disclaimer: As everyone knows, I do not in any way own the X-Men. I expect to recieve no benefit from the use of these characters beyond the pleasure I recieve from writing the story and sharing it with others.

pre-note: This story is AU. It is set in the future of any and all stories I have previously written. It is not to be considered my idea of their ultimate future. Like in real life, as time passes things happen. For some this means death, and others simply changes. Please do not take these changes or deaths personally. This is ONE story, and not to be considered an ending for other stories. Please keep this in mind for later chapters.

What Might Have Been
by Dizi

Chapter 1

"Mom, I don't feel good."

"Of course you don't, you have a history test today." Anne smiled at her older child, her baby, her monster, her reason for being. Her son.

"It's not the test, I swear. You helped me study. I really don't feel good." Rey insisted.

"Moooooom, we're gonna be late. I don't wanna be late again." Elise whined.

"We talked about that, punkin. We do not whine at Momma. She doesn't like it." She admonished her daughter while looking at her son in the rearview mirror. He did look a little pale. "You don't feel good. Be more specific, sugarbear. What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I just feel funny." He frowned, not knowing what to say. "Momma, I'm not making it up."

"Okay, but if you can't tell me what's wrong how do I know what to do? Try school, hmm? Do good on your test and make Daddy happy. If it gets worse, whether you can pinpoint what's wrong or not, I'll take you to the doctor. Sound good?"

"I'll try, but if I fall over dead remember you had the chance to save me." he warned cheekily.

"I'll keep it in mind. Hurry on inside, so I can take Elise to her school before she has a heart attack." she teased.

Rey rolled his eyes at his little sister, the bane of his existence he usually swore. "Bye, Mom! Bye, brat."

"Moooommmm! He called me a brat!" Elise rolled down the window. "I'll get you for that, Rey!"

Anne smiled. It was a typical morning. Except for Rey's problem. He wasn't the type of child to try to get out of school, no matter what she'd said earlier. But if he didn't know what was wrong...

She'd keep the family physician's phone number handy. Just to be safe.

"Sergeant Willis."

"Donald? I'm concerned about Reynaud-" Anne said hesitantly.

"Anne, you're not supposed to call me at work." He said angrily.

"I know but-"

"Whatever it is can wait until I get home."

"I'm worried about him. The school called and he's sick but they don't know what's wrong. I'm going to take him to the doctor and I thought you should know."

"Fine, take care of it. I'm busy."

"Don't you even care? I'm trying to tell you there's something wrong with your son."

"And I'm telling you to take care of it. If he's sick, take him to the doctor. Do whatever you have to, but don't bother me at work. It's not like you do anything but sit at home all day since Elise started school. There's things more important than you. Don't push me, Anne."

She stared at the phone after he hung up, wondering what she ever saw in him. Why did she stay with him? She looked at the picture on the wall of her smiling children and knew, no matter how horrible Donald could be, it was worth it for them. They were her life. All she had to live for.

And her son was sick.

Quickly, she called the doctor and made an appointment before going to pick up Rey from school.

"How do you think you did on your history test?" Anne asked while they sat in the waiting room.

"Okay," Rey said listlessly. He was pale, even his red hair and green eyes looked somewhat washed out, and he was weak. "Mom, I'm scared. What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know, sugarbear. The doctor will check you out and I'm sure he'll fix you right up. Don't worry." She was worried enough for both of them. "Mrs. Gataki will pick up Elise. I called Daddy and he's concerned too." She didn't know why she bothered lying, as the look on Rey's face told her he knew his father didn't care.

"Reynaud Willis? The doctor will see you now."

"We're going to run some tests. Everything we see so far shows you're a healthy twelve-year-old young man, Rey. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Maybe a virus, they're everywhere." Dr. Jamison's kindly eyes met Anne's worried ones. "Come back in a couple days for the results of the bloodwork and urinalysis. We'll see if we need to to more tests then."

"You don't know what's wrong with me?" Rey asked in a small voice. He'd never been seriously ill before and was scared. His stomach churned and he felt hungry, like he needed something, but he didn't know what. He was so tired...

"Didn't you listen?" Anne teased gently. "They're going to find out. It'll just be a few days." She kept the fear out of her voice and replaced it with optimism. Rey didn't need to deal with her fear too. "Let's go home. Daddy will be there soon and I need to fix dinner. Aren't you hungry?"

Rey's eyes drooped. "Yes, I think so."

"What the hell is going on? Where have you been and where's dinner?"

Anne helped Rey start up the stairs. "Can you make it by yourself?" she asked, ignoring her husband.

"I can do it. I'm not a baby." He shuffled his way up. "Mom? I don't think I'm hungry anymore."

"I'll check on you when dinners ready and we'll see then, okay?" She willed Donald not to say more and upset him. Rey nodded and she watched him go up, ready to run and help him if necessary.

When she heard his door close, she turned on her husband. "I called and told you he's sick. We were at the doctor's. You never listen to me, Donald."

"So what's wrong with him? He looks funny." Donald Willis frowned. Hadn't Reynaud's hair been darker, brighter, the last time he'd seen him? Whenever that was since he didn't see his children often. He was a busy man afterall.

"The doctor doesn't know. He did some tests and said he seems healthy, but obviously something is wrong."

"Then he's faking it." Donald said flatly. "Get him down here and give him some chores or something. I'm not having a wuss for a son."

