The second day from returning from Genosha, Rogue and Shine talked about what she'd said about Emma.

"I want ya to know, ya got to me," Rogue said. "I'm ashamed...but I want to try harder."

"I'm sorry I upset you." Shine had felt guilty about making her cry. "I never intended to hurt anyone's feelings, just to make a point. I know, I get very...vehement."

"Yeah, and it stung, but ya didn't insult us, ya just said what we were doin' was wrong," Rogue said. "Reckon I can take that.... It just didn't feel good. But it's true, and it made me all sorry, because ya ain't never said one word about my past...or anyone else's."

"I have, to make a point," Shine said. "But that's all. I don't care beyond that. I just don't like judgmental attitudes."

"I ain't never seen the beat of ya for takin' an issue with that," Rogue admitted. "Startin' to think you've had some history with it...or is it just the Christ-like thing?"

"Isn't that enough?"

"It is, but not everyone gets folks fired up," Rogue said.

Shine thought. "I suppose I have been judged enough by other Christians...and by non-Christians, also. Anyone who thinks they're smarter than others, I guess."

"And...people actually think they're smarter than you?"

"Lots of them," Shine said. "Some of them are smarter than me. You mistake my brashness for superior intelligence, I think. I act like I know what I'm talking about because I believe God is on my side. That'll settle anyone. But others find that offensive. A lot of people do, in fact. You have to learn to overlook it. If I was offended every time, you'd never see me not mad about something, Honey."

"I need some of that," Rogue sighed.

"You'll get there, just ask for it," Shine said.

"I think ya upset the New Scott," Rogue said. She'd picked up Gambit's term for him. "He's been real mopey since yesterday. Not that I blame him either, his girl bein' gone and all.... I wish we knew how to find 'er."

"I'm starting to wonder if finding them is really the hard part," Shine said. "If what happened to Elizabeth happened to everyone, it could take some serious work to undo it."

"But ya can, right?" Rogue said.

"I can do all things Christ gives me the ability to do," Shine said. "But, Rogue, it's possible at some point, He may give the ability to someone other than me. You're all far enough along now to know this stuff too. You can't rely on us so much. Our goal is for you to become able to stand on your own.... We won't always be here, you know, and if the present crisis is averted, there will be another one sooner or later."

"How will ya get home if we...uh, merge?" Rogue asked.

Shine looked out the window. "We won't."

"Ya...won't?" Rogue said.

"At least, there's a strong chance we won't," Shine said. "We don't belong here, but we bonded with this dimension. If it becomes that polluted, I think we'd be trapped in the results, whatever they are, perhaps forever. Though, it could be the dimension will just spit us out. In which case, God may either choose to take us home, or...we'll die, I suppose."

Rogue slammed the table slightly in shock. "And ya never said a word about this?"

"Is it any good worrying everyone more?" Shine asked. "What can they do about it? You asked, that's all, and I don't lie. But don't bother them about it. Why should they feel guilty for us, it was our choice to come here. It's fitting isn't it? If we have to watch the rest of you suffer with this, we might as well share it. That's the whole point of what we do. We share the dangers of your life, so that you can share the grace of ours. A tradeoff."

"And you get the short end of the stick," Rogue said. "I can't...believe that...it's so unfair."

Shine looked at her strangely. "But we love doing this, Rogue. Even with all the stress, I feel alive doing this in a way I can't really describe. When it's what you're meant to do, nothing would stop you, even risking your life. People risk their lives for sports and contests. Isn't that worth less than people? Wally is a superhero--he will do this one way or the other every day, and I knew that when I married him. And he knew that, when he married me, I would do the same. Don't pity us. If this ended tomorrow, I regret nothing about it. We all will die sooner or later or just get translated to the Ultimate Reality some way, whether you call it death or not. Why should I fear that? I fear more it being too soon for all of you."

