Mystique's face was calm as she scanned the different television channels for news coverage. A machine in the corner made a gentle whirring noise as it automatically monitored government frequencies. Despite having only a single occupant, the room was thick with palpable tension. The thoughts running through Mystique's head were causing an unpleasant tightness in her mouth and eyes; an expression those that worked with her knew meant big trouble for whomever she was thinking about. And right now she was thinking about Rogue and Wolverine.
A dull glow started to flare behind Mystique's golden eyes. Rogue and Wolverine had been expected back no later than 0500 hours. It was now 0900, not late enough to cause a panic, but late enough for Mystique to start looking for signs in the news of some snag. Of course, human law enforcement intervention wasn't the only unpleasant explanation that had occurred to Mystique.
Wolverine. Mystique had hired him for his infamous connections to the most top secret of government top secrecies. If there was a government installation within a hundred miles, Wolverine knew where it was. The stories about Wolverine hunting down various government compounds and slaughtering the staff were numerous and most often very graphic. And yet, not one of these stories mentioned his fondness for younger women, nor his talents for making these young women disobey their mothers.
Mystique's eyes narrowed in thought. She had spent the last fifteen years caring for Rogue. When she'd found her she was a scared little child. Under Mystique's tutelage she had blossomed into a beautiful young woman and under Mystique's training she had developed into a disciplined soldier. Now all of a sudden Wolverine has her drinking, staying out late, and not completing missions in the allowed time. Something would have to be done. Mystique was just about to call some of her contacts, when Rogue and Wolverine walked in the door.
"Hi, Mama," Rogue said nervously.
Mystique allowed only a small smile to show on her face as she moved to greet her daughter, but her relief was evident her eyes. Despite her disturbing thoughts, she was still a mother at heart. She was just about to embrace her daughter when she suddenly noticed something was missing. Stopping to take a good look at the pair that had just walked in, Mystique frowned. Neither Wolverine nor Rogue carried the modified briefcase that was to be used to transport the quadraphasic missile heads.
"Rogue, where is the briefcase?" Mystique asked slowly. Her eyes focused with alarming intensity on her daughter's and Rogue had to visibly gather herself before she answered.
"We ran into a problem, Mama," she began.
Mystique's expression remained impassive. "Go on."
"The X-Men showed up. They prevented us from reaching our objective so we were forced to abandon the missiles."
Her mother didn't even blink. "Is there anything else?" she asked quietly. "You're awfully late."
Rogue tried not to let her nervousness show, but knew it was no use. As a mother Mystique had the uncanny ability to sense when Rogue was holding something back, and all she was doing right now was delaying the inevitable. Behind her, she could feel Wolverine's presence, silently offering her strength. She took a deep breath.
"The X-Men were there, Mama," she reported truthfully. "There was a fight and we lost. Xavier's people released us this morning."
Mystique's eyes widened. "Charles Xavier? How the Hell did they know about our plans?"
Pain flickered in Rogue's eyes. "They seemed to know a lot about your plans, Mama. More than me."
Mystique frowned. "What is that supposed to mean? Are you questioning me, daughter?"
Rogue shook her head. "No, Mama. Ah've never questioned you." She looked her mother in the eyes. "But now Ah'm questioning your agenda."
"My only agenda has been to fight for our race's right to live," Mystique said firmly.
"And the humans' right to die," Wolverine added dryly.
Mystique turned a scathing look at him. "Don't you dare speak to me! And stay the Hell away from my daughter! You're fired, I want you out of my sight."
"Mama, Wolverine is not the problem!" Rogue interrupted. She walked over to her mother and took her by the shoulders. "Mama, Ah never asked any questions when you sent me on a mission. Ah trusted you and Ah followed you blindly. This is all mah own fault." Unshed tears glistened in her eyes. "Ah love you, Mama. But Ah can't be a part of your fight anymore."
A rainbow of emotions flickered over Mystique's face. Her hands rose slightly, as though to put her arms around her daughter, but she stopped. Composing herself, Mystique looked away from her daughter's eyes.
"All right, Rogue. All right."
Rogue hesitated before dropping her arms to her sides. She couldn't tell what her mother was thinking, but she could sense her distress.
"Mama, just because Ah'm not a part of the Brotherhood doesn't mean Ah'm not your daughter anymore," Rogue insisted, her voice shaking.
Mystique nodded as she turned and walked back to her desk. Standing beside the large metal obstruction, she seemed almost fragile. Keeping her eyes on the desk, Mystique ran a hand across the drawer.
"You will always be my daughter, Rogue. Never doubt that." She opened the drawer. "And never doubt that, as your mother, I will always know what's best for you."
Before Rogue could react, Mystique grabbed a gun from the drawer and leveled it at Wolverine. Rogue jerked in surprise, but Wolverine's face remained impassive.
"You've taken something very important from me," Mystique said calmly. "And now you're going to pay." Her yellow eyes seemed to glow as she pointed the weapon at Wolverine's chest.
