* X-men and their world belongs to Marvel

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My appointment with the school's two doctors took up about two hours. Dr. Hank McCoy wished for me to retake my psychic tests, this time including a few telepath tests.

Reluctant to do so, but I still did as I was told. That is why I had to leave the Med Bay with the giant blue genius's mind keeping mine company. Again my power scared the two doctors, but they tried to hide their fear. Too bad for me, I couldn't be fooled by there fake smiles. I felt and heard every fear they had about me.

I should have been exploring the school, learning the ropes of the place but instead I sat in my room for the rest of the day, holding my knees to my chest and thinking. I hardly noticed that the room was getting darker or what the time was. All I could think of what was wrong with me. I can't have powers that Professor Xavier and Jean Grey, the most powerful psychics on the planet, didn't possess. I knew they expected me to have a lot of power, but not that I'd be more powerful. It wasn't only my amount of power that scared me (but, yeah, that was a HUGE part of it), but the thought that they might not be able to help me. If I'm more powerful, how can they teach me? How can they make sure I don't become some villain? What-

A loud knock came from my door, jerking me out of my thoughts.

"C-come in." I called. I really wasn't in the mood for company, but it was probably Logan coming to bring me to the Med Bay again (I liked the two kind doctors, but I didn't want to be poked and prodded by them any more). Or Rogue. I had expected her about an hour or two ago.

What I hadn't expected was the giant Russian, Peter.

He opened my door and smiled at me shyly.

"Good evening Shadow," He greeted me, his voice deep and quiet.

"Oh, hi." I was still a little confused about his visit. "Would you like to come in and sit down? I've just been, uh-moping." I grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I just came up to ask you, uh, to ask you if you wanted to come to dinner with me?" His face went a little red. So giants got shy too, huh? "Uh, I had to help Logan with something, so I was late for dinner and everyone else ate. Kitya mentioned that you've been in your room since lunch and might want to eat with someone. There is only an hour left until the stop serving dinner."

"I'd like to Peter, but I promised Rogue I would," I stopped myself. I wasn't sure if Rogue had told her friends yet, and I didn't feel right doing it. She should tell them when she's ready. "I promised her I would help her with something. I'm just not sure when she's coming over to work on it."

"Dah, Rogue told me before class to say to you that she has to cram for a math test tomorrow with Jubilee and will not be able to try the shields tonight. But if you just rather not eat with me, I will not force you." Peter started to turn away but I stopped him by the arm.

"I'll be ready to come down in a minute, just have to grab my shoes." I dove for my sneakers and my key. "Okay, good to go."

Peter smiled down at me as we walked towards the stairs. "So how do you like the school so far?"

"Its interesting, and its nice to feel safe. It takes a lot of getting used to though." I admitted.

Peter nodded. "The first time I heard the X-Jet start up, I flipped out. Turned into Colossus and broke down my door." Again he blushed. "I got quite some teasing after that."

I laughed. "It's so weird, living with superheroes. Every so often having a cancelled class because your teacher has to save the world or seeing them on TV, kicking ass. Half the school wants to be an X-Man."

"And living with so many mutants, all in the same position as we are is strange. Back home on the collective farm I lived on, I and my brother were the only mutants. And now everywhere I turn, there is a kid flying or shooting sparks out of their eyes." Peter contributed.

"So you're a farm kid too, huh? Nice! Well, my home town was pretty small. There were maybe three mutant kids, including me." I said as we went into the dining room. There were a few students still in here, but most had eaten an hour before with Peter's friends. We went to the lunch line where an older woman with a friendly smile served us chicken and vegetables, and a small slice of apple pie.

"What about your family? Are you the only mutant?" Peter asked as we sat down at table with a view of Storm's garden.

I felt a deep pain in my chest and looked down.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't realise. I should have been more sensitive." Peter panicked a little at my reaction, and his steel armour started forming on his muscled arms. "Most kids here left on bad terms with their parents because of their mutation, but I still ask stupid questions. I'm sorry."

"It wasn't like that, my parents didn't know." I said quietly. I know if they had known, they still would have loved me. Same with my siblings.

We sat their in awkward silence. I didn't know how much the other students knew about me. In this school, the walls have ears. Or rather, kids with super hearing, telepaths, kids that can become invisible, and one loud mouth gossip queen that can shoot fireworks. Eventually, everyone would know, but this is my first week and I didn't want people to know too much about me just yet. Besides, I was hoping to be gone soon. Revenge and all that.

"So Rogue told me about your idea to make a shield during art class, do you really think it will work?" Peter asked timidly, not trying to make me even more withdrawn.

I was glad for the change of subject. Actually, I also realized how glad I was not to be upset with Peter. The more we talked, the more I liked him. His sensitive nature, his kind smile, his blush. He was shy, but he could open up and be funny. After I explained my idea to help Rogue, he told me more about his life in Russia and his family. He told me about the other students, they're personalities and powers. Past stories about the X-Men saving the world, and the mischief he and his friends had gotten into. Finally the cafe ladies kicked us out of the dining area, so we went for a walk around the grounds.

"So we came up with a plan to get the others back." Peter told me as we walked around the grounds, close to the forest. "Bobby pretended to lose control of his powers and completely froze me. While he distracted Jubilee and John by shooting some ice into the air, Kitty phased me out, making a shell. The others that I was frozen for days!"

We laughed together hysterically. I actually lost my breath and started wheezing, with my eyes watering. I sat on the ground trying to get control over myself. Peter bent down to see if I was okay, making me look up at him. Suddenly, my breath was lost for another reason. His beautiful blue eyes held my silver ones. Slowly he moved closer, putting a giant but gentle hand behind my head, tilting it up.

