Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or basic storylines from the X-Men. I do, however, own Matthew. And yet, still I am poor beyond belief.
Authors Note: THANK YOU REVIEWERS! You all make me so happy.
Oh and just FYI, this story will be 20 chapters including the epilog, so we're not quite at the end yet folks.
'Thoughts'
Matthew
Chapter Fifteen: Homecoming
Later that night Jean was fidgeting in the black bird as they all flew back towards the mansion in New York. Rogue and Remy sat close together, Matthew asleep with his head on Remy's chest and his legs resting over Rogues. She smiled and ran a finger down the bridge of his nose again, as Remy wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. It felt so right to just be a family again.
They had both been rather angry at hearing how their precious angel had been treated and had wanted retribution, but the Professor had been firm. The proper authorities would be notified and they would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. This was rather disappointing for the young southern couple, but they were so happy to have their darling boy back, it didn't matter quite as much.
"You still love her," Jean suddenly spoke, staring directly at Bobby who was glaring over at the oblivious couple, scowling.
"What?" he asked shocked. "I thought you didn't read peoples minds without permission," he grumbled before getting up and moving to the back of the jet where Hank sat reading Tolstoy.
"Did I do something wrong?" Jean asked, looking over at Wolverine and Kurt, who sat next to her across the isle.
"No, nothing at all darlin'," Logan said, rising and taking the seat Bobby had previously occupied. "He just doesn't understand what it's like to not remember who you are," he offered her a smile and leaned back.
Kurt watched them for a moment before porting over, hanging upside down in front of Jean. "Ich vill pray for your memory to return, is that okay?"
Jean smiled at him and patted one of his cheeks. "Very okay."
He nodded once and ported back to his seat, the rosary beads already moving expertly through his hoofed feet.
Jean watched him for a few moments before looking back at Logan and eyed him carefully. "You don't remember your past either?"
"Not most of it no," he admitted looking down at his hands, clenching them into fists and glaring at the knuckles, and the claws he knew lay dormant within.
"What were we to each other?" she asked suddenly, gazing at him with her striking green eyes. "I feel like we were close."
"Friends," he nodded, pained that she did not have a memory of the kiss they shared beneath this very jet two years prior. "Good friends."
"That's nice," she smiled and placed her hand on his forearm giving it a squeeze. "I hope one day I'll remember."
Wolverine was about to speak when Cyclops spoke up from the front. "Coming up on the mansion," he turned back and regarded Jean. "We'll be home soon honey," he gave her a grin and turned back to the front.
She smiled back up at him, her thoughts still muddled as they crested the band of trees that surrounded the mansion only to see it under attack by very familiar robots, each the size of a small skyscraper.
"Sentinels!" Wolverine growled, his claws unsheathing.
"My Goddess the children!" Ororo said as she and Scott worked to land the plane without being noticed.
"Kurt," Charles turned to the teleporter, who was already gone.
"Where'd he go?" Jean asked, concern in her voice as she looked at the machines attacking the building that she had been told was a school.
"To check on the children inside," Charles answered as the plane touched down.
"At least they got it locked down," Rogue said, taking Matthew, who had woken up and was rubbing his eyes tiredly, from his father, who was moving to get some spare decks of cards from the back of the jet.
"What is it mamma?" he asked as she settled him into the seat.
"You know those robots that me and daddy faght on the TV?" she asked, rising and kneeling before him.
"Yeah the Sentinels," he answered now fully awake.
"Well, they're attackin' our home right now, so daddy and meh have ta go and git rid o' them. You be a good boy and wait in the jet okay," she ruffled his hair and rose, taking off her jacket and wrapping it around him.
"Non y' worry mon petite," Remy grinned down at him and ruffled his hair. "We be back soon comprenez?"
Matty nodded and rose in the seat, hugging his mother and then his father. "Dat mon brave garcon," Gambit grinned as he pulled his bo staff from a pocket and headed out the opening hatch with Beast and Iceman, Rogue and Storm already flying towards the mansion.
Wolverine was close behind him as Cyclops paused before Jean. "Stay here and protect Matthew," he kissed her forehead before heading out, leaving her alone with the Professor and the little boy.
