Best of You

By: RogueBHS

Act II

Chapter 13, "Unlucky Thirteen"

Author Notes: Well, here we go. Unlucky 13. Who's the unlucky one(s)? You'll have to read to find out. This is a VERY emotional chapter, and had ME crying while I wrote parts of it! So keep tissues handy just in case if you're the emotional sort like myself.

Disclaimer: I do not now nor will I ever own the X-men in any way, shape or form. They belong to Marvel...Naturally. Z belongs to my friend...not me! All other OC are MY creation and do belong to me. Want to use them? Ask.

Foreign Languages: In my story, Rogue is fluent in French, as is Remy. Of course, Kurt speaks German, and Piotr speaks Russian. Therefore I will use bits of those languages in my story. All translations are provided via the amazing Google translator. Words frequently used like "ma Chere," etc. will only be translated once per chapter.

Notice: Due to rules, I don't dare post song lyrics in my stories here any longer. There will be names of songs included, and if you're interested in lyrics, Google "A-Z Lyrics." Its a great site I've used for years with no issues. Look for song information in Parenthesis as you read.

Full Summary: After the ordeal with Apocalypse, the X-men, Acolytes and Brotherhood try to find some sense of normal, but for Rogue, that's harder than it is for the others. Will she be able to find herself again in Bayville? Or will it take new friends and a new location to make her the woman she knows she's meant to be? For that matter, how will the others react to a new Rogue?

Main Characters: The X-men (Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Storm, Wolverine, and Prof. X.), Acolytes (Gambit, Colossus, Pyro, Magneto), Brotherhood (Todd, Pietro, Lance, Wanda, Fred), Excalibur (Brian, Betsy, Emma, Sean, Tessa, Lucas, Lorna, Rogue, Mystique, Neal, Nate)

Muir Island – Rogue's bedroom – 4:30 PM – Day of Gala (same day as end of Ch. 12) -

Rogue sat on the floor of her bathroom next to her toilet, staring at the opposite wall blankly. She couldn't...it was impossible. Her powers wouldn't allow it, right? But all signs pointed to the converse being true, that she in fact was. Nausea, tiredness...and most damning, she had missed not one but two of her periods. A test would confirm it without a doubt, but Rogue was quite sure already. Somehow, despite all odds and all precautions Scott had taken, she was pregnant. Slowly, her hands crept up from the floor to cover her lower abdomen protectively as tears formed in her eyes. She had suspected off and on since her first missed period, but stress had made her loose track, and it wasn't until recently, when her second should have come that it hit her. Rogue thought idly of calling Scott now, but then remembered he and the other X-men would be in the air, very nearly to the island already. No, she would tell him face to face.

Hearing her bedroom door open, Rogue pushed herself up off of the bathroom floor and went to the door to meet whomever had entered her room. She didn't expect to be greeted by all three of the team's female telepaths however. "What's goin' on?" she asked.

"You were projecting again," Betsy said gently, already clad in a stunning dress in her trademark purple. As she moved forward, the telepath's purple eyes focused solely on Rogue. "Luv, what's bothering you?"

"Ah thought ya said Ah was projecting?"

"Your emotions," Emma said, sitting down on Rogue's bed. "All we got from you was a mixture of distress, surprise and then a spike of happiness with vague images we couldn't make sense of."

Rogue sighed heavily, moving to sit next to Emma. Unable to help it, her hands began to twitch and fidget in nervousness before they were grabbed by Betsy, who had pulled over a chair in front of her. "Luv, please...talk to us."

"Ah'm pregnant," Rogue blurted out, even as tears began to form in her eyes again. Her hands pulled away from Betsy's, and she wrapped her arms in a protective way over her stomach.

Both Emma and Betsy reeled back, surprised, while Tessa stood aside. Tessa had also begun to suspect Rogue was pregnant in recent days, having noticed the nausea and tiredness Rogue complained of off and on becoming worse. But after a brief glance at each other, Betsy and Emma moved to sit on either side of Rogue, each with an arm around her. Rogue's distress and borderline panic at their reactions were broadcasting loudly, making it paramount they soothe her first, and ask questions later.

