Thanks to:
Oceanbang – Some of those questions answered in this chapter!
Furygrrl – Uh, Lance was in the Brotherhood house because, uh…all the food in the mansion had been eaten and he was hoping no one would notice if he snuck over for a snack. Yeah, that'll work since PB didn't notice he was there (oops!). Thanks for pointing that out, I felt so stupid when I realised, but it's all been revised now. More Evil Red in this chapter!
Enfant-terrible – Aw thanks, you're so nice! Hope you like this chapter just as much.
Raphealla – More Kurt here! Does the anti-stoning work? You're about to find out…
Kurttyscogue – Mystique, Lance and Kitty all feature heavily in here!
X00001 – She's gonna be pretty annoyed, that much is for sure…
LadyEvils – I know what you mean about Mystique maybe not really being a statue – answers to that question, plus Lance and Kitty, in this chapter!
DemonRogue13 – Glad you liked and here's what happens next!
UncannyAsianGirl – your address is on your fanfic page! It was just regarding your question about what I thought of your ideas and the answer is; I liked what I read and would certainly check them out! The TK aspect of Rogue's power is gonna be fun to explore and the touching thing…in the next chapter, hee hee! Age of Apocalypse was my favourite series, I remember how she used those magnetic powers. The family therapy theme will be played out through the rest of the fic (and are they ever gonna need it!).
Rogue14 – No 'cliffy' here (I made a punny!) and Mystique will be around a lot more.
One eye – I have been awfully mean to Scott, but I swear things are gonna get better for him and all those hints are leading somewhere, promise!
XX-Goth-Gal – I first time I saw that episode when I was writing 'Manipulating' and I stared at the TV with my jaw somewhere around my knees and to hell with the fact it had just screwed up the planned ending to my fic! Rogue still has that anger, but it's less at Mystique and more at Jean…
Author Note: My computer has crashed three fucking times tonight. If there's any problem with the chapter, let me know so I can fix it.
Disclaimer: Nothing herein is the property of PB. Except the storyline. Kind of.
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He awoke when some one knocked at the window. Groaning, he turned over and pulled the blankets over his head. "Leeme 'lone."
The knocking again, insistent, determined…
And aren't you on the forty-sixth floor?
He shot upright and looked toward the window. There was a girl floating outside, pale and cold, her red hair fanning around her face.
Let me in.
The voice spoke right inside his head. Somewhere at the back of his mind he was remembering scenes from old vampire films and how if a figure floating outside the window asked to be let in at 3am it was usually a good idea to ignore them – but the voice was too commanding to be ignored. Besides, he was still half-convinced that he was dreaming.
The girl floated through the window and he noticed how unwell she looked. "Who are you?"
"We've met," she said. "Although you might not recognise me. I've changed since then."
"But what are you doing outside my bedroom window in the middle of the night?"
She smiled, sitting herself down on the bed, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. "You're going to help me."
Do as I say.
Unable to resist her telepathic command, Warren nodded dumbly.
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"Lance, wake up!"
"Whuh?" Lance opened his eyes and looked up at Kitty. His bedroom door was locked, but that was never a problem for his girlfriend. Usually he counted that a blessing – it was so much easier to get away with her sneaking in at night when she didn't have to use the door – but since the scene at graduation, he'd been trying to avoid seeing her alone.
"Move over, it's cold." Kitty crawled into bed beside him and folded her arms. "Right, I wanna know why you're acting like this."
"Like what?"
"Don't play dumb with me! You've been like, totally staying out of my way. And you promised me you'd tell me what happened when Jean went into your mind and since then we've never been alone together. You asked Ray to come to the movies with us!"
"I thought he might like the film!"
"You're going to tell me what's going on with you Lance."
Lance sighed and sat up. "OK. When Jean went into my mind at graduation, she showed me what would have happened if she hadn't been in your parents minds at Northbrook."
"And?"
"And you would have found out why I lured you into the office."
Kitty waited impatiently. "I already know why you lured me into the office. Test results, right? So what's the big deal?"
"You didn't know that at the time though. You would have found out while I downloaded the answers and not liked it. Then when your folks showed up, well you know I knocked the school down? If it weren't for Jean, you would've gone with them and not me. You would've gone to the X-Men and I'd have gone to the Brotherhood. We'd have fought all the time and I'd try to hurt you – and I'd still be with them today."
Kitty wrapped her arms around him. "That's what you're concerned about? A bunch of what ifs? That stuff never happened and it might have just been Jean screwing with you."
"No, it wasn't. It was from Destiny's mind – it was real. That stuff would have happened."
"But it didn't. We're here now, together. That's all in the past."
"I guess. But – what if we weren't meant to be together?"
"Whoa, wait! I thought you didn't believe in fate or any of that stuff. I love you Lance, nothing that might have happened differently then can change what we have together now."
"You don't think it matters?"
"I know it doesn't." Kitty leant over and kissed his cheek, relishing the roughness of his stubble against her lips. "That didn't happen, none of it did and nothing Jean can do can change that."
"Yeah, you're right." Lance turned his head to capture her mouth with his own, but even as he pushed her back against the mattress, he knew it would be a long time before he could rid himself of the image of himself growling his anger as Kitty ran away from him – and he dropped half the ceiling on her head.
