The warm summer sun beat down, letting the golden rays of sunshine gleam upon the silver hood of the sporty convertible 2001 Porsche 911. The young woman's long blonde locks of hair whipped around violently in the wind as she sped down the highway at speeds in excess of 100km/h with the top down. The stereo belted out the most popular tunes of the day. Her icy blue eyes stared out ahead at the road in front of her from behind her blue tinted sunglasses. This golden locked beauty was known to her friends as Christine Chylde but in her new life, she might only been known as that stranger that lives on the top floor of the apartment building. Her car raced down the highway towards Salem Center, New York, leaving her past of misery and pain behind her. Her dark blue luggage was packed into the small trunk of her car. The silver vehicle changed over to the farthest lane to the right, cutting off a few cars. Christine switched into the turn-off lane and started to slow down as she entered into the city. She drove straight through the town, coming upon Salem Center Estates, a set of apartment buildings, just within the city limits. Each building was twelve stories high and were designed with red bricks and white Roman pillars. Her car stopped in front of the front doors. She opened her car door, swinging her long smooth legs out and her dainty feet reached the ground in black stiletto shoes. She stood, closing the door softly behind her and smoothing out the wrinkles in her short black skirt as she walked to the back of her car. She popped open the trunk and pulled out her luggage, one by one. A few of the tenants came out of the building to help her with her bags. She closed her trunk and they helped her into the building. One of the men turned to her and asked where she was going. She stated that her apartment was on the twelfth floor, the penthouse suite. The three men looked at her then carried her bags to the elevator then up to her apartment. Christine approached her door and unlocked it as the men carried her baggage inside the apartment. They set down her bags inside the door and took off, closing the door behind them. Christine walked out onto the verandah and stared out at the beautiful town. Her eyes followed from downtown up to the large Xavier Estate on Greymalkin Lane. She stared at what seemed to be a rather large bird flying over the grounds. She shook her head, thinking that she was seeing things. Later that afternoon after changing into a pair of pants, Christine walked down the crowded streets alone. She was very careful to pay attention to where she was going but a loud noise from behind distracted her and she bumped right into a young handsome blond man. She looked at him and apologized for being clumsy. The young man's friend came up behind him and started teasing him about picking up girls on the street. The man looked at his friend then looked back to Christine.

"I apologize once again for my clumsiness. I am Warren Worthington the third and this is my friend, Robert Drake," he told her as he motioned to his friend. Bobby smiled at Christine and started moving closer to her. She smiled at him as he shamelessly flirted with her. She giggled softly as she told them her name was Christine. All of a sudden there was a large bang from behind and when the three looked over, there was Sabretooth with a car raised above his head. Bobby and Warren pushed Christine behind them to protect her as the people of Salem Center ran in fear. Bobby's whole body turned to ice as he prepared for an attack. Warren's beautiful white wings broke free from under his jacket and spread open. Christine realized that she hadn't been seeing things earlier that day. She had seen Warren flying over the Xavier Estate. When Sabretooth saw the two X-Men, he threw the car at them. Warren grabbed Christine and flew up into the air to avoid getting hit as Bobby slid out of the way on a platform of sheer ice. Christine stared, amazed at these two men. As Warren asked Christine if she was all right, Sabretooth threw another car at the two. Warren's reaction was too late and the car headed right for them. Christine knew that she had to use her powers or else they would both be killed. She thrusted her hand forward and crumpled the car into a block of twisted metal without even touching it, and let it drop to the empty street below. The two X-Men had some questions for her but now was not the time. They needed to detain Sabretooth before he injured someone. Archangel swooped down and placed Christine on the ground as he and Bobby went to fight off Sabretooth. Iceman encircled Sabretooth with a large block of ice. Sabretooth started to crack the ice but Christine held it together with telekinesis. As the rest of the X-Men arrived, Christine lost her concentration and Sabretooth broke free of his ice chamber. Cyclops stepped out off of the Blackbird and shot a beam of red light at Sabretooth. Wolverine came tearing out of the Blackbird and jumped on Sabretooth, his adamantium claws extending from his fist. Sabretooth growled at Wolverine as he threw him off. Wolverine flew back and landed on his feet. Sabretooth took off down the street as the X-Men watched his leave. Christine stared at the mutants in front of her, amazed. She had no idea that the X-Men were so close. Cyclops ordered the X-Men back into the Blackbird and told Warren to escort Christine home. Bobby volunteered to help and took off with Warren and Christine, without waiting for a reply from Cyclops. Warren and Bobby walked Christine to the front door of her building. She thanked them for walking her home and they invited her to the mansion to see Professor Xavier. Christine agreed to go the next day to see him.

Christine arrived early in the morning the next day at the mansion. Her hair was pulled back behind her in a tidy ponytail and she wore a pair of black dress pants and a royal blue dress shirt. She really didn't know who this Xavier person was but she knew that for some reason, she had to meet him. As she arrived at the gates of the mansion, she looked up at the place from the bottom of the hill in awe. Though she had grown up in a place not much larger then this one, this place looked well kept and cared for. The grass was a beautiful bright green color and splashes of reds, oranges, yellows, purples and blues could be seen by the house, indicating a lovely garden. She looked around for a way into the grounds and spotted a intercom on the brick pillar which held one of the gates. She hit the little white button and a voice came over the speaker. The voice asked her what she would like and she told it that she was there to see Professor Xavier. The gates slowly opened and Christine walked up the long driveway towards the house. She reached the front door and it opened automatically for her. She stared at the open doorway for a few moments before a voice intruded into her mind and told her that it was all right. She was scared at first but something about the voice was so comforting and relaxing that she walked into the mansion. Just as she stepped in, the door closed and Warren came walking down the stairs and smiled at her. He lead her to Professor Xavier's office and showed her in. She walked over to a chair that was set up in front of a desk and sat down. The man that was seated behind the desk was an older, bald man of around 40 years of age, she guessed. He was dressed in a nice gray suit and tie. He welcomed her and introduced himself as Professor Charles Xavier.

