Bit of a slow chapter, thanks for everyone being so patient. And thank you for the reviews! Over a hundred now! Thank you so much for them, I really appreciate them. The next chapter will reveal a huge shocker and will be posted before Christmas.

Please keep reviewing!

J.C Posch

xXx

Four months have passed since I've moved back into the mansion. And I've been true to my word, I have been trying harder. I don't have any more freak outs or mental break downs, in front of other people anyway. I'm going to classes again and attempting to be social once more. I've also been helping rehabilitate Mom. She's been doing loads better, though she hasn't yet been allowed to leave her safe room, in fear that she might relapse. Dad and I visit her every day, which has done the most good in my opinion. She still has times when she gets confused and tries to electrocute us (thank God the Professor had the room 'Storm proofed' or else I'm sure I'd be a smoldering pile of ash by now) or thinks I'm a baby and tries to change my diapers (I hate those flashbacks the most), but those times are becoming fewer and fewer. I'm no therapist but I think she might be able to move into the apartment Dad and I are share in the teachers' wing in a couple months.

Things aren't great, but their better. A few times I can even trick myself into believing that I'm okay.

After classes today I decided I had put off a chore for long enough. I excused myself from dinner early (some days I sit with Dad and others I eat with my friends) and went up the stairs to our apartment. I dialed the phone and listened to the other end ring, mindlessly wondering if the Professor would be peeved about the long distance charges.

" 'ello?" A gruff man's voice said from the other end.

The voice made my heart sink. I had really hoped that it wouldn't be him to answer.

"Hello Mr. Craig." I said in a forced voice. "May I please speak to Mrs. Craig?"

I heard a sound that resembled a belch. Gross.

"Who's this?"

"This is Leah Logan calling." I answered.

"Who? Listen, if this is one of Patty's students calling, I already told you brats to stop bothering me at home! Just talk to her in class for Christ's sake!"

I rolled my eyes. I had forgotten how charming Eric's father was.

"I'm not one of her students, I'm Leah. I used to be your neighbor when I lived in British Columbia, remember?" I explained.

"Oh." Mr. Craig replied. "What do you want?"

What a jerk. This was hard enough without having to deal with this creep.

Instead of answering him, I repeated "May I speak to Mrs. Craig, please?"

"Tell me what you want first."

I actually considered giving up and hanging up at this point, but I knew I couldn't. I owed Eric this much.

"I'm calling about Eric."

There was silence on the other end.

"Mr. Craig?"

"Why are you calling about him? The freak hasn't been in our lives for over ten years." Mr. Craig spat angrily.

"Not by his choice." I spat back before I could control myself. I thought he was going to hang up on me but instead a kinder voice answered me.

"Hello? You have news about Eric?" A worried feminine voice asked. I heard some gruff mutters on the other end, but they were silenced by Mrs. Craig. "Shut up Steve, I can't deal with you right now."

Wow, after all these years it seems like Patty Craig has finally learned the courage to tell her husband to shut his fat mouth.

"I'm sorry about that. You were saying something about Eric?" Mrs. Craig asked into the phone, sounding kinder.

"Yes, I'm sorry to have to tell you this over the phone but-" I bit my lip before I gained the strength to go on. "I'm sorry Mrs. Craig but Eric has passed away."

I was answered by silence. I felt involuntary tears build up in my eyes.

Finally she said, "How did it happen?"

"He was, I mean, he died in an explosion. " I answered weakly.

"Oh."

"But, but he died saving many lives." I added, knowing that would be little comfort for a grieving mother.

"I see." She said this in almost a monotone voice.

"I'm sorry." I whispered.

And then she started to cry. You have never heard someone really cry until it's a mother who lost a child. It's the most heart breaking sound and you know there's nothing you can do to console her. I couldn't even offer her the physical comfort of a hug because I had to do this over the phone.

"I'm-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be bawling in your ear like that." Mrs. Craig wept.

"No, please, I understand. I'm so sorry for your loss." I said, fighting the burning feeling in my throat.

"I know I shouldn't be acting like this. I haven't talk to Eric since he was a little boy and he wasn't even my son, but still…"

I felt my chest tighten. How could she say that he wasn't her son? Just because he was a mutant? I thought she had more sense than her husband, but maybe I was wrong.

"But still he was the closest thing I've ever had to a child. It was like a miracle when we found him on our doorstep after years of failing to have a baby of our own." She went on, more to herself it seemed than to me.

That was news to me. "I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to babble at you like that. I was just thinking out loud. Thank you for informing me about-"

I sensed that she was about to get off the line and I interrupted, clutching the phone to my face.

"Did you say Eric was adopted?" I asked.

Mrs. Craig was quiet for a moment before answering. "Yes, he was. Steve and I didn't tell many people. Anyway, thank you for calling, I really do appreciate it. Goodbye."

"Bye." I replied, hearing the click.

That was weird. Why hadn't I know that Eric was adopted? Had he even known? I guess it doesn't matter now anyways. Eric was gone and I had done the last thing I could think of to make his death finale so I could move past it.

But then why didn't I feel better?

xXx

"Dad."

"No."

"Daddy-"

"Leah…"

"Dad, Dad, Dad!" I wailed, draping myself over his should dramatically. "Please!"

