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Billy felt the softness of his mattress under him before he opened his eyes. As his brown eyes opened, tears still staining his face his twin brother Tommy was sitting on the end of his bed staring at him. For twins they looked nothing alike. Billy had gotten the dark hair and eyes of their mother where as Tommy was almost a miniature version of their late Uncle Peitro with his stark white hair and piercing green eyes. “Where the hell did you go? And why are you crying Billy?”, Tommy asked concern for his brother obvious in his tone. “Went? I went somewhere? I was having a bad dream. I was in some sort of a castle. And I saw Wolverine. He talked to me. Said I was in his purgatory. He wanted me to bring him with me. Is Wolverine like Freddy Krueger?”, Billy asked wiping his face with the back of his hands.

“I don’t know if you were sleeping, but I do know that not but five minutes ago I fell out of my bed, again, but when I looked at your bed you weren’t there. I’ve been sitting here waiting for you to come back.”, Tommy explained. “I left? So I really did see Wolverine? But that’s not possible he’s dead.”, Billy said shaking his head. “It’s not the first time you’ve disappeared from your bed Billy. Mom said you were coming into your powers. So maybe you are sleep teleporting. I’ve heard Talia and Esabelle talk about it. You must be able to teleport like they do, and when you sleep you can’t control it. And maybe you went to hell or something. Only way you could have seen some dead guy.”, Tommy suggested. “I don’t think Wolverine is like Freddy Krueger who haunts kid’s dreams trying to kill them for some wrong their parents did. Remember it wasn’t our parents that killed Wolverine but some Friends of Humanity members. So if he was going to go all Nightmare on Elm St it’d be on the human’s kids not us.”, Tommy said giving his twin a tight hug. How little the two knew about the truth of what really caused Wolverine to ‘die’.

“Should I tell mom?”, Billy asked. Tommy pulled back from the hug and shook his head. “Oh heck no, at least not the whole thing. You can tell her that you’ve been sleep teleporting, and then she can sign you up for teleporting training with one of the Neyaphem. But you do not tell her you saw Wolverine or that he spoke to you. She’d freak out and get all over protective of you.”, Tommy said. “She’s already over protective of me, because I have her power set. You don’t have to train with her and memorize all these spells. You just get to run outside to learn to control your speed and how to stop. But you’re right she’d get even worse if I told her about seeing Wolverine.”, Billy argued but eventually agreed. “And you have no idea how happy I am that I don’t have mom over my shoulder trying to train me. I feel bad for you Billy. So we don’t tell anyone else, ever that you saw Wolverine when you sleep-ported right?”, Tommy said holding up his pinky finger. Billy locked his pinky around Tommy’s and they gave a little shake. “Agreed.”, Billy said. “Alright let’s go to bed. It’ll be morning soon and mom will be banging on our door.”, Tommy said. In less than a blink of an eye he was on his bed under his blankets. Billy smiled and crawled back under his blankets. “Goodnight Tommy.”, Billy said turning off the light. “Good night Billy.”, Tommy replied.

Across the hall Josalyn was woken up by a Barbie doll kicking her in the nose. At first she just grunted and batted away what she figured was a fly but then the pointy toes of the plastic doll managed to hit her just right in the bridge of her nose. Her green eyes flew open and she shooed the doll away and turned on the light to see every toy in her shared bedroom with her twin Lily was floating and so was Lily. “LILY! “, Josalyn shouted in shock. Lily hadn’t shown any signs of being a mutant, yet. Josalyn felt a little torn between being happy that her sister had a mutation and jealous that she didn’t have a mutation yet. Lily startled awake by the yelling of her name and fell onto her bed and the toys all fell around the room. “Josalyn why are you yelling?”, Lily asked rubbing her green eyes and staring across the small space to her mirror image twin sister. “You were floating above your bed and so were all our toys!”, Josalyn explained. “Really? Crap?”, Lily said frowning. “Crap? Are you kidding me? Do you know what Merrick or I would give to have a mutation develop? Our parents are mutants we live in a mutant school. Imagine how boring it’ll be if we end up being human...”, Josalyn said the last part she stuck out her tongue like she was gagging. “Our MOTHER is a mutant. Our father WAS a human, before he died. Christian is our STEP father.”, Lily replied narrowing her eyes at her sister.

Lily despite having been raised with Christian as her immediate father figure still held onto the memories of her real dad Calvin and anytime she could she’d rather spend it at the Haven with her big brother Demitri than at the Academy. It was this detachment from the Academy and more importantly from her immediate family that caused a bit of a riff between her and them. The largest riff formed was with Josalyn and Merrick, her fellow triplets. But neither of them knew their real dad and when they were still young their cousin David stopped talking to their mom so they spent less and less time at the Haven. But Lily found a kinship with Demitri, he reminded her of their dad since he looked just like him, and so he was the only one she ever told from the family about her early development of powers. With the Institute being under construction Demitri had managed to get Jean Grey of the X-Men to come to the Haven to teach her since she was about three.

So she’d spent the last seven years secretly going to the Haven to be trained on controlling her telekinesis. And till tonight she’d kept it a secret from everyone in the Academy. She had wanted to keep her powers under wraps till the Institute was finished so she could do what she’d always dreamed, tell her mom and stepfather to kiss her ass because she was going to be a X-Men. “Why do you always have to make that distinction? Seriously I don’t get it? Dad has raised us as if we are his, he doesn’t treat us any different than Emma or Sebastian. You are the only one that doesn’t accept that. I think you just spend too much time with Demitri and our Bryant cousins. They’ve messed with your head and have you seeing mom and dad as the bad guys.”, Josalyn argued. “Maybe they are the bad guys. I don’t know why David stopped talking to mom, but I’m sure he had a good reason. And pardon me for wanting to spend time with the Bryant and Shadow side of our family. The world doesn’t revolve around the Frost line you know. You and Merrick miss out on being as close to Landon and Cora Lee as I get to be.”, Lily retorted.

Josalyn rolled her eyes, “Whatever Lily. You know you need to tell mom about your powers, because if you don’t I will.”, Josalyn stated. “Don’t you dare!”, Lily shouted. “Why not? If she knows then you can start training.”, Josalyn argued. “I don’t need training from anyone at the Academy.”, Lily said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”, Josalyn questioned. “I’ve had powers since we were toddlers. Demitri is the only one I told and I’ve been training with Jean Grey since I was 3. I don’t need training from any Academy teacher. When the Jacob finishes rebuilding the Institute I can enroll and move there.”, Lily explained. Josalyn’s eyes went wide. She wasn’t sure if she was more offended that her own twin never told her she had powers or that she was sneaking behind everyone’s back to train with an X-Man. “You would seriously enroll with the Xavier Institute? Have you not listened to anything that Wanda has told us? To anything our mom and dad have told us about them?”, Josalyn questioned. “I’ve heard their sides of the stories. But I’ve also heard the other side of the stories from the Haven and the X-Men I’ve been around. The X-Men aren’t the bad guys. They want peace between humans and mutants. The Acolytes, the XC, the Brotherhood, the Neyaphem want war so that mutants can be in full control.”, Lily said with a sigh shaking her head at her sister. “Mutants deserve to be in control. Humans are weak.”, Josalyn replied. “And what happens when you turn out to be a human like our REAL dad? Do you get kicked out of the house?”, Lily replied. “I’ll be a mutant, I just know it. We’re twins after all so if you are one then I’ll be one too.”, Josalyn argued getting out of bed to head for the door.

“Where are you going?”, Lily questioned. “To tell mom that you are a mutant and have been sneaking around working with X-Men.”, Josalyn said one hand on the door handle. “NO!”, Lily said extending her hand and using her power pulled her twin away from the door and forced her up to the ceiling. “I can’t let you do that. I’ll tell mom when I’m ready and not a minute before.”, Lily said getting angry. “So we are good enough to keep a roof over your head, food in your stomach, and clothes on your back till the Institute is finished and then you just dump on the place you’ve grown up in? Put me down! It’s not fair to use your powers on your own sister.”, Josalyn shouted making sure she was being extra loud to get someone’s attention. Footsteps could be heard in the hallway. “Josalyn? Lily? What’s wrong?”, Kim’s voice questioned from the hall reaching for the door. Lily glared at Josalyn before letting her down. Just as Kim walked into the room Josalyn landed with a thud on her bed. Kim looked from Lily to Josalyn and folded her arms. “Someone mind telling me why Josalyn just fell from the ceiling?”, Kim questioned. Josalyn looked at Lily who shook her head keeping her mouth tightly closed. “Fine you won’t tell her than I will.”, Josalyn said getting up. “Mom..”, Josalyn started. “I’m a mutant. I have telekinesis and I pinned Josalyn to the ceiling because she was being an annoying brat.”, Lily interrupted.

Kim didn’t know if she should be mad or proud that one of her children was showing powers. “Lily, I’m happy you have a power but you should never use your power against family.”, Kim said trying to keep balance between her emotions. “Like you and Christian have never used your powers against family?”, Lily asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”, Kim questioned. “Well something obviously happened for David and Demitri to not talk to you. And my guess is you or Christian did something to them or someone they care about.”, Lily replied. “I don’t know why your cousin or brother stopped talking to me. I never hurt them or any other Haven member. The Haven is neutral territory. “Yeah, well what about the X-Men? I’m sure at one point or another you or Christian have hurt one of them, like Mikali or Kurt for example.”, Lily protested. “The X-Men have always had an issue with the Acolytes and even back when David was part of the brotherhood he fought them too.”, Kim countered. “I know David was Brotherhood long before I was born, but he at least saw the error and has repented by being the leader of the Haven. You never saw the error of your ways.”, Lily answered getting out of her bed. “I don’t see an error because the X-Men are my enemy and stand between us and having the full rights we mutants deserve. They protect the humans who hurt us.”, Kim argued. “Humans like my dad. Mind telling me how he died again?”, Lily questioned as she started pulling clothes from her dresser.

