Author's Chapter Notes:
The round table in this chapter come straight from the Rogue Cut with some changes, so Spoiler Warning
The flight to China was faster than Logan expected, even considering the incredible speed of the Blackbird. The plane swoops in low and comes to a hover above an ancient temple. Slowly the plane descends until a small tremor shakes the entire plane. Charles backs away from the controls and stops before the exit ramp.

“They might be a bit on edge, everyone please stay calm.” Charles looks at each of them in the eyes before activating the ramp.

Hank leads the group out, followed by Ororo. The two of them spread out and scout out the landing site. Erik and Charles follow. A tall, dark, man walks out of the main entrance of the temple. Dark coils of his dreadlocks cover his shoulders like the red cloak that covers his body, his hands tight on his weapon. Logan follows Marie, being the last one out of the plane he closes the ramp behind him.

“You’re the Wolverine.” The cloaked man steps closer, before recognition registers in his eyes, he walks straight up to Logan. His voice reveals little emotion, but he offers his hand. “I was there at the Leipzig raid, I’m glad you made it out.”

“Same to you,” Logan replies with a smirk, clasping his hand.

“Bishop.” Another man, athletic in build and clad all in black steps out into the courtyard. Spiky, dark blonde hair offsets the serious expression on his face, when his blue eyes suddenly focus on Marie. Her name comes out in a whisper. “Marie?”

“Bobby.” Marie looks at the young man, with a mix of trepidation, and anxiety. Bobby can only stare back in shock.

A young, pretty brunette, with tired eyes, follows Bobby out. She steps next to him and grasps his hand. Following his gaze, she gasps when she sees Marie standing there. She rushes Marie with a joyous scream, hugging her tight. Bobby follows her with a smile.

“Marie, I can’t believe you're alive!” A yellow blur, tackles into the two girls, pulling them both into a crushing embrace. “I missed you so much!”

The three girls finally break apart wiping at their eyes. Logan looks at the trio with a slight smile. Jubilee is the first to recover, she grabs the other two's hands and starts leading them into the temple

“Come on, we have so much to catch up on!” Practically dragging the other girls with her, she kicks open the temple door and all three disappear inside.

“Let's continue this reunion inside,” Charles says with an amusing grin on his face.

“Yes, of course, Professor. This way.” Bobby gestures towards the door. Charles and Erik lead the way, Hank and Ororo following behind them. Logan brings up the rear, giving Bobby a pat on the back as he walks by.




Inside the main hall of the temple, a group of worn, and despondent mutants gathers. The two groups greet each other warily, and once everyone’s introductions are finished Bishop calls the meeting to order.

“Now Kitty, if you would explain to us exactly how you avoid the sentinel's detection?” Charles begins.

“Whenever the sentinels attack, Warpath spots them.” She nods to a Native American sitting nearby, eyes shaded by dark war paint.

“Then I send Bishop back to warn us of the attack before it happens. Blink,” She gestures to a pink skinned, young woman next to her. “Scouts the next site, and then we leave before they ever know we were there.”

“Because we never were,” Warpath emphasizes.
“What do you mean, you were never there?” Hank’s scientific curiosity gets the better of him. “Could it be? Time travel?”

“Yes, just his consciousness into his younger self, his younger body.” Charles clarifies.

“This might just work Charles,” Magneto remarks, realizing the potential of Kitty’s powers.

“What might work?” Kitty voices the confusion of her group.

“We have a plan to end this war, and with your powers, we shall,” Charles spoke on with a hint of regret. “The sentinel program was originally conceived by doctor Bolivar Trask. In the early ‘70, he was one of the world's leading weapons designers. But covertly he had begun experimenting on mutants. Using their gifts to fuel his own research. There was one mutant who had discovered what he was doing.”

“A mutant with the ability to transform herself into anyone,” Magneto adds.

“Mystique!” Colossus practically spat her name out.

