With that out of the way I have to thank my wonderful beta readers from the Wolverine and Jubilee storyboard and a special thanks to Latex, for have the patience in correcting a majority of my grammatical errors. Feedback is always welcome.

FOOTNOTE : This story doesn't follow any of the X-men titles. I took a little poetic license with these guys. So please don't shoot me. Sit back and enjoy my trip to wonderland.

CHAPTER ONE

The day kind of fit her mood dark and dreary. This was a fine example of New York weather if she ever felt it. Light drizzle matted her baby fine black hair to her skull. The ponytail that she kept the long length in was starting to give her a headache.

Go home, Maggie you don't belong here. He isn't going to be interested in some kid. Her evil twin in her head kept repeating that to her the entire trip. The head always said one thing, but the heart always another. Maggie was the type to listen to her heart. That¡¦s what brought her here.

Over the years she watched her mother get excited over a phone call every month or a postcard from far off places. Her mother always held on to hope that he would come back for her, for them, but he never did. She spent many nights listening to the sound of her mother crying in the downstairs bedroom.

She always could hear everything that went on around her. Her hearing, sight, smells and touch were all very acute, almost to the point of pain. Her mom had said that she was just like her father. She even showed her a picture once. Maggie didn't think that she looked like the gruff man in it. Well, except for the eyes. They both had that wild look in their eyes. Maggie only knew that it had saved her from bullies on more then one occasion.

All this stuff wasn't going to get her through the front door either. He was in there. She could smell him. Gathering her duffel bag she squared slim shoulders and rang the intercom button.

It took a few minutes for someone to answer the intercom but finally someone came to the call.

"Yes, state your business. "

A stern looking black man with an M tattooed over his eye was glowering at her.

Every muscle in her body screamed cop. She has definitely met a few, in her young life. They were always trying to act like they cared even when they didn't. Some were just trying to do their jobs and others enjoyed being bullies. This one looked like the latter.

" My BUISNESS is with Xavier. The name is Maggie Fox, HE is expecting me."

There she thought with a feeling of smugness. That should put steel britches in his place.

"Just a moment. "

The screen blanked out. Then a buzzer sounded as the gate rolled open to let her in. The next time I go over the wall she thought.

She hiked up her duffel and started down the long driveway. The grounds around her were manicured to perfection. If HE was here she could almost feel the tingle of excitement creeping along her spine.

The house was huge. Impressive wasn't the word for it. It stood with a quiet elegance that took her breath away.

Standing on the front porch was the same guy that she had talked to at the front gate. He wasn't wearing a uniform but it was easy to imagine him in one. She stooped a few feet from him and watched him warily. He seemed to be studying her also. That was enough to make her nervous, but she was determined not to let him see that.

Stepping out from behind him was another man. This one was wearing strange looking glasses.

"You must be Maggie; the Professor is expecting you. " He seemed to be trying to break the tension that was building between the two.

Maggie never let the expression on her face change as she was locked in a stare down with the big black man. She could feel herself start to growl, it was low inaudible to human ears.

The guy seemed satisfied with whatever he found so fascinating because he turned and walked back into the house and never said a word to her.

"Miss? "

It took Maggie a few minutes to clear the red haze that was before her eyes.

"Yeah? Oh, Great! I guess he went to go get his gun," she muttered out loud.

The guy with the glasses was still standing there. Looking just a little confused.

" That was Bishop. I see you two have already met. He didn't have a gun on him."

"You¡¦re right: not on him but never far from him. "

She picked up her bag and started up the stairs towards him. He seemed all right just a little stiff.

"Hi, I'm Maggie, " She figured she better get off to the right foot with someone from this place.

"I'm Scott Summers. You have the meeting this morning with the Professor. If you would follow me, I¡¦ll take you to his office."

If Maggie thought that the outside of the house was beautiful, it didn¡¦t prepare her for the inside. Yet it was the sounds and smells of so many people that distracted her.

  She was quickly led to the second floor. Scott paused before a door and knocked. She didn¡¦t even hear the answer yet he opened the door as if he received one.

Sitting behind a large desk was a bald older man. He appeared to be in his late 40¡¦s.

For some reason Maggie¡¦s senses went on red alert. She clamped down and tried to focus on the man sitting before her.

"Well, do come in. Scott, that will be all, you can go now. "

Scott backed out side and disappeared. Maggie listened as his footsteps drifted away.

