Chapter Seventy:


Sighing, Scott Summers glanced down at his watch. "They should have been here by now."

"Be patient, Scott," his wife said soothingly. "Maybe their flight was late taking off, or maybe they ran into some traffic on the drive here from the airport."

"Or maybe Alvers got lost," Scott muttered under his breath.

"You're impossible," Jean rolled her eyes, and turned her attention back to their son Nathan, who was currently sitting on the floor at their feet, playing with a set of plastic building blocks.

"Here you go, kid," Alex grinned, reaching over to pick up a block that had gotten away from him. "I think you lost one."

Nathan's eyes widened and he took the block happily, trying to put it in his mouth even though it was entirely too big to fit there.

"Like this, little man," Alex chuckled, placing one of the forgotten blocks on the floor on top of another. "See? C'mon, let's build the Empire State Building."

"The Empire State Building?" Scott echoed, giving his brother an incredulous glance. "Isn't that a little advanced for a one year-old?"

"Hey, you can never start too early," Alex shrugged.

"Sometimes I can't believe we're related," Scott sighed.

"Yeah," Alex smirked up at me. "Me neither."

Jean raised an eyebrow at Alex's girlfriend Lorna Dane, who was sitting in a chair on the other side of the coffee table, watching Alex and Nathan with an amused smile. "I'm hoping Nathan won't take after his father's side of the family," she informed her.

Scott and Alex both shot her betrayed looks. "Hey!"

Lorna laughed. "I'd be hoping the same thing if I were in your shoes, Jean."

"Maybe you will be in my shoes at some point," Jean said, turning to Alex with an innocent look. "What do you think, Alex?"

Alex faltered, looking from Jean to Lorna and back, clearly unprepared for such a question, and Scott was about to jump in and rescue him when footsteps pounding down the hall caught his attention. The others all noticed, too, and they looked up just as eighteen-year-old Jamie Madrox, or one of his clones to be precise, came rushing into the room out of breath. "They're here!" he cried excitedly.

Blinking, Scott looked back at his wife, and wasn't surprised to find her with her eyes closed. "Jean?" he asked softly.

Jean's lips curved up into broad smile. "It's them," she announced, her green eyes fluttering open to fix him with an eager gaze. "She's here."

That was all Scott needed to hear. Pushing to his feet, he paused just long enough for Jean to scoop Nathan up in her arms, and then they hurried out of the room together, with Alex and Lorna just on their heels. By the time they reached the front hall, a crowd was gathering, and Jamie was pulling several of his duplicates back into his body.

"Kids are excited, ain't they?" Sam Guthrie chuckled as he approached with Roberto DaCosta from the kitchen.

"Looks that way, yeah," Scott agreed, taking a step back as a small blur of green nearly knocked him over. "Blake, what did the Professor say about running in the halls?"

"Sorry, Mr. Summers," the aforementioned student called without so much as a pause, scurrying over to join his classmates who were clamoring at the windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the X-man known only as Rogue. It was mostly the younger students at the windows, but there were quite a few of the teenagers hanging around at the back of the room, as well, trying to act indifferent, and failing miserably.

Scott supposed it was only natural for them to be curious, of course, since there had been a picture of her over the mantle since the school's opening, and no doubt exaggerated stories had been spread through the school about who she was and what had become of her.

Still, this was a personal moment for those who had once resided in Bayville, and Scott thought it ought to be a private reunion.

Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought so.

"Children," the charismatic voice of Charles Xavier filled the air, and Scott glanced over his shoulder to see the Professor moving towards them in his hovering wheelchair, which Forge had dreamed up for him to make his mobility around the mansion ground easier. "I understand that you're eager to meet our guests," Xavier said gently, but with a firm tone. "But now is not the time. Please, return to your business."

The students groaned, but did as they were told, casting disappointed glances out the windows at the cars coming up the drive as they headed off in opposite directions. Theresa O'Rourke and Paige Guthrie, Sam's younger sister by three years, exchanged a sneaky glance, and then hurried up the grand staircase.

They're up to something, Scott thought with a shake of his head.

When aren't they? Jean replied over their rapport, flashing him a smile as she shifted Nathan in her arms to keep him from trying to tug on her earrings.

"I believe they are moving to the upstairs window," Piotr Rasputin's deep Russian voice met his ears and Scott grunted, figuring the steel-powerhouse was probably right.

"Figures," Sam chuckled. "Mah li'l sister never could resist eavesdroppin'."

"Nor could mine," Piotr agreed grimly. "I have little doubt that Ilyana will be joining them upstairs."

"Makes me glad to be an only child," Roberto muttered.

"Aww, siblings aren't so bad," Alex quipped, shooting Scott a lopsided grin. "Right, bro?"

