I went there. I actually went there. You'll know what I'm talking about once you've read it.

Either way, this kinda opens a new chapter for Sam and I hope it's portrayed okay.

i know I'm bombarding you guys with chapters at the moment, but I've had so much time to write and this is my last couple of days before I go back to school (which means I won't have much time to write) I'm just going to upload them at unset times for now, this will likely be the last one for a couple of days.

thank you spirit kiss and tiger mutant for the reviews again, really out a smile on my face as they always do, and I'm glad you think the romance wasn't too terrible XD

I've finally watched X-men! And now I realise the big error I've made, Logan isn't a teacher yet XD I'll likely come up with something to mask that detail, because I've decided to use the films now I have them to watch. cant wait to watch the second one, likely because of Pyro, I know he's briefly seen a couple of times in the first one, but, I do prefer Aaron Stanford even though the other actor didn't get much screen time to portray the character. It was awesome to finally watch it, strangely enough I liked Toad, but the bird scene...i like animals :(

thank you so much for the support, it's truly amazing what you people have done.

disclaimer:I only own OCs.

with that done, on with the chapter...

So what if you can see the darkest side of me?

No one will ever change this animal I have become,

Help me believe it's not the real me,

Somebody help me tame this animal I have become,

Help me believe it's not the real me,

Somebody help me tame this animal,

Three Days Grace ~ Animal I have become

"Hey bitch!"

Not now, I really don't need this now...

I knew Johanna's voice from a mile away, her pissed off form storming towards me as I secured another book in its right place. Isaac was receiving extra tutoring from Elijah, seeing as he couldn't enrol in the school until the beginning of term, and I was grateful because it meant I had free time away from him for a while. I didn't want to sound horrible, but it was suffocating with him around again, like when we were children, he hadn't truly grown out of following me around.

Apparently Elijah trusted me to run the library during my punishment time, which at first I thought he was joking, then again, this was Elijah who I doubted had a sense of humour. Still, I knew he was up to something with Professor X, and whenever I tried to bring up anything about the subject he would change it, no matter how hard I pushed.

"Johanna I really don't need this now, I'm sorry okay, I'm sorry for what I said." I whined, tiredness and irritation attacking me as she stood next to me with her arms crossed. She glared at me, I tried to ignore by pretending to put more books away.

"Funny, I recall someone stating sorry doesn't change anything." She uttered, following me around as I put more books away. The sentence hurt, because I remembered it was me that had said it, and I wished I could take it back.

"Look" I said, whipping around to look directly at her, the last book in my left hand "I get it, you're still pissed and you have every right to be. I know rumours have spread that my brother is here, they're true, and you confronting me isn't the best thing I need right now." I spoke honestly, the glare never faulting on her face. I could see that her mind was ticking over about Isaac, and there was a glimmer of sympathy, but it quickly disappeared after she remembered why she was there.

"I'm not pissed about that, David dumped me, because he talked to you." She shrilled, and I honestly gulped in panic. Even though she had never used her telepathy to hurt anyone, I bet she could do real damage if she set her mind to it, no pun intended.

Sighing, I put the last book in the slot, noticing that it was the exact same book Elijah had given me when John and I had done homework. That seemed far away. We still technically hadn't gone publicly with it just yet, only Bobby knew, and I assumed Isaac did as well as he was always being shifty when John's around. There was something Isaac wasn't telling me, hell, there was a lot of things he wasn't telling me, but recently he's been wary of John, and I couldn't understand why.

"He told me he was gay and he just wanted some advice on how to tell you. You can hate me all you like, but you can't make a gay man straight, even with her suggestion mutation." I told her firmly, walking towards the desk where my Dad's old journal was still kept out of sight. I refused to look through it again, Elijah didn't even tell me how he came to have it, nor would Professor X, and I desperately wanted to know what they were hiding.

"I never said I hated you." She stated, storming towards me again as I shimmied behind the desk.

Calling me a bitch isn't exactly friendly...

I was tempted to say it aloud, but firmly kept my mouth shut. I looked up, to see there was a gigantic grin on her face, one that surprised me into speechlessness. She squealed then hugged me tightly, almost causing me friction burns on my stomach as she pulled me over the desk. Fair to say I had no idea what was going on.

