Chapter Ten
Once again, Scott stopped in the infirmary late at night, checking on Jean and her patients. She was fixing Remy's IV, a precaution against infection from his wounds. Solitaire was sleeping, getting over the last of the headache caused by too much light hitting his sensitive eyes, and Rogue was also asleep with a machine monitoring her brainwaves, since she'd gotten a concussion from being slammed into the wall.
When she saw Scott she went over and hugged him tight, pressing her face against his chest. "Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. She'd wanted him to spend a day or two in the infirmary, but he'd said his injuries weren't too bad.
"I'm fine, Jean," he assured her. "The others are all okay. You don't have to worry about us twenty-four/seven, you know," he added, a slight reprimand in his voice. All of a sudden Jean burst into tears. His arms tightened around her in surprise and he asked, "Jeannie, what's wrong?"
"I didn't know she wasn't you," Jean sobbed.
Scott gently tilted her chin up and kissed her. "Jeannie, I wouldn't have known if she was impersonating someone else. She was a good shapeshifter, I'll give her that much. And they had a chance to study us, learn everything they needed to know. I don't know how you could have told us apart."
"But it's my fault you were a prisoner for so long…"
"No, Jeannie, it's not," Scott said firmly. "It's thanks to you that I'm not still a prisoner. And the whole time I was there, I was thinking about you. About how much I love you, and how much I'm going to love our baby. I could never live without you, Jeannie. Never forget that."
@ @ @
The next morning, Aura asked all the X-Men to meet her in the den for an announcement. When they got there, she was sitting with Warren, an unreadable expression on her face.
Once the last people had arrived, she cleared her throat. "I called you all here to tell you something. I… I'm leaving the mansion.
"Before you say anything, let me explain. I'm sixteen years old, so I wouldn't have been at school for much longer anyway. I don't really need any help with my powers; they're pretty well-developed, and I can control them fine. And let's face it, I'm not really X-Men material. What am I supposed to do, scare people to death with an illusion of Remy's bedroom?
"This place is nice enough, and you're all like my family. I've never been this close to anyone except Remy and Dreamer… and Warren, now. I'm really going to miss you all, but this place… it just isn't me. Once I finished schooling I'd have left anyway. I can't really see myself being a teacher."
"Aura's coming to live with me and my family," Warren said. "My parents don't have anything against mutants, and she'll be safer there than if she was on her own."
"You can contact us if you ever need our help with anything," Aura said, "and you better believe I'm gonna be writing, calling and visiting whenever I can. I just don't think I belong here."
Raptor was the first to speak. "We're gonna miss you, Aura," she said. Chantelle nodded, her purple-and-pink-striped hair growing blue streaks.
Aura noticed that and said, "hey, don't be sad about this. It's not like I'm going to be gone forever. We'll still see each other. It'll just… it'll be better this way. I think I should be with Warren. I love him."
Dreamer and Remy hugged Aura. "Ah'm gonna miss ya," Dreamer said softly. "Y'all better come back t'us, ya hear me?"
Aura nodded, tears blurring in her eyes. Remy turned to Warren and said, half-threatening, half-joking, "y' look after her or we'll be on y' trail, got it mon ami?"
Aura laughed and wiped tears from her cheeks. "You must be doing something right, Warren. Not many people get called mon ami."
She picked up the duffel bag sitting by her feet. "We'd better be heading off," she said. She hugged each of the X-Men and kissed Remy and Dreamer. "See you all soon, chickadees."
Warren scooped her into his arms and they flew into the sky, vanishing in minutes.
@ @ @
Kurt and Kitty sat by the pool together, not really talking, just knowing that the other was there. Finally, Kitty said, "I was so scared when you, Channy and Raptor went to do that recon. I kept thinking about what might happen if something went wrong and they found out who you were. I kept thinking that I couldn't live if you died. I love you too much."
