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Author's Ramble: This is the conclusion of Part 1. There will be a second part to it, which I am currently writing. Hope ya'll like it. And now we present the conclusion to Part 1 of Guilty Conscience!

A great silence fell upon the room. Everyone was quiet, waiting for Rogue to say what she had decided to do, hoping it would be to "forget" about her fight with Carol.

"Well, come on, girl!" Spyke suddenly said. "Tell us already!".

"Evan, please, this is obviously hard on Rogue," said Xavier. "Give her some time."

"Yes, it was hard for me. Really hard. Before Ah tell you all mah decision, Ah want to tell ya'll that Ah thought really, really hard about this. Ah didn't take this lightly and Ah really weighed out the decision carefully. In the end, Ah figured out that the best thing for me to do is to listen to mah heart and to do what's right. And Ah believe that erasing mah memory of Carol just wouldn't be right."

A sigh of despair came out of everyone's mouth as they held down their heads in disappointment.

"Now, everyone," said the Professor, "I know you're upset, but remember what we said. We promised we would not force Rogue to do anything she didn't want to do and would support her decision no matter what. Even if it wasn't what we wanted to hear."

Rogue spoke again. "But Ah have also decided that Ah don't like living like this either. Ah don't like living each day not being able to enjoy mahself and just feeling horrible every day of mah life."

"Then, you have another idea?" Xavier asked.

"Yes. Ah do. Ah know ya'll probably won't like what Ah have to say but like Ah said, Ah thought long and hard about this and Ah feel this is the only way."

Rogue paused and looked at everyone around her. Everyone had their eyes and attention on her. They were all listening, waiting to hear what she was about to say. She realized that she was the only one standing as she hadn't sat down since she came in. She took a deep breath before she spoke again.

"Ah want to give Carol another chance at life...Ah want her to live her life again. It doesn't look like she'll be waking up from her coma soon, so the only way for her to live again...is through me."

"What?! You can't be serious, Rogue!" Scott shouted.

"Ah'm completely serious."

"You can't do this! Professor, tell her she can't do this!" Scott cried.

"Rogue, do you realize what you're asking?" said the Professor. "If Carol is let loose in your mind, she'll fight you relentlessly. It'll be too hard for you to fight back. If she wins you can end up in a coma forever or worse...you could become brain dead. And even if she doesn't win, the fight could leave you with permanent damage."

"Ah know that, that's why Ah won't be fighting back. Ah won't even be present to fight back. Ah want to give her full control of mah mind and mah body. Ah'll be in the unconscious of mah mind like she has been."

"Rogue, I cannot condone this. This goes far beyond any sense of reason."

"Why not? Listen, this is the only way. Ah thought about this all day yesterday and stayed up all night. Ah made the decision and Ah'm not going to change it. Mah mind's made up."

"Rogue, please, you can't do this. You can't throw your life away like this."

"The way Ah figure it, Ah hardly have a life to throw away anymore. Since the incident Ah've hardly been mahself. Ah know Ah was never cheery or social before, but Ah still knew how to have a good time every now and then. Now Ah can't even go to sleep without seeing Carol's face in mah head. You don't know what it's like. To try to sleep and to see her face haunting me. Ah see parts of her memories in mah dream, family members, friends. Ah sometimes have dreams of her family and friends visiting her in the hospital and crying. She had so many goals and aspirations. She was surrounded by so much love, and Ah took that way from her."

"Oh, Rogue," Jean said sympathetically.

"You can't think like that, Rogue," said Kitty. "You didn't mean--"

"Ah know Ah didn't mean it. Ah KNOW it was an accident. Ah know, Ah know. You've told me a thousand times. That doesn't change the fact that it happened. Carol's life was so much more fulfilling than mine. She had dreams and a purpose. She needs to be able to achieve those dreams. And if the only way is through me, then so be it."

"But life won't be the same for her, Rogue," said Kitty.

"Ah know. But it's the only thing Ah can do. It's the only way Ah can redeem myself. It's the least Ah can do for her...the only life Ah can give her."

