~ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA : ONE MONTH LATER~

Signing his name to a work order, Victor felt a little better. Things are coming together quickly, well, the paperwork is coming together quickly. The walk through of the property, shockingly, wasn't as devastating as it could have been.

The large entrance doors have been commissioned and ordered. The gates have been repaired and upgraded with security systems in place. The window installation will be completed within the next few weeks. Special carpet, flooring and drapery cleaning supplies have been ordered and delivered. The electricians will be here later today to look over a few more things. Plumbing, luckily, wasn't an issue so that is good. It is all coming together.

Victor has his 'office' set up in a room that was formerly used as a lounge or parlor. The security monitors are on the back wall, with the door that leads to a smaller sitting room. He is using quite a large table as his desk, which is currently occupied by his laptop and covered with papers, notepads and blue prints.

Picking up a legal pad of notes,he looks over what needs to be done to the kitchen to return it to operation in the near future. He pulls, yet another, note pad over, makes a few notations then fires up the laptop. Doing a quick search online a and calling a couple of companies, he now has a more definitive idea on when the kitchens will be ready.

He pulls out his cellphone and dials a familiar number, Victor ran a hand over his tired face as he waits for Charles to answer. This should be an interesting conversation.

The Professor picked up on the third ring. "Good evening Victor, or good morning for you I suppose."

"Hey, Charlie. The time difference keeps slipping my mind."

"That's quit alright. Things are going well, I hope. I trusted that; 'no news is good news' philosophy."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Structurally everything should be good within a couple of weeks. Kitchen will be up and going by then too. Cleaning... oh boy the cleaning. That's going to take quite a while. I'll be frank with you Charlie, I need all of the hands that I can get. I'm not going to let just anyone in here. I made the contractors sign legal gag orders before they could even get inside to give me estimations and quotes."

"That sounds reasonable to me, but why all of the secrecy, Victor?"

"You mean to tell me, you didn't look up the address?"

"No, I wanted to respect your privacy. I figured if it were something I needed to know then you would have informed me."

"Thanks Charlie. My wife's family history was a big deal and runs kind of deep. You'll realize just how much when all of you get here."

There was a brief silence on The Professor's end of the line, before he responded. "What do you mean by; 'when all of you get here'?"

Victor picked up a fountain pen and rolled it in his fingers. "I've been doing a lot of thinking. So, just hear me out before you say anything." Victor could hear Charles shifting and sit down what sounded like a stack of papers.

"Alright, you have my attention Victor."

Taking a deep inhale, Victor continued. "Like I said, I'll be frank and blunt. I need a lot of hands, a lot, of hands Charlie. I got to thinking that you with the rest of the team could come and help. I have plenty of large rooms that can be used as temporary classrooms and dormitories for the students that live at the school. Since the teachers all live at the school as well that would work out. The students can continue to work on their core classes and can use the time that they help with the restorations as volunteer work and participation grades in their elective classes. Plus they would not only get to help restore, but stay and learn in a pretty impressive place full of its own history. They would, of course, still need to abide by the rules that you have set for them, but I will have some as well. For safety and other reasonable things. Like I said; I need a lot of hands. Take some time to think it over, ponder and stew on it or whatever it is that you do."

There is silence on the other end of the line. "That's a lot to think about. Lots of hypothetical plans to make, to even see if it could be feasible. Let me have a few days to think and go over some things and I'll get back with you within the week."

"Thanks Charlie."

-Professor Xavier's Study-

"So where is Sabertooth, that he needs 'a lot of hands' for cleaning? What's he wanting cleaned for that matter, crime scene?"

The Professor looked over at Logan who is standing just inside the door to his study, leaning against the door frame. I didn't even hear him come in.

"I'll explain that momentarily Logan." Charles presses and holds down a button to activate the intercom on the phone systems. "Dr. McCoy, Dr. Gray, Mr. Sommers and Ms. Monroe, please come to my study promptly."

He released the button and leaned back into his chair and opened his laptop, before smiled at Logan. "As soon as everyone else gets here, I will explain what I can."

While they waited, Charles set an email to Victor, asking him to send as much information that he can on things that Charles is going to need to accommodate the students academically. Knowing that a response would be prompt, he left the window open.

