a/n: how do we feel about a spotify playlist for lyla?
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"Dad?"
"Hm?"
"Do we find each other in the future?" Lyla asked, sitting on the kitchen counter and I sighed. "You said back on the island that you'd-"
"That I'd always find you, I know." I interrupted, handing her a plate of watermelon covered in sugar and honey. "I may have lost a lot of memories in my time, but I still remember your favorite snack."
"You're not answering my question."
"Scott was the one that found me and put two and two together when he saw my claws... when I got here, you were so happy because you thought I finally found you. I had vague memories of you, but not enough to recognize you as my kid."
"And what happened? What changed?"
"Jean and the Professor got deep into my subconscious, found those memories and gave them back to me... Along with the good ones, there were a lot of bad ones as well so I started taking it out on the one person in the mansion who wasn't at fault."
"Me." She realized and I nodded. "But why me and not the Professor or someone else?"
"Because, despite me not being around, you turned out exactly like me. You were hotheaded, stubborn, and had an attitude that drove everyone up the wall. How Scott managed to deal with you was beyond me."
"I don't-"
"I've done a lot of terrible things in my life, Lyla. I've got a lot of terrible qualities and somehow you inherited all of them... from my uncontrollable rage at times to always expecting the worst out of everyone. We were so alike that while you tried getting closer, I kept pushing away until you started to resent me for it."
"How?"
"I started taking care of this kid Rogue and gave her my dog tags. I didn't know you saw it until Scott ran after you and you literally disappeared for three days. That's how it all started because-"
"You always told me as a kid that your dog tags were the most importantly thing you had aside from me."
"Those tags were the only sense of identity I had until I got my memories back."
"So... I hated you because you gave someone else your dog tags?" Lyla asked seemingly confused. "That doesn't make much sense if I'm being completely honest... Well... it does and it doesn't."
"Yes and no. After Scott dragged you back to the mansion and I came back, you and I got into a huge fight in the Danger Room and it turned physical. It went on for an eternity until Storm had enough and had the entire X-men try and separate us... After that, I said some things in the heat of the moment which made Scott get pissed and he blasted me through a wall and out the mansion. He was just looking out for you because you were a mess and Jean and Beast were literally dragging you away so you wouldn't kill me, but all it did was fuel the fire and then I started hating him as well."
