Behind the Mask

Author: Illussen

Chapter 6: Second Surprise

Next day Anna woke up at 11 am, since it was her birthday party, all the X-Men were allowed to sleep until late. She never expected that anyone will remember her birthday but there was her sister that organized all. And the mission that she did yesterday was just an excuse to send her away from the Institute so they could begin to set up the party. And it was a good party too. It ended at aproximatevely at 3 am. And now Anna was waking up. She dressed and went downstairs. But at the top of the stairs she met a very hyper active Kitty looking for her.

"Anna, good that you're, like, up!" Anna raised an eyebrow. "There is someone looking for you in the living room."

"For me? Who is it?"

"Don't know. They didn't say."

"That's strange. Who could be looking for me?" she asked herself more than Kitty. "I'll go and check. Bye, Kitten." she sad and went down. She entered in the living room. The persons that were looking for her were had their back turned at her and they were talking with Mina. Her sister noticed her and called her.

"Hey, sis, look who came to visit you." she said with a smile on her face. The two turned revealing her parents. Anna's eyes widened as she stepped back.

"What are you doing here?" Anna succeeded to say.

"Anna please listen..."

"Listen?" Anna yelled. How could she think that she was able to forgive and forget what her parents did? How could she? "You never thought to listen me when I had to talk!!! Don't call me father! I'm not the father of a freak!!! From now on Mina is my only daughter! I don't know you! You were never born! Never!" she repeated the words that brought so much pain in her heart. "That's what you said, father! It haven't passed a day, not even one in which I haven't remembered how much I hate you." she added bitterly.

"Mina, please leave me to talk with her." mr. Reyes said. Mina obeyed and left the room. "

"I don't want to listen. I'm not your daughter anymore. You renegade me, I renegade you!!!"

"I have an explanation."

"What possibly explanation could you have to this?"

"You're not our daughter." her father said. Anna's eyes widened as she succeeded to whisper a 'what?'

"You're not our daughter. Your life is complicated and we don't know it all."

"What do you mean by that?" Anna asked sitting on the couch because the news brought her near to fainting.

"You were brought to us when you had four years. The man that brought you threatened me that if I don't take care of you he'll kill me and my family. And he also left instructions. At 15 years, it was almost like he knew that then your powers will appear, he said to send you away from my family but not nicely. I almost forgot but few days before the event he appeared again and threatened me again. I had no choice. Please, understand me. When Mina told us by phone that you're here and that you're safe we rushed here. Me and your mother were so worried and we wanted to ask your forgiveness. So, Anna, please, will you forgive us?" Anna looked breathing heavily at her father. Her sight became blurry and she heard all like echo. In the next moments, she fainted.

When Anna woke up she realized that she was at the infirmary. She saw her parents and for the first moment she didn't realize why they were there but in the next moments she remembered the story that her father, or her so-called father said.

"Are you okay?' her mother asked.

"Yes, I am. My head hurts but I'm fine." she said.

"Do you-" her father began "-forgive...us?"

"I-" Anna said and looked away "-can't...pretend...that everything...is...okay. I can't...forget all you said to me...that day."

"Anna, I don't ask you to forgive us all of the sudden. I ask you to try. Just try." Anna looked at him then at her mother. She noticed Mina somewhere behind and realized that she knew all the time that she wasn't her sister.

"I will...try." she said. She saw her mother smile and wondered why she couldn't be happy. Ever.

Days have passed since the awful day when she found out that she was adopted. She hated her parents but now she understood them. Mina already knew this. She realized that that's why she had forgiven her after the Asteroid M events. Anna was glad she knew it because it would have been so difficult for her to tell Mina the news. She looked around the surroundings as she walked trough the grounds of the mansion. She was now away from the Institute, somewhere near the forest that was surrounding a part of the Institute. Actually this was the only thing she had done since then cause she couldn't face anyone for now. That's why she left the hospital bed even if Hank had said to her to stay in bed because she was too weakened. So she found this place with grass and flowers, trees and little colored butterflies. She wasn't the one that appreciated this beautiful view and for a moment she thought that she had spent too much time around Kitty but, it was calming her and made her forget of all that she had lived by now. She extended her hand and a black, yellow, red and orange colored butterfly sat on the tip of her finger.

"How beautiful..." she said smiling. She definitely spent too much time around Kitty.

"Who, me?" a male voice came from behind her. She left her hand down startled, the butterfly flying away. She looked directly in a tree because she knew that that's where the sound came from. She saw Wolverine sitting there smiling at her. She couldn't help but smile at the remark.

"You'd wish to say that you're beautiful." Annabelle replied seeing Wolverine jumping from the branch.

"Now you're hurting my feelings." he said making a face.

"Live with it." she said and smiled. Logan smiled too but then his face became serious.

"What's happening with you?" he asked worried. Anna looked confused at him.

"What's happening with me?"

"Yes. You're avoiding all of us, you leave your room first thing in the morning and eat alone then leave to school. Kitty and Kurt told me that you are hiding from them at school when they try to talk with you. And when you come home you lock yourself in your room or come here. I haven't seen you at dinner and in Danger Room sessions since Saturday. Since your parents visited you. What is it with you? When are you going to stop this? Even if you are adopted doesn't mean that you can't face people. Your sister is worried. Rogue is worried. Storm is worried. I am worried. All of us."

"I-, I-" she began but she couldn't say anything.

"I understand if you need to be alone. But I don't understand how can you be alone all the time."

"I'm just so, so depressed." she said. "My grades are falling; if I would come in the Danger Room I'd only jeopardize my teammates. And if I'd be around someone I'd probably be the bitterly talking bitch I was before."

"Look at me Anna!" he said. She looked with sad eyes at him. "If you go there they will try to help you no matter how dirty you talk with them, no matter how hard your comments are. Because they understand you. Because they are your friends. So remove whatever is blinding your eyes and see what great friends you have around you." Anna looked down. "Now come on. Kitty is serving lunch and why would you be the only one to escape from the torture that represents her cooking?" he said smiling. She smiled at him. How could he cheer her up no matter how sad she felt she couldn't understand.

Hello, people, finally updating. Believe me it wasn't my fault this time. It was a big storm here and the telephone was dead for a week. So I wrote a chapter from this story and a chapter from the other. And played the Sims. Cool game but you have to be patient and I'm not. Thanks to those who have waited for me to post and thanks to those that bothers to review. And I'm sorry Eleanor, I'll email you immediately.

Anyway, as I promised, the story is going to become to have more action from here. So Anna found out about her parents. Maybe you knew it but she didn't and I had to have her know. And now that she knows she will realize who is her mother and go after her. Only one thing I can say. Adventures and Surprises. That's how the next chapter will be.

PS: Okay, need to tell this. From 15 September to 7 October I won't post anything because I can't. I won't be home. (AGAIN!!!) But I'll think for the chapters ahead. So, remember this when I won't give any life signs for 3 weeks.

Bye.