Here we go again. This gets a little more normal now. Pff, yeah right! I guess you'll have to be the judge of that. Don't forget to leave your reviews at the end of the chapter. That's right, that little blue box ALL the way down there. It will only take a moment. Leave a little note telling me what I should do to make this better. The next chapters are still in the works, and I'm open to improvement. Seriously, don't be shy. Hope you enjoy!

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"Have you found it yet?"

Dr. McCoy's voice was slightly muffled since Logan's head was halfway in the hood of the van. He let out a growl and attempted to wipe some perspiration off his forehead without smudging more oil on himself. "I'm working on it, Beast. Will ya stop breathing down my neck?"

"Sorry, sorry. It's just that the Professor wants this done before the students get back. There won't be any time when they return since he will tell them to change right away. It wouldn't be wise to hold up the training session by not fixing the van in time."

"It also wouldn't be wise to let those kids so much as touch this thing after I just spent over an hour fixing it up, since they'll probably just mess it up again. Remember what happened last time?"

Hank smiled. "I know you're very protective of your 'precious', but it isn't just yours, you know. It belongs to everyone at the institute."

"Then why am I the only one that fixes it up? There, I think I found it."

Logan had traced one of the cables to the knob connecting to the engine, where the cap connecting the two had become partly unscrewed. He grabbed the pliers from his handy-man's belt and gave the cap a good twist. It was true that these machines were not only his hobby, but his friends. Having a difficult time connecting with other people can do that. But he still felt that the students should start taking more responsibility. Especially the ones who liked messing with the X-Van, Bobby and his gang.

Hank seemed greatly relieved, judging by the look on his face as Logan brought his head back out. "Thank goodness, because I think we finished not a moment too soon." He could hear the group of vehicles driving up to the garage.

"Yeah, I hear 'em too," replied Logan. It didn't take much skill to hear them, since the endless prattle accompanied the engines of the two cars. It was a warm day in May, and since the temperature was beginning its long awaited rise, the windows of the cars were open with voices and music pouring out. Scott was in the lead with his red and white-striped convertible, along with Kurt, Bobby, Ray, Roberto, and Sam. Four out of five of the boys were joking and laughing as usual, with Sam crammed next to the left side of the car without saying more than a few words. At least Scott and his passengers didn't have to worry about the car becoming overheated. The other car was Jean's SUV, which was obviously filled with the girls of the group. Kitty sat in the passenger's seat next to Jean while Tabitha, Amara, and Jubilee gossiped in the back. (Rahne and Jamie attended the local middle school, eighth grade, and therefore had to take the bus that dropped them off near the front of the institute.) And last, but certainly not least, came Rogue on her motorcycle which she had gotten from her teammates on her recent birthday. She even wore the black leather jacket that Logan gave to her to go with her new ride, despite the warm weather. Her immunity to the heat was always explained by the fact that she grew up in Mississippi, and she always had to wear clothes that completely covered her even in warmer climates. Unlike her preceding teammates, she was serious and silent. She probably would have been that way even if they had made her ride with them; however, she had managed to escape.

Scott smoothly pulled up his ride into the garage next to the X-Van, then killed the engine as the other boys quickly leapt out. Logan shook his head. What's the point of having doors on those things anymore if people don't use them? The SUV pulled up on the other side of the convertible. The music that emitted from inside stopped with the engine and the girls practically tumbled out in one giant knot. Rogue had pulled up her bike on the opposite side of the X-van, away from everyone else and next to the other motorcycles and scooters that were kept there. She undid her helmet, placed it on the seat, and silently slipped next to Logan to watch the other kids leave.