"You, like all of my students, are a mutant, as you know by now. Here at the Institute for The Gifted, we learn about how to control our mutant powers and how to use them to the fullest and to our own advantage. All of the students here are also required to take the fundamental basics of every school such as mathematics, english, science, and so forth. We also encourage our students to take subjects which revolve around their genetic mutation. Warren takes a class on Biology and one on aerodynamics. One of my other students who is a telepath is taking a course on psychology. If you would like to join our school, you too will be taking courses in psychology and physics as well as a few classes with myself to sharpen your skills. Once you have settled in, you will begin training sessions in the Danger Room with Wolverine and Cyclops. You will learn how to defend yourself using your powers, your body, and your mind. You will also be integrated into my team of X-Men. I see something very special in you Christine. You have amazing potential. When you are ready, I will call Warren back and he can give you a tour of all our facilities. I know you will enjoy being here. Once you enroll in this school, you will have free room and board, as all of my X-Men do. Those who are not X-Men, their families contribute funds for our programs, though it is hardly needed. Are you ready for your tour?" Christine nodded, amazed that he was able to answer all her questions without having to ask a single one. She didn't know that the Professor was a telepath until that very second. Warren knocked on the office door and entered. Christine looked up as he walked over beside the chair. He helped Christine up and nodded to the Professor.

Warren and Christine walked down the halls together, talking about what it was like growing up to find out you were a mutant. Christine felt so comfortable with Warren, like she could tell him anything. She told him about her father who had been declared dead after a 6 month search and how they still haven't found a body. Her past was scattered with stories and stories of adventure from the moment she realized she was a mutant. She also told him about the first time she knew. She had just come back from class at boarding school and there were three older girls waiting for her in her dorm room. They had gotten wind that there were a few mutants at the school and wanted to dispose of them before the mutants killed them. They were such naive girls to think that all mutants wanted was death and destruction. Christine still doesn't know to this day how they managed to pick her out of a school of over a thousand girls. The three girls surrounded her and started to beat her. When two of the girls had had enough, the third girl pulled out a switch blade knife and stabbed Christine in the gut and slit her throat, just missing the aorta, and left her for dead. Christine reached out for her cordless phone which was about a foot away from her and desired so badly to be able to move it to her. Her mutant gene then took over and developed the power of telekinesis. Christine managed to dial 9-1-1 but could hardly talk. When the operator answered, the small amount of telepathy that Christine had developed became the one thing that was able to save her. Moments later, the ambulance arrived and the emergency medical technicians rushed into the building. Police also arrived to help out and to possibly discover who had attacked her. Christine never heard any word about what happened to the girls that had nearly killed her. They might have gotten off free, using the plea that they thought Christine was a mutant, but she'll never know. At the end of the day, Christine thanked Warren for showing her around. As she was about to leave, Warren mentioned that they were going to the beach the next day and she was more then welcome to attend. Christine nodded and left.

The next day at the beach, the sun shined brightly, and there was only a slight breeze. It was the perfect day for a day at the beach. Christine arrived at the beach after all the others had gathered there and already soaking up the sun. Archangel, Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde, and Jubilee were relaxing on lounge chairs in the sand and Bobby was seated next to Warren on the end in the sand. Christine walked up to Bobby, dropping her things beside him, and challenged him to go swimming. They both ran out into the surf and dived in. They both swam out from the shallow waters and waded. Bobby slowly started moving closer to her while they flirted. As soon as Christine felt his hand touch her shoulder, as he was about to move in for a kiss, she started to panic. She had never been so close to a man before and the thought of physical, emotional contact terrified her. Christine went with the first thing she thought of to distract him. Christine dove down into the water and took a grip on Bobby's swimming trunks. With one yank, Christine pulled his bathing suit off and started to swim away teasing him. She waited a little distance away, hoping he would catch on that she wanted to be caught but Bobby started heading towards the shore. Christine started to follow him, trying to give the bathing suit back but he was too angry. Obviously, Christine had gone too far. She figured that being a prankster himself, he could handle it. Bobby stormed up the beach to where his towel was located. Warren covered Jubilee's eyes with his hand as Bobby approached. She made a comment about seeing a new side of Bobby which he didn't appreciate very much. He wrapped the towel around himself and stormed off to his car. Christine came running up onto the beach and watched him leave. She laughed quietly, slightly amused by his reaction even though she did feel bad about it. For the next few weeks, Christine didn't see or hear from Bobby. She felt like he was avoiding her like the plague and he was.

Christine's world would come crashing down around her, two weeks after that incident. X-Men! Quickly! To the World Trade Center. Professor contacted them telepathically. Cyclops, Archangel, Phoenix, Storm, Wolverine, and Christine all climbed into the Blackbird and headed off to New York City. Christine sat there looking quite nervous about using her powers on her first X-Men mission. She had trained in the Danger Room but this was real life. If she screwed up, there was no reset button that could be pushed to make it all better. Warren walked over and sat down next to her. He tried to calm her down by telling her a few jokes. She seemed to relax until she saw why they were in New York City. Two passenger planes hand been driven into the sides of the World Trade Center buildings. Cyclops landed the jet on top of a near by building and ordered the rest of the X-Men to help evacuate the buildings. Cyclops then approached Christine. "Those buildings could come down at any minute. Do you think you are strong enough to keep those buildings from falling until we totally evacuate the buildings and area?" Cyclops asked her. This was her first real mission and she was terrified.

