Triangle

By Lady Comet

Disclaimer: I own only my own brainchildren. Everything else I'm just borrowing and bending to my will

Note – This chapter is very long and covers many days. I usually put a set of '…..' between scenes, but for the changes between days I put two sets, just in case it gets confusing. Anyway, enjoy.

…….

Triangle

Part 13 – They Leave

…

The next day was a blur for almost everyone. No one could believe it had really happened, but there was no denying the harsh truth. Day was gone.

What had happened in the parking lot was made simpler by the fact that it looked like a group suicide, Masque's power having made the boys kill each other without any trace of her influence. The community was shocked, but no blame was laid on any mutant. No one even knew Day had been there. Xavier was prepared to smooth things over in the unlikely event that something arose, though he was torn on that issue. He knew what Masque did was wrong, and at the same time, he understood why she had done it. However, the danger was there that she might be unstable, having killed in two instances – her father and now the boys who attacked Rosaline and killed Day. After she came back to the mansion with his body and confessed what happened, he asked her if he could search her mind further, and she let him without question. He looked for any trace that this would become a pattern, finally finding none. She was genuinely sorry for what she had done and never wanted to have to do that again, trying to find some way to atone for it. She even felt sorry that the boys hadn't lived to be punished otherwise and exposed for the shit they were. Satisfied, he welcomed her into the mansion, asking her to stay while the situation resolved itself. She accepted, not even going back to the Brotherhood house for her things.

Rosaline was so consumed with her grief she refused to see almost everyone, except for Masque, and even she wasn't able to help. She had been brought back to her bedroom for comfort and hadn't moved since she got into bed, curled into a tiny ball in the corner the headboard formed with the wall. Unexpectedly, she wasn't able to cry at all. She just lay there staring into space, occasionally closing her eyes for long periods of time as if she wanted to fall asleep and never wake up.

Masque sat and stroked her hair. "It's going to be all right, Rosie…"

She shook her head, looking away from her. "It should have been me…"

It went on like that all day. Barely anyone talked about it; no one could really find the words to express the pain. Those who still had to go to school went with no intention of learning anything. Hank called Day's parents, having talked to them when Xavier invited their children to his school. They left for the mansion as soon as they heard and arrived that evening.

Alden Jackson was a middle-aged man of average height with green eyes and short blonde hair that was salted with grey. His body wore weight that looked like it had come with age, though not much of it, and his features were tired, but it was difficult to tell if that was natural or due to his grief. He dressed simply, wearing a brown leather coat over a black button-up shirt and brown khakis, and the only jewelry he wore was his wedding ring. Minna Jackson was a short, plump woman with blondish-brown hair that curled like her children's, which she wore twisted up into a bun at the back of her head. Her eyes were a familiar grey and she shared most of their facial features. She dressed a bit more richly than her husband, wearing a long white coat over a blue dress. Her face was streaked with tears. As they stepped out of their car, exhausted, Storm, Beast, and Professor Xavier came out of the mansion to greet them. After a quick greeting they followed them inside, depositing their things in a spare room and going immediately to see their daughter. They would go to the morgue later to confirm that it was Day's body.

When Rosaline saw them, she seemed a bit more relieved, talking to them as she hadn't let anyone else talk to her. Even though they both cried as they held her, careful of her wounds, she still didn't shed a tear. Not introduced, but understanding why, Masque left her care to them and went to wander the mansion, eventually settling out in the gardens where her Rosie liked to dance.

She didn't know how long she sat out there, staring blankly at the flowers, when she heard footsteps coming up the path. She turned to see Rogue walking toward her. She looked like she had done her share of crying, finished for now but still in pain. She forced a smile at her, and she smiled back. Without being asked to, the goth girl sat down next to her on the bench.

"Hi."

"Hello."

She paused. "…How's Rosie doin'?"

Masque shook her head slightly. "She's taking it hard. Her parents are with her now."

"Oh. When did they get here?"

"A short while ago. They went to her immediately. ….I can't imagine how they feel."

Hesitantly, Rogue lifted a gloved hand and placed it on Masque's shoulder in comfort. She shrunk a little at it, but relaxed, knowing she was being ridiculous.

"Are ya okay?"

