A/N: Uh. Sorry. Fun fact: writing this fic has been on my daily to-do list every day since 2009 yet here we are! Have a solar eclipse present.

I graduated college and have nothing else to do so maybe (maybe) this fic will be done in a semi-timely fashion? (Yeah right. I should prove it, right?)

Anyway, thanks again for sticking with me. If you're enjoying it, please leave a review. It's easier to write when I'm not writing into the void.

"It's so hot," Nightcrawler whined, pulling the collar of his shirt to air it out. He was out of his cast, and school was over. It was over ninety degrees outside, but they had decided to enjoy the sun in spite of the heat since it was the first truly nice day of summer.

"Well, we have a pool," Jean hinted slyly. "Why don't we use it?"

Kurt sat up, beaming. "That's a great idea—" He exclaimed, cutting himself off with a realization. The image inducer was certainly not waterproof. He sat back. "Well, actually, I don't really feel like swimming. Maybe I'll just stick my feet in. Besides, Zoey probably doesn't know how to swim!"

Glitz shot him a look. "I do too! We'd swim in a lake all the time at the orphanage." She stood up, smiling. "Come on, it'll be fun!"

He scratched his head, embarrassed. "I don't know…"

Kitty folded her arms, and Kurt prepared for what was coming. She and Zoey had gotten closer over the months, and she was extremely uncomfortable keeping such a big secret from her friend for such a long time. She'd argued with Kurt about it several times, and was constantly frustrated that he could hide his true self not only from a friend, but a teammate. "What's wrong, Kurt?" She pressed. "Forgot how to swim?"

Kurt put his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay, let's get changed, then!" He conceded, disappearing with a bamf.

"Meet you guys there!" Scott said, running off excitedly with Evan.

"I'll pass, but ya'll have fun!" Rogue said, laying down in the shade.

Kitty and Zoey exchanged a look, then started walking. They entered the mansion and headed over towards the staircase.

"Hey, Kitty," Zoey started cautiously. "It's been seeming like you and Kurt have been pretty on edge recently. Well, not recently, more like a few months…but it seems like it's gotten worse! Is everything okay?"

Shadowcat bit her lip and did not make eye contact with her as they ascended the stairs. "Yeah, it's cool. I can't really get into it, but, like, he's being really unfair about something, and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets." She explained, carefully being as vague as she could be. "Sorry, I'll try to tone down the passive-aggressiveness when you're around."

Zoey looked at her, confused, but respected her friend's privacy and did not press her for any further details, in spite of her curiosity. "Okay," she shrugged. "Hey, I'll meet you out there, okay?"

Kitty nodded, and with a burst of glitter, the teleporter was gone. She sighed, and continued to make her way to her and Rogue's room to change.

Ten minutes later, everyone was out in the pool. Well, the teenagers were—minus Rogue, of course. And also Kurt, who sat on the edge of the pool shyly with his legs hanging in. Kitty scowled at him and turned away just as Evan began a running jump.

"Cannonball!" He yelled, landing in the pool with a huge splash. Kurt covered his image inducer instinctively.

'Kurt,' Jean addressed telepathically. 'Why are you still wearing that thing?'

Nightcrawler looked away. 'I swear I'll tell her the truth soon," he promised. "I just have to find the right time."

"That's what you said months ago! What's going on?" Jean questioned, concerned. "You know all of us accept you for who you are, even Kitty, and Zoey will too if you—"

"Argh, just get out of my head, Jean!" Kurt finished angrily.

Jean frowned, and instantly went underwater to avoid attention.

"Not coming in, Kurt?" Zoey asked, swimming up to him. "The water's nice!"

He was snapped back to the moment. "No, not today!" Kurt said nonchalantly. "Not feeling too well. But I'll join in next time!"

"Okay, if you're sure!" Zoey shrugged, going back to tossing a beach ball with Scott and Evan.

Kurt fanned himself, uncomfortable. He was really starting to overheat with the sun beating down on him. Having his legs in the water helped, but not much. The water beckoned to him. He was half-tempted to throw everything out the window and jump in.

What a crazy idea! The heat must be messing with my head, he thought. Kurt stretched out, and then stood up, deciding to forsake hanging out with everyone in favor of the air conditioned mansion. There was no point in being outside if it was so hot he couldn't even have fun.

"X-Men!" Kurt heard in the distance. Everyone turned to see Storm running toward them from the house. They all stopped what they were doing, as she had an almost nervous expression on. "I'm afraid your pool day will have to wait," she began once she arrived in the area. "Professor Xavier has detected a mutant signature with Cerebro. It belongs to one of the mutants that had disappeared, but he says it has changed. He tried to probe the man's mind, but could not. So we must all go and find this man, as it seems he is using his powers out in the open at an alarming rate."

