Disclaimer: I don't own Professor X. or Magneto, who are both mentioned in this, but all else is mine.

Mary-Kathryn stands in her room sullenly and thinks, Why does this have to be happening to me?... Why do I have to be a mutant on top of everything else!

She glares at her reflection in her mirror, "I'm fat, stupid, and the un-artistic daughter of two artists. And now I'm also a MUTANT?"

Mary-Kathryn hears her mother's voice from the kitchen down-stairs, "M. Kat, are you ready to go yet?...You'll be late for school!"

Mary-Kathryn fumes to herself, "Why can't she just call me Kat… I hate it when she adds that stupid M… Oh, well, I better get down there before dad decides to get involved…" She yells down, "Coming, Mom! I'll only be a sec!"

Kat slings her purse and bag on her shoulder as she runs for the stairs. Her mom, Megan Donovan, catches Kat's shoulders as she bolts down the stairs. Megan shakes her head as she scolds her daughter, "Slow down, M. Kat! You're gonna hurt yourself coming down the steps like that!"

Kat rolls her eyes as she says cockily, "Oh, come on, Mom! It's not like I'm a little KID!"

Megan looks at Kat sternly, "No, you're not, so please don't act like one!"

Kat lowers her eyes and sulks, "I'm sorry, Mom… I'll try to be more careful…"

Kat's father, James Donovan, chuckles, "No, you won't, that's the problem with you! You never slow down to watch where you're going."

Kat hugs her dad before heading out the door. She throws over her shoulder, "What is there to watch?"

James and Megan exchange looks. James gives his wife a kiss good-bye, "I'll see you tonight, Hun."

Megan gives him a quick peck on her way out the door, "I have a meeting with my publisher tonight, so you'll have to take M. Kat to the mall… I promised her she could go! Sorry, Hun."

James sighs, "Don't worry, I'll take her…" James grabs his violin case and coat before heading out after his wife and daughter. Kat waves to James as she climbs in the car with Megan. James waves back, "Have a good day at school, and don't get into any trouble, Mary!" Kat winces at her dad's insistence in using her first name.

Megan asks, "Seat-belt, M. Kat?"

Kat grabs her seat-belt and latches it quick, "Yeah, let's go already!"

Ten minutes later, Megan pulls the car in front of Kat's school and parks long enough for Kat to jump out. Megan hands Kat her bag, "Have a good day, M. Kat, and remember not to make fun of anyone that's different."

Kat shrugs on her bag and purse, "Why would I? I'm different too!"

Megan smiles at Kat's retreating back and thinks, If only you knew just how different.

Kat sits in her English class day-dreaming instead of doing her homework. Her mind roams to the previous night replaying it in her mind:

Kat was sitting on her bed admiring the iron dragon figurine that her dad had bought for her. She was just wondering if she was imagining that she could feel the metal, when she saw the figurine rise into the air a few inches and start to melt and twist. Kat immediately freaked and ran out of her room. When she had gone back in a few hours later, the dragon had still be floating there, half-melted, and other metal things had been edging closer and closer to the dragon. It fell when Kat panicked at hearing her mom coming down the hall.

Kat jolts out of her day-dream to see her English teacher, Miss Sheaffer, standing in front of her desk. Kat glances around nervously as her teacher states with a smile, "I know my class is riveting, Miss Donovan, but the bell has rung, and you have another class to get to, do you not?"

Kat jumps out of her seat and blushes, "Umm… Yeah, I do… sorry!" She runs out the door and down the hall toward her next class. Half-way to her Algebra class, Kat runs into the school bullies, the Blood Brothers. The Blood Brothers are known for being ruthless in torturing any hapless soul that crosses their path, and even though there are only four of the seniors, some of the teachers even think twice about crossing paths with the gang. The oldest of the boys, William Glose, always has his hands on any of the gang's dirty-work, while the other three members, Fred Jose, Isac Fisher, and Luke Taft are only there to help or cheer their leader on.

Kat's face contorts to a grimace at the site of the notorious gang, and she thinks to herself, Great just what I wanted to see –the biggest idiots in the school. I wonder what poor soul or souls they are torturing this time.

Kat stops dead in her tracks when she sees a few of her friends are the focus of the Blood Brothers' attentions. Towering over the eighth graders in front of him, William Glose, AKA Bloody Bill, taunts Kat's friends, "Where are you off to in such a hurry, twerps?"