"I…well, I don't know. I feel horrible about what happened. Those boys deserved to die, and part of me is glad I killed them, but I really feel horrible for doing it. After what happened with my father I swore I would never use my power to kill again, and I broke that promise to myself. I feel like I failed somehow…I don't think Day would have wanted me to do it. I don't think Rosie would have."

She didn't ask about her father, knowing that was a long story that probably had to do with the scars. Instead she sighed, meeting the other girl's eyes with compassion. "Ah don't think y'all should beat yourself up over it. Ah know the situation was, no, is horrible, an' I understand why ya feel bad. But Masque, Day would have understood why ya did what ya did, and Ah know Rosie will. If she had been the one to find him, Ah think she would have attacked them too. And Ah know that if Ah were in your shoes last night, Ah probably would've done the same thing."

Masque smiled. "Thanks. That helps, in a weird way."

Rogue smiled back, then turned her head to stare sadly at the plants around them. A few moments passed, and she whispered, "Ya know, even though Ah saw him, and even though Ah know it's true, Ah just can't believe he's gone."

Masque bit her lip, stifling tears she felt she didn't deserve to cry. "I know. Me too."

…..

…..

The next morning, Mr. and Mrs. Jackson left their daughter and sat down in Xavier's office. Despite all the hurt they felt, certain things had to be discussed, specifically what to do about Day's body.

"Thank you for coming," Xavier started, sitting behind his desk with his hands crossed in front of him. Minna nodded, and her husband said nothing.

"…We want to bury Day at home," she said finally, her voice choked with tears. "Actually, he wanted to be cremated, but –"

"We understand that your students will want to say goodbye to him properly," Alden interjected, glancing sympathetically at her. "So we talked to Rosie, and came up with a compromise."

"Yes?" said Xavier.

Minna took a tissue from the box in her lap and blew her nose hard, then looked up at him. "We'll . . . we will cremate Day here, and hold a memorial service for him. Nothing fancy, we just thought he . . . would have wanted that. He loved it here so much." Fresh tears began to spill down her face, but she continued. "After that, we'll take him home and bury his ashes with the rest of our family, in a proper ceremony."

Xavier nodded. "Of course. We're more than willing to hold a service for him here, as you request."

"We'd like to do it soon," added Alden. His voice was heavy with grief that he wouldn't express as his wife did out of pride or expectation. "We want to go home as soon as possible. Not to offend any of you, of course, but…"

"I understand. It's hard to mourn properly in a strange place."

Relieved, he nodded. They sat in silence for a moment, somehow not wanting to move on to the preparations. That would make it more real than it already was. "…Mr. Xavier, we'd like to thank you for all that you've done."

Xavier was surprised. "Oh?"

"We know this had nothing to do with mutants, any of you, only people's ignorance," Minna said, covering her tracks, "and you've been very helpful since he… since it happened. And before, our children were genuinely happy here. Things were for both of them as they had never been back home. You took good care of them for us." She smiled. "So, thank you."

He smiled back. "You are welcome."

Then Alden turned the talk back to what had to come. "We'd like to have the service tomorrow, Thursday, if possible."

"Of course. At what time?"

He paused, setting his features in solemnity. "Just before sunset. Before the day passes into night."

Nodding, Xavier closed his eyes to call Storm. Much needed to be done.

…..

Later, across town, the door to the Brotherhood House opened and Masque stepped inside. After her talk with Rogue she had realized that things were going to change more than she thought, which meant she needed to make some decisions. She wasn't sure what Rosaline was going to do now that Day was gone. But one thing was certain – she needed her, more than she had before, and Masque wasn't about to continue her life as it went if things would be better different.

She went straight to her room, which was just as barren as it had been the night she moved in. There wasn't much to do but she still wanted to hurry. It would be better if she could get out of there without anyone seeing her. Absentmindedly she grabbed her backpack and started packing her things.

She was mostly done when she heard a noise at the doorway. Zipping up the main pocket, she turned around to find Wanda watching her, looking very disheveled and confused. Masque wasn't sure who had told her, but obviously the girl knew what had happened. Maybe Rogue did more last night than come to comfort her.

"What are you doing?" she asked, sounding broken and angry.

