Mess.

[Professor X]

"Pearl" said Charles in a gentler tone, "Dream has never been attracted to a boy before. It was getting too much for her, and she thought for sure Luke would choose you 'no way he would ever pick me' she told me. She was just trying to get the inevatable over with as far as she was concerned. In fact, Luke kissing her is probably the worst thing he could do. It got her hopes up. She believes you belong with him. She doesn't want to take something from you. She's hurting. Just try talking to her. I bet you'd see the whole thing differently."

[Pearl]

She sighed, approaching the fountain. "Dream. Look...I know you don't really wanna talk to me, and I don't really wanna talk to you either right now; but the situation we're in...we don't have much of a choice. So please...come up here..."

[Dream]

Dream floated slowly, weakly to the surface. "Pearl" she said, "I would never want to steal Luke from you. You two belong together. You're so beautiful, and elegant. I don't know why he would want me. Besides, it's better this way. I...I couldn't help it. I WANTED to! I tried so hard...I can't...I can't...you...you deserve each other."

Dream's head drooped a bit, and it was clear Dream was sobbing.

[Pearl]

"Well obviously that's not true...he must've chose you...he kissed you. I don't know why he ran off, but before he saw me, he was kissing you. That looks like a choice to me. And he won't go back on that because he's a good guy..." then, she added, a little under her breath, "and he doesn't want to kill you.."

[Dream]

"Pearl," Dream said as she looked up at her "he just kissed me because he felt sorry for me. And he left as soon as he saw you. If he chose me, he wouldn't have. He would have said something to you.

I understand if he just felt sorry for me, and didn't want to kill me. But I would never want to stand in the way of true love. Help me Pearl, this is so new to me, and you have it all figured out. It's better for me not to care for anyone. I just couldn't help it. I still can't help it. But I want to..."

[Pearl]

She sighed. "I don't have it all figured out. If I'd had it all figured out, I would have fixed this in the beginning..." pearl shook her head, "I still don't believe what you say is true. I'd like to, but I don't. I guess we just have to wait for Luke to come back...I hope he comes back..." she looked out in the direction he'd run away. "I think he's at least as overwhelmed as we are..."

[Dream]

"I agree. I don't know how he feels eitherLook, I don't know how he feels and, I don't want to say it, but I care for him very much. I don't want either of us to get hurt. I know I'm not the only one who can die of a broken heart.

[Pearl]

"You're right..." she sat down on the edge of the fountain. "I'd never thought about it before, but you're right. Not that anyone else is as important to the world as you are.." she sighed. "I mean I may not like it, but you are. You know you are."

[Dream]

"I don't think so" said Dream. "But everyone else seems to. I wish they wouldn't."

[Pearl]

"You're important. I'd think it would be nice to be that important..." Pearl shrugged. 'I used to be important...before I came here...now I'm just somebody...'

[Dream]

"Oh, it's not! I don't want to be important. It's different...when it's not for something you did, it's for something you were born with. None of us chose to be mutants, and we certainly didn't have a choice in our powers."

[Pearl]

"Yeah well...at least you have a good idea of what yours are and what to do with them..." she sighed. "Anyway...I...appologize. You deserve him just as much as I do. And it wasn't fair of me to think otherwise..."

[Dream]

Dream took Pearl's hand. "Thank you Pearl. That...that means a lot to me. And don't worry, you will unlock your powers. I've just had hundreds of years to pratice" she smiled.

[Wolverine]

Logan left the trio in the Conference room, hoping Jack could handle it if Screech got out of line or Luke attempted escape again. He went to the grounds. The sun had just risen, illuminating everything in a watery gray through the heavy cloud cover. He found Xavier, Pearl, and Dream in the garden. "Xavier. Trent Murdock. He's back. I don't know what he wants, but he said he wanted to see you. He's in the conference room with Jack and Luke." He said Luke's name with an air of 'and he's not off the hook just because we ran into Screech'.

[Pearl]

Luke was back? Was he alright? She slipped away, trying not to be noticed. She knew she wasn't supposed to go to the confrence room, but she had to see him. She had to know he was alive, alright.