X-Men: Revolution

by J.HunterFiction

Kurt once made his way to the Real World and learned that up there life he knew was a cartoon. Right now he's back to Evo in company of 2 individuals and has to re-live every single episode. As expected, knowing the future can be a heavy burden and a great responsibility. KurtxOC, realistic approach, I know it's long but it'll be so worth it

12. 4 - Mutant Crush - 2 of 2

Author's Note: There're lyrics of Nickelback's "Satellite" in-between one scene in this part, but I found the song perfectly fitting the atmosphere I felt while writing this scene. Feel free to listen to this song before/during/after reading the scene~

Episode 4: MUTANT CRUSH

Installment 2 of 2

Kurt nervously wetted his lips staring at the door before him.

He remembered standing here for the first time – in a tuxedo, with a bouquet of flowers in his hands, almost 20 minutes early and questioning whether he was already noticed through the oval milky glass pane in the middle of the door, or is it not too late to turn around and run for his life.

This time, although he was dressed casually and instead of flowers his hand was clutching a strap of his backpack, it felt very similar. He questioned whether it won't be for the best to just turn back and leave. But that rational portion of his brain kept telling him that there's no reason for him to feel this nervous.

He lifted his hand to the button beside the door frame and could hear the bell ring out on the inside. After a moment through the milky glass he saw a figure approach the door. Lock clicked and the door opened.

And there she was, his ex-girlfriend from the other timeline, smiling at him with that shy hint he used to adore. "H-hey, Amanda" he said, instantly bashing himself for the stutter. There was no reason for him to feel this nervous.

"Hey, Kurt. Come on in" she stepped aside. As he passed by her at the door the scent of her vanilla perfume tinged his nose. It still smelled familiar. "My parents aren't home so we could sit down in the living room, but I suggest we go to my room instead. I already prepared some snacks for us."

He didn't want to bring up the inappropriate tone to her words, figuring it's probably him who overreacts. He cleared his throat and nodded, his eyes darting over the familiar interior. Then he stepped towards the staircase and proceeded up the first stairs when Amanda's surprised voice stopped him halfway up a stair.

"How do you know where my room is?" she asked.

Her felt uneasiness tense his back as he looked over at her. "Uh... lucky guess. People in America usually have bedrooms upstairs... I noticed."

She exhaled and smiled. "Oh. I guess you're right. Okay then... it's first door to the left."

When they entered, Kurt was a little surprised to see that the room looks a little different than what he remembered. There was definitely less blue accessories and figurines. When he came here the first time when they started dating that was what struck him about this bedroom - the overwhelming amount of the color blue. Guess her obsession with it only picked up when she found out about him. His guts were stirring at the thought. He remembered clearly how he felt uneasy back then;

+little flashback+

"Uh... 'Manda, this is..." he remembered being at loss for words when he saw the state her room was in. "Uh..."

"What, you don't like it?" she asked him.

"N-no, it's just..." the bedroom was neat, decorated and organized, but to him also - disturbing. "I'm just surprised at the amount of blue in here..."

"You of all people should appreciate blue" she smiled approaching him, her fingers reaching to fidget with his watch.

"My favourite color is actually green" he responded.

"Oh. Is it?" she seemed a little surprised but at the same time, she didn't seem to pay much attention, as her eyes shifted down to his wrist so she could easier find the 'off' button. She almost looked like she's trying to do it without him noticing, which was not possible, given how most of the time majority of his attention was on keeping the watch safe, charged and away from anyone's hands.

"Ja... I'm sure I mentioned it a few times."

He let her find the button and watched satisfaction grow on her face when she turned the hologram off. She stepped away and sat down on her bed, patting the space beside her.

He nervously sat down.

"H-hey... maybe when we're done with homework I we could go to the cinema? On me of course. They're playing one of my favourite movies tonight... If you're interested in the black and whites."

"You mean black and white movie?"

"Ja..."

"You like those?"

Kurt's shoulders slumped. "J-ja... I told you about it a few times too... You don't remember?"

"No... must have slipped my mind."

He couldn't focus on the homework that day, his thoughts kept slipping to questioning whether she ever paid any attention to anything he said for those last four months. She seemed to never remember anything he said and when something was serious she only remembered a part of it, usually somehow twisted. It's not like her memory was bad, she just never seemed to try. He tried to understand that and tell himself she's got a lot on her mind.

But there was more piling up, not only she didn't pay any attention to what he'd say, but his pleas for intimacy also fell on deaf ears. And it's not like he ever asked for much, he never even asked to touch her naked stomach, leave alone suggesting actual sex or any fraction of it. But after four months he thought could at least get that kiss she refused, or that embrace she always shifted away from. There was no intimacy whatsoever, nor physically not emotionally. Sitting here, in this overwhelmingly blue room, he felt like he's next to a total stranger.

+end of flashback+

Merely walking in he felt anxious to leave this bedroom and his memories from here made him only more miserable. There was even anger stirring in depth of his stomach. Anger perhaps at how long he let himself be fooled with the polite and beautiful Ms Sefton right here, smiling at him as if she hadn't broken his heart back in the day.

But she didn't, in fact, she didn't do it in the reality she lives in. He can't hold resentment for something that never happened in her actual life.

He just uttered a smile and - refusing to join her on the bed, as the last thing he needed was this reminder - he pulled out a chair from the desk and sat in it, placing the poetry book in his laps. "Which page are our lines on?"

"Let me find it real quick."

They were repeating their lines, trying to remember them and speak from memory for about half an hour, and Kurt did well on bringing the subject back to the homework whenever she tried to shift it. That was when there was a knock on her room's door and Amanda's mother peeked in.

"Mom, you're home" the girl smiled.

"I am, sweetie. Oh, good afternoon" she said smiling at Wagner. "You must be Kurt. Mandy talks about you a lot. It's nice to meet you."

"Mom!" Amanda exclaimed, her cheeks reddening.

Kurt felt himself blush as well, but it wasn't due to being flattered or even embarrassed. It was rather his discomfort rushing the blood. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs Sefton" he smiled faintly, for the smile to disappear quickly again.

The woman nodded her approval. "You seem like a kind young man. Would you like to stay for a late dinner? It will be ready in a few minutes. I actually came to ask you, Amanda, to set the table."

"Of course, mom" she stood up.

Kurt got up too. "Thank you very much, but I'll pass."

"Are you sure? We have enough for everyone."

"No, really, it's alright. I'll just go home."

"Alright then, I won't push" the woman smiled and left.

"Kurt, come on, stay" Amanda picked up approaching him, and he shifted a bit back to keep her on a distance he found more appropriate. "We could study some more after dinner if you stay."

"We got it. Let's polish the lines separately, we'll ace this. But I really need to go now."

He was about to walk out of her room, feeling that sensation like something's chasing him in a dream. But she stopped him by his forearm. "Kurt, hold on... just let me say something."

"..." without saying a word he stopped and turned to her, waiting.

"I just... I wanted you to stay because I like you. You know..." she smirked shyly. "We could watch a movie or something."

Word as simple as 'movie' triggered his guts to turn. His other hand removed her palm from his forearm as he swallowed. "I really need to go. I've made plans... with my girlfriend."

He added the last without the intent to hurt her, and he looked away seeing the shift in her expression, but that made his point. A point that he really needed made here.

"I'll see you at school, Amanda."

He left, without looking back again or waiting to be walked to the door. He didn't stop in their front yard, nor on the pavement in front of their house. Only a few houses down the road he finally deeply breathed in the cold air, it turned into mist as he exhaled as deeply. Hands tucked in his pockets he started up the dark sky, deciding to walk home by feet. He needed to cool off.

xXx

Kurt softly tapped on the frame of Fallen's door, even though it was open. The girl was currently folding some of her clothes, she turned to the door when he knocked.

"Come on in, you're always invited" she told him.

The boy smiled as he pulled away from the doorframe and stepped into her room, closing the door behind himself. "I see you're already dressed for training" he said; she was wearing skintight, comfortable clothing and had her hair braided above her neck.

She smirked as she placed down the folded clothes in foot of her bed. "You said we could start at 10 PM, I was ready for half an hour."

Kurt smiled at her and stepped closer. "Good. But do take some blouse to put on too."

"We're leaving?" Fallen asked, surprised that the training Kurt planned wasn't supposed to take place within the Institute. It seemed like everything they might need to train was here - simulator and gym included.

Kurt slightly nodded, faint smile playing on his lips. "I told you this training would be special. Come on, grab a hoodie or something."

Fallen was curious, but she decided to see for herself what the boy had in mind. She took her hoodie with Xavier's school's logo that all of them were provided, and put it on. She turned back to Kurt as she zipped it up. "Ready to go."

Wagner offered her a hand, almost like he wanted to ask for a dance, but for her it was obvious that it's a teleportation offer.

"Can't we walk?" she asked.

"They don't need to know we're leaving. Especially since it's almost curfew and Logan's home" he smiled.

She smirked critically at this 'bad deed' of sneaking out, but didn't hesitate to take his offered hand and with a BAMF they were gone.

I know it's late

But something's on my mind

It couldn't wait

There's never any time

And I'm tired of ignoring

All this space

That's between you and I

Let's lock the door behind us

They won't find us

They reappeared someplace Fallen never was before. She looked around, but it was already dark and in the minor glow of deem moon she could only make out the basics. It seemed like they were just outside the town, around the border not far from the Institute. Bayville's lights were dim up a small hill, but here were only some dark woods and what seemed like a couple warehouses connected with semicular road.

Fallen turned to Kurt, in the dim light his eyes were the one thing she could see clearly, everything else was a dark fuzz. "Where are we?"