Kat's best friend Matt Coffer steps forward, "Why don't you just let us get to class, and get to your own?"

Bloody Bill sneers at the younger students, "What and miss all the fun of making you squirm! Get back in line with your little friends, squirt, and wait your turn!" When Matt doesn't listen, Bill punches him.

Kat doesn't even think about what she's doing as she steps in front of Matt and stares down Bloody Bill, "Back off, Bill. I won't let you hurt my friends!"

"And just what are you gonna do about it, shorty?" Kat has to strain her neck to meet Bill's gaze as he takes a menacing step toward her. Kat feels her anger go from blistering hot to ice cold as she meets Bill's leer with a haughty look.

When Bill raises his hand to bat her to the side, something snaps in the back of Kat's mind. Kat says levelly, "Anything I can, Bill." Suddenly, water starts shooting from the water fountain a few feet away and catches all the Blood Brother's off guard.

Bloody Bill starts yelling, "That freak is doing things again… the Mutant is back… RUN!" The Blood Brothers run down the hall with fear inspired speed. Kat helps Matt up and walks quietly with her friends to Algebra.

On their way to class Kat's friends discuss the mutant enthusiastically while Kat loses herself to her thoughts. Matt tells their group, "The Mutant's timing couldn't have been better! I thought Bloody Bill was gonna pulverize us for sure!"

Callia Hendrick Kat's second best friend adds, "Yeah, you and Kat for sure, Matt! I mean what were you thinking standing up to the Blood Brothers like that?"

Kat's mind does frantic loops as what happened sinks in, Oh, great, I'm not just a mutant…I'm a mutant that just made a water fountain spray the school hallway… What am I going to do! And what was that thing with the water? It didn't feel the same as when I made the dragon float…What Kat's friends are saying finally sinks into her mind, "Umm… you guys, I need to tell you something after school… about what just happened in the hallway… you wanna meet me in the Niche, right after the bell?"

Matt nods, "Sure, Kat, no prob." Kat hurries into the classroom ahead of Matt and Callia, so Matt asks Callia, "Do you know what's up with her, Cal?"

Cal answers, "Nope, but it's gotta be pretty big for her to want to meet in the Niche."

The rest of the school day Kat avoids any unnecessary contact with her friends, thinking, What if I do something again? What if one of my friends is hurt! I'll tell them after school and ask them to stay away from me until I figure out what's going on, and get things under control… they should understand that, and when the final bell rings, she is out the door and outside the school in no time. She rounds the corner coming out of the front doors and dashes into the alcove in the school wall that she and her friends use as a meeting place when they have important things to talk about. Her mind races again, What if they don't understand? What if they call me a freak and leave me… or worse tell everyone about my powers! What if… No, they have been my friends for too long to just walk out on me… and if they do, well, I'll deal with that when it happens. There is too much that COULD happen, so I have to keep my mind on what IS happening.

She sees her friends approaching, Here they come. Lord, help me to do this. Kat smiles awkwardly at her friends, "Hey, guys… I have something big to tell you… umm… this is gonna sound really weird, but… umm… I'm a mutant, and-"

Matt cuts in, "You are a mutant! That is so cool! Man, you are lucky, Kat… So what can you do?" Cal elbows Matt and he looks at her, "What! She is lucky you know. I mean, who doesn't want special powers?"

Kat shrugs, "I'm not sure what I can do yet, Matt… but I have done two things that I can think of." Kat watches her friends' expressions closely but sees only excitement and joy in Matt's demeanor and thoughtful kindness in Cal's pleasant features, so she continues, "The first was last night, and I'm not sure what I did. I was sitting on my bed and the next thing I knew, my dragon –you know, the one dad got for me last Christmas –was floating in the air and melting! That thing is solid iron, and it was melting like that candle wax we put over the open flame when we went camping! It was really freaky. The bad part is I still don't know what I did."

Cal nods, "Wow! That must have been scary. What did you do? I know that I would've freaked if something like that happened to me…. But wait," Cal's brow creases in thought again, "you said there was another thing you did, didn't you?"

Kat turns crimson in embarrassment, "Yeah… I soaked the Blood Brother with an out of control water fountain today…" She drifts into silence, not sure how her friends with take this news.

