The sun shining on her face woke Heidi and when she looked at her bedside clock she groaned. It was nearly 1 in the afternoon, and she couldn’t believe she had slept most of the day away. She shut her eyes and thought about last night, about Logan and their drive to her apartment. At first she hadn’t been happy with his treatment of her, but as the night wore one she realized, well what she realized is that she didn’t know what to think about him, and that was frustrating. Deciding she had spent enough of her day sleeping, Heidi got out of bed and headed for the shower.

      When she arrived in the kitchen she found Logan leaning into the refrigerator, rummaging for something. She waited to see if he would say something to her and when he continued to dig around in there she smiled saying, “You know there is such a thing as an air conditioner.” After making that comment she turned to her left and opened the pantry ready to find some lunch for herself.

      Logan shut the door turning to his left as she rummaged through the pantry. “Really, I didn’t know that,” he sarcastically replied as he walked behind her reaching around her to pull out a DR. Pepper. 

      Heidi shuttered as she felt his arm touch her own, feeling her cheeks redden. How was he able to make her feel this way, so completely undone by one simple touch? He didn’t seem to notice as he walked over to the Island in the middle of the kitchen, sitting down on one of the bar stools. After taking a moment to compose herself, Heidi got out a bag of bread and avoiding his gaze she went to the refrigerator and got out part of a sliced Tomato and some lettuce.

      Instead of using the Island to make her sandwich, Heidi chose to go over and use the counter space behind Logan, hoping he would just disappear. She was so into her thoughts, that she wasn’t paying that much attention to what she was doing and slit her finger open with the knife. “Damn it,” Heidi said as she dropped the knife.

      Logan heard the panic in her voice and a moment later he was standing beside her as she wrapped her towel around her cut finger. Without saying a word he walked over to a set of drawers and pulled out a box of Band-Aids, and peroxide and went back to her as she pulled the towel away. He got his first glance at the cut and had a feeling she would need a couple of stitches to close it up. 

      “Here let me see,” he said as he reached for her hand only to have her pull it away.   

      “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself,” she said as she moved past him to where he had put the Band-Aids and peroxide. She took those to the kitchen sink and found that trying to do things with one hand wasn’t working out all that well. “Open this,” Heidi said when he approached. She handed him the bottle of peroxide then turned on the water and stuck her finger under it pulling it out when she realized just how bad that hurt. When he handed her the bottle, Heidi held her finger out held the bottle over her finger and slowly tilted the bottle forward shutting her eyes as she did, as if not seeing the Peroxide pour onto her cut would make it hurt any less than it already did. She heard the peroxide pour out and looked realizing she had missed it. It was bleeding again, and Heidi wanted to toss the bottle away. While Heidi struggled with trying to tend to her cut, Logan stood next to her waiting to see if she would let him help her. He couldn’t believe how stubborn she was being over one simple cut, and in part knew he was making her feel uncomfortable, but something about her seemed to bring out the worst in him at times. Just as it looked like she was about to throw away the bottle of peroxide Logan decided to help her out, even if he did get yelled out. 

      “Here,” he said as he took her hand and put it back under the water watching as she shut her eyes. He still felt she needed someone to look at it but wasn’t going to press the point especially since she was letting him help her. He poured the peroxide on the cut a few times letting it bubble, noticing her wince, and when he was sure they had gotten it as clean as they could he blotted her finger dry around the cut then put the Band Aid on it. When he finished he gently grasped her shoulders and led her to the Island pulling out a stool for her, expecting her to protest to his helping her but again she surprised him when she sat down. Logan finished making the sandwich for her and set it in front of her. “Was it all that bad having me help you?” he asked sitting next to her.

      “I could have taken care of it on my own, but thank you,” she said as she began to eat. 

      He was about to say something else when one of the kids ran in telling him that two of the boys were in an argument. Logan left to defuse the argument before anyone could get hurt, and once he was gone, Heidi breathed a sigh of relief. She finished her lunch and as she used her hurt hand to pick things up she realized her finger was throbbing and decided that letting Jean have a look at it couldn’t hurt. 

      Two of the younger boys, Jake and Jones were arguing about whose turn it was to use throw the basketball in the basket, and by the time Logan arrived Jones was slowly backing away as Jake shut his eyes. Before the boy had time to throw a mental Tantrum, Logan was at his side, kneeling next to him, grasping him gently but firmly around his arms until Jake opened his eyes.

