Sheltered Much

I'm glad people are happy that I brought Kurt back. I missed him in the third movie. Do you know how easy things would have been if he was in it?

Logan leaned against a window frame, staring out the transparent glass at Grace. She had been there for a week and during that time he had only succeeded in making her a nervous wreck whenever he was around. They found out that she was like Ororo: control over element. They weren't quite sure which ones though and thus the reason Logan was watching her now. He noted that, within the last ten minutes, she had made a ring of flowers pop out of the ground around her.

The only one who really managed to gain any sort of trust from the young girl was Hank. Apart from Kurt, Grace was most relaxed around the other blue man.

"She must like blue." Logan muttered. No one had figured out how old she was. Logan's attention turned to Rogue and Bobby who were walking across the grass towards Grace. After Hank was Rogue. Maybe it was the age similarities. Logan didn't know but it got him curious as to why those three were the ones that Grace trusted most.

"Hi Grace." Rogue said. Grace opened her eyes and watched Rogue and Bobby approach her. She waved a bit and the couple sat down by her. "Did you make all of these?"

"Sort of." Grace said.

"They're nice." Bobby said. Grace nodded. "We were wondering if you wanted to come join us for lunch. We were going to go out and get something." Grace looked somewhat fearful at the idea of leaving the institute.

"Umm…I…I guess." Grace said.

"We can just get take out if that'll make you feel better." Rogue said. Grace nodded slowly and the three of them stood up. Rogue noticed thin lines on the other girl's wrists before she managed to tug her sleeves to her knuckles and held them there. She didn't comment on it and the three of them headed into the garage.

"Aren't we going to…get in trouble for…taking a car?" Grace asked.

"Most of these belonged to Scott." Rogue said. "He's not…he's not around anymore."

"Besides…it's not like I'm not licensed." Bobby said. Grace slowly followed them to a car and got into the back seat.

Logan sighed as he watched them. As soon as the car pulled out onto the driveway, he got on his motorcycle and followed them. He was now glad that the majority of the cars had trackers in them. The one the kids were in had a tracker so he could stay at a distance so that they wouldn't see him but he would know where they were.

"What is with kids and this place?" Logan muttered, watching as Bobby drove into the parking lot of a McDonald's. He still kept his distance as he watched them pile out of the car. Rogue took Grace's hand and they walked into the fast food joint. Logan found a spot in the parking lot where he could keep an eye on them while they were inside.

Grace agreed to staying but they got their food in take out bags. They sat at an outside table. Rogue helped Bobby carry everything and Grace got to pick the table. She looked around and her eyes landed on the motorcycle and the person on it.

"Want some fries?" Rogue asked. Grace took her eyes off the motorcycle and looked at the other girl. She took some of the offered French fries and ate them, her eyes now on a spot on the table. "We're glad you came with us."

"Really?" Grace asked.

"Yeah." Rogue said. "Once you get over your shy behavior…you're actually pretty fun." Grace smiled slightly. "You know I wasn't always like this. I had powers that stopped me from touching people."

"Then she took that cure." Bobby said. Rogue pushed him slightly.

"Yeah, I did." She said. "I wanted to be able to touch people…touch my wise ass boyfriend." Grace smiled a bit more. "I'm glad I did it. But there are a few, small times that I wonder if I did the right thing."

"Oh…" Grace said. She looked back at the parking lot. A few black motorcycles came driving into it. She held her hands in her lap as her wrists snapped together. She shook involuntarily. It felt as if a bear trap had closed around her wrists and she squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip.

"Grace? Oh my god, Grace…are you ok?" Rogue asked. Grace opened her eyes to look at the couple who were now staring at her, worry all over their faces. She couldn't say anything, just whimper as the pain increased. More black motorcycles were pulling into the parking lot. "Uh…I think we should get out of here." Bobby threw their stuff in the garbage and Rogue helped Grace to stand, noting that her wrists were stuck together in front of her.

"Where did they all come from?" Bobby asked, looking at the black motorcycles that practically filled the parking lot.

"It doesn't matter, we gotta get Grace outta here." Rogue said. Her hands were firmly on the other girl's shoulders. "Don't look at them, just head to the car." The three of them walked slowly towards the car but before they could get to it, the motorcycles had surrounded them and each rider was dismounting.

"Well, well, well little girl. You are very hard to find." One of them said, stepping forward. Grace whimpered again. "You…" Rogue looked at the man to see him looking at her. "Hand her over."

"Why should I?" Rogue asked.

"If you value your life…you will do as I say." The man said. The others that were with him slowly moved forward. "You don't know what she is."

