1.

It was very quiet. The crescent moon that hung high in the cloudless night and the colorless images from the television set gave off the only form of light. A soft breeze rustled the new leaves on the trees and the peaceful scent of the early spring night fluttered through the slightly opened window. The only sign of life in the Xavier Mansion at four o’clock in the morning was a quiet and peaceful young man that lay on a couch, watching an old western movie.

Kurt Wagner, a German-born mutant that was still fairly new to the United States, lay sideways on the green cushions of his seat, for once un-amused by the flick that he had seen only hundreds of times. Deep yellow eyes stared blankly at the TV screen as a long, demon-like blue tail slowly tapped a two-toed blue foot that was almost always lacking shoes and socks.

The cool breeze that gracefully passed through the window hit young Wagner’s face, his eyes closing and his nose taking in the fresh air. The first signs of spring always brought a feeling of peace and comfort to the mutant, especially when he sat alone in the middle of the night. Until recently, his time during the night was spent on a trailer’s roof, a supportive tree branch, or the steeple of a local church. But Kurt had found a home in the Xavier Mansion, a place dedicated to teach and bring understanding to young mutant children with newly form mutant powers.

“Up again?” a soft, feminine voice said from the doorway, interrupting Kurt’s thoughts and causing him to jump a little.

“Ja,” Kurt replied in his native tongue. He sat up and offered the now free half of the couch to his visitor. He positioned his body to sit in a crouching position, which he developed, probably, from sitting on countless trapeze bars in his earlier years.

Rogue, a girl of sixteen who had come to Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters only a few months before Kurt, sat beside him. Her warm smile was always a tranquil aspect of her personality that Kurt found comfort in. He gave her a shy smile back and shifted his yellow gaze to the screen once again.

“You couldn’t sleep?” He asked as he watched a cowboy jumping from one horse to another taking out the bandits that just robbed a small town bank.

Rogue nodded. Although the fellow mutant had a thick German accent, Rogue didn’t find it difficult to understand him; unless, that is, you don’t count certain words that begin with the letter “w” that he had a habit of pronouncing like it was a “v” instead.

The two sat in silence for a few minutes each sitting on opposite ends of the couch watching the movie. Rogue’s eyes shifted to the side of her head to notice a rather sad expression on Nightcrawler’s face. She unconsciously wondered if the indigo skin and the semi-curly black hair was the reason he was given such a nickname as Nightcrawler. Although his demon-like appearance was set with the blue skin that bore angelic symbol tattoos that covered his face, and she figured the rest of his body, along with pointy ears like an elf’s, and a tail related to the devil himself, Rogue had found a friend in Nightcrawler; he was the most sincere, kind, and devoted person she had ever met.

“Do you always stay awake all night?” Rogue asked. She had gotten up several times in the past few months to find Kurt awake in some part of the house, usually where they were now, and he never looked tired.

Kurt smiled, sharp white teeth showing. “I only need a few hours sleep. I like the night the best.”

There were a few more minutes of silence. The last time Rogue sat up with Kurt he talked to her like they were old friends. Now he barely spoke if she said something. “You feeling alright?”

“Of course. Why the wonder?” he asked, his head finally turning to look at her. After saving her life during their first encounter, Rogue was one of the few who had easily gotten on well with him. The others didn’t mind his presence, but he could tell that they still felt uncomfortable. He felt good, however, that most of them did show concern for his quietness.

Rogue shook her head. “I don’t know. You look like something’s bothering you. Its not me, is it?”

Kurt shook his head quickly and held up a three-fingered hand. “Nein. You’re company is most welcome.” He looked down at the floor and sighed. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I should be more than gracious and thank the Father for leading me to this place.”

Rogue knew now. She scooted over and put a hand on the soft shirt of his strong shoulder. “You’re homesick.”

“I do miss the circus and my friends there. But I feel most at home here with you, Storm, and the others as well.”

“Don’t worry. I felt terrible for a while when I first ran away from home. But I knew it was for the best. Everyone here is my family now. We’re all the same here.”

