High up in the atmosphere, Fury stood beside Rogue while they started putting their contingency plan into action. Now that Jamie was here, they could do everything they needed to. Already, Callisto stood in the back while Leech clung to her leg. The boy who'd seemed so happy and carefree living with his mother was now watching every shadow, terrified, and something about the way he looked at Callisto told Rogue that he didn't fully trust her either.

Rogue saw a masked lady dressed all in black step out of the shadows and knew it was time. All the woman had done since she'd got there was glare at anyone who got near and try to start arguments with anyone foolish enough to speak to her. Rogue had kept her distance. They didn't have to get along for what they had to do. Rogue pulled off her gloves and drained the lady in black, who she learned was called Miss Marvel, the Jamie, then Leech. It was time for the final gambit.

Rogue started using Jamie's power to replicate herself. The first dupes flew off while she continued to create more of herself. As more and more dupes flew off, Rogue started to feel stretched and thin somehow, (1) but that wouldn't stop her from doing what she needed to do. She was the final gambit, and she would not let her family down. They'd taken her in even though she'd been their enemy and done all they could to make her part of the family. They'd saved her from Mystique. Now she'd save them in turn.

As they flew, there was a shimmer in the web the pyramids were creating where her dupes exerted Leech's power over the web while they continued to fan out. Miss Marvel's flight and near invulnerability made her the perfect choice to get Rogue where she needed to go. Something had felt wrong about the energy transfer, but Rogue didn't allow herself to dwell on it. She had work to do. As more and more Rogues fanned out, the web seemed to shimmer and nearly buckle in places, especially over Mexico, but it wasn't going down. It wasn't enough. Rogue continued to duplicate and felt the stretched, thin feeling grow greater. She wouldn't let that stop her, though. She'd take this web down, or she'd die trying. The way things looked now, it would probably be the latter. ******************************************************

Below in the psychic battle between Xavier and Jean, Jean had finally managed to down Xavier. She saw in a moment that the pyramid was gone and flew up after it. She wasn't done yet. In moments she saw the Rogue's and saw what they were doing. Somehow whatever Rogue was doing wasn't affecting her. She spread her essence and started pulling on the pyramid bits from below, trying to pull them out of formation. When it didn't work, she redoubled her efforts. She felt something burning her from the inside, but she didn't stop. She had to protect her family, her world. Slowly, the pyramids broke formation, and if Jean had been within her own body she would have smiled. Everything was breaking apart.

She felt her essence contracting, and within moments she could feel her own body again. The world seemed to be dwindling down to a single prick-point of light while she slowly fell. She was done. It was done, and the world would live. The final pinprick of light was fading, but she didn't care. Her family was safe.

************************************************************

Rogue saw Jean falling, and one of her dupes swooped down to catch Jean while the others continued working the dead web to make sure it stayed dead. She didn't know where Jean had come from, but the helicopter was close. If Jean's color was any indication, she needed help now. Once, Jean had been the little Miss Perfect girl that Rogue had so despised. Now, she'd become Rogue's naive, much-loved sister, not that she'd ever let Jean know that. The Professor had taught her to be very adept with her shields.

************************************************************

Slowly, the world over, everyone realized it was over. In cities all over the world, people commented on the sudden lights in the sky and wondered what they could be. Many of the mutants below danced as they realized they'd won, while others picked up their fallen friends. Logan did everything he could to save Kurt while Wanda embraced her brother. Evan ran up to his aunt in time to see the blue fade from her face as she started breathing again, battered but in full possession of her own mind again. Every mutant with energy powers was shooting them off in an impromptu firework display. The world had been won, and this was the time for celebration.

One of the most precious scenes came with Kitty. When Wanda went in search of her, she found the valley girl walking away from the spot where the pyramid had stood, carrying a large, lilac egg. Kitty looked up and told her, "It was inside the pyramid. I found it while I phased inside to break things. I think I did some damage. I think it's still alive. I couldn't just leave it." Wanda smiled and sat down with Kitty as they gazed at the new life that might come from this incident.

SHIELD was kind enough to send air transport to take the mutant's home, where the party continued. Brotherhood and X-men feasted as one in the mansion, old differences forgotten for the moment. Tabby cranked up the music and Kitty managed to get Fred to get up and dance with her. The world was free.

Half the mutants were too banged up to move around much, but they were too happy to care. Half the Institute teased Ray about his new, beet-red look from his encounter with Storm, but he didn't care. His time with the Morlocks had taught him to be proud of injuries earned in the line of duty.

Evan and Pietro were so caught up in the moment that they hugged each other before realizing exactly who they were holding onto, letting go, and trying to pretend it had never happened. Unfortunately for them, Tabby had seen and spent most of the evening hounding them about it. She finally quit when they joined forced to get her to knock it off. Pietro caught and got rid of her boom-balls while Evan tacked her to the wall. For a few moments as they laughed together, it was like old times. They went back to the time before the X-men and the Brotherhood, before their mutations. They went back to the time when they'd been best friends and anyone who messed with one of them better be prepared to take on both of them.

Unfortunately, not all was fun and games. As the first euphoria faded, reality set in. Soon after his encounter with Tabby, the smile on Evan's face faded and he wandered off to a quieter part of the mansion. Pietro quietly walked - yes, walked - after him. Somehow, after having the entire world threatened and delivered that day, their childhood rivalries didn't seem to matter anymore. As they walked, Pietro realized that there was something different about Evan other than the new armor. It took him a few minutes to get, but the conclusion was inescapable. Evan wasn't a boy anymore. Somehow, in the time between when he'd left and now, he'd become a man.

The continued into the bowels of the Institute and Pietro was mildly surprised when Evan didn't tell him to leave and Summers didn't show up to try to force the issue. They stepped out into a metallic hall and Pietro started feeling his apprehension growing. Soon, they came to a door where he heard the hisses and beeps of some kind of machinery inside. Pietro peered inside to see that it was an infirmary and all too many of the beds were occupied. He saw Ororo, Xavier, Kurt, and Jean all lain out on the beds. Mr., McCoy was down here too, asleep where he'd obviously sat down to watch his patients.

Evan headed directly for his Auntie O, where he took the seat next to her, intent on staying there. Pietro grabbed a chair and went over to sit beside Evan. He'd be there for the man who had once been his friend. Pietro was somewhat surprised when Evan eventually got up to return to the Morlocks, but he wasn't shocked.

***********************************************************

None had found Magneto, but that didn't mean he was gone for good. Everyone silently waited for him to show up and try to take over the world again. This time, though, he'd have a lot less help. The Brotherhood had found a new path that didn't involve him and would probably fight against him if the need arose. The Brotherhood returned to the boarding house, with a generous allotment of money from SHIELD for their help. Some of them were talking about making it more than a one-time deal.

Kitty kept the egg with her, and half the Institute watched her care for it. Maybe, with a little luck, there's be some kind of young, innocent being running around the Institute soon. Kitty cared for it so carefully that soon some of the bigger jokers were calling her 'the little mother,' but she didn't seem to care. She just ignored them and redoubled her efforts to make sure the whatever-it was had its chance to hatch and live.

Most people started losing interest with the egg when Colossus showed up on their doorstop with a little girl holding his hand and asked to stay. With the Professor and Ororo out for the count, Hank and Logan were sharing control of the Institute. They took them to the library to talk and had allowed Colossus to stay, but none knew yet exactly what had happened within the library.

All in all, life went on. Things changed, but they could help each other pick up the pieces. Wasn't that what the X-men were for? They were family, and family stuck together.

__________________________________________________________

(1) ripped off from LoTR

Roll credits. Opinions?

To be continued in "Healing"