Hi! About Chapter 39th repost- I noticed a couple of typos when I was rereading it. It was nothing major, but it was bothering me so I fixed it and reposted.

Please enjoy!

Chapter Forty:

Magneto walked with Rogue along the streets of Paris. His arm was around her shoulders, hers around his waist. He was enjoying the night's air and the freedom anonymity granted them. A glance at the serene expression on his girl's face told him they were of the same mind.

"Hey. How about here?" she asked. He glanced up to read the large red banner with gold script: Le Grand Café Capucines.

"Open twenty-four hours a day," he said as he read the signage.

"That's convenience," she said as they walked up the displayed menu.

"Indeed," he chuckled as he reviewed their choices in entrees. "Assuming the quality's decent," he added.

"Only one way to find out," she smiled.

"True," he said as they walked up to the entrance. Reluctantly, he disentangled himself from her and moved to hold the door open for her.

"Such a gentleman," she smirked, as she ran her pointer finger along his jaw and under his chin. He let out an amused huff as she walked past him into the establishment.

A few minutes later, a server, Julien, who he noted had seemed rather pleased they had greeted him in French, led them up a set of circular stairs. The restaurants' walls were lined with red curtains, drawing his eyes upwards to appreciate the stained glass ceiling. An assortment of colored glass formed a mosaic of flowers and leaves. Angled blubs illuminated the stained glass in place of natural light. The greens and reds, in particular, stood out to him as he halted his ascent.

"Beautiful," he commented.

"It is even more breathtaking during the day," the server said.

"We will have to return for lunch," Rogue commented from behind him. Her French was as fluid as her Portuguese.

"Yes," he agreed before suddenly he felt a sharp throbbing on the side of his skull. His body shook under the intensity of the pain.

"Max?" Rogue called out, concerned as his eyes closed.

Flashes of red flowers and gold leaves against an emerald green backdrop assaulted his vision. He could feel the fabric in his hands and smell the faint scent of lavender in the air. Resting within his embrace was his beautiful wife, pressed up against him as they laid together in the darkness. He had the urge to sleep within the confines of the lovely green curtains and rest his weary soul.

"Poppa, Momma," he heard a young boy's voice call out.

"Young man, you're supposed ta be in bed," Rogue reprimanded. Yet, her tone was amused.

"Momma, I had a bad dream," the young boy said as a curtain was drawn open.

"Max?" Rogue called out again as his eyes snapped open. He was still on the staircase, his hand gripping the banister. It seemed he had kept his balance. A child's voice still rung in his ears, though he couldn't remember the name of its source. He shook his head as he pushed back and silenced his mind.

"I'm fine," he muttered. The pain, as swiftly as it had stricken him, had vanished again.

"This way," Julien said.

'It was only a moment,' he reasoned, grateful the server has paid his delay no mind. They walked once more, and Julien led them onto the second floor.

'Rather empty,' he thought. He saw a single occupied table. His first impression was not favorable: the group of seven were loud and obviously inebriated. Thankfully, the server steered them in the opposite direction. The area they entered next was completely devoid of people.

"Do you prefer the booth or the table?" Julien asked. Magneto glanced around as he considered their choices. There were three tan booths-

"The table, please," Rogue replied.

The five identical tables were set up. Each had two red velvet cushioned chairs, facing the window which allowed the patrons to take in the view of the street below. Decorative wooden panels separated each table, granting some privacy.

"This way," Julien repeated as he proceeded towards the end of the row.

'Strange for him to isolate us from the other patrons,' he thought as he followed the server. 'Unless,' he considered as they came to their table. 'Rogue?' he called out with his mind, his eyebrow raised as he held out her seat for her.

'Yes, Max?' she asked as she took her seat. He let out an amused huff as he pushed in her seat. 'What?' she asked as he sat.

"Thank you," he said aloud as they handed him a menu. 'Solving another problem?' he teased as he opened his menu.

'What Jean doesn't know can't hurt her,' she replied dismissively as she placed her menu on the table, not bothering to open it.

'True,' he thought as she turned his attention to review his choices. 'Though I doubt she would support your exploitation of her talents,' he commented. He was between the salmon or the mussels.

