After a thorough recounting of what happened, the X-men were still hugely concerned.

Shine and Wally had sensed the danger somehow, some disturbance in the dimensisons, and that was why they'd rushed back.

But being too late hit them hard.

Kurt did tell them about how the tear had spat him out.

"As I thought, we're incompatible with it," Shine said. "It knew you were the same as us...different."

Mystique and Morph joined them late.

Gambit and Rogue both gave them a long look.

"Well, I hear you were quite the hero Momma," Rogue said.

"No." Mystique sat down weakly. "So...anything?" She looked at Shine.

Shine sighed. "More clues...but the Inner Circle was a surprise. Emma is still weak...but she claimed she had no idea why they were here. I buy it. It makes no sense. Who would use them to hunt her down?"

"This has all begun to seem a lot like the other time telepaths went missin'," Logan said. "Face it...it sounds like Apocalypse."

Silence.

"I haven't ruled that out," Shine said. "But one thing puzzles me. What use does he have for teleporters--he was banished to the Astral Plane."

"Maybe we should ask de resident expert." Gambit looked at Mystique.

Everyone looked at her.

Mystique frowned.

"Momma, when did ya stop workin' for Apocalypse?" Rogue asked. "It was after that, right?"

"During it..." Mystique said slowly. "Wolverine doesn't remember, huh?"

Logan had actually completely forgotten, funnily enough. The whole thing was a bit of a blur; the out of time thing tended to be easy to forget about.

"What are you talking about?" Morph spoke up.

Mystique laced her fingers together. "Magneto and I decided to...foil Apocalypse, once we understood his plan. But we lacked the manpower. In the end it was the X-men again.... But since then, I supposed Apocalypse would not employ me, or Magneto, again."

"Hold on," Shine said. "You never mentioned this. You always talked as if you'd still be working for him."

"I always said he was gone," Mystique said. "If that was not the case, and he coerced me, of course I would have worked for him. But it wouldn't have happened, I don't think. Still, is he really dead? Frost and I talked about it once.... Yes, I think this sounds like him."

"And ya didn't say so before because...?" Logan said.

"Do you think I wanted to remind you I used to work for him?" Mystique said, with some ire. "I get reminded of it enough by all of you. And you didn't ask."

"Okay, that was on us," Shine cut in, before anyone else could. "I never knew about that.... I didn't know much about that time...for reasons I think that are clear--things outside of time are hard for us to see very well..." She frowned. "Morph, talk to me.... Anything in your records about that?"

"No, because it was outside of time," Morph said. "I didn't even know about it. So this was news to me." He shot Mystique a weird look. "Would have been nice to know."

Mystique leaned on her hand. "I preferred to forget the whole experience. But there's one thing about it that might be of interest. Apocalypse didn't see our betrayal coming, as he always does with everyone else. Magneto thought of it...because it wasn't in time...meaning that place can't be foreseen the way other events can. We have theorized the others are in pocket dimensions. Could that be why the Time Broker didn't know where they were?"

"Raven, you're a genius!" Shine said. "Of course.... But if it wasn't the Time Palace itself, then that place you were all in is the only other place we know of that people can go to from this dimension and be outside of time. So..."

"There's a good chance that they would be there," Morph finished. "Whoa..."

Mystique sighed. "I should have thought of that sooner.... Everything about that is dim and hazy."

"Yes...that happens," Shine said. "Believe me...it's work to recall all our experiences in other worlds.... Actually, that's why we read about it. If you have it in a book, your mind can handle all the information without trying to hold the reality inside it. Your imagination can remember things with ease that your real-life memories find difficult to recall."

"Is that why?" Morph said.

"Of course," Shine said. "It's a safeguard. The human brain just can't retain that much about those places. I guess yours is the same as ours.... I've said before...it fades like a dream."

"One thing, though, Emma and Scott seem to remember pretty clear," Rogue said. "Shouldn't they have kinda felt like that?"

