Kurt's head swam as he left Xavier's office. I think I'm going to be sick… He tried to shake it off as he walked back through the mansion. Everyone else was in classes by now and so the mansion was far quieter than he was used to.
A match was struck to his left and he looked to find Logan staring out on to the back property. Sure enough the soft and earthy smell of one of Logan's cigars wafted back over the rough little mans shoulders.
"You take the job?" Logan asked without looking back to face him.
"Ja." He replied softly. "I did."
"Good for you." Logan's smile was betrayed in the tone of his words. "Sounds like an adventure, doesn't it?"
Kurt exhaled and his anxiety was obvious in the gesture.
"It won't be easy." Logan continued. "But it's nothing you can't handle. Charlie wouldn't give it to you otherwise."
Kurt nodded solemnly. Logan was probably right. Kurt had yet to see Xavier make a serious error in judgement.
"You know I trust you, don't you Kurt?"
Kurt paused. "Sure, I guess…"
Logan cast an eye back over his shoulder. "With my life I mean. More than I would trust any other student here at the mansion?"
Kurt considered this. Logan had taken a great interest in Kurt. He had taught Kurt the use of the sword and they had spent a good deal of time together during Kurt's stay here.
"I guess I do." Kurt admitted.
"Then don't be surprised…" Logan smiled slightly "When I do it again, or when your team does on a daily basis."
Kurt suddenly seemed to panic as the truth dawned on him. "Logan… I'm going to be responsible for other peoples lives?!?"
"We all know the risks when we sign on. We're all responsible for our own destinies no matter what they end up being. But when it comes down to it, no matter how much a person trains or tries to prepare…" He turned to face Kurt. "It always comes down to one thing: The heart wants what the heart wants. That's why I trust you more than Scott or even Jean for that matter… They're still kids at heart."
Their eyes met and Kurt found he couldn't look away. Logan's eyes were brimmed with the knowledge of pain. "You may be young in years, but your heart's been full grown for most of your life. You know about loss and being left out – more than … almost … anyone here." Logan swallowed and smiled to cover his discomfort.
"I can do this." Kurt said with total confidence, realizing for the first time that it was true.
"I know." Logan said softly. "I wouldn't have offered my support for it otherwise."
Kurt looked somewhat dumbfounded for a moment. "What do you mean?"
Logan took yet another long pull off his cigar and smiled, before he turned and slowly strolled away without another word.
"I bet I'll find out." Kurt half smiled to himself, knowing full well, it was a bet he would win.
Logan strolled down the back walkway of the school and found Storm putting the students through the obstacle course behind the mansion.
"How are they doing?" He asked as she turned and smiled in greeting.
"Better with every run." She looked down at her clipboard. "Except Kurt. He didn't show up for class today."
"No." Logan smiled "Kurt's graduated early. He won't be attending any more classes."
Suddenly Logan became aware of the stillness of his students on the course.
"Voices carry." Storm smiled at him.
"Apparently." Logan agreed. "Now people!" He called out. "Hustle, hustle, hustle!"
And they all suddenly moved again, broken from their shock, in to a full on run through the course.
"Pryde!" Logan called. "Front and center!" He smiled and said softly to Storm "Thanks for coving for me Stormy. I'll take it from here."
She nodded and handed him the clipboard before slipping away.
"Yes Sir Mister Logan?" Kitty looked disheveled and was breathing heavy. Several strands of hair had come loose from her pony tail and were hanging idly in her face. She eyed them warily for a moment and them blew them back with an exhausted exhale.
"You did good on the last test, didn't you?" Logan asked.
"Second highest grade in the school." She beamed slightly and nodded.
"I know. I saw your paper after Chuck graded it." He eyed her and paused for a long moment and chewed on his cigar.
"Was there something else mister Logan?"
He continued to eye her for a moment. "Maybe." He replied slowly.
She was about to say "Well tell me already, you're totally freaking me out!" But she paused. Somehow – even though it was true – it just didn't feel quite right. Instead she just nodded ansently before whispering "Well, you let me know – when you know for sure."
Logan eyed her suspiciously as though her reply had caught him off guard. "Right." He agreed. "I will." The he barked. "Back in line!" And in an instant she had vanished back in to the sea of students.
After the session the students all broke for the showers and Logan took another long look out over the grounds. He could smell the faint traces of Kitty in the air behind him. He knew from experience that this was how her scent was muted by her phasing ability.
"Mister Logan?" She said softly as she became solid behind him.
"Yeah kid?" He asked absently without looking back.
"Did Kurt really graduate?"
A small smile tugged at the corners of Logan's mouth but he stifled it before she could see it. "Yeah. He's out of here." Logan supplied.
He turned slowly and met her eyes. They were filled with sorrow.
"You'll miss him, wont you?" He asked.
She dropped her head. "When I first got here… He was so… different. It scared me. He scared me. But ... now…" She swallowed and set her jaw. "Now when I look back on it… he's also … the reason I felt at home here…in the first place."
Logan's eyes seemed to smile at her admission.
"What?" She asked, sensing the change in his attitude.
"I think I just became sure of something." He supplied. "You know what I would do if I were you?" He asked.
"Find him and say goodbye?" She ventured sadly, as though on the verge of tears.
"No." He let the smile turn the corners of his mouth just enough for her to notice. "I'd go find Xavier and demand to know why you got the second highest grade instead of the first."
She suddenly stood up strait and looked him in the eye. "You know why, don't you?"
He nodded.
"And this test… it's why Kurt 'graduated' early, isn't it?"
Again Logan nodded.
"What aren't you telling me?" She gave him a soft but definite glare.
"Lots of things." He admitted, crossing his arms. "Things that a student shouldn't have to know."
"Is Kurt in trouble?" She eyed him and could tell that wasn't quite right. "No… He's not in any danger, is he?"
Logan met her gaze with a serious stare and crossed his arms. A shiver past through her and she didn't wait for a reply. Instead she took off on a run and vanished through the closed doors of the mansion to search for Professor X.
Logan chuckled slightly. "I thought so." He muttered to himself. "Hope Chuck's ready for her."
Unfortunately for Professor Charles Xavier, he wasn't prepared for Kitty at all.
A short twenty minutes later Kitty burst from Xavier's study in tears and ran towards the front stairs. Xavier on the other hand sighed and pressed his fingers to his temples.
"Hank" He called gently until he felt Beasts awareness turn to him.
"Professor?" Beast stopped what he was doing and sat upright.
Xavier took a deep breath and sent an image as an explanation.
Hank was rattled. "Of course Professor. I'll come immediately!" He jumped up and began quickly moving through the house. "What could Kitty have been thinking?" He asked himself internally, grateful that he didn't run in to her in the halls.
Beast turned the corner and swallowed to stifle the laugh he didn't expect.
Xavier was leaned back in his chair – as though 'popping a wheelie' in his wheelchair. The handles on the back of the chair – which beast had so often used to guide the gentle Xavier through this house – were fused in to the wall behind him keeping him suspended in this ridiculous position.
"What happened?" Beast ventured, lifting Xavier from the chair and setting him gently on one of the leather couches.
"It was Kitty." Xavier explained with a sour expression. "She's just been expelled."
