Thanks for the feedback: raniatlw, Risty, Ice Princess, Person, Steven P. P, DemonRogue13, Psyc
Jean yawned. Jamie's story finally wound to a close. The boy was frowning at both her and Colossus. "You aren't listening." He complained.
Jean quickly scanned his mind. "Yes I was, you were talking about your English report."
"Well he wasn't." Jamie replied with a nod to Colossus. The big Russian's chin rested on his chest, a soft snore was his only defense.
Jean grinned a little. She reached out and gave Colossus' shoulder a shake. He muttered an incomprehensible complaint but didn't open his eyes. Jean shook him again. "Bed time." She said. Colossus staggered to his feet and followed her out of the kitchen.
Jean led the way to the nearest guest room. At the door she turned to find Colossus missing. A few moments of backtracking found him on the couch in the lobby. His feet were hanging well over the arm and he was fast asleep. "Whatever makes you happy." Jean said with a shrug.
"I found a blanket." Jamie said.
"You better get to bed too." Jean replied as she took the blanket and spread it over Colossus. Then she headed toward her own room.
She saw Jamie pause in the hall to shake Kurt awake. The blue furred mutant jerked upright. "Amanda!" He exclaimed as the phone he'd fallen asleep holding clattered to the floor.
"She probably heard you snoring." Jamie said. Jean shook her head and kept walking.
The glow from the TV prompted Jean to glance into the den. Tabby had just stood up to turn it off. "Hey Red why don't you point me toward an empty bed?" She said. "Too much noise in here."
Jean smiled a little. Fred was asleep in the armchair making a deep buzz saw sound. Sam was sprawled across the floor providing harmony. Rahne was asleep on the couch with Todd. She was carrying the vocals as she held a heated conversation about Banderloges. Todd slept on peacefully with a pillow over his head. Jean gestured toward the stairs as another yawn escaped her.
****** ****** ******
Wanda and Remy lay back in a nest of blankets spread over the living room couch. Her head was tucked beneath his chin. His arms were loosely clasped around her waist.
"Somet'ing strange be going on." Remy commented quietly. "I know I never tol' dese people 'bout Tante. Never met deir Doctor neither, but she shor acts familiar."
"Why would she think I'd hurt Dad?" Wanda wondered. "And did you see how shocked Pietro looked when you put your hand on my shoulder? Like he didn't know we've always been close."
"To be fair we weren't together de last time we saw 'Silver."
"That's weird too, you've called him Silver as long as I can remember but Pietro couldn't have chosen his mutant name until after his powers manifested."
"I know, t'inkin' 'bout it gives me a headache."
"Something's going on." Wanda said. "Still it'll wait for tomorrow."
"Sounds bien to me." Remy replied.
****** ****** ******
Rogue sat up in bed watching the clock and trying to stay awake. She wondered how long it would take Moira to finish Pietro's cast and get back to her other patients.
The nerve of the woman, kicking her out of Pietro's room just minutes after him telling her they could touch! Enhanced reflexes or not that news took a little while to really sink in. They'd barely had time to verify it before Moira had sent her to bed. It was totally unfair!
Rogue got up and started going through her closet. After a few seconds she settled on a halter-top and short skirt minus the normal over-shirt, tights and gloves she used to cover every hint of bare skin.
She checked the clock again then darted across the mansion to the boys' wing. Moira was still working on Pietro's cast.
Rogue shut the door to his room again before Moira could register her presence but she and Pietro had time to exchange glances. Rogue knew he'd be waiting for her to return as soon as Moira left.
Back in her room Rogue paced until Jean sent a scalding telepathic demand for quiet. Rogue's reply was unprintable. Jean reminded her that Amara was also next door and that the younger girl needed quiet to rest and recover.
Rogue sighed then changed into her work out clothes. She went out for a brisk walk around town, came back, grabbed a shower and changed clothes again. Then she spent a few more seconds glaring at her clock. She wished Risty weren't Mystique. She wished Kitty were home. After a few seconds of thinking she ransacked Kitty's desk and eventually located the phone number for Lance's grandparents. Rogue slipped downstairs and eventually found a room where she could watch for Moira to leave and talk without disturbing any of the sleeping bodies scattered around the mansion.
"Hey-this-is-Rogue-could-Ah-talk-to-Kitty?" She asked as soon as the phone was answered.
"What?" A confused voice asked.
Rogue took a deep breath and repeated herself more slowly.
"Just a moment, I'll get her." Rogue spent the intervening seconds untangling knots in the phone cord then winding it around her arms and legs.
