Disclaimer: I don't own any of the X-men. Marvel owns them.(Someday… they will be mine!) I do however own Dom (SCORE!) and Astral and Nicole/Mindfire. Additionally this chapter I own Daniel (Devil) and Jessie(Daystar).

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

Welcome back kiddies! Sorry about the delay. Major writer's block and work and life on the farm really drag you down.

Dedications! I'd like to dedicate this chapter and give a shout out to Starbaby-210. You may be horrid at English, but you got some good ideas. Think of the dot, girlie!

Oh yeah… Mutant Liberation Front is different than one in comics and such. Thought I had an original name but no…. Stupid Stan Lee already owns it too! Grr…..

Lcm- I try… I really do. Dom has become quite popular and I like Nicole a lot cuz she's like me.

Mm4ever2gether- I thought the Xavier choosing Nicole instead of jean would be a cool little twist, plus I never really liked Jean's character… too preppy. Thanks.

Starbaby-210- hey loser! Calm down and breath like a good girl.

Dom kicked the angry man off of him and turned back to the girl behind him.

"Krystal right? I want you to concentrate real hard and knock the fuck out of those guys." Dom pointed towards the group of men fighting Storm.

The small brunette nodded and concentrated a giant ball of psi energy and launched it at the men, knocking them in all directions.

"Good job, kid. Now run for the jet!" Dom released his claws and headed towards the men.

Dom, Nicole thought to him, No claws. They don't know what their doing.

Dom gave a growl and resheathed his claws. This wasn't going to be any fun. He turned to watch Nicole using her telekinesis to throw men away from her. With another low growl, he headed towards them. That's when he saw the man with the pistol in his hand.

"NICOLE!" Dom yelled and the gun went off. Nicole turned and Dom watched in horror as the front of her shirt turned red with blood.

With her last bit of energy, Nicole threw the man against a building, knocking him, unconscious. Dom gathered her into his arms and ran for the jet, with Krystal, Jessie, and Ororo close behind. He laid her on a table and examined the wound on her shoulder.

"Nicole, turn on your powers for a minute, doll. I'm going to heal you."

"No!" she gasped. "No."

"Nicole-"

Jessie pushed him away. "She said, no, Dom. I can fix it."

Dom watched as Jessie began to compress small amounts of light to close the wound. When she finally finished, they had landed in Belle's backyard.

"She'll need to rest for a little while and take it easy," Jessie said as Dom carried her off the plane. She's still-"

"Jessie!"

They all looked up to see a man running towards them.

"Daniel? What are you doing here?"

"I was back for a visit. What happened?"

"Nicole was hurt."

"What happened?" Daniel followed them inside where Dom took her to the nearest spare bedroom and deposited her on a bed.

"She was shot trying to protect me," Krystal said. "Is she going to be okay?"

Dom nodded, examining the now closed wound on Nicole's chest. "Damn it, baby girl. Why didn't you let me fix it?"

"I've got enough of you up here." Nicole tapped her head, gently and smiled. "Thanks for the offer, handsome."

Belle bustled into the room with a first aid kit in hand. "Out of the way, all of you. I'll tend to Nicole. Get out of here and get Daniel and Krystal situated. Sit up a little, ducky. Take these and they'll help you rest."

Dom gave a low growl and Nicole pushed his arm. "It'll be fine. Go."

Belle helped her sit up and swallow a few pills. Dom let Jessie and Storm push him from the room and outside. He stared at the closed door.

"Relax, Dominic. She'll be okay. The bullet didn't puncture anything. It only grazed her shoulder. It wasn't too deep," Jessie reassured him.

"She was bleeding a lot."'

"It wasn't that bad."

"I'm going to wait here."

Jessie shrugged. "She'll be out for a while.

"I can wait. You'd better go. You've got someone waiting." Dom nodded his head towards Daniel, who was leaning against a doorframe down the hall.

She glanced briefly at him. "Yeah… Tell me when she wakes up?"

Dom nodded.

Jessie turned and walk down the hallway towards Daniel. "Hi."

"Hey, cutie."

"What are you doing back?"

"I had some business in San Francisco and thought I'd stop by. How are you?"

"As good as I can be I suppose. You?"

"I miss you, Jess."

"Oh?" Jessie tried to sound nonchalant as she walked outside, with Daniel following her.

"Of course. You're one of my best friends."

"Oh."

"How are things here?"

Jessie shrugged. "Same old."

"Apparently not, what with these new people. Who is that guy?"

"Who? Dom? He's from Xavier's school in New York. He's the Wolverine's son."

