Title: A Mother's Love
Author: DhampyrX2
Genre: General
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Poverty is my constant friend. Please don't sue. I make no money from this.
Summary: Pretty much from the word go Mystique has been a total washout as a mother. She lied to Rogue, never had that big talk with Kurt after Pietro sabotaged it, and never really tried to do right by her children throughout Evolution. Many have theories about why, and write fan fiction detailing their opinions. This isn't one of those. No, this fic asks a different question. What if after she recruited Rogue, Mystique tried to be a GOOD mother?
*****
That night it was a different Darkholme, and yes, she had to accept that that was her real name now, brooding in her room. It took all Rogue had not to run off into the night in the face of all that she had learned. Mystique was he mother, wanting to make amends for being gone so much, she had been tricked into joining the Brotherhood and fearing the X-men, with Irene's approval, and on top pf all that, Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler, one of the hated X-men was her baby bother. It was all so much to take in.
Well, truthfully, she wasn't all that bothered by Kurt being family. It explained why she was so willing to trust him when he tried to talk to her the night her powers emerged. At least until that idiot girl Kitty her brother and Lance were always drooling over tried to 'save' him. That was another thing. When Mystique *Momma*, she reminded herself mentally, had told explained things to the distraught southern belle, it had jogged her own memory of that confusing night. A fact that she had to keep quiet, lest they risk the mysterious Magneto's wrath.
Rogue felt anger well up inside of her as she thought of the man's code name. Who was this jerk, to do so much to destroy her family? To experiment on her baby brother, and then have the nerve to tell Momma to hide the truth from her just so he could make use of her power? The whole situation stank, in her humble opinion. It ranked right up there with Irene telling Mystique to keep her in the dark about stuff.
Rogue hadn't wanted to believe that part, at first, but the sincerity and anguish in her mother's eyes convinced her. Irene Adler had always been good to her. Hell, even Mystique said she was a good woman, and shouldn't be judged too harshly. But the bottom line was, she had advised Rogue mother to keep their relationship a secret. And for what? Some lame assed dire prophesy that had no specifics. Marie Darkholme would take her chances with having her mother back instead, thank you very much.
And there, was the crux of things for Rogue. Did she want to accept her mother back now? She was willing to acknowledge the huge risk Raven had taken to tell her these things. All that remained to be seen was what they were going to do about them. She thought things over again of constant circles, her mind never ceasing to puzzle its new bits of information. Finally, near midnight, she just decided to go see Mystique, and tell her she would need some time alone to sort this out.
When she knocked on her mother's door, she didn't know what to expect, exactly, but the cold, "Who is it?" from the other side seemed about right for starters.
"It's me, Rogue. I... Ah need to talk to yah, Mystique. It's important." Rogue replied.
It was the sight that presented itself before her that decided things for Marie then and there. When Mystique opened the door, she was in her natural blue form, her hair was disheveled, and her milky white eyes were bloodshot from crying. Apparently, the woman had been sitting there all night crying, expecting that her confession had cost her her only daughter. Rogue's heart clenched at the sight, remembering the nights she would cry herself to sleep wondering when her momma would come home from a business trip. Well, it was time to put those personal demons to rest for both of them.
And with that in mind, Marie Darkholme fell into her mothers arms, weeping. "Momma. I missed yah so much." she sobbed, keeping her fact on Mystiques silk robe to protect her mother from her powers.
"Hush now little one. It's all right now. Momma's right here. I promise nothing will ever come between us again." Raven soothed, fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she led Rogue into her room and closed the door.
From there two generations of Darkholme women held clung to each other like a lifeline, and sobbed away over a decade and a half of pain, loneliness, and on Mystique's part, guilt.
*****
The pair was especially careful not to show any change in their behavior the next morning, lest they tip off the boys that something had changed, and it could accidentally get back to Magneto. Especially with Todd's big mouth. And so, the morning, argument/fight/breakfast that heralded any school morning at the Bayville Brotherhood Boarding House took place yet again. Complete with Rogue scowling at the boys from her Anne Rice novels, as Freddy complained his was still hungry, Todd asked why he couldn't eat bugs at the table, and then either Mystique, or Lance, or Freddy, would enforce their will on the smallest member of the group physically for annoying them. It wasn't until that afternoon in the sparring room of the school gym, long after the X-men and other Brotherhood members had gone home for the day, that mother and daughter could speak frankly.
"Momma, I've bee thinking", Rogue said in between grunts, as she hit the heavy punching bag that Mystique was spotting for her.