      “Do you want to tell me what just happened?” he asked. He knew Jean had been working with this kid, trying to teach him that having metal tantrums was not something he should be doing.

      “It was my turn to make a shot and Jones wouldn’t let me do that,” Jake said pulling out of Logan’s grasp. Logan watched as the boy ran toward the mansion, and decided finding Jean now would be a wise move.

      “I really didn’t mean to make him mad, but he’s been making shots for the past hour and it was my turn,” Jones said feeling bad.

      “Don’t worry about it,” Logan said as he left the other boy in search of Jean.

      On a medical table, Heidi sat with her gaze to the floor as Jean put in the last of two tiny stitches. She was embarrassed that she had been distracted enough to let this happen, and when Jean said she was finished Heidi slipped off of the table. 

      “Thank you for fitting me in,” she said

      “It was not a problem, but I have someone I need to go look in on,” Jean said. As the two of them started toward the door Logan walked in and when Heidi saw him she made a quick exit.

      For a moment he forgot about Jake, and asked what was wrong with Heidi.

      “She needed a couple of stitches, and I need to go have a word with young Jake,” she said placing her hand on Logan’s shoulder for a moment before she left.

      Logan wanted to go check on Heidi himself but his class would be starting and he needed to prepare.

      As Heidi was making her way toward the stairs to go up to her room she heard the professor call for her and found him rolling out of his office. She walked over to him and when he asked her how she liked being here she felt the truth was in order.   

      “I’m not sure being here is such a good idea. Truthfully I’m not sure where I should go,” she admitted as they went back into the office. Once inside she sat down in a chair as he rolled around to face her. 

      “Maybe you need something to do, the students could always use another class to further their education,” he said.

      Heidi shook her head. “I’m not certified to teach, and I’m not sure there would be much I could offer them. I think maybe it would be best for me to just go. I have a friend I could stay with, and now that I’m relatively certain I don’t have a job, I’ll need to start looking for something else.

      Even though he wasn’t reading her mind, the professor could tell something about being her was making her feel uncomfortable. “Give us another few days,” he said. He wasn’t in the position to tell her that running away wouldn’t be the answer.

      “Maybe I’ll stay, but I’m just not sure.” After leaving his office, Heidi felt like she had run a marathon and went back up to her room. Once here she rummaged through her duffle and got out one of her favorite Romance novels. She settled in bed and opened the first page of the book hoping that the story would take her away from all of these confusing conflicting thoughts.

      The next time Heidi saw Logan was at dinner. She was sitting next to Jean when he walked into the room carrying his food. In the seat next to her was Storm, and she was glad that Logan wasn’t going to be able to sit beside her. Before he came into the room Jean had been telling her about her first few days at the school, and a little about her abilities which had changed quite a bit in the past month. When Jean asked her how long she had been a clairvoyant, Heidi was a little surprised that the woman knew, but then given her telepathic abilities, she guessed that wasn’t such a surprise after all.

      “I think I started having dreams when I was 8.” Heidi told her about her mother’s necklace, and at the end of her narrative, everyone else at the table seemed to be listening, and Heidi suddenly felt embarrassed. 

      “I think I’ll go have a walk outside before it gets too dark,” she said. She slid her chair back to fast and as she stood it up it fell over. Heidi grabbed her plate and ran toward the kitchen. When she got there she shut her eyes. This was not working out, and she knew she needed to get away but couldn’t think of where to go. Heidi was so lost in thought that she didn’t see Logan enter the room not until she felt the plate she was still holding onto taken out of her hand.

      “You okay?” Logan asked, finding that he was worried about this woman.

      “I would be better if I fit in,” Heidi said letting him take the glass she was also holding. She watched as he took the two items to the sink rinsing them out before he put them into the dishwasher. When he came back to her Heidi found that she was thinking about how it would feel to have his lips kissing hers, and when he reached out to touch her hand, Heidi backed up. “I should go to bed, I should…” Suddenly she knew what it was like to be kissed by him; to be held in his arms, and for a moment she was lost in a swell of emotions, ones she had never felt until this moment. When reality set in Heidi pulled out of his embrace and ran for the stairs. She would leave first thing tomorrow morning while Logan was in class, and would go stay with Anna, hoping her friend wouldn’t mind the intrusion.

