Memories3

Part 3

Author: SisterWine
Rating: G
Summary: This is just a little snip of how I think if R&R had a child, and was left in Logan's care, sometime in the future. (Rhythm is MINE!!)
Disclaimer: Not mine, no money exchanged, no harm intended. I don't sell stories.

"Logan......?" A dark, long corridor lay in front of her, and a partially lit one, behind her. The only light came from a window, a few doors down and straight back, behind her. She stood in the middle of the corridor, clutching her bear close to her as she whispered his name. "Logan?" She said it louder, but not so loud as to disturb anyone else. Her dark hair spilled around her in a silky muss. Her pajamas were that of a dark purple zip-up body suit with feet, and small white, calligraphic letters of her initials on the left breast side.

Footsteps behind her. She froze and gasped as a pair of hands rested on her arms, and were turning her around, slowly. Squeezing her eyes shut, a woman's soft voice was talking to her. She came to a stop and clutched her bear closer, hiding as much of her face behind it, as possible. She figured that if she couldn't see them, they couldn't see her.

"It's alright, sweetheart. It's just me. Open your eyes." Storm brushed the long bangs out of the girl's eyes. "Did you have a bad dream, again?" She asked when violet eyes finally opened to peer over the top of her teddybear. The woman had been dressed in a thin white gown that was sleeveless and lowcut. Her hair had been pulled back into a braid with a thin black band holding it together.

Rhythm nodded.

Logan had come out of his room, and was approaching from the other direction. "I got her, Ro." The top half of him was concealed by shadow as he came closer and knelt down to talk to the child. "It's late, Little Bit. You need to stay in your bed. You'll be okay." He brushed her hair behind her shoulders and cupped her cheeks, as she turned around to look at him. His bare chest, sprinkled with black hair seemed to glow in the moonlight, and his jeans seemed to darken in the shadows. His feet had been bare, which meant the he had probably been in bed, and so had Storm, when he was awakened.

"No." A low whine.

Sighing, Logan nodded. "Yes, darlin. You'll be ok."

"De mons'ers." She replied. "Dey in dere, Logan." Her voice became small and shakey. Her eyes widened as she looked into the room she had come from. It was mostly dark, save for a small desk light that had been switched on for a nightlight. A light breeze from the cracked open window had moved the thin drapes slightly, and she wrapped her arms around Logan's neck and squeezed her eyes shut, her face burying itself into his shoulder.

Logan smiled and patted her back. "There's no monsters, darlin. I promise."

Storm stood up and went over to the doorway of the room. She turned on the light and walked in. She began looking under the bed, and in the closet, finding nothing, she came back out into the corridor and informed them of her findings.

"See, darlin, no monsters." Gently pulling her away from him and drying her tears, he soothed. "How about we go back to bed, huh? We gotta get up tomorrow, and go find your daddy and momma. You wanna see your momma, right?" His voice was calm, and reasoning.

"Yea." A small voice answered. "Ya stay wit' me?"

Logan checked his silver watch that's face had been on the inside of his right wrist, with glowing hands and numbers. "For a little bit, but you have to go to sleep, ok?" He picked her up and held her as he waited for her answer.

She yawned. "'Kay." Turning to look at Storm, she rubbed her eyes and thanks her for checking the room for monsters. "T'ank you, lady." She smiled as Storm rubbed her back and winked at her.

"You're welcome, child. And, call me Storm."

Rhythm nodded and laid her head down on Logan's shoulder. She watched the inside of the room and listened to Logan and Storm talking and saying goodnight to each other. She yawned again and blinked her eyes, drowsily. She was awakened by him moving into the room, and laying her on the bed. Her eyes opened briefly, but closed as her head touched the pillow.

Logan went to the door and turned off the light, closing the door slightly, before heading back to lay on the other side of the bed. She lay on her back, under the covers, on the left side of the bed, so he had eased himself down to lie on the right on his left side to watch her sleep. He wondered to himself, just what had gone through Remy and Rogue's minds when they left their child with him. And, why hadn't they come back?

