Hello people! This is my first X-Men story and the idea just came out of nowhere so I'm not sure yet whether I like it and whether I'll go on. So if it sucks, PLEASE tell me as it is, then I'll drop it.

Want to tell all along – I'm not a fan of comics and X-Men cartoons, so all I know about them is what I got from movies and Wikipedia. So if you're a fan and don't like any new additions to the traditional storyline, you better don't read it.

And apologies for the mistakes I make here, English is my second language so don't be too angry about it. But PLEASE be angry about the story itself if it sucks.

I ran out of the building of my university trying my hardest not to grit my teeth and shout. That idiot! That monkey! That… no, don't think these words are the only words I know and use when I'm angry. It's just that that idiot is my favorite professor, Dr. Pierce, and I still have some respect for him. He has degrees in both molecular physics and analytical chemistry which makes him the most suitable one to be my supervisor of studies; we would understand each other perfectly… until now. But I will prove to him that that damn metal exists! I swear I will! Though I should hope for that I won't have to tell him what I've never told anybody.

"Jean! Hey, wait!" I heard someone calling me from behind.

My name was actually Jameela but, seriously, who would pronounce it at once? So since I remember myself I was going with 'Jean' just perfectly.

"Oh, hey, Stewart," I plastered a smile while on the real I wanted to yell at him.

Calm down, I said to myself. He did nothing wrong! And just the fact that I hate it when somebody doubts how genius… okay, fine, how intelligent I am, doesn't allow me lose my temper.

"You going to a party tonight?" Stewart asked hopefully. "Mike's place?"

"Oh… um, no, sorry, I can't," I shook my head. "Have things to do…"

"Like studying? Come on, Jean, don't you ever relax?"

"I am relaxed when I'm studying," I smiled tightly. "And now I have to go. See you!"

Crap, why can't they understand that science is fun? I shook my head. And then huffed to myself. Well, It's obvious. They're simply different than me.

I shook my head still smiling and looked down at my bag, looking for my car keys, when I hit into something.

I looked up and saw an old man in a cap and sunglasses.

"Oh, gee.. sorry! Did I hurt you?" I asked and involuntarily touched his hand.

And it hit me. A weird feeling… like electricity? No, something different. I couldn't tell exactly what that was…

The man seemed to feel it too because he remained silent for a while.

"Hello? Um… hey, are you okay?" I asked carefully, talking my hand away from his.

"What? oh… I am… thank you… I am fine," he snapped back and I realized I saw him somewhere… he looked somehow familiar.

"Excuse me, it was my fault…" I started but the man interrupted.

"You have nothing to worry about, young lady. Have a good day," with that he took off his hat, bowed a little and turned around.

I remained standing there, still trying to remember where I saw him, but not a single idea came. I shook my head, opened my car, got in and started the engine.

Back home I dropped all my stuff in the living room and headed straight into the basement where I had my laboratory – and where I practically lived. I couldn't help smiling proudly when I came in, this lab would make any chemist envy… and I thanked mentally my aunt Aminat again – may she rest in piece – for leaving her heritage to me. She had a huge butter factory and no kids, and she was collecting paintings. So when she died, she left the factory to my parents – and the paintings to me. I could never understand fans of art plus I had no idea how to take care of that collection, so I sold it to people who knew it better, which allowed me to move away from my parents, buy a nice house and arrange this lab.

And in the back of the lab was a basin with a substance that will change future… well, now it looked like a boiling gray slush, plus it had no name yet, but I knew that when I prove it exists – it will be a bang. The most durable metal in the world. You have to always keep it hot because once it cools down you can never break it or bend it. It is perfection. The only problem is that if I tell anyone how I got this metal, it may change my life and the science.

I am a mutant.

