A/N: Ive gotten almost zero reviews for these last chapters. I need more reviews to continue. Unless I know people like what I'm doing I don't write more so I have two more chapters I wrote but you ain't seeing them unless the reviews gets raised.

After classes Rogue was helping Jubilee put up the art pages her students had completed. She had to say that Jubilee was a good teacher because her students were very talented. She looked over the colorful room. She noticed along one wall was a drawing of fire, it had blue, red, and orange flames mixed in together. Jubilee smiled as she saw Rogue studying the picture.

"A few students stayed after school a few days back. Pyro was lurking in my class. He told them what a beautiful thing fire can be and what an ugly thing it could become. He said it depended on how you used it. He started drawing the flames and the three students that had stayed after class got really into it and started to help. It took to hours to make it look the way it does. You see how he burned the edges around the paper off?"

"You really admire John, don't you?"

"When I look at him I'm not quite sure what I see or what I'm supposed to see. When I look at him sometimes I see the boy I knew and then when I look closely I see the man he has become. When he was helping make the drawing I saw something in him. He was having fun. He was getting excited. His eyes lit up. It was amazing."

"Do you still like him? I remember when he joined Magneto we were only sixteen. You were devastated. We were all devastated. I mean he did a lot of crazy things but we never thought that he would betray us. And Bobby-"

"It's funny how when you love someone everything always ends up being about them. It always does. Look at you for example. Ten years really has done nothing. You look the same and what you feel for Bobby is the same. In the very end it'll always come back to Bobby. You know John's right and you know I'm right."

Rogue rolled her eyes and was about to say something but Jubilee put her hand up.

"Look, we're you're friends. We just want to see the both of you happy and together. I can't find anything wrong with that."

"Anyway, John had been one of our good friends. You would never admit it to anyone but me but I know you had a crush in him. The question here is do you still like him?"

"It's not so easy to leave this time, is it," asked Jubilee from the top of the ladder.

"You are not changing the topic. We are talking about you and how you feel about him. We are not talking about Bobby and- whatever it is we are to eachother. I'm going to answer you're question anyway. I cannot believe I am indulging you this way. We act like we're still teenagers having a girl talk session. Jubes, it was never easy for me to leave in the first place. It took me six years to heal my heart. Why does everyone look at me as if they expect me to do it all over again?"

"Just remember, you said it, not me. All I know is when I go to your classroom to excuse a student for being late to class he's staring at you. He's still in love with you. And I know you're still in love with him. I see the way you look at him."

"It's not as easy as you make it sound. It took me six years to get over Bobby Drake. I finally did get on with life. I'm with Richard. Richard's great. He really is. Why won't anyone believe me?"

"He looks great, really he does. I'll even give you the fact that he's really cute, but he's not Bobby. You think I don't see through to you? I do. Maybe not everyone does, but I do. Richard will never be Bobby no matter how much you want him to be. He can NEVER take Bobby's place no matter how much you want him to. Facts are facts. Look, I know all you want is a normal-"

"This has nothing to do with having a normal life. I am sick of being treated like we're some sort of aliens. Why should anyone have to go to this school? We shouldn't have to hide from the world!"

"Is that what this is about? You always make me laugh."

"Why should I live my life in some sort of hiding when I don't have to? I don't NEED to. All I do is take medicine once a day and everything I touch doesn't die. I can have children-"

"You can have children with Bobby now-"

"Look, I want my children to-"

"Ah, I see the predicament. You don't like the idea of children running around here freezing things. It's either that or you don't like the idea of children running around here period," said Jubilee.

"A child shouldn't have to be here. You know what I want? I just want to be happy. Oh, God. I am so confused. I'm not sure what I want anymore. I left because he couldn't touch me. I wanted him to be with someone he could BE with, someone he could have children with," said Rogue.

"Is that why you left in the first place? You left Bobby because of that. You knew Bobby as well as I did. You knew that didn't matter to him at least really. I mean, sure, he wanted kids. He'd make a great Father. What would the world be like without little Bobby's. Think about it though. What would he choose a life with you without ever having children or a life with someone who wasn't you and having lots of children? These walls weren't built to be an escape. These walls were built to protect those like us. You can't help who you are. You take what life gives you and you find a way to deal with it," said Jubilee.

"Yes, I know. And life gave me Richard. I left Bobby and I never would have come back if it hadn't been for the promise I made to Bobby before I left."

*********************

Rogue walked out of the room and into her own bedroom. There on the bed sat a package. She smiled. She already knew who it was from. Only one person would still remember her birthday after all of these years. Before opening the gift she opened the card which turned out to be a letter.

