I want to thank you guys for all the reviews so far...you're inspiring me to keep going with this story and I really appreciate it. Generally I just get sidetracked and stop writing halfway through but I really like how this one is turning out and by the way it sounds, you all like it too. More to come, I promise!

- - -

Kitty carefully hoisted herself up onto the cold stone wall and kicked her sandals off to the side, letting her bare feet dangle above the moist green carpet of vegetation. Her toes just barely skimmed the soft, tender blades of grass below. It had been three weeks now. She tried desperately to clear her mind and stop the thoughts that were becoming so persistent and frequent these days. Her efforts were in vain.

Storm had done a number of medical examinations, and Kitty had grudgingly cooperated. The results were supposed to make her happy; she wasn't pregnant, she didn't have any diseases, the physical damage would all heal up without any complications. The news was supposed to be good, even uplifting.

But Kitty couldn't just move on like that. She was stuck on this thing that had happened, this horrible assault that had taken her dignity and confidence and had torn them to shreds. She hated herself. Why couldn't she just let live and move on? Why did it have to be her?

She stared at her ankles. She could see it all happening again inside her head. The jeans being torn open and yanked off, falling right there at the end of her feet. His violent grip, the merciless expression of ruthless cruelty and lust on his face. The way he held her down. The way he forced himself inside of her.

She shuddered. At least the Professor couldn't read her thoughts right now. For once it was a relief that he wasn't around. She knew he'd been prying at her mind ever since the Trask Laboratory Operation. He meant well, but she wished everyone would just leave her alone. She could take care of her own problems, after all. Why did everyone have to be so intrusive about what had happened?

- - -

Logan stood by the window in his room, letting the afternoon light pour in across his face and along the ripples in his loose cotton shirt. He was leaning slightly against the off-white paneling, resting his head on the edge of the frame. His eyes were focused through the glass pane, across the brick walkway, past the basketball court, beyond a small patch of grass - falling to rest upon the girl's lonely figure resting against the fountain.

He ran his fingers through his thick hair, a few stray strands falling back over his eyebrows. The Professor had been right, something was definitely wrong with Kitty. But Logan had sensed this from the beginning anyway. Maybe she could fool the others, but she sure couldn't fool him. If only there was something he could do for her. The problem was he didn't know how he could ever bring up the subject with her; that wasn't his area of expertise and he wanted to avoid an easily awkward and touchy situation.

He sighed. No one else seemed to notice the changes in her demeanor. Even Storm and Jean were convinced now that everything was fine. She always had a reasonable, responsible excuse for anything that could be a problem. She was always working on extra schoolwork, or tired because she was up late the night before reading a book, or just wanted some time alone to sit outside because this was her favorite kind of weather. She always managed to get away from everyone else.

But he could see beyond the excuses. She was becoming increasingly distant and it was hurting him to watch it happen. In the past few weeks she had ceased to carry herself with the same self-confidence as she had before. She had woken up late for school nine times so far and each time, when he dropped her off at the front steps, she would thank him for the ride and swear it wouldn't happen again. She had stopped fighting with Jean and Rogue for the bathroom mirror in the morning. She didn't care what the other students chose to watch on television in the afternoons...in fact, she didn't even spend time in the lounge these days. Instead, he would see her passing through the hallways silently, slipping into the confines of her room, or sneaking outside so she could sit by the fountain like she was doing right now.

The dinner bell rang from somewhere downstairs and Logan reluctantly tore his eyes from Kitty's forlorn figure and turned to leave the room. He needed to do something, he knew that. He just didn't know what.

- - -

"Hey kid, you comin' to eat?"

Startled, Kitty jumped and accidently phased through the wall she had been sittin on. Catching her balance, she looked up to find Logan standing at the edge of the walkway, looking a little bit less sure of himself than usual. But only a bit.

"No, I...well um," she stammered and crossed her arms before completing her broken sentence. "...I don't really feel like eating tonight. Go on without me." She met his gaze with an expression of strained resoluteness.

Logan made like he was going to take a step forward, but stopped himself and simply shifted his weight. "You said that yesterday, too."

Kitty felt the knot in her throat tighten again. "I don't like eating dinner. It's too late in the day and it makes me feel heavy. Don't worry about me."

This time, Logan did take a couple steps forward. He extended a hand towards Kitty. "You haven't eaten a bite in days. No breakfast, lunch, OR dinner. You need to eat."

Still meeting his gaze, she curtly replied, "I'm not hungry. End of story, okay?"

He heard her voice waver in this final response but he knew it would only do more harm to try her patience. He could not win this battle. Shrugging, Logan turned back towards the dining hall entrance. "I'm not going to force feed you, but it IS getting dark and you can't sit out here all night. Time to come inside." He paused, then looked back over his shoulder. "If anyone asks, I'll tell them you're busy working on homework." He made an attempt to smile in her direction, then pulled open the doors and disappeared inside.

Halfway through the first serving of roasted chicken, Logan's keen ears picked up the sound of the east wing doors creaking open. His heart thumped a little faster and he hoped she would smell the food, that it would coax her to the dining room, that she would finally sit down in the seat that had been vacant for days.

Her footsteps moved away in the opposite direction and his hopes followed suit. He tore a huge bite of meat off the chicken leg in his hands and focused on the flavor, ignoring his sinking heart and the stares his mood swings were earning from the students.