The young mutants immediately began climbing out of the pool. "Who is this man, Storm?" Jean asked.

Storm paused, her brow furrowed in concern. "David O'Malley, the very same man whose apartment you had investigated."

The teenagers all exchanged looks, Zoey losing the color in her face almost instantly. Scott stood taller, hanging his towel on his shoulders. "Well," he began. "We'll just have to be on our toes."

"Zoey, what do you think?" Evan questioned the girl. All eyes fell on her.

She swallowed hard. "I think…I think we're all about to head into a trap."

"But you escaped them, didn't you?" Kurt asked. "Couldn't he have done the same?"

"It wasn't like that," Glitz responded, voice beginning to shake. "It's possible he could've gotten away, but not at all probable. Really, if he's back and he's alone, it can't be good."

Storm nodded. "That was the professor's impression as well. Now hurry, we must go now!"

Within a few seconds, the pool area had been cleared, and the X-Men were preparing to leave on their new mission.

Most of the team poured out of the X-Van on a beach not too far away from the mansion. Wolverine had travelled by motorcycle. He sniffed the air as the other mutants gathered around.

"That's his scent, all right," he concluded. "Same one from the apartment. But we shouldn't all go at once. Spyke, Shadowcat, Glitz, Rogue, and Cyclops, you stay here while the rest of us check it out."

"What?" Zoey scoffed in disbelief. "You can't go without me, you don't know what you're up against."

"Don't argue, pipsqueak," Logan growled. "If it is a trap, they could recognize you right away. And if we're splitting up, one teleporter per group gives us all the best chance of escape." He looked down at the girl, who was clearly both terrified and angry. "That's final. If there's an ambush, you and Nightcrawler get as many people as you can out."

Storm reached out and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Regardless, Charles told us that he wants you to avoid using your powers until we know the full situation. As Wolverine said, if the enemy is who you think they are, they could very well recognize you. That would be detrimental to you as well as the team. So for the duration of this mission, you are on the back burner. Unless there's an emergency, Glitz is benched."

Glitz looked away, a rush of different emotions coursing through her. Storm and Rogue exchanged a knowing glance.

"Alright," Storm began again. "Charles is back at the Institute making preparations for O'Malley based off of Glitz's intel. Jean, we need you to read his mind if you have to. I'm sure you'll know when and if it's necessary. Remember, Charles wasn't able to telepathically connect to him, but it's possible that you may have more luck if we can subdue him. Nightcrawler, you're coming with us, but try to stay out of sight. We don't want to overwhelm him, but in case he attacks or it is a trap, try to get us out of there." She turned to the second group. "The rest of you—try to find a place where you can see but cannot be seen. If all goes well, you will not meet O'Malley today. I will drive him back to the Institute in the car and Cyclops will take the rest of you back in the van. You will only come out of hiding if we are ambushed or trapped. Cyclops—you can read the situation. If you think the team can handle it, fight. If you think it is too dangerous, have everyone grab hold of Glitz and run. Understand?"

Scott nodded, and Wolverine waited for verbal confirmation from the rest of the team. After he got it, he, Jean, Storm, and Nightcrawler ran off toward the ocean. He waited a few beats after they were out of sight, and then spoke to the rest of the team.

"Okay, that hill looks promising," Cyclops announced after some thought. "Let's make our way there. Hopefully we'll be able to see the others from the top without being seen ourselves."

"Right," Rogue agreed, initiating the walk over. The others followed behind her with haste.

The wind blew the scent of the salty ocean past the team as they ascended the hill. Kitty sighed, wishing that this hot summer day at the beach was for fun and not a mission. She squirmed uncomfortably, as did the others—it was too hot to be out in the sun with black uniforms. At last the team arrived to their destination, which appeared to be an observation deck to look out at the water. There were even two pairs of stationary binoculars, which would have been helpful to the mission had any of them brought coins with them. However, they were an unnecessary luxury, as the group could see the rest of the team just fine from the hill.

"You think that's the guy?" Spyke asked in a low voice, motioning towards and older red-headed man standing on the shore.

"Could be," Scott answered, kneeling down. The others followed suit to stay out of sight. Zoey lingered for a moment, and then lowered herself as well, her distrusting eyes locked on the beach.

"That's him," Storm whispered to Jean and Wolverine. The two nodded, and then hung back as Storm approached the man cautiously. "Mr. O'Malley? David?"

The man turned and looked at her, and Storm was taken aback. Two unnaturally green eyes stared back at her. His irises were not unlike leaves—real, tangible leaves. It was as if the melanin in his eyes had been replaced with chlorophyll. When she had met him years ago, they had not been like this. They had just been a normal green color typical of human eyes. That was not the extent of his physical differences. The sides of his face, his forehead, and his arms appeared waxy with a slightly red tint. O'Malley himself had begun to resemble a plant, but that was not necessarily a red flag. As mutant powers developed, the body could go through physical changes. Although he was a little old to be developing new levels of power, it was not unheard of.

