Chapter Eleven

Maggie finished driving the last nail that she needed to hang her small group portrait. In the last week her father put in an appearance to her apartment everyday. They had not talked about what happened the night of the party, nor did she really want to. The emotions that were running through her were too intense. She knew what she felt for Remy, yet she didn't want to interfere with what he and Rogue may still have. Despite what the others thought of Remy, she knew that he wasn't the type to fall into just any bed.

Maggie sighed, it had been a moment of weakness that made her sing that song and what scared her the most was the fact that she let herself open up like that. She had never felt so exposed in all her life.

"Well, kid, this place is shapin' up pretty good."

Logan cocked his head at his daughter. Something was bothering her but she wouldn't tell him what it was. He had the feeling that it somehow involved the Cajun back home, who seemed to be moping around the house. The morning that she disappeared he felt panic course through his body. Nobody in the house knew where she had taking off. Those feelings stayed with him till he had gotten to her apartment and found her here. That's when relief set in like a tidal wave. Since his nose told him that she went in and had not come out he went around the corner to the deli and made a phone call home. After reassuring Jean that she was all right, he got the makings for breakfast. What he wasn't expected to find was her looking like hell. He didn't say a word. Instead he just held up the bag of groceries and told her that they had a lot of shopping to do.

"Ya know, everyone is wondering when they get ta come down and check your new place out," Logan told her.

Maggie smiled at him, but her smiled didn't reach her eyes.

"If you don't mind I'd rather have some time to myself first."

Maggie headed into the kitchen and started to load the dishes into the dishwasher.

"Besides, I need to get this music thing off the ground and I have interviews over the next couple of days.

"If that's what ya want, but I'm tellin' ya the ladies aren't goin' ta wait long."

Logan plunked down on a stool on the other side of the counter and watched her.

She seemed lost in a world of thought. If she had been anyone else he would have left her alone to do her thinking, but he couldn't do it. He had missed her childhood and now he wanted to know what was going on inside of her head.

"Ya know, sometimes ya just gotta take the bull by the horns," Logan told her.

Maggie looked at him startled.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked him.

"Ya never gonna get anywhere unless ya take your chances," Logan said not looking at her but rather out the window.

Maggie slowly dried her hands on a towel as she thought about what he had said.

"Yeah, but it makes it hard when there are complications," she told him after thinking about it.

"True enough, but is the pay off worth it?" he asked her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a stogie while she reached for a cigarette and an ashtray.

"You know that causes cancer right?" she teased him.

Logan looked at her and grinned, " Yeah, right, kid."

They smoked for a minute in silence. Logan was surprised to find that over the last couple of days how different Maggie was from Jubilee. He loved Jubilee, and in that it gave him that patience's to put up with her loudness, and her state of constant activity. Maggie, on the other hand, valued stillness.

"Well, I'm gonna go ahead and get outta here. Don't forget ta lock up, okay?" Logan told her as he ambled his way to the door.

"Not a problem," Maggie told him, "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

Maggie went and had a shower after her father left she hoped that it would quiet her mind enough to make her sleepy. She wandered out of her bedroom with her head wrapped in a towel to find Remy sitting on her couch.

"I wondered when you were going to show up," she told him with a smile.

"I never got a chance to give ya your present, cherie," he told her with a smile.

"Oh, well give me a second to change," she replied.

"Ya just fine."

Maggie went over and sat down on the couch next to him. She could smell the scent of his cigarettes and colon on him. She couldn't put her finger on it but she sensed something different about him tonight.

"Ya know, cherie, I never understood why women insist on wearing dis ridiculous looking turban's after a shower," he set a small package in her lap and got up and went into her bedroom. A few minutes later he came back out carrying her hairbrush. He reached for the towel on top of her head.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked him. "It's a pain in the butt to brush out."

"Oui. You haven't opened your present yet."

Maggie looked away with a slight frown. Her present was in a small plain black box. It wasn't what she expected; inside there was a small golden songbird.

"Oh, Remy it's beautiful," she breathed.

"Every damn time I walk by dat piano, I t'ink of you and it feels like you flew the coop," Remy picked up the necklace and put it on for her.

He picked up the hairbrush and went to work on the tangled mess that was her hair. Maggie started to tell him about her first week in the city and how she dragged her father to every furniture store in the city.

