Author's Note: I know, I know, the cannon doesn't match, and all that, my bad!

*****

I don't know why I didn't tell Eric right away what I had done. I wanted to run right to his bedroom and show him what I could do, but I didn't.

Maybe it was because I wanted to wait until I could do it perfectly; maybe it was because half the joy I found in my ability was that it was my secret.

My splendid, unique, secret.

I went back to my room and just sat on the bed for awhile, not sure if I had just done what I thought I had. What if I had just wanted to see the real me so bad that I imagined the whole thing?

Danielle rolled over in bed; the rest of my roommates were already asleep, just as I should have been.

I went to the mirror on the wall-an object I usually avoided- and looked at my reflection. My eyes reflected yellow light back at me through the glass.

I concentrated hard-but I didn't force it-and the change swept over me. Raven Darkholme stared back.

Wow!

It had even gone easier than the first time! It was faster, smoother, and more precise. The old me stared through the glass. Raven smiled and tried not to laugh out loud and wake the others.

The others.

I looked at Alison; her features were the most similar to mine, save for the hair color, but the eyes and skin- it was worth a shot.

I closed my eyes and pictured Alison in my head; laughing, teasing, talking. I felt something shift-it wasn't painful or even uncomfortable, just a little odd, like getting goosebumps.

I looked in the mirror again, not knowing what to expect.

Alison Blaire stared back at me.

I had become Dazzler.

I smiled meanly, the way she always did.

"Not bad, Gator-face." I said in flawless imitation of her voice.

*^*^*^*^^*^*^*

In one night, I had managed to change into all four of my roommates; Alison, Jubilee, Danielle and Theresa.

I smiled and winked and made faces at myself in the mirror while in their forms; with each transformation, I got better. The coloring became more precise, the differences that made them so unique to were copied with unbelievable precision.

I went to bed with a smile on my face that night, knowing that there was no limit to how happy I'd make Eric with the news I gave him tomorrow.

**********

"Mystique, wake up!"

I rolled over and put a pillow over my head, it was too early!

I knew Danielle was standing over me, probably crossing her arms and frowning at my sleepy-headedness.

To hell with her! I was tired, leave me alone, dammit!

I felt a slight jolt, and jumped up. Danielle stood before me, smirking in her usual way, her hand still glowing from the fresh "energy arrow" she'd thrown at me.

"What?!" I barked at her, my scales fluttering like a rattlesnake's tail.

Disappointingly, she didn't seem to care one wit about my threatening stance.

"Hey, don't kill the messenger, all right? Someone had to get you out of bed, and you're lucky it wasn't Theresa! If you want to wake up to a sonic shriek, be my guest."

I settled my scales, "Fine. Sorry. What time is it?"

"It's almost one, and the new students are going to be here at six. We need help getting everything ready, so come on!"

Danielle pranced out of the room, dragging me along with her by the arm. We got downstairs and found the other students cleaning, organizing the lobby and decorating.

Danielle went off to join Warren and Sam, while I stood there watching everyone from the stairs. I felt my scales pulling at the inside of my clothes; they were doing that a lot lately. It was making clothes a real burden.

A hand came over my shoulder and squeezed me gently.

"Exciting, isn't it?" Eric asked from beside me.

"What is?"

"This, what's happening today. We are expecting fifty new young mutants today, fifty! Doesn't that excite you?" Eric's eyes shined.

"Not really, why?" I shrugged. I didn't care about the goings on in the school; I had always felt detached from it. A few new students made no real difference to me.

"Well, Mystique, I thought the answer should have been obvious. Don't you think that within all those new students, maybe one of them could be like you? A mutant that shows on the outside?"

I was about to tell him that it wouldn't be a problem anymore, that I could change, but instead I said, "I hadn't thought about it really, do you really think there might be someone like me?"

The idea was intriguing.

"I can't say for sure, the other teachers do most of the recruiting. But, it might not hurt to hope." He smiled at me, and I suddenly felt both embarrassed and pleased. My cheeks felt hot, but I knew no blush would show through the blue.

I wanted to tell him something important, something I didn't know how to explain.

"Mr. Lehnsherr, could you help us over here?" Alison called.

Eric turned his attention to Alison and her group, and then left me to go help them.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Six o'clock rolled around, and what a spectacle that was!

The mutant students piled out of their parents' cars with luggage under each arm, all of them chattering happily, so thrilled to go to mutant school.

I had climbed one of the large trees that bordered the driveway, the one closest to the mansion's entrance. Crouching on a branch, I was hidden by the shadows of the leaves and the approaching twilight.