"Emma's condition seems to prevent her forgetting things that completely," Shine said. "Scott...maybe has that effect, or he may not. Neither of them are here because of the right reasons.... That's why it drives you mad to use the wrong kind of portal--it lacks that same safeguard. Enough hopping around time and reality, and you'll lose your grip. Also there are other reasons...but you'd be frightened by them."

"That wasn't frightenin'?" Rogue said to no one.

"Funny." Logan frowned at Mystique. "Why pick then of all times to try to stop 'im? Seems the only way to survive was to help 'im."

Mystique frowned. "Well, the world has its problems, but Apocalypse's picture of a new one didn't include mutants, or humans. Perhaps that was too much even for us. Magneto had his own plans. But they didn't work out."

"Which ya would have gone along with," Logan growled.

"Leave her alone," Shine said. "She does the right thing and you cross examine her? Really, Logan? Who cares what Magneto would have done? He didn't do it. I wish I had known this before, though. But there, I can't blame you for forgetting, so.... Wait a moment, you can't just change time like that. I'm not sure that idea would have worked."

"Can't you?" Wally said. "GL and Batman saw something like that once."

"Yeah, in theory," Shine said. "But time is not that simple to tamper with. Sure, you can mess up one timeline of one world, perhaps. But time is in all worlds, and when you start dealing with crossing dimensions, it's impossible to account for all of it. Even supposing Apocalypse had succeeded, some DJ or another being with a similar assignment could have still undone it. And probably would have. He couldn't handle all time, any more than he can understand what he's doing, the fool."

"So long as it ruins the one we live in, who cares?" Morph said. "But if that was stopped, then it can't be the same thing, right?"

"But now that you mention it, there are more similarities," Beast said. "Like Morph isn't able to travel through time while this is going on, just as Bishop was caught in time. It suggests interference by another, which we presume are the Tears, but travelling time and dimensions both, as our attackers evidently can. So where they are going and coming from...can it really be the same place?"

"When we're talking about going outside our kind of reality and into the mostly theoretical," Shine said, leaning on her hands, "then the same place is rather a difficult question."

"Apocalypse claimed he mastered the time axis thing," Logan said. "But I just bet you think that's impossible, right?"

"If he truly could have done that, we'd not be here," Shine said. "That place you were in, it's just the barest hint of the truth, an image that mortal minds can understand...and think they can control. What a joke." She laughed wryly. "And yet, playing with it, it's still dangerous. A fake gun can still kill you if you use it the wrong way, can't it? We have the ability as humans to affect reality in all kinds of ways, though most people only think of it in the simplest forms. Like that Prayer changes things. Many people believe that. That is affecting reality. And people argue that God just could answer prayers before they were prayed, and it really changes nothing. But that's an ignorant thing to say. God is outside time. He can see what we do before we do it and organize the universe to answer one request from one person. In His wisdom, he chooses not to do that too much, but no mortal can call those kinds of shots. They'd kill themselves and everyone else soon enough. However, even trying can do plenty of damage to plenty of people before they are stopped."

"This is a mystery," Kurt said. "But, if so, perhaps Gott can stop these people."

"Perhaps," Shine said. "But if people do these things, people should stop them. We must take responsibility for each other. That's why our jobs exist, for crying out loud. God doesn't do everything for us. Including this. We wouldn't know about this if He didn't want us to fix it."

"Den why don't He tell you how?" Gambit said, annoyed. "If He so helpful."

Shine looked up at him oddly. "Why should He help you?" she said, in a dead serious voice. "What have you ever done for Him?"

Silence.

"That attitude won't fly, people," Shine said, after a few agonizing seconds. "I see all this as God directing us, bit by bit. I can't pretend to know why He does it the way He does, but there is one possibility: All of you have tampered with time in some way. All of you helped create these problems. Perhaps not on purpose, but you've broken the laws of Creation as much as the bad guys did. Maybe you had to, so you get a pass. But you must make it right at some point even so. Even if we have no guilt, you cannot just ignore the laws of nature and expect nothing to happen. God may wish you all to learn the folly of doing this, once and for all. Or, that has nothing do with it. Don't you see how pointless it is to ask? God will reveal His purpose if He wishes, but we cannot guess it. Ask Job what happened when he tried. All we know is that in the end, it is for His glory that both the bad and the good things happen. He sends both times. Note the wording of that. The Bad and the Good times."

