+ + + + + +
Rogue sighed and squirmed in her seat, finally finding an almost-impossible- to-find comfortable position.
It had been like this all week, her hormones playing her moods like a violin, constantly making her lash out at those who meant well.
Lately those mischievous hormones had been playing with her love life, making her consider Remy's not-so-hidden offers to share a bed for the night.
"Petite feel lonely, no?" He coaxed, edging over slightly to where she sat.
"No, ah don't," She said, more out of habit than actually meaning to refuse him.
He seemed to notice the lack of meaning that usually accompanied her blatant words, and took courage, scooting up to fill the empty space beside her.
"Don' seem like that, cher."
She frowned and shrugged off the arm he slung around her.
"Bug off, Cajun, when ah say no ah mean it!"
She took to the air, hovering above the sofa with clenched fists.
"Aw, Remy jus having a little fun, no? What's wrong with de petite today?"
She sighed.
"Ah'm sorry, Remy, but this ain't a good day."
He patted the now vacant seat.
"Come down here, cher, tell Remy all about it. Remy listen."
She hovered a moment before resettling herself on the head of the sofa.
"It's just-ah dunno, Jean says it's hormones."
She slid into the cushions,
"Ah feel so snappy at people lately."
Remy nodded sympathetically.
"Dat's to be expected, cher. Making a new person takes a lot out of a body, no?"
She smiled tiredly.
"Ah noticed."
She heaved a sigh.
"That's not all," She said, a little embarrassed.
"Ah find myself....." She struggled as she tried to put it into words, then felt a tear of frustration trickle down her cheek.
He pulled her to him for an embrace, patting her back and letting her slump wearily against him.
"It all feel better in da morning, tings always look dark at night." He soothed, pressing a kiss to her hair.
She nodded, then looked into his burning eyes, suddenly feeling the mood shift as if it were a tv station and someone had changed the channel.
"Ah...." She said, losing herself in the red-on-black depths.
He silenced her with a finger.
"Hush, petite," he whispered, pulling up her scarf to cover her mouth.
"But....." She left the sentence unfinished as their lips met through the screen barrier.
+ + + + +
Logan watched the exchange from the doorway of the room.
He had unwillingly eavesdropped on the conversation with his sensitive hearing, and had snuck to the door, curiosity burning, at the last words.
He froze as he saw their joined heads over the back of the sofa, watching her work her fingers through the Cajun's hair as she let him feel along her back.
A growl escaped him before he could silence it, making Rogue whip her head around and the Cajun scoot a respectable distance away.
"L-logan," Rogue said, finding it hard to breath as she tried to figure out what had just happened.
He stared for a moment with disbelief, then turned and stalked away, claws sliding through his knuckles as he felt the animal in him threaten to break his control.
He paused in the hallway to grab his jacket and his keys before rushing out the door and into the coolness of the evening outside.
Rogue rushed to the door, still confused, and watched him start his bike's engine, kicking off savagely as his emotions battled for possession of him.
She tried to call to him, but by the time her tingling mouth could form the words he had long disappeared from view.
Shoulders sagging, she shut the door and walked back to the living room, trying to decipher the situation unsuccessfully.
"Ah...." She said slowly, not noticing that the room was now empty.
She made her way to the kitchen, finding Jean and 'Ro eating cookies while chattering easily to each other.
They dropped the conversation immediately, looking at her with concern.
"What's wrong?" Jean asked.
Rogue shook her head.
Jean frowned and turned to 'Ro.
/ Should I read her? /
'Ro paused a second before nodding slowly.
Both knew that it was an unbroken law that telepaths did not mess with someone's mind without prior consent, and to do so was considered abomination.
"Rogue," Jean said patiently.
"I'm going to read you, okay?"
Rogue took a moment to think before nodding.
Jean closed her eyes in concentration, feeling the slide as her powers geared up and moved her into Rogue's mind, letting her read her thoughts and access her memories.
Images of Rogue talking to Remy
/~That's not all.ah find myself.~/
Rogue struggling for words
::Tears rolling down my cheek, what am I-::
Remy pulling her into an embrace
/*"It all feel better in da morning, tings always look dark at night.*/
Rogue looking up and feeling the mood shift
/~Ah.~/
/*Hush, petite*/
Remy pulling the scarf up to cover her lips
/~But.~/
The image of their lips meeting
::Lips pressing into mine::
::What am ah-::
Rogue starting as a growl rips across the room
::Oh god, Logan-::
::Logan, don't-ah wasn't::
Image of Logan pushing off, claws extended
::Ah didn't-Logan-don't--* don't * ::
Jean started at the force of Rogue's mental voice, quickly withdrawing from her mind.
