Learning How To Live Again

A few days had passed since that tumultuous day. The residents at the Institute were learning to adjust to their new members. Of course some residents had an easier transition than others did.

Fortunately Danielle was one of them. With Kitty as a roommate and some lessons from Jean and the Professor on control, she quickly was able to have a greater manageability over her powers. She easily fitted in with the New Recruits and was well liked by the X-Men. She never dreamed she could be this accepted in her life and soon began to become more outgoing, dropping some of the bitterness of her hard life.

Alison was having a slightly harder time physically due to the withdrawal from the drugs and learning how to regain control over her powers. She was still so unskilled that Xavier barred her from the Danger Room or any other strenuous training exercises. Mentally however she was improving. For the first time in a long while it seemed like she could truly be herself. The people living there seemed so kind and understanding.

But there was one individual in particular who captivated her. What is it about Hank McCoy that draws me to him? She thought as she practiced with a racquetball in the indoor court. She had snuck down to try it after being bored out of her mind. I've only known him a few days, yet now I trust him with my life! But I've been hurt so many times before…

"Alison!" Hank exclaimed walking in. This startled her and made her loose concentration. She let off a blast of light at him and nearly blinded him. "AGGHHH!" He was knocked down.

"Oh Hank!" Alison ran to him. And helped him sit up. "I'm so sorry!"

"We really have to stop meeting like this," Hank grinned.

"I'm really sorry," Alison told him. "I can't believe I attacked you like that!"

I still hardly know her, yet …Hank thought. Why do I feel this way around her? I have no right to think that she could ever want someone like me. Maybe I should just leave…

"It's all right," He said.

"No it isn't," Alison sighed. "I don't know why I jumped like that."

"I know you're still nervous about everything," Hank told her. "You just have to learn to trust again. Not everyone's out to get you."

"This is a lot harder than I thought," Alison sighed.

"Yeah it is…" Hank sighed. "I mean…I should go." He made a motion to get up and leave.

"Hank don't," Alison said. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"No you never could make me feel…uncomfortable…" Hank gulped as he looked into her eyes. "In fact…it's just the opposite. I…I…"

"I know…" Alison held his hand. "I feel the same way."

"This is…I mean I am older than you are…not much older but still…"

"Hank I've been legally emancipated from my parents ever since I was sixteen," Alison told him. "I'm nearly nineteen. I'm already considered an adult in this state. After what I've been through I've seen more than most adults."

"It's not just that…" Hank sighed. "I mean…There's really very little age difference…But I'm the closest thing to a doctor here and you're my patient. I can't take advantage of you, not after everything you've been through."

"I can't stand not being near you after everything we've both been through," Alison put her hands on his face. She moved closer.

"There are a million reasons why we should stop this," Hank whispered.

"And there's only one why we shouldn't…" Alison whispered before they kissed.

Meanwhile Dr. Reisman was having a harder time adjusting to the Institute. Most of the students steered clear of her if they could. Some of them gave her dirty looks. She was getting some coffee in the kitchen when a group of students walked in with John, talking and laughing. One look at her they shut up quickly. "Hello there," She smiled. "Nice day isn't it?"

"I think I've just lost my appetite…" Tabitha grumbled. The other students followed suit and left the room.

"Well that went well," Dr. Reisman sighed as she was left alone with John.

"You really didn't expect to be Miss Popularity did ya?" John looked at her.

"No but…the fear and hate in their eyes…" Dr. Reisman said.

"Can you blame 'em?" John asked her. "Lady to them you're like the Boogyman. You represent the things they fear the most. The things they're fighting against. All the pain, fear and hate that these kids see every day of their lives when they walk out of this place is now smack dab in their faces where they can't escape it. And you know the worst of it? You're not some bigoted hate monger or greedy psychotic. You're just an ordinary human. If somebody like you can do what you did, well that really says a lot about how humans and mutants can get along now does it? If people like you can just stand by and…"

"I didn't just stand by!" Dr. Reisman told him. "I did everything I could for her!"

