xp_logs | Kurt and Storm, Thursday afternoon

Kurt goes to Ororo to ask for some time off, in the wake of his recent discovery.

This was not the best time in the world for an XO to be asking for time off. Kurt knew that perfectly well - but neither was it the best time in the world for him to carry on with his duties as normal, after recent revelations. So, hesitantly, he knocked at Storm's office door.

Storm looked up from the paperwork she'd been diligently working through. "Come in," she said briskly, without irritation for the interruption, only mild curiosity. She smiled when Kurt walked in and she capped her pen and set it aside. "Good morning, Kurt. What can I do for you?"

Best to bite the bullet, he decided, and came straight out with it. "I need to ask for some time away."

One finely shaped white eyebrow raised and she gestured to the chair in front of her desk. "Please sit down. May I ask why you need this leave and how long you expect to be gone? It is an awkward time right now, as you know." Her voice remained unruffled.

"I know. And I would not ask at this time if... if it was not important. I should not be gone more than two weeks, perhaps only one. I need to speak with my mother, as soon as may be."

"I see. How soon would you be leaving?" She reached over and pulled a file from the organizer on her desk and opened it, surveying the hard copy of the duty roster.

"Whenever you can spare me. I do not wish to cause difficulties."

The roster was packed as it was. "Kurt...this is a very bad time. I need you to be more specific about your needs or I can not schedule your leave. As you can see, we hardly have the ability to spare you." She handed the schedule to him. "Tell me when you plan to leave and return and I will make it work. If you leave it up to me, then we will not have the time to spare you."

He nodded. "I will, thank you. And I... owe you more of an explanation, I think."

Ororo raised the other eyebrow, "As your CO, it would be appreciated. As your friend...I would hope that you would trust me enough to tell me. Particularly if I would be able to help."

Kurt nodded again, swallowing. "I do not know if there is much to be done, but... I need to see my mother because... I have recently discovered who it was that left me with her. Or it seems likely."

She waited silently, face curious but not prying, clearly waiting for him to tell the story at his own pace.

The answer came in one quiet word. "Mystique."

Ororo nodded and tilted her head. "There is a resemblence there. I assume the doctors confirmed this?" No surprise, no condemnation, just the concern of a friend. She reached out and took the duty roster back as she waited for his answer.

"They did, yes. That is how it came to light - a simple error Moira made when cross-checking some test results, that brought up the wrong screen..." He was looking down a little, very still, his posture faintly defeated.

"It is lucky then that who your birth mother is matters very little about who you became." She smiled, barely a curve of her lips though the warmth reached to her eyes, "We will manage without you for a week or two. Then I will expect that you will be ready to return to duty. I need my XO too much to spare him for long."

He looked up, with a relieved smile. "I will be ready, yes. Thank you."