Freedom

by Stormkpr

The second book in my trilogy in which the X-men must fight back against the dominant FOH. Adults only please. COMPLETED

9. Chapter 9

Leigh's Fanfiction Archive Stormkeeper's Fanfiction Freedom Chapter 9

Freedom

By Stormkeeper

Chapter 9

I was **not** looking forward to this. Jean-Paul and I knew it was coming but we rarely ever spoke of it. And now the day was here. Yuck.

When we entered the conference room, Jean and Scott were already there. The table, which could seat ten people, was round. I followed Jean-Paul as he got himself a glass of water (I wished for something stronger) and then took a seat. He left two empty chairs between himself and Jean. We said hello to the couple and made small talk by asking them about Charlotte. They were both pleasant enough. Mostly it was Jean and Jean-Paul conversing together; Scott and I were quieter.

Erica entered the room a minute later and sat on Jean's right side (Scott was on her left.) Then Todd came in, and left one empty chair between himself and Scott, and another chair between himself and me.

Jean then greeted everyone and made a few statements. She said something like we're not here to punish anyone or for vengeance. She said we're here because the X-men have the goal of keeping An'zhina a violence-free place and of peaceably resolving conflicts. "And as uncomfortable as it may be to relive unpleasant things, we sometimes need to, in order to move on," she said. She then paused and looked perhaps uncertain. Jean-Paul raised his hand, and Jean nodded at him.

"Just so I am clear," he began, "what is the desired outcome of this meeting?" Jean-Paul sounded calm and professional. I took that as a good sign though I suspected he was keeping his true emotions in check.

She gave an answer that sounded a bit rehearsed. "We hope that both sides can clear the air and discuss what occurred. And the hope is that in doing so….some agreement or understanding can be reached so as to prevent another incident like this."

Much as I loved Jean, I got the distinct impression that she was totally winging it. A glance at Jean-Paul indicated that he thought the same. I wondered if she was reading our doubt and if that might be making her even more worried.

Jean went on to say that it would be beneficial if "both parties" would recount what had happened. "When one person is speaking, it would be best if we let them talk uninterrupted," she added. She then asked who wanted to go first.

Jean-Paul and Todd looked at each other, and each deferred to the other, politely telling the other that he should go first. Finally, after a bit of back and forth, Jean-Paul agreed to speak.

"Bobby and I were walking back to our rooms that evening," he began. "We stopped outside of Bobby's room and kissed each other goodnight. Just like any other couple you see around here kissing in public---and you do see that a lot. All of a sudden, we're interrupted by Todd. I don't remember exactly what happened---it was two months ago, after all---but he yelled at us to stop kissing and called us a bunch of names. He called us `faggots' and so on. I got really angry. I've been putting up with this shit all my life and I don't need to hear it from other mutants, for God's sake. I was disgusted." I knew Jean-Paul had been keeping his anger under wraps. Now he'd let it bubble right up to the surface. "So Todd and I ended up in a fist fight. I don't remember who struck first, but he definitely attacked us, verbally."

Jean Grey then looked at me. "Bobby, is there anything you want to add to that? Anything you remember differently?"

"No," I said. I didn't say anything more but I clearly remembered that Jean-Paul struck first. And I knew Todd didn't call us "faggots." He did call us "perverts", though.

Jean then asked Todd to tell his version of what happened. "I was walking back to my room," he began, "from the rec room. I had to pass Bobby's room, and as I did, I saw the two of them." He paused briefly. His gaze was in the direction of Jean, Scott, and Erica. He did not look at Jean-Paul or myself. "They weren't just kissing. They were really making out. They were touching each other, groping each other's….parts. I could go on and get more detailed but------"

"He's lying!" Jean-Paul burst out. He faced Todd, "You lousy son of a bitch. We weren't doing anything that-----"

"Silence!" Jean said. Jean-Paul stopped talking, shocked—as I was—to hear Jean Grey yelling. "Northstar, Todd was quiet while you spoke," she said slowly and less loudly. "Please show him the same courtesy." Her tone was forceful and commanding. I fleetingly admired how far Jean had come since I first met her.

Despite Jean's words, Jean-Paul looked ready to continue lashing out. I gently patted his arm and implored him to be quiet. He looked at me, sat back, and shut his mouth.

Todd was asked to continue. He did so, again looking at Jean and Scott. "So they were really being lewd. I politely asked them to stop it. I asked them to go inside their room if they must. There are children here, and I know any parent wouldn't want their kids to be witnessing anything like that. I'm sure as parents, you two would agree. But when I politely asked the two of them to stop, Northstar punches me. Well, as you can see, he's a much bigger guy than I am and he's had combat training. I haven't. He beat me to a pulp." Todd then went on to describe the condition Jean-Paul left him in. It was not pretty. I'd seen it with my own eyes and at this point I think Todd spoke the truth----Jean-Paul beat the crap out of him.

When Todd was finished, Jean then asked Cyclops, as the final witness, to describe what he saw. This wasn't good either. Cyke said he saw Northstar beating up Todd, and he then went on to describe the extent of Todd's injuries. As Scott spoke, I tried to read his expression. I couldn't see his eyes, of course, and didn't know what he was thinking. That day, though, I realized that thinking of my relationship with Jean-Paul made his skin crawl. I was taken aback by that realization. I had never thought Scott Summers to be one of the more open-minded people on this subject, but that day his revulsion was palpable to me.

