"It's gotta be tonight. We hold off any longer, the runt's gonna squeal," a mid-sized punk in a leather jacket said between his teeth. He brushed his greasy hair out of his pimply face as he whipped his head around to look at the biggest, ugliest grunt in the bunch.

"Yeah, Leo. She seen too much. We can't let her go runnin' to th' cops." A tall lanky man who looked as though he couldn't grow a proper beard if his life depended on it looked at the obvious leader.

The leader, a large, barrel-chested man, raised a hand to his black hair and began to scratch his head, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. The strong resemblance he bore to an ape was emphasized by this act. "All right, all right, now let me think," he grunted.

The man at the bar snorted quietly. "Don't hurt yerself there, Magilla," he muttered as he downed another shot.

Leo shot him a savage look. "You say something, shorty?"

"Nope, not a word, bub," he responded, casually smoking his cigar.

"Thought not, punk." Leo looked back to his gang. "We'll have to grab her tonight. She usually hangs out around here. She shouldn't be too hard to snatch. Not like anybody'll miss a runty little snot like her." Leo chugged the last of his flat beer and slammed the mug onto the bar so hard it cracked. "Let's go." He and his thugs pushed through a door with the words "Hair of the Dog" etched in the glass, disappearing into the night.

"Whatever's goin' down's got nothin' to do with me." The short man also stood up, sticking his hands into his pockets as he walked out. He decided to take a short cut through an alley on his way to the subway. As he walked through the dark alleyways, he flipped up the collar of his jacket, his eyes shifting to the right to follow a shadow he saw flitting past in his peripheral vision. He continued on his way, showing no sign that he noticed his pursuer.

"What the hell ya doin' sneakin' around behind me, kid?" he asked, without turning. He stopped in his tracks and seemed to be waiting for an answer. A small girl crept out from behind a dumpster, pulling nervously at the hem of her tattered shirt.

"How did you know I was there?" she asked tremulously. Her hair nearly hid her dirty face, but anyone who bothered to look could see the old tear tracks in the grease and grime.

The short man sniffed audibly. "I could smell ya comin' a mile off." His gruff voice came out sounding almost like a growl. He finally turned, cocking his hat back on his head with a smooth jerk of his thumb against the brim. "Now, ya gonna answer me or ar'ntcha?"

The girl took a small step back and was nearly hidden again behind the mounds of garbage in the alley. "I thought maybe I could walk with you for a little bit. I don't like being by myself at night. I--I won't bother you!" she said, her dark eyes swimming with tears behind her blonde hair. Before he could respond, the wind shifted and he got a whiff of something foul on the breeze. The man smiled fiercely, almost snarling, as he remembered the cocky bastards at the Hair of the Dog.

"One of us is bein' followed, runt. Don't move." He listened carefully, shifting his feet to get ready for the fight he knew was coming. Sure enough, Leo and his bonehead bunch appeared down at the end of the alley. When they spotted the man and kid, they stopped talking suddenly.

"Hey, Leo, it's the kid!" A teen with bad acne and greasy hair pointed at the small girl near the dumpster.

"So it is," Leo said, smiling viciously. "Come here, little girl. We're not gonna hurtcha." The kid whimpered and backed away.

"You know these clowns, kid?" the man asked her.

She nodded, her eyes overwide with fright. "They're bad people. I saw them kill an old lady 'cause she wouldn't give them her ring." The man grinned rubbing his knuckles.

"Kids say the darnedest things," Leo said, his entourage laughing behind him. "You know how kids make things up for attention. She's my little sister. I better get her home before Mom worries herself to death." He reached out for the girl, who bolted to the other side of the dumpster before he could get a good grip.

"I can't just let ya take the kid, now can I?"

Leo's face darkened as he drew closer to the man standing between him and the kid. "Who the fuck are you anyway?"

"Name's Logan. And the kid's comin' with me." Logan drew himself up to his full height of 5 feet, three inches. "Unless you got somethin' ta say about it, bub?"

"You must be stupid or somethin, man. There's six of us, and one of you. One and a half if you count the twerp. So what's it gonna be?" Logan cracked his neck and bared his teeth in what could have been a smile or a snarl. "Have it your way then. It's your funeral, asshole." Leo cocked his fist back and punched Logan in the temple. The others took this as their cue and sprang into action. One guy, not quite as big as Leo but clearly as stupid, grabbed Logan's arms as Leo and the others rained punches on him from all sides. Logan began to twist and pull from side to side. "Hold him, Spyder. Don't let him get loose."