She shook her head in some kind of awe. "I wouldn't dream of defying His ruling on these matters. I don't mind stopping the maniacs behind this, but if you think at the end of this, the goal is to just stop them, and then go on our merry way not taking a second to think about why all this happened, then you're mistaken. Are we gods? It may seem like we can do things that only gods could do, using time and dimensions and even our minds to augment reality. But we're finger painting against the Sistine Chapel, and that's something never to forget."

"Are you saying this was our doing?" Storm said, looking upset. "We only did those things to stop the others...isn't that right? That's what you do?"

"Is it though?" Shine said. "There was never a time you tried to prevent something that had already happened?"

Beast suddenly looked uneasy. "Destroying the Lazarus Chamber of Apocalypse, perhaps? But...isn't that good thing?"

"Well, here's a thought experiment," Shine said. "Destroying one thing doesn't usually stop evil people from doing what they do--they just mutate, pardon me using that word, into something else. You tampered with something. Maybe it didn't do much...after all, he can't use that chamber now, can he? He's little more than what we'd call a ghost. But there have been instances of meddling in time where destroying one escape route causes someone to find another, worse one. And last I checked, Apocalypse was one of the people who did that, as you all know. Bishop came back many times, did he not? Does the future ever get any brighter when he does?"

Somber silence.

"Hang on," Mystique said. "Bishop came back to stop me from killing Kelly...and that would have created an apocalypse...but stopping that didn't make the future better?"

"Nope." Shine shook her head. "Perhaps none of you remember, but we have records of this kind of thing."

"I know," Morph said. "But Bishop didn't know better. There's still a chance the future could be brighter, right?"

"Usually when we come, it is," Wally said. "But we never change anything in the past, we just start from the present and work forward like everyone else. We can't affect stuff except in the present. That's why. If we tried to play God like that, we could make it worse."

Shine summoned one of those boxes of jigsaw puzzles that have about 500 pieces, and she poured them onto the table. "Destiny isn't a string of events, it's like a tapestry, a puzzle, even. Weaving worlds together. We're in these little pieces." She picked up one. "Just one tiny part of the picture. God has the whole picture."

She held up the little fold out image that some companies include in the box to help you solve the puzzle. "He can put everything together, touching the right things, so that it's a whole picture and not a mess. You have no idea what taking one piece out is. Each puzzle piece fits at least 3 or 4 other pieces. You think you're stopping one bad connection--" She put two together. "--but if you cut off one part, then another part won't attach to that. And in the end, who knew what it would have made? The future looks bleak, but dark times are a part of history and often prepare for even more beautiful times after them. You take out the bad..." She picked the pieces apart and threw them away. "You take out the good too."

Everyone stared at the visual.

"Now, even so, Apocalypse was already messing with time, so maybe stopping Kelly's assassination was right," Shine said. "But it set a precedent. More and more interference, more and more trying to figure out how to end things. The truth is, maybe Kelly's death wasn't really what kicked it off. Bishop found that out later--not that you'd all know that, and not that he'd even stop for one second and think maybe he should just stop trying to interfere in the laws of the universe. No...keep trying."

She shoved the pieces away from her. "Well, we weren't supposed to eat the fruit of the tree either. Doesn't mean we couldn't--doesn't mean all humans won't suffer for the arrogance of two people, even one person. We drag everyone down with us because we think we can be like God. Tampering with time, it's not any different than that. And Xavier wonders why I think that story is so perfectly just, but then, he has a God complex also."

Morph swallowed. "But...you said what we did was okay."

"You stopped other arrogant madmen," Shine said. "But the second you tried to do more than that, you create a potential problem like this. Which is why we're lucky we're stuck working on this from our end here. How many times have I told one or the other of you there is no going back, only going forward? Did you think that was just an empty maxim? God put the laws of life in place for a reason. Or it's all chaos."

