Warning: Talk of group therapy - I'm no therapist and any comments made or portrayals of group therapy sessions are meant for the story, not to be taken seriously. Also, references to suicide.

Italics represent past events.

Rogue was on her way to the kitchen when she heard the Professor's voice in her head.

She looked around expecting to see him but of course he wasn't there.

"I'm sorry Rogue, I wondered if you would come to my office for a moment?"

Disorientated, she whispered, "Yeah, sure."

As she walked towards the door, it was opened by Logan. She nodded to him, only to stop when she saw that Ororo and Hank were also present.

She sighed. "What did Ah do now?"

Charles laughed. "Why do you presume you've done something wrong?"

She shrugged. "Why else would y'all be present unless it was to do a group scolding?"

He shook his head. "Well, it isn't that. Please sit down."

He waited for her to be comfortable before resuming. "I wanted to let you know that there is to be a new student joining us next week. Her name is Wanda Maximoff, but you will know her as the Scarlet Witch."

Charles waited briefly, patiently.

Rogue frowned, not recalling anyone called Scarlet, or anyone called Witch either. There was the girl from the Mall a few weeks ago but surely, he couldn't mean her?

She looked up to meet calming acquiescence.

"You're serious aren't you?"

"Very much so. I have had several discussions with the girl. She is unhappy at the Brotherhood", he ignored Rogue's snort, "and feels there is too much pain between her and her brother, Pietro, to live with him, peacefully."

"Wait, Pietro's her brother? But that means, Magneto's her father?"

Charles nodded.

"I'm only telling you this because I believe there are similarities between the two of you."

"Similarities? Between Wanda and me?"

He nodded.

"Why would you say that?"

"You have had some vast experience of therapy. This isn't to go any further and I trust you not to let yourself be influenced against Wanda. Do you understand?"

Rogue nodded.

"For many years, Wanda was institutionalised. It was thought her powers were too dangerous to control and that she posed a threat to society. Her coming here suggests she wants to manage her powers and her triggers. She will be one of the many new intake ahead of the next year."

"So where do Ah fit in?"

"Get to know her, Rogue. Be her friend. Like you, she has suffered and her bark may be no more worse than her bite."

"Do you know how she got out of the institution?"

"We do but I can not go into details with you. There's no need for you to know."

Rogue nodded. "If she was broken out, she'll probably need time to re-adjust. It's a strange world once you've been locked away from it."

Her expression troubled the instructors but now was not the time to process what her comments alluded to.

"Be assured, Wanda will have all the help she needs. For the time being, she will have her own room. I have placed her next to the room you share with Kitty."

Rogue nodded. "When will she arrive?"

"Next Friday. She'll have the weekend to settle in, by which she'll then be registered at the school. I've managed to match as many of her classes to yours and whatever does not align with your own, will match Scott's or Jean. I will inform the others later."

XxX

Less than a month ago, the X-men were called to a disturbance at an abandoned Mall. They'd joked about 'Loser in Aisle 12' and split up to face the opponent, the Brotherhood. It was a pretty much even fight and both groups were shepherded to the centre of the Mall, right in view of a set of moving escalators. Rogue was standing near the balcony, overlooking the escalators when the air about her shifted. Objects started inching closer and one look at Jean told her that it was not the red head's doing. She looked around wildly, noting a figure growing closer.

She stood strong, her eyes looking bored, her stance determined as she purveyed her prey. Objects moved in earnest.

Kurt attempted to teleport to her side, but found himself outside the Mall.

Scott aimed a shot and his aim took a dangerous new target.

The figure watched as the X-Men's powers were turned against themselves, not caring about the chaos.

Rogue judged the distance and was aiming to launch herself over the barrier to blindside the figure. In the midst of a leap, the figure turned her head and icy blue met the green and blue.

She was startled, her concentration ceasing as Rogue took the leap, misjudging.

Wanda Maximoff saw the girl plummet to the floor, unseen by her colleagues and slowed the fall until she hovered inches from the ground. Only then, did she allow Rogue to drop. Stunned by the turn of events, Rogue didn't have time to figure out what happened. Her team-mates were distraught. The night had been a failure and all in all a very humbling affair.