Remy let her ramble on for a few minutes and then gently placed his fingertips on her lips to still them.

"Why did ya leave me, cherie?" his eyes searched her face.

Maggie could see the pain and torment in his eyes.

"Ya so damn beautiful. I t'ought so that first night that I saw you," Remy trailed his fingertips across her cheek. "You reminded me of a wet kitten spitting and hissing at everyone, at me. Den you just left. I went after you dat night. I didn't know where you were. Den Logan calls the house and says dat you need a little time alone."

Maggie jerked away from him and went to stand on the balcony. Her heart was beating hard and fast. She watched Remy stand up and follow her out. He moved with a light-footed grace.

"I never want to come between you and Rogue. I knew how I felt and I didn't want to¡¦" her voice trailed off as he took her in his arms and kissed her forehead. His lips blazed a trail down the side of her face to her chin.

"Dis is no good," He told her. In a split second her heart fell to her stomach. Then he lifted her up and set her on the railing. "Dat's better. Der is not'ing between me and Rogue." With that he set his lips against hers.

Fire soared through Maggie's veins. She could feel his tongue gently touch her lips; she parted them to allow for deeper access. Then she came to her senses, her feelings were wild and chaotic. She just didn't want to make a mistake that they would both regret. With that in mind she broke the kiss.

"Look, Remy, I think that you need some time to think about this and so do I," Maggie told him, her tone cool, even though fire was raging in her veins.

"Cherie," Remy started to say.

"No, Remy. I maybe young but I am not too immature to know that if we rush this then we could ruin it. If we are meant to be then we will be," Maggie turned to walk back into the apartment. "I think it's time for you to go."

It took every ounce of her self- control to let him go. She shook with the fierce desire that he aroused within her then she was at peace. She knew in her heart that it was for the best.

CHAPTER 12

Over the next couple of days Maggie tried to put Remy from her mind. It seemed like one interview ran into the next. Sometimes they had a piano for her to play and other times they didn't, so she just sang acappella. Then she got a call from one of the neighborhood bars, they had a band that needed a lead singer Thursday through Saturday nights. As soon as she got off the phone with the bandleader she called her dad.

"Xavier School for the Gifted, can I help ya?"

Maggie was determined not to let Rogue ruin her day.

"Rogue, it's Maggie. Is my dad or Remy around?" she asked.

"Maggie, well your dad is out right now and poor Remy is in bed. The poor baby has been sick," Rogue drawled out.

"What's wrong with Remy?" concern tinged Maggie's voice.

"Nothin' I can't take care of, sugar. Been don' that for a while now ya know."

"I see," Maggie was determined not to let the hurt she was feeling show in her voice. "Well, tell my dad when he gets in to call me."

She hung up the phone feeling drained. She was too numb to even cry. Then the anger kicked in. Screw him if that is the kind of game that he wants to play then I am not interested.

Later the next day she sat on the living room floor sorting through a stack of music that she had managed to collect while living at the X school. She could almost swear that between Hank and the Professor she now owned every piece of classical music out there. Not to mention that the others of the house often brought her pieces of music. So she ended up with quite a collection.

There was a knock at her door. She figured that it was her father since he was to only one with a key to the downstairs door.

"Come on in Dad," she called out. What she was not expecting was the entire X-men invading her home.

"I told ya darlin' that those ladies were wantin' ta see ya," her dad grinned at her. Over the top of his shoulder she watched as Rogue and Remy came in together. He was laughing at something that she said. He looked up and had the nerve to wink at her. For a brief second her own lips twitched and then anger kicked in. Her father glanced around and saw Remy standing there looking slightly confused.

"What's the matter darlin'?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Maggie told him with finality to her tone.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with Maggie and her dad playing host and hostess. The team had all pitched on several items that they all thought that she would need.

"Well, how's the music thing coming?" Rogue drawled at her. Maggie had to bite off a comment that she had wanted to make to her. Rogue spent the entire day near or around Remy. It had been obvious to Maggie that they were together again.

"Not to bad. I have to be at work in about two hours," Maggie said calmly.

"What! Why didn't you tell us," several X-men exclaimed.

"Well I would have," as she got up to get herself another drink. "But someone forgot to tell my father that I called the other day."

"Well, that was my fault," Rogue drawled out. "I was concerned about Remy bein' sick and all."

