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SIX AND A HALF YEARS LATER:

PART 1 of 3

The bedroom that had once belonged to Ororo Munroe was now a bridal suite.

"So, why can't I be a bridesmaid again?" Betsy asked picking the pedals off of the roses on an elegant bridal bouquet in her hands.

"Because you screwed the groom," Alison "Dazzler" Blair, reminded her from her perch on top of a dresser near the door. She looked attractive in a copper-toned bridesmaid gown, but the look was ruined by the calf high combat boots she flaunted so proudly. Ororo snatched her bouquet from Betsy, and then returned her attention to the vanity mirror where she continued to arrange Swarovski crystals in her platinum blond mane. Her hair had been smoothed straight back, behind her ears and curled gently at the tips. She wore the exact same bridesmaid dress, but her curves seemed to fill the dress out in places that went lacking on Dazzler. They both looked gorgeous in the dress, but on Ororo it looked like it had been made especially for her.

Betsy sneered at Dazzler, who flipped her off with an added spark on the tip of her neon green painted fingernail. Ororo hung the heels Dazzler was supposed to be wearing over her offending finger by their straps, and smiled. Some things never changed.

Betsy's stubborn shoulders dropped, as she removed an imaginary piece of lint from her dress. Ororo pinned in the last crystal and turned to Betsy, who looked up at her for a brief moment and then darted her eyes away, "What?"

Ororo smirked "You're taking this very well," she congratulated.

Betsy rolled her eyes, "And, what is that supposed to mean?"

Kitty Pryde phased into the room through the bedroom door wearing a bridesmaid dress as well, "Storm can you help me with these?" Kitty held out her palm, full of crystals.

Dazzler chimed in "It means you're acting like much less of an asshole than when you first found out Sean and Emma were getting married."

Betsy sat up straight and scooted to the edge of the bed "You are the asshole, ASSHOLE!"

"Come on guys, really?" Ororo said pointing out the absurdity of their childish bickering. Then she turned to Betsy "And you were acting like an asshole."

Dazzler smirked at Betsy, and Kitty giggled, she wasn't use to hearing Storm curse. "You're supposed to be on my side!" Betsy accused Ororo.

"You wore black for two weeks straight because you said you were in mourning," Ororo reminded her as she sat Kitty down at the vanity and arranged the trinkets in her hair.

"I was in mourning Storm, remember? Rupert had just passed away. I was devastated." Betsy said pathetically.

Dazzler snorted "Who the hell is Rupert?." Ororo mouthed the word: CAT to her, but remained silent at the impending emotional breakdown which by the look of Betsy's trembling bottom lip was fast approaching.

"Oh, give it a rest Psy, " Kitty added bitterly "Rupert was my cat anyway, and he didn't just pass away, you hit him with your car!"

Betsy shot each one of them their own personal venomous glare, "I see what this is. It's gang up on poor Psylocke day, huh? Well, I don't have to take this," she said her British accent making her sound overtly proper and snooty.

"Has she been drinking?" Dazzler asked Kitty and Ororo. Betsy sucked her teeth, stomped towards the bedroom door and swung it open, but stopped short in her retreat.

Sean stood with his hand primed to knock. He beamed with pride and anticipation looking handsome in his traditional Irish wedding garb, kilt and all. Betsy took a step back smoothing her hand over her hair in a pathetic attempt to look nonchalant.

Sean acknowledged Betsy for a brief moment, but his eyes lit up when he saw Ororo. "Storm, loo'at that! Yah made it!" He wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her affectionately on the cheek.

"Of course I made it. You're getting married, wouldn't miss it for the world."

Betsy coughed violently, drawing everyone's attention to her. Ororo twisted her lip at her knowingly. "Sorry, I uh , had a tickle in my throat" she explained.

Sean stepped back adjusting his tie, and for the first time looked Betsy directly in her eyes, "'ello Bets."

"Sean" Betsy replied, her awkwardness hardly contained. Kitty gave a sad look to Ororo. Maybe Rupert the cat, was better off than poor Betsy.

"Okay!" Dazzler said brightly "Well if we're done with all this delightful awkward silence, would you all excuse me? I have to go tinkle."

Betsy rolled her eyes again "Are you a toddler? Act like an adult for once in your ridiculous life!" then she stormed out of the room. Ororo sighed. It was obvious that this would be an interesting evening. Sean rocked on his heels "Well then, I thin' that went well yeah?"

