Chapter 4.

-

"You're saying you didn't attain the thief last night at the museum?" an old man said, rubbing his chin.

"He was never taken into custody by the police," a particularly round police officer replied. His thick mustache twitched when he spoke, like he was afraid of the older man's reaction.

The old man slammed his fist on the table in anger.

"He got away? With the jewels as well?"

"Last we heard he went with those school people, Mr. Trask."

"No! Do you realize what this means?"

"No, sir."

"Go to the lower levels. Tell them to speed up the factory line. We have to have these things online and ready for another test run by next week."

The man nodded and turned to leave.

"And one more thing…" the older man said to the guard. The man stopped and turned back around.

"Yes, sir?"

"Make sure this walking time bomb is in my custody by then, or it we'll test the machine's on you."

"Yes, sir. We'll get right on it."

-

Storm powered down the Blackbird, leaning back in his seat, grinning at Gambit.

"Welcome to Westchester, Remy."

Gambit nodded in reply, and was the first to arise from his seat. As they exited the craft, Rogue went to him, Logan watching her from behind closely.

"If you want," she said softly. "I'll show you to your room."

"Oh," Remy said, scanning the girl down without any attempt at hiding it. "Remy want."

Wolverine came between the two suddenly, grabbing Remy's bag.

"I'll do it," he said gruffly.

"Logan, it's no big deal--" Rogue started.

"--Not to you maybe," he said decidedly, then headed towards the door. Remy turned to Rogue and gave her one last wink.

"Remy'll see you later, non?"

Logan turned back with a loud sigh and grabbed the Cajun, and shoved him toward the door.

"Move, Gumbo."

Rogue blushed.

"Guess so," she agreed.

Nearby, Bobby watched this exchange, and folded his arms heatedly.

-

The glass uniform chamber slid closed with a whoosh. As Rogue pulled on her normal gloves, she smiled. No matter how many times she saw her uniform there, displayed with the rest of the team's, she always felt proud. She kicked the drawer under her costume chamber closed. Turning, she found herself face to face with the largest, bluest, hairiest man she had ever seen.

"Ah!"

"My apologies, Rogue," Beast pushed a button on his watch and a holographic image covered his body, making him look like a 'normal' person again.

"Dr. McCoy! No, I'm sorry. I-- you startled me, that's all."

"I understand that it must be odd encountering me down here instead of Dr. Grey."

"It's just... I didn't hear you coming up behind me."

"I see. Will you be joining the rest of the faculty for lunch? I'm headed up there myself."

"Yeah, sure."

She followed him out of the room and to the elevator. As they boarded, she turned to the large man and pointed to his watch.

"You can take off the image inducer, Doc. I don't care if you're blue, and neither do the students."

He smiled as he pushed the button, and became the fuzzy bear that most of the mansion's residents knew him as.

As they ventured upward, Beast looked to Rogue for a moment in sorrow, and it was a look that Rogue wouldn't soon forget. It was one so intense it aroused worry in Rogue.

"What's the matter, Hank?" she asked.

"Back in New Orleans… Magneto… he…"

"He what?" Rogue pressed.

"Maybe I shouldn't be the one to tell you."

"You mean about the 'cure' regressions?"

Beast looked to the young girl in wonder.

"My word, how did you--"

"Don't be so amazed. I'm not developing mind-readin' powers. It's been all over the news."

The elevator dinged and opened up to the right floor, and Rogue obligingly stepped out.

"I see," Beast said understandingly, following her. "And how do you feel about it?"

"Honestly, Hank? I think it sucks. I mean, this was the one place I belonged and now Ah can't anymore. People look at me like I'm a traitor… They just don't understand what it's like… Ah finally know what it's like to do the things people take for granted. And now, once again… I'm gonna be left with nothin'."

"Who knows, Rogue," Hank said encouragingly. "Perhaps you shall have a happy ending after all. I know I did, despite how I was on the outside."

"Happy endings are for dreamers, Hank. Not mutants."

"They can be one of the same, my dear."

-

When they had returned home, Logan had gone straight to the school memorial, bearing the professor's, Scott's, and Jean's headstones. He stood before Jean's, not speaking, but thinking.

He hung his head in despair as he looked at the name engraved on the headstone.

"I miss ya, Jeanie," he told the silent grave.

Despite his constant efforts to stop them since her death, Logan felt tears form in his eyes. Of all the people he had ever known, of all the women he had come in contact—and Logan had not been shy when it came to women— he had only ever loved one. And now, he stood before her hollow grave, alone.

Being there did not help. In fact, in a lot of ways it made things worse. Seeing her name on that cold stone just brought to reality that she was gone forever. He remembered how his heart had been torn at the sight of the waves eating Jean's body away. Both he and Cyclops had cried for her that moment, sharing, for once, a feeling they both understood completely.

