Erik Lehnsherr, formerly known as Magneto, looked up from the chess board as two young girls, looking exactly alike, approached him. One of the girls sat down across from him and swapped the board sides so that she was black and he was white. "Your move," she said after setting up her side of the board.

"And what makes you think I would want to play against an amateur like you?" he asked. The other girl laughed.

"Sir," she said, "my sister is no amateur. She has come very close to beating grand masters before."

"Lily," the first girl said. "I think I can take care of myself."

"C'mon, Ashley," Lily complained. "I was just having some fun."

"Tell you what," Ashley said, turning back to Erik. "If I win, you tell me what I want to know. If I lose, this never happened."

"Fair enough," Erik said, moving a pawn forward.

"Pawn mover," Ashley commented moving her knight forward. Then spoke to her sister, without turning around. "Don't tell me what his next move is. I already know." Erik moved his pawn forward one to attack the knight that was originally attacking him.

"Your move."

XXXXX

Ororo Munroe- most commonly known as Storm- led her team, Colossus, Wolverine, Iceman, Shadowcat, and the most recent recruits, Jubilee, and Angel through the Danger Room simulation. It certainly helped relieved some of the tension she'd been feeling lately as the new headmistress. "Logan!" she called to Wolverine. Wolverine turned and saw her nod toward the doors that were the next target for the huge robots. She used the wind to fly over the fallen debris.

Laser fire was flying everywhere. Everyone was dodging and deflecting whenever they could. Storm found Logan and landed next to him behind a large piece of debris. A huge robot was headed towards them and she call on a lightning bolt to short-circuit it. "You want offense or defense?" she asked.

"Offense."

"Kidding," Storm said. "I'm taking offense with Iceman. You can take defense for once." She turned to where Bobby Drake- Iceman- and Kitty-Shadowcat- were hiding. "Bobby!" Iceman rushed over to where Storm was. "Think you can handle an offensive ice attack?" Iceman nodded eagerly. Storm's eyes turned white as she brought on some clouds. She walked out into the open as the mini-blizzard started, and made herslef a target. The fires from the laser fire that the team had been hiding or deflecting from earlier all died, and the robot had two targets to choose from. It aimed at Storm since she was right in front of him and the first one to make herself a target. Storm formed a twister as she flew up into the air, and sent it to the robot. Iceman aimed high and froze the circuits as it stepped towards him unknowingly, and it fell; smashing to bits.

Storm landed as the simulation faded into the Danger room and the computer announced that it was complete. "Nice work, Bobby," Storm said.

"Thanks, Storm."

As they all headed out, Logan joined Storm at the front of the group. "Thanks for not freezing us." Storm smiled amusingly.

"You know as well as I do that ice melts quickly in the heat. I needed to change the weather a little." Storm stopped to look at her watch. "Oh, shoot."

"What?"

"I just remembered that I'm meeting Angel's father in a few minutes. I've been delaying this meeting as much as I could, but he's persistent."

"Why do you need to meet with Angel's father?"

"He just wants to make sure that his child is 'getting the best education' and what not." Storm held her fingers up like quotation marks for emphasis. With that they departed to their separate ways

"Alright," Ashley said, moving her rook forward. "You have a very limited amount of options. Start talkin'. Check."

Erik had castled without pawns in front of his king, allowing Ashley to place the rook right in front of it. Erik moved his king one to the left, where it laid cornered. "What would you like to know?"

"You're Magneto, right?" She asked, moving her pawn one forward, and taking his rook while she was at it. "Queen me."

"That is correct," Erik replied, blocking her attack with his knight. Ashley moved her other queen to the right, apparently enjoying every second that she could prolong his defeat.

"And I believe that's checkmate," she pronounced triumphantly. Erik sighed and knocked down his king.

"Alright, what do you want to know?"

"Well," Ashley explained as Lily came over to sit with her sister. "As you may or may not have figured out yet, my sister here is a mutant. We're looking for the X-men team leader called Storm."

"And you think I know the location?"

"You said so yourself that you're Magneto," Lily said crossing her arms.

"Lily," Ashley murmured in low tones. "Maybe you should just let me handle this."

"We're wasting our time here, Hawk," Lily countered. "He's not gonna talk. Maybe it'd just be better if we went home."

"Lily, we don't have a home. Trust me on this; our best chances are with the X-men."

"Well, then, I'll make him talk." Lily clenched her jaw and focused on Erik. Erik reached for his helmet and put it on. "Wha- ?" Lily gasped. Erik tapped his temple.

Ashley backhanded her sister. "I told you he would have that, remember? His helmet blocks telepathy."

"It seems like your sister knows her stuff," Erik commented.

"Yeah, well," Ashley said turning back to Erik. "I also happen to know that my sister is a class 5 mutant."

"Fine," Erik said, remembering what'd happened the last time he dealt with a class 5 mutant. "Xavier's school is in West Chester, New York."

"Thank you," Ashley said, getting up to leave. Lily followed.

XXXXX

"What was that all about, Crystal?" Ashley said walking with her sister.

"I was just trying to get what we wanted," Lily replied exasperatedly. "Winter isn't that far off, and I want to be somewhere warm by then."

Hawk sighed. Things had been tough on them since their parents died last month and they were sent to an orphanage. When they heard about a safe place for mutants and the X-men, the sisters made sure they had a clean get away. "We will, Crystal. We just need time. Right now, I'm starved, let's head over to a McDonald's or something okay?"

"Okay."

XXXXX

Storm rubbed her temples with her forefingers after finishing off the last of her paperwork. She knew that being the headmistress of this school was going to be difficult, but not this difficult. She turned to look outside the window. A knock startled her , but she relaxed when she saw it was only Logan. "Logan," she said warmly. "Come on."

"Thanks, Storm," Logan said looking around the office that used to be the professor's. "Haven't changed the place much, have you?"

Storm shrugged. "Didn't seem right." She sighed then turned back to the window.

"Hey," Logan said. "I don't have to be telepathic or have animal senses to see that's something's wrong. What's up?"

"Are you telepathic now or something?" Storm asked eying him.

"No," Logan replied, "just have a natural sense of empathy."

Storm smiled. "Hey," Logan said, walking over. "Turn back around."

"Why?"

"You'll see." Logan stepped behind her as she faced the window; then placed his strong hands on her shoulders, at the base of her neck, and began to massage it. Storm leaned back and closed her eyes, embracing the enjoyment she felt at Logan's massage.

"That feels good," she murmured.

"Good," Logan replied. "It's supposed to."

Storm placed a hand on top of his and smiled up at him. The phone rang a moment later, ruining the moment. "No," Storm groaned.

"Just let it go to voice-mail," Logan suggested.

"I can't, Logan," Storm said disappointingly. She turned back to the desk and picked up the phone. "Xavier's school for the gifted."

"Hi," a female voice said at the other end of the line. "This is Dr. Moira McTaggart. I'm looking for an Ororo Munroe. Sorry if I mispronounced that, she's also called Storm."

"Speaking."

"Oh, good," Moira said relieved. "I need you to come to the hospital please. It's rather urgent and I'd rather not talk about it over the phone."

"OK, is there anything wrong?"

"I don't know, like I said, I'd prefer not to talk on the about it over the phone. All I can tell is that it has to do with Charles."

Storm froze. "Hello?" Moira said when there was silence after a moment. "Ms. Munroe? Are you still there?'

"Yes, " Storm replied, snapping out of her trance. "I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Good, thank you. Goodbye."

"Bye." Storm hung up the phone, stunned.

"What is it?" Logan asked.

"That was Dr. Moira McTaggart," Storm replied. "She wants to talk to me. About the Professor."

XXXXX

Crystal and Hawk were eating in a thick wooded area, where they'd set up their camp. They were both eating a McDouble, cheeseburger without pickles, with large fries and a large drink. "When are we gonna stop doing this Crystal?" Hawk asked.

Crystal shrugged. "I don't know Hawk." She turned to look at their pets, Midnight Storm, an Andalusian black mare with a white star on her forehead that looked like a gray thunderhead; Isis, their pet white wolf, and Sky, Hawk's hawk. Crystal called them back and they formed a ragged semi-circle. Storm laid down to form a of a supporter for the girls; Isis laid across their legs to keep them warm, after they'd pulled on a blanket; and Sky sort of snuggled in between them.

"Did you get the new batteries?" Hawk asked. Crystal nodded and and handed them over to her. Hawk placed them in her iLIVE, then pressed a button for her iPOD to start playing. The first song that came on was 'Before he cheats' by Carrie Underwood. Both girls sang the song quietly in their heads as they drifted off to sleep.

Storm placed an overnight bag into the trunk of her car as she prepared to leave. Logan stood nearby in the garage. "Are you sure you don't mind watching the kids?" she asked. " I could always get Hank to do it."

Logan shook his head exasperatedly. "It's only for a day, Storm."

"And look what happened last time." Storm reminded him teasingly.

Logan scowled. "That's not funny Storm," he growled.

"It is to me," she countered laughingly. Then she walked over and gave Logan a goodbye hug. Then she got into the car and left. After she was gone, Logan went back inside to find everyone looking at him expectantly.

"No school today," he told them.

"YES!" Everyone shouted.

XXXXX

"Hold on, make it last," Hawk sang the next morning.

"Hold on, never turn back," Crystal returned. "Hold on."

"You made a rebel out of a careless man's careful daughter; you are the best thing that's ever been mine." Hawk finished. The girls had been singing to a song called 'Mine' by Taylor Swift. As the sing ended, Crystal turned to her sister.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yes, Crystal," Hawk said, rolling her eyes exasperatedly. "The animals will help take care of me."

"Alright, alright," Crystal said, holding her hands up in surrender. Crystal was going back to into the city to ask for directions to the school and Hawk was staying behind to watch the animals. Apparently there was a scuffle the day before. After she left, Hawk brushed Storm and turned on the iPod to find out that 'Live free or let me Die' by Skillet was on.

"You can take away my strength! Fix these broken thing! There's nothing left to fight; live free or let me die!

"You can take away my pride! I won't be denied! There's nothing left to fight; Live free or let me die!"

As the song played on, the air became colder. Hawk looked around to see snow start to fall. She picked up the camp supplies to keep them dry, then dived into and around the snow for a bit; feeling like a child again.

XXXXX

Storm was led into a patient's room my Dr. McTaggart. "This man here," she explained, "has- or had- no conscience. About a month ago, I heard Charles speak to me telepathically from this body. He even turned to look at me when he did."

The patient was awake right now, and turned to look at Storm when he saw her. She felt the familiar probings she'd felt when the professor was trying to get into her head, but didn't give any hint that she did to Moira. "Why did you call me in?"

"I thought that maybe since you were one of his students, you would confirm it for me," Moira replied.

Storm sat down and looked at Moira. "I don't know if he told you this, but he sometimes had problems reaching me telepathically. Somehow I am able to block telepathic's from getting into my mind. He guessed that it was because of my emotional control. I have to keep my emotions under a tight reign, or else the weather will go crazy."

"I'm sure it wouldn't be that bad," Moira said. A look from Storm told her that she didn't know how bad it would get. "How bad?"

"If my emotions were to be unleashed in a frenzy, I could cause a pretty destructive thunderstorm, if not a category five hurricane. If I were to be icy and bitter without my psi barriers, it's possible that I could cause the next ice-age."

"That bad huh?" Moira asked. Storm nodded. "Is it possible that you could lower your guard for a minute?" Moira pressed.

Storm nodded hesitantly. She dropped her barriers-thankfully nothing happened outside. Hello, Storm, Xavier's voice said inside her mind. She gasped, but kept calm.

"Is it him?" Moira asked hopefully.

Storm nodded. She couldn't believe it. Professor Charles Xavier was alive.

XXXXX

Erik stretched his hand out again. His queen moved one square forward before stopping. Erik smiled. Apparently the 'Cure' was only temporary. One of the girls from yesterday came over and sat down across from him. "Are you ready to play another round?" He asked.

"Wrong one, Erik," the girl replied. "I'm Lily. You played against Ashley."

"I'm sorry. You and your sister look exactly alike."

Lily rolled her eyes. There was one way to tell the difference between them, besides listening to their voices; but she wasn't about to tell him. She had things to do. "I'm just here for directions to the school."

"And I want all the homo-sapient dead."

"Hey!" Lily exclaimed. "My sister is nothing like them."

"Now look who's defending them."

Lily balled up her fists in anger. No one spoke about her sister that way. Not without consequences. She knew, though, that beating him up won't get her anywhere. "You won't tell me where the school is, fine. I'll find out on my own." She got up and left.

XXXXX

Later that day, Hawk and Crystal were settled into sleeping bags that they settled over the snow. They were listening to one of their all-time favorite Carrie Underwood songs: The night before (Life goes on). "He takes one last drive around town and it, man it already looks different. He bangs the wheel and says life ain't fair," Crystal sang the second verse. "This growing up stuff, man I don't know... I just don't want to let you go."

They both took up the chorus. "Tomorrow she'll be rollin' I-10 Baton rouge; LSU eighteen year in her rear view. He's got a Friday paycheck in line out down the block, in daddy's shop, it ain't much but it's a job. "

Hawk took the last part of the chorus. "They been dreadin' this moment all summer long."

They both sang the last part of the chorus. "The night before life goes on." Crystal sang the bridge and they both sang the last part of the song before falling asleep.

Storm placed her overnight bag into the trunk of her car and thanked Moira for letting her stay over. As she drove off, she felt like someone was watching her. She turned on the music and found herself humming to 'The Night Before (Life Goes On)'.

XXXXX

Victor Creed- also called Sabretooth- watched as his target drove off. "Toad," he said into his radio, "What's your status?"

"We're all set," Toad replied. "We just have two problems."

"Which is?"

"Two girls looking exactly alike are camping here."

"Not anymore we're not," a young female voice said.

"Hey, wait a minute," another voice, slightly different from the first said. "You're part of the Brotherhood."

"And if he's part of the brotherhood..."

"He has directions to the mansion! Get him!" There was a howl and

"I'll have to call you- oh my... one of them's a mutant!"

"Just keep them busy. I'll take care of the rest."

"We heard that Victor." The second voice said into the radio. Sabretooth was shocked at hearing his own name. "Bet ya' you didn't see that coming did you? I've done my research." There was a pause and a call for something. Victor couldn't catch it. "I better go help my sister. Hope I don't see you around."

Sabretooth hooked the radio to his belt and let out a feral growl. He'll deal with his target first, then he'd deal with the little parasite.

XXXXXX

"Alright, Toad," Crystal said to a tied up Toad. "My sister here hates secret plans. Especially, when they don't include her. Now, you'll yell us two things: How to get to the Xavier mansion; and who you're targeting."

Toad had made the mistake of confusing Hawk for Crystal when they were chasing him, and as a result, they managed to tie him up to a tree. "I don't think so," he said defiantly.

"Hawk."

"This is the song that doesn't end. Yes it goes on and on my friends. Some people started singing it not knowing what it was; and then they started singing it all over just because this is the song that doesn't end. Yes it goes on and on-"

"Stop!" Toad cried.

"See," Crystal said triumphantly. "She has powerful ways of persuasion."

"I'm still not going to tell you."

"Hawk."

"This is-"

"No!" Toad cried again.

"Then tell us who it is your targeting and how to get to the mansion," Crystal said raising her voice. "Otherwise my sister will be happy to sing all say long."
Toad remained quiet, obviously thinking Crystal was bluffing. Crystal looked at Hawk.

"This is the song that-"

"Okay! I'll tell you!

"Smart Toad," Hawk said mockingly.

XXXXX

After five minutes, the girls learned what they needed. What! Hawk sent to Crystal. They're targeting Storm!

How do you know that? Crystal returned. Although Hawk was only human, the girls could telepathically send messages to each other. They believe it was thanks to Crystal's telepathy. They said they were targeting someone named Ororo Munroe.

Duh! Hawk rolled her eyes. Ororo Munroe is Storm's real name genius!

Well, gee, how was I supposed to know that.

Never mind that, what are we going to do?

I'm going to go and make sure everything's alright. You're going to stay and wait for me.

C'mon, Crystal, why can't I go with you?

You just can't. Question is what are we going to do with him?

I say leave him. Sabretooth is bound to come by here.

Crystal sighed. Fine. But you better hide near the mansion.

Duh! I'm not stupid Crystal.

Alright then, let's go.

XXXXX

Storm was driving up into the driveway. She couldn't wait to tell the good news to the kids. Or Logan. For some reason she was really looking forward to telling Logan the good news. She was about to go up into the garage when a tree crashed into the hood, jerking her forward and hitting the wheel.

XXXXX

Logan saw Storm's car heading toward the garage and was about to go down and meet her. He turned his back for all of a second when there was a loud crash. He spun around to see a tree on the hood of Storm's car. "Angel!"

XXXXX

Storm was out for probably a minute before coming to. She looked into the rear view mirror to see that she had a nasty gash on her forehead. She knew an instant later that the gash was the least of her problems though. Her seat belt was jammed. As she struggled with it, another problem appeared before her. Sabretooth. an enemy she hadn't seen in a little over three years, had stepped out of the trees and started to head toward her. As she struggled, she realized she was in the exact situation Rogue was in when she first met her.

Sabretooth got within five feet of her when help arrived. Logan landed on his feet, claws unsheathed, behind Sabretooth. Colossus landed next to him. Angel swooped down, looped and hurtled himself at Sabretooth, Colossus right behind him. As the three struggled, Wolverine went to help Storm. He tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge. He motioned her down and she complied, covering her head and neck. Logan tried to open it from the inside, and even though it wasn't locked, it still wouldn't open.

They were running out of time, Sabretooth managed to knock Angel out of the fight almost instantly. Colossus was still in the game, but Sabretooth was quickly gaining the upper hand. Wolverine was forced to open the door with his claws. After forcing the door open, he sliced through her strap and tried to help her out. It was then that she realized that her leg was caught. The slightest movement caused her pain. Wolverine quickly found the seat adjuster and slid the seat back. She grabbed the hand he offered-claws sheathed- and jumped out. She staggered a little as she put weight on her right leg and had to let Wolverine support her.

Sabretooth knocked Colossus out of the fight and turned to Wolverine and Storm. Storm called onto the winds and manipulated them to pick her up, and let Wolverine take on Sabretooth. Unfortunately, Sabretooth knocked Logan out the way he did when they were trying to rescue Rogue; he used the tree he knocked down, and whacked him on the head and chest. Storm brought down a lightning bolt on him, but it didn't have any effect on him. Then she noticed his clothes were insulated. "Great," she muttered.

Sabretooth threw the trunk at Storm, catching her in the abdomen. She fell on her right shoulder; there was a loud pop on impact and she cringed at the flash of pain. Dark clouds had started to form overhead, ready to unleash it's fury when it's mistress allowed it.

Sabretooth walked over and lifted the trunk that was pinning her down. Storm automatically bolted up, but a flash of pain caused her to stop and grab her side. She'd obviously not realized that the blow she took broke a rib. All of her pain was forgotten when Sabretooth grabbed her by the throat. The pressure slowly increased, like it had at the train station all those years ago. "Scream for me," he whispered, like he had at the train station. She never did and passed out a few seconds later.

XXXXX

A hawk flew up overhead and saw Sabretooth walk off with a beautiful white-haired woman. Oh no, she thought. I'm too late.

The hawk followed Sabretooth's movements and saw that he was heading towards Toad's location. Maybe not, it thought.

XXXXX

Hawk saw Sabretooth as he walked toward Toad. He was carrying a beautiful woman with white hair; she knew instantly by the descriptions she's heard that it was Storm. She jumped onto Midnight Storm and charged off towards Sabretooth. Sabretooth looked up and saw Hawk riding head on toward him, then he let out a feral snarl. Hawk leaned to the right and held out her arm horizontally to catch him in the throat. She caught him alright, but it didn't do any good and she was forced to curve her wrist as she was yanked off of Storm and snap her elbow. She landed into a runner's position, and gave out a round-house kick; just barely missing Storm, who was still in Sabretooth's arms, and not hitting anything on Sabretooth himself.

Sabretooth put Storm down and lunged at Hawk; she dodged him. "C'mon, Sabretooth," Hawk taunted. "Is that all you got?"

"I wouldn't Victor," Toad called. Sabretooth ignored him and lunged at Hawk again. Hawk spun out of the way, but Sabretooth nicked her in the arm in the process.

"Fancy-monger," Hawk muttered loud enough for him to hear. However, Sabretooth lunged at her immediately after landing, catching her off guard. He knocked her flat on her back, the force of his impact knocking the wind out of her.

"This will teach you not to stick your nose where it doesn't belong," he growled maliciously. he raised his hand and prepared to strike; Hawk prepared to counter. A sudden wind picked up, with snow flakes blowing hard and fast at Sabretooth. They both turned to see Storm, lightning coming out of her eyes, up and standing not too far from them in rage.

"Let her go," Storm ordered.

Sis? Hawk sent.

Yeah, Crystal replied. Don't ruin the moment though, okay?

"Don't believe your eyes, Victor!" Toad called again. "They're two of them."

"Shut up," Crystal said as Storm, sending a low voltage bolt at him, it struck close by but didn't hit him. Isis snapped at him for a moment, then pounced onto Sabretooth. As he twisted around to get the wolf off of him, Hawk rolled out from under him. Crystal changed back into her normal self and did the 'Happy Feet Dance,' swapping places with Hawk. Sabretooth went after Crystal, thinking it was Hawk. Giving Hawk the element of surprise with her side-kick. Sabretooth twisted to swipe at her leg, but by the time he did, her leg was already down. As his hand swiped over the area where her leg should've been, Hawk kicked him where it hurt. He fell to the ground in excruciating pain. Crystal called the animals over and used her telekinesis to release Toad from the tree. "Now get outta here and leave the X-men alone," Crystal ordered. Toad scrambled out of there as Midnight Storm chased after him. Sabretooth got up and gave the girls one last final growl before leaving.

Hawk was checking out Storm by the time Crystal reached her sister. "Took ya' long enough," Hawk muttered.

"Sorry," Crystal shot back. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm trying to make sure she's okay. Oh shoot."

"What?"

"She's got a broken rib," Hawk said as she felt Storm's arms and legs. "Man, what did Sabretooth do to her? Her shoulder's dislocated, and she's got at least a sprain on her leg." She moved to Storm's shoulder.

"Whoa," Crystal said with alarm. "What are you doin' now?"

"What do you think I'm doin'?" Hawk demanded. "I'm setting her shoulder."

"Do you even know how?"

"Somewhat."

"And how would you know?"

"If you had read more instead of havin' me take your tests for you- and makin' me rich- you would know also. I also watched the crime dramas. In one Miami episode, Natalia's shoulder gave out and Delko popped it back in since she refused to see a doctor."

Storm stirred slightly. Hawk tensed and Crystal stared at Storm for a moment. Then they both looked at each other. Oh shoot, Hawk said.

Quickly, Crystal urged.

Make sure to support her.

Alright, fine. On three. One... Two... Three!

As Hawk popped Storm's shoulder in, there was a loud click. Storm cried out in pain and the twins scrambled away from her. When they didn't hear anymore noise, the two looked out over the log they were hiding behind, and saw Storm out.

Hawk went over and used one of the blanket's she stole from a homeless shelter in Maryland as a make-shift sling to use for Storm's right arm. Then she cleaned the gash on Storm's forehead. After that, she wrapped Storm's leg in a leg wrap, making sure it was nice and tight. "We gotta go," Crystal said suddenly.