The Professor was fascinated. To look at her from the rear she appeared to be a child of maybe 12 at the best, until she turned around. According to the welfare people that submitted her paperwork. She was 17. Few months shy of 18.

"You were brought to my attention by Noreen Jones. You see this is a school for young people to better understand and learn more about themselves and their gifts. "

He sat back and waited for a reaction. He was amazed that he couldn¡¦t feel any emotion from her. He was starting to think that she was telepath.

"Yeah, you keep some kid from getting hit by a bus in the street and all of a sudden you¡¦re a mutant."

She was still a little uncomfortable with the incident that happened a few months ago.

"Yes, but you got hit by the bus and destroyed the front end. Yet you managed to walk away from it with no injury to yourself."

She didn¡¦t look phased at all by it. She simple shrugged and continued to prowl the room.

"I heal real fast. It¡¦s no big deal."

"Yes, but then you dragged the bus driver out into the street and nearly beat him to death. They it took four men to pull you off."

He found that very surprising due to her small lean frame. Yet she didn¡¦t walk she prowled, like a caged animal.

"The jerk sped up; he was trying to hit the kid, and why? He had the misfortune to have green fur. He did it on purpose."

She whirled and glared caught up in the memory of that afternoon.

The Professor was caught off guard at the rage that suddenly spilled from her. Her eyes were starting to turn feral. Maggie could feel herself starting to loose control and took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Well, here at the school we work towards a peaceful way of life between humans and mutants. We can help you with that temper problem and teach you how to redirect it. Why don¡¦t you get into some dry cloths then we can take a look around .I¡¦m interested in what you think. "

A teenager stood in the doorway waiting with the impatience of a teen.

"Jubilee will show you to one of the rooms. "

The Professor felt like there was something familiar about the girl but couldn¡¦t put his finger on it.

  The kid had his scent all over her and she chattered nonstop all the way to the room with Wolvie this and Wolvie that.

Finally she was alone for a few minutes. She could relax. Then she realized that she had to get her butt into gear. There were people waiting for her. She quickly changed into a pair of cut off jeans and a tank top. Maggie stopped to look at herself in the mirror.

She pulled her hair out of the matted ponytail that it was in. She grabbed her hairbrush and roughly dragged it through her hair. Once it was laying as smooth as her could get it she noticed that it fell somewhere around her knees. It was an incredible pain in the butt sometimes. Yet it was beautiful when it fell in soft waves around her. She decided to leave it loose and flowing after having it up all day.

She felt ready to face whatever lay ahead. Quickly she put her stuff away and stepped out into the hallway.

  "Yeah, well she seems a little familiar. Have we ever met her before?" Jubilee seemed to wait for a reply the responded with, "She seems cool. I bet Wolvie would like her."

  Maggie couldn't see whom Jubilee was talking to. It seemed like a shame that she was touched in the head. She seemed all right enough, other then she liked to talk to herself.

During the walk back to The Professor's office Maggie heard a lot of Wolvie this and Wolvie that. Whoever this Wolvie character was seemed important to the kid. Maggie was beginning to think that maybe coming here wasn¡¦t a bad idea after all. As she got closer to the door of his office, it opened and Professor Xavier joined them in the hallway.

  "You seemed refreshed, my dear. Shall we continue with our tour?" Professor Xavier was smiling at her and Jubilee was leaning against the doorjamb watching her.

  "Sure, let¡¦s jet."

Maggie was trying to project a confidence that she really didn¡¦t feel. She hated social situations. She was more comfortable being alone and lost in the music that was coming from the headphones that usually sat around her neck. This time she left them in her room because she had the feeling that she was going to have to concentrate on what was going on around her. The sooner she got this done the better she was going to feel.

  As they strolled along Jubilee tried to strike up conversation with the girl. Jubilee was starting to get a little frustrated with the short terse phrases that she was being answered with. It was like talkin to Logan. At least he would watch her as if trying to figure her out or waiting for her mouth to just freeze shut.

  Maggie heard the sounds of male voices raised in excitement before they had even reached the room.

  "This is our rec room, " Professor Xavier was saying. "The two arguing about the foot ball game are Robert Drake and Dr. Henry McCoy, or Bobby and Hank as they prefer."

The Professor had a look of amusement on his face as they watched the antics of the two. At least that was what Maggie was thinking.