I even changed my skin color to match the dark brown of the bark, though my red tank top and denim shorts didn't blend very well.

I wanted to see if Eric was right, if there were any other physical mutants like me.

Who knows? Maybe they'd be so ugly they'd take the heat off me, the torch of social rejection would be passed.

My eyes had become sharper when they mutated, I could see each new student clearly as they got out of their car or truck.

Girls and boys of all ages; from what looked like preteens to young college students.

Blonde, brunette, redhead.

Green eyes, blue eyes, brown eyes.

White, black, Hispanic, Asian.

Not one of them looked anything beyond human, not one! I bared my teeth in irritation; I'm still the freak among freaks.

No doubt Alison and the rest were already warning the new students about the blue dragon-girl that roamed the halls. I stayed in the tree, rooted by my disappointment, until the last car drove off.

It was getting dark, and my muscles were cramped from staying still for so long. I climbed down and turned to see another car coming up the winding path of the driveway.

Upon closer inspection, I could see that it was a white limousine. I hid behind the tree and watched as it pulled up to the front of the house.

The chauffer opened the back door to let out a woman.

She was blonde, but that was all I could see since she was wearing an elegant fur coat over her chic white dress, a light blue scarf around her head and dark sunglasses, even though it was nighttime. She must have been very rich; she looked a little too old to be a student here, maybe she was a sponsor for the school.

Miss Rich went inside, the limo pulled away.

She had luggage with her, obviously she intended to stay. I watched her from behind the tree, looking for any sign of mutation. A tail, wings, horns, scales, fangs, anything!

She looked human too.

I was still the only one.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I looked in the front windows to the lobby and saw Charles talking to some parents, Alison and Jubilee were introducing themselves to the new students, everyone was meeting everyone else.

It looked like a happy little gathering, from what I could see, everyone was having a good time.

Maybe I'd just waltz in there and show the new kids what a mutation really looked like.

I touched the scaly pattern on my face.

Yeah, I bet they'd just die when they saw me.

I mimicked the sound of a growling dog to better express my frustration of being alone.

"Grrr-rrr-rrr."

Turning away from the window, I started walking the long path through the gardens and fruit groves. Maybe it'd make me feel better about the whole situation.

It'd just be more of the same, right?

More people whispering; more people trying not to look, enslaved by their morbid curiosity; more nick-names, more isolation.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad; I still had Eric, and as soon as I got a better handle on my powers I could leave the school and reconnect to my past.

The pond and the surrounding gardens had been strung with icicle lights for decoration; Warren had weaved them on the bridge, even I had to admit that it made the mansion's backyard look- romantic.

Tiny dots of gold light pierced the dusky night.

I pulled a flower off of an orange tree and pulled out is petals, one by one. They fluttered to the ground, a few landing on my bare blue toes.

I was about to keep walking when I saw a figure move on the bridge. I focused my eyes and saw that it was Eric. He was leaning his elbows on the railing; looking at the water. I watched him for a little longer; he sneezed and I couldn't help laughing a little at that.

He was so easy to like, I always wanted to be with him.

There were trees all around; I was practically invisible to Eric from where I was. He threw a few rocks into the pond as I moved toward him through the tress. I wanted to try telling him what I had wanted to tell him earlier, before the new students arrived.

I had no idea what to say though; I'd spent most of my life in horrible conditions, at the time the idea of love was beyond me. Sometimes it still is.

I had just passed the second fruit grove when I saw him move. I stopped and watched him, what was he doing?

Eric stood up straight and opened his arms. A woman ran from the other side of the bridge and practically jumped on him!

Eric picked her up and twirled-actually twirled!-her right there on the bridge. He put her back down and she pulled his head down and she kissed him.

I felt like one of Danielle's energy arrows had just gone through my chest.

It must have been some kiss- it set off Eric's power and the air started crackling with electricity. My red hair was standing up from the static.

The image of them kissing on the bridge got blurry. For a moment I thought my vision was going bad, but it was tears. I felt this thick lump build up in my throat, and my lips started trembling.

I couldn't watch them anymore, I ran back to the house.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Not bothering with any of the people in the lobby, I went up to my room. I said nothing to Charles, the new students or my roommates.

I sat on my bed and tried not to scream from the pain wracking my body from the inside. It felt like my ribcage was swelling up, my heart trying to break through the bones.

I bit my pillow to keep from crying out; if anyone came in to ask me what was wrong, they'd think I was crazy if I told them the truth- I didn't know.

