Title: Chances
Chapter 12
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
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Four months had passed since they had attempted to rescue Rogue. There had been no trace of her or Magneto and his squad since then. The X-team had come home discouraged and sick at heart. Not knowing what had happened to Rogue or where she was, was weighing on everyone's mind. It was eating Logan alive. He had sworn to take care of her and had failed. At least that's what was going on through his mind. The other members of the team knew better. But they couldn't convince Logan of that. Not even Jean could make him listen. He had lost all interest in anything that did not involve Rogue. Or Marie as he still called her. The X-men were still searching high and low for her. But after three months no one seemed to think there was much hope for it. Even Professor Xavier was unable to keep his hope alive for her. She wouldn't be able to take much of what Magneto was doing to her. No matter how strong she was. The energy being passed through her and into another mutant was too extreme. And when Magneto was finished with her, he would kill her. If he hadn't already.
No one wanted to believe that she was dead. She had been too alive and too full of life for her light just to be snuffed out like that. The mansion was a somber place now. One of their team members was missing and now presumed dead. They might have given up all hope if Logan didn't keep them going. Logan refused to think she was dead. If he started thinking she was dead, his sanity would be gone with her.
Professor Xavier left Cerebro with a heavy heart. He couldn't find any trace of her. Magneto was shielding her if he hadn't yet killed her. And they had no leads anywhere. Logan traveled all over the northeast searching for her. Riding the motorcycle, going wherever he thought he might find a lead. Cyclops and Gambit rode in the jet using the infrared scanner to scan the countryside. Storm flew over head searching from the sky as well. Jean, Jubilee, and Shadowcat went and questioned people on whether they had seen Rogue. Jean used her telepathy to search their minds, in case they had seen something subconsciously, that consciously they missed. And also to see if they were lying. Iceman and Beast checked out any buildings they could find, abandoned or otherwise. Searching for a clue as to where Rogue had been taken. Nothing. They had no leads, no trail, nothing. Only a chasm of doubt.
Xavier slowly made his way to the meeting room. He hated doing this but what choice did he have? He had to call the search to a stop. They had to focus on what Magneto was doing. They had to make sure that the people in government were not part of the brotherhood. Placed there by Magneto. The world was in terrible danger if Magneto could go through with his plans and cause utter chaos. Starting in the United States. He couldn't take that chance. The X-men had been formed to stop mutants like Magneto. He couldn't just let him have free reign while they search for their missing teammate. Even one as liked and respected as Rogue. He missed Rogue, maybe even more then the other team members. He thought of her as one of his children. His lost mutant children. Just as the other X-men were his children as well. But there was no sign of her and Xavier could not take the chance that Magneto was on the verge of exactly what they all feared. Domination.
Xavier opened the door to the room and went in. He sat quietly in the darkness. Drained from Cerebro, and worry over Rogue he was exhausted. He rested while he mentally prepared himself to deal with the onslaught that was sure to come from the X-men. They would not want to give up, but they would eventually see the logic. Logan would not. And whereas he was a part of the X-men, he wouldn't stick around with Rogue still missing. He probably would never forgive Xavier for this, especially if Rogue was never found. Professor Xavier closed his eyes and started calling his X-men home for the meeting they all knew would be coming, but one they didn't want to come.
"Forgive me, little Marie. Forgive me." Xavier whispered to himself. Xavier bowed his head and waited.
* * *
All of the X-men were sitting at the table, waiting patiently for Logan to arrive. He had been the furthest out. As they sat waiting, Professor Xavier looked around the room at the X-men. They all wore the same faces. Faces of worry, fatigue, frustration and most of all pain at losing a loved one. Rogue was someone they all loved. Just as Xavier was about to say something, Logan came barging into the room.
"What's going on? Do we know where she is? What's happened to her? Why are we sitting here?"
Xavier looked at Logan steadily. "No, Logan. We don't know where she is. Please sit down." Logan looked warily at Xavier, somehow knowing he wasn't going to like the direction this meeting was taking. He took a seat.
