Title: Silent Scream
Author: Josephine (roswellDRE@hotmail.com)
Summary: Rogue and Logan are left all alone (but not together). Warning: Character death.
Rating: Pg-13
Disclaimer: They aren't mine. OK?!?!
Fandom: The X-Men movie
Pairing: Logan and Rogue, but not happy.
Suggested Listening: "I Miss You" by Incubus.
Distribution: Just ask. (WRFA, my site, ff.n)
Feedback: It would make my day.
Thanks: To Allana (as always)
July 25, 2001- August 19, 2001

The world ended and there wasn't even a flashy show of lights. It was slow and silent and gasping and then it was all over. It was exactly opposite of anything else the world had ever been.

And then she was left there alone. Alone in the empty nothing; alone with the voices in her head. She wasn't crazy, no not in the least. Although, sometimes she thought she was, so she knew she wasn't. The world was empty and so was she; anyone could tell that just by looking into her eyes. One could see right through her, right through to the nothing on the other side. Technically, there was something, but it wasn't something enough to be called as such.

In her empty mind she called out into the echoing emptiness. She cried for her parents, for she was after all, still a little girl. A little empty, broken, ripped-up, torn-out, little child who had been forced to grow up much faster than even anyone else around her (in that huge gaping emptiness). And she cried out to the voices in her head- who still managed to give her some strange sort of comfort even while they were fading. Fading ever so slowly, agonizingly; each moment a little further separated from her own mind. She cried for her enemies, for her heroes and for her love. And when her tears left her eyes they evaporated because there was nothing for them to fall to.

She too was fading quickly in the nothing. Now, when she looked to her hands, she only saw them as murderous weapons, and not things that could show affection, care, or even love to another person. Now, when she looked to her mind, all she saw were the empty resounding voices of people long gone. After all, what (who?) could survive in an empty world, except she- the emptiest of all? But somehow, she knew she wouldn't.

She thought she could remember a time when the world was still living, and when she might have been happy, and when there were others around her- not just inside her mind. She sensed a person at her side and was actually able to smile when he touched her cheek in a gentle caress. The pull was there, the pull was always there, but she could ignore it for a few seconds of pleasure.

But when that pleasure faded to pain, and she was screaming (and she can hear him screaming, but it is different, like he is far, far away. She can't get to his side.), that was when the world ended. All silent, and slow and absent of fanfare. There was nothing for others to see because it was all exploding inside of her.

And when it all fades, she is alone, in the gaping emptiness. She is being buried alive, still breathing. Her hand moves slowly to her face, and the pull is so strong; although she is so weak. In a final gasp, the emptiness is complete.

--

"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?" The blood was coursing through Logan's veins and his muscles ached to do more that just push Cyclops up against the wall. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be true.

"I'm sorry, Logan. We did all we could." The truth of Scott's words outraged him. This couldn't be real.

"It wasn't enough! There had to be something else!" Logan shoved Scott to the wall again and took a step back, running his hands through his hair in frustration, gripping his metal-plated skull and needing something constant to hold onto. "It wasn't enough…" This couldn't be. I wasn't enough.

Scott was silent for a moment, knowing that he couldn't really know what the man in front of him was going through. "You can see her if you want. Logan?"

His eyes were shut tight. "I want… I want her back. I want this to just- Dammit!" He spun around and slammed a suddenly clawed hand into the wall. His head dropped down to his chest, he was defeated. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be true. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be-

"I'll tell Jean to leave the room open."

--

Blinding flash of light… thrown backwards by the blast. Shrapnel cut through leather and skin, but nothing was enough to stop the X-Men.

Walking through the mansion… touching her face… wanting her to heal from her wounds.

Something wrong… she's not healing…

The veins in her face rise as she is pulled into me… I am hurting her! This has to stop!

Too late…

--



The emptiness was spinning, whirling around him. Tempting him to jump, to follow. Her voice called out to him, and he couldn't stop the tears. It wasn't fair; it wasn't real for goodness sake. This was all just a dream, and he would wake up in the morning and she would be there. And she would be fine and smiling. Or, at least when he woke up, he would be able to heal her, to make her mutation work again. To force that part of himself back into her mind.

All this emptiness was suffocating, so he gripped her hand and let her pull him out of it. Only, the blank, hollow feeling didn't go away. He wasn't sure if it would ever go away- if it ever could. He needed her- so much.

Now he was trapped examining the emptiness of her eyes for hints of life. He opened his mouth and fell across her in a silent scream.

"I Miss You" by Incubus
To see you when I wake up
Is a gift I didn't think could be real.
To know that you feel the same as I do
Is a three-fold Utopian dream.
You do something to me that I can't explain
So would I be out of line if I said
I miss you. (?)…

You have already been gone ten days
But already I'm wasting away.
I know I'll see you again
Whether far or soon
But I need you to know that I care
And I miss you.