Disclaimer; I own no characters, but I believe the idea is originally mine. The song isn't mine either. Hello all you fans of the 'cune's writings, however few and far between you are. This idea's been in my head for a while since I heard this song, and it's been bugging me ever since. I'm still working on TGWP and everything, this is just a one shot of an idea I had. It's interesting how versatile children are, neh? The song is Neverland by Darren Hayes. The characters involved are Julian Bordeaux, mostly, Belle Donna and a few of the X-men characters who I'm not gonna let you know about right at this moment. Just read and they'll become apparent at the end. *winks* I apologize in advance if this offends anybody, the song deals with abuse, and I wanted to capture it in this story…and I thought Julian would be a good fit. For the most part, it's shown through the eyes of his son really…. and another apology for those who have trouble following along…the only thing I can say to that is, as a writer, I like to get into the heads of my characters, and emotion is of great interest to me, as a result, I usually do what I can to write more about what the character is feeling as opposed to what's actually going on. As to this story, I'm planning on making more of an impression of things happening as opposed to…well…telling you what's going on. It's through the eyes of a child after all…we don't need the nitty gritty. Now that I've rambled you all to death, on with the story!
***
Long ago when Mercury descended high on the moon
The town was dark, grimy, and run down. The house, or more likely apartment, was just as run down as the town. Secondhand furniture and equally run down carpeting furnished the place, ugly washed out and peeling wallpaper lined the walls. The smells were of musty air and smoky atmosphere, the sounds the cries and pitiful wailings of the poor. That was all he had grown up with, that was all he had for home.
Far below where little hands are making shapes in the room
His name was Oliver. He had a last name as well, but it was too difficult to pronounce for his little four year old self to manage. Never mind that he had been speaking Creole before English in his earliest months of life; still, some words were harder then others.
His hair was blonde, a tribute from his father. His skin was pale, like his mother, his body lean and malnourished. You couldn't avoid that if you were poor, after all, and his mommy barely made enough to keep the roof over their heads.
The shadows they dance and they cheer up this place
His daddy hated him, had always hated him, ever since he was born. He didn't see daddy around that much, and had learned early on that, unlike what his mommy told him about in her stories of fairy tales and happily ever afters, his mommy and daddy didn't love each other. He thought it could be his fault, that he had done something to cause his daddy to hate him. He learned that it wasn't the case, however. It wasn't something he did, more like something he had.
His daddy hated one thing about himself.
The face
His eyes.
That's starring through a tiny crack in the door
Those same eyes couldn't believe what he was seeing, daddy was back!
"Julian…" His mother backed away from the imposing figure of his daddy, Oli couldn't see much since he was hidden behind his door, only peering through a small opening, but he worried about the expression on daddy's face. Either a smirk, or a scowl, it was never good for mommy.
Eyes so wide, he's never seen a woman fall on the floor
"Bitch!" From the resounding smack, Oli could guess at daddy's expression now. Not that the smirk ever brought anything better, since mommy was hurt either way, but Oli didn't want to think about what happened when daddy smirked. Scowling was bad enough, smirking meant daddy was doing things to mommy that just seemed…wrong.
"Julian!" Mommy's cries were quickly cut off by another loud THWAK! After that, she made no more noise.
I swear daddy's killed her this time
"Mommy!" Oli ran out of his room, quickly to his mother's side. His daddy was forgotten as he went to check to see if mommy was okay.
His mind panicked, wondering what he should do.
Should I make a Rocket?
"Brat, what are yo' doin' here?" Daddy's angry voice. Oh no…
Should I try to fly away?
SMACK! His only thoughts when he hit the ground were if mommy was alright, why was daddy so angry, and why why was he hurting them?
Should I make a hammer?
Oliver had done nothing, nothing to deserve this treatment. No matter how good he was, it was never good enough for daddy.
"Stay in yo' room next time brat!"
Should I try to smash his face?
THWACK! Tears escaped Oliver's eyes, his head throbbing from the bruises forming on his body due to his father hitting him. His eyes…why did Daddy hate him for his eyes?
Should I make a bullet, should I try to shoot the gun?