"And the girl?"

"Nicole. She's Xavier's successor. They came to get that girl and see if she wanted to go back to New York with her."

"Ah… and with you?"

"Me? I've just been hanging around here. Nicole and I have become friends."

"No boyfriend?"

Of course not, you dolt, she thought. "No."

"Surprising."

"Why's that?"

"C'mon, cutie. You should be beating off guys with sticks."

"Should I?" she headed down the steps and a large black wing stopped her.

"Jess, what's wrong?" Daniel used his wing to pull her back to him.

"You! You run off and join some freedom fighter's club for mutants and don't give a rat's ass about me!"

His eyes widened in shock. "Jess-"

"Leave me alone!" Jessie pushed his wing away and raced to her room.

Daniel looked back to Dom and Belle standing at the top of the stairs. "What did I do?"

"You left her, Daniel. Just when she cared for you the most."

Dom felt like he had been punched in the gut. It was like watching himself and Nicole all over again. "C'mon."

Daniel raised an eyebrow at the man before him. "Why?"

"We need to talk."

Daniel followed the man outside and they sat on the steps of the house.

"So you're the son of the mighty Wolverine."
"My only claim to fame."

Daniel laughed. "Well, my name is Daniel. People often refer to me as Devil. I'm a member of Mutant Liberation Front."

"One of those violent protest groups?"

"No. We're strictly non-violent, but if the matter should arise, we can protect ourselves."

"Hmph… Listen now and listen close, because I'll only say this once." Dom took out a cigarette and lit it. "If you love her, then tell her. Don't let her get away like I did with mine."

Daniel sat in silence for a moment. "The life I lead is not one I want for her. We are always under protest from groups like Humanity First…"

"She'll be persecuted in any life. That's how it is being a mutant."

"You love that girl, Nicole… I love Jessie, but neither if us want the lives we live for them."

Dom nodded. "I've lost my chance. Get yours."

Daniel nodded. "I understand."

He stood and his jet black wings erupted from his shoulder blades. With two mighty flaps, he was in the air, and landing on the roof. Dom watched him and then went back to his bedside vigil.

Jessie sobbed into her pillow. He didn't care at all. She heard a noise at her window and it opened to reveal, Daniel.

"Jess?"

"Leave me alone."

"Will you talk to me, please?"

"No."

"I'm sorry… Please. Come out here and talk to me."

"No."

"Don't make me drag you."

"You try and I'll burn off all your feathers." Jessie held out her hand and compressed a small amount of light.

Daniel gave a low growl and scooped her into his arms. He took a flying leap out her window and flapped his wings. The effort caused them both to soar through the air. She was screaming and kicking.

"Put me down! Put me down!"

"I think it's time you cooled off!" Daniel hovered about the small lake beside Belle's home and dropped Jessie into it. The splash attracted all the members of the household and they gathered on the front porch. Jessie came to the top, sputtering, and headed for the shore. Daniel met her there.

"Cooled off now?" Daniel held his hand out to her. She smiled sweetly and took it, pulling him in beside her.

"Perfectly!" she said as he came up for air. "You jerk!"

He laughed and brushed his wet hair put of his face. "Well, I'm glad this helped."

He stood and gave his wings a great shake to get the water from them, and held his hand out to her. She took it and he helped her from the lake. They stood on the bank in silence for a moment, still holding hands.

"I'm sorry I left you like that. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I know. I was just angry. I'm sorry I yelled."

His free hand went to her face, cupping it. "I love you, Jess."

Her mouth dropped open and he took the opportunity to lean down and kiss her. Her hands went up to clasp the back of his neck, and his went to her hips. His black wings enveloped her and hugged her to him.

He broke the kiss and smiled at her. "Well?"

"Huh?"

"This is where you're supposed to say, I love you, too." He grinned.

She chuckled. "You know I love you, you nut!"

He looked into her eyes. "Can you deal with this, Jess? With me being in the Mutant Liberation Front? I'm not going to be around all the time."

"I know."

"There's chances I'll be in battle."

"I know, but it's worth it. When do you leave again?"

"Three days… Want to spend them with me? Catching up for lost time?"

She nodded and he scooped her into his arms again, flying for her open window.

Nicole's eyes opened slowly. She felt like she had been sleeping for days. Sitting up, slowly, she saw Dom asleep next to her bed. He was in a chair with his head resting on the side of her bed. She reached down and stroked his hair. He stirred and woke.

Smiling, he asked, "How you feeling, doll?"

