Thanks to hippiechick2112, feathered moon wings, ladygris, and ellie for reviewing the last chapter, and to all of you who have been reviewing throughout the story!
Dear Ororo,
To begin with: yes, I have read your journal entries. I read them as soon as I found them on my desk and am touched that you chose to share. Thank you for the effort you put into this assignment. You have indeed earned the extra credit.
Family can be a difficult concept to define. Indeed, even taxonomic families are difficult to define and the subject of much debate. While stating what a family is may be outright impossible (or at least possible only as academic suggestion), to state who is family is much simpler. You are an integral part of this family and you always will be.
Whatever passed between you and my sister, I won't make excuses for her behavior. Nor will I make excuses for my own. I failed to protect you. I also underestimated you.
Remember how much you have lost, because with three cities, two languages, and more people than you have named in your past, you continue to thrive and remain, if not always so, compassionate. You have an amazing capacity for kindness which you chose to show Alex this morning. I hope you understood how powerful this was.
You are strong enough to be vulnerable from time to time. My sister acts out of pain and rage. Raven is weak. It does not, can not justify her actions, but it should say, if nothing else, that you will endure.
You wrote often about loss, something that has visited your life far too often in fourteen years. Nevertheless I do hope you will keep in mind that in spite of the many people and places that have been taken from you, you continue to build new relationships.
You left your journal for me to find. When you first arrived, you spoke to me sometimes about your experiences prior to your time in the orphanage. Should you ever wish to do so in the future, I would be happy both to listen and to help you find the words.
And yes, Ororo, I will read you a story again.
Charles Francis Xavier
.
.
.
.
.
THE END! As ever, the end of the story. I hope you enjoyed reading and will keep an eye out for the next in the series.
