It felt like years had dragged on, slowly, very slowly. It was an exhausting battle at best, the end was no where in sight. The shear force of such a struggle had taken it's toll. But he had won.

Rob slowly opened his eyes, but they felt like they were weighted down. It took an effort to keep them open. He couldn't focus upon anything - he couldn't tell where he was. He closed his eyes. It was far too much hard work to keep them open.

Answers would come soon enough.

He slept once again.
Keri Vincennes sat on the bed, looking down at her son. He was asleep, far into the realms of unconscious recovery. She slowly threaded her hands through his black hair, and watched as it fell back upon his red skin.

Her son was a mutant. She would have imagined that she would take it much differently, but now that it came down it to, she felt nothing. Rob was her son, and nothing could prevent her from loving him.

It was torture to look upon him now, and she felt beyond helplessness. She thought back on that day when her husband had carried him into the bathroom and placed his body in the bath tub. She was sure that he was dead. His skin - how could she have prepared for a thing? - it was the most lifeless pale, yet there was no mistaking the hints of red.

As Rob got better, the color of his skin darkened, became more brilliant. And now, he lay there is bed - his black hair falling against the bright red skin.

What was he to do now? He could not hide what he was.

She slowly lifted herself from the bedside, and walked out of the room. She could not keep up with these long nights of vigilance.
Rob opened his eyes much later, this time the task was easier. He was getting stronger. He looked about himself and realized that he was in his room - how did he get here? He quickly forgot about the question as quickly as it had appeared.

He body ached. Everywhere, every last muscle of his body was dully aching. He winced at the pain of it, but it was a good sign as well. It meant his body was repairing itself.

" Hello?," he asked out into the emptiness of his room, his voice sounding surprisingly small and weak. He had not used it for a long time.

But all he got in reply was an empty room.

He closed his eyes once again and tried to listen. The house was quiet and still. His room was dark, perhaps it was night and everyone was asleep?

Rob would have attempted to get out of bed but his body was not reacting to his commands. He still needed more time to rest.

" Rob?," came a small voice that he easily recognized.

" Scoot?," Rob asked into the darkness, his voice lacking any strength. She fluttered down to his pillow.

" You are awake," she replied.

" Wings...," Rob whispered weakly as he looked at her.

" You gave them to me," Scoot answered.

" I did? Where is everyone?," Rob asked softly.

" They are asleep. They have trusted me to tell them when you have awoken."

" Let them sleep," he whispered.

He was silent for a while, his mind blank. All he could think of was how exhausted he felt.

" How did they do it?," he asked after a while.

" There are things that drive people," Scoot answered, " You cannot see these forces, but they are there. It brings out the courage from the meek, strength to the feeble."

" How long have I...?," Rob asked.

" Sixty three hours."

" The police?"

" They have come. They know you are here."

" I have to leave."

Rob tried to force himself out of bed, but his body screamed out in protest. He fell back against the pillow, his chest burning.

" Can you help me?"

" No. Your body needs rest. You must sleep now."

" But the police."

" There is nothing to be done now."

Rob glided back into unconsciousness with fear infiltrating his thoughts.
Rob woke up in the morning, the shades on his windows still down so his room was dark. He looked around his room. There was a familiar form sitting on the corner of the bed, facing the other direction as if in defeat. Rob smiled.

" Hey," he whispered. Todd jumped, and turned around.

" Rob? You're awake!," Todd exclaim. He was bursting with the impulse to embrace his brother, but he fought against that. Rob was still weak.

" How do you feel?," Todd asked.

" Bad," Rob replied, but he managed to smile.

" Everyone has been so worried," Todd replied, smiling in return, " You know, you... we thought you were dead."

" I'm okay now," Rob said, and realized that talking so much was exhausting in itself. He took a moment to regain his breath.

" How is everyone. Mom? Dad?," Rob asked.

" Worried. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the way they looked. So helpless. But you've been improving - they are still worried - but not as bad as when they brought you here. It was bad, Rob."

" That's not what I meant."

" They're not upset or anything.

Rob nodded his head slowly.

" The police," he said in a whisper so low he doubted whether Todd could hear him. Todd's eyes fell to the floor.

" Mom and Dad weren't going to lie to the cops," Todd said.

" I don't even know what this is about."

" Someone hit Jim with a car, and they were blaming you."

" I don't even have a car!"

" Yeah, but Jim got released from the hospital. So I'm sure he can clear your name now."

Rob thought back to that day in swimming class. Jim had the most terrified and hate-filled look on his face. He couldn't even bear to remember such a memory. He doubted whether Jim would actually clear his name.

" I'm thirsty," Rob begged.

Todd had a glass of water waiting.

" Who is the girl who....has Scoot?"

" Kelly? Well, she's a mutant."

" I could see that."

Rob couldn't say anymore. The effort of talking so much was draining him.

Todd lowered his voice to a whisper, " She says that she knows where there is a school that's just for mutants. It's by New York City or something like that. You could go there with her and not have to worry about running away or anything."

" But I can't go to a school if the cops are after me." Rob coughed out miserably.

Todd was silent for a while, letting his brother rest. There was nothing that needed to be said. Rob closed his eyes, seeking a few more moments of rest.

" A few more hours?," Rob asked Todd.

" Sure," Todd replied, and stood up to leave the room.

Rob was asleep by the time he reached the door.
Todd closed the door behind him, and looked up to see Kelly standing in the hallway.

" Hey," he said softly, not to disturb his brother.

They both tip-toed down the stairs into the living room.

" He's awake, isn't he?"

" Not anymore," Todd said, pausing a moment, and then shivered, " Shit, that's scary. I could have sworn he was going to die. I just can't.... I'm glad he's better now."

" Yes," Kelly trailed off. She closed her palm and opened it once again, revealing a tiny little person in her hand. She closed her palm and opened it again - there was nothing.

" What are we going to do about the cops?," Todd asked, " We know that Rob didn't do it."

" Hopefully Jim can say something."

" Rob didn't seem to hopeful about that."

" They like to pin crimes on mutants, you know. It makes it much easier for them."

" Yeah, but what, they can't send him to mutant prison? Is there a mutant prison?"

" I'm sure they're making one."

" What about that school that you were talking about - can anyone there help out."

" I don't know... I..."

Todd understood. A few days ago, Scoot had flittered off towards the Xavier school in order to find help. The pain was quite clear on Kelly's face, as the bonds that held Scoot and Kelly together were stretched to their limits.

Kelly hadn't told anyone about this yet, but since Rob had placed wings on her, she had not been able to bring Scoot back into her body. Scoot would always be outside, making Kelly feel somewhat robbed.

" Do you think they can help?," Todd asked.

" I don't know, really," Kelly answered, " I'm sure that they could. I mean, I'm sure that they get things like this all the time, you know?"

" Yeah," Todd said, " I hope so. If they can't, Rob's just going to take off again."

They were silent.
A few hours rolled by, and just as he had promised, Todd made his way to Rob's room. He opened the door, and stood starring into the room in shock.

" Shit! Kelly!," Todd called out, for there was no one else in the house at that moment. Kelly came running up the stairs in a flash, fearing the worse. She stood in the threshold, and her jaw dropped. The most desperate gasp filled the air.

" My god! Todd, I...," she whispered, and Todd walked into the room as one walks in complete defeat.

The room was empty.

**********

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