"Why?"

"You wanna get blamed for this?"

Hawk shook her head and called Storm over. While Crystal's back was turned, she placed a note in between Storm's leg and the wrap, hen rode off.

XXXXX

Logan was sheathing and unsheathing his claws in agitation. He still blamed himself for what happened Had he been more careful and not fallen for the same trick Sabretooth had used on him the first time, Storm might still be here.

There was a small beeping sound from his pocket. He realized it was his com and took it out to answer it. "Wolverine," he said. No one answered. He looked at the frequency and realized that it was his and Storm's frequency.

XXXXX

Storm awoke slowly. She felt the pain in her arm and heard the voices, but she was only semi-conscious and couldn't open her eyes. She didn't want to anyway. She also heard the voices. Two teenagers by the sound of it, had tried to help her; and before that, at least one of them had gotten into a fight. Why, they tried to help her, she didn't know. What she did know however, was that one of them found her com and dialed a frequency. However, she felt too tired to check it and drifted off into a deep unconsciousness.

XXXXX

Kitty was working on Cerebro when Logan came in. Bobby and Rogue followed. "I think we might be able to locate Storm," Logan said.

"How?" Kitty asked puzzled. She'd been working on cerebro for over an hour; trying to find a way to lower the intensity so that one of the other telepath's could use it to locate Storm. However, even if Kitty did find a way to lower the intensity so that Sage or Mirage could use it, it was still only a twenty-five percent chance at most that they would be able to locate Storm.

"The com frequency, it should give us her location."

"Right," Kitty said, as Bobby took the com and hooked it up to Kitty's laptop. While they did that, a young female's voice could be heard on the com.

"We've gotta go," she said. Kitty figured that the voice didn't belong to anyone younger or older than a teenager.

"Why?" Another voice, slightly different from the other one asked.

"Do you want to get blamed for this... then let's go."

There was a sound of hooves, some shuffling and another sound of hooves. Then it was over.

"Got it!" Kitty said. Then she looked at the coordinates curiously. "Huh, that's odd. It says here that she never left the grounds."

"What?" Logan asked looking at the coordinates.

XXXXX

Storm awoke to strong hands picking her up. She slowly opened her eyes to see Logan carrying her with a blanket wrapped around her. He probably would've noticed had the wind not been blowing his direction. The snow was blowing heading his direction, making it hard to see. Logan hugged Storm to his chest, trying to keep her warm as he walked to the vehicle that was waiting a few yards away. It wasn't until they reached the car that Storm said something. "Logan," she said tiredly.

"Storm," Logan said relieved. Storm smiled then tried to sit up. She winced as pain shot up her arm and pierced her side. It was then that she noticed the sling over her arm. "Don't try to sit up,"Logan said, helping her lie back down. "Hank's going to check you out." Storm nodded and settled back down.

After Hank finished looking over Storm, Logan helped her sit up; making sure to avoid her bad shoulder. "So how did you escape Sabretooth?" he asked.

Storm shrugged her good shoulder. "I don't know. The last thing I remember is listening to two girls mock-bicker, and then my arm feeling like it was pulled out of it's sockets. After that, nothing."

Logan nodded, then placed his hand on top of hers. They stayed like that for the rest of the way home.

"Well," Hank said as he turned to the rest of the team. Storm was in her room resting, but she had insisted on being on the speakerphone. "The girl- or girls- who helped bandage you are probably amateurs. However, they obviously had the best of intentions in mind."

"Why do you say that?" Logan asked.

"Even though I was semi-conscious," Storm said. "I thought I heard one of the girls say that she read alot; took the other one's test, and saw a crime drama called Miami, where a character named Delko popped another character's shoulder- I think her name was Natalia."

"It's not called Miami," Rogue said. "It's a crime show called CSI:Miami."

Everyone turned to look at her. "What? I used to watch it all the time back home."

"But that's not all," Storm continued.

"What do you mean?" Hank asked.

"Even though I was going in and out, I also heard a few other things. Apparently, they captured Toad, and he yelled something to Sabretooth. He said 'Don't believe your eyes, they're two of them.' The next thing I heard was a fight going on and Sabretooth give a surprised grunt. I think the girls are sisters. Also, given the fact that you all heard their voices, it's possible that they're identical twins, and either one or both are mutants."

"That would explain Sabretooth's surprised grunt," Peter-Colossus- said. "He thought he was chasing one, but instead he was chasing the other. Then his original prey surprised him."

"But that doesn't explain why Storm thinks one or both is a mutant," Kitty said.

"I'm right here you know," Storm said.

"Sorry," Kitty said, embarrassed.

"Anyway, between one of the girls taunting and Sabretooth's growling a little before then, I could've sworn I heard my voice. It's possible that one of them's a Shape-shifter.

"Alright," Crystal said, "tomorrow, I'll meet with the team and you'll stay here." By now, the girls were camped a little closer to the mansion. They had guided Midnight Storm through the forest and circled back to the mansion. They camped out a few dozen yards away from the mansion. They were now finishing the campsite.

"And why can't I go with you?" Hawk demanded.

"Because you're not a mutant."

"And you don't think that Storm will accept a human there? No way Crystal. We go together. That's the exact reason why started this trip."

"Hawk-"

"No, Crystal. I won't stand for it."

"Hawk, wait."

Hawk just ignored her and stalked off into the forest. Crystal stayed where she was. Letting her sister cool off alone, she knew, was better for everyone.

XXXXX

Storm was on her bed, wondering about her rescuers. Two things struck her. What in storm of storms were those two doing out there in this weather? And why were they hiding, instead of being with their families?

As she shifted her leg into a more comfortable position, something in her wrap poked her again. It was driving her crazy! She slipped her fingers under the wrap, to find a piece of paper under it. What? she thought. She grabbed it with her fore fingers and brought it out. She opened it up and saw that it was a note.

Dear Storm,

Sorry about not speaking to each other one on one, but my sister and I feel safer about being secretive.

Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that we're hoping- well my sister is actually- to join your school.

I'm a human, but we've always stuck together.

We'll be contacting you as soon as possible, and then we'll be able to speak in person.

Crystal Hawk

There was a knock at the door when she was done reading it. She looked up to see Logan at the door and smiled. "Hey."

"Hey," he returned as he walked in. He went over to Storm's bed and sat on the edge of it. Storm tried to sit up and pull her legs back a little, but that only made wince at the pain in her side as she moved. "You shouldn't try to move, ya know."

"I was just trying to give you a little more room," Storm countered. Then sighed. "It's even painful to try to sit up."

"Here,"Logan offered coming over to help her. He climbed onto the bed, placed his arm around her good shoulder, and helped her up against the pillows.

"Thanks," she said.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing to the note in her hand.

Storm shrugged. "Found it in my leg wrap. I think it might be a clue to finding out who our mysterious sisters are. It's signed 'Crystal Hawk'. There's just one problem with this name."

"What?"

"If this is her real name- and I highly doubt that it is- then she's human. But I was right about one thing; her sister is a mutant."

"Now all we have to do is find them."

"Probably not going to be possible; it says here that they like to be secretive. However, it also says that they'll contact us as soon as possible."

"Who knows when that'll be," Logan grumbled.

Storm shrugged. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see."

XXXXX

"Crystal's wrong," Hawk grumbled. She was riding Storm, relaxing at the the beat and rhythm that the horse's hooves created against the ground. "Just because she's five minutes older, than me, doesn't mean she can control my life."

Storm snorted, slowed to a halt and bobbed her head. Hawk smiled. "Alright, I get it," she said, stroking the mare's neck. "Stop complaining; enjoy the ride and quit being angry at my twin. "

Storm neighed as if saying exasperatedly, 'Yes! Finally, you get the point.' Hawk laughed and urged Storm onward.

XXXXX

Logan, kissed Storm's cheek as she slept. He'd been with her for the past couple of hours, just talking. Then she'd turned on her side- with Logan's help- and drifted off to sleep. "Sweet dreams, 'Ro."

He quietly went out of her room and went downstairs into the kitchen where Kitty, Rogue, Peter and Bobby were. "What are you four still doin' up?"

"We wanted to make sure Storm was okay," Kitty said. "We knew you'd come down sooner or later."

"Speakin' of which," Rogue said turning to the boys. "Someone owes us ten bucks."

The girls held out their hands as the boys got out their wallets. "It's not like it isn't obvious," Bobby said. "Everyone can see the way you two look out at each other."

"Alright, all of you," Logan said threateningly. "Go to your rooms before I make you."

"I need to go help Hank," Peter said as he rushed to one of the elevators. Everyone else scrambled for the staircase. As they went, Logan thought about Bobby's comment. He and Storm had been getting closer since their last stand against Magneto's army. In fact Logan had been wondering about how to ask Storm to dinner; but, he didn't know how she would react, and he wanted to keep their friendship. Logan sighed and went back upstairs.

XXXXX

Storm woke up to the sound of something bumping against her balcony door. "Logan?" she asked, getting up slowly. "Logan if this is some kind of joke, it isn't funny."

She grabbed her robe from one of her bed post, and got out of her bed; wincing as the pain returned. Suddenly, an animal leaped out of nowhere, knocking her flat on her bed again. There was a loud thud as he landed. Storm stared up at him fearfully. Had it not been for her injuries, she would've fought back.

XXXXX

Logan was about to go into the living room and turn on the television, when there was a loud thud upstairs. He raced up the staircase and down the hall to Storm's room. When he got there, he found Sabretooth standing over a terrified Storm. "Get away from her," he growled., unsheathing his claws.

"Logan!" Rogue called; Shadowcat, Iceman, and Angel were close on her heels. They stopped at the entrance of Storm's door, and went behind Wolverine when they saw Sabretooth. "What are we going to do?"

They turned toward the stairway as two sets of footsteps ran up the staircase. Peter and Hank were running up them. "Thought we heard a noise," Peter said, looking over Wolverine's shoulder. "Figured you could use a hand."

Peter turned all steel, becoming Colossus. "What's the plan?" Beast asked.

"Colossus, Beast," Wolverine said. "You two and I will handle Sabretooth. He's real good at his job. Iceman, you can handle Toad. Angel, Shadowcat, try to get to Storm. But watch her arm and side; it's still painful for her to move.

All the X-men nodded and got in position to attack. Sabretooth turned towards them and nodded at Toad at the other end of the room; who smiled in anticipation. Iceman jumped him, but Toad dodged the icicles shot at him. As Iceman lunged toward him, and Toad used his fifteen foot long tongue to bring iceman down, and kicked him in the head to knock him out. Angel and Kitty were already in a corner, waiting for their opening. They instantly took charge as Iceman went down. As they went to go grab Storm, Toad tried to grab Shadowcat, but she just phased right through him. Angel took this opportunity to go airborne and went to get Storm, but there was someone else was in the shadows.

A huge flame ball caught onto one of his wings and he went crashing down onto the wood floor. Wolverine, Beast and Colossus went in. Beast to Toad, Colossus and Wolverine to Sabretooth. Shadowcat went to help Angel, since Pyro was hiding somewhere he couldn't be seen. Colossus started to swing at Sabretooth and Sabretooth retaliated. The two kept at it for a bit, and Logan took advantage and went behind the two.

Storm was in the same position she was in when they arrived. "Storm," he said slipping an arm under her left one and helped her up.

"Logan," Storm replied painfully. "I don't know how they got in." She paused and turned to look behind him. "Look out!"

A huge fireball came at Logan. Storm's warning came too late and it scorched his back and shoulder; it also scorched parts of Storm's arm and parts of his wrist. Storm was unable to use her weather abilities to cool off the burns. Sabretooth feigned an attack on Colossus' left behind them, and Colossus dove as Sabretooth dodged and crashed into the side table. Then Sabretooth turned and grabbed Storm's bad arm, who was on the floor. Causing her to cry out in pain.

Wolverine recovered from the blow he took from Pyro, and turned to find Sabretooth gripping Storm's slinged arm. Storm was in so much pain, she didn't even try to protest as Sabretooth dragged her toward the balcony. Before exiting the room, Sabretooth turned called Toad and Pyro back. "We got what we came for," he said, jerking Storm behind him. Storm's face was the exact definition of agony. Sabretooth jumped off the balcony, forcing Storm to follow. Toad and Pyro followed down next- Pyro slid down the rope he had on the railing before burning it- leaving the broken team behind.

Crystal woke up to find Hawk's sleeping bag cold. "Hawk!" she called out. "Hawk!"

Isis and Sky came over at Crystal's call for Hawk. She turned to the animals. "Have you guys seen Hawk?"

Isis looked like she knew, but her loyalty to Hawk was great. Sky on the other hand could break easily. She told us not to tell you, Isis said. However, she did say to tell you that she would be back in a day or so.

"Then where did she go?" Crystal demanded. Then she realized that someone else wasn't there. She eyed the animals questioningly. Isis started to groom herself; as if not noticing that someone else was gone. Sky started to fidget. After a few more minutes, Sky broke.

Okay, Okay! She saw Sabretooth carrying Storm, and saddled up Midnight Storm to go follow them. She said not to say anything, but to tell you when she would be back.

Nice going, bird-brain! Isis snapped.

"What is she thinkin'?" Crystal exclaimed. "Oh, that's right, she isn't. Do either of you know where she went?"

I do, Sky said.

Hawk said not to follow, Isis growled angrily at Sky.

"Where is she?" Crystal asked, ignoring Isis' comments.

I don't know! Sky exclaimed. I'm not a GPS! But I can take you there.

"Then do it."

Follow me!

XXXXX

"What does the brotherhood want with her?" Logan demanded to no one impaerticular.

"Who knows?" Rogue replied. "There could be hundreds of reasons. She did defeat Sabretooth and Toad with one blow."

"She was also Pyro's teacher," Bobby added. "He didn't like the fact that she confiscated his lighter a couple of times."

"He set her desk on fire," Kitty pointed out. "I'm betting revenge."

The phone rang in Storm's office, cutting off their conversation. Logan went to get it. "Hello?"

"Hello," a female voice said at the other end. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything, but I need to speak to Ms. Munroe."

"She's not available at this time," Logan replied looking out the office door.

"Oh, then could I speak to her assistant?"

Hank came in and offered to take the phone. Logan gladly handed it over and went back to the kitchen. The children decided to vacate and leave him alone while he thought about the incident over in his head. If only I'd stayed there, he thought bitterly. She'd probably still be here. He could still see her terrified face as Sabretooth forced her out of the room.

Hank walked in a minute later. A hopeful, yet, grave look on his face. "Get everyone in here."

XXXXX

Crystal swooped down and morphed into her human form after seeing her sister kneeling by a barred window. "There you are!"

Hawk whipped her head around and put a finger to her lips. "Ssssssshhhhh!"

"What are you doing here?" Crystal asked, lowering her voice.

"I saw Sabretooth carrying Storm close to camp, and head this direction, thought I'd follow. Besides, you can always track me through our telepathic bond. Or did someone else tell you?" She looked pointedly at Isis and Sky. While Crystal went airborne, Isis followed on paw. She was used to hour long journeys, though, so it didn't bother her.

Sky did it, Isis said.

Hawk rolled her eyes. "So what's the plan?" Crystal asked.

"Nothing, yet. But I don't like the way Sabretooth looks at Storm."

"How do you mean?"

"Remember that episode on Miami when Calliegh got kidnapped?"

"Yeah, the one where she said 'I'd rather die than let you touch me'?

"Yup. Remember that guy with the cigar?"

"That still-oh," Crystal said as it finally struck her.

"Uh-huh," Hawk said as she turned back to face the window.

XXXXX

Storm woke up on a nice bed in, what looked like, a basement in a mansion. She rubbed her temples as a huge headache came pounding in, then gasped when she saw Sabretooth in the far corner. He sat five feet away tops from her, much to her disliking. Especially since the room was so small. Her claustrophobia started to come in on her, but she kept calm. Panicking wasn't going to help anything.

XXXXX

"Okay," Crystal said puzzled, as she turned to Hawk. "Why is she so tense?"

"Guess she just woke up," Hawk said to herself before answering Crystal. "Notice how small the room is?"

"Yeah."

"Well, apart from Sabretooth watching her- which is creepy enough- there's also one other thing that can make her tense like this."

"Which is?"

"She's claustrophobic."

"And how do you know that? I don't think they put 'Hey! This person's claustrophobic' on the internet."

"You're right. I think Shadowcat mentioned somethin' about it."

"You've never been anywhere near Shadowcat!"

"Actually, I sort of eavesdropped while in line for a strawberry frap."

A door opened from below, cutting off their conversation. A familiar blue figure walked in. "Oh, shed," Hawk said.

XXXXX

The team walked into the hospital room, where a young female doctor and a man in his late thirties, early forties sat up in his bed. "Hello, Logan," he said. "I see you and Storm have managed to build up the team. Speaking of which, where is she?"

Logan froze. Who was this man? How did he know about Storm and who they were? And why did he sound an awful lot like Charles?

Yes, Logan, a voice whispered inside his head. It's me.

Logan turned back to the doctor, whom he found out earlier was Moira MacTaggert, in utter shock. Moira shrugged. "I don't know how he did it, but he did."

"Now if you are finished with your amazement on how I survived, Dark Phoenix's attack," Charles said. "I'd like to know where the headmistress is."

"That's the problem," Logan said. "We don't know. She's been kidnapped."

XXXXX

Crystal looked at her admonishingly. "What?" Hawk demanded. "I said shed. Not the other one."

"Talking mushrooms either way."

Hawk formed a double-u with her forefingers and thumbs. "Whatever."

"So what made you say that?"

"That blue person over there," Hawk said pointing to the female humanoid. "That's Mystique."

"Raven Darkholme? The one who gave up Magneto's plans? Didn't she get shot with the 'cure'?

"Yeah. They said it was permanent, but I guess not. Wait a minute," she said as something struck her. "Did you... I could've sworn I saw Magneto's queen move when he stretched out his hand."

"Yeah," Crystal said thoughtfully. "I saw it too." The sisters looked at each other. "Oh, shed."

"Talking mushrooms."

XXXXX

Charles listened to his students as they explained the incident and situation. He closed his eyes and reached out his mind to look for Storm's. He couldn't reach her, but he did find Sabretooth's. However, before he could take control of him, he found two other minds that he didn't know. He looked up to see a girl kneeling at the window. She wasn't very visible, unless you looked closely.

"I saw Sabretooth carrying Storm close to camp, and head this direction, thought I'd follow. Besides, you can always track me through our telepathic bond. Or did someone else tell you?" She shifted over to reveal a hawk, a white wolf, and a black horse. Another voice started talking; the girl shifted again slightly and seemed to be talking to a mirror image of herself. Charles realized that the two girls were mutants. He looked around their location and opened his eyes. "She's at a mansion," he said. "An abandoned one. It's not too far from the school. There are also two mutant girls and three animals there also. A hawk; a white wolf, and a black horse."

The X-men looked at each other. "Did the girls look exactly alike?" Rogue asked.

"Yes."

"That's not possible," Logan said. "One of them left a note for Storm in her leg wrap. The one who wrote it called herself 'Crystal Hawk', and she said that she was human."

"It's possible that she doesn't know about her abilities," Kitty said.

"I think it's time we suit up and go rescue Storm," Hank spoke up. Everyone nodded and started to leave.

XXXXX

"I think we've been had," Crystal said after a few minutes. She'd felt someone telepathically reach out to Storm, find Sabretooth, and locate them.

"I think so too," Hawk replied, not really listening. "Txt tlk?"

Crystal looked through the window and saw what she was talking about, then nodded. "Wat r we going 2 do?"

Hawk shrugged. "IDK."

"Ur going 2 find some place 2 hide n, and w8 4 me."

"Ngh, Crystal. we fite 2gether or not all."

"Fine," Crystal conceded.

"Uh, o. Ttg."

"Right. Wat about Storm?"

Hawk thought about it for a moment. "Use ur healing abilities."

"U no I can't use them that well."

"Do u or do u not want 2 help Storm? Just do ur best. I'll take care of the rest."

"Fine, going n. Just start a song, ok?"

Sittin' up on the roof, sneakin' a smoke by the chimney; checkin' out the moon in the city of lights. He takes off his flannel shirt and he drapes it around her shoulder; slides up behind her and holds on tight. And she says: "I don't want this night to end. Why does it have to end?" Hawk knew the best songs to fall asleep with; better than Crystal did. Hawk sang it to Crystal telepathically, and Crystal projected it into Storm's head. Crystal turned into a fly, flew in through the bars, and then turned into a hawk as she flew into a dark corner. Sabretooth, Mystique, and Toad left instantly to go deal with Hawk. Crystal flew down, shifted into her human form again and went over to Storm, who was out. She placed her hand on Storm's shoulder and leg and concentrated on her injuries. The leg was easy to heal, so she went to Storm's side and began to work on that.

XXXXX

"Nice going, Crystal," Hawk muttered. Sabretooth, Mystique and Toad came charging out of the mansion. Hawk jumped onto Midnight Storm and went to meet them. When Sabretooth saw her, he immediately took her on. Isis wouldn't let it happen, so she pounced on him and they had at it. Hawk laughed and turned to Toad. When he saw that he was her likely victim, he turned tail and ran off into the trees; probably to hide. She turned to see Mystique was dealing with Sky. Suddenly a flame ball came out of nowhere. Storm reared and lunged to the side. Pyro was somewhere nearby. She looked to the right and saw Pyro standing there. Bring it on, Pyro, she thought. She urged Storm into a gallop; galloping toward Pyro. As Pyro shot the fireballs at her, Hawk weaved, made tight circles and performed figure eight's. The flames never touching them.

Then she saw Toad burst out of the trees and went inside the mansion. Kriff! Hawk thought, dodging another fireball. This one brushing the horse's side and causing a slight burn. She'd take care of it later. Crystal, get out of there!

XXXXX

Rogue was in the pilot's seat, getting ready for take off. This would be her second time flying the x-jet. The first time she did, she crashed or nearly crashed it, the first time. Rogue was so freaked out about it, Storm had to coax her to let go of the wheel. After Jean died and things had gotten back to normal, Storm gave her a crash course on flying. At least in the simulation.

"Hey, kid," Logan said, taking the co-pilot's seat. "Ready for take-off?"

"I don't know, Logan," Rogue said. "Storm has always been next to me, helping me and guiding me through my mistakes."

"Hey, don't sweat it, you'll do fine. Imagine how impressed she'll be when she sees you flying this thing with ease."

"We're ready!" Hank called from the back.

XXXXX

Crystal, get out of there! Hawk's telepathic call rang through Crystal's ears. Crystal stopped healing the last of Storm's injuries. She'd healed them the best she could, but she still wasn't sure if the healing had worked at all. She sometimes had trouble with her healing powers. It was just gonna have to do.

She transformed back into a fly and flew out, transforming back into a hawk. She saw Pyro messing around with her sister on Storm and landed behind him, transforming back into her normal self. "Hey!" She called out, holding up both hands. "Pyro!"

He turned around and she zapped him with lightning bolts, then caused rain and snow to come down to put out the fires. "Stay away from my sister."

"Nice going, Crystal," Hawk said upon Storm behind her. "But I can take care of myself."

Crystal was about to make a retort,when something in her mind shifted; like another telepath was in the area. She realized it was the X-men in their jet, heading their direction. Good, she thought. They're on their way.