"Hello, ma'am," his voice cut through the sound of crashing waves. "We've met before, with Charles Xavier. I'm sorry, your name…your name is—"

"My name is Storm," she interjected before he could mention her real name. In the event this was a trap, it would be problematic for her and her family if her cover was blown. "And yes, we have met. Professor Xavier was trying to contact you for months. Your home and cellphone were both offline, and no one was answering at your apartment. We were very worried, and wondering what might have happened to you—"

"Oh, I was on vacation!" O'Malley grinned. "In Costa Rica. Studying plants. I apologize for worrying the two of you. You see, I have recently returned to school for my Ph. D and in order to better understand my thesis, I decided to take a little trip. Spur of the moment. I didn't have time to forward my mail or change my voicemail, or really take care of much of anything."

Storm attempted to interrupt, but O'Malley spoke over her: "How is Professor Xavier, anyway? Is he well?"

Storm paused. "Yes," she responded cautiously. "He is doing just fine. Anyway, David, we were wondering—"

"I certainly would like to see him. It's been such a long time since we caught up," the man interjected. "Perhaps I could stop by some time?"

She took a deep breath and smiled, having all the information she needed already. "I am sure the Professor would be thrilled to see you again. Really, he would welcome a visit. Whenever you are free."

"Might I even go today?" He pressed. "Perhaps you can take me back with you."

"Well, we have a lot of stops to make," Wolverine grumbled. "We won't be getting back until late at night. But you're welcome to go back on your own. I'm sure you remember the way."

O'Malley gritted his teeth. "Of course. Many stops, I'm sure. But then, I'm quite curious to know what business you have at a beach dressed like that?" He gave a sly look. "Did you come looking for me?"

"There were reports of mysterious plant life activity this morning," Jean interjected. "We came to investigate it. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

He smiled. "Has Charles been spying on me?"

Jean tensed. "No. It was on the local news. Full trees popping up in the middle of streets?"

"Well," O'Malley began. "I suppose I just thought this town is just so over-developed, it could stand to use a few more trees. Maybe a garden or two."

"Landscaping aside, it is unwise to use your powers so frivolously out in the open," Storm warned. "Even your new…appearance could attract unwanted attention."

The man chuckled smugly, "Oh, but it seems to me I've attracted exactly the kind of attention I wanted!" His genuine, jolly smile was replaced with a dark and foreboding grin stretched across his face. "Are you certain you won't bring me to Xavier?"

Jean, Kurt, and Storm tensed. Wolverine merely puffed out his chest and remarked, "Can't do that, bub."

O'Malley made a sound of disappointment before sighing, "Pity."

A loud rumble, and hundreds of vines shot out of the ground. The X-Men prepared to fight, poised for battle and ready to defend themselves. Wolverine unsheathed his claws as the vines began to strike, whipping away at the team with lightning speed and accuracy, freckling them with small lacerations. Logan tore away at the vines but more continued to form, releasing spores as they were cut down that caused the plants to multiply. Storm was the most effective, creating a whirlwind strong enough to keep them at bay—but creating a sandstorm that was difficult to move or fight in.

"Jean!" Storm commanded.

"I—ugh!" Jean choked out, her fingers pressed to her temple. "I can read some of his thoughts but I can't knock him out. He was subjected to training against psychic attacks—but this isn't really him, he's acting under someone else's control. The real him is in there somewhere; he's calling to me for help!"

"Then help him we shall," Storm concluded as she struggled against a new plant which shot out seeds like bullets.

Jean froze some of the plants mid-air with her telekinesis, but the strain began to be too much. There were too many of them.

Nightcrawler, who had been hidden, decided that enough was enough. He teleported into the fray, appearing directly behind O'Malley with a soft bamf and attempted to deliver a swift hit to the back of the man's neck, but missed as a vine wrapped around his ankle and pulled him down. He did manage to hit the enemy's back, and O'Malley was thrust forward.

He regained his balance and turned back to face Kurt, leafy eyes aflame with hatred and rage. With a wave of his arm, a vine wrapped around Kurt's throat. He grabbed and pulled at it, unable to free himself, and he teleported away from the man and closer to the rest of the team as he strained to breathe. Wolverine noticed and abruptly stopped fighting a sentient bush and rushed to Kurt's side.

"Hold still!" Logan growled, carefully cutting the teleporter free.

Kurt gasped for air and feebly choked out an expression of gratitude while Wolverine continued to defend him from the barrage of seeds that shot out like shrapnel from O'Malley's hands.