"There's an old fabric" he pointed to one building drawn black against greyish sky. "It's not in use anymore, and here are its warehouses; now someone stores car equipment here, but they rarely come around."

"You seem to know quite a lot about this place..."

Kurt shrugged. "I lived around for a while" he said as he put his hand on her back and led her to the one warehouse they appeared in front of. With the other hand he opened the door, barely blocked with a latch.

Fallen stepped inside after him and looked around, only light source was the open door. Other than that everything was dark, she could only make out shapes of boxes stored around the big room, all of them reaching at least to her hips and some stacked up for 2 or 3 up.

They were swallowed by the darkness when Kurt closed the door behind them.

Fallen turned around. When in minor darkness Kurt's eyes seemed to really glow, now in complete darkness they seemed a little more like cat's - catching and reflecting the slightest light, but still they were now the only way Fallen could tell where Kurt is and that he's approaching her.

"You know I want to ask what are we even here for" the girl said. "So just enlighten me."

She could hear Kurt chuckle and could see his eyes squint as he likely smiled. She slightly jerked when she felt touch on her arm, only to relax when she figured it's Kurt's hand. Darkness made her feel disoriented, she really didn't like that. It was like one thing that stuck out with her since childhood - she used to fear darkness as a child, now the fear was gone but the feeling of being lost and losing ground remained.

"You want to get better in combat, right?" he asked. She didn't reply, the answer was obvious. Kurt continued; "The thing is in real combat it's not muscles that win. It's the best coordination of all your senses."

"Like seeing danger and reacting quickly? I know that."

"That too. But you can't always rely on sight. That's why we're here. Personally I rely greatly on hearing and remembering my surroundings so I don't need to see them as I go."

"Is that what you want me to do here?"

"I want us to train typical combat. Sparring as always. But this time, Fallen, I want you to use senses other than sight. Eyes are the most likely to be wrong and fail you."

"'Most people will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes', was it..." Fallen said low.

"What?"

"Nothing. Just something an alternative you said once and it became a big thing in the fandom" she smirked faintly. Could he see that? She wasn't really sure to what extent his night vision helps him see in the dark. She didn't see Kurt's reaction to those words, all she knew was that after a moment he stepped away.

"Alright then. Let's train the same as always" he said, content.

Fallen tried to follow with his plan for the training, she stepped forward aiming at the darkness where she expected to find Kurt, but she didn't see so he grabbed her wrist and pushed her past him, she stumbled two steps but turned around instantly going back at him again.

They've trained together longer than they've been at the Institute (both that is), they had small sparring sessions nearly as long as they've known each other. They knew how to train hand to hand combat without hurting each other, and yet still don't fake the fight. At some point it came naturally, like finding common pace in everyday life and everything in that life.

But Fallen had to admit that in the dark it wasn't at all like sparring in daylight. She couldn't see where she was aiming, she was hesitant to hurt Kurt, but eventually most of the time she missed or was easily blocked anyway. It was getting frustrating for her, made her angry, but she knew she has to keep down her anger because if it controlled her, and she took the fight seriously, they both could end up with damage.

As once again she aimed at the dark and as her hand failed to find the opponent she just felt Kurt move away from there and stop close behind her. She closed her eyes, hardly able to tell her eyes are closed, and she focused. She was really relying on strength of muscles, wasn't she? In daylight it felt like the best way to go about fighting, now Kurt proved her that this approach won't always be right. So what that she's spent the last month learning how to properly kick and hit if she can't even locate her target properly?

She listened.

Wind was slightly blowing behind the walls, night hummed, town afar was hardly but audible, and the cicadas. Inside the warehouse though, there were only their breaths, echoing in the half-empty room. Low, and usually she wouldn't focus on that sound, but now she did. Her breathing was a little heavy, she had to control it, separate the sound from Kurt's breathing. He was behind her. One meter away. Slightly to her right. Didn't move.

She rapidly turned around waving her fist at him, and as he ducked she only missed an inch, was grabbed, blocked, pushed away. "Almost" Kurt said, and by the tone of his voice she could tell he smiles.

As she stopped to stumble through the dark she leaned down, her hands on her knees. Darkness made her feel like there's no ground and no walls, no up and down, just frustrating depth she's floating in. She didn't feel like she's got full control of her position, she didn't know for sure how much she's turning around. Kurt was right, she needed to learn how to use more than her eyes.

She stood straight her eyes closed, focused on the way her feet are placed and made sure she turned exactly to face place where she heard Kurt's breath. She was slowly feeling the dark like it was a living thing; it was wrapped around her but she focused on the gravity. Gravity made it clear where's up and down. She can rely on that and Kurt's breathing and steps to navigate and fight the way she would if she could see.

'That's the point, isn't it?' she thought as she bolted forwards aiming at Kurt the way she did before, she missed again but - smirked, knowing it'd come. He ducked to his left again because she aimed with the right hand, and he stepped towards her, was going to block her again - she saw that coming and ducked back, turning around her own as she grabbed his arm where she knew it would come to block her hand. As she turned herself under his elbow and pressed his arm to his own back she almost had him locked, but he turned back around the way only gymnastic person would and the roles were suddenly reversed, she was the one in a lock.

She could feel Kurt laugh shortly close to her ear as he had her front pressed to two stacked boxes. From just behind her ear she heard him say low with amusement: "You're starting to get it."

She inhaled one last time and got out of the lock the way Wolverine taught them all. They kept sparred, Fallen tried to learn how to rely on hearing, and let me tell you - this wasn't anywhere near easy. But it was getting easier, and once she managed to learn how to react to what she hears instead of what she sees the training slowly became more like the ones in daylight.

They sparred for a while, she couldn't tell how long, the sense of time seemed to be gone as much as was her sight. But soon enough the time didn't matter to her, as she focused on her objective. She paid her full attention to sounds and tried to learn how to fight against both, the opponent Kurt was, and the darkness itself. The latter seemed almost the harder part, as her sense of gravity was tricky and not once she ended up on the ground or stumbled against a wall or a box.

By now her breath was heavy, way too heavy, and she heard her own heart pound. It's gotten really hard to even hear Kurt move about, and though she hardly could catch her breaths his breathing didn't get any heavier or louder. She swallowed, trying to wet her dried throat, but every heavy breath made it dry again. She tried to take more shallow and slow breaths for a moment to listen and locate Kurt.

She went at him, judging his position properly, but her suddenly quieter breaths apparently alarmed him and before she got to him he already moved away, and she could hear that, so at least she didn't attack the thin air. Instead she turned around to where she thought he was now yet he was there no longer and she stumbled against one box. Her hands on the wooden surface she had to stop and listen in, but her breathing really made it nearly impossible now. All the darkness seemed to have melted into one endless silent abyss, she had no slightest idea about Kurt's whereabouts.

Until she was startled by touch upon her arm. She immediately turned around drawing her hands up to shield face the way they were always told to do it in close hand to hand combat, but before her hands went that high another pair of hands took a firm hold of her wrists. Her first impulse was to break free of the hold, but Kurt stopped her.

"Hush... Enough" he whispered very low. His voice was comforting after so much attention she paid to quiet bustling. Like finding your gravity again. "The training is over."

Fallen's fists loosened, so did Kurt's grip on her wrists, he let her pales slip out of his own slowly. His arms came to wrap around her back as she rested her forehead and arms against his chest. He gave her time to recover and rest. She was still breathing heavily, but now she began to calm down and allowed her muscles to relax. Training in daylight wasn't half as stressful, but as soon as the training in the night was done she also relaxed into Kurt's presence beside her in that very same darkness.

She looked up to where she could only see dim flashes of his eyes. "You're a good teacher" she said low, not really whispering. "And an amazing friend" she added lower.

"I hope next comes 'incredible boyfriend' while you're on it" he grinned, she couldn't see but she just knew.

"That you are too" she chuckled shortly. "And ever starving for compliments."

Kurt laughed inside at that, but outside he just smirked as he leaned slightly to press his lips to hers. She didn't take more than a fractal of a second to respond to the kiss heartedly. Wagner covered her lips with his again, his tongue softly tracing along her lip, feeling warm at heart as he felt her arms wrap around his neck as she gladly allowed the access to her mouth. It didn't take two seconds before her tongue replied to the invasion with invasion of her own, and so they went on, making the kiss so deep and yarning that it made them both feel like they were melting.

Make the whole world wait

While we dance around this ballroom

Like we've only got tonight

I'm not about to let you go

Not until the morning light

You could be my whole world

If I can be your satellite

Let's dance around this ballroom

Like tonight's our only night

As they kissed Kurt was slightly pushing against Fallen and she stepped back, pulling him along as the last thing she wanted right now was to pull away from him. She only did when she suddenly backed up against one of the boxes that she didn't expect to be there and it almost made her fall onto top of it. It surprised her enough to make her pull away from the kiss with gasp and take firm hold of Kurt's arm to stop herself from falling. She looked down at where the box was pressed against her hip with annoyed look, even more bothered by the fact that it's so dark.

"Not so focused anymore, huh?" Kurt chuckled.

"It seems like the first time this month" she chuckled too, but it was a little bitter.

Kurt could see why. He grimaced in a half hearty smirk. "Yeah" was all he said before silence settled between them for a minute. Finally he spoke again, low; "Too much was going on lately... returning to this reality, it's gotten kind of awkward between us because of that, then your coma and all that confessing doubts with alcohol... I felt like we weren't ourselves since we got here" he rested his forehead against hers.

"But now everything's alright?" she asked low rubbing back of his neck.

"Ja. Now it is. Too much happened almost at once, I guess we just needed some time to adapt" he smirked halfheartedly.

