Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own X-Men.

A/N: Fifty-five reviews?! You guys are awesome! Thanks, everyone! There's still a few more chapters and a bit more angst to come. For now though...

Kitty slipped into the med-lab and hesitated when her eyes landed on Rogue. She hadn't been by since after the graduation ceremony, when Carol Danvers had taken control of Rogue. She didn't want to see her friend practically dying before her eyes. The bruises stood out against her pale skin as if trying to remind everyone of the fact Rogue wasn't doing so great.

At least there was less blood, she figured. And the bandages covered the worst parts. It didn't stop her from remembering that moment in the cell though, when she'd first laid eyes on her friend. The smell in the tiny room had been gross, but even that had paled in comparison to how Rogue had looked. Chained up, bloody and bruised, and staring with dead, unseeing eyes. It'd been like something from a horror movie.

Kitty moved closer to the bed and gingerly sat down in the empty chair. She wasn't sure where Logan was, but chances were he'd be back soon. Which meant she only had so long alone with Rogue.

"The Professor said we should talk to you."

It was a lame opening and she mentally berated herself for it. She bit her lip as she watched Rogue. The only sign she was still alive was the slow rise and fall of her chest, and even that Kitty had to really look for to see. "Jean is beating herself up over what happened yesterday. Mr. McCoy said...he said you nearly slipped away, or something like that. The Professor said you buried yourself deeper. Jean didn't mean to hurt you, Rogue. Honestly! She's just worried like the rest of us."

She looked down at her hands in her lap, unable to look at her friend's beat-up, un-moving body anymore. "I'm sorry I haven't been by lately. I just...didn't want to see you like this I guess. It reminds me of when we found you. Back in that cell..." The image of Rogue in that cell flashed through her mind again, and she closed her eyes to hold back the tears threatening to fall. "I haven't been able to sleep. When I do, I see it all over again. So thanks a lot, Rogue, for traumatizing me," she added with a healthy dose of annoyance. Because Rogue would expect nothing less from her.

She huffed and crossed her arms, but the facade quickly slipped. "It was so weird graduating without you. A few weeks ago I had this whole thing planned with you, me, and Kurt finally getting out of that school. I never really imagined that you wouldn't be there. The Professor talked to the principle, by the way!" she added quickly. "He worked it all out, so when you're better all you have to do is take the one finale you missed and you'll get your diploma. So like, you could graduate this summer and then we can have a big party to celebrate to make up for the one we didn't have."

Her grin faded when there was no response from Rogue, even though logically she'd known there wouldn't be one. "You know what else is weird," she said after a few long minutes of silence. "Not having you yell at me to turn down my music. The Professor mentioned like a month ago that he might set us up in separate rooms as a graduation present, and I was like all totally excited, remember? But now I'm not so sure. It's just so weird not having you there."

Another few moments of silence passed as she stared unseeingly at Rogue's broken wrist. She wondered briefly why it wasn't in a cast, but then figured it was probably because of the wounds to her hand and wrist. She shook her head to get rid of the thoughts and continued speaking, hoping Rogue really was listening.

"We've been roommates for like five years and I didn't even know your real name until a few months ago," she muttered sadly. "I'm sorry, Rogue. For not telling you what you mean to me sooner. You're my best friend. And...and even though I complain about having to share a room with you sometimes, I wouldn't actually want to change anything. You showed me how to be strong, even when people are being jerks. I mean...you stood up to bullies for us when they found out we were mutants, but never complained that they were being a bully to you too. Like you just...accepted that they hated you and shoved it back in their faces. You even stood up for Jean before you were an X-Man! I don't know if I could stand up for one of the Brotherhood like that. While, maybe Lance, but definitely not Toad. How did you even stand living in the same house with that guy? I mean...eww."

She bulked at the thought of it. She'd never really asked Rogue what it had been like living with those guys. Maybe a few questions about Lance, but Rogue had always just rolled her eyes or mumbled something that Kitty was pretty sure she didn't actually want to hear.

Rogue could be stubborn and abrasive and closed off, but Kitty never doubted that she would have her back. She understood her friend more now though, and knew her attitude was just to protect herself from getting too close to people who could hurt her.

"I...I really don't want to lose my friend," she said softly. "Maybe it's a little selfish, but I don't want you to stay wherever you are, Rogue. You probably think it's safer and nicer and...and better, but I'm not ready to lose you. None of us are. We'll do whatever you need us to do to make things easier, Rogue, just please...don't give up on us yet. Please?"

She looked over her shoulder at the sound of muffled voices, and saw Logan talking to Mr. McCoy in the hallway outside the med-lab. "Looks like Logan's back," she said, standing slowly from the chair. She looked her friend over one last time, searching for the right thing to say. What would she want to tell Rogue, if this was the last time she ever had the chance to talk to her?

