Professor Charles Xavier was calm as he watched Wolverine sitting on the floor with Rogue. Cyclops had called ahead from the jet, saying that Rogue was in a bad way and they were bringing her to the mansion to get help. From the time she and Wolverine had entered his office, Xavier had been aware of Rogue's condition. It wasn't just the fact that she had bit Cyclops's hand when he had tried to seatbelt her in on the Blackbird. It was clear that she was reacting to stimulation on a strictly animal level of awareness. The way she had refused to allow herself to be clothed or sit in a chair made that clear. Professor Xavier had been completely accepting of Rogue's wishes, and now he watched with interest the way Wolverine stroked her hair and murmured soothing words to Rogue, to keep her calm. It was clear that Wolverine was empathizing with Rogue. Xavier finally cleared his throat, drawing Wolverine and Rogue's attention to him.
"Wolverine," he began. "Tell me exactly what happened. When did Rogue begin acting like this?"
Wolverine hesitated. He hated sharing something this personal with a stranger. Still, in all likelihood, he would need Xavier's help if he wanted to get Rogue back to her normal self.
"When I left to take care of some business, she was fine. When I got back, my door was destroyed and Sabretooth's body was lying on my floor."
Professor Xavier frowned. "Sabretooth?"
Wolverine's eyes narrowed. "A mutant. I ran into him in a bar in Laughlin City a few days ago. We fought and I thought that was the last I'd see of him." He let the insinuation hang in the air. Xavier was an intelligent man, he didn't need Wolverine to spell out what he meant by 'the last I'd see of him'.
"You say his body was on the floor. Was he dead or unconscious?"
Wolverine thought about it. "I didn't check. If he had a pulse, it was too faint for me to hear, and that usually means death. As soon as I saw him, I saw . . . signs . . . of something else. I decided my first priority was Rogue."
Xavier noticed Wolverine's hesitation. "He attacked her." It was a statement, not a question.
Wolverine nodded stiffly. "I found her in the snow. She let me clean her up, but she won't let anyone put clothes on her. This morning I found her curled up in the corner."
Xavier nodded. "From what you've told me, it seems that the . . . circumstances . . . surrounding Rogue's contact with Sabretooth caused her powers to surge. It was her body's way of protecting itself. Unfortunately, the trauma of the attack combined with Sabretooth's no doubt savage personality has caused Rogue to retreat into her own mind. In order to help her, it is necessary that I go into her mind and find her. Hopefully, I will be able to coax her out again."
The expression on Wolverine's face made it apparent that he was not thrilled with the idea, but he didn't object. "How are we gonna do this?"
"I can enter her mind from here. She is obviously comfortable where she is, and the more comfortable she is, the easier this will be."
Wolverine nodded, and tightened his arm around Rogue. She tilted her head to smile up at him and he couldn't resist the urge to nuzzle the top of her head, affectionately. A soft purr came from her throat and she closed her eyes as she snuggled up to his chest.
Professor Xavier watched them with a smile on his face. From what he'd learned of Wolverine, this display of affection was rare and it brought a warm feeling to Xavier to see how much the rough Canadian cared for the orphaned Southern Belle.
"Rogue?" he said gently.
Wolverine nudged her gently and Rogue opened her eyes. He nodded towards the Professor and Rogue looked over at him curiously.
"Rogue, I want you to take a deep breath and let yourself relax." When the expression on Rogue's face didn't change, the Professor touched her mind with his. When he spoke again, he let his thoughts guide her instincts. "I want you to keep taking deep breaths and listen to the sound of my voice."
The Professor continued to talk in a calm soothing voice. Suddenly, Wolverine interrupted.
"Umm, Wheels? I think she's asleep."
The Professor looked surprised. Sure enough, a soft snoring sound was coming from Rogue as she leaned against Wolverine's chest. Wolverine's rumble of laughter shook her awake and she sleepily looked back at the Professor.
The Professor smiled in resignation. "I suppose she is sufficiently relaxed now."
Amidst Wolverine's chuckles, Professor Xavier closed his eyes and extended his mind towards Rogue. Gently, he pushed aside the almost nonexistent resistance, and found himself inside her mind. Looking around, his initial suspicions were confirmed. Without Rogue in control to file Sabretooth's psyche away, her mind's landscape had become a twisted combination of Sabretooth's Canadian homeland and Rogue's deep South. It was like a Salvador Dali painting, with patches of snow and icy cliffs in addition to rolling green hills and sunny blue skies.
