Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am to a spiritual level beyond material possessions. Therefore, I must borrow everyone else's.


NOVEMBER RAIN: Chapter Twelve: Say Goodbye To Nancy, Joan

It was a quiet Sunday afternoon in a converted warehouse in downtown Bayville. Magneto glanced at the clock in his office and did a few quick calculations in his head. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. Listened to the operator then dialed another. After pressing a few more buttons, he finally was connected to the line he desired.

"So the mighty Magneto has finally discovered how to dial long distance. I am proud," said the voice on the line.

"How did you know it was me?"

"Psychic." After hearing a momentary pause of disbelief from Magneto, he continued, "Do you think I'd actually give you my personal phone number? This is your phone alone. Don't you feel special?"

"Your phone bills must be enormous," he deadpanned.

"Not under my family plan. My family of one shares many phones."

"Now I fully realize how much you love hearing yourself speak."

"In several languages now. I've had some spare time freezing my butt off here in Siberia."

"You are not in Siberia, and you are monetarily compensated."

"Yeah, about that - "

"Tell me what you found at the location I sent you to."

"Just what you said it would be. Crumbly old building shot to hell."

"Is there conclusive evidence there or not?"

"I wouldn't call it conclusive, but with a little 'mind-bending' the farm boy could put two and two together."

"Fine. I'll send Colossus and Mastermind out next week to take a look. Colossus will be staying with his family, so you can have the week off to entertain yourself."

"Next week might be a little late."

"You already have a vacation planned? That's too bad."

"Actually the Russian government has the plans. They're knocking the death trap down tomorrow."

"It's the Russian government. It'll still be there next week."

"The demolition notices said it was going down two months ago."

"Then by the Russian calendar they are only one month late. I still have another thirty days at least." (1)

"There were big yellow bulldozers."

Magneto sighed. The one time government workers are actually doing their job. "Delay them. Sabotage their work if you have to. I'll send Colossus and Mastermind out tonight. Pick them up in St. Petersburg tomorrow night. Then take a week."

"Are they bringing my bonus for playing chauffeur, since I don't recall that being in my job description?"

"Take two weeks," Magneto grumbled.

"Sabotage and a two week vacation. Christmas has come early."

"Just be at the airport."

"With bells on."


"I had no idea the professor could talk about, like, nothing for so long," Kitty exclaimed to Rogue as they retired to their bedroom after dinner.

Rogue opened the door after Kitty walked through it. "He probably could have gone on longer, if Kurt's stomach growlin' didn' drown him out."

Kitty plopped down on her bed and sat Indian style, watching Rogue walk to the balcony doors. "And really, what did we find out? That some freaky ghost-thing possessed Scott, stole something, probably from Cerebro, and then left, maybe through Amara. We don't know what it looks like, what it knows, what it was after, or if it will ever come back. I'm surprised he didn't put the mansion on 'orange high alert'." (2)

Rogue peeked out of the curtains. "How many people do ya think will follow Scott's 'buddy system' idea? I mean, 'sides Scott an' Jean." She snorted. "Those two will find any excuse to spend more time together."

Kitty gave Rogue a questioning look as she pulled her messenger bag from the floor and set it in her lap. "How oblivious are you?"

Rogue stopped searching the grounds and turned around. "Huh?"

"Didn't you notice how angry Scott is at Jean? It was practically radiating off of him!"

"What? Still? Are ya serious?"

"Completely and utterly. Scott refused to look at her. He ridiculed every idea she came up with. He made snide remarks under his breath every time she talked. I can't even imagine what thoughts he was projecting her way. What I want to know is why Jean was taking it?"

Rogue nodded, recalling every point Kitty made that she hadn't put together. "That's not like Miss Susan B. Anthony at all. 'Specially since she was the one who woke up the professor so she could let him out."

"No kidding." Something caught Kitty's eye behind Rogue's back. She looked down at the books in her lap, so Rogue would not see her evil smile. Once she regained her composure, Kitty continued the conversation as normal. "You think he's still angry about being put in lock-up in the first place?"

