What's In a Name?

            "So… uh, my name is Kitty Pryde.  What's yours?" Kitty replies.

            Donovan just looks at her for a minute.  Kitty blushes and looks away.  "Sorry.  I don't know what to say but the silence is kinda getting to me, you know?"

            "I'm Donovan Milady…" Donovan says.  "But don't ask me about myself because I don't even know…"

            "Like Wolverine," Kitty says softly.  "He doesn't even know his last name.  You got one over on him."

            Donovan manages a weak smile.  "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

            Kitty sighs.  "Well, yeah…" she shrugs.  "At least you could look up your family.  He couldn't do that if he wanted to."

            Donovan nods.  "Good point.  But I don't think my family would want to see me if I found them.  I got kicked out when my powers manifested."

            "Thought you didn't know anything about yourself," Kitty says.

            "I remember that pretty vividly.  I think,"  Donovan frowns.  "Maybe I don't.  What if Weapon X planted those memories in my head?  What if I'm not Donovan Milady, after all?"

            You are Donovan Milady, honey.  You're my beautiful Donovan and you don't belong out here! Mandy chides annoyingly.

            "Hey… Donovan?" Kitty touches Donovan's arm.  "You okay?"

            Donovan sighs.  "No.  There's a voice in my head manipulating me just as much as Boost is… was… I dunno…"

            I'm not manipulating you!  I'm protecting you!

            "A voice in your head?" Kitty asks.  "Are you schizophrenic?"

            Donovan makes a face.  She hadn't even considered that option before.  "Maybe.  I have no idea… I thought Mandy was a girlfriend I'd had before I got thrown out of my house.  She was a telepath and linked our minds when she died, so that her mind lives in mine."

            Kitty frowns.  "Seems kinda out there to me.  Maybe you are a schizoid… no offense."

            "None taken," Donovan mutters.  She takes a deep breath.  "You're sure you're leading me the right way?"

            Kitty shrugs.  "No idea, honestly.  But at least you're not going in a circle anymore."

            That is true.  Donovan had been going crazy trying to figure out how to regain control of her sense of direction when Kitty showed up to help.  Now, even though they may not be on the right track, Donovan is thankful that she doesn't have to worry about getting too frustrated.

            Warren bursts from the trees suddenly and runs right into Donovan.  He grins and hugs her tightly.  "Thank God I found you!  Come on, let's get out of here before anything else happens!"

            Jennifer, who had been following Warren, just stands back a few feet.  She sees how happy Warren and Donovan are to see each other.  She sighs softly.  Real friendship is a lost concept to her.  What's the use of friends?  Most can't afford to back you when needed, will stab you in the backing a heart beat, and stand in the way of important decisions.  She does feel a pang of jealousy.  If money wasn't her focus, she'd probably have lots of friends.

            Donovan steps away from Warren when she notices Jennifer.  She sneers.  "Where's Rogue?"

            "Back that way about a mile and a half.  She's hurt real bad.  You've got to come back with me and help her," Jennifer says.

            Donovan grabs Jennifer by the front of the shirt and lifts her up.  "What have you done to her?"

            "Nothing!"  Jennifer exclaims.  "The injuries she got from Sabretooth are getting to her.  She needs your healing power to save her life!"

            Donovan drops Jennifer.  "So help me God, if she's dead when I get there, I'll kill you myself!" she starts to run through the trees.

            Jennifer runs after her.  "You'll never find her without me!  Pick me up and we'll fly!"

            Donovan let's Jennifer catch up.  When she's close enough, Donovan picks her up under one arm and takes to the air.  Warren and Kitty do the same thing and they fly off after them.

A MILE AND A HALF AWAY:

            "Ah don't feel good…" Rogue whines.  She is very dizzy and sleepy but Gambit won't let her sleep.  "Jus' lemme die…"

            "An' let Cyclops get mad at me?"  Gambit asks.  "T'anks but no t'anks.  He'd kill me if I let ya die."

            Rogue is lying in a bed of leaves Gambit had made for her with her head in his lap.  She has been throwing up since Jennifer and Warren left.  Gambit had shown no signs of being repulsed by her, gaining her respect if not her trust.  He just held her hair back and whispered reassuring promises.  He keeps a torn part of his undershirt pressed against her wounded neck.

            "What's your name?" Rogue asks suddenly.  She gazes into his deep red eyes with her tear filled green ones.

            "Je m'appele Remy LeBeau," Gambit replies.  "What's yours?"

            Rogue starts to cry again.  "Ah don't remember…"

            Gambit looks at her sadly.  "You don' remember?  Was dis some sorta amnesiacs meetin'?"

            "Ah use t' remember…" Rogue says softly.  "The Weapon X folks jus' called me Rogue.  Never mah real name.  An' Ah absorbed so many people… after a while, Ah couldn't tell which was mah name and which was someone else's in mah head.  An' Ah forgot who Ah am…"

            Gambit smiles warmly.  "T'ink of it dis way, Rogue… some people don' wanna know who dey are.  Some people done some bad t'ings and wish dey wasn't dem anymore.  You're actually not doin' too bad de way y' are."

             "Y' think so?" Rogue asks.

            Gambit's face darkens.  "Take it from me, chere.  Dere be people who hate demselves for what dey done in deir lives…"

            Rogue and Gambit's eyes meet.  She can see the pain and guilt swirling around in the red.  "Like you..?"

            "Yeah," Gambit says quietly.  "Like me."

            Donovan and Jennifer land in the small clearing a few feet away from the troubled pair.  Donovan drops Jennifer and rushes to Rogue's side.  "Are you all right?  Show me where you're hurt."

            Gambit pulls the cloth away from Rogue's neck.  Donovan grimaces and looks away.  "That bastard… well, you're going to be okay, Rogue.  I'll take care of this."

            Donovan pulls Rogue into her arms.  She ignores Mandy's screams and threats in her head and starts to turn to stone.  Jennifer had explained the situation and what she has to do over their flight.  Rogue gasps and wraps her arms around Donovan's neck.  In a moment, they are both covered in thick stone.

            "What de hell happened?" Gambit shouts.  He draws a few playing cards from his pocket and charges them as he faces Jennifer.  "If anyt'ing happens t' her…"

            "I know, I know," Jennifer says with a smile.  "You'll kill me yourself.  I got the same speech from Donny, all right?  She'll be fine, I promise."