Simple Submission

Chapter 4

Rogue woke up the next day in a better mood than she had been since Logan left. She practically jumped out of bed and out the door, but she pulled a pair of jeans and her gloves, just in case she ran into anyone along the corridors. She doubted it since it was so early, but it never hurt to be careful.

She ran along the corridors and stopped outside Bobby's room. She opened the door as quietly as she could. Bobby was in bed, still sleeping. She tiptoed into the room and closed the door behind her. She took a moment to realize how good-looking her boyfriend was and how adorable he was when he was sleeping.

She considered getting into bed beside him, but felt she had too much energy for that. She walked as quietly as she could over to his bed and pulled the bedcovers clean off him. He looked round and squinted in the light. "Wake up!" She shouted, jumping onto the bed. He took a few seconds to realize what was happening and then groaned and lifted his pillow over his head.

She laughed and sat down. "Come on Bobby, get up! I want to do something!" He mumbled something incoherent into the pillow, but still didn't move. She raised an eyebrow at him and thought of the best thing she could do that would get him up. "Bobby if you don't move right now, there will be consequences." He didn't stir.

Rogue shrugged and started to tickle him. Immediately he started to squirm and wriggle under her mercy. He finally let out a forced giggle and rolled off the bed away from her. She laughed and lay down so she could see over the side of the bed where he fell. "Alright, alright. I'm up!" She sat up and clapped her hands together like a child. "What d'you want to do?" He sat on the bed beside her and looked at her sideways. "What?" She asked.

He jumped her and started to tickle her. She screamed and laughed while he held her down. "Bobby no! I'm sorry! Mercy!" But he didn't stop he kept on tickling her in the places he had found to be her weak spots. Behind her knees, above her waist and mostly her feet. "Bobby please!" She laughed and fought for air, as he relentlessly tortured her. He finally stopped when Peter nearly broke down the door banging on it. "Shut up Drake, before I come in there and do it for you."

They both collapsed laughing. Bobby crawled up to the head of the bed beside her and slid down beside her body. He slid his arm across her waist and pulled her closer into him. She cradled his arm in hers and smiled. He buried his head in beside her neck so she could feel his breath dance upon her skin. She was reminded of last night when she had wanted to go to Gambit and the mere thought of Bobby had stopped her. How could she even have thought about the Cajun like that, when she had Bobby as her boyfriend. She scolded herself for the umpteenth and turned so she was facing Bobby.

"Thank you." She pressed her hands into his chest and snuggled her head into them but he held her back. "Thanks for what?" He looked puzzled. Rogue shrugged and kissed him. "Thank you for being you. Thank you for noticing me. Thank you." He smiled still looking slightly perplexed but didn't ask anymore questions. Instead he cradled her against his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

They lay like that together until Jubilee came in to borrow Bobby's chemistry book and found them. Her chants had followed Rogue the whole way down the hallway to her room.

She was back at the freak school. Standing outside it infact, slipping off her biker gloves. She supposed it wasn't so bad to be back. She had missed the kid and Storm, but she hadn't been sure she could come back if Jean wasn't here. She was the main thing that had kept her coming back for visits, keeping her grounded. But now that she was gone, it was the kid that had brought her back. Her and her stupid thoughts in her head. As if she had taken over her. She had called her back and she needed to find out what was wrong.

She pushed open the door and bumped straight into some kid with green hair. She raised an eyebrow at the kid, who was staring off into space and then side-stepped him. No point in asking help form him, looked like he didn't have any sense in him anyway.

It wasn't long before she found someone else. It was the boy that didn't sleep. She wondered what they called him. Probably something scientific like Insomnia or some name she wouldn't understand. He directed her to where she needed to go and ran off down the hallway after his friends. She took the directions he had told her and ended outside a classroom. "Go figure," she muttered before opening the door. She turned to see Cyclops in front of the class. She went momentarily cold at the memories of him and Jean together then calmed and attempted a smile, but she was pretty sure it came out a grimace.

"Logan?" Scott said in surprise. "What are you doing here?" She looked around the classroom, taking in her surroundings. "I-" Then she saw her, the kid, her……..

Rogue woke up screaming. She had fallen asleep in her English class and had invaded Logan's subconscious again. She stood up and knocked over her table which made her even more frightened. "Rogue…." Logan was in the doorway and was walking towards her. She walked backwards away from him and tripped over a vacant chair. It made her stop screaming, but she kept on moving backwards on her hands and knees.

The students all ran towards the other side of the room away form her. "Scott what's wrong with her?" Jubilee shouted. But Scott was speechless. He starred at Rogue and shook his head in disbelief. He walked towards her and it made her move even further backwards. She didn't stop until she hit the wall.

Logan turned to Scott and shouted at him. "Cyclops, what's the matter with her?" Scott turned and shook his head again. "I don't know." He seemed to have regained his voice because he started issuing orders to the students. "Jubilee, go and inform the Professor about Rogue. Kitty go and get Storm form the medical wing. Peter, go and get Bobby out of his Computers class." All students obeyed and were gone almost immediately.

Logan turned to Scott. "Your getting the Iceman? What for?" Scott turned to him, stony-faced. "Bobby is Rogue's boyfriend. He knows her better than anyone else. He may be able to help." As if on cue, Peter and Bobby came running through the doors. "What's wrong with Rogue?" He asked immediately. His face paled when he caught sight of her against the wall.

