Disclaimer and other stuff: I still don't own anything or anyone but Aris (and Airen) in here. This takes place between X2 and X3, though my timeline might be off a little bit, I have been trying to intertwine my story with the movies. There will be at least two or three more chapters. Again, feel free to review, I love hearing what you have to say.

The redhead stood behind the register as the local grocery store, obviously bored and grouchy. The customer that was checking out at the moment had decided to lecture her about the flames she had tattooed around her wrists.

"Tattoos are self mutilation," the old woman screeched, slapping at the cashier with a magazine. "No one who works in a public place should have such marks! Especially if they aren't covered! It's repulsive, it's disgusting, and you should know that I will not be shopping here anymore!"

Nodding silently, use to having customers bitch and scream at her, the nineteen year old girl handed the customer her bags and sighed as the old woman walked away. It was eleven o'clock pm and besides, she hated dealing with humans, she hated having to work, let alone work a job that barely paid, but she needed the money; it wasn't just herself she had to look after. It hadn't been in five years.

The girl's hands began to twitch and she looked up, as if searching for something. There was a mutant somewhere in the store, one that she had met before. She new how this power felt in her head, familiar, comfortable…but she didn't dare put a name to it. For the last five years she had thought he was dead. But then again…Magneto had said it was very possible that Mr. and Mrs. Allerdyce had been telling the truth.

There he was flipping through a magazine, older, but still obviously the same boy; the same jaded look, the same brown hair, the same uncaring expression on his face. Angrily, she took off her nametag and sat beside the register so that he'd have to figure out who she was, all by his self. Then she walked over to him.

"Can I help you with anything?" She asked, her tone clearly stating that that was the last thing she wanted to do. He looked up from the magazine, obviously not recognizing her. Without stopping to think, the red-haired girl swung hard and punched him across the face.

"Ow! What the hell?" He yelled, rubbing the side of his face. His brown eyes stared at her; beginning to realize exactly who it was that was standing in front of him. "Aris…?"

"John Allerdyce, you fucking…" She hissed, lunging at him. She knocked him to the floor and continued to hit his face with her fist. "Why didn't you write to me? Why didn't you say good-bye? I thought you were dead!"

"Would you stop hitting me!" He yelled, wondering, briefly, how no one had heard the commotion yet. He reached up and grabbed her hands, pushing her off of him. He wrapped his arms tightly around hers, so that she couldn't move, then sat their on the floor, holding her against him. "I…I didn't think you'd want me to. I didn't think you'd care what I had to say."

"You're an idiot…" She whispered, a few stray tears falling rolling down her cheeks.

"I know…" He grinned, bitterly. "Isn't that why I always called you Aristotle, didn't I always tell you I needed you to think for me?"

"Hey, you! What are you doing, get off her!" A man's voice yelled. The two teenagers looked up, to see the store manager standing in front of them. John let go of her and they stood up, John's hand reaching into the pocket of his jeans.

"Are you okay, Alea?" He boss asked, looking at the girl's tear-stained face.

"I…I'm fine." She looked at her boss, and then looked at John. Nothing good could possibly come of this. John pulled out his old Zippo and lit the flame, it took a second for Alea to realize that that was the same lighter she had given him years ago, but when she did she couldn't help but grin. A small ball of fire formed in John's hand.

"Pyro…"

"Hey, what are you doing, freak?" The man's eyes grew wide, as he watched the fire grow in the young boy's hand. "You're one of them mutants aren't you?" He pulled out a small handgun from the waist-band of his jeans and aimed it at John's head. "I don't want anyone getting hurt here…"

"Lyle, stop it, put that away…" Alea said carefully, attempting to keep the peace. John extinguished the flame in his hand; even he was smart enough to know that his fire was no match for the man's gun at that close a range.

"Did he hurt you, Alea?"

"I wouldn't -" John started to say, but the man cut him off.

"Shut up, Freak! I was talking to her, not you!"

"Lyle, He wouldn't hurt me."

"He's making you say that…"

"No, he isn't!" Alea's voice started to rise; she was beginning to get scared. She couldn't loose John again. Not after five years of not knowing, not before he'd met Airen, not before they had a chance to fix things between them.

"Alea, stop sticking up for him!"

"No!"

"He's a mutant…" Lyle turned the gun toward her and two things happened at once.

"So am I!" Alea screamed, turning her hands toward her employer, sending bolt of electricity into his chest. Simultaneously, John relit his lighter and flames shot at the man.

A small crowd had gathered, unnoticed due to drama of the moment. A stunned silence fell over the people. For a second, John and Alea stood, staring at each other. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him through the terrified group of people. "C'mon…" She led him out of the store, to her car.