"Good. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Only about a day. You scared me."

"I'm sorry."

Belle came through the door. "Awake finally, I see?"

Nicole nodded. "Thanks to you and Jessie."

Belle reached out for the girl's arm and Nicole stiffened.

"You can control the pull, correct?" Belle asked Nicole.

"Yes… At first for only a short time, but now indefinitely. I didn't want to touch after Dom kinda died, but I still practiced in case anyone wanted to use my powers for evil. I'm just still kinda funny about it."

"But you can control it. That's all that matters. I'll leave you two."

Dom gave Nicole a smile after Belle left. "She kept trying to get me to go to bed."

Nicole snorted. "No such luck, huh?"

"Nope. You scared me, Nicole."

"I'm okay, Dom. See?" She wiggled her fingers in his face. "All my fingers work."

Dom smiled and kissed the fingers. "I'm glad."

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"It's okay." Dom was still holding her hand. He rubbed it, gently.

She cupped his cheek and ran her thumb over his lips. He leaned up to kiss her gently. She let him, but stopped after a moment.

"Dom… I… We… We shouldn't."

"I know, but, baby girl… I don't know if we could stop it if we tried." Dom climbed up into the bed with her, and she didn't stop him.

Nicole ran her hand up and down his arm, and he watched her with half closed eyes. She rubbed along his shoulders and up his neck. He leaned down and caught her lips with his. While their tongues delved in each other's mouths, Dom rested his hips between her legs. His hand traveled up her side to cup her breast and she moaned.

"Do you want this, Nicole?" Dom breathed in her ear. "I know I do, but so you?"

"Yes."

Dom ground his hips to hers and let her ease his shirt off his shoulders. With a gentle tug, he unbuttoned her shirt and dropped his head, to kiss along the top of her breast. Nicole threw back her head and she knew what it felt like to be alive.

"No regrets, right?"

"No regrets."

Dom peeled back her shirt, revealing her silky bra to him. Running his tongue over the silk he looked up to her half closed eyes.

"You aren't going to turn on the pull are ya? Maybe give me an 'orgasm to die for'?" He grinned.

She looked confused for a second and then recognition hit her. "You heard that?"

"You and Kitty are kinda loud, doll… I was right under your window."

She blushed. "Dom…"

"You look hot when you blush." Dom cupped her breast. "Maybe I should embarrass you more often."

Nicole turned even redder. "Dom… This is my… well…

"I know."

"Be careful with me?"

"Always, baby. Always." He began to pull off her silky gloves.

The meeting hall was packed with men and women, each with their own agenda, but all there for the same purpose. A lone light shone on the stage and a young, well dressed man stepped up to the podium.

Darryl stood at the podium and silenced the crowd. "Fellow members of Humanity First, I am pleased to announce that I have successfully infiltrated Charles Xavier's school and soon, we will have enough proof to push the mutant registration bill through Congress."

The crowd erupted in applause and he gave them a wave.

"Although this is good news, there is a down side. I have been forced to have a relationship with a mutant woman." He paused for effect. "This… freak is pursuing her doctorate in X-Genetics… The study of her own kind."

"Tell everyone what she does to people she touches!" a woman yelled.

"Her skin kills people. Is that what you want living next door to you, doctoring your children?" Darryl asked. "All I need is a little more time and we will be free of this mutant menace!"

The crowd erupted with cheers again and Darryl looked pleased with himself. Only a little more time and mutants would be second class citizens, nothing better than household pets. Those damn mutants wouldn't know what hit them.

Jessie awoke to the feeling of someone tickling her nose with a feather. She opened her eyes to see Daniel smiling down at her, one black feather in hand.

"Good morning."

"Is it already?" she moaned.

"Unfortunately. I need to get up and talk with Dom. Meet me back here later?" Daniel's hand went to her stomach.

"Of course."

Daniel got out of the bed and pulled on his jeans. Leaning back down to kiss her head, he winked. "Get dressed before you catch a chill."

Jessie smiled and stretched her body. Last night had been fun. Lots of fun. She got out of bed and pulled on her pajamas and robe. Walking downstairs she met with Storm and Belle in the kitchen.

"Good morning!"

Stormed smiled over her cup of coffee. "It seems to be."

Belle turned to look at the blonde girl and snorted. "You've got feathers in your hair."
"Huh?" Jessie's hand went to her head and she found a few downy, black feathers. She blushed. "Oh."

Belle laughed. "It's about time he noticed you."

"You're damn right it is! He dumped me in the lake!" Jessie pouted.

