OMG! I have updated! -dies-

Okay, I know it's been like, forever, but I had some issues to take care of and now everything is fine and dandy and whoop whoop!

Okay, so, here is my update, sorry for the wait. I don't own it...blah blah blah! ENJOY!

Part XI

Kitty and Jean walked around the library looking for some good romance novels, giggling at a few of the more risqué covers on a few more graphic novels and whispering scandalously.

"We're totally gonna get kicked out." Kitty said, before another little fit of giggles took over. "I wonder where Rogue and Zaire are?"

"Rogue will be in the horror section, you know what she's like. What kind of books does Zaire read?" Jean asked, frowning slightly.

"I dunno. Medical ones?" Kitty replied cluelessly.

"She does have a life outside medicine. Maybe she reads some romance, or fantasy." Jean said, considering what the younger woman might be into.

"She's hard to figure." Kitty said. "Maybe she reads the same as Rogue. They got pretty close."

"Wasn't that mainly because of Gambit?" Jean asked, picking up a thick book, reading the blurb she considered the book while waiting for Kitty's reply.

"I guess." Kitty pondered the thought, her head leaning to one side. "Oh my! You don't think Zaire has a thing for Remy too, do you?" Kitty suddenly burst out, earning her a few glares from a couple of people sitting around the area.

"No!" Jean responded in a harsh whisper. "I can't see Zaire being that cruel. She's friends with Rogue, it's quite obvious that Rogue and Remy have a 'thing', even Scott noticed it." Jean said, taking Zaire's defence.

"Yeah, I guess." Kitty conceded. "It was just that, like, Zaire and Remy were pretty close, and Rogue and Zaire are getting kinda close. Like, did you see them this morning? They were totally acting like they had been best friends since birth or something like that. Y'know what I mean?" Jean chuckled a little.

"Don't worry Kitty, I understand what you mean." Jean said with a comforting hand placed on her younger friend's shoulder. "Zaire and Rogue are friends, I highly doubt that Zaire would do anything to risk that friendship, and you can see as well as I can, Remy and Rogue are getting close, much closer than Rogue would usually let anyone. We should just leave them be, they'll be fine."

"Are you sure?" Kitty was seeking the solace of a wiser friend, someone who had experienced things she hadn't and Jean had been through many crushes and currently dealing with one. "Will things finally work out for people? For Rogue and Remy to actually be able to try something?"

"I'm sure, trust me on this one."

Q-

Rogue yawned, trying to hide it but failing miserably.

"Sorry if I'm boring ya Shelia." Rogue glared at John, ignoring his smug look. "Are we done then? This place is seriously beginning to depress me." John said, shivering as he looked around the library. It was the quiet organised place that bothered him, he didn't know why but it always had. And then of course there was this Zaire girl; she was kinda throwing him off balance. And lastly there was the abundance of wood, that lovely flammable object that would just burn to cinders in minutes, not a good place for a pyromaniac to be. "Well then, if that's that all sorted…I'll see you all tomorrow night." John got up from the table and began walking towards the front door, where Scott and Kurt were currently hovering. Zaire was the one to get up, followed by Remy and Rogue. Rogue headed towards Scott while Remy followed and Zaire grabbed John out of their line of vision. Zaire pushed him against the bookshelf, looking around to see if anyone was coming.

"Why don't ya leave out the back?" She said in a low growl, everything could've been shot to pieces there. John winced when she grabbed his arm, and Zaire picked up on this. "What?" She knew she didn't grab him that hard, and there was no way it could've hurt enough for him to register the pain with an expression. John shook her hand off his arm, shaking his head. "Come on." Zaire took a hold of his wrist, not too firm but enough to pull him after her, "we're going to find somewhere to sort this out." John struggled slightly before stopping and just letting Zaire pull him after her. They left through an out of commission fire exit; Zaire snorted at the irony.

"Maybe you could just let up, eh?" John complained from behind, letting himself be dragged along the street. Zaire stopped at the entrance to an alley and nearly threw John into it. The blond yelled in protest, but a scathing glare from the female cut off any complaints.

"Are you insane?" She asked, her voice a low hissing whisper. "Scott would have totally gone all leader type back there. You were heading for the Spanish inquisition!" Zaire stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at the smirking Aussie. "What are you grinning at?"