'Max, I ain't bound to follow the ethical codes of those I borrow power from,' she snapped, her tone harsh.

"Do you need time to decide?" Julien asked.

"No, that will not be necessary," he said as he closed his menu. He glanced over at her, her demeanor was calm and friendly. Her eyes, however, told another story. 'I didn't intend to suggest you were,' he thought. "The salmon," he answered.

'Should I have allowed him to put us next to that group of drunkards?' she asked. Her internal tone was livid. "I will have the duck entrée, please," she said aloud, pleasantly with a smile.

'I was merely pointing out a fact, Rogue, not declaring a moral judgment,' he thought.

'Ah-huh,' she thought.

'Rogue,' he called out as she avoided his gaze.

"We would also like a Pinot Noir," she said.

"An excellent choice to pair with salmon and duck. We have a lovely nineteen-ninety available here tonight," he said as he collected their menus.

"That would be perfect. We will purchase a bottle," she said. Their server nodded at Rogue before turning to depart. 'Julien wanted to call an ambulance after you nearly collapsed on the staircase. Maybe I should've let him,' she said as he exited the room.

"A bit of an overreaction, don't you think?" he asked.

"Max, you were unresponsive for five minutes," she told him.

"I was what?" he asked.

"Unresponsive," she repeated. "What the hell did you and Charles talk about today?" she asked.

"What on earth does that have to do with it?" he asked.

"Just answer the question, Max," she demanded. He took a breath, attempting to calm himself, as he ranked a hand through his hair.

"You, Rogue. All of our talks, all of our arguments. They all regard you," he answered, his voice raised.

"What about me?" she asked.

"This morning or this afternoon?" he asked, his tone dry.

"Start with the morning. What did you wanna talk to me?" she asked.

"I was a consciousness in your mind," he said. Her expression softened as she placed her hand on his.

"Did- did you remember that?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

"How could I possibly recall being the byproduct of your abilities?" he asked incredulously.

"I- I," she stuttered, as her eyes widened and flashed with emotion. "Yeah, yeah, Max, you're right," she recovered, removing her hand from his. "That wouldn't make any sense," she said as she brushed her hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry. What I meant to ask is, when did you put two-and-two together? When did you figure out that aspect of my powers?" she corrected herself.

"I realized, this morning, you've given me multiple hints regarding this-" he said before he paused. "That's what you meant, by remembering, isn't it? Because we've spoken of this before?" he asked.

"We've definitely talked about this before," she confirmed, though he could tell she had chosen her words with care.

"You hate being the only one who remembers these conversations," he quoted with newfound understanding. "It must be incredibly isolating," he muttered.

"You have no idea," she said before letting out another sigh. "So, how'd'you put it together?" she asked.

"It was something Charles said about you recreating conversations we've had in the past that-" He paused as he watched her expression drop.

"This, this right here is why I don't tell Charles Xavier shit," she exclaimed in anger. "He promises to keep private conversations private. Within a damn week, the entire staff will know all the details of his student's interpersonal issues," she said, her tone bitter.

"Charles can be quite the hypocrite," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, he is," she said, annoyed. He listened to her take a breath. "Look, Max, about what you said, I'm sorry, I snapped at you. You ain't the only one with anger management issues," she said. He let out a short laugh at that.

"You're in good company," he said, unable to keep himself from smiling. He watched a smirk form on her face.

"I know," she said.

"What was it about my comment that infuriated you?" he asked.

"It's about contexts, really. I've used Jean's powers a lot over the last couple of years."

"In service of your ideological views?" he guessed.

"Ah-huh," she confirmed.

"To what end?" he asked. He stared down at her as he watched her think. "There's so much. I'm not sure where to start," she said.

"In your place, tactically, I would select an example you know I would personally approve of. Assuming there is one," he said. She let out a short laugh at that.

"Okay- okay, that's an excellent suggestion," she said.

"So?" he asked.

"I swayed the school board's decision in our favor," she said. He let out a loud laugh at that.

