A/N: Hello! It's been a while. Thanks for the support and the reviews. And I know that you're all waiting for an update and not an author's note, so here you go!

OOOOOOOOO

Scarlet squirmed in the seat that she'd found herself seated in when she had come back to reality. She wasn't secured to it by any physical means, but she knew that she couldn't move because of the people around her. Scarlet crossed her arms and stared at the wooden floor, waiting.

"What the hell did you think you were doing out there?" Scott demanded, his voice full of barely contained anger.

"Taking down the enemy," Scarlet muttered. "Like I was supposed to."

"You were acting like an animal!" Scott snapped and Scarlet could feel him pressing too close. "A savage, blood thirsty animal that didn't care who was in the way."

Scarlet put up a small barrier between her and the redheaded mutant. "Back off."

"Maria, why did you lose control like that?" Jean asked, sounding calmer and reminding Scarlet of a good cop.

"I saw him…I saw him doing something that I didn't like and…" Scarlet shook her head. "I have my reasons."

"You wanted to become an X-Man and go on missions to help people, Maria," Jean pointed out. "It is always going to be possible that you're going to cross paths with Magneto. You knew that going into this."

Scarlet continued to stare at the floor. "I knew. I just didn't like what I saw him doing, Red. It really pissed me off."

"Well, consider that something that you don't have to worry about anymore," Scott snapped at her, unable to get within a foot of her. "You are no longer allowed to go on missions with us."

"Fine."

"You won't be allowed to train with the others until there is proof that you can control your temper and your powers."

A nerve twitched in Scarlet's temple. "Fine."

Scott pulled back when his words had no effect on her. "I thought that you wanted to prove yourself and become an X-Man?"

"Not if it means I have to listen to you, Scooter." Scarlet's red eyes turned in the direction of the door, but never lifted from the floor. "I don't need to be an X-Man to control my powers. I don't need to be a part of your club. It's not worth it."

"Maria –"

"Can I go now?" Scarlet demanded. "I don't feel like talking to you anymore. We'll get nowhere and end up in the same place. I'm not an X-Man and I'll never be. Okay Scooter? You won't have to worry about me on your team. So shut up about it and shove it up your ass."

"Maria," Jean said with a slight warning edge in her tone.

"Scarlet," Scarlet corrected under her breath. "Can I go now? Because if you don't let me go, it won't just be at that gathering that I get seriously pissed off at."

Jean put her hand on Scott, keeping him back and choking back his harsh words. "You can go, Maria. But please, don't do anything rash."

Scarlet rolled her eyes and rose to her feet. She didn't look back as she headed from the room. Her eyes sought out her friends and she felt their hesitation to look at her. Kitty couldn't even look at her for a moment without staring down at her feet and scuffing her shoe on the floor.

"Sorry guys," Scarlet muttered, walking past them. "Sorry…"

OOOOOOOOO

Scarlet sat on the hood of a truck, watching the world move around her. Mutant children were running around, laughing and carrying on like they didn't have a care in the world. She beat out a slow rhythm on the warm metal with her fingers as new powers seeped into her body, but made no move to approach any of them. They had gone back to looking at her with fear, telling her that her actions with the X-Men had been at least partially revealed to the population.

Can I ever get a break? Scarlet wondered, putting her sunglasses on as a cloud moved and allowed a bright ray of sunshine hit her full on. Can I ever escape the life that my father put before me? The one where my anger gets the best of me because of something that I want to protect? Because of something that I'm scared to lose?

"Maria," Logan's voice met her ears, causing her to tense and relax at the same time.

"Funny Hair," she muttered, glancing in his direction as he moved to stand by the truck. "Are you here to snap at me for what I did on the mission too?"

"No, I saved that for Scooter and Red," Logan admitted, leaning his elbows on the hood. "Maria, what happened back there?"

"I guess I wasn't completely ready to go out on a mission," Scarlet said, hugging her knees to her chest. "I got caught up in the energy and heat of battle and then I saw him…I saw my father and I lost it." She shook her head. "He messed me up really bad when I was little, Funny Hair. That's why I ran away from him and home when I was smart enough to take care of myself and create family stories on my own."

"You really wanted to kill him, didn't you?" Logan asked, looking at her.