Not that you can ever tell it. I mean, I saw some mutants with skin of a different color and texture, but no, I look absolutely human. And I'm not like those mutants that were all over the news last year – they were moving bridges, blowing up buildings, fighting against an army… I doubt there will be any use of me if something like that happens. I don't have those cool powers. All I can do is change atomic and molecular stricture a little. Not completely – no, just change positions of couple of atoms or molecules. As tiny and unimportant as it seems, it is actually a big deal; if you change a molecular structure of one substance just a bit, you can get an entirely different substance. In the beginning it seemed magic to me, but when I grew older and got a hand of my powers – let alone as weak as they are – I could master this magic.

I didn't even notice how I got absorbed by the lab work, so when a loud doorbell reached my ears, I flinched. Oh, come on, who would distract me?

I opened the door. "Stewart? How did you find out where I live?" I did my best to hide an irritation.

"Wow, nice place you have!" the guy made a step towards me but I didn't move and it stopped him from entering. "Since you decided to dump the party, I decided to bring it with me!" he raised his arm demonstrating a bottle of Champaign.

I cursed silently.

"Look, Stew, it's really nice of you, but I really…" I lifted my arm and touched his, the one with the bottle, I wanted to stop him where he was, but suddenly…

"Oh God!"

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

3rd person's POV

"Storm!" Kitty rushed into former Professor's office which was now occupied by Storm. "We have a call from one of the police stations… they say they have a mutant there that can't control his powers…"

"Got it," Ororo interrupted and stood up; leaving the papers she was filling through. "You and Rogue are in charge."

"Yep!" Kitty clapped her hands.

"Just please don't let me down!" Storm looked at the girl warningly. "Send the coordinates to my car, I'll go deal with it."

"Will do!"

"Miss Munroe? Finally! I'm Officer Paxton," a man greeted Storm when she entered the police station. He seemed a bit scared. "There's this mutant… he's just… uh…" the man was almost stuttering while they were walking through passageways. "And we called you immediately… here!"

He unlocked one of the doors and opened it. Storm came in and her eyes widened.

Inside there was a creature covered in green leaves and bark, with branches growing from head and chest. It was like… a tree. A walking tree dressed in a T-shirt and jeans that was now rushing back and forth. If it was a human, Storm would say it was desperate.

"Oh Jesus!" she gasped. "I… have never seen anything like that… how did you find him?"

"We received a call from a young lady named Jameela Mebarak and found… um… that in her house..."

"Is she here?" Storm interrupted. "I need to talk to her then."

"Sure…but… what to do with… uh… this?" Paxton looked back into the room where the 'tree' was.

"Well… close the room… for now," the woman said unsurely. She really didn't know what to do.

"I'll escort you to Miss Mebarak. This way," Paxton headed left towards another passage.

Soon enough they reached another door and the man opened it. "Here."

Inside of the room there were people in police uniforms and a girl with long read hair, all down her back. Storm flinched. That hair reminded her of Jean.

"Miss Mebarak?" Paxton called and the girl looked up at them. Storm almost gasped – now the similarity to Jean was even more obvious. The features of the girl were thin and exquisite, just like those of Jean. Only the girl's eyes were dark, almost black. "This is Miss Munroe," Paxton continued. "She wanted to ask you some questions."

"Yes, sure…" the girl mumbled. Storm noticed she looked pale and out of scene somehow. Like she couldn't figure what's going on.

"May we have some privacy?" Strom asked the officer.

"Sure…"

"Uh… Jam- Jameela, right? Are you feeling okay?" Storm asked the girl when they were in a separate room.

"Okay? Um, yeah… I am…" the girl answered after a while.

"Did that mutant hurt you?"

"That mutant?" the girl frowned. "What mutant?"

"The one that police found in your house…" Storm frowned too, surprised that the girl didn't get it. But maybe it's just shock?

"Stewart? You mean Stewart?"

"I don't know his name… I mean the mutant that…"

"He's not a mutant. I am."

"What?"

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"Where are you taking me?" Jameela asked, fastening the seat belt. They were in X-Jet, Storm called Bobby and Rogue when she realized that they should better go to the mansion, but with that 'human tree' it would've been difficult to use a car. And now Rogue and Iceman were staring at the 'tree' which was by the way calm and asleep, after sedatives that Storm injected.