As the kid watched, Logan began to slump in Spyder's arms. "I think he's startin' t'get the message, Leo," Spyder laughed, bending to hold his weight up. Suddenly, Logan shot upward, smashing Spyder's jaw with his skull. As Spyder collapsed, Logan began to smash his fists into every soft spot Leo's thugs left open. Before he could do any real damage though, the kid with the acne pulled out a switchblade and began to slash at Logan, cutting his arms and chest. Logan growled, the pain spreading through his torso. As he began to give some ground to the thugs surrounding him, something unexpected happened.

The kid came from behind the dumpster. She stood with her fists balled at her sides, nearly every muscle tensed. "Leave him alone. What did he do to you?! I said LEAVE HIM ALONE!!" As she screamed, the air around her began to crackle as though it was electrified. Sparks began to shoot out from her body, small at first, but gaining in intensity. The electricity began to strike and ricochet throughout the alley with her at the center. One bolt hit the switchblade the teen was still holding, shocking him. As he dropped to the ground, unmoving, the other thugs bolted, leaving him, Spyder and Logan for dead.

Once the punks left the alley, she calmed down by degrees, the sparks subsiding. Logan sat watching her, leaning against a brick wall for support as he clutched his wounds, his mouth open with amazement. The kid swooned against the wall in exhaustion. "What-- What just happened?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"That's what I wanna know." Logan stood up, dropping his bloody arm from his wounds as he did. His shirt hung in bloody tatters on his chest and as she watched, his wounds stopped oozing blood and closed before her eyes. The gaping slashes quickly became narrow slits and disappeared completely, leaving no trace of a scar.

"You're a-- you're a mutant, aren't you?" she gasped, backing into a pile of garbage.

"Apparently you are too." Logan cracked his neck and leaned down to check the pulses of the two toughs on the ground. "Just stunned. You pack quite a punch there, small fry."

"That lightning. I did that?"

"Yep." Logan rubbed at a burn on his jacket sleeve. "Damn, this was my favorite jacket." He glanced over and saw the girl slumped against a trash can, looking quite shell-shocked and ashamed. "S'wrong with you, squirt?"

"I don't want to be a mutant. Isn't there enough wrong with me? Now, I'm a freak too?!" She put her head on her arms and began to weep openly. "Why did this have to happen to ME? I didn't ask to be a mutant!"

His face softened as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Nobody asks t' be a mutant, kid. We jus' do the best we can t' deal with it." He gave her a few more minutes to get it out of her system before pulling her to her feet. "A'right, you had enough time to bawl yer eyes out. Get it t'gether. You wanna get caught here with these punks?" When she wouldn't move, he grunted, picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder and took off running through the alley. She showed no resistance as he carried her through the dark streets and alleys. When he had put several blocks between them and Leo's two lackeys, he put her down on the stoop of a long empty brownstone.

"So, you have a name, kid?" he asked, softening his gruff voice a little.

Wiping away the last of her tears, she looked up at him. "No, I don't think so. At least, I don't remember having one."

"Where're yer folks?" She shrugged and shook her head. "You, uh, have-- Is there some place I can take you?" She shook her head again. "Great. I guess I can take ya with with me. C'mon." He started to walk toward a subway station with her jogging to keep up with his brisk strides. He bought their tickets and led her into an empty car on the train. Logan leaned against the doors and examined his shirt. The entire shirt from collar to hem was soaked in blood. He zipped his jacket up and stuck his hands in his pockets, watching the stations pass by through the windows.

"Where are we going?" the kid asked. She was sitting on a seat, trying to make herself as small as possible.

He glanced at her as he put a tooth pick into the corner of his mouth. He rolled it from one corner to the other, then looked out the window. She began to think he wasn't going to answer when he crossed his arms and said, "We're goin' t' see some friends o' mine." He sniffed and cleared his nose with a low snort. "An' you might wanna think about takin' a bath." A few minutes later, the train slowed and Logan beckoned her to the door. They got off the train and went up to the street, where Logan approached a brown Jeep. He put the kid into the car and started the engine.

Logan began to drive casually, one wrist cocked over the steering wheel, a cigar in the corner of his mouth. As the car sped along the highway, the girl felt the smooth motion of the car lulling her to sleep. When she awoke, Logan was pulling his car up a long, winding driveway in front of the biggest house she had ever seen.

