Disclaimer: X-Men belongs to Marvel, the X-Ternals belong to us (Joshua and Chris). Please send us feedback to one of our e-mail addresses.

By Christine Demerath and Joshua Blauser

"I do not know what you are talking about child but I fear you have mistaken Rogue for someone else." Storm said gently walking over towards Mel.

"I’m not mistaken... and I don’t want that woman anywhere near Remy." Mel said.

"The Cajun is a big boy." Wolverine said as he pulled his cigar out of his mouth. "Why don’t we let him decide on whether or not he wants to speak to her."

"Who asked you!" Mel screamed at the older man and her eyes started to lite up in anger behind her sunglasses. She was about to yell at Rogue some more but the woman called Storm and the short guy were both watching her with interest. ‘Damn did they catch a glimpse of my eyes?’ Mel thought to herself.

"Why don’t you take off your sunglasses' kid?" Wolverine said and then slowly walked over towards Mel.

"What are you talking about?" Mel asked as she stepped back and pushed her sunglasses higher up to hide her eyes.

"Wolverine, I believe you are frightening the child that is not our purpose here." Ororo said.

"Yea so back off!" A voice called from above and two streams of black energy hit the floor in front of Wolverine's feet. He jumped backwards landing in a crouch position and his claws popping out as he searched for his attacker. Damion floated from his hiding position and hovered near the corner his hands clenched into tight fist in front of his body. Rogue looked up and gasped as she saw the same young shy teenager asking a question to Remy now above them... his body was completely opaque... only his eyes and the energy flowing around his body showed a different color.

Mel fell backwards as she saw the energy blast head towards her. She glanced over at the man she was talking too before and she gasped as she saw his claws emerge and they way he growled. Melinda looked up at Damion and she started to crawl backwards as images of the past started to float in her mind. Images of a young Cajun fighting for his life and hers and Melinda huddled in a corner unable to do anything except hide and watch. Shouts were heard from above and people running down the stairs and Rogue grabbed Wolverine to prevent him from starting any more trouble.

"Stop we do not wish to harm anyone." Storm said and then glanced over to where Mel was sitting and she caught her breath as she noticed finally noticed the little girl. She had her knees drawn up against her chest and she was rocking back and forth crying silently. Tears cascaded down Melinda’s face but she didn’t seem to care as she cried it was at this time that Storm noticed her glasses where gone and she saw Melinda’s red and black eyes.

"By the goddess Logan look." Ororo said.

Wolverine stopped his growling long enough and turned his gaze away from Damion and he saw Mel crying. Feeling less than dirt Wolverine retracted his claws and his anger level had dropped significantly he started to back up but he then saw her eyes as she looked up at them.

"Looks like Gumbo was keeping more secrets than we originally thought." Logan said.

A white flash blinded them and Jesse stepped through a portal just as Gambit jumped down to ground floor... his black overcoat catching the wind as he fell... cards already in his hands glowing red with unshed kinetic energy.

"What did you do to her?" Jesse demanded as the rest of the kids arrived. Michelle flew over to where Mel was sitting but she refused to let the older girl touch her. Michelle looked over at Jesse with fear in her eyes and she did the only thing she thought would help Mel... She screamed.

"Remy!"

"We didn’t do anything... we would never harm a child." Storm spoke up and she then crouched down in front of Mel but this action only caused her to curl tighter into a ball. Remy walked over and gently touched her hair... smoothing it down her back and then gently tilting her chin upwards. Mel tried to keep her eyes on the ground but Remy wouldn’t let her and eventually she had to look him straight in the eye. He smiled down at her and Mel started to cry even harder and then she flung herself into Remy’s arms.

"I’m sorry!" Melinda sobbed as she buried her head into his shoulder. Remy picked her up and then started to murmur words to her in both French and English. Rogue watched the scene play out with curiosity... she had never seen him this caring with a person and it was this act that made her regret her actions even more than she already did.

"Is she going to be all right?" Michelle asked as she walked up to Remy. Sometimes she forgot how young Mel actually was.