"Yes, but he cares all the same," Storm pointed out. "Feel glad your relationship isn't as torrid as Nicole and Dom's."

"Didn't sound so torrid last night," Jessie mumbled. "I swear I could hear the bedsprings on the roof!"

Storm shook her head. "I hope they didn't do something they'll regret. Nicole has a boyfriend back home."

"She told me that… But she and Dom loved each other, right?"

"They do, but neither knows what to do about the other. I just hope this time in California doesn't mar their relationship any further."

Nicole giggled as Dom brushed his stubble against the soft skin of her stomach. She looked down at him over the silk of her bra. His tongue lapped at her bellybutton ring.

"What's this, doll?"

"Jean did it for me… So I wouldn't kill a piercer. It was my twenty-first birthday present from her. That tickles."

Dom rested his chin there and looked up at her. "Hmm… It's hot. I like it."

He grew silent and she toyed with his hair. "Hey… You okay?"

"Yeah. I was just thinking."

"Watch out world! What about? Not regretting last night are you?"

"Of course not. You're all I've ever wanted, doll. I was thinking about the MLF."

"The Mutant Liberation Front? Why?"

"It's intriguing."

"Oh… And the sight of me in a bra isn't?" she teased.

"Nah, you're more of a tease, baby." Dom rose up to meet her lips with his. "A nice tease."

"Thanks. Should we get up for breakfast?"

He shrugged. "Can you handle everyone's eyes?"

"How will they know?"

"You're kinda loud, doll."

She blushed. "Can you?"

"I'll just tell them to fuck off."
"I will too."

"Breakfast then?"

She nodded and he got off her. He pulled on his jeans and lit a cigarette. He watched her pull on his shirt and a pair of pajama pants. Going to the door, she paused.

"Dom… What'll happen when we go back to New York?"

He shrugged. "We'll worry about it when we get there."

She opened the door and almost ran into Jessie. Jessie raised and eyebrow and then her jaw dropped open. Dom walked past them in the hall.

"What?" Nicole asked.

"You can't leave your room!"

"Why?"

"You have got a huge hickey on the side of your neck!"

"What? Dom! Were you going to mention this?"

Dom shrugged. "It looks good on you… Let's people know you're taken."

"Dominic!"

He grinned and walked on down the stairs. Jessie pulled Nicole back into her room and dug around for make-up.

"I can't believe he was going to let you walk downstairs like that."

"That's Dom for you, insistent that people know what belongs to him," Nicole said, dryly and looked in her mirror. Her eyes widened. "Holy crap! It looks like I had a date with a vampire."

"If you're going to be letting him suck on you, at least let him down it where you can cover it with clothes," Jessie said, sitting her down and beginning to cover it with make-up.

"I'll try to remember that next time."

Dom got out to the porch and saw Daniel sitting on the steps, reading a newspaper. "Any good news, flyboy?"

Daniel shook his head. "Not really, besides the fact that the MLF freed two German mutants from Russian forces."

Dom grunted. "This MLF… What do you do?"

Daniel sat down his newspaper. "We use legal means to free mutants oppressed by the governments of the world."

"Oh."

"And there are a few of us who use less conventional means to free mutants from laboratories and slavery holes."

Dom's interest perked. "Labs?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes. Much like the ones you and your father were subjected to."

"I was afraid of that. How much room do you have on your team?"

"Are you interested?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I wasn't."

"I defiantly could use a team member of your caliber… What about Nicole?"

Dom looked away. "Nicole's not really mine."

"She loves you. She sounded like yours last night."

Dom shook his head. "For last night and maybe two more before we go back, but then she's Darryl's. I can't give her the life she wants."

"Are you so sure of that?" Daniel asked. "I fear I can't give Jess the life she wants, but she's content with what we have. Maybe one day, with what I do, we can all have the lives we want."

Dom sat in silence for a moment and put out his cigarette. "Maybe, flyboy… Maybe."

Jean used one hand to lift the Blackbird and the other to quell the water rushing towards them from the dam. She felt a power blaze through her like nothing she had ever felt before. The engines fluttered to life and Jean smiled. She knew they'd be okay.

I love you, Scott. She thought before the waves crashed into her.

He body tumbled through the frigid waters, bashing her against things. Her powers enveloped her in a fiery cocoon until she was grabbed by an unseen force in the water. She was pulled ashore where she promptly passed out. She didn't know how long she lay there unconscious, but when she awoke, she saw a beautiful Asian woman kneeling beside her. The woman was checking her for broken bones.