Sometimes, Oli wished he could get back at daddy, make him see how it felt to be hurt. To be crying. He was too weak to try though, only four, too weak…
I'm sure the judge will let me off real soon
If only…if only…
Long ago, when Saturn tried to find a way past the sun
Oli was six now, and daddy hadn't come to them for a while. A whole month without daddy! He played when he could; even on the meager earnings mommy made he still had time for play.
Deep inside, a little boy is turning pain into fun
He ran into the house, holding a piece of cardboard in his hands. There was a building that he went to during the day while mommy was out helping them to get by. The people there were nice, and let him use some of the arts equipment to play with.
The pencils the crayons the paint, colors run
He was excited; he hoped mommy liked what he made for them. Maybe she'd be proud of him? Mommy had never been proud of him before from what Oli could remember. He had heard a daddy say that to one of the other little boys one day while Oli had been outside playing in the street. He hadn't known what the boy did, but he understood that he must've done something really really good for the daddy to be proud of him.
From his experience, after all, daddy's never liked you, no matter what you did. He envied that boy.
The plans are forming solely made with scissors and glue
He figured that if that little boy had made a daddy proud of him, Oli could definitely make his mommy proud of him. He gazed at his painted paper appreciatively. He was sure one of these ideas could work.
Eyes so wide, he's telling mommy all the things he can do
His mommy smiled and nodded at him, paying attention in that way all adults did when you were doing something that they thought was adorable, but not really important enough to take seriously. He tried his hardest to show her all that he had made, hoping for those words to utter from her lips, hoping he'd make her proud.
He'll sketch a contraption to save them for sure
He showed her all of his pictures, each of them a way to help them in their current situation.
He can draw an alien
"Juliet!" Uh oh…
He can come and take them home
"It's your father." His mommy gave him a worried glance with her clear blue eyes, blond hair brushing her face as she hurried him back to his room, keeping her son from his abusive father.
He can draw a Cartoon
"Just stay here." A movement to close the door by a pallid hand.
"But mommy!"
"Stay in here Oliver!"
He can draw a safety hat
The door slammed in his face, locking from the outside. She didn't want him running out like last time to beaten by daddy again.
He can draw a hot bath; he can plug a toaster in
He pounded his little fists against the door, calling for mommy. He could hear the shouts from the other side getting louder, it sounded like mommy was trying to fight back this time. Oli wanted to go to her, he didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about this time.
He needed to get to mommy, or something bad would happen.
And wait 'til Daddy's nice and warm
The voices only got louder, and he could hear that they were talking about him.
"A mutie! That ain' my child, an' you know it Juliet! Can't be mine, an' you ask for this?! You whore!"
Another loud smack, and Oli could hear his mother's cries through his door.
"You idiot Julian! I took the tests; he's your son, even if y' don' wanna admit it! Y' jus' don' wanna admit that you could father a mutant! An' y' know it! He's your son! You're responsibility! An assassin Heir!"
"You bitch!" Oli could hear some muffled sounds, followed by his mother's softer, and frightened protests. He was getting even more worried, pounding his little fists harder against the door.
"No mutie is gonna get the thrown if I have anythin' to say about it."
A loud bang resounded from the other side of Oli's door.
Toss it in
"Mommy?" Oli's tears fell harder this time, and his little fists clenched by his sides. Daddy had hurt mommy bad this time, he knew it. He didn't notice the way the shadows danced in his room, dancing like they had a life of their own.
He only knew one thing, daddy had hurt mommy. Daddy, needed to feel what it was like to be hurt.
And then when he's gone, there's a Neverland of fun
The shadow's danced, and the door splintered away. The wood chips showering into the room, surprising Julian when all he saw was a splintered door and the visage of an angry six year old boy, tears streaming down his face, shadows literally writhing around him.
Take a loaded Gun
"Oliver?"
"You hurt mommy."
Take a shot of Rum
Julian's gun was the next to go; the shadows yanked it from his hand before he could do anything about it.
Take a poison wrap
"Hey, brat, what do y' think you're doin'?!"
"You hurt mommy!"
There's a lesson in that
Julian backed up against the wall, jumping at every shadow that moved close to him, almost cowering away from this little six year old child who only had wanted his mommy to be proud of him.
No more closing fist
"You hurt mommy daddy, you hurt me too. You need to feel hurt." Said little boy glared at his father, eyes filled with tears.
