Author's Note: A gift!fic for… Fantasisucks! Because, I'm sure it's only a matter of time before she changes her name from Risty to that. I don't think this is what she had in mind but, well, this is what came out when I started my story. So weird. But sorry for that! Anyway, this is just a bit of Xavier teacher-esque contemplation over a very special student and all he's asked of her. The quote in the second part is from X-Treme X-Men #23, I believe. Titled for a 3 Doors Down song that… just sort of fit. Thanks to oldprydefan for the read through. Aaaand… I think that's about it! Enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. The retcon. Nothin'. Bummer, huh?

The Road I'm On
by, Caliente

She's young. So very young. Far too young for him to ask this of her. Far too young to understand why he is asking this of her. But she does. She understands more than a girl her age should. She understands more than most ever will. He wishes she didn't but she does. It's her gift. It's her curse. It's what makes her… special.

And it's a large part of what makes her absolutely perfect for this. He knows it's incredibly unfair of him to even ask such a thing of her, but he does. He wishes he didn't have to, but he reminds himself it's for the dream. For a better world. Everything he does is. Even this. And that will have to be enough. For both of them.

Because… what he asks of her… she will have nothing else to hold on to. Nothing else to fall back on. Nothing at all. He wouldn't ask anybody else… he can hardly believe he's asked her. But he knows she's the only one for the job. He knows she will succeed where others have failed. He knows that she will do what no one else can.

And he knows she will never ask him why. She'll never have to because she already knows all the answers he would give. All the answers he can give. She knows far more than she should. Far more than anyone should, especially about matters such as these. But she's seen too much. Done too much. And she knows that too.

She knows she can't be like the others. He wishes she could but she can't. Even at her young age, it is too late for her. She is already too far gone. She is already too many unredeemable things. Too many things that don't match up with the image he wants, no, needs to create. For the greater good. For the dream.

She will suffer for what she does in his name. He knows she will. And he wishes, more than the rest, that he could prevent it from coming to pass. She's already been through more than enough; she shouldn't have to endure anything more. Especially from him. He doesn't deserve her. And she… she doesn't deserve this.

He wishes he could save her. From him. From herself. From the world. From any more pain. From everything. He wishes a great many things for her, none of which will ever come to pass. But he wishes for her, and will continue to do so, because it is all that he can do. He has damned her name once more. And she has accepted it.