“He…”, Kim started to argue back but stopped seeing Lily starting to pack clothes. “What are you doing young lady?”, Kim demanded. “I’m leaving mom.”, Lily said simply as she zipped the bag now filled with her clothes and then grabbed her book bag filled with her school books. “And exactly where do you think you are going to go?”, Kim asked raising an eyebrow. “Since the Institute is still under construction, I’m going to the Haven. As you said that the neutral zone, so based on the treaty that your ‘illustrious’ leader Wanda signed you and any other Acolyte can’t touch me on that property.”, Lily said started for the door. Kim moved to block the door. “You are eleven years old and you only just found your powers. You aren’t going anywhere. You need to learn to control your powers and you’ll learn that here at the Academy.”, Kim said shaking her head. “No mom. I’ve had powers since I was two. And I’ve been training with Jean Grey, the most powerful telekinetic mutant around since I was three. So I’m going to the Haven where at least my big brother Demitri won’t try to use me and my powers like Wanda would. And when the Institute reopens its doors I’ll enroll there and continue learning from Jean.”, Lily said sliding around her mother’s arms and out the door. Kim turned to grab Lily but something stopped her. “Don’t touch me mom. I’m stronger than you think.”, Lily said using her powers to keep her mother in place. “You can’t hold me here forever Lily.”, Kim yelled. Lily didn’t plan on that she just started running down the hall and out the doors.

Kim finally freed from Lily’s power chased after her having told Josalyn to stay in her room and not go get her father because she’d handle Lily. Kim went out into the night to try and find Lily, making a beeline for the Haven to get there first. And she did, Kim stood at the end of the sidewalk to the Haven house looking in all directions to find Lily. Demitri had actually gotten in late having worked at his flower shop, the one store that Sarael made him manager of when she decided to make a chain of shops. He’d been working on a large set of arrangements for the pending nuptials for Teresa Hamilton and Hudson Howlett. Sure they could have easily gotten a florist in Mandipoor to handle the arrangements since Hudson is king there, but Teresa insisted that she wanted flowers that only Demitri could dream up. And since giving Demitri business meant giving his Aunt Sarael business Hudson was prefect fine with that. Demitri had never worked so hard on flower arrangements, but he’d also never had a royal wedding to work on before either. He was about to turn off the living room lights and head upstairs to bed when he noticed someone standing outside. “Who the fuck would be out there at this hour..”, Demitri questioned as he went to the door and stepped outside. He was about to shout at the person when he realized who it was. It was Kim, his best friend David’s cousin and mother to his half siblings.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here Kim? Especially at this hour. Is something wrong with one of my siblings?”, Demitri questioned. Kim glanced over her shoulder and glared at Demitri as she saw Lily running away as his fault. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that Demitri Shadow. This is all your fault.”, Kim said her voice starting to fill with rage. “All my fault? What exactly am I being blamed for now?”, Demitri asked stepping off the porch but staying on the property. “You knew Lily was telekinetic and you never told me, worse you had Jean Grey teach her. She’s MY child. I should have been told she had powers and it’s MY choice whom she is educated by. You are just her half brother.”, Kim said turning to fully face and glare at Demitri. “Maybe if Lily trusted you the way she trusts me she would have told you her damn self. She had me promise I wouldn’t tell you. And I will not break a promise to my sister. She needed help and so I got her help. Jean is the most talented telekinetic mutant out there. Lily has learned a lot from her. And I think you might want to start thinking about how you talk about my wife. Because you are pissing me off and I’m ready to step off this property and for the first time in my life hit a woman.”, Demitri warned.

Both became distracted when a small figure appeared under a street light. “Lily..”, they both said turning to her. Lily stopped dead in her tracks looking from Demitri to Kim. She gulped. “Demitri…can...can I stay here please?”, Lily asked. “What happened? Are you hurt?”, Demitri asked moving to go towards his little sister. Kim grabbed him so he couldn’t. “You will not go near my child.”, Kim warned. Demitri took a deep breath and looked down at Kim’s hand. “Kim, I don’t want to hurt you. You are the mother to my three siblings. But you better take your hand off me before you break that treaty your boss Wanda signed all those years ago. Really do you want to start a war with my house? Because it won’t end the same way as last time, this time wouldn’t be a stalemate.”, Demitri warned his voice low not wanting Lily to hear. “What are you talking about? I don’t want to start a war, I just want to take my daughter home.”, Kim said bringing her hand back knowing the consequences of breaking the treaty. “I don’t want to go home with you, mom. I want to stay at the Haven with Demitri and Jean.”, Lily said taking a few steps forward before jumping onto the Haven property. “And now that I’m on Haven property I claim sanctuary.”, Lily declared. “But…Lily I’m your mom. You should be home with me, your dad, and your siblings.”, Kim protested her eyes starting to tear.

The day Lily was born Kim lost her, Calvin took her away and it took her two long years to get her back. And now nine years later Lily was making the choice to leave her to be with Demitri. “Christian is NOT my dad! Calvin Shadow was my dad!”, Lily shouted. “He died and I got stuck with you and Christian. No one asked me if I wanted to live with you. I may have been little but I was smarter than you ever gave me credit. I remember my dad and how much he loved me..”, Lily said tears streaming down her porcelain face staining her cheeks. Demitri sighed and walked over to Lily picking her up giving her a tight hug. “Calvin was an evil man. Demitri can you even tell you that. Do you know what he would have done if he found out you were a mutant. The same thing he did when Demitri became a mutant.”, Kim argued. “Christian and I love you and will always love you.”, Kim added. “Our dad may not have been the best in the world, we all know that, but none of us could say how he’d have dealt with Lily having powers. He could have been different than when I did. But either way Kim, Lily is on Haven property and has called for sanctuary. She stays here and if you or anyone at your Academy tries to take her from this house consider the treaty void.”, Demitri warned. “You can’t void the treaty only David can.”, Kim countered. “David will side with me.”, Demitri replied starting to walk back to the porch. “I’m his family, his blood. Why would he pick you over me?”, Kim demanded. “You may be blood, but I’ve been his brother for twelve years. And I have never had a hand in causing pain to him or anyone he loves.”, Demitri said before walking inside and shutting the door.

Demitri and Lily could hear Kim cursing outside but when Demitri looked out the window she was gone. “Mind telling me what the hell happened? I thought you were waiting till the school was finished before letting them know you had a power and that you wanted to leave.”, Demitri asked setting Lily down on the sofa. “I couldn’t help it. I had a slip up with my powers. I started floating and so did all the toys in mine and Josalyn’s bedroom. It woke up Josalyn. She freaked out and then mom came in and she freaked out. And well I couldn’t stay there. She’d have made me start training with one of the Acolytes. I don’t want to learn from them. I don’t want to be an Acolyte. I want to be a X-Men. I want to save people mutant or human.”, Lily explained. Demitri nodded and sighed. “Alright so we are earlier than planned. You have sanctuary living here, so till Jacob finished the school you’ll bunk here. Cora Lee won’t mind having a roommate.” Demitri said standing up grabbing Lily’s bags.

“Demitri, can I ask you something and you tell me the truth?”, Lily asked standing up from the sofa. “Depends on what you want to ask, but I’ll try to be honest.”, Demitri said. “Alright. What did you mean about mom having caused pain to David or someone he loves?”, Lily asked. Demitri sighed. “You can’t tell me can you?”, Lily questioned. Demitri knelt down to look Lily in the eyes. “Lily, you are my sister and I love you with everything I am. The answer to that question though is something bigger than me. I had promised you I wouldn’t tell your mom about your powers. Well I also made a promise to keep another secret. And I can’t break that promise even for you. Do you understand?”, Demitri explained placing his hands on Lily’s shoulders. Lily nodded. “I get it. You made a promise and you never break them.”, Lily said a little disappointed. “If there ever comes a time that I can tell you, I will. I don’t like keeping things from you. But come on, it’s late. Let’s get you in bed. I’ll explain to everyone in the morning why you are here.”, Demitri said giving Lily a piggy back ride up the stairs and with extreme caution crept into Cora Lee’s room and put Lily on the spare bed. Lily crawled into bed as Demitri quietly shut the door. Lily looked across the room to Cora Lee who was sound asleep, headphones on. Lily could faintly hear some death metal blaring from the headphones. “Seriously going to be deaf in her future.”, Lily whispered before falling to sleep.

