( As I said during my last fan fiction I was going to attempt to make a parody of Flowers in the Attic with Rogue and Wolverine. This my darlings shall be no easy task, but I have my series ready for quick reference for those of you who have read the series please send me your reviews and let me know what you think as this is one of my FAVORITE series in the whole wide world. Thank you and now let the story BEGIN! )
Goodbye, Professor.
Truly when I was only a mere tot I believe that all our days would be one long wonderful adventure together. Charles was like the father in my young world as was Scott and Jean and Ororo they were like my family my mother, my father and each day was greeted with hugs and kisses as I came to the mansion when I was just at the tender age of seven and a half. The school had been running a few years and even as the X-Men were really all that old only barely out of there teens to me they where the most grown up people I had ever met always attending to the younger mutants. Charles was God in my eyes and I never felt that the affection he showed towards me especially would change as I seemed to be the youngest and most dangerous mutant to have been brought here. Looking back now I sometimes wonder if it was my shy sweetness that brought him closer to me or perhaps my mutation either way Charles spent many hours with me talking to me about ways to learn how to co-exist with my powers and even one day learn to control them.
Many times Charles had to go away on business trips with Jean but we at the mansion could always count on him being back Friday evening, Charles always told us that he could not bare to be away from the most important people in his life for more then a week. And at this time Charles had not taken to his wheel chair just yet he got around with a gleaming cane of cherry mahogany fashioned just for him but a special craftsman. And each Friday when Charles would come home he would bring gifts to those of us who were the closest to him.
And every Friday me, Scott, and Ororo would make up a special little party in his office just for him and hide behind his desk giggling to ourselves as we heard voices coming closer and the soft tapping of his cane against the hard wood floors. And soon the door would open the light from the other room shinning behind him as he threw out one arm and would call out. "Greet me with hugs if you missed me!" And we all would burst from behind his desk and run towards him, I would always fall back and Scott shook the professors hand and gave him a gentlemanly hug and Ororo she would almost cry every time he came home and she would hug him like a daughter and he would always offer her his handkerchief to dry her eyes with, and this those kind gently blue eyes would fall on me and I would run to him hugging his legs before he would scoop me up in one arm and I would hug his neck.
At these moments the Professor and I would stand back to watch Jean float into Scott's arms and they would kiss and hold each other, that never ending love they had for each other still touches my heart even till this day. Charles would almost smile as he sent to sit behind his desk and each time this happened he would look to me and say. "You see them together Rogue my dear? One day you'll find the one that's perfect for you. No matter your mutation." These words always brought a sheer leap of hope and faith into my spirit because I truly believed everything that Charles told me.
Only a year had passed when the professor had been in cerebra for several hours the group of us had gathered outside of cerebra worried waiting for the professor to come out slowly the doors slide open, from what we knew the professor had been tracking a certain mutant for almost fifteen whole years. He'd been a subject at a mutant testing lab and had escaped but not before they had done there damage. He now had long metal claws that shot out from his forearm and his whole skeleton structure had been altered with a special metal called adamantium. He wanted to find this man and bring him back to the institute for protection and also to help him find out a bit more of his past since every time he tried to read his memory he was blocked as if he had some sort of amnesia. And there for if the man himself couldn't even tap into those lost memories neither could the professor, everyone was all on board to help this mutant as it was our job to reach out to those in need, to protect the innocent, and love the unloved. Are at least that's what being part of this family of mutants meant to me.
When the professor and Jean brought the man back to the institute from Canada he was in the med lab for almost three days sleeping, he'd been in a terrible car accident and he'd been beaten up pretty badly by one of Magneto's goons. And when he did wake up he was like a wild best rampaging through the institute flashing his claws at anyone to crossed his path except for Charles and Jean, I think he kind of liked Jean who wouldn't she was the most beautiful women I had ever seen other then Ororo. And once the man called Wolverine spoke with the professor and had hopes of learning about his past, he seemed to calm down a little bit he stopped flashing the claws at everyone but he was still brooding he rarely came out of his room for anything other then meals and the chance to flirt with Jean across the dinner table. It made Scott mad I could tell even then at only eight years old I knew there was a feud brewing between these men. But for some reason I kind of liked this man called Wolverine he was a loner just like me, and he didn't seem to afraid of anything even me although I'm not really sure he knew much about my mutation until one night I came down from my room to the kitchen for a glass of water. Moving stealth like in the darkness, I liked these times because there was no fear of bumping into someone in the halls it was just quiet and dark and empty. When I reached the kitchen I pulled the little stepping stool over to the cabinet for a glass moving around in the dark still I never turned any lights on at all and poured a glass of water from the tap when I heard something. Holding my glass with my bare hands I turned to see the dark massive figured of the man Wolverine seated at a bar stool, the sound I had heard was that of his lips popping away from the beer bottle he clutched.