"Okay luv, okay," Betsy murmured, making Rogue focus on her as Emma gently used her telepathy to project soothing images and thoughts into the girls mind. "You need to calm down a bit. I can tell you're scared...nervous...but you can't let that consume you. You know that."

Rogue nodded slowly. Nervousness and fear were two of the emotions the psyches fed on most of all, and if she allowed those emotions to overtake her, the psyches would become increasingly restless, making it near impossible for her to function normally. Breathing deeply as Logan and Ororo had taught her in some meditation exercises, she focused on a memory of her and Scott, pushing out all else.

As Rogue's emotions began to calm, Emma stopped projecting things to her, and allowed the Goth girl to finish on her own. "Better?" she asked, once Rogue had opened her eyes again.

Giving a brief nod, Rogue looked to Tessa. "Can...can you...ya know...run one o' your scans? Make sure everythin' is okay?" she asked almost shyly.

"You will need to move your arms, and it would be best if you stood," Tessa said, even as she slipped her special sunglasses into place.

Rogue stood, letting her arms fall to her sides, and fought the urge to cover her abdomen again as Tessa reached out, gently placing her hands on either side of Rogue's stomach. As Tessa began the scan, Rogue couldn't help but feel panic rise in her again. With powers like hers...especially with no control, wasn't it dangerous for her to be pregnant? Couldn't her powers possibly hurt the baby? Lord, why had she thought even for a moment this could be a good thing? Tears filled her eyes as she imagined loosing the baby because of her powers. Yes, she had managed to get pregnant, a feat on its own with her powers, and so far had stayed that way. But perhaps her powers just hadn't recognized it as something that could be absorbed yet.

How on earth would she be able to tell Scott? Much less anyone else. She knew, perhaps better than anyone, how much he had always wanted to have a family of his own. Maybe this was far sooner than he expected, and to be honest after her powers had manifested she had thought she'd never have a real relationship, much less a family of her own, but to loose the chance now? After she found it was at least partly possible?

"You have no need to worry."

Tessa's voice interrupted her thoughts, and had Rogue looked at the dark-haired telepath in surprise. "What?"

"Your child is safe from your powers," Tessa continued as if Rogue hadn't said anything. "It is, after all, a part of you. Now if you would please calm down, I need to finish the scan."

Fears quelled, Rogue stood still, a hint of a smile on her lips. Maybe this was a good thing after all, she mused.

"Everything is as it should be," Tessa informed Rogue, giving a brief and rare smile to the stripe-haired girl. Glancing at Betsy, her normal expressionless mask fell into place. "We will have to alert Brian to this immediately. She should not be on active duty."

"We'll worry about that later," Betsy murmured, seeing how Rogue's expression changed at the reminder she had only just joined Excalibur. "Don't worry. We'll always have a place for you, Rogue," she reassured the younger girl, giving her a brief hug. They weren't exactly best friends, but with all she had seen in Rogue's mind, it had made Betsy feel mildly responsible for her. It was obvious that while Rogue had people who cared for her, none of them, with the possible exception of her lover, Scott, had the last bit of idea really knew the hell the girl had because of her powers and past.

Rogue sat back down on the bed, and finally remembered she was clad only in her 'fake skin' and underwear. "Oh!" she gasped, and grabbed up the jade silk robe she had been talked into buying. Slipping it on, she covered her abdomen again, unable to help herself. It had been less than an hour she had known, and already an incredible protective instinct was surging within her. Did all expectant mom's feel this way? She wondered. Looking at the women around her, she hesitated, then asked them to do something she knew would go against their norm. "Can ya'll...not say anythin' t' anyone just yet?" She noted the looks on their faces. "Please? Ah want Scott t' be th' next one t' know...no one else."

Understanding, the three telepaths shared a look and brief communication. Brian could be told tomorrow, they rationalized. Less than 24 hours surely wouldn't make that big of a difference, right?