Cal asks incredulously, "That was you!" Kat just nods.

Matt starts to laugh uncontrollably, claps Kat on the back, and says, "Kat, you saved our butts with that trick today! These powers of yours are awesome!"

Cal snickers a little as she recalls the earlier scene, "Yeah, what you did in the hallway was cool, but if you can't control it, couldn't someone be hurt?"

Kat looks relieved that someone else sees the danger, "Yes, they could. That's why I wanted to tell you guys. I think you should stay away from me for a few days… maybe even longer, until I get this figured out."

Matt's eyes go wide enough that Kat is afraid they'll pop out of his head, "But we could help!"

Kat shakes her head, "No offence, man, but I think it's safer if you don't. I don't want anything to happen to you if my powers go off again."

Cal pipes up, "She's right, Matt… But, Kat, don't forget that we are your friends, an-"

"Mary, where are you? We have to get going if we're going to make the mall before all the after-school traffic," Cal is cut off by James' voice calling from the parking lot.

Kat smiles weakly at her friends, "Hey, I know you'll be there for me, guys, but I gotta go before Dad starts to worry. Catch ya lata."

"Lata!" Cal and Matt chime together.

That went better than I thought it would, Kat thinks absently as she heads toward James. Now, all I have to do is figure out how to tell my folks, Kat hugs James and asks, "How was work, dad? Did your rehearsal go as well as Mr. Pip wanted it to?"

James eyes Kat critically, not missing a thing, "What's bugging you, Mary. You look worried. Did something happen in school today that you want to talk about?"

Kat shrugs, "What do you mean? It was school, same old, same old. What about you?"

James nods, even though he knows Kat isn't telling him something, "It went pretty well. Mr. Pip has confidence that we will be ready for the show Friday night, and you know how he gets when he's excited."

Kat laughs, momentarily forgetting about her problem, "You'll be brilliant, Dad. You always are… Is mom coming with us to the mall?"

James sighs, "No, she had a meeting with her publisher to go to." He sees Kat's face fall a little, "But maybe she'll get out of her meeting early and meet us there. She has been known to do that from time to time." James grins and clips Kat's chin with his hand, "Let's get going, shall we, Mary?"

Kat dashes for the car and launches herself into the passenger's seat, "What's taking you so long, dad!"

James chuckles and climbs in behind the steering wheel, "Seat-belt, Mary." Kat latches her seat-belt, and he starts the vehicle. Kat is soon brooding on her powers again, and the whole way to the mall, she tries different scenarios in her mind to figure out how to tell her dad about her powers. I can't just blurt it out with no warning… Well, I could, but I'd probably give dad a heart-attack. Maybe I should tell him before we even get there, but then he might freak and call mom out of her meeting… she's been waiting for this deal a long time… no matter what, I don't want to mess up my parents' lives! Kat's thoughts turn rather dark as she thinks of all the stories she's heard of mutants that hurt or killed their parents. That would be just my kind of luck to end up with my parents, who are such great people, killed by the horrible powers of their idiot daughter.

Kat and James go into the mall and look around. Kat insists on stopping to look at the book store for almost an hour before she lets James drag her into the music store to look at a new violin for her. Kat scowls at the dreaded instrument, "You want me to play that! Come on, dad, I can't even play the clarinet that grandma gave me four years ago! There is no way that I'm playing that thing."

James says reasonably, "Yes, but I play the violin, so I could give you the lessons this time, Mary… That way you'd actually practice it!"

Kat shakes her head stubbornly, "Nope, not happenin', dad. I'm tone-deaf anyway, so it wouldn't be worth the effort."

It's James' turn to scowl, "You are not tone-deaf, Mary! If you would just apply yourself, you would do very well! Now, we are going to get it for you for your birthday, and you will play it! That is final, young lady." They both leave the music store in a touchy mood. Kat mutters to herself as they walk toward the food court to grab something to eat. Then she sees the Pretty Pets, PP, off to her side and decides to press her luck a little.

She smiles at James and says in her most innocent voice, "Can we stop at PP, daddy… Please? I won't say another word about the violin, I promise!"

James starts to say no, but Kat gives him one of her pleading looks. He sighs and breaks down, "Fine, we can go in, but we aren't getting a pet, so I don't know why you insist on torturing yourself like this."