XxX

After that night, taking advantage of her new freedom, Wanda stalked the X-Men, particularly the one called Rogue. In her, she sensed a loneliness the others couldn't see, or refused to see.

She saw how she sat with the the one with the lasers quite a lot. She saw the energy between them. They were a mis-matched couple but for some reason unknown, they were happy enough.

Sometimes they were joined by the others, whilst the red head hung out with boys in jackets.

Wanda lived for these moments. Being thrown in an institution had ruined any chance of a social life. She wanted to have what other people her age had. Independence, free will and choices.

There was no chance of getting all that from staying with the Brotherhood. She'd only been there a few days but it was enough to see that Mystique was a cold-hearted bitch who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. The only person she could think of was the Professor. She'd met with him for therapy and knew he could be won over by a show of remorse and a plea for redemption.

So that's what she did. Numerous times, she called the mansion, hoping to reach the Professor. However, it was rare he'd be the one to answer first. When Rogue answered, she would hesitate, not expecting anyone else to answer the phone, sure that the Professor had a private line.

If anyone else answered, she would drop the phone straight away.

The numerous calls garnered attention and one day, she received a call in return.

"Hello, may I ask who owns this number? We've received several calls."

Wanda paused.

"My name is Charles Xavier. Are you alright? Are you able to answer?"

Wanda gave a brief, "Yes."

"Perhaps we could meet somewhere if you're worried about being overheard." He named a location on the edge of Bayville."Shall we say this afternoon? 1pm?"

XxX

Logan accompanied the Professor, knowing his too trusting nature. This could be a trap or he could be set about by hired thugs. Anything could happen!

Both men were surprised to see that Wanda Maximoff was the person in need of help. They had heard of the debacle at the Mall and knew Jean and Scott were still salty about it. The others were more of a mind that this scenario was bound to happen. Rogue gave no opinion, only to request extra training, particularly the best way to land if stuck in a fall.

Logan agreed it was useful and threw in tips during his already intense sessions.

Now to see the troublemaker looking lost and vulnerable? Something wasn't right.

"It's good to see you again Wanda."

She chose to nod.

"Are you well?"

She paused. "Sometimes."

"How can I help?"

"I'm not happy. At the Brotherhood house. It's too, it's too..."

Charles waited patiently.

"I don't like it."

"I see."

"But I have no other place to go. My father... well he's not an option."

"If you truly wish to leave the Brotherhood, the Xavier institute can offer you a home. There are conditions which I must insist on, but you would be welcome."

"What kind of conditions?"

"If you were to join us then you will have to agree to resuming therapy. I understand your previous experience was not successful but I will arrange someone more qualified. You will also require training to help you control your powers, both individual and as a group. We will be able to assess how quickly you join the team. You will also be expected to attend school, complete chores and behave appropriately."

"Those are your terms?"

"Those are my terms. I offer my students an allowance to cover expenses, failure to follow my rules will see that amount depleted accordingly. I also ensure medical conditions are covered."

"Can I have some time?"

"You can take all the time you need." He passed her a card with his details on. "That is my direct line. I expect you'd prefer it?"

Wanda nodded.

"Feel free to reach me at any time, even if you want to talk."

Charles waited until they were back in the car before speaking to Logan.

"I know you have reservations but we can't ignore a cry for help."

"It's not going to be easy Charles. I doubt the kids will like it."

"They will adjust."

"If you say so."

XxX

Wanda arrived shortly before dinner and was introduced to everyone, formally. Scott and Jean had been disgruntled, despite receiving warning several days earlier. Rogue didn't share the same vigour, raising suspicion.

"Did you know?" Scott stated, accusing.

"Ah did, but Ah was asked not to say anything about it."

"Why were you told? Sure Scott or I would have been better?"

Rogue frowned at the red-head. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"

She left the room, ignoring the others' pleas to return.

Later, when she was nearing sleep, she heard Kitty ask, "Did the Professor say why he told you first?"

"Did Jean ask you to ask me?" Rogue parried in return.

"No." Kitty refuted, sounding genuinely offended. "I just want to know."

"Wanda and me aren't so different. Ah've spent a lot of time in various hospitals."

She had Kitty's full attention. "What? What kind of hospitals?"

Rogue turned away then and it was several moments before she replied. Kitty was sure she had fallen asleep and almost missed the faint, "Ah couldn't see another way out."

