Chapter 5

The sun hadn't risen over the horizon yet. The sky was still gray, faint stars dotted the lonely sky giving companionship to the lone moon. Soft winds whipped through the trees. A loud beep went off.

Anna sat up screaming out in Gaelic in surprise. She looked groggily to Logan who yawned beside her and turned off the alarm clock. He sat up the blankets falling, revealing his bare chest. He kissed her cheek. Anna looked at him crossly. He chuckled.

"What time is it?" She demanded.

"Nice of you to ask, I slept just fine myself." Logan said getting up. "Classes start in two hours, which gives us plenty of time." Flannel pants fell around his legs, he turned on the lamp.

"Classes?" Anna looked to him bewildered.

"Language?" Logan turned on the lights.

"Oh, Latin first period then Spanish then French, and last my writing class." Anna yawned. She stood pulling down her tank top. "Damn holes." She cursed looking at the three entry marks form the night before.

"Look sexy."

"Why is it I've never seen you at a strip club?" She asked walking to the closet. She shifted through the clothes. Logan wrapped his arms around her waist kissing her neck, resting his chin on her shoulders.

"Dibs on the shower," She said pressing past him with her clothes. Logan raised his eyebrows.

"So much for a good morning." He whispered under his breath.

"Yeah really," Anna rolled her eyes. She closed the door behind her. She stood before the mirror looking at herself. Mirrors had always shone her, her demons. In this case she saw beauty.

Her face lovely and perfectly tanned. She watched her face swirl into an image of a dark ally, to the end vapors rising off the pavement blocking the view of his face. She stared at it. She watched herself running away from it. It pursued her. She could hear herself panting. She slipped and fell, the attacker pounced on her. Anna released a sharp scream of surprise and watched the image disappear. She took off her shirt, and threw it to the floor. Anna undressed and turned on the hot water. She adjusted the temperature to her taste, and comfort.

She lowered herself in the water. Settling in the warmness, she sighed and searched her memories for a moment of fondness. She chose a moment in the dorms of SHEILD.

She was lying on his bed listening to CD's filling out mission logs and reports. The pen scrawled out letters, they were put together and formed words. She put it up to her lips in thought. The door opened. Her eyes darted to see the arrival. She smiled.

Logan's eyes were hard blue. Sometimes she could've sworn that they were steel at times. They softened seeing her teenage figure on the bed filling out the paper work he so hated. She tilted her head at his arrival. She took off her headphones.

"So what did he want?" She asked him. Logan sat on next to her.

"He wants us to be partners." He replied.

"Oh is that all?"

"He also said I need to be more punctual on my paperwork." He raised his eyebrows. Anna laughed.

"Good god Stranger. Dose this mean I get to learn your name?" Anna asked leaning back on her hands. Logan's eyes softened a bit more.

"Yeah, it dose." He said leaning closer to her.

"Well then, my name is Anna." She said

"Logan." He took her hand. Anna looked away, then back up to his eyes. What in god's name was that in his eyes? The hard blue eyes looked almost thoughtful. He bent his head and gently kissed her.

If it had been anyone else Anna would've most likely pushed him off of her. She wrapped her arms around his neck leaning into his kiss. He broke away.

"Sorry," He mumbled. Anna looked a bit sheepishly at him.

"Um, I'll see you later; here are those mission logs you needed." She passed the yellow office papers in his hands. She gathered her CD player and shifted out of his room.

"Oh, Anna," Logan called after her. She turned to face him in the doorway.

"This never happened." Logan smiled softly, Anna nodded.

"World's toughest spy just let his tongue slip." She turned to leave. It was the first time they had kissed. Only a few days before they officially became partners, after which they shared a room. Anna grinned sinking into the water a more less than pleasant memory slipped into her mind.

Anna dressed herself in a slim white cotton dress. The water she had filled the bath tub was ice cold. She wanted it that way. She lowered her self in it. Scooting so that her head was submerged and she lay there waiting to drown.

The door to the dorm opened. Logan hadn't been able to find her all day long. Where was she? He stopped dead when he saw the clothes strewn about, and a stream of water coming from the bathroom. It was cold. He ran into the bathroom and searched. She was there trying to drown herself.

He reached a strong arm into the water and pulled her soaked body out. His face was mixed emotions. He leaned his face closer to hers; she wasn't breathing. He laid her out on the tile bath floor. He straightened her neck and back. Logan pressed his face to hers giving her rescue breathing. No pulse either. He ran his fingers alongside her rib cage finding the breastbone and gave five thrusts. He gave one breath and waited to hear her breathe.

