Mr. Summers stayed for another week while Jean and Scott finalized dates and places, food, invitations, and all the intricate details. Mr. Summers joined in on several of the children's football games and now joined Scott on his early morning jogs.

"It's great that Mr. Summers can be here to get to know Scott again, just before your wedding."

"Ya." Jean sighed as she graded some psychology papers on the back porch. She looked up for a moment and starred off into the distance. "My dad hasn't returned my phone calls. I've been thinking of flying down to visit him. Fix it all out face to face, since he won't return my calls. I'm scared Nanny. We haven't talked in years, and I'm scared he might just slam the front door in my face." A small tear rolled down her face. The new arrival of Mr. Summers made Jean miss her father even more and feel even more nervous about her situation.

"I don't know how anyone could stay mad at you Jean. I wish there was something I could do to take your mind off of it, but …" Nanny grinned at the irony: only the Professor could literally take Jean's mind off of something, though Nanny wasn't meaning it in quite those terms.

"Oh I'm going to be all right. Staying up late, getting so nervous and excited- stressed about the wedding; it's made me extremely sensitive and overly emotional."

"I understand that feeling all too well."

Rogue came up behind them and smiled and nodded towards Nanny. "We're running to the store. We can we get you anything?"

"No I'm good. Thanks."

Nanny and Rogue weren't just "running to the store" though. They were actually on their way to pick out a wedding present for the two love birds.

"Did they register anywhere?"

"No. They've been too busy to think about presents." She sighed. "Our job is going to be tough. They're not moving into their own house, at least not yet, so they don't need house hold appliances or silverware, or china. Though, I don't think you can go wrong with China. However, China- at least the good kind, is not exactly within our budget."

"So what are you thinking of getting them?"

"I'm not sure. Things you can always get them are picture frames and photo albums. But I don't think that's enough. I've thought about painting their wedding portrait, but then it would be a bit late. We could always pay for their honeymoon or something, but I have a feeling that the Professor is footing that bill."

"Really! That's so sweet." Rogue was starry eyed with excitement and the romance. She grinned, and then she turned back to Nanny. "I can't wait until I get married. I have the perfect dress in mind. And I know where I want my honeymoon to be." Rogue paused and sighed. "But marriage is a silly thought for me. I might as well just become a nun. I feel like a leper not being able to touch people!"

"Ohhhh. You know, there's got to be someone out there you can touch. Or maybe some way to control your powers so that you can touch. It's going to be hard, and I know you already know that, but there's got to be a brighter side sweet heart."

"I've thought about both of those. But I'm so tired of waiting."

Nanny nodded. "I have very little patience too, when it comes to people. Now art, I can have patience for that- up to a point. But if I have to wait on someone, na huh, I simply do not have the patience for that."

"Oh look!" Rogue stopped in front of a diamond jewelry store window and pointed to a beautiful fire opal, phoenix necklace. The chain was delicate and 24k gold.

"Do you have that kind of money Rogue!" Nanny laughed. "It's beautiful, and perfect for her, but then what would we get Cyclops?"

"You're right. But maybe I could mention it to Cyclops and that could be his present to her."

"Yes. Or maybe … Maybe Storm, you, and I can get Jean a present and Kurt, Wolverine, and the Professor can get Cyclops something."

"I like that idea!"

"So now that that's decided, want to browse around for some clothes?"

The girls spent a bit of the day just hanging around the mall, eating lunch and having some flavor burst ice cream (some of the best stuff in the world). They were saving their money for Jean's present, so they didn't buy any clothes. They stopped by a Hobby Lobby on their way home so that Nanny could grab some water colors, some large, high quality water color paper, and some specialized brushes; Nanny decided that she wanted to paint their wedding portrait too. It would be late, but it would be ready by the time they got back from their honeymoon.

"Nanny …" Rogue stopped and pointed to a man who was across the food court, leaning over the railing and simply scanning the room like most people would. "Hasn't he been in just about every store we've been in today?"

"I recognize him, but I don't remember if he was in all the stores with us."

"He gives me the creeps."

"It's probably nothing."

"Ya. I make myself paranoid a lot, like right after I watch a scary movie."

"We'll keep an eye on him, but I'm sure it's nothing." Nanny nodded and they got up from the food court table and headed out.

When they got back, they immediately proposed their idea to the other X-Men, and they loved it. Rogue and Nanny told Storm about the necklace and she fell in love with the gift right away.

…

Storm came into the art room while Rogue was working on some of her homework and Nanny was grading projects and working on plans for the art show. She looked around and with a puzzled look on her face and left, without saying a word. A few moments later she came back in.

"Have either of you seen Kurt?"