She started gathering the pieces back into the box. "So, to get back to our main point...yes, I think it's our duty to stop this, once and for all, I hope. This dimension cannot take many more breaks from the right flow without turning into a hellscape worse than the ones already projected. That is the end of tampering like this. So whatever we do, and assuming we find the culprit, please, all of you, promise me you will only stop them. Not undo anything. Even if..." She paused. "Even if it means someone will not be brought back.... God can bring people back to life, if it's safe...but if we decide something like that, you have no idea what could happen. We must respect the Laws...or we have no right to call ourselves anything but the same kind of crackpots who started this mess. And our hubris will be the end of us all."

Those sobering words made everyone dead silent.

Finally, Hank spoke. "As certainly as we should be aware of this, is there anything we can do now?"

Shine shrugged. "I don't know. They certainly have impeccable timing. Had we been here, I might have seen what happened closely enough, but I only saw it a little."

Mystique looked up. "I saw. Of course, I was so out of it, who knows if what I saw was real? But it looked empty, on the inside."

"Empty?" Shine said, frowning. "I'd think it'd look like whatever was on the other side. Emptiness, well, it does sound like a pocket dimension, then. I have a theory: They must use that for the transit. It makes sense; that is what they are for. It takes a lot of power to instantly step into one dimension from another, and it's unhealthy. But using a pocket dimension as a half step is much safer. It's just few people know how to do it. However, Scottie has no memory of going through one. Maybe only the people who are doing it on purpose pass through it. The swapping may be instant. It's plausible that explains why Emma came here without it killing her though. The strain of what happened on her mind, in the state she was in, ought to have been devastating, but adding that half step could have lessened the effects."

"Which means you think they had Emma," Morph said. "But if so, why did we find her so easily?"

"The old theory that they don't want us to find them seems to hold up," Shine said. "Why else attack while we were not here and leave once we arrived? They didn't fear the rest of you, they feared the people who could stop this. If there was only some way to use that to our advantage, it's like the one chess piece we have that they don't." She looked bemused.

"I'm sure we'll think of something," Wally said. "But maybe we're trying too hard right now. We haven't let up thinking about this in days; I bet it's clogging up our minds. We should take five and try to clear our heads. I bet something would open up, then, something we're missing."

"Do we have the time to waste?" Storm said.

"He's right," Shine said resolutely. "Human as we are, our minds just can't keep going like that without breaks. We're hurting ourselves if we don't give it a rest. I suggest all of you do something you like and try to forget about it. I know that won't be easy in some cases, but it would be helpful. Then we can revisit this again. I need to consult God anyway."

"I'm sure he be very helpful," Gambit said.

He got a dirty look in response.

"It's very lucky He won't refuse to help us just because of your attitude," Shine said savagely, getting up and leaving.

"That wasn't smart," Rogue told Gambit. "Ain't all this convinced you yet? This is real."

"Gambit still don't like it," Gambit said.

"That's the most honest thing you've said about it," Logan said. "So ya can't really deny it now, but ya still can be a jerk about it. Figures."

"Let's not fight," Storm said. "All of us are under great strain. We can forgive a few ill-judged remarks.... Perhaps this is a sign we had better do as they say and rest. I think I'll attend to my garden."

She left.

"Yeah, she's right," Rogue sighed. 

Everyone split off.

* * *

Emma felt only slightly better that day. She had a headache from the lingering strain of what happened, and she felt almost like people feel when they're hung over. [Which is partly because of the brain damage, so it makes sense.]

Trinity had ended up spending the night at the house, after her parents had been later than they expected getting home.

She didn't mind it, and, honestly, she was a distraction for Jubilee, who was freaking out over losing Illyana.

Not as much as Kitty was, but no one knew what to say to her, or to Colossus. He was the most depressed they'd ever seen him...well, they'd never seen him depressed, but it was still bad.

Kevin and Ryan were upset, though Ryan tried to hide it more, being embarrassed by having feelings as a teenaged boy. Kevin had no real filter for that.

