Hello again! I know you guys are reading the story, so why ain't ya voting? Come on, people, let me know what ya want. And please review, I want to know what you guys think, but no unnecessary flames please. Well, that's pretty much all I have to say...or type. Let's continue Lexine's adventures.
Legend: Speaking in thoughts like Professor X
Thinking
Emphasis on a thought/word
Flashback
Dreams
Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-Men, all I own is Lexine, her foster parents, and her foster brother, who is sadly deceased.
After-life is weirder than life
Finally, the wind stopped howling around us and the silence that followed was deafening and creepy at the same time. Victor slowly relaxed his arms around me as we both felt our pain disappear an we glanced at each other before I remembered what had just happened, "Jaime? Jaime! Call out, bud!" A warm voice behind my older brother and I made us whirl around with Victor's nails sharpening and my claws springing out, "You can both relax. Jaime is somewhere safe while we talk." Victor stood defensively in front of me as we stared at man, "Who are you?" I faintly winced because my older brother had his pack instincts activated and this wouldn't bode well for the man in the suit if he made any move towards me or said anything to me.
The man held up his hands and calmly replied, "My name is Jacobi, I am one of the many Guardians that protect what you call limbo. I am just here to talk, nothing more and nothing less." I stared into his brown eyes before straightening up and my claws disappeared as I rested a hand on Victor's shoulder, "Relax, Vic. He's telling the truth. Let's hear him out before you attack him." My brother remained tensed for a while longer, but finally stood up all the way and he possessively wrapped an arm around me to warn Jacobi to keep his distance, "What do you want to talk about?" Jacobi smiled a perfect,white smile and commented, "First, let me get Lexine into something more comfortable and more her...taste." He waved his hand and I looked down to find myself in a completely different outfit, which I only recognized the shoes and vest from clothes I owned before I saw the necklace around my neck.
A little tearful, I raised my hand to gently hold the pendant and I closed my eyes as memories flashed through my mind of Peter and I. Someone softly cleared their throat and I wiped my eyes before pressing a kiss to the pendant, I love you, Peter. And I would have said yes if you had asked me. Mentally shaking myself, I turned my attention to Jacobi, whose eyes were soft with sympathy, "It has come to the attention of the Guardians that you have been digging, Victor." My brother snarled and cut in before the Guardian could continue, "So what if I was? None of you so called 'Guardians' will tell me anything!" Jacobi tensed and a shadow seemed to encompass everything as his voice became more powerful and his eyes flashed like lightning, "Do not speak to me like that, Victor Creed! I am older than your galaxy and my power knows no bounds. I will not hesitate to strike you and your sister down where you stand!"
My eyes widened a bit and I used one of my claws to cut Victor when he went to retort. He looked down at me and took a deep breath as I turned back to the Guardian while trying to soothe his anger, "Jacobi, accept my apology for my brother's behavior and words. We don't understand any of this and we know little to nothing about Guardians, so excuse him when he speaks from ignorance and misplaced rage." The Guardian stared me down and I forced myself to keep his gaze as I fought to not shudder at the power emanating from him. Jacobi calmed and the white fog returned as his voice returned to normal, "I accept your apology, Lexine Howlett, but that was your only warning. If you'll be patient and listen, then I will explain all that I can." I bowed my head slightly and gave my brother a glare to make sure he behaved himself before Jacobi gestured to a table with three chairs, "Let's sit and discuss this."
I took the seat between the two men, but Victor kept a tight grip on my hand, "As you have discovered by now, Victor, you two will return to Earth if Logan succeeds in his mission. You two will keep all of your memories of your life, but you will also have memories of your life that was created when the past changed. Logan, however, will only remember the past you all know now and Jaime will only remember his new life. When and if you two return, your bodies will have no scars, except for the ones that mark where and how you were killed," I raised my free hand to the scar that marked where the blade had plunged into me, "Lexine, you will have no physical remainder of what you suffered throughout the years growing up. Victor, you won't have any scars from what your father did to you when you were young. I must warn you two that it will be confusing at times when you try to remember each life and separate them. Are you two willing to deal with that?"
