Thanks to all that have bothered reading my fanfictions! You guys are awesome! This is my fourth story, so please read and review. And don't hesitate to be honest! Thanks a lot! Love and peace on all things wonderful!

DISCLAIMER: I'm not the great and amazing genius Stan Lee! I don't own any of the X-men movies or Marvel comics!

Prologue

United States – 1962

My name is Jayma Eloise Carter. There's not much to say about me. Except for the fact that I'm running for my life right now. Go figure. I run as fast as I can, feeling my shoulder length black hair flying behind me.

"You can run, pretty mutant, but you can never hide!" A gravelly voice calls after me. I shudder at the thought of the owner of the voice, TJ: a tan, greasy black haired, 6-foot tall, crazy scientist. He literally is crazy.

My friend Fern Azgaird is his first test subject. I'm his second. But more about that later. The story I'll tell first is Fern and Erik's story (because I love telling it). Something you should know first: Fern's father, George Azgaird, was loveable and very kind. He adored Fern and his wife, Lyla. He'd give them the universe, if he could. He passed on when Fern was 9. Her mother died of a broken heart less than a year later.

Mr. Azgaird was a highly rated scientist, and had an assistant named Telroy Johnson (Fern and I called him TJ for short). TJ was 27 years old at the time. He was an honorable man and the most helpful (not to mention loyal) guy that followed everyone's orders without a single snide remark. When Mr. Azgaird passed on, TJ looked after Fern. He was like a second father to her. Until 10 years ago, he was all right. And 3 years ago, Fern and Erik started dating. Both were 13 or so at the time. They'd been best friends for three years.

Fern was walking home from school one night. Something made her stop. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around. A small, cloaked person stepped out of the shadows. She ran faster. The person didn't follow her. 3 large metal bars stopped her abruptly. She put her hands up against them. She felt 3 more large bars behind her.

The bars pushed together, sandwiching her between both. A tear fell from her eye. She felt herself suffocating.

"Please don't do this, Erik," she whispered. The bars hesitated, and then she was rising up into the air. She landed lightly on her feet.

"Thank you," she said in the direction of the cloaked person. He said nothing. What could he say? His mother would be ashamed to call him her son. He couldn't remember why he'd been so angry at Fern. He helped her up, and kissed her as an apology. She was surprised at this, but pleased as well. He smiled at her, still silent. She didn't mind. He didn't say much in English. She felt as though neither needed to speak in order for them to have a conversation. He felt the same way.

They started secretly dating. They met me when I walked in on one of their "study" sessions. (By "study" I mean: "making out like the world will end in two seconds". That sort of thing… I was sworn into secrecy and thus became their friend. It was kind of weird, but I didn't think much about it.) I was around 11 at the time.

One day, about 7 months into their relationship, TJ turned on the lights to the kitchen and found a slightly crumpled letter with a torn envelope. The envelope was addressed to Erik Lensherr.

It read: "Dearest Erik. I hope you find this before Roy comes home from work. Meet me by the old gate near the middle school. I have to tell you something important. It's not bad, I swear! I miss you so much, and I'm so sorry about your mother. She was a wonderful woman that didn't deserve her terrible fate. I love you tons! I hope you believe that. I'll be waiting for you! Hearts and hugs, your ever-loving Fern. P.S. Come as soon as you read this letter! P.P.S. Please."

TJ pocketed the letter and ran out of the house. He was furious with her. He was also hurt by the fact that she hadn't trusted him enough to confide in him. He found Fern and Erik in a steamy kiss. That's when he completely lost it.

"FERN RACHEL AZGAIRD, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" TJ shouted at her, fuming. She broke apart from Erik, her face paper white.

"Mr. Johnson!" Erik would have said more, but TJ's face was turning bright red with his anger.

"SHUT IT, BOY!" He shouted, narrowing his eyes at Erik. Erik shrank back at the mutinous look on TJ's, now purple, face.

"Telroy, please calm down! You'll frighten the children," she touched his arm. His face went from purple to beet red, to pink, and then to his normal pasty color. A baby cried in one of the houses.

"Uh-oh." Fern knew that when his face turned back to normal, he was going to punish her.

"You're to come home with me this instant."

"Roy I – "

"I'm not finished yet!"

"Sorry," she whispered.

"You're to come home with me this instant, and you're never to see, hear, talk to, or love this boy again! Ever!"

At this, Fern completely broke down in tears.