Shine somehow managed to exert her energy to still talk to them and make sure they were okay, or as okay as they could be. She told them to try not to worry, citing some Bible verses and common sense in her usual way. It was important to keep hoping and not give into paralyzing fear.

The other women were concerned Shine was pushing herself too much to take care of them. But Logan said that Shine's way of dealing with stuff was to help other people, and she'd be happier if she felt like she was helping than if left to herself to just brood over the situation...and that did seem to be true.

Morph handled things pretty much the same way.... His humor was not that appreciated by some people, but others at least tried to laugh.

Mystique didn't buy it, really, but she had no better ideas.

The only thing she could think of to cheer anyone up was telling Kurt about her decision of the other day. She supposed she owed it to him to admit it. After all, it all started with him.

Though she preceded it by say he shouldn't get too excited, he did anyway.

"This is vundabar news!" he said. "Ist best news I hear in long time. I almost can't believe it.... It's a miracle."

"Don't get so excited..." Mystique was not comfortable with this much positive energy from him...or anyone.

Kurt hugged her anyway. "You vill have peace now."

Mystique just froze uncomfortably. "Well, I can hope...but it's still new, so..."

"For me it vas instant," Kurt said. "Not...not that I knew immediately of all the riches of Gott's grace, but I remember I felt differently about things. I believe the most help I got vas from the people who told me Gott is the one who gives us the ability to forgive.... Letting go of all that anger gave me peace. Is this vhat you have done?"

Mystique shrugged, looking away. "I'm not sure I'm really angry at that many people, Kurt, other than myself.... I still am. But maybe a little less now. At least...some of these things are starting to seem real, not just like some dream. Who knows if that's normal?"

"I think it is," Kurt mused. "I'm glad you told me. I needed encouragement today. Gott is gut, even now."

"I'm new, but...I don't understand why He'd let that girl get taken," Mystique said, a little bitterly, "and not people who actually had it coming, perhaps.... The innocent suffer too much in this world."

"It is true, but even Gott's own son vas innocent, and He suffered," Kurt said. "I do not know vhy, but these things must be, I think, perhaps for some greater glory later.... After all, ve should never diminish someone's efforts. A child might be the deciding choice betveen saving the world and condemning it. Gott does not care about age--much how Kitty often saves us, though ve ought to be protecting her, but, in these matters, I think wv all must just do vhat ve can. Power does not matter, vhen Gott is concerned."

"That had better be true, Kurt." Mystique folded her arms. "Because they have us outmatched every other way."

"Not every vay," Kurt said. "Ve know vhat is right. I listen to vhat Shine said earlier. It is clear to me that these fools vill eventually destroy themselves, vhether in our time or another time. If ve do not stop them, at least ve have comfort of knowing ve did not commit such folly. I vould rather not have regrets like that. Ve all die some time, and for a vorthy cause? How many people can say that?"

"I suppose it's better than the alternative," Mystique said wryly. "The unworthy cause. If I end this whole thing on the right side, I'll be more shocked than anyone else."

Kurt wasn't sure whether to find that funny or not. He still couldn't tell with his mother.

"You can laugh," she said.

"I vouldn't laugh at you," Kurt said. "All of us start on the vrong side. Just because some of us realize it sooner doesn't make us better, only fortunate."

Mystique swallowed. "Once, I would have found that unbearable to hear, but it's starting to make more sense."

She rubbed her arm a bit nervously. "I suppose I have not been very fair to you in all this. We both know I don't know anything about family. You offered, and I declined. I don't know what to do now, but I at least understand why I did what I did. I was afraid. I suppose I owe you an apology for that."

"No need," Kurt said. "But I vill accept it to ease your conscience, as ve all should do for each other, I think. But I have some fault in this. I have not alvays understood how difficult it is to confront these situations, because I never have had to. I think I pushed too hard."

"No, what else would you have done?" Mystique said. "I can't say I think we can start all over again, but we could be on better terms. I suppose."

