AN: So here it is: the final chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it!
Mystique took a step forward, her expression and focus unwavering. "The only thing I can't figure out," she said, "is how you found your way back here. The dual memories were a side-effect I hadn't calculated, but I thought those memories would have faded by now for everyone but me. So how is it you two still seem to remember?"
"What does it matter?" Jean retorted, "We do remember and we're going to set things right."
"I suppose it's your telepathy," Mystique continued, as if she hadn't heard Jean, "It now appears that taking care of the dear professor was wiser than I even realized."
"What?" Kitty cried, "What did you do to him?"
Her venomous smile grew more deadly. "Let's just say," she taunted, "that I made sure he will not interrupt us." She laughed slightly.
Jean's eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?" she demanded, "What all did you change?"
"You mean you haven't figured that out yet?" Mystique responded, "Did I overestimate you?"
"You got rid of the professor," Jean stated, "and adopted Scott. That's the only way he'd ever work with you and it's also the ultimate revenge."
Mystique clapped her hands together. "Bravo, Miss Grey," she said, in mock congratulations, "While that is simplifying my plans quite a bit, you are basically right."
"So where is everyone else?" Kitty asked.
Mystique raised an eyebrow as she continued to focus her attention on Jean, obviously expecting her to answer Kitty.
"They are all where they were before the professor or anyone ever first tried to contact them," Jean said, "because, in this timeline no one has contacted them." Mystique's smile confirmed the truth of Jean's statement without the need for verbal affirmation.
"But you've set things up," Jean continued, "so that you are in control. You can look for them anytime you want to."
"So that's what this is all about," Kitty stated, "but still, how could you do this to Kurt? I mean, he's your son!"
For the first time, Mystique's expression faltered. The smugness was gone from her features as a new expression took its place. Could it be that she actually looked as if she felt guilty, Kitty wondered as she watched her.
"Some sacrifices had to be made," she said, her tone strangely soft.
"But look what you did to him!" Jean insisted.
The anger flashed in Mystique's eyes. "How dare you try to order me around!" she growled. She stomped over and opened the door. "You two!" she yelled, "Get up here, now!"
Kitty could hear footsteps rushing towards the room, as well as the familiar voices of Scott and Rogue. "I thought we weren't supposed to go in that room," Scott said as they ran down the hall.
"Shut up" Mystique yelled, "and get in here!"
Scott ran to the doorway with Rogue following closely behind, but they paused when they saw the strange machine with Kurt hanging within the wires and tubes. "What is this?" Scott asked, his voice shocked.
"Never mind!" Mystique ordered, as she pointed towards Jean and Kitty, "Just stop them, like you were supposed to do the first time."
"But," Rogue began, "this stuff looks like something out of a old sci-fi horror movie."
"I'll explain it later," Mystique responded, in a gentler tone than she had used when she spoke to Scott, "but for now, those two must be stopped."
"We're on it," Scott said.
"But don't damage the machine," Mystique added, sharply
Scott and Rogue stepped fully into the room so that they were now facing Jean and Kitty. In a strange way, Kitty would rather be facing Mystique. At least she hadn't been a former friend and roommate.
"I don't know how you got away the first time," Scott said, "but I'm not going to let that happen again."
He tried to blast Jean, but she dodged and used her telekinesis to shove to try and pin Scott against the wall. However, she was being far more gentle than usual for it was obvious she didn't want to actually hurt Scott.
Kitty didn't have much time to focus on their battle because she was having her own confrontation with Rogue. She jumped backwards just in time to avoid Rogue touching her with bare hands and allowed Rogue's leg to phase through her when she attempted a kick. However, it was becoming difficult to continually dodge the attacks. She jumped to the side, but tripped over a large wire. By the time, she saw Rogue striking forward, she didn't have time to phase. The force of Rogue's blow shoved her against the far wall, and she was too dazed to move for a few minutes.
Rogue obviously didn't think that was a threat anymore, so she turned her attention to Jean, who so far had been able to defend herself from Scott. She leaped forward, her bare hand outstretched.
"NO!" Mystique cried, when she saw what Rogue was about to do, but it was too late.
Rogue's hand touched Jean's face, and Jean cried out slightly before losing consciousness. Scott stepped forward as Jean fell and smiled slightly, but Rogue was not smiling. Angrily, she spun around to face Mystique.