"What has happened?" 'Ro asked softly as Jean turned to look at her.
"I." Jean glanced at her disoriented friend.
/ Rogue kissed Remy. Logan saw./
'Ro looked puzzled.
:: But why would that matter ? ::
Jean gritted her teeth, not knowing if Rogue wanted the father of her child to be revealed.
/ If I tell you something, you cannot tell anyone. /
:: Never a soul ::
With another glance at Rogue's blank expression, Jean closed her eyes.
/ Logan is the father. /
'Ro opened her eyes in amazement.
:: Him? I never would have thought....when?::
/ The Savage Lands, 'Ro, they were together without powers./
'Ro nodded slowly as it all fit into place.
/ You must keep this to yourself /
:: I will tell no one. ::
Jean closed her mental shields and concentrated on her friend, who had begun to cry hysterically, gasping for breath as the situation began to dawn on her.
"Why don't you have a cookie, Rogue, and some milk, and we can figure out what to do from there."
Rogue nodded slowly between sobs and sat down at one of the tall stools beside the table.
/ Get some milk, 'Ro, I'm going to sedate her for the evening so she doesn't wear herself out crying. /
'Ro went to the fridge and began to pour a glass for her friend as Jean summoned a bottle of sedatives from the lab with telekinetics.
Jean left the kitchen and returned a moment later with a discreet packet clenched in her hand.
/ Drop two of these in the milk, 'Ro, they dissolve upon contact with liquid. /
'Ro took the packet from her friend and dropped them into the milk, using her powers to create a small swirl of wind to mix the drink.
"Here you are, child."
Rogue took the glass and choked it down between fits, finally putting the empty glass back on the table.
"Ah....what did ah do wrong?" She gasped.
Jean shook her head.
"You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. None of this is your fault. Calm down and we'll talk about it later."
Rogue nodded weakly and sighed as the sedatives began to take effect, making her sleepy and inattentive.
With a look and a thought to 'Ro, the women proceeded to help the tired and confused girl heavy with child to her bed.
+ + + + +
Logan gazed numbly at the bottom of the empty mug in his hand.
He had tried to make reason out of his actions for the last hour, and had failed utterly, finding no excuse for his uncalled for behavior.
~Just cuz she's carryin' my child, don't mean she can't see other people,~ he had told himself, but it hadn't stopped the hurt and disbelief from coursing through his veins.
The bartender noticed the empty glass and refilled it, wondering what misfortune had befallen this particular customer.
~Wife cheating,~ he thought with a mental shrug, and moved on to tend to his other cliental.
Logan took a long drink as he struggled against his own thoughts and emotions. ~Why should I feel so shocked? Hurt? We're not even goin' out, for Christ's sake.~
He slumped over.
~Why am I sittin' here, fightin' myself? Why can't I just go hack to shreds whatever stupid fucker gets in my way, like I usually do? Why am I so upset?~
He ruminated on the last thought, running it through his mind to make sense of it.
~She's not my girl. Why be upset that she finds someone to fill her bed at night?~
~Cuz she is your girl, you idiot. She's been your girl since that night in the cave, maybe even before that. Just admit it---you love her, you always have, you always will.~
The revelation came as no shock to him, having felt it for some time, but he had denied for---for what?
~Pride? Fear of goin' soft? Was I scared? I was scared. Scared of committin' myself, of bein' tied down, of not bein' able to roam at free will whenever the animal became too much.~
He fought the alcohol that had begun to seep into his mind, threatening to turn the world a blank for him, which had been his only desire just minutes before.
~So you're gonna just let her slip away from your grip, just watch while she goes off with that Cajun? You gonna be a wimp and leave it all unsaid?~
He frowned.
~No, I'm not, I'm gonna tell her how I feel!~
He crashed his mug down on the counter with new conviction, pausing only to pay his bill before stumbling outside to find his bike.
+ + + + +
Logan crept down the darkened hallways of the school to the door to Rogue's room.
He paused to listen for movement before tapping lightly on the door with his fingers.
Getting no answer, he opened the door softly to see her lying in a sea of green sheets and pillows, breathing steadily and her heart beating slowly.
She was asleep.
~Dammnit,~ he thought, making his way to the edge of the mattress and slowly setting himself down.
