Siku was slightly upset. Okay slightly didn't begin to over it but it was darn close. So upset in fact that everyone was studiously avoiding her, including Hank McCoy, her adoptive father. It all began that afternoon when she came in from school, the typical 13-year old girl (if you ignore the blue fur), happy at a new challenge in life coming her way.

"Dad!" she shouted, charging into his lab at a dignified pace. To run meant being a child which, Siku informed everyone, she was not any longer.

Hank McCoy blew a frustrated breath out and smiled at his enthused daughter. "Did you make the track team?" he asked.

Siku stopped and looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "Well, yeah!" she stated as if unsure how to respond to such a stupid question. "But that's taken for granted isn't it, Dad?" she asked.

"I suppose so!" Hank agreed cheerfully. He studied her flushed face and agitated manner. "What else happened then?"

"I" Siku informed him proudly, "have a date tonight!"

"I see." Hank felt his stomach fall. His heart wasn't beating too steadily either. This would have happened sooner or later but he didn't quite expect it to happen three days after her birthday.

"And' Siku felt obliged to tell him, "he's Micah Jones." With that important announcement made, she went to tell everyone else.

Hank shuddered after the door closed. Micah Jones' father was a respected man in the Westchester community. Micah, a year older than Siku, was considered quite a popular boy at Siku's school. She had made herself quite the celebrity by getting asked out by such a popular teen-age figure.

"There's going to be trouble," Hank said to himself, walking to the door.

Gambit stared stupidly at Siku, who was smiling that heartbreaking smile of hers. Siku was pretty, despite her blue fur. Her eyes were wide and exotic looking. Her innocence was absolutely captivating. Micah Jones was going to make mincemeat out of her.

"Chere," he began hesitantly, "are you sure you understood him right?"

"Well, Uncle Remy, he did say a movie together tonight. That new one with Brock Mallone?" Siku was floating on air. Cierra had been disbelieving when Siku told her but by the end of school, everyone knew about it.

Remy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Chere, why did he ask you out?"

Siku caught on. "He likes me, Uncle Remy, he does!" Cierra hadn't wanted Siku to go either. "He won't make fun of me or pick on me like everyone else does! He likes me 'cuz of who I am!" "Siku, petite, I'm sure he does, but aren't you too young for a date?"

"Cierra went on one two weeks ago! Everyone goes on them but me!" That's when Gambit knew trouble was really starting to happen.

Cyclops vetoed the whole idea completely with, "We don't that much about his family, Siku." Wolverine growled and stated quite simply, "If he can get by me, he'll be okay." By the time everyone but Professor Xavier had expressed their opinion, Siku was extremely angry and adamant. She was still going to go. Dad hadn't said no.

"Hank, " Professor X nodded to Hank as he came into the rec room in the midst of the discussion. "I think Siku should go on her date," the professor said quietly. Everyone gasped, including Siku. "We've always tried to let her lead a normal life, despite her being a mutant and the unchanged view of mutants. She's on the track team, debate team and attends conferences for her clubs. We let her go to basketball and football games. She has parties with her friends. Why not a date?" Siku rushed over and hugged the Professor. Then she stood by her ally's chair with no small amount of defiance.

Joseph shrugged. "I have no problem, as long as he treats her like a gentleman should and will meet all of us." Siku's face froze. "It's polite, Siku, to meet your dates parents."

"But you guys are all family. Dad is my parent." Logically, no one could argue with that point so instead everyone fired questions at Hank.

"Ask him what time she'll be brought back!"

"You want me to follow them, just in case?" Wolverine rubbed his claws together in anticipation of possible, albeit small, excitement.

"Watch what clothes la petite belle wears, Henri. Boys take everyt'ing for granted at that age!" Gambit already began to worry, remembering how he was at the age of fourteen.

"Perhaps Siku should wear a tracking device in case something happens, Wolverine," Scott chided.

"SCOTT SUMMERS!" exclaimed Jean, bopping Scott on the head.

"Listen to ya'll!" scolded Rogue. "The girl's goin' on a date, not a mission into Genosha!" The men looked at her expectantly, as if to say, "You're point is...?" "OH!" Rogue threw up her hands.

Bishop had remained silent the whole time as had Bobby Drake. Bishop finally nudged Bobby in the ribs. "Tell them!" he hissed.

"What?" Bobby looked around in badly acted confusion. "This isn't a good time, Bish."

"Oh." Bishop looked disappointed.

"What?' asked Hank.

"Nothing, maybe later."

Siku looked at the clock. "Dad, Micah and his dad are coming soon. I need to get dressed. Please can I go?"