Done, Masque slung her backpack over her shoulder and turned fully around, facing her entirely. "I'm leaving. Rosaline and needs me, and since she's at the mansion, that's where I need to be."

Wanda furrowed her brow, and Masque watched her face move such that she must have been biting the inside of her cheek. "You can't. Pietro will kill you."

"I'd like to see him try."

Silence reigned. The witch looked down at the floor while the other shifted uncomfortably. This had not been what either of them wanted.

". . . Did you really kill them?" Wanda asked.

"Yes, I did."

She smiled righteously. "Good. I wish it had been me."

"I know." Slowly she closed the space between them, standing less than a few feet from her now. "Wanda, I'm sorry. I know you and Day were involved."

"Why?" she asked bitterly. "It isn't your fault. I should thank you for avenging him."

"Well, saying I'm sorry sounds better than 'Damn, that sucks.'"

She smirked. "True. . . Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

She straightened up, trying to look serious and demanding, though she still looked more in pain. "If they decide to do something for him, like a burial or whatever, can you let me know?"

Masque nodded, smiling slightly. "Of course."

"Good. Thanks."

Silence came again, and then finally Masque let out a sound like a sigh, and stepped to the side. "I have to go. I don't want anyone else to try and stop me."

Wanda nodded, taking the hint. "I can distract the others."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

Then awkwardly, Masque reached out and hugged her friend, letting go quickly with the knowledge that she probably wasn't prone to that kind of affection. ". . . I'll miss you, Wanda. Please take care of yourself."

She shook off the surprise and forced a smile at her. "Thanks. You too."

Masque nodded, and without another word, left the Brotherhood House forever. She didn't look back.

…..

Meanwhile, the halls of Xavier's mansion were silent. School hadn't let out yet so no one was hanging around in their rooms, and the adults were off preparing for the service or doing other things downstairs. Everything was still.

Then a creaking sound announced the opening of a door, and Rosaline stepped into the hallway. She didn't bother closing it behind her as she headed towards the bathroom, a pair of scissors in her hands. She walked slowly, her mind was far away in another world, and when she entered the bathroom she didn't even bother making sure no one else was there.

She stopped directly in front of the mirror. For a while she just stared at her face, studying the cuts and bruises across her skin. Her hair was a tangled mess. Even despite the wounds and everything else, she still saw him there. He would always be there.

Finally, she started to cry.

Moving slowly again, she brought the open scissors up to her head.

…..

Masque walked into the mansion, finding it eerily quiet.

"Hello…?" she ventured, and when no one answered, she headed upstairs to the room she had been given. She looked around for signs of anyone. Once she was up the stairs, she finally heard some noise back on the first level, like people coming out of a room and walking towards the front of the building. She decided she'd better just go to her room and check on Rosie.

She had to pass Rosaline's room to get to hers, and when she looked to the door, she found it open. Confused and a little worried, she stepped inside. Rosaline was gone.

A strange sense of panic filled her. It was possible that she had gone downstairs with her parents, but the feeling that something was wrong told her otherwise. Dropping her backpack, she rushed out of the room, looking for any sign of where she had gone.

"Rosie?" she called. Again, no one answered. Then she heard a noise from the bathroom. She ran there and knocked on the door. "Rosie, are you in there?"

There was no reply, so she desperately quested out with her mind. She didn't think it would work, but she got a feeling that Rosie was indeed inside, and she knocked on the door again.

"Rosie, are you okay?"

Yes, she could have just needed to go to the bathroom, she told herself. However, she still felt something was wrong, something had changed, and that overpowered reason. She tried the handle, but it was locked, which sent her even more into a panic. She pounded on the door, calling her name again. Nothing happened.

Then, just as she was about to go get the Professor, the door opened and Rosaline stepped out. There was a pair of scissors in her hand, and looking up from them, Masque gasped. Rosie had cut her hair to about the same length as Day's had been. And finally, she was crying.

"He isn't gone," she said through her tears. "He lives on in all of us as we remember him…and I will always see him in me. The Goddess will take care of him until we can see him again, and keep him alive in our hearts…"

Masque's features softened. "Rosie…"

The scissors fell from her hand and she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend, her tears turning into sobs. Masque held her close but carefully, not wanting to cause her any more pain. She ran her fingers through her new short hair, thanking whatever power was out there that Rosaline was allowing herself to grieve. It was the beginning of moving on.

