Eden: Don't worry I have no life too, how do you think I keep coming out with these chapters so fast. ;)

P.S. You didn't like April! Damn I was trying to get people to like her, then when she got killed it would have had more impact, well at least Shadow-Spider seemed to be moved by it.

Louc S. Swarm: Hey I'm not one to dispute any rants, I've done a few at times too, in fact I like long reviews. Plus I always thought Sinister was an underrated villain, that's why I chose him, plus I always liked him as a villain, and I'm pissed he was never in X-Men: Evolution.

ENTER MAYHEM

CHAPTER 18: GRIEVING

Vincent didn't know how long he was there holding her. He didn't notice Kurt coming back with McCoy. He didn't notice anyone until Hank put a hand on his shoulder. He turned to face him, he could see him but his words didn't register.

He gently laid her down onto the ground he could see her eyes empty of life looking up at the sky. His hand shaking, he slowly closed her eyes. He got up and slowly walked back to the mansion. It was like he was in a trance, nothing really registered, he didn't feel anything at the moment, all he felt was numb. Kurt had teleported McCoy and April's body to the medical ward.

The others still in shock, themselves slowly followed Vincent back to the mansion, no one spoke. Tabitha and Bobby came running out to them. Tabitha saw Vincent in the lead with blood on his shirt. "Vince what happened, is she okay?" her voice filled with worry.

Vince didn't answer her, he didn't even acknowledge her, he just walked on. Tabitha knew something horrible had happened. She looked to see Jean and Kitty were crying, and Rogue wasn't doing too well either.

Jubilee, and the other students came running outside. "Guys what's going on?" Jubilee asked them.

Bobby went up to Scott. "April is she…" he desperately wanted him to say something other than what he feared had happened.

Scott simply shook his head. Bobby took a set back realizing what had happened. Jubilee grabbed his arm, her face filled with worry. "Bobby what about April? What's going on?" she pleaded with him.

"She's gone Jubes." Bobby quietly said to her. "She died."

There were a collection of gasps. Then all was silent again, no one knew what to say, what to do. Except for Rogue, she knew she had to get to Vincent. He was most likely hurting the most from all of this. She walked off to his room no one asked where she was going, because everyone else was already too busy to notice.

Vincent had taken off his shirt and thrown it into a corner, he would get rid of it later, he didn't want it around, it would always remind him of this day.

He noticed he had blood on his hand, and went to wash it off. He got out a black shirt and put it on, he was still in a trance like state, until he fell onto his bead. He curled up into a ball and finally just started to cry. The reality of it all came back to him in waves, he shut his eyes, in a vain attempt to close off the memory, but it didn't go away.

Rogue had entered his room, and she walked over to him and sat down on his bead. She noticed the blood stained shirt in the corner, she knew he was hurting so much, this would have been the second person named April he had lost.

Her heart was breaking at both April's death, and at how much it hurt Vincent. She truly had feelings for him, like she knew from his memories he did for her, and seeing him like this was tarring at her heart. She gently turned him over to face her. She could she his eyes were red from crying, and the tears on his face.

They looked each other in the eyes both could see the each others pain reflected in them. They didn't say a word, they only embraced each other, both taking comfort from each other and literally crying on each others' shoulders.

The others were also trying to find solace from today. Jean and Scott were there for each other, both blaming themselves. Scott blamed himself because he was the leader of the X-Men should have done something more, Jean because she had failed to see the hidden programming in her mind, and couldn't stop it until it was too late.

Ororo was comforting Jamie the youngest of the students, she was cradling him in her arms trying to soothe him, who was crying. 'He's too young to experience something like this.' She sadly thought, it was a cruel world at times, she remembered her own family's death of her mother and father, and how young she was at the time.

Others were either in their rooms crying or being comforted by their friends, such as Sam who was with Tabitha, Bobby was with Jubilee, Rahne who was leaning on Roberto and Amara were just sitting quietly in the living room.

