a/n: any time anyone says that Charles doesn't care about his X-men because of that one scene in Dark Pheonix, an angel loses their wings.

so allow me to fix it.

and memes are coming, i promise. i've just been backed up with work and classes

"We're back!"

"You're back!" We heard Kurt yell and he teleported in front of us before tackling us into a hug. "We missed you both!"

"We've been gone for a week." Scott laughed and I rolled my eyes.

"A week is too long."

"Leave the poor boy alone, red eyes." I defended as Kurt jumped on my back. "Did something happen while we were gone?"

"Not really... Though, the kids found the ice cream you were hiding and Peter somehow ate it all before they could." Jean called out from the staircase. "Welcome back, love birds."

"Mission time." Raven announced, leaving Charles' office and we all raised an eyebrow. "You two are back just in time."

"Can I at least have time to set down my bags and eat something? Last thing we ate was McDonald's like two states over." I whined.

"Granola bars on your way to the jet."

"God, who died and made you queen bitch?" I grumbled once she walked away and Kurt snickered. "Hey Bluey, mind teleporting us there?"

"As you wish."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Someone came back happy."

"Can you pass me the belt?"

"Lyla..." Jean sung out and Ororo smirked. "I won, didn't I?"

"Shut up." I grumbled and put on my gloves.

"Oh, I so won!"

"What happened?" Ororo asked.

"Nothing."

"Lies."

"Whatever happened in that cabin... None of you will find out for a while because it certainly won't stay in that cabin."

"Did you do it?"

"STORM!" I yelled and Jean doubled over in laughter. "No, we didn't!"

"Okay, so not that." Jean wiped her tears and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Please tell me you two at least kissed so I can start planning a wedding."

"You two are impossible to deal with!"

"She's not denying anything." Ororo teased and pinched my cheeks. "Our little Ravager is in love!"

"I could kill you right now and not bat an eye."

"All bark and no bite."

"All bark and twice the bite." I corrected and showed my claws. "We met when I was covered in blood... Where do you think that blood came from? Because half of it wasn't even mine."

"Just give us a nod and we'll let it go." Jean sighed and I nodded. "Tongue or not?"

"JEAN!"

"I need to know!"

"You two are impossible!" I groaned and walk away. "And has anyone seen my belt and cowl!?"

"Here." Scott smirked and handed me the items. "Those two know, don't they?"

"Those two know what I want them to know and it's the bare minimum for now."

"You do know your best friend is a telepath, right?"

"Oh, she doesn't read my mind anymore and neither can Charles. Took a few years, but those two can only see what I want them to and it's mostly the blood bath Dad and I left on that lab." I grinned and held his hand. "So I think I can keep our secret for a bit longer... Unless Jean decides to be nosy and read your mind."

"Ravager, Cyclops, time to go!" Hank called out.

"Do we even know where we're going or is this another blind mission? Because the Professor sure has made it a hobby as of late."

"Oh, you're gonna love where we're going."

"We're flying there... I seriously doubt it."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Space!? Since when do we go to space!? Especially me!"

"Calm down, Ravager. Only dogs can hear you now." Raven grimaced as the jet took off. "And since now, so suck it up."

"I better not fucking die. There's a reason Scott and I drove a total of six days." I grumbled and put on my cowl. "I'm killing Charles after this... X-Men don't go to space!"

"You're shaking." Jean pointed out as Scott reached out to place a hand on my shoulder.

"I fucking hate flying."

"You can breathe, Lyla. We're here." Hank sighed in relief and I raised an eyebrow at the spaceship in front of me. "The orientation thruster's misfiring. It won't hold for long."

"Kurt, can you get us in there?"

"It's spinning too fast. I can't see inside the window." Kurt said.

"Cyclops, I need you to blast that thruster and slow down the spin." Raven ordered and Scott nodded, giving my shoulder a squeeze. "Storm, seal those cracks. Ravager and Quicksilver, go with Nightcrawler and get those men out."

Kurt grabbed both of our hands and teleported us to the spaceship.

"Peter..."

"Yep, I see it. Get ready to grab the flying bodies." He smirked and in the blink of an eye, we were back on the ship.

"Let's get outta here, Mystique!"

"Our commander, he's not here. He was in the airlock working on the thruster." One of the astronauts said.

"Heat signature's rising fast." Hank pointed out.

"I can go in and try to get him. The adamantium once it's solid, it doesn't melt which can give me an advantage." I offered and they all started to yell protests.

"Ravager, you have no guarantee that theory works against a literal solar flare."

"I'm willing to try!"

"No, we're going home." Raven decided. "I'm not putting this team in more danger."

"What about theirs!?" I protested.

"Jean can hold the shuttle together while Lyla gets the commander." Charles' voice rung out and we both glanced at each other. "You two can do anything, remember that."

"I can do it but not from here." Jean sighed as we both stood up. "Lyla needs to be as close to the airlock as possible to get him out."

"We've got less than a minute before those flares hit." Hank said.

"We can make it." I assured, removing my cowl and Peter immediately put a helmet and an oxygen tank on me.

"Thirty seconds." Raven defeatedly said and we both nodded. "Start the timer."

"Be careful." Scott whispered and I smiled.

"Have you met me, red eyes?" I teased as Kurt teleported us to the ship. "Kurt, I need to get closer."

"Twenty seconds."

Kurt immediately grabbed my arm and started to teleport us towards the airlock while I used my claws to move the debris so he could see better.

"Ten seconds."

"Get the commander and go! I can't hold it much longer!" Jean yelled and I turned to see the flare approach us.

