Yo, another one-shot Jamie/Rogue friendship piece by yours truly.

Hope you like.

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Rogue had found that of late she suffered from an undeniable disease.

Insomnia.

She had often not slept during her first few months at the Institute, usually do to her roommate talking in her sleep. She had, over time, grown accustom to the Valley Girl's sleeping rituals and found it hard to sleep when she was away. During the winter holidays and her time spent with Trask in the testing facilities.

And of course the nightmares took up much of her sleeping hours, not to mention the hours during the days that she would dread and think about them.

She had never felt the lack of sleep, however, she'd act the same way she always had, whether she had two hours or ten hours of sleep the night before.

However recently she found that her inability to sleep was linked to the advancement of her powers. With all the dreams and thought people had during the night, Rogue found it amazing that Jean and the Professor slept at all.

They have probably found a way ta block it out by now. But she was just getting used to the idea of receiving projected thoughts.

She wandered down the halls, heading down to the Rec. Room. Normally she'd go for a run to get away from her thoughts, by Xavier had recently put all outdoors activities on hiatus.

A sudden blast of mental panic forced Rogue to her knees.

NO! Please, please, I...I didn't. Stop, please, I never hurt you.

Rogue pushed herself against the wall, she clenched her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. Pain radiated from her head, a sense of complete fear gripped her heart. She forced herself to ignore the pounding of her heart that rang in her ears. She took a deep breath, and forced her eyes open.

Directly in front of her stood a closed door. There was nothing special about it, normal oak, with a brass handle, just like every other one in the Mansion. What worried Rogue lay beyond the door. The innocent that was currently plagued with horrible nightmares.

Jamie! her mind screamed as she reached to open the door.

Due to recent events most of the older X-men, those who had been there since, almost, the beginning, had forced themselves to reevaluate their lives. They needed to know who they were fighting for, who they were willing to die for.

Rogue had searched her mind, and surprisingly Jamie had been the first. He was an innocent in the whole ordeal. Someone whom she'd looked out for at the Institute, she'd stuck up for. He was like her little brother, one she was extremely protective of.

She found the door locked, it was actually a necessity nowadays. You never knew who would come knocking at night. Almost without thinking Rogue pushed though the door. Kitty's phasing abilities still left her a bit woozy.

She shook her head and took stock of the room. Jamie's comforter lay in a heap on the floor, his bed sheets tangled mercilessly between his legs. He twisted and turned, beads of sweat appeared and ran together on his forehead, his hair was matted down to his head.

NO! Stop, please, help. His mind screamed, but aloud he only whimpered. Rogue sat beside him. With worried eyes she scanned him, and with gloved hands she pushed his damp hair out of his eyes.

She wanted to shake him, force him to awake, free him from his hellish dream. But she knew from personal experience that it was stupid, something like that could have dire results.

Jamie, seemed to have other ideas as his eyes shoot open. Without thinking he swung out with his right hand, Rogue easily caught it, she'd expected as much. He immediately moved with his left, which Rogue again caught. With no other alternative, he gave in, exhausted. He laid his head against her chest, his breathing suddenly deepening.

"Shhh," she whispered comforting, "It's alright, it's just me."

He nodded wearily against her, and she released his hands, he pulled them to himself and she wrapped hers around him. She began to rock him into a lull and he cried into her chest.

"It's okay," she whispered into him hair, "Ah'm here now."

He sniffed, and looked up, "Oh Rogue! It was awful, they, they were everywhere. They took Bobby and the Professor and, and then they took you!"

She didn't need to ask who They were, They attacked every X-man's dreams at least once. But what scared them so much was the fact that They were everyone that didn't understand. Quite literally were everyone.

"No," as she spoke she gently took his face into her hands, "they could never take me from you. Ah will always be there for ya." Slowly she wiped his tears with her thumbs.

He hugged her around the middle and she began to hum to him. She had him lay back down and then she fixed his blankets. Rogue pushed his hair down and kissed him on the forehead, then brushed his hair behind his ears. He closed his eyes, a small smile displayed on his lips, his previous dream forgotten for the moment.

She simply sat there, humming some nameless tune, and stared at him, he's too young ta havta so through this.

Behind her she could here someone shift their footing, obviously not wanting to disturb herself and Jamie. She closed her eyes and bowed her head, "What do ya what, Bobby?"

He looked at her back, and blinked, how did she..., "Uh, the um..."

"Professor?"

"Uh, yeah, the Professor wants to see us."

"What time is it?"

"Uh, it's, uh, 4."

Why is he so nervous?

She sighed and only stood when Jamie's breathing regulated. She brushed by Bobby without a look, and he blinked after her.

"No wonder you're his hero," he spoke to her back.

Without missing a step she continued down the hall, "Ah'm no hero." She stated.

"You're mine," he whispered, her step faltered slightly, showing that she heard. She took a few more steps, then stopped.

"Ya said he wanted ta see us?"

"Yeah."

"Then, are ya comin'?"

He blinked, "oh yeah." He locked Jamie's door with the key, and ran to catch up with Rogue.

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Please R&R! Bazzer