A/N: Hello. Going through some things, so I haven't been nearly as active as I'd like to be. It feels like I've lost my creative ability, but I'm working on it. Give me some time and I am sure I'll be back to normal.

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Scarlet melted under Logan's kiss and stopped struggling for just a moment. Her body seemed to need this, but her mind rebelled. The mutant used her father's powers to push him off of her. Logan looked confused.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Scarlet demanded, sitting up and glaring at him.

"Maria…"

"You can't go around kissing me like that," Scarlet snapped, pushing herself to her feet. "I'm not yours and I never will be." She swayed. "I can't believe you fucking did that, asshole."

"Oh, don't act like you didn't like it," Logan growled out, eyes still blackened. "You kissed me back, Maria."

"Fuck you. I did not."

"Bullshit. You're just afraid of being hurt," Logan said, advancing on her. "That's why you push everyone away. Well, Princess, I'm not everyone and I don't get pushed away that easily."

Scarlet lifted a hand and smacked him across the face. "You don't get to touch me. You don't get to breathe on me. You don't get to do anything with me. Because if you remember, you're ancient and I'm only sixteen."

Logan stared at her, breathing through his teeth.

Scarlet looked at him with a small smile. "Bet you forgot about that when you decided to kiss me. I'm too fucking young for you according to laws placed by men in fancy suits. So, even if I wanted this, it'd be impossible."

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Logan listened to Scarlet as she talked and heard her normally level voice break just slightly. She didn't want to push him away, he realized. But she was scared and following the law for once in her life. Logan's eyes returned to their normal hazel, but he could still smell the pheromones wafting off Scarlet, something that he knew she was trying to control. To go any farther would lead to disaster.

"Maria…"

"Just forget about it, Logan," Scarlet ordered, taking a step back. "Forget about that mistake we made. And I'll just move on like it never happened. Hell, I'll just shut down that part of me. Kind of go dormant. Maybe that will help with this powers thing."

Logan shook his head. "That's no way to live and heal, Maria, and you know it."

"I don't care," Scarlet stated, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "I'd rather have part of me go silent for gods know how long than run the risk of making another mistake like this. I'm unloveable. I can't love back. I won't. You just have to get used to that and I know you will with people like Red still in this world." A single tear curved down her cheek. "Go to Red. She'll accept you with a whiney baby like Scooter as her only other option. You two – you two will look good together."

"Maria, I don't want Red."

"Right." Scarlet shook her head and turned. "I've got to go now. I have a meeting with the munchkins to get to."

"Maria, don't walk away from me like this," Logan said, taking a step after her.

Scarlet faded from sight and took her scent with her. Logan cursed under his breath and punched a tree, not caring that it cracked and splintered.

How could I have done that? How could I have wrecked what relationship we had by kissing her? I'm a fucking moron. Of course she's going to run away and hide from me. Maria is filled with fear and all I've ever wanted to do since the moment I realized that was protect her. I probably made it worse. No, I definitely made it worse. Logan looked up at the sky. Fucking hell.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Scarlet released the group of children after an hour and watched them disperse. She hadn't been feeling up to doing much with them, but she'd tried to help them do one trick with their powers each. A little bit of control lessons and those kids were doing great.

Unlike me, Scarlet thought, putting her hand through her hair. I can't control my powers half the time. I can't control my feelings at all. But goddammit I'm going to have to try harder.

Her red eyes lifted to the world around her, but everything seemed to be moving at a different time than her. She saw Leticia watching her from behind a bush and beckoned the little girl forward. Leticia came running to her and plopped herself next to Scarlet.

"Shouldn't you be playing with your friends?" Scarlet asked, staring out at the world.

"Why are you so sad right now, Maria?" Leticia asked, tilting her head to the side. "Did something bad happen? Are you okay?"

"Something bad happened, but it was small." Scarlet shook her head. "Don't ask what it was because I won't tell you. I just…I'm going through so much lately and this happened and it set my mood off."

"You weren't happy with us during our class," Leticia commented, sounding disappointed.

"I was impressed, but…" Scarlet sighed. "I'm not great at showing emotions, Leticia. I can't shake off what happened. It's still too fresh."

Leticia clapped her hand over her ear. "He's coming."

Scarlet looked out at the world again and saw a ball of fire flying towards her. She stopped it a good foot away from her and Leticia. The black and red haired mutant stood up and crushed the ball of fire with a fist.