She looked sad. "Some of you are ready, others aren't. But that's me...not God. I have not been convinced He will not help us. I think He is. I have faith that this will not end the world...but I cannot promise all of us will make it, even so. I learned ages ago that, in a war, there are casualties. But don't fear them, Rogue. It's a part of life. And it hurts like hell, but we do get through it, and there is still joy on the other side. Death is just another enemy we have to see defeated. And it's not final. So don't fret."

Rogue started crying.

"How do ya always say the right thing?" she said. "But it still makes me feel worse, somehow.... I don't want this to end...even if it was all right for the world eventually, I like it here.... Ya don't realize how much somethin' means to ya until you're about to lose it."

"And perhaps these times come to show us that, so we'll never take it for granted again," Shine said. "After I lost one mentee, I never took it for granted that the others were saved. I'm thankful every time. Don't assume you will lose anything, Marie, but in the event that we do...you will survive it. But for now...don't let it steal what we have left. We should always love the most we can right now. We never know when something will be gone. Man's life is but a breath, the Word says. Just a vapor in the wind. Ask Logan, he knows this better than all of us. But he still tries to care. I admire that about him. Ask you mother, for all that. In her own way, she still tries to find meaning in a life she has no way of knowing how long it will be and how many people she will lose, one way or the other. Both of them, and Morph too. And us, since we have limited time here. That makes it more precious, not less."

Rogue drew some deep breaths. "Yeah...I know you're right.... It's just hard."

"I know," Shine said. "It's hard for me also. But I'm trying to do what I can for people right now. If I think about the rest, all we don't know, I'll go mad. I was put here to guide you, and that is what I will do. God usually shows us the next step only while we're doing the one He already gave us. You should figure out what that is. Maybe it's just being the best teammate, friend, and partner you can be. Trying not to let fear stop you. If that's what you're supposed to do right now, then God will give you your role in all this while you are doing it. It's the only way life works, Sweetie. Glory to glory. And ashes to ashes. Either we do good and do more good, or we do evil and do more evil. You sow what you reap. And that is wisdom, on God's part, so that we will not get too clever for our own good, I think. One thing you cannot do is play the system God has in place."

She shrugged. "Thank you for worrying about me though. It's sweet. And I do need support also. So...I appreciate it."

"Yeah, any time." Rogue swallowed. "I'll have to think about what ya said.... But one way to start is to tell ya, instead of just thinkin' it.... Ya have no idea how much you two have done for us. I mean, really, ya don't know.... All of us feel it, even if some are stubborn mules and won't say it. We ain't been the same since ya got here. I mean...look at this house. It's full of people, and they actually wanted to be here.... We have actual connections that are helpin' us help more mutants...and we're happier. Even with this mess goin' on. Ya should know that."

Shine grabbed some tissue also. "I have felt it, but it does mean more to hear it, so thank you.... I love it when it works. To God be the glory, but getting to watch it still means a lot."

"Well, I think God could give y'all a little credit for bein' willin' to put up with us this long till we came around..." Rogue said dryly.

Shine laughed. "A little credit, a very little. Ah, you aren't so bad. Even when you all are stubborn, you're still way better than a lot of people are even just on a good day. Don't be too hard on yourself."

"Not much fear of that," Rogue said. 

* * *

In fact, Rogue was right about Scott. He was upset by what Shine had said, and Wally also. Wally said less, but he was such a generous guy that people felt bad when they upset him at all. It was like if you upset your grandma or something.

Scott, in fact, didn't care for both of them implying he was wrong in how he handled the situation.

But he lacked the nerve to talk to Emma directly to ask her if that was true...and he was still angry at her also.

She had not spoken to him at all. At first he took that to mean she was just not sorry....but then he did suspect she might just have no idea what to say or if speaking was any good.

He noticed that Mystique and her had taken up a lot together.... Funny that the other woman didn't seem to care about all this, considering how they'd treated each other up till now. Maybe it just couldn't have gotten any worse for her.

After stewing over it, Scott was mad enough--and perhaps uncertain enough--to just ask them again.