"Of course, you did," he laughed. "Here I thought Charles had-"

"Deigned to lower his moral compass given the significance of the occasion?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"No, that would've required an understanding of the competitive environment that his naivete prevents," she said dryly. He let out a laugh at that. "He can be such a-"

"Affluent, self-righteous, idealist," he finished.

"Yes," she laughed, and he joined in. She let out a sigh. "I know he means well," she said.

"Is that a fact?" he asked dryly, his conversation with his old friend still fresh in his mind. She gave him an inquisitive look. "After what he accused me of, Charles is fortunate I didn't end our truce right then and there," he said.

"What did he say to you?" she asked.

"He thought my attempt to recruit you, outside the brotherhood manor, involved seduction," he answered, as he felt anger creeping up in him again.

"Are you serious?" she asked as he felt a vibration on the floor caused by her tapping foot.

"Rogue, is there cause for concern?" he asked, becoming accustomed to her tells.

"You interrupted him while he was looking at the recruitment attempt?" she asked.

"Yes," he replied.

"He must have started from the beginning," she said.

"What could his exploration yield?" he asked.

"Nothing that'll make any sense without the right context," she answered. "We're okay, for now, " she said. "But this something to uncover," she added darkly.

"I assumed as much," he said as he tilted his head towards his left as he sensed their server returning.

'Rogue,' he projected, directing her to his thoughts. She nodded as Julien returned to their table. 'Do you need Charles distracted from his search?' he asked as their emptied his stray, effectively placing wine glasses, water glasses, cutlery, a bread bowl, and napkins upon the table and an ice bucket with their wine into its holder beside the table.

'I've always known the truth would come out. It's inevitable,' she said, as Julien uncorked the bottle and poured them both a generous amount of wine. "Thank you," she said aloud in French as he returned to the bottle to the ice bucket to chill.

"Do you need anything else?" Julien asked.

"No, thank you," he answered before their server departed. "But?" he asked, once Julien was out of earshot. "I have a sneaking suspicion you're about to utter that word," he teased. She smirked at that.

"But, the truce in Bayville is vital and Charles' arrogance is bound to be an issue,' she said.

"Bound to? My dear, it's been a thorn in our sides for nearly a week," he said.

"I know," she exclaimed, annoyed. "Fucking Charles," she rolling her eyes. "I can't believe what you accused you of. You weren't consciously aware of my feelings yet," she said.

"I didn't yet recognize the look in your eyes," he said. A smile graced her face as she turned to look up at him.

"Which look?" she asked as she placed her hand on his again.

"That one," he smirked in response, his fingers entwining with hers. His eyes flashed to her lips and then back to her eyes.

"We're alone. What's stopping you?" she asked. He smirked as he leaned in and pressed her lips against her. He pulled back slightly, back kept his face close to hers.

"Is this why you selected such a diminutive dining area for us?" he asked as he cupped her cheek.

"Max, I think the word you're looking for is intimate," she said before her lips were on his again. His fingers tightened around hers as she deepened the kiss.

"Indeed," he smirked as he took in the sight of her. Her face was as flushed as it ever was, her breath fast and shallow. "I must have been blind, to think, all that time, that you were merely frightened of me," he mused.

"Well, that thought wasn't entirely unfounded," she said.

"No?" he asked.

"I mean, I was a little afraid of the Saturday morning cartoon villain you'd turned yourself into," she teased.

"Really?" he asked, half annoyed, half amused.

"Ah-huh," she smirked before she gave him another peck, and he found himself chuckling against her lips.

"I think we've allowed the wine to decant long enough, don't you?" he asked as he pulled back. She smiled at him as they both retrieved their glasses. She clinked her glass against his. He chuckled before joining her in, taking their first sip.

"Okay," she smiled before letting out an appreciative sound. "Okay. Julien knows his wines," she said, pleased. He let out a soft chuckle before he took another sip.

"Rogue, back to the topic at hand. If I were to distract Charles, from whatever else you must keep hidden, how much time do you require?" he asked.

"Now that the thresholds finally open, I'm hoping it won't take more than two or three weeks," she answered.

"Threshold?" he asked. She studied him for a long moment.

"Maybe, I've been too cautious," she said, though he could tell it was mostly to herself.