Kat smiles winningly as they enter the PP, "Thanks, dad!"

Kat immediately starts fussing over the kittens for sale and the cats for adoption. James sighs as he sees this, knowing that when her birthday comes and she doesn't get a cat, Kat will be disappointed again. Kat smiles tenderly as she picks up one of the smaller kittens, Aren't you just the sweetest little thing? I wish they'd get me you for my birthday, instead of that awful violin. Kat thinks scornfully, At least, you wouldn't make me disappoint them by proving that I suck as a musician. Besides, you're so loving and cute!

Kat rubs the kitten's tummy and delights in its purring. As she loses herself in the pure joy of having such a pleasant creature near her, Kat gets a feeling in the back of her mind like she's floating. Suddenly she sees flashes of color and pictures of people above her. Kat panics a little at first, then as she realizes that she is seeing things in the cat's mind, she completely freaks.

Kat puts the kitten back in the box that it had been in and stubbles away from it holding her head. She hears noise all around her but that only frightens her more. Something appears in front of her face, and Kat grabs for something to push it away with. She surrounds herself in a protective cocoon of water to keep out all the noise, but somehow she knows how to do so with out suffocating or drowning herself in the process.

James, oblivious to what is happening in Kat's mind, hears the cats meowing frantically and sees Kat stumbling with her head in her hands. He grabs her hands and looks into her face, "Mary? Mary? Mary, can you hear me! What's wrong!" James stumbles away from Kat as water comes cascading toward him from the fountain right outside PP. He watches helplessly as Kat is pulled into a sphere of swirling water.

Elsewhere, Megan is just entering the mall on her way to surprise Kat and James as she hears screaming coming from the second floor close to the food court. She breaks into a run to see what all the commotion is about, and arrives just in time to witness Kat's little episode. Megan forces herself to stay calm and reach for her own powers. She easily takes control of the water from Kat who is too inexperienced to put up a fight. Megan parts the water around her daughter and takes Kat into her arms as she whispers, "I'm so sorry, my little girl. I should've warned you." Kat finally manages to get control of herself and shut off her powers, but she huddles in her mother's arms, afraid that she'll do more harm if she so much as moves wrong. James comes over to Megan and Kat before everyone else can get their wits back enough to realize what happened.

He starts to guide them toward the mall entrances, "Megan, we have to get you and Mary out of here before someone calls in the authorities… we both know how they treat mutants."

Megan nods and pulls Kat along with her toward her car as James gets into his car for the drive home. Megan gets Kat to sit in the car and gets in to drive home, "M. Kat, everything is gonna be okay, babe."

"No, it's not, mom," Kat presses on her temples as she tries to focus on her own thoughts and what her mom is saying.

"Yes, it will. I'll help you learn to control your powers… I have them too."

"You're a mutant too! Why didn't you tell me that you are a mutant, mom?" Kat turns to her mother.

"I didn't think that you would get my powers… I've only heard of mutants that get their father's powers… and it wasn't important that I have the power to control water."

Huffing in frustration at her mother, Kat forces her mind to ignore the pictures and feelings that keep poring into her from the squirrels and other creatures nearby, "Great, you didn't think it was important to tell me that I might be a mutant… let alone, that you can control water and read the thoughts of animals…"

"Thoughts of animals?… I can't hear any thoughts but my own, Mary-Kathryn… which means you have more than just my power…" Shaking her head in denial, Megan thinks about everything Xavier told her about mutants and their powers, "How could she have two powers that are so different? Maybe I should call Xavier… he'll know how to handle this…"

Kat loses her focus as Megan gets side-tracked. Scenes flash thought her mind as Kat leans against the car door. Sometimes, she is a squirrel running across tree branches headed for the safety of her den; others, she is an ally cat chasing a rat for her supper. As the car picks up speed, the scenes in Kat's mind are soon flashing too fast for her to follow and she groans at the pain in her head. Mercifully, Kat finally loses consciousness after five minutes of this pure mental torture.

Kat wakes up to the sound of her parents talking. Groggy and disoriented, she opens her eyes, not on the familiar surroundings of her bedroom but instead on what seems to be the living room. It takes her sluggish mind a few moments to process this as she sits up and wonders why it hurts to think.

"I wish there was another way, James, but I think Xavier is gonna have to deal with this one… I can't teach her how to use powers that I don't have!" Megan's voice cuts through the haze that is Kat's thoughts.

