Of silk gloves and scarfs

So this is my second story on Fanfic. It is a ROMY because I love Rogue and Gambit. Here are some quick facts about this story Rouge is still 17 and kitty just turned 16, Kurt is 16 almost 17, Jean and Scott are 19. As for Gambit is 28 because well he's not a teenage and being 18-21 doesn't give much time to be master thieve and a skilled lady's man. So that's why I made him older. Everyone less is still the same age give or takes a year. This story is about what happened after Apocalypse.

So I just want to say thanks to my beta Heather. She corrects all my mistakes for this story so thank you Heather love so much.

Chapter 1: The with a letter

Beep…Beep…Beep

"Rogue, ROGUE! Like turn off your alarm!" yelled Kitty, through the door, at her former roommate. They had an early Danger Room session today.

"Ah up!" The gothic girl growled. She felt around to turn off her alarm. It was 5am, too early for her liking, plus, it was Monday. It wasn't fair that she and Kurt, Bobby, Sam, Amara, Roberto, Jubilee, Jamie and Kitty had to go to a school that they were constantly hated at, and they couldn't do anything about it half the time. Why couldn't she just stay at the mansion and finish high school with the other newly arrived mutants to the Institute? It had been two months since the whole Apocalypse fiasco and things seemed, for the most part, back to normal. The Institute had gained more mutants than ever but most stayed until they had their powers somewhat under control and went back to their families. Some did stay the ones that had been kicked out by their families, the run ways, or orphans. Rogue hated going to school. For a while, it looked like her and the others were going to have stay with the newbies, because the school board thought that mutant teenagers were too dangerous to have around normal teens: thanks to Principal Kelly, who was waging a personal hate on mutants agenda. Professor Xavier had made a deal with the school board that they should permit the more expensed and controlled mutants back to school. Xavier told them that they were to set an example that the whole country and possibly the world to show that mutants were like everyone else, that others had nothing to hate and fear.

"Like I just don't understand why we have to do DR on school days. It's like not fair you know what I mean Rogue," a very cranky Kitty whined as she phased into her training suit.

"Kitty, you say the same thing every day," Rogue said as she walked across the room to get to her locker.

"Come on Rogue it like 5:16 hurry up! If were like late Logan is going to make us run a mile blindfolded again!" Kitty shouted from the other side of the door. The gothic girl tried to get into her X-men suit, but she couldn't zip it all the way.

"Kitty Ah can't get it zipped all way, did Kurt shrink our uniforms again?" Rogue asked as she couldn't get the zipper all the way over her chest.

"Ummm Rogue like I don't think it's Kurt's like fault," Kitty blushed and looked away.

"What do you mean?" Once again Rogue tried to zip herself up but it was no use.

"Rogue are you blind like ever since the whole thing with Apocalypse you have been changing: first, it was you hair like it's been growing like crazy how many times have you like cut your hair in the past two months, 4 or 5 times! Plus you like grew 3 inches and like here's the biggest thing, Rogue, your boobs like come on like have you not noticed that they went from apples to like melons in like the past month! Okay everyone is like talking about if we didn't know better like we all would have thought you had GOTTEN A BOOB JOB!" Kitty yelled. Rogue just stood with a shocked expression.

"I was hoping no one would have noticed," Rogue said, looking at the floor. She didn't want to think that the Apocalypse had any lasting effects on her since she had touched him two times. It was no use, she could tell that some of his powers had been absorbed into her, especially the last time she touched him. The Professor had tried to work with her on the powers. He thought that some of the power that she had absorbed from Apocalypse could help her gain control of her powers, but every time she tried to tap into the powers she would faint. The Professor told her to come back when she felt strong enough to tap into his powers again. The only good thing that she got of it was that the voices in her head were muted, for the most part. Every once in a while she would feel or hear them. It was the first time in almost two years that she could have her mind to herself. The only time that she heard them was when she was under a lot pressure or stress, which had been a lot lately.

Giving up on her uniform, everyone was going to have to deal with her showing off a lot of cleavage for one training session, she walked outside. She would ask the Professor for a new uniform as soon as school got out. She left uneasy showing that amount of skin, given her powers and all, the only way she could get out of training was if she sick or injured.

"Ok Ah ready let's go,'" the gothic rushed to her friend side. Kitty phased through the door while Rogue had to open it and run to keep up with Kitty. They made it with only 3 minutes to spare.

"Ok listen up people today we are going run a simple obstacle course. I want you to divide into groups of 4's. The first team to finish gets out of tomorrow morning's training and Saturday's as well," Logan said, "Rogue could you come here a second?"

