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 Ten
Although glad that she wasn't around to see their preparations, Lance couldn't stop worrying about Rogue's whereabouts. She was supposed to have been back from her field trip an hour ago, but there was no sign of her.
'Yo, maybe they got lost?' Todd suggested. 'Or maybe they're stuck or something?'
'Can we eat now?' Fred asked, his eyes not having moved from the cake all afternoon.
'We're waiting for her!' Lance snapped, turning to glare at them both.
'Do I have to be here?' Pietro said, sounding bored. 'You know, I don't even think she likes me. I should probably-'
'You're staying,' he interrupted.
The younger boy looked at him, wanting to protest, but then shrugged. 'Whatever, man. She just better be here soon.'
Lance said nothing.
'Know what I thought was funny?' Pietro continued, certainly sounding amused. 'That Rogue replaced Jean. I'm sure Scott Summers liked that!'
Todd and Fred laughed, but Lance frowned. He had completely forgotten that Summers had also gone on the field trip. He had been so busy with wanting everything to be ready and as perfect as possible. There was no way the X-Freak would try anything, would he?
Just then he heard the sound of a car pulling into the drive. It had to be Rogue. There was nobody else.
'She's here.'
*
Rogue placed her hand on the doorknob, then paused. Her heart had been racing ever since she had left Professor Xavier's mansion. She wasn't ready to face them, the Brotherhood. Lance.
She didn't know what to say to them, how to explain what she was doing. They wouldn't understand, she knew. She could hear muffled voices inside, and she frowned. She couldn't put it off. She had to do it. She couldn't just sneak in then sneak back out, as much as she wanted to.
With a deep breath, Rogue turned the handle and slowly pushed the door in. She stepped inside, but the voices had grown silent. Her frown deepened as she wondered what was going on. She walked towards the living room, then froze.
'Surprise!'
A large "Happy Birthday!" banner hung across the room from the ceiling. Two candles, one in the shape of a "1" and the other a "6", sat with flames flickering on a large chocolate-iced cake. A small collection of wrapped packages beside the cake. And the boys standing behind the table that held the cake and gifts.
All of them grinning happily at her.
Rogue had forgotten what day it was.
'Happy birthday, Roguey!' Todd said, hopping up and down on the spot.
'Yeah, happy birthday!' Fred echoed, beaming at her as if there was no conflict between them.
'Big surprise, eh?' Pietro asked.
Her eyes sought out Lance, and her stomach filled with butterflies at the way he was looking at her. This wasn't what she expected, nor wanted. Not like this.
Rogue pivoted and ran. Away from the closest thing she had ever come to family. Away from the boys' obvious effort and thoughtfulness.
She had to get out. Get away.
*
Lance was stunned.
'Well, wasn't expecting that,' Pietro commented beside him.
'Yo, she didn't look very happy,' Todd said, sounding worried. Just then his words were emphasised by the slamming of a door.
Without a word, Lance left them and followed Rogue upstairs. He knocked loudly, calling out her name. Something was wrong. He could feel it.
'Rogue! Let me in!' he shouted, hoping he didn't sound too demanding.
He was answered with silence.
Annoyed, he tried the door knob…and was surprised to find it turning. He pushed in the door. 'Rogue, what's wrong? Are you-'
He broke off as he realised why it was that she was walking from the wardrobe to the bed, and back again. 'What are you doing?'
She ignored him as he realised that she was not even bothering to pack neatly. She was just throwing her clothes into the bag.
Both afraid and frustrated, Lance moved to stand in front of the wardrobe to keep her from taking more clothes. 'Rogue-'
Instead of confronting him she turned and walked to the dresser, pulling open a drawer and emptying it into the bag.
Lance didn't want to feel afraid, and so instead concentrated on his anger. 'What the hell are you doing?' he demanded, moving once more to block her.
She stopped, lifting her head and finally looking at him. 'Get out of mah way,' she said in a quiet but determined tone.
'No, not until you tell me what the hell is going on,' he replied, keeping his own tone as unwavering as hers. He mind could hear himself using stronger language to convey his aggravation, but not in her presence. Never with Rogue.
'You're smart, Lance, much smarter than anyone gives you credit for. Why don't you figure it out.' She moved around him, and back to the drawers where she pulled out her Brotherhood uniform.
Lance watched as she stared at the deep green material, his heart beginning to race as he waited for her to either pack it…or leave it.
