Author's Notes: Herein lie more character introductions and a goodly bit of fun. Thanks to all who reviewed, I really appreciate it. I'm still working on the next chapter, so hopefully I'll have it up and done soon. I hope to get more feedback in the future, as it really does help me out, even if it's just a brief note telling me I'm on the right track. Thanks again! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING BUT ADRIAN LOLOLOLZ.

"Oh, my life is changing everyday,
In every possible way.
And oh, my dreams, it's never quiet as it seems,
Never quiet as it seems."
-The Cranberries, 'Dreams'

Chapter 6- 'Beat Your Heart Out'

Green, lush plant life stretches as far as the eye can see, the natural cocoon of upstate New York sheltering the vegetation from harm. Bobby and Rogue have taken me out to the gardens, showing me the immaculate, earthy beauty the grounds have to offer and I breathe deep my satisfaction. Everything is so peaceful here, even with all the younger children running about, playing games and chattering loudly to one another. There's no discord here, no tension and adversity to taint the nurturing ambiance. I feel like I've wandered into a biosphere.

"Professor Munroe upkeeps the grounds," Bobby tells me, gesturing to the hedges and the flower beds before us. "She can control the weather."

"Which means that if she's pissed it's hailing?" I smile. Rogue nods with a laugh. I'm about to add on, but I'm suddenly cut off by what I can only describe as a voice. Inside my head. Talking to me.

Holy mother of god, I've finally lost it.

"Miss Mills, if you'd be so kind to come to my office I'd be much obliged."

"The mother fuck!" I spin about, looking wildly for whomever the voice might belong to.

Bobby grins. "The Professor, eh? Try getting one of those when you're in the bathroom."

I'm still glancing about, perplexed. That's right, Logan mentioned Professor Xavier's telepathy on the drive over, how careless of me. "So do I just go to him then?"

"It'd be a good idea, he won't bite," Rogue smiles, clearly amused by my flustered state.

"Fucking telepaths," I mutter, redirecting my attention to Bobby and Rogue. "Thanks again for taking the time to show me around, I really appreciate it. I guess I'll see you both at dinner?"

"Of course, see ya!" Rogue waves as I head off, back into the school, pausing a moment to let my eyes readjust. Thinking back to a few hours earlier in the day, I retrace my footsteps, finding the Professor's office in a few minutes. Taking a deep breath I let it out slowly, feeling the air leave my lungs, giving a soft knock upon the rich wood of the door. A muffled "Come in" is heard and I enter, opening the door slowly.

I walk into a rather immaculate, sophisticated room, books lining the walls from floor to ceiling, save behind the massive desk, where large windows preside. The desk in itself must be almost half the size of my old bedroom and I'm taken in be the grandeur of it all momentarily before my eyes come to rest upon the gentleman in the wheelchair, who maneuvers himself towards me. "Miss Mills, welcome. I am Professor Charles Xavier."

He extends a hand to me and I have to wonder if everyone here shakes hands on a daily basis, just for shits and giggles. "Thank you sir, it's a pleasure." I incline my head respectfully for a moment, looking at the older man. Had he the use of his legs, I imagine he'd be taller than me, though his dignity makes him seem to encompass the room, a warm and gentle presence, like Dr. Grey's only far more potent. Smiling, he leads me to a chair and bids me to be comfortable. I sit and he takes his place once again behind the desk.

"I trust you've found your lodging to be suitable?" he asks, regarding me from across so much mahogany. I give a quick nod, smiling somewhat nervously.

"Sir, you could have put me in a spare broom closet and I'd have been comfortable, thank you."

Professor Xavier chuckles. "Well, lets hope we don't have to resort to such measures any time soon. Now, Logan briefed me on your journey across the country and while he believes you to be in no immediate physical danger from the injuries you sustained I want you to know that, should you desire it, you are eligible for any medical attention you might need."

