Title: Dependant
Author: Bazzer
Rating: PG-13 (For now)
Pairings: Marie/Bobby, implied Marie/John, Scott/Jean, one-sided Jean/Logan
Story Summary: Rogue may be the only one able to find Jean, but what happens when she goes missing, and John's the only person who know how to find her. There's one problem. He's in a coma.
Chapter Summary: Logan and Bobby find out, Rogue meets up with John.
Disclaimer: I don't own them, please don't sue.
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Rogue had never known anything quite as exhilarating as a Danger Room Session. With nothing but pure fighting knowledge she could fight like the primal beasts that resided in her as well as everyone else.
Pushing off with one foot she flipped deftly over her opponent, crouching she used the wall as a back spring and again pushed off, this time shoving her shoulder into her mechanical opponent. Her fingers wrapped themselves around the wiring producing itself from the things chest. Since her mutation barely worked to the offence on actual people she was left with the bear minimum against her robotlike adversary. Smiling at his unfeeling eyes she tugged hard and used it to flip backward off of. It raised a blaster attached to it's arm and prepared to fire.
A quick and low swipe kick set it on it's back and it ceased to move. She turned to survey her handiwork, six robots lay in ruins.
Rogue made a show of dusting off her gloves with a motion like clapping cymbals. Grinning off her adrenaline rush she looked up to the control deck, she could barely make out the outline of Cyclops in the shadows of the window.
"Nice job, Rogue," she could hear the proud smile in his voice. Ever since her training had began three weeks ago, he thrown himself completely into it as her personal guide. She knew it was his release, and really didn't mind.
The only problem seemed to stem from Logan. He had personally appointed himself as Rogue's 'legal guardian' and practically forbade Rogue from putting herself in any type of danger. He already lost one of the most important women in his life, he wasn't about to lose another. Rogue felt slightly guilty although she wasn't sure why.
So it was obvious he knew nothing about her training, Ororo dealt with teaching Rogue to fly the X-jet and the Professor oversaw it all. She heard him enter the Control Deck and speak to Scott, she could hear them over the loudspeaker, "How is she doing?"
She smirked, he knew she could hear them, "She's doing fine," Scott replied, " She just finished level 5 and is about to move onto level 6."
"Are you sure that's wise?"
"I'm sure," he turned to speak directly to her, "Are you ok?"
She raised two thumbs-up, "I'm good."
"Good, let's begin."
The metal walls faded into darkness and the level began.
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Logan was practically prowling down the halls, students and teachers alike virtually leapt out of his way. He'd already checked the kitchen, dining room, class rooms, dorms, and tv room. All that was left was the garage and game room. He decided the check the game room first although he knew Rogue tended to stay out of crowed areas.
Eyeing the room like one would when searching for prey, he muttered deeply under his breath. He often was able to be compared to some predator on the hunt, he did have that animal like quality to him. His eyes narrowed and darkened as he caught sight of a familiar face. Not the one he'd been looking for, but one that would suffice.
Peter looked up and caught his look just as he came up on the pool table, he gave a nod of grave respect, which Logan promptly returned. The boy had earned it. He reached out and grabbed the shoulder on Pete's playing partner, he could feel the shoulder freeze beneath his touch and he jerked it toward himself.
"Hey man," Bobby turned sharply to his attacker, then tripped over his feet in surprise at the shorter man in his face. He fell back onto the pool table, successfully ruining his game.
Peter groaned and tossed his stick down. Logan growled, "Where's Rogue?"
Bobby blinked, "Wha...what?"
Logan ground his back teeth together, and narrowed his eyes, "Where. Is. Rogue?" he made sure to enunciate.
"I-I don't know," he cleared his throat and pushed Logan's hand from his shoulder, "She said something about meeting Mr. Summers."
"I can't find him either," he stepped back out of Bobby's personal space, patting his chest he cursed when he realized he didn't have a cigar on him.
He looked up at Bobby when he realized he didn't know about Rogue's whereabouts either, contemplating set a perplexed look onto his face. Logan frowned, setting deep lines into his face, there was an uncomfortable sound coming from the other person in the immediate area.
Both Iceman and Wolverine looked to the self-titled Colossus, "Where is she?" Bobby spoke.
"Yeah, bub?
"She's with Sco, uh, Mr. Summer."
"I got that," Logan curled his upper lip, bearing his teeth.
"She's...training, with Cyclops in," he swallowed realizing he was giving away one of Rogue's many secrets, "in the Danger Room."
Bobby's jaw dropped, she definitely hadn't mentioned that on their dates. Logan balled his fists, veins popping from his arms and neck, his claws slid from his knuckles, "She's WHAT?!"
