Author's Note; Some dialog is from Nixa Jane fanfiction story, "The Drafts" found on her livejournal site.
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That night, Bobby twisted and turned as he tried to fall asleep, replaying the fight and what happened afterwards over and over in his mind, asking himself question after question that kept him from drifting off to sleep. How could John do this? Why would John do this? Why wouldn't he allow himself to be happy? How could he think he wasn't worth being saved? The more questions Bobby asked himself made him think that maybe he has misjudged this whole situation, maybe John was damaged more than even Bobby had realized. The worst part about John leaving was that Bobby said it himself a hundred times;
"Then why don't you leave then, John? What the hell are you still here for if you're so unhappy? No one's forcing you to stay."
And John would just smile that strange tight smile and say, "I'm just biding my time, Drake."
Bobby then would think to himself, 'yeah, right, you're not going anywhere.'
He never thought for one moment John would actually leave. It seemed incredibly naïve looking back, the way Bobby thought he was enough reason for John to stay, even after he started ignoring him in favor of Rogue's attentions.
Or maybe not so much naïve as completely and utterly self-centered.
Finally, Bobby turned to lay on his left side and stared longingly at John's empty bed. Enough people have left the school after Stryker's attack that the Professor had told him he doesn't need to have a new roommate anytime soon. He was glad of that because Bobby didn't think he could handle living with some interloper at the moment, especially right now, and because Xavier knows everything he probably picked up on that. Throwing the covers off himself, Bobby got up and went to sit on John's bed and after a few minutes of just staring at nothing, he laid down on it, placing his head on what was once John's pillow.
For some reason, Bobby's eyelids became heavy and was finally able to sleep.
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"Bobby?" Bobby turned when he heard a voice and knock on his open door. He just finished showering and changing his clothes when Ororo Munroe appeared. "Bobby, your parents are here."
His eyes widened in shock. What could they want? What else could possibly go wrong? Were they here to formally disown him?
Ororo proceeded to guide Bobby down to the office of Professor Xavier and he immediately froze in the doorway once he saw his parents sitting in chairs opposite of Xavier's desk. Scott Summers and Logan were standing on either side of him. Once she realized her son was in the room, Madeline Drake got up from her seat and walked over to hug Bobby, much to Bobby's surprise.
"Mom? What are you doing here?"
Madeline let go of him and looked Bobby in the eyes.
"Pack your things, Bobby. We're taking you home."
Bobby blinked.
"What? Home?" Bobby then looked to his father who nodded in confirmation. "But...I've been here for almost four years."
Xavier frowned as he began speaking to William Drake;
"Mr. Drake, I understand that you are upset-"
"That's an understatement. You lied to us, Mr. Xavier. You should have told us the truth about this school. We should sue you, not only for lying but also for the damages done to our house."
"I will gladly pay for your home repairs." Xavier assured.
"That was Ronny's fault!" Bobby suddenly yelled, getting the attention of everyone in the room, including a look of incredulous from his father. "He shouldn't have called the police."
"He was scared," William stated. "And it turned out he had every right to be." William turned his attention back to the Professor. "So, you even take in mutants who can blow up cop cars?"
"We take in all kinds," Xavier explained. "We try to help them control their powers. Unfortunately, we're not always successful. And as far as why we keep it a secret, I think your reaction to your son being a mutant is all the explanation I need."
William jumped to his feet.
"We love our son! That's why we're getting him out of here!" William then walked towards the door and looked at Bobby. "Pack your things, we'll be waiting in the foyer."
After his parents left the room, Bobby slowly sunk into a chair by the bookcase.
"Bobby." Scott Summers addressed one of his favorite students, one that he actually believed would eventually take his place as leader of the X-Men. "You know you don't have to leave if you don't want to. You're eighteen years old, you're old enough to make your own decisions."
Bobby shook his head.
"No, I do have to leave. They would probably disown me if I didn't." Logan frowned but didn't say a word as Bobby got to his feet. "Thank you Professor Xavier, Professor Summers, Professor Munroe, Logan. Thank you for everything."
"You're welcome Bobby." Xavier smiled. "Remember, you will always be welcome here."
Nodding, Bobby walked back to his room and began packing as quickly as possible. He wasn't in a hurry to leave, he just wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. The longer he stayed, the more it was going to hurt when his parents drove him away from the school. After getting his clothes out of the closet Bobby turned his head and saw John's leather jacket hanging up. Taking it off the wire hanger, Bobby just stared at it for a few seconds before shoving it into a suitcase.
