"Like, Them."

Without saying a word, Benson stood up, walked to the door opened it, walked out, and closed it. The others followed. Reopening the door, the X-Men saw two gruff men and a slender woman.

"What do you people want from me?" asked a frustrated Benson.

"We don't want anything from you. We want you…dead," replied one of them, slowly pulling out a gun. Benson simply kicked it out of his hands.

"Listen, let's do this somewhere else. This isn't the time or the place." Benson was doing anything to get these people away from the mansion.

"Is there anything you want to hide from us here, Raider?" The man peered around her, looking into the eyes of the mutants. He saw Kurt. "Ah, more mutants. You filthy things, always grouping together." And with that, Benson punched him in the face, hard.

A battle had begun. The two who hadn't been talking two her grabbed Benson's arm, trying to hold her in place. The man smacked her across the face. She responded with a high kick to the groin.

Logan took a step forward. "Logan, stop. Let's see if she can handle this first. Give her a minute."

"Chuck, I –"

"No Logan, stay."

The fight rambled on for a while as Benson tried to keep the three from passing her. Still, she was getting tired. She limply fell, and the group ran past. Benson used all her strength to lift her head, and fire an energy bolt from her eyes. All three were hit. They fell to the ground, but quickly got back up to attack the assailant.

"Now can I go, Charles?" Logan was frustrated, again.

"Yes, quickly."

Logan sprinted for Benson followed by the rest of the X-Men. The three men were crowding Benson, lying on the ground. She could see the men leaning over her, but she couldn't do a thing to stop it. Suddenly, there was one less. And another one was gone, replaced by three-fingered hands helping her up. The last man was thrown away as Kurt once again carried her into the mansion. He set her down, and ran back out. Benson was exhausted. She groaned in pain.

"Relax, the others are taking care of the intruders," came Charles' coaxing voice.

"No, they shouldn't, it's my fight. They shouldn't be battling for me."

"But they are, and they are doing fine. Looks like your enemies are giving up."

Benson groaned again. But this time, in embarrassment.

Logan, Kurt, and the others were coming back in.

"They're gone. Now Benson, what were you saying about you getting people hurt? Looks like we actually saved you back there. You're welcome."

"Ugh. Thanks," Benson said sarcastically.

"So Benson, are you going to stay?" Jean said before Logan could get another word out.

"I-I think it…might be…s-safer…for me here. So I'll stay."

"Yay!" Kitty squealed.

"No screaming please," Benson said, standing back up.

"It's getting late, you should get to bed. Seems to me you need some rest," Charles said.

"Mmk, where am I staying?"

"Well, we don't have any rooms open, so the only way you could stay is if you share a room with Kurt."

"Thank you. I really am tired."

"Then we should get you to your room. Kurt, please show her there."

"Okay Professor."

Kurt took a hold of Benson's arm and teleported her to his room. Benson didn't feel anything, and didn't notice anything due to her tiredness and the fact that she hadn't opened her eyes.

"So…vat's mine is yours…I guess. Zere's your bed."

"Bed? Like an actual bed, bed?" Benson was shocked and snapped her head up.

"Vhat other kind of bed is zere?"

Benson walked over to where Kurt pointed and plopped down. "I haven't slept on a real bed in years. Thank you."

"No problem." Benson still stood up and walked over to Kurt. She hugged him around his neck tight, and didn't let go for several minutes. She loved the feel of his fur. Kurt wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged tightly back, glad to have someone who looked the same in the house. Their tails entwined.

The morning after was awkward for Benson. She couldn't wrap her mind around her back not cracking in the morning, or actually having clean, hot water to take a shower in. When she came out of the shower, she changed right back in to the old, dirty clothes she just slept in. Kurt noticed this.

"Hey Benson, vhy don't you ask Kitty to borrow some clothes? She's about your size."

"Huh…oh, okay. Thanks Kurt."

Benson walked out of the room just to walk back in. "Uh, Kurt? Where is Kitty's room?"

Kurt sighed. He walked over to her grab her arm and teleported her to right in front of Kitty's door. "Here." He teleported back to his room.

Benson knocked on the door. A pale faced teen with dark make-up answered the door. "Kitty?"

"What? Ah'm not Kitty. Mah name is Rogue." Did Kurt drop me off at the wrong room? "Kitty's mah roommate. Ah'll get her for ya." Oh. Rogue walked off.

Kitty came from around the corner. "Hey, Benson. What do you need?"

"Kurt just said I might want to borrow some clothes. He said you might be the same size as me."

"Oh sure! I've got some totally cute jeans for you to wear! Let me get 'em for ya. And I just got this really cute top that would look great on you!"

"Uh, I'm more for comfort. Ya have anything…baggy?"

"Oh, no I don't. I bet Jean does! Come on!"

"It's fine, I—"before Benson could speak any more, Kitty grabbed her hand and ran her through the wall into a new room.

"Jean! Can Benson borrow some clothes?"

"Oh, sure," came from the bathroom.

"Here, Benson. Some pants, and a top! Need a jacket? Or shoes?"

"I'll keep the rest of my stuff. But thank you. Thank you Jean!"

"No problem!"

"Let's get down to breakfast." Finally. Some food in this blasted house.

Benson walked down the stairs to smell bacon and eggs. Pretty much everyone was there except for Jean. They were sitting around the table. Mmmmmmm. Benson and Kitty sat down across from Kurt and Storm.

