Logan watched Rogue as she picked at her food, finally pushing the plate
away and excusing herself from the table as she got up from her seat.
~Do it now bub. Tell her. Don't wait.~
His hands trembled as he approached her, feeling clumsy and foolish as he tripped on the edge of the rug and nearly fell.
"Rogue-wait-we need to-"
At that moment, Remy entered the room and headed towards Rogue with a cheery smile.
"Good morning, cher, how are you dis fine day?"
Rogue smiled.
"Hey yourself, Remy. Ah'm right as rain."
Logan glared at the Cajun.
"I-"
Rogue frowned.
"Ah'm sorry shugah, but ah'll talk to you later, okay?"
Remy whispered something in Rogue's ear, making her giggle as she took the arm he offered to her.
"See ya round."
Logan felt a growl start to rise in him.
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
He watched them leave through the door to the garage.
~Too late, bub, too late.~
+ + + + + +
Rogue smiled as she crossed off another day on her calendar.
~Two months to go!~ She thought as she flipped to the page with the big red circle on it.
The words ' Baby!!!! ' on January first leaped up at her.
"Dat when your little one due?"
Rogue looked up, startled.
"Oh hey Remy, didn't see ya there. Yeah, that's D-day!"
Remy grinned.
"You really excited bout it, cher."
She smiled and pinned it back to the proper date.
"Don't see why ah shouldn't be, Cajun. It'll be nice to be able to fit in the stuff in ma closet for once."
She sighed and patted her enormous belly for emphasis.
"Ah look so fat...."
Remy shook his head.
"You don' look fat at all, petite, no, you look beautiful!"
She giggled.
"Remy glad you agree to date tonight."
Rogue stiffened.
"Ah'm glad too, Remy," She said slowly.
"Real happy."
The moment was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Come on in!" Rogue shouted.
A young girl suddenly stuck her head through the closed door.
"Hey, Rogue, Jubes and I are gonna hit the mall, you wanna come?"
Rogue smiled at her friend.
"Sure, ah'll be right there Kitty."
The girl smiled back and withdrew her head.
"I wish she don' do dat so often, it gives Remy da creeps!"
Rogue laughed and punched Remy playfully.
"Ah could say the same thang 'bout your card tricks, shugah."
He pretended to look hurt.
"But dey are just tricks, cher, Remy don' stick his head through da closed doors!"
Rogue shook her head and pushed Remy at the door.
"Now you better go so ah can change, shugah, or ah'll * make * you stick your head through that closed door."
With a grin, Remy opened the door and brushed past the two girls that stood waiting.
They bounced in before the door could be closed again, climbing onto their friend's bed and watching as she sorted through her closet.
"Hey Jubes," Rogue said as she pulled out an outfit.
"What'dya think of this?"
She held it out under Jubilee's critical gaze.
"I.go with something a * little * more flashy, chica." She said with a loud pop of her gum.
She stuck out her hand for emphasis and watched as it emitted a shower of sparks and fire-work-like projectiles.
"Like this?" Asked Rogue, holding up a red maternity dress with a white collar.
Jubilee nodded her Asian-American features enthusiastically.
"That's more like it, chica! And you can wear those with it."
She pointed to a pair of white sneakers with red piping in the shoe compartment.
Kitty meanwhile was sorting through a pile of make-up on Rogue's dresser.
"Here Roguey, when you're done there then I'll give you a quick make-over."
Rogue smiled at her brown-haired friend.
'Thanks Kitty."
Jubilee snapped her gum with a loud pop while shooting small formations of fireworks from the tip of her finger, crinkling her brow in concentration as she made the sparks explode into simple shapes.
"Darn it!"
Rogue glanced at her friend.
"What's wrong shugah?"
Jubilee sighed with frustration.
"The proff assigned me some homework to do on my mutation-I'm supposed to make the fireworks form simple shapes and figures in various levels of energy. I can never seem to make a sphere though---it's really frustrating."
Kitty patted her friend's shoulder sympathetically.
"You'll get the hang of it, Jubes---I thought he was kidding when he told me to practice walking on air- and look at me now!" She stepped up into the air several levels till her head touched the ceiling.
She stepped back down.
"I'm working on holding my breath for longer periods of time now. Once I get that, I'll be able to phase through just about anything."
Rogue smiled at her friends bragging as she pulled the dress over her head and down over her extended belly, smoothing away the folds and wrinkles as she did.
