Caellach Tiger Eye – Thanks for the review. I'll so do my best in keeping the characters true to their personalities. And you're right, I probably should have mentioned when this is taking place which is right after season one. Also about the whole Magneto thing, I figure if he's not in charge of Genosha he's running the Brotherhood.

allyg1990 – Pixie is an actual character. If you pick up any of the latest comics, you'd probably see her though her wings are more pixie like.

gambitfan85, laceylou76, rmm8127, ChamberlinofMusic, Temari's Angle, X-Men-X, and leerun, thanks for the reviews.

Get Rogue,

Chapter Two

Rogue had been officially released from the medical bay about an hour ago. Beast had said her arm would take about a few weeks to fully heal so she was now officially off active duty for the rest of the month. Logan, Jean, and Beast had all agreed that some time off would do her some good, though she doubted she'd last the whole month without going stir crazy. The other day the team had gone off on a mission, leaving her with the new mutants. They were alright but she already missed the action.

It was a Saturday and Kitty, Paige, Tildie, and Megan had dragged Piotr and Bobby with them to the mall. Scott and Jean were out on a date, Hank was confined in his lab like always, Logan was tending to his bike, Kurt was in Genosha, Forge working on updates to the Blackbird and Ororo was tending to her garden. Unsurprisingly the mansion was quiet.

After changing into her regular clothes, she had opted to go outside. She hated being cooped up in the mansion and today was a pretty day. It wasn't too hot nor too cold, just right for her. Taking a deep breath, she relished in the cool breeze blowing across her face.

The sound of footsteps broke her peaceful mood. Still paranoid, Rogue tensed up as she waited for her stalker to get closer. Right as she felt a hand land on her shoulder, Rogue flipped him forward.

"Who do you…," She suddenly stopped mid-sentence, noticing who exactly she flipped.

"Sam?" She said questioningly before letting him go. "What're you doin sneakin up on me like that?"

"Sorry," He grunted, rubbing his shoulder.

"Remind me to never do that again."

Helping him up, Rogue immediately felt guilty. It wasn't his fault after all. "Sorry about that ah've been a lil' edgy is all."

"It's alright." Sam waved off her apology.

"So will ah be learning moves and stuff like that in the Danger Room? Ah have my first one tomorrow with Logan."

"Naw, Logan teaches defense moves in the regular gym," Rogue answered.

"The Danger Room is all about using your powers and tactical sessions."

"Oh, so anything in particular ah should know about the Danger Room? Ah asked Bobby earlier but all he did was laugh at me."

"Logan can be pretty tough, especially when it comes to newbies. But whatever you do, don't complain. He hates whiners more than anything. That's why Bobby laughed at you. The idiot's the only one Logan actually picks on, well besides Forge. Just don't complain or do anything Bobby does and you'll be fine." Rogue lied through her teeth. True Logan hated complainers and did pick on Bobby and Forge, but he liked intimidating new people in the Danger Room even more but if he didn't complain he'd probably have a better chance at surviving the experience.

"Oh and ah uh, still wanted to thank you."

Seeing her questioning glance, he continued, "For saving us from the Brotherhood. Ah never did properly thank you."

She shrugged, "There's no reason for you to thank me. Ah hardly did anything. You probably would've done just fine if not better without me, especially since ah fainted on you guys."

"You only fainted for helping us. And like ah said before, ah don't know what would've happened to us if you hadn't showed." Sam replied his hands stuffed deeply into his pockets as he joined Rogue's gaze out onto the calm waters.

"Man, this view sure ain't like the one we got back home."

"It is beautiful but nothing beats home," Rogue agreed giving him a small smile.

Blushing, Sam nodded his head.

"So," he slowly drawled out, before nervously asking, "where exactly is a good ole southern gal like yourself from?"

"Could ask you the same thing," Rogue snorted.

"Dang it. And here ah've always prided myself in being a proper southern gentleman. Guess ah need to work on that," Sam joked earning a chuckle from Rogue.

