FYI:

~Personal Thoughts~

ESP

%The Written Word%

[Flashback]

"Normal Conversation (Duh)"

* Com Link or Telephone *

*Sound Effects (usually just Kurt's bamfing)

{Background noise--music, crowds, etc.}

HYDRA

The entire way through practice, I felt like someone was constantly watching me and only me. At first I tried to convince myself it was only nerves because summer was nearing a close and school would be starting next week along with the first game of the season. ~Cool it girl, you're just getting on edge for no reason.~

But the feeling persisted and towards the end I had myself convinced that it was Mystique preparing herself for a rematch but that too got shoved aside. ~She wouldn't be dumb enough to attack me in plain view. You're now being paranoid.~

However as I was pulling my equipment together after practice I could have sworn I saw a man standing beneath the bleachers. ~Now I'm scaring myself by seeing things.~ When I turned to look properly there was nobody there and I tried to shake it off.

"Hey Al, I'll meet you by your truck. I need to go inside for something."

"Yeah, sure thing, Sam. Just hurry okay." I continued to gaze at the spot where I was positive a man had been standing. ~If anything it was a college scout. Stop being stupid.~

"Are you okay?" I blinked when I realized he was still talking to me.

"Huh? Oh yeah. Peachy." I turned and smiled at him as I heaved my stuff up over my shoulder. "Hey, don't take too long 'cause you owe me a soda, remember?" He growled something in a poor imitation of Logan as he ran back into the school.

I turned to look back at the bleachers once more then shook my head. ~It was nothing but a wildly over active imagination. What's that saying, 'Imagination is intelligence having fun.' Why aren't I having fun and why don't I feel very smart right now?~

I walked to the parking lot slowly figuring that the longer I took to get there the less time I'd spend there waiting on Sam. I tossed my stuff into the bed and was turning on the radio to listen to until Sam got back.

As I fumbled with the key I felt a hand grab my arm roughly and yank me outta the truck where the keys hung in the ignition and slammed me bodily into the side of the truck. "Hey watch the hands!" Through the stars, I turned to look at my not so friendly grabber and gasped. There in living color was my father, long dark hair pulled back in a single braid, long beard, and alcohol on the breath. ~Just like I remember him.~ I swallowed as I stared into the cold brown eyes glaring down at me.

"Is that any way to greet your dad?"

"Hi." His grip tightened and I inhaled quickly as the pain seared up my arm. "Whacha doing here?"

"Came to get you outta this damn prep school your fucking mother put you in."

"I like it here though." I winced as the grip became tighter and realized quickly why my mom had divorced him and how she'd ended up in the hospital. ~He's strong…no kidding there.~

"You look like a damn slut. Your mother let you walk around like this?" I glanced down at the wife beater I wore beneath my practice clothes. I hadn't gotten a chance to throw on a hoodie yet.

"I had practice…I don't dress like this normally." He backhanded me hard causing my head to rattle and mixing up my thoughts slightly. ~He didn't just hit me…I'm his li'l girl…I'm his baby.~

"Don't lie to me you fucking little slut. You're coming with me."

"No. I'm not leaving my friends." I received another slap across the mouth and shut my eyes willing the tears to go away before they gave away my weakness.

"Don't talk back to me. Who said you could play football, huh? Think you're a guy now too?"

"No…" I winced as yet another backhand came and bit my lip 'til it began bleeding. ~Where's Sam?!?!~

"Come on…I'll get you turned around." He yanked me away from my truck and towards a similar red Chevy truck on the opposite side of the parking lot. ~Well, that might be part of the reason I insisted on getting mine. Stupid me really thought I was Daddy's little girl.~

I struggled slightly trying to work free. In my panic I wasn't thinking about my powers. Hell, if I had been, I wouldn't have both cheeks stinging red from so many hits. "Stop that right now girl." He turned to glare at me and I stopped in my tracks, tears threatening to take over. I put all my strength into one more yank but found it hurt even more because he yanked back dislocating my shoulder.

A single tear fell as I realized that this man didn't care about my well being. He cared about what he thought was right and not what was the truth. "Let her go." More tears slid down my burning cheeks when I heard Sam's voice. ~Thank you God for sweet innocent Sam.~

"Who's he? Do you have a boyfriend?" I whimpered as the pressure continued to grow on my arm and I knew that pretty soon circulation was going to go. ~Forget about the bruise I'll have to remember this for a month or so.~ "Who said you could have a boyfriend?"

