T., Lucky439: And so the wait is over.
Cris-X: Sorry, no can do. I very rarely take requests and that one interferes with my plans.
Harry: Today's your lucky day, ain't it?
Ishandahalf: W00t! You get a cookie and a Mountain Dew or other carbonated beverage that you prefer.
Disclaimer: Guess! Go on guess! I dare you! Oh, and I don't own anything by Tom Petty and the Wildflowers.
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You belong, among the wildflowers.
You belong in a boat out at sea.
Now boarding, American Airlines flight 436 to New Orleans, LA. Calling all specially designated and first class passengers. Please have your boarding pass and id ready.
Sail away, kill off the hours
You belong somewhere you feel free.
Xavier's car pulled up the front drive of the Institute. There was no one at the door to greet him. He expected it, of course. Especially after the last few days events. He did however, look forward to checking on Lucretia's well-being.
Run away, find you a lover
Go away somewhere all bright and new.
Remy put their carry on luggage in the overhead compartment and settled down next to Rogue and Lucretia. The now very energetic toddler had engrossed herself in the tray on the back of the seat in front of her. He smiled. It was good to have things back to normal.
I have seen no other
Who compares to you.
As the Professor approached the front doors of the mansion, the feelings of tension and unease grew immeasurably. This was not going to be easy. He stepped in through the doors and noticed immediately that a large number of his X-men had gathered in the rec room.
You belong among the wildflowers.
You belong in a boat out at sea.
Gambit gripped Rogue's hand and squeezed it slightly. They were all strapped in and the flight attendant was going through the final safety procedures before take off. They were almost free. Lucretia squirmed impatiently in her belt and made a face. Gambit and Rogue laughed.
You belong with your love on your arm.
You belong somewhere you feel free.
Xavier reached the rec room and noticed that they were all gathered around something. He moved closer and noticed it was a piece of paper. Jean looked up at him and walked away, shaking her head. Kurt, who appeared to be reading the letter for the hundereth time, finished and handed it to him. He teleported out immediately after.
Run away, go find a lover.
Run away, let your heart be your guide.
The plane finally touched down in Louis Armstrong airport in New Orleans. The three mutants gathered there luggage and exited the plane. They were greeted by nearly the entire guild. Lucretia jumped from her mother's arms and ran down the ramp screaming, "Grampa!" Jean-Luc knelt down to the floor to sweep her into his arms. "Dere's ma fleur sauvage!" he exclaimed.
You deserve the deepest of cover.
You belong in that home by and by.
Xavier read the note:
Dearest friends and teammates,
Due to recent events, we feel that it is no longer to raise our family here in the Institute. We're sure you understand. We're taking Lucretia somewhere that we're sure that she'll be well protected. You probably already know where that is. You are all welcome in our home at anytime. Please feel free to visit.
Sincerely,
Rogue and Remington Lebeau
You belong among the wildflowers.
You belong somewhere close to me.
"Y' know Remy, I really am glad dat de two o' you finally decided to move down here. Dough, I wish it had been sooner. We might o' been able t' avoid all dis."
Remy nodded, "Maybe, but all de same, we here now. She gon' be brought up proper in de guild, oui?"
Jean-Luc nodded back, "Oui, we train her in all de skills of t'ievin' an assassination, like you asked."
Remy sighed, "Good, she gonna need it."
Far away from you trouble and worry,
You belong somewhere you feel free.
Xavier sighed and rubbed his eyes. He had really hoped that this wouldn't happen, but they were doing what they thought was best for the girl. He just hoped they didn't regret it.
You belong somewhere you feel free.
~Five years later~
Lucretia skipped ahead of her parents, stopping periodically to turn and stick out her tongue at her four year old brother who was holding hands with her father and mother. Nicholas Jean-Luc Lebeau was born shortly after they arrived in New Orleans. He had his father's red on black eyes, but his mother's auburn and white hair. He also inherited his father's abilities of turning an object's potential energy into kinetic energy. Their house was testimony. Every once in a while, Nicky would lose control and blow something up, much to the dismay of her parents. She thought he was a little brat, because he always got away with it. That didn't matter today, though. They were in Geneva, Switzerland, visiting family. She skipped up the steps of the hospital and waited patiently for her parents and little brother. They reached the top of the steps and she obediently took her mother's hand as they walked inside. Her mother stopped briefly to confer with the woman at the front desk who pointed towards the elevator and indicated she go up four stories. They entered the elevator and pressed the number four. They reached their destination and turned to or three times, Lucretia really wasn't paying attention, she was counting doors and people. Finally, they stopped to be greeted by a loud gasp of excitement.
"Oh Rogue!" the voice exclaimed, "what beautiful children!"
At the sound of a compliment, Lucretia turned her head to see a tall red haired woman with blue skin and yellow eyes. She let go of her mother's hand and stepped forward.
"Bonjour, grandmamman," she smiled.
"And so charming. Please, come sit."
The five of them took their seats at a table.
"I'm really glad you could come, Rogue, really. Also a little surprised after what happened on Muir Island."
"Well, you know what they say Mamma, 'Forgiveness is divine.'"
"Yes, well I suppose it is. I've missed so much. You have to tell me everything!"