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Scott unconsciously ducked under the attack Rogue was faced with and jabbed out with his right, which was exactly what Rogue did. He only looked up at the Professor's voice, "Logan!" Scott was lifted up by the collar of his shirt and thrown backward as Logan slammed his fist down on the red button that promptly stopped the simulation.
From Rogue's position on the floor she turned upward sharply when her opponent shutdown, "What the hell, Cyke?" She could see the menacing outline of her adopted 'father', taking an involuntary step back in fear despite the great difference between the two, "Uh oh," she muttered, "Busted."
The input speakers amplified by his super-sensitive hearing forced Logan to agree darkly, "Extremely."
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"She's too young."
"She's seventeen."
"She's too inexperienced."
"She's faced off against Magneto, survived police and SWAT attacks, as well as living on the streets and passed every test thrown at her," a smirk, "with flying colors."
A growl, "It's too dangerous."
"And being a mutant isn't?" a sigh.
A snarl, "Then I won't let her."
A groan, "Ya know I'm standing right here."
Logan and Scott looked up from there spots, a face off directly in front of Xavier's desk, who, despite the seriousness of the argu-conversation, wore a highly amused smile. Rogue stood behind the desk looking out the window, listening to them argue about her present position on the team.
She'd stopped them seconds before it broke into a fist fight.
"You stay out of this," Logan pointed a harsh finger at her.
She simply rolled her eyes at him, "See," he countered, slamming his palms on the desk looking at the Professor, "she's to childish to be an X-man."
"Look who's talking," Scott muttered.
Logan turned briskly, Scott's collar pulled tautly in his fists, "You got somethin' t' say t' me, bub?"
Rogue pushed her way between the two of them, successfully separating them, praying to God that Ororo or Kurt walk in, hell she'd settle for Jubilee at this point. "Look Logan," She looked him in the eye, something very few people could do, "My powers uncontrollable, I will never be able to control it, I might as well learn how to use it to my advantage now. I will join the X-men, either now or later, it's inevitable. Besides," she sighed and looked to Scott, "it's not like I'm going into battle, I still have a lot of training to go through." He nodded in agreement.
She looked back at Wolverine, "Please, just support me."
He sighed, which still ended up sounding more like a growl, "Fine."
She smiled, "Thank you."
"On one condition," this got him suspicious looks from the other three in the room. "I," he pointed roughly to himself, "take over her combat training." He grinned at her and she threw her arms around his neck, carefully of course.
Releasing him, the Professor clasped his hands, "Now that's settled, I believe you, Rogue, were asked by Ororo to accompany her on her trip to the grocer." Rogue nodded, "Then you're excused," she smiled at her three teachers, who in turn smiled back, and walked out the front door.
"As for you two," the men both looked to the man as he wheeled himself out from behind the desk, "have a Danger Room Session for arguing." They both stared at him mouths slightly agape as he lead them out the back way.
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Almost as soon as Rogue closed the door, a pair of arm wrapped themselves around her waist from behind, icy lips traced kisses along the base of her neck, barely touching as her hair held up as a makeshift shield. He blew out a wintry breath into her ear, sending shivers up and down her spine, "Why didn't you tell me?"
Rogue could detect the smallest amount of disappointment in his voice, "I'm so sorry, honey," she turned to face him and tucked her arms to his chest, laying her head against his shoulder, he lightly rested his chin on the top of her head. "I didn't want to hurt you."
He pulled back slightly, just enough to look her in the eyes, "Why would that hurt me?"
"Because you've worked so hard for that. You've been here so much longer, I guess, I just didn't want you to be mad at me for living your dream."
He smiled at her and chuckled lightly, "Baby, I'm not mad, a bit disappointed in the fact that you would ever think that. But I'm proud of you, baby, so proud." He hugged her again tightly, "You deserve this, they couldn't have gotten a better person."
"Thank you, but hey, now I'll be able to train you." They both laughed, and pulled away.
Then Bobby blinked, remembering something, "What's the matter, honey?" she asked.
"Nothing," he shook his head, then sighed, "It's just," he wet his lips, "Pete, knew where you were. And," he smiled guiltily, "I guess I was a bit jealous that you told his before me."
She looked up and laughed, "I didn't tell him."
"You didn't? Then how..."
"He walked in on Scott and I talking about the best times to start DR Sessions."
Bobby blushed, feeling a bit foolish, "Oh."
"Sweetheart, you know I'd never tell Pete first," they smiled at each other, "Besides," she added swatting him in the arm, "Boy can hardly keep a good secret." He nodded and kissed her fleetingly on the forehead.
