"Let me go after her," Alex said.
"And do what, blast another hole in the wall?" Erik snapped, "It went over so well the last time."
"Yeah, and I'm sure the father she was planning to go live with telling her last minute he was a terrorist was way better," Alex said sarcastically.
Erik started forward but Mystique stopped him with a hand. Hank, who Charles had called down along with Moira, let out a low growl.
"Everyone stop. This isn't helping," sighed Charles, "Erik, you said you'd told her."
"I didn't want to lose her. Can you blame me for lying?" Erik asked.
Sean raised his eyebrows.
"Um, yeah, I can," he said.
Alex nodded in agreement.
"Did you have any idea how much she wanted to meet her dad?" he snapped, "And then you had to go do this stupid-"
"Again Alex, not helping," Moira said.
"I was going to tell her," protested Erik.
"Yes, I assume you would have when she was in a position where she'd be with you for the resulting month," Charles said, "In other words, when she would have felt obligated to stay longer and you'd have time to explain yourself."
"You make it sound like I'd be making some sort of confession," said Erik.
"Of course you would," said Hank, "Do you know Lorna at all?"
A metal plate that had escaped Lorna's distress crunched dangerously. He rubbed his temples. A headache was on its way, he was sure.
"Hank, Sean, Alex, please refrain from commenting in the near future," said Charles, "I'm not contesting your right to be here; just to make inflammatory comments."
His hands tightened thier grip on his armrests.
"Erik, I trusted you not to do this," said Charles, "When I let you into this school I knew the risks. But you exceeded each and every one of them."
"What do you expect me to do when I'm attacked?" he snapped.
"Like I said, keep a cool head," Charles said, "But what happened here was more important then my trust. She trusted you. And now she's out there confused and heartbroken."
"Professor, please just let me go after her," pleaded Alex.
Wishing he could just leave this all for another time he looked at Alex. His expression was torn between anger and concern; both because of the girl who had helped him through his darkest hour. It was touching to see such a sentiment in the former convict, but it was one they could do without at the moment.
"She told me that she wanted to be left alone. I intend to honor her wishes," Charles said, "She'll come back when she's ready. And when she does we'd best all be ready. You're going to have to answer to her Erik."
"She would have left Charles," said Erik, "She would have turned away from me. I couldn't allow that to happen. Lorna…she's my daughter. I wanted her to be my daughter, and I didn't want her to see me as anything other than…"
"…her father," finished Charles.
Sighing deeply he leaned back in his chair.
What a mess sweetheart, he thought to Moira, In more ways than one. The entryway is a complete wreck. I hope Lorna's calmed down as well.
It must have been quite a shock for her. And I thought today was going so well, she thought back ruefully, But I'm worried about her. It's going to get dark soon.
If she's gone for more than an hour then I'll send someone after her, Charles thought, For now we'll give her some time for herself.
I see. How are you holding up? she thought.
Charles paused.
I don't know what you mean.
I know all the worries and fears you had about losing Lorna you had to swallow to let him in, Moira thought, I was there. So I know how much this hurt you.
Something surged in his throat. He quickly stamped it down.
...another time sweetheart. There's too much happening right now.
He sighed again.
"I see," Charles said, "But Erik…oh, there's no way that would have worked."
"He tried," Mystique said.
"To do what exactly?" said Hank, "From what it sounds like you came in here and basically tried to kidnap her."
Charles felt like banging his head on the wall.
"That's not how it was," Erik said tiredly.
"You lied to her and were trying to trick you into coming with you," Hank said, "I think that counts."
"He's right. Sounds like kidnapping to me," said Sean.
"Hank, Sean, stop it," said Mystique, "This is hard enough as it is."
"Hard enough for her, certainly," Hank said.
"I just wanted her to come with me," muttered Erik, "I wanted…I wanted…"
"You wanted her to be part of the Brotherhood?" Charles asked.
"I didn't want to fight against her!" snapped Erik, "God, I don't want to lose her because one day one of my members kills her while you fight against us."
Feeling depressed Charles sank further into his chair.
"Do you think I enjoy having Raven and you on the opposite side of the board?" asked Charles, "Do you think I like it?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"Of course not," he said, "But I didn't trick you into siding with me. I fight for what I believe in and you fight for what you believe in. That's all it comes down to; we make our decisions and we have to follow through with them."
Gritting his teeth Erik turned away. A smoldering piece of the wall fell onto the floor. It sizzled noisily on the carpet.
"Alex, I hope next time you have the sense to take things outside," Charles sighed.
There was no answer.
"Alex?" he asked, "Alex?"
It was then that he realized Alex was no longer in the room.
Lorna sat with her legs tucked underneath her. She hugged herself tightly. The last of her tears were trickling out of her eyes. Thus far she'd exhausted her tear ducts. She'd need some water soon if she wanted to keep crying. At least when she was crying she didn't have to think too much.
