Disclaimer: The X-men don't belong to me… sad as it is… Damn… now I'm depressed… WAIT! I own Dom! (Does happy dance)

And I'm back with Chapter 3. Sorry it took so long. My muses have left me! I hope everyone is pleased with the story so far. I need reviews! I live off of them! Thanks

Pia O'Leary- That is a kewl idea. I'm trying to work with it a little bit. Lemme know how I'm doing! Obviously Nicole isn't thinking, but you'll be proud of her in the coming chapters.

LadyV77- Thank you. I try for the cliff hangers. They're more fun.


Nicole stood before the mirrors in her white gown, standing on a dressmaker's block. She looked at all of her reflections and they all looked the same. Storm smoothed her gown as Jean finished the buttons.

"You look lovely, my dear. A vision in white."

Nicole had to suppress a chuckle. Virgins wore white and a virgin she was not. Logan had spared no expense on her gown, insisting to get it for her since he was the closest thing she had to a father.

"This will be the most beautiful ceremony," the wedding consultant stated. "White roses everywhere… Bride's maids in lavender… It's beautiful."

"Yeah. It will be," Nicole bent to let Rogue put on her veil. "Thanks Rogue."

Rogue patted the girl's face with a gloved hand. "You look beautiful."

Jean finished the last button and stood back smiling. Both mothers had left their children home for the wedding.

"You look amazing. Darryl will be speechless when he sees you."

Nicole gave them her brightest smile and stepped down from the block. "Thank you all so much."

Jessie leaned in close to hug her friend and whispered. "If you want to play runaway bride, just give the word and I'll cover for you."

Nicole laughed and shook her head.

There was a gentle knock on the door and Logan poked his head in. "Are you girl about-"

He caught sight of Nicole and his throat closed up. "You're breathtaking, honey."

Nicole ran into his arms, sobbing. "Oh Logan."

"Don't cry, kid… You'll make your face red and puffy." Logan smoothed a tear from her eyes. "You don't want to be red and puffy on your wedding day, do you?"

She shook her head and let him go. He caught her twirling a ring on her thumb. He raised and eyebrow and she stopped.

"Let's go." She smiled.

She walked out into the hallway and she caught sight of the Professor and Daniel talking. Blink and Foxx stood in the background with a crying Eclipsia. They saw her and Daniel gave her a smile.

"Hey! Looking good."

"I thought you were on a mission?" Nicole asked. Her eyes brightened. "Did Dom come back with you?"

Daniel looked uncomfortable. "Listen, Nicole."

Logan put a hand on his arm. "Not now flyboy."

"No… Tell me!" Nicole ordered. "What's wrong?"

Daniel gave her a pained smile. "You know, Dom had this plan that he was going to crash your wedding."

Nicole sank down into a chair.

Daniel went on. "He wanted me to knock Abercrombie out and Dom was going to stride up the aisle, take you in his arms… He had this whole speech about how much he loved you and he wasn't going to let you go… and he was going to kiss you… It was a really cool idea… Blink even agreed to go along with it."

"What happened?"

Xavier wheeled close to Nicole. "Dom was captured by Humanity First as he was saving a young girl. He was shot… multiple times… I used Cerebro and… We can't find his signature."

Nicole's gloved hand went to her throat and she swallowed, hard. "Oh?'

"I'm so sorry, kid." Logan choked out.

Nicole nodded and stood. "Let's go… I have a wedding to attend."

Logan took her arm. "Are you sure you can-"

"Yes, Logan… I'm sure." He and Nicole walked to the reception hall doors and waited while the rest of the party walked in. He squeezed her hand and she smiled. The Wedding March began and Logan led Nicole down the aisle. Darryl stood smiling at the alter with the minister.

Logan squeezed her hand again and relinquished her to Darryl. Darryl gave her a bright smile and took his place beside her. She only halfway listened to the minister. She was too busy twirling her adamantium ring on her finger.

"Is there anyone who objects to this union?" the minister asked.

"I do."

A ripple of noise went through the congregation as they realized the words came from the bride herself.

Nicole turned to Darryl. "I'm sorry."

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?" Darryl took her hands into his. "They told me about your friend, but I'm sure-"

"No, it's not about anyone dieing…" Nicole bit her lip and looked into his eyes. "I love someone else. I have for a long time and I just couldn't admit it to myself."

"But-"

"I don't love you… I'm sorry. I can't marry you."

Nicole turned and walked away, tossing her bouquet behind her.

Darryl stared at her with rage. "You can't just walk away from me!"

"I can and I am."

"Get her!" Darryl screamed and the windows all busted through. People started screaming and guards were everywhere.

"What the fuck?" Logan growled and released his claws as guards surround him.

"Drop the knives!" A man yelled. "NOW!"

"No fucking way, bub." Logan dived at him, claws extended. He slashed the man's gun in half and smiled.

