Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters.

Title: Kissing Frogs

Summary: Fed up with Kitty's choices in men, Rogue decides to play matchmaker. The only problem is that she isn't exactly an expert herself. So, she decides to go to the one person who might be able to help. But, she may have just gotten herself into more than she bargained for.

Author's Note: First of all, I do want to thank everyone for their comments and follows. They are much appreciated. Secondly, though, I want to apologize if I did mistake Rogue's height and Jean's height. However, the stats that I found suggest that Rogue is 5'6" and that Jean is 5'10". I am not sure how true this is, since it is from X-Men: Evolution Wiki, but those are what I went off of. So for now, and meant as no inconvenience to anyone, I think I will just keep the last chapter as is. One last thing, for this chapter, excuse all of the metaphors.

Chapter 9 – Road to Recovery

Well, she had certainly made a mess of things. Remy was unreachable again, like he once had been. Kitty was pretending she didn't exist, which basically meant avoiding the room except to sleep in and get refreshed in, and refused to listen to anything she had to say. Kurt was perhaps the least harsh. He did his best to remain on Kitty's side, but he still acknowledged her…at times. Then there was Jean, who wasn't speaking to her because of the barbeque sauce and mustard and gravy stains on her "borrowed" emerald dress refused to wash out.

Not that it was anything out of the ordinary, but Rogue had taken to sitting by herself in the gardens in the back of the mansion. She would stare out across the foliage on those summer days and replay everything that had happened over the past week. She still asked questions that she didn't have answers to. She still regretted decisions that she had made that couldn't be undone.

It was to the point where Rogue couldn't take anymore. She had to do something—at least try to make it right. She found her opportunity one evening when, heading in for the night, she found Kitty in the shared bedroom, preparing for sleep herself. Rogue closed the door to offer them some privacy. Kitty had ventured a glance at the intrusion then continued in her nighttime routine.

Rogue sighed, frustrated and ready to take action. "Alright," she announced, "we're going to have a chat. You can't keep ignoring me, Kitty."

More than likely because she realized that not saying anything was futile, Kitty retorted, "Yes, I can. And I, like, should. What you did, Rogue, was completely, like, unacceptable." Kitty stopped and hugged herself, looking out the window at the dark sky. "Not to mention, like, completely hurtful."

"You have to know that I didn't mean for it to be," Rogue insisted, coming forward cautiously. "It just got a little out of hand, I guess."

"What were you even trying to, like, accomplish, Rogue?" Kitty asked, whirling around.

Rogue became a little sheepish. "I wanted you to be happy. And," she added, quieter, "I wanted a peaceful night's sleep."

"What?" Kitty shrieked incredulously. She stomped over to Rogue and pointed a finger at her angrily. "You basically, like, ruined my life so that you could, like, sleep better at night?" She crossed her arms haughtily over her chest. "How's that working for you?"

"Listen," Rogue tried to explain, but was having trouble finding the right words, "I'm not explaining this right. It was for your benefit—to find someone who would actually make you happy."

"Save it," Kitty snapped. "You just, like, want to make everyone's life something that you, like, approve of."

"I-" Rogue tried, but was immediately cut off.

"You can't always, like, have a say in my love life, Rogue," Kitty explained, the volume of her voice lowering. "You can't, like, meddle in it and, like, toy with it to meet your own expectations."

"I know," Rogue agreed, meeting the level of her voice.

"This may sound odd to you, but, like, sometimes you have to kiss a bunch of frogs before you, like, find your prince. And, like, maybe what looks like a dead end in the beginning will, like, turn into a path to a possible future."

By that point, Kitty had sunken down onto her bed. It was obvious that she was still trying to come to terms with her situation and everything that she had left behind. Rogue cautiously sat down on the mattress next to her. It seemed that she had calmed down enough for a little interaction.

"You're absolutely right," Rogue agreed softly. "I didn't understand your relationship with Lance, and I still don't. But perhaps that is something special that you two share."

