Kurt looked up when he heard the motorbike outside. Ach! Finally!

Lucy and Forge came in and Kurt's jaw dropped. Kurt jumped up from his seat in shock and came towards them. "What happened to your face?" He demanded.

Forge laughed. "Ahhh… I fell down."

Lucy tried to stifle a laugh.

Kurt looked exasperated.

"I took him fighting." Lucy said at last to relieve Kurt's tension.

"Fighting?" Kurt looked back at Forge.

Say it. She told him mentally.

"You…" Forge smiled. "Should see the other guys."

Kurt blinked several times, very rapidly. "You… Won?"

Forge nodded.

"This fight?" Kurt used his finger to circle Forge's swollen, bruised and battered face.

"He was great." Lucy said softly.

Forge smiled at Lucy through his busted lip. "Get me a soda?" He asked.

"Yuk." She curled her lip at the thought of the carbonation but off she went.

"Hey man, it's all for Britain. Just one more thing I had to learn." Forge said as she went. Once she was gone he collapsed on to the couch. "Ow, ow, ow…" He moaned.

"Then vhy did you do this?" Kurt pressed.

"She's been teaching me… She said this was a graduation test." He sighed. "I passed. And…"

"And?"

"And I'm not quite as useless as I was when I got here." Forge grimaced.

"Ach! You've been hit too hard. You've never been useless."

"I was when we were fighting Illyana. I had to be defended by an exhausted crippled boy and Alistaire… With the gun I gave him no less…"

Kurt sighed. "I didn't realize you felt that way."

Forge laughed and met his eyes. "I really don't. I always just did my best at everything and hoped that would do. But my best here needed a little boost – especially when it came to fighting. By best is better now. Less of a chance that I'll let you down again."

Kurt winced and Forge laughed.

"It doesn't count if I don't see it." Kurt told him with a head shake. "Deal?"

"Deal." Forge nodded, too exhausted to argue any more. "Besides… She needed me to know this stuff."

"Vhy?" Kurt looked towards the kitchen.

"She's afraid I'm going to die. And she realized that she cant watch me twenty four hours a day… Not that she doesn't still try some days…" He chuckled.

"Okay." Kurt nodded. "But from now on no more needless fighting. You can teach Alistaire if you want, I'll even spar with you, but no more of this bare knuckle stuff. All right?"

Thank you God! Forge nodded. "Not unless I need the money."

Kurt spit a laugh between his teeth. "Money?"

Forge nodded. "Lucy has snooped out every back room in London. She knows where all the poker games, cock fights and fight clubs happen."

"That's creepy." Kurt looked back down the hall.

"No, what's creepy is they all know her. She's fought in some of their matches, and when things get out of hand she generally steps in too. She's got a reputation out there."

"And they paid you to fight?" Kurt asked, shocked.

Forge shook his head. "Nope. We scammed a bookie."

Kurt wrinkled his forehead. "Is this vhat Excalibur does at night?" He asked in shock.

Forge shook his head. "No. It's what my little biker-chick girlfriend wanted to do tonight." He explained. "I don't know if you know this or not, but she's got a thing for money."

"What do you mean?" Kurt shook his head.

"She almost never spends any. She stockpiles it. Like when she won her fights last month – she raked in three times what she got off me tonight, and she just bankrolled it." He laughed. "You know what she calls it?"

"Vhat?"

"Keeping score."

"HA!" Kurt barked out a laugh. "Good luck with all that." He said, laughing as he walked away. Veridoes…

Kurt passed Lucy in the hall. "How'd he do, really?"

She shrugged. "Great. For a human. He just doesn't have the … stamina… of some mutants."

Kurt nodded. He knew exactly what she meant. No one had really challenged Kurt until he met Wolverine. "That's to be expected."

"I know." She looked away briefly.

Kurt sighed. "But he's safer now, right?"

The small smile broke hesitantly, yet easily, over her face. "Oh yeah. He could take most anybody here." She swallowed. "Maybe not Betsy or you…"

"Or you." Kurt added.

She laughed.

Oh. Kurt realized. That must be a 'given' or something… And he began to realize that perhaps Lucy thought of herself as the best fighter in the house.

Begrudgingly he admitted that she might be right.

But she doesn't have to look so smug about it.

"Maybe you and I should train together one night." Kurt mused out loud.

"Sure." She shrugged again. "Any time you think you're up for it."

She slipped past Kurt with a smile, bringing Forge his drink.

Any time I think I'm up for it? He shook his head. I'm up for it… He yawned. Well… I will be in the morning. He stretched out. How does she do it? I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

"Good night." Kurt called back in to the room as he passed.

"Night. Ow." Forge replied.

"Dream nice." Lucy told him with a smile.

Kurt nodded. "I will." I just can't stay mad at her. He sighed. Forge must be doomed.

Lucy handed Forge the can of soda. He put it on his eye and she giggled.

Kurt slipped softly down the hall. Most everyone else was sleeping but Kitty's light was still on. He poked his head in the door.

Kitty had fallen asleep in her chair. She had a series of English Law books open to various pages and several proposals she had been drafting scattered around the table.

Kurt slipped in to the room and took the small comforter off the bed and spread it over her before turning off the light and slipping back out again.

She's totally thrown herself in to this, hasn't she? Kurt realized. I'd have never thought of it, not this quickly at any rate, but she saw a need and she's ready to fill it. Plus, it justifies our salaries when we're not being called upon.

Kurt sighed. It almost figures. Kitty didn't really want to leave school. But I wonder if she realizes that she and I are going to be like Scott and Jean were at Xavier's – just the moment she accepts her first student.

Kurt smiled as he looked at Rachael's door. You're the one who did it. You've got Kitty all inspired about teaching… Well… Lucy helped. Brian too I suppose. But you made it fun for her.

He smiled. And I wouldn't have it any other way. He nodded. I never thought I'd be able to offer people what Xavier offered me. And now…

Now it's all coming together.