One week later, Anna was still angry. She avoided Logan and was usually pretty rude to him, if they met in the hallway. She didn't much like the other kids, with the exception of Rogue, who had gotten a pardon because Anna thought her powers were "killer" in every sense of the word. Kitty freaked her out. She looked a lot like Michelle, and Anna tended to avoid her too.

Xavier had been trying to help her, but after the first five refusals, he had backed off and waited for her to come around.

'Fat chance.' Thought Anna, as she settled down in front of the TV one evening. Jean was watching the English news, to do with some sociology project, and Anna wasn't really paying attention. She was just staring out of the window and got up to go for a cigarette when a report about a serial killer being on trial in East London came on.

"John Tyler Martin, the main suspect in the worst murder case since the "Yorkshire Ripper", today appeared in court. Known as JT, he pimped girls on the London streets until his arrest two weeks ago, after the death of prostitute Michelle Haiden and businessman Adam Kemp, both found in alleyways within hours of each other. A statement was made to the police regarding his involvement in Ms. Haiden's death, but so far authorities have been unable to track the witness. If they cannot provide any evidence, it seems he may walk free."

Anna stopped and turned around slowly. Jean watched her curiously as she stared at the TV.

"That bastard is going to walk? Un-fucking-believeable!" Anna forgot, or ignored Charles' rule about smoking in the mansion and lit up, drawing deeply.

"Um, Anna? What's wrong?" Asked Jean gently. But Anna ignored her.

"And accusing him of killing that guy? All he could ever do was batter drugged up girls. Ha! Kill someone, that's rich!" Anna ranted on.

"Anna!" Cried Jean finally, Anna looked at her. "What are you talking about? Who killed whom? Do you know that man?"

"He's not a man, he's a dickless arsehole. And yeah, I knew him. I was the one who made the damn lie of a statement to the fuzz in the first place. And Michelle, she was my best mate.... God. If it wasn't for me, he'd still be killing." Anna waved her arms around and eventually walked out, in her usual style, when she didn't want to deal with something.

Jean thought about what Anna had just said and went to the Professors office.

She knocked on the door and waited for the "Come in". She walked in and explained what Anna had just said. Xavier merely nodded his head and thanked her. Jean got up and left.

'There's something funny going on." Thought Jean, 'And he knows it.' She didn't question him though. The Professor had a way of working things out in the end.

Anna on the other hand was still annoyed. She stalked around the garden looking to pick a fight, she didn't find one, but she found the next best thing.

Scott was washing his car.

She walked over and leaned against the door, "Big hose." She said innocently. Scott smiled at her nervously, and turned red. Anna, spurred on by this, went to see how far she could push.

"It must be really heavy. Want me to hold it for you?" She asked, with a coy smile.

Scott fumbled and dropped it, splashing Anna's top. He cringed, knowing her, by now, infamous temper.

"Sorry." He stuttered.

Anna looked at her top and then back to Scott with a look of child-like surprise, "Oh, you've got me all wet. I mean look at me, you can see through my top."

Scott glanced at her and saw that sure enough, it had turned transparent, and Anna wasn't wearing a bra.

Anna watched in delight as he suddenly had to bend over, behind the car, to "check his tyres", and when he straightened up, she was sat on the bonnet, her raven black hair loose down her back.

She slid down and walked over to him. She leaned against Scott until he was nearly flat against the hood. She pushed her hip into his groin and said, "My, I never knew you were so talented! Want to go for a drive?"

Scott slid out from under her, muttered something about the garage and ran off. Anna laughed and looked up at the bedroom windows, she saw Jean scowling at her from behind her curtain. Anna smiled and waved.

Debating whether or not to sneak into Scott's room later, just to scare him, she knew he was a virgin, Anna slumped down on the front step and lit a cigarette. She kind of did like him. He was cute, but she didn't trust guys. She had seen too many times, what they did to women.

'Scott might be good to train up, though. For a while.' She thought, drawing on her ciggie. She didn't 'do' boyfriends. She just got with a guy for a few months and after she was bored, or they became too possessive or if they hit her, she usually threw them out.

Someone sat down next to her. Anna knew it was Kitty, she could smell her perfume.

'Balls, why is so persistently nice?' Thought Anna, she turned and was going to give her the "What the hell do you want?" look, but Kitty was looking at her innocently and Anna couldn't do it.

