A/N: I appreciate all the kind reviews. Thanks to all of you! For the record, I'm pretty open to criticism. If you happen to notice an inconsistency or you have a problem with something in this story, please let me know. I want to make this as good as it can be.

Once again, this is a very long chapter. But they will get a little shorter after this and there was a lot I needed to have in this chapter. Don't worry though, the next chapter is only about half the length of this one.

UPDATE: Thanks to Shadowkeepre for his latest review where he pointed out a mistake on my part. I meant to add that in on this chapter and then got so into writing that I forgot to do it! So, I've come back and added it the way it was supposed to be. For those who already read this chapter, feel free to skim it and just read the parts you don't recognize. I apologize for the inconvenience.

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The group of mutants emerged from the Blackbird one by one and stepped foot back into the mansion. Actually, it wasn't technically the mansion. It was the basement that served as home for the X-Men. The mansion was above them on ground level. Logan walked to a computer embedded into the wall next to the door and punched a few buttons.

"It's clear, Chuck! Looks like the army cleared out three days ago."

"Very good," said the Professor. He turned around to face the X-Men. "We'll need to stay in the underground portion of the mansion until we know its safe to go back upstairs. Its quite possible that the army is keeping an eye on the Institute, so don't give them any reason to think we've returned."

"Professor, like, where are we gonna sleep if we have to stay down here?" asked Kitty.

"There are just as many bedrooms down here as there are upstairs, Kitty. I had anticipated that we might eventually have to hide out for a while so I took the liberty of adding them in. Storm, could you lead everyone to the rooms?"

Storm was standing a few feet away from everyone else and looking down. She nodded silently.

"Of course, professor." She waved her arm at the X-Men. "Follow me."

Kurt, Kitty, Rogue, Jean, Scott, and Remy began following Storm down the hallway.

"Remy? Could I have a quick word with you?" called the Professor.

Remy turned around and looked back at the man in the wheelchair.

"Sure t'ing, mon ami."

Kurt, Kitty, Rogue, Jean, and Scott watched over their shoulders as they left the room. When the doors closed behind them, they turned around and continued following Storm to the living quarters. Storm stopped and turned down another corridor. This hall was lined with doors. She stopped at the first one.

"Girls will be on the right. Boys on the left. You can pick whichever rooms you want."

Storm walked back out of the corridor to leave the kids to argue over who would get which room. She walked slowly down the hallway that led back to the Professor. Soon, though, she had to stop and lean on the wall for support. Finally, tears began streaming down her cheeks. On the way home, she had been told about Evan, but the news was just now beginning to sink in. She was still yet to accept that she wouldn't see him again. She had managed to keep her composure on the jet, but now that she was alone, she began to cry like a little girl. She let the tears glide down her cheeks. Ordinarily, she would be worried about smearing her makeup, but for obvious reasons, she hadn't worn any makeup in over a week. Once she regained her composure, she returned to the hangar where Xavier and Logan were just finishing their talk with Remy.

"So how do I get to de rooms again, mon ami?" said Remy as he left the hangar.

"Walk straight down the hall and take the fifth left," said the professor.

"De fifth left? Quite a place ya got here, mon ami!" Remy nearly ran into Storm as they passed each other in the doorway.

"Excuse me, chere."

Storm simply stepped to the side and let Remy by. She shut the door and walked towards Logan and Xavier slowly. They could immediately tell that she had been crying.

"Its okay, Ororo," said the Professor. "I know it must be hard to hear about Evan. To be honest, it hasn't really hit me yet. We've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to relax and take it all in yet. You have to let the tears out though. Don't try to bottle it all in."

Ororo nearly lost her composure again at the kind words.

"I'll be okay, Charles. But I need to leave. I have to tell my sister what happened. She deserves to know."

"Of course," said the professor. "Would you like someone to go with you?"

"No. Let me do this alone."

"Very well then. Take the X-van. It's our least suspicious vehicle."

"Thank you Charles." Ororo turned to leave.

"You sure yer gonna be okay?" asked Logan.