"Wolverine what did ya want?" Rogue ran up to her mentor/father figure. After she had lost control of her powers and after being a pawn of Apocalypse, her and Wolverine relationship had turned into a father-and-daughter one. After she joined the X-men her so called mother's had disappeared from the face of the world, so instead of having the Professor have custody over her, Logan said that he would have Rogue under his guardianship.

"Umm Stripes did you forget to do something before you came into practices today?" the older mutant looked uncomfortable as he spoke to the younger mutant, whom he thought of as a daughter.

"What are you talking about…Oh My Gahd! Not you too! Ah know I've changed a lot in the past two months, but the uniform is too small for me right now. Ah was going to asked Professor for a new one after school today, and it's not like Ah enjoy looking like a slut." When Rogue finished she could feel her face red and hot. She wished for Kitty's powers so she could just phase under the ground.

"Okay, sorry Skunk-Head just go to your team. It looks like your blue fuzz ball of a bother has saved a spot for you. And are you still on for working on your motorcycle after dinner tonight?" Logan asked.

"Yeah, see you right after dinner," with that Rogue ran to meet up with her team.

"Sis you finally made it and this is going to be so easy," said Nightcrawler, Looking at his team which was Shadowcat, Iceman, and Rogue. They all nodded their heads.

"Okay, everyone to the starting line. Remember y'all finish together as a team or ya don't win. Okay, let's get going: Computer Run Program OC Alpha 1269 Wolverine." As the computer recognized Wolverine's voice, the danger room turned into a jungle of obstacle course. It also became hot and humid. Every team made their way to the starting line. "Okay, on three. One, Two, and Three GO!" Wolverine yelled. As soon as the words left his mouth, all the teams started to the first obstacle: getting across a wall of vines. Rogue's team was the first to make it to the wall.

The rest of the obstacle session went as well as one could hope for: they were being chased by wild hogs, having lasers shot at them, and crossing quicksand, plus fighting of rival teams. Wolverine was starting to push them beyond the limits that the X-men were used to. He wished he could go easier on them, but he knew that their enemies would not and he refused to send them out into the real world without a fighting chance.

Finally, Rogue could see the finish line: it was just a clear shot straight ahead. This is what she was waiting for: it was only her team and Jean's team neck-in-neck. They were giving each other all they had; it was time to execute the final plan. It was good that Shadowcat was right next to her.

"Shadowcat, listen to me, right next to you is Jean, and Iceman can keep her busy for only so long. I need you grab her hand and phase her though the ground like what you did with Sam last night." Before Kitty could respond she felt herself fall on someone.

"What the hell?!"Jean cried out. Right away she felt her left arm and leg sink and she was unable to move. "Kitty you are walking to school today!" She yelled.

"Sorry Jean, but I want Saturday morning off." Rogue yelled at the red head. With Jean unable to get out, her team had to stop and help her out, it was of no use, Rogue turned around to see Scott trying to blast her out and the rest of the teams were too far behind to pose any threat. With one last sprint she and her team made it across the finish line. Kitty and Rogue jumped up and down while Kurt did a little dance, and Iceman high-fived everyone.

"Okay, good job kid that only took about an hour. Hurry and hit the showers. Storm said that breakfast is almost ready so hurry up. Oh, Kitty get Jean out." With that the senior mutant left. Kitty went over and helped Jean out. They made their way up to the main part of house to get ready for the day. Rogue and Kitty shared a bathroom in-between their rooms. She was glad to make it into the shower. She started to gently wash her body, but then began to scrub it into an unnatural red color. She was unaware that she did this half the time when she first started to do it. She hoped that she could scrub way her poisonous skin. Now, she did it because she hated her skin. When she got out she quickly made it to her room, she didn't want Kitty to see her after she had been scrubing herself red. Rogue tried to find something to wear. She was tired and didn't feel like putting any effort into her outfit, so she just went with one of her new bras she had bought the day before with a black tank top and a green hoodie and black pants plus her favorite pair of black leather gloves. She brushed her hair and put on her make-up. She looked in the mirrors and thought this is as good as it's going to get. She went to grab her bookbag that she had left in Kitty's room last night. She knocked and waited for Kitty say it was okay for her to go in.

"Hey Rogue! Well I like think since we don't have DR on Saturday that on Friday we go to that new club that has been all over the news in the city where all the celebs are going to and I hear that Warren might even be there this weekend!" Kitty was bouncing up and down on her bed with excitement and giving Rogue a look that she knew, all too well.