"Yes."

"Why?"

Because he was hurting you. " Because of the life that he gave me and the one that he gave Aqua. Because he always manages to piss me off, even if just breathes once." Scarlet shook her head again. "I'm not going to be a good X-Man, Logan. I can't do a good job if I can't keep myself from going directly after Magneto every time we go on a mission that involves encountering him. I can't be an X-Man, Logan. I just can't."

A lump formed in her throat, threatening to choke her. Scarlet had to look away from the scene before her, not willing to show her weakness. Her body grew warmer when Logan placed a hand on her knee.

"You could become one in the future, darling," he commented in a gentle growl. "We just need to work some more on your control."

"Why?" Scarlet asked, looking at him once more.

"Why what?"

"Why do you have so much faith in me?" Scarlet asked, watching him through her shades. "Why aren't you ready to snap when it comes to me like the others? Why, Logan?"

Logan looked at her and his lips twitched. "Because I know what it's like to be alone, darling, with just your anger and your past to keep you company."

Scarlet stared at him in wonder. "So, you're never going to give up on me?"

"No. I'm never going to give up on you, princess."

Something swelled in Scarlet's chest, bringing a smile to her face. Her facial muscles ached from the lack of use in the smiling department, but it was worth it to her. She slid off the hood of the truck and moved around to stand by the driver's side.

"You wanna go out and get a bite to eat?" she asked, looking at Logan. "I'll let you choose the place."

"Aren't you too young to have your license?"

"That only matters if I get caught." Scarlet twirled the truck's keys around her fingers. "I won't tell, if you won't."

Logan smirked and climbed into the truck. "I can hear Scooter now, demanding to know where his truck is."

"His truck?" Scarlet shook her head and revved the engine. "This baby is mytruck now, Logan. And he can try to pull it from my cold dead fingers if he wants it back."

"Good girl. You're learning something new every day."

OOOOOOOOO

Leticia immediately found Scarlet when Scarlet and Logan came back from their random dinner. She wrapped her arms around Scarlet's middle and buried her face against Scarlet's stomach. Scarlet put her hands on top of the girl's head and petted her long, dark hair. She looked away from Logan and turned her attention fully to the little girl.

"What's wrong, Leticia?" she asked softly in the girl's dialect. "Did something bad happen while I was gone? Did someone hurt you?"

Leticia shook her head and held onto Scarlet tighter. "They said you were going to be taken away. That you wouldn't come back. That you would leave me. Like Mommy. Like Daddy. Scarlet, don't go! Please don't go!"

"Calm down, Leticia, calm down." Scarlet pushed the girl away slightly, so she could look her in the eyes. "Who told you that I was going to be taken away?"

The little girl tapped her right temple. "They did. They told me. Scarlet, please don't let them."

Scarlet's eyes widened slightly when she remembered the poor girl's powers. "Leticia, don't listen to them. I'm not going to be taken away. I'm going to stay right here. I'm going to stay here until you graduate from here and can take care of yourself." She put her hands on the girl's shoulders, sending calming waves through her skin into the girl. "Don't worry about me. Just sleep it off and know that you'll see me tomorrow."

Leticia's eyelids grew heavy and the little girl slumped forward into Scarlet's arms. Scarlet awkwardly shifted the girl into her arms and turned, looking at Logan once more. A small smirk was on his face as he watched the scene play out.

"Don't even say or think anything," Scarlet warned, walking past him with the sleeping child mutant in her arms.

Scarlet heard his small chuckle, but didn't turn back and didn't make another comment. She moved through the mansion and upstairs to the girl's bedroom. A small sound of disapproval came from between her lips when she saw the mess that Leticia and her roommates had left in the room.

I was never this bad as a child, Scarlet thought ,wading through the mess to the bed that held the girl's cherished stuffed animal. Then again, I've never had real parents before. So what do I know?

The copy mutant laid the girl on the bed and put the blankets over her. Scarlet placed a hand on the girl's head and sighed.

"Don't grow up too fast…Life is a bitch that I can't protect you from…unlike myself."

OOOOOOOOO

A/N: Well, what did you think? Leave a message in the box and enjoy your wonderful days. –Scarlet