Thanks to all those who reviewed! You really know how to make a girl feel special. J

Disclaimer: I'm not creative enough to think of these characters so I just borrow them.

Roaring 20's

She ran.

Her footfalls fell silently. Tears streamed down her face, causing her to run blindly through the black void. "This can't be happening," she thought. "Where am I? I can't find my way out!" Everything was so dark. The tears soon turned to sobs and she wearily sunk to the ground, her lungs unable to keep up any longer.  She pulled her knees tightly to her chest, trying to quiet the noise her crying was making. She wanted to be found, a wish that didn't go unnoticed, she found, as two arms enveloped her.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

She opened her eyes. Everything was so dark. "Someone found me!" she thought. She then realized she was sitting on something soft. "Huh? I'm in bed?"

"Rogue?"

"If I'm in bed . . ." She reached out to her right, still being held tight, and felt the lamp on the nightstand. She turned it on. She felt a hand wipe the moisture from her cheeks.

"Baby, you know I can't stand to see you cry. Tell me what's wrong."

She turned in his arms and held him close, his grip on her tightened.

"I'm okay. It was just a bad dream.  It was dark and I was running. I couldn't find anyone and I was so scared."

"Hey, it's okay. You know that'll never happen. You're my girl. I'll make sure you're never lost."

"I know. I was just shaken up by the dream. That's all."

He kissed her on the top of her head and pulled back a little to look into her eyes. "Why don't you take today off? Get some more rest?"

"I can't leave Kurt on his own. It's Friday. Kitty's still out visiting her parents. I've got to cover all her shows and train the new girl until she gets back. And we have the tournament tonight."

"Don't tell me you're waitressing!"

"No, I'm just showing her the ropes and making sure she knows the rules." She pecked him on the cheek and smiled. "Some customers are off limits you know."

"Baby, you know I always got my eye on you." Rogue laughed. It was an old joke between them. Scott's left eye was badly scarred in a deal gone wrong and could no long see out of it. He wore a patch over it to hide the scars. Many thought this gave him a more menacing look but Rogue thought it made him look even more dashing. "Come on. Let's go back to bed."

Rogue reached over to turn the light off and snuggled next to Scott. They had been together for about four months now but had known each other since they were kids. In the summer of 1920, at the tender age of sixteen, custody of Rogue and her twin brother, Kurt, was transferred to their old family friend Charles Xavier when their parents were lost in a tragic boating accident. Xavier was the wealthiest man in New York and very well respected. He own several banks scattered in the New England area. He also ran one of the most popular speak-easies in all of New York, Club X. He and an old war buddy, James Logan, had partnered up to become one of the largest alcohol suppliers in the United States. Logan based himself in Canada and smuggled the illegal substance to Xavier and he ran distribution. Xavier's best friend, Eric was chief of police and he made sure that his longtime colleague Hank McCoy became mayor. Needless to say, Xavier had no problem running his extra business. Xavier's nephew, Scott "One-Eye" Summers, was his right hand man and ran all of Xavier's illegal activities. Despite being five years her senior, Rogue fell for Scott almost immediately. Scott didn't seem to notice. He was a notorious playboy, seemingly changing girls as often as he changed his socks. It wasn't until five years later, when Rogue became the sultry new singer at Club X, did Scott open his eye and see what he was missing.

Xavier had given permission to Rogue and Kurt to work his club on their eighteenth birthdays.  Kurt, the older of the two by four minutes, went along to watch after his sister, who jumped at the chance. Both were instructed to work the floor first, to get a feel for the type of people who entered the club. They learned to identify the good customers from the troublemakers and how to charm their ways out of a stick situation. They were also taught to keep alert for any important information that circulated through the club. Just because the club was popular didn't mean that it didn't have its enemies. Rogue started out waiting the tables and soon became quite popular with the customers. Despite being only eighteen, she had the body of a full-blown woman, and a sexy one at that. Her eyes sparkled like emeralds and her brown and white-streaked hair only added to the flair that the patrons loved. In addition to managing under Scott, Kurt became one of the joint's hottest bartenders. Six months after their addition, profits had nearly doubled.  

Rogue didn't start singing until three years later. One night their regular performer took ill and there was no time to find a replacement. Kurt, knowing his sister had a great voice, asked her to fill in. She agreed and the crowd had immediately fallen in love with her sexy sound. She quickly became one of three singers Club X showcased. Kitty Pryde was grateful when Rogue agreed to sing. She took two of the five nights of the girl's weekly performances. Wednesdays and Saturdays were jazz nights and Harlem starlet Ororo Munroe regularly crooned to a packed house.

While Rogue was overjoyed when Scott finally looked her way, Kurt was less than thrilled. Sure, he and Scott were great friends but he knew the guy didn't love his sister like he claimed. Rogue was a hot commodity on and off the stage and Scott would keep her on his arm only if she remained that way. "Keep it while its hot, toss it when its not," was how Scott always put it. Kurt just hoped that Rogue was guarding her heart carefully but highly doubted that she was.

Rogue walked into the club at a quarter to four. She spotted Kurt setting up a poker table and smiled. "Hey, Kurt! The new girl here yet?"

"No, not yet." Kurt finished setting up the table and walked over to his sister, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I thought you told her four?"

"I did. She still could have come in early." Rogue walked behind the bar and poured herself a glass of water. Kurt sat down on one of the barstools in front of her.

"You didn't come home last night."

"Kurt . . ."

"You know I don't like to meddle and he's my friend and all, but I really don't trust him. I'm just trying to look out for you. I know you've liked him for ages, just like I've known what he's liked. I just think you deserve better."

She sighed. "I know you do, but he's changed. This is the longest he's been with anybody! That's gotta make me pretty special, don't you think?"

"You are special. I just don't want to have to beat him down because he broke my baby sister's heart," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "I swear you won't have to. I'm being careful. Besides, he knows me. I don't have a problem with him checking out the menu as long as he eats at home." She winked. "It's not like I don't do the same."

"Excuse me, is Miss Rogue here?"

Both looked up to see a girl standing nervously in the doorway. "No wonder Scott hired her," Kurt thought. He looked over to his sister and hoped she wasn't thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, it was apparent that she was. The girl was gorgeous. Not like Rogue's 'sultry siren' gorgeous or Kitty's 'sweet and innocent' gorgeous or even Ororo's 'exotic Nubian princess' gorgeous. She was more along the lines of 'pure as snow, forbidden fruit' gorgeous. She had long, flowing, flame red hair and porcelain smooth skin. Her eyes were probably a shade lighter than Rogue's own emerald green ones but no less entrancing. Her body was a bit on the slim side but still curvaceous in all the right places. To top it all off, she just had that look that made it so you couldn't even hate her if you tried.

Rogue cleared her throat and flashed a bright smile. "That'd be me! You must be the new girl, right?"

The girl visibly relaxed a bit and smiled back. "Yes, I'm Jean Grey, the new waitress."