"I had enough time during the recovery, don't need anymore. I'm myself again" she nodded slightly, trying to convince him about it. She really felt back to herself, and it was good, like she managed to grab the wheel again after being so close to wrecking.

"And I accepted the fact that we've got to start over in this world" he acted like he did all along but he felt like he really accepted it only recently. "We can finally breathe out and relax."

"I wouldn't be so sure" Fallen grimaced. "Real problems will only start-"

"Shh..." he hushed.

"But-"

Kurt cut her off with a kiss. He pulled slightly back; "Shh" he hushed again, even lower than before. "Just breathe out" he told her as he leaned back in to kiss her softly.

This time neither one of them was going to pull away.

Do you recall how long it must have been

Since any room held just you and me

Every song - it seems about it

Since that we can't live without it

Now I know just what that really means

Fallen seated herself on the box behind her, not even breaking the kiss. Her hands run down his arms as he took a hold of her blouse with one hand using the other to unzip it. But when he did, he stopped, slowly pulling away from the kiss and leaning his head down, onto her arm. He sighed wrapping his arms around her waist, and he seemed somewhat defeated.

The girl's hands returned from his arms and onto his back. "What's wrong?" she asked rubbing his shoulder blades.

"I still feel like you could slip right out of my arms" he whispered barely audibly and his arms tightened around her back.

Fallen's eyebrows narrowed in a sad grimace, she ran her hands up and down his back. "You don't have to be afraid to lose me anymore" she whispered leaning just slightly to place a kiss on his neck. "I'm not going anywhere."

He inhaled deeply and tried to settle for this comforting thought. But when you're so close to lose someone beloved it's not easy to acknowledge that the danger is no longer upon them. As he thought she really died back then, ever since then it seemed like at any moment now he could wake up to realize she never really woke up after all and everything that happened since she did was just a sweet, sweet nightmare.

She kissed his neck again, her lips grazing against sensitive skin sent shivers through his body. This is not a dream, he knew no dream could ever do justice to this sensation. Not much could ever make him hold back his breath the way her kisses on his neck did.

He went with the reality, pushed away the feeling that this is going to end soon. He wanted to kiss her on the forehead in his silent 'thank you for being real', but he didn't pull back, not wanting this feeling to end. He loved the way it felt when she was finding just the right spots on his collarbone, neck and jaw, and the way she was rubbing his back made it only better. He bagn to relax. He responded kissing her neck too, as his hands slid down sleeves of her blouse and gently run through her bare arms.

Fallen liked the feeling - not just the attentive kisses Kurt was adoring her neck with, but the overall emotional pureness. It was like here in this darkness they've shed old skins, the ones stained with hesitance, awkwardness and whatever else made them act out of character since they got here. It was like they found themselves again, and found each other once more. Somewhat in this darkness she could not see but she could feel both of them regain their serenity.

She stopped focusing on his neck now, only sometimes placing a lingering kiss or two. Her eyes were digging into the endless darkness around them. Despite the training it still made her feel lost and losing ground, but she didn't feel threatened as she felt Kurt's arms around her and him in her arms. In fact she felt very safe to fully focus on his actions and her own movements.

She slid her hands underneath his shirt, feeling the muscles and bones underneath his skin as her fingers were softly running through his fur. She adored the feeling of slight movement in his muscles at her touch, sensual squirming in her arms when she traced her hands over his stomach, low gasps as she also kissed his neck, just by lobe of his elvish ear. She loved how his hair brushed against her arm as his soft lips once again were exploring her neck and collarbone, nibbling playfully as his warm breath caressed her skin.

Yes, she felt it all before, but now her senses went crazy and it all seemed way more vivid. It all was catching her attention a whole lot more. Now she was extremely aware of every movement they made, every single loosening and tightening in their muscles, every change in breathing. She always somewhat cherished the way Kurt made it clear what feels nice, but now she was more aware of his shudders, of all of him, than ever before. And all it took was to stop looking and start seeing.

"Having no vision has some benefits" she whispered under her breath. She closed her eyes, and it hardly made any difference. And as long as Kurt was right there darkness felt safe.

She pulled the boy closer, bringing their bodies so tight together there was n o room to stick a needle; Kurt immediately responded by holding her to him as he stopped paying so much attention to her neck and just held her. They remained clasped together like that for a moment, both hearts beating too quickly, and both individuals fully aware of rising heat in their heads.

"Kurt..." she said low.

"Ja, Liebling?" he whispered back.

"I don't want to stay in the pitch dark, if that's okay."

"I know better places-"

"It's not about the place... just the darkness."

Kurt chuckled. "Wait a second" he pulled away from her gently and teleported.

She could hear him reappear somewhere above her, but she only noticed where he is when he removed black foils that covered the windows. Now dim light of the night sky filled the midsection of the magazine, and it was hardly but enough to see the surroundings. Fallen could see Kurt's shape drawn against the window, then he disappeared with a small puff of the smoke and reappeared in front of her again. She took a shallow breath not willing to inhale the brimstone smoke.

"Now I can relax" she said, finally able to see anything at all.

The light was very minor but after complete darkness it felt like a lot. She was pretty sure she could see Kurt smile as he walked over to her again and reached to place his hands on her waist. She immediately rested her arm against his shoulder, her other hand ran down his neck and stopped at his heart - it was still beating strongly, still faster, but one thing she could tell for sure was that despite everything Kurt was right now feeling extremely content and serene.

She smiled a little, letting her hand wrap around his neck again.

"We've been together for so long it almost seems like we've never been strangers" she whispered with a smile. "And like you've never been afraid to get this close to me" she said, remembering how he used to be extremely nervous in such close proximity.

Kurt smirked half heartedly. "I'm glad that fear is gone."

"Me too" she whispered giving his neck a kiss. "I am really glad. It's just scary how time goes by so fast" she said. Though they were young teens biologically, they've been young adults inside, and it was scary how if not for the time shift they would now focus on jobs and creating an adult life. It was like before they'd notice they would get old and pass away. Life is so short.

Kurt slightly pushed her backwards, leaning down and with a kiss to her stomach he gently got her to lay back, then he crawled atop for her, relying on one hand while the other brushed away her hair.

"Happy people don't keep track of the time" he whispered, and though the light was dim, just by his sole voice she knew he's smiling sincerely. She could still feel his smile when he pressed his lips to hers. And somewhat his smile was all she needed for her fear of passing time to be washed away.

She entwined her fingers with his hair, soft strands wrapping around her digits. She securely but swiftly pushed against the boy, having him on his back as she was now above him.

"You're right about time. Now is all that matters" she said as they parted for air.

He smiled at her lovingly.

As he was about to pull her down to his lips she suddenly started laughing. "Huh? What is it?"

"Nothing really" she chuckled. "I can't get over that we're not legally allowed to be doing this right now."

Kurt smirked. "Can we stop thinking now?"

She smirked mischievously leaning down close to his face. "Indeed."

And they didn't say much more for a while.

I can't believe the days turn into years

I hate to see the moments disappear

But tonight the sand is laughing

Take the hourglass and drop it

So we can stay inside this atmosphere

Let's lock the door behind us

They won't find us

xXxXxXx

The evening meal was quiet at Rogue's new house that day. Irene managed to act like it's all fine, eating calmly, sitting straight like she usually did, but not appearing any stiffer.

Alison- or should we say, Raven - she was nearly emitting aura of expectation and reprimand towards Rogue. She ate mechanically, her exposed natural eyes flashed yellow with a form of a demanding frown.

Rogue attempted to fully ignore her, instead gazing at her plate and messed food. She'd mostly just move it around with her fork, and it didn't look quite as appealing as it would have a month ago. The girl was losing her appetite over the last few days especially, the amount of lies going on between the three of them being like a punch to her stomach, by far stronger than actually finding out of her own powers and whatnot it meant for her.

"Aren't you hungry, child?" Irene asked softly. She was perfectly aware of the tension at the table, but she refused to give in to it.

Rogue snapped out of the haze and sat back putting down her fork. "No... Actually if you don't mind I'd like to go to my room."

Irene exhaled low. "Alright" she said in defeat.

The 18 year old got up from the table. "Thank you for the meal" she said in a lowered voice and headed out of the kitchen.

"Rogue."

She stopped at the doorstep hearing Raven's voice. "Yes?" she asked faintly.

"As I already told you I want you to come with me to the Brotherhood house. Be ready in 30 minutes."

Without saying a word the girl slowly headed up the stairs to her bedroom. Once Irene's sensitive ears picked on her closing the door, she spoke up;

"She's withdrawing from us, Raven" her voice was sad and disappointed, but firm, "And I don't blame her."

"That's temporary" Mystique stated as if that was obvious.

"I wouldn't bet on it" Irene turned her head to the other woman. "If you keep pushing her further like you do she will give up on you."

"What do you mean by pushing her away?" the woman frowned with anger.

"She acts tough but inside she's just a scared child looking for a family she can trust. You would know if you've had been there for her these past few years."

"What the hell are you implying?!" Raven got up abruptly, her hands hitting the table.

"That you're a bad mother!" Irene shouted back at her, also slamming her hands against the table.

Raven lifted her face, her nostrils twitching as she breathed with anger. After a moment of hanging there in silence she abruptly stepped away from the table and gone up the hallway.

Irene needed a couple slow breaths before she continued eating, now all alone in the kitchen. She didn't hurry, they both needed time. Being done eating she cleaned up after herself and the other two, feeling the surfaces around as she wasn't quite used to the new house yet.

Music was audible from Rogue's room up the stairs, echoing softly in the house, other than that it was quiet as the woman entered the bedroom.

"Raven?" she called softly.

