Author's notes:
I must be having after exam fever! ^o^ I wrote for almost the whole day!
Anyway just a few notes before the story…I own the twins in this story but since this story is more on Rogue and the others, I won't be focusing on them ^^; Since I wasn't really concentrating on them I just hope they still come out alright. ^_~ Thanks for the reviews!
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Torn Pages Part 1: "Sacrifice"
Chapter 2: Reasons
Reasons.
Do you believe in reasons?
The reason behind everything
Every being?
The reason things happen
The reason they don't?
Reasons
That flows endlessly
Like the river's bend
Reasons
That comes to surface
Only in the end…
***
You don't know…you don't know me at all…
"How could you? You of all people should have known better!!"
Everyone was awake now, crowding around Jean after Rogue had left. The professor, Logan and Ororo weren't there having left for matters to attend the other day.
Evan and Kitty had arrived at the scene just in time to witness the last part of the incident where Jean had said things she shouldn't have said and where Rogue had stormed out the door.
Kurt was angry because Jean happened to be the cause of the whole thing.
Jean had her head buried in her hands as she let everything sink in.
Though part of her was feeling she shouldn't have done what she had done, another part of her was too stubborn to admit it.
"She's probably going back to the Brotherhood," she muttered.
The other's looked at her in despair.
"I don't think so…she found out she didn't belong there because she belonged …here…" Kitty said softly.
"Yeah and thanks to you, she probably thinks she doesn't belong anyvhere now!" Kurt told Jean.
Scott shook his head,
"Why'd you do it Jean? It's not like you…"
Jean glared at him.
"I was mad because of the whole you and her thing, okay! Then I caught her coming out from your bedroom…and that just blew me up!"
Everyone kept quiet.
"So you decided to say all those horrible things to her? You know vhat a hard time she's been going through!" Kurt said angrily.
Then he shook his head,
"No, let me rephrase that, you don't know."
"I just – "
"She probably wanted to give me this," Scott interrupted, holding up an envelope.
"I found these on my desk."
They reached into the envelope and found a note with two tickets in it.
"Hey, these are the tickets to the big concert Rogue asked me to get the other day!" said Evan recognizing the tickets.
"Ohmigosh! Listen to this!" Kitty said, frantically waving the note.
"It says; Scott I know you're probably wondering why I even bothered to do this…but well, I know things between you and Jean have been stormy lately…so in a way, I hope these will be able to help you start things over again…Rogue."
For a moment no one spoke.
Jean's eyes were wide as she grabbed the note from Kitty and reread the whole thing again.
"She wouldn't – why would she?" she choked.
"Because she vas selfless…unlike you…" Kurt muttered, turning his gaze away from her.
"This has, like been so big a misunderstanding!" groaned Kitty.
"We've got to get her back!" said Evan.
"Rogue…" Scott shook his head.
Jean remained silent, letting everything sink in again.
What have I done?
Suddenly the alarm went off. Someone was breaking in.
"What?! At this hour?"
Scott stood up,
"Everyone lets go!"
"Vhat about Rogue?"
"Will deal with that after we deal with this," Scott reassured him.
"Knock-knock, anyone home?" a voice boomed as the main door blasted open.
It wasn't the usual Brotherhood, instead 2 teenage mutants walked in.
One was a boy and the other was a girl. Both had white blond hair, and it was obvious they were twins.
The X Men shook their heads, recognizing the two from one of their recent battles.
"Oh great, not the 'Terror Twins' again," frowned Shadowcat.
"What's it now?" Spyke asked.
The twins laughed.
"We're here to settle unfinished business," Tristen told them.
"And the only way to do that is to take all of you down!" Trieste smiled gesturing her hand towards Cyclops. A beam of light escaped from her hand and lunged towards him but blasted back as he used his optic beam.
Tristen started shooting poisonous needles from his hand towards the others. One nearly went through Shadowcat but she phased through just in time.
"This is just a warm up, now for the real thing!"
The twins held hands and focused their psychic energy.
"What the-"
The X Men suddenly felt glued to the ground, the air around them heavy.
"They're using a psychic energy field to hold us down!" Jean cried.
"If I can only – " She closed her eyes and concentrated hard, trying to penetrate the barrier.
"That's not gonna work," said Trieste, focusing her energy on Jean.
"Two against one isn't gonna do you any good…"
Jean cried out in pain as the flow of psychic energy overloaded her mind.
"It seems we have to deal with you first!"
Tristen shot the poisonous needles towards her but she managed to hold them back with her force.
"Jean!!!"
I can't hold on much longer…
If only I hadn't turned her away…
Losing her focus the needles flew right at her.
"JEAN!!!!"