"I think there may be another way, Megan… just hear me out on this. I went out earlier to see what is being said about the mall incident, and I found a group there that said they'd like to find the mutants before the authorities do." James' voice takes on an excited edge, "I listened to them and heard them say that they help young mutants learn to use their powers… and they must know a bit about it because they know that there were two mutants and that one of them knew what they were doing…"

Megan sounds concerned, "But who are these people, James? Were you able to find that out?"

"No, but I am trying to find out under the guise of being fearful for my life with rampant mutants running around."

"Alright, if what you come up with is positive, it would be better for Mary-Kathryn to not have to deal with my past…" Kat moans as she tries to focus what her mom is saying, and Megan falls silent for a moment to go check on Kat. Megan sits on the couch beside Kat's legs and asks, "M. Kat, how are you feeling?"

Kat brings her hand to her forehead, "My head really hurts, mom… I had the weirdest dream… I was all these different animals, and it seemed so real…"

Megan tries not to scare Kat as she explains, "I don't think that was a dream, M. Kat… You were telling me about it before you passed out, so I'm pretty sure you have some telepathic abilities."

Kat's mind is still not completely clear, so it takes a moment or two for what her mom says to sink in. Once the meaning of her mom's explanation gets through, Kat groans in misery, "But that means that I can hear the thoughts of animals –maybe even people! I don't want to hear what everyone else is thinking, mom!" Kat's voice trembles with desperation, "And if that wasn't a dream, then the incident at the mall wasn't either, was it?"

Megan tilts Kat's head up to look into Kat's eyes, "No, it wasn't, Mary-Kathryn. I'm sorry that you had to find out about your powers like that… but I never dreamed that you would get my powers… mothers usually don't pass on the mutant gene to their children… although, I figured that you would be a mutant… since your father was…"

Kat shakes her head, not sure if she heard Megan right, "Dad is a mutant too… then why didn't he do anything at the mall… I'm really confused…"

Megan sighs and grimaces as she tells her daughter, "James isn't a mutant, Mary Kathryn. He's a human; that is why he didn't do anything at the mall… I know that only confuses you more, but right now, I won't explain further… I don't think you could handle that right now… not with everything else that has happened to you." Kat's eyes are beginning to drift shut. "Why don't you get to bed now, M. Kat? You've had enough excitement for one day, and if you are feeling better by morning, you may go to school… but for now just get some rest."

Kat yawns and nods, "Yeah, I think that sounds good…" Kat heads to her room, gets out her night gown, and sits on her bed to take off her shoes, but before she can even get her second shoe off completely, she is sound asleep against the headboard.

Megan enters Kat's room twenty minutes later. Megan shakes her head as she lays Kat down on the bed properly, pulls off the second shoe that never made it off the foot, and covers Kat with a blanket from the foot of the bed. Before turning off then lights, Megan whispers to her sleeping daughter, "Everything will be sorted out soon… and if all goes well, you will never have to deal with my past…or your real father."

Megan goes back down-stairs and into the kitchen where James is sitting at the table with a steaming cup of coffee. She sits across from James with a tired sigh, "She is sleeping… I told her a few things and almost told her about Magneto."

"Almost… but you didn't, I take it, Dear?" James stands up and gets Megan a cup of coffee. He sets the mug in front of her and says, "It is about time she knows about him, Meg. She needs to know in case he would ever find out about her. Mary could be in a good bit of danger from her father should he discover her unprepared… once we know what we're doing for sure, then we should tell Mary the truth about him. I agree that it isn't the right time at the moment, but it will have to come out sooner or later."

Megan nods, "Your right, Jim… but I just don't know if I can bear ripping her world apart like that… she'll be devastated!" Megan stares into her coffee cup for a few moments. She stands up and runs the coffee down the kitchen sink, "I'm going to bed. Are you coming, Jim?"

James nods and follows Megan to the sink, "Yeah, I'm coming, Meg. Just give me a second to turn off this coffee pot, and I'll be up."

A few days pass before Kat hears anything at school about the Mall incident. Kat is walking down the hall on her way to class. There is a group of kids standing in the middle of the hallway and as Kat passes them, she catches tidbits of their conversation, "…fountain erupted and wrapped around the girl... didn't manage… get any footage… the girl's face…" Kat gulps and hurries past, trying not to panic. She wondered briefly what those kids would think of the mutant being one of them. She almost sprints to get into the safety of her science class.

