BEEN THERE: MEETING OF THE ALPHA MALES

The trip to New York in the Blackbird was uneventful, except the fact that Logan kept shooting knives in Andie's direction with his piercing eyes, over his Harley's death by fire. Marie was too flabbergasted by the whole affair to do anything but look out the window in wonder as clouds and ground fly by below them. Andie was finishing up her coffee.

"Logan, you know…I'm not that easily intimidated by you; your stares are not hurting me."

"That's a damn shame. I really liked that bike a lot. I practically built it from the ground up and you destroy it!" He growled.

"Well, it was either that, or let him finish what he started with." She smiled sweetly. "Besides, I can get you a new bike, or maybe Scott will loan you his." Andie snickered.

"What!?" A shout came from the pilot's chair.

"You mean you don't have a bike?" Andie said innocently.

"You're being very generous with things that aren't yours, are you?" Scott said somewhat irritated.

"Tell me about it!" Said Logan, sourly, which gained a chuckle from the woman with white hair. "And what are you snickering at, darlin'?" Logan said, shooting one of his glare knives at her. She turned back to continue to co-pilot the jet still smiling.

After the jet landed in the hanger the five people disembarked down the ramp. Marie's eyes widened with wonder, Logan scuffed at the place and Andie acted like she'd been there before.

"If you will follow me…." Scott said motioning to the trio, he lead them to the med-labs. Logan's nose crinkled at the medicinal smell of the place and Marie seemed a bit nervous.

A beautiful redhead appeared and nodded at them. "Hello, I'm Dr. Jean Grey. I'm very pleased to meet you. If you will bear with me for a while, I'll give each you a physical." Logan just huffed.

"Don't need medical attention, darlin'. But I wouldn't mind if you give me your undivided attention." He grinned, very much in seduce mode. "Ahem!" That came from Scott. "You need a cough drop or somethin' Red Eye?" Logan asked.

"Dr. Grey is my fiancé, and I would appreciate it if you gave her your respect." Scott said firmly.

"I'd rather give her my…." Logan said, and Andie hastily interrupted.

"Logan, it might be a good idea if you would kindly keep your hormones to yourself." Andie said sternly.

"What are you, my mother?" Logan said, sneering at Andie. Dr. Grey and Scott watched this byplay with some amusement. They didn't miss the gleam in her eye as she stared down the wild-haired man with no fear, and with no little humor. Marie lost her nervousness and giggled lightly. Logan shot her a hurt look. "Fine!" Growling…. He practically spat out the word, "I'll behave myself. You still owe me girl!" Logan was a bit put out.

"Yeah, you have no idea how much." She whispered. Logan's brow knotted in confusion at her quiet words. She looked at him with innocence on her face. He scuffed. "Innocence…my ass!" He muttered, almost loud enough for all to hear. Andie chuckled at him. He heaved a great sigh. It was going to be a long day.

Marie was so pleased that they had told her that she could stay and go to school there. Both Andie and Logan were welcomed as guests and were given rooms to sleep in. The Professor had spent a good deal of the day showing Logan the school and trying to get him interested in staying as well. Logan was somewhat hesitant in making any kind of decision and the Professor wasn't applying any pressure. Andie of course made herself right at home, much to everyone's surprise she didn't need to be shown around any at all.

During dinner Professor Xavier tried to gently prod Andie and get a reading from her, but she was able to fend him off with ease and practice, which made Xavier more curious about her. Logan continued to growl and scuff at the folks at the school. The boys were scared of him and the girls found him adorable and amusing. Marie continued to smile at him engagingly. He tried flirting with Jean, but both Andie and Scott kept sidetracking him with expertise. It came to a screeching halt when Jean finally snickered at him outright. Tired of being the butt of a joke he couldn't seem to get, he went into the room he was assigned and went to sleep.

Then the nightmares started. Andie knowing the turn of events stood outside of his room a bit to the side and waited. Marie came into the room looking all concerned and started calling Logan gently and then more loudly. With a shout of anger and growl of attack he awoke suddenly and the familiar ching of metal claws came shooting out of his hand and he bolted upright. The claws slipped into Marie with the ease of a heated butter knife and with the scent of blood he came instantly awake. The claws retracted quickly and a look of shock and grief took over his face. He called for help; Marie took her hand and placed her fingers gently on his face. He didn't stop her but looked like he was surprised and in pain. The room was getting crowded as children from the wing and a few adults had come at his call. The wounds on Marie were closing up fast and she was able to breath. Finally she let go of him and he collapsed onto the floor in an exhausted pile. She turned to Ororo and quietly and meekly said.

"It was an accident." Then she fled the room. The teachers of the school were hurrying to get Logan settled into his bed again. They found out that was easier said then done, he was heavy, unexpectedly heavy.

Andie stood outside of the room and didn't bother going in. She knew what was going on. Xavier had come into the room and was talking with Logan.

