Another chapter! Please review!

I do not own X men.


All Claire could do was stare at her old Professor. The woman whose death had rocked the entire school and caused Cyclops to plunge himself into a depression. The woman who sacrificed her life to save the X men team was now standing before her on the wrong side. This couldn't be happening. How could she be alive? How could she align herself with Magneto?

Claire was so shocked that she didn't hear most of what Magneto was saying. It was probably the usual stuff anyway. Everyone in the audience was still and mesmerized by their leader's words except for a hooded figure making their way toward the back of the crowd where Claire was standing.

She managed to tear her eyes away from her ex-professor and watched as the figure elbowed their way through the crowd. Claire moved out of their way to avoid being knocked over, catching the person's attention. His head moved in her direction and they stared at each other for a second, as if in recognition. Then with just as much haste as before, the figure continued on its journey.

For a moment she forgot the miracle of Jean Grey being alive and instead focused on the figure disappearing into the forest. Somehow it seemed familiar. She had the strange urge to follow them, something that was totally against her nature.

She wasn't one of those Go-investigate-the-strange-noise type of girls. She was more of a avoid-danger-at-all-costs sort of person which made her wonder why she remained with such a bloodthirsty group of people.

Maybe that was why after only a step she looked back up at John. She saw that for once his eyes weren't glued to Magneto but instead gazed at her. She couldn't see the expression on his face but she imagined that it was worried and he was watching her.

She turned back, feeling safe under his gaze, and followed the mysterious figure quickly, they had already disappeared into the trees.

She wandered around for a few minutes, but found nothing. She went back to camp, unsatisfied. She went to her tent hoping to sleep through the rest of this weird day, who cares if it wasn't even time for dinner yet? She was afraid if she stayed awake she would witness something even more outrageous, like Logan walking into camp to attend one of Magneto's meetings.

Unfortunately Claire woke up only a few hours later. Dinner was finished and now everyone was getting drunk in celebration of the victory that, as far as everyone of them was concerned, was already theirs.

When she attempted to go back to sleep, Spkye unzipped the flap of her tent and filled it with his rancid breath. It was obvious he had been drinking for quite awhile.

"Hey babe, wazz up?" he hiccoughed.

"Go away Spyke."

"Cum on baby! 've gut yoo a dr'nk r'ght here." He knelt down to hand in the beer but sloshed it down his front in the process.

"No Spyke. You know I don't drink."

Spyke babbled something incoherent and began crawling into Claire's tent.

"Spyke!" she yelled, jumping out of her sleeping bag. "No! Back! Down! Out!" He heeded no command.

He got his body half way into the tent and then passed out, snoring in his drunken sleep. Claire tried kicking him lightly to wake him but nothing worked. She managed to climb out of her tent without touching the putrid figure and plunged herself into the night's revelries.

Claire shivered in the cool air but most of the people around her tent had shed jackets and shoes, confirming that they were drunk.

Claire sighed. She hated when they got drunk. She refused to drink for fear of doing something stupid with her power. She only wished that her fellows would take the same consideration.

As if taking a cue, a brawl broke out several feet from her tent. The guys began using everything they had on each other: one was static shocking his opponent while the other was growing and shrinking in size to evade the punches and kicks being thrown at him. The two weren't doing any harm until the static shocks began to miss and hit people in the surrounding area. With a mob of irritated mutants beginning to form, Claire started to get anxious and tried to find a clear path out. People had broken out into full out brawls when Pyro showed up.

Pyro was established as second only to Magneto. No one questioned his word for fear of getting him mad. His temper was infamous in the camp and just the sight of him set most of the brawlers in their place. Pyro didn't say anything, just sent a few people some burns to get their attention and shake them out of their anger.

She knew when he was done he would leave, so she took this opportunity to study him. She watched him appraise the area and the mutants slinking off into the shadows. She admired his indifferent face. He was a good twenty feet away and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. From his strong gaze watching the scene warily to his feet planted firmly on the ground, he was full of strength that was almost contagious.

She wished she could stand next to him and get a better look. She wished that he would turn those strong eyes on her for once.

Claire thought she was dreaming as his eyes turned to her. For a moment she thought he must have read her thoughts, and as he strolled towards her she knew he must be coming to laugh at how ridiculous they were. She didn't dare blink as he walked her way, if she did she knew he would be gone. She wanted to live in this fantasy for as long as possible.