"Logan!"

He snapped around and saw Rogue surrounded by guards. She was being back into a corner and one of the guards had a collar in one hand. Logan took off at a sprint, arms extended. He took down three of the guards and looked to his wife.

"Run, darlin'! Find Nightcrawler and get out of here!"

Kurt appeared beside her in a cloud of blue smoke and wrapped his arms around her. "Guten Tag, Rogue."

They disappeared and Logan turned to take on the other guards. People were running everywhere and the X-Men were fighting off guards. Darryl went to Nicole and grabbed her arm.

"You're going nowhere, but Fort Future, mutie!" he snarled.

Her eyes narrowed. "The operative on the inside… That was you, wasn't it?"

He laughed. "You just now got it? I thought you were a lot smarter than that."

"Oh, I am!" Nicole kneed him in the groin and lifted him with her mind, only to toss him against a wall. She held out her hand and threw a group of the guards away and she ran for the door. She passed by Yuriko, who fought as mercilessly as her former lover and son. She was spinning and lashing out with her talons. Prowl was fighting right along side his wife, making sure no one caught her unaware. Jessie stood near a door, ushering people out and blasting random guards with light.

Nicole pushed her way through the crowd and ran into Jean, who was huddled in a pew, shaking. Small flames were licking off of her body.

Jean, are you okay? Nicole asked.

Jean shook her head. It's surging… that power… I can't stop it.

Nicole took a deep breath, as she pulled off her gloves. I can Jeanie… Hold on.

Nicole put her fingers on Jean's face and she felt the power surge through her. She opened her mouth in a silent scream and her head fell back.

POWER LIFE POWER LIFE POWER LIFE FREE!

Scott yelled to Logan. "Find Jean and Nicole! Kurt has gotten everyone else out!"

An earsplitting scream pierced the air and everyone stopped to look at Nicole and Jean. Jean had collapsed on the floor and Nicole had her hands on each side of her head. She let out another scream and fire pulsed from her body. The heat spread in a violent wave and everyone was knocked to the floor.

Logan groaned and pushed a piece of a pew off and sat up, only to see Jean and Nicole being carried away by guards. Both were unconscious. He gave a low growl and tried to get to them, but he was woozy from blood loss. He went down on a knee and blacked out.


When Nicole awoke, she was aware of three things. One, her head hurt like a bitch. Two, she was in a moving vehicle. Three, she was not herself. The power that she had absorbed from Jean coursed through her veins, but it felt good. Very good. She opened her eyes and found herself and Jean in the back of an armored truck. Jean was still unconscious next to her.

When she tried to sit up, she realized her hands were handcuffed behind her back. She cursed and noticed a blinking collar around Jean's neck. A power inhibitor. Damn. She had one around her own and she was still in her tattered gown. She scooted her body closer to Jean.

Nicole could understand why Jean was afraid of this power. It was amazing… Powerful… Frightening.


Scott shoved clothes into a duffel bag as Xavier watched him.

"Please Scott. Just give me time and I'll locate them. I promise."

"I can't just sit around and wait! I have to find her." Scott slung the bag over his shoulder and headed for the door. A strong arm stopped him.

"Hold on… I'll go with you." Logan put out the cigar he had been chewing on.

"You aren't leaving without me!" Jessie stood in the doorway, in uniform.

"You sure as hell ain't going, girlie!" Logan growled.

Daniel nodded. "I agree. My team is ready to help in any way to get those two back."

Rogue put a hand on her stomach. "Will ya'll just chill out? Let the Professor find them first and then ya'll can rush in and save the day!"

Logan turned and looked at his wife, who's eyes were blazing. He crossed his arms over his chest. "And what do you suggest we do while we wait, darlin'? Sit and twiddle our thumbs?"

"I suggest you stop being a smartass, Logan. You and Scott aren't the only ones who lost someone today. We all did. We all love Nicole and Jean and we all want them back safe and sound." Rogue glared at him. "Besides that if ya'll go off gallivanting to save the day, who's gonna stay here and take care of the home front?"

"Rogue makes a very good point," Xavier stated. "Give me a few days and I'll do my best to find them. If not then we do it your way."

Scott nodded. "Two days."

Logan went to Rogue's side and she turned away. "Darlin', I'm sorry."

"I've got to go feed the kids," she murmured and walked away.

Jessie put a hand on his shoulder, "She's okay, Logan. She's just scared for everyone. Especially you."

Logan followed his wife down the hall to the kitchen, where she was cooking a box of instant macaroni and cheese. "Marie…"

"Yeah?" Her back was to him and he could smell her tears.

He wrapped his arms around her engorged middle and kissed her neck. "You're still scared that I'm going to die on you."

She nodded and he hugged her closer. "I don't think I could lose you, hon."

"I know, darlin'. I promise I'll always be here for you."

