"Are you being nosey? Using your mutation to your own advantage?" Logan raised an eyebrow at Rogue who was now sitting next to him at the table in the REC room.

"Well, its good for nothing else. He wont tell me what's going on." Rogue commented spooning out some of the pudding from the cup in her hand.

"Maybe he doesn't want you to know for a reason. You don't have to know everything." Logan laughed at Rogue's furious actions.

"Why wouldn't he want me to know? Last time a guy started drawing away from me he was cheating on me!" She hadn't meant to compare John to Bobby, it was just her doing so in a rash action.

"You honestly think that's a fair comparison?" Logan's amusement was gone.

She wanted to say 'no', but she bit back her tongue for the sake of her argument, "I'm just saying."

"Quit being so nosey and let him do what he wants. Who knows you may like it, kid." He ruffled her hair as he stood. "Don't push him, I think he is winging this affection thing as it is. The only reason he is doing is because he loves you."

"I know. I know." She waved her spoon at as he walked out of the room.

That didn't make it any easier that she didn't know. Whatever, there was someone around here who would sit up all night and watch movies with her…even if he just walked out of the room.

"Logan! Come here!" She jumped up, taking her pudding with her, calling Logan to come back in.

* * *

"You make me so sick!" A swift blow was dealt with a powerful fist into a preteen John's already swollen and bruise right cheek. "You had to be a freak didn't you?!"

"Stop! Please!" John put up his arms in defense.

Nonetheless, the towering man shoved him to the ground, then kicked him. He continued to do so until he had John backed into a corner.

"Please Dad!" John pulled his knees tight against his chest and kept his head facing down on his knees.

"Don't call me that! You're no son of mine!" The man had taken off his belt and was proceeding to lash John's back with it.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to! It just happened by accident!" John gripped his hold on his knees tighter. If hit head lifted it would be struck by the leather weapon.

"Go to your room! I don't want to see you out here again for the rest of the night!" The man ordered and jabbed his finger towards the back door.

The younger version of John quickly scurried toward the door and out it. He darted across the muddy yard and into the tool shed the was his 'room'.

"Stop!" John woke-up with a start. He was covered in a cold sweat from head to toe and shaking all over.

After he had regained his stable mind he looked over at the clock. It was just 5:34 in the morning. The kids didn't have to ready until 10. Good Lord. He couldn't go back to sleep, not with that retched dream waiting for him.

Rogue might still be awake. After all, the sun hadn't come up and it would be nice to give her the gift before all the children woke-up.

After yawning and stretching, John reluctantly removed the blankets from over him and gathered some clothes to put on, along with the gift. A quick shower washed all the thoughts of sleep from his mind. Finally, after toweling off his hair, he was walking into the REC room. The sound of sobs made him move a bit faster.

"Rogue?" John asked in a soft whisper as he came around the corner.

Rogue was still curled up on the end of the couch watching television. The movie he didn't recognize, he only knew it was a cartoon.

"Are you okay?" He asked taking quick steps across the room. He was standing by Rogue, petting her hair.

"John, hey," She jumped slightly. "I'm fine. It was just the movie was so sad. Well not really, I thought it was going to be sad. But it was cute."

"What was it?" John asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Umm," Rogue picked a DVD case up from the end table, "Howl's Moving Castle."

"How was that sad?" He sat down next to her, opened the blanket for him to crawl under.

"His fire was going out! He was gonna die without kissing her!"

Odd movie reference.

"Come here." Rogue inclined in at John's request. He kissed her softly, "There I got my kiss in before my fire went out."

Rogue's face broke into a teary smile. "You dork."

"Speaking of eternal fires though, I have something for you." He dug around in the pocket of his cargo shorts until he found the tiny box.

"What what?" Rogue was suddenly up on her knees and bouncing next to him, all thoughts of tears forgotten.

"You act like a 4-year-old when it comes to gift giving." John removed the box carefully and placed it in her open and waiting hand.

"Yay!" She sat on her bottom once more and snapped the box open. "Oh John! I love it!"

Inside was a clear heart shaped pendant with a metallic orange and yellow gem shaped into a flame. It hung on a thin silver chain.

"I hoped you would. Now our flame will never go out." He kissed her cheek. "Wanna watch the movie again? I want to see what was such an emotional tragedy."

"Oh sure!" Rogue was busy trying to put on the new necklace.

He'd remember! And what a sweet gesture too! Oh he could be such a dork about things too! A flame! How adorable and corny!

"Will you get rid of the old one now?" John's voice interrupted her thought.

"Absolutely not." She jerked away as he sat down next to her again.

"I really wish you would."

"Well, I'm really not going to so get over it. So long as you wear your piece I'll wear mine."

Ha! She'd caught him there. He never took his off, so she didn't have to take hers off.

"Fine." He gave in with a smile.

After a few minutes of just the movie to fill-in the silence, Rogue spoke up, "John."

"Hm?" He kept his eyes on the screen.

"Why wont you tell me? We're alone. Logan left ages ago. All the kids are asleep." She turned so she could lay her head in his lap.

"Why do you want to know?" He pulled his fingers through her hair.

"I already told you. Its not fair you know almost everything about me, but I know nothing about you."

"You know I love you right?"

"Yeah."

"That's all you need to know. Now be quiet, I've never seen this movie and for some reason that girl is now incredibly old." John half laughed.

Rogue turned to watch the movie. She wasn't really paying any mind to it at all though. It hurt her that John wasn't sharing his problems with her.

By the time the movie it ended it was almost 8 and kids were waking up and stirring around.

"You still awake down there?" John asked.

"Yeah. I had a Vault and some cookies before you came in." Rogue confessed sounding slightly teary again.

"No wonder you were so hyped and emotionally open."

"I know right?"

"Look, I have to go make sure I have everything clear with Storm. I'll see you before I leave okay?"

"Yeah." She lifted her head to let him up.

She could just tell him that she knows something about a man hitting him. Maybe that would break his flood gates. Telling him the little bits of information that she knew might just help. OR make him mad and he wouldn't trust her. Stupid two-sided-sword!

***

Wonderful thing about fieldtrips? Groups and Group leaders! All John had to do was be there and represent the school. So there he sat in the café sipping a coke and watching the television hanging over the counter.

Suddenly, the air conditioner was blasting much too cold air and his T-shirt seemed like no where near enough clothing.

"Well, well, if it isn't the relationship-screwer himself!" A very cold familiar said from behind John.

"If it isn't Mr. Couldn't-keep-it-in-his-pants." John didn't bother turning around to trouble himself with Bobby.

"John, Old Buddy," Bobby sat across from John.

Bobby was wearing his hair in spikes, a white T-shirt that had a band name on it,

and blue jeans.

"I don't ever remember being your 'buddy'." The acid in John's voice was clear.

"Aww, don't be like that. I've had time to think. I was wrong, yes, but you've been with her for a year." Bobby's voice was leading towards something else.

"Your point?" John was willing to give up his comfortable spot in the café, and enter into the relentless shining sun, just to get away from Bobby.

"Don't you ever get urges that need filling?" Bobby laughed at John's spiked eyebrows.

Sorry it took so long, I know you don't care about the excuses! BUT ITS SPRING BREAK! 11 WHOLE DAYS AWAY FROM SCHOOL WITH NO HOMEWORK! YAY! Let me know what you think. By the way, I'm sorry if you don't like the gift, I just thought it was a sweet thing for him to do for her. Thanks for reading!

RAWR