"I'm here, Irene" came a soft answer of a tired voice.

Mystique was laid back on the bed, her legs crossed, one arm under her head, the other on her stomach, weary eyes gazing at the ceiling almost like she longed to find something there. She didn't even blink until Adler sat down beside her.

"Am I really a bad mother?" she asked low turning her face to look at the woman.

Irene slid her hand across the sheets to find her and she brushed her red hair back. "I know it's harsh, but I'm fighting you because I want what's best. For both of you."

Raven blinked a multiple times as she turned her gaze away, sad frown on her face. She reached up quietly, meaning to take a hold of Irene's hand on her cheek, but she stopped it mid air, only to clear all emotions from her face and move the woman's hand away from herself as she sat up. "You shouldn't interfere with my ways" she said in a hushed voice and stood up roughly letting go of Irene's hand. "I'm taking her to meet the Brotherhood now" she stated and left.

Adler's shoulders slumped in defeat. "She'll drive both herself and poor Rogue over the edge some day" she whispered to herself low.

"We're leaving!" Mystique shouted as she knocked hard on the teenager's door. "It's time to go! Come-"

The door opened and annoyed Rogue stepped out.

"Good" the woman said and headed down the stairs. As she approached the front door her blue skin turned Caucasian and her hair gone blonde.

"Damn, that's so creepy when ya do that" Rogue grimaced walking past her and right to the car parked in front of their garage. She crossed her arms looking directly forward with a blank face.

Mystique took the driver's seat and started the engine. After several seconds in silence she stated; "You're right."

The girl looked at her confused. "What?"

"I do wish you'd join my Brotherhood some day" the woman looked at her seriously as they pulled onto the street. Rogue rolled her eyes. "But it's all for a common purpose."

"What purpose?" the girl was slightly interested, yet annoyed.

Mystique, now 'Aly', faced the road. "...Someday people will find out about mutants like you and me. They will want to destroy us" her fingers clenched on the wheel. "That's all they ever do facing someone different from them. And I won't just sit and watch them come for me, for all of us!" she turned to Rogue again, passionate hate in her voice. "Mutants need to stick together and strike back!"

Rogue lowered her gaze. "So what are ya gonna do? Create an army?" she asked sarcastically.

"Something like that. I'm finding mutants to side with us and help train them."

"Us? Help?" the girl looked up. "So there's someone behind it?"

Mystique slowly turned back to the road, but her eyes weren't so firm anymore. "A man. You'll meet him sometime... if you decide to help us, that is."

"What if Ah refuse?"

Raven looked at her suddenly. "..."

"Wh- why are ya lookin' at me like that?"

"You don't know that yet but... You're the greatest asset in this war" she stated in a lowered voice.

"...What...?"

And it was like the woman snapped out of this humane conversation. Her eyes became firm and cold again, her voice even more so. "How's working with Scott Summers?"

"Uh..." Rogue looked away. "Ah know how much ya hate me bein' 'round them, but it's just a school assignment."

Raven turned to her with demanding look on her face.

The teenager sighed with defeat. "Ah will be careful, 'kay?"

The woman didn't respond as they pulled onto an uneven road leading to a single house. It looked abandoned at first sight - old, built in a sort of gothic style, in serious need of new paint to cover the red-orange walls and renovation of the purple, washy roof. Other than that it was a big, three store house with a nice piece of adherent grounds in need of gardening. A white sign informed it's 'The Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House'.

"Boarding House?" Rogue questioned.

"These boys are your age or younger" Raven informed.

"Their families know you train them to be your little soldiers?" the girl frowned sarcastically.

"They don't have families" the woman stated.

"..." Rogue's face softened instantly and she dropped her gaze.

She was quiet as they parked in front of the building and Raven left the car walking right through the front door and waiting there for the girl. She just opened her mouth to say something when somebody called; "Who's there?!' and a slender boy literally hopped into the hall. "OH WOAH!" his eyes went open wide. "I mean HI SEXY LADIES! YO FRED, COME CHECK OUT OUR GUESTS!"

Rogue's jaw dropped when she saw the boy who raged in cafeteria earlier that day come out of what appeared to be a ruined living room. She didn't have the time to respond to it anyhow because the other boy was suddenly right by her side, leaning towards her.

"Wassup gal?"

She pushed him away at the smell of his stinky breath.

He shrugged it off and leaned towards Raven, still appearing as Aly. "Hey, blondie. Are you here looking for love yo? If that's so this is your lucky day, cutiepie!"

The woman had an annoyed look on her face as she transformed back into her natural self.

The frog-like boy instantly jumped back with a yelp. "AAH! MYSTIQUE! I just tried to hit on the boss-lady!" he hopped past the confused cafeteria-rage boy and disappeared back where he came from. Rogue could only hear his tormented voice; "Now I'm traumatized for life!"

Mystique face-palmed. "Rogue, this is Fred, and that idiot was Todd. They're on my team."

"Seriously?" the girl had a critical frown.

Raven rolled her eyes at her judgmental look. "There's also Lance. ALVERS!"

This time, different than the last time, she got an instant response which was an angry shout coming from the upstairs: "WHAT?!"

Rogue's eyebrow twitched. She recalled this voice.

"DOWNSTAIRS, NOW!" the woman shouted.

After a moment of hearing angry footsteps a boy appeared on top of the staircase. "What the fuck do-" he cut off his eyebrows going up.

Rogue was looking at him with the same expression. It was the punk from cafeteria who offensively kept his feet on her table. "You."

The boy frowned. "...You."

xXxXxXx

"You can see the Institute from here" Fallen said low as they were sitting on roof of the warehouse. The night was warm enough to enjoy it.

"That's one of the reasons I liked to sit here" Kurt said, his voice only lowered because he felt serene. Fallen was rested back against him, his arms around her and chin rested on her shoulder as they both gazed towards Bayville. "Seeing it from here helped me distance myself to the life there."

Fallen peeked at him before turning to face the view again. Institute seemed so tiny from where they were on this roof outside of town. "Distance... I guess we'll need a lot of that in the days to come" she said, rubbing top of Kurt's hand that was on her stomach.

Kurt didn't respond, he just shifted closer to her.

Fallen rested her head against him. "I was so focused on being the fifth wheel that I forgot to ask how do you feel about the time shift."

"I'm fine now" he replied low. "I hope to make some old wrongs right."

She nodded slightly. "Just be careful" she said. He smiled, because her tone made it clear that she really cares.

"You too, Fall" he whispered. "Living among the X-Men won't be very safe."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"Spider-Man is in this dimension" Kurt said without much thought.

She frowned and looked back at him. "Seriously?"

Kurt nodded. "Ja. He lives in Queens."

"Oh wow" she turned to the view in front fi them again. After a moment if silence she picked up again. "I didn't ask… how did studying with Amanda go?"

Kurt exhaled uncomfortably. "…Awkward? That's the best way to describe it. No hard feelings but… working with her makes me uneasy. And she has a thing for me... again."

Fallen shook her head a bit with an amused smirk as her hand reached back to rub at his neck. "She better shove that thing back where it came from."

Kurt snickered and placed a kiss on back of her arm.

xXxXxXx

Rogue was sitting uncomfortably on a sofa in Brotherhood's house for about fifteen minutes now, and it was also exactly how long she wanted to leave. Todd was having his failed attempts on hitting on her, Lance was sarcastic and offensive, Fred kept acted confused and tried to find his place in this entire conversation that didn't make sense to begin with. Only Mystique seemed to be going somewhere with all of this.

"I want you to treat Rogue with proper respect. Someday she might join you" she told the three boys.

"Chick in the house?" Todd asked. "Hell yeah!"

"Isn't this supposed to be a Brotherhood?" Lance stressed with a frown.

"That doesn't mean girls can't join" Fred said. "Or does it?" he rubbed his forehead in confusion.

Alvers facepalmed.

"I will decide who's on the team and who's not" Mystique glared at the boys. "Speaking of which, how is your training going?"

"What training?" Tolensky asked.

Now Raven facepalmed.

Rogue snickered with irony. "So this is what ya've been assemblin' when ya were too busy for meh an' Irene?" she asked sarcastically. "An' fo' a moment Ah thought it was somethin' important. Mah bad."

xXxXxXx

+Later on, Xavier's Institute+

Kurt quietly made his way downstairs, enjoying the silence that enveloped darkness filled corridors of the mansion. Having grown used to living here again, he felt home here again – or even more so than before. Now that Fallen was here with him, their relations were all back on track and his confidence was restored, in contrast to how it was when he originally came to live here, it felt so much more comfortable to just 'coexist' with the reality at hand.

He smiled lightly and stretched back his arms as he headed down the wide stairs leading down onto the main hall. He remembered the first time he was in this giant room; taken aback and terrified, heart throbbing, feeling alien in these walls, trying to put on a brave face. Now dim night sky light passed through large windows reflecting from the smooth floor and casting shadows of the stone carved statues, and it all felt so familiar and safe that Kurt couldn't be more content.

He was taken off the guard when his ears picked up on a faint sound of chair shifting as if under someone's weight. With a curious frown he approached the kitchen quietly and saw a short, dark haired girl sitting back to him by the counter table. He could easily tell it was Kitty by her pink t-shirt and matching shorts.

She didn't notice him yet, and he didn't want to scare her by speaking up, so he reached to the light switch by the door. Suddenly yellow-ish light illuminated the kitchen and the brunette flinched, startled shifting her big blue eyes to him.

"Um…" she blinked and looked down. "I just… I was here because…"

"You don't have to excuse yourself, it's your home too" Kurt smiled even though her eyes were casted on an empty plate with a few toast scrubs left on it.

