Ruth was shaking by the time she finished explaining everything. Her words were just hiccuping sobs by the end, her entire boy wracked with them.

"C-can I—" she took a deep gasp, "H-h-have a f-few m-m-minutes alone? Please!"

The team nodded, though her back was turned, and walked a ways away to give her space. Scott lingered, but left, knowing he would be no help to her.

She sobbed, gasping and screaming, her head bowed. It hurt so much. She wasn't angry, she wasn't scared, she was just sad. So sad.

"I'm sorry," she screamed, laying over the grass where his coffin was buried, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

She tugged at her hair, rocking back and forth, the bouquet laying next to her.

She sobbed, looking past her tears to stare at her best friend's name etched onto the rock. "I'm so sorry."

She took a shuddering breath, picking up the bouquet. "I-I-I brought roses. When we were younger you told me you wanted me to bring roses to your funeral.

"Tea Roses. You said that they meant 'I'll remember you always.' That line always made me sad.

"And-and I brought yellow ones like the ones you'd bring me during every holiday because they meant platonic love. Damn it, I loved you so fucking much. So fucking much.

"I-I-I brought dark red ones because you told me these meant heartfelt regret and sorrow. You had checked out that flower book because you wanted to leave Mall Maggot some flowers. Her name's Jubilee. She's amazing. You'd love her. She wanted to meet you, you know? Said she'd love to meet anyone who had a crush on her."

She sniffed, laughing to herself. "And I brought you blue roses. Like-like the Glass Menagerie? Remember, he called her Blue Roses and you called me that for weeks until we finished the play in class? I loved that nickname, even though I said I hated it. I loved everything you did."

She sobbed, staring at the last color. "And black. They were fitting, you know? Because," she let out a quiet, high-pitched scream, "Because you're dead! You're dead and it's all my fault and I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it, I didn't want it to happen, I didn't want you to get hurt! You were the only good thing in my life and I hurt you! I killed you! I left you there and I'm sorry."

She sniffed, whimpering. "I didn't get to go to your funeral. I wasn't allowed to go and I was arrested the same day. Mom and Dad ratted me out and everything." She whimpered. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted me to make a joke at your funeral and I didn't get to and I'm sorry."

She rubbed her eyes, wincing at the stinging tears. "I got out, though. This guy Charles, you'd love him, wiped the cops' memories and took me out of the system so I got out. I go to a mutant school now." She bit her lip, laughing slightly. "I have a boyfriend, Lion, can you believe it? A boy actually likes me. His name's Scott. Maybe I could introduce him to you someday."

She sighed, running a hand over his name on the headstone. "I'm sorry, Lionel. I love you."

"Ruth?"

Ruth's heart stopped. She whirled around, trying to scramble away, tripping over her own feet.

"Don't hurt me, Mrs. Jones, please!" Ruth begged, curling into a ball.

"Ruth, honey, Ruth," the woman said, reaching out to her, "Ruth, why would I hurt you?"

Ruth looked from where she was curled in a ball, her hands covering her head. "D-do you know what happened, Mrs. Jones? A-about Lionel?"

"That you caused the fire?" the woman said, "Yes, I do."

Ruth winced. "Then why aren't you trying to murder me?"

The woman sighed sadly. "Will that give me my son back?"

Ruth felt the tears coming back, a lump forming in her throat. "N-no."

The woman crouched down, dirtying her black dress. "Ruth." She paused, raising a hand to her mouth, face contorting. "I know what you did. But I don't hate you. I tried to. I really did, I tried to hate you like everyone else, but I couldn't. I just couldn't. Because I know you loved Lionel with all your heart and I know you loved him more than yourself at times.

"Now, that doesn't excuse what you did. Not at all, you are responsible for his death and the deaths of all those other students. Now, I can't speak for those families and I don't blame them if they hate you and I know you don't either.

"But me. But me and Corey, we forgive you. You forgive you, honey, because we know you and we love you. Because if we hated you, that meant we were losing the only child we had left. And we weren't about to do that."

She sniffed, tearing up. "I forgive you, Ruth Dakin. I forgive you."

