Chapter Eight: Time

Rogue was walking down the stairs before she realized that she'd left the kitchen. She wasn't sure what had happened. The only thing that registered to her was the fact that she was still carrying the dairy Destiny had given her. She knew she was going to read it, but she was not sure she wanted to. She had been given a chance to learn more about her past. Her mom abandoned her after she was born; it was her dad's second wife. When she was three years old her dad got married again. Maybe she would find out about her mom, and why she had left. Her older brother was from her dad's first marriage, and her younger sister and brother were from the third marriage. Her dad resented her and beat her because he blamed Raven's abandonment on her.

"Marie, Marie, are you awake? Hello are you paying attention." Julian shouted to her but she kept walking unaware anyone was calling her until he shouted, "Rogue!"

Rogue jumped at his appearance and looked over at him and smiled. "Sorry I wasn't paying attention. I was just thinking about something."

Julian looked at her, "I think you're going soft. It used to be impossible to sneak up on you and I just did when I wasn't even trying."

She smiled at him. "I was thinking about my conversation with Destiny and I haven't been called Marie in so many years I forget people actually know my name."

Julian looked at her, "What did they used to call you Anna, you know your real name or what?"

Rogue smiled. "No they know me by Rogue and only Rogue. They have no idea what my real name is. I never told them. I didn't want to tell them because I wanted to make sure no one could track down my past because I have real enemies now. Powerful mutants who want to use my powers for their own gain. "

Julian looked at her with a serious look. "Is there something wrong Rogue? You look a bit out of it."

She smiled. "I'm fine, really. I'm just a bit nervous about the party." Rogue paused she didn't know how to ask so she just cut to the chase. "Will Dannie be there, and his wife?"

Julian smiled sadly. "We sent him an invitation but I don't know if he'll show up. He cut off most of his connections to the guild."

She sighed, "What exactly did the invitation say? I'm curious."

Julian answered, "The invitation said they we were throwing a party in your honor but of course we didn't put you were alive or that you were going to be attending."

Rogue frowned. "Why would you hold a party in my honor after all these years? Won't that be a bit curious?"

Julian smiled hugely. "Father's put you into his initiation speech's and there's a small dance on the day you went missing in your honor and it's the only day when the thieves and assassins come together and are not allowed to fight at all, or they'll be expelled from the guild."

She was in complete shock. She had assumed that some of the people missed her and that Marcus had missed her skills behind him. She knew she was one of the best assassins that he had seen in years and when she had got into his cabinet, his five main people and there were no women until she showed up, she knew he was considering making her his heir. "Really?" She didn't think anyone would miss her that much.

Julian nodded at her, "Yeah really. Everybody missed you a lot. We didn't know what happed either. Your dad said you were killed but no one knew how and he never told us any details. Now we know why."

Rogue smiled sadly. She had missed them too, and every year on the day she had to leave her home she cut herself off from the rest of the world. It was the only day she truly ever considered going back. Every year she would pack her bags and stare at the door, and sometimes she would even get to a hotel, but by the next morning she was always in her bed again. "I missed you guys so much too, but at first I didn't know if my family was still here and then I didn't know if you guys would even want me to come back. I had left you guys after all and I thought that you might consider me a traitor."

This was most of the truth the other half was that she didn't want to have to face her family, her dad. At night her scars still ached from the beatings she used to get. Though she never really allowed him to know how much he hurt her. He acknowledged the fact that even if her power didn't make it necessary to be covered she probably would be. She still had the scars her dad had given her all over her body.

"You should have known that we would have never thought that about you. We all cared for you; even those disgusting thieves care for you, and your family wouldn't have dared touch you with us around." Julian said seriously.

She couldn't believe that he really didn't know about her beatings she knew that Dannie used to pretend that they didn't happen but she thought he would have told someone, but then again maybe he thinks that it would have been different when she came back. She knew it wouldn't have been.

Julian tried to smile and change the subject, "So where did you go after you left? Did you go out on your own, or join a team, or go straight to the X-Men? What happened to you? We all want to know but most of us are too scared to ask."

Rogue looked Julian in the eye and saw his curiosity. She knew he wanted to know just as bad as anyone else. "So you ask me." She said looking him in the eye.

"What happened after you left?" Julian asked carefully trying to make sure this wasn't a trap he was falling into.

"I was alone for a while. It seemed longer than it was, but I didn't keep track of time much. A woman named Mystique came to me. She loved my powers and thought that they could be useful to her and I think they would have been if I had given it my all, but still she wanted my powers and nothing I did changed her mind. She was like a hired assassin but she was more like a terrorist. I worked for her for three years, but she was never really in charge of me. I'm uncontrollable, remember? She worked for a man named Magneto, who later tried to kill me, and it's what gave me this white streak. She recruited me to the brotherhood where I did stay for a few years and then I had a break down while fighting the X-Men and they helped me. A man named Wolverine was one of the first to trust me. I've been with the X-Men now for four years and they still no nothing about me. I know you're still curious about my powers, but by the party everyone will know because all of the thieves know." Rogue paused to let her words sink in, "That's enough for now."

Julian nodded, though he knew she wasn't asking for permission she was telling him that she was done talking about it. Nothing he said would change her mind anyway. "Anyway I was looking for you because Mercy just called and she's in the middle of town ready to o shopping. The party will be at the usual spot, we're going to bring everything over there a little later."

** ** ** **

As Wolverine stocked up and down the halls and through the buildings and next to the fountain where some kids hang out, where he had seen Rogue some times. John, Bobby and her used to hang out there before John switched sides. He couldn't decide whether or not he wanted to go to find Rogue. Actually that wasn't the problem, he knew he wanted to find Rogue, but he didn't want Mystique there and didn't want to have to bring Rogue back to her.

The professor on the other had kept staring at the map that showed the recent attacks. They all seemed pretty pointless to him. None of them had any idea as to why they were attacking accept for the fact that Sinister had told them to. This was bugging him more than anything, because he knew they had a reason even if they didn't know it yet, and what worse was the Mystique might know.

Mystique examined the room Jean and Kitty had left her in before they ran off to catch the X-Jet before it took off. She wondered if Rogue would ever find out exactly how their pasts intertwined. Maybe she had already found out, though how she would have Mystique didn't know. She wanted to ask how much control Rogue had over her powers and why she chose now to leave and go back to her old life. The Rogue avioded all mention of it she had assumed that something bad had happened there and she couldn't return but apparently that wasn't the case.

She sat on the bed she knew it would be a while before Wolverine made up his mind. She wasn't sure that Wolverine liked the plan or would agree to it at all. If he did decide to go she was sure he wouldn't let her tag along so she would be stuck here even more days with snot nosed brats.

Mystique needed them to make up their minds quickly because time was running out....

Rogue's time was running out.