Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men

Rating : T

Pairing : Rogue/Pyro

Extra note : Sublime Angel, is my beta for this story, as well as my muse. She helped me through the though parts of this chapter and I love her for it. Thanks sugah!

Summary: The innocent can never last...

Special thanks : Racetrack's Goil, Burning, FluidDegree, PyroWhore, CrazyAboutXmen and Sublime Angel for being the first ones to review on my new story, hope you'll stick with me until the end of this fic and keep on reviewing )

Last Time

"Because then I know you are in good hands." John answered softly, letting his arms drop next to his body as he walked closer to her again. Rogue finally decided to face him, throwing her arms around his neck and placing a kiss on his lips before she buried her face in his chest while listening to his heartbeat.

"I love you okay?" John whispered again, stroking her hair as she nodded softly. Marie was biting her lip, trying not to let the tears fall down her cheeks as worry took over her senses again. Fear, for his life, for the fact that he might not come back to her.

"Just remember that no matter what, you'll always have someone here for you. I'm never going to leave you...I love you..." Pyro whispered again, closing his eyes and rocking her back and forth in a comforting sort of way.

Chapter 2

Rogue sat on the bed, softly playing one of her favourite songs on the guitar that they possessed. It was something she had bought when she was still in the mansion, taking it up as a new hobby as she couldn't do any sports or other activities that could involve her in touching someone. Sometimes, newer students came and sit with her as she played some of her songs in the common room when she had nothing else to do.

Some songs were known, some of them she had written herself, it didn't matter, with gunshots heard on the back and several shouts, Rogue tried to calm herself as she was afraid for her life. Activists against mutants were raiding houses, its been on the news and in the papers, she just hoped, with every inch of her heart, that they wouldn't find them.

She had a small backpack, filled with some clothes and other necessities, in case something drastic happened and they had to make a quick escape. See, Rogue and Pyro weren't stupid, they knew that they would be discovered one day, best is to be prepared for that day and take it as it came.

Rogue sighed silently and placed the guitar on the bed before she rubbed her tired face with her hands and walked back to the living room where John was anxiously watching the television, hoping for some sort of report on the Activists. He was worried, for Rogue, for himself, for the fact that, while he was Magneto's right hand, they would force information out of him that could lead to the downfall of the Brotherhood. He would rather die than to betray them, but he was only human, there were only a few things that could completely break him. But if they found out about those, god, he didn't even want to think about the consequences then.

Standing behind him, Rogue bend down and wrapped her arms around his neck as she focused her own gaze on the tv. John smiled sadly and threw his head backwards so he could face her, his one hand on her neck, pulling her down in a kiss.

Rogue smiled sadly at him, tears are threatening to fall down her cheeks as she climbs over the couch and sits next to John as close as she could. His arm is around her shoulders, pulling her in a sideway hug, kissing the top of her head.

The news report showed explosions, screaming people, protests organized by people who just wanted this war to end, mutants and humans fighting each other. Rogue swallowed deeply and closed her eyes, not wanting to see any more of the bad news. John looked at her as she stood back up and held her hand in front of her mouth, trying to silence some of the sobs that were coming from her. John stood up himself, wrapping his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest, crying.

Rubbing in soft circles on her back, Pyro tried to calm her down, he wanted to leave the apartment and go to the Brotherhoods base, but that would only pull sudden attention. A couple disappearing just when the Activists are breaking in houses and arresting mutants was all to suspicious. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Shouting was heard outside their apartment, boms going off and gunshots.

This was all just a bad dream...

A very bad dream.

One he wanted to wake up from at all costs.

One that he never wanted Marie to have ever again in her life. But for now all he could do was hold her and hope that the activists passed over their apartment by some stroke of luck. Then again, looking back on his life, luck had only been in his side a few times and even then things still hadn't been a bed of roses.

The noises were getting louder and closer. He could feel her shaking in his arms now. She was scared. More gunshots, coming from the lower levels of the apartment. And angry shouts. More shouts and sounds of glass breaking. They were inside the building! John swallowed deeply and thought for a second.

How much time would they have before their apartment was next?

He couldn't bear the thought of those bastards laying a hand on Marie. Images of the beautiful but scared woman in his arms being hurt and abused flooded his mind and filled him with a rage unlike any before.

"Get the backpack Marie, we're leaving," he whispered into her ear, stroking her hair soothingly.

She looked up at him, tear streaks staining her cheeks.

"Jo-hn?"

"It's not safe anymore, " he sighed, "we've got no choice, and from the sounds of things, they're not that far away...and I'm not going to risk losing you...again!"

She nodded dumbly and got up to go into their bedroom for the already packed bag. when she came back out, his jacket was already on and he was putting something in his pocket. She saw a flash of silver and felt comforted and worried at the same time.

He noticed the look on her face and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Only if I absolutely have to, I promise..."

She didn't have time to reply.

The door to their apartment burst open and a group of people rushed in, smoke filling the room as the Activists started throwing smoke bombs to confuse them. Marie screamed and dove behind the couch as gunshots rang out in the small space. In the background, she heard the window break from the bullets that missed her and John by an inch. She heard John curse profusely as he threw himself onto the ground.

"Marie," he hissed, "Run!"

She looked at him in a daze.

"Run dammit!"

Her brain didn't even bother to take the time to process what he said. All she heard was "Run!' so she did, but that was easier said than done. Fear took over her senses and she couldn't move. John looked at her, his brown eyes pleading for her to get out of there while she still could. Rogue bit her lip, not really wanting to leave him but she had too. She had no other choice. She leaped up from the wooden floor. The smoke surrounded her and blurred her vision. Rogue could only hope John would be smart enough to get out of there before they caught him. That he would come out alive and well.

Running towards the door, there was the small matter of a hail of bullets coming at her that she needed to avoid in order to make it out alive. She heard John's shouts behind her, more gunshots and screams coming from the Activists who were trying to capture them before they escaped. Rogue finally reached the front door, which had been knocked down by their attackers in order to take them by surprise. Rogue held on to the door frame as she panted and looked over her shoulder at John.

John's shouts and the noise of more gunshots, filled her ears, scarring her brain. Seeing Pyro being shot just before her eyes and falling to the ground made her freeze just as she was about to run out of the apartment like he'd told her to do.

And in that split second of standing there, with her brown eyes fixed on his bleeding form lying on the floor, she saw him flick the lighter out of his pocket and throw her a pained smile before standing up one last time. The flames ignited in his hands and the entire apartment went up in flames!

Rogue was thrown backwards by the explosion. Gas! It had to be the only explanation. That was why he hadn't used his lighter before she was out of the room.

Rogue's back connected with the wall on the other side of the hall. Shaking her head slightly, her eyesight was blurry, she got up from the ground, her shaking legs beneath her acting as her only support. She ran down the wooden stairs, the only thing on her mind was getting out of there. Pyro was a grown boy, he could take care of himself, she had faith in him.

She saw the front entrance, and just like the door of every other small apartment in the building, it had been kicked down and discarded on the floor. But before she could even breathe in the fresh air of the world outside, her own world turned black. And the only thing she could think of at that moment was John.

The innocent can never last

Alright, now you have chapter 2, have you read it? good, liked it? even better, now don't forget to leave a little review so I know what you think of it ...so start reviewing!