Disclaimer: Attention, Marvel owns the X-men, not I. That is all.

Rogue stared blankly across the medbay at her two children. Her son, Nicky lay unconscious in a bed while her daughter, Lucretia sat beside him, staring intently at her brother's face as though willing him to wake. A voice caught her attention.

"Rogue, are you listening?"

"Oh yeah, sorry Hank. What were you saying?"

"I asked you why you didn't bring this to my attention before hand."

"What?"

Beast bit back his annoyance, "The fact that your children could be seriously ill!"

"Oh," she said quietly and sighed. She sat in silence for a long moment and turned to him, "What would it have mattered, Hank? You woulda just told me what all the other doctors have said."

"And what would that be my dear?"

"That mah children are sick, it's a genetic disease caused by god knows what and they'll be lucky if they see th' otha side o' twenty-five!" she screamed at him, tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, but Ah know what made them like this! It's those damned no-fields! They're everywhere and every time mah kids get anywhere near 'em they get sick! Those fields are what's killin' 'em an' don't you dare act like you don't know!"

Remy stepped up to his wife and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him, "Quiet now chere, it's alright. Henri didn' mean not'in' by it." Rogue said nothing and buried her face deeper into her husband's chest, sobbing freely now.

Hank merely sighed and dropped himself into a nearby chair, "I had been wondering for quite some time about that. I knew that the beta-mutants generally did not live much past thirty, but I had considered it a by-product of the registration programs and hate crimes. Now I understand. The fields are shutting down their systems, aren't they? By turning of the mutation, the machines are in fact shutting down the entire body because of their unique genetic structure, yes?"

Gambit merely nodded, "Not all de doctors see it dat way, but oui, dat's what happens."

Beast raised an eyebrow, "Not all? Of course, not everyone would want to admit that the machines are harmful. There are those that would panic and still others that would use it to their advantage and attack other mutants with that knowledge."

Gambit nodded again. Rogue had stopped crying and was staring at her children again.

"Still," Beast continued, "if you had told me earlier, I may have been able to develop a treatment for them."

Rogue turned back to him, "There are treatments, Hank, but they're long an' costly, an' not generally the best idea."

"What are these treatments."

"Isolation and gene therapy, but as Ah said, they take a long time and th' mutants who go through with it, well let's just say that they aren't the best of company."

"Oh? How so?"

"They're extremely jumpy fo' th' most part. Not very sociable either. They usually end up livin' on th' street, mutterin' to themselves and blastin' anythin' that moves. After a couple o' weeks, someone from mutant registration picks 'em up and that's the last anyone hears of 'em. Not all of 'em turn out like that though, some of 'em, it works just right for, but they're few an' far between."

Hank nodded silently, "I see. Well, that just give me more reason to find a better treatment."

Rogue sighed, "Please don't get mah hopes up Hank, Ah couldn't live with it. Just don't tell me anythin' o' what yoah doin', alright?"

"Very well, you'll hear not a word from me until I have made some ground."

Rogue smiled in appreciation and then turned back to her children.

Lucretia was whispering quietly to her brother, but always aware of the conversation between McCoy and her parents. Thoughts and questions ran through her mind. How long did she really have? Were there other possibilities out there? If so, what were they? What would the price be? She turned her attention back to her brother and brushed a stray hair from his face.

"Nicky, mon petit frère, vous ne pouvez pas tomber malade. Un de nous doit le faire. La famille doit continuer." Nicky, my little brother, you cannot get sick. One of us has to make it. The family must continue.

She let out a long sigh. So much was happening so quickly. Her ascension as heir to the guilds and all that that entailed, the twins delving through her mind, the traitor in the Guild, and now Nicky was ill. She shook her head. Something had to give at one point or another. Now whether it happened of its own accord or she forced it, that was another story. Her mind drifted to her parents conversation. Her poor mother was so upset. Not that worrying would make any of it change. Lucretia had accepted that she would die at a young age a long time ago, but now that her brother was also ill, she wasn't sure if she was as ready for death as she had believed. Someone had to carry on the Lebeau legacy, but both of them were sick and dying. Before now, it had never really been an issue, but now, some way had to be found of saving one or both of them. But how?

Shouting outside the medbay disturbed her thoughts. Remy and Rogue turned towards the door, but Lucretia was already up and moving.

"I'll handle it," she stated briskly and opened the door.

"Bella, please," Kurt begged, "I just want to see my nephew!"

The tall blonde shook her head, "Non, immediate family only, Remy's orders. Until they say it's okay, you stay out here."

"Now you just wait a minute," Logan snarled, "we've had as much to do with that kid's rearin' as anybody else. I don't care what gumbo says, you let us in!"

