We get back to Sanctuary, which is a genius idea Adam came up with. Adam hollowed out an entire mountain to house mutants like myself and my friends. I get there and we all meet in the computer room. Lexa and Jesse stood along the wall while Shalimar took a seat at the PC in the middle of the room. I hopped on the table while Emma and Adam started checking wounds. Brennen was pacing the floor as if something was bothering him. I just had to say something; I could not stand by and let him stew.

"Bren, talk to me. It's on your mind too."

He just looked at me.

"I had no idea Gabriel was still alive. When we sent you on that undercover operation, it was to save people."

"I did save people. Over three hundred lives were spared by my hand and the people at the underground houses. Adam made sure plans were set up in advance."

"Anything else you care to share about?"

I was not about to start spilling my guts out about how they made psionics torture me until I spilled where people were. My physical body could handle the pain; my mentality could not, so I had to tell my friends the man behind the plan.

"Eckhart is alive. Gabriel revived him while I was there. He is planning mass genocide on the mutant race. See those twenty five hundred people were just a start. You rescued me while Mason and Gabriel were torturing me with my best friend. They used Amy like a rag doll, making her torture me for names. Making me relive my father's beating and my mother's drunken state. I was physically and mentally beaten at the hands of two madmen."

The room fell silent and I quickly walked out. Sanctuary was a very big place to be, many little corners to hide in. I hid in a corner in the supply closet, my feral ability of anguish and pain setting in. My eyes welled up and tears flowed from my face. Shalimar, the other feral in the team sensed my hurt and sat with me the entire time I cried. Those were memories I did not want to relive.

"I know that was hard. Mason and Gabriel brought back another part of your past."

"Yeah, the part where I was killing off people just like me for no good reason. Shal, I almost killed Emma and Jesse a number of times, why do you guys still care about me?"

"Mickie, we care because Adam has a heart. He saved you when Mason almost destroyed you. Adam healed your heart. In the process, you met all of us. Emma and you are like sisters. Lexa and I care about you like a daughter to a mother. Jesse and Brennen are like your brothers. Adam, well that soft spot in his heart was shown when you fell in love with him. I don't have a clue in hell what would happen to him if you were gone. He made it his top priority to get you out of there."

I cried more and laid my head upon Shalimar's shoulder. About twenty minutes had passed and Adam found us. I dried my tears and Shal smiled. She left and Adam took her place next to me in the corner.

"Mickie, I am so glad you were not hurt."

"Adam, physically I have healed. It may take some time mentally however. They used Amy to basically torture me. They used her for their gain. I hate that. Part of me wants to kill them both for killing countless friends of mine. The other part of me doesn't want to lose you all. You all are my family. I don't want that taken from me like before. Adam….I am scared. Why is being different so difficult?"

Adam was speechless. For the first time since we met, he has seen me cry and show emotion. The story about me and Adam is that when I was eighteen he found me locked away in my father's basement. Cold and scared, he took me in and helped me grasp the newfound powers I was unable to control at the point. Over time, we developed a close connection and fell in love. Now, nine years later, I show him weakness and compassion, a part of me I never showed to anyone before. Adam just smiles at me and takes my head in his hand gently.

"Mickie darling, being different is something that Gabriel and Mason have not grasped. They think that being different means a life of solitude and despair, so they think killing you all off solves the problem. It doesn't. New mutants are coming out of the woodwork faster now, so it was time that they resurfaced. You yourself have learned to embrace that you are different and find things that show off your abilities. You, Lexa and Brennen are all great elementals and train hard to strengthen your powers. Shalimar has found a new companion in you and you two have bonded based on your feral nature. You have found a group that you fit in and belong to. I have loved you then, I love you now and I will always love you no matter what happens."

All I was able to do was smile at what he said. Adam always had this way of making me feel right at home with his comfort in his tone of voice. We shared a soft kiss and went out with the others in the main area of Sanctuary. Little did we know that a plan was in order. This is the plan that would change all of us forever.