"Kitty how in the word do ya plan on getting into the club that is 21 and over? Ya just turned 16 and don't get any idea about me an Warren." Rogue said as she laced up her boots. Kitty was always trying to make her date and she wished that she could just tell her friend that it hurt deep down when she played matchmaker. Rogue would see other couples holding hands and kissing, something that she wanted, but would never be able to have, because of mutation.

"Well like I was planning on phasing us in through the bathroom. Oh, Rogue, you got to loosen up. Warren is totally like hot and I've like seen him checking you out when he comes to talk to the Professor. Come on Rogue, it will be fun, it'll just be Me, You, Tabitha, and Amara. A girl's night out that's what we all need. Come Rogue, please, please! Don't like leave me alone with them I'll like just be the third wheel," Kitty pleaded with her friend. At the 4th of July/We beat Apocalypse BBQ celebration Tabitha and Amara had become a couple, thanks to Bobby, who had spiked both girls' drinks throughout the day and did the same with a few others which included poor Jamie and Ray. Ever since that day the Princess and Tabitha had become inseparable, and had to get new roommates because then Xavier laid out a new rule that no couples were to share a room unless married or over 18.

"Okay, I'll go with ya." She said. With that, Rogue and Kitty walked downstairs into the kitchen to get some food before the rest of the house could eat all of it. It wasn't until she got her plate that she noticed the time and realized that she and the rest of the upperclassmen were going to be late. She and Kitty hurried to finish some of food on their plates.

"Oh Shit! Hey, Kitty, look at the time we have like 30 minutes to get to school." She started to get up, before she could, Kurt grabbed her arm and made her sit back down.

"Don't worry about it, sis, I can teleport us to school today." Kurt gave both girls a smile.

"Umm like Kurt like what if someone sees you using your powers on school property again, like I don't know, yesterday! You were lucky it was just Mr. Bird and he didn't care but like what if like Kelly sees you, we can't risk getting expelled. Hey I'll meet you at the car I like totally forgot my lab book in my room," Kitty said as she stared to run out of the room.

"Kitty's right fuzz ball you have to more careful, come on let's go before we're late. Hurry up and finish eating before you make us late." Rogue said. Kurt said something that sounded like whatever. She was almost to Jean's car when she felt someone enter her mind.

"Rogue sorry for the intrusion but I need Jean's help this morning. Just use the sliver SUV for today, we will not need it. I'll pass the message to Kitty and Kurt"

"Okay, and Professor before I forget I need a new uniform mine is too small on me."

"Of course just have Storm get your new measurements and I'll place the order if there isn't anything else, have a good day at school."

"I will, thanks again, see you tonight."

She took off her right glove to unlock the SUV. It recognized her and opened, after getting in, she used her index finger and placed it on the scanner and started the engine. All the x-men cars were modifed this way after some of the younger student had taken some cars for joyrides after lights out. As she waited for Kitty and Kurt, she tried to find something to listen to. She found a radio station that wasn't talking about the new group forming, called The Friends Of Humanity or FOH as they went by, and talked about all the good that they were doing for the humanity, but to be honest, they were like the KKK, but for Mutants. Rogue gave up just as Graydon Creed came on. Just as she was about ready to drive off, without Kitty or Kurt, she saw Bobby come in the SUV. Rogue raised an eyebrow, he normally walked with Sam and Ray.

"Hey Rogue, umm can I ask you something?" He sounded very nervous he kept freezing and unfreezing his hands.

"Uh...Sure what do want to ask?" She was worried that he had done something to piss off Logan again and she would need to smooth things over.

"Well umm you know that it's umm Kitty and Jean's turn to cook tonight and I was wondering if maybe oh, I don't know, want to go out with me tonight?" Bobby quickly looked down at his hand waiting for her answer. To say Rogue was shocked would be an understatement. She never would have expected Bobby of all people to ask her out. Who in their right mind would want to go out with the untouchable? "It's ok if you don't, I understand. I guess I'll see you later at school." He went to open his door when Rogue found her voice.

"No, Bobby, wait, I'd like to have dinner with you." Rogue was surprised at herself; she was going to turn him down gently, but her mouth had a different idea. Bobby's face lit up and he closed the door.

"Great! I'll meet you outside your room at 5:30. Okay, I better get going, Ray and Sam are waiting for me." With the speed that would make Quicksilver jealous, Bobby iced over his lips and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. He then ran out of the car before she could say anything. Rogue felt her cheeks start to burn. Bobby was the second boy that she ever kissed, the first was that damn Cajun but she was under the control of Mesmero, so did that kiss even count? Once again she found herself lost in thought, she was unaware of Kitty and Kurt coming into the SUV.

"Rogue!" She heard Kitty shout at her.