"Nobody." He took a break from the backhands and punched me in the gut causing me to double over. "He's just a friend." Another punch followed.

"Damn you girl and your lies."

"I said let her go." I looked up at Sam and saw that he'd dropped his gear several yards back and looked ready for a fight. "Some father you are. Drop outta her life just to come back and beat the crap outta her." He dropped my arm to turn around and face Sam. I dropped to my knees hugging my stomach and willing the pain to go away.

"You little shit, you think you can talk to me that way?" My father roughly yanked me back up by my other arm as I silently kissed the feeling in it goodbye as well. "I'll do damn well as I please and won't answer to any fuckers like you."

I'd never seen Sam angry…yes scared, shy, worried, happy, ev'rything but angry. It was a sight to be seen as he was practically busting to beat something. "Don't make me hurt you."

"What do you think you're going to do? Threaten me to boredom?" He scoffed as Sam blew his top and launched himself at him. I felt my arm released as I watched as both of them flew by. I landed on my back and banged my head off the pavement but it felt like a feather pillow compared to my father's fists.

I pushed myself back to my feet seeing stars and silently stumbled over towards Sam who was standing again by now. My father lied on his back gasping for breath having taken a hard shot to the chest. "You're one of those damn freaks. My daughter won't date a fucking mutant." He stood up and pulled a switchblade from his pocket.

My eyes fell on the shining blade as I stepped in front of Sam. ~Maybe he won't go through me. Maybe he'll snap out of this and realize I'm his baby girl, that he doesn't want to hurt me.~ "Daddy, please."

"Get out of the way." He slowly walked towards us the knife held dangerously.

"Daddy, I'm begging you…leave Sam outta this."

"So now the fucker has a name? Well, Sam, you picked the wrong girl to fuck."

"Al…" I ignored Sam's protests from behind me as I held my hands out in a shielding fashion.

"Al? That's what people call you now?" There was no emotion behind those brown eyes. Just pure anger built up from the alcohol.

"Sam, I want you to go…now."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Ain't that sweet. He'll die for you bitch. The mutant's going to die for the bitch he fucks."

"The key's in the ignition…go…get help." I turned my head slightly to look at him and could see him hesitantly turn to go. I turned back to face the man who'd been at some point in my life a father. "Stop that. If you hate mutants so much then you must hate me too."

He stopped moving as he tore his gaze off the retreating Sam and turned to look at me again. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I could hear the tires squeal as Sam put my truck in motion and sped away. ~Thank you for listening.~

"I'm a mutant too. If you hate Sam 'cause he's one then you've got to hate me too, your li'l girl, your baby girl." A smile pulled up on the corners of his lips as he started moving towards me again. ~Oh good one, tell the drunk mutant hater that you're a mutant. He's not your father, he's a drunken asshole on an ego trip.~

"So that's what went wrong. You're a damn mutant. No wonder you don't listen to a fucking thing any one says." I mentally kicked myself for making that stupid of a move. I slowly began to back away from him as he waved the knife testing the way it cut the air. ~Didn't the professor or maybe it was Miss Frost say that the mutant gene is passed on by fathers? That would make it his fault. I dunno, who cares at this point.~

My arms were still held out to the side and I began to wonder if there might be a water line or something running beneath the parking lot. ~Even if I could just bust one, that might be enough distraction.~ I kept my eyes glued on him however as I walked not daring to look back.

"Don't do this…I don't want to hurt you." He snorted as he continued to walk forward. "I don't want to, but if I have to I'll…I'll use my powers." He didn't seem to find that as a very viable threat as he still moved forward. ~Okay, this isn't working…~

I licked my lips cursing the planners who decided to not run water lines beneath the parking lot. "Come on girlie…let's see those powers of yours." ~How long will it take for Sam to get back to the institute. It's only a few miles and at that speed…~

"How do you know I'm not already using them?" ~I need to stall…just buy some time 'til the others can get here.~ He stopped uncertain at first then kept coming at me as I failed to put any more distance between us. I hit a brick wall with a good amount of force as I'd been backing up extremely quickly.

