Jean looked up from her heap of papers she was currently grading and watched Scott shrug into his jacket. "Where're you going?" A frown wrinkled her brow.

"Ro and I are going to town to fetch birthday presents for Rogue."

"Rogue?" 'Yeah, Rogue again. It's always Rogue since she got that brat!'

Scott turned towards his girlfriend, still feeling bad that he hadn't taken a closer look onto the birthday-calendar. "Yeah. She'll turn 17 this Saturday."

"And what are you getting her?" 'Why is he getting her anything at all?' Then with an afterthought. 'It'll look bad if I'm the only teacher not giving her something.'

"Ro has some ideas about what we could give her."

Jean nodded and let her fake smile slip onto her features. 'At least I don't have to waste my time going shopping for that brat.' She watched him approach the door of their room. "Thanks, Scott. I would accompany you, but I still have a lot of work to do." 'Why is everybody making such a fuss about that little slut all of a sudden? If what they told the professor is true, then it's Rogue's fault she already has a kid.'

Scott smiled at her. "Nah, no problem. Ro had already spoken with Logan and he had told her what he got Rogue."

"Logan already has a present?" She had to fight hard not to let her smile fade from her lips.

"Hard to believe that he even knows when her birthday is, but he also has a surprise for her planned with her classmates." He opened the door. "See you later, Jean."

The instant the door closed the redhead's features lost their fake kindness. Her jaw tensed as she leafed through the papers, finally coming up with Rogue's biology test. 'Let's see how easy her life will be.'

The further she read through the girl's answers the more anger boiled under her skin. So far she had found only one mistake on the first page. She placed the red pen down frustrated and turned the page over. On the next sheet there was only a minor error in spelling and Jean was fighting the urge to tear that test to shreds. 'The baby cries the whole night, disturbs the lessons… how does she find the time to study?' An angry sigh escaped her lips. 'Of course Logan helps her. Logan changes the baby, Logan gives the damn bottle, Logan spends the half night in the laundry… Why the fuck is he still here and trying to make her happy? … I thought he wanted me, not some Lolita!'

Every fiber in her body screamed to write an 'F' instead of an 'A' on the girl's test, but she couldn't misuse her power as the girl's teacher. Or maybe? Her fingers bent the two sheets apart from each other and she carefully - not to tear the papers – ripped the second sheet from the staple. Looking around the room, she tried to think of a good hiding place. Simply throwing the page away wouldn't work since the girl would insist that she handed both papers to her and a mind-scan by the professor would support her claim. But the other page could have accidentally fallen off… Getting up the redhead walked over to the dresser and pushed the paper under the furniture.

X X X X X

The next day Rogue was enjoying a pool match with her friends in the rec room. She and Jubilee against Kitty and Piotr while Becca took her nap in her baby seat perched up onto an armchair. They led the score by one and the brunette chuckled in victory as the Russian's next shot brought the black 8 dangerously close to a pocket.

Jean held her expression neutral though the anger about the girl's happiness threatened to twist her features. She received a 'Hello, Dr. Grey' from all four teenagers when her gaze settled on the young mother. "Rogue, the professor and I need to have a word with you."

Marie was startled and surprised at first, but soon worry began to nag on her nerves. "Is it about Becca? Is something wrong with her?" She immediately leaned the pool stick against the table and rushed over to her sleeping daughter.

With a fake reassuring smile Jean shook her head. "No. She's fine." She saw the relief in the girl's face about her words. Two weeks ago the redhead had been concerned that the teen wouldn't accept her baby, but now it was sickening in her opinion to watch Rogue fuss over her brat every waking minute. The brunette had become so overprotective that she hardly allowed the doctor to pick the baby up during her examinations. Jean could count on one hand all the times the child had been held by anybody other than her parents.

Logan was even worse when it came to his daughter. The redhead had heard him snarl at his students on several occasions, when the kids would only do so much as to reach out to touch the baby's hand.

When she saw Rogue pick up the baby seat, another thought crossed her mind. There was a way she could make the girl even more uncomfortable. "Rogue, it's best you'd leave your daughter here with your friends." She saw the girl hesitate and look with worried eyes towards her friends. "It won't take long," she lied, knowing full well that more than a simple conversation would be taking place in the professor's office.