"I might but what if I can't hold out that long? I don't know how strong I am yet. I've only done Danger Room sessions. Do you really think I'm ready for this?" Christine was so full of questions. Cyclops tried to tell her that she may be the only hope for those people trapped above the crash site. She needed to help them because they needed her to save them from certain death. Christine floated over between the two buildings and tried to concentrate on her task as the X-Men rushed into the buildings. Warren swooped around the twin towers, trying to catch all the people jumping off from above. Christine strained to keep the buildings from falling with all she could manage. The pressure she was feeling was so great, she couldn't handle it. After about an hour, Christine contacted the X-Men telepathically. I can't hold on any longer. These buildings are going to collapse. You've got to get out while you can. All of a sudden, her message was cut short. Christine had passed out from mental exhaustion and she started to tumble towards the ground. Warren dove down under her and caught her as she slowly came to and rested against him. Storm and Phoenix had gotten all of the X-Men as well as the few civilians they could manage. They got back to the jet as the floors of the World Trade Center started to pancake down, crushing anyone who was still trapped in the buildings. They all headed back to the mansion on the jet. Warren rested Christine in the back of the jet and she slept for the rest of the ride home, recovering from the exhaustion. The Blackbird touched down on the landing strip inside the cliffs of the Xavier Estate. Cyclops hung his head, feeling that somehow, they had failed their mission, though they did all they could. Christine blamed herself for not being able to stop the buildings from collapsing and killing all those innocent people. Christine and Warren walked through the mansion to the Lounge Room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw one of the new students, Lana, snuggled up with Bobby on the couch, watching the news cast. Christine's first instinct was to run away but she knew that she had to do something, say something, so Bobby at least had some clue as to how she felt about the situation. She built up some courage, walked over and stood right in front of the TV they were watching. Her hands rested firmly on her hips, and her face showed such anger and some disappointment. "I can't believe you! I'm out there risking my life to save all those people and you're here, all warm and cuddly with this bimbo! You don't even have the consideration to think about how I would feel about this. Least ya could've done was told me about her!" Christine growled a bit then stormed off before either Bobby or Lana could say a thing. Bobby shot Warren a questioning look, obviously not understand what had just happened. Warren left Bobby and Lana in the lounge and started to seek out Christine. She was standing by the front door, her eyes full of tears threatening to spill over and fall down her cheeks. She placed her hand on the door knob, ready to leave. Warren was about to tell her to stay when she shook her head. She knew what he was going to say and she told him she couldn't. Christine ran out the front door crying, trying to understand why Bobby would hurt her like that. Though she had only known him for a short time, she really like him and thought he felt the same by the way he had acted towards her. Warren started to go after her but Professor Xavier stopped him.

"Let her go. She needs to deal with this on her own. She has a lot of things she needs to sort out on her own. I just hope that she doesn't run into any trouble." Xavier told Warren as they watched her leave. Christine lifted herself off of the ground telekinetically and soared through the air, unsure of where she would go. She thought she felt someone enter her mind but just shook it off as nothing. Emma Frost, also known as White Queen, used her telepathy to lure Christine to the Hellfire Club's New York base. Christine felt drawn, and without the guidance of Professor Xavier, she couldn't resist the temptation that called to her. She landed outside of an Old Victorian mansion and stared up at it. The world around her started to change and the image that stood before her was the Xavier Mansion. She walked inside slowly, confused as to what had just happened. She knew she wasn't in the Danger Room so maybe she was dreaming or had turned around back to the mansion without realizing it. She followed a long corridor to a large room where all of the X-Men appeared. Candra had surpressed Christine's powers while Jason Wyngarde, also known as Mastermind, changed her reality to fool her. Cyclops and Storm grabbed Christine fiercely to restrain her while the rest of the X-Men yelled at her and blamed her for the deaths of those who were still trapped in the World Trade Center buildings. All that were present were Cyclops, Storm, Phoenix, Iceman, Archangel, Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Rogue, Gambit, Cannonball, and Shadowcat. Wolverine leaned back against a door frame and listened while the others yelled, screamed and threatened, smoking one of his cigars. After a few minutes, Cyclops and Storm took Christine downstairs to the basement followed by Iceman, Archangel and Rogue. As they walked, Rogue continued to threaten Christine to the point where Christine truly believed her life was in danger. Cyclops and Storm threw Christine into a containment chamber. They threw her so hard that she hit the wall adjacent to the door. She fell to the ground in a heap, badly bruised by their handling. Iceman and Archangel walked into the chamber and loomed over her. Cyclops, Storm, and Rogue left, telling the two guys to call up to the guards when they were finished with her. Iceman and Archangel stood over Christine's figure, smiling maliciously. Iceman spoke the words 'Hope you enjoy your stay' as he gave her a swift kick in the ribs. Moments later, Iceman called up to the guards and they came down the stairs to let him and Archangel out of the chamber. Iceman turned back to her as he left and laughed. They left Christine curled up in a corner with tattered clothes, beaten and bleeding. She could barely move or speak. Later in the evening, Jason crept down the stairs to the chamber. Christine was still curled up in the corner where Iceman had left her, sleeping soundly, thanks to Emma Frost. Jason took the keys from his pocket and unlocked the chamber door. He walked over to the sleeping beauty and carried her out of the cell and upstairs to the second level. He carried her down a long hall and stopped at a large bedroom. He placed her in the large king sized bed and let her sleep the rest of the night.

