ViciousAssassin: Yeah, Laura really needs as many friends as she can get. Most people are glad that they were interrupted but you know eventually they will. Well I didn't see Mystique in the show actually trying to kill all those kids in the mansion and they ever explained that. I think the writers just got carried away without thinking.
Mark C: Yeah, we thought Xavier interrupting them at that point was just too perfect not to use, you'll see more of Jack's past later on. AndI really wanted Mystique and Scott to set a few things straight between the two of them in that chapter.
IvyZoe: Romy will be up in this chapter trust me on that, and as for getting it on. Yes it is, you honestly think Rogue can just jump in the sack with a boy after what she went through? Yep, Mystique is going to have a talk with both Wanda and Remy in this chapter.
Sean Malloy-1: Well I was thinking we were just going to play it out by ear so far and as for that pairing well let's just say we thought about that in advance before we wrote her into this fic.
Doza: LOL! Glad we were able to shock you so much you know we try. Actually Slickboy wants to do a chapter before this fic ends that explains his entire past.
KSimonT-X: Yeah I figure after all that's happened it might be kind of a wake up call for Kitty to try an embrace what's important in life. Plus she was the first to take it to the next level in the comics too. Kind of the same with Piotr. Yep originally Mystique wasn't planned to be in this but this fic grows and evolves over time. Yep you know I like to dig deep into a character, and I wanted a decent reason why she tried to kill Scott. As for August, you got it.
Aaron: 'The facts of life' was just too good to pass up in that chapter. When X23 asks those types of things its just too funny. You got it, I wanted to show how they've changed since the start of this.
GothikStrawberry: You'll see the pranks and the payback next chapter and I hope you like them. Yeah love is hard to put simply isn't it?
Jenskott: Yeah someone like Slayer is not the kind of guy that can to "the talk" that well. Yeah you never saw much Kurt/Rogue bonding in the show. Well we thought it was funny to have them interrupted.
The Uncanny R-Man: Don't worry August will join up with them later and yeah, that would make any guy uncomfortable. Yeah you know Kurt is the forgiving type. Yep just teasing the readers a bit with Kitty/Piotr. Oh yeah I forgot that she killed Moira in the comics, well then maybe it's a good thing that in the comics she left or man that would get uglier.
X00001: I think you're a bit too hard on Mystique and need to give her a chance.
Thanks to: simba317, Quillian, KaliAnn, Ace-kun, Silver Warrior
Hellfire and Brimstone
CHAPTER 60: JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS
Dining Room – Breakfast
Mystique found herself unable to get much sleep after the rather traumatic night that had left much of the mansion in a sea of tension. Many had made it abundantly clear that her presence here was unwelcome at best. After all, this was the place she once blew up and there was that whole little incident with her and Scott. But despite all the bitterness, she was willing to endure that for the sake of making amends with her kids. After what they had been through with Hellfire, they needed their mother now more than ever and if she would have to brave this storm to be there for them…So be it.
Throughout the night, she had found herself laying wide awake…Pondering at where all this would lead her. For so long now, she had fought on the opposite side of the X-men…Could she really fit in with them after everything she's done? How long would it take for them to realize that she regretted her actions? How long would it take for them to trust her?
Yet no matter how much she thought about it, it always came back to her kids…Kurt and Rogue. Memories of all her misdeeds and mistakes seemed to come together into one big nightmare that reminded her of just what she would have to overcome in order to make up for so much lost time. But when it was all over…Raven Darkholme remained determined to work through it all. She had tried running from it…Siding with Magneto because she was just too scared to face her children and too bitter at the world to give it a chance. None of that had done her any good…It only made things worse.
Now, she was finally willing to make that change…That one major change that could forever affect her relationship with her children. And with the memory of last night still hanging so fresh in her mind, she knew she had a LONG road ahead of her.
As she tiredly made her way down the institute halls, she found herself following the commotion and chatter to the dining room where breakfast was being served. Having not eaten much in the last few days, the smell of bacon and eggs made her stomach growl. And the closer she got, the louder the noise became. She could hear a multitude of noises and for a brief moment she found herself stopping just to decipher a few of them.
As was often the case, the breakfast table was fairly lively. There were sounds of casual conversation among friends, couples sweet talking one another, and elders discussing the schedule for the day. She heard her name mentioned a few times, followed by a couple of arguments afterwards, making her feel a bit weary about joining them. However, despite this, she decided to make her presence known…For if she was going to make this work, she was going to have to learn to walk amongst the X-men without apprehension.
Taking a deep breath, the shape shifter that had caused so much chaos in the lives of the X-men…Hoping it wouldn't devolve into a scene. Yet as she had expected…The second she walked into the living room…She got a reaction. And by all accounts…It was probably the worst kind of response anybody could have hoped for.
"I'm telling you guys, we should really try and…" said Warren, yet like all the others, he literally froze in mid sentence as a deafening silence came over the whole room.
Everybody stopped shoveling food in their mouths for a moment and diverted their attention towards their newest member…Mystique. It grew so silent so fast that it was possible to hear a pin drop. It put the shape shifter in an awkward position as she felt all eyes on her…Seeing looks of both apprehension, nervousness, and concern. It was not a welcome feeling since she had always disliked being stared at, for she had enough of that growing up.