He turned her and gave her a sharp push on the rear, "Better catch up to 'Ro. I have a Russian to talk to."
She looked back and stuck her tongue out at him, "Be nice."
"I always am," he replied blowing her an ice kiss.
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"I can't believe we buy in bulk," Rogue shook her head.
"Well, child," Ororo smiled amused, "How else do you expect to feed a school, especially one with your boyfriend, my boyfriend, and Freddy Dukes?"
Rogue shrugged, "Ororo: one, Rogue: zero."
They smiled at one another, "Ok," Ororo checked her list, "now all we have to do is pay and we can go home. She checked her purse, "Oh shoot, I think I left my pen at the meat counter, would you stay in line for me."
"Sure." Ororo stepped passed the people behind them and Rogue turned her back to the disappearing African native, so it went unnoticed when another figure came back the same way. Slipping gloved hands over her eyes, a sleek voice reached her ears, "Guess who?"
Due more to her recent dreams than actual surprise Rogue jumped free of his arms and turned, then smacked him hard on the arm. "John! You scared me half to death!"
He grinned wickedly, "I know."
"We shouldn't be seen together, especially since I'm with Ororo," Rogue took his hands.
"Why?" he asked squeezing her hands.
"Because she doesn't know, I only told Xavier."
"Only told Xavier, what?" came the cultured voice of the one and only Ororo Munroe. John spun quickly to face her, she raised a well-groomed eyebrow, "Mr. Allerdyce, it's good to see you again, although these are certainly not the circumstances in which I had imagined." She then turned to Rogue, "I believe that you have some explaining to do, child."
"Xavier knows that we've kept in touch, Ororo."
"The circumstances..." she left off feeling slightly lost, she'd never been one to take second-hand news well.
"Are inconsequential, we may be enemies as Pyro and Rogue..." he started as he placed an arm protectively around Marie's shoulders.
"But as Marie and John, we're still best friends," Rogue finished.
"Splitting hairs, and I do not feel comfortable harboring such a relationship."
"Look I'll get out of your hair, just let me walk Rogue to the car," he waved his free hand to the parking lot seen through large open-faced windows, "in perfect view."
The older woman sighed looking between the two, then groaning she placed a trusting hand on Rogue's shoulder, "I'll be out in a little bit." Casting a wry smile to John she turned to the cashier.
The two grinned like two year olds and walked together outside.
Once out of earshot John released Rogue and nudged her gently on the shoulder, "You ok? You look tired." He grinned with a menacing thought, "We and Bob going at it?"
She faltered slightly then grinned back at him, "Wouldn't you like to know."
He sighed deeply, "I take it he doesn't know?"
"What am I supposed to say, John?" she asked taking his serious tone, "Oh, sweetheart, you remember the guy who used to be your best friend, you know, the guy who I'm never supposed to mention under penalty of being ignored, yeah I'm still talking to him a couple times a week. We're just the greatest friends."
"You're right, he'd blow a gasket."
"Ya think?"
"Oh, shit, before I forget, congrates on the promotion."
"Thanks, it sort of got spread a bit before I came, speaking of how did you know where to find me?" she stopped and looked at him sideways, which caused him to stop. Caught in the act he intertwined his finger behind his head and laughed nervously.
"You see, before I left I implanted you with a tracking device, and I know where you are at all times." She gave him a look that clearly stated 'yeah, right.' "Ok," he held his hands up defensively, "I saw the car and remembered you said something about going to the store with 'Ro."
"Now that makes more sen-"
Conversation was cut short as both Rogue and John were attacked from behind, long needles were stuck at the base of their necks, and they immediately passed out. One of the men looked to the other, "We were only supposed to get Unit X, what should we do with the other one."
"Leave him," he promptly dropped John. The other hefting Rogue's lithe form over his shoulder. Speaking into his watch he grunted, "Subject is in custody, we're coming back."
"Nicely done," came a crackled reply.
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Ororo was barely out the door when she looked up to see John lying in the middle of the parking lot, unconscious. Running she skidded to a halt next to him. She dropped her purse as she checked for a pulse, she tapped him lightly on the cheek, "John? John, can you hear me? John, where is Rogue? John?"
His head lolled to the side, "gone," spilled weakly from his lips before falling back into darkness.
And Ororo reached hastily into her purse, and nearly dropped her Comm-unit as she pulled it out, "Cyclops," she felt her voice crack, "Scott, we have a situation."
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Ok, that it's for now, uh, please Review. And I know that there are some authors out there who can post a new chap just about every day, but I really don't have that much free time. I'll try to get up chapters ASAP, but there are no solid promises. Thanks to those who reviewed, you guys make writing worth it.