Throughout her short speech, Wolverine remained impassive. Regardless of what kind of gun that was, he was confident it couldn't cause him any lasting damage. Better to let the woman get it out of her system and take her down after the first wave of adrenaline passed. He watched, stone-faced, as Mystique pulled the trigger.
"Mama, NO!"
Mystique and Wolverine both watched in horror as Rogue shoved Wolverine out of the way. Time seemed to slow down as the energy gun's ray pierced her chest.
"ROGUE!" Mystique and Wolverine both shouted as one. Mystique dropped the gun and rushed to her daughter, but Wolverine got there first. Crawling to her body, he cradled her head in his lap.
"Rogue," Mystique sobbed. "Rogue, you fool, he has a healing factor; it wouldn't have killed him."
Rogue's eyes stared blankly up at them. Her body convulsed as she tried to draw in enough breath to speak, making a horrible wheezing noise as blood spluttered in her lungs.
"Wasn't thinking, Mama . . . had . . . to save . . ." She coughed, her eyes glazing over as waves of pain broke over her body. "Ah'm sorry . . . Ah have . . . to leave you . . . Mama."
"Shhhhh," Wolverine hushed her. "You're not leaving anyone."
Without a second thought he leaned his head down. Gently, he brushed his lips over hers, bracing himself for the rush of her powers. As the transfer opened, Rogue's body jerked, her flesh beginning the painful process of repairing itself. For a moment, she responded to the kiss, part of her not willing to give up the one chance she had for a willing skin-to-skin touch. All too soon, she felt Wolverine's mouth relax and, taking her cue, she pushed him away to keep from draining him too much. He fell back slightly as she sat up.
In the tradition of mothers everywhere, Mystique reached past Wolverine's sagging body and grabbed Rogue into a hug.
"Don't you ever do that again," she whispered fiercely. "You can leave the Brotherhood, but so help me God, you will NOT leave me."
Rogue smiled as a tear slid down her cheek, touched at the emotion in her mother's voice.
Wolverine's healing factor was working fast to help him recover from his weakness and he chose that moment to sit up.
"Listen to your mother," he groaned. "A guy can only do this so many times."
The tension broke and Rogue and Mystique were helpless not to laugh.
The sun was just rising as Rogue packed the last of her things into her bag. Wolverine was waiting for her outside and she didn't want to pack too much just yet. His offer to let her live with him until she decided what she wanted to do had come as a welcome surprise, but she still didn't know exactly where they were going. Thus, she found herself trying to think of what she might need in the next few days and what she wouldn't need for a few weeks. The problem was that lately she had no idea what it was she needed. She sighed.
"You're sure you won't stay?"
Rogue smiled at the sound of Mastermind's voice. Turning around, she saw the woman who had been her mother's lover and her second parent as long as she could remember.
"You know your mother is going to miss you terribly," the older woman said kindly, coming to stand behind her. "As will I."
Rogue put the last of her belongings in a suitcase. "Ah'm sure," she said for what felt like the millionth time that day. "Ah appreciate the offer, but now that Ah'm not a part of the Brotherhood, Ah'd just feel out of place here."
"It would make you uncomfortable, to watch our missions?" Mastermind observed wisely.
Rogue nodded. "Yeah. And don't think Ah don't know how persuasive Mama can be."
Mastermind laughed. "Don't I know it."
Rogue closed her suitcase. "Well, that's it." She turned around, feeling her stomach tighten as she realized that the goodbye was coming. She hugged Mastermind.
"Take care of yourself, Rogue," Mastermind whispered.
"Always," Rogue assured her, her throat constricting as she tried not to let the tears fall.
As Mastermind left the room, Rogue turned bleary eyes on one last sweep of her room. As her eyes fell on her row of books, Rogue smiled. Zipping up her duffel bag, she turned and left the room. Behind her remained the row of gun manuals, with a little too much space where the lone romance novel had once been kept.
"Hey."
"Hey, yourself," Wolverine said, smiling. He looked down at her single bag. "That all you're bringing?"
"You saying Ah could fit anything else on that thing?" Rogue asked, looking pointedly at his motorcycle.
Wolverine rolled his eyes. "No need for sarcasm," he muttered swinging his leg over the bike and starting the engine.
Rogue laughed and climbed on behind him.
"Your mom isn't gonna see you off?" Wolverine threw over his shoulder, wanting to be careful and avoid coming between this explosive mother-daughter relationship.
"Nah," Rogue said, shaking her head. "Mama never liked goodbyes."
As they started down the driveway and turned out onto the road, something occurred to Rogue.
"Hey, Wolverine, didn't we leave your bike in the truck at the military base?" she asked thoughtfully.
"Yeah, but don't worry, it's not traceable," Wolverine assured her.
Rogue was silent for a moment.
"Um, then where did you get this bike?" she asked finally.
Wolverine grinned. "Remember One-Eye, the X-Man?"