Here's some more rah-rah for yer ling-lang.(no idea as to what I just said)Lets get to know X23 and Marie Claire a bit better, shall we? Hi-Ho Silver, Away!

P.S. Use your mattb3671 decoder rings to reveal a secret message: xxxxIxxxx xxxxthankxxxx xxxyouxxx xxxallxxx

LolitaRed: It's true, I was talking to Sen. Kelly last week and he said you got the hots for bald men in wheelchairs. LOL! Thanks for your review, and my Logan says 'luv ya, bub' right back atcha. Check Out This Girls Stuff! THANKS!

Agent-G: Thanks for the review, yeah, ole Mags might stick it to Fisk, ya never know. Good stuff on your newest Adjustments, thanks for using Mally. THANKS!

Chapter 18 – Getting to Know You, Yourself, and I

Brotherhood House, Day after, morning

Marie Claire walked into the kitchen, looking for some breakfast. She looked in the fridge, but pickings were slim. She had to settle for a glass of juice. As she was pouring, the boy named St. John walked in.

"Morning, ah, Marie Claire. If ya lookin' fer breakfast, good luck. Nobody shops around here." He said, standing in the doorway. "So, what exactly did you do to Wanda yesterday? I mean, no one does that to her!"

"I increased her specific gravity. Zis iz my power," Marie Claire replied. "I am told we all have ze powers. What iz yours?"

"I control fire. Can't make it though, which sucks." Frowned St. John

"I see. Iz there a market place close to here? I will go 'chopping. We must have food to eat." She smiled. "I have money, and can get as much as we need."

"Too right!" piped St. John. "I'll go with you, show ya around town some. Where'd ya get all the moneys?"

"That iz my bizzness. Never you mind. We will leave in fifteen minutes – after you have showered. You smell like petrol." Shot Marie Claire, heading to her room.

"Uh, Right, sure." Said St. John.

'Crikey, this sheila's a bitch, ain't she?' he thought. 'But, if she's got money, hell, let her bitch all she wants.'

Marie Claire's Room

She walked in and closed the door. Her bed was not made, and she had found it very uncomfortable last night. 'I will have to have a new bed. And some clothes, and necessaries too. My loving father can pay for it all.' She thought. Her father was a wealthy French official, and had given her a credit card with no limit. On one condition – when she turned fifteen, and her powers had manifested, he told her to leave, fearing the embarrassment of having a mutant daughter. He told her he would always cover the card, but other than that she was not to contact him. She had been on her own for two years, and she made sure she always had the best, most expensive things available. 'Let his pocket be as empty as his heart, the filthy pig.', was her thinking. Her fathers attitude, combined with the way most men looked at her body, formed a very low opinion of men in her head. The only reason she came to America with Magnus was because of her like for Mystique, and Mystique's thinking on men. "Use them, their stupidity and lustful nature will take you far," Mystique had told her, "and they deserve it." Sounded good to Marie Claire. Soon she would have the men & boys here at the Brotherhood doing her bidding, starting with this St. John boy. 'I will let him show me around town,' she thought, 'and by the end of the day, I'll have him wrapped around my little finger.'

The Institute, Med Lab, same day

"She has shut herself down, mentally," Dr. McCoy stated, "but physically she is fine. All her wounds have healed completely."

"I coulda told ya that, Hank. She's 'me' for god's sake. Do we have to keep her keep her isolated? Lemme try and talk to her. She won't hurt me." Said Logan.

"Not quite yet, Logan. Her mind is too fragile yet. Seeing, or smelling you might confuse her more. I have been trying to reach her, but her mind is... very much like yours, 'slippery' for a telepath to read. I think I can do it, but I will need Cerebro's help." Charles said, floating in the direction of Cerebro.

"She don't have my memories, right. God help her if she does." Growled Logan, walking with the Professor.

"No, but she has been raised in a laboratory environment since birth. And many 'tests' they preformed were undoubtedly unethical, even harmful to her mind." Charles said. "But she is human. They could not erase the fact that she has an emotional side as well. They masked it very well, but it is still there. But she has no identity of her own. She was never given one."

The door to Cerebro slid shut behind them. "Stand still, Logan." He said, slipping the helmet on.

