Destiny Always Finds A Way

BRIEF DISCLAIMER: I still don't own X-men- but if I could just borrow Gambit for my next birthday, I promise I would give him right back...really... *innocent look*

A/N: Thanks for all the new reviews, Wow!

Chapter Three- Between Friends and Enemies

  Remy LeBeau stared after his confused wife and watched her take down their teammates then disappear. What had gotten into her? Rogue and Piotr, even St. John, had gotten so close in the past six years and she wouldn't hurt their child for anything. But him... he could feel her pain and anger, her surprise... her fear. And she acted like it was all so new to her, like they were teenagers again. Could it be that when ol' Cyclops blasted her through that wall the other day she hit her head and got a sort of amnesia? It hardly seemed possible, Rogue was so tough, so resilient.

  He sighed, looking down at baby Chase and back at his unconscious teammates, then placed the baby on the abandoned medical bed with a deck of cards. If his guess was right, he knew where Rogue was headed- and she was going to need some help. Remy tried to rouse the still insensible Pyro and failed. "Boom!" Chase yelled, giggling. St. John jumped up, "What happened?!" The Cajun just shook his head. That kid had some set of lungs.

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  The southern belle flew over to the front steps of the Xavier Institute, glad to finally be somewhere that made sense. She was done trying to reason with herself on how she could suddenly fly, suddenly touch. Rogue had had to put her hair up since she couldn't find ant scissors in the supply room of the Acolytes base, and had changed into a pair of clothes she found in a locker with her name. She just hoped her teammates recognized her through whatever spell Magneto, or Mesmero put on her. Because this was all too abnormal to be a dream. Finding the door locked, she twisted off the knob jiggling the handle. "Piece of junk," she muttered, walking in and entering the alarm code.

  Sighing, she went up the stairs and was heading down the hall when some unseen force threw her against the wall. Jean. Eyes wide in disbelief, she stared at the red-haired telepath floating towards her in a protective bubble. They had never exactly been friends, but the older girl had never attacked her before. Even more extraordinary, it looked like Jean had a baby too, only he seemed to be about four with brown hair- since he was asleep she couln't see his eyes. The sight threw her, since the toddlers' stubborn features seemed so familiar. "What are you doing here, Rogue?" the woman said angrily, her eyes flashing.

  Rogue struggled against the mental hold, and growled, "What's wrong with you? I'm here to see the professor. Let. Me. Go." She ended with a shout. The child whimpered, opening his dark eyes. Jean quieted, turning back to Rogue with a furious expression, "You're the enemy, so I say too bad." With that, the redhead slammed her with another psychic blow. Incensed, Rogue broke the mental hold and flew up to her, eyes nearly black in her rage. Jean got a sudden, keen look of fear and odd familiarity as she tried to strengthen her shields and throw Rogue back.

  Quickly tired of the situation, and not liking the look on Jean's face, she flung out her hand and just absorbed her to unconsciousness, catching the kid before he fell. "You could've just told me the Professor and Logan weren't here," she said to Jean's still form in disgust. "Bad!" the child yelled. "Yeah, ya sound like your parents too," the stripe-haired woman muttered. "Bad, Bad!" She sighed and used Jean's powers to make the child sleep and sent him drifting down the hall, to where she now knew his playpen was. Rogue certainly couldn't just leave him out here, or awake.

  She then clutched her head as her least favorite person's 'memories' shot through her and she tried to wall off the visions piece by piece. Jean and Scott, the baby, Nathan, all the X-men, fighting her- her turning on them all when something took her over. Mesmero had to know she would absorb Jean too, he must've planted that in her head to further draw her into this alternate reality. Right? She rose into the air, eyes closed tight as Rogue sorted it all out in order to keep her sanity. It seemed all their gifts were stronger.

  She managed to calm herself and painfully tried to resume her search. The mansion had change through time, gotten bigger. She had a sudden intense desire to see Scott, to hold him, to... hold Nathan-  breathe in his warm baby scent and have him hug her. No, that wasn't her. But she did have a child... She just didn't know his name.  Rogue suddenly heard thoughts in her head, from Jean's powers. Then as she tried to focus on them, they disappeared- but she heard giggling and low talking close by. Kitty and Kurt. Her heart clenched as if by a cold iron fist, wondering what to do. She considered just leaving, her purpose here gone, but then they spotted her.