"Oh, God, Red don't do this to me." He pleaded, repeating what he had just done. Still no breathing; Logan let out a cry of frustration. He tried again, he took in a breath and did it two it more times. He waited a few seconds. She came back to life coughing up water. Her soaking wet body quaking and moving to accommodate the large coughs. Exhausted she fell against his strong arms.

Her breathing heavy, painting she let out a cry of sorrow. Logan pressed his lips to her cheek.

"Oh god Red," He said kissing her again. "Why?" he asked her. She looked away from his eyes.

"I can't go on like this." She said, crying softly in shoulders. Logan shushed her quietly.

"Don't you ever." He held her wet and quaking body, close.

Anna sat up shaking. She reached for a towel and stood pulling out the stopper. The water rushed to drain the tub. Steam had frosted the window over, she wiped a spot off. Anna dried off her face and pulled away her hair. She piled her make-up on the counter and applied a shade of amethyst over her eyes, and blended pink on her cheeks and painted her lips a rich wine color. She shook her hair so that it was auburn. She dressed herself in ripped jeans and a shirt that clung to her curves which read "Ask No Questions." She grinned. Her appeal was a senior year high-schooler rather than a teacher. She opened the door and saw him waiting on the bed reading a book.

She took it from his hands. "A Collection of Poems by Robert Frost," She quirked her eyebrows at him, "You've lost it." She said searching the bottom of the closet for a pair of shoes.

"Actually it's yours," Logan leaned back on his hands putting away the book. Anna rolled her eyes. She sat up on her knees examining a pair of heels.

"Well, I'm more of an Emily Dickinson fan myself. But," She stood sitting by him. "Robert is just fine." She smiled kissing his cheek. "Better get your shower, Love, I'll be in the kitchen." She buckled the straps on her shoes and left the room. She trotted down the halls and hopped down the stairs. Perfect fingers slid over the oak railing and she turned into the kitchen the door swinging open.

She looked around and saw Scott glued to Jean's face. Anna's eyes grew wide. She snuck over to the counter nearly giggling.

"Sorry to interrupt but you have company." Anna said keeping her back turned. She sensed Jean and Scott break away.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Scott sputtered out. Anna giggled.

"You mean that wasn't her mouth you were kissing?" She quirked an eyebrow as she turned to face them. Scott's temper flared.

"That was uncalled for."

"Oh, hush up Scott. I'm sure you two are very committed to each other, but I would prefer you find some other place, rather than the kitchen." Anna filled the tank of the coffee pot with water and grabbed the newspaper searching for politics. She found the section and sat across from them.

"You look more like a student." Jean commented.

"Oh well, I'm a teacher now, I'm teaching languages," She replied shielding herself from them with her paper. She could sense mild embarrassment. She chuckled.

"Um…where's Logan?" Scott asked.

"It's okay; you should see the couples the men brought back to their dorms over at SHEILD. They would all be doing something in a janitor's closet."

"A what?"

"Ol' Rob had this sayin'. Bout as cute as a Chinese whore," She laughed.

"A what? How in the world is that cute?" Scott pressed.

"What's not to love about a woman that's scantly clad, is easy, and is willing to do you for five bucks?" She asked Scott raised an eyebrow. Anna folded to edge of her paper so she could see him. "Yep, that's what I thought. Cheap, sleazy, and easy," She grinned returning to her paper.

"What's the difference between a whore and a prostitute?" Scott asked.

"About twenty five dollars a trick," Anna answered. Jean burst into a fit of giggles. The door opened and Logan smelling strongly of soap walked in. Anna smiled looking up to him.

"Bout as cute as a Chinese whore," She said as he passed her to the coffee pot. He burst into laughter. Anna grinned, waiting for him to recover. He looked up.

"Has Rob died of HIV yet?" He asked.

"No but he has herpes."

"No surprise there." Logan said smiling reaching for a cup and filling it with coffee. Jean and Scott cast each other sideway glances. Logan turned to Anna. She grinned tilting her head making a gesture with her hands. Logan seemed to have read her thoughts laughing. He made another gesture, she giggled, and she flipped her hair. Logan handed her his cup, and filled another.

He sat by her spreading out the paper she had in her hands. Her giggles turned to laughter.

"What is going on?" Jean asked annoyed.

"It's a code." Logan answered her waving his hands sending Anna into a harder laughter.