Demitri peeked into Landon and Nathan’s bedroom and smiled seeing both his godson and his son were asleep in their beds. And with that he crept into his bedroom and crawled into bed next to Jean. “So how long is Lily staying?”, Jean asked her eyes still closed. Demitri sighed. “I really dislike when you get in my head. And basically she’s here till the institute opens.”, Demitri answered. “You weren’t complaining last night when I used my telepathy to know exactly what you wanted.”, Jean replied sleepily a smirk on her lips. Demitri rolled his eyes, “That’s different. That is bedroom stuff not anything to do with my siblings.”, Demitri replied. “Fair enough. I don’t envy you having to explain to David what happened out there with his cousin.”, Jean said. “I don’t look forward to it either, but it’s got to be told.”, Demitri said. “Well that’s a worry for the morning. Get some sleep before Nathan comes running in here.”, Jean suggested. Demitri took his wife’s advice and they both fell asleep.

Demitri wasn’t the only one who was dreading the morning and having to deal with the Lily situation. Kim returned home and stopped at Josalyn and Lily’s room to tell Josalyn to go back to bed and they would discuss the Lily situation in the morning. Josalyn wasn’t thrilled with that answer but went to bed as told. Kim returned to her bedroom with Christian who was sitting up in bed an eyebrow raised looking at his wife. “What is going on Kim?”, he asked. Kim sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Lily is telekinetic.”, she started. “Well that’s great. So why do you look so glum?”, Christian questioned placing a hand on Kim’s shoulder. “She has had her powers since she was two. She never trusted any of us enough to say something. She told Demitri and behind our backs he had Jean training her for years.”, Kim said ready to cry at how much her daughter not trusting her hurt. “Really…I’m at a loss for words. We’ve done everything we can with her. We have loved her equally to any of her siblings. You are a great mom, having one child out of our five behave like this shows that.”, Christian said trying to make Kim feel better.

“It gets worse. She ran away tonight. I went after her, but she went to the Haven and Demitri was still awake. So she is there and I can’t do anything without breaking the treaty Wanda and Charles signed back when the Haven first started. And I don’t know what Demitri is playing at but he seriously thinks we have done some kind of wrong against the Haven in the past.”, Kim explained. Christian frowned knowing that going against the Haven wasn’t an option. “We could go through legal routes. You are her mother Demitri is just her half brother. With Calvin dead you are her living parent and thus legally her only guardian. We could easily have the humans get her back for us.”, Christian explained. “She made it rather clear she doesn’t want to be here. She said she wants to be…to be an X-Men. She wants to enroll at the Institute when they reopen.”, Kim said still shaking her head. “Oooh. Wanda is not going to like this.”, Christian said hugging Kim from behind. “Yeah and I get to be the one that tells her my first born child has decided to become an X-Men and has run away to the Haven till the Institute reopens.”, Kim said with a shudder. She didn’t want to think about how angry Wanda was going to be. “It’s going to be alright. I’ll be there with you when you tell her in the morning.”, Christian said. “For now let’s try to get some sleep and we will deal with this come morning.”, he said pulling her back into the bed to lay next to him. It took a while but they did fall asleep.

As morning came it was the Haven house which woke with a high pitch squeal. Cora Lee woke up first, as seemed normal since getting up first ensured she got the bathroom first and the prize from the new cereal box. As she sat up rubbing her blue eyes she started to look around her bedroom, the small rays of sun just starting to light the room. She noticed a lump in the extra bed in her room and tilted her head to the side her purple hair sliding across her face. She quietly slid off her bed and tip toed across the room and peaked to see who was sleeping in her spare bed. A smile spread across her soft pink lips realizing who it was. “LILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, she squealed before jumping onto the bed and bouncing on her older cousin. “AHH!”, Lily yelled sitting up. “Morning cuz. What are you doing in my room?”, Cora Lee asked rather chipper. Her scream of course woke her dad who came running into the room. David quickly opened the bedroom door still pulling a white t-shirt on to go with the black shorts he had worn to bed. “What..what’s the commotion..?”, he asked his typically black spiky hair flat from sleeping and all his piercings out as well. His blue eyes scanned the room and stopped on a familiar red haired girl on the guest bed in his daughter’s bedroom. “Lily? What are you doing here? When did you get here? Does your mother know you are here? Cora Lee I thought I told you to get permission from your mom or me before having people stay the night.”, David said in one breath. He leaned against the door frame waiting for the pounding of his heart stop feeling like it was going to beat out of his chest.

Down the hall a small thud could be heard along with a loud ‘KAWWWW’ as Morpheus was started out of his nest. Aislinn sat up in bed confused feeling the space next to her to not find David. “What’s going on!?”, she shouted. Morephus got to his feet and flew down the hall swooping past David to land on the bed. He pecked at Lily’s fingers before kawwing, “Cor-ah! Lil-iy!” “Lily?”, Aislinn questioned getting out of bed now confused by what she was seeing through Morpheus’ eyes. Landon peeked out of his bedroom holding Nathan in his arms, who was not about being held just about getting down from Landon’s arms. He wiggled his way out and started down the hall. “Nathan get back here.”, Landon called chasing after the toddler. Demitri and Jean opened their door just in time to snatch up Nathan. “We’ve got him.”, Jean said. Solangel was the next to wake up as now everyone was being loud. She stumbled out her door, her blue hair nearly in an afro as she needed to straighten it again. “What is going on out here?”, she grumbled.

Lily petted Morpheus and tried not to laugh at the fact the whole house was awake all because her cousin couldn’t help but scream and jump on her. Cora Lee looked at her father with fake offense in her eyes. “I didn’t invite Lily over daddy. I woke up and she was here.”, Cora Lee explained. Demitri came down the hall and slipped into the room. “I let her in last night and told her to sleep in Cora Lee’s spare bed.”, Demitri admitted. David groaned and looked at Demitri though half open eyes. “I was sound asleep, happily dreaming. Now I am awake and without coffee. Chose words carefully and tell me why my little cousin is in my daughter’s bedroom. Because if her mom comes here looking for her…”, David said pointing at Demitri. Lily gulped and stood up on the bed. “It’s my fault David. My family found out about my powers last night. And mom wanted me to start studying at the Academy. And I don’t want to be a student at the Academy. I don’t want to be an Acolyte, I want to be an X-Men like Jean. So I came here. Mom’s not happy about it, but if I’m at the Haven she can’t force me to leave…unless you’d let her.”, Lily explained looking at David with her best pouty face. Cora Lee decided to help her cousin out and also gave her dad the pouty face. “You can’t let them take Lily. She doesn’t want to be an Acolyte. You said people shouldn’t force their wills on others.”, Cora Lee said. Landon finally got the doorway and looked up at his dad. “Come on dad, you can’t let Lily become an Acolyte.”, Landon said.

David looked from Lily to Cora Lee then to Landon. “This isn’t fair, you three are ganging up on me with the sad faces.”, David said. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Fine. Lily can stay. If her mom or any of the Acolytes have an issue they can deal with me.”, David said giving in. Lily, Cora Lee, and Landon all shouted with delight giving him a group hug, “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!”. Lily looked up at David with a smile. “I promise I’ll be good David. And it’s just till the Institute is finished then I can move there to officially start on being an X-Men.”, Lily promised. “You’re your brother’s responsibility though. I’ve already got two kids to deal with.”, David added before turning to the stairs. “Now I need coffee.”, he grumbled head down stairs.

Solangel raised an eyebrow then shrugged before escaping back to her bedroom for more sleep. Jean smiled and gave Lily a side hug as she was still balancing Nathan in her other arm. “Glad you are here little sister. Now I better get your nephew changed and fed before I head out to work so that Aislinn and Solangel don’t have to.”, Jean said heading back into the room Nathan shared with Landon. “It will be nice to have you here. Better go and get ready for the day. You three better do the same so you don’t miss the school bus. I’ll fix your lunches.”, Aislinn said giving Lily a hug and then messing up Landon’s black hair a little. “Morpheus.”, she called and the bird swooped over to her shoulder to be her eyes as she went downstairs. Demitri gave Lily a kiss on the top of the head. “Like I said, David would side with me. Glad you get to stay.”, Demitri said. “Now I need to get dressed and out of here. I have a royal wedding to finish arrangements for.”, Demitri added. “Uncle Demitri, if you want I could stop by after school to help finish getting the arraignments together for Teresa’s wedding.”, Landon offered. Demitri paused halfway in his bedroom door and leaned out. “Sure, could use a hand from someone I’d trust with my flowers. I’ll see you after school then.”, Demitri replied before shutting his door.

Lily just continued smiling before hugging Cora Lee and Landon with glee. “FINALLY I’m living with you guys! Why couldn’t you two be my siblings instead of Merrick and Josalyn.”, Lily commented. Landon sighed shaking his head. “Glad you are here too cuz. And since I’m up early, looks like I get the prize from the cereal box.”, Landon commented giving his sister a devious grin before running to the stairs. “I wish you were my sister too.”, Cora Lee said before she realized what Landon said. “HEY! I was up first!!!!”, she yelled racing after her big brother. Lily just laughed and casually followed them downstairs for breakfast. Mornings at the Haven were less organized and dull than they were at the Academy. Things were more casual and more family here at the Haven. At the Academy everything had to be order to keep Wanda happy. She would not miss waking up to Wanda tapping on their bedroom door demanding them to get up, get dressed and be in the dining room in fifteen minutes. Really fifteen minutes for her to argue with Josalyn over who got to wear what and the use of the bathroom first was insanity. As she sat down to the table with her cousins she thought that this morning at the Academy might not be so organized when Wanda finds out she left. “We’ll have to call Rose and let her know that Lily’s here now.”, Cora Lee chirped over her bowl of cereal. “She’s still in Mandipoor, imagine getting to miss the first week of school because you are the flower girl of a royal wedding?”, Cora Lee added. “She’s got a lot on her mind with her brother getting married, let her find out when she comes back.”, Landon suggested. “Oooh yeah then it’ll be more of a surprise. I like it.”, Cora Lee said with a smile. Lily just sighed and smiled at them before digging into her bowl.