She sobbed, tears streaming down her face. "Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

She let herself be pulled into a bone crushing hug by her best friend's mother, by a woman who considered herself her mother. The last piece of her old life that she hadn't completely destroyed.

Mrs. Jones pulled away. "Come with me. Just for now, for a few hours. Let me show you to Corey, please. He...he needs to see you."

Ruth nodded. "Of course. Of course. It's just, um...can I," she glanced over at the group, surprised to see the adults with them, "Can I bring my friends? I think you'd like them."

Mrs. Jones nodded. "Your friends are our friends. That's what we told Lionel."

Ruth nodded. "Thank you."

  º º º º º

The teens, meaning Peter was excluded, were squished together in Mrs. Jones' car, Ruth taking the front seat, the others in the back.

"What are your, what do you call them, mutations?" Mrs. Jones asked, glancing at the teens in the rearview mirror.

"I can shoot fireworks," Jubilee said, smiling.

Mrs. Jones smiled back, glancing at Ruth and mouthing 'is that Mall Maggot?' Ruth nodded, snorting.

"I can teleport," Kurt said, "And I am actually blue." He tapped the band of his watch, smiling bashfully."

"That's lovely," Mrs. Jones said sincerely. Kurt's smile was blinding.

"I'm telekinetic and telepathic which means I can lift things with my mind as well as read minds," Jean supplied, shifting to give Ororo more room.

Mrs. Jones laughed. "Well, that sure comes in handy. Though as for the reading minds part, I'm sorry you have to hear everyone's thoughts, dear, that must be so tiring."

Jean looked surprised, but not upset. She nodded simply, smiling.

"I can control the weather," Ororo said.

Mrs. Jones oohed. "Oh, well that sounds fun! I love your hair, so sassy."

Ororo snorted lightly and ducked her head. Jubilee laughed, reaching up to stroke the girl's hair.

"I can shoot concussive beams from my eyes," Scott said, shifting to make room for Jean, smiling at Jubilee's antics.

"My hair turns into a candle, you're not that special." Ruth turned around to grin at him, laughing when he stuck his tongue out.

She faced forward, glancing at Mrs. Jones who tried to get her attention.

"Is that your boyfriend?" she stage-whispered, making sure all the others in the car could hear.

Ruth nodded, feeling her ears burn. "I forgot, you're actually the worst."

Mes. Jones laughed as she pulled into her driveway. "I really am. Come on out, kids, I made muffins."

  º º º º º

Mr. Jones had enveloped Ruth into a bone crushing hug the moment she had walked through the door.

Her retelling of what had happened hadn't taken too long, although there were many interruptions from her friends as well as the Jones' who liked to commentate.

"So...you're here to find a boy who may or may not be here," Mr. Jones summarized.

The teens nodded. "Yes."

He leaned back against his chair. "Well...I mean, you and Lionel ran off on your own to the mall all the time to go find a girl who might or might not have been there, so really, what's new?" He looked at Jubilee. "I'm guessing that you're the girl."

Jubilee nodded. "Yeah. I'm the famous Mall Maggot. It's a pretty fitting name."

Ororo tilted her head to look at her. "I'd wouldn't say maggot. Maybe butterfly."

"Kiss," Ruth whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Jean looked at the door leading to the side of the house, a gate right by it. "Ruth...does that lead to your house?"

Ruth froze, right about to take a bite from her muffin. She set it down slowly. "Yeah...did Dad get a new car?" She addressed the question to Mrs. Jones who shook her head.

"No, I heard your father's family is in town," she said, looking at the gate.

Ruth frowned. "We don't have family. Dad changed his last name to Dakin because everyone asked him not to associate himself with them after he got married to Mom. That's not possible."

"Well, it is now, honey," she said. After a moment she added, "I think you should talk to them."

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

The woman held up her hands. "I'm just suggesting. I think you should see them. Just to find some closure, if anything."

Ruth looked at the gate. She thought of all the times she had just waltzed into the Jones' house through that gate. How she would sneak to and from her house to get snacks when she and Lionel stayed in the treehouse. All the times she would run as fast as she could into the house and up to Lionel's room whenever she got too scared.

"Okay," she said, "I will."

Because even though she didn't like her parents, even though they weren't as good as Lionel's in her eyes, they weren't terrible. Not always.