He smirked as he continued to step forward and was too close for me to cut to either side safely anymore. "Lets see 'em. Let's see those powers of yours." I tried as best I could but fear clouded my senses and refused to allow me to concentrate. ~Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.~ "Times up." He closed the distance on me and rammed the knife into my stomach. I fought the urge to vomit knowing the sight of the red blood would cause me to vomit even more in a cycle that would only stop once I passed out. ~I can't pass out. I have to stand strong 'til help comes.~

With a sick smile on his face he twisted the knife in my gut and pulled it back out. I gasped as I dropped to my knees and held my hand over the hole in my stomach. My white shirt was slowly turning a bright red and I could see the liquid slowly seeping between my fingers. I swallowed as I looked up at the man who'd given me life and wondered if he'd be taking it as well as I welcomed the pain free darkness.

CANNONBALL

I'd never been so scared as when I saw that man hitting Al in the parking lot. It took me a while to realize that the behemoth before me was actually her father. ~He looks like a drunk now. Not a bit like those nice wedding shots she showed me.~ I dropped my stuff and ran forward not exactly knowing what I planned to do other than get him away from her. ~She's not thinking. She should be able to get away.~

"Let her go." I could see that she was crying under the hold of her father as he turned to look at me.

"Who's he? Do you have a boyfriend? Who said you could have a boyfriend?" She was whimpering and didn't seem very much like the Allison I knew.

"Nobody." I stood helplessly by as he punched her in the gut. "He's just a friend." He hit her again and I could feel the anger slowly rising.

"Damn you girl and your lies."

"I said let her go. Some father you are. Drop outta her life just to come back and beat the crap outta her." He let her go which accomplished my goal as he turned to look at me fully. I took a deep breath as Allison fell to her knees.

"You little shit, you think you can talk to me that way?" He yanked her back up by the other arm forcing her to her feet. "I'll do damn well as I please and won't answer to any fuckers like you."

I could feel my hands curling into fists as I watched. ~I have to do something.~ "Don't make me hurt you."

"What do you think you're going to do? Threaten me to boredom?" He laughed at me and I finally blew my top as I launched myself at him. He went flying across the pavement as I stood back up glowering.

He continued to lie on his back gasping for air as he stared at me. I could sense Al's presence behind me as she softly sobbed. "You're one of those damn freaks. My daughter won't date a fucking mutant." As he stood back up again he pulled a knife out.

She stepped in front of me and placed her hands out as if she could stop him from attacking me. "Daddy, please."

"Get out of the way." He continued to flash the knife dangerously as he advanced towards us.

"Daddy, I'm begging you…leave Sam outta this."

"So now the fucker has a name? Well, Sam, you picked the wrong girl to fuck." I tensed at the way he was talking. ~This is his daughter…why's he talking to her like that?~

"Al…" I placed a hand on her shoulder but she continued to ignore it.

"Al? That's what people call you now?" I stared at the cold heartless man over her shoulder.

"Sam, I want you to go…now." My breath caught in my throat at what she'd just asked me to do. ~I can't…I can't leave her with this mad man.~

"I'm not leaving you."

"Ain't that sweet. He'll die for you bitch. The mutant's going to die for the bitch he fucks."

"The key's in the ignition…go…get help." She turned her head slightly, just enough for me to see the bright blue eyes shining through the black eye that was forming. ~She's pissed to say the least. Maybe she can take care of herself. I'm just going to have to trust her.~ I slowly turned and ran towards her truck yanking the door open and getting behind the wheel. "Stop that. If you hate mutants so much then you must hate me too." I paused for a second to look in the rear view mirror when I hear those words. ~What is she thinking?~

I took a deep breath when I realized she was simply distracting him away from me. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" ~Now to get the calvary.~ I jammed my foot down on the accelerator and the tires screamed in protest as I sped out.

I don't know how long it took me to get back to the institute and I pulled the truck to a screeching halt in front of the garage where Logan was tinkering on his bike. "Help…Al…her father…knife…school…" Logan dropped his tools and stood up quickly looking at me as I practically fell from the driver's seat of the truck.

"Where's Kicks?"

"School…her dad…knife…" I didn't realize it but I'd been holding my breath the entire trip over. "Where are the others?"

"No time for that." He practically picked me up and bodily shoved me into the passenger seat of the truck as he took over the wheel. "Start talking, bub."