"You won't take me to Xavier? Fine!" O'Malley boasted, conducting his symphony of weaponized flora. "I have other means of getting what I seek! Surely, he'll reveal himself when he finds that his dear friends have gone missing!"

Jean let out a yell as she continued to send psychic attacks to the man's mind, exerting herself while Storm backed her up.

Grasping for a means to escape the relentless attack for even a moment, Ororo created another whirlwind to sweep away the plants and keep them at bay, hurling sand and foliage into a swirling mess in the air.

The sandstorm prevented the reserves from getting a good glimpse of the skirmish.

"What's happening?" Kitty asked, voice shaken as she stood on her toes in an attempt to see better.

Zoey swallowed hard. "Nothing good."

"Well? What are we going to do?" Spyke questioned, staring down at the beach below.

"Scott, we need a decision!" Rogue pressed anxiously.

Cyclops took a short pause to consider his options. If they ran, O'Malley would still be under the enemy's control, and they would have more intel on the X-Men after this encounter. They could be in even more danger. If they fought and won, they could rescue and rehabilitate the man, plus possibly get some intel of their own.

"It's gonna be nine on one—I think we can take him." He turned to Zoey. "Glitz, let's do it. Take us to the parking lot so that he doesn't see your powers. And remember what Storm and Wolverine said."

Glitz nodded and held out her hand. "If anyone gets hurt, we're getting out of there. No matter how close we are to completing the mission. Okay?" Everyone acknowledged her and grabbed hold of her hand and arm. "Alright, hold on tight!"

With the sound of shattering glass, the group found themselves in the parking lot by the beach, out of sight from the shore. Immediately, the team began running up and over a sand dune, reuniting with the others in the midst of battle. Glitz hung back, unsure of how to help without using her powers.

Scott shot a bright red beam at O'Malley, which knocked him into the water with a direct hit.

Logan grumbled as Spyke helped him up. "You should have stayed hidden, we were fine."

Storm shook her head. "No, they were right to come here. He is proving to be a difficult opponent." She levitated with her arms out, her eyes glowing—storm clouds moved in, and a cyclone hit the water where O'Malley was trying to escape, trapping him in a whirlwind. Storm released the cyclone rather quickly, hoping to stun him rather than drown him.

Without warning, ropes of seaweed of monstrous length shot out of the ocean, raising a coughing O'Malley up and grabbing hold of Jean and Logan. Jean let out a yell, and Logan cursed as they were swiftly dragged across the sand into the water.

"Jean!" Scott shouted. He released a red blast, severing the seaweed that was holding their enemy up above the water, but he could not see the plants that had trapped his teammates. "Nightcrawler!"

"On it!" Kurt answered.

Logan unsheathed his claws and cut himself and Jean free, while Kurt disappeared from the beach and reformed in the sea, plucking O'Malley from the waves and teleporting back onto the beach with him, both dripping wet.

In an effortless and immediate retaliation, the enemy summoned thick briar from the sand. Kurt released him and tried to escape, but he was not swift enough—the bramble wrapped around him like a constrictor, and performed an unforgiving squeeze. Nightcrawler yelped in pain, thorns pricking into his body, piercing his arms, legs, chest, and tail. He heard a small cracking sound as he struggled against the vines, and vaguely wondered what had caused it, as he did not feel any of his bones break.

The bramble began to spread, and chased after Spyke. He shouted as it grabbed him by the ankle and pulled him down into the sand with great force, and dragging him across the ground closer to the center of the chaos. He severed the thorny vine with one of his projectiles and tried to scramble to his feet, but found that his ankle could not support him. Evan lost his balance, and succumbed to the bramble again before Wolverine burst in with a howl, tearing through the plant with his claws and zeroing in on O'Malley.

Kurt had been thrown out of the mess, the vines around him no longer moving or connected to anything. Shadowcat rushed to his side, tearing at the vines before giving up, grabbing hold of him, and simply phasing him out of the binds.

Then more bramble formed. It split itself into pieces and began to hone in on individual X-Men as if sentient. Jean was able to ward hers off with her telekinesis, and Cyclops was able to make short work of his, rushing to assist Rogue who fought without any weapons and was not faring well. Spyke, now more prepared, fought his off with minimal injuries to himself and hastily proceeded to use his spikes to fend off the bramble attacking Storm. Glitz, who had been reluctantly avoiding the battle under direct orders, was now forced to defend herself. Behind her back to protect her identity, she formed a projectile which she proceeded to launch at the briar. It rebounded and sliced her cheek, and then she was in the grasp of the plant. She winced as it pricked her skin and she struggled to be silent, afraid even her voice could give her away. She formed a long, sharp diamond and began to cut her way through the vines before Jean stepped in to help free her. Shadowcat and Nightcrawler, still paired together, were able to stay free for the most part, succumbing to a few painful cuts and bruises when Kitty couldn't phase quickly enough.

