Title : Nowhere Kid
Chapter 18 : Feelin' Way Too Damn Good
Date : October 16, 2003

A/N: Got back from visiting my kin up in New Jersey. I wanted to post this chapter before the trip, but I didn't have time. So, better late than never. Chapter inspired by the song "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good" by Nickelback (off of their new cd, 'The Long Road', which kicks butt).

DISCLAIMER: Haha, yeah. Go ahead and sue me. Be laughed at in court. 'Cause I own NADA ownership of the X-Men characters. Bwahaha! ^___^

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After many-a cries and pleas from Kalli, Avari had managed to be able to drive. "You have no idea where we're goin'," Kalli stuck out her lower-lip in a pout. Avari shook her head. "Sorry, hon. But you can drive on the way back." Kalli sighed.

"Okay..." Kalli finally said, and climbed over into the passenger seat.

And so Avari clambered inside and started the car up. Immediately, Kalli started station-surfing, searching for a rock station. After finding a decent one, which was playing one of Godsmack's earlier songs, "Awake", Kalli leaned back in her seat and fastened her seat-belt.

Avari backed the car out in front of the mansion and drove on down the driveway and exited out passed the gates. They got onto the highway, when Kalli relieved a sigh. Avari raised an eyebrow.

"Somethin' wrong?"

"Logan." Kalli clicked her tongue in annoyance. "He came to a crazy conclusion that me an' Remy were falling together in a downward spiral called Love." Avari tried suppressing her laughter, but failed, and ended up bursting with laughter. Kalli turned to stare at her mother with a cocked eyebrow. "And what is so funny about that? I don't think it's true!"

Avari giggled. "It's funny because you, like me, are obvious about your feelings. I see it in your eyes when you look at him. I see the love and adoration. And he, as well, returns the look. You both are in love, you're just not willing to admit it to yourself or to each other,"

Kalli shifts her mouth to the corner of her face. "But we can't be. We only met about a month ago," Avari took one hand off the wheel and makes a sweeping motion with it.

"It doesn't matter. Have you felt anything for any other boys you've been with?"

Kalli sat and thought for a moment. "Well, no," she started slowly. "But those boys were different. They were, what you would call, punks. They were kinda like goths. Only, they didn't dye their hair black, paint their fingernails black, or have pale, pale faces. I was only with them so that I wouldn't have to be single."

"And you're with Remy because..?" Avari asked.

"I enjoy his company. He's an awesome guy to hang around with. He's funny, smart, and handsome. And he doesn't treat me like a possession." Kalli answered, without missing a beat.

Her mother nodded. "That's a good combination to have. The last is important. If ever guy starts treating you like an object, and tries to control you, get out. Fast. Those guys bring nothing but pain and suffrage."

"Dad?" Kalli questioned. She was rewarded with a nod. "Did he hit you?" Avari sighed and nodded again. "I know what it's like. He hit me, too."

"When did it start?" Avari asked, glancing over for a second.

Kalli scratched her head. "When I was 10. But over the little things. When big things came up, I fought back. I got my mutations when I was 14. But I hid them until he found out a couple years later. Then he hit me, I hit him back and fled. Then, somehow, Xavier managed to find me."

Avari nodded slowly. "Well, it's a good thing you left. Christ knows what Emmett would've done to ya." She looked to the right of the road and saw the exit they needed. "Ah, we're almost there." She put on her turn signal and got on the exit.

Kalli sat back in the seat, bored. She began rubbing her hands together. A couple sparks flew between them. Then, she pulled her hands apart and a small ball of fire hovered over her palm. Kalli sighed and stared at it contently. Avari smiled as she got off the exit onto another parkway.

"I see you inherited my specialty. And I guess we share the same fascination."

Kalli glanced over and beamed. "Ya know, me an' you? What we're doin' right now, I never thought we'd be able to do. 'Cause it seems everyone in my life has told me that you died. But, when I found out you were alive, I was totally blown away. I mean, I heard some amazing things about you before and I felt jealous, proud, and anxious all at once," Avari nodded, still staring out through the windshield, concentrating on the road, but glanced over at her daughter every once in a while. "I was so amazed that I had a such a wonderful mother, but I was jealous because I didn't get a chance to know. But now that your here, I'm finally getting to live the dream I've had since I was little. I'm finally getting to know and hanging out with my mother. Doing things with her that mothers and daughters do."

Avari nodded. "I know. I had always wanted to see you. But, due to certain circumstances, I was unable to. Until I thought it was safe. I'm glad I took the chance this time until later. I wanted to see my one and only daughter while she was still in her teens. If I didn't, then I'd miss out on lots of stuff I planned on doing. But I am able to do that now: Give you advice on boys, go shopping with, hang out, do things you like to do." Kalli looked over. Avari looked out, and saw the entrance to the mall. "We're here."

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A/N: FINALLY! I finally got this chapter done! Ack, that took a while. U_U Welp, you know the drill: REVIEW!! And there may be even longer periods of time between chapters now. I gotta concentrate more on school 'cause I have, like, a low/mid-D in Biology. And I have until before Christmas to bring it up. Soo..yah. =p