"Oh, so you're awake," Logan said, glancing quickly at her.

"Where are we?" she asked in awe. Her wide eyes reflected the lights of the mansion.

"We're at Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I think the Prof would like t' meetcha." Logan parked and led the kid into the mansion. As he entered, he was met by a taller man wearing reddish sunglasses though it was nighttime.

"Wolverine, where have you been? We've been looking all over for you," the man said in an authorative voice.

"I was out," Logan replied simply, stubbing out his cigar on his arm.

"And who's this?"

"Well, Cyke, this is my love child with Shania Twain. Her name's David and she's made o' puddin'. In short, none of your business." Logan grabbed the kid by the shoulder and steered her away. "I'm gonna see th' Prof." He ignored Cyclops' further protests as he headed for Professor Xavier's office.

"Come in," Professor Xavier responded to Logan's knock. "Oh, Logan. Good to see you. And who might this be?" He spotted the girl and smiled kindly.

"She's a mutant I found in the city. She doesn' have a name," Logan answered without looking at her.

"I see. Well, we'll just have to give her one. We can't very well go on addressing her as though she were less than human."

"Hey, kid, can you think of a name?"

"You can call me Kid, if you wanna." She looked quite embarrassed to be addressed so kindly. She was used to abuse and this gentle approach was a bit unnerving.

"All right, we can call her Jasmine Kydd," Logan said, chewing on another tooth pick. "Hey, Prof, I was hopin' maybe she could stay here for a bit. She packs quite a wallop and if she can't learn to control it, it'll be bad news."

"I agree, but ultimately, the decision is hers." Xavier turned to Kid. "Would you like to learn to control your powers?"

"Do I have to? I mean, if I never use my powers again, they'll go away, right? And no one will know I'm a mutant," she finished quietly, looking almost hopeful.

"Unfortunately, your powers will never 'go away'. If you don't learn to control them, you could lose control as you did today in that alleyway. Yes, I know all about it," he said, seeing the look of shock on her face. "I'm a telepath. I can read minds and though I try never to read a mind without permission, your mind is practically screaming out to me about your fear of repeating what took place tonight."

"If you learn t' control yer powers, kid, you can learn t' hold 'em back so that ya don't use 'em t' hurt anyone else," Logan said.

"All right, I'll try it. But if I don't like it, I can stop, right?" she asked, looking at each in turn.

"Of course you may. We'll begin tomorrow morning, first thing. Logan will take you to the room you'll be using while you stay with us and I'm sure one of the ladies here will be happy to help you settle in."

Once Wolverine had shown her to her room, Jubilee walked in through the open door. "Hey, you must be the new girl. What's your name? Mine is Jubilation Lee. Everyone just calls me Jubilee."

"My name is Jasmine Kydd." She rubbed her grubby hands on her pants as she stood in the center of the room, being careful not to touch anything.

"Well, Jasmine, no offense, but you reek. Come on. I think I got some clothes you can put on. But you're gonna take a bath first." She led Kid to a bathroom where she ran bath water for her, chatting easily all the while. "It's great to see a new face around here. I really hope you like it at the school."

"School?" Kid asked, struggling to keep up.

"Yeah, this place is a school for mutants. Didn't you know?" Jubilee laughed as Jasmine shook her head. "Well, Jazz, you'll learn a lot here. I was a little intimidated at first about being a mutant and living here and everything else, but everyone here is really nice. You'll make a lot of friends, believe me. All right, hop in the tub."

After Jasmine had climbed into the tub and begun to bathe, Jubilee got rid of her clothes and brought her clean ones. "I got this outfit for Christmas, but it's not really my style. You can have it." She laid a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt on the counter and left the bathroom.

Kid tried them on once she dried off. The pants bagged a little and the shirt was too big, but the style was actually rather flattering on her slight build. She went back to her room and showed Jubilee how she looked. "Cool look, Jazz. You should get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

Kid climbed into her bed and tried to get some sleep. After a while of tossing and turning, she finally settled on the floor rather than the too soft bed and went to sleep. While she slept, Logan crept into the room quietly and put a blanket on her. "Get some sleep, Kid. You're gonna need all the energy ya can get fer tomorrow." He left as quietly as he entered, closing the door silently behind him.

The next morning, Jubilee woke Kid up at seven o'clock. "Why did you sleep on the floor, silly?"