She looked up for a second before looking away again and nodding slightly.

"But I wonder… if you don't mind me asking" Wagner gently moved a chair next to her and sat down. "Is everything okay? You're sitting here alone… and in the dark… You hate darkness…"

"Yeah, it's just… wait, how do you know I hate darkness?" she asked suddenly lifting her eyes critically.

"Oh" Kurt mentally smacked himself. "Well… a wild guess?"

"…Uhum" she looked down again, resisting questioning his 'guess'.

"So… what's wrong?" he asked softly.

For a moment she was silent, sadly looking at her own hands. Eventually she spoke up low; "I miss home."

She looked up, the boy gave her an understanding smirk.

She continued; "I've never been away from home that far… or that long" she wrapped her arms around herself.

"But you keep in touch with your parents, don't you?" he asked.

"Yeah, but like… it's not the same." she turned to the counter and rested her elbows on it. "I still miss them" she whispered. "I talked to Jean and Scott, but… they seem so mature and okay with being on their own… I just… feel like my fleeing from home was like, a bit too rushed, you know?"

"I understand" Kurt replied low. "It felt the same for me when I came here."

Pryde turned her face to him looking somewhat hopeful as to finding someone who'd understand. He smiled warmly at her and stood up;

"I know just what you need" he approached the shelves and pulled out something. "What do you say about hot chocolate with marshmallows?"

Kitty's face brightened in an uncontrolled smile. "It's like, my favorite drink!" she exclaimed happily.

"I know" Kurt whispered to himself as he found the box of chocolate.

"My dad used to make it whenever I felt down, it always made me feel so much better. It was like, a magical spell…" Kitty continued to chat throughout the time the boy prepared them the drinks, occasionally making small comments so she would know that he's still attentively listening.

They stayed up for another hour chatting about everything and nothing, Kurt bringing out Kitty's smile time and time again. It got awfully late by the time they headed back to their bedrooms, but after their conversation Kitty felt like a weight was lifted from her heart when she laid to sleep. She felt like she made a really good friend today, one she could have let become her friend a while ago, but oh well, better late than never.

xXxXxXx

Following day Fred Dukes spent pretty much the entire day waiting for the classes to end. Now, that was the usual state of mind for many students, but he waited for a different reason.

It was his last class for the day - one of those collaborative classes that gathered students from different years. He noticed those were marked with a different color on his schedule. Students didn't have to take them for too long so they could only gather one class among all students from all years, at least that's what Todd said. Fred tried to get a grasp on it all but how school technically works proved itself really boring.

School, in general, proved boring.

Challenging, yeah, but boring. He spent all the time trying to make sense out of the classes and take notes on what teachers said, but it all sounded like an alien language mixed with English and only some sentences made sense to him. On top of that the fact that it was so boring made his focus drift off to anything else, like people chatting in his proximity.

"...I'm just glad they didn't catch us sneak out" a girl said to a boy sitting next to her. The two were sitting in front of him. "We wouldn't see daylight for weeks if they did."

"It's not so easy to be caught when sneaking out with me" the boy replied to her. "If you want another training just let me know."

"'Training', huh?" the brunette asked amused.

"Training. I really mean just training. Although I won't vote against anything else" he smiled with amusement, "However I don't think the warehouse is the most comfortable place for anything other than the training."

Fred listened confused. What training, what warehouse, what anything else?

"You didn't seem to complain yesterday though. Anyway. At least we have someplace to chill away from people" the girl smiled half heartedly. "Sometimes I really need to get away. That hill is perfect for that."

The bell rang and Fred snapped his attention right back to what he was waiting for all day long. He collected his stuff and left them at his locker on his way to leave the building. He stopped by some bushes ahead of main entrance where he could see the door and he just kept a careful eye on it. Then he felt someone tap on his back. He turned around hoping to see Jean, but it was the girl Mystique brought to the House the other day.

"Hi. Look, yar 'boss' is probably goin' to come to yar place after school today so just remind her Ah need to throw lines with Summers. Ah'd rather not do it in person, Ah value my life" the goth said.

Fred wasn't sure what's the problem with telling it herself but he nodded. "Sure."

The girl seemed relieved. "Good. Thanks" she said and was going to walk away.

"Uh, Rogue?" Dukes stopped her suddenly getting a good idea. Someplace away from people, he remembered the girl in his class said. He wanted to invite Jean someplace they wouldn't be interrupted. Arrange a dinner or something, "Do you know where is a... warehouse on a hill?"

The girl frowned confused. "Ah think Ah've seen a few past the west border of the town, but Ah'm not entirely sure these were warehouses. Why?"

"West border..." he repeated. "Thanks."

The girl shrugged confused and walked away, not willing to sit around and wait for the Principal. Dukes turned his eyes back to the entrance and just a moment later Jean walked out in a company of a half-Asian looking girl. The boy stepped back into the bush.

He heard the other girl say; "Like, there goes my weekend. I can't believe how much homework I've got."

"Yeah, me too!" Jean replied at the moment he stepped out and stood in front of them. The other girl gasped and stepped back at his sudden reveal. Jean seemed surprised too. "Oh! Oh hi, Fred... This is my friend Taryn" she nodded at the brunette.

Dukes' smile faded for a moment as he looked at her. "Yeah, hi."

"Hi" the girl said.

He turned his attention right back to the redhead. "Eh, Jean, would you..." he rubbed the back of his neck trying to find the best words. "I mean, would you like to... uh, get a soda or something?"

"Oh, sorry Fred, I can't" Jean replied. "I've got some stuff I've gotta do. Hey, how about I catch up with you tomorrow?" she offered and started walking away from him.

Fred frowned at her back. "Stuff, huh? That's the best you can come up with?" he pointed his finger at her. "Stuff?"

The two girls stopped and exchanged looks. Fujioka peeked back at the boy. "Uh, Taryn, you better go on without me. I'll catch up with you later" Jean told her.

"You gonna be okay?" the girl asked.

Grey peeked at the ex-strongman. "...Yeah."

Taryn nodded and left the two alone. Jean turned to Dukes as he approached her. "Look, Fred. I like you and all, but I have responsibilities, and that means I can't go with you right now" she said with a serious frown.

"But you're MY friend" he responded grabbing her wrist and causing her to drop her school notebooks.

Jean tried to pull her hand back but she stood no chance against the much larger and taller boy. "I thought so, but friends don't hurt each other. Now let go of me" she ordered still sounding polite, but not feeling so anymore.

"Well just let me talk to you for a second" Fred turned around and pulled her along, "in private."

Grey looked around shocked, but the yard was mostly cleared out by now and the only students remaining were too engaged in their life too notice what's going on. She didn't mean to scream for help anyway, but her resistance was useless as he pulled her to the back of the school to a wing that was being expanded and currently under construction.

"I said let go of me, Fred" she ordered him and he let her hand slip away. "I have to go home...!" she told him with a slight frown as she massaged her wrist.

As she looked up at him she saw him hyperventilating. "You can't" he gasped between quick breaths. "Y-you gotta go out with me!"

It was too much. Jean raised her voice; "I don't have to go anywhere but home!" she quickly hurried away almost running, but before she made it out of his reach he grabbed both of her upper-arms. "Ah, grr, let me go!" she shouted at him. "I'm warning you!"

But he didn't seem about to do that. She stopped trying to twist her way out of his grip and looked around. Some bricks and an iron bucket were stacked nearby for the construction, she focused on them and as hard as she could levitated them at Fred. He held his arm up letting go of one of her arms to take the hit, and merely grunted at what would knock everyone else out.

Instantly he grabbed her other arm again. "Is that the best you've got?"

Jean was furious. She looked up at the construction's skeleton, they were working on the upper floor so most of their resources were stack up there. She used telekinesis to fly up all the reinforced concrete bricks and drop them down at Fred, as they were falling she quickly used a steel garbage container in front of her and fled it at Fred too.

He took everything on his back and only used one arm to shove away the huge container. Jean thought it might be her chance to twist away from his grip but she couldn't manage. "I said let me go!" she ordered again trying to push herself away from him. That's when she heard an awful noise and saw that the contained Fred pushed away hit the construction builders would us to walk on and now it was caving in, falling in their direction. Jean screamed seeing the amount of heavy steel, wood and concrete falling at them.

There was too little time to react for her, but Fred pushed her back leaning over her like a human shield. She wound up sitting on the ground with plakes and pipes hitting the ground all around her in a chaotic rumor. Pieces of everything would shower down on her even though Fred took most of it on himself. Suddenly it was like her lights went out.

The pain wasn't all that much, Fred found it unpleasant but not necessarily awful as the construction hit his back. Once a major part of it caved in at once it knocked him down onto his knees, and a moment of worse chaos was the last. He pushed everything off himself and looked down at Jean, who seemed to be... unconscious?

Fred picked her up from the ground and examined her face. He could see something underneath her hair, so he brushed them back and saw a little bit of blood over heavily torn skin. He gasped. She must have been hit with something.

He got up and saw the destroyed construction shattered all over the place. Fear came over him. If someone came here now they'd sure blame him. They'd say he hurt Jean too. They'd take her away from him for good.

With his eyes widened Fred stepped over the plakes and carried Jean away from there.

xXxXxXx

"Can you imagine she would just stand there and say random numbers for TEN MINUTES?" Kitty chatted everyone up as they were driving back home. Since Scott went to do rehearsal with Rogue, Ororo decided to come pick them up and they were now driving back to the mansion. "By the way" the girl spoke up suddenly enlightened. "Where's Jean?"

"We waited long enough. She didn't know Ms. Monroe's picking us up so she probably went ahead with that girl" Fallen replied. "Taryn, was it?"