Rogue looked out the window again but saw nothing out of the ordinary. "Ah don't know. Could be. He's a man. Who knows what he's thinkin'?"

Kitty smiled and changed the subject. "True. But I know what you're thinking!" She giggled.

Rogue rolled her eyes and turned her face toward her roommate. "What?"

"You're wishing Remy was here!"

Rogue completely turned from the balcony windows and pretended to busy herself with her dirty clothes on the floor, but she couldn't help blushing. "No."

"Yes, you are!" she teased.

"No." Rogue felt the redness leave her face and looked Kitty in the eye. "If ya must know, he was supposed ta come over today. I was tryin' ta figure out if he came by durin' the meetin' or not."

"Why don't you just call him?"

Rogue glared at then ignored the girl.

"Oh, you don't want to look desperate. Like the highlight of your day is getting to see him. . ." Kitty trailed off with a dreamy look in her eye. Then she added, "Even though it totally is."

Rogue ignored her and fumbled through her own backpack, but Kitty continued rambling, "You know, the truth can set you free. Lose of this tough girl facade and embrace your feelings."

"It ain't a facade."

Kitty sighed. "I tried. At least I got you to admit that you like-like him."

"Eat book." Rogue chucked a library book at Kitty, who merely phased through it.

Kitty solidified and picked up the book behind her. "From Scythia to Camelot: A Radical Reassessment of the Legends of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table, and the Holy Grail. Sounds exciting!"

"European history projects always are."

Kitty skimmed the back cover as she replied, "I wasn't kidding."

"Ya wanna write the report for meh?"

Kitty tossed the book onto Rogue's bed. "Not that exciting."

"Course it's not, I wasn' here yet," Remy interrupted as he slipped in the room.

Rogue jumped and Kitty laughed. The Goth realized that Kitty had been distracting her so Remy could scare her. "Ah knew ya weren' all that interested in that book."

Kitty swallowed her laugh, but still smiled. "I was too." Then she broke out in giggles.

Remy stepped toward Rogue and rested his hand lightly on the small of her back. "So, chere, I hear you like-like me."

Rogue shoved him away from her onto her bed. "How long ya been standin' outside mah window?"

"Sittin' on the roof's more like it." The thief rubbed his chin in thought and made himself more comfortable on her bed. "'Bout half an hour."

She shook her head. "That's pathetic."

"Some would t'ink so. But when you're de highlight of someone's day - " Remy was unable to finish his sentence with pillow in his mouth.

The goth glanced to her roommate as she smothered her boyfriend. "Ah hate ya, Kitty."

"You still have to tell me, like, one more time to meet your quota for the day."

Rogue let up on Remy, stood up, and smacked Kitty with her pillow as she walked by. Rogue opened the balcony doors and nodded outside.

Remy only stared at her from the bed. "It's cold outside."

"Kitty ain't gonna give us any privacy in here."

"What do you guys need privacy for?" Kitty interjected with a teasing glint in her eye.

"She isn' gonna give us privacy out dere either. At least in here we're warm."

"He's right. I'll just phase my head through the wall like last time."

Rogue stood her ground next to the open door. Remy sighed and rolled off the comfortable bed. "Fine," he whined as he dragged his feet outside. Rogue followed him out, closing the door behind her.

"What's new?" Rogue started as she sat on the balcony railing with her back resting on the side of the mansion.

Remy made himself comfortable on the railing running parallel to the house, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees to maintain his balance. "T'ought you wanted ta hear de old news?"

Rogue was surprised. This was the most straightforward he had ever been with his past. "Sure, if ya wanna jump right in."

Remy pulled his trench coat tighter. "Usually I like de foreplay and pillow talk, but not when my skivvies are freezin'." He looked to Rogue and noticed her arms were shaking despite her purple sweater. Remy the gentleman took over. He hopped off the railing and whipped off his jacket. "Here."

