Disclaimer: Not that this is any surprise, but I don't own the X-men.

V.V.V.V.V.V.V

Brooke looked nervously over at Orroro Munroe, the representative of Professor Xavier's school who had met her at the airport.

"You don't have to worry you will be among friends." Storm looked at the younger girl sitting in the passenger seat. She was playing with a loop of string, running through cat's cradle games over and over.

Brooke gave her a slight smile. "I'm just really uncomfortable with people I don't know well." She sighed internally to herself. She had always been that way, but since the attack she got panicky if surrounded to close by strangers. As her shrink had said back home, she had acute agoraphobia.

Storm nodded. "I have heard it said that the best thing to do in that situation is imagine the people you meet in their underclothes. It's supposed to relieve tension."

Brooke just stared openmouthed. "Well, I'll try that then." She had thought Ms. Monroe to be a serious type, but maybe her first impression was mistaken. Just then a large gate came into view and the car stopped to allow Ms. Monroe to input a security code. She just stared as the car was parked in front of the large mansion.

"This is the Institute. Professor Xavier is inside waiting to meet you."

At that moment, a girl came running through the door. "Storm, like, they just rushed Etienne down to the Infirmary, he was having a heart attack." The other girl stopped and looked at Brooke in surprise. "Oh, hello. You must be the new student."

Brooke watched as Ms. Monroe blanched. "Kitty, can you please take Brooke to the Professor's study while I go check on Etienne?"

Kitty smiled at Brooke. "Sure, I don't mind. Like, do you need help with your bags?"

"No thanks. I've got them."

"Okay, follow me then."

Kitty arrived at the door to the Professors study and opened it. "Like, Professor Xavier is downstairs with everyone else helping with Etienne. Like, make yourself comfortable and he'll be up here as soon as he can."

Brooke waited only a few minutes before an older bald guy in a wheel chair moved into the room. "Ah, Ms. Miller, welcome. I hope you will learn to feel comfortable here."

Brooke looked at the Professor, wondering how much of her story he knew already. She decided to delay. "I heard one of your students was rushed to the medical facility."

He nodded. "Yes, we were treating broken bones in his right arm with a bone-growth stimulator but it appears the magnetic field it generated was interfering with the electrical signals in his heart causing a slight heart arrhythmia. He should not sustain any damage though, and should be on his feet in no time."

She nodded. "That's good to hear." She was getting more nervous by the minute; the walls of the room seemed to be closing in on her.

The Professor looked at his newest student. He already knew her background, and could feel she was getting close to bolting even though she had no where to run. "Brooke, please try to calm down. I do know some of your history. Would you like to know more about of ours?

She nodded and took a couple of deep breaths knowing now was not a good time for a panic attack. "Yes, please."

The Professor nodded. "As you probably already know, I started this school to give mutants a place where they can be safe and interact with each other without having to worry about persecution because their genes are different. We have devoted ourselves to the idea that mutants and humans can eventually live together in peace.

Brooke looked down at the hands in her lap. "That sounds like a utopia Professor; but the majority of utopias exist only in literature." She looked back up at him. "You'll have to forgive me if I'm a bit skeptical, but I've seen first hand what happens when mutants and humans try to live together. People get hurt on both sides." She felt guilty at the words, they raised a pain she would rather forget than relive.

He studied her for a moment. "I understand your feelings and hope you will eventually change your mind. It is my understanding that you remember little from the assault. Did you make any progress with your other doctor back home?"

She shook her head and looked away out the window. "No. He ran the genetic tests and determined I have an active X-gene, but the shock was so great that he thinks I've blocked it out. So what exactly will I be doing here?" She was having the strangest urge to dump all her problems on this poor man. She hadn't even known him for more than ten minutes but she felt like she could trust him.

"It is my understanding that you completed your senior year at your high school, is that true?" The Professor was concerned. He had been told his newest student had suffered significant emotional and physical trauma, and her actions so far had confirmed his hypothesis that she was not dealing with it well if at all. He was subtly influencing her by exuding a calming and trust worthy demeanor, hoping it would help her to unconsciously relax.

Brooke nodded. "Yes. I was accepted to college but then everything happened." At this point she trailed off, looking back down at the ground, trying hard not to cry.

Xavier waited until she looked back up at him, gaining control of her emotions as she did so. "As you know, at the request of your parents, you and I will have daily sessions. Hopefully you will be able to gain a greater understanding of exactly what happened during the time you blacked out. There will be several hours of self-defense training each week, either singly or in a group setting. In addition, you will have assigned chores since everyone here splits duties. Whatever free time you have beyond that is your own as long as you respect your curfew, which for your age group is 2 AM since your older than most of the students. I'm afraid you will have to share a bathroom, but there is a single room available for you to have. We are currently in the process of adding on more space so that should change by the end of summer."

