I don't own the xmen

I don't own the xmen! JEEEEEEEeez, if you haven't gotten that by now, I'm worried….

About chapter 15…the plot thickens ::dark mystifying music plays in the background:: Hope ya like it!!

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Concentrate, I told myself. My eyes were fixed up my shoulder, where I could feel a new blade beginning to force through my skin. I pictured in my mind the bone stop growing. But when I saw the tip poke through the flesh, I sighed and threw myself back on my bed.

"This is impossible." I said aloud, "If I could control this damn power, then I woulda done it long before now."

I picked up my hand and put it in front of my face. I couldn't feel any new blades growing, so I focused on making one. I put my full attention to the center of my hand.

"Just grow…" I narrowed my eyes. Suddenly I felt a small pressure in the exact spot I was looking at. I smiled, and continued concentrating on it.

"Sarah? Is that you?"

And as soon as I felt the small bone begin to grow, I lost my train of thought, "Dammit! Whadda ya want?" I turned to the window to discover the face of Dark Beast, balancing on the railing surrounding the small balcony outside my room.

"Very nice to see you as well." He smirked and leapt off the railing.

I slid off the bed, "Darky? How the hell'd you get in here?" My voice was shushed to a harsh whisper.

"If you're referring to the alarms. Well let me say; the system here is highly outdated. It was no burden what so ever."

I almost smiled and shook my head.

He walked inside my room, and I could feel his stare, "Well, you don't look like the same Sarah I saw a few weeks ago."

I looked down at my somewhat skin-hugging sleeveless shirt, and loose-fitting jeans. I had just taken a shower not too long ago, and Kitty had begged to do my hair. And for some strange reason I let her put these weird twists that went toward the back of my head. I felt like a 17-year-old teenage girl. I sighed, and raised an eyebrow at him, "Yeah, it is pretty different isn't it?"

He gazed at me, "It sure is…" He jerked his head up, "I need to talk to you."

There was a brief moment of silence between us, "So…talk."

Dark rubbed the back of his neck, "Not here, somewhere more private perhaps?"

I waited a while to answer. He didn't seem like his usual self, like, for some reason, he was uncomfortable to be around me, "I know this isolated spot in the woods…"

"Sounds ideal, show me the way?"

I walked over to the side of the railing, and grasped the edges, getting ready to leap to the ground. But then a pair of furry arms picked me up off my feet.

"The distance from this balcony and the ground is far to high. Hold on." He leapt into through the air, and landed on the ground without the slightest bit of noise.

I pointed between two large trees in the woods, "That way."

He bounded off into the night, with huge leaps. I squirmed in his arms. This was just too…strange. He was treating me like I was a helpless female, and he knew better. I didn't like it.

"Here, this is fine." I slightly pushed my self out of his arms.

"Are you certain that no one can find us here?" He took a quick glance around.

"What the hell Dark? Why are you so fuckin paranoid all of a sudden, ya wanna tell me what's goin on here?"

My abrupt, spiteful demand caught his attention, "Do you remember the blueprints you stole for me?"

"Yeah…"

He took a seat on the ground, "That piece of machinery is called the T1200. It will emit certain amounts of toxic gas. But the gas will only affect mortal humans, not us, mutants."

I waited, still confused, "And you're telling me this…why?"

He sighed, "Because I know the X-Men will try to bring my plan to a halt, and I didn't want you caught in the middle of a fight when me and my crew arrive."

I waved my hand in the air, "Whoa, whoa, fight? What fight?"

The two palms of his hands touched and were in front of his face, staring at me in frustration, "A fight to stop the X-Men from corrupting my 'vision'."

I stared at him. He was dead serious about this, about getting them out of the way, permanently, "And you want me to leave the mansion?"

"Perhaps you could," he looked me in the eyes, "Join up with me again?"

I was really taken aback by the question. I opened my mouth to say something, but only air came out. What was I supposed to say? Tell him that Storm tore the evil out of me, and I could never be part of his team again, and now I was a goodie-goodie, "I…I cant."

He laughed, "Can't? Oh you have got to be kidding me. Are you afraid to turn your back on the X-Men? Come now Sarah."

I stood up; feeling an annoyance building within me, "Drop it! Ok? I got my reasons, and they ain't none of your fuckin business!"

His smile disappeared, "Yes, well," he sucked in a breath, "I must be going. Farwell until we meet again." And without another word, he was gone.

I sighed ran my fingers through my hair. It's amazing, how much of a pain in the ass one's life can get in such a short time. I dragged my feet through the grass, back toward the mansion, thinking about what just happened. I had turned my back on Darky, for what was probably the last time. I knew it, I felt that he didn't trust me anymore.

As I turned the knob of one of the main doors open, I heard someone approaching from inside. I stepped through the door, and softly shut it behind my back.

"Where were you?"

I yanked my head up, face to face with a fuming Storm, "Out." I began walking up the stairs.

"Out? You were out? Out doing what?" Her voice got closer to me.

"Thinking."

I heard Ororo give an angry sigh, "Goddess, Sarah! Can't you carry out a normal, full conversation, like a normal person?"

I stopped and turned on my heel, facing her once more, "You want a full conversation? Hm, doesn't seem possible when you're the one always bitching and complaining about your awful life, and taking it out on me, when all I fuckin did was went outside to clear my thoughts, and anger." I inhaled deeply, "How's that for a 'normal-person' conversation?" I turned back, and walked briskly to my room, slamming the door.

What was happening here? Joining the X-Men was supposed to make my life better. Hah! I almost laughed. Better? Living in a shitty apartment, with no food, and only the cloths on my back is better than butting up with all the bull crap that was goin on here.

I leaned my back against a wall, and slid to the ground. And now, there was more bull crap to put up with. To leave the X-Men and avoid what was bound to be a messy exchange of blows, or stay and fight with people who hated and despised me.

I shook my head. Screw all that philosophical shit, I needed some food.

The aroma of buttery popcorn filled the air. I peeked around the corner, discovering Remy, Rouge, Kitty, Jubilee, and Kurt all piled on the couch, and lying on the ground, their full attention on the TV. Blasting guns, and screaming men came through the speakers and echoed out through the halls. They were all watching an old black and white war movie in the dark room, munching on greasy popcorn.

"Sarah? S'that you? Get in here sugah! The movie is just gettin' good." Rouge shouted in a whisper over the noise of the blasting bombs.

I meekly slinked into the room, and stole a seat between Remy and Kitty.

Kitty shoved a bowl of popcorn in front of my face, "Want some?" Speaking with her mouth full of some her self.

I nodded and grabbed a handful and looked around, ignoring the movie, and the noise; and noticing what this scene looked like. I was nestled between two of the team members who had accepted me for who I was. And in a room with a few people who had somewhat befriended me. I had taken the first step to actually making in it this squad. I could do it, I prove to myself, and others, that I had every right to be on this team.