…..

…..

Thursday came. Most of the preparations were done so all that was left to do was wait until the service. It would begin shortly after the rest of the students got home from school, ending near sunset. It was kind of cheesy to hold it then, Day's parents knew, but somehow it seemed fitting. Somehow, they felt it might make it easier to say goodbye.

That afternoon, Rosaline walked down the hallway to Xavier's office. Her parents were off visiting the city to distract themselves, and Masque had asked Beast to show her around again, knowing she'd need another tour if she were to live here. In their absence, and for most of the night, Rosie had thought very hard about something. Now that she had come to a decision, she had to act on it.

Gathering her courage, she took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Rosaline," came the familiar voice, and she stepped inside.

Instead of his usual place behind the desk, Xavier was over near the window, staring off into space. He turned his head as she approached, smiling. "Hello. I see you're feeling better."

She nodded. "Yes. Professor, there's something I need to talk to you about."

He gestured for her to sit down and rolled himself to sit beside her, calmly waiting for her to start. Sighing, she sat up a bit straighter and began.

"I need to leave, Professor. I need to go back to Salem with my parents."

Surprised, he asked "Why?"

"Too much has happened here for me to be happy, not for a long time," she explained. Her hands were clenched into fists around her skirt, pulling the bruises on them into strange shapes. "I am…was very happy here, but now I'm afraid that all this place, all Bayville will do is remind me of him and I'll never move on from it." She looked up to meet his eyes, tears again spilling down her cheeks. "I need to get away."

He was silent for a moment, considering all she had said, and then he smiled and gently laid a hand on her arm. "I understand. We'll be sad to see you go."

"I know. I'm sad to leave too, but I have to."

He nodded. "You know you are welcome back here any time you like."

She nodded back, smiling. "I know. And I think I will be back, someday…thank you, Professor Xavier."

"You are welcome, Rosaline."

…..

When the students returned home, they immediately got ready for the service. Rosaline's haircut shocked them, but they didn't say anything. However, she asked Tabitha to trim it for her so the sides were even, which she gladly did.

Almost done, she asked, "Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did you do this?"

She sat there, silent, for a moment, than tugged on a piece that hung in her eyes, "…When I looked at myself in the mirror, I saw him even through the cuts and bruises and stitches, and I realized that he will always be there, in my features and blood. I know we never really looked that much alike but my eyes are his eyes and there are other little things that remind me. In my pain, I guess, I wanted to bring him back a little by making my hair like his too." She bit back tears. "It's silly, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't." She put down the scissors and moved to face her. "If it was something you had to do, it was something you had to do. Something you need is never silly."

She smiled. "Thanks."

And she smiled back. "Anytime."

Soon evening approached, and everyone filed out of the mansion into the garden. Rows of chairs curved slightly, facing a short pillar on which sat Day's urn. It was made of black stone, onyx, and curved up from the bottom forming an egg-like shape with the bottom tip cut off. The lid was distinguished by a band of patterning at the top in silver, the design on which was overlapping vines. The top curved back out to form a handle made of the same silver pattern, which was repeated at the bottom. His name was etched in silver under the division of the lid, as well as the dates that he was born and died. Real vines curled around the pillar, urged there by Rosaline, green standing out against white.

Among the students sat other guests, invited by Xavier or some of the students themselves. Gambit came for Rogue's sake, sitting next to her and holding her hand. Colossus had also come with him, sitting on his other side, and kept looking over at Kitty, who had sat down with Lance a few rows away. She pretended not to notice him. Kurt sat on Rogue's other side, his girlfriend Amanda with him for support. Spyke and come with the some of the other Morlocks, mostly those who could pass as "human," and sat near Storm and Beast. Unnoticed, a figure dressed in a black dress wearing a hat with a fishnet veil sat down in the last row. She had a red rose in her hand. Rogue glanced at her, then smiled. Apparently Wanda didn't want people to know that she cared.

Once everyone had arranged themselves, Rosie stood up and went to the pillar. Her dress was a very dark grey, plain, though the long skirt had two layers to it. She gently touched the urn, her mouth opening as if she would speak, and then silently turned around. She looked over the entire group of friends and family who had loved her brother, knowing that in being here they gave their support and marked their loss as well. That, somehow, gave her warmth. Her eyes settled on her parents and Masque, who sat in the first row. She smiled at them and they returned it.

