Thank you to all of those who have reviewed, favorited, etc.; they made my day. :) So sorry for the long wait, but I should be able to get a few chapters up depending on how many reviews I get. *cough cough* hint hint *cough cough*

Disclaimer: I only own Spirit and other OC characters

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I may a horrid mistake.

I don't know what I did, but the soldiers at the compound found out that the serum was beginning to fade; I think it was the way I reacted to them bringing in the Professor and Scott being brought in. Either way, they used a stronger serum. The last thing I actually remember was being brought into the room and seeing Scott strapped to a chair. Realizing that I'd been found out, I'd tried to run, which I think was my cutting the guillotine. I was too weak after my time with Reed, and they caught me easily. I remember a burning sensation in the back of my neck, and then . . . nothing.

I think that the serum they used this time didn't even let me keep my mind. I remember nothing, except flashes. Like patrolling the grounds with Reed, Reed forcing me to mate with him (I was glad I didn't remember most of that, though), and, of course, more tests.

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I'm starting to remember things. Sirens and flashes of someone on a screen. A mutant, maybe? He looked familiar, and he had claws. Who was he? I remember a flash of red hair, too. Do I know those people?

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I groan, feeling my head hit something hard. My body feels numb and cold.

"Spirit? Spirit, get up!"

Who's Spirit? I think groggily, unable to get my paws up under me.

"Spirit! GET. UP!" The orders rang through the air and through my brain.

I groan again, and start when I feel hands going under my wasted body. I slowly shake my head, trying to get my bearings, as I'm lifted to my paws. As soon as I did that, everything came rushing back. The labs. The children. The serum.

Familiar scents assault my nose, and I see green eyes staring into mind. Jean.

I whine happily, licking Jean's face, as I managed to keep to my feet. Another scent came to me, and I saw Scott. I whined again, tail wagging slowly.

'What happened?' I managed to ask.

"You and Scott were both brainwashed," Jean answered, standing up with a wince, Scott helping her. "You and some other man attacked me; I managed to kill him and knock you out when Scott came. I guess a good knock to your head is what you needed to . . . recalibrate, for a better word."

I took note of the injury to Jean's leg, and I gave a cry of distress when I saw the teeth marks on her arm. My teeth marks.

"It's alright, Spirit, I'll be fine," Jean said with a pained smile. That didn't make me feel any better.

I was still trying to get my bearings back, my head pounding, as I followed Scott and Jean through the compound. I could faintly hear sirens, though my ears felt like they were packed with cotton.

"The dam walls are breaking," Jean said suddenly, eyes wide. Scott cursed and we hurried along, though Jean couldn't move very fast with her leg and arm injury. We didn't make it far before Scott and Jean collapsed to the ground, clutching as their heads and crying out in pain. I was quick to follow. It was like a pin was being driven through my brain, inch by inch. I writhed as the sound seemed to travel through my very being, like it was being torn apart. For the first time in all my years of living, I felt like I was truly about to die. Then, as suddenly as it began, it stopped. I waited, shaking on the ground, to make sure that the sound was actually gone. When it didn't come back, I crawled over to Jean and Scott, who were slowly got to their feet. I didn't know what was happening, but I did know that I wanted out of that place. Right now.

I shifted into my human form, refraining from crying out as I did so; my body was in so much pain that I almost didn't feel it anymore. I hobbled over to Jean's other side, supporting her other side as I helped her out into open air, ready to be out.

The cold, icy mountain air chilled my lungs, freeing my mind of it's cotton jail cell. I looked around at my surroundings for the first time in days. The ground was covered in snow and pine trees, giving a pleasant smell to the air, despite the demon hellhole that resided underneath. There was also a large grey dam that looked to be leaking, water pressing against cracks in the wall.

"That not good," I said aloud, my voice harsh and scratchy.

"No, it's not," Scott replied flatly, hurrying us away from the compound. Another familiar scent caught my nose, and I turned my head to see the others rushing from the hellhole.

I was trembling, I was so excited and relieved to see that everyone was alright. I could even see little Heather, clutching to Storm's leg as they ran towards us. My heart dropped a bit when I didn't see Logan, panic starting to reemerge.

"Where Logan?

Jean looked up tiredly, bringing her wounded arm close to her chest as her eyes went a bit glazed. "He's with Stryker," she said, her voice soft. I whined softly, following her gaze. "He's coming now."

I couldn't restrain myself from waiting any longer. I left Jean with Scott and Storm, and some other guy who was blue and had a tail, leaving them to discuss something about a helicopter not being there.

"Logan!" I cried, plowing into him, though making sure not to make him knock the pup in his arms. Artie, if I remembered correctly.

"Sprite," he said, startled, before he pulled me close. "Damn it, Sprite, don't you ever do anything like that again, you hear me?"

I nodded, crying silently as I listened to the strong heartbeat under my head. "I sorry," I told him. "Had to help pups. Could not leave pups."

