History Lessons

"We're really just supposed to go back to history class?"

Rogue glanced up from her math homework. "Geometry today, actually," she answered mildly.

The boy rolled his eyes as he half-fell into the seat across from her. "You know what I mean, Rogue. After everything we went through, we're just supposed to pretend it never happened and go back to school?"

"I think you'll find no one is asking us to pretend it didn't happen, Bobby," Rogue answered, closing the book to give her boyfriend her full attention. "But it's not like there's a lot of choice. This is a school. Pretty much all there are is students and teachers. Do you feel like a teacher?"

"No," Bobby admitted, shifting restlessly in his seat. "I just… I wish we could do something. Magneto's still out there somewhere—"

"You mean John is still out there somewhere," Rogue suggested, and from the way Bobby avoided her eyes she knew she was right. "He made his choice, and we made ours. I think we know who made the right one."

"He's still my friend," Bobby said quietly.

"Is he?"

Bobby sighed. "I don't want to hurt him, but… I do want to do something. Anything. I just feel so… useless, just sitting here."

"I know," Rogue agreed sympathetically. "But until we find out what Magneto's planning, there isn't much we can do to help; whether we'll be allowed to or not."

And now they shared a moment of solidarity, because they were very much in agreement that they must be allowed to help.

Across the room, a television blared: "The White House will not have a representative at the upcoming Mutant Rights Summit, according to an official statement released today. Speculation has been rampant since last month's 'incident,' and the President's enigmatic speech promising change is coming. Meanwhile, the capitol police have asked for federal assistance in investigating the disappearance of Senator Kelly—"

"How can you stand to watch that garbage?" Wolverine demanded as he entered the common room.

Nightcrawler smiled good naturedly at the somewhat intimidating man. "For most of my life I've known so little of vhat happens in the larger world. I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Well you're not going to learn anything but Human Propaganda 101 watching that," Wolverine said in parting, passing by the sitting area before he stopped in front of Rogue and Bobby's table. He nodded simply to Bobby, and said, "Hey, kid," to Rogue.

"Hey yourself," Rogue answered. "What are you up to?"

"Whole lot of nothing," Logan answered. "That's the problem."

"Trust me," Bobby interjected, "we know how you feel."

"Kid, you're one of the few who might."

There was a sudden whoosh sound, and Nightcrawler was no longer on the couch, but across the room at the window. "Someone is coming," he announced cheerfully, and disappeared again.

"He sure has been perky lately," Wolverine commented.

"Yeah," Rogue agreed. "It's—"

"Annoying as hell," Wolverine finished for her. "Especially before noon."

Nightcrawler reappeared moments later with a huge grin. "Professor Xavier and Cyclops have returned!"

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"Professor! Scott! Welcome back."

Both men smiled warmly. "Ororo," Xavier greeted. "I trust everything has gone smoothly in our absence?"

"For the most part," Storm answered. "Everyone's safe and accounted for, at any rate."

"Perhaps the most we can ask for in these troubling times," Xavier commented gravely.

"How vas Massachusetts?" Kurt asked, literally appearing from thin air to join the impromptu gathering.

"Educational," Scott answered stiffly.

"And Miss Frost?" Storm added.

Scott sighed. "If she really wants people to believe she's a pacifist, she should probably try being a bit nicer. It doesn't take a psychic to tell she's hiding something."

"Does that mean—?" Storm started to ask.

"No," Xavier stated firmly. "That would have been a serious breech of privacy. And Emma is a formidable psychic in her own right. I would not have been able to do so without a considerable effort, which would have been unlikely to have gone unnoticed."

"We don't need to read her mind," Scott insisted. "She's hiding something. And whatever it is, it's something big."

"Emma is a close and trusted friend, Scott. Even if this were an appropriate topic of conversation, we have more pressing concerns. The search for Magneto and final preparations for the Summit must be our priority."

With that, Xavier entered the Mansion, leaving three of his four remaining senior X-Men outside.

Storm smiled wryly at her old friend. "You seem very suspicious of Emma's motives. Are you sure you're not influenced by… personal matters?"

"Vhat does that mean?" Kurt asked. bewildered.

"She's asking if I'm jealous because the Professor picked Emma over me as the X-Men's first field leader," Scott explained. "I got over that a long time ago, Storm. Besides, it's obvious she and the professor no longer see eye-to-eye."

"Fair enough," Storm conceded, though she did not appear entirely convinced.

Aparently satisfied, Nightcrawler bowed and simply disappeared into thin air. The sound of his cheerful laughter faded in his wake.

"He sure does have an air for the theateric," Scott noted.

Storm smiled fondly. "Yes. He's really starting to fit in around here. It's been very encouraging." She paused. "But you know I can't let you off the hook about Emma so easily, Scott. Professor Xavier picking her over you isn't the only reason you might have… confusing feelings about her."

"Enough history lessons. We've both moved on since then. And I think I'm much less hung up on being the Professor's second choice than she was about being mine."

Storm sounded almost mischievous as she pressed, "But she's a close and trusted friend, Scott."

Cyclops simply shook his head in disgust as they proceeded into the Mansion.