"Are you OK? Jean said you got really mad about something?" Asked Kitty.

Anna snorted, "If she wanted to know, why didn't she read my mind?". Kitty looked scandelised.

"Jean wouldn't ever read someone's mind without their permission. She ..."

"She would in a heart beat. And you know it. You just don't like to think bad of people." Anna said it spitefully, but with one look at Kitty's falling face, she added, "That's not a bad thing, Kitty. I think that it's nice, like innocence."

"You don't have to be hard all of the time you know. We just want to help you. We know some terrible things have happened to you." Said Kitty, she was more confident now. No one had carried on a conversation with Anna this long before.

"Did the Professor ask you to get me to open up? Cause it's not going to happen! Yeah, shitty things have happened to me and I dealt with them. I don't need some "let it out and you get a chocolate biscuit" bullshit." Shouted Anna, scowling at Kitty. She went to stand up, when Kitty grabbed her arm.

"No, I didn't mean that!" cried Kitty, upset and trying to calm the situation. "I just wanted to talk to you. I know you have scared everyone else off and they've all given up on you, but I think everyone needs friends. You must have had some in England."

Anna studied Kitty. Her face showed courage and just a little fear. Anna knew the younger girl really meant it.

"Yeah, I had one. One person in the world, since my mum died, who I trusted. Her name was Michelle." Anna pulled an old battered photo out of her jeans pocket and handed it to Kitty.

Kitty looked at the snapshot of Anna and a shorter, slimmer, brunette. Anna was giving Michelle a piggie back ride. They were both smiling.

"You were close?" Asked Kitty. She could feel the melancholy surrounding Anna. Anna took the photo back and looked at it wistfully.

"We were happy then. Her pimp had been arrested and we were going to run for it. He came back, made bail sooner than we thought."

Kitty asked gently, "What happened?"

Anna looked up at the sky, watching the clouds. After a moment, she said, "She was murdered. She was your age."

Kitty looked horrified, "Oh, my God. Did... did the police find her killer?"

Anna laughed in a hollow way, "Yeah right! They couldn't catch a cold. I implicated her pimp. It was his fault she was on the streets anyway."

Anna suddenly realised that she was breaking her rule Never Trust Anyone. And her she was, pouring her out heart to some kid. She stood up angrily, "Look, Kid, I've got to go.

Kitty jumped up next to her and said, "Please, Anna. You can trust me, I won't ...."

"Won't what? I know how this speech ends." Anna was now furious, "I won't hurt you, you can trust me. Yeah, I've heard them. That's what my mum's pimp used to say to her. JT said it to Chelle. But, he fucked up and let someone kill her. And now he's going to prison for it and I'm standing here."

"I don't understand." Stammered Kitty, confused. She couldn't believe Anna was talking about such things like they were normal. What kind of life had she had?

"JT is going to prison for killing Michelle and the bastard who actually did do it. But he didn't do anything. I did. I was the one who got revenge for Michelle."

"What? You killed .... Oh, Anna, you need to talk to someone about this. Please go and see the Professor." Kitty was upset and scared now. She was sure Anna had gone mad.

She turned and saw Kurt, Logan and the Professor in the doorway, they had come to see what the shouting was about. Each had an unreadable expression.

Anna was consumed with anger, and grief for Michelle. "I don't need anyone! You think that I can just talk it out? I saw my own mother die of a heroin overdose in front of me. I've done things that could never be forgiven."

Kitty said quietly, "Everything can be forgiven. Everyone deserves help."

Anna looked directly into her eyes. Kitty thought she was going to say something, but she suddenly fixed Xavier with a look of hatred and stormed off.

Logan glanced at his friend, "What was that about?"

"I'm afraid things are worse than I thought. If what I've just seen in her was true then it might not have been an overdose that killed her." The Professor replied. He prayed he was wrong.

Anna was in an extremely bad mood. Why did these idiots keep pushing? She felt penned in, trapped and when she saw Scott's car still standing in the driveway a smile crept over her face. Within seconds she had hot-wired it and was just lighting a cigarette, when Scott jumped into the passenger seat.

"What do you think you are doing?" He asked tersely.

Anna threw her lighter onto the dashboard and smiled, "Stealing your car and kidnapping you."

Scott grabbed the headrest as she floored it out of the gates and onto the road.