Title: A Stranger's Touch: Allied Strangers
Rating: PG
Summary: A bond between two people can take many years to develop. Or a few weeks. [First part in what will hopefully be a series]
Type of fic: Story
Disclaimer: All recognisable characters and places are not mine. They belong to Marvel and/or Marvel Studios, WB, Film Roman (I think), and whoever else claims rights to them.
Distribution: FF.net and Random Thoughts. All else, please just ask.
Author's notes: Sorry there's quite a bit, and with more to probably follow!
#01 - / denotes psychic thoughts /
#02 - This is pretty much - and very much - an AU story, however a lot of the stuff that's happened in Seasons One and Two WILL be included. Not all, but some.
#03 - My accent-writing ability extends only to "Ah" and "mah". I suck at it majorly.
#04 - This story is under the assumption that the Brotherhood members do NOT know that Mystique and Ms Darkholme are the same person, and that it was Mystique who recruited all the members. Remember - AU.
#05 - Thanks to wolviesgal's Home Page for the use of transcripts.

***

Allied Strangers

Chapter Nine

'So he threw off your game by sticking Rogue in the simulation,' Jean was saying as the walked towards the school bus. 'What's the big deal?'

Scott bristled at her words, but tried hard not to show it. 'Me fouling up isn't the problem,' he lied, making sure that his face was away from hers as he said it.

'What then? Because he chose Rogue?'

'Yeah…I guess.' He sighed. 'Look, how can we pretend that she's the enemy in battle simulations while we're trying to convince her to be our friend? If we can't think of her as a friend, she'll never want to join us.'

'Hey, it was only a simulation, Scott,' Jean said. 'Nobody wants you to stop trying with Rogue.'

'I know, Jean, but…' Scott trailed off, shaking his head. 'I don't want to stop trying with Rogue, but it's not like she's making it easy on me, or on Kurt.'

'If anyone can break through to her, it's you.'

'I hope so,' he thought to himself, but said, 'Maybe.'

'Listen, I like Rogue, and I think she's a good person. Why else would she have helped me from Fred? And with finding Kurt? I mean, she didn't have to tell us about what had happened to him in the lab if she really didn't want to.'

'I know that Rogue is a good person,' Scott replied with conviction. 'I know it.'

'I guess there's nothing we can do but wait.'

'I just hope we don't end up waiting forever.'

*

Scott heard something behind him, and he turned. 'Rogue?'

She stared at him, her face showing no emotions. 'Ah need to know, Scott. What is it you want from me?'

He was surprised at the question, unsure of where it came from and why she was asking it now. At the same time, a small part of him was pleased that she was initiating conversation with him, however challenging it may be. 'I…I don't want anything.' He paused, wanting to be honest with her. 'Well, except maybe your friendship.'

Rogue looked unconvinced. 'Know what Ah want? The truth. Am Ah a target for you and your X-Freaks?'

It was a simple question with a simple answer, but Scott hesitated, his mind returning to that morning's simulation. 'We, uh-'

'It's true, isn't it?' she interrupted, accusation colouring her tone. 'Ah know all about your battle simulation. The one where Ah'm the enemy.'

For a moment she looked wounded, but then her inexpressive mask returned.

'No!' Scott asserted, realising too late that his reaction only confirmed her words. 'No, wait. Rogue, it's complicated. We're not who you think we are. We've never tried to hurt you. You've been lied to.' He took a breath. 'Look, we want you with us.'

A long-ago dream returned to him just then, of him pleading with her – "Will you come with us? With me?"

'Yeah? Well, sorry. Not interested.' But despite what she said, Rogue's demeanour had softened perceptibly. Her shoulders had dropped, and her eyes weren't quite as hard as before. Not only that, but there was very little force behind her words.

'Hey, everything all right?' Paul's familiar voice intruded, interrupting them. 'Redetzke's looking for you.'

'Paul here is your friend,' Rogue said quietly, not taking her eyes off him. 'But I bet you'd never practice fighting him.'

But before Scott could reply to either one of them, Principal Darkholme was standing in place of Paul. His eyes widened.

'I'm afraid you'd lose that bet, Rogue,' Principal Darkholme announced with a slight sneer. She turned to him. 'Hello, Scott. Are you more surprised to see me?'

Principal Darkholme was quickly replaced by Mystique. 'Or me?'

*

Rogue had been frozen ever since Paul had turned into Principal Darkholme. She knew of only one person who could take anybody's form – Mystique. But what would she be doing here?

And just as quickly as Principal Darkholme had appeared, she was gone, and Mystique, in her true form, stood before them. Rogue heard Scott speaking, but not his words. Nor Mystique's reply.

Rogue looked from one to the other, wondering if this was all some surreal nightmare. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say anything Mystique moved…and pushed Scott over the side of the precipice.

She screamed, rushing forward to grab him. 'No! Scott!' However, before she could even reach the edge, Mystique took her arm and pulled her back.

Rogue jerked away from the woman's grip, forcing herself to keep from attacking her. 'Why did you do that? Why?' she demanded in a high-pitched voice she'd never heard herself use before.

'I'm protecting you from his lies,' Mystique answered serenely. 'He only wants to hurt you, just like Charles Xavier and all the other X-Men.'

'And you don't?' she asked bitterly. 'What did you do to Paul and to Principal Dark…'

Rogue trailed off, suddenly understanding everything. The Principal's lenient attitude towards her, towards the Brotherhood, and her severity with the X-Men. She took another step back, shaking her head. 'You can't be…' she whispered, her eyes moving wildly from Mystique's smiling, silent form, to the edge of the rock face. 'You're Principal Darkholme!'

'Of course, sweetheart,' Mystique replied, her smile widening. 'Now, let's-'

'No!' Rogue cried out, almost blind with sudden rage. 'No more lies! No more secrets!'