"Thank you, Professor, I appreciate your kindness." This man is, without a doubt, the nicest principal I've ever met in my entire life. In fact, he may just be the nicest man I've ever met period. "Is there anything else Logan might have mentioned?"

"Other than the fact that you're exceedingly stubborn about your wake up time in the mornings and that you enjoy singing in the shower, no, my dear, he did not." The Professor smiles, chucking at me as I turn what I can only imagine is a rather fetching shade of pink. Chops and I are so having a little chit-chat about this later.

"Now," he continues, "We have all your schooling records on file, so enrollment won't be a problem in the least. And no-" he silences me with a motion of his hand, "you needn't worry about fees."

I shift awkwardly in my seat, the expensive leather squeaking, much to my chagrin. Logan had mentioned the kindness of the Professor before, but actually experiencing it first hand made me want to hug the older man for his compassion. I manage a shy "Thank you, sir," before he continues.

He steeps his fingers on the desk, regarding me for a moment. "I understand that you have the ability to manipulate water? Can you sense it as well?"

I nod. "Yes sir."

"Excellent. One of the main focuses of our school, Miss Mills, is to train our students to utilize and control their powers. Students are given bi-weekly lessons with an assigned professor in order to guide and monitor their progress so that we might see some growth, albeit in a safer environment."

"Thank god," I breath a small sigh of relief. "When do I start? I mean, you heard about the gymnasium incident, I'd really rather that never happened again. Ever. Unless by my own volition."

"Of course, and understandably so. Your lessons will begin tonight at eight o'clock in the evening should you feel up to it, after supper." He hands me a piece of paper. "These are the classes you'll be taking for the remainder of this semester, though there is an added elective, should you be interested in taking it."

I raise an eyebrow. "What is it, sir?"

"I've asked Logan to teach a self defensive combat course for our older students," he supplies, eyes smiling as he gauges my reaction. "I assume you'd like to enroll?"

Memories of Logan over the last five days come to mind, the two main thoughts surfacing easily; Logan saving me in the back alley, Logan surrounded by chaos and destruction in a cheap motel parking lot. I recalled my own frustration during the past, unable to do anything but cower and run, to talk at my opponents. I'd give my left arm to ensure I were never that helpless again. I smile grimly. "Yes sir, I'd like that very much."

"Splendid, especially as it's mandatory for all upperclassmen. The class will meet in the gymnasium at half-past four every business day until the end of the school year, there will be a school outing tomorrow afternoon to the local sporting goods store for whatever peculiarities you might need to acquire," he informs me, stopping me before I can ask the question. He glances over at a tall, stately grandfather clock. "Good gracious, supper has started. You'll have to forgive me for keeping you so late, Miss Mills."

I stand, taking my cue to leave. "Adrian is fine, sir. And thank you for everything, I can't tell you how much all of this means to me. Perhaps I can repay you someday."

The Professor laughs quietly. "Don't concern yourself with such trivialities, Adrian. There are many students here who are unable to pay tuition and it's not a concern of the school. We're funded privately and I can assure you that we have no need to worry about money, and nor should you. Now, you'd best head down to dinner, the students here are all growing and I can promise that they won't wait for you to start."

My words stick in my throat for a moment as I stand in awe of his generosity. "Thank you again sir," I pocket the schedule he gave me lest I forget it and go to the door. "I can't begin to thank you for all that you've done."

"You're welcome Adrian, take care," he beams kindly at me and I return the gesture, exiting the room with a soft click as the door finds it's place. I take a moment to recompose myself, the paper in my back pocket momentarily forgotten as the lump in my throat melts away. These people I've hardly known more than a day, more than a week in the case of Logan, have done more for me than I could ever hope to repay, all because of who I am. After so much dread and trepidation of what I've become, it's truly a welcome transformation. These other mutants, they're not the monsters human beings make them out to be, and their benevolence has touched me to the core. I may still have trouble coming to terms with what I am, what I can do, but the burden has lessened considerably over the better part of this week and I'm beyond grateful for it. Feeling more sure of myself and my situation than I had in quite a long while, I made my way down toward the dining hall, the scent of food tantalizing my olfactory senses.

