(Sorry about the delay, my work schedule and the holiday kept me from working on this chapter. I also had a little trouble with Deadpool's dialogue but I got some help from the best Deadpool roleplayer I know. Credit for his dialogue here goes to Katana-Rama. I have both past and present Rogues in this chapter so I tried to differentiate by calling present day Rogue Anna so I hope its not too confusing.)

Chapter 2

One moment they were in the basement speakeasy of the ruined theater and the next… they were still in the basement speakeasy. Dusty and dank, no one had entered the room in decades; the faint scurrying sounds in the darkness around the group told them that the only residents were rats. They were in the past, at least before they Unity Squad had taken over and the faint patter of rain on the street had replaced the noise of the construction. The group stood for a few moments, not moving or speaking, just glancing around the room as if they were waiting for the other shoe to drop; after nearly two minutes, it never did. Rogue wrinkled her nose slightly as the heavy dust in the air made it slightly difficult to breathe; they would need to get out of there soon before they all choked on the grim that hung heavy around them. They weren't sure at the moment that they had actually gone back to the time they sought, at least not until they left the speakeasy and out into the world but they all seemed rather hesitant to move. Beside her, Emma choked a bit on the dust and Rogue knew they had to head out. Boldly stepping toward the stairs, she tested the stairs even though she could easily fly to avoid any rotted wood but she seemed to take it upon herself to make sure the stairs were safe for her team. All boards creaking but solid, Rogue lead her silent team through the secret passage to the old stage which was nearly as dilapidated but the air was not as thick. The thought that perhaps it was Voodoo's ghosts that had made the air in the speakeasy so thick flitted through her mind but she pushed it out as she looked around the rotting theater that would briefly be her home. As they picked their way through the crumbling building, the sound of the rain grew louder and Rogue couldn't help but remember the clear fall sky they had left behind. Almost clear. Her head had ached before they left; it told her that there were traces of T-mist in the air and her hand tightened around the handle of the small valise she had brought along containing the vials of green liquid that had been keeping her alive since her initial exposure. She knew they were in the past, even if the condition of the theater wasn't a tell, she could already tell by the air quality. Her headache was easing up. Lightening flashed under the door of one of the many secret exits and downpour was almost deafening. The heat had not been turned on in the building, probably for decades, and icy air permeated the building but the southerner almost relished it. Her head was feeling better incrementally and as much as she wanted to just stand still to enjoy the sensation, she knew she needed to press on. She had almost gotten used to the perpetual ache and she almost would have happily sank down in the dust to relish the feeling. "And miles to go before I sleep." Never had lines in a poem resounded so much for her but she could relate so much right now. But she had too many promises to keep right now.

The darkest evening of the year… The sky was pitch black and the tattered awning above the back door offered little shelter from the pounding rain. Rogue! Emma's telepathic alert brought everything into sharp focus and they were all instantly on alert as a figure obscured by a large black umbrella brazenly headed towards them. The click of Deadpool's guns cocking were loud in her ears but she knew he wouldn't fire without her say. They waited for the lone man in his trench coat slashed through the puddles. It was then that Rogue noticed that the approaching figure was wearing rainboots; yellow rain boots. Like the Gorton fisherman. Blinking at the boots, Rogue's puzzled, green gaze slid up to the man's face as the umbrella lifted slightly. Relief and bewilderment swept through her as she recognized the face of the man in the yellow boots.

"Ms. Raven?"

She hadn't realized that Wade had stepped in front of her until she found herself staring over his shoulder at the newcomer.

"Mr. Blankman."

"Yes," the handsome thirty-something man nodded, with a wry smile. "I'm told you've already met me."

"Or will."

"Will?" Emma prodded from behind her.

"Irene's solicitor. Ah met him when Ah found out that Ah was her sole heir. He told me that we had met before but Ah didn't recall. Maybe this is what he meant."

"Our firm was given specific instructions to meet you and your group on this day, at this hour."

"Since 1885?!" Wade piped up hopefully.

"1985 actually."

"Damn. So close."

"My father was Ms. Adler's solicitor as well," Blankman said, the wry smile still on his face as he extended his umbrella towards Rogue and Emma. "I've long since ceased to question anything having to do with her account. I have a car waiting for your party just outside the alley."

