1Chapter Six

"I guess since you're under house arrest, this means you won't be interested in going out with me tomorrow night, huh?" Logan asked.

I grinned, "You were going to ask me out?"

"Well, I figured the way we keep macking, as the kids say, we should at least try for normality."

"But you seem to forget, Logan. We're not normal." We stopped in front of my room together. "We are far from normal."

"But that doesn't mean we can't try, right?" He asked. "We'll talk after you get sprung, okay?"

"Yea, sure." I moved to open my door.

"Wait a sec." He took my hand, pulling me up to him. "I just thought you might like to know...you look real pretty when you're pissed off."

I laughed, putting my hand on his shoulder, "How romantic."

"No, really." His hands went down to my hips, under my jacket. "What I said about you being indecisive...I was wrong. You know exactly what you're doing."

"Thanks." I told him.

We both stood there for a moment, before I pulled away, "I better get to bed. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, kid." He kissed me softly, placing his forehead against mine. "I'll see you in the morning."

"G' night Logan." I kissed him back, and then retreated for my room.

I got dressed the next morning a little earlier then normal. I had a danger room lesson with Logan, and five other students I didn't normally hang out with. I wanted to talk with Logan before we started.

"Hey kid." He was sitting in the control booth, overlooking the danger room. "What's buggin' you?"

"I want to work on my magnetic powers, Logan. Do you think you could work it into a lesson?" I asked.

"What part of your magnetic power?" He asked, leaning against the edge of the switch board. "Moving objects, creating field, that kind of thing?"

"I was thinking about more about flying..." I said. "Magneto can use a magnetic current to fly...but I think it's better if I try it under supervision the first time. And I want to figure out how I conjured those plasma blasts."

"Right..." He nodded. "You want to try it after the lesson today? I got time, if you do."

"That would be great Logan, thanks."

"Anytime, Kid. Go suit up. Class starts in ten minutes." He reminded me.

Class moved by quickly, and I was able to illiminate all of my fellow classmate-opponents, without injuring them to badly.

"Wow, you're amazing, Joanna." I helped Jubilee up from the ground where I had pushed her to keep her from being blasted with a ray.

"Thanks, but I'm nothing special." I shrugged. "You're not so bad yourself."

She smiled at me, a pretty little Asian girl who had come to the institute before I had, "I hope we get to do this more often -class with you is a lot of fun."

"Alright, kids... Class dismissed." Logan released the other. "Joanna...Lets talk before we start."

We sat on a block of cement in the center of the room.

"Alright, lets start with these blasts...where'd they come from?" He asked.

"I don't know...I just remember being very angry, and they just...formed around my fists, and propelled themselves."

"So they're triggered by anger." He nodded. "Duly noted."

"It's just the way that Magneto was talking to me, like I was some stupid little girl he thought he could brainwash into doing whatever he wanted me to do." I felt that anger rushing back at me, and my hands closed. Wisps of green energy formed around my fists.

"Definitely triggered by anger."

I opened my hands, and let the anger go. The green wisps disappeared.

"You'll need to learn to control that as much as you do all of your other powers... The Professor has noticed that your other powers are matured, but this one...this one could be dangerous to yourself, and others if you get to angry, Sundry. You've been a pretty happy-go-lucky person as of late, but things could change rapidly. It doesn't take long for emotion to take over." He lectured.

"We'll have to work on it." I said. "Now, the flying thing..."

I was actually glad when school started again. It was the only time that I could be outside of the institute, due to Magneto's persistence.

Warren was talking to me again -sort of, in a strained sort of way. Mostly he tried to stick out conversations to school, and the weather. Weather was a big topic with everyone actually. It was cold...very cold. We hadn't had a snow day yet, but a lucky little premonition assured me that we would have one soon, which is why I was awake at midnight on a Thursday, with Rogue, Jubilee, Kurt, Bobby, and Logan as company on a school night.

"Now, you're absolutely sure that we don't have school tomorrow?" Kurt asked from where he was sitting in a chair to my left.

"Kurt, do you see the snow outside?" I asked. "Trust me, there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that we'll have school tomorrow." I looked at him from where I sat on the floor, leaning against Logan's knee's, painting Rogue's nails. "If you don't believe me by now, go to bed."

"I believe you." He told me. "You haven't been wrong yet."

"Or at least had the common sense to avoid it." Logan commented, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"Your day may yet come, Logan, just relax." I told him, waving my hand over Rogue's nails to dry them faster. Logan squeezed my shoulder for a second before he sat back.

"You probably shouldn't move around to much for about an hour so." I told Rogue, releasing her hand. "It's still wet enough to smudge."

"Thanks, Jo." She took over blowing on her nails, as we all turned to see the Storm Watch on the television.

Meteorologists were already calling it one of New York State's worst storms ever. They warned viewers to remain in their homes. Power outages were happening over the viewing area, and it was only a matter of time before it hit Bayville.

It wasn't until Regularly scheduled programming returned (some Late-Night Made-For-TV movie) that we noticed Professor Xavier had entered the room.

"It's a little late for you all to be up, don't you think?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We're just staying up for Storm Watch." Logan told him. "Joanna told them they'd have a snow day tomorrow."

"Well, it's highly likely...carry on, then. Logan, could you come with me for a moment?" He asked, turning his chair back for the corridor.

I leaned out of his way as he stood up, following the Professor out of the room.

"Do you think he's in trouble?" Jubilee asked me.

"Of course not." I opened a different bottle of nail polish. "Gimme your foot." I told Rogue, to which she easily complied.

"You never know, Joanna." Rogue leaned back on her palms. "Logan is a very troublesome character."