"Rogue, hey. What's going on?" Kitty asked.
"Pietro-and-I-can-touch!"
"Have you done anything about it yet?" Kitty asked eager for gossip.
"I-think-we're-going-to-just-as-soon-Moira-gets-done-with-his-cast."
"Cast!" Kitty exclaimed. "What happened?"
Rogue felt a measure of her happy excitement shrivel and die. "Mystique, Apocalypse. There was a huge battle; we lost. Storm's hurt bad. Pietro and Amara both got some broken bones. Kurt, Ray and Fred are all a bit worse for wear… Apocalypse is loose and he's real bad news Kitty. We didn't even make him work for it."
"Storm's hurt? How bad is bad?" Kitty asked.
"Her lungs are blown, but Moira's saying she'll get better. We're asking Tante Mattie back, hopefully she can speed up both Ororo and Pyro's healing."
"Pyro!?" Kitty exclaimed. "Magneto's fire guy? What's he doing in the mansion?"
"Strange as it sounds, we're working with them and the whole gang's sleeping over at our place." Rogue replied. "Even the head honcho. Ah swear if he comes anywhere near Pietro Ah'll find a way to kill him. Ah have had it with being someone's pawn. Whatever happens we ain't getting caught in the middle of it."
"Whoa, whoa! Rogue, what is going on there?"
Rogue sighed. "Too much Kitty. Wanda and Gambit are working for Magneto. At first Ah was just mad but the more Ah think about it the more it don't make sense. Ya've sat through a couple of Wanda's tirades on Magneto. Can yah see her playing the adoring daughter?"
"No."
"Same here. We're all starting to figure Magneto did something to her, probably Gambit too. The Prof thinks we need Magneto to fight Apocalypse. Maybe he's right but Ah don't want that guy even looking at Pietro. Pietro's parents are coming, Ah'm glad."
"You going with them?"
"Ah don't know. We could visit the Maximoffs for a while. Then we could go see Irene. Maybe by then Magneto'll be gone."
"Okay, enough serious stuff. Have you decided how far you're going?" Kitty asked in a gossipy tone."
"Kitty!" Rogue exclaimed in outrage. "Ah've known we could touch all of fifteen minutes. And that's none of your business! Would you like me asking how far you've gone with Lance?"
Kitty's giggle painted a picture for Rogue. The other girl's head was tilted down she was glancing up coyly through her bangs, smiling like a minx. "We're way past my dad grounding me for life but we're not quite up to Mr. Logan chopping Lance into little itty-bitty pieces. Your turn."
"Like that tells me anything. Your parents'd lock yah up and throw away the key if they saw yah smile at Lance. Ah've heard how they met him." Rogue stopped as she saw a shadow crossing the door. "This is fascinating but Ah got places to be." She said as she hung up.
Seconds later she was closing Pietro's door behind her.
"Hey." Rogue said uncertainty. She stood in front of the door, her face scarlet with sudden embarrassment. She mentally cursed Kitty for their earlier conversation.
"Um, I'd love to go over there and kiss you but broken leg, remember?"
"Right. Yah know this is suddenly real awkward." Rogue said.
"Why? It's not like we've never messed around before."
"Yeah, but… it's different. We don't have to stop any more."
"Cool."
"No! Not cool. Ah don't know what Ah want."
"Come on Rogue, stop making a big deal. It's not like we have to go further than we did before. I've missed being able to touch you. I'm tired of us always being on the verge of a fight."
Rogue slowly stepped away from the door. Pietro stretched a hand out to her. Hesitantly Rogue took his hand then laughed joyously as she stared at their entwined fingers. She didn't feel even the slightest stirring from her powers.
Pietro smiled and tugged her down beside him. There was a knock at the door. "We can pretend I'm asleep." Pietro whispered. Rogue nodded.
"Stripes, when the Doc told ya to go to bed. I'm sure she specified your bed." Logan said.
Rogue and Pietro exchanged a look, then a kiss. Pietro grinned. Rogue felt his pulse beginning to race. She bit back a giggle. Her heart sped up to match his. Logan's voice, drifting through the door, slowed to a crawl.
Outside the door Logan yelled. "You two have thirty seconds to get decent… Think about who you're talking to." He muttered to himself and turned the doorknob.
Rogue opened the door and coolly walked past him. "We weren't doing anything." She said.
"You're shirt's inside out." Logan replied.
Rogue flushed then disappeared in the direction of her room.
