I Do Not Own Harry Potter or X-Men

This Story features FemHarry and FemSlash, if you don't like, don't read.

Now this is a One-Shot. I'm writing it as a response to my own Jean's Clone Challenge (Found in my Forums, link on profile) in the hope of inspiring others to take it up.

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Victoria Potter sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror

Despite dyeing her auburn hair black and cutting it short, the diamond stud piercing in her right nostril, and the multiple piercings and earings in both her ears, She still resembled Jean too much for her likeing.

That wouldn't be so bad if she got along with the elder redhead. But Jean was, despite her understanding of Victoria's own nature, a morally upright woman. Jean was the person that advocated second chances and doing what was right...

At least she was when her temper didn't get the best of her.

"Are you alright?" a concerned voice asked, causing Victoria to turn.

Standing in the doorway was Emma Frost. The blonde telepath was one of the few adults at the Institute that Victoria got along with. A fact Victoria and Emma both found ironic cinsidering Victoria was Jean's clone, and Jean and Emma's own dislike of one another.

"I'm fine," Victoria said.

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The dark haired clone sighed. "No," she admitted. "Jean...actually yelled at me."

"Well you did turn a man into a drooling vegtable that will require 24-hour medical care for the rest of his life," the blonde smirked. "I doubt that sits well with almost everyone."

"And the fact the man was a wealthy, anti-mutant whack job with enough political connections and blackmail material to keep himself from ever seeing a courtroom, who had hired mercenaries to attack the school mean's nothing?" Victoria ranted angrily. "What was I supposed to do, gove him a second chance to kill us all?" She snorted. "Dumbledore gave out enough second chances for eight lifetimes."

Emma sighed. She really wished Jean would take the time to see Victoria's point of view, to talk to her about her past. But the redhead, for all she preached about second chances, didn't seem to want to give Victoria one.

Of course Madelyne, her other clone and her husband's ex-wife, didn't exactly instill confidence in clones.

Personally, Emma thought Pryor's madness was partially due to Jean and her husband's actions. She knew Scott wasn't exactly faithful to his wife. And he had left Madylene for Jean while still married to the woman. Not to mention her own brief telepathic affair with the man.

She would have continiued the affair if it hadn't been for Victoria. The girl needed a good role model after being betrayed so much in her sixteen years of life, and she sought that out in Emma.

Victoria looked up to Emma even more than the Cuckoo's did. She made Emma actually want to be better

Jean didn't see that. She didn't see the young woman that had been beaten down and abused most of her life. The young woman that, from her earliest memories, had fought to survive. The young woman that had put her life on the line to save others when she was just eleven.

She just saw a hair dyed, piercing loving, girl that had no qualms about using her incredible psychic and magical abilty to torture, punish, and cause pain.

Jean had yet to realize that Victoria only did those things to those she deemed major or irredeemable threats.

"Jean...tries to see the best in people," she tried to explain to the younger woman.

"Everyone but me."

Emma sighed mentally. 'Damn you Jean.' Walking forward, she placed her hands on Victoria's shoulders. "Listen to me Victoria. You are a bright, beautiful young woman. You have faced horrors as a child that adults would flee from. You have been beaten, abused, lied to, and betrayed, yet still try to be a better person, and do the right thing. No matter what Jean, Scott, or anyone else says, you are a hero. And while your methods may not be exactly merciful, there are times there cannot be any mercy, and you understand that. Don't let anyone make you doubt yourself. Because when you start to doubt yourself, you let them win. And no matter what, remember, I am proud of you."

"Really?" Victoria asked.

Emma smiled at her, and gently reached up and prushed a strand of hair out of the girls face. "Really."

Victoria smiled at her.

"Now go on. I undertsand Sophie has somthing planned for your anniversary."

"Aniversary? We've only been dating a month?" the younger woman questioned.

Emma grinned. She was pleased that, despite her imense power, both psychically and magically, Victoria still managed to be teenager at times. Especially a confused teenager.

She hoped Sophie wouldn't be too upset about Victoria not understanding the concept of celebrateing a one month aniversary. Of course, considering Victoria saved Sophie's life by stopping her from taking the drug Kick to battle another student (by realizing that her sister Esme was influencing her and overiding that influence), Sophie would likely be a bit more forgiving.

"Go," Emma repeated.

Smiling, Victoria left the bathroom. Once she was gone, Emma frowned.

She needed to talk to Jean about her attitude towards her clone. Emma treated her own clone's, even Esme (whom Victoria had locked the powers of during Quentin Quire's riot after discovering her own role in everything, and her attempt to have her sister killed), better then Jean treated Victoria. She just had to figure out how to approach the redhead so that she would actually listen.

As she contemplated how to approach Jean, Emma couldn't help but think how appropriate Victoria's name was. A goddess of victory, Victoria would win no matter the cost to her herself or her enemies.

She just wished other's could see that she would never sacrifice her allies, friends, or innocents for that victory.

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Please Review and Check Out the Challenges in My Forums (Link on Profile), and the Stories I have For Adoption Under the Title: Please Adopt Me!