Alex had expected a slap or Lorna to yell at him, or anything else really. Instead she had hugged him, telling him she had missed him. He had almost stepped back from the shock, but something had kept him in his place. Probably the fact that he wanted Lorna to hug him, like she used to.
Alex tensed under her touch, but after a moment hugged her back, realizing how much he had ached to feel her body near his and look into her eyes again. Eyes, that weren't like anything he had seen before.
"I missed you too" He said feeling the warmth that came with the hug.
Everyone was staring now, but Alex didn't give a damn. This moment was his and Lorna's and he didn't want it to end. It did tough, when Lorna pulled away slowly. Alex looked at her green eyes, drowning in them for a second. All of their memories together flooded his mind.
Alex knocked on the door, hesitantly. The sleeve of his shirt was burned as well as his shoulder. It hurt, but Alex didn't care. At least the rain was making it better. Fear, threatened to overwhelm him. He was scared of what he could do to people with the red light. Scared that the people, who run the orphanage will found out what he did. What will happen when they find out?
Lorna opened the door rubbing her eyes. "Alex? What are you doing herehere? it's late." She asked first confused, but Alex could see a shade of worry on her face.
"Get in and tell me what happened" She said and Alex could feel his mouth go dry.
What if Lorna would think he was some kind of freak?
He took a hesitant step forward and walked inside her house. Lorna closed the door behind him and turned to face him. Without a warning she grabbed his arm and led him to the couch, sitting down.
Seconds felt like hours. Why did he come here? He should have known better. What would happen if she said she hated him for what he did? So many questions were swimming in his mind and Alex wasn't sure if he wanted them answered.
"You can tell me everything Alex." She said softly.
Alex took a deep breath and closed his eyed for a moment. That was Lorna Dane in front of him. His best friend, his support, his everything. She had been there when Alex was at his lowest, when he had just lost his whole family and the world had seemed a much darker place. She was there, when he felt like his life had ended at the age of 9. Lorna had decided to be friends with that angry boy, just because she wanted.
He opened his eyes and stared at hers.
"I..I.. had a nightmare and when I woke up... there was fire in my room... I think... it is my fault, Lorna" Alex explained his voice desperate, the dry feeling in his mouth had returned. "My hands were glowing with this red burning light and I did it. I set fire at the orphanage. Then I just freaked out...pulled the fire alarm and ran away... It's all my fault." He bowed his head down, feeling the shame and guilt crushing him. What would his father think of him if he had seen this?
Lorna lifted his chin, so his eyes met hers.
"That was an accident" She said softly. "Did you want to do it?"
The question caught him off guard and a wave of anger went thought him.
"Of course not!" Alex snapped.
He realized what he had done and tried to apologize, but Lorna cut him off before he could make the words get out of his mouth.
"Then it was an accident" Lorna stated leaving no room for argument.
"Lorna, I set my damn room on fire. That should be impossible. I am... I am some kind of freak" Alex said feeling the desperation creeping in the back of his mind again.
"No!" Lorna's tone was sharp, almost angry. "You are not a freak, Alex. You are special, you have a gift that no one else has" She said looking into his eyes. "Do you hear me? You are not a freak. You are a good person and an amazing friend." Lorna said "I want you to remember that and never forget it."
Alex could feel a big burden falling from his shoulders, hearing Lorna saying those words. He could feel tears rolling down his cheeks, but he didn't care. It was too late to stop them anyway. Lorna wasn't afraid of him. That was important now. There was someone that cared about him and that was her.
The doubts from earlier seemed stupid and unreal. Lorna hadn't turned her back on him. He felt guilty for even considering that she would do it.
"Now, let's go to the kitchen and take care of that burn." She said softly
Alex hugged her tightly, trying to express all of his gratitude and passion into one hug.
"Thank you Lorna" He said
Lorna hugged him back "Always" She whispered.
She had said that is was a gift, but Alex knew that from now on, he won't be using that red light. Next time, he could hurt Lorna with it. It was dangerous, too dangerous.
Alex snapped back to the present. Lorna's bright green eyes still looking at him. All of this felt ages ago, a past that was long gone, like it was another live. A life far more innocent, even if it wasn't perfect.
Sometimes, when he couldn't fall asleep at night, Alex was wondering how did he got here. He was just a kid, who had lost his whole family in a plain crash, stuck in the foster system, who had found a friendship and love in the face of Lorna, when he had thought his life was over at the age of 9 and was just an angry, little brat.
A kid that hat gotten adopted by people who were searching for a replacement for their son, who had separated him from Lorna dragging him into another state.
A kid was so angry at his foster parents for separating him from Lorna, that had involved himself with the wrong company and ended up stealing just for the hell of it.
A kid, registered in the juvenile detention system at seventeen. A kid whose power were so uncontrollable that he ended up killing the man who threaten the foster sister, who at first he hated, because she had reminded him so much of the brother he had lost, but eventually grew on him.
A kid who had been tried as an adult, accused of murder at seventeen. A kid, whose entire life was ruined by the curse of that damned red light. A kid, whereon was shown a better way by a man, whose dream Alex had been fighting for since he was a teenager. A kid that had grown up to lead the first class of X-men, that practically had raised his brother and had helped train the second generation.
All of this felt so long ago, that it hurt. He could see their faces when he closed his eyes. Lorna was here thought, a living memory, a reminder of the simple times.
"We can talk if you want to" He said and Lorna nodded biting her lip. She was angry, Alex could tell. He was still surprised that she didn't punch him in the face after that hug. It probably took a lot from her not to do it.
"I will show you your room and we can talk there" She said, grabbing his arm in a hurry. Alex could say something was bothering her, but it was better to leave it alone now, he could ask later.
The room wasn't anything special, but Alex didn't even expect special. There was bed and that was enough. He wasn't fussy when it came down to that stuff. He turned to face Lorna and gave her a small smile.
"I know you probably have a lot of questions" He said and she simply nodded.
"I have to do something real fast and then I will come back and you can explain to me how the hell are you still alive!" She said, her tone coming out sharp.
Alex couldn't blame her for being mad at him. In her shoes, he would probably punch himself repeatedly, hard and right in the face. He was thankful that Lorna wasn't him in this moment.
"Take your time" was all he said before Lorna went out of the room, leaving him alone to look around.
He wondered how he should start. An apology was a good way to do it. She definitely deserved one. Then he would explain everything. The reason he didn't tell her he was alive. That also included sharing his past as an X-man.
Alex hoped Lorna wouldn't ask for details. It would be too painful to remember, to describe the life he had lost, but if Lorna demanded it, Alex would tell her everything in the slightest detail. She deserved that and Alex would try his best to give it her. He owned her that much, taking into an account the pain he had caused her.