Title: When I Breathe
Author: S J Smith
Rating: Teenish
Summary: Rewrite of Alkali Lake in X2 - an explosion takes out the team on the way to the dam.
Notes:Written for the LJ Community, Comment_Fic, X-Men (movies), Rogue +or/ Wolverine, "Breathe" by Melissa Etheridge.
Disclaimer: If you think I own any of this, I've got some bog land in Indiana to sell you.
It hurt to breathe. Rogue tried to keep quiet about it, but her ribs ached and the taste of copper and heat filled her mouth. She spat it out, best she could, surprised at the splatter of red, brilliant against the snow.
She couldn't remember what happened – one moment, they'd been moving toward the dam holding back Alkali Lake, the next, everything exploded in a wave of flame and sound. Explosion, she thought, dazed, trying to roll over. The pain rolled over her, making stars flash in her eyes. Rogue bit back a moan, the ringing in her ears starting to diminish, letting her hear others crying out in pain.
Her memories started flickering back, too; Alkali Lake, Stryker; Professor Xavier, being held in the dam. Working with Magneto and that blue woman who could change her face. Nearly dying when the Blackbird was shot at by the military. "I won't die here," she whispered to the too-blue sky overhead. "I won't die here. I can't." Rogue wanted to see her family again, to go home –
- but home, it wasn't in the South any more, not filled with magnolia blossoms and slow accents and tea so sweet it could be poured over pancakes. No, home was a building filled with people like her, a family where she could be someone, where she could learn and grow.
"Kid!" His voice, sharp with pain. "Kid, where are you?"
Home was –
Logan suddenly filled her sight, dried blood on his face, searching hers. "Kid?" His voice lowered, and he whispered, just to her, "Marie?"
She coughed, blood filling her mouth, something inside her so broken. "Logan?" Did he even hear her? Had she even spoken?
His hands came up to cup her face and for a split second, her skin didn't react – and then it did, sucking down his healing powers like a sponge absorbed water. Rogue gasped, her broken bones knitting back together – agony – her organs repairing themselves – a symphony of torture and she wondered how Logan dealt with it every time.
And then she felt something else – him, oh God, Logan – and home, it wasn't a place any more, or a family she made for herself, it was just him.
Gasping, Rogue shoved Logan away, his strength for a few seconds her own, and she spat hard to clear her mouth of blood. Logan slumped a few feet away, panting, but peering at her through his bangs. "Better, kid?"
She knew from the emotions running through her mind – not her own, his – it wasn't what he wanted to say, but it'd do for now. "Yeah," Rogue said, knowing there wasn't time to go into this, not now, with everyone else still needing help. But later, his eyes might not be windows like they were right now, a part of her mourned, knowing that it had to wait; there were wounded people to take care of and they came first.
Pushing aside everything else, Rogue could concentrate on that, even if now, she longed for home.
- end -