Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men or Portishead's song "Sour Times," so don't get litigious.

"That is enough, Jinx." The Professor was sitting in the doorway. "Jean, why don't you return yourself to the ground…"

Once again embarrassed by her loss of temper, Jean floated gracefully to the ground. Gaia and Jinx tried, but failed miserably, to look innocent.

"Professor," Jean said sheepishly, "I was never going to-"

"Please leave the room, Jean," Professor Xavier interrupted. Jinx shot Jean a final look, an Jean tripped over a stool… again.

"Hey! I thought that stool was over-" Jean realized that Jinx had been using her power again and stalked out of the room, closing the door behind her with a wave of her hand.

"Jinx," the Professor said sternly, "I would appreciate it if you did not use your powers against fellow mutants."

"Fellow mutants?" Jinx snorted. "I don't even live here! C'mon, Gaia, let's go."

Gaia didn't move. She wasn't completely sure why she wasn't moving; if someone had asked her if she wanted to stay, she'd have said "No! Are you on crack?" Yet somehow, she felt like she shouldn't leave, like she would be missing out on something if they left. She tried to hold back the second feeling. "Let's go, Jinx," she agreed, still not budging.

"Gaia!" Jinx was getting angry.

"Please," the Professor said. "You two should stay with us for a while. It's not even safe with your parents anymore."

"Why wouldn't it be?" Jinx asked. "Our families might be worried by now."

"That's what I came in to tell you. I'm sorry, Gaia…"

Gaia looked like she'd been slapped. "Yes?"

"You should probably sit down, Gaia."

Jinx brought over the stool Jean had tripped over.

"Thanks," Gaia said nervously as she sat.

"Gaia…"

"Could you stop saying my name and get to the point?" Gaia snapped, more fear than anger in her voice.

"Your family… I don't really know how to explain all of what happened. They were murdered."

Jinx put her hands over her mouth, as if to stop herself from screaming. "Oh my god…"

Gaia was known to do very stupid things when she felt overwhelmed. In this case, she grabbed her backpack from the corner of the room and fled, tears pouring down her face, running faster than Jinx had believed possible.

Jinx ran after her. "Gaia! Wait!" Right when Jinx was about to run out past the doors, she felt a force hold her back. She turned around in time to feel the grip of Jean's telekinesis slacken.

"You should let her go. She needs to be by herself."

Jinx looked at the floor, then back up at Jean. "Do you know what happened?" she asked.

"Yes," Jean answered. "I heard from behind the wall. I have a little telepathic power." Jinx's face looked grave. She sat on the floor and put her hands over her face. When she put them down again, her face was red and wet from crying.

"Who would do something like that?" she asked, looking helplessly at Jean.

---

Meanwhile, Gaia was walking away from the school, trying not to think about what she'd been told. I'll just go to New Orleans, and I'll do nice things for people and eat ice cream and I'll feel better. There's a bus there, if I can just catch it…

Gaia didn't bother to finish her thought. She just climbed in.