Bella simply stared at him, her eyes cold and placid. Logan did not back down. Fortunately, their dispute was ended when the door to the medbay opened.

Lucretia stared blankly at the scene unfolding before her. She could hardly imagine Bella and Logan at each other's throats. They had been her teachers as a child and now they were ready to fight one another. She cleared her throat.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly.

Kurt stepped forward, "We just wanted to see how Nicky was doing."

Lucretia glanced at Logan and Bella and then back at Kurt, "He's fine, he's resting now. Give him anot'er hour and I t'ink he'll be alright fo' visitors." She smiled thinly.

Logan relaxed a little, but he still glared disapprovingly at Bella. She ignored this and turned to Lucretia.

"Êtes-vous bien?" Are you alright?

Est-ce que naturellement, pourquoi je ne serais pas? Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

Bella merely nodded and resumed her watch. Lucretia turned to Logan.

"You didn' really t'ink you would fight her?"

"I woulda if she had given me any more lip."

Lucretia laughed, but it was empty. It was as if something had suddenly gone out of her. Logan wasn't the only one to notice, but no one said anything.

Scott, who had been talking quietly with Storm and Jean, made a stab at small talk.

"You know, Ms. Beaudreaux, I never realized how much younger you were than Gambit."

Bella turned her head, "Oh?"

"Yes," Jean agreed, "I noticed that as well. I had always thought that you two were closer in age."

"We are de same age," she stated.

"But you look to be almost Lucretia's age. How is that?"

Bella smiled, "A lady never reveals her secrets."

"What secrets, Belle?" Remy teased as he left the medbay.

Standing next to Bella, it was now noticeable that Gambit did not look older than her at all and in fact looked much closer to his daughter's age as well. He barely even had a gray hair. Scott spoke first.

"Gambit," he began, "how old are you?"

Remy looked at him questioningly, "Not much older dan you, mon ami. You know dat. Why so suspicious?"

"Oh, I'm not suspicious, Gambit, just curious. You see, you don't look like you've aged a day since you left the team."

Gambit merely shrugged, "Good genes, non?" He turned to Kurt and Logan, "You can go in now. Everyt'in's been sorted out wit' Henri."

"Danke."

"Thanks."

Though he was not satisfied with Gambit's answer, Scott turned back to his conversation with Ororo and Jean, but now that Remy was sure no one could see him, Bella saw exactly how old he was. His face was lined with worry and dread, but Bella knew that he'd never let it show if he knew that anyone was watching. Over time, she had developed a method of looking at him without really looking at him. Someone had to know what state he was in, he was the Patriarch of the guilds after all.

Nicky felt a hand brush against his face and instinctively snatched it away from him, twisting it in an unnatural fashion. He let go when he realized that the hand had only three fingers and was slightly fuzzy.

"Sorry Kurt," he muttered, eyes still shut.

Kurt rubbed his wrist slightly, "It's alright, it was a natural reaction."

Nicky opened one eye and glanced at his uncle. He smiled, "One would t'ink you would know better by now."

"Just had to be sure you were awake, kiddo," Logan grunted from the door.

"Oui, I'm awake, just waitin' fo' de room t' stop spinnin's all."

Logan and Kurt chuckled.

"So what happened?" Kurt inquired.

"I musta got hit by some o' Lu's gravity waves. It happens."

Logan gave a small nod, "That was some blast she gave off."

Nicky nodded back, "She can' control it dough. It's like wit' Storm's powers, any lack of emotional control an', boom, dere goes de gravity. Unfortunately, it's gettin' harder an' harder fo' her to keep it in check."

Logan raised an eyebrow while Kurt merely sat in silence.

"It's like mamman said de ot'er day, Lu's not completely right upstairs, if you know what I mean. She's been pushed an' shoved so much by de Guilds, an' Mutant Services, an' schools, an' half a dozen ot'er t'ings dat her mind's startin' t' crack. Her nightmares don' help much eit'er, and I figure as soon as she starts figurin' out what's goin' on dere, she gonna be on de far side o' de funny farm."

Logan placed a hand on Nicky's shoulder, "Then we're just gonna have to watch her real close, alright?"

"Ja," Kurt volunteered, "she's been through enough."

That night, Lucretia slept fitfully. Echoes called to her, beckoning her to the farthest reaches of her mind. Shadows crawled from every corner, but the dreams were dominated by one overpowering shadow. It was taller than the rest and gave a low, haunting laugh when she tried to find the voices in her mind. It never spoke and as she came further and further to the voices, the shadow became larger and larger until it filled her entire mind and wrapped itself around her and then darkness fell and she awoke in a cold sweat.

And yet another chapter. No one seems to be reviewing except for Lucky439, and I thank you. If anyone else should happen along, I would appreciate some reviews. Thanks.