****** ****** ******
"… So that's the situation Charles. The criminal charges against Lance Alvers will be dropped if he surrenders himself to the police and attends a pre-trial hearing. The judge I spoke with wants reassurance that you and your students don't think you're about the law. She has sympathy with Lance's fears but she wants this played out by the rules. He is going to have to turn himself in."
Xavier sighed. "At least Lance and Kitty have been out of things for a time. Hopefully they've had time to recover from the shooting and Lance will have the equilibrium to deal with this calmly."
The intercom buzzed. Xavier acknowledged it and opened the gates for Magda and Django. "Shall we go greet them?" He invited Matt. The pair made their way to the front door. Life at the mansion had begun to slow down shortly after the second noon following the abductions. It was late evening now and the Institute was as quite as a tomb.
As soon as the door opened Django demanded. "What do you mean Lehnsherr's here? How did Pey get hurt? What the hell is going on?"
"Hush." Xavier ordered as he gestured to Colossus slumbering peacefully on the couch. "I tried to explain the situation when I called. You chose to hang up on me and delayed that conversation until you were here. Now you will wait until we're in my office and you can bellow without disturbing anyone. Pietro was far from the only one injured today and everyone is exhausted."
Django began another protest only to be silenced by Magda's hand on his arm. "Before anything else I want to see my son." She said.
Xavier nodded and led them deeper into the mansion toward the elevator.
"Wanda!" Magda exclaimed as they passed through the living room.
Her cry woke the sleeping girl. Wanda rolled out of her nest of blankets and came to her feet. She scanned the room for a threat then her eyes locked with her mother's.
Two sets of conflicting memories collided inside Wanda's mind. Memories of growing up with Pietro and her father, of moving to Louisiana when she was five and meeting Remy for the first time a few days later were contradicted by memories of her parent's divorce, of moving to New York, of her mother's marriage to Papa.
Her memories of being betrayed and attacked by her human neighbors fought with memories of her father sticking a needle in her arm. She's been upset and scared, she'd screamed for her mommy. Pey had come running but he'd looked to their father for answers. Daddy had told him everything was fine. Everything was not fine! But Pietro listened to Daddy. He always listened to Daddy! Wanda had been so mad at him for that. And then everything had gone crazy. The more upset she had become the more wild and frightening her new powers became. The cycle fed on itself until she'd worn herself out.
The next morning things hadn't been so bad. She'd pretended it was all a bad dream. But Monday Daddy was supposed to take her and Pey home and he didn't. She had skating lessons and all her friends lived near home. Morgan was having a birthday party that afternoon and she was supposed to be there. Morgan was her best friend, other than Pey, and she'd hate Wanda forever and ever if she didn't come; just like Wanda was never going to forgive Daddy for all the times he promised to be there and wasn't. Then things went crazy again.
It was always like that, things would be okay for a while but Daddy wouldn't let her see Mommy and everything kept going crazy around her and it scared her. It wasn't her fault but Pey was scared of her and Daddy was mad at her. She didn't understand what was happening and she wanted her Mommy.
She remembered begging her father to save her as the men from the asylum dragged her away. She remembered Magneto and Pietro just standing there watching while they took her.
"Mommy?" Wanda cried as she clutched her temples and sank to her knees. As her emotions spiked her powers transformed the room into a maelstrom, an external reflection of the chaos in her mind and heart.
Gambit stood protectively over Wanda. His staff and cards came to his hands in the blink of an eye despite the fact he'd been soundly asleep moments earlier. Matt pulled the Maximoffs and Xavier to the relative safety of the hall. The commotion brought people running from every corner of the mansion.
Remy knelt beside Wanda. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and murmured reassurances to her as he used his bo staff to ward off flying furniture. Wanda clung tightly to Remy. In both memories she trusted him, maybe loved him. Gradually the room quieted.
"Wanda?" Magda asked. She took a hesitant step into the room.
"Stay away!" Remy snapped as he brandished a handful of cards. "What have y' done to her?"
"Gambit, stand down!" Xavier ordered. "No one here is trying to harm you."
"Erik!" Magda exclaimed. She took a fearful step back into the hall as her ex-husband arrived.
Magneto ignored her. "Gambit, come. Mastermind will help Wanda."
"I don't want to go with Daddy." Wanda whispered to Gambit. "He hurt me, left me."
Pietro joined the others. He was using a chair as a crutch.
"Hell if I'll trus' y'!" Gambit exclaimed. He glared at Magneto. "Nothin' makes sense. 'M taking Wanda an' 'M leaving!"
"Wanda, chey, please don't disappear again." Magda pled.
"Wanda, they are human. You can't trust them. Come with me." Magneto ordered.