Jasmine groaned and stretched. "The bed's too soft." She stood up and straightened her clothes. Jubilee began to comb Jasmine's hair. "What are you doing?"

"Your hair is a mess. If you're gonna be hanging out with me, you're gonna have to look as cool as I do." Jubilee's almond eyes gleamed warmly. "It's okay. You'll learn. Come on. If we don't hurry, you'll miss breakfast."

Kid's stomach rumbled quietly as she followed Jubilee down to the dining room. When they arrived, she could see several people seated around a large wooden table. Some of them looked normal but some were obviously mutants. The one seated nearest her was at least six feet tall and covered in shaggy, blue grey fur. He was looking at her warmly and his fangs showed in a kind smile that even she couldn't be afraid of. Another was equally out of place with his indigo fur, pointed ears and tail, his odd toes and fingers and his bright yellow eyes. He too was looking at her with a benign interest. Kid found herself suddenly shy.

"Salutations, young lady," said the larger of the furry mutants in a cultured and assuring voice. "Wolverine here's just been telling us all about you." Kid blushed furiously, scuffing her toe on the wooden floor. She tried to speak but all that came out was a frightened squeak. The blue mutant laughed pleasantly. "Don't be afraid. Please sit. I'm sure you must be ravenous."

Jubilee smiled at Kid. "Don't be scared, Jazz. That's just Dr. McCoy, Dr. Henry McCoy. His codename is Beast."

"It's quite understandable if you are intimidated by my appearance. My beastly countenance belies a very kind and civil demeanor." Seeing Kid's confusion, he hastily added, "I'm as cuddly as a teddy bear, and twice as nice." Jasmine smiled at this. She decided that she liked Beast already.

"Guten tag, fraulein. I'm Kurt Vagner, but I am also known as ze Nightcrawler," the other blue, furry mutant said. He picked up a pitcher of orange juice with a three-fingered hand and poured himself a glass. "I once performed in ze Munich circus as an acrobat. I may look like a devil, but I am just as friendly as ze Beast here." Kid shook his hand across the table and seemed to relax a little.

"We met last night. I'm Scott Summers, but the others call me Cyclops." A man with brown hair and tinted glasses at the far end of the table gave her a small wave. "I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk more last night, but..." Here he simply shrugged and trailed off, looking at Logan.

A black woman with white hair and blue eyes stood over Kid with a plate full of food, somehow managing to look majestic even as she placed it in front of her. "I'm Ororo Munroe. I am called Storm. And Logan tells me you are Jasmine Kydd." Kid smiled and nodded. "I daresay you know Logan." She gestured towards the corner. Kid waved to Logan; he merely shoved a slice of bacon into his mouth in response. "Don't mind Logan. He's a bit surly but he's usually likable enough." Scott snorted derisively and Storm gave him a quelling stare.

"Are all of you mutants?" Kid asked once Storm sat down. There were murmurs of agreement all around the table. "But you guys don't all look like mutants."

Beast laughed heartily. "Neither do you, my dear. It is, however, obvious that you are, otherwise you would not be sitting here." She thought about it for a second and nodded. She began to eat her eggs and sausage hungrily.

Once she had gotten through half of her breakfast at a pace that left the others almost stunned, she began to ask more questions. "So, what are your powers? When did you find out you had them? How did you learn to use them? How will I learn to use mine?"

Beast chuckled. "Slow down, slow down. One question at a time."

Storm sat forward a bit. "Well, I think your first question was what all our powers are? It would be a lot easier to show you than it would be to tell you."

When Storm trailed off, Beast picked up where she left off. "Mutant powers usually begin to manifest during puberty. However, some of us, like Kurt here for instance, are born mutated to some degree. Kurt was born pretty much the way you see him now. For each of us, the story of how we first realized we're mutants is a bit different. The same goes for how we learned to control our powers. You will be training to use your powers in a room of my design known by the dubious name of the Danger Room. It offers a safe, controlled environment in which you can learn to use your powers through trial and error without the fear of hurting anyone."

Kid gaped at Beast as though she was dying to say, "What?!" She merely nodded and sipped her orange juice. Just when the others began to relax and continue their breakfasts, she suddenly burst out, "What's the Danger Room?"

Beast drained his coffee mug and set it back down on the table. "When you finish your breakfast, I'll be more than happy to show you. In the mean time, I think I'll have another cup of coffee."