"I know, Sprite," he said gently before nudging me upright. "Come on, we have to get to the helicopter before that dam breaks."

I cocked my head to the side in confusion. "What helicopter?" I asked, shambling after the father figure in my life.

"You mean to tell me that the damn helicopter is gone?!" Logan asked, surprisingly not shouting. He hurried over to the others, leaving me to limp behind.

When I did manage to catch up, Logan was arguing with the others. I didn't pay attention to what was being said; my head still felt like it was full of cotton, though it wasn't as bad as it had been a earlier; still had a killer of a headache though. I suddenly looked towards the sky, feeling the vibration in the air. The arguments cut off as everyone turned their attention skyward, towards the X-Jet. I smiled happily, knowing that we would finally be going home.

We watched as the X-Jet spun and twisted in the air before coming to land jarringly on the ground. Even I flinched at the harsh impact, but I wasn't shy when it came to going towards it, somehow managing to move faster than the others, and was the first one to get onto the jet; I guess adrenaline helps when you want to move fast, even with a body that was barely supporting my weight. The ramp opened, and I shifted back into my wolf form before I scampered on board, though I wrinkled my nose at the stench of sweat and fear. I was practically wriggling in excitement, not caring what else was going on; I was going home. I just lavished in the moment, waiting for everyone to get on so that we could go. I was ready to lay in bed and sleep, and sing my wild song, and play with the pups, and be with Heather, and spend time with the other X-Men.

I was so caught up in the fact that I was going home, that I failed to notice how tense and upset the others were. I cocked my head to the side, wondering what was wrong. From the fractures of sentences I was able to make out, the engines wouldn't start. I whined quietly, looking towards the dam. The grey rock was fracturing faster, bigger gushes of water coming out and splashing on the ground. My ears pinned back, and I went to sit by the Professor, who looked to be a bit out of it. I licked his hand gently, and was rewarded with his finger twitching to touch my ear.

I looked up suddenly when something brushed against my mind, like a gentle caress over my pounding head. I cocked my head to the side again, looking towards the Professor. He didn't seem to be the one that was in my head though. I flicked my ears back and licked his hand once more before standing up, heading towards the ramp when I caught a flash of red hair.

It was Jean, limping away from the jet.

I flicked my ears towards her and started after her, thinking that she'd been the one to brush against my mind. I heard the Professor saying something and then stunned silence, but I ignored them. I felt like I was under the effects of the serum again, like my body wasn't my own. I was swaying on my paws by the time I managed to get to Jean's side, painfully shifting into my human form.

'Go back, Spirit.'

I wasn't surprised when I heard Jean in my head. "No," I said. "Pack. I don't leave pack behind."

I felt my body start to float, and I knew Jean was going to force me back to the plane. "No!" I cried out, struggling. Something was happening to Jean. Her scent changed, and she was acting weird.

'Go back, Spirit.' Her telekinesis was shoving against me, even as she raised a hand towards the wall. The same hand she was using to push me back was also powering the jet; I could hear the whirling of the engines as they restarted.

"No!" I cried again and I threw all of my emotions at Jean. With her mind open, she was bombarded with my feelings of love and sorrow and protectiveness. I felt like part of this was my fault; I'd wounded Jean after all. I felt the telekinesis hold on me weaken and I rushed forward as the dam broke.

Jean gasped, bracing herself as she held back the water that was rushing towards us, the jet slowly rising in the air. I knew that the end was coming, and I could face that. Unlike when we'd been in the compound, with that sound trying to kill me, I wasn't afraid to die anymore. I limped over to Jean, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Together," I told her. "Not leave pack behind." I could feel the emotions radiating off of Jean, and I tightened my grip, giving her strength.

"I'm sorry," Jean said, tears running down her face. "This is the only way." She didn't break eye contact with the water as it rushed around us, a cocoon forming around the jet and ourselves. The jet was almost all the way into the air now. I tried not to listen to the screams of anguish coming from inside the jet.

I felt tears running down my own eyes, and I closed my eyes. Heat and energy cascaded down my arm and shoulder as it stayed in contact with Jean, spreading throughout my entire body. I felt something wrapping around me, a powerful energy that I couldn't even begin to fathom. I couldn't watch as Jean shoved the jet the rest of the way into the skies, and the roar of water was all that I heard as ten thousand tons of water crashed on top of the two of us.

My last thought was that I wasn't going home.

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I bet that was a bit of a tearjerker for you guys. I am sorry for the rush in the beginning, what I wanted to hurry up with finishing the second X-Men movie; plus, I forgot a lot of the second movie. Don't judge! Please. ;)

Anyway, I hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter of Spirit's Life! Please R reviews make my day! Thanks for everything! :D Btw, the more feedback and reviews I get, the faster the next chapter! Yes, I'm evil, but that's what writers do, and yes, there is going to be a next chapter. There is a third X-Men movie, right? ;)

ML out