Ten short minutes later, they were all slightly damp but settled in a long, black limousine with the heater humming and thawing cold fingers with Emma complaining about the smell of wet dog. Wade made a point of sniffing himself before rooting through the bar and produced a bottle of bourbon. Rogue sipped from a crystal goblet that had been passed to her and allowed the liquid to burn down her throat as she listened to Blankman go over the accommodations that her foster mother had apparently set up for them decades before the plan had even thought of it. Irene to the rescue. A penthouse apartment in Manhattan, accounts, cars and anything else they would need was available to them. Shaking her head, Rogue could only let out a humorless chuckle and finish off her bourbon. Somehow, the fact that Irene had set all that to help her accomplish her mission didn't feel any better; she actually felt a little more weary than she had before. And miles to go before I sleep. The clink of the bottle meeting her glass caught her attention as she watched Wade pour her a second serving and she passed him a grateful grin. She really needed that drink and he knew it. An hour later, she was standing in her plush suite in a silken bathrobe and watching the rain pelt down on her balcony with her toes sinking into the soft carpet. Blankman had left his card, instructions for the accounts and everything she would need during her stay, making sure she had everything she needed before he left them to explore the penthouse complete with fully stocked closets and kitchen. She stood staring out at the rain-soaked city-scape with the fire blazing in the fireplace, giving off the only light in the room when a knock sounded on her door. She bade her visitor enter just as she heard the clock on her mantle strike midnight. Wade stepped forward soundlessly on the thick carpet and plopped himself down in one of the overstuffed wingchairs by the fire. She hadn't asked him to join her beforehand but they had been spending a good deal of time together lately that it didn't seem unnatural for him to be there. He stayed silent while she watched the rain fall, waiting until she was ready to speak. She felt like weariness was wafting off of her and as much as she wanted to lay down to wallow in it, she wouldn't allow herself to do it.

Leaving the windows, Anna Marie strode over to the other wingchair by the fire and small table where the cup of peppermint tea she made earlier sat cooling. Settling in and lifting her mug, which was surprisingly still hot, she brought it to her lips for a sip. She was hoping it would help her sleep. She would be facing her family soon; the X-Men and attempt to slip into her old life and pretend that she was her former self. It was a little nerve-wracking; she had to blend into her old life perfectly and not allow her nearest and dearest know that she wasn't quite her old self. All while trying to complete her mission. She was grateful to have help.

"Ah already went over everything with Emma but Ah might need you to help with, well, me," she spoke at last, staring at the fire over her mug. "If Emma can't get through mah shields we might need some other way ta subdue mah past self. Or at least distract me, her, until Emma can get through. Ah'd prefer to avoid mah past self seeing me an' y'all are the only one who could take what Ah can dish out."

"Go toe to toe with the Mississippi Marauder?" Wade chuckled at the thought. "Shit, that's gonna be weird. Especially with you watching me take you out. Though if you wanted to jump in a tussle with your past self… That would give me a few years of happy dreams by the way, weird but very happy but what else is new. Just how far do you want me to take that? You're way more invulnerable with Wonder Man's juice, right?"

"Ah was plenty invulnerable back in the day," she lifted one shoulder in a lazy shrug. "Just no permanent damage."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"Emma can take care of any odd memories," Rogue waved a hand dismissively and crossed her long legs before drinking more of her tea. She paused a moment when she noticed Wade perusing her curvy limbs and she found that she didn't mind. "Emma knows how to navigate the rat's nest that was mah mind back then, she's had a little experience and it should all be over quickly."

"Right, strict time table."

"Voodoo is keeping that portal open and then there's the fact that Ah'm gonna be messin' with mah own memories, not ta mention everyone else's. The longer we're here, the more chance we have of screwing up the timeline, but Ah don't have to tell you that."

"Yes, but it needs to be in the narration somewhere to set up the ticking clock for the plotline."

"What?"

"Nevermind. Strict timetable," beneath his mask, his eyes were still glued to her legs. "Got it."

"Am Ah crazy ta be doubting this plan right now?"

"Hell no," His masked face slid up to her face. "Yes, but no."

"Thanks for clarifying."

"Even if you're doubting it now that we're all the way back here, you just going to scrap it and go back?"

"Hell no."

"There ya go."

"Wade-"

"Don't get sappy on me, Snow-streak."

"Fair 'nuf."

"So, how about we take that mattress over there for a test drive."

"Goodnight Wade."