She stepped back to make sure everyone could still see her brother's ashes and interlaced her fingers over her stomach, taking a deep breath. Even though she had insisted that no one else lead the service, feeling he deserved this from her, she had no idea how to start. Nothing had come to her during the day and nothing was coming to her now. She looked down at herself and her hands on the dark fabric, then looked up, focusing on the group.

"You know," she began, "Day hated this dress. He always said it was too boring and I should never wear it without dressing it up, with fishnet or something." She saw a few people stifle small laughter, paused, then kept going. "He always wanted excitement in everything; nothing simple was worth his attention. He found the beauty in everything and everyone he met. I'd like to think that people didn't like him just because of his power…he was one of the kindest people I will ever know. I could not have asked for a better brother, even when he felt the need to protect me…" She started to cry again, but her words didn't stop. She knew if she stopped, she would never start again. She had to do this. "We came here in desperation and fear for our safety, no, my safety, and in being here we both found happiness in everything we did. Every one of you touched his life and made it richer. If he were here now I know he'd thank you for being so kind to him, so instead, I thank you in his place. Even though he's gone from this world he will never be gone from us. He'll live on in our memory and our thoughts of him. I bet he's even watching us now."

She moved again and touched the edge of the pillar, her fingers brushing the edge of the urn. She stared at his name etched in the stone and suddenly it became more real than it had been. She kept crying, feeling a pain in her heart she could not describe. But there was hope too, and love. Briefly she wondered whether or not his powers stayed with him in the next world and if again he was trying to ease her pain. Feeling silly, but happy, she almost laughed.

Again, she turned to the crowd, her hand still on the pillar. "The love my brother had for all of us is still here. Let that give us strength in letting go." With that, she sat back down with her parents and girlfriend, who took her hand and squeezed it.

There was silence for a moment. No one was quite sure what to do, the service wasn't over yet but she had ended so abruptly, without further instruction.

Finally Rogue stood up and walked down the aisle between the seats. She stopped next to the urn and looked at it, turning after a moment to address the crowd.

"Ah'll always remember what it was like when Ah met him, comin' inta the mansion dressed like me, and Ah thought…"

Then Bobby.

"…he was really strange, but we got over that and I guess he won us over, like that time…"

Then Storm.

"…and when I picked them up and brought them here, I knew a lot of unfortunate things had happened, but that he was strong and would always protect and stand up for…"

Then Jean.

"…was afraid he would be a bit of a bother, and even though he didn't exactly follow the rules, he was…"

Then Ray.

"…and he made us think about ourselves and what we thought was right, which we should appreciate…"

Then Kitty.

" …really understood people and wanted to help everyone, he just…"

Tabitha looked around, It had been a few moments since anyone had stood up. She sighed. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, but she owed both of them a lot and she needed to say something. As she stood, Amara touched her arm and smiled at her. That gave her all the courage she needed.

"Some interesting things happened when Day and Rosie got here," she said as she looked down at the urn. "And they definitely pushed our limits, though I think Day was better at that, or more obvious. Kitty's right, he understood people and I don't think it was just because of his power. He genuinely cared. …Without his help I know I wouldn't have changed for the better, and I think that's true of all of us. I hope we never forget him."

She sat back down, looking over at Rosie and Masque, who looked back at her. Rosie looked touched and smiled as tears kept streaming down her cheeks. Tabby looked at Amara, and they both smiled back.

More time passed in silence, and after a while, everyone assumed the talking was done. Quietly and without any words at all, Day and Rosaline's parents stood together and walked towards the pedestal, picking up the urn and turning around to look at everyone again. At first they didn't say anything; there were no words that could express their pain. Then Minna smiled, a beautiful sight through her tears, and whispered, "…Thank you."

No one responded in words or said anything else as they walked back between the seats and into the mansion. Rosaline got up to follow them, taking Masque with her, and soon everyone was going back inside. As they walked away, the vines twisting around the pedestal receded into the ground, their shadows forming weaving patterns in the light of the setting sun.

…..

…..