She hurried to phase again when Wolverine was tossed directly into the two of them. Her reflexes had been fast enough; she and Nightcrawler were unscathed, narrowly avoiding being crushed by three hundred pounds of adamantium.

A burst of red light, and O'Malley was sent flying. Cyclops and Storm ran after him, providing cover for Jean and Rogue. Wolverine rose again to join them, while the rest of the team stayed back. They had finally gained the upper hand. Jean held O'Malley in the air with her mind while Rogue approached him. He fought hard, unleashing a final round of thorny vines which knocked back several of the team members before Rogue grabbed onto his skin, sapping his powers and energy and receiving a painful dose of his memory. She grabbed her head and sank to her knees with a whimper as Jean dropped the unconscious man and came to her side, immediately using her powers to aid Rogue in keeping the horrific memories of O'Malley at bay. This had been an explicit instruction of Professor Xavier—if Rogue had to subdue the enemy, Xavier would have an easier time helping Rogue and gathering important information later if Jean could succeed in suppressing the memory quickly enough. Jean was successful, clearing Rogue's mind before she even had the opportunity to experience his memories. Jean helped Rogue back to her feet with a weak smile, feeling drained.

The battle was over.

O'Malley's last-ditch efforts had kicked up a cloud of sand, and Kurt had yet again been flung to the ground. He heard a cracking sound for the second time, this time much louder, and followed by the sound of static, of a fuse blowing. He saw some kind of light flicker out of the corner of his eye.

So when Glitz, whose eyes were locked on Rogue and the unconscious O'Malley, mindlessly offered him a hand, he eagerly took it—wanting to investigate where the odd noise had come from—but he gasped when he saw his own hand. His blue, three-fingered hand.

His image inducer had been all but shattered. He let go of her hand, dread creeping over him, and she broke her gaze to turn back to him and see what the matter was. Her eyes widened in horror.

Zoey pulled back with a gasp as if burned, with such force that she fell to the ground. "Kurt," she choked out. "What did he do to you?"

Kurt's heart shattered. He was terrified and ashamed. He'd been fooling himself. He should have expected this. How could someone like her ever accept someone like him? Tears pricked his eyes, and he tore himself away from her horrified stare.

"Zoey," he stammered. "I—I can explain!"

Her expression changed slightly, a flash of confusion crossing her eyes. She whispered, "What?"

"Nightcrawler."

Storm's voice broke the silence, her tone warning and flat. Zoey broke her gaze away from Kurt and turned to see the conflicted faces of the rest of the team. Everyone was watching. Sadness, shame, anger, confusion among them.

Slowly, Zoey understood. She turned back to Kurt, whose heart felt like it would leap out of his chest.

He shook. He tried to speak to her. How to explain that he'd been lying to her since they'd met? How to explain he'd been hiding something of this magnitude from her, immediately after a battle with her most hated enemy?

He couldn't.

"I'm sorry!"

He ran.

Zoey blinked, the last remnants of the gray clouds from Nightcrawler's teleport dissipating into the wind. No one spoke.

"What just happened?" Glitz demanded when she realized no one was going to explain without her request, voice hushed.

"That stupid elf," Logan grumbled, storming off toward the van with O'Malley's limp body on his shoulder. "Don't have time for this."

"We must leave before the authorities arrive," Storm ordered as gently as possible.

Jean and Scott reluctantly took their leave, helping Evan along with them. Evan, all his weight against Scott, shot a look back toward Zoey before consenting to leave the scene. Storm followed the others, leaving Kitty and Rogue behind with Glitz. Rogue hung back while Kitty cautiously approached her friend, who was almost in a trance gazing off into nothing while on her knees in the sand.

"Zoey—" Kitty began meekly, awaiting the coming storm.

"What just happened?" Zoey repeated with a firm finality.

Shadowcat winced, suddenly faced again with the distrust and fear she had taken months to clear from her friend. She knelt down next to Zoey, whose labored breathing created a cascade of diamond dust which mixed into the sand below her knees before disappearing completely. Her whole body shook. Kitty repressed the urge to reach out to her or offer her a hug, knowing that could very well send her friend running off.

"Remember how I said Kurt was being really unfair about something?" Kitty started. "Well, I wanted him to show you who he really was months ago. But, like, I guess he was afraid you wouldn't like him anymore? But…yeah, so, he pretty much always looks like that."

"That doesn't make any sense," Zoey seethed through gritted teeth, taking a breath to calm down slightly before she went on. "I think I would have noticed if my friend had been covered in blue fur. But it certainly seemed like I was the only person here out of the loop."