As the Professor began to move towards the first patch of Mississippi land, he heard a growl. A large figure leapt at him from behind an icy outcropping of rock. Xavier remained unruffled as Sabretooth dove towards him. At the last moment the Professor raised a hand and Sabretooth stopped in midair. Snarling furiously, the bestial mutant glared at the Professor.
"What are you doing here?" he roared.
Xavier regarded him calmly. "Sabretooth, I presume?" Sabretooth struggled against the mental forces holding him frozen in the air, and the Professor sighed. "I do not have time to deal with you now, Sabretooth. Hopefully, Rogue herself will be able to deal with you shortly."
Sabretooth raged at him in vain, as the Professor used his mind to manipulate the ground. The rock beneath Sabretooth melted and flowed upwards to envelope him in a solid grip. As the Canadian assassin struggled against his prison, Xavier continued on his way to find Rogue.
Passing through the snowy patches of Sabretooth's mind, he made his way farther into Rogue's mind. Around him, the scenery flowed and changed almost constantly. Houses formed and then melted back into the ground and clouds faded in and out of the sky. Even the snowy mountains and icy gray skies of Sabretooth's memories were in a constant state of motion. Xavier shook his head. Rogue's memories were being distorted by the intrusion of Sabretooth's psyche. If she didn't take control soon, she may never be able to separate the two fully again.
Then something caught the Professor's eye. Up ahead he saw a small white country house with blue shutters, surrounded by a white picket fence. The house stood out against the other parts of landscape in that it remained nearly solid. Unlike its wavering surrounding, the house stayed where it was, more or less stable. Xavier walked towards the house. Slowly, he entered the gate and walked up the brick pathway leading to the front door. As he reached for the doorknob, the wood and metal shifted slightly. The house wavered unsteadily, and the Professor was startled to hear cries coming from within its walls. Extending his mind slightly, he parted the mental fabric of the door and passed through it.
Inside the house he came upon a small room with a stone fireplace. A cozy fire was going, and in front of the fireplace there was a comfy looking red armchair. A woman sat in the chair cradling a small child in her arms. The white streak through the child's hair left no doubt in the Professor's mind that it was a young version of Rogue he was looking at.
As the woman sang, the room wavered and again, the Professor heard a small cry. Unseen by the woman and her child, he walked forward and looked behind the chair.
Rogue was crouched down behind the chair, her knees held tightly against her chest. Her eyes were squeezed shut in concentration and Xavier knew she was struggling to maintain the fabric of the small house. Each time the house wavered, she would cry out slightly and increase her concentration. The effort was showing in the strain on her face.
"Rogue," the Professor said softly.
Her eyes shot open and she stared at the Professor. The house began to swirl in a mix of colors and Rogue watched in dismay as the image of the woman and her child began to flicker.
"Mama!" she cried.
She began to close her eyes again, but Professor Xavier reached forward and laid a hand on her arm. She jerked her arm away, but opened her eyes.
"What do you want?!" she asked, nearly hysterical.
"Rogue, we have met before, I'm Professor Charles Xavier. Wolverine brought you to me because he is concerned about you, and he has reason." He took a deep breath. "Rogue, you must leave this place. Come back with me."
Rogue shook her head vehemently. "Ah can't. Everything is fallin' apart."
"Rogue, your mind is struggling to maintain itself. Without you at the forefront of your consciousness, the memories of those you have absorbed are trying to escape the bonds you put on them." He tactfully avoided the mention of Sabretooth. "Rogue, if you want to protect you mind, your memories, you must trust me."
For a second, the Professor thought she was going to say no. Then the whole house flickered in and out and panic etched itself across Rogue's features.
"All right!" she screamed. Jumping up, she allowed the Professor to take her hand and lead her out of the house. As they passed through the gait, the house behind them faded away in a swirl of colors.
Rogue turned and watched it go with tears in her eyes. "Mama," she whispered.
Professor Xavier smiled kindly. "Rogue, when you take control again, all will be restored."
Only slightly comforted by his words, Rogue followed the Professor through her mind. As they approached the edge of her consciousness, Rogue began to fidget. Professor Xavier glanced at her in concern as she began to show signs of nervousness.