Wally and Shine spent most of the day apart doing respective things, but Wally would bring her coffee or tea or snacks at certain points, when he stopped for them himself. Shine also would make snacks sometimes for both of them and the kids.

So Scott waited till they both were doing this, while talking about their usual random stuff that no one else knew about, to interrupt them.

They stopped talking when he walked in. 

Scott was not one to stand on ceremony, so he just said it:

"I've been thinking about what you said."

Wally thought it was funny how he just launched into it, but looked away.

"And?" Shine said. "Go on."

"I'm not sure that you're qualified to decide this," Scott said. "Everyone else listened to you. But, the fact is, you weren't there...so.... We've been dealing with stuff you can't imagine. It was a lot to remember...on top of not knowing what's happening now. And I can't help but wonder...if Emma caused it before, is she causing it now? We just don't really know. You don't know. You're not a telepath...so..."

"So what?" Wally said. "You just throw out everything we said about it?"

"I like your loyalty, don't get me wrong," Scott said. "I'm just...not sure it's well placed. You can't have ruled out the possibility that she did this."

"You're still on about that." Shine was nonplussed.

"You can't just dismiss it," Scott said. "But you think I was unfair? Are you sure about that? I think it's fair to wonder."

"You still haven't talked to her, I see," Shine said.

"What is there to talk about? She knows what she did," Scott said.

"Do you?" Shine asked him. "Because I'm not so sure."

"Yes...she pretended to be one thing," Scott said.

Shine picked up the cookie dough she was making and started putting it on a tray. "Scott, we're not going to censure her, so if that's what you want, go away."

"I just don't like you saying I was wrong, just because you heard her side first," Scott said. "Isn't there any worth in honesty? I think I have every reason to be mistrusting."

"But she did try to make it right," Wally said.

"Yeah...I guess,. Scott paused. "I just can't believe she did those things, and she never showed any remorse.... She tried to excuse it, saying she had no choice. But you always have a choice."

"He's reminding me more of our Scott right now," Shine muttered.

"Go figure," Wally said.

"Can you stop that?" Scott finally had a bit of temper. "Stop comparing me to the other Scott. It's getting really annoying."

"Excuse me, Hot Shot," Shine said. "Don't interrupt us in the middle of our conversation and take that tone with us. We don't have to talk about this with you. You want to talk about it. What do we owe you, hmm?"

Scott paused.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I just feel...weird when you say it."

"Fair enough, but it is our way of keeping you straight," Shine said. "And you should be grateful for it. This merging will blur the lines if we're not vigilant about it. As long as we see you as two different people, you're safer."

Scott winced. "Fine...I am sorry, then. I didn't realize."

"None of you do seem to," Shine muttered. "But we try.... Anyway, let's get back to Emma. To be blunt, I think you've been kind of a prick about this."

"That is blunt." Scott didn't like it. "And I don't see how. I really don't see why you defend her so much. You have a reputation around here for caring about what's right. But...I admit, you seem to like people who...aren't...really heroes."

"And how dare we criticize you, the hero," Shine said dryly.

"That wasn't what I meant," Scott said.

"Sure it is," Shine said. "Everything you're saying boils down to one thing: We should believe you over Emma because you're more trustworthy, and if we criticize you, we're just not clear on the facts. In fact, Scottie, it is the heroes who ought to be held to a higher standard, shouldn't they? They are supposed to know better. And heroes, if I may, care about saving everyone, not just the people who suit them and who they trust. So--" She waved her cooking spoon at him like it was a gavel. "--put that in your pipe and smoke it, as they said back then."

Scott frowned at her. "That's interesting logic.... A fair point, maybe. It's not that I won't help. But you...I don't know, what you said still bothered me. Everyone was so ashamed afterwards. Why?"

"They knew they were being hypocrites," Wally suggested calmly.

"It's hypocritical to think she was wrong?" Scott said. "To be wary?"