"You take everything so seriously Sam, you're too cute to stay mad at." She giggled, hugging me tighter. I stiffened awkwardly, seriously questioning whether she'd finally lost it. Eventually after my ribs were broken, she let me go, the smile still on her tanned face.

"Before he dumped me he told me to give you a second chance, I said no, but then rumours went round about your brother and...I knew you needed your friends around more than ever." She explained, there was a flicker of anger, but I could see she was trying to mask it by keeping the perfect smile.

"I owe him one, but I shouldn't of said those things, I didn't mean them." I lied, I meant every word, but to say them out loud was the wrong thing to do. She wavered it away as if it were nothing, and I realised why she was my friend for so long, because she always bounced back no matter what was said or done.

"I know you meant them, and honestly they were a wake up call, I need to stop being selfish and think about how people aren't as fortunate as me. Anyway, you've got a little brother to look after now, that's gonna be a handful." She whistled, empathising her point. That we agreed on, it had only been three weeks and already I was questioning my sanity, mainly because I forgot what proper exhaustion felt like.

I wouldn't normally sleep at night because my mind was buzzing with different dilemmas that had cropt up up. To name a few would be what Professor X was hiding, how Elijah was involved, what was the stuff in my Dad's journal, what had happened to Isaac in six years (mostly details) and to top it off, we had a combat exam at the end of the week. If it wasn't bad enough we were doing a verses exam, it was going to be formally marked as we were in the virtual room, meaning it could be based on any terrain imaginable, which would suck for me if there wasn't any water.

"He's not as bad as when we were younger, he's grown up, something I never thought would disappoint me." I spoke truthfully, leaning my elbows on the desk, wondering why time passed by so quickly. She copied me, a wicked smirk on her face that was centimetres away from mine, she pouted at me, making me smile.

"You're coming out with me tonight, it's Friday, let's go wreck up New York!" She exclaimed, banging a beat on the desk as she stood straight again. I howled, the banging sending a jolt of a migraine along my forehead.

"Not trying to stir up the past, but I don't really want to go anywhere...after last time." I hissed through the pain on my forehead, having to pinch my nose to try and defuse it. The pain wasn't direct at my forehead, it felt strange, like one spurred on from dehydration, a slight pounding in my head.

"I know its a bit awkward, but I promise, I've been to this place before and there's not going to be any trouble." She said forcefully, using a single finger to make an imaginary cross over her heart.

"Cross my heart." She promised, egging me on with puppy dog eyes. I tried not to smile, but my lips strained with the effort, the tiniest smirk quivering onto my face. In the end it wasn't enough and I burst into fits of giggles as she stuck out her tongue at me.

"Fine, but what am I going to do with Isaac?" I asked her, mainly because I had no idea. I didn't want to abandon him already, and it felt cruel going out without him. She pursed her lips, thinking of what I could possibly do with a twelve year old brother.

"He can come with us too, it's not like a proper nightclub, I've seen kids around his age go in there too. I know, why don't we make it a proper friends night out and invite a few other people." She decreed, proud of herself for coming up with the idea. I liked it, I of course had people in mind that I knew Isaac liked, but it was a question whether Johanna would agree.

"He likes Bobby, and Kitty met him a few days ago and they got on."

There was also one other person, but Isaac always seemed different when he was around, and also Johanna practically hated him.

"Can John come?" I asked, hoping she'd say yes. Johanna quirked an eyebrow, obviously praying I wouldn't ask. She skived, nodding her head with a sigh.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah, the jerk can come." She agreed, to which I smiled gratefully. Johanna hugged me one last time before saying she had to get ready. Thinking about it, I checked the time and realised Elijah's tutoring had gone over.

I waited behind the desk for about five minutes, the pounding in my head worsening the longer I remained in the spot, tapping a finger on the glazed oak surface. What was taking them so long? Was he already giving Isaac's test?