‘She always talks and acts so mature... sometimes I forget she is still just a little girl.’ Michelle thought to herself.

"Yea petite... she gonna be fine, right Mel." Remy said and smiled as he felt her nod a yes in his shoulder.

"It appears we have done exactly what we said we would not do." Storm said with a frown on her face.

"Don’ worry `bout it chere... come we have a lot to talk about." Remy said and then nodded to the other room. "Damion." He called out.

"Yes sir?"

"Help Jesse make sure everything is cleaned up dere." Remy called out. "An don’ call me sir... makes me feel old."

"Yes si.... Um yea sure no problem." Damion said and he then flew over to where Jesse and Michelle were standing. Together they started to walk up the stairway and once they were out of viewing distance from the group downstairs they started to talk to each other.

"What happened?" Jesse asked.

"That woman with the white stripe in her hair really upset Mel... she didn’t want her anywhere near Remy." Damion explained.

"But Remy said they were friends?" Michelle questioned.

"Maybe she had one of her visions." Jesse said.

"But she only gets them when someone is out to hurt one of us." Michelle said.

"Then maybe that woman is going to hurt Remy... or she already has hurt him and Mel doesn’t want him to be hurt again." Damion said.

"What do you think we should do?" Michelle asked Jesse.

"For now we do what Remy asked us to do and clean up dinner, Tim must be wondering what all the noise was about by now anyway." Jesse said.

"And after that?" She asked.

"We just going to have to keep an eye on her and the other two... we protect our own right!" Jesse said and as Damion nodded he held out his fist and grinned as Damion hit it with his own and this time even Michelle took part in this action.

<><><><><><><><><><><><>

"Looks like your rasing a little spitfire there." Logan said as he pulled out a chair from underneath a table and sat down.

"Ya t’ink so." Remy asked. A huge smile lit up his face as he lowered himself down onto the couch.

"Never thought of ya as the fathering type." Rogue said.

"Yea well I guess ya didn’t know me so well after all did ya chere." He replied.

"Are you implying that it was mah fault?" Rogue asked as she felt herself becoming angry.

"Not saying it was anybody's fault... jus’ stating a fact."

"Remy there is one thing I would like to know?" Storm spoke up... interrupting the former couple.

"What’s dat Stormy?" He asked.

"Well, first off why do you consistently call me that ridiculous name." Ororo said on an elaborated sigh.

"I told you de reason why chere... de name fits." Remy said with a small smile as the familiar joke passed between the two friends. "An de second question."

"The child’s eyes... they look so much like yours." Ororo said.

"Yea.... yea dat de do." Remy said.

"So you're not even going to try and deny it!" Rogue said her voice rising.

"Deny what chere?" He asked.

"That she’s your daughter."

"I never said dat chere... your still jumpin’ to conclusions without letting a body explain?" Remy said.

"Then how do you explain the kid’s eyes... I mean it’s not like there are too many people running around with red eyes." Logan said.

"My eyes are like this because of the operation used to save my life." Mel said as she turned around to face the members of the X-men.

"What operation?" Rogue asked.

"Don’ you know chere... I mean you were inside Gambit’s head neh." Remy said.

"Not funny swamp rat." Rogue said through clenched teeth.

"Mel’s gift is dat of seeing into de future... she couldn’t control her powers... it was destroying her mind she needed help." Remy said.

"So who helped you?" Logan asked.

"I t’ink you already know who helped me." Remy said and made it a point to look at Rogue. He could see her starting to remember some of his memories that she absorbed.

"That device Sinister gave you... ya used it to save her life." Rogue said as a memory she absorbed from Remy appeared in her mind’s eye.

"Dat’s right chere... at dat time I would have done anyt’ing to save her." Remy said as he looked down at the little girl who was laying in his arms. Mel looked up at him and fresh tears started to fall from her eyes.

‘It’s my fault I never should have let on that I was sick.’ Mel thought to herself.