Jean then turned back to Jean-Paul and I, and asked if we had anything else to say or to clarify. I patted Jean-Paul's hand, signaling to him to let me talk. So he kept quiet and I spoke. "Jean, I just want to correct something that Todd said. We definitely weren't `groping' each other or doing anything lewd like that. We were just kissing. We weren't doing anything that I haven't seen Rogue and Gambit---or even you and Scott---doing in public."

From then on, I truly think Jean had only a vague idea of what to do. As Scott asked us a question, I saw some sort of exchange between Jean and Scott. I think maybe they had a telepathic exchange. But Cyclops anyway asked Jean-Paul whether he sustained any injuries during the fight with Todd. Jean-Paul was forced to answer a curt, "No." That didn't sound good either, compared to the list of bruised and smashed body parts on Todd.

There were a few other questions (I think Erica asked one) and points discussed. Jean then suggested that we take an hour's break and reconvene later.

"Professor, I have absolutely no idea what to do! Governing An'zhina is simple when everything is going smoothly. Now I am lost."

Jean and the Professor had entered his room for this discussion. Jean had been fortunate that Charles had no counseling sessions on his schedule at this time, and she'd insisted to Scott that she wanted to speak to their mentor alone. She stood before Xavier, too riled up for the moment to sit down. Plus, she found that alternating between standing and sitting helped her physical comfort level at this stage in the pregnancy.

Xavier chuckled and rubbed his weary eyes with one hand. Jean furrowed her brows in confusion until she realized---without using her powers--- what he was thinking. "I get it," she said, a light bulb going off in her head. "You're thinking back to all the times over the years that the X-men fought like this."

Charles shook his head, a smile of irony on his face. "Indeed. There have been too many fights over the years to recall. What a contentious group they used to be. Cyclops, Wolverine and Gambit fought with each other so much. I can still hear the yelling and see the fights---often they were over nothing. There were some nights I would pour myself a cognac and tell myself I was insane for running this school for the gifted, for wanting to lead the X-men. Those were the nights I would tell myself that I should live as other wealthy men do, spending my fortune on frivolous material goods and not on some impossible dream."

Jean's eyes were wide. "Really? I—I'm just surprised that you ever felt that way."

"Oh, those times were the exceptions and not the rule. But, as the saying goes, I'm only human." He paused and looked at his student. How proud he was of her-----proud of her for everything she had done, and even for being secure enough to come seek his council. "Jean, it is never easy to lead a group of people. I think it is perhaps easier to lead them in battle than to manage their relationships with each other."

Jean nodded. "But we have a unique challenge on An'zhina. We have over 200 people here. We need some sort of rules….some principles that everyone agrees to. Otherwise we'll have chaos. Over the years, we X-men have had our share of fights and arguments----some of them ugly. But I think we stayed together because we had some core beliefs, some core principles that we were striving for." As she spoke, Jean paced before Charles. The weight of her pregnancy didn't allow her to move as nimbly as she'd been accustomed to but she had no more desire to be sitting down again. "I think we need those on An'zhina. And that's what I keep coming back to on this mediation. Someone violated some basic principles. But I'm just not sure who's violation was worse."

"And remember the goal of the mediation process."

"Yes. We're not out to punish anyone but find ways for us all to live together in peace." Jean shook her head. "But I was raised an American and I keep going back to our judicial process----what I know of it, anyway. I keep feeling like there should be a winner and a loser. Tell me, Professor. Who do you think was more at fault?"

"It is not a matter of finding fault," the Professor reminded her. "Focus on the kind of society we want to create here. Think about it."

"Well, we want a society without violence. And Northstar clearly went against that."

"Yes. He was wrong in that. What prompted his anger?" Charles asked.

"Prejudice. He was angry at prejudice, which is what Todd exhibited."

Charles nodded. "And consider this: one of our ultimate goals is to have a society where prejudice is unheard of. Any kind of prejudice. We all want a society where every human being is considered unique and valuable." He paused. "Now this particular subject---homosexuality----makes many people uncomfortable. I myself am not going to say whether it is right or wrong, and I certainly will not judge either. But I will put a stake in the ground and say that it is crucial that we avoid a stratified society like the one on earth. We don't want a world where people are ranked based on characteristics such as gender, race or genetics….or sexuality. We have such a stupendous chance here, a chance to create a culture that is truly egalitarian. It should be the goal of every citizen here to strive for that.

"You are a born leader, Jean," Charles continued. "I will trust that you have the answer and you know what to do."

Jean paused and tried to absorb his words. A question formed on her lips. She had already shared with the Professor that she'd used her powers to discern that Todd had lied when he'd said that Northstar and Bobby were doing anything more than kissing in public. And she'd also told Charles that Northstar had lied when he'd said that he did not recall who had struck the first blow. She wanted to address the fact that they had lied. But she bit back her question and simply thanked the Professor for his time.

Maybe two hours later, we were asked to return to the conference room. So we all reassembled, each sitting exactly where they had before.

I wasn't as nervous this time. I just kept reminding myself that Jean said the purpose of this was not for vengeance or anything like that. I glanced at Jean-Paul. As so often, he'd wanted some "space" during the break, so I'd let him go. I didn't know how he was feeling, but he had hugged me when he saw me inside the conference room. I considered that a good sign.