  One shocked thought ran through both their minds. Her name. Then she detected fear, anger, but no joy. She had hurt them first, hurt them the worst when she turned, and not just by joining the Acolytes. She'd nearly destroyed them, and herself- they could never forgive her. Then they spotted Jean's unconscious body at her feet and went to her. Secret tears burning at the back of her eyes and her throat constricted as she slowly started walking, floating backwards not sure what they were going to do but not wanting to fight them- no matter what she saw in Jean's mind, the darkness creeping in.

  "Settle down, guys- she attacked me first, I was just coming in to see the Professor. See the Acolytes..."  The two of the three people she'd been closest to in the world (the third being Logan) simultaneously turned on her. "You'll never make it to the Professor," Kurt growled. "Yeah, you'll pay for this Acolyte," Kitty hissed. She did her best to fend off their blows, but realizing she had no choice, focused her powers on both of them and dropped them to the floor. Then she fell beside the threes bodies, sobbing as reality hit and everything, everyone, flowed through her. This wasn't a dream, this wasn't an illusion or a spell- this was her life.

  So what kind of messed up future was this? How could she have just lost six obviously important years of her life and yet still have lived them? Maybe she was crazy, maybe she did have some sort of amnesia. There was so much confusion... so many questions. She heard the quiet *snickt* of metal claws being released and slowly lifted her heavy head with wet, red-rimmed eyes. "Kid?" "Logan," she whispered, choked-up. He didn't retract his claws and go to her like he wanted to, and she didn't run to him and cry into his chest, letting him comfort her, like she wanted to. But they didn't attack each other either, not like her other alleged friends did, even though they were supposedly enemies and she already took out three of them it was a stalemate.

  "Chere," came a relieved sigh from behind her. It was the Swamp Rat. She heard Logan growl at them, lifting his claws, but didn't attack and Rogue shifted beside them. Still watching Logan, and him still studying them, she wanted to tell Gambit to go away and leave her there- wanted to tell him she didn't need him, but she did, more than she wanted to need him. "We need to go now, chere, before de rest of de cavalry gets here." He kept a wary eye on the Wolverine though he knew what the man felt for Rogue and that he wouldn't attack them with her near. Pyro came up to them after checking the place out (how many chances would he get?). "Looks like you've been busy," he commented with amusement and a bit of awe. Logan tensed, Rogue ducked her head with fresh tears in her eyes, and Gambit glared but sighed.

  "Chere?" He asked his wife, worried. She lifted her head, her eyes desolate, but nodded and let him help her up, worn physically and emotionally. It felt almost nice to have him hold her… almost as good as Logan. But no, what she felt for Gambit had to be relief because he was there for her. Rogue looked at the man who'd been a combination of mentor and almost a father figure, a hero, to her with everything she wanted to say but couldn't in her eyes. Then she smiled sadly, not wanting to think of what would happen when she next ran into him or her other two close friends, and held on to Gambit and Pyro, phasing them through the floor before anyone else showed up or she could see even Logan's expression.

  Once downstairs, she clung to Gambit for a minute, shaking and sobbing quietly- not caring what he thought of that. But they were married, so it was okay right? As long as she didn't make a practice of it? She drew back, sniffling slightly and Pyro put a caring hand on her shoulder in a small show of comfort- not sure how much she'd allow since he knew her mind was still set on sixteen. But seeing the emotion on his face she gave him a shy hug then teleported them all outside, encasing them in a protective bubble as she floated them back to the base. "This could be handy," St. John remarked thoughtfully. She laughed a bit more cheerily. He really was okay… the Swamp Rat too. At any rate, she got a little something for what she lost.

  They soon got back to headquarters and she sighed as she gave herself some space. Pyro put his hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes with a small smile, "Don't trouble yourself over this now, ya hear?" She nodded, lifting her lips in a shadow of a smile, and he left them alone after sharing a look with Gambit. Her little mission done at least for now, she sagged tiredly and Gambit caught her. "What do I do now?" she whispered hardly above a breath, "Will all this ever make sense? Will I ever regain my sanity?" She didn't know what was real or even what she knew anymore. "You not crazy, petite, just a bit confused because of dat head wound. You'll remember in time." Rogue shrugged, "I don't know Gambit, six years is a lot to remember." He grinned rakishly, "I'll help you." She groaned. Why did that not sound reassuring? And yet somehow promising…?

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   I hope you liked this chapter, originally it was longer but my own Cajun muse was feeling neglected so I cut it short for some more quality time. It's Valentine's Day! Or almost… But the next chapter will most likely be going up soon- then Rogue and ya'll get an explanation for the time loopy thing (however it may stink), and Rogue makes a new friend and forms. A bientot!