After all the plates had been cleared from the table, Beast and Logan led Kid down to the basement. "Whoa!" Kid said in a hushed voice. The basement was as high-tech and forbidding as the upstairs was classy, warm and inviting. She followed Beast to a large room with metal on every surface.

"Now, we'll be putting you through a simulation..." began Beast.

"A-alone?" Kid gulped and looked around nervously.

"Yes, alone. We'll be just up there watching your performance and if anything happens, we'll be right down to assist you."

"Promise?"

"Cross m'heart, Kid," Wolverine said, patting her on the head. They left her and the doors shut with a soft hiss. She waited nervously, staring up at the window above her. When Beast and Wolverine appeared in the window, she relaxed a bit. "Ready, Kid?"

"Y-yeah. I guess so," she answered, shaking visibly. Suddenly, the room seemed to stretch into a corridor. Jasmine set off in one direction slowly, her nerves stretched to the limit as she waited for something to happen.

She reached a room at the end of the corridor and a man in a black uniform similar to those worn by SWAT officers grabbed her. "You're coming with us, mutie." Jasmine could feel a small current move momentarily over her skin where he was holding her and he let go with a yelp. Another officer grabbed her from behind.

"Let me go!" she screamed. He received a bigger shock and dropped her onto the floor, hard. Another anti-mutant trooper appeared to take his place immediately. Each time she broke away, more and more seemed to appear. She was filled with an ecstacy of terror so complete, she was nearly blinded with it. She began to panic and lose her head. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room electrified and small sparks began to fly off of Kid's body. The sparks grew larger and larger until they became bolts of electricity, blue white jags of light that began to hit everything in the room, conducted and ricocheted by the metal surfaces. In her fear, she was completely unaware of what was happening and made no effort to control the massive outpouring of energy coming from her body.

Beast gazed with fascination at this display of pure power. Wolverine grabbed him and pulled him to the floor just in the nick of time; the glass window blew in, shards flying everywhere. The simulation ended as the console was destroyed, but Kid didn't stop until the very walls of the Danger Room had been nearly destroyed. "Incredible!" Beast said, looking at the glass littered over the floor and the fried console. "I've never seen such raw power in a child before."

"Whoa, Kid!" Wolverine jumped through the window, landing next to Jasmine just in time to catch her as she passed out. He checked her vitals.

"Is she all right?"

"Yeah, just exhausted by the looks of it. That was a lot of power she put out." Wolverine carried her into the infirmary and laid her on one of the beds.

"Good thinking, Logan. I would like to run some tests on her." Beast began to hook various sensors and probes up to Jasmine as she lay unconscious. He examined a monitor raptly as data sheets printed out nearby. "Very interesting...."

"What's so interestin', Furball?"

Beast simply rolled up the computer printouts and smiled. "I should probably get to work repairing the Danger Room. That is, if you don't mind sitting with the young lady until I get back." Without waiting for an answer, Beast left the room.

Wolverine stuck a fresh toothpick into the corner of his mouth. "Not like I had plans," he muttered, resigned. He sat in a chair by Jasmine's bed and propped his feet up on another. After a few minutes, Kid opened her eyes.

"Whuh happened? Where am I?" she slurred, blinking in the bright light.

"You're in th' infirmary. You passed out. After ya wrecked the Danger Room." He gave her an appraising look as she sat up.

"I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to. Am I gonna have to leave?"

Wolverine actually laughed. "Kid, if they were handin' out walkin' papers for tearin' up the Danger Room, I wouldn't be sittin' here right now. I can't tell ya how many times I wrecked it in a trainin' session."

"Is Beast mad at me for messing up the Danger Room?" she asked quietly, twisting the sheets nervously. Wolverine took the tooth pick out of his mouth and studied the end of it before putting it back.

"Are you kiddin' me? The man looks like Christmas, Easter, and three of his birthdays came at the same time. He's been lookin' for an excuse to upgrade the Danger Room fer a while now. And ya shoulda seen the way his eyes lit up when ya trashed the place. You woulda thought he won th' lottery or somethin'."

"Why?"

"You're pretty strong fer a kid. How old are ya anyway?"

"Thirteen."

Wolverine's mouth opened so fast that the toothpick fell out of his mouth. "You're pretty small for 13, Kid." She glared at him for a second but lowered her eyes quickly. Logan noticed the irritation on her face though and smiled to himself. She might shape up to be a lot tougher than she looked. "Well, Hank's gonna be a while with the Danger Room. Once he gets inta somethin', it's hell tryna get 'im out." Logan stretched lazily. Jasmine watched his muscles flex as he shifted to make himself more comfortable.