"Allison's dad's a the school beating the crap outta her." I took a deep breath trying to make sense although it was hard for me to do so. "The call the other day was her mom, saying her dad knew she was here. He's a drunk and to top it off he hates mutants. He might kill her." Logan spared one look at me as he took a turn at top speed practically tossing me out the open window. I held on to the door for dear life as we pulled back into the parking lot.

I jumped down from the cab and didn't think twice about tackling him. He'd been standing over her, the knife now covered in blood as she was slumped down against a wall. The knife skittered away as I punched him in the jaw. He knocked me off with a sharp blow to the face and Logan took over.

I only took in Logan long enough to see that Al's father was now in the air hanging on by his collar and for once looked scared as with a *snikt Logan's claws crept closer to his throat.

I ran over to Allison and could see that her shirt was now a brilliant red from the blood and her eyes were closed. ~No, she can't be.~ I clumsily felt for a pulse and didn't find one. ~Please, let it be my own stupidity that I can't find one.~ I tilted her head up and placed it in my lap as I removed me jean jacket and placed it over her like a blanket. ~This isn't fair…it's that asshole who should die.~

"If she's dead…you can kiss your own damn life goodbye as well, bub." I looked away from my jacket, which was slowly staining red to Logan who punched the other man in the face hard enough to knock him unconscious. He dropped him and stalked back towards us.

He knelt down and frowned as he scrunched up his nose against the smell of her blood and took a pulse. "She's hanging on, but just barely." I nodded slowly thanking God for his kindness. "Look, I can't stay here. The police'll be on their way with an ambulance. Tell 'em whatever you want to, just don't tell 'em a fourth person was involved. If he's going to get locked up we can't make it look like mutants ganged up on him." I nodded realizing that the jerk wasn't going to see the inside of a cell for very long. ~Doesn't really matter if she dies, she's just a mutant. We're all just mutant freaks.~

WHITE QUEEN

* Miss Steele? *

* Yes, is everything okay with Allison? *

* I'm afraid I have some bad news. * ~I hate having to do this.~ I shook my head as Xavier watched on from behind his desk. * Allison's father was in Bayville today. *

* Dear God, he hurt her! That son of a bitch hurt her. *

* Yes, she's being transported from the hospital to here at the institute. We'll give her the best treatment that there is. *

* Where is he? Where's that bastard? I'll kill him. *

* The Bayville police is currently holding Mr. Williams. If you'd like, we'll have a lawyer here to talk to you about a restraining order. *

* A restraining order? Won't he be held in jail? *

* Unfortunately not. The law doesn't see it as a crime to…to hurt mutants. *

* What's this world coming too? *

* I honestly don't know, Miss Steele. I honestly don't know. *

* I'll be there as quickly as I can get a flight. *

* We'll be expecting you then. * I hung up the phone with a sigh as I sank back into a chair and faced Xavier. "It's a terrible day when a man can get away with nearly killing his daughter."

"Yes, but we will do our best to fight that. I know several lawyers who are eager for an opportunity to take a case like this to the Supreme Court."

"It's sad though, that it had to be one of our students." He nodded as he rested his chin onto his hands and stared out the window. "How's Sam holding up?"

"I'm sure once Allison is back on her feet, he'll be fine as well."

"I've never seen him so interested in one of the other students."

"No, he's been one of the less sociable, but Allison seems to be good for him."

"So long as she's conscious. Do you really think she'll be okay?"

"Only time will tell."

I stood and took a spot next to him at the window to watch the rest of the student body outside. Bobby looked slightly out of place by sitting alone on the grass watching the other boys play basketball and Betsy looked just as out of place as she walked the grounds alone. "You never realize until disaster strikes how closely knit these students are."

"They are our hope for the future. If they can remain united, then there is still hope for the future." There was a flicker of sadness as he watched Scott and Jean.

"You know something is going to happen to her. Why won't you tell anyone what you've seen from Apocalypse?" He rolled back to his desk as I slowly turned to watch him.

"One person already knows and that is enough for me. However I fear that she's going to have her own struggles with right and wrong as well."

"Rogue."

"Yes, she should be coming back soon, but I fear she won't be the same girl who left us."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Yeah, a two for one deal! Two chappies at once…aren't you all lucky. I'm trying to make up for not posting in so long.