<Stop it, it’s not your fault petite... besides I already knew you were sick.> Remy’s telepathic voice said inside Mel’s head and she heard his soft laughter echo throughout her mind. She looked up at him and smiled as he tightened his arms around her and made herself more comfortable. She was about to say thank you but the woman named Storm spoke up.

"Remy, I need to know one thing... is it true that you did not know what Sinister had planned?" Storm asked.

"No, chere please believe me when I say dat I didn’t know." Remy beseeched. "But it still don’ change de fact that because of me all those people died... I should have known better."

"How could you of known?" Ororo asked. Remy looked up at Storm and he laughed a little bit at her question.

"I was jus’ a pup back den... I thought I could deal wit’ de devil and win... I was wrong?"

"So what did you lose Cajun... those people lost there lives what could you lose that might even be close to what they lost?" Rogue asked anger and a flick of hatred was laced in her voice.

"I lost my soul." Remy whispered. "When I joined de X-men part of it was for Stormy... but mostly I saw de X-men as my last chance for redemption."

"My last chance to try and become a better man den what I was." Remy continued.

"What makes you think after what ya did ya deserve redemption?" Rogue asked.

"What makes you think that you can judge whether or not he deserves redemption!" Mel yelled at Rogue her eyes flaring up much as Gambit’s did when he became angry or used his powers.

"None of us have the right to judge... we all have done things that we are ashamed of." Storm spoke up for the first time after watching the by-play between Rogue and Gambit. Rogue glanced at Storm and she realized that she did have a point... a valid one at that.

‘Ah don’t know why I keep jumping on him like that.’ Rogue thought to herself. ‘First ah’m glad that he’s alive and then I act like I wish he died, what’s wrong with me?’ She continued to think about her reason for her actions but Wolverine interrupted her thoughts when he spoke up.

"Ain’t that the truth darlin... so when are you coming back Gumbo?" Logan asked.

"Quoi? You’d let Gambit come back to de X-men?" Remy asked his face the picture of confusion.

"Of course my friend... I thought it was clear that we forgive you and have been waiting for you to return home." Ororo said.

Remy looked at the woman in front of her and he could see the genuine emotions there. Logan also had a similar expression on his face but he tried to hide it in by pretending indifference. Rogue on the other hand refused to meet his eyes. She kept her face towards the ground and Remy let his eyes roam over her. Her hair was still the familiar length down to the middle of her back but it was now straighter than he was used to. Gone were the familiar waves in her hair that she had lost doing the time in space. But even if he wanted to return he couldn’t do so unless Rogue would welcome him back and by her actions that clearly wasn’t the case.

"Merci beaucoup chere but Gambit has no place among de X-men. I not be returning."

"Why not?" Storm asked her anger level rising a little bit.

"Well, for one t’ing I don’t t’ink de others be too happy to see me n'est pas." Remy said.

"Surely you do not wish to live here... we can take the children in as well perhaps make room for them at the school in Massachusetts." Storm suggested.

"We’re not going anywhere!" A voice called up above the group of mutants.

"Timothy, be quiet!" Michelle’s voice piped up.

"Sorry." Tim said.

"To late guys were busted." Damion informed them as he gazed down and saw everyone looking up at them.

"All right dat’s it... Mel come on honey time for bed neh." Remy said as he looked down at a dozing Melinda. He kissed the top of her head and then he picked her up and smoothed the hair down her back. "Jesse."

A flash of white light appeared in the corner and Jesse stepped through and walked over to where Gambit was.

"Make sure everyone goes to bed dis time... Mel, petite can you walk?" Remy asked.

"Yea." She replied on a big yawn and Remy gently lowered her to the ground. "Night Remy... Night X-men."

"Good night child." Storm said with a smile as she watched Mel grab Jesse’s hand and he opened another portal and stepped into it.

"Now de rest of you stop listen ta us and go to bed!" Remy yelled up the stairs and immediately heard the sound of running feet up the stairs. Logan stood up from his chair and stretched his body as he looked at Storm who had an amused look on her face. He glanced down at Rogue and paused as he saw her face. ‘Something major went down between these two and it still hasn’t been settled.’ Logan thought to himself. ‘Going to have to watch her once we get home.’