"You having any luck with your powers, Rogue?' Asked Jubilee with another display of fireworks.
Rogue sighed as she picked out the shoes.
"Nope, doesn't look like there's any hope for me, shugah," She said sadly.
Jubilee frowned.
"Cheer up, chica, I'm sure the Proff'll find something."
Rogue waddled over to the bed and sank down heavily.
"Ya wouldn't mind helping me on with ma shoes, would ya shugah?" She said to Kitty.
"It's a lil hard to reach, thanks."
Kitty smiled and bent over to help her friend pull the shoes on her foot.
"No problem Rogue."
Jubilee smirked.
"Speaking of pregnancy, we were wondering who the daddy is. You gonna tell us Rogue?"
Rogue smiled to cover the little catch in her heart.
"Not any time soon, shugah."
Kitty grinned.
"It's Remy, isn't it Roguey? We heard the rumors bout you two in the living room a couple nights ago."
Rogue shrugged.
"It could be, ah'm not giving you any clues."
Jubilee laughed and pointed to the chair at the dresser.
"C'mon chica, it's make-over time. Go sit!"
After she made her way to the chair, Rogue's friends did her hair and make- up before the three friends set out to the mall.
+ + + + + +
"Attention X-men: Assemble at Mission Control in five minutes pronto."
Rogue looked up from wrapping her Christmas gifts as the message echoed through the hallways, and made for the door of her room.
/Not you, Rogue. /
She jumped as she felt the sliding sensation of another mind in hers, but it was soon gone, leaving only the message emblazoned in her head.
~Why not? ~ She thought.
/ You're pregnant, Rogue, we can't risk you getting hurt. /
Rogue looked indignant.
~But I'm invulnerable, for gosh darn's sakes! ~
She felt the professor's mental sigh.
/ Rogue, we know that, but it would in your best interests if you stayed behind. /
A knock at the door distracted her.
~Sorry, proff, gotta go. ~
She opened the door to see Logan standing in uniform.
"Hey, shug-Logan-, what's up?"
He shook himself out of the slack state his mind had fallen into upon seeing her.
"Uh-yeah-summons, didn't ya hear?"
She nodded.
"Yeah but ah was told not to go."
He looked confused.
"But they didn't say anythin'...oh...." He said as she tapped her head with a smile.
"It's for the baby's sake."
He nodded.
"Er---that's right, you shouldn't go," He said, angry with himself for not realizing that pregnant women shouldn't fight.
An awkward silence filled the space around them, and finally with a shrug of his yellow-and-black covered shoulders, Logan turned to go.
"See ya, shug-Logan."
He smiled grimly.
"See ya darl-Rogue."
He lingered for a moment, and he looked like he wanted to tell her something, but he shook his head and made his way down the empty hallway.
She watched his yellow clad form until it disappeared from view, and with a sigh she closed the door and returned to her Christmas wrapping, twiddling the ring on her finger all the while.
She remembered the night Remy had asked her.
They'd been seeing each other for a few months by then, and he had asked her to marry him, slipping the ring onto her finger with a smile at her almost inaudible 'yes'.
~It's not that I don't like Remy,~ she thought guiltily. ~I even love him in a way---it's just---~
She smiled and blew a lock of white hair off of her face.
~Who am I kidding? The problem is, Remy ain't Logan and never will be.~
She waddled back to her gift-covered bed, looking again at the gift she had picked for the father of her child sadly before wrapping it in elegant green-and-gold wrapping paper.
She placed a golden bow on top, finally leaning back to admire her handiwork.
~I hope he likes it,~ She thought as she placed it back on the bed.
She picked up Remy's present, a new pair of thin leather gloves, and picked out a pattern to wrap it with, sighing as she worked.
+ + + + + +
Logan slipped into his seat in Mission Control silently, feeling every eye in the room trained on him.
"You're late, * Wolverine *," Scott said, putting emphasis on his rival's name.
Logan grunted.
"Sorry. Had somethin' I had to do first."
Scott frowned and opened his mouth to reply, but he felt voices in his head.
/ Scott, don't, it would be best for the team if you would refrain from speaking /
/ Scott, please listen to the Professor---he knows best--- /
He snapped his mouth closed with a sulky expression, and turned to the people assembled before him.
"It has been brought to our attention that the Brotherhood has reunited."
A stunned silence filled the room.