XXXXX

Sabretooth gave up on trying to get to the girl on the horse. The wolf had gotten him good, but his healing ability allowed him to become rejuvenated. He decided to change tactics. Apparently the mutant knew when the other was in danger, or when anyone else was in danger for that matter. He rushed past Mystique, who was dealing with the wolf now, and went to the prisoners cell.

XXXXX

Crystal and Hawk raced off behind a hill to keep hidden. "Stay here," Crystal ordered. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

"You always steal the fun," Hawk grumbled.

"I'm older."

"By five minutes."

Suddenly, both girls had a throbbing pain in the back of their heads.

XXXXX

Storm woke up to Sabretooth barging in to her cell. "You wanna play?" he demanded. Her fear spiked as he unsheathed his claws. She knew someone out there was fighting though, so she smothered it. His claws glinted in the sunlight. "Let's play." He grabbed her neck and started to slash her face.

XXXXX

Hawk's pain wasn't excruciating, but it hurt nonetheless. She could tell that Crystal was getting the blunt of it though. Hawk knew that the only reason why she could even feel it was because she and Crystal had identical brainwaves. When one felt pain, the other felt it also. "It's Storm, isn't it?"

Crystal nodded and blocked their telepathic connection. Hawk did likewise and the pain receded. "Stay here," Crystal said. "I'm going back."

"No need," Hawk said pointing up at the sky. "Look!"

"Crystal looked up and saw what she was talking about. "I'm still going back!" She called back getting up and racing off to a tree. Hawk growled as she leaned back. A light snow had started to fall.

XXXXX

Charles sat in the back with Peter, Kitty, and Bobby. He grabbed his head as pain shot through it. "Professor?" Kitty, who was sitting next to him asked worriedly.

"It's, Storm," Charles said. "She's in terrible agony."

The pain suddenly left him as a new mind appeared in his field of reach. A very determined mind. Hey! it said. Follow me if you want to see your friend.

Charles got up and walked into the cockpit. He saw a hawk flying toward them. Then the hawk disappeared the starboard wing, circled, and flew out the side view port. "Follow that hawk."

"Why?" Logan asked curiously. He obviously thought that it was just a stupid bird that just got lucky by not flying into the engines.

"You'll understand soon enough. Call it a hunch."

Rogue looked at Logan. He nodded and she followed the Hawk's course.

The hawk swooped down and landed in a tree. Rogue landed the x-jet close to it. Rogue saw the hawk catch her eye and point her beak toward a small window at ground level. She realized that Storm was in the basement in the mansion. The hawk took off all of a sudden, disappearing into the cloudy sky.

XXXXX

Crystal landed, transforming back into her human self, and walked over to where Hawk was preparing a small fire. "Thought you would be a gone longer," Hawk said bitterly. An icy wind started to blow and the light snow started to fall fully.

"You called me," Crystal replied. She felt the cold wind blow on her and shivered. The cold winds felt unnatural to her. She regarded her sister closely. Crystal knew there was more to her sister than even her sister knew. The downside to knowing this though, she couldn't tell her. Her parents had told her a secret that she had sworn never to tell Hawk, unless it was absolutely necessary.

Hawk looked up at her. "What?"

"Nothing," Crystal replied, turning back towards the direction of the fight. "I'm going back to help."

"Fine by me," Hawk said, the iciness still not leaving her. "I'll just be getting the camp set up."

Crystal sighed as she watched her sister move around grudgingly. Then she shifted back into a hawk and flew off.

XXXXX

"Logan!" Rogue called. Logan turned to face her. "Storm's in the basement."

"She's right," Charles said, coming down the ramp. "The hawk said that she was being kept in the west wing of the mansion in the basement."

A white wolf came out of nowhere, it's spine a mohawk and it's teeth bared into a snarl. It was brawling with a reddish looking wolf, and it seemed like the white one was winning. A black horse was bucking and twisting in mid-air as it squealed. Toad was having a hard time holding on, and Pyro was trying to get at a hawk- no two hawks with his fireballs. One of the hawks landed, shifted into a human, and shot water out of her palm. "That's for trying to get at my sister," the girl said. "This is for getting at her hawk." She shot another dose at him. "And this, this is because I don't like you." She shot him with a ball of electricity which electrocuted him with enough voltage to leave a mark.

A scream from Toad told everyone that he'd fallen off the horse, but the growling and snarling from the wolves told everyone that they were still at it. "Whew," the girl said as she turned to face the X-men. "Yeah, I've got multiple abilities, don't look so surprised." She turned to the horse who was trying to trample Toad. "Storm!" she called. "That's enough."

The black horse turned to them, and reluctantly trotted over. "Good, girl," she murmured. She looked at Shadowcat. "You're Kitty Pryde, right?"

Shadowcat nodded, stunned that this mysterious mutants knowledge. "Take Wolverine, Colossus, and Beast and phase into the manor. Be careful though, Sabretooth's in there, and he ain't happy."

Shadowcat nodded and went to find Beast. "How do we know we can trust you?" Wolverine demanded.

"Crystal," Crystal replied. "My real name's Lily, but I'm mainly known as Crystal. Yes, I'm telepathic, and if I were part of the brotherhood, why would I have led you here?"

Logan couldn't argue with that logic. When Shadowcat came back for Wolverine, all four of them went into the manor.

XXXXX

Storm was in excruciating pain. After scratching up her face, Sabretooth decided to punish her more by slashing her abdomen, back, legs, and arms. When she tried to block his blows, it just got worse. His blows reached the extreme when he heard the X-jet. Now, with her face and body all bloody, all she could do was lie down and try not to think about the pain she was in. "Storm?" she heard Shadowcat call.

Storm looked up, painfully, to see Shadowcat, Wolverine, Colossus, and Beast phasing through the wall. Wolverine rushed over to her immediately. She hissed through her teeth at the sting when Logan out his hand in her face. Wolverine recoiled his hand, and turned to face Sabretooth.

XXXXX

Wolverine was furious with Sabretooth. Storm's battered and bloody body was right in front of him, as if it was taunting him for not being able to save Storm from this agony. He unsheathed his claws and prepared to fight.

Wolverine, a female voice said in his head. It sounded familiar. Yeah, it's Crystal. Listen to me, this wasn't your fault. I can heal Storm and make sure she doesn't have a single scar. Just be extremely gentle with her. I'll meet you at the ramp on the jet. I have something I have to take care of first.

Wolverine sheathed his claws and- as gently as he could- picked up Storm. He could tell it was painful for her, by the way she clenched her jaw, but he couldn't do anything about that. Shadowcat phased them back through.

XXXXX

Crystal flew back to the campsite to get Hawk. She'd sent Storm back here earlier to keep Hawk company and was surprised to see that there were no hoof prints nearby. When sh reached the campsite, it was empty. By now the snow was falling heavily, and the winds had picked, creating a blizzard. Crystal landed and took a closer look around. "Hawk!" she called. "Hawk!"

She tried to call her sister telepathically, but only got a block. Then she noticed a scarlet color in the snow and went over to get a better look. A quick whiff of it told her it was blood, and, judging by the size of it, it looked like an animal might've gotten to her. Crystal feared the worse and started to cry a little. Then she suddenly remembered Storm, and took off.

XXXXX

Logan placed Storm in the sickbay and then went outside to wait for Crystal. Crystal finally came twenty minutes later, her face looked tear streaked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied averting her eyes from his. "Where is she?"

XXXXX

Logan led Crystal to the sickbay. Storm's pain hit her in waves. A song came into her head that she projected into Storm's. O come, o come, Emmanuel. And ransom captive Israel. Storms body visibly started to relax, and she continued. That mourns in lonely exile here. Until the son of God appears. Crystal then felt Storm's mind go to dreamland, then she placed her hands over Storm's wounds and began to work her magic.

About a month later, Storm was up and about. Her recovery took about a week, but the professor wanted her to take a break so that she could relax. It was also a chance to monitor the effects of Crystal's healing ability. Her history students were glad she was back though. Crystal was among them. Although the girl was fitting in just fine, Storm could tell something was bothering her. She confronted Crystal about it after catching her staring into nothingness at her notebook. "What's wrong Crystal?"

Crystal jumped at Storm's question, but relaxed immediately. "Nothing," she replied casually, gathering her things. "Just daydreaming for a moment. I have to meet with Shadowcat."

Storm knew she was lying, and created a small breeze to close the door. "No, Crystal," she said gently, standing in front of Crystal's desk, with her arms folded across her chest. "There's something you isn't there? Something you haven't told anyone."

Crystal sighed and put her stuff down. "How could you tell?"

"I may not be telepathic, but when you live out on the streets for awhile, you tend to pick up on people's moods through their body language."

"On the day I joined," Crystal said, sighing. "I lost somebody, my best friend. You could say that we've been best friends since we were babies."

Storm thought about this for a moment. "Could this have anything to do with the 'Crystal Hawk'?"

Crystal froze. "No," she said quickly, averting her hazel eyes. Storm knew she hit a mark. "Look, uh, I really don't feel comfortable about this. Can I go?"

Storm knew she wasn't about to get anything more out of the girl, and nodded. She couldn't help but wonder, though, who the "best friend" was.

XXXXX

Storm thought about Crystal later that night on the balcony. Crystal had acted really strangely when she mentioned the Crystal Hawk. A knock at her door interrupted her thoughts. She turned and saw Logan head toward her. She smiled. "Hey," she said.

"Hey," he replied. "It's kinda chilly. What're you doin' out there, anyway?"

Storm shrugged. "The air doesn't affect me. It actually helps me think out here. I was just thinking about Crystal. She'd acted really strangely when I mentioned the 'Crystal Hawk.' How is she in the Danger Room. I haven't had a chance to observe her yet."

"If there was a kid who could survive both a defense and offense session by herself, without being injured, she could."

"Wait a minute," Storm said, holding her hand up, "you've been letting her in there alone?"

"No, I've been observing. Kid's got some serious skill with her powers."

Storm shook her head mockingly. "And to think I started to let you teach a class. How long has this been going on?"

"'Bout a week."

"Okay, maybe I jumped the gun."

Logan laughed, then placed his arm around her shoulder. Storm didn't know why, but she found herself relaxing at Logan's touch. After a moment, Logan spoke. "Do you want to go back inside?"

Storm nodded and followed him in. She stopped mid-stride, and shivered. She suddenly had the strange feeling that she was being watched. Then she shook it off. It was probably just the cold weather.

XXXXX

A young girl watched from the bushes as the headmistress went back inside. She knew automatically that she was in the right place. Now all she had to do was make sure everyone was asleep before she could strike.

The girl hefted her backpack on about an hour later. Then she climbed a tree to get to the second floor balcony. Knowing the security alarm systems were on, she climbed the waterspout next and reached the roof; where she climbed into the air vents.

XXXXX

Storm was slipping into her bed when Logan stopped by on the way to his stopped at the doorway to ask a question. "Would you like to... uh... meet for lunch tomorrow?"

Storm blushed a little. "Sure."

"Okay, great," Logan said. Storm thought she detected a note of relief in his voice. "Goodnight, 'Ro."

"Night, Logan."

Storm fell asleep peacefully a few moments later.

XXXXX

The girl crawled through the air shaft stealthily. It was getting a little cramped, but she didn't want to get out just yet. She paused and looked through one of the vents. Then gasped and stumbled slightly when she realized she was above the headmistress' room. She banged her knee against the vent, making a loud rattle. "Stang," she whispered, and quickly crawled to the next room; which was, thankfully, vacant.

XXXXX

Storm bolted upright when she heard the clatter from the air vent. She heard loud thumps go over her head, then a loud thud as something landed next door. Logan came rushing in a moment later. Claws unsheathed. "You alright?"

Storm nodded, then grabbed and pointed next door. "It's in there."

XXXXX

"I've got to work on that," the girl muttered. She grabbed her backpack and was about to open the door, when it was suddenly kicked in. Uh oh, she thought.

XXXXX

Logan kicked the door open, only to find himself facing... Crystal?

"Crystal?" Storm asked behind him. Logan was speechless. Crystal didn't answer; instead, she ducked under Logan's arm, staggering as she nearly tripped over Logan's boots. "Crystal, wait!"

Logan grabbed the terrified girl's backpack, but she easily slipped her arms through. She then went two doors, which was another empty room, and climbed into that air vent. "Crystal!" Logan called as the vent closed.

"What?" Crystal asked from the staircase. Storm and Logan froze.

"Weren't you just in the air vents?" Storm asked, puzzled as she turned around.

"No," Crystal replied. "I heard a noise, then heard you two calling my name."

"Okay,"Logan said. "Any idea who it was?"

Crystal shrugged. "Probably, Mystique."

"Mystique doesn't carry a backpack," Storm pointed out.

"Maybe a shape shifter of some sorts? I honestly wouldn't know. I gonna go back to bed, okay?"

"Alright," Storm said. "Goodnight."

"Night."

"She's hiding somethin'," Logan said after Crystal's door closed.

"I know," Storm replied. "Question is what?"

"Maybe this will tell us," Logan said holding up the backpack. Then he started to look through it. "Let's see... we've got... a white puppy with a pink spotted collar... and... a book called... 'Captive to Evil'. Okay, I don't think I wanna know what else is in this backpack."

"But our mystery intruder might want it back," Storm said thoughtfully. "What do you say we set a trap for our mystery intruder?"

XXXXX

"Darn it!" the girl grumbled. "That was my only shot!" She sighed, sat down, and leaned against a tree. A black horse came to her and nudged her with it's nose. "Hey, girl." The black horse snorted and nickered. "No, girl," she said as if she could understand the animal. "They'll be expecting me to break in again." The black horse neighed, and it suddenly clicked inside the girl's head. "But they won't be expecting me to break in earlier than midnight. Girl! You're a genius!"

XXXXX

"Remember," Storm was saying to her class . "You have a pop-quiz on Monday. Class, dismiss."

"Crystal," Kitty said. "C'mon."

"Coming," Crystal said, picking up her books. Storm was tempted to stop her, but didn't. She had to go meet Logan. "Oh, Storm," Crystal said, stopping and turning to face her. "Did you find an Oddball? You know, a white puppy with a spotted pink collar from 102 Dalmatians? I thought I heard Logan mention something like that last night."

Storm decided to answer. "Yes. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Crystal said turning back to her friends. "I was just wondering because I used to have one when I was younger."

"Uh-huh," Storm said, completely unconvinced. Crystal either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Well, see 'ya later."

Storm watched her go. Something about the way she said that made Storm think that she didn't own one; but, she knew the person who did.

XXXXX

Crystal made a stop by her room to drop off her books. The news about the Oddball gave her hope. She tried to contact her sister, for what seemed like the millionth time. Hawk...Hawk! Again, she was disappointed and thought the worse.

"Crystal?" A male voice called through the door. It was the Professor.

"Coming," she said, getting up and opening the door. "Professor, come in." She led him to her bedside where they both sat down, Crystal tucking in her right leg. "Is somethin' wrong?"

"I'm just curious to know who Hawk is."

Crystal froze. "You were reading my thoughts?" she asked icily.

"No, you know I'm psychic and telepathic. Your thoughts reached me."

"She's just... a friend I once knew, that's all."

"I understand if you don't want to talk about it. Storm's just concerned about you."

"Look, tell Storm I'm fine and that there's nothing to worry about."

The Professor looked unconvinced, but nodded and left. There was another knock at her door. "What?" she snapped.

"Everything okay, Crystal?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah, Kitty," Crystal replied. "Everything's fine."

"Okay, Peter, Rogue, Bobby, me, and Angel are going to play some volleyball, want to come? No powers allowed."

"Sure," Crystal said, her spirits lifting.

XXXXX

The girl was putting down her sleeping bag when Black came over. "Hey, girl," she said. "I need to rest a little." She looked around. "Now, if only I can find my-" she cut herself off when she realized something. "Oh, no. They have my iPod." She slumped back down. "Great, if Crystal sees that, she'll know I'm here."

XXXXX

"Hey," Storm said, catching up with Logan downstairs. He led her into the living area, where lunch was already made. "How did you know what my favorite sandwich was?

Logan pointed to his nose. Storm chuckled. "Right, you can smell the ingredients." She sat down on the couch with Logan and began to eat.

"Do you have any more clues to figurin' out who the intruder was?" Logan asked.

"No," Storm said in between bites, "but, before breakfast, I went through the bag and found a movie."

"And?" Logan asked, eying her curiously. "What's so important about this movie?"

"The movie's called Flicka."

"That 1940's film about a boy gettin' a filly?"

Storm shook her head. "More like girl. Try the most recent version."

"And how would you know?"

"I looked at the year."

"So you cheated?"

"No," Storm said defensively. "I was merely curious about the movie, so I looked at the back to see a description, and incidentally saw the year it was made."

"Yeah, sure," he said, inconspicuously. Storm rolled her eyes.

"I also watched it just before my class, and that filly shares some common characteristics with the intruder. I think we should call her Flicka, just until we find out her real identity."

"Why?"

"Because she's a Flicka. And not just because she wore all black last night."

"Well, while you were watchin' your movie, I also went through the bag and found this." He held up a silver rectangular object with a huge dent near the screen. "I think it's one of those Mp3 things that the kids use to listen to music with."

"An iPod," Storm said, taking it from Logan. "It's an upgrade from the mP3; I also hear it can hold more than an Mp3."

"How do you know that?" Logan asked, surprised that she would know all that.

"The kids think I won't notice them using it, but I do. I confiscate them all the time during tests." She flipped the iPod over. "This is only a two gig; one of the older models. Either her parents punished her for something she did; she likes antiques; or she didn't have alot of money."

"Why do you say that?"

"Logan, this iPod can only hold up to three hundred songs max- depending on what she got of course. I've confiscated eight to hundred-and-two gigabytes. Those can play TV shows, movies, and music videos. Now what kind of kid these days would want a two gig? It doesn't do any of that."

"Well, I don't think any kid would these days, but I can tell you that our intruder is no shape shifter. I took a look at her playlist."

"You can tell all that just by looking at the playlist?" Storm asked skeptically. "How do you know it wasn't a 'he'?"

"You said so yourself that it was a she." Logan pointed out.

"I was assuming by the person we saw last night."

"Well gender was confirmed by her music. Trust me on this; Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood-"

"Hey," Storm said pointing a warning finger at him. "I like Carrie Underwood."

"ABBA, Jump 5, Miley Cyrus," Logan continued. "All of those are girl groups."

"And what about these artists?" Storm asked, scrolling through the artists on the iPod. "Skillet, Pillar, Thousand Foot Krutch, MxPx, and Jesse McCartney? Aren't these all guy groups?"

"You'd be surprised," someone said behind them. The couple turned to see Crystal behind them. "Sorry, couldn't help but overhear. Believe it or not, alot of guys like Taylor Swift." She came over and sat on the arm by Storm. "And, Skillet is not just a guy group. The wife of the lead singer plays the keyboard and the electric guitar; and the drummer is also a girl."

"And how do you know that?" Logan asked.

"I used to live in Florida, Logan. We had a church retreat called Camp Orlando that my church went to every year. This year was different from the last couple that I went to; we had a Talent show called Orlando's got no Talent on the last day and a friend of mine sang Love Story. Pretty much most- if not all- of the guys in the auditorium went up to the stage and sang along. She was pretty good too. Even her cousin came to her cabin to congratulate her on her singing.

"However, my friend also loved Skillet and a few other Rock Bands."

"So you know who's iPod this is?" Storm asked. Crystal bent over to take a closer look.

"Looks familiar," she said, "but no guarantee. A lot of people could own this." She looked over her shoulder. "I've gotta go. Kitty, Bobby, Rogue, Angel and I are going out to play volleyball." Then she got up and left the room.

"I'm gettin' a little tired of her lies," Logan growled after she was out of sight.

"I know," Storm said. "What's so important to her that she pretends not to know anything? It's like she's covering for someone. But who?"

"And why?"

XXXXX

Flicka slipped into the air vent around 1 a.m.. She'd overslept and was in a rush to get her stuff back. When she reached the air shaft, though, it was filled with lasers. Flicka reached into her bag and took out some magnets that she put on her fingertips and crawled upside down; the lasers didn't even touch her.

Flicka found her drop-off point, and released the grip. However, she landed harder than she thought, and made a loud 'thud'. "Excellent," someone said as she grabbed her backpack and puppy. Flicka turned to see the headmistress in the doorway. "You may have gotten past the security system, but you won't get past me."

Flicka immediately jumped up and crawled back into the air vent. "Testing me are you?" Flicka heard the headmistress ask. The winds started to pick up. However, since the security systems were off, Flicka was able to hold on to the vents edge. The winds died down and Flicka was able to quickly crawl to the next room and drop into it. "Bobby!" she heard her pursuer call. Flickla quickly opened the door and sawan ice wall immediately to her right.

"This should hold her," Bobby said on the other side. "There's no way she can get past this and Storm."

Oh, yeah, She thought. Bring it on. She took out a pocket knife from her bag and held it up into the light; knowing Bobby would send someone to stop her. A girl a little older than her grabbed her wrist. The older girl gasped when Flicka sling-shotted through the ice and phased to the other side. "You were saying?" she taunted before darting off. As she rounded the corner, another girl a little older than her grabbed her wrist. This time though, both girls gasped. Flicka felt dizzy and lightheaded, then she yanked her hand out of the other's grasp. She bolted down the hall until she reached a semi-large office and went inside. She found a small hidden cubicle under the bookcase and slid inside. It was a tight fit, but she managed to get in and close the lid or whatever they called the side door to this thing.

XXXXX

"Storm," someone said into Storm's com-link.

"Go ahead, Iceman," Storm replied.

"We've got a problem; the quarry got past my wall. Colossus just took it down so that you could get through."

"What?" Storm asked. "How did this happen?"

"She used Shadowcat to phase through it. When she saw my wall, she took out a weapon of some sorts. We thought she might use it against you, and since I didn't want to take it down, I sent Shadowcat in to get it. It was a trick. The quarry used Shadowcat to shoot right through the wall and darted off."

"Stay right there," Storm said, impressed and irritated at Flicka. "I'm on my way."

XXXXX

Logan rushed to Rogue, who was slumped on the floor. "Rogue?" Logan said, shaking her gently. "C'mon, kid, wake up." Rogue gasped, looked up to see that it was Logan, then relaxed. "Gees, Rogue," Logan growled. "What happened?"

"I-I don't know," Rogue said, confused. "I just grabbed the quarry's wrist and... I don't know. I must've blacked out."

"Rogue?" a voice asked behind them. They turned to see Storm coming toward them. "Are you okay?"

Rogue nodded and got up. "She bolted down that way," she said pointing down the corridor that led to Storm's office.

"I thought you said you blacked out?" Logan questioned.

"Not before I heard the direction she took off at."

"Angel," Storm said into her com device.

"I copy, Storm," Angel said.

"Do you have sight of our quarry?"

"She went into your office a few minutes ago, but hasn't been out since."

XXXXX

Flicka suddenly realized that there was an open window in the room, and that she could've used it as an escape. Or at least a diversion. Now she wished she'd took advantage of that, but it was too late now.

XXXXX

Wolverine and Storm entered the office cautiously. Flicka was unpredictable, as she has just proven, and they didn't want any surprises. The office wasn't that big, thankfully, but it wasn't all that small either. After a careful search, they found it empty. "Well, she didn't just vanish into thin air," Storm said. A gentle breeze blew into the room, and Storm looked to see an open window. "She must've used this as an escape."

"Or a diversion," Logan put in. "Her scent's scrambled because of the wind. It's all too faint."