"Hardy-har-har." I didn't look up at her. "Now stop moving your toes or I'm gonna mess up."

"Oh it's not like anyone will even see it." Rogue shrugged. "After all, when do I ever wear open-toed shoes?"

"You should...it would be a little different." I shrugged. "And besides, sandals are comfy."

"Says the girl who can touch other people without them going into a coma, or dying." Rogue lay down on the carpet, letting her hair sprawl out around her. "Lucky."

"Well, no one's died yet, so I think you'll be fine." I dipped the brush back into the bottle. "Other foot."

Rogue was quiet for a moment, and started to say something just as I finished her left foot when the lights flickered.

"Ok, I think we should wrap up our little party here." Bobby moved to shut off the television.

"You guys go on to bed...I'll wait for Logan." I waved them all away. "I wouldn't want him to think we deserted him or something."

"Uh huh. Help me up." Rogue held out her hands for me to grab as I stood. After I pulled her up, the flights flickered again.

"Go on, before the power shuts down." I waved them away. "Good night -and I'll be up soon Rogue, so keep a lamp on or something."

"Will do, Jo." She nodded.

"Goodnight." Jubilee called, walking backwards from the room.

"Goodnight, Jo." Kurt patted my shoulder before taking off for the stairs.

I lay down on the couch, watching the television again.

"You all alone?" Logan asked, leaning on the back of the couch. "Where'd everybody go?"

"They went to bed. They figured it was safest before the power went out. The lights have flickered a few times."

"Yea...Professor Xavier wanted me to take a look at the generators. There should be enough power to give us a couple hours in the lower levels, but if it goes out, the upstairs here is gonna be black. We can't waste the energy if something happens and we've gotta go on an emergency mission." Logan swung around the couch and sat down in front of me. "What's the matter, kid?"

"Nothing. I'm just tired, I guess."

"Why don't you go to bed?" He asked, leaning closer to kiss me. "It's getting late, and you deserve some sleep."

"I just wanted to spend some uninterrupted time with you." I smiled. "We haven't been getting a lot of that as of late."

"Hm." Logan grunted, kissing me again. "There may be a higher force 'causing that."

"I know." I nodded. "The Professor doesn't exactly approve, does he?"

"I wouldn't say that...I think he'd just rather nothing happened between us until after your birthday, at least."

"But that's like five months away." I sighed. "What does he think we are? Saints?"

"I don't know about you, kid, but I'm sure as hell not."

"I can tell you I'm far from it." I snaked my arms over his shoulders, and kissed him again. "And besides, what the Professor doesn't know, won't hurt him."

"You seem to forget that the Professor knows just about everything."

I sighed again, "Stop taking the fun out of being naughty, Logan."

"Oh, right...sorry." He placed a kiss below my ear, and then several down my throat. "Is this better?"

I laughed when he started nibbling my ear, and pushed him away, "Alright, I think we better go to bed now, before the power really does go out, and we get lost."

"Gettin' lost might not be so bad..." He raised an eyebrow.

"Pervert." I smacked his arm.

"Just something else you've gotta love, eh?" He asked.

"Good night, Logan." I kissed him one last time, before maneuvering behind him off of the couch. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night, kid."

We did indeed have a snow day that Friday, and the power outage that occurred in the dead of night caused a grumbling cold to wash over the institute. When we first woke up, Rogue and I huddled together on one bed for warmth, soon joined by Kitty, and Jubilee who had more blankets for our cause. Rogue sat closest to the wall, in the corner, the other girls closest to me, for safety's sake. We were reading magazines, and praying for the electricity to be fixed sooner when Logan knocked on the door.

"You decent?" He asked, before opening the door. "You're having a pajama party, and you didn't invite me? I'm hurt, really."

I smiled, and threw one of the pillows at him, missing by mere inches, "How long until the heat comes back on?"

"It could be awhile." He leaned against the door jam. "Which means that until the power comes on, no lesson. Thank god it's cold though -think of what it would be doing to the food in the freezers."

"Eh, stick everything outside, it'll be fine." I shrugged.

"I'm going to die of hypothermia." Jubilee still shivered under four thick quilts.

"I highly doubt it. You'll plague us all for a very long time, I'm sure." Logan raised an eyebrow at her, and smirked.

"Thanks for that vote of confidence, Mr. Logan." Jubilee rolled her eyes.

"Was there anything else?" I asked, pushing a strand of hair behind my ear.

"No...I just wish I had a camera, this is such a kodak moment you all have going on here."

"Oh, get out." I threw another pillow at him, striking him in the arm.

"You may want these." He threw the two pillows back at me. "After all, we've gotta be saints, remember?" He closed the door behind himself before I could throw something else at him.

"You're saints?" Rogue asked.

"It's an inside joke." I told her.

"Right...I think I'm glad I wasn't around when that one cropped up." She said. "And besides, I think Sainthood is your best bet."

"Hardy har-har." I said.

I stayed in the bedroom until we started to get hungry, and then we ventured downstairs where the other students, and faculty were rushing around trying to find ways to stay warm.

"Get sick of your pajama party?" Logan was sitting in the kitchen, drinking a cup of coffee.

"Hey, where'd you get that?" I asked.

"Storm sent me on a mission earlier for coffee and donuts." He said. "You should have said something earlier I would have gotten you something."

"Is it bad out?" I asked.

"Pretty bad, yet." He nodded.

"Damn." I sighed.

"Here." He offered me the cup.

"Ew, no... Coffee is gross." I stuck out my tongue at him.

"Don't be so picky." He put an arm around my waist and pulled me close up next to him. "Some day you'll regret it."

"Not today, I won't." I shook my head, and kissed his cheek. "I'm pretty sure of that."