Rogue and Logan ran into Kurt on their way in. He blinked and did a double-take, then smiled. "Ah, Herr Wolverine!" He pronounced it Volferine. "I think I might not be the only teleporter around here anymore, ja? You were not expected for another few days – you must travel as quickly as I do!"
Logan shook his hand. "Pretty near, with that turbo button on Cyc's bike. But I was on my way back already." At Kurt's questioning look, he dissembled. "I, uh – my business up north didn't take as long as I expected. So I came home."
Kurt was sharp. He understood the nuances of what people didn't say, just as much as what they did say. He nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is gut for Xavier to give people like you and me a home, who otherwise would not have one."
"Uh, yeah. Well, we have to go see him now." Logan nodded to Kurt, Rogue smiled at him, and they left.
"I like Kurt," Rogue said thoughtfully as they approached Xavier's office door. "He's very understanding. Very human."
"Yeah, which is kinda odd for a bizarre blue elf like him," Logan commented, knocking on the door of the office.
"Logan, you're terrible!"
Charles Xavier looked up at his visitor's words and smiled. "Glad to see things are back to normal around here," he joked. "Then again, that dramatic scene by the pond wasn't exactly unusual for the two of you, now, was it?"
Rogue took comfort in his broad teasing smile. If he could kid with them, then there wasn't anything too wrong!
Logan didn't agree. "It ain't really a laughin' matter, Charles. Kid was throwin' around fireballs out there. Seems kinda serious if you ask me. What the hell's goin' on?"
Rogue and Xavier explained the events of the past few days, both telepathic and actual. Wolverine smirked at the news that his mental presence in Rogue's head had been thrashing Pyro pretty much constantly since he first appeared. He was relieved at the news of the cell "block" that contained Pyro's presence, but worried about Pyro getting out since Rogue had access to his powers now. Logan was stunned to hear that Rogue had access to his and "Buckethead's" powers, too.
"And it's a lot more powerful now, too, since you touched me a few minutes ago. Your 'now' self is having quite a chat with your 'old' self, let me tell ya!" Rogue grinned impishly.
Logan lifted an eyebrow. Xavier cocked his head, intrigued. "Rogue, would you mind if I listened in?" he gestured toward his head. Rogue shrugged, and Xavier telepathically visited Rogue's busy mind again. After a moment, Rogue had entered a meditative state and showed up beside him.
This time they found Wolverine outside the mansion near the pond, arguing with himself. The mental Logan looked just the same as the original Wolverine, only with singed sideburns. As Rogue and Xavier drew close enough to hear their heated discussion, Rogue blushed.
Logan was arguing with himself, literally, about Rogue's breasts.
"She's a kid! She hardly even has any!" Wolverine maintained.
"You're an idiot! Have you even seen her lately?" Logan said hotly.
"Every day in the mirror, bub. Naked."
"Okay, maybe you're not an idiot. You're just blind!"
"What the hell are you doin', starin' at Rogue's breasts, anyway? Keep that up and you're gonna be the one goin' blind!" And Wolverine held up two of his claws menacingly pointed at Logan's eyes.
Logan suddenly grinned lasciviously. "What are you talkin' about? That don't really make ya go blind, pal. They got proof now. Where've you been?"
Wolverine joined him in a bawdy chuckle, which was interrupted by Rogue's pointedly clearing her throat. Logan stopped laughing and looked away, embarrassed, but Wolverine gave her a beaming grin. "Hey, kid! I knew you couldn't get ridda me that easy. My upgrade here says all he did was brush up against you a little and boom, here he is! So how come he's not like Blurry Bobby?"
"Probably because you were already here," Xavier said. "You had established a presence within Rogue's mind already. Soon the two of you will probably merge into one, which will probably be a relief to Rogue."
"Why, wha's wrong?" Wolvie asked. He looked at Rogue and caught her furious, blushing glare. "Oh." He nudged Logan. "Guess maybe we shoulda toned it down some, eh?"
"Ya think so?" Rogue asked. She gave an exasperated sigh. "I really, really didn't need this! Listen, if you guys are going to act so juvenile, why don't you hang out with David and Bobby? That way I won't have to listen to you, because you'll be locked in a room in Mississippi!"
"Sounds like she's mad," Wolvie commented. Logan arched an eyebrow at his döppelganger, and said nothing.
"Let me put it to you this way, boys," Rogue hissed, "If I have to listen to this kind of bickering from you again, I'm sending you both to Erik for chess lessons!"
"We're sorry," Logan said.
"We'll behave," Wolvie promised sincerely.
"Good." Rogue turned on her heel. "Professor, can we get out of here?" Xavier nodded curtly, and they both returned to their bodies in Xavier's office.
Logan, sitting in Xavier's office with two vacant-eyed people, amused himself with thoughts of repositioning their bodies in comical postures while they were gone from them. Xavier, returning to his body, caught the thought and fixed Logan with a glare.
Logan gave him an insouciant grin and said nothing except, "Welcome back."
Feel free to review at your leisure. There's more on the way!