Telepathy/Psyches

It had been less than three weeks since Jean's death... twenty days in fact. To Scott Summers, it felt like an eternity. He thought it would get better over time... not hurt so much. Maybe he wouldn't cry every time he saw her... memorial. Of course, there was a collage of photos of the lot of them, Jean being the centrepiece, in the main gallery of the school.
He couldn't bear to see any of them... the X-Men... He'd failed. He wasn't quick enough to save Jean... What if it happened again? To one of the smaller kids at the school.... Jubilation Lee... Or Kitty... Or worse, Jamie.
What if he wasn't quick enough next time?

The sun wasn't up yet as these thoughts ran through Scott's head, as he looped the rope over the branch, catching it and tying the ends together.

"So what if I'm taking the coward's way out?" He had his shades on now, and wiped the lenses tentatively. He didn't feel he deserved to wear his uniform, so it was in a neat pile at the base of the tree with a note of apology to the professor, to Ororo, and to Rogue. He hoped she wouldn't blame herself for this as well. It wasn't her fault. It was his. He'd failed as a team leader, and he'd lost Jean as a consequence. He couldn't live with himself anymore. It was just too hard.

It was too hard to go on living without her, knowing he'd failed her.

He wasn't taking the coward's way out. He was saving the rest of them from Jeans Fate. If he went, he couldn't fail them, and as there was no way he could live without Jean, this was his only option.

He climbed up to sit on the branch, looping the slip-knot around his neck. He looked towards the school, the sun starting to come up behind it.

"Goodbye all of you. Take care of each other…" And he jumped off the branch, his shades falling off his face as he lost consciousness, his last sight being of the school, the sun rising behind it, and he smiled slightly. There was no stinging in his eyes, or headache, and he knew what that meant. The X-Mansion stood, with all of its X-Men safe inside. All except the one He'd gotten killed, and the Judas himself.

~*~*~

Twelve hours later, everyone in the mansion knew what had happened.

~*~*~

Rogue lay curled up on the coach with Remy, him just trying to comfort her, stop her crying, and stop her blaming herself.

"Ah think Ah loved him at one point Remy. Ah really thought that Ah did. An nohw, Scott's gohne too.... An.. He's.... He realleh helped meh Remy, an he's gohne too....." She buried her face back in his shoulder and cried some more.

Remy stroked her hair lovingly.

"'S alright Chere. 'S gonn' be alright.... Jean.... She gone t' Heaven, an she be watching out for us from dere, and she meet Scott when he die, and now dey both be watchin'. Dey wouldn't' wan' t' see y' like dis Chere. Not over acciden's."

"Ahll mah fauhlt Remy, don' you dare try tell me other-wise else Ah'll drain yah an leave yah here."

His only response was to hold her tighter, and promise he would never let her go.

~*~*~

Rogue had fallen asleep several hours earlier, and now he just watched her as he paced up and down the room.

"Lord know Remy don' like de man non, but Remy put up wi' it, for Mon Coeur (My Heart), an dis fellah go and do dis? He know Gambit like t' hurt him f'r doin' dis t' chere....?"  He sighed and shook his head as she shifted in her sleep. "Non, Gambit leave de fellah ahlone, for Chere." He smiled a little and took the seat next to the Goth, looking at the disarray of her make-up. "Je t'aime Chere. (I love you Dear)"

~*~*~

It was all Rogue could see, clear blue eyes staring at her from the depths of her soul, her nightmares, her psyche. She knew instantly whose eyes there were.... Scott's. Jeans weren't quite so piercing, so sad. So haunting. She whispered an apology to them and they looked away, to look back a second later and, if they were attached to a head, it would have shaken no.

A second pair of blue eyes joined them, these ones more accusing. These had been haunting her for longer. Jeans eyes, her voice accompying them.

Why didn't you save me Rogue? We'd still be alive if it wasn't for you.... Why didn't you help me? You let me die.... You let Scott die.... What did we do to you to deserve this Rogue?
LEAVE MEH AHLONE! Rogue cried back at them mentally. Ah didn't do it.... Ah didn't mean ta.... Ah.... Ah'm sorry, Ah didn't realise.... Ah.... A tear slid down her cheek. 'Jean' didn't take pity on her.

Oh look, We made Rogue cry.... Well at least YOU CAN.... Me and Scott cant.... Ever.... I hope you're happy Rogue.....

Rogue couldn't stop the tears and let them freely roll down her cheeks.

Remy glanced at Rogue's sleeping figure, feeling that something was wrong, but unable to pinpoint it.

"Chere?" he whispered, brushing her short hair back from her face, and that's when he saw the first of the tears fall. He pulled her closer to him, careful not to touch her skin. Rogue had gained SOME control over the past few weeks, but it was still highly dangerous to touch her while she was asleep, or if you snuck up on her. "Chere, wake up.... jus' a bad dream.... Rogue?"

Rogue blinked a few times, then opened her eyes, feeling her cheeks damp with tears, and she inwardly swore. She didn't realise she'd been crying.

"Did Ah wake yah swamp rat?" She whispered quietly.

"Remy wa'n't sleepin' Chere. Worried 'bout y'. Y' had dat dream 'gain?" She nodded, curling up more against his chest. "Remy pr'tect y' Chere."

Rogue smiled, knowing that he couldn't. but his insistence making her feel better anyway.

"Je t'aime Chere." He whispered, close to her ear.

"Love yah too Cajun."