"You're really strong, huh?" Logan glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and shrugged, scratching his hair absently. He folded his arms and chewed his toothpick slowly. After a few minutes, Jasmine stood next to him and stared at him until he turned to look at her. "Do you think I'll ever be strong like you?" Seeing the admiration in her wide blue eyes, he tousled her hair and smirked.

"Stranger things have happened, Kid." She smiled and sat on the bed. "You get a handle on yer powers, you can start training with me."

"R-really? Awesome!"

"Ya say that now, but I train pretty hard." Jasmine just stared raptly at him.

"But I'll get stronger, right?"

"Yeah. If ya don't go crazy first. Tell ya what. It's about time fer lunch. We can go grab a sandwich or somethin', if yer hungry that is." Kid's stomach rumbled in response. "I'll take that as a yes."

Logan led her upstairs to the kitchen. Jasmine sat at the island while Logan rooted through the fridge. He resurfaced with a couple bottles of root beer and lunch meat. He quickly made three of the biggest sandwiches Kid had ever seen and handed her one on a plate. "I call 'em jaw-stretcher specials. Tuck in, squirt." He took a huge bite out of his sandwich, pulling a shred of lettuce into his mouth with his tongue. Jasmine tried to bite into her sandwich but only managed to get a small bit of the corner into her mouth. Logan took her sandwich gently and pressed it until it was about half as thick and handed it back.

"Thanks!" As Kid began to wolf down her sandwich, Logan opened the root beers deftly.

"Kid, what's the rush? It ain't goin' anywhere," Logan said, his eyebrows raised as she drank half of her root beer in one swig. "Do you even taste the damned thing before it hits yer stomach or what?"

She glanced at him nervously and slowed down. "Sorry. I just don't get to eat a lot so... well, ya know..." She nibbled her sandwich with an effort. It took all her willpower not to choke it down as fast as she could. Logan ate his sandwiches, watching Kid carefully. "This sandwich is really good." Logan nodded once and finished his root beer. When she finished too, he put the plates in the sink and the bottles in the trash.

"I'm gonna go get some trainin' in. Jubilee or somebody c'n show ya 'round this dump." Logan headed toward his room upstairs. Kid followed him.

"So, um, how do you train when the Danger Room isn't working?" she asked. Logan snarled in agitation.

"Look, Kid, I'm not yer babysitter. Find somebody else ta bother." Kid stopped and looked crestfallen.

"F-fine. You don't hafta be so mean about it." Before Logan could apologize, she ran into her room and slammed the door. He could hear her crying inside. For a second, he stood awkwardly, staring at the door. Suddenly, his face hardened and he marched to his room. He closed his door and started to change into a karate gi which consisted of black pants, a white shirt and a black belt. He stalked barefooted out onto the grounds and began to practice forms from several of the fighting styles he had learned over the decades.

Kid sat at her window watching him, moping, angrily jabbing away tears. "Hey, Jazz, what's up?" Jubilee walked in without knocking and sat on her bed.

"Nothing." She threw a pillow at the window. "Stupid Logan. He said I was bugging him and told me to go away. I only asked him a question and he snapped at me..." She swiped at a tear on her cheek.

Jubilee began picking at a bit of loose thread in the sheets. "Yeah, he can be a little harsh sometimes. I'm sure he's sorry. Sort of." Jubilee suddenly brightened and put a hand on her shoulder. "If ya want, I can give him a good kick in the butt and make him apologize."

"No thanks." Kid stared at the wall stubbornly.

"Want me to show you around? Maybe later we can get some money to buy you some new threads."

"Okay." Jasmine could not make herself sound enthusiastic. She got up and followed Jubilee out of the room, slouching along moodily, dragging her feet. Jubilee pointed out the bedrooms of some of the X-Men, showing Jasmine the rooms where the doors were opened. Jasmine was reluctantly impressed by the simplicity and unique style of Logan's room. Jubilee introduced Kid to some people she hadn't met yet, including Gambit and Iceman.

"Allo, mon petit. Dey call me Gambit, but my real name be Remy. Remy LeBeau. It real good to meet you, petit."

"Hi, I'm Jasmine. Where are you from?"

"Gambit come from Louisiana, New Orleans. Gambit use to be a teef, yeah? But I change a lot since den, cher. Now all Gambit steal is de ladies' hearts, oui, Jubilee?" He winked at them roguishly.

