Chapter 7

Storm ran into the medical facility, Rogue at her heels, "Professor, it was Lian, she's the mistress of the hounds."

"Storm, how can that be? She's dead." They both thought of what Gambit had said, dead but not dead, can't die. "It's possible..."

"Excuse me," Julia said with exaggerated politeness, "It's my son you're talkin about, now do some explainin'."

"I'm sorry. Lian Chen was a brilliant doctor once, until she was taken over by an entity we've come to call the Shadow King. He perverts those he takes over, drawing out the darker sides of their souls; that's what happened to her. In most cases it's reversible, but from what we know, she was under his control for too long. When we destroyed his presence on Muir Island last year, we believed she died as well."

"What could she have to do with Nicky?"

"He encountered her when he and I first met," Storm said, taking up the story. "The Shadow King was pursuing me, and Gambit stepped in to help. Something odd did happen between them during that first encounter, but I, and he, too, I think, did not see very much significance in it at the time. But to a woman who had been warped as much as she, perhaps..."

"I knew he was goin' to charm the wrong woman someday," Julia muttered. "Boy likes to spread it on." She was looking over at the two cylinders, frowned, "But that's not this Lian woman, her name is Jean Grey, is that not so?"

"Yes," Charles said, "But Jean and Storm were just in Virginia investigating the last known residence of the Shadow King before Muir Island, to make sure there were still no traces of him. It's possible that if something of Lian lingered--"

"Then she could take over the girl. Especially since she be no' looking for that."

Charles nodded, "And her mind would have been at least partially open to try and sense the Shadow King."

"How could she have survived all this time, professor? How did she get those dimensional powers?" Rogue asked.

"We can't be certain that it really is Lian Chen yet, though this makes more sense than anything else we've come up with so far. As for how she got the powers, they may be a legacy from her time with the Shadow King. She was not with him on Muir Island though her body is accounted for." He glanced at Storm, who nodded. "It was found in the mansion in Virginia."

"In one of the bathrooms." Storm frowned, "Jean spent some minutes alone there, but she seemed fine, I should have questioned it--"

Charles was shaking his head, as was everyone else in the room, "Any agent of the Shadow King would know how to hide her trail, you're not a mind reader, Ororo, and even those of us who are did not see through her disguise."

"What could she have done with Jean?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. Perhaps Psylocke and Revanche can go to Virginia, see if Jean has been imprisoned somewhere."

"Maybe she just corrupted her," Rogue said, "she couldn't have hidden from y'all just by pretendin' to be Jean. And y'all were saying that there were two people in Jean's body at the end."

"We still can't discount the possibility that Lian managed to fool us all," Charles said. "I'll send Psylocke and Revanche down in the morning." He sighed, "Even if we find that it was Lian, it may bring us no closer to recovering Gambit and Jean."

"You mean we're back at square one," Julia said grimly.

Later that night, Rogue was wandering around the darkened house, unable to sleep. Betsy 1 and Betsy 2, as she thought of them, would be flying out first thing, but other than that, nothing had been settled. The professor and Julia had both tried to reach Gambit and Jean, but they hadn't sensed anything. She'd always thought she had too many mutant powers, but all that she had was useless. She wasn't a telepath. That was the only power that mattered here. She wandered around, trying not to wish she'd see Remy jump out of one of the shadows. She ended up wandering over to the medical facility; it was the closest she could get to him.

To her surprise, she found two people there, Julia and the professor. They were sitting quietly together, holding hands. Her breath caught in her throat, she would never be able to do that with Remy, not even if he got back. She was going to back away, she didn't want to see this, and didn't want to intrude, but they were both telepaths.

They turned to her, and held out their hands. "Come on, child, we're all hurting, no reason to do it alone," Julia said.

Hesitantly, she came and sat by Julia's chair, drawing her knees up and resting her head against Julia. She felt the comforting weight of Julia's hand in her hair, jerked back, "You have to be careful, Ah can hurt you--"

"Hush, child, I know. I said to you Nicky's told me about you, didn't I?" Her smile was kind, "Now sit quietly, we've all had a hard day and we all need to take comfort." Glancing at the professor, who smiled at her and nodded, Rogue settled back, let Julia's touch soothe her. They stayed there in silence for a long time, Rogue even started getting drowsy.

Julia and Charles had been talking mentally every so often, so as not to disturb Rogue. And their conversation was too private to share. Charles had been telling her about his child, David, and how he lay an empty husk now, how he had never seemed to have enough time for David. Julia had told him a little more about her life, admitting that she did wonder if she had made the right choices, told him of the time when she had first told Gambit she was his real mother. There had been some pain there from the half rejection and the confusion of a still young boy who knew she was telling the truth and knew her but had grown up calling someone else Mother.

