The not-as-good sequel to "Returning the Smile You Have Had From the Start"
Just a few more feet and she'd be free. She's just a couple feet away from the door, from her escape. This time she wouldnl't leave because of fear, deception, but because she finally knew where she belonged.
"Vhere are you going?" She smelled him before she heard him. Brimstone mixed with cinnamon and peppermint, the scent that made up her brother. He wasn't worried about the duffel bag in her hand, he probably thought she was visiting one of the many friends she really doesn't have. His voice was playful, without a care. Happy.
She turned around and saw the majority of the mansion littering the hallways. Or atleast the ones everyone knew. Leaders and gossips, that's what people cared about here. What they paid attention to.
"You're leaving us?" Kurt asked her as soon as he saw her look of sorrow. His voice was drenched with shock and grief.
"Yeah, Kurt." She said softly, ducking her head in shame and covering her expression with her bangs. No, she wasn't ashamed, she was scared of what they would think of her, "Ah'm goin' back to the Brotherhood. Where Ah belong." She could hear him cringe, practically see his expression twist in a mix of disgust and rejection.
"But I'm your brozer, don't you belong with me?"
"Kurt," She sighed, not knowing what to say.
"I'm your family."
"It's not lahke we'll never see each other. Ah'm not movin' to another country." What was once used as sarcasm was now reasoning, her practically begging for her brother to understand. The rest of the X-Men stayed silent at the small family's exchange. Scott was probably about ready to burst. Losing one of his teammates to the Brotherhood. "Ya know as well as Ah do that Ah nevah fit in."
"I'm not letting you do this." Scott announced, the air of finality in his voice, "You left the Brotherhood for a reason."
"Yeah, Mystique. She ain't there no more, remember? And neither is Magneto. Ah'm only goin' tah live with five teenagers who have an unlimited amount of rootbeer." She lifted her head, feeling her confidence come back in waves, her defiance and strength showing in her eyes.
"But they worked for both of them."
"So? Ah did too." Was he always this bossy?
"You can't, like, leave us! We're totally your family!"
"They are too!" Most of the mutants in the room wrinkled their nose in disgust, wondering how someone could consider the Brotherhood part of their family, "And they act lahke it."
"We should have stopped you from going to the Brotherhood so many times. They only act that way because they want to recruit you. And it worked."
"Speakin' from experience?" Rogue spat, glaring at them, "Ah know why ya were constantly tryin' ta be mah friend. Ya thought Ah was powerful and wanted meh on yo' team."
"I wanted you safe, on the good side." Scott shook his head, "Now you're betraying us."
"Betrayin'? Ah ain't doin' nothin' but movin' to a place where Ah actually feel wanted." She sneered.
"But-" Kurt protested, feeling hurt beyond belief.
"Kurt, ya know Ah love ya lahke hell, but Ah need to leave. Ah already told the Professor that Kitty can have her own room again."
Rogue grabbed her duffel bag and started walking out the front door, stopping when Scott spoke.
"If you leave, don't expect us to be there for you when you find that being a common thug isn't all that fun."
"Scott!" Jean protested.
"Ah didn't plan on it." Rogue spat, shoving the door open and facing Logan. She raised an eyebrow, daring him to protest. If she knew Logan, he probably heard every word spoken as soon as he got in the driveway.
Logan nodded and moved aside, letting the mutant walk past with a slight smile directed his way.
"Why do I sense hostility?" Bobby asked, walking into the room with the rest of the mutants.
Rogue walked down to the garage, wondering why the time seemed to stretch out now that she wasn't sneaking out for a midnight ride. How could Scott, the brave and mighty boy scout, be so cruel? Common thugs? Is that what he thought she was before? Back before she was an X-Man, when she was being tricked and manipulated into doing anything her mother wanted her to do.
Back when the X-Men were the bad guys and she was having fun with her friends.
Now the X-Men were the good guys and she was going back to the "common thugs" where she would feel happy, something that was a rare occurrence in the X-Men household.
She pulled her long coat closer to her and cursed winter.
Slowly she approached her dark green motorcycle and smiled. It had been a gift from the Brotherhood. Sure, Pietro and Todd stole the money for it (but insisted they stole the bike itself) but Lance and Fred got jobs to pay for it too. Lance fixed cars and Fred sold food. Or Fred baked food and had Pietro sell it. Still, despite the sometimes dishonest ways they got her the bike, she loved it.
She looked at Logan's black motorcycle, the many cars Xavier paid for, even the neat white parking lines fondly one more time, knowing she wasn't coming back again.
"Honeys, Ah'm home." Rogue said timidly, rapping on the door that opened without a problem.
"Welcome back!" The Brotherhood men said at once, flipping on the switches and shedding light on cheap decorations and a banner saying "Welcome Back Rogue". Wanda was standing in the corner with an impassive look on her face, slowly nodding to Rogue. The first exchange they ever had, unless you counted the numerous fights between the X-Men and the Brotherhood where Rogue would immediately be thrown back whenever her gloveless hand came anywhere near Wanda's bare skin. She took that as a sign of acceptance.
Lance stepped forward and hugged her, the rest of the Brotherhood following (excluding Wanda who scoffed), everyone careful not to touch her bare skin. She smiled inwardly even though she made a show of struggling out of the group hug. No one dared hug her at the mansion, even her brother stayed a good foot away at all times.
"It's good tah be back." Rogue smiled, "Now wheah's the beer?"
Author's Note: Sweet, happy, and only with a bit of angst. Tell me how bad it was in a nice way, please!