Jean didn't have any prepared speech or any formal remarks to say. She looked so much more relaxed than before which was a little disarming. Once we were all sitting around the table, she simply asked us all to talk about why we lived on An'zhina and what sort of society we'd like to see. I think both Jean-Paul and Todd were a bit taken aback by that. I don't remember all of what was said, except that Jean-Paul and Todd both said they wanted something similar----a place where mutants and humans could live in peace, a safe place, etc, etc. I then realized how brilliant Jean was, as she got the two to realize that on some level at least, they did have something in common.

Jean then went on to say, "You both agree on a lot in terms of what you'd like An'zhina to be. I share your goals for this society too. I hope we can all agree to work for that kind of a society. Each and every one of us needs to be valued and respected as a person." She then turned to Todd. "Todd, you have a right to your own opinions. I ask that you keep from calling anyone any offensive names, though." She then turned to Jean-Paul. "I understand your anger at what occurred, Northstar. But you must realize that violence is not an appropriate response. It never solves anything." She paused briefly. "Can both of you agree to keep from calling each other insulting names and from using physical violence with each other?" she asked.

I was hopeful that both guys would say yes and we'd be done with it. But Todd crossed his arms over his chest and said, "I'll agree if those two agree not to touch each other in public."

Before Jean-Paul could speak, and I had a good idea as to what he was going to say, Jean said, "I do not think we want to outlaw kissing in public on An'zhina. I think everyone can agree that people should not do anything beyond kissing or hugging in public. But I don't want to live in a place where things like hand-holding or kissing are forbidden. Do you, Todd?"

Either Jean had convinced him or he just was tired and wanted out of there. I think it was the latter. Todd looked about to say something else but did not. Instead he muttered, "No."

So Jean-Paul, Todd and I all agreed not to use violence with each other or verbally insult each other again. Jean then mandated that both Jean-Paul and Todd spend an extra fifteen hours on community service. (Because of the replicators, An'zhina kinda ran itself but there are always miscellaneous tasks to be done.) Jean then smiled, looking relieved, and adjourned the meeting.

Before anyone had gotten up or left the room, Jean-Paul reached for me, placed a hand on my cheek, and we pressed our lips together for a second or two. Afterwards, I smiled, biting my lip and willing myself not to look at Todd or Cyclops for their reactions.

Within the span of a week, the X-men found themselves facing life and death, though not on the battleground. Lu died, and Jean and Scott's second baby was born. The two events occurred within days.

Lu had been going downhill fast. As soon as Hank had heard of her condition, he had joined Moira's search for a cure. Hank had been working 14 hour days, devoting the bulk of his time to work on AIDS research and any time remaining to research the cloaking device. It was to no avail. Shaman had tried numerous times to use his powers on Lu, but as he had already known, this powerful disease was beyond him. When Lu reached a point that her suffering was unbearable, she asked Moira to give her something to end her pain. Moira had not the heart to refuse her.

An'zhina's citizens held a brief ceremony for Lu and buried her inside a clearing within the forested area. A marker for her grave was carved, rather than replicated. No one had known Lu well, but the loss was crushing. As Storm stood in between Wolverine and Jubilee at the burial, she thought to herself, `This is the second one.' After the X-men had liberated the Beijing camp, one of its survivors had killed herself. The ceremony for that woman, as Lu's, had been awkward and heartbreaking too. `How many more shall we lose to this sort of violence?' Storm wondered.

Just a few short days later, Jean Grey went into labor. This was concerning to many as the baby's due date was still over a week away. Yet all went well; the birth was nearly as effortless as Charlotte's had been. Jean's powers allowed her to mute most of the physical pain she experienced and to help expedite the baby's emergence. Hank, Moira and Scott had helped with the delivery as most of the rest of the X-men milled around outside of the infirmary, waiting. When the baby was born, Panda, who had been assisting, stepped outside of the infirmary and informed the other X-men, "Christopher is here. Eight lbs, two ounces and very healthy."

Rogue and Gambit had been sitting on the floor with Charlotte, doing babysitting duty. Just a split second or two before Panda had made the announcement, Charlotte's ears had perked up. "Brother!" she'd exclaimed.

Rogue and Gambit looked at each other. Charlotte was one incredible child. As soon as Panda said that Jean and Scott were inviting others to see the baby, Charlotte tugged at Gambit's duster, asking to be carried into the room at once.

The X-men one by one approached Jean, who lay on the bed, her face flushed as she held her crying son. Scott perched next to her, glowing with pride. He was holding Charlotte now, and the girl was gazing at her brother, beaming with joy. As his sister, Christopher had Jean's bright red hair.

Just like when their daughter had been born, Jean and Scott wanted to be alone with the baby as soon as everyone had had a look and welcomed him into their extended family. So the family of four was left alone in the room as they darkened the lights and had a few candles lit.

A few days after Christopher was born, the X-men held a ceremony/celebration to welcome him, as they had done with Aurora and Charlotte. Many of their spirits were dampened at the recent death of Lu, but celebrating the new life helped soothe the wounds a bit.

Rogue looked at Jean and Scott and their two beautiful children, and looked back at Gambit. He returned her smile, knowing precisely what she was thinking. He was not surprised when she told him the following day that she wanted to work on solidifying their wedding plans.

Gambit prepared for bed late one evening. Rogue was with the Professor. Lately their sessions had been lasting longer than usual, and she asked him not to wait up for her that night.

