X-Mansion
Remy LeBeau tapped lightly on the door to Rogue's room. "Chere?" he said softly.
When he got no answer he slowly opened the door and looked at the bed to see if she was a sleep. She wasn't in it and her stuffed animals were set up neatly by the headboard. A clear indication that she hadn't slept in it that night. Remy pushed the door open further and looked around. She wasn't anywhere in the room. The window, however, was open. He walked over to it and looked out and then up. De roof! It be her favorite spot. Remy stood on the windowsill and grabbed a hold of the drainpipe. He carefully climbed his way up it.
Sure enough there Rogue was. She sat near the edge, her knees drawn to her chest, hands wrapped tightly around them. "Chere?" Remy walked towards her.
Rogue turned and looked up at him, tears clouding her emerald eyes. Remy was about to reach out for her but thought better of it. He wasn't wearing any gloves. So he sat down next to her. "Chere what's wrong?"
"Ah don't know . . ." Her eyes closed. "Ah had a horrible dream earlier . . . somethin' about mah past an' . . . an' Ah can't 'member what it was about."
"Chere it's okay--"
"Ya don't understand." She turned away from him.
"Don't understand. Chere, dis be me, Remy y'talkin' ta. I not member t'ings 'bout m'past either."
"But do ya'll have someone who knows everythin' that happened ta ya and won't tell ya. Momma knows eyerythin' Remy an' she won't tell me anythin'. It ain't fair."
"It never is Rogue," Remy whispered.
"Ah know," Rogue looked over at him. "Are ya okay? Storm told me what happened ta Haley. What Sinister made Vivien do."
Remy looked up at the dark sky. "I want t'find him an' tear his heart out--dat if he has one. He's takin' ev'ryt'ing from me dat I ever cared for." He looked back at Rogue. "Well almost ev'ryt'ing."
Rogue gave him a smile and then blinked at the sudden droplet of rain. "We better get inside chere."
She nodded and stood up, floating above the roof. "Ya want some help down sugah?"
Remy nodded and Rogue picked him up by the armpits and lowered the two down to the front door of the mansion. Rogue went to open the door but Remy stopped her. "Rogue if y'ever need someone t'talk t'come t'me," he said gently. "An' can we talk somewhere else besides dat roof. T'ink I pulled somet'in' dis time." Rogue couldn't help but laugh. "Kidin' aside though chere, promise me you'll come t'me if y'need t'talk."
"I'll try Remy," Rogue whispered.
Xavier's Study
Mary Carleton's hands shook slightly as she sipped at the cup of tea. "I still can not believe it Charles. My baby, I saw her. She's alive . . . that means that there's still hope that you can find her bring her back to me." Her hands clasped tightly around the cup. As she looked up at Professor Xavier a ray of happiness brightened her eyes. "My baby's alive Charles. That's all I care about."
Xavier closed his eyes. He'd had many colleagues of his die over the years, many of his students too but as his eyes open to look up at Mary Carleton he has no idea of how to tell her about her daughter.
"Charles . . .Charles what is wrong?"
"We found Haley," he whispered.
"Where? How is she?"
"Mary . . . she's . . . she's dead."
Mary's eyes grew wide in disbelief. The cup of tea crashed to the floor as her hands grabbed the arms of the chair. "No . . .you're lying."
"Mary--"
She rose from the seat her face white. "My baby is alive . . ." She walked towards the door.
It opened and Bobby Drake's head popped in. "Beast had some questions on the Carleton gir--oh, sorry, I didn't know you had company."
Mary ran out of the room and towards the front door. "Sir?"
"Tell Beast I'll be there in a couple of minutes."
"Yes sir." The door closed and Xavier closed his eyes trying to fight back tears.
Caldecott, Mississippi
Rachel Myers swept the food and trash from the floor of the small diner. Her husband--god rest his soul--and her had owned the place for over forty years. She knew everyone in the town. Yet, she was amazed when she saw a man walk into the diner. Most folks who left never came back, especially when they got a big job in the city.
"Why if'n it ain't lil' Sammy Parker. How is it bein' a big city lawyer in ol' Las Angeles?"
The man looked up at her. "Hello Mrs. Myers. I was wondering if you knew where I could find Albert Jonston?"
"Over here Samuel."
Samuel 'Sammy' Parker turned around and saw Congressman Jonston and two other men sitting at the back corner booth. He nodded to Rachel and sat down by Jonston. "Gentlemen this is Sam Parker. Sam I'm sure you remember Detective Roy Townsen and Daniel Wood," Jonston said pouring sugar in his coffee. "Rachel, Sam'll have a cup of coffee and a today's special."
"It's commin' raght up." Jonston watched her walk towards the counter.
"I already ate," Samuel whispered.
"It'll keep her busy for a while."
"Why'd you call this meeting?" Townsen asked angrily. "I'm suppose to be in Hawaii with my family. Not in this worthless town."
"Sabine's alive. "Jonston placed the coffee on the table.
"What!?!" the other three yelled.
