Warning: Talk of suicide, bullying and emotional manipulation tactics, also extreme views, religious beliefs and gender discrimination. I do not hold these views, they are tools for the story. I am not against religion but I know it can easily be abused and misconstrued in the wrong hands. Also, I only own Anna and Rogue's counterpart Aliyanna. The rest belongs to Marvel and Stan Lee.

Italics represent past events.

It was around this time that new students were arriving at the Xavier institute. Most of them were wary of the new world they found themselves in with powers that weren't fully controllable. The Professor had made them fully aware of the rules and expectations and they were compliant on the whole. The one thing they did look to was a role model. Someone to guide them and enable them to cope with their new roles in life.

Jean Grey and Scott Summers were the perfect candidates. Not only were they responsible and confident but they were also popular among their peers at school. They really were the 'American Dream couple' of the mutant world. Except, they weren't a couple. Good friends, yes, but romantically attached? No.

Jean's love interest was Duncan Matthews, Captain of the school football team, athletic, moderately academic and the owner of an ego as large as Bayville High School. The only people he spoke with were the people of his own calibre. Everyone else was tolerated or ignored.

Scott's partner was a different case altogether. Aloof, contemplative and solitary, Rogue wasn't your obvious candidate for a role model. During meal times, she rarely spoke unless addressed and then only briefly. Her roommate Kitty warned them not to approach her too early in the morning. They were also warned not to handle any of her belongings, unless they had a death wish.

Jean informed them of her link to the Professor and they were awed.

"But please, don't let yourself be fooled that they are similar in anyway."

Perhaps it was a hasty judgement on Jean's behalf, but if the aim was to warn them off developing a potential bond with the girl, then she had succeeded.

XxX

As per the conditions of her residence, Wanda was assigned the same therapist as Rogue. The Professor had conducted a lengthy search to find one appropriate and with mutant sympathies and saw no reason why they couldn't help Wanda, given their success with his own daughter. He even scheduled their appointments on the same day.

He also arranged for Wanda to receive one-on-one danger room sessions with Logan. This strategy benefitted both individuals as Logan received a good workout and Wanda was able to face an opponent that could almost match her raw strength.

The only time she struggled were the times Rogue asked to join in. Since the Mall, Rogue had been desperate to increase her skills, taking any and all chances she could get. She had a fierce hatred of being idle and Logan considered her proactive pursuits a feat to be encouraged. Still, Wanda felt hampered by Rogue's presence, feeling that she could never run the risk of hurting her. Not again. Never again.

XXX

It was the weekend, which was usually reserved for visitors. The staff would serve refreshments in the canteen and make sure all their patients were presentable. Most of the time, Wanda and the Professor would spend that time in the TV room or in the 'Quiet room'.

However, that Saturday, a woman arrived at the facility. Wanda didn't know it at the time, but this woman was to be the cause of her torment for at least the next few years.

The woman herself wasn't by any means special. She was human. A former soldier who had fought for her country until she discovered her pregnancy. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she was unable to build a family with the man she loved and instead, devoted all her time and energy in raising her child. Their child.

For ten years they had been happy. Her daughter was a sociable creature who had a way of endearing herself to everyone they met. Well, mostly. She could make the stoic, friendly. The stubborn, welcoming.

Things had started going wrong shortly after her tenth birthday. There were rivalries to contend with. New alliances. Jealousy had invaded a new acquaintance and was desperate to cut her daughter off from prior relationships, isolating her from those that would protect her. Setting her up on a pedestal with only a steep slope as an escape. A slope that was hazardous by nature and thwarted by danger.

The woman wasn't sure just when she realised she was in danger of losing her daughter. First emotionally, then physically but it all came to a head one night when she'd arrived home late, bearing a takeaway in apology for a forgotten misdemeanour.

Their neighbour had only just returned from a few days away. She asked,

"Have you eaten? We've got plenty."

"Only if you're sure."

"Just don't eat all the chicken and you'll be fine." She replied, referring to the sweet and sour her daughter adored.

The house was in darkness upon entry, which was strange as it was long past evening.

"She's probably in her room, listening to music."

The silence echoed, belying the mother's words. She dumped the food in the kitchen and made for the stairs, Logan following close behind.

"Ally, are you home?"

They reached her door but it was locked and jammed.

"Move."

He yelled as he kicked the door in, forcing the furniture across the room as the caught sight of the still figure sprawled across the bed...

XxX

"How many times do I have to tell you? You need to focus!"

Wanda stood across from Logan, scowling as once again, she had chosen to help Rogue, missing the objective of their task and defaulting the session.

Rogue was growing frustrated. Did Wanda think that little of her that she was incapable of figuring things out by herself?

"You're going to go back in there and run the programme until you get it right. Rogue, you're benched. Do me a favour and stay away from here. Maybe then we'll be able to see what's holding Wanda back."