He waited a good hour to make sure that she was asleep, before he eased himself off of the bed, and out
of the room. By that time, it was already 3AM, and he, himself, had been yawning. Hoping, she wouldn't wake up again until morning, he made his way back to his own room and fell asleep.



The next morning, Jean had gone into Rhythm's room to see if the girl was awake and hungry. Panicking as she hadn't found the girl in bed, or anywhere in the visible room, she had almost called Logan in when she saw a small hand sticking out from underneath the long, white blanket that was draped over the side of the bed. She had been standing in the doorway, and hadn't been expecting to see the child sleeping under the bed, as she assumed Logan told her to stay in her own bed for a night. Walking from the doorway to the bed, she gingerly lift the blanket and found the tiny girl on her back with her face turned towards Jean, still asleep.

Stirring, Rhythm slowly opened her eyes and found Jean looking at her, waiting for her to wake up. Being half asleep, she was slightly startled and confused as to how she had gotten under the bed. She hadn't remembered falling off, and nothing hurt from a fall. Yet, she lie close to the edge, with her arms stretched out and her legs straight but apart. A soft gasp and low scream had awakened her fully. Her vision had been blurry, and rubbing her eyes with her tiny fists, she looked at the woman, again, before sliding out from under the bed and sitting up.

"Good morning, sweety." Jean smiled, and said as softly as she could.

Rhythm had sat up and rubbed her eyes again. She acknowledged the woman, and then had begun to look around for her teddy bear. He wasn't on the floor, or the empty bed. "M' teddy..?" She spoke, startling herself with the quiet, yet high-pitched voice. She had jumped, but still sat on the floor, looking about herself. Her long hair had caped around her shoulders, and her bangs had fallen over her eyes. And, she would soon become annoyed and push them out of the way only to have them fallen back to where they had been. "Where my teddy?" She asked again, aware of her voice.

Jean looked around. "I don't know. Is he under the bed? Do you think?" Lifting the blanket and letting the girl lay down on her stomach and crawl underneath, again. The thick carpeting was soft enough and low enough for her to crawl to the otherside without troubles, as she- herself- had been small. Tilting her head, she waited for the child to crawl back out. "Did you find him, hun?"

"Oui." A small voice came from a distance, on the other side of the wide bed. Rhythm crawled out and stood up, staggering tiredly over to where Jean was now standing.

Jean picked her up and felt the child lay her head back down on Jean's left shoulder as they made their
way downstairs for breakfast. "What would you like for breakfast, sweety? Do you eat cereal?"

A nod.

Jean had started going down the stairs. "What kind of cereal? We have Kix. Do you like Kix?"

Another nod and a shift in position.

As Jean reached the last step, a male voice coming from the kitchen had caused Rhythm to sit up and look to where it had come from. "My poppa..?" She whispered, looking at Jean with big violet eyes. Squirming and repeating the word "down", she ran towards the kitchen. Her breath panting, and pajama slippered feet slapping against the wood floor. "Poppa, Poppa!" Childish glee shaped the words but, soon faded as she came to a stop in mid-room and stared at the man who had been talking.

Scott.

He had been talking to a few male students, but stopped as the purple pajamed girl ran into the room. He,
as well as 5 other kids had all stopped to look at her. No one had moved, just stared.

Rhythm began backing up, slowly, but ran into 2 students who either hadn't seen her, or didn't really care that she was down there, and kept walking. Rhythm stopped to avoid being stepped on, again. She had tried controlling her panic, but soon found it to be getting away from her as an odd red static had formed around her. Another man's voice had come from somewhere. She knew the voice, and it had been coming from the doorway a few feet behind her.

Logan.

She had turned around to find him in awe, as well as Jean, who had been behind him, at what was happening. She felt alone. She had thought by the way Logan was staring at her, that she was in trouble. Lip quivering, and the weight of so many eyes on her, had begun to push the girl into tears. Long, clear streams ran down her small round cheeks. Her eyes never left Logan's. Soft sobs and sniffles from her, had made Jean brush past Logan to kneel in front of her and scoop her up into loving arms.