"I guess we'll have to check tomorrow then," Storm said looking at her watch. "Come on, it's late."

Logan nodded, sheathed his claws, and followed her out. Unbeknown to them, leaving a sleeping girl behind.

Logan woke up the next morning and headed downstairs. He ran into Charles on the way down. "Hey, Chuck," he said.

"Hello, Logan," Charles replied. They walked into the kitchen and Logan grabbed the eggs and bacon. He didn't see Storm, and figured that she'd already eaten and was in her greenhouse tending to her plants. "Did you catch the intruder last night?"

"No," Logan said, shaking his head. "She went into 'Ro's office and then vanished. We're not sure about what happened after that."

"If you're thinking I could find her, I've already tried. Her mind, I think, is similar to Storm's. I can't seem to locate her contact her telepathically. Try searching her office again, it could be that she found a hiding spot that you didn't think of."

"Did someone call my name?" Storm asked coming in.

"Yes," Logan said. "Charles and I were discussing the intruder. He suggested we go through the office again."

If it means putting an end to Crystal's lies, I'm all for it."

XXXXX

Flicka woke up in the cubicle when she heard a door open. It was the office door. Great, she thought bitterly. How am I supposed to get out now?

XXXXX

Storm stepped into her office slowly. "I don't know where she would hide, there's not exactly many places to hide in here."

Logan stepped in after her and sniffed the air. "I got a scent," he said, "and it's fresh too."

"For you to get a scent that quickly, she must've slept in here." Storm followed him to the bookcase.

"Oh, yeah, she's in here alright."

"Of course," Storm said, pressing her hand against one of the diamond designs just below the lowest shelves. "The secret cubicle. It was built to hide kids, should there be some kind of emergency."

A side door slid up to reveal the intruder curled up inside. "Look, I'm sorry," she said. "Please don't hurt me."

"What?" Logan asked. "No kicks at your attackers?" Storm elbowed him.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's kind of a tight fit in here," Flicka shot back. "I can barely move as it is." She maneuvered herself to slide out and stiffly got up. "Okay," she gasped as she moved her joints. "I'm never doin' this again."

"We would assume not," Storm said. "Now what were you doing, Crystal?"

"Don't you get it?" Flicka said. "I'm not Crystal."

"Then who are you?"

"I'm," Hawk replied a little tartly. "My real name's Ashley; but, I go by Hawk."

Storm looked at Logan briefly then back at Hawk. "What are you doing here, Hawk?"

"I heard this was a safe place," Hawk said. "I'm a human, but I don't fit in well anywhere. I thought I could come here in sanctuary, but I guess-" she paused as if realizing something. "Wait a minute, you're Storm, aren't you? Real name, Ororo Munroe?"

"How do you know that?" Storm asked, shocked that this girl would know her real name.

"Let's just say I do my research."

"How do you know Crystal?" Logan asked.

"I imagine you looked at my iPod. Crystal probably told you about her friend singing up on stage at Camp Orlando. That was me. I forgot the scientific term for it, but we realized we looked exactly alike and became friends. It's extremely rare to find someone that looks exactly like you, 'ya know. Oh, and just to let you confirm that I'm not a shape-shifter, the songs on the iPod are: 'Hero', 'Awake and Alive', 'Monster'; 'Whispers in the Dark', 'Comatose,' and 'Falling in the Black', from the 'Awake', 'Comatose', and 'Comatose comes Alive' albums; all by Skillet.

"'Some Hearts', and 'The Night Before (Life Goes On)' from the 'Some Hearts' album by Carrie Underwood.

"'Love Story', 'You belong with me', 'Fearless'; 'Picture to Burn', and 'Our Song' from the 'Fearless' and 'Taylor Swift' albums by Taylor Swift. Do I need to go on?"

"No," Logan said, handing her the iPod.

"Thank you," Hawk said, taking the iPod. "Would it be alright if I had a tour?"

"Sure," Storm said, leading the teenager out. "I'll be there in a moment." She closed the door.

"Do you think we should trust her?" Logan asked.

"Most of what she's saying is true," Storm replied. "There's still something about her being friends with Crystal that bugs me; but, we mustn't forget the fact that she did get the songs correct on the iPod."

"What about the years?"

"Hey!" They heard Hawk cry. "I don't know half of the years of those songs. I do know that 'Comatose' was '06; Comatose comes Alive was '08; and Awake '09. But that's it."

"And you're eavesdropping," Storm pointed out.

"Sorry."

Storm turned back to Logan. "I guess we trust her."

XXXXX

After touring the school grounds, Storm and Hawk went to the stable. "I think you might feel comfortable in here," Storm said. Hawk looked around and nodded, a gleeful expression on her face. As she passed one of the stalls, she placed her hands on her hips, as if scolding a small child.

"How did you find this place before I did?" she mock-demanded, stepping into it.

Storm walked around to see a black mare with a grayish-white mark under her forelock. The black horse nickered and Hawk giggled. Then she turned to something else in the stall. "Isis, come. Sit. Paw. Shake."

Storm didn't see who she was talking to- since Hawk blocked her view- until Hawk came out with a pure white wolf. The wolf trotted toward Storm, and nearly jumped on her, until Hawk called her back. "Isis, down. Sit. Paw. Shake."

The wolf obeyed all of these commands, except 'shake'. "Go on," Hawk said encouragingly. Isis is extremely friendly." Storm knelt down and took the wolf's paw; which Isis shook. Then she tried to jump on Storm again, but a verbal warning from Hawk stopped her. "I think she likes you," Hawk said. Then she looked up at something and gasped happily. "Sky!" she called, holding up her right arm out like a branch. A hawk flew down and landed on her arm.

"Is he the reason why you're called, Hawk?" Storm asked.

"She," Hawk corrected. "And she's only part of the reason."

The sounds of claws unsheathing caught their attention. Hawk spun around, saw that Logan was about to lunge at Isis, and gasped. "No, Logan!" She cried. "Don't!" She bowled Logan over, and nicked herself on one of his claws.

"What the heck was that all about?" Logan demanded. "That's a wild wolf."

"That's my wolf, Logan!" Hawk shot back. Isis started to growl and bare her teeth into a snarl. Storm could tell that Hawk wanted to let Isis attack him, but was caught up in the fact that she probably would get hurt. "Isis, heel," Hawk ordered.

Isis obeyed, but still kept a wary eye on Logan. Storm went up behind Hawk, and gently put her hands on her shoulders. "What do you say we say we go out into the garden?"

"Sure," Hawk said, as she stalked off.

"What's gotten into her?" Logan asked.

"You shouldn't have done that," Storm replied. "Had you paid attention or waited a little bit longer, you would've seen that she was harmless." She spun on her heel and walked out after Hawk; leaving a puzzled Logan behind.

XXXXX

Hawk walked with Storm through the gardens, pausing every so often to look or sniff at a flower. "Is he always like that?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Logan?" Storm asked, then shook her head. "No, he's just not used to having another wolf around, if you catch my meaning." Hawk giggled at Storm's reference. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Storm broke it again. "Hawk, I have to ask this. Why did you break into the mansion?"

Hawk had expected this to come up. "I thought I could fit in here."

"Is it because you and Crystal are twins?" Storm pressed, obviously not believing Crystal one bit.

Great, Hawk thought bitterly. She's on to me. Then she turned to Storm. "No we're not-" She cut herself off as she saw someone up ahead. "twins," she finished slowly. Still staring up ahead, she whispered something. "Crystal."

XXXXX

Crystal and Rogue were walking in the gardens with one of the new teachers, Emma Frost. "Did you see the look on Bobby's face?" Crystal asked Rogue laughing.

"I know," Rogue replied, also laughing. "It was priceless."

"I thought you two were going to be working on your project?" Emma asked.

"We were," Crystal replied. "But we got bored and decided to play volleyball."

"Right," Emma said, unconvinced.

Great, a bitter thought came to her head. She's on to me.

Crystal stopped and looked out towards the stables. Three familiar shapes, one slightly shorter than the other and one that was on four legs, were approaching their destination. Crystal knew automatically that one of them was Storm. Her white hair could be seen a mile away. The other was a brunette. Crystal couldn't tell from this distance, but the brunette seemed familiar. Then Crystal saw something white tailing them. It didn't take long for her to realize who it was. Then the brunette turned toward her. Crystal instantly knew who it was and dashed forward, stopping a few feet away. "Crystal," Hawk whispered.

"Hawk." The two girls rushed forward to embrace each other.

XXXXX

Storm watched as the sisters embraced. "Those two must be close," Logan said, coming up behind her. Charles was with him.

"Not identical twins, huh?" Storm asked, after giving the girls a moment. Both girls turned to face the three adults.

"Okay, okay," Crystal- or Hawk said. Storm couldn't tell because their faces looked exactly alike."I should've told you, but I didn't know how."

"Okay," Logan said, raising his hands, before we get into this, who's who?"

"I'm getting to that," Crystal said, then looked at her sister. "When I joined, someone wasn't at the campsite-"

"You've got that backwards, sis," Hawk interrupted. "You mean you weren't at the campsite."

"You weren't there when I came to get you."

"Wait a minute," Hawk said, holding up her hands. "Are you talkin' about before or after you sent Storm to keep me company?"

"After. You made me think the worst and-" she looked at Hawk's unscathed skin. "Where's your bandage?"

"My bandage?" she asked, looking at her puzzled. "What-what are you talking about?"

"There was blood at the camp!"

"Oh," Hawk said, realizing what she was talking about. "You mean Storm's blood. She got injured when Pyro sent a fireball at us. I had to treat it and keep her movin' so that she wouldn't get cold and keep warm."

"But your mind blocks-"

"Were only there to keep you out. Look, I knew you were going to go with them. It was too good an opportunity. I was going to come here anyway. Although, I didn't expect my grand entrance to come like this."

"You were supposed to wait for me at the campsite," Crystal grumbled.

"And have I ever listened?" Hawk asked teasingly.

"Okay," Logan said. "Let me get this straight. You're both sisters and not friends, right?"

Hawk shrugged. "Depends on the point of view."

"Ugh!" Crystal exclaimed putting a hand to her forehead. "Don't go all Star Wars on me again!"

"Sorry."

"Yes, Logan," Crystal said, answering the un-answered question.

"And Hawk's telepathic?"

Hawk laughed. "I wish. Actually, Crystal and I have identical brainwaves. I can communicate with her telepathically and vice versa. Unfortunately, this also means we can feel each others pain. On the bright side of things, we can block it off if need be. This is due to the fact that we're identical twins."

Crystal tensed when she heard the word 'twins'. This seemed odd to Storm, and, apparently, Hawk noticed.

XXXXX

Hawk turned to Crystal. What's wrong?

Crystal straightened up, and made her face impassive. Nothing.

Hawk frowned. It was rare that Crystal would lie to her. In fact, the two were so close that they had few if any secrets from each other. Don't lie to me. I can always tell when you're lying. This was true. Hawk was the more sneaky one, and a way better liar out of the two. In the card game, Lie, Crystal was so easy to read, Hawk wouldn't need their telepathic bond to know she lied.

Look, it's nothing. Really.

Hawk knew that wasn't true. "Fine," she said aloud. "Keep your dirty secrets."

"Hawk," Crystal tried as her sister walked off toward the stables.

Hawk held up her hand, not turning around. "Leave me alone."

XXXXX

Hawk's little outburst confused Storm. She looked at the Professor, but he shook his head. "It looks as if they had a small argument, but I can't be certain."

"They had a small argument just my lookin' at each other in the eye?" Logan asked.

"Telepathically, Logan," Storm answered. "Although, it is believed that girls can do it, even though they're not related."

"Should we go after her?"

"It's better if you don't," Crystal said, her face downcast. "When Hawk gets like that, it's best if you leave her alone to cool off. If you don't, someone's gonna get hurt. Don't worry about the animals though, she usually rides Storm and comes back perfectly calm. Music also helps." She turned to go back, then paused and turned back around. "I uh... hope you gave her iPod back to her. My sister without her music is not a pretty sight."

"Is that a threat," Logan asked menacingly. Crystal either didn't notice, or didn't care.

"No," Crystal said casually. "Just giving you a fair warning. I ain't gonna be around when she blows a fuse."

Logan woke up the next morning and headed downstairs. He ran into Charles on the way down. "Hey, Chuck," he said.

"Hello, Logan," Charles replied. They walked into the kitchen and Logan grabbed the eggs and bacon. He didn't see Storm, and figured that she'd already eaten and was in her greenhouse tending to her plants. "Did you catch the intruder last night?"

"No," Logan said, shaking his head. "She went into 'Ro's office and then vanished. We're not sure about what happened after that."

"If you're thinking I could find her, I've already tried. Her mind, I think, is similar to Storm's. I can't seem to locate her contact her telepathically. Try searching her office again, it could be that she found a hiding spot that you didn't think of."

"Did someone call my name?" Storm asked coming in.

"Yes," Logan said. "Charles and I were discussing the intruder. He suggested we go through the office again."

If it means putting an end to Crystal's lies, I'm all for it."

XXXXX

Flicka woke up in the cubicle when she heard a door open. It was the office door. Great, she thought bitterly. How am I supposed to get out now?

XXXXX

Storm stepped into her office slowly. "I don't know where she would hide, there's not exactly many places to hide in here."

Logan stepped in after her and sniffed the air. "I got a scent," he said, "and it's fresh too."

"For you to get a scent that quickly, she must've slept in here." Storm followed him to the bookcase.

"Oh, yeah, she's in here alright."

"Of course," Storm said, pressing her hand against one of the diamond designs just below the lowest shelves. "The secret cubicle. It was built to hide kids, should there be some kind of emergency."

A side door slid up to reveal the intruder curled up inside. "Look, I'm sorry," she said. "Please don't hurt me."

"What?" Logan asked. "No kicks at your attackers?" Storm elbowed him.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's kind of a tight fit in here," Flicka shot back. "I can barely move as it is." She maneuvered herself to slide out and stiffly got up. "Okay," she gasped as she moved her joints. "I'm never doin' this again."

"We would assume not," Storm said. "Now what were you doing, Crystal?"

"Don't you get it?" Flicka said. "I'm not Crystal."

"Then who are you?"

"I'm," Hawk replied a little tartly. "My real name's Ashley; but, I go by Hawk."

Storm looked at Logan briefly then back at Hawk. "What are you doing here, Hawk?"

"I heard this was a safe place," Hawk said. "I'm a human, but I don't fit in well anywhere. I thought I could come here in sanctuary, but I guess-" she paused as if realizing something. "Wait a minute, you're Storm, aren't you? Real name, Ororo Munroe?"

"How do you know that?" Storm asked, shocked that this girl would know her real name.

"Let's just say I do my research."

"How do you know Crystal?" Logan asked.

"I imagine you looked at my iPod. Crystal probably told you about her friend singing up on stage at Camp Orlando. That was me. I forgot the scientific term for it, but we realized we looked exactly alike and became friends. It's extremely rare to find someone that looks exactly like you, 'ya know. Oh, and just to let you confirm that I'm not a shape-shifter, the songs on the iPod are: 'Hero', 'Awake and Alive', 'Monster'; 'Whispers in the Dark', 'Comatose,' and 'Falling in the Black', from the 'Awake', 'Comatose', and 'Comatose comes Alive' albums; all by Skillet.

"'Some Hearts', and 'The Night Before (Life Goes On)' from the 'Some Hearts' album by Carrie Underwood.

"'Love Story', 'You belong with me', 'Fearless'; 'Picture to Burn', and 'Our Song' from the 'Fearless' and 'Taylor Swift' albums by Taylor Swift. Do I need to go on?"

"No," Logan said, handing her the iPod.

"Thank you," Hawk said, taking the iPod. "Would it be alright if I had a tour?"

"Sure," Storm said, leading the teenager out. "I'll be there in a moment." She closed the door.

"Do you think we should trust her?" Logan asked.

"Most of what she's saying is true," Storm replied. "There's still something about her being friends with Crystal that bugs me; but, we mustn't forget the fact that she did get the songs correct on the iPod."

"What about the years?"

"Hey!" They heard Hawk cry. "I don't know half of the years of those songs. I do know that 'Comatose' was '06; Comatose comes Alive was '08; and Awake '09. But that's it."

"And you're eavesdropping," Storm pointed out.

"Sorry."

Storm turned back to Logan. "I guess we trust her."

XXXXX

After touring the school grounds, Storm and Hawk went to the stable. "I think you might feel comfortable in here," Storm said. Hawk looked around and nodded, a gleeful expression on her face. As she passed one of the stalls, she placed her hands on her hips, as if scolding a small child.

"How did you find this place before I did?" she mock-demanded, stepping into it.

Storm walked around to see a black mare with a grayish-white mark under her forelock. The black horse nickered and Hawk giggled. Then she turned to something else in the stall. "Isis, come. Sit. Paw. Shake."

Storm didn't see who she was talking to- since Hawk blocked her view- until Hawk came out with a pure white wolf. The wolf trotted toward Storm, and nearly jumped on her, until Hawk called her back. "Isis, down. Sit. Paw. Shake."

The wolf obeyed all of these commands, except 'shake'. "Go on," Hawk said encouragingly. Isis is extremely friendly." Storm knelt down and took the wolf's paw; which Isis shook. Then she tried to jump on Storm again, but a verbal warning from Hawk stopped her. "I think she likes you," Hawk said. Then she looked up at something and gasped happily. "Sky!" she called, holding up her right arm out like a branch. A hawk flew down and landed on her arm.

"Is he the reason why you're called, Hawk?" Storm asked.

"She," Hawk corrected. "And she's only part of the reason."

The sounds of claws unsheathing caught their attention. Hawk spun around, saw that Logan was about to lunge at Isis, and gasped. "No, Logan!" She cried. "Don't!" She bowled Logan over, and nicked herself on one of his claws.

"What the heck was that all about?" Logan demanded. "That's a wild wolf."

"That's my wolf, Logan!" Hawk shot back. Isis started to growl and bare her teeth into a snarl. Storm could tell that Hawk wanted to let Isis attack him, but was caught up in the fact that she probably would get hurt. "Isis, heel," Hawk ordered.

Isis obeyed, but still kept a wary eye on Logan. Storm went up behind Hawk, and gently put her hands on her shoulders. "What do you say we say we go out into the garden?"

"Sure," Hawk said, as she stalked off.

"What's gotten into her?" Logan asked.

"You shouldn't have done that," Storm replied. "Had you paid attention or waited a little bit longer, you would've seen that she was harmless." She spun on her heel and walked out after Hawk; leaving a puzzled Logan behind.

XXXXX

Hawk walked with Storm through the gardens, pausing every so often to look or sniff at a flower. "Is he always like that?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Logan?" Storm asked, then shook her head. "No, he's just not used to having another wolf around, if you catch my meaning." Hawk giggled at Storm's reference. They walked in silence for a few minutes until Storm broke it again. "Hawk, I have to ask this. Why did you break into the mansion?"

Hawk had expected this to come up. "I thought I could fit in here."

"Is it because you and Crystal are twins?" Storm pressed, obviously not believing Crystal one bit.

Great, Hawk thought bitterly. She's on to me. Then she turned to Storm. "No we're not-" She cut herself off as she saw someone up ahead. "twins," she finished slowly. Still staring up ahead, she whispered something. "Crystal."

XXXXX

Crystal and Rogue were walking in the gardens with one of the new teachers, Emma Frost. "Did you see the look on Bobby's face?" Crystal asked Rogue laughing.

"I know," Rogue replied, also laughing. "It was priceless."

"I thought you two were going to be working on your project?" Emma asked.

"We were," Crystal replied. "But we got bored and decided to play volleyball."

"Right," Emma said, unconvinced.

Great, a bitter thought came to her head. She's on to me.

Crystal stopped and looked out towards the stables. Three familiar shapes, one slightly shorter than the other and one that was on four legs, were approaching their destination. Crystal knew automatically that one of them was Storm. Her white hair could be seen a mile away. The other was a brunette. Crystal couldn't tell from this distance, but the brunette seemed familiar. Then Crystal saw something white tailing them. It didn't take long for her to realize who it was. Then the brunette turned toward her. Crystal instantly knew who it was and dashed forward, stopping a few feet away. "Crystal," Hawk whispered.

"Hawk." The two girls rushed forward to embrace each other.

XXXXX

Storm watched as the sisters embraced. "Those two must be close," Logan said, coming up behind her. Charles was with him.

"Not identical twins, huh?" Storm asked, after giving the girls a moment. Both girls turned to face the three adults.

"Okay, okay," Crystal- or Hawk said. Storm couldn't tell because their faces looked exactly alike."I should've told you, but I didn't know how."

"Okay," Logan said, raising his hands, before we get into this, who's who?"

"I'm getting to that," Crystal said, then looked at her sister. "When I joined, someone wasn't at the campsite-"

"You've got that backwards, sis," Hawk interrupted. "You mean you weren't at the campsite."

"You weren't there when I came to get you."

"Wait a minute," Hawk said, holding up her hands. "Are you talkin' about before or after you sent Storm to keep me company?"

"After. You made me think the worst and-" she looked at Hawk's unscathed skin. "Where's your bandage?"

"My bandage?" she asked, looking at her puzzled. "What-what are you talking about?"

"There was blood at the camp!"

"Oh," Hawk said, realizing what she was talking about. "You mean Storm's blood. She got injured when Pyro sent a fireball at us. I had to treat it and keep her movin' so that she wouldn't get cold and keep warm."

"But your mind blocks-"

"Were only there to keep you out. Look, I knew you were going to go with them. It was too good an opportunity. I was going to come here anyway. Although, I didn't expect my grand entrance to come like this."

"You were supposed to wait for me at the campsite," Crystal grumbled.

"And have I ever listened?" Hawk asked teasingly.

"Okay," Logan said. "Let me get this straight. You're both sisters and not friends, right?"

Hawk shrugged. "Depends on the point of view."

"Ugh!" Crystal exclaimed putting a hand to her forehead. "Don't go all Star Wars on me again!"

"Sorry."

"Yes, Logan," Crystal said, answering the un-answered question.

"And Hawk's telepathic?"

Hawk laughed. "I wish. Actually, Crystal and I have identical brainwaves. I can communicate with her telepathically and vice versa. Unfortunately, this also means we can feel each others pain. On the bright side of things, we can block it off if need be. This is due to the fact that we're identical twins."

Crystal tensed when she heard the word 'twins'. This seemed odd to Storm, and, apparently, Hawk noticed.

XXXXX

Hawk turned to Crystal. What's wrong?

Crystal straightened up, and made her face impassive. Nothing.

Hawk frowned. It was rare that Crystal would lie to her. In fact, the two were so close that they had few if any secrets from each other. Don't lie to me. I can always tell when you're lying. This was true. Hawk was the more sneaky one, and a way better liar out of the two. In the card game, Lie, Crystal was so easy to read, Hawk wouldn't need their telepathic bond to know she lied.

Look, it's nothing. Really.

Hawk knew that wasn't true. "Fine," she said aloud. "Keep your dirty secrets."

"Hawk," Crystal tried as her sister walked off toward the stables.

Hawk held up her hand, not turning around. "Leave me alone."

XXXXX

Hawk's little outburst confused Storm. She looked at the Professor, but he shook his head. "It looks as if they had a small argument, but I can't be certain."

"They had a small argument just my lookin' at each other in the eye?" Logan asked.