It was quite late on An'zhina. Gambit had hung out in the rec room, talking amicably with a few of the rescuees there and playing cards with of those who did not yet know never to play against him. He noticed a few of the women there were quite beautiful, as most mutant women were, but forced himself to refrain from doing any harmless flirting. Although recovering from their trauma, these women were survivors of mass rape, a thought which still made Gambit a bit queasy. And if he did do some meaningless flirting, he knew it would make its way back to Rogue and he had no desire to hurt her.

Gambit had then taken a walk in the cool air outdoors, occasionally using a lighted card to illuminate his way. An'zhina was quite dark at night during this time of the year. Gambit could have gotten more light if he'd grabbed one of the lanterns or flashlights from the supply room, but his cards were more than adequate for the task. Upon returning to his room, he saw that Rogue had still not come back and so he decided to go to sleep. As he removed his clothing, Gambit mused that he was, indeed, getting older. Years ago he had no trouble staying out till dawn and flirting with anything in a skirt. Now he was engaged to be married and the day they had set for their wedding was drawing closer. Dawn was many hours away and yet he was tired. Keeping track of ages became difficult when you lived most of your life in space, but by his own rough calculations, Gambit knew his thirtieth birthday had come and gone at some point during the last few months.

Gambit then settled in between the sheets. Life on An'zhina truly was a cut above life on board the starship. The sheets on board Freedom were made of materials like cotton and flannel whereas the bed sheets given the X-men on An'zhina were like silk. A very sensual man, Gambit enjoyed the feel. Despite his longing for Rogue, he easily drifted asleep.

Hours later, Gambit was woken up by the sound of crying. Instantly aware of his surroundings, he saw that Rogue lay beside him and was weeping bitterly. She was trying to muffle the sound, but her body was shaking with sobs, and the bed was trembling along with her.

"Chere," Gambit murmured, turning towards her and placing her arms around her. "Chere. What is wrong??"

She let him hug her and continued to cry as if someone dear to her heart had passed away. When she finally was composed enough to speak, she said, "Remy, I wish I'd never gone and done this with Xavier. Wish we'd left well enough alone. My memories were better off hidden."

"Chere, what is it?" Gambit whispered. "Do you want to talk bout it?"

"My parents abused me," Rogue said. "I---I know, we figured as much. But tonight I remembered the details."

For a long time, Rogue was too choked up to say anything more. Gambit got her some tissues, and she blew her nose and wiped her eyes with them. "I mean, we already knew as much," she repeated. "I think I always knew `bout that subconsciously. But tonight we looked at it and saw everything. Everything came back to me." The tissues piled up on the side of the bed.

"You want to tell me any of it?" Gambit asked.

Rogue shared some of the uncovered memories with Gambit. Both of her parents had physically and sexually abused her. Rogue also had remembered, for the first time, that she'd been sent to live with an Aunt for several years after her mother passed away. The Aunt was kind and gentle with her and perhaps the reason she had survived her childhood at all. But after a few years with her Aunt, her father wanted her back. Fortunately for Rogue, her mutant power manifested itself days after she returned to her father, rendering it impossible for him to touch her. He threw her out of the house, and she was found by Mystique.

"That's why I always had such good memories of her," Rogue said. Her voice was throaty and deep now. Sunlight streamed through the window of their room now, as she and Gambit sat on the bed together. "Mystique may've been horrible to so many people but not to me. And Xavier and I are sure now that's why my powers developed. To keep people from touching me."

The two were exhausted, having stayed up and talked with each other all night. They leaned back against the bedboards, too tired to sit up any longer. Gambit looked at Rogue after she'd been silent for a few minutes and realized she'd fallen asleep. Her head was slumped on his shoulder. Gently, he lowered her onto the pillows. She remained asleep.

Gambit looked at her, her eyes shut peacefully at last. No, he wasn't surprised at all. Way back when, after he'd known Rogue for just a few months, he'd suspected something along those lines. He also knew that many of their teammates had held whispered discussions on the same topic before. But Rogue had never wanted to talk about her past at all, and given that Gambit himself had much in his past that he didn't want to share with anyone, he'd respected that. So now it was out in the open for Rogue to deal with.

Before he drifted off to sleep, Gambit thought of something. Unbeknownst to him, the Professor had shared this with Rogue earlier that evening as well. As painful as this is, perhaps now they were nearing a stage where Rogue could begin to learn how to control her powers.

"Don't be upset, Scott. Christopher is healthy and well. What more could we ask for?"

"I know, Jean. I know. It's just that….that I can't believe it."

Cyclops and Jean walked back to their room from the infirmary. Jean held their three-day old son in her arms. After his examination, Christopher had promptly fallen back asleep. When they reached their room, Jean and Scott each planted a kiss on his face and set him down in his crib.

"I can't believe he's not a mutant," Scott said, slowly lowering himself to sitting on the bed. "How could the two of us have a baby and he turn out to not be a mutant?"

Jean shrugged. "Hank said it's possible. So little is known about this," she mused. "Still, I am surprised. For some reason, I assumed any children we'd have would automatically be mutants."

"Me too."

Jean ceased her train of thought there. She also recalled that the founder of the Friends of Humanity was not a mutant….but he had two mutant parents. Jean banished those thoughts from her mind and sat down next to Scott, holding his hand. Her mindlink opened up to him. "You're disappointed," she stated.

