Deep Silent Winter

Chapter Eleven

Author Note: Yay! Chapter Eleven! Finally…Many apologies for not updating. Life things happening all at once - as in new job and moving to a new apartment. The latter hasn't even happened yet.

Extra Special Thanks to Chapter Ten reviewers:

Guest

Silver

Sonar

fightingchampion

Okay. Ready. Set. READ. NOW.

Pietro was heavier than he looked. He may have been thin…really thin…but what little meat was on him was surely pure muscle. By the time they had gotten to the front entrance, Pietro was blacking in and out leaving Rogue to drag him the rest of the way up the steps and through the door.

She stumbled inside at which point she and the incapacitated Pietro gained a lot of attention. Rogue tripped and sent both her and the other teen to the floor. Scott and Evan rushed to help and each slung one of Pietro's arms over their shoulders to support him.

"m..Okay…" He half mumbled even though he was certainly far from "being okay."

Hank dropped the conversation he was having with a couple of the newer students to go help as well. He was mostly just scolding Bobby and Ray for a stupid prank they had pulled on Amara and Jamie. The prank hadn't been anything to cause any major damage and he had lost their attention anyway.

"Rogue! What the hell happened? I thought you were going to take it easy on him!" Scott raised his voice more out of worry than anything else.

"'Ah did take it easy on him! He's the moron who took his training into his own hands!" Rogue spat. She left out the part about him kissing her.

"Nah…really…I'm fine." Pietro mumbled again but no one even thought to believe him.

Hank took a throw blanket from a near-by sofa and laid it out on the floor. "Here, lay him down here." He said. Scott and Evan helped the delirious other teen lay down.

Pietro laughed slightly. "Everything's so…purple…"

"Bobby, Ray. I'll completely let your prank slide if you go find Jean and bring her here right now." Hank told them, his voice held a serious yet calm tone. They nodded with wide eyes and hurried off. "Scott, Evan. Go find more blankets, please." They hurried off as well.

Rogue stood, hovering on the edge of the scene yet she wanted to stay close to Pietro because she knew he needed her. What have I done?

"You didn't do anything wrong, Rogue." The Professor's voice broke through her own thoughts. She couldn't find the concentration to answer.

Rogue watched as Hank tried to shine a light in Pietro's eyes, one at a time. Pietro kept trying to push him away. "I'm fine...I'm…fine…" He kept slurring. Rogue hadn't noticed outside in the odd evening light that Pietro's lips appeared slightly bluish.

"Rogue." Hank said her name and she looked up away from the other teen. "Has he been doing any drugs?" He raised an eyebrow at her while trying to keep the boy still but he kept trying to sway back and forth.

Rogue shook her head. "Not that I know of…Why?"

Mr. McCoy shook his head. "I have to ask. Yes, he may have very mild hypothermia but he's displaying symptoms that seem more drug induced." Hank continued to try and treat his patient. "Can you give me a hand? We should at least get this wet hoodie off of him, it's soaked through."

Rogue nodded and knelt down next to the teen boy. While Hank prevented Pietro from trying to get up, Rogue removed his hoodie with much difficulty, blushing severely the entire time. It didn't go unnoticed by Hank.

Eventually Pietro seemed to settle down especially after Evan and Scott returned with more blankets. They were then sent away and Jean arrived soon after with no sign of the two troublemakers whom had gone to find her, although that was for the best.

"Ow…my head…"Pietro moaned.

"Care to tell me what's going on, Rogue?" Mr. McCoy said with a slight smile now that Pietro's body temperature was regulating.

Pietro's head was pounding. He tried to cover his eyes with his arm but it provided little relief.

Rogue stared at Pietro. He kissed me after being stupid and staying outside in the cold and the rain all day…

A chuckle from around the corner lifted their attention to the Professor making his entrance. Jean too couldn't help but smile. Mr. McCoy felt a bit left out and Rogue was trying to hide her flushed face.

Rogue stood. "I'm…really sorry Professor…'Ah let you down."

"What do you mean Rogue? How did you let me down?" The Professor's smile was warm again. It hadn't been that way ever since the DOD issued the new mandate and the Institute had to abide by it.

"Wh…'Ah mean…" Rogue stuttered. "'Ah was supposed to train Pietro but the stubborn idiot…he…'Ah should have been more firm…'Ah shouldn't have let him stay outside training himself for so long."

The Professor laughed briefly. "You cannot force others into doing what you want, Rouge, even if it is in their best interest. I'm here to guide you, Pietro, all of my students – not control anyone. Do you understand?"

Rogue nodded. "Yes, Professor."

"But, that isn't what I'm concerned about." The Professor turned towards Pietro who was now looking up at him with his eyes slightly squinted as he tried to keep his headache at bay. Xavier frowned. "Pietro."

"Oh god…here it comes…" Pietro wanted to block out what the Professor was about to say since he already knew what it was anyway.

"Listen carefully, Pietro." Xavier's face was stern yet concerned. Even though Pietro knew what he was about to tell him, the Professor needed Pietro to understand why he was telling him what he was about to say. "You cannot keep doing what you just did. Believe it or not, Rogue's powers are actually doing more harm to you than good right now." He sighed and leaned back in his wheelchair. He looked at Mr. McCoy. "The reason why you thought some of his symptoms signified some sort of drug use is because Rogue's powers are having a paradoxical affect on him."

Hank's brow furrowed and he jerked his head to the side. Hank looked at Rogue then back at the Professor. "Is…he addicted or perhaps reliant on…?"

"At least psychologically, yes." He sighed. "It may be physical as well. I'm not sure…I theorize it to be due to his repeated exposure to her abilities."

"How are my abilities doing more harm than good though?" Rogue was still kneeling next to the boy who was desperately trying to block out the world.

"Because the point is to learn self-control." The Professor said, mostly to Pietro who was sitting up now. He stared blankly past everything and everyone. "Besides, Rogue, your abilities are physically taxing on the recipient."

"I don't care." Pietro said with a sigh.

"Hey! Don't you even think about using me." Rogue spat.

"Pietro, you could die if you're overexposed to Rogue's abilities." The Professor's brow was scrunched. He knew Pietro wasn't listening to a word he was saying. "If you want to continue living-"

"I don't want anything! Nothing!" Pietro snapped and it quieted everyone in the room. "I am nothing! Don't you get it?" He turned and looked at them with the most intense glare anyone had ever seen from him. The small group was taken aback and a few heads poked around the corner to listen in. "I don't exist in this time anymore or any other time. I'm not anywhere. Fuck…You don't understand that…time can move forwards, backwards, side to side, up and down and I can't control anything about it." Pietro went to stand up and tripped over himself. Rogue caught him by the arm but he pulled away from her. "I can't prevent or change or protect anything that is going to happen or that has happened already. If I could…" Pietro choked on his words.

This was the moment that Lance and Wanda entered happily holding hands but froze at the scene in front of them.

"If I could…I'd just make myself disappear…" He shook again but this time because he was holding back sobs. He looked at Rogue, then Wanda, then Lance. "I'm sorry…" He rushed past them all and out the door. "…'Wish I was stronger."

To Be Continued…

Author Note: Fun cliffhanger! Well, it's fun for me anyway. Maybe I'm a tad evil. Review if 'ya feel up to it! Suppose this one was a bit short but the next chapter is like…more than twice as long so it makes up for it…right?