"Telepathically, Logan," Storm answered. "Although, it is believed that girls can do it, even though they're not related."

"Should we go after her?"

"It's better if you don't," Crystal said, her face downcast. "When Hawk gets like that, it's best if you leave her alone to cool off. If you don't, someone's gonna get hurt. Don't worry about the animals though, she usually rides Storm and comes back perfectly calm. Music also helps." She turned to go back, then paused and turned back around. "I uh... hope you gave her iPod back to her. My sister without her music is not a pretty sight."

"Is that a threat," Logan asked menacingly. Crystal either didn't notice, or didn't care.

"No," Crystal said casually. "Just giving you a fair warning. I ain't gonna be around when she blows a fuse."

Charles, Rogue, Storm, Logan and the twins were in Storm's office early the next morning. "What?" Rogue demanded in disbelief after Storm told her the news. "What do you mean my powers are back? They said it was permanent.

Storm looked at Logan and sighed. Hawk spoke up before anyone could say something. "When you grabbed my wrist the other day, I felt lightheaded and dizzy. More than likely that was why you blacked out. It's not your fault though; from what I hear, alot of mutants took it."

Rogue looked at Storm. "Could I talk to the three of you alone?"

Storm nodded and the twins walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. "And no eavesdropping!" Storm called out behind them. She looked at the Professor and nodded; indicating that the weren't listening. Then Storm turned back to Rogue.

"This would explain this dream I had," Rogue explained. "I'm caught under a car and Crystal is coming toward me, calling me Hawk. I start coughing and Crystal has to pull me out. There's fire and smoke everywhere. After Crystal pulls me out, I'm passed out, and that's how it ends."

Logan looked at Storm. "Didn't Crystal say that they were playin' an X-box when the car accident happened.

Storm nodded. "She lied... again." Storm sighed, then she commented. "It did look as if Hawk wanted to tell the truth though, by the funny look she gave her sister."

"Yeah," he conceded. Logan thought there was somethin' up with the younger one, but he didn't want to scare her by forcing her to tell him. He turned and looked at Storm. "Wanna go get some breakfast?"

"Sure," Storm replied, smiling.

XXXXX

The twins were in Crystal's room as the adults conversed. "Hey," Crystal said as they started playing Rock, Paper, Scissors. "What d'ya think about bringing some of our family traditions over here?"

Hawk looked up as she crashed her rock into Crystal's scissors. "What d'ya mean?"

"Like kicking the women out of the mansion, and while they shop, we decorate; put up the and decorate the tree; listen to Christmas songs and then watch a movie when we're finished."

"Yesterday was Thanksgiving wasn't it?" Hawk asked, snipping Crystal's paper. Crystal nodded. "You know how big I am on traditions." Hawk smiled as she crashed her rock into Crystal's scissors again.

"ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS! SHOOT!" They both said, and Hawk crashed her rock again into Crystal's scissors.

XXXXX

The twins ducked into a niche as Storm and Logan came out of Storm's office. "Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Hawk asked Crystal.

"Yup," Crystal said looking at Hawk.

"Mistletoe!" They both said when the couple was out of sight. They walked the rest of the way to the office and went inside.

"Welcome girls," the Professor said, turning around in his chair behind the desk. Obviously he liked being in his old office. "What can I do for you?"

The girls looked at each other nervously, but then explained what they wanted to do. "If Magneto and his gang are back," Hawk explained, "then this could be the only chance we could have to go shopping without a hassle."

"But how would they know what to buy?" Professor X asked.

"Ms. Frost is a telepathic right? More than likely, the girls already know what to get everyone. And while everyone decorates, they'll probably thinkin' about what they want for Christmas. That's not exactly probing if they're already thinking about it; then you could send it to the girls."

"Will you two be going?"

They both shook their heads. "Anyone over eighteen goes."

XXXXX

"I can't believe that actually worked!" Crystal exclaimed. She and Hawk were heading to Hawk's room to pick up her dock so that they could listen to music while they decorated.

"I know. At least we can decorate the mansion, just like at home. But when we play the music, the one song that I don't want to hear is 'Christmas Shoes.' Ugh! I hate that song."

"I know. It'd be nice to go one year without hearin' it for once. I mean, it's so sad."

Hawk nodded and was about to say something when a familiar tune began to play. "It was almost Christmas time..."

The two froze and looked at each other in horror. "It's not..." Crystal began, hoping she was mistaken. But the look her sister gave her told her that she better wish it was snowing in Florida, and the snow stuck.

"Change it!"

XXXXX

Logan was in the living area, helping get the Christmas lights and decorations out, when the twins rushed in. Crystal used her telekinesis to tweak the station radio; automatically changing the song to 'O come all ye faithful.'

The twins leaned against the door way, breathing hard with relief. "What was that all about?" Logan demanded.

Hawk looked up at him. "Trust us, you don't want to listen to that song."

"Why?"

"It was 'Christmas Shoes'," Crystal said, as if he should've known what song it was. "You know, a best-selling book, that became a song by Newsong, that later became a movie."

"How did you know that?" Logan asked, still puzzled by their behavior over that song. "The first part had just barely started."

Crystal pointed at her sister. "Hawk has an excellent memory when it comes to music. She can guess the title and artist- if she knows them- of a song just by listening to the first second of it. It's pretty rare that she's wrong."

"And what's wrong with 'Christmas Shoes?" Bobby asked, coming in to help Logan. Hawk turned to him.

"Have you seen the movie?" Hawk asked. Bobby shook his head. "Yeah, well, I have. And I never ever want to see it again."

"Why not?"

"Look," Crystal said. "If you guys wan to listen to one of the saddest Christmas songs ever, go ahead."

"Speak for yourself, Crystal. Don't think I haven't forgotten about that incident last year. I was forced to watch it thanks to you. That was torture."

"Hey," Crystal said defensively. "It wasn't my idea to go and wake you up, it was mom and dad's."

"Anyway," Hawk said, returning to the subject beforehand. "Just make sure we're not around... or at least I'm not."

"Is it really that bad?" Logan asked.

"The mother dies! I got a little watery eyed. And let me tell 'ya, it hard to get me to cry at a movie. I've actually never cried at a movie. The only other time I came that close to cryin' at a movie, was during 'Marley & Me'. I actually used to like that song, until I saw the movie; which spoiled it."

"Look," Crystal suggested. "Let's get Hawk's dock, and we'll get some good music on."

After the twins hooked up the iPod, they turned on 'Rockin' around the Christmas tree' by Jump 5. Hawk sang along and always froze at "Deck! The halls with boughs of holly."

XXXXX

After everyone finished decorating they all gathered into the living area to watch a movie. After watching the new Harry Potter movie they all went upstairs to their rooms. The women weren't home until midnight.

XXXXX

Hawk went to Storm's room the next morning. "Storm?" she asked into the closed door.

"Come in," Storm said. Hawk opened the door, and saw that Storm had just finished putting on a silver turtleneck. Storm pulled out her long hair- a bonus from Crystal's healing- from the back. "I just wanted to ask you a favor."

"Sure," Storm said, turning to her. "What is it?"

"I just wanted to ask if you could make it snow for about, oh, let's say, half a day?"

Storm froze. Oh boy, Hawk thought. "Don't worry, it's for a good cause."

"Which is?"

"If I told you, then it wouldn't be a surprise."

Storm sighed. "I'll try; but I won't guarantee anything."

Hawk nodded, then left. She stopped by the window and saw the snow falling down.

XXXXX

Hawk went to the stables later on in the evening. Crystal was brushing Storm as she came in. "Hey," she said. "Is she ready?"

"Just about," Crystal replied. "Do you know where the sleigh is?"

"Yup, at the other end of the stables in the shed."

"Great," Crystal said, giving the black mare one last stroke. "Go call the others down."

XXXXX

Storm and Logan walked into the stables, hand in hand. "Hey!" Hawk said, popping up from behind the stall.

"Whoa!" Storm exclaimed. "Don't do that."

"Sorry," Hawk said, coming out. "Follow me."

Hawk led the two out to the shed where Crystal was waiting. Crystal pointed inside. "Wait out here." The twins went inside. "What is it?"

"Storm's not being cooperative with me. Says that it's too cold and that she needs your permission and wants a warm blanket."

Hawk rolled her eyes. Storm was taking advantage of the join-up technique that Hawk used before she went riding. She went to the carriage where Storm was. "Alright, Storm," Hawk said. "Quit taking advantage of Crystal and help us out." Hawk grabbed one of the rails to harness the horse to the sleigh and slid it in place. She double checked everything from strap to buckle, then told Crystal to hold and lead her out. Bobby, Rogue, Peter, Kitty, and Angel were out back. They needed some help to pull this off. "Okay, you can come in now."

Storm and Logan walked in, and Storm gasped. "What's all of this about?"

Hawk smiled as Crystal led Midnight Storm out onto the snow, luckily the girls never shoed her, or they would have had a problem with thrush. "This was why I needed the snow."

The rest of the team, minus Beast and Xavier, went into the sleigh. The kids in the front, the adults in the back, and the twins driving. Hawk took control of the reins. There were two blankets in the back. One for the adults, the other for the kids. Everyone started to sing 'Jingle bell rock,' then sang 'Sleigh ride', the kids trying not to giggle when they said "it's grand just holding your hand," and "we've snuggled close together like two birds in a feather would be." After that they sang Jingle Bells. Storm's bells were jingling as she trotted on, matching everyone's song. "Batman version!" Crystal cried. The adults, of course probably didn't know what she was talking about, but the rest of them did.

"Jingle bells

Batman smells

Robin laid an egg

Batmobile

Lost a wheel

And Joker got away

Hey!"

Everyone, except the adults, laughed. They trotted on in silence for a little bit then Hawk started singing.

"Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin'

In the lane, snow is glistenin'

A beautiful sight,

We're happy tonight

Walkin' in a winter wonderland

They all looked up to see Sky flying around. Sky swooped down.

Gone away is the blue bird

Here to stay is the new bird

Sky landed on her shoulder as she said 'new bird'. Then the kids all turned to sneak a peak in the back. Storm was leaning against Logan, wrapped in the blanket and smiling. Logan was looking back also smiling.

He's sings a love song as we go along

Walkin' in a winter wonderland"

Logan looked up at them and they all immediately turned back, giggling. Hawk suddenly felt cold all over. She looked at Crystal, and she nodded. Hawk one handed the reins, and Sky hopped off her shoulder and onto her forearm. Hawk lowered then quickly lifted her arm. Sky took off instantly. Storm was also starting to act weird. Her ears were flicking back and forth with anxiety, and she was starting to stiffen, as if preparing to bolt. Hawk relaxed her grip on the reins a little, but it made no difference. Her head started to bob and she was snorting. "Everything alright up there?" Logan called.

"I don't know," Hawk called back. "Storm's just acting a little strange."

"Can we start calling her Midnight when I'm around, please?" Storm asked. "Otherwise, I'm going to think you're talking about me."

"Alright, Storm."

Hawk was about to urge Midnight on, when Sabretooth came in, knocking Midnight to the ground. The kids screamed as the the sleigh went down. Storm had just manged to untangle herself from the blanket and used the winds to push them back upright. Midnight, however, was still on her side. Crystal got off, and Hawk went in the back with Storm and Logan. Kitty, and Colossus got out and went to stand beside the sleigh. Rogue and Bobby went to help Crystal. Rogue took off her glove. Sabretooth backed off, then disappeared into the woods again, knowing this wasn't a fight he could win. Everyone got back into their spots, and Crystal joined them after checking on Midnight. "Uh, Hawk, I think we should go home now," Logan said.

"Yeah," Hawk said nervously, nodding. "I think so too."

XXXXX

"Are they the ones?" Sabretooth asked his partner behind the bushes.

"I can't be sure," his partner replied. "One of them definitely looks like the child I was going to experiment on, but I couldn't see the other one. We're going to need someone who has seen them."

XXXXX

Storm and Logan walked back into the mansion hand-in-hand. "Too bad the sleigh ride was ruined by Sabretooth," Storm commented.

"Yeah, Hawk was a little spooked by that."

Storm nodded. They were coming up on one of the common rooms, when Storm noticed something on one of the door frame. "Why is it that when we're walking around together, there's always mistletoe up on the door frame?"

Logan shrugged. He unsheathed his claws to cut it down, when a voice on the other side of the door stopped him. "Don't even think about it Logan," Crystal said.

"If you want to come in here," Hawk said, "You have to do the kiss under the mistletoe."

Storm and Logan glanced at each other. This was not what they had wanted. Then he thought back to the fight with phoenix. He whispered the idea to Storm and she nodded. They stole a quick peck then heard the twins sigh disappointedly. Not what they had wanted, but Storm and Logan were satisfied. They walked in while the girl's still had a sour look on her face. "Alright," Storm said. "To bed, both of you."

The girls complied and Storm and Logan got their time in the common room by the fireplace.

Storm was about to start a Danger Room session when Hawk came in. "Okay if I join?"

Storm was a little skeptical at first; but then she decided to let Hawk try. If she could survive a battle with Sabretooth, then she could probably survive a Danger Room session. Originally, Storm was going to pair up with Crystal- to see for herself how the teenager was in the Danger Room- and have Peter with Bobby and Kitty; but she could always pair up with Logan, and Peter could pair up with Gambit. "Rogue," she called to the young woman who would be observing. "Take Hawk into the dressing room and get her a uniform."

When they came out, Hawk was in a uniform that was similar to Shadowcat's, just a darker shade of pink.

XXXXX

Hawk and Crystal hid behind a large piece of debris. Lasers were shooting from every-which-way and missiles were flying everywhere. "Do you see the exit?" Hawk asked.

"Yeah," Crystal replied, checking her timer. "But we only have three minutes left, and no one else is here."

"Where's Storm?" Hawk asked looking around.

"I don't know."

"Wait," Hawk said as something caught her attention. "There she is."

Hawk saw Storm flying over some debris, easily evading the missiles and lasers fire. She landed easily not too far from where the twins were. Hawk was about to wave her over when she somehow knew that something was coming in at them. "Crystal, lookout!" Hawk cried, bowling her sister over as a missile detonated into the debris not a second from where their heads had just been. Crystal manipulated the winds to keep the debris from the blast from hitting them. Hawk noticed Crystal turning to her. She looked at her face. There was that funny look again. "What?"

"How did you do that?"

"I don't know. You know how I get when I'm on full alert. I guess it was that."

"Are you two alright?" Storm asked rushing over.

They nodded. "Where's Logan?" Hawk asked.

"Got separated when the sentinel was heading towards us."

Crystal looked out and over some more debris to their left. Hawk did the same. They saw Cannonball, Colossus, Sage, Mirage, Gambit, Kitty, Bobby and Angel heading their way. Hawk suddenly noticed something in their path. "Stop!" She cried, instinctively grabbing her sister's arm. They both cried out in pain as, what felt like, electricity ran up Hawk's arm.

"Hawk, let go," Storm said. Crystal had passed out by then.

Hawk obeyed, and realized that she was holding out her other hand. She was about to pull it back when she that she had pushed the others back. "Huh?" She didn't know how she did that, but she didn't waste waste time to think about it. She used the telekinesis she received, to put some of the debris that had dislodged from her close-encounter with the missile, onto the mine that Bobby was about to step on. It exploded on contact and she put a force-field around Bobby's group.

Logan came out of nowhere between the two groups. "The whole world's going to hell and you're all just sittin' there?" He asked Bobby's group.

"Does he always curse like that?" Hawk asked Storm, as the others got up.

"Whenever he finds it appropriate," Storm replied, looking at her timer. "Ten seconds."

Crystal had finally come to and her sister helped her up and helped her race to the finish line. "Simulation, complete," the computer said.

XXXXX

"Crystal, Hawk," Storm called to the twins as they headed toward the locker room. They stopped and turned to face her. "I want to talk to you after you've changed."

They nodded and continued on into the changing area. "What's going on?" Logan asked.

"What you said back there was uncalled for," Storm murmured gently, but firmly. "It wasn't their fault."

"Then why were they on the ground?"

"It's Hawk. There's something going on here that we don't know about. Her reflexes back there were too quick to be human."

XXXXX

Crystal knew that Storm was going to ask about Hawk's incident. She didn't know how she was going to explain this one bit she had to come up with something quick.

When they reached Storm's office, they were invited in and they took spots on the couch next to each other. Professor Xavier and Logan were on either side of Storm, who was leaning against her desk. "What happened in the Danger Room Hawk?" Storm asked gently.

Hawk shrugged. "I don't know. That has never happened before."

"I was probably me," Crystal said cutting in. "I have a power transference ability, and it probably rushed in on her when she grabbed my arm."

Hawk turned to her sister. "You never told me that."

"Yes, I did," Crystal replied playfully, not looking at her. Hawk wasn't in the mood.

"Uh, no, you didn't."

"You just don't remember," Crystal said glancing at her sister. I told you before the accident.

Hawk glowered at her before turning back to the others. "I really don't know what happened."

Storm nodded, dismissing them. "Crystal," she said, stopping Crystal in her tracks. "I'm going to need to speak to you later."

Crystal sighed and turned to Hawk. "I'll catch up with you later."

Hawk scowled. "I hate it when you do this," she grumbled, stalking off. Crystal didn't like it either, but she turned back to the adults regardless.

"How about we do it now?"

Storm shrugged, but also nodded, indicating that it was her choice.

"When Hawk says she's human," Crystal began. "She's telling the truth. Or what she thinks is the truth. Hawk's not human, she's a mutant." The adults looked at each other, in surprise. Storm was the only one who didn't look as surprised as the others. Crystal continued. "When I was six, my powers started manifesting. My parents lied to Hawk saying that she was only human. They pulled me aside a few years later and told me the truth. Hawk was emotionally unstable at the time and they were afraid it would cause her emotional damage if she knew."

"Wouldn't Hawk have figured it out telepathically?" Professor X asked. "Considering you two are identical twins and all."

"That's just it. I'm not her identical twin. Well, technically, I am because we still have the same birthday and all, but I'm not her twin. I'm her clone."

The adults were confused for a moment. "Look," Crystal said to put and end to their confusion. "While we were still developing in my mother's womb, my parents somehow found out that Hawk was a mutant and I wasn't. They wanted both of us to be mutants. My mom underwent a procedure that stripped me of my DNA. Well, actually, identical DNA, so I guess it doesn't matter.

"Anyway, they gave me Hawk's DNA and I got her powers. But after the procedure, they realized a few months later that Hawk's powers weren't finished developing and said that it was possible that I wouldn't reach Hawk's full potential. My parents have kept a close eye on me ever since. After I was born, they had set me up for a second procedure to have me match Hawk; but my parents knew it would I would've died and stopped it. When my powers started to manifest, my parents pulled me aside and told me somethin'. Neither of us at the time knew which one was older. They told me I was and said 'I was destined for greatness,' the way parents always say things like that. They said Hawk was going to receive the same abilities as I was, but that I was never to tell her except under dire circumstances. I found out about the procedures a few years later."

"Why doesn't Hawk know about this now?" Storm asked.

"Hawk's emotions are still unstable," Crystal replied despairingly. "If I knew- if she were to find out that our parents lied to her..." she let her voice trail off and shook her head. Professor X held up his hand to show that she didn't have to continue. She did anyway. "It would destroy her. Look, can we just let her believe the transference story, please?"

The Professor nodded, dismissing her. "Thank you! She exclaimed, relieved, as she rushed out the door.

XXXXX

"I don't know, Charles," Storm said, using a breeze to close the door. "Hawk needs to know."

"I understand, Storm," Charles replied gently. "But it's Crystal's call. Her parents entrusted her with this revelation, and she knows her sister better than any of us. It should also be her that tells Hawk."

Storm nodded, but she still didn't feel comfortable with this.

XXXXX

Magneto was in his former hideout when there was a knock on his door. He magnetically opened it to reveal Sabretooth, Toad, Mystique, Pyro, and two mutants that kept their faces in the shadows of the hoods on their cloaks. "We have a proposition for you," one of them said. "In exchange for shelter and joining your 'Brotherhood', we need you to give us some information. We would like to know if you've seen two girls recently. Twins to be exact. We lost our chance of capturing them when the X-men stole back their weather manipulator."

"And if I refuse?" Magneto asked. "My war is against homo sapiens."

"As is ours."

"What if I never have seen those two girls you are looking for? There are two types of twins: Identical and Fraternal."

"Your reward is your life," the mutant said, nodding to Sabretooth, who stepped forward.

"Fair enough," Magneto said, curious about Sabretooth's behavior. "If you're looking for identical twins, they're at the Xavier institute for gifted children."

"Those have to be the children you saw with the X-men," Sabretooth said.

The first mutant paused. "Yes," he said slowly. "He's right. The second one is starting to receive her powers." He turned to his group. "Let's go."

XXXXX

Crystal was in the yard, enjoying the fresh air. Hawk was probably in the stables, getting Storm ready for a ride. Crystal knew that if she she didn't talk to Hawk about her unexplained abilities soon, she would figure it out herself. And that didn't leave a pretty picture in her mind. She was about to go and head for the stables when there was a snap of a twig behind her. She whirled around to see no one there. "Hawk?" she called. "Storm?"

She searched a down a hill, but still didn't see anyone. "Hawk if this is one of your little pranks, it isn't funny."

"Of course it's not," someone said from her left behind her. She gasped as she spun around and saw the Brotherhood and two hooded figures. One of them pulled his back, and she gasped in horror.

"I know you," she said darkly.

"Yes, I met you when you were just a baby."

"What do you want?"

"I need your sister."

"Why?"

"We need her for a project, we also need you."

"My sisters powers are dormant. As of right now she doesn't have any."

"Wrong," the stranger replied. "I have detected her powers. Now where is she?"

"Even if her powers are developing- and I highly doubt they are- she'd be useless. She doesn't know how to use them."

The stranger nodded to Sabretooth, and he stepped forward, toward the stables. "Wait," Crystal said. "I'll go with you. We just have to make it look good. Come back here at midnight..."

XXXXX

Hawk awoke the next morning and went immediately to go get her sister. Hawk had overslept and she was going back into the Danger Room with Crystal, and they had only five minutes to get in there. She opened the door and screamed. Dangling from the roof was Crystal's body. Logan appeared a second later, and quickly cut the rope. He turned back to Hawk as Storm and a few other students arrived. Storm led Hawk away from the room.

XXXXX

"Do you want to cancel today's session?" Storm asked a little bit later.

"This isn't right," Hawk muttered absentmindedly.

"Hawk?"

"Uh-what?" Hawk asked snapping out of her trance.

"Do you want to cancel today's session?" Storm repeated.

"No," Hawk said, sniffing. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm gonna need it. There's something going on here." She looked up at Storm. "Crystal isn't dead."

"Why do you say that?" Storm asked, confused.

"Because I would know. We would always know if the other was hurt. We would feel it. Even at night we would know. I didn't feel anything last night."

"Hawk?" Professor X's voice called from behind her. She turned to face him. "Are you alright?"

"Fine Professor," Hawk replied, getting up. "I'm gonna go get changed. Then I'll figure out what's going on. I don't care what anyone says; Crystal isn't dead, and I'm gonna prove it."

Charles looked at Storm as Hawk walked away. She shrugged. "Do you want me to continue with the plan for today's session?"

Charles nodded. "She's very determined. I don't think anything could stand in her way."