Across town at the Academy the morning was starting off like normal. Wanda was going down the halls knocking on the doors telling the kids to wake up. Any children under school age, she let their parents get them up and ready for their own in house daycare. She knocked on her twin boys’ bedroom. “William…Thomas, time to get up. Be downstairs in fifteen minutes.”, She shouted. “We know mom!”, the twins yelled in unison. Wanda smiled, she could always depend on her older boys to be compliant. Their younger brother Tyler was much like their father. He hated getting out of bed. So she saved him for last so she could drag him out of his bed. He wasn’t thrilled that he was going to 1st grade, he hadn’t been happy about going to Kindergarten the year before either. Inside the bedroom the boys were already awake and dressed. “So we are still agreed we do not mention that you saw Wolverine, but we do say you sleep-ported.”, Tommy confirmed. Billy nodded, “Agreed.”

Across the hall Wanda knocked on Josalyn and Lily’s door. “Girls, time to wake up. Be downstairs in fifteen minutes.”, she shouted. Josalyn opened the door dressed for school her bag on her shoulder. “Already am Wanda.”, Josalyn greeted with a smile. Wanda raised an eyebrow looking at Josalyn and then tilted her head to look past the girl and didn’t see Lily. “Where is your sister?”, Wanda questioned. “Emma? She doesn’t room with me.”, Josalyn replied. Wanda narrowed her eyes. “Don’t be smart mouthed with me. Where is Lily?”, Wanda asked. “You would need to talk to my mom about that, because I don’t know.”, Josalyn said ducking around Wanda to head downstairs. Wanda made a beeline for Kim and Christian’s bedroom and started to pound on the door. “KIM!”, she shouted. Kim sighed, she’d been up for hours dreading this conversation. She opened the door and look at Wanda. “Yes?”, Kim asked casually. “Where is your daughter?”, Wanda demanded. “Which one? I have three after all.”, Kim said knowing a joke may not be in her favor but it was her nature. “I told Josalyn to not get smart mouthed with me and now I see she learns it from you. You know exactly which daughter I’m speaking about. So where is Lily?”, Wanda questioned. “At the Haven with Demitri.”, Kim said simply.

“What is she doing there? She went to bed here last night. It’s the first day of school.”, Wanda questioned. “Lily chose to go there last night. Josalyn found out that Lily is telekinetic last night. And rather upset Lily decided to run to the Haven.”, Kim explained. “Well I’m happy to hear one of your children has shown a mutation, but why would she go to the Haven. We are a mutant school who could easily train her to control her power.”, Wanda questioned. Kim sighed. “Lily has apparently been hiding her power from all of us and training with her sister-in-law Jean for a while now when she’d visit Demitri.”, Kim admitted. Wanda’s face turned red with anger. “Wait so your daughter has been sneaking around learning from Jean Grey of the X-Men?”, Wanda fumed. “Basically. Lily doesn’t want to train at the Academy. She wants to be an X-Men and has the intention to enroll at the Institute when it’s completed construction.”, Kim explained rolling her eyes. “And why are you allowing this? You should have snatched her up before she got to the Haven.”, Wanda demanded. “A couple of reasons. One I love my daughter and I want only for her happiness even if her happiness leaves me miserable. And two I tried to get her before she reached the Haven, but Demitri was awake and came outside. Lily got onto the property and claimed sanctuary. I couldn’t just drag her away or I’d be breaking the treaty YOU signed.”, Kim countered.

Wanda frowned her brow furrowing. “David is in charge at the Haven, he certainly wouldn’t keep your daughter from you.”, Wanda said. Kim shook her head. “Demitri made it rather clear that if any of us tried to retrieve Lily it would be seen as an act of War against the Haven. He seemed confident that David would side with him over me. Something about having had a hand in causing pain to him or someone he loves. I don’t know what Demitri was even implying. I’ve never hurt David or anyone he cares about. I wouldn’t dream of causing my cousins pain in any fashion. And something about how if we started a war it wouldn’t end the same way as last time, this time wouldn’t be a stalemate. We’ve never broken our treaty. Do you know what he’s talking about?”, Kim questioned. Wanda paused looking at Kim before shaking her head. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. As you said we’ve never broken that treaty. And I would never ask you to go against your own blood. Family is everything after all. We will deal with this as you see fit then, she is your daughter. I have to finish waking the other children for school. Have a good day.”, Wanda said before walking away.

Wanda’s mind was racing trying to figure out how Demitri even remembered the events from nine years ago. No one but her was supposed to remember what had really happened. She’d have to investigate this further. It was obvious that her people didn’t remember what happened. Kim wasn’t being sarcastic or cryptic in her questions; her voice had been sincere in her questioning. Maybe her power didn’t affect certain people, but how could that happen. She made the world think something else. So how could Demitri remember? And who else also remembered? These were all questions that she didn’t like having to ask, because it meant something went wrong that night. She couldn’t think of any mutant out there powerful enough to have protected certain people’s minds. Charles was the only powerful enough telepath to have shielded a large number of minds, and he was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Wanda thought about Jean, but remembered she’d been weakened greatly under the interrogations of John, so she wouldn’t have been able to muster that much power. This gave a new question to Wanda’s growing list, who could be a powerful enough mutant to protect some people’s minds.

Wanda finished waking up the other students and battled with her youngest Tyler about getting out of his bed for school. Once they were all off to school and the younger ones out in the daycare with Kim and her clones Wanda sought refuge in her office taking out her rather thick grimoire. She began flipping through the pages feverously looking for a certain type of spell. John wondered into the room and leaned to rest his chin on her shoulder giving the base of her neck a soft kiss. “What has you in a huff this morning?”, John asked. Wanda shrugged him off. “I have a problem and I need to find the source of it.”, Wanda said simply. John took a step back and sighed. “I see. Does this have something to do with Lily wanting to be an X-Men and leaving the Academy?”, John asked. “That is part of it. I’m sure spending so much time around her brother Demitri and his X-Men wife Jean has turned her mind against us.”, Wanda said still flipping through the pages. “Part of? Meaning there is more. So what aren’t you telling me love?”, John questioned folding his arms. “John you are better seen than heard right now. I’ve got to concentrate and find the right spell to get my answer.”, Wanda said waving a hand at him to leave. John shook his head and sighed. “One of these days love, I’m not going to just do as you tell me.”, he complained before walking out of the room.

Wanda just shook her head still looking for the right spell. “Ah ha.”, she said stopping on a page. “A trace spell. Should be able to modify this to help me find out who’s powers blocked mine and maybe who they managed to protect other than Demitri.”, Wanda declared. She grabbed a scrap piece of paper and started to scribble down modifications to the spell. With the spell finished she drew all the blinds and lit over a dozen candles around her office before drawing a pentagram on the floor. “Alright let’s start this and get my answers.”, Wanda said taking a seat Indian style in the center of the pentagram holding her spell in her right hand. “Phasmats Tribum, Nas Ex Veras Sequita Saquines Ementas Asten Mihan Ega Petous”, she began to chant. The flames of the candles grew to near the ceiling then Wanda created a hex ball which expanded to the size of a mirror. “Show me who countered my power nine years ago…”, She demanded. Within the purple haze of her hex ball an image started to become clear it was a familiar face. “Solangel, the scrawny girl from the Haven. She protected their memories? But how? What kind of power does she hold?”, Wanda said. In the image she watched as this Solangel brought toys to life for the children at the Haven Daycare. Wanda’s eyes grew wide. “She can manipulate reality…”, Wanda said. “Well that only answers one question. Now who did she protect? SHOW ME!”, she demanded. The image fizzled and in a blur she watched as every X-Men that had survived, The Haven mutants, and even some humans flipped past. “She protected all of their minds from my power? But then why have they not tried anything in nine years? They all act as if nothing happened beyond what I made so.”, Wanda wondered.

The image then changed to Demitri and David talking. “So last night Lily asked me why we don’t talk to Kim. I think she heard me hint at something when I was angry at Kim.”, Demitri said. David sighed. “You didn’t tell her did you? I mean seriously you can’t. We can’t tell anyone. We promised. We all promised. There’s too much on the line specially now if we tried something. We all have kids.”, David said. “No I didn’t tell her. You think I want to tell her that her mom attacked Wolverine and kept Sadria hostage despite being very pregnant? You think I want to explain that her step Uncles kidnapped Aislinn? Or that it was her mom and stepfather who killed our dad? No I don’t want her to know those horrors. And trust me I know the risk if any of us broke that promise and made a move. I’m not going to risk Jean or Nathan’s lives for a little bit of revenge that was boiling over nine years ago.”, Demitri said. David nodded. “Alright good, so if they come for Lily we handle it but we don’t bring the past into this. From what we’ve seen none of them remember what they did. So let’s not mess up the little bit of peace we’ve managed.”, David said. And with that the hex ball fizzled and disappeared. “So they haven’t made a move because they don’t want a war either. This is good. And they seemed to be against telling any of the children which is even better.”, Wanda said standing up and started cleaning up her office.