My brother and I shared a look before nodding in unison before I hesitatingly asked, "Will...will I still be...dating Peter?" Jacobi gave me a warm smile and grasped my free hand, "I can't answer that, Lexine. That is something you will have to discover for yourself." With that said, he stood up and bowed his head to us, "It was a pleasure to meet both of you and I wish it had been under better circumstances. However, duty calls and I must attend to it. Jaime will be here momentarily and I ask that you do not tell him about anything that happened here." He disappeared before we could say anything and we soon heard Jaime yelling, "Lexine! Victor! Where are you guys?" I leaped to my feet with Victor and the table and chairs disappeared as Jaime appeared.
Relief was the only emotion on Jaime's face as he launched himself at me and I barely managed to catch him, "What happened, Lexi?" He wasn't looking at my face as I lied to him, "I don't know, bud. Must have been something to do with whatever is going on in life." Victor nodded to Jaime when the kid looked at him, "You okay, Jaime?" He grinned at me as he hopped back to the ground, "Yep. I'm right as rain. The pain stopped as fast as it had come." I murmured agreement before replying, "Yeah, that was weird." I tuned out Jaime's voice as we all began to walk around and I couldn't stop thinking about what Jacobi had said. None of this was normal, well, what in my life was ever normal? But I honestly had to say that my life hadn't been this weird in comparison.
A worried voice broke me out of my thoughts, "Lexi, ya sure you're okay?" I smiled reassuringly at Jaime and told part of the truth, "Still adjusting to the whole dead thing. I haven't had as much time as you two to process that fact that I'm seriously dead." Understanding dawned in Jaime's eyes before he grinned, "Gotcha. You can always talk to me if you need to. I'll help you." I had to chuckle at that and I ruffled his hair, "Thanks, bud. I'll keep that in mind." He nodded and ran off a little ways as I whispered to Victor, "It's going to be hard remembering him, but he won't remember me. Think Bella will remember me?"
My older brother shrugged and put an arm around my shoulders as we followed Jaime, "Don't know, punk. Guess we'll find out when Jimmy succeeds." I glanced up at him out of the corner of my eye, "Really think he's going to succeed?" Victor snorted, "Course. He's too stubborn for his own good and he'll do anything if it means that there is a chance we'll be brought back, especially you." I had to tilt my head in acknowledgment at that last statement because Logan had extremely strong pack instincts, "Ya got a point there. Didn't think about that." He chuckled a bit and poked me in the side before he ran off, "Catch me if you can, punk!"
I stared after him in slight disbelief at his childish behavior, but gave in and began chasing him down as Jaime joined us. I lost track of time we spent goofing around and we all froze in shock when the ground beneath us shook as if there was an earthquake. Above us darkened as if a giant storm was coming and the wind picked up once again. I shared a nervous look with Victor because we knew what was happening and I wrapped Jaime in my arms in a tight hug. I crouched in front of Jaime and held his shoulders as tears pricked my eyes, "Jaime, I love you. Got that? No matter what you remember or don't remember, know in your heart that you'll always be my little brother. I won't ever forget you and I promise to find you one day to check on you."
I hugged him tightly again as his small voice quavered, "I don't understand, Lexi. What's going on?" I couldn't answer him as a voice spoke from behind me, "It is time, Lexine, Victor. Come along." I stood up and began walking away from Jaime as he continued to call after me. I looked up at Jacobi, who gave a sad smile, and I entwined a hand with Victor as a bright light formed in front of us, "Walk straight through the light. I can't tell you when or where you will wake up, but I can promise you will. Good luck and enjoy your second chance at life." My older brother and I stepped up to the threshold of the light and I glanced back once to give a small smile to Jaime, who was being blocked by Jacobi. I turned back around as Victor asked, "Together?" I knew he was as nervous as I was about what was about to happen and I gulped, "Together." We squeezed our hands tightly before taking deep breaths and stepping into the light.