Silence for a moment. "I am," he finally admitted, knowing it would be pointless to try to hide that thought from her. Not that he really wanted to mask anything from her.

"Scott," she said softly. "We have a **healthy son**. There are families across the globe on earth who would give their right arm for that. Think of all the couples who cannot have children, or those who have children with serious medical problems. Or those who want a son but never get one. We have been blessed. There is no reason to be disappointed."

"I know. I know," he repeated. "It's not logical. It's probably better for him that he's not a mutant."

Jean's communicator beeped. Nightcrawler had volunteered to babysit Charlotte for a couple hours so that Jean and Scott could grab some precious rest. With a newborn and another young baby, sleep was a rare thing for the couple now and various X-men had been offering to help in any way. Besides, Charlotte was such a well-tempered baby that she was a dream to care for. Kurt's voice spoke over the communicator, "Jean, Charlotte seems very agitated. I don't know what to do….She is saying `Dada' a lot. Is Scott alright?"

"I'm fine," Scott said.

"We'll come pick her up," Jean said. She turned off her communicator and looked at Scott. "She wants to comfort you."

"I know."

The couple got up, knowing it would be alright to leave Christopher----they would only be gone for a minute. As they headed down the hall, a thought from Scott's mind leaked over into Jean's. "Don't even think it," she whispered to her husband, a chill running down her spine. "He will not turn out like Stephan."

Panda entered the infirmary, brining Hank his favorite drink. It was only a few hours after Jean and Scott had brought their infant in for testing and received the disappointing news that Christopher was not a mutant. She went up to him and kissed his head. "How about taking a break, Hank?"

"Soon, Jessica," he said to her, not taking his eyes off his work. Realizing that his abruptness might've hurt her, he turned around and reached for her hands. He grasped them. "You know how important this work is. Our best chance of being able to free mutants on earth is for us to fortify our cloaking device. I must determine why FOH can detect it and neutralize that. As I see it, the lives of mutants back on earth depend on this."

"I know, Hank," she said, squeezing his hands a bit.

"I have been preoccupied since our return with searching, in vain, for a cure for AIDS and then with assisting Jean in childbirth. Now that Lu has died and Christopher is born, I can re-dedicate myself to this work." Beast refrained from adding a disconcerting thought that had been on his mind frequently since the X-men had returned to An'zhina. No one else seemed to share his sense of urgency regarding this. Granted, he was the only scientist and unquestionably had one of –- if not **the** --- most brilliant minds on An'zhina. But the Professor was spending his days recuperating and assisting Rogue, along with anyone else who needed his help. And everyone seemed wrapped up in Lu's death, the birth of Jean and Scott's son, and Rogue and Gambit's upcoming wedding. The rescuees were being trained, mostly by Banshee with other X-men assisting, how to control and safely use their powers. But none of the rescuees seemed to care much about their brothers and sisters on earth.

"What are you thinking?" Panda asked him. She recalled a comedian she'd seen on television as a child, years ago. He had joked that a woman should never ask her man what he's thinking because oftentimes he's not thinking about much of anything at all. Panda knew with **her** particular lover, that was not a problem. If anything, the problem would be that his brilliant mind held so many thoughts at once. Some of which were incomprehensible to anyone with a normal IQ.

"I am thinking of how we X-men have changed and pondering the reason for that change." At Panda's inquisitive look, Hank continued on. "If we had the same mindset as we had years ago, I believe that everyone would have been eager to return to earth and rescue the other mutants. Yet now I detect a certain apathy from the others. I know the logical reasons----we have been preoccupied with Christopher's birth, Lu's death, and Rogue and Gambit's upcoming nuptials," he said, listing them out on his fingers. "And yet those things do not sufficiently explain it for me."

"Well, I wasn't a member of the team during the X-men's golden years," Panda began, "but maybe it's because no one is getting any younger. Maybe it's like….when I was in college, everyone I knew wanted to save the earth. We wanted to fix all the problems with war and pollution and such. We went on demonstrations and everything. I was kicked out of college for being a mutant, but I kept in contact with some of my older friends. Seems that once they got careers and bought houses, or got married and had children, they became more concerned with themselves and forgot about everything else."

"One would think that having children would increase your concern about the world around you," Hank said.

"You'd think so. But a lot of people got to the point where they're just struggling to pay the mortgage, hold down their jobs, and have some time to see their spouse or kids on the weekend."

"I think your point about us growing older is indeed valid," Hank began, "and I had not considered that before. However I suspect something else is at play as well. I think that the Friends of Humanity scarred us more than any other foe we encountered. I can see that our teammates have a visceral reaction to the very mention of FOH. We never had such a reaction to Magneto or the Sentinels or any other enemy we fought. After our experience with FOH, I believe we realize we are all fortunate to be alive, and we are less willing to risk death...or re-capture, which is potentially as bad."

"And yet the X-men have taken on FOH again. You've made three missions to earth to try to rescue your fellow mutants."

"We did it because we knew it was right," Hank said. "But you see no one---except perhaps Wolverine----is especially eager to set out again. I think that is partly due to the fact that we require a stronger cloaking device. But now I also understand why I sense less determination to set out than before on the part of the others."

Panda nodded. His words made sense. Panda saw that he seemed to be enjoying this break from his work, and hoped he would continue it. "It's too bad that Christopher's not a mutant," she said, after a pause. "Scott seemed disappointed."

"I am sure he will come to accept it." He turned and looked at Panda, studying her features that were so beautiful to him. "Do you want children someday?"