"Don't you know its not polite to go around scaring people in the dark, mister?" I ask with my most stern tone.
Putting his bottle down on the counter he fixed me with a dark gaze even without the lights on I could tell if looks could kill I probably would've dropped dead right on the spot. "You're the one who snuck in on me, kid." He said his voice sounding low and fierce.
I just stood there for the longest moment holding my glass, Wolverine was right. I had done all the sneaking but how the heck was I to know that he would be sitting there in the dark. So hopping down from my step stool I went over to the light switch and flicked it on trotting over to the empty seat next to him and climbing up it with a 'Huff' my pink ballerina slipper clad feet dangling as I sipped my water. "Now we're not in the dark anymore."
He gave a 'huff' under his breath taking another drink from his beer, he was shirtless in gray sweat pants with his hair tussled a clear sheen of sweat was over his face and upper body. Leaning over catching the gleam of light off of something dangling around his neck it looked like an army dog tag. "Where you in the army? Does- doesn't that mean you were in the army?" I asked looking wide eyed at him for a long pause as he looked down at the dog tag and didn't answer.
I thought this was rather rude of him. "So what kind of a name is Rogue?" Wolverine asked suddenly his eyes narrowed as he stared blankly ahead at the sink faucet dripping. I shrugged gently, Rogue wasn't my real name. I'd never told anyone my real name. "Well what kind of a name is Wolverine?" I asked sharply normally people knew when to back off, they where always afraid I would touch them if they didn't.
Smirking he turned his head slightly to look at me for a moment before snorting his amusement at my attitude. "Names Logan…" He said turning his head back to the faucet.
Smiling softly I finished my water. "Marie…" I added looking at him at the same time he turned his gaze back onto me. "So what's with the gloves all the time Marie?" He asked which made my smile fade away.
No one really asked about my skin anymore not since everyone knew about it, and even when new people came to the institute other students quickly told them about 'Rogue's Skin' it made it rather hard to make friends with the kids who came to Xavier's that where my age. "Its mah skin…when I touch people, it just hurts them." I answered being from the sound whenever I was anxious my accent came floating back no matter how hard I tried to cover it.
Logan's gaze feel to my hand holding my empty water glass and nodded his acknowledgement. He didn't seem to be afraid of me at all and I liked that, liked it a lot. And from that moment forth I was like Logan's twin where ever he went I was sure to follow in his footsteps. My smile returned to my face as I scooted off of my stool and took my glass to the sink and headed back up to my room, but before leaving the kitchen I turned back and gave him one of my one hundred watt light bulb smiles and said. "Goodnight Logan."
The Twins.
One spring when I was sixteen. Scott, Ororo, and myself were behind the professor's desk awaiting his return. Logan normally never took part in our little coming home parties but would usually stop in to welcome him home with a brief nod. As the years had passed Charles legs had given out and he now got around in a silver mechanical wheel chair and the familiar sound of his motor as he approached put us all on edge ready to jump out from behind his desk. As the door opened Charles did not look as happy as he normally did when he and Jean returned.
We all were quickly seated on one of the large leather couch's in his office as Jean and Charles explained that on the flight home in the black bird the professor had tapped into cerebra and his attention was alerted of two baby mutants twins a boy and girl whom had been abandoned at a hospital in Boston by there parents after the girl phased through her mothers arms and the boy beginning to cry missing his twin had almost frozen his mothers arms solid. The nurses and doctors at the hospital hadn't the slightest idea of what to do with the two children and that he and Jean would be leaving immediately to take the children into the institutes custody.
This frightened me, we'd taken in many young mutants but never babies and certainly not a baby girl, the boy I wasn't so much afraid of but the girl she would be smaller, cuter and everyone would want a little piece of her. Charles would love her more then me and she would take my place in his heart. Of course I didn't show any of these fears as Charles and Jean left once again but as soon as the jet had left the hanger I went up to my room falling over onto my bed crying until I fell asleep. Ororo had tired to get me to come down from my room for dinner but I hadn't responded to her voice outside of my locked room, nor had I responded to Scott's or Logan's. It was strange hearing them both outside of my door trying to work together to get me to come down. Later after Scott had left my door Logan staid there saying he could smell my tears and to let him in and talk to him about what I was so upset about. Normally over the years I had always confided all my fears, dreams, thoughts to Logan but not this time. I felt guilty and ashamed for acting so childish but I still didn't like the idea of that little girl coming to take my place.