Rogue gave Logan a firm salute before marching away, lulled by the thought of a warm shower. She didn't notice the other students who saw her approach and practically scarpered to remove herself from her wake and certainly didn't see Scott call out to her.

"Hey, Rogue!"

His voice travelled down the hall, causing her to stop.

"There you are, I've been looking all over for you!"

"Well I was with Logan and Wanda." She shrugged.

"Again?"

"Dad asked me to help Wanda."

It wasn't until later that the teenagers realised she had referred to the Professor as 'dad'.

After washing, Scott convinced her to go out for a drive. There were rumours going around that Rogue's birthday was coming up and he was clueless as to what to get her. Logan was all for restoring an old motorbike he'd salvaged from the scrapheap, until a conversation with Rogue had put him off.

"Ah promised my mother Ah would never own a bike until Ah was at least eighteen, could afford all the parts myself and have enough save for a full year's insurance. She said it was the only way she'd let me sign up to get my licence."

"But isn't the test for a car different to one for a motorbike?"

"Yes. She told me a car has better protection than a bike and that she already suffered enough for at least three heart-attacks." She shrugged. "Ah couldn't give her a fourth."

With the notion of a motorbike shelved, Logan and Charles began throwing ideas around and soon Ororo and Hank requested their assistance.

"She's been with us for a few months now but I still have no idea what she'd like."

"Logan, you knew her before. Do you have any ideas?"

"I'm not sure that really counts. The first time round, she was always roaming the streets on roller blades."

"What about the next time?"

Logan wasn't sure how to answer.

XxX

Logan was in the waiting room of the hospital, trying to force the brown muck labelled coffee down his throat.

The doctors had pumped the girls stomach and she was groggy but alive.

Her mother refused to leave her side and Logan had chosen to give them space.

He was struggling to wrap his head around the fact that any longer and the woman would have to decide whether her daughter should be buried or cremated. It wasn't something any parent should have to go through. He'd done many things in his life and known a lot of people but this whole business was really getting to him.

At the same time, he knew he was needed here and he couldn't bring himself to leave. But it wasn't easy.

XxX

To say Aliyanna was furious when she woke up in the hospital would have been an understatement. Anna hadn't known what to expect. She'd hoped it was a horrible accident that would have been easily explained. The child she raised could never do something like this.

Numerous times she was asked, had she'd been unhappy, had she said anything or given any indication as to why she would do this? Normally, Anna would be the one asking the questions and to be on the other side made her feel a hypocrite.

The Police were called in along with Child Protective Services. Seeing the officers brought her anger to the forefront of her mind as only days before, she had arrived home to find her daughter had gone out on her blades.

Logan had offered to go and look for her on his bike, which she graciously accepted. The call had come through roughly an hour later. She was at the station. Someone had jumped her in the streets, taking her blades and throwing her in the dumpster for good measure.

The officers were asking questions but it wasn't going well. Yes she knew her attackers. They went to her school.

"If you give us the names, we can talk to them."

Here she snorted. "Talk to them? What good is that gonna do?"

The officer wasn't used to having his word doubted. He was the third generation of his family to join the force and felt he had earned the right to respect. "This is a serious matter and could lead to the perpetrators spending time in a youth correction facility." He had no idea where he'd heard the word, but it sounded fancy enough.

She shook her head. "There's no way you're going to lock your own nephew away."

He held in his disbelief.

"Nor are you going to punish his cronies. Why would you? It's my word against theirs and Ah'm sure they'll tell you they had reasons enough to do what they did."

"If someone is bothering you, you need to tell someone..."

"Ah tried that. For years, Ah've believed it when teachers say they have a zero tolerance for bullying and harassment. It never comes to anything. They'll chalk it up to a misunderstanding. A miscommunication. You're family's name is gold-dust in this town and your nephew flaunts it everywhere. No-one will speak against it because he's got them convinced that you've got enough dirt on them to bury them. Or they're afraid you'll turn against them yourself. Police brutality is a real thing."

It was a very uncomfortable moment for the adults involved. The allegations were severe and the girl had clearly lost any faith in the adults she should have had.

And now they were talking about her daughter, chalking her off to be some rebellious child when in reality, she had been calm as anything. In all honesty, it had scared Anna to see Aliyanna so detached. The incident was rearing itself, guiding the Doctors in their judgement for how to proceed with her treatment.

Things looked bleak for the girl. She'd hoped for freedom and yet it was becoming all too clear that she'd wouldn't receive any. Someone alerted the school and the principal arrived to offer his support.

He wasn't ready to face the mother's anger. "How dare you crawl here."

"Mrs DelaRouge, I can assure you..."