Maggie never caught the confused look that Remy shot at Rogue, but Logan did.

"Well then, we shall leave you to finish getting ready," Ororo, told her suddenly catching the tension that was in the room.

Everyone began to file out except for Logan and Remy.

"Ya need me darlin'?"

"No, dad. Just get him out of here," she growled. She knew that the mood that she was in she would have probably skinned him. She just walked into her bedroom and softly shut the door.

"Petite," Remy started for the door.

"Not now Cajun," Logan grabbed his arm in an iron grip. "She needs a little time to herself."

Remy tried to break free of Logan's iron grip but he let himself get dragged out of the building by the smaller man.

"Let's go get a beer."

Remy knew the difference between a request and an order. This was definitely an order. They headed down the street to one of the local bars. After they got themselves settled in, they sat in companionable silence for a few minutes.

"Remy, is not sure what happened today," he paused and took a swig of beer.

"All de sudden Rogue is hangin' all over me and Maggie blew up. I told Rogue weeks ago dat it's over. I not goin' ta lie to ya Logan der was a time when das what Remy wanted from Rogue, but den I met Maggie and she is more den Rogue and I could ever be. If looks could kill den I would have been a dead man earlier. Your petite already told me dat she not interested in bein' de other woman."

Logan didn't say anything he just grunted at Remy. He knew his friend. Remy maybe a lot of things but he was no liar.

"Well, I guess that you'll be goin' down to the Eagle's Roost tonight to talk to Maggie then," Logan said as he dropped a few bills on the table to take care of the bill.

 CHAPTER 13

Maggie could feel the butterflies in her stomach. The rest of the band didn't really give her much time to prepare for tonight. Yet when she stepped out on that stage everything disappeared. She forgot about her nervous, the problem with Remy, and just sang her heart out.

Remy thought that there was something just too sexy about a woman in heels and a mini skirt. He could tell that the band were not expecting to do as well as they did. By the end of the first set they had everyone's attention. Then Maggie sang that blues song "Love Me Like a Man", everyman's tongue hung to the ground. That's when he noticed that she had stepped down off the stage and into the audience as she sang and she sang to someone who was sitting in the front. Remy thought his eyes were going to fall out of his head as she sang directly to Victor Creed.

But I want someone to love me

I want one honest man, who won't

Put himself above me who can love me like a man

I never seen such losers

Don't think I haven't tried

To find a man to take me home

Rather then for a ride

Creed didn't really know what hit him. He knew that she was here; he had already caught her sent when he walked across the bar. He wasn't expecting to run into her here.

He was waiting for his contact to show up. Then the band started and he heard Maggie's voice. She wasn't playing the piano tonight. She had one of the electric guitars and boy she could make that axe talk.

After the set she went and joined Creed. She was rather surprised to see him here. She planted a kiss on his cheek and went to sit down, but he grabbed her arm and dragged her into his lap.

"You're lookin' lovely tonight, frail," he purred at her as he rubbed his cheek against hers.

"What are you doing here," Maggie asked as she smiled.

"Working," Creed was enchanted by this little bit of fluff. "Why is it you aren't afraid of me? You should be you know. I am the thing in the night that your mother warned you about."

"Vic, I am not harboring ANY illusions about you. You ARE a very dangerous man." Maggie said smiling as he nuzzled her neck.

"Did ya father tell ya that?" he asked looking into her eyes.

"Yes, so did Psylocke and everyone else," he liked the fact that there was no hesitation in her voice and her eyes never failed to met his.

"So why ain't ya running like everyone else?" he asked.

Maggie sighed a little.

"Let's face it Creed, I would be stupid to say that there wasn't a small portion of me that wasn't afraid of you. I have seen the tapes and reviewed the newsreels. I have seen what you have done and what you are capable of. But I have never run from anything that I was afraid of and I am not about to start now. Not even from you."

"What's this?" he was holding her songbird that Remy had given her.

"That is a songbird. My birthday was a few weeks ago."

About then Creed's contact showed up.

"Get rid of the whore Creed, we got business,"

Maggie's head swiveled around. She saw a rather shady looking character standing there like he totally expected her to follow orders. He had another guy that looked to be his bodyguard standing behind him. She glanced at Creed to see what his reaction was. He just stared at her impassionedly. She carefully glanced back at the bodyguard and calculated a second when he glanced away.