Christine opened her eyes to see a bright warm sun shining through an open window. At first she thought the night before had been a dream but when she tried to move, her body ached and some of the wounds stung. A woman dressed in a French Maid's uniform walked into her room carrying a tray of food. "Ah, you're awake now. I shall alert Master Shaw and Mister Wyngarde." Christine was so confused. She didn't know where she was or who those people were. She looked around the room, trying to get some kind of clue as the maid brought the meal over to her. She set the breakfast tray down on Christine's lap as she sat up and urged her to eat. The maid then walked over and turned on the television. Trish Tilby appeared on the screen, reporting about the World Trade Center attacks. As she interviewed someone about it, he blamed a group of mutants that were "seen enjoying their handy work". Christine nearly had a fit at the ignorance of the man. The X-Men hadn't caused the attack, they were trying to save people. Christine told the maid to turn the television off. She didn't want to hear about how many people had died because she couldn't stop those buildings from falling. She blamed herself for the deaths of those people and the psychological damage that Mastermind had caused while turning her against the X-Men didn't help either. The maid walked over to a phone that matched the Old Victorian decor of the room. She told whoever was on the other end that Christine had woken up and everything seemed fine. Moments later, two men came into the room. Both men were dressed in Old Victorian suits. Jason Wyngarde walked over to Christine and took her hand. Christine instinctive stood up out of bed and curtsied. It was the oddest thing that she automatically knew to do this. The other man, Sebastian Shaw, nodded in approval. Jason lead Christine out of the room, the world around her appeared to be 18th century America. In this illusion, she wore a beautiful ballroom gown with a corset top, something the highest society of ladies wore at the time. Jason Wyngarde did an excellent job making this illusion real to her. When it was over, Christine stood before the Hellfire Club of Candra (White Queen), Emma Frost (White Bishop), Sebastian Shaw (Black King), Donald Pierce (White Knight), Jason Wyngarde, and Tessa Niles (assistant to Shaw). Sebastian welcomed the girl to the Hellfire Club as the new Black Queen and toasted to her reign. Christine was slightly confused but she didn't remember much of what had happened. She thought she had been dreaming earlier and missed what they were talking about. Sebastian Shaw walked up to Christine and took her hand, kissing it softly. He told her not to worry about a thing and that she would be an excellent queen to him. Christine could sense that all the people around her were mutants such as she and she knew her first act as Black Queen would be to destroy the X-Men. They had caused her so much pain and had caused the Hellfire Club much grief from what they told her. Christine wouldn't allow it to happen again. She told them all her plan and they all decided to execute it immediately. Jason Wyngarde had done an excellent job at corrupting Christine's mind and putting her under the control of the Hellfire Club.

Xavier sat in his study and stared out the window. He began to worry about Christine. It had been over 24 hours since she left and he knew that the X-Men's enemies would love to use her against them. Archangel, Wolverine, Phoenix, and Cyclops stood in front of the Professor's desk, waiting for orders. They knew they'd have to go and find Christine eventually if she didn't come back. As Xavier was about to do a telepathic search for her, Christine landed on the soft green grass outside his window. She smiled at him with an odd, knowing look. Xavier thought this very strange and went to do a psy-scan of her mind but someone was blocking him out. That someone happened to be Candra, one of the most powerful telepaths in the world. Xavier knew there was something wrong. Christine had never refused him before. The next thing that happened was the ultimate proof that Christine had been corrupted by an unknown force though no one, not even Xavier, could tell. As Xavier spoke to his X-Men who were present in his office about the World Trade Center incident, they heard a loud scream coming from Lana's dorm room. Cyclops, Iceman, and Archangel ran to Lana's room where Christine stood over Lana's limp, lifeless body, blood dripping from her hands and spattered on her clothing. Cyclops, Iceman, and Archangel stared in horror at the scene before them. Cyclops ordered Christine not to move as her eyes welled up with tears. She sobbed that she didn't want to do it and that Lana had attacked her. This was all a lie but if they believed it, it would be easier for her to kill them all before they noticed. Cyclops let down his guard a bit as Christine walked to Archangel. Warren put his arms around Christine to comfort her while she cried. When Cyclops asked the Professor if he could read her mind, Xavier told Scott that someone, or something was blocking him from Christine's mind and it wasn't her because she's not that powerful. The Professor was a little worried by this because he no longer could tell if Christine was friend or foe. Xavier refused to give up on her, none the less. Warren lead Christine out of the room and while no one was looking, she shot Iceman a look that said "You're next".

Late that night, Christine emerged from her room, having not left it since she murdered Lana as to appear that she had been grieving the loss. She crept down the hallway and snuck into one of the men's dorm rooms. Laying there in the bed, half asleep, Wolverine slept in a pair of loose G.I. pants. His eyes popped open as he heard the door creek as it opened. Christine closed the door quietly behind her as she stepped towards the bed. She knew he was awake. Since he hadn't kicked her out already, she proceeded closer to the bed. She leaned over his form and whispered to him quietly that she knew he was awake. He rolled over, not being able to fake being asleep, and looked at her, wanting to know what she wanted. Christine smiled at him as she climbed onto the bed, and pressed her red, full, soft lips against his. He made no move to reject her and embraced her delicate but powerful frame in his arms, pulling her on top of him. Logan couldn't understand why he was accepting this, but he knew Christine wasn't controlling his mind. She wasn't strong enough to do that herself. He almost wanted this and had even dreamt about it one or two times since she arrived at the mansion. She reminded him so much of Jean, yet he wasn't sure why. She had long hair and telekinesis. She even had Jean's good natured humor but there was something else about her. Something more then what Jean projected but he just couldn't figure out what it was. Christine proceeded to kiss Logan as Emma Frost watched over the scene that played in Christine's mind. Emma had done nothing to Wolverine to make him accept her, so was surprised herself that Wolverine didn't turn Christine away, but of course, just because he was a mutant, didn't mean he wasn't a man. With Logan being half animal, it was only fitting that he gave in to his natural animal urges. Christine pressed her slender body against his muscular form as they kissed.

