Disclaimer: I Do Not Own The X-Men Or Anything Related To The X-Men. I also do not own the song 'Taking Chances'.

Summary: When Anna left the X-Men, she resigned herself to a life of shadows and loneliness. But one good deed later, the life she viewed as worthless is changed in unimaginable ways. Leaving her with a single burning question, "What if?"

The story title is based on the song 'Taking Chances' originally by Celine Dion, but I see this story as the Lea Michelle version.

So this story is going to be a bit of a comedy and drama. Think of it as Hallmark (mainly their 'A Family Thanksgiving' and ' A Snow Globe Christmas' movies) and Lifetime channels combined, maybe. Yeah, I watch too much television. Anyway, big thanks to Mrs. Jehilew for all of her editing work on the first two chapters and a later chapter. She's a pretty cool dudette with strong writing skills. Hope you guys and gals like the story.

The best time to be homeless is the holidays.

Despite what television shows and books voice about how depressing it can be, it is definitely the highlight of the year for those who can't afford a meal (decent or otherwise). Anna Marie had long ago lost count of how many Thanksgiving and Christmas soup kitchens helped her survive over the past four years. Wasn't something she was necessarily proud of, but when you haven't eaten in about two weeks pride takes a back seat to more basic needs.

Her life hadn't always been like this; roaming through towns to try and find a job she wouldn't lose due to a power glitch or attempting to win the ultimate game of misfortune-tug-of-war between eating or keeping a roof over her head. The game wasn't always so basic, though. After some particularly nasty power glitches, the roof option had been taken off the board by outside players, namely angry villagers sans the flaming pitchforks.

What made the whole predicament even stranger, was only a few years back, she'd resided in a cozy mansion with an extremely well-stocked pantry. The place was spacious, roommates generally agreeable, and the rent non-existent. A regular paradise, in the opinion of most unattached strangers. Of course, the description of her old life didn't end there. No, if it ended with that lovely explanation, she would have never wound up an unhealthy solitary skeleton wandering down a frozen sidewalk.

The X-Mansion always sounded great in descriptions. Even after everything she'd been through, Rogue could readily admit the place still maintained a certain wonderment quality when she mentally reviewed the selling points. Professor X and the other teachers did help a lot of students with their new abilities. They even managed to somehow help students with physical mutations blend in with non-mutants. And she knew, in her head and heart, they'd aspired to help her at one point. Really, some of them still probably wanted to desperately clutch at straws of hope any sane person knew were pointless.

You just can't help some people.

Rogue had never admitted it out loud, but in the back of her mind, she'd always known there was an expiration date set for her time at the X-Mansion. After her powers flew out of control, it was obvious, at least to her that she was dangerous and her stint with the civilized and power steady X-Men was up. Sure, Logan and the other teachers tried to remind her no one was angry and they would do anything to keep her and the other students safe. She had to give them at least a little credit on the matter. They definitely did try to help. But like a carton of milk pushed to the back of the fridge, she became more of a nuisance and safety concern than anyone, including herself, wanted to be near.

The memory brought the twenty-year-old back to the important task at hand. How could she have forgotten, for even a moment, the whole reason she trudged out to this barren bridge in negative 2-degree weather? She pulled her pale hands from the warm jacket pockets and gripped the bitterly cold safety rail running along the edge of the bridge. With no trepidation in heart or mind, she peered downwards to the half-frozen water rushing hurriedly under her bridge. It was a decent size drop, more than enough to do the deed twice over.

"Hmm." She hummed to herself, finding a light of irony through the morbid shadow of her situation. The same bridge she'd admired through multiple carpools with the other X-Men was going to be the last sight she would see on this Earth. Well, maybe the second, if the murky water counted as a sight.

Anna Marie would never be labeled the drollest person in the X-Mansion, or anywhere else for what it was worth, but even she hadn't pictured her life coming down to this. As ridiculous and idiotic as it sounded, a tiny part of her she barely recognized anymore, once thought maybe Professor X would figure it all out. Maybe between the two of them, they could have found a way to control her powers. Maybe, just maybe, she could have had a real life…

"Ow!" She whipped her hands away from the railing and instantly noted the steam rapidly escaping from the once frozen barrier.

Every time she lost herself in pointless daydreams, those stupid powers brought her back to reality in minutes. The small bursts of energy had started only a few months after her concert freak out. She'd hoped and prayed the concert episode would empty the pent-up emotions and power raging through her system. But in the end, it appeared the outburst had done far more to awaken new internal strengths then wash out old issues. It was hard, if not impossible, but she'd kept things somewhat controlled for the first few months. Even when Gambit accompanied her on his forced tour of Louisiana, she had kept most of her powers in check. Aside from a surprisingly well-placed burst of super-strength when she tossed one of the assassins out of the jazz club, she'd been pretty power normal.