I entered the large room, blinking in surprise at the amount of people residing within. The dining hall was a fairly decent size, the students taking up a vast majority of it whilst seated at long, cafeteria style benches or small tables off to the sides, near the windows. There was a regular sized table towards the head of the room and I saw Logan sitting there with Dr. Grey and a few other adults I'd not yet met. Discerning it to be the teacher's table, I gave him a small smile over the crowd. Catching my gaze, he gave me a nod, his lips forming into that safe half-grin I knew so well. It's strange, I noted, no longer spending all my time with him as I had over our trek across the country. I wasn't quite experiencing withdrawals, but I definitely missed his quiet assurance. Perhaps later I'd be able to run into him, catch up a bit on how his day had gone what with his homecoming and all. Now, though, my main focus was on getting to the buffet-style tables against the wall to my left, waiting in line behind a few younger students and a large, well-muscled young man. He looks like a modern-day Goliath and I give him a shy smile as he looks down at me. I think I'll ditch the Biblical terminology in favor of Michelangelo at this point, though, as I'm convinced that I've just found what most women would call "the perfect specimen of a man". I want to name him David and put him in a museum, he's so ideal, so flawless. Looking away quickly, so as not to drool all over myself, I quickly collect a tray and set myself to the task of scoping out my food selections. After almost battling over the balsamic vinaigrette with an younger boy, I found my meal complete. Turning around to find a place to seat myself I noted an Asian girl frantically waving in my direction. Baffled, I turned to look behind me, wondering if perhaps she'd confused me with another student. A closer look at her, though, and her ridiculous yellow jacket, revealed her to be seated beside Bobby and Rogue, and thus I walked over to them.

There were about six of us altogether, all crowded around two of the smaller tables that had been pushed together in the vain hopes of creating more room. 'David' was there, as was a petit, cute girl with shoulder length brown hair and a quick smile. I'd hardly set my tray down and taken in the rest of the faces when I was assailed by a blur of yellow somewhere around my midsection and a bunch of high-pitched babbling. Barely managing to stifle a screech of agony at the unintended abuse of my broken ribs, I awkwardly gave the girl a half-hug in response.

"Holy shit, Kitty, I thought she'd never get here!"

I looked down at the bundle of energy before me with an eyebrow warily quirked. What in the hell was she? Was this a part of her mutation? To be blunt, I didn't get it.

The petit girl, Kitty, apparently, gave a laugh. "Geez, Jubes, let her get settled a bit first, you scared her!" I took a breath in attempt to regulate myself, gain control of the ache that had been renewed in my torso. I caught a sympathetic wince from Rogue.

"It's- er, it's a nice to meet you?" I wasn't really sure what to do with this, I've never been good at first impressions, especially when I'm the odd man out in an already established group of friends. And then I heard it, to my right.

Click, pause. Click, pause, Click, pause.

Oh, for fuck's sake. You've got to be kidding me.

Bobby cleared his throat. "Guys, this is Adrian, she just came in this afternoon from California. Adrian," he grabbed my attention away from the source of that damnable, obsessive-compulsive racket and began with introductions. "This is Piotr," he motioned to my 'David' and I managed a weak wave, "Kitty" the other girl all but purred with contentment in the social atmosphere, "Jubilee," the hyper-active Asian death-grip in the rain poncho waved madly at me, "and you've already met John."

"That I did," I manage with some civility, noting the bored smirk of the brown haired boy and seating myself as easily as I'm able in the space between Kitty and Piotr. "It's great meeting all of you, er, thank you."

"When word got out that these three might have a new roommate one can only imagine how fast it spread," Piotr said, his voice thick with a cultured Russian accent. "Jubilee was beside herself with glee at the prospect of new company."