Scott opened his mouth to answer, but Jean cut him off. "The cars are pulling up," she informed them with a smile, hurrying forward to fling open the front door. Scott allowed Xavier to move through the doorway in his hoverchair, then he and the others followed them out onto the front porch.

Sure enough, two rental cars, one a silver Civic and the other a blue Corolla, were pulling to a stop at the front circle of the drive. The Corolla was in the lead, with Lance Alvers at the wheel, and the Civic was being driven by an unfamiliar dark-skinned man maybe a year or two older then Scott was.

When Lance's call had come through that morning, he and Jean had been in the Professor's office with Xavier. Since his hands were full with the paperwork for several new students set to arrive in the coming weeks, Xavier had put the phone on speakerphone when he'd answered the call. Recognizing the number on CallerID as the boarding house in Charleston, Scott had assumed it was either Lance or Kitty calling to keep them updated about the happenings down south, and no doubt Jean and Xavier had been expecting something along those lines, as well.

None of them had been prepared for what Lance had told them next.

Rogue was alive.

Not only that, she was in Charleston at the boarding house with three other mutants, one of which was the former Acolyte called Gambit.

Scott had been so stunned to hear that his former teammate had been found, that he'd almost missed the part where Lance informed them that Rogue was now Mrs. Remy LeBeau. Apparently the two of them had escaped the Sentinel attack on Magneto's island, and since they'd been separated from the rest of the Acolytes, they had headed to New Orleans, Gambit's hometown, and taken up residence there with Remy's family.

That was going to take some getting used to. In Scott's eyes, Rogue had always been special. Her beauty was tragic, and behind the angry facade, which he knew she kept up to protect herself as much as to protect those around her, there had always been this amazing girl whose strength and compassion never ceased to amaze me. He'd always found the white streaks in her hair to be terribly fetching, but he felt more protective of her than anything else.

And now she was a married woman, married to a former enemy, at that.

Former being the key word, Scott, Jean reminded him gently, her green eyes serious as she spared him a glance. Don't forget, Piotr was once the enemy, and so was Rogue. People change. Keep an open mind, for Rogue's sake if nothing else.

Careful to keep his face expressionless, Scott gave a slight nod of his head, just enough to let her know he would keep that in mind.

Lance's car emptied first, and Kitty waved excitedly as Lance walked around to the back of the car to start unloading their luggage from the trunk. Todd and Wanda moved to help him, but Tabitha and Amara just turned to stare at the second car expectantly.

After a few seconds in which Scott found it hard not to fidget anxiously, the doors to the silver Civic began to open. Out stepped the driver, the dark-skinned man, and a pale woman whose alabaster skin was set off by her striking black hair, both of them silent as their gazes scanned the mansion grounds. The back door opened and Scott immediately recognized the man who climbed out as Gambit, and he watched as the former Acolyte turned to help someone else out of the back-seat of the car.

And then Scott forgot everything else, because in that moment he caught sight of Rogue as Gambit helped her out of the car.

She looked nothing like the girl he remembered at first glance. Her hair was longer, down past her shoulders, and she had grown several inches taller, as well. She was easily five-foot-seven now, maybe even fight-eight, and her height only served to further accentuate her slender, well-toned form. Her complexion was tan and healthy, and her makeup was conservative, just a touch of green shadow around the eyes and a thin sheen of burgundy lipstick to brighten her smile. He'd gotten pretty good at judging shades of color over the years, even with his rose-quartz glasses in the way.

But as she came to a stop at the bottom of the steps, looking up at them with an anxious, nervous little half-smile, he was relieved to see that her eyes had not changed a bit. They were still that deep emerald green that seemed to glisten in the sunlight, sparkling with intelligence and wit, surrounded by a veil of mystery.

For a long moment they all stood staring at each other, and there were no words to describe the whirlwind of emotions rushing through his heart. Joy, relief, wonder and amazement... but above all else, the ever-present love and affection he'd always felt for the younger girl, and he knew that the others beside him were experiencing similar reactions.

Scott was the first to break free of the moment, and in two quick strides he had descended the steps to wrap her in a strong, powerful embrace. He felt her shoulders shake once with a silent sob, and once she'd started to cry she couldn't seem to stop, but he didn't mind. He knew exactly how she felt, because he could feel the tears welling up behind his rose-quartz glasses, despite his best efforts to keep them at bay.

The two of them just held one another for a long moment before Scott finally pulled back to offer her a shaky smile. "You are like an angel, Kate," he quoted softly, and a smile broke out on her face even as the tears slid down her cheeks.

"Mah name's not Kate," she replied in kind, but instead of the 'and I'm no angel' line that Scott had been expecting, she surprised him. "It's Marie."

