Disclaimer: Once again, all the characters mentioned belong to Marvel. If you try and steal them I hear that Stan Lee sends his hordes of rabid monkeys with tire irons to your grandmother's house.

Author's Note: This takes place after Day of Reckoning and during Bloodstained Machinations and of course it all falls into the Mutatis Mutandis time line.

I would also quickly like to say a quick thank you to DarkFire who took the time to read both 'Awakening part 1' and all of 'Left Behind' and was able to piece together that the girl is in fact Blink. So yeah, thanks man.

So without further ado, the story continues.

Awakening
Part 2
By starched_undergarments

The bedroom was large, and furnished with fine silk and elegant furniture. His father sat at a small desk that was near a large window, the long black curtains flowing against a soft wind.

"Eric?" The young angel who stood next to Pietro called softly over to his father's brooding form. He looked up and instantly smiled. He stood and motioned for Pietro to take a seat, while the girl let herself out quietly.

"Pietro, how are you feeling?"

He shrugged, his eyes wandering around the room. White walls, sharp contrasting colors, and expensive furnishings. "I'm good, I guess."

His eyes met with his father's and he looked away, suddenly feeling very small.

"Where are we?" He asked after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. His father settled back into his chair and folded his hands on his lap.

"Maine. This will be your new home for the time being. It's a nice area; a relatively undeveloped part of town so there shall be no problems with prying eyes."

Pietro nodded, a welt of depression forming in his heart. Another new home. Wasn't that always the way?

His father stood, his regal and powerful demeanor returning once more.

"Come with me, I will introduce you to your new team-mates."

***

"And if you act now you can get the extra set for just 19.99!"

St. John snorted and changed the channel. "Or you could suck my…"

"St.John."

Instant panic hit him, he clicked off the TV and stood up to face his boss, a small embarrassed smile creeping across his face.

"Yes, boss man?"

Magneto stood in front of his son, who St. John had seen a few days earlier when they had fished him out of the rubble. He looked considerably better, and now that John could see him clean and dressed he thought that he was an absolute dish.

"I would like you to meet my son, Pietro. Pietro this is Pyro."

He stepped forward at the mention of his code name, offering a grin and a handshake to the small albino boy in front of him.

"St. John Allerdyce, pleased t' meet you, mate."

The two shook hands. St. John could see Clarice peering out from around the corner of the hallway, making sure that the boys were playing nice.

He had to smile; ever since he had joined up with Magneto she always played the role of the mother hen. Protective, nurturing, and most of all, extremely kind. He couldn't remember a time he had ever seen her angry or cross, she managed to always keep her emotions in control. It was the emotions of others that she dealt with; she frequently played peacekeeper and psychologist with every other member of the team.

Especially Chamber.

The two of them had a very strong bond, quiet and unspoken. On numerous occasions John would see Clarice softly creeping into Jonothon's dark haven. The door would close and he wouldn't hear another sound, he was beginning to think that the two of them were just sitting there, having entire conversations within each other's minds.

He wouldn't be surprised, there was little Clarice couldn't do.

"St. John will be your roommate from now on," Magneto said. "John, would you mind showing my son around? I need to finish researching a few things."

St. John nodded and slung an arm around Pietro's shoulders. "No problem! C'mon mate I'll introduce you to the troops and show you the pad!"

Pietro smiled warily and hobbled alongside St. John as he led him towards the kitchen where they came upon a large hulking figure and a much smaller one in the middle of a card game.

"Cheers boys! I've come bearing fresh meat!" John proclaimed dramatically as he entered the large white kitchen.

The smaller boy looked up, his eyes dark and mischievous. "So dis be de bosses son, non?" Pietro looked to St. John, who was trying to peek at the larger boy's hand.

"Yup. Pietro, meet Remy LeBeau, also known as Gambit. And this huge mass of silent muscle is Colossus. Or as I like to call him, Petey."

Colossus gave St. John a hard stare, his mouth set in a frown. "The name is Piotr, not Petey."

Pietro nodded, amazed at the other boy's bulk. He didn't look that much older, but he was huge.

"Has he met de surrogate angel yet?" The scruffy Cajun boy asked. St. John grinned and dashed into the hallway, returning moments later with Clarice.

"I think you two have met, yet not properly."

The girl smiled at Pietro, that beautiful smile. It lit up her entire face.

"Hi," she said softly. Pietro smiled back.

"Hi."

"Clarice Ferguson, Pietro Maximoff. Pietro, Clarice. There, now we all know each other." John said merrily, his Australian accent flowing out smoothly.

"Is that it?" Pietro asked, feeling a little more at ease with the girl in the kitchen.

"Well der be Chamber, but I doubt you'll ever see him during de daytime," Remy slurred through his thick accent. Pietro looked at Clarice confused.

"Who's Chamber?" He asked, and she smiled.

"Chamber, or Jonothon, is the 7th member of our team. The 'other' secret weapon." John said casually, pulling open the fridge and rummaging around. "He stays in his room and will usually only talk to Clarice. He's not a bad guy, just very….antisocial."

"And wit good reason to be," Remy said softly, re-shuffling the deck or cards like a pro.

"Oh?" Pietro said, having himself a seat at the table.

"You'll get to know him later," John said sitting down as well. He tossed Pietro a coke and gave him a wink.

"So, you much of a gambler?"

***

It was dark, but she was used to it. It was always dark in his room.

"Jonothon?" She said softly, searching for his form. He was lying on his bed; she sat down quietly and touched his shoulder. He jerked and she soothed him.

"Shhh, it's just me." She ran a hand through his tangled hair, he relaxed and she moved closer. "Magneto's son is up and about now, he seems very…."

*Anxious.*

She smiled in the dark; he rolled over and laid his head on her lap. "Anxious?" She questioned.

He nodded and closed his eyes, *I can feel 'im. His…mind. It's very busy, high strung.*

Clarice played with his curls, "Are you going to say hello to him?" She probed gently. His eyes opened.

*No.*

"No as in 'not at all'? Or as in 'not at this very moment'?"

*Not at this moment,* he said in her mind. *Perhaps later. Right now I….I just want to lie here and think.*

"About the past?" She asked him quietly and he nodded sadly, hugging her body closer to his. It didn't make any sense but she seemed to make everything go away, just her presence soothed old wounds.

*It's starting to rain.* He said absently.

She nodded, the light sound of rain beginning to patter on the roof, a soft chorus of heaven's tears.

***