Chapter Thirty-Five – Blood Lines

"Let me get this straight..."

Scott turned on his heel to meet the team's expectant stare. He held his chin between his fingers with a thoughtful scowl across his face before he continued.

"Mystique is behind all of this? Hiring Gambit, the Acolyte attack, everything?"

The usually stead-fast leader shook his head in disbelief as he continued to pace. Finally he raised his hands in demonstration and he exclaimed.

"It makes no sense! Why would she take your daughter? How could she possibly know of her existance?"

Ororo was the one to answer him.

"She could have been watching the institute Scott. Our defences are not totally capable of keeping intruders at bay."

A few others nodded with agreement before Logan spoke up from his place at the fireplace mantle. He leant against it with a deep scowl across his face as he grunted lightly.

"I checked the grounds, she hasn't been here."

Another suggested.

"She could have sent one of her team here."

"They've been watching the institute? Wouldn't someone have noticed?"

"No way, we've got the best detection technology there is to buy. We would know if they were watching."

"They could use a telepath."

"But Jean or one of Cuckoos would have noticed. It couldn't have been a telepath."

"Can we just, like, get this, like, meeting over with! Addie's still out there you know! We can'te like waste time arguing about how!"

"I agree vith Kitty. We should be doing something! We have to start looking-"

"Oh and where do you suppose we start looking Kurt? Mystique could have taken her anywhere-"

"The Professor could track her with Cerebro-"

"He's tried-"

"-And failed."

"Well, we, like, have, to do something-!"

The arguements began shortly after that as some fought to have their say about their next course of action. Rogue felt a growl of frustration rumble through her throat as she and Remy watched from the sidelines. Her fists clenched angrily against her lap but it was short lived as Remy's gloved hand rested against one of her fists. She turned to him only to find reassurance plain across his face. Her brow relaxed as she let out a deep sigh. His arms instinctively wrapped around her as she rested her head against his covered shoulder. Ignoring the commotion in the room, the couple fell into their own bubble of space.

"Ah can'te see how ya can beh so calm about this Rems."

An uneasy sigh rippled through his chest as he let his gloved thumb rub circles into the palm of one of her hands. His gaze lingered on her small hand as he replied in a whisper.

"Someone's got to, non?"

A sympathetic smile tugged at her lips before she slipped her gloved hand from his, kissed it, and planted it across his lips. He stared at her intently for a few moments before a brief smile spread across his lips. It was reassuring to find something of the old Remy back on his face. Rogue laced her fingers between his as she replied.

"Ya don't have tah beh, but ah love ya for it."

There was evidence across his face that her choice of words had baffled him but he was quick to give a loving smile in return. He leant forward and pressed his lips against her forehead through her fringe. The bubble separating them from the others burst at the contact as the arguement came to an abrupt silence. All heads turned in time to watch as the Professor, followed by Agatha Harkness, appeared in the doorway. A few began to whisper as they took in the Professor's exhausted appearance while Scott and Jean immediately went to his side. Both wore worried expressions as they questioned him but the Professor merely shook his head and raised a hand to silence them. Instead, he ushered Remy and Rogue to his side.

"Rogue, Remy. I believe we have a silver lining that may lead us to Mystique and your daughter."

Both Southerners' eyes brightened with hope. Rogue took a step closer as she replied.

"Have ya located her with cerebro Professor?"

The weakened man shook his head with obvious disappointment but before Rogue could even begin to question him, Agatha Harkness stepped forward.

"Charles was unable to locate your daughter with cerebro. However, I believe I have another means of locating her."

Rogue and Remy exchanged looks of skepticism before turning back to the Witch. Though Rogue had no trust for the woman, they were in dire need of some kind of help. Every minute spent arguing over what to do was another minute that Adélie was in danger. Rogue crossed her arms in light defence as she shifted her weight to one side. Her brow raised in a cold look as she replied similarly.

"Ah'm listening."

Just about everyone in the room listened and watched as Agatha Harkness removed the dark cloak from around her frail shoulders. She rolled up her sleaves to reveal not age-wrinkled skin but strange markings that ran up and down her arms. They weren't quite tattoos nor were they actual markings of any kind of ink. They were a few tones lighter than her already pale olive skin and appeared shiny when the light hit them at certain angles. Many came to the uneasy conclusion that they were actual scars. A curious frown marred many of the room's occupants, including Rogue and Remy's, as Agatha trailed a thin finger over a few of the markings. The scar-like markings turned a luminous blue colour at the touch of her finger as she began to speak.