Rhythm wrapped her arms around the woman and buried her face into the soft, yellow tank top that Jean wore. She heard someone behind her tell the people in the room that he was going to fetch Xavier. Now, she was sure she was in trouble. The glow dissipated as Jean held onto her and soothed her sobs.

Jean had managed to calm her enough to eat something, and had taken her out of the kitchen and into the diningroom. Moving the phonebook with her mind, from a nearby cabinet with crystal glasses in it, she placed the book on a corner chair and then Rhythm. "You sit there, and I'll be right back with some cereal, okay?" She had placed the girl so that she could look out the window while she waited.

It was a nice bright morning and birds were chirping and flying around, outside. She could hear talking in the kitchen about her, and Xavier was there, too. Hearing another movement, she turned her head to the left to see Logan coming out of the kitchen to sit across from her, with a cup of coffee in hand.

"Little Bit, Xavier wants to see what you can do." His voice was calm.

"No." She had sat back and shook her head, slowly. "Dun' wan' ta be in trouble. Be good."

Logn sighed and smiled. "Yer not in trouble, darlin. He just wants to see what you can do. He aint gonna hurt ya. I won't let him. Okay? For me?"

Jean had come back from the kitchen with a bowl of Kix and some milk, in a pitcher, to pour over the cereal. "Would you like some Orange Juice, hun?" She asked as she set the bowl down in front of Rhythm, and poured the milk for her.

A nod. Putting her teddy down on the chair, beside her, she eyed the bowl, hungrily. "Yes, please." Taking the spoon that had been inside the bowl, with the scoop under the cereal, she leaned forward and was able to get a decent mouthful of cereal before chewing and swallowing.

Nodding and turning to go pour a glass of juice for the little girl, she had ended up talking to Scott, who was still in the kitchen, about what happened. They had tried to keep their voices low, but Logan had picked up every word. Jean had finished the discussion by explaining to Scott that he was to stay away from the little girl, if he wasn't going to make peace with her. And, judging by the way Rhythm had glowed, she added that it was best to leave the chiding about Remy, out of it, altogether.

"Here you go, sweety." Jean had come back, with a smile, and placed the glass of juice to the right of the near- empty bowl. "You were hungry, huh?" She looked to Logan with amazement at how much the child had already eaten in a few minutes she had been gone.

Rhythm nodded and set down her spoon to reach for the glass, with both hands. She had finished her cereal and was now drinking her juice, leaving the milk in the bowl, before putting the glass back down on the table and sitting back. Her eyes looked up to Jean as the woman had reached to pick her up, and carry her out of the room.

Logan followed behind Jean, and was telling her that they were going to see Xavier and show him what Rhythm could do.



The doors to the Danger Room slid open, and Jean, still holding Rhythm, and Logan stepped in. Jean walked to the middle of the room and knelt to place Rhythm on the floor. She pointed up to a window, and told her that they would be in there, to observe. "It'll be all right, hun. We just want to see you do that again. We won't hurt you, and you're not in trouble, at all."

"You'll be okay, Little Bit. We'll be right outside, okay?" Logan spoke as Jean stood up and started walking to the door. He looked to the window, before turning and looking at the crate of stone blocks that had been set up for the demonstration. Kneeling down, he told her what she was to do, and calmly argued with her as she didn't want to. He sighed and stood up again to call to the window. "Change of plans. I'll be the target."

Xavier's voice came over the intercom. "Are you sure that is wise, Logan? If her powers are out of control, as I'm told, she could easy wound you, severely."

Logan looked back to Rhythm before answering. "Yea. She's blasted me with it, before. I'll be okay." Walking over to stand in front of the crate, he began talking to her and telling her to show them what she could do. "I aint mad at ya, darlin. And, I won't hurt ya. Remember how ya blasted me, at Halloween? I need you to do that again, okay?"

"Non!" Rhythm shook her head and backed up. "Je serai bon."

"I know, darlin. And, it won't hurt me. Just, do this for me, okay?" Logan said, and released his claws, readying to charge the little girl.