"Ah'm fine," she lied. "It was mah idea ta come out here."

Remy rolled his eyes. "Just take it. It'll be my good deed of de day." Remy shook it out in front of her like a food offering before the goth reluctantly took the coat. She put it on backwards to keep her slightly exposed belly warm.

Remy leaned up against the mansion next to Rogue instead of returning to his wind-exposed seat. He held his arms and smiled down at her. "Which one of my mysteries would you like to solve tonight, chere? Why I chose cards as my weapon? De origin of my trench coat? How I got to be so ruggedly handsome?"

The question had been burning in Rogue's mind for several days. "Who's Alice?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "D'ought you were interested in me?" He looked out over the mansion grounds as Rogue waited for his real response. "In a word, trouble. If you ever see her again, run de other way."

"What's your history with her?"

"Jealous, ma chere?" Remy forced a laugh.

"Ya wish."

"I was recruiting her to work for de old boss. He really wanted her, too. Wouldn't let anythin' stop him. Romantically, don't have much. Went out for coffee once or twice for business mostly. Kissed at some point. "

Rogue snorted. "Remy the player let a pretty girl like Alice go with only one kiss? Ah find that hard ta believe."

"Believe it, chere. Maybe if de timin' was better, we coulda had somethin' den. Even so, didn' see it lastin', no matter what her petite soeur marieur said."

"Her what?"

"Matchmaker little sister. Claimed she saw auras and used her powers to hook people up."

"Did it work?"

"At the time of her death she had a hundred-percent success rate."

Rogue looked down at her hands. "She died."

"Oui. She was a belle little thing too. She held Alice's world together for her. Alice died not long after."

"What do ya mean, 'Alice died'? Ah met her last week!"

"You didn't meet Alice. You met Malice. Alice flipped out after her sister died. She used her powers to infiltrate the people she thought were responsible for her sister's death and murdered them all. Got a taste for it now. Can' go a day wit'out makin' everyone in her path as miserable as she is."

"What can she do?"

"Anyt'ing. She - "

The phone rang inside Rogue and Kitty's bedroom. Kitty's disembodied head exclaimed from the rooftop. "Shoot! And I was just getting the scoop on the competition."

"KITTY!" Rogue yelled at her nosy roommate.

"I have to keep an eye on you, Rogue. Remember Scott's buddy system?" she replied before sinking into the bedroom.

Rogue moved off the balcony, handing Remy his jacket as she walked by. She pulled a jacket from her closet and watched Kitty settle down with the phone on her own bed. Satisfied that the valley girl would not be spying on her for the time being, she rejoined Remy outside.

"Ah can't believe she would - "

"Oui, you can."

"Well, yeah."

"Scott's institutin' a buddy system? Guess dat means he's outta de joint."

"Yeah, got out last night," Rogue trailed off as she realized something. "The professor's awake! We can ask him 'bout Wanda now." Rogue opened the door to go back inside, completely forgetting about Alice.

Remy laid a hand on her shoulder. "You don' have to. I'll go. I owe it to John."

"But Ah want to. Wanda's mah friend too. An' John-boy has his moments."

"You been gettin' too much flack fo' your company. I have ta go 'cause I was dere, and I talked to Mastermind and de witch. You don' have to."

Rogue glared at him. "Why don't ya want meh ta go?"

"You don' have to be dere, and I don't want you to get in trouble. I figure I'm not on Scott's approved buddy list."

"Since when do Ah care?"

Remy kissed her hand. "I'll be back, promise." The thief lifted himself onto the roof and ran off into the shadows.

Rogue stormed through her room and soon arrived at the doors of Professor Xavier's study. She cracked open the door. His back was to her, but she could tell he was on the phone. There were crystals strewn on his desk, and Rogue had a flashback to the time Xavier confided his true business with her (3). Shuddering, Rogue slid the door shut and returned to her room to await Remy's return. The Cajun can handle it.