"I'm not handing her over to anyone you scumbag." Rogue said. At that, Bobby created ice on the ground in front of the other riders and they all slid as they stepped on it. "Go!" Rogue pushed and Bobby pulled Grace as they ran around the fallen riders. That didn't go to well because each of them were grabbed by one as they managed to stand. Another motorcycle came into the mix, this one hitting as many of the riders as possible.

"Oh no…" Bobby said.

"We're in trouble." Rogue said, looking at Logan.

"You bet your ass you are." Logan said, jumping off his bike and knocking the riders away from Rogue, Bobby and Grace. His claws shot out as he fought away the riders.

"They're all mutants!" The man, who seemed to be the leader, shouted. Logan growled as he stabbed quite a few of the riders, seemingly killing them. Grace all of this with fear and pain written clearly across her face.

"Go…" Logan started but stopped as yet more motorcycles came driving into the parking lot, hitting his own bike and sending it flying. "For fuck's sake!" Grace flinched. "Popsicle, give me the keys and get in the damn car." Bobby handed over the keys quickly and Logan managed to get them safely over to the car. The girls got into the back seat and Bobby got into the front. Logan jumped into the driver side and started the car up. They were out of there just as the sirens were heard.

"Logan we're…" Rogue started.

"In big trouble." Logan filled in for her. "What the hell were you thinking? Haven't you fucking well heard what blue boy said about her? Who knows what could be after her."

"We're sorry." Bobby said.

"Sorry? Not telling anyone where you're going, taking a car without permission, nearly getting yourselves killed…sorry?" Logan said.

"We are! We didn't know this would happen!" Rogue said. Logan pulled over and stopped the car. Everyone got out. Grace's hands now hung down at her sides. Logan walked around to their side and reached out to Grace but she instantly backed away from him.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, kid." Logan said. Grace backed up farther. Bobby stood half way in front of her as if to protect her somehow. Rogue moved in front of Logan as he tried stepping closer. "What?"

"She's terrified of you, Logan. Can't you see that?" Rogue said. She threw her hand backwards, gesturing to Grace. Bobby looked at all of them. "I'm a bit scared of you right now and you know I'm the least likely person to be afraid of you now-a-days. After what you did back there…"

"Saving your asses?" Logan asked.

"You killed those people Logan!" Rogue said.

"Yeah…and they would have killed you if they had the chance." Logan said, angrily. "You heard them."

"All she's seen from you is you being angry like this." Rogue said. "If you honestly don't…"

"Umm…guys." Bobby said.

"…understand why she's afraid of you…" Rogue continued, ignoring her boyfriend.

"Guys." Bobby said.

"…Then you're not really as smart as I thought you were!" Rogue said.

"Guys!!" Bobby said, loudly.

"What?" Rogue and Logan asked, turning to him.

"Grace is gone." Bobby said.

"You let her go?" Logan said, looking around the street, trying to see if he could find her.

"I was too busy watching you two argue to notice." Bobby said.

"Oh no…she could be anywhere." Rogue said.

"You two head back to the school. I'll find her." Logan said.

"Did you not hear what I just said?" Rogue said.

"Yeah I did." Logan said. "But I'm the only one who can find her." Rogue couldn't argue with that. Logan could smell her out like some dog.

"Fine." Rogue said. She and Bobby got back into the car and they left. Logan started walking, trying to track down Grace's scent. He picked up on something vaguely familiar and, hoping it was her, began following it.

Grace leaned against the alley wall, not sure about what scared her more: getting found by those riders…or seeing Logan do and say all that he did. She knew she shouldn't have run away from them while Logan and Rogue argued but she was scared.

"There you are." Grace jumped as someone came into the alley. She had to stare for a while before she recognized it to be Logan. She started backing away from him. "Look, Grace, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Logan stopped and copied Grace's earlier position: leaning against the alley wall. "My anger gets the better of me sometimes. I was trying to keep the three of you safe. It's a new role I've seemed to take since I got back to that damned school." Grace was slowly relaxing and now she was walking closer to Logan. "A lot happened last year. We lost a few good people."

"I'm sorry." Grace said, stopping a few feet from him. She took a deep breath and sighed, causing the wind to pick up around them and little bits of garbage to fly through the alley. "I'm still trying to get a hang of all of this."

"That's what the school's for." Logan said. "It helps people like us gain control and knowledge over their powers. I sound like a commercial."

"Just a bit." Grace said.

"Ready to go back?" Logan asked.

"How?" Grace asked.

"Uh…good question." Logan said.

Twelve minutes later they were sitting in a taxi. The driver kept looking at them but neither of them said or did anything. Logan paid when they got to their stop and they walked towards the school.

"Are you alright?" Kurt asked, as soon as they walked inside. Grace nodded. "Rogue told me what happened. Are you sure?"

"Yes…I'm fine." Grace said. She looked at Logan. "Thank you."

"No problem, kid." Logan said. Kurt looked at both of them before Logan walked away.