Both Kurt and Rogue looked around nervously, seeing that their mother's presence was still a little strange for all of them to accept and at first, they simply kept staring at their food. But as the silence grew increasingly awkward, the two siblings thought they should probably try and break the ice…However, Mystique beat them to it.
"Yeah, good morning to you too," she said in a sarcastic tone as she quickly turned away, not wanting to stay a minute longer, "Sorry for interrupting your breakfast, but I just lost my appetite, so I'm going."
With many eyes still upon her, Mystique made her leave, her mood once again sour by what she was going to have to live with now. But once she was gone, Kurt and Rogue were quick to speak up.
"Yeah, that was REAL nice y'all!" said Rogue bitterly as she picked up her plate and retreated to the kitchen where Remy and Ororo were still cooking.
"Hey, it's not our fault!" argued Scott, "It's still kind of…Unnerving having her around."
"Yeah? Vell that shouldn't stop you from trying!" said Kurt as he left as well with Wanda following close behind.
Back in the hall, Mystique's mood didn't get any better as she walked down the spacious corridors in a new stupor. She knew this was going to be hard, but if she was going to have to endure shit like this every step of the way, she didn't know how things were ever going to get better. She had made this sacrifice and was willing to accept the consequences of her past indiscretions…Yet some were still slow to forget the past.
She wasn't sure how she was going to go about living here. Maybe it was a bad idea in the first place and it was too soon for her to take this step. It was clear that she was not wanted here by anyone except her kids, but she was just causing so much chaos that it seemed counterproductive. There was no one else here for her…There was no one else willing to give her a chance. It seemed downright illogical to stay here and maybe she would talk to Kurt and Rogue later on about going through this in a different manner. But still…Would that mean she would be simply backing down? Would that mean that she would be abandoning her kids again just because she couldn't hack it?
There were no easy answers to such questions and she soon became lost in thought, thinking maybe she should take a little flight to clear her head. Then suddenly…Just as she turned a corner, she was so lost in thought that she bumped into someone. And instinctively, she reacted as most people would.
"Hey! Watch we're you're…" however, she was cut off in mid sentence as her eyes fell upon the man she had bumped into.
At first, she thought it had just been another one of the students. But as soon as she looked up at his imposing form, she was met with a presence she had never once met before and wasn't familiar with in the slightest. He was Jack Robinson…Another fellow newbie who hadn't been there during the turmoil of the previous night, but knew what had happened thanks to his all seeing eye.
"Sorry Ms Darkholme," he said politely, "My mistake…"
Upon recognizing him as an unknown, the shape shifter felt relieved that he wasn't one of the regulars or someone who had been around when she was still a bitter enemy. Even though he knew her name, he didn't apprehensive in the slightest…Something that was greatly appreciated by Mystique after having just faced over a dozen hard gazes.
"I don't believe we've met…" he said, seeing that she was in somewhat of a stupor, "I'm Jack…Also known as Slayer."
"Well you already know my name, so I won't bother reminding you," she muttered, still in a lousy mood.
Yet despite this, the mutant warrior remained casual…Seeing clearly, even without the use of his eye, that she had experienced a rather rough night and a sub par morning. While he knew her presence had caused quite a stir and he had seen with his eyes why that was, he remained indifferent to it all. For when it came to strangers, Slayer had always gone by the logic that things weren't always what they seemed. And from the looks of it, this seemed like one of those cases.
"Hey…You okay?" he asked her as she began to walk off.
"Why do you care?" she said bitterly.
"Well…I'm new here too in case you haven't noticed," he told her, "And besides…It looks like you could use a friend."
Upon hearing that, Mystique swallowed her bitterness and turned back to the mysterious young man that everybody knew so little about. And even though she was never one to divulge much to total strangers, she did have a desire to reach out and at least find some comfort in that this little venture of hers wasn't completely foolhardy.
"Well if you must know…It's complicated," she told him simply, "Not a lot of people are happy to have me here and I'm pretty sure a few wouldn't mind seeing me leave."
"Yeah, I noticed that…" said Jack sympathetically, "But you're not thinking of running again, are you?"
Mystique stood mildly impressed at this man's perceptive abilities, for she so rarely found someone who could see past the mask she so often put on, shielding herself from the rest of the world. But still…She remained skeptical about this stranger…Even if he did seem sincere.
"I don't know…" she answered with a sigh, "But it doesn't concern you, so don't worry about it too much."
However, Jack did not heed her words…Instead, he persisted. For he had been in that position before…More than she ever could have imagined.
"Well take some advice from an impartial observer who can't yet judge you for what you've done…" he told her, once again causing her to stop in mid stride, "Don't run from your problems. I've said this to the others before and now I'm saying it to you since you're a part of the team now…Running never does you any good. Once you start…You never stop. It never makes things any better, it just makes them worse. So please…Save yourself the trouble…Don't run."
Looking back at the expression of the mysterious young man, Mystique could sense an unmistakable level of sincerity. Usually, she didn't take or care for advice from strangers…But this man seemed different somehow. The look in his eyes…The expression on his face…It was as if he was speaking from more than just the position of an impartial observer as he put it. She knew the signs quite well and she could see them clearly written upon him…Yet still, he was not done.
"Look, I know it seems impossible now," he told her, "But just give it time. Things will come around if you just give them a chance."
"You say that…But you don't know what it's like," she said, feeling so tense and lost, "And…I just don't know if I can handle this."