The bond that was now in motion from this night was only the first step. In the afternoon Andie found herself standing outside in the sun. She smelt the familiar scent of an enemy. Should she let things occur as they had or must or interfere? Every time she had interfered though; changed something critical to alter everything. No, she would just let it be for now. Knowing that the boy talking to Marie was not the one she thought he was she allowed it to happen. It bugged her though. She saw Marie bolt for the mansion. Events were set in motion that would make or break the world. Andie was pissed that the enemy was able to get around without detection. She stalked up to the metamorph and slugged him/her. The metamorph hit the ground with a thud and was surprised at the attack.

"Don't even try to get out of it Mystique." Andie said firmly. "You've done your damage…not get out of here before I lose what's left of my temper!" Andie said and started to glow from head to toe.

"Who are you?" Mystique asked with her own unusual voice.

"Trust me Raven, you don't really want to know. Just leave here and don't come back I know your scent and you can't take any form I can't detect. Beat it!!" Andie growled and a ball of light appeared in her hand. Mystique's yellow eyes showed surprise, Vic had told her of someone called Black Fire, and she supposed that this woman was her. Any one who was able to take down Sabretooth by herself was not to be trifled with. Mustering what dignity she could put together, Mystique made a break for it. Andie watched as Mystique raced out of sight.

"So now it begins." She heaved a large sigh. She wished she could stop what was going to happen, but it had too. She hoped everything would go as it had originally gone. But there were no guarantees, none that it would. Andie went back into the mansion and grabbed something to eat to restore her energy that she had used the day before on Sabretooth. Tonight was gonna be hard to deal with and she meant to see it through….again.

Classes were over and some of the kids were watching a movie. She heard the chorus of "Groundhog Day!! And she started to chuckle and laugh…..tooo right she muttered to herself under her breath.

The hours dragged by slowly and it started getting dark. Logan had taken off on Scott's motorcycle and the Professor and Jean had headed to the railway station as well. It wouldn't be long before everyone was back at the mansion, everyone except Marie of course; bickering and complaining about whose fault is was that she was gone.

To be perfectly honest with herself she really didn't want to hear the arguments or anything else for that matter, but she did manage to hear the little conversation with Storm about choosing a side. Logan opened the door and the man who started all of the grief and bitterness the Mutant Registration Act came to the door looking for Dr. Jean Grey and fell into Logan's arms.

Dr. Grey had set Senator Kelly up the best that she could. Without really studying very hard she knew that he was dying. She couldn't stop it from happening. The rest of them went to the main office to talk about the findings of her tests.

Andie watched as they left the med-lab and she walked over to the Senator. She didn't feel the slightest bit sorry for him. To be perfectly honest he had brought this tragedy on himself…all by himself.

"So, here he lays….the man who started it all. Don't think I don't know that you're the one who came up with that Act in the first place." Andie said angrily. "You have no idea what you have started, do you. The events that are taking place now will set the events of the future….years from now…. death….hatred of everyone who is not like anyone else will start a holocaust that will make the Third Reich did look like a picnic." She said hotly to him. He looked at her in confusion.

"I don't understand."

"Of course not. Your kind never does. Just think…..you are the reason millions…no….billions will die and suffer and just because you think that mutants are dangerous. What is more dangerous Senator? The ones who can do things just because they're born different or the ones that make war on them; because they are. Mutants don't want to be different, but evolution and God had other ideas. The future is bleak Mr. Senator because of your fear and hatred of those who are different. I was born a mutant and the population of mutants will not stop growing simply because you hate and fear them. You can't stop evolution….it's been tried. I came back from the future time that you and your cohorts created. I wish I could share the pain and suffering that will befall your and my kind of people over the next few years. But sadly I cannot, you will be dead shortly and I wish I could feel sorry for you…but I can't. You began something that will take on a life of its own. Pray that it can be stopped here tonight, for when it is begun the toll will be incredible. If it can be stopped, there may be hope for all of us, not just mutants but for normal humans too. You get the chance to ask God in person why he's creating mutants in the first place, just hope he forgives you for beginning the second holocaust against those who…. up to now had not done anything to you. Do you know why Eric did this? He was a survivor of the first one. Three strikes against him. Polish. Jewish. Mutant." The Senator paled even more. "He didn't want to see it again. I mean if you had survived something like that….would you?"

The Senator had nothing to say. What could he say to that? She must be insane to say she's from the future.

"No, I'm not insane…..I am from the future. My brother is a genius of the highest degree. Of course he's not the only one who had found the answer to time travel. I mean that's why I'm here. To stop the interference of someone who wanted everything to change and it worked. That is why my brother sent me here. To fix it back the way it was originally. I've been doing this for years now. Every time I go back, nothing is the way it should be…so here I am….again. Groundhog Day!" Andie chuckled.