Once all required are in attendance, Charles cleared his throat and began. "I have something of import, that I believe the school will benefit from, to discuss with you. What you do not know is that, about a month ago, I had a very interesting discussion with Victor. Which resulted in him going to Russia to take care of some personal business." He held up a hand to stop the barrage of questions and comments that were surely forthcoming. "I received a phone call from him just this morning, saying that things are going well, however he would like not only mine and your help, but the students as well." Charles had to hold up his hand to stop Jean and Scott from commenting or questioning once again.

"I would like for you to hold all questions, comments, and exclamations, until I am finished." He focused on Jean and Scott, but his gaze lingered the most on Logan. After receiving all of their nods of agreement, he continued.

"Victor is in the process of restoring his late wife's family home." It was possible that any students on the same floor heard the gasps of shock and disbelief that came from the group gathered before the Professor.

"Initially that was my reaction as well, though I think I controlled it a little better than all of you." The last was said with a fond smile. "All of the majority of the reconstruction will be done, soon, but he is asking all of us to come in and help him in getting it cleaned up. He understands that accommodations will need to be made for educational purposes for the students. He is already arranging this, he has plenty of large rooms for use as class rooms and dormitories. Core curriculum an be done in the mornings and the volunteer work can be done in the afternoon and evenings. The students may receive participation grades in their elective classes for the work they put in."

A tone chimed on his computer letting him know that he has received a new email. Opening it quickly he sees it is the response he was expecting from Victor.

"Ah, yes, he has just confirmed that internet and Wifi has been set up and should be more than efficient for what we need as well as his security needs. As all of our sudden students are those that have no family or have been cast out from said families, we should not have a problem in generating passports or other necessary documents for travel as we do not need the parents/ guardians' permission. The materials for curriculum can very easily be prepared ahead of time and taken along."

Charles pulled over a legal pad and picked up his pen. "That being said, Ororo, what are we going to need to make happen, in order for your class to be ready to move?" Charles glanced up at the woman in question and waited politely with a gentle smile.

"Everything should be ready to go, other than my books and maps needing to be packed, I think I can have my classes ready to go, within a day or two. If I may ask Professor, is he needing us there urgently or do we get a little time to prepare?"

"He didn't say it was urgent, however, the earliest we can get there is two weeks. The important construction will be done by then, however I wanted to talk to all of you before I gave him any kind of estimate on arrival dates. That being said, all of you can take your time and make appropriate preparations, without the need to be rushed."

Charles looks at Hank next. "What needs to happen in order for the Med bay to be ready to move?" Hank, meticulous being that he is, had apparently already had a plan in place should the school need to be moved due to unforeseeable circumstances. Let the Professor know that he already has extra stock of all of the medical supplies, including still boxed gurnies, already prepped for a hasty departure.

Making notes, Charles nodded approvingly, before looking up at Logan and then to Jean. "Logan as the defense instructor you really don't need to do much prep, but Jean. What do you need to do in order to be able to make this happen?"

After much discussion and Charles pretty much telling Jean Gray that this move was happening regardless of what she thought, not in so many words, but the gist was clear, the professor closed the meeting and let them go about their way back to their classes, letting the professor start the process of the necessary paperwork for all of the mansions inhabitants.

Charles could still feel someone in his study and looked up to see Logan, lingering. "Yes, Logan is there something else I can help you with?"

Logan grunted and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. "Yeah Chuck, you can elaborate on the 'Victor's late wife's home' thing you were talking about earlier."

Knowing this was coming, Charles told Logan what little information Victor had given him, with Logan saying;

" Yeah Chuck, I'll keep it between us."

Dressed in comfortable leggings, an oversized sweater, with her hair up in a messy bun and house slippers on her socked feet, Anya was sitting at the kitchen table. A mug of hot water and a lemon slice in front of her. Marie, (Rogue to everyone, but herself and Logan), had been keeping the female feral smiling with tales of some of the shenanigans Marie and a girl named Jubilee or 'Jubes' ,as Rogue fondly called her, had gotten into over the last few years. One story, involving a bucket of cold water and Scott (aka the strict Boy Scout), had the thread pulling sensation returning.