Charles and Jean had staid over night in Boston with the twins until the next morning when Jean would better be able to handle the black bird in the air. And I still hadn't come out of my room but I had unlocked my door for Ororo to come in bringing breakfast with her asking if I would like to come down to welcome Charles, Jean, and the new babies home and I shook my head still hiding my face in my pillow after I had collapsed onto my bed again.
"Rogue, what's wrong sweetheart? I've never seen you behave this way before." Ororo said rubbing my back gently as I tried to choke back my sobs as they returned again.
After a moment I confessed all my thoughts about the baby girl coming. And she lovingly assured me that Charles would always love me as he had before, nothing would ever change and that the babies coming would be like living dolls for me to love and play with and that they would need my help taking care of them. But I didn't believe her and just hide in my pillow again as she left my room seeing that there was no talking me out of my beliefs.
A few hours later as Charles and Jean had returned, Jean and Scott were getting the twins settled into a bedroom adjoin to there's so they could keep an eye on them at night. Charles came to my room a sadness in his normally cheerful blue eyes.
"I missed you greeting me home Rogue." He said using my code name, even though he had the power to search my mind for my real name he never had in all the years I had been at the institute.
I didn't speak, I couldn't all I could do was hate that little girl only a few doors down from my bedroom. I hadn't even raised my head from my pillow to look at Charles and noticed the pink wrapped box sitting in his lap. "Don't you even want to open your present, Rogue?" He asked his voice sounding hurt.
"I had hoped that you would always run to hug me when I returned even if I didn't have a gift for you, the only reason I didn't give it to you before was because Jean and I had to get to the children before they where handed over to social services. But I guess I was wrong." He said softly the sound of his wheel chair starting to leave and raised up from my pillow pulling my knee's into my chest.
"Its not that Charles." I sniffled watching him as he turned his wheel chair to look at me softly. "Its not, Rogue?" He asked a little of the previous light returning to his eyes.
I shook my head softly. "No, its just there's a new baby girl in the mansion and she's so sweet and your going to love her more then me and you'll forget all about meh." I said tears forming in my eyes once again still blood shot from crying so much.
Wheeling himself closer to my bed Charles looked at my softly a small smile playing on his lips. "Oh Rogue. My dear no one could ever take your place. I foolishly believe that I had been a good father figure, that even if I didn't bring home one single gift for you or the others that you all would greet me home with love, and even if I brought home a dozen children to the institute that my special Rogue would know that she was my special girl, because she was my first." Charles said gently looking down into his lap at the large pink wrapped box as I shot him an angry glare.
"But when that little girl gets bigger you'll probably tell her the same thing." I choked up a sob and hiding my face in my arms again.
"Would I?" He asked gently. "Yes!" I shouted. "You'll love her more because she'll be little and cuter!" I cried wanting to scream at the top of my lungs but I felt I just didn't have the energy to do so, I was already so exhausted from crying since last night.
Holding his arms out towards me I couldn't resist not flinging my arms around his neck my cheek resting against his neck as it had taken many long years to finally find control over my mutation. "That's just not true Rogue, I may love her as much but I could never love her more. And real babies are much more fun to play with then dolls, and everyone and myself are going to need a lot of help taking care of them. So now, please don't cry, don't be jealous. Open your present and then you can come and see the babies." Pulling away from his against my own will I couldn't help but smile drying my eyes trying to believe him even though I still didn't believe him sort of as he passed the gift into my lap.
Swallowing softly I opened the box taking out a beautiful ballerina spinning before a mirror around and around it was a music box. "Its also a jewel box." Charles said softly the anxiety leaving his eyes. "And what's the use in having a jewel box if there is nothing to put inside of it." He added leaning over to open the small drawer that held a small silver ring with an emerald stone inside of it.
Smiling I chocked back more sobs but these were happy tears that now slide down my cheeks as I took the ring out looking at it before I slipped it onto my finger and wrapped my arms around Charles neck hugging him tightly before I pulled away slowly and looking him in the eyes softly.
"I love it Charles, but I don't love you for your gifts. I love you. Your like my daddy." I said before kissing his cheek softly and putting my musical jewel box onto my bedside table standing up ready to go see the babies fully believing that neither would take my place.
As Ororo and Charles had both told me the babies really were better then dolls even though I had long ago stopped playing with dolls I loved them both like I had, had them myself. The girl still drove me crazy a little bit she cried almost constantly if someone wasn't holding it, or if her twin was too far away from her. The loud mouth little girl we named Katherine 'Kitty' for short and the boy Robert 'Bobby' for short. And they where adorable. I spent all my time away from my studies playing with them, feeding them, changing them, and bathing them. And now there were two more additions to our little family to burst out from behind the professor's desk each Friday when he came home with Jean.