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Billy felt the softness of his mattress under him before he opened his eyes. As his brown eyes opened, tears still staining his face his twin brother Tommy was sitting on the end of his bed staring at him. For twins they looked nothing alike. Billy had gotten the dark hair and eyes of their mother where as Tommy was almost a miniature version of their late Uncle Peitro with his stark white hair and piercing green eyes. “Where the hell did you go? And why are you crying Billy?”, Tommy asked concern for his brother obvious in his tone. “Went? I went somewhere? I was having a bad dream. I was in some sort of a castle. And I saw Wolverine. He talked to me. Said I was in his purgatory. He wanted me to bring him with me. Is Wolverine like Freddy Krueger?”, Billy asked wiping his face with the back of his hands.

“I don’t know if you were sleeping, but I do know that not but five minutes ago I fell out of my bed, again, but when I looked at your bed you weren’t there. I’ve been sitting here waiting for you to come back.”, Tommy explained. “I left? So I really did see Wolverine? But that’s not possible he’s dead.”, Billy said shaking his head. “It’s not the first time you’ve disappeared from your bed Billy. Mom said you were coming into your powers. So maybe you are sleep teleporting. I’ve heard Talia and Esabelle talk about it. You must be able to teleport like they do, and when you sleep you can’t control it. And maybe you went to hell or something. Only way you could have seen some dead guy.”, Tommy suggested. “I don’t think Wolverine is like Freddy Krueger who haunts kid’s dreams trying to kill them for some wrong their parents did. Remember it wasn’t our parents that killed Wolverine but some Friends of Humanity members. So if he was going to go all Nightmare on Elm St it’d be on the human’s kids not us.”, Tommy said giving his twin a tight hug. How little the two knew about the truth of what really caused Wolverine to ‘die’.

“Should I tell mom?”, Billy asked. Tommy pulled back from the hug and shook his head. “Oh heck no, at least not the whole thing. You can tell her that you’ve been sleep teleporting, and then she can sign you up for teleporting training with one of the Neyaphem. But you do not tell her you saw Wolverine or that he spoke to you. She’d freak out and get all over protective of you.”, Tommy said. “She’s already over protective of me, because I have her power set. You don’t have to train with her and memorize all these spells. You just get to run outside to learn to control your speed and how to stop. But you’re right she’d get even worse if I told her about seeing Wolverine.”, Billy argued but eventually agreed. “And you have no idea how happy I am that I don’t have mom over my shoulder trying to train me. I feel bad for you Billy. So we don’t tell anyone else, ever that you saw Wolverine when you sleep-ported right?”, Tommy said holding up his pinky finger. Billy locked his pinky around Tommy’s and they gave a little shake. “Agreed.”, Billy said. “Alright let’s go to bed. It’ll be morning soon and mom will be banging on our door.”, Tommy said. In less than a blink of an eye he was on his bed under his blankets. Billy smiled and crawled back under his blankets. “Goodnight Tommy.”, Billy said turning off the light. “Good night Billy.”, Tommy replied.

Across the hall Josalyn was woken up by a Barbie doll kicking her in the nose. At first she just grunted and batted away what she figured was a fly but then the pointy toes of the plastic doll managed to hit her just right in the bridge of her nose. Her green eyes flew open and she shooed the doll away and turned on the light to see every toy in her shared bedroom with her twin Lily was floating and so was Lily. “LILY! “, Josalyn shouted in shock. Lily hadn’t shown any signs of being a mutant, yet. Josalyn felt a little torn between being happy that her sister had a mutation and jealous that she didn’t have a mutation yet. Lily startled awake by the yelling of her name and fell onto her bed and the toys all fell around the room. “Josalyn why are you yelling?”, Lily asked rubbing her green eyes and staring across the small space to her mirror image twin sister. “You were floating above your bed and so were all our toys!”, Josalyn explained. “Really? Crap?”, Lily said frowning. “Crap? Are you kidding me? Do you know what Merrick or I would give to have a mutation develop? Our parents are mutants we live in a mutant school. Imagine how boring it’ll be if we end up being human...”, Josalyn said the last part she stuck out her tongue like she was gagging. “Our MOTHER is a mutant. Our father WAS a human, before he died. Christian is our STEP father.”, Lily replied narrowing her eyes at her sister.

Lily despite having been raised with Christian as her immediate father figure still held onto the memories of her real dad Calvin and anytime she could she’d rather spend it at the Haven with her big brother Demitri than at the Academy. It was this detachment from the Academy and more importantly from her immediate family that caused a bit of a riff between her and them. The largest riff formed was with Josalyn and Merrick, her fellow triplets. But neither of them knew their real dad and when they were still young their cousin David stopped talking to their mom so they spent less and less time at the Haven. But Lily found a kinship with Demitri, he reminded her of their dad since he looked just like him, and so he was the only one she ever told from the family about her early development of powers. With the Institute being under construction Demitri had managed to get Jean Grey of the X-Men to come to the Haven to teach her since she was about three.

So she’d spent the last seven years secretly going to the Haven to be trained on controlling her telekinesis. And till tonight she’d kept it a secret from everyone in the Academy. She had wanted to keep her powers under wraps till the Institute was finished so she could do what she’d always dreamed, tell her mom and stepfather to kiss her ass because she was going to be a X-Men. “Why do you always have to make that distinction? Seriously I don’t get it? Dad has raised us as if we are his, he doesn’t treat us any different than Emma or Sebastian. You are the only one that doesn’t accept that. I think you just spend too much time with Demitri and our Bryant cousins. They’ve messed with your head and have you seeing mom and dad as the bad guys.”, Josalyn argued. “Maybe they are the bad guys. I don’t know why David stopped talking to mom, but I’m sure he had a good reason. And pardon me for wanting to spend time with the Bryant and Shadow side of our family. The world doesn’t revolve around the Frost line you know. You and Merrick miss out on being as close to Landon and Cora Lee as I get to be.”, Lily retorted.

Josalyn rolled her eyes, “Whatever Lily. You know you need to tell mom about your powers, because if you don’t I will.”, Josalyn stated. “Don’t you dare!”, Lily shouted. “Why not? If she knows then you can start training.”, Josalyn argued. “I don’t need training from anyone at the Academy.”, Lily said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”, Josalyn questioned. “I’ve had powers since we were toddlers. Demitri is the only one I told and I’ve been training with Jean Grey since I was 3. I don’t need training from any Academy teacher. When the Jacob finishes rebuilding the Institute I can enroll and move there.”, Lily explained. Josalyn’s eyes went wide. She wasn’t sure if she was more offended that her own twin never told her she had powers or that she was sneaking behind everyone’s back to train with an X-Man. “You would seriously enroll with the Xavier Institute? Have you not listened to anything that Wanda has told us? To anything our mom and dad have told us about them?”, Josalyn questioned. “I’ve heard their sides of the stories. But I’ve also heard the other side of the stories from the Haven and the X-Men I’ve been around. The X-Men aren’t the bad guys. They want peace between humans and mutants. The Acolytes, the XC, the Brotherhood, the Neyaphem want war so that mutants can be in full control.”, Lily said with a sigh shaking her head at her sister. “Mutants deserve to be in control. Humans are weak.”, Josalyn replied. “And what happens when you turn out to be a human like our REAL dad? Do you get kicked out of the house?”, Lily replied. “I’ll be a mutant, I just know it. We’re twins after all so if you are one then I’ll be one too.”, Josalyn argued getting out of bed to head for the door.

“Where are you going?”, Lily questioned. “To tell mom that you are a mutant and have been sneaking around working with X-Men.”, Josalyn said one hand on the door handle. “NO!”, Lily said extending her hand and using her power pulled her twin away from the door and forced her up to the ceiling. “I can’t let you do that. I’ll tell mom when I’m ready and not a minute before.”, Lily said getting angry. “So we are good enough to keep a roof over your head, food in your stomach, and clothes on your back till the Institute is finished and then you just dump on the place you’ve grown up in? Put me down! It’s not fair to use your powers on your own sister.”, Josalyn shouted making sure she was being extra loud to get someone’s attention. Footsteps could be heard in the hallway. “Josalyn? Lily? What’s wrong?”, Kim’s voice questioned from the hall reaching for the door. Lily glared at Josalyn before letting her down. Just as Kim walked into the room Josalyn landed with a thud on her bed. Kim looked from Lily to Josalyn and folded her arms. “Someone mind telling me why Josalyn just fell from the ceiling?”, Kim questioned. Josalyn looked at Lily who shook her head keeping her mouth tightly closed. “Fine you won’t tell her than I will.”, Josalyn said getting up. “Mom..”, Josalyn started. “I’m a mutant. I have telekinesis and I pinned Josalyn to the ceiling because she was being an annoying brat.”, Lily interrupted.

Kim didn’t know if she should be mad or proud that one of her children was showing powers. “Lily, I’m happy you have a power but you should never use your power against family.”, Kim said trying to keep balance between her emotions. “Like you and Christian have never used your powers against family?”, Lily asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”, Kim questioned. “Well something obviously happened for David and Demitri to not talk to you. And my guess is you or Christian did something to them or someone they care about.”, Lily replied. “I don’t know why your cousin or brother stopped talking to me. I never hurt them or any other Haven member. The Haven is neutral territory. “Yeah, well what about the X-Men? I’m sure at one point or another you or Christian have hurt one of them, like Mikali or Kurt for example.”, Lily protested. “The X-Men have always had an issue with the Acolytes and even back when David was part of the brotherhood he fought them too.”, Kim countered. “I know David was Brotherhood long before I was born, but he at least saw the error and has repented by being the leader of the Haven. You never saw the error of your ways.”, Lily answered getting out of her bed. “I don’t see an error because the X-Men are my enemy and stand between us and having the full rights we mutants deserve. They protect the humans who hurt us.”, Kim argued. “Humans like my dad. Mind telling me how he died again?”, Lily questioned as she started pulling clothes from her dresser.

