A Soul Divided: Part Three

by Kerri

The team arrived back tired and hungry. Jean sent them off to the showers and set the kitchen table, Charlotte giving her a hand. When the first of them came trickling back, she went out to the front porch, uncomfortable with them all, knowing what her other self was like.

This world even looked different to her eyes, the sky not as blue, the greens washed out. She wasn't sure she believed all this. Maybe she was in a coma and this was a hallucination her brain dreamed up. If this was all she could come up with, her subconscious needed work. Time to schedule an appointment with a shrink. Maybe a few boxes of bubble wrap. Therapy is expensive, popping bubble wrap is cheap.

A sound behind her warned her an approach. She resigned herself to the dislike of whoever it was, realizing after talking with Jean they all had issues with Blade.

The prickle down her neck told her who it was.

"Yer not even scared of me, are ya?" Logan's raspy voice snaked out. He positioned himself across from her. He could have taken her out just then, had considered it, but he was too curious about this alternate Charlotte.

"No, I'm not. I've never had a reason to be afraid of you."

"I can tell yer not her, I can smell it." It was a slight difference, but enough.

"Why do you hate her so much? What did she do?"

"I brought her here. I thought she wanted to be wi' me an' I brought her here to join the team. Then she had a go at every man on the team, an' some of the women. She's here 'cause we need her skills, but none of us want her back. We lost some good people 'cause of her."

"And Remy? Why did he marry her?"

"Gambit thinks he's in love wi' her."

"She's done a lot of damage here."

"Is it true what ya said? I got a mate in the other world?"

She turned away. "Yes."

"Anyone I know?"

A long silence. She didn't know how to answer, but it leaped out of her anyway. "Me."

He spent a few minutes digesting that tidbit. Already she looked different with her face washed clean and the thin shirt covering her. 'Course, the shirt did more to enhance her figure than the usual outfits Blade wore. He could tell she wore almost nothing beneath it. He put a cigarette in his mouth, then patted his pockets looking for matches.

She noticed his search. With a few mumbled words she lifted her hand to the end of his cigarette, fire sparking from her fingertips.

He drew back in surprise, then leaned forward, lighting his vice. "Where'd ya learn that?"

"I was married to a shaman once, learned a little magic."

"Blade don' know magic."

"Apparently she never moved out to the Northwest either, she never met Raven, never had my son. All she seems to have done with her life is wreck havoc on this world. I should probably try to do something about that while I'm here."

"An jus' what would dat be, huh gal?" Gambit joined them on the porch. "You jus' borrowin' dat body till Beast find de way to switch you back." He glared at the other man. "Dat body belong to Gambit."

"Mebbe we don' want the other one back," Wolverine grinned evilly.

A card appeared in Gambit's hand, red hot and ready to blow.

Charlotte sighed, grabbed the card and drained the energy. "Could you put a lid on the testosterone, please? These people have legitimate complaints against your wife, Remy. She's a troublemaker. You, of all people, deserve better."

His eyes widened in surprise. Blade never absorb energy, he didn't even know if she could. And his wife always liked a little squabbling between the team members.

"Till she back, you gonna follow my rules," Gambit told her. "You're not my wife, but you still behave yourself. Dat means you doan be messin' round wi' de others. Beast want you to stay in de lab. You do dat."

"If I'm to behave like your wife, I should start messing around with the others," she said under her breath. Wolverine heard her and flashed her a smirk. "Let's get one thing straight, Remy. You don't lay down the law to me. No one questions my manners or the way I conduct myself. You keep in mind I'm not your wife before you take that tone with me. She might like it, but I don't."

His remaining eye fairly snapped with fury at her. He drew back a hand.

"And you lay one hand on me," her voice turned cold, "I'll show you the edge of that fine line where Blade and I differ. You might find out I have a few skills and some knowledge your wife doesn't have. You may hit your wife twice a day and three times on Sunday, but you touch me and I'll hurt you back."

He stared at her in shock, her voice sending a wave of cold anger through him. His hand lowered slowly. "You dare?" he accused.

"I dare, my friend, I dare. Now, I happen to agree with you. I'll stay in the med lab, no problem. I won't create trouble with the team. You can all pretend I'm not here and I'll just do what I can to find my way back home."

"All dat, an' you still do it?" He was surprised again.

"I am a reasonable person. You, on the other hand, could have just asked." She stood up and dusted herself off. "And another thing. Ditch your wife, she's nothing but trouble."

[next part]

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