Involuntarily my mind rested on the swimming pool, seeing as I hadn't gone in the morning as I usually did, this being why my head was killing me. But I couldn't leave the library unsupervised, Elijah would actually kill me if he knew I had disobeyed him. however, the call of the calmed water was gradually making me uneasy.

Nobody will come here this late, it wouldn't hurt going to the swimming pool...

I convinced myself, grabbing my bag as I swiftly left the library, turning all the lights off in the process. The pulling of the water was becoming gradually harder to ignore, I had gone so long able to dowse the need, to be submerged every couple of days, now, I had to visit everyday in one way or another.

If it had been a few years ago, I would be in a blind panic, thinking that the need would turn into an obsession. Luckily my experience with my mutation meant I shoved the fear away, keeping enough control to quench the need but not to fall for it.

I hadn't gone to Professor X about it, one of the few things I didn't tell him, deeming it wasn't anything important. What could a harmless need do? It was just water, and as I told myself numerous times, I was in control.

It didn't take long to slip on a swimsuit, seeing as I now always had a spare one in my bag just in case I needed it. The swimming pool's main lights had been switched off, the only light being the small inner pool lights, illuminating the racing strips down the lengths of the pool. Feeling adventurous, I swan dived in, the impact of the water tantalising against my skin.

Unlike my usual placement at the bottom of the pool, I swam back to the surface and leaned my head back, keeping my hair submerged. It was replenishing as usual, sighing happily as the original tiredness that had clouded my senses now a distant dream, sparks of profound energy coursing through me. I closed my eyes, just letting the water keep me steady as if I was flying.

The energy grew stronger, unknown to me that it was also effecting the liquid around me. It swirled in new frantic patterns, silent but that was what made it predatory, as if it was communicating with every single liquid molecule.

I opened my eyes when rippling waves crashed against me, a confused look on my face as the waves grew larger and more chaotic. I had no power over what was happening, the water suddenly like a wild animal, unable to be tamed. The waves pushed me under, having to hold my breath as I struggled frantically, still having no clue as to what was going on.

What are you doing?

I asked as if the water had its own thought process and speech, what surprised me is I swear I could translate the swirling movements it created into speech.

You have to tame us, you can wield us in powerful ways if you do so.

It seemed to answer, terrifying but also astonishing. It said I had to tame them, but how? There wasn't an instruction manual to control water! In answer to my rage, it became more ferocious, the non-solid water creature pulling me down to the bottom of the pool, forcing me into action.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Why are you making me learn now?!

I asked hysterically, the creature answering in more swirling sign language.

The war is starting, the cure is being moulded, Isaac will witness the past being re-written from the future...

Everything about the reply confused and frightened me, but the last part, it practically jolted a surge of energy through me. In an act of defiance I did as the water commanded, I had to tame it, force my legs free from the water creature's grip, I directed the energy into my hands and down my fingers.

Think, what films have water-based characters that can control it?

I resulted to fantasy, trying desperately to remember the exact film I had watched with Kitty a few days ago, the water shouting words of encouragement in my clogged ears.

Lightening...something with lightening...Percy Jackson and the lightening thief!

I yelled internally in victory, remembering the ending scene in which percy focused the water into a ball around Luke, maybe I could use the same technique in a different way. I closed my eyes, willing the untamed water to do as I commanded, outstretching my fingers as they elegantly twitched with the surging energy.

Before I even knew what had happened, my gasped in oxygen as a tight ball of snaring water collected at my bare feet, somehow holding my weight as I balanced atop the ball. I laughed in relief, before keeping my concentration as the water growled at me to stay focused. With one steady foot, I edged towards the safety of dry land, the water ball following my every step to keep me stable.

I hopped onto the cold floor, never being so satisfied out of the water. I let the energy go, the ball splashing into the calming water, falling silent within seconds. I myself collapsed onto my knees, shivering uncontrollably as everything was drained out of me.

"Sammy!" I looked up exhaustingly to witness as Isaac pounced on me with a hug, almost sending me straight back into the pool. He obviously didn't care about getting wet, snuggling his head into my neck.

I couldn't say anything, taking in deep gasping breaths, feeling as if I'd just been winded with a blow to the stomach. I heard a softer whizzing noise coming towards us, as I looked up, I made a perfect oh shit look as Professor X stared dumbstruck at me.

