mattb3671: No problem with the shout out, I figured this way everyone can see where the OCs came from.

Ranndie Mazda: Glad you liked how I did your character, looking forward to the next chapter.

TheLegendaryManHimself: Yeah it takes place during the summer so far, and I know it's a lot but I also wanted to get a lot of stuff out of the way while they had the free time to do it.

Winblades: Sinister will show up but not Magneto and you'll see what happens in the next chapter.

celtcath74: I don't plan on having an all out battle with those groups, and it will be Magneto's group that attacks.

Slickboy444: I don't remember that Skull Mesa thing, but then again it has been awhile. Look for some Logan/Sarah in this chapter and Sinister will be coming to town and he's bringing friends.

The Uncanny R-Man: I'm glad you liked the idea after all, you'll see other canon characters show up later too.

X00001: I don't think you gave me one, at least I don't remember you doing that so sorry no.

Thanks to: ldypebsaby, Janusi, X00001, Red Witch, Sparky Genocide, LadyDeathStrike1, Aaron, Sparky Genocide, Red Witch, ldypebsaby, Ruby 631

Disclaimer: The OC Sparky belongs to Sparky Genocide

ADJUSTMENTS

CHAPTER 33: NIGHT ON THE TOWN

-Crash Pad-

Later that night after a look around the town Rogue and the others went back to the Crash Pad since Kitty and Piotr had said good things about it and wanted to see how it was at night. The placed looked packed and they saw the same girl Riley there looking a little pissed that she had to work the late shift but she was getting double pay so it wasn't too bad.

"Wow...nice place." Vincent said looking around.

"Told you so." Kitty said smiling and leading them to a table. "I think they got the stage up for tonight some of the local bands are going to play."

Rogue looked out and saw a few familiar faces in the crowd and even a few that Kitty had recognized from their 'trip' awhile back. "Cool you guys are here." They turned to see Josh Foley walking with a small group of people. "I want you guys to meet a few friends of mine, this is Sofia. Her and her mom run a flower shop in town." He said pointing at a pretty brown haired girl.

"This is so cool meeting you guys." Sofia told them. "I mean you guys are so cool and stuff. This is Laurie Collins my best friend." A mousy blond girl smiled shyly at them who also seemed to be hanging around Foley a little closer then normal. "The quiet one is Noriko, don't mind her she's just not much of a people's person."

An Japanese girl with short hair and metallic gloves on her hands had her arms crossed and gave a glare at Sofia but didn't say much.

An African American boy spoke up next. "I'm David Alleyne. Nice to meet you guys but I think we should leave you guys to enjoy the place, don't want to crowd you guys or nothin'."

"Of course not." Kitty told them. "I mean we've loved to hear more about this town and you guys."

"Well only as long as you guys tell us about yourselves." Josh said smiling. "I've always wondered what life as an X-Man was like."

"Not what you think it is ah can tell ya that much." Rogue told him. They spent the better part of an hour talking and comparing stories, after that Rogue and Vincent went to get their drink orders and went to the bar where they saw Riley openly flirting with a white haired kid with glowing blue eyes. Suddenly a crash was heard and Riley shouting. "Damn it Sparky not again!"

"Sorry." Came a voice and when they looked they saw a tall boy over six feet tall, with azure skin, purplish pink short spiky hair and a goatee, red eyes with black pupils. He also had two large, bat-like wings on his back, elf-like ears, a goat-like tail, muscular body, trimmed talons on both of his hands and feet, and had a beak-like mouth. He was quite a sight to the two of them.

Riley placed a gloved hand on her forehead. "It's alright...just clean it up. God love the sweat kid but he's such an accident case, not to mention naïve, and a bit of an odd ball...but he's a sweaty." She said in her British accent.

"Kid?" Rogue asked her looking at him. "How old is he?"

"Fourteen." Riley said and seeing the looks on their face smiled. "I know, he's just big for his age. Hey Sparky get over here, I'll handle that you just get this drink order."

"Alright." He said happily and walked up to them. "What can I get you guys?" They gave him their order, well Vincent mostly because he could remember all the orders accurately enough. "Coming right up." He said happily and shortly came back with a tray with drinks on it. "Here you guys go-oops!" he tripped over his own feet just as he was about to hand them the trey and Rogue was about to get drinks spilled over her.