"Marie..." Scott echoed, trying it out, and he decided it suited her. He knew that Bobby had asked Mystique once about a year after Rogue's apparent 'death' what their former Gothic teammate's real name had been, but Mystique had refused to tell them, claiming it wasn't her place. Whether or not Kurt had ever gotten it out of her, he didn't know, but he imagined that within twenty-four hours all of the old gang would finally know the answer to one of the biggest mysteries to ever grace their household.

Before he could say anything else, though, Jean hurried down the steps and shouldered Nathan into his arms. "Rogue," she cried, reaching out for the other woman, and Scott was startled when it was Rogue who actually pulled Jean into an embrace, instead of the other way around.

"Jeannie," she choked out, more tears sliding down her cheeks. "Oh sugah, it's so good t' see ya!"

"I'm so glad you're alright," Jean said, her voice hoarse with a teary-laugh. "I can't believe you're here!"

"An' Ah can' believe ya'll got married," Rogue retorted, sniffling as she glanced over at Scott, or more precisely at little Nathan. "Oh, Jeannie, he's beautiful..."

"His name is Nathan," Scott said with a small, proud smile.

"He looks like his father," Rogue observed as Nathan blinked up at her curiously with startlingly green eyes. "But he's got his mama's eyes."

"Say hi to your Aunt Rogue, sweetheart," Jean cooed at their son, and Nathan giggled, waggling his fingers towards Rogue's long hair excitedly.

"I think he likes you," Scott observed with a chuckle.

Rogue just grinned, possibly the brightest grin Scott had ever seen from her. Everything about the way she carried herself was lighter now, more carefree and happier. Lance, Kitty, Wanda, Todd, Tabitha and Amara had moved up to stand with Gambit and his two companions, so Scott offered them all a small smile in greeting. Lance gave him a curt nod, their usual greeting when they were trying to be civil, but the rest of them were all watching Rogue, almost entranced by the reunion taking place on the front steps of the Westchester Academy.

"Ya'll move outta the way now," Sam called dryly. "Ah wan' mah chance t' greet the gal properly."

A delighted laugh escaped Rogue's lips. "Only a Southern boy knows how t' treat a woman," she agreed. "Get down here, Sam Guthrie, 'fo Ah hafta come up there an' get ya mahself."

"Yes, ma'am," Sam complied with a grin, taking the steps two at a time and enfolding her into a strong bear-hug as soon as his feet touched the ground. "Darlin', Ah do think ya have grown even more beautiful since the last time Ah laid eyes on ya."

Scott snorted, rolling his eyes as Rogue pressed a short, but firm kiss smack on Sam's lips. The Southern man grinned, letting out a laugh as she reached up to tousle his hair, which had been cut short, nothing like the long hair he'd been sporting back in Bayville. Scott glanced over at the other newcomers to see what Gambit's reaction was to Rogue's overzealous manner, but the Cajun mutant was just smirking, clearly amused.

"Hey, chere," he drawled, jerking his chin in Scott's direction. "Remy t'inks M'seui Summers here is disappointed dat he didn' get a kiss."

"M'seui Summers is a married man, swamp rat," Rogue called back, grinning in Scott's direction. "B'sides, we don' wanna give the kids watchin' from the upstairs window the wrong impression, now do we?"

Groaning, Scott turned to look, and sure enough, there was Paige, with Theresa and Ilyana crowded in beside her. When the girls realized they were busted, they turned away sheepishly, but Scott had a feeling they wouldn't keep their eyes averted for long.

Piotr took a step forward, extending his hand in Gambit's direction. "Remy," he said evenly. "You survived I see."

Gambit smirked once again as he came up to shake his former teammate's hand. "Y' know me, mon ami... it takes mo' dan a few tin-can robots t' get rid o' me."

"Yes," Piotr agreed somberly, but the corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. "Magneto always did compare you to a roach."

"Oui, but Magneto also wore a helmet t' keep voices from invadin' his mind," Gambit retorted without missing a beat.

"A really dorky looking helmet," Jamie added, and Rogue's eyes lit up when she spotted him.

"Jamie!" she laughed, hugging him for a good five seconds before blinking back tears and holding him out at arms length. "Oh, let me look at ya, sugah!"

Scott stifled a grin at Jamie's embarrassed shifting under Rogue's appraising gaze, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Glory," she murmured, shaking her head in disbelief. "Ya shot up in t' a fine lookin' young man, ya know that, kiddo?"

"Thanks," Jamie blushed, then flashed her a wry grin. "What, I don't get a kiss?"

"Ya may think yo' hot stuff now, Madrox," Rogue quipped affectionately. "But you'll always be a kid t' me."

And then she went ahead and kissed him anyway, before turning to greet the others, all of whom were watching her with a mixture of disbelief and wonder. It was hard to believe that only four years ago this bright and cheery woman had been the moody and reclusive girl they'd lived with.

"Hi, Alex," she called, waving her fingers at Scott's younger brother, who stood by the door with an arm around Lorna.

