to the mansion as "All My Mutants."
So with the exception of the occasional fight between Scott and Logan, everything went smoothly inside the mansion as winter came.
As the time passed though, Xavier became more and more concerned about the Anti-Mutant Act. He was beginning to fear that it might stay in effect longer than he had first anticipated. He had begun contacting influential friends who he hoped could find a way to reverse the act, but so far nothing was working. Finally, he only had one option left and it was risky. It took the Professor a long while to finally admit to himself that this was the only way left. He was going to have to rely on the help of humans to find a way to reverse the Anti-Mutant Act. Ordinarily, Xavier wouldn't think a thing about contacting humans for help. But in this case, revealing himself as a mutant could very well mean the end of his life.