"Yeah, I remember meeting her" Pryde nodded. "She seems a little bit like, stinky? Maybe it's the popular girl thing" she continued to chat until Ororo cut in subtly;

"Professor Xavier asked me to inform you Kitty, and you Kurt, that the two of you will have a training after we arrive. How much preparation time do you need?"

"Um…" a bit confused Pryde replied; "About 20 minutes?"

Ororo shifted her eyes to Kurt in the mirror. "I'm good" the boy stated.

"What about me, do I go to the training too?"

Storm shook her head slightly 'no'. "Kurt's and Kitty's powers are compatible in terms of healthy competition, Logan believes that they will challenge each other in the best way."

Fallen nodded slightly and rested back trying not to show how it stung her that her lack of powers made her left out, since she wouldn't be considered 'compatible' with another teammate. Same as last training with the robots, and the reason why she trained with Kurt the other day, she had that sense of having to push harder in order not to fall back.

xXxXxXx

"Wakey, wakey... Sleeping Beauty" Jean heard a muffled voice as she regained her consciousness. She recognized it immediately - Fred. She opened her eyes and as everything became sharp and she took first look at her surroundings cold sweat covered her. "Table's ready. Pretty, ha?" Dukes gestured at what looked like a big wooden shipping box with candles and convenient store food arranged on top of it.

They were in some kind of magazine, open door let in enough light to see, but mostly everything was illuminated with candles. Jean tried to shift to look around but she couldn't - fearfully she realized she's tied with a rope to a pale that supported the roof. It kept her from moving or standing up from a smaller box she was seated on.

She gave it her all trying to pull on the ropes with her body, but they weren't loosening. She couldn't believe the situation that she was faced with.

Fred's giant silhouette leaned over her, innocently tapping his forefingers together with a smile that currently crept her out.

"This can't be happening" she said shaking her head in disbelief. She wanted well, but her good will struck her back in the worst way, and now she didn't feel like she can deal with it on her own anymore. She closed her eyes focusing her mind on the one person she'd always turn to when she needed help.

*Professor, I need help... Please, help me.*

*Ah- Jean! Where are you?"

She inhaled deeply. *I don't know. Looks like some storage place. Fred brought me here- I was unconscious. He tied me up.*

*Stay calm, we'll find you.*

xXxXxXx

+Moments earlier, right outside Xavier's Institute's grounds+

Kitty ran with a football ball in her hands, giggling as Kurt followed her. With his ability to outrun most people when dropping onto all fours he would be faster than her, except in this situation Kitty did well to run into the woods and phase right through everything on her way while Kurt had to struggle with ducking in between the boughs and bushes that slowed him down.

Pryde tried, just as she was instructed she tried to avoid relying solely on phasing, so she'd occasionally duck under a branch or jump over a rock or a fallen tree. Being here and training daily started to grow on her and proved kind of fun at some points. This chase right now was just like playing a tag game. Whenever Kurt would close the distance between them by teleporting she'd just phase right through a nearest tree and run right ahead, forcing him to circle the obstacle.

"That's it, Half-pint. Keep the ball away from the Elf" Logan said watching them with something much like amusement.

"You were right, Mr. Logan. Their powers are a great fit for trainings" Fallen admitted. "They challenge one another a big time."

"That's one reason I'd like them to work together more often" Xavier nodded. The three of them were watching from a clear area right outside the Institute's fence.

"Watch it Chuck, you'll make the girl jealous of her Elf" Wolverine smirked in a mocking way.

Fallen sent him an unconvinced look. "Thanks for your 'concern', but I'm good" she stated boldly, then smirked softly looking in the direction of the chase. "Actually I'm glad to see Kurt act so carefree around somebody else..."

"You gonna be dramatic now?" Wolverine asked and as she opened her mouth to deny he was already on a different subject. "Gotta concentrate!" he called out to Shadowcat who just ran into a branch that she didn't notice because she was looking back at where Kurt is. As she fell and dropped the ball Kurt teleported onto a fallen tree in front of her grabbing the treasure.

"Ha! It's mine now, Kitty!" the boy claimed with a grin as he waved the ball around for Pryde to see.

The girl frowned bolting up from the ground. "Give me that!" she ordered running in his direction. The boy teleported right when she was about to grab the ball and reappeared on a branch less than three meters above.

"Watch where yo're 'portin'!" Logan warned seeing the weak looking branch bend mercilessly under Kurt's weight, but it broke off too quickly for the boy to take notice of his words.

On the other hand Kitty was alarmed and saw her opportunity. As Wagner focused on making his fall and landing safe, Kitty jumped from a fallen tree and phased through his, retrieving the ball as he was still in the air and grabbing his tail on the way, efficiently causing him to loose his falling direction and land almost face flat with a painful groan.

He felt a shudder run up his spine, but it sunk in and he got up onto his knees just to see Kitty laugh with the ball under her arm.

"What kind of move is that?" Logan grabbed his forehead with disappointment.

"Hm" Xavier smiled. "Innovation. Adaptation. It's what they're here to learn-" he cut off and his face twisted rapidly. "It's Jean... She's been kidnapped...!"

Fallen got up from the fence's low wall with her eyes widened. 'Oh right...' she remembered the events and felt disappointed in herself about forgetting that Fred's appearance means trouble for Grey.

"Kurt! Kitty!" the Professor cut-in calling out and bringing the chase to a stop. "The training is over!"

"What happened?" Kitty asked as the two approached the disturbed three.

Seeing the looks on their faces Kurt suddenly remembered too. "...Jean was kidnapped...?" he asked before he thought if he should.

"What?" Logan turned to him. "What was that? Yo know anythin', kiddo?"

Fallen grimaced.

Kurt waved his hands defensively. "N-no, it's just-"

"There's no time for it" Xavier attempted to smooth it out. "We need to find Jean. She said she's in some storage place."

"..." Logan nodded. He pointed at Kurt. "YOU, ELF. Get Cyclops. I gotta run" he hurried away, climbing swiftly over the fence and running off in direction of garages. Professor Xavier headed in the direction of the main gate.

"Ah-alright, I'll get Ms. Monroe then!" Kitty said and phased through the fence running in the building's direction.

The remaining two exchanged quick glances and hurried after Xavier.

"Professor...!" Kurt called and got ahead of the man. He didn't say anything but looked at him questioningly. "I know where she is."

Charles' face suddenly expressed realization. He nearly overlooked the fact that Kurt was through everything already. His own knowledge about the future was patchy due to not all events being so boldly written in Kurt's memory and thus not having come up when he was looking at his memories; some, including this event, were just left out.

He stopped. "Where is she?"

"In a storage building by the construction site at our high school" he explained.

Xavier placed two fingers to his temple for a moment. "I informed Logan. Ororo is also getting ready. You two grab Scott and be on your way as quickly as you can."

Both of them nodded firmly. Wagner grabbed Harris's arm and teleported to her room. "I'll get Scott" he said and teleported to the park where he knew Summers was supposed to be this afternoon.

He grew a lot more cautious of getting in trouble since the last time he interrupted Scott at the park by teleporting right there, but since it worked last time he didn't worry about people who could be around. Fate should make the area safe as it was the last time.

Therefore he reappeared crouching right on top of the table they were sitting at.

+Moments earlier+

"Do you like me, Catherine?" Scott asked softly.

"Pardon moi, what does it mean, 'like'..." Rogue responded as softly looking down at the poetry book.

"Angels have your face, and an Angel you are" Summers gestured towards her.

Rogue's soft, awkward laughter curved her lips in a smile. "So it's true, you can do magic" she lifted her eyes off the book at the boy.

He flinched. "What?! I- I was just reading the lines, you know!"

The goth looked away and put her gloved hand over her forehead. "I know! It's just, sometimes I wish…"

"Yes…?" the boy asked slightly lifting his eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I wish that…" she tried to express herself but was clearly at loss for words. Then she exhaled and let it out; "I wish I could eventually get close to someone. But you know how it would end" she said in a soft, genuine voice that he never heard from her until today. It made Scott feel like he got to see something truer than the face she puts for the world.

He was just about to say something when-

BAMF!

Kurt suddenly landed on the table right of them making both flinch with surprise. The boy ran his yellow eyes between them quickly. "Sorry to interrupt your romantic date but we've got a situation."

"Oh geez, I can't" Rogue rolled her eyes slamming her hand against the table. "It's just like having a little brother" she scoffed at him.

Kurt lifted his eyebrows, but then smirked amused. "Be careful what you wish for."

"I don't-!"

"What's the situation?" Scott interrupted.

Wagner turned to him his expression becoming serious. "Jean was kidnapped."

"WHAT?!" Summers got up abruptly and pulled Kurt in by his uniform.

"Hey, take it easy! She'll be fine, everyone's already on it" Kurt took a hold of his wrists and pried Scott's hands of his uniform.

The older boy let go and inhaled slowly to calm down. Out of blue the answer as to what happened popped in his mind clear as day and if anything it fueled his anger. He slammed his clenched fists against the table. "BLOB" he groaned with anger. "If he did something to her…!"

Then his eyes landed on the goth who turned away from both of them with a harsh look on her face.

He frowned. "Do you know anything about this?"

She glared at him. "No. An' even if Ah did, sure Ah would not tell YA" she hit the table with her hands again.

"Hopefully you won't need to hate yourself for that" he told her harshly. Rogue looked away seeming almost hurt.

"Scott" Kurt said gently as he put a hand on the boy's forearm and pulled him back. "She doesn't know anything, stop it. Let's go…"

The blue boy gave her one last, compassionate look before the two disappeared in a puff.