She nodded again, having already been aware of the basics before she left home. "Thank you for your help and for letting me stay here." She stood up and suddenly felt woozy. "Whoa, head rush"

"Are you okay?" The Professor had felt a momentary surge of something as she had stood up. That was highly unusual and he made a mental note to look into it later.

"Yeah I'm fine. Can someone show me to my room?"

"Certainly, dinner should be in about 30 minutes, and you will be able to meet everyone then." He mentally contacted Kitty, who was the closest female X-Man. Can you come back and escort Brooke to her room? She will be staying in the empty room between Jean and Etienne.

V .V. V .V .V .V

Gambit and Rogue had each taken a seat to either side of Etienne's bed in the Med Bay, waiting for him to regain consciousness. Storm had come by as soon as she had gotten back from picking up the new student. The other X-Men had dropped by at different times, lending their unspoken support to their friends.

Rogue looked across the still form. "He'll come through sugah, he's a fighta like you."

Remy ran a hand through his hair. "Gambit knows dat chere, he just can't help but worry."

She wished there was something else she could do or say to make him feel better. It was unusual for her Gambit to be this upset, and she didn't like it one bit. She much preferred the happy go lucky Cajun who was always getting in her way and annoying her. Her Gambit? Where did that come from? She shook her head in denial.

Etienne was floating, there was no other way to describe it. The last thing he remembered was the searing pain and hearing McCoy tell someone, Logan maybe, that he was having a heart attack. I'm only 18; I couldn't have a heart attack yet. Dat must have been some dream. He drifted some more, growing more cognizant of the fact that everything was kind of gray and fuzzy. He could see little points of colored light bobbing around him some brighter than others. He reached out and touched the nearest, a medium sized ball of blue light. He could feel worry and tension, something "told" him it was his cousin. He touched another ball of light, this one a bright cheerful yellow. It "felt" more like Kitty, lots of happiness and optimism. A large ball of indigo caught his attention and he found himself stretching trying to reach it. He cupped it in his hands. De color is belle magnifique. He touched it with a finger and almost screamed at the mass of emotions that pored into him. Anger, pain, fear, hurt and riding over everything was a bottomless loneliness that made him ache.

Rogue and Remy both jerked as Etienne stirred on the bed. "Henri, he be waking!" The three of them watched as Etienne sat up and looked around, not really seeing where he was. Before they could do anything he began ripping the EKG leads off himself, trying to get out of the bed. Gambit was up in a flash and pushed his cousin back on the bed. "What y' doin homme? Tryin t' kill y' self?

Etienne looked at Gambit, seeing him for the first time. "It hurts." He tried to get up again but was too weak to fight for long.

Beast moved forward and looked down at his patient. "Etienne, the bone stimulator in your arm caused your heart to palpitate, giving you a heart arrhythmia. Are you saying your still in pain?"

Etienne looked at everyone with vexation, unable to understand why they wouldn't let him up. "Can't y' feel it? Let me out o' here."

Rogue looked at the three men and suddenly had an idea. "Hank, since he's on the meds he can't control his powers right?"

McCoy looked over at her and nodded. "Yes, he had the same problem last time we had to use a significant level of pain killers."

Rogue looked at Gambit. "Then ain't it possible he's sensing somebody and is trying to go help them?"

Gambit looked at his younger cousin. "Gambit an' Rogue'll go and help, if y' promise t'stay in bed. Deal?"

Etienne looked at the two of them for a moment, and then nodded, since he was too tired to move anyway. "Deal." Before they could leave the room, he had fallen asleep again.

Rogue looked over at Gambit. "So what do we do now?"

Gambit shrugged. "What do we usually do? Let's go see de Professor an' ask if he's got an idea how t'handle dis." Rogue knocked on the door to the Professor's study, pushing it open when she heard him say to enter. Scott, Logan, Jean and Orroro were already sitting in the room, having been discussing the newest student. "Professor, sorry to bother yah, but Etienne woke up an' is having a problem."

Xavier looked at the two students in the doorway. "Define problem, please."

"He started talking 'bout hurting, so we're guessing his power's are picking somebody up in trouble."

The Professor exchanged a glance with Jean before motioning Rogue and Gambit to take a seat. "I believe I know what is going on, please close the door and sit down. You are aware we are welcoming a new student today?" At Gambit's nod he continued. "There have been significant events in her life that precipitated her arrival here. It's not my place to tell you exactly what happened, but I she suffered severe emotional and physical pain, much of which has yet to heal. Etienne seems to be sensing that even as drug and shielded as he is."

Gambit looked at the Professor. "How's it possible for y' to shield 'im from everyone but he can still do dat?"

"I'm not sure. Since it appears he can only do it with the new student, she may have latent empathic abilities." He looked at the other adults in the room. "Or his powers could be evolving again. We will have to keep an eye on him."