Xavier took a deep breath. "I asked you to come here to discuss the situation at hand. I wish there were some other way, but I'm afraid there's not. We must stop the search for Rogue."
Logan jumped out of his seat. "Stop the search? What do you mean stop the search? We can't stop the search until she's found. Are you crazy? You're going to leave her in Magneto's hands?" Logan's face showed his rage and disbelief plainly.
The other X-men started talking all at once. Everyone was in an uproar over Xavier's statement. Xavier raised his hand.
"Please, let me finish." Everyone shut up at the same time. Logan stayed standing, glaring dangerously at Xavier. "We have not had any sign of Rogue for months. It's been four months since she's been kidnapped. We have to regroup and figure out how to stop Magneto. Otherwise it might be too late."
"So you're just going to forget about her. Leave her to fend for herself against Magneto? Is that the brilliant new plan? Leave Marie to die?" Logan threw his hands up in the air. "You should never have let us rescue her the last time, if you planned on letting her get killed. She's probably close to dying as it is."
"Logan," Xavier started gently. "She might already be dead."
"The hell she is! I would know, damn you. If she were dead, I would know. And you obviously don't give a shit about her if you're going to leave her to die." Logan bellowed. He looked around the room at the other X-men. "Are you going to let her die too? Are you going to stand by while he tells us to let Marie die?" The X-men looked around at each other, at the table or the wall, just not at Logan. "Fine. You people can do what you want. What you think is right. Letting an innocent die is not right. Especially Marie."
"Logan, imagine how many other people, children are going to be killed if Magneto gets his way. How many others, Logan? Countless numbers will die, have no doubt about that. What kind of world would we be in if Magneto ruled?" Xavier softened his tone. "Do you think Marie would want you to keep looking for her? I know Rogue. Her sense of honor is astounding. She would want us to find a way to stop Magneto. So no one else would get hurt. I'm not saying that we can't follow a lead if we get one. We all love Rogue. But as of right now we have nothing. And there are people in high places of power that are under Magneto's thumb. We have to find out who they are and what his plan is. We have to take them out of their positions. We have no choice."
Logan looked around the room, confusion and pain utmost on his face. Then suddenly anger darkened his face again. "You can do what ever the hell you want to do. But I am going to find Marie and bring her back. If I have to reach in to the jaws of hell itself and pull her out, I'll find a way. I'm not leaving her to him. I don't give a shit about anyone else, except her. And I'll be damned before I leave her." He looked around the room one more time. Everyone was silent. He turned on his heel and walked out the door. Xavier closed his eyes and bowed his head. Just as he thought. Forgiveness is not something that will come easily, especially not with a Wolverine.
* * *
Logan stormed out of the school and got on his bike. As he sped off he thought he heard Xavier's voice in his head whispering, "I'm sorry, Logan. Truly sorry." Logan ignored the voice and kept riding. Almost a half an hour later, he came to a dirt trail leading into the dense woods. He turned onto the path without hesitating and rode until the trail became too hilly and narrow to ride on. Leaving his bike on the side of the trail he walked on. Fifteen minutes later he came to a circle of trees. In the middle of the trees there were candles, some half burnt, some not used yet. Logan walked to the center of the trees, in the midst of the candles. Night was falling quickly, as was the temperature. Heedless of that, Logan lit every candle. Then he built a small fire, just to keep him warm. Sitting on the forest floor, he pulled out a purple scarf. Marie's purple scarf. He had taken it out of her room months before. And every chance he got he sat and kept a vigil.
With Xavier not searching for her any more, it would be difficult by himself. He knew what Xavier was saying, but he refused to believe she was dead. He would know if she were dead. He would know it. As the reality of Marie being dead hit him, he screamed at the uncaring moon, "No!" Then without warning, he did something that a Wolverine never did, never could do. He cried. Clutching Marie's scarf.
Please let me know how this one came out…. ccglass1@mindspring.comThanks! Candi J