With one hand still wrapped around the mug, Anya reached up and touched the left front side of her head. Seeing a flash in her mind of a long hallway with huge windows, she saw herself chasing, what seemed to be a young boy as he giggled. Then in an instant it was gone.

Hmmm...

Rogue placed a gloved hand on Anya's forearm, which still rested on the table. "Anya, are ya alright?"

Taking a deep breath, Anya brought her attention back to her new friend. "Yes, I am fine. I think I used to do things like that with someone, but most of it is still blank."

"So, nuthin' has really come back yet, huh?"

She shakes her head, looking down into her mug at the round lemon slice floating inside. "Just nonsensical flashes. Pips and pops really. Every now and then I'll get this strange tugging sensation, then just...black."

Returning to her own warm beverage, Rogue gave Anya an encouraging smile, of comfort not pity, to which the feral woman appreciated.

"It'll happen ya just gotta give it time. Now that all that stuff has been took out for a while, it'll happen. Logan says that sometimes he can feel a pulling in his mind, like somebody's tugging on a rope. He thinks that's when his mind is trying to remember something." She takes a sip of her drink before continuing. "The Professor has been working with him on it, I know he'd help you too, no problem. You and Logan should talk."

Anya took a sip of her drink. "You don't think Logan would mind? He just doesn't strike me as the 'chat about our feelings' kind of person."

That got Rogue to giggling. "He ain't believe me, but he wants to help figure out what happened to you."

"Why?"

Rogue shrugs. "He said, he know's how it feels to be looking for answers and have them just out of reach for so long. I think he kind of looks at you like the little sister he may have never had."

"He doesn't even know me, at least I don't think he does."

Rogue gave her an inquisitive look. "What do ya mean?"

Anya got a slightly far away look in her eyes, as though she is trying to piece something together, before coming back to Rogue. "I get that pull feeling round him. Every time. It does not matter who else may be around or what part of the property we are in. Every, single, time."

Anya takes another sip of her drink before elaborating. "It is just always so frustrating. The not knowing, being unable to remember. Then there are the dreams...they feel so real. Too real, to just be dreams. I think they may be pieces of memories." She brushes an errant strand of hair from her face as she turns to look out the window at the leaves, dancing in the autumn wind. "They are so intense, I had to have lived through them. The emotions, the way things look, feel, sound. The smells. Marie... I know something horrifying had to have happened and I'm not even sure if I want to remember somedays."

Anya turns back to her companion. Rogue is sitting there with a strange look on her face. Wide, shocked, brown eyes. Pale from the blood leaving her face. Rogue clears her throat before she speaks. "Ya should definitely talk to Logan."

This is the start of a new beginning... I hope. Charles looked around at all of their resident students. There are, thankfully, only a few younger ones, along with maybe ten or so older students. There is Rogue, Bobby, John, Kitty, Jubilee, Piotr, Ellie, Yukio and a few more that he hasn't been able to sit down and really get to know yet.

They are all in their seats. He couldn't help but to chuckle as Logan checked Rogue's safety restraints for the fifth time. Rogue whispered something to Logan and he glanced at Anya who is at the back of the cabin.

Logan drifted to the back and sat in front of her and said something too low for Charles to hear. Anya glances in Rogues direction and then back at Logan before nodding.

Thinking that this conversation needed to happen, he left them to it and moves to the front to go over and discuss things with the other faculty members.

Anya looks away from the familiar safety harness and up to the person that took a seat in front of her on the jet. Logan. She glances at the back of Rogue's head and then back at the man before her.

"Rogue said I needed to talk to you." That Surprised her. He could apparently tell from the look on her face. "She said you probably would never approach me, so I have to. So...How are things going kid?"

The engines fired up and after a tense moment for the two flight fearful ferals, they were in the air with the turbulence having smoothed out.

Realizing that she was fidgeting, Anya folded her hands in her lap, crossed her ankles and straightened her posture to an almost regal baring, all while the mental thread pulling sensation begins. "I suppose things are going as well as they can. I have not really socaized outside of the Professor, Marie, Hank as well as yourself. It's still a off putting to try to approach the faculty members and students to try to introduce myself."