"You may think that now…But what about tomorrow? Or next week? Or next month?" he inquired, "Do you really want to give up this easily?"
"No…" she said, not needing to think too much about that one since she was never one to give up.
"Then that's all you need…" concluded Jack, "Just don't give up on yourself or the others. You owe yourself that much."
Unable to deny the truth in his words, Mystique swallowed her frustration, set aside her bitterness, and took a few deep breaths…Letting what had just happened process through her mind. It had been awkward and troubling…But that was but one step she had to make. And no matter how impossible it seemed…She still remembered why she was doing this…She just needed a little reminder. And it just happened to come from a certain stranger who had been at the right place at the right time.
"You're right…" she finally told him, "I can't give up. No matter how much this whole mess sucks…I can't do that at this point."
"That's the spirit!" said Jack, feeling as though he had done his good deed for the day, "Just remember that, and you'll be fine. And if by chance, you need someone to talk to…I live here too you know."
"Um…Thanks," said Mystique, actually managing to smile for the first time since she got here.
"No problem…" said the mutant warrior as he began to make his way back down the hall, but before he got too far…Mystique once again stopped him.
"Hey Jack…" she said, causing him to turn back around to face her, "Nice meeting you…"
That got Jack to smile as well as he simply returned her gesture.
"Likewise Ms. Darkholme," he said in response.
"Please…Call me Raven," she told him.
"Right…Raven," he affirmed as he once again turned to make his leave, "I'll see you later."
"Yeah…Later," said Mystique as she chose to linger a bit, reflecting on what just happened.
Raven Darkholme had just had her first stroke of luck since she arrived. And for the first time, she felt as though she wasn't alone in this big, imposing mansion with only her kids to guide her. Remarkably, she had literally bumped into someone who didn't judge her and didn't show her any apprehension. He was the first person outside of Kurt and Rogue to be nice to her and she had to admit…It was a welcome feeling. And while she was still a bit unsure about where this would lead her…At least there was someone here she could turn to.
"Wow…" she said to herself, once again smiling at just how much things had changed, "I think the Xavier Institute just got a lot more interesting."
-Living Room-
Rogue and Remy walked into the living and them promptly just fell down onto the couch. "God…Ah thought Logan was tough, but Slayer is far worse."
"Remy's gonna have ta agree wit' you der chere, and Remy's only been taking trainin' from Logan only a few months now," he said back. Every muscle ached in ways he didn't know existed. But after that first little session when Slayer took on both him and Vincent, he knew that they were in for a major training. Although he knew that they would need it.
Rogue was rubbing one of her shoulders. It nearly felt like her shoulder was nearly torn out of its socket. She started rubbing it but she couldn't get the right spots on it. It was annoying, plus there was still the aches in her legs as well as her lower back.
"You want some help with dat chere?" Gambit asked her with that playful grin of his.
"What do ya mean?"
"Do ya trust Remy?" he asked her. There was a time she would have said no, but after all this she did trust him. "Den turn around an' let Remy help ya…"
She hesitated a bit and then turned her back to him and felt his hands on her shoulders rubbing it. It felt good and she rolled her neck a little. There was a time not too long ago she wouldn't have been able to let anyone touch her…Let alone allow contact like this. She was glad that with all the therapy sessions and with the help of everyone here she was slowly making a full emotional recovering from her ordeal.
She was just glad that the memories of that horrible room were faded slightly. They weren't as sharp as they once were. She still was affected, but now she could touch another person without flinching and she could kiss Gambit without feeling sick to her stomach. Although it was nothing like making out, she wasn't ready for that, only tender loving kisses. Simple things like holding hands or him caressing her cheek, something like if he put his hand on her thigh made her heart race, but not in the good way. She had nearly a panic attack.
She knew that the others had something like that as well and none of them left the mansion alone anymore and with their talks with each other, they admitted to things like out in public having a sense of dread or fear with no reason for it. They all still had nightmares, but unlike the others she didn't have someone to hold her at night. Kurt had a few times actually and it only made them closer as siblings, but she wanted to be able to have Remy there for her. To have his arms hold her when she had one of her nightmares but she still felt odd about that.
She moaned feeling his hands move around her shoulders, "Dat good?"
"Oh God yes," She said closing her eyes feeling the aching being removed from her shoulders.
"You got any other aches?" He asked her.
"Yeah mah lower back too." She sighed feeling better.
"Well Remy can fix dat too, if you just lay on your stomach on de couch," he offered her. She thought about it and he was pretty good at this. And she did need to try and be in more intimate circumstances if she ever wanted things with her and Remy to progress further in their relationship. Besides, he was just giving her a backrub...It wasn't like she was asking him to share her bed or nothing.
"Fahne…But keep ya hands above mah waist line swamp rat."
Remy chuckled at her remark he knew her well enough to know that she liked to put on the tough girl face a lot. It was one of the reasons he loved this girl, even after all she faced her entire life she still had a level of strength and will in her that he respected. Rogue laid on her stomach as he sat next to her and started on her back.
Rogue had to admit he, really was great at this. She felt her back loosen up a bit and she sighed letting him do his work. His hands were like working magic with her. After a bit she groaned feeling the aches start to go away. Gambit grinned hearing that, "Sounds like you like dis. If you ever need Gambit to do anymore of dis just ask."
