Storm walked with Nanny as they returned to the main level after x-raying and wrapping Nanny's ankle.
"So it doesn't hurt when you walk like that?" Storm asked.
"Nope. I would compare it to walking on air, if I really knew what that felt like. However, as it is, I'm literally walking on a magnetic field."
Storm grinned and shook her head.
"What took you so long?" Logan asked as Nanny and Storm came up the stairs to the common living room.
"Had to get checked out by the doc," Nanny said.
"We're just glad that we didn't give you two any more time in the ring with her." Storm said smiling and walked back to her class room.
"Guess they're scared I would have whooped ya," Nanny teased.
"So that would be why you had to go to the infirmary and Pete and I are fine."
"Sounds right." Nanny grinned.
"So, how bad is it?" Logan asked, kidding aside.
"Oh, my lip will be fine in a matter of days. My ankle, well, that might take longer."
Logan looked down and noticed that Nanny wasn't walking on the floor. He cocked his eye brow in curiosity. The bell rang and within moments the students poured into the halls with their books and paper and chatter, already on their way to their next class.
"Looks like you've got to get back to class," Nanny said.
"Look, Nanny, I …"
"Logan?" Nanny was surprised by such seriousness in Logan's voice and face.
"I didn't mean to- if I had known ..."
"Logan," Nanny smiled, relieved that it was only about the session, "they didn't name it the Danger Room because they thought it would be safe. We're going to face risks in and outside that room. I'd be disappointed if hadn't given the lesson your all."
The second bell rang, and Logan promptly returned to his gym class, still feeling no better about what happened.
Josiah grinned as he and Nanny crossed paths right in front of the front door. Scott was hurrying down the stairs, late himself for his training session with Kitty.
"Someone get the door?" Josiah said seconds before the door bell rang.
"I'll get it," Scott rolled his eyes. 'I'm already late. This better not take too long.'
"Can I help you?" Scott asked, cracking the door open enough so that the stranger could only see Scott. The stranger was a young man with auburn hair, and big sunglasses, much like the ones that Scott wears. The young man stood tall on the front door step with his hands gently resting in his trench coat pockets.
"I am looking for a friend, Ororo Munroe."
"Uh, please, come in." Scott said. The young man walked with confidence and grace.
"Nanny, will you go get Ororo please?"
"Sure."
"Ah, Bonjour mon joli chéri." The young man bowed at Nanny.
"I'm impressed, and flattered," Nanny responded after a few moments of shock from hearing French again, "but I believe I'm a bit too old for you." And with that said, she and Josiah headed for Storm's class room.
"Can anyone tell me about the Louisiana Purchase? Yes, Kitty."
"Ahem, ah, Storm." Nanny waved Storm over.
"You understood what he said?" Josiah whispered to Nanny as Storm excused herself from the class room.
"Yes. I studied French for about six years."
"What is it Nanny?" Storm asked as she closed the class room door behind her.
"There's someone here to see you."
…
"Ah, Remy. Good to see you again."
"Oui, as it is good to see you Ororo."
"Well what brings you here?"
"If it's still on the table, I would like to take you up on your offer."
"Oh, yes, the offer is still good. Ah, if you like, I'm sure you could talk to the Professor now."
"Talk to me about what Storm?" The Professor asked as he wheeled himself down the hall. "Ahh, Mr. Le Beau. Good to see you again," the Professor added.
"Remy said he would like to take our offer and join the X-men."
"Good to hear. If you would like, I could take you for a tour now. I'll have Josiah collect your bags."
"Merci, but that won't be necessary. I travel, light."
"Very well then. Shall we?" The Professor rolled on, and Remy Le Beau bowed his head to Storm and Nanny, and followed after the Professor.
"Boy, isn't he a handful." Nanny muttered to Storm.
"You have no idea."
…
"This is our psychology class with Miss Grey. And down the hall here is the library and art room …"
Remy lost the Professor's words when he stared through the door at Jean's class and noticed an especially bored girl with a band of white hair tucked behind her ear. He was a womanizer if there ever was one, but this girl particularly struck him.
