AN: Hi, everyone! Since I seem to be experiencing writer's block on my other stories, I thought I'd better post something. Here's a few chapters I remixed into one, seeing as how annoying the last chapter's length was...

Reviewers:

Serin Eridar: This chapter is significantly longer...I hope you like it!

Moonfirefairy: Okay!

Disclaimer:

Own the X-men,

I do not

I'm just a kid

With a nose full of snot!

Chapter 12

The next day, Rose got up before the sun and went to the junkyard to think. As she sat on one of the old, beat up rusty cars, she faced the rising sun.

"This is amazing. I've finally found someone like me, Kitty and Kurt. Why is it that I've finally found my match, and still I feel lonely? I dreamt for as long as I can remember that I would find what I was looking for...and now, I don't know what to do. I mean, what if I just…do nothing? Can I live like that? Is just…knowing really enough? Could I really just try to be normal for once? Maybe it's time to rethink what I'm looking for. Do I really need to tell someone about who- or, what I am? What if they don't accept me? Then what? Another town? Another search? I just…I just can't do this anymore…"

As she brushed away a tear, she hugged her knees, shivering, though it wasn't cold. She smiled weakly as she glanced up and saw the beginnings of the sunrise. "The sun rises so slowly... I guess that's like life." She continued to herself. "You always have to wait for what you want... and sometimes, you just don't get it." Sitting there, she felt waves of sad emotions washing over her.

Then, without warning, the sun just burst over the horizon. Its radiant red, orange and yellow colors filled her eyes and mind, and she stood up, laughing. "What am I saying?" She stopped now, breathing in the fresh morning air and smiling knowingly. "I need to cut out this drama queen stuff- life is too beutiful to waste...and I do know what I have to do. I have to open my eyes to a new horizon." She nodded. "I have to confront them." She sighed. "But- it's so scary, facing the unknown."

She looked up again, then closed her eyes, digging through her mind as for a distant memory. She heard a voice clearly over the hum of the fears in her mind.

"I know you're scared, Rose, but remember this-if you remember nothing else: Fear is wanting protection from harm. You will always have fear, everyone does. But, faith is more: it's the guaranteed expectation of the things you hope for. Cultivate hope, and you will always have faith...But, courage? Courage is not the absence of fear, or even the conquering of fear, but...acknowledging fear, deciding that something is more important, and having faith."

Rose looked up, and as a single tear rolled down her face, she confidently stood straight and set her jaw.

"I may have fear...but with hope and faith, I have courage, too. I know what I have to do. And I'll do it." She picked up her bag, and turning for one last look at the sunrise, she smiled slowly.

"Thanks, dad."

Rose nervously planned as she walked to the school.

"It will have to be after school. I can't do it in the middle of a class, after all. I'll...I'll follow her home again, and just stop her on her way." She tried fervently to gulp down the lumpy feeling in her throat, but it was no use. As she went over to her locker, Kitty was there, waiting for her.

"Hi, Rose."

"Uh, hi, Kitty."

Even in her preoccupied state, Rose noticed the pale color of Kitty's face. "Are- are you okay? You look...pale!"

"I'll, um, be okay. I'm just a little nauseous."

"Okay..." Rose looked concernedly at her as they walked to homeroom.

"I'm telling you, Kurt, she just seemed to get paler and paler at every class!" Rose said.

Kurt looked worriedly over his turkey sandwich.

"So, finally, she went to the office and got looked at. I guess she went home..."

"I hope she'll be okay..." Kurt said, as he took a big bite.

"Anyway, I'll uh, see you around!" Rose dumped her garbage into the trash bin and Kurt waved goodbye with a full mouth.

"Hmm, swee vah vhaater!"

Rose retreated to the girl's room, and, after checking the stalls and finding them empty, she fought desperately against the arguing going on in her mind.

"Now what? Kitty is sick... what if she doesn't come back for a whole week? I don't know if I can stand this anymore! I'm so close, and I'm so far!" To calm herself, she began to hum a song, as the words played over in her mind.

"Right now I feel
like a leaf on a breeze
Who knows where it's blowin'?
Who knows where it's goin'?
I'll find myself somewhere
out where I never thought I'd be
I'm going 'round in circles
thinkin' about you and me
and how do I explain it when
I don't know what to say?
What do I do now?

So much has changed…"

As she sighed for the memories that played with the tune, a plan again began to form in her mind.

"That's right, class. Good pitch, Andy." He began to walk thought the room, as he adjusted the tone and pitch of the various instruments. "Yes, ... yes, very good." He stopped in front of Rose, where she sat in a half-dazed state.

"Miss Redd, this is Music, not science. If you want to be hundreds of miles away from the earth, this is the wrong class." He frowned at her as she suddenly shook her head back into reality.

"Sorry, Mr. Adhale."

"Better. Now, class..." He walked again to the head of the class, and Rose once again went back to her planning.

After school let out, she gathered her things, keeping an eye on Kurt. As he walked out of the building, she tailed him closely, avoiding his notice. She began to walk over to him, then stopped herself with baited breath several times. "Stop chickening out, you baby!" She chided herself, tried again to walk over to him, and again stopped herself. She breathed heavily, then gulped. "Ok…this is it. I'm tired of being alone."

She ran over to Kurt before she could stop herself again.

"Kurt!"

He turned around, surprised. "Oh, hey, Rose, vhat's up?"

"Um, I was going to walk around town. You know, and uh, go down to the docks to check out the boats. Wanna come?"

"Uh.." Kurt shrugged. "Sure, why not!" He smiled, and she tried to smile back, but her mouth felt dry and her hands were clammy. They walked for a while, and Kurt, sensing something was wrong, made little conversation. Suddenly, as they were passing a area covered with trees, she nodded to herself.

"Now! (No, wait!) No, tell him!" She ignored the warnings screaming in her, and stopped suddenly.

Kurt stopped too, and looked at her curiously. "vhat's vrong?"

Rose looked down at the sidewalk, then up into his eyes. "Kurt, I have to...talk to you."

"Ya?"

She swallowed, and, defying a fear that had held her for as long as she could remember, said "Kurt, I...well, it's a long story, but I need to tell this now. Kurt, I- I know about you."

Kurt looked like he was trying to hide confusion and fear at the same time. "Vhat do you mean?"

She began to talk hurriedly. "I...I've known for a while, and I wanted to tell you, and now I am...and, well, now you know."

Kurt shook his head confusedly. "V- Vhat are you talking about?"

Rose looked up again, and set her jaw with a realization. "I'll...I'll just have to show you, I guess." She put her hand on his shoulder, and they disappeared in a puff of smoke.