"Leah, I said no." Dad said sternly. He almost said it in a growl. To most untrained ears, it sounded like the matter was finale. But I was his kid and I detected that tiny noise his nose makes when he's about to cave.

"But I love you." I said in a pouty voice, wrapping my arms around him.

"Yes, and I love you to. That's why there's no way in Hell I'm going to say yes." Dad said sternly, freeing himself from my grasp.

I groaned. For the past month I have been begging him to allow me to do Danger Room training sessions with him. It was today that I had actually followed him down in one of the training jumpsuits and insisted he include me in his session. He didn't have too much of a problem with me doing sessions with the other senior students (though I knew he was worried about me lacking superpowers and going up against those who did), so I didn't know why he was so resistant to teaching me at the X-men level.

"Dad, what's the big deal? You've trained me before." I asked, crossing my arms in a very teenager like pose.

"Because you aren't asking me to show you martial arts or how to shoot a gun." He replied. "You're asking me to spare with you and treat you like you're an adult, which you're not."

"I'm practically an adult." I countered.

He ignored that comment, refusing to believe his little girl was growing up. "Its not about you age Leah, its about you not being ready to train at a superhero level like you want to."

"Then get me to that level! I'm ready!"

"The last time you thought you were ready to be a hero, you almost got yourself killed. No Leah, I'm not encouraging this stupidity anymore. You can be a doctor, a lawyer, Hell, you can even be a circus clown if you want to. But no more heroics." Dad said sternly.

That hit me hard.

"You wouldn't say that if I was a mutant." I said quietly. "You would be all for me training to be a hero if I was like you."

Dad sighed and pulled me into a hug. "I can't say that isn't partly true darl'n. I might worry about you less if you could fry people with lightning like your mom or heal like me, but only a little less. I know how strong, intelligent and talented you are, but I can't help but remember seeing you bloody and bruised. I never want to think you're going to die in my arms again."

Dad.

"I'm going to be in danger anyway Dad." I said realistically. "People know about how I can take away mutant powers and they're going to come after me. I can't always be watched, I have to be able to look after myself."

Dad opened his mouth, but I interrupted.

"And I want to help people. I want to be a hero." I added, truth burning in my eyes. "You can't really expect a daughter of Storm and Wolverine to be a lawyer, can you?"

Dad groaned and kissed my forehead. "You could still be a clown, you know."

"Dad…"

"Seriously, I'll even buy you a red nose and a squirting flower."

I laughed and broke away from Dad to lean against the DR door.

"After you Wolvie."

xXx

Three hours later, I left the Danger Room. My training suit was completely sweated through and I panted. I knew I wasn't out of shape, but I felt horrible. I was bruised and I think I even pulled something in my back.

Dad followed me out, looking as though he had come back from a relaxing walk. He grinned happily when he looked at my condition.

"Change your mind about the superhero thing, darl'n?" He asked cheerfully.

"Go, screw-" I panted. "yourself!"

Dad let out a belting laugh. "Want to race to the apartment?"

I didn't have the air to tell him how much I hated him. I could only take off my shoe and through it at him. To my disappointment, I missed. Dad laughed and walked on, leaving my shoe on the floor.

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you." I heaved, limping after him.

I wish I had been paying more attention, I really do. Because just as I was about to call out to ask Dad for a piggyback up to the apartment when I was knocked to the ground. A hand clamped over my mouth before I could scream.

"Shh, shh! Please, be quiet!" Don begged, his hand clamped hard over my mouth. His knees pegged my arms down, and he had a good thirty or more pounds on me. I tried to bite his hand but his position preventing from doing so. "I'm sorry Leah, but you've left me no choice."

I saw him take a syringe out of his back pocket and remove the cap with his mouth. My eyes widened in fear as he brought it low to my arm.

"Carissa hasn't returned any of my calls or emails. I can't live without her Leah, I can't. And she won't love me like this." Don explained as he thrust the needle end into my skin and blood filled up the cylinder.

And then he stabbed the needle into his own arm, injecting my blood into himself as Dad came back around the corner.

"Leah, what's taking you so long-WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING TO MY DAUGHTER?" Dad bellowed, running up and throwing Don off of me. His claws popped out of his fists, but before he could do anything, Don started to shake violently.

Slowly Don's blue skin began to turn a light pink. The glowing old specks that covered his skin faded. Within a minute, a normal looking teenage boy lay in front of us. Don felt his face than looked at his hands with pure joy.

And then I kicked him in the face. I was shaking with rage.

"How dare you." I snarled. "HOW DARE YOU!"

"Get out of here, now. Don't come back here and don't tell anyone about Leah." Dad growled. Don got to his feet, clutching his bleeding nose, and started to run. Dad reached out and slammed Don into the closest wall. His metal claws crept out around Don's throat, while the middle one stayed in.

"You tell anyone about Leah's blood, and I'll kill you. Do you understand?" Dad said in a deadly voice. It was times like these when I could believe people were scared of my dad.

Don made a few whimpering sounds, unable to do much more with the claws at his throat. Dad let him go and he began running. Dad turned to me, looking concerned.

"You okay darl'n?"

I tried to answer, but my voice failed me. I just shook my head.

Dad sighed and wrapped a comforting arm around me, leading me away.