"Now, if I can have my notebook back..."

Dr. Richards reached out her hand, and Logan grudgingly returned the notebook.

"You're free to go," the doctor finished. "I'd like to see you twice a week. Make an appointment with my secretary for Monday and next Friday."

"That's it?"

"A session is usually an hour long, but I squeezed you in. Next time, we'll talk more."

"What if there isn't a next time?"

"Try the desensitization treatment. It might help you. If nothing else, you'll get to watch your friends get drunk."

Logan couldn't stop a chuckle at the thought of Scooter staggering around. "Yeah, maybe I'll try it."

Logan exited the office to see a bored Jubilee drop the months old magazine she'd been reading and jump out of her seat.

"So?"

"We're going, kid."

Once they were on the road, Jubilee turned to Logan in the jeep.

"What did she say?"

"I have to get people to drink champagne around me."

"What?"

"It's an exercise. I have to watch people drink champagne and try not to blow up."

"Wow, that's a lot more fun that what I had to do. So, how're you gonna do it?"

That made Logan pause. How could he get Scooter and company to drink champagne around him without giving away why he wanted them to do it?

"I don't know."

"Hey, maybe you could just, like, get some delivered to the mansion. Kinda like an anonymous gift, a 'congratulations on your graduating class' thing, and then you could hang out while they drank some of it."

"Yeah, but Cyke ain't a drinker. How do I get them to drink it once it's arrived?"

"I don't know. A drinking contest?"

"With champagne?"

"Yeah, right. Umm, how about one of those drinking games?"

"Like what?"

"Well, you know Mr. Summers likes Star Trek. Maybe one of those drinking games where you watch the show and have to drink when certain things happen."

"With champagne?" Logan asked doubtfully.

"Hey, it could work."

"Nah. Besides, I just got an idea."

The champagne arrived two days later, on Saturday night. Jubilee had declined to go out and party with her friends, so it was only she, the younger kids, and the adults left in the mansion.

"Mr. Summers!" she yelled while the deliveryman waited.

"Jubilee, we have an intercom," Scott chastised as he walked into the foyer. "What's this?"

"Delivery," the man replied, holding out a clipboard.

"We didn't order anything. Who's it from?" Scott looked over the address information on the shipping document, then smiled to himself. "Oh, ok." Signing the document, he accepted the package and closed the door.

"What? Who's it from? What's it say?" Jubilee asked, knowing full well who had actually sent the package.

"It's from the professor. He must have arranged this before he left to lobby Congress. It says, 'Congratulations on making it through another year.' It's to me, Jean, Ororo, and Logan."

"Well, open it."

"Maybe we should get the others..."

"I'm on it," Jubilee said, running off to collect her teachers. This was gonna be good.

"Champagne?" Ororo wondered aloud.

"What was so special about this school year?" Jean asked, curious herself.

"Well, we finally graduated Jubilee, and we lived through having Logan as a teacher. I think that deserves champagne," Scott answered, smiling at Logan's grunt and Jubilee's indignant protest.

"Let's drink some." Logan proposed, offering his bottle.

"I don't know, the kids..." Scott started before he was interrupted by Jubilee.

"The kids are going to bed now. It's only gonna be us."

"And you're still a kid."

"I'm eighteen!" Jubilee protested.

"Not old enough to drink."

"I'll just hang out. Not a drop, I swear. Come on..."

"I think it's all right, Scott," Jean added. "I'll get the glasses."

"Do we still have those strawberries in the refrigerator?" Ororo asked, opening it to look.

The plan was going well, Logan thought. He had to hand it to Jean, she really knew how to talk Scooter into things. When he saw her pulling out the tumbler glasses, though, he stepped in.

"No, Jean. You can't drink champagne in tumblers. Doesn't the professor have champagne glasses?"

"Since when are you Mr. Etiquette?" Scott asked, but Jean just answered. "I think the glasses are up there," pointing to a cabinet.

Logan strode over and opened the cabinet. His breath caught in his throat as he looked at the champagne glasses neatly arranged on the shelf. He stood there frozen, trying to force himself to lift his arm and grab the glasses, but he couldn't move. He could feel his right hand shaking at his side as the left hand gripped the cabinet handle until his knuckles turned white.

Jubilee came up behind him, speaking so low, he doubted anyone could hear her but him, with his enhanced hearing.

"It's ok. It's gonna be ok. I'll take them."

She grabbed four glasses, placing them on the counter, and then pushed the cabinet door closed, forcing him to release his grip. Logan closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing, praying that no one had noticed his deep, panting breaths.