Creed noticed the second when she bunched her muscles and used him for a springboard. He also heard the wet sound of her popping her claws. The guy never knew what hit him. He was standing one second and flat on his back the next with a pair of claws pressed against his temples.

"There's a third one in there," Maggie growled at him. "Call your dog off and apologize. I am no man's whore, asshole."

She watched his eyes as he calculated his chances.

"The real question is, if I die, when he shoots me, will I release that third claw?" Maggie smiled in a feral way. She could feel her blood pooling around the man's head.

Remy almost can out of his seat as he took in what had just transpired. He knew that Maggie was totally pissed at him but he wasn't expecting her to turn to Creed. Then when she spring board backwards and landed on the top of this guy that had walked up, he immediately had one of his throwing cards palmed and ready to go.

"I am sorry miss I seemed to have missed judged you," his eyes shifted towards his bodyguard.

"Yeah people tend to do that a lot," Maggie said as she got off of him.

"I have to get ready for my next set," she told Vic as she moved away keeping one eye on the bodyguard. "I'll see you later."

With careful deliberation she rose to her full height while staring at the bodyguard. He had one hand inside his coat. She figured that he was probably holding his gun. She just stared at him for a second and then deliberately turned her back on him, and walked away.

                                Chapter 14

            By the time that Maggie had freshened up for her next set Creed had already gone. As she was getting her gear packed up one of the waitresses came over and handed her a note. "Be here at 4:30."   Maggie stared at the note for a second and then smiled softly to herself as she headed for the door.

             She hung out for a few beers while the club closed up. The owner was pretty impressed by the band and with her. The band members were talking and kidding around about replacing the lead singer with Maggie.

             When she had reached her apartment she was wiped out. It was pretty late by the time that she wandered into her apartment. She had enough time to drop her bag in the corner and drop her clothes on the floor as she fell into bed. 

            She wasn't sure of what woke her out of her sleep. She lay there keeping her breathing even as she waited for the sound to come again. Quietly she popped out her claws. There, towards the end of the bed, she could make out a faint heartbeat. A light tread moved closer to the head of the bed.

             With a lightning quick movement she threw her sheet over the top of the figure that seem to tower over her. She landed a hard quick jab the mid-section of the guy. Then she caught the scent of whom she had wrapped up in her sheet.

             "Damn it, Remy! I could have killed you!" she jerked the twisted sheet off the top of his head.

            Remy felt like she had sucker punched him again. All he could do was visually drink in the sight that stood before him. Maggie had left her hair down when she had gone to bed and it flowed around her in an inky, silken tangle. Just the tips of her pert breast were showing through her hair. She may have been born on the short side but she was perfectly formed for her height.

             "What the hell are you gawking at?" Maggie asked him in a very disgruntled voice.

             "Remy swallowed hard before he answered her.

            "Ya better put some clothes on, petite. Before you give Remy other idea's," he grinned at her.

             Maggie could feel her face getting hot as she growled something under her breath and grabbed her robe.

            "Okay LeBeau, now get out," Maggie ground out at him.

             "What de hell, were you doin' wit' Creed tonight, cheri?" he asked her as he fluffed her pillow and settled himself in her bed.

             "What business is that of yours? You can't even make up your mind which woman you want. Did you think, that for a moment, I was going to sit around waiting for you like my mother waited for my father?"

             Remy let anger kick in. He was up and off of her bed.

             "Damn it! Petite, Creed is dangerous," he had grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a little shake to emphasize his words.

             Maggie looked at him with her father's eyes.

             "So am I," she brought her knee up.

             Remy's world exploded in a red, hot haze of pain. He had managed to move slightly out of the way but not enough. He fell to his knees. It took him a few minutes to get the lights to stop dancing in his head. He should have recognized that look that she had in her eyes. Through the fog he could hear her ranting at him.

             "How dare you? I am not some helpless piece of fluff that you need to protect, Remy. You have a lot of nerve coming here after that display earlier today or are you so short in the memory department that you had already forgotten what you said to me the day before?" she stomped past him looking for her smokes.

             Remy never appreciated the coolness of a good hard wood floor till now. He rested his sweating forehead on the floor till the nausea abetted somewhat before trying to stand.