"Yes. And you?"

"Yes," Hank said. He had been thinking about it some.

"I just need to get you out of this laboratory more often," Panda smiled, reaching with a hand to scratch some of Hank's fur.

Hank returned her smile. More than once, she had happened upon him in the lab, late in the evening and had used some very persuasive tactics in getting him away from his work and into their bed. Once they had not even left the lab, leaving Hank to later muse how shocked any of his teammates might've been had they found them there. "We might pass along either of our mutations to any children we have," Hank speculated.

Panda withdrew her hand from his arm. "I know. Does that concern you?" She couldn't detect from his tone how he felt about it.

"A little. We have come to accept our unconventional appearances. But it was very difficult for both of us when we were growing up."

"Yes. But I now regard it as a blessing, Hank, because it brought us together."

Hank was so touched by her words that he leaned forward and kissed her mouth. He then shifted his position and brought his hands around to scratch her back, one of Panda's favorite sensations. "And if we remain on An'zhina for years to come, our children will be raised here," Hank said. "If they inherit our mutation, they will not face the degree of ostracization here as they would on earth."

Panda smiled, just enjoying the scratching he was doing. Silently, she reminded herself that she was the one who had made the first move to get him into bed. She might have to again make the first move. She started to think of a timeframe.

Countless light years away, the FOH soldier named Mark was eating dinner with his fellow soldiers in the mess hall of the Mutant Containment Center they were stationed at. One of his buddies bounded into the room holding a video camera. "I got a great idea!" the man announced to the group.

A few of the higher-ups heard about that soldier's idea. They loved it so much, that they went out and obtained two better quality video cameras. A new shipment of mutants was scheduled to arrive the following day, which made the timing perfect. FOH leadership at the camp invited all the soldiers to place bids to see who would get to star in their production.

Not long after the new shipment of mutants had arrived, the soldiers finished their videotape and were getting copies made. They had decided to film themselves gang raping a 15 year old mutant girl. They were calling the tape "Mutie's First Time", with the subtitle "Watch Her Bleed." They knew there was a market for such tapes and began to sell them.

Mark had seen too much in his young life to be shocked. It didn't even elicit the horror inside him that it should have. But an idea started to take shape in his mind.

It was a festive time on An'zhina. Virtually everyone was looking forward to Rogue and Gambit's wedding, though the date was still a few weeks away. They were giving it a bit more time so they could finalize the details and so Jean could rest and recover more from childbirth. Rogue strongly wanted her friend to participate as a bridesmaid, but also wanted Jean to have sufficient time to recoup her strength.

Meanwhile, Shaman's wife Silver Moon approached Storm one day. She told Storm that their 11 year old daughter Lily Pearl had experienced her first ever menstruation and among their Native peoples, that event was traditionally welcomed by a ceremony. Both Lily Pearl and her mother wanted such a ceremony to take place, and Silver Moon asked Storm to work with them on the preparations. Storm was happy to agree to it. Although most African tribes were patriarchal, a few of them were not and also practiced such ceremonies.

Adding to the merry atmosphere on An'zhina, one of the mutants rescued from the camp in England was a woman in her forties named Agata. She had been a dancer when she was younger, and later in life, a dance teacher. Her recovery was progressing well and she was becoming more outgoing, as she had been before her life in the camp. She decided to offer salsa lessons in one of the gymnasiums, and many people signed up. An'zhina's resident deejay Russ would be providing music.

"So, what do you say, mon amour? You want to sign up for the salsa lessons?"

"I dunno. We're both already good dancers."

"But I don't know how to **salsa**. Do you? It would be fun to learn."

"I guess so…."

"You sound like you really don't want to go. Why is that? I thought you loved dancing."

"I do. It's just that….Well, you know….People will say that we're throwing it in their faces and all if we dance together in public."

"Let them say whatever the hell they want. I don't care." Pause. "But you do, eh?"

"No, no, not at all. But….well, how are we going to dance? Salsa dancing requires one person to play the role of the man and the other play the role of the woman. So if we go along with that, people will be like, `Ah ha! So **this** shows us which one is the man in their relationship.'"

Sigh. "I don't really care what they say or think. But if it bothers you, we could always switch off. Take turns being the guy or the girl."

"I guess. But then we have to learn both parts. Salsa dancing isn't easy, I've heard."

'You know, forget it then, Bobby. Just forget it. I'll ask my sister if she's interested."

"I never imagined a weddin' would be so easy to plan. These replicators make everythin' so simple," Rogue enthused. She and Storm were taking a walk one morning. They flew to the other side of the moon, as far away from the main complex as possible and set down inside one of the forested areas to explore it on foot. Rogue had already seen most of it with Gambit one day, but she wanted to revisit the area.

"We are truly blessed. Perhaps a bit spoiled, even," Storm said, remembering that Lily Pearl's recent ceremony had been a breeze to prepare for as well. "I remember that Jean and Scott's wedding years ago required so much more preparation. But on An'zhina, everything is at our fingertips."

"Yeah, we're lucky. And your plans for the flower decorations are incredible, Storm. Just a few more weeks to go until the ceremony. I can hardly wait!" Rogue smiled and shook her head. "Bobby was so cute the other day when we asked him to be a groomsman. He looked so happy and he hugged us both." Rogue then changed the subject, "Hey, guess what Remy and I are doin'? We signed up for the salsa lessons!"

