A/N: No particular time frame for this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own X-men Evolution or any of its characters.

Katelyn Emberse is an original character

Chapter 1: Shadow and Embers

The dark seemed to seep into her pores like tiny probing fingers. It suffocated and it blinded as the shadows enveloped her senses. She tried to scream but her mouth felt filled with cotton. It was happening. She tried desperately to free herself from the shadows that clung to her, but she knew she couldn't stop it. Her whole body tensed for what would happen and then the sound, that god-awful, gut-wrenching sound that pierced straight through the darkness and into her heart. The strangled scream rose in pitch, but was cut short. Katelyn couldn't help it. She knew better by now but she couldn't stop her arm from reaching out. A deafening roar suddenly filled the air around her and the shadows gave way to a brilliant light. The heat was consuming her so Katelyn willingly gave herself over to the fire.

Katelyn opened her eyes to see regular darkness. She was hot, but not burning. Her ears however were still ringing from the phantom explosion and her throat felt raw from the screaming she never thought she was doing. A glance across the room told her what she already knew. Stephanie and Bianca, the other two foster kids, were still sound asleep in their bunk beds. Most kids in placement homes learned to sleep through anything, except their own dreams. Her heart was racing as she traced the burn marks on her sheets.

"My hands can't be that hot," She winced as she put them to her cheek. The clock on the girls' one desk glared in angry red numbers, informing her that it was far too early to be awake. With a sigh she rolled out of bed, knowing better than to go back to sleep now. At least she'd have a little extra time in the bathroom. Apparently, Bianca thought she was a beauty queen. Well today she wouldn't be. Today one side of her face should be nice and purple. And puffy. Katelyn chuckled darkly at the thought as she drug herself down the dark hallway into the bathroom. As she shut the door she caught a glance at her reflection. She stopped and turned, looking for a moment to take it in. Her skin was extremely flushed, but that was normal after her nightmares. Later it would have an almost copper tan. There must have been some Indian in her family though she couldn't remember her parents showing any signs of it.

She winced again at that thought, drawing her attention to her face. Like always she couldn't see anything out of the ordinary about it. A good mouth, unassuming nose, high cheek bones; an average face in her opinion. It had to be the eyes that made people hesitate when they looked at her. Bright pools of molten copper, they gave her an exotic flair but every time she looked into them it gave her an unsettled feeling. They had been browner in childhood, but over the last couple of years had intensified into this. Katelyn shivered a little. No that's just silly. She tried to smile at herself, but those muscles were so rarely used that the motion was awkward. As Katelyn looked at the self-conscious girl in the mirror her expression melted into one of disgust. Exhaling sharply she turned away towards the shower. Cold water was what she needed.

The old glass knob squeaked with each turn and the pipes popped and thumped as they started to churn out straight icy water. Katelyn stepped in and steam immediately filled the air. It was always disquieting the way steam just rolled off her skin, turning the shower into a sauna. This had been going on since January. It was now August. The cold water felt blissfully good to her parched and scorching skin, relieving and releasing tension wherever it touched. It didn't take long to wash her hair and scrub her skin and soon she was out of ways to procrastinate. With a heavy sigh she stepped out into a towel. Time to start facing a new day. There wasn't much she ever had to do to get ready. Just slap on dark eye-liner and -shadow, or war paint as she liked to call it, and she was good to go. As for getting dressed, she never paid much attention to what she wore. As long as it wasn't attention grabbing she didn't care what her clothes looked like. Mostly she just wore jeans and drab t-shirts. Life was so much easier when you could just slip through the cracks.

More awake, but still needing a jolt, she wandered into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Mrs. Wallace's pot was always brewing by five. Robotically she got a chipped mug out of the cupboard above the sink, added way too much sugar, and poured in the coffee. She sighed with pleasure at the warm, nutty taste and went to get herself breakfast. She was famished. Well, to be fair she always was lately. Instead of a regular bowl, she grabbed a larger mixing bowl and the generic frosted corn flakes. She filled the bowl half full of flakes, and then swamped them with milk.

"Boy, you've got quite the appetite lately," Ms. Wallace commented as she entered the kitchen. Katelyn looked up at her at her foster mom timidly, causing the older woman to sigh.

Debbie Wallace was a short, roundish woman with flaming red hair and a kind heart. She'd tried her best with Katelyn but nothing she did could bring the girl out of her shell. Any attempt at getting close resulted in a fight. Katelyn had been this way since the day she arrived, but lately it seemed they fought more often than not. It was not only exhausting, but heartbreaking as well. Even so, Debbie prepared herself for another round of it. It was still better to face problems head on, rather than hide them away.