She smiled a little he was great at this and she was contemplated letting him do her legs when they were interrupted. "Well I hope I'm not interrupting anything." They both jumped and say Mystique there by the doorway with her arms crossed giving Gambit a hard look.
"Oh…Uh…Hello." Rogue said sitting up and fixing her top a little. Having her mother see her boyfriend giving her a backrub on the couch with her moaning out like that was one of the worst things she could even thing of happening to her that day.
"Rogue, may I talk to you for a moment?" Her mother said, not so much asking her rather than telling her. That they both pretty much could tell by her voice.
"Why?" Rogue crossed her arms trying to show that she may be her daughter, but she was still her own person.
Mystique's face softened, "Please Rogue."
Rogue looked at her and sighed. "Ah'll beh back," she told her boyfriend and walked with Mystique into the next room. She looked at her daughter, she remembered the small little girl she have found and now looking at the nineteen year old young woman before her. She had missed much in her lifetime and she did regret missing much of that.
"Okay, I'll assume you know all about the intimate details about relationships so let's skip all that," Mystique said knowing that she didn't want to have a that kind of talk and by the look on Rogue's face she felt the same, "Now I know I'm not the best mother and I know we're trying to build some kind of relationship…But I have to know…What is going on with you and Gambit?"
She sighed and crossed her arms, "Ah've been dating Gambit for awhile now. And to make a long story short…Ah lahke him…God knows why, but I do. He makes meh feel good inside and well…Ah love him, Ah really do."
Mystique only nodded. She had no right to tell her daughter who she could and couldn't date, "Rogue, are you sure you're ready for a relationship? I mean, this is your first one and after your…Incident…Are you sure you can handle it?" She still couldn't bear to say the word rape. Just saying the word made her think of what her daughter and son suffered through.
"Ah know…And…Sometimes, it's not easy…But he's patient with meh and he doesn't push meh into anythin' ah'm not ready for."
"I'm glad to hear that, but if you'll excuse me I just need to have a few words with him."
"Oh come on! Please don't! This is embarassin'," she pleaded with her mother.
But she merely held up her hand, "Please, I just need to make sure of something, that's it. It won't take long." Rogue groaned into her hands and was starting to rethink that maybe having her in her life might not have been the best move. Remy was sitting on the couch feeling comfortable, but then got a little more tense when he saw Mystique only walk in.
She walked up to him and placed her hands on her hips looking at him with a not too pleasant look at him. Now, he knew full well what kind of woman she was and the things she could do and given that he was involved with her daughter didn't set his mind at ease to say the least. "Now look Gambit…I may not have the right to say who my daughter likes or dates and she feels strongly about you. Now what are your intentions towards my daughter? This isn't just another of your flings is it?"
Gambit winced inside, but didn't show it. He had hoped she wouldn't have known of his old habit of picking up women and before Rogue he pretty much flirted, dated, and had many relationships before her. "Well if yo must know Rogue is a very special girl to me. And I care a lot about her, Gambit give you his word that his intentions are honourable," he said in his best face, smile and expressions.
"You can cut the theatre, Cajun. It doesn't work on me…But I can tell that you mean it," she said and the lean down close to him, "But trust me…If you ever hurt her, I'll hunt you down and do things to you that will make you wish for death before I kill you slowly, painfully, and very gruesomely. Oh and trust me when I say they'll never find what's left of your body…Got it?"
"Remy understands," he said to her feeling a little pale at the moment, because he knew that she wasn't kidding or exaggerating.
She straightened up and smiled at him, but it was more predatory then anything, "Good…As long as we understand each other. Just be sure to treat her right and we'll get along fine. Now, if you'll excuse me I have to hunt down my son." As Gambit watched her leave a thought struck him. He must really be in love with Rogue…Because he didn't mind that she came with a mother like that. And he thought Kurt had been overprotective…Well, now he knew where he got that from at least.
Logan/X23
With all the turmoil and tension going on back at the mansion as a result of Mystique's presence, Logan found himself in desperate need of some fresh air. The thought of living under the same roof as that woman did NOT sit well with him in the slightest and despite assurances from Xavier that she was telling the truth this time, he still didn't trust her. This was Mystique they were talking about here…The woman who had once blown up the mansion and who tried to kill Scott, lied to Rogue and had fought against them many times. And even though she seemed remorseful in many ways, that didn't placate his attitude towards her.
However, both Kurt and Rogue seemed bent on everybody giving her a chance and as much as he hated to admit it…She was still their mother and he would have to respect that whether he liked it or not. It would take some getting used to…No doubt about it. But for Logan, it would take a little effort on his part most definitely.
For now, however, he didn't want to think about such things. Instead, he decided to use his time for more productive means…Such as spending a little quality time with Laura. To him, it was amazing how much progress she had made since she first arrived. Looking at her now, it was somewhat hard to believe that she was scavenging through the forest to survive a mere couple of months ago. Hell, if anybody looked at her, she would look like a regular teenage girl who just happened to be the result of a heinous experiment designed to strip her of her humanity.
And since her arrival, Logan had come to see himself more and more as her father as she came to look up to him as a real parent rather than just some guy who's blood created her. She was still learning…But thanks to help from Ororo and Jack, she was definitely overcoming many of the demons that had been haunting her all her life. And for now, he just wanted to savor the time they had together…For if he was going to be her father, he was certainly going to have to step up to the plate and do his part.