Christine woke up the next morning beside Logan's sleeping, naked, muscular form. As her eyes adjusted to the light she pulled the top sheet off the bed, leaving the other sheets covering Logan, and wrapped it around her bare body, starting to pick up pieces of her outfit from last night. Warren would be arriving any minute to wake Logan for their Danger Room training session. She had to get the timing just right. Just as she picked up the last piece of clothing, there was a knock at the door. Logan stirred quietly as Christine walked to the door and opened it. Warren stood facing out into the hall in his full uniform when he turned to see Christine standing there in only a bed sheet, surprised and deeply hurt by this. He had fallen for her and it was tough for him to feel like that towards another woman since Betsy had left him. When he saw Christine emerging from Wolverine's room, his heart shattered but his face tried not to show it. He had known before that she liked Bobby but he knew he would not return the feelings once he became involved with Lana so he had had some hope for himself and Christine. Now Christine stood in front of him with only a bed sheet to cover her body. She had spent the night with Logan and judging from the state of the room, it had been a long sleepless night for the two of them. "I'm sure he'll only be a few moments. He didn't get hardly any sleep last night," she said as she walked past Warren, heading back to her own dorm room.

By the time Christine had made it to her room, Wolverine was ready for the training session in the Danger Room. Warren glared a bit at Logan as they walked down the hall. Logan had known that he had fallen for Christine but obviously didn't take that into consideration last night. They took the elevator down to the War Room and not a word was exchanged between the two of them. Warren walked up to the War Room and typed in a few commands for their training program before he headed into the Danger Room. He stared at Wolverine as the program started on command. The computer called out the program name, Wolverine versus Archangel. Logan looked at Warren in surprise because they had always trained on the same side before. Neither one of them would make it out of the Danger Room unscathed that day. Warren lunged forward at Wolverine, catching him off guard. He didn't expect Warren to be so fiercely into the fight so soon. Wolverine knew there was something fueling his anger. Warren grabbed Wolverine's wrists as they wrestled to stop him from using his adamantium claws against him. Wolverine growled as he pushed forward with his muscular legs, pushing Archangel against the wall.

Word spread fast in the mansion and by noon, everyone knew about Logan and Christine's indiscretions. As Christine sat down at the table for lunch, Jubilee, who had been visiting the X-Men for about two weeks, shot her the evil eye. Though Jubilee had been away from the team for quite some time, it was apparent that her feelings for Wolverine had not strayed. She wondered how Jean reacted when she heard the news, knowing that her and Logan had had a fling and her mind constantly wrestled between her love for Scott and her love for Logan, though these thoughts were never made public. Christine only knew of them thanks to Emma Frost and Candra. As Logan came down to the table and sat down beside Christine, only perchance that it was the only seat available, Jubilee stood up and walked out of the room in a huff which didn't go unnoticed. Christine stared at Logan as he sat there and talked to Nightcrawler about how things were going for Kurt in the church. She felt something stir deep inside her. She had to get him to join her but she knew he would not as long as the X-Men remained and if he found out she was the one who was going to kill them all. Almost upset by this revelation, Christine took this opportunity to head upstairs to Bobby's room to take out her anger and frustration on him. She couldn't wait any longer. She had to kill him now. She had to make sure that all the X-Men suffered, even Wolverine if necessary.

Xavier sat in his study, still trying to break through the barrier that blocked Christine's mind from him. As Xavier searched, he happened upon a crack in the psy-block. Xavier immediately attacked the tiny opening and broke through. He closed his eyes as images from Christine's mind flooded into his. The flood of images included that of the Hellfire Club and their fake X-Men, as well as a very disturbing image of what their Iceman and Archangel had done to her. This image was most prominent in her mind at the moment as she moved up the stairs to Bobby's room. Xavier could feel the immense pain with the memory of being beaten and raped by the man she had fallen in love with and the man she had felt safest around. Xavier tapped in deeper into her sub conscience where the real identity of the fake X-Men were held. The fake X-Men consisted of many of the Hellfire Club's henchmen, the Hellions, but Christine only had seen what Mastermind and Emma Frost wanted her to see. Xavier tried to show Christine the truth but Emma Frost intercepted his psychic waves on the Astral Plane. The two psychic projections stood face to face on the plane. Emma Frost mocked the Professor as she pushed his psychic form slowly out of Christine's mind with her powers. Because Candra was helping Emma Frost, she succeeded in pushing Xavier out. As Xavier came away from the Astral Plane, he immediately warned the X-Men of Christine's plans. Cyclops was the first to jump into action, followed by Wolverine, Phoenix, Archangel, and Storm, all dressed in the new black uniforms. The five of them ran up the stairs to stop Christine. She was walking down the hall when Wolverine tackled her from behind, to the ground. Christine struggled against his opposing strength screaming that he let her go. Bobby came out of his room, wondering what all the commotion was about in the hall until he saw Christine on the floor, fighting to get free from Logan's grasp. Cyclops, always one to point out the obvious and what everyone already knew, explained to Bobby what Christine was planning to do. Storm and Phoenix pulled Christine off the ground once Wolverine moved and Xavier had temporarily disabled her powers. They escorted her downstairs to the elevator that lead to the sub-basement. Storm and Phoenix struggled to keep Christine in their grasp as she tried to free herself. Wolverine and Archangel followed the three women down to the sub-basement. Phoenix and Storm placed Christine into a containment chamber, put her in a chair with restraints and a power dampener on her so she could not escape. Christine let out a loud growl at the two women as she fought against the restraints. Wolverine stepped out from behind the two girls and told them and Archangel to leave. They started to protest but Wolverine insisted they leave. The three of them walked out and shut the door behind them. Wolverine approached closer to Christine as she continued fighting against the restraints.

