The news was on and once again the attention was on the mutant phenomenon. Supposedly an agreement had been reached earlier that day by the Congress. The president agreed with the federal government and backed the decision. The new law was to be put into effect immediately.

The program went to commercial and the room let out a collective breath that they'd all been holding. Marie shuddered in Logan's arms and he held her closer to him on the couch. Scott was looking up at the ceiling and Jean was running her hand through her red hair.

The professor sighed as he already knew the decision. He turned his wheelchair out of the room as he couldn't stand to be there when his children heard what he already knew. He needed to make plans to keep everyone safe. It was too late to stop it, but he could make it bearable.

Jubilee closed her eyes and snapped her gum while St. John held a ball of fire in his hand. Kitty had tears in her eyes. They had all seen Xavier leave the room. That could only mean that the decision was bad. Not that Kitty had expected anything different, but she had been hoping. She and her husband, Bobby, had wanted to raise their child in a safe world, but that didn't look like a possibility anymore.

Bobby moved her closer to him and rubbed his hand gently, but firmly, over her growing stomach. She sighed and leaned back against him as the commercials ended.

A reporter in black appeared on the screen and spoke officially, "Our government has made their official statement now. Here with me is the President of the United States. Mr. President, what is this decision that has all of D.C. talking?"

"Today, we have put our heads together and we have come up with a definite solution. We believe that this is for the best of all pure human Americans and their children. Starting tomorrow, adult mutants will be forced to leave the metropolitan areas. That is the start of the movement we plan on. The children will be allowed to remain and taken care of, eventually, by social workers and such from around the world. Eventually, all mutants will be moved from the United States to keep the rest of us safe. We are working with other countries to come up with a place to send them to live. For now, they are to move outside of main city limits in the U.S. The countries of the world are organized in this effort,. The only ones not cooperating with us are Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Poland, Mexico, Canada, Japan, Cuba, Sweden, Iceland, and Guatemala. Tomorrow law enforcement agents will begin the evacuation plans. There will be a very few cases where adult mutants will be allowed to remain here, but only a very few extreme cases. There will be absolutely no bribing of officers. If you are suspected of being or are a known mutant, you will be leaving the large cities of our fine country. That is all, thank you."

The reporter reappeared and looked a little too happy with the president's words. "Well there you have it ladies and gentlemen. Tomorrow begins a drastic change to our society. Now, if you are a mutant and believe that your case is extreme and in need of consideration, please call the number at the bottom of your screen now. There are operators standing by for your call. Tomorrow morning, New York, D.C., and L.A. will be the first to be evacuated. This includes all sub cities of these larger ones. Goodnight Ladies and Gentlemen."

The room was silent until Marie stood up and walked to the television with her arms wrapped around her waist. She stood in front of it for a moment, then slammed her fist into the screen. There was a loud crash as her hand went all the way through the device thanks to her incredible strength. Sparks flew for a moment and Kitty cried out as she flinched. Rogue stood in front of the tv for another moment before turning around and facing her teammates and friends.

She stood completely silent and stiff. Her fists were clenched at her sides and she didn't move until Logan came up to her and held her to him. "You took the pleasure of punching that thing away from me Darlin'. But hell I'm glad someone did that." He whispered into her ear. She smiled sadly and wrapped her arms around him while several silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

Jean stood and turned to the hallway. Scott went after her, knowing exactly where she was going. A moment after the couple left, the professor gave the rest of them a mental message to join him in his office.

Logan growled and Marie rubbed his back before grabbing his hand and walking to Xavier's office down the hall. The other followed in suit. Once there, they all took up similar seating that they had had earlier in the tv room. The professor nodded as they each came in, then, when they were situated, he wheeled out from behind his desk.

"I was just speaking to Jean and Scott, explaining to them what the plan is in dealing with this tragedy. While my plan is not what most or all of you will want, it must be done. There is a reason for each part. I wish this could be different, but there's no way to change it. Now we must simply deal with the aftermath of the government's decision and try to make it work for us."

Jean's sobs became audible and Scott held her tighter to him and lowered his head. The great leader was showing weakness and that didn't bode well for the rest of the team.

"Why don't you just tell us what your fucking plan is so we can just get started instead of sitting here in the dark!" Logan growled out. Marie leaned back into his arms more and rubbed his knuckles in an effort to calm him.

The professor looked about the room sadly, then continued, "You are quite right Logan. This is my plan. You will need to split up. We cannot safely leave the city all together. You will all split up, two, at most three, of you together. Hank and I will stay behind. We already have gotten the okay from the government. The rest of you will need to hide in the smaller towns or in one of the countries nearby who are not participating in this movement. I truly hate to do this. More than you shall ever know, but I have already figured out groups of who it is safest to go with. If you protest, it will make it that much harder for everyone here to survive."

Marie felt Logan press a firm kiss on the top of her head and she knew he meant to stay with her no matter what. She could see that his idea would be useless if Xavier had already separated them. From Jean's tears, she assumed that meant that she and Scott had been split apart from each other.

The professor continued, "I cannot let any of you know which group anyone else is in unless it be that they are in your group. I will be letting you know one by one right now through telepathy which group are in. You cannot tell anyone at all who you are with. This is only for your safety. The less you know of the others, the safer it is for you. You will be packing tonight, then get a good sleep. Tomorrow you must leave early so as to avoid the officers as much as possible. You will all be able to stay in contact with me no matter what. This will pass. I know it will. When it does, we will be prepared here for each and every one of you to return promptly."