XXX

She remembered that morning; the thunderstorm had rained itself out and by morning the sky was incredibly clear. The autumn sun was shining brilliantly, the air was crisp and clear; it was as close to perfect as a day could get. She could remember it clearly, sitting in the patio of the coffee shop and sipping her coffee. The coffee was bold and strong, a blend from somewhere in South America that paired incredibly well with her cherry almond danish. A dark pair of levis, a rich burgundy sweater that hugged her curves and a v-neckline that dipped lower than she usually wore created a pretty picture. She had loved those boots, she had worn them out, she remembered that and the charcoal wool scarf complimented the outfit well. Anna Marie watched her younger self from across the street with Emma and Wade at a coffee shop through her dark sunglasses. Her signature platinum streak was tucked under a beanie, much to Emma's dismay but she ceased her grumblings when Rogue threatened to dress like Gwen Stefani in her No Doubt days. Wade suggested she go for the Britney Spears school girl look which earned him a glare from Emma. A Sam Spade fedora and the turned up collar of a trench coat hid most of his disfigurement though Emma kept anyone from really focusing on them. Jericho stayed behind to do some sort of meditation to strengthen the portal though Rogue wasn't sure that she really understood but she trusted him. At the moment, she was just thinking that she remembered that as one of the best cups of coffee that she ever had. It was one of the only shopping trips she had ever had where she wasn't attacked and/or kidnapped, not even a slight harassment in the fitting room by her ex-boyfriend's father… She had gone shopping for an outfit for a date later that week with Remy and she had decided to go alone first thing in the morning.

"Ah almost hate ta ruin such a perfect morning for myself."

"You're away from the rest of the Brady Bunch and your defenses are down… or hers are," Emma sipped her coffee and gazed from behind her own sunglasses. "You'll get over it."

"And Ah should probably get used ta getting jumped in a fitting room."

"Please, please explain this to me," Wade leaned forward. "And lie to me if its not dirty."

They waited until her past self finished her coffee and headed towards a few specialty boutiques before following casually at a distance. Wade headed around the back of the building to enter through the stockroom as Emma and Anna entered through the front, waving off the sales girls so they could pretend to shop but still keep an eye on their quarry. They would communicate through com badges since Wade was resistant to Emma's telepathy. Past Rogue was a little immersed in her own mission of finding the perfect black dress that didn't expose too much skin and didn't notice the other women milling around her. She went the racks for nearly twenty minutes before happily taking a few selections into the dressing room. As soon as the velvet curtain was drawn, the sales girls along with two other customers, crumpled to the floor in a deep sleep and Anna flipped the closed sign over on the glass door. Wade emerged from the backroom, pulling on his mask, tossing aside his hat and the three visitors from the future headed towards the fitting room. Anna stepped back towards the stockroom so as not to alarm her past self too much, leaving her companions to deal with the situation. Her pulse quickened and part of her wished that she could call it off or find another way. Those were some very happy memories that she would be robbing her past self of; this was one of the less turbulent times in the X-Men, her relationship with Remy; she knew they didn't have a choice. Rip it off, Emma, she communicated to the blond telepath. Like a bandaid. Emma nodded to her and then to Wade before stepping back a bit, leaving Deadpool to take the lead.

"Ooooh baby!" In the shadows of the stockroom, Anna couldn't help the facepalm as Wade yanked the curtain open to reveal her past self standing in her matching black satin bra and panties. They should have done this sooner; while she was still out on the sales floor but they had her at a disadvantage now and though it stung her pride, Anna would have to let it play out… and allow her past self to battle Deadpool in her underwear. She didn't want to watch, it was too ridiculous; it was like watching a train wreck, she couldn't look away though she wanted to shut her eyes until it was over. Ridiculously horrible, and oddly erotic to watch herself practically naked struggling with Deadpool who had managed to get her in a headlock. Emma however was tucked in her own corner, shaking like a paint mixer from holding in her laughter at the scene.

The Rogue Deadpool was grappling with may have been younger, less experienced and angrier but those things didn't work in her favor. He had been her teammate for several months, he knew how she fought and the years since that moment in time had made her a better fighter. Anna wasn't as reliant on her powers anymore and she knew when to pull her punches. She also knew when not to. X-Men didn't kill. They fought to defend themselves and the innocent. Over the years, they all had more than a few moments when they did what they had to; there were times when she knew that she couldn't afford to pull her punches. Deadpool healed faster than Wolverine and though she was nearly invulnerable, he could still take her down if he really wanted to. Back then, Rogue would have ultimately been more concerned with not doing any permanent damage to him.

"Get awf o' me!" Anna heard her own voice from across the room, her drawl stronger with her anger and frustration at being unable to shake off the Merc.

"Sh- shut up!" Wade still had a hold on her from behind and was struggling to subdue her. "You're making this hard! Eheh, get it? Hard? Cause you- Stop struggling!"

"You dirty, rotten sonuva- oof!" Wade had managed to slam Rogue against the nearest wall and used his own body to pin her against it. Unable to get any leverage, Rogue thrusted her hips back against him and was caught off guard when she connected with something she didn't expect. "That had better be a gun, you sicko!"

