Post: X3

Piotr watched as Bobby and Rogue walked hand-in-hand through the mansion's hallways. He was glad for Rogue, Marie rather now that she was no longer a mutant, that she had found this new peace of mind and contentment from something as simple as touch.

However, she was sorely missed in the Danger Room. He had just gotten used to sharing his powers with her and watching her turn into a female version of impenetrable metal. He enjoyed tag-teaming alongside her to defeat a simulated sentinel. Or to at least stand a fighting chance against Wolverine's little tests.

The loss of Professor Xavier, Scott Summers, and Jean Grey had been a great blow to the X-men and the institute. The added loss of several of the students from the 'cure' was almost as devastating. It was only a matter of time before Marie would pack her bags and leave, same as the other former mutants.

He looked down at the letter in his hand and frowned. It was from his sister and her health remained poor. She tried to sound cheerful, but he knew better. Piotr shook his head to rid himself of melancholy thoughts. He gathered his copy of "War and Peace" and headed outside. He wanted to catch some sun while reading the novel of his home country. He hoped to feel the sun's rays warm his skin while his heart grew colder with each day that he dwelt on the health of his sister or on the loss of his compatriots.

OoOoOoO

"I'm sorry Marie, but I have to run," Bobby apologized once he reached Rogue's room. She pouted cutely, causing Bobby to grin slightly. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I'll come find you after Kitty and I finish our session in the Danger Room."

"Okay Bobby," Rogue smiled softly, working hard to keep emotions from shining in her emerald eyes. She didn't need him to think she was jealous. "I'll just be studying at the pool, alright?"

"Sure," Bobby said. "See you then."

Rogue stood in her doorway, watching Bobby as he walked away from her. She couldn't help but think that lately she'd seen a lot more of his back than his front. She wasn't jealous of Kitty. She kept repeating her mantra. Perhaps one day she would believe it. Rogue gathered her books and headed towards the poolside lounge chairs.

OoOoOoO

Colossus lay lounging in his chair. He looked up from his novel when someone's shadow blocked his sun. He saw Rogue standing in front of him and sat up. She gave him a warm smile. "Hi Sugar, mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," Colossus answered, pulling the lounge chair beside him a little closer to his chair. "Please join me," he invited, his voice gruff with his heavy Russian accent.

"Thanks," Rogue answered, tossing a beach towel over the chair and then sitting. "War and Peace?" She observed with a raised brow.

"I'm just a bit homesick I suppose," Piotr answered. He watched as she pulled out her study book from her backpack. "You have brought your SAT book again."

"Yeah, I figure I'll be ready to take them in another month or so." Rogue lifted her right hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. She looked over at Piotr nervously. "I never actually thought I could go to college after what happened with Cody," she confided.

Colossus relaxed back into his chair. "You will be missed here," Piotr told her softly.

"Hardly, Bobby will still have Kitty after I'm gone," Rogue said bitterly. Colossus put down his book and stared at her with a bewildered expression. Rogue waved her hand at him. "It's no big deal. I knew it was going to happen. I'm not any good here anymore. Besides, I wasn't that good before. I was more like a parasite, using other mutant's abilities."

"Bobby is not the only one who would miss you," Piotr said quietly and seriously. "The team misses your skills," he continued. "You were not a parasite."

Rogue rolled her eyes at his second comment. "Right, you miss me leeching off your powers," she stated, using the leech pun on purpose in reference to the institute's newest student. "I know you'd get a monster headache after I would steal some of your ability from you. We're all better off this way."

Piotr's teeth ground together in agitation for her attitude. "Rogue," he started, but corrected himself when she frowned at him. "Marie, what made you a great teammate was your ability to work with the team. Your ability was not a curse but a strength. That is why we are here, to learn to become strong with our talents."

Rogue leaned towards her Russian friend, placed her hand on his thigh, and surprised him by kissing him hard on the lips. She drew back from his shocked face a few inches. "There are more important things in life than being strong."

