Notes: Welcome to the sequel of The Dark Roses, wherein I throw my little playthings… er, characters… into a whole new slice of hell. And now for the warnings-this fic will contain: violence, blood, angst, adult language, mention of femmeslash, possibly some scenes of a sexual nature, and whatever else my muse comes up with. And the disclaimer-I don't own X-Men: Evolution, and am only borrowing most of the Roses. Jamie, Michelle, and the bad guys are mine, so leave them alone. And now that that's all taken care of, on with the fic!

Prologue

Rogue walked slowly along the corridor, eyes flitting to the sides and keeping an eye out for any movement. Threads of unease tingled through her body, making her stomach feel like it had been turned to mush and her knees to jelly. She licked her lips, trying to calm down, but it was useless. Taking a deep breath, she stopped at a door and put her hand on the knob, hesitating only a moment before pushing it open and walking inside.

She fought the urge to collapse to her knees. It was just like she remembered it, but also vastly different-the beds were where she'd left them, the wardrobes and dressers in place. But the walls were a cold creamy colour, empty and lifeless. There were no posters on the wall, no makeup on the dresser, no clothes littering the floor. The beds were pristine and never slept in, the wardrobes empty and barren.

Rogue sighed and wandered over to the farthest bed, sitting down gingerly and smoothing her hands across the cool sheets. She remembered sleeping here, tucked up warm and listening to Kitty breathe. She remembered sitting here doing her homework, or reading a book. This had been her bedroom.

Smiling sadly, Rogue stood up and quietly left the empty bedroom, clicking the door shut behind her. She wandered further down the corridor, memory swirling up in her mind and telling her which doors led to which rooms. This was her home, taken from her once by her enemies, and now gifted to her again by a friend.

It had surprised her, when Cathryn told her that she was having the Institute rebuilt. She'd been so shocked, unable to believe that Cathryn would spend so much money and time on such a thing. She'd been uncertain as to whether or not she would accept the gift, Cathryn's betrayal still burning in her mind. But Cathryn had been so unsure, so worried, and it was so unlike her that for a second, Rogue forgot what had happened and comforted her. After that moment, she knew she couldn't turn down the gift. This was her home, this was where she belonged, and this was where her new family would live.