Author's Note: Hello again. This is the sequel to Some Secrets Are Worth Keeping. This story will probably make more sense if you read that one first.
Ages (after this chap.):
Etienne LeBeau, Nathan Summers-18
Alana LeBeau, Daniel Alvers-17
Rachel Summers, Callie Alvers, Jenna Tolansky-16
Jayme Maximoff, Anya Rasputin, Jessie Allerdyce-15
Hannah Drake, Shane Allerdyce, Mya Alvers-14
Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution.
It had been three years since Lance and Kitty had gotten married. Wanda and Todd had married some six months later. Pietro had married Kristy, a girl he had met at a club and hit it off with two months after Wanda got married. Tabby had found out that she was pregnant, leading to another wedding at the beginning of the year. Jubilee had married the crazy Aussie in a double wedding with Bobby and Amara.
Rogue had had a baby girl named Alana Marie LeBeau a year and a half after Etienne was born. She had unknowingly been pregnant for a third time but didn't find out until she miscarried after being injured in a fight. Her uterus had been damaged, leaving her unable to have any more kids.
Jean and Scott had a daughter six months after Alana was born. They had named her Rachel Dawn Summers. Jean had been struggling with the Phoenix personality for some time, but was currently in control.
Lance had gotten Kitty pregnant two months into their marriage. Their first child was a boy named Daniel Wesley Alvers. Danny had been followed the next year with Callie Elizabeth Alvers.
Wanda and Todd had one child, a daughter named Jenna Carlene Tolansky. While Pietro adored his niece, he was looking forward to the arrival of his and Kristy's first child. Tabitha and Jubilee were also expecting. Kurt and Amanda were holding off on kids until they were ready.
The mansion was still in chaos, though not as much since many of the older mutants had moved out, leaving the original X-Men, New Recruits, and the Brotherhood, or what was left of it. Fred had died in a freak accident with his girlfriend shortly after Lance and Kitty's wedding. Everyone mourned the loss of their friend, but moved with their lives.
"Sugah, can ya help me here?" Rogue was holding a crying 21 month old on her hip with one arm, while the other held the hand of the reason for the girl's crying, her older brother.
"Sure thing, chére." Remy took the crying girl from her mother. The girl quieted almost immediately. With her auburn and white streaked hair and green eyes, Alana looked like her mother. But she was definitely a daddy's girl. Remy had been thankful when neither children inherited his black sclera, remembering the hell he had gone through about it when he was younger. "That's it, petit. Let's go find Callie." He looked at Rogue in question.
"Go ahead, Rem. Ah'll get Et cleaned up and meet ya'll downstairs." She looked down at the muddy little boy. He had decided to mud wrestle with Nathan when Rogue turned her back. Then he had taken Alana's toy, setting her off. Etienne looked back innocently.
Rogue knelt down to eye level with the boy. "Sugah, ya know that ya can't wrestle in the mud with Nathan. And takin Lana's toy was mean."
The little boy wrapped his arms around Rogue's neck in a hug. "I sorry, Mommy."
"Okay. Now let's get you cleaned up." Rogue looked down at her now dirty tank and shrugged. What else do you expect with two kids?
Rogue got the little boy cleaned up and changed her shirt before heading downstairs. Her and Remy had an announcement to make over dinner and she didn't want to be late.
Dinner was as uneventful as can be with a houseful of kids and several pregnant mutants. Until Rogue and Remy called for attention so they could make their announcement.
Logan looked up form his spot near the end. "What is it this time, Stripes?"
"Um, well, me and Remy are movin."
"Somewhere round here?"
Rogue looked at her 'father' and shook her head. "Louisiana."
"What?!" Kitty cried form across the table. "You're going to leave? Just like that?"
"Kit, we both miss the South and we want our kids to grow up there."
Kitty's face fell. She could understand that. She and Lance had come close to going back to Northbrook before. "I get it. When are you leaving?"
"A month. We've got everything set up already. We just have to move our stuff."
"Is this permanent?" Wanda looked at her long time friend.