Logan nodded his understanding. "That's okay, but that's not what I was asking."

Anya looks down and to the right. "Yes, I know. However, i am uncertain as to how to give you a proper answer that is not nonsensical."

the intercom cut on and the pilot, Scott, let them all know they could unbuckle and move about if they needed to. The professor moved to the back of the cabin, sensing that he could be needed. "How are things going back here? It seems to be a pleasant fight so far." Both of the ferals nodded and Logan circled back to the topic at hand.

"Rogue mentioned that you often have very intense dreams, so do I. Let's talk about those." Anya glanced at the Professor, then back at Logan Belford looking down at her hands as though she were being chastised.

"Im not sure how to classify them anymore. they seem too realistic to simply be bad dreams." Logan looked down and spoke before looking back up. "Tell me about them anyway. Are they always the same? What are they about?"

She scrunches up her forehead in frustration. "The same and yet different at the same time." Logan tilts his head and follow up. "Are you able to use your senses in these dreams?" At Anya's eye contact and nod, he continues. "Good. Try to remember, what do you see, hear, smell? What so you feel?"

She seems about to speak but holds back and glances at the other passengers. Charles places a gentle hand on her's and gives her an encouraging smile. "It's alright my dear, no one else is listening."

She nods and tries to make some kind of sense. "There are shadows, calling my name. I never actually hear the name, but I know just know that hey are calling to me. A light at the end of a hall. There's always running, to or from, I do not know. I see flashes of fire, and hear explosions...the echos of screams."

Logan and the professor share a look and a thought with Logan. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am not surprised to learn that. Charles looks at her encouragingly once again and continues to get further explanation. "Are they always bad dreams, Anya?"

They can see when her mind starts to drift, her eyes get a glassy far away look in them. "Not always bad, but maybe just as confusing me even mor frustrating."

Logan rests his forearms on his knees and shifts forward just a bit. "What's in those dreams, the 'not bad' dreams?"

Anya smiles a small secret smile. "I feel safe and warm. I can feel someone holding me. Sometimes I'm sad and lay on a rug that smells like peppermint. I can hear a chuffing laugh and deep rumbling purring, as though its from a very, very large cat. It isn't scary, it makes me feel loved and cherished. I can smell cigar smoke and sandalwood, maybe some cedar wood as well. Sometimes I am chasing after a boy,he is younger than I am with slightly darker hair, down a long hall with lots of windows, as we giggle and laugh. Sandy beaches, running down the sand to someone with open arms, knowing that they will catch me, but the face is always fuzzy like a smudged picture frame. Just enough to distort the image. A big party. I'm sorry, I know this all must sound as though I am a crazy person." She reaches up and rubs her forehead.

Charles shakes his head. "No, Anya. You do not sound like a crazy persons. Would you permit me to take a look at what you have witnessed in your dreams? Maybe take a look around your mind? It may jostle something's loose, so I want you to be aware of that. they could all just come cooking back in at once or a little at a time."

Logan grunts beside him. "If at all." At her look of confusion, Logan elaborates. "He's been sifting through my head for a while now, but nothing has come back."

Anya looks back at Charles. That's alright. There are some days I wonder if I even want to remember, going off of my horrible dreams, but the nice ones would be worth getting back I think." She meets Charles eyes once again. "The, who am I, where do I come from questions...I don't know if I actually want to know anymore. What if I was a criminal or did bd things? there must have been a reason no one came for me. If thats all true...would you make me leave?"

Logan surprised both her and Charles himself, by taking both of her hands in his and speaks firmly and earnestly. "Hey, none of that now. You are not a bad person. A little mischievous, perhaps a little vindictive even, but never a bad person. Whatever happened, you did nothing to deserve it. I know that, down deep to the marrow of my bones."

She gives him a watery smile, before the tugging in her mind turns into a full blown tearing yank. It felt as though someone is inside her head,trying to pull the heavy curtains of a stage open. It took a moment before she could speak.