"I'll let you out of those as long as you promise to settle down," Logan told her as he pulled off his mask and top. He hated the constraining new uniforms because they hadn't been broken in yet. Christine relaxed as he undid the shackles that held her to the chair. She sat still when he was finished, but in her mind, she still had the idea that she had to kill the X-Men to protect herself and for revenge for what they did to her. Logan took off the power dampener and waited for a few seconds to see if she would do anything. She just sat there. She somehow knew that Logan wouldn't hurt her and she felt safe with him. Christine stood up and walked the few steps over to Logan and wrapped her arms around him. He just held her and let her cry as Warren and Jean looked on from the chamber door window. Warren knew once he saw them together, that they truly needed each other. Wolverine softly pet her head to help calm her down as she sobbed into his shoulder. Logan held her against him, almost trying to protect her from the pain she was feeling inside. He couldn't protect her but he wanted to so badly. Christine finally pushed away from him and looked into his wild, untamed eyes and confessed everything. She told him how she had gone flying and somehow ended up back at the mansion and she tried to remind him that he was there when the other X-Men had attacked her. She still believed that they really were the X-Men. Logan knew that Xavier would have to reach into her sub conscience and draw out the truth of what she had seen. She went on and told him what Bobby and Warren had done to her as she sobbed even harder. He growled under his breath as he heard her story. Whoever these fake X-Men were would pay for what they did to her. Emma Frost tried to stop Christine telepathically but something was now holding her back. Now that Christine had been pushed back to the side of the angels by Logan, Xavier was able to help Christine stop Emma Frost from controlling her mind. As Christine stayed curled up in Logan's arms, a battle ensuthed inside her mind between Emma Frost and Professor Charles Xavier. Their telepathic forms battled each other to no end. Xavier refused to let one of his students be taken by The Hellfire Club and Emma Frost refused to let go of the one person who could help The Hellfire Club rule the world. Their astral swords clanked together. Finally, Xavier gained the upper hand and sent Emma Frost out of Christine's mind for good. Once Emma's presence in Christine's mind was eliminated completely, Xavier tried to calm Christine's mind with soft soothing thoughts. Wolverine held Christine for a while longer before he picked her up in his arms and carried her out the chamber door. She kept her body close to his, trying to feel safe from harm as he carried her up to her room. He laid her down on the bed designated for her and tucked her under the covers. He couldn't leave her alone though. He removed his shoes and crawled into the bed next to her, putting an arm around her for comfort. As Warren passed the room, he looked through the open crack of the door and sighed. He slowly walked to his room and retired for the night. Their long battle with The Hellfire Club would be longer then they all thought.

When Christine awoke the next morning, she could feel Logan's chest under her head, moving up and down beneath her as he breathed in and out. Her hand rested on his chiseled abdomen as she realized she was safe now. She didn't have to worry about the X-Men anymore because she knew there wasn't any danger so long as she was with Logan. Professor Xavier moved his hover chair into Christine's bedroom and looked at his two students asleep in her bed. When she felt Xavier's presence, Christine sat up and looked at her teacher. "Good morning Christine. I trust you slept well." He watched her as Wolverine sat up from his slumber. "I am just checking to make sure that everything is all right." Xavier feared that Christine would come to depend on Logan as a crutch in her times of need but Logan's mind seemed to project feelings of wanting to always be there for her and Xavier wondered whether this was the start of something new for Logan, without Jean having a grasp on his heart. Xavier smiled as he left his two students alone in the room, hoping that they could both be there for each other. Logan needed some stability in his life and Christine needed someone she could depend on to protect her. They were perfect for each other in the way that they both needed each other. Logan was still trying to find his true past and needed something that would keep him sane. Christine was the perfect anchor for him. Though she was emotionally unstable at the moment, Xavier knew that she would be the one person who could control Logan without any reason to doubt her actions. Phoenix's wavering feelings for her husband Cyclops had already started to have an effect on Logan's psyche as she became more and more attracted to Wolverine and flirted with him constantly when Scott was not around. Christine would serve as a distraction for his feelings while Xavier tried to work things out for Scott and Jean. When it came to Christine, she needed someone she could depend on to protect her and Logan was the perfect candidate.

Emma Frost's fist slammed down onto the top of the long dinner table, frustrated. "That Xavier has pushed me to my limits. He is the only thing that stands in our way! If he hadn't intruded, Christine would still be ours! We have to get rid of him!" The Hellfire Club rang out in a chorus of cheers for Emma's ideas as Candra watched from the shadows. Now all they needed was a plan to get Christine back into the Hellfire Club so they could take Xavier down. The group pondered over different ideas to turn Christine against the X-Men. "I've got it!" Emma Frost suddenly blurted out. "When I was last in her mind, I could feel that Christine had strong feelings towards the X-Man known as Wolverine. If we were able to bring him here to join us, Christine would surely follow. Now the only question is how do we get Wolverine to join us?"

"Simple Ms Frost. We offer him something he cannot have with the X-Men. We offer him what he wants. We offer him Jean Grey and a chance to learn of his past. If both attempts fail, we kill his loved ones one by one until we get what we want." Sebastian piped up. The men and women around him cheered in unison. They would go to any lengths to get what they wanted. Emma Frost stood back from the crowd and started to execute their plan by sending dreams of Phoenix to Wolverine as he slept in Christine's bed with her. The dreams were so vivid and real. Images of Jean Grey's naked form swept across Logan's eyelids. Images of the two of them enthralled in a moment passion. It was almost too much for him to handle. Logan woke up with sweat glistening on his forehead, breathing in deep raspy breaths. The dream had seemed so real and he could feel the effect it had had on his body. He pulled the sleeping Christine closer to him, holding her tight. His eyes glanced down at her and for a second, he could have sworn it was Jean in his arms. Christine slowly awoke and looked up at Logan who was staring down at her in a daze. She was about to ask him what was wrong when he grabbed her, pulling her up to him, and kissed her fiercely. As her body pressed against his, she could feel why he was so hungry for passion. She wrapped her arms tightly around him. Hours later, Christine had fallen asleep from exhaustion and Logan laid on the bed with her wrapped in his arms, under the covers, staring up at the blank white ceiling. Suddenly, the same images of Jean he had had before started to appear in front of his eyes. These images he was receiving were driving him insane. He was supposed to be with Christine but all he could think about was Jean. Then, a thought crossed his mind, one he had never thought he would have again since becoming involved with Christine. He had to have Jean. She had to be his. Emma Frost smiled as she read the thoughts floating in Logan's head. He was ripe for the Hellfire Club's picking. Emma entered into Logan's mind and began to speak with him.