Kurt was on the roof, looking at the setting sun, he had a rosary in his hands, silently prying for April's soul. Ray was in the gym taking his frustration out on a punching bag, throwing all his pain and fury into it.

Logan had gone into the woods in the back, when he came back thirty minutes later, there were now several trees hacked to pieces. He stared out into the night sky, smoking a cigar, he felt for the girl, like he did with Vincent. They all had been through the same crap in life, being experimented on, and treated like they weren't human.

Hank was in the medical ward, April's body currently on a stretcher, a sheet covering her except her head. He had cleaned up her face, and was looking at her. She looked so peaceful, almost like she was sleeping, she was so young and innocent looking. Hank could feel the tears going through his fur.

He covered her up and moved her body somewhere where they could deal with the arrangements for her later.

At night when everyone else was sleeping, or trying to Charles was alone in his office, he was behind his desk holding his head in his hands. 'I failed her.' He thought to himself 'I've failed her and it cost her, her life.'

"Chuck it wasn't your fault." Logan had said, he had silently gotten into the room and was watching Xaver beat himself up about this.

"I didn't see it Logan, I didn't see whatever it was Sinister had hidden in that child's head." Xavier gravely said. "And it cost her, her life."

Logan knew this wasn't going to be easy, everyone seemed to blame themselves to some extent. He decided to change the subject a little. "Did Hank figure out what that think was on Cerebro?"

Xavier looked up at Logan, and Wolverine could see how tired the Professor looked. "It was some sort of device that apparently hacked into Cerebro and downloaded all it's data, even it's blueprints and schematics."

Logan's eyes grew wide. "Ya mean there some lunatic out there with at least one evil telepath on his side, and now he could make his own Cerebro?" he yelled out.

Xavier nodded his head. "Yes it would appear that was what he was after all along. I think he let us 'capture' April for this vary purpose."

Logan thought of that, and it made a sick kind of sense with him, with Mystique they had tightened security and it would be nearly impossible to get to Cerebro, by going through the mansion all the way through from the perimeter defenses.

"We were set up since the construction site." Wolverine growled out. "And he just sacrificed that girl just like that!" He unsheathed his claws, wanting nothing more to tear something apart. "I'm gonna kill that bastard."

Xavier wasn't sure what to say, he didn't like the idea of killing anyone, but everything he had seen of this Sinister's work, the images he saw in April's mind of the lab, and what had happened to her today, there was a small part of him that didn't want to stop Wolverine.

That truly scared Xavier.

It had been three days since April's death they had the funeral on that day. Everyone had taken it hard, for the most part this was the first time any of them had experienced death so close. They had all faced it, either by Sentinels, or when Mystique had blown up the mansion.

The events with Apocalypse had given them their closest dealing with death yet before now, because they had thought Mystique, Magneto, Xavier and Storm had died. But they hadn't and they had gotten them back. April however they knew wouldn't be so lucky.

Everyone was there in black suits or dresses despite the heat of the summer's day. A minister that Xavier knew was called in for the service. Even Amanda was there, even though she had only met April once while visiting Kurt, she was there, but mostly for emotional support for Kurt.

Vincent hadn't smiled once in those three days, he was withdrawn and gloomy and rarely came out of his room. Rogue was always at his side however, you could see him now holding her gloved hand. He was thankful that she was there for him, he wasn't sure he could have gone through all of this without her.

As they left Vincent took one last look at the gravestone above her fresh grave. It had no date of birth, just her death, and it simply read:

Here lays

April

Now She Is Truly Free

'I'm sorry I couldn't save you.' Vincent silently sent to her, then turned back and began his way to the Institute with the others.

The next few days, things were slowly getting back to normal for the most part. There were times when some of the students still got misty eyed, some even broke out crying at times.

But things were getting better, there still was a sense of sadness around the mansion, but it wasn't as bad as it was several days ago. Vincent had started to come out of his room more, but was still withdrawn and even sought out more time to be alone, than he usually had.