She turned back around and faced her friends.

"I'll be fine."

*****

"Whoa! These are, like, just as nice as our other rooms!" exclaimed Kitty. She turned around in time to see Jean stick her head through the doorway and look in.

"Wow! I knew the professor had rooms down here, but I never dreamed they were this nice!" said Jean as she looked around Kitty's room. "I just assumed they were small little bunks that were meant for short-term stays."

Jean moved down and opened the door to the room next to Kitty's. It was basically the same room. They were all apparently decorated the same, but it was still much nicer than she had expected. She walked in and sat down on the bed.

"Not bad, eh?" said Scott as he stepped into the room.

"No, not at all!"

"Y'know, I never got a chance to wish you a happy birthday."

Jean smiled and moved over to make room for him on the bed.

"I was wondering if you even remembered!" joked Jean.

Scott sat down and looked at the beautiful redhead beside him.

"I was really worried about you. You promised me that it'd be a quick trip."

"Well, I thought it would be." Jean sighed as she leaned over to rest her head on Scott's shoulder. "It's good to be home. I was really wondering if we'd ever get out of there."

Scott's heart skipped a beat at the touch. He put his arm around her body and held her close to him.

"So how did you find us, anyway?" asked Jean.

"Actually, Logan found you. He heard where you were on the news yesterday and we took off this morning to rescue you."

Jean smiled and tried to just savor this moment. Unfortunately, the moment was killed when Remy passed by the doorway. Scott frowned at the sight of the Cajun inside the mansion.

"I don't see why the professor let him come back with us."

Jean looked up in shock. "You mean Remy? I like him. He's a good guy."

"I don't trust him. I mean, he's been working for Magneto for years now. He's even fought against us before! Why should we suddenly just trust him for no reason?"

Jean lifted her head off Scott's shoulder and looked him in the eye, or at least as best she could. "Magneto betrayed him. Remy hates Magneto now. He's on our side. Besides, do you really think the Professor would let him come here if he thought there was a genuine risk?"

Scott's jaw tightened. In all honesty, he did think the Professor would overlook a genuine risk if he thought he could help Remy. He wasn't one to question the Professor's judgment, but he felt like allowing Remy to join the X-Men was a mistake.

"I don't know. But a dislike for Magneto doesn't automatically mean he's on our side."

Jean eyed Scott in surprise for a moment. It wasn't like him to voice a concern about a decision the Professor had made. But then again, it had been a long and stressful day for everyone. She decided that this wasn't worth arguing over right now and she laid her head back on his shoulder as changed the subject.

"I can't believe what happened to Evan. I mean, he was here when I left and the next time I see any of you, you're telling me that he's been killed!"

Scott frowned even harder. He had avoided thinking about Evan ever since he, Kurt, and Logan had disposed of the body. There was a long silence before Scott responded.

"I tried to protect him, Jean. But I just couldn't. I messed up. I let my guard down and the Sentinel got a shot off at me. It knocked me over and by the time I got back up, it was too late. Thanks to me, Evan's dead!"

"Scott, it wasn't your fault. You did everything you could for him, just like you would for me or anybody else. The Sentinel just got a good hit in and knocked you down. I've fought a Sentinel before and I know that they're nearly impossible to beat! That thing was designed to kill mutants, and that's exactly what it did. Don't blame yourself for not being able to stop it. It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it is! I'm the leader. Everyone else looks to me for leadership when things go bad. Part of my job is protecting my team and I failed. Maybe it isn't entirely my fault, but part of the blame does rest on me."

Jean saw one tear fall from underneath his red shades. She realized that this was not a conversation Scott wanted to have at all. She decided that it might be best if they went to check on the others as they all settled in to their new homes. She stood up from the bed and reached one hand down to help Scott up.

"Let's go see how everyone else is doing."

Scott grabbed her hand and let her pull him up.

"Sure. Why not?"

The two mutants stepped into the hallway and were met by Kitty. Soon, Kurt teleported into the hall with two duffel bags. He handed one to Kitty.