  The guy that was supposed to be Bobby was nice looking. He definitely the boy next door good looks, blonde hair, blue eyes. The other guy was what made Maggie pause and take a second look. It was hard for her to keep from staring as she watched Hank seemingly flip over the couch and land delicately in front of her to shake hands with her.

"What a stupendous day. To have another fetching beauty to gaze upon." A warm furred hand swallowed hers in a gentle grip.

"Hi," Maggie groaned inwardly to herself.

Man, Mom would box my ears if she were here. Maggie smiled in what she hoped was a friendly way. The last thing she needed was to start things off on the wrong foot with these people.

" I¡¦m Maggie Fox. It's nice to met you Dr. McCoy."

The Professor was pleased to see that she didn¡¦t flinch away from Hank as most people did after meeting him for the first time. After all it wasn¡¦t often that you met someone who was about 5¡¦11 and roughly around 350LBS. Needless to mention covered in blue fur. While people¡¦s general reaction never seemed to bother Hank, Professor Xavier didn¡¦t want to see one of his friends hurt.

"Come on fur-ball, are you going to hog the chick all to yourself? Hi, the name's Bobby. If you need anything and I mean anything at all you just give me a shout."

Maggie was trying hard not to laugh, as Bobby was making an obscene gesture behind Hank¡¦s back.

"Thanks, I¡¦ll keep that in mind."

The corner of her mouth was beginning to twitch. She glanced at Jubilee to see her reaction. Only to find that Jubilee was laughing so hard that she thought that her sides were going to burst.

"What¡¦s going on in here?" A beautiful purple haired woman walked into the room. She had her arm around a tall thin guy with blonde hair. Her accent was definitely not American. Sounded like she was English or something.

" Betsy Braddock and Warren Worthington the Third, may I introduce you to Maggie Fox. Maggie, this is Betsy and Warren. "

Maggie was struck at the sheer beauty of them both. They looked like them could be poster children for the beautiful people.

They made an effort at small talk but they seemed to have urgent business. They excused themselves and headed for the door. Warren was all right enough. Well, maybe a little too shallow for Maggie¡¦s tastes. Something about Betsy made her hair at the nape of her neck stand on end. She reminded her of a cat that was waiting for its prey to make a mistake.

They moved on to the other parts of the house. According to Jubilee there were anywhere between 15 to 20 people that lived in the house at any given time and everyone was expected to pull their own weight when it came to the daily chores around the house. As they talked she was shown the formal dining room and then the kitchen.

In the kitchen was the most stunning pair of women that she had ever seen. One was a long legged red head, with laughing green eyes. The other was an auburn haired woman with a funky white streak through the top of it. It kind of gave her the appearance of a skunk. They were both laughing and teasing a blonde hair kid that was trying to peek into one of the pots that were giving off a most delightful scent. They quieted down when they noticed the newcomers in the kitchen.

Just then Maggie¡¦s stomach decided to remind her that she had not eaten the last couple of days and growled fiercely. She could feel her face start to redden as everyone glanced at her.

"Sorry," she said gruffly. "I¡¦m starving."

That seemed to break the ice. All of a sudden the lady with the skunk hairdo and the kid named Sam were back to horsing around. The redhead who was introduced as Jean was nice enough to dish up a bowl of the soup that was simmering on the stove.

Jean watched as the young lady wolfed down the entire bowl of soup. She was afraid that she was going to lick it clean so she offered her a second bowl of soup. It was nice to see someone enjoy her cooking so much. Jean used the time to study the girl before her.

She was very wary of everyone around her. There was a look of mistrust that tore at Jean¡¦s heart. Nobody should have that look at her young age.

<"Yes, Jean, I sense your question. "> The Professor answered her telepathically. <"I do hope in time that she will come to learn how to trust those around her. Mean while I would appreciate it if everyone would do their best to make her comfortable.">

The rest of the day passed with a surreal feeling. She was barraged by a few more names thrown in her direction at lunch. She was invited to watch several of the other people work out as they put it. It proved to be completely amazing.

There was Kurt Wagner, who for all intents and purposes looked like a blue furry demon. When he vanished or teleported as he put it he left behind the smell of brimstone. The only other girl that seemed to be close to her own age could make herself disappear through the floor. She called it phasing.