Rogue looked down, feeling angry, hurt and abandoned. She had her conversation from not so long ago play in her mind… Fred asking about some warehouses just off the town borders. She saw him approach that Jean redhead, and she had that tingling thought that it was his doing that she was kidnapped. She wondered if that's where he took Jean.

After a moment of weighing her options she got up, shoved her book into the bag and headed out of the park.

xXxXxXx

Wolverine stepped into the storehouse only to confirm what he already knew the moment he stepped onto the construction site.

He picked up his communicator. "Chuck, I'm at the school. They're not here, but I smell they headed east of here. I'll follow."

*Alright, keep me updated. I'm in constant contact with her but I have no idea where she is if not there* the man replied.

Wolverine slipped the link back into the pocket in his belt and quickly got back to his motorcycle.

xXx

*They're not at the construction site.*

Kurt was startled by Professor's voice in his head. "Was?" he asked surprised.

*Any other ideas?"

"No!"

"Who are you talking to?" Scott frowned as he finished to put on his gloves rushing down the hallway towards him.

"The Professor… Come on!" Kurt grabbed his arm and teleported them to the garage where the girls were already waiting by the car. As soon as they appeared Kurt lunged towards Fallen and pulled her aside, arms on her shoulder. The girl stared back at him surprised.

"Kurt, what-"

"We did something" he said.

"What...?"

"I don't know" he lowered his voice leaning in closer so nobody hears. "But Jean isn't where Blob took her last time. I have no idea why but it must have been us."

"Damn."

"What now?"

The girl looked around thinking quickly. Suddenly she looked at Kurt; "I got it!"

"Was-"

"He must have overheard us talking about the warehouse when he was sitting behind us in the class today."

"What are the chances?"

"Professor said Jean is in some storage place."

"What are you doing there, get in the car!" Scott shouted at them.

The two exchanged quick nods and got into the car quickly, Wagner taking the front seat. "Turn right outside of the institute" Kurt said as Summers quickly took off.

"What?! That's the way out of town!"

"Do you want to find Jean or not?!" Fallen leaned in from the backseat with a frown.

With obvious discontent Summers turned right.

Fallen shifted her eyes to Kurt. "Let the Professor know."

"Already have. Wolverine's on the way, the Professor and Storm are going to join us too if need to be."

xXx

"It's going to be the best evening of your life" Fred said unfolding a white tissue made of a fancy material. "Dinner, dancing…"

"Fred…" Jean tried to stay composed as she watched him from behind the many candles that lit up to 'set the mood'. "You can't do this… You can't force someone to like you."

The boy placed the material in her laps covering her skirt and skin from possible food stains. Having set her on a chair-sized box he set up a table on a bigger one and now continued to improvise a dinner setting.

"Why? I can because I'm stronger than anyone" Dukes grinned almost evilly as he flexed his arms.

"Being nice would be enough, you know?" Jean looked up at him trying to control her anger. She was still restrained, the ropes that tied with began to make her arms feel numb. She tried to understand, she really did. He was confused, never had friends, was probably taught that strength and force solve everything. But in back of her mind she was despised at his idea of 'friendship'.

"Ah, right!" he suddenly gasped. "I completely forgot… I've got a gift for you!" he said heading somewhere behind her.

Jean rolled her eyes getting more annoyed than anything.

Fred returned carrying a box shaped gramophone, smiling. "I hope you like classical music…"

xXxXxXx

Wolverine arrived at the warehouses, the smell leading towards one of them clear as if neon lights pointing the way. It was fresh too.

"Chuck, they are where you said. I'm coming in" he reported.

*Logan, wait for the others.*

But the man ignored it and put the link back in its pocket quickly heading for the building's door. With a kick he was inside, instantly running towards the large opponent. Blob's reaction was quick enough to throw him off himself, but the man was back at it, his fists aimed and a growl escaping his throat. Having been pushed away again he let Fred take this sweet time to grab a box while he looked around. Jean was tied, seating on top of another box. Candles were lit. Food smelled almost alluring but the situation was sick.

Fred turned to him carrying a big box above his head. Even for a strongman like him the box seemed quite difficult to carry, Wolverine could only guess how heavy it is. Dukes managed to throw it in his direction, but Logan had more than enough time to duck and rush back at Fred.

Jean tried to focus her thoughts again and break the ropes. It was hopeless. She wasn't yet strong enough and those ropes were definitely strong as it gets. Instead she tried to use the little movement freedom she had to spot objects in her surroundings – stuff Fred brought in for their 'date' or lighter boxes. As the two men were busy fighting she desperately searched for a way to help her savior.

Meanwhile Logan ended up being literally sat on by Blob. "Oh fuck" he groaned.

"She's my friend, I won't let you have her!" Blob said with angry triumph.

That was it, Jean focused on a box to her left so much that the telekinetic field sent her hair swaying. Her efforts ended up in barely being able to shake the object.

Then a blast sent the door flying off the hangings and a rush of joy washed over her as Scott stood in the doorway, followed closely by the others. "We only want Jean. But since you're in the way…" he frowned angrily, his hand on the customized shades. He let out a controlled amount of blast but Fred was able to stop it with his bare arm. It only seemed to take so much effort.

Suddenly seemed like Fred decided it's a good idea to throw Wolverine at Cyclops.

The other four stepped aside as the two men were sent flying out of the warehouse. "Oh wow, I didn't see that coming" Kitty said and rushed over to pick up Scott's glasses that fell off his head as they crashed down.

Kurt looked around the area with a worried frown.

"What's that face?" Fallen asked.

His eyes shifted to her. "Rogue should be here… But since we're in a different place things must have changed. We need to deal with this in a different way" he seemed to almost talk to himself as he worked out a different plan in his head.

"Can you teleport Blob away by any chance?" Fallen asked.

"If I could get close enough for a longer moment. He's too much weight, I'd need time to focus" he watched Wolverine get up and rush back into the warehouse. Scott did the same soon as he recovered his goggles from Kitty.

"Guys, what do we do? It's a mess in there!" Pryde called rushing over to the entryway.

"First things first, we need to free Jean" Kurt said the moment he joined her at the door and saw Grey still tied up and struggling to free herself. "Kitty, phase yourself and Fallen over to her and phase her out of the ropes, alright? I'll help Scott and " he confidently turned to Shadowcat.

The girl nodded firmly and grabbed Fallen's hand. The girls dove into the building where three raging men were battling, leaving a mess behind on every square meter they went through. Fallen grimaced seeing the damage done to the place, but she had little time to dwell on that as Pryde safely phased them across the battlefield to Jean.

"Girls!" Grey called happily.

Harris instantly dropped behind the redhead and pulled on the ropes on her wrists, trying to untie them. "Damn it" she hissed.

"Hold on!" Pryde placed her hands on Jean's arms and focused for a moment. Meanwhile Fallen stole a glance at the fight to which, now Kurt contributed. She turned back to Grey just in time to see all ropes drop onto the ground right through the girl's body.

"Thanks" Jean rubbed her sore wrists. Her eyes switched to the scene before them. She was indeed angry with Fredd; or more like angry was actually an understatement. But she was too reasonable to think that confronting him with wrists and claws was the way to respond to that. "This is not right" she whispered to herself standing up and taking a step forth towards the scene. "Guys, stop!" she called to them.

But they were too engaged in their fight. Even if they noticed her call, at this point no one wanted to give up and risk being the one attacked.

"Stop fighting!" Jean called again. "Scott! Kurt! Logan! Fred! Guys!"

"Easy, you could as well yell at a wall or something" Pryde said.

Jean looked at her and back to the four men, admitting that her younger friend is right. A deep frown appeared on her forehead as she lifted her arms. "I SAID STOP!" she shouted rapidly telekinetically forcing every man in a different direction.

After initial rumble of them crashing against the environment, it caused silence.

Jean pursed her lips. "That's better" she stated. "Can we now talk instead of fighting?"

"You want to talk to someone who kidnapped you?" Summers asked as he picked himself up from the ground.

"I want to deal with this situation like a civilized person" Jean frowned slightly at his temper before turning to Fred who was a bit hazy after the way she broke their fight. "Is that alright, Fred? Can we stop fighting and have a conversation?"

She approached him carefully. Fred flashed an angry glare towards the men who attacked him, but his gaze softened when he looked back at Grey. "Jean, I..."

"I know" she said softly. "You like me. You wanted to make friends."

"Y-yeah..."

"But you can't tie people and force anyone to like you" she sat down beside him. "I do like you. But even when you have a friend you need to accept that they need to do a lot of stuff aside of being your friend."

"...Sorry" the boy responded looking down in shame. "Do you hate me because of what I did?"

Jean exhaled, letting the anger go. "No. I don't hate you. But I need you to promise to never force anyone to anything again."

"...Alright."

"Promise?"

Fred looked at her and nodded slightly. "Promise."

"Good" she smiled faintly. "Now, do you remember that Institute I told you about? The one of this Professor who helped me? Everyone here is there with me" she motioned towards everyone who were watching. "And I think it'd do you good if you joined us as well."

Dukes frowned looking at others. "I don't want to join them" he said with despise.

"Fred" Jean softly pulled his attention back to herself. "I know, they were wrong to attack you. But so were you kidnapping me. We are all flawed and we make mistakes... This is why we all need this Institute. That's where we get the opportunity to improve and become who we want to be."

"Become... who we want to be..." Fred echoed with consideration.

"Yes. And you deep down you are not this raging kidnapper who you make yourself out to be, I know it" she assured breaking out a small smile.

"Then what do you think I am?" Dukes shifted his gaze to her.

"Well" she ran her eyes over the rest of gathered people. "I'm sure it's someone very nice and considerate. If you give us a chance we can help you find that inner you at the Xavier's Institute."