"Can't I help?" she asked turning to Charles, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the battle taking place outside the plane, through the open hatch. "There must be something I can do."
"At this moment Jean, all we can do is wait," Charles said, turning to the controls on the plane, seeing how armed it was, just in case.
Meanwhile Matthew watched closely, fear surrounding him as he kept his eyes trained on both his parents. His mother was definitely holding her own, flying in circles through the air before ripping through the creations chests, pulling out vital mechanisms on the way out their backs. She flew up to another one and managed to grip its head, and with a quick twist, removed it from its body.
He then turned to his father who was throwing charged cards at the creature's necks, trying to blow them off. Suddenly Gambit looked to his left and saw one of them about to shoot Beast in the back.
"Henry look out!" He yelled, diving into the blue man and pushing him out of the way, catching the tail end of the blast in his back.
"DADDY!" Matthew screamed, already tearing out of the jet towards his now unconscious father across the way.
"Matthew stay back!" Rogue yelled, already flying towards the device that had struck Gambit down.
"Matty come back here!" Jean yelled running out after him, Charles on her heels in his chair.
Matthew made it to his father's side, tears falling down his cheeks. "Daddy, please be okay, please be okay," he repeated over and over again, cradling Remy's head in his lap, petting his cheeks. "Please daddy be okay."
"Yer mere told y' t' stay in de plane," Remy chocked out, opening an eye slightly, his trademark smirk already on his face as he coughed.
Matthew heaved a sigh of relief when he heard Wolverine shout. "GUMBO, KID GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!"
Matty looked behind him then and saw one of the Sentinels pointing a hand at him, and the laser gun fire. Everything seemed to move in slow motion for a bit as Matthew instinctively held out his hands, a red energy field forming around him and his father as Jean turned into the flaming bird, her and Rogue flying directly for the thing. Storm stuck it with several bolts of lightening and Rogue flew through it's chest, Jean behind her melting it's circuits and Wolverine coming up to cut it off at the knees.
Beast hurried to them, pausing and trying to place his hand through the field, finding he could not, he looked at the frightened Matthew, his hands still out stretched. "Son, perhaps you could let me in to tend your father," he said softly.
Matty opened one eye and then the other, he looked up and they grew wide as he saw what he was doing. Slowly, unsure how to turn it off, he lowered his hands, the field dissipating as quickly as it had formed from around them.
"That's a good boy," Hank smiled at him, taking Remy into his arms and already heading towards the mansion, the protective fortress walls coming down to let them in.
"MATTHEW!" Rogue yelled, flying down and landing before the boy, scooping him up into her arms and smothering him with kisses.
"Mamma did you see what I did?" he asked quietly, slightly confused and unbelievably tired.
"Yes and Ah'm so proud," Rogue said, as she began to inspect him for new injuries. "You saved yer daddy." She hugged him tightly, but not too tightly and kissed him again. "Mah perfect little boy."
"He must have a very strong X-gene for it to activate so early," Charles commented, smiling at the lad and holding open his arms. "I can take him if you'd like to go and check on the young Mr. LeBeau."
"Thanks just the same Professah, but Ah ain't ready ta let him go just yet," Rogue smiled, cuddling Matty closer. "'Sides, Ah think he wants ta check on his daddy to."
Logan walked up then and ruffled the boy's hair. "Not bad kid. Think of how good you'll be after a few sessions in the danger room," he grinned before walking towards the house, his heart clenching as he noticed Scott running over to Jean, who was standing on the lawn, slightly dazed.
"What happened," she asked him as he paused before her. "Where's Matty?" her voice panicked as she began to look around.
"He's fine, he's over with Rogue," he tried to sooth her, but as soon as she heard where the boy was she was running over there, leaving Scott once again alone.
"Matty, are you okay sweetie?" she asked, rushing over to him and Rogue.
"Yeah, did you see me Summer?" he asked grinning, leaning forward and hugging the red head. "I'm a mutant too!"
"It's nice to meet someone who is proud of their gift," Charles said, chuckling softly. "We can determine the extent of your powers later, but for now, why don't we go inside," he smiled at them all as Scott walked up, looking distraught. 'Give it time Scott. She'll come around,' he added to the young mans mind before wheeling towards the door.