"Really?"

Rogue shrugged. "We thought it would be fun. It's been ages since we've done anything like that."

"Truly. Remember when groups of us used to go out dancing? I cannot even recall the last time I have been to a club. The rec room on Freedom and the rec room here do not count."

"When's the last time we've watched TV or a movie?" Rogue asked rhetorically. "We haven't since we lived on earth." Indeed the X-men's lives consisted of simple pleasures. Their downtime was spent generally playing with the children, swimming, gardening, working out, taking walks, or just hanging and playing games in the rec room. Their rec room had the Endarian equivalent of a CD player, but television and movies were distant memories. "So we thought what Agata will be doing sounds like it'll be interesting," Rogue continued. "Since we gotta make our own fun around here. What about you, Storm? Interested in the dancing lessons?"

"I have indeed thought of it. I know that nothing in this world I do or say could get Wolverine to join me. But Agata said it is not required that you bring a partner. Perhaps I will show up and see what happens."

"Try it, sugar! I bet it'll be fun no matter what." Rogue then realized she might've lost track of time, as she and Storm had been walking for a while. She glanced at her watch.

"Do we have much more time?" Storm asked.

"Yeah. The Professor and I ain't meeting for more than an hour."

"Wonderful." Storm then paused and brought her voice down a notch. "How is it going?"

Aside from Gambit, Rogue had told only Storm of what she and Charles had uncovered during their sessions. "Well, lemme put it this way. The Professor says working through these memories is gonna make me a stronger person." Rogue shrugged. "I hope he's right. Though sometimes I feel so weak. There are nights where I wake up crying. I don't know what I'd do without Remy. I can't believe the stuff he puts up with from me."

"He loves you, Rogue. When you love someone, you are willing to do these things. I know Gambit well and I know he's glad you're dealing with this." As Storm said the words, a bird sprung off a nearby tree branch and took flight. The bird was a brilliant shade of blue, and Storm silently noted that she did not recall seeing that particular type of creature before. She resisted the urge to leap up after it for a better look.

"What don't kill you makes you stronger." Rogue smiled ruefully and shook her head. "Seems each of us X-men have had to live by that thought." A question then entered Rogue's mind. It had entered her mind many times before, and this time she decided to just get it out. After all, she and Storm were close friends and had been so for many years. And she recalled that months ago, the day after she and Remy had become engaged, she had tried to broach this very same topic with Storm. Rogue decided to bring it up again. "Storm, wouldya tell me somethin'? Sometimes I ain't the best at picking up this stuff but I get a feeling every now and then. Do you love Wolverine? I mean, don't give me the line about loving him as a friend and colleague. Are you **in love** with him?"

Storm was silent. A cool breeze wafted through the air as Rogue then hastily added, "I hope you don't think I'm bein' nosy. Just that we've been friends for so long. And I always feel like I'm pouring my soul out to you. I figure that you might like to do the same every now and then. `Cause I don't see you ever doin' that with anyone."

"Well, I keep a journal," Storm said. As she and Rogue walked, the crackle of branches and leaves being stepped on could be heard.

"Okay. But doncha ever wanna confide in anyone? Like, another human being?"

"I find journal writing and praying to the Goddess to be sufficient." Storm stopped walking, turned and looked intently at Rogue's emerald green eyes. "Why do you want to know how I feel about Wolverine, Rogue? What does it matter?"

"I wanna know 'cause I'm your friend. And lately…you've seemed a bit down. Sometimes I've seen the two of you in the same room together and I see a look on your face…." Rogue allowed her voice to trail off. She had no desire to cajole Storm, and she did not want to appear to be snooping around in her friend's private business.

Storm, however, knew that Rogue's concern was sincere, motivated by her caring. "I do not mind confiding in you," she said, reaching for one of Rogue's gloved hands and holding it. They resumed walking. "I know you will keep everything I say confidential, and I think perhaps you are right that it is good to open up to our friends." Storm paused and then spread her hands in a helpless gesture, "Yes, I do have some feelings for Logan. But it is fairly useless to mull over this anymore. He does not return my feelings."

"Are you sure of that?" Rogue asked. Gambit had told her about some of the conversations he'd had with Wolverine while they were imprisoned by the Cetians. Gambit had tried to coax Wolverine into admitting that he loved Storm, but Wolverine wouldn't budge. He kept insisting that Jean possessed his heart, not Storm. Gambit wasn't so certain. "I mean," Rogue continued, "maybe Logan's just being a bull-headed prick. Maybe he just won't admit how he feels about you."

Storm shrugged, "As I have said to myself many times before, love cannot be forced. I cannot go up to him, bang my fist on a table and demand that he stop wishing Jean were his and love me instead."

"I dunno. I think he needs a bucket of cold water thrown on his head."

"Rogue," Storm said, a strong note of caution in her voice.

"I promise not to say anything! But he needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Any man would be damned lucky to have you. I love Logan but I think he's being a blasted fool." Storm did not respond to Rogue's declaration. Rogue then tilted her head to one side. "I wonder what it is. Is it that he really thinks Jean can be his someday? Jean, who's married with two kids. Nah, Logan's a realist. He's gotta know a snowball has a better chance in hell than Jean ever leaving Cyke. Or is it….hey, Storm, do you think it's that Logan like….needs to be needed? Like, he needs a woman who's gotta show some vulnerability, show that she needs him?"