             "When I told you that there was not'ing between Rogue and I, I meant dat," He ground out through clenched teeth. He slowly dragged himself up as she came back into the room with a lit cigarette. She took a good look at him and noted the pale sweating face.

             "Are you alright?" she had never really meant to hurt him it had been a reflex.

             "Where did ya learn dat maneuver, petite?"

             "Dad," she replied. "I am sorry Remy, but you shouldn't have grabbed me. It was reflex."

             "Remind me ta thank him," he sat very carefully on the edge of the bed and took a deep breath.

             "Dere is not'ing between Rogue and I. I don't know who has been playin' mind games wit' ya but dere is not'ing now." 

            Maggie's senses told her that what he had been saying was the truth. The sincerity in his eyes is what convinced her.

             "Oh, Remy. I'm sorry," she knelt next to him as he sat on the bed and wrapped her arms around his waist.

                                                       CHAPTER 15

            Maggie woke up the next morning with something lying on her hair. She tried to roll over and ignore it but it really had a grip on her. She opened one eye sleepily and saw that back of an auburn head. She cuddled up to Remy's back and breathed in his scent. She replayed the events in her head as she listened to Remy's light breathing.

                 They went to bed and cuddled, thanks to her knee Remy wasn't in an condition to do much more then that. They talked the entire might away, till they finally drifted off to sleep together. She wasn't prepared for the form of Victor Creed that came hurling through the bedroom window. She barely had enough time to shove Remy out of the way of Creed's dangerous claws and roll to safety herself.

             "So you thought that you were going to play games with me huh frail?" he snarled at her.

             "What games, Vic," Maggie asked as calmly as she could.

             "You an' me," he took a swipe at Remy as he scrabbled out of the way.

             "There was never any you and me, Creed. Now back off!" Maggie yelled at him. She hoped to distract him till Remy had a chance to get in a better position.

            "Then if you're not with me, you're against me, like that looser of a father of yours and that pathetic mother, you HAD." Creed taunted her. 

            Maggie's world turned red with rage. Remy watched horrified as she launched herself at Creed. He desperately let loose with a throwing card that he had managed to dig out of his coat.

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

             Logan couldn't wait to get to Maggie's place to hear about last night. He fought the urge to show up, but he knew that she and the Cajun had some unfinished business to attend to.

     As he parked his Jeep out front he caught a familiar scent as Maggie and Creed fell from her third story window, tangled in a deadly embrace. He immediately rushed to Maggie but watched as she nimbly twisted in mid- air and used Creed as a springboard to land lightly a few feet away. 

"I enjoyed ripping her to shreds, Maggie. She begged me to spare you." Creed taunted her.

 He rose stiffly to his feet. He could already feel his healing factor kicking in and healing his broken ribs. He never noticed that Logan had crept up behind him but Maggie did.

Maggie lightly danced backwards, keeping Creeds attention. He was like a freight train coming at her. She used her lighter frame to duck in and out as she opened deep gashed across his hide.

             Remy had leaped out of the window and began to throw cards as they keep him off balance till Logan saw the opening that he needed. Maggie wasn't as experienced of a fighter as the other two were and as her father leaped she slipped on the blood soaked ground. Creed nailed her through the ribs with his claws, and threw her to one side like a rag doll. She hit the wall with a bone-sickening crunch.

             Logan and Remy went ballistic. Creed knew when he was out numbered and ran to plan his revenge better. Oh, yes they would pay for making a fool out of him.

 Logan was prepared to go after Creed, but he was brought back from his animal rage by Remy's mournful cry.

"Maggie, cheri. Please petite, wake up," Remy cradled her broken body gently. Logan had enough sense to hit his emergency homing beacon. Logan knelt down next to Remy as tears coursed down his own cheeks.

 "I don't t'ink she is breathing, amie," Remy told him tearfully. Logan howled his rage at the morning sky.

 "Who died?" a faint whisper came from Maggie's blooded lips. Remy could only murmur a thank you over and over again.

 Logan then noticed that there were sirens in the distance and a group starting to gather and none of the people looked to happy right about now.

 "Let's get ya outta here, darlin'," he reached down and gently picked her up. His heart nearly broke as she let out a small whimper.

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

 It didn't take long for Logan to met up with help. They rushed Maggie into the blackbird and Hank tried to stabilize her.

