Unchained Instinct ( Complete)

Chapter 13

“Well, that there was an unexpected show, chere,” Gambit stated with far too much amusement. “And Ah thought Ah’d be the life of the party. What Mystique’s problem anyway? Oh, wait...Gambit know. Nightcrawler’s parents don’t know about him and Logan, do they? And Mystique think she gonna set the record straight right here, right now.”

Rogue elbowed Gambit in the side. “Hush, Cajun. Kurt’ll tell ‘em when he’s ready. He’s handlin’ it. Ah gotta go help Logan get it under control. He’s about to bust with frustration.”

“Ah’ll go along with ya, chere. Gambit’s always up for helpin’ a fellow mutant...particularly Logan.”

“Logan don’t need your sarcasm right now,” Rogue stated with hands on hips. “So if ya can’t keep your tongue in control just stay here.”

“Ah am always in control,” Gambit stated and refused to stay behind, pacing beside Rogue to where Logan stood, the man’s fingers flexing into fists, opening and closing repeatedly.

He’d taken up a watchful station not far from the Wagners and from the looks on their faces, he made them nervous even with Ororo and the Professor working to keep them occupied in conversation while waiting for Kurt to return with or without Mystique.

“Where ya think they went? Your adoptive brother and mother?”

Rogue glanced up at the tall man beside her. “Ah have no idea, but Ah hope he found a cave to bury her in.”

“That don’t sound much like the Nightcrawler Ah heard about. The boy don’t got it in him to be too mean...not even to Mystique.”

“Don’t underestimate Kurt. He’s stronger than he looks. Don’t think his compassion is a weakness neither, cause it’s not.”

“Whatever ya say, Rogue.”

Logan straightened when he saw them coming, his eyes hard as obsidian and flashing a cold deep fire.

Rogue reached out to Logan and patted his arm. “Hangin’ in there?”

Logan’s gaze snapped to Gambit then back to Rogue. “Where the hell is he?” Logan growled.

Rogue shrugged. “He’s probably tryin’ to talk her into bein’ reasonable.”

Gambit let out a snort. “Good luck to ‘im. He’s gonna need it.”

“For once, I’ll agree with the Cajun,” Logan replied. “The elf will try, but I have my doubts even he can get Mystique to be reasonable.”

“Definitely not her strong suit,” Gambit mused.

“Who exactly invited you into this conversation?” Logan growled, finally reacting to Gambit’s presence.

“Hey,” Rogue injected. She reached out again and put a restraining hand on Logan’s arm. “Gambit’s bein’ nice. You could at least try, ya know?”

Logan let out a harsh breath. “Yeah, yeah. Okay. Gotta keep my cool around the parents anyway.” He ran his hands back through his hair and the look of frustration and helplessness tugged at Rogue’s heart.

“Logan, if anybody can get Mystique to listen, it’s Kurt. Give him a chance. Maybe he’ll get through that stone cold heart of hers or even that maniacal mind.”

Not like Rogue actually believed her own words, but Logan needed something to hold onto.

Glancing around, Rogue noted the joy had gone out of the celebration. Everyone was on pins and needles, waiting for the inevitable confrontation to come. Jean had Scott in a corner, talking him through his own frustration concerning Mystique’s sudden and unwelcome presence. For the second time in less than a week, Mystique had managed to invade their home with little trouble.

Rogue’s nerves twitched and Gambit seemed to notice her pensiveness, his hand coming to rest on her back and rub gently. She liked the feel of him, his nearness and his warmth. He smelled of some cologne, nothing overwhelming, just a soft pleasing scent and he certainly wasn’t hard to look at, tall and nicely built. His scarlet eyes sparkled with humor most of the time, but she’d seen them darken to dangerous as well.

Her attraction to Gambit irked her though and why exactly, she wasn’t yet sure. Maybe he made her lower her guard. Maybe he just made her forget for a minute what her touch could do to a man. But then reality came slamming back, knocking her upside the head.

She couldn’t touch him skin to skin. She couldn’t feel the soft warmth of his caressing mouth without knocking him out cold and sucking up his thoughts and memories and mutation.

The most frustrating part was that Gambit knew all this and yet here he was, getting all touchy feely through her clothing and making her body react to him. Was he just a tease? Was this a game to him?

“Chere?” Gambit said, close to Rogue’s ear. “Take a look to the doorway. Ah think the entertainment is about to begin.”

Rogue whirled and beside her she heard a low snarl rising up from deep in Logan’s throat.

Kurt, have you lost your mind?

“Oh gawd,” Rogue sighed. “Here we go.”

*************************

A disorienting sensation washed over Mystique then she was standing in the hallway outside the community room full of people, Kurt beside her, holding onto her arm.

She sensed his reluctance to allow her near his parents, but also his desire to believe she’d keep her word.

My dear son, you are too naive still for your own good. But I’ll not take too great advantage of that flaw, at least, not right now.

“All right, Mystique,” Kurt said, his fingers giving her arm a warning squeeze. “I’m trusting you to be civil with my parents. I’m trusting you to keep your word.”

“And I’ll expect you to keep yours as well, son.”

Kurt gave her a sharp look up. “By tomorrow morning they will know about me and Logan.”

“Good enough. Now, you’ll probably have to use a crowbar to get us through this less than hospitable crowd. I’ll leave that to you.”