"Oh, sorry about that, I'm just a little out of it today. So what took you guys so long? We only have like 15 minutes to get to school," Rouge asked while speeding out the gates.

"Well, like Bobby said, he needed to talk about something in private. So what was it about?" Kitty was giving Rogue an all-knowing smile, while Kurt was busy trying to finish his very large sandwich and a coke before they reached school.

"Well, he asked me out to dinner tonight, but I don't know maybe I should cancel?" The gothic girl really didn't want to go out. Why would she? It wasn't like anything could happen on the date, sure the he had a cute little trick to kiss her, but that's all that could ever happen between her and Bobby.

"OMG! I knew like he going to ask you out! OMG like what are you going to wear?" Kitty asked. She kept up a one-sided conversion better than anyone Rogue knew. Rogue did her best to tune-out the girl it worked for the most part she just put in "yeah" or "okay" here and there. It also helped that Kurt kept interrupting Kitty with jokes he had learned or came up with. By the time they found a parking space and got into the school, they only had about 5 or 6 minutes to spare thanks to Rogue's speeding.

Once they got inside the school, you could cut the tension with a knife. Rogue could hear people whispering about them or see them glaring at them. A few were still nice and talked to them and treated them like regular people, but for the most part most of the student body didn't want anything to do with mutants, and that included some of the teachers and one principal. Rogue waved goodbye to Kitty and Kurt as she went to her first class of the day: math. Rogue hated this class the most, she was the only X-men here and she had to sit right in front. She pulled out her homework and book and tried to ignore her classmates as they made their way into the classroom.

"Hey mutie! Why don't you just kill yourself!" said a bitchy looking girl that sat in the back. The room went silent, everyone waited for Rogue to say something. Rogue simply just turned around looked at the girl dead in the eyes and flipped her off, turned around and acted as nothing had happened. Just as the bitch girl was about ready to yell at her, the teacher walked in and stared class. That was how her day went at school, a few remarks, here and there, but nothing that she couldn't handle. At long last, her day came to an end. After a quick stop at her locker, she went to go to the SUV to wait for Kitty and Kurt and sent them a text telling them where she would be. After waiting for about 10 minutes Rogue stated getting worried. They should have texted her back or something by now. She quickly ran to the school looking for her friend and bother. She looked all over the school until she finally saw the two coming out of the boy's bathroom, with Kurt holding some tissues to his nose that were staring to stain red, with a very pissed off Kitty that had a box of tissues in hand.

"WHAT IN THE HELL HAPPENED!?" Rogue shouted and ran to her bother. Kurt was about answer, but Kitty to first open her mouth.

"It was that fucking Eric! He was bugging me and calling me a mutie and telling me to go kill myself. That is when Kurt showed up and told him to back off, but Eric didn't listen. So me and Kurt tried and walked away, that's when Eric grabs me. So I didn't think I just phased out of his hand. He then tries to grab me again, and I just keep phasing. Then out of nowhere Eric calls Kurt and I quote "A fucking faggot mutie!" then punches Kurt in the nose and laughs. I was so mad that I grabbed him and phased him into a locker." Kitty's face was red and her usually warm brown eyes were burning with anger. Her speech pattern also changed when she was serious or extremely angry she would stop using her valley girl accent.

"I am going to kill him! Which locker is he in?" Rogue was pissed off and seeing red. Kurt was her baby bother and no one laid a hand on him.

"Rogue, listen to me, we can't fight him. It would only put us in a bad light. I'll be fine after Beast looks at my nose when we get home, okay? Look the good book says to turn the other cheek. Let's just go home my nose is staring to hurt very badly." Kurt was trying his best to calm Rogue down. His nose didn't hurt that badly, but if he played it up, she would rather rush him home than seek revenge. So he let out a fake groan and held his noise little tighter.

"Alright Kurt let's get you home and fixed up," Rouge said. On the way home, no one spoke. Once they got there both girls helped Kurt down to the med lab.

Beast was busy looking at some of the other students' charts when the trio walked in. "Oh my stars, what happened Kurt?" With that Kitty retold her story to Beast while he nodded along and ushered Kurt into one of the examining rooms. He took great care with Kurt's nose. He patched the nose up and gave Kurt some pain killers and told him that it would be better soon. Beast then phoned the Professor and told him what had happened. "Kitty, Kurt, the Professor would like a word with the two of you." After giving them the message, the trio left.