'Her hesitantly has been my primary hindrance. If she can be convinced to relinquish that hesitantly, I might actually get some answers,' he thought. "Regarding?" he asked, sitting forward in his seat.

"You, the mind games," she answered.

'As I thought.' He took another drink of his wine as he watched her do the same.

"During the baseball game, after I cast that spell, you didn't feel another headache coming on, right?"

"That's correct," he answered with a raised eyebrow. "But what does one have to do with the other?" he asked.

"Everything," she muttered before she stalled by taking another sip. He looked away from her for a moment, as he considered that. He felt anger swell within him, but pushed it down before it could manifest. Ire would not serve him here. He needed to discard it.

"Rogue, these visions I've had today. Am I to understand that you caused them?" he asked, his voice calm.

"It depends on how ya look at it," she said, carefully. She eyed him, no doubt, searching for any sign of his temper.

"My girl, how would I perceive your actions?" he asked.

"If you knew all of it, I know you'd approve," she said. "But learning bits and pieces of it at a time," she said.

"If I were to take an event out of context and misunderstand your intentions, you fear I would react poorly to such information," he stated.

"Yes," she said.

"Then perhaps little bits and pieces can't serve you any longer. Perhaps, the best strategy you could employ is, simply, to have out with it," he suggested.

"I would love to do that. End your confusion and have us finally be on the same page. It's all I've wanted since I moved to Bayville," she said.

"My girl, what's preventing you from doing so?" he asked. She turned away from him again. "You've been too cautious. You said that to me, moments ago," he said.

"I- yes, I did," she said.

"Perhaps, this delay is unnecessary," he said.

"Maybe," she muttered. "But it's a risk."

"Rogue, when you choose to show me your intelligence, surrendering control over the competitive environment becomes unavoidable. Surely, you must see that," he said.

"I know," she sighed.

"Rogue, please look at me?" he asked. Her bright green eyes, filled with fear, locked with his. "Regardless of what you tell me, no matter the anger I may feel in response, I will not harm you. I give you my word," he said.

"The truth, Max, it's crazy. No one in their right mind would believe me," she said.

"I will," he said.

"You don't know that. You won't know that until you've heard it. And once you hear it, I've abandoned control and I can't take it back. Even though I have Jean's powers right now, I refuse to use them on you without your consent," she said.

"Then perhaps, I should offer it," he said.

"What?" she asked.

"If I react violently if you feel the need to protect yourself against me, then you have my consent to erase the memory of you informing me," he said.

"You'd seriously agree to that?" she asked.

'Damn it,' he thought as he sensed their servers return. "Take it under advisement," he whispered as he gestured towards his left. She nodded before glancing away from him, a tentative look on her face.

Magneto sat beside Rogue. Since their food had arrived, she had kept quiet, and he had allowed her the silence. He stared out onto the street below, as he cut into and ate his salmon. It was actually quite good and wished to tell his girl as such. Yet, he found it unwise to engage her. Not until she was ready to speak. From, the fierce grip she held onto her fork and knife, he knew she was not. It was strange gauging her tension through her use of cutlery, but here they were. He kept his gaze on the street below and waited.

Magneto used the napkin to dab the corners of his mouth, having finished his meal. He felt her grip on the fork loosen before she placed it upon her plate.

"Max," she said, her voice low.

"Yes, dear?" he asked as he placed the napkin down.

"I've thought about it," she said as she glanced up at him.

"And?" he asked, meeting her gaze.

"Do you remember how I wanted to explain something about my powers last night?" she asked.

"Yes," he said.

"I wanna start there," she said.

"Alright," he said.

"When I absorb someone, I get everything," she said.

"All the memories from an individual's mind accumulate to form a consciousness, one capable of conversation."

"Yes," she confirmed. "That also includes memories the person might not remember themselves," she said.

"Such as?" he asked.

"Childhood, repressed, suppressed, and erased memories," she listed. "Your mind has suppressed memories. I think a repressed one too but I ain't sure of that and I don't wanna get inta it right now cause I ain't trying to distract you from the actual conversation you've asked us to have," she said.