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"It's a wedding" Professor Xavier explained. Logan furrowed his brows at the Professor. He should have prepared his mind before visiting the mansion. He was out of practice when it came to shielding his thoughts from the powerful telepath. No doubt his thoughts had been in high definition which meant he had probably sensed this thoughts of…No, she wasn't there. She had moved away years ago. That much he knew. He had avoided all the commotion in the front of the mansion with the limousines and flowers thrown every which way. He just wanted to get in and get the hell out.

"I had hoped you would have come a bit sooner" The Professor continued motioning for Logan to have a seat in the chair in front of his desk. Logan didn't even bother looking at the chair. Whatdayah want Chuck?"

The Professor pulled his shoulders back, a knee jerk reaction to the aggression Logan was projecting towards him. He was still angry….understandable…but hardly the Professors biggest concern.

"Let's not let our emotions cloud our ability to be civil," The Professor advised, "I had hoped we could be friends again."

Logan flexed his fist "Friendship is overrated,"

"And so is your integrity, but we all have to strive for something." The Professor quipped.

Logan turned abruptly and said over his shoulder "Guess I can rule out the fatted calf," as he made his way for the door. Some things didn't change.

"Logan, I need your help," The Professor revealed. There was something about the sound in his voice that stopped him from walking out. It must have been serious. All those years of silence had been broken for a reason…What could one of the most powerful telepaths in the world possibly need his help with. Logan turned to him, and waited.

"The ceremony is about to begin so this will have to be brief." Ceremony. Logan swallowed hard. He couldn't help but wonder…

"Yes, she is here" The Professor offered, but his tone didn't invite any further speculation on the matter. She was at the mansion? Why hadn't he sensed her? Logan tried not to focus his thoughts on her, at least not in front of the Professor.

"I didn' ask." Logan replied shortly.

The Professor nodded "I know." Then he watched as Logan tried to conceal the curiosity that burned deep within him, fighting with unrequited feelings of regret.

"I'm waitin'," Logan said his words barely audible over the growl in his throat.

The Professor sighed, "To put it plainly? I am dying, Logan."

Logan had no response to offer. "Please don't shed any tears on my account," The Professor added, but the joke fell flat. Was the Professor asking him to help him die?

"On the contrary, I'd like you to do the exact opposite." The Professor said reading his mind.

Logan cursed under his breath, but the Professor continued before he could respond. "I have vascular dementia, which in my case is a result of a series of silent strokes, most of which have occurred when I use my telepathic ability."

"Maybe yah aught tah lay off tha' mental assaults fer a while there, Chuck"

"Perhaps, but it is not as easy it sounds. My powers are as engrafted within me as your Adamantium skeleton. Although I have significant control over my abilities there are occasions when they reach out on their own accord." Logan still couldn't see how he was supposed the help the Professor with this situation. "My condition" the Professor continued "will progressively decline my capacity to retain memories and ultimately suspend my cognitive functioning. Delusions and hallucinations are only the beginning, but as you can imagine that this type of disease for someone with my abilities would be the same as dying, and I could potentially pose a threat to others."

"Yah mean more than usual." Logan retorted. The Professor held his counter response.

A tap came on the Professors door "Come in" he offered, hardly masking the frustration Logan had incited in him. Logan froze for a moment…If she was in the mansion, then maybe she was…he frowned at the quickening of the blood in his veins. What was wrong with him? She wasn't behind that door, he would have smelled her….or at least he thought he would have.

"Greetings, Professor Logan. Long time no see." Beast said. Logan gave the furry blue mutant the once over, taking note of how much he had changed from the teenaged amalgam of a teddy bear and a gorilla that he remembered. Henry McCoy. He smiled at Logan pleasantly using his large fingers to adjust the thin spectacles on the bridge of his nose.

The Professor made an attempt to return some professionalism to his demeanor, "Dr. McCoy—" he began.

"Doctor?" Logan said arching his thick eyebrows in surprise. The last time he had seen the kid he was a mild mannered 18 year old book worm with the strength to lift a tractor trailer. Beast proudly extended his chest a little. "Well I'll be damned" Logan added.

The Professor continued "Henry has excelled far beyond even my own expectations." he admitted giving the Beast and apologetic look. "His current specialty is molecular biology which is the study of.. "

"Cut to tha chase Chuck, I didn't come fer ah science lesson." Logan snapped.