"What's wrong with you?" Anne demanded. "He's not faking. He's so weak he can barely walk sometimes. I can't believe you're being this way." She shook her head. Had he always been this insensitive? "I'm going to get Elise from the neighbor's and then fix dinner. Maybe you'll find your heart while you're eating."

The alarm went off for the second time the next morning and Anne groaned as she turned it off. Then she remembered Rey and almost ran to check on him while Donald finished getting ready for work.

"Momma..." His voice was a bare whisper it was so weak when she opened his door. "Do I have to go to school today?"

"Not if you don't want to." She turned on his bedside light and gasped.

Reynaud's hair was completely white, his skin translucent, and the only color in his eyes were bright red veins from being bloodshot. He was so thin, he was wasting away before her eyes literally.

"Oh my god," Donald breathed from the doorway.

"Don't worry, sugarbear. Momma will take care of you, you'll see." Anne knew someone to call. She had friends who would know what to do. Just because she hadn't seen them in thirteen years didn't mean they wouldn't help her and her son. They had still kept in touch with the odd phone call and Christmas cards...

Before she could say anything else to reassure her son, Donald grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the room, slamming the door. He pulled her down the stairs to the living room.

"He's a mutant!" He shouted in her face. "My son's a mutant!"

"He's our son. It doesn't matter what he is-"

"Doesn't matter!" Taking her by the shoulders Donald shook her hard, making her head snap back. "He's a filthy mutie!" his eyes narrowed. "This is your fault! You and that white streak in your hair!"

He backhanded her and Anne fell backwards crashing through the coffee table. "You're a mutie too, aren't you!"

She shook her head trying to clear it, "Donald, please! Lots of people have white steaks. You don't have to be a mutant for your child to be one! He's still our son!"

He jerked her up by her hair and punched her in the face. Immediately, Anne's nose and mouth started bleeding. "Liar! You're a mutant! How could I not have known!" This time his fist landed in her left eye. "Look at what my son is because of you!"

Stunned, she never thought to fight back, to hurt her husband. Donald had never been a sensitive or considerate man, but she had always believed that he cared for her and their children. He had never gotten violent like this in the past. Before it had just been a slap here or there, maybe a little rougher than usual in his lovemaking. Which hadn't mattered because she didn't like sex much anyway; it was just a means to get a baby. But now...

Now Donald systematically punched and kicked her entire body while she curled into a ball on the floor, her screams sounding throughout the house. She couldn't hold them back for the children anymore. She hurt. Her body hurt everywhere.

"Momma!" Elise cried, running down the stairs.

Donald pushed Elise back when she tried to run to Anne's side, making her fall onto the bottom step. "Stay away from her! She's a mutie! She's trash! Just like your brother is and it's her fault!"

Almost falling down the stairs he was so weak, and having to work to fill his lungs with air, Rey gasped, "Leave my sister alone..."

"You!" Donald looked at his son, his former pride and joy, with distaste and loathing. "You are not my son! No mutie is my son!" He picked up a lamp from the end table by the stairs.

Seeing he was about to throw it at Rey, Anne found the strength to get up and tried to take it from him, but only managed to knock off the shade before Donald threw it at the boy just as he reached the bottom step.

The bulb burst as it struck him and electricity flowed, making his young body jerk and spasm. Anne screamed again as Rey's body convulsed, she could barely see him but she could hear Elise screaming his name as she passed out...

"Mom?" Anne didn't want to wake up.

"Mom!" Rey called as he ran a washcloth over her face, wiping off the blood. "Momma, you have to get up! He's gonna come back."

She forced her swollen eyes open a slit and tried to focus on her son's face. "Rey?" she swallowed. "Are- are y-you alright?"

"I don't know what happened, Momma, but I'm all better now." The note of fear in his voice told her how scared he was.

"Rey made Daddy go away and leave you alone, Momma. But he said he was gonna be back and he's gonna arrest you." Elise was crying. "I don't want you to go to jail. Why did Daddy hurt you?"

Through the blur her swollen eyes created of her sight, Anne could see Rey's red hair and knew whatever had happened had been necessary to his mutation."Get me the phone, then go pack your bookbags with whatever's most important to you. We have to get out of here fast and we're never coming back."

Elise ran for the phone while Rey continued wiping her face.

Taking the phone, she sent them upstairs, telling them to hurry.

Then she dialed a phone number that she could never forget. The number to a place that had been her home until thirteen years ago.

"Xavier's School for Higher Learning. How may I help you?" Anne didn't recognize the voice, but it didn't matter. The person she needed would be there. He'd never leave.

"P-please get me Scott Summers."

"Mr. Summers isn't available right now. Is there someone else you might like to speak to?"

"My name is Anna Willis. Get me Summers. NOW."

"... One moment please."

The wait seemed like forever and the children were back and helping her up before he came on the line. "What's wrong?"

"Scott, you gotta come get us. Donald... Rey's a mutant and Donald went crazy. You have to help me protect my children." She begged.

"Okay, Rogue, here's what we'll do..."

to be continued.

note:
I confess this is a teaser for right now. I only have a couple more chapters done. Hopefully, by the time I finish posting "The Journey Home" and "Ordinary People" I'll have this one finished.You'll see many familiarfaces and anOC or two, some you know and some you don't. I'm actually very excited about it and one of the reasons its taken solong for me to write it is because I wanted it to bejust right. So far I think it is.

But tell me what you think. I'm very open to suggestions.

Thank you for reading andall your support,
Dizi