WHAT CAME OF OLD BEGINNINGS:

CHAPTER 3

SIXTEEN YEARS LATER . . .

Ororo was lying in bed staring silently at the ceiling. Logan had fallen asleep and lay still next to her. Usually Ororo fell asleep first, but not tonight. It was Kimara's birthday tomorrow and Ororo always found it difficult to sleep before her daughter's birthday.

Random thoughts were flying through her mind. Memories were being played out before her, most of them about Charles. She grimaced at the troubled memories and pushed them as deep into her mind as she could manage. She did not want to think such grave thoughts.

Other memories played out now, happier ones. Memories she recalled of how her daughter had grown. Kimara, Mara for short, would be sixteen years old tomorrow. Chris, would be as well. Charles would be sixteen too if he hadn't… No. She wouldn't dwell upon such things. She sighed deeply and her thoughts returned to Mara.

Ororo remembered a day when Chris and Mara were playing. They were about five years old. Chris stole a toy from Mara and they began to argue. Mara became fed up and said that she wanted his mouth to freeze shut. That very thought alone was enough, Chris's mouth had frozen shut.

Several weeks later she declared she wanted to fly up to the roof and again, with the mere thought, she began to fly. Being only five years old she panicked and dropped from the sky. Luckily, Ororo was hovering right under her and caught her before she had fallen more than three feet. Mara was still upset though and started to cry. Clouds formed overhead and a light shower fell from nowhere. After that Logan wanted to tie anvils to her feet to keep her from hurting herself. On several other occasions Mara had complained of her head hurting from loud noises. After an examination from Hank and Logan's natural instinct they had discovered that Mara had enhanced senses of sight, sound, and smell.

Ororo smiled at the memory. Another snuck into her mind and she smiled wider. This memory was not a scene or occurrence but rather a fact. Since they were only infants Kimara and Chris had been the best of friends. Jean was one of Ororo's best friends and it only made sense for the two to become close.

Luc, Rouge and Remy's son, was close to them as well. When Rouge and Remy were married Hank had given them a wristband that drained Rouge of her mutant ability. Therefore, making human contact possible. She only wore it out of battle for it drained her of her super-human strength and flying ability as well.

Nearly three years later they had a son that they named Luc. Luc was of course born a mutant and possessed the ability to shape shift. Three years younger than Mara and Chris, and still best friends. Mara, Chris, and Luc made a trio of friends, and troublemakers for that matter, that Jean liked to call 'The Three Stooges'.

The three did everything together. They laughed, played and caused as much trouble as safely and often as unsafely as possible. One time when Mara and Chris were ten years old and Luc was seven they burned a room in the mansion almost to the ground.

They were all watching T.V. and Chris began to laugh uncontrollably at a cartoon. Mara said his face was turning red and teased him relentlessly. Chris got steaming mad and actually began to steam himself. Flames shot from his fists and he became engulfed by flames. The fire frightened him and he shouted for his parents. The only thing that was released from his was a burst of flame.

In a few minutes the whole room was on fire. Mara and Luc had run into the hall and shouted for help, but Chris remained inside. Mara made rain clouds inside the room due to her strong will to make it go away, but they only put out small portions of fire that kept rising up again. Scott had come running down the hall with Jean following close behind.

Jean held the flames at bay by smothering them with her telepathy and Scott grabbed a fire extinguisher. Soon the flames had vanished leaving behind black scorch marks on everything. Jean rushed inside to find Chris curled up in a ball on the floor. She shook him gently and turned him over. He was completely unharmed. There was not one burn or scratch on him, not even his hair had been harmed. He had the mutant ability to start fire and spout it from his mouth. Hank had a field day examining him.

Mara had received a small burn on her arm, which Scott noticed had disappeared and healed instantly. Mara had a healing factor on top of everything else. When Logan was told he nearly had a heart attack.

Ororo smiled again at the memory. Then her thoughts moved to Warren and Betsy. Her smile slowly faded. She envied Betsy in many ways. Betsy still had her children with her. Warren IV and Victoria were still here and they were already members of the X-MEN, each currently being twenty years old.

Warren IV was code-named Radar for his bat like features and vocal capability's. He could send out waves of sound so powerful they could split a man's skull in two. He also possessed two bat-like ears and matching wings. The leathery wings folded into his back and were almost unnoticeable save for a slight bulging area on his back.

Victoria was code-named Spinal for the poison spines she carried inside her. She was capable of launching spines from her fingertips. These spines were coated with purple poison that once inside a person runs through their veins and can kill a two hundred pound man in sixty seconds. The poison's potency is varied depending on her mind set like her brother's sonar.

Warren IV and Victoria are four years older than Mara and Chris. They are great friends with the three Stooges, but are not as active in the ring of terror that they cause. All in all though, all five children seem to be very comfortable around each other and friends in one sense of the word or another.

Ororo sighed and attempted to stop thinking and get some rest. She failed. Her thoughts wandered to the one thing she was trying so desperately to not think of, Charles. How would Charles fit into all this? Would he be a friend with the rest or would he be a friend with them at all. If only he hadn't… No. She needed to see him.

Ororo slid out of bed and pulled on a robe and some slippers. She moved silently towards the window. She would fly to see Charles. She stopped at the sound of a familiar gruff voice.