Logan had noticed her, taking a quick glance. He could tell she really didn't feel apart of them, a kid who talked and horsed around with other kids. She certainly didn't think she was better than them or anything. She just felt more of an outsider. He had often felt the same way about himself. But still, Rogue needed friends, friends who were at level with her. The only friend who had been like that was that girl Risty, and well . . . there wasn't any need to get into that. Otherwise Rogue had no one her age to talk to. And Logan hated admitting it, but part of him preferred her that way, as she would often talk to him instead. The other part of him wanted to punch his guts out for thinking that, because he knew it was selfish. After all, didn't he too need someone his age to relate to? Sure, Charles was one of his closest friends, but even he couldn't completely understand him, just as Rogue felt that Kurt or Kitty, or even that Cajun, couldn't fully understand what she went through. Everyone had their problems, but it was that special sensitive spot, that spot that was so vulnerable, that made it necessary for Logan and Rogue to surround themselves with shields. Their ability to trust others had been abused too much, and they both could understand that. Maybe others were able to forgive and forget, but it was much harder for them. No, even Gambit couldn't understand her in that way.

The feral mutant snorted slightly. Gambit. That Cajun cad. It was still hard to believe that Xavier was willing to let that creep live there. He wasn't officially a part of the team, but Xavier did want to give him a chance; and by the way things were going, it wouldn't be too long before they were considering him an X-Man. Logan had encountered such low-lives before. He knew Charles was just trying to give him a chance to do real good for others, and according to him everyone had to be given that chance. But Logan still didn't like it. There was just something he didn't like about that pyrokinetic being there. He remembered talking about it with Charles, and the professor's suggestion as to the reason left him in an ill mood all that day. The reason was standing right next to him.

Rogue had at first been watching the group, but when she saw Jean and Scott putting their arms around each other's waists, she turned her focus toward Logan. It was then she noticed the grimace on his face, the kind of look he got when he was thinking about something unpleasant. "What's the matter?"

He seemed slightly surprised that she was talking to him. At least at that moment, when he had been thinking about her. Although a little shaken, he quickly recovered his cool and replied, "Nothing. Just thinking."

"About what?"

Logan was hesitant. He didn't want to close himself up to her. They had just started opening up to one another, and it had been doing some good for the both of them. But how could he tell her what he was thinking about? He took an extra moment to think, then he answered: "I was just thinking about that Cajun friend of yours, Gambit."

The Goth quirked an eyebrow, a habit that she had picked up from the feral mutant himself. "Why were you thinking about him?"

"I dunno. Just how weird it is that Xavier wants him to join the team. I mean, I respect that he wants to help the dude turn his life around, but isn't it kind of a jump?"

Rogue gave a slight sigh. "I know that he can seem like a real jackass, but he does try to do the right thing for the most part. If only he wasn't constantly trying to hit on every girl in the school. That just pisses me off."

Logan gave a small chuckle, although it was more sadistic than amused. "Are you jealous or something?" He had tried to be playful, but the statement cut into him really deep.

"Pff. Yeah right. Like I'd be jealous of those chicks. It's just, he makes girls look like they're vulnerable to him, that he's so smooth he can have any girl he wants. And then he doesn't even stick with the girl. In less than a few weeks he's off to find a new prize."

Logan had to agree. Although he had had a turn at women every now and then, the idea of just dropping one girl and picking up another like pebbles on a beach made him just as pissed. He had even spoken about it to Gambit once, and the Cajun merely replied, "Remy love all women."

He might love them, but does he really give a damn about just one of them, just for being a person?

He really believed Rogue deserved better. Hey, he wasn't blind. That French-talking southerner had had his eye on the Southern Belle for a while, even as he was fooling around with other women. Perhaps he was trying to make Rogue jealous. If a guy can't be straight with the girl he wants, does he deserve her?

"Well, I suppose no one's perfect." He was responding both to Rogue's comments and his own.

"Yeah, I know. Except maybe them." Rogue had glanced over back at Scott and Jean. They were no longer in their passionate embrace, but they were holding hands and staring at each other dreamily. Logan looked in the direction Rogue was glancing, and both shared a similar form of disapproval. For Logan, it was the fact that they made their whole lovey-dovey couple thing look really phony. For Rogue it was that they thought themselves so great and wonderful and perfect that they had nothing better to do than stare at each other. Mr. and Mrs. World, as some of the students called them. The paragon of couples. Apollo meets Aphrodite. It made her want to gag. And yet she wished she could have some of it. No, not all of it. That really would have made her sick, but just to have that ability to be with someone who was totally gag-gag over you. Just to feel like that you are truly beautiful, not just physically, to at least one other person. And none of that phony crap. Someone who really felt it through and through, really genuinely.

