Chapter 6, "Amies Toujours"
By: RogueBHS
A/N: Well, here's another update of the story. :) I plan to cut "I'll Be" off at 10 or 12 chapters, as ideas for this are running low, and the over all plot isn't going to take that long to get to either. The next part of the arc will probably start up around the same time as 2003 kicks in, depending on how I do with Drowning and my other new fic (not posted yet.) As I just said, I'm writing another X-men fic, but its not posted on FF.net. Want to see it up? Let me know. As always, its Rogue-based...but its my first "mystery" type fiction. Later.
The shouting could be heard throughout the entire mansion...or in the cases of Logan and Rogue, all the way outside. Jean and Storm were going at it, a first if truth be told. When Rogue came flying into the living room, she pulled up quickly and stared in shock. Ororo and Jean were both floating via use of their powers, and if the wreckage was any idication, they had already used their powers for a little brawl as well.
Jean's eyes seemed to glow, and Ororo's were for certain. Rogue glanced around again, looking at the others who were present. Of all of them, Rogue was probably the only one who could get Ororo calmed down without getting herself fryed in the process...aside from Bishop and Logan. Rogue decided to leave it up to Xaiver to take care of Jean.
"Roro?" Rogue floated closer to the weather goddess. "Come on gal, calm down a lil. You gonna tell meh what's goin' on or what?"
Storm didn't even look at Rogue, and when she spoke, her voice was laced with ice. "Stay out of this child. It is between myself and Jean. No one else."
Rogue risked getting hit when she flew forward and put a hand on Ororo's shoulder. "Storm, your in th' only home Ah've stayed in for more than' a couple o' months since Ah was lil. T' add t' that, if Ah let ya continue, someone could get hurt. And don't suppose Ah'm gonna allow that. One way or anothah, this ends now." To emphasize her point, Rogue started to slip off a glove.
Ororo looked at Rogue when she said that the fight would end one way or another. But it was the sight of the glove sliding off that really caught her attention. The meaning was clear. Ororo could give up the rather childish fight or end up in a coma for a while, courtesy of Rogue's powers. Neither option was really as appealing as the idea of frying Jean for what she had been saying, but at the same time, she knew that Rogue would act if it meant ensuring the over all safety of the team.
When Ororo lowered herself to the ground, Jean grinned. "Chickening out simply because 'Roguey' threatens to use her powers on you? I thought you were better than that Storm."
Rogue's eyes narrowed as she looked at the red-head. "You really wanna mess with th' Rogue sugah?" Rogue hovered closer to Jean. "Ah've made th' famous Wolverine back down before, cause he didn't wanna push meh too far. That aughta say somethin' Jean. Phoenix or no, you know Ah'd win."
It wasn't until the professor came in that Jean finally lowered herself to the ground. She glared at Rogue. "Don't think I'll do that again Rogue. I've backed down twice. But even I have my limits."
That simple little sentence was all it took to have over half the X-men ready to stop Jean if possible. But it was Rogue who answered the slight threat. "If Ah do fight you Jean, it won't be t'day, and certainly not heah." With that, Rogue turned and gently guided Storm out of the living room, leaving Jean and the others behind.
When the door closed to Rogue's bedroom, Storm took a seat in the same chair Scott commonly used when he visited Rogue's room. Rogue took a seat on the foot of her bed and studied the woman who was, by far, her best female friend. Despite any rough times they had encountered, they had always gotten past them. Generally due to a combonation of Ororo's forgiving nature and Rogue's generally easy-going ways.
Ororo was silent while Rogue studied her, and just looked back at the younger woman, her blue eyes betraying nothing. Now that her temper had ebded, Ororo felt a slight chagrin for letting Jean goad her like she had. But then again, the red-head had been on Ororo's "bad" list ever since the woman cheated on Scott. The fact that she had picked a fight with Rogue more than once in the past year didn't help matters much.
Rogue finally decided to speak, and made sure to keep both her tone and words neutral. "Roro... If its any of mah business, could you tell meh what was goin' on down there?"
Ororo sighed, then met Rogue's look evenly. "It was a fight which should not have happened. I'll admit readily that it was childish. I let Jean goad me into it, pure and simple."
Rogue shook her head. "You know that's not what Ah mean Storm. She had t' have said somethin' t' get you of all people t' fight. Ah know you too well t' think ya'd fight over somethin' stupid."
Storm laughed. "Then be prepared for a little shock Rogue. Even this former goddess will fight over stupid things when she feels strongly enough about them."
Rogue settled more comfertably on her bed then smiled at Storm. "Start talkin' then sugah."
Ororo couldn't help but laugh again for a moment before letting herself go serious. "Jean and I were both in the living room reading when she made some comment under her breath. I asked if she had been speaking to me, as my attention had been on the book after all. Jean obviously hadn't been speaking to me after all, and made a snide remark along the lines of 'If I'm talking to you, you'll know.'" Storm sighed. "I made the mistake of asking her what was wrong."
Rogue tilted her head. "What d' ya mean?"
"She snapped again, saying that if I wasn't so buddy-buddy with you lately I'd know. I must have looked incredilous or something, because she rolled her eyes at me and elaborated. It seems she's angry that her 'best friend' is spending time with someone else. Besides that, I supported Scott back when he split from her, and according to her, 'took his side.'"
Rogue's eyes flashed. "She has no raght t' go critisizin' you. Granted most of us stood up for Scott, but that was 'cause she was the one who cheated on him. As for us bein' 'buddy- buddy,' so what? We've always been kinda close an' everything. But schedules and Gawd only knows what else have kept us from bein' able t' do much t'gethah."
Storm nodded in agreement. "Which is along the lines of what I told her. Yet another mistake on my part. She started goading me about the fact that it was odd that I was such good friends with both you, Remy and Scott...particularly about being friends with Remy. She kept at it, and then switched to my love life...or lack there of."
While Storm pulled her emotions back in to keep from causing a weather hazard, Rogue spoke. "Ah have t' admit that on occasion Ah've been a bit jealous o' th' way Remy talks t' you...th' way he's honest an' everything. Mainly 'cause its all Ah've evah really asked of him. But really, Roro, Jean had no raght t' say whatevah she did. Somethin's goadin' her too Ah think. Somethin' we don' know about. She nevah used t' be lahke she is now...you know that. Ah've been thinkin' that maybe...maybe she's hurtin' too. Aftah all...no one was really there when she divorced Scott. Nate an' Cable nevah came by...neithah did Rachel. Not once. Scott had meh t' talk t' about how th' divorce left him feelin. Jean didn't have anybody t' talk to. Somethin' lahke that c'n leave a person bittah, Roro. Ah know from experiance."
Storm nodded slowly, a bit taken back by Rogue's insight. Rogue's way of getting into a persons' head could be more than a bit freaky when you forgot about her powers. Then she thought a second on Rogue's comment about being slightly jealous of her relationship with Remy. That was something that had never truly entered Storm's mind.
Storm tilts her head, smiling. "The way you can get into our heads truly amazes me Rogue. I don't care if you have absorbed us all...some more than once. The way you do it is just plain amazing."
Rogue laughed. "Sugah, you aughta see Remy's face some times when Ah do it t' him. He jus' about comes unglued Ah sweah."
Storm smiled. "I'm sure its priceless."
Rogue nodded. "You have no idea."