XXXXX

Hawk dodged another missile that came at her. She shot at her attacker, with an old fashioned bow and arrow, aiming for the wires. Storm wanted to exercise her 'danger sense' in an offensive attack. It wasn't long before she killed most of the sentinels and robots. There was just one more left. Up until now, her hasn't failed her; but this one tracked her every move. She quickly glanced at her watch and saw that she had two minutes. Storm was next to her, and the look on Storm's face told her that she was on her own. It was her choice on what to do with that last sentinel.

Hawk shot two arrows at him; one as a decoy, the other for the kill. She brought the sentinel down with 1:45 to spare. "Great job, Hawk," Storm complimented.

"Thanks," Hawk said, taking off the arrows and putting them where they go. Then she grabbed an ear bud from her iPod and placed it in her ear. "Is it alright if I go out for a ride?"

Storm nodded and she dashed off. The way Hawk had acted in the Danger Room concerned Storm a little. It looked as if she released all of her anger and rage into her shooting. She decided not to think too much on it, but made a mental note to tell the Professor about it. If it helped Hawk become a better fighter, then why should she ruin her chances?

XXXXX

Hawk was out near the forest area, enjoying the wind in her hair and face. Despite the earlier events, she felt relaxed and joyful. Riding Midnight Storm always cleared her head. "Whoa," she said gently. Storm came to a stop and she patted the mare's neck. When she looked at her watch, she saw that it was almost noon. She was getting hungry. She was about to turn the horse around when she noticed fog starting to form not too far from her, and thicken. She shivered a little and Storm started to paw anxiously. "Easy," she murmured. "Storm?" she called out. The mist thinned out to reveal eight figures heading toward her. One of them her sister. She recognized all but two of the others, and knew she didn't want to stick around to find out what they wanted.

She quickly turned Storm around and urged her into a gallop. "Yah!" She cried kicking Storm as hard as she dared. The black mare didn't need anymore encouragement than that. As they galloped towards the mansion, Isis and Sky caught up to them. They were reaching the last patch of forest when something like a bomb went off next Storm's right foreleg. The horse collapsed as her leg slipped from under her, and rolled onto her back, practically crushing Hawk before getting up again.

Surprisingly though, Hawk was uninjured; but she was still on the ground. She knew there was no way for her to get back up on Storm before trouble hit. "Go!" she cried, watching as the group came with in ten yards. "Go!"

Storm immediately bolted towards the mansion, the others- although hesitant at first- right behind her. I'm lucky, Hawk thought, scrambling to her feet and darting to the forest patch.

XXXXX

"I don't know what it was Charles," Storm said in her office. "It was like she had a some sort of fire burning in her that she just let loose as she shot the arrows."

"Do you think it's dangerous?" Charles asked.

Storm shrugged. "Let out on the wrong person, yes; but it also seems to make her more aware of her surroundings."

"Let's just keep an eye on her for now, and see what happens."

Storm was about to reply when the sound of a horse's hooves stopped her. She turned toward the window and saw Midnight Storm racing to the mansion... without a rider. She went out onto the balcony and saw Isis and Sky follow Midnight. Sky circled high while Isis stopped and howled, then barked Where's Hawk? she thought. She looked at Charles who had a grim look on his face.

"She's in trouble, Storm," he said. "Get your team and go about a hundred meters out into the yard. She'll be in the forest patch."

Storm nodded and went out into the hallway. Logan was on his way down the staircase. "Logan," she called. He looked up and was about to say something, until he saw the grim look on her face. "Please tell me the others aren't out."

"Which ones?"

"Rogue, Shadowcat, Bobby, any of them."

"Rogue is in the common room with Iceman, but Colossus, Angel, Shadowcat and Hank are out."

"Tell Rogue and Iceman to suit up and meet me in the yard." She started for the locker area, speed walking and Logan had to jog to keep up. "Hawk's in trouble," she explained before he could ask what was going on. "She went out for a ride on Midnight, and Midnight came back without a rider."

Logan nodded and went off to one of the common rooms.

XXXXX

Hawk hid in one of the highest parts of the tree that she could safely get to. Making sure to stay on the shadows of the leaves and branches while watching her enemies. Isis had already come back and made her move on Mystique; while Sky took her chances with Pyro. It suddenly dawned on Hawk that it wouldn't be long before Sabretooth found her. She quickly scrambled sown to the lowest branch and jumped down. Keeping her senses on full alert, she raced through the forest, keeping inside the mist. She realized that she'd run out of forest too late, as she broke out and stumbled over a bush. "Hawk!" A voice called behind her. Hawk whirled around and saw that it was only Storm with Wolverine, Iceman and Rogue.

"Storm," Hawk said relieved. "Boy am I glad to see you."

"What happened?"

"I don't know," she said, turning slightly to face her adversaries, making sure that it wasn't a trick. It wasn't, so she continued. "I was about to go back to the mansion, when this mist came out of nowhere."

"Is that Crystal?" Logan interrupted.

"Yeah," she said, turning to Storm and adding more quietly. "Told'ya she wasn't dead." Then she turned back to the others. "Anyway, I tried to get back to the mansion when I saw these goons appear out of nowhere, but it was like a bomb went off near Midnight and she fell. I was lucky she didn't crush me."

"Well, well, well," someone said from the spot where Hawk had fallen off her horse. "If it isn't the Wolverine. Protecting my experiments now are you?"

"What are you talking about?" Hawk asked icily after turning toward the voice. "Who are you?"

"You didn't know?" the stranger asked turning to look at Crystal. "My, my, Lily. Someone's been keeping secrets." Hawk's blood started to boil as he turned back to her. "I am William Stryker. And Crystal here, isn't your sister."

"Liar!" Hawk screeched as she lunged at him. Pyro shot a fireball at her and she had to twist in mid-air to avoid being hit. Iceman went to go turn off Pyro's flame and Storm went airborne. Wolverine prepared to go up against Sabretooth, while Rogue just took off one of her gloves; should the need arise that she had to get involved. "Crystal!" Hawk called. She didn't know how or why, but somehow she knew this was the only way to stop this fight.

"Hawk!" Crystal returned, shooting crystal's at her. Hawk held up her hands, as of to stop the crystal's from hitting her. Brown feathers started to come out of her hands and a vortex was soon created that combined the crystal's and feathers; sucking the twins into it. It was like their minds combined to become one, and Crystal's powers became Hawk's powers.

XXXXX

Storm covered her eyes as a bright light bursted in front of her face. When she opened them again, a huge hawk, as white as crystals was in front of her. A lightning bolt, not caused by Storm, came down and struck the ground to separate the two different parties. Then the hawk seemed to split in half to reveal the twins again. They fell to the ground with grunts of pain.

XXXXX

Hawk got up with a major pounding headache. "Ow," she groaned. She turned to look at her sister, who wasn't that far from her and gasped. "Crystal, your hair!"

Crystal moaned, then shot up right. "What?" she asked as she looked down at her hair. It had gone from a dark dirty-blond to a bleach blond. "Great," she muttered, not realizing Hawk was still in ear shot. "They warned me that this could happen-" she looked up, realizing she had said too much and covered her mouth. "Oops."

"Who warned you?" Hawk demanded, getting up. Crystal didn't answer. "Who, Crystal?"

Crystal gave in. "Our parents." Hawk gasped and took a step back. Crystal continued. "And the doctors."

"What else haven't you told me?" Hawk asked after a moment.

"Hawk, I-"

"No, Crystal. I'm tired of your secrets. What else haven't you told me?"

Crystal sighed. "How 'bout you're a mutant?"

Hawk gasped in shock, which quickly turned to anger. "And you never thought to tell me?"

"Hawk-"

"I thought we didn't have any secrets," Hawk said, tears filling up her eyes. "It appears I was wrong." She started running toward the mansion.

"Hawk, wait!" Crystal began, grabbing her sister's wrist.

"No," Hawk said, jerking her hand back, before lowering her voice to a whisper. "You're not my sister."

Crystal just stood there and watched as Hawk bolted toward the mansion with Isis, Sky and Midnight on her heels.

XXXXX

Crystal watched as her sister disappeared into the mist. Hawk's words had stung her greatly, but she knew that it could've been worse. She'd brought this on herself by not telling Hawk; and now she was just going to have to live with the consequences.

Magneto came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She shrugged them off and turned to face him as a tear fell down her cheek. She wiped it off. "They'll never accept me now," she said softly. "I might as well go with you."

XXXXX

Storm moved out of the way as Hawk ran past her. She looked at Logan who shrugged. They then turned to see Crystal walking away with Magneto. She stopped and turned to face the X-men. It looked to Storm as if she were pleading to them to understand. Then she turned back to the Brotherhood, and walked away.

Hawk was in Midnight Storm's stall when Storm came in. She was sitting with her knees up and her head buried in her arms, which were on top of her knees, and- not surprisingly- sobbing. She looked up when she heard someone coming into the stall. "Thought I'd find you here," Storm said, taking a spot next to her. Hawk didn't say anything, but shifted her arms so that she was hugging her knees to her chest. Isis came over and laid down at Storm's left; Storm gave her a brief petting before turning back to Hawk. "You know, you can't stay mad at your sister forever."

"Sure I can," Hawk muttered, picking up a piece of straw and fiddling with it. "She lied to me. I can't believe that she wouldn't tell me that I was a mutant. I mean, she's been givin' me these strange looks lately. I knew somethin' was up, but she wouldn't tell me. I've even tried probing her mind, but that didn't work either; she would just block me."

Storm looked at her compassionately. "Sometimes people lie to others to protect them."

"Doesn't change the fact that they're getting hurt by not knowing." Hawk sighed and leaned back against the stall wall. "They don't know or understand what or how it feels to be left out." She tore the piece of straw apart before dropping it onto the bedding again, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I just don't understand anything anymore." Then she covered her ears as, Storm suspected, the animals started to talk to her. "Stop talking to me!" Hawk screamed before starting to cry again. Storm put a comforting arm around her, then brought her in close. Hawk resisted at first, but gave in a moment later. "I just want everything to be normal again."

Storm had met alot of kids who'd said the same thing. She knew for a fact that things would never be normal again for this child. Storm rested her chin on the teenager's head, which was buried in her shoulder, and hushed her gently. "You'll get through this," she promised.

XXXXX

"We'll try again tomorrow," Stryker said.

"You don't want to do that," Crystal said. "When Hawk gets worked up like that, it could take days for her to calm down."

"All the more reason why we try tomorrow."

"You don't know what-" Stryker held up a hand to cut her off and show that the decision was final. Crystal sighed reluctantly.

"Fine. Just promise me no one will get hurt."

XXXXX

Storm looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for dinner. Hawk had pretty much cried her eyes out and was leaning on Storm's shoulder. "What do you say we go back inside? It's getting a little cold out here."

Hawk just nodded, got up, and walked sedately over to the stall door. Storm followed.

XXXXX

Storm was looking out over her balcony later that night; thinking about ways to help Hawk. Logan knocked on her door, causing her to look up. "If you're wondering if I'm fully healed, then the answer is yes."

"Not what I was going to ask," Logan replied. "Although, I'm glad to hear it. How's Hawk though? She wasn't at dinner."

Storm shook her head. "Not good Logan. She's had quite a shock. I don't think she'll ever get over this. When I went into the stables to check on her, she was so upset, I hardly even recognized her."

"If anyone can help her through this, 'Ro, you can."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Logan. But will it be enough?"

"Hey, now, what's that tone?" Logan asked coming over to her. He placed a crooked finger under her chin. "I want to see that smile."

Storm couldn't help but comply, but then she blushed and pushed some of her hair back behind her ear. "Was there anything you needed?"

"Yeah, your smile."

Storm elbowed him, and he pretended to double-over. She laughed and then led the way back inside.

XXXXX

Hawk walked through the mist left over from the day before. She was trying to clear her head and try to get things to make sense again. So far nothing worked. She was about to go back inside when she sensed someone behind her. Hawk stepped forward, then quickly did a one-eighty; swinging her right arm to catch the person in the throat. Logan barely leaned back in time. "Whoa! Someone's jumpy."

Hawk wasn't in the mood. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"I was just wonderin' if you're okay."

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine."

"Logan, I'm not in the mood- duck!" she cried as Sabretooth came out of nowhere. Hawk took off for the bushes, and Storm flew in a few minutes later.

Hawk, someone called out to her. Hawk knew who it was instantly.

Get out of my head, Crystal, she sent.

Hawk, try to- uh oh.

Hawk looked down at her hands and saw the feathers. She looked up to see the vortex forming. "No!" she screamed, trying to get away from it. The vortex caught her anyway, and tried to meld their minds.

XXXXX

Storm produced a tornado that tossed Toad out beyond the battle field, then turned to see Logan fighting Mystique, and actually getting the upperhand. Sabretooth was nowhere in sight, so she turned to focus on Pyro, who had his flames ready. She quickly doused him. Then she felt the winds of a vortex beginning to form and looked up to see the twins go into it.

XXXXX

When the mind melding didn't work, a lightning bolt shot out from the center of the vortex that struck and separated the twins again. Crystal landed semi-softly with a minor headache; Hawk, on the other hand, landed with a sickening thud, becoming unconscious.

Storm saw what had happened to the girls, and rushed over to Hawk, who was closer and hadn't gotten up like Crystal did. As she knelt down, Sabretooth tried to surprise her, but it backfired, and she shot him with a lightning bolt.

The poor girl looked like she was dead; but a quick check for a pulse told Storm different. After finding it, she looked for Logan. He was now getting a pretty good beating from Mystique. Storm just shocked her with a lightning bolt. "Logan!"

Logan came over and knelt down next to her. "We have to get her back to the mansion," Storm said, helping Logan pick Hawk up before letting him take her altogether. Storm tried to clear the mist, but it quickly became obvious that someone else had control of it. With the threat of enemies in every direction, there was only one option left. "We're going to have to go airborne," she said. She knew that Logan hated flying, but they didn't have a choice. She grabbed hold of Logan's arm- which was supporting Hawk's head- and manipulated the winds to lift them up. They quickly flew to the mansion, and, after landing, Logan quickly took Hawk to the infirmary; while Storm went to get the Professor.

XXXXX

"You said that no one would get hurt!" Crystal exclaimed to Stryker.

"And no one did." Stryker countered.

"My sister did."

"Just a minor setback."

"Setback?" Crystal asked incredulously. "You call that a setback? She could've been killed! You'll be lucky if she isn't dead!"

"She should've died in that car accident."

Crystal glowered. "You don't have to remind me," she growled before stalking off to her room.

XXXXX

Charles was probing Hawk's mind as Logan and Storm waited just outside the infirmary. Hank was in there also, monitoring her brain activity. Storm was leaning on Logan's shoulder, with his arm draped around her, when Hank came out. "Charles wants to see you," he said as they both looked up expectantly.

Charles was leaning over Hawk's head when they came in. "Is she going to be okay, Charles?" Storm asked.

"I can't say for sure, Storm," he replied, looking up at them. "She'll live, that much I can for certain. Whether she has brain damage or not from the fall is something else."

"I can't find any damage, as of right now," Hank said, then pointed to the monitors. "Although, her brain is showing alot of hyperactivity."

"Meaning what?" Logan asked.

"Her powers are evolving," Charles explained. "Some are also manifesting. I was unable to get anything from her mind though. She has some sort of static electricity coming from her brain, alot like yours, Storm."

"Do you know when she'll wake up?" Storm asked, stroking the unconscious girl's hand. Nothing happened.

"That's hard to determine, her CAT scan showed that she's had a previous head injury similar to this. Right now she's comatose. It could be days before she wakes up."

"Any idea on what could've caused this?" Logan asked.

"Well," Charles sighed, "from what you've told me and you're description of the incident, my guess would be the Crystal Hawk. The last time the girl's initiated it, they had been willing to work together and open to each other to do it. Hawk's resentment to her sister must've affected her somehow. I'm thinking that Crystal tried to talk to Hawk, but Hawk wasn't in the forgiving mood and they accidentally tried to create the Crystal Hawk again. When their minds tried to meld, Hawk was blocking it, and it caused the lightning bolt."

"So, you're saying," Logan asked, "that if they created the Crystal Hawk, and one of 'em was angry or disagreein' with the other, it would severely injure them?"

"More than that, Logan," Charles replied, his voice becoming grave. "Crystal and Hawk are both class five mutants. Crystal managed to remain unharmed by this because she had greater control of her abilities; Hawk is only just beginning to discover them. Crystal was stronger in this case while Hawk was the weaker one."

"You're saying," Storm said slowly, "that if they were to do this again, it..."

"Would be fatal? Yes. But only to the weaker one. Unless Hawk learns to forgive Crystal... if she ever did this again, it could ultimately kill her."

XXXXX

Storm walked into the infirmary the next morning. She walked over to Hawk's bed and placed her hand on top of Hawk's. "No change?" a voice asked, coming up behind her.

Storm gasped as she turned to see who it was. "Must you sneak up on me like that?"

"Sorry," Logan said.

"It's alright," Storm replied, then shook her head. "No there's no change." She sighed. "I just wish we could find out what's going on inside her head."

XXXXX

"Give me that back!" Hawk cried.

"No way," Crystal replied, keeping the laptop away from her sister. "You've had it far too long."

"Mom!" Hawk called lunging at her sister. Crystal pulled it out of her reach.

"Alright you two," their mother said from the front seat. "Stop it or neither of you will get it."

Hawk slumped back into her seat. She'd been in the middle of a conversation with a pen-pal when Crystal snatched it. "You could've at least let me log off," she grumbled.

After leaving the highway five minutes later, they turned onto the interstate. Crystal got a devious look in her eye. Don't even think about it, Hawk sent.

Oh, come on Hawk.

Give me back the laptop.

Fine, Crystal scowled, then handed it over.

Thank you.

Pretending to look back for the view, Crystal grabbed the wheel in the seat on front of her with her telekinesis. It was about ten minutes before their dad realized who was in control of the car. Hawk was on the floor of the car, for the better view of it. He gasped and the twins giggled in the back. "Alright, Crystal," their dad said, trying to turn the wheel straight. "Jokes over, let go of the wheel. Hawk, get back into your seat with your seat belt on now." Nothing happened. "Crystal? Crystal, c'mon now. This isn't funny. Let go of the wheel."

Hawk leaned toward her sister worriedly, taking off her seat belt again. "Crystal, what's wrong?"

XXXXX

Storm and Logan were talking about Hawk's progress when the heart monitor suddenly spiked. "What's going on?" Logan asked.

"I don't know," Storm replied. "Her heart rate just spiked."

"I'll go get the Professor," Logan said, dashing out the door.

XXXXX

"Lily!" Their father said furiously.

"I-I can't," Crystal said, her voice trembling.

"What'd'ya mean you can't?" their father demanded angrily. "Let go of the wheel."

Hawk tuned them out and went inside Crystal's mind. She was resisting something and trying to control her powers at the same time. A lot of good that's doing, Hawk thought. When she opened her eyes, she was in a burning forest. The trees were charred and smoke was still rising, but the major fire was gone. Then she saw a shadowy figure up ahead. She couldn't see him clearly, but she knew that he was the source. He looked up to see her, but not before she saw her sister on the ground. Before she could do anything to strengthen Crystal's barriers, she was suddenly kicked out, the blow back causing her to physically hit her head against the door. She rubbed it gently.

"Look out!" Their mother shrieked. Hawk couldn't tell what was going on, but it was obvious that something was in the middle of the road. The wheel finally turned, but the car didn't have enough traction to match the sudden jerk and spun out of control. It hit the side ramp and started tumbling down a hill. There was the sound of something exploding and leaves crackling. Something hit Hawk on the head, and she blacked out.

XXXXX

Hawk bolted upright in the infirmary bed, breathing heavily. Storm rushed over to her. Hawk gave a startled yelp as Storm touched her arm, but didn't move away. She had cold sweat all over her body and was looking around fervently; as if afraid of the people on front of her. Charles was at Hawk's side in a matter of seconds after Storm. "It's okay, Hawk, it's okay," Storm said soothingly. "No one's going to hurt you."

Hawk seemed to calm down a little. "Do... Do I know you?"

Storm looked at Charles worriedly, then back at Hawk. "You don't remember? I'm Storm and this is Professor Xavier."

Hawk shook her head, then looked around; as if she just realized something. "Where's Crystal? Where's my sister?"

Storm looked at Charles. He looked as helpless as she felt. "She did survive the crash didn't she?" Hawk pressed.

"She, did survive the crash," Storm began cautiously. Hawk didn't notice.

"Perhaps a little bit later," Charles said, saving Storm.

"We'll let you see her as soon as we can," Storm added. "Right now just get some rest."

Hawk nodded and laid back down. Storm and the Professor went out into the corridor. "What's going on Professor?"

"It appears that Hawk has amnesia," Charles said thoughtfully. "Didn't Rogue mention that they were in a car accident?"

Storm nodded. "Crystal said that it happened over a few months ago."

"I wonder if Hawk can give us more insight of that. It would probably explain a great deal of things."

XXXXX

When Storm came to give Hawk her lunch, Hawk was awake, and trying to get into a comfortable position. "I've brought you something to eat."

"Thanks," Hawk said, giving up as she sat up. "Do these beds have to be so flat?"

Storm chuckled. "I'll talk to the Professor about getting you a bed near the wall or something."

"Thanks, they're really uncomfortable." They laughed. Then the smile left her as she looked Storm in the eye. "Crystal's abandoned me, hasn't she?"

Storm knew she had to tread softly. "What makes you think that?"

"You guys never mention her progress," she said, counting off with her fingers. "So I'm assuming that means she's not injured- not surprisingly. You never bring her up around me, and everyone avoids her subject."

Storm sighed. "It's... complicated, Hawk. You've been here at the mansion itself for over a week, and you've been in a coma for three days."

"Three days? Wait, where am I exactly?"

"West Chester, New York."

"New York! How did I get here? The crash was in Florida," Hawk stressed. "Oh, no, she must think it's her fault we crashed!" Hawk's heart rate started to race, and the screens started to flicker.

"Hawk," Storm said, trying to grab her attention. "Hawk, snap out of it." Hawk seemed to relax a little, and the screens stopped flickering.

"I have to find her," Hawk said quietly. "She has to know it wasn't her fault that we crashed."

"I know," Storm said, not really understanding what she was talking about. "Right now, though, all you need to concentrate on is recovering."

XXXXX

Hawk had a fitful sleep that night. The nightmare of the accident had come back.

XXXXX

Hawk awoke to the smell of smoke. She was under the overturned car and a pile of things she and her sister had brought with them on vacation. She couldn't see her sister or her parents. She figured they must've been thrown out somehow. Her parents were more than likely dead, considering the severity of the accident. It was a wonder she had survived. The smoke started to grow thicker and started coughing. The window from her side was smashed, leaving a small opening for her. She crawled through it. She was about halfway through when she heard Crystal calling her name. "Hawk!"

Hawk looked up to see her sister and waved her over, coughing. Crystal rushed over. There was a loud creaking sound as a tree, which was badly burned, due to the fires, started to lose it's grip on the roots. The creaking got louder. "Crystal go," she said.

"No," Crystal said, trying to help Hawk out. Hawk just pushed her away.

"Crystal, go!" Hawk repeated. Her foot was caught.

"No, I'm not leaving you."

"Crystal-" Hawk was cut off as the tree in front of her started to fall. "Crystal, look out!"

Crystal dived into the car and Hawk just barely managed to huddle herself back in. There was the sound of wood crushing metal, and metal splitting apart. Then nothing.

