I know, I have way too many incomplete stories to be posting something new but this is short and quick. And, possibly, confusing at times. ^_^ I have no idea what stories I'll be getting back to. I have to find what I did with my Muses.
She watched as the other students left. The Institute just wasn't safe anymore. At least, not in the parents' minds. Sighing, she walked back over to her bed and picked up the jacket thrown over it.
She took a deep breath of the scent still on the jacket, her eyes closed as memories swarmed her. The old memories and the new ones. Pulling the still oversized, worn jacket on, she exited her room, closing the door softly.
She walked lazily around the school, saying hello to those still at the school that she passed. Her destination was wherever her feet took her and, apparently, that was the Professor's office.
"Rachel," Charles stated with a smile. "What can I help you with?"
"When is he coming back, Grandpa Xavier?" she muttered softly, the name play telling Charles something was on the girl's mind. He gestured to a chair and she sat down. "He is coming back, right?"
"Rachel," Charles stated gently, "He…his mutation allowed him to heal at a faster rate but there are some things that even he can possibly not heal. I don't know if he will return or not."
The teen touched the dog tags around her neck. They weren't hers and yet they were around her neck, polished and on a new chain. She stood up, nodding. "OK."
Rachel turned and aimed for the door but as she got half way, if that, Charles piped up, "Rachel, don't wait for him to come home. Live life fully now. While you still can."
Rachel smiled sadly at the man behind the desk. "I know, Grandpa Xavier."
She left the room, heading outside. She hated being in the sun but she didn't want to be anywhere else. Not when everything within the building reminded her of something she didn't want to remember.
Sighing, she sat on the edge of the cliff near the Institute, a leg hanging over the edge. She watched the water play with the reflection of the clouds and sun. It wasn't till the moon trades places with the sun that Rachel had realized how long she had been out there. Standing, she stretched.
"Ray?" a hoarse voice asked, a twig snapping.
Rachel spun on one foot, taking a step back to look at the person talking to her. Her eyes widened as her heart leaped into her chest. "Dad?"
The man chuckled, offering his arms for a hug. "Hey there, Sparks. How you holdin up?"
She tackled him, kind of, as she buried her face into his strong chest. "Better, now that you're home. I missed you so much."
He kissed her hair, his protective arms around her tight. "I'm sure Chuck treated you well."
She chuckled, beaming up at the scruffy man whose protection had been missed for the longest time. "Being the only human in the Institute, he worries about my well being more than anyone else's."
The man chuckled, hugging Rachel again as if he thought if he loosened his hug, he would lose her again. "That's Charles for ya."