Chapter 5: Pieces Begin to Fall

Instead of going to his room, John wondered the hallways until he found Clara's, which was being guarded by Jean. "Hi Jean," he said, politely, hoping he'd be allowed to go in.

"Did she really say all that?" Jean asked, already knowing what he wanted.

"May I?" he asked, not bothering to answer the question.

"I guess so, apparently she is your teacher now. Just walk in, if she gives you any trouble, come right back out, ok?" John nodded, and then opened the unlocked door and stepped in.

"Clara?!" John said as loud as a whisper would go. He heard a few things crash from what he assumed to be the bathroom. "Clara?!" he asked again, louder.

"Just a sec," Clara called back, putting away what she had taken out. Finally walking out the door, she saw who it was. "Oh, hi there. What are you doing here?"

"Umm...I was wondering...how are you getting along?" he asked, awkwardly.

Clara looked at him for a second before bending over her desk, "You little eavesdropper."

"I'm sorry, I was just curious, I thought I got you in trouble...I..." he was stopped by Clara putting her hand up.

"Don't worry about it, I would have done the same thing. How do you think I know so many things about everybody? Flash cards or something? No, it's really okay, and don't worry about getting me in trouble, they're "making" me stay here. If I get in trouble, they "make" me leave, so it doesn't really matter to me either way."

"They wouldn't kick you out because of that, would they?" John asked, looking around the room. The walls and floor, and everything just looked really plain. She didn't seem to have anything of her own.

Clara saw him looking about, "I didn't really carry much around with me, living on the streets in hiding. You didn't expect me to have much did you?"

"Well, I kind of expected you to have more," he said, finally bringing his gaze back to Clara. "So from what I hear, you're going to be my new teacher."

"I guess, but I don't know how much I'll be able to teach you. I was one of the top students in highschool, and college, but a lot of that has slipped away. It's all kind of ironic actually. My dad, he didn't care much where I went, as long as I went. He offered to pay as much as he could to get me a great job, so that I wouldn't have to return. Well, I haven't returned anyway. But yes, I guess I will teach you what I can." Clara answered, laughing lightly after she told the part about her dad.

"That's kind of...sad," John said, "About your father I mean."

"Hey, that's the way life works, some people have it all, some people work and acheive a lot, then there are others who just are. When I get my chance though, I will take it, mark my words. It may surprise even you."

"Clara, you busy?"

Clara answered the door to see Logan leaning against the outside of the door frame. "If I say yes, will you go away and just leave me be?"

Logan sneered as he pushed past her. "You know pretty much every mutant and their major points, right?"

"Major points?" Clara asked, confused.

"Like, who they are and were involved with, friendship wise or acquaintance wise or what ever, right?"

Clara saw where this was going, and sat down at her desk as she watched Logan's strong body lean on the wall, staring out into the rainy night. "What do you want, Logan?"

"That girl I told you about, do you have any idea who she might be? Any thing at all would be of a great help to me." He turned his head and stared into her knowledgable eyes. "Please, I've been trying to remember for eight years, for all I know, I could be forgetting fifty years of my life."

Clara turned her gaze away from him and stared at the ground next to her feet, rubbing her forehead with her hand as she leaned her elbow on the table. "What good will it do to know who she is?" she replied after several moments of silence.

"What..." Logan punched the wall, leaving a hole. "What do you mean what good will it do?! I need to know, how would you feel if you couldn't remember who you were?"

"I'd be a lot better off," she said. She had flinched when he had hit the wall, and a bit of fear strove through her as she watched his hand for any sight of his claws.

"Please, tell me something. Who is she? Or how do I know her? Better yet, how do I know you?"

He was pretty much begging now, and Clara would have driven him away empty handed, if only she hadn't looked into his eyes...the eyes she had once loved. Her heart broke for a split moment, but she pulled herself together. "If I tell you how you know her, will you let me go?" After he nodded, she gave a sigh, turning her gaze away from him again. "She...she was your girlfriend for eight years before your experiment. From what I've heard, you two were deeply, and completely in love with one another, but I haven't seen her since then, nor have I seen you until just these last few days. Now please, is that enough for today? I need a rest, and I can't do it with you just," she took a few breaths to keep her contrasting emotions under control, "Please?"

Logan had so many more questions to ask her, but decided not to push his luck. Maybe I'll remember something now that I know more. He said a quick thank you, and then left to be the guard outside her door.

"Wait for me, I know how I know you now. Please, let me know your name, or at least the way you look now?" Logan chased her yet again through the wet trees and leaves. "Why are we in the woods? Why in the rain?"

"Why?" she echoed, laughing kindly as he did not answer.

"Please, let me remember something," he tried to dig deep into his memories to come up with the answer, closing his eyes to do so. Once he opened them again, he saw her standing before him, this time, he saw droplets teasing her long brown hair, but this was only for a second. Her face became distorted, and in less than a second, Logan was being chased by an invisible animal who's teeth were all that could be seen as they bit, time and time again, close to his shoulder.