Then Psylocke walked by smoking a cigarette.

The smoke filled Claire's eyes, making them water and causing her to cough. While Claire tried to regain her cool Pyro reached her. She coughed a small 'Hi' before he extinguished the cigarette flame. Psylocke went to take a drag and was confused when she realized the cigarette was out. However, the confusion quickly left and giving the back of Pyro's head a withering glare, she marched off.

"Hi." replied John with a smile.

Claire cleared her throat of the last bit of smoke and smiled. "Thanks." she said gratefully.

"No problem."

There was a crowd once again assembling in the area around them. The noise grew quickly, making it hard to hear.

"Do they have to get drunk every time something happens?" asked Claire, rolling her eyes at the noise.

Pyro said something but all she saw was his lips move and him point towards the slumbering Spyke.

Claire raised her voice to a yell. "What?!"

Pyro leaned closer to her, making Claire's breath catch in her throat. He whispered in her ear. "I kind of like Spyke this way."

He was so close she could smell the ever present fire that lingered on his clothes and hair. She laughed with him, and admitted that she agreed.

"I wish everyone else would follow his lead." she told him. The cold she had felt before was completely forgotten. A warm feeling had spread throughout her when she felt his breath on her ear and his jacket brush her arm as he moved closer to her.

"Do you not have a place to sleep?" he asked her. She suddenly realized that Spyke had stolen her bed.

"Maybe a place to live. I don't think that tent will ever be the same."

Pyro laughed and motioned for her to follow him.

He led her to his tent and unzipped the flap for her. "Home sweet home." he announced to her.

"No offense John but I'm not going to take your bed. Just get Spyke out of mine and I'm sure I can get over the smell."

"You might as well take mine, Spyke's smell isn't one you just get over." he smiled.

She tried to think of another excuse. "But where are you going to sleep?" good one.

Pyro paused, giving her a strange look. "Didn't you hear Magneto this afternoon? We're leaving at dawn."

The warmth suddenly left Claire and it was much colder than when she first came out of her tent.

"He said it at the meeting when he announced our attack." he said, trying to jog her memory.

"Oh, I guess I was caught up in other things." she said, wondering what else she missed.

"Other things? What are you talking about?" he said it with the usual vigor that all of Magneto's followers did. How could she have possibly been distracted from his awe inspiring speech?! He was saying.

"Oh, well the whole Professor Grey being alive thing..." she said, remembering the confusing day she had tried to forget.

"She's the Phoenix now. Magneto says she is way more powerful than Jean or anything anyone has ever seen. With her on our side this war will be over before we know it."

War. Claire hated the war. Not that she dare say that in front of anyone here. She guessed that this is what women felt like in World War Two when they had to see their boyfriends and husbands home. Except John wasn't her boyfriend. Or husband. Not even close.

She spent so much time trying to think of something to say that John began to sense something was wrong.

"What is it?"

She paused, trying to word things carefully. "I'm just worried."

"What about?"

About you! she thought. What if you don't come back?! Ever think of that?!

she thought.

"Nothing."

What if this trust that you have for Magneto backfires!? He's been known to use people, you know how quickly he abandoned Mystique!

Now he was curious. "No really, what is it?"

How do I know I'll see you again? How do I know he isn't going to leave you somewhere as soon as things start to go bad for him?! Why does he have to have this stupid war!? Why can't he just retire like regular old men...

"I just don't want my friends to get hurt." she admitted.

Pyro laughed, trying to brush away her fears. "You don't have to worry, those homo sapiens won't be able to touch us."

"What about the X men?" The question had slipped out. Any mention of the X men was forbidden unless followed by a graphic description of what you would do if you got your hands on them.

"I hope they show up, I've got some business to settle with old 'ice man'" he said his ex best friend's nickname like a filthy word.

Claire faked a yawn to try and end the conversation. "I should probably get some sleep." she declared, bending down and climbing in her new tent. Pyro was a little surprised at the halt in the conversation and wondered once again if he had said something to chase her off.

"John?" he heard her call from inside the tent. He knelt down and peered inside.

As soon as he was at her level Claire jumped at him and gave him a hug.He was surprised at first but quickly recovered and hugged her back, wondering if she was more worried than he had thought. They held the hug for a long time.

"Be safe." she whispered.


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