"Alright, alright. We'll come back to repressed memories another time. Suppressed memories," he repeated. "Suppressed by who?" he asked.

"Not who, what," she said.

"Elaborate," he ordered.

"The enhancer. Turning off your emotions wasn't the only damage you inflicted upon yourself that day," she said.

"We've spoken of the enhancer multiple times," he pointed out.

"'Cause that's where everything went wrong," she said, her voice pained. "It's when all our plans were thrown out the window and I had to improvise. Max, I've been winging it since then, but I wasn't supposed to have to do this alone. We were supposed to be together," she explained.

"Rogue, if your place was by my side, then why did you join the X-Men?" he asked.

"You and I, we have a responsibility to Mutant-kind. To protect our people, I needed consistent access to Cerebro and telepathy," she said. He raised an eyebrow at her comment but said nothing. "I broke into the institute while I was still on the brotherhood, and I started the process. But Charles was only gonna turn a blind eye to that once," she explained. "Even though he probably relived the entire episode, I don't think he understands what I did that day," she said.

"What did you do?" he asked. She reached forward and quickly grabbed her glass. Pressing it to her lips, she stalled. He watched her take a deep breath as she shook in her seat. "I know you're frightened, my girl, but it will be alright, I promise you," he said.

"I'm trying," she said as she placed her glass back on the table.

"Rogue, we've come this far. Don't stop now," he ordered. She closed her eyes a moment and took a series of deep breaths.

"You've met mutants who can see into the future, right?" she asked.

"Adler and Kinross," he answered.

"They offered you warnings, but what you if you had more than a few vague predictions? What if you could remember an entire lifetime of hardship and tragedy? What you could turn back the clock? Would you give up your life? Everything you'd built for a chance to do it better? For a chance to prevent genocide?" she asked.

"Why do I have a suspicion we've already had this conversation?" he asked.

"Because we have," she whispered, as tears formed in her eyes.

"Why did you require access to Cerebro?" he asked.

"We kept records, you and me, of every mutant who died because of the manifestation of their abilities. I gave those mutants a second chance by planting subconscious knowledge of how to control their powers, in their minds. That day, outside the brotherhood manor, Charles talked about preventing needless death. As much as I wanted to go with you," she said as tears streamed down her face. "As much as it killed me inside to let you go and fester in the aftermath of the effects of the enhancer. I thought about what you'd do in my place and I knew the answer. Duty first, to our people," she said, with conviction. He grabbed his napkin and handed it to her. "Thank you," she said as she wiped her eyes.

"These dreams, I've had, you're saying they're memories," he stated.

"Yes. You have amnesia, Max. An exceptionally unique case of amnesia," she said. He took in her demeanor. She was quiet, afraid, vulnerable.

'Either, she stark-craving-mad, or mutant-kind's saving grace. Best to humor her for now. The truth will become apparent with time,' he decided "You're correct, my dear, it does border on insanity," he said as he glanced out the window.

"I know," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Nevertheless, I believe you," he said.

"You do?" she asked, as he felt her eyes on him.

"Yes," he lied.

"Max, this morning. The dream you had. The one you said was nothing. What was it?" she asked.

"A canopy bed," he answered.

"Figures," she laughed. "What were we doing? Having sex?"

"No," he said, shaking his head. "We were talking," he said.

"Wait, we- Were we waking up together?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered. "I believe, we were," he said. She stared at him, seemingly dumbfounded.

"Max, I have tried everything under the damn sun to resurface your memories and you're telling me the answer this entire time was cuddling?" she asked before she began to laugh. "Good lord, I'd never," she muttered before she continued to laugh, more tears formed in her eyes. "I don't know, whether to laugh or cry," she said as she wiped the sides of her eyes.

"Both apparently," he said.

"Yeah," she said as she clung to the napkin against her chest.

"Rogue?" he asked as she sniffled next to him.

"Yeah," she said as she glanced back up at him.

"This threshold you spoke of. Explain it to me," he ordered.

"There are two versions of your consciousness in your mind right now. The first is yours, the one you've had your entire life," she said.

"And the other? Is from the future?" he asked.

"Future might not be the right word," she said.