"Quiet," Jonston hissed through gritted teeth.
"I thought Robert killed her."
"Apparently he didn't have the heart to. " Jonston placed a handful of photographs on the table. "William's sent Mathew after her."
But . . ." Daniel said.
"But what Daniel? We should let her live?"
"It's in the past--"
"And if she lives that past could come back to haunt us. I don’t want to ruin my career because of a mistake I made in my youth."
Sinister's Base
Liam looked down at the trays of food set before him. His mouth watered and his stomach was aching from the fact that he hadn't eaten in three days. His small hand picked up the spoon and scooped applesauce onto it. He brought it slowly towards his mouth and suddenly threw the spoon away and pushed all the trays from the table.
The door swooshed open and Sinister came into the room. He looked at Liam and then at the trays of food and finally at the twins.
"He refuses to eat sir," Thomas said.
Sinister nodded and the twins left the room. Liam looked at Sinister carefully and saw a needle in his hand. Tears streamed down his face and he ran behind the bed. He heard the thump of Sinister's boots become louder and louder until he could see them.
Sinister grabbed the three-year-old by the neck and placed him onto the bed. "I will not have you ruining my experiment by starving yourself. You will eat the food provided or I will use this-" he showed him the needle-"to administer the nutrients your body desires. Do you understand?"
"No needles," Liam sobbed.
Sinister handed him some bread. Liam looked at it not knowing what to do. "Eat it!" Sinister yelled, his voice making the bed shake.
Liam took the bread and devoured it. "Good. The twins will bring you more later."
Sinister left the room and Liam curled up on the bed, crying.
X-Mansion
"Y'can have corn flakes or lucky charms," Remy glanced at Rogue from the cabinet.
"Can ya make eggs or pancakes . . . actually could ya make both?"
"Eggs and pancakes?" Remy closed the cabinet placing pancake mix on the counter.
"Mhm . . . oh and some sausages." Rogue smiled. "What?" She didn't know if she liked the smile on Gambit's face.
"Would y'like bacon too?"
"Well not that ya mention it . . . what!?!" Remy, I'd like ta wipe that annoyin' smirk off yoah face, she thought, eyes narrowing.
"Not'in' mah cherie. Not'in' at all."
"Nothin' mah--"
"He's just amazed at the amount you want to eat."
Rogue cringed slightly. She didn't turn because she truly didn't want to see Mystique's face. She was mad, Rogue could tell by her voice.
"Would y'like t'join us?" Remy placed some eggs on the counter.
"I'd rather tear you heart out."
"Momma!" Rogue mentally cursed herself as she stopped twiddling her thumbs. Mystique always made her feel like this--like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Yes Rogue?"
Rogue looked up at her. Mystique smiled sweetly at her. Rogue shivered. She'd seen that smile before. She'd smiled at many of her victims like that before she killed them, or when she had been telling Rogue about the plan to 'stop' Carol Danvers. Go on, tell her ta leave him alone. "Please eat with us." Damn it!
"Certainly."
"So I be makin' pancakes, eggs, bacon, and sausages?"
"Mhm."
"Don't have any more requests?" Gambit reached towards the spice rack.
"Not spicy please."
"Hehn?" He looked at Rogue questioningly.
"It upsets mah stomach."
"It not be the same Rogue."
"I won't go throwin' it all up after eatin' it though."
Mystique looked over at Rogue. "How'd you sleep?"
"Fine," rogue shifted uneasily in her seat.
"Any nightmares?"
Gee thanks Momma. Make Remy even more worried. Rogue frowned. "Why?"
Mystique shrugged. "What's taking so long?" she asked Gambit getting up from her chair.
She's ignoring me. "Momma? Why are mah nightmares so important ta ya?"
"You're my daughter, I worry."
"About what?"
"Nothing."
"Liar."
"Excuse me." Mystique turned around eyes blazing.
"If it was nothing why'd'ja ask?"
Remy placed the pancakes on the table. "Bon appetite."
"Where's the rest of it?" Mystique asked.
"It commin'."
"Answer me. Why are mah nightmares so important ta ya?"
Mystique turned away from her. "It's none of your concern."
"It's mah life. Maybe ah should just go back ta Caldecott and find out."
"No!" Mystique spun around her face white. "Promise me you won't ever do that."
"Wha--why?"
"Not you too. Promise me Rogue."
"Ah--ah promise."
Mystique nodded and left the room.
"What was dat about?"
"Ah don't know."
Sinister's Base
Hmm, Sinister leaned back in the chair and looked over the large screen. On it was a picture of Rogue with her DNA coding and other vital information. Psychic scarring . . .I'll have to--
BEEP! BEEP! Sinister absently pressed the button on another panel and looked at another screen. On it was a picture of a man staking out the X-mansion. On the ground was a sniper and in his hand was a picture of Rogue. Sinister's smile faded and he teleported himself to the man's location. The man turned around but a forcebolt in his chest silenced him. Forever. Sinister sighed and looked down at him. "Pity. You were a wonderful assassin Mathew."