"Miss King what happened here?" He asked, quite perplexed at what he had seen. He hadn't seen the whole show, literally just as I stepped onto dry land as the ball meshed with the other liquid particles.

"Ask the water." I replied flatly, but Professor X didn't see the funny side of it, giving me a look I couldn't describe, but I knew I'd better explain myself and fast.

"I just wanted to go for a quick swim, then I don't know, the water started trying to pull me under. This sounds crazy, believe me, but it was like it was testing me, forcing me to use it in stranger ways." I told him through stutters and gasps, shaking my head stiffly as I knew it sounded crazy. He listened intently, still awestruck, but then asked me to do something I really didn't think could do.

"Can you please try it again, so I can see the full extent?" He asked tentatively, but to me it seemed more like an order. Gently unwrapping Isaac off me, I stood up and turned my body back to the water, hearing it hum happily as my attention was back on it.

Why am I talking about it as if it's a living thing? It's just water...

Yes, it was just water, but it seemed I wasn't just a water manipulator. Feeling the energy surge spark back through me towards my fingers, I again stretched out my arms and forced the water to shape into a sphere. As before, with much effort, it did as commanded and even raised itself above the swimming pool by a few centimetres.

"I've seen enough." Professor X stated, and there seemed to be a controlled anger in his tone. As he silently commanded, I let the energy stop abruptly, the water again plopping back into the rest of the water.

You can do so much more...

It seemed to tease me, nurturing my imagination into even more amazing achievements I could get if I kept practising. But then a part of me knew this was dangerous, wrong even, I shouldn't be this powerful.

"We need to discuss matters that we should have discussed when Mr King first arrived, I see that now, come with me." He commanded, seeming to be...afraid? This was bad, really, really bad. He twisted his wheelchair around and out the swimming pool, expecting both me and Isaac to follow.

I looked down to tell Isaac to follow me, but stopped immediately, his mouth open in surprise. He pointed at my hair, which perplexed me, he had grown up marvelling at the blue strands, and suddenly he couldn't take his eyes of them.

"Isaac what is it?" I asked worryingly.

"You're hair...it's changing!" He exclaimed, to which I answered by savagely pulling a non-blue strip towards my eye line. To my horror, he was right, it wasn't the same shade of blue, it seemed lighter but it was definitely blue.

What the hell is happening to me?

I screamed inside my head, scared by how much had happened in a couple of minutes. I flicked my hand away from the strand, it falling securely back into place. I gripped Isaac's hand and followed after Professor X, ready for answers no mater how much it would kill me, I was done with not knowing. Isaac stumbled behind me, still shocked by how my hair was changing.

Even though I couldn't see it, every single strand of what used to be black hair was changing into shades of blue and purple. The purple and dark blue fell near my face, the shades becoming lighter as the new colours moved towards the back of my head, the last blue being close to blonde.

I was angry, extremely angry that Professor X hadn't said anything sooner, he should have told us from the beginning. Even though I'd hate to admit it, I was starting to doubt him, doubting the school was safe for us. Isaac had just pranced in without any issues, a twelve year old kid (granted he was mutant too) could just walk into the school and no alarm went off!

What is going on?

Apparently we had an audience. When me (who had been allowed to change into a basic grey hoodie, black t-shirt and blue jeans) and Isaac stepped inside Professor X's office, we were met with multiple adults staring at us. Dr Grey, Dr McCoy, Professor Summers, Professor Munroe, Elijah...and of course the great Wolverine himself smoking a cigar. Most of them seemed apologetic for a reason unknown to us, only Logan looked as if he wanted to be somewhere that was more important.

"This way." Professor X ushered, wavering a hand towards a couple of unoccupied wooden chairs placed by Dr Grey and Professor Munroe, I let Isaac take the chair next to Dr Grey her warm smile seeming to comfort him. I sat next to Professor Monroe, her silver hair always a phenomenal sight, but clearly everyone was finding my recently changed hair more miraculous, which made me feel self-conscious, something I hadn't felt in awhile. Nonetheless, Professor Monroe seemed to empathise with my current situation, knowing how people stared at her abnormal hair, or when her eyes clouded with the purest white.