"Everything but the right thing," John growled.

Dr. Reisman looked at him. "You're right," She told him. "And I have to live with that for the rest of my life."

"Well no offense lady but that doesn't exactly make me feel better," John grunted. "I know what it's like to be on the other side of the cage. I've seen what so called well meaning scientists like you have done to kids like her."

"I'm sorry for that," Dr. Reisman told him. "I really am. I just don't know what I can do to make things right again."

"I'll tell you what you can do," John snarled. "You can get the hell out of here and never come back!" He stormed out the door leaving her alone.

Dr. Reisman began to cry. Kurt teleported in startling her. "Oh!"

"Sorry…" Kurt apologized. "I was just getting a snack."

"Oh…I'll leave," Dr. Reisman sniffed as she began to move out the door.

"Wait!" Kurt stopped her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Well I guess…" She said. "Is it about why I did… the things I did for Hydra?"

Kurt nodded. "It didn't start out with me wanting to create a super soldier," She sighed. "Not at first. I was young and full of ideas. New theories about genetics. It was still an underdeveloped field at the time. Not many companies were hiring, especially women. When Hydra approached me I thought they were just another company at first. I had no idea what they really were. But the opportunity and the money at the time was too good to be true. I should have known it was."

"When did you figure out what Hydra wanted?" Kurt asked.

"Almost immediately after X23 was born," She sighed. "I guess I could have left. Maybe I should have left. There were no strings attached. Except her. I knew there was no way I could smuggle her out of Hydra. There was no one I could turn to for help. So I thought if I stayed maybe somehow I could help her. Make things easier for her somehow. What a fool I was. By the time I got the courage to go for help it was too late."

Kurt listened patiently. "When I was a baby," He finally said. "My mother allowed Magneto to perform experiments on me. I've tried to understand the reasons why she would allow this."

"I'm sorry," Dr. Reisman told him.

"Don't be," Kurt smiled sadly. "When I learned about this it hurt, but in a way I was lucky. At least I don't remember what happened. I was too young. I think…my mother was afraid and had nowhere else to turn. She made the wrong choices but she thought she was doing the right thing. A lot of people do this. Even I've done it sometimes."

"Well you're a lot more forgiving than I would be I guess," Dr. Reisman sighed. "I can't forgive myself for what I've done. I could never forgive myself. Why should everyone else?"

"But you did finally do the right thing," Kurt told her. "It must not have been easy going to SHIELD. And even harder to help them now."

"I want to do what's best for X23…" Dr. Reisman told him. "It's the least I can do for what I've done."

"For what it's worth, I don't think she hates you," Kurt said. "I've seen her eyes when she looks at you. It's not hate. I don't know what she really feels but I don't think she hates you."

"I don't know why," Dr. Reisman sighed. "She has every right to."

"All her life all she has ever known was anger and hate," Kurt said. "She's really trying to put it behind her. Maybe it's time you put it behind you, before it destroys you."

"I wish I could Nightcrawler," Dr. Reisman sighed. "I really wish I could."

Later that day Dr. Reisman and Doop were with Xavier overseeing several training sessions. Rogue, Jubilee and X23 were navigating a maze during the last one. "Just stay calm X23," Xavier told her. "Remember this is merely a teamwork exercise."

X23 got impatient and slashed through a wall with her claws. "Well that's one way of getting out of a maze," Rogue said.

"All right I think that's enough for today," Xavier rubbed his temples. "Why don't you three stop for today?"

"Yes I think that might be wise," Dr, Reisman said. Jubilee and Rogue glared at her while X23 ignored her.

"Ugh I hate that woman!" Rogue snarled as they went into the girls' locker room and changed.

"Hey did you hear?" Jubilee said. "She's taking off in two days and leaving Doop behind. That will be some good news at least."

"Oh really?" X23 acted disinterested. She changed from her usual outfit that she had been allowed to keep for training into an orange T-shirt and jeans.