She still felt nervous, though she knew she couldn't have had a more ready listener for this than Kurt.

"I vould like that." Kurt had learned some amount of caution in the last few months, and he didn't get too excited. "In vhat amount feels right, of course. Ve are on different paths, I think you said that once. But the paths can go the same direction, ja? Is all right to cross now and then."

"Now and then." Mystique finally managed some slight humor. "I suppose I should say this before I lose my nerve.... I got here because of you. I suppose Shine did a lot, and I can never possibly repay her for it, but meeting you started it. You might have guessed that, but I should say it anyway."

Kurt nodded. "I am only glad to be used by Gott in some vay. I had my doubts about how I handled that situation."

"When someone like you has doubts about it, what hope is there for the rest of us?" Mystique couldn't help but be somewhat wry and sarcastic there.

Kurt was too modest to feel that was a just description of him, but Morph, who heard that last line because he was coming in, laughed. "Kurt has that effect on everyone.... Did I miss something here?"

"It was none of your business," Mystique said rudely. "Why are you always spying on me?"

"Why are you always spying on everyone else?" Morph replied. "Comes naturally, maybe?"

Mystique made a face of annoyance

"Spying?" Kurt said, concerned.

"It's a joke," Morph said. "Oh...did you tell him?"

"No," Mystique said. "I was telling him something else."

"She has become one of us," Kurt said. "Did you know this yet, Brother Morph?"

"Wait, what?" Morph said.

Mystique had to laugh at the look on his face.

"Funny you never even thought to ask about that," she said dryly. "Aren't there rules about that?"

"I didn't think of it," Morph said. "I guess I forgot that you hadn't.... For real? When did this happen?"

"After that fight, Shine talked me into it," Mystique said. "Exploited the situation, really, but no regrets. That girl knows an opportunity when she sees it."

"I heard that, Raven!" Shine called from the kitchen. "It was the Spirit. I had no plan in that situation, and you know it. Don't pin it on me."

"Indeed, it is Gott's grace that any of us understand," Kurt agreed.

"Well, I guess that just makes it perfect," Morph said. "You really should have mentioned it before, though. What was all that about not changing?"

"I don't know if I have," Mystique said, embarrassed. "Stop talking about it."

"Ah, that's cute." Shine actually came in. "Give her a few weeks, she'll stop being shy about it. That's how long it took for me. The second time anyway. When I first accepted it as a kid, I think I witnessed pretty soon afterward, to two grown adults...who kind of picked apart what I was saying.... I have very tolerant family, I must say." She rolled her eyes. "I stood my ground, though. I remember distinctly thinking that they just didn't get it, and being upset by it, but never shaken in knowing it was true."

"That's cute," Morph said. "You were a kid? So, like, 10 or something?"

"No, I think I was 3 or 4," Shine said.

Morph almost choked.

"You had that kind of confidence at 3 or 4?" Kurt said. "I admire that.... I only vish I did."

"Yes...well, I guess you can say my propensity for thinking I'm right goes back early," Shine said. "Blame God for it, though--it's His fault. You know, nothing's really changed in 20 years. I have the exact same fights with people now. I guess I was a born rebel. Just ask my father."

"From all I've heard, I wouldn't trust his opinion," Mystique said.

"Well, same to you," Shine said slyly. "Morph, you're not mad I never mentioned it, I hope. I thought I shouldn't be the one to tell you."

"You're telling me you knew that?" Morph said. "You and your teaching strategies."

"Don't say that--she's great at it," Kurt said. "I've learned a lot from her."

"I never had much to teach you, Kurt," Shine said. "Maybe we just sharpened each other a little. One funny thing about having the gift of teaching is that God gives me the ability to explain things I didn't understand before I started trying to explain them, but then suddenly it just makes sense as I go. That has to be God, right? I teach myself too."

[My experience writing in a nutshell.]

"I vish I had that gift," Kurt said. "I vould say more things."

"Maybe I'd say less things," Morph reflected.

Shine laughed.

[Some silver lining at least, right?]