She opened the side door, jumping up and unlocking the gate, pushing it open, holding it for her friends who followed close behind.

Jean unlocked the side door for her, opening it carefully, letting Ruth lead.

Ruth followed the sound of voices leading to the living room. She stopped right before it, hiding in the shadows.

She was terrified. She didn't know how her parents would react. She looked at Jean, silently asking her to be ready to bolt. The girl nodded.

She looked at Scott who nodded to her simply; that was all he could do for her now. She appreciated it nonetheless.

She stepped forward into the living room, her friends hanging back.

The conversation immediately stopped.

Ruth looked at the people in the room. There were her parents sitting on the couch on the side, her mom far away from the guests.

There was a couple on the couch in the center, a woman sitting next to a man who looked exactly like Ruth's dad; he was no doubt her biological uncle.

There were two boys on the last couch. One about her age and another around the age of twelve.

"Who are you?" the unknown woman demanded, a hand over her heart.

Ruth simply raised a finger and pointed to the picture frame sitting right across from the woman of seven-year-old Ruth and her parents holding a banner that they had made for their room that read "WE ARE FAMILY".

The teenage boy snorted and Ruth smiled at him. He smiled back, then ducked his head at his mother's stern glare.

"You're not welcome here," the unknown woman said.

Ruth raised an eyebrow. She felt more bold when she was unwelcome, more aloof. "Let my parents do the talking, okay? My things are still in my room."

"I love your taste in music," the teenage boy said. His parents glared at him. He shrugged. "What? I'm staying in her room, can't I comment on the things inside?"

The woman humphed. "It's not her room, anymore. She was kicked out."

"Why?" the younger boy asked, "She seems nice enough. She has nice books."

Ruth liked those two kids, they appreciated her taste in things.

"Because she's a mutant freak," their mother spat.

Ruth tamped down her anger, merely raising an eyebrow. "Wow." She stomped her foot, pretending to surge forward. "Boo, bitch!"

The woman gasped, reeling back, clutching a hand over her heart. "Dear, Jesus."

"Oh come on, Jesus would be disgusted at what you're saying now, don't think he'd back you up!" Ruth drawled, shaking her head. She turned to her parents, softening at the sight of her mom. "Hi, Mom."

"Don't talk to her," her dad said, "You're not welcome here."

"Marcus," her mom snapped, "Let me speak to my daughter."

Ruth nearly cried. Her mom stood, holding her arms out. Ruth sobbed, rushing to hug her.

"I've missed you," her mom whispered, "I didn't want to send you away, I didn't. I was just scared. We were already hated, I just couldn't handle more. We couldn't afford it."

"It's okay, Mom," Ruth whispered, eyes welling with tears, "I understand, it's okay."

Ruth pulled away after a few more minutes, still clinging onto her mom. She faced her dad and his family. "I'm not staying, if that's what you're worried about. We're here for business."

"And what business is that?" the unknown woman demanded.

Ruth rolled her eyes. "I'm guessing you're my aunt? I mean, the guy next to you looks just like my dad, so I think I'm right. What's your name?"

She sniffed. "My name is Madeline Drake."

Ruth clicked her tongue. "Ooh. Fancy. I'm Ruth Dakin, like that lady from Its a Wonderful Life." She gave the woman a little half-curtsy. "What about you? You're my uncle and you disowned my dad. What's your name."

He frowned and she noticed his hands were shaking. He was afraid of her. "William Drake."

She winked, grinning when he shuddered. "Nice to meet you, Uncle Billy."

She turned to the kids who looked up at her, the younger boy with a newfound look of fear and the teenage boy with curiosity.

"It's said that the males are the ones that pass the mutant gene and since you're my biological family..." she snapped her fingers, pointing to each brother, "Either one of you a mutant like me?"

The little boy shook his head frantically, looking terrified at the thought.

The teenager just stared up at her, his eyes trying to convey a message. She glanced down briefly catching sight of his tea; it had been frozen into ice.

Her lips curled into a smile despite herself and she gave a faux-pout, working it into her facade. "Aw, well, that's a shame."

"No, it's a blessing," her aunt snapped.