"What are y' talkin' about you little brat?!" He moved from his place in the wall, making himself imposing to scare this kid like he had done before so many times.
"Don't' talk to me like that!"
No more face to hit
"No daddy, that's enough!" A nearby shadow knocked over one of the ratty bookshelves against the walls, making Julian jump. All the shadows moved in a frenzy in the room, flickering and dancing, like fire was in front of them, not simple poor artificial light.
"No more…"
No more bloody nose or apologetic noises
A scream cut through the house, quickly silenced, quickly forgotten.
Long ago, when Mercury descended high on the moon
Storm shook her head, moving through the halls of the X-mansion with a feeling of bewilderment. She had just finished talking to Bella Donna Bordeaux, now the next matriarch of the Assassins Guild of New Orleans. It had been shock enough seeing the woman herself, even more of a shock finding out what she wanted. For once the woman wasn't out to cause grief for her X-husband, who had joined them a few years before. That alone told Storm that this was going to be a doozy of a visit.
Should I make a Rocket?
It was, Bella had come to drop off someone to be taught at the Institute. A boy.
Oliver Bordeaux. Bella's Nephew.
Should I try to fly away?
He was an orphan now, and only six! So young to be developing his powers, Storm was going to have to show him to Hank, and soon. Not only that, the poor child had been traumatized by the deaths of his parents, or more accurately by the death of his mother. It seemed as if his father, Julian, had gotten some poetic justice at last.
Apparently little Oliver had already started on the path of the Assassins, and before he had even reached his tenth year no less.
Far below where little hands are making shapes in the room.
The boy needed someone to help him through this, and she knew just the mutants to do so. They had been wanting children after all; perhaps they could help each other. Plus, considering the boy's parentage…
Should I make a hammer?
She knocked on their door; they shared a room now, even if everyone knew they weren't actually able to do anything…or so they told them. Storm wouldn't put it past her old friend to have found some way to get around his girlfriend's 'problem'.
Should I try to smash his face?
Her knocks were quickly answered, and she came face to face with a rather grumpy and sleep deprived Rogue.
Gambit was rubbing off on her, it was only noon.
Long ago, when Saturn tried to find a way past the sun.
"So, y' want us to mentor the petite garcon?" Devil eyes glanced questioningly up at his weather controlling friend. They were all in the southerner's room, the couple sitting on one of the beds and storm on the other. Separate beds were a must with Rogue's mutation after all.
"Yes." Storm nodded towards Gambit, confirming his question. "He's been absolutely traumatized, and I believe he could use you both to help him through this."
Rogue shrugged and gave a glance at her Cajun lover. "Well, I guess it couldn't hurt, always wanted a son myself. Y' say the kid's six? That's awfully young for a mutant to get his powers."
Should I draw a cartoon?
Storm nodded again. "Yes, I'm hoping to get him to Hank as soon as possible."
Gambit shifted uncomfortably, he hated the med lab so much just mentioning it gave him the creeps. "What's his name?"
Should I draw an alien?
"Oliver. Oliver Bordeaux."
Deep inside, a little boy is turning pain into fun
Eyes widened at that, like Storm new they would. Obviously this would be a bit of a shock coming to Gambit, and from the looks of it, Rogue had learned all about her Cajun's past, or at least enough of it to understand what the last name Bordeaux meant.
"Bella's?" The question came from said Cajun, probably wondering why his X-wife would abandon a child of hers, mutant or not.
Storm shook her head.
"Julian."
A low whistle came from the devil eyed man's lips. "Damn…I don' envy the boy at all Stormy. What happened?"
Storm sighed sadly, weighed down with the grisly tale the blonde assassin had given her before quickly taking off, after simply dropping her nephew off without even a single goodbye, leaving the kid distraught and confused.
"Julian shot his mother, and from what we've gathered and from what his aunt, Bella, told us before taking off, his powers developed and killed Julian in the process."
Should I draw a hot bath?
Both southerners looked at each other, shock evident on their faces. Rogue turned to the weather goddess and spoke up, concern clear in her emerald eyes.
"Where's he now? How's he takin' this?"
Storm let out another sigh and shrugged. "He seems fine, all things considered, but he's confused, and I believe in shock. He keeps on asking for his mother, but…" She shook her head. "He needs someone right now, desperately."
