Rogue was helping Jubilee, Kitty, and Storm with the dishes from the party, which had ended earlier when Elektra walked in.

"Hello, Elektra. How are you doing? I hope you are almost done with my history essay. It's due next Friday," said Storm.

"I finished it yesterday which was Saturday. I think it was rather good. I made sure to add all the different points you made about the Byzantiam. I hope you like it. Ms. Marie, I need help on my English. I can't find Mr. Drake," said Elektra

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

"You're really going to leave all of us tommorow, aren't you," asked Elektra sadly.

"Yes, I am leaving tommorow. I have to. What is this all about? I know you don't need help with you're English, now do you," asked Rogue.

"You're right? How can you leave like this? You can't just come and then just leave. It doesn't work like that," said Elektra a little harshly.

"I told everyone from the beginning that I was just going to be there for two months. I can't promise to visit someday but if you want I will promise to write. And it's like I told you once. My door is always open to anyone who needs me. If you ever need anything you know where to find me," said Rogue.

"You promise?"

"Yes, Elektra. I promise."

"Okay, I know I can't make you stay, but at least I tried. That's got to count for something," said Elektra.

"Ofcourse it counts for something. It counts for everything. It means everything," said Rogue.

She was really going to miss her students, all of them. Out of all of them she would miss Elektra the most.

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

Storm had left when they had finished with the dishes. The only thing left to do was to dry the dishes which Jubilee and Kitty were taking care of.

"You know what I want?"

"Yup."

"That was a rhetorical question," said Kitty.

"How was I supposed to know that," asked Jubilee.

"Well, it's not so much what I want. Well, it is. That's really beside the point. It's mostly what I wish though," said Kitty.

"You wish what we all wish. We wish they would work things out," said Jubilee.

"It's not as if it's impossible. I mean, come on. I see the way they look at eachother. We all do. It's obvious to me how they feel about eachother," said Kitty.

"Yeah, but there's only one little problem. Well, two problems when you really think about it. One would be the fact that Rogue is engaged to Richard and is marrying him. The second problem would be the fact that she is leaving tomorrow and had absoulutely no intention of coming back, ever," said Jubilee.

"Those two problems lie in Rogue. I can think f two problems that lie in Bobby. He has given up fighting for her. The other problem is that Rogue's happiness means more to him than his own that he is willing to do anything that she thinks will make her happy," said Kitty.

"Let's face it Kitty. Their relationship is doomed."

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

Rogue forced a smile on her face as she approached Richard. She stood in front of him waiting for him to acknowledge her prescence. When he finally looked up at her and gave her a half smile she took a seat next to him on the bench.

"I'm proud of you. What I mean is I was proud of you today, the way you handled everything. I know being around Bobby wasn't easy for you since you saw us kiss. I also know it couldn't have been easy for you because you know about our past. Thankyou for being understanding. It'll be all over with tommorow. Tommorow we'll go home and all of this will be put behind us."

"Rogue, I see the way the two of you look at eachother. I see the way he looks at you. I thought I could fix everything and make it perfect for us again if I got you to choose me over- everything. What I really mean is him. It turned out that it really was not that simple. God how I wish it were. I really wish it were that simple," said Richard.

Rogue looked him over. Richard could tell she had fears and doubt.

"What on earth are you talking about Richard? Ofcourse it's that simple! I don't even understand what you are talking about in the first place. I made my decision a long time ago. I made my decision years ago and it was you," said Rogue with a strong conviction.

"He loves you and I know that you still love him. I wish I could pretend that wasn't true. If I could I would. If I could I would marry you and try to ignore the fact that you belong to another. I could but in the end you would be nothing but miserable. Don't deny it. You know I'm right."

"Richard I love you. You know that I love you-"

"Yes, that may be true but you love Bobby more. So, I'm letting you go. I want you to be happy and if it's Bobby that makes you completely happy so be it. Go to him."

"Don't I still-"

"Don't, Rogue. Don't do this. It's taking everything in me to do this. I held on to you longer than I should have. After I saw the two of you kiss I should have let you go," said Richard.

"I'm so sorry-"

"Don't apologize Rogue. You only meet the love of your life once. I can't keep you from him. Things never would have worked out between us. Can I just ask you one question? Was there a time when you really, truly loved me," asked Richard sadly.

"How can you even ask that? Ofcourse I was in love with you. It's just I gave my heart to Bobby a long time ago. I never quite got it back. I'm sorry. I wish you the best of luck in California. I really do. I hope you find true happiness. I wish you everything good, Rich. You were there when I needed someone to be, so thankyou. I first left Westchester because I wanted to make a home for myself when really this IS my home. It took me ten years to realize that but I guess it's better late than never. Thanks for coming along for the ride."

Richard smiled despite how he was feeling. He had never seen Rogue smile the way she was right now. He had never seen her so full of hope in the way she was at the moment. If it was Bobby Drake who could do that to her, so be it.

"Good luck to you. After all of this you deserve it. I'm happy for you. I truly am. Maybe someday I'll fall in love with someone the way you love Bobby. Bobby is a lucky man. I hope he understands how lucky he is to have you in his life."

"I think it's the other way around. I think I'm the lucky one. Thankyou Rich. I'm sure he's lurking around here somewhere. Find me before you leave okay? I'd like to have the chance to be able to say goodbye to you. I need to go and find Bobby. Good luck to you Richard."

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

Rogue found him sitting on a blanket a few miles away from the mansion. It was at a lake. They had shared many special time here in the past. SO many happy memories had been created here. Rogue just hoped that this turned out to be a happy memory as well.

"Hello, Bobby. I know you knew I was here the moment I got here. Will you at least put down your book and look at me," asked Rogue.

"What do you want? What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be packing? It's going to be quite a long trip tommorow. You need your rest. I heard that planning weddings takes a lot of energy," said Bobby.

"Before I came down here I was talking to Elektra. She told me that you were leaving for the summer. Please, don't go," said Rogue.

"You are too much for me sometimes. Why does it matter to you if I stay or go? It shouldn't matter to you-"

"It does matter to me-"

"Why? You're not going to be here," said Bobby.

Well, if you could shut up for ten seconds I would answer you! Richard and I are over! He set me free! He said he could telll how much I was in love with you-"

"Maybe- maybe what we had is gone," said Bobby.

He tried not to smile when he saw the look on her face.

"Oh, sometimes you make me so mad! You're just saying that to save face, your pride. I still love you after all this time. I ran from it but I can't, anymore."

"It's not that simple. You left. You came back. And you planned to just leave again. I doubt you even had any intention of saying goodbye. What about Rich? I love you, you love me and Rich loves-"

"It doesn't matter anymore. Don't you realize what you are to me, what you were to me, what you're always going to be? It's always going to be you. You were meant for me. It's always going to be you and me forever. You're the love of my life. I'm sorry that it took me ten years to realize all of this."

"What is it with you? It took you that long to realize all of those things? You want to know what I think? I think all women are crazy, at least all of the women I know. You want to know what else I think? I think every women is too much for any man," said Bobby.

Bobby tried his hardest not to laugh when he saw the look on her face. He loved her with everything in him and he hadn't been this happy in the longest but he wanted to see just what he could get out of it.

"Well if I'm too much for you- you know what? We both know that you're just trying to save face! What do you want? DO you want me to get on my knees and beg," asked Rogue sarcastically.

She watched as Bobby gave her a half smile. It was a smile that told her everything in the past and everything in the present was forgiven.

"I think I'll just settle for kissing you," said Bobby.

And he did just that. They spent the afternoon kissing in their special place. Rogue couldn't remember the last time she had been this happy and neither could Bobby.

The End

Epilogue soon to come