Dysfunctional Families
Part 1
By Teala373
Synopsis: Many years have past since the X-Men were superheroes. Now, they are retired to their own lives, but when Jean goes missing, a conflict over a search party arises. Jubilee takes her own brand of X-Men and calls for a 'family reunion' of the old X-Men and their power wielding teens. Somehow they must all put aside their differences and unite as a real team to help get Jean back before it's too late.
~~~~~~~
New Orleans
"Whatcha doin', sugah?"
Remy, once the X-Man known as Gambit, didn't even acknowledge that Rogue had even walked out onto the balcony. He continued to sit under the star-filled night, staring at a piece of paper while a cigarette burned away in his left hand.
"Remy? Everythin' alright?"
He lifted his dark eyes to meet hers as he passed her the e-mail that he had printed out. "Why can't dey jus' leave her be? Why it always got ta be somethin' with that one? Nobody deserves peace an' happiness more den her, but she never seen any outside of day-long clips..."
Rogue raised an eyebrow at the Cajun's sorrowful expression. With the guilds of Thieves and Assassins far behind them, it could only be one thing. Her suspicions were confirmed as she read the print-out:
To: rajuncajun@ace.net
From: sparkchild7@xavier.edu
Please help. Phoenix missing. Team not ready.
"Not much for small talk, is she?" Rogue sighed as she neatly folded the paper and placed a gentle hand on Remy's shoulder. "I wonder how bad it is..."
"Bad enough." His voice had an edge to it - an edge Rogue knew all too well. He stood up, flicking his cigarette over the balcony railing. "Pack your bags, Roguey. We goin' home..."
*******
Harry's Bar
She honestly couldn't believe that the place was still standing, what with all the stories that she heard of. It was pretty beat up, but standing none the less, and that was all she needed, for she was running out of places to look.
"What's a nice girl like you doin' in a place like this?" The bartender cocked an eyebrow at the pretty, unescorted blonde.
She twitched her nose at the cigar and cigarette smoke. She should have been used to it. She wasn't exactly an angel, but the thick clouds that billowed around the small building were getting to her.
"I'm looking for a regular of yours... an old regular of yours. Goes by Logan." She hoped that's all the information she needed to give. She didn't really want to get any more descriptive than that.
The bartender shook his head and chuckled. "Save it, sweetheart. Ol' Wolverine only likes redheads and spunky lil' Asian girls - two in particular."
Green eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yeah, I know. The redhead's my mom and the 'spunky lil' Asian is my boss. What's your point?"
She turned suddenly, feeling a presence beside her. Though she had done her research, nothing quite prepared her for the site of the intimidating figure that was Wolverine. Torn jeans, black t-shirt, cowboy hat, Cuban cigar, bulging biceps, and feral-like features. Nothing could ever prepare anyone for Wolverine.
"Lookin' for me, kid?"
"Y-yeah... actually I was..."
"So you're one of Red's, huh? Which one?"
"I'm Ali..."
"One of the twins," he stated as he tipped back his hat to get a better look at her. "You look like Alex, but you got your mother's eyes... So it must have been Lee that sent you. Can't imagine your father wantin' you in a place like this with a guy like me."
Ali winced at the comment. The man before her was the subject of more than one fight between her parents, though they hadn't maintained any kind of real contact with him since they had left the school.
"Actually, I came on my own. We really need your help."
"We as in that ragtag team Lee's trying to pass off as the next X-gang?"
She sighed. They were all so sick of hearing how they weren't the X-Men, how they didn't measure up, how they didn't cut it. It was getting really old really fast.
"Listen, we're in over our heads on this one and we're not sure what to do. Jubilee called in Remy and Rogue, but I think we're going to need more of the original team. You, above all else, are best suited for..."
"Sorry kid. I'm retired."
"But..."
"You better get back before curfew."
Ali put on her best intimidating look and huffed while her hands on her hips. Wolverine looked on with amusement, not sure how anyone could look so much like Jean and Jubilee at the same time. "Listen, you - you - canhead!"
Wolverine practically roared with laughter. "That's canuklehead, missy."
"WHATEVER!" Now she was mad. If Abby wasn't such a wuss, she wouldn't have to be here. "You're the best tracker there is..."
