A/N- Apparently, y'all were disappointed by my last chappie. Lo siento. I hope you enjoy.

Chapter 37

Where's John?

About five minutes later, having found nothing that was good in the DVD collection, I went back down the stairs.

"Sorry guys, all I could find was boring stuff-"

The room was dead silent.

"Where's John?" I asked, glancing around the room.

"He… went for a walk." Bobby said quietly.

I swore quietly and yanked on a light jacket I found in one of the lockers.

"What're you doing, Anna?" Rogue called.

"I'm gonna go find John. It's colder than fuck out there." I explained, walking back in to the control panel in the cockpit. I hit a few buttons until the ramp lowered.

"Anna, you shouldn't-"

"I'll be fine!" I called back, walking outside.

Fuck, it was freezing. What the hell was John thinking?

I saw him about half a mile ahead of me, his figure standing out like a sore thumb in the snow.

"JOHN!" I shouted, the cold rushing down my throat and crushing my lungs.

He didn't answer.

I began to jog, and then sprint, and I finally broke out into a full out run.

"JOHN!" I called again, but he didn't answer me.

I was finally a few feet behind him.

"John, why are you ignoring me?" I asked, hurt.

"Go back." he answered curtly.

"What?"

"I said, go back." he repeated, as though he were speaking to a small child.

"John, it's fucking freezing out here, let's go." I coaxed, confused.

"I'm not going back."

"What are you talking about?" I spat, exasperated.

"I'm not going back! Are you fucking deaf?" he shouted.

"Why are you talking to me like this?" I asked quietly.

"You don't get it, do you? I don't belong. I never have. I never will. Go back and tell them I got mauled by a polar bear or something."

"Don't say that." I said, reaching out to put my hand on his shoulder. He jerked back, and pushed my arm away.

"Stop it. Don't you get it? I don't belong with anyone at Xavier's. Especially you. You saw the look Jean gave me. Everyone thinks I'm a piece of shit and I'm not worth it. I'm out of here."

"Don't you dare walk away from me, John Allerdyce. You said you didn't ever want pity, so don't you even dare to put me in this position."

He continued walking away.

That did it.

I was freezing my ass off, I was hungrier than fuck and now the one person I could talk to was deserting me.

"YOU FUCKING CHILD!" I screamed, and I dove at him, and we flew through a snow bank. I straddled his legs and started hitting his chest, angry tears streaming down my face.

"Stop it! What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he yelled, grabbing my wrists and flipping me over so I was underneath him.

"You goddamn child! It's always about you! Get off of me!" I yelled, wiggling desperately under him, the familiar sensation of being trapped overcoming my senses completely.

"Stop moving! I'm not going-"

"NO!"

I brought my knee up and slammed it into his thigh as hard as I could.

He rolled off me.

"Jesus Christ! Are you trying to emasculate me?" he groaned.

I lay there, the snow seeping through my clothes, not moving.

"Anna?"

John's face appeared next to mine, his brow wrought with concern.

"Are you okay?"

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked him brokenly.