      On the small balcony in back of the house Logan stood looking over the railing. In his left hand he held a Cigar, one he had not yet lit. Kissing Heidi had been something he had wanted to do since that night he saved her from Max, though he realized his timing wasn’t all that great. He knew that he loved her, and knew that his love for her wasn’t something just based on primal need. “Why did you kiss her?” He asked himself as he finally lit his cigar and inhaled. Even though he asked that question he knew the answer. Even though he couldn’t read minds like Jean, or see into the future like Heidi, Logan knew that she had wanted that as much as he had, the question that was still in his thoughts was that even though she may have wanted that, she may not have been ready, and he may end up loosing her as a result of his hasty actions. After his Cigar was reduced to a small stub, Logan put it out then carried what remained of it back into the house. In the kitchen he through it in the garbage, and before going up to his room he opened the pantry door, reaching behind several cans of food until his he found what he wanted, a six pack of beer he had hidden there for moments such as this. 

      In the morning after talking to Anna, Heidi managed to get to Xavier’s office before his first class of students arrived and informed him of her decision. “I just think it would be better if I moved on. You now know of Max’s plans, and can protect the children, and yourselves. Anna has agreed to let me stay with her until I can find another job,” Heidi said as she realized she had been staring at the floor. When she looked up at the professor she half expected him to protest her leaving.

      “I want to thank you for all that you have done for us, and I am sorry that you won’t be staying here with us. Will you tell the others goodbye, or would you like me to tell them?” He asked. Xavier knew that he couldn’t tell her to stay, and knew that something had gone on between she and Logan the night before. He could easily read her mind and find out for himself what had gone on but in this case he knew that such an intrusion would only further hurt and confuse the woman that sat across from him.

      “I think it would be best if I just went on my way. Professor, if you wouldn’t mind, I don’t want you to say anything to Logan. I need to get my life back in order, and I think it would be better if he didn’t know where I was, so he can go back to his life as well,” she said.

      “I will keep what you have told me today between the two of us,” he said sensing her relief. She stood up and before she left she walked over to him and took his hand.

      “Thank you for understanding.” She let go of his hand and left the room with her things. It took a few minutes but she found the garage with her car, and was thankful that it was in a part where Scott wasn’t teaching his classes. As she slid into the seat she turned on the key in the ignition and drove away without looking back, refusing to have any regrets over what she was doing.

      Anna had just finished putting clean sheets on the bed in the guest room when she heard the doorbell ring. She hurried down the stairs and opened the door to her best friend. “I’m so glad you are safe,” she said as the two of them hugged.

      “I am too. Thank you again for letting me stay here with you,” she said as Anna shut the door and locked it. They had talked earlier that morning, and Heidi had instructed her to keep the doors locked. After putting Heidi’s things up in the guest room the two women sat in the living room, and for a while they talked about Anna’s divorce. Heidi found out about her ex husband’s surprise visit and how he had tried to strangle her. What stunned her was when Anna told her about purchasing a gun, as well as getting a restraining order on him. “I would never have thought he could be such a bastard,” Heidi said watching as Anna looked down at the floor. Deciding that they had talked enough about depressing topics, Heidi suggested they head out to dinner, and a movie, something Anna readily agreed to do. It had a long time since the two of them had done anything together and Anna was glad her friend always seemed how to lighten up such horrible situations.

      Back at the mansion, when Logan didn’t see Heidi at lunch and found her room empty he went straight to the professor’s office. Xavier was still teaching class, so Logan stood away from the students, wishing the class would hurry up in end. When it finally did he waited until the last student was gone before informing Xavier that Heidi was gone. 

      Of course he already knew this but he had promised not to tell Logan where she was. “I talked with her earlier this morning, and she felt it better that she moved on,” he said.

      Logan let his blades slide out of his hands as he began to pace the room. “You let her go when she could easily get killed by that crazy bastard?” he asked as he rounded on the professor sliding his blades back into his hands. 

      “Logan, we can’t keep her here. She has a life of her own, and unlike the children she is and adult,” he said knowing that his explanation was falling upon deaf ears. 

      “Is she at her apartment?” He asked ready to go find her and bring her back, or at least go and make sure that no one harmed her. He was angrier at the professor than he had ever been and part of him wanted to slide a blade or two in old Chuck’s throat. Then Logan realized his irrational thoughts and stocked out of the room. He knew he wasn’t going to get any answers here, and would have to find her on his own.

      In his room Logan pulled on a pair of worn blue jeans. He put on a black shirt and then his leather jacket and his boots. When he was ready he stocked down to the garage, glad he had filled up the gas tank on the Motorcycle the last time he had gone out on it. After rolling it out of the garage he took of for the city ready to protect the woman he loved.