The second-last chapter.

Thanks TristeAlma to for your review of the last chapter!

Whisper walked towards the creature, completely unnoticed by the TV cameras, which suddenly gave out, each operator puzzling over the sudden failure. One figure in the crowd turned, sensing Whisper, and ran towards the alley where the X-Men were waiting. Whisper danced a shining, lilac force field in from of the elephant's eye, enticing it to move. The orb flew over to the zoo and into the enclosure the creature lived in, alone. Everyone seemed amazed at the sight. It was only once she had returned to the alleyway where the others were that she realised something was wrong. The blue figure from her dream - nightmare, more like - was standing before her, her teammates forcibly restrained. Mystique. A purple force field erupted around the blue woman.

"Leanne." Mystique said the name so softly, only Whisper could hear. "I can make it all better. All you have to do is let me out."

"You're not going anywhere," Wolverine snarled.

Mystique smiled. Several metal pipes had sprung from the corner and twisted themselves around Jean, Cyclops and Storm. Wolverine seemed to be unable to move.

"Let me out. Join us."

Whisper looked down, then removed the force field.

Mystique smiled again. "I want you to prove that you're loyal to me. Kill the X-Men."

Whisper looked over at her struggling companions. Her blue eyes became completely purple. She rose up, surrounded by a force field, the same shade of purple as her eyes. She looked blankly at the X-Men.

"No," Jean breathed.

Whisper thrust her arms outwards, causing the force field to expand, knocking the X-Men to the ground. She landed again and turned to Mystique.

"Bravo! A fine addition to the Brotherhoo-"

Whisper pinned Mystique against the wall and held a force field surrounded hand to her face. "Not. Another. Word."

Mystique laughed and transformed into Whisper's mother.

"Leanne, you wouldn't kill your own mother would you?"

Whisper faltered. She shook her head. "No. You're not my mother. Stop pretending. You wanted to drive me out of the mansion. You wanted me to join you. WELL I WON'T! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME, I SHOULD KILL YOU!" The purple glow from the force field trembled and fluctuated at her increasing anger. Then she calmed slightly and said softly, "But I won't. If I do, It makes me no better than you."

The force field expanded, sending Mystique crashing through the wall.

Whisper ran over to the X-Men and helped them up, the pipes falling away as if they hadn't been held there at all.

"You pretended to join her to save us?" Cyclops asked.

"Yeah. You guys are family, I just wanted to look after you. When she told me to kill you I... I just got so angry and..." She stopped. "I'll leave now. I'm better off on the streets."

"Why would you think that?" Storm asked.

"I didn't kill Mystique. I let her get away. She'll come after me again and then you'll all be in danger."

"She's not stupid enough to come after you again, kid. She knows what you'll do to her. You're safe with us."

Whisper smiled her first true smile in two years. "I think I'm ready to go home."

To be clear, Mystique is NOT Whisper's mother!