"You aren't doing anything." Scott said.

"It's a common practice. We use hand moments that aren't official sign language. Red here tells me she caught the two of you. Nice work Cyke, let's go stealth." Anna fell over on top of the table. She sat up pulling hair from her face which was changing colors. She burst into a fit of minor giggles then recovered.

"I remember Logan's sense of humor. It's an acquired taste." She stated sipping on the cup of coffee Logan placed before her. "And in any sense, 'Let's go stealth' is sayin' we SHEILD agents have, it means to go undercover without giving away your position. And in this case it's self explanatory." Anna smiled. "God I love that joke."

"You're not going to tell anyone about that?" Scott asked.

"Well that all depends how much are you willing to pay?" She leaned back on Logan. He shot her a dark look. She rolled her eyes smiling. "You know I can be real fast with my mouth you know."

"Ann, honestly you're terrible!" Logan snapped. Ann only rolled her eyes.

"If I was so terrible, then why did you ever love me?" She asked him. He sighed.

"You should be getting to class then Love." Logan dismissed her comment.

"Lead the way." Anna said her eyes swirled from a neon blue to a hawk yellow. He led her out the kitchen. Holding her hand he showed her around this school.

"I hope you have a lesson in mind." He said to her. Anna gave a silent laugh. He led her up the stairs to the second floor. "The first floor has all the common rooms, kitchen, and Chuck's office matched with a few classrooms, the second and third is entirely classrooms, and all the other floors are dorms. We even have an entire dorms building somewhere around here." He explained to her.

"I see." Anna nodded remembering to pass the bust of Socrates on her way to and from.

"Any questions?" He turned to her stopping at a class door with a window. Anna tilted her head as she peered into the room.

"Yeah,"

"What?"

"Which subject do you teach?" She asked.

"10th and 11th grade history. Sometimes civics. Chuck figures hell I've lived most of history who better to teach it? Nice try though I'm not that old." He raised an eyebrow peering into the class with her. "Shit you got Bobby and Kitty for French, what the hell are they gonna use French for?" He said to himself more than to her.

"As I recall you could speak it quite fluently." Ann raised her eyebrow. Logan arched his neck.

"That's 'cause I'm Canadian." He kissed her cheek. "Careful, it's a zoo." He opened the door for her. She walked in muttering curses in Gaelic. Logan proceeded in with her closing the door. Anna sat at her newly assigned desk, smiling tipping an imaginary cigarette. He laughed said something in Gaelic then turned to the class.

"Okay kids, this here is your new teacher, her name's Anna, and she's a close friend of mine from SHEILD. So with that outta the way, let me tell you, if I hear that any of you give her a hard time it's extra time in the danger room," he grinned. Anna stood up shouting Gaelic insults.

"Oh for the lord's sake Stranger must you be so provocative?" She asked hitting him lightly on the shoulders. He looked to her ludicrously. "Don't give me that look! Shoo!" She made a show of tapping him harder.

"Hey love watch the jacket." He insisted walking slowly to the door.

"Not fast enough." Anna said in English, she turned around watching the erasers to the blackboard to attack Logan he ran out of the classroom the erasers hitting the door and falling to the floor. The class laughed. Logan popped his head in through the door.

"Ha! You didn't hit me!"

"You just wait Love; I'll have your ass tacked up on my front porch for my prized trophy." Anna nodded her head putting her hands on her hips. "Keep this up and I'll go mad!" She called after him watching him laugh.

"Your present this year for Christmas is an 'I want to believe' poster." He laughed walking down the hall Anna leaned on the door frame. She thought for a moment then threw a ball of fire after him.

"Have a nice day, love," she said laughing closing the door on the hallway. She looked around at a class that was erupted into laughter. She released her claws and lightly drew them across the chalkboard, making a horrible ear shattering sound. The laughing stopped. Ann smiled.

"Call me Ann." She said politely. "Don't ask me how old I am because I don't know, yes Logan and I are involved with each other, yes we worked as partners on SHEILD, and no we were never married, yes that was me screaming in my sleep the other night." Anna's smile brightened. "So now, this is French?" She asked. The kids nodded. "Good, because as of now I will speak and write only French." She grinned, her accent changing and before long was speaking fluent French.

"Miss, um…" Bobby raised his hand.