Jean watched in horror as Cyclops burst through the psychic field and shielded her from the poison thorns. The needles went right through his arm as he fired a powerful blast at the twins causing their psychic energy to break.
Free at last, Spyke shot his spikes at them, succeeding in wounding Tristen as Trieste fired back at him sending him to the floor.
Exhausted of their powers, the twins decided to retreat.
"This isn't over yet!" cried Trieste as she carried her brother out of there.
"Scott…"
"Is he all right?" they asked.
Jean shook her head, inspecting the wound.
The poison from the needles was already flowing through his body.
Only the twins had the cure…
***
Scott was put in bed while the others discussed of what to do next.
"We have to find them and force them to give us the cure!" Evan was saying.
"How're we gonna do that?" Kitty sighed.
"For one thing we can't sit around and wait for the professor to arrive…it'll be too late by then…" Evan pointed out.
Jean was quiet, her eyes blank of emotion that moment.
He risked his life for me…
"I for one am going to do something about this," Kurt said getting up.
They looked at him questioningly.
"I'm going to find her…and bring her home."
"Kurt," Jean began.
He shook his head.
"If it's obvious you're not going to look for her, then I'm off."
With that, he was gone.
***
Kurt shivered.
The air in this part of town was rather chilly.
They were only old buildings and many of them abandoned.
A place he knew Rogue would want to be alone in.
She would be here.
She wouldn't go back to the Brotherhood.
Shadows passed through the spooky darkness but Kurt wasn't bothered by it as all he was focused on was finding Rogue.
She'd always been there for him and between the both of them they shared some kind of special bond.
Like brother and sister.
Now he wasn't going to give up on her.
She had a home,
A place she belonged.
And that place was with them.
He sighed, still feeling slightly mad at Jean.
She just doesn't understand…
After going around for an hour, he finally stopped in front of an old abandoned church.
Something drew him to it and deep in his heart he knew.
"Rogue?"
A figure on the floor beneath a stained painted glass window looked up.
"…Kurt?" she asked, surprised.
"Rogue! Thank goodness!" he cried as he ran up to her and gave her a hug.
Rogue laughed, careful not to absorb his powers.
"Hey, easy there!"
"It's just…" the smile on his face faded as his voice trailed off.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He looked at her.
"Something awful happened…Oh, Rogue! You've got to come back!"
Rogue stared at him for a moment than stared at the floor.
"Ah'm not going back…ah don't belong there…ah'm…not wanted…"
"Yes you are! Forget about vhat Jean said! Ve need you!"
"Ah'm sorry Kurt…it's just – "
"Scott's life is in danger! If you don't come, he'll – "
Rogue stared at him.
"What's happened to Scott??"
"The Terror Twins came and Scott got hit by Tristen's needles…" Kurt explained.
Worry and concern clouded Rogue's green eyes but slowly she shook her head,
"Jean wouldn't want me there…it's better if ah just stayed away."
Kurt frowned at her.
"Vhat are you saying? At this time – "
"He's right Rogue. We do need you."
Kurt and Rogue stepped back as a figure stepped out from the shadows.
"Jean?"
Jean caught Rogue's distant gaze as their eyes met.
"Rogue…"
Rogue turned away.
"If it's another one of your insults, Ah'm not in the mood to hear it…"
Despair entered Jean.
She'd hurt the girl badly and she knew that nothing could ever heal the scar completely.
Taking a deep breath she said,
"I…I know I shouldn't have said what I'd said and that I know you wouldn't believe me if I said I was sorry…but, Rogue…I am. I am sorry."
Rogue didn't move.
Jean sighed,
"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness…but please, please come back Rogue. If not for my sake, then do it for…Scott."
Silence.
Finally Rogue spoke up, her voice a near whisper but a clear echo in the dim halls.
"He loves you, you know…"
Jean nodded slowly, feeling ashamed and regret.
"I know…"
For a moment, only the drops of water falling through the ceiling echoed.
Rogue gazed at the dim light that shone through the painted windows reflecting the colors on the floor.
Then she closed her eyes absorbing the peaceful atmosphere.
Searching,
Searching within her.
It's time…
Time to let go…
Jean watched as Rogue came out of her thoughts and walked steadily towards her.
She felt the light breeze as Rogue walked past her saying,
"We can't keep looking back at the past…what's important is the present and looking towards the future."
Then she stopped and turned to face Jean, a sort of sad smile on her face.
"What's important now is saving his life…"
With that she walked on again.
Jean was staring at the floor, her eyes closed she nodded, whispering,
"Yes…that's all that matters now…"
Gently, she wiped away the silent tears.
***
Ok…I'm exhausted…chapter 3 and Torn Pages part 2 coming up soon! ^.^