Rachel really wished she could pinch the bridge of her nose at the moment. It would definitely send the wrong signals. But she was having so much information thrown at her she was having a hard time sorting through it.

She walked back to stand in front of Ilya. She took a breath. "I understand about flashbacks. More than anyone else on campus. I'm not from here originally. I lived in the South Bronx Mutant Internment Center for awhile. So, another one of things you and I will do is have regular counseling sessions."

She carefully reached out to try to place her hand on his shoulder. "What he did to you is never your fault. Ever. The blame is entirely on him. And I will slowly help you realize that. Anyone else who says otherwise will have to deal with me and my ability to scramble things mentally and physically."