"We'll keep it our secret for now," Emma assured her. Giving Rogue a once over, she realized the girl must've stopped getting ready halfway through putting on her make-up, and just after doing her hair. "Lets finish getting you ready, hmm?"

Rogue gave a grateful smile as she moved back over to her vanity. "Ah'd appreciate it," she said softly, and the other three knew at once she wasn't just talking about the offer to help her finish getting ready.

Blackbird, a little over 1 hour away from Muir Island over the Atlantic Ocean – 5PM (Muir Island time)

"Like, we're so going to be late!" Kitty moaned, even as she checked her hair in a mirror Jean was holding up via her telekinesis.

"We won't be that late," Jean assured her, even as she smoothed out the straps of her ivory satin dress. "Maybe a few minutes at most." She could feel Alex's eyes on her from across the aisle, and shot him a brief smile. They had spent only 2 days in Mexicali, a town in Northern Baja Mexico, but combined with the trip there and back to the mansion, it had been amazing to get away. Never had she done something so reckless as to up and leave the mansion and her responsibility like that, and she certainly wouldn't have done it while she was dating Scott. Glancing at her ex, who was seated next to his brother, Jean realized something. Together, she and Scott were good, but something about a romance between the two of them was restricting. They were expected to be the super-couple of the X-men, and the perfect X-men as well. Apart, they could express sides of themselves that were repressed otherwise. Why was that? She wondered, then dismissed it. Thinking on it too much couldn't lead anywhere.

"Jean?" Kitty asked, touching the red-head's arm lightly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jean replied quickly, smiling. "I'm fine."

Kitty considered her friend for a moment, then smirked. "Your road trip with Alex certainly seems to have done you some good..."

Jean looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You're smiling a lot...more than you have since Apocalypse."

"Oh," Jean said, suddenly shy. "Am I?" She was mortified to realize she couldn't stop the hint of a blush that infused her cheeks with color, or her eyes from focusing in on Alex.

Seeing the blush, Kitty glanced to where Jean was looking, and realized Jean's gaze was on Alex. Gaping, Kitty stared at Jean. "Oh, my, god. You like him!" she whispered excitedly.

Jean's blush intensified, and she pushed a lock of her flame red hair behind an ear. "I don't know what you're talking about, Kitty. He's two years younger than me!"

"So?" Kitty asked, honestly not seeing an issue. "He's cute, he's just as like, well mannered as Scott most of the time, but without like, being so serious!" She gave Jean's shoulder a little nudge. "What's not to like? I'd so, like, go for him...well...if I didn't already like someone else," Kitty added with a blush of her own as she caught sight of Piotr as he walked up to ask Scott how he was supposed to do his tie. Her on-again/off-again romance with Lance had ended not long after Rogue left, with both of them having fallen for someone else, and Kitty had to admit she was happier now herself.

Jean considered what Kitty said, and shot a brief look across the eye to where Alex and Scott were helping Piotr. Alex was indeed cute, and had gone with Scott the day before to get his hair cut. Instead of his former shoulder-length surfer-dude look, he now had a more stylish cut that still was an inch or two longer than how Scott or Bobby wore their hair. With the bangs falling into those blue eyes of his, and his boyish grin, it made a rather appealing image. And hadn't she just been thinking of how much she had enjoyed their trip, how much it had helped her relax? Wasn't that because of his company? Sighing, she looked to Kitty. "I'm not saying you're right," she told the brunette, a hint of a smile on her face. "But you might have a bit of a point."

Kitty just grinned. "Like, of course I do," she stated, turning back to the mirror as she began to double check her make-up.

Across the aisle and a few rows back, Kurt was fidgeting in his seat., causing Evan to laugh. "Dude, you saw your sister just over a month ago, why are you so excited?"

Kurt looked highly offended, and would have rolled his eyes at his friend had he not been so excited. "She's meine Schwester!" he said simply, because to him, that said it all.

Evan shook his head, smiling. "I don't get it, man," he admitted. "But whatever makes ya happy."

Up at the front of the plane, Logan double checked the radar, only to glance up as he noticed Ororo had come to stand behind. "Need somethin' darlin?" he asked her, fighting the urge to rip off the tie everyone had insisted he wear. Damn fancy parties, he mused. They had better serve beer to make up for this.

