Interlude

by Michiru

She drank in the admiring gazes as she glided down the bustling New York City street.
She knew their thought without being a telepath. Model? Movie Star? Who else but that could move with such self-assurance?
She stopped to look into a shop, its wares displayed in the window. The reflection that gazed back was a testament of an artist, perfect cinnamon skin, high cheekbones, and flawless complexion, framed by lush sable curls.
But then, Mystique smiled to herself, when you are your own canvass, perfection is the ultimate, and the admiration is your compliment.
She stepped in the doorway of the building, where the home of this alias was. "Daughter" of a recently "deceased" alias, she inherited the multimillion-dollar fortune that she had begun setting up so many years back that she couldn't remember the date any longer.
The doorman tipped his hat to her, ever the polite one. "Miss Raine, you have a gentleman caller who said he had a key to your apartment," he said, white teeth gleaming in his dark face.
"Oh? How odd. Thank you Mr. Dunbrack," she said absently, her voice sultry, with a slight accent, hard to place. She passed him, not seeming to really see him. He was very new, Mr. Dunbrack was. She also trusted him about as far as she could throw him. With one hand tied behind her back. Which was, regrettably, not very far. She was definitely not Rogue.
She took the elevator up to the 39th floor. Her suite was floor 40. 'Raine' would probably have gone right up to her apartment, thinking a friend was there, however, 'Raine' had no real friends. Mystique had seen to that.
So, who was up there?

She slipped up to the apartment, using the back stairs. This, at least, wasn't a mutant hater. She was publicly neutral-mutant, with the live and let live philosophy, but as she had 'never met a mutant, who really knows?', who really knows?
And as this was one of the few alias's that had no criminal record or any dealing in criminal activities, it couldn't be anyone out for revenge. This alias was for relaxing.
She had been using it a lot, lately...
She heard noise from inside the apartment. Robbers maybe? And ready for her to come in, most likely. The doorman having probably called up to tell them.
Well, they had a surprise coming to them, she thought grimly, pulling out her favorite Forge-Created gun. The trick was to NOT kill the jerks. No stains on this alias.
The door was definitely ajar.
She stood to the side, and slammed the door open, making sure to not be in the doorway. She dove across the opening, as low as possible.
"Is that any way to treat your gentlemen callers, Darlin'?"
She relaxed into a heap, with a hiss of annoyance. "How did you track me here, Logan?" She asked, getting up.
"Your stink, of course."
"My- THAT is not the way a gentleman talks, you rogue."
"I'm not Rogue," Logan came towards her, a glass of Dom Perignon in his hand. "And I'm not a gentleman."
"That's my best bottle- oh, never mind, I have more."
"I know. This is for you," he handed it to her, with a feral grin.
"Thanks," she said, taking and gulping it down.
"It's supposed to be sipped."
"You're not supposed to be here, Logan," she gave him a LOOK.
"I know. But you haven't shown up in your other place for a couple days now," he chuckled maddeningly.
"Maybe because I needed some alone time," she slid onto the sofa, reverting to her natural blue skinned form, in jeans and a 'Politicians Are Snakes... Hey! Don't insult the Snakes!' t-shirt.
He refilled her glass. "Nice place you have here. Penthouse apartment. Nice doorman. He likes you. Thinks you're too introverted."
"Screw him."
"No thanks," he laughed. "Nice pictures of Rogue around here. How old was she in that one?" He pointed at a professional picture of a baby girl with auburn hair. The white was just a fluff then.
"15 months. Just before I lost her."
"Why didn't you ever tell her the truth, Raven?"
"Does it matter now? She has no memory of me as it is," she frowned, gulping the champagne. "Why didn't you?"
"I just never got around to it, I guess. And I haven't known all that long myself, remember? Why didn't you tell me before?"
"What, that that little affair we had got me pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Never came up. We weren't exactly the best of friends. And when she was kidnapped, I was a bit ashamed. First child I ever had that I decided to really raise on my own, and she's kidnapped in a grocery store. From me of all people. International spy, terrorist, criminal of the first degree.
"When I found her in that alley, I couldn't believe it. The hair had more white, and she was so cute, trying to hold me up and all, and at only eight," Mystique smiled in memory.
"Oh, real cute," Logan rolled his eyes, and pulled her against him. It wasn't often she would talk about Rogue. She usually told him to ask Rogue.
"I thought it was. Seeing who I am. I recognized her right away. The green eyes and auburn hair streaked with white. So, I took her home with me, and took care of her. I think she turned out alright, rat-faced father not withstanding."
"Hey!"
"Not you. The ass who raised her."
"Oh?"
"I don't know who kidnapped her, probably the woman. He was abusive pretty early on. Called her mutie for as long as she could remember. Finally she ran. I had a place in Caldecott, and we lived there, mostly. I took care of her dear daddy."
"Why didn't you tell her her true parentage?"
"Irenie told me not to right away. Said I'd know when to. Otherwise we'd lose her forever. I trusted her, Logan."
He shrugged. "I won't pretend to know her."
"I loved her. I won't pretend I didn't. I knew her longer than I've known you. And that's a long time."
"Granted. I don't know about you, Darlin' but I'd like my daughter to know who her real father is. And to tell the truth, is her lack of memory bad? It's wiped years of pain from her. It's nice to know that underneath it all, she was a basically cheerful, good person," Logan told her seriously. "I've always been part of her 'family'. I was the first one on the team to truly accept her. I didn't like her at first. After what she did to Carol... But that's over now. And I think she's atoned for all her previous sins. Maybe the accident wasn't an accident. Maybe it was Karma."
"Logan, you can't be serious!"
"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. But she basically took a life. But she's helped save the world more than once. Saving the lives of several billion people has to count for something."
"Maybe," she mused. "Are you going to tell her you're her father?"
He thought a moment. "Yes, I am. Besides, the kiddies need something more to talk about. I won't tell her about you."
"No, you won't. But I think I might," she nodded.
"I think we should be happy for her, Raven. She has everything going for her, now."
"I am happy for her. But I miss her. Maybe I'll try and see her more often. And Kurt, too."
"Oh, wow. Mommy on the prowl," Logan snickered.
"Oh, shut up," she sighed in resignation. Let the teasing begin, she thought.
"C'mere, woman," he growled, pulling her up, closer to him, and claiming her lips.
"Will you ever tell your team-mates about us?" She murmured huskily.
"Ha! You kiddin'? I don't even tell myself!"
"Silly man," she said, kissing him back.
At least, she thought with a wicked smile, this night had possibilities.