Raven's heart soared, and she failed to fight off a smile, as her baby girl called her 'momma' again. "About what, Marie, dear?" she asked.
"I was wonderin' why we can't tell Kurt. I mean, I know you said you don't trust Xavier any more than you do Magneto, and that you don't want our boss getting his meat hooks into the little elf again, but shouldn't we talk to him about this? I mean, he's my little brother. I want to tell him, and stuff, I guess..." she said, trailing off uncertainly.
"Charles Xavier is a man with a vision, Rogue. One that doesn't make much sense in the face of having a stealth attack jet, or keeping a man like Logan in retainer. Granted, Logan's the only adult there I /would/ trust. You at least know where you stand with the Wolverine." Mystique replied. "But telling Kurt right now is dangerous. Not only would it call attention to him be a man I'm unsure of, but it would call the attention of Magneto as well. As long as neither thinks I care overly about Kurt being here, they won't use him to get to us."
"But what if we told him private, and asked him to keep it quiet? It's not right to hide it, Momma. It wasn't right with me, and it's not right now. And if it does get Magneto's panties in a bunch, well Kurt's a big boy, and he has all those X-men to side with him. Includin' Xavier." Rogue replied in frustration.
"I'm sorry, Rogue. I just can't take the risk. Not right now. I promise the second one of us thinks of a safe way to do it, I'll go to him with open arms, but I can't right now." Raven said, looking away. It was obvious to Rogue that she was scared. But whether that fear came from worrying about Magneto and Xavier, or fear of rejection from Kurt, she could not say.
Either way, it was obvious Rogue would not win this argument this afternoon. "Okay, Momma. I'll accept that. For now." Rogue replied, taking up a towel to wipe off the sweat from her brow. "I'm gonna grab a quick shower and change while the showers here are empty. I'll meet yah at the car.", she said heading toward the door.
Mystique looked annoyed, bordering on angry as she asked, "Why take a shower here? Did Todd 'accidentally' walk in on you again at the house?"
"Nah, but why give him the opportunity?" Rogue called over her shoulder as she left the training room.
"Why indeed?" Mystique asked rhetorically of nobody, as she headed for her office to pick up some paperwork, before meeting he daughter at the car.
*****
END CHAPTER 2
Author: DhampyrX2
Genre: General
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters. Poverty is my constant friend. Please don't sue. I make no money from this.
Summary: Pretty much from the word go Mystique has been a total washout as a mother. She lied to Rogue, never had that big talk with Kurt after Pietro sabotaged it, and never really tried to do right by her children throughout Evolution. Many have theories about why, and write fan fiction detailing their opinions. This isn't one of those. No, this fic asks a different question. What if after she recruited Rogue, Mystique tried to be a GOOD mother?
*****
That night it was a different Darkholme, and yes, she had to accept that that was her real name now, brooding in her room. It took all Rogue had not to run off into the night in the face of all that she had learned. Mystique was he mother, wanting to make amends for being gone so much, she had been tricked into joining the Brotherhood and fearing the X-men, with Irene's approval, and on top pf all that, Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler, one of the hated X-men was her baby bother. It was all so much to take in.
Well, truthfully, she wasn't all that bothered by Kurt being family. It explained why she was so willing to trust him when he tried to talk to her the night her powers emerged. At least until that idiot girl Kitty her brother and Lance were always drooling over tried to 'save' him. That was another thing. When Mystique *Momma*, she reminded herself mentally, had told explained things to the distraught southern belle, it had jogged her own memory of that confusing night. A fact that she had to keep quiet, lest they risk the mysterious Magneto's wrath.
Rogue felt anger well up inside of her as she thought of the man's code name. Who was this jerk, to do so much to destroy her family? To experiment on her baby brother, and then have the nerve to tell Momma to hide the truth from her just so he could make use of her power? The whole situation stank, in her humble opinion. It ranked right up there with Irene telling Mystique to keep her in the dark about stuff.
Rogue hadn't wanted to believe that part, at first, but the sincerity and anguish in her mother's eyes convinced her. Irene Adler had always been good to her. Hell, even Mystique said she was a good woman, and shouldn't be judged too harshly. But the bottom line was, she had advised Rogue mother to keep their relationship a secret. And for what? Some lame assed dire prophesy that had no specifics. Marie Darkholme would take her chances with having her mother back instead, thank you very much.