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"I really see no need for this."
Mystique was reluctantly allowing the Beast to examine her for any problems that may have arisen from her recent experience. She was only doing it for the children. Both Kurt and Rogue were looking at her as if she'd arisen from the dead, which in a manner of speaking, she had. Kurt especially looked curious, whereas Rogue seemed angry.
"You seem to be fine," said the Beast. He didn't believe that they should give their sometime enemy any kind of medical aid, but when Kurt had dragged her back to the mansion and started jabbering, the Professor had insisted.
"So are you really my mother?" asked Kurt.
Mystique glanced over to him, her usual sneer of contempt absent, and nodded.
"But – what happened to me?"
"Do tell, mother," said Rogue.
"How do you know any of this?" Mystique directed the question at the teens, but her eyes were on the Professor.
"When Jean touched you, she picked it up and told me about it when we were on the astral plane." Rogue's dislike for her adoptive mother was almost tangible.
"Why did you run that night?" asked the Professor.
"Dear Charles," purred Mystique. "I suppose you picked that up from Rogue when you read her mind after Jean was purged from it."
The Professor ignored her tone. "What were you two doing in that dreary castle? Was it worth the loss of your son?"
"I saved him!" Mystique leapt up angrily. "If it wasn't for me…"
There was silence for a moment.
"Magneto's dead," said the Professor.
Mystique looked at him, startled. "What?"
"He confronted Apocalypse," the Professor told her. "He lost. You don't have to worry about him any more Raven."
"Are you suggesting I was afraid of Magneto?" Mystique snorted. "I'm afraid of no one."
"Then why are you avoiding my question?"
"That's it. I'm leaving." Mystique made her way to the door and paused before she opened it, turning back toward them.
"Rogue…thank you," she said quietly, before leaving.
Kurt put his hand on his sister's shoulder. "You did the right thing."
Rogue sighed. "Then why doesn't it feel that way?"
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The Brotherhood house was in darkness, the usual sounds of loud music, arguments and the occasional explosion temporarily ceased as the occupants slept. Forge had left his window open and a large owl flew through it, morphing into a woman before it hit the floor. Mystique glanced impassively around the room, noting the mess of mechanical pieces and papers filled with technical scribbling. At least one of the Brotherhood had been working on her condition, but she doubted that the others had given her that much respect.
She walked silently into the hallway and flung open the nearest door, which happened to be Pietro's. He opened his eyes sleepily, starting as he realised who she was.
"Get up," she snarled at him, before moving on to the next door. Pietro grabbed his jeans and attempted to struggle into them, falling on his face as he tried to get both feet into the same trouser leg.
The Brotherhood assembled in varying degrees of undress in the living room, trying to hide their nervousness. Did Mystique have any idea what had happened to her statue form when she had been with them?
"If this is about the gargoyle thing…" began Fred.
"You ignorant, pathetic fools!" Mystique paced on the carpet in front of them. "You did nothing to restore me from stone. None of you!"
Pietro grinned nervously. "Well, when you didn't come back after you escaped from Area 51 we thought…"
"Shut up! You let Magneto lead you like a bunch of mindless sheep. But he's not around anymore; he's too busy being dead. I'm back in charge now, and none of you forget it."
Ignoring Wanda's stricken expression, Mystique made for the stairs. Tabby scowled. "I need a score card just to work out who's the boss around here. I feel like a ping-pong ball!"
Mystique went back to her room, waking Forge as she climbed into bed beside him. He opened one eye and looked up at her. "Raven?"
"I'm back," she confirmed as he sat up and threw his arms around her. "And I'm getting my revenge on Apocalypse for what he did to me, one way or another."
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Jean relaxed on the couch, enjoying the softness of the robe after luxuriating in a much-needed two-hour bath. Warren was preparing her the only meal he knew how to make, beans on toast.
He brought the plate over and Jean wrinkled her nose. She'd never liked beans, but she needed to get her strength back and she was too hungry to wait for anything else. She began forking the food into her mouth.
Warren sat on the end of the couch near her feet. "My parents will be back in a few days. They're in San Diego."
"A few days is all I need," replied Jean. "I just want to get healthy again. It shouldn't take long."
"What will you do then?"
"I'm going to Egypt. Apocalypse is going to pay for what he did to me."
"He brought you out of the coma…"
"I didn't want to be brought out of the coma! I was happy with my psyche in Rogue's body. Her mutation made me more powerful than anyone, but he lied to Mesmero, lied to me, stole away all that power – that potential. I could have been the most powerful mutant on the planet and now…now I'm just me again."
"You can't go to Egypt! Magneto did that and Apocalypse killed him!"
This was news to Jean, who hadn't been in a position to keep abreast of current affairs. For a moment she considered changing her plans, then dismissed her concerns. She was too angry to be cautious.
"Then I'll need to do something he isn't expecting." Jeans green eyes sought out his blue ones. "When I go to Egypt…will you come with me?"
Warren turned and looked out at the fantastic view of the city afforded by the window. The first rays of dawn were already upon them and he was tired. He wanted to talk Jean out of her plan to confront Apocalypse – her psychic suggestion had made him believe her to be the most important person in his life, to be protected at all costs – but he knew it would be hopeless. She was going to do this with or without him. He looked back at her intense expression.
"You know I will."