~Lyla's POV~

"Jean, I love you to death, but the answer is no!"

"Oh, come on! He was totally checking you out until you pulled the claws on him!"

"I have a reputation to uphold. I can't be going soft just because someone was giving me looks... Besides, the boy is an asshole." I laughed and picked up my books.

"Lyla, we're trying to keep a dress code around here." Hank scolded and I gestured to the jacket on my desk.

"You have this classroom a million degrees! I run hot sometimes." I defended.

"Put it on before Charles scolds you again. I honestly don't care, but you know how he is."

"We're his favorite students. He won't mind." Jean smirked and linked arms with me as we left the classroom. "What crawled up his ass and died?"

"The Professor and I are searching for Dad again and Hank's just on edge because of how I get when we come up short." I waved it off. "I have zero recollection of the last time I went on a rage fit as he calls them."

"No luck?"

"Nope. According to the Professor, Dad's just right there but still out of reach... I don't really want to talk about it right now."

"You'll find him, Lyla. It's only of matter of time." Jean assured and bumped into somebody, using her powers to pick up the books before they fell.

"I can't." The boy said and gestured to his blindfold.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Holy... Alex!?" I exclaimed and hugged him tight. "I barely recognized you with the long hair!"

"Lyla! Look at those fangs." Alex laughed and spun me around. "Finally grew into them, huh?"

"Puberty did wonders, but also gave me sharper ears." I moved my hair back and he widened his eyes. "Yeah... not my proudest thing, but can't do anything about it."

"It's not that noticeable, actually. Just a bit sharper on the top and that's it." Alex waved it off and pushed the blindfolded boy forward. "Lyla, this is my little brother Scott. Scott, this is Lyla... The girl that saved my ass a couple of times."

"Oh." I hummed and shook Scott's hand, hearing his heartbeat accelerate. "It's... It's nice to meet you, Scott."

"You coming to class or you're gonna stay and gawk over your newfound crush?" Jean spoke in my mind and I glared at her. "Your thoughts are way too loud, Lyla."

"I have free period, so fuck off."

"You love me and that's why we're best friends."

"We're friends because no one wants to hang out with the freak and the bitch of the mansion and Charles forced us to be roommates."

"Lyla, do you know where the Professor is?" Alex asked as Jean walked away laughing with my books. "And why is she-"

"My best friend and roommate is a telepath, ignore her." I waved it off and helped Scott walk up the stairs. "He's teaching right now, but I think he's been meddling this entire time. That man is everywhere."

"How annoying does it get?"

"He screams at me at three in the morning when I'm in the kitchens making a sandwich. I'm learning on blocking both him and Jean from my mind because it's annoying."

"That bad?"

"Charles is about to force me into therapy. You tell me."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"The first step in understanding one's power... is learning the extent of it. Only then can we begin the process of teaching you how to control it. If you do decide to stay, I can promise you... that by the time you're done here, you'll be able to go back into the world... and play a stable and productive part in it."

"You're in for a treat, Ravager." Alex whispered and I elbowed his side.

"Alex, line him up. Face him in the right direction." Charles ordered as Scott took off the blindfold but kept his eyes closed. "There's a target just across the water. When you open your eyes, try and hit that."

"Open your eyes, Scott. It's okay." I assured when he hesitated. "How bad can it possibly-"

I was cut off by literal beams shooting out of his eyes that somehow managed to cut a tree in half.

"Holy shit!" I laughed as he put the blindfold on again. "That was so cool!"

"My grandfather planted that tree when he was five years old. I used to swing... from the branches of it, myself. I think that was probably my favorite tree." Charles stifled his laugh and turned to Alex with wide eyes and an even wider smile.

"Does that mean I'm expelled?"

"On the contrary, Scott. You're enrolled." He chuckled and turned to Hank. "I believe there's some ruby quartz in the lab. See what you can do... Lyla, Alex. I need you two to come with me while Scott goes with Hank."

"Did you find him!?" I hopefully asked.

"Not exactly."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Lyla, breathe. It's-"

"You have Cerebro and you can't find a simple human being!?" I cried and punched the wall. "I'm not talking about Erik or anyone else, Charles... It's my dad!"

"Lyla, I'm trying my best but there's something blocking me. I can see him, but can't see where he is." Charles tried to explain as I fell to my knees in front of him in a fit of sobs. "I know you want him back and I'm doing my very best... But I need you to be patient right now."

