Jinxed

Late one Thursday evening, around 10:00pm Jessica Xavier knocked on the massive oak door of her uncle's school. Charles Xavier himself opened the door and she knelt down to give him a big hug. While crouched down on her knees she said softly "I've missed you uncle Charles."

"I've missed you too Jinx." came his reply .

Charles Xavier looked down into his neice's deep, blue eyes and could see a life of pain reflected in them. He ran his hand along her dark hair and said equally soft, "Welcome home." She then smiled the kind of smile you would expect to see a small child smile, it was not that of a eighteen year old.

He lead her through to the living room to greet everybody else. As soon as she stepped through the door she was crowded by people all as glad to see her as she was to see them

"Hey Ororo, good to see you again." she said hugging Storm tightly.

"Good to see you too Jess." she replied.

"Heya Scott."

"Hey kiddo." he gave her a one armed hug.

"You are?"Jessica inquired looking at a blue elflike creature.

"Kurt, Kurt Wagner" he said in a thick German accent "but in the circus I vos known as nightcrawler." She shook his hand and said,

"I'm Jessica Xavier."

"Xavier? You are the professors daughter?" he asked

"No, I'm his niece. You can call me Jinx."

"Jinx ?" he asked raising a dark, blue eyebrow.

"That's just a nickname I have."

Two more teenage girls walked in they had obviously just woken up.

"What's going on?" yawned one of them. "Yeah we were trying to sleep." said the other rubbing her eyes.

"It's nice to see you guys too." Jessica replied in mock indignation.

They were about to retort when they realized whoshe was. "Jinx!?!" they replied in unison.

"The one and only."

"Thank goodness there is only one of you." Scott replied sarcastically. She punched him playfully on the arm.

She was then bombarded with questions from the two new arrivals, Kitty and Jubilee.

"Why are you here?"

"When did you get here?"

"How long are you staying?"

"Whoa, whoa calm down. I've been here five minutes and I'm already confused."

"Hey there Jinx." A voice came from behind her and she spun to see who it was.

"Hey Ice." She hugged him. "Where's Rogue?"

Everyone in the room suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

The professor finally answered, "She left Jessica."

"What? Where did she go?"

"We're not sure. We think she went back to visit her family, try and 'find herself' as it were."

"Oh, okay." Then they all went and talked for along time.