Rhythm jumped and watched Logan's hands in wide-eyed fear. That had been how she had blasted him at Halloween. She had been standing in front of a huge cypress tree that stood to the far left of the house, from the porch, with a large boa constrictor coming at her. She had been staring at the high branch that it was receeding from, and not noticing Logan jumping off of the porch, to slice the snake away. Her fear had caused the same red static to pulsate around her, before the snake and Logan had been blasted away, blowing the snake apart and sending Logan back into the house, via the livingroom window.

She was reliving that moment as the scenery in the room had changed to fit that exact date. A glow flickered on, around her. Eyes widening, again, and heart thumping so loudly in her chest. Her breathing had become eratic as she took a step back and closed her eyes, releasing a glowing bubble around herself, that grew and zapped Logan. She opened her eyes to see the scenery fade away and Logan hit the wall, flatly, in the back.

Xavier, Storm, Jubilee, Scott and Jean all filed back into the room. Storm and Jubilee rushed to Rhythm's side, as Jean, Xavier and Scott gathered around a slightly dazed Logan. Each group had checked for damages to both, and finding only minor things with Logan.

Rhythm had been so scared, and hadn't wanted to relive that moment again, she had had another accident in her pajamas. She watched as Logan had stood up and met her gaze. Backing up, away from Storm and Jubilee, she began to repeat, "Je suis desole. Je suis desole, Logan." Tears began streaming down her face, again, as Logan rushed to her side.

"It's okay, darlin. I'm not hurt. You're okay." He hugged her and picked her up. "Let's go get cleaned up, okay?" He had nodded to Xavier, before leaving the room with the little girl, who was now clinging to him.



As Rhythm sat in the bathtub, in Logan's bathroom, playing with a sponge and washcloth, the others had gathered in Logan's room to discuss what had happened.

"Do Gambit and Rogue know about this, Logan?" Xavier asked, his elbows on the arms of the chair, and fingers steepled to rest his chin on. He had been quite amazed that so much power could come from that small of a girl, unharnessed.

Logan thought for a minute. "The Cajun knows. He's been teachin her control. It's helped a little bit." He sighed. "Rogue, I'm not sure of. She's seen her use her other things, but not that. She doesn't like Rhythm usin anything she can't control." He had been standing at the end of his bed, with his arms folded against his chest. Unfolding his arms and sitting down, he sighed again and looked to the open bathroom door.

"She seems to have some control over them, as she had dropped them, immediately, when Logan was thrown into the wall. I am thinking, she will be a sought after child, if this should get out. But, from Remy and Rogue's powers alone, how is it that she is so powerful for her young age?" Storm, who had been leaning against the bathroom doorframe, asked. Her sleeveless white shirt and peach wrap-around, long skirt had made her look that of royalty, indeed.

Shaking his head and shrugging, Logan couldn't give an answer. "That, you'd have to ask Remy. I moved in just after she was born."

A splash and swish had made the group look to the bathrrom door, as Storm unfolded herself, and disappeared through the doorway.

Xavier had been deep in thought as he listened to Storm and Rhythm talking about washing up and getting dressed. Catching the attention of the rest of the group, he sighed. "I will try again to find Gambit, with Cerebro. If someone would be so kind as to inform Rogue she has been requested back here...?"

Scott had been focussed on the bathroom door, and hadn't noticed Logan and Jean leaving the room to go downstairs to place the call. Jubilee had excused herself to Rhythm's room to gather her bag of clothes and bring them to Storm, as she was finishing up washing the little girl. The alarm on his watch had started beeping, and shook him out of his stare. He left the room, still thinking about how much power that small of a child had posessed. He had a few assumptions on how it could have happened, but dismissed them as a name repeat itself in his mind.



Logan and Xavier had been in Cerebro, locating the elusive Cajun, while Jean had placed a call to Rogue and told her to come back to the mansion for a meeting. Logan had started thinking that maybe Remy didn't want ot be found, considering Xavier had been able to focus on him, only to lose him a second later.

"There." Pinpointing to Logan a shape, lying down and splayed out as if strapped to something, Xavier nodded to the other man and gave him the co-ordinates. "Take Scott, Jean and Storm. The child will stay with Jubilee and myself, until Rogue arrives. I will have Hank prepare the medical lab for his return." He said as he had shut down Cerebro and turned around to follow Logan out of the room. "He might be hurt, so be careful with him."