"Jean, I can teleport-"

"Just go!" She ordered, pushing us with her powers as Kurt teleported us away.

"Lyla!" Ororo exclaimed as I struggled to remove the helmet. "Where's Jean?"

I didn't say anything which made them all turn to me.

"Where's Jean!?"

"You two get to a seat and brace for impact, now!" Hank ordered as Scott practically dragged me back to my seat while Peter grabbed Kurt.

"What happened?" He asked as the flare destroyed the ship, leaving Jean floating. "Holy-"

"Kurt, go get her!" I cried out and he immediately teleported to grab Jean and come back. "Hank, turn on the gravity for God's sake!"

Once my feet were on the ground, I immediately knelt down to hold Jean's body and pressed an ear to her chest.

"Lyla, is she-"

"She's breathing." I sighed in relief as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Is... is everybody okay?" She whispered and I let out a small cry before hugging her.

"You're not allowed to risk your life ever again. I need my sister with me to remind me I'm not crazy."

"But you are crazy." She smiled. "Deranged even."

"And I'd be crazier without my best friend, Jeanie." I laughed and helped her sit. "Can we go home now, please? I think this was enough excitement for one day."

"Yeah... Let's go home."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯ 。

"Professor, a word."

"You should head to the medical bay, Lyla. You were partially exposed to the flair and I think we should-"

"I've never been one to doubt your judgment and I know you're beyond proud, but what the actual fuck!?" I yelled, pushing everyone out of his office and locked the doors. "She should be dead!"

"Thankfully, she's not." Charles defended as I slammed my cowl on his desk. "I care about your safety just as much as Raven does and would've never sent you two there if I knew you couldn't handle it."

"I know that, but it's still no excuse! Charles, for the love of God, if you see what we fight out there it'll give you nightmares for life! And it's always a bigger risk each time."

"I know that, Lyla."

"Do you? Because from the comfort of Cerebro, everything is much easier to swallow... Please tell me it's not your ego doing this because you sure as hell have a big one."

"As opposed to being hunted and despised? It's all just a means to an end... It's to keep all of us safe. You know that more than I do."

"Charles, I'm scared, okay?" I admitted and he raised an eyebrow. "Every time I put on this suit and go out there, I'm scared of losing the only family I know... But I fucking hate posing for the cameras each time one of my friends almost dies."

"It's a small price to pay, Ravager." He sighed as I sat on his desk. "I hate this as much as you do... I hate sending you out there and risk your lives. But I hate the mutant hunting even more."

"Charles, us going out there isn't going to make the humans change their minds about our kind... We're the ones children have nightmares about and the things that go bump in the night. Saving the world won't ever change that. They might thank us now, but there's no guarantee they won't hunt us down the moment we leave this mansion."

"You're right." Charles agreed and held my hands. "I can't promise that humans will ever fully accept us. I can't promise that the risks you take will always lead to peace or gratitude. But I can promise this... I believe in you, Lyla. I believe in the good you all do, in the lives you save, and the difference you make. We may not change the world overnight, but we are planting seeds of change, whether or not we see them grow."

"I don't want to lose anyone, Professor. I care about them too much."

"So do I." He smiled, giving my hands a squeeze. "And that's why we do this together. We'll face these nightmares, but not alone. And when it gets too heavy, we'll carry the burden together."

"That sounds less scary." I chuckled and crouched down to hug him.

"It's always less terrifying when you're not alone."

"You're the best, Professor. Thank you."

"Thank you for sharing with me, Lyla. I know it isn't easy for you to open up." He whispered and pulled away. "I promise I haven't been meddling, but you can cut the tension with a knife."

"Not you too!" I groaned and he laughed. "Nothing happened!"

"And you'll tell me on our way to the med bay."

"Do I have to?" I whined and grabbed my cowl.

"If you want those trips to keep happening, yes."

"That's just mean."

"I wonder who I learned it from."

。✯ ＼ ｜ ／✯

"You sure your scans came back clear?"

"Do you want to see my X-rays and blood tests, Red Eyes? Everything came back perfect and clean." I laughed, hanging up my suit. "I'm a little miracle, remember?"

"If you're talking about your time in the tank and the adamantium, don't even joke about that, Howlett." Scott scolded and I turned to see him on my bed and hugging a pillow.

"My trauma, my jokes."

"Not around me."

"You worry too much, Scottie boy."

"Someone has to, considering you've got the self-preservation instincts of a brick most of the time."

"A brick that can heal, big difference."

"Y'know..." Scott hummed and sat up, tossing the pillow aside. "If I could heal, I wouldn't be testing it every five minutes."

"Oh, come on!" I laughed, walking towards him. "You wouldn't survive a week without me keeping you on your toes."

"You're crossing a dangerous line, Lyla." He hummed as I leaned down to press a light kiss to his lips.

"What can I say? I love living life on the edge."

"Wrap it up because I miss my bed!" Jean knocked on the door and I stepped back, leaving Scott completely flustered. "If this is gonna become a common occurrence, I'm asking for a new roomie!"

"Door's unlocked, Jean." I laughed as she stepped inside. "You feel okay?"

"Off the charts, according to Hank."

"I don't know how to feel about that."

"Neither do I." Scott mumbled as I sat next to him. "You sure you're alright, Jean?"

"I'm better than okay... I feel like everything is turned up."

"I think you should slow down and take it easy for a few days." I offered as she laid on her bed. "Because fact is, we almost lost you today, Jean."

"I'm an X-men, Lyla. We're practically immortal." Jean smirked and I rolled my eyes.

"Don't press your luck, Jean. It never works out well for people like us."

"Look who's talking."

"Which is why I'm saying it."