"What if he lost his memories again?" I sobbed into his lap and Alex rubbed my back to try and calm me down. "He doesn't have his dog tags to remind him... it's supposed to be me to find him and I failed him."

"You haven't failed anyone, Lyla." Alex assured and I shook my head. "Professor, isn't there a lead Lyla and I can check out?"

"All I keep seeing are machines. I sent Hank to check out the place we found Lyla, but he's not there." Charles sighed, rubbing my head just as the whole mansion shook. "Jean..."

"Should I-"

"You two head to the kitchen since you skipped dinner. Lyla, you're excused from class tomorrow." He said and left the room.

"Come on, Ravager. I'll make you a sandwich." Alex said and helped me stand before wiping my tears. "He's not a lost cause, Lyla. You'll find him."

"But what if he doesn't remember me when I do find him?" I asked, fumbling with the dog tags and bullet. "If there's one thing I learned when I was young, is that people like me don't get lucky."

"I firmly believe that a father's love for his kid goes way deeper than we might understand." He promised and we left Cerebro just as Scott was leaving the lab with Hank guiding him. "Scott, we're headed up to the kitchen. You want anything?"

"You two can go ahead... I'm gonna head up to my room and sleep it off." I said, walking away but Alex held me back. "Alex, please... I just wanna be left alone."

"Lyla-"

"Alex, please."

"I'll check up on you later."

"Please don't."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Lyla!"

"Shouldn't you be in bed, Scott?"

"Yeah, but Alex is passed out and told me to listen to some muttering or heavy breathing to know it was you." He shrugged and felt around a table until he found a plate containing a sandwich and a juice box. "He saved you a sandwich."

"I'll tell him thanks when he wakes up." I said and took the plate. "I know it seems scary, but you get used to it pretty quick."

"I got called a freak in the hallways pretty much the entire time."

"You get used to it. If you hear half of things they call me, you'd have a heart attack." I waved it off and set my plate down to help him walk back inside his room. "If the Professor managed to help me when I was at my literal lowest, he can help anybody... Even if you feel like you're a lost cause."

"Were you one of those?"

"The worst one, actually." I shrugged and watched him get into bed. "My dad once said that the world is cruel to people like us. But somehow the Professor doesn't make it seem that way."

"I think it takes having a friend who understands as well." Scott mused and I scoffed, walking away.

"I'm a horrible friend, Scott. Ask your brother when he wakes up." I rolled my eyes, closing the door and grabbed the plate before walking over to my room to see Jean rubbing her temples. "Bad episode?"

"Yeah... Rage fit?"

"Remind me to apologize to Charles for breaking what was left of that tree with my claws." I sighed, sitting on her bed and handed her half of the sandwich. "He still can't find Dad. Says he can see him, but doesn't exactly know where and it's only glimpses."

"But he's alive?"

"He doesn't go down easy." I smiled slightly and touched the dog tags. "Dad's a fighter... but sometimes the consequences are too severe."

"You two are supposed to be asleep." Charles announced and made his way inside. "I saw the tree, don't worry about it."

"I'll help clean it up in the morning." I promised but he waved me off.

"Do you feel better?"

"A little. The fresh air cleared my mind for a bit."

"Then that's all that matters right now." He smiled and took the empty plate. "One thing that makes you special is that you feel too much, Lyla. It's a good thing to have especially when it comes to the people you care about... But yet you're scared of yourself. You are much like Jean in that way."

"You've seen what I'm capable of in a rage fit, Professor. You saw what I did to those people in the lab when Dad was shot."

"You were a grieving daughter. Logan would've acted probably worse if the roles were reversed... And you are not that little girl anymore. I'm actually quite proud of how far you've come."

"Professor, I'm-"

"You need rest, both of you do." Charles ordered and pointed to my bed. "Off you go."

I rolled my eyes with a small smile and literally jumped from Jean's bed to my own.

"Lyla, did you shower?"

"When I got back from the gardens and Alex left me a sandwich." I yawned and got under the covers.

"Do you girls need anything else before I leave?" He asked and we both shook our heads. "I'll be awake for a while longer. If you need anything, you know how to reach me."

"Yes, Professor." We both said in unison and laughed.

"Good night, you two."

"Good night, Professor!"