"You see, Witch power is not the same as the hocus-pocus you see in books or television sets. Like any engery in this world, it has a source and a means of channeling it. In witches, the source is the soul. The means of channeling it is different in every witch. For me, it is through these markings."

As if to express her point, the markings that covered her arms began to glow brighter. She continued to speak as she spread her arms out to the sky.

"Your daughter's witch capablities coincide with her mutant abilities."

At her words, waves of light began to erupt from the markings and swarmed together like a turbulant storm of streams. As they twisted and convolted before them, the lights of the room flickered to darkness. Those closest to the storm covered their eyes and shrunk away on the spot as the light turned from blue to gold. The storm of light transformed into a spherical shape that hovered above the palm of Agatha's out-stretched hand before she spoke again.

"Witches are not made children, they are born. Their blood travels through the generations through mother or father,"

Suddenly the sphere began to take shape. It twisted and contorted as if a pair of invisible hands were moulding it into shape. The blurred shape continued to turn and take form until every feature was sharp and recognisable with human detail. Adélie's unmistakenable face stared blankly back at them as she stood in all her twenty or so inches of height above Agatha's palm. Everyone in the room stared at the figure as Agatha spoke.

"I think it is time we found out who is the carrier."

Before any could question her meaning, the golden figure of Adélie dissolved into tongues of gold light and swept across the room. While one swept towards Rogue, the other in turn headed for Remy. They barely had the chance to shun away from it before each tongue of light hit them square across their chests and disappeared in a burst of light. It all happened so abruptly. As soon as the gold lights disappeared, the room fell into momentary darkness before the lights in the room flickered back to life. Agatha Harkness stood before them, cloaked and silent, as the slightly ruffled occupants of the room all turned to Remy and Rogue. The couple stood in the same positions as before with not so much as a mark on their bodies. However, though physically unharmed, both trembled slightly on the spot as they reached out for each other for support. Kitty and Jean pulled up two chairs for them to sit in. Once settled, everyone returned their gazes to Agatha Harkness. Logan furrowed his brow in a glare as he stepped in front of the shell-shocked couple. His clenched fists itched to unsheath metal.

"What the hell did you do? You-"

"Logan! Calm yourself."

The Professor raised a hand in gentle warning, causing Logan to return a skeptical look.

"You knew she was going to do that Chuck?"

Professor Xavier shook his head calmly.

"No I did not know what she would do. I was assured only that she could give us a way to find them."

Logan gave a sniff of disbelief but was kept silent by his wife as she brushed past him with a warning look. She came to stand beside Rogue and rested a hand on her shoulder as she spoke gently.

"Rogue? How do you feel? Are you in any pain?"

Neither Remy nor Rogue had said a word since it happened and it was around that time that everyone began to notice. However it seemed that Rogue was worse off than Remy. While Rogue hid away her face with her hands over her temples, Remy rested a hand on her back to comfort her but was evidently pale with shock. When neither was able to give a straight answer, Agatha stepped towards them. The room grew silent again as she knelt before Rogue. Wordlessly, the elderly woman reached out and gently caught the young woman's chin. Rogue raised her head only to have her gaze caught by a pair of crystal blue eyes that bore into her. After a moment or two, Agatha give a distinctive 'hmm' and a vague, secretive smile spread across her thin lips. Rogue remained utterly still and silent, as did the rest of them before Agatha spoke again.

"I thought as much."

Emotion returned to Rogue's face as a frown appeared. She manage to rasp a response between her white lips.

"Thought what as much?"

Agatha gave a rare, authentic smile.

"You're the one who gave your daughter her abilities. It's your line of witch blood that runs through her veins."

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Meanwhile...

Adélie woke at a slow pace. Her unusual eyes blinked back the pull of sleep as she shifted stiffly against the lumpy matress. As her conscious mind began to regain its footing, her eyes focuses on the darkness that surrounded her. Despite the dark however, her talented eyes managed to sketch out her few surroundings. The room appeared bare apart from the rusted bed she lay on while the only window was barred and filled in with wooden planks. The only door to the room appeared locked from across the tall-walled room. A disgruntled frown appeared across her face.

"Where am ah?"