Kitty blushed slightly and let her eyes drift to the side, away from Zoey. "Well…yeah. He wears this thing called an image inducer, like, all the time! Before he met you it was only for school or going out or whatever…but…"

"He wore it when we were trying to recruit you," Rogue interjected. "We all thought it would be easier that way. But then he just never stopped. The thing is, it took a while for us all to notice what he was doin', and by that time it was way too late."

"We wanted to tell you the truth, we did, but, like, we didn't want to overstep our boundaries with Kurt," Kitty explained frantically. She resigned with a sigh, "It was complicated."

Zoey rose, wordlessly swiping sand off of her legs, her brow furrowed in thought, her eyes swimming with emotion Kitty couldn't read.

"Zoey?" Rogue spoke.

"How many other secrets are you hiding from me?" Glitz accused, her quiet rage sending shockwaves of guilt through Kitty.

"None!" Kitty asserted. She began rambling off potential secrets, "Really! Uhm, I have a crush on Dan from algebra, Logan's really really old, some of us think that Storm dyes her hair white but we have no proof?"

"Professor X was born and raised in Westchester so his accent doesn't make any sense," Rogue offered.

"I can't believe I was so stupid!" Zoey exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air.

"Zoey, I know this must hurt," Rogue said. "But it was Kurt's responsibility to tell you; it wouldn't have been right for us to do it!"

"So instead everyone just lies to me?!" She snapped. "And I never suspected a thing! Ugh, I actually thought I belonged somewhere. As if! You guys must think I'm such an idiot!"

"Zoey, please, we're sorry! We don't think that, we didn't mean to hurt you! When you put it that way—" Kitty pleaded, stammering and desperate.

"Just go," Glitz spat. "I don't want to see any of you—"

Kitty snatched her arm before she could teleport, and was met with a furious scowl.

"We just had a major battle!" Rogue bargained, exasperated. "We're all tired, we're injured, you're bleeding, let's just go home and get some rest and then we—"

"Let me go!" Zoey hissed, the caged-animal expression of fear that had been absent for months renewed on her face. Kitty relented instantly, and a split second later Zoey was gone, a flurry of sparkling dust left in her wake.

"Oh, great," Rogue groaned. She paused for a moment, sucking on her split lip in thought. "Do ya think she'll come back?"

"I don't know."

Kitty tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and Rogue sighed.

"No telling where she ran off to," Rogue reckoned. "C'mon, let's get back to the others."

Kitty acquiesced, and turned to walk with Rogue down the long stretch of beach to rejoin the rest of the team and return home.

Kurt was curled up in a ball on his bed, crying without a single sound, devoid of emotion.

He had teleported as far as he could several times until he was back at the mansion. He found the professor in his study, drinking a cup of tea and reviewing a pile of documents. Nightcrawler, beaten, bloodied, and bruised, had wordlessly dropped his broken image inducer on the desk in front of him, and walked out against Charles's protests. Kurt retreated to his room, opting to take the stairs and walk, too weak to teleport.

Even before the disaster of his image inducer and Zoey, that battle had easily been one of the hardest of his life, if not the hardest. He was shocked no one was hurt worse. If they had gone with a smaller team, they certainly would have been wiped out.

Right now, Kurt was kind of hoping that he had been wiped out.

He sniffed and wiped a tear off of his blue face with his blue hand. It had been a very, very long time since his appearance bothered him. His friends were right. He shouldn't have worried about what Zoey was going to think of him because that paranoia was affecting the way that he felt about his own appearance, which he had come to terms with long ago.

The familiar, unforgiving hum of a motorcycle engine invaded Kurt's thoughts. Logan was home. Presumably, everyone else was not far behind. He moaned as he sat up, his body sore and heart heavy. He rubbed his eyes and noticed grains of sand dusting his pillow. He wished he'd had the energy to shower after the battle on the beach. He'd have to wash his sheets tomorrow and probably have an uncomfortable sleep, if he was able to sleep at all.

A few minutes later, someone was knocking on Kurt's door. "Kurt!" Scott's voice. "Open up."

Yeah, right.

Kurt hesitated for a moment, then teleported onto the roof.

He would probably regret that later, but it was inconsequential for the moment. The cool air comforted him. He sat down, put his hands behind his head, laid back, and closed his eyes.

Zoey had teleported to a pier she had seen in the distance. It was far. She dropped as soon as she arrived, gasping and wheezing on the ground and not producing a shred of diamond dust. It took several minutes for her to sufficiently catch her breath and for glitter to resume falling around her at her normal, resting rate. Her body only created the miniscule pieces of diamonds around her when she was breathing normally, and not using her powers—which was most of the time. She recalled worrying about this inhibiting her ability to blend in once she started attending school, and Kurt had assured her that Xavier had a device which could safely camouflage her.