She flinched but Vince acted with his speed and managed to catch all the drinks and place them on the tray. "That...was too close." He said as he sighed a breath, he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to catch them all.

"Ah'll think ah'll take that." Rogue said to Sparky who looked sheepishly at them. "No offense but ah think it will beh a little safer." They walked back to the larger table they all had moved to with all the people there. Vincent thought he saw something and said he had to go outside for a little bit but that he would be right back.

Vincent walked outside to the street lamp in a slightly chilly night air. He grinned to himself standing in the light. "You can come out I know you're there." From out of the shadows the man only known as Slayer walked into the light.

"Not bad, how long have you've known I've been here?"

Vince turned to face him and leaned back against the pole. "I figured the Elders would want to keep tabs on us. And I swore I saw something in the corner of my vision all day. One of the advantages of a photographic memory is looking back and noticing things you didn't before. I wasn't sure it was you until five minutes ago. That armor is kind of a dead give away."

Slayer grinned. Not many people could impress him even a little. "You out here just to see who was shadowing you?"

"Not really, just wondering why you don't go in and join in with everyone."

"I'm...not a people person." Slayer told him simply.

"That's too bad...you know I've heard a lot about you from this town. A lot of people respect you but they don't really know much about you."

"I don't like to get personal. I prefer to live alone, it's my way."

Vincent considered that. "You know I've also heard that you only come here to check up on things...so if you don't mind me asking if you live a lone and have no home they why are do you care what are you fighting for?"

"For honor." He simply said.

Vincent got a smiled at that. "I get that, very cool. I can respect that since I was brought up in Bushido, I do my best to live up to its teachings. That and I feel honor is the one thing that can't be taken from you."

Slayer nodded his agreement. "I agree, as long as I have my honor that's enough."

Vincent gave him a look and really looked into his eyes and what he saw there he knew that look. After considering everything he got a sad look in his face looking at Slayer. "I feel sorry for you." He started to walk away but Slayer grabbed his shoulder.

"What the hell does that mean?" He asked him sternly.

Vincent sighed and looked at him with a look Slyer never had seen anyone look at him before. "When I look in your eyes I see pain there, I've seen eyes like that in certain people...and in the mirror. I can see you've gone through your own personal hell in your past, most likely in your youth."

"It...wasn't pleasant." Slayer said to him, he didn't like to remember his past, how he had been abused as a child and then how he had been alone.

"I was like you at one point...alone. I had nobody in my life except myself for years. Then one day I was tired of it all, tired of running, of wondering without a purpose. I found a home and friends...and then I knew how alone I truly had been. I know what it's like feeling that emptiness inside you, that hollow feeling that nearly fills your chest and even though it's empty you feel a numbness gnawing at you from that hole."

"My greatest fear is that I'll be alone again...that I'll die alone, unloved, unmoored and unremembered. That is far worse then just death...that is like not even existing at all." Vincent looked to the stars at that point. "When I found out about what friendship was that pain in me is almost long gone now. It also gave my life a sense of meaning."

He looked at the window where he saw Rogue, Kitty and Piotr there having a good time and he smiled. "Honor is great to have in life, but I found it's not everything. You can go through life with honor but still not live, only exist. You see I feel there are two types of people in this world those that live life, those that experience it for the gift it is, and those that just exist in it. Those are the ones that move through life with no purpose never really knowing how to live life to the fullest."

"When I was alone I was just existing in life but when I found a home, friends even a 'family' if you will I started to live life...there was a girl I knew...for her entire life she was enslaved then one day she was freed...a few days later she was...killed." Vincent wiped away a few tears remembering April and how her death still stung. "But you know what I remember the most about her? Her laughter. For those few days she enjoyed her life to the fullest after years of pain and suffering. She touched everyone at the mansion and they'll all remember her."

He touched his temple and then his heart. "Because she'll be remembered and her presence was felt and her presence is missed...in a way she's still alive in each of us." He nodded to the window with his friends. "Because of them I feel alive, that I have something to fight for because of them, they give me strength. I do have my honor but I also have them and I wouldn't give them up for anything."

He looked at Slayer again. "I can understand your need to fight for honor...but I'm telling you there's more to life. At the moment of death when you look back on your life will there be anything you wished for? Anything you regretted not doing? It may be your way and it's your life and I can't tell you how to live it, only you can...but being alone is one of the worse ways to live through life and I know that for a fact."