Fred was quiet for a moment, contemplating everything that happened. "So... what does that, uh, Institute? do exactly?"

Speaking softly and breaking down her thoughts into simple sentences Jean began to explain.

xXxXxXx

Rogue's line of thought was apparently correct, and not only was she right that it was indeed Fred who kidnapped Jean, but also that he took her to the place he asked her about right after classes. However before she made her way to this hill, the 'X-Men' were already there, so she stayed back, just watching what she could see from the edge of woods.

At first they were fighting, apparently, as she saw two of them being shoved out of the magazine, but soon after everyone gone inside and it quickly became so quiet that she could only wonder about what's going on inside.

Yet she stayed, settling down on the foot of a tree and watching, waiting for anyone to come out so she could figure out the outcome of it all.

It's not that she was curious about life of other people, or that she cared about what will happen to Fred. There was something else that she needed to figure out - what is the X-Men's real purpose? These days she felt cruelly misinformed about this case and she wanted to get her facts straight at last.

All of sudden she heard a low noise beside her. "Rogue" the voice startled her and she looked to her right at her mother standing there, looking down at her with anti climax.

"I-" she started but cut off. She knew she can't say anything that would make the woman any less unsatisfied with her watching the X-Men.

"Don't come around them" Raven told her in cold, emotionless voice and as soon as she appeared, she turned into a bird and flew over to the magazine. She turned into herself again as she landed at its open door.

Rogue continued to quietly watch from afar.

xXx

Fallen was sitting on the ground with Kitty and Kurt, feeling somewhat awkward with the fact that Wolverine's look at her and Kurt made it clear that he smelled what happened in this place just yesterday.

She grimaced slightly hoping that the man won't try to blow the situation out of proportion, and just listened to Jean's echoing voice as she talked to Fred. This conversation didn't happen in the original course of action, she wondered if the fact that they went easy on Fred this time around will end up in him actually deciding to join the X-Men.

She watched him and saw that he actually grows mild and sympathetic towards the perspectives that Jean gently introduced him to. Until a certain someone appeared in the doorway casting a shadow on the ground in front of her.

"Well, well, well..."

Everyone suddenly turned their faces to the door hearing the derisive voice.

"Looks like you're trying to bluff my recruit."

"Your recruit?" Jean echoed surprised.

"What are you doing here?" Scott angirly stepped forward to the woman.

"I came to take back what's mine" she also approached Cyclops.

From the back of the room everyone could hear a 'snikt' as Wolverine exposed his claws. "Step back, Mystique" he warned.

"Who is she?" Kitty whispered looking between Fallen and Kurt who both seemed to watch the woman like they very well knew the answer.

Wagner turned his face to Pryde and for a moment struggled to figure out how to respond. "That's complicated" he said finally.

"Yeah" Fallen didn't take her eyes off the woman. "But she's not trying to be our friend, that's for sure."

"Fred is on my team, so stop threatening me with those and let him go" Mystique flashed Wolverine a cold glare and turned to Fred. "Come on, we're leaving."

For a moment Dukes seemed a bit torn, but eventually he started getting up.

"Fred...!" Jean stood up. "You don't have to go with her."

"Yeah" he said. "I know. But I want to."

"What...?" Grey was surprised. "Why-?"

"Jean" Wolverine stopped her with hand on her shoulder. "It's his choice."

Mystique smirked thrumphally and gestured at Fred to head for the door, which he did. The woman followed behind him.

Scott couldn't bear it. He abruptly turned to Wolverine. "Are you going to just let her walk out of here with him?!"

"You can't help someone who doesn't want it" the man said harshly. "Now move. It's time we go home."

"I can't believe this is happening" Summers put his hand on his forehead.

"No, Mr. Logan's right" Jean said at last. "It's not for us to decide. But, FRED" she called after the boy just as he was out the door, "just remember... there's always a place at Xavier's if you change your mind."

After a moment Fred nodded and walked out. Mystique followed, sending Jean one last cold look before both of them gone out of sight.

xXx

Everyone seemed to disperse as soon as they were back at the institute. It was a harsh day and nobody felt like having a movie night or hang around with friends after that.

It was maybe two hours after they returned that Kitty saw Jean just sitting alone in an armchair in the day room. The redhead definitely seemed bugged and disappointed.

"Wow, you look like, so down" Pryde said coming in with an apple in her hand. "Not that I'm surprised, with the kidnapping and all that jazz."

"Eh" Jean sighed. "It's not being kidnapped that bothers me."

"What is it then? Kitty asked casually.

"I'm feeling sorry for Fred."

Pryde lifted her eyebrows and swallowed the apple as she contemplated this. "So you really don't feel angry with him for the kidnapping? I thought you played it off real cool back in the magazine."

"I was angry" Jean admitted. "At first. But... I don't know... when I saw everyone break into fight I just realized how much Fred actually needs help. I think he's not entirely... you know, in control of his mind."

"Like what, he's crazy? Everyone can tell."

"No, Kitty, not like that. He's not crazy, I think he's just slightly... disabled, mentally. It's not his fault. And he's got a kind heart but he's been so misled and neglected that now he can't tell simple right from wrong sometimes. And Mystique is using that to manipulate him."

"Well" Pryde had to admit she had a point. "Who is she anyway? The blue chick?"

Grey curled her legs up and wrapped her arms around her knees. "Professor didn't tell us much about her. He just said he used to know her but now she can't be trusted anymore and that she's very clever as an enemy so we should be careful. She seems to be assembling a team and it seems like Fred's on it."

"What is she assembling them for?"

Jean thought for a moment. "Who knows? Her agendas are unclear, at least for us. If Professor Xavier knows anything about her actual intentions then he's not telling us."

xXx

She felt somewhat tense the moment Mystique showed up. Which was almost odd, because despite having never seen her real self until now, she saw her daily at school, as the Principal and their homeroom teacher. She talked to her a couple times about stuff as trivial as justification of absence in class or improving a mark from a failed test. But facing her in what could at any moment turn into a tiny war zone made her feel that the woman is a constant threat after all.

However she knew everyone else felt different about her. Not only because she wasn't their mother in law, though that too, but also because they didn't know that this blue skinned fire-haired woman that was nothing short of a sworn enemy, and the strict Principal Darkholme of Bayville High are the same person, except maybe for Fred. Neither they knew that she's Kurt's mother, only the two of them and Mystique herself knew this, however it really felt like both Mystique and Kurt are trying to purposefully ignore and never confront this fact.

Well, and there was Kitty who had no idea whom Mystique is whatsoever.

She was torn out of her thoughts when Kurt teleported into her room. "Ready?" he asked in that soothing voice she loved for making her feel like there's no reason to be so stressed.

Another minute later Fallen stepped into the warehouse, her heels echoing in the walls. After today's events the floor was full of scattered pieces of wooden boxes, whatever was inside and plenty of candle stands and candle sticks. She glanced around the mess and stopped her eyes on Kurt who just made it to the doorway. Evening light was pouring through the open space where door used to be until Scott blasted it off its hinges.

"Come on, let's at least put these back on" she said returning to the doorway.

Together they managed to put the (a little cracked) door back on and tidy up the major mess. After that was done Fallen put up one of the bronze candle stands. She used a box of matches that she found to lit up the candles. The evening light was disappearing quickly, now faint fire light was there to replace it and they were able to see as they started to tidy up the place.

"Do you ever wonder who pays for all the mess the 'good guys' cause? All this 'fight for good cause' is bound to destroy a lot of wealth and just how many people lose everything due to heroes feeling entitled to use every goddamn place as a battlefield" Fallen said as she gazed at the broken pieces of boxes and car elements that were inside and ended up thrown around during the fight.

"That's why it's good that the Professor is rich" Kurt responded.

"I don't know, you don't see him waving money at whoever owns this place" she gestured towards the mess.

"At least we cared to tidy it up a bit" Kurt smirked joylessly and shrugged.

"Still. No wonder some people put 'heroes' and 'villains' on the same shelf if either leaves as much destruction behind" she sighed and stepped towards Kurt who rested on one of the boxes, she rested her hands on the box on his sides. She noticed he was massaging middle of his tail. "It still hurts after Kitty yanked you during the training?" she asked.

Wagner nodded with discontent. He was annoyed with himself for falling for that again, and he did remember clearly that she did it the last time around. You don't forget somebody trying to rip out your spine, you just don't.

The girl slipped her hand up his tail and gently massaged the spot he was rubbing. Kurt looked up at her and smiled softly. She smirked with compassion. She seemed tired and it showed in her voice when she spoke up;

"Today was a close call. We accidentally changed the course of events."

Kurt smirked halfheartedly and exhaled. "That's not what worries me."

"What does, then?" she asked in a lowered voice.

He let his forehead rest against hers. "…Last time Rogue helped us, but this time she wasn't involved. I'm afraid it might affect what she will think of us and maybe even… you know…"

Fallen let go of his tail and put her hand on back of his neck as she planted a kiss on his forehead. "She'll come around" she whispered. "Let's go home" she then blew off the candle.

In the darkness that filled the warehouse a soft 'bamf' could be heard as they returned to the mansion after this stressful afternoon.

Next time on X-Men: Revolution:

School is annoying enough and playing sports is challenging enough as it is, but of late it's gotten much harder for Evan Daniels whose powers are running out of control, even though he refuses to admit that in front of his parents or his aunt who insists he should come to the Xavier's institute. However that isn't on his mind - his primal target at the moment is his rivalry with a boy faster than a hurricane - Pietro Maximoff.

Look forward to episode 5: Speed VS Spyke