Author's Notes: Well, I have some time on my hands, and so I'm adding another little short. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimers: I do not own the X-Men.

Chapter 3: Overdue Book

At Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, mail came in bulk. There were utility bills and other such financial matters, letters for the staff and the students, catalogs and the usual junk mail, magazine subscriptions, etc. On this particular Tuesday morning, however, Ororo Munroe, AKA Storm, stared in dismay at the letter she had recieved.

It was from the Salem Center Library and it informed her that she had a book outstanding, and that if she did not return it, she would owe a fine of $24.95 for the book, plus a $10 processing fee.

Anyone who knew Ororo well, knew not to judge her emotions by looking at the expressions on her face, but at the weather outside. And the weather had suddenly turned very stormy. Thunder rumbled.

"Vhat is wrong, mein fruend?" asked a wary Kurt.

"This is outrageous!" exclaimed Storm. "This letter says I have an overdue book at the library. I DO NOT!" Lightning flashed outside.

Kurt sighed. "Someone so beautiful should not be so angry."

She flashed him an annoyed look. She had heard this argument before. "Sometimes, anger..."

"Can help you survive, yes, I know," Kurt finished, in resignation. It was what she always told him. It was a very old argument. "So can paying the library fine!" he said, in an attempt to surprise her.

It worked. She shot him an astonished look. "Pay a fine for a book that I know I returned?"

"Perhaps you did not return the book? Which book is it?

Ororo studied the paper. "It's The Perfect Storm. But I would know if I hadn't returned it."

"Let us look, shall we? Perhaps it is here somewhere."

Ororo and Kurt spent the next hour looking all over the mansion. They checked Ororo's room, all of the student lounges, the kitchen and dining room. They even looked in the Danger Room. Nowhere was there any sign of The Perfect Storm.

"Vell, 'Ro, I suppose you vill have to go to the library and pay the fine."

There was another flash of lightning outside. "Oh, I'll go to the library all right, but I'm not paying the fine! I'll get this straightened out." she said, grabbing her jacket and storming out the door.

XXXX

Marian, the head librarian, was sitting at the front desk, scanning books, recording the circulation statistics. She looked outside and saw that the weather had become unseasonably gloomy. It looked like a storm was coming. She sighed and turned back to the computer.

A moment later, the front doors burst open, as if blown by a strong gust of wind. Ororo marched into the library and straight up to Marian at the front desk.

"Excuse me, I got this notice that says I still have a book out, but I returned it weeks ago!"

Marian sighed inwardly. Another problem patron. Still, she put on a cheerful smile, and said, "Can I see your libray card?"

Ororo passed it to her, and she scanned it into the computer. "Okay, it says here you have an overdue book, The Perfect Storm." She looked at Storm. "Do you have it with you?"

Ororo glowered. "No, I returned it. You people must have made some mistake."

Marian wrote down the call number on a piece of paper, and called the library page over. "Paige, could you go see if this book is on the shelf?" Paige took the paper and scampered off to look for the book.

Marian smiled at Ororo. "It'll just be one second. We'll just see if it's on the shelf."

Ororo glowered some more. "Do you know what happens to a book that's been returned? It's on the shelf!"

A few minutes later, Paige returned, shaking her head. "Sorry, I couldn't find it."

Marian turned back to the irate Storm. "Are you sure you didn't leave it somewhere, like in your car or under your bed?"

"NO! It is not in my car or under my bed! You people--"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Munroe, but perhaps we can put it on claims returned, and that'll give you a few months while we search for it..."

Storm was getting very close to losing any patience she had left. Outside the thunder was rumbling more and more ominously. Her eyes started to turn white. "It's about to get very cold in here..."

Just then, there was a BAMF! and Kurt appeared in a cloud of blue-gray smoke, holding a book in his three-fingered hand.

"Ororo! I found your book! It vas under your bed!" He handed it to Marian.

Marian scanned it into the computer. "Excellent! Now you won't have to pay for the whole book or the processing fee. Just a small overdue fine."

Ororo looked at the book in disbelief. It was indeed her copy of The Perfect Storm that she had checked out a month ago.

Sheepishly, she got out her wallet to pay the overdue fine. "Sorry. And thanks, Kurt."

Kurt tried not the look too proud of himself. "Vell, I am the Incredible Nightcrawler!"