Ororo gave him a brief smile. "The students are worried we're going to be late, so I thought I'd see if their worries were well founded or not," she teased, knowing perfectly well Logan was in as much a hurry as the rest. Over two months without his favorite student had him wanting to see for himself if she was as okay as everything made it sound.

Grunting in amusement, Logan raised an eyebrow at her. "Ya really think I'd let us be more than a little late, Ro?" he asked. "And if we are, its only cause th' girls insisted on tryin' t' be totally ready b'fore they got on th' plane, despite th' fact its a 5-6 hour flight."

Knowing what he said was true, Ororo shrugged. "They're teenage girls, Logan. They still fret overmuch on things like that," she reminded him, even as a hand came up to smooth a wayward strand of her white hair back into place.

Logan smirked when she did so. "Just the teenage girls fret about it eh?"

Ororo gave him an unamused look. "Hush," she scolded, but the smile in her eyes told a different story.

"Whatever ya say, Darlin," Logan said, turning his attention back to piloting...well...mostly anyhow. If she was close, part of his attention was always on her. And with the way that gold and sapphire gown showed off her figure, more of his attention was on her than piloting if he was to be honest. Now if only he could convince the weather-goddess to go on a real date with him, he'd be a happy man...

Muir Island, NEW Special Event Center – 6 PM – Gala Beginning -

Nate tugged at his tie one last time, giving Lucas an annoyed look when he told him to quit. "I'm not used to these things, give me a break," he grumbled. The suit he was told to wear may have been comfortable, but this damned tie was going to drive him crazy. Was it really supposed to be so tight?

"Here come the ladies," Brian announced, causing the other guys to look around. And indeed, the ladies of Excalibur were making one hell of an entrance. Even members of other organizations were pausing to admire the wealth of beauty presented.

In the lead was Betsy, her purple hair done in an elaborate french twist, while an equally elaborate silk dress in her signature purple clung to every curve, slits on either leg coming clear up to her thighs to show off her shapely legs. Just behind her, Emma was clad in her usual white, this time favoring a dress that had a mildly flared skirt that brushed the floor, the bodice of which clung like a second skin to her, and showed off her generous (albeit fake) endowments. Tessa was walking with Emma, a startling contrast to the blonde bombshell. Where Emma's blonde hair was hanging softly to her shoulders, Tessa's long locks were twisted into a bun; Emma was tanned, Tessa's skin was pale. And while Emma was in a white gown, Tessa's was raven black, hug to every curve, and was cut in an oriental style with a high neckline. Lorna had chosen a gown in a dark green, since her hair made finding suitable colors difficult, and had gone with a wrap-style dress with only one strap that went over her left shoulder, while her hair cascaded down her back in neon green curls. Sandwiched between Emma and Tessa as they walked, was Rogue. The auburn of her hair was done into some kind of up-do that no one ever remembered the name for, while the white streaks framed her face, and her make-up was done in a similar manner to how she had worn it for her going away party with smokey eyes and dark lips (this time in wine instead of red). Her wine colored gown hugged to her lean figure, looking divine against her pale 'skin.'

Not with the ladies was Raven, who was waiting at the hanger to greet the X-men and lead them to the party since they were running a few minutes late. But that certainly wasn't holding up the party. Already, the governments who had been invited were inside, as well as all the military organizations. Teams like the Fantastic Four and Avengers were present, and were already socializing. As Excalibur stood as one, they surveyed the massive room. Well, so far things were off to a great start.

Noting Nate's discomfort with his tie, Rogue gave a soft laugh as she moved over to him. "Who on earth did ya tie, sugah?" she asked, even as she loosened it a bit.

"Lucas," he replied, noting that in her heels, Rogue was the same height as him. "He said it was supposed to be that tight."

Rogue gave Lucas a mock glare, earning a rare grin from the massive man. "Why do ya pick on him so?" she asked Lucas, her mock glare turning to a smile.