Xavier told the students that night that Rosaline was going back home, and none of them were really sure what to do. Most didn't understand why, but those who knew her best did, and they all wished she would stay. No one asked her to, though, and she was glad of that.

While everyone was at school Rosie and her parents packed up her stuff in their car. As they worked, she tried not to think about what she was leaving behind, or what would happen to Masque. She hadn't seen her since breakfast, and knowing she was hurt, she thought she should have told her she was leaving before Xavier did. They managed to get all of Rosie's things, her parents' luggage, and even all of Day's stuff into the car without even needing to use the back seat. For once she thanked the gods that they had a station wagon, and that they had packed light when they came here.

It was late afternoon when they finished, so they decided to stay for dinner before they left. It was a very long drive ahead of them, they would probably stop at a motel for the night somewhere, but she thought her father might try and drive without stopping at all. She wasn't sure, they hadn't talked much. Since all the work they had to do was done now, Rosie went back into the mansion to look for her girlfriend. She couldn't find her, not anywhere on the grounds. When she told her parents she was going to go look for her in the city, they forbid it, and she felt she couldn't be angrier at them.

It was about that time that her teammates came back from school. She thought about hiding in her room, but instead chose the library over its depressing emptiness, even though people could easily find her there. Whenever anyone did, it was awkward. No one seemed to know what to do or say to her.

She was a good way into a collection of works by Oscar Wilde when the door opened and Tabitha poked her head inside.

"Oh there you are!" she exclaimed, pushing the door open and walking in, followed by Amara. "You know, when you disappear, you really disappear."

She chuckled. "It's not my fault you never think to come in here."

"I should probably take offense to that…" she grinned and sat down in a wide chair near her. Amara squeezed in beside her. They looked at each other, then at her, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Um, well, have any of you seen Madison anywhere?" she asked, trying to pull a conversation out of the silence.

"Madison?" Amara repeated, confused.

"Oh, Masque," Tabby said. "Nope. Is she missing?"

Rosaline looked at the floor. "Yeah."

Amara glanced at Tabby, who shrugged. "I'm sure she'll be back soon. She probably just has a lot to think over."

She nodded, lost in her own thoughts.

After a moment Amara nudged her girlfriend, who looked at her confusedly, then her features cleared as if she remembered something.

"Right, um, Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

She sat forward. "We actually came here to thank you."

She looked up. "For what?"

"Well," the princess started, "if you and Tabitha hadn't…um, almost gotten involved, it probably would have taken a lot more time for us to realize how we felt about it other or do anything about it. We might never have, though I don't really believe that." She smiled. "And you've shown us a lot of strength by being out yourself. We aren't, yet, but seeing you so open about yourself is inspiring."

"And we probably wouldn't've known what to do if you hadn't come along," Tabby added. "There's not that many out gay people here, if you haven't noticed. Well, except maybe Pietro, but that's not official. You'd still have to be blind to miss his beacon of gayness though."

Rosie stifled a laugh. "That sounds kinda dirty…"

"…You're right. Let's not talk about Pietro's beacon."

"I want to thank you guys too," she said, slowly sitting up. "You've also done a lot for me just by supporting me. I know it was really awkward when we met and all that, but you're two of the best friends I could have asked for." She bit her lip, tears coming to her eyes. "I'll miss you…"

"We'll miss you too," Amara replied sadly. "But we understand."

"Do you think you'll ever come back?" Tabby asked.

"I hope so. We'll see where life takes me."

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and they turned to see Rosaline's mother standing there, looking hesitant. "I don't mean to interrupt," she said, "but apparently dinner is almost ready."

Rosaline nodded, still angry at her but far less than before. "We'll be right there…have you seen Madison?"

"No dear. I'm sorry."

She made a non-committal noise, then turned her head, waiting to hear her mother leave. Once she had, she looked again at her friends, standing up.

Tabby reached first to hug her, and she hugged her back.

"You know, we don't have to say goodbye now," she noted. "We still have to eat."

"I know. But hugs are good."

Laughing, Amara hugged her too. They stood like that for a moment, then moved apart.

"We're always here if you need us," Amara told her, Tabby nodding in consent at her side.

Rosaline, trying not to regret her decision, nodded back. "…Thank you."

…..