Kurt looked at her heartfelt face. He knew that he could confide in her. They both had a great deal in common, although those attributes might seem different. With Kurt, normal people, even some mutants, were afraid of him because he didn’t fit in. Unlike one mutant he knew with blue skin and yellow eyes, he couldn’t change the way he looked. His gift was agility and teleportation, but that didn’t help him with acceptance. Rogue, on the other hand, fit in like any normal teenager—even with the two locks of white hair that framed her face that stood out from the rest of her chestnut head. Rogue’s gift, however, is the reason why she will never be able to make any physical contact with another, for if that did happen she would absorb their energy and abilities, practically pulling the life force out of that person’s body.

“There is one thing that I so desire,” he said softly, wondering if she’d laugh at him when he told her. She looked at him, no words needing to be spoken to tell him to go on. “Even if I can never be with her…I just want to see her face. Just once more.”

Rogue was touched. There was someone in Kurt’s life that she knew he loved. And from the way his voice sounded, she didn’t feel the exact way. “Who?” Then she stopped herself. “Sorry, I don’t mean to pry into you’re private life.”

“Es ist okay,” Kurt replied. “Her name is Amanda, the daughter of the woman who found me abandoned as a baby. I’ve loved her since before I understood what love was.”

“She doesn’t feel the same, does she?” Rogue mentally kicked herself for being so forward. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings.

But to her surprise, Kurt smiled. “No, she doesn’t. We’ve always had a brother-sister relationship. The last time I saw her she had here eyes set on someone else…. Someone far more intriguing than I—especially in the looks.”

Rogue thought for a moment and then said, “I bet she realizes now that you were the best choice for her.”

Kurt looked back at the TV screen to see the end credits appearing slowly as the handsome cowboy rode off on his stead, carrying the beautiful girl into the sunset. “Ich kann nur wünschen.”

Time rolled on slowly. The seemingly dead plants had sprouted new life, animals wondered out of hiding from the harsh winter, and children took to the outdoors to play in the bright, warm afternoon sun.

Down at the basketball courts in the back of the mansion Kurt sat on a nearby picnic table watching several young students dribbling the brown ball around and passing it from one teammate to the other making shots towards the basket and missing almost every time.

“Is that the best you got?” a gruff voice said as its owner stood over a kid nearly thirty years or more younger.

“Logan, no fair!” Rogue called out from the sidelines. “You’re like three feet taller!”

Logan, also known as Wolverine due to his hirsute facial features and the foot long metal claws that extracted from his hands at will, stopped and turned to the young girl he had met back in Canada—the reason why he was at the mansion in the first place.

“They wanted me to play, so now they have to deal…” His eyes caught a glimpse of his opponent dodging around his legs and running down the court. “Hey!”

Kurt laughed from his spot after seeing the young kid making an incredible jump that was most inhuman like and dunking the ball through the hoop.

Logan wiped the sweat from his brow and put his hands on his hips while his eyes looked over to Kurt. “You think you can do better, elf? There aren’t any trapeze bars in this game.”

As if just noticing the blue mutant was perched on the tabletop, the kids gathered around Logan and beckoned Kurt to play with them. “C’mon Kurt! Don’t let Logan beat us!” Bobby Drake, Rogue’s own boyfriend, called out.

Kurt shook his head and waved his hand. “I’d be more of a nuisance than a help to you’re game,” he admitted.

Logan smiled and raised an eyebrow. “That’s right. They don’t play ball over in that German town you’re from.”

“C’mon Kurt!”

“We want you to play!”

“Please!?”

After a brief moment, Kurt got up, took his long coat off and set it down, and went out onto the court. “Whose team?”

“Ours, of course,” Bobby replied as he dribbled the ball. He passed it to a kid named Anthony who ran down the court, two opposing players following after him.

Kurt stood near the center of the court and received the ball when it was passed to him. His two fingers and one thumb bounced the ball easily on the pavement. He turned towards the basket only to be face to face with Logan.

“Alright, circus clown,” he said in a pant. “Let’s see where all that high wire abilities get you now. And no disappearing acts either.”

Kurt smiled, his teeth bared in an almost evil manner. “I don’t need tricks to beat you, mein fraund.” Kurt jumped to the left of Logan, who proved to be more of a match by following. Then Kurt jumped back and to the right, Logan’s hand instinctively grabbing out for the ball. Kurt’s smile never left his face; his tail appeared up behind his shoulder and caught Logan’s attention. The arrowhead tip moved shortly from side to side, as if mocking the Wolverine.

