Title: A Spark Of Good From The Burn Of Evil
Rating: FRT
Disclaimer: I own Ashley, nothing more. Just the idea.
Spoilers: X1, X2, X3
Summary: Your past is the blueprint for your future. Rogue knew this better than anyone. Future fic. Ryro, slight RoLo, Bobby/Rogue vibes.
Most characters will have a slight bit of OOC, but given the storyline, I don't know how they'd react to this situation.
I changed a few things from the movie, so it's possible AU.
"Uncle Logan!" squealed Ashley as she launched herself into the arms of the man standing at the door.
"Hey squirt." Said Wolverine as he entered the D'Ancanto household and set Ashley down. "What are you so happy about?" to which the girl just giggled.
"She's been waiting all night for you." Said Marie when she entered the foyer, dishtowel flung over her shoulder.
Logan walked over and gave her a hug, careful not to touch any skin the might be hanging out.
"Hey, kiddo, how ya doin'?"
"I'm good." She gave a weak smile, hoping that she sounded happier than she was. The birthday party incident enveloping her mind like a plague.
Logan noticed the underlying sadness in her voice, but before he had time to say anything, Rogue had turned and addressed her daughter.
"Okay, now that Uncle Logan is here, it's time for bed. Say goodnight."
"Night Uncle Logan" Ash said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek and headed for the stairs.
"I'll be right back." Rogue told Wolverine, "There's beer in the fridge." And disappeared up the stairs.
Twenty Minutes later, Rogue slouched in the chair across from where Wolverine sat on he couch. He watched as the woman, he'd come to consider a daughter, ran her hands, which were now gloved, over her face. She always put on gloves when she had company, even if it was Logan. She'd tell human company that when she was a child she got severe burns on her hands from falling onto a woodstove. Her company would believe her.
"You alright?"
"Um, yeah. I'm fine." Marie waved off. Wolverine raised an eyebrow.
"And I don't have 12 inch claws coming from my hands."
This was the exact same way he had found out about her pregnancy. Rogue gave in. He's gonna find out anyway.
Marie told him about what happened at the party. It doesn't seem like much, but when your 5 year old daughter stares at thirteen balloons and withinfive seconds they all pop, one may start to worry.
She even told him about an incident a couples weeks ago, where her and Ashley had been watching Beauty and the Beast. Marie had gone into the kitchen to make some popcorn. She had just put the packet on the counter when the kernels inside began to pop. Though she was puzzled, Rogue didn't think anything of it at the time.
Then there was a time where she had been working in the flowerbed and the heads were missing off he Geraniums, and Petunias, with little bits of petal lying everywhere. She chalked it up to a bird or neighborhood cat.
Thought the evidence wasn't overwhelming, and somewhat minimal, Rogue had begun to believe that her daughter was developing a mutation. Nevertheless, she should have seen it coming.
It's true that all mutant genes come from the father, but is the fact that both of Ashley's parents being mutants had something to do with the young age?
Rogue wasn't sure.
She also wasn't sure of how she felt about this.
The mutant in her couldn't have been more ecstatic. Her daughter had a gift that set herself apart. She had the ability to do the impossible. Like mother-like daughter.
The mother in her couldn't have been more devastated. Rogue knew from personal experience that being a mutant was tough. You would be faced with fear, prejudice, and hatred, all because you were unique, or more powerful.
From the day Ash was born, Marie wanted nothing but a normally life for her daughter, or as normal as you can get with a mutant mother.
Now that she was developing a power, things would change. Things that humans would either see as wrong or things that they had no choice but to accept.
Wolverine had sat silently as Rogue told him of her fears. Since the second Ashley was born, Logan hoped that even though she looked like her father, she didn't have any of him in her. Now, with this mutation, Logan couldn't help but notice the similarities.
Her father was a dangerous man who chose not to control his power, now she was going to grow up knowing that the wrong thought could demolish a building or obliterate a person.
She had to learn how to control it. Wolverine thought. The sooner, the better.
"You should come back to the mansion." Logan spoke.
"What!" Marie's head shot up from where she know stood at the TV cabinet, looking at a picture of Ashley as a baby.
"The Professor can help her."
"No." Rogue shook her head. "I can't let her know."
"Know what?"
Rogue hung her head. Logan instantly knew.
"She doesn't know you're a mutant, does she?"
Again, Rogue shamefully shook her head.
"All she knows is that she's the only one that can touch mommy."
Wolverine questioned. "Why haven't you told her?"
"She's 5 years old! She can hardly spell her last name? How is she to know what a mutant is?"
After a pause, Logan came back to his previous thought.
"Come back to the mansion. Xavier will know what to do."
"I can't…I can't face them all."
"Who's all? No one that you know is there. Jean and Cyclops are gone. Colossus, Kitty, and Iceman all graduated. All that's left are me, Storm, and the Professor."
Marie wet her lips. "I left so they wouldn't find out."
"Find out what? Her father?"
"I don't want her to be isolated just because he's her father." Rogue explained. She couldn't help but realize that they kept referring to Ashley's father as 'he' instead of his name. She knew what people would think when they found out that she slept with the enemy.
"I know he's her father, and if I can deal with it, then certainly the Professor and Storm can."
"But ever since you found out, you haven't looked at me the same, have you?"
Wolverine knew she had a point. When he learned about her pregnancy, she was a scared, naive, teenager with no one to turn to. But when he found out that Ashley's dad was the enemy's right hand man, he had to admit, he was disappointed. Logan thought she had better judgment than that.
"Well, no. But I still haven't turned my back on you."
Point for Wolverine. He'd stuck by her, even when the father was revealed.
"And neither will they." He ended.
Rogue sat silently, staring at the leg of a coffee table. Logan moved over to take her hand.
"Do you want what's best for Ashley?"
"Of course I do." She answered incredulously.
"Well then, you know who's the best."
Reviews make me update fast ;)
Author's Note: Again, I know the examples of showing Ashley's power were weak, but it was all I could think of. I wanted something simple to begin her power developments.