Not too far away from the mansion, at a quiet spot near the lake, Masque lay on her back watching the sky through the pattern of leaves above her head. She didn't know what time it was, and she tried not to let it worry her.

Maybe Rosie wouldn't leave if she wasn't there to say goodbye, she had thought at first. She knew now that wouldn't be the case, but the thought still kept her there. She was hurt that Rosaline didn't tell her herself that she was leaving, though she couldn't blame her for it and should have expected it in the first place. Had she really expected that Rosaline would stay in Bayville after all that had happened, even if she moved there for her? If she had, she knew it was naïve of her.

She thought she had freed herself of expecting people to care or stick around because of her. It had been true in the past, she thought, or maybe she had just never let herself connect to anyone. Everything had changed since she came here. Day had brought her here, and led her to Rosaline, which she knew was the real reason she had come. She certainly hadn't been able to save him. He had never touched her with his power, but she thought then that maybe he had in a way, unlocking the doors in her heart she had kept closed. He was good at that.

She sat up, looking across the lake at the sun reflected on the water. It was probably late now, they'd be finishing dinner, and she couldn't hope that Rosie and her family would stay long after that. Regardless of what happened or how she felt, she needed to get back there to see her off. She could never abandon her like that.

Besides, she knew what she had to do. Even if she thought it wouldn't work.

…..

Dinner passed, and shortly after the students and faculty of Xavier's school filed outside to see one of their own leave. Alden Jackson made sure everything was packed up and set in the car, and then he and his wife went to thank Xavier and the others once more. Rosaline went to her friends first.

She hugged Tabby and Amara again, saying goodbye for real this time, then hugged Kitty and Rogue, who wished her luck.

"You're, like, gonna come back right?" Kitty asked.

She smiled sadly. "Maybe. I hope so." She looked around then, and sighed unhappily, visibly fighting tears.

Rogue said nothing. She knew who was missing, and knew that they would make no difference.

She said goodbye to everyone else in turn, wishing them well as they did her, until finally she came to Jubilee. She had expected the girl to be cold to her and pass her by, but instead Jubilee stepped up, and hesitantly reached out to hug her too. She just stood there in shock.

"…I'm sorry," Jubilee said, drawing back. "I was really horrible to you and I know that now. I'm sorry I was such an idiot. I hope you'll forgive me."

Rosie stared at her, stunned, then broke into a smile. "Of course I do. I'm just glad you changed."

She smiled back. "Me too."

She turned then to go to her teachers. Storm and Beast embraced her carefully, telling her she was always welcome, and she shook hands with a silent Wolverine. Lastly, she took Xavier's hand. He squeezed it.

"Thank you," she said. "For everything."

He nodded, smiling up at her. "Of course. Take care of yourself, Rosaline."

She smiled back, nodded, then turned around to walk to her parents. Stopping, she looked around. Masque still wasn't there. She tried not to cry as she went on, preparing finally to leave.

Then, just as they were about to, the sound of footsteps pounding down the steps and towards the car made her stop again. She looked back with hope she felt she shouldn't have and saw Masque hurrying towards her, coat and backpack in hand.

"Madison!" she called, rushing to meet her in relief. Her father scowled, to which her mother patted his arm, urging him to relax.

Rosaline threw her arms around Masque's neck and held her tight, ignoring the pain in her side and crying freely now. "I thought you weren't going to come."

"I'm here," she said and kissed her on the forehead. "Rosie, I need to ask you something."

"What is it?"

The girl glanced over at her parents, then bolstered her strength and looked down at her girlfriend again. "…Take me with you."

Rosaline stared at her in surprise, almost speechless. "What?"

"I know your parents probably won't like this, but I have to try. I'm not going to leave you when I know we need each other most. I belong where you are." Trying not to look desperate, she locked eyes with her. "…Will you let me come with you?"

Bewildered, Rosie pulled Masque close and kissed her, then took her hand. "Come on."

As they passed Xavier, Masque turned to look at him, and he smiled understandingly. Somehow, she thought, he had probably expected this.

Rosie led her girlfriend up to her parents, knowing full well that they wouldn't approve, and for once in her life not caring. "Mom, Dad," she said, "I want Madison to come with us."

Her father looked sternly at her.

"Honey," her mother started.