Of course.

She tried and failed to fend off tears, a chaotic kaleidoscope of realizations wracking her mind.

She was embarrassed. In hindsight, it had been obvious. Kurt had even mentioned that the device existed, and she had just never questioned him further about it. Several times she had been certain that his hand had brushed against hers, yet she didn't feel his skin. Everyone else knew what Kurt really looked like and everyone else knew that Zoey didn't. Did they think she was too fragile to know the truth? Too stupid? Not worthy? Were certain secrets only made available to those who truly and fully pledged their allegiance to the X-Men, of which Zoey was still a little wary?

She was angry. How dare these people who called her their friend, their teammate, hide anything from her? She was not nosy. She respected everyone's boundaries and privacy as she expected them to respect hers. She had never once dwelled on the quirks of anyone's mutations; she had seen far worse when she was a prisoner of the anti-mutant group. Did they think she would react poorly? What gave them that idea? Why did they think so little of her as to have that notion? How dare Kurt, who had not only been her closest friend next to Kitty but had also been shamelessly flirting with her for months, hide something about himself so basic, so fundamental to his being as his appearance? How dare he keep any kind of secret from her? After she had so carefully handed her trust over to the entire team, this is how she was repaid?

She was afraid and upset. She had placed her trust in the wrong people, she had been right from the start. They only needed her for her powers, for the information she had. She was not a part of the team, which is why they kept her in the dark, she was simply their weapon, their tool. She'd been a fool, gone against her instincts and could now easily be in danger with the enemies she'd been hiding from for almost two years.

O'Malley. That poor man. Zoey wondered vaguely what they had done to him, and quickly shut down her own imagination. She couldn't handle it. She tried to push away her memories, tried instead to focus on the issue of Kurt, which was less traumatic by scores to say the least, but her mind refused to relent—forcing her to relive flashes of memory: experiments, torture, and death. It was as if her brain needed to remind her how much danger she was in, warning her to escape. Warning her that the outcome of staying with the X-Men would be something she had already experienced.

Zoey hadn't wanted to run away, but began to panic with Kitty's and Rogue's coaxing, and needed to see if she could run away. Long ago, Xavier had told her that if she ever decided she'd had enough and wanted to leave, no one would force her to stay. She had tried to leave instantly, knocking herself out in the process, and never bothered to try again.

She brought her knees to her chest and dropped her head, longing to be able to go back to her old life, at her childhood home with her brother who never seemed to be coming for her. It wasn't his fault that she'd been taken away before he could return for her, but now she ached for family, for someone who could abandon her but never betray her. Zoey had grown attached to the X-Men, but they were not her family, could not possibly be that for her. They were their own type of support system which functioned at times as a pretty sufficient replacement; they cared for her and she cared for them, albeit with caution.

Glitz did not want to think that her new friends were evil, or just using her.

Couldn't help it.

She stayed there for a few hours, alone with her thoughts and the sound of crashing waves, well after the sun had set.

She briefly thought of running away forever, finding an abandoned building to hide out in and leaving the X-Men to deal with the anti-mutant group on their own.

She shook her head, realizing that even if the team actually betrayed her, she was with them now. They were in this together for the long haul. She was nothing if not loyal to her friends, and loyal to the cause of stopping her enemies, no matter how afraid she was.

Zoey slowly rose to stand, realizing that no one was going to show up and force her to return to the mansion. They were giving her the space she needed, and she was grateful, but she was far too tired to be stubborn. She was totally spent; her body ached, her heart heavy, her mind cluttered. She mustered up the few traces of strength she had left, and began to teleport back to the mansion, travelling in short distances and taking breaks in between.

By the time she returned home, it was past midnight. She stood at the foot of the very large staircase and contemplated sleeping on the couch, wondering if she had the energy to either trek upstairs or even do another teleport. She grumbled.

"Zoey," a familiar voice called softly.

She let her head loll to the side, and saw Professor Xavier waiting near her, holding a glass of water. He offered it to her, and she gladly accepted and drank it down with rapture.

"Heading off to bed?" Charles questioned.

"If I can make it there," Zoey asserted, half-joking, facing the stairs again with a look of disgust.

"Come with me," the professor beckoned, moving himself toward the kitchen. "Let me dress your wounds so you can rest properly."

"Fine," she mumbled begrudgingly as she moved to follow him. She may have returned to the mansion, but she also decided she was going to be a brat about it.

Stepping into the kitchen, Zoey found an array of bandages, a bowl of water, ointments, and more arranged neatly on the table, with Xavier pulling up alongside it, motioning for Zoey to join him. She realized with a bit of shame that he had been waiting for her to come home. Her face flushed, she pulled up a chair in front of him and avoided eye contact.

