Title: Toss the Dice 2/?
Author: Allison
Email: Alibaba4343@aol.com
Summary: We finally found out what Scott was talking about when he said Rogue was his daughter.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, well the Redneck Cooking Show is, but I share it with my Dad
Archive: WRFA, Dolphin Haven (eventually) Fanfiction.net. Anyone else want, just ask.
Notes: It only took forever but I finally have another chapter out. It was kind of done in January, but Jenn's computer died and then I decided to add another scene. We all need to thank Laura and Jenny, who so kindly offered to be my pinch betas. To Josie, that's the kind of review authors live for.
If you had seen the look on the Wolverine's face you would've thought he had known exactly what Scott was going to say. His controlled expression didn't even flicker before he gave Scott an appraising look.
"You're what? The big two-eight?" he asked smirking, "And your 'daughter' is what, nineteen?"
Scott grimaced, "Eighteen."
Legal the Wolverine's brain whispered. "Yes, I highly doubt that you were in the sack with that redhead of yours at the ripe old age of ten. Of course, I'm surprised that you got anyone in there."
Scott stepped towards him, in one long stride, until they were eye to eye, "Jean found Rogue unconscious from malnourishment in the bathroom at a truck stop when she was fifteen. We brought her back to the mansion, to try and help her; she spent more than six months in the Med Lab while we treated her anemia. She was frail, and her stomach had shrunk in such away that it could barely hold the food she tried to eat.
"So no, I did not donate my genes to Rogue. But her father-," he spat the word out like it left a foul taste in his mouth, "-decided that he had been absolved of his duties, and responsibilities to care for her, once he found out she was 'a mutie freak'. I love her like a daughter, and the courts recognize me as her father, and I want you to stay away from her."
Before the Wolverine had a chance to respond, Scott spun on his heels and walked off towards the stables.
"Well, that's definitely a first," he muttered.
***
Dr. Jean Grey-Summers looked curiously at the lab reports in front of her.
"What's so interesting, Red?"
"Your mutation. You have uncharted regenerative capabilities. This also makes your age impossible to determine. You could very well be older than the Professor," she replied.
"So, I'm a super-healing old fart. Is there anything else you wanted to share with the class, or can I go now?" the Wolverine snapped.
"You can head on upstairs for some dinner, the cooks should be putting it out shortly," Jean waved a hand towards the door as she went back to her desk.
He was a step away from the glinting door, when it slid opened to reveal Rogue holding a paper bag.
"You just couldn't stay away, could you?" he asked, a wicked grin played across his face.
"Contrary to your current beliefs, I'm not here for you," she answered back, in a solid tone that was undermined by the widening of her lips. "I'm here for mom."
"Hey sweetie, what do you need?" Jean asked, standing to receive her adoptive daughter.
"I don't need anything, Scott sent me down here with some dinner for you. It smells like spaghetti, with pesto." Her features scrunched up at the last descriptor of the meal.
Jean snatched the bag. "Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean you have to gag after every time it is mentioned."
"It's green goo, that people use to ruin, perfectly good, pasta and pizza. It's unforgivable, and I'm sorry I just won't be able to talk to you while you eat that."
Wolverine snorted at the absurdity of the conversation he was watching, and it drew both women's attention to his presence.
"Rogue, why don't you show the Wolverine back upstairs and get him some dinner?" Jean asked, sitting down at her desk and opening the yellow Tupperware container.
"Not a problem," she replied, lips perking upward into a secretive smile.
As Rogue turned to exit, she cast a look over her shoulder, "You comin' 'The', or not?"
"Hey, jealousy isn't very becoming on you," the Wolverine answered, pushing her out into the silver hallway.
As the doors closed behind them, Jean Grey looked up and raised her eyebrows in confusion, before returning to her lab reports and pasta.
Out in the corridor, Rogue was very aware of the Wolverine's hand, low on her back, right above the hip, dangerously close to the hem of her shirt. She quickly stepped forward away from his casual touch.
"So do you want to eat in the dining hall, or just grab some food and take a spin around the grounds?" she asked quickly, trying to make her abrupt move seem casual, as she punched the button for the elevator.
Dumbass, she's not some barmaid in for a quick fuck you can't go grabbing her ass any time its in your line of vision. "Will the hall place be crowded?" he asked trying to focus on her words, and not just the levels of stupidity he had stepped into.
"A few dozen mutant teenagers, plus teachers, if that makes a difference," Rogue offered stepping into the open elevator.
"Damn, that'd be kind of loud, you mentioned a tour?" Wolverine said, following her in.
"Yeah," she smiled, "I know you already got one form the professor, but I've seen the brochure he gives to all the newbies. I, on the other hand, can give you a tour of the most populated, and most avoided spots on the grounds."
"Well, how can I turn down an offer like that, let's get some food."
"Ruthie, should have some stuff, that's portable, ready to go. She makes the best stuff, you'll love it," Rogue stated calmly, with the utmost faith the sweet old lady who ran the kitchen's and grandmother-ed everyone who walked through her doors.
As the elevator doors opened the pair stepped into the posh ground floor of the mansion, "The kitchens are through here."
Wolverine glanced at the gray swinging doors with skepticism.
"Oh come on, they're not going to bite," Rogue sighed, grabbing his hand and pulling him through the doors.
As soon as they entered the room, bustling with activity as the workers, prepared to serve several dozen teenagers, a very short woman with white hair came swooping over.
"Ah, Ms. Rogue, how can I help you and your gentlemen friend?" she asked with a thick European accent.
Gentleman? First time in a long while I've been called that, Wolverine thought.
