"Maybe if we started lookin' at what's the same, instead of lookin' at what's different... well who knows?"

-Meowth; from Pokémon: the First Movie — Mewtwo Strikes Back

Feeling very out of place was an emotion Kayleigh was familiar with. She felt it at home after being removed from school. Later, those feelings would develop into loneliness. That, too, became a very common emotion in Kayleigh's life. Every now and again she'd have moments of happiness or otherwise pleasant emotions, but the heavier moods of loneliness and being very out of place remained. It reminded Kayleigh that she was a mutant, that she'd never fit in with normal society. That was something the young woman wanted so desperately. She wanted to fit in, to have people like her. But that was just too much sometimes. Her moving around so much made it difficult for her to make friends or even acquaintances. The day Kayleigh moved to Puente Antiguo, she did like the simple atmosphere, how small the town was. She could tell it wasn't commonly sought out by tourists, that it was left alone at the best of times. That was something Kayleigh loved. She didn't have to worry too much. And then she met Erik and the others and things seemed to be looking up. But the loneliness and out of place feeling returned.

Erik, Jane, and Darcy were scientists. Jane and Erik specialized in astrophysics while Darcy studied to be a political scientist. Kayleigh had a high school diploma. Erik was a seasoned scientist, having taught at university, his research in his field being widely studied by others. Kayleigh could create vivid hallucinations. Jane, like Erik, was an astrophysicist and also an astronomer, her intellect probably at the same level as Erik's. Kayleigh had been locked in a mental institution. The list could go on, honestly. For each achievement her friends had, she seemed to have some kind of downgrade. Kayleigh didn't see herself as smart or outgoing or adventurous, she saw herself as a mutant. A freak. Her mental health was on the verge of collapsing each time her powers were used. All because of her hallucikinesis. Being able to detect people's fears and angers made her mind go wild. She wouldn't be able to tell the difference between reality and memory. It felt like no one else understood what she was going through. Kayleigh wanted nothing more than to find someone who could understand her, but it wasn't easy. She'd never encountered another mutant — or, if she had, they did a good job at hiding their abilities.

Being back in Erik's apartment, after the situation with Jane, made Kayleigh remember just how overwhelming those emotions could become. Being so dismissively reminded of her mutation made her remind herself just how unnatural she was, how different their lives were. It made Kayleigh feel as though she had no place with them.

With a sigh, the twenty-five year old ran a hand through her hair. She had tried to do better for herself, to be the best person she could be. After everything that happened to her growing up, Kayleigh wanted to be able to experience a good life. While constantly moving around couldn't be categorized as a "good life", but it gave Kayleigh the chance to see different places, to experience different things. It served as a distraction and a way for her to learn. Those awful feelings had been pushed back to make room for other ones. It did seem to work. But there were moments. Those moments were the ones Kayleigh wasn't happy to recall. And, unfortunately, Kayleigh was experiencing another moment. Jane's words may have been harmless, but it still caused the twenty-five year old to feel unsavory emotions. And from Erik's lack of presence in his apartment, that meant he was either finishing his contribution with Jane or giving he a lecture. In all honesty, Kayleigh could have cared less. All she could hope for was that Erik wouldn't be back soon so she could calm herself down.

-LtLG-

Erik was very unhappy.* The way things had gone between Jane and Kayleigh left him feeling frustrated, maybe a little irritated. It wouldn't be a surprise the young mutant would be in a less than social mood when he got home, but he was planning on figuring out a way to fix things. Erik and Kayleigh had a very respectable relationship, and he knew that what Jane had said to her hit a personal chord. It was only common knowledge that Jane Foster had a bit of a dismissive, indifferent attitude to certain things. To her, it didn't seem like a big deal, but to everyone else, it could come off as offensive or even hurtful. For Kayleigh, the mention of her mutation brought on a lot of emotions, something Erik couldn't really understand. His grasp on the mutant community wasn't that good, and he knew that the twenty-five year old wouldn't be able to give definitive answers. Nevertheless, the older scientist was willing to do what he could for Kayleigh, despite the odds and differences they had.

So when he finally made it back to his apartment, he took notice on how quiet it was. If it hadn't been for seeing Kayleigh's belongings by the front door, Erik wouldn't have guessed she even made it back safely. In a moment's hesitation, it took the older man a moment to think about where his companion might be. She could either be in the kitchen, fixing herself some comfort food; or in her bedroom, hoping the seclusion would help her with her problems. If Kayleigh was in her bedroom, there was a high possibility she didn't want to be bothered. Her bedroom was where she dealt with all her private issues, something Erik respected.* Taking his shoes off, Selvig went to do a quick look-around, hoping to find Kayleigh somewhere that wasn't her bedroom. When she was nowhere in sight, he let out a sigh and ran a hand over his face. Walking towards her room, he noticed how the door was shut. There were no sounds from the other end, which sent a wave of worry through his body. The first round of gentle knocking on the closed door seemed to intensify the quietness. It was unsettling, making Erik shift uncomfortably where he stood.

"Go away," Kayleigh called; her voice muffled from the door.

"It's me, Kay," Erik called. "Can I come in?"

"I'm trying to meditate."

"Look, I just want to talk about what Jane said earlier. I know it upset you."

"I'm really not in the mood for that right now."

There was another long pause. Erik tried to think of what to say next, hoping to convince the young woman to come out. Meditation seemed to be a key part of Kayleigh's life, that and yoga. Her healthy lifestyle was something Erik acknowledged and appreciated; but sometimes she used it solely for the purpose of solving her problems. Or, at the very least, avoiding them. It was a more unhealthy side of Kayleigh's lifestyle.

"Look, I think it'd be best if we talk about this. It's not right to avoid your problems." Erik's voice was borderline pleading. It wasn't often that he'd beg Kayleigh to talk to him about things, but he was at that point. He saw her expression change when Jane mentioned her mutant status, it was a sensitive subject. Jane may not understand it, Erik may not understand it fully either, but it still made Kayleigh feel horrible about herself. "Please, Kay?" he asked. It took a few minutes, but when Kayleigh's door opened, Erik let out a sigh of relief. Her expression was solemn, her eyes not meeting his. Once the matter has handled and taken care of, they could move forward from there.

(A/N):

I'm sorry for the wait on this chapter, life got away from me and I had put this at the bottom of my to-do list. If you see anything in this chapter that could use improvement, don't hesitate to let me know. I'm always a fan of constructive criticism!

Nothing in the MCU belongs to me. All I own are my OCs and the subplots I put in. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, PM me or leave a review.

Thank you guys so much for supporting this story! Hopefully you're all having a wonderful New Year so far.

Raeven Belmonte