A/N: OK, both extended editions of LOTR at 130 in the afternoon, then ROTK, all over at 10 pm, and WHO"S GOT TICKETS??? Unfortunately, possibly not me. Website crashed, not sure if everything went through. Ahahaa….*ahem* yes business, Pyro threw fire @ Sabere cuz he was ticked that she was eavesdropping. No this is not the end, yes there will be a sequel (no one asked but I'm announcing anyway).
The flight home was silent. Sabere continuously fiddled with the crucifix, as if she could rub it like a genie's lamp and put everything right again. Unfortunately, no genie appeared, and nothing altered the cold grief that had settled around her since they left. Returning to Stryker's base had killed any hopes that maybe, just maybe, the last visit had been just a nightmare. She was again sitting between Jean and Magneto, the latter treating the entire event like a visit to the park. She scowled inwardly at him, wondering how he could take death so lightly, even if he was causing it and not being affected by it. He certainly didn't mind killing –
But you didn't either, did you? asked the demonic little voice in the back of her mind. You wanted revenge, and Scott took it from you. You wanted to kill Stryker.
Sabere folded her arms and suppressed a shiver. She was definitely leaving when they got back – Stryker was dead, so there was no worry from him now. She could leave the mansion and everything it stood for, all its awful changes that it had brought. No more jets, no more rescues, no more training – just her. And no one else would ever need to know that Sabere the mutant had ever existed. Sami Teterann was coming back and no one was stopping her.
****
Magneto, Mystique, and Pyro left immediately after the jet landed at the Institute – where they were going and how, Sabere – Sami – didn't know or care. Their lives were not her concern, if they ever had been in the first place. She went straight up to her room without talking to anyone, threw her uniform in the corner, and packed everything she had left into her suitcase. All the while, however, was a niggling thought – why isn't anyone stopping me?
That question was answered when she opened the door and found Xavier wait right outside. He laced his fingers together and looked up at her, his expression unreadable.
"Were you going to leave without saying goodbye?" he asked.
She shifted her grip on the suitcase. "I guess so. I didn't want anyone to stop me."
"No one will," Xavier said softly. "It's your choice to make. I'm just glad you gave us the chance to try to help."
"You did, for a while," Sami replied, avoiding his eyes. "Things just…went wrong."
Xavier nodded. "Well, you're welcome here if anything goes wrong."
"Thank you." They left towards opposite ends of the hallway. Sami passed the large common room, where some of the kids were playing foosball and the adults were watching the news. She could hear the announcer as she paused.
"NYU had quite a surprise today when a missing student was revealed to be a mutant. Sami Teterann has been missing for nearly three weeks now, but it wasn't known that she was a mutant until a government official released her name." Sami stared in shock as her old friend Song Yi's face appeared on the screen. "We're all worried about her! After her accident she just disappeared, and we really hope she hasn't been hurt."
Sami toned out the voices, just staring numbly at the screen that had just locked the open door of opportunity in her face. Everything would have been fine…until this…
"Sabere?" Scott asked. Everyone was watching her now as she stood in the doorway, suitcase in hand.
"That's the first time they've given a name like that," Scott continued. "We didn't think they were allowed to say anything."
"Look, kid, it's not that big a deal anyway," Logan spoke up. "Our names and faces are probably on wanted posters, too. Join the crowd."
She sighed. "I guess I will." She smiled a little and started hauling her suitcase back down the hall. "And now I need to unpack."
She was still thinking about the news report and hadn't heard Logan come in until he cleared his throat from the doorway. "Mind if I help?"
"Actually, yes, I do mind. Sensitive items, you know." She wrapped the items in question in safer clothing before stuffing them in a drawer.
Logan sat down on the floor, watching her scoot the suitcase into a corner. "You are telekinetic, you know…it would be a lot easier to just float that thing in place."
She didn't answer. He was in here for another reason, and he might as well spit out whatever thoughtless information he had soon.
"It's a good thing you're staying," he continued. "We'll need your help with all these repairs."
"Logan, spill it," she sighed, standing in front of him, arms akimbo. "I know you're not in here to make small talk."
"No, I'm not." He stood up and looked her in the eye. "I need to apologize. I've said some stupid stuff, and I know you've had a hard time lately."
"You must be ill. You're never this sensitive."
"No, but I'm not usually that tactless either." She snorted – from what Storm had said, that was far from the truth. "Okay, so I have issues with Scott, big deal. It's been a stressful time for everybody, and it brings out the weird sides of people. So…I'm sorry. Okay?"
Sabere sighed. "Okay." He nodded and turned to leave, then hesitated and kissed her cheek – not romantic, just supportive. She just stood for a moment as he left.
=You will always have friends here, no matter where you go.=
Xavier, of course. But for once, she didn't mind.
PS: Evolution was SO COOL! Signing off