"Well I've said my peace. I'm going to go back inside with my friends sit by be girlfriend enjoy life and ask her to dance later on when the music is playing, because I don't want to waste this time because if there's one thing I've known is that moments like this can be rare things and should be cherished."

Slayer watched him walk away normally he wouldn't care what someone had said. When he had seen his life with the help of his all seeing eye. He knew that the boy had gone trough some of the same crap he had in life and some ever worse. It was because of the similarities that he chose to listen to this and he couldn't help but a few of his words hit home. He pushed all of that aside he had something to do and he knew he couldn't afford to be distracted.

But deep down he did feel that loneliness...the pain in side that never went away...after this...he would think on those words again but much later...he had work to do.

Vincent got back to the table and sat down next to Rogue and gave her peck on the cheek. "What was that for?" She asked smiling.

He just shrugged and flash her that smile of his. "Because I wanted to and I can and I didn't want to waste the opportunity...besides do I really need a reason?" She just smiled at him and took his hand.

-X-Jet-

So far it was night and Sarah was looking at a fire that Logan had got going. It was just a simple one and since they were far from the highway and not too close to the city they didn't have to worry about someone seeing it and finding them, besides it was hard to sneak up on either one of them.

Logan had gone into the jet for certain supplies, whatever they were she wasn't sure but she just looked at the fire and thought. She was thinking about a lot of things recently, she was learning more and more about life and what she had missed out on. She thought about Deborah and looking back on it all she noticed a few things. All the time she had been the easiest on her then the other people at Hydra, and she had seemed concerned for her a few times it was just until now that she knew what concern was. She needed to talk to her again for her to explain herself...she had been thinking a lot about her lately actually.

She had said she was her biological mother, that she had given birth to her...was that why it had hurt so much to hear that she was her mother? She didn't understand why she had been so angry, maybe it was because of all the stories from the others about their mothers that she had expected for her 'mother' to be more like that.

"Hey kid what are ya thinking about?" She turned to see Logan walking back to her. Even though they weren't father and daughter in the true sense...there was a connection between them, a bond as it were and she was glad she had come here. Logan seemed to help her make sense of the world and he was able to help her understand a lot of what she was going through unlike most of the others couldn't. "Just...thinking." She wasn't ready to tell Logan that she had been thinking about seeing her again, especially since she wasn't sure herself.

Logan accepted that and sat down next to her, he looked up at the night sky. "Ya know...I always liked the outdoors...it open and quiet." Sarah nodded, she did lover her home but sometimes all the noises and smells could be a little much at times. She saw him take a long metallic rod with a flat surface and place a few items on it. She saw a gram cracker, chocolate and a marshmallow.

"What are you doing?" She asked him.

He grinned. "Something that all camping trips have...making smores. I figured since you missed out on a lot...and for all I know I did too, I figured if we're stuck out here we might as well try things that families do." She felt good about what he just said. She was just now really starting to think of Logan as family plus it just felt right thinking of him like that. She watched as he melted them all together with the fire and offered her the first piece. She let it cool and she took a cautious bite not sure of how it would taste. It was really good to her surprise and she enjoyed it.

After they ate a few of them Sarah had ended up leaning against Logan her head resting on his shoulder. "Logan...there's something that I've been thinking about...how old are you?"

"Why do ya ask kid?"

"If I got all your powers...does that mean I'll age as slowly as you?"

Logan hadn't considered that. "I'm not sure...you seem to grow at the same age so far...as for me I've been around since the 1940s...I fought in the second world war so if I joined up at Eighteen let's say that would make me at least...over sixty...but I get the feeling I'm older then that, plus I only look like I'm in my thirties."

Sarah thought about that. "That means you'll most likely live to be over a hundred...you'll most likely outlive everyone we know." She said sadly. "If I do start to age like you do...then...I'll outlive everyone I know...I...I don't want that." She said her eyes filling with a few tears. "I like everyone in my life I don't want to lose them all one day."

Logan knew what she meant, he didn't like the idea of himself seeing all the kids grow old and most likely die before him. He placed an arm over her shoulder holding her close. "I know darling I know...I wish there was a way around it...but unfortunately there isn't...look at it this way. You'll have plenty of time with them and you'll make new friends along the way."