Rogue shook her head to bring her out of that fantasy. Even if such a person existed, her skin would still be there. There would always be that barrier that even the deepest love couldn't make go away.

Logan detected the look of anguish and despair on her face, and despite his usual aloofness, he gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, kid. There's someone out there. You deserve better."

The girl vaguely recalled someone who she once considered her closest friend saying something along those lines. "Thanks," she replied softly, then turned and headed out of the garage. With a strange feeling of part pity, part longing, Logan watched her walk away alone.

Training had been grueling, as usual. And just as usual, the X-Van ended the training session as something someone who find in a scrap metal yard. Logan had convinced Xavier to make Bobby and his friends (who were guilty of charge) clean up the van after the session. Besides, things had gone pretty normally. Except for one thing.

The students had already obtained a lot of experience from certain 'apocalyptic' events of the not too distant past, so they were used to performing under stress. Still, their skills needed to continue developing and refining. They weren't perfect, despite what some of the students wanted to think. While it was generally the younger mutants that thought themselves more prepared than they really were, there were a few of the older ones who were pretty hot-headed. Remy seemed to be one of them.

While the younger recruits were out learning the grooves and moves of the X-Van, the veterans were busy with another battle simulation filled with robots, guns, bombs, and all that jazz. The instructors watched the team from above in their little observation room. The leaders were of course Scott and Jean, even though Gambit and Colossus were also participating. Kurt was busy taking out the guns along the walls, Scott and Jean were occupied with reaching the center of the room where a special floating chip was contained in some cylinder, and the rest of the team covered them by taking out whatever weapons and robots they could. Gambit handled a lot of the robots at a distance with his explosive cards, and Colossus, Rogue, and Kitty handled those that escaped the Cajun's blows. Kitty and Rogue were trying to work together to short out the robots from the inside, but with the constant moving and dodging around the two were soon separated.

As Rogue managed to dodge another shot from the laser above her (which was shortly destroyed by Kurt), she attempted to take in the situation. Jean and Scott had nearly reached their destination, but the concentration of robots in their area had increased incredibly. Colossus seemed to be trying to make his way over to them to assist, but both he and Kitty were over-occupied. And where on earth was Gambit? She pursed her lips together as she realized she was the only one who could help. Without wasting another moment, she swiftly wove her way through the mess of mutants and machines. She came closer and closer to her team leaders, and was prepared to launch a surprise attack against the robots. Suddenly, a large shadow fell over her. A quick turn brought her face to face with one of the robots. She braced herself for a leap at its chest to punch her fist through its circuits, when suddenly something knocked her down from the right side. Rogue hit the floor hard and watched as a laser implanted in the robots wrist shot down Jean at point blank range. This of course distracted Scott long enough for a gun that had emerged from behind a wall panel to take him out. The robots were upon them, ready to finish them off.

Suddenly, everything stopped. The lights went out, the machines stopped, and all signs of activity ceased. "That's enough," said Professor Xavier through the overhead speaker. "Scott, Jean, are you alright?"

Scott got up, rubbing the back of his head. "Yeah, I think so, Professor." Then he saw that Jean was still down and he quickly went over to help her up.

Rogue knew it wasn't her fault. And yet for a moment she felt it was. If only she had taken out that robot . . .

"Cherie, are you okay?" The New Orleans accent was unmistakable, and in a moment Rogue realized what had happened. Without giving it another thought, she looked up at Remy.

"What the hell did you think you were doing!" she screamed. "I was about to take that thing out! I didn't need you to rescue me! What's your problem!"