"Hmm," Shine said. "I have a question for you, Scott.... Would you have said you and Emma were friends before all that came out?"

"I'd say so," Scott said.

"What if I told you in my mind, she was, and you weren't?" Shine said.

"I'd say that makes no sense. I was never dishonest," Scott said.

"There's more than one way to manipulate someone, Scott," Shine said. "Emma has told me a lot of what happened, and if you don't deny it, then my point still stands. Can you take it, or do I need to protect your fragile ego from the idea that you're not as good as you think?"

"Oooh," Wally winced.

Scott frowned, but a challenge like that would have gotten any man to ask more.

"Fine, I'm sure you're misinformed, but go on, explain." He crossed his arms.

Shine smiled like she'd just caught him. "Well, okay. Emma told me, and you can fact check her on this, that she joined the X-men because she offered her telepathy in exchange for being able to use Cerebro to find the Professor. An odd offer, because it didn't benefit her in any real way. Had he not been in a coma, he'd have replaced her, and the X-men wouldn't have needed her. Right off, it should have raised a few eyebrows that he was in a coma."

"You think she caused that on purpose?" Scott said.

"No, you idiot," Shine said, without thinking to be polite. "She had no idea Jean's power would go off. Why would she have triggered that on purpose? It cost them Jean, and they didn't find her. The explosion took Jean away and then left her in a coma also, which you know by now. But they did have Xavier, so Emma made the best of it. Clever, I admit, but highly suspect. I'd have questioned her motive right off too, but apparently it was good enough that she found Xavier and then helped with something else regarding Storm, from what she told me. Is that correct so far?"

Scott nodded. "Yes, that's true. Though now I wonder about that."

"She had nothing to do with that," Shine said. "Duh. And I think she was concerned in a way, really. Why should all Africa have been destroyed? Fun story, really. But I digress. After that she was trusted more, but not by much. She continued to help, and if I'm getting it right, she offered to find Jean for you. Of course she really wanted to find Jean for herself."

"Yes." Scott glared. "So she lied."

"How's that lying?" Wally snuck cookie dough while Shine wasn't looking.

"I know you did that," she said.

Wally shrugged.

"Well...it wasn't being honest." Scott frowned.

"Did she or did she not offer to find Jean?" Shine said.

"Yeah--"

"And that is what she did, no?" Shine said.

"Well, yes, but--"

"Technically, that's not lying," Shine said. "If you never asked her why she wanted to find Jean, isn't that on you? An obvious question, I must add. Oh, I suppose you just assumed she wanted to earn her place on the X-men, or that she just wanted to help you. But Emma is not to blame for your gullibleness, is she? Anyone could have asked her, but no one cared to. And I know why, and she knows why, but you don't know why, do you?"

"No, I guess not," Scott said. "You think we're fools."

"I think you're selfish," Shine said.

"Selfish?!" Scott almost choked. "How am I the selfish one? I just wanted to save Jean."

"Uh huh." Shine put the tray in the oven before she went on. "That is all you think about, from what I understand."

"So?" Scott said.

"And the others didn't apparently care," Shine said. "So...Emma is on the team, for one reason. An unusual reason. She's not seeking shelter or a family, just to put her skills to use. And you're all fine with this. At what point is it a betrayal if she had her own agenda? No one ever asked her much about it. Wolverine interviewed her once and didn't buy it anyway, but then he stopped. Emma knows how to tell people just enough to ease their suspicions, but not enough, in my mind, to convince them. Raven and I saw through it easily, because we think about it. And Emma told me the truth, because I asked her, and I actually cared to know. This is not rocket science. It's how people work. And if people show not the slightest interest in you beyond using your powers for their own agendas, that is very little trust. In that light, I find her affection for the X-men surprising. I'd have found you all unbearable to hang around if you treated me like that, but Emma is used to it." She folded her arms and gave him a pointed look.

Scott was having a hard time following what she just said. "How can you say we used her? She used us."