"French please." She said in English. "In fact everyone speaks French in here. Except for reasons obvious to the learning experience. And call me Ann." She smiled politely shaking her hair so that it fell to her ankles in waves the color of neon teal. She received odd looks. "Oh for god's sake you're worse than Logan," She said her hair melting to a soft auburn. "Now," She said turning to the chalk board. "On to French. Oh yes, can anyone tell me if they have ever met a master thief whose name is Remy Lebeau, and calls himself Gambit?" She asked just about everyone raised their hands. "Really?" She shrugged her shoulders. "Hello Cajun," She laughed to herself.

French went by rather quickly. Latin was rather educational. But Spanish, All hell broke lose.

"Si, el Diablo." Anna raised her eyebrows to the kid who could throw fire. He made a move to throw a ball of fire at her. Anna caught it and held it. And in English she spoke

"What some of you can't seem to understand is this. Even though I may be romantically involved with Logan, and even though I look like a teenager rather than an eighty year old. I'm fucking powerful, hell maybe more than Logan himself, but you wanna know something?" Anna sat on his desk crossing her legs tipping her shoe ever so slightly and holding the ball of fire in her hands, she leaned into his face. "Not even I know how far I can be pushed." She let out an evil laugh. And threw the fire out the windows. She waved a hand and watched the glass repair itself.

"Wonderful power my mind has," she laughed walking back to the front of the room. "Now then? Any questions?"

Lunch was a godsend. She had on her try a slice of pizza and a soda. She looked around the cafeteria for someone she knew. It felt awkward walking around looking stupid for a place to sit. Then she saw Jubilee who flagged her down.

"Hey!" She called out. Anna lifted her head. Jubilee was waving for her. Anna strolled there with her now room temperature meal.

"Hi," Anna smiled sitting next to her new friend. "How's school?"

"I switched to your writing class today!" Jubilee grinned. Anna smiled.

"That's very kind of you."

"Hey, no sweat, anyway you seen Logan? Every time he sees you he ducks for cover!" Jubilee said. Anna laughed a bit.

"Oh yeah, I remember that, maybe the erasers wasn't such a good idea?" Anna said looking up to the ceiling, smiling softly. "Something to do with throwing fire at a guy that freaks them out." Anna giggled. "Called me mad."

"Ann, what did you do to him?" Jubilee asked taking a bite form her sandwich. Her friends looked to Ann weirdly. Ann shrugged, sipping on her soda.

"He's playing." Ann smiled. "His sense of humor is an acquired taste."

"Um, Jubes, who is this?" Someone leaned over.

"Oh, Kitty, this is Anna Rackam, she's Logan's girlfriend; you know the one I told you about that was screaming in her sleep the other night?" Jubilee said to her friends. Ann rolled her eyes.

"We've been together so long the government has officially recognized as a married couple." Anna leaned over the table. "But the way me and Logan look at it, we never really did say I do, and I wasn't one to be tied down by commitment. An' he wan' it exactly the kind of guy you could call a husband. Hell, back then, we were the ones in SHEILD who would go to just about every bar spend a good three hundred bucks on drink come out there not even drunk, have wild nights with each other, even experimented with cocaine once or twice, but thanks to our higher healing powers we never suffered for our sins." Anna raised her soda. "Hell I'll drink to that!" She tipped back her soda laughing. Jubilee didn't quite get the humor. "Don't worry; you'll get it one day." She assured her new found friend.

"I can't see how you too got together; I mean you're complete opposites!" Kitty said. Anna turned to face Jubilee's friend.

"That's what I told Cutler. There ain't no way on god's green earth that I'm gonna be his partner." Anna laughed. "Now Cutler sure as heck is regrettin' that mistake." Anna titled her head finishing up her pizza. "But you know that's me."

"You sure were weird back in your day." Kitty said.

"You want funny? You should see it when Cutler and Logan get drunk and I'm in the room."

"Who's Cutler?"

"My commanding officer, he passes out missions, makes suggestions to the boss, and gets me and Logan sent to hell and back for his sorry ass." Anna answered; she put the cap on her now finished soda, and sat with her newly made friends. Jubilee smiled a bit, vaguely getting the joke.

"I take it you don't like Cutler very much?" Jean asked coming up to her sitting beside Jubilee.

"Well he's one of those guys you kiss once, say that's nice; now give me my money." Anna looked to her French manicured nails looking them over. Jean raised an eyebrow. Anna looked up with a grin on her face. "It doesn't mean the way it sounds, mind you, you need to get you head outta the gutter."

"Ann I'm beginning to see a bit of Logan in you." Jubilee said.

