Chapter: Two

Category: Drama

Season: Post-S4

Pairing: Amara/Ray (they "love" each other, and everyone realizes it, except for her, who thinks it's unrequited. Ahh, drama.)

Rating: R

Warnings: Language

Summary: Where it all went wrong

Note: This is mostly dialogue. I'm not in much of a descriptive mood today.

"Leaving? What do you mean, you're leaving? You can't! What about Jamie? And Amara? I thought you cared about them!"

Roberto was pissed. He and Ray were mortal enemies, but that didn't mean they weren't also best friends.

"I do, man! That's why I'm doing this! If Xavier won't help, then I'm going to find someone who will!"

Ray was also pissed. He and Xavier had just had a long, drawn-out "discussion over why he couldn't risk sending anyone to help Magneto and his mission. 'The Morlocks and Magneto make their own destinies' wasn't good enough for the young man, who immediately renounced his membership with the New Recruits and Xavier's school. He had packed his faithful duffel bag and was about to leave quietly, when Roberto burst into his room. "Now would you get the fuck out of my way? You're making a fucking scene!" He pushed the Brazilian away from him. "I'm just going to be gone for a few days, it's not like I'm gone forever!"

"What, you think Xavier's going to let you back in with the shit you just pulled?"

"I'll go to the Brotherhood morons if I have to! But I have to do this! My only family could get themselves killed!"

"I thought we were family to you, man." Roberto shook his head and walked out of the room. Ray tried to leave, but was stopped then by Scott.

"So, you've finally decided to leave?"

"What, you aren't here to talk me out of it? Thanks, Scooter; now get out of my way." Scott just stood there, one of his implacable stone faces set on his face.

"I'm here to tell you that if you go, you can't come back."

"No shit. Now move." Ray was getting angrier by the second, as evidenced by the crackling blue static from his hands. If Scott noticed the state of agitation, his placid expression didn't show it.

"I mean never. You set foot in Bayville, and I'll personally run you out of town. I'm not going to let you hurt any of them. Especially not Amara." Ray gave the older boy a patented Glare-Of-Death.

"I would never hurt Amara. And if you say that again, I'll show you why my last name's Crisp."

"Oh? You think your leaving won't hurt her? And then you coming back, only to have to leave again, wouldn't hurt her even worse? You think I don't know how she feels about you? She loves you, Ray. I don't know why, and I sure don't know how you haven't seen it, but you've already started on the path to hurting her."

"Destroying these Sentinels will save her, save all of us!"

"And if you were to die in the process, she'd be devastated. You have to think through your actions, see the big picture. Right now, she's miles away from home, and she needs you."

"She has other people."

"She doesn't care about them the same way she cares about you! And even if she wasn't a factor in this, there's still the fact that Magneto is an evil villain!"

"We've helped them before, like with Apocalypse. Remember what you told us? The enemy of my enemy is my friend or some shit like that. Well, the giant killer robots are our enemy, and Magneto's the only one who wants to stop them. And if the Morlocks are going, that mean I have to go. They're my family."

"After all Xavier's done for you, you still don't consider us family?"

"They raised me for four fucking years! I've been Up here for one! I abandoned them then, but not this time! This time I'm doing the right thing!"

"Even if it means forsaking the one thing I know you want the most?"

"She'll understand. She has to understand."

"She won't, and you know it."

"I'm leaving, Visor Boy, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"Magneto's going to manipulate you." Ray's eyes were empty as he looked at Scott.

"I know that." He pushed past Scott and walked down the stairs. Scott hit the doorframe in frustration. 'I need to go beat something up.'

Ray tried crossing the short distance to the doors without incident. But, as with any close knit familial unit such as this, word got out quickly. About twenty Jamies ran up to him, but he just pushed through them.

"Don't we get a goodbye?" asked the original. "Yeah!" piped up the rest, and Ray knew he wouldn't be leaving any time soon.

"So long, squirt. Just remember what I told you and you'll do fine."

"Are you ever coming back?" Ray looked uneasy, but once again the Jamie's Collective Power of Cuteness won out.

"I don't know. I sure as hell hope so. Take care of them for me, Kiddo."

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to them?"

"No. It's better this way. Makes it easier for them to move on." There was a sob, and a person ran past, crying her eyes out. "Amara! Wait! Oh, fuck." He ran after her, with the Jamies standing around.

"So, do any of me want to play baseball? Okay."

"Amara! Damn it, Amara, come back!" Ray chased her out of the house, to the cliff-side gazebo that was a tad bit important in a little episode called 'Impact'.

"Go away!"

"Amara," Ray gasped out as he skidded to a stop, "Just stop and listen to me for a second."

"Go away, Ray. I thought you cared about me, but you're leaving, and you weren't even going to tell me, and you might never come back, and I'm scared, and I don't want to see you right now, so just go away!" Ray walked up to her and put his arms around her waist. He kissed her, and then pulled away.

"I love you. Goodbye." It was a very uncharacteristic moment, the type that we fan-ficcers love to create. He walked away then, leaving Amara to her bitter tears. Once his footsteps faded out of earshot, she turned to where he had stood.

"I love you too, Ray…"

There's always a place for you here Ray.

"With all due respect, Professor, no there isn't. If you won't send help, then consider my strings cut."

Very well then. If you find yourself in need of my aid, all you have to do is think to me.

"Sure thing Professor."

Godspeed, Raymond. And good luck. You will need it.

End Note: Meh, not as good as my usual work. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, and I hope ya'll enjoy this more than I enjoyed writing it. Because I think it sucks.

The Hog