Beasts smile softened "Professor Logan, I see you are as pleasant as ever."

"Just Logan," he corrected in it felt like Déjà vu.

"We need a sample of your blood" The Professor revealed, and Beast went on to explain "My research has lead me to believe that someone with your miraculous healing ability may be the key to healing the Professors illness. If done correctly your blood could heal the damaged nerve endings in the Professors brain and restore them to their full capacity or at the very least prevent further deterioration."

Logan shrugged "Why me? Couldn' yah have used yer super computer to find some other mutant with abilities like mine?" The Professor nodded "I could have, but I am not in habit of capturing mutants to do experiments on them."

Logan growled, and Beast sensing the hostility that transpired between the men stepped forward "It is minimally invasive. All we require is your consent." Logan flexed his jaw. Beast gave a look to the Professor who nodded his head "That will be all Henry, thank you."

Once they were alone together Logan turned to the Professor, "When yer numbers up, its up. Give me one good reason why should I help yah?"

The Professor didn't miss a beat "Because, Ororo would want you to." It was the first time her name had been mentioned…Logan wanted to smash his smug face in.

"Playin' dirty. That getcha rocks off Chuck?"

"Logan, don't be crass-,"

"I 'aint one of yah students. Yah may have everybody else around here fooled, but I know yer game, and I 'aint in tha mood tah play."

"I am not playing—" The Professor choked on his final word. Logan had moved with lightening speed around his desk and hauled him out of his wheelchair by his throat. A thick tense vein popped up under the Professors forehead as he struggled to breath, and scrambled for some kind of balance as his lifeless legs offered no assistance.

"The hell you ain't" Logan snarled his eyes wide with rage, as he slowly unsheathed his razor sharp claws from between the knuckles in his free hand. He hovered the menacing blades under the Professors exposed Adams apple. The Professors heart gripped in fear for his life. The attack had come so quick that he hadn't had an opportunity to focus on stopping it. With his illness he found it harder and harder to focus with each passing day, and had he been in his right mind he may have been able to stop the brute before the thought even crossed his mind.

The Professor gurgled "L-Logan, put—me—down!" Logan began to tremble as he felt a force outside of himself suddenly adhere to the telepaths demand. The Professor dropped back into his seat sloppily as the Wolverine released him. Logan's claws snapped back into their harnesses and he walked stiffly to the other side of the Professors desk as if an invisible puppeteer were pulling him by the strings. The Professor gasped for air, and didn't release his hold over the Wolverine until he was able to take an unrestricted breath.

Logan relaxed as he felt the weight of the alien control leave his body, but the Professor still fumed with his own anger. The assertion of his powers had taken a lot out of him. Logan looked on as the Professors shoulders dropped suddenly and his face seemed to lose some of it's color…It was only then that Logan could see that the Professor really was sick…but that was still no excuse for…"I don't ever wanna hear her name come outta yer stinkin' mouth again," Logan warned.

"You did the right thing by her, Logan. You couldn't have given her the kind of love that she needed then."

"But you could right?" Logan accused. "What, yah think I didn' know?"

The Professor's face turned solemn, "There is a difference between seeing the line, and crossing it Wolverine. People like you-you go through life taking what ever you damn well please, and to hell with the rest of us. As long as your flesh has what it wants then…" The Professor set his eyes on Logan's who held his glare without shame. "You degraded yourself, and more importantly you humiliated her with your sick selfish desires. "

"You callin' me sick, bub? I seem tah recall you sayin' Storm was like a daughter to yah."

"I've never laid a hand on Ororo!" The Professor boomed, "I wasn't about to let you take away one of the greatest joys in my life. If you had not have given her up when you did, I would have made you."

Logan would not have put it past him. Perhaps things were better this way. If he hadn't left her back then, he could have ended up having his mind raped of any knowledge of her and the time that they had spent together. Or even worse, the Professor could have made it so she had forgotten him.

"What do I get outta this deal," Logan asked out of pure curiosity.

"I am prepared to pay you handsomely for your assistance. You will never want for anything." The Professor promised. Logan smirked "Do I get ah country club membership and my very own sweater vest?" He didn't want the Professors money, he had nothing against honest work and on occasion enjoyed a fair fight in exchange for cash. No. What he wanted was worth more than money. She was worth so much more…Logan couldn't help but think about her. If she was in the mansion he wanted to see her…He couldn't be this close to her, closer than he had even been in the past six and a half years and not see her…She was older now…24? No, 25. He knew that she had just celebrated a birthday less than a month ago…Maybe when she saw him things would be different. She could see that he was different.

