Callie berated herself all the way across the grounds not for her actions, but for the fact that she was trembling like the frail they -Wolverine- took her for. She found a tree that appealed to her and climbed up to look out across the horizon. Hours passed unnoticed, the cool autumn breeze blowing away her concerns. It brushed her cheeks and whipped her heavy black hair behind her like a banner. She closed her eyes, listening to the water lapping against the shore of the small pond somewhere below. She felt the soft fabrics of her clothing press against her in the brisk wind. Her lashes lifted, and she looked at the Earth itself, gazing tolerantly at the buildings and structures that cast a dampening pall on the lush grasses and crimson leaves littering the ground. She breathed the air, feeling it thicken in her lungs before exhaling again. She watched the individual glimmers of magic in the elements around her; the glitter of silver on the lake's surface, turning a rich amber as the sun set, the dark onyx shades of the ground far below, the opalescent shimmers of the sunlight in the air. Each of the elements cut sharply into her mind, demanding her attention all at once, reminding her of the oath her ancestors had made to protect them with their lives. Celeste's teeth clenched as she felt the dull grey of a blackout blur the edges of her vision. She swore as she slammed the lid down on her level of awareness, forcing it back to mere human levels. Some day, she would have to cross that line.

It was the only thing in the world that terrified her.

"Come to keep an eye on me, hmm?" She mumbled as she spotted Logan stalking across the grass toward the tree line.

#Not a chance, darlin'#

Logan's answer rang in her ears, undeniable proof that she had projected her thoughts to him. Celeste shook her head in disbelief. Obviously, she 'd have to be more careful. If he heard her say that if it was a penny for his thoughts, he'd have change coming back, he'd probably never forgive her.

"You plannin' to stay up there all night?"

Startled, she looked down to see that he was already standing below her, hands on his hips. You know, she thought, he's really not altogether bad-looking. It's not like he would make a maggot gag or anything. Her eyes rolled back and she hoped the dim light hid the blush creeping up the back of hr neck. "Nope," she finally answered him, "What are you doing out here, anyway?"

"Chuck told me ta come and take ya back ta the house fer eats. He said ya might get lost," the corner of his mouth turned up, "He's tryin' ta get me ta make friends."

"Is it working?"

He smiled back at her. "Maybe," he was quick to add, "but I ain't makin' promises."

Celeste held her hands out at her sides and pretended to teeter on the narrow branch. "Hey, Wolvie," she teased, "If I fell, would you catch me?"

"Why don't ya try me?"

She looked skeptical as she braced her hands and turned around to lower herself to the next branch. "Do I have 'stupid' written on my forehead?" she muttered. Celeste looked down into his challenging eyes as he chuckled.

"What, no guts?"

Her eyes narrowed while she sized him up again. She let go of the branch.

Looking down, she fell straight through the leaves, only to watch him step deftly to one side. "You son of a-!"

Celeste's expletive was cut off as he reached sideways to snatch her from the air. He held her against him, noting the shiver that passed over her when their bodies touched. "Cold?"

"Hell, no." She was suddenly feeling feverish.

He set her on her feet and grinned at her relieved expression. She probably thought she was keeping her face expressionless. They started walking.

"Gambit told me what happened in the Danger Room."

She looked genuinely confused. "What happened?"

Logan eyed her askance. "Y' saved Rogue's life, darlin'. Where I come from, that counts fer a lot."

"Oh,"she shrugged dismissively, "that."

Inside, Rogue gave her a cautious hug before showing her to the table. "Ah can't thank you for what y' did-"

Celeste cut off her solemn monologue with a flippant shrug. "It was nothing. Really."

#Nothing compared to what you could be doing with your powers, right, Celeste?#

Turning toward Charles, the X-men watched her eyes narrow to slits. Answering his mental gibe, she asked, #What are you, my mother?#

Something suspiciously like laughter shone in his eyes as he nodded, conceding the point.

"Well," Rogue continued doggedly, "thanks for nothin', sugah."

Dinner went on as usual after that. One conversation blended into the next, covering everything from the day's events-mostly just laying around-to (reluctantly) a detailed account of Hank's latest experiment. Celeste seemed the most fascinated, and even suggested a few technical solutions to the failed test. Hank listened intently, more than a little surprised, while she displayed an amazing scientific intellect.

"If you'll forgive my prying," he said politely, "Do you have a degree in the sciences?"

She shook her head, looking dubious. "Not a chance. My mother insisted that it was important for me to know a little bit about everything because of my, um...future." Her cynical tone made sure they didn't ask any more questions about this "future" of hers.

Later that evening, Celeste yawned hugely as she walked down the hall. She nearly went sprawling when she saw Logan lounging in the shadows of his doorway. "Lying in wait for me, are ya?"

He grinned, taking a drag from the cigar clamped between his teeth. The end glowed, red and fierce in the darkness that surrounded him. "Nope," he said, "Just wanted ta make sure ya didn't get 'lost' on the way to yer room."

"I think I can make it from here."

"And ta thank ya," he went on, ignoring her sarcasm.

"Thank me?"

"Yeah," he said, " 'S not every day someone tells me I wouldn't make a maggot gag." Her mouth dropped open, and he laughed and disappeared into his room.

Celeste closed the door slowly, trying to think at all. The knowledge that she and Wolverine shared some kind of psychic bond scared the hell out of her. If he found out about his own assassination, he could alter the course of events beyond recognition. She had to save him and get out of here, before she left her fingerprints all over this place and opened the door to all sorts of head hunters who wanted an X-man on their hit list.