Dear Rogue,

Happy Birthday. I bet you thought I forgot. I could never forget your special day. I never will. Things have been strained between us lately. I can no longer pretend not to know why. I realize you will leave in a month. You will walk through those doors and once again out of my life. This time it will probably be for good, because this time there are no promises to keep you tied here, to me. There are no true loves that you will leave behind. When you leave you will walk away from your past and into your future. I hope it will be a happy one. I know it will be. I only hope you will not regret your past. I only hope that some day when you think of me you will think of an old friend. I just want to wish you luck on your birthday. I hope you know how much you mean to me, how much you will always mean to me no matter what happens. Wherever you are and wherever you go if you ever need me you know where to find me. If you ever need me you know I will be there for you.

Love always,

Bobby

Rogue softly smiled at that. She than opened the gift. She took out a beautiful necklace. With the necklace was a matching bracelet. She cried softly. She knew where he would be, making his rounds eating ice cream this late.

********************

She found him eating ice cream. Old habits like this could never be cured. And that's what made her smiled. If she came to see him ten years from now at this time he would be eating ice cream.

"Hey, Bobby," said Rogue through tears.

"Why are you crying? You shouldn't be crying. Today is your birthday. It's supposed to be a happy day. It's not every day you turn twenty eight you know?"

"Bobby, someday you will meet another girl, someone who isn't me, and she will make you so happy. By that time I will deffinitely be married to Richard and every so often I will visit the Xavier institute just to have my heart ripped out because seeing you with another woman would kill me just like seeing Richard with me will kill you. And in that way we'll finally be even and-"

"Rogue stop it. I can't bear to listen to the two more words of what you're saying. You make it sound like we have such a depressing future. When you get married it's supposed to be a happy time. You're supposed to be excited. You sound like you're going to your own funeral."

"I didn't say that, Bobby."

"You didn't have to. This is me you're talking to. You make it sound as if you're having his kid and you have to marry him," said Bobby as he cracked a smile.

"Don't do this. Don't try to make things easier on me. You've always been so damn good to me. You were always there for me when I needed you to be. You were my first friend here. When Logan left you became my protector, my hero. After all this time you are still my hero. Why are you always so good to me," asked Rogue.

"Because you're my girl, no matter what."

"Thankyou, Bobby. You didn't have to do this. The necklace and bracelet are beautiful. There's something I have to show you. Come with me," said Rogue.

*************************

Bobby sat in front of the roaring fire with Rogue right next to him. She handed him a box. He smiled when he looked through it. He couldn't believe that she had actually kept everything. In the box was letters they had passed back in forth in classes. There were birthday cards he had sent her. There was the necklace had had given her when she was seventeen. And last there were pictures of them throughout the years.

"I can't believe you kept all of these things," said Bobby.

"I can't either. Next to you, this was my last tie to this school, a tie I couldn't break. Now that I have kept my promise and have come back to see you my tie to you is broken except for this. If I am really going to move forward I have to give this to you, but I can't. I love Rich but for some reason I can't give you this box."

"What it make it easier on you if I took it from you and took it up to my room, that way you wouldn't be breaking the tie. I would be," said Bobby.

"No, it wouldn't make things any easier. It would still be there and neither one of us could ever have the heart to burn it. At least I don't. I do love Rich but for some reason a part of me can't let you go. A part of me won't let you go," said Rogue softly and sadly.

"You know, it doesn't have to be that way. I see what this is doing to you. It won't be the way you say. Do you want to know why? I am letting you go. You don't have to stay here anymore because you think you have a duty to someone. I'm letting you go. You can go up and pack and leave tommorow. I'll say you got sick. You can go and be-"

"I don't deserve to be let go by anyone because my happiness means more to them than they do to themselves. I just want you to be happy. I want you to live. This is your home. My home is in California. You're life is here. My life is there. My world and your world could never mix."

"You're forgetting that this is your world too. At least at one time it was. When you left here I wasn't the only person you left behind. I wasn't the only person who missed you. You left us all here. You forgot about all of us. I feel as if you tossed us aside as if you didn't care. You forgot about you. You became this different person. You forgot where you came from. You forgot who you were. You're just like the rest of us."

Tears streamed down her cheeks. The whole evening in front of the fire she tried to controle it but now she no longer could. Bobby wiped her tears. Just as he would wipe her tears a whole other set would come tumbling down her face. Bobby hated it when she cried.

All of a sudden Rogue found herself in Bobby's arms. He was hugging her and holding her tight. When she pulled back their faces were so close that they were practically touching.

"I'm going to sleep."

Rogue felt herself being carried to her room. She felt herself being tucked in the bed. She glanced up at Bobby and he looked back at her.

"Bobby?"

"Yes?"

"Will you hold me?"

In the past she had asked that questions so many times and he had always complied. This time things were different, very different.

"Don't you think- it'll be weird for both of us."

"No, all you are doing is holding a friend who's sorta scared," said Rogue.

Bobby layed beside her and scooped her in his arms. Rogue felt herself tremble a little. She buried her head in his chest and just breathe in the scent that was Bobby.

"are you okay," asked Bobby.

"Yes, Bobby. I'm fine, just fine."

With that she fell asleep and Bobby soon followed suite.

Tbc (if I get more reviews)