"I'll bet, must be the DNA showing through, I can see Kurt now, 'All you need is a cigarette, and you be just like Logan.' I love blue furry guys." Anna giggled.

"You mean Kurt as in Nightcrawler?" Jean asked.

"The very one,"

"How do you know him?"

"Oh it was a long time ago, back when he did the circus, Logan and I had split up in Eastern Europe, and I ran into his circus, asked me out, and said sure. He's a sweet guy, nice hands." Anna said shaking her hair so that it turned the same shade of blue."

"You dated a monk?"

"Well that's was before he turned all religious on me, and it was only one date, now when ever I write to him he sends me bible passages, gets annoying sometimes, but I know he means well, and it's really sweet when you look back on your life and find that old friend buried in memories, and how you have that friend that cared enough about you to look through the bible and find a verse for you. To me that's love." Anna nodded her head in a content way. Then getting a mischievous look she leaned closer to them. "Don't tell Logan about all this, he'll get all mad. And I don't want him to know."

"You mean he doesn't know" Jubilee asked raising her eyebrows.

"What don't I know?" Logan asked leaning back on a chair on two legs. Anna turned a shade of pink. "What's this I hear about blue furry guys? God I hope you haven't taken a shining to Hank," He raised his eyebrows. Anna leaned over and kissed his scruffy cheek.

"Lord, you need to shave." She said rubbing the side of his face with the back of her hand.

"I'd say something but we're all eating." He laughed.

"You may be, but I just finished."

"Don' change the subject love, what's this I hear about blue furry guys? And bible passages?"

"Blue furry guys, and Bible passages, that sure as hell ain't Hank," Ann said standing up.

"Hey after electives you got diagnostics with Chuck, after that therapy with him." He explained.

"What's his idea of therapy?" She asked.

"Blue. Furry. Guys." He said. Anna giggled.

"Honestly, you're being as cute as a Chinese whore." Jean raised her eyebrows, and Jubilee tried to stifle a giggle.

"What's not to love about a girl, that's cute, scantly clad and willing to do you for five bucks?" Logan shrugged. Anna rolled her eyes. She looked at the teenage girls who were expressing looks of distaste. She sighed.

"Maybe we should change our sense of humor?" She asked. Logan quirked an eyebrow to her; Anna sighed shaking her head so that it turned midnight blue.

"Okay miss hippie." Logan said. "So what's this I hear about blue furry guys?"

"I know a guy, he's blue, furry, and sends me bible passages in the mail." Anna said getting up with her tray. "It's been nice, thanks, but I need to get ready for next period." She smiled. "And in any matter look over Logan's notes for his history's class. God I just hope he hasn't screwed up the chain of events. Hey, Bob, it's not the leaning tower of pizza; it's the leaning tower of Pisa."

"Not funny," Logan growled getting up with her.

"Oh sure it is, Bob."

Anna loved her writing class. It was spontaneous, random, and very creative. She stood in front of the class presenting her writing.

"Writing is an art." She began. "It is something that can not be taught, it is something that you teach yourself. Warranted you are interested deep enough, mind you it takes time and practice to hold the company of Stephen King and perhaps Charles Dickinson. But, that is not the point of writing to be revered as good one, it is to be done as something you feel good about, a stress reliever if you will." She said the chalk zipping around behind her. The class was small no more than sixteen students max. Some where not paying attention, others were just simply listening to what she had to say.

"So, in saying that," She turned her back to the class. She waved a hand watching the chalk snap in two as it hit the floor. A few students joked with each other. Some exchanged looks. "So now, here's my challenge to you all. I dare you to be different. Most of you will think me improper by the way I dress, ripped up jeans a midriff tank, and in the dead of winter? Let me tell you I never have lived out side of Canada, as a residence. Like I am now, but the main thing is this, I'm not American, you are, tell me about yourselves. What religion are you of? Are you Islamic? Are you a follower of Catholicism? What about your abilities? What can you do? Me I'm not one for religion though I did date a priest one time, and I don't even know my fullest potential, I was genetically engineered to be a government weapon. Mind you my sanity is at stake here," She passed out spiral bound notebooks.

"What these for?" Some one asked.

"Good question, I want you to read." She said to them.

"Read? These pages are blank,"

"What? Oh so they are, well then I guess they need a story, what say you?" She quirked an eyebrow looking to them, they looked at her oddly. She smiled sweetly. This wasn't going to be easy.

"Look at it this way, I'm giving you a journal, you are to write in it."

"What about?"