"Katelyn, we need to talk," she began gently. Katelyn didn't say a word, merely sat at the table and started on her breakfast. Debbie wasn't surprised. "I've been talking to the other girls-"

"And of course you believe the little angels," the girl mumbled into her corn flakes.

"What was that?"

Silence.

The older woman sighed, frustrated with this game. She couldn't count how many times they'd played it before. "Look, I'm sorry Katelyn. But I have to ask you." Here she hesitated and it was as if the girl sensed her moment of weakness. Katelyn looked up from her breakfast, the shy and timid demeanor gone. She looked at her foster mother almost haughtily, her chin tilted up and her eyes daring Debbie to say something. Despite the slow, creeping feeling that was starting down her spine, Debbie braced herself to speak. "Have you been, well, smoking, uh. Well, doing any-?" There it was. That look of hate. Katelyn's copper eyes seemed almost to glow. It made the woman shiver noticeably, stopping mid-sentence.

"No." Katelyn's answer was simple, bored even.

A hint of anger was starting to show on the woman's face. She did not like being lied to and she knew that something was wrong. "Are you just setting things on fire then?"

"No!" Now Katelyn's voice was angry too.

"Katelyn, something's going on." Ms. Wallace closed the distance between them to put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, shrugging the hand off by standing up and putting her back to the sink. Debbie mentally kicked herself for forgetting the girl's touching issues.

"What is going on with you?" Katelyn didn't answer, but she was still braced against the counter, again daring the woman to make a move. "Katelyn, something is going on and I am going to find out about it. You've been fighting again. You burned another set of sheets and you're eating like a demon. If you're sick I need to know. If you are on drugs, I need to know. If, if you're just a- just a…pyro, I need to know."

"I'm fine." She repeated herself, but this time in monotone.

Debbie threw up her hands with a harsh sigh. "I'm not mad at you Katelyn. I just want to help you." At those words Katelyn came alive again. It was like her eyes flashed and Debbie swore she felt the temperature around her rise.

"Yeah right!" she spat. "Just like the others. You just know that if I get in too much trouble they'll move me again and then you won't get your damn check!"

Before Ms. Wallace could even form a reply, Katelyn had turned and fled out the screen door. She seemed to be headed for the bus stop at least. Unfortunately this was not the first encounter of its kind and she'd grown sadly used to it. Debbie watched her go from the kitchen window until the girl was out of sight. No. This couldn't go on anymore. The girl was right. They would move her if she couldn't get control soon. All that moving around is just messing her up worse, Ms. Wallace thought with a bleak sigh. Katelyn was possibly the worst case she had ever seen but there was something… Whatever it was, different or no, Debbie had never given up on a child and she wasn't about to start. Trying not to think too hard, she headed upstairs to her office. She searched through the crowded drawers of her desk until she found what she wanted; a box of business cards. It took a moment to find the right one and when she pulled it out it was with a shaking hand. She glanced at the clock to see that it was just past 6:30 in the morning. She didn't think she should call this early but if she didn't call now she never would. She quickly dialed the number and waited, praying no one would answer, but her call was answered after the first ring.

"Hello?" the voice was calm and cool, and suspiciously alert for this hour.

"Yes, is this… Professor Xavier? With the Institute for… 'gifted' youngsters?" Debbie was very nervous now. She knew that she had stumbled onto something, out of the ordinary, and like most people that frightened her. Her first impression of this man had been, unsettling. "Um, I'm sorry to be calling so early, but well… you um… contacted me about one of my foster children? Oh gosh, it was… around five or six months ago?"

"Katelyn Emberse, yes I remember," his voice kind and patient, "Is there something wrong?"

"Well I assume you know about her many problems. I-oh-well." There was a deep intake of breath. "She's been getting worse."

"She's become even more aggressive? More, destructive?"

"Well…yes."

"When we spoke before I told you that I had been watching Katelyn's case."

"Yes, well. See that…that's why I'm a little nervous about this." Debbie's voice was steadier now. She wasn't letting Katelyn go anywhere unless she was sure it was the right thing.

"You're worried that I don't have the girl's best interests at heart, but I assure you that I do. I have the means to help the ones like Katelyn and so I must. You understand. You and I share the same goal." There was a pause and she could hear him smile. "We just have different specialties shall we say."