The next half hour was dedicated to building walls. Walls too thick and strong to pierce with bone claws; walls to protect him from his future. The problem with the whole scenario, Callie mused, was that her only guidelines in this effort were things that her mother had seen in her dreams. Callie herself didn't have "the sight". She didn't know what she was doing, really.

And all because she was to afraid to cross the line that stood between her and her so-called destiny. The "destiny" her mother preached constantly. The destiny she didn't want. Except sometimes, she felt it, this tenuous connection she held with Mother Earth, and she wanted the power that was her due. Not very often, you understand, but it had happened once or twice.

Furiously, Celeste stalked out of the room, running across the grounds. She was tired of thinking, tired of fearing things that might come to pass. It was a waste of energy, and pointless besides. Celeste sighed. It was also pointless to deny the truth. She was developing something more than a professional attachment to this Logan character. It was just an idea, just a feeling, just the way he made her feel when she was around him. Besides, hadn't she been in love with him since they were children?

Callie paused to let a subtle shiver pass through her body. She turned around and looked up.

Wolverine was scowling suspiciously down at her, silhouetted in the window of one of the upstairs rooms. #Care to join me, Wolvie?#

There was a flash of white, glinting off her shirt, and she disappeared into the trees.

Logan swore. What was she doing? And why wouldn't he let himself trust her? And why was he standing here asking himself questions like this? He snarled and stalked after her.

It took him ten minutes to find her, and when he did, it was on a hunch. She had no scent and left no footprints. He followed some faint scent on the wind, so faint he probably imagined it, and found her jeans and t-shirt tossed behind a rock near the pond.

The implications of it all hit him just as Callie broke the surface. Resting her arms on the bank, her chin in her hands, she gazed up at him indulgently. "Couldn't sleep either?" she guessed obtusely.

He glared at her and sat down on the rock. Maybe he should trust her. Chuck trusted her. But then again, Chuck had trusted Magneto once, and look what had happened. His hand flexed, and he imagined he felt the bone claws lying dormant in the backs of each hand.

Celeste wearily watched the slight changes in his expression and his odd posture, not liking the feeling that he was deciding whether or not to kill her. Suddenly, his pupils sprang back from dangerous pinpoints, and he focused on her again. Then Celeste realized she would rather he glare into the darkness than analyze her appearance. For the first time in her life, Celeste was conscious of her nakedness, even though the water was dark and impenetrable, and her arms blocked any view he might have of her breasts. She shrugged off her uneasy feeling; she didn't have anything he hadn't seen before.

For the first time since meeting her, Logan looked at her as another human being, rather than a potential threat. She looked innocent enough. Yeah, innocent enough to kill him in his sleep?

Damn. He was gonna hafta stop doin' that. Measurin' every statement.

Her hair gleamed in the moonlight, black with odd shimmers of blue and green. Her body-what he could see of it-was smooth and white and well-formed. She didn't look like she'd be worth much in a fight, although a few people had made that mistake about him. There were small parallel scars on her shoulders that he suspected went further down her back. Her eyes were almond-shaped, thick-lashed, and green. He blinked in confusion, watching as her eyes turned a dark amethyst color. Finally, he noticed the blush creeping up her throat and onto her face.

Unable to stop at herself, and cursing herself for the moron she was, Celeste stared wide-eyed at his lips as they stretched wide into a lascivious grin. He stood up, reaching down to offer his hand. Automatically, she reached for it, then gasped and shrank away, remembering her nude state. He leaned down further and whispered his challenge. "What, no guts?"

Celeste's jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed venomously . She reached out and gripped his wrist. With one determined tug, he hefted he out of the water.

Straight into his arms. Celeste stumbled against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Her head jerked up, and she stared with childlike obedience into his eyes. Logan looked down at her, her breasts pressed tightly against his flannel shirt, her eyes wide with anticipation, the pulse in her throat beating triple time while he watched, and he smiled again.

For Celeste, the world jerked to a halt, refusing to turn on its axis as she watched his lips lower to hers. Her lashes lowered, and she stood still, waiting for that final moment to pass. His lips met hers, and her thoughts turned liquid, washing unheeded against the walls of her mind. Logan bit her lower lip softly, and she opened her mouth for him. The kiss deepened.

It was absolute heaven. While they kissed, Celeste nearly froze in trepidation as she opened her eyes. Her awareness had risen unchecked to hazardous levels with one touch of his lips. The sights, sounds, and scents that rose on the night wind pressed in on the feeble shell of her body, threatening her well-being. She squeezed her eyes shut and refused to back down. An ominous tremor shook her body, and they clutched each other tighter, she unwilling to let go, and he refusing to leave it unfinished. Because it was heaven to be in his arms again.

It was the again part that startled Celeste into action. She gasped and jerked back, ducking under his arm to reach her clothes. After a second's deliberation, she shoved Logan the final step off the bank. Yanking on clothing, she ignored the pitiful yelp and the flume of water that sprayed her from behind. She was already sprinting towards the mansion when she heard his laughter. She slowed a bit, looking over her shoulder in disbelief. Which would be the reason she didn't notice the tree she was walking into until she slammed into it.

With the frightening cracking sound of the wood-or was it her head?-buzzing in her ears, Celeste picked herself up off the ground and raced to her room.

Logan dragged himself back onto dry land and sat down on the rock again. He lit a cigar and smiled, intending to have a good think.