"To Xavier's School for gifted youngsters," Storm explained, replacing Rogue in one of the front seats.

"In other words – mutants' school?" Jameela raised an eyebrow.

"Well, yes," Storm gave her a small smile. "But you shouldn't worry, no one will hurt you there."

The girl smiled back tightly.

"Are you Jean's relative?" Rogue suddenly asked the girl when the plane took off. All this time Rogue was looking at the new one with interest.

"Excuse me?"

"Jean Grey? Are you related? 'cuz you look a lot like her…"

"Oh… no, no, I don't know her," Jameela shook her head. "But," she chuckled quietly, "my friends call me Jean."

"Oh… I'm Marie, but you can call me Rogue. And that," she nodded towards the front seats, "are Bobby and Storm. Look… did you do that?" Marie whispered, pointing back at the 'tree' with her thumb.

"Yes," Jean frowned and nodded. "And I don't know how that happened… I never did such things before…"

"Don't worry," Rogue smiled comfortingly, "we'll help you."

Jameela smiled back unsurely.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"Well… eh…" Okay, what is her name? "welcome to the Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," Storm smiled at the girl brightly when they exited the hangar and started to walk towards the main building.

"Uh.. thank you… and if you forgot my name, you can call me Jean," the girl smiled. "That's what everyone does."

"Jean?" Ororo bit her lip. "We'll… we'll try," she forced a smile. "Kitty?" she called, changing the topic.

"Yes, Storm?" Kitty appeared right before the woman. Ororo stopped.

Rogue noticed Jean's eyes widened and she stepped back in shock. "Hey," Marie whispered, smiling comfortingly, "it's a mutants' school. Prepare for more!"

Jean nodded and took a deep breath.

"Oh, new girl?" Kitty noticed. "Hey! Nice hair color! Just like Jea…"

"Kitty!" Storm interrupted. "There's a… well… tree… in the jet… I want you to find Colossus and transport it safely to the lab, understood?" with that she continued walking and others followed.

"A tree? We're starting to experiment on plants?"

"Kitty, just do as I said!" Storm raised her voice. "Have you seen Logan?"

"He's not here," Rogue spoke before Kitty did. "He left couple of days ago… said he needed to vent."

Storm shook her head disapprovingly. "I have a defense class now but I can't…"

"I can fill in!" Kitty exclaimed happily.

"No, you are now going to find Colossus, and you, Bobby," Storm turned towards the guy that was silent all the time, "will do the teaching."

"Why is he teaching and I'm transporting a tree?" Kitty complained.

"Because I'm a man and you're a girl," Iceman huffed. "And because last time you filled in for Logan the kids were scared to death when you immured one of them in a wall."

"Hey, just the fact that you and Rogue can touch each other now somehow doesn't convince me that you already are a man…" Kitty started, which made Rogue blush, but Storm raise a hand, stopping her, and turned back to them.

"You both have tasks! Now go!" she exclaimed almost angrily.

"Sorry, human problems in mutants' school," the woman smiled apologetically to Jean. "We're short on professors. Here we are, that's my office. Come in."

"You want something? Maybe tea?" Ororo offered when Jameela sat down into one of the armchairs.

"No, thank you, I'm good."

"Okay then…" Storm sat down in front of the girl, preparing herself for the long comforting talk. "I understand how you feel now, uh… Jean," she took a deep breath, "you now have to deal with the fact that you are a mutant. We've all been through this… and though now this feeling is new to you, with time you will get used to it…"

"New?" Jean interrupted. "Um… it's not new to me. I've known this since I was seven…"

"Wh-… seven? Wait, what do you mean?" Storm was confused.

"That I know, that I'm a mutant. I've known that for a long time," the girl shrugged. "And that fact doesn't scare me or bother me. What actually is new to me is that I did that to a living organism…"

"Wait," Ororo repeated. "What 'that' and… okay, I'm confused," she confessed.

"Jean," Rogue spoke from the corner of the room, where she was standing, leaning against the wall, "could you tell us how you fond out that you're a mutant?"