“He…”, Kim started to argue back but stopped seeing Lily starting to pack clothes. “What are you doing young lady?”, Kim demanded. “I’m leaving mom.”, Lily said simply as she zipped the bag now filled with her clothes and then grabbed her book bag filled with her school books. “And exactly where do you think you are going to go?”, Kim asked raising an eyebrow. “Since the Institute is still under construction, I’m going to the Haven. As you said that the neutral zone, so based on the treaty that your ‘illustrious’ leader Wanda signed you and any other Acolyte can’t touch me on that property.”, Lily said started for the door. Kim moved to block the door. “You are eleven years old and you only just found your powers. You aren’t going anywhere. You need to learn to control your powers and you’ll learn that here at the Academy.”, Kim said shaking her head. “No mom. I’ve had powers since I was two. And I’ve been training with Jean Grey, the most powerful telekinetic mutant around since I was three. So I’m going to the Haven where at least my big brother Demitri won’t try to use me and my powers like Wanda would. And when the Institute reopens its doors I’ll enroll there and continue learning from Jean.”, Lily said sliding around her mother’s arms and out the door. Kim turned to grab Lily but something stopped her. “Don’t touch me mom. I’m stronger than you think.”, Lily said using her powers to keep her mother in place. “You can’t hold me here forever Lily.”, Kim yelled. Lily didn’t plan on that she just started running down the hall and out the doors.

Kim finally freed from Lily’s power chased after her having told Josalyn to stay in her room and not go get her father because she’d handle Lily. Kim went out into the night to try and find Lily, making a beeline for the Haven to get there first. And she did, Kim stood at the end of the sidewalk to the Haven house looking in all directions to find Lily. Demitri had actually gotten in late having worked at his flower shop, the one store that Sarael made him manager of when she decided to make a chain of shops. He’d been working on a large set of arrangements for the pending nuptials for Teresa Hamilton and Hudson Howlett. Sure they could have easily gotten a florist in Mandipoor to handle the arrangements since Hudson is king there, but Teresa insisted that she wanted flowers that only Demitri could dream up. And since giving Demitri business meant giving his Aunt Sarael business Hudson was prefect fine with that. Demitri had never worked so hard on flower arrangements, but he’d also never had a royal wedding to work on before either. He was about to turn off the living room lights and head upstairs to bed when he noticed someone standing outside. “Who the fuck would be out there at this hour..”, Demitri questioned as he went to the door and stepped outside. He was about to shout at the person when he realized who it was. It was Kim, his best friend David’s cousin and mother to his half siblings.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here Kim? Especially at this hour. Is something wrong with one of my siblings?”, Demitri questioned. Kim glanced over her shoulder and glared at Demitri as she saw Lily running away as his fault. “Don’t you dare talk to me like that Demitri Shadow. This is all your fault.”, Kim said her voice starting to fill with rage. “All my fault? What exactly am I being blamed for now?”, Demitri asked stepping off the porch but staying on the property. “You knew Lily was telekinetic and you never told me, worse you had Jean Grey teach her. She’s MY child. I should have been told she had powers and it’s MY choice whom she is educated by. You are just her half brother.”, Kim said turning to fully face and glare at Demitri. “Maybe if Lily trusted you the way she trusts me she would have told you her damn self. She had me promise I wouldn’t tell you. And I will not break a promise to my sister. She needed help and so I got her help. Jean is the most talented telekinetic mutant out there. Lily has learned a lot from her. And I think you might want to start thinking about how you talk about my wife. Because you are pissing me off and I’m ready to step off this property and for the first time in my life hit a woman.”, Demitri warned.

Both became distracted when a small figure appeared under a street light. “Lily..”, they both said turning to her. Lily stopped dead in her tracks looking from Demitri to Kim. She gulped. “Demitri…can...can I stay here please?”, Lily asked. “What happened? Are you hurt?”, Demitri asked moving to go towards his little sister. Kim grabbed him so he couldn’t. “You will not go near my child.”, Kim warned. Demitri took a deep breath and looked down at Kim’s hand. “Kim, I don’t want to hurt you. You are the mother to my three siblings. But you better take your hand off me before you break that treaty your boss Wanda signed all those years ago. Really do you want to start a war with my house? Because it won’t end the same way as last time, this time wouldn’t be a stalemate.”, Demitri warned his voice low not wanting Lily to hear. “What are you talking about? I don’t want to start a war, I just want to take my daughter home.”, Kim said bringing her hand back knowing the consequences of breaking the treaty. “I don’t want to go home with you, mom. I want to stay at the Haven with Demitri and Jean.”, Lily said taking a few steps forward before jumping onto the Haven property. “And now that I’m on Haven property I claim sanctuary.”, Lily declared. “But…Lily I’m your mom. You should be home with me, your dad, and your siblings.”, Kim protested her eyes starting to tear.

The day Lily was born Kim lost her, Calvin took her away and it took her two long years to get her back. And now nine years later Lily was making the choice to leave her to be with Demitri. “Christian is NOT my dad! Calvin Shadow was my dad!”, Lily shouted. “He died and I got stuck with you and Christian. No one asked me if I wanted to live with you. I may have been little but I was smarter than you ever gave me credit. I remember my dad and how much he loved me..”, Lily said tears streaming down her porcelain face staining her cheeks. Demitri sighed and walked over to Lily picking her up giving her a tight hug. “Calvin was an evil man. Demitri can you even tell you that. Do you know what he would have done if he found out you were a mutant. The same thing he did when Demitri became a mutant.”, Kim argued. “Christian and I love you and will always love you.”, Kim added. “Our dad may not have been the best in the world, we all know that, but none of us could say how he’d have dealt with Lily having powers. He could have been different than when I did. But either way Kim, Lily is on Haven property and has called for sanctuary. She stays here and if you or anyone at your Academy tries to take her from this house consider the treaty void.”, Demitri warned. “You can’t void the treaty only David can.”, Kim countered. “David will side with me.”, Demitri replied starting to walk back to the porch. “I’m his family, his blood. Why would he pick you over me?”, Kim demanded. “You may be blood, but I’ve been his brother for twelve years. And I have never had a hand in causing pain to him or anyone he loves.”, Demitri said before walking inside and shutting the door.

Demitri and Lily could hear Kim cursing outside but when Demitri looked out the window she was gone. “Mind telling me what the hell happened? I thought you were waiting till the school was finished before letting them know you had a power and that you wanted to leave.”, Demitri asked setting Lily down on the sofa. “I couldn’t help it. I had a slip up with my powers. I started floating and so did all the toys in mine and Josalyn’s bedroom. It woke up Josalyn. She freaked out and then mom came in and she freaked out. And well I couldn’t stay there. She’d have made me start training with one of the Acolytes. I don’t want to learn from them. I don’t want to be an Acolyte. I want to be a X-Men. I want to save people mutant or human.”, Lily explained. Demitri nodded and sighed. “Alright so we are earlier than planned. You have sanctuary living here, so till Jacob finished the school you’ll bunk here. Cora Lee won’t mind having a roommate.” Demitri said standing up grabbing Lily’s bags.

“Demitri, can I ask you something and you tell me the truth?”, Lily asked standing up from the sofa. “Depends on what you want to ask, but I’ll try to be honest.”, Demitri said. “Alright. What did you mean about mom having caused pain to David or someone he loves?”, Lily asked. Demitri sighed. “You can’t tell me can you?”, Lily questioned. Demitri knelt down to look Lily in the eyes. “Lily, you are my sister and I love you with everything I am. The answer to that question though is something bigger than me. I had promised you I wouldn’t tell your mom about your powers. Well I also made a promise to keep another secret. And I can’t break that promise even for you. Do you understand?”, Demitri explained placing his hands on Lily’s shoulders. Lily nodded. “I get it. You made a promise and you never break them.”, Lily said a little disappointed. “If there ever comes a time that I can tell you, I will. I don’t like keeping things from you. But come on, it’s late. Let’s get you in bed. I’ll explain to everyone in the morning why you are here.”, Demitri said giving Lily a piggy back ride up the stairs and with extreme caution crept into Cora Lee’s room and put Lily on the spare bed. Lily crawled into bed as Demitri quietly shut the door. Lily looked across the room to Cora Lee who was sound asleep, headphones on. Lily could faintly hear some death metal blaring from the headphones. “Seriously going to be deaf in her future.”, Lily whispered before falling to sleep.

Demitri peeked into Landon and Nathan’s bedroom and smiled seeing both his godson and his son were asleep in their beds. And with that he crept into his bedroom and crawled into bed next to Jean. “So how long is Lily staying?”, Jean asked her eyes still closed. Demitri sighed. “I really dislike when you get in my head. And basically she’s here till the institute opens.”, Demitri answered. “You weren’t complaining last night when I used my telepathy to know exactly what you wanted.”, Jean replied sleepily a smirk on her lips. Demitri rolled his eyes, “That’s different. That is bedroom stuff not anything to do with my siblings.”, Demitri replied. “Fair enough. I don’t envy you having to explain to David what happened out there with his cousin.”, Jean said. “I don’t look forward to it either, but it’s got to be told.”, Demitri said. “Well that’s a worry for the morning. Get some sleep before Nathan comes running in here.”, Jean suggested. Demitri took his wife’s advice and they both fell asleep.

