I do not own X-Men: Days of Future Past.

And I'm kinda surprised Hank doesn't turn to the Dark Side with all the crap he endures.

Reunions by Firelight

Author's Note: My OC Hope does not exist in this reality. I just couldn't do that to her or Hank.

Flatline

Hank McCoy stood silent and still. Staring at the shattered glass and metal of one of his finest and best inventions.

A muscle involuntarily twitched somewhere along the five o'clock shadow of his defined jawline. He slowly clenched his jaw, tightening and tightening until his entire skull ached with the tension.

It was the only movement in the vast, empty space.

In the entire universe maybe.

He stood there, all of his vital signs beating and coursing in normal, average regulations.

If he could have felt any emotion, it would have been outrage. Mixed with humiliation. And an overwhelming despondency.

But he couldn't.

His entire emotional being had completely flatlined.

A lie detector test measuring emotional reactions and fluctuations would register absolutely nothing.

Not a blip, not a bleep, not a waver.

Nothing at all.

A trick, it had all been a trick.

And something in him had known, whispered, surreshed, the truth at the time.

And he had not listened.

He had been in his media room.

Searching always, searching.

Searching for more information, searching for answers.

Searching for her.

And suddenly he'd known somebody was out there.

Approaching the house. Drawing closer.

And he'd gone to investigate.

He wished now he'd stayed there, ignored his instincts.

Stayed hidden.

But he had not.

His heightened beast senses flared as he opened the door.

Her.

Raven.

In that form.

Her form.

His favorite form.

Oh my god, you're beautiful.

She stood, looking a little surprised at being caught sneaking . . .

Into? Out of?

. . . the front door of the mansion.

Her beautiful blue eyes gazed sadly at him as she moved forward.

And his brilliant genius brain fumbled through a myriad of feelings and thoughts more rapidly than even he could process them all.

You're home.

You're beautiful.

Why are you here?

I've missed you.

I'm sorry for everything.

What the hell?

"I guessed I just realized I had nowhere else to go," she explained, looking lost and alone.

He wanted to believe.

He wanted to.

So bad.

But. . .

Grrrr . . .

For the love of science, Beast, not now.

She wasn't here for him. She couldn't be. She was here for . . .

"Okay, I've got to wake up Charles. He . . ."

"No, don't," she suddenly implored, sounding anxious. "Just . . . wait."

Uh, okay. Not quite ready for a family reunion with Chuck the serumhead? I don't blame you.

Still . . .

What the hell are you here for then?

She moved past him into the main house like the woman who'd lived here for so many years, much longer than Hank himself had.

And at the same time, like a complete and total stranger.

He watched her go, struggling to process her sudden presence back into his life.

Then he closed the door.

And followed her.

Hello, X-Men fic-ers! Been a while, yeah? I've been lost in a land of confusion of American Horror Story (save me) and Mad Max: Fury Road (boo-yah!) writing.

So anyway, this fic is a retelling and expansion of a deleted/alternate scene from Days of Future Past. It occurs between Charles contacting Raven at the airport and Hank taking Charles and Logan to his media room. In this reality, there's an evening between those two events.

Ah, *sighs happily* I'm rarely happier than when I'm writing for Hank McCoy so I hope you enjoy this. First we'll watch from Hank's POV, then Raven/Mystique.

Finally, thanks to brigid1318 for pushing me to watch Rogue cut and write this scene. I hope I did this right for you, sweetie.

As always, everybody appreciates feedback. Leave a review if you like.