"Now remember, Rogue, just picture a portal. As long as you choose to, you can make a doorway that will take you out."
Rogue nodded, but her eyes darted from side to side and, around them, new scenery began to grow out of her subconscious. Suddenly, strong wooden walls sprang up around them. Rogue watched with growing anxiety as Wolverine's cabin in Banff materialized around her.
The Professor watched her carefully. He could sense her growing panic and realized what was happening. He opened his mouth to calm her, but it was too late. An angry snarl sounded from behind them. Rogue whipped around and before either of them could move, Sabretooth was on top of her. Screaming in complete terror, Rogue stared wide-eyed at her attacker. Her screams echoed in her mind and Xavier had to put his hands over his ears as the entire arena of Rogue's mind responded to her distress. Reaching out he hit Sabretooth with a stream of telepathic energy, knocking him off of Rogue.
Immediately, Rogue scrambled to her feet and fled back into the depths of her mind. Xavier called out to her, but it was no use. Sighing in defeat, he closed his eyes and willed himself back into his own body.
* * *
Wolverine perked up immediately as Professor Xavier opened his eyes.
"What happened?" he demanded. He looked down at Rogue. Her face was twisted as if she was in pain. "What did you do to her?"
Professor Xavier sighed and rubbed his temples. "Wolverine, calm yourself. Rogue is all right."
"Then why isn't she waking up?"
"She has retreated into her mind again. Sabretooth's presence is strong. The closer she gets to consciousness, the fresher the memory of her ordeal becomes. I'm afraid it will take time to bring her out."
Wolverine glared at him. "How much time? How much longer is she going to be like this?"
"I cannot say, Wolverine. Rogue's abilities are rather unique. I have never encountered this particular situation before. I do not want to cause any undue damage." He took a deep breath. "Rogue needs to rest. I think it would be best if we put her in the infirmary where we can monitor her vital signs and brain activity."
"Like Hell you are. She stays with me." Wolverine growled.
"Wolverine let me make myself very clear. My intentions are to help Rogue recover as quickly and with as little pain as possible. In order to do this, I will need you to trust me, at least temporarily. I cannot help her if I have to fight you every step of the way." Wolverine glared at him, but didn't interrupt. "Now, I do not want to take any unnecessary chances. We must monitor Rogue as closely and in as much detail as possible to make her transition back into full consciousness as smooth as possible. I do not know how her mental state may affect her physical health, and I do not want to take any risks. The best place for her right now is in the infirmary."
Wolverine was silent for a long moment. Finally, he nodded. "I want to do what's best for her."
Xavier smiled. "I know. Believe me, Wolverine, that much we have in common."
* * *
Jean smoothed her white labcoat down as she turned to face the bed Rogue was lying on. She smiled politely at Wolverine as she began placing electrodes across Rogue's body. Although she still felt a little hostility towards Rogue for the way the younger woman had tricked her during their run-in at the secret military base, she couldn't deny that she felt a slight attraction to Wolverine. She still remembered the wild abandon he had fought with back at the base and the faint threat of danger that he gave off almost gave her goosebumps.
She glanced up at him over Rogue's body. "So," she said casually. "Couldn't wait to get back to Westchester, huh?"
Wolverine rolled his eyes as she turned back to get something else off her little medical tray. Not long ago he would have considered rutting with the leggy redhead, but now all he felt was irritation. Rogue was lying on the hospital bed, still unconscious and the good doctor was trying to pick him up. Wolverine kept his eye on Jean. He hadn't missed the slight look of dislike on her face when she'd looked at Rogue. He grinned, she was still miffed about losing at the military base.
Suddenly his smile disappeared as Jean reached for a hypodermic needle. Turning, she moved to inject it into Rogue's arm. Wolverine stared, frozen, as images danced across his memory. Images of needle after needle pricking his skin as he struggled against the manacles that held him to an operating table floated across his minds eye. As he watched, Rogue's eyes shot open and her mouth opened in a silent scream.
"No!" Wolverine yelled, tackling Jean. She reached out with her telekinesis to stop him, but his arm snaked around her neck, cutting of her air supply. Then, as suddenly as it had happened, Rogue's eyes and mouth closed and she lay on the hospital bed as motionless as before.
A chill crept up Wolverine's arms. Forgotten in his grip, Jean choked, gasping for air. Wolverine jerked, startled. His eyes were haunted as he dropped Jean to the floor and ran out the door of the infirmary.