'Always seems we fail those closest to us most, eh, Charles?'

'I don't think you have failed your son.'

'He's the only one who can ever make me sure of that.'

'You haven't told him about his father?'

He felt her mental head-shake. 'No, and I won't unless I have to.' Thinking about the kind of situation that would make her tell brought a smile to her lips. 'I pray it never happens.'

'Armageddon is to be avoided if at all possible.'

'I miss him, Charles,' she said quietly, and he felt her mind seeking out again, searching for some hint of her son. He joined her search now as he had before, hoping... They both concentrated on Gambit, though Charles was concerned about Jean as well. It was simply easier to start with him since Julia was there. Mother and son bonds.

Julia was so caught up in her mental search, her hand slipped, accidentally brushing and pausing on Rogue's bare neck. Both felt the jolt but for a few moments, they were joined, and Rogue began taking in Julia's telepathic powers, was immersed in their search for Gambit. While her mind sought to break the contact, her heart joined them and called out to Gambit.

And he answered.

For the briefest instant there was a response, then Charles broke their contact, pulled Rogue away from Julia. Julia slumped. Rogue felt a welter of thoughts and impressions, Charles' concern and something more growing, for Julia, Julia's weakness, images of a little boy with big dark eyes and a grin she could recognize, all were vivid for a few moments, then they began to fade until she ceased even to sense the two people around her as alive.

Opening her eyes, she saw that Julia was sitting up, that Charles was at her side, holding her, his eyes flickering between her and Julia with concern. "Is she all right?" Rogue asked, "Ah didn't mean--"

"Of course not, child," Julia said, her voice a touch too soft, breathless, "it was my mistake, was no' careful. Got so caught up searching for..." Her voice trailed off as her eyes opened wide. "He was there."

"Julia, are you sure?" Charles said.

"You mean Remy, Ah felt him, too," Rogue said, getting to her knees. "It had to be him."

Julia nodded, "He was there, for a second..." She closed her eyes, reaching again, but opened them the next second, wincing at the light. "Shouldn't have tried that so soon."

"He was there, professor," Rogue said earnestly, "Maybe if you--"

"I felt something, Rogue, and it could have been Gambit, but the contact was too brief to be sure."

"Ah'm sure."

"So am I," Julia said. "But I don't think Charles will be able to get through to him," she turned to Rogue, "he was reaching out to you."

"Me? Ah don't have any power, Ah was just along for the ride."

Charles watched Julia, felt the slight twinge of pain the admission had cost her, "Perhaps not, Rogue. Julia and I have tried to find him before, and only when you were with us, however briefly, did we make any contact. It could be a coincidence, but..."

Julia was shaking her head, "No, it wasn't. He answered your call, child." She smiled, "It was from the heart."

"But you've been calling him from the heart--"

"He loves you."

Rogue blushed scarlet. "Ah--You're his mother, he loves you, too," she stammered.

"It's no' quite the same," Julia said with a gentle smile and a look to Charles. 'Young love is so sweet,' she thought to him.

'At any age,' he thought back and felt her startled surprise.

"Ah--" Rogue was still blushing furiously, didn't seem to know which way to look. "If y'all think there's anything Ah can do to help, o'course, I will... Anything... if y'all think..."

"We do," Julia said, "but not tonight. I'm not up to it--"

"We all need rest," Charles put in, "and I would prefer to have the information Psylocke and Revanche will bring before attempting to contact Gambit again. We were unable to sense either Jean or Lian, but that does not mean they are not nearby."

Julia nodded reluctantly, "As eager as I am to get me boy back, what you say makes sense. We probably shouldn't have been searchin' at all tonight, but you were indulging a mother's fear." The last was said with a smile at Charles.

"I have my less than rational moments," Charles admitted.

Julia chuckled a bit, "We all do." She stood, though she hadn't yet let go of Charles' hand. "We ought to get some sleep now." It was addressed to all but Rogue was the one who moved.

"Good night," she said, slipping out of the room.

Julia turned to Charles, "You really are an old softie under that professor title are ye not?"

"At times." He was watching her intently.

"We do need to rest."

He nodded, "But when this is over."

Slowly she smiled, bent down and kissed him, "I think I'll look forward to that."

"Me, too."

"Good night, Charles," she said, moving towards the door.

"Good night, Julia."

****