"You were very brave Matthew," Ororo smiled at the boy, moving behind Charles and pushing him the rest of the way in.
"You were great kido," Jean said, finally releasing him as she looked up at his grinning mother.
"Come on sugah, lets go tell yer daddy," she smiled, kissing his forehead again and walking towards the mansion.
"Mamma, can we fly?" he asked, leaning his head on her shoulder.
"Of course baby," Rogue grinned, allowing the current to take her the rest of the way into the house and towards the infirmary.
"So, where do I sleep?" Jean asked, looking awkwardly at Scott.
"You used to sleep with me," he said, watching as she began to fidget again.
"I don't know," she said slowly. Everything was moving so fast now and she didn't know what to do about it.
"Hey, don't worry about it. Big house, lot of empty rooms," he offered her a smile and began walking towards the house. "Come on, I'll show you around."
xoxoxoxoxoxox
"Ah should kick ya three ways from Sunday Remy LeBeau," Rogue whispered, slapping his arm reproachfully as they sat in the med lab, Matthew sleeping peacefully between them as they laid in bed, Matty's broken arm wrapped protectively around Remy's abdomen.
"Sorry chere," Remy said, wrapping his arm up around her shoulders and pulling her closer, kissing her temple.
"Ya bettah beh," she grumbled, smiling down at their small son. "Ah can't believe he's back," she smiled, leaning down and kissing his head. "Ah missed him so much."
"Oui," Remy agreed, smiling against her hair. They were quiet for a long moment, just watching him sleep when suddenly Remy spoke again. "Marry meh."
"What?" Rogue asked, leaning up on one elbow and gazing at him, her green eyes large with shock.
"Marry meh," he repeated, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
"Oh Rems, of course," she leaned forward, tears in her eyes, kissing him deeply, before they settled back against the bed, making plans for the future.
xoxoxoxoxoxox
"Wow, this place is so big, I don't know how I'm going to remember where everything is," Jean said, smiling over at Scott as they walked down the hall, her arms crossed over her chest and his hands in his pockets.
"Well I wouldn't worry," he grinned over at her. "There's always someone around to ask."
"Thank you for showing it to me, that means a lot," she added as they came to stop before a door.
"Don't mention it, I'm happy to do it," he answered, looking at the door before him. "Well, here we are," he said after a bit, opening the door for her.
She stepped over the threshold and he turned on the lights for her, revealing their old bedroom, most of her belongings still inside. He had had to move down the hallway after they thought she had died, and hadn't had the heart to touch her things. Xavier had understood and left it alone for him.
Jean walked around in awe for a moment, moving over to examine everything. Opening the door to the closet, she saw the cloths hanging there and turned to him. "Whose are these?"
"Yours," he answered, his hands again in his pockets. "This used to be our room."
"I don't want to put you out," she began as he held up a hand to stop her.
"I moved down the hall awhile back," he said, looking at her sadly. "Everything in this room belongs to you," adding mentally, so do I.
She felt the thought bounce around in her head and shook it slightly. All the memories she had seen in his mind were still fresh, and it hurt her knowing the way this man felt for her, the way she once felt for him, and now he was a stranger. "I'm sorry," she whispered, tears running silently from her eyes.
He was next to her in two strides, placing his fingers under her chin and forcing him to look at her. "You have nothing to be sorry about," he said softly, his voice full of understanding. They gazed at each other for a long moment and she wondered what color his eyes were before he released her chin and moved his hand back to his pocket, leaving her feeling slightly disappointed at the lack of contact.
"It's late, and we've all had a long day," he smiled at her. "I'm just down the hall if you need me." He turned and started for the door.
"Good night Scott," she called after him, causing him to pause halfway out the door, turning back to look at her.
"Good night Jean. Welcome home," he said before closing it behind him, leaving her alone.
Authors Note: I know you all wanted revenge on Matthew's foster family, but the Professor was there and I really didn't see that happening with him able to freeze their minds and whatnot. So they're going to have to do it the "legal" way. Besides, this way we got to see Matty's powers. Only five chapters left so please R & R and NO FLAMES.