Rogue turned and headed towards the bed, towards the bag. But she didn't place it with her other belongings, instead gently laying it against the pillows.
It hit him then. She wasn't just leaving the house, she was leaving the Brotherhood. She was leaving him.
Just like he didn't want to feel the fear, Lance refused to feel the ache that arrived with the realisation. He was angry, he wanted to be angry. Before he knew what he was doing, and thus have a chance to change his mind, he reached out and grabbed Rogue's arms as she walked past.
'You are not going to be with them!' he ordered furiously.
Instead of the fear that he had expected in her eyes, Lance saw a flash of rage. Instead of being pushed away, he felt himself being pulled forward. 'Tell me you didn't know that Principal Darkholme is Mystique!' she demanded suddenly, her voice hard and cold and dark.
He stared at her, all the air and strength leaving his body. 'What?'
Rogue's eyes challenged him that he tell her what she wanted to hear. 'Tell me that you didn't know!'
'I…I didn't know, Rogue.' Lance let go of her arm, taking a step back.
'Don't lie to me, Lance.'
His mind flashed with the times he had ever been in the Principal's office. And then in Mystique's presence. 'Darkholme can't be Mystique…' he muttered, shaking his head. All thoughts of Rogue and her departure were all but forgotten for the moment.
'She is. She lied. And you lied!'
The sudden increased pitch of her tone as she accused him caught his attention, and he looked closely at her. She didn't think that he had deliberately kept the truth from her, did she? But she did, staring back at him with a look of betrayal.
Lance frowned at the thought that she could believe he would ever betray her. 'No. Rogue, listen to me, I didn't know.' He took a step towards her, wanting her to know that he wouldn't lie to her. Never to Rogue.
At his words she seemed to…deflate. 'Everything she ever told me, everything Ah've come to learn and know from her, all lies,' she said in a defeated tone. 'You wouldn't think it would be such a big deal, but it hurts.'
He looked away from her, turning his head to gaze out of the window. He thought of Mystique, of her promises to him – that he would never have to fear being who he was, that he would never have to hide what he was. That if he stood by her, she would offer him the world on a silver platter.
Instead, it seemed that she had taken away the one shining brightness in his life. With her deceit and half-truths, Mystique took Rogue away from him.
'I know.'
*
'I always thought you were too good for us anyway.'
She had continued packing in silence, moving around his still form when she needed to. When she had finished, the reverberation of the zip on her bag had sounded extraordinarily loud. He had finally spoken when she had picked it up and had walked past him.
She turned to look at him. 'Lance-'
'Go. Do what you have to.'
Rogue was at loss for words. She didn't want to leave, but she knew she couldn't stay. Her hands clenched tightly on the handle of her bag, and her mind flew to her first day at the Brotherhood house. She remembered Lance moving to take her bag, and their first contact. Of her unrelenting fear and distrust of her own skin. Of how the boy standing before her had changed all that, and how that first physical connection had culminated into a simple touch that had made her feel as if she was nothing less than flawless.
'Goodbye, Lance,' she said softly, finally turning away, unable to continue seeing the wounded and betrayed look in his eyes any longer. She couldn't help wondering if that look arose from what Mystique had done, or from her own actions.
Rogue started to walk away when he called our her name. Her heart jumped at the almost-panic in his tone, and she turned to face him.
Lance took a step towards her, but stopped. 'Just don't…don't forget us, okay?'
With no hesitation, Rogue dropped her bag and closed the gap between them. She threw her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, briefly. 'Ah won't,' she whispered.
As she felt his arms move to hold her, she pulled away. Rogue kept her face averted from him as she turned and fled the room, grabbing her bag as she did so. As she passed the entrance of the living room she paused momentarily, staring in at the abandoned celebrations. The boys stared back at her, but kept silent. They knew what she was doing.
Rogue looked away and continued to outside. Hard as she tried, a few tears managed to slip down her cheeks.
But they were gone by the time she reached the taxi outside. Waiting, to take her away. Waiting, to bring her….
To where? Her new home? Her new family? Her new friends?
A new life?
end part ten.
end.
Extra author's notes: Once again - first and foremost, major "thank yous" to one and all who have read and left reviews (and for those who haven't). They really are very much appreciated. Secondly, this is the end of the story. It came out a little more "mushier" than I had first wanted, but I hope that, at least, it managed to convey what it was that I wanted to get across. I think it did. And lastly, I am working on a sequel (I'm hoping on turning the story into a series) that pretty much follows the end of this one.