Logan let out a growl of frustration as Kurt pretended to pass the ball to no one, and then ultimately passing it to Bobby who came up from behind. “Brat!” Logan called out as he turned to go at Bobby.

Young Drake made a shot, but it was obviously going to be a direct miss. Fortunately Kurt jumped up, caught the ball, and guided it into the net without even touching the rim.

There was a cheer from fellow teammates as Kurt landed on the ground as if just performing an acrobatic stunt and landing in perfect formation. Rogue could be heard from the side giving a whistle of admiration.

Logan looked at her as if shocked she wasn’t on his side. “Whatever.”

There wasn’t much of a game after Kurt entered. Logan had become disgusted with the fact that the newcomer could lead a team to victory after being nearly twenty points behind. The group of students, Logan, and Kurt walked back into the house tired, sweaty, and hungry.

Storm, alias Ororo Monroe, came striding from down the hall, her white hair bouncing on her shoulders and her young face looking content. “Who won?” She asked, looking directly at Logan when she noticed that he was one of the few that didn’t share in the delight of others.

“Ask him,” Logan said rocking his head towards Kurt. “Circus performer my ass. Olympic athlete more like it.”

“Good for you Kurt!” Storm said with a friendly smile. “And a little surprise for all of you.”

Everyone looked at the dark skinned woman who could control the weather as if she was Mother Nature herself. She gave a small giggle at their interested faces. Then her arms left their resting position behind her back and held up a rolled up poster of some sort.

“What’s that?” Logan asked his head twisting to crack his neck.

Storm let the poster unroll. She noticed how everyone’s face lit up with glee. She read the words on the poster as if they others couldn’t: “Come one, come all, to see the traveling Munich Circus as it makes its last American Tour appearance. Friday April 5^th through Saturday April 13^th. Attractions include high wire trapeze artists, show performing horses and elephants, and stunts that will make you Oh and Ah for days to come.”

“Can we go?” said one of the ten year olds.

“Does the Professor know?”

“When are we going?”

Everyone seemed excited and Storm had to raise a hand to gain back his or her attention. “Professor Xavier already agreed. We’ll probably go to one of the last shows to avoid the larger crowds.”

During all of this, Kurt stood in silence. When everyone had continued their way down the hall to the kitchen or their rooms to clean up, he went back outside and found a spot under a shady tree.

So many thoughts rushed through his mind. They’re back, he thought to himself. Amanda…the circus…everyone. The last time before they go back to Germany…

The snap of a branch caught his ears and his head shot up to see Rogue frozen in place, knowing she had disturbed his train of thought. “Sorry,” she said.

Kurt shook his head to tell her don’t worry about it as she sat down next to him, hugging her knees to her chest and trying to catch his expression. “That’s your circus, isn’t it? Munich, Germany, right?”

“Ja,” he replied and closed his eyes.

“Is…that girl you told me about before going to be there?” Rogue asked.

Kurt didn’t seem to pay attention to her question. He leaned his head back against the tree’s trunk and looked at the white clouds floating through the sea of light blue sky. “It’s been nearly six months, hasn’t it? Since we’ve met, that is.”

“I think so,” Rogue recalled.

“That means its been at least two weeks longer since I did that stupid stunt in my last performance…and when I realized there was no winning her.”

“Why so sad, Kurt? You’ll get to see her again like you wanted.”

He shook his head. “Because its as if God trying to give me a second chance, but I feel that any efforts would be futile.”

Rogue didn’t know what to say. She searched her brain for any words that might comfort him. “I know what I say probably won’t help, but I think you should just go. If this girl Amanda you’ve told me about cares for you at least like a brother, then she’ll just be happy to see you alive and alright.”

Kurt looked at her and then smiled. “Thank you,” he said gratefully.

“For what?”

“Understanding me.”

Translations:

“Ja”-Yes

“Nein”-No

“Es ist okay”-It is okay

“Ich kann nur wünschen”-I can only wish

“Mein fraund”-my friend