Ruth had been staying with Ms. Maximoff for two weeks. She had pretty much moved into Peter's room and had acquainted herself with the whole block.

"Ruth, Atticus is here!" Ms. Maximoff called down.

Ruth looked up from her Ms. Pac-Man game, rushing up the stairs. "Thanks, Ms. Maximoff!"

She stopped in front of the door, looking at the grinning Atticus Irving who was practically vibrating with excitement.

"We're going on a trip, It's a Wonderful Life!" he announced, grabbing her hand and pulling her out onto the porch.

"Don't call me that," she said, pulling her hand away, "And Ruth Dakin Bailey isn't any better, so don't try."

He sighed long-sufferingly. "Fine. But, I'm serious, this is really important."
He leaned close. "Remember that guy you were looking for? Warren Worthington III?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Wait, you didn't mention that to anyone, did you?"

He shook his head. "No...not really, anyways. My cousin, he works for one of the employers in the company's headquarters."

She blinked. "So...?"

He sighed. "So...we can find the files that lead us to the location of the lab that they used to experiment on other mutants!"

She sighed. "Do we even know Worthington Jr. was experimenting on mutants?"

Atticus nodded furiously. "I can guarantee it, I snuck into it already and found the files that pretty much guarantee it."

She raised her eyebrow. "Proof?"

He stared at her and reached into his satchel, whipping out three thick Manila folders.

She flipped through the first, shuddering at the first few pages. "Okay, I believe you. When do we start?"

"Now! Go grab a backpack and some snacks, we're going on a road trip!"

Ruth couldn't help but smile as she stepped into the house, rushing to grab a backpack and snacks.

She had bumped into Atticus by accident when she was on a walk, trying not to get too upset; she had no reason for being upset, yet she was.

Her hair had gone up in flames and she had heard a shout of 'awesome!', but no one was there. A boy with messy hair and a large grin appeared in front of her a moment later, as if being formed out of thin air.

"Will you be back?" Ms. Maximoff asked.

She never asked where Ruth was going or how long she would be gone, just if she was coming back. If Ruth ever saw Peter again, she was hitting him upside the head for being a pretty crappy son.

"Yes," Ruth said. After a pause, she added, "I'm sorry."

Ms. Maximoff gave her a sad smile, pulling her into a careful hug. "You're always welcome here, Ruth."

She smiled up at the woman and adjusted her backpack. "You can't get rid of me that easily. With any luck, I might come back with Peter in tow."

Ms. Maximoff's smile was heartbreaking. She put a hand over her heart. "Don't raise my hopes up. Have fun, honey."

Ruth smiled and headed towards Atticus who was admiring the items in the glass case, bending down comically.

"Let's go!" he cheered. "I have enough chicken for the bus fare and lunch and a motel if we need it. I have it all planned out."

"Where'd you get the money?" she asked as they walked to the bus stop.

He cleared his throat, growing stiff. "I may have stolen all the cash from my mom and dad's wallets...It's for a worthy cause, Ruth!"

She laughed and skipped towards the stop, almost feeling the same as she did when she was in California.

Almost.

º º º º º

The past two weeks had been hell for Raven. No one on the team was listening to her, not even Ororo.

It wasn't that she just wanted to throw Ruth out, but she was a danger to the other students, it just wasn't safe.

"I took you in, this was your home," Charles had tried to argue.

"This was your home, I just lived here," she had countered, arms crossed.

She knew no one liked her decision, but it was for the best. She was protecting them.

Just like what a mother would do. Even if she had abandoned her son, just like what happened to her.

º º º º º

The team gathered in Charles' office. Hank had been hard at work, trying to gather as much information on Warren, his various situations, and his potential current whereabouts.

"We have reason to believe that Worthington Jr. had been experimenting with other mutants. Whether it was to find a cure for his son or not, we don't know.

"The location of this lab is unknown, but I have connections that are currently working on discovering the location."

Hank stood in front of the group, adjusting his glasses. He didn't look at Kurt, not wanting to see his disappointed expression; the boy was so keen to find Warren as fast as possible.

Raven stood up, placing her hand on Kurt's shoulder. "That's more information than we had last time. We should keep preparing as we search, we can't be complacent."

Kurt pulled away from her harshly. "That's all we've been doing. We need to change tactics."

Raven looked destroyed. "Kurt..."

The boy shook his head. "All you want us to do is train. You don't want to find Warren, you just want him to die. As well as Ruth!"

"Kurt!" Raven shouted. She looked at Charles and Jubilee who had also shouted.

He curled in on himself. "I-I'm sorry." He leaned his head on Scott's shoulder, the latter awkwardly throwing his arm over the former's shoulder.

"Kurt," Charles started, "We know this is important to you and...I know we are all still reeling from Ruth's leave—"

"Expulsion," Scott corrected.

