What was THAT all about?

[Haven]

"Uh *ahem* hi?" Niki said as she came walking back into the room from their bathroom. One of the perks of having an 'end of the hall' room was that there was no other room to have to share a bathroom with, though their own room was a bit smaller. It Niki's mind though it just made it cozier for the two of them. "What was that all about?"

She walked over to sit on the edge of Aideen's bed and used her heel to side her own pullout daybed back to it's storage place underneath. She had come back after lunch and decided to lay down for a bit, but getting bored with that had gone and applied a facial mask. Her notes on the paper she was preparing for Kitty's class were still spread out on her bed, but she'd clean up later, right now out of sight was out of mind. With her best friend was looking like she had the weight of the world on her back, everything else could wait.

"Hey! Snap outta it huh!" Niki ordered from behind Aideen who was still standing in the place their Gym teacher had left her. Facing the door. Breathing shallowly. "Deenie-baby! Hell-lloOOoo?" Her fingers snapped to get her out of sorts room mate to turn around. Patting the mattress next to her she smiled a little and said "C'mon, sit down an talk to me girl. You look as pale as me," which was not that much of an exaggeration "what's eatin you?"

[Ember]

Rather than sitting down, Aideen felt her shoulders slump as she shook the realization off of her and tried to keep herself together. "He's going to leave I think," she said quietly, biting her lip as her heart constricted to painful angles in her chest. Slowly, she turn around and walked to the bathroom, washing her hands from the grease and oil in an mechanical motion, her body on autopilot as her mind tried to sink in the horrible realization as he knew better than to say something like that to her and allow her to take it for anything other than what it truly meant. "I knew I was far more trouble than I was worth, and that same trouble is driving him to leave most likely." Her voice needed to take robotic tone for a moment as her mind struggled to process everything.

"It's like Rumble always wins no matter what," Aideen said taking her dirty long sleeved shirt off and placing it in the laundry basket. She left on her jeans on walked over to wash her face from the streaks of grease and oil. When she wiped her face and took out the bun that held her still damp hair together, her hands moved to grip the edge of the white porcelain sink as she tried to get a hold of her breathing and her behavior, knowing Niki's eyes were watching her intently. A long curtain of thick damp strands fell around her, brushing against her arms and face as she stared at the drain in the sink with a blank look on her face.

Slowly, Aideen lifted her head and stared at herself in the mirror, remembering a similar position she found herself in three months ago when her heart shut down the first time. However this time it couldn't be like that. Back then, it was easy for Aideen's mind to shut down, her heart had been dormant and her mind still unaware of emotions and how wonderful and terrible they could be. Almost four months later and she found herself in a position where she couldn't shut down like she once could. Her heart had been opened and she had the luxury of feeling the beautiful things that he made her feel, but now came the ugly side, the side that she had seen mess up everyone around her, the side that her uncle always warned her about. It was an irrational and irrational side that threatened to take over her whole mind, but she refused to allow it.

Aideen had been conditioned to have more control, and she needed to access that control right then before she acted foolishly. "He got just what he wanted, funny enough. He wanted Logan away from me, and that's exactly what he got," the soft words were accompanied by a bitter breathy laugh of disbelief as she shook her head and straightened up, continuing with her grooming routine by spraying her hair with water laced with raspberry essence and combing the small bits of grease out of her hair. Rare was it ever seen hanging loose on her shoulder, but Niki being her roommate was privy to many things that others weren't. "I don't know why I bother Niki. Between Rumble and... my Uncle, it's like there is nothing to feel happy towards anymore." She finished brushing her hair and stared at herself for a moment in the mirror before bringing both hands to cover her face as she leaned her elbows on the edge of the porcelain sink. "I feel like such a fool," Aideen said softly into her hands. She never allowed herself such a vulnerable and emotional moment, even in front of Niki, but after everything she just couldn't hold herself up like she once could, like she still should. Feeling emotions had proved to be a very bad decision on her part, very bad indeed.