Demitri wasn’t the only one who was dreading the morning and having to deal with the Lily situation. Kim returned home and stopped at Josalyn and Lily’s room to tell Josalyn to go back to bed and they would discuss the Lily situation in the morning. Josalyn wasn’t thrilled with that answer but went to bed as told. Kim returned to her bedroom with Christian who was sitting up in bed an eyebrow raised looking at his wife. “What is going on Kim?”, he asked. Kim sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “Lily is telekinetic.”, she started. “Well that’s great. So why do you look so glum?”, Christian questioned placing a hand on Kim’s shoulder. “She has had her powers since she was two. She never trusted any of us enough to say something. She told Demitri and behind our backs he had Jean training her for years.”, Kim said ready to cry at how much her daughter not trusting her hurt. “Really…I’m at a loss for words. We’ve done everything we can with her. We have loved her equally to any of her siblings. You are a great mom, having one child out of our five behave like this shows that.”, Christian said trying to make Kim feel better.

“It gets worse. She ran away tonight. I went after her, but she went to the Haven and Demitri was still awake. So she is there and I can’t do anything without breaking the treaty Wanda and Charles signed back when the Haven first started. And I don’t know what Demitri is playing at but he seriously thinks we have done some kind of wrong against the Haven in the past.”, Kim explained. Christian frowned knowing that going against the Haven wasn’t an option. “We could go through legal routes. You are her mother Demitri is just her half brother. With Calvin dead you are her living parent and thus legally her only guardian. We could easily have the humans get her back for us.”, Christian explained. “She made it rather clear she doesn’t want to be here. She said she wants to be…to be an X-Men. She wants to enroll at the Institute when they reopen.”, Kim said still shaking her head. “Oooh. Wanda is not going to like this.”, Christian said hugging Kim from behind. “Yeah and I get to be the one that tells her my first born child has decided to become an X-Men and has run away to the Haven till the Institute reopens.”, Kim said with a shudder. She didn’t want to think about how angry Wanda was going to be. “It’s going to be alright. I’ll be there with you when you tell her in the morning.”, Christian said. “For now let’s try to get some sleep and we will deal with this come morning.”, he said pulling her back into the bed to lay next to him. It took a while but they did fall asleep.

As morning came it was the Haven house which woke with a high pitch squeal. Cora Lee woke up first, as seemed normal since getting up first ensured she got the bathroom first and the prize from the new cereal box. As she sat up rubbing her blue eyes she started to look around her bedroom, the small rays of sun just starting to light the room. She noticed a lump in the extra bed in her room and tilted her head to the side her purple hair sliding across her face. She quietly slid off her bed and tip toed across the room and peaked to see who was sleeping in her spare bed. A smile spread across her soft pink lips realizing who it was. “LILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”, she squealed before jumping onto the bed and bouncing on her older cousin. “AHH!”, Lily yelled sitting up. “Morning cuz. What are you doing in my room?”, Cora Lee asked rather chipper. Her scream of course woke her dad who came running into the room. David quickly opened the bedroom door still pulling a white t-shirt on to go with the black shorts he had worn to bed. “What..what’s the commotion..?”, he asked his typically black spiky hair flat from sleeping and all his piercings out as well. His blue eyes scanned the room and stopped on a familiar red haired girl on the guest bed in his daughter’s bedroom. “Lily? What are you doing here? When did you get here? Does your mother know you are here? Cora Lee I thought I told you to get permission from your mom or me before having people stay the night.”, David said in one breath. He leaned against the door frame waiting for the pounding of his heart stop feeling like it was going to beat out of his chest.

Down the hall a small thud could be heard along with a loud ‘KAWWWW’ as Morpheus was started out of his nest. Aislinn sat up in bed confused feeling the space next to her to not find David. “What’s going on!?”, she shouted. Morephus got to his feet and flew down the hall swooping past David to land on the bed. He pecked at Lily’s fingers before kawwing, “Cor-ah! Lil-iy!” “Lily?”, Aislinn questioned getting out of bed now confused by what she was seeing through Morpheus’ eyes. Landon peeked out of his bedroom holding Nathan in his arms, who was not about being held just about getting down from Landon’s arms. He wiggled his way out and started down the hall. “Nathan get back here.”, Landon called chasing after the toddler. Demitri and Jean opened their door just in time to snatch up Nathan. “We’ve got him.”, Jean said. Solangel was the next to wake up as now everyone was being loud. She stumbled out her door, her blue hair nearly in an afro as she needed to straighten it again. “What is going on out here?”, she grumbled.

Lily petted Morpheus and tried not to laugh at the fact the whole house was awake all because her cousin couldn’t help but scream and jump on her. Cora Lee looked at her father with fake offense in her eyes. “I didn’t invite Lily over daddy. I woke up and she was here.”, Cora Lee explained. Demitri came down the hall and slipped into the room. “I let her in last night and told her to sleep in Cora Lee’s spare bed.”, Demitri admitted. David groaned and looked at Demitri though half open eyes. “I was sound asleep, happily dreaming. Now I am awake and without coffee. Chose words carefully and tell me why my little cousin is in my daughter’s bedroom. Because if her mom comes here looking for her…”, David said pointing at Demitri. Lily gulped and stood up on the bed. “It’s my fault David. My family found out about my powers last night. And mom wanted me to start studying at the Academy. And I don’t want to be a student at the Academy. I don’t want to be an Acolyte, I want to be an X-Men like Jean. So I came here. Mom’s not happy about it, but if I’m at the Haven she can’t force me to leave…unless you’d let her.”, Lily explained looking at David with her best pouty face. Cora Lee decided to help her cousin out and also gave her dad the pouty face. “You can’t let them take Lily. She doesn’t want to be an Acolyte. You said people shouldn’t force their wills on others.”, Cora Lee said. Landon finally got the doorway and looked up at his dad. “Come on dad, you can’t let Lily become an Acolyte.”, Landon said.

David looked from Lily to Cora Lee then to Landon. “This isn’t fair, you three are ganging up on me with the sad faces.”, David said. He sighed and shrugged his shoulders. “Fine. Lily can stay. If her mom or any of the Acolytes have an issue they can deal with me.”, David said giving in. Lily, Cora Lee, and Landon all shouted with delight giving him a group hug, “THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!”. Lily looked up at David with a smile. “I promise I’ll be good David. And it’s just till the Institute is finished then I can move there to officially start on being an X-Men.”, Lily promised. “You’re your brother’s responsibility though. I’ve already got two kids to deal with.”, David added before turning to the stairs. “Now I need coffee.”, he grumbled head down stairs.

Solangel raised an eyebrow then shrugged before escaping back to her bedroom for more sleep. Jean smiled and gave Lily a side hug as she was still balancing Nathan in her other arm. “Glad you are here little sister. Now I better get your nephew changed and fed before I head out to work so that Aislinn and Solangel don’t have to.”, Jean said heading back into the room Nathan shared with Landon. “It will be nice to have you here. Better go and get ready for the day. You three better do the same so you don’t miss the school bus. I’ll fix your lunches.”, Aislinn said giving Lily a hug and then messing up Landon’s black hair a little. “Morpheus.”, she called and the bird swooped over to her shoulder to be her eyes as she went downstairs. Demitri gave Lily a kiss on the top of the head. “Like I said, David would side with me. Glad you get to stay.”, Demitri said. “Now I need to get dressed and out of here. I have a royal wedding to finish arrangements for.”, Demitri added. “Uncle Demitri, if you want I could stop by after school to help finish getting the arraignments together for Teresa’s wedding.”, Landon offered. Demitri paused halfway in his bedroom door and leaned out. “Sure, could use a hand from someone I’d trust with my flowers. I’ll see you after school then.”, Demitri replied before shutting his door.

Lily just continued smiling before hugging Cora Lee and Landon with glee. “FINALLY I’m living with you guys! Why couldn’t you two be my siblings instead of Merrick and Josalyn.”, Lily commented. Landon sighed shaking his head. “Glad you are here too cuz. And since I’m up early, looks like I get the prize from the cereal box.”, Landon commented giving his sister a devious grin before running to the stairs. “I wish you were my sister too.”, Cora Lee said before she realized what Landon said. “HEY! I was up first!!!!”, she yelled racing after her big brother. Lily just laughed and casually followed them downstairs for breakfast. Mornings at the Haven were less organized and dull than they were at the Academy. Things were more casual and more family here at the Haven. At the Academy everything had to be order to keep Wanda happy. She would not miss waking up to Wanda tapping on their bedroom door demanding them to get up, get dressed and be in the dining room in fifteen minutes. Really fifteen minutes for her to argue with Josalyn over who got to wear what and the use of the bathroom first was insanity. As she sat down to the table with her cousins she thought that this morning at the Academy might not be so organized when Wanda finds out she left. “We’ll have to call Rose and let her know that Lily’s here now.”, Cora Lee chirped over her bowl of cereal. “She’s still in Mandipoor, imagine getting to miss the first week of school because you are the flower girl of a royal wedding?”, Cora Lee added. “She’s got a lot on her mind with her brother getting married, let her find out when she comes back.”, Landon suggested. “Oooh yeah then it’ll be more of a surprise. I like it.”, Cora Lee said with a smile. Lily just sighed and smiled at them before digging into her bowl.