"Yes, indeed, what about?" Ann asked her class. "Is that not what we ask when we look at a book? I want you to write every night one page about your day, but not just your day, a story maybe. Is there a special guy that makes you quiver? How about this, do poems touch a place in you?" She asked sitting up on her desk, "Now this is a class for writing not assignments,"

"I have an idea." Some one called out. Anna snatched up her head.

"Oh, aye?" She asked him.

"Perhaps we can have writing contests and not just for the class but from the others too!"

"Yeah! We can even come up with weekly challenges!"

"Or we can have our own anthologies!" Jubilee smiled.

"That's fine, in fact we might do it if I find the time some where in between teaching brushing off a few past boyfriends, and SHIEILD, not to mention I gotta settle this all with my family, but in the mean time I have a few things I want you to analyze." Anna said her hand moving swiftly across the chalk board.

Tell me sir

How is it

That the wilds of the wolves

The colds of the winters

And warmth of the summers

Fall into your eyes?

They look of ice

And feel of love,

Of tenderness so soft

Tell me sir

How is it

You've claimed my heart?

The twilight stars

Shinning bright

Your eyes

How they sparkle

Shall I say it?

Shall I say?

I Love you?

Shall I take the chance?

And pledge my heart to you?

Shall risk it all

For your love?

A love so pure

I can only dream

To share

With you

"These poems, they're wonderful," Jubilee said smiling softly to herself.

"I know the people who wrote them," Ann said reading them softly to herself. How wonderful they looked on white chalk against green slate.

"Who wrote them?" Jubilee asked.

"Oh, a friend of mine, we were very close." Ann smiled warmly.

"Who was he?" Jubilee asked.

"Oh, it was a long time ago, poetry I'm very sure he has put behind him, and in any matter, I want you to examine these poems. Read them title them and read them again, I want you to examine the emotions put into these art works. Now apply them to your life and then you'll find who wrote them. Easy I should think." She smiled once more. "Write your feelings and titles in your journal, also write a bit of a story about what you think are the meanings behind them. Class dismissed," She said waving them away. The students scattered out of the class rooms. Ann gathered the papers in her arms and smiled sensing Jubilee standing awkwardly in front of her desk.

"Yes?" She asked looking up. Jubilee shifted the weight from one foot to another.

"Um I think I know who wrote those poems," Jubilee said. Ann looked up interested her eyebrows cocked.

"Oh aye? Well do tell you have my attention," Ann said straightening herself.

"I think you and Logan wrote them…" Jubilee said unsure.

"Well now, you seem unsure, tell me, why?"

"It's just that, I never thought Logan wrote poetry," She continued. Ann smiled.

"We are all capable of writing poems, some better than others," She patted her friends shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me I have dionostics soon here," Ann smiled as she sauntered off. Logan was waiting for her.

"How was class?"

"Not too bad,"

"Well good, Chuck's waiting on ya," He said. Ann took his hand.

"Where to?"

"The danger room wants to see what exactly you can do,"
"Good point what can I do?" She asked. Logan groaned opening a side paneled door, he led down steel lined hallways and into a door. Xavier sat with Scott and another man. They were each immersed in conversation when Logan led her into the room. Ann's eyes narrowed when he lifted his eyes to meet her gaze. They were black with red irises, his hair was a mop of red, and his voice was smooth and sensual.

"Why hello, Ann," Xavier nodded to her. "Allow me to introd-"

"Master Thief Remy Lebeau," Anna said smirking. The man turned his head, confused.

"Pardon, me but do you know him?" Xavier asked growing wary of Anna's hostel look.

"Oh, we've met, had a little rendezvous in Louisiana, tell you what I'm a fool for southern accents," Ann said.

"You, look familiar, do I know you?" Gambit asked leaning closer to her.

"You and I met down in New Orleans, 'member Lebeau?" She asked sweetly, flashing her brightest blue eyes. Familiarity washed over his face.

"Cheri! Where you been?" He asked arms open, Ann rolled her eyes.

"In all honesty no place you'd know about,"

"How's you're Poppa?"

"Ohm he's still that stubborn jackass,"

"I'll say I still 'ave dat scar 'e gave me," he rolled up his jacket sleeve revealing a deep a scar from where a gash had once been.

"Poppa doesn't like the idea of me courting, that's all," Ann smiled examining the scar.

"Sound like yo' daddy needs a lesson on d'une facon, mes ami,"

"Well, his rage is catching up with him, last week he was taken to the doctor for heart trouble, I dare say his old age is with him," Ann said, Gambit rubbed his chin in thought.