Turning around, he heard the pop as Scooter released the cork on the bottle. Their laughter at the fizzing bubbles mingled with the smell of champagne and the sight of full glasses. As he watched, their images changed. They were wearing uniforms, laughing and congratulating each other. Then, just as quickly, they were themselves again.

He gripped the countertop behind him so tightly, his hands turned white and began to tremble with the effort. Jubilee was suddenly standing beside him. He flinched as her hand grabbed his arm.

'It's Jubes. It's Jubilee. I'm in the kitchen. It's not happening again,' he silently repeated to himself.

"It's ok. They're not going to hurt you. You're not there anymore. You're with friends." Jubilee whispered in a quiet, calming voice, reinforcing his thoughts.

Scott's and Ororo's backs were turned to Logan, but Jean looked up and her expression flashed with worry before she covered it up again, trying to keep their attention on her. He hated that she could tell what he was thinking and feeling. He hated looking helpless in front of anyone. Still, her distraction and Jubilee's words helped him regain some semblance of control.

Jubilee tried not to openly drag Logan as she guided him into the dining room where the others were gathered and celebrating with the *professor's* champagne. He sat by the door, the closest to it he could manage. Jubilee, taking seriously her guardian angel role, stood next to him.

Soon enough, an impromptu buffet had been set on the table: Ororo found the strawberries, Jean opted for olives, and cake was chosen to end the late snack.

The remaining glass of champagne on the table was obviously for Logan, but he just couldn't take it, so he kept staring at it... and staring at it.

Ororo picked it up and walked to Logan. Jubilee noticed how he grabbed the arms of the chair as Storm approached him, a huge smile on her face. The teenager almost jumped Ororo as she forcibly took the glass from her, emptying half of it on the carpet in the process.

"Jubilation!"

"Sorry, 'Ro. I'll get Logan his glass, if you don't mind," explained Jubes.

Jubilee handed the glass to Logan, watching his reactions. She kept her back turned to the others, facing him, and keeping a calm expression. Now he couldn't see the others around, just her, which helped him to focus on reality. "You don't have to drink it, y'know. Just pretend," she whispered.

He didn't say anything nor did he move to take the glass, so she put it on the coffee table next to him. "Just relax. And remember where you are. Here and now," she added.

Half an hour later, Logan hadn't touched his glass. Jubilee couldn't refrain making a move for some cake and joined the others by the dining table. By now, Ororo and Jean were visibly under influence. The first bottle of champagne had been drunk already, the second one was almost empty, and Scott was trying his best to open the third one, but the fact that he wasn't used to alcohol that he had drunk only succeeded in making the task of opening the bottle just too hard for him. It didn't deprive his brain of creative ideas, though. He turned to Logan.

"Hey, Wolverine. I saw on TV a guy opening a bottle of champagne with a sword. What did they call it, Jean?"

"I think they called it *sabre le champagne*," explained Jean, picking another olive from the plate.

"Yeah, that's it."

"Yer point, One-Eye?" asked Logan.

"Well, I bet you can do that with your claws," explained Scott, walking towards Logan, bottle of champagne in hand.

"Bet what ye want, bub. I ain't doing it," growled Wolverine.

"Leave him alone!" shouted Jubes from the dining table. Everyone turned to stare at her, including Logan.

"Jubilee, what's a matter with you?" asked Jean. "We're just having fun here."

"Indeed. I would really like to see the sabre champagne," added a spirited Ororo.

They all moved closer to Logan, who stared at them menacingly.

"It's an ancient military tradition, you know," explained Scott.

Ororo drank some of her champagne. Jean still had another olive on a toothpick, and Scott held the champagne bottle to Logan's nose.

In Logan's mind, the picture was slightly different: an officer drinking champagne, a doctor holding a huge syringe, and a third person moving a mask to his face.

SNIKT

Jubilee jumped in front of the X-Men, between them and Logan, who was now standing with his claws unsheathed.

An inebriated Scott waved the bottle before Logan. "Hey, one will do. Go for it, saber da champagne!" he shouted happily.

Logan slashed the bottleneck in one swift movement. In his mind, he had just destroyed the mask the man tried to put on his face. The scene before him turned back to reality.

The X-Men cheered at the graceful motion that cut the neck of the bottle. They proceeded to get fresh refills in their glasses, leaving Jubilee worrying about Logan.

"Hey, you ok?" asked a concerned Jubilee.

"Yeah kid."