"Oh, Roy, please don't forbid me from loving Erik! Take away the phone, put a leash around my neck, use me in one of your experiments, and kill me first! Because I can't live in a world where I am forbidden from being with Erik! I can't do it, Roy!" She gained some of her confidence back and stared TJ right in his pasty face.

"I won't!" She declared. A shadow crossed TJ's face. He grabbed her arm and pulled her away.

"If you won't do as I say, I'll lock you in your room for the rest of your life! You'll only be let out for school and exercise. I'll keep a close eye on you, and I will choose your husband. So help me God."

"Roy, please don't! I beg of you not to!" She pleaded.

"Come now, Fern, be a good girl." TJ said, strictly.

"Erik!" She screamed, tears running down her face.

Erik didn't even hesitate. He looked at a parked car, and concentrated. It rose off the pavement and soared through the air. TJ ran, dragging Fern behind him. She tripped over a large tree root, although she still was kicking TJ and biting his arm. The car hurled towards her. She screamed, curling up into a ball. Suddenly the car dropped to the ground with a loud crash. Fern was shaking, tears running down her pale face.

"Fern, it's all right. I dropped it." Erik sat next to her. Without looking, she threw her arms around his neck and wept. He carried her to their secret house. They stayed there until Fern felt that she could stand up to TJ again. (I don't know what happened after that. Fern doesn't talk about it.) They did break up, but that was only because TJ attacked Erik. Fern felt like it was all her fault, so she called it off.

However, that didn't seem to be enough for TJ. He tried attacking Erik again, but Fern stepped in front of the needle and syringe that TJ was holding. TJ injected her with DNA from a dolphin. Yes, a dolphin. Erik must have had a huge fit or something because when I saw her the next day, she was inside of an aquarium. I told this to Erik, even though I was, like, 12 and he was 14. He went to see her. When he caught her eye, she just looked at him and waved her fin. He touched the glass of her aquarium with his hand.

"I'll find you again, Fern. I promise." Then he left. Even as a dolphin, she still loved him. And so she cried.

All right, so now you know about Fern and Erik's fling. Now, I'll tell you another story. It was 2 years after Fern became a mutant. I was 14. That was when I met one of my closest friends. I was walking home from school, like I did everyday. I didn't look where I was going and ran into someone. I accomplished nothing other than the fact that I now had a magnificent cut. Nice. I thought. Way to fail on the etiquette of walking, Jayma.

"I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" A brunette boy my age asked, extending a hand. Apparently he was the one I'd crashed into. Damn. Now I know I'll never get a decent date. I always knock down the nice ones! I gave him a small smile.

"I think so," I took his hand, pulling myself up.

"Wait, no. I'm not all right!" I grimaced as I put my weight on my injured leg. Damn it! One day. That's all I ask for! One day! Honestly, self, get with it. Thankfully, he grabbed me by my waist before my legs could decide to buckle up again.

"Mind if I take a look at your wound?" He seemed afraid, but something about him made me trust him. I shook my head.

"All right then." He helped me over to a large boulder. I sat on it, letting my leg dangle from the side facing him. The cut went to the middle of my thigh. He winced, sympathetically.

"Looks bad. I'd better get you to the hospital." He offered me his hand again, but I tried getting off without his help. It wasn't so bad. My leg wasn't broken, although the cut was complaining. Charles kept by my side, ready to catch me if I fell. I didn't, so we continued to walk.

A few minutes later, he said, "Right then. We're at the, er, hospital."

I raised my eyebrow again. The building we were facing was definitely not a hospital. It seemed a little too much like a … well what else could I say? It was a house.

"Fine. It's my house." He seemed embarrassed about this fact. I was both shocked and a bit jealous.

"This is a house? More like a small castle, if you ask me!" I stared at it, awestruck.

"Would you care to come inside? We could have some tea, if you'd like." He looked at me.

I hadn't really been paying attention to what he'd been saying, but when he mentioned tea, I snapped out of my stupor.

"What? Oh! Sure. Tea." I cursed myself for becoming so flustered and for acting like an idiot.

"By the way, I didn't catch your name." He said.

"Oh, I'm – "

"Jayma Eloise Carter. It's embroidered on your bag." He shrugged.

"Right. What's yours?"

"Charles Xavier."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"You as well."

I knocked on the door. The door opened. Both of us looked at the person standing there. A blonde haired teen in a short white dress stared at us. Well glared, mostly at me.