There was a general sense of well being. For all their differences in looks personalities and backgrounds, they acted like a family. It was something that a part of her that she thought had died along time ago came back and kicked her in the teeth. She didn¡¦t feel like she had to guard herself. Yet the practical side of her would rear its ugly head. It would remind her about trusting people. She seen too many kids end up more messed up then what they had started with.

When Rogue asked her if she would like a tour of the grounds Maggie jumped at the chance to take a look around. The night was beautiful as they strolled. Maggie liked talking to the Southern woman. She found that her slightly husky voice was soothing on the ears. She started telling her about her mother.

"You know, Mom would have liked you guys if she had lived," Maggie found herself telling her.

"Why is that, Sugar?"

Rogue looked at her with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Mom would say you¡¦re our kind of people."

Rogue smiled at the compliment.

"Thanks, sugar. We like ya too."

This set the point for the rest of the night. Maggie was surprised when Rogue invited her for an evening flight. It was thrilling. When she came back to the house. She was feeling relaxed and laid back.

She wasn't expecting to find a couple of men rummaging through her stuff, especially when one of them was her father.

    CHAPTER TWO

Logan and Remy came crawling back in after spending the day out on their Harley. It was nice to get away from the pressure of the X-Men.

In the kitchen was Bishop, who was digging around the fridge for a snack. The laughing and joking came to an abrupt end when Logan caught an unfamiliar scent in the kitchen. It was female and it smelled slightly feral.  Remy was the first to realize that something was up with his Canadian friend.

"What¡¦s wrong, mon amie? " Gambit looked at Logan waiting with patience, as he seemed to be sniffing around.

"He probable caught wind of our new house guest," Bishop said as he took a swallow of his juice that he was holding. "I think his cousin came to stay. "

Remy looked at Bishop with shock. It was almost as if he was gloating over the news.

  Logan followed his nose out of the room and into the main part of the house. Remy trailed along feeling a little left out.

"What are you doing, mon ami? " Remy was starting to get a very bad feeling about this. 

"Look, " Logan said with impatience. "There are only a few people that I know of that smell like an animal, Sabertooth and myself. Well, I just found a third. I just want to check it out. You gotta problem with that?" The last part was said in a drawn out growl. Not that it fazed Remy.

"Hey, no need to get hostile Logan. I just asked a question."

He shook his head at his friend but followed him upstairs anyway.

It wasn¡¦t hard for Logan to follow the smell upstairs to one of the rooms that were formerly not being used. Form the silence coming from within he was pretty sure that that there wasn¡¦t anyone inside. He let himself in and turned on a light.

"You know, mon ami, we¡¦re gonna have a hard time explaining tings if we get caught, no?"

"So, keep watch," Logan hissed at him.

Logan quietly shut the door behind them. The only thing lying out was an old Army duffel bag. Logan walked over and started looking through it making sure that he didn¡¦t disturb the contents of the bag. Then he found an old wooden jewelry box. Remy was standing over his shoulder looking on with a bored disinterest.

He didn¡¦t find anything of interest at first. Then he realized that there was a hallow bottom. Tipping it upside down revealed a hidden compartment. Inside was a picture of him. He took a double look because it appeared to be old and of bad quality.

  "Is dat you?" Remy stared at it with interest.

  "Look like it, " Logan was feeling just as little confused. How did this kid get a picture of him?

"What the hell are you doing in my room? "

They both turned with shock. They never heard someone approach the door. Logan quickly started to stuff the jewelry back into the box.

The question came from a young girl. Her long black hair flowed with a wild abandon. Her dark blue eyes snapped with temper.

So, Remy thought, this is what an avenging angel looks like.

CHAPTER THREE 

Maggie was getting a feeling like she had made some horrible mistake. She had just wanted a few answers to a few questions, but now that she had them she wasn¡¦t sure that she wanted them. Her keen ears picked up the sounds of two people on the staircase. She hoped that they would go in the opposite direction. Well, wouldn¡¦t you know it? They stopped right outside of her door. The hushed undertones came filtering in.

"Well, are you going to stand outside or are you going to tuck me in for the night, Daddy?"

She didn¡¦t know why she was baiting him. She just couldn¡¦t help herself. 

The door opened and she could see the silhouette of two men standing there. One tall, probably the Cajun and the other was much shorter, her father. She liked the Cajun. He smelled like cigarettes and after-shave. He was worried about his buddy.

"Are you gay?" she asked with a straight face, looking at Remy. The question took him aback. She could see surprise making his eyes widen slightly. Then she caught the scent of disbelief. 