"Here, Sparky. I over-stuffed your plate. Thought you might be a little more hungry than the rest of us."

"Seconds?"

"What?"

"Can I have seconds? A second helping?"

"How did you finish? I just gave you the plate!"

"I-I was…hungry."

"Okay, kid. I'll refill your plate."

The breakfast was pleasant. Most of the adults talked. The teens threw in their two cents every once in a while. Benson stayed quiet, until:

"So Benson, how'd you get your name?" Kitty asked. Benson nearly flew out of her seat. The answer was kind of embarrassing.

"I…uh…it was my father's middle name."

"What's your middle name?" What is with all these questions?

"Uh…Jack."

"Isn't that a guy's name?"

"Yep."

"How'd you get that name?"

"It was my dad's first name. He wasn't very creative."

"So he just switched his name around and gave it to you?"

"Pretty much. Different subject?"

"Wait just one more question…How'd you get your last name?"

"My paternal grandfather discovered that some of our ancestors raided king's castles. Somehow he was proud of it, so he legally changed his last name."

"Oh."

After that introduction, most everyone stayed quiet. Fifteen minutes later, Charles said, "So everyone should get ready for school. That includes you Benson. Here is your image inducer."

High School??? "I've never been to public school my entire life… can't I just keep reading the teacher's minds for information?"

"I've decided that it would be best for you to live as much a normal child as anyone else. Plus, you can't get your diploma if you only read a teachers mind. Without a diploma, you'll never get a well-funded job."

"Wonderful. And, what's this image inducer?"

"Oh, it's simple, look." Kurt flipped his inducer a couple of times.

"More wonderful. Lemme see." Xavier handed Benson the image inducer. She put it on her wrist, and Kurt turned it on for her. "Ew. Really? I look…normal." Instead of Benson's long red hair, she had blonde locks. She still had her blue eyes, but her fangs were lost and her pigment changed to pale.

"You look great!" Evan exclaimed.

"I don't look like me. This is going to bug the hell out me."

Benson trudged to Scott's car. (He had offered her a ride.) She sat down and didn't take her eyes off the ground. "Benson, why are you so upset? You look great and you'll fit in fine."

"I don't look great. The holowatch looks great. And I don't want to fit in! I wanna be me!"

"Why do you want to be so different? I was so happy when I heard that Professor Xavier could make me look normal," Kurt exclaimed.

"I don't believe normal exists."

"Ugh. Great. The battery's knocked out and I'm out of gas."(A/N Just pretend his car is a hybrid.) "Guess we're walking," Scott said.

"Ve're going to be late!"

"Wait. I got it." Benson walked over to the front of the car and flipped up the hood. "Where's the battery?" Scott got out of the car and pointed down to where the car's dead battery was lying. Benson lightly put her hand on the cold metal energizer. There was a glow beneath her fingers, and suddenly the car started up. "You're welcome."

"How'd you do—"

"I just gave it some energy. That's my power. Remember?"

"No, I didn't remember. But thanks. Let's go."

The two got back in the car, and they all got to school, on time.

School was very boring for Benson. After six years of doing whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, it was hard for her to stay in one room for an hour, much less staying one campus for the most of the day. She was constantly asking to go to the bathroom, or saying she's feeling sick, just to be able to move around freely. When lunch came, Benson was relieved.

"I hate it here!" Benson exclaimed, dropping her books down onto the table. "I can't do anything!"

"You'll get used to it," Jean said, trying to calm the poor girl down. She got up and headed for the bathroom. Not five minutes later, a guy wearing a football jacket came up and sat down beside Benson.

"Hey girl. My name's Duncan Matthews. Yours?" Benson was rolling her eyes.

"My name's Benson."

"That's a weird name." Benson sighed. "Anyway, why don't you ditch these losers and come sit with me and my buddies."

"Okay, uh Duncan, is it? First of all, if you want to hook up with a girl you don't call her friends losers, and you definitely don't make fun of her name. Second, go away douche." Like a kicked puppy, Duncan stood and slowly moved back to his table.

"Alright, it's about time a girl dissed Duncan." Scott high-fived Evan.

"It's about time I get out of this hell hole. See you guys later."

"Benson, where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here."

"Look, Benson. If you leave now zere is a small chance that the Professor vould kick you out. If you don't accept help, he can't give it to you."

"Fine I'll stay. But I doubt I've learned anything by the end of the day."

The rest of the day went on as usual. Benson was bored, didn't listen, and got in trouble for leaning back in her chair and putting her feet on the table every fifteen minutes. As soon as the final bell rang, Benson raced back to the institute, on all fours, how she usually ran. She didn't even bother to tell Scott she wasn't going with them. Benson was the first to arrive back at the institute.

"I am never going back there again. I'd rather starve," she murmured to herself.

"What was that Benson?" a soft African voice came from behind her.

"Oh, nothing Storm. It didn't mean anything."

"You know, you can leave if you want to. We aren't forcing you to stay here."

"I know. I don't want to leave; I'm just not used to a 'normal' life."

"You'll get used to it. Besides, it's not a totally normal life. You are part of the X-Men. You are helping save others and give rights to mutants everywhere. I believe that's far from normal."

"Thanks Storm. I'm not going anywhere. Just hope I've seen the worst of high school today."

Ororo laughed. "Well, there is a Danger Room session in an hour. Try to finish your homework. Kurt will show you where it is."

"Thank you, bye." Benson walked upstairs, feeling a little better than she did before.