A branch snapped off to her left. She thought it was just a squirrel until it was followed by several more noises. Wiping away some of her tears she looked up and tried to focus. The branches parted and Alex pushed his way through the trees. Almost immediately she got off the ground, getting ready to run again.
"No, please don't," he said, holding his palms up, "The Professor said you wanted to be left alone, but…"
"But what?" snapped Lorna, "You thought you knew better?"
"Uh-"
"Did you think you could come down here and make everything peachy after you attacked my father?" she demanded.
He looked at her, lost.
"I thought he was coming to attack us," said Alex, "He and I…him and the X-men have this history…"
"Yeah, I got that," she said, clenching her hands into fists, "You didn't listen when I told you to stop. Didn't you hear me?"
Alex shoved his hands in his pockets.
"Yes," he said, "but I thought you were confused, didn't know what you were saying. And I thought…nah, you know what I thought."
"I do," Lorna hissed.
More tears were coming and she wiped them away furiously.
"I didn't know when I said I'd go with him," Lorna said, "I didn't know that's what he was. He never told me…he kept it a secret."
Alex nodded.
"I know you didn't."
"It's just…I still love him," said Lorna, "Or I love what he told me. How do I know if any of that was true?"
He seemed to be considering. No one else knew what she had discussed with her father except the man himself and her. Alex only knew a little.
"I don't know much; he and I weren't exactly close. He was still helping train us then so I know a little. If he said anything about the Holocaust, that was true," Alex said awkwardly, "And if he said he went hunting Nazis afterwards then it's still true…"
"I don't mean that," she said, "I know that all of that's true. There was no reason for him to lie about things like that."
She wiped away more tears.
"I just mean…he told me I was wonderful. He told me he loved me. Now I'm just wondering if he told me that because he wanted me to join the Brotherhood," Lorna said, "If I wasn't a mutant I don't think he'd want anything to do with me. He wouldn't want me to live with him, he would have regretted adding another homo sapien to the count!"
There was a long pause. She hugged herself and closed her eyes again. There were more tears pouring down her cheeks but she didn't bother to wipe them away anymore.
"There's not many people who hate Magneto more than I do," Alex said, "The one who has the most right is the Professor, but it's not in his nature to hate. I'm not as good as he is though. I have problems forgiving and forgetting. After working with us...do you know that woman with him is the Professor's sister?"
She stared at him.
"Yeah, he took her with him. Split up the group when we needed it least," said Alex, "Just ditched us when the Professor was just lying on the beach bleeding from his back because the jackass didn't look behind him-"
"Are you trying to help?" she half-sobbed and half-screamed, "Because you're not. You're really not."
Alex swallowed and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"I am, I just, God. This isn't what I was made for," he said.
With a sigh he said;
"But we started talking after you left. And...he said he wanted to be your father and that he wanted you to be his daughter."
"He told me humans were darkness with only pinpricks of light," Lorna snapped, her tears being replaced by anger, "He wouldn't have wanted me if I wasn't a mutant."
"And I think if you were a human he would have said you were one of those pinpricks," said Alex slowly, his words ponderous, "He wasn't lying; he loves you. I hate the guy but I can give him credit again. I've listened to my parents lying so believe me when I say he's not. You can't tell lies like that with the face he had."
He looked down.
"You're hard not to love you know," he added.
Lorna broke down again.
"I don't care if he's a terrorist," she said, "He's still my father. I…I don't want to hurt him…I don't want to fight him…but…I'm not…I don't think I'm someone who can do what he does. I still love him, I just don't know what to do!"
Alex took a tentative step towards her. He took another and another until he was right in front of her. His arms wrapped around her and held her tightly.
"I can't imagine what you're going through right now," he said, resting his chin on the top of his head, "But I know you were there when I fell apart. I'm going to be here for you, no matter what."
She sniffed and buried her face in his chest. Lorna felt his chin on the top of her head as her remaining tears poured out. She couldn't say how long they stayed like that; swaying only slightly with their tired feet.
"It's okay," he said, "It'll be okay."
A branch snapped. Alex looked up in time to see the dart that hit his neck. His eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground. Lorna's eyes widened and whipped around in time for a second dart to hit in her arm. She jerked it out but the tranquilizer had already taken effect. Her eyes rolled back and she crumpled next to Alex.
Regan Wryngarde stepped out of the bushes, adjusting the nozzle of her dart gun. She tapped her earpiece.
"Hey Martinique?" she asked, "I found him. And do you know what?"
She looked down at Lorna.
"I think I have a way to make that energy extraction easier."
There were a few muted words and Regan smiled.
"Hey, what are sisters for?"