A/N: I own none of the X-Men characters/places. The characters of Jessica Gion/Blaze and Jason Kendal are my own creations. THe rest of the characters and places belong to the creator of the X-Men comics and the creators of the X-Men films.

Thank you to all who have reviewed my work so far. I hope you will continue to review it in the future.

When Pyro and Jessica left Storm's office Jason was still in his meeting with Beast. Jessica knew that there would be many questions that Jason would need an answer too. She didn't know what he would do after he found out those answers. Would he go back to Lilly? Would he stay at the mansion? Whichever he chose Jessica knew that Jason would stay near the mansion at least. She was glad that Jason had come back into town. If he hadn't he may have freaked out more than he already had, and he may have done something stupid.

Word had spread quickly around the school about the incident that occured the night before with Warren. Kids in the halls made sure they stayed several feet away from Pyro and Blaze. The students knew the two firestarters should be regarded with caution, but now they had even more reason to fear them. They were being looked at like some attraction in Ripley's Believe it or Not! Some students were wide-eyed, some were squinting as if disapproving and angry.

They made their way to their room. Jessica wasn't going to be teaching a class so they had the rest of the day together. The two of them agreed that they should get out of the mansion, they there were too many people staring at them to make them comfortable. They decided to go to the park and then maybe to the mall. They had tried to borrow a car from the school's garage, and had begged Storm to no avail. So, they would have to take Pyro's motorcycle which wasn't tempting. It was the middle of October and the weather was frigid, but since their bodies ran a higher temperature than most perhaps it wouldn't be as bad.

Pyro had put on a black sweater and a black leather jacket, as Jessica kept on her sweater but put on her coat. They went down to the lowest level of the school. They were walking down the heavily lit hallway, the one where the Med Lab and Danger Room were located. Pyro pressed the button for the door that opened out into the garage. When the door whooshed open Bobby and Rogue stepped through the opening. They had been visiting Warren's dad to see if he had any answers that may help Rogue's mutation hold out. The two couples eyed each other. Jessica and Pyro had the same views on the cure... they absolutely despised it! Jessica could understand Rogue would want to be able to have a deeper relationship with Bobby, but the cure was not the answer for that.

"That was wrong you know," Bobby finally spoke. Everyone knew that he was reffering to last night.

"Who asked you iceberg breath," Pyro snapped.

"And it wasn't wrong that you head-butted John, and you were going to leave him there to die," Jessica retorted.

"Guys stop," Rogue said holding up her hands that Jessica now saw were gloved. Whether from the cold or because her powers had finally returned she didn't know.

"What did he say," Jessica asked.

Rogue's face softened and went slack.

"There was nothing he could do," she answered. "The cure is wearing off, and I'm starting to drain Bobby's powers a little."

The four of them stood there in silence for a few long moments. Use-to-be friends just staring at one another, both pairs of their blue eyes secretly mocking the other.

"Well we've got to get upstairs," Bobby said.

Rogue gave Jessica a little wave as Bobby pulled her down the hall. Jessica waved back and watched as Rogue and Bobby got into the elevator. Pyro and Jessica proceeded out into the garage. Pyro handed her his helmet.

"Thanks," she said taking it.

"I wouldn't want you to crack that nice head of yours open," Pyro said smiling back.

She gave him a light kiss before she put on the helmet. Pyro climbed onto the bike scooting up so that Jessica could get on behind him. She threw her leg over the seat and slid in behind him. Her delicate arms felt good wrapped around his waist. She was holding on so tight that he could slightly feel the heat of her skin through his sweater.

Pyro kicked the motorcycle into life, it growled like a rabid monster. They roared away down the street wizzing through traffic. They passed building after building finally turning down the street that lead to the park. Before they entered the parking lot Jessica could see the pairs of gentlemen and even couples at the tables playing chess. They slipped into a parking space and Pyro shut off the motorcycle. The two of them climbed off and she handed him the helmet.

After he had stowed the helmet on the back of the bike Pyro grabbed her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. They started walking underneath the gold laddened trees dropping their leaves for the Autumn season. They watched the kids jumping in piles of leaves and their parents watching after them. They were passing the chess players when a voice spoke.

"Glad to see you made it my boy."

Pyro and Jessica turned around their hands still clasped. Jessica beheld an old man his gray hair poking out from under an old news boy cap. He had wrinkles aroud his blue eyes and a bit of stubble around his chin. Jessica could barely see the crude gray ink of numbers etched into the skin of his left wrist. A marking of the Holocaust she knew. The man spoke again.

"And who is this delightful morsel?"

Pyro's hand squeezed tighter around Jessica's own as the man reached for her hand and brought it to his mouth giving it a kiss. Jessica pulled from his grip. This man obviously knew John but she didn't want to get too friendly with him.

"Fiesty isn't she," the man said in his thick accent.