The couple looked at each other again, and Gambit turned to give Storm one of his trademark smirks.
"And this had nothing to do with the fact that the kid's from N'awlens and may or may not have future dealing's with the guilds, right Stormy?"
Storm could only shrug, and give them both a sheepish smile. "I figured if that was in his future, you would be able to give him some…advice on the matter Remy. But really, for the most part I chose you both because you both seemed like the best thing for him. I feel that you two would be good, let's say 'mentors' to the child."
Again, looking at each other, as if they could communicate telepathically, and Storm knew that neither of them were telepaths. She hoped that they would agree, she had chosen them for both Gambits' background and for Rogue's desire for children, hoping that the three would be able to help the other.
It seemed her prayers were answered, as Rogue nodded in affirmation. "Alright, we'll take care of him."
Should I plug a toaster in?
Oliver was drawing; some nice man with a funny accent had given him a piece of paper with some crayons to play with when he had shown interested in the man's drawings. Oli hadn't seen anyone color as good as that man, and it was kinda funny since the man looked like he could lift a whole car with how strong he was. Strong men weren't usually into coloring, from what Oli had seen, but it looked like he was incorrect. Maybe Oli would learn other things in this new place, Auntie Bella had said as much after all.
He was at the moment making a picture of the day his mommy got hurt by daddy, recreating the dancing shadow puppets that had made daddy feel what him and mommy had been feeling the entire time. Oli used a black crayon to make the shadows attack the little figure of his daddy, a yellow splotch on his head to represent daddy's blond hair.
Suddenly a shadow passed above his painting, and Oli jumped, he hadn't heard anyone come up behind him after all, and most of the people in this mansion were pretty loud in their comings and goings.
"What'cha got there petit?" Said a man with funny looking eyes and long auburn hair, a smile on his face while he gestured to Oli's picture. Shyly Oli handed the picture over to the man, surprised that another person had strange eyes like his, though, the man's eyes were glowing red, not like Oli's eyes really. Well…not completely like Oli's. Oliver was nervous letting this man see his picture in any case, he wasn't sure if the adults here would like his coloring of the day his daddy went away.
"Well…this is kinda dark. I would think shadows would be a bit lighter or gray or somethin'." The man gestured to the black lines on the picture, representing the shadows Oli had manipulated on that day.
"Y'see, shadows aren't really black, they're more a dark grey, 's why black clothin' shows up so clearly in shadows, 'cause it's darker then the shadows. 'Nless it's night, then black's fine." The man smiled at him, and Oli couldn't help but grin back, so he didn't have a problem with Oliver's picture. Maybe he could like it here?
"M' name's Gambit, but y' can call me Remy." The man, Remy, held out a large hand to the little boy, smiling at him the entire time.
Oliver took it shyly, noticing how gently the man shook his tiny little hand in his much bigger one. He wasn't like his daddy at all, he seemed much friendlier.
"My name's Oliver…"
Gambit grinned and ruffled Oli's hair. The kid was cute, and a lot more polite then his father ever was. He could only shrug at the irony of Julian fathering a mutant son, and dying to said son and having his son end up at the mansion where Remy would be asked to help mentor him. Honestly, fate, are you laughing your ass off yet? This was ridiculous.
"I hope we can be friends Oli, I'll be teachin' at this place, and the people here are really nice. If y' ever need anythin' just call f' me, alright? Me or a woman with a white streak in brown hair, name's Rogue, we'll take care of y'. Okay?"
Oli nodded, smiling up at Gambit, his pitch black eyes sparkling with happy tears, and the shiny lights that were constantly in them, like thousands of little stars in a night sky.
And then when he's gone, there's a Neverland of fun…
***
Okay! I hope you all liked this…since it kept me up til two AM writing it once I got started. Ug. I read in so many fanfics with Rogue and Gambit's kids that for the most part, one, they have twins, and two, Oliver is a common name for one of their twins. I could be wrong, but in the comics is that the name of one of their sons?
Ah well. I wanted a name for the kid in this, and I liked calling him Oli all the time. *laughs* so you'll all have to deal with it.
Now, be nice and review for your Auntie 'Cune.