"Perhaps initially, but I would think that after a while it would irritate him." Storm sighed. "Whatever the case, I won't change myself for him. I will not play the role of the clingy, helpless damsel. If that is truly what he wants, then I do not want him."

"If you got another man, bet then he'd wake up and see what he was losing," Rogue said.

"I will not stoop to such ridiculous games as Angel tried to play with Psylocke. Using Jubilee to try to make Psylocke jealous," Storm said, shaking her head.

"I know. That wasn't right to drag Jubilee into that. I'm so glad that girl came to her senses and saw what Angel was after."

"Indeed Jubilee did come to her senses. And she reached that realization herself, without Logan or I saying anything to her. I am proud of her. But regardless, I would not use such a manipulative tactic, even if I thought that it might work."

Storm looked up and noted that the bright Endarian sun shone high in the sky. It was not as brilliant as usual that particular day as myriad clouds blocked its view, but it reminded Storm that the day was progressing.

"We still have time before my appointment," Rogue said, noting the direction of her friend's gaze and then glimpsing at her watch. "Poor Professor. You know how busy he is."

Storm nodded. "And he is supposed to be relaxing. However, he still looks tired." In addition to working with Rogue, Xavier was counseling three other mutants on a regular basis. One of those others was Psylocke. He and Psylocke had had a discussion regarding her destruction of two FOH ships. In addition to suspending her from the X-men for one year, the Professor mandated that she enter counseling with him. Betsy tended to spend most of her sessions saying nothing, but Xavier hoped she would work with him.

When it was time for Rogue's session with Xavier, both she and Storm sprang into flight and sped back to the other side of An'zhina.

The time on An'zhina just flew by. I think everyone, myself included, was enjoying this vacation. Well, grumpy Wolverine was off by himself a lot and no one saw him much. And Hank was spending most of his days in the lab but groups consisting of Panda, Jean-Paul, Jubilee and I were known to abduct him on occasion and force him to go to the beach with us. We would have a great time and revive our tradition of brushing out Hank's (and Panda's) fur. Neither, however, allowed me to put bows in their pelts. : ( But seriously, Hank told us that his work with the cloaking device "is not yielding encouraging results."

One morning, Jean-Paul and I were having breakfast, sitting with Jubilee and Rory.

"The salsa lessons are great!" Jubilee enthused.

I wished she hadn't brought up a semi-sore subject for Jean-Paul and I, but my lover just smiled and said, "You're a good dancer, Jubilee. And for a Chinese girl, you salsa well."

"Yeah, well for a French-Canadian, you're not bad yourself," she shot back at him, returning his grin. Then Jubilee turned to me, "You're missing something fun."

I smiled, "Hey, be glad I'm not taking lessons---otherwise you'd be short one babysitter." I reached over for Rory and gave her a caress. She returned my affection. Of course the major downside was that Jeanne-Marie sometimes asked me to look after Stephan and keep the boy out of mischief. Easier said than done. I'd way rather babysit Rory.

"Yeah, but you should sign up," Jubilee said. "Storm needs a partner."

"I can't believe a woman that beautiful would have any trouble finding someone to dance with," I said, looking around the dining room. We were mostly alone; no one else sat at any nearby tables though a few other people were milling about. I hadn't wanted anyone to overhear that.

"Actually, mon ami, she does," Jean-Paul said. "At the start of each session, Agata lines up everyone who doesn't have a partner and just matches them with someone. You can see how nervous the guys are to be paired up with Storm. They look around, hoping it won't be them that Agata places with her. Fortunately for them, the girls outnumber them by a few and Storm usually ends up with a female partner."

I shook my head. "It takes no sense. She's one of the most gentle and kind people I've ever met."

"You say that now, but didn't you used to be intimidated by her yourself?" Jean-Paul asked. I had told him as much once before, and I nodded then. "Look, she is strikingly beautiful, taller than half the men, strong, and…queenly. And she's one of the leaders of the X-men. I tell you, the guys are intimidated by her."

Jubilee joked, "I guess we'll just need to get Wolvie to take up salsa lessons then!"

"I think we might have more luck getting the Professor to," I quipped.

"I would partner with her," Jean-Paul said, still looking serious and not on the joking level that Jubilee and I were at, "but my sister will touch only me among the men."

I nodded, my mood turning to match Jean-Paul's. He had recently told me that Jeanne-Marie said she was absolutely finished with men, given what she'd lived through at the hands of FOH. She'd said that she had "no desire to see an erect penis ever again."

"Just another six days until Rogue and Gambit's wedding!" Jubilee enthused after a bit. "I've never been in a wedding before."

"Me neither," I said. "I'm very excited for them."

We finished our breakfast up, and Jean-Paul stood. Looking at me, he said, "I'm going to get the mat and move the bed. Don't forget the….you know."

He said a quick goodbye and then was gone in a flash. "And…may I ask what that was about?" Jubilee asked, sounding curious.

"Well," I began, my cheeks turning a bit red, "um, Jean-Paul and I decided to wrestle each other. In one of our rooms, of course."

"I see…Any normal wrestling competition takes place inside people's rooms instead of the gym, of course. And does the winner get a prize, hmmm?" Jubilee asked, her tone indicating she knew full well what was going to follow the wrestling.

I returned her smile. "Um, yes. And….let's just say that I hope I lose!"

Chapter 8

Chapter 10