It was on one of these days, Rogue heard music from the piano being played from the music room, as she neared it, she heard Vincent's voice singing a song, his voice carried great sadness and sorrow with it.

"All around me are familiar faces, worn out places, worn out faces Bright and early for the daily races, going nowhere, going nowhere The tears are filling up their glasses, no expression, no expression Hide my head I want to drown my sorrow, no tomorrow, no tomorrow I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad."

He kept on playing the music feeling like his pain was coming out of his finger tips and onto the keys, his voice carrying his sorrow to the winds.

"The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had I find it hard to tell you I find it hard to take When people run in circles it a very very mad world, mad world, mad world."

"Children waiting for the day they feel good, happy birthday, happy birthday When I feel the way every child should, sit and listen, sit and listen Went to school and I was vary nervous, no one knew me, no one knew me Hello teacher what's my lesson, look right through me, look right through me I find it kind of funny, I find it kind of sad, the dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had I find it hard to tell you I find it hard to take."

"When people run in circles it a very very mad world Mad World Mad World."

She entered the room as he finished and placed his hands on the keys. He heard the footsteps coming and could tell who it was. Rogue sat down next to him on the bench and placed a hand on his shoulder. "How are ya doin' today?"

Vincent gives a slight twitch of his mouth, it's the closest thing to a smile he could manage these past few days. "Well I've been better, but I'm also doing a little better than the every other day."

She looked into his eyes, they had dark circles and he looked so tired. "Ya still having trouble sleepin'?"

Vincent knew he couldn't lie to her she was too smart for it, so he nodded his head in acknowledgement. "Nightmares keep me up."

There was a moment of quiet then he spoke. "I wish Father Michaels was here, he always helped me out when things got bad."

"Ya could always call him."

"I know, but it's just not the same, and with all the kids he's got to take care of, there's no way he would leave them for a visit, I mean the man hasn't taken any time off since I've known him."

Rogue got an idea then, she hoped the Professor would agree to it.

Later that day Rogue entered the Professor's study looking for him, she found him behind his desk, he looked so tired and for a second was about to rethink her plan to help Vincent.

"It's alright Rogue, what is it you wanted to see me about?" Xavier asked her.

Rogue walked in, and sat down on one of the chairs, she told the Professor to help Vincent cope with April's death, and he seemed to agree. He too had noticed how hard he had taken it.

'Having someone die in your arms like that, is something that is not easy to get over, and one thing, especially for Vincent, that you can never forget.' Xavier mused to himself. 'I've tried to help him and the others get through this, but maybe I'm not really the one he needs. There is someone else that knows him better than me, and could help him more.'

He called Vincent to his office, after a few minutes he walked in, if Xavier didn't know any better he could have sworn he had aged a couple of years, in the past few days.

"Vincent, Rogue here has given me an idea to help you through this. I know this is a troubling time for you, and I would like to help you. I've been made aware that there is someone who might be able to help you more than I could."

"So I've decided to have Logan take you back to Toronto for a visit to Father Michaels if you want it."

Vincent looked at the Professor, and a small smile actually formed on his face. "Really? You mean it?" Xavier nodded "Thank you Professor, I…I really needed to talk to him. There is one thing though." Vincent was slightly hesitant.

"I was...um…wondering if I could take Rogue with me."

Rogue was surprised at this turn of events. "Why would ya want meh with ya?"

He looked over at Rogue "Well are a few reasons first off, Father Michaels has been wanting to meet with my friends here ever since I've been writing to him. Secondly I'll get to show you around my home town, but….most importantly….you've been there for me through this whole thing and….I want you with me when I go."

She stood up and smiled slightly at him. "Of course ah will, if the Professor let's meh that is." She looked over at the Professor, who smiled and nodded his approval.

NEXT UP: CHAPTER 19: A VISIT HOME

Will Vincent's return to Toronto help him in his hour of grief, or will old wounds be opened up?

Don't worry this was originally a lot longer, but I cut it in two so I could give you guys something to read. The next chapter should be out in a few days.