"But---Cyke---dude---they won't---they can't---I mean---" Jubilee said falteringly.
'Ro patted the girl's back soothingly.
"We have been tipped by an unidentified source that the Brotherhood has planned a terrorist exhibition."
He paused, letting the information sink in.
"The target: the UN headquarters. The time: Tonight."
Jubilee looked puzzled.
"Why tonight?"
Kitty jabbed her in the ribs.
"Don't you know that tonight is that world leader's assembly thing, stupid?"
'Ro shook her head.
"No one here is stupid, child. But yes, that would be the reason the Brotherhood would strike tonight."
Logan growled menacingly from his seat.
"I knew I should'a whooped Magneto's ass when I had the chance!"
Jean gave Logan a stern look as she sent a thought to his furious mind.
/ Logan! There are children here. Please watch your language. /
He glared at her angrily but kept quiet.
'Ro stood up, her white uniform and hair standing out in the darkened room.
"What is our best plan of action, Cyclops?" She asked in a no-nonsense manner.
Scott gave 'Ro a thankful expression before laying out the plans.
"We are going to fly out to the UN head quarters in the Blackbird, then split into three groups, one for each main structure."
'Ro sat back down.
"These teams will locate the Brotherhood members and prevent them from completing their mission."
Everyone nodded.
"Me, Storm, and Beast will lead these three teams."
He pointed at Jubilee and Kitty.
"You two are with Beast. Gambit, you're with Storm. Wolverine, Jean, you're with me. Iceman, you're with Storm. Nightcrawler, you're with Beast. Pyro, you're with Storm. Colossus, you're with me. Psylocke, you're with Storm. Morph, you're with Beast. Rogue,"
He paused, searching for the pregnant woman.
"Where's Rogue?"
Jean stood up.
"She's staying at the school, Cyclops."
He frowned.
"Why?"
Jean sighed impatiently.
"She's pregnant, Cyclops, and as her doctor I ordered that she stay at head quarters."
Cyclops nodded.
"Alright. Details will be discussed inside the Blackbird. People, let's get moving! On the jet! Now!'
The team scrambled to follow their leader's heated command, pulling up hoods and masks hurriedly as they ran, jumped, flew and teleported to get to the large jet.
++++++
~Do it now bub. Tell her. Don't wait.~
His hands trembled as he approached her, feeling clumsy and foolish as he tripped on the edge of the rug and nearly fell.
"Rogue-wait-we need to-"
At that moment, Remy entered the room and headed towards Rogue with a cheery smile.
"Good morning, cher, how are you dis fine day?"
Rogue smiled.
"Hey yourself, Remy. Ah'm right as rain."
Logan glared at the Cajun.
"I-"
Rogue frowned.
"Ah'm sorry shugah, but ah'll talk to you later, okay?"
Remy whispered something in Rogue's ear, making her giggle as she took the arm he offered to her.
"See ya round."
Logan felt a growl start to rise in him.
"Yeah, I'll see you later."
He watched them leave through the door to the garage.
~Too late, bub, too late.~
+ + + + + +
Rogue smiled as she crossed off another day on her calendar.
~Two months to go!~ She thought as she flipped to the page with the big red circle on it.
The words ' Baby!!!! ' on January first leaped up at her.
"Dat when your little one due?"
Rogue looked up, startled.
"Oh hey Remy, didn't see ya there. Yeah, that's D-day!"
Remy grinned.
"You really excited bout it, cher."
She smiled and pinned it back to the proper date.
"Don't see why ah shouldn't be, Cajun. It'll be nice to be able to fit in the stuff in ma closet for once."
She sighed and patted her enormous belly for emphasis.
"Ah look so fat...."
Remy shook his head.
"You don' look fat at all, petite, no, you look beautiful!"
She giggled.
"Remy glad you agree to date tonight."
Rogue stiffened.
"Ah'm glad too, Remy," She said slowly.
"Real happy."
The moment was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
"Come on in!" Rogue shouted.
A young girl suddenly stuck her head through the closed door.
"Hey, Rogue, Jubes and I are gonna hit the mall, you wanna come?"
Rogue smiled at her friend.
"Sure, ah'll be right there Kitty."
The girl smiled back and withdrew her head.
"I wish she don' do dat so often, it gives Remy da creeps!"
Rogue laughed and punched Remy playfully.
"Ah could say the same thang 'bout your card tricks, shugah."
