A man's home is his castle.

-Unknown

Two woman walked into a part of Halifax that had been abandoned during the sixties, a large area that not only had hotels, homes and shops but factories dating back to the first and second World Wars. The area was mostly forgotten about, only the homeless, stray cats and rats made their home here. Every person that lived here wore old clothes, many with holes or numerous patches, shopping carts with their belongings and even one or two wearing nothing but pants.

Naturally Jean Grey and Ororo Monroe looked very out of place here. The woman often called Storm wore a skirt and single strap top coloured in light browns reds and varying earth tones, a pair of simple yet elegant slippers on her feet and coloured bracelets hanging on her wrists. The red haired Jean wore form fitting purple jeans that showed her rounded bottom, a curve hugging yellow sweater that showed part of her flat stomach, blue toned shoes, and a gold watch on her left wrist.

"I hate places like this, it's always so depressing. None of these people have anything but the clothes on their backs." The redhead said to her older white haired companion.

"I know child, and I wish we could help all of them, but for now we are here to help but one. According to Cerebro this should be the area he's in. Remember, Charles said that James maybe a rather timid fellow, we must take care not to startle him."

Jean nodded as they continued walking, eventually stopping in front of an old hotel. Originally it was named 'The Red River Hotel' but the sign's letters had since fallen off leaving 'Th R d ive Ho e '. The pair walked up to the front door, Jean's fingers coming up to her temple. Ororo looked over to her companion. "Anything Jean?"

Jean nodded. "Yes, I think he's here. Second floor." The scarlet hair woman walked through the front door, looking around before her toe hit a fallen support. Let off a sharp 'yeow!' she hopped on her other foot as she cradled her injured one. Ororo looked at the building's state then back to Jean. "Careful Jean. This old place doesn't look too stable. Chances are it will last but another ten years before it falls to the ground."

Jean nodded as she set her foot down, the pain dimming quickly. The two went to the old staircase and began their ascent.

When the front door opened James sat straight up. He quickly turned his radio off, the soft music's presence vanishing as he listened to the sounds of the old hotel. As he listened he heard a sharp cry from the floor below.

Groaning slightly he flipped over the old couch, landing on his feet, his powers making him weight far less so he didn't make any noise as he ducked behind the couch. He knew it was simply too good to be true. Someone must have followed him here after his display of power, ran off and grabbed a few of his pals and brought them back. It was like his second home all over again. He was a bit thankful that he had locked the old door, but there was no telling if it would stand up to one or two determined FOH members, let alone the small mob he expected.

He didn't want a fight.

He didn't like to fight.

He also knew he'd have to. All he had to do was knock the first one back. The others would hopefully grab him and leave deciding discretion was the better part of valour. Of course there was that old saying 'No plan survives the enemy.' Still he couldn't think of anything else to do.

Then the door opened slightly. He held his breath as he heard the chain on the door was pulled tight, denying the intruder. Then he heard a slight sliding sound and the chain dropping loose. 'How did they pull that trick?' he wondered as the door was opened. He heard a hiss from the door, one person speaking in a very low voice to another and that was it. He quickly flexed his incredible yet inaccurate powers, hearing a shriek, a female one at that, as the invader was sent flying backwards.

"Ororo! I think I found him!" Jean hissed over to Ororo as she got the door opened. As Ororo stepped over the white hair woman was startled suddenly as Jean let off a sharp shriek as she was flung backwards, as if an invisible slingshot had just launched her. Jean's back slammed into the rotten banister, the old wood giving way to the force of her body. She was unable to break her fall with her own power, telekinesis, and dropped back first onto an old dining room table. Ororo quickly ran over to look down at her friend. The red head groaned slightly, her body spread eagle on the now demolished table, but otherwise making no moves to indicate she was conscious. As she looked down her eyes turned a pure white.

Focusing the rage generated by her fallen friend she pointed a hand into the room, calling upon her command over the weather itself to send a bolt of lightning into the room, incinerating a table. Shortly after that she received a response, an invisible force pulling her backwards much like it had done with Jean. Unlike Jean she was able to conjure up winds to levitate herself and prevent a sudden descent. She focused her will again, this time calling upon the winds to do more than keep her aloft.

Inside the room James flinched as soon as he heard a body dropping onto the table. He shook his head as he sighed. He didn't like using this power to hurt people; he had just wanted them to leave him alone.

James was brought out of his thoughts as what sounded like thunder echoed through the room followed by wood breaking apart. A very quick peek from around the couch showed him his table.

Or rather what was left of it, and what little remained of it was now on fire. 'What was that!' Blindly he flexed his powers again, this time to throw anything that was not in the room away from him.