"I have advised you before on the dangers of your imagination in regards to Ororo," The Professor said evenly, pulling the Wolverines attention towards him. The Professor offered a weak smile, and amended his statement "This sickness, has made me painfully aware of my limitations. You may find this hard to believe, but if you do this for me, I will not interfere if you choose to pursue her."

Logan hadn't expected that. Was this some kind of trick? Another mind game, maybe?

The Professor looked away sadly "My feelings for her aside, I cannot protect those within my charge if I am a bumbling idiot. I have a responsibility to this school and the next generation of mutants. It is for their sakes that I have maintained the integrity of my position, taking only what satisfaction is fitting." The Professor turned his gaze back to Logan, the threat of tears rimming in his eyes "You are blessed Logan. You have a freedom that I have never known. You can have whatever it is that makes you happy without answering to anyone, while some of us have to accept the small appropriate pleasures life may have to offer us…if we're lucky." The Professor added with a shrug. "My only request is that you don't mention any of this to Ororo. I don't want her to be concerned."

Logan knew then why the Professor had raged so hard against him all those years ago. Without brining his sense of morality into the equation, the Professor had been trying to protect the small portion of his life that wasn't dissected by the expectations of others. This man literally gave his life away for the benefit of others, and had no one to share it with. He was utterly…alone.

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"I need to get laid," Dazzler announced. The wedding reception had just begun and she was already four drinks in. Ororo couldn't help but laugh. Being with her friends was turning out to be more refreshing than she had originally imagined. She hadn't visited the mansion very often over the years, and when she did it was never for more than a few hours. She hadn't been the only one to move away. Dazzler who claimed too be finishing up her degree at UCLA was actually touring the country with her indie rock band. With the Professors shinning recommendation, Psylocke was slowly climbing up the ranks in the Psi-Division of the Central Intelligence Agency. A commission that was supposed to be Top Secret, but Betsy had shared with Ororo in her excitement as soon as she had been offered the job. Sean and Emma would be making their way back to Boston to start up another mutant academy…Everyone had seemingly moved on with their lives in one way or another, and were doing well enough, the Professor had much to be proud of.

"He looks happy," Betsy said sadly as they watched Sean and Emma smash cake into one another's faces. Ororo's heart went out to Betsy. She and Sean had broken up shortly after graduation.

The Professor had held a private dinner for some of the top ranking students in their senior class. Included among the attendees were Ororo, Betsy, Sean, Henry, Allison, and Scott who had recovered from his injuries a few short weeks after Ororo's return to the mansion.

There at the dinner Sean had gotten down on one knee and proposed to Betsy. Betsy's response had been to stare at him for a few awkward moments and then run out of the dinning hall with tears in her eyes. Up to that point Ororo and Betsy still had not been on speaking terms. Ororo had retreated into herself, tending to her normal duties in addition to nursing Scott back to health. She and Scott had since buried the hatchet, and despite all that had happened Ororo was willing to try to repair their friendship…friendship, but nothing more.

Sean who had finally decided to make Betsy face her true feelings for him had given her an ultimatum on the day that he had proposed. "Marry me, or I wan' nothin' else tah do wit yah" he'd said.

"Why does it have to be one way or another?" Betsy had pleaded.

"Caus' I can't go on wit' yah waitn' fer yah to love me" Sean had replied.

"You know how I feel about you."

"Then sho' me," Sean challenged.

And she did. Ororo couldn't take seeing her friend in so much pain. It was because of that she broke her silence with Betsy and they reconciled their friendship in a mess of tears and apologies.

Now at the reception Ororo's heart sank again. She placed her hand on Betsy's shoulder giving her an empathetic squeeze, Betsy looked up at her with a defeated smile. "Are you still in love with him, Psy?"

Betsy snorted "Don't be ridiculous. I'm just pissed that bastard got married before I did." But Ororo knew better. The DJ pumped the chicken dance song through the speakers. Dazzler squealed, and jumped to her feet running for the dance floor. Although it was seemingly out of her character she as a sucker for the chicken dance. Most of the guests, along with half of the wedding party ran to the dance floor clucking with their hands and shaking their tail feathers…

"Somebody shoot me," Betsy said looking on at the display in disgust. Ororo found it all very amusing, "Lighten up," she advised.