"By telling you what she was going to do and then doing it?" Shine said.

Wally chuckled.

"Well, but never telling us why," Scott said.

"And if you didn't care, why should she?" Shine said. "She held up her end. She found Jean--she retrieved Jean. No one ever said she had to let you keep her. Technically, no deal was broken here. She just ended hers. Now, if you didn't clarify, that was on you. So far, no lying involved, really. Manipulation, sure, but that's not always the same thing. If anything, she only lied to you about not knowing where Jean was the second time, for obvious reasons. But that's a small thing. Do you see why I think you're being ridiculous yet?"

"Well, I think that's looking at things in a very black and white way," Scott said. "So then it wasn't lying outright--it was still wrong."

"Oh, sure," Shine said. "But your point is that she can't be trusted. I'm just contending for that. I think Emma can be trusted as far as you can get her to reveal her plans. And if you are not diligent enough to do so, it's not her problem. She can't help being smarter than other people. She knew all about the X-men while she was there, didn't she?"

"Yeah, she did." Scott frowned. "Spying."

"And did that ever come back to bite you?" Shine said. "And I don't mean taking Jean, that's nothing. They could have done that anyway. I mean, did they ever attack you using any information like that?"

"No," Scott said. "At least not as far as I know.... What's your point?"

"That if Emma wanted to screw you all over, she could have done it way worse," Wally said. "Duh. It's not that hard, man." He frowned.

Shine shrugged. "Yeah, he's right."

Scott felt he was losing his ground in this debate fast.

"But still," he said, "taking the Professor...and all the rest..."

"That's funny too, Scott," Shine said. "You're so mad about that, you've never even asked yourself why bother finding him at all, then? She could have just offered to find Jean. You all would probably have let her stay. Sure, finding the Professor, or pretending to, was one way to buy trust faster, but maybe not the only way. She didn't have to give him back. She could have kidnapped someone else, found them instead. But she didn't. Nothing about their plan was unduly cruel. The coma was not her fault, really. A side effect of Jean not being able to control herself--the problem, I might add, that Emma was trying to correct. Frankly, that coma could have happened anyway. The Phoenix could have gone off at any time, but what would have been different? No one would have been there to help. Or stop it. You are so mad over what might really have been the best idea, all things considered. But one no one would have accepted from Emma Frost. It's rather stupid really." She frowned and leaned on the counter. "And you wonder why I think you're being a prick."

Scott opened his mouth...and then he shut it. And then he said, "Is that really...an excuse for dishonesty?"

"I don't know, Scott, maybe she could have come out with it sooner," Shine said. "Maybe you all could have kicked her out before she actually found Jean, then, and Jean could have been taken by the MRD, put to sleep, and you'd never have seen her again. Maybe you'd have lost your mind from worry about it, and the X-men would have split up again. Maybe you could have not used her powers only for your personal agenda and actually treated her like a friend, and she'd have felt safer talking about it? Maybe a lot of things, Scottie. But we have no maybes, do we? We have what happened. As soon as she told me, I began to analyze it. I compared it to her behavior here, and what I sense from her as a person. And I concluded that, in Emma's position, I would have had a hard time knowing what to do. I wouldn't have done what she did, but it's not entirely without its merits either. I know firsthand how stubborn and suspicious the X-men can be. We had just the same trouble with them here, and we've never lied to them. But we got kicked out, accused, and mistrusted too. So, if anyone can understand Emma, we can. And I have found it a little annoying how the Cyclops here was okay with letting us join them on missions once he knew we had powers but before that acted like we were freeloaders. I forgive him, because he's just dense like that. But I find it hard to watch it towards someone who is not equipped to handle it very well. We have a sense of humor about it, but Emma doesn't."

She frowned somberly. 

