The next morning, the commotion at the front door alerted Theresa Cassidy to a very familiar voice making their way into the safehouse.
"Where's me girl?! Terry!?" She heard the frantic voice of her uncle Tom, and she made her way, slowly, towards him, getting up from the breakfast table.
"Uncle?" She called out, her movements slow.
The eyes of Black Tom were full of worry as he came closer, and pulled her into his arms. "Oh thank the good Lord above, you're okay….I got a vague voicemail from Seanie boy, and got here as quick as I could."
"I'm alright, Uncle. Cain got ta me first, and the next thing I knew, Dad showed up in a hurry."
"Cain? He's here?" He questioned.
"Yeah, he's upstairs." She confirmed.
Footsteps behind her alerted Tom to someone else being aware of his arrival. "About fuckin' time, Tom." The smile that greeted Tom from his cousin was not scolding at all.
"Oh fuck off, Seanie boy. Takin' all the glory, ya rude bastard." The two Irishmen hugged like old friends, laughing as the early morning revealed how the worry over Theresa had affected them both.
"I can't take all the credit, Tom. There's a few people in line ya gotta get to first."
"Other than Cain?"
"Cain, Ilyana, Madelyne…." Theresa named off.
"Madelyne? Madelyne Pryor?" Tom Cassidy asked.
"Terry?" A female voice, belonging to the very woman they had just been discussing, called. Seeing the family reunion taking place, she took a step back. "Oh, apologies. I was just-"
Before she could even process what was happening, she was suddenly wrapped in a hug by Black Tom Cassidy, which made her freeze.
"Uh…"
"Thank ya, lass. We owe ya a great deal."
She finally patted the man on the back, returning his hug somewhat hesitantly. "You're….welcome."
"Forgive my uncle. He's just as much a father to me as me own dad is." Theresa explained.
"It's quite alright, Terry." Madelyne chuckled.
Tom pulled back, and looked Madelyne in the eye, his expression more serious. "Tell me ya got the bastards responsible for this."
She shared a look with Sean, who put a hand on Tom's shoulder.
"Come sit down, Tom. Let's all have coffee."
She wasn't sure how long she was out for. She still felt kind of groggy coming out of her slumber, her dreams a jumble of scenes that didn't make much sense. Her body felt heavy, and it took great effort to open her eyes.
"Rogue…." She heard her name, and knew immediately whose voice that was.
Her eyes shot open, and she turned her head, to see a pair of blue eyes she knew well, watching her.
"Magnus…." She spoke his name quietly, with relief, as she sat up. "You're awake…"
"...you're….here…"
"Ah'm here, sugah." She slipped from her cot, taking his hand in her gloved one, sitting on the edge of his bed. "Ah'm right here."
He was still weak, but he was at least awake and trying to talk.
"Shhhh…..save your strength. Lord knows ah took too much of it tryin' ta get ya outta there…." She reached her other gloved hand up to brush strands of his white hair out of his face.
"Tried….to warn you…."
"Like that woulda stopped me." She smiled, knowing she looked awful, but she didn't care. All that mattered was that he was alive, and he was better than when they first found him. "Couldn't leave ya like that, could ah?" She could feel her eyes burning as she tried not to show how much breaking him out of there had affected her, both physically and emotionally.
"Don't….cry…."
She shook her head, not doing a good job at this. "Ah can't help it. Scared me half ta death seein' ya like that…."
He squeezed her hand, as much as his strength would allow.
"If ah had known, Magnus…." Her words were tearful.
He shook his head. "No…not your fault."
"You never should have been there, sugah…." She whispered.
"Free….thanks to you…."
There was a loud commotion as Scott Summers walked into the kitchen, and three mutants, including his ex-wife, were trying to hold back Black Tom Cassidy.
"You fuckin' bastard!! Who the fuck do ya think ya are, standin' here lookin' like ya ain't got a care in this here world while the niece I raised was rottin' away like an animal!"
"Uncle, stop-" Theresa tried to hold him back.
"No, Terry, he left ya to rot. The least he could do is fuckin' answer for turnin' a blind eye while ya suffered."
"Tom….Tom, listen to me…." Madelyne got in front, and held out a hand as Scott tried to advance. "Scott, back off. Now."
"I don't know what the hell you told him-"
"I said back. Off. Let me handle this, before it gets ugly." She firmly held her ground, and Scott backed up as she turned around to face the dark-haired Cassidy cousin.
"Tom….I know you're angry. But trust me when I say that Scott is not your enemy here. But I need you to trust that we are working on finding the people truly responsible." She spoke calmly to him, watching as he slowly relaxed. "I know that is a lot to ask, and I know emotions are high right now, but the best thing you can do right now is be here for Terry. Okay?"
He acquiesced, and Sean led him back to the table, glancing at Madelyne as she nodded.
She turned to Scott, and telepathically uttered one phrase.
Don't make me a liar, Scott. Talk to Sage.
He nodded, and quietly walked out of the kitchen, but not before he heard the sound of Cain Marko coming down the stairs, and the joyous reunion that was taking place in the kitchen.