XXXXX

Storm looked at her clock. It was 3:30 in the morning. She headed downstairs and went to see how Hawk was doing. When she got to the door, Charles was already there. She looked inside to see Hawk tossing and turning. The screens were flickering again, and the tray next to her was shaking. Suddenly, she bolted upright. "Crystal!"

After the two rushed in, Storm went directly to Hawk's side. She was in tears and her heart rate was still high. Storm embraced the her, trying to calm her down. The Professor handed her a syringe, and Storm slowly injected it into Hawk's arm. It took a few minutes for the sedative to work, but soon, Hawk's sobs slowly died and she fell asleep again. Storm laid her back down. "What happened?" she asked turning to the Professor.

"I don't know," Charles replied. "I felt Hawk's distress and came down here. She must've had a nightmare."

Storm remembered something. "Her heart rate spiked when she was in the coma. Is it possible for someone to have a nightmare in a coma?"

Charles nodded. "It's possible, yes. We should probably keep on eye on her; make sure this doesn't happen again."

Storm nodded. "I'll take first shift. I'm already up anyway." She went to her room to get changed while the Professor monitored Hawk.

XXXXX

Hawk woke up again about an hour later. She was tossing and turn again, so it was evident that the sedative had worn off. Storm woke her up gently, shaking her shoulder, before things got any worse. "Hawk... Hawk, wake up." Again, Hawk bolted upright, very tense. It's like Wolverine all over again, Storm thought. "It's okay, Hawk. It was just a nightmare." Storm said aloud, soothingly. Hawk relaxed almost instantly at the sound of her voice.

"Sorry," she said. "Did I wake you?"

Storm shook her head. "No, I was already up."

Hawk sighed. "Do you want to talk about it?" Storm asked. Hawk shook her head. Storm went and sat on the bed next to her. "You know," she said gently. "It helps to talk about these things."

Hawk hesitated, but then nodded.

XXXXX

Storm walked to her green house, after talking to Hawk, later that day. She now knew the truth about the car accident and why Crystal preferred not to talk about it. She bumped into Logan in the hallway. "How's Hawk?" he asked.

"Upset about Crystal," Storm replied. "She doesn't know that Crystal lied to her; she doesn't even know about Midnight, Sky or Isis. Although, I did find out more information about the car accident. Apparently, Crystal wanted to pull a joke on her father, and it went south. Hawk found out someone was trying to control her sister, but got kicked out of Crystal's mind before she could do anything. Hawk was later knocked out as the car started to tumble down a hill, and woke up under the overturned car. Crystal returned to help her sister out of the car, only to dive into it when a tree started to fall on them. And that's all she can remember right now."

"Does she know about her powers?"

Storm nodded. "Unfortunately. We had to tell her about them as soon as she woke up."

"We?"

"Charles came down in the middle of our conversation." She sighed. "I'm worried, though, to tell you the truth. She needs alot of guidance with her powers; but with all that's been going on, it could have a traumatic affect on her. That's the last thing she needs right now."

Logan shrugged. "If she has the right teacher, then I think she'll turn out just fine; without any more trauma."

XXXXX

Crystal...Crystal! Hawk called telepathically. No answer. It was like she was being blocked. She couldn't help a rueful smile. Now I know how she felt when I blocked her, she thought. Storm had told her about what had happened just before she first arrived. Her memory was returning slowly, but she still had a huge gap between then and now. Especially what had happened between her and Crystal. The last thing she remembered was waking up in the hospital with Crystal next to her; telling her that she'd been in a coma for three days and that they were orphans. She looked up as the doors opened and Storm stepped in.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

Hawk shrugged. "Alright, I guess."

Storm looked at her sympathetically. "Feel up to a little training?"

Hawk shrugged again. "Sure. What are we going to work on?"

"Telekinesis. I want you to concentrate on levitating small objects."

"Why not telepathy?"

"It's..." Storm began hesitantly, "hard for telepaths to communicate with me sometimes."

You mean like this?

XXXXX

Storm blinked in surprise. Hawk's face was perfectly serene. It looked as if she wasn't even concentrating. How did you do that? Storm asked.

Hawk shrugged. It's not hard. I don't know why telepaths would have a problem reaching you, though.

Charles suddenly walked in, with Hank at his side. "What are you two working on?" Charles asked.

"Telepathy," Hawk answered before Storm had the chance.

Charles looked at Storm, who shrugged and indicated the corridor with the slightest nod of her head. Charles nodded and headed that direction. Then Storm turned back to Hawk. "I'll be right back," she said as she got up. Hawk just shrugged in that same non-caring mood she'd been in all day.

"How are you working on her telepathy?" Charles asked as she came out.

"I honestly don't know, Charles," Storm replied. "Somehow she managed to get past my barrier with ease. She doesn't have to concentrate very hard either to get past it."

"That is something," Charles said. "Even I have problems sometimes when it comes to communicating with you."

Storm realized something. "Didn't you say that she had some sort of static electricity going through your brain, sort of like my barrier?"

Charles nodded. "It prevented me from getting any information from her mind when she was in the coma. If she has a particular charge to the static, it's possible that's how she got past your barrier."

"Because opposites," Storm finished.

XXXXX

Storm was heading to her room when she suddenly remembered Hawk's nightmare incident. Storm and Charles had talked about it and they had agreed that it was best if she stayed in Storm's room. Storm had a small futon that might suit Hawk, but that would be up to her. Otherwise, it was the old-fashioned slumber party. When she got to the infirmary, Hawk was starting to toss and turn again. Storm gently shook her shoulder. "Hawk... Hawk, wake up." This time, Hawk just flinched as her eyes fluttered open. She turned to see Storm standing over her bed. "I want you to sleep in my room tonight, okay? I could get you a sleeping bag if you want?"

Hawk was still processing the former question. "Would the Professor mind?"

Storm shook her head. "I talked to him about it earlier this morning."

"Do you have a futon?"

Storm nodded. "We'll stop by your room first and get a few blankets."

XXXXX

"Thanks for saving me from another night in the infirmary," Hawk said as they placed the blankets on the futon.

Storm smiled. "Your welcome, maybe being in a different environment will stop your nightmares."

Hawk giggled. "Yeah, maybe."

"I better get into bed before it reaches morning," Storm said after placing the final blanket on her futon. Hawk just went into the futon. Storm had just turned out the light on her side table when Hawk spoke up again. "Do you think that the Professor will send me back?"

Storm didn't notice the context of her question, she was too tired. So she answered the only way she knew how. "No, Hawk," she said tiredly. "I don't think he'll send you back."

"Okay. goodnight."

XXXXX

Storm woke up to tiny whimpers and muffled screams and cries. She checked her alarm clock. 2:30. Then she grabbed her robe and dashed over to the futon. Outside, it was windy, and a blizzard was starting to form. Storm was glad that Hawk didn't have her degree of power over the weather yet; it would have been much worse. Again, when she reached the futon, she shook Hawk's shoulder. Hawk bolted up once again, although, this time, she was in tears. The weather calmed down almost instantly, and Storm intended to keep it that way. She then embraced the sobbing teenager, who buried her face into Storm's chest. "I don't want to go back," Hawk sobbed quietly. "Please don't send me back."

Storm was about to ask what she was talking about when Logan knocked on her door. "Is everythin' alright in here?" he asked.

Storm nodded. "Yes, Logan, she just had a flashback. I'll stay up with her until she falls back asleep."

Logan nodded, then left. Storm turned back to Hawk. "What are you talking about, Hawk?" Storm asked gently. "What do you not want to go back to?"

"The orphanage," Hawk sobbed, "I don't want to go back to the orphanage. Not again."

Storm realized what was going on. Hawk was receiving her memories through her nightmares. The orphanage was probably the worst it was going to get for her, considering the description Storm received from them. The orphanage was horrible to the twins- and, more than likely just about every child in there. Hawk was obviously afraid of them, and, apparently, being sent back. "What makes you think that?"

"I'm a ward of the government."

"But you and Crystal ran away," Storm said. "The government usually drops cases like that with children fifteen and over." Hawk pressed closer. "Don't worry Hawk. We wouldn't send you back."

"You promise?"

Storm nodded. "I promise."

Hawk was up ans about, about a week later. Her powers were becoming stronger and she was starting to reach her full potential. She started shape-shifting; excelled greatly in three of her elemental powers: earth, water and fire, and had healing abilities similar to her sister's; except Hawk can heal herself, while Crystal can't. Storm was working with her on air, which also involved weather also had telekinesis and telepathy. Her telepathy included understanding animals and communicating with them.

She had also joined the team full time and had her own uniform. It was very similar to Storm's, except that her cape was black and removable. In Danger Room exercises, Storm had paired her up with Colossus temporarily until Rogue felt ready to join the team again. Right now, Hawk and Colossus were trying to not to get hit by sentinels. They were just behind the finishing bunker, waiting for the others to arrive. Since this was a defensive exercise, Hawk put up a force-field to protect her and Colossus, and not let Colossus use up all of his energy. Hawk was about drained of energy when Shadowcat and Iceman arrived.

"What took 'ya guys so long?" she demanded, releasing the bubble.

"Had a hard time getting through," Iceman replied.

"Have you guys seen, Storm, Logan, or his group?" she asked, pushing a missile back. Everyone shook their heads and looked at their watches. Two minutes. They were all suddenly glad that they were all in groups. It looked like Storm was going to win, if Storm ever made it. They all looked up as the winds picked up around them. Storm landed and the entire group raced forward to the bunker. "Simulation complete," the computer said.

As the room cleared, Logan scowled. Hawk hid a smile behind her gloved hand. She loved it when he scowled like that.

XXXXX

Logan was carrying a picnic basket out to one of the fields. Loser team leader had to make everyone lunch and carry it out to the field where the entire team was. He stopped. For some reason, he sensed something wrong. He took a quick whiff of the air, nothing. He looked out toward the field and saw Storm under a tree. Hawk and the others were farther down the hill, probably playing Man Hunt. He shook off the feeling. It was probably paranoia. He sat down next to Storm, who was writing in her notebook, and started unloading the basket. "So what happened with Hawk last week?" he asked. He'd been meaning to talk to Storm about it, but never had the chance until now.

Storm sighed and put her notebook down. "I think the two of you have more in common than you think," she commented before getting to the point. "Hawk's slowly gaining her memory back through her dreams; nightmares mostly, but dreams nonetheless. Last week was the wost of it. She'd dreamed about the orphanage; getting the beatings and all that good stuff. She was afraid that we'd send her back there. It took about an hour for her to fall asleep again."

There was a sudden rustle of leaves above them. The two looked up to see Hawk and Kitty in the tree. "What are you two doing up there?" Logan demanded.

"Ssh!" the girls said. Hawk shape-shifted into a pegasus and Kitty grabbed on, the branch, surprisingly, not snapping under their weight. Logan figured it was either Hawk's telekinesis or Kitty's phasing ability that kept them aloft, or a combination of both. They swooped down and tagged a tree. Bobby, Rogue- who had decided to join them- and Peter followed. Angel, Sam, Sage, Danielle and Remy tried to catch them, but couldn't. "Swap," Hawk said once the other group got there.

Logan turned back to Storm, but, before he could say anything, something was lowered between them. Logan looked up to see what it was, before scowling again. Mistletoe. Storm also looked up when she saw his scowl. Hawk, Angel and Kitty were up there; Hawk was holding the mistletoe. "Oh boy," Logan grumbled.

"C'mon, guys," Hawk called. "You know the tradition."

"It's bad luck if you don't," Angel added.

Storm just rolled her eyes. This was the second time they'd been under the mistletoe. Except, it was Crystal and Hawk who pulled it, and Crystal wasn't there this time. Hawk must've convinced the other children to help. They were all chanting now. Logan was trying to figure out a way to make them stop when Storm just pecked him on the cheek. "That doesn't count!" Angel called.

"Actually, it does," Hawk said disappointedly. "Abby Sciuto did that on an NCIS Christmas episode."

The kids awed disappointedly. Then, there was a sudden low growl, that did not come from Logan. "Oh, great," Logan grumbled, unsheathing his claws.

Storm got up. "Children!" she called. The kids gathered up around her, and Storm counted them to make sure they were all there. She had just barely finished counting when Sabretooth bowled Logan over.

XXXXX

Hawk was the closest person to Storm when Sabretooth came out of nowhere. Everyone turned the direction he came from to see Stryker leading his small group of mutants. Crystal was among them, standing next to Mystique at the end. It all came rushing back, the journey; the fights; Crystal's alleged death. It was all coming in so fast she couldn't comprehend it all. However, there was no time to think about it now. "Kids, pair up!" Storm ordered. "Bobby, with Kitty; Rogue, Colossus; Sage, Mirage; Cannonball, Angel; Logan, Gambit; Hawk, you're with me."

Hawk nodded and went to get into position next to Storm. Two people joined them. Emma Frost- the white queen- and Professor X. "Are you okay?" Storm asked Hawk.

"Fine," Hawk replied, her voice trembling slightly. Storm found her hand, and squeezed it reassuringly.

XXXXX

"What do you want Stryker?" Professor X demanded.

"Charles," Stryker said mockingly, "I'm disappointed. I would've that you'd've figured it out by now."

Out of the corner of her eye, Storm saw Gambit blow Sabretooth off of Wolverine. Gambit helped him up and went behind the lines. Hawk was standing slightly behind her, tense, but ready to fight. Suddenly her head exploded with pain. "Storm!" Hawk cried out.

XXXXX

"Storm!" Hawk cried as Storm sank to her knees. She was grabbing her head as Hawk rushed over. Hawk knew she couldn't heal Storm, there was obviously nothing to heal; but she could at least take away some of her pain. When she tried to touch Storm's skin, though, a lightning bolt shot out, knocking her back. Hawk closed her eyes and entered Storm's mind.

When she opened them again, she was in a thick fog with trees and bushes surrounding her. She saw a small clearing up ahead, and headed that direction. "Remember me, Ororo?" someone asked, menacingly, up ahead.

"No," Storm said nervously. "Who are you?"

Hawk peered over a bush for a closer look. There was a shadowy figure up ahead, standing right in front of Storm. He grabbed her wrist, and she cried out in surprise. Hawk tensed. That shadowy figure looked very familiar. "You were only a small child when we first met," he said as Storm yanked her arm away. "I'm Amahl Farouk." Hawk thinned the mist ever so slightly, to get a better look at his face. Then gasped. It was the same person who tried to take control of Crystal. "I'm the Shadow King."

Hawk couldn't take it anymore. "Hey! Shadow King!" she called out. The Shadow King looked her direction. Hawk knew that her unstabled anger could be used as a weapon against someone sometimes; she just had to know when to use it. This was definitely the right time to use it. She just had to be careful, use the wrong power, she could easily damage Storm's mind and more than likely body. "Pick on someone your own size!"

Hawk shot out a lightning bolt from her hands. Her aim was excellent, catching him on the shoulder, and distracting him long enough to grab Storm and create a barrier around them. "I remember you," Shadow King said menacingly, after he recovered. "Your sister was so close to becoming mine, but you had to ruin it."

"You don't think that Crystal not being able to control her TK would be a little obvious? I knew instantly that somethin' was up."

"And you had to stick your nose where it didn't belong. Perhaps I wouldn't have been standing in the middle of the road, if you had just left well enough alone."

"You," Hawk breathed. "You were standing in the middle of the road? You caused that accident!"

"No," Farouk replied smoothly. "You did."

"You killed my parents."

"Such hot-headed children these days," Farouk chided. "Don't know the difference between faults."

His words stung her at the core of her being. She was about to fling another lightning bolt at him, when Storm caught her wrist. "Hawk, don't. You're just playing his game."

Hawk knew she was right and relaxed a little. Tears were starting to sting her eyes, but she held them at bay. The Force-field she created started to tremble. "Hawk, go," Storm pleaded. "Go."

Hawk shook her head. "No, I'm not leaving you."

"Hawk, go, I'll be fine."

"Don't lie to me, we both no that's not true."

"Hawk please, I don't want to see you get hurt."

A psi bolt came down and struck the shield. It immediately vaporized the shield and another one came down, striking dead-center between the two. Hawk was knocked back into reality. She gasped as she opened her eyes. Logan was kneeling next to Storm, and, strangely, so was she. Logan turned to her as she gasped. "What's wrong?" he asked, with just a hint of concern in his voice.

"It's someone call Amahl Farouk," Hawk replied, a mixture of fear and bitterness in her voice. The Professor gasped as she said his name, she continued. "He calls himself, the 'Shadow King'. Right now he was trying to take over Storm. Ironically, this is the same person who tried to take over my sister. He's the one who caused the accident." When Hawk finished her ranting, they turned to him. "You know this guy?"

The Professor nodded. "I had a psychic battle with him once. I thought I had destroyed him, but it appears I was wrong."

"That's an understatement," both Logan and Hawk said simultaneously. The Professor ignored them and closed his eyes. Hawk knew what he was trying to do and caught his attention before he could take it a step further.

"Professor, wait," Hawk said. "You aren't going to get past Storm's barriers. More than likely she's in a battle with him already." As if to prove her point there was a flash of lightning and a roll of thunder. "You're gonna have to either go with me or let me go in alone."

"I'm going in with you."

"Alright, but first, I need to call Isis over." Isis rushed over at the sound of her name. Hawk knelt down and gently stroked the soft white head. "I need you to do me a big favor, okay girl?"

You got it, Isis said telepathically. What's wrong with Storm, though?

That fat guy with the glasses. I need you, Midnight, and Sky to concentrate on attacking him.

Isis growled and nodded. Despite the situation, Hawk laughed. "Good girl."

Hawk then got up and went to the Professor. She touched his arm then placed her other hand on Storm's shoulder and closed her eyes.

XXXXX

Storm was getting a terrible headache. She fought with all of her power to keep control, but this 'Shadow King' character wouldn't relent. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on, but she knew that she had to- and would- keep fighting.

XXXXX

Hawk opened her eyes to mist and fog again. The Professor was right next to her. They got up and went to the nearest clearing, where there was the sound of fighting. Hawk saw Storm, desperately trying to keep Farouk away from her; but he laughed at her efforts. "What's he trying to do to her?" Hawk whispered.

"Break her," Professor X replied, "and he's dangerously close. He's taunting her with her worst memories."

Hawk slowly and gently probed Farouk's thoughts. He was so caught up in torturing Storm that he didn't notice. She gasped when she saw what he was after. She looked at the Professor, silently begging and pleading that she had misinterpreted. The Professor shook his head. "You read right. He's after her powers."

"If he has control of her powers, he could cause mass destruction," Hawk said. "But that doesn't make any sense. Crystal has the same exact powers I have, including weather control. Why does he need Storm?"

"Storm has more mastery over it."

"If he and Magneto are working together," Hawk said thoughtfully, "then..." she let her voice trail off and looked at him. He nodded. "OMG! If he has control of Storm, he could use her powers to create mass destruction to everyone, collect the surviving mutants, and convince them to join him. He's trying to create an all new brotherhood under his control. He doesn't need to control Crystal, because he knows that she'd rather die than let him touch me."

Again, he nodded. A scream from the clearing cut off all further conversation. They broke out into the clearing, and saw Storm lying in a fetal position. Son of a gun must've gone backwards, Hawk thought angrily. Farouk moved in for the final blow.

XXXXX

Isis got in position just as touched Storm's shoulder. Sky was on a branch just above her, and Midnight Storm was next to her, ears flat against her skull. Isis knew just how she felt; she couldn't wait to swipe the smirk off of Stryker's face. Thunder boomed up ahead, and Isis knew that it was now or never.

XXXXX

Logan was holding Storm close to his chest; as if trying to comfort her and let her know that her was there. Her face was twisted in agony, and he could feel the electricity pulsing through her body. Thunder boomed over head. Logan knew that he should let go of her, but he didn't want to, in case she woke up.

He looked up to see Cannonball and Angel handling Toad; Colossus and Rogue deal with Sabretooth, then move on to help Sage and Mirage. Shadowcat and Iceman dealt with Pyro, then went to help Cannonball and Angel with Toad; they dealt with their adversary with ease, then went to help the others with Magneto. While all of this was happening, he saw Isis burst out of the thicket over yonder. She went straight in for Stryker's legs. There was a cry of pain as she made skin contact with her razor sharp teeth.

XXXXX

Hawk was about to push Farouk away from Storm, when he let out a cry of pain. Hawk knew automatically that Isis had made her move. She just hoped it would keep him distracted long enough for her to help Storm, and get that giddy iron-witted drone our of Storm's head.

Hawk rushed forward and placed her hand on Storm's neck and forehead. Storm was extremely weak, almost broken. Hawk couldn't put help but think about Princess Leia's torture, and how she had almost broke also.

Storm shifted under Hawk's hand, and opened her eyes slowly. "Hawk?" she asked weakly.

Hawk shushed her gently. "Save your strength. You're gonna need it later."

"Cute, Ashley," a malicious voice said. "Real cute. Tell me, did you honestly that I'd fall for the animal thing?"

"No," Hawk said in a half-taunt, half-sarcastic voice. "But it got you in enough pain to distract you."

"Ha!" he laughed. "Do you honestly think that you can kick me out? I'm the Shadow King! I survived the death of my own body."

Hawk was surprised by that revelation, but kept it to herself. This was gonna get ugly. "Wow, really interesting... not. If you actually had any brains, you'd know that world domination never works. Even the Emperor was defeated."

"Foolish child! You have no idea of what I can do! I could make your sister kill you in an instant if I wanted to. You're nothing compared to her."

"You know what you are? You're nothin' but an execrable fustillarian Flibbertigibbet."

Professor X and Storm gave her a funny look. "What?" she asked. "I had a drama class. I actually got graded using Shakespearean insults against my classmates. Best grade that anyone could get."

The insult that Hawk gave the Shadow King, didn't sit well with him. He shot down another psi bolt, but she sensed it coming and dodged out of the way. She recalled a lightning technique from Star Wars that shielded the wielder and struck the target simultaneously. She didn't know if it would work, but she had to try. She held up her arm into a fist, and automatically, a shield formed around her and struck the Shadow King dead in the chest.

XXXXX

Stryker let out a cry of pain. Isis hadn't touched him then, but she took advantage of it and went in again. Logan was silently cheering her on. He looked down to see her face no longer in agony. Stryker let out another cry of pain.

XXXXX

Hawk released lightning again and again on Farouk. It was obviously effective, so she took advantage of it. It wasn't long before he dissipated into thin air.

XXXXX

Logan didn't notice Storm wake up; he was still watching Isis, Sky, Midnight, and Stryker. He looked down when he felt a soft hand on her cheek. Storm was looking back at him, a smile of joy on her face. He returned it and was very tempted to kiss her. Hawk's moaning ruined the moment. Instead, he just helped her to her feet.

XXXXX

Hawk moaned as she came back to reality. She'd used too much energy in that fight. Isis and the rest of her group were perplexed at Stryker's disappearance. Hawk shrugged and called them back. The second hooded figure was starting to remove his, and Mystique went into the fray with Magneto. Colossus and Wolverine obviously couldn't help with that situation because they were both magnetic. Rogue was already having a tough time reaching Magneto, and Mystique made it impossible. She was now the main target.

The other mutant had just finished removing his hood, to reveal an ugly square face. He was about seven feet tall with blue eyes, and looked like he had cylinders for arms and legs. Suddenly, trees started shooting at the younger group. Hawk searched the grounds and quickly found her sister in the underbrush not too far from where she was standing. She soon realized it was a waste of time, because she quickly found out it wasn't her sister that was doing this. "Okay," she said turning the adults behind her. "Major, major, telekinetic up ahead."

