Title: Here I am

Kurt entered the school building but the supposed Mystique was not to be found. The corridors were swarmed by students.

"Just great…"Kurt thought. He then walked over to his locker and turned the lock knob. Suddenly, he realized something, the moment he thought he saw Mystique, his heart felt so much lighter or better. Now, he feels it is just all a figment of his imagination.

"Kurt!"

Kurt turned around to see Amanda run towards him.

"Hey…" Kurt replied monotone.

Amanda looked at him with an awkward look on her face and then shook it off. She just smiled and hugged him. It was two weeks since she came back from her grandparents' trip. Kurt felt happy to see her at last. Amanda embraced Kurt's hug and then looked up at him to see that his smile suddenly faded.

"What wrong?" Amanda asked.

"Nothing…I…just thought I saw…"

"Yes?"

"Sigh doesn't even matter, it won't happen anyway…" Kurt hung his head low letting out another heavy sigh.

Amanda could not stand to see Kurt so depressed and it is like the first time she has ever seen him like this. "Is something bothering you?" Amanda asked.

"Huh? Uh…no, nothing at all"

"Sure?"

"Yeah… I'm fine…"

"Oh yes!" Amanda snaps her fingers! "I just got news! Our former Prin—

The announcement system came on and Principal Kelly was on the speaker.

"Students, there will be assembly for the first two periods. Kindly make your way to the assembly hall immediately. Thank you."

Kurt then turned his head towards Amanda. "You were saying?"

"Tell you later, right now, let's get a seat in the auditorium." Amanda says as she drags Kurt's arm.

Behind the stage, Mystique is pacing up and down quickly. Her mind is clouded with things, not about running the school but on seeing Kurt. Will he be there? Would he be shocked to see her? What would happen next? Mystique just suddenly felt like quitting, she felt that she could not face her son. She felt she was not worth receiving his love at all. Her head was clouded with so many thoughts that she did not hear Principal Kelly come up.

"Miss Darkholme?"

Mystique jumped in surprise as she did not hear Principal Kelly come up. "Y…yes, what is it?" Mystique asks.

"We are ready now, I think the school is overjoyed that you have finally returned from your long holiday." Principal Kelly replies smiling.

"Well yes, it was a much long deserved rest, thank you." Mystique tried to smile.

"Then, let's get the show on the road then, shall we?" Principal Kelly said.

Kurt sat in the middle row with Amanda, Rogue sat with Wanda in the first row and Lance and Kitty sat behind Kurt and Amanda. Even though they were mutants, things seem to have cooled down a bit. Principal Kelly walked onto the stage and adjusted the microphone.

"Good morning boys and girls! As much of you know, a familiar face has returned to our school campus!"

The whole auditorium roared with cheers.

"What is he talking about?" Kurt asks Amanda. "What I tried to tell you earlier on. Just watch!" Amanda says hugging Kurt's left arm.

"Please welcome back…Principal Darkholme!"

"What!" Kurt exclaimed as the whole auditorium shook with cheers and claps.

"It cannot be!" Rogue shouted.

"Mystique?" Pietro shocked.

"She's back? The crazy woman!" Toad exclaimed at Freddy.

"Am I dreaming?" Kitty asks Lance. "Unfortunately no…" Lance replied. Kitty looked at him awkwardly. "You knew about this?" Kitty asks. "She came late last night so we did not bother to say anything." Lance shrugged.

Mystique walked out onto the stage smiling and waving to everyone. Her eyes were desperately searching for Kurt, darting all around at every corner. Kurt however, was having a hard time believing it. His heart was racing and he doesn't know whether to be happy or just plain speechless. Amanda however, unknown to his past shouts out and cheers for his mother that she doesn't even know that they are related. Unable to search for her son among so many students, Mystique decided to carry on with her speech.

"Hello fellow students. I am very happy to be back here with all of you. I know I have been gone for a long time and just left so suddenly. As a start to kick off today, we shall end school two hours earlier! How about that?"

The whole hall burst into cheers as ending school early is one of the main things every student would want.

"Alright!" Kitty shouted out. Lance looked at her a bit confused as he thought Kitty doesn't even like Mystique. "I thought you would be suspicious of Mystique's return or even think we are in it?" Lance asked quietly. Kitty turned around and laughed out. She wrapped her hands around him and replied, "She just came back last night and if you guys are not bothered to ask her why, then that means you guys have nothing to do with it! Besides, I believe you Lance, I always will." Kitty then gave him a small kiss on the cheek and smiled.

Kitty then turns back to the stage leaving Lance very happy that the girl of his dreams trusts him and he feels assured that she will never leave him.

