Disclaimer: All familiar characters as portrayed below belong to Marvel, and I'm not making any money. Altho' I really need some. I need it for my internship. AhHhHhHhHhHhH! Thanx.
Note: For those of you who are very confused, this story is based on Gambit and Rogue, but it's actually kinda like a big giant What If?...An alternate worlds thingy. Capiche?
Comments to southern_efx@hotmail.com

A Place in this World
by Vicki Lew
March 1998

Chapter 4

There was a vigorous knocking on the door.

Hank looked up from the latest National Geographic and propped his glasses up on his head, looking towards Storm. In return, she lifted a regal brow and went to answer the door.

"Good evening, ma'am," A young man bowed slightly before the X-woman politely. "My name is Gedrick, and I'm from the local P.D."

Storm cocked her head in curiosity as she checked his badge out, and asked, "Yes, how might I help? Perhaps you might want to step inside?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hank disappearing into the other room.

"Yes, thank you, ma'am. It is quite cold out here." Gedrick shuffled into the warm building, followed by three other men dressed in police colours. "We're here about a young woman, uhm, about twenty? She has quite a unique appearance?"

The woman looked as if she were deep in thought.

"Do you have a picture, Detective?"

"Well, yes, I do. It's quite an old one, but I believe her eyes are green and she has a strange white streak running through her hair?"

Storm looked at the picture of a girl of about twelve, crossed her arms and said, "Hmm, yes, very interesting features. But she could have dyed her hair and put on coloured contacts. I cannot see her face very well in this picture. You would be looking for her because...?"

"She's gone missing, ma'am. Ran away from home. Her folks are really quite worried about her. She's always been in trouble with the law and such."

"Her name?"

"Sabine O'Connor, ma'am."

Gedrick was getting quite impatient. Hopefully, they'd be able to leave quietly with the girl, but the woman shook her head.

"Well, I'd love to help, Mr Gedrick, but I haven't seen a young woman fitting that description...But I will most certainly inform you of anything that comes up?"

He fought a frown, and gave a quick smile instead and handed his dud calling card over to the woman, thanked her, then left.

The door closed behind him and his men as they walked out.

"Damn!" he hissed under his breath.

"What now, boss?"

"Well, if they won't give, then we'll just have to take..."

Askin' questions and pokin' your nose where it don't belong, lady?

Ah looked darkly at the one they called Storm. She'd been tellin' the others of who ah might be.

Don't think ah can't play possum while lyin' here in this recovery room. Ah don't care what ya think. Ah ain't never goin' back.

Never.

"Sabine O'Connor, he said." Storm recalled.

The X-men that were present in the mansion stood around in a circle, discussing about the identity of their new visitor.

"But I ran a check, the Senator's wife and child are dead," Hank pointed out.

Remy let out a snigger.

"De political world ain't dat simple, Henri. She might be de love-child dat he be tryin' t'hide."

"Might he have been abusive? After all, we know that she broke into the mansion without a stitch of clothing on her back, she stole Remy's clothing,"

"I think," said Jean as she walked into the living room. "What we should do know is to at least get her to come down and have a good and full proper meal. I have dinner ready on the table. Remy, if you will?"

"I go get her." Just as he stood to leave, there was a loud ruckus from the basement below, where the medlab was. All those present came alive and decided to go down and get their visitor after all.

"MERDE!"

The medlab was...In serious need of a new interior designer, not to mention a renovation.

The Cajun tread carefully over shattered pieces of glass and what used to be med-equipment that were strewn over the floor of the immediate corridor, followed by Storm and Jean. Hank bounded over suddenly, knocking all of them over before they could enter, and scrambled for the door hatch, shutting the entrance of the medlab securely.

"Dieu! What de fuck goin' on, Henri!" Gambit pulled himself out from under the furry doctor's leg.

"Your little friend Sabine has gone quite berserk!" he snapped in response. "She's wrecking my haven!"

Jean grimaced as she heard another loud crash from behind the reinforced doors. Telepathically reaching out, briefly touching the girl's mind, she discovered the reason for their visitor's behaviour.

"Her powers-they're morphing again, and it's driving her crazy...It's more than her body can contain," she explained to the other disgruntled X-men.

Hank said, "Her mutant DNA is very unique...And highly volatile. The last scan I did on her DNA revealed that her powers are still developing, and changing. There's no expecting what she'll acquire next. In theory, her active X-factor will settle down and her true power will surface eventually."

"I would think my question is, when?" Storm commented gravely.

"Alors, at dis rate, we not gonna have rooms t'sleep in pretty soon!"

Suddenly, Jean put her hand out to silence their conversation. All had gone quiet.

"I think we should go in and take a look now,"

Gambit peered in cautiously as the doors slid open, ready for any attempts of attack. His gaze softened as he found Sabine slumped on the floor, shivering and petrified. As he tended to the girl's bloody nose and various gashes, Hank clasped an inhibitor collar around her neck.

"She not respondin' much," Remy noticed the lost stare in her green eyes.

Hank shone his little torchlight into his patient's eyes, and checked her vitals. "She's in shock, but other than that, some bruises, cuts...And another slight concussion."

Jean smoothed Sabine's hair back gently, looked up at Hank with concern and said, "She can't go on this way. We need some answers."

Continued in Chapter 5

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