While the Missions Away, The X-men Will Play

With Mystique gone, and Magneto laying low, the lives of the X-men has boiled down to normal...and it was driving them out of their minds.

No one would admit but they missed early morning, late night battle simulations, training for the littlest possibility, those extra exercises they all dreaded so much.

With all training in their lives it became a part of their lives, and with it not there, their lives became boring.

"Ah, the veekend” Kurt said as he threw himself down on the couch after a long day of school “Yeah I hear ya Kurt. I’m just gonna veg the entire time” Evan said agreeing “Kinda like you did last weekend, and the weekend before that huh?” Scott said taunting him. “Oh give me a break, you know what your problem is, man, you can't relax. You always so stiff"

"See Daniel’s that just proves it right there” “Proves what?” “You don't know what your talkin about” Scott said as he threw a football at his head. He caught it of course “Come on lets go toss it around. Give me a chance to loosen up” Scott said sarcastically. “Yeah, I’m up for it” Evan said throwing it back, “How about it Kurt, you comin?” “Dah, let’s go” he said grabbing the ball from Scott and heading towards the front doors, “Hey watch where you going?!” Kitty called as the nearly knocked her a Jean over as the ran out towards the back. “Boys will be boys” Jean proclaimed as she laughed, then the two continued heading upstairs to Jean's room, finishing their conversation ice cream is better then chocolate.

"So who do you think is cuter, Duncan or Scott?” Kitty asked as she peered out the window at the three boys playing ball in the backyard, taking Jean by surprise “What?!” she replied cause her to drop on her new outfits that she wanted to show Kitty.

"C'mon Jean think about it. Duncan is cute and very athletic, but when it come to brains and charm for that matter, he is without, but Scott on the other hand..” “It seems to me like you just answered your own question there” Jean answered as she sorted through her closet, avoiding the obvious answer. While kitty continued watching, “Do you think Kurt’s cute?” “Kitty” Jean said with a sigh, “I don't want to have this conversation” dropping her clothes on the bed to watch with her “Why not? I mean we are girls, and they are boys” “Yes,but we also work, go to school and live with these boys! Besides do you think their having the same conversation about us?” “Well maybe not now, but I'm sure at one point at least one of them has” she said with a "hinting tone" towards someone in particular “What’s that suppose to mean, Miss Pryde?” “I dunno, but I know you do” she said with a giggle cause Jean to telepathically lifting a pillow off her head and throwing it at her, hitting her the face as she turned her head “Hey no fair Cheater!” She called Grabbing the pillow and throwing it back, causing Jean to physically pick up a pillow and throw it at her. Which started an all out pillow fight. Not realizing how loud they were actually screaming until the bedroom door flew open. “Will you two keep it down? I’m tr'ing to study here!” Rogue yelled over the noise, causing the girls to stop suddenly. As the watched her slam the door to leave, they could hear here protesting in the hallway “Man, why do those girls gotta to be like that? Errr!",

They looked at each other. Laughed and continued their fight.

"Blue, 32, hike” Scott yelled as the threw the ball to Evan ,~BAMF~ Kurt teleported in between the ball and Evan.

"Oh, hey come on man, you don't see us using our powers now do ya?” “Dhat’s because we want to keep the ball, you would only put a hole through it,” “Ok time out you guys!” Scott called stopping a potential fight, and the game “Yeah, let’s hit the showers and then the couch. I got a new video game I wanna beat Kurt at” Evan called out “Oh please man, you know I could totally win!” “Vahtever” Evan said. Mocking him. “Oh come on guys, don’t be so lazy" Scott said as he sat down on the grass. “Its a great day out, and you wanna waste it playing video games” “As opposed to you who spends days like this in the Danger Room” “Oh, come on that's totally different" he said defending himself, “Yeah, the only thing different is that video game can get you killed” “not if you know how to play” he said as he placed his hands behind his head and laid back, looking up towards Jean's window, by then Kitty had stopped watching and was playing around in Jean's closet, the guys could the two as they passed by the window.

"See anything you like, or are you just browsing?" Evan said as he sat down by him “What are you talking about?” “Gee I vonder Vhat?” Kurt said ganging up on him now. As he sat down with the rest, as he saw Kitty pass “You one to talk, blue boy” Scott said taking the heat off himself.