Her screaming echoed painfully throughout the Danger Room. The large dome ceiling help to carry her rage-filled voice with the piercing Southern accent. Everyone stared at the two of them. Remy seemed overwhelmingly surprised and confused. He had seen Rogue angry quite a few times, but never this much.

"Remy didn't . . . he thought . . . but mon Cherie-"

"And don't call me that! Ya hear?" Her eyes burned with a terrible rage that would have had the kings of the world on their knees. Too upset to find words, she turned away in a huff and stormed out of the Danger Room. From above, the instructors were still in shock at the girl's outburst. Except Logan. Okay, so maybe it took him a little by surprise, but something along the line of what had occurred had been expected by him. As soon as Remy had knocked her out of the way of the robot, thinking she was in danger, he knew there would be trouble. He let out a sigh, then turned and left without a word to the other teachers.

Rogue had changed and retreated to her room. She didn't care if the Professor wanted to have a talk with the rest of the group. She wasn't going to be there. A part of her feared to face the crowd after the way she had exploded at Remy. Perhaps he didn't really deserve it. He had made a mistake, just like any other person. But a part of her, the more temperamental, flaming passionate side, still was pissed off at him. He was so consumed in showing off his macho and manliness to her that it cost them the mission. Although it wasn't a real mission. But what if it had been? She let out a disgruntled sigh and went to her closet. Inside, behind her rack of outfits, was her case; and inside, the chrome red Stratocaster with a black fingerboard. She laid out the case on the bed and carefully opened it. She pulled out the instrument, the pick, and began to stroke the strings as she arranged her fingers around to play the right chords. She had found it to be a source of relaxation. It gave her something constructive to do, instead of punching out pillows, smashing mirrors, or tearing down curtains. She began to play out a little song that she had been attempting to compose. There were no words to it yet, just a little melody she had invented. Her gloved fingers moved along the strings, helping to make the different notes that carefully fit together into the chords. And when those chords were played just right, her ears and nerves seemed to tingle with a strange pleasure. How she wished she could make it into a full-fledged song, but she wasn't much of a poet. She was reluctant to ask anyone else to help her, afraid that they would make the lyrics all mushy or pretty like those in pop songs. They had to have meaning, feeling, portraying an important message. But what?

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Well, several knocks, although one would have been enough to make Rogue get up from the bed and answer it. It was Kitty.

"Hey, so this is where you're hiding. I might've known."

"You must've. Isn't that why you came here?"

"Well, yeah but . . . oh, never mind, can I just come in?"

Rogue stared warily at the girl. Were there others following her? Was there a big man-hunt going on? She took some glances down each way, then cautiously opened the door more.

"Oh, alright. Just don't attract any attention, okay?"

Kitty let out one of her annoying squeaks of excitement. "Yeah, promise!" She sprinted into the room. Rogue made one last check in the halls before closing the door behind her. Then she turned and faced the valley girl. "Okay, whuddaya want?

Kitty plopped down on the bed and looked at her friend with complete innocence. "What are you talking about? Can't a girl just hang with one of her closest friends in their room?"

"Not if number one, the friend in question has become public enemy number one in the school, and two, if the girl in question has been prone to be the institute's queen of gossip."

"Oh, come on! That's not true." Then she paused. "But . . . I was kind of wondering what happened in the Danger Room today. You flipping out and all . . ."

Rogue threw her hands up and let out a groan of frustration and despair. Somehow she managed to become the main topic of most conversations around the institute with all of her life issues. Was it any of their business? No! And yet they treated her problems like something from a soap opera. It was driving her nuts, not to mention pushing her away from the other students. She pulled out a chair from her desk and sat down in it, feeling strangely weary.

