Prologue
A Time for Goodbyes
The lobby of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Children was quiet, with classes already over for the day the students were either studying in the library or out doors taking in the warm weather and sunshine.
Walking across the lobby towards Professor Xavier's office, Brianna Ryan could hear her footsteps echoing across the floor. As she reached the closed door she stopped and shook her hands, trying to get her nervousness to dissipitate a little before she knocked.
She could hear the muffled voices of the Professor and three of the teachers inside as she tentatively knocked on the door. She was just getting ready to knock again, after thinking maybe they hadn't heard when she heard the Professor's voice ring out and tell whoever was there to come in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but I need to talk to you." Brianna entered the room slowly, giving a small smile to the three teachers who were standing up to leave them so they could talk. "You don't have go. You can stay if you want."
Professor Charles Xavier looked across the room at the young woman who had just entered. He already had an idea about what she wanted to talk to them about, in fact he had just been discussing it with the teachers present. "Is everything okay, Brianna?"
"Yes and no." Brianna replied as she glanced at each person in the room. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, while knowing what she wanted to say, and saying it were two different things, she knew she needed to try.
Orora Munroe reached out a hand and squeezed the younger woman gently on the shoulder, "Bri? You can tell us anything."
"I know what I want to say. I'm just not really sure how to say it. I mean, i've been practising it in my head for a few days now, but I don't want it to come out all jumbled. So i'll just say it. And hope that I say it right and that you all understand why."
Scott Summers shared a look with his girlfriend then with the Professor and sighed, wishing that the Professor and Jean had been wrong. "Out with it."
Brianna took a deep breath and wrung her hands together. "I wanted to thank you for letting me come here. For taking me in when Magneto was after me. And for providing me with a safe haven that I wouldn't have had if it hadn't been for all of you. You protected me, when you knew nothing about me or what I could do. And although i've enjoyed the last two years here, I want to go home."
"I didn't think you had any contact with your parents?" Dr. Jean Gray asked in the silence that followed the confession.
"I don't. I haven't talked to or seen them since they kicked me out 7 years ago. I meant home to Remy and Pietro." Brianna replied, smiling as she thought of her two protectors.
Remy Le Beau and Pietro Maximoff had rescued her from the streets four months after her parents kicked her out of the house at the age of ten. They had become not only her protectors but her family in the following years. Even after they had taken her to the Institute to make sure Magneto couldn't get her they were still her everything.
Despite the two men being eight years older than she, they had taken her into their home, and into what was called the Brotherhood. There she found others like herself, mutants who had powers and abilities that allowed her to become a part of the group and not to stand out like she did everywhere else.
Sighing she looked around at the faces before her. She smiled sadly as she thought that this place had also accepted her, for here was an entire school of people with powers that everyone on the outside didn't think they should have.
"Have you talked it over with Pietro and Remy?" Professor Xavier asked quietly.
"Yes, and you can talk to them if you want. They should be here shortly." She replied just as another knock sounded on the door.
She turned around and gave a cry of happiness as she saw the two men in the doorway. She ran towards them and got engulfed in hugs.
"Don't tell me you just now told them?" Pietro Maximoff asked as he flicked his finger on her chin.
Brianna blushed and looked down. "I didn't know how to tell them." she replied as Remy gave her a hug and glared at Pietro.
"It's allright, mon chere'." Remy replied as he glanced up at the people watching them. "We've come to take her home with us."
"She's safer here with us, than she is with you." Scott said, as he watched Brianna stiffen and lean into Remy a little more.
Brianna looked up at the Professor, almost in tears she said, "You always told me that if I wanted to, I could go at any time."
"And you can, my dear. No one here is going to stop you. But you should be aware that Magneto is still after you for your powers, so no matter where you are, he'll be trying to get you." Professor Xavier looked sternly at Remy and then at Pietro as he spoke.
~He's not giving up on getting Brianna. You both need to be aware of that.~ he spoke into their minds. Both men jerked a little and nodded in understanding.
"We won't let anything happen to her." Pietro replied into the quietness of the room.
"This will always be your home, my dear. Never be afraid to come back here, if ever your in need of help or just to visit." Professor Xavier gave her a smile and watched as she sagged against Pietro in relief.
Brianna smiled happily as she looked at everyone in the room, "Thank you. For everything."
