A/N: Ooh, four reviews for one chapter! That was totally exciting! Thanks, y'all!

Watching American Idol. Wow, these people suck. No offense to them.

A/N 2: "Drive Away" is by the All-American Rejects. I luv dem!

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men. If I did, I'd take the Blackbird to wherever the American Idol auditions were being held, yell at all the contestants, and throw Hershey's Kisses at them, just for the hell of it.

Chapter Fifteen: Wake Up

New York, Present Day

Gwen had stayed up the previous two nights, trying to find a logical connection between everything that had happened since Friday, but she had drawn a blank. After barely staying awake through all of her classes those days (except for German, as Kurt had stayed in his room supposedly sick both days. It had been replaced by a study hall, and as she napped in a corner, she hoped she hadn't jinxed it and been responsible), the idea of collapsing on her bed seemed like heaven.

It was six-thirty at night, and everyone in the TV room had been shocked when she'd left a rerun of Family Guy to go to sleep. She had replied with a drowsy "Whurt-erver," not really caring about doing anything but seeing the inside of her eyelids.

Gwen began to pull off her t-shirt when she got to her empty room, but exhaustion pulled her like a magnet to her bed, and she gave up trying to resist, as she fell on her back across the sheets lazily.

"Stupid everyone," she murmured, burrowing the back of her head into her pillow and just managing to cover herself with her blankets. "Why do they have to be all complic..."

She fell asleep.

Gwen gripped the edges of her chair, pulling herself back from the sight in front of her in horror. It was a tiny puddle of blood, but lying in it was a torn picture of Kurt, only he was a child, and the paper was frayed wet red. In it, he was screaming silently. She hated it. Go away, she told it, go away, leave me alone. She covered her eyes and yelled at it. When she opened them again, she was happy to see that the picture had gone away, but not for long. Instead there was Kurt, but it was the one she remembered from his childhood memories. He couldn't have been older than eight. Gwen screamed and turned her head.

No, no, he cried, and held up his hands. Please no, that hurts. Gwen looked at him, and saw that tears were streaked down his face. His eye was swollen. She was so, so deathly scared.

Who did that? she asked, pointing to his bruised face. He started sobbing and fell to his facedown on his knees, like he was bowing. His skinny little shoulders bobbed up and down as he bawled. She did, she did, he murmured, hiccupping.

Gwen was still scared of his marred eye and his tears, but she bent down to his level and gently tapped his head on the crown. He looked up at her, timidly, lip quivering. Her heart melted. Poor, poor baby, she said, stroking his fuzzy cheek. Why are you alone?

He started to cry again. Raven left me, he said, but the other one didn't. She hates me, though. Like this, and he pointed at his eye.

Gwen stood him up, and brushed him off. She shouldn't do that, she told him, and he whimpered in agreement.

She makes me stay alone, he informed her, wiping away tears. She is the only person around, but I'm even lonelier with her. I stay in the house all the time, in my room. I hate my room.

You don't have to go back, then, Gwen told him, pulling him closer to where she was sitting. Don't worry about her anymore; I'll make her go away. I promise.

Really?

I'll take care of you, she said, and pulled him in for a hug. He smelled like antiseptic, but he was warm and small.

Gwen woke up in a cold sweat, breathing hard. She was so uncomfortable, twisted up in her sheets. She'd been hugging the edge of her mattress.

She pulled herself from her tangle of bed and limbs, sliding down to the floor and using a pillow to dab away the freezing drench she was covered in.

"I'm an idiot," she tittered to herself, into the cloth case. "I'm such a freaking idiot."

Caroline at the mansion WAS Caroline from Kurt's nightmare of a childhood. How could she not have seen that? They both were making him stay in his room, making him lonely.

And God...seeing Kurt as a little boy had reminded him of his mother, Raven. He had mentioned her in her dream. Gwen remembered a tall, blonde woman. The same one that had been with John at the mall.

She had TALKED about him. She knew who he was. And Gwen knew what she looked like when she wasn't blonde. Then, she was Mystique the shape -shifter, the blue-skinned woman that Rogue had told her about.

Kurt's Raven had been in disguise the entire time she was his mother. Gwen shivered. How creepy, to not even know what your mother was in real life, although she didn't know either. But that was different.

Mystique was Kurt's mom. Gwen had fully talked to Kurt's mom. Kurt's mom had spent the majority of his life anywhere but with him.

And what the hell was the thing with Caroline? Gwen had promised to get rid of her, even if it just was a dream. What was she going to do about that?

She needed a cup of tea.

Gwen stumbled down the dark hallway to the kitchen, wincing as the bright light hit her eyes from under the door crack. She groped for the handle, rubbing sleep away, and pushed open the door.

Someone was already in there, and as she adjusted to the light, she made out Storm's hair, standing by the stove.

"Hey, Storm," she mumbled, walking over to the cupboard. "Is the water on?"

"Why are you awake so late? Yes, it's on. Get a cup," she sighed, and Gwen realized that she disapproved of the nighttime wanderings, but she'd still make her some tea. She smiled.

"Thanks. Couldn't sleep." Gwen sat down at the table, the one she and – damn it - Caroline had been fighting around the previous Saturday and cradled her head in her hands. "What time is it?"

"Twelve forty-five."

"AM or PM?"

Storm snorted. "Guess."

"Have you talked to Kurt lately?" She lifted her head as she spoke.

Storm jerked around from the kettle. "What?"

"Kurt. You know him? Blue, has a tail, yellow eyes, relatively on the short end of the merry sunshine scale at the moment-"

"I haven't seen him." Storm turned back around. "He's been sick."

"I don't believe that," Gwen told her. She let that sink in, then said: "Look, I know you guys had a fight and he yelled at you, but trust me, it wasn't personal." She was suddenly aware of how sad she just sounded.

Storm looked up at the wall in front of her, and then slowly faced Gwen. "Is- is something wrong?"

Gwen sighed. "Um-hmm," she said, staring at the floor.

"What is it? Are you okay?"

Gwen didn't answer, but instead curled her knees up to her chin, just like Kurt did, and rested her head on them.

"That bad, Gwen?"

"You have no idea."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, but- oh, I don't know."

Storm thought for a moment, then strolled over to Gwen and hugged her curled form. Without a second notion, she opened up her arms and hugged back. She felt like...well, probably maternal. She groaned inwardly. Stupid cliche. Even so, they stayed like that for a moment, but suddenly let go, as Gwen gasped and jumped off the chair, leaving Storm startled.

"That's it!" she screamed, running to the door. "Thanks, Storm!"

"What did I do?" she asked, looking confused. Gwen ignored her.

"Of course I'll need the computer tomorrow, but that won't be a problem..." she crashed out of the room, still yelling.

"What about your tea?" Storm called after her. Gwen stopped her crazy dash, and went back, poking her head through the door crack.

"Never mind. I need some sleep, I think." And she tore off.

A/N: What's going to happen! Gasp!

Okay, Gwen FINALLY got it. Took her long enough, didn't it? Forgive me, it's crucial to the plot.

Now go gimme a review, it keeps me stable for a few more precious hours.