Chapter 7

AN: You all rock! Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and follow.

I locked myself in my room after the training room incident. It took me an hour to calm myself down and think about what just happened. I let my mind reach outwards and I took comfort in the presence of Alex's mind across the hall. I felt my stomach rumble with hunger and I realized that I had not eaten all day.

I slipped quietly out of the room after I had checked the location of everyone in the mansion. I tiptoed down the hall and made it down to the large kitchen.

The counters were covered in a grey and black speckled marble and all of the appliances were done in shiny silver. I always took a moment to take in the opulence every time I set foot in a room at the mansion. My hands caressed the cool marble as I shuffled to the refrigerator. I opened it and pulled out the ingredients for a sandwich. The house was wonderfully silent and I could hear nothing but the whirring of machinery and my own mind. I thought about the incident in the training room and felt tears prick in my eyes. I hadn't wanted to hurt anyone.

It had been Erik's fault, I decided, he had made me terribly upset and I had lost control. Control was so very important to me. I did not come here to work on my own powers; I came to help other mutants to understand my own. I would simply tell Charles that and he would understand that anything having to do with my mutation was off limits. And then he would convince Erik of that and everything would be fine. I hoped.

"Adele," I jumped at the noise. I hadn't felt anyone enter the kitchen and that made me very nervous. I recognized Erik's lightly accented voice and cringed.

"What do you want?" I slammed the refrigerator door and pushed passed him, moving to the door, my food forgotten on the counter.

"To talk,"

I shook my head, "I don't want to talk to you. I think we did enough talking in the training room,"

It was his fault I was so shaken, his fault I hadn't heard his mind when he entered the kitchen. I pulled open the door and his arm shot out to grab mine. His fingers were warm against my skin.

"I want to help you with your powers," He said softly. I almost laughed. How dare he say such a thing when it was his fault that I had almost killed Charles.

"I don't need your help, I have Charles," I struggled to remove myself from his grip.

"Charles doesn't want to push you. He is afraid of what you might do," Erik yanked me towards him. "He is afraid of something like yesterday happening again,"

Our bodies were so close I could feel the heat radiating off of him.

"And he has every right to be afraid, I could've hurt everyone in the mansion! Or even worse I could've unleashed the-," I stopped myself.

"Unleashed the what?" Erik asked curiously.

"It doesn't matter. But Erik you sound exactly like my father who wanted 'to help me' with my powers," I said angrily.

Erik scowled at me.

"Don't you ever compare that man to me I am nothing like him!" Erik said angrily.

"Neither am I! But ever since I told Shaw is my father you looked at me like I am him," I replied as I yanked my arm free.

"Look Adele, I'm sorry the way I reacted to you after you told Charles and I, that Shaw was your father. All those years in the camp and you never told me," Erik said.

"You didn't ask so I didn't tell. It's not like I'm proud to have Shaw as a father," I said.

"Do you accept my apology Adele?" Erik asked.

"Of course Erik, let's not fight again," I said as I embraced in a hug.

Same Night

Dream

It starts with fire. Blazing and so so hot. It's all around me and there's screaming. Shrieks of pain and agony echoing in the flames. I smell flesh. Burning flesh. And the voice are recognizable in his pain and fear.

Charles.

He is visible through the flames, reaching for me with eyes full of reverence. And fear. Like he is looking at some dark god.

'Stop it! Stop! Stop it please! Stop! Please! Please!'

Screaming in my head. His mind calling out for it all to end. His cries get louder and louder I can't see or hear anything else but him and his pain.

'Stop! Stop! STOP!'

And suddenly the voice and the face are changing and it's Erik and the children kneeling in the flames instead their minds calling out for me. Screaming for my attention.

'Adele please! Stop! Stop!'

They're sobbing and screaming, their minds and voices echoing together in agony as the fire consumes them and I can see their faces. That same look that Charles had given me echoes on each charred face. Reverence and fear, like I'm some demonic godlike entity, not the Adele they know.

And their screaming thoughts reinforce this.

'God please! Stop! Stop! Please, god show mercy! STOP!'

And I feel my mind reach out to them burning like wild fire and without my consent it strikes out bringing them to the floor, clutching at their heads and screaming in pain both from the fire and the sheer force of my power.

'NEVER!'

And as soon as my mental voice rips through their minds I know something is wrong. That voice isn't mine. It is but it isn't. It sounds the same but there's so much more behind it and I turn away from the pained faces of Erik, Charles, and the others as they clutch their heads.

And there, reflected in the glass, is my face only...it's not. My eyes are burning red like hot coals, burning deeply in my face, my skin glows darkly from within, shadowing my pale face and making my appearance devious and almost demonic with my veins dark and visible, and my hair billows in an unseen personal torrent, flowing around me in a surreal fashion.

And my reflection smiles at me darkly, reaching a hand out to me, and I mimic it, hand rising to touch the mirrored glass in front of me. Fire flickers behind me and around me and screams echo in the air. It's chaos all around, but in the mirror it's calm, the fire frozen, the world silent. And my reflection tilts it's head seductively, smile stretching wider.

'Adele. Let me help you Adele.'

And next to it in the mirror is Shaw, burning and blackening as his reflection grabs my shoulders, eyes burning brighter and brighter. The reflection seems darker as Shaw writhes in pain and agony in it's grip, flesh peeling off and disintegrating.

And I scream out in my mind. 'NO!'

And the reflection darkens even more, body glowing darkly like black fire, and snarls, face twisting with hate.

And then it's fire pouring out of me into the shape of a great bird, twisting out into the air and shrieking like some inhuman thing. It twists and grows, fiery wings spreading out as it rises and gets hotter and hotter, flames dancing about violently.