Kat's science class is not as safe as she would have hoped, though, for most of the class period is spent in a detailed discussion of how mutants are caused by changes in the DNA. Kat loathes every word of the discussion and barely makes if through the class without telling off the students that are taking the opportunity to make a mockery of mutants. She struggles to keep her attention on her work, but manages to not attract her teacher's attention to her distraction.

The rest of her school day is better but not by much. Kat is continually haunted by the anti-mutant comments she hears in the halls and in classes. When the final bell rings, she is so relieved that she almost runs out of the school. Matt and Cal catch her just as she is leaving, and Cal asks, "Hey, Kat, why have you been avoiding us all day?"

"Yeah," Matt almost knocks Kat over in his rush to get to her side, "You didn't even wait for me after science! I had to walk to art alone!... What's up with you?"

Kat stops in her tracks, "What… I didn't realize I was… sorry, guys." Kat smiles at Matt, "What makes you think that something's up, Matt? I just have a lot on my mind right now."

"Really? Like what?" Matt prods with enthusiasm.

Kat shrugs, "Oh, nothing… just mutant stuff… I gotta go. Lata, guys!" Kat waves and runs off before Matt or Cal can ask anything else.

"That was odd." Cal observes, "You have more classes with her, Matt… so keep an eye on her, would ya?"

"Yeah, that was odd… Will do, Cal, lata." Mat leaves Cal to head home as he does the same.

Kat is relieved that she gets away from her friends before she gets prodded into spilling what happened at the Mall. Kat is glad when she sees her mother waiting for her; it makes her rushing off on her friends look legitimate. Kat waves and lengthens her stride, "Hey, mom. How was your day?"

Megan practically beams, "It was good… James and I have great news, M-Kat." Megan pauses and waits for Kat to ask what the news is. Kat just shrugs, and Megan finally says, "What don't you want to know?"

Kat's interest is caught by the hyper under tone of her mother's voice, "What great news, mom?"

Megan gives Kat a mischievous smile, "You have to wait until we get home to find out!"

Kat is quite indignant, "Now, that isn't fair, mom!"

Megan slides down into the car with a triumphant laugh, "You poor thing."

Kat glares at her mother for a moment, "You are a pain some times, mom… do you know that?"

Megan shrugs and starts the car, "I try, dear." They pass a few moments in silence as Megan drives them home.

Kat pleads, "Please, tell me, mom? PLEASE?"

Megan chuckles, thoroughly enjoying herself, "Well…" She pauses as if considering it, "Nope!"

Kat crosses her arms and huffs, "Fine, then!" As soon as they pull in the drive way, Kat is out of her seatbelt and bounding out of the car, "I'll get dad to tell me, since you won't!"

Megan gets out of the car, "Oh, will you now? You have to get to him first, dear!" Megan races after Kat and over-takes her just as they reach the front door.

James comes out to meet them, "Meg, you are as bad as Mary sometimes!" James hugs Kat and says to her, "Guess what, Mary?... you are going to a new school… with other mutants!"

Kat freezes for a moment, while her stunned mind tries to process this information, "A new school?... but… why?"

Megan ushers them both inside, "So you can learn to use your powers properly in a safe place, M-Kat."

Kat blinks slowly, "Oh… I guess that is a good thing… but what about my friends here?" Kat blurts, "I don't want to leave them…"

Megan wraps an arm around Kat's shoulders, "I know you don't want to leave your friends, but it will only be until you get your powers under control, so in a year or so, at the most, you'll be back here."

Kat sighs, "Alright… when do I leave?"

James kneels down to hug Kat reassuringly, "Friday, Mary."

"FRIDAY!" The word comes out as a screech, "That's tomorrow, dad!"

"I know, Mary… you better get packing so you're ready." James sends Mary off with this chipper message. He turns to Megan as soon as Kat is out of hearing-range, "You think this is the right thing to do, Meg?"

Megan nods gravely, "It is what's best for our daughter, James… and as soon as she gets home, we will tell her about Eric."

"Of course… he won't find her at this school, so no need to worry about him." James' wraps his arm around Megan's waist and they both sit down.