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“Ororo,” the soft voice roused the sleeping weather goddess. “Ororo.”

“Hmmm,” Azure eyes slowly opened to find themselves staring at the sad smiling face of Kitty ‘Shadowcat’ Pryde.
“We have to move,” Kitty spoke in the same tone as she had used earlier. “Every one is ready. Even Rog...even Wolverine,” she jerked her head to the side.

Following her hand, Ororo lifted and tilted her head to see her remaining teammates as they stood over two freshly dug holes.

Nodding her head, the pregnant and tired Ororo pushed herself off the ground, both Kitty and Jubilee helping her. None of the men came near her….none of them could, not without Rogue snarling and swiping her clawed hands at them.

All of them had realized that even though physically the young woman among them was still Rogue, the psyche inside her was all Wolverine...not Logan, but Wolverine, and that he/she was in full guard mode, all sensors firing, not for her/himself but for his family….his pack. Moreover, as it was quickly established that the pack included not only Ororo and her-their unborn child, but also Kitty and Jubilee.

------

Earlier,

“Goddess,” Ororo gasped in horror at the sight before her, both at the bone claws sticking out from between Rogue’s knuckles, but more so at the dead body lying at her feet….and he was dead, that much she was sure of. Rogue’s torn clothes and the huge patches of blood over various parts of her body, and the fact that there wasn’t even a scratch on her, told everyone the story behind her transformation as well as the cause of Wolverine’s death.

“Oh god,” Jubilee’s eyes widened at the bony projections. “They are REAL.”

“Merde,” Remy seemed stuck to the ground. He did not know what to do. His last few interactions with Rogue had been anything but pleasant, with the main point of contention between them being the feral Wolverine. They had no idea that Wolverine was being held in the now destroyed military base-cum-torture lab, let alone that five other x-men, Ororo, Kurt, Stacy, Kitty and Jubilee, were also inmates there. He had never been comfortable with Rogue’s relationship with Logan, which according to him bothered on hero worship…maybe even more. Things had finally come to a head a couple of days ago, when in return to his accusations; Rogue had leveled her own, saying that even though he proclaimed Ororo was like a sister to him, all he wanted to do was to get into her pants.

‘At least mah crush on Logan was known to everyone,’ she had yelled. ‘When Ah had it ah didn’t hide behind calling him brother or uncle or some othah bull name lahke yah do with ‘Roro. If yah wanted her, than why did yah come aftah meh?’

Thankfully for both of them, Henry, Bobby and Piotr had kept out of their way. Bobby had walked away, returning hours later. He himself had a history with Rogue….she used to be her girlfriend before they broke off and moved onto different people, or to be more correct, before Remy entered the picture. Bobby had blamed the Cajun with a vengeance, not because he impressed Rogue with his charm and wit, but because he was everything the quite, shy and slightly introvert Bobby was not. And, even though things had improved both with Rogue and with Remy, he still carried a soft spot for his first official girlfriend, who had since become one of his closest friends.

“Logan,” Ororo stumbled over the shrubbery and other forest growth to reach the now cooling body of the father of her child….and the man, despite of all their recent tortures, she might have loved….the man she still loved.
“Sorry ‘Ro,” the guttural tone of Rogue’s voice and the lack of her usual southern accent was the verbal evidence of who was in control, or residing within her. “There was no other way. She was gonna die.”

“She?” Kitty echoed in confusion, looking first at Jubilee and then at Beast for answers. Henry, who had heard and read about the Statue of Liberty incident and about Rogue’s personality change for the next few days, was seeing it firsthand for himself.
“I think she means Rogue,” he whispered to his younger teammate. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he started towards where Ororo sat hunched over Logan’s body. He was a doctor and he had work to do. Almost simultaneously, Remy joined him, although he was more concerned about Ororo, than about the dead Wolverine.