"You want her, don't you? You want her to be yours at all costs. We can give her to you Wolverine. All you have to do is join us. Become a member of the Hellfire Club. Become our White King and your precious Jean is all yours. Turn us down and suffer the consequences." Emma's voice rang through his head. It was so luring and because of Emma, he felt like he had to have Jean, so he agreed. He slipped out of the bed carefully as to not wake Christine, and quickly got dressed. He headed to his room and packed up his belongings. He crept down the stairs and out the door of the school, not looking back even once.

Christine woke up only mere seconds after Logan had left her side and looked around her empty room. Christine had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was not quite right so she got up out of bed and soared through her open window in her night attire. When she located Wolverine, she followed him like a watchful guardian angel, wondering what he was up to, especially since he had a large bag with him. The second she saw where he was headed, she stopped dead in her tracks. As Logan entered into the building, Christine floated down to the window of the main room they used and peeked in, hoping to see that Wolverine wasn't going to betray the X-Men. Emma Frost greeted Wolverine with a smile as she sensed Christine's presence. The rest of the Inner Circle started to gather in the room and Christine stared to worry. She thought he was planning to take them all on. She hadn't noticed the glasses of wine in their hands until they hoisted them up into the air to celebrate Wolverine's new membership into the club. Christine gasped as she watched, wondering how Logan could abandon his friends, then she saw why. What appeared to be Jean Grey walked into the room and slipped her arm around Wolverine's waist. Christine refused to stand for this and she leapt through the glass paned window, keeping the shards of glass away from her body with telekinesis. Two of the Inner Circle's henchmen ran at Christine but she used her telekinesis and just threw them back away from her. Two other Hellions grabbed Christine from behind and contained her. Sebastian Shaw growled at the two of them and ordered them to take their hands off his Black Queen. Logan stared at Christine in surprise as the two henchmen slinked away silently. Logan had had no idea she was so involved in the Hellfire Club. Christine stared at them all with such hate in her eyes until Emma stepped over to her and mentally calmed her down. Christine still had no way to block Emma's telepathic abilities so she was immediately sedated and lulled into a false sense of security within the walls of the Hellfire Club. Emma then announced that Logan was now officially the new White King of the Hellfire Club. Logan and Christine stared at each other in shock. Neither one of them could truly understand the other's motive. Madelyn Pryor snuggled up against Logan's arm as he ignored her and kept his eyes locked on Christine. Sebastian Shaw watched his new toy with lust in his eyes as Emma lead Christine out of the room. Something inside Logan had stirred as he watched Christine as well. Though he thought he had wanted Jean thanks to Emma Frost's manipulation, now, as he stared at Christine and realized she was trying to stop him from joining the Hellfire Club, something changed. He now had no more uncertainties when it came to the women in his life though Emma would make it seem otherwise to everyone else. The members of the Inner Circle started to worry that Logan would leave when they saw him reject their "Jean Grey", and take Christine with him. But, unknown to them, Logan would stay to protect the woman he loved, Christine Chylde, from the other members. As long as Christine stayed, Logan would stay.

Meanwhile, Emma Frost had led Christine into a large bedroom which would serve as a fitting room for the evening. Three female servants were gathered around Christine taking measurements as two other servants had disappeared into the closet. Christine stared at herself in the mirror as the girls took her measurements. The two women that had disappeared into the large walk-in closet reappeared holding a Black Queen uniform in their hands. The two servants set the outfit down on a nearby chair so they could help the other three women strip Christine of her clothes quickly. As they were doing this, Sebastian Shaw had arrived to watch his new play thing be fitted for her uniform. He stared at the lovely spectacle before his eyes. Christine was too distracted to even notice he had arrived. He gaped at her naked form, dying to get his hands on her but he knew he had to wait until after the official coronation Sebastian stood beside Emma Frost and they discussed what had happened with Wolverine and Madelyn Pryor. Emma smiled as she came to the realization that Wolverine may just be more valuable then she first thought if he wouldn't leave. The servants wrapped Christine's torso in a black leather bodice and secured it tightly with the strings while they slipped her into a matching pair of black panties. Two of the servants then pulled the cape up from the chair and wrapped it around Christine's slender body, pinning it with a rose pin near her shoulder. To make the outfit complete, they put Christine into a black garter belt to hold up her black stockings, and also put on a pair of solid black boots which came up just past her knees. By this time, Sebastian was practically drooling at the sight of her. Christine looked at her image in the reflective surface of glass, liking what she saw. She turned and looked to Emma Frost, whose outfit was very similar, only in white with feathers at the shoulders and no roses. The servants then pulled Christine over to a boudoir and sat her down. Three of the servants pulled her hair up and fastened it into a french twist while the other two started doing her make-up, putting bright red lipstick on her lips, dark eye shadow, and a beauty mark above her lip on the left side. To add the final touches, one of the servant girls fastened a black spiked choker around her neck. Logan stepped into the room, having followed Christine's scent and stared at her in the trampy outfit. Logan couldn't believe his eyes. She was dressed in the same outfit the Phoenix had once worn as the Black Queen. Christine frowned as she read his thoughts, her telepathy amplified by the White Queen, Candra. Christine was ready to smack Logan for thinking of Jean in the way he was now thinking of her, similar to the images he had seen earlier that morn. Emma tugged on Sebastian's arm and pulled him out of the room so Christine and Logan could be alone, thinking that she would surely reject him. Reluctantly, Sebastian followed Emma out the door, followed by the servants. Christine stared at Logan, with anger in her eyes.