He tried to sniff out Xavier to track him down, but the man's scent was everywhere and the mansion gave Wolverine a lot of ground to cover.
"Where are you, Xavier?" he muttered tensely.
*Over here.*
Wolverine whipped around, his claws shooting out of their inner sheaths. It sounded like Xavier's voice. He sniffed the air, but couldn't smell him.
"I don't like people in my head, Xavier," he growled.
*My office is on the next floor. Follow my thoughts.*
Wolverine listened for the Professor's thought projections, following them into an elevator. When the doors slid open on the next floor, Wolverine jumped out and continued to run down the hallway. Soon he came upon a set of heavy wooden doors, but before he could open them, he heard voices approaching. Wolverine looked around quickly and ran to the middle of the hallway, pressing his body behind a pillar. His mind was racing and he did not want to run into any strangers right now. He waited there until he heard a large group of kids came clamoring down a stairway. They filed down the hallway, filtering into various rooms.
When the last of them had disappeared, Wolverine took off again down the hallway. Picking up the Professor's scent he ran to a door down the hall.
Jerking open the door to Xavier's office, he froze.
Several teenagers were seated in chairs in front of Professor Xavier's desk. They all turned to face Wolverine with curious expressions on their faces. Wolverine stared stupidly.
"I'd like your definitions of weak and strong principles on my desk tomorrow," Xavier said smoothly, drawing the students' attention back to him. The students nodded and gathered their things. Wolverine watched them as they filed past him out the door. One girl stopped before the door closed behind the last of her classmates. She quickly went back to her chair and retrieved her purse. Saying good-bye to the Professor, she turned to leave. Wolverine quirked an eyebrow as she ran right through the closed door.
"You're not the only one with gifts."
Wolverine smirked. "Yeah, I know. I just didn't know such a powerful telepath spent his free time teaching Physics."
"Yes, I can see how the title of "Professor" could be misleading," Professor Xavier countered in amusement. In an effort to avert the irritated retort he was sure would follow, Xavier knitted his eyebrows in concern.
"What brings you here now, Wolverine? Is Rogue all right?"
Wolverine sobered up at the question. "I don't know. I was down in the infirmary with her and Red when the doc went to inject her with some sort of needle. All of a sudden I had a flashback."
"A flashback?" the Professor prodded.
Wolverine's eyes got a faraway look in them. "In some of my nightmares I see men in military uniforms drinking champagne while I'm lying there one some sort of operating table. There's needles sticking into my body."
"That sounds like a very painful memory, Wolverine. What does it have to do with Rogue?"
Wolverine's attention snapped back to the present. He looked at he Professor with a haunted look in his eyes. "At the exact second I had the flashback, Rogue's eyes shot open and her mouth looked like she was trying to scream."
Understanding dawned in Xavier's eyes. "She experienced your memory. Has she absorbed you recently?"
Wolverine nodded. "A day or so ago. It was the third time."
Xavier was silent for several moments, lost in thought.
"What? What are you thinking?" Wolverine urged impatiently.
"When you and Rogue were here the first time I had a chance to speak with Rogue. I know she did not delve into your memories, even though it would have been quite simple—she is truly a remarkable young woman. If she repressed them long enough . . . it is possible that in her current state of chaos your memories are becoming more dominant."
Wolverine's face paled. "How can I fix it?" he asked quietly.
"I may have an idea," the Professor began slowly. "However, I will not know anything for sure until I consult with a colleague of mine." He looked up at Wolverine. "Why don't you get some rest? If my hunch is correct, you will need to be at your best tomorrow."
Wolverine looked like he wanted to argue, but he just nodded. It wasn't like him to be so submissive, but he had a feeling that if he wanted Xavier to help Rogue, he was going to have to give up a little control. And that was something he was going to have to get used to.
* * *
Jean was getting irritated. It was one thing for her to be attacked in battle, that was something she expected. However, being attacked in the infirmary when she was trying to help a fellow mutant was inexcusable. How the hell did Wolverine expect her to help his precious Rogue if he jumped her any time she got near the woman?
She took a deep breath as she stood in front of Wolverine's door. The Professor had convinced him to try and get some rest, so the cranky Canadian had relented and retired to a room. Jean knew she should just let what had happened in the infirmary go, but as an X-Man, and even as a woman, she expected a little more respect than she had been getting.
