Hi all! Thanks so much to everyone who read and to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review! I'm trying really hard to respond to reviews individually, but if I miss responding, please don't get offended. Just trust that I am super appreciative of the time you took to read my story and to leave a comment about it.

Also, thanks to random girl for pointing out the error in chapter 3. I'll get on fixing that when I've got a chance. Just a little heads-up: this story takes place kind of at the end of the last season. And because there really isn't any more reference material from the show as far as plot goes, I will be borrowing elements from the comic books to help this story along. To my knowledge, the villain I've chosen for this story has never really had much of an interest in Rogue, but I'm going to just continue with my idea anyways. *flashes the "creative licence"*

I have to say that this chapter racked my brain until my ears bled and I'm not terribly sure how happy I am with it. As always, let me know what you think and where improvements can be made!

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Marvel and I gain nothing from writing this story.

His lips screwed up into a twisted grin and a short, low chuckle rumbled from his throat. "An intriguing development indeed," he mumbled. Although he was not as powerful a telepath as Charles Xavier, what he lacked in ability he made up for in intelligence and cunning. There were a couple of students at this school that piqued is interest and he managed to monitor them without raising the slightest suspicion. Since the resurrection of Apocalypse though, there was one more student who had earned his attention. After all, anyone powerful enough to be the key to raising En Sabah Nur was certainly worth studying.

The lack of any further displays of her powers in the last few months was a little discouraging. He began to question his earlier theories about the girl, but now, his patience was finally starting to pay off. Her powers were getting stronger, and harder for her to control. He doubted that Xavier had the resources, or even the courage to do what needed to be done to help her gain control. Luckily, I don't have the same high moral standards that he does, he thought to himself. His grin parted and grew into a toothy, predatory smile. Of course, this was just the tip of the iceberg, and he would have to wait a little longer, but patience was an abundant resource when the reward was big enough. He would watch her spiral out of control and become desperate. She would be more likely to accept his offer then.

~oOo~

The force of Rogue's back hitting the mattress forced the air out of her lungs. Eyes closed, she inhaled deeply and held her breath for a moment before opening her eyes and exhaling. She stared at the ceiling as she assessed her current situation. She felt like a mental patient: freedoms stripped away and extra eyes watching her all for 'her own protection,' of course. In an effort to, as the professor put it, ' better understand the situation and prevent this from happening again,' the adults came up with and imposed a new set of ground rules, just for her. Don't I just feel so special, she thought, bitterly.

The daily sessions with the professor were pretty much a given. They were also the least bothersome of the new rules she was to follow. All forms of medication, prescription or otherwise, was confiscated and to be administered by Dr. McCoy when she needed them. She really didn't have a lot of meds, but it seemed silly and so utterly pointless to go to the doctor for something she was perfectly capable of handling on her own. She was also forbidden from leaving the mansion grounds unaccompanied. So much for her days spent reading in the park. But the worst of it was that she was being forced to give up her private bedroom, and move back into the shared space with Kitty. She tried arguing that one into the ground. Her room was nearby and anyone could easily check on her if they suspected anything was amiss. But all of her pleas fell on deaf ears and she was now lying on the same bed she occupied over a year ago.

To top it all off, Kitty was acting strangely toward her the whole time she was moving her belongings back in. It shouldn't have been a surprise, since it was Kitty that found her on the bathroom floor that day. Rogue sighed and sat up. Kitty's behaviour around her was just a preview of how everyone else in the mansion would soon be like when she was nearby. Hopefully the professor's talk with the students will squelch some of the rumours that were, no doubt, already floating around the school, but Rogue wasn't too optimistic about that. Most of the students would be keeping one eye on her just to see if she'd hurt herself, or anyone else again. Rogue rubbed her temples in an effort to soothe the dull ache in her head.

~oOo~

Professor Xavier decided it would be best to address the senior x-men before talking with the rest of the student body. As her teammates and friends, they were likely closer to Rogue and entitled to some more detailed information that the rest of the students weren't. He briefly observed each of them before starting. Kurt was fidgety and anxious; Kitty's eyes were downcast and she appeared uncomfortable; Scott sat rigid and kept his face impassive; and Jean face was soft, but etched with worry.

"We have had a chance to discuss the recent incident with Rogue and clarified some of the details of what happened," the professor began. All eyes locked on him, waiting for him to continue. "Despite what we've seen or heard, it appears that Rogue did not, in fact, intentionally try to harm herself."

"So then, what really happened?" Kurt piped up.

"We believe that she was not completely in control of herself when she overdosed on the medication."

"What do you mean 'not completely in control of herself'? Was someone else controlling her mind?" Scott asked, confused.

"In a manner of speaking, yes. But her mind wasn't being controlled by external forces, rather by the personality imprints already within."

"That means that her psyches are trying to take over again," Scott stated.

"It appears that there is a risk of that happening again, but I am unsure of the reason. It's possible that her powers are evolving, but we don't have any evidence to support that."

Kitty sat quietly through the whole exchange. The day she found Rogue was burned in her mind and haunted her sleep. She had yet to witness someone's death, and this came way too close for comfort. The thought that she had done it to herself was unsettling enough, but the idea that the ghosts in Rogue's head had forced her hand was down right frightening. Now having her back in her room felt like an extra weight on her shoulders. She wanted to help Rogue get better, but if anything happened in their room, Kitty would feel the most at fault for it because she wasn't watching close enough. She bit her lip as the meeting wore on.

"So what are we doing about this?" Scott asked.

"Much to Rogue's chagrin, we have arranged things so that it will be easier to monitor her should her psyches surface again," the professor explained. "She is to see Dr. McCoy if she requires any kind of medication, and is not to leave the mansion grounds alone. We have already moved her back into Kitty's room so that someone is there with her at night. I will also be working with her every day to make sense of the chaos in her head."

"What do you want us to do?" Jean asked.

"The best thing you can do is be her friends and offer encouragement and support where you can. As difficult as it all is on us, it's weighing heavily on Rogue, whether she admits it or not."

The four nodded silently.