Remy sputtered for a minute then turned on his heels and walked out of the room, not even bothering to answer her. 

  "Oh I can see you just made a friend for life," Logan¡¦s tone was dry and a little amused. 

He¡¦d never seen the Cajun at a loss for words around a female. She sure seemed to enjoy putting him in his place.

"Are you always such a ball buster?" he stuck his unlit cigar in his mouth.

"No, I inherited my sunny disposition. So you finally came back to hear the whole story?"

She was blunt; he had to give her that. Logan liked a person that could look him in the eye and give it to him straight.

Maggie got out of bed and began pacing. She wasn¡¦t sure where to begin.

"I used to ask about you when I was little. It upset her, so after a while I quit asking. Mom used to keep the postcards that you sent."

She walked over to her bag and dug around the bottom of it.

She pulled out a small stack of postcards and letters and handed them to him. There was no denying the handwriting: it was his.

"I could smell you on them."

She had her back to him and looked out at the view of the grounds. 

"That¡¦s how I found you."

"What do you mean found me?"

He had been a tracker for years. He knew it wasn¡¦t easy to find a stranger. Especially one likes him.

  "You remember that giant robot attack a few weeks back?"

She turned around to see the look on his face.

"Yeah, what about it?" Logan frowned.

He couldn¡¦t think of anything unusual about that attack except that the robots were having a hard time locking in to the mutant that they were after, at least till they showed up.

"Do you know who they were after?" he asked.

"Yeah, me. I found out along time ago that they couldn¡¦t see me. They can read a mutant presence but they can¡¦t target. Nothing that is electrical can track me. That¡¦s how I escaped after Mom was killed." Maggie swallowed hard to keep the tears at bay. Logan could hear it in her voice. He wanted to put his arms around her and take away the hurt. Yet he didn¡¦t, she wasn¡¦t ready for that. Looking down at the letters in his hands, he knew that a small part of his past were there.

"How did she die?" He knew that the question would hurt her but he had to ask anyway.

"I remember some people coming up to our place in the woods. They said they were with the government. That¡¦s about all I can tell you. I don¡¦t remember the rest very well. It's mostly just bits and pieces."

She was shaking and she hated herself for it. Logan could smell the fear rolling off of her. She wasn¡¦t lying, if she were he would have smelled it.

He took a step towards her, wanting to comfort her. Yet she took a step back.

"She asked you to come see her once." Maggie said with her voice as hard as diamonds.

"You said you were busy. That things were a little rough for you right now. You promised that you would come as soon as everything settled down. You never did. Another promise, huh, Dad? I was listening on the other end. You promised and you lied," Maggie drew a shaky breath in.

She knew she was very close to tears. Yet her pride would not let them fall.

Logan could feel every harsh word drive a spike into his chest. He remembered the phone call. He wasn¡¦t sure of whom the woman was at the time. Pieces of his memory, someone from his past he figured. All he had been asking for was some time. He had just joined Department H. There was no way for him to just leave.

Yet when it really came down to it he had no excuses. That made him angry. The kid was right, what kind of man was he? Too scared to face a voice in his past. All he ever wanted was a family of his own, someone that he could connect with. A flesh and blood link and now he'd found that he had one, she hated him, and with good reason.

  CHAPTER FOUR

The next morning found Maggie up and outside running before anyone else was up. Her headphones were firmly plastered against her head. She hadn¡¦t been able to sleep, after Logan left her. Too many things warred within her. She knew that for why ever he didn't come, he had his reasons. If nothing else Maggie tended to trust her senses completely. She could feel his shock and his pain. Yet she wanted him to acknowledge her. Which wasn¡¦t what he did.

Her thoughts were in such turmoil that she didn¡¦t realize that she had company. As she came through the kitchen door she nearly walked into Remy.

He stared at her rudely. She gave an inward sigh. She knew that he wasn¡¦t going to make this easy for her.

" Remy, about last night. I was rude and I am sorry. I never meant to hurt your feelings." she peeked up at him with those big blue eyes.

"I hope we can start over," Maggie said as she held her hand out to him.

Remy was a sucker for a charming woman. He took her hand in his in a gentle grip. His hand seemed to swallow hers.

"Okay den, petite," Remy grinned down at her. "We start again."