"Ruthie, this is Wolverine, and I'm going to give him a tour of the school, but we wanted to get some dinner we can eat while we walk," Rogue explained.
"Yes, you are far to skinny, Ms. Rogue, need to get some meat on those bones of yours," Ruthie said, squeezing Rogue's arm.
"Yes, Ruthie, can I have a hot dog or two?"
"No, you need some nice turkey soup, I make it myself, very hearty," Ruthie explained, turning around to ladle some of the previously mentioned soup into a Rubbermaid container, and thrusting it into Rogue's hands.
Rogue thanked Ruthie before the small woman turned to face the Wolverine, "You, you will like a steak sandwich, with onions. Here, take two."
Wolverine took both wrapped sandwiches from her and nodded, "Uh, thanks."
"You're very welcome. Now I must get back to work. Off you go!"
Suddenly Wolverine and Rogue, found themselves back out in the hallway. Wolverine looked at Rogue and said, "So that was Ruthie."
Rogue grinned, "That was Ruthie, and only the beginning of the tour"
"Are all of those people in there mutants? Or are they all kept in the dark?" Wolverine asked, casting a backward glance at the kitchen.
"Well, Ruthie has some low level psi powers, and a few of the others have minimal powers, some of them need jobs so badly they don't care about the mutant thing."
"So she's a little psychic? That explains how she knew what I'd want to eat"
"I don't know if she's that good. She just has good eye for people."
"What about you? What's your 'gift'?" Wolverine asked.
Rogue's steps faltered, "I don't have any cool powers like most of the other students."
"Yeah, well you shouldn't hold the opinions of people who consider Brittney Shears, or what ever her name is, quality music."
She let out a small laugh. "They'd probably think I was talking about Motley Crue, if I mentioned Dr. Feelgood." She sighed. "But I think they have some basis in fact when they think that I'm a freak among freaks. Human sponge, brain sucker, incapable of physical human contact for the rest of my life. Unless of course, I really don't like said person. On the upside, I don't have to worry about getting sunburn- or skin cancer."
Wolverine gave a small smile at her attempt at humor. "I might be a thousand, and some government gave me these." With a casual shrug he released 9-inch adamantium claws.
Rogue didn't look scared as he expected, rather she looked surprised, but that look melted into something else; concern. "Does it hurt? When they come out."
Letting them slide back in, he answered. "Every time."
She took his hand in hers, rubbing his freshly healed knuckles, with her gloved fingertips. "Idiot, you didn't have to hurt yourself to tell me what your mutation was."
"Well, they're kind of hard to put into words." When Rogue gave him a look, he spoke again; "Didn't you mention a tour?"
Her eyes lit up, and she released his hand, but he could still feel her warmth. "Oh, I can't wait to show you everything!"
Wolverine watched the charismatic girl led him around her home with exaggerated hand movements, unhindered by the lidded soup they held.
In fact, it wasn't until they were back outside, under the now starry night sky, that either of them began on the food supplied.
Wolverine opened one sandwich as Rogue explained about the basketball courts.
"Scott keeps 'Tweety' under there, it's a plane, and every time the X-men go flyin' out to save mankind, or some kitten stuck up a tree, the ground opens up. I'm always listening to Kurt bitch about how he's lost his best basketballs to the hanger."
Wolverine grunted as he finished off the sandwich in one big bite, licked the juices off of his fingers, before starting on the second.
Rogue, seeing that he had started on his dinner, opened up her container and sniffed at the broth, and let out a content sigh. They had lapsed into a comfortable silence, as Rogue, her soup eating unobstructed by a lack of spoon, slurped at the rim of the container.
"Ruthie, is much more talented than dad and I when it comes to soup," she said wistfully.
"That-" Wolverine stumbled over the correct term for Scott 'Stick up his ass' Summers, "-uh, Scott guy?"
Something on Rogue's face broke, "Umm, no. When I was younger, my dad and I, my birth dad, would pretend to be those people on cooking shows, and decide in the middle of an afternoon that, we can make soup, it can't be that hard.
"We would joke around and call it 'Paige and Marie's Redneck Cookin' Show'. We didn't use no sissy recipes, or measuring tools. Nope, we used every knife in the house, one spoon and a pointy fork. We had no idea what we were doing and it was the best afternoon of my life. He died, about six months before my mutation manifested, and I'm kind of glad. He never had to know what a freak his little girl turned out to be. My mom and her boyfriend weren't to happy, I doubt, Dad would've been." Rogue's eyes brimmed with tears and her voice cracked.
Wolverine pulled her into his chest and just held her for a few moments before speaking. "I'm sure your dad never would of thought that, he'd still think you we're beautiful."
"Sorry to disappoint, but I'm about the biggest freak you can get. I'm a mutant sponge, sucking the life out of the first boy who tried to kiss her."
"Shhhhh, don't talk like that," he hesitated, before adding, "Marie."
Rogue's eyes snapped open, "I haven't heard that name in three years, Wolverine."
"Logan," he breathed against her hair.
Rogue smiled softly, "I like that much better than 'The Wolverine'"
"Marie suits you much better," Logan stated.
"I'm so glad you approved," she sighed, relaxing into his arms.
"What do you say we cut the tour short and head back to the house?" Logan asked.
Rogue nodded, and stepped out of his embrace, taking one of his hands in her gloved. She opened her mouth to say more, but Logan silenced her with a finger to his lips, and took his hand back to his side.
"I hear something," he stood still for a few moments, before releasing six metal claws.
With the claws out, he turned to face a section of trees to his left, where, seconds later; a blond behemoth launched himself at Logan.
Quickly he shoved Rogue to the side and threw himself in front of the attacker.