"I know we knew each other, though I am not sure how, nor how long ago it was. I am getting the feeling that we not only knew each other, but we were close. If the strange sensation in my head os anything to go off off." She opened her eyes to meet Logan's. He is watching her carefully, eyes slightly squinted in concentration or concern she could not tell which.

However, it is the Professor who spoke. "What strange sensation?" Reaching up with her right hand, as Logan still grasps the other, Anya rubs her forehead lightly."it's usually a slight tugging, as though someone is pulling a thread, like they may unravel something." Charles quickly looks to Logan, but his brown eyes are laser focused on Anya's blue ones. Both of their foreheads are crinkled and scrunched in deep thought.

When Anya's breathing sped up, and she started to gasp, Charles let his mind surge forth and into her's. Something is wrong!

As Anya feels the room skin, before it all slipped away, she could still hear Logan, but his lips weren't moving. "I'll meet you at your Grandfather's bridge. I'll meet you right there." Her breathing became labored, she was struggling to breathe. As the present faded away, she could feel Charles jump into her mind once again. Convent or no convent, she was glad he was there and she wasn't going through this scary event alone.

Charles looks about, he can see a dark hall, flames can be seen through the windows that almost completely line the hall. Loud booms from explosives can be heard from outside the walls. He sees, Anya and LOGAN, dressed in what appeared to be very dyed clothing, Anya is wearing something that appeared to be a night gown from the Edwardian period, her hair reaching her bottom, lose and flowing. They are running quickly and almost silently, Logan tugging her along with him, as though he doesn't want to let go for fear of losing her. Charles had to hurry to catch up and keep up.

They stopped in front of a door at the end of the hall and seemed to listen for whatever may be on the other side. He could hear nothing, but the explosives. Apparently Logan didn't hear anything , because he opened the heavy wooden door and they all go through. Charles can feel the sharp pain from something hitting Anya in the head accompanied by a loud bang, that seemed very close. Instantly everything went dark and he pulled out of her mind.

As he comes back into his own consciousness, she is indeed in distress. Logan as well, as he can not get her to breath evenly, though he is definitely doing a very good job of trying.

Anya is clenching both of the armrests to the seat, claws dug in. Logan has both of his hands on her upper arms and appears to be trying to talk to her, but she can't hear him until the ringing in her ears quiets.

"Anya, come on kid, slow down your breathing." Rogue, who had wandered back to check on Anya at some point while Charles had been drifting through the memory with her, was clearly worried for her new friend, but smartly stayed back. He gave her a assuring look and asked her to quietly get Hank.

Dr. McCoy made it to the back in a calm manner and observed what was happening while having a telepathic conversation with Charles.

"What happened, Charles?""

It appeared that she was having trouble breathing so I let my mind sync with hers, to see what was going on as she wasn't able to speak. She was having a flashback. I have seen enough of Logan's to know that is what it was."

"I can tell you exactly what's going on here then, without further analysis or testing. Charles, she has PTSD. With what she told me in confidence I am not at all surprised."

They both watched as Logan continued to talk to her. He took one of her hands and placed it on his chest and took a deep breath. "I know it sucks. Come on Anya, breathe with me. In your nose, out your mouth. In your nose, out your mouth." They each took a deep slow breath when he would say in and would exhale as Logan said out. After a few minutes of that, she seemed in better control of her breathing and seemed to come back to herself.

She looked horrified, and looked around wildly almost frantic. "Did I hurt anyone?"

Logan shook his head and placed his hands on either side of her face. "No kiddo, you did good."

The Professor Doctor and Rogue all watched in wonder as Logan touched his forehead to Anya's and they breathed another moment. Logan tucks her head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close."Something tells me that we've went through this many, many times."

That did it. The dam broke, as Anya's sobs broke lose, she threw her arms around Logan and clung to him as though her life depended on it.

Charles hears a sniffle beside him and looked at Rogue, only to see tears welling up in her eyes. Knowing how she eels about the male feral now holding another woman, he went to put a hand on her shoulder in comfort. Before he is able to make contact, she shoots forward and is out of reach before Hank is able to stop her.

Charles needn't have worried though. Rogue only sat behind Anya and enveloped her in a hug and just held her with a small tearful smile on her face.