"Thanks, Rogue," she said earnestly. "Just...thanks. For being you."

As tears stung the corner of her eyes again she spun on her heels and made a beeline for the door. She didn't look back, and ignored Logan and Mr. McCoy as they watched her leave. Her heart felt like it was being ripped into teeny tiny shreds.

Logan watched Kitty escape down the hall, and was suddenly glad Ororo was upstairs. She was better at comforting the kids than he was, and by the looks of everyone in the mansion she'd have her hands full. The only person he'd ever felt half-decent at comforting was Rogue, and even that wasn't exactly enjoyable. He'd always been able to deal with Stripes, but the others seemed a lot more complicated.

"Perhaps you should spend some more time with her, Logan."

At first he thought Hank meant the distraught teenager who'd just left, but when he followed the other man's gaze he found he was watching Rogue, not Kitty. "Chuck seems to think I should give other people time alone with her."

"Rogue is not doing well."

Logan nearly scoffed. That much was pretty clear to him.

"She needs to feel safe. And the two of you have always had a strong bond. If anyone can get through to her, I believe it is you," Hank finished. He sounded almost sad about it. A kind of sad that told Logan that maybe Hank was a little disappointed that he himself didn't have a better relationship with Rogue. "And if not," he continued after a momentary pause. "At least she will be with someone who truly cares about her."

Logan glanced sideways at him. "A lot of people in this house care about her," he pointed out. That much had become very evident the last few days.

"I know that, and you know that, but I am not so certain that Rogue knows that. You on the other hand managed to gain her trust far quicker than the rest of us. I believe now is the time she needs that trust the most."

He didn't give a reply and Hank didn't seem to need one. After a few seconds of just watchin' the kid through the glass, he walked on in and headed for his usual chair.

"Stripes," he greeted as he normally would. "You got a lot of people worried upstairs. You got me worried too," he admitted. "But you're a fighter. You keep catching the curveballs that life throws at ya and throwin' 'em back." He smiled a crooked, proud smile, but felt it fall after just a few seconds.

"You can handle this, Rogue. I know it. Life is hard, that's somethin' we've both known for a long time, but you ain't done yet, kid. If I have to keep on living than so do you. Besides," he added with a smirk. "It wouldn't be the same around here without you."

He watched and waited for some sign that she could hear him, but there wasn't any. She just looked broken. He'd rather see her cry than see this shell of a Rogue. A part of him couldn't accept that she was giving up. That just wasn't like her. She was still his Rogue though, still his defiant Stripes. She wouldn't still be alive if that Rogue fire was really gone.

She'd sacrificed her chance at escape to help the swamp rat. She could have gotten out of there on her own, but she'd given that up in order to save someone who was technically an enemy. He'd seen her fly to their defense during the break-in when she'd thought they were in trouble. If she was completely broken she wouldn't have bothered, he reassured himself.

"Your fire is still in there somewhere," he finally said. "You just gotta find it again. This world ain't all bad, and it's easier when you have people around who care about you. You got some of those, Stripes. More than you think. And maybe we should have told ya that sooner, but it's too late for regrets now. You just gotta take my word for it."

He sat there awhile longer, keeping his silent vigil over her. Kurt came and left, leaving a candy bar on a nearby nightstand, and Chuck stopped by to check on her. Logan didn't budge from his chair though, and no one bothered trying to make him.

When it quieted down again he leaned forward with his arms resting against his legs and narrowed his eyes at the stubborn teenager. "If you wake up," he said flatly. "I'll let you drive my motorcycle. I'll even buy you one of your own if that's what you want."

He waited, not even realizing he was holding his breath, as if that promise would be the magic word that would wake her up.

It wasn't though, and she didn't.

He leaned back in the chair again and ran a hand over his tired eyes. "Damn it, Stripes."

To his surprise, the beeping of the heart monitor suddenly picked up pace.

He practically jumped to the edge of the chair in response and yelled for Hank without tearing his eyes off Rogue.

"Thanks a lot for traumatizing me."

Rogue frowned in confusion at the sound of Kitty's barely audible voice. "How'd I do that?"

The disembodied voice said something about graduation and exams, but it was muffled. She could hardly hear through the thick walls and door protecting her. Curiosity finally got the better of her, and she let a layer fall away.

"I'm sorry," the muffled voice said. "You showed me how to be strong."

The words were weak and scattered. She could hardly make sense of what Kitty was saying.

"I really don't want to lose my friend."

"What friend?" Rogue asked in return. "You mean...me?" There was no answer, and she strained to listen closer.