"You ain't gonna give ol' Remy a hug?" he asked arms out stretched. Anna nearly fell over laughing

"Oh, honestly Gambit, you need a lesson in courting, or did poppa not teach you the first time?"she asked shaking her head of now fire. She turned back to Logan, who looked confused. "Well, you were dead back then," She shrugged.

"Excuse me, but Cheri, what be you talkin' bout?"

"Never told you did I?"

"Non, don't think you did,"

"Oh well, afore you, there was him, in fact James here has extended an invitation to me," She said.

"So you be sayin' he's your friend?"

"No, beau, mind you we've been together for a bout decade, sometimes it like an entire lifetime."

"Logan has a fille?" Gambit looked incredulously from Logan to Ann. He nearly laughed.

"We had an entire company wager going on when would finally elope,"

"My dear, Ann, are you saying you had a relationship with him?" Logan pointed an accusing finger to Gambit,

"Well more of a fling lasted about a few weeks, or as long as he was in town,"

"You were falling pretty fast as I recall,"

"Well not fast enough," she smiled lifting the soft edge of her eyebrow. Gambit snickered a bit.

"Well would you consider your relationship friendly or hostel?" Xavier asked her. Ann shrugged,

"So shall we continue with diagnoses?" Anna asked Xavier raised his eyebrows. "Love hate, basically, on this mission I was on down in the Bayou, he was an ass when I wasn't on duty he took me to dinner or bought me a drink, but that's beside the point." Ann said simply. Gambit rolled his eyes at her.

"Well then, how are we to judge her capabilities?" Scott asked. Xavier studied Ann's physic. She was slim delicate, couldn't possibly be the powerful fighter Logan made her to be, could she? Scott shook his head.

"Gambit don't have to go in dere wit her righ'?" Remy asked nervous.

"You wouldn't be afraid would you?" Ann asked smiling brightly.

"Gambit knows who you be, you look so weak and fragile, but I know you! You cain't fool de Gambit!"

"What ever, Logan and I can fight you'll see," Ann laughed. Logan led her to the dome shaped room, lined with steel; she looked around and gave a low whistle. Logan nodded.

"I know impressive isn't it?" he looked to her. "Helluva lot better than what SHEILD has I'll tell you," he smiled, Ann nodded in agreement. "We're gonna start with the basics, you know just a warm up, see how outta practice you are," he smiled.

"Ha, don't insult me!" she laughed, just as she dodged a laser. Another fired at her. She ran lasers just missing her. She laughed, Logan leapt at her throwing her out of the way. She threw him off. "Stilettos don't slow me down," she growled. He grunted. She stood up, and listened as Xavier announced a harder more challenging setting. Ann grinned. 'bring it on' she seemed to say. The laser blasts were getting more rapid. Logan was breathing harder jumped around with her. Suddenly they stopped.

"Do you two spar?" Scott asked them.

"Well we've been in a few fist fights, does that count?" she smiled.

"Whatever, your finished with your warm up, just remember, don't draw blood," he said. Ann laughed the metal dome turning into a meadow.

"Definitely better than SHEILD," she said. Logan lunged for her she threw him to the ground. He got up and choked.

"Better," he released his claws and made to her, she kicked his hands away. He brought them down upon her again, this time there was a sickening sound as metal clashed with metal, and Ann threw him down. He rebounded; she dodged his blows, refusing to give in. She had to do something unexpected.

Then it hit her. This time she lunged for him and knocked him against a wall her lips pressed to his, this had him confused. It caught him off guard long enough for Ann to take advantage of it. She threw him to the ground and placed the arch of her foot her high heel on one side and her claws pressed against his face, he was defeated.

"No fair," he growled, she laughed releasing him.

"I've done it before, you're just another victim of the game," she laughed as he led her back to the control room, the metal dome melted back to steel. Scott's jaw was dropped and Remy was smiling.

"New record, Cheri, you pinned de Wolverine in less dan five minutes," Gambit smiled. Ann laughed.

"I was always quicker than Logan, then again he wasn't expecting that," she laughed, Logan fumed. He growled. Xavier looked her over. Her frame was light; she was a bit taller than Logan but not by much. Her ankles he could tell were very strong, she was also blindingly beautiful. Another mutation he thought, Ann had mentioned she was always the diversion.

"Ann exactly how are you with teamwork?" Xavier leaned forward resting his chin on his hands. Ann thought.