"We'll be back to visit a couple times a year. Since we're sure they'll have powers, we want them to be used to the mansion and everyone that lives here."
"That's not too bad of an idea." Rogue smiled at the Professor. "While we will undoubtedly miss all of you, it is your decision to make and having the children accustomed to being in the mansion will help them in the long run, I'm sure."
The Professor had the last comment in the conversation. A month later, the LeBeaus were gone.
"Et, come on. Tante Mercy's gonna b' mad if y' late again."
"Lana, calm down. We ain't gonna b' late." The fourteen-year-old grinned down at his twelve-year-old sister. "Sides, I didn' get her number yet." Lana rolled her eyes at her older brother. He was definitely a LeBeau.
"Don' tell me I didn' warn y'." Alana headed off to find her Aunt Mercy, leaving Etienne alone. How he always managed to get a girl's number, she would never know. She glanced back once more at her brother and the pretty young blond that he was flirting with.
"Alana, where's y' frère?" Mercy looked around for her nephew. "Y' see him, Colette?"
"Non. Sorry, mère," the blond girl at her side replied.
"Dere he is. Etienne LeBeau, get over here!" Etienne looked up in surprise when his Aunt called his name. He smiled as the girl gave him a slip of paper with her phone number. She walked away as Etienne went to join his family.
"Sorry, Tante Mercy."
Mercy smiled at her nephew. "Y' jus' like Remy. Come on, let's get home." The kids followed her out to the car and piled in. They didn't even blink when Mercy pulled up in the landscaped courtyard of the mansion they called home. Most people would have stared in astonishment at the beautiful old home.
"Ya manage to bring em all back, Merc?"
"Barely." Mercy smiled at her sister in law. Her and Rogue had grown very close over the years.
"Remy!" Her husband appeared at Rogue's call. "There ya are, sugah. Ya mind helping?"
"What do I get in return, chére?" Remy gave her his trademark smirk.
"The pleasure of knowin that ya did something good today." Rogue smirked back and Remy laughed.
"Fine. But y' owe me." Rogue shrugged and grinned at him as he picked up some of the bags.
"Mama, once we get this unloaded, can we go explore for a while?"
"Who's we?"
"Me an' Nic, an' Jacques, an' Emil."
"Remy?"
"Fine wit' me, chére. They know the swamp well enough."
"Yeah, ya can, sugah."
"Thanks." Etienne finished helping them as quickly as he could and went to find his cousins. Alana and Colette went off to do something, leaving Rogue, Remy, and Mercy in the kitchen.
"Y' still waitin for his powers to show up?"
"Yeah. Ah'm worried that they'll manifest when he's out with his cousins and that they'll be some kinda dangerous thing."
"He'll be fine, chére." Remy dropped a kiss on her forehead. "I'm gonna go find Henri."
"See ya later, sugah." Mercy and Rogue finished putting away the stuff and went into the living room to relax. They were just sitting down when a scream interrupted them. "That was Alana." Rogue jumped up with Mercy right behind her and bolted for the steps. She ran into Remy at the top of the steps. They ran down the hall to Colette's room and opened the door to find Alana almost in tears with her hands clutching her head.
"What's wrong, chére?" Remy crouched down in front of her. Alana looked up at her father.
"Somethin's wrong with Et."
Remy looked at Rogue in confusion. "What're ya talkin bout, petit? Y' brother b' playin with the boys out in the swamp."
"No. I can see him. Somethin's wrong. He's hurtin real bad."
"Shit." Remy glanced at Rogue before running out the door, grabbing Henri as he passed him.
"Sugah, can ya tell what's wrong with him?"
"Not really. He didn't get hurt or anything, I don't think. I was just playin with Letty when I heard him screamin and saw him in my head. Oh no."
"What is it?" Rogue's alarm was growing.
"He's glowin real bright."
"Mercy, watch her. Ah've gotta help Remy." Rogue jumped up and ran out of the room. She ran through the swamp, finding the boys about half a mile in on a solid piece of ground. Sure enough, Etienne's body was surrounded by a bright blue glow. Remy was talking to him, telling him to focus on the energy. Slowly the glow faded, leaving an exhausted Etienne in the middle of it all.
