Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada, zip. Blaze owns me

Scene 12

"I wouldn't be so sure Charles," Logan put in. "Who knows how many of those things Magneto can get his grubby hands on."

"There is nothing else we can do for the time being, surely?" Storm contributed. "Other than try to locate the location of Sinister's base, and keep a weather eye open for any more strange nighttime visitations."

"Indeed," the Professor agreed. "Then pending further information, this meeting is adjourned. Rogue, Tabitha, you need to be thinking about getting ready for school."

"Aww," griped Tabby. "We've been up all stinking night waiting for news on these two. Surely we deserve to be able to play hooky for one day?"

"Absolutely not," Storm enforced. "No one asked you to stay up all night waiting for Blaze and Gambit."

"Ah well, easy come easy go," shrugged Tabby, grabbing Blaze's arm and hauling the redhead to the door. "C'mon Firefly, lets go get some breakfast." The two girls linked arms and flounced off, but not without Blaze sharing one last venomous glare with Gambit. The rest of the X-Men filed out after the two girls, with Remy and Rogue bringing up the rear.

"Pardon Chere," Remy asked with a flattering smile. "Did I hear that right? You gone an' stayed up all night worryin' 'bout me?"

"Don't flatter yourself," Rogue denied the allegation. "Ah just couldn't sleep, that's all." She didn't give Remy a chance to make any kind of reply, instead striding off stubbornly before he could get his thoughts together. Still, Remy found himself grinning distractedly to himself. New day, new possibilities…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wolverine didn't actually even come close to an explanation about what had really happened at Sinister's base until much later. After the debriefing, the Institute erupted into its usual morning chaos. Multiple had three of him doing his homework on the kitchen floor, whilst another ate breakfast. Kitty burnt her toast and her fingers when she jammed the toaster and had to reach in to pull the slices out with her powers. Of course, that fused the toaster's electrics, the third that month. Berserker had lost his sneakers ahead of his phys ed class, only for them to turn up eventually underneath Wolfsbane's bed, looking suspiciously like they had been chewed. So by the time Logan had broken up that fight and packed everyone off to school, Gambit and Blaze had disappeared from sight.

With no sign of the two miscreants inside the mansion, Logan headed outside. The day had brightened to become a pleasant, sun-kissed morning. Birds sang their little feathered hearts out in the mature trees in the grounds, concealed by rustling rich green leaves. Logan snuffed heavily; using his extenuated senses to sift through the smell of damp grass crushed underfoot, brine from the sea, and all manner of growing things. The faintest note underlay the fresh scents, a subtle musky perfume like charcoal and as on the morning after a bonfire. Blaze was not far away, and as he listened Logan thought he heard her sigh.

Taking a left, Logan ducked under a low tree branch and stomped quietly through a thicket. Blaze was sat by the cliff top in front of him, perched on a fallen log with her hands in her lap. She gazed forlornly out to sea, her hair lifted gracefully by the offshore breeze. Her posture stiffened as she heard Logan approach, but she did not turn to dismiss her friend. Logan stepped over the log and sat down besides the girl. He didn't look at her, but he could smell the salt on her skin. Maybe it was from the sea breeze, or maybe it was from a hastily evaporated tear. Logan didn't like to guess.

"Okay," Logan growled in a no-nonsense voice. "What really happened in Sinister's vault?"

Blaze sighed deeply, tucking her misbehaving hair back behind her left ear. If Logan expected her to deny everything or clam up like maybe he would in a similar mood, he was proved wrong. Blaze was ready to talk, and with the absence of Ilehana, Logan would have to do.

"We only had seconds to come up with an alibi to protect our cover from Pyro and Sabretooth," she explained. "It didn't have to be clever, just distracting. So Gambit and I kissed, just as they came through the door. It worked, we weren't discovered and we got out of there in one piece, so I should be happy, but I'm not. It had been hanging over us for so long, that kiss. It had become something so important. I really thought that Remy might be something special, maybe even the one, but there was nothing. There was no spark, no magic, the earth didn't move, and I had really thought that it might. So that's it, it's over."

"Just like that?" Logan frowned. "Not like you to give up without a fight. Maybe you should give Gumbo a second chance? We can't all perform under pressure."

"I've had all yesterday to think about it Logan," Blaze shook her head. "I got more of a buzz eating breakfast this morning that I did kissing Gambit, and I would guess he'd say the same about me. When Rogue accidentally touched me and then kissed Remy, she did a damn good job of stealing that kiss from me. I don't think I'll ever get it back."

"So whatcha gonna do?" Wolverine asked.

"I dunno," Blaze shrugged pathetically. At that moment Angel launched himself into the air. He swooped over the treetops above Logan and Blaze's heads and flew over the cliff, down the coastline. Wolverine and Blaze watched him go. "Plenty more fish in the sea," murmured Blaze.

"Sorry Kiddo," Logan told her, putting an adimantium enriched arm around her skinny shoulders. "You're not my type." Blaze chuckled daintily, and rested her head on Logan's shoulder.

Roll credits………………………………..