"Not very good, if you're talking about spur of the moment plans, then yes I'm terrible, but if they're choreographed down to the very steps we take, then I guess I can work on a team," Ann replied honestly.

"And taking orders?"

"She doesn't follow them to save her life," Logan answered for her.

"He's right considering it's his life I was generally saving, lost him once don't think I could do it again," Ann shrugged. Scott examined her, and then looked to Xavier. He appraised her.

"I'm not making any final decisions, not until we see how she does with the whole team," Scott finally said, Xavier nodded. Ann raised her eyebrows.

"Fine with me, I have a few jobs to do before I can retire from SHEILD any ways, sides I'm not looking to quite one, so I can join another mercenary organization," Ann shrugged.

"We're not mercenaries," Scott corrected.

"No, you're just a terrorist group, who's bent on getting what it wants with force," Ann arched her eyebrows.

"We're not that either,"

"Course not, why would I say that? Weapon X is more what you should be worrying about, SHIELD has their eye on them, mine are on you," she said.

"Weapon X?" Scott looked to her as if she were on drugs.

"It's a terrorist organization, they're looking for more mutant DNA, to equip their soldiers with, SHIELD has deployed me here, to make sure that doesn't happen, sorry Stranger, even though you want me here for rehab, I have my orders," Ann shrugged. Logan's brow furrowed.

"It's sad really, once I'm done here, I go away, back to Canada and collect my pay, after which they deploy me somewhere else,"

"Hold up here, are you saying you're not on vacation?" Scott chipped in here.

"No, I'm on a mission, this one has a high pay, except I'm not in it for the money this time, this place is colony of mutants, X knows it, they want the DNA, I can't let that happen,"

"So then why are you here?"

"Cause Stranger has a soft spot for me, sorry it's come down to this, I'm not here for rehab or because he wants me here, I'm here to make sure you all don't fuck up." Ann's voice became cold and heartless, just like it was once upon a time.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm more worried on Blade than anything else, get rid of him, then I leave, and let you live the rest of your lives with out me," she shrugged. Thoughts were running a muck in Logan's head.

"You used me?" he finally said

"For the greater good," she answered him then saw what he was thinking. "Look this isn't the way it seems, you don't know what I've seen what those boys can do, if we let them have their way, we're talking mass murder one the scale of millions, of humans, my brothers are humans, not only that, they want me, and you," She added. Logan was interested now.

"Why would they want me?"
"Same reason they want me,"

"What's that?"

"Procreation," Ann said flatly.

"Procreation?" Scott echoed?

"You bet, Weapon X knows I was at one point romantically involved with Logan, they'll play that to their advantage, their theory is, if we were ever to have kids, our offspring would be just like us, mutation wise, not only that a daughter or a son, they want a daughter, so they can breed her with someone else," Ann explained.

"And they need the two of you?"
"Well of the two I'm more desirable; they don't really need Logan, just his DNA, however breeding us together would prove more beneficial, than breeding me with someone else like Blade, they want the strongest, Logan can do that,"

"What are you talking about?"
"Ever heard the saying, the original is always the best?"

"Yeah,"

"Who the hell you think Logan is?"

"So you're here for our benefit?" Xavier asked; Ann turned to him a thoughtful look spreading across her face.

"Pretty much, at any rate, I'm here to make sure it doesn't happen, this is a good place, it really is, I'm only sorry I have to manipulate it,"

"Manipulate it? What for?"

"Well see that's just one thing you're gonna have to find out for yourself, the less you know, the better I can work, I'm only telling you this so when the whole operation does fall apart, or works out, you can't come back and tell me I'm a benedict Arnold,"

"So you're on our side, but you're not?"

"Pretty much, in the long run I'm on your side," she said, Logan didn't say anything.

"So then you're not interested in getting involved?" Scott asked.

"I was involved once; don't think I could do it again,"

"But you and Logan?"
"It's all in the past; Havana is what separates us now,"

"So you're screwing over your relationship with him, just so you can go back to work for an agency that you don't much care for?"

"Look, Scott, I can't get attached, not again not ever, I love him, I really do, but I can't risk it,"
"So then you never wanted to start over to begin with?" Logan asked.

"I never said that, but I can't, too risky, maybe, some time, when things are different," Ann explained her voice soft. "Look, they will play it to their advantage,"

"What about your addiction?"
"Right now, I'm more concerned with my sanity, than killing everyone in sight," Ann looked away out into the metal dome. Why did he have show up, life was fine, until now…