"So this is what took you so long. I was just about to go looking for you, Charles." She glared at him, her violet eyes glinting in the midday sun.

"Raven!" He sounded surprised and like he was warning her about something.

"Oh, you have violet eyes too!" I exclaimed, happily.

"What?" He looked at Raven, astounded. She batted her eyelashes at him in a teasing sort of way.

"I'm Jayma, by the way." I extended my hand out to her, and gave her a friendly smile. She didn't return either gesture.

Instead she said, "Another one of Charles's friends that I don't know about." I let my arm drop, slightly put out.

"I'm Raven, in case you didn't catch my name the first time." She narrowed her eyes.

"Don't be so rude!" He chided her. Raven looked at my leg, and her stony expression softened a bit.

"You're right, Charles. You'd better get inside, Jayma. Wouldn't want you to get an infection." She held the door open for me; her tone was sweet with an icy undertone to it that I didn't fail to notice. I gingerly walked into the living room. Charles offered to help me into a chair.

"Thanks, but I can manage." I smiled at him again.

"So. Tea anyone?" Raven asked, clearing her throat.

I said, "I'd love some tea!" at the same time Charles said: "We're fine, but thanks anyway."

"Right. I'll just get the hot water and some clean cloths! Be back in a bit!" She spun on her heel and stormed away very quickly.

"What's with her? Did I do something to offend her?" I wondered aloud.

"Don't worry about it, Jayma." His guilty look made me suspicious.

"Why not?" I was confused by his nonchalance.

"Well… She's just tired." He looked doubtful as he spoke. I grew even more suspicious.

"Should I call a doctor?" I asked, rising out of my chair.

"NO!" He shouted at me. I froze, slightly terrified.

"I mean, why call a doctor?" He said, awkwardly.

"I'm hurt, Charles. The doctor could help me. And Raven wouldn't be mad at me."

"She's not mad at you. She's – "

"Tired." We chimed together. After a few seconds I inquired about the doctor again.

"But I can mend wounds better than the best doctor in the world can!" He looked serious.

"Do I detect a hint of arrogance in your voice?" I said, smiling. He playfully shoved me. Raven came in, holding a large glass bowl of steaming water with some white cloths in it.

"Here you are, Jayma." She set the bowl down on the coffee table. She also placed a pile of fresh cloth bandages next to it.

"Thank you, Raven." I tried a smile, but I suppose it looked more like a grimace to her. She nodded curtly in response to me, then she left.

"All right Charles," I swung my leg up onto the table. My stocking was torn and bloodstained, as I suspected. He was a bit surprised, but gently took my shoe and stocking off. He threw the stocking into the fire. The fire blazed angrily. My eyes widened, and I stared at him.

"Sorry. There wasn't much left of it," he said, sheepishly.

"A little warning next time, Charles."

"I'll try to remember that." He chuckled, as he wrung a wet cloth out.

"This may sting a bit." He very carefully cleaned my wound. I kept my eye on the clock.

"My poor mother. She'll have to soak my uniform tonight." I sighed, looking at the bloodstains.

"Your mother?" Charles looked up, accidently pressing a bit too hard on my leg. I let out a cry of pain.

"I'm so sorry!" He let go of the cloth like it was on fire, and instinctively held me close. I cried a little, biting my lip to keep from breaking down.

"I promise I'll never hurt you again, Jayma," he whispered in my ear. I hope he won't have a reason to, I thought, not trusting myself to speak.

"I didn't have a reason to tonight. I was just surprised, that's all." Charles stated.

Is he reading my mind? My heart beat faster.

"Yes I am reading your mind," Charles replied, as if I'd spoken. Whoa! This is freaking me out. Maybe I should just go home. I broke apart from him.

"Wait! I didn't mean to scare you, Jayma! Please don't leave!"

"Charles – you – you're a – a – a – " I couldn't think of how to say the word nicely.

" 'Freak'? Some may say I am. But the correct term is 'telepath'. I'm a mutant." He was completely serious when he said this. He told me what mutants were and are. He even said I was a mutant.

"It's in your blood, Jayma. The genetic code that mutated you." He began wrapping warm cloth strips around my leg.

"What genetic code?" My leg started to fall off the table. Charles caught it before I gave myself another injury. He mumbled something I didn't catch.

"What did you say?" I asked, curiously.

"I said: Forget what I said about you being a mutant." He put his first two fingers to his temple. And in that moment I did forget.