Note: Thanks to those who reviewed. I really appreciate it. It's stuff like that, that keeps me going. hint-hint

*****

She just stared at the ceiling and listened to Jubilee's soft breathing. This was useless. She couldn't sleep, which was a common problem for her. She quietly arose from her bed and, walking through the path she had cleared earlier, she made her way to the door.

Upon entering the hallway she heard the quiet echo of the television set in the common room. Her curiosity easily got the better of her and she drifted downstairs to see who was in there. She stood at the doorway and looked in. As soon as she had seen who it was she tried to flee. But it was too late. He had seen her.

"Rogue, I want to talk to you," he said waving her in.

She obediently sat down beside him, not daring to look him in the eye. "Bobby, ah want yah tah know-" she started, but was immediately hushed.

"Rogue, I'm over you," he said. "When you first left I was so-destroyed. But time really does heal all wounds. Anyway, I wanted you to know that I'm sort of with Kitty now. Don't ask how that happened," he added, "but I really care about her. And I stopped believing you'd ever come back."

And it's hard to stay faithful to a girl who can't be touched, she thought to herself.

"How long have yah been tahgether?" she asked, not truly sure she wanted to know.

"Almost a year," he answered. This was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Congratulations, Bobby. Really, ah'm happy for yah both." It was true. If Bobby was happy, she was happy. She only wished, that for once, she could be the one to make someone else that kind of happy.

"Ah'm sorry ah ever hurt you, Bobby. Ah didn't mean to. Ah don't know whah ah left in the first place. Ah left so much behahnd."

"I'm past all that," Bobby replied, though he wasn't quite sure that he really was. Or that he was really "over" Rogue at all. But he said what he had to say to retain his dignity and what he had left of a life.

***** The next day, no matter where she looked, she saw people touching each other. That was the good thing about life with the Brotherhood. No one touched each other. She wasn't so much of an alien there.

But here, back in Westchester, she saw the younger girls playing clapping games, the boys arm wrestling, Bobby and Kitty holding hands and occasionally kissing. That was then worst. Seeing one of the two boys she had ever kissed in her whole life kiss another girl. She wouldn't have that problem with Cody. She had killed him. Bobby's kiss was special. Maybe because he survived it. Maybe because she knew how precious it was to begin with. Or maybe because he wanted it to happen even though he knew what Rogue was. What she was capable of. In any case, she couldn't help but feel jealous of Kitty.

"Nothing lasts forever, Rogue," came a voice from behind. It was Storm. Embarrassed that she had been staring, Rogue blushed and turned to speak with Ororo.

"Ah know. Ah jus' can't believe it, is all. Ah guess parta' me always thought he'd be there, yah know?"

"I think he probably felt the same way when you left. But, like I said, nothing lasts forever." Storm suddenly remembered why she had approached Rogue in the first place. "I need to speak with you about a serious matter. An issue has suddenly arisen. One that needs immediate attention. I need you to come on a mission with Iceman, Gambit, Shadowcat, Jubilee and I. A new mutant has surfaced off the coast of Florida. He has a power identical to yours and we must stop him before he finds the Porlick Amulet. This jewel will intensely enhance his power to the point where he could easily take the powers of every mutant in the world. You can see why this would be a problem."

Rogue nodded, and agreed that she should accompany the X-Men on this mission. For one, because of her powers, but she also hoped she could be somewhat of a peacekeeper between Bobby and Gambit.

"When do we leave?"

*****

The trip by jet to Florida was less than pleasant. It was almost funny how Gambit stared at Rogue with desire, and Bobby, in turn, stared at Gambit with the desire to punch his lights out. Kitty, as usual, was oblivious to their glances and continued to chew her watermelon bubblegum and flip through her Valentine's Day issue of Seventeen Magazine. Rogue, on the other hand, had to pretend to be oblivious, which was difficult since all she had in her lap was her hands. She pulled off her glove and inspected it carefully, then slid it on and off pretending there was something wrong with it that needed her immediate attention.

"Need some help, chere?" Gambit asked, watching her play with the glove, and knowing full well it was her desperate attempt to avoid everyone around her.

"Uh, no, ah'm ok," Rogue replied, finally slipping it on and leaving it in place.

Bobby wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, 'Can't you leave her alone for ONE SECOND?!?!' but he restrained himself. 'I'm over Rogue. I'm with Kitty now.' Not so tough.

Rogue, afraid Gambit would attempt conversation again, moved up to the front of the jet to sit with Storm. "Are we almost there?" she asked sitting beside her.

"Are they giving you a hard time back there?" she asked with a smile. "Don't worry, we're about to descend."