He sagged against the outside doors of the mansion, his heart heavy.

Nothing.

He had searched everywhere…and nothing. He ran around like an idiot, calling her name, watching the other mutants that turned to look at him as he searched for her.

She was gone.

His heavy heart pounded viciously, reminding him of his mistakes, his actions and his loss. He closed his eyes, letting out a groan at the memories that flashed behind them.

He had seriously messed up.

He threw open the doors, his shoes clicking on the wood floors of the mansion as he wandered aimlessly. He was glad it was Sunday. No one was here to see him cry.

He walked without a purpose, more absorbed in his thoughts then where he was going. He heard shouting, laughing and wondered if she would be able to laugh anymore after she had taken the cure. Would she still be Rogue? Would she still love him, even if she claimed to have taken it for him?

Jean was gone. When he had woken up, she wasn't there. He had been looking for her when he ran into Warren and from there…his world came back together. The last 2 months were fuzzy, but he remembered enough to know why Rogue had gone for the cure. It was all his fault.

He ended up in front of the danger room doors, his feet having taken him there without much of a thought. He stared at the metal doors, thinking about what had happened the last time he's been on the other side. He remembered almost killing the one he really loved. His Rogue.

He turned away, the guilt weighing him down so heavily that he couldn't stand to be anywhere that contained too many memories. He stopped when he heard shouting and a grunt on the other side. He half-turned, waiting.

Another shout and another grunt before something slammed against the wall. Alarmed, he threw his hand on the scanner and it seemed like forever before they slid open.

"Touch me again and I really will kill you!" Rogue screamed, scrambling off the side of the wall. She ducked and rolled, avoiding Jean as she came barreling towards her. She ran, trying to get away from the raving redhead. "Are you psychotic?" She yelled over her shoulder and screamed when she felt herself being lifted. She slammed onto the with a large cry. "Don't answer that." she mumbled, fighting the headache.

"Why don't you just leave?" Jean screamed, stomping up to Rogue. She bent, grabbed her by the collar and lifted her in the air. Rogue wrapped her hands around the slender wrists and starting kicking. "Why don't you just leave me alone?" Jean shouted, her eyes turning black. "Why don't you just die and stop meddling in things that are none of your business?" She threw her and Rogue let out a curse as she slammed into the ground, rolling from the force of it.

She saw Jean raise her hand and knew the telepathy was coming. Rogue wasn't so sure she could handle another hit against the wall. She heard a whir and looked over to see Scott near the door, his hand on one of the knobs on his visor. All she could think of was the fact that there could be a better way to die.

She watched as the red beam shot out, coming towards her. She closed her eyes, waiting for the intense pain. A scream had her eyes shooting open again.

Jean sat on the floor clutching her shoulder as Scott came running towards Rogue. He passed Jean and Rogue saw the confusion on the redhead's face. "Are you alright?" Scott whispered to her, holding out his hands. She gave him an odd look, staring at his hands before glancing up at his face. "What are you doing?" she asked and he laughed, not being able to help it. "I am helping you." He said and, not being able to wait for her any longer, bent and lifted her up.

She let out a shriek and quickly shut her mouth when she found herself chest to chest with Scott, his face dangerously close to hers. "I am protecting you." he whispered, and her heart fluttered as she felt his breath across her lips. Her knees gave out she felt his hold tighten on her. "Whoa." he murmured as they both sank to the floor. "This is impossible." She whispered, closing her eyes.

"You're damn right it is!" a voice screamed and they both looked up to find Jean's black eyes shooting daggers at them. Her red hair seemed to fly, her anger as palpable as Scott was in front of her. Scott stood up slowly, pulling Rogue along with him. Jean's eyes glanced at their linked hands before they connected with Rogue's. "You…How dare you!" Jean screamed as she began walking towards them. Rogue took a hesitant step back and felt Scott's hand as it wrapped around hers.

She glanced up at him and was shocked to find him holding the side of his visor. From behind him, she saw multiple looks cross Jean's face, the most apparent one being anger. "Scott, please, it's me…Jean-"

"Jean is dead. You're not Jean." he whispered, his voice steady even as his heart broke a little. Jean's face contorted. "I am Jean!" she shouted, the room seeming to shake under them. Her powers vibrated off he walls and in her eyes, they both saw power. Dangerous power. Scott stepped forward. "Stop lying to yourself." He commanded. Jean's black eyes flashed again. "I am Jean!" she shouted, stepping forward also, her powers lashing out, whipping around Scott to hit Rogue. She felt herself being lifted off her feet and closed her eyes, trying to picture the hallway again.

The hallway that was still there because she hadn't taken the cure.

It blurred into view and the doors seemed to shine and vibrate with power. She reached out towards Cyclops's door. She cursed when the marble door slammed down once again, blocking her. The name shone savagely against the white door and she stepped back, feeling it's power. Something clamped over her senses and the hallway faded, the scene changing.

"I am Jean!" she repeated, her telepathy slamming into Rogue like a bullet.

"No, you're not." Scott muttered, turning the knob.

The red beam shot out, brushing over a slim shoulder as it singed off a strand of red hair. Rogue got her breath back and sighed, the pressure of the telepathy fading as Jean's powers were reigned in. Jean's eyes widened as Scott lowered his hand. "Next time, I won't miss. If you ever come near Rogue again, I'll kill you myself." He stood there, his legs spaced apart and his hand ready to raise to his visor.

"You'll regret this." Jean muttered, turning around before walking viciously away. The sound of her heels as they clicked away resonated through the quiet metal room. "I regret a lot. But, not this." Scott murmured, his heart finally healing.

Finally accepting the loss.

He turned and Rogue took a step back. "Rogue-"

"This could be a trick, right?" She asked, stepping back again. Scott let out a sigh and began to follow her. "This could be a plan that you and her cooked up to fool me. To try and trick me."

"Really, Rogue-"

"For the last two months it's been you and Jean constantly. There are so many different things that this could mean."

"Rogue-"

"Seriously, I fell for this before." Her back hit the wall, and she stared furiously around, trapped. "Rogue, this is not a trick." Scott muttered, coming closer. She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "People don't just change, Scott, I know that-"

"Why didn't you take the cure?" Scott asked and watched as her mouth seemed to stop working. He smiled and placed his hands nears the sides of her head on the wall, trapping her in. "Tell me why you didn't take the cure." he repeated, leaning in close to her.

She saw her reflection in his eyes and saw herself as she visibly swallowed. "There are many reasons why I didn't-"

"Rogue." he chided. She let out a sigh as she rolled her eyes. "It wasn't me. I mean, it was me, but…I felt like something was pushing me. Like…like they were influencing the way I thought without me being able to control it."

"What stopped you?" he asked, fascinated by the way her mouth moved. "Seriously? I don't know. Something else seemed to also talk to me, telling me this wasn't me. It…convinced me to start thinking clearly." He nodded. "That was the same way with me. The last two months, I wasn't me. Something seemed to change me, seemed to influence me to do things I didn't want to do. I changed because someone knocked some sense into me. And also because of…you." she looked up, her brown eyes watching him. "You were always there, Rogue. Always fighting. Always Rogue. You were always something I could depend on. You didn't let Jean influence you and you refused to back down every time you were confronted with a fight. I watched you and remembered what I felt for you. That I love you. I loved you since I saved you that snowy day and I loved you every days since you saved me. You saved me that last year and you stopped me from becoming something I wasn't. I. love. you." he whispered the last part, leaning forward to touch his lips lightly to hers.