"Yeah, but he and the Kat are just friends. He can't help it if chicks dig the fuzz ball” Evan said defending him “Man” Kurt said correcting him, “The fuzzy man” “Besides everyone know you have a thing for Jean” “What thing I don't have a thing" Scott said as he started to get a little nervous, and started to pull on the grass beside him. “Well I don't see why you wouldn’t. Jean’s great; with her great green eyes, and her long beautiful red hair, and that banggin body of hers!"

"Daniels, don’t you ever shut up” “Hey, I’m just saying man, you better get her before Matthew's does” Scott sitting up giving Evan a stern stare. “Don’t you have a video game to go play?"

"Heh, Yeah, Come on blue” “Dah, I’m right behind you"

Scott laid there for awhile. Staring up at the clouds as they passed by, occasionally looking into Jean's window as the girls passed, and he thought a lot about things he was always too busy to think about as he stared blankly into the sky, as he made sense of what was spinning around in his mind.

As Jean pulling back a bit on part of them with her two fingers as she gazed down on him. wondering what he was thinking about. Unaware that subconsciously her thoughts intertwined with her. They were both in a trance with thoughts of each other and their lives, what they'd be like if neither of them were in it. Thoughts entered each of their minds that normally neither of them would ever think about it, which simultaneously but a smile on both their face.

"Whatch looking at!?” Kitty yelled grabbing at her sides, scaring her. Causing her to scream, which Scott heard also breaking him out of his state of mind, as he looked up at her window he realized that it was only Kitty. And she wasn't in trouble.

"Kitty you scared me!” Jean scolded her, as Kitty opened the curtains to notice Scott getting up and heading toward the house “Ohhhh I seeee” she said in her usual upbeat tone of voice,

"You see nothing” “I see something. I’m not blind, your blind, cause you can't see"

"I see just fine Miss Pryde, now come on I'm hungry. Lets go grab some snacks” “I’ll race ya to the kitchen!” “Ok ready set go!” As Jean took a head start telepathically opening her door, “HEY!!” Kitty screamed as she ran to catch up.

The girls running down the hall screaming and laughing. Which could be heard all through the mansion, they really wasn't paying much attention to what they were doing, until the were half way down the stairs, that neither of them realized the carpet was coming up until Kitty tripped on it. Giving her the lead as she started to fall, but luckily someone saw what was about to happen.

~Bamf~ “Whoa Kitty are you alvight?” Kurt asked, coming out of nowhere, holding Kitty in his arms. “Yeah.. Kurt I'm fine, thanks...its good you were here. Or else I would have been eating carpet” “Everything all right?” Scott called from the bottom of the stairs as he walked through the door. “Yeah, Scott were fine” Jean said “Kitty just tripped, that’s all and Kurt caught her"

"Oh, good your all here” Ororo said interrupting. While Evan was coming towards the stairs to see what was going on "The Professor would like to see you in office. Rogue is already there waiting"

"I wonder what's up?” Kitty asked as she pulled away from Kurt’s arms “Something’s probably wrong” Scott spoke up in his "leader" voice “Let’s go” The teens headed towards the Professor's office, with Scott in the lead

"Professor, what is it? What’s wrong?” Scott asked as they entered the room.

"Nothing to be alarmed about Scott” The Professor began “I’ve noticed that lately things have been calm around here, rather boring for your, as I watch you sitting around the house. So I've decided, if your going to have a vacation, you should have a decent one” he said as he pulled a brown envelope out of his desk drawer and handed it toward Scott.

"What's this?” Scott asked as he pulled the envelope towards him preparing to open it, “You’ll find one for each of you inside” The Professor continued as he headed towards the door “whether or not you wish to use them is up to you. I’ll leave you to make the decision” He concluded as he left the room.

Scott peering into the brown envelope as he pulled a small blue and whit envelope out.

"What is it” they asked as they all peered to see what it was. As Scott examined the contents of it a smile came across his face. “There tickets” he answered as he choked out a laugh, “for what, where?".

"Their tickets for a cruise” “What?! let me see” Rogue said as she snatched the envelope out of Scott’s hand to grab out a ticket then she passed the envelope around so each of the X-men could have a look for themselves.

"Were going on a cruise!!” Kitty screeched out!” Oh my god! this is so awesome, I like gotta go pack and figure out like what I'm gonna wear!" as she jumped out of her chair kinda bumping into Jean making her laugh, “Me Too!” Evan said as he and Kurt left the room, one physically and the other.. the other way. Leaving just Scott, Jean and Rogue left.