"Zhere you go, Kitty. Hey! You two need me to go get your stuff?"

"Yeah, that'd be great, Kurt!" said Scott.

Kurt dropped the bag that was left in his hand and disappeared in a flash of smoke. Jean turned to face Scott.

"Look, it's been a week since I've been able to clean up and I feel horrible. I'm gonna go take a shower. When Kurt gets back, tell him to put my stuff in my room."

"No problem," said Scott. He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss.

"And don't worry about Evan," she whispered in his ear. "You couldn't have stopped it." With that, she let go of Scott and turned to head for the bathrooms.

"That sounds like a good idea!" said Kitty. "I feel really dirty after that fight!" She ran to catch up with Jean.

Scott watched Jean walk away with a smile. It was good to have her back.

"So I take it you two are an item den, neh?"

Scott turned around to find Remy standing a few feet behind him and leaning on a doorpost with his arms crossed. He had taken off his trench coat and armor, but was still wearing the black and blue spandex body suit.

"Yeah, we are," said Scott more defensively than he had meant to.

Remy pushed himself off the doorpost and slowly shifted his weight onto his feet. "Are dere any other couples I should know about 'round here?"

Scott looked up and down at Remy and decided for sure that he didn't like him. "Why?"

"Just curious, mon ami. Ya don' gotta get defensive."

Scott opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the reappearance of Kurt between him and Remy.

"Hey, here's your bag. Where's Jean?" said Kurt as he handed a duffel bag to Scott.

"She's cleaning up. Just set it in her room."

"Zure thing!"

Kurt disappeared, then quickly reappeared without the bag.

"Vhat did the Professor talk to you about?" he asked Remy.

"Ah, de usual for any new student, I'm sure," he said. "Told me de ground rules an' said somethin' 'bout respectin' others."

Rogue emerged from her new room and joined the small gathering of mutants in the hallway. The boys watched her coming as she walked towards the group. No one had told her about Miss Marvel yet and if she knew what had happened, she wasn't showing it.

"Hey, what's goin' on out here and why wasn't ah invited?" she said teasingly.

"Hey chere. We was just talkin' 'bout me joining up with y'alls little group."

Scott flinched at the term "little group."

"We're called the X-Men."

"Course ya are, mon ami."

"C'mon Scott. He didn't mean anythin' by it, did ya, sugah?"

"Nah. It was just an expression. Calm down, mon ami. I thought we left de fightin' back in Cuba."

Scott frowned. "Just make sure you get it right from now on."

"I will, mon ami. So, didn't you guys used ta have another member? Spiky, or something like that?"

"You were on the Blackbird when we told Jean and Storm about him," said Scott. "He was killed by a Sentinel."

"Oh yeah," said Remy, who had legitimately forgotten about hearing the story on the flight to the mansion. "I didn' know his name, so I wasn't sure who ya was talkin' 'bout."

"He vas a good guy," said Kurt sadly.

"Yeah, ah still can't believe he's gone," said Rogue.

She shivered as she remembered the look in his eyes as he died. She would never forget that feeling she had absorbed from him in his last moments. It had been such a strange feeling when he actually died and she could touch him without feeling any power rushing into her body. She had actually seen his life flash before her eyes! She had seen parties, fights with Pietro, and even scenes from battles that the X-Men had fought. It was a moment that she couldn't forget no matter how much she wanted to. At times, she wondered if she had done the right thing by touching him that day. She justified it though by reminding herself that he would've died anyway and, after all, he had been paralyzed by the blows he took!

Scott looked from the ceiling to the floor and then back again. He was tired of talking about Evan.

"I'm gonna take a look around and make sure everything's alright," said Scott. "See you guys later." He turned, walked away from the group, and headed for the living area.

"Wait up! I'll go with you!" called Kurt as he teleported out of sight.

Rogue looked around and realized that she had been left alone with Remy.

"Ah wanted ta thank ya for pulling me outta that hole back there."

Remy smiled. "It was nothin', chere."

"You looked worried when ah woke up. Was somethin' wrong?"