"Because he's the only one I can pick on," was the reply.

Shaking her head, Rogue reached over to smack him on the arm. "Well no more t'night, okay?"

Lucas sighed. "Fine, it was going to be my only source of amusement tonight, but if you insist." For having been raised a military brat, Lucas had a dry sense of humor that never failed to make Rogue smile.

"Ah insist," she told him, then glanced toward the bathroom. "Ah'll be back in a minute," she murmured to Betsy, who nodded.

As Rogue moved off towards the bathroom, Brian pulled his sister over to his side. "Okay, something is different with her tonight...care to enlighten me?" he asked, knowing of all the girls, Betsy was the one Rogue was most likely to have confided in.

Betsy glanced at her brother, then looked out towards the rest of the room. 'Its not my place to say, Brian. She assured me she'd speak to you herself tomorrow, okay?'

'As long as she does,' Brian replied, allowing his blue eyes to look elsewhere as well. 'She is okay though, right? Its nothing bad?'

Betsy smiled faintly at her brother's concern, knowing he had taken to Rogue instantly when she arrived. 'No, its nothing bad,' she reassured and felt her brother relax.

'Then it can wait until tomorrow,' was Brian's final words on the topic, and he moved off to greet Reed Richards and his fiance Sue Storm who had finally extricated themselves from the crowd of dignitaries who had rushed to them on their arrival.

A brief telepathic check on Rogue let Betsy know the girl was okay, other than the bought of nausea that had sent her to the bathroom in the first place. So when Brian gestured for her to come over and greet the rest of the Fantastic Four, she put on her brightest genuine smile and fought the urge to laugh when Sue's younger brother instantly started flirting with her. Well, at least one thing never changed...how men reacted to her.

Muir Island, Hanger – 6:15 PM -

Inside the massive hanger of Muir Island, the X-men exited the Blackbird and Velocity, surprised when they were greeted by Mystique.

"Vhere's Rogue?" Kurt asked immediately, even as he tugged at his jacket to make it sit properly.

"She's already at the gala," Raven informed him, smiling. Despite the fact he had been told not to wear his image inducer, he had managed to find an outfit that looked quite good on him. "She's waiting for you there."

As Hank looked around the hanger, he glanced back to Raven. "They certainly have enough space," he mused, noting that aside from the two X-men aircraft there were two large jets for Excalibur, three smaller craft, as well as the jets that the Fantastic Four and Avengers had arrived in fit into the hanger with still space to spare. He was itching to get to go explore the medical facility, but knew he'd get a chance tomorrow.

Raven glanced at him when he made his comment, and smirked. "You have no idea." When she received a few curious looks, she just smiled. "You'll get to see for yourselves."

As they followed her out of the hanger, they could see off to their right a massive building that looked to be the main house, with two smaller buildings connected to it via single level buildings that they assumed were hallways based on what Rogue had said. On their left was a clear view to the cliffs and the ocean, and directly in front of them stood the huge structure that was the Special Events building. Suddenly, one of the girls cried out, causing the procession to stop. Jubilee had stepped wrong in her heeled shoes, and fallen to the asphalt. Hank hurried over to ensure there was no damage to her, while the others either moved closer to ask her if she was okay, or took time to look around at the island.

Near the front of the group, Scott began to fidget as he looked at the event building. His angel was there, and he was itching to be able to hold her again. They had not gotten a chance to speak since she had called nearly a week ago, and after having heard her voice every day for two years, going a week or more without it was still something he didn't think he could get used to. The summer sun filtered through clouds to reflect off of the glass doors that were wide open to allow everyone entry, and Scott fought the urge to go ahead of everyone in order to be the first to see Rogue. Instead, he focused his attention on examining the huge building, and admiring the way it was built.

As focused as he was on the building, he was startled to notice a group of people hurrying away from it dressed oddly. Why were they in camouflage? Rogue had said that while military people would be there, it was definitely a formal affair. A bad feeling began to build in his gut, especially when they boarded a helicopter that was off by itself instead of near the other aircraft. As the helicopter took off, the feeling something was definitely wrong grew. Logan too had seemed to sense that something was wrong, and was sniffing at the air.