Charles nodded sadly. "Yes. That. I understand you all are very upset, but, Kurt, that is no excuse to act terrible to your..." he trailed off, looking at Raven, "um, friend and mentor. As well as the woman who saved your life."

Kurt nodded, still clinging onto Scott. "I understand. You are still looking for Warren, Hank?"

Hank nodded. "I'm working as fast as I can. Just give me time? I can only go so fast, but I promise I'm trying."

Everyone nodded, not just Kurt. They knew who he was quoting, even if they didn't hear her say it herself.

º º º º º

Ruth was sitting in the aisle seat, leaning against Atticus who was looking out the window.

"Why are you helping me?" she whispered, watching the large billboards come and go.

He shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "It's spring break, I have nothing to do." After a moment, he added. "And you have no one. I don't really have anyone either. So I thought we could be alone together."

She smiled, cringing a little. "That's sweet. Are we almost there?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Half an hour. I'm going to look over the files, are you alright with that?"

She nodded, swallowing thickly. "Yeah, sure. Tell me if you find anything, but, um, spare me the pictures, yeah?"

He nodded, pulling out the first folder. He skimmed over them with experienced eyes. Ruth figured he'd read them over before.

"I don't think Warren's wings had appeared when he was born," Atticus mused, reading a section. "I think they appeared when he was around six."

She frowned. "That's oddly specific. Evidence?"

He pulled out a newspaper and showed her the headline. "Worthington Industries Has New Heir." Underneath was a picture of a smiling couple holding onto an infant in the hospital. An infant with no wings.

"I did the math," Atticus said, "And he would be nineteen, as of now. Now, this adorable baby stayed prevalent in the media until sometime when he was six and the Worthington's wanted to give their son his privacy and cut off their home life from the public."

Ruth nodded. "Seems right enough, this family looks like the sort to go to galas and the like."

He snapped his finger at her, grinning. "They did and do! But they just went without their son. Always came up with excuses and things. Soon, people stopped asking. One of the galas they always frequented were the galas that supported the "fixing" of mutants. They even hosted their own of that sort."

Ruth gagged. "That's disgusting. Poor kid...he probably hates himself."

Atticus nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe there's still hope, though?"

She nodded, taking the folder from him. "Kurt's keen to find him, so I'm sure he'll be fine. God, I want to kill these people. Where do you think the lab is?"

Atticus shrugged. "I don't know. But that's what we're going to find out!"

His cheer was timely as it was in that moment the bus pulled up at their stop and they were forced to get down.

"Thank you," Ruth said as they walked down from the bus.

"Mutant scum," a voice snarled behind her.

She held up her hand, having perfected creating the dull flame during her time in exile, and whirled around. "Say that to my fa—"

"Time to go!" Atticus screamed, pulling her out of the bus. He dragged her to the side, keeping her hand down. "Now is not the time, Ruth, think of what could've happened!"

She growled, trying to shake out her tension, glad she didn't create a flame; she didn't know how to deal with the symptoms afterwards. "Couldn't help it."

He nodded, relaxing his grip. "I know. C'mon, let's go."

The two walked towards the towering building, squinting as the sun glinted off the glass windows.

"How do I get in?" she asked as they stepped into the spacious lobby. "And can you even hold it for that long?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I can, I've been doing this for years. Um...I was thinking you could be my lookout. We're going to go to my cousin's cubicle and check in, you know, say my mom needed us to stay with him. We go and wander and you keep a lookout and worn me."

She frowned. "How will I warn you? I can see the things you're holding, you're not that good yet."

He sighed. "I know...we'll figure something out, yeah? C'mon, let's go."

They walked up the stairs, still in awe at the massive size of the building's lobby alone.

Atticus held out his hand as they walked through the crowd, Ruth tentatively taking it.

"I don't like you, by the way," Atticus had said the first time he had done that. "Not that I don't like you, it's just that I don't like-like you."

Ruth had nodded, feeling way too relieved. "Okay."

"We're here," Atticus said, opening a door. "Just act cute and we'll be fine."

She frowned. "Why don't you act cute and I do the work?"

He laughed. "Ruth. You look cute. Besides, my cousin knows me. I have to be annoying or else he'll know something is up."

Ruth shrugged, following him to a cubicle. "Okay."

º º º º º

"Raven, you should tell him."

Raven shook her head, whirling around to glare at her adoptive brother. "No, Charles."

"He would understand, this is Kurt," Charles argued, "The boy doesn't know who his parents are, imagine how hard that must b—"

"I don't have to," she snapped, interrupting him. "I can't tell him."

Charles frowned. "And yet you constantly nag at Peter to tell Erik who he is."

Raven frowned. "That's different. It's one thing for a child to tell their parent, it's completely different for a parent—a mother—to tell their child. I abandoned him."