Jasmine blushed and scuffed her shoes against the floor. "Um, I like your eyes. I think they're cool."

Gambit looked surprised for a second, then smiled broadly, putting a hand on Kid's head. "Gambit like your eyes too, petit. Dey fit you well. You take good care o' dem. If ya'll excuse me, Gambit have a date with destiny," he said, winking again as he saw Rogue walk by, leaving Jubilee and Jasmine to follow her.

Iceman seemed similarly happy to see Jasmine. "Finally, some new blood around here. Really gets boring seeing the same old faces everyday. I'm Bobby Drake. Everybody calls me Iceman... Well, except for Beast and Professor Xavier. When they're mad at me, they call me Robert. I get called Robert a lot," he added with a laugh.

"You must get into a lot of trouble," Kid said.

"Oh, he does. He thinks he's the bad boy of the group. He's only bad if you compare him to boy bands," Jubilee answered.

"Hey, I resent that. I'm the baddest man in this place, besides Wolverine. But that psycho doesn't count."

"Okay, we'll tell him you said that. I'm gonna finish showing Jazz around, Bobby. See ya later." Jubilee and Jasmine waved to Iceman and disappeared down the stairs. "There's the Professor's office. And over there is the 'wreck room'. It should be the recreation room, but with people like Gambit and Logan around, there's bound to be mayhem." Kid laughed. "Want to go outside and hang out, Jazz?"

"Nah. Can you take me to see Dr. McCoy?"

"Sure. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you." Jubilee took Kid down to Beast's lab. "I hope you don't mind if I leave now. He can be really.... boring." She waved at Jasmine from the elevator. Kid walked into the lab quietly. Beast looked up at her kindly, set down some papers he was reading and removed his glasses.

"Hello, Jasmine. I was hoping I'd have a chance to converse with you. If I had known you were up and about already, I certainly would have invited you to drop by."

"Hello, Dr. McCoy." Kid seemed suddenly shy. "You don't mind having me around?"

"No, not at all, my dear. Have a seat." He pushed a chair towards her. "So, what brings you down to my humble lab to grace me with your company?"

"I don't know. Just lonely and confused, I guess." She paused. "I have a lot of questions. I mean, this is a school right? Do you guys have real classes and stuff? Like math and reading?"

"Oh, of course. We get a lot of teenaged mutants, sometimes even children younger than you. Since some of our students go on to college and leave here to lead normal lives, we have to make sure they are properly educated."

"Um, you promise not to laugh if I tell you a secret?"

"You have my word." Beast looked at her, his eyebrows knit in concern for her embarrassment and discomfort.

"I-I... Well, I... I can't..." Jasmine twisted the bottom of her t-shirt in her hands as she wrestled with the words. "I can't read," she whispered. She stared at her shoes to avoid looking at Beast. "I never learned how. I couldn't go to school like other kids 'cause I was homeless and..." She looked up at Dr. McCoy, tears running hard and fast over her cheeks. "What if the other kids find out and they laugh at me?"

"It's not your fault if you've never had the opportunity to learn how to read. Come on now, don't cry," he said bracingly. He handed her a tissue. "I can teach you how to read if you'd like. And if anyone here has the gall to laugh at you, they have more to be ashamed of than you do." He put a large hand on her shoulder as she wiped her eyes.

"What about the Danger Room and everything?"

"I should think your happiness and your education are a fair bit more important than my personal projects. After breakfast tomorrow, I want you to come back to my lab. I'll give you private lessons while the other students have their classes. If anyone asks, I'll simply tell them you're my new lab assistant." He smiled, revealing his white fangs. She smiled back.

"I'm really going to learn how to read and write and do school stuff like other kids?"

"Certainly. You seem to be quite the bright young lady. I shall be very surprised if you don't take to reading like a duck to water. I'm confident that you will do very well."

"Why can't we start today?" she asked eagerly.

"I'll need some time to procure adequate learning materials for you. Don't worry so much just now. Take some time to get settled in first. Meet the other students, learn your way around the mansion, have fun. Who knows? You may even make some new friends."

"Are you my friend, Dr. McCoy?"

"Most definitely. I shall be your friend as long as you want me to be."

Jubilee suddenly burst into the lab, making Jasmine jump about a mile out of her skin. She seemed really excited. "Hi, Beast!"

