Breakfast in bed.

It would have been a great way to start her birthday if Kitty hadn't done the cooking.

Two slices of French toast (soggy in the center but burnt around the edges) a serving of scrambled eggs (slightly runny) and bacon (two strips burnt two others appeared to haven't even touched the frying pan)

How the hell can I get out of this? Rogue thought with a weak smile at her friend.

Kitty was standing anxiously beside her bed, waiting for her to take her first bite and give a verdict on the menu.

~~Professor, Jean, will one of you please page Kitty. Now!!~~

Having taken a bite of the toast and found it to be heavily salted, despite the tons of powdered sugar coating it, Rogue was desperate to be alone to throw the whole mess away without hurting her friend's feelings. She gulped down some orange juice (thankfully straight from the jug) and watched as Kitty's brow suddenly wrinkled as if in deep thought.

"Dang, I gotta go, girl. Jean and the Professor are both calling me for something," Kitty said before quickly phasing through the door.

~~Thank you soooooooo much.~~

~~You're the birthday girl.~~ Jean replied.

~~Should I be concerned by your need for us to intervene?~~ The Professor asked.

~~Kitty made me breakfast in bed.~~

At that, there was a ~~Yikes~~ from Jean and a chuckle from the Professor.

Smiling herself, Rogue set the tray of food aside and jumped from bed. She quickly dumped the inedible meal in her trashcan, pulled out the liner, and stood there debating what to do with it next. Deciding her oversized T-shirt covered her enough for a quick dash down to the kitchen to dispose of the evidence, she rushed to do just that.

She was nearly dressed and just finishing the orange juice when Kitty returned to collect the tray.

"Wow, you ate it all!" the girl exclaimed with surprised delight.

Knowing she should feel guilty, but not doing so for even a second, Rogue nodded. "Sure I did, Kitty. It was a great gesture for my birthday and just what I needed to start the day."

Funny how people always believe lies as long as they're in the form of compliments, she thought as Kitty took the dishes and practically skipped from the room.

Sitting down at her desk to put on her sneakers, Rogue looked at the spot that Twinkie had sat last night and then at the gloves she'd set on the edge of desk to put on after her shoes.

Could it have worked?

Did I need the gloves today?

Telling herself she'd been foolish last night to make the wish and was being even more foolish now to think it may have worked, she sighed and pulled the gloves on.

Things like that only happen in movies.

~*~*~

Thank God the Professor had the cake professionally done, she thought that afternoon as she sank her fork into the last bit of Red Velvet cake on her plate.

It was hard for her not to moan at the delicious morsel seemed to melt in her mouth.

"Ok, time for presents!" Kitty said as she saw the last bite disappear.

Rogue wanted to protest that Logan wasn't there yet and she couldn't open anything until he was, but everyone was looking at her so eagerly.

Smiling and curious herself to know what she'd gotten, she nodded her permission for Kitty to begin giving her presents to open.

The first one she was given was flat and relatively square. It had a card attached that identified it as being from Kitty.

Watching as her friend nervously waited for her to open the gift, Rogue did just that. Inside was an autographed Marilyn Manson Gift Set – a CD with some of her favorite songs from the shock-rocker and a video too. Gasping at the autograph bearing the words "To Rogue" she looked at Kitty.

"I kinda scared him into doing it the last time he was in the city. I had the CD and all already bought and when I heard he'd be in New York for some interview, I went to get it autographed. He was very happy to so it when I phased into his limo to ask for it." Kitty blushed.

"Thanks, Kit," the girls hugged. "I love it."

"Read zhe card." Kurt said.

Rogue went to do just that, but Kitty stopped her. "Um…I think like maybe you should do that later. Like in your room."

Knowing if it made Kitty blush like that her own cheeks were likely to redden at whatever the card said, Rogue put the unopened card aside with her gift.

"Next." She said, changing their focus to the opening of another gift.

This one appeared to be from Amanda and Kurt, who moved to stand beside her.

"Read zhe card first." Kurt urged.

She obeyed and gently lifted the flap of the envelope to pull out the card. She mentally cringed when she saw the front of the card, which read "To my big sister on her big birthday." Kurt remained stuck on the idea of them being family, but now wasn't the time to argue with him again.

Then she opened the card and Rogue knew she'd never discourage him from seeing her as a sister again.

The inscription the card had come with was a standard little "May all your wishes come true," but it was what Kurt had written in his somewhat rough script.

"Our mother may be a curse, but her enabling us to be together will always be a blessing. Love, your little brother in all ways that count."

Eyes misting with emotion, she swallowed then hugged the boy who was in his natural state today, without the illusion of his image enhancer.

"Thank you," she whispered in his pointy ear.

He blushed and nudged the gift in her hand.

"Amanda picked zhis out for you."

"I'm not sure how you feel about jewelry other than your rings, but it really seemed to go with the card he chose." Amanda said hesitantly.

Tearing away the wrapping, she found a small jewelry box. Removing the boxes lid, she saw a beautiful silver charm bracelet sporting a single charm. A small genie's lamp, like all the movies and such show genie's appearing from when rubbed three times or something like that.

Thinking how suitable it was considering her whimsy of last night with wishes, Rogue smiled and put the bracelet on to show that she liked it.

"You can get lots more charms for it at the mall, the lamp was the only one that caught my eye when we were shopping for you though." Amanda said.

"It's so unusual to see a silver charm bracelet," Jean said moving in to look at the bauble.

"I like silver," Rogue defended automatically before realizing Jean had spoken only with a kind of curiosity.

"I know. I used that fact to help me select your gift." Jean smiled.

With that the remaining cards and presents were opened.

She read more cards that got her all emotional as well as a few that made her laugh.

Jean gave her a silver ring with lots of symbols on it, which she said were Chinese and for good luck.

From Scott came two tickets to an upcoming concert at the Garden by one of her favorite artists.

The Professor had given her a hooded emerald green cloak that bore the emblem of the X-Men on each shoulder.

A wide variety of art supplies came from both Hank and Ororo.

All the Junior X-Men, as the younger students had been dubbed, had chipped in to buy her a buy of kick-ass boots – selected by Jubes. They were black leather and intended to come to just above the knees, with a zipper running up the inside of her legs. The heels were four-inch stilettos.

I take it back, these aren't kick-ass boots, they're fuck-me boots.

Wondering if they'd work if she wore them around Logan she saw the last unopened present and thought it must be from him.

There was no card and the wrapping was very simple, which seemed very much like how he'd do the whole gift-giving thing.

She eagerly tore into the package to see what he had chosen and found inside a medium sized plain white box.

Without hesitation she lifted the top off and set aside to see the contents.

Inside were a wide silver collar and a slip of paper.

Suddenly knowing this was not from Logan, she slid a shaky hand into the box to retrieve the note.

The words written on it had the same effect on Rogue's happy day as a bomb would have. Her peace was now shattered because of those two little words.

"From Mother"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Speaking – Ok, I really need your help right now. When I started this piece, I had it in mind that Rogue would be able to touch thanks to the granting of a special b-day wish. As I wrote this chapter though, another possibility formed in my mind and I'm not sure which way to go.

Should I continue with Rogue's wish being granted or shift to the gift from Mystique being what controls her mutation?