"Right." Logan nodded.

Rhythm sat on the end of Logan's bed, waiting patiently for Storm to buckle her sandal for her, as Logan came back into the room and informed Storm of the progress. "My Poppa coming....? Logan? My Poppa.....?" She had been dressed a small pink overall suit, and a white t-shirt. Her hair had been dried and pulled back into a single braid that cascaded down her back in a long line, and her bangs had been brushed off to the left side. She had looked so adorable to them, with her violet eyes wide with joy of finally seeing her father again. A smile had been painted across her small lips and she bounced in her seat as he nodded and smiled to her.

"Yea, Little Bit. You gotta stay here, though. Okay? Storm and I are gonna go bring him back, okay?" Patting her head, he looked back at Storm and told her to get ready.

Rhythm stilled a moment. "No, I wanna see my Poppa!" She whined. The smile faded and her head lowered to stare at her feet. Her hands rest to either side of her, on the bed, and grabbed at the blanket.

"I know, darlin. But, it's too dangerous for you." Logan knelt down in front of her and hooked a finger under her chin to lift her face up to catch his eye. "It'll be okay. We'll bring him right back." He looked up at Jubilee, who sat behind her, on the bed. "Jubes'll be here. She'll play with ya. You be good, and we'll see you in a few days, okay?"

"'Kay." Sniffles and tears before turning to look at Jubilee. "Ya stay wit' me, chere?" Rhythm dried her
tears with the back of her right hand and smiled as Jubilee nodded her reply.

"And, when he gets back, you can see him, and tell him all about what he's missed." Logan had said his goodbyes and stood up. He watched as they had left the room to keep Rhythm's mind off of him leaving without her, before he went to get ready and headed for the Blackbird.

As he took his seat and buckled himself in, the engine started up and Scott and Jean sat at the controls.
The clicking of his and Storm's seatbelt had been just before the jet pulled forward and raced down the ramp to the open hangar door. His mind wondered about what Remy's reaction to his daughter being at Xavier's, would be. Knowing that Remy had had a reason for not telling anyone else about the child, upset him, but at the same time, he understood. He could clearly see why Remy hadn't wanted Rhythm in Xavier's hands, unless he- himself- were there with her. However, Remy was okay with the idea of Logan being with her, if the X-Men had happened upon them.

"What would Gambit be doing out here, I wonder?" Jean had broken the silence.

Scott had reserved his answer from them, and only sighed in response. "We will be there, shortly. You can ask him, after we have him back at the Mansion." He stated. He began flipping switches and pushing buttons, overhead, before steering the jet towards an island that had been as big as the state of Texas, and covered with green.

"I am thinking Gambit wouldn't have come here, willingly, nor alone." Storm spoke up, as they were landing in a clearing, near the beach. "Remy has his reasons for doing things, but I am not so sure, he'd do this one, alone." She had unbuckled her seatbelt and stood up as the jet came to a stop.

Logan cleared his throat and contained a low growl in the back of his throat. "Who know what goes on in that Swamp Rat's head. But, there's a little girl who is needin her momma and daddy." He added as he followed Storm out of the jet. "From what Chuck said, we need to find the kid, fast."



Rhythm had been playing on the grass, by a tall tree, with a big blue, bouncing ball while Jubilee had sat on a nearby bench and watched, occasionally tossing the ball back and forth with her. Her laugh had filled the air, and sounded like birds chirping. She ran this way and that, chasing the ball and tossing it up into the air before running after it, again.

It was late in the afternoon, and Xavier was monitoring, through telepathy with Jean and Logan, the progress in finding Gambit. He sat in his office, and occasionaly glanced out of the window to watch the tiny girl running and playing with the ball Jubilee had found. He knew the moment that Rogue was within the courtyard, of the Mansion, and casually awaited her entrance. Putting away papers and maps, before making his way to the foyer to receive his guest, he gave the little girl one last glance as she chased the ball that had gotten away from her and made it's way to a group of boys.