"Slow down, Peter. You're switching between languages!" Kitty interrupted the unusually talkative Russian over the phone.

She heard him take a deep breath and start over. "I am going home to my sister and my grandmother!"

Kitty's mouth fell open. She couldn't believe Piotr was leaving already. They hadn't even been dating a week! "Home? To Russia?"

"Yes, Magneto called me into his office. He said I would be going to Russia for two weeks!"

Kitty sighed with relief. It was only a vacation. "Two weeks. That's a long time. When are you leaving?"

"Tonight."

Kitty almost choked. "Tonight?! Magneto tells you today that you are leaving for Russia in, like, a few hours?"

"Yes. What is wrong?"

The valley girl showed the paranoia she had picked up from living with Rogue. "Doesn't that seem a little suspicious to you?"

"No. There is one more thing and that is why it happens fast."

Kitty waited for him to tell her what the other thing was. He didn't. "Like, what was the other thing?"

Piotr's voice grew almost inaudible. "Uh. . . my brother. Magneto learned of a place the government held my brother for a time. It is being destroyed this week, so we must leave tonight."

Kitty almost matched his volume to show him her sympathy. "You've never told me much about your brother. What happened to him?" Kitty already knew the Reader's Digest version, but Piotr didn't know that. (4)

He took a deep breath. "He was taken from my family by the government. I was at school. I could not help him or the rest of my family."

"Do you have any idea why?"

"I do not know for sure. Magneto suspects that the government wished to use Mikhail as a weapon. It was known in many of the neighboring villages that Mikhail had superhuman powers. Some claimed he was a god, but he was only my big brother: An overconfident, uh, what is the word, show-off that could make things disappear and sometimes reappear."

"Sometimes?"

"Sometimes the rabbit never came back."

"Never came back, like dead, or - "

"Burnt rabbit does not smell good."

"Gotcha. Why didn't you want to tell me this before?"

"When I think of my brother, I think of the day he was taken. It was not a happy day. It was also the day that changed my life."

"Did you find out you had powers too?"

Kitty strained to hear Piotr. "Yes, I found my powers, and I lost many, many more things. Some I could rebuild. Others I could not."

"Most of your family died when they took your brother, didn't they?"

Piotr choked up. He eventually managed to whisper harshly. "There was so much fire and smoke! I could only save my sister and my grandmother. I was too late . . ."

"Stop, Peter. It isn't your fault they are gone."

"I should have been there."

"What would that have done?"

"I could have fought with my brother - "

"No, Peter. That's not what would have happened. You would have been kidnapped along with your brother. Who would have saved your little snowflake then? Who would be around to make sure she was taken care of?"

"No, I could have - "

Kitty interrupted him again. "You can spend the rest of your life playing the what-if game. Focusing on the past you can't change, feeling bad for yourself. Or you can accept it and look at the good that happened that day. Sometimes bad things happen, but there's always a reason. There was a reason you were not at home when they took your brother. Someone had to save your sister and your grandmother. That someone was you."

He opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. Kitty's words had broke through a layer of regret he had harbored since his brother was taken. There were many layers there, made of different things. He didn't fully accept her theory, but exposed him to a new perspective. He had never seen the day in such a light before. No matter how many times his sister would hug him and tell him that he was her hero.

Kitty grew leery of the silence. "Peter? Piotr? Are you still there?"

"Yes, I am here. I am impressed by your words. I only saw what I could do that day if I was on time. I never considered if I had returned home on time that I would have been able to do less."

"That's what I'm here for. And it wasn't just words. It's the truth. It's what I believe." There was silence on the both ends as they absorbed what they were saying. Kitty decided to move onto lighter topics. "I can't believe you are leaving. What's the weather like in your village right now?"

Piotr was also relieved to be talking about something not quite so personal. "Cold. There should be a small layer of snow on the ground."