"Hey, come to my room, after you're done with the Professor." Rogue said. She just got a nod from both of them. Before she got to her room, she remembered that she hadn't checked her mail in while, but all she ever got was magazines and junk mail, however; she still tried to check it every now and then. When she got to her own private mailbox, down the hall, she grabbed her mail: a magazine and a letter fell out. She picked it up and turned it over and what she saw on the letter made her heart stop. She couldn't believe it on all her mail she got, it said Rogue. Only a handful of people knew her real name, that was on the envelope, Anna Marie D'ancanto. As fast as she could, she ran to her room and locked the door. She walked over to her bed and sat and opened the letter.

Dear Anna,

I haven't heard from you in a while and I understand why. You have every right to be mad at Raven and me. I just wanted to say hello and that I miss you. Please understand that I never meant to hurt you, like I did, and I am glad that you are safe. I will be in the area in 2 weeks on Wednesday the 30th. I will be at park, last bench, by the row of trees at 5; I will wait till 6. Please come and bring Kurt if you would like. Don't worry, Raven will not be coming, you have my word.

Love your mother,

Irene

Rouge tried not to cry but failed. Irene was Rogue's other mother. Raven aka Mystique and Irene never hid the fact that they were a couple from Rogue. Rogue didn't care, at the age of 4, she was just happy that some couples just wanted her and didn't scream or hit each other all the time, for that matter, her as well. When she had found out all the lies that Mystique had told her, she was devastated. To Rogue, Raven and Mystique were two different people: Raven was a pretty blond haired woman with big light blue eyes she was firm and tough, but still loving towards her; Raven often left on business trips, but would always bring her back something. Raven, if she was on business trip that brought her to New York, she would always swing by and visit her while she was at the Brotherhood house. That all ended when she touched Mystique on the field trip with Scott, and found out the truth about Raven/Mystique. Mystique had been a terrorist and evil. She was a liar and manipulator, she just used anyone she could and didn't care if they got hurt. Just like time Mystique also pretended to her friend Risty. But what truly hurt Rogue, out of all of it, was the fact that Irene knew about it the whole fucking time. Irene, the sweet one, she was the one that tucked her in at night and said I love you the most, she was the one that had taken care of her when she was sick, and took her to school, gymnastics, dance lessons and to all her martial art classes.

She needed to pull herself together. She tried tucking the letter under her bed, but as she did, a playing card fell out. She hadn't looked at cards since the day after Mardi Gras. The southerner picked it up and just stared at it, she could almost smell the swamp, and hear someone whisper Cherie in her ear. Then she had a flash back to when Mesmero had her under mind control. When she kissed him, she didn't have to kiss him. She could have taken off her gloves and punched him, that would have done the trick. For some reason, she kissed him and he could have pushed her away when he saw that she was going to do it, but was it imagination or did he kiss her back if only for the 10 seconds that their lips met? She made her way to her bathroom. She washed her face which was covered with back and purple streaks running down her face. When she was done with washing her face and redoing her makeup she heard a knock on her door she went to open it, and a very upset looking Kitty and Kurt came in.

"What happened? Ya'll look like someone died." Rogue went over and sat down next to Kurt that was on her bed while kitty sat on the chair beside her nightstand and just looked at the floor.

"Rogue they want to expel us from school." Kitty said looking up at Rogue and starting to cry. Rogue walked over to her friend and gave her a hug.

"Oh, no, Kitty what did they say? And by us, do you mean everyone?"

Kitty tried to answer her friend, but was crying too hard.

"No, not everyone, just Kitty and I. When we talked to the Professor he called the school, but Eric got out of the locker and told his story first, saying that it was me and Kitty using our powers on him. Well the Professor and us are going to meet with Eric, his parents, Kelly, and the school board tonight and try and get this mess straightened out, but it doesn't look good." Kurt said shaking his head.

"What time are you meeting them?"

"We are meeting at 8 tonight. I think I'm just going to my room for a bit, and, Rogue, good luck on your date tonight," Kitty said giving Kurt and Rogue a forced smile. Kurt stayed in the room for a little while longer talking to his sister about anything, but what was really going on at the moment. He got up to leave and gave his sister a hug.

"Kurt would you like if Ah would go with you?"

"Rogue, as much as I would like for you to come, you would last 5 minutes in that room, before starting a fight with Eric. See you later, Sis," with that, Kurt made a face at his sister and BAFT out of her room.

She looked at the time and saw that it was almost time for her date. So are you going to put him in coma too, just like me Anna? Rouge clutched her head. Then all at once everyone she had ever absorbed came back in full force. She let out scream that rang though the halls.

"Stripes, what's going on?!" she could hear Logan just barely over the voices that were screaming in her head. She tried rebuilding the walls but the psyches kept breaking them down.

"I can't put them away they are too many of them! AAHHHHH!" It felt like her whole mind and body were being ripped apart. She could feel herself falling into a deep black hole.