Marie felt her gut clench at the thought of leaving her baby in the care of anyone other than her mate. Not that she wouldn't trust her friends to not hurt her daughter, but still she didn't like the idea and was about to suggest bringing her to Logan when Kitty beamed at her. "We'll watch her. She is sleeping anyways."

"And we'll bring her to you if she cries, chica." Jubilee added and Marie didn't have the heart to refuse her friends' offer, especially not when her teacher was already urging her to leave.

"Fine. But if something is the matter, please bring her to me immediately." Marie saw the nods and followed her impatient teacher out into the hallway. The older woman's face was serious and the teenager became the more nervous the longer the uncomfortable silence pressed on during their walk to the professor's study.

The brunette caught herself fiddling with the sleeve of her shirt and stopped it. 'What does the professor want from me?'

'I wonder, Kid.'

'Maybe Ah should have asked for his permission before inviting Jubes and Kitty to Logan's room for a movie night?'

'I doubt this to be the reason for this calling, child.' Erik's voice echoed in her mind as she saw Jean frown.

'Please keep quite, ya two. Ah don't want those telepaths to find out that Ah hear voices in mah head.'

'But we're part of your mutation, Kid. Not the product of a loony's imagination.'

'Will ya shut up now?'

Marie heard Logan grumble, but felt both her mental passengers calm down and hide in their respective 'compartments' of her brain. She saw Jean watch her with something akin to anger gleaming in her green eyes and the girl felt the need to cast her gaze towards the wooden floor. After a moment still feeling the piercing gaze of her teacher rest on her, Marie mustered her courage and looked her straight in the eye. "What does the professor wanna talk to me about?"

"You'll see." Jean flashed her one of her toothy smiles that had something predatory about it when she rapped at her mentor's door.

'Please come in,' rang the older man's gentle voice in both females' heads.

The professor gestured for Marie to take a seat across from his large desk and steepled his fingers before his face. A rather serious expression creased his kind features.

"Ya wanted to talk to me, Professor?"

Charles took a moment to sense the nervousness of the girl. "Well, Rogue, it seems we have a problem."

Marie's eyes widened in fear and bewilderment. "A problem, sir?"

Nodding he slid a sheet of paper towards her on his desktop. "Dr. Grey was grading the Biology tests of your class, when she found that the second page of your test was missing." He felt the surprise of the young mother and came to the conclusion – with a little help of his gift – though he couldn't and wouldn't invade the girl's mind – that she didn't let the page vanish on purpose. "Your score on the first page is impressive, Rogue, but unfortunately it wouldn't be enough to pass the test without the missing questions."

"So Ah failed?" Marie felt tears sting at her eyes and took a deep breath to gather herself. She wouldn't cry in front of the professor and especially not in the presence of Jean Grey. But she couldn't believe this. She had studied together with Logan for days – fine she had cheated somewhat – but still, was everything in vain?

Charles saw the girl's face pale and a warm smile formed on his lips. "No, Rogue." His blue-grey eyes swept over to the redhead. "But we decided that the best way to solve this problem would be that you would repeat the test."

Marie breathed a sigh of relief. As much as she hated to take a test all on her own and to have to spend another afternoon with her Biology book, she was thankful for the opportunity the professor was granting her.

Meanwhile the doctor retrieved a paper from a folder on the desk, concentrating to keep her emotions and thoughts neutral and professional and her barriers up, just in case her mentor might pick up on her thoughts. "I took the liberty of coming up with new questions, so you can repeat the test." Jean had picked the hardest questions she could think of - some at the university level - and now placed the new test and a pen in front of the girl.

The brunette's eyes widened and she met the other woman's gaze. "Now?" Rogue suddenly became even more nervous and insecure.

Jean smiled – hoping the professor would interpret it as reassuring – but in truth she was happy to see the girl in so much distress. "Now would be the best time. The actual test was the day before yesterday, so you shouldn't have forgotten anything yet."

Charles didn't need his gift to see how uncomfortable the girl became. "You can take your test here in my study, Rogue. I have to grade the 10th grade physics quiz."

The brunette nodded reluctantly and picked the pen up.