Author's Note: I can't believe this is on someone's favorites list. Crazy…

I really can't believe I did this chapter in a day. See what good reviewers do?

This is set in first person (or rather, first people), throughout the days and weeks after the defeat of Apocalypse at the hands of our favorite mutants. I'm going to try to keep this completely in character, which means couples and relationships are what has been shown.

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To What Awaits Us

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25 September, 2005

Ororo Munroe

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After I knocked, my hands wouldn't stop twitching. Why am I so nervous? I wish I could have better control over myself, but when anxiety takes me, it never seems to let go.

"Come in."

I pushed the door open slowly and made my way into the large, luscious office. It was so stale. No plants, no flowers. Just dead wood and landscape paintings. My eyes dropped to the floor. Even the carpet in here is artificial.

"Ororo?" I looked up and frowned slightly. In a second his face broke into a smile. So long since I had seen him smile like that.  "Just yesterday we fought against the most powerful mutant in history, and you are still annoyed with my office?" My eyebrow raised, the frown disappearing off my face.

"I'm sorry Charles, but you know as well as I that Ororo Munroe cannot change her ways." He nodded and leaned back into his chair, his hands making the mountain-shape he was so fond of. Amazing how nervous that gesture makes me. Although I suppose everything has been making me nervous today. At least I have honest reason too. Apocalypse killing, resurrecting, and forcing me into fighting my friends and students, my own nephew…

"You came to speak to me..?" I could feel my lips curl into a wry smile.

"No, I came to talk about your office." His eyes only held mine steadily, ignoring my quip. I sighed, and falled into the chair across from him. I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice caught in my throat, and it came out so quiet if he were any further away he wouldn't have heard it. "I can still feel him, Charles. It's like a whisper inside of me." I think I saw an alarmed look flash across his face, but he wouldn't be Xavier if he couldn't cover it so quickly.

"I see." My insides twisted. So he is not experiencing this. It's only me. Alone.

Again.

I forced a smile and stood quickly. He frowned and planted his hands firmly on the desk.

"Ororo, please sit. We need to discuss this further…" I turned and walked to the door.

"There is nothing to discuss, Charles. I'm still in shock. It's nothing."

"Wa- " I practically slammed the door shut behind me. There was a clap of thunder outside. I have more control than this, don't I?

 My eyes narrowed and I ran to my room, the loft.

Throwing a window open, I jumped and let the wind carry me into the sky. It was dark already, rain coming down in buckets. As far as I could see it was black.

This isn't right.

Something is wrong with my powers. I can't bend the forces this fast. In half a minute it had gone from a beautiful day, to this…

I threw my hands out and pushed, power pulsating from my body. The rain stopped immediately, and the flashes that were happening in the dark clouds ceased.

So fast. Too fast.

I blinked, coming out of my reverie. The sun had already broken through, its rays warming my body. I looked to my hands, mouth agape in awe. In awe of my own powers.

"How on earth is this possible?"

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Watering my plants couldn't take my mind off what happened. My hands started to twitch again. I felt like cursing.

"Auntie O?" came a voice from my door. I smiled at the old name, then turned my head and motioned for him to come in. Evan obliged, and sat awkwardly on a chair next to my plant-ladened table. "That was a real display of power out there. You should'a seen how fast Sam and Bobby tore into the house." My stomach knotted again, and I cleared my throat.

"You have been catching up with the others?" He looked at me strangely, but nodded.

"Yeah. I never realised how much I really missed everyone." For the first time in half an hour, I waved my little cloud away and faced him fully.

"You wouldn't miss them so much if you lived here." I said softly. His eyes dropped and his body hunched. Its so sad how old my Evan looks now. The spark that was once so bright inside him has gone out almost completely. He's not the same boy, my nephew, at all.

"You know I can't," he answered, equally as quiet. My soul sighed, and my body complied with tears that welled in my eyes. Evan moved to comfort me, but pulled back suddenly. "I-I'm sorry." His spike-plated arms fell limply to his sides and he looked at me hopelessly.