"Hi," Alex smiled. "It's been a long time, Rogue."

"Sure has," Rogue agreed, narrowing her eyes playfully. "Ah tried t' track ya down a few years back in Hawaii, but Ah reckon yo' parents moved once ya joined the team, huh?"

"Yeah," Alex said sheepishly. "Sorry about that. If I'd known you'd try to contact me..."

"Don' worry 'bout it," Rogue waved him off. "Things worked out jus' fine on their own."

"So it would seem," Piotr agreed, and Rogue whirled to grin up at him.

"Hiya, big guy," she said, hugging him without reservation. "Why am Ah not surprised t' see ya here?"

Piotr smiled down at her as he returned the embrace warmly. "It is good to see you, Rogue," he said, the sincerity in his voice obvious. "I trust you have been well?"

"Yep," Rogue nodded with a laugh. "Remy knows how t' treat a girl, that's fo' sure."

"I am pleased to hear it," Piotr said, shooting Gambit an amused look over her head. "But I have little doubt that if he hadn't, you would have beaten it into him."

"His head is too thick," Rogue responded sarcastically. "But between the two o' us, Ah reckon we could knock some sense in t' him, don' ya think?"

Remy rolled his eyes. "Dis is why Remy never liked livin' on dat island," he commented dryly. "De deux o' y' were always gangin' up on moi."

"How is that any different from back home?" the dark-skinned man who had been driving the second car asked with a gruff chuckle.

Remy shot him a dark look, but chose not to respond, and Rogue ignored them both completely, moving over to give Roberto the once-over. "Well, well, 'Berto," she said with a grin, letting her gaze rake over him appreciatively. "Ya sure did grow up while Ah was gone. Ah almost didn' recognize ya without all that shaggy hair and cheap cologne."

Roberto smirked down at her, his dark eyes twinkling. "And I almost didn't recognize you without all that pale vampire makeup."

"Ah never thought Ah'd say this- but Ah missed ya, DaCosta," Rogue admitted with a grin.

"I'd miss me, too, if I went four years without seeing me," Roberto shot back, but leaned down to give her a strong hug. "You look great."

"Thanks," Rogue smiled. "By the way, ya'll already know Gambit, or Remy as we prefer t' call him, an' knowin' Kitty an' Lance, Ah'm sure they already tol' ya that he's mah husband."

She shot Lance a wry glance, and the former Brotherhood leader shrugged.

"This is Lucas," she continued, getsuring to the stoic dark-skinned man beside Remy. "And this is Tessa. They're both mutants."

"Who isn't nowadays?" Tabitha mused, popping her bubblegum thoughtfully.

Rolling her eyes, Rogue leaned over to give Roberto a kiss, then did the same with Piotr. She glanced over at Jean, who just smiled, and the next thing Scott knew Rogue had grabbed him by the chin and pulled his head down for a quick kiss.

"Sorry if Ah startled ya, sugah," she laughed at his slightly dazed expression. "But fair is fair, the others all got one. Besides, Ah figured Ah had t' do that at least once, since Ah spent a whole year in high school daydreamin' about it."

Scott felt his cheeks flush, and he opened his mouth, unsure how to respond to that. He knew about the crush she'd had on him now, of course, Kitty had told him, but back then he'd been entirely oblivious to it all.

As if reading his thoughts, which, given the fact that she'd inherited several new powers since the last time he'd seen her, could very well have been true, Rogue grinned. "Don' sweat it, Cyke," she told him, and he bristled at the nickname, which she had so often used to annoy him.

"I'll let that one slide, since you just got back," Scott grunted.

"Right," Rogue laughed, and he knew she had every intention of using that nickname whenever she felt like it. He supposed it wouldn't be too bad, after all she'd been gone for so long it was almost good to hear it again.

And he even understood the kissing thing, for years they'd all lived in the same house, but they had never been able to touch her, nor she them, and this wasn't just a special moment for her, it was a bit sentimental for the rest of them, as well.

Finally, Rogue turned to face the last remaining person on the porch.

Professor Xavier moved his hoverchair forward, giving her a warm and inviting smile that made Scott's chest hot with warmth. He didn't need telepathy to understand what Xavier was feeling right then, with the final member of the X-men family finally returned to them, his prodigal daughter at long last come home.

"Professor, Ah-" she choked out, her words catching in her throat, and she couldn't seem to find her voice, but the Professor understood, of course.

Reaching out, he took her hands in his own, which, Scott noticed, trembled a little. "Welcome home, my dear," Charles Xavier said softly, his voice husky with emotion and his dark eyes shimmering with tears as he gazed up at her. "Welcome home."


A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter! Don't worry, I'll try to get the next one up sometime this week, should school permit. Only a week of regular classes, then my exams begin, so hopefully I should have some time over the Holidays to get a few more chapters posted :)