The Party.
It had almost been a full two years since the twins had come into our lives, even Logan seemed to have gone soft and would let Bobby right on his shoulders and pull in the two peaks of hair that stood up on his head and run around the yard with him making loud rumbling car noises while Jean, Ororo, and myself would sit back playing with Kitty and watching before she ran over to Logan grabbing onto his leg and saying, "Do me now Wogan, do me now!" Kitty was the pushy one where as Bobby was more quiet and let his twin do most of the talking.
One Friday it happened to be Charles birthday when he and Jean would be returning home and everyone had decided to move the small apart of only four - sometimes five if Logan decided to join in, into the dinning room and have a big birthday party for Charles. Myself and Ororo did all the cooking while Scott and Logan put up all the decorations and the students ran around getting dressed and putting all the presents onto the dinning room table in pretty stacks.
Charles would blush as red as Jean's hair when he came in and saw everything we had done for his birthday. After having dinner ready and setting out the cake with the candles ready to light in it, it was my job to take the twins up for there bath and to put them in there nicest outfits. Taking them up into my room Logan soon followed getting ready himself actually putting on a suit borrowed from Scott as the tension between the two had calmed considerably over the years and they now seemed to be pretty good pals. Getting the twins bathed and putting Bobby in his cute little sailor suit and Kitty into her little matching sailor dress they both looked like angels. Now the tricky part of keeping them clean while I got dressed, someone Kitty always found a mess to get into and Bobby had a constant case of hay fever and his little nose ran all the time which he sniffled and wiped his nose over the sleeve of his little suit. Taking the twins by there hands I took them down the hall into Logan's room and knocked on the door softly before I opened it he was sitting there smoking a cigar on the edge of his bed when I came in with the twins turning them over to him. "Try and keep them clean while I take a bath." I said with a happy but exhausted smile as I left them with him the sound of some childish fairy tale book he was reading audio able from outside the door as I ran back to my room to bath and dress.
Less than an hour I was dressed the twins still presentable were all back down stairs in the dinning room, the twins in there playpen playing with there little trucks and dolls as everyone laughed and chatted together waiting for Jean and Charles to arrive. Slowly hours passed by and everyone started getting tired sitting down at the table but refusing to eat until Jean and Charles got home.
They had been scheduled to arrive back at the institute by six that evening and it was now eight o'clock and Ororo and I were starting to worry taking turns pacing the dinning room floor and peaking out of the window searching the sky for the black bird to appear any second.
"They would've called if anything had happened, probably just something important popped up and they haven't arrive on time yet." Scott said his arms folded always the voice of logic as Logan had disappeared outside for a beer.
The twins had already begin to complain of being hungry and tired and Scott took them into the kitchen as another hour slowly passed to feed them before taking them up to there cribs and putting them to sleep and coming back down just as the black bird appeared in the night sky, everyone on edge we all went down into the hanger as it was being shut off and the hatch slowly opened and a lone Jean walked out looking haggard and her eyes blood shot from tears.
Everyone but myself rushed towards her just as she was about to collapse onto the floor. Scott quickly grabbing her and helping her as she shook her head clinching her eyes shut. Ororo, Logan, and the students gather around her as she began to speak. "There was an attack by the brotherhood, I- I think I must've blacked out because when I came to he-." Jean choked up shaking her head again as a few students gasp having already guessed what had happened.
"There was nothing I could do, when I came to Charles…the professor he was…, gone." She sobbed students grabbing each other for support as a chorus of mournful cries rang out in the hanger. Logan's head dropped his hands being shoved into his pockets quickly his back wracking with the tears he was trying to hide from everyone around them.
I didn't believe it, running forward I was pushing my way passed students to get to Jean as she hide her face against Scott's heaving chest tears falling from behind his visor Ororo holding a group of students in her arms as they all cried together.
"Its not true is it Jean? No…it can't be you were unconscious maybe…maybe your wrong maybe the brother hood just took him?!" I shouted desperate to hear her say that was what had happened that Charles was alive somewhere.
But she never answered me, and in her silence I knew what she said had to be true. The professor was dead and he would never be coming home again to say 'Greet me with hugs if you missed me!' and that she and the twins would never be able to turn to embrace him and smother his cheeks with kisses and tell him how much they had missed him.
Charles was dead. And even as I stood there I felt Logan's hands protectively wrap around my shoulders as my head fell back my knee's weakening as I howled. "Noooooooooo!" as all my childhood memories came crashing down around me as I fell to the floor my voice ringing out inside of my head as well as the metal walls of the hanger.