I look around at those assembled. "I meditate," I tell them, "and within that state, the others…they surround me. Sometimes they get the better of me. Phoenix has encountered many of them, and Logan too. You've all encountered Carol to some degree or another." I glance at Bobby. "I pretty much avoid you, if it helps. I don't want to intrude." I pause. "I won't be able to do that anymore, and I'm going to know a few more things than I used to when I'm finally done this."

"Yeah, I figured." He mutters.

"I would never disclose any of it." I offer.

He nods. "Just…when you're better, can we talk?"

I nod. "Of course." I turn back to the others. "I have to make peace with Eric next. What he did to me, I mean. I don't really know how to explain it. He and Carol, they were the only ones that touched me with malicious intent. Others were angry when I touched them, or afraid, or guilty when they touched me. But Carol and Eric, they wanted to hurt me. Eric, in particular." I pause. "Years ago, I talked with Dr. Grey about it. She told me that the best characterization was that he violated my soul. His machine required massive amounts of power, and he quite literally forced it into me."

The Professor moves forward. "We are prepared." He says.

I nod, and glance at Logan. "Please be careful." I whisper. "I don't know how much of him will become a part of me once I do this."

He nods, and I close my eyes softly, under the watchful eyes of my teammates.

I move slowly towards them, deliberately. "Go away Carol." I say as calmly as I can to her. "You too John."

John laughs, and flicks his lighter. "Not so much, no."

I level my gaze at him. "Go."

He groans, and moves away, and I turn back to Carol. "I'm not going anywhere." She clips. "I'm loyal."

I cross my arms. "Suit yourself." I turn to Eric. "Why me?"

He smiles. "Because it needed to be done my dear. They'll never accept us."

"That doesn't mean we should just kill them."

"What are you talking about?" he asks. "I didn't do it to kill them dear, I did it to make them understand."

"You knew it killed."

"I knew there was a possibility that it might, yes."

"So why use me to do that? Your fight was not my problem!"

"Ah, but dear, of all of us, my fight is the most your problem. You would be the most feared of all mutants if the world knew about you. About your gift."

I press my hands to my temples. "You attacked me!" I shout.

"Perhaps, but it nearly worked, didn't it? If not for that pesky Wolverine it would have been foolproof."

I shake my head. "Why me? Why not do it yourself?"

He smiles. "Because…if I had done it myself, I would have died. Then who would have ruled the world?"

I stare at him. "It had nothing to do with me. It was just about the power."

"Dear, everything is about power in this world."

"I couldn't have stopped you, could I?"

He laughs. "Of course not! You had the Wolverine for protection of all people. The one person I can completely control."

I close my eyes. "Not anymore." I whisper, and turn away.

"What did you do?" Carol shrieks suddenly. "Where did he go?"

I turn to face her. "Away." I offer, tilting my head. "Tell me what you're thinking."

"You killed him!" she shrieks, and launches herself at me. I deftly move aside, and scrunch my face. "Stupid." I mutter. "Why did you join with me Carol? What is it you're hiding?"

She stands, and her eyes flash. "That's none of your business."

An image of a doctor flashes around her. "You were sick." I say sharply. "You were dying!"

"I told you to butt out little girl!" she advances.

"You just wanted to live, any way you could, and you thought I was too weak to resist, so why not just live in me?"

She crosses her arms. "Go away. This is my body!"

I feel Marie move up next to me. "No sugah, it's not. Its nevah been yours. Its mahne, and its Rogue's, but its not yours." I meet her eyes, and she nods. "Now you're gettin' it sugah. Ah had a feelin' you would eventually."

"You knew?"

"Had ya paid attention, you woulda known too."

I turn back to face Carol, and find that she's gone. "Where did she –

I turn back to Marie, and notice that she too, is gone. Slowly, I smile. "Ah guess she really was a part of me." I whisper. "More than Ah realized."

"I wish I had gotten to know her." Bobby's voice says softly.

I turn to him. "What do you mean?"

"You never really let me near her. I thought you did, but…she was always for Logan."

"You hated that, didn't you? Hated him?"

"I don't hate Logan. I hate what he represents. To me, here, he represents all the parts of you that I can't have. And me, here, very much wants to have you."

"Why? Ah mean, Ah know why David wanted me. Ah know why Logan loves me. But you, why would someone as nice as you want the one girl who couldn't touch you?"

He scratches his head nervously. "I had a girlfriend before I got to Xavier's. We…were really physical, but not much else. The thought of having something beyond that was pretty enticing, for a long time."

I laugh lightly. "You wanted because you couldn't touch me? Bobby you had to know it wouldn't be enough."

He shrugs. "Yeah, but…I hoped, you know?"

"Oh Bobby." I shake my head. "You're always gonna' be mah first kiss that didn't nearly kill someone, you know that?"

He smiles. "Make sure you tell the real me that, he might like to hear it, you never know."

"So you all know what's goin' on?"

"We started to get it after Logan was gone. Phoenix explained a little."

I nod. "Thanks."

I turn to John. "I got nothing to apologize for, nothing to explain to you." he clips.

I nod. "I know." I pause. "I touched you, remember. And you'll always be the first person I ever had to touch to save others. You know I had to stop you. It's who I am."

He grunts. "Yeah, well. They were attacking us. They shot Wolverine."

I nod. "They did. But I knew he'd be okay. You…you were out of control John. You lost perspective and started hurtin' people."

"And you had to save the world. The little X-men wannabe."

"Ah never wanted to be on the team. Not at first. Ah just wanted to be able to wear a t-shirt again without people runnin'." I smile softly. "Until Carol, it wasn't in me to fight back. It was in me to protect, but not to fight. Ah never wanted to fight."

He sighs. "I'm starting to get that."

"Ah'm sorry John, and if Ah ever see you again, Ah'll be sure to tell you."

He nods. "That one's gonna' be harder." He nods at Phoenix, leaning against the wall. "She's still pretty pissed at you. She gets it, but she's pissed."

I turn to her as he fades into me. "You know Ah had to. You weren't ready."

"The advantage of telepathy is that I am in a constant state of flux within you. The others were taken at a single moment, with a single intent."

I nod. "So, why are you still here then? Why not just go?"

"Because though I have changed with my other self, you must understand that I will not continue to do so once we are done."

"Ah'm not gonna' be like you, am Ah? A phoenix? Ah just…Ah don't think Ah could take that, it would be just too much."

"You will gain my abilities, my telekinesis, my telepathic senses. I am not certain as to the other. It would be inconvenient for you if you did."

I nod. "Tell me about it." I mutter.

"You do not wish to have the power of telepathy, do you?"

I close my eyes briefly, and then look back at her. "No sugah, Ah don't."