"We'd never hurt the children, you goddamn liar!" Django shouted.
Wanda buried her head in her arms trying to block out her parents' voices.
Magneto gestured and a metal vase flew at Django. A blast from Cyclops deflected it.
"Stop it!" Pietro screamed.
Magneto glanced at his son then turned away dismissively. "Gambit, what will happen the next time you have one of your attacks? You need Mastermind's help. You need me."
Pietro gritted his teeth in anticipation of pain then vanished in a blur of speed. A heartbeat later he was on the floor. His cast had shattered and his face was lined with pain, but Magneto's helmet was under his arm.
"My lord! Erik what have you done to yourself?" Xavier whispered as he stared at his old friend with shock.
Pietro glared up at his father. "I can act more quickly than you can think." He declared. "You don't heal like Sabretooth; if I'd wanted it, you'd be dead. So you leave me, my friends and my family alone!"
A metal hat rack twisted around Pietro. At a gesture from Magneto his helmet flew back to his hand.
"Yah leave him…" Rogue began. The chandelier tore free of its moorings and crashed down on Rogue. It knocked her unconscious.
"I won't fall for the same thing twice." Magneto said as Pietro struggled wildly.
Wolverine sliced through Pietro's bonds. "I think we've had enough of you, bub."
Pietro scrambled across the floor to Rogue's side.
"Erik please!" Magda exclaimed.
Wolverine snarled and brandished his claws. Magneto's power took hold of the metal coating Logan's skeleton and tossed him through the window.
Cyclops raised a hand to his sleeping goggles. "Get out!" he ordered.
"Erik, stop this." Xavier said as he recovered from his earlier shock. "We have to deal with Apocalypse."
Magneto took a deep breath.
"Please Erik, be reasonable." Xavier said. "Come to my office. We need to talk."
Magneto nodded. As they left the room the assembled group released a collective sigh of relief.
Remy and Wanda withdrew to Storm's attic loft. Django and Matt helped Pietro get the chandelier off Rogue.
Moira carefully felt Rogue's skull. "Just a bump, she'll be fine."
"Thanks." Pietro said as he pulled Rogue into his lap.
"Pietro, I'm going to need another X-ray of your ankle." Moira said. "It may need to be reset."
"We're leaving right now." Django stated as he put a hand on Pietro's shoulder. "We'll take both them to a real hospital. Somewhere safe. Magda, go get Wanda."
"Ye take him to a hospital and they'll have to operate on him." Moira stated getting in Django's face.
While they argued, Matt quietly sat down beside Pietro and Rogue. "Let me see what I can do."
****** ****** ******
"Erik, let me help you." Xavier said quietly. "I saw that thing preying on your mind. If you'd allow me I could help you be free of it."
"I won't have you in my mind." Magneto replied coldly. "I have all the assistance I require."
"It's influencing you, making you into something you are not. Look at yourself Erik! Those who follow you do so out of fear or because you've brainwashed them. You brainwashed your own daughter Erik!"
"Wanda is better off like this." Magneto replied. "The girl was insane."
"Erik I know you started down this path to protect your children. I know you didn't intend to harm Wanda, but this is not the way to help her. And Pietro! What were you thinking? His mind won't even let him remember what you allowed Sabretooth to do to him. You are harming them. That parasite is making you hurt your own children. Can't you see that?"
****** ****** ******
"Wanda please talk to me." Magda begged.
On the other side of the locked door Wanda sat in the center of the bed, hands over her ears, eyes clenched shut as she muttered under her breath. A panicked Gambit stalked around the room, searching for something to lash out at.
//I can help you figure out what's real.// Jean's mind-voice projected.
"Get out of m' head!" Gambit exclaimed.
//Open the window and we can talk.// Jean replied.
Gambit hesitated.
//You know something's wrong. I read minds. You know you've been lied to.//
He opened the window. Jean levitated up from the lawn outside and perched on the sill.
"He had no right to screw with your minds like that. It's amoral." Jean said. "And it's falling apart, you both see that. You're both starting to see past the lies. I can help you clear them away."
Wanda looked up. "When did I meet Remy?" She asked.
"A few months ago, after he brought Pietro here." Jean answered.
Wanda nodded. "Go ahead." She said. Jean placed her fingers to her temples. Wanda's eyes blazed. "I'm going to kill him!"
"Do it." Gambit said as he looked between Wanda and Jean.
A moment later he watched pensively as Wanda swept out of the room. She faltered for a moment as she walked past her mother. "Magneto" She muttered under her breath.