"You left me there to die," Pyro said changing the subject.

"I did what I had to my boy."

"No, you were a coward," Pyro spat.

"Is that any way to talk to me after I've given you everything you could ever ask for?"

Pyro's hand dropped from Jessica's as the words hit him. Like a father's words can make his son feel regret.

"This is Jessica," Pyro said.

"Pleasure to meet you Jessica my name is Magneto," the man said taking her hand again but Jessica let a flame barely dance from her palm so he could not take it.

Magneto gave a hearty laugh.

"Oh, I see she doesn't play nice," he said grinning.

So this was the man who Pyro had known as a father figure of sorts. The vile man who started the war on Alcatraz Island that almost got Pyro killed.

"There is still a place for you if you'd like it," Magneto said. "You know where to come if you still want to be one of us."

Magneto started to turn and walk away.

"The Brotherhood's getting back together," Pyro asked.

"Of course those of us who are left, but there are a lot of angry mutants out there from the fall out of the cure. I have to take advantage of that any way I can. Every mutant who took the cure is getting stronger by the day. Their powers are regenerating so I must work fast. You can bring you little play-thing along if you'd like. Either you're with us or against us, surely you know the advantages and disadvantages of both. Whatever you decide my boy, whatever you decide," Magneto said patting Pyro on the shoulder as he walked past him.

Pyro turned to watch him go.

"Are you going back," came Jessica's question.

"I don't know," Pyro said, and he honestly didn't know what he was going to do.

"Would you come with me if I did go back," he asked her.

"I don't know," she answered looking off into the distance almost in a daze.

"What is it," Pyro asked.

"Nothing I'm fine," Jessica said even though a thousand things were on her mind. "Come on let's get out of here I'm starving."

She grabbed Pyro's hand and led him back to the bike. They both got on and roared away to the diner. When they walked in people looked at them. Again, Jessica could only guess at what they were thinking. Especially the workers behind the counter.

What a slut, that's the second guy she's been in here with today. That chic is totally weird. Stupid punk kids.

They found a booth and sat down the place was jammed with the lunch crowd. Finally after about five minutes a waitress made her way over to their table. She had her dyed blonde hair piled messily on top of her head. She was chewing a wad of gum and her makeup was way too thick. Her name tag said "Jackie."

"What can I getcha," she asked the wad of gum stuffed into her cheek.

"Just give me an iced tea and a veggie burger, hold the pickles," Jessica said.

"I'll have a hamburger with everything, scratch that hold the onions and a water," Pyro said.

Jackie wrote down their order and headed off toward the kitchen. Pyro and Jessica could hear her screaming at someone in the back of the kitchen.

"Hey Mel throw on a veggie burger will ya!"

They gave each other a little laugh.

They talked about a lot of different things; their tastes in music, movies, all that kind of stuff.

Their food came and Pyro dug into the hamburger. Jessica stuck out her tongue in disgust.

"Bleck how can you eat that," she said.

Jessica was a vegetarian and just the sight of meat made her queasy.

"Because it's good," Pyro answered taking another bite.

Jessica sat there staring at him with a blob of ketchup dribbling down the side of this mouth. He wiped it off on his napkin.

"I'm going to go back," he said out of nowhere.

"To The Brotherhood?"

"Yeah."

"Oh," Jessica answered staring out the window.

"Why," she continued.

"Magneto gave me a place to stay," Pyro said.

"So did Xavier," Jessica reminded him.

"Not like Magneto. He made me feel important, like I actually belonged there," Pyro said stuffing a fry into his mouth.

"And the professor didn't?"

"Are you kidding me? I was like a joke in that place. I was belittled and picked on. I couldn't use my powers to their full extent. With Magento I can do whatever I feel like."

"Oh, I see. Even if that means killing and hurting people," Jessica said the inflection of her voice hardening slightly.

"Jess, I. . . ," Pyro started.

"And I thought I knew you John. It seems I don't know a thing about you," Jessica said tears forming in ther eyes.

"Hey," Pyro said taking her hand across the table knocking over the salt shaker. "I want you to come with me."

"Why? So I can be used as a weapon? So I can sleep in your bed every night until you want to make love to me. Like I'm a puppet on a string that you have control of. And, you having absolutely no regard for my feelings.," Jessica stated.

"No, it wouldn't be like that," Pyro said giving her fingers a squeeze.

"Uh-huh. I can't go I am needed here. Besides, John I may not be human, but I still have feelings for them," Jessica simply her lips and forehead furrowing in anger.

Pyro let his fingers fall out of hers, knowing that he wasn't going to sway her. He was going to leave the only woman he'd ever known to understand him behind. He must be a fool. But, Magneto needed him and he would return to The Brotherhood from wence he came. The family who had accepted him, no-questions-asked. He would do it tonight before he got even more attached to her. It would be a violent rip away from something good, but he had done it before.