[Haven]

"AW hey, come on now.. don't do that.. don't Do that to yourself girl. That ain't it at all, you know better." She stood and silently padded her bare feet into the bathroom to stand behind her broken sounding friend and wrap an arm across her back. Resting her head on Aideen's shoulder for a moment as she let her feel her calm presence there, she wasn't all that good at caring about people in general but there were those few individuals that she made an exception for.

Lifting her head from Aideen's shoulder she sat on the closed lid of the toilet next to the sink and reached up to move the hair from Ember's face. "Now you know him better than that- hell, even I know him better, and I know you too. Look, I ain't said anything since this all started way back when, but I've known for a while now and the two of you together are the best thing thats ever happened to... well, to either one of you. OK, I know it's the best thing that's ever happened to you, I mean that's just damn obvious.. and I don't know Wolverine well, but come on I know him well enough to know he won't let somebody like that asshole Brock ruin what he has with you."

"Why would he? I mean that looked pretty incredible from where I was standin and for him to hold you like that with me right in here? ..and you know I was peekin from in the bathroom right?.." She looked into Aideen's eye's and lifted her brows in expectation of some sign on her room mate's face. "I'm just sayin I think you got nothin to worry about.. Why are you thinkin he's gonna leave?" Niki furrowed her brow then with concern and cocked her head to the side hoping to be enlightened, her confusion evident.

[Ember]

Sighing into her hands, Aideen moved them over her face to push her hair back behind her as her shoulders slumped forward. "You saw that brutal murder they're covering on the news? The one with that Sicilian girl found in Hell's Kitchen? In short, Rumble pretty much told me that if I don't let go of Logan, there will be more stories like that." Another deep breath escaped her when she saw the look on Niki's face. "Do not get too excited, he never flat out said that he was responsible, just implied it. Niki the girl looks so much like me, I just... it couldn't be a coincidence. It was too similar," Aideen said grabbing her lotion and rubbing it on her skin as she continued with her routine.

"I told Logan about it, and I can only assume that he went off now to find out for himself what happened. I feel horrible for coming to him with this, I should be able to handle it on my own, and I still have a responsibility to inform a teacher about it." Her voice lost the robotic tone, as Niki did actually make her feel a bit better and get a hold of her logical mind that after everything they'd been through, Logan wouldn't just leave without coming back. "Just now he told me to sit tight and he'll be back soon. He's never lied to me... I don't know Niki. Something..." She paused as she walked over to her dresser and pulled on a plain navy blue long sleeved shirt.

"Something just doesn't feel right about all of this." Aideen sat on the edge of the tub as she combed her fingers through her hair and looked over at Niki, biting her lip in thought. "It's like... there's a big part of the whole thing that still hasn't made itself known. As much as I dislike admitting it, Rumble is a very smart man, and he has capabilities and the means to cause some serious damage... I don't know Niki." She sighed as she brought her hair up to a neat bun without a hair out of place again. "I just don't have a good feeling about any of it, especially him leaving. I know he wants to do what's right by me, that's the kind of man he is," Aideen said with a small smile lifting her features for one moment. "I hate Rumble for having him leave, it just doesn't feel right, and leaves me still not knowing what to do with myself, but now without him as well." Her shoulders slumped in defeat again as she twisted her long hair up into an elegant bun as a feeling of loss settled on her.

[Haven]

"Okay, well what do you mean he left, left the room? Yeah, duh.." Niki tried to tease to lighten the mood, but seeing no change in Aideen she quickly abandoned the tactic "but you mean LEFT-left? Like left the school, left you here alone?" She shook her head slightly "You don't know that, and besides even if he did he told you he'd be back soon, so relax." She reached behind her to grab the tiny box of wooden matches and begin lighting the candles on the back of the toilet.

"I don't think you give your man enough credit. I mean he's no dummy and if there was one guy who could help get to the bottom of something you know it's him.." she did a half smile as she moved lithely around to light the other candles in the bathroom and return to her seat on the toilet. "I guess now that you mention it.. yeah, she did look a little bit like you" Niki downplayed the obvious resemblance of Ember to the girl on the News story, trying to settle her best friends nerves. Aideen was literally shaking, though she didn't look like she had any concern as to her own body's condition right then. The candles Niki had lit were meant to warm Aideen's spirit more than anything else.

