Title: Daddy's Little Girl
Word Count: 609
Rating: K+
Genre: General
Summary: Daddy's little girl can't be protected from everything.
Author's Notes: Just a short ficlet about someone – anyone – in the X-Men movieverse, and how they are affected by it all.

That blue furry man is on the television again. Whatshisname, the ambassador.

Oh, that's right. Henry McCoy. I don't get to watch the mutant news much, as the channel gets changed whenever the subject comes on.

If Dad knew that I was watching that sort of thing, I'd be in awful trouble.

Them mutants, he'd say, a scowl on his face, are no good. I don't want you exposed to that.

He doesn't like mutants, as you can tell.

If a mutant ever laid his dirty paws, or claws, or whatever he – no it! – has, I'd get my gun and make sure he's too full of lead to do it again.

Dad's just protective of me. He's a good father, if a little hasty to judge.

He only wants to protect me. Just like any normal father.

Do you know what those monsters can do? They can cause fires and floods! They can rip people in half like we would a piece of paper! That's why you have to be careful.

I don't like that he goes to those meetings. Every time he goes to one of them, he comes back more riled up.

You should have seen the look on his face when he came back with news that Jimmy Peterson from school had turned to be like one of them.

You know. Mutants.

Apparently that Peterson boy punched a hole through the side of his parents' car. I told you that kid was no good, didn't I?

He really is a good dad, for all his faults.

He loves me very much, and just wants to keep me safe. Ever since Mom left, it's been just the two of us.

If you ever see one of those freaks, just run in the other direction. And tell us. We'll deal with it.

I don't really want to know what they mean by 'dealing with it'.

I haven't seen Jimmy in a fortnight.

His girlfriend got a postcard the other day. She thinks it's from him.

But it can't be. The postmark says New York. We don't know anyone who lives there. That's the other side of the country.

We'll make sure that this town is safe from their kind.

That's what Dad's group promises. He's out at one of the meetings now.

I don't like that he goes to them, but I'm grateful at the same time. It gives me time to myself.

I'll be back in two hours, honey. Be good, and keep the doors locked.

I follow his instructions to the letter. I even remember to close the curtains to my room as I get changed, even though I'm on the second floor.

To some mutants, just because you are on the second floor, it doesn't mean you are out of their sight.

And I don't want anyone to see what I'm doing now.

I'm doing this to keep you safe.

That mutant, Henry McCoy, is still talking as I examine my bare shoulder in the mirror. I frown, and pick up the tweezers.

The painkillers are slowly losing their strength. I've been taking them more and more often lately – I must be building up a resistance to them, or something.

I take a deep breath, steeling myself for what is to come. I focus on the sound of McCoy's voice as I put pressure on the tweezers, holding firmly.

Tears fill my eyes as I rip the first of the silver-blue scales from my skin. But I don't cry until number seven.

I'm never going to let one of those monsters hurt you.

Please don't tell my Daddy. He doesn't mean to be a monster.