A moment later his unknown foe responded, the air itself moving with great speeds into the room, exiting out the window as soon as it shattered. In an instant the winds that had gathered inside the room reached what some might consider hurricane force. His bed was flipping around in the air, the magazines flying around like leaves in the wind, the couch that he had taken cover behind spinning around the room, bouncing off the walls.

He was the only thing not flying around, activating his powers as the winds started to pick up, increasing his weight to anchor him to the floor. It came as a surprise that his powers seemed to have no adverse effects on himself, but that was something to ponder at another time. The building creaked loudly, the winds running within it straining the frame and foundation of the building. He lifted his head up towards the door, looking to see his attacker's face.

His eyes met those of an older African beauty who's own eyes widened upon seeing him.

As soon as she saw the child's eyes she had chastised herself. The eyes of the boy held no malice.

He was simply afraid. He saw them as invaders of his home and had reacted accordingly, to defend his territory from a threat. She didn't see him until the couch was lifted away and she doubted Jean did either.

She didn't know what the child must have thought, but she did know he saw them as hostiles. And she also knew she wasn't helping matters either. She quickly calmed her powers, the furniture being set down as the winds slowed. Once everything had stopped moving she took as step forward, the child bringing his hand upwards. She halted her advance and raised her hands, her palms facing him. "At ease child, I do not wish to fight." The child lowered his hand as he stood up. She smiled warmly and brought her hands to her chest. "My name is Ororo Monroe."

"J-James." The child responded timidly. Ororo took a slow step forward, her smile not wavering.

"I apologize for my actions. Me and my friend wished to speak with you, we did not come to harm you." James nodded slightly, a slight guilty feeling washing over him. "I work at a friend's school, the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. We teach young mutant's like you to control and harness their powers. We would like you to join our school, our home."

James looked around at his unturned room, his crackers scatter across the floor. He edged his foot back slightly. "Why me?"

Ororo herself edged forward slightly. "We wish to help those we can, we want to teach you how to control your powers."

James edged backwards a full step. "I... can control them just fine!" A lie. He knew, from the way she shook her head she knew it.

"You may say that now, but maybe you don't have the control you could have. If you do not wish to come then I cannot force you. I can only ask."

James looked into her eyes for a moment and though about her offer. She offered to help him learn of his own powers and to control them better than his currently crude control. She offered him a place that would become his fourth home, provided he accepted.

But in the end she offered him someplace to call home other than a building that was over forty years old and falling apart.

"I... I think I'd like to see it."

Ororo smiled and slowly stepped towards him, extending her arms and wrapping them around his frame, pulling him into a gentle hug. "I promise you child, you will not regret it."

Smiling she took his hand in hers and began to lead him out of them room. As they walked down the stairs a slight groan was heard. James' brown eyes looked down to see who was obviously the victim of his powers earlier, a very gorgeous redhead. As the reached the ground floor Ororo walked over to her extending her hand. "Are you all right Jean?"

The scarlet haired beauty sat up one hand rubbing the back of her head. "I'm fine Ororo, just a nasty bump is all." Jean took Ororo's hand, using it to pull herself up. Once she steadied herself on her feet she looked past the silver haired woman to see a rather timid boy with messy hair hanging to his shoulders. "Who's this?"

Ororo gestured for the boy to approach, smiling as he stepped forward. "This is James, he'll be joining us at the institute." Turning to the boy she gestured to her companion. "James this is Jean Grey, she's a senior student at our school."

James smiled timidly as he rubbed the back of his head shyly. "H-hello. I'm sorry... about uhh..."

Jean stopped for a moment as what had happened earlier replayed itself in her mind. "Oh that. It's all right James, somehow I don't think you really meant it." She smiled as she reached out to ruffle his hair gently. "Well, unless there's anything else, shall we go?"

Her answer was a loud rumbling sound, coming from the stomach of the lone male in their group.

"I would say so. Child, when was the last time you had a proper meal?" Ororo inquired as she looked him over carefully. His sweater was too loose to really see his body but she was quite sure he was not well fed during his time on the streets.

"I never really got a full meal since..." James turned his head away slightly and Ororo just shook her head slightly. Jean offered a warm smile and leaned down closer to his eye level.

"It's all right. We passed a McDonalds along the way, so we'll take a quick stop there before going back to the Institute."

James looked up into her emerald eyes before nodding and giving a faint but noticeable smile. Ororo took one hand and Jean the other, leading him out of the hotel and back the way they came.

He had left his third home.

And in all honesty he was excited to see what his fourth home would look like.