Penny For Your Thoughts: Okay okay, I know I'm dishing out the short chapters here but I'm beginning (no pun intended ^_~) to see exactly how to end this. And only with a minimum of chapters too! *cackles evilly* And I can already tell you ahead of time it won't be 'happily ever after' since I want ANGST! ANGST! ANGST ANGST ANGST! Hee hee! *cough* Sorry...I'm a bit genki here since I've had too many rice cakes, chrysanthemum tea and almond chocolate. x_x I hope that all of you will continue to look forward to my next chapters as I try to draw closer to the end. ^_~ Ja mata!

The limo slowed to a halt, shining surface glimmering in the warm light of the sun. The darkly tinted mirrors hid the forms within the vehicle from any eyes that happened to fall upon the limousine.

Jared sat opposite of the silent young woman, her long glossy black hair with their dark blue streaks pulled back into a loose bun, strands of hair falling almost carelessly perfect across the ivory forehead and smooth cheeks. Her eyes were hidden behind stylish shades, and everything around her was reflected by them.

Her gaze was fastened beyond the tinted windows, rolled all the way up so that she was hidden from eyes. Her gaze was sharp and it swept over everyone and everything, taking in the hunched over forms of mourners. She was only mildly surprised at the gathering of people there. The Professor after all was famous for his never ending kindness and patience, so the total number of 'normal' people and mutants alike wasn't altogether amazing.

She didn't care about them though, and so they were instantly pushed out from her field of vision. Her gaze instead was trained on the people nearest to the grave, all of whom she had known once...

Her fingers tightened around one another, clenching into fists that she didn't notice. Jared did, and his attention was sharp and eyes filled with worry and wariness. Nyssa had been blank as a rock and silent the entire ride on the plane, and knowing his place as the employee and not employer, he hadn't said anything in case she suddenly blew up on him.

From her seat, she could feel the worry radiating from Jared. It wasn't that he was bad at hiding it, no, if she had been your average viewer, she wouldn't have been able to gauge the completely bland look on his face or the almost sprawled seat he took. If she hadn't gone through changes that left her sensitive to others around her, to the sights, sounds and smells then she wouldn't have noticed...

She tore her thoughts away from the dangerous grounds, knowing very well where those thoughts could eventually lead her to. Instead, she focused intently on the ceremony before her, a ceremony of the passing of one of the greatest influences ever known.

Logan, formal name long gone and washed away among a jumble of forgotten memories, felt uncomfortable. It wasn't just the fact that one of his closest friends and a great mentor had passed either. He felt that there was a presence among them, a tantalizingly familiar presence that teased and tugged at his senses, whispering to him that he should know who it was. But he didn't. And that made him frustrated because among the throng and groups of people who had showed up, he couldn't locate exactly where this presence was.

A gentle hand was placed on his forearm and her jerked his attention to the tall, slender figure who stared at him in concern. "Logan, are you all right?" the softly spoken woman asked, her graceful face still with hints of the proud and serene air about her from her Goddess days, looked weary but still maintained a certain beauty despite the shadows beneath the silvery white eyes.

His lips quirked into a humorless smile. "Had better days darlin' but I'll make it through." Ororo nodded and turned her attention back to the solemn procession, and he took it as a cue that he should be paying attention as well. Even as he slowly returned to the wallowing emptiness and sadness within him, that presence was still there, pressing against him in the farthest corners of his mind.

It was only after the cemetery had cleared completely out that the black, sleek limousine slowly moved, turning so that it was parked next to the sidewalk that led into the quiet shadowy grounds.

The door was opened from the outside, and long slender legs clad in form fitting black pants slipped out, heeled boots making soft noises on the cement pavement. The long black duster fell just below the knees, and it was buttoned at the waist, showing off the trim figure beneath it.

The tall man that trailed close behind her made no sound whatsoever despite his size, and when she had stepped onto the soft grass, neither did she as the dirt and grass muffled any sounds coming from her boots.

Slender, pale fingers clasped 2 singles roses. One of pure snowy white and the other black. The worker at the flower shop had raised a brow at the odd selection but had kept his mouth shut, not as if it would have made a difference anyway if he had said something.

It wasn't long before the long slender legs carried the silent figure to a plain tombstone, words carefully engraved into the smooth alabaster stone. She kneeled before it, shadows from nearby trees casting a shadow over them, the eyes behind the shades concealed. Gently, she placed the roses across the freshly set in grass and traced the letters in the stone. A sad smile graced her features. "Hello again Professor...you must be surprised I would come after your visit, right? You must've thought that I hated you so much that I would still not come..." The leaves stirred and the soft words carried in the clearing.

"Pathetic isn't it? I didn't have the courage to come back when you were alive, didn't have the courage to tell you how my life was after I had separated from all of you...pitiful isn't it? I couldn't even come out and face everyone when they were here..." she trailed off and let the silence consume her, drowning her as her words faded into nothing.

"You know...after the years had passed, I suddenly thought about that day...the day I left. You know what's funny? I felt nothing after that. Nothing at all. No regrets, no worries...absolutely nothing. I felt free Professor...so free...would you have left me alone if you had known the happiness I had found in this freedom? I wasn't without my problems on my own, but I felt whole Professor. I felt...happy..." she smiled softly, contrasting with the tear that had slid down from behind the dark glasses. "And do you know what I thought about after the years?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper.

"I thought about what drove me to it. Oh yes, I blamed you guys for doing that to me...but the thing is...if none of you had acted the way you did, I wouldn't know what true freedom is. So I guess I have to thank you, after all, credit should be given when due..." she dropped her gaze onto the roses. "I hope that you like them Professor...to me they represent everything in the world. White for life, black for death. You've lived so much Professor, helped so many people...and now you're gone. What about your dream? Ah...I'm sure the next generations will help to fulfill it, right?" she stood up abruptly.

"Well Professor...I should get going now. I might stick around for a few days...been thinking about whether or not I should drop by the mansion..." she shrugged almost as if he had been there talking to her himself. "Anyway...I'll be back sometime next year..." she smiled sadly at the tomb stone. "Rest in peace Professor."

Neither she nor Jared noticed the stocky figure that stepped out from behind a tree. It was only when the familiar sound of metal sliding out that she jerked her head towards the figure, face pale and body trembling slightly. 'Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could you have let your senses dropped like that?! Stupid!' But it was because of who she should have sensed that made a difference. Even with her own new abilities, he was still as elusive and good at hiding as ever.

She stared into the dark, glittering eyes, taking in the flared nostrils and grim set to the lips. He stared at her coldly and she winced inwardly. "Who are ya?"

Jared moved into a defensive stance in front of her, blocking her body but not her view from the man she had once trusted more than anyone else in the world. He shifted his attention to her bodyguard. It bided her some time to recollect herself, calming and stilling her shaken nerves so that her mask slipped into place. A polite, robotic smile twisted her full lips as she side-stepped Jared and faced the shorter man. "Long time no see Wolvie," she said softly.