He pretended to look hurt.
"But dey are just tricks, cher, Remy don' stick his head through da closed doors!"
Rogue shook her head and pushed Remy at the door.
"Now you better go so ah can change, shugah, or ah'll * make * you stick your head through that closed door."
With a grin, Remy opened the door and brushed past the two girls that stood waiting.
They bounced in before the door could be closed again, climbing onto their friend's bed and watching as she sorted through her closet.
"Hey Jubes," Rogue said as she pulled out an outfit.
"What'dya think of this?"
She held it out under Jubilee's critical gaze.
"I.go with something a * little * more flashy, chica." She said with a loud pop of her gum.
She stuck out her hand for emphasis and watched as it emitted a shower of sparks and fire-work-like projectiles.
"Like this?" Asked Rogue, holding up a red maternity dress with a white collar.
Jubilee nodded her Asian-American features enthusiastically.
"That's more like it, chica! And you can wear those with it."
She pointed to a pair of white sneakers with red piping in the shoe compartment.
Kitty meanwhile was sorting through a pile of make-up on Rogue's dresser.
"Here Roguey, when you're done there then I'll give you a quick make-over."
Rogue smiled at her brown-haired friend.
'Thanks Kitty."
Jubilee snapped her gum with a loud pop while shooting small formations of fireworks from the tip of her finger, crinkling her brow in concentration as she made the sparks explode into simple shapes.
"Darn it!"
Rogue glanced at her friend.
"What's wrong shugah?"
Jubilee sighed with frustration.
"The proff assigned me some homework to do on my mutation-I'm supposed to make the fireworks form simple shapes and figures in various levels of energy. I can never seem to make a sphere though---it's really frustrating."
Kitty patted her friend's shoulder sympathetically.
"You'll get the hang of it, Jubes---I thought he was kidding when he told me to practice walking on air- and look at me now!" She stepped up into the air several levels till her head touched the ceiling.
She stepped back down.
"I'm working on holding my breath for longer periods of time now. Once I get that, I'll be able to phase through just about anything."
Rogue smiled at her friends bragging as she pulled the dress over her head and down over her extended belly, smoothing away the folds and wrinkles as she did.
"You having any luck with your powers, Rogue?' Asked Jubilee with another display of fireworks.
Rogue sighed as she picked out the shoes.
"Nope, doesn't look like there's any hope for me, shugah," She said sadly.
Jubilee frowned.
"Cheer up, chica, I'm sure the Proff'll find something."
Rogue waddled over to the bed and sank down heavily.
"Ya wouldn't mind helping me on with ma shoes, would ya shugah?" She said to Kitty.
"It's a lil hard to reach, thanks."
Kitty smiled and bent over to help her friend pull the shoes on her foot.
"No problem Rogue."
Jubilee smirked.
"Speaking of pregnancy, we were wondering who the daddy is. You gonna tell us Rogue?"
Rogue smiled to cover the little catch in her heart.
"Not any time soon, shugah."
Kitty grinned.
"It's Remy, isn't it Roguey? We heard the rumors bout you two in the living room a couple nights ago."
Rogue shrugged.
"It could be, ah'm not giving you any clues."
Jubilee laughed and pointed to the chair at the dresser.
"C'mon chica, it's make-over time. Go sit!"
After she made her way to the chair, Rogue's friends did her hair and make- up before the three friends set out to the mall.
+ + + + + +
"Attention X-men: Assemble at Mission Control in five minutes pronto."
Rogue looked up from wrapping her Christmas gifts as the message echoed through the hallways, and made for the door of her room.
/Not you, Rogue. /
She jumped as she felt the sliding sensation of another mind in hers, but it was soon gone, leaving only the message emblazoned in her head.
~Why not? ~ She thought.
/ You're pregnant, Rogue, we can't risk you getting hurt. /
Rogue looked indignant.
~But I'm invulnerable, for gosh darn's sakes! ~
She felt the professor's mental sigh.
/ Rogue, we know that, but it would in your best interests if you stayed behind. /
A knock at the door distracted her.
~Sorry, proff, gotta go. ~
She opened the door to see Logan standing in uniform.
"Hey, shug-Logan-, what's up?"
He shook himself out of the slack state his mind had fallen into upon seeing her.
"Uh-yeah-summons, didn't ya hear?"
She nodded.
"Yeah but ah was told not to go."