"Mmm…" said Laura as she was quickly taken by this newfound taste for this substance they called ice cream, "Man…This is really great. What do you call this again?"
"Chocolate chip ice cream," answered Logan, who couldn't help but grin as he saw her inhale the frozen treat, "Just one of the many flavors there are in the world of deserts."
"Wow…" she said, amazed that such a simple looking substance could bring so many sensations to her taste buds, "Amazing."
Logan just shook his head in amazement as they walked down the busy streets of Bayville together, looking like a regular father/daughter unit. After having hopped on his bike and rode around the back roads for a while, simply taking in the freedom of the road, they decided to explore the city a bit since Logan thought it would be therapeutic for the both of them to get out a bit. X23 had barely left the institute boundaries since she arrived, mainly because she was still a bit unstable after everything she had been through. But Logan along with the rest of the institute knew that if she was going to make up that which Hydra had taken from her, she needed to get out and experience that which she had missed. And so far, they were off to a pretty good start with Logan showing her the simple pleasures of a local Dairy Queen.
"You've definitely been deprived kid," he said as they casually made their way down the business district, heading towards the park.
"Well…At Hydra, they never allowed me to eat much," she told him, her mood shifting a bit, "I was only fed certain foods that would help make me stronger."
"Yeah…Well this ain't Hydra anymore, kid," he told her as she finished up the last few chunks of her ice cream, "Now that you're with us, you'll be on a regular diet of unhealthy junk food in no time. Just try not to get too addicted to it…Otherwise you'll end up like Kurt or Bobby, always eatin' it and complainin' every time it runs out."
"Well I already had that cheeseburger thing you made at that barbeque and I really liked that," she said as she threw away her plastic cup in the nearest trash can, "And this ice cream is definitely going into my new favorites. I just don't know how much more of this stuff there can possibly be."
"Trust me kid…" said Logan with a light chuckle, "There's plenty of stuff out there you haven't tasted. And as long as I'm around, I'm gonna make sure you get a chance to try em all."
Such words earned him a smile from the former living weapon, which was still somewhat of a rarity given her stoic, reserved nature. Yet every time he saw this little girl smile, it made his heart skip a beat and as they entered the park, Logan found himself securely wrapping his arm around her shoulder. It was a gesture that Laura didn't fight, for she had come to embrace such things from this man. Whenever his arms were around her…She felt as though nothing could touch her…Nothing could harm her. Even the horrors of her past seemed all but insignificant when she was with this man. He comforted her in a way no one else could…He gave her protection in a way nobody else ever had.
It was a strange experience for the both of them…Seeing each other in this way. X23 never thought she'd have a family and neither did Logan. They had always been loners…Never wanting to get too close out of fear that they would only get hurt in the end or hurt someone who didn't deserve it. But now that they were in each others' lives…That had changed. Logan's relationship with Ororo had given him a new view on things and now that Laura was a part of his life, he thought as though he had truly turned a corner…But there was still no telling where it would lead.
As the pair made their way into the park, Laura's eyes fell upon the sight of other families smiling and laughing together, playing games and enjoying the warm weather. It made her stop in mid stride, feeling compelled all of the sudden to take in this sight which now had a profound new meaning for her.
"Hey…You okay, Laura?" he asked her, seeing her demeanor change a bit as they stopped along the path through the park.
"You know…Seeing things like this used to make me feel so angry inside," she told him, not tearing her gaze away from the happy families, "It used to make me feel so alone…So lost…So hopeless inside. But now…It's all so different."
"That's because you're not alone anymore," he told her as he took in the somewhat conflicted look on her face, "Now, whenever you see a family…It doesn't have to make ya feel sad or lonely. You have a family now, kid…You have people that care about ya. And even though you're still learnin'…Hell, I'm still learnin' to tell ya the truth…Just don't ever forget that you're never alone. And ya never will be again…"
Upon hearing that, Laura's gaze shifted away from the sight before her and back to the man who had taken her in and protected her even after she tried to kill him…Twice. There was a slight tear in her eye, but it wasn't one of sorrow. Not really knowing how else to respond, she simply wrapped her arms around her father and pulled him into a hug…Simply wanting to feel his comfort. And even though this act shocked Logan a bit at first…He was quick to embrace it.
"Thank you father…" she said, finding herself becoming increasingly comfortable calling him that.
"Hey…That's what I'm here for," he told her as a smile quickly spread across his face, feeling his heart swell as he felt this young woman in his arms.
As they resumed their walk, they passed numerous other families…Only this time, the sight of them made the former living weapon feel good inside…For it reminded her that now she had a family. She had a father that was willing to protect her…Friends that cared about her…And a place to call home. It was truly beginning to sink in to her…She had a life…She had a family…She had a father. Yet still…There was something else that had been on her mind that she had been meaning to talk about…Something she had been thinking about since her last conversation with Jack.
"Logan…Can I talk to you about something?" she asked him, breaking the silence as they made their way towards the north end of the park.
"Sure…As long as it doesn't have anythin' to do with…Ya know, 'female' issues," he said, hoping to whatever higher power was out there that they wouldn't have 'the talk' right here and now.
"No…It doesn't," she assured him, finding his response to such matters humorous, yet staying serious for the topic at hand, "You see…I was wondering…On my birth certificate and adoption papers, it gives me an identity, a name, and a father. But lately…I've been thinking that something was missing from it."