"Which one?" Professor X asked.

"How 'bout the big ugly one?" She received a stern look from both the Professor and Storm; Logan was the only one who was partially and grinning and trying not to laugh. Hawk knew what he was thinking, for once he wasn't getting reprimanded for smart comments.

A loud thud from Cannonball told everyone that he ran into something. They all turned to see that he ran into the other mutant, causing a huge whole in the center of his chest. A hole that healed almost instantly. "Shit," she heard Logan say. She turned and gave him a reprimanding glare. "What?"

"Talking mushrooms," she replied. Logan had that what-the-heck-is-she-talking-about look on his face. She chuckled. "It's a thing me and my sister have whenever we hear someone say that."

Suddenly, her phone came out of her pocket and start ringing and beeping off the hook. "Great," Hawk grumbled. "Technopath."

"A what?" Logan asked.

"A technopath," Hawk repeated turning back to face him. "Someone who can control technology with their mind. Haven't you ever seen 'Sky High'?"

Logan shook his head, and she rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "You guys have got to catch up on movies." She turned back to the mutant. "Show-off! What's that supposed-"

The phone exploded, knocking her back. Luckily for her it was a very small one. She got up and called to him again. "You owe me a new phone!"

"Maybe, instead of taunting him," Logan said, "you could actually do somethin'."

"I doubt it would have any effect on him," Hawk retorted, but she tried it anyway. As the lightning bolt came down, a force-field popped out of nowhere. "Great, he has the same exact powers as me. That helps alot." Suddenly the mutant disappeared and re-appeared a few meters ahead of them. "And he has teleportation. That really helps my case."

Hawk knew she was getting on Logan's nerves, but she couldn't help it. Taunting an opponent, she knew, could be just as effective as a punch. Her sarcasm helped her with her frustration, and also helped fall under taunting category. "Just ignore her," she heard Storm murmur. "It's just how she deals with things like this."

"She doesn't like surprises?" Logan asked.

"Oh, no, she likes surprises alright. She just hates these kinds of surprises." Then she turned to Hawk. "Try shape-shifting into him."

Hawk nodded and concentrated. While she managed to shift her body to look like his, she was having a hard time trying to match his brainwaves. One thing that was cool about her shape-shifting ability, unlike Mystique, who could only make her body look like the one she was copying; Hawk could make herself look like the person she was copying and receive the exact powers they had. This was due to the fact that she could match her brainwaves with theirs. She finally managed it, but it took all of her energy to keep it that way with all the raw power this particular mutant had.

Hawk, wait! Crystal called out. Hawk collapsed, returning to her normal form, and grabbed her head for a moment. All that concentrating was already giving her a headache. Crystal's telepathic call had sealed it.

"Crystal," Hawk growled, saying as much aloud as in thought. "If you ever do that again, I will kill you."

Sorry, Crystal replied, rushing up to her sister. But you were about to attack my friend. Crystal arrived and helped Hawk up.

"Friend? Did you just call that unpolished marble-hearted fragment your friend?"

"He's trying to help us," Crystal said, holding up her hand to keep Hawk quiet. "Granted, the hard way, but still."

"Help us? What'd'ya mean he's trying to help us? He's trying to kill us in case you haven't noticed."

"Hey!" Crystal said defensively. "I wanted to do this the easy, they wanted to do this the hard way. What can I say? I was out-voted."

"You're insane!"

Crystal's eyes suddenly went cold. "You want insane? You're insane. I can't believe you haven't figured this out."

Hawk stared at her in confusion. "What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"Us. I'm talking about us. We're not twins."

"What do you mean 'we're not twins'? Of course we're twins! How else do you explain the fact that we look exactly alike?"

"No, you're a clone. You're my clone. Why else would you receive your powers later than me?"

Hawk looked down at her hands. "No," she whispered; a whisper that turned into a cry. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! That can't be true."

"It is true," a voice whispered inside her head; a whisper that Crystal voiced. "You're nothing but a shadow to her," the voice continued inside her head. "And you always will be. The envy little sister that wants nothing more than to show her older sister up."

"No!" Hawk cried, shunting the voice from her mind and putting up her mental barriers to keep any outer influences from reaching her mind. "This isn't me."

"Girls," Storm said getting between the two. "Listen, we can deal with family affairs later." She looked at Hawk, who had a haunted look in her eyes. "Hawk, snap out of it," she ordered gently before turning to the provocateur. When Crystal had spoken to Hawk with those hurtful words, she had an unusually dark look on her face and in her eyes. Now it was the clear determined hazel fire. Hawk just took a few steps back away, just behind Storm.

"Hey," Crystal said, holding her hands up. "I'm on your side." Suddenly a male figure with dark hair, eyes, and slightly dark skin appeared not too far from them. Hawk took a few steps forward to get a better look. He was very attractive. Despite that though, Hawk gasped. Crystal just smiled. "Hey, there's one of my other friends."

Hawk looked at her as if she had just said that she could teleport. "Evil twin sister say what?"

"He's one of my friends."

"Crystal, that's the same person I just kicked out of Storm's mind."

"So?"

Hawk didn't know whether to Gibbs head-slap her, or just knock the living daylights out of her altogether. She was obviously under the influence of something. "Crystal, he was trying to take control of her. Just like he was trying to take control of you in the car."

"What?" Crystal asked, as if Hawk was joking. "He wasn't even there."

"Crystal, I was in your mind."

"That explains it."

"What?"

"Why you closed your eyes just before the accident."

"Crystal, trust me on this. He was there. I saw him."

Crystal gave her a stunned look. "You're kiddin'."

"Nope," Hawk said in the tone she used when she was about to get her way. "He was the one who was trying to control you. He's the one who caused the car accident. He was the one who was standing in the middle of the road when it happened."

"Rat," Farouk said darkly.

Crystal turned to Hawk. "Oh, no he didn't..."

"Oh, yes, he did," Hawk replied in the same tone.

"So you were there," Crystal said turning back to Farouk. "I can't believe I fell for this."

"Oh," Hawk said, holding up her hand. "Before we get in to this, could you tell us who your big ugly friend is."

"Apocalypse?"

"Thank you."

"Anyway," Crystal said. "As I said before, I can't believe I fell for this. You said that you were trying to help us, but you really just wanted me and my sister. What were you going to do us?"

"Control us," Hawk answered. "Probably by blackmail, coercion, or extortion. Take your pick. That's probably how he got a hold of Stryker. His mind-controlling scheme back-fired, and someone thought that it would be the perfect tool to use against us. That's why he disappeared; it was a mental illusion. Probably wanted to use us to get the X-men. Am I getting warm?"

The look on his face told him she was. "You're sailing in dangerous waters, girl."

It was Hawk's turn to be sassy, as she turned to Crystal. "Oh, no, he did not just call me girl?"

XXXXX

Logan scowled at Hawk's sassiness. It was bad enough when she used taunts against the enemy; sassiness and sarcasm just made it worse. Emma and Storm were secretly giggling about it. "Yes, Logan," Emma said. They're doing it on purpose."

Logan rolled his eyes. Telepaths, he thought. Emma scowled.

"For someone who knows the answers to everything," Farouk said. "You ask alot of questions."

Hawk turned to Crystal. "Does he know who he's messin' with?"

"Obviously not," Crystal replied. That also annoyed Logan; how the two girls would quarrel one moment, then act like best friends the next. He figured it was time to end this.

"Alright," he said, unsheathing his claws. "Enough chit-chat. If you're gonna fight, then let's fight."

"Hold it, Logan," Hawk said, eyes flicking Storm's direction worriedly, before returning to Logan. "You don't wanna-"

Storm's cry of pain cut her off. "-do that." She finished slowly.

"Conflict, conflict, conflict," Farouk said. "There's much conflict in you Wolverine. You don't want to betray the woman you once loved by loving another; yet, she loves you, and you want to return it."

"Logan!" Hawk called to him. "Don't listen to him! He's lying! He's twisting the truth! It's all lies, Logan!" Storm's cries grew louder. Emma went into her diamond form, blocking all telepathic connections or call she might receive from Farouk. Logan was thinking about what Farouk said, and stuck between whether to kill Storm and put her out of her misery, or just killing Farouk outright. "Logan?" Hawk asked. When he didn't respond, she grabbed his wrist, being careful of his claws, and out a mental barrier around his mind; blocking out any influence that Farouk might have on him. That cleared his mind quite a bit, and he realized that he did and was in love with Storm. And that he would protect her at all costs. He was off to a bad start though. Storm was on her knees again. After reassuring Hawk that he was as clear minded as a hunter, she let go off him and he raced off to Storm. Logan hated seeing her so miserable. Apparently, so did Hawk.

XXXXX

After releasing Logan, Hawk turned to Crystal. "There's a way we can defeat him," she said quickly, looking towards Logan, who had his arm around Storm's hunched body. Thunder boomed overhead as dark clouds started to form in response to her pain.

"How?" Crystal asked.

"Lightning Shield."

"Oh, come on! Star Wars?"

Hawk shrugged. "They have good lightning techniques. Can't help it."

"Do you know if it'll work?"

"I just used it to defeat him in Storm's mind; but I don't know if it'll work out here. It should."

"How's it work?"

"Lightning strikes a target, and a shield forms around the wielder. Not the most effective lightning technique, but it works on him."

"They both held up their hands into fists, and a shield formed around them. The twins brushed each others arms, and the lightning came out twice the intensity t should have been, and struck the Shadow King. The Shadow King cried out repeatedly as the twins struck him repeatedly. Finally, he disappeared.

XXXXX

Storm's pain once again went away. When she felt like she could move again, Storm looked up to see Logan next to her. He brought her in close, and she gratefully complied, leaning up against his strong shoulder.

XXXXX

Hawk groaned as she released the shield. Too much energy again. She looked to her right to see the Brotherhood, except Magneto, blink in surprise. Then seeing that they were outnumbered, ran off. Mystique went up to Magneto and slapped him. "That's for leaving me on the trailer," Hawk heard her say. "But I'll go with you anyway. I don't want to deal with these mutants." Hawk giggled as they walked off. The she turned to face Storm's direction. Emma was back to her normal self and Storm was leaning up against Logan. Obviously he still needed to tell her.

Then she turned to Crystal. "So what are we gonna do with Apopcalypse?"

Crystal bursted out laughing. "Did you just call him, Apopcalypse?" She laughed some more. "Girl, you've been saying Apopka way too much."

"Well, we did go to APK."

"So? It's Apocalypse; not Apopka-High-clypse."

"Apocalypse, Apopcalypse; same difference."

"Whatever." Crystal turned to face Apocalypse, and delivered a lightning bolt to his chest.

"Crystal, don't!" Hawk cried. "I've already tried."

"No you haven't, look." Hawk turned to see Apocalypse down with a huge hole burned into her chest. The hole and burn healed almost instantly.

"See? Crystal, he's invincible."

"So is the Crystal Hawk."

Hawk stood there, stunned, for a moment. "Are you sure it's going to work?"

"It has to. It's our only hope."

Hawk nodded as a tree started to fall on them. They both dodged then initiated the Crystal Hawk.

XXXXX

The adults covered their eyes as a bright light flashed in front of them. Emma got up and concentrated on forming a telepathic connection with the girls. The huge hawk appeared to be concentrating on Apocalypse.

XXXXX

Lightning wings, Hawk thought.

How do you know we even have that? Crystal demanded through their thoughts.

IDK. Suddenly, bolts came out of their wings and struck all around Apocalypse.

Guess we do have it, Crystal thought to herself. Hawk couldn't keep her smugness to herself.

Told'ya.

Crystal was about to make a smart remark when Apocalypse changed hos appearance to look like them. Oh, come on! Hawk cried. That's not fair!

Cool it, Hawk. Let's see if he can survive this... Dragon Fire! The Hawk quickly shape-shifted into a dragon- too quick to register- and shot out a fireball before shifting back into a hawk. It looked like the Hawk shot out the fireball. It hit their adversary head on, but didn't have any effect on him. He's immortal!

Duh! You just now realized that-shield! Hawk cried, cutting herself off to shield themselves from the fireball that smashed into their force-field. Crystal knew there was but one option left. No, Hawk said reading her thoughts.

Hawk, there's no choice.

Crystal, if you do that you could kill us!

Only one of us. The weaker one of us.

Crystal, don't!

I have to.

Crystal-aah!

A lightning bolt came out from the center of the hawk; surrounding as the hawk split. The twins separated and, once again, landed with painful sickening thumps.

XXXXX

Storm watched as the hawk split to reveal the twins again and watch them fall. Storm looked at Emma who looked as grim as Storm felt. "Crystal did it on purpose. I lost connection when the lightning bolt hit."

XXXXX

Hawk was conscious when she saw Apocalypse climb into a ship way out of her league of comprehension. He had that all along? Hawk thought. Why didn't just use that sooner?

She groaned as she sat up, rubbing her neck and shoulders. "Crystal, if you ever do that again, I swear-" she stopped when she saw her sister lying on the ground, not moving. "Crystal? Crystal!" She scrambled over to her. "Crystal, talk to me, please!"

Crystal moaned. It was then that Hawk noticed the burns on her neck and shoulders, and on other parts of her body. She also saw the broken bones that her sister had. "Hawk?"

Hawk hushed her. "Don't try to talk. We've got to get her back to the mansion."

"Hawk, it's too late."

"No, it's not! I can heal you!"

"Hawk, I'm too weak. There's nothing you can do."

"Yes, there is!" Hawk cried out, tears coming to her eyes.

"Hawk, there's something I have to tell you," Crystal said, changing the subject. Partially to distract Hawk from the inevitable, but mostly to tell her something she should have known about a long time ago. "When I said that you were the clone, I lied. I'm the clone. I was testing you. Mom and Dad made me swear not to tell you." She paused to take a breath. "Also, you were always the older one. Our parents didn't like the fact that the younger child got her powers before the older one. They were afraid about the effects it would have on you."

"Crystal, come on! Save your strength."

"Hawk...it's too...late." With that she closed her eyes for eternity.

XXXXX

Rain clouds started to form. The wind was blowing their direction. Everyone looked at Storm. "It's not me." She paused a moment. "It's Hawk."

"The wind's leading us to where she is," Emma put in before grimly adding, "Something's happened to Crystal."

It didn't take long for them to find the small patch of forest that the twins were in front of. Hawk was leaning over Crystal's dead body. "I'll take care of this," Storm said.

"Are you sure?" Logan asked.

Storm nodded. "Let's just say that I've been in a similar situation." That was when the rain's came down.

XXXXX

Hawk wasn't paying any attention, and didn't notice when Storm came up behind her. "Hawk," she said gently. Hawk looked up to see Storm, who was partly soaked. "The rain."

"Sorry," she sniffed. She closed her eyes and automatically, the rain stopped. A warm gust of wind blew towards Storm that dried her hair almost instantly. She opened her eyes again a moment later. Storm knelt down next to her.

XXXXX

"Let's just leave the weather manipulating to me for right now, okay?" Storm said jokingly, hoping to lift Hawk's spirits. It didn't work. She just nodded sedately.

"She said that she was the clone," Hawk said softly a moment later. "And that I was the older sister." She finally looked up at Storm. "I don't get it. How could she be my clone? I thought that only in Star Wars or even a scientific-fiction novel or movie." Tears started flowing down her cheeks, and Storm gave her a small embrace, which Hawk happily gave in to.

"You know," Storm said. "Crystal told us about that. About her being a clone." Hawk shot up, and Storm could see the feeling of betrayal returning to her eyes; the way it had when she first found out about her powers. Storm decided to tell her the truth, Crystal was gone now, and Hawk already knew the truth. "I was told not to tell you, but you have no idea how much I wanted to. The Professor said that it was Crystal's call and that we shouldn't interfere."

"Funny," Hawk muttered. "Crystal said something similar about our parents." She leaned back into Storm's arms. She said something a moment later. "Sparkle."

Storm looked up to see some sort of sparkle particle land on Hawk's arm.

XXXXX

Hawk watched the particles fall as she sat up, then looked up to see a normal sized snow white hawk overhead, with the sparkles falling from the wings. She looked to Crystal's body, which was starting to sparkle itself. Suddenly the particles exploded and a wind swirled around Hawk, forcing the particles to land on her. Hawk closed her eyes and the white hawk became a million sparkle particles, joining the mini-vortex. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it ended. With a small flash.

XXXXX

Storm covered her eyes as the flash cam out of nowhere. When it was over Storm opened her eyes to see Hawk shaking her head. She didn't ask what had happened because she the knew the answer was that Hawk had no idea. "Hawk," she said softly. Hawk turned to look at her. "Let's go home."

"What about Crystal?"

Storm felt the familiar shift in the atmosphere that told her a teleporter was coming. "I think someone's already taken care of that."

Hawk gasped as the teleporter appeared behind her. She turned to face him as Storm continued. "I don't believe you've met Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler."

"No," Hawk said, still trying to get over her startlement. "But, I'd appreciate it if he never did that again."

Storm chuckled softly. "Nightcrawler will take Crystal back to the mansion."

Hawk nodded and an instant later, Crystal and Nightcrawler were both gone. Hawk then joined Storm as she walked back to where the others were. Surprisingly, Angel was the first one to go to Hawk. "Are you okay?" He asked.

Hawk nodded. "Fine Angel, thanks." Angel, on impulse, gave her a hug, followed by each of the younger mutants of the team. Storm walked to where Logan was. After the entire group started off toward the mansion, Hawk stopped and regarded Storm and Logan, who were in the back. "Hey, Logan, don't you have somethin' to tell Storm?" Logan looked at her confused. "Oh, come on! Why else do you think we've been puttin' you under the mistletoe?"

Emma urged her forward, before taking her spot in talking to Logan. "She does have a point 'ya know," Emma said conspicuously. "I did catch a whiff of your thoughts before I powered up, Logan."

Logan had that scowl on his face that said, telepaths. Emma rolled her eyes. "I don't see why this is so difficult for you, Logan."

With that she went off to go catch up with the others. Storm turned to look at him curiously. "What are they talking about?"

Logan blushed a little, and Storm knew that Hawk was gonna get it when they got back. They walked into the backyard and took a walk through the gardens. "Back there," Logan began, "when the Shadow King attacked you the second time, he tried to twist some feelings I had; feelings for you." That caught Storm's attention. "Hawk told me that he was twistin' the truth, and to prove it, she put a mind barrier on me; which made me confront my feelings for you. The feelings I've had since Alcatraz."

Storm didn't know what to say, at first. So she said what came from the heart. "It was similar for me. I knew I was losing the fight against him, and I wanted to give up so bad. Do you know what kept me fighting?" Logan shook his head, and she smiled. "You did. You and the fact that I knew you wouldn't get along with the Professor or the kids without me."

Logan looked at her, and she smiled, just to show that she was only half-kidding. They found a swing, and sat on it for a bit. "Do you think it could work between us?" Logan suddenly asked.

Storm looked up at him. "There's only one way to find out. I think it could, but that's just me."

Logan then reached out- with the same surprisingly gentle fingers she remembered from Alcatraz- and pushed some of her hair back before stroking her cheek. He gazed into her warm welcoming brown eyes, and she into his. Their lips just barely managed to brush each others before the rain started to come down. Logan looked at her questioningly. She smiled and shook her head. "That wasn't me this time."

"Hawk?"

"No," Storm said, briefly looking up before turning back to face him. "It's Mother Nature this time."

"At least the kids are inside," Logan grumbled.

"All the more reason why we should savor the moment." This time, they managed to do a real kiss before being interrupted.

"Uh, guys," a voice called from the balcony above them.

"That's Hawk," Storm said as Logan broke off the kiss. Logan looked up with that glare that told everyone that received it that it had better be good.

"I hate to spoil the moment, but it's raining, and you guys'll catch a cold if you don't get in here... like, now." As she turned away, the couple heard her mutter, "Should've brought the mistletoe."

Logan growled, and Storm tapped him lightly on the shoulder. "On the bright side, at least we didn't get mistletoed." Logan had to smile and brought her up for another kiss.

Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive us that fell

Bring peace on earth and loves goodwill

For everyone

Hawk sang her favorite part in Matt Maher's version of Silent Night. It was Christmas night and Hawk had decided to go out to the Memorial Gardens, where her sister was buried. Christmas at the mansion had been great. Kids woke up early- the only that Hawk hated, but something that Crystal would do and try to get Hawk up- opened gifts. Hawk had received: Letters to Juliet; Harry Potter: and the Sorcerer's Stone; Taylor Swift: Speak Now, Relient K: the first three gears; a new laptop and an 8-gig pink iPod, a guitar, and a skateboard; a snuggie with slipper-boots and a calender. They also had Krispy Kreme doughnuts for breakfast and messed around with their new gifts.

Hawk just wished that Crystal had been there, she would have enjoyed it. Right now, everyone was probably inside getting ready for the Caroling Karaoke. She sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees to hug them to her chest.

XXXXX

Storm was looking for Hawk. It was almost time for the Karaoke, but she was no where in sight. "Logan," she called, coming up to him. "Have you seen Hawk?"

"Thought she was with you?"

"She was, but when the party started, she went to hang out with Kitty and Rogue. Now she's no where in sight." A breeze, so light that you could barely feel it, caught her attention. She turned to see one of the doors to the backyard cracked open. "Never mind," Storm said. "I think I know where she is."

XXXXX

Hawk looked up when she heard the crunch of grass behind her. Storm was standing there. "Though I'd find you here," she said, sitting down next to her. "Why aren't you inside with the others?"

Hawk shrugged. "I guess it just doesn't feel right without Crystal." She sighed and leaned against Storm, who put a comforting arm around her. Then she looked up at Storm, a teasing look in her eye. "Aren't you supposed to be inside with Logan?"

Storm gave her a mock-stern look before replying. "We were getting ready for Caroling Karaoke, so I came out to find you." They sat silent for a few moments. "You know, I do know how you feel. I felt the same way when I lost Scott, and Jean- well, I guess you could say I lost her twice."

"What are you getting at?" Hawk asked. She expected this conversation to come up.

"I'm just saying," Storm said, looking down at her, "that your sister may be gone, but her legacy lives on in you. I think she might want you doing what you do best and be happy with your new friends and family."

"Okay, I get it," Hawk said, getting up. "Quit moping around and start having fun again."

Storm shrugged. Not exactly what she had intended, but that was fine. "Are you two comin' in or what?" Logan called from the balcony.

"We're comin', Logan," Hawk returned. Storm stopped at the entrance by Logan as Hawk went inside.

XXXXX

"Is she going to be okay?" Logan asked.

"I think she'll last the year," Storm said, then laughed as Logan gave her a strange look. "I'm kidding. She's going to be just fine."

"Oh," Hawk said, coming back to the door. "By the way, guys, look up."

Storm and Logan looked up to see mistletoe up on the door frame. Storm rolled her eyes as everyone else turned their direction. "C'mon," Hawk said. "What better chance to do it than on Christmas?"

Storm's eyes went white as fog covered the windows and door entrance. "That, better?" she asked.

Logan nodded. "Are you sure we can't change her code name to Prankster?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"I really wish you didn't work with her on her Earth abilities," he said, bringing her in close.

"I don't think we could stop her even if I didn't. Although, she does have a point. Why waste it?"

In response, Logan brought her up and kissed her very passionately.