"But..." Scott began to say, not knowing what else he could say to change Rogue's mind. But he could see there wasn't anything he COULD say. There wasn't anything anyone could say. It was obvious that Rogue had made up her mind, and nothing anyone could say or do would make her think otherwise.

"Rogue, I wish you would change your mind," said Xavier. "Please, I don't think you know what you're asking me to do."

Tears started to roll down Rogue's cheeks. She tried to keep them in, but it was no use; they forced their way out.

"Ah have thought about it. Ah know what it means. Ah don't like it. Ah never said Ah did. But it's the only way. Ah can't live like this any more. Please, Professor, don't try to make me live like this."

Professor Xavier lowered his head in despair and let out a big sigh. "Rogue, I can't do--"

"Professor, you just said you promised to support any decision Ah made. Are you turning your back on your promise?"

Rogue was right. He hated to admit it but she was right. He had always taught his students the importance of keeping promises, unless there were dire consequences involved. This could have been one of those times, but he could see that arguing would get them nowhere. Rogue would fade away into a pit of despair if he didn't do what she asked. And then it would be too late to save her.

"All right, Rogue, you win."

Nearly everyone in the room protested vehemently at the Professor's response. They couldn't believe he would actually agree to what Rogue suggested. Rogue, noticed, however, how quiet Kurt was. He was the only one who hadn't said anything to Rogue and he didn't even make any objections with the other students. She had never thought about how hard it would be on him. He WAS the only student she really got along with, but he had other students that he was on good terms with. What would it matter if she wasn't around? Still, she saw how hurt he looked. She wished she didn't cause him any pain, that would be the last thing she'd want, but she couldn't change her mind.

"Everyone, please quiet down now. I know that this is hard for you to accept. I don't like it any more than you do, but this IS Rogue's decision, and we have to stand by her, no matter what. I trust that she has thought this through, and I shudder to think what may happen if we refuse her."

Rogue held her head down in shame. She couldn't take looking any of them in the eyes, especially Kurt. She hope it wouldn't be THIS hard on her, or on them.

"All right now, Rogue, are you absolutely sure you want to go through with this? You won't be conscious once Carol's in control. You won't be cognizant of anything she says or does."

"Ah'm sure, and that's exactly how Ah want it. It's too creepy being aware of what's going on and not being able to do anything. That's how it was when she tried to take over before."

"All right, then. I need you to relax completely. Clear your mind and just relax."

Rogue did as the Professor asked. She closed her eyes and relaxed. Her mind was clear and her body was loose. Xavier wheeled up close to her, closed his eyes and began the procedure.

Xavier entered Rogue's mind and went down into her subconscious and then into her unconscious. As he drew near he could hear a faint voice coming from the depths of Rogue's mind. He knew at once that it was Carol. She was not too happy about being trapped down there.

As he came closer and closer, the voice grew louder until he was close enough to hear Carol's voice from behind the walls he had put her in. She was caged in so that she couldn't escape, but she was still wild and still wanted control. The sessions he had had with Rogue were to try to calm and suppress Carol, to prevent her from escaping her cage.

Xavier carefully opened the psychic cage up and Carol quickly escaped, trying to get up to Rogue's conscious. Xavier used his power to calm Carol before she could get any further. Rogue's personified psyche watched as Carol's was pacified. Now it was Rogue's turn. Xavier took Rogue's persona from the conscious part of Rogue's mind, down to the subconscious and finally to the unconscious. In order to prevent her from escaping and causing chaos in Rogue's head again, Rogue's psyche had to be locked down in the unconscious. Xavier created a mind block in the form of a psionic wall. As the wall rose up around her, tears began to run from her eyes. As he watched and continued to build the "wall", Xavier's eyes began to water as well. Outside Rogue's mind, the X-Men saw tears stream down her cheeks and knew what was happening. The crying was contagious and soon, Kitty and Jean began to shed tears. The guys tried to hold them back because "guys don't cry", but it was no use; Kurt was the first and the others soon followed. Finally it was done, Rogue was gone and the new inhabitant of Rogue's mind opened her eyes. Carol Danvers was reborn.

To Be Continued...

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So what'd ya think? Did ya see that coming? Stay tuned for the second part of Guilty Conscience to find out what happens!!!