"I guess you'd call it more of a sword…" It was then that Rogue suddenly went limp, causing Deadpool to lose his balance and she attempted to dart away as he toppled. She wasn't fast enough however, as he fell, he kicked out a leg to sweep hers out from under her and he was on her before she could get up. He went for her arms but she was flailing and slapping at him now. "Hey! St-stop! This is for your own good! You'll thank me later, missy!"

"Mother fu- OW!" Wade managed to pin both her wrists above her head.

"Does the professor know you use that kind of language? Oh! Hey now!" Rogue began to buck her hips against him in an attempt to throw him off of her. "Ya know, I'm getting some really mixed signals here."

As much as she tried to quell it, a faint stirring low in her belly disturbed her; it was like watching a dirty video of herself and Deadpool; like some really bad porn. Kind of hot and more than a little disturbing. Her pulse kicked up a notch and her breath quickened as she watched herself panting and bucking beneath Wade. She could only watch the scene but after another moment, as though he could feel her eyes on him, Wade looked up and his eyes locked on hers from behind the mask. Heat scorched her cheeks as she held his gaze, unable to look away, arousal sweeping through her and fought to push it away. This needed to end.

'Emma!' Anna managed to rip her gaze away and focus on the blond who had yet to be noticed by Rogue. Emma herself seemed to be rather focused on the scene as well, her amusement forgotten. 'Don't shout!' Emma's irritated reply came a little too loudly. 'I'm barely keeping her masked from Charles and the other telepaths. She's projecting so much that even Jean would be able to pick her up. I can't knock her out as long as she's like this!'

Anna's emerald gaze darted from Emma to Wade, this needed to end now and the only way it would was if Wade stopped pulling his punches. Gripping the com, she gave him the command: "Choke me."

He looked up at her startled, barely keeping his hold on the squirming woman beneath him. "This needs to end, Wade. Ah may have been invulnerable but Ah still needed to breathe! Choke hold, just enough to disorient and let Emma in!"

She had just asked him to choke her and a dark, slightly erotic thought flittered through her mind as she watched him release the wrists of her past self. Rogue, meanwhile, had noticed Deadpool focus on the open door of the darkened stockroom and she surmised that there must be someone in there calling the shots. As soon as she was released, she flipped onto her stomach and scrambled to get to her feet. Only to be trapped by Deadpool again. His left arm around her torso, trapping her arms at her side, his right arm went around her neck and began putting pressure on her throat. Gasping in air, Rogue began to claw at his arm before resorting to her strength and dug into his forearm with delicate-looking fingers that soon began to crush his bones. She may have been barely dressed but his suit covered him from head to toe and her strength was the only weapon she was left with. Even as her fingers damaged bone and muscles, his powers repaired his arm; he incrementally applied more pressure to cut off her air supply. Anna watched her former self struggle to take in air, the panic on her face and green eyes growing dim. "Frost!" Wade bellowed and Rogue finally noticed Emma though her eyes were already starting to glaze over. "I'm trying!" Emma snapped back and after another moment. "I'm in!" Rogue suddenly went slack and slumped in Wade's arms.

"Ugh!" Emma stood up straight, rubbing her temples and glared at Anna. "I don't want to have to do that again."

"Ah don't wanna see that again!" the southerner stared down at the prone body of her former self. "So much for no permanent damage. We shoulda planned this better."

"We didn't know that it would take so much to bring you down," Emma groused, heading towards the front of the store. "We should have just brought elephant tranquilizers. I'll call Doctor Voodoo to teleport us out. Get your… self, dressed in the meantime."

"At least you didn't have to fight yourself, Snow Streak," Wade was sprawled out beside the unconscious Rogue, catching his breath and allowing his limbs to heal. "That would have looked too weird… And kinda hot, actually."

"Pft," Anna went off to gather up the articles of clothing that had been strewn about during the fight. "Ah know y'all enjoyed some of that."

"What?" Wade scoffed and got to his feet as Anna straightened up again. "No! …Don't look at my crotch."

Green eyes cheekily slid down his costumed form to the bulge in his pants and then back up, she could swear she saw him squinting through his mask at her. Stooping down, she went about dressing her… self. "Don't worry, once Voodoo gets y'all back to the penthouse ya can clear the pipes and be right as rain."

"Though I guess I'm not the only one."

"Ah'm sure Ah don't know what you mean."

"Don't you?"

She glanced up at him, the heat creeping back into her cheeks as the images of herself rolling around the floor with Wade passed over her mind's eye until a brilliant blue flash from the front of the store distracted her. "If you two are finished with your bizarre eye-sex," Emma tossed in Rogue's discarded purse in at them and Anna busied herself in finishing her task. "Voodoo is here to take us back. This mission won't complete itself."

(A/N: Please review!)