A dull ache coursed through her limbs as she pulled herself up to a seated position. It was only when her head stopped spinning that she was able to stand. After feeling around the walls and jiggling the door handle with no turning triumph, Adélie turned to her powers for aid. The cold piece of metal wrapped around her neck seemed to come alive at the very thought. Her fingers grasped around the power neuralizer as a frustrated sigh hissed through her teeth. With all options failing her attempts to escape, she had no choice but to sit on the bed and wait for the door to open. She had no idea what she could do to get past whoever opened it but she was sure as hell going to try.

It was in these everlasting minutes of silence and waiting that her thoughts began to trail to her parents. She had no idea if her mother was alright after she was kidnapped. Was she hurt? Had her Dad and the others found her? She fiddled with her fingers anxiously as her fears took shape and form in her mind. Her imagination fed off her fears as the minutes passed to an hour, then another before her imaginings came to an abrupt halt. Her flesh became textured with goosebumps as the definite sound of footsteps coming closer with each echoing step erupted from behind the door. Adélie braced herself, her fingers turning white as she clung to the rusted bed-rail, as the turn and flick of the lock cut through the air. The door swept open without hesitation only for a darker outline to come forward from the dark. A flash of yellow eyes pushed away her fears and pulled together a tight bound of strength and determination. The girl made sure to set a cold glare across her face as her grandmother came to stand before her with a tray in hands. The smell of home cooked chicken casserole wafted through the air and caused her stomach to grumble in protest as the woman spoke.

"I see you're awake."

Adélie stubbornly remained silent as the woman stared her down with those yellow orbs. Raven gave a stiff sigh and set the tray of food on the space beside Adélie.

"I thought you might be hungry dear."

The smell was torture but Adélie dared not trust her. Hadn't her parents always told her to be wary of her grandmother? Years of stories began to flood her determination as she turned her gaze away from Raven, and away from the tempting plate of food. Her stomach growled in torment as she remained silent and stubborn.

Raven let out a defeated sigh as she knelt before her granddaughter. Even in the dark, she could see the girl's spirit was something like her mother's. Strong and stubborn. However it wasn't just the attitude that jogged her memory. Adélie may have her father's eyes and his Louisiana silver tongue but she had the features of her mother. The same wind-blown auburn curls, a little unruly and wild but hers nonetheless. Raven's brow furrowed lightly at the sight of the blonde streak mixed in with the white. Her study of her granddaughter was brought to a halt as the child turned to glare at her. Raven was surprised by the intensity those emerald-on-black jewels carried but remained blank-faced as the girl spoke.

"What have ya'll done with mah Mama?"

Raven wanted to chortle at the suggestion in the girl's tone of voice.

"Your mother is perfectly safe, child. The X-Men take care of their own you know. I assure you, they would have takened care of her."

She reached out to rest a comforting hand on the girl's head but it only touched air as Adélie pulled away. The girl slipped off the bed and took a step back in a defensive stance. Raven felt something slice through her as she studied the girl. Beyond the defensiveness stood a child's fear; a child's fear of her grandmother. It hurt more than she expected it would, being feared by her only grandchild. She could live with her own children's dislike of her, their disapproval and lack of trust. But to see such fear behind those tell-tale emeralds, so like another pair she loved so much, it was unnerving. She tried a tender tone of voice as she spoke.

"I'm not going to harm you Adélie. I only want what's best your you-"

"Then y' should 'ave left meh wit' mah Mama an' Pére!"

The girl's words echoed across the room like chime rings but they cut through her heart like shards of broken glass. When the echoes died, Raven stood carefully. She cleared her throat, adjusted the tray on the bed, before returning to the door. With the door open, she turned back to the girl. Adélie continued to glare daggers at her as she spoke.

"I'd eat that now if I were you. You'll need your strength tomorrow...Goodnight dear."

She pushed her luck with a feeble smile before leaving the room and locking the door swiftly behind her.

Once the woman's footsteps were lost on her ears, Adélie let down her defences and fell shakily back onto the bed as her knees caved. Quiet sobs trembled through her shoulders as tears glossed over her eyes. She curled up into a ball on the uncomfortable matress and watched as the steam from her plate began to disappear. Silent tears streamed down her cheeks as she whispered to the night.

"Where are ya Mama?"

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Was that believable? I hope so! REVIEW!

-Gams