"Pyro!" she growled, seeing the bastard with his lighter.

Pyro smirked. "Where's your guard dog, Bitch?"

"Fuck you," Scarlet hissed, eyes turning black. "Leticia, go. Go fast and stay away. I'm going to handle him."

Leticia scurried away, shouting the names of random teachers. Scarlet stood her ground as Pyro threw tendrils of fire at her and they bent around Scarlet with just a thought. Scarlet moved towards him, but as she grew closer, it got hotter. Beads of sweat formed on her brow, things she ignored. She was determined to put an end to him. Because he deserved it.

Scarlet knocked his lighter out of his hands and kicked him in the stomach. Pyro took it and pulled out another lighter, grabbing her by the arm and blowing fire in her face. Scarlet hissed and blindly put her hand out to absorb it. She thrust out her other hand and pulled Pyro into the air, squeezing his limbs.

Dammit! The fire keeps coming, Scarlet thought, feeling her body start to shake. He is really starting to push my buttons. The bastard. One little flick and I could snap his neck, but that'd be too quick for him. If he's going to make me suffer, then he suffers.

Scarlet twisted her hand and heard the satisfying crunch of bones and Pyro cried out, hand broken. The fire paused for a moment before Pyro switched hands and bombarded her with more fire. Scarlet growled and threw her hands out, sending a wave of energy towards the bastard, throwing him into a tree. She collapsed onto her knee and breathed shakily.

Her face hurt. She could smell burnt hair. Her body shook and glowed under the skin. Scarlet felt a burning in her throat and tilted her face up to the sky. Fire poured out of her lips into the air for several seconds before the girl sighed and collapsed.

OOOOOOOOOOOOO

Logan stood in the Infirmary with Jean after they had found Scarlet collapsed in the middle of the front green of the school. She looked like she had been through a fiery warzone and survived, but no one had been able to touch her because of all the fire that she'd absorbed. Her skin was too hot. Jean had had to telekinesis her down to the Infirmary and Logan had punched Pyro for good measure, not caring about his injuries which would be taken care of by Hank elsewhere.

"Her levels are stable," Jean announced, looking at various screens. "From what I can tell from the equipment she hasn't melted, she's more stable than she's been in a while."

"So, getting her ass kicked unconscious by an idiot kid was a good thing?" Logan asked, not believing it.

"Well, you kicked her ass too from what I heard," Jean commented, looking at him with a small smile. "You two had quite the fight, for someone who wanted her to take it easy while her powers adjust."

Logan rolled his shoulder. "I just wanted her to let out some of that goddamn anger she has. She complained about everyone seeing her as weak, so I started something with her. It wasn't anything big and dangerous, Red."

Jean held her hand over Scarlet's forehead as if she wanted to touch her. Something that Logan knew the spunky mutant wouldn't approve of. Jean's eyes turned to Logan and she gave him a wan smile.

"You kissed her?" she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

"Red…"

"That's all she's thinking about right now besides what she wants to do with certain parts of John's body." Jean lowered her hand. "Logan, you've gotten deep into this girl's head. Her heart."

"That's not what she said," Logan growled. "And Red, don't you start on me. I know I shouldn't have kissed her. She's young. Too young for me. And too young to understand what's going on with the world. I just…messed up real bad."

"Is that what you're telling yourself?"

"I told you don't start with me, woman."

Jean shook her head. "Logan, I haven't seen Maria care about anyone more than she cares about you. Not her sister, not even Leticia. She cares about you and she fights it. All because men in the past have hurt her. She doesn't know how to surrender herself to her heart. And you don't know when to take a girl and kiss her senseless which God knows she needs."

Logan lifted an eyebrow. "Since when are you condoning student-teacher relations?"

"Normally I don't. You and Maria are the exception." She looked down at Scarlet's prone body. "I just hate seeing her struggle so hard to keep from loving anyone when she clearly has begun having feelings again. If it's with you, at least you won't be too stupid to screw it all up. You match her so well."

"So well that she uses Magneto's powers on me?" Logan snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Hey, she saved your life using her father's powers."

"And pushes me away most of the time doing the same thing."

Jean glared at him. "Maybe you're not seeing how much she wants you to fight for her and hold on tight. Scarlet has been let go of too many times, Logan. Maybe she needs someone willing to hold onto her." She dropped her voice. "Can you be that person?"

OOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: Much love and happy travels. Thanks. -Scarlet