He ran towards her, but Logan grabbed him before he could get any closer. "What are you doing, let go of me!" He seemed furious. Logan growled at him. "Look at her kid, she's terrified of you." It was true. Rogue didn't want anyone near her. Not even Bobby. When he had come closer to her, she had pressed herself hard enough into the wall that she knew she would have bruises the next day. Bobby was gaping at her. "Rogue-"

"It's alright Bobby," Professor Xavier's voice came form the doorway. "She's just scared that's all."

The Professor calm as always greeted Logan, who didn't reply and then wheeled his way over to Rogue. He stopped when he heard her whimper. Professor Xavier was the kindest person she knew, but somehow he still posed a threat. "Rogue I am going to probe your mind. It won't hurt but you need to stay very calm during it." Rogue tried to settle her breathing but it was so hard.

She felt the Professor enter her mind and she started to pant. Slowly Rogue, slowly. That's it, in and out. Good girl. His voice rang through her head trying to calm her nerves. We need to find some kind of memory that will calm your emotions. Help me Rogue. Faces flashed through her mind, laughing, shouting, crying. The Professor was trying to find something or someone that could relax her.

It was like sorting through a file cabinet. He would pick a memory out from a particular time and when it had no affect hw would shift it aside taking up another. After a while the Professor seemed to be singling out the memories of Logan and Bobby. He concentrated on these, forcing Rogue to remember them, but when she saw Logan she remembered how inhuman he could be and her breath quickened again.

The Professor then replaced the memories of Logan with others of Bobby and for a few milli-seconds it seemed to be working, but then the memories of their fights began to crop up. How cruel he could be and how hurtful. Rogue slowly felt her heartbeat quicken as the Professor showed her more pictures of the Iceman. He just wasn't getting it. I don't want Bobby. She screamed at him. The Professor slowly started to put the memories of Bobby back in their place. She could feel his concern while she started to shut him out of her mind.

No Rogue! I can help. Just tell me what you want and I will try my best to get it for you. It was the panic in his voice that had made her consider this. The Professor never panicked. He was the Polaroid of calm. She really thought about the question before she answered. If she didn't get something to calm her soon she was going to hyperventilate.

She finally found something. Something she would never admit to anyone except the Professor. Gambit. The Professor didn't even blink. "Storm find Gambit." Rogue had forgotten they weren't alone. Suddenly she found the walls closing in on her and grabbed the side of her head. She could feel some of the people in the room now. She didn't have to open her eyes to know Logan, Bobby and Kitty were still there. She could feel Logan's anger, Kitty's fear and Bobby's outrage.

"She wants that guy? Storm's friend? Why? Why doesn't she want me?" He seemed furious, as if she had defied him somehow. Broken a sacred pack that they had shared. This just added to Rogue's nervousness. What was she going to do now? She couldn't loose Bobby, she needed him. Just not right now.

Logan seemed to be angry even without the knowledge of what was going on. "Who the hell is Gambit? And how does Rogue know him?" Rogue tried to keep them out of her head, but their emotions were coming down on her like a ton of bricks. Kitty was nearly making her cry with worry and Logan made her want to punch something with annoyance. Bobby just wanted to hurt somebody.

Small noises started to find their way out of her mouth. Whimpers, sobs, shouts, growls. Why wasn't the Professor helping her? She needed to get the emotions out of her head. They weren't hers. And she didn't want them.

Finally, oblivious to Rogue's new cause of suffering, the Professor announced that Gambit was coming now. He came through the door and went straight to Rogue. Bobby sort of growled at him when he went passed and Logan gave him the meanest snarl he could muster, but his eyes were for Rogue and he gave no notice to the two.

"Careful. She doesn't want anyone near her." Scott warned as Gambit took off his coat. He handed it to the older man and smiled. "Don't worry mon ami. Gambit be sort of in de fille's favor at de moment." He turned his attention to Rogue and walked very slowly towards her.

Rogue waited for the fear of his closeness overtake her, but to her surprise she was calming. With every step he took closer, Rogue breathing slowed and her heartbeat took its normal pace. "Oh chere, what have you done to yourself? Mmmmm?" He bent on his legs and took even smaller steps in even slower time to reach her.

"Gambit just want to help a pretty fille. You gonna let him help you, chere?" She felt the tension in her shoulders calm and her grip on her knees loosen. "Dats it. Just relax. Gambit not gonna hurt you." He reached up and touching her hand. When she didn't object he took both of her arms and pulled her towards him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sat her down onto his knees.

She let her body relax against his and placed her forehead on his neck. He had some kind of head gear on that covered his forehead to his collarbone, so she wasn't touching any of his skin. He rocked her and hummed to her, every now and then whispering words of comfort into her ear.

When he was finally satisfied that she had calmed completely he lifted her in his arms, standing up with no support from anything. It seemed strings were pulling him up. To a semi-conscious Rogue, it was very graceful, even beautiful. When he turned to their audience with her in his arms Bobby's face was almost matching Logan's. It made her huddle into Gambit even more. She was glad she couldn't feel either of their emotions now.