Rhythm chased the ball, only to stop a few feet away, as it had landed on the grass and rolled down a
small hill to bump into a young, teenaged boy about 16 or 17, talking to his four friends. She backstepped as they had stopped talking and stared at her. Her eyes widened as one boy had picked up the ball, while the other turned to face her. "I have my ball,.... please?" She asked, smally.

The boy that had turned towards her, was a big and tall bully, who had been about a month new to the institute. He looked at her, and repeat her words back to her, in a mocking tone. "I have my ball, please? Why should I give it to you? You hit me with it. Go away! It's mine now." He laughed as her lip had
started quivering, again. Taunting her at how she was acting like a baby by crying about a "stupid ball." He took a step towards her, but stopped as a woman flying overhead, called to him.

"Hey, Loser!" Anger tainting the woman's voice, causing the group to look up. "Don't you touch mah baby!" She came closer to the boy, dropped her small duffelbag to the ground and smacked him, sending him flying a short distance away from the tiny girl.

Rhythm looked up and gasped in excitement. "Momma!" Stomping her feet, happliy and clapping her hands as the woman landed beside her and swept her up in her arms for a hug. She hugged Rogue, tightly, and listened to the exchange of words she and Jubilee had as the girl came running to see if Rhythm was hurt.

The small group of boys had picked up their friend, who sat in mild shock of Jubilee running towards
them and calling the woman, "Rogue". Getting to his feet, with help, he rubbed his sore cheek and turned to run away before another slap was given.

"Where's that Swamp Rat of a husband?" Rogue asked as she and Jubilee began walking back to the Mansion. Rhythm's arms were still wrapped around her neck, and a smile had permanently embed itself on the girl's lips as Rogue patted her back and told her she had missed her. Her denim jacket and jeans were slightly dusty from the dirty air she had traveled through. Her boots clicked on the tile and thumped on the wood floor of the house.

Xavier had been waiting in the foyer as Jubilee, Rogue and Rhythm joined him. "Ah, Rogue, welcome back. And I see your little girl has found you."

Rogue smiled at him before asking the same question to Xavier. "Where is Gambit?"

Sighing, Xavier led them back into his office and mentally closed the door, behind them, before answering. "I was hoping, you could tell us. Logan informed me that he had been taking care of the child for three weeks now, in Gambit's absence. Jean has told me, also, that you seemed shocked to find he had been missing for so long. Tell me, what happened after he went to see you, and Erik?"

Rogue sat down on a sofa and shifted the girl in her arms, to sit on her lap and cuddle her mother. "Ah don't know. We talked, and then he and Erik talked. Only, they went outside, and a short while later, Erik came back in, alone. Ah figured, he must've gone back home. We were fine when we were talkin. That's all." She shrugged and played with Rhythm's long bangs, feathering them to the left side and lifting them and letting them fall through her fingers. "The others go get him?" She asked, once again establishing eye contact with Xavier.

Xavier nodded and noted the bond between Rhythm and her mother. "They should be back within a day or two." He had noticed Rhythm's yawn and how Rogue covered a yawn, herself, with her free hand. "Logan has been telling us that the child, as dear as she is, has been having nightmares about Gambit. We have
only had those two rooms kept vacant, so, if you wish to share a room with your daughter...." He stopped as Rogue had nodded her answer. "Good. I will let you get cleaned up and have a rest before dinner."

Rogue let the girl stand up, on the floor, before standing up, herself and making her way out of the office and up the stairs to Gambit's old room with Rhythm leading the way.

As soon as Rogue and Rhythm were out of the room, Jubilee stood and looked from the door to Xavier. "Prof, what do you think happened to Gambit? Think he's okay?" Her tone had been tinged with mild concern, but relaxed as she reminded herself that Rogue was there, now, for her daughter's sake.

"I'm not entirely sure, Jubilee. Gambit hasn't been the type to let anyone into his thoughts. I suppose.... we shall just have to wait and ask him, ourselves." Rubbing his left index finger's tip against his lower lip, he sighed and pondered several answers to himself, before excusing the girl.

Continued.... again......