"Every minute we were there I thought about you, katzchen, and how I had to make them believe that me and Raptor were who we said, because I couldn't stand being away from you. I could never live without you, leibling." [Sweetheart]
Kitty gazed up at the stars. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you, Kurt. It scares me sometimes, because I feel like my love for you is all that's keeping me alive, and I'm scared that you don't feel the same way. I know you love me, but I'm scared you don't need me the way I need you."
She felt Kurt's tail entwine around her waist. "Katzchen, you're the first person who hasn't been afraid to love me," he said softly. "I grew up with people who thought I was a demon. Even when I came here, I never imagined I'd meet someone like you. Someone so beautiful, so full of love and life that she took my breath away. Someone who wasn't afraid of what I really look like. You're the first person I've felt this way about, and probably the only one. I love you, Kitty Pryde, and nothing will ever change that."
Kitty turned to Kurt. He was gazing at her, and in his eerie yellow eyes she could see that he was telling her the truth. He closed the gap between them and covered her mouth with his own.
As they kissed, Kitty heard Kurt's voice in her mind, a telepathic bond formed between them, forged out of their love. 'Nothing will ever change how much I love you.'
'Nothing. I love you, Kurt.'
@ @ @
The fires above a deserted town on Nebraska's border slowly died down as rain poured down and quenched the flames. And then half a dozen figures approached the rubble cautiously.
The smouldering ashes were no longer too hot to touch, and they began to dig down, somehow knowing that they were in the right spot. Even Sabrina dug, not noticing or caring about the ashes and dirt that covered her clothes. All she cared about was finding the one who had the courage to challenge Damien.
They finally encountered a shield that looked as though it was made of electricity. It was strong and fierce, and they didn't dare touch it. Two figures were shielded; an unconscious Discordia, and Adam, a triumphant smile on his face.
He dropped the shield and allowed Lukas and Samuel to remove Discordia. She was still breathing, but her body was badly burned. Adam stood up and said, "Damien is dead. Ah'm th' leader now. If y'all have a problem with that, ya c'n leave. Ah don' take kindly ta dissention."
None of the gathered mutants made a move to leave. Adam smiled coldly. "Good. Ah know where Damien was plannin' ta move next tahme th' X-Men became a threat; we c'n go there. Th' jet is still usable, undah this rubble. Find it."
As they began to dig again, he gestured for Sabrina to come aside. They moved out of earshot and she asked, "is there something wrong, Adam?"
"No. But Ah'll need someone ta rule with me when we get ta th' new base. Y'all th' strongest an' smartest, Sabs. Ah was hopin' it maht be ya."
Sabrina smiled. "Of course. You have to have strong leaders to rule over this rabble."
She turned back to help with the digging. Adam pulled a faded photograph out of his pocket; the picture of himself and Dreamer as children. A cold, cruel smile crossed his face. "Don' worry, brothah… Ah'm not gonna give up till y'all back where ya belong… back with me…"
Well, folks, that's the end of the Dark Rising Trilogy. What think you, any good? I may still use these characters, but that depends on whether you guys want more. At any rate, Damien's dead. So it won't be 'Dark Rising' anymore.
For all those who reviewed (okay, not many to be truthful) thanks muchly. Especially to Celtic Sorceress and Cat. You guys rock.
Cat, you like the character named for you? I think her power's fairly cool, plus she gets those premonition thingies. I would have done one for Celtic Sorceress but it didn't fit.
Hmm.
For those of you who read the comics, Aura's boyfriend is none other than Warren Worthington III, Angel, Archangel, whatever you want to call him. I know he's supposed to be with Betsy Braddock but hey, this is movieverse. My artistic license comes in real handy.
For anyone who's a Scott fan, sorry I beat him up so much. It doesn't make much sense, since I like Scott, so why am I mean to him? Ah well, some mysteries are meant to stay unsolved…
I know Mystique and the others weren't in this, but I couldn't figure a way to incorporate them. Maybe next time.
Anyway, thanks for reading. Please review, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)
-Ares
