The youngest member (X-Men Evolution)

Joyride

It was late at night. The whole Institute was asleep, except for one young girl. Marigold was sitting on her balcony, the cold night air blowing right through her pj's keeping her awake as she stared at the blank page in front of her. The Professor had encouraged her to keep a journal of all her nightmares, hoping that it would help the girl. But as she stared at the page, trying to figure out a way to explain the odd dream, she was totally lost. Visions of the dream flashed in her mind, there one moment and gone the next. (translation for Russian is at the bottom of the story)

 "пташка"

"No!" Marigold shouted, "Stop please!"

"Julie"

"I don't want to do this." She cried out. Tears running down her face.

"топка"

"Not the furnace. Please!" She begged, knowing her voice was falling on deaf ears. She didn't want to go to the dark place, but she didn't want to go to the furnace either. All she could do was beg, but she had no hope.

"шоколадный"

"I'm so sorry." Marigold said, sobbing. No longer trying to fight her way out of the HYDRA soldiers arms that were holding her down to the ground.

"Three"

The ground was so cold, her white latex suit didn't warm her at all.

"Benign"

It didn't matter how cold the floor was. Marigold had given up the fight. The familiar numbing filling was starting to grow.

"Nine"

Marigold couldn't even feel the arms of the men holding her down. She felt herself slipping away.

"возвращение домой"

She was still scared of slipping away, but she couldn't do anything about it now. She wasn't in control anymore.

"двадцать пять"

So she let herself go.

"Susan"

The HYDRA soldiers holding the girl down stood up slowly. A few silent moments passed before Marigold also stood up. Her stance was that of a soldier herself. "Ready to comply." She said. The man smirked, holding a leather notebook in his hands. "Я знаю, ты отлично справишься Winter Soldier number twenty-five."

The Institutes alarms going off pulled Marigold out of her thoughts and she stood up, tossing the still blank journal aside. She quickly threw off her pj's and got into her X-men uniform. The alarms blared around her and the red flashing lights lit the hallway as she and other Institute students ran down the hallway together. Marigold caught up with Scott and Logan who were the first two out of the front door of the Institute. Everyone else was behind them as they went to face the intruder...who was Lance. Marigold was instantly confused, along with the other students. But Logan didn't look confused at all, only angry as he stood in front of all the students, bearing his claws out and growling at Lance. "Somethin we can do for ya bub?" Logan asked, clearly angry at the guy. Marigold took a closer look at Lance and noticed he had a large gym bag over his shoulder. Her confused glace didn't escape Lance who smirked in her direction. "Yea...I've come to join the X-men." Lance said 'matter of fact' like, folding his arms and showing that he wasn't making this late night visit for a fight. Everyone seemed shocked by the statement. "You're kidding right?" Kitty asked, looking the most shocked out of the entire group. "You heard me. I wanna be an X-men." Lance said, setting his bag on the ground "I'm serious." he stated,putting his hands on his hips. Logan huffed and retracted his claws back into his hands, seeing that Lance wasn't a threat.  "Yea right, and I wanna be the tooth fairy." Logan said, making a few of the students giggle. Lance frowned at the joke, as Scott stepped up in front of the group taking charge of the situation. "If your going to go along with this joke then we should let The Professor know." Scott said, not sounding like he was in the mood for Lance. "I'm already here, now let Lance inside so that we can have a talk." The Professor said, a hopeful smile on his face. Marigold followed the rest of the group inside and up to The Professors office. She noted how Kitty was the only one who would sit on the same couch as Lance. "Alright Lance, now why do you have this sudden interest in joining the X-men?" The Professor asked as he sat behind his desk. "Yea? Don't you like living with those losers anymore?" Kitty asked, referring to the Brotherhood. Marigold was sitting beside Scott, and she felt him tense up at the mention of the group.  "What's really going on Lance? You didn't bust in here just to make jokes." Scott said, sitting up in his seat. "Well I - lets just a say it was time for a change okay?" Lance said, avoiding everyone's gaze as he looked down at his feet. Marigold didn't miss the nervous tone in his voice. "Fair enough. Let's give it a try shall we?" The Professor asked. Everyone seemed surprised at the mans words, even Lance himself. The Professor held out his hand, and Lance stood up with a grin, taking the hand in his own and the two shook on it. Scott seemed the most shocked standing up to protest. "Professor I-" The man held a hand up, silencing Scott. "Kitty, why don't you show Lance to one of the guest rooms?" Kitty rolled her eyes, "Whatever." she said standing up. The two walked out together. "Professor. I think that this is a mistake." Scott said, sounding upset. "Lance wouldn't do this unless he wanted something." The Professor wheeled himself around his desk and in front of Scott. "Yes, I agree. What he wants is to be near Kitty." Logan growled at the idea and Jean rolled her eyes. "Don't need to be a mind reader to know that." Marigold said with a smirk. "No matter what reason Lance comes to us, let's give him a chance. That's what The Xavier Institute is all about." The Professor said before dismissing the rest of the students back to their rooms. Marigold started to leave the office, but was stopped by Logan. "Go change out of your uniform into some comfy clothes and come to my room." He instructed. Marigold agreed, knowing she couldn't say no to Logan anyway. As she left the office Logan turned to The Professor. "She hasn't been able to sleep through the night in weeks. This is getting out of hand. She keeps having nightmares but can't remember anything about them." Logan whispered. He could tell just from looking at the girl that she was already wide awake when the alarm started going off. "We're trying all we can right now Logan. Not even I can tell what is going on in her mind, it is damaged by the Winter Soldier training. But for now we can all agree that not remembering is in her best interest." The Professor said, "And what will happen if she does remember?" Logan asked. "We cannot predict anything at the moment, but for now and always we will be there for her." Logan agreed, although he hated the fact that he had to keep secrets from the young girl. "Logan" Marigold called as she walked back into the office in her pj's. Logan easily picked the girl up and held her against his hip with one arm. "Come on baby bird." He said before leaving the office. Logan held the girl closer to him as he walked into his own bedroom, depositing the girl onto his bed, she giggled as he went into the bathroom to change back into his pj's as well. He came back a few minutes later and sat on the bed, Marigold lay out beside him, resting her head on his leg as he pulled the covers of his bed up to her shoulders, covering his legs. "I'm sorry." She whispered, looking down at the covers. "What are ya sorry for?" He asked, threading his fingers through her hair. "Everyone keeps worrying about my nightmares. I wish I could just make them stop...I feel like such a burden." She admitted. "We're all trying our best to help you, and we all know that you would do anything to help us if it were anyone else in your shoes. Your not a burden. If we didn't love you we wouldn't try to help." Logan said. Marigold didn't say a word, gripping Logan's pj's in her fist, as if someone would try to pull her away from him. "You've been there for me when I needed you, now let me be here for ya." Logan whispered. Marigold closed her eyes. trying to relax, and slowly she was able to. With Logan running his fingers through her hair, being there beside her, knowing that he was there to protect her. She felt safe as she slowly fell asleep.