The next Monday, all the kids from the institute seemed a little depressed. Vixen, who's bleeding lip had grown quite a bit over the weekend but had now calmed down, noticed that they all had nasty bruises all over their faces and in gym, she noticed all over their bodies too.

The Brotherhood boys also had a few bruises, and Lance's wrist was in bandages (Kitty did that?!?!?! OMG!!!) (nah, he must've fallen over or something.) but nothing serious.

She was just chilling out near Kitty's locker (Lance's choice), when Kurt came over.

'Vixen…' he started a little nervously, 'Can I err… speak to you please… in private?' Vixen smiled broadly, but stopped quickly because it was still a bit sore. Pietro scowled.

'Sure.' she said, then she waved to the other boys, kissed Pietro and followed her German friend. 'So what's up?' she asked as they walked down the crowded corridor, dodging the other students.

'Well, I heard someone last night say that it was your idea to do that.' he started, slightly uncomfortably. 'If that is true, then why? Why did you want to do that? Jean said something about proving yourself… is that right?' he looked at her sideways, waiting for a reaction.

'Yeah.' she sighed, 'Yeah, it was my idea.' she looked back at him with a sort of apologetic smile on her somewhat battered lips. 'And yeah, I did say that stuff to Jean. Oh and will you tell her she needs to go on a diet, please? She damn nearly squashed me to death when she fell on me!'

'Why did you want to prove yourself?' asked the blue boy stopping and taking her by the shoulders. 'To who? Everyone at the Institute knows you are strong-'

'Wheels doesn't trust me.' she burst out all of a sudden. 'He thinks I'll go awoll on him, which I won't.'

'We all miss you.' said Kurt with a pained look, 'And I don't think that the professor thinks you can't do it any more.' he smiled at the upset girl. 'They all want you back… and so do I.'

He watched as her stunning green eyes welled up with blue tears, and as she closed them and let the tears leak out and down her flushed cheeks, and pulled her into a adoring hug.

The bell rang in the distance and the other students all started making their way to their respective classrooms, bustling the couple in the middle of the corridor.

'I'd better get to class.' sniffed Vixen wiping the running make-up from her rosy cheek. Kurt smiled at her tenderly.

'Are you sure you're okay?' he asked her affectionately, trying to look her in the eyes, but she was gazing at the floor.

'No.' she answered with a teary giggle, 'But if I don't go to class I'll get detention, and I don't wanna waste my Saturday afternoon.' she smiled at him sincerely, and he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek.

'Look after yourself.' he whispered before walking past her and off to class.

She sniffled, hitched her bag a little higher on her shoulder, and walked swiftly off to class.

A week or so later, it was dinner time at the institute, and all the residents were sitting down at a long table eating the weekly roast, this week it was roast beef, Yorkshire pudding (from England!!!), roast potatoes and peas.

Suddenly Xavier looked up from his plate and looked over at Wolverine.

'Logan,' he started cutting a potato in half, 'would you go and see who's at the gate, please?' Logan put his knife and fork down moodily and got up.

'They have to arrive on the rainiest day of the year.' he said sullenly, looking at the window which showed a storm raging outside, but he left the room all the same.

'Don't catch cold, Wolfie.' Bobby called after him cheekily, before tucking into a piece of Yorkshire pudding (from England!!!).

Logan got to the door and peered outside, towards the gate and there was indeed someone there, standing in the rain and looking in. He put a coat on and marched out, and headed for the entrance.

When he got there he recognised the person standing in the rain to be Vixen, black make-up running down her wet cheeks, her soaking hair and clothes lank and dripping.

'Have you ever been, on the outside looking in?' she asked unhappily, standing a few feet behind the rails.

'Is that some kinda song?' asked the tall man watching her. She nodded unhappily and looked down at the muddy ground, Logan couldn't see it but he knew she was crying.

'I'm so-' she started, looking back up at him.

'You don't have to apologize to me.' he interrupted gruffly, 'I'm not the one you beat up.' she nodded again and looked back at the ground. Wolverine pressed a button and the gate started opening, Vixen looked back up at him without smiling. 'I'm sure they'll forgive you.' he continued a little more sympathetically. 'They're good kids… and they miss you like crazy.'

'I miss them too.' confessed the girl wiping her cheek huskily, only spreading the make-up around even more, then she walked in and the two mutants made their way slowly up the gravel path back to the mansion.

When they were outside the dining room Vixen stopped suddenly, hearing all the happy voices, she felt nervous and scared that they would reject her, she looked apprehensively up at Wolverine.

'Chill, girl.' he said giving her confidence. 'You'll be fine.' Whereupon the girl threw her arms around his waist (she could only get that high up… he's pretty darn tall!) and hugged him.

'Thanks Logan.' she whispered, still squeezing him, making him ever so slightly awkward. Then she stood up straight (yes, she let go of him.), in front of the door and Logan opened it for her.

There was a deep silence as the people at the table took in who it was. Vixen looked up and down the long table from Xavier at one end, to Storm at the other; taking in every student.

She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said the words she never said.

'I'm real sorry.' she said quietly, opening her emerald eyes again and looking around the room for a forgiving face.

Her eyes fell on Kurt who smiled encouragingly before getting up and walking over to her and standing beside her protectively, linking his arm with hers. She smiled gratefully at him, then looked back at the others who were still staring at her.

Suddenly, Vixen saw Jade getting up. Everyone watched as the raven haired girl made her way, unsmiling, towards the blond girl.

When she got there she stood silently for a moment. Vixen looked nervously at her, wondering vaguely what was going through her mind… but Jade smiled and pulled Vixen into a enthusiastic hug.

'Good to have you back, Vixen.' she said pulling away and holding her by the shoulders. The blond girl laughed tearfully and hugged her friend, nuzzling her face into the crook of her shoulder and feeling the comforting warmth.

Behind them she heard the other students cheering, and getting up to join in and create a group hug with Jade and Vixen in the middle of it.

Vixen looked around with a beaming smile on her pretty, tearstained face, she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her waist, she looked over her shoulder to see who was hugging her in such a fashion and saw Kurt.

'Thank you, Kurt.' she said still smiling at him, but when she said his name a strange feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach as though she had got butterflies at something.

'For what?' he asked also smiling back at her, and as he said that, the girl got the same feeling again but she ignored it.

'For believing in me.' she answered, turning around and putting her arms around his neck and hugging him, 'And sticking by me all through.' she felt his arms squeeze her tightly and his face nuzzle somewhere near her ear.

'Right,' said the professor, beaming from his wheelchair, 'well, I think we can get back to our roast now, don't you?'

The students returned to their places and Vixen took a seat between Jade and Kurt and started helping herself to the delicious food, conveniently forgetting to mention she had already eaten. (sneaky, sneaky)

'Oh, and Vixen,' continued the bald man raising an eyebrow at her, 'don't call me a coot any more.' And with that all the students laughed, forgot and forgave… and ate roast beef. (from ENGLAND!!!)