The screaming is back and Erik, Charles, and the children are charred and burning. Dying. And I cry and shake my head.

'No! No! NO! STOP!'

And the fire bird twists to look at me, eyes narrowed in pure unbridled rage, and out of it rises mirror Adele, her face too twisted in hate. And she reaches out a hand for me, rushing forward with a shriek, consuming me in fire and heat and hate and in the flames I hear my own dark voice with power inside shriek at me.

'NEVER!'

Third POV

Everyone in the mansion jolted awake at once, cries ripping from their throats. Everyone was out of their covers and in the hall immediately, still gasping in the leftover adrenaline from the intense dream. They couldn't even remember what it was about, just heat and fire and fear. At first everyone thought it was Charles but they were shocked to see him in the hallway gasping for air as well.

There is two telepaths in the mansion and if wasn't Charles then there was only person who could cause such a dream.

Adele.

Charles' feet padded on the cold wood floor as he dashed to Adele's room, the other inhabitants of the manor following after him, confusion and concern clear in their eyes, even the usually stoic Erik's.

Alex, being the bold one he was, stopped him mid run , turning his to face them. "What's going on?"

"Yeah.", Sean said quickly, voice breathy. Obviously he was hit just as hard as him. "What was that?"

He pushed his hand off and sighed. "Adele,"

And he was off again, rushing to Adele's door and knocking lightly.

No answer.

"Adele? Adele?", He knocked again, panic building in his chest, and cried out in his mind, the fear from the forgotten dream fueling him. 'Adele! Adele please answer me! ADELE!'

She wasn't answering his calls. Adele always answered his calls. Always. Erik moved Charles aside, waving his hand and unlocking the door with his ability. He quickly turned to everyone else.

"Stay out here," Erik commanded.

Everyone nodded their heads.

Erik pushed open the door, Charles and Erik stride into Adele's room and locking the door behind them.

Their eyes were immediately drawn to Adele who was sitting on the edge of her bed, head in her hands. Adele looked up at her entrance, eyes hazy and face pale. Erik assumed it was the after effects of the nightmare and wondered if Adele perhaps remembered it unlike himself.

Adele immediately smiled, though it was strained. "Hello Erik and Charles. Is everything alright my friends? You look quite pale,"

"I could say the same about you," Erik said softly, staring at her.

"We all just awoke from quite a nightmare- the same nightmare- and since you and I are the only telepaths here...", Charles paused pointedly, before noticing how Adele eyes widened in realization.

"Are you alright?" Charles asked.

"I'm quite alright Charles. Just-are the children alright?"

"Fine. Worried about you, but fine," Erik moved to her side, leaning down to eye level with Adele.

"It's you I'm worried about. That was some nightmare Adele. I can't even remember it, but I know it rivals my own and that's quite a feat. Do you remember any of it?"

She shook her head and stood up, trying to push past him.

"Not really, but that's not really important right now Erik. I need to check on the children,"

Erik stopped her, almost glaring down at her. "The children are fine Adele. Are you?"

"Erik I told you-"

Erik stopped her with a hand. "Be honest,"

Adele sighed softly, looking up at him. "I'm fine Erik. Really. Just a bit shaken.", she smiled softly. "Now can I please check on the children?"

Erik sighed over dramatically, but smiled slightly. "If we must,"

And with that he moved aside, allowing Adele access to the door. Adele glanced back as she moved to the door, eyes catching the mirror in the corner by the bed.

For a second she swore her eyes were red, but she blinked and they were back to a nice bright green. She shook her head to dispel the memory of her dream, the flash of bright red bringing it back to mind, and turned back to the door, taking a deep breath and preparing to deal with the children and all the questions they probably had.

"Wait Adele," Charles said.

Erik and Adele turned to Charles.

"What's wrong Charles?" Adele asked.

"Your eyes changed color," Charles stated.

"It must be one of my many mutations," Adele replied.

"I don't think so. Erik please help Adele back on her bed," Charles said.

"Charles I don't think this is necessary," Erik said.

"Erik just trust me on this one," Charles replied.

Erik helped Adele back onto her bed and Charles kneeled in front of her at eye level and took one of Adele's hand.

"I'm so sorry for what I'm about to do," Charles said sadly.

"Charles what are you about to do?" Adele asked worriedly.

She searched his face in confusion, shifting a little bit forward. Charles' other hand going to his forehead. He pressed two fingers to his skin, and his eyes slid closed.

She realized what he was doing with barely a moment to spare.

"No," She said in a rush. "No, you can't, Charles." Her hand flew to his neck, grasping the back of it roughly. "You promised you wouldn't,"

His hand jumped away from his temple, and he lowered it to her face, bringing his forehead down to rest against hers. Their noses were almost brushing, but Charles' eyes remained open, staring clearly into hers.

Erik looked on with jealously as he watched how close Charles and Adele were.

"I have to see what triggered your dream," he murmured, fingering a stray lock of hair out of her face. Her hand softened on his neck, but she didn't let go. A cry shuddered through her body, and something like pain flashed across Charles' face, marring his otherwise handsome features.

"I have to see… what triggered your dream," he repeated, weaker the second time.

"No," She was sobbing, tears running down her cheeks, her fingers digging into Charles' forearm. "No, please, you can't,"

She saw what she was sure were tears in his own eyes, but still he raised a shaking hand to his temple, pressing his fingertips to his sweaty skin. "I must,"

There was a sharp pull at her mind, a pull that was somehow painful and yet wholly calming at the same time.

The last thing she remembered was an agonizing white flash, the slam of a door, and Charles' guttural scream mingling with hers.

AN: The long awaited chapter hopefully this was better than last chapter.