"Well… there's really nothing special about it…," Jean shrugged, "I was seven as I've already said… and one day I realized I can do things others can't…"

"Like what?"

"Well, it's not like I could walk trough walls or something," the girl chuckled. "It was nothing major. I could alter molecular structure of substances. But not completely, just a little bit. Five-six atoms, couple of molecules at most. Then I started to learn chemistry, experiment and… well… after couple of years and couple of hundreds damaged things, that I turned into literally hell knows what, I knew how to control my powers and use them. That's it, I guess," she shrugged.

"And you never had problems with it?" Rogue couldn't help asking. "Like your parents? How did they react?"

"I never told them. Why? I was okay on my own with all that. The only problem I had was dealing with questions like 'where's that silver statuette I bought?'" Jean huffed. "I needed different substances to experiment on."

"You said you learned how to use your powers… how did you use them?" Storm interfered. She seemed a bit taken aback. Normally she would tell the 'new' mutant about his powers and try to convince him he'll be okay with it and learn how to use it… and now it looked like she switched places with this girl.

"Oh, for science. I mean, I take a substance, experiment with it, try different combinations… and then think of a way to gain this substance 'natural' way. I mean, without using mutant powers."

"So you're not new to it, right? Then how did you manage to turn a guy into a tree?"

Jean took a deep breath. "That I don't know too. I never could use my powers on a living organism. Never. I tried rats, rabbits, plants… nothing. And the fact that I turned one living organism into another kinda disturbs me. I definitely need to research into what happened to me."

"Are you a scientist?" Rogue asked in surprise. "Um… how old are you?"

"I'm 24. I just got Master degrees in analytical chemistry and biophysics, so I'm not exactly a scientist scientist… but I'm working on it. Started my Doctor's degree."

"You're smart!" Marie exclaimed.

"Thank you," Jean smiled back. "Doing my best," she laughed.

"That guy that you turned into a tree…" Storm interfered.

"Oh, I think I know how to deal with that," Jean looked at the woman. "So we could try this right now."

"Are you sure it won't make it worse?"

"I'm 90 percent positive," the girl answered firmly. "But considering the fact I don't have any other ideas, guess we'll go with this one."

"Okay then… let's go to the lab. I think Kitty and Pete already transferred him there," Ororo stood up.

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

"Wow! Now this place is nice!" Jean exclaimed when she entered the lab.

"Hey guys, um… Kitty. Where's Pete?" Storm nodded to Kitty.

"There somewhere…" the girl waved her hand towards the racks. "And the patient's been really quiet. Doesn't make any trouble," Kitty replied.

"Kat, this is Jean," Rogue introduced the new girl that was meantime looking around with pure eagerness in her eyes.

"Hi," Jean smiled.

"Jean? Seriously?" Kitty's eyebrows went up. "Wow!"

"It's short from my name, actually… and I like 'Jean' better. Hi," she smiled to Colossus that appeared from behind the rack.

"Uh…" the guy stopped and opened his mouth and then closed it, without saying a word, and that reminded of a fish out of water.

Kitty chuckled.

"Hi," Pete finally managed to say something.

"This is Pete," Rogue interfered. She was obviously fighting with laughter too.

"You can call me Colossus," the guy snapped back to reality and then made his body transform into steel.

"Wow," Jean was impressed. "Cool!"

"So," Storm hid a smile and looked at Jean, "what did you want to do with this guy to switch him back?"

"I'll use my powers. Have no other idea. Except maybe… Do you have other mutant that can alter molecular structure?"

"Maybe Leech… no, he's too young," Storm shook her head. "And he can only block out mutant's X-gene. So I guess we don't have anyone else."

"Okay then," Jean took a deep breath and walked towards the table, where Stewart – the 'tree' was lying.

"You sure you can make it?" Storm looked worried.

"I think so. I mean, I did this before… now I just have to concentrate."

Everyone was watching Jean attentively. She placed her right hand on Stewart's forehead and everyone saw a white neon-like light coming from between the hand and forehead. And then Jean slowly started to raise her hand.