"It seems you have your hands quite full, Remy." Ororo said.

"Yea well Kids what can ya do about dem."

"Ya seem ta be doing a good job with them sugah." Rogue said finally looking up at Remy but not for too long.

"Yea well I have another secret chere." Remy said.

"Really, and what’s that?" Rogue asked.

"Jus’ dat when de chips finally do fall... I’m jus’ be a big kid at heart."

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Manhattan, New York.

Tall skyscrapers outline this part of the city causing many to look up and gaze upon the architectural structures in amazement. Most of these buildings cater to large companies and firms that deal with business around the world. Other buildings are used for workspace and for industrial growth that provides many normal Americans jobs so they can find security for themselves and their familles. This building is no different... on all outward appearance Sabbana Pharmaceutical company appeared legit. But it is inside this apparently legit business... behind the daily business transactions that shading dealings take place and dire actions are about to be carry out. It is in this building where The Advocates meet and where they discussed and carry out their diabolical designs.

The room is plain but still keeps an elegant quality that most business rooms lack. Near the corner a fire place burned quietly and on the walls famous paintings outlined them. A door silently opened up and a man and woman walked out and closed the door. They both were dressed in similar outfits his being a white Aramani suit and her being dressed in that of a revealing white dress that was tailored to her figure. They walked over to the large dark table and both moved to sit take one of the five seats that were behind the desk. As soon as they sat down a man appeared out of the shadows and walked over towards them.

"Mr. Strucker it is so good to see you again sir... Miss. Strucker as always it is a pleasure seeing you again." The man said. "Is there anything I can get you or anything you require?" He asked.

"Yes, I would like a glass of wine please." Andrea Strucker said. She leaned back into her seat and smiled at the familiar comfort of the chair. She glanced over her brother and smiled at him. By themselves they were just a child of Baron Strucker. But together they became the deadly mutant team known as Fenris.

Of course... anything for you sir?"

"Just a lighter for me... that will be all Carter." Andreas Strucker the other member of Fenris said. He then proceeded to reach into his jacket and pull out a solid gold cigarette case. Carter nodded towards him and then he quickly disappeared into the shadows. He returned quickly with a tray and handed Andrea her glass of wine and then held out the lighter for Andreas to lite his cigarette.

"It is good that you were able to join us today my friends." Another voice called out.

"I’m sorry we were late... we were delayed from making touchdown at your airport." Andreas said.

"Quite all right... as you can see we are two members short so in a sense you are early." The voice said. He walked out of the room he was standing in and then dried his hands with a towel and started to walk towards the table. He was dressed in a black suit and he had his hair drawn back into a pony tail except for the one strand that he had braided and hung next to his face.

"Was it you who called this meeting Pairs?" Andrea asked.

"Yes, it was... I’m sorry if I pulled you away from something important but it seems someone has demanded an audience with us." Paris Bennet or better known as the omega class mutant named Exodus said.

"Who called us here?" Andreas asked as he took a long drag off his cigarette.

"I believe it was a representative of the Friends of Humanity." Exodus said with a small smile. "Ironic don’t you think that an organization built on the hatred of mutants comes to a group of mutants for help."

"But it is not as if we are actually broadcasting that we are mutants now are we?"

"Ah, it is good of you to join us Selene... and Master Harada I’m glad you made it." Exodus said to the last two members who walked in. Selene was dressed in a sexy black dress that ended just above her knees while Kenuichio Harada was dressed in a dark blue kimono.

"I apologize for my lateness I hope it has not been an inconvenience to any of you." Kenuichio Harada said.

"Of course not... we just arrived ourselves please sit and allow us to finally do business." Andreas said and he motioned to the two remaining seats. Selene walked past Harada and quickly sat down in the seat next to Exodus while Harada took the seat towards the end of the table.

Exodus, Fenris, Silver Samurai and the woman used to be known as the Black Queen but now known only as Selene were all seated and they patiently waited for the huge black marble doors to open and the representatives of the FOH arrived.