I didn't know why it hurt so much to see Eric with the woman on the bridge- it just did!

Terribly.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*

The next morning I wondered if the whole scenario I saw on the bridge was just a dream. Maybe it was; maybe there was no woman and I had imagined the whole thing.

For the first time-not the only time, I should mention- I used my power to get information for my personal benefit.

Eric had once told me that knowledge is power, and I had the perfect mutation with which to gain it.

Maybe there could be some benefit to being what I was.

The other roommates were still sleeping. It'd be time for us to wake up soon, but the teachers were always the first to rise. They'd already be moving around the house, all I had to do was find them.

Theresa was what I felt to be the most fun to morph. I watched her as she slept for a second before I changed into her.

I watched myself in the mirror.

My flame red hair grew longer, to the middle of my back before lightening to the orangey color of a natural red-head; my scales flowed down into my skin like a sheet of dominoes, one row after another, until my skin was completely smooth and the lightened to a perfect match of Theresa's peaches and cream complexion. My eyes shifted effortlessly to her pale green.

Theresa 'Siryn' Rourke smiled at me in the mirror.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*

No one would be alarmed if Theresa were to take a quick walk around the school- I hoped!

I headed toward noise downstairs. I quickly made my way down there, and followed some voices, coming from the kitchen.

"Oh yes, of course, but it's so nice to have you back."

I heard a man's voice coming from the other side of the door.

Theresa-perhaps because of her power- was never much of a shy girl; she wouldn't sit and wait to be invited anywhere, she'd just barge in.

To pull this off, I'd have to be exactly like her.

I pushed the door open and headed straight for the refrigerator, taking mental notes the entire time. Charles, Eric, Warren, Sam and the woman from the bridge were at the table.

Eric was sitting next to the mystery woman; it tore at my heart and made me angry at both of them, but I couldn't let my illusion slip.

Charles was a telepath-if he sensed anything was off, he'd read my mind and know what I was doing in less than a second.

"Morning all," I said to the table.

"Good morning, Theresa, how are you?" Charles asked warmly.

"Couldn't be better, just wanted to come downstairs and grab a quick bite to eat." It amazed me how easy the lie came.

"Ah, good, nutrition should be a top priority for a growing girl; have you met many of our newest?" he asked, meaning the new students.

I remembered Theresa had spent time mingling with the new kids there last night. "Some, yes."

"Tell me what you think of Scott Summers."

Uh-oh. Theresa had been mingling like crazy last night, she'd probably made friends with everyone by now, I needed a way out of this, fast!

"I'm sorry; I don't recall who you mean exactly. It's just that I'm a little tired, you know?"

"I understand, it was quite a busy day yesterday, especially with her return." Charles gestured at the mystery woman with a playful wink.

Perfect, I had been waiting for just this kind of opening.

"And you are?"

The mystery woman's icy blue eyes widened in surprise, and her lips pursed, like it was the stupidest question she had ever heard.

"How could you not know who I am?" She asked.

She had an accent; it didn't sound as warm as Charles's New England or as wise as Eric's transatlantic- it just sounded like the bitchiest British person on the planet.

Eric chuckled low in his throat.

"Oh, no! I just didn't recognize you; I hadn't seen you in so long, have you done something different with your hair?" I asked.

I couldn't give it away that I was panicking slightly; Theresa met this woman before? Where? When? What if they were related or something? My cover would be blown for sure!

The mystery woman smiled kind of smugly and fingered a lock of her blonde hair, "Well, I did get some highlights. Off you go now." She told me.

"Emma, Theresa doesn't have to leave!" Eric protested slightly.

"It's ok, I was about to go back to my room anyway." I said quickly as I left.

Okay, let's review what I managed to gather on my first impersonation: the mystery woman was named Emma, Theresa knew her, and she was British.

Not a lot to go on, but it was a start.

All I had to do now was put this puzzle together, the only obstacle I faced was how to go about it.

*^*^*^^^*^*

I didn't want to ask Eric about Emma outright, simply because I was afraid of what I'd hear.

The idea of her being his wife or fiancé sickened me.

For the next week, I artfully avoided him; though I hadn't of needed to, since Emma was already taking up so much of his time. I hated her already.

Subtly, I asked Theresa about the woman and learned that she was Emma Frost, a former teacher of the school. Theresa didn't know much about her relationship to Eric, so I had to think outside the proverbial box.

This is where I learned that even pathetically naïve people can serve a purpose.

Enter Leslie 'Zodiac' Miller.