I noted where everyone was, I don't know why, maybe to calm my nerves. Professor Summers with his red visor scientific object that covered his eyes stood next to Dr McCoy, both of them close to the window that revealed the evening dusk of orange. Logan also stood, but he was closer to the escape door, obviously as soon as the meeting was over he could make a quick leave. Elijah stood beside Professor X, who as normal, sat behind his majestic desk.

"I requested everyone here, because I believe it will involve all of you." He spoke, reminding me of a general speaking to his soldiers before heading off into battle. Either way, it didn't sound remotely good.

"We have collected enough evidence to conclude that scientists are trying to create a cure for mutation, the detail on how far along or indeed successful this cure is is unknown, but we are certain that there is a lab testing on mutants." He spoke grimly, everyone giving him their full attention.

"We wouldn't know any of this if it wasn't for Mr and Miss King's contribution, for that we are grateful for you two being so trustworthy with us." He smiled warmly at Isaac, but when his eyes rested on me, I saw a strain on the old man's face. I involuntarily scoffed, causing everyone to look at me.

"You got a problem kid?" Logan grumbled at me, trying to blow the smoke of his cigar across the room to me, but it didn't work. I should've stayed quiet, to apologise and let Professor X continue. But the anger that had corrupted me only moments ago sparked again, moving my lips without my brain able to think.

"Nothing really, just it seems only trust goes one way here." I quipped, and found that everyone felt a sudden rise in tension. It seemed none of the adults expected me to answer back, most disappointed in me, believing I should be better than the Sam I was portraying, but at that moment I couldn't care what they thought of me.

Logan studied me, his whole form and posture scaring anybody shitless. He stepped forward slowly, still puffing on his cigar, everyone watching the confrontation and I was surprised no-one spoke up. He bent down, looking straight into my eyes as I glared at him. He puffed again, the smoke narrowly avoiding my face, but the faintest heat passed over me.

"Professor X saved you from whatever shithole you came from, show him some respect." He commanded with a seemingly average tone, but every single adult either gulped or shook their heads disapprovingly.

"Logan, that's enough." Professor X commanded softly, but it seemed Logan didn't want to listen as our staring contest continued. Again I couldn't hold my tongue, the rage growing the more he puffed on the damn cigar.

"Rich coming from you, tell me, do you have any respect for anybody in this room?" I dared, Logan squinting his eyes, trying to stare into my soul.

"Scott is a hit and miss really, Gärtner I can share stories with from time to time, everyone else I can respect in one way or another...but you and squirt, sorry, you just seem like a brat to me." He answered, every word sending me closer to the point of exploding. I didn't think it was possible to raise the tension higher, but apparently it was as everyone tsked at Logan.

As he thought he had silenced me, he stood up with a tiny smirk and started walking back over to his spot by the door. That was it, I couldn't take it anymore. I stood up and straightened my back, spilling all the anger in two long sentences.

"And you're just a bully, picking on us just because we're afraid of you. You're no teacher, if anything you're just a grumpy fuck who doesn't give a crap about anybody else."

You know that moment, when someone gives you that I want to chop you into little pieces and stuff you in an oven to cook and eat look? Well, that was the exact look Logan gave me as he turned around. Fair to say I kept my evil glare until the sound of unsheathed metal flickered in my ears, then I saw a single metal spike protruding out of the centre of Logan's cigar-free hand. I physically gulped, knowing I'd way over done it on the insults.

"I'm getting tired of your sass kid." He growled, to which I took a step back, almost tripping over the chair.

"Enough!" Professor X scolded, the force of the tone making me sit back down. He looked the most disappointed in me, and momentarily I felt ashamed for speaking out. But the moment passed, and I did again, but to Professor X directly.