X23

She laid on the gurney. She had been in places like this her whole life. This was different. She felt...odd. The last twenty-four hours were replaying in her mind, over and over, ending with the Man. His scent was wrong. Every person had a unique scent. The Man's scent was the same as hers. She could tell he was a man, just as s he could tell that she was a woman. But, save for that, there was no difference. Even his blood had smelled like hers. She didn't know why this was bothering her, but it was. She could 'hear' him screaming at her, 'see' his wounds healing as quick as she had cut him. And the Man had claws. Not just like hers, but still the same. She didn't understand the concept of 'family' but she knew about birth, and the reproductive habits of human. They had trained her about sex, using her femaleness to make a target drop his or her defenses. She knew that offspring were formed the same way. She had a very animal understanding of mothers and fathers. The male fertilizes the female, the female gestates and gives birth, and life begins. The offspring grows strong and lives, or does not. Simple.

The Man. Maybe he fertilized a female, the female who gave birth to her. She didn't know, and was not comfortable not knowing.

The Man fought like her. The Man smelled like her. The Man had claws like her. The Man had...eyes like her.

She got a chill, remembering The Man's eyes. She had seen her own reflection before, her own eyes, but his were different. Yet the same. They had been guarded, haunted, and wild, like a hunted animal. Conversely, they had the penetration of a hunter; calm, decisive, calculating. And something more, a feeling she didn't understand. They made her feel like there would be a tomorrow, like he understood, and would be there – for her. Such a strange feeling.

'It's called Hope, child, the emotion of hope, a human feeling.' A voice said, inside her head. She sat up, releasing her claws, sniffing. She was still alone.

'You are not alone child, and you don't have to be anymore. My name is Charles. I am a friend of the Man who rescued you yesterday.'

She reached up, holding her head. What was this? Charles? Maybe he was like Richard, though Richard had never spoke to her like this. Not just telepathically, but not commanding, not demanding.

'The Man's name is Logan. I see you have many questions. Are you hungry? I can have a meal given to you. Just relax...I see you don't understand 'relax'; just pull your claws back in, breathe with me...'

She pulled her claws back in. She felt the rhythm of 'Charles' breathing, trying to match it. She could feel him now, in her mind, like a light touch, a caress.... It didn't feel bad. She laid back down, her eyes closed.

Bayville, mid morning

St. John led Marie Claire thru town, showing her all the different shops, the grocer, the post office, things like that. They stopped in the market, and Marie Claire asked for the Manager. When he arrived, she told him she wanted a standing order of normal items to be delivered weekly to the Brotherhood House.

"Normal items?" the manager asked, not believing what he was hearing.

"Qui. It is very simple," Marie Claire said, "eggs, cheese, meats, produce, things a large family would use. I'm sure you've been 'chopping before, zis is something you can do, no? I will, of course, include a gratuity for yourself on top of the total." She smiled at him, handing him her credit card. "Just deduct the cost of everything from this. No spending limit, I trust your judgment, sir." She didn't trust him at all. He would undoubtedly take advantage of this, buying the highest priced items every week. It fit well with Marie Claire's plans. 'Merci, Papa.' She thought.

She turned to St. John, smiling. "John, where do girls shop for apparel in town? I would like to find some new clothes. Will you show me?" she asked, putting her arm in his.

"Sure, sheila, be glad to," he said, beaming. "Off to the Mall is where we needs ta go. Come on, baby!"

The Institute, Med Lab, mid morning

She woke up, smelling three people, and food. Hot food. She felt a calm that she didn't have before. She was still wary though. She sat up, looking at the people in her room. A hairless man, the blue animal-man from before, and The Man. She looked at him, hard. She got the same feeling as before when she caught his eye.

"Hello, child, how do you feel?" the bald headed man asked her.

She looked at him. "Operational." She stated.

"Good. My name is Charles Xavier. This is Dr. Henry McCoy." He said, pointing to Beast. "The other man Is Logan, the man you fought on the beach yesterday."

"Why do you smell like me?" she abruptly asked Logan.

"I'm yer..." he looked at Charles. "Brother."

"Brother?" she asked, not knowing the meaning.

"Yeah, brother. We had the same parents, basically." He didn't actually lie, this was a fact. "We are family, so we smell alike." This was not so true. Logan knew from his own experience, that although family scents were close, they had differences.

"Oh." She replied. This still made her confused.

"Are you hungry, Miss?" the animal-man asked her. "I have a meal prepared for you to consume. Do you partake in beef?"

"I had it cooked the way I like it, warm, but still bloody." Logan said.

She looked at the tray the animal-man held. It did smell good. She was used to bland high nutrient food. This was meat, and some rice and vegetables. She took the tray, picking the meat up with her hand and tearing off a chunk.

She turned to Logan. "Did our 'parents' have the claws?" she asked, chewing.

"No. Mine were implanted...later." Logan stated.