Charles shook his head. "Raven, that was then, this is now. He'll understand, but if you wait any longer, he'll start to wonder why."

She grit her teeth. "Stop. Pressuring me, Charles, I'll do it, just give me time!" Charles leaned back against his seat, hands folded in his lap. He gave his sister a look. She frowned. "What?"

He sighed, laughing slightly. "That is exactly what Ruth said to Hank when you kicked her out."

She glared. "You had as much to her leaving as I did, Charles, don't pin this on me. We all agreed."

"I only agreed because your point made sense and because the school would spiral into chaos if the students learned we disagreed! Hank and Alex certainly didn't agree."

Raven scoffed, almost reverting back to her younger self. "Their say isn't as crucial."

Charles laughed, shocked. "Their say isn't crucial? Are you joking, Hank has stuck by me for twenty years! Raven, you may be my sister, but don't you dare say that!"

"That's not what I meant by that and you know it," she snapped, not looking at him.

He sighed. "Raven...I understand what you're saying. Really, everything you say is logical and makes perfect sense, Hank will gladly vouch for you. But sometimes you have to have faith."

Raven shook her head and walked out without another word.

Charles sighed. "I had faith in you."

º º º º º

"This is idiotic," Ruth hissed, walking down the hall with her head down.

"It's okay, everyone's on their lunch break, it's just us," Atticus whispered, somewhere next to her. He was invisible, making it hard to tell where he was.

"Still," she hissed, stopping in front of a door.

Like they had rehearsed, Ruth looked at the door and opened it, glancing inside. She waited until she heard Atticus say 'okay', then closed it, huffing and crossing her arms, more for show for the camera watching her.

She then sat down in front of the door, as if waiting for someone she knew.

The inhabitant of the room was out on lunch break and wouldn't be back for a half hour; enough time for Atticus to find what they needed.

As she waited she thought of the mansion.

Of Kurt who would've been able to just bamf in and out of that room.

Of Jean who could convince everyone that they were someone else so that they could get all the information they wanted.

Of Peter who would've just zipped in and out of the room, unnoticed if not for the gusts of wind he left.

Of Storm who could intimidate anyone into doing her will.

Of Jubilee who could do so much more than she and everyone else let on. She was better than the team cheerleader, but she was the bright spark of light, nonetheless.

Of Scott. Of Scott who was a leader. Of Scott who was good at math. Of Scott who chased her around the mansion and made her laugh. Of Scott who listened to her stories and understood her anger. Of Scott who bought her a record player and records so she would feel at home. Of Scott who's first instinct is to protect. Of Scott who, no matter how awkward, has the best intentions at heart.

Of Scott who she missed so much.

'You can cry if you want,' Lionel whispered, holding her in the tree house. 'No one here will make fun of you if you do.'

Ruth let out a shaky breath, swallowing the lump in her throat and wiping away the few stray tears.

There was a knock on the other side of the door. She stood up and looked around, using her sadness to her advantage.

She opened the door and looked in. She felt Atticus' hand on her shoulder and she closed the door, looking as sad as she could facing the camera.

Then off the two went.

Atticus reappeared after a few moments, falling to the ground. He sighed and handed her a piece of paper he had stuffed in his pocket.

"At least they hide if they're on my clothes," he croaked, smiling.

She sighed, holding out his satchel that he had given her before they headed over. "You're precious, you know that?"

He grinned. "No. But I always figured."

She rolled her eyes and held out her hand. "You okay?"

He nodded, taking it. "Yeah, I just never held it out for that long. I wasn't sure if he had cameras in his room so I didn't want to risk it."

She leaned up and kissed his cheek, shocked at how pillowy and soft it was. "Thank you."

He blushed and ducked his head. "Sure. 'sides, we need to bring justice to all these guys." He patted his satchel with the folders. After a moment, he added, "Won't your boyfriend get upset if he finds out what you just did?"

She rolled her eyes and walked down the stairs. "I think he'll understand."

a/n there wasn't pain in this one...oops. Oh well! The end isn't nigh yet, don't worry! (Even though I'm already super ready to write the spin-off/sequel)

Atticus was a complete spur of the moment character (and yes his faceclaim has the same name, that was an accident!) but I love him a lot, he's a cutie.

Kurt is the son of Raven and Azazel, which isn't really surprising because he's blue and looks exactly like Azazel. So, yes!

Also, if you haven't figured it out already, there's a kind of heavy undertone about family in this story. The spin-off will have something else, but it will have an undertone.

I just really love writing this story, it makes me really happy.

There's not much else I can say, I don't think. Um...more about Warren! I love him so much. Um...I've decided to add Bobby Drake in the spin-off so yay! The original x-peeps are all together!

Scott! My precious Scotty! He's becoming really emotional, as seen from last chapter.

I have nothing else to say, so...I hope you enjoyed this chapter because I did!