The last part made her shiver again, but the man's words were genuine. "I don't want to know how you came to know about Katelyn. I don't care if she is an arsonist or…something else. I just want to know if you can help her."

"I can't make any guarantees. In the end it's all up to her, but I can promise you a safe place for her where she won't have to hide herself. I and the faculty here know how to guide her through the… transition into adulthood."

When Debbie spoke again, her voice was soft and rough. "Professor, I do think you can help her. Well, I think you are capable of it. Everything you're saying sounds great, but you're right, it all hinges on Katelyn. I still don't know that she'll agree to this. She's a, difficult case to put it lightly."

"Yes I know." He was still all patience.

"She doesn't care about school; she really won't care about prep-school."

"With the right encouragement she might."

Debbie sighed again. "She hates authority; you don't even have to try to tell her what to do. Be in any position of 'power' above her and she hates your guts from the start. And you can't befriend her. And it's not just adults. It's everyone. In all the time she's been here she hasn't connected with a single person." Suddenly the woman's voice broke. "This is my first failure you know?" She paused for a moment and Xavier waited. "You know they say you can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped, but I always thought that all kids really do want it. Some just bury those feelings a lot deeper than others. I thought that every kid wants a normal, happy life…Until Katelyn."

"She does Deborah. She wants things to be right. She's just scared and, honestly, there are very few people who can help her. Her situation is, how did you put it? Difficult."

Debbie took a breath, like a diver before a plunge. "You're one of those people? Someone who can figure out how to help her?"

"Yes." It was said with such certainty, such assurance. She believed him.

"I…yes. Yes this is the right move. If she agrees, then she'll go to stay at your school."

"Thank you Ms. Wallace. I promise you are doing the right thing and if things don't work out you will be the first to know, she'll go right back to you. You are just enrolling her in a prep-school program, you're still her guardian. I'll bring you the paperwork that will be necessary for enrollment and such."

"Oh yes I forgot! Payment. I-"

The Professor cut her off. "Since Katelyn is a…special case we are admitting her under the McCoy Scholarship. It covers all expenses."

"Oh wow. That's great."

"Students like Katelyn are why we have these scholarships." he replied.

"Well it's wonderful."

"It's what we do," he replied and Debbie thought she'd never heard another person sound so genuinely humble. "Well all right. Everything's settled, we'll talk to Katelyn and we should get back to you by the end of the day."

"Today? Oh, um… Thank you. I'll talk to you soon then."

Feeling suddenly very old, Ms. Wallace put the phone back on the receiver and sank into her chair, her mind mostly on Xavier. From their brief conversation she wanted to like the man. He was not only polite, but kind and he seemed genuine enough…still. Something about him was just a little unsettling. After a moment she shrugged it off and went to make sure the other girls were up. She'd done what she could for Katelyn. Now all she could do was care for the kids she knew how to help.

Katelyn strolled into the school yard with her head held high, but avoiding eye contact. She was only five feet two inches tall and barely a hundred pounds, but she walked like Achilles. She didn't look like much of a fighter, but that's why she was going to detention. She'd gotten in a fight with Bianca after school hours, but on the property. It was lucky that they'd both only gotten detention for it. Katelyn was pretty sure Mrs. Wallace had pleaded on the girls' behalves. For some reason that really ticked Katelyn off. At her last foster home she'd gotten expelled for fighting and her newest foster mom was bound and determined not to let it happen again.

"Hey Katelyn!" called a deceitfully sweet voice.

Katelyn winced, but turned to face Bianca, the current biggest thorn in her side. "What do you want Bianca?" she sighed, eyeing the girl carefully. The pretty blonde was flanked on both sides by a couple of her friends.

"Gosh, I don't know why you have to be so hostile," she sniffed coyly. "Can't a sister just want to talk?"

"About what?" Katelyn's voice was impatient now and tense. She's gonna make me hit her again; I just know she is, Katelyn thought to herself with a mental sigh. Ms. Wallace wasn't going to like it if she was right.

"Katelyn, we all know you have a problem. Now I don't know if it's drugs or you're just a little pyro but either way…" Bianca was grinning like the Cheshire cat now and her lackeys were giggling. Katelyn gave the girls her best dumb stare. "Come on you burned your sheets again last night. So which is it? Pot-head or Pyro? You're dumb enough to be either."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Katelyn said through gritted teeth. There really was no good excuse for it; she'd definitely searched for one. Katelyn steeled herself with a breath and turned to go, but Bianca grabbed her arm. That was all it took.

