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13

AJ sat up. It was morning. She was still in her clothes from the night before, tucked into her bed, her shoes sat neatly on the floor. She ran a hand through her tousled hair; Logan must have put her to bed.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her feet touching the cold floor. After a quick shower, she threw some clothes on and headed to Professor Xavier's office.

"AJ! Please come in!" He grinned "Where's Rogue."

AJ stepped in; closing the door behind her "I don't think she's coming."

Her eyes looked distant as she sat down across from him.

"What is it?" he tented his fingers with a frown. She knew he didn't have to ask. He could just read her mind and be done with, but he wasn't like that. He'd always let them speak their mind.

"I… I screwed up Professor." She shook her head bitterly, looking down at her hands "I came here to change and I'm just getting better at being the old me."

He smiled "We all fall off the wagon AJ. This isn't something that's going to happen over night. I think you've been doing very well since you've been here."

"But I hurt someone…" She shook her head "Someone that trusted me."

He pressed his lips together. "Then I think you know what has to be done."

"But she won't talk to me."

"Give her time to cool down." He nodded. "She's an understanding girl. She'll listen to you once she's had time to relax."

She frowned "Professor… I can't do this. I've been trying so hard…"

"You need to learn to be a team player. That's all. It's still very new to you."

"Is that why you don't want me to go on missions with the others yet?"

"Precisely." He grinned "I have a lot of faith in you AJ."

"You're the only one…" She muttered.

"That's not true. Just the other day one of the X-men was commenting on how far you've come."

She furrowed her brow. "Who?"

His grin widened "It doesn't matter AJ. All that matters is that you keep trying. Don't be discouraged."

After her meeting with the Professor she made her way down to the Rec. Room.

The younger mutants that had finished school, they'd left for home, leaving the mansion very empty.

Kitty gave her a smile before a frown graced her expression. "What's wrong?"

AJ shook her head, giving Kitty a weak smile. "Nothing."

"Have you seen Rogue? I don't think she's up yet." Kitty turned back around watching the TV.

Scott shook his head "Shh, I wanna hear this." He turned the volume on the TV up.

Gambit put his arm around her, squeezing her shoulder "How y'doin' chère?"

"As good as can be expected I suppose." She shrugged. "Did you talk to her at all?"

"Y'kiddin'? She didn' even let Remy get a word out." He shook his head with a small laugh. "Don' worry. She knocked Gambit out wit' her punch. No gloves. She knows d'truth. Jus' let her realize it."

AJ nodded with a small smile, opening her mouth to say something when she caught wind of what was being said on the TV. It was a special on a specific mutant hating group; Humans Against Mutant Species. Now they're a species of their own.

"This is bull crap!" Kitty threw her hands up in the air. "These perma-fried freaks run around like modern day hippies, setting up mutants deaths to look like accidents; and the police won't bust them!"

"They can't prove they're killing anyone. That's the problem." Scott shook his head.

AJ's eyes widened as she took a step forward. She wasn't listening to what they were saying; her attention was set on the TV.

Rogue silently stepped in the room, crossing her arms against her chest, her interest immediately drifting over to the TV.

"Who's that?" Kitty asked, looking at the picture of a young woman that flashed on the TV.

"She's one of the founders of the group." Scott answered, going silent to hear the rest.

The program reported of her mysterious disappearance. No sign of her anywhere. No proof that she was dead, but no proof she wasn't. She'd been missing now for five years.

"Oh my God." AJ's shook her head.

"What?" Kitty frowned. "What is it?" She looked at AJ whose face was as white as a ghost.

AJ moved towards the TV. The woman's name was scrawled along the bottom of the screen. Jade Blake. That was her.

"Who is it chère?"

The picture of her disappeared, replaced with that of a smooth looking man with the name Skyler Scott.

Rogue's eyes widened. She'd recognized both people on the screen, but it wasn't until she saw the Skyler character that she realized how. From AJ's memory.

Rogue pointed at the TV with a frown. "Turn it off."

Gambit looked at AJ. He sensed her reaction change to intense hatred and… fear? He couldn't have missed it. Her breath quickened, eyes still fixed on the TV.

"Turn it off." Gambit repeated.

"What?" Scott furrowed his brow, giving his head a shake.

AJ turned away before Scott turned the channel. She stepped past him quickly, heading down the hall towards her room.

Gambit followed her. "AJ… what is it?"

She bumped into Logan, not even acknowledging him before disappearing around the corner. She had to get away. Be alone.

Rogue stepped up behind Gambit with a frown. "Her Mother."

AJ spent the rest of the day in her room or on the roof. Either way, she was alone. She let out the last puff of smoke from her cigarette before flicking it onto the ground. She hugged her knees, running her tongue along her upper lip. So she was dead. After all this time wondering if she even really loved her at all, her mother was dead. That was quite the kick in the teeth.

She let out a breath before sneaking back into her room. It was night time now, far too late to go talk to Rogue. She'd have to do it tomorrow. After changing into her PJ's she climbed into her bed and snuggled down in the sheets, pulling them tightly around her neck. She closed her eyes, drinking in all the sounds from the mansion as she usually did before falling asleep. But this time, something was different. She sat up and tried to focus on what felt wrong. She poked her head out of her door into the hall way before tiptoeing down towards the rec. room.

She smiled sadly. Rogue was asleep stretched across the couch.

AJ pulled the quilt off the back of the couch and laid it out on her gently. She looked over her shoulder. Logan passed by the doorway quickly.

The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Something was defiantly wrong.

She pulled her knee socks up as she walked, following him down the hall.

"Stay here." He said without acknowledging her presence. He just knew she was there.

"What is it?" She shook her head.

He looked at her over his shoulder, still walking. "I don't know yet. Get Rogue and go somewhere safe."

She nodded, spinning on her heel and back into the rec. room.

Before she rounded the corner she pressed herself against the wall. Her heart beat rapidly in her ears as she tried to focus. No one there. She slid around the corner, zipping over to Rogue, gently shaking her.

"Wake up." She whispered, wrapping the quilt around her as she helped her sit up.

Rogue's eyes opened slowly, frowning at AJ. "What d'you want?"

"We have to go."

"Ah'm not goin' anywhere with-"

"Someone is here Rogue."

Rogue's eyes widened. She stood up, clutching the quilt around her as she followed AJ.

AJ led the way back to Rogue's room, closing the door behind them.

"Listen to me." She whispered. "Stay here. Alright? I'm going to go find out how many there are. Maybe lead them out."

Rogue nodded, watching AJ head back out. She had to find out what was going on. She stepped lightly down the hall.
Someone was coming.

"I'm going to take a look over-" She listened intently as the intruders communicated, suddenly coming to a stop. They must see something.

"There's one!" a man in black whispered harshly. She took off immediately, hearing the men following her. She peeled through the halls, skidding around the corners. If she wasn't wearing her socks, she would have been fine. She hopped over the banister, landing on the ground floor hard. Her feet throbbed as she ran, skipping over the table in the dinning room. She ducked out of the way as they shot at her. The alarm began to sound throughout the mansion, causing her to lose focus for a split second. She slipped on the kitchen floor falling onto her side hard, sliding into the counter. This time they didn't miss. Their tranquilizers hit her square on.

I apologize for the cramped style... I'm near the end and I just cut and pasted it from word as oppsed to loading the whole thing and erasing the majority of it... so we're almost done this... part of the... saga... woot:)