"Ever since the trip you've been keeping secrets from me, secrets I needed to know. You have no idea how it feels having the one person I trusted knowing about nearly my whole past not bothering to tell me that they had my Dad's journal, or even that my brother was alive! He turned up hours before you brought me to see him, hours I could have spent telling him the truth about what happened. Do you have any idea what it feels like to know my Dad can still ruin my life? And he's not even here!" I shouted, feeling the trickle of tears wet against my cheeks. The outburst was something that had been collecting in my head for ages, and it was the perfect moment to finally release it, even if I was now being glared at hatefully by everyone.

Strangely enough, Professor X let me rant, as if he knew he deserved the comments for keeping me in the dark so long. The room was silent for too long, no-one daring to speak, and I could feel Isaac's eyes gazing at me, but I didn't turn to look at him, fearing there would be fear in his eyes.

I shook my head, using my hands to wipe away the multiple tears that had escaped my eyes as I ranted. I bowed my head, noticing the many shades of blue in my hair through blurred vision, I sighed, I realised just how broken I really was.

"Everyone in this room as suffered way more than me, I know that. But I spent my first few years watching as my parents screamed at each other, I watched as my Dad pulled out of the driveway, leaving me with a few battered comics. I had to watch as my brother drowned right before my eyes, and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I had to watch as my Mom tried to kill herself, and then to be dragged away to some remote foster home because she couldn't even look at me. When I finally thought no-one would come, you did, and for the briefest of moments I thought I could finally fix myself...that I could trust someone." I choked on every sentence, finding the one about Mom trying to kill herself the hardest, because I knew she was in some psychiatric ward in Illinois. As I looked back on everything, all the crap that I had to soldier through, I realised, I had never been allowed to be a child...not once.

"Honestly...I don't even know if I can trust anyone anymore." I finished, looking up to see everyone's faces. Elijah and Dr McCoy shared a seemingly disapproving look, mixed with perhaps a feeling that I was being selfish. Professor Summers' views I couldn't tell, but the stern expression I believed meant he also thought I was being selfish. Logan didn't give a crap. No change there. Dr Grey seemed slightly understanding, however her face tried not to show it. Professor Monroe appeared to be the most sympathetic, trying to comfort me with a little smile but her features were mainly ashen.

I couldn't even bring myself to look at Isaac.

Professor X, well, there was obvious disappointment, maybe a little apologetic and just to top it off, shame for not realising how I was actually feeling, no matter how many sessions we had over the nightmares, he still hardly knew me. He had been wrong. And whenever Professor X was wrong, it was worse than any apocalypse.

"Actually I don't even want to know what you brought us here for, I think I'll leave now." I sniffed, pushing out of the chair forcefully, attempting to leave. Before I could even reach the door handle, Logan stepped forward, preventing me from leaving.

"Move." I said through gritted teeth, glaring at him loathingly. He did not move, daring me to try again. I clenched my hands into fists, wondering if it were possible to drain him from all the water in his body, that is, if he was human enough to have water. He countered it by protruding the spike again, but it didn't faze me now.

"You really don't want to pick a fight with me kid, no matter how much gumption you got." He growled lowly, but I knew anyway that I wasn't going to try, not in close proximity anyway.

"Logan...let her go." Professor X sighed, sounding ancient. With a grunt, he did as he was told, like a dog obeying its master he moved out the way, allowing me to escape. I didn't say anything else, slamming the door behind me as I sprinted down the hall, deciding the night out was a good idea after all.

Isaac had stood up, attempting to follow me with agony in his eyes, but Dr Grey had gripped his arm, stopping him. Through heavy breaths, he turned to Professor X, tears collecting in his eyes as his dreams were again becoming true.

"I warned you, I warned you this would happen...and you didn't listen!" He yelled, realising he had the same amount of rage as me. But the rage subsided almost immediately as he sunk into Dr Grey's arms, crying uncontrollably.

He had let me go, and for that...he knew there would be a price.

Yes, there is a tiny hint at days of future past, how could I refuse after that last trailer was released? It looks so cooooooolllll!

Im done with the fangirling now, but it looks super cool. I've kinda got the gist of where I'm sending the characters now, and I realise I might have to make a sequel if it's going to work, mainly because putting it in one whole story might not be the right thing to do, as this one is focusing on Sam and John's growing relationship.

hope you enjoyed, until next time,

~Gothgirlstrikesagain