"You." Zaire frowned at his reply; he crossed his arms and leant against the wall, still smirking at her.

"Why?" Zaire's tone had changed; she was no longer angry with him, more confused, and less sure of what was happening. She suddenly realised what she had done. She was alone with him, John, Pyro. One of Magneto's henchmen. Was this all a trick? Was he pretending to want to help Remy get even so that he could get close to one of them? So that Magneto could get Remy back? Or did they just want him dead now? They were the bad guys after all.

"You're all mother hen." He chuckled, pushing off the wall and walking over to her, leaning down the few inches that separated them height wise. "I take it I ruffle your feathers?" Zaire looked up at him, seeing straight into his green eyes, there was a twinkle of something there, was it malice? He licked his lips and moved to whisper in her ear, "I kinda like it when you're feather's are ruffled. Kinda cute."

He walked even close to her, backing her up until her back hit the wall. Her breathing started to get faster, the close space sending her mind in all sorts of directions. John was being far too cocky right now, far too much like Sabertooth had been. "What's the matter? Not like playing fox and hen?" John asked, this time his face in front of hers, lips mere inches apart. John started to close the distance, moving down towards her mouth. Zaire pushed against his chest, forcing him away from her.

"Don't come back to the mansion. Remy will get in touch with you." She said, her eyes holding a slightly frightened gleam while he just stood there with that obnoxious grin on his face. Without another word Zaire turned and fled, not looking back but still hearing John's chuckle.

Q-

"What do you mean she left?" Scott asked, standing in the middle of the hall in the mansion. "How could she just leave? Why did you let her?" Rogue and Remy had tried stalling, hoping that Zaire would come back, but she never did. They had waited nearly twenty minutes. On the way back to the mansion Ororo had been frosty, upon arrival to the mansion Scott had started. That was nearly and hour ago, he still hadn't stopped. "You were all supposed to stay at the library, we were to come back straight afterwards. Where did she go?" Scott asked, glancing between Remy and Rogue.

"Ah don't know. One minute we're looking for books, the next…" She just shrugged. She didn't feel too great about landing Zaire in trouble and her being the only one in it. But they didn't have much more of a choice.

"Where were you the last time you noticed her being there?" Professor Xavier asked, his hands clasped in front of his face.

"In the fantasy aisle. She couldn't find anything Hank didn't already have, so I was finding something." Rogue held up the book she had found at the beginning of the library visit, before they had sat down with John.

"Did you notice anyone else there?" Logan asked, leaning against the wall nonchalantly. Rogue looked at Remy, who shrugged.

"Don't t'ink so." He replied, his face completely expressionless. "Der weren't many people der. No one we recognised anyway." Rogue was sure he had done this before, lied so blatantly. Even when there was at least someone who knew the truth. "Ain't it possible she just got bored and left?"

"It was her idea to go." Scott said, looking straight at Remy.

"Yeah, cause she was bored. She just wanted out of the mansion. Couldn't she had like, just wandered off and gone to the mall or something?" Kitty asked, speaking for the first time since they left the library. Just then the doors opened and Zaire walked in, her face pale and eyes a little lost. Rogue frowned, she couldn't remember seeing Zaire that pale since the incident with Sabertooth.

"What were you thinking?" Scott launched off, clearly not picking up on her appearance. Logan pushed off the wall and stalked over to Zaire. He took her head in his hands and made her look up at him, Rogue could see unshed tears in her eyes. He sniffed and then growled, stalking out to the door. Zaire frowned before her eyes widened.

"Logan!" She turned and ran after him, confusing everyone in the room further.

"I believe we should leave this until later." Xavier said, looking at Scott. "When Logan returns, tell him I request his presence." With that he left the room, heading back to his study. Slowly the group broke away, everyone going their own way. Remy and Rogue stood for a while, watching where Zaire had been, wondering if it was just John Logan had sensed, or if something worse had happened on her way home.

Q-

Well? Was it worth the wait?

I promise I'll update the next one sooner.

If anyone wants to get in touch with me, I've changed my email. It's in my profile but some people aren't logged in so I'll make a note of it here too...it's now... Drop me a line anytime!