"Ah'm from Kentucky."

"Mississippi.".

Smiling himself, Sam slowly stuttered, "He-hey ah still have no idea where's what around this palce. D-do you mind showing me around? If you want that is of course."

"Sure." Rogue agreed, and for the first time in a while, she felt herself loosening up with someone. Sam reminded her of home, the good parts at least and she liked that.

Rogue was annoyed. The whole time she had been showing Sam around the mansion, she could've sworn that somebody was following them. She tried pinpointing them, shaking them, even cornering whoever it was but to no avail. She was sorely tempted to tell Logan but decided against it every time that thought entered her mind. If somebody had been following her in the mansion, wouldn't Logan have been able to detect them then?"

Sighing, Rogue gave a small wince when she heard a crash coming from the mansion. The others had gotten home an hour ago and Rogue had returned outside alone. Sam and Bobby were more than likely the two making all the ruckus; the two had become fast friends. Hearing the sound of thunder and seeing the dark clouds forming, Rogue decided to call it a night. It seemed they had gotten a bit out of control. She could already feel the raindrops, and no doubt soon she'd be drenched.

Dragging her feet dejectedly across the back yard of the mansion, Rogue couldn't help but to question herself. She had thought that by being outside alone her stalker may show up again, but no such luck. She didn't even know why she continued to torture herself like this. There probably was no stalker.

Rogue let out a yawn. She hadn't realized she was tired; probably the pain pills Beast had given her earlier. Half-way there she suddenly heard heavy footsteps right behind her. Stopping, the footsteps stopped too. Faintly she could detect the smell of tobacco, bourbon, and spices. Together they made her head spin.

Hitching back a breath, Rogue was about to turn around and face her stalker who had been tormenting her for the last few weeks, only for Sam to suddenly come flying out the double doors. Bobby was right behind him.

Ducking out of the way before she was hit (Sam had trouble stopping and steering) she was unexpectedly pelted in the head with a snow ball. Looking around, Rogue saw that her stalker was gone but a cigarette bud sat where she was sure he had been standing not seconds before.

Fuming, Rogue took her anger out on the two blonds. "Yah idiots, watch where yah acting like asses. Oh and ice cube, if ah ever get hit with one more snowball, ah guarantee it'll be the last one yah ever make."

And with that she stormed off before Sam or Bobby could recover from her outburst.

Her suspicions now confirmed, Rogue decided to finally tell Logan.

"Three weeks. Three whole weeks somebody has been following you kid and you're barely telling me now," Logan roared, looking as mad as he sounded.

Grimacing, Rogue sheepishly let out a hollow laugh as she said, "Kinda, but ah wasn't sure until today. Kitty got me thinking ah was just bein paranoid."

"Kitty! You told Sprite but not me!"

"Yeah, but anyway you were really busy and ah wasn't sure." She hated how he could make her feel like an eight year old who had just been caught by her father doing something he had just told her not to.

"Okay but," Logan started to say before freezing mid-sentence. In a frigid tone, he continued, "What makes you so sure now? Rogue?"

"It's actually a funny story." Rogue attempted giving him a smile in hopes of soothing his anger. When it didn't work she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ah sorta, was outside right, on my own and when ah'm about to go inside, ah heard these footsteps. And if it weren't for Bobby and Sam, ah probably would have seen him." Logan unhappily shook his head. His healing factor be damned, the kid was going to be the death of him.

"Please don't tell me you were trying to draw him out by yourself?"

"No, well yes. But ah was still on the mansion's grounds." Rogue tried to defend herself and pacify the older mutant.

"Anna Marie."

Shit. Logan only used real name when he was really pissed or really disappointed. Right now it was more than likely both. "Ah know, ah know. It was real stupid of me."

"You got that right kid. From now on you are not to leave the mansion without one of the others let alone be alone at any time within the mansion," He ordered.

"What?"