“GRRR….” –SCHUKK- Two bone claws shot out of Rogue’s right hand. When Ororo has neared her and Logan’s body, she had withdrawn them, keeping only the ones on her left hand out. “Stay away frem her.”

“Rogue…Logan,” Beast stopped instantly, catching Gambit’s arm to stop his progress too. “I need to check…”
“No use doc,” Rogue shook her head once. “Nothing’s alive in there. You got the senses too, smell it from there. None of ya come near Ororo.”

Feeling Remy strain against his hold, Henry firmed his grip, shaking his head in denial. Even though his senses weren’t as strong as that of Wolverine, he was observant enough to see that something had changed in the Ororo-Logan relationship. The Logan currently in possession of Rogue’s body was acting in a typical possessive animalistic manner. ‘Almost as if….oh God,’ his thought stopped midway as the realization dawned on him.

As if on cue, Ororo doubled over and rushed to the nearest bush to vomit.

‘She’s pregnant,’ it was all the confirmation needed. “Gambit,” he had to literally yank Remy back. “Don’t.”
“Beast, let me go,” Remy gritted out.

“No,” Henry shook his head. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You be the one who will be getting’ hurt homme,” Remy grabbed Beast’s wrist and charged his watch. “Now let me…..”

“She’s pregnant,” Beast silenced him. “Logan is most probably the father and he is in control of Rogue right now. You do the math and for once use your head.”

------

Present,

The X-Men stood around the two graves of their departed teammates, with Rogue standing close behind Ororo, with Jubilee and Kitty on either side of her, ready to support their teammate if she were to get another bout of sickness. Rogue/Logan knew that in her/his current situation, he/she couldn’t touch his ‘Ro, not without hurting her and their child and was therefore maintaining a respectable distance, far enough to avoid any skin to skin contact, but close enough to take care of any approaching male, especially Beast and Gambit. Beast because, he had animalistic qualities and could be a potential rival and Gambit because, well Gambit was a special case. Logan’s distrust of the Cajun, Rogue’s recent straining of relationships with him, and both his and her belief that Remy had had less than familial aspirations towards Ororo….maybe even had them now, made him target number one.

Kurt was the one to conduct the final rites. Given his deep religious beliefs and his priest training, he was the closest thing to a clergyman that the X-Men had right now.

----

An hour later,

“We gotta move,” Rogue grunted. In the last half hour, she and the others had rummaged through the remains’ of the base and had managed to commandeer a truck, weapons and uniforms for all of them.

From what Beast had told them, they realized that they were still in the US. This made things somewhat easier as they would have to just cross the border once….when they crossed over into Canada.

They were heading to Canada in accordance with Logan’s plans. He had brought them into the front of his mind and when he transferred his powers and his memories to Rogue, she got them. Even though the trip would be longer than the one they would have to make to get into Mexico, the result would be safer. Logan had made provisions in the country of his birth for such a day. He had a cabin there, along with enough money and connections to take care of everything, including…if need be, getting them new IDs, passports and the like, all of which would make them Canadian citizens and thus allow them to escape, once and for all, from the militant ‘Anti-mutant’ sentiments currently holding sway in America.

“’Ro, you ok?” She hunched in front of Ororo, who was sitting on a flat rock, conserving her energy.
“Yes,” Ororo’s smile was a tired one. Weeks of imprisonment, her pregnancy and the immense display of power she had used against the F.O.H. and their captors had sapped her.

Minutes later, the now military dressed X-Men pulled out from their hiding place. Piotr and Bobby were in the driver and passenger’s seats, while the rest were behind. Remy had his dark goggles on, covering his eyes to make him looking normal….just like any human.

-----

Quite a few hours after their departure,

“Found it,” a black garbed man spoke into his mouthpiece.
“Dig him out,” the answer was accompanied by the arrival of almost a dozen similarly dressed men.

“Good,” A robed figure joined them, his authority clear, both by his different uniform and by the fact that the others seemed respectful and….afraid of him.

“The Masters will be pleased.”

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