Logan's eyes went almost comically wide as he realized what it was he was smelling. Explosives. Turning to call the others' attention to it, he was cut short by a deafening roar and the feeling of the island seeming to shake.

As one, the X-men turned, only to find the event building erupting into flames. A few more minor explosions rocked the island, sending more smoke and flame billowing into the sky while the X-men could only watch in horror. Raven recovered the fastest, and in moments was racing towards the building, screaming for her daughter. Hearing her screams seemed to draw the others back to the fact that this was reality. Scott fought the panic and bile rising in his throat and ordered Pyro and Ororo to do whatever they could to extinguish the flames, while everyone ran after Raven. Immediately rain clouds began to form over the island, while Ororo rose into the air, her eyes white. Pyro had Kurt port him closer, and used his control over flame to lower the intensity, something he was still having to get used to doing.

Logan stripped off his jacket and tie, then began to cut and dig his way through the immediate rubble as the flames died away, careful of the fact that there might be people underneath. From deeper in, there was the sound of rubble moving, and suddenly three of the Avengers came bursting out. Upon seeing the X-men, there was a frenzy of communication via telepathy with the Professor, and the three began to aid in digging. As they would throw away pieces, Jean or Roberto would catch them, moving them to a pile away from the remains of the building. Before long, the Fantastic Four, Avengers and X-men were digging their way through to survivors. Upon finding Moira, who thankfully was only sporting minor injuries, mostly scrapes thanks to Nate's quick thinking and a telekinetic shield he had erected over all of Excalibur, the team's teleporter, a young woman by the name of Lacey took the Doctor over to the medical facility where she and anyone else they had found who had medical training began to set up for those who were more severely injured.

Yet Rogue had not been with Excalibur, something that very nearly had Scott into full panic mode. It took every ounce of self-control he had to keep from breaking down, and instead, he focused on trying to find her. When Betsy informed him that the last she knew, Rogue had been in the bathroom, he grabbed Logan and the two began to dig at the rubble around that area. Half an hour later, he was beginning to think maybe she wasn't there, because there was no response to his or Logan's calls of her name as they shifted pieces of concrete, metal and wood out of the way. His mind never even entertained the thought she might not be able to respond, because to do so would cause a complete and utter shutdown. It was not something he could handle, even just the thought of.

As Scott shifted a piece of wood, his arms beginning to ache with effort, he was greeted with the sight of a bit of wine colored silk, the same that he had been told Rogue was wearing. Frantic, he called for Logan to help him move a larger piece of the wood that had been paneling in the bathroom, and when the two managed to lift it, Scott lost finally lost the fight with the bile that had been in his throat since the explosion.

As Scott heaved up whatever he had put into his stomach that day off to one side, Logan knelt down beside the girl he thought so much of. He could hear the faint sound of her heartbeat, reassuring him she was still alive, and called for Dr. McCoy, a rare hint of panic in his voice that had the Doctor bounding over quickly, only to come to a dead stop at the sight of Rogue.

Even laying on her right side as she was, Hank could see where her right leg was broken in at least two places, numerous small cuts on her face, a bruise blossoming on her left temple where the wood had fallen on her, and a very large splinter of wood sticking out of her left calf. But oddly, there was far more blood than he thought there should be, until he realized that her left hand had been hiding what was undoubtedly her worst wound. There, piercing her abdomen at a severe angle, was yet another large splinter of wood, having likely done untold amounts of damage to her internal organs. He too could feel bile rising his throat, and finally moved the last few feet to the girl.

"Hank...that's a lot of blood," Logan whispered, not wanting to upset Scott further, who was now standing there, staring at Rogue.

Hank nodded. "I wouldn't normally recommend this when she's unconscious, but...have you tried touching her?"

Logan immediately reached out, placing his palm along her cheek, only to be met with the feel of smooth skin, and no pull of her powers even after many seconds had passed.

That seemed to spur Hank to action again, and the Doctor called for the teleporter, Lacey as well as a telekinetic. Nate and Lacey arrived only seconds later, and both balked at the sight in front of them.