"You heard me Stripes. Now I'm gonna go check out the grounds. You are to go to Hank's lab and stay there with him. And if I so much as find one thing out of the ordinary, you're bunking with Kitty."

"Oh come on Logan, you know we're like night and day. Ah'd be better off if you locked me in the holding cell," Rogue sarcastically muttered.

Grumbling to herself, Rogue glared darkly at Logan from her spot on the couch within the cell. The whole team was gathered there and all but she looked confused.

"Ah was just joking Logan." She scowled.

Rolling his eyes, Logan went on to explain why they were all down there. "Alright here's the deal. Rogue has recently informed me of her suspicions of someone following her. I've just done a thorough search of the mansion and found these," he held up a soggy carton of cigarettes, "right outside her window. Nobody in this mansion smokes these and the recent rain has gotten rid of any scent. I've also…"

"What are you plannin on doin?" Sam interrupted.

Giving the blond a glare, Logan tried not to smirk as Sam withered under his intense look. "As I was saying, I also caught the scent of three people I happen to know personally, one you've heard of, Mystique."

"What," Kitty exclaimed; remembering all too well the thrashing the blue mutant had given them.

"Now I don't know how they got in here without me knowing but it ain't gonna happen again. Nightcrawler," Logan barked, turning his gaze to the fuzzy mutant, "you're about Rogue's height. You're gonna sleep in her bed tonight. Jean you got recon within the mansion along with Beast and Colossus. Cyclops you and I got recon outside."

"What about the rest of us?" Logan was interrupted again, this time by Kitty.

"I'm getting to that." He growled before continuing "Kitty, you and Sam are to watch over Paige, Megan and Tildie. Rogue, you're staying here with Bobby, Forge, and Storm"

"Hey, ah don't need a babysitter Logan," Rogue yelled.

"And for the last time I am not a babysitter," Kitty added tired of being treated as such.

"Man why do I gotta stay here," Bobby whined.

"Quit yer yapping and get ready runts," Logan bellowed. Reluctantly the younger mutants left the room to change into their uniforms, leaving the older ones behind.

"What is it Logan," Jean inquired, sensing that there was more to what was going on.

"Yea, those two other scents inside Rogue's room, I know who they are. They were in the Weapon X program with me, a dangerous assassin known as Lady Deathstrike and an insance mercenary known as Deadpool."

"A mercenary, and an assassin, what could they possibly want with Rogue," Storm questioned, concern for the younger mutant etched clearly on her face.

Shaking his head, Logan said, "I don't know. It may not even be her they're after but for whatever reason they're here, it isn't good."

"Man this bites," Bobby complained, slumped against the glass wall of the cell they had been locked in.

"Get over it." Rogue rolled her eyes.

Forge added, "Yea, you get used to staying behind."

"But I'm actually useful." Bobby continued to sulk much to the annoyance of his teammates.

"Hey I'm ten times as more useful," Forge argued tired of being looked down upon. It was only around Logan that he was so scatterbrained. He couldn't help but feel intimidated by the scary Canadian.

"Oh yeah real useful," Bobby sarcastically said.

"All you do is sit around the mansion occasionally making any repairs to the equipment we use in battle."

"Like you could even get anywhere without me," Forge argued as both boys starting to get in each other's faces.

"Knock it off the both of y'all," Rogue snarled.

"Bobby yah as much a pain as Forge."

"Says the soul sucking mutant." Bobby snidely commented, earning a icy glare from Rogue. That was a low blow and Bobby immediately regretted saying it. Even Forge wasn't dumb enough to say something like that to the ill tempered southern mutant.

"Yah want to repeat that ice prick?" Rogue coolly responded her hands clenched tightly at her sides. Anger flooded her senses, but it only masked another feeling that was overwhelming her, hurt.

Before the argument could escalate any further, Storm intervened, "Enough, all of you. You each bring different and valuable skills to the team so drop it."

Grudgingly they did so.

"Good. Now act your ages and make sure you got the password Logan gave us memorized."

"Yeah, yeah." Bobby waved his hand dismissively.