Rogue turned in his arms. "Don't make a promise you might not be able to keep. I know you want to find Nicole, Jean, and Dom… Just please don't kill yourself doing it."

"I won't… I'll come back to you."

Rogue wiped the tears from her eyes and smacked his chest. "And don't you dare think about missing this baby being born. They need to see their daddy's face first of all."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."


When Jean awoke, she was aware of three things. One, her head hurt really badly. Two, she was tied up. Three, that power was gone. Then she remembered that Nicole had taken it into herself. Jean tried to sit up and bumped into Nicole.

"Sorry," Jean whispered. "Where are we?"

"I'm not sure. We can't use our powers. These collars they slapped on us is some kind of a neural inhibitor." Nicole scooted closer to Jean. "I can feel it… That power… It's burning through me."

"Oh, Nicole. You shouldn't of touched me."

"It's okay. It's not trying to force its way out… Do you think they're taking us to Fort Future?"

Jean nodded. "I could almost bet on it."

The truck lurched to a stop and the back opened. Guards dragged them out and stood them up. Darryl and another man were standing before them.

"Not so powerful without your poison skin, are you?" Darryl sneered.

"You'd think so," Nicole snarled.

The other man put his hand on Darryl's shoulder. "Calm yourself. My name is Roberts. Timothy Roberts Stryker. Yes, Mrs. Summers, General Stryker was my father. I was his other son. The one who didn't turn out to be a freak."

"What do you want with us?"

"We were trying to bring down Xavier's school from the inside, but capturing his two strongest telepaths is just a good. Take them to the camp and put them through processing."

Nicole glared at him. "You helped your father hurt Logan and Dom."

"Weapon X and Weapon Fury were both failures on my father's part. Take them away."

The guards dragged Nicole and Jean away. Jean clasped Nicole's hand a squeezed. Nicole gave her a small smile.

"We'll get through this. I know we will."

The guards pushed them into a crowd of people. Women and children were crying everywhere.

One woman sobbed, "I'm not a mutant! Let me go!"

"Line up everyone! Line up for sorting!"


Yuriko sat on the floor outside of Cerebro as Charles tried to locate their missing friends. Blink stood against a wall, near Foxx. Daniel was pacing the hall, his wings wrapped around him like a cape. Jessie was watching him and finally she stood and grabbed him.

"Hey, dork… You're making me nervous."

He smiled and took her into his arms, hugging her close.

Logan came down in the elevator with a tired looking Scott. "Hear anything yet?"

Jessie shook her head. "No."

Scott looked defeated.

Yuriko closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let her talons grow out to their full length and she held out her arms. Slicing a small line across her arm, she watched it heal.

Eclipsia grimaced. "What is it with you and Dom and hurting yourselves, Yuri?"

Yuriko's eyes opened. "It is our release. We heal and we feel better. At least that is how it is for me. I think my son just likes to make people uncomfortable."

Prowl put a hand on her shoulder. "He's fine, Yuri. I know Dom."

Yuriko smiled and looked up at Logan. "He is too much like his father to let a little thing like death win."

The door to Cerebro opened and Xavier wheeled out. "I couldn't lock in on Nicole or Jean, but I located and even more interesting signature."


Darryl scowled as he punched in his access code and entered the laboratory of the compound. That little bitch dared to bad mouth him. He'd kill her himself one of these days.

Roberts turned in his chair. "That was a beautiful little display of emotion, Darryl."

"Oh, shut up. That little bitch should be shot in the head. What are you doing?"

Roberts was sitting in front of a window. "Watching my newest experiment in progress. Even if Fort Future fails, this will eradicate those damn mutants at Xavier's."

"I thought you were against using mutants for our goal."

"It's an animal, nothing more." He rose. "Take it outside for the sorting."

Nicole was disgusted. Utterly disgusted. The guards had formed them into a line and now they were passing inspection. Nicole could feel the little bit of Dom in her mind, growling under the surface. He was hating every bit of this. She looked up when she heard a noise and she saw guards coming. The sight of what they had with them made her want to throw up.

The guards had a man on a thick metal chain like a dog. He walked hunched over. They had a black bag over his head and he seemed to be sniffing the men and women in line. As he paused or passed them, the guards would separate them.

Jean leaned over and whispered. "He's separating the mutants from the humans."

Nicole swallowed hard as the man on the leash moved close to her. He stopped and paused smelling up her body. Then he went mad. He pulled the chain free from the guard's hands and threw them men away from him. She gasped and he reached for her before the guards used stun guns to bring him down to his knees. He growled, softly, like a wounded animal. Nicole took a deep breath, he instincts taking over. Bending down, she grasped the black bag from his head and cried out.

"Dom!"

He stared at her, blankly. His hair was ragged and hung around his face in clumps. He seemed malnourished and in a daze. He had a metal collar around his neck and was dressed in a tattered pair of pants. Nicole struggled and the guards pulled her back. She struggled against them and screamed.