Ruth turned on her heel. "Mhm. Sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Are there others?" the teenager asked, "Like you. Here."

Ruth nodded slowly. "Yes...there are. We're here looking for another one of our own so we can take him to our school. He's hurt and needs friends. If not friends, allies. People who will take care of him. Family."

Her aunt scoffed. "As if your group of people can even be called a family."

"Funny because you're supposed to be mine," Ruth snapped. "But I'm not getting any love right now. Those people are more family than you'll ever be to me, so you can shut your pie-hole, lady, because you will not like me when I'm angry."

"Is that a threat?" she demanded.

Ruth shrugged, looking at her father. She raised a hand, igniting her fingertip; she did an internal victory dance because she'd never tried that before and was so happy it working. "Got a cigarette, dad, I can light it."

"Are your friends in town?" the teenager asked, getting her attention, "Like, could I meet them?"

"Bobby, why would you want to meet them?" his mother demanded.

There was a split-second before he replied. "I just never seen one before,
Mom."

Ruth subtly winked at him. "Yeah. They're in the house right now."

Everyone except the teenager drew back, even Ruth's mother, though she had the decency to look apologetic afterwards.

Ruth turned to the shadows. "Guys, you might wanna come out now, they're getting kinda spooked."

The group slowly made their way into the living room, Scott leading, his hands out and open, the others following suit.

"Mom, Dad," Ruth said, placing a hand on Jubilee's shoulder, "This is the girl Lionel was madly in love with. Her name is Jubilee."

"Hi!" Jubilee greeted, waving, trying to stay as kind as ever. "You have a lovely home."

"Thank you, honey," Ruth's mother said, "Aren't you sweet."

"Don't talk to them, June," Ruth' aunt snapped.

Ruth was about to yell at her, but her dad beat her to it. "Don't talk to my wife like that, Madeline."

Her aunt cleared her throat uncomfortably. "My apologies." She gave Ororo a disgusted look.

"This is Ororo," Ruth said, "She's pretty, right? We're not really close, but I trust her with my life."

Ororo looked taken aback and merely nodded and smiled, unsure how to respond.

"This is Jean, she can, um..." she looked at Jean, who finished for her.

"I can read minds and, um..." she lifted Bobby's teacup with a wave of her finger.

Bobby gasped. "That's cool." He ignored his mother's disproving glare to look at Kurt. "What about you?"

Kurt froze, looking at the others, a hand on his watch. "Um...please do not scream."

He pressed a button and his camouflage disappeared, revealing his blue self with his Michael Jackson jacket.

As predicted, Ruth's aunt, uncle, and younger cousin screamed. Her mom and dad merely jumped, but she couldn't blame them.

Bobby laughed. "Awesome! Wow."

Kurt ducked his head, smiling. He turned his camouflage on and adjusted his shirt.

Ruth's aunt pointed a finger at him. "W-what, s-so our neighbors could be like that?"

Ruth shook her head. "Chill out, Lady. Kurt's watch is one of a kind, you can take a breath."

"Maddy, I think you should try to calm down," her uncle suggested, "You're getting yourself a little too worked up."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Bill," her aunt snapped.

Ruth looked at Bobby who rolled his eyes, glancing at Scott with interest. She winked and mouthed, 'he's mine.'

She put a hand on Scott's shoulder. "Mom, Dad, this is Scott. My boyfriend."

Her mother groaned. "Ruth, haven't you learned anything from your father and I? Why did you pick a white boy?"

Her father looked affronted. "June, are you serious? That's all you can focus on?"

Her mother shrugged. "What? We left her to rot in prison, I think after that she should be allowed to date who she wants."

Her dad gritted his teeth and crossed his arms. He glared at Scott. "What's your freak power."

"My mutation," Scott said, mimicking the man's pose, "Is optic force blasts. I can shoot concussive beams from my eyes. They're basically punches, only stronger. Strong enough to take a whole building down."

Her aunt narrowed her eyes. "So basically, you could all kill us right now."

Ruth nodded. "Oh definitely. Kurt would have to teleport you somewhere else and it takes a while for people to burn, but you know."

"We're not going to, though," Scott said, "Because we're not like that."