Leslie was one of the new students, one of the younger ones. She had only just turned fourteen a few months before coming to Xavier's, and was still pretty shy around the upperclassmen.

Leslie looked typical for her age; she was about 5'3", lanky, she had brown hair and brown eyes. Her mutant power was the ability to somehow fuse the hydrogen and helium in the air, creating miniature stars, hence her codename: Zodiac.

There was no information on former Xavier students in the school library, nor was there any on the computers in there either.

"The only information on former students would be in the Professor's collection of yearbooks. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to loan you one." Ms. Inad, the librarian, had told me.

Well, not me, she told this to who she thought was Danielle. I smiled politely as Danielle and shifted back into my normal self when I left the library.

Not good.

If I asked Charles for a yearbook, he'd want to know why; I really didn't feel like answering any questions. If I gave any suspicious replies, he'd read my mind and figure out why I wanted one.

Then, the idea that he didn't have to know what I was up to occurred to me.

I was walking around outside when I devised my plan. An ingenious plan it was, too! No one would be able to trace anything back to me, thanks to my lovable new ability.

Being 'Mystique the Freak' had its upside.

"Hey, catch!"

I climbed one of the apple trees and spied on some of the new kids playing in the yard. 'How convenient,' I thought, 'they're right below Charles's window.'

I climbed back down the tree, when my feet touched the ground, I was Alison.

Leslie and the boy Charles had asked me about, Scott were playing. She was tossing her little stars at him and he was blasting them with the red bolts that came from his eyes.

How cute.

Leslie was skittish, almost fearful of Alison; this would be almost too easy.

I walked up behind Leslie as she was making a large star to throw at her playmate.

My hand clamped on her shoulder. "Hey!" I said harshly.

Leslie jumped and her star shot upward-right through Charles's office window.

"Agh!" she gasped as she spun to face me.

I looked up at the window. "Look what you did! The Professor's going to be so pissed when he finds his window like that."

Leslie trembled, "I'm sorry, it was an accident, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it, that's why you're here, remember? To learn how to control your powers better. Now, you and Scott take off, I won't tell anyone what happened."

Scott came forward, and then he and Leslie ran around the fruit groves to the field, where some other kids were playing.

I smiled, and changed back from Alison; I reveled in the beauty of each transformation I performed. My skin darkened, the bony ridges and scales poking through and becoming hard; my hair shortened and darkened, my eyes blurred to yellow.

I knew now, that Eric was right. In my own way, I was beautiful. 'Though not as beautiful as Emma' I thought bitterly.

I looked around to make sure I was alone, and then I climbed the tree that grew next to his shattered office window.

I wrapped my hands around a horizontal branch, and like an Olympic gymnast, I swung on the branch and flipped through the hole, making a clean landing.

"Cake." I said aloud to myself.

I went to the door and locked it from the inside to make sure I'd have time to escape if anyone tried to come in.

The computer sat on his desk, and there were several yearbooks and school logs in the bookshelf behind the chair. I took a seat and checked the school records for Emma Frost.

A file popped up with a picture of her from when she was younger, it had her birth date, a description of her powers, and information on her family and the years she taught at the school.

I stood up on the chair and took the yearbooks that would have had her in them, along with some of Charles's personal logs from the corresponding years.

It was wrong to take his private things, but I didn't care that much. To me, life was very simple: if you need something, take it; if you have something keep it; if someone tries to steal it from you, protect it.

That's what I intended to do, but I needed to know more about Emma first. If she was trying to take what was mine, I wanted to know her weakness.

Someone twisted on the doorknobs, my cue to leave. I switched off the computer, shoved the yearbooks and logs into the knapsack I had taken with me, and leaped back into the tree.

Whoever had opened the door was clueless as to what I had done.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I brought the materials to my room and secretly sorted through them.

I looked in the yearbooks first, Emma looked about the same; blue eyes, blonde hair, that same bitchy smirk.

I rolled my eyes at her pictures.

Emma with friends, Emma hovering above the ground (apparently she can fly), Emma in front of the fireplace in the living room.

God, I thought I couldn't have hated her anymore until I turned the page.

Emma was sitting on a teacher's desk- Eric's desk.

She was leaned back to embrace him, his hand was on her waist. He was smiling as her arm snaked over his shoulders.

I snapped the yearbook shut and looked through Charles's log.

'April 10th, as I had much expected, Emma has set her sights on Eric, and he fully reciprocated. They are a very amorous couple; I must admit I am quite jealous. Perhaps I never should have allowed Emma to come teach- Bah! I must not be so selfish; Eric deserves someone to make him happy.'