"Brilliant Storm!" Betsy shouted smacking her hand against the frilly lace that decorated the table "Best idea you've had all night " She flagged down a waiter who was passing by with a tray of champagne. The waiter came over with the tray and smiled. "Lighten us up would you darling?" Betsy said and with that she relieved the waiter of his tray of champagne and sat it in front of Ororo. The waiter stood there dumbly as Betsy downed two full flutes of champagne. "Got anything stronger? Forget it I'll check" Betsy said and she was off to the open bar.

Ororo would advise the Professor to be a little generous with his tip for the wait staff. She hoped her friend would be okay. If anything she knew the pain of loving someone who had seemingly found it easy to let you go….Or was it that they didn't love you in the first place? Of course this had not been the entire case with Sean and Betsy, but their situation was painfully familiar…

Ororo shook her thoughts. After graduation she had opted to study aboard at The University of Oxford. There she took up Chemical Biology, aced every course and was bored to tears by the subject. She then moved on to Dance, Criminal Justice, Literature, and even Psychology, finding each major less fulfilling than the one that had come before it. In her junior year, and against the Professor's advisement she took a year off to travel and "discover herself."

Despite the ups and downs in their relationship Ororo loved the Professor a great deal for all of the support that he had given her over the years, and continued to give to this day. Whenever it came to making important decisions he would often call her for one of his "talks" which usually consisted of a list of the pros and cons on any given subject and why they all seemed to be leading her back to the mansion. He had remarked on more than one occasion on how the X-Men needed her. Ororo left the fantasizing about being a part of the illustrious X-Men up to the freshmen. She had no desire to be a part of it although some of her classmates had taken on duties in that regard head on. Scott and Henry had stayed on at the mansion to lend the Professor their support in cultivating a core team. Together they were more than enough.

The Professor was a wise men, she respected him, and was glad that he made himself available to her when she needed advice, but she refused to let herself be controlled by him or anyone else. She was undoubtedly an adult now, and more than capable of making her own choices. Her year off turned into three years and with each day that passed Ororo felt less and less inclined to return to her studies. During her travels, it was in a small forgotten village in Cambodia that she found her true passion. The village had been in a severe drought that had put a strain on the local economy. Fresh food and clean water had been hard to come by. Children roamed the streets unattended, uneducated and starving. Seeing that kind of desperation changed something on the inside of her and her mission was clear. Ororo had used her powers and some of the resources the Professor had given her access to, to assist numerous desolate communities in the third world.

It was on her most recent "mission" to Wakanda that she had met Luke Charles.

"I know that look," a man said from behind her. Ororo turned and smiled up at her handsome plus one. Luke Charles or T'Challa as he was addressed by the natives in Wakanda had been a breath of fresh air in her otherwise flailing love life.

She had met and dated other men over the years, but Ororo had never developed strong feelings for any of them. They seemed to want more than what she was willing to offer, and because of that, none of them lasted. T'Challa was different. There was something about him that reached out to her in a way that she hadn't felt in a very long time. He was strong, reserved, and protective. She felt undoubtedly loved, and safe in his arms. For the first time the walls around her heart had begun to crumble.

She reached for T'Challa's out stretched hand, and allowed him to pull her into his massive arms. He smiled down at her as if she were the most precious being he had ever laid eyes on. Ororo always felt as if she would melt under his touch…in a way that had only happened in her life once before.

"What look is that?" Ororo purred against his ear.

From across the room Jean Grey looked on as Ororo giggled at something her date had whispered into her ear. Happiness became her. Jean would have been lying if she said that she didn't still harbor some animosity towards the weather goddess. That whole business with Logan had left a bad taste in her mouth, so much so that she had requested that the Professor have Ororo removed from the school and sent to one of the Professors satellite locations. Of course the Professor had declined her request, but he did however arrange Ororo's schedule so that her contact with Jean would be minimal. Looking back on it now, Jean knew that her feelings towards Ororo had little do to with the idea that she had lost the love of her life because of her. Logan had hardly been that, though at the time it didn't feel that way. Yes she had loved him and still had love for him, but she was fine without him…Especially since a certain testosterone infused young buck with ruby quartz sunshades over his eyes participated in giving her suggestive looks and even more titillating thoughts.

Scott Summers was an all American pretty boy with a charm that ran towards the head cheerleader type…At least he had been over six years ago…

Ororo closed her eyes and rested her head against T'Challa's firm chest as they swayed about the dance floor. Other couples had joined them, but Ororo hardly noticed.