"And on that note," Wally spoke, "I've had almost the same thing happen with a friend of mine, but we're still friends.... I understand why she lied afterward, and why she felt like she had to...but she's still my friend, because she was my friend anyway. I guess I just don't expect people to tell me everything about themselves before I become their friend. I kind of feel like you earn that by being their friend. She gave up everything to undo her mistakes too. Emma reminds me of her--kind of that tough, I don't need anyone thing, I guess. But it's sad too. Because maybe they're like that because they don't have anyone anyway."

"Yeah, you ought to hear about her life sometime," Shine said. "If you ever cared about anyone other than yourself, Scott." She was sharp there.

Scott winced at that.

"I...wow," he said. "That was a lot of stuff I didn't think about before." He frowned. "I mean...when you put it like that, the whole thing almost makes sense.... I...can't find a hole in your logic..."

"She's the queen of debate," Wally said proudly. "Never ever try to win, that's my motto."

"Wally! It is not!" Shine said. "You have won an argument before."

"Only when you have a bad day," Wally said nicely.

Shine reddened. "You just want more cookie dough."

"Guilty," Wally admitted.

Scott was still reeling. "The only thing you didn't really explain was what all that about Jean was, then....I mean...offering to remove the memories...that's still...underhanded."

"Ah, yes, she told me about that," Shine said. "And I believed her when she said she just thought you were suffering too much. Frankly, Scott, I find that whole link thing of yours with Jean disturbing in nature. You ought to let us check that out some time. We're good with mental ties between people.... It was driving you crazy--what was she supposed to do? She hadn't found Jean yet. That wasn't a lie. And there's one thing you've forgotten, like a moron: When she did find Jean, who did she tell first?"

"I--" Scott stopped. Then he frowned, like that idea had never occurred to him.

"Yeah, the Circle could have just picked her up themselves. They had the manpower," Shine said. "But she told you...so you could stop worrying about it. It's not like she thought they were going to keep Jean. Clearly she was going to remove The Phoenix, if it worked, and then pretend she found Jean later. A small lie, but, if Jean had told you the truth then, and been helped, I think you all would have overlooked the deception. Things went wrong with the Circle, that's all. Not Emma's fault, I might add. So...I'm sorry, what exactly are you complaining about, again?"

Scott stared at her.

"That puts Emma in a good light," he said. "But if that's the case, why does she act like she's guilty?"

"Can I hit him with this?" Shine held up the spoon.

"I shouldn't say yes, but I'm not gonna say no," Wally said.

"Okay, okay." Scott backed up. "You're going to say it's my fault--but what was I supposed to think, finding that out?"

"Well, newsflash, Scottie, the next time a woman who's trying to kill you tells you that the woman who's trying to save you is evil, maybe you should think about the source," Shine said. "Selene sounds like a b-word, to be honest. Do you really think she told you the whole truth?"

Scott frowned. "Wow...Miss Likstar, can I ask, how did you put all that together?"

"She's smart." Wally hugged her. "Cool, right? My mind is blown."

"Maybe I just listen," Shine said. "Carefully." She raised her eyebrows. "You need to talk to her. And one more thing...I still think you used her. Emma is not a tool for finding people, Scott. It saddens me that she accepts that treatment from everyone. I'm kind of glad her mental block is keeping her from being that here. Don't treat her like one again. I'm going to be watching you closely on this."

"Still...you can find out all that, but we still can't find the people who disappeared..." Scott said. "I hate this... It's the same thing all over again... Maybe it was comforting in a way to think it was Emma's fault maybe, but..."

"But it's not," Shine said. "And we're frustrated too, Scott. But we're not taking it out on the victims in the situation, are we?"

Scott looked like she'd just kicked him in the gut.

"I...have to go think about this." He walked out of the room.

"Well, at least he's more teachable than the other Scott," Wally said. "I mean....I can just hear what he'd be saying right about now. 'You two don't have the right to make those calls...' blah blah.... Weird how I kind of miss that, though."

"Well, it did give us something to laugh at," Shine said. "I wonder if he's okay..."

[Who knows? Maybe we'll answer that question soon.]