"Gentlemen, how may The Advocates help you?" Exodus asked the group of flat scanners walk through the newly open door.

"We at the FOH have been hearing rumors that you have similar interest as us in the preservation of the human species." The largest man said making no attempt to at small talk.

<He must be the most polite one of the group... what do you think Paris?>

<I think you should you not enter my mind without permission Selene!> Exodus then proceeded to shut Selene completely off from entering his mind again. Selene not wasting a second or acknowledging the pain she was feeling of being removed from his mind.

"We have much interest in many things." Selene said.

"What the FOH wants to know is if we can consider you an alley in the upcoming struggles."

Exodus leaned back into his chair and gazed at the man before silently using his telepathic powers to pick out the mans thought. Right now he was thinking about completing his mission and that meant gaining their allegiance. Exodus pushed deeper and he saw the man’s hatred for mutants and even the hatred directed towards Harada because he was Japanese. He glared at the man a little bit longer but he then felt a small intrusion in the back of his mind. He closed his eyes briefly and then forced the other person out. He saw Selene flinch and Exodus had to stop the grin that started to appear.

"We have no problems with your organization... as long as we agree not to interfere with each other." Andreas said.

"That is fine as long as you remember that... thank you for seeing us on such short notice." The man said and he walked out of the room leaving The Advocates alone.

"Carter, come here." Exodus called out.

"What can I do for you sir?" He said as he walked out of the shadows.

"Has the previous project been taken care of?"

"Yes sir the mutant named Kyle has been terminated." Carter said.

"An what of the mutants he was living with?" Andrea asked.

"We are still presently looking for them madam." Carter said. "If I may sir, what would you have us do once we find them?"

"Give them the same option that we gave Kyle... join us or kill them." Harada said. As the rest of the group nodded that they agreed. Carter smiled and bowed slightly and then once again disappeared into the shadows.

"How go things in Japan?" Exodus asked.

"Everything is going as planed." Harada responded.

"Excellent then if there is no new business you may all leave... except for you, Selene I would like to speak to you." Exodus said. He rose up out of his chair and walked over towards one of the walls and he used his telekinetic power to open the wall revealing a window. He gazed out over the city and clasped his hands behind his back to wait for the other members to leave.

"You wanted to speak to me Paris?" Selene asked but before she could finish her sentence she felt herself flying towards the wall where she crashed into it.

"Your powers are considerable Selene... it was one of the reasons I brought you into this circle of mutants... but don’t ever think you have enough power to rival mine, do you understand me." Exodus said.

Selene tried to break through Exodus powers and see if she could drain his life energy or tap into his mind but she found that she was unable to do both. So there she hung, helpless as Exodus turned around and started to walk towards her his eyes glowing yellow. She titled her chin up determine to look him straight in his eyes as he walked up to her.

"I believe in mutant supremacy... it was a dream that Magneto imbued into me but with the destruction of Avalon and even the betrayal of my former master the dream lives on." Exodus said as he grabbed Selene’s face with his hand.

"I will not allow anybody in this circle to disrupt the journey towards that dream... and it starts with the elimination of mutants that will hold back the strong do you understand me."

"Yes, I understand." Selene said and she did... the warning was very clear. Slowly Selene felt herself being lowered to the ground and she fell back against the wall because of the close proximity of Exodus. She tried to stand up but she started to falter... that was until Exodus reached out and grabbed her arm... in a spilt second though she switched position and had Exodus up against the wall with her knee settled between his legs holding him in place so he wouldn’t move.

"Now you listen to me... one of the first thing you told us when you brought us together is that we do not attack each other." Selene said. "Besides I think we have bigger and better things to do... don’t we my love."

Exodus smiled down at her and he then let her pull his head down and very gently their lips touched. He drew his arms around her and picked her up so her mouth was leveled with his and with no more than an after thought he used his powers to close the window and he returned to the errand of kissing the woman in front of him.

END OF PART 4