"You can stuff your apologies. How many times have we approached you to report incidents and instead you've done nothing? How many times have you ignored mah and mah daughter's concerns, told her she's been imagining it or she's too sensitive. That it's nothing more than a childish prank? Well you take a look at mah daughter and y'all can tell me if that's a joke or not. Do you know that if we were there five minutes later, we would have lost her? Do y'all have any idea of the damage you and your damn teachers have caused mah family? Now get out and don't you dare come back here."

"I'm sorry again, Mrs..."

"It's Miss DelaRouge. Ah never married and that's part of the problem. Y'all think a single mother be inferior to a married couple, don't ya? Well, we're just as good because we know our limits. We know we don't have to put up with trash. That we can survive on our own merits."

He hurried out of the building, sure that he and his school would be well rid of the mother and daughter. That a parent could talk to him with so little respect and dare to throw blame on him, rather than looking within at the problem. It was clear that mental instability was at fault and he owed it to his students to warn them against that child.

The next day, he gathered the whole school together for an assembly, revealing that Aliyanna DelaRouge had committed a heinous act.

"We can only guess what state of mind the girl has to attempt to end her God-Given life. Thankfully she was caught in time and will receive the treatment she needs. But do not fret, that girl will no longer be allowed to set foot on the school's grounds. I urge you not to solicit her company but to continue on your own paths, for we are the righteous and shall soon be spared her existence here."

The parents and teachers were divided on the necessity of the announcement. Looking back, they recalled she hadn't been the one to start the trouble, but there were plenty of rumours flying around that no-one knew what to believe anymore.

They started asking questions of themselves and others as an investigation was instigated into the school and its' practices. There were whispers of misogyny buried by acts of intimidation. Aliyanna's claims that the Officer's surname was used as a weapon of fear were being unravelled and standards of behaviour were being reassessed.

Amongst this, the teachers spoke often about another child, Annie, who they believed had been a friend to Aliyanna. The girl was quizzed to see of she had known anything or had any concerns about her friend.

However, some people recalled that the girls were at odds with each other but couldn't say why.

Meanwhile, Logan retained his protection duty of mother and daughter. He heard rumours, had to choose which ones to bring up with Anna and above all, made sure that on the rare occasions Anna had to leave, that no-one bar the doctors were allowed admittance.

Annie had arrived at the hospital already knowing where her 'friend' was being kept. Her father was a surgeon and a very important man. She didn't need to ask for directions and was about to walk right in, when that human-Gruffalo called out.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?"

She turned to face him, wide eyed and innocent looking, unaware that Logan saw through her act.

"Oh, Mr Logan, I'm here to see Ally. How is she today?"

The bullshit metre was reaching crisis point.

"She's not up to visitors, but I'll tell her you were asking after her." Like hell he would!

"Oh, but surely I could..."

The doors opened, revealing Anna.

Annie changed tact. After all, it was easy to get her way with women than Neanderthals. "Oh Miss DelaRouge, I wondered how is Ally today?"

Anna was coming to the conclusion that she'd been so blind in her dealings with the girl. With Aliyanna opening up about past experiences and incidents, the rose-tinted glasses were definitely being hijacked.

"She's resting, Annie." Her stance was firm across the door.

"Oh." She wasn't used to not having her way. "Well, surely I could..."

"No, Annie. Please go home."

Still, she wouldn't leave. "I told the police that Ally and I had once spoken about how we wanted to die. Ally said she wanted to die quietly, as though she had gone to sleep. Not me though."

It took all Logan's strength to not rip the girl apart. Let others bleat on about her age and how she didn't know what she was saying. That girl knew her words were weapons. She knew the damage she was causing. She knew it all and didn't care.

Quick as a wink, Annie ducked between their legs, pushing through the door and into the room where Ally was resting.

"There you are!"

Ally's body started to shake as she reached for the alarm bare seconds before Logan pushed through, grabbing Annie by the back of her school uniform and dropping her in front of the bewildered reception.

"You keep this little runt away from Aliy DelaRouge's room, ya hear."

XxX

The panic attack Ally suffered was enough to have the doctors sedate her for the remainder of the day. Her reaction disturbed the staff, for they all knew that Annie's father was well-respected. Yes, he was a bit too fond of the sound of his own voice and adored his opinions, but they never imagined there was more to discover. They had known Anna long before his arrival and while her daughter was a spirited child, it was only lately there'd been talk of anxiety.

Anna remained by her daughter's side and refused to speak to Annie's father. He'd been outraged that some ruffian had manhandled his only child and wouldn't leave until the hospital security threatened to march him out of the building.

Things only amplified when the following day, Annie was admitted due to a suspected suicide attempt. Her father was furious once again and swore that it was Ally's fault.

"She would have never thought of this on her own. Your daughter has poisoned mine and it would serve you right if the little bitch did die..."

It was all too clear that Aliyanna was no longer save at the hospital.