He looked confused.
"But they didn't say anythin'...oh...." He said as she tapped her head with a smile.
"It's for the baby's sake."
He nodded.
"Er---that's right, you shouldn't go," He said, angry with himself for not realizing that pregnant women shouldn't fight.
An awkward silence filled the space around them, and finally with a shrug of his yellow-and-black covered shoulders, Logan turned to go.
"See ya, shug-Logan."
He smiled grimly.
"See ya darl-Rogue."
He lingered for a moment, and he looked like he wanted to tell her something, but he shook his head and made his way down the empty hallway.
She watched his yellow clad form until it disappeared from view, and with a sigh she closed the door and returned to her Christmas wrapping, twiddling the ring on her finger all the while.
She remembered the night Remy had asked her.
They'd been seeing each other for a few months by then, and he had asked her to marry him, slipping the ring onto her finger with a smile at her almost inaudible 'yes'.
~It's not that I don't like Remy,~ she thought guiltily. ~I even love him in a way---it's just---~
She smiled and blew a lock of white hair off of her face.
~Who am I kidding? The problem is, Remy ain't Logan and never will be.~
She waddled back to her gift-covered bed, looking again at the gift she had picked for the father of her child sadly before wrapping it in elegant green-and-gold wrapping paper.
She placed a golden bow on top, finally leaning back to admire her handiwork.
~I hope he likes it,~ She thought as she placed it back on the bed.
She picked up Remy's present, a new pair of thin leather gloves, and picked out a pattern to wrap it with, sighing as she worked.
+ + + + + +
Logan slipped into his seat in Mission Control silently, feeling every eye in the room trained on him.
"You're late, * Wolverine *," Scott said, putting emphasis on his rival's name.
Logan grunted.
"Sorry. Had somethin' I had to do first."
Scott frowned and opened his mouth to reply, but he felt voices in his head.
/ Scott, don't, it would be best for the team if you would refrain from speaking /
/ Scott, please listen to the Professor---he knows best--- /
He snapped his mouth closed with a sulky expression, and turned to the people assembled before him.
"It has been brought to our attention that the Brotherhood has reunited."
A stunned silence filled the room.
"But---Cyke---dude---they won't---they can't---I mean---" Jubilee said falteringly.
'Ro patted the girl's back soothingly.
"We have been tipped by an unidentified source that the Brotherhood has planned a terrorist exhibition."
He paused, letting the information sink in.
"The target: the UN headquarters. The time: Tonight."
Jubilee looked puzzled.
"Why tonight?"
Kitty jabbed her in the ribs.
"Don't you know that tonight is that world leader's assembly thing, stupid?"
'Ro shook her head.
"No one here is stupid, child. But yes, that would be the reason the Brotherhood would strike tonight."
Logan growled menacingly from his seat.
"I knew I should'a whooped Magneto's ass when I had the chance!"
Jean gave Logan a stern look as she sent a thought to his furious mind.
/ Logan! There are children here. Please watch your language. /
He glared at her angrily but kept quiet.
'Ro stood up, her white uniform and hair standing out in the darkened room.
"What is our best plan of action, Cyclops?" She asked in a no-nonsense manner.
Scott gave 'Ro a thankful expression before laying out the plans.
"We are going to fly out to the UN head quarters in the Blackbird, then split into three groups, one for each main structure."
'Ro sat back down.
"These teams will locate the Brotherhood members and prevent them from completing their mission."
Everyone nodded.
"Me, Storm, and Beast will lead these three teams."
He pointed at Jubilee and Kitty.
"You two are with Beast. Gambit, you're with Storm. Wolverine, Jean, you're with me. Iceman, you're with Storm. Nightcrawler, you're with Beast. Pyro, you're with Storm. Colossus, you're with me. Psylocke, you're with Storm. Morph, you're with Beast. Rogue,"
He paused, searching for the pregnant woman.
"Where's Rogue?"
Jean stood up.
"She's staying at the school, Cyclops."
He frowned.
"Why?"
Jean sighed impatiently.
"She's pregnant, Cyclops, and as her doctor I ordered that she stay at head quarters."
Cyclops nodded.
"Alright. Details will be discussed inside the Blackbird. People, let's get moving! On the jet! Now!'
The team scrambled to follow their leader's heated command, pulling up hoods and masks hurriedly as they ran, jumped, flew and teleported to get to the large jet.
++++++