"I don't want new friends I like the ones I got."

"I know...I like them too...but you got to face facts that not everyone will be there one day. I know it's not fair and cruel...but you know how hard life can be to someone. I can't promise you it won't hurt...but it will get better in time and I promise I'll be there for you as long as I'm around too." Logan told her.

Sarah didn't like the idea of a future without the others and just leaned into Logan. She was glad that he would be there for her, she only felt safe and comfortable in his arms. "Thanks dad." She didn't mean for the 'd' word to come out it was just a slip she was tired and wasn't sure how comfortable Logan was with that.

"What did you say Sarah?" Logan asked, he wasn't sure if he had heard her right.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean for it to-"

"It's alright." Logan told her. In fact when she had called him that he felt something he never knew what it was, he felt this happiness inside of him when she called him that. "I...I don't mind you callin' me that...if you're comfortable with it. You are my daughter after all."

When he called her daughter she never felt so happy. She felt like at this moment despite how she came into this world he was her family and he was her father. "Okay...I will...father." She settled up next to him and they sat there just enjoying the silence and each other too.

-Town X, Hotel-

Kitty and Piotr walked out of the small elevator to the second floor of the three-floor hotel. "This was so fun, I can't like believe this place."

"Da, it is good to be somewhere and not feel hated or an outsider." Piotr agreed. It had been a long time for either of them to just walk around and not have to worry about what people thought of hem. "I am thinking that maybe I should come here for my next vacation." He said with a smile, he was actually only half kidding about that.

Kitty giggled. "Yeah I mean I think everyone will want to come here now and then to get away from the outside world." They walked to her door and stopped at it. "Say...do you want to come in? I'm not tired and I could use someone to talk to since I think Rogue and Vince are most likely still out. Who knew that he could actually get her to dance?"

He smiled at her. "I would be glad to keep you company Katya." She really liked that little nickname he had given her. She opened the door to the modest room with the two beds and got on one of them and patted the spot beside her. Piotr was a little shy about being in the same bed as a girl especially his girlfriend but he did and Kitty snuggled up to you tell me what you life was like? You know...before?" She asked him.

"Why do you want to know?"

She shrugged next to him. "I just do...I want to know more about you personally." He smiled down at her and started to tell her more about his life, his family. She listened to him and absorbed every word of it. It sounded like a nice quiet life that he had, kind of the thing you dream about when things in your life are too hectic for you.

An hour later Rogue and Vincent had returned and they walked along the halls. "Well I don't know about you but I had a great time."

"So did ah." She agreed and it was a nice time too. "Well this is mah stop, ah'll see ya in the mornin' sugar."

He nodded to her. "Goodnight beautiful." Rogue put in her key and opened the door and was surprised to see both Kitty and Piotr in bed only they both looked like they had fallen asleep in each others arms. They looked so peaceful and happy together she didn't want to spoil this for them. She turned off the light and gently closed the door and thought about what to do next.

When Vincent had opened the door and saw no one was inside he ran a hand through his short black hair wondering if Piotr and Kitty were still out. He was about to close the door when Rogue showed up. "Can ah ask ya a favor?"

"Okay sure."

"Can ah spend tha night here?" She asked him a little nervous. This took him by surprise and he gulped a little, he also knew that if Logan knew about this he'd had kittens. "Ya see Piotr and Kitty are in mah room." She saw the look on his face and realized how that must have sounded she gave a little laugh. "Not like that. They fell asleep together and ah didn't want to wake them."

Vincent nodded and let her in. She smiled and nodded her thanks and looked around the room, pretty much like theirs and she looked out the balcony. "God...this day has been lahke perfect ya know?"

He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his head on her shoulder. "Yeah I know what you mean, it's nice to be accepted again...even I've nearly forgotten what it was like to be treated like a normal person. Plus I'm glad to be here with you too." He gently started to place a few kisses on her neck and she smiled and leaned her head to allow him better access to it and let out a small moan of pleasure. Then she broke away and faced him and looked him in the eyes with a serious expression on her face. "Vincent...ya know ah love ya right?" He nodded. "Do you know why?"