"I only really caught a glimpse of the girl but that story sickened me. It's something that I was always worried about happening to me before my mutant power showed up to keep me safe, but.." A look of shocking realization came over her face then. "You mean Rumble knows about Logan!?! Oh man this is not good, THAT's the thing that would have me worried. Whoa.. but even still Logan's an X-Man, what'sa little Rumblebrat gonna do to him?" Even as she said it the wheels in her head began turning and knowing the Hellion she had unofficially named to be her nemesis Niki physically shuddered. "Okay.. I getcha."

"But-" she went to say something, then stopped herself because blurting it out without thinking about the wording might make a mess of the tentative calm that had come over her beloved friend. "-well, if you are worried about him- Don't Be. Think about it. I mean, if he's gone then Rumble can't touch him, and if he left then where is he goin? To figure out if Rumble did that, right? And there's like tons of cops and stuff and he'll be safe.. nobody does anything when the cops are around -that's just stupid- and you said it yourself.. Rumbles a.." she made a face at having to admit what they both knew "..a pretty smart son of a bitch. Smart enough not ta mess with Logan I'd think. Damn, your guy'd hand him his ASS on a plate! So don't even worry. Look you got me to hang with until he gets back and I missed you all weekend so come on.. yea?"

Niki looked at Aideen discerningly then. Trying to figure out if her words helped at all, but the cold harshness of reality slapped her across the face and she knew she had failed. "OK. What? I see your face and I know sitting sluppy on a cold ass tub ain't how I usually find you, so let's get to it then. Start from the start and talk it out to the end... my turn to be your listening ear. Let me have it all girl, don't leave nothin out.. what are you thinkin."

[Ember]

Carefully and meticulously, Aideen concentrated on placing the hair pins strategically to keep the bun in place, mainly to keep her body focused on another task and away from the situation at hand. She needed to organize her thoughts and she had confidence that anything mentioned to Niki wouldn't be repeated to anyone else. "Rumble comes from a very powerful and old family. I think in just about every state there is a Van Alstyne Memorial Park. Everyone knows them along with the DuPont's, Rockefeller's, and Rothschild's; they're all in the same powerful league. People that powerful aren't afraid of police, or any type of law enforcement. They have enough money to do whatever they want." She paused as she placed a hair pin in her mouth to open while sliding the other in her smooth neat bun.

"The thing about Rumble, and I know it bothers Logan even if he doesn't say it, is that he's not at all afraid of him. Rumble looks for every angle to provoke him, and he does it through me. That day when I threw him out the boathouse? That was when he figured out what was going on with me and him," Aideen said as a dark look came over her eyes remembering the threat. "He said that he wanted to bury him in the ground, and I just snapped. With Logan throwing him out the window earlier, with his intelligence it was easy for him to put two and two together. It was my fault, I should have had better control over my emotions." She sighed and leaned against the sink again, biting her lip in thought.

"He had a whole weekend to think of something to do to me, and though I dislike to confirm it, but he did one hell of a good job. Niki that girl had a family, a mother, a father, siblings and grandparents," she said in a shaky voice again and sighed, getting control of her body so she could remain calm. "Rumble would know that after learning about something like that, of course I'd go right to Logan, who else would I go to, especially when it involves him. I may have unintentionally played right into his hands." An angry look came on her face as she pieced the events together now that it settled within her. "Do you see what I mean? This is all too... I'm not even sure what, but it doesn't feel right."

Aideen sat back on the edge of the tub and looked over at Niki, now quite serious. "Logan doesn't waste words, and he wouldn't have said that to me unless it was meant to calm me. He knows that we can't be together in the school, so it's not like I would need to sit tight for anything other than him leaving. I just have a bad feeling about him leaving... it's just not making sense, there's something that I'm missing, that I'm not considering..." She leaned her elbows on her knees and rested her chin on her folded hands. "I have a fear of something, and I cannot place it, but my instincts tell me that there is a danger of some type revolving around all this. It still doesn't help me as to figure out what to do." The last part was said in a softer quieter voice, as her mind worked overtime to try and figure out what was going on, trying her best to put the pieces together, and getting frustrated as she couldn't find the fit.