Across town at the Academy the morning was starting off like normal. Wanda was going down the halls knocking on the doors telling the kids to wake up. Any children under school age, she let their parents get them up and ready for their own in house daycare. She knocked on her twin boys’ bedroom. “William…Thomas, time to get up. Be downstairs in fifteen minutes.”, She shouted. “We know mom!”, the twins yelled in unison. Wanda smiled, she could always depend on her older boys to be compliant. Their younger brother Tyler was much like their father. He hated getting out of bed. So she saved him for last so she could drag him out of his bed. He wasn’t thrilled that he was going to 1st grade, he hadn’t been happy about going to Kindergarten the year before either. Inside the bedroom the boys were already awake and dressed. “So we are still agreed we do not mention that you saw Wolverine, but we do say you sleep-ported.”, Tommy confirmed. Billy nodded, “Agreed.”

Across the hall Wanda knocked on Josalyn and Lily’s door. “Girls, time to wake up. Be downstairs in fifteen minutes.”, she shouted. Josalyn opened the door dressed for school her bag on her shoulder. “Already am Wanda.”, Josalyn greeted with a smile. Wanda raised an eyebrow looking at Josalyn and then tilted her head to look past the girl and didn’t see Lily. “Where is your sister?”, Wanda questioned. “Emma? She doesn’t room with me.”, Josalyn replied. Wanda narrowed her eyes. “Don’t be smart mouthed with me. Where is Lily?”, Wanda asked. “You would need to talk to my mom about that, because I don’t know.”, Josalyn said ducking around Wanda to head downstairs. Wanda made a beeline for Kim and Christian’s bedroom and started to pound on the door. “KIM!”, she shouted. Kim sighed, she’d been up for hours dreading this conversation. She opened the door and look at Wanda. “Yes?”, Kim asked casually. “Where is your daughter?”, Wanda demanded. “Which one? I have three after all.”, Kim said knowing a joke may not be in her favor but it was her nature. “I told Josalyn to not get smart mouthed with me and now I see she learns it from you. You know exactly which daughter I’m speaking about. So where is Lily?”, Wanda questioned. “At the Haven with Demitri.”, Kim said simply.

“What is she doing there? She went to bed here last night. It’s the first day of school.”, Wanda questioned. “Lily chose to go there last night. Josalyn found out that Lily is telekinetic last night. And rather upset Lily decided to run to the Haven.”, Kim explained. “Well I’m happy to hear one of your children has shown a mutation, but why would she go to the Haven. We are a mutant school who could easily train her to control her power.”, Wanda questioned. Kim sighed. “Lily has apparently been hiding her power from all of us and training with her sister-in-law Jean for a while now when she’d visit Demitri.”, Kim admitted. Wanda’s face turned red with anger. “Wait so your daughter has been sneaking around learning from Jean Grey of the X-Men?”, Wanda fumed. “Basically. Lily doesn’t want to train at the Academy. She wants to be an X-Men and has the intention to enroll at the Institute when it’s completed construction.”, Kim explained rolling her eyes. “And why are you allowing this? You should have snatched her up before she got to the Haven.”, Wanda demanded. “A couple of reasons. One I love my daughter and I want only for her happiness even if her happiness leaves me miserable. And two I tried to get her before she reached the Haven, but Demitri was awake and came outside. Lily got onto the property and claimed sanctuary. I couldn’t just drag her away or I’d be breaking the treaty YOU signed.”, Kim countered.

Wanda frowned her brow furrowing. “David is in charge at the Haven, he certainly wouldn’t keep your daughter from you.”, Wanda said. Kim shook her head. “Demitri made it rather clear that if any of us tried to retrieve Lily it would be seen as an act of War against the Haven. He seemed confident that David would side with him over me. Something about having had a hand in causing pain to him or someone he loves. I don’t know what Demitri was even implying. I’ve never hurt David or anyone he cares about. I wouldn’t dream of causing my cousins pain in any fashion. And something about how if we started a war it wouldn’t end the same way as last time, this time wouldn’t be a stalemate. We’ve never broken our treaty. Do you know what he’s talking about?”, Kim questioned. Wanda paused looking at Kim before shaking her head. “I don’t know what he’s talking about. As you said we’ve never broken that treaty. And I would never ask you to go against your own blood. Family is everything after all. We will deal with this as you see fit then, she is your daughter. I have to finish waking the other children for school. Have a good day.”, Wanda said before walking away.

Wanda’s mind was racing trying to figure out how Demitri even remembered the events from nine years ago. No one but her was supposed to remember what had really happened. She’d have to investigate this further. It was obvious that her people didn’t remember what happened. Kim wasn’t being sarcastic or cryptic in her questions; her voice had been sincere in her questioning. Maybe her power didn’t affect certain people, but how could that happen. She made the world think something else. So how could Demitri remember? And who else also remembered? These were all questions that she didn’t like having to ask, because it meant something went wrong that night. She couldn’t think of any mutant out there powerful enough to have protected certain people’s minds. Charles was the only powerful enough telepath to have shielded a large number of minds, and he was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Wanda thought about Jean, but remembered she’d been weakened greatly under the interrogations of John, so she wouldn’t have been able to muster that much power. This gave a new question to Wanda’s growing list, who could be a powerful enough mutant to protect some people’s minds.

Wanda finished waking up the other students and battled with her youngest Tyler about getting out of his bed for school. Once they were all off to school and the younger ones out in the daycare with Kim and her clones Wanda sought refuge in her office taking out her rather thick grimoire. She began flipping through the pages feverously looking for a certain type of spell. John wondered into the room and leaned to rest his chin on her shoulder giving the base of her neck a soft kiss. “What has you in a huff this morning?”, John asked. Wanda shrugged him off. “I have a problem and I need to find the source of it.”, Wanda said simply. John took a step back and sighed. “I see. Does this have something to do with Lily wanting to be an X-Men and leaving the Academy?”, John asked. “That is part of it. I’m sure spending so much time around her brother Demitri and his X-Men wife Jean has turned her mind against us.”, Wanda said still flipping through the pages. “Part of? Meaning there is more. So what aren’t you telling me love?”, John questioned folding his arms. “John you are better seen than heard right now. I’ve got to concentrate and find the right spell to get my answer.”, Wanda said waving a hand at him to leave. John shook his head and sighed. “One of these days love, I’m not going to just do as you tell me.”, he complained before walking out of the room.

Wanda just shook her head still looking for the right spell. “Ah ha.”, she said stopping on a page. “A trace spell. Should be able to modify this to help me find out who’s powers blocked mine and maybe who they managed to protect other than Demitri.”, Wanda declared. She grabbed a scrap piece of paper and started to scribble down modifications to the spell. With the spell finished she drew all the blinds and lit over a dozen candles around her office before drawing a pentagram on the floor. “Alright let’s start this and get my answers.”, Wanda said taking a seat Indian style in the center of the pentagram holding her spell in her right hand. “Phasmats Tribum, Nas Ex Veras Sequita Saquines Ementas Asten Mihan Ega Petous”, she began to chant. The flames of the candles grew to near the ceiling then Wanda created a hex ball which expanded to the size of a mirror. “Show me who countered my power nine years ago…”, She demanded. Within the purple haze of her hex ball an image started to become clear it was a familiar face. “Solangel, the scrawny girl from the Haven. She protected their memories? But how? What kind of power does she hold?”, Wanda said. In the image she watched as this Solangel brought toys to life for the children at the Haven Daycare. Wanda’s eyes grew wide. “She can manipulate reality…”, Wanda said. “Well that only answers one question. Now who did she protect? SHOW ME!”, she demanded. The image fizzled and in a blur she watched as every X-Men that had survived, The Haven mutants, and even some humans flipped past. “She protected all of their minds from my power? But then why have they not tried anything in nine years? They all act as if nothing happened beyond what I made so.”, Wanda wondered.

The image then changed to Demitri and David talking. “So last night Lily asked me why we don’t talk to Kim. I think she heard me hint at something when I was angry at Kim.”, Demitri said. David sighed. “You didn’t tell her did you? I mean seriously you can’t. We can’t tell anyone. We promised. We all promised. There’s too much on the line specially now if we tried something. We all have kids.”, David said. “No I didn’t tell her. You think I want to tell her that her mom attacked Wolverine and kept Sadria hostage despite being very pregnant? You think I want to explain that her step Uncles kidnapped Aislinn? Or that it was her mom and stepfather who killed our dad? No I don’t want her to know those horrors. And trust me I know the risk if any of us broke that promise and made a move. I’m not going to risk Jean or Nathan’s lives for a little bit of revenge that was boiling over nine years ago.”, Demitri said. David nodded. “Alright good, so if they come for Lily we handle it but we don’t bring the past into this. From what we’ve seen none of them remember what they did. So let’s not mess up the little bit of peace we’ve managed.”, David said. And with that the hex ball fizzled and disappeared. “So they haven’t made a move because they don’t want a war either. This is good. And they seemed to be against telling any of the children which is even better.”, Wanda said standing up and started cleaning up her office.