Despite Becca and Lizzy's protests, I've decided to continue this story. Sorry for keeping you waiting! I'm also considering writing a humor fanfic for X-men caled "Life in Xavier Mansion" My first chapter has been planed, if not written. It's called "Marie's Baking project" in which she finds a substance harder than Logan's claws- and head - by trying to bake brownies. UH-OH!

Mutant Children

I lie in my room for a whole of thirty seconds, giving Logan enough time to either come back or vacate the hall outside. I wasn't sure which one I wanted more, adding confusion to the list of new emotions. Technically speaking, they weren't new emotions, just ones I hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"You made your choice! Get out of here! There's nothing left for you!" Darlene stood silhouetted against the burning building.

"Stop it!" I practically screamed. "We can still save people! We can-"

I was cut of by a blow in the chest and looked down to see an arrow protruding from my left lung.

"Stop it!" This time it was a whisper to myself, ordering the memories away. But despite retreating, they crowded close at the edge of my attention. In an attempt to drown out the cries of the past I headed down stairs and into what seemed to be a rec-room. The two younger mutants I had been introduced to were in a heated match of foosball and were apparently holding the attention of the students who were pretending to do homework. In the center of the room, however, a boy was suspending a teddy bear just out of reach of a little girl who looked close to tears with what looked suspiciously like one of my own wispy shadows.

Why was no one helping her? "Excuse me," I stepped next to the little girl and scooped her up in my arms. "Whose bear is that?"

The boy looked to be about eleven and had been thoroughly enjoying himself, but upon my appearance his face went chalky white. Perhaps it had something to do with my blue hair. Perhaps it also had something to do that I was very close in height to Logan and had a very similar accent. "It's, um, it's mine."

The little girl shook her head against my shoulder, manifesting his lie. "And how old are you?"

"Ten, almost eleven," He stated proudly.

"Ah ha. So as a boy of ten, almost eleven, you're telling me that you play with teddy bears?" I goaded on his pride; making people uncomfortable was something that came naturally.

"Um, well, you see, um…" He trailed off, unable to defend himself and keep up the lie.

"I do see. I see that you were teasing this girl for your own entertainment. Does that seem fair?" I bent down to his level and placed the girl on the ground, though she was still leaning on me.

"No, ma'am." He sheepishly held the bear out to this little girl who stuck her tongue out at him before squeezing my neck and running away. As an afterthought he added, "Are you going to tell Miss Grey?"

I cocked an eyebrow as if considering, but it had never been my intention. "Alright, I won't tell, but you have to go apologize profusely to that little girl."

Glad he had been let off the hook, he ran in the direction of the little girl. I, however, had been put on spot by the teachers, all of who had been watching in interest. "Um, what?" I asked, turning to met Scott's gaze.

"How did you do that?" He asked incredulously, as if he suspected the boy had taken a bribe.

"Easy, Scout, I didn't threaten him, bribe him, lecture him; just let him figure it out for himself." The teacher gritted his teeth at his new pet name; apparently Logan called him Phaserface.

Scott's face pinched in an attempted glare, but the effect was somewhat ruined by his ruby sunglasses. I watched in satisfaction as he stalked into the dinning room. Before I could stalk away as well, the Professor wheeled up to me, closely followed by Jean. "Has anyone ever told you that you have excellent protective instincts?"

I blushed at the compliment. "Sir, I have been called many things, and among that list 'protective' has yet to be used in reference to me protecting someone else." I paused and let my gaze linger on where the boy was giving an enthusiastic apology. "Professor?"

Xavier snapped his gaze away from the duo as well. "Yes, Angela?"

"Please, I prefer Shadow. Who is that boy?" Despite everything I've said to make myself sound hardened against children, they have a tendency to shine through as my true kryptonite.

"His name is Tasliband Richard, though he prefers Tas. He has powers very similar to yours, if I am not mistaken. His is yet another sad story, but one you must ask of him. Now, I believe it is time for dinner." He wheeled away, and right on cue a bell began to toll. He looked back and asked, "Are you coming, or do you prefer to dine in solitude?"

"Um, I don't really eat." But as a sharp reminder of the mind block, my stomach started to growl like a lion at feeding time in the zoo. The Professor obviously heard and led me into the dinning room. The table was laden with enough to feed the entire school, or a small country, which ever got there first. He motioned to a seat towards the end of the table and continued up to his seat at the head.

I figured Logan wouldn't be dinning with us, and was a little shocked to find myself disappointed. He and Kurt left to dismantle the mind block, and thus should be back some time near dawn, the Professor's voice rang in my head.

Okay, but it's not like I was particularly worried, I lied in his general direction.

Of course not, I was slightly irked by the sarcasm in the new voice; the one I assumed was Jean. He is quite charming in his own brutish way, isn't he?

For your information, smart-ass, Logan and I have met before and sustained a… relationship.

You dated?! I enjoyed her shock, but I knew from experience it was hard to lie to a telepath.

Not really, I just ran into him a ton when Will was hiding me from the Japanese assassins. We ignored the Professor's graceas we talked.

Why were you hiding from Japanese assassins? She helped children around her cut their meat and serve potatoes and so forth.

Because Will paid me to go take out one of their undercover operatives and I needed the money. Despite the fact I felt hungry enough to eat everything on the table, I kept my rations small, knowing that after thirty years of not eating my stomach probably shrunk to the size of a walnut.

You were an assassin?! Jean dropped her spoon, currently ladled with mashed potatoes and gravy, earning herself an odd stare from Scott and Ororo. Why?

Just because I needed the money. I didn't need my powers to sense the contention my revelation brought her. Listen, he wasn't the first guy I killed or the last. If you had any idea what it's like beyond the embrace of a group of people like you, you'd not be so surprised. Just look at what Logan did for pity's sake! I was – am an angel compared to him! So what if I don't do my namesake justice, eh? I don't know why I got so pushy, it's just that I don't like people judging me before they know the facts; and it happened all too often.

What about Logan? She cut her chicken carefully to avoid my gaze.

Damnit. Nothing; I promised I wouldn't tell, not even to him. From that point on in the meal I avoided mental communication, instead chatting with Bobby and Rogue. Like I had predicted, my appetite was satisfied early in the meal, but I waited for my hosts to be done. When the meal was over, the children crowded into the kitchen to either do dishes or make sundaes.

Not sure where to go, I began to wander towards my room, but the Professor stopped me at the stairs, asking for a game of chess. I accepted, with nothing better to do, and soon found myself in a heated game.

"So tell me, Angela, what exactly do your powers cover?" He calmly took my last rook as he spoke.

I sighed and surveyed my options, totally ignoring the use of my given name. "Slipping between the shadow realm and this one, extreme control over my body, able to shift darkness, have shadows at my beck and call, basic immortality, you know; the works." I calmly took his red bishop.

He retaliated by capturing a knight. "That sounds very similar to Tas."

"It does, doesn't it?" I mused over where to go, and shouted in triumph as I put his king in check.

"Would you consider staying on to help him? I think you could teach him control better than I could," said Xavier as his queen demolished my carefully designed check, in turn, placing my king in a check I couldn't possible fathom.

"No, I have a couple… errands I have to run. Maybe in a couple of years." I gave the board one last contempt-filled glare and threw my hands up in surrender.

"Pity, though my offer will always stand. What a wonderful game, Angela. You are quite the opponent." The Professor extended his hand.

"I'm not surprised you beat me, it's been thirty years since I last played." I gratefully took the outstretched hand and immediately wished I hadn't.