”I knew her as Raven, we meet when we were children, grew up together. She was like a sister to me. I tried to help her but only succeeded in driving her away. She hunted Trask across the world and at the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 after the Vietnam War. She found Trask and killed him. It was the first time she killed. But killing Trask did not have the outcome she expected. It only persuaded the government of the need for his program. They captured her that day, tortured her, experimented on her.” The regret in Charles' voice changed to sadness.

“In her DNA, they discovered the secrets to her powers of transformation. It gave them the key they needed to create weapons that could adapt to any mutant power. And in less than 50 years the machines that have destroyed so many of our kind were created. But it all started that day in 1973, the day she first killed. The day she truly became Mystique. If I can get to her stop the assassinations. Keep her out of their hands. Then we can stop the sentinels from ever being born. And end this war before it ever begins.” Charles finished determination shines in his eyes.

“Uh, I can send some back a couple of weeks. Maybe a month but you're talking back decades.” Kitty looks down at her hands briefly. ”You have the most powerful brain in the world Professor… but the mind can only stretch so far before it snaps. It would rip you apart. I'm sorry. No one could survive that trip.”

“I can survive it, that is why you hired me right, Erik?” Logan remarks casually, and Erik simply nods.

“It's a risk, not just for you. You do this, you change history.” Bishop steps into the center of the gathering. “Some of us could be killed. Some of us may never be born. We have no idea how things may change.”

“We could keep going, keep fighting,” Blink chimes in to support Bishop.

“Until what? You’ve got a decision to make. You can keep sending Bishop back in time over and over again to warn you, until one day he doesn't make it and you all die,” Storm adds her voice to Charles'. “Or you can give up this life. So that they and everyone else who died in this war can actually have a future.”

“You're asking us to sacrifice our lives for a future we might not even be a part of?” Sunspot asks.

“Yes.” Erik’s quick affirmation shocks the younger mutants.

“It's a second chance. A better chance for everyone,” Charles implores.

“What you suggest is very difficult to accomplish.” Bishop seems unconvinced.

“It's worth it for a chance of a better future.” Grasping Kitty’s hand, Bobby finally adds his opinion to the discussion.

Bishop simply shakes his head. “Think about it, while Kitty anchors Wolverine in the past we are
vulnerable. It could take days before Wolverine could succeed, the sentinels can attack anytime.”

“Does she have to anchor me in the past? Can't she just shove me back and leave me there?" Logan’s gruff voice and strange idea drew everyone’s attention.

“Send your consciousness back permanently? If I do that, I could put you in a coma at best, or I could kill you.” Kitty blanches at the suggestion.

“I’ll be fine,” Logan reassures her, confident as ever.

“The backlash could kill me...” Kitty’s words came out in a whisper.

“Which brings us back to my point. Too risky,” Bishop says with finality.

“I’ll do it,” Marie speaks up, her voice full and clear.

“No, if it can kill Kitty-” Logan quickly starts to deny her suggestion.

Marie ignores the objection. “This is the best option if something goes wrong Kitty is needed to help you all escape. Besides, I still have some of Wolverine's healing.” Marie gives Logan a challenging look. “I’ll take some of her powers now and we can start as soon as she recovers.”

A murmur of agreement spreads throughout the room, Charles’ gaze sweeps across all the assembled mutants and he smiles. “Well, I believe that settles the matter. Let all have a rest before fighting this one last battle.” Charles turns and leaves the room with Erik.

Before the group breaks apart, a tall handsome man, with mesmerizing red pupils, clad in a dark trench coat enters the room. Most of the eyes in the room gravitate toward his natural charm.

“Well, what did Gambit miss?” His red eyes focus on Marie. “Chere?”

Marie picked up Logan’s low growl and saw him stalking off towards a corner, flexing his fist with every step. Fidgeting uncomfortably, her attention wavers between the departing Wolverine and the approaching Gambit. The decision is made for her when Remy sweeps her into his arms.

“Mon amour!” Remy says as he twirls Marie around, before drawing her into an embrace. Before she can lean into it, Marie notices a beautiful woman with blond tresses peeking out from her cloak. She stalks towards them, a scowl marring her pale face. A glitter on her left-hand draws Marie’s attention, gold band resting on her left ring finger. Marie quickly pushes Remy away and examines his left hand, a matching gold band on his hand.