Rogue's eyes widened. She saw white strands, intertwined, connecting the hand and forehead. There were many of them, moving, changing it's positions. Rogue never saw something like that and when she looked at others' faces, she saw they were shocked just like she was.

Meanwhile Jean stopped raising her hand and was now eyeing the strands attentively. The strands stopped moving chaotically, and after a second the movement started again, only now it looked purposeful, like someone was commanding them and it obviously was Jean. Soon enough the movement stopped again and the girl started to slowly move her hand towards Stewart again. When the hand reached his forehead, this white neon-like light began to gradually move from the forehead down through the body, like a wave, and inch by inch Stewart's human appearance was showing, following the wave. By the time the wave reached the feet, the guy was completely human.

Jean took her hand away.

"Looks like… it worked," she looked at X-men with a happy smile.

"Unbelievable," Storm came closer to the table, looking at the guy that was now absolutely human. "Unbelievable," she repeated, astonished. "I've never seen anything like that before."

Everyone else was speechless.

"Okay, now we need to make sure the guy won't lose his mind when he wakes up…" Ororo smiled at Jean. "Kitty, can you find someone who can take care of this? Among students, I mean. someone who can either erase memories or block them out?"

"Will do, don't worry," Kitty nodded, looking at the table too. "But that was cool!" she smiled to Jean. "Okay, I'm gone."

"Jean, may I talk to you?" Storm asked after a while. "In my office."

"Sure," the girl shrugged. "Now?"

"Yes. Let's go."

"And… what is it?" Jean asked as they were in Storm's office again, this time just two of them.

"As I understood you want to research into what happened to your powers?"

"Yes I do. This is extremely interesting for me as a scientist."

"I understand," Ororo replied slowly. "Look, this is new for me," she huffed slightly, "normally mutants want to stay here because they can't control their powers and need our help… and you are completely different. You know more about your powers than I do, maybe even more about all these scientific things – mutation and all… so now we need your help."

"You mean?" Jean frowned misunderstanding.

"About a year ago we had difficult times… we lost a lot of our friends. Professors, scientists… and this school is huge," Storm shook her head. "I need your help. The lab is practically empty, we don't have anyone who can be in charge of it, students are not ready yet, even the brightest of them. I want to ask you to stay here. The lab is yours, you can research, experiment, do whatever you want. Just sometimes help with scientific part of our 'mutant routine'."

Jean bit her lip, considering. "You mean I will have to live here? In the mansion?"

"Jean, I know what you think," Storm smiled gently, "that with all your perspectives working in school is too…"

"In mutants' school, you mean," the girl interrupted with a smile too, "and I have never experienced something like that. And yes, I'd love to stay here. And even work as a nurse sometimes," Jean's smile widened.

"Oh…" Storm blushed a little. "I didn't say you will be a nurse… but we could use a chemistry professor?"

"Deal," Jean nodded, still smiling. "I'll just have to tell my parents… when they make their next regular month call they'll be surprised I'm not home," she huffed, "and my professor in the university."

"Good," Ororo smiled. "It's late, I'll ask Rogue to show you your room."

"Um… my room? you want me to stay here tonight?" Jean frowned confused. "But I don't have any clothes…"

"Don't worry, we have a lot of new clothes, toothbrushes and all you may need… I just don't want you to go somewhere now because you're tired, as I suppose. Maybe, you want something to eat?"

"No, thank you, Miss Munroe, I'm good."

"And, please, call me Storm."

"Okay, then, thank you, Storm," Jean smiled.

"Thank you, we really need you right now."

O-o-O-o-O-o-O-o-O

Logan entered the empty hallway and checked his watches. 3.12 am. The school was quiet, even Wolverine's extensive hearing couldn't catch a sound.

The man walked through the passage towards his room. He wasn't tired much, couple of days of mountain climbing couldn't wear him out. Logan didn't know what actually could do that and hated it. He wanted to be tired like hell, he wanted to just fall onto his bed and fall asleep without thinking again and again. Sometimes he wanted to stop thinking at all, to be unable to think, because all he would think about was her.

