When I woke up it was still light out. I was lying by a huge window that overlooked the basketball court. The man with the knives was sitting over me with a smile on his face. "Oh, good, you're up."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Logan. Listen, I'm sorry I scared you so bad. I thought you were someone who wasn't supposed to be here."

"I'm…. I'm good. I've got no weapons or anything on me."

Logan smiled. "I know. You check out."

"How long have I been out?"

"Only a couple hours. It's eight o'clock. You slept through dinner, but we saved you some stuff."

I managed a small smile. "Thanks." Logan handed me the food and I started to eat. "So what do they call you, Logan? Marie is Rogue, Bobby is Iceman, Ororo is Storm, Logan is….."

Logan sighed. "Wolverine."

"What?" I smiled again. "I like it. It suits you. Hey, look at me, I don't even got a name. I mean, I do- I'm Erin Murphy- but not like Marie has Rogue or you have Wolverine. What do you think my name would be?"

Wolverine chuckled. "I dunno. What can you do?"

"Well…. I fly. I can move stuff with my mind, too. I also heal people. Saved a little boy's life once."

"Alright… that's a start. And second off, from your name and appearance I can easily conclude that you must be of Irish decent."

"Right," I nodded. "I bet it doesn't help any that I too have become a fan of stuff like Riverdance and Colin Dunne."

"Well, no, that's good, see," Wolverine pointed at me. "Because not all of us have names that match our abilities, like Storm, for example. I'd bet you'd guess that her power has something to do with the weather and or the atmosphere, right?"

"Yeah."
"Precisely. She can manipulate the weather. Turn a beautiful sunny day into a winter blizzard, just like that." He snapped. "Then there's someone like me, or Marie, who have names that don't mirror their powers. You'd probably think my name should be…. oh, I don't know, Wolfman or something. But that just sounds too Hollywood."

"So how did you come up with Wolverine?"

"I, uh….. it's- it's a long story. Painful one, too."

I nodded. "Then don't tell me."

Wolverine smiled faintly at me. "Thanks."

Nothing was said for a moment. "So, uh…." I pointed to Wolverine's hands. "Does- does it hurt when they come out?"

"You know, Rogue asked me that same question when we met," Wolverine said, smiling fully at me. He looked down at his hands and nodded. "And I told her, 'Every time.'"

I finished my dinner and decided to go back to bed. I was still really tired. They let me spend the first night by the window; I told them I liked the view. I woke up again in the middle of the night after having my dream again. There was a voice, speaking soft and low, in my dream, and when I woke up I realized it was coming from the window, the basketball court. I glanced at my watch—three in the morning—and then outside to see someone sitting outside my window. Pulling myself off of the sofa I found my way outside. The full moon was enough light for me to make my way to the court. My heart stopped when I saw who it was. He was sitting on the steps with a rosary in his hand, praying in German.

I couldn't say anything; all I could do was walk over to him and sit next to him, and he looked up at me. Yellow eyes, pointed teeth and ears, blue skin, tail. Three fingers per hand. He smiled at me kindly.

"Why are you crying, kleines?"

"What? Oh, dear…." I sniffed, starting to laugh. "I dreamt of you… I dreamt for so long…. When I was little I would have a rough day and I dreamt of you that night. I dreamt of you just now."

"You had dreams…. about me?"

I nodded. "But I never knew your name!"

"My name is Kurt Wagner, but in the Munich circus I was known as the incredible Nightcrawler."

I laughed. "Hi, Kurt Wagner. I'm Erin Murphy."

"Are you a student here, Erin?"

"Yes. I'm new. I just got here today. Had no idea I was even to attend until today....."

"Really?" Kurt smiled. "What are your powers?"

"Well…" I smiled back. "I heal people. I can fly, and I can move things with my mind. The last two come in handy for long trips and laziness." Kurt and I laughed.

"Well, let's see it, then!"

"Wha… which do you want me to do?"

"Ah… make something levitate for me."

"Okay…" I noticed he was still holding the rosary in his hand. "Hold out your rosary, Kurt."

He did as he was told, and I concentrated on it. Finally, it lifted from his hand, and Kurt smiled as I made it dance across the night sky. Moments later I had it float back down and land next to Kurt, who took it up and studied it. He smiled at me. "Fantastic!"

"Thanks," I smiled, and for a moment, nothing was said between us. "What can you do?"

A huge grin erupted across his face as he turned to smoke and disappeared. "Wha-" I stood up and looked around. "Kurt?"

"Over here!" His voice came from the other end of the court, and I thought I caught I flash of his coat before he disappeared again. I laughed gleefully. "Kurt, c'mon! Where are you?"

"Don't look away, I'm over here!" It was from the benches this time, the benches I met Iceman and Rogue at earlier that day. I grinned. "Hey, where are you?"

Silence.