"Missing? What do you mean?" asked Logan.
"Well…Your signature is on the line for 'father.' But…The line for 'mother' is still blank," she told him.
"Oh…" said Logan, now understanding what this was about, once again finding himself in an awkward position with this young woman that he was now responsible for, "I see…"
"It's just that…" she began, struggling to find the right words, "I was talking to Jack earlier about this and well…He said that it was something like this was a family matter. And I should talk to you about it."
Logan couldn't help but curse Jack somewhat under his breath, for this wasn't a conversation he was prepared to have with her. Sure they had been growing a lot closer and he had been trying to give her everything he possibly could to make up for that which she had lost…But there were just some things he could never give her…Things only a mother could give a child.
"Look…Laura," he said, not quite knowing how he was going to answer this, "I know ya want a real honest family…I know ya want to get back what Hydra took from ya. But it's just that…Our lives are complicated beyond definition. We haven't lived 'normal' lives by any stretch of the imagination. And I believe me…I wanna give ya everything you deserve, but…I don't know if I can give you something like a mother."
"But…What about Ororo?" she asked, feeling as though she was central to this.
"What about her?" he said, once again feeling a bit awkward at the mention of his lover.
"She's been such a big help to me since I got here and she's been really caring that…Well…Why can't she be my mother?" she asked honestly as a somewhat longing look appeared in her eyes that Logan couldn't tear himself away from.
Logan wasn't sure how to respond to that. He never thought this issue would come up so soon…Then again, becoming a father to a traumatized teenage girl was something he never thought would come up either. But involving Ororo…A woman who he had deep feelings for…Was just something that never came to mind. She had always been a powerful maternal force for everybody at the institute and since Laura came in, she took on those roles with even greater aptitude. She had helped her with things he couldn't help her with, given her things he couldn't give her, and teaching her things he couldn't teach.
But a mother? Could this woman who Logan was increasingly certain was the one for him really be this girl's mother? He didn't know if she wanted to or if she was ready to. They were still evolving as a couple and as lovers and something like this may complicate things. Yet still…Laura seemed desperate for answers…But they were answers Logan could not give…Not yet anyways.
"It's…Not that simple, Laura," he finally told her.
"But…Why?" she asked, not knowing why she couldn't have this.
"I…It's complicated," he told her, honestly having no idea how to go about this, "I don't blame you for wantin' Ororo to be your mother…That part I understand. But…Making it official is just…Difficult. We're both still workin' things out. I've told ya before that she and I are…Close. But something like this…Ya just need to give it time. Do ya understand?"
It wasn't quite the answer young X23 was looking for…But it did leave room for hope.
"Yeah…I understand," she told him, "I'm sorry…"
"Hey, no need to be sorry, kid," he said, managing a smile, "This is a learnin' experience for the both of us, so don't apologize about stuff ya don't know about. You'll get it…We both will. But in the meantime…There's something else I want to show you before we head back."
"Really? What's that?" she asked, finding herself smiling back for reasons she could not fully explain.
"Hot dogs…" he said with a grin, having a feeling that she was going to enjoy them just as much as the ice cream.
And with that, both Logan and Laura continued their little outing together, simply taking a moment to spend time as father and daughter. It was nothing short of therapeutic for the both of them…Yet still, Laura's question about a mother continued to linger. And for Logan, the thought of the three of them being a real family unit did have some resonance in his mind. There really wasn't all that much to it when he thought about it. He loved Ororo…She loved him…And they both loved Laura. Could they really be a full family unit together? Was that not enough?
It was a difficult issue for Logan to consider, but it was definitely something to think about. He wasn't sure how it would affect things between him and Ororo or him and Laura for that matter, but he had learned from the first day of this little journey that there was still a lot they had to work through together. Being a father and a daughter was without a doubt the most trying challenge he had ever faced, but so far…They had truly built a strong bond together. Whether or not such a bond would later include someone else…Namely Ororo…Was a different matter altogether. But for now…Only time would tell.
-Xavier's Mansion-
Kurt was on the rooftop with a blanket and food laying around. He had decided that Wanda deserved to have a bit of a special moment together. He had set this all up and then teleported back down to find Wanda. He wouldn't tell her what he had planned only that it was special and so he ported them up together and she was surprised to see the little picnic on the main rooftop. She always knew Kurt had a romantic side to him and truth was, it felt nice inside to have someone put so much thought and effort for just her. Kurt was her first boyfriend and love of her life and she honestly couldn't say she could think of being with anyone else.
He was the perfect gentleman and treated her with such kindness and respect that it was no wonder she fell in love with him. She was glad that Kurt also seemed to be doing well. She still remembered those awful weeks after their rescue in New York that had been a disaster. He never smiled and had been so withdrawn. Now he was getting back to the Kurt she had met. She knew he would never be the same again but that didn't mean she loved him any less.
They were already done with the meal and were just laying on the roof looking up at the sky. She had her head resting on his shoulder, her hand gently stroking his chest. She couldn't feel the scars under his shirt and his fur hide them, but she knew they were there…Not that didn't mind. Kurt was just taking in this moment, his tail gently stroking her thigh. They had slowly managed to get closer and more intimate caresses. It had been a long time since Selene and the nightmares with her had lessened a lot lately.