Remy paused. "Nah, nothin' wrong. Why do ya ask?"

Rogue smiled. When Remy touched her forehead to wake her up, she had picked up his emotions and she knew for a fact that he had been worried if she was okay.

"No reason."

Remy looked at the girl in front of him. She was beautiful. He'd thought that since they'd first met. He smiled as he thought about the possibilities of living in the same house as her.

"So chere, do ya remember anythin' that happened 'fore dat building fell on ya?"

Rogue thought back. "No. I remember talkin' to you after the army attacked us, and I vaguely remember leaving and chasin' someone. After that its all kinda fuzzy, though. Why?"

"Just curious." Remy didn't want to be the one to break the news about what had happened to her. He'd let the professor do that.

*****

Charles Xavier rolled his wheelchair into his room and shut the door. He let out a long sigh as he rolled across the room and looked in the mirror. There had only been two times in his life that he hadn't recognized the reflection in the mirror. The first was on the day he realized with startling certainty that he was different from anyone else he'd ever known. Decades before he heard the word mutant, it was clear his mind set him apart from his friends and family. The second time was when he woke on a windy morning in Tibet and realized he would never walk again. While the face had been the same, he had felt for a time that he was somehow less than a person for his handicap.

On this afternoon, it was another emotion that had twisted his features beyond recognition. On this afternoon, he was finally forced to deal with the death of Evan Daniels, an innocent child who had trusted him. On this day, his was a face marred by failure.

"What have I done?" he asked the man in the mirror. "Most of these kids had lives before I talked them into coming here. They had friends, families, futures! What do they have now? I took them away from their families. I made them form new friendships. I can't ensure their future! When I started this school, I hoped I could bring about peace in the world, but I'm beginning to fear that all that awaits these poor kids is death at the hands of those who hate them. And it will all be my fault!"

Then, words from the past echoed across his mind in the voice of Eric Lensherr.

"Tell me Charles, if not an army, what are you going to build?"

He closed his eyes when he heard the words again. Just like the first time he heard them, he cringed. The X-Men were not an army. He formed the group to help people. And yet, he had to admit that they were well-trained fighters! They had been taught how to use their powers in combat situations and had been involved in many battles so far, most recently with the United States Army!

A knock came from the door. Xavier didn't move, didn't look telepathically to see who was there, but simply told them to come in. The door opened and Hank McCoy entered the room.

"Hi there, Charles. Good to see you again."

Xavier looked up with surprise and turned around.

"Hank! I didn't expect you back for another week at least!"

"Well, I heard the news and came as soon as I could. Its not easy traveling right now when you look like this though."

"Yes, I can imagine. I'm glad you've returned safely."

Hank looked at Xavier and could tell something wasn't right.

"What's wrong, Charles? You look horrible!"

Xavier looked away and motioned for Hank to sit down.

"Evan was killed in battle."

Hank's jaw dropped when he heard this.

"What?! How did that happen?!"

"A Sentinel. It happened a week ago. Hank, he was only 15 years old!"

Hank sat back as this soaked in.

"Have I done the right think in bringing these kids here, Hank?"

The furry blue man looked up at his old friend in surprise. "Of course you have! One tragedy doesn't mean the rest are tragedies or that they'll become tragedies. Look at the kids you've got here, Charles. As a former teacher at Bayville, I'm telling you that your kids are the best ones in this town. You shouldn't be worried about them."

Xavier looked up and smiled for the first time in a week. "Thank you, Hank. Welcome home."

"You're welcome, Charles. And thank you. It's good to be home."

"I'm sure it is," said the Professor as he began rolling towards the door. "Now I'm afraid I have a horrible task to do and I'd appreciate it if you would accompany me. Do you mind?"

Hank stood up and followed the Professor out the door.

"Sure. Where are we going?"

"I'll fill you in on the way."