About a month after bayou adventure time, things had started to move far quicker then the nervous young woman could handle. One moment everything was fine, as fine as her unquiet mind could be at least, and the next her hands tried to break out bone claws, summon a bedroom tsunami, or phase right through whatever poor object she reached for. The day she accidently burned Jamie's arm was the last straw. Late that night, she packed up whatever junk fit in her backpack and hit the road without taking a single look back.

Rogue bit her lip hard refusing to let her mind traipse back down the path of destructive and hurtful memories.

Now here she stood, four years later to the day, overwhelmed and unhealthy both physically and mentally. Ready to take the only precaution she could to save both herself and the world from the Rogue, Anna Marie Darkholme.

"Wait!"

The sudden yell broke Rogue's concentration and forced her head to snap back to the opposite side of the street. She had been far too wrapped up in her personal drama to pay even an ounce of attention to the park on the other side of the road. After a quick study of the scene, she spotted a harried looking woman running with such wild abandon her purse flew completely off her shoulder and spilled its contents all over the snow. The strange lady yelled something about stopping again in a far louder voice, but it didn't make much of an impression until Rogue turned her gaze lower to the ground.

At the edge of the opposite side railing, a small boy was squeezing through the architecture design before racing into the street. Instinctually, Rogue's eyes widened and her head turned towards the left. She noticed the bright yellow ball in the road and the oncoming truck almost instantaneously. The driver was speeding along faster than she could believe was actually allowed in the area, particularly when the roads were still bearing traces of snow and hidden ice.

She opened her mouth as the kid wandered farther onto the road, but no sound would come out. The whole tragic moment began to play in slow motion for all four doomed human contestants. Upon spotting the kid, the driver slammed his brakes so violently the truck started to slide uncontrollably across a patch of ice. On the opposite side of the road, the mother shrieked like a madwoman and hurdled the railing as best she could. Wide-eyed and pale, the boy stood still as a statue in front of the oncoming attack.

Before the thought could even register with her brain, Rogue's feet flew from the sidewalk and raced into the street. With one strong shove, she knocked the child to the curb and his terrified mother's waiting arms. Truthfully, she knew it was only a matter of seconds before the truck finished her off, but just before the collision, she prayed for a miracle.

…

"What just…"

Rogue slowly opened her eyes as her brain snapped back to life, fully expecting intense pain to be radiating through every inch of her. She was no doctor, but any idiot knew getting hit by a truck would do your body no favors.

"Anna Marie Darkholme," The voice that greeted her was feminine, with a little bit of a scratchy quality that gave the tone more character. "Right on time."

The stranger was a tall woman, who looked nothing like a doctor or nurse in her puffy vest, long-sleeved shirt, and fitted jeans. Actually, she didn't seem concerned in the slightest the woman she was weirdly happy to see had just been hit by a vehicle. Instead, of peppering Rogue with questions about her health, as any normal person would, the strange female smiled, adjusted her aviator style sunglasses, and pointed to something on her clipboard.

"Now, we don't really have much time. So, stand on up and let's get moving."

"What?"

"Moving." The stranger repeated almost insultingly slowly, "We have to leave here and go there."

"There?" As her body became slowly conscious to the realization she felt no pain, Anna boldly stood up from the couch she'd been sitting on, "Look…. Whoever… you are. I don't know how you know my name, but I am getting out of here right now."

For the first time since waking, Rogue pulled her eyes away from the female captor and studied her location. It was definitely an improvement to the street she last remembered. Actually, the casual waiting room was an improvement to most of the places she'd lived since leaving the X-Men. The lush green carpet, dark wooden walls, and even the potted plants sandwiching the couch looked healthy. What kind of office actually had healthy, real plants? If that wasn't suspicious, then her name wasn't Anna.

"Exactly. We need to get going."

"Without you! I go and you stay far away from me if you know what's good for ya." Rogue growled at the woman who just kept smiling a little too boldly for her taste. "Just stay away from me."

"No, that won't work." The woman tried to interject, "You see, I need to tell you a few things before you walk out the door."

Did she just say door? Rogue glanced around the room once more with wild eyes before catching sight of the only door in the entire room. She could have almost guaranteed herself the escape route hadn't been there seconds earlier.

The stranger furrowed her brows the moment Rogue's eyes locked onto the target. She shot out an arm to grab the young woman's shoulder but just missed as Rogue ducked away and practically flew to the door. The bizarre waiting room lady called out urgently for her to stay, but the stubborn Rogue would have none of it. Instead, she forced herself to be brave and ripped the door fully open. In the blink of an eye, a tidal wave of solid light washed over her and left the world silent once again.