She murmured something in her sleep but did not awake.
~She looks so peaceful,~ he thought as he gazed on her relaxed features, fighting the urge to move the little lock of hair that lay haphazardly across her face.
"I gotta say somethin' to you, darlin'," He whispered, stroking her hair lovingly.
"Somethin' I should'a told you a long time ago."
He paused, watching her eyelids flutter, then continued as her heart resumed its slow and steady rhythm.
"I love you," He whispered, running his fingers lightly over the bulge of her growing stomach.
"I have since that mission, but bein' me, I only realized it now." He sighed softly.
"All I want is for you to be happy." He dropped his gaze to the floor.
"I only hope I'm able to do that."
He got up and placed a light kiss on her hair.
"There, I've told you, I've done it. Now all I have to do is tell you when you're awake."
He took a final look at her serene face before leaving for his own room.
+ + + + + +
Rogue woke with a smile on her lips.
She lay still for a long while, fighting to hang on to the threads of the most beautiful dream she'd ever had, one free of violence, or terror, or sorrow.
~ Logan had entered her room, late at night, and had sat on her bed, stroking her hair and stomach softly while telling her how he loved her, and wanted her to be happy, how he hoped he would be able to do that. ~
She sighed as reality sunk in.
~Logan doesn't love me at all.~
She pushed the sheets away angrily as the emotions she had worked so hard to bottle up broke free and ran through her like a river, making her feel confused and unsure.
~I'm going for a shower,~ She thought as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and struggled to stand up.
She shuffled to the bathroom and turned on the shower at full blast, tossing aside her sleeping clothes and pulling on a shower cap before stepping under its awakening steam.
~At least Remy wants me,~ she thought as she scrubbed herself under the flow of heated water.
~He's made that abundantly clear.~
She reached for the soap, lost in thought, and jumped when it broke in two in her deathly strong grip.
"Dammnit!" She cursed as she struggled to pick up the broken halves.
"That's the third one this week. Stupid powers!"
She finished cleaning herself and turned off the water, stepping out of the shower and reaching blindly for a towel to dry herself with.
Finding it, she wrapped it around her thickening figure and proceeded to get ready for the coming day.
+ + + + +
Rogue sighed and squirmed in her seat, finally finding an almost-impossible- to-find comfortable position.
It had been like this all week, her hormones playing her moods like a violin, constantly making her lash out at those who meant well.
Lately those mischievous hormones had been playing with her love life, making her consider Remy's not-so-hidden offers to share a bed for the night.
"Petite feel lonely, no?" He coaxed, edging over slightly to where she sat.
"No, ah don't," She said, more out of habit than actually meaning to refuse him.
He seemed to notice the lack of meaning that usually accompanied her blatant words, and took courage, scooting up to fill the empty space beside her.
"Don' seem like that, cher."
She frowned and shrugged off the arm he slung around her.
"Bug off, Cajun, when ah say no ah mean it!"
She took to the air, hovering above the sofa with clenched fists.
"Aw, Remy jus having a little fun, no? What's wrong with de petite today?"
She sighed.
"Ah'm sorry, Remy, but this ain't a good day."
He patted the now vacant seat.
"Come down here, cher, tell Remy all about it. Remy listen."
She hovered a moment before resettling herself on the head of the sofa.
"It's just-ah dunno, Jean says it's hormones."
She slid into the cushions,
"Ah feel so snappy at people lately."
Remy nodded sympathetically.
"Dat's to be expected, cher. Making a new person takes a lot out of a body, no?"
She smiled tiredly.
"Ah noticed."
She heaved a sigh.
"That's not all," She said, a little embarrassed.
"Ah find myself....." She struggled as she tried to put it into words, then felt a tear of frustration trickle down her cheek.
He pulled her to him for an embrace, patting her back and letting her slump wearily against him.
"It all feel better in da morning, tings always look dark at night." He soothed, pressing a kiss to her hair.
She nodded, then looked into his burning eyes, suddenly feeling the mood shift as if it were a tv station and someone had changed the channel.
"Ah...." She said, losing herself in the red-on-black depths.
He silenced her with a finger.
"Hush, petite," he whispered, pulling up her scarf to cover her mouth.
"But....." She left the sentence unfinished as their lips met through the screen barrier.
+ + + + +
Logan watched the exchange from the doorway of the room.
He had unwillingly eavesdropped on the conversation with his sensitive hearing, and had snuck to the door, curiosity burning, at the last words.