"Well, I guess I should go find something too” Jean said smiling at Scott, as she left the room as well. leaving just two.

"Rogue are you gonna go pack too?” “I dunno Scott. I dunno if ah even wanna go” “why wouldn't you wanna go?” “A cruise, and island, beaches, bathing suites” “Oh. I see. I guess you'll just have to be a bit more careful, won’t ya? Come, I'll help you go and find something" Scott always knew what to say to Rouge to make her feel better. As they got up to leave the room as well and join the rest of the team in packing, “after you” he said as he opened the door for her “Why, thank you” Rogue replied with a little giggle as she looked back at him.

"This is going to be so awesome!” Kitty yelled as she dragged her bags into the hallway with Jean “Yeah I know” Jean said agreeing.

"Well if the girls would hurry up we could get there a lot faster!” Evan said complaining to anyone who would listen, “Shut up Evan" Rouge yelled as she threw her bag in the back, “Besides its not all girls who are holdin us up anyway!” “I’ll go see what’s takin them" Scott said as he gave up his shot-gun seat to the next person to grab it.

"Hey girls you comin or not?!" he yelled up to the stairs as Ororo was coming down “They’ll be ready in a second. Besides none of you can leave till I'm in the van” Ororo was the only chaperon going. Logan and the Professor had some work to do around the mansion, though none of them would say what, it had to have been important for them to keep the kids out of their way for about a week. “Ok, ok were coming” Jean said as she dragged her remaining 2 bags with her, “Two more Jean!" Scott said as he took them both in hand, “What is that? Like 5 now. Did you pack a bad for each day or what?” “I didn't know what to bring, besides, Kitty has another one she's coming with"

Eventually they were all in the van, bags and all as the Logan was going to drive them to the airport. “Are you sure you'll be all right with all of them?” The Professor asked Ororo, one last time.

"She'll be fine with 'em Chuck. She’s a smart girl ,and the kids aint that bad either" Logan said. “I’ll be back in a bit, Chuck."

Once they finally got to the plane and boarded, the excitement calmed down to anxiousness. The kids never really been on a trip like this one before.

The seating plans were simple. Kitty, Jean, Scott, Evan, Kurt, Rogue. While Ororo sat in first class.

The original idea was to put the girls together, but Rouge didn't like it. So Scott volunteered to sit next to Jean

When it came close to landing the X-men could see the water that they knew in a few hours they were going to be sailing on. Which caused the anxiousness to go back up to excitement, cause Scott to grab Jean's hand while no one was looking, or expected it, which sent this strange feeling through Jean's body. Not a bad one. One she really enjoyed, as she looked toward Scott, flashing him a smile.

One they finally got off the plane and found a taxi, to take them to port the entire trip was about 7 hours. But they made it, and it was a trip well worth taking.

"Wow, the water is so blue” Kitty said. “Yeah, the bluest water I ever saw was green” Evan added. “Well that’s cause you a city boy Daniels” Scott said joking as they began to board

"So what level you guys on?" Jean asked. “Ahh, Let’s see. Kurt and I are level one” Scott said, “Rogue and I are as well” “Kitty and me are level 3","Alright cool closest to the sundeck. Miss Monroe, what level are you on?” “Level 5,a suite, now lets find our rooms"

"That must be the advantage to being a teacher and not a student” Kitty said. “Why is that” Jean asked as the ventured down the narrow hall, along with the rest of the team. As they split up to find their rooms, “First class all the way” she finished with one of her classic giggles.

Finally, Jean and Kitty got to their room. “Not bad” “Yeah, check out the view. God I just love the ocean. Back home I never got to see the ocean, how about you Jean?” “Just in New York, and once when my family and I went to Hawaii, but that was a long time ago” “I wonder what the guys rooms are like?” “I bet there already fighting for top bunk” “That’s probably a fight between Scott and Evan, cause I know if rouge wants it Kurt wont argue with. I mean after all, she will be in the same room with him as he sleeps” Kitty giggled out. “Yeah really” “Well lets go find them and she if their rooms are better” “Hey, before we go” “Yeah?” “This is gonna sound strange, but did you notice something different about Scott as we got off the plane?” “What do ya mean?” “I dunno. Does he seem different, like, happier?” “no, I never noticed. Now c’mon, they guys are probably already in the pool"