Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men (although I wish I had Wolverine or Gambit to cuddle with... Gimme!) Marvel owns them. I do however own Dom and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire.

Please be gentle! This is my first X-men fanfic! Reviews welcome, no flames! I burn easy.

Jubilee blew a large bubble of pink gum and shrieked when Kitty popped it over her face.

"Kitty! That was the best one yet!" Jubilee complained.

"I know, but it was funnier to pop it."

"You suck!"

"I do not!"

"Shut up!"

Logan winced and looked to Scott. "We're sending them on a mission together?"

Scott shrugged. "They have to grow up sometime. Besides Rogue will be with them. She's a little more mature."

Logan grumbled. "I don't see why we can't go-"

"Because a teenage girl would trust other teenage girls more than she would us," Jean casually sat next to Scott. "The girls will be fine. Xavier and I found them a nice hotel and all they have to do is go there and talk to the girl."

Rogue came to the door with her bags in hand. She smiled at Logan. "Talking about me?"

"Just wondering how you're going to handle those two." He jerked his head in the direction of Jubilee and Kitty's argument.

Rogue rolled her eyes and brushed back one of her white locks of hair. "Don't worry. I can handle them. If it was you on the mission with me, then I'd be scared.

He snorted and chewed on the end of his cigar.

"Don't worry, sugah. We'll be fine. And if I need a big bad protector, I know who to call."

Jean hid a smile. She knew how much those two cared about each other. It went far beyond the protectiveness Logan had always felt for the young girl. It had evolved into something deeper, although neither was brave enough to bring it to light. She watched as Logan took Rogue's bag and loaded them into the SUV. Scott and Hank helped with the other girls' things. Kitty and Jubilee excitedly loaded stuff into the SUV.

Xavier rolled up to them in his wheelchair. He gave them all a warm smile. "Good morning. I trust you girls are ready to go?"

Kitty nodded. "I can't wait! It's like our first real mission!"

"The first of many, I hope," Xavier said. "Remember girls, if you have any trouble-"

"Don't hesitate to call," all three girls chorused.

Xavier handed Rogue a file. "Here, Rogue. This is all the information we could get on the girl. Be careful."

She nodded and took the manila envelope. She scanned the contents quickly, twirling the SUV keys in her free hand. Logan watched, his jaw tense. He grabbed Rogue's arm as she turned to climb into the vehicle.

"Listen kid… If anything goes wrong… or anything happened and you can't handle it…"

"I know, Logan. I can call you and you'll kick the crap out of it." Rogue smiled. "I'll be fine. We'll all be fine. All we have to do is go and talk to this girl. We'll be back in a week, tops."

He grunted a reply. "Be careful kid."

"I'm not a kid." She grinned and climbed into the driver's seat. Take a close look and you'll notice, she thought. She started the engine and held her gloved hand out to the Professor. "We'll bring her back."

"I trust you will, Rogue. Good luck."

She nodded and gave Logan a small wave. Kitty leaned over from her passenger side seta and set the radio on a station and began to sing along with the song she found. Jubilee begged her to shut it off and Rogue rolled her eyes. She put her foot to the accelerator and pulled away from the group.

Logan watched the vehicle until it was a spot in the distance, anxiety gnawing at his gut. He was worried about Rogue.

"Don't worry Logan. New York isn't that far away." Hank put his large blue hand on Logan's shoulder. "As a great mind once said, 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder'."

"I'm going to the Danger Room for some exercise," Logan growled and stalked inside the house.

"I'm afraid our Wolverine is going to be very inconsolable for a while."

Scott snorted. "I wish those two would just say I love you to each other and get it over with."

"Give them time. I think they are both in disbelief that the other cares for them the same way. 'Love will find a way'." Hank followed them back into the house. "Until then we will just have to avoid him as much as possible."

"That won't be hard," Scott stated. "He'll avoid us."

"Until he and Rogue admit their feelings, then I'm afraid we will have to put up with his… many attitudes." Xavier stated. "I have a Physics class to attend to. I'll see you all at dinner."

"And I have a Biology class that insists we dissect frogs today," Hank chuckled. "I imagine this will be an adventure."

Jean watched Hank lumber away and crossed her arms over her chest. "I have faith in the girls."

"I think we should have gone. I'm worried." Scott confessed. "You could have controlled her."

"The professor doesn't want me back in the field just yet. We still aren't sure about what happened at Alkali Lake. We don't understand how I survived Scott. We aren't sure about this newfound power I have."

"Your mutation has always been powerful."

"Sometimes power scares me. The girls will be fine. I'll be fine and we'll just leave it at that, okay?" She squeezed his hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. "Now come on. You owe me a milkshake."