A/N: Yes, the protagonist is a younger girl, but I promise you she's not some perfect Mary Sue and this isn't some gushy romance! There are some of my characters in this story but it also heavily includes Ororo (Storm), Logan (Wolverine), Bobby (Iceman), Kitty (Shadowcat), Marie (Rogue), and more. This is set after X3 movie. This is no AU so sadly Scott (Cyclops), Charles (Professor X), and Jean Grey are still dead, but there will be a cameo by Xavier later on!

Chapter One: The Not So Imaginary Friend

Have you ever heard anyone say, "Remember when we were kids? Life was so much simpler, so much easier back then." Well, I have, and every time I do I want to drag that person through the first eighteen years of my life as a "kid" and ask them what they found to be so simple about it.

At first, everything was normal, I was normal; I had normal parents who lived in a normal neighborhood with normal lives. I even had, what I thought to be, a normal imaginary friend. He was my first and best friend. We met on the school playground when I was in first grade after a couple of boys had pushed me in the mud. My original blue suspenders and pink top were now brown and becoming wet from my tears. It was then that I heard his voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah" I answered, muffled as my face was still pushed against my arms to hide my tears.

"Those boys are jerks. I don't like them."

I peered up and allowed myself a small grin at the boy's comment. His creamy chocolate shaded hair dangled in front of his glasses, covering a few of his freckles and piercing green eyes. He appeared to be a few years older than me, but didn't act like any other boy that was older than me.

"Hi. My name's Jamie, what's yours?"

"Claire." I paused and wiped the last remaining droplets of water off my cheeks.

"You wanna go play on the swings with me?"

"Sure!"

I jumped up and raced Jamie to the swing set across the park. Finally, a friend! I thought to myself as I wrapped my hands around the chains and hoisted myself up. We laughed and kicked and challenged each other to fly over the top. It was the first time all school year I was talking to someone and I could not have been happier.

"Higher!" Jamie hollered as he pumped his own legs faster. "Come on! We can do it!"

"But it's – it's so high. It's too high!"

"I'm right here. I won't let anything bad happen. Now, come on!"

"Okay!" I kicked my short limbs as hard and as fast as they would allow, letting out a wild and giggling scream. I glanced at the gravel below me and felt my chest throb. I squeezed my eyelids shut for a brief moment and almost stopped moving my legs until I reopened my eyes and found Jamie beside me. We were swinging almost in sync. I grinned and let myself gaze at the ground below me, this time without fear.

"Claire Elizabeth Montgomery!"

I instantly dug my sneakers into the gravel, bringing my body to an abrupt stop. The sudden force knocked me off the swing and I landed, knee first on the ground. As I stood, I could feel the warm liquid rushing over my skin.

"Claire! You're not supposed to be playing, you know that! You're supposed to be out front, waiting for us. Now, look what you did!"

By now my father was kneeling in front of me, my mother not far behind.

"I didn't do it, daddy! You did!"

"Young lady, that is no way to talk to your father!"

Even at the young age, I could tell immediately that my father was more angered that he was concerned.

"Honey!" My mother shrieked in her usual frantic tone. "Look what you did to your clothes! All that mud! What – where is the dress I had picked out for you this morning? I told Julie to iron it before breakfast and put it out for you."

"I didn't like it."

"Well that is just too bad missy. This is a private school and we are paying good money for you to go here and little girls who go here wear dresses, whether you like it or not. And they don't play in the mud!"

"She wasn't playing in the mud," Jamie spoke up behind me, "some boys pushed her in."

"Yeah! He's right!"

My parents both looked up at me in shock at my sudden outburst and then around to find the "he" I had been referring to.

"Dear," my father started, still glancing around, "who are you talking about?"

"Jamie! He's my new and bestest friend."

"Sweetie," my mom began this time, "there is no one there. What's going on?"

"What are you talking about? He's right there! Duh!"

"Okay, Claire. I think it is time to go home, now."

I thought my parents were simply being their usual crazy selves and waved goodbye to Jamie as my dad took my hand and harshly pulled me along.

I loved my parents and I believe on some level they loved me too, at least, that is what I tell myself, and that is what they told me. They told me they loved me when they didn't let me watch television or go to movies. They said they simply wanted the best for me when I was forced to take advanced classes and every extracurricular possible. They told me they wanted me to be safe when I wasn't allowed to go outside or play with friends, let alone have any. They were all the friends I needed, they told me. They were wrong.

Jamie and I played at the park behind my school every day until my parents would come looking for me. He even followed me home a few times when I was sad and didn't want to leave him. My parents brought me to several expensive child psychiatrists who all informed them that imaginary friends were common in children my age. They never liked that news and never liked Jamie. Whenever they would on about how the doctor had to be wrong, I would agree. I would tell them that Jamie isn't imaginary. I thought that would cheer them up, but it merely made matters worse. Oftentimes, I would get sent to my room without supper for even speaking his name.

After a few years, the psychiatrists began possessing new ideas. They would try to convince myself and my parents that I was "too old" for an imaginary friend. I still didn't understand why no one liked Jamie or wanted us to be friends.