"Hi, my name is Maggie Fox," she said with her most charming smile. " You must be Remy. "

"Remy La Beau, at your service, " he bowed slightly at the waist. "Enchante, Petite. So what¡¦s a petite like you doin' in a place like dis? "

Maggie giggled at the silliness of it all. He really wasn¡¦t that bad as she first thought. It helped that he was charming and very good-looking.

"Oh, nothing much," she said. "Just hanging out, and trying to get the hang of things," she grinned at him with an impish delight.

Remy thought that his heart was going to stop. Her smile was breathtaking.

"Well den, petite, shall we go in, an' see what we can rustle up for breakfast?"

They stepped back into the kitchen to find it full of sleepy people trying to get their heads together. Some looked up to see who came in; the scent of coffee drew Maggie in that direction. She was stopped by a gentle tug on her hand. She looked down to see that Remy was still holding her hand.

" Remy, I think that I may want to use my hand sometime today," she smiled up at him in a teasing manner. 

When he let go she walked over to the coffeepot to pour herself a cup.

"Cradle robbin' now, Remy? " Rogue whispered at Remy from across the table.

A few of the others chuckled at her comment. She said it so quiet that most everyone else missed it. Except for Maggie: that set her teeth on edge, especially since the little comment was uncalled for.

Maggie poured two cups and walked over to Remy. Much to his surprise and everyone else¡¦s she curled herself up right in his lap like a content little kitten.

"It just takes youth to keep up with him," Maggie said. "You were wonderful last night."  

She smiled up at him and gave him a small wink.

Rogue¡¦s chair hit the floor with a crash, as she stalked off. Remy was looking at her like she had grown two heads. Then he started to laugh. He laughed so hard that his side was starting to hurt.

"Petite, you a wicked t'ing. I tink I gonna like havin' you around."

"What¡¦s wrong with Rogue?" Scott asked as he walked into the kitchen.

He was dressed in an odd looking outfit. It looked like a blue and gold spandex. It fit skintight and left nothing to the imagination. That¡¦s when it dawned on Maggie that most everyone was dressed in a similar fashion.

"Are we having a group aerobics thing, this morning?" Maggie asked.

Her dark blue eyes swept the group taking in every detail. Nobody had seemed to notice that she had not gotten up, except for Remy. The thought must have crossed her mind at the same time.

"Shall I move?" Maggie asked.

She was comfortable, but she wasn¡¦t sure if he was.

"Hang on, cherie."

He adjusted her slight weight a little more evenly across his lap. She could smell everything on him and she found it delightful. He smelled like a combination of cigarettes, deodorant, and aftershave.

"Maggie, I don¡¦t think that you should be sitting in Remy¡¦s lap like that." Scott knew that he sounded like a prude but he couldn¡¦t help it. She was too young to be sitting so intimately with the Cajun.

Maggie looked over at Scott and almost couldn¡¦t believe her ears. Who did this guy think he was her father? She sure didn¡¦t like the tone of voice that he was using. Before she could say anything Logan walked into the kitchen through the back door. His eyes swept the room then came to rest on Remy and Maggie.

"Get your hands off of her, bub."

Logan stalked towards them with murder in his eyes. Before either of them could react he jerked the chair out from under Remy and jerked her to her feet.

"Let go of me. You had no right to do that."

Maggie was furious that he was making a big deal out of nothing.

" I have every right. You¡¦re a minor and my daughter. Cajun, if you know what¡¦s good for ya, you¡¦ll stay away from her."

He stalked out of the kitchen without glancing back.

"You were never there before don¡¦t you dare act like you give a shit now! " Maggie yelled at his retreating back.

Maggie was so angry that she had tears running down her face. She turned on her heels and raced outside.

There was a stunned silence in the kitchen as everyone digested what had just been said. Everyone was stunned. Scott nearly choked on his coffee. Jubilee forgot to chew her sugar puffs. All Ororo could say was by the "Bright Goddess." Then everyone was looking at Remy for the answers.

"What? De petite ain¡¦t mine. Ya can¡¦t blame Gambit for dis one."

He righted his chair and followed Maggie outside.

It didn¡¦t take Maggie long to make friends with the people that lived in the mansion. There were a few that were standoffish. Bishop was one. She had a hard time breaking through that ice till Scott partnered them up together. He became her mentor. She found out that he did have a sense of humor. A little dry but it was there. She also found out that he had a weakness for banana and chocolate chip cookies.