Without even realising what she was doing, she jumped forward and took hold of Mystique's arm. She wanted to know. She had to know.

*

Scott concentrated on hanging onto the rock face and not moving. He could hear Rogue's panicked voice, and Mystique's calmer one. He wanted to focus on their words, but didn't want to risk his life on it. With as little movement as possible, he gingerly moved his head from side to side, searching for a foothold.

'Oh, Scott!' At the sound of his name, he looked up. Rogue was leaning over the edge, looking down at him, a look of anguish on her face. 'Ah'm sorry!' She reached down and took hold of his arm, gripping it hard.

'You are like an angel, Kate,' he murmured, remembering a line from a play they had performed weeks ago. Pushing himself off the rock face, and using his legs as leverage, Scott managed to pull himself up. He looked at her. 'Thanks for the lift, Rogue.'

But she wasn't looking back at him, suddenly looking worried. 'Don't thank me yet!'

He lifted his head, just in time to see Mystique pushing a boulder towards them. He moved, hoping to shield Rogue with his body, but instead felt himself being pulled back towards the edge of the rock face. He gasped in shock at the sudden slap of cold water, swallowing some in the process.

Scott could feel Rogue's grip on him slipping, and he struggled against the current to face her, reaching out and taking her other arm. He noticed that her makeup had washed away in the water, and he silently wondered why she hid herself so readily. She was pretty.

'Hang on to me!' he commanded, coughing as water filled his mouth. He hoped that she heard him.

She looked as if she was trying hard to keep calm, but then nodded. She heard him.

The returned strength of Rogue's hold on him was a comfort, and despite the freezing water and the struggle to stay afloat, Scott found himself wanting to just sleep and never wake up.

*

Rogue kept her focus solely on Scott, on keeping him awake and alive. She made a concentrated effort on not thinking about what she had discovered through Mystique's memories.

Scott. Awake and alive. That was all that mattered.

'Scott, hang on,' she muttered, shivering violently as she dragged him out of the water. 'You're going to be okay. You're going to be…' She trailed off, squinting at all the whiteness around them. 'Oh man, we're gonna die!'

Scott groaned, and she looked down at him. 'Thanks for the pep talk.' Just then he started to shiver violently.

'It's okay, don't talk,' she instructed, her arms tightening around him. She was glad to see that he was still conscious, as she had felt him slipping earlier.

'Rogue…you saved my life,' he muttered, his voice sounding raspy. 'Thanks.'

Rogue felt a warmth pass through her, and she looked down at him. 'Ah owed it to you. Mystique had…' She trailed off, not wanting to remember what it was that she saw in the woman's mind. 'Ah know you're not my enemy, Scott.'

'I never was, Rogue,' he answered, his voice so weakened that she barely heard him.

'Scott? Don't pass out, okay? Come on, wake up!' She shook him slightly.

Rogue heard a muffled sound in front of them, and she looked up. Wolf.

'Mystique,' she whispered, knowing instantly who it was. She felt her mind begin to crowd with recently collected memories, but she forced it all back. She didn't want to know, not anymore.

The wolf snarled, but its gaze was directed at Scott.

She felt the fear low in her stomach, hitting her so suddenly that she breathed in sharply. 'Scott?' she called out, not taking her eyes off the animal. She shook him. 'Wake up!'

He groaned, and the wolf's ears pricked at the sound. It seemed to grin as it started to advance deliberately towards them – towards Scott.

Rogue moved suddenly, holding tightly onto Scott as she scrambled backwards. She felt her muscles protest painfully at the action, but she ignored it. She had to keep him away from her.

Scott mumbled something, but she didn't hear him. She frowned, not liking the way the wolf was quickly closing the gap between them. 'What?'

'X-Men…coming…'

Rogue never thought she'd ever be happy to be hearing those words. 'They better hurry up!'

'They…they can't…find us…'

She felt a scream of frustration well up inside of her, but she swallowed it. She had to think. The wolf was only meters away from them, and who knew how far away the X-Men were. Think!

Rogue looked down. Through the red lenses, she noticed that Scott's eyes were closed. Scott's eyes. She moved quickly. 'Then we'll give them something they can find.' She took hold of his glasses, and pulled them away from his face. 'Open your eyes, Scott.'

He opened his eyes without question or protest, and two red beams shot up into the sky.

The wolf snarled again. Rogue's head snapped up, surprised at how close it had gotten to them so quickly. A sudden anger filled her. Lies. All lies!

Her fingers moved from where they rested against Scott's hair to his cheek, ignoring the coldness of his skin. Her eyes narrowed as she felt the power surge through her. Scott's energy, so familiar, so intimate, even though she'd only ever touched him once before.

'Some friendly advice, teach,' she said under her breath, knowing that the wolf – that Mystique – could hear. 'Don't mess with the Rogue!'

Rogue felt the rush of success at the sound of the wolf's squeal, and she allowed herself a bitter smile.

*

'Rogue?'

She looked up. The first thing he noticed was that her makeup was back, and it seemed as if she'd applied much more on than usual.

'You okay?' he asked when she said nothing.

She turned her gaze back to out the window. 'Yeah.'

He felt awkward, unsure of what to say. 'I wanted to let you know how glad I am that you're finally with us, Rogue.'

A small frown crossed her face at his words, but she nodded.

'Um, Professor Xavier wants to see us in the lounge room,' he said when once again she kept silent.

'Us?'

'All of us,' he confirmed. 'The X-Men.'

'X-Men.' Her mouth formed the words, but he didn't hear her.

He moved forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. He felt her tense at his touch, but he didn't pull away. 'That includes you, Rogue. If you want.'

She didn't move for a long moment. Then she looked up at him. 'Thank you, Scott.'

end part eight.