Hours Earlier

Annie Summers' had a rough couple of weeks since the battle of New York. She new that the short time leading up to the battle had ruined her confidence within her relationship and her choosing to get away probably didn't help any of it. But Annie knew that all she wanted was to talk to her mother at that point in her life. She needed to see the older woman in the only way she knew how. 

Returning to the Institute wasn't a hard thing to do, it had been her home growing up her parents still being students there when she was born. And she would always consider it her first home. It probably helped that her parents would always be there and therefore, she would always return to the school to be close to them. 

It had barely changed from the last time she had been there. It had barely changed since she was a child on the outside. The inside would always be changing as different students made their way through the school. As technological advances were made the school would also change to keep up with them. Even if the school was around 20 years further ahead than the rest of the population, maybe more. 

The second she had stepped off her father's bike and ventured towards the front door of the school she felt better. It was also beneficial she didn't have to open the front door for herself considering the heavy mahogany door swung open for her. The older man sat in his wheelchair waiting to greet her. She gave a smile to him a great big beaming one for he was much more than her teacher, her godfather. He had taken on the father figure for her for the last 6 years. Charles Xavier was someone the world didn't deserve. 

She had spent the first two weeks of her little trip away just reliving the feeling of being within the school. She had been given her old room to stay in for a while, she had been reintroduced to the danger room. And for the first time in a while, Annie felt like she truly was a mutant at her best form. She felt free, like she was able to develop herself into the person she was meant to be. 

Annie had come to the idea of the fact that she was going to be leaving SHIELD. She didn't want to be working there anymore. She wanted to obviously stay around the people she loved, but she didn't want to work for them anymore. She hated the company and had done for a couple of years, the recent events just proved to her how little they actually thought of her as a member of staff, an agent. She hated being a SHIELD agent, that they only used her on recon missions, that she was told to hide away her mutations for so long. 

She had never felt that way as part of the X Men and therefore, it was only logical for her to want to return there. Surely it would only make sense for her to remain with that group. Unfortunately she had a couple more months before she could break her contract with them. But at least she had made a definitive conclusion. Plus there was the bonus of the X Men also working out of New York so it wasn't like she had to move for work or anything. Plus she could really fly now so she could make her way to the base whenever she needed it. 

The final and biggest thing about her returning to the school was her searching out her parents. It shouldn't take her long to find them considering they hadn't moved since 2006. She was just reluctant to go and see them. After all talking to someone who could never respond again really sucked. 

She found them in the patch of the school's grounds reserved for their lost loved ones. A patch of ground which was much larger than it ever should be. But when the rest of humanity wanted to get rid of you for being the next mutation of DNA, it was hard to fight against them and come out unscathed. But they were the only two so close together. Laid in side by side graves like Annie knew they would have wanted. The pair hadn't been separated since they were 16, she knew in death they would want to remain together as much as they could.

The two graves were not completely unkempt, they were rather well looked after surrounded by little trinkets and photos. Things left by their students, their friends and their family. The photo of the three Annie had left there in the middle of the two graves was the one that never got dirty or dusty. But there were insignificant items of debris a couple of fallen branches of leaves that were littering the site. Annie took her time in cleaning the two graves making sure they were as pristine as possible before she sat down between them both. 

"Hi Mom, Hi Dad." She started knowing that she wouldn't get a response she still listened out as if waiting for them to reply. 

"Life's gone not in the direction you probably planned out for me. I joined another superhero boy band a couple weeks back. They're calling themselves the Avengers. It's a stupid name but it's kinda growing on me." Annie let out a little laugh as she spoke.

"I only joined because of Natasha and Clint, you remember them both right?  Well Clint got brain washed and Natasha was being stupid on the mind link so I had to do something. Just like you would have done for each other." Annie tried to explain it but she felt like she had more to say, maybe she could get it off her chest. 

"We've been together for over three years now. Would you believe it, I go to play diplomat and fall in love with the two people supposed to train me all over again. And of course I love them both so much, I formed the mind link with them and everything. So I know that the feelings are at least partially reciprocated. Like Clint I know, he says it all the time, he signs it whenever possible. And it makes me feel so good. It's just Natasha." Annie let out a sigh as she considered finally speaking into the world the things she had been thinking of for a while now.

"I never want to pressure her into saying the words. Like I should be way more than able to tell from her actions. But maybe I'm just getting caught up, I'd like to hear them maybe just the once. If I did I guess I'd stop feeling this way. But she I dunno, she closed her side of the link down and that just made me suspicious, and then she's said some stuff that I dunno guess I'm focusing on too much." 

"I'm being stupid." Annie wanted to talk to them about other things reassure them that she was okay, so they knew wherever they were that she was okay. 

"I'm okay really though, I live in this really nice apartment, I have friends outside of the school. I know I finally did it. I finally met Tony Stark, you'd be proud of who he's become. I even met Captain America, he's old fashioned like older than Professor X but like he's still pretty awesome. Even met another god, well two of them but still. I'm doing really good, I'm ready to hit the next adventure in my life at full steam." Annie could feel herself getting ready to finish here. There would never be too much time spent with her parents but the longer she sat with them the more she wanted to return to the apartment she normally lived in. 

"I think it's time I head home. I really miss them both and I've been hiding out here for long enough. I love you both so, so much. I'll be back soon I promise." With her words Annie stood slowly to the graves she placed a hand on each one and closed her eyes for just a second. Pretending as if they were there to give her the comfort back. 

It was time to go home again.