"Things aren't supposed to be like this," Rogue growled.
"You're confused," Mystique began, almost desperately.
"You changed everythin'," continued Rogue, shaking slightly now from anger.
"I did change things," Mystique admitted, "but I only changed them to the way there should be."
However, Rogue didn't seem to believe Mystique. Using Jean's telekinesis, she shoved Mystique completely out of the room and slammed the door shut. After locking the door, she turned and made her way over to Kurt.
"What are you doing?" Scott asked, obviously confused.
"What needs to be done," Rogue answered.
She found the IV that was inserted in Kurt's arm and followed it back to the valve. Shutting off the valve, she turned back to Kurt and watched him carefully. Within a few minutes, his eyes slowly began to open.
"Kurt," Rogue whispered.
"Vhat?" he mumbled, still mostly under sedation.
"Wouldn't ya like to go home?"
"Home," he repeated, smiling slightly. Kitty was struggling to her feet as she watched the entire scene. Somehow, the sight of Kurt's gentle smile while still attached to all the wires and tubes broke her heart even more.
"Yeah," Rogue said, "Let's go home."
*****************
Something was going to happen.
Kitty wasn't sure what exactly and even tried to convince herself that she was just being paranoid, but she didn't think that she was. The air itself felt thick and heavy and it seemed difficult to breathe. It was as if their was a great, invisible weight was dangling just over her head. Something was going to happen.
Kurt said something about getting something from his room and that he'd be right back. He teleported from the main room, leaving only a small puff of smoke behind where he had been standing. However, Kitty wasn't paying a lot of attention. Her mind was too consumed with worry of what was about to happen.
Several minutes passed. "Maybe I should check on him," Jean said, and Kitty understood her concern. Although he really hadn't been gone all that long, when Kurt said that he'd 'be right back', he usually meant it literally.
Jean came running back into the room, but before anyone could ask her what was going on, the ground began to shake violently.
"Is is Lance?" Scott demanded, trying to regain his footing.
Before anyone could answer, darkness flooded the room. There was a loud thump as something heavy fell followed by a series of low rumbles that sounded like thunder from a distant storm. Kitty started to scream.
Yet, as quickly as it had started the shaking stopped and the lights returned. For a few minutes everyone was silent as they looked around the room, confused. "What just happened?" Rogue finally asked.
"I don't know," Scott answered, "Is everyone okay?"
A general mumble reluctantly agreed that they were fine, except for Jean who seemed quite upset. "It's Kurt," she said, "He wasn't up in his room and his window was open. He's gone!"
"But I'm right here," Kurt announced, stepping into the room.
"Oh," Jean said, embarrassed, "I guess we just missed each other then."
"I guess," Kurt responded with a smile.
Scott looked around. "We need to find out what's going on," he said, "I want to know if that was Lance just now."
"There's no need for that," Professor X said, entering the room, "I'm not sure myself what happened, but I can assure you it wasn't Lance. Perhaps this was actually a natural earthquake."
"But shouldn't we try to find out what happened?" Scott asked.
"Everything is fine now," Professor X responded, "Besides, it's late. You really should be getting to bed."
Storm entered the room just as the others were leaving, but she had been standing in the doorway listening. "Why do I think you know more than you're saying?" she asked, but the Professor only looked at her. He didn't seemed to prepared to answer her just yet.
There were some grumbles as the others walked upstairs, but everyone was tired so their complaints were only half-hearted. Kitty, mentally exhausted from the stress, was more than ready to go to sleep. Yet, despite the fact that she was very tired, she couldn't seem to stop smiling. For some reason, she felt as if they had avoided a great tragedy and had found each other once again when they all had been lost. She couldn't explain the feeling, but it was still there.
At least the other feeling, the horrible worry that something was about to happen was no longer bothering her. It was fading, as if she had never even felt it in the first place.
Fading, as if it had only been a bad dream.
And so ends the story. I hope you liked it. I have some more stories that I will be working on soon. I have one short story that focuses on Toad that I would like to write as well as a story that's not quite Kurtty but really close. I also have an idea for a long story that focus on Mystique's past. The rough title for now is Mystique: Complete and Unabridged, but that may change. I appreciate any and all feedback on this story as well as the ideas I've mentioned.
