Sorry for the short chapter, but you know the dealio. I haven't really been able to sit down and write for a while, but I hope that will change soon. Remember my lovelies, reviews are cherished.

-quietcutie651

I was being smothered. That's what the problem was. I tried to breathe but nothing happened. Voices shook me out of the darkness.

"She's coming around."

"Is she okay?"

"Mae? Mae look at me dammit!"

"Open your eyes!"

"Calm down give her space."

"Let her breathe."

"Mommy?"

My eyes shot open and I sat up knocking foreheads with someone.

"Ow." They said, but I was too busy barfing my guts out to apologize.

My vision cleared and I blinked wearily at the people surrounding me. Hank was to the left, Xavier at the foot of the med-lab table – for that's where I was, the med-lab - Peter to the right, and Logan leaning over me rubbing his forehead. I opened my mouth to speak but all that came out was a croak. I tried again.

"Hi, guys." I rasped.

"What the hell happened?" demanded Logan. I shook my head slowly.

"You're too loud."

"Logan, let her be." Said Hank placing a calming hand on his shoulder.

Logan shook off the doctor's hand angrily. He stalked out of sight, but if I turned my head, I could make out his form, sulking in a dark corner.

"Are you alright?" asked Peter.

"Peachy." I answered. I still felt like there was water in my lungs. Or maybe it was all in my head. As I thought about it, the pain cleared away, my throat returning to normal and my stomach settling.

"Ah. That's better." I closed my eyes sighing contentedly.

"What happened?" asked Xavier.

"I was talking to my dead brother when I jumped in an imaginary lake and nearly drowned." I said lightly.

I wondered if I just imagined his eye twitching. "I see."

"No, really," I relented. I told them of the journey through my mind with Charlie. "Then I started to drown. I don't know why that happened."

Xavier looked grim as he revealed, "I believe that was me. I was worried and attempted to enter your mind. It doesn't seem to like me." It wasn't quite a 'sorry' but how could one apologize for something like that? 'Oh, yes, I'm sorry that I tried to read your mind and you nearly drowned in an imaginary lake'. Right.

Hank took the opportunity to shoo them out of the med-lab. Logan didn't strike me as the type of man that could be shooed, but he left after a minute.

"Are you feeling better, Mae?"

"Slightly." I admitted. "Do I have to spend the night again? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love sleepovers, but this is a little much."

He smiled toothily at me. It would have been scary on someone else. On Hank, it was pleasantly different.

"No. You can go to dinner tonight."

"Oh, goody." I said.

Mae? I heard Charlie's mind voice. I felt better now that I could match a face with the sound. Are you really all right?

I'm fine Charlie. Nothing's wrong with me and – oh joy - I get to have dinner tonight.

He seemed to mind-smile at me which I'm sure was impossible, but seemed to work nonetheless.

A mere thirty minutes later I was back, roaming the hallways again. I stumbled upon what probably functioned as a living room and pushed my way inside.

"Hey guys look!" shouted Jubilee over the din. "Mae's back!" I spotted the group stuffed into a corner. Jubilee, Peter, Remy, Rogue, two boys and two girls I'd never seen were thrown together in a hap-hazard circle. I squeezed in between one of the unknown girls and Peter.

"Hey guys." I said shyly studying the unknowns.

"Mae," said Rogue noticing my inquiring glances, "This is John, Bobby, Kitty, and Nicole." I reached out to shake hands with them when I realized something. My cuts were gone. I wondered if it was Charlie's work. Probably. I wanted to get to a mirror to see if the bruises were still there. I shook hands with the boys respectively and nodded to the girls. A chime sounded somewhere. I was amazed it could be heard over the racket the kids were making. John and Bobby exchanged matching withering glances and stalked out the door murmuring something about 'stupid grownups'.

"What's that?" I asked looking around for a bell. Jubilee happily filled me in.

"It's the bell of no return. The bell of all sorrows. The bell-."

"That tells us that lunch is over and it's time to go back to class." Interrupted Rogue.

Jubilee grimaced at her. "That too."

"Did you get signed up for classes?" asked Rogue. She looked at me apologetically. "I don't remember if you told me."

"Uh, no. I didn't even know there were classes." I told her honestly.

"Well, duh, silly." Said Jubilee trailing after Kitty and Nicole who were talking. "It is a school."

Rogue took Remy's hand (gloved of course, she had explained their mutations to me earlier) and motioned for me to follow.

"Don't worry, we'll get you set up."

I followed after dubiously.

"Well, actually Rogue, I was thinking that I wouldn't take...you know…school. I'll hang out and help around the 'mansion' but, I really don't think…"

"Naw it's fine." She said waving off my concerns. "What grade are you in?"

I stared at her blankly. "You don't know?" she asked askance.

"I don't even know what a grade is." I told her shrugging.

"Oh, for heavens sakes." She exclaimed.

"This petite is a little messed up, non?" asked Remy. "Reminds Remy of Logan." He chuckled, noticing my scowl. "Don't worry, it's not always an insult." I rolled my eyes at him and he chuckled again. As I followed them out the door I grimaced. It was time to get my situation straightened out.