"No Mom, I'm not going to leave her here," she interrupted. "I need her now. I know you don't like this but this is really important to me. Please say she can come with us."

Her parents looked at each other. Her father was definitely not happy with this, though her mother looked more understanding, even if she wasn't pleased. They said nothing to each other, but came to a silent agreement.

Alden looked Masque up and down, having not really liked her from the start, and definitely not liking her now. However, in an odd way he understood that if his daughter was forced to leave her behind, he would lose her. And he had already lost enough children.

Her mother smiled, placing a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "All right, dear. We'll talk about this more when we get home."

She grinned and hugged them both, taking Masque's hand again quickly and climbing into the car. She looked back as they started to drive away and waved to the people she left behind, missing them already.

Tabby and Amara waved back, standing there and watching until the car was out of sight. They looked at each other, not noticing that most of the others had already gone inside.

"You know what?" Tabby asked.

"What?" Amara replied.

She sighed, reaching up to touch her face gently. "…I love you."

Amara blushed, the corners of her mouth turning up unprompted. "I love you too, Tabitha."

They drew together and kissed, then headed back inside hand in hand.

"Come on," Tabby said, grinning wickedly. "Let's go stir up some more trouble."

………….

Author's Note:

Ta da! The unofficial end (don't worry; the Epilogue is on its way). I know this was uber-long but I hope you think it's worth it. I don't think I realized how much material I had to cover in this chapter.

I really hope all of you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it. I apologize again for the lapse in finishing it, but here it is now. I couldn't leave the story undone. There's still much more of it, which you will get a piece of soon. I probably should have saved all this mushy stuff for the Epilogue's Author note, but here it is anyway.

Also, the idea for the design for Day's urn came from York Products West dot com (for some reason it work let me put the html address in here). In the urn section, look for the "Athens Pewter/Blue" Urn. I obviously modified it a bit but I felt I needed to give them credit. They have some really beautiful stuff.

And that's it. Stay tuned for the real ending!

…..

Tyriel – Ta da! Here's the rest, which I hope you also liked. I actually didn't plan for Logan to be away and didn't even think of him being able to find Rosie, but we'll pretend I did so I look smart ; And I'm glad you liked Scaleface, I love her, and as scary as the thought of her at the wheel of a car is, I think I'd be more afraid of Spyke's driving. Glad you liked the evil angsty scene of death too, I suck at writing fight scenes and at least I got this one right. Anyway, I hope you look forward to the next and last.

MentalTsunami – Man, I'm sorry. I'm really glad you liked him though and thank you for not yelling at me for killing him off hands you a Day plushie to make you feel better I'm glad you like the story so much, its readers like you who keep it going. And don't worry, there's still a bit more to go.

BigLittleKid – Yeah, sorry for the shock factor. I promise it was planned for a while and not randomly put there. I gave a few little clues, like the black dog in the cemetery, but I didn't want to make it look obvious. I guess it worked. Thank you for liking it anyway

IrishTomboy06 – Ta da! Sorry to leave it at a cliffhanger and not update soon enough. I hope this was good enough to make you forgive me. And I promise you that even though it's a sudden twist, this does have a happy ending. Just wait and see.

Freakyicefairy – Oh don't apologize for the long review, I like long reviews. It gets you a long response. Thank you for reading the story again even after I took so long to update, and don't worry about holding me to the happy ending, its coming up soon. Thank you also for loving my OC's so much, and for thinking I kept everyone else in character. As for Jubilee, I read a fic once where she was an uberbitch, and since she's not really developed in XME I took from that. As you can see, however, she redeems herself. Sorry you don't think she matched up. Also, I didn't really intend in the beginning to stray from the Tabby/Amara goodness, but I got so involved with my OC's that they came to the forefront before I could control it. I hope it didn't seem awkward that way; again, I tried to end a bit with Tabby and Amara. As for Rogue and Remy, they are my favorite straight couple of all of X-men, so I threw bits about them in there for my own enjoyment. Perhaps I'll do more on them some other time. I'm also glad you liked the fact that Masque avenged Day, I was worried that would come off badly somehow, and even though I had trouble with the repercussions I think I worked it out well in the story. I think that's it, so stay tuned for the promised happy ending. I promise again that it will all be okay.