There was a moment of silence, then Kitty spoke up again. "Rogue, I know this may sound kind of weird to you, but you're really one of my closest friends. Sure, not the easiest to get along with, but I do care about you, in a friend-to-friend kind of way. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Rogue sighed. The question of her friendship with Kitty was constantly turned over in her mind again and again. Kitty and Kurt were really the only two kids in the institute that she had felt any real connection to. She couldn't explain why she felt that way about Kitty, although Kurt made a lot more sense. They were so different, it was amazing that they could get along at all. For the most part they were bickering and ticking each other off with their different attitudes and tastes. So what was with this so called "bond"? Maybe it had to do with that old saying, that the people who really get under your skin are the ones that you need in your life, or something like that. It was along the lines that people come into each other's lives for some kind of purpose, to teach us something about others and about ourselves. Hey, wasn't there some kind of song about that? She seemed to recall it was from some kind of musical. Anyway, maybe that's what it was between her and Kitty. Not that she wanted to admit it, but it could have been possible. Well, Kitty was pretty smart, academically at least, and she could be really tough when she wanted to. Of course, she was also one of those mallrats that thought the greatest thing in the world and the answer to all of its problems was shopping. But altogether, Rogue did kind of care about Kitty, certainly whether or not her life was in danger or something. Yeah, she would care. But on a day-to-day basis, it was easy to forget that.

She glanced back at Kitty. "Look, I'm okay. Really. I was just . . . a little stressed out. It happens."

"Wow. Okay. Um, there were a few other things I wanted to ask you."

Oh no, thought Rogue. Here we go.

"First, what exactly is the deal with you and Remy? I mean, he's obvious crazy about you, constantly trying to get your attention. Like he did today."

Rogue blew a strand of white hair out of her face. "Thanks for reminding me."

"And it seems that you hate his guts, and yet you don't. What's up with that?"

The Goth waited a moment, reluctant to answer but knew that Ms. Peppy wouldn't leave until she got answers.

"Okay, he isn't really that bad, when he's not acting like a total asshole. But he just can't be straight. Just like a thief, he's gotta go sneaking around to get what he wants. He's not really that open."

"Well, neither are you."

She let out a quiet snort. "Not in the same way. I'm just not a social person. He is. It's his dishonesty that makes him unapproachable. As a friend, I mean. You think I would just kill myself for a guy that's a thief, sexy, and philanders with every girl that crosses his path?"

Kitty couldn't help but giggle slightly. "Well, why not?"

Rogue's scowl grew all the more intense. "Maybe you like those kind of guys, but I don't. I've been hurt enough times in my life. I'm not going to commit suicide with a guy like him. It's just asking for trouble."

"You mean, you'd rather have a guy who was willing to stick with you for the rest of your life?"

"Well . . . yeah, sure."

The girl in pink seemed slightly confused. She took a moment before speaking again. "But then, where's all the fun?"

Rogue gave her a puzzled look. "What?"

"You know, where's the fun in dating, just for fun? You can still go out with someone and not get serious. Then if you decide to split there aren't any hard feelings."

"Do you realize how many of those relationships end in flames? It's happened too many times. First, they think that they're just out to have a good time. But then, at least one of them really starts falling for the other. Then one or both of them realize they can't take the relationship and they break up in a much more ugly manner. Either that or they get drunk at a party, sleep together, and the girl suffers from the anxiety of possibly being pregnant or getting some kind of disease."

"Well, you wouldn't have to worry about that last part."

"That's another thing too. What's the point of going out like that when you can't even touch them? The casual date will dump you in a snap like a bucket of water, and the long term boyfriend will eventually give up on you and find some chick more attractive who can be touched. Face it, there's no room for people like me in the dating world."

Rogue turned toward the desk again, avoiding Kitty's gaze. Again, the valley girl paused before speaking. "But . . . how do you know Remy will be like that? Sure he's been with other girls, but that doesn't mean you don't mean something more to him."

"We barely know each other, except of course for that incident down south, but that's in the past. From then on he just keeps following me around, trying to smooth talk me. And now this, trying to rescue me and end up embarrassing me in front of the entire team. He's really getting on my nerves."

"Maybe if you just give him a real chance, you'll like him." The girl had that subtle hint of sneakiness in her voice.

"Thanks, but no thanks," replied Rogue in a tone that made it definite that the subject was at a close. "Now, if that's all, I'd like to be alone now."

