Final Preparations

~~ Ok, guv, you ready to roll? ~~

Betsy sensed the Professor's exasperated sigh at her question from wherever he was lurking in the mansion before he responded.

~~ Yes, I am, Elizabeth. I'll make my move at your cue. ~~

~~ Good show, luv! We're making ours now. ~~

With that, Jean, Kitty, Tabitha and she all barged into Rogue bedroom.

~*~*~

"Ah don't see whah Ah have to get all dressed up just to go out ta dinner with y'all."

They ignored Rogue's griping as they started riffling through her new wardrobe, picking out an outfit – complete with the underwear they felt she should wear – and then sitting her down to do her hair and make-up.

"Trust us, luv, no girl in her right mind would ever go out on the town and night without pulling out all the stops to make sure she catches some bloke's attention," Betsy said as she smiled over the outfit they'd selected for the night.

"Ah never used ta bother," Rogue groaned as Tabitha scrubbed off her gothic make-up.

"Of course you didn't, luv. You've not been in your right mind until these last few days. You've been all goth and mopey thinking you couldn't be touched, but that's changed and so are some of your nasty little habits."

"Yeah, like this make-up, girl," Tabitha said after getting said make-up removed. "I'm totally taking these colors away from you unless you start applying them with more restraint!"

"Totally. I mean, like, even Wanda knows to be more subtle with the stuff," Kitty put in.

Rogue glared at the girls, including Jean who just stood back smiling at it all.

Tabitha sorted through the new make-up they'd gotten Rogue and picked out what she wanted to use, but hesitated before applying anything.

"You really should go ahead and get dressed first," the blonde girl said.

"Good idea," Jean agreed behind them while carrying the clothes over to Rogue with her telekinesis.

The leather pants they'd chosen were the only part of said outfit Rogue agreed with.

"Ah am not wearin' that thong. Ah told y'all not to get it in the first place."

"Oh come on, Rogue, it's just so cute! You'll feel all fun wearing it and it's not like anyone will see you in it," Tabitha argued.

She glared at the purple panties with pink lips and "Hey Baby" written on the front then turned her venom on the shirt they'd selected.

"Ah cahn't even wear a bra with that!"

The stretchy black necklace style halter-top would cover Rogue from her neck to just shy of where her ribs ended and it gaped open at the chest from the triangle cutout there.

While she was glaring at the garment, the other girls took a moment to take a considering look at Rogues' boobs, which made the girl glare furiously at them again.

"You can go without a bra tonight and have no fear of instantly permanent sagging from doing it, luv," Betsy said.

Tabitha frowned thoughtfully.

"How will she have the cleavage showing to really pull off the look, though?"

Betsy and Jean looked thoughtfully at the blonde girl for noticing that potential problem until Jean lit up with an idea.

"I've got just the thing," the redhead exclaimed before fleeing the room.

The older girl was back in moments, rushing into the room with something clutched in her hands.

"I can't believe I didn't think to have you buy this for her when we were shopping, Betsy."

As she spoke those words, Jean opened her hands to present to Rogue the nude colored self-adhesive bra she carried.

"Smashing, luv!" Betsy cooed upon seeing the item.

"What tha heck is that?" Rogue asked.

"It's a nuBra," Jean answered simply. "Don't worry, this is my spare, I've never worn it."

'How am Ah supposed ta wear it?"

"It's like a miracle, I swear," Jean gushed as she knelt beside Rogue to explain the item. "You just put it under your breasts like a regular bra, get them all pushed up so you've got some killer cleavage, then press the bra against your skin until it sticks. After that, it stays on you like glue!"

Rogue's jaw dropped as she stared down at the redhead in shock.

"Just trust me, you'll love it and it'll look fantastic!"

Betsy was a little surprised by the wickedly knowing smile that curled the older girl's lips.

~~ You've got quite a bit going on behind the scenes there that we'd never guess about you, don't you luv? ~~

At the fellow telepath's teasing question, Jean remembered herself with a bright red blush.

Becoming her more familiar prim and slightly prissy self, she thrust the bra into Rogue's hands and rose to stand with the others.

The girl sat and stared at the thing she now held as if she expected it to bite.

"No way," she finally said.

"Yes way," the others argued in sync.

"No. WAY."

"YES. WAY."

"Look, if we're goin' out tonahght, Ah'm goin' dressed just as Ah am and that's fahnal," Rogue declared as she dropped the clothes she held to the floor.

While the other girls gasped and gaped at Rogue for doing that, Betsy stepped forward.

"Luv, you better pick those up right now and start putting them on before I bloody embarrass you by doing it for you," the girl threatened with a flick of her head to toss her long purple hair back over her shoulder.

Jean, Kitty and Tabitha were startled by this unexpected turn and simply watched the pair face off.

"You wouldn't dare," Rogue declared.

"Wouldn't I, luv?"

Rogue rose to stand toe to toe with her friend.

"Just you see what happens if ya trah it, toots."

Betsy's blue eyes gleamed with determination and delight.

"Tabby, block the door. Jean and Kitty, grab an arm."

~*~*~

Moments later a dazed and disbelieving Rogue sat still while Tabitha fussed over applying her new make-up.

Her reflection in the mirror spoke volumes about why the other girls were all grinning triumphantly as they watched this