Kitty glanced up at Rogue and smiled slightly. "It, like, seems like you learned a lot. Remy must have, like, really rubbed off on you."

Rogue's heart fluttered and her cheeks began to burn. She sat up straighter, on edge. "I mean, he was pretty much the brains of the operation. I don't really know anything about that stuff."

"I wouldn't have, like, known that from, like, the way you're talking now."

Rogue shrugged nonchalantly. "It's no big deal."

Kitty stood, continuing with her routine. "It seems to me, like, perhaps he made an even bigger, like, impression on you than you know."

"Alright," Rogue muttered, standing in a huff and trudging back to her side of the room, "you've had your fun. We're even."

Kitty shook her head. "Not even, like, close."

Rogue peered over her shoulder at her roommate. "I'm sorry, Kitty. I really am."

"Thank you, Rogue."

"Are you going to be okay?"

Kitty mused for a moment. "I think so."

"Just as something to think about," Rogue suggested, shrugging, "the whole thing with Kurt was not part of it. Yes, we set him up with you, but anything you felt or experienced with him was not us. That was all Kurt."

"Hmm," Kitty thought aloud. "Good to know."

xXx

Lance was lounging on a dilapidated bench outside of the Brotherhood house, doing his best at coming up with a heartfelt poem for Kitty. Needless to say, catching her on a date with someone else made him realize just how serious she was. It also made him realize how much he missed her and wanted her back. He was so involved with what he was doing that he barely looked up from the pad of paper he was jotting his ideas on. It wasn't until a large shadow came over him, blocking out the summer sun, that he finally averted his eyes.

"What gives?" he asked, annoyed. He glanced upward and spied Rogue hovering over him, her hands impatiently on her hips. He jumped slightly, startled and slightly nervous. "Rogue!"

"Don't worry, I'm just here to offer you some advice," she informed. She came around the bench and sat next to him, or at least as best as she was able since it seemed to be slanting toward one side. "What's that?" She had spied his notepad and the numerous scribbles across it.

Defensively, Lance held the notepad to his body. "Nothing. Just a poem I was trying to write for Kitty—to get her to take me back."

"Let me see that." Rogue took the notepad, much against Lance's will, and chanced a look at it. "You aren't going to get her back with this." She tossed the notepad over her shoulder.

"Hey!" Lance protested.

"You'll thank me in the end," she insisted.

"What do you want, Rogue? Besides totally destroying all of my chances with Kitty, that is." He crossed his arms in a pouty manner.

"First of all I came by to apologize." Though it pained her to say that to him, she knew she had to do it. For, she had also harmed him with her shenanigans.

"Apologize for what?" Lance insisted, not any less suspicious.

"I may have been the one that instigated the break up between you and Kitty, and her interest in Kurt," she confessed.

"What?" Lance shouted, severely upset. He clenched his hands into fists, sitting up on the bench, and the ground began to shake violently around them.

"Now hang on just a minute," Rogue retorted. She gradually removed a glove, just in case she needed to resort to her powers.

"What did you do?" Lance demanded. He was still angry, but the tremors ceased.

"I didn't say that you don't have a chance of winning her back, Lance," she reminded. "So instead of wasting time being upset with me, why don't you go to Kitty?"

"That was my plan in the first place." Lance got to his feet. Though he was still brooding on what she had told him, it was obvious that he was more concerned with Kitty.

"Before you go," Rogue called, stopping him in his tracks, "I have a favor."

Lance pivoted, not too happy with her at that moment. "You ruin my relationship and then you expect me to help you?"

Rogue stood, annoyed now, as well. "I apologized, didn't I? Besides, I didn't have to come here and let you know about Kitty."

He sighed. "What do you want? Keep in mind that my patience is running very thin."

"I need you to contact Remy and set up a meeting. I need to speak to him," she informed.

"About what?"

"Nothing that concerns you," Rogue insisted. "You just arrange a time and place and leave the rest to me." She smirked.