Emma made Eric happy. It didn't seem right, she wasn't right for him.

I skipped more pages.

'October 19th, Eric and Emma's relationship has been crumbling for the past few weeks and today it finally collapsed with her departure. Emma's family has long been members of the Hellfire Club; she has a duty to fulfill by taking her mother's place as the White Queen. She demanded that Eric leave the school and come back to England with her, but he chose-wisely, I believe- to stay here at the cost of their relationship.'

Good for you, Eric.

I looked into another journal dated a few years after their breakup.

'February 27th, I am happy to report that Eric has put all thoughts of Emma from his mind and replaced them with a new charge. After using Cerebro, I discovered a mutant in dire need of help. Eric immediately drove to the Ozarks and rescued her. He told me that he didn't kill the humans that had imprisoned the child and---done things to her, though his temptation was overwhelming. I half hoped that he was lying to me.

'He brought the girl here and has since spent most of his free time with her, I also know that he allows her to sleep in his bed with him for security. I'm sure it will remain innocent- if Eric were to prove himself as a cad, he'd quickly find himself without a job or place to stay.'

Charles had written about me! It was odd, hearing about myself this way.

'November 8th, the girl, Raven, has rejected her former identity and has insisted that Eric rename her while she was in bed with him. An odd request, I should think, and only surpassed in its oddity by Eric's name for her, Mystique. What kind of name is that? Not a name at all, more like a description of the girl. Her mutation has gone farther, effecting her eyes and voice; Mystique is quite interesting, and I'm sorry that the other children have been less accepting of her.'

I closed the journal and put it and the rest back into the knapsack.

Alright! That's enough information for one day; I didn't want to read anymore. Emma had come back, but why?

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Emma Frost didn't like me, which was obvious from the get-go. Eric wanted to introduce her to me, and the woman practically got up on the furniture and screamed like a housewife afraid of a titmouse.

Eric had asked me to come with him to the bridge, where Emma was waiting to meet me.

"Why does she want to meet me?"

"You're very special to me, you know that don't you?"

"Umm-"

Eric's next sentence came out quickly, and he tripped over his words, something I had never heard from him before.

"W-what I meant to say was that I am very proud of you, everything you've managed to accomplish since you came here, and-"

"It's ok Eric, I know what you meant." I sighed.

I was just his project; he cared for me like a pet, not like-like the way he cared for Emma.

He smiled kind of sadly when I said that, and we just went along in silence to the bridge. Emma had her back to us.

"Emma, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

Emma turned and looked at my face.

I don't even think that Theresa could've screamed louder.

"Agh! Agh! Oh my God, it's a monster!" Emma shrieked as she started carrying on like a gobbling turkey.

Eric came forward and tried to calm her down. Emma's powers started crackling the air as she lost control, forcing Eric to use his own to cancel out hers.

The two mutants struggled on the bridge; the air snapped with electricity and the metal under the bridge started to shake and twist. Emma was screaming the whole time that I was a monster, making me feel more and more like one.

After a few more minutes, I got fed up with it and jumped off the bridge, into the pond. The water soaked into my clothes, making it hard to swim.

I squirmed out of my bra, shirt, shorts and underwear, and I swam naked. The water kept me in shadow, no one could see me, and my mind could drift.

How could I feel so beautiful around Eric and when I was by myself, but so hideous when around others?

It wasn't fair. People like Emma and Alison would have wonderful men like Eric fawning all around them while I would feel alone forever. It made me sick.

Like a half-human, half-crocodile, I swam through the water languidly, let it wash over my scales, my hair spreading around my face. I sank to the bottom several times and came up for air; I floated around on my back.

I looked to the bridge and saw that Eric and Emma had gone.

Fine, let them go get married and have a million babies, I didn't care.

Actually, I did care. I didn't want Emma to take Eric back; I wanted her to leave him again.

I got tired of swimming and let the water carry me to the edge of the pond. I got washed up like a piece of debris.

"Have a nice swim?"

I looked up. Eric stood above me. It occurred to me that I was buck-naked, and that he could see my everything, but I made no move to cover myself.

"Jolly." I snapped.

His face softened. "Mystique, I'm sorry about Emma-"

"Yeah? Well if you're going to apologize for her, you can go ahead and apologize for every other person that's seen what I really look like."

I was angry, I had every right to be; I was sick and tired of being treated like I was a leper! Eric didn't even think to mention to Emma that I wasn't like the other kids here?

