I DO NOT KNOWN ANY OF THE X-MEN OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THEM.

Chapter 10

The mansion was quite while the adults had their late meeting. Storm had asked Marie to help Kurt watch the students while the meeting took place. Marie agreed and was now walking down the main entrance hallway, trying to keep herself awake. As she approached the front door she saw Karen, in her night gown, trying to figure out the lock on the front door. "Sarah, Marie asked, "what are you doing?"

Sarah jumped but continued, not turning to look at who was talking to her. "I'm going out." She said.

"In your night gown?" Marie questioned.

"The cold does not bother me." Sarah said no emotion in her voice

"If that were true, then why did you ask to come in this morning." Marie said starting to get worried.

"Leave me alone."

"No, are you OK?"

"I said 'leave me alone'" Sarah said finally turning to look at Marie.

Marie looked at her, her body was shaking and her eyes.... her eyes were hollow, emotionless. Marie had seen that look in Logan's eyes before. When a flashback hit, hard. "I think you need to come with me." Marie said, taking her by the arm with her gloved hand, trying not to let Sarah know how bad she had shaken her.

"No!" Sarah screamed, and grabbed Marie's exposed arm to push her away, Sarah did not know about Marie's ability. Both screamed and fell onto the floor. Sarah fell into darkness while her memories flooded Marie's head.

*************

Logan and Jean had just finished telling everyone what they had learned since dinner when they heard the cries and came to investigate. They found Sarah lying on the floor unconscious her breathing fast and ragged and Marie trembling. They quickly realized what had happened, but why they wondered. Bring them to my office, the professor told them mentally. They obeyed Scott picking up Marie, while Logan picked Sarah up. Storm and Jean followed them.

Once back in the office Scott and Logan set the girls in chairs. Sarah was still unconscious but her healing ability had kicked back in and her breathing was returning to normal.

"Marie, calm down honey," Storm said gently, "What happened?"

"She was trying to leave. I tried to stop her." Marie said, trying to clam down so she could tell them what she had seen.

"Why?" Storm asked.

"She was trying to go to them." Marie answered her voice still shaking.

"Who's 'them?'" Scott asked.

"Soldiers..."

"Stryker?" Logan asked

"No, someone else." Marie said her voice staring to calm. "Someone named Rancor."

"Why was she going to him?" Scott asked.

"She's brainwashed. She does not know what she is doing."

"Hold it!" Jean said and the professor's door slammed shut.

Sarah stopped, now fully recovered from her experience with Marie, and stared at the door then turned and looked at the others. "Where do you think you are going?" Scott said stepping toward her.

"I have to go." Sarah said, the calm and control she had had earlier was gone and replace with fear and submission. As she reach for the door Scott grabbed her hand and pulled it away.

"Why?" He demanded.

"Please," Sarah pleaded as she winced in Scott tight grip; "I have to go."

"Why?!" He asked again, anger now in his voice.

"Scott," Logan said, "ease up."

"Why?" Scott said turning to Logan. As he did he pulled Sarah forward causing her to lose her balance and fall to the ground but Scott still held her wrist, "She could be working for someone continuing Stryker's work. You want to go back there?"

"No, but let her go. She is not a threat right now." Logan said stepping toward him.

"How do you know?"

"Because she has super strength. If she was a threat she would have used it to break your arm by now."

Scott considered this as he looked down at Sarah. She had made no attempt to get up. "Scott help her back to the chair." Xavier said. Then turning to Marie asked, "Are you all right?"

"Yes Professor."

"All right, why don't you go to bed now."

"OK Professor." Marie got up and left the room.

Once she had left, the professor moved his wheelchair over so he was in front of Sarah. "Sarah." He said. She looked at him but made no response. "Sarah, where do you have to go?"

"I don't know." She said quietly.

"Then while are you trying to leave?"

"I have to."

"Sarah what will happen if you don't?"

"Steve will get mad." She said almost in a whisper.

"Steve?" The professor asked.

"Her cousin," Logan filled in, "he abused her while she lived with him."

"Where is Steve?"

"At the train station."

"The train station?"

Sarah did not response.

The professor looked at Logan who only shugged.

"It does not make any since, Professor," Jean said, then after thinking about it for a minute, "but, if Marie said is true and she has been brainwashed. Maybe she is getting the messages confused. Maybe her healing ability is trying to correct the damage and in doing so is confusing her. Like a mixed up jigsaw puzzle. Maybe you can go in and help put the pieces together."

The professor considered this then turning to Sarah said, "Sarah, I want to help you. Will you let me into your mind so I can help you sort this out?"

Sarah looked at him then up at Logan.

"It's OK." Logan said, "he won't hurt you."

"OK" she said softly.

"Try and relax." The professor said as he raised his hands to place them on her head. Sarah started to pull her head back and then she looked again at Logan.

"It's OK." He said again and she let the professor enter her mind.

She gasped as the Professor entered her mind and felt all her memories flooding back to her. The panic, the fear, the terror, and the pain. All came back to her in a jumbled mess. But with the professor's help she was able to make since of it.

About fifteen minutes later the professor broke from her mind. Both leaned back in their chairs thoroughly exhausted.

"Well?" Logan said.

"Logan meet your wife." The professor said.

"Told you." Sarah said.

Wow long chapter. Well, what do you think? Please review. Thank you.