Remembering that Piotr didn't live in a city, Kitty grew nervous about keeping in contact. They had been talking on the phone once or twice a day for what seemed like forever, although she knew it was only a few weeks. She wasn't sure she could quit that cold turkey. "Do you have internet where you live?"

"There is a library in the nearest village, but it has only a few computers."

"Well, if you get a chance, send me an email."

"I do not have an email address."

"Oops. I forgot you that you don't like computers very much. Do you know if Remy got you any international minutes for your cell phone?"

"No, I do not. I will ask him and telephone you if I do."

"Good. Two weeks is a long time not to talk to you."

"I wish I could see you once more before I go."

"Me, too. I'd give you a goodbye kiss."

Piotr was confused as to what that meant. "Like Casablanca?"

"No! You'd better be coming back. I didn't mean a goodbye goodbye kiss. More like a 'have a safe trip and see you soon' kiss."

"I like that much better."

"I'll miss you."

"I will miss you also."

"We just got together and now you're leaving. For a second I was scared that all of our time together was up. I didn't want it to be, like, over without knowing you."

"We are not over. I am coming back. Two weeks. If you would like, we can make plans to go out the minute I return."

"I'd like that. But make it the day after. You can come pick me up after school."

"It is a date."

They chatted for a little longer, desperately wishing minutes were longer than sixty seconds. Kitty soon realized that Piotr still had to pack for his trip and ended the conversation. She watched Rogue with blank eyes as she came in and out of the room several times. She curled up on her bed with her phone in hand, falling asleep in her clothes.


A cool breeze snapped the tail of Gambit's trench coat as he moved along the side of the mansion. Sure, he could have snuck through the house to Professor Xavier's study, but what fun was that?

He tested the window: unlocked. Remy loved that no locked their upper story windows.

A single desk lamp lit the room. Professor Xavier was sitting is a large cushioned chair with his back to the room.

Remy ducked behind a curtain when he heard the professor speak. Just my luck dat d'ey're havin' a faculty meetin'. Xavier paused, then began speaking again. It was then that Remy noticed the curly phone cord reaching from the box on the desk around the chair. Remy stayed behind the curtain, waiting for the telepath to get off the phone or sense that someone else was in the room.

After ten minutes, the Cajun grew impatient. He walked up to the desk, not bothering to muffle his footsteps. Xavier didn't turn. Remy reached to grab the chair when it spin around on its own. Xavier, brow furrowed, motioned "one minute" to his guest and continued talking on the phone.

The Acolyte crossed his arms an waited. After learning what Xavier recommended the person on the phone to go, eat, and wear for the next week, Remy reached his limit. He touched the phone with one finger. "Say goodbye to Nancy, Joan." (5) The phone pulsed with gold energy and exploded.

With the receiver and cord still dangling from his hand, Xavier scolded Remy, "That was a business call. I have a lot to catch up on, having been comatose the last few days."

Remy squinted and rubbed his temple. "De winning lotto numbers are 4, 8, 15, 16, 23, and 42." (6)

Professor Xavier raised his eyebrows.

"De sooner you talk to me, de sooner you can get back to your overtime."

He sighed and laid the receiver on the desk. "To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"

"You talked to your former drinkin' buddy lately?"

"If you are alluding to Erik, then no, not recently."

"So you haven't heard 'bout what he did to his daughter."

Xavier lost all of his irritation for being interrupted earlier. His eyes grew with concern for his former patient, and he shook his head. Remy told him what happened that day at their former base. ". . . Mastermind told Monsieur Magneto dat he had finished de job, but I had my doubts. When I confronted him, he said dat no one but him could fix Wanda's memories wit'out setting off some sorta boobytraps in her mind. Dat right?"

Xavier furrowed his brow and folded his hands on his desk. "A telepath can set traps in a person's mind if they do not want their work tampered with. If Mastermind did that, then another telepath would have to tread very carefully through that part of her mind."

"But you're de best. If anyone can do it, you can."