He froze as he saw their joined heads over the back of the sofa, watching her work her fingers through the Cajun's hair as she let him feel along her back.
A growl escaped him before he could silence it, making Rogue whip her head around and the Cajun scoot a respectable distance away.
"L-logan," Rogue said, finding it hard to breath as she tried to figure out what had just happened.
He stared for a moment with disbelief, then turned and stalked away, claws sliding through his knuckles as he felt the animal in him threaten to break his control.
He paused in the hallway to grab his jacket and his keys before rushing out the door and into the coolness of the evening outside.
Rogue rushed to the door, still confused, and watched him start his bike's engine, kicking off savagely as his emotions battled for possession of him.
She tried to call to him, but by the time her tingling mouth could form the words he had long disappeared from view.
Shoulders sagging, she shut the door and walked back to the living room, trying to decipher the situation unsuccessfully.
"Ah...." She said slowly, not noticing that the room was now empty.
She made her way to the kitchen, finding Jean and 'Ro eating cookies while chattering easily to each other.
They dropped the conversation immediately, looking at her with concern.
"What's wrong?" Jean asked.
Rogue shook her head.
Jean frowned and turned to 'Ro.
/ Should I read her? /
'Ro paused a second before nodding slowly.
Both knew that it was an unbroken law that telepaths did not mess with someone's mind without prior consent, and to do so was considered abomination.
"Rogue," Jean said patiently.
"I'm going to read you, okay?"
Rogue took a moment to think before nodding.
Jean closed her eyes in concentration, feeling the slide as her powers geared up and moved her into Rogue's mind, letting her read her thoughts and access her memories.
Images of Rogue talking to Remy
/~That's not all.ah find myself.~/
Rogue struggling for words
::Tears rolling down my cheek, what am I-::
Remy pulling her into an embrace
/*"It all feel better in da morning, tings always look dark at night.*/
Rogue looking up and feeling the mood shift
/~Ah.~/
/*Hush, petite*/
Remy pulling the scarf up to cover her lips
/~But.~/
The image of their lips meeting
::Lips pressing into mine::
::What am ah-::
Rogue starting as a growl rips across the room
::Oh god, Logan-::
::Logan, don't-ah wasn't::
Image of Logan pushing off, claws extended
::Ah didn't-Logan-don't--* don't * ::
Jean started at the force of Rogue's mental voice, quickly withdrawing from her mind.
"What has happened?" 'Ro asked softly as Jean turned to look at her.
"I." Jean glanced at her disoriented friend.
/ Rogue kissed Remy. Logan saw./
'Ro looked puzzled.
:: But why would that matter ? ::
Jean gritted her teeth, not knowing if Rogue wanted the father of her child to be revealed.
/ If I tell you something, you cannot tell anyone. /
:: Never a soul ::
With another glance at Rogue's blank expression, Jean closed her eyes.
/ Logan is the father. /
'Ro opened her eyes in amazement.
:: Him? I never would have thought....when?::
/ The Savage Lands, 'Ro, they were together without powers./
'Ro nodded slowly as it all fit into place.
/ You must keep this to yourself /
:: I will tell no one. ::
Jean closed her mental shields and concentrated on her friend, who had begun to cry hysterically, gasping for breath as the situation began to dawn on her.
"Why don't you have a cookie, Rogue, and some milk, and we can figure out what to do from there."
Rogue nodded slowly between sobs and sat down at one of the tall stools beside the table.
/ Get some milk, 'Ro, I'm going to sedate her for the evening so she doesn't wear herself out crying. /
'Ro went to the fridge and began to pour a glass for her friend as Jean summoned a bottle of sedatives from the lab with telekinetics.
Jean left the kitchen and returned a moment later with a discreet packet clenched in her hand.
/ Drop two of these in the milk, 'Ro, they dissolve upon contact with liquid. /
'Ro took the packet from her friend and dropped them into the milk, using her powers to create a small swirl of wind to mix the drink.
"Here you are, child."
Rogue took the glass and choked it down between fits, finally putting the empty glass back on the table.
"Ah....what did ah do wrong?" She gasped.
Jean shook her head.
"You did nothing wrong, sweetheart. None of this is your fault. Calm down and we'll talk about it later."
Rogue nodded weakly and sighed as the sedatives began to take effect, making her sleepy and inattentive.
With a look and a thought to 'Ro, the women proceeded to help the tired and confused girl heavy with child to her bed.
