Cris-X: Don't be too displeased with the twins, they are a bit naive. But I can understand how you feel, you're supposed to.
Buckster: Thank you for your patience and thus you are duly rewarded.
Lucky439: Let the joy begin, for I am back, not completely moved, but in a resting stage.
T.: One can hope, yes?
Disclaimer: Marvel's not mine, never mine. Always Marvel's....
Screams punctured the night. Scott and Jean had just laid down to sleep, comfortable in the knowledge that their children were safe. The shrieks sounded almost human, and nearly animal. They were torturous and long, howling through the mansion like a soul driven from hell.
Jean merely turned to her husband to utter one word, "Lucretia," and ran from the room in a flash.
Naturally, her cries had awoken other occupants in the mansion, but they were all blocked by one man. Jean dug through them to find Gambit at the door, a light sweat on his brow.
"Come on, Cajun, let us through!" Logan growled.
Gambit shook his head, "Sorry, mon ami, can' do dat."
"Why not!" Kurt screamed, "She could be hurt!"
"I assure you, she not. Her mot'er be in dere right now."
"If it is alright for, Rogue, then surely, it is alright for one of us?"
Gambit smirked, "Ain' no danger..." he began.
"Then why won't you let us check on her!" someone else yelled.
Jean suppressed a laugh, "She sleeps in the nude."
Everyone turned to look at her.
"I'm surprised you guys didn't already know," she said, indicating Logan and Kurt, "it should be common knowledge..."
"It be recent," Gambit added, "dat an' we usually don' let dem stay de night. So no offense, mes amis, jus' a lil defensive o' de petite." He winked at them and turned back to the door. He rapped gently, "she decent?"
"It's ahraht," Rogue's voice came through the door, "but only a few of 'em."
Gambit nodded as though his wife could see the action. He turned back around, "you two," he said, pointing to Kurt and Logan, "but dat be it fo' now."
They entered the room. It was completely dark, save for the light coming from the outside street lamps and through the windows. Two forms could be made out in the light. One of them turned her head. It was immediately evident that it was Rogue from how the light shimmered through her shock white streak. She seemed to be cradling something in her lap. It shook slightly.
"Don' move to suddenly," her voice was hushed and quiet. Logan had to strain to hear her. The form in her lap jerked at the sound. Logan looked closer. It was Lucretia. She was curled into a fetal position, clutching her knees and shaking violently. Her head rested in her mother's lap. She shook occasionally, but was soothed each time by a loving caress through her hair from her mother.
"Why did you not tell us?" Kurt breathed. Lucretia jerked again.
Gambit motioned for them to move outside. The two men obeyed. Outside the door, Remy whispered to the others, "downstairs."
They were very confused and began to protest, but a motion from Kurt stilled them. They moved silently down to the lobby.
"What's going on?" Scott demanded.
Remy sighed, "Lucretia, ma petite fleur sauvage, is not quite right."
"What do you mean?" Storm inquired.
He gave a deeper sigh, "She is not stable...she has dreams, non, nightmares, dat wake her screaming in de night like an animal. Only Rogue knows what de dreams are because it is only Rogue dat can calm her. De girl may not obey her, but she does love her. Dough, I t'ink I know what de dreams may be." His eyes darkened as he lowered his gaze to Xavier.
Charles held up his hands, "You agreed to the procedure, Remy, and you left before more could be done."
"I din' have a choice!"
"What procedure?" Kurt asked.
Beast spoke for the first time, "Lucretia would not eat or sleep after her ordeal with our dear friend, Mr. Sinister. The psychological damage was too great and she was too young to be helped by any conventional means at the time."
"So what means did ya use, Chuck?" Logan stared at his long time friend and associate.
"I repressed her memories of the event in the hopes that she would be out of immediate distress, however, the damage seems to be much worse."
Remy nodded.
"What is the next course of action?" Storm inquired.
"To slowly reintroduce her memories," Xavier stated.
"You will stay outta my mind!" a voice hissed.
Everyone turned to its source. Lucretia stood in the doorway of the lobby, a sheet wrapped loosely about her form. Her skin was almost olive tone and crisscrossed with tiny white lines of scar-tissue. Her hair trailed down her back, and her eyes shone wildly in the dim light.
Her image was almost terrifying in the night. Thunder from the storm crashed eerily in the distance. She stalked closer to the gathered mutants, right to Xavier's face. She squinted her eyes at him.
"I know what you done, Monsieur Professeur! I will not have you messin' in my mind any more! You mad de mess, now you deal wit' it!" The last sentenced was nearly howled. "I am here only because, ma mere et mon pere wish it! Dey t'ink you can help me, but I know dat you cannot. You will come to see dis in time." She smirked slightly at him and stood suddenly. She spun on her heel and stormed towards the door. As she neared it, she turned towards him a final time.
"Jus' so you don' get any ideas..." she grinned broadly. There was a moment of silence and then suddenly, the Professor reeled in his chair, holding his hands to his temples. They turned back to scold the young mutant, but she was gone, an empty sheet lay where she had been standing. Slowly, the turned back to Xavier.
"What happened, Professor?" Scott asked.
"She sent and image, to my mind," he stammered, "a man driven mad to the point of suicide. He was in a straight jacket and bound, yet still, he placed the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger with a bloodied foot."
The X-men dropped their jaws in a amazement.
"Why?" McCoy asked, incredulously.
"He read her mind."
There's a new chapter for you wonderful boys and girls. I do hope you enjoyed it. I know I did. If we had any doubt before, we now know for a fact that Lucretia is slightly off her rocker. Just a smidge. =) Now go and review, before I send angry Matrix agents after you!