Millimetres away from kissing me, Peter was hit from behind, making him fall onto me.

"Agh!" He yelled, trying to regain his balance but failing. He fell onto me, nearly crushing me. He blushed furiously as he tried to retain whatever dignity we had left and got off me. As soon as he was off, he took his metal form, ready for a fight from the Brotherhood or his stupid friends.

I saw Derik flying above us, giving Peter a look of pure hatred. Seeing me looking at him, he quickly flew away.

"Its alright Peter, it was just Derik. He's gone now." I took his arm, and made him look at me. Seeing my eyes, Peter went back to his skin form, still blushing furiously.

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to, to-" Peter coughed and went redder still. "What was that guy's problem?"

"Oh, I don't know." I said, not meeting his eyes. "Derik was one of the kids I was traveling with. We were sort of close, being the oldest we had to work together a lot. We saved each others lives a few times."

"So you were involved?" Peter asked innocently. His blue eyes looked sad.

"Uh, no." I got up from the ground and started walking back to the school, Peter followed. "He, um, had a crush on me. But it was mostly because of how much we depended on each other and how I was the first girl mutant he met. We really haven't talked at all since we arrived here. I thought he'd get over it, but apparently not."

"I can understand having a crush on you and not getting over it." Peter said. Realizing what he said, he once again turned bright red. "Uh, I really don't mean to sound so…"

Peter was saved by the sight of Professor Grey and Professor Summers making out on the stone bench ahead of us. They were deeply involved in what they were doing and didn't see us, but suddenly Jean pulled away and clutched her head. She looked around and saw the two of us and blushed. She pointed us out to Scott. Suddenly, my head was aching too. I backed away.

"Don't be embarrassed, us students are always finding those two making out. Grossed out maybe…" Peter said falling into step beside me again. "I wonder what was wrong with Dr. Grey."

"Well, when I get near other psychics, I hurt them for some reason. And vice versa. Its not so bad now, but the first time I met another psychic, we both were knocked out from the pain." I explained. "I don't really know why it happens. You've been here longer than I have, do most psychic mutant kids have this problem?"

"No, I don't think so." Peter frowned slightly, thinking. "Have you talked to the Professor yet? He knows the most about this sort of thing."

"No, I haven't." I shook my head. "Jean said he's trying to find a way for us to speak to each other with out putting us both in a coma. This whole psychic thing sucks."

"I'm am sorry to hear you feel badly." Peter said sweetly as we entered the mansion.

We went up to the fifth floor where both our rooms were located. Peter said that the others were probably in the rec room watching a movie or doing homework, and suggested we go there.

"Sure, I'm just going to my room to get a sweater. I'm freezing." I turned down the hall and walked to my room door. Placing the key Jean gave me earlier into the slot, I unlocked the door and went inside. Only half way to my wardrobe did I realise Peter was still standing outside, awkwardly.

"Um," He said as I gave him a questioning look. "Would you prefer I stayed outside?"

"Oh," I said surprised. I forgot he was a boy and might feel awkward about being in a girl's room. "Are there rules against having boys in-"

"No, but if you prefer-"

"I don't mind, do you-"

"Well I don't want to make you feel-"

"Oh this is stupid." I finally said, stopping our awkward word dance. "Peter, would you like to come in?"

The giant Russian grinned sheepishly and walked into the room, taking in his surroundings. That's a little odd, I thought, he's pretty good friends with my roommates but he acts like he's never been in here before. Surely he has?

Peter sat on my plain bed and waited patiently as I rooted through the closet Kitty helped me unpack my stuff into the other day. Pulling out a white hoodie with a black rose design on it, I pulled it over my head. Once my head popped through the top, I was able to see Peter holding the picture of my family that I kept on my bedside stand.

"Is this your family?" He asked curious. I was barely able to stop myself from ripping the precious photo out of his hands.

"Yeah." I answered, coming to sit next to him on the bed. I looked at the photo that I've seen a thousand times before. It was taken about two years ago at my family's farm. I still had long hair back then, and I kept it in a braid. My little brother, Kenny, was smiling and laughing because my older sister Rebecca, was tickling him. Dad had on arm wrapped around Mum's waist and the other leaning on my head. He was always teasing me about my height, and it was a joke between us that when in company he wouldn't say anything, just lean on my head. Both of them looked so happy, so proud, so serene. My silver eyes were full of joy, just happy to be with my family. In the background was a little of our barn, the cow pasture, and a sunset.

"You look a lot like your mother." Peter commented. I laughed and he gave me an odd look. "What?"

"I was adopted, they aren't my birth parents." Peter blushed at his ignorance, but I didn't mind that he said that. I knew I didn't look like the rest of my family, but I always wanted to. When I was little, I had no idea why I looked so different from them. "Yeah, they just found me when I was a baby and decided to keep me. I had no idea that I wasn't their real daughter until my mutant powers manifested. I got a mind blast from them both, memories of how they found me and thoughts about when they should tell me. Not the easiest way to learn about it, especially since I was a little pissed about being a mutant. But I got over it. They were the best parents I could ask for, I was grateful for them taking me in. They never did get around to telling me…"

Tears started to fill my eyes. I brushed them away quickly when Peter looked down at me. "Um, I'm really tired. I-I don't think I'm feeling up to going to the rec room any more. I think I'll just turn in for the night."

Peter looked like he wanted to say something, probably something that I really didn't want to talk about. I was about to use my powers to get him to think he wanted to leave, maybe to even erase the conversation we just had, but he beat me to it.

"Alright, I guess I'll be going then. Goodnight, Shadow." Peter got to the door and paused. "If you ever need to talk, I'm here for you, моей таинственной задаться вопросом.

With that, Peter left me to dwell on my horrific past.