'Of course, it isn't. Why would it be that straightforward?' he thought amused.

"Technically, our consciousness's are from the past. I know that sounds strange but the mutants' whose powers I used ta get us here are-"

"I believe, I know this one- complicated?" he asked. She let out a short laugh.

"Extremely," she confirmed. "The past, the future. Max, they're the same thing."

"For simplicity's sake, let's give it a name," he said.

"What'd you have in mind?" she asked.

"The events of my visions are of at a future date. Yet you're claiming all of it in the past. Have I understood you correctly?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Well, dear, how about the days of future past?" he asked.

"Max, do you really believe me? You're not just playing along to find out how crazy I am?" she asked. With effort, he kept a smirk from forming on his face. It was genuinely impressive how well she knew him.

'How to convince her?' he asked himself. 'No, the better question, what reasons do I have to believe her?' he thought. "It's a fair question, my dear. One, I can hardly blame you for asking it," he said as he cupped her cheek. "No, I'm not," he said strongly as drew her closer to him. Her hand found his arm, her fingers felt so tense against him. "Rogue, your familiarity of my past is as undeniable as your comprehension of my ideology," he said before giving her a light peck on the lips. He smiled at her, in what he hoped she'd interpreted as comforting. "I'm a polyglot in my seventies and you a girl seemly of eighteen years are fluent in five additional languages," he said.

"I ain't eighteen years old, Max," she whispered.

"I know, my girl, I know," he muttered before kissing her again. "You have extensive knowledge of how to both employ and teach strategy. Today, you used that intelligence to turn an unassuming game of baseball into. One, a strategic exercise to reinforce my lessons. Two, a means to further strengthen the bonds of our truce by breaking down the divides between the Brotherhood and X-Men," he said before giving her another peck. "And let's not forget the third accomplishment," he said with a smile.

"Which is?" she asked.

"Today, you taught my daughter how to fly," he smirked.

"She barely got off the ground," she said, dismissively.

"My point is, neither Wanda nor I knew she was capable of such a feat. You did, my beautiful girl," he said. He still saw the disbelief in her gaze. 'What else?' he asked himself as he kissed her again, stalling for time. 'Oh yes,' he realized before he pulled back, his eyes locked with hers. "Rogue, as our numbers expanded, I thought it was nothing short of miraculous, that no mutants were harmed," he said as he watched her gaze soften. "That not a single mutant exposed our kind to the world. Your actions allowed me to control the competitive environment and dictate our emergence. Need I continue?" he asked.

"No," she smiled.

"Good," he said, pleased, as he allowed his hand to leave her cheek.

"Max," she said, as she threw her arms around his neck. She pressed her lips against his. He placed his hands on her shoulders and deepened the kiss. The moan that escaped her lips was familiar and satisfying. "I've missed you so much."

"I will not leave your side, dear girl," he said as he wrapped his arms around her back. "If I had known the consequences of entering the enhancer, I never would have done so," he said before kissing her neck. She let out a blissful sigh in response to his words. "Let's return home," he whispered in her ear. "We should turn in early for the night," he said before placing another kiss on her neck.

"Yes, please," she said desperately.

Okay- calling it here :) Major plot reveal alert! So, I'm having a lot of fun with foreshadowing but I figured we're on chapter 40, I can pull the trigger on some major plot points. Please let me know your thoughts!

Guest from 04/15/2021: Funny you should ask :) It's pretty funny, I've been planning this plot point for a while and the night you left your review, I had just put the finishing touches on the flashback on the staircase. So, time will tell what the answer to your question is.

Little Red Dove: Yup, fixed a couple of typos :) I'm glad I made your Monday better, I hope you're Saturday is great thanks to this update as well! I'm really enjoying the Wanda subplot. Pietro is great to write. One of my first impressions of him from the comics was in Magneto Rex (when he and Rogue are super friendly and work together in Genosha) and in AOA (when Rogue's asking for his advice about being Magneto's second in command). I LOVE their friendly dynamic and I'm having a lot of fun adding my version to this fic :)

I'm going to let the fic, speak for itself regarding Charles and the rest of your review, lol :) Can't wait to hear your thoughts about this chapter!