Slowly, Kitty got off her butt and headed toward the door. She seemed to be practically out the door; then she suddenly stopped. "Oh, wait. There was one more thing."

Rogue sighed and slid further into her chair. Figures.

"I wanted to ask you about that musician guy. What was he like? Did you think he was cool? You seemed really occupied in getting me out of there when I started talking about guys."

Rogue grounded her teeth, and remembered she should have been giving Kitty the silent treatment. But after all that had happened in the past hour, it didn't really seem to matter anymore. Rogue got up from her chair and walked back over to the bed.

"First of all, I was mortified that you would start going into that kind of thing in front of a perfect stranger. He probably thought I was weird enough before you came along." Or was that how she felt about him?

"You mean, he didn't like you?"

"I don't know. I . . . I don't think so. He . . . . . . he wanted to see me again."

Kitty immediately got excited. "REALLY? Like a date!"

"No, no, not like that. Just a . . . a chance to talk some more. He seemed interested in the fact that I was a musician. By the way, he invited me to the opera on Saturday."

"Ooh, really? Cool! I'd love to come, but I don't want to cramp you."

"Actually, he said I could bring a few friends, just as long as I promised we could talk by ourselves."

Kitty thought for a moment. "You don't think he's some sick psycho, do you?"

"I hope not. He seemed pretty okay, but I was very cautious. He seemed to sense my distrust, though. It was kind of weird, as if he knew exactly what I felt. As if he . . . could really understand, beyond the usual."

The other girl took a minute to think this over. "Is he really that strange?"

"Well, yeah, but not in a really threatening way. Just . . . eccentric. Ya know, like a lot of musicians. He also seemed to be kind of old fashioned. He didn't dress like everyone else in the orchestra."

"Yeah, I think I noticed that too. Did he seem nice?"

"Yeah, really nice. A little on the grim side, but polite and understanding. He kind of reminded my of Mr. Rochester."

"Mr. who?"

"Rochester, from Jane Eyre. Didn't you ever read it?"

"Oh yeah, I just forgot."

"Well, anyway, he seemed to fit that description in at least that way." Then another thought had crossed her mind, and she glanced over at her school books. The envelope was still there, somewhere in her English textbook.

"I bet your interview with him was really interesting."

Rogue hesitated a moment. "Well, actually . . . I didn't do it."

Kitty stood on the bed. "WHAT! Rogue, you're gonna flunk! How could you forget to interview the guy? You talked with him for like, what, fifteen minutes?"

"Oh, come on. It couldn't have been that long."

"And still you have nothing to write about for him."

"Well, I'm not sure yet. He did give me something. Something that I'm supposed to turn into Mr. Elbert."

"Really? What is it?"

Rogue stopped again. Should she really tell her? Was it really necessary? Did Mr. Fenton want her to keep it a secret? After a few seconds of thinking, she finally answered, "Don't worry about it right now. I should wait to tell you about it after it's over. I still don't know how it's going to turn out."

"Until it's over? How it will all turn out? Rogue, what are you talking about?"

"Don't worry, okay? Now just leave me alone for a little while. I'd like to get some peace and quiet before dinner. It's been a weird day."

A look from Kitty and she could tell that had been the understatement of the century. "Besides, we both have homework," she added. Yeah, it was a lame excuse, but it was a valid point. Kitty shook her head slightly, then got up and left the room. Then, just when Rogue thought she was alone, Kitty phased her head through the door one last time. "So . . . can I come with you on Saturday? Maybe we can bring Kurt."

"If I even go, and it gets you off my case, then yes, you and Kurt can go."

"Great. How will you know if you're going?"

"Don't worry. I'll know." So with that, Kitty left the room, for real.

Rogue took another glance over at her book pile. I hope.

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Ooh, suspense! I'll try to post ASAP, with all suggestions considered. This is my first crossover, and an odd one at that. There is still more character development to come, so don't expect everyone to be exactly the same by the end of this story. Uh huh, that's right, lessons will be learned. DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN. Okay, maybe not lessons, but you get the idea. See you around!