“Marie, please Remy-” Remy tries to reach for her, but she steps back and puts a hand on his chest.

“It’s okay, I understand,” Giving Remy a sad smile, she removes her engagement ring and places it in his hand, enclosing it with her own. Giving it a gentle squeeze, Marie lets her hand drop and turns to greet the approaching woman.

“Hi, I’m Marie.” She offers her hand, a slightly forced smile on her face. The cloaked woman regards her curiously. “Belladonna, Remy’s wife.”

Remy grimaces as the two women size each other up. Belladonna hooks her arm around Remy and pulls him closer, and Marie takes a small step back.

“Remy thought you died chere. Then everything just gone to hell, and Remy-” Torn between the two, Remy does his best to explain himself. Marie decides to end this as quickly as she can before her emotions can overwhelm her.

“It’s okay, there were other things you had to do, important things, and people you needed to protect.” Her hands clasp together before her, Marie unconsciously rubs the spot where her engagement ring had rested. “We had some good times together, right?”

Marie continues to beam her smile at them, her unease growing by the second. Then Kitty’s hand comes to rest on her shoulder, Marie turns to her in surprise. Kitty stands right next to Marie, a silent, but significant gesture of support. Marie has to fight her urge to give Kitty another hug.

“Hey Remy, Bella,” Kitty greets them with a nod. “Marie is due for a debriefing with us. You don’t mind do you?” Without waiting for a response, she puts a hand on Marie’s shoulder and guides her out of the great hall.

“Thanks, Kitty.” Marie’s whispers, and taps her head against Kitty’s. Jubilation joins them near the door, wrapping a comforting hand along Marie’s waist. The three friends walk in silence content to be in each other’s presence again.




Logan is sitting on the ground leaning up against a pillar, finally settling in an isolated section of the temple. A pack lays open before him, a bottle of vodka in his hands. A light knock draws him out of his thoughts. Marie stands in the open doorway, her gaze lingering on him.

“How ya feeling?” His low gruff voice seems to reverberate throughout the room. She absently rubs her ring finger.

“I’m fine.” She walks over to him, grabbing his bottle and taking a large swig. The liquor burns as it goes down, she lets out a sigh as the warmth settles into her stomach.

“Ya' been crying.” His voice is low and uncharacteristically light. His eye following her every movement.

“Just got a bit emotional, him marrying someone else and all.” She gives him a tight smile and sits down next to him. He clenches his fists and tenses.

“Stop, Logan. I've been missing for years, I'm actually glad he moved on.” Taking another deep gulp she returns his bottle to him. His fingers lightly brushing against her hand, another surge of warmth settle in her lower belly, this time, it's not the alcohol

“I should have stayed.” He just sets it down in front of him. Years of guilt coming to the surface.

“No point regretting it now.” Her hand absently traces a pattern on his knee.

He can't help but reach out, holding her warm, soft hand in his, covering it completely. “Not going to the cabin, are we?” He sounds resigned when he speaks again.

“No, Logan. We agreed to help, they need us.” Her gaze sweeps over him as he says those words. She searches his eye him for understanding, instead, she finds resignation.

Relishing the feel of his skin on her, he draws her against him, letting out a growl of satisfaction when she presses herself tighter into his side.

“I was told we’d win a war, not erase history.” His brow furrows and his eyes appear distant. “We might not ever meet, you might never even be born.”

She snuggles even closer to him, removing his hand from hers, she slings his arm over her shoulders and closes her eyes.

“No memories of wars and camps, a chance to have a normal life. A second chance. I think it's worth it,” she lightly whispers.

“You sure?” He asked this exact question of her when she told him about her engagement.

“I’m sure.” She couldn’t reply last time, this time, there was no hesitation.
Chapter End Notes:
This is it for the prologue, up next Marie and Logan in the new timeline.
You must login (register) to review.