Bishop had come to like the kid. He had never been around children much, but at her age she was hardly a child. He liked the fact that no matter what he threw at her she never stopped trying. He grew to admire her for that. Not that he would ever admit it out loud.

The other person that Maggie had a hard time with was Rogue. Ever since that incident in the kitchen Rogue went out of her way to harass Maggie. Maggie had gotten the run down on Rogue and Remy¡¦s relationship from some of the others. This was something that bothered her. So she went and talked to Remy about it. Maggie wasn¡¦t shy about asking questions of someone. What she got from him was that he was sincerely sorry for what had happened. It broke Maggie¡¦s heart to hear the depth of pain in Remy¡¦s voice when he told her the whole story.

"That was then, this is now. All I know, Gumbo, is that you have never done a thing to hurt me so I can¡¦t judge you on your past."

That was all that Maggie said about the subject and it was the last time that she ever brought it up.

She only wished that it were true of some of the others. Bobby, Warren, and Bishop all seemed to side with Rogue about this. Then she got an idea from a movie that she had seen not to long ago. She managed to sneak down to the video store and rent The Lion King. She then told Scott that she found a training video that would be good for the whole team to watch.

There was some whopping and hollering when the opening credits came on. People were starting to complain about having to sit through some kiddy movie. If it wasn¡¦t for the Professor¡¦s interference she was sure that half the team would have walked out. Once the movie got started everyone settled down. They sang their way through "I Can't Wait to Be King "and "Hakuna Matata". When it was all over everyone looked at Maggie like she had lost her mind.

"I fail to see the point in this theatrical production, Maggie," Beast said looking at her inquisitively.

"None of you got the message?" She looked at everyone¡¦s faces.

She walked over and slapped Scott in the back of the head.

"What the hell was that for?" Scott looked a little more then aggravated. He was rubbing the back of his head and glaring at her.

"What does it matter? It¡¦s in the past." 

Maggie moved like she was about to pop him again so he ducked.  

"See you can learn from the past. Don't you think that Remy has learned from his past? So stop punishing him. He¡¦s the one that¡¦s got to live with it. Not any of you."

With that she left the stunned group in silence. Remy understood what she had been trying to accomplish. As he left he felt a warm glow in his chest. There had been no one to defend him in a long time. He wasn¡¦t even sure how much Ororo still supported him.

CHAPTER FIVE

Things began to settle into a comfortable routine for Maggie. She was up with the sun to do a brisk five-mile run. When she made it back to the kitchen she usually had coffee with some of the team. Her father had taken off that day they crossed paths in the kitchen. She was all most relieved to find him gone. Those were the mornings that she enjoyed the most. She loved the smell of the earth and the dew on the morning grass. She could feel the presence of someone watching her sometimes but whoever it was never interrupted her. Nor did she feel any hostility coming from that person. So she just let them be. If they wanted to watch, who was she to stop them?

It was this morning that she got back in to the kitchen to find a whole new fracas going on. She tried to make herself inconspicuous as she came into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of coffee. There was a big guy arguing with Scott in the kitchen. As she sipped her coffee from her vantage point on the counter she took the time to watch the newcomer. He was slightly bigger then Scott, definitely more broad in the shoulders. There was a sense of power when he moved. He had white hair and it looked like some of his body seemed to be made of some sort of metallic covering.

"I will not have him caged like a animal while he is here and that¡¦s the final word on this, Scott." The big guy turned and finally noticed Maggie sitting there on the counter munching on a bagel and sipping coffee.

Maggie could smell the anger that poured from him, but hey, he wasn¡¦t pissed at her so she was not concerned about it. She could also smell his pain and sickness that just teased the edges of her senses. "What the hell are you looking at, kid?" he growled at her. Needing someone to take his frustrations out on.

"A guy being eaten up with a sickness," was Maggie¡¦s reply. She hopped off the counter and went to look for the one person who could give her some straight answers. Her nonchalant answer was the last thing that Nathan expected.

She found Remy still in bed. She could hear his quiet breathing coming through the door. She went into the room right next to his and slipped out of the window and on to the windowsill. She could see the great view of the grounds right in front of her and took a deep breath of the early morning air. On silent feet she crept closer to Remy¡¦s window. She knew that he always slept with it partially cracked at night. It opened silently under her touch. She eased her small frame in and gave herself a few minutes for her eyes to adjust to the dim room. Her ears told her that he was still sleeping. His breathing never changed. She could see his lanky form sprawled out across the cast iron bed that he favored.