"Because we're just so damn boring," Rogue smirked, taking a bite of salad.

"Speak for yourself," John muttered, spearing a piece of chicken on his fork.

"We were actually trying to guess as to what powers you might have," Kitty supplied, sipping a glass of juice. "We only heard you were coming a few days ago, so we didn't have much time to brainstorm, but Jubes was convinced you'd have some sort of crazy pheromonal lust-magic and I think Rogue and I agreed on telekinesis or psionic blasts."

I'm not sure whether to be amused or creeped out, but for the sake of decency I choose the former, grinning disarmingly. "Well, as I'm sure it's rather obvious, I lack the first option quite completely, and the second is beyond me. I hope none of you had any money riding on this."

"So what can you do chica?" Jubilee asks me between mouthfuls of pasta. "I may be out of two dollars, but I'll be damned if I'm without answers!"

"I can sense and control water," I begin to eat my own salad, savoring in the quality of the vegetables, something, I realize, I'd gone completely without since my journey with Logan had begun. Ah, the open road and it's eternally savory selection of 1950's motif diners.

"A glorified water filter. Great Bobby, now you can get your mom to stop sending you all that Brita shit," John grinned, leaning back in his chair cockily. A vast majority of my brain is hoping he'll lean back too far and fall flat on his ass.

"Oh, please, don't stop now, Prometheus. Your wit, it enraptures me," I deadpan, taking a sip of cranberry juice.

"Glad to note someone's finally being reasonable around here," he takes a forkful of mashed potatoes and I roll my eyes. "And if you're going to give me a lame nickname, you can stick to Pyro."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. Giving you the name of something so prestigious and steeped in ancient Greek mythology really is giving you a bit too much credit, isn't it?" I must have taken dining etiquette classes taught by Logan, because I've practically torn my piece of chicken breast to shreds while playing diner conversation bitch-slap with Bobby's asshole roommate. The former seems to take note.

"Wow, you two haven't stopped going at it since you met, have you? I mean, seriously, my grandparents don't even fight this much, and they've been married for forty-seven years." Piotr nods in silent agreement, although a quick glance tells me that he's enjoying this little spectacle just as much as the rest of them. Sneaky bastards.

"Bobby, shut up!" Jubilee swatted at her friend. "You're ruining a banter the likes of which haven't been witnessed by this school since Logan called Professor Summers, and I quote, 'a gay boy scout with a tire-iron up his ass.'"

"What banter?" Kitty looked confused as she chewed thoughtfully on a green bean. "I just remember the two of them beating the living crap out of each other."

"Learn to listen, Kitty-Cat, there were words in between all the explanatives and the battle cries. And trust me, it was gold."

"Professor Summers?" I raise an eyebrow. Logan never mentioned him, so I suppose he must not be too terribly important, but if he and my Knight don't get along… well, I hate to be biased, but I do respect Logan more than anyone I've ever met in my entire life. And then there's that under-lying hero complex I've got somewhere in the back of my mind, so I'm going to surmise that Summers' chances are slim to none.

"He's the guy with the red glasses," Rogue supplies, gesturing toward the professor's table with her fork. "Ya'll meet him soon enough, he teaches our English 'n Literature classes. The Professor gave ya' your schedule when ya' went to meet with him, right?"

"Yeah, he did," I pull it out of my pocket and hand it to her across the table. Her eyes scan over it quickly, Bobby reading over her shoulder.

"Classes aren't too varied, seeing how there's not a whole lot of older students," Bobby informs me, "but they're pretty interesting. It looks like we'll be seeing a lot of you." John and I both manage to appear discontented by this revelation.

"That combat class is for real!" Jubilee looks nervous. "I'm not sure I like the idea of having Logan as a teacher, he seems sort of… unstable."

"Unstable isn't the word, Jubes, he's a lunatic," Kitty corrected her.