"Bobby?"
It was Rogue.
Bobby sat down on his bed as he looked over at her.
"Is it true? Are you really leaving?"
"Believe me, it's not my choice." Bobby then let out a bitter laugh. "But I've got no choice."
He then got up and moved to the doorway.
"What are you going to do?" Rogue asked.
"I don't know." Bobby responded. For the first time in his life, Bobby really felt lost. He then took a note from his pocket and handed it to Rogue.
"Could you do me a favor?" Rogue nodded and he continued, "Can you give this to John?"
Rogue took the note, now looking puzzled.
"John?"
"It's the address to my parents house in Boston. I know he won't remember it."
"Bobby..." Rogue began, giving him a sad look.
"He's coming back."
"No, he's not."
She would probably know. She's got John in her head, and Bobby was desperately, sickly envious of that. He wondered if he's the first person to ever envy Rogue's power, and he wondered what she would think if she knew.
"Goodbye, Rogue."
"Goodbye, Bobby."
Bobby then turned away and began walking down the hall, Rogue watching him all the way until he turned a corner and was out of sight.
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Several Weeks Later
John had been sleeping in the abandoned warehouse they had been using as a hide-out. It was funny. The mansion was a shelter, a sanctuary, a safe haven. Now John was spending all his time in hide-outs and metal cave lairs and abandoned churches. Because of the fact that Magneto was a known, wanted terrorist they couldn't exactly check in to a Holiday Inn.
Last night he had been out on his first mission as part of the Brotherhood. The three of them had broken into a pharmaceutical company for Mystique to steal some documents. Magneto easily ripped the place apart and Pyro's job was to scorch any guards that came their way. He had gotten four. John didn't understand the mission, although he didn't ask any questions about it. Magneto had told him that John was now a revolutionary, a freedom fighter, but John didn't feel like one. He felt like a terrorist. If they had gone out a freed a bunch of captive mutants being held somewhere against their will, that would have been one thing, but attacking a pharmaceutical company just to get one vanilla folder? John just didn't get it.
At the mansion, with the Professor, Bobby, Rogue, it had been his home…sort of. He didn't necessarily love being there, but he found out very quickly that he didn't like being with the Brotherhood either. John wished he could just wake up. He never had a mother, but he remembered being fourteen, angry, snide, and how he opened up to Jean. He wished she was still alive to tell him he was welcome back anytime.
John sat up in bed and suddenly felt his father's presence sitting right beside him, a cigarette dangling loosely from his lips.
"Got a light?" His father asked.
"You're dead." John replied out loud. "I watched you die."
"You gonna give me a light or not?" John sighed and took the lighter out of his pocket, lighting his father's cigarette. His father sucked the cigarette more fully into his mouth, than took a long drag off of it. "What are you doing here?" John persisted, accustomed to his dad being quite dead.
"Maybe I just want my lighter back."
John put his lighter back in his pocket.
"It's not your lighter. Bobby bought it for me at a street vendor last summer."
"But the reason he bought it was 'cause you said you liked it and the reason you liked it was 'cause it looked like mine." His dad flashed his own lighter at John. The whirling hammerhead shark was embossed on the side, under the words 'Feeding Frenzy'.
"Why'd you need a light from me if you had that?" John asked.
His father placed the lighter back in his pocket and patted his son's knee.
"Ain't nothing works when you're dead. Enjoy it while it lasts, boy. You're coming down here soon. People don't get away with the things you've been doing, trust me."
John shook his head vigorously.
"No...Magneto is the one their after. I haven't done anything."
"My son, the genius," his dad responded. Death hadn't diminished the sarcasm in his voice. Oh how it hurt. "You're a born loser, Johnny. You're his fall guy. Just a pawn to be moved against those boys in that fancy mansion you ran away from."
"Ahh!"
John sat up so fast that he ended up tumbling off the makeshift bed he set up.
"Jesus," he muttered as he took several deep breaths to get himself to calm down. His heart rate was going so fast that could hear the pounding of it in his ears. John got up off the floor and walked outside. Looking up at the stars, John took out his lighter and began flipping it open, lighting it, closing it, repeat. He couldn't help it, but his thoughts drifted to that alley and how he ended up running away from Bobby.
John couldn't help but wonder...if he might have been wrong.