"Hello?"

Nothing.

"Kurt?"

"Guten abend."

"Aaahh!" I whirled around and there he was. I started to laugh. "You scared me! So you're a teleporter, huh?"

He gave a genuine smile and bowed. "The incredible Nightcrawler, otherwise known as Kurt Wagner, at your service." We said nothing to each other for a few moments, but then Kurt took a step towards me. "Erin, I have dreamt about you, too. I dreamt I knew you and you got lost…. But you came home to the school. I was waiting for you here, on the court where we are now. And you came home…. to me. You were flying and you looked so happy to be home…."

"My dream was like that, too!" We smiled at each other in delight. "Kurt, I heard you praying outside my room tonight. What were you saying?"

"I was asking God to watch over you while you slept."

With tears in my eyes, I ran to Kurt, and he held me in his arms as he smiled. "Oh, Erin. Welcome home."

The next day Rogue and I had breakfast together. "Erin, Cyclops got home last night with Nightcrawler! You should meet them."

I grinned. "Well, I really would like to meet Cyclops. And I would love to see Nightcrawler again."

Rogue gaped at me, delight flashing in her eyes. "When did you meet him?"

"Just last night. I heard him praying outside my room and I went out to meet him."

"Isn't he fantastic?"

"Are you kidding? He's great!"

Rogue and I laughed. "He is!" She said, gulping down the rest of her orange juice. "Well, I've got to get to studying for Physics. I know it's so early and all, and a Saturday, but I've gotta do something in order to wake myself up in the morning or else I'll go mad." She put down her glass. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Me? I'll be fine," I assured her with a wave of my hand. "I'll just go shoot some hoops or something. Watch TV, play table hockey… fly a bit…."

Rogue laughed. "Alright. Stay outa trouble, girl."

"I will, Marie, thanks. Good luck on your physics."

At about eleven o'clock, I sat down in the main room to do some reading. I hadn't been reading for more than ten minutes when a blue hand reached around me and gave my nose a tap. "Uh?" I turned around in my seat to see, over the back of the sofa, a pair of yellow eyes watching me intently. "Kurt!" I cried in glee, jumping up and running around the sofa to give him a hug as a grin erupted across his face.

"Hallo, Erin!" Kurt laughed. "And how did you sleep last night?"

"Great. I'm hoping you got some sleep as well?"

He shrugged. "Less than I would have liked, but….." His voice dropped to a whisper as he smiled and gave my hand a squeeze. "But I did dream of you last night, after we met."

My heart melted. He's adorable. "I dreamt of you, too, Kurt."

"Erin?"

I whirled around to find Jean standing in the doorway, holding a bag of groceries. A group of kids ran past her and she called at them to walk.

"Hiya, Dr. Grey."

"Good morning," she smiled, coming over to us and putting the bag on the sofa as she leaned against it. "I see you and Nightcrawler here have met?"

Kurt put an arm around me and gave a huge smile. "We have indeed."

"As a matter of fact, Dr. Grey," I started. "I was looking for some help unpacking. Kurt, would you like to help me? I sure could use it!"

"Oh….! I would be honored."

I laughed. "Awesome. Thanks a ton."

"Great," Jean winked at me. "Oh, Erin, Rogue wanted me to tell you- I saw her just before I left for town- there's a big dance- slash- party thing going on tonight and she was wondering if you'd like to go. She said she had a group of friends who were going and she figured you'd like to join them."

"Really?" I gaped at her. "Oh dear, I've never been asked to a real party before….." I frowned. "It's going to be fancy isn't it?"

Dr. Grey nodded.

"I don't… I don't have a dress."

A grin spread across Dr. Grey's face. "Well, see, Storm doesn't either, and she's going out for one in an hour. Whaddaya say?"

I beamed. "Oh, Dr. Grey, that would be wonderful!" I gave her a hug. "Thank you so much. You know what, you people have been nothing but amazing to me, ever since I got here. Well, uh… Wolverine did scare the bejesus out of me yesterday in the hallway, but….. I guess it's understandable. How many times does a regular Jo like me come across a man with knives coming from his hands?" Kurt and Dr. Grey laughed. "But I mean, Dr. Grey, you and Storm offering to help me with this dance thing tonight….. Iceman and Rogue greeting me as soon as I stepped onto the property….. Nightcrawler here, praying outside my window last night, asking God to take care of me…."
Kurt's face went purple as he smiled shyly and shrugged. "Oh, well, ah…."

"Oh, Kurt, that's so sweet," Dr. Grey smiled at him. "Did you really do that?"
He nodded, still blushing.

"Well, I better get started on my unpacking!" I said, turning to Kurt. "You still wanna come?"

"Of course."

I turned back to Dr. Grey. "Thanks again. Do you want me to come here in an hour?"

"Yeah, meet her back here."