"Salutations, Jubilee. You must have come to collect Miss Kydd here. I can't imagine you being so exhilirated to see me," he chuckled good-naturedly.

"Yeah. The Professor is letting me take Jazz to get some clothes. This is going to be sooo much fun!"

"Well, you two be sure to enjoy yourselves. Don't drive the poor girl crazy, Jubilee."

"I won't. She's going to love shopping. Come on. Wolverine and Storm are taking us to the mall." Jubilee grinned broadly at Jasmine.

Jasmine went to hug Beast. "See you later, Dr. McCoy."

"Don't forget our appointment for tomorrow morning, right after breakfast," he said, patting her on the back.

"Okay. I won't. Thanks!"

"Anytime. If you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open." He waved as Jubilee half-dragged Kid from the lab. When they got to the entrance hall, Wolverine and Storm were waiting for them.

"C'mon. I ain't got all day t' be standin' around waiting fer ya," Wolverine griped, an unlit cigar in the corner of his mouth.

"Don't mind Wolverine. Actually, this is almost happy for him," Jubilee said, smiling. Wolverine snorted in disgust.

"Come along, girls. We have a lot of shopping to do and only a few hours before dinner," Ororo said, clutching an elegant purse and heading for the door. Jubilee and Jasmine followed, Jubilee talking a mile a minute, Wolverine slouching behind them. The entire drive to the mall, Wolverine kept catching glances of Jasmine in the rear view mirror, looking overwhelmed at the sheer volume of words Jubilee was bombarding her with. He smirked and suppressed an urge to shut Jubilee up.

They arrived at the mall and Jubilee immediately dragged Jasmine to her favorite store. "Come on. We're going to get you some clothes so you can look as cool as I do." Kid threw a pleading look at Storm and Wolverine over her shoulder. Jubilee had her try on a number of outfits, none of which suited Kid.

"Oh God. Can I just pick my own clothes? I look like your closet threw up on me..." she said, wearing an odd combination of torn jeans, a fishnet shirt, sunglasses and boots. She grabbed some clothes off of a rack. "I look like a Beverly Hills vampire or something," she muttered, going back into the dressing room. She came out shortly in a tank top, a red flannel shirt, and a pair of blue jeans.

"Great, now you look like Wolverine dresses you." Jasmine stuck her tongue out at Jubilee and grabbed some more clothes. When they finally left the store, she had an assortment of band shirts, different styles of jeans, a few pairs of khakis and cargo pants, a few tank tops and three flannel shirts.

"All right, now we just need some shoes for you and a few things for your room," Storm said, taking Jasmine's hand and leading her to the shoe store. Inside, Jazz picked out a few modest shoes to model for them, none of which they seemed to agree on. "I do like the silver and white sneakers," Storm said. "They're good for an active girl her age and they're cute. They'd go with most of her clothes."

"I like the pink and blue sneakers. They're different and she should have her own style," Jubilee countered.

"I'd like her t' find a pair o' shoes so we can get outta here," Wolverine muttered. Jasmine seemed to agree with him. She simply grabbed a pair of steel toed boots, the white and silver sneakers, a pair of skater sneakers and an interesting pair of boots with thick rubber soles and a number of metal embellishments. They paid for her shoes and began to wander the mall for some personal touches for Jasmine's room. Wolverine carried the bags and muttered complaints the whole way.

When they came across a Hot Topic, Jasmine dragged them inside. "Whoooa..." she whispered, gazing around. "Awesome..." She wandered through the store, looking at posters and wall hangings. She finally chose an anime wall scroll, a band poster and a Japanese dragon figurine molded from heavy pewter. Just as they were about to ring her up, she spotted an accessory rack. She picked up a pair of reflective sunglasses, a pair of goggles and a couple of wrist bands. "Can I have these too?"

"Well...." Storm began, eyeing the prices.

"Oh!" The cashier perked up, sensing a sale. "Those are all on clearance. 80% off. Today's the last day for that discount."

Seeing the look on Jasmine's face, Storm melted. "All right. We'll get them." As she paid for Jasmine's things, she turned to her. "It's about time for us to get home. Dinner should be about ready when we get there."

"Okay. I'm going to put my stuff in my room as soon as we get home," Kid said, walking back through the mall with them. When the meaning of the last sentence out of her mouth hit her, she began to cry. Brushing the tears out of her eyes before anyone but Logan noticed, she followed them to the Jeep, Wolverine's hand on her shoulder, a look of understanding on his face.