"Is she...?" Nate began, then realized his telepathy was still picking up on her brain activity. Of course she was alive. Gently, he lifted her from the area, leaving behind a pool of blood that was far too large, a telling sign of how injured she was. Lacey immediately grabbed Nate, and reached out for Hank to grab her hand. As soon as she felt the massive blue hand in hers, Lacey was gone, and appeared in an area of the medical facility that was being kept clear for her to teleport people into.

Once Moira had rushed forward to help with Rogue, Lacey disappeared again, and reappeared back at the disaster scene to help whomever she could. Scott had found another member of Excalibur by this time, Emma, and grabbed hold of her arm

"Where's the medical facility?" he asked her, panic clear in his voice.

Emma's blue eyes went wide when she saw him. "You're Scott, aren't you?" she asked, having just been alerted to Rogue's condition by Nate. When the leader of the X-men nodded, she glanced around, and not seeing any other X-men close by, decided to take him to Rogue, then come back for the others. "Follow me," she told him. The other X-men could continue to aid in the search, at least until they became aware of Rogue being injured. Scott, she could tell, would be in no condition to help any longer.

Scott followed the blonde quickly, even as he fought the urge to throw up again. His angel...the woman he loved more than anything...oh god. There had been so much blood...so much...how could she possibly be okay? Was she even still alive? Had the few seconds he had been away from her already been her last? He felt his feet hurry more, even though he was already exhausted from his search for her. Right now, nothing else mattered but seeing her, knowing if she was still alive or not.

In Scott's utter panic, Emma picked up on images from him, and had to stop a moment herself when she saw how he had found Rogue. Even with all she herself had seen in life and as a member of Excalibur, it was still a sickening sight to see a friend in such a state. Finally, they came to the medical facility, and Emma placed her palm against the scanner. As soon as the door was open, she led Scott directly to the room where Dr. McCoy and Dr. McTaggert were furiously trying to stem the bleeding in Rogue's abdomen. It was then, Emma realized neither Doctor knew of Rogue's pregnancy. After setting Scott into a chair, Emma grabbed a mask from the box near the door, and entered the room.

From the windows meant for observation by other medical personnel, Scott watched as Emma said something to the two Doctors that made them visibly react. Moira's face lost what color it had left, and she nearly lost hold of the instruments in her hands, while Hank's face showed absolute horror. What had she said to them to cause such a reaction? Scott wondered, and had he been able to move his body that was paralyzed by exhaustion and emotional trauma, would have stormed into the room demanding to know. Emma left the room soon after telling them, and disappeared before Scott could even think to tell her he wanted to know what she had said. Inside the room, Hank and Moira were working with renewed determination, though Moira was still deathly pale.

Within an hour or so, most of the rubble outside had been cleared, and thankfully, everyone found so far had been alive. There were roughly 20 more people to be found, but by now, many of the X-men had joined Scott in chairs outside of the room where Moira and Hank still were working on Rogue.

Kurt was huddled in a chair next to his mother and Kitty, his tail, normally moving and twitching with his upbeat mood, hung limp to the floor. Upon entering the facility and seeing Rogue through the blinds no one had yet thought to close, he had sat down in the moderately comfortable chair, hugging his knees to his chest as he cried. Kitty had broken into sobs immediately upon hearing that Rogue had been hurt severely, and had to be carried to the building by Piotr, who was seated on Kitty's other side, holding the petite girl's hand for whatever comfort he could give. Jean had not fared much better than Kitty upon hearing the news, and was currently leaning against Alex, her normally bright eyes dulled with tears.

Professor Xavier was in a muted conversation with Logan and Ororo, but all three had tear-stained faces. It had been a huge shock to see the normally 'together' Wolverine cry, but then, this was the girl he considered a daughter hanging to life by a thread. Once already she had flat-lined while Hank and Moira worked on stemming the bleeding, but thankfully all but the adults were unaware of that fact thanks to them having been distracted by Excalibur blocking the view of the room as they checked on her.