"Where you goin' so late?" It was Logan. He was awake and sitting up in bed.

"I need to think." With that she proceeded to open the window and flew outside, chilled by the night breeze. She knew Logan would follow her, but she didn't care. She just needed to see her son if only for a moment.

Ororo touched down by the weeping willow tree next to the lake. It was very dark out, but the light of the moon was enough for her to see what she needed. She walked slowly towards a small stone at the base of the weeping willow.

She knelt down in front of the small stone. It was a grave. On it was inscribed the words: "Charles Logan-Munroe, beloved son and cherished brother, you were not an X-man but you were a hero."

Ororo placed her fingers over the words engraved in the stone and stared at it longingly. A hand was placed on her shoulder and did not even turn to respond, she knew it was Logan.

"I miss him, Logan." She said blankly.

"I know darlin', I know." He spoke softly and tenderly. Ororo stood and looked at Logan. "Let's go get warm. It's too cold out here. We got a big day tomorrow."

Ororo took him by the wrists and carried him back to the open window of their room. They both climbed inside and Logan led her to the bed. He turned to close the window and headed around to his side of the bed and got in.

Ororo removed her robe and slippers climbing back into her bed. She lay down next to Logan and he wrapped his arms around her. The two fell asleep in each other's arms thinking of what was and what could be. Neither was sad though, for they had the comfort of the other's presence.

✘✘✘

Kimara Logan-Munroe was lying awake in her bed thinking of her big day tomorrow. Tomorrow she would be sixteen years old. Xavier was throwing a huge party for her. Everyone she knew was coming. The party was to be semi-formal and held in the main ballroom.

Something like a hundred and fifty people were coming. All the residence of the mansion where coming, naturally, as well as most of the old X-Men that knew Mara. However, this was not the main thought on Mara's mind. The main thought in Mara's mind was of Chris. It was nearly two o'clock. Nearly time for Chris to peek his head through her bedroom door and crawl up to her bed. Thinking the whole time that he was being quiet when really, anyone could hear him, enhanced senses or not.

Then he would lean in and try to kiss her. He had been attempting this for close to three weeks. Therefore, Mara always closed her eyes and would wait for him to come. He always would. He would try to fool her sometimes and come in an hour earlier or later, but he always came.

At first, Mara was going to tell her father, Wolverine. When she thought about the idea she realized that Chris was like a brother to her and she did not want to see him killed no matter how perverted he was. Which was guaranteed if her father found out that his little girl had almost been kissed every night for the past few weeks.

Suddenly, Mara heard a small noise from outside her door. "Here we go." She thought and alerted her senses. She was ready for him.

Chris slowly opened the door and sure enough he peeked his head through. He got down on all fours and crept up to Mara's bed. He leaned over Mara and moved in slowly, lips puckered. When Chris was within two inches from her face Mara's eyes burst open. He rolled his eyes and braced himself for the pain he knew was coming. As fast as lightning, Mara jumped out of bed and grabbed Chris's arm, pressing down hard on a nerve. Chris suppressed a scream and grimaced through the pain.

"That's right Chris." Mara whispered leading him to the window. "Don't scream. My dad might hear you. And that would be a bad thing, seriously."

"Right… bad." He whispered back. He tried to break free from her grip, but failed. "Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, Ouch, OUW! Why are you so much stronger than me?" He grumbled as Mara pulled him to her bedroom window. She stopped and turned to him.

"Hmm, let me think. Maybe it's because I'm up every morning at the crack of dawn in the Danger Room or in the forest training. Yeah, maybe that's it!" Mara said with a little too much sarcasm.

Mara stopped at the window to pick up the rope that she always kept there for just this reason. Then she released the nerve on Chris's arm, but still held him tightly as she opened the window. Then, he couldn't run away.

"Guess what?" She said turning back to him with a smirk on her face.

"Oh, no. Not the chimney again. It's cold out there." He said faking a cry.

"Oh, stop. If you would quit your flirting I wouldn't have to do this." With that she created a gust of wind and flew out the window with a rope over one shoulder and Chris in her arms.

When Mara reached the roof of the mansion she flew over to the left Chimney and touched down. She set Chris against the chimney and tossed the rope around it. While tying a knot in the rope, Mara looked up at Chris and asked. "What I don't understand is why you don't struggle. You could at least fight back."

"'Cause I know you'd hurt me." He answered sheepishly lowering his head.

"That's true." She finished with the knot and looked at him.

Mara's eyes glowed white and she conjured up two tiny rain clouds. The clouds let loose all the rain they carried soaking the ropes. Then she created another cloud, this one over his head. It let loose heavy drops of rain.

"This isn't fair Mara. I can't even burn through the ropes." Chris pouted. He looked at her like a hurt puppy.

"Oh, alright." Gata said smiling at him. He brightened with hope. "Since it's your birthday too you can come down…"

"Really!"

"…In an hour." She finished and laughed.

"No… that's it!" Chris said finally struggling against the ropes. He shouted to Mara as she flew away. "You're gonna wake up one day and find your hair burned off, Mara!"

Kimara didn't listen. She flew back down to her window and climbed through. She summoned a warm wind to dry her off. Then she eagerly climbed back into her bed. Now it was time for her to get some rest.