"You can really feel the love in this room," T'Challa remarked. "I hope our wedding turns out just as good. If not better." Ororo looked up at him then, but she didn't stop dancing. T'Challa chuckled "Don't give me that face. I know that look too."

Ororo smiled to cover her apprehension "So you think you know me, huh?"

"Better than you think, lovely," he replied placing a brief kiss on her lips that didn't last nearly as long as she would have liked.

Ororo rested her head on his chest again "You just surprised me, that's all."

T'Challa stopped dancing abruptly, "It surprises you that I want to marry you?"

His elevated voice drew in a few stares, and Ororo did her best to cover her embarrassment. The sudden shift in his mood was off-putting. Even T'Challa looked as if he hadn't meant to be as loud as he was, but he was clearly irritated. Ororo placed her arms around his neck and began to sway with him again. "We've talked about it before," he added after a few quite moments.

Ororo rolled her tongue across her bottom lip "Well we haven't really talked-it was mentioned."

T'Challa nodded "Yes it was mentioned and you quickly changed the subject as I recall. And that wasn't the first time."

Ororo's mouth suddenly set in a straight line. She didn't want to get into this conversation, at least not now. She was enjoying this short reunion at the mansion for her friends wedding. Coming back surfaced a lot of memories, most of which were good. She didn't want to ruin it with an argument about her commitment issues.

"Can we talk about this later?" Ororo asked, but it didn't sound like a question. It sounded more like a command. T'Challa could see that he had upset her. That of course had not been his intention.

He turned her face towards him cradling her chin with his thumb and forefinger, "You can't be upset at me for wanting to be with you."

Ororo looked up at him, his dark eyes deep pools of sincerity, "I know." she whispered, and then she kissed him in a way that would have been better suited if they were in private. T'Challa smoothed his hands around her waist and smiled against her lips, "Let's go back to the hotel." he suggested.

"Okay," she replied nearly out of breath. "Let me say my goodbyes." T'Challa managed to peel himself away from her to retrieve the car.

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The only person left to say goodbye to was the Professor. According to Beast he had slipped away sometime during the cake cutting. She couldn't have forgotten the pathways to the mansion if she tried. Ororo maneuvered her way up to the Professors office, and didn't bother knocking as she entered.

Her hand flew to her mouth almost as soon as she opened the door. A wave of shock consumed her as the surprised faces of Dr. Grey and Scott peered back at her. It was like a car wreck, that she couldn't look away from. Ororo took in the sight of Scott's bare behind, with his tuxedo pants around his ankles. He was poised between the good doctors legs; which were hovering in a spread eagle position across the Professors desk. He had obviously been in mid pump as Ororo had entered. Even in the darkened room Ororo could see that Jeans face had turned red with embarrassment. "What is it about this office?" Ororo asked, but Jean and Scott just exchanged odd looks with one another before yelling in unison "Get out!"

It was only then that Ororo realized she was staring. She closed the door as quickly as she could manage, took a few steps away from the door, stopped, and then burst into hysterical laughter.

With T'Challa waiting for her Ororo decided that she would speak to the Professor later. No doubt the Professor would call her before the end of the week. However, she couldn't help but make one final stop before leaving.

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The stars and the moon above gave off their beautiful imitation of sunlight, bouncing soft beams off of the shiny leaves on the bushes. She stood at the entrance to the garden maze smoothing her arms over the goose flesh that suddenly crept over the exposed portions of her body. She wasn't cold, her powers allowed her to tolerate even the most extreme weather conditions. What she was, was nostalgic. Eerily nostalgic.

In this place she had experienced one of the greatest moments in her life…a moment that had also led to the most tremendous heartbreak she had ever felt. He had been wrong. She didn't forget about him in a year… It had almost been seven years, but she remembered it so clearly. She remembered him clearly. She didn't want to go into the maze, just to see it…and say goodbye to it.

Why wouldn't she marry T'Challa? He loved her completely. They shared the same interests, and worked side by side for the same cause…Wasn't that enough?

"How yah doin' kid?" a familiar voice said from behind her, and Ororo's breath caught in her throat. A part of her wished she had imagined it, that the deep timbre of his voice hadn't made her heart pound faster and the palms of her hands grow clammy. She turned around slowly and found that her ears had not deceived her.





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