Katelyn swung around, fist flying. Her punch landed square on Bianca's nose, taking them both to the ground. Other kids started to gather as the two wrestled for an advantage. Katelyn was throwing punches as good as any but Bianca was tough in her own right. It wasn't her first rodeo either and she knew how to handle herself.

Suddenly Bianca started screaming, "Stop it! Stop it, you're burning me!"

Katelyn's vision was blurred. All she saw was red hot fury and Bianca's mocking face. The shrieking broke through the sound of blood pounding through her head and slowly she surfaced back into reality. Sweat was pouring from her and her body was burning at an almost unbearable level. The crowd hastily avoided Katelyn as she staggered to her feet. One glance at their startled faces and she lurched through a gap. The lurch became a run as she reached more open spaces and soon it was like the heat was fueling her. She ran without stopping until she reached a favorite spot of hers about a mile or so from the school. Immediately she felt a little calmer as she passed under the loblolly pines and approached the creek. Swiftly she pulled off her shoes, rolled up her jeans, and slipped her feet into the cold water. With a sigh, she collapsed back onto the lush grass, concentrating solely on breathing in and out. She was so focused she didn't hear the newcomer approaching until a twig snapped just feet from her. Katelyn was up in a flash, fists already swinging but instead of seeing her hand, it was a blaze of fire that seemed to go straight through her target. The unopposed momentum sent her crashing to the ground.

"Whoa, like don't torch me! I come in peace!"

Katelyn rolled over to look at the stranger, propping herself on trembling limbs. It was a girl. A very non-threatening looking girl about Katelyn's age. The phrase goody-two-shoes rang through Katelyn's head as she took in the pink cardigan, capris, and sling-back ensemble.

"Wh-who are you?" Katelyn was caught off-guard and that really bothered her, especially since it was showing.

"Oh yeah, my name's Kitty. Sorry, but you kinda scared me there for a sec."

"Kitty?" W.O.W. Definitely harmless. Katelyn stood up slowly, still assessing the stranger carefully. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you out of school, but I saw that you'd already left…Anyway, I'm with somebody who wants to meet you."

This is it, Katelyn thought, They're finally gonna just lock me up.

Kitty watched the girl carefully, but no trace of emotion showed on her face. She didn't have to speak for Kitty to know what she was thinking though; her posture was that of a fugitive ready to run.

"God, I'm not doing this right at all. Like, I'm like you! I have a gift. The professor, he's 'gifted' too. We all are!"

"Who is we?" Katelyn asked at length.

"Oh, sorry. I mean like, all of us kids at the Xavier Institute. It's like a school for people with powers."

Maybe she's not harmless. She sounds like a nut-job. That institute's probably a mental hospital. Katelyn thought for a moment, then went to her favorite defense, playing stupid.

"Don't have any idea what you're talking about."

"See? That's the point of the Institute! You don't have to do that."

"Do what?"

Kitty sighed dramatically. "Lie, hide. You know what you are. There's something special about you. Here watch me."

Katelyn watched, trying to appear aloof, but even she lost her composure when Kitty walked right through a nearby tree.

"WHAT THE- HOW DID YOU?!"

Kitty grinned from ear to ear. "See? Not as cool as making fire or anything but…"

"What did you say?"

"Fire? You can like make fire appear can't you? You control it?" The thought sent Katelyn's head reeling and after a moment she let herself sink to her knees in the grass, processing. She sat there silently chewing her lip, appearing to have forgotten Kitty altogether. "Um, Katelyn?"

Katelyn looked up at her, a startling look in her eyes. "I could control it?"

"I don't know anything about that. That's like the professor's thing. He teaches us about our powers." Kitty was confused by the girl's intensity but the welcome in her own eyes was real. Katelyn took a deep breath and made a decision.

"Take me to him."

Charles Xavier was waiting alone in the counselor's office in Katelyn's school. He'd seen her approach the grounds with Kitty from where he sat by the window, but he knew long before then. He'd been keeping tabs on them before Kitty even made contact. Now he was faced toward the small over-stuffed loveseat he knew Katelyn had been forced to sit on countless times before. His head turned toward the door and it opened. In walked Katelyn, looking just as he pictured and he smiled, but had to stifle some unease as well. Like a tiger she stalked in, with her shoulders back and her head high, eyes scanning the room automatically before resting on him. It reminded him that if he took her in, Eric would find out about her…He mentally shook it off and focused on the girl, feeling her gift radiating what felt almost like a psychic energy. It absolutely felt like fire.