Rogue couldn't help but smile. She started to recount everything about the children's births and their first words and so on and so on. Eventually, Lucretia go extremely bored and decided to go explore. Nobody had told her she couldn't, so she guessed it was alright. She took one turn and then another and another, like it was a giant maze. Finally, she ran out of turns to take and came upon a large white room. There were people shrieking and muttering to themselves. Some would lash out suddenly and then go back to the way they were like nothing had happened. Lucretia suddenly became very scared. She had no idea where she was and no idea how to get back the way she came. She just stood there and cried. At first, no one noticed, but then, someone approached her. Scared, she pulled back.
"Shh, it's alright child," the voice soothed. It was rich and accented. She liked the sound of it. She turned to look at its owner. He was an elderly man in a wheelchair with a friendly smile and crystal blue eyes. She took his outstretched hand.
"Now tell me, little one, how did you get here?"
"I was wit' my Mamman an' Pappa. Dey were talkin' to my Grandmamman, but I got bored an' wanted to look around, but I got lost," she started to cry again.
"It's alright, there's no need to cry. We shall find your parents."
It felt good to Rogue to finally be able to reconcile with her foster mother. After everything that had happened, it was nice to be able to sit down and talk to her. Just as everyone needed a father, everyone needed a mother as well.
"Lucretia is very special," Mystique continued, "but I can sense that you fear it. Not her necessarily, but what it could mean for her. But let me tell you, she can take care of her self, don't worry about that. Just love her and the rest will take care of itself," she smiled. Rogue knew that Mystique knew something and wasn't sharing. Probably something she had read in the Destiny's Diaries. She really didn't care. The words of reassurance was all she needed. She reached beside her to give her daughter a hug and noticed that she wasn't there. She panicked. She looked to Remy.
"What's wrong chere?"
"Lucretia, she isn't back yet. Ah thought she left t' go t' the bathroom or sumthin', but she ain't here."
Mystique took one of her hands, "She probably just got lost, I wouldn't worry. This is a big place. Someone will find her."
Rogue looked back to Remy and he nodded, "I go find her, you stay here, chere."
"I'm sure she's fine," Mystique reassured her again.
Rogue shook her head, "You don't understand Mamma…she was taken from us once."
Mystique's eyes narrowed, "You got her back though?"
"Yeah, but it's not sumthin' Ah wanna repeat."
"Remy will find her, he's a good man. I had always hoped something would come of you two, you know. He's always been so good to you."
Rogue blushed a little. She felt a tug at her shirt, it was Nicky.
"Mamman," he began, "I t'ink she back." Rogue looked at him and then at the door. She was standing beside a wheelchair-ridden man. Rogue rushed to her and snatched her up.
"What were you thinkin', Lucretia? You coulda been hurt, or worse! You beg us fo' weeks an' weeks an we go through all this trouble just so you can meet yoah grandma and you go an' run off! Don't you evah scare me like that again!"
Lucretia only pouted, "I'm sorry Mamman, but I met a really nice man. He brought me back t' you."
Rogue turned to thank him and gasped. There was no way, it couldn't be. She had seen him die, had heard of the destruction of Genosha by Casandra Nova. She just stood there, speechless. Suddenly, Gambit came back.
"I couldn't find…oh dere she is! You scared us, petite! You…Rogue, chere, why you starin' at dis poor homme? He de one dat bring Lu back? I'd like t' t'ank you monsieur." He walked around to face him and shake his hand, but stopped. "Mon Dieu…"
The elderly man just smiled in response to their stares, oblivious to their shock. "It was no problem really, she was just lost. I should go back now." Just then, a large nurse rounded the corner.
"Eric!" she scolded him, "What are you doing here? Come on now, it is almost time for your medication."
"How nice," he mused absently, a smile on his face.
"I am really sorry if he has bothered you. He has been known to wander. Well, good day to you." And they were gone.
"I wouldn't worry about him either, Rogue," Mystique laughed. Rogue turned to face her mother. "They keep him on so many medications, he really doesn't know who or where he is anymore. He lives in a kind of daze. He's harmless now."
Rogue and Gambit nodded sheepishly to this news. This was unsettling. Eric Magnus Lensherr, alias Magneto, was still alive. The arch nemesis of the X-men and all of humanity still lived and breathed.
"But he hurts so much!" Lucretia piped in, "His mind's full of hurt!" Tears streamed down her face.
Mystique moved to wipe a tear from the little girl's face, "It's really alright. All will be well," she smiled. With the contact, Lucretia's eyes brightened to a pale yellow and her skin blued slightly. Mystique was taken aback, "A truly remarkable child," she remarked.
"Yes," Rogue responded, "she is. It was good seein' you Mamma."
"You too, Rogue. Take care." Silently, she whispered to Lucretia, "I'll be seeing you soon," and with that she turned and went back to the orderlies at the other side of the room and back to her cell.
Lucretia continued crying the entire trip home. Both Gambit and Rogue tried unsuccessfully to calm her.
"She's just upset from a long day," Rogue guessed, "she'll be better when we get her home."
Gambit nodded, "And what about Magneto?"
"Ah think it'd be best that we not tell anyone we found him. We don't want another mutant hunt."
"Agreed."
And sure enough, Lucretia fell asleep as soon as they got home and stopped crying after that. In fact, she never cried after that. She took all her memories of that one day, and buried them deep, where no one could touch them. Not even a telepath. She also vowed to make the hurting stop, forever.
You belong somewhere you feel free…
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And there it is, the whole kit and kaboodle of the second installment in Bear Witness. Give me some time and some reviews and I'll start up on the next one. Promise, cross my heart and hope to die. Well maybe not die, but definitely cross my heart.