[Haven]

"Yeah, I knew I was gonna regret not killing him one of these days." Niki muttered, as she lit another match and watched it flare up before her eyes. The sulfurous smell lending it's biting acrid twinge to her mood as she held the match upside down and watched the flame begin to consume it's wooden shaft. "That guy thinks he's so damn untouchable. It pisses me off."

She knew she had her chance and she passed it up. Moments like that didn't come along but once in a lifetime and hesitating she'd lost that split second where she could have maybe taken him by surprise and ended all of her friends woes before they really set in. The tiny flame lapped at her fingertips, stabbing at her pain threshold, and with a snarled look on her face from the deeper pain of knowing she was kidding herself about being able to take him one on one, that one chance at a kill-shot she was offered by the fates having been her only chance, she blew out the match. "This is bullshit. We're just as smart as that rich prick, why don't we flip the script and pull some shit on him."

"Whatever, we'll get him one day, but right now I'm inclined to dig a little deeper into this hunch of yours." She shook the burnt matchstick spreading the smoke through the air and reached over to run it under some water from the sink before tossing it in the trashcan. "So, what do we know for sure? OK.. Rumble wants you, he wants to get rid of Logan, he's rich and powerful and he's using the unknown coupled with your own code of ethics against you. If Logan finds out the truth, whatever that is and comes back to share it with you, provided thats where he went and he didn't just go to pound the tar outta that asshole and grab a beer, then the unknown isn't a factor anymore."

"OK wait." Niki held up her hands and bit the inside of her lip trying to figure the simplest way to put the puzzle together. "You and Logan together makes Rumble unhappy. Information about this murder makes him powerless over you and if it's actually proven he did it then it gives all the power to you. We can't do much about his Daddy's money, but if he's guilty it's gonna take all that money to buy his freedom and then all bets are off."

"So, you can either wait it out here, or go and find your man. I'm guessin that crimescene's gonna be full of enough scents ta keep him busy but if he picks up on a familiar scent and it's Rumble's he'll be back fast as shit to handle it. You know mutant powers don't count in court, so his senses'd just get tossed out anyway. I mean hell, what's Logan gonna do? Be mad at you for trustin your gut? Kinda hypocritical if ya ask me." Niki read her girl's face and made the leap of logic to what her concern was focused on. "You that worried about him? Then go after him girl. You know where he's headin so that ain't no mystery, but ya might wanna wait a bit so he don't see you in his rearview mirror."

[Cyclops]

Rarely if ever did Scott find himself in the girl's dormitory, but casually and quickly he made his way to the door at the end of the hall. His mood was not what he would have wished for given the reason for his visit to Ember's room, but necessity outweighed tradition and the customary after diner ceremony would have less meaning as she was about to be promoted in her room.

~*KNocK*knock*KnoCK*~

"Ember? May I come In?" He steadied himself there, centering his body position before her door and tucking the sleek gunmetal box containing her new uniform under his arm. He had quickly slipped into his own uniform, thinking it only fitting as she deserved some measure of pomp and circumstance.

[Ember]

The knock on the door startled Aideen from her thoughts and her eyes went wide as saucers at the sound of her Team Leader's voice as she exchanged a glance with Niki. She didn't need to say anything for her friend to know that she was assuming the worst, since Cyclops was never one to make visits to anyone's rooms. What if he knows? This would probably mean I'd be asked to leave. Her heart sank slightly as she assumed the worst, but she needed to center herself. She hadn't seen her Team Leader since she passed him in the kitchen that morning on her way back from her run, and despite what everyone else said about him, she was extremely fond of him.