He didn't stop to think, 'Oh, maybe I should warn Emma that Mystique looks more like a lizard than a girl so she doesn't say anything that would hurt her feelings?'

"Mystique, please try to understand-"

"No! I'm sick of trying to understand other people's reactions, ok? Why should I have to be accepting of other people's shortcomings when no one ever stops to think about how it makes me feel?!"

"But Mystique, she-"

"She's the love of your life! I know all about it, just leave me alone, Eric!" I yelled at him as I changed into Jubilee (with some clothes, of course) and headed back to the house.

I needed time to clear my head, I had to get away.

That night I'd get my wish.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Confused and upset, I went to my room. I shouldn't have yelled at Eric and blamed everything on him; he's one of the only ones in my whole life that hadn't judged me just by the way I look.

The way people reacted to me wasn't his fault, I was just jealous of Emma for taking all of his attention.

She was shrieking and letting her powers go out of control just because I looked so odd.

I didn't like Emma at all. She's so snotty and bratty and spoiled- how could Eric stand her?

No, let me rephrase that: how could he like her more than me?

What was so horrible about me, anyway?

I paced my room for awhile, and then I decided to swallow my pride. I went into Eric's study. I sat down on the ottoman before his chair and waited for him to come in so that I could apologize and explain why I had become so upset with him.

Eric never came in, but Emma did.

I was inspecting my navy toenails when the double doors opened. Emma poked her golden head into the study. She looked at me and this time she didn't shriek or go nuts, she just stared at me blankly before putting on that bitchy, condescending smirk. "Hello, dear." She greeted me.

I stared back at her and just cocked my head at her instead of saying anything. Her bitchy smirk turned into a bitchy smile. She entering the study and shut the door behind her.

I didn't want her here; this was Eric and my special place. He'd given me several back massages here, my hair changed here; he'd shown me his Nazi tattoos here. It was like our special, sacred place.

Emma was going to contaminate the space that held our closest moments.

"I'm terribly sorry about the bridge today, dear, but try to understand that one is not usually presented with someone of your-your- well, you know what I'm trying to say, don't you?" she asked.

God, I wanted to strangle her!

"Yes." I said, keeping my expression blank.

"Oh, good! You know, Eric is always saying how understanding you are," she said as she walked past me and took a seat on his desk. I turned around to face her, wondering what else he's said about me.

"He says a lot about you, you know."

"Like what?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"He says he's thrilled every time he sees how much you've grown and changed since coming here, how special you are to him," she smiled almost evilly. "Sometimes I can't get him to stop."

Had I been any other color than what I was, she would have easily seen that I was blushing from head to toe.

"It's a pity."

"What is?" I asked.

"He'll miss you so much, really he will."

"What do you mean, he'll miss me?"

"He didn't tell you? Goodness, He'll never change! We're leaving tomorrow, for England."

I felt my heart drop. "When will he be back?" my voice sounded so lifeless.

"Never, this is a permanent move. Best thing for him, really, he said himself he was tired of having to be every child's parent, doctor and teacher. 'Enough is enough!' were his exact words." I stood there, shocked.

Emma leaned forward. "But don't worry, Mystic, I'll be there for him." She took my hand and patted it lightly, as if she were trying to be consoling.

I ran out of the room, and literally felt my heart break.

Out of the study and up the stairs, through the door to my room.

"Mystique, what's wrong?" Jubilee asked when she saw me.

I ignored her and put my face in my hands.

"What's the matter?" Alison asked as she put a hand on my back. I looked up at her and she started screaming.

I could feel myself changing, morphing rapidly from one shape to the next, I could feel it and knew it was frightening my roommates, but I couldn't have cared less, I was so upset I couldn't make it stop.

Eric was leaving me, just like that.

"Oh my God, get Mr. Lehnsherr!" Alison yelled.

Danielle ran out of the room, and returned with Eric.

"Mystique, stop, what's wrong?" he asked as he held me by the shoulders.

"Let go of me!" I yelled back in his voice.

Eric let go of me and followed me out of the house. He grabbed my arm and turned me to face him. "Mystique, tell me what happened right now!" he demanded.

"You said you'd stay as long as I needed you!" I cried.

"What are you-oof!"

I cut off his next statement rather dramatically, as I had just morphed into Warren. One of the wings had jabbed him in the middle, knocking the wind out of him.

I flapped, once, twice, and was lifted off the ground. I flapped the wings as hard as I could, trying to ignore Eric calling me back from the ground.