"Rest, Miss Grey. You are too powerful for something like this to kill you."

Jean tried to croak out a thank you, but the woman stood and disappeared into the woods. Jean sat up carefully, and took in her surroundings. She was in the woods near the newly formed lake. Who was that woman? How long had she been out? She rose to her feet, shakily and began to walk down the jeep trail towards what she had hoped was civilization.

Jean awoke from the all too familiar dream, clasping her blankets in one hand. She looked over at a slumbering Scott and around her room. She hadn't had that dream for years. The dream of what happened at Alkali Lake. The dream of that Asian woman.

Jean, come to my office, please. Xavier's voice came into her head and she grabbed her robe. Heading down the quiet and dark halls, she made her way to Xavier's office. When she got there, he was sitting behind his desk reading a piece of paper. He had a look of concern on his face as he gazed back up at her.

"Professor? What's wrong?" she asked at the look on his face.

"You had that dream again, correct?"

She nodded. "I thought they had stopped."

"So had I. Yet, I just received this…" He held the paper out to her and she took it.

"It's an email… Who from?"

Jean began to read.

Dear Professor Xavier,

Hello sir. I have heard recent news that you may know the location of a certain mutant, my self and my life partner are looking for. His name is Dominic Logan James, and he is the son of Logan, or the Wolverine. He may also be using the codename, Fury. I am searching for this young man, as to the fact that I was his foster father for thirteen years and helped raise him. I am in desperate need to find him so that I know he is alive. Please contact me at my email address provided. Thank you and God bless.

Elliot James

Prowl

"Is this from Dom's family?"

"I believe his mother may still be alive." Xavier laced his fingers together. "If so this could mean a great deal to Dominic."

"What if it's a lie? What if it's just people after Dom?"

"We'll deal with it. No one will make Dom do anything he doesn't want to."

"For Dom's sake I hope this is real."

Dom stared at Nicole as she slept in his bed. He raked a hand through his hair. This affair was not going to end well at all. Nicole shifted in her sleep, her hand feeling for him in the dark. She awoke, groggy.

"Dom?"

"I'm here, baby." He was sitting beside the bed, on the floor. She ran her hand through his hair and watched the cherry of his cigarette glow in the dark.

"Come back to bed."

He shook his head. "Not yet. I'm smoking."

She leaned over the edge of the bed. "Are you worried about what'll happen when we go home?"

"Reading my mind?"

"No… I've been thinking the same thing. I love you, Dom… but you're too unpredictable."

"I know."

"Please don't make me make a decision like this."

"I won't, doll. Trust me. When we go back, you'll go back to Darryl and we'll pretend none of this happened. It'll be our memory."

He took her hand and kissed it in the dark.

"Our memory?"

He nodded. "Ours… Let's talk about something else."

He put out his cigarette and crawled back into bed with her. She snuggled up to him and he lazily raked a hand through her hair.

"What do we talk about?"

"Tell me about school."

"What about it?"

"What are you studying?"

"X-Genetics. I'm going to be a doctor like Jean."

"This quick? Aren't you already in medical school?"
"Yeah. I finished college at NYU in two years and now I'm halfway through medical school. Two more years there and one for residency, which Hank is going to set up for me at Xavier's and I'll be Dr. Nicole Logan."

"Impressive."

"Thank you. I've worked my ass off."

Dom pressed a kiss to her head. "I know, baby. I know."

"I know you don't want to talk about it anymore, but… Tomorrow we go home, Dom… I'll miss you."

"I know. I'll miss you."

Jessie stared up at the stars, leaned back against Daniel as they sat on the roof. "Wow… It's pretty out here tonight."

"Mmm…" Daniel kissed her neck. "I'm going to miss this."

"Don't remind me." Jessie turned to face him. "Promise you'll visit me at Xavier's?"

He nodded. "Whenever I can."

Jessie was silent for a moment. "Is Dom leaving with you?"

"Maybe. He seems interested in the MLF. Why?"

She shrugged. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing? Going to Xavier's?"

"Cutie, he could teach you so much about your powers. I think its great you're going."

"Yeah, but what about Belle?"

"Don't worry yourselves about Belle. She'll manage. Besides that Krystal is turning out to be a big help."

"Come with me to Xavier's."

"You know I can't. I have a duty to the MLF."

"I know." She sighed. "I just thought I'd try."

He laughed. "I promise I'll come and visit you! Every damn chance I get."

She hugged him, tightly, not wanting the moment to fade. He hugged her back, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"I love you, you big dork."

"I love you, too, cutie."