"DOM! You're alive! Dom! Dom please!" She fought with them. "Dom! No please, no! Dom!" Her eyes blazed red and flames began to flick around her. "Dom, please! NO!"

A guard raised the butt of his gun and smashed it against her skull. She turned to Jean and collapsed. Jean gasped and ran to her friend, cradling her in her arms. Dom had risen to his feet and was staring, blankly, as the guards put the bag back over his head.


Erik Lehnsherr had suffered the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps and he'd be damned if he was going to again. He strode up to the doors of Xavier's mansion and they opened to greet him and his brotherhood.

"Charles… Good to see you again."

"The same to you Erik. As you know Humanity First has captured Nicole and Jean."

"Ah, your prize telepaths… What is it you need from me, Charles?"

"We've found Fort Future and we're going break in and free the mutants. We need your team to help us."

"Well they have already captured a member of my team. Mystique has fallen prey to Timothy Roberts Stryker… Yes, he's the other son of General Stryker."

Xavier put his head into his hands. "I feared the world would come to this. Will you help us stop them?"

"Of course Charles. I have no want for our kind to suffer the way my kind did."

Xavier nodded. "Follow me and we'll plan. I wasn't able to locate Nicole or Jean, but-"

"You've located another that was just as close."

"Yes. I've assembled a team. Logan, Scott, Ororo, Jubilee, Gambit, Daystar and Poitr. Kitty will be flying the Blackbird. The MLF have also rounded troops for our cause."

"I have brought Sabretooth and Astral…" Erik raised an eyebrow. "Will this sit well with Logan?"

"I'll suffer through it," Logan spoke from the doorway. "As long as furball and that blurry bitch don't go near me or mine."

Astral snarled. "Fuck off."

"He is deadly serious Astral. You go near Dom, Nicole, or Rogue and the children with any intentions that aren't noble, he'll kill you. And I won't stop him." Xavier glared at her.

"Trust me, Charles. I don't want my past goals any longer. As Erik says… There's a war coming and I'm ready to fight it."

Scott crossed his arms over his chest. "As the Professor said, we located Fort Future. We leave in an hour to get the girls back."

Yuriko stood near the blackbird, a katana blade strapped to her back. She felt someone come to her side and she turned to see Logan. She gave him a weak smile.

"Logan… I'm prepared for battle… Are you?"

"Always, darlin'."

She looked away. "Do you think Dom is alive?"

"I know he is. He's too much like his mother to just die." Logan smirked. "He'll have to go out in a blaze of glory."

Yuriko laughed. "I see. That sounds like my son."

Her expression darkened as she drew out the katana. "But I swear if I find my son dead or harmed in any way, I will cut until there is nothing left to cut."

"Me too."

"How is Rogue?"

"Unhappy I'm going on this mission, but she's okay. I don't want her to get too stressed this close to having the baby."

Yuriko nodded. "I am worried for Scott. He is too distraught over Jean. This could prove troublesome on the field."

Logan took a deep breath and nodded. "I know. I'll keep and eye on him."

Jessie came to the doorway. "We're ready to take off when you guys are."

Yuriko resheathed her sword. "Let's go."

Jessie watched the two former lovers board the plane and felt a hand on her shoulder. Daniel was behind her.

"I wish you wouldn't go."

"Fat chance. Nicole is my friend."

"I don't want you hurt."

"I can take care of myself, you know that."

Daniel wrapped his arms around her. "This isn't just a normal mission. Lives could be lost here."

"I know. I intend on living through this."

"Intention is one thing, but it actually happening is another."

She rested her head against his chest. "Don't worry about me, dork. Just worry about getting Nicole and Dom outta there."

He leaned back and looked into her eyes. "All right… As long as you promise not to worry about me."

"I promise nothing."

Rogue hugged Logan tightly and he grunted. "Easy darlin'. If I didn't have a metal skeleton, you'd have broken my ribs."

"Come back to me and the kids safe."

"I promise." He kissed her forehead.

"And bring back Jean, Nicole, and Dom."

"You know I will. Don't you go and have that baby before I get back."

"I'll keep it in for as long as possible, sugar." Rogue kissed his cheek and he smiled down at her. A frown came to his face and he rubbed under her eyes with his thumb.

"Darlin', you look tired. You're getting circles under your eyes."

"It's just been a stressful couple of weeks. I'll be fine."

He raised an eyebrow and she gave him push. "Go on, Logan. Before they leave you."

He gave her a kiss and ran his fingers through her hair. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

He headed for the jet and threw back over his shoulder. "And when I get back I just want to see you on our bed, wearing nothin' but my tags."

She blushed and watched the hatch close. The Blackbird lifted and took off into the night air. Hugging herself, she watched until her eyes began to water and she went back to the house.