The lobby of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Children was quiet, with classes already over for the day the students were either studying in the library or out doors taking in the warm weather and sunshine.
Walking across the lobby towards Professor Xavier's office, Brianna Ryan could hear her footsteps echoing across the floor. As she reached the closed door she stopped and shook her hands, trying to get her nervousness to dissipitate a little before she knocked.
She could hear the muffled voices of the Professor and three of the teachers inside as she tentatively knocked on the door. She was just getting ready to knock again, after thinking maybe they hadn't heard when she heard the Professor's voice ring out and tell whoever was there to come in.
"I'm sorry to interrupt but I need to talk to you." Brianna entered the room slowly, giving a small smile to the three teachers who were standing up to leave them so they could talk. "You don't have go. You can stay if you want."
Professor Charles Xavier looked across the room at the young woman who had just entered. He already had an idea about what she wanted to talk to them about, in fact he had just been discussing it with the teachers present. "Is everything okay, Brianna?"
"Yes and no." Brianna replied as she glanced at each person in the room. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, while knowing what she wanted to say, and saying it were two different things, she knew she needed to try.
Orora Munroe reached out a hand and squeezed the younger woman gently on the shoulder, "Bri? You can tell us anything."
"I know what I want to say. I'm just not really sure how to say it. I mean, i've been practising it in my head for a few days now, but I don't want it to come out all jumbled. So i'll just say it. And hope that I say it right and that you all understand why."
Scott Summers shared a look with his girlfriend then with the Professor and sighed, wishing that the Professor and Jean had been wrong. "Out with it."
Brianna took a deep breath and wrung her hands together. "I wanted to thank you for letting me come here. For taking me in when Magneto was after me. And for providing me with a safe haven that I wouldn't have had if it hadn't been for all of you. You protected me, when you knew nothing about me or what I could do. And although i've enjoyed the last two years here, I want to go home."
"I didn't think you had any contact with your parents?" Dr. Jean Gray asked in the silence that followed the confession.
"I don't. I haven't talked to or seen them since they kicked me out 7 years ago. I meant home to Remy and Pietro." Brianna replied, smiling as she thought of her two protectors.
Remy Le Beau and Pietro Maximoff had rescued her from the streets four months after her parents kicked her out of the house at the age of ten. They had become not only her protectors but her family in the following years. Even after they had taken her to the Institute to make sure Magneto couldn't get her they were still her everything.
Despite the two men being eight years older than she, they had taken her into their home, and into what was called the Brotherhood. There she found others like herself, mutants who had powers and abilities that allowed her to become a part of the group and not to stand out like she did everywhere else.
Sighing she looked around at the faces before her. She smiled sadly as she thought that this place had also accepted her, for here was an entire school of people with powers that everyone on the outside didn't think they should have.
"Have you talked it over with Pietro and Remy?" Professor Xavier asked quietly.
"Yes, and you can talk to them if you want. They should be here shortly." She replied just as another knock sounded on the door.
She turned around and gave a cry of happiness as she saw the two men in the doorway. She ran towards them and got engulfed in hugs.
"Don't tell me you just now told them?" Pietro Maximoff asked as he flicked his finger on her chin.
Brianna blushed and looked down. "I didn't know how to tell them." she replied as Remy gave her a hug and glared at Pietro.
"It's allright, mon chere'." Remy replied as he glanced up at the people watching them. "We've come to take her home with us."
"She's safer here with us, than she is with you." Scott said, as he watched Brianna stiffen and lean into Remy a little more.
Brianna looked up at the Professor, almost in tears she said, "You always told me that if I wanted to, I could go at any time."
"And you can, my dear. No one here is going to stop you. But you should be aware that Magneto is still after you for your powers, so no matter where you are, he'll be trying to get you." Professor Xavier looked sternly at Remy and then at Pietro as he spoke.
~He's not giving up on getting Brianna. You both need to be aware of that.~ he spoke into their minds. Both men jerked a little and nodded in understanding.
"We won't let anything happen to her." Pietro replied into the quietness of the room.
"This will always be your home, my dear. Never be afraid to come back here, if ever your in need of help or just to visit." Professor Xavier gave her a smile and watched as she sagged against Pietro in relief.
Brianna smiled happily as she looked at everyone in the room, "Thank you. For everything."