And then when she died for the second time, as the Pheonix had claimed her body. He had killed her. His one true love—he had stabbed her through the chest. He had held her to the very end.

"Time's supposed to make it all go away, but so far it's just…"

He paused and wiped his tears away. He would never let her see him cry, and he was certain that she could see him from wherever she was now.

"Every day your face fades a little in my mind," he told the grave. "And I hate that."

He stood up and looked around, relieved to find that he had been alone during his embarrassing confession. He looked back at the headstone. He knew that it was not his fault, but for some reason saying that it was his fault made him feel… like someone was to blame.

"I know you chose wonder boy and all, but I could have made you happy," he said. "I wish you could have given me that chance to prove it."

Wolverine sniffed one last time and walked toward the headstone, placing his familiar dogtags on the tombstone, bearing his name and serial number. She could keep them.

-

"So, Remy, I'm sure you will get along here just fine," Storm said, after laying down the ground rules of the school for him, though doubting in her mind they would do him much good.

"All respect where it's due," Gambit said, putting up a hand. "I don't plan on stayin' long."

There was a knock on the door, and Ororo paused.

"Come in."

Bobby entered the office, still eating a pizza crust.

"Remy, this is Bobby Drake, also called Iceman-- you remember, from the jet? You'll have to excuse me now, seeing as there is another individual coming in today for an interview, but Mr. Drake will be showing you to a room and answer any questions you may have."

Bobby offered his hand, and Remy accepted in a polite shake.

"Hello," Bobby said stiffly. "Well, follow me."

"And Remy?" Ororo added as they were walking out. Remy paused and looked back. Ororo smiled at her old friend warmly.

"It's good to have you."

Remy nodded and smiled, then continued on with the Iceman. They headed out of the office, and started the tour. Remy was only half paying attention, in the back of his mind keeping his eye out for Rogue.

"And this is the dining area," Bobby said, passing by the mess hall. "We use this for the students at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The teachers can either eat in here or eat in one of the kitchens, or the faculty dining area. Actually, we can really eat wherever we want. Professor Xavier never really…"

Bobby paused, and Remy finally paid him some attention when he had stopped talking.

"What's da matter?" Remy said, but Bobby just shook it off and kept talking.

"Across the hall there is the south rec. room. It's bigger than the others, but it's usually the hardest to get time in. Up those stairs are the girl's dorms. The female students all live there, as well as three of the staff members. They're in charge of the girl's dorms."

He turned away from the stairs and faced Remy.

"That's about it for this floor. Any questions?"

"You said dat da girl's rooms right up dere?"

"Uh... yeah, that's right."

Unbeknownst to both of them, Rogue herself was headed down the stairs right then. She paused and ducked back into the shadows as she heard them talking.

"Good. Den it'll be easier for Remy to go visit the skunk-head girl, non?"

Bobby was suspicious.

"Why would you need to visit her?"

"Remy thinks he needs to know her better. She is one slice of sexy."

Bobby seemed immediately angered by this.

"Hey, don't talk like that!"

"Perdon?"

"Listen, if you even look at my girlfriend the wrong way, I swear I'll--"

"Whoa!" Remy said, putting his hands up in surrender. "Back off, Icebox. Remy had no idea."

"Well, now that you do, make sure that you stay away from her."

"I make no promises," Remy taunted with a smile.

"I mean it, Gambit. You touch her, you die."

"What exactly you plannin' on doin', little boy? Now Remy see where you get da name 'Iceman' from."

In the stairwell, Rogue inhaled sharply. She hated the fact that Bobby was so jealous and overprotective, especially that not to long ago he had been doing the same thing to her when it came to Kitty Pryde flirting with him. She hated even more that he chose those words, 'Touch her… Touch her and you die'... Just when she was able to touch people again...

Down below, Remy was still grinning from ear to ear. He had heard her breathe, heard her footsteps, for his senses were sharp. He knew that she hadn't appreciated Bobby's comments; that was one of the benefits of being a low-level empath.

"She seem like a big girl," Remy went on. "Why don't we let the lady think for herself, non?"

Bobby walked on, giving the final word.

"Not as long as I have anything to say about it."

Rogue couldn't take it anymore. She turned and ran back up the stairs, not caring about making noise. Both Bobby and Remy looked up as she ran to her room. As the door slammed shut, Bobby winced.

Bobby couldn't even think of anything to say. Instead, he accidentally iced up the railing he was leaning on for support.

Remy snickered and hopped up the stairs, heading down the hall to the adult wing, but before he reached the top of the stairs, pulled out his staff and knicked the railing, causing the frozen structure to crack and finally break. Bobby, who had still been leaning on the rail, fell flat on his face.

-

Every time you don't review, God kills a kitten. Please. Think of the kittens.
Signed,
--RedRogue