Three weeks after she and Logan were engaged, some interesting news arrived at the mansion. It happened in the afternoon while the x-men were relaxing in the staff room. They had a lot to celebrate. First of course was the wedding that was coming soon. It would be a small affair, involving all the students and teachers but no outsiders considering Logan and Rogue didn't know anyone outside of the mansion. Rogue knew her parents had forgotten about her and it would be useless to invite them. The wedding would take place in four days.

There was also Jean's news of pregnancy. After her first doctor's appointment she brought the exciting news that she was carrying twins. Once they'd discovered this Jean and Scott had disappeared for two days only to come back married. Jean had confided to Rogue and Storm that she couldn't wait any longer for the big white wedding now that she was pregnant and needed to become Mrs Summers instantly. Though it was disappointment that the school's star couple had eloped, everyone was happy that they were finally husband and wife.

The final piece of exciting news was Kurt deciding to join the x-men. At first he wanted to leave back his church in Boston but with some convincing from Storm and the professor, he accepted the teaching post suggested to him. Rogue had carefully watched her blue friend since they arrived at the mansion and had watched in fascination as he fell in love with the white haired goddess of the mansion. It seemed love was contagious at x-mansion.

Shaking her head and focusing on the present, she eyed the furry blew man who had come in not five minutes ago. He stared at her with confusion in his sparkling blue eyes. She knew Hank McCoy from those days. Her employers had feared he might know of some of their plans so they sent her to find out. It was easy, she played the doting pupil, asking him question upon question until they were alone and she could absorb him. He knew nothing and the experience had left her feeling sick. She didn't retain much from him, just her love for English Literature. She was never a child who liked to read but after she touched Hank, she craved the knowledge books gave her. His psyche was still somewhere in her head but every other psyche was more powerful.

"You pack quite a punch my dear." He finally said.

She blew out a sigh and awkwardly offered him her bare hand.

"Let's start over. I'm Rogue."

"Hank McCoy, pleasure to meet you."

He took her hand, fascination shining in his eyes as their bare palms touched. She smiled and when he let go, she sat back next to Logan on the couch. Hank took a deep breath and then his expression became serious.

"My friends, I have some terrible news. A major pharmaceutical company has developed a mutant antibody - a way to suppress the mutant "X" gene."

"Suppress?" asked Logan.

"Permanently. They're calling it a cure."

Rogue's eyes widened and she gripped Logan's arm. If she or him got shot by that cure, it could be fatal, especially with all the metal in their body.

"Well, for all we know, the government helped cook this up." Snorted Logan.

"I can assure you, the government had nothing to do with this. "

"I've heard that before. "

Rogue sighed and whacked Logan upside the head. Hank shook his head and crossed his arms.
"My boy, I have been fighting for mutant rights since before you had claws. "
"Did he just call me boy?" Logan asked her.

She whacked him again for good measure and focused on Hank. Everyone sat in a stunned silence, processing the mansion. Storm started muttering something before the professor interrupted her.

"Storm, they're announcing it now…"

Rogue closed her eyes and took a deep breath. There was a deep laughing in her head. Her eyes snapped open and she looked across to where Jean sat. Jean looked worried but not freaked out. Rogue realized the laughter was only happening in her head. A few days ago, she and Jean had worked with the professor make a steel-box in Rogue's head, containing the entity called Phoenix. It was hard and tiring work but eventual they done it. But they couldn't contain it in Jean's head.

"It doesn't make sense… what coward would want a cure?" asked Storm.

"Is it cowardice to want to fit in? You don't shed on the furniture."

"Or have a tail." Murmured Kurt.

"Or have voices in your head." Whispered Rogue.

Storm opened her mouth to reply but the door burst open and a dozen children burst through. The twins Malina and Eris burst through to the front. Eris stepped forward, a frown on her face.

"Is it true? Can they cure us?" she asked Xavier.

"Yes, children. It's true-"

"No, no it's not. You wanna know why? There's nothing to cure. Nothing's wrong with you. Or any of us."

"Storm's right." Whispered Logan, "we all have powers that scare us, but we can't let that stop us from living. "

"A power is a gift or curse. It depends on how you use it." Finished Rogue.

Some of the children nodded and some still seemed skeptical. They all filed out the office, whispering between each other. Rogue stared after the children, her thoughts going to the twins. Ten year olds that manifested early. One could increase heart rate with a touch and the other slow it down. They could touch but if they were nervous their powers became uncontrollable and didn't require physical contact to work. Sighing Rogue closed her eyes and let the noise of everyone around her lull her to sleep.

Rogue sighed and stretched out her king sized bed. Well, her and Logan's bed. She stared at the ceiling waiting for the shower to stop. Logan had come from the danger room, having gone there to work out his frustrations about the cure. She knew it wasn't the fact that it could kill him that upset him; it was the fact that it could kill her. Tears spilled from her eyes when she thought about how much he had done for her, how he tried to give her everything and she could offer nothing back. Nothing but herself of course, and she was hardly a prize. The shower stopped and she hastily swiped her tears away. She wasn't going to turn into a sobbing mess, not in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. In and out. In and out. In and...

"Darlin'?"

"Mm?"

"You okay."

"Yeah." She croaked.

Wincing, she clenched her fists and tried to control her breathing again. A warm body flopped next to hers and she felt his hand on her cheek.

"Marie?"

She sighed and hesitantly let her eyes open. He was leaning over her, eyes filled with concern. She tried to smile but couldn't muster enough effort and finally gave up. She shrugged and tried to turn away from him but his hand clamped down on her shoulder and he rolled her towards him.

"Tell me."

His voice held no room for argument. She sighed again and looked up into his eyes.

"Do you want children?"

"Yeah... wait, is this about what I said the other day... darlin', I was kidding. I don't think kids are monsters. Far from it. I was just saying all those things to piss off Scooter."

"So, you want a child?"

"Of course I do. I mean maybe not now, but once we've been married for awhile and settled down more. Unless you don't want to wait... Marie?"

She was crying again. She couldn't help it but the tears were coming and not stopping. Her chest burned as she tried to stifle her sobs. She cursed herself, she was meant to be stronger than this. She was broken. A freak. She didn't deserve him.

"Baby, what's wrong? You're scaring me."

"Logan... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

"What is it?"

"You don't need me. I'm worthless and pathetic and-"

"Hey, hey, wait a second. I do need you. More than you know. You're the other half of my soul Marie."

"But... I... I can't have your child."

"What?"

"The experiment, the adamantium skeleton, all the psyches crammed in my head... it messed with my body. I can't carry a child."

"Oh."

She looked at his stunned expression and more tears came.

"You should hate me. Please just-"

"I'm not leaving you." He stated firmly.

"But-"

"I love you. And I don't need you to carry my child."

"Why not?"

"Darlin', there are many other ways. I've lived long enough to know."

She blinked and then frowned at him. Ideas ran through her mind only one seeming to almost solve the problem.

"You mean a surrogate?" she asked.

"If you're up for that."

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. By now she was sitting in his lap as he rocked her back and forth, trying to calm her down.

"I don't know. I need to think." She whispered.

"Sure baby, take as much time as you need."

"Thanks sugar. Love you."

A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed! I have to write the next chapter but it's school holiday and X2 is on tonight (that's tonight 10/04/2010 for any UK viewers), anyway I have to go work on the phoenix part of this story now...