Chapter 3: In which John looks in the mirror and doesn't like what he sees…

Bobby drew a blank at what to say when he met with Storm and Dr. McCoy after his visit with Pyro. He couldn't bring back concrete evidence that John was faking, but he could not get over what he'd seen and how John had reacted.

"Maybe we should send someone else to talk with him," Hank suggested. "Someone who will not set him off as easily. Is there anyone who was also close with him?"

Kitty, who had just arrived at the meeting, hesitantly spoke up. "We were good friends." She fidgeted with her jean belt loops then added with a frown, "We were becoming more than that a while back."

"Don't even think about being alone with him, Kitty," Bobby intervened.

Kitty turned to glare at him. "Have you forgotten I can walk through walls? He can't hurt me."

It was settled. Kitty headed to the bottom floor a few minutes later. She didn't know what she was going to say to John, or if he'd try to attack her like he did Bobby. She figured she'd play it by ear and hope for the best. She was, however, afraid of two things - one, that she'd realize John was faking his condition and feel betrayed by him again; and two, the issue of what happened between them when they were still close. She took a deep breath before pushing the button to open the automatic doors.

"Is everyone coming to take turns accusing me of whatever appalling acts I supposedly did?"

Kitty's frown deepened at John's words. She hadn't even been in the room two seconds and he was already dishing out the harsh comments. "No, John. I came to talk," she replied.

John lowered his gaze to the shiny steel floor, wishing Kitty would leave. "I don't want to hear it."

"You asked for an explanation, didn't you?" Kitty said, taking tentative steps over to the bed where he sat. She pulled a chair up beside the bed and sat down, eye to eye with him now. "I'll give it to you."

He looked up to meet her gaze. "Then what happen with the Professor and Dr. Grey? Wolverine and the doctor guy told me the basics, but I didn't get what they were saying. And this whole thing on Alcatraz." He shook his head in disbelief. "I was in that guy, Magneto's, army?"

"Yes, you were. You set cars on fire then Magneto threw them at us."

John chuckled to himself. "Flying flaming cars of doom? That sounds ridiculous."

"Now it does." Kitty shrugged. "But when those cars are coming at you, that's a different story."

Kitty went on to tell him everything, from how Jean supposedly died at Alkali Lake, to how he made it to the Institute after Alcatraz Island. There was one detail she left for last.

"I don't know what you did while with Magneto for those eight months after you left with him, but I do know that when Bobby went to the Brooklyn Cure clinic to find Rogue, you set the bottom floor of the building on fire." She lowered her head, not wanting to see his face - whether he were shocked or smug about taking innocent people's lives. "The fire killed several people, including some mutants."

Silence filled the room. Kitty couldn't stand it anymore and looked up to find John staring blankly over her shoulder at the wall behind her. "John?"

Life suddenly gleamed in his eyes again, and he turned his bewildered gaze on her. "Why did I leave here in the first place?"

Kitty took a shallow breath, trying desperately to hold in her emotion.

"For a few reasons, I think. A lot of times, I blamed myself. You don't open up to a lot of people, but we were really getting close. I knew you had feelings for me and I had feelings for you as well, but Peter, out of the blue, asked me on a date."

John shifted uncomfortably. I knew vaguely of Kitty's crush on Peter from Jubilee teasing her about it.

"I couldn't resist, since I'd had a crush on him since my first day here. That didn't sit well with you, and you started to ignore me. I thought you were only being immature, so I ignored you right back and our whole friendship collapsed. About fives week later, you received a call from your mother in Australia."

"My mother?" John growled, his features suddenly darkening. "What did she have to say?" As if I really cared in the first place - he thought.

"No one is sure, but it upset you so badly it seemed like your harshness and jerk attitude shot up to its maximum capacity most of the time. Before the call, at least you held your tongue a lot and didn't go around setting people on fire. But after, it was like you could care less about everything and anything, even the people who were closest to you. I guess that's why it was so easy for you to leave when Magneto offered."

John pushed off the bed and walked into the small bathroom, flicking on the overhead light. Kitty stayed planted in the chair for a minute, waiting to see what he was doing- but all John did was stand in front of the sink, not moving. She cautiously made her way to the open doorway of the bathroom. John was staring in the mirror, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Who is that in the mirror?" he asked, breaking the thick silence.

Bewildered, Kitty replied, "It's you, John."

"When did I become a blonde?" He turned on the faucet, running a hand under the water then smoothing his hair back as he use to wear it while living at the Institute. Even doing that didn't satisfy him though. "I don't recognize this person in the mirror."

"John!" Kitty cried when John's fist smashed through the mirror. Shards of glass flew out, shattering into the sink and on the floor. Kitty phased before the shards could hit her, but John didn't flinch.

John's hand was the first thing Kitty saw when she opened her eyes and became tangible again. Deep gashes covered his fist, red from the blood that started to seep out in thick drops. Scratches on John's face that were beginning to bleed as well horrified Kitty. She immediately unraveled toilet paper from the holder and pressed it against John's face.

"What were you thinking?" she asked, as she applied a bunch of toilet paper over his bloodied fist. "You could have really hurt yourself, John! Do you have any glass in your eyes?"

She was starting to become worried that he wasn't responding. He finally breathed in deep and mumbled, "My eyes are fine."

John switched his gaze to her, their faces inches apart. She didn't know how to react to his smoldering, dark eyes. She was scared and worried and confused at what to do. John always had that affect on her, but not to this intense degree.

She didn't have to do anything though. John pulled his wounded hand away and pushed passed Kitty. He stepped over to his bed, taking a seat on it, shoulders tense. Kitty unrolled more toilet paper and stalked up to John. She knelt in front of him, pressing a bunch to the cuts on his face.

"I better get Dr. McCoy to come take a look at your hand," she said, removing the blood stained paper and examining his hand. "It most likely has glass in it."

She looked up at his face again. John's eyes were brooding. There wasn't a doubt in her gut that he was faking the amnesia. She knew John well enough to know he wore his emotions on his sleeve, especially his anger.

"Hold this on your hand." She gave him another bunch then stood and walked to the door. "I'll be right back."