Aideen stood up and quickly walked out of the bathroom, looking around the room to make sure it was impeccably neat and presentable, as it always was because of her conditioning and Niki's efforts. Her own appearance, which she checked in the mirror quickly, were also acceptable for her to present herself to the Headmaster and her Team leader. Aideen carefully opened the door wide and straightened up to a proper stance. "Good Afternoon Sir," she said in her polite and soft voice, a small smile playing on her lips for a moment at the sight of him, but only for a moment as that was not proper behavior for her around a superior.

"Please come in Sir." The door opened wider for the Headmaster as she stepped aside to allow him to come in, hiding her nerves exceptionally well given everything that has happened. It comforted Aideen slightly how well she could get in touch with her 'soldier mode' still. "Is there anything you need me for Sir?" she asked softly looking up at him with her chin held high and expecting the worst.

[Cyclops]

"Thank You." He said stepping into the room and surveying it's condition. The smell of the candles and the matches from the bathroom following in the air behind Aideen as she'd come to the door had him looking to ensure the open flames were contained and controlled.

"Is that..?.." he began to ask as he saw movement in the bathroom, but then deciding it could hardly be anyone else he changed his tone to one more commanding and less inquisitive "Haven, will you join us out here?"

He turned and shut the door behind him. The fewer people who knew of Ember's promotion at this juncture the better he felt, but the advantage of a single witness, and one who had a vested interest in Ember's life, was not to be turned down. Turning back around he took a moment to stare at the two young women. The contrast in personalities apparent, as was to his eyes their potentials ..one being realized and the other being squandered, and the fact that they represented the future of mutant kind - Undeniable.

Assuming the position of attention his voice shifted to his full command tone. "Ember, Haven...Atten-HUT!" He watched as first one -soldier she was, born and raised.. then the other, uncomfortable and on the verge of laughing but realizing quickly it was no joke and finding some measure of respect- snapped to. "It is my great honor and a privilege given me as Leader of the X-Men to grant you, Aideen Whelan promotion before this witness. To join the ranks of those who stand where others flee, those who's example is looked upon by friend and foe, those Children of the Atom who have made a difference and upheld The Dream of a world where we are no longer needed. I hereby present you with this.."

With three sharp, precise movements he presented the gunmetal box he had brought with him. Reaching his right hand across to grab the box from under his arm with a solid slap of his hand to the case to make a sound, he next brought it out before him parallel to the deck slapping his left hand to it to make another sharp sound, and unlatched the spring loaded top with a firm press that punctuated the end of the movements. As the top lifted to reveal her unique uniform the box contained he finished speaking "...Welcome to the X-Men."

[Ember]

A stunned silence came over Aideen, dark eyes wide as she looked at the case in his arms, the uniform on display in front of her her heart pounding in her chest. This was the last thing she expected, and a part of her was elated and honored. It was a moment that she never had experienced and never thought she would ever in her life, to be asked to be apart of something this great. Her Uncle used her for what he pleased, trained her to be his ultimate weapon, but that was never something that Aideen considered honorable or noteworthy. She had done things in her short life since she was young that would not be called heroic or admirable by any. It was no secret to her how far she had come in her life since she arrived at Xavier's, to go from a cold emotionless tool to the point where she was now: being asked to join an elite team.

Looking up at Cyclops, her mentor and someone she was so fond of and had so much respect for, her heart sank all over again. He put so much trust in her, he had since she met him. There were times when Aideen would look at him and remember the trials in Limbo, not for a moment regretting her own near death experience to save him from that demon. Had she been one for words, Cyclops might have an idea how much he meant to her, how much the respect and trust he put in her meant to her. She knew he was wary of her when he first met her, but he looked beyond her past and for that she always held a special place for him in her heart. He had forgiven her, even bought her the first present she had ever really received from anyone just out of the pure goodness of his heart. Right at that moment, she couldn't feel any less honorable and lower about everything that happened to her, everything that she did.