"Why do we need to know a password anyway?" Rogue asked.

"Ah feel like ah'm ten again."

"I forgot you weren't here when Mystique infiltrated the mansion,." Forge spoke his thoughts aloud.

"Mystique is a very dangerous mutant Rogue. She has managed to trick us before and without Logan's enhanced senses, we won't be able to tell if she has taken one of us out already and replaced them," Ororo answered.

Wrapping her arms tightly against her body, Rogue vented, "Uhhh. Ah don't even know them and ah've never even gone against Mystqiue before, let alone seen her in person. Why are they after me?"

Storm placed a comforting arm around her shoulder.

"Relax child. Everything will be fine, you'll see. Logan suspects that it may not even be you who they are after but him. Like you said, you don't even know them."

It felt weird having someone so close to her. Normally she would've shied away from the touch both out of fear and the tough girl attitude she felt she had to keep up to keep others at bay. But she ignored all that right now. The last hug she had gotten was from Logan and his was more of a fatherly one and right now she wished for a mother's comfort.

Mystique, Lady Deathstrike, and Deadpool. Those three had to be after him. Probably just thought they'd use Rogue to do so. He could see Deathstrike and Deadpool working together, albeit reluctantly especially if he was involved, but Mystique? And then there were the cigarettes. From what he could remember, none of them smoked.

Things just did not add up.

Sniffing the air, Logan got a big whiff of Bobby's cologne. That scent had been lingering all around the mansion recently. That boy really needed to learn about being subtle. Breathing in the air again, he commed the others, "Get ready, I can smell then coming."

Sniffing another time, he was able to pinpoint what directions they were coming from. What surprised him was that all three had come from different directions and that there weren't only three of them.

"Cyclops, Deadpool is headed you way and he's brought company. You and Colossus be ready. Jean, Nightcrawler, be careful you two. Mystique's headed your way and she ain't an easy target."

Switching off his communicator, Logan went to meet Lady Deathstrike, his claws making the familiar snikt sound in the otherwise silent night.

Tensely Bobby began to pace the room. He never could sit still for very long. He felt Rogue's eyes follow him around but he ignored it. There was nothing to do and if it annoyed her she would've said something by now.

Seconds later the lights went out.

"What's goin on?" Rogue automatically jumped up.

Before anyone could answer, Logan's voice could be heard from Storm's communicator, "Storm take Forge and get this power back up now."

"Alright Wolverine." Storm responded.

"Let's go Forge. And remember you two," she sent a look to Rogue and Bobby, "stick together and don't open this door for anyone after I leave, only if they have the password." And with that the two took off, leaving the two teens on their own.

Taking the flight of stairs up to the main levels of the mansion, the two were surprised to see that the power was still on. Confused, Forge was about to page Logan when he unexpectedly came crashing through a wall.

"Wolverine." Ororo rushed to his side, helping him up.

"What's going on?"

"The mansion's swarmed with the Reavers and not only that but the Brotherhood decided tonight would be a nice night to drop by. Nightcrawler called the Scarlet Witch for back up and…" He abruptly trailed off.

"Didn't I tell you to stick with Rogue? She can't defend herself right now."

Forge responded. "You're the one who told us to turn the power on up here."

"Does it look like it's off to you bub?"

"No, but it turned off down there." Forge tried to defend himself.

"A) I never gave you any order and B)…" Logan ranted to him, only to stop mid sentence yet again.

"Get down there now!"

But while they had been arguing the entrance to the lower levels had gone into lockdown. And to think installing those adamantium doors seemed like a good idea at the time.

"Forge you get those doors open now. Storm you stick with him and make sure he gets them open."

"So Rogue," Bobby tried to casually start a conversation before she cut him off, "No Bobby she doesn't like you. She's still hung up on Colossus."

"Damn. Wait, how'd you know what I was gonna ask?"

"Ah have absorbed you too Bobby, remember?" She raised an eyebrow, pointing to her head.