He still got them now and then, but he didn't feel as bad as he did. In fact, ever since they had shared that moment in Sinister's cell, he felt more comfortable with Wanda. In fact, she was one of the major reasons he had done so well. Lately he had been thinking about if he could try being intimate with her again. But he wanted to make sure he could and that it was special.
"Liebe…Vhat do you honestly zhink of mien mother being here?" he asked her, for he had to know for sure.
She sighed and thought about it, "Well…I can deal. I mean, she got me out of that place Magneto dumped me and of course she got me someone who helped me with my powers. Sure, she was using me to get at Magneto, but then again I can live with that."
"Vell I'm glad to hear that. I don't vant you two hating each other."
"No worries about that…At least from me, but she really is something else. I mean, given who my father is an all," Wanda said sourly. At times it really did suck just how much having Magneto as a father was. Also, the fact that she had learned through Kurt that Mystique had found out that her father had known about some of the Hellfire Club plans. She had grown close to the people here and lately she had grown very close to Rogue and the thought that her own father, knew that they were targeting people from Xavier's just made her so furious.
She wondered if her name had been on that bastard Shaw's list. Would he have done anything? Or would he just let them twist her mind like he had done with Mastermind nearly two years ago. Once those false memories started to fade away and she started to remember, all those cold lonely nights in her room and of that orderly who had been caught raping some of the female inmates including her had caused her to wake up screaming on several occasions.
Back then, she had been with the Brotherhood in it's final days. It had only been Todd and Pietro left, since Lance and Fred left on their own. That morning, she asked them point blank if they knew and when she found out that they had been lying to her all that time, she lost it. She stormed out yelling at them how she never wanted to see them again. She took some money and stayed at a motel for a few nights, trying dealing with her old memories coming back. When she went back both of them were gone. Pietro left a note saying that he went to father and gave her a number to call them at.
She burned that note.
"Vanda you okay?" she shook out of her memories by Kurt looking at her with a little concern.
"Sorry…Just…Kind of wondered off there for a moment." she smiled at him. That had been a pretty bad time for her and after being alone for so long and when Xavier came calling she was actually glad for someone to just talk to. Coming here was the best move she ever made, well other then letting her feelings for Kurt be known to him.
"Well this is a pleasant scene…" They both looked behind them to see Mystique there. This was the second time she caught one of her kids in a position like this, but then again if she was going to take active part in their lives she needed to know more about their lives and the people in it.
"Mozher vhat are you doing out?" Kurt said a little nervously.
"I was just out flying trying to relax and cool off," she told them.
They both gave confused looks, "Cool off?" Wanda asked.
Mystique sighed, "It seems a few of the children here have decided to 'welcome' me here in their own way."
Kurt groaned, he knew what she was getting at and he should have known about this. His mother wasn't exactly the most 'popular' person in their lives, "How bad?"
"Well let's see, there was the sheets of my bed singed, so that was either Amara or Tabitha. My clothing that I brought was all iced up, so Iceman I can thank for that. Oh and the bucket of water over my door of course," she growled out she had no idea who had done that but she was going to find out.
"I'm sorry about that," Kurt told her.
She just sighed and nodded, "I know…It's not your fault and I don't blame them for not wanting me here…But if this keeps up, I swear I'll get them back. I don't know how since I promised Xavier I would 'behave,' but I will get them all back," she said through clenched teeth, if there was anything she excelled at it was revenge.
Then she looked to the two of then, "You know…I may not have liked that fact you were dating a human Kurt and I had hoped you would find a nice mutant girl, and no offence to you Wanda…But I never saw you two getting together."
"Yeah well, me neither until it happened." Showing no intimidation or fear to Mystique that only made the older woman grin. She liked Wanda's spirit. It was good that her son had such a strong will woman in his life it would help balance out his more kinder nature. She was worried that his good natured ways would always get him in trouble and she hoped that Wanda would help to keep him out of it.
"I have to ask…Does Magneto look in on me? You know, spying and stuff?" Wanda asked.
She shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not sure, but I think he's too busy with his own agendas."
"Pietro?"
"Well…He sometimes talks about you, but Magneto has told him not to come and see you. I think he thinks you'll eventually come to him."
Wanda scoffed at that, "Fat chance."
She smiled at Wanda. Yes she did approve of Kurt's choice in women this time, "Well I'll leave you two alone, but behave…Just remember, I can be anywhere," she grinned at their expressions and turned into a raven and flew off.
They both considered that Mystique really could be anywhere with her powers and they had no way of knowing, "Well…THAT was a mood killer," Wanda grumbled.
-August-
Well here she was, in an alley in Cairo. She had just been trying to get back to her hotel room at night and of course trouble found her. Well more like phantom shadow creatures. She had came here after finally finding a lead on a weapon that should be able to kill Selene. It was the Dagger of Anubis, the Egyptian God of Death. He was one of the oldest of gods, and for a time, was lord of the dead of the Underworld. His dagger was given to his High Priest who used it in the embalming ceremonies of kings.
But it was also said to be forged by his hands and was said to hold a portion of his power over life and death. The dagger could kill anything, even gods, and was hidden away when they feared that mortals would use it against them. Well, it had taken time and luck, but she found it.