"Hello Katelyn," he said in a friendly manner. She stood silently watching him. "Please, have a seat." She sat. He continued smiling at her and her gaze never left his as silence settled over the room. "If you are interested in the Institute you'll have to speak at some point." His tone was light and teasing, but Katelyn bristled anyway.

"I'm not sure yet if there's reason to be interested." Her arms were folded across her chest now. The man smiled knowingly. He recognized the aggressive signals she was giving off and he was sure it had worked before, but he wasn't having it. He kept his voice friendly as he continued.

"You have a unique gift Katelyn."

"Yeah? What do you know about it?" she asked, seemingly without interest. She was looking out the window now, trying to appear aloof.

"The ability to create and control fire is a beautiful-"

"I can't control it," she said suddenly, trying to keep her voice neutral even as she interrupted him. "I don't know how I create it either."

Xavier beamed at her impulsiveness, appreciating its rarity. "I can teach you that."

Katelyn straightened up and looked him in the eye, a deadly look on her face. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"What makes you so special?" The question was asked through pursed lips and a jutted jaw. She started staring sternly out the window again, as if the important thing she sought could be found out there. Her tight, folded posture was turned from him, deliberately yet unconsciously ignoring his presence.

"Look at me." It wasn't a question, but it wasn't a command either. Somehow his voice held a promise. She resisted at first but sheer curiosity turned her head. "You're not the only one with gifts Katelyn." His lips hadn't moved. She hadn't heard it so much as thought it in his voice. In a flash she was on her feet putting herself between him and the door and glaring at him as if he'd turned into a cobra.

"You're a telepath." She said it accusingly but Xavier saw only the fear that drove that, he'd seen it and worse many times before.

He smiled, "And you're a telepyro."

Katelyn refused the bait. Instead she said in a steely voice, "How much can you do?"

"You would know if I were tampering, you're sensitive enough," he informed her lightly. She looked doubtful. "You know your power has a psychic quality to it," he added as if to reassure.

"Does it?" Obvious distrust.

Nothing but smiles. "Yes, it's something about the way you create it. It's…it's fascinating. I'd love to help you explore your powers, train you to use them." That got her. Her expression visibly softened even if it was in confusion. She was really very confused. This guy was nothing like the others. She didn't know how to take him, but what really set him apart was that he meant it. He really meant all of it. He was practically oozing sincerity. She sat back down and he saw his moment. "I've helped others like you. I want to help you too but I can only do that if you let me."

"Let you?" she gave a short, sarcastic huff of a laugh.

"Yes Katelyn. It's up to you. You don't even have to come with me. You don't have to enroll at the Institute." He smiled affectionately at her surprise. "Even if you do come, after that it's still up to you."

"What do you mean?" The suspicion was back but her defenses weren't all the way up. This was a process and Charles had much experience learning patience while coaxing wilder animals. The thought lent wryness to his expression when he answered her.

"I can't force you to do anything Katelyn. I can train you to use your powers but I can teach you control only if you want to control them. And there are other issues. The Institute has rules."

"Everyone does," she interjected, then placidly waited for him to continue.

He cocked an eyebrow but allowed the impertinence. He actually wanted to laugh because the poor child was striving to be offensive, but she had yet to succeed. "I'm guessing you want a list?" He asked with humor. She shrugged. "We have curfews; nine on school nights, midnight on weekends of course. Also lights out at eleven on school nights." She rolled her eyes at the last one. He continued unperturbed. "You will attend Bayville High with the other students. You will be expected to turn in every assignment, take every test, you get the idea. There are mandatory training sessions both personal and group. Of course you won't be expected to participate in group until you are ready."

"What happens if…if it doesn't…work out? What then?"

"Then you come back here."

Katelyn smiled so bitterly it could have been a grimace. "Back into the string of foster families."

"Well then let's do our best to make sure it works out," he said, sounding as if he had not a doubt in the world. He felt the tenseness of the moment, felt its significance. He stayed silent, letting Katelyn sort it out.

"I'll give it a shot," she said finally. She knew she didn't have many other options. Life couldn't go on this way much longer and besides, it didn't sound any worse than the homes at least. Xavier knew that she still had many misgivings, but those would sort out themselves once she was settled in the mansion. He'd seen it. Of course with one like this, it was still going to be a rough ride.

A/N: I realize this chapter might be a slow start for some of you, being so o/c heavy, so I've waited until chapter two was ready so I could post them together. Thank you for reading and I hope you're enjoying it so far! Please review, positive or negative. All help is welcome!