 "This is no good," Hank shouted at Scott. "Get us home."

 Scott knew that with Hank using that tone of voice that it wasn't good. Hank used every trick in the book he knew of just to keep Maggie stable, while her healing factor kicked in, but Hank feared that there might have been too much damage done to her. Scanners were showing that there was spinal damage and well as a large number of placed where she was bleeding internally.

By the time that the team got Maggie home Hank was just barely holding on to her. Her heart had already stopped once. He had Jean assisting. He hoped with Jean using her power that she would be able to hold some of the more sever wounds together.

 Twelve hours later a very tired Hank and an exhausted Jean emerged from the Med-lab. Outside the door was the team waiting to hear the verdict.

 "Hank?" Logan looked at him with blood shot eyes.

 At the sound of Logan rough voice the rest of the X-men stirred and rose to their feet.

"It was not good, Logan," Hank began. "There was a lot of internal damage. We were barely enough to stabilize her. I am afraid that the rest is up to her. We have done everything that we can do. She is in a coma."

 Ororo murmured a prayer under her breath. Kitty patted Logan's shoulder in sympathy. ******************************************             

                   CHAPTER 16

  Nobody noticed a Cajun thief slip into the med-lab. Remy stared down at the small body that lay so still in the bed. Monitors of every kind were hooked up to the slender form that he held only the night before. Last night seemed like a lifetime ago.

 "Ya not allow ta leave dis ol' Cajun. Wit' out you dere is not'ing worth livin' for, Cherie," Remy took one of her small hands in his and pulled up a chair. He prepared himself for the long wait.

 "Remy," Hope stood in front of him on the other side of the bed. "You have to help me, Remy. You are what holds her spirit to the shell that you see, but she is lost in the darkness and pain. I have tried to bring her back but she does not know me so she does not trust me. You must bring her back before she crosses over."

 "You make dis sound hard, petite. I can do it."

 "She has gone to a place and time in her mind where she feels safe," Hope told him as she took a hold of his hand.

 There was a brilliant flash of light and then a second of darkness. When his eyes cleared he was standing in the middle of the street. The houses all seem to have the same uniform sub-division look to them. The house that he was standing in front of had a porch that wrapped all the way around it. He could hear the faint sounds of music and a child's laughter.

 Remy walked softly towards that sound and carefully stepped on to a porch. He gingerly peered through one of the large windows. There he saw a small girl with her black hair done in pigtails. Dancing around the room with her was Maggie. They whirled around and around to the sounds of the music that was playing.

 Remy heard the sound of a car pull up behind him and quickly looked for a place to hide.  

"They can't see you," Hope told him.

 They watched as three well dressed men stepped out of the car. Remy immediately recognized Creed. He had not been lying when he told Maggie that he had been there that day.

 The vision shifted and Remy found himself running through a rapidly darkening woods. Beside him Maggie ran her pretty party dress was ragged and torn.  

He reached out a hand and grabbed her.  

"Maggie, cherie. It's all right now, dere gone, amour." Remy was helpless as she struggled franticly against him

 "Mamma," she screamed over and over again. Her cries broke Remy's heart. Slowly she slumped against him.

 "Remy?" she asked in a trembling voice.

 "Shhh now, petite. Not'ing is going ta happen to ya now," Remy told her.

 "There is so much pain," she whimpered into his shoulder.

 "I know, petite, but you have to come back. Please," Remy wasn't above begging. He thought of life without Maggie and he just didn't want to go on. "You have to come back and take care of me. You promised dat you'd always be dere. We suppose to go to Carnival in Rio. You promised to sing to Remy anytime dat I wanted," he told her desperately.

 "Hold tight to her, Remy," Hope appeared in front of him. "Let your love for her pour forth."

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

A green light poured forth from the Med-lab as Logan struggled to get his emotions under control.

 "What the hell!" Scott exclaimed.

 Hank and Logan quickly pushed their way in to the Med-lab to find Hope floating just a little above the floor. Remy and Maggie were washed in a green light that poured from her hands.

 Then the light died out and Hope fell to the ground hard. The rest of them looked stunned as Remy slowly opened his eyes and yawned.

 "It wasn't de petite's time yet," Remy told them as he held Maggie's hand. He felt like he just woke up from an incredible dream. 