Suddenly, Hank poked his head out of the room while the waiting area was filled with the sound of machines going off, and the foreboding sound of Rogue flat-lining again while he called for Lacey to get someone called Ty. The young female teleporter was gone in an instant, while the X-men stared into the room. There, on the heart monitor was the unmistakable proof that Rogue was gone, even as Hank rushed back to the bedside to help Moira try to restart Rogue's heart for a second time.

Kurt's golden eyes stared, unseeing as Kitty turned and clung to him while she cried. No. His sister. No. On the other side of him, he could sense his mother shaking, then rising to vomit into a nearby trashcan as emotion overtook her. She wasn't...she couldn't be. Something in Kurt's mind shut down, unable to process the idea of a world without his beloved adopted sister. Such a place did not, and could not exist.

Scott slipped from his chair into a heap on the floor, feeling as if his own heart had stopped at the instant Rogue's did. He vaguely noted someone was hugging him from behind, Jean perhaps? But nothing mattered now. If she...if Rogue was...His body began to shake violently with the need to cry, startling whomever had been hugging him. He could hear vague sounds around him, people crying, grieving, someone talking...to him?...but it all was muffled, unclear. Breathing became difficult as his body fought itself, wanting the emotional release of tears, but unable to form any due to his mutation. His body began to shake even more, becoming more like the convulsions of a seizure as he thought he heard someone scream. A reassuring presence filled his mind suddenly, and he felt himself start to relax despite himself. The Professor. The last thing he remembered before his world faded to black was the Professor saying, 'She's alive...they brought her back.'

Muir Island Medical Facility, 1 AM -

The sound of a door opening roused the X-men and Excalibur from whatever rest they had been getting, and as they finally focused, they were greeted by the sight of Dr. McTaggert and Dr. McCoy, both still in their blood-drenched clothes, but the Doctors had faint smiles on their exhausted faces.

"We were finally able t' get th' lass stable," Moira informed them as she shed her outer medical gown, ignoring for the moment that her dress was also blood stained, and sat down. Her eyes were dark with fatigue, and her skin pale. "Lass gave us a good fight," she murmured. "But she's gonna be okay."

Kurt made a sound of relief, even as Kitty squeezed his hand. "So...she...how..." he was unable to find words to ask what he wanted, and sighed in frustration.

Moira glanced at Xavier, waiting for him to say whatever it was Kurt couldn't.

"What exactly were her injuries?" Xavier asked, "and how long until she wakes up?"

Giving Moira a moment to sip the water Brian had just brought her, Hank answered instead. "Both her femur and tibia in her right leg were broken, " he began, then noticed a blank look on some of the students. Sighing, he reminded himself to use non-scientific terms. "Lets try again. Her upper and lower right leg suffered breaks from impact with the floor, and her right arm suffered some severe bruising from impact, but thankfully did not break. There are more bruises and cuts than I cared to count, scattered nearly everywhere on her body, in varying degrees of severity. The worst was undoubtedly the wound in her stomach. That large splinter of wood pierced through her small intestine, and managed to nick several blood vessels and other organs."

While that sunk in for the others, Logan frowned. He had been around enough injury to know there had been far more blood than what Hank's list would have caused. Just as he was about to comment on it, the blue Doctor shot him a pointed look as if he knew what Logan was going to say, and shook his head slowly. Realizing there was something else going on, Logan began to think on the possibilities. Why wouldn't Hank list another injury that would explain the blood unless...Logan's mind balked at the idea, but it was the only one that made sense. His pale blue eyes connected with the doctor's, and he mouthed a word he had never thought he'd say in connection with Rogue. 'Pregnant.'

Hank's single nod was all Logan needed. Lord, she was going to be devastated, Logan thought. He glanced briefly to where they had laid Scott after his breakdown, and sighed. Rogue wouldn't be the only one devastated.

A/N: A short chapter, but as heavy as it is, I couldn't bring myself to write another 30-page monster. Now to begin on the real aftermath chapter... Thank you to those of you who have added the story or me to alerts/favorites since last chapter, it means a lot!