XxX

"And this is your room. Kitty and Ah are next door. She doesn't have the best taste in music so Ah's advise you get a pair of head-phones if you want to preserve your music integrity." Rogue stumbled on her last few words, stopping herself from saying "preserve your sanity." There were so many trigger words that she herself had forgotten about.

Wanda stared back, barely responding, her eyes intent.

"So, if y'all want to freshen up, we can go down to dinner."

No answer.

"Well, alright, holler if you need anything."

Wanda waited for Rogue to enter her own room before checking her new one. It wasn't as large as the one she'd had at Mystique's. The one Rogue had slept in, albeit briefly, before switching sides.

No-one had told her that Rogue had been held at Magneto's for a time. Magneto had forbidden both the Brotherhood and the Acolytes from mentioning it, stating it would be 'in their best interests' to forget. They hadn't needed any other reason.

Wanda's new room was merely functional. She figured that everyone had to have the basics as per their probation and that once she proved she was worthy, they'd get new furnishings that would be more to her taste.

It gave her a happy feeling, so for now, she'd play nice and follow the rules. Besides, as Professor Bones had said, it was better to be trusted than to trust...

XxX

As Wanda continued to spend time with the Professor, the facility staff came to depend on the young girl to help supervise their charge. They didn't mean to be careless. They always remained in the same room as the girls. Neither seemed to have family so it was only natural that they spend so much time in each other's company. With the Professor's help, Wanda didn't spend all her time being sedated or restrained. She was even allowed to sit in the common rooms for up to an hour a time.

The Professor wasn't necessarily very sociable, but when she spoke, people listened.

For example, during the latest group therapy session, they were talking about their fears and concerns for the day they would finally be able to face the real world again.

Everyone was encouraged to have their say and the others had to respect the speaker. All the usual fears were mentioned; people would be ashamed, they'd be shunned. People would know they were different. What would their peers think?

The therapist had grabbed hold of this notion. "Yes, it is a common fear that people will be treated differently. That mental illness will change the individual's exterior. But it doesn't. Not really. What matters is that you all have the skills and confidence to admit to the world that yes, you have suffered, but now you are strong. You are all survivors. That's what matters. If you remember that, you can face anything."

Wanda sensed her friend was bored. She was one of those people whose face betrayed her emotions, which was a wonder how she could have fooled everyone for so long.

The therapist was still talking, using words meant to inspire hope and courage but she was rapidly losing her audience.

"Does anyone else have something to add?"

She seemed to be looking at the Professor.

"Come on, dear, it's not like you to be silent."

Her friend frowned, irritated at being expected to provide all the answers. Surely one of the others could contribute? But no, they were all shrinking in on themselves, waiting for the time to run out. So once again, the staff looked to her to manage their patients.

"Ah don't know why y'all put so much emphasis on 'what happens when'. This place ain't a separate world ya know. The world is full of crazies, the only difference is we've been outed and they haven't."

The therapist frowned. "Now, you know you aren't crazy! That's not a very helpful term to use."

"Fahne, but 'crazy' is just a word. People use it all the time. Lak, I'm crazy about chocolate. Are y'all going to lock me away for saying that?"

"You know you aren't locked up..."

"Will you stop taking mah words literally? This is what pisses me off. Y'all cay you encourage us to speak, but if you don't lak it, y'all shut it down. That's what's going to happen when we're all out of here. Y'all meet people who want to know ya business from the start and y'all meet people who don't give a damn. We all got our own shit to deal with. Y'all meet people who will call you crazy, mad, nuts..."

"Nuts!" Someone near the other end of the room shouted the word. A few people laughed.

"People will call ya all sort of names no matter what. The main thing ya gotta do is learn to live with it. Learn not to care, otherwise it'll rule ya life."

With the session close to a close, the therapist tried to debrief the patients about what had been covered. People had stopped listening and when they could, moved closer to the Professor. What she said had resonated with them on some level. They wanted to talk more.

It was lunchtime and their usual table she shared with Wanda had been replaced for one that would accommodate many.

"Do you really think we'll get out of here one day?"

"Sure. As long as y'all follow the doctors' orders. They can't keep us here forever."