Rogue rushed forward and dropped to her knees next her son. "Ya okay, sugah?"
"I think so." Etienne looked up at her and she gasped at the change in the boy's eyes. Where they had been a grey-green just hours before, they were now nearly identical to Remy's. The only difference was that Etienne's were emerald on black.
"Rem."
"I see."
"What are ya'll talkin bout? What do you see?"
"Your eyes, Et. They changed."
"What d'ya mean they changed?"
"They look lahke ya dad's, but green instead of red."
"Really?" Remy nodded and Etienne grinned. "Awesome." Remy gave Rogue a sidelong glance. She knew the hell he had been hoping their children wouldn't have to go through was now a possibility. Her cell rang and Rogue quickly answered it.
"Hello."
"Rogue?"
"Ah'm kinda busy right now, Prof."
"I know, dear. That is why I am calling. Is Etienne alright?"
"He's fine, now."
"So I was right."
"What are ya talkin bout?"
"Cerebro picked up on mutant powers in New Orleans. I thought that perhaps it was Etienne."
"Shouldn't it have told you that?"
"There were actually two that it picked up on."
"Alana?"
"Yes. Seems that your children's powered manifested simultaneously. A fairly rare occurrence."
"Ah think that it had something to do with Et. We were downstairs and heard Lana scream. When we got to her, she was telling us that Et was hurt, that she could see him in her head and feel what he felt."
"Yes, I believe that Alana has empathic abilities. They would explain that somewhat."
"What about Et?"
"It seems that he can absorb energy and use it as an attack. Much like Ray with electricity."
"That explains it somewhat."
"Rogue, you know that your family children have a place here. Whenever you wish to return, let me know."
"Ah think we'll take ya up on hat. It's what me and Remy have been planning on doin for years once they got their powers."
"Alright then, shall I send Logan to pick you up?"
"Hang on a second." Rogue looked to Remy. "Do ya want Logan to come today?"
"Might be for the best, chére. Specially if he does that again."
"If he can, we would appreciate it."
"He'll be there shortly. It will be nice to see you again, Rogue."
"You too." By now, Etienne was on his feet. Nic and Emil were supporting him with their shoulders. Remy slung n arm around Rogue's shoulder. "Let's go, boys." They quietly followed the couple back to the mansion.
Jean Luc came running out the door when he saw them. He looked at the boys supporting Etienne and then at Rogue and Remy. "He okay?"
"He'll be fine, pére." He turned to the boys. "Ya'll mind takin him inside? Let him lay on the couch until he gets his strength back." The boys nodded and followed Remy's orders.
"His powers?"
"Yeah. Well, his and Alana's."
Jean Luc looked at them for a minute. "Guess this means y' leavin?"
Rogue bit her lip and nodded. "It'll be better for them to be at Xavier's. He knows what he's doin. He can help them more than we can."
"Y' don't have t' explain, petit. I know." Silence settled around them for a moment. "When y' leavin?"
"When Logan gets here." Rogue looked at the older man with sadness in her eyes. She would miss him greatly. "We'll be back to visit, though. Once they get some control. Wouldn't want to leave ya homeless."
Jean Luc smiled at her before pulling her into a hug. "I'm goin miss y' petit. Y' liven de ol' place up. I'm goin miss y' t', fils."
Remy hugged his father and went inside to pack. He found the kids were nearly done, thanks to Mercy. She and Henri knew the plan since Rogue and Remy moved in over ten years ago. Remy packed the stuff he and Rogue would need over the next little bit. He could have everything else shipped.
There was a loud noise as the Blackbird touched down outside. Remy finished the packing and glanced around at the room, checking to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. Then he went and collected Etienne and Alana.
"Goodbye, my home."
Okay. My first chapter of the new story. I'm going to try to get a few more up pretty soon. I know it's kind of short, but I wanted a prologue and didn't really feel like jumping right in for this chapter. Let me know what you think. Seriously, if you think it sucks or anything, let me know. And sorry for any typos, spell check and I still miss things.