"You still think about her. You still want her, don't you?" She shocked Logan with her question. He didn't even realize she had telepathic abilities. Logan didn't even know how to answer her because he still did think of Jean. How could he not? Part of him still loved the fiery red head even though he truly wanted to be with Christine. "You don't even have to answer that. It's written all over your face. Get out." She pointed to the door as she demanded he leave. Logan grunted a bit then he grabbed Christine around the waist, pulling her in for a kiss. Their lips entangled in a passionate lip lock. When they pulled away from each other, Christine raised her hand up and slapped Logan across the face with the palm of her hand. He roughly pulled her into another kiss as he picked her up off the floor, and carried her over to the bed. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, unable to resist him any longer. Sebastian and Emma stood out in the hall, waiting for Christine to send Logan out but nothing happened. They both looked at each other and a silent question passed between them. Emma immediately searched Christine and Logan's minds. She gasped as she realized what was going on. Emma immediately pushed the door open and stepped inside the room, calling to Logan. She had to stop them before it went any further. Sebastian was supposed to get the first shot at the Black Queen and no one else, including Logan.

"Logan, it's time to be fitted for your uniform. Whatever it is you have planned will have to wait." Logan growled at Emma but knew he had to do what she said until the official coronation of him and Christine but, once that took place, Christine would be Sebastian's queen. Logan pushed himself up off Christine's smitten form and walked over to Emma Frost, giving a light growl as she smiled at him. Christine sat up on the bed and looked to Emma, who just smiled at her with a wicked grin. Christine immediately knew something was up. There was just something in the way the White Bishop looked at her that caused an unease in Christine to stir. She had no idea what was truly in store for her and Logan.

Later that night, not long after Logan was fitted into his uniform, the Inner Circle gathered in the living room of the Hellfire Club for the coronation of Logan and Christine. Christine was brought out first by a male servant and placed in a chair. Next Logan was escorted into the room by a female servant and seated next to Christine. Logan was dressed in a 16th century gentleman's suit in white and gold. He took Christine's hand into his as they sat there, ready for the ceremony to start. Christine was more nervous than she had ever been before. The Hellfire Club was the most elite club in the world and to be in the Inner Circle meant you were the best of the best, and they wanted her to be their Black Queen. That was a great honor. Her hand gripped strongly to Logan's through the entire ceremony until it was over and she was officially the Hellfire Club's Black Queen. Something inside her didn't feel quite right though but as long as Logan was there, she didn't worry about it. Sebastian walked over to the two and took Christine's hand in his, guiding her up off the chair and out onto the dance floor as the music struck up. He pulled her close to him, his hand resting on the small of her back. She placed her hand on his shoulder and her other hand clasped with his, almost instinctively. Her eyes peered back at Logan who was still sitting where she had left him as Sebastian twirled her around the dance floor. She looked back at him every now and then. Sebastian caught her a few times and knew that parting her and Logan would take a lot more work than he first thought. He would do whatever it took to make sure his queen was his and no one else's. The two of them danced all night, Christine unable to get away to steal a dance with her love. Sebastian simply would not allow Logan to take his Queen. Logan was simply a pawn in their little game to take Christine from the X-Men for good. Sebastian took Christine's hand at the end of the night and lead her upstairs to a bedroom. As Christine was about to thank him for showing her to a bedroom to use, he pulled her into his arm, his lips pressing against hers as he pushed them both onto the bed softly. He pinned her arms against the bed as she tried to resist him and push him off of her. She tried to use her powers to push him off but something was holding her back and the more she physically pushed against him, the stronger he became. She tried to call out to Logan, but her efforts were just met by another powerful kiss from Sebastian.

Meanwhile, back in the living room and dining hall, Logan was starting to worry about Christine. By this time, normally, she would have called him up to bed, but she had not done that yet. He wondered what exactly was going on. As he started to walk up the stairs, Emma Frost caught up to him, distracting his thoughts telepathically as she started to lead him down the upstairs hall in the opposite direction, towards the White Queen's room, in the white Inner Circle members' area. Emma pushed Logan into Candra's dark room and left, suppressing his powers as well as Christine's, a tough job for her, but she was successful. While Candra distracted Logan with her beautiful and strong figure, Sebastian was able to make Christine give in to him. Christine wasn't enjoying any bit of it but Candra would change that. Logan was unable to keep his mind off Christine and demanded that Candra take him to her as he unsheathed his adamantium claws. Candra just grinned at him knowingly. "As you wish," she spoke softly to him. She directed him down the hall to Christine's new room, where Sebastian was having his way with her. Candra managed to alter Logan's perception slightly and let him see that she was enjoying being with Sebastian, which was the complete opposite of what was really going on. Candra's abilities were unable to alter his hearing for a moment as Christine called for help in a distressed voice. Logan leapt onto Sebastian with his claws ready to tear him to shreds, demanding that he let Christine go. Sebastian backed away from Christine as Wolverine jumped off of him. Logan sat on the bed and pulled Christine into his arms. He growled at the two as they backed out of the room slowly. He held Christine tightly in his arms, his claws retracted, not wanting to let her go in fear that something might happen to her again. Logan had become so protective of her and had even grown to love her.