XXXXXX

He knew it was a risk coming back here, especially coming back here at night when the school was invaded during the night just two weeks ago. The security had to have been improved since.

"Just get your things and leave." John thought to himself as he made his way up to the front door of the mansion. He slowly grabbed the doorknob and saw that it was still unlocked and opened the door quietly, stepping inside.

Once he was in, John quickly walked through the hall, relived that nobody else was around and made his way up the steps.

A short distance away Mystique was waiting in a helicopter for him to return. She said she would give him twenty minutes to gather his things then return. If he didn't return within the time frame, she would take off, because something would have went wrong.

"Nothing will go wrong." John thought to himself as he turned the corner and made his way to the bedroom he and Bobby shared. "They can't make me stay."

He took a deep breath as he finally reached his room and lightly grabbed the door handle. He was hoping that Bobby would be asleep or out with Rogue, but he really didn't know what to expect. Finally twisted the handle, John opened the door and smirked when he saw that the room was empty.

"Perfect." John said to himself.

He sprung into action, snatching his black bag from underneath his bed and started shoveling his clothes inside it and disregarding the useless stuff, like old magazines and video games.

After placing his leather jacket in the bag, he stood and zipped it up. It wasn't much but his lighter was in his pocket, and that was all he really needed anyway.

John threw his bag over his shoulder and exited the room, closing the door behind him. He was about to go down the staircase only to freeze in his tracks when he noticed Ms. Munroe and that blue circus freak from Alkali Lake at the bottom, starting to come up.

"Shit," John whispered to himself. Everything had been going so well.

"Think."

He then remembered Rogue's room had a long pipe outside her window. He could climb down it and make his escape. Since Bobby wasn't here, she shouldn't be either. John jogged as quietly as he could to Rogue's room and ran inside when he reached it, closing the door behind him.

Before he could make his way to he window, he looked down at her desk because the lamp on top of it was still on and he noticed a large pad of paper with a lot of writing on it underneath it.

Curiously, he picked it up and his jaw almost dropped when he saw the first two words.

Dear John;

It was some sort of letter, to him. John guessed she never meant for him to read it though. A part of him just wanted to put it down and go through the window, but he just couldn't. He sat down on the bed and started reading.

And he ended up reading the letter several times. When he finally managed to put it back down, John balled up his fist, torn between anger and a sort of vicious satisfaction. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to clam down. Tried to remember why he was here in the first place, but the only thing he could think about now was Rogue's words in that letter.

He took out his lighter and flicked it open once, staring at the flame. He thought about turning the letter into a pile of ashes to let her know he was here, put instead he looked over at the clock and realized…

He still had plenty of time.

XXXXXX

By the time Rogue had gotten back to the mansion with everyone else it was going on 11:30. She yawned as she made her way back to her room after saying goodnight to her friends, the only thing on her mind now was a good nights sleep.

Rogue walked in and closed the door behind her, kicking off her shoes and pulling off her gloves. It was nice they all had a good night together, like they always did before, before Alkali Lake. There was just one person missing.

She walked over to her bed and stopped when she saw a note on her pillow. Rogue picked it up and unfolded it and then dropped it in shock when she immediately recognizing the handwriting.

All her pervious thoughts were quickly pushed out of her mind as she picked up his letter again and started reading.

Dear Rogue;

I'm sure you didn't plan on me seeing that letter. I'm in bit of a rush so my handwriting might be a little messy.

Where should I start? What do you want me to say? Should I be sorry that the whole time we were at Alkali Lake I was questioning everything we were taught? That we should make nice with humans and try to live in peace with them, only to have a bunch of men break in to the place we're suppose to be safe with weapons and chase us out? I'm not.

Believe it or not, when I got in that helicopter with Magneto and Mystique and we lifted up in the air, I was thinking about you and Bobby. But then I started to realize, when is the last time you or Bobby were ever there when I really needed you?

Never. You and Bobby were always with each other.

It doesn't matter really. Don't worry, you never have before. Have you ever once really needed me here? I don't think so. You won't ever have to worry about me hanging out with you on one of your little dates.

I'm sorry to hear about Jean, she was always my favorite teacher here.

I read what you said about us all being normal, all being human. Except we're not human Rogue. We're not normal. You of all people should know that.

We're better than normal. We are superior. We are gods among insects. And until we all except that and stop hiding what we are, we will continue to be hated and feared. How many more times will the mansion have to be invaded for you to realize that?

You won't believe me. I don't expect you to. You can't, unless you find out what it's really like out there, and you won't. You're shielded from it, which I guess is okay, but I'm not. I've seen first hand how humanity treats mutants and it's not a pretty sight. If you've been through half of what I've been through, you'd understand that.

I'm not complaining. You asked why and that's my answer.

I'm done being your third wheel.

Pyro.

Rogue had tears in her eyes by the time she had finished the letter, because it didn't sound like him at all. Not the John she had known anyway.

He sounded…brainwashed.

His words were written with such intense honesty and bitterness, and she kept reading over the last line again and again.

"I'm done being your third wheel."

Did he really think that's all he was to them?

She also noticed the way he had signed it, "Pyro" instead of John.

After reading it over a few more times, Rogue finally got up off her bed, the letter clutched in her hands. She decided to show the letter to Bobby. He had known John the longest, if anyone deserved to see it, it was him.

As Rogue entered his bedroom, she could tell Bobby already knew John had been here since all his clothes were picked up off the floor.

Bobby looked angry when he finished reading through the letter, though she could tell he was trying to hide it.

"He's not the same anymore, is he?" Rogue asked.

"I…I didn't know he felt like this." Bobby said softly to himself.

Rogue touched his arm, trying to comfort him.

Bobby stared at the letter he started thinking. He wondered just how far away John was away from the mansion. If he came back to get his stuff, he couldn't be far.