It had taken some time for her to dig out the entrance to the tomb, but it was worth it. Of course there were the guardians, the usual kind you'd expect in Egypt. Stone statues that came alive that she just smashed with her fists and the mummified priests, luckily they also burned pretty well too. All those bandages may help to keep their bodies together, but they were very flammable as well.
When she found the dagger in its resting place, it didn't looked like much. It had a golden hilt and scabbard with hieroglyphs all over it. But then, when she pulled it free, the blade was pure black and reflective it was unlike any metal she had seen. Also when you pulled it free you felt like that hand of death had gripped your wrist. It was a very disturbing feeling.
So here she was, she had gotten back into the city and was taking a rest after her little 'Tomb Raider' adventure. So the next day she decided to take a little walk through the city and do a little sight seeing. That turned out to be a mistake because when the sun had set, she took a little detour through a dark alley, another mistake. Because apparently, those shadow demons that had been hunting her liked to hang out in dark place.
She was in a defensive stance, the dagger she had was secured to her lower back. She figured since she spent so much time and trouble she wouldn't just leave it out of her sight. The creatures before her were like living shadows, only with teeth, and claws. Their four eyes were ruby red and their bodies were shaped in odd ways. The torso large while the waist impossibly thin, which was also in parts of the arms and legs and the neck but she knew that they were very strong despite that.
"Alright I've had it! Just how many of you things do I have to destroy, huh?" August said to them, she knew they wouldn't answer they were just mindless killing machines. She'd figure that Selene would have figured out by now that these things wouldn't stop her, although now she just figured Selene kept sending them out to just piss her off.
One of the creatures leapt forward and it was met by one of August's fireballs. The creature screamed in pain as it looked like it just melted there in the sandy ground. Normal, attacks wouldn't harm things like this, only intense light or heat could harm and kill them. Thankfully, she had a lot of that on hand, but she noticed that more had appeared behind her.
She gritted her teeth, for this wasn't going to be as easy as last time. She had another weapon on her side, but she really didn't want to use it unless she had to. It just chilled her to the soul to use it but it would help even the odds. She reached behind and pulled the blade and gasped at the icy sensation that shot through her hand, she had no idea just how long she could hold the blade it felt terrible in her hand, like it was alive and it wanted to kill. And not just her enemies it was almost like it wanted to kill everyone and everything including her.
Several of the dark creatures attacked her. August sliced across the chest of one and there was this horrible screaming sound as a bright purple light was shown on its chest as it looked like the energy was eating the creature from the inside out. What was worse was this 'scream' she heard in her own mind like she could feel the creature die. But she didn't let it get to her and let her momentum carry her around and blasted the closest with a fireball.
She run at a wall jumped onto it and kicked off sailing over one of them as another missed her and slammed a fist through the old stone building. She stabbed the one she flipped over and once more the light and horrible screaming sound. This time it did distract her enough for one of them to hit her in the ribs. She cried out in pain, the force was nearly enough to snap the bone of her ribs.
Two of them were coming at her now and she tossed the blade to her right hand, hoping her left felt better not to be touching the damned weapon. She threw a fireball with her left then ducked the clawed swipe at her head from the other and plunged the dagger into its chest. She fell back into a defensive stance, eyeing the remaining creatures, but now her right hand felt that tough of death to it. She was actually having seconds thoughts having this weapon, but it was the best thing she had at the moment, and given what she felt she knew this thing could kill Selene there was no question in her mind. She just hoped she could handle using it. It felt as though if she kept this up, she might lose her mind. That is if she was lucky for all she knew the thing might to something to her soul but she'd worry about later, survive first then question later.
Three of them rushed her. She the center one with a fireball and rolled through the gap and sent one more to the one of her left. From experience, she knew not to get in close unless she had to, plus they were very strong with claws and teeth. She still had a slight scar on her lower back from one of these things. The last one charged her unrelenting and totally unafraid of death. She threw the knife at the creature and it struck in its face between the eyes. It tried to grab at the blade, but she could see it working already and it was nice not to hear that screaming in her mind.
As she looked around seeing no more of them and pulled out the scabbard for the knife and gently placed it onto the blade without picking it up. She really didn't want to use it more then necessary. She placed it back where is was and sighed. Using the blade seemed to have taken a slight mental strain on her.
She walked back to her hotel and vowed to take a long and warm bath. She was dirty, her ribs hurt, and that knife had freaked her out a bit. Just having it on her made her skin crawl after using it. It had been one hell of a day so far. She still had to find out what Selene was up to and find her. August knew that there was something wrong…She could just feel it in the wind like the world was almost holding its breath for some reason.
It was putting her on edge and if she could feel it, someone who had only partial magical training then she wondered what others would feel. Well, she could get in touch with Dr. Strange if anyone knew anything he would. Plus, she had met a few others in high standing in the magical community like that Agatha Harkness, one of the most powerful witches on the planet. The fact she was over one hundred years old was proof of that. There was also that Amora the Sorceress, but August preferred to stay away from that woman, for she was nothing but trouble.
There was also The Ancient One, but he was in some high mountain in Tibet in the middle of nowhere so he was out. She had no way to contact him unless it was face to face and after walking through that damn hot dessert there was no way she was climbing some snow covered mountain. She sighed and resigned herself to just get back to her place and head for the States. She had a few connections there she could check out as well. It had been one of those days for her so far and she was sure more of them were on the way.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 61: ONE INTERESTING DAY