"I'm.... I'm honored Sir, beyond words. I... I'm sorry though, I cannot accept this," the words felt so dry and difficult as they went past her lips. "I have been causing nothing but trouble since I arrived it seems, first with withholding information from you about the Brotherhood attack, then the danger I put all the students in just by being here because of Rumble, the other day I wasn't able to control myself from nearly killing him, had Iceman not stepped in. I'm not worthy of this honor at all." Oh how she wanted to tell him everything, something tugging inside her to go ahead and tell him about her relationship with Wolverine. Aideen knew she wasn't supposed to, and they were to keep it under wraps... but how could she keep this from him when he presented her with such an honor, one he never would have presented her with had he known.

Her private life was no one's business but her own and Logan's, but she knew it would be an issue. It would be dishonorable to accept it and try and sneak her way on to the team just so things could be set right, and she respected and cared for Cyclops too much to do that. Her dark eyes looked down, hoping that he would accept her answer as she felt a part of her twist at the situations she never seemed to get a break from, even for a moment it seemed.

[Cyclops]

A smile, thin as a blade of grass found it's way onto his lips as a knowing chuckle fought it's way for escaped. "And it is for that very reason I know you are worthy. I doubt very much that Iceman would have been able to stop you had you earnestly wanted to kill Rumble and the trouble that has found you has not been your doing. As for the past let's leave it be a lesson and not forget it's teachings. I myself have never learned quite as much from getting something right as I have from my failures and missteps. Those lessons tend to stay with you for a lifetime."

"No. You are ready for this, even as you will still need seasoning and experience. And rest assured that will come in time.. but your worth more than fills the cup, of that not a one of us had any doubt. So, do your young friend the service of setting an example and take what we're offering you with humility and grace. You are worthy Ember, your skill, your strength, your knowledge and the control you have shown with your mutant gift speak volumes of your worthiness.. but your willingness to look within and see yourself for who you really are, without delusion or pretense, to accept your faults and claim them as your own.. that is what marks you as truly worthy."

"Not a single one of us is perfect, but we get up every morning and try to be a better person than we were the day before. We sometime succeed and sometimes fail, but we don't stop trying." He closed the lid with a snap and held the box out for her to take. "I'm not asking you to take this for my sake, it is being offered to you for your own. Don't let yourself down, once you start doing that it only gets easier to keep doing it."

[Ember]

Her dark eyes darted for a moment between the case and Cyclops, breath caught in her throat as she realized that right now she was at a crossroads. Aideen never did anything without thinking it through, and she knew Cyclops himself wasn't much different from herself in that regard, and he truly wouldn't have asked her if he really didn't want her to join, and his words right then proved to her how he felt about asking her to come on the team. Her private life was hers and no one else's, and it wouldn't do any good bringing it up when it wasn't only for her to say. Hesitating for a moment, she reached her elegant fingers brushed against the warm metal of the handle as she took it from her Team Leader.

Glancing up at him for a moment, she cautiously put the case on the bed and lifted it open, her fingers softly skimming the thick leather material in a reverent manner. This seemed so surreal and almost forbidden for her to be as honored and well... touched. Aideen was realistic enough to know that not many people would ever look beyond her past, her training and purpose in life. To think that a group of some of the world's greatest heroes took it upon themselves to see her as something more, to put such an immense amount of trust made her breath hitch in her throat.

Gently, she lifted the thick black leather uniform out of the case, taking in every detail of it. The leather was the finest she had seen in this country, the stitching was careful and tight, with what Aideen could tell was a Nylon string, able to withstand anything. The gold utility belt for her knives was a large 'X' in the center laid under the uniform. Silently and in awe, she traced over the gold 'X' with a light touch, not knowing what to say or how to express herself quite yet.

"Sir I... thank you," Aideen said softly looking up at him, trying her best to hold on to her professional and proper demeanor. "I can't tell you how much this means to me." Despite herself, a small smile came across her face as she folded the uniform carefully, her slender digits tracing over the fabric once more before looking back at Cyclops. This just changed her life, and for once she felt that things would be better for her in the future. "I will not dishonor you Sir, I promise," Aideen added softly, unable to keep the small smile off her face as she looked at him, still in disbelief that this was actually happening to her.