"I can't let her fight 'lone." Gambit said as he ran after Wanda.
//Um Professor.// Jean thought. //I was just thinking about how unethical it was for Magneto to have all those false memories implanted in Gambit and Wanda. I mean you can hardly miss it. Wanda was going to meltdown. She was broadcasting her confusion all over the place. I was just trying to help. I don't think she's going to listen when you tell her we need Magneto's help to beat Apocalypse. Sorry. I should have checked with you first.//
Jean heard a mental sigh. //Thank you for warning me. Given what I now know about Magneto I'm not certain we could have worked together anyway. Please come as quickly as possible. We need to contain the damage.//
Xavier turned his attention to Magneto. "You might want to leave. Wanda has regained her memories."
"This is your doing, Charles!" Magneto threatened. "You'll regret taking them from me."
"Colossus!" He yelled as he blasted the doors off their hinges. An explosion tossed him back into Xavier's study. Wanda strode into the room. Gambit leapt over the side of the open staircase leading down from the attic rooms to land just behind Wanda. He followed her into the study.
Wanda's power raced ahead of her to render both Xavier and Magneto helpless. Xavier's heavy desk came to life and attacked Magneto, it was quickly joined by the rest of the furniture. Sparks poured out of the light fixtures and threatened to set the place on fire.
"Wanda! Stop this behavior now!" Django thundered.
Both Xavier and Magneto cringed in anticipation of another explosion from the girl. It never came. Wanda didn't release their powers but the room calmed. Bobby quietly froze all the hotspots created by the sparks.
Wanda turned to face Django. "Papa, he deserves it!" She argued.
Django glared at Magneto. "I don't doubt it but I don't want you killing anyone… even him."
"But…"
"No."
"Fine!" Wanda exclaimed. She flicked her fingers and a filing cabinet flew across the room and smashed into Magneto. Then Wanda turned and stomped past Django. Gambit followed her after shooting a smug grin at Magneto.
Colossus moved the filing cabinet off Magneto.
"I tried to stop it." Jean said. "Wanda puts a lot of force into things."
Magneto slowly got to his feet with a pained grimace. "We're leaving Colossus."
"No." Colossus said.
"Complete one more mission for me and I will tell you everything I know about your sister. You have my word."
Colossus hesitated then nodded and stepped over to the window where two metal spheres waited for them.
"Let them go." Xavier said to the gathered X-Men.
Once they'd left Jean turned to Django and asked. "How'd you do that? You told Wanda to stop and she listened to you."
Django glanced at the filing cabinet. "I wouldn't call that listening."
"She did respond to you in a very positive manner." Xavier said.
Django shrugged. "Wanda was the easy twin to win over when Magda and I started dating. She hated going to the Daniels' after school. Pietro and Evan ignored her and Ororo was kept so busy with the boys' mischief that she didn't have time to pay much attention to Wanda either. I made a deal with her; she could come to my office after school as long as she agreed to behave herself. I taught her some autocad. She used to love drawing with the computer. We were always close."
****** ****** ******
Wanda stopped outside of the living room. She felt the faint, lingering remains of the compulsion Xavier had placed on her to keep her away from Pietro. After all the mucking around Mastermind had done it was little more than a suggestion.
Wanda turned and walked into the room. Pietro was sitting on the couch holding Rogue. Moira was reapplying his cast. "Is she okay?" Wanda asked.
Remy stopped outside the door. He leaned against the wall, out of sight, listening to the twins talk.
"She'll be okay." Pietro said cautiously.
Wanda edged closer to the couch. "You stood up to Dad."
Pietro shrugged.
"Thanks Pey." Wanda said. She glanced down at the floor. "I missed you sometimes."
Pietro smiled warmly. "Missed you too, sis."
Remy smiled. He slipped deeper into the shadows and let Wanda walk past him unaware. He waited a few minutes then went in.
"Silver-kid, de last time we talked…" Remy sighed and shook his head. "Dat wasn't 'xactly me."
"Yeah, I heard." Pietro said cautiously. "So the way you were hanging off my sister wasn't real?"
Remy sighed explosively. "That, mon ami, is one hell of a mess. Everyt'ing we done for de last few weeks… It's all been based on lies. Still, dose lies had some twisted bits of truth in dem… An' what we done…" Remy raised his hands in helpless dismay. "What happened, what was felt, still be real, even if it was based on a lie. Gonna do what's right… just as soon as I figure out what dat be." Remy sighed again. "Someday 'm gonna learn to listen to mon Tante."
Author's Note: 'Chey' is Romani for daughter (at least according to the website I found.)