+ + + + +
Logan gazed numbly at the bottom of the empty mug in his hand.
He had tried to make reason out of his actions for the last hour, and had failed utterly, finding no excuse for his uncalled for behavior.
~Just cuz she's carryin' my child, don't mean she can't see other people,~ he had told himself, but it hadn't stopped the hurt and disbelief from coursing through his veins.
The bartender noticed the empty glass and refilled it, wondering what misfortune had befallen this particular customer.
~Wife cheating,~ he thought with a mental shrug, and moved on to tend to his other cliental.
Logan took a long drink as he struggled against his own thoughts and emotions. ~Why should I feel so shocked? Hurt? We're not even goin' out, for Christ's sake.~
He slumped over.
~Why am I sittin' here, fightin' myself? Why can't I just go hack to shreds whatever stupid fucker gets in my way, like I usually do? Why am I so upset?~
He ruminated on the last thought, running it through his mind to make sense of it.
~She's not my girl. Why be upset that she finds someone to fill her bed at night?~
~Cuz she is your girl, you idiot. She's been your girl since that night in the cave, maybe even before that. Just admit it---you love her, you always have, you always will.~
The revelation came as no shock to him, having felt it for some time, but he had denied for---for what?
~Pride? Fear of goin' soft? Was I scared? I was scared. Scared of committin' myself, of bein' tied down, of not bein' able to roam at free will whenever the animal became too much.~
He fought the alcohol that had begun to seep into his mind, threatening to turn the world a blank for him, which had been his only desire just minutes before.
~So you're gonna just let her slip away from your grip, just watch while she goes off with that Cajun? You gonna be a wimp and leave it all unsaid?~
He frowned.
~No, I'm not, I'm gonna tell her how I feel!~
He crashed his mug down on the counter with new conviction, pausing only to pay his bill before stumbling outside to find his bike.
+ + + + +
Logan crept down the darkened hallways of the school to the door to Rogue's room.
He paused to listen for movement before tapping lightly on the door with his fingers.
Getting no answer, he opened the door softly to see her lying in a sea of green sheets and pillows, breathing steadily and her heart beating slowly.
She was asleep.
~Dammnit,~ he thought, making his way to the edge of the mattress and slowly setting himself down.
She murmured something in her sleep but did not awake.
~She looks so peaceful,~ he thought as he gazed on her relaxed features, fighting the urge to move the little lock of hair that lay haphazardly across her face.
"I gotta say somethin' to you, darlin'," He whispered, stroking her hair lovingly.
"Somethin' I should'a told you a long time ago."
He paused, watching her eyelids flutter, then continued as her heart resumed its slow and steady rhythm.
"I love you," He whispered, running his fingers lightly over the bulge of her growing stomach.
"I have since that mission, but bein' me, I only realized it now." He sighed softly.
"All I want is for you to be happy." He dropped his gaze to the floor.
"I only hope I'm able to do that."
He got up and placed a light kiss on her hair.
"There, I've told you, I've done it. Now all I have to do is tell you when you're awake."
He took a final look at her serene face before leaving for his own room.
+ + + + + +
Rogue woke with a smile on her lips.
She lay still for a long while, fighting to hang on to the threads of the most beautiful dream she'd ever had, one free of violence, or terror, or sorrow.
~ Logan had entered her room, late at night, and had sat on her bed, stroking her hair and stomach softly while telling her how he loved her, and wanted her to be happy, how he hoped he would be able to do that. ~
She sighed as reality sunk in.
~Logan doesn't love me at all.~
She pushed the sheets away angrily as the emotions she had worked so hard to bottle up broke free and ran through her like a river, making her feel confused and unsure.
~I'm going for a shower,~ She thought as she swung her legs over the side of her bed and struggled to stand up.
She shuffled to the bathroom and turned on the shower at full blast, tossing aside her sleeping clothes and pulling on a shower cap before stepping under its awakening steam.
~At least Remy wants me,~ she thought as she scrubbed herself under the flow of heated water.
~He's made that abundantly clear.~
She reached for the soap, lost in thought, and jumped when it broke in two in her deathly strong grip.
"Dammnit!" She cursed as she struggled to pick up the broken halves.
"That's the third one this week. Stupid powers!"
She finished cleaning herself and turned off the water, stepping out of the shower and reaching blindly for a towel to dry herself with.
Finding it, she wrapped it around her thickening figure and proceeded to get ready for the coming day.
+ + + + +