I take this all in and try my best not to lash out at my two new roommates. My eyes meet Rogue's and a look of understanding passes through us, the knowledge that these other people haven't yet experienced the utter selflessness that is Logan, that they know not of what they speak. They've fallen for the front he puts up, the rumors that are bound to have milled about such a small learning institution, especially in his absence.

Piotr shakes his head at the two girls. "He is a brilliant fighter, I've seen him myself. Lunatic or not, I could learn quite a bit from him." The others nod, seeming satisfied with this answer.

"He's really not a bad guy," I say after a moment, considering my words carefully. "I'm not trying to come off like I've been close with him for forever, but in the time I have known him I can honestly say I would trust him with my life, without question or hesitation. Goodness knows he's saved it enough."

Rogue agrees heartily. "He really is a good man, one of the few left, ah believe."

Bobby looks at his girlfriend, his ego having taken a blow. "What does that make me then?"

"Bobby, sweetie, no offense," Jubilee cuts in, "but you're hardly a 'man' yet. Anyone still attending this school, with the exception of Piotr, perhaps, is still a puppy as far as the subject is concerned."

"Here, here!" Kitty claps her hands, laughing.

"And what, by your meager standards, makes a man?" John asks.

A volley of things like "experience" and "maturity" are heard from all the girls at the table, myself included, though most audible is Jubilee's brilliant "Duh, his body" comment. John rolls his eyes heavenward and the unspoken, "This is hopeless" is echoed around him.

The rest of dinner continues like this, another hour passing easily before everyone disintegrates to complete homework assignments or hang out in the rec room. Glancing up at the clock I curse, noting that it's almost five to eight. At this point I'm walking along, back towards the dorms with Kitty and Rogue, Bobby having deflected to finish a last minute paper a few minutes earlier, St. John in toe. Excusing myself, I race back downstairs, only to realize that I have absolutely no idea where the hell I'm going. I curse, recalling that I'd never asked Professor Xavier where to meet my instructor. For the second time that day I find myself standing gawkily in the foyer, though minus the comforting presence of Logan. Hearing footsteps behind me, I whirl about, somewhat startled in my rush.

"Adrian Mills?" A woman stands before me, striking in her appearance. Where Dr. Grey is a more conservative sort of beauty, this lady is something else entirely, a force to be reckoned with. Dark skin and shocking white, close-cropped locks of hair with a stylish wardrobe to boot, I nod my head to her in answer, unable to find words to speak in her current presence. Part of me wonders if the Professor hand-picks his staff merely due to their runway model-esque status, but I know better than that. He's an astute man, a brilliant, powerful individual, and he concerns himself with far greater tasks than something so utterly base and trivial.

"I am Professor Munroe," she smiles, one of the only people I've met today who hasn't wanted to shake hands, and I'm grateful for it, not that I'm adverse to the gesture. "Perhaps you'd care to go into a brief training overview? We just need to test your powers out and see what you're able to achieve before we can help you to control and utilize them to their fullest extent."

I give her a polite smile in response. "That would be fantastic, Professor, thank you." So it appears that I'll be training with the Weather Witch herself. I recall my earlier comment in the garden somewhat sheepishly and follow the older woman through the mansion quietly. I can feel the slow, nervous excitement coursing through my veins at the thought of actually working to develop my powers, to learn what I'm really capable of. It gives me purpose, this knowledge, it helps to build a foundation of meaning around my life, especially as I'm so eager to bury the old one. I'll take it out back, send it to the proverbial farm with a nice family and rid myself of it somewhere so that it shan't return to haunt me. I've a feeling that with this new life, this new era of Adrian, I'll have little time to be floundering about in something I once was, and I'm proven right as my mentor takes me down a small flight of stairs and into the largest room I've ever seen. Right now, I couldn't stop smiling if my life depended upon it; after what feels like some seventeen years of waiting, it's all coming together, I'm finally at that focal point. I'm going to be amazing.
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