Title: Chances
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue
Rating: PG-13 for language, violence and adult situations
Feedback: Oh please, please, please!!!!
Once again the X-men were seated at their conference table. Once again, silence reigned and held the room. It was 11pm, one hour away from the appointed meeting time in the woods. Jean fiddled with the silver ring on her finger, thinking of the pain of the one that gave it to her. Then wondering if that pain had been an act. They would find out soon enough.
They all waited patiently for Professor Xavier to start the meeting. He was seated at the head of the table, with his eyes closed and brow furrowed. Were anyone else to walk into the room at that moment, they would see Xavier and think that he was just a crippled old man fallen asleep. Not many would see that he was, in fact, one of the oldest and most powerful mutants on Earth. But then, not many look beneath the surface to begin with. Xavier was in all actuality trying to probe the mind of the Wolverine. With his compelling telepathic powers, he was deep in conversation with Logan trying to convince him that they had another chance to save Marie. Knowing Logan it was probably a very one-sided conversation on Xavier's part.
"I have tried convincing Logan that we do indeed have a chance, albeit a small one." Everyone looked expectantly towards Xavier as his eyes opened slowly. "He did not answer me, but I could feel his pain and anguish over losing Rogue. He did listen to what I had to say though. All we can do now is wait and let him make his own decision on whether or not to join us."
"Professor, I'm sorry but we don't need him to get Rogue back." Cyclops said, with no trace of malice in his voice.
"Yes, you could get her back without him. But without him there, will Rogue wake up from her nightmare? Or will she turn catatonic on us, as she probably is now. With the torture she has been put through, not to mention being thrown into the Void, where you can't see, you can't hear yourself scream, there's nothing around you to feel. All your senses are useless. How does a person recover from that? And yes there is a chance that Dreamseeker may be lying and a chance it may be a trap. But it's a chance we have to take. I do not want to go in there only to find out that we cannot bring her back to us. That she is lost forever."
"Why es de wolverine de only one dat can bring ma chere back?" Gambit asked somewhat fiercely.
Xavier smiled slightly. "Do you remember, close to eight years ago when Rogue was kidnapped by Magneto the first time?" At Gambit's nod, Xavier continued. "Logan was the one that brought Marie back to us. Their bond is stronger then I've seen in a long time. Like fire needs air to live, so the same goes for Wolverine and Rogue."
Gambit scowled but stiffly nodded his understanding. Not that the answer was something he had wanted to hear. He loved Rogue in his own way. Not that she ever showed the slightest inkling of interest; she had always had her mind on the wolverine.
"Cyclops will lead the team, I will be there to assist in anyway that I can. I know all of you are anxious to see your lost teammate again; all I ask is that you all stay with each other. We don't know whom else they want or what will happen. There is a large possibility that it could be a trap, but we won't know until we try. Please use caution." Xavier waited for everyone to nod before continuing. "I will use every vestige of my power to get her back. She is one of mine. I will not have one of mine lost to me again." The professor smiled grimly. "Even if it means taking you out Eric." He whispered softly to himself. His pain over what his friend had become was weighing heavily on his heart. But Xavier knew that he could not allow Eric to conquer either.
Xavier gazed at his students, all strong, all courageous, and all good-hearted. They would make him proud, no matter the outcome tonight.
Jean stood up slowly, one hand still fiddling with the ring on her finger. "Let's go get her back then."
* * *
The wolverine stalked the night. His instincts were screaming, trying to tell him something was going to happen. He couldn't make out what it was yet. But he would, he would. Xavier's words still drifted through his mind. Even though he wasn't still talking to him, the old man left quite an impression. "There is still hope and where there is hope there is a chance." Hope. The wolverine tried to ignore the word. But no matter how hard he tried there was still a beacon of light streaming towards him, trying to draw him to it. Xavier's hope.
The wolverine shook his head and growled. Xavier's hope was based on the words of the enemy. It was based on nothing. Just like building a house on sand, there's nothing to base that house on. Nothing. The whole world felt like that at this moment. For a child to be taken twice by a madman, to be used for devious purposes… The wolverine howled at the moon in frustration. He wanted to destroy something, anything. Or maybe…someone. As he drew his claws out and proceeded to tear apart every tree in his path, his mind wandered.
"You runnin' again?" Little Marie looking at him with adoration and fear clouding her eyes.
"I saved your life." Anger flooding her cheeks, suffusing them with bright red color.
"It's a trap Logan. You have to turn around. He's going to kill all of you. In a way, Marie is already dead."
Where did that thought come from? The woman in the white dress, the one that warned him about Magneto. "In a way, Marie is already dead."
"NO!!!" He shouted into the night. No. He wouldn't believe that she was dead. He would know. He would've known when it happened. She wasn't dead. Logan grabbed a tree and rested his forehead against the rough bark. He closed his eyes and pictured her face. He then realized what had been given to him. Hope. Xavier's hope.
"You runnin again?"
* * *
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star. How I wonder…" Rogue couldn't hear the words come out of her mouth. She wasn't even sure if she was singing. There was nothing but black. That was all that she could see. She was having a hard time remembering anything. She knew her name was Rogue. Or was it? If she could have cried, she would have. Was it Rogue? Or was that someone else that she had known? How long had she been here? She couldn't answer any of those questions. She didn't know anything except for the black. If she put her hand an inch in front of her face, she still would not be able to see it. This was utter darkness. There was no such thing as light here. This darkness ate light, like a black hole.
As her mind swept towards more desolate thoughts, she remembered something or someone. But not their name. Just remembered a person that she thought she knew. He was almost an animal. A very fierce and very strong one. But he was also a gentle, protective type of one. "You runnin again kid?" Rogue started at the deep voice that reverberated in her mind. Who was he? And why did she feel like running to him?
"You runnin again kid?"
Author's Note: I'm baaaaackk!!!!