Don't be sorry Evan. It's not your fault that Callisto and her gang stole you away from me. From your family.

"I should go now." He gripped my shoulder gently and walked out my door, without looking back. I slipped down onto my bed and rest my head against the pillow. I tried to drive the thoughts out. Apocalypse, Evan, the rest of family's disappointment in my failure…

What had I done to deserve this?

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Dinner was a much quieter affair than lunch, here in the kitchen. It seems a wave of tiredness had swept the mansion, and most lay upstairs in their rooms- asleep already at seven o' clock. If only it were this peaceful all the time.

Now there were only seven of us around the table. It was so strange, seven seemed so small. Most families don't have seven people.

That's what we are, really. One big, happy family- I guess you'd say. A family without Evan, but a family still.

So very quiet.

"Isn't it weird with only seven people here?" Scott said thoughtfully. A huge smile spread across my face. He blinked at my reaction.

"You read my mind, child." The boy grinned and dug back into his meal.

"Guess Jean's been rubbing off on me."

 Angel, who was sitting across from him poked at his plate blankly. Still mulling it over, I guess. It was a big decision for a successful young man like him to give up the New York City life and move, of all places, to a mutant school in Bayville.

I was stirred from my thoughts by Charles' eyes. If there was one thing I learned from my time in Egypt, other than how to run away, it was when someone was watching you. Being a child thief had helped me in many ways. He obviously knew about the increase of strength in my abilities. How fast the forces moulded themselves to my will.

Oh Charles, I'm not your student. There is no need to watch over me like this. I'm fine!, my mind seethed. He blinked at my outburst and bowed his head. His voice came alive in my mind.

Forgive me, Ororo. I was worried.

Our gaze broke and I pushed the food around my plate angrily. The familiar flash outside the window had obviously alerted the others.

"Miss Munroe? Are you okay?" Kitty asked, worry laced through her voice. I looked up, thin-lipped, and the night became clear once again.

"Fine." Hank looked out the window and back to me, a look of surprise blatantly obvious on his blue face. Thankfully enough, he kept his thoughts to himself. Good, smart Henry.

"Magneto… He…" Piotr started nervously. We all looked to him, and his face flushed once again. Kitty nudged him softly, as if to say 'go on', and his face only reddened. He turned his gaze from the table to me. "He never told us…The strength of your mutation… I never knew you vere such a powerful mutant."

I tried a smile in his direction, but it didn't work, as he suddenly looked back at the table. Hard.

And I know our kitchen table isn't that interesting. Perfect, Ororo. Make Piotr feel like an idiot. As if he wasn't uncomfortable enough.

"Excuse me." I stood quickly and made my way out     of the kitchen, out into the night air. So comforting in its cool breezes. Voices made their way out to me, across the wind.

"Is she alright?" the voice of the winged, blonde man asked.

"No, Warren, she is not." The Professor answered softly.

And in my soul, I could feel it.

He was right.

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Well, that chapter was quite a bit shorter than the first. It had to be, because otherwise it would end up sounding too much like Xavier's, and we don't want that.

Can anyone guess what's going on with Storm? Review, either way!

To the Reviewers:

cookies-n-cream08: Thanks a whole lot, I'm glad you like it! Yay for first reviewer

todd fan: You can never have too much sugar. Surprised by who it was?

Snitter in Rivendell: Heh, I love long reviews. *dances in the praise* I knew I had to do Xavier first. He is the core of the X-Men, after all. Besides, I prefer the long, complicated road over the easy one, it's more interesting. Piotr had to be done that way, he seems like a pretty insecure kind of a guy (despite his size/power), I was just playing off the character. So your hoping Warren will join, hmm? I guess you'll just have to keep reading…

enfant-terrible: But if I had done one of those guys it would be too expected. Can't do that...

nessie6: Well, I suppose your guess of 'anyone' is half right. No worries, your stories rock too much not to be reviewed. Man, Up In Flames is like a godsend. *sighs* Pyro… Actual character development for Pyro…

Sorry to anyone I missed, but thanks for your reviews!