"Maybe it's a little selfish, but I don't want you to stay wherever you are."

"I'm safe here," she pointed out. "You wouldn't understand."

"I'm not ready to lose you." The voice sounded so hurt, like Kitty was in some kind of physical pain. The thought made Rogue tense. "Please...don't give up on us yet."

Another layer of wall slipped from where she'd secured it. "Kitty? What's going on? What's wrong?"

She cried out when voice after voice echoed through the small room. They talked over each other. Some from years ago and some more recent. Kurt said something, and the Professor, but she could barely grasp what they were trying to tell her.

"Hey, Stripes."

"Logan!" Rogue concentrated on his voice while trying to block all the others out.

"You got me worried. But you're a fighter. It wouldn't be the same around here without you."

She scoffed and crossed her arms. "It'd probably be better."

"Your fire is still in there somewhere. You just gotta find it again."

"I don't know if I can. I just feel...empty." All her energy and warmth and….everything seemed to be tied to Carol now. She wasn't sure looking for it again was even worth it.

Voices overlapped again. She couldn't distinguish who said what or when. They spoke about how strong she was though. How resilient and how she could handle anything. They apologized and they cried. They made promises.

Another layer of protection melted away.

Kitty's voice rang clearly for a second. "Thanks, Rogue. For being you."

The voices left her feeling raw and vulnerable. She didn't know how to handle it all. She didn't know if she should even believe them.

"You just gotta take my word for it."

Rogue closed her eyes and pictured Logan. Standing above her, hand extended, waiting patiently for her to either accept the gesture or not. Just like that day when she'd learned of Mystique's lies, the day she joined the X-Men.

"We've either earned your trust by now or we haven't."

She hesitantly reached towards his out stretched hand. She grasped it like a lifeline, and immediately felt a strange buzz of energy fill the void around her. Faces flashed by, both enemy and friend. Voices whispered as the buzzing increased.

"I'll...I'll trust you," she finally relented, and suddenly felt herself being pulled away. The walls crumbled around her, the door faded into nothingness, and Logan disappeared.

A loud beeping was the first thing Rogue noticed. The fact that it was annoying was the second. She shifted uncomfortably, and groaned when it caused her pain. It was only then that she realized she didn't know where she was.

The last thing she remembered was being in the cell, but whatever she was laying on wasn't hard or cold. It wasn't the floor, and it wasn't the exam table. The smell was different too. It smelled...clean. Overly clean even.

A vague memory of a rescue flashed briefly through her mind. The X-Men had all been there. Unless it had been a dream. A hallucination maybe. And this was some sort of trick to deceive her, to make her relax so they could catch her off guard.

She didn't want to open her eyes in case it really was all just a dream. She didn't want to wake up and be alone again. A warm touch on her arm startled her, but she kept her eyes closed tightly. All the guards wore gloves.

But the touch wasn't hurting her this time.

Finally, when curiosity got the best of her, she gave in. She opened her eyes slowly, more out of fear than anything, and sucked in a quick breath when her eyes met Logan's. She couldn't believe her eyes for a moment. She wasn't alone. She wasn't in the cell anymore, or in the LAB.

"You're here," she stated, her voice was hoarse from disuse.

Logan gave her arm a light squeeze as if to reassure her that he was real. "Where else would I be?"

A weak smile tugged at her lips. She was tired and a little light-headed, but felt herself relaxing by the second. As her eyes began to drift shut she heard Logan say something, and forced her eyes to open a little more. Hank walked into her line of sight with a warm, affectionate smile directed right at her. She blinked slowly and was happy to find that he didn't disappear.

As her eyelids grew heavier she tried to get a few words out. Just something to thank them for getting her out of that cell. Her muddled brain wasn't cooperating though. It was then that something clicked.

Her eyes popped open again and she turned her head to look at Logan. "Did you offer to buy me a bike?"

A look of surprise crossed his face, but it was gone before she could be sure she really saw it. "No, kid. You were just dreamin'," he answered with an amused smirk.

She mumbled something incoherent even to herself as sleep tugged her closer to unconsciousness again. Her eyes drifted shut despite her attempts to keep them open, and soon she was once again asleep.

Hank smiled as Rogue fell asleep. It was a healthy sleep this time. She was no doubt tired, and to her it no doubt felt as if she had just been rescued. A good, peaceful rest would help her heal faster.

"Logan," he began, pausing from the task of double checking Rogue's vitals. "Did you bribe her into waking up with the promise of a motorcycle?"

The other man didn't answer right away. He sat with his arms crossed and an obvious attempt to hide his relief. "I was desperate," he eventually admitted.

Hank stared at him a moment longer before a laugh bubbled out. The first in a long time.