One of the patients was there due to an eating disorder. Her parents couldn't understand why their only child would cause herself so much pain. They couldn't even begin to see that their precious child was in pain and had tried to combat that by controlling each and every calorie they consumed.

"But what if we can't?"

"Then y'all gotta ask yourself what you want from lafe. Do y'all wanna be stuck in some hospital or do y'all wanna get out of here? Live ya life? If that means following orders for a while until things become natural? Surely it's better to be trusted than to trust?"

It didn't occur to the others that the Professor was battling her own issues. People warmed to her easily, found themselves trusting her and to her credit, she never revealed a confidence.

"People may think we're nuts, but there's a whole bunch of varieties out there, waiting to be discovered."

"What kind of nuts?"

The Professor grinned, eager to engage in this line of conversation. As an observer, she often enjoyed 'people-watching', making up facts about peoples' life. However, there was a darker part that often stayed hidden, for what was the fun in watching when you could influence the scene as well. "Well, there's regular nuts, cashews, monkey nuts..."

The person who had shouted 'Nuts' in the group session began chanting, "Nuts, we're all nuts!" Softly at first, then steadily louder.

"What kind of nut are you?" Someone asked her.

She thought it over for a moment, aware that the voice was growing louder, "Ah'm praline."

"What's praline?"

"Its little pieces of nut that's been smashed up and covered with chocolate. Mah insanity may be hidden, but it's there."

Wanda heard the others chipping in with their own varieties whilst she thought of her own identity. The person was almost screaming now and action was taken. The boy tended to get worked up by the slightest thing and it had been a few days since he'd gotten into this state. Staff had removed him from the room and were trying to work out what had happened this time.

They spoke directly to the Professor, the one person guaranteed to give a straight answer.

"We were just talking about what we would face in the 'real world'." She gave a shrug, ending the conversation. The others stayed quiet, following her lead.

XxX

It was about a week after Wanda's arrival that the box of pralines arrived, addressed to Rogue. There was nothing to say who it came from. Logan had pronounced them safe to eat and Rogue had offered them around.

She had no idea that there was a particular significance to them and over the next few weeks, continued to receive roughly a box a week.

In the meantime, she was kept occupied with studying, training and extra work-out sessions. Wanda was slowly blending into the team, although she hadn't been allowed out on a mission.

Most of which were relatively simple. Mere 'clean-up' outings that were unrelated. Rogue and Scott continued to hang out on Saturdays, enjoying the time away from the mansion, especially now when more students had begun to arrive and things were growing hectic.

They hadn't labelled themselves as anything but found feelings were developing.

On their last mission, a run-in with the Acolytes, Scott had been worried as he knew Rogue was friendly with the large Russian and thought she may be unlikely to battle with him. He needn't of worried. Instead she came across the new guy to the team, a scruffy looking youth wearing a long coat, with a penchant for cards and who displayed kinetic energy.

Rogue later told him that she had felt an attraction, up until he presented her with a charged card. She'd barely discarded it before it blew up, destroying some of the boxes in the large, abandoned warehouse where the rendezvous had taken place.

"Ah'll admit, he was good looking, but nothing's going to happen. Ah'll probably never see him again anyways."

"But you were attracted to him?"

They had escaped the mansion for burgers and shakes and were sitting in their regular diner.

"Yes. Most girls would be."

"Hm."

"Look Scott, as much as Ah've enjoyed this friendship thing, you gotta understand that we're still free agents. Ah'm entitled to a crush now and again. It doesn't mean it has to go anywhere and you know, at least with me, it can't. Have you never wanted something, even though you know you shouldn't? Ever wanted something you know will bring you heartache anyway?"

Scott had to admit, "No, I haven't."

Rogue shrugged. "Well, it's not easy, but Ah reckon it'll happen one day. Look Scott, Ah'll level with you. Ah lak spending time with you. Maybe more than Ah should. But if you don't feel the same way, be straight with me? Don't string me along because you don't want to hurt me or something lak that."

"I would never hurt you Rogue."

"You say that now but things happen. Just promise me you'll be straight and we'll be fahne."

"I promise."

As they left the diner, Rogue felt Scott grab her gloved hand. She thought it ridiculous how giddy it made her feel, knowing it was the closest thing she'd get to contact while she still had her poisonous skin.

Somehow, that would be enough for now. It had to be.