Back at the Xavier institute, Storm is busy making a special lunch for everyone while Jean is in the kitchen with Storm marking the New Mutants Assignments. Storm looked over at Jean who is feeling quite satisfied with the assignments handed in to her.

"So how is the class?" Storm asks as she pours in some herbs.

"Alright, they seem to have improved." Jean replies giving Bobby's assignment an A.

"Bobby's? Am I dreaming?" Storm exclaims laughing.

"He is pretty bright kid if he puts the effort in. From this grade, he seems to have made a tremendous amount of improvement." Jean says as she stacks the papers properly.

Suddenly, flashes of a girl lying under a tree appeared in her mind. Jean, surprised by this sudden vision pushed the papers all over the floor. Storm got surprised and went to pick up the papers.

"Jean? Are you alright? What happened?" Storm asks concerned.

"I…I had a vision…of a girl…lying under a tree…"Jean trailed off. Jean quickly got up from her seat and ran outside the mansion followed by Storm. Jean scanned the surroundings and then another flash of the same girl crawling towards the bushes. Jean quickly lifted herself upwards and scanned the area. Storm, from the ground, wondered what was going on. Then, Jean flies towards a bush and lands in front of it.

Jean peered over the bushes to see a girl in her visions. The girl wore a plain white long sleeve shirt and long white skirt. She looked to be around Jamie's age. Her skin is lightly tanned and her hair is long and starry white.

"Oh my gosh! Storm! Over here!" Jean called out. Storm flew up and landed beside Jean to find a helpless girl lying on the grass behind the bushes. Jean and Storm quickly aided the girl.

Jean made a telepathy call out to Professor Xavier.

"Professor! I found a girl lying on the Xavier grounds!" Jean cried out telepathically.

Professor Xavier got the message loud and clear in the library. From where Jean is, he could telepathically see the girl who looked extremely exhausted.

"Bring her in Jean; she may be seriously hurt." Professor Xavier said

"Got it." Jean replies

"What did Xavier say?" Storm asks.

"He said bring the girl in, come on."

Storm picked the girl up and found the girl to be extremely light. This alarmed her as this wasn't normal.

"She is very light! Is she mal-nourished?" Storm worriedly says.

"Come on; let's get her to the medical ward." Jean says following Storm into the Mansion.

As they leave, a pair of angry eyes watches them from a distance.

BRRRIIINNNGGG!

The doors of different classes burst open, marking the end of the school day. Kurt slowly walks up to his locker feeling very confused. Part of him is happy that Mystique has returned but the other part is upset and suspicious of her. But then again, could all this change for the better? Their former Principal Kelly had such a influence on the rest of the human body in the school. He turned all of them into hating the mutants but if Mystique returns, could things change for the better?

Deep in thought, Kurt unknowingly walks right into Rogue.

"Ouch! Watch where you're going!" Rouge exclaimed while picking herself up from the ground. The moment she saw opened her eyes, it was Kurt who she walked into.

"Oh! Sorry Kurt…ah…ah thought you were someone else." Rogue apologized as she helped Kurt up.

"It's alright, it's my fault, I wasn't watching where I was going." Kurt said as he brushed off the durst from his shirt.

"So…Mystique returning…got any idea?" Rogue asks as she waits for Kurt while he packs his bag with some books from his locker. Kurt, stunned by the question, hung his head low and then looked at Rogue. Rogue felt something was up and she could not wait any longer.

"Alright! What's up with you? You don't seem to crack any jokes and you're just…not yourself! Kurt, ah and the rest are worried about you…can't you just tell us what's going on?" Rouge asks with concern in her heart.

"Will you just leave me alone? No one will understand even if I told you or anyone else! How would you like it if you had to be abandoned by your mother!" Kurt burst at Rogue. Tears were streaming down his face as he tries to control himself. Rogue just stood there with her mouth open but speechless. Upset, Kurt turns and teleported away.

"That was painful…"

Rogue turned around to see Kitty standing from behind. Rogue walked over feeling upset over the matter. "Ah never meant to make him angry…ah am just worried ya know…like a sister." Rogue said with her eyes on the floor.

"I know Rogue, I can't blame you in fact, and we are all worried. Now that Mystique has returned, I…Kurt may be confused…because she's his mother and this is a feeling I can't explain…" Kitty said solemnly. She knew that Kurt is confused about Mystique. Does she love him as a son or what? No one knows for sure except Mystique herself.

As Rogue and Kitty walk away, a figure walks out from behind the wall. Tears streamed down her face as she realizes that Kurt is thinking about her and that she has caused him so much heartache.

"I'm sorry Kurt…for everything…"

Next Chapter: My name is Star