"Oh, oh yeah. So I guess you already know that Sam likes you," He replied, completely forgetting that Rogue hadn't absorbed anybody since tangling with the Brotherhood.

"He what!" She exclaimed, completely in shock. Sure she and Sam hung out and they were friends, but she didn't think that he liked her like that; they'd only known each other for a few days. Sam was a nice guy but she didn't…couldn't like him like that. It wasn't just her powers that kept her from liking him either, but the fact that he reminded her so much of him, of Cody.

"Don't tell him I told you. He's planning on asking you out and he wanted to tell you himself." Bobby pleaded.

"He's gonna ask me out." Rogue repeated still in shock. She hadn't been on a date since she was fourteen and honestly hadn't expected to go on one since. "Man, why couldn't he just like Kitty like everyone else. Or have a crush on Storm like Forge."

"Forge, likes Storm. Oh he is so out of his league." Bobby laughed. His laughter was cut short by a blow to the head.

"Bobby!" Rogue yelled. Looking around for the attacker, Rogue had to wonder how the mystery assailant had gotten in. Eventually her eyes found him. It was hard to see but she could make out a tall figure adorned in all red and black. Basically he looked like a rip-off of Spiderman, only buff.

"So you're Deadpook I take it. Never figured you to be a Spiderman fanboy the way Logan was warning us of you." Rogue mocked, trying to keep her cool. She was scared, but she was desperate not to show it. Wolverine had always told them not to show fear to the enemy.

"What can I say…" Deadpool started to speak before he was kicked in the head by Wolverine. Rogue never knew that Logan could kick that high.

"C'mon Rogue, we gotta get you outta here." He grabbed Rogue by her uninjured arm.

"What about Bobby? We can't just leave him here with Deadpool," She protested, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.

"He'll be fine."

Rogue was stunned. It wasn't like him to act like this. "What the password Logan?"

When he didn't answer, Rogue managed to wrench her arm free, automatically going into defensive stance. In morbid fascination, she watched as Logan became skinnier, blue, and a woman. Recognizing Mystique, Rogue pulled off a series of jabs and kicks, all of which Mystique managed to expertly dodge.

"Not bad." Mystique knocked a blow from Rogue away.

"Logan's taught you well."

"What do you want from me?" She spat out.

"I'm just trying to help Rogue." Mystique replied. Rogue could've sworn she heard a sense of pleading in her voice.

"I heard about the hit taken out on you."

"Why? You're with Magneto and ah'm an X-Man. 'Sides last time ah checked, he still wasn't too happy about me betraying the Brotherhood."

"It's…complicated." Mystique hesitated. To Rogue the older woman looked torn, confusing the striped haired mutant. She wasn't like anything how the others had described her.

"Please believe me when I say I just want to help you"

"Yeah right." Rogue snorted. At this point Deadpool made his presence known once again by shooting at Mystique. He wasn't the only one waking up though. Bobby created an ice wall blocking the two from himself and Rogue.

Grabbing her hand, the two began to run.

"We gotta find the others!" Bobby yelled as the sound of an explosion suddenly went off.

"The mansion's in lockdown." Rogue pointed out the metal coated doors leading to the upstairs part of the mansion. "There's only one way out now."

"The hanger." Bobby stated knowingly.

"Let's take the chopper. Forge hasn't finished with the repairs on the Blackbird yet." Bobby said, leading the way to the hanger.

"Can't. Kitty accidently phased through the engine when she and Kurt were playing around yesterday. We gotta climb out." Rogue replied as they entered the hanger.

"Since the power is still out, I gotta blast the door open. Now stand behind me." Bobby proclaimed, already sending a forceful blast at the doors. Seconds later, Bobby was able to make a hole big enough for the both of them to get out through.

"Hold on." Bobby suggested as he grabbed Rogue by the waist and iced their way up through the hanger and out onto the middle of the basketball court.

"Glad we're…" Bobby started to say before fainting as did Rogue.

TBC