As she moved closer to his bed she noticed the number of pictures that lined his dresser. Her ever-inquisitive nose took in the scent of Remy¡¦s cologne and the special scent that was all Remy. His room wasn¡¦t as neat as some of the other¡¦s. Nor was it the pigsty that Bobby¡¦s room was. She was startled being grabbed from behind and dragged down into bed with a steel arm across her mid section. The shifting light drove Remy from his light sleep. He was a little startled to find that she could sneak in without waking him. Either he was getting soft or all those hours in the danger room were really beginning to pay off.

"What brings you here dis early in da morn¡¦n, petite?" Remy¡¦s sleep roughened voice came softly in her ear. He was very careful to keep her above the covers. Not knowing how she would react to finding him in a state that most males wake up in.

"I brought you your morning coffee?" she tried in a hopeful voice.

Maggie was very aware of the hard body that curved so warmly around hers.

"Coffee heh? Where is dis coffee dat you bring me? You carry it through de window?"

The amusement was evident in his voice.

"Nope, I left it outside your door."

The warmth of Remy¡¦s body was beginning to make her sleepy. "Well den go get it," with a sharp slap on the rump Remy dumped her on the floor.

In spite of her quick reflexes, she found herself sitting on her butt. She went to the door, with a less then ladylike retort on her lips. She could her the rustle of covers and knew that he went into the bathroom.

She went to the hallway to grab the two coffee cups sitting on the floor. She noticed Rogue and Joseph walking out of Rogue¡¦s room together holding hands. Not that it really bothered her. But she felt like Rogue was flaunting her relationship with Joseph in Remy¡¦s face and that didn¡¦t sit well with her. She hated the pain that she saw in Remy¡¦s eyes whenever he saw them together. She was totally prepared to ignore her and go back inside but it was just her luck, Rogue wouldn¡¦t allow it. "Ain¡¦t it a little early for Remy to be up?" Whatever Rogue¡¦s problem with Remy was she didn¡¦t need to take that tone. Maggie just shrugged in a nonchalant way and smiled brightly. "Well you know how Remy loves his morning coffee: like his women. Hot."

Maggie smiled with a devilish light in her eyes.

"Yeah, but, sugar: he likes women."

Rogue¡¦s eyes roamed over Maggie as if she found something lacking. That caused the hair on her nape stand up. Maggie always felt a little self-conscious about being petite. There was no reason for Rogue to rub her nose into it. That really rankled her. "At least he has a women that he can touch."

Maggie ignored the sudden gasp, as well as the look of pain in Rogue¡¦s eyes. She turned and shut the door. Remy came out of the bathroom, he was wearing a faded pair of jeans, and looked devilishly handsome. She handed him his cup of coffee and perched herself on a chair in the corner.

"Kay', petite. What gives?"

Remy heard portions of the conversation outside his door but he chose not to say anything, yet.

"Well, I came in from my morning run and there was some guy in the kitchen arguing with Scott. They were talking about caging someone. What gives?"

She took a sip of her coffee thankful that he hadn¡¦t her talk with Rogue. She went on to describe the guy. When she finished, Remy just nodded.

"Ah, dat be Summer¡¦s boy. He be de leader of another team. Dey fight like dat all de time. No need to worry." He took a sip of his coffee and set it down on his table.

"Now you be tellin¡¦ me what dat was 'bout outside my door dis morn¡¦n?" He looked her dead in the eyes and waited.

Damn and double damn. She hoped that he hadn¡¦t heard the little talk but since he had there was no way to lie about it. "Just talkin¡¦ to Rogue." She hoped that it was enough of an answer to satisfy him.

"I don¡¦t want no trouble here. You best be leavin' tings alone with her and me," Remy¡¦s tone was hard and she was smart enough to know when the subject was closed. "Now git outta here and let a man git dressed," his mood was once again light and playful.

"Okay, okay, but who is Sabretooth?" she asked as she headed for the door.

"What you be wantin¡¦ to know about dat?" Remy asked looking slightly confused. "No reason." she said as she opened the door. "Except he is coming for a visit."

As she shut the door behind her she could hear Remy cussing loudly and elegantly in French. Today is going to prove to be interesting, she thought to herself.