MEET THE AUTHORS

Marguerite
Selkie
Alestar
Jay
Arin
Angela
Cinder
Cristin
Ruth
Joanne
Quai-Dian
Tangerine
Lyndal
Kaly
Barlteby
Chad
Peja

X-MEN ROUND ROBIN

Part 1
By
Marguerite Muguet

The snow fell heavily on the road, constantly obscuring Logans view. He couldnt see much ahead and it forced him to at a reasonable speed. He might survive the worst accident, but others wouldnt. It was already dark, but it was only around 6 in the afternoon. You never knew who could be on the road at this hour. Even so, it felt like he was on a turtle not on a bike. Normally, it would have put him in a bad mood. The only thing keeping him in a civil one was his destination which he knew near.

He had spend the last few months up north trying to find some clues, anything from his past. He needed to know who he had been, what his life had been like before his amnesia. It had all been fruitless. After he had come to that conclusion, he had tried to go back to his old life, his old ways. He had discovered that he couldn't. A face haunted his dreams and unfinished business kept calling him back to the mansion, Xavier's School for Gifted Children and the X-Men. Denial had never been his strong suit and he always went after what he wanted. This time was no exception and he had soon been back on the road, this time heading south.

His sensitive ears suddenly and fleetingly caught some strange sounds. He also smelled the vague odour of something burning. It was gone as fast as it had come. It bothered him and he slowed down to make a U-turn. Going even slower than he had before, he tried to find the smell and sound again. The wind was with him and he soon stopped the bike. Some sixth sense warned him against danger. Under normal circumstances, he wouldnt bother. However, he was near the mansion and it meant it could be mutant related. If it was, he would make damn sure a certain x-member wasnt in any danger and, if so, wasn't goingto get hurt.

Part 2
by
Selkie

He sped up his bike, leaning into the curves, revelling, for a moment in the speed and power of the bike and came roaring through the gates. What he found stopped him cold.

The mansion was dark and silent, broken windows like empty eye sockets, but the lawn was the site of frantic activity. There were a couple of large tents set up- and people running around, carrying bandages and blankets. Logan could see a couple of huddled groups of kids under the trees, and still more were by the mansion. The smell of smoke was thick in the air, a choking smell, he could feel settling into every pore. He could see the red of Jean's hair glowing across the lawn as she ran towards him.

"I'm glad you're here, we need help, Xavier, and a bunch of students are trapped inside. The East branch of the house caught fire, and they were trapped when a portion collapsed.

Scott went in to get them, but he hasn't come back, and I can't hear him any more. I think he's been hurt." her voice trailed off quietly. "We need your help to get them out."

There's too much noise.

There is the labored breathing of the three trapped bodies-- the rumbling of collapsing woodbeams-- and the rapid, muted cursing and frantic apologizing of St. John Allerdyce, laying fetally curled around his friend as Bobby Drake tries furiously to still the fire raging around hem, out of John.

And it's hot. Bobby doesn't feel the heat, but he can recognize the lack of cold-- and the ice sheath that he's spread across the unconscious form of Scott Summers is melting at an alarming speed. He pushes harder, isolating molecules in the air, forcing them to slow . . cool down . .

only to have them speed up as the fire refuses to be discouraged. His head pounds with the exertion and he feels the telltale tickle on his upper lip that is likely a nosebleed. Sweat drips into Bobby's eyes to keep the thick smoke company.

John wracks with a sob against his side, and suddenly, the last of his strength is gone. The fire rushes in around them triumphantly, and Bobby slumps against the shivering body beside him. As his mouth opens and closes on John's fevered skin-- futilely gulping for air-- he can feel only regret.

His hand falls onto John's waist, holds there for a heartbeat, and then :there is nothing more.

If he had been conscious when the wild man broke through the crumbling debris with an enraged roar to match that of the fire, Bobby would have said that there was still too much noise. And it would've been true, but he wasn't, and he didn't-- and when he awoke in the lawn-turned-medlab beside his best friend hours later, he wouldn't say anything at all.

Part4
by
Jay

Bobby could not stop staring at his unconscious friend all he new was that they were both alive. Jean had already examined them both. She told Bobby that John would be ok after he got some rest. She had given John a telepathic nudge to keep him asleep until some of his strength could be restored. As Bobby surveyed the damage around him, he noticed that Logan was looking after Scott while Jean atteneded to other students. He would have been more concerned for rogue if Jean hadn't told him that kitty had phased her through a wall, and they both escaped unscathed. Bobby returned his thoughts and focus back to his sleeping companion.

Part 5
by
Arin

"Has everyone gotten out of the mansion?", Jean inquired.

//yes// came a weak telepathic message from the Professor.

"Good. Storm, put it out."

The white-haired mutant, eyes turning milky white, gathered the rain and the wind, and forced the fire out by sheer strength of will.

Nearby, in one of the makeshift tents, Bobby leaned over John, as if to protect him from the brief, yet fierce winds.

"Why couldn't I do more?", he agonized. St. John Allerdyce. Fire to his Ice, they were the best of friends. He couldn't stand the thought of seeing John hurt. He wanted to protect John. Keep him safe. Cuddle him and make love to him until he couldn't ever leave to get himself hurt.

//Huh? Where did that come from? Oh John.....hurry up and wake up. I think we need to talk.//

. . . . .

Logan heard the harsh whistling of Storm's winds, but his eyes saw nothing but Scott, lying unconscious and vulnerable at his feet.

//This isn't right//, Logan thought to himself as he arranged a few more blankets over Scott. //What will Jeannie think? He's *hers*.//

Yet he couldn't deny the strange attraction that Cyclops embodied. A curious mix of naive and wise. Snide. Annoying. Frustrating. Tantalizing. Beautiful.

//No! Must stop thinking that way. He's not mine! Jeannie. I should think about Jeannie!//

Yet Logan was having a hard time convincing himself of that. Out in the public, with the other students and Xmen nearby, he should worry about what the others would think, yet he had eyes only for Scott.

Not just eyes. Nostrils flaring, he could smell his own arousal, feel the proof of his rising passion. Wanting to do nothing more than lie on the ground next to Scott and tease him into consciousness.

"Damn", he mused to himself, "that hero streak of his will kill him yet! Why didn't he let Kitty and others safely get the kids out of the way, so Storm could put out the fire? Oh no, always has to be in the front line. Protecting them. Damn him. Damn Scott. Why was he suddenly thinking this way?"

//It's only natural, Logan// whispered an unexpected voice.

//You've just been in an adrenaline-inducing situation. It's only natural to think of life-affirmation

"Sex"

acts at this time.//

Logan's head whipped up, as he sought out the eyes (and censure) of the Professor.

//Wha?// he thought. //Are you...?//

The Professor gave him an unmistakeable wink. //I see that I need to have a talk with you and young Bobby over there.//

Looking closely, Logan could make out Bobby, flushing red, staring down at John.

//Erik Magnus Lensherr and I were, um, *good* friends// continued Xavier. //Let me tell you what it was like....//

end part 5.