"Thank you for your vote of confidence, but even I may fall short. To even enter that portion of her mind would take extensive time, energy, and skill, much less restore it to its original state."

"So you're saying it's hopeless."

"Even if I was able to get past the defensives, I may not be able to fully restore Miss Maximoff's memories without some consequences."

"Sounds like hopeless to me." Remy turned to leave but remembered the rest of his conversation with Mastermind. "D'ere's one more t'ing. De fuzzy blue one interrupted Mastermind when he was removing somet'ing he called 'sensory triggers,' and he didn't finish them all."

"He didn't finish severing the sensory triggers! That could be very bad for Wanda. Like repeatedly - "

"Runnin' inta a brick wall. Yeah, that's what he said. He was supposed to finish dem yesterday, but couldn't. Wouldn't say why." Remy paused as he related more of their conversation. "He said dat de sensory trigger t'ing could be an in ta tell Wanda her memories were faked - "

"That is a very risky idea. If she triggers her memories too often, she could go into a coma."

Remy shook his head and sighed. "Parta me wished he lied."

"I feel truly sorry to confirm his testimony. I could probably cut the rest of her sensory triggers without setting off any traps."

Remy thought about Xavier's offer. "But den Mastermind would be de only one who could fix her head. We wouldn' have dat doubt to work wit'. T'ing is, I t'ink we might have a chance dat route as long as John stays around. She's been followin' him around lately. Askin' questions 'bout him. She said somet'in' real funny the other day, maybe you can make somet'in' outta it. She said dat she has feelings when he's around and doesn't have any most other times. She said bein' 'round John was like a dam of emotions broke, and she felt alive. What does dat mean?"

The professor again thought hard. "I'm not sure. It could be related to the sensory triggers. It could simply be her mind's attempt to readjust after loosing so much emotional stimuli." The older man thought for a moment, stroking his chin. "That could be something I could help her with without tampering with her memories. If she would agree to see me, no tricks or lies, I would be glad to help her. With telepathy or psychology."

Remy smirked. "Tricks and lies? Who are you talkin' to?"

"I do recall hearing some buzz about a blind date that one of the parties was unaware of."

"Technically it wasn't a blind date - "

The professor maneuvered himself into his wheelchair. "Is that all the questions you had?"

Remy nodded. "Oui."

He wheeled himself to his study door. "Please, see yourself out. I have work to do after I locate another telephone."

Remy reached in one of his pockets and pulled out a pair of giant red lips. He handed it to the professor. "It was gonna be John's goin' away present, but I'll find 'em somet'ing else."

Professor Xavier turned it over in his hands. "Uh, thank you. What is it?"

"A phone." Remy, completely satisfied with the slightly disturbed look on the man's face, saluted and opened a window.

"Oh and Remy, don't keep Rogue up too late. She does have school in the morning."

"I already talked to Rogue."

"Remy." Xavier tapped the side of his head. "Psychic."

The boy nodded, and journeyed back to Rogue's balcony to fill her in on Wanda and head home for the night.


(1) Until 1918, Russians did not use the Gregorian calendar like everyone else; they used the Julian calendar, which was something like two weeks behind the other at that time. This caused great difficulty when coordinating Allied attacks in World War I.
(2) Referring to the color coded terrorist alerts the Bush Administration uses that mean absolutely nothing, to me anyway.
(3) See Nine to Five: Chapter 3 - Cheeseburgers and Sugardaddies.
(4) Remy tells Rogue in November Rain: Chapter 3 - See Spot Run, and Rogue tells Kitty in Chapter 7 - You're Not Delusional.
(5) Referring to First Lady Nancy Reagan and her psychic Joan Quigley.
(6) Reoccurring numbers on the TV show Lost. Hurley (the best character on the show) won the lotto playing those numbers and has had horrible luck since.

Next up: Rogue meets someone that helps her with an important decision, and Wanda gives her dad the what for!