Rogue ran through the hallways downstairs to the med

Rogue ran through the hallways downstairs to the med. lab. The Professor had told all the X-Men to stay away from Rob, but she was ignoring him. She needed to see him. She needed to ask why he wasn't going to stay. She needed to get the feeling of complete sadness out of her system. Maybe it was a fluke? Maybe he was only leaving so he could get something and come right back.

You know that isn't true, the annoying voice in her head told her. Rogue tried to suppress it. The voice wasn't always right. It just tormented her about things in her life she wasn't sure about. Maybe yes, maybe no. But this time she thought it was right.

She got to the door and looked in. There weren't any big locks that she would have to go through. Just a small panel. Rogue typed in a code that she had learned awhile ago and the door slid open. The Professor would know she was there, but he couldn't do anything about it now…she hoped.

Rob was lying in his bed. He was asleep. He had a large reddish bruise on his forehead, but that was about it. Rogue sat down on a seat next to him. She just sat there for about thirty minutes until he woke up.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. He clearly didn't want anybody there.

"Just checking up on you. How's it going?" It was clearly not the question that she wanted to ask.

"I'm not telling you why I left." Rob stated, ignoring her previous inquiry. He turned away from her so he wasn't looking at her face. "It's none of your business."

"I think it is." Rogue's voice was suddenly very loud. "Rob, you get close to all of us. You're part of our lives and now you're just leaving on us? I think we…I deserve an explanation."

"Get out of here Rogue."

"What?" she couldn't believe him. "You can't be serious."

"I am. Get out of here. I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Oh, I get it…" she started, but was interrupted by Rob once again.

"I said, get out."

"You're afraid. Afraid of us. Afraid of getting close, getting hurt. The minute you become better friends with us, you think we're going to abandon you.."

"Get out Rogue."

"That's not the way things work around here." This time she was interrupted by a yell from Rob.

"Get. Out. Rouge." He struggled to sit up in bed and pointed towards the door. "I don't want to see you. I don't want to see any of you. I'm leaving because I don't like it here." His eyes were hard. Rogue looked from him to the door. She started towards the door.

"We're not going to hurt you. Just give us a chance," she said. Then she pushed a few buttons on the door. It opened and she stepped out. She took one last look over her shoulder and continued down the hall. Rob watched her go.

He couldn't stay here. Those words of Rogue's were just words. She didn't mean them. Just like his grandparents hadn't meant them when they'd taken him in all those years ago….

"Don't worry, sweetie. You'll be safe with us," his grandmother said. A five-year-old Rob looked from one of his grandparents to the other. His grandmother held her arms open and his grandfather was watching him.

They don't get it, he thought, my mommy and daddy are ok. Daddy just had an accident with his hands. The car lit on fire. They were in the hospital though. The doctors will make them all better.

"Robert, honey, we're going to take you home," his grandmother said again. Rob backed away into the corner. His grandparents watched him.

"Mommy and Daddy are ok. They're coming to get me. They'll be very mad at you," he tried to inform his grandparents. His grandmother wiped a tear away from her eye.

"Mommy and Daddy are dead, sweetie," she said. "Daddy had an accident in the car."

"You're lying!" Rob yelled. "Daddy said that I'd never be alone. That I'd always have them!" He started to run away from his grandparents as fast as possible. They followed him into the next room.

"Robert, darling, you'll be ok here. It's what your parents wanted," his grandmother tried to tell him. Rob looked away.

"My name is Rob," he said. He tried to back away again, but this time his grandfather caught him in his strong arms.

"We're not going to hurt you. Just give us a chance," he said. Rob looked into his grandfather's eyes. They were filled with love and caring. Rob slowly nodded his head.

"They said that and they didn't keep their promise. Why would these people be any different?" Rob asked himself. "I've got to get out of here, before I get hurt again." He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to sleep, but the words kept haunting him.

We're not going to hurt you. Just give us a chance.