"How can you even stand to be in the same room as that woman?" Rogue asked her. "After what she did to you?"

X23 looked at her. "It is because of what she did that I can tolerate her."

"She created you! She made you into a weapon! She let Hydra do all that stuff to you!" Jubilee told her.

"She also allowed me to escape," X23 told them. "You can't understand what it was like unless you lived through it. She knows I could have easily killed her several times. And I could still kill her. But I won't. She only created me. She did not mold me."

"So you blame Hydra and not her even though she was a part of Hydra?" Jubilee asked. "That doesn't make any sense!"

X23 didn't want to tell them the whole truth. "It's complicated," She finally said. "Let's just say it suits me more to let her live with what she did than to escape her pain."

"Still you're not the only one who will be glad to see her go," Jubilee growled. "Why did she have to come here anyway? If she was smart she'd leave. I mean it's not like anybody would care if you accidentally sliced her. Oops. Wrong thing to say. Sorry."

"I'm not a fool," X23 told them. "She is merely here to make sure I am not a threat to SHIELD. As long as I leave her alone, she will not give them a reason for them to take me."

"What makes you sure she just won't make up a reason?" Rogue asked.

"She will not," X23 told her. "I've been studying them as long as they've been studying me. Out of all of them she is not a threat. Her conscience will keep her silent."

"Hey what's the hold up?" Tabitha stuck her head in the room. "I thought we were all gonna go have a movie fest after the session?"

"Movie fest?" X23 asked.

"Yeah you know where we all go watch movies and stuff ourselves with popcorn?" Tabitha sauntered in. "You'll love it X, James Scarrey is hilarious! It's just what you need. Trust me."

"In case you haven't noticed, Tabitha here is our resident expert on fun," Rogue smirked.

"You know X you really need to get yourself a name," Tabitha said. "How come you haven't picked one yet?"

"I don't know," X23 shrugged. "I just haven't thought of it yet."

"Well she does have a point," Jubilee said.

"Yeah it's not like we can just call you Wolverina or something," Tabitha said. "Hey wait a minute! I got it! How about Rina? That's not a bad name and just keep X as a code name! Or better yet…Come up with a code name that's really original, like Wild Thing!"

"How many sodas have you drank already?" Rogue asked Tabitha.

"Hey come on you gotta admit that Rina's a pretty cool handle!" Tabitha said.

"Rina…Rina…" X23 thought. "I will think about it."

"Oh man girl you know you're in trouble when you start to consider Tabitha naming you!" Rogue groaned.

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Meanwhile the Misfits were going over the files for the X-Men. "I can't believe we're actually gonna give the cops info on the X-Geeks," Pietro grunted. "And not the fun stuff either."

"It's part of the job Quicksilver," Spirit told him. "As long as Spyke remains at large…"

"I know I know," Pietro waved. "Orders are orders. Hey it seems that Logan's Mini Me is settling in. She's only skewered a couple of walls since she got there."

"I would like to meet her," Xi spoke. "She and I have much in common."

"Yeah well we're gonna cool it with the teleportation for a while," Low Light said. "At the very least we only teleport inside the mansion if we have to. With the cops watching the place we don't want to give them any hints of what kinds of technology we have or else we'd really have some problems!"

"Speaking of problems," Arcade sighed. "I'm afraid we have one. Looks like one of the X-Men is keeping secrets." He showed them the file.

"Are you kidding me?" Pietro whistled as he read the file.

"I've double checked it," Arcade told them. "It's true."

"I knew Xavier was too trusting but this is the limit!" Low Light growled.

"We don't know the whole story," Wanda told him.

"But we will when we have a chat with our little friend tomorrow," Althea said. "Looks like we are going to do a little teleporting after all."

Believe it or not, there really was a comic with Logan having a teenage daughter named Rina. And her code name was Wild Thing! Strange but true!

So what happens next? More shocking news and events! As if you expected anything else!