"I don't understand, Jamie. They – they say you're not real." Each word I spoke was through tears.

"You know better, Claire. I'm your friend. Your best friend. Or, as I remember you first calling me, your bestest friend."

"Shut up!" I let out a grin and playfully swatted his arm. He always had known how to cheer me up, no matter what.

"Look Claire, we've been friends since first grade, for like six years now, even if we do only secretly meet at parks, like this with me in a tree by your window, or behind your, um, ballet class studio."

I giggled. I hated that dance course but looked forward to it every week just to see Jamie.

"The point is, we've been good friends for a long time and there is something you need to know."

"What is it Jamie? You remember our blood oath pact from third grade. No secrets."

"No secrets Claire. I need to tell you something. I need you to know that, well, you're special."

"Special? What do you –"

"You're special Claire, unique. There are things you can do that no one else can."

"Um, okay, you're starting to sound like my father, but not drunk or mean."

"I mean it Claire. You are very special. There are things you don't know yet, things you will soon find out for yourself. I just want you to know that you are not alone when you do find out, before," He paused and frowned.

"Before what Jamie?"

"Before I'm gone."

"Gone? You're leaving? But why? No. You can't!"

"It's not my choice, Claire. I'm sorry. Believe me, I would stay if I could. You're my best friend and you always will be. I have to leave now, but remember, you're not alone. I'm sorry. Goodbye."

With that, he climbed down the tree and took off into the night.

"Jamie! Jamie! No! Don't go! Don't leave me!"

I wanted to run downstairs and make him stay but I knew it would be useless. I had attempted to slip past my parents, our maid Julie, and my father's security guard countless times before, all without success.

So I stood there, broken and screaming.

"Clare? Claire!"

I could hear my parents coming but I couldn't stop the tears. I hated them to see me like this. If I cried, they told me I was weak and acting like a little girl. If I was sad, they told me to grow up. I choked on the ones still inside and wiped away the rest as my parents burst through my bedroom door.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Both of my parents had an expression of horror across their face as they surveyed the room. Their gazes quickly went to the ceiling and I followed.

"Wh – wha –"

I couldn't form words. There, hovering above my head appeared several dark and ominous clouds, lighting dancing back and forth from each one. Rain dropped down from them, covering me, yet I failed to become wet. I could not even feel the water against my skin.

"What did you do, young lady?" My father was again in a drunken stupor as he always was on weekend nights when he would count his money. "Talk, damn it! What are you, stupid?"

Thunder snapped and echoed throughout the oversized room, sending the three of us jumping, nearly out of our skin.

"Claire Elizabeth!" My mother screeched. "You stop whatever this is this instant!"

"It's not me!"

The thunder sounded again in unison with my scream, this time twice as loud.

"I mean – I don't – It can't be."

"Come on, Judy, let's get out of here!"

"Not without my baby!"

"Your baby is the one doing this! Leave her!"

"No!" My scream again came with thunder, but this time lightning quickly followed, piercing through my father.

"David! No!"

"It's alright, Judy. I'm not hurt. It's not real. None of it is. What kind of sick game are you playing, Claire? Are you trying to scare us? This some sort of trick? You stop it right now damn it!"

"Stop, yelling, at me!"

With that, images of fire exploded from the carpeted floor, merely inches away from my parents' feet. My mother stumbled back in horror and I can still remember the sounds of her body tumbling down the stairs and the horrified howl of my father. In that moment, the chaos of my bedroom vanished and I ran to the hallway.

"Stay back!" My father's voice was half rage, half agony. "Look at what you've done! Your own mother! You – you monster!"

I caught a glimpse of my mother's motionless form at the bottom of the staircase and that was all I needed to or could handle to see. I quickly turned back to my room.

"Get out of my house! You little freak! I'm calling the police! Get out! Get out!"

My cheeks were flooded with tears by the time I reached my window. The balcony was several feet away from the tree Jamie had been sitting in merely minutes earlier. I glanced down and the ground seemed to move further and further away. I closed my eyes for a brief moment.

"But it's – it's so high. It's too high!"

"I'm right here. I won't let anything bad happen. Now, come on!"

I took in a deep breath and opened my eyes, looking only at the tree in front of me. I hastily climbed over the railing and made a leap for the largest branch I could see. I imagined Jamie appearing out of nowhere and catching me in his arms. We would laugh and he would take me away from this place forever.

My hopes fell apart as my feet slid atop the branch. I quickly brought my arms up to steady myself but it was useless. My body began falling backwards and just when I thought I was going to die my arm caught a hold of another branch. It took every ounce of strength I had to pull myself up and in that moment I was almost thankful for dance and gymnastics classes. I continued my way down the rest of the tree slowly, my height phobia still lingering. As my feet hit the grass and I stared off into the distance, hoping, praying, I would be able to see him.

"Jamie! Jamie, please! Where are you? I need you! Please!"

My voice reverberated in the distance but was met with only the silence of the night.

"You are not alone."

He couldn't have been more wrong.