There was a silence in the room and Xavier locked eyes with Jubilee. She sighed, but nodded. Next, he spoke with St. John. He too had the same sort of reaction that Jubes had had. 'Ro was next and she nodded, but her tears fell and the skies outside grew grey. Charles was sadly communicating with her the reasons for the grouping and the necessity of keeping a low profile, and the skies became somewhat less foreboding in her attempts to be less obvious with how she was taking the news.

Remy already knew that he and his love were not to be together, so his grouping came not as so much of a surprise. Kitty was next and she held onto the arms of the chair she was seated in as if they could change the verdict simply by her willing them to. Marie choked on a sob when she saw the young couple's faces. They were being split up. None of them would be the same.

Rogue looked over to the professor and he spoke to her in her mind.

Rogue, I need you to take very good care of Kitty. She and Jubilee will be your group until it is safe for all of you to return to the mansion. I am worried about her. I do not know if she can handle the separation, but she must, for her child's and Bobby's sakes. You already knew that you and Logan would not be together. Let me explain my reasoning for these groupings my child.

It is not safe for Jean and Scott to travel together for the officers, they will be checking every married couple that is leaving any large city tomorrow. This check is for pregnancy of the woman. The woman will be taken to a facility whether she is or is not pregnant. You see the need for the separations then. If they were to find out that Kitty is pregnant, there is no telling what they would do to her and her unborn child. If three women are together, there is not the need to check them. Even though you and Logan, Remy and Ororo, and Jubilee and John are not married nor expecting, it would be dangerous for you to be together at any check in the United States.

Ah understand Charles. How long do you believe this will last?

Two weeks or two years. There is no way to be sure.

Thank yah Charles. Ah promise Ah'll do mah best wit' Kit.

Marie felt the tears forming in her eyes and she pulled Logan's arms tighter around her as Xavier spoke to him of his group. Instinctively, he growled and held her close. The professor had told him. When Charles was done explaining, he looked about the room apologetically.

"I am deeply sorry as to what must be done here, but I know you all see how essential this all is. You must all sleep in separate rooms tonight as I will call you by your groups in the morning at various times. No one can know who is with who. I will stay in contact as much as needed. You are free to go now."

When Rogue turned in her chair to Logan, he wouldn't look at her. She raised a gloved hand to touch his face, but he stood before she had a chance. Leaving the office quickly, he strode to his room and began packing.

Marie sighed and stood up. Xavier looked at her for a moment, then wheeled out of the room and down to the lower levels. Scott led Jean out of the room and, as Rogue assumed, to their room before they had to separate that night. Kitty and Bobby went out of the room together as well.

She watched as Remy held 'Ro. She'd never seen the man act like he was now. His red and black eyes held tears waiting to pour out. She stood up and followed Jubilee and St. John. The two went down to the rec room. They were the youngest out of all of the X-Men. Both of them seemed to be taking the news with only anger. They were full of rage and the knowledge that their survival was up to them now.

Marie turned down the hall sadly and made her way up to her room. There, she packed her clothes and everything else she would need. She looked into Logan's memories to see what exactly she'd need to survive on her own. When she'd run from her home down south, she hadn't been well prepared

She sat her things on the floor beside her bed and sighed, looking around the room that had been her home for the years of her life that she considered worth counting. It was still decorated. Her books were strewn on her shelves as she had gone through them to see which to take. She'd figured out that three would be all right. Pride And Prejudice, Among Us, and her poetry book. It contained those poems that she'd collected by various authors that seemed to fit into her life in the extraordinary way poetry sometimes could.

She left the room to look for Logan. She found him in his room. He was standing in front of the window, his back turned to the door. His bags were packed and set to the side of the room carefully.

"C'mere Darlin'." She smiled at how he was speaking again. That had to be a good sign. She stepped up to his side and leaned against him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. For a long time they said nothing, only stood there together watching the night come, pushing the day that had held the future away.

"Ah love yah Logan...no mattah how long it is before Ah see yah again, Ah will still love yah." She closed her eyes and tears fell. He turned her in his arms and looked down at her beautiful face.

"Don't cry Marie...this isn't gonna be forever...ya know I can find ya no matter what...the professor thinks that this'll work." He pressed her face into his chest. She held onto his shirt and let tears come freely. She looked up and saw that Logan's eyes glistened in an indiscernible way.

He lifted her chin and took her scarf from around her neck. He looked down at her, then pressed his lips to hers tenderly, then fervently. She sighed into his mouth and a sob slipped out. She held his face close and rubbed up against his body. He moaned and crushed her to him. Nothing else seemed real but the one moment in time when things stood still.

---

The morning came too early, as did the mental call for her to wake up and leave the mansion. She groaned and turned over in her sleepy state. Things yesterday had seemed like such a dream when she was listening to the plans for the future. Now it was morning and all of the nightmares of yesterday were coming true.

She turned over and sat up. Her bags had been packed up the night before. She stood up and stretched. Taking in the beauty she knew a wonderful room could give off. The beauty she wouldn't likely see again for quite a while, the beauty that she hadn't seen years earlier while she was on the road for eight months.

Dressing herself quickly, she picked up the bags she'd left awaiting her to be carried out. Taking her things, she swept her gaze across the room for the last time. Then she headed out to the garage to meet up with Kitty and Jubilee. Once there, she sighed, taking a last look at the mansion.

She blinked, then she opened her eyes again and turned to the truck that they were to be driving together. She slipped into the driver's seat and checked on her friends and their things. When she was sure that they had everything that they would need, she said a silent prayer for all of them, then backed out of the driveway.