"I've thought about it, but tell me."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Ya were the first person that didn't treat meh lahke I was poison, which ah was, ya saw through meh and ya were so kind ta meh at first. Ya didn't judge or were afraid of meh...you just accepted meh as ah was...then ya stuck by meh for over a month not touching meh but still wantin' ta beh with meh...ah think it was then that was the hardest. Ah know we both wanted to touch each other so badly but couldn't but ya stood by meh all through it...you've been there for meh ever step of the way and ah can see how much ya care for me in your eyes. You're a kind and carin' person and ah'm lucky to have ya in mah life."

Vincent placed his hands on her waist and drew here a little closer. "I love you Rogue...I mean you're so strong and companionate even though you don't want to show it. You've got a good heart and a pure soul. You also helped me through some tough times...and you still do. You make my life easier to live, with you I feel at peace in my life and before you I wasn't sure what love felt like. With you in my life I feel like I've found a missing piece to my life that I didn't know that wasn't there...I never want to lose you...I've...I've lost so much in my life that I don't think I could handle it if I lost you of all things."

"Ya won't lose meh." She said softly and pulled herself forward and kissed him. At first their kisses were gentle then more passion was put into them, they could hear the beating of their hearts in their heads as they continued on. Rogue pulled away from him. "Vincent...ah...ah want to spend this night with ya."

He was slightly confused at first but then he caught her meaning. "Oh...are you sure...that, you know...you're ready for this?"

She nodded. "Yeah ah am. Ah want ya to make love ta me tonight...ah don't want to waste this night and ah want this day to beh perfect." He smiled at her and kissed her softly then scooped her up in his arms and she couldn't stop the small laugh at being swept off her feet and she continued to kiss him as he brought her down onto the bed and put her on it. They both laid down and began passionately kissing and exploring each other gently and not too quickly, they wanted to make this moment last.

"Did ya...um....bring protection?" She asked him through their kisses.

"Yeah, after that talk with Scott, which by the way was way to uncomfortable for either of us and both of us really don't want to go through that again, I started carrying in my wallet after that." He told her. She smiled and got on top of him as his hands went up inside her shirt and she felt his hands on her smooth skin.

She couldn't believe she was actually going to do this, it wasn't long ago she had pretty much accepted the fact she would never know another person's touch yet here she was with the boy she loved doing something she had feared she would never would be able to do. For so long she had been afraid that she would have to go through life without love of any kind physical or emotional. Was she glad she was wrong about that.

She caressed his upper body feeling the muscles from years of physical training and kissed him at the same time. He sat up and she went up with him and he pulled of her shirt revealing the black bra she had gotten and he traced a line of kisses from her lips down her neck to her color bone. She moaned at the sensation. She began tugging his shirt off and took it off him and she looked seeing the muscular build with a hint of the few scares on his shoulder and the one at his side. The tattoo on his chest plain to see. She noticed how he seemed a little sensitive when she looked at the scars. She remembered how he always thought no girl would want to see those on him and figured that it would turn off any girl if he got to this stage.

She just smiled at him placing her hands on his face getting him to look at her eyes and show him that she didn't care. When he saw her eyes a smile grew on this face as they continued on. "I love you Marie." He said softly and she kissed him deeply.

"Ah love ya too."

-Savage Land-

Sinister was in the Seeker room at the moment so far while he was looking for any possible mutants for their growing forces something had happened. There was a small area that seemed for a moment to have many mutant signatures but it had vanished. Now he was focusing on that area now and then wondering if it was a glitch. The Seeker was still not at one hundred percent and things like this could happen.

But then it happened again. Many mutants suddenly appeared and he focused on that area, there were a lot of minds in that area even some humans too. He marked down the coordinates and went for a deeper scan when the area went blank again. He growled in frustration and got out of the chair and took off the helmet. This was an interesting little mystery.

He was going to go to Magneto and report this but thought against that. It was late and he had plans to make, but in the morning he was going to report this and he was going to organize an Acolyte party to investigate this. He thought about which members would be perfect to go and walked out of the dark metallic chamber back into his labs. He didn't really need to sleep anymore so he figured he could keep himself busy for now.

One of the things he had learned over the long life span he had was patience. So he would plan out first then when morning broke he would ready himself to see what was going on at that place. Whatever its secrets would soon be his.

NEXT UP CHAPTER 34: SOMETHING SINISTER THIS WAY COMES