Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men okay? Just leave me alone! *sobs*
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"I don't know nothing 'bout birthin' no babies," Beast exclaimed in his best southern accent.
"Hank, yoah supposed t' be the resident doctor."
"And I am, Rogue. I can make sure the baby is healthy and help you if there are any problems during the pregnancy, but when it comes to actual childbirth, I have no experience or training. You'd be better off in a normal hospital."
"Hank, Ah'm a mutant, what do you think they're gonna do if Ah go to a normal hospital?"
"There are the X-corps facilities."
"Ah don't trust anyone else!"
Beast sighed, "I will do what I can, Rogue, but if anything goes wrong, promise me you'll see an obstetrician?"
She nodded reluctantly.
"She may not have to," Remy chimed in, "I know a good midwife, I'll talk to Poppa an' see if she can do it."
Beast raised an eyebrow, "You know a midwife? Dare I ask how?"
A look of shock spread across Gambit's face, "Remy don' have no children, not yet at least," he said as he smiled at Rogue. "She an old friend o' de family, dat all."
"Remy," Rogue began, "Yoah family, you know they don't like me much."
"Don' worry 'bout it chere, she not too particular 'bout much o' anyt'in'. She deal wit' people, not guilds. Dere be a difference. I need to be callin' Poppa anyways, let him know de good news." He smiled again and kissed Rogue on the cheek. "We sort dis out, don' you worry. Ain' good fo' you." He winked at her and left medbay.
"Always the scamp," Beast remarked, "I don't think you'll ever work it out of him."
"Ah wouldn't dream o' tryin', Hank."
Two days later, a knock came at the mansion door, which set the team on edge. Nobody came up to the door, they couldn't get past the gates normally. It was a security measure. This was not right. Cyclops went to the door and opened it slowly, only to reveal an ancient little black woman. She stared up at him with piercing eyes and nodded.
"Dis be de place," she stated as she shoved past Cyclops, "Come on girl, we ain' got all day." A younger woman pushed past him, following the old woman. "Remy!" she called out, "Remy, where are you boy?!"
Gambit came running into the foyer and a grin erupted from his face as soon as he saw her. He rushed to her and picked her up in a friendly hug.
"Tante Matte!" he cried as he set her down, "I didn' s'pect you so soon, ot'erwise I woulda picked you up from de airport."
She smiled at him, "It's alright Remy, your Poppa had someone waitin' fo' me. He figured you might be too busy."
"Never too busy fo' family, Matte."
She nodded, "Now where is dis chile?"
"Right here," Rogue said as she stepped forward, "You must be the midwife Remy promised."
"I be more dan a midwife, but fo' you dat be enough. Well, le's have a look at you. Dere someplace we can sit down? My poor feet had 'bout enough o' dis travel business."
Rogue laughed, "Right through here Matte," she took the older woman's hand and led her into the lounge.
"Come along, Miram, you need t' learn dis." The younger woman picked up her bags and hurried to catch up.
Gambit came alongside Matte, "Who de fille?"
"I'm trainin' a replacement."
His eyes widened.
"I be gettin' old, Remy. I know I can' do everyt'in' I used to. Sooner or later, I'm gonna have to step down, an' I know I can' live forever."
Gambit nodded, "I understand."
"Good, now le's have a look at dis chile." She sat down beside Rogue and put her hands on each side of Rogue's face, turning one way and then the other. She looked her figure up and down and examined her hands. "Stand up," she requested, and she set her head against Rogue's stomach, as if listening for something. She lifted her head and then placed her hands on Rogue's hips, then turned her around and felt the muscles and bones in her back. "You can sit back down." Rogue sat again and looked questioningly at the old woman.
"I'd say you be about t'ree weeks into it. You're pretty healt'y an' I don' see anything wrong right now, but dere will be problems."
"What kind o' problems?" Rogue asked, slightly panicked.
"Not'in' to bad. Prolly just some mornin' sickness an ot'er minor t'ings. Not'in dat'll hurt you. It won' be an easy birt' dat's fo sure. You got slim hips girl. Not'in t' do 'bout it really. Petit won't be goin' hungry dough," she stated, glancing at Rogue's breasts. She blushed slightly, Remy just smirked.
"Not'in to be ashamed o' chile. Dey make fo' healt'y babies."
Rogue smiled a little. "That's all really good t' hear, but how did you know all o' that?"
Matte smiled back, "De way your muscles are tensed, de rhyt'm o' your heart, de way you walk, de set o' your eyes, an' about a dozen ot'er t'ings."
Rogue stared at her in complete amazement. "I told you she was good, chere," Gambit grinned. Rogue simply nodded.
"I'm not good, I just know what I'm doin'. Do you mind?" she asked Rogue, indicating Miram in the chair next to Matte.
"No, not at all." Matte gestured for Miram to join her on the couch. When she sat down, Matte took her hands and placed them on the small of Rogue's back.
"Dere, feel dat? How de muscles are tensed? Dey getting' ready to deal wit de extra stress dat gonna be on 'em. An' here, de rhyt'm o de heart. It pumpin' extra blood to de womb t' support de life dere. Now look in her eyes, what do you see?"
Miram stared for a moment, "Expectation."
Matte nodded, "Good, dese are de signs you need t' look for. At firs' dey be really faint. Most people can' pick 'em up til de woman in her second trimester, but you be trainin' wit' me. You'll learn t' pick 'em up more easily as we go along."
Miram nodded and helped the older woman up from her spot on the couch. As Matte was leaving, she turned to Remy.
"You know, when dis whole mess settle down, you an' Ms. Rogue should come down t' Nawlins. We really miss you dere."
Remy nodded, "We will." Matte nodded back and left. Remy turned to look at Rogue. She had an odd smile on her face. He raised an questioning eyebrow at her.
"What is it, chere?"
"Just picturin' you as a boy."
"An' what do you see in dat picture."
"You sittin' in yoah Aunt Matte's lap, bein' rocked t' sleep."
"Now dat jus' ain' fair, cherie. You been inside head before. I don' know not'in' bout your childhood."
Rogue sighed, "Ah'll talk when Ah'm ready."
Remy sighed back and nodded. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and lead her out of the lounge and followed Matte upstairs.
Cyclops had watched the entire conversation from the foyer. The whole thing made him uneasy. No one knew anything about these women but Gambit and he had just assumed that they would be accepted without asking anyone. And no one could be really sure that this woman was who she said she was. It seemed like there was always someone barging into the mansion to stir up trouble. He wanted a telepathic scan on this woman before the day was over. He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Scott, stop worrying" Jean assured him. "I've already done it, she is exactly who she says she is. There are no strings, no surprises, nothing. She is simply a very good friend of Remy's. He thinks of her as the mother he never had."
He looked at her, "I hope you're right."
"Ya gotta calm down Cyke," Logan chimed in. "Not every shadow is some chump waitin' to mug ya. Take it easy or y'll die of an ulcer." He nodded to Jean and left.
Despite their words of comfort, Cyclops still felt uneasy. Only time would tell if his feelings proved true.
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Okay, Tante Matte (If I got that wrong, please inform me) is indeed involved with the guilds. She's an old medicine woman who's been around for a while, and I mean a long while. She's over a hundred years old and is equally caring to both sides. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Until then, please review.
