A/N: I know, it's been forever. But, no worries, I'm still alive. I also have to say that my Ipod, yes, Ipod and not Mp3 player, gave me some difficult songs to work with this time.

I would also like to point out that I have turned several of the drabbles featured in previous chapters into one-shots and posted them separately.


Sk8ter boy by Avril Lavigne -

He was one of those punks, the type her mom had warned her to stay away from.

She was one of those preps, the type he'd told himself he'd never get involved with.

But they still fell in love. And, because Fate had never liked either of them, they couldn't last. At least, she said they could never last. Her reputation meant too much to her, she couldn't actually be seen with Ray in public.

So Amara left.

Years later, standing on a stage with a pale hand wrapped around his chest, he'd be glad she'd let her friends tell her who to love. After all, if they didn't he would never have met Tabby.

-x-x-

This Afternoon by Nickleback-

They didn't have much money, or much of anything really, and what they did have was mostly broken. Their yard was nothing but weeds, their windows all boarded up in a failing attempt to keep the cold out, and they could barely scrape enough money together for rent.

But they did, they were the Brotherhood so they always did.

Things came at them, troubles and fights, and knocked them down. But, on days like these when it was just them and they didn't have to fight or try and get money, it just rolled right off of them.

It wasn't like there was much more for them to do anyways but let it roll off. They couldn't stop it.

So they got up, they brushed themselves off and bandaged themselves up, and, come morning, they were ready to go at it again.

-x-x-

My Happy Ending by Avril Lavigne-

He didn't know what brought it on. One moment, the two of them were doing everything together. They were both happy together, the first time in years, and Lance felt at peace. He felt like everything was going great.

And then, without any sort of warning, Kitty had thrown him away. Had hurled words said about himself in confidence back in his face, in the middle of everyone from both teams, and he was alone.

She'd promised they would be together, that what he did and what he'd done didn't matter. But, one look in her anger filled eyes, and Lance knew that what she said had left her mind. She'd lied, had let what the other X-Geeks thought get the best of her, and they were through.

There went his happy ending.

-x-x-

Meet Virginia by Train-

Never in a dress, because it wasn't her style, blonde hair hanging loosely around her chin; she was beautiful.

His hair was a mess, his breath smelled of smoke, and his eyes had an almost blood-shot look to them; but she still thought he was beautiful.

Tabby flaunted her stuff, walked the walk, and talked the talk. She wanted to rule it all, to be the 'queen', and that was what was expected of her.

Ray watched her break down, in the privateness of the Brotherhood House roof, and saw the tears stream down her face; black mascara following the salty tracks in an almost macabre pattern. One hand pulled her bangs away from her face, the other snatched the cigarette from his hand, and she a strangled half-there scream bubbled itself from her throat.

She didn't really want to be a queen, she just wanted to live her life.

-x-x-

Grenade by Bruno Mars-

Todd knew that she was trouble, that she was bad for his health, and that he should just let her be. The problem was, he couldn't. He couldn't just let her live like that, blaming and hating herself and everyone around her, so he didn't.

Wanda could throw him around as much as she wanted. She could make him bleed, could make him bruise, could break his bones; he wouldn't leave her alone though. He knew she needed her. And, really, he needed her too.

So he'd keep trying. He'd keep throwing himself in harms way for her. And, eventually she'd realize...

She'd realize that his love was real. He wasn't going to leave her, not like everyone else had. No, he would die before that happened. Todd would do anything for her, right up to laying down his life, even though the thought would never cross her mind to do it for him.

-x-x-

Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds To Mars-

"I don't get why you're doing this! Fighting us like you do, for him, you're going to end up killing yourself." Scott frowned, lips tugging down slightly, as he moved to stand across the defeated mutants in front of him.

And, really, Lance was going to respond with some snarky comment about how Scott should just butt out and leave them be. But his eyes had seen Kitty's blue ones, wide with fear and curiousity and begging him to tell her, and his voice had caught in his throat.

Imagine his, and everyone elses, surprise when the battered green mutant beside him spoke up instead.

"Tha's just it, yo. You don't get it. Magneto might be a jerk but he's offered us somethin' no one else has." Todd's eyes darted through the scattered X-Men in front of him, pausing on the furry face in the back, before settling on the shade wearing mutant in front of him.

"Oh really? And what's that? Those ridiculous suits you wear or the cops after you all the time?" Scott's voice came out sharp, cold, but disgruntled all the same. He hadn't actually been expecting an answer.

"He gave us a chance."

-x-x-

Photograph by Nickleback-

It was one of the few things Jaime had managed to hold onto through the years. A small, wrinkled picture of everyone, Brotherhood and X-Men alike, standing together in front of the X-Mansion. It had been taken right after they had all banned together to defeat Apocalypse.

Three weeks before the mansion was raided and a 'warrent' was put out on the head of every mutant.

Even now, with blood running down his face and into his eyes, he could recognize the faces in the picture. The face of Rayne, who he had never gotten the courage to kiss, and of Ray, who was like a brother to him, stood out the most.

The sight of Bobby, standing in the corner of the picture with his arms wrapped around Jubilee, brought a smile to his face.

A laugh, throaty and wet, bubbled from his throat; blood forced itself in between his lips, following the noise, and his vision swam. But, even as he fell, his eyes never left the photo.