Hank looked at his daughter's blue eyes and smiled a little sadly. "Certainly, Sunshine. Get ready."

"Hank, I need to talk to you." Bobby motioned to Hank and the two left the room.

Hank worried all evening. The movie was only one hour and fifty-five minutes long. They would have gotten there fifteen minutes early for popcorn and a drink... he hoped Siku remembered to get juice or water. The drive to the mansion and back would take roughly half an hour total. Add another twenty minutes for his piece of mind and she should be home about....

"DAD!" screamed Siku. She came running in, her face streaked with tears. "I need your help!"

X-Men came out of the wood-work. Siku raced back outside, her red jumpsuit Rogue had bought her for Christmas was smeared with blood. Everyone rushed to follow her out and found the Volvo that picked Siku up was beaten and dented, the windows shattered and cracked and two figures still in the car. One was a terrified Micah and the other was Mr. Gavin Jones.

"Easy, Mr. Jones, we have you," soothed Scott, motioning to Bobby to grab the injured man's other side. Together they carried him into the mansion. Bishop picked Micah up with ease, noting the boy's bruised knuckles and bloody face.

"What happened, Siku." Professor Xavier, in his robe and hover chair, was inspecting the damaged vehicle.

"These men came and started pushing Mr. Jones around. They had some boys from the high school with them. They called him a traitor and a mutie-lover. When they started after me, Micah tried to protect me. that's when everyone started fighting." Siku voice faltered but she pressed on, the words tumbling from her mouth faster and faster. "Mr. Jones put me in the car along with Micah. He tried to get in too, but our attackers got him before he got all the way in."

Hank picked her up like he had when she a baby and began to shush her tears. Siku cried all the more harder.

Gambit glared at Rogue. "An' you said not too follow her in case she get into trouble, non?" Rogue looked helpless. Joseph hugged Rogue from behind, glaring at Gambit. Gambit turned away from the sight. Rogue had finally chosen Joseph, but the love Remy still felt for the southern belle was still there.

"Let's all go inside," Jean shooed everyone inside, not even looking at the car as she too went inside.

"I tried to protect her, Dr. McCoy. I'm sorry." Gavin Jones looked penitent.

Hank smiled and stuck out a blue, furry hand. "I appreciate it, too, Mr. Jones."

"You don't understand. Until three months ago I belonged to the Friends of Humanity. But Micah kept talking about Siku, how pretty she was. I finally told him to ask her out. I told him I would take them for ice cream and a movie. I didn't realize she was a mutant." Jones sighed and looked directly at Hank and Professor X. "Then I saw her at the debate tournament last month. Micah had been right. She was pretty. And smart too. She didn't seem horrible or dangerous at all. She looked and acted like the 13-year old girl she was. Micah begged me to let him go, despite the fact I still knew she was a mutant. I agreed. Why should my son grow up with my prejudices? my father hated black men, but I learned there was nothing wrong with them. Perhaps I had been wrong myself and Micah saw that? Whatever the case, when those people attacked her, I couldn't let it happen. So I tried to help her."

Professor Xavier smiled encouragingly. "If only everyone would realize what you did, Mr. Jones, then this world would be safer for children like Siku. All of us are frightened every morning when she goes to school. Anything could happen there and we wouldn't get there in time to help her. We thank you very much."

Micah sat in the rec room, staring at Wolverine's claws in fascination. Logan was impressed that the kid was impressed, not terrified. But it was still something of an ego-breaker.

"Uncle Logan, can I talk to Micah for a minute?" Asked Siku, standing in the doorway.

"Sure thing, kiddo." Wolverine winked at her and grinned a toothy grin at Micah.

"Those claws are awesome!" Micah breathed in male envy. "Wish I had them!"

"No you don't. If he doesn't get them cleaned all the way, they smell like raw, bad meat."

"Ewww!"

"Thank you, Micah." Siku quickly pecked Micah on the mouth.

Micah blinked. "Uh, sure." Then he looked around to make sure no one was watching, grabbed Siku's shoulder's and plastered a little longer peck on her mouth in return. Looking proud of himself, Micah smiled at Siku.

"Dat wasn't a kiss," muttered Gambit. Bobby poked Gambit in the ribs to shut him up. Bobby, Bishop, Gambit, Wolverine, Cyclops, and Joseph were keeping an eye on the young lovebirds. Rogue and Jean came around the corner and began yelling. Men scattered in every which direction.

When the two women peeked in, Siku and Micah were holding hands and gazing at each other in typical teen-age, puppy love fashion. Both women sighed and went about their business.