Hank quickly stepped around to the other side of the bed and helped Hope to her feet. Then he checked on Maggie's vital signs.  

"Remarkable! Her vitals have stabilized and grown stronger," Hank told them. "She is out of coma and sleeping." 

Bobby helped Hope find her balance. When she had just got her bearings she was embraced by a very grateful Logan.

 "I owe ya one kid," Logan told her.

 "As do I," Remy told her as he embraced her next.

 Hope just smiled at them.

 " Told you before to keep hope in your heart. I would always be there," she smiled at them. "You should have called me sooner."

 "Well, that's all well and good but I am trying to sleep," grumbled Maggie.

 "Cherie," Remy leaned in to gently hug her.

 "Ok, everyone out!" Hank exclaimed. "I need to examine our miracle."

 Slowly everyone filed out. As they did the Professor looked at Hope with some concern.

 "What troubles you?" he asked her.

 "Something doesn't feel right about that spell and I can't put my finger on it," Hope told him.

 "I guess in time we will know," the Professor told her. "For now I think that we will have to settle for being grateful that Maggie is going to be all right."

 About twenty minutes later a smiling Hank came out of the Med-lab.  

"I can't even find a scar," he told everyone with a smile.

                                             FORGIVENESS

            "Forgive me father, for I have sinned," The voice was soft and sweet. "It has been many months since my last confession."

             The Priest murmured the appropriate response, "What sin have you committed?" 

            The woman sighed softly from the other side. In a tearful voice, "Father I am a mutant. I say this to you because in my heart I don't feel that in it's self is a sin. Yet it has always been a weight on my chest, father."

             "Child, God has made you special. There is no sin in that miracle," he had heard this type of confession many times in the past. 

            "I understand that, Father, but with my gifts he has given me a rage. I have killed a man," she sobbed.

             The father could feel the sweat start to form on his brow. Ha disliked these confessions.

             "How did you kill this man, my child," he kept his voice soothing. 

            "I grew up at Saint Mary's Catholic Orphanage; have you ever heard of it Father?"

            At his denial she continued, "I found out that my birth father was still alive. I tracked him down. I thought that he had abandoned my mother and I, " she sobbed again. "I had so much hate for him," her voice cracked with emotion. "He never abandoned us. He had an accident causing him to forget us. I wasted so much time fighting against him, Father. It was there that I met Victor. At first I was frightened of him. He had a really bad reputation. I didn't go looking for him; he always seemed to find me though. He had gotten this idea that I was interested in him as a man. I guess that that is my fault to a certain degree. I didn't discourage him." 

            She struggled to get her emotions under control before she continued.

            "I sing with a band, Father. I ran into him there after I had had a fight with Remy. Remy is charming and handsome and a gentleman. I love him. I was so confused that night. I thought that he had lied to me about his past relationship being over. When I saw Victor sitting there I flirted with him.  There is no excuse for what I did. Later that night Remy and I talked and worked things out. I forgot about Victor, till he broke into my apartment and tried to kill us. He knew I had played with his emotions."

            "He never had the right to hurt you, child," the priest soothed.

             "He said that he killed my mother and I snapped, Father I attacked him with hate in my heart," she sobbed. "I have always tried to us my gifts for the good of the people around me. I tried to defend those who can't defend themselves, Father. If I could have I would have killed him with vengeance in my heart. Now my father and Remy are going to kill him. I don't know how to stop them." 

            The priest sighed. This was a hard subject. Some of his fellow priest worried about the supposed mutant threat. Yet one had never harmed him. He was a man of the cloth; it was not for him to judge. Here sat a poor child torn inside.

             "Child, you have committed no sin other then the sin of bad judgment. You cannot blame yourself for the actions of another person. In this I would hope that it has made you wiser. The only way to change the course of your father and boyfriend is to show them the error of their ways. Encourage them to forgive this Victor person. It sounds like this man will have to pay one way or another; if not by man and his laws then by God himself will judge him."

             "Thank you, father," she didn't really feel like she had found neither peace nor forgiveness. She had hope but she figured that it was hard for a priest to imagine what it was like for a mutant. 

            "Maggie, you have to forgive yourself. God has all ready forgiven you," the priest told her.

             "How did you know," she was cut off by a chuckle from the other side.

             "Did you think that you were the only mutant out there, child? You never know where to find them," with that the priest slid close the little door.