He began to clean her wounds, starting with the cut on her cheek caused by her own power. It wasn't the first time her diamonds had been used against her and she got a taste of her own medicine. She winced as Charles applied an ointment which caused a burning sensation. He gave her an apologetic look and covered the wound with a bandage before moving on to her shoulder.

"You don't need stitches," Xavier noted, breaking the silence. "Does anything feel broken or sprained?"

She shook her head.

"Very well," he said. "Please, get some rest. I am sure you need it." He paused. "Unless, you wish to discuss anything?"

Zoey took the opportunity, "Why…everyone was keeping me in the dark about something so…I just feel like…I mean, I don't understand—" She rambled erratically.

"It was never our intention to hide anything from you, Zoey," Professor X explained. "When Kurt told me he was hiding his true form from you, I was surprised. I did ask him to come clean, and I'm disappointed that he didn't. However, you must understand that it is not within my jurisdiction to divulge the personal secrets of my students to anyone."

She turned away, halfheartedly spinning a tube of ointment on the table with her finger.

"He's on the roof, should you like to speak with him," Charles informed. "Though, perhaps everyone will calm down a bit after some sleep."

The girl shrugged her shoulders and continued to play with the medicine, deep in thought.

"What about that man?" She asked at last, referencing O'Malley.

"He is…elsewhere, far away from our home," the professor replied. "Wolverine is watching over him. However, this is definitely a discussion for tomorrow. Know that O'Malley, and all of us, are safe."

Zoey stood, feeling a little stronger now, but still exhausted. "Thank you, professor. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Zoey," he bid in return.

She managed a teleport upstairs, swaying slightly upon arrival, and decided to take a fast shower before bed. She washed bits of dried blood and sand from her hair and carefully avoided her bandages, and when she had finished she changed into a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt featuring Kitty's favorite boyband.

Glitz entered her room and stared for a moment at her unmade bed. She leaned against the door, weighing her options.

If she didn't get him alone now, she might not be able to at all tomorrow.

She really didn't want to have this conversation right now, if at all. She groaned, shot a longing look back toward her bed, took a deep breath and conjured the last bits of energy she had, fully knowing that she would definitely be paying for it tomorrow, and teleported to the roof.

Kurt's eyes were locked on the sky, watching the clouds drift past the stars. He'd begun feeling a little homesick, missing his adoptive parents and their support. Or, perhaps he was just wishing he could run away from the problem at hand.

He would have to face her eventually. Or, maybe she just wouldn't speak to him again. Either way, he was hoping to put off seeing her for as long as possible.

The sound of broken glass, and he realized he'd be having this confrontation much sooner than he would have liked. He closed his eyes and prepared for the oncoming storm.

She sat down next to him, and each waited awkwardly for the other to speak.

"I'm not going to be able to teleport inside," Zoey murmured.

"There are stairs," Kurt offered without looking at her.

"I didn't know that," she grumbled.

More silence.

"You haven't taken care of your injuries," she pointed out.

He shrugged, "Maybe later."

"It's two o'clock in the morning."

"Maybe tomorrow, then."

She waited for him to speak again, but he did not. "This wasn't fair," she glowered.

His chest felt tight. "I know."

Zoey buried her face in the palm of her hand in frustration. "Talk to me!" She urged.

He did not respond.

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You know I would have reacted much differently if you had just come out and told me the truth, instead of waiting until the truth came out on its own after the heat of a massive battle?"

He nodded indifferently.

"Honestly, I'm pretty insulted that you thought you had to hide this from me," Zoey breathed. "I can't believe you think so little of me."

Kurt bolted upright. "Vas?!" He finally looked at her, confused.

"I'm sorry if I ever said something that made you think I was shallow," she said.

"No, you never…I didn't think…I'm sorry," he sighed. "It wasn't you at all. At first it was just when we were all getting to know you, so my appearance didn't scare you away, and then it just sort of went on and got really out of hand…I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too," she answered. "Kurt, I don't care what you look like. I think you're really cool. And…funny, and nice."

He gave a sad smile. "Ja?"

"Yeah."

They didn't speak for a few minutes, just watched the clouds and enjoyed each other's company. Kurt glanced over to Zoey and noticed her paled skin, her lack of glitter, her tired eyes.

"You look exhausted," he observed.

Zoey swallowed a snarky retort, fished for a better answer: "You should see yourself."

Kurt let out a short chuckle, certain he looked worse for wear. He was trying to ignore it, but he was actually in a decent amount of pain. He'd had enough time to recover from teleporting back to the mansion, but it was still a really rough day, and he was beyond weary.

He stood up and offered her his hand, which she took, and helped her up as well.

"Stairs?" he asked.

"Stairs."

Then down they went, inside the mansion to finally get some rest.