Jean.

Since more that a year, since he had to kill her, Jean wouldn't leave his head. He could hear her voice all the time, she was calling him, saying his name.

Logan started to leave the mansion. He couldn't bear walking the same corridors that Jean used to walk, doing what he was doing when she was alive… he was sometimes thinking of just leaving for good, of never coming back and be a nomad again, as he used to, but he couldn't leave Storm to deal with everything by herself and he couldn't leave Rogue.

Suddenly he snapped back to reality – his ears caught a sound of footsteps. He stopped and sniffed the air. The smell was sweet, female, but unknown. Logan slowly made couple more steps and reached the crossing, then turned left, towards the sound. The figure passed by about fifty meters ahead and all Logan saw was long fire-red hair.

What?

"Jean?" Logan whispered and stopped. It can't be her. Jean is dead. Gone. I killed her and saw her dead body in the coffin. She can't just walk these halls… but… she used to come back from the dead before, didn't she? She's a Phoenix after all. What if…?

"Jean?" the man called again, this time louder, and ran towards the passage where the figure went.

What if this is just a delusion?

Logan exhaled when he saw the silhouette again, it was about fifteen meters before him and it was definitely a woman. Moonlight went through the window and lit the hair, making it bronze.

"Jean!" Logan called, and this time he was heard.

"Yes?" the person before him turned back. But it wasn't Jean.

Smile fell from Logan's face and he rushed forward, letting out his claws. He grabbed the woman by her neck and pressed against the wall, lifting her up.

Logan now saw in moonlight that it was a girl, around twenty. She did have long red hair, just like Jean Grey, but her eyes were black. There was something unusual about her features, but Logan couldn't tell what exactly. And didn't give a damn, to be honest.

"Who are you?" he snarled.

The girl was breathing unevenly and her eyes were full of horror. She didn't answer.

"Answer!" Logan lifted his hand, bringing his claws closer to the girl's face.

"P-please, don't kill me," she stuttered. "P-please!"

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"

"Don't kill me, please," the girl whispered again and then put her both hands over his', maybe trying to stop him from squeezing her neck tighter.

"What the?..." Logan frowned as he felt his skin warming under her touch. Then he saw white neon light coming from between their skins and a weird sensation started to spread from that place. "Jesus," he whispered when he saw his skin turning green-blue and scales appearing on it.

"Oh crap!" the girl exclaimed and took her hands off. "Crap, crap, crap!"

"What have you done?" Logan yelled and involuntarily let go of the girl.

She fell down to the floor, but swiftly stood up and stretched her arm to touch Logan again.

"Hey, don't!" Logan shouted. Meanwhile even his claws were changing their color.

"Let me fix it!" the girl shouted back.

"Hell no, you're not touching me again!"

But the girl didn't listen, she grabbed his arm and Logan saw the same light. It started to move through his body and soon enough he saw it was regaining its normal color and form.

Both he and the girl were eyeing the process attentively and when it finished, they exhaled, relaxing.

"What was that?" Logan asked after seconds, raising his right hand with claws, that he didn't hide, warningly.

"My powers. I'm a mutant."

"Oh really? Why am I not surprised? Maybe because it's obvious now?" the man raised one eyebrow.

"I'm new here," the girl started to speak swiftly, obviously scared with his expression. "Storm asked me to stay…"

"And you are awake at night because?..."

"I was hungry. I didn't get anything to eat and…"

"Understood," Logan interrupted her again. "Why did you respond when I called you 'Jean'?"

"Because that's my name. I'm Jean," the girl answered

Logan took a deep breath.

"Go," he replied finally.

"Uh-what?"

"Go. to your room – whatever. Disappear," he hid his claws, not looking at the girl.

"But…"

"Disappear!" the man almost growled.

He could hear the girl swallowing hard and then she almost ran towards where she came from. Logan was looking down at the floor for a while and then raised his head and looked at the girl's long red hair that was swaying as she ran.

Please tell me what you think.