"Implanted?" She looked at him. "You mean laced, right, when they laced them with the metal?"

"Ah, no...help me out here Chuck?" Logan pled.

"Yes, well, you see, Logan only shares a mutant healing factor with you. His claws were added later, as he said. Yours were a part of your bone structure; later to be coated with adamantium. Logan's are solid metal. Mutants, even when 'related', can have different capabilities. Do you understand?" Charles asked.

"Yes. Why did Logan call you Chuck? Your name is Charles." She asked.

Charles smiled. "It's a nickname, and one I don't tolerate from many."

"Nickname?" she asked, again.

"Yes, Miss, nickname." Said the Doctor. "A descriptive name added to or replacing the actual name of a person, place, or thing. Or, a familiar or shortened form of a proper name."

"I don't understand."

"Well, people call me many names. Charles, of course, and then my last name, Xavier is used some. The students call me Professor, because I'm a teacher, and sometimes Logan uses Chuck. Do you have a name?"

"X23." She said, frowning. "What students?"

"Your at a school for mutants. Myself and others teach mutant children how to control their power, and how to live in harmony with normal humans." Said Charles. "A place where mutants don't have to be alone, or afraid."

"Why?" X23 asked.

"Because I can. It's a dream of mine, not shared by all mutants or humans alike. It's something I feel I have to do." Smiled Charles.

"Who told you to do it?" she inquired.

"No one. Some things you just know are right, and you have to do them. Like taking you in."

She didn't really comprehend this. All her life, she was told what to do. To her, that was normal. Why would this man and his associates just help others?

"What do the students have to do for you?" she wondered.

"Nothing, save normal chores, and study to the best of their abilities." Charles replied.

"Am I a student now?" she asked.

"You are, if you want to be. It's your decision to make. There are people out there who wouldn't give you the choice, so choose well. Logan and I would like you to stay, right Logan?"

"Ah, yeah, stay, here, with...us. Be a student." Logan looked down at his shoes. "If ya want."

"What I want? I have never been asked before...I don't have that answer. Why not just tell me to stay?" replied X23

"You gotta make a choice." Logan said. "If it comes from you, you'll feel better in the long run. Lots of choices in life. Some good, some bad. Just make one."

She thought about it. Choice. New Life. Life. Logan. Brother. Family.

"Ok, I will stay. I choose to stay. What do I have to do?" she chose.

"Just get used to being here, for now." Smiled Charles, reaching out to touch her. "We will all help."

Brotherhood House, afternoon

"Right, then she told the fellow at the market to just put it on her credit card. No lie!" St. John swore. "And get this: no money limit. We'll be eatin' good from here on out!"

"No way, yo, she must be rich or sumthin'. Damn, looks and money, whatta package." Todd said.

"Yeah, she is a hottie. Nice caboose, and a stellar rac –"

"Who are you taking about?" asked Wanda, walking into the room with her brother.

"Yeah, who's got a nice caboose?" Pietro asked. "My sister?"

Wanda hit him on the arm. "What's wrong with my ass?" she shouted.

"Nothing, nothing. I didn't mean it like that." Pietro said, rubbing his arm.

"You were talking about the new girl, weren't you?" Wanda demanded.

"Coulda been talking about me." Tabitha said, walking in.

"Yeah, we were talking about Tabs, that's it." Lance said, trying to cover his ass.

"Right, Tabs bootie is tight." St. John said, nodding

"Yeah, sure, Tabitha is who you were talking about. I oughta curse all of you." Wanda shouted, stomping out.

Down the hall, Marie Claire just smiled.

The Institute, Med Lab, Evening

She laid on the gurney, head still spinning from all the new information she had to process. Her door opened with a slight knock. The animal-man came in, holding a glass of juice and a book.

"Hello, how are you feeling, Miss?" he politely asked.

"Operational. Good" X23 answered.

"Wonderful. I procured you some juice." He handed her the glass. "May I ask you a question?"

"Yes."

"You were instructed how to read, were you not?" Henry asked.

"Yes, I can read...Dr. McCoy." She said, trying out his name.

"Excellent. This is a book that should explain a lot about aspects of family and socity. Not a text book, but a literary work of fiction. Quite enjoyable, too. I thought you might read it, to pass the time until we get you a room upstairs."

She took the book from his furry hand. 'To Kill a Mockingbird' was the title.

"No one has ever given me a book before." X23 said, opening the cover. "I will read it."

"My pleasure. Good Night, Miss." The Doctor said, backing out, smiling inside and out.

End – Chapter 19 – And The Spiders' from Mars