[Haven]

Dumbfounded shock was all that had kept Haven from calling her friend a dumbass when she initially turned down the offer, but the way Summers had replied was aalllmoooost ..no- hell it WAS inspiring! A GInorMOUS grin burst forth on Niki's face when Aideen finally took the shiny case and accepted her place in the ranks of the Elite. "Oh maan, Congratulations!"

Overcome with the tension and drama of the moment that just passed Niki couldn't help but step forward and give Aideen the warmest and tightest of hugs before spinning around and shaking a finger at Cyclops in a scolding way. "You know... you really had me for a minute there. Here I am thinking you're some class 'A', stick in the mud jerk-weed, and then you go and turn out to be this big old softie!" Her hands moving up and down to encompass the Headmaster standing there before them both. "HA! Who knew?"

In the span of a few minutes things had flipped all around and inside out. The headmaster who she thought was a cold heartless asshole had turned out to actually have an amazingly compassionate soul, and her best friend? Her best friend had just become one of the X-Men. "Wow.. this is just.. this is incredible." Niki voiced as she turned back to touch the uniform so as to make sure she wasn't dreaming and then looked into Aideen's face "I mean, you- you're actually.. smiling??!?! I'm totally marking this day down." She walked off, hands fluttering in the air slightly her head shaking in amazement, to see if she had anything that resembled a calendar anywhere.

Not even looking back over her shoulder, just turning her head as she rummaged in a drawer, she called back "You crazy too girl ya know that.. you almost said 'no'."

[Cyclops]

"Much as I hate to have to agree with your anti-social room mate" he said with a slight smirk to Aideen "she has a point. Turning down the X-Men rarely happens, but in your case it might have been ..well, if nothing else, poorly timed... and crazy. The way the idea of your admission to the team was accepted by every member, the one exception being Wolverine, it was almost a forgone conclusion you would be one of us. Now though.."

Clearing his throat he looked to one and then the other of the girls until he had both of them waiting for his next word. "..I have to ask a favor of you both. Since acting against one of the X-Men is a punishable offense here at the school, and out in the world we make them pay for it too, but specifically here at the school we levy unspeakable punishment on anyone who might make trouble.. I need you both to keep quiet about this promotion."

"I know it's not fair to entrap anyone, nor is it fair to use you as bait Ember, but let's just say if Rumble should be inspired to accost you today, as he has been known to do, he will find himself without the protection being a student affords him." The stern look on the portions of his face not covered by his visor let them know he meant what he said.

"I have not let anyone aside from Logan know this was taking place and only so he would have piece of mind, since he felt something might happen to you in his absence, and I'm inclined to agree with him. It's not often we have moments where we agree, but when conspiracy plots.. like this one he's investigating involving Rumble and Sabretooth.. seem altogether feasible, we put aside our differences."

He shifted his weight and took a step towards the door. "Now, should Rumble attack you, you are authorized to use appropriate counter-force up to and including deadly force if need be. Appropriate Ember, that means enough to subdue if possible and if that fails then and only then can you use more." He glanced over at Haven then.

"And you better keep your mouth shut about this, and the big old softy thing too, if you know what's good for you." His threat presented he looked back to Aideen. "Tonight after diner we'll have the 'official' ceremony so today is all you'll have before your admirer becomes aware of the line drawn around you. I hope nothing happens, but should he try it with you at least now you have license to defend yourself in kind and give him a lesson he has been sorely missing out on since coming here."

"It is a school after all." He nodded to her and then looking Haven up and down for a moment, adding as and afterthought to the new X-Man over his shoulder as he headed to the door "If you'd like a new room assignment, for yourself or her, just let me know and we'll make that happen first thing. I think it might be wise since you wouldn't want to disturb your young friend here if you get called off on a mission in the middle of the night or something. Now stay safe" or it's my ass when Logan gets back, he thought knowing how overprotective the berserk-prone Canuck could become when one of his favorite's, like Kitty or Jubilee.. or now it seemed even Ember, was hurt. With that he took hold, opened the door, and left, leaving the scent of his aftershave and the ripples of the weight of his words behind him.