"Have you checked his room? He's had to stay cooped up a bit since Mr. Summers is here."

"Ya, he's not in his room. I've checked all over."

"No, I haven't seen him in days. I've only seen him once since Mr. Summers was here."

"I can't find the Professor either. I went to his office to ask him if he knew, or could find Kurt for me, but I can't find him either."

"Who, the Professor?" Scott asked as he entered the room.

"Ya."

"The Professor and Jean went to have a talk with Prophet again."

"Do you know where Kurt is?" Rogue asked.

"No. I haven't seen him all day."

Storm left to search the place one last time before she resigned to grading her own papers.

"Do you know why Jean and the Professor went to talk to Prophet?"

"He didn't say, but I have a feeling it's about those recent disappearances. I imagine he would have asked a few more members to go with him, that is, if my father hadn't been here. Can't make things look to suspicious." He winked.

…

"Did you find Kurt?" Nanny asked at the dinner table.

"No, but he left me a note. It was in the last place I expected something like that to be- MY room." She smiled. "Said he went to meet someone, to clear up things about his past. He also said it would be nice for him to get out since he's been in his room so much, or having to hide so much."

"Someone from his past?"

"Yep." Storm sighed. "I'm trying not to feel betrayed, ya know. I'm trying to trust that Kurt isn't cheating or anything like that. It's not like him, I know, but I'm still worried that something like that is going on."

Nanny didn't know what to say so she simply put her hand on Storm's.

…

"Saturday …

Wow, a lot has been going. Jean and Scott resumed their wedding plans and then out of no where, Scott's dad, who was presumed dead, showed up on our front door step. Now Kurt, Jean, and the Professor are out on missions that the rest of us really don't know a whole about. It's been busy. I've had all sorts of calls from Jean's relatives and I've been playing phone tag with the ladies down at the Fine Arts Center. It looks like we'll be able to enter 12 of our children's art- at the most 3 pieces each. Plus I'll be able to enter some of my art. I took some samples both of my art and some of the children's down to their office the other day and they fell in love with some of my art. Hahaha, which I don't understand since they see much better pieces all the time. Oh well.

Hehe. It's relieving, in some ways, to know that Wolverine has not only lightened up a lot around me, but has been conversing with me more. Things have been so busy lately that we really haven't gotten much of a chance to talk a lot, but it's been nice. Geez! Since Mr. Summers has been here, there hasn't been a lot of room for several things. All of the children have to be on their best behavior, no one can use their powers, and poor Kurt has been locked away practically the whole time. I think Mr. Summers asked Scott why he always wears sun glasses, even inside and at night. I think he said something about after the accident his eyes had become incredibly sensitive to light. I think Mr. Summers is still a bit, curious to that though. Don't think he quite buys that excuse.

Well, it's getting late diary. I better go.

Nanny."

…… Mean while ……

"Hello," echoed a German accent throughout an abandoned warehouse.

"Hello," the same voice echoed back. Kurt turned to see where the voice was coming from. A thin shadow glided over the wall behind him and a sleek woman stepped out of the dark. Kurt starred wide eyed and nervously at the woman who stood before him. He checked around himself to see if anyone had come with her.

"It's ok. I've come alone."

"You know something about my past?" He asked, still a bit apprehensive about meeting with "the enemy." Mystique spoke softly and there was a new look in her eyes. It wasn't of malice, or trickery, deceit. The façade was gone.

"Yes, I know about your past. More specifically, your parents." She paused and motioned for him to follow her to a more well lit area where some beautiful sun light was pouring in from a sky light onto some steps that they could sit on. "I recognized you when we first met. Perhaps I should have told you then." She turned her attention away and starred off.

"Well …"

"I really don't know how to tell you."

"You said you knew my parents? What was my mother like?"

"Cowardly. When she saw you for the first time, after you were born, and everyone realized you were a mutant, she abandoned you."

"It must have been hard though. I don't look like the other mutants."

"Your mother doesn't deserve your kind words. Things might have been difficult, but you're still her son. She could have taken you and run off, raised you herself. After your father found out that you were a mutant, he discovered that she was too. It was hard for her to lose your father."

"What did she look like?"

"Mmmm." Mystique closed her eyes, almost like she was trying to remember. In reality, she was remembering the disguise she had taken on when Nightcrawler was born. "She has blue skin, like you, but it's lighter. Yellow eyes like you." She paused, debating whether she should continue or not. "And short red hair."

Nightcrawler's tailed flicked slightly. He wasn't sure if she was implying herself, or was it that his mother simply looked like Mystique?

"Kurt, you're my son. I'm your mother." After she spoke those words, they both sat in complete silence. Neither knew what else was to be said.