"I ain't no tracker!"
She set her jaw and kept her eyes locked, though she was trembling on the inside. "Well you're going to track now because my mother is missing and we have to find her!"
His eyes flickered with something unrecognizable to the young girl. He quickly set his eyebrows so that his face was twice as menacing as it had been. "Lead the way, kid."
Tossing a few bills and a nod to the junior Harry, Wolverine followed one of the newest X-Men out through the still-gravel parking lot. All the way he mumbled, Ali could only catch bits of his words here and there...
"Damn Red always was cursed.... she's 'bout due fer another disaster.... can't jus leave her alone...."
In the middle of heaving a sigh, Ali realized that Wolverine was heading to the driver's side of her car. "Keys, kid."
"Hey wait a minute...."
"Didn't your 'boss' tell ya not ta argue with me?"
Quickly shutting her mouth, Ali handed over her keys. Thought she normally wasn't a stickler for car safety, something told her that she should buckle her seat belt.
"It's a good thing I like Jeannie or ya woulda been tastin' adamantium."
"Yeah, Lee said as much."
"Lee says a lotta things."
"She's a good leader."
"Not the same since ol' Chuck..." not wanting to get sentimental, he ended with a sigh instead. Besides, he was sure she was well versed in her X-Men history. Jubes loved to talk about the old days. He could just hear her saying "Now when I was with the X-Men..."
"Well someone has to do it. There's still tons of superhuman freaks running around and all of you just up and left."
"Hey! We put in our time!"
"And now Lee is finishing up hers!"
"And what are you doing?"
She threw an annoyed glance his way. "What's wrong with a girl wanting a little fun and adventure?"
Wolverine shook his head. "Ya sure don't take after yer parents, kid! Tell me, how do ya get along with ol' One-eye?"
Ali snorted. "His parenting skills are limited to visiting Nathan's grave."
The minute the words were out of her mouth, she regretted it. She really didn't mean to talk about her brother with scorn, it was just hard sometimes. They all had trouble dealing with it. It was hard to know that you would never measure up to the son that your father put on a pedestal. A son that he had with your mother's clone. If Wolverine was a topic for her father to argue with her mother, than Madelyn was a topic for her mother to argue with her father. But Nathan himself was never used as leverage in an argument. He was so sacred, so special, so creepy being that he was older than both his parents, hard, gritty, and now deceased. But nothing was ever normal for mutants and nothing ever would be.
The silence loomed on as they approached the gates of the school and up the winding drive. Wolverine was tempted to keep driving when he saw who was standing on the porch. No longer needing his ruby-quartz glasses thanks to an experimental surgery, Scott Summers stood in a menacing stance, much like a father would wait for his daughter after a date.
"I always wondered what ya looked like when ya glared at me, Cyke!" Wolverine quipped as he neared the porch.
"Don't be mad at him, Dad! I snuck off on my own. I thought..."
"Somehow, it's always his fault." Scott declared in a tone that had a finality to it.
"Great... he's in one of his moods..." Ali mumbled as she trotted up the steps and glided past her father into the mansion.
Wolverine smiled as his heightened senses picked up her words. he turned back to his old teammate. "I'd love ta say good ta see ya again, but ya know how it goes."
Scott shook his head. "I'm not going to bother. I'll just end up saying something that will have Jean making me sleep on the couch for a week..."
"Then ya should consider becomin' mute." And on that note, Wolverine waltzed into the front door, only half surprised to run into a chiding Rogue.
"Now that wasn't a nice thang ta do, sugah! Slim's gotta missin' wife an' a rambunctious teenager that disappears an' shows up wit you of all people!"
"The only reason I'm not turnin' around an' walkin' outta here is cuz Red Eyes is still out there!" Brushing past the southern belle, he headed up the stairs, wondering if his old room was still in tact.
"He gets crankier with age!" Rogue spat.
"Well he is older than ol', cher."
"Remy, you try talkin' ta him. At least see if ya can get 'im ta see Lee."
"As you wish, cher, as you wish. But Gambit tink it be near impossible witout a lil amo..."
Pulling a few Cuban cigars from his inside jacket pocket, Remy silently slipped into the shadows after the Wolverine.