"She is," the younger boy said, "It all makes sense, she's the girl that killed all those people."

"I didn't mean to," Ruth said.

"That doesn't excuse the fact," her aunt snapped.

"I'm aware of that!" Ruth shouted. She was tired of this woman. "I'm fucking aware that I hurt people. Don't think I don't feel guilty about it, because I really do."

She scoffed. "You don't feel guilty. You just wanted to see everyone burn."

"Shut up!" Ruth jumped in front of the woman, her hand ignited. "I killed my best friend, did you think I wanted to do that? He was the only thing I had and I murdered him, do you know how that feels? To destroy the person you loved more than yourself? It makes you want to die sometimes. So you can shut up and go back to whatever nice little cookie cutter world you live in where you spy on other people's lives and think you're better than everyone else."

She pulled away, putting out the flame. She sighed, clapping her hands. "Well, I just killed the mood, so...we leave?"

Bobby frowned. "Already?" He sighed when his mother clicked her tongue. "Stop it, Mom, I'm just asking."

Jean nodded. "Yeah, we should go. The others are waiting outside."

Ruth's aunt gasped. "Others?"

Ruth rolled her eyes. "Goodbye."

"Ruth, wait." She stopped looking at her dad who had stood up. He held his arms out. "Hug?"

She smiled and let herself be hugged; it didn't happen often, not from him it didn't.

"You can't visit often," he said, "And you can't stay here. But, um..."

She nodded. "Thanks, Dad." She pulled away, hugging her mother. "Thanks,
Mom."

She walked towards the front door, going out of her way to shake Bobby's hand. "Nice to meet you." She felt her hand start to freeze slightly and she grinned. "See you, Bobby Drake."

He smiled back. "You too, Ruth Dakin. Do you have a codename?"

She winked. "Pyro."

She walked out the front door where her friends stood, waving to her parents. "Love you!" She shuddered as she walked out the door. "I've never winked that much in my life. But he was cute, wasn't he?"

Scott frowned. "He's your cousin."

She blinked. "Like I said. He was cute, wasn't he?"

Kurt smiled. "Ruth, this seems to be a really good day for you."

She nodded, jumping down the stairs. "It is! Like, everything's going so well! Life is good! People still love me! Something terrible is going to happen, I know it."

The group neared the car with everyone else, only to be stopped by Mrs. Jones who ran down her driveway, shouting Ruth's name.

"Yes?" Ruth said, walking towards her.

Mrs. Jones held a small box in her hand. "We—" she stopped, fighting back tears, "We had gotten these made for Lionel and you for when you both turned sixteen. We had buried his with him, but your birthday is coming up and I don't know when I'll see you again so...here."

Ruth opened the box, gasping when she caught sight of a necklace. She picked it up, pressing the button on the side. It opened to reveal a picture of Lionel smiling at the camera.

"His has a picture of you," she said, "You two were so close, I thought that since you were growing up, it'd be nice to have something so you could keep each other close to your hearts."

Ruth threw her arms around the woman. "Thank you. It's amazing."

Mrs. Jones nodded, pulling away. "You're welcome, dear. Please. Be safe."

Ruth nodded, putting on the necklace. "I will." She glanced at the side gate leading to the backyard. "Before I leave to go back to New York, would it be alright if I dropped by and went up in the..."

She nodded. "Of course. Now, go on, your friends are waiting."

Ruth nodded and ran to her friends—her family—standing next to Scott.

Charles smiled. "Well. Do we have news for you."

a/n a whopping 3949 words. The longest chapter to date. I'm so sorry, but you know I'm kinda not because no matter how cheesy and too happy it is, I'm proud and this is how it's supposed to go so even though her parental figures love her, that's fine by me (it's sad that I consider her parents caring about her in the end to be a lazy cop-out like no this is happy let them be happy)

Anyways, Bobby Drake! Yes! That happened! He's existing! My bisexual son! Yes!

The Glass Menagerie is a 4-person play written in 1944 written by Tennessee Williams. I saw it performed it killed me inside just thought it would be a nice little tidbit.

All those flower facts are true. I did research.

Is there anything left to say? Not that I know of. It's okay for characters' parents to love them in the end. It's okay.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!