*****

Rogue was busy packing her clothes into her new dresser. She looked up into her mirror and frowned. There was something wrong with her appearance, but she couldn't quite place it. She leaned closer to the glass and studied her reflection. Every line was the same. Every hair fell the same way. And yet, the lines were different. The hair was unfamiliar. She ran her hands through her hair and moved her head from side to side as she took in as much of her reflection as she could. A knock on the door startled her and she jumped back and sat down on the bed.

"Come in!"

The door opened and Professor Xavier came in followed by Mr. McCoy.

"Mr. McCoy! When'd you get here?"

"Just now." said the Beast as he looked at Rogue in a strange way. She wondered what he was looking at.

"Rogue, we'd like to talk to you for a minute," said the Professor.

"Sure. What about?"

Mr. McCoy closed the door and they both came closer to the bed she was sitting on. The Professor spoke first.

"Rogue, do you remember anything before you were knocked out?"

Rogue was surprised by the question. It was the same thing Remy had asked her earlier. She began to wonder if something had happened that she didn't know about.

"Ah remember me 'n Remy were in this cabin with some other girl. We were talkin' and then this other girl just jumped up, knocked down the wall, and flew away. Ah think Ah remember chasing her or somethin'. Ah don't know. It gets fuzzy right about there. Why do ya ask?"

The Professor looked back at her with such a strange look that Rogue began to get worried.

"There's something you need to know. Before Remy pulled you out of the rubble, they found another person down there. Rogue, does the name Carol Danvers mean anything to you?"

Rogue's eyes widened. The name was strangely familiar. It almost felt like her own name! She began to see memories flash before her eyes. A young blonde girl running in a big backyard being chased by her mother. A birthday party for the same girl, now older. Everyone at the party seemed happy except for one man in the corner. Jean and Storm were sitting in a room talking to the man and the woman she had seen in the earlier memories. Then the same blonde-haired girl walked into the room, this time much older. The man stabbed Jean and Storm in the necks, then came towards Rogue! She turned to run, but he tackled her from behind. She screamed. She could hear her mother yelling at her father to stop. She felt a pain in her shoulder that quickly spread down to her chest and around her whole body. Her vision blurred until she could see nothing but darkness. She got very cold and began to shiver. She felt like she was falling through pitch black nothingness. She could feel the wind whipping against her. Suddenly, she heard the Professor's voice calling to her.

"Rogue! Are you okay?"

"Professor? What's going on?!"

"Hang on Rogue! We're going to help you!"

"Professor!"

She felt herself stop in midair. She was hovering now. No, she was laying on a bed. She could feel the mattress below her. There was a sharp pain on the inside of her elbow. She tried to look around, but she couldn't see anything. She realized her eyes were closed. She opened them and a bright light shone against her face. Slowly, two figures began to blur into view. Mr. McCoy and the Professor were looking down at her. The Professor smiled.

"Are you okay, Rogue? How do you feel?"

Rogue groaned. "Like a train hit me. What happened."

"You blacked out. Hank and I brought you to the infirmary. Rogue, I want you to listen to me and focus on me. When you were knocked out in Cuba you accidentally absorbed another girl. The two of you were both unconscious for so long that you eventually absorbed all of her energy into you without meaning to. That girl was Carol Danvers."

Rogue listened to the Professor's words. He had to be wrong. She felt just the same as she always did. She knew what it felt like to have another person inside of her and she knew that she did not currently sense another personality floating around in her mind. But then again, what was that blackout all about? What about those memories she just saw? Those weren't her memories. The girl in them hadn't been her. But then, at the same time, it had been her! It didn't feel like someone was inside of her, but she had to admit that something strange was going on.

"Carol Danvers was the girl that Jean and Storm went to recruit," continued the Professor. "She was captured along with Jean and Storm and taken to Cuba."

"Is she okay?" asked Rogue.

The Professor bit his lip for a moment. Rogue knew that was a bad sign.

"I'm afraid she didn't make it."

Rogue heard the words, but they didn't make sense. "What?"

"I'm afraid that you completely absorbed her, Rogue. She died."

This time, Rogue understood what the Professor was saying. She closed her eyes and tried to collect her thoughts. Soon, she was asleep.