And there, was the crux of things for Rogue. Did she want to accept her mother back now? She was willing to acknowledge the huge risk Raven had taken to tell her these things. All that remained to be seen was what they were going to do about them. She thought things over again of constant circles, her mind never ceasing to puzzle its new bits of information. Finally, near midnight, she just decided to go see Mystique, and tell her she would need some time alone to sort this out.
When she knocked on her mother's door, she didn't know what to expect, exactly, but the cold, "Who is it?" from the other side seemed about right for starters.
"It's me, Rogue. I... Ah need to talk to yah, Mystique. It's important." Rogue replied.
It was the sight that presented itself before her that decided things for Marie then and there. When Mystique opened the door, she was in her natural blue form, her hair was disheveled, and her milky white eyes were bloodshot from crying. Apparently, the woman had been sitting there all night crying, expecting that her confession had cost her her only daughter. Rogue's heart clenched at the sight, remembering the nights she would cry herself to sleep wondering when her momma would come home from a business trip. Well, it was time to put those personal demons to rest for both of them.
And with that in mind, Marie Darkholme fell into her mothers arms, weeping. "Momma. I missed yah so much." she sobbed, keeping her fact on Mystiques silk robe to protect her mother from her powers.
"Hush now little one. It's all right now. Momma's right here. I promise nothing will ever come between us again." Raven soothed, fresh tears welling up in her eyes as she led Rogue into her room and closed the door.
From there two generations of Darkholme women held clung to each other like a lifeline, and sobbed away over a decade and a half of pain, loneliness, and on Mystique's part, guilt.
*****
The pair was especially careful not to show any change in their behavior the next morning, lest they tip off the boys that something had changed, and it could accidentally get back to Magneto. Especially with Todd's big mouth. And so, the morning, argument/fight/breakfast that heralded any school morning at the Bayville Brotherhood Boarding House took place yet again. Complete with Rogue scowling at the boys from her Anne Rice novels, as Freddy complained his was still hungry, Todd asked why he couldn't eat bugs at the table, and then either Mystique, or Lance, or Freddy, would enforce their will on the smallest member of the group physically for annoying them. It wasn't until that afternoon in the sparring room of the school gym, long after the X-men and other Brotherhood members had gone home for the day, that mother and daughter could speak frankly.
"Momma, I've bee thinking", Rogue said in between grunts, as she hit the heavy punching bag that Mystique was spotting for her.
Raven's heart soared, and she failed to fight off a smile, as her baby girl called her 'momma' again. "About what, Marie, dear?" she asked.
"I was wonderin' why we can't tell Kurt. I mean, I know you said you don't trust Xavier any more than you do Magneto, and that you don't want our boss getting his meat hooks into the little elf again, but shouldn't we talk to him about this? I mean, he's my little brother. I want to tell him, and stuff, I guess..." she said, trailing off uncertainly.
"Charles Xavier is a man with a vision, Rogue. One that doesn't make much sense in the face of having a stealth attack jet, or keeping a man like Logan in retainer. Granted, Logan's the only adult there I /would/ trust. You at least know where you stand with the Wolverine." Mystique replied. "But telling Kurt right now is dangerous. Not only would it call attention to him be a man I'm unsure of, but it would call the attention of Magneto as well. As long as neither thinks I care overly about Kurt being here, they won't use him to get to us."
"But what if we told him private, and asked him to keep it quiet? It's not right to hide it, Momma. It wasn't right with me, and it's not right now. And if it does get Magneto's panties in a bunch, well Kurt's a big boy, and he has all those X-men to side with him. Includin' Xavier." Rogue replied in frustration.
"I'm sorry, Rogue. I just can't take the risk. Not right now. I promise the second one of us thinks of a safe way to do it, I'll go to him with open arms, but I can't right now." Raven said, looking away. It was obvious to Rogue that she was scared. But whether that fear came from worrying about Magneto and Xavier, or fear of rejection from Kurt, she could not say.
Either way, it was obvious Rogue would not win this argument this afternoon. "Okay, Momma. I'll accept that. For now." Rogue replied, taking up a towel to wipe off the sweat from her brow. "I'm gonna grab a quick shower and change while the showers here are empty. I'll meet yah at the car.", she said heading toward the door.
Mystique looked annoyed, bordering on angry as she asked, "Why take a shower here? Did Todd 'accidentally' walk in on you again at the house?"
"Nah, but why give him the opportunity?" Rogue called over her shoulder as she left the training room.
"Why indeed?" Mystique asked rhetorically of nobody, as she headed for her office to pick up some paperwork, before meeting he daughter at the car.
*****
END CHAPTER 2