Everyone had turned to gawk at them, staring with hard cold gazes.

Charles didn’t seem at all surprised to see her with Kurt, far too certain of himself as usual. Ororo stared at her as if she were a piece of garbage Kurt had dragged in on his shoes.

Someday, Storm, we shall have a rematch and I’ll be ready for you.

And there was that little woman she’d seen here before. The girl wore a wary expression on her pretty yet bland face. Who was she? What was she doing here?

Scott Summer’s features were tight with the desire to confront her, but she sensed he’d been warned by Charles to stand back and let Kurt handle the situation.

Mystique started in surprise when she saw Gambit standing with Rogue and Logan.

So, the rats are abandoning Magneto’s ship. She had always suspected Gambit a little too soft in the heart to do Magneto’s work. And it seemed the Cajun had latched onto Rogue, her traitorous adoptive daughter. How interesting.

Putting on a neutral expression, Mystique turned to Kurt, a smile touching her lips. “Shall we, my son?”

The boy took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, but nodded and stepped into the room.

The crowd parted and Mystique felt eyes drilling into the back of her head. She’d be dead a hundred times over if looks could kill. Her eyes met Logan’s dark fiery gaze. A memory of Logan and Kurt in a sexual embrace nearly dragged a snarl of disgust from her, the desire to blurt out their sordid affair to Kurt’s adoptive parent’s almost overwhelming. Putting on her most smirking smile, Mystique drank in Logan’s helpless frustration and imagined how she’d hurt him when she got the chance.

“Raven,” Charles said as they approached. “I hope you and Kurt have had an enlightening conversation.”

“Why Charles, yes, I do believe we have.” She reached out to Kurt and drew a hand down his hair in a possessive manner and left it at that. Raising her gaze, she met first Mrs Wagner’s eyes then seeing a spark of trepidation on the woman’s round face, she turned her attention to Mr. Wagner and let a pleasant expression replace her smirk.

“Papa. Mama,” Kurt said to them, his nervousness apparent. “I’d like for you to meet Mystique...I...mean Raven...Darkholme. My biological mother.”

Mr Wagner reached out, a brave man offering his hand to a woman he only knew as the mother who had abandoned her child to a river.

“Guten tag Fraulein Darkholme,” he said, taking her hand in his. He stared down for a long moment at her blue skin then met her golden gaze. “It is...um, good to meet you. This is my wife----”

Mystique released Mr Wagner’s hand and took Mrs Wagner’s, the woman reluctant, yet not willing to be ungracious. “Mrs Wagner,” Mystique said in a most sincere tone of voice. “Thank you for all you’ve done for Kurt, for taking him in as a baby and caring for him as your own. I owe you a great debt.”

Mrs Wagner’s wariness subsided and she smiled a pleasant, pudgy smile. “Oh no. There is no debt. Kurt was a godsend, a child when we were childless. We prayed and God answered our prayers.”

With a raise of her eyebrow, Mystique fought down the urge to laugh. “Then you are truly God’s people to not have rejected Kurt for his appearance. Most people would have let him drowned.”

Mrs Wagner’s gaze turned to Kurt and softened to adoring love. “God had a special purpose for us and that was to care for this child no matter his appearance, no matter what the world believes. He has been an angel from heaven. He has been our precious son as if I had given birth to him myself.”

Mystique let her gaze drop, a swell of conflicting feelings rising with Mrs Wagner’s words. “And so he is. He is your son and I shall not interfere with your relationship with him in any way.”

“We thank you for that, Fraulein,” Mr Wagner injected. “But also understand your desire to have a place in his life.”

“Then you appear to be the only ones who do understand.”

A look of confusion crossed Mr Wagner’s face, but again, Mystique let her comment hang in the air unexplained. With deliberate purpose, she turned to Logan and the tension in the air rose to a palpable vibration.

“Logan,” she said. “How good to see you and looking almost human for once.”

His eyes narrowed and his teeth gritted together. How she’d love to see him turn into a vicious dog in front of Kurt’s parents. He was on the verge of a snarl, but Rogue took him by the arm with a gloved hand and tugged him back. She noticed Gambit’s eyes sparkle with amusement then sober with a glare from Rogue.

“And Rogue, my dear daughter,” Mystique continued, moving her gaze to Rogue. “I see you’ve found a playmate willing to chance your dangerous touch.”

“I’ll touch you, lady----”

Gambit grabbed the girl, holding her back. “That not a good idea, chere,” Gambit said soothingly.

Mystique turned back to the Wagners and shook her head with a weary motherly sigh. “How quickly children forget the cost a parent expends raising them. How soon their love turns to dust.”

“Ah never loved you,” Rogue snapped. “Ah never knew you.”

Mystique felt Kurt grab her arm and tug her back. “You promised,” he hissed at her. “I’ll pop you to the middle of nowhere....”

“Relax, my child. No need for threats. I’ve obvious worn out my welcome here...as usual. I’ll be going.” She turned one last time to the Wagners. “I’m glad to have met you both. You have been good parents to Kurt. I will never forget what you did for him.”

The couple nodded and Mystique raised her arms in a sweeping gesture, everyone falling back away from her. With a flutter of wings, she transformed into the raven of her namesake, swept the room once and headed out the open french doors.