"Come Mr. Le Beau. You will have plenty of time to socialize with the ladies later."
…
An hour or two later in the day, Storm interrupted Logan's gym class who had just started a series of difficult relays.
"Excuse me Logan. You have a new student. Remy, this is our martial arts and gym instructor, Professor Logan."
Immediately all of the girls huddled together and began whispering and giggling about this mysteriously handsome new student.
"Welcome Remy. Dress out in these and you can start."
"Sure, but you can call me Gambit."
"Whatever kid." Logan rolled eyes and Remy went inside to change. "All right everyone, here's the deal: you jump through the tires, then give me fifteen push ups as fast as you can. Next hurdle the cones- over, not on top of, and Kitty, if I see you phasing through them at any time, you'll be out here doing this for the rest of the day. Once you're done with the hurdles, take a lap around the school and meet back here. Once you finish you can go change. Everyone ready? On the whistle. Set," and Logan blew his whistle and the first three were off.
Storm, Jean, and Nanny watched Gambit running the relay from art room window.
"So, how did you all meet Remy?" Nanny asked.
"We met him a while back on a mission in Louisiana. He's a thief, just like I used to be. We offered him a place at the school after the mission, but he said he wasn't quite ready to leave home, even though things were heating up for him down in New Orleans. Guess he finally decided to come." Storm answered.
"He's certainly causing a commotion among the ladies," Jean said.
"There'll be some drama over him," Storm sighed. "He's a player."
"Jean, I've been looking all over for you," Scott stepped in the door way.
"Scott."
"Can I talk to you for a moment?"
Jean followed Scott out of the room.
"What is it Scott?"
"The Professor and I need your help repairing the Danger Room."
…
"Jean, we need to replace the ceiling panel. I need you to use your powers to lift the panel to ceiling so that Scott can rewire the piece and screw it back into place." The Professor instructed from the control room of the Danger Room.
"And how is Scott going to get high enough to rewire it?"
"He's going to attach a harness to the ceiling so he can hang just below the panel."
Now instead of Scott having to adjust his harness we needed to reach higher or move to another area, Jean could gently take him there. Her telepathic abilities would allow her to know when and where she would need to move Scott.
"Jean."
"It's alright Professor, I've got him."
'I can't believe this. Not all that long ago Jean was the weakest X-man. She had problems levitating books and tables. The stunt with the jet was a shock in itself, but it had depleted Jean's energy so much she collapsed under the water. Now she's holding me and a twelve foot long ceiling panel with ease, as if she could do this for weeks.' Scott thought to himself as he tried to concentrate on his task. It was unsettling however, to think that someone could contain so much power and not lose control. That was his real worry: could Jean really handle it? Jean had changed since she had returned, but it seemed as though the largest part of her transformation had happened in the last week and was happening more rapidly than all of the previous time combined.
…
"Thank you for talking with me Logan," the Professor said as Logan opened the Professor's office door to leave. "I'll talk to Scott and see about taking some new security measures."
Logan nodded and shut the door behind him softly.
Storm was up in the kitchen helping Peter with some of his Algebra homework while Nanny picked up the scattered toys and magazines in the game room and shoes and papers in the hallways. Josiah and Jean were upstairs helping put the kids to bed, and Scott was watching Tv.
Logan sighed when he entered the kitchen and pulled a bottle of soda out of cabinet.
"Long day Logan?" Storm asked.
Logan only nodded. He took his soda and left to the Tv room and stood at the back sliding glass door. Pinkish-purple clouds covered the whole sky and slowly soft and fluffy snow flakes began to fall to the ground. With a toy dinosaur in her hand, Nanny joined Logan at the door.
"I love snow," Nanny whispered, "Reminds me of home."
"Me too," Logan said softly. "The snow is liberating for me, but at the same time, it reminds me of some not so great times back in Canada."
"Every Rose has its thorns," Nanny sighed. After a few silent moments, Nanny patted Logan's back and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek before she headed upstairs for bed too.