She was just about to knock on the door, when it opened and a bare chested Wolverine stood there staring at her.
"You plan on standin' there all night?" he asked casually.
Jean flushed slightly. "I was just coming up to make sure you were settled in."
"Right."
She cleared her throat. "I was also making sure you were all right. In the infirmary you seemed a little . . . distressed."
She met his gaze with a steady one of her own. Wolverine looked at her for a moment before he sighed. He stepped back and motioned for her to come in. She accepted the invitation and walked into the center of the room. He left the door open and came to stand beside her.
"I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jean asked softly.
"If I hurt you."
Jean smiled. "It's all right."
Wolverine shrugged uncomfortably.
"Are you all settled in then?" Jean asked, sensing his discomfort.
"Yeah," Wolverine said, turning around to survey his new room. "It's not bad."
Jean watched him turn his attention to the rest of his room. "Wolverine, I know something happened in the infirmary. I want to help you, if you'll let me."
Wolverine didn't answer right away. He felt bad for attacking Jean like he'd done, but he'd already apologized and right now he thought all helpful efforts should be aimed at Rogue.
"Don't you think you should be down in the infirmary monitoring Rogue?"
Jean slowly, carefully, raised her hands to either side of Wolverine's head, trying not to startle him. "Not when I can help you right here," she whispered.
At the last second, Wolverine sensed the movement of her hands. Whipping around he grabbed both of her wrists in his hands. Before he could say anything, someone cleared their throat a few feet away.
Wolverine and Jean both spun their heads to face Cyclops standing in the doorway. He didn't look happy.
"Scott," Jean said breathlessly.
Cyclops' throat worked soundlessly as he tried to remain expressionless. A feat that was usually fairly simple considering his eyes were concealed by his visor. Still, even though he wasn't yelling, the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Jean bowed her head slightly. "Good night, Wolverine," she murmured. She tried to hold her head high as she walked past her brooding boyfriend out of the room.
Wolverine didn't say anything for a long minute as Cyclops stared holes into his back. Finally, he sighed and turned around.
"Look, you don't need to tell me to stay away from your girl. Nothing—"
"It must burn you up that a boy like me saved your girlfriend's life. Gotta be careful. We may not be there next time."
Wolverine was silent with rage. He glared daggers at Cyclops as the younger man moved to leave. Before he closed the door behind him, Cyclops spoke up.
"Oh, and Wolverine? Stay away from my girl."
The door closed with a final click and Wolverine rolled his eyes.
"Rogue, you gotta wake up. Don't leave me alone with these people."
Images of Rogue's helpless form drifted through his mind and Wolverine found himself with the urge to go down to the infirmary and check on her. Then again, Jean should be down there watching her and he didn't want to run into her again yet. Of course, it was possible that she and One-Eye were making up in their bedroom right now. Thus, it was perfectly safe for him to go visit Rogue.
Wolverine nodded to himself and walked towards the door. As he left the room and closed the door behind him, Wolverine thought over everything that was happening. Here he was in a school full of young mutants, home of the X-Men. A few days ago he would have scoffed at the idea of accepting help from the team of mutant heroes. Now though, with Rogue's mind on the line, he found he was only too willing to accept whatever chances they offered him for bringing her back. Rogue had been making so much progress since he'd taken her from her mother's mansion, and the Brotherhood of Mutants, she deserved more than this.
The door to the infirmary swished open as Wolverine pressed the panel. His body tensed at the sight of the medical facility, painful memories making it hard for him to step foot inside. However, as his eyes fell on Rogue's still form, Wolverine felt his heart wrench in his chest. She was so pale against the stark white sheets. Wolverine dragged a chair over to rest beside her bed and took one of her small hands in his. He was careful to make sure he kept a sheet between his hand and hers.
Ever since Xavier had gone into her mind, Rogue had retreated so far back that she hadn't even regained consciousness. Wolverine vowed that if Xavier couldn't at least undo the further damage he'd done, he was going to remove the Professor's useless legs altogether.
After a few minutes Wolverine began to feel tired. Remembering what Xavier had said about needing his strength, he put Rogue's hand down on the bed and stood up. He found a cot against a wall and brought it over beside Rogue's bed. Lying down, he tried to sleep.