Colossus' dazzled expression vanished and a wicked twinkle lit his eyes. He wrapped his large hands around Rogue's waist and lifted her while standing at the same time. He then tossed her over his shoulder and marched towards the pool in determination.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rogue screamed, pounding her fists in a futile frenzy against Piotr's muscular back. "Put me down you metal head! And you better not throw me into that pool, do you hear me?"

"Certainly," Colossus answered. He began to run towards the deep end of the swimming pool, shifting Rogue's position so that he was carrying her bridal style. He jumped and sent both of them plunging into the chlorine depths of the pool. The two sunk all the way to the bottom before he kicked his feet, propelling them back to the surface.

They broke the surface laughing, Rogue's arms wrapped tightly around Piotr's neck. "You big oaf!" She cried out, but any further reprimand of hers was cut short when Colossus dived back under the water, keeping her trapped in his arms.

He hadn't counted on Rogue's resourcefulness and soon found himself about a foot from the bottom of the deep end with Rogue's feet at his waist. The next thing he knew she had managed to pull off his swimming trunks with her toes. He quickly brought them back to the surface. He tried vainly to get his trunks away from her.

"Nuh uh big boy," Rogue teased mischievously as she twisted her leg so that she could grab his shorts out from her toes' grip. "If you stop trying to drown me I'll give them back."

Piotr frowned. "I was not trying to drown you," he objected.

Rogue rolled her eyes, forgetting how sensitive the Russian giant was. "I know that," she said as he released her. She handed him his trunks. "Maybe you should consider swimming without those. The view is much better."

A fierce blush stained Piotr's cheeks as he dipped his arms down and put his trunks back on. "I'm just kidding! I didn't look, honest!"

"Look, I'm not going to discuss this any further," Ororo's voice carried towards the two companions. Piotr and Marie continued to tred water as Ororo and Logan came walking out into the courtyard together.

"They have a right to know," Logan persisted.

Ororo whirled on him. "Considering the fact that you're about to up and leave once again your opinion on how I run the institute is not relevant." Ororo stormed away from the angry Canadian.

Logan growled in frustration. He then sniffed the air and headed towards the swimming pool. He crouched down at the side of the pool, raising a bushy brow at seeing Rogue and Colossus so intimate with one another. "Iceman must be practicing with Shadow Cat," he commented.

"How very observant," Marie remarked sarcastically as she and Piotr swam to the edge of the pool. Piotr lifted Rogue up so that she could sit on the ledge, and twist to face Logan. He placed his hands on either side of her thighs and kicked his legs lazily. "What's going on Logan?" she asked, concern lacing her southern accented voice.

"Marie, I've got some bad news," Logan told her. He extracted the claws of his left hand and stabbed through the center of her SAT book. "Darling you won't be needing this."

Piotr frowned at Wolverine's destruction of the book and hoped that his novel wasn't the next to receive such a dire fate. "Why do you say this?" he asked.

"Mystique is back."

"So?"

"I mean that Mystique who was shot with the same cure that you received that permanently suppressed the expression of her mutant gene is true and blue once more," Wolverine explained.

"But, that means," Piotr trailed off looking up and meeting Rogue's devastated green eyes with his serene dark brown ones.

"That means that I'm going to be a freak again," Rogue muttered. She stood abruptly, ignoring the water that ran off her body. She walked towards her lounge chair and slipped into the robe she brought outside with her.

"Marie, wait!" Piotr called out, as he and Wolverine watched her start off towards the mansion.

"It's Rogue," she rejoined, continuing on her way.

Piotr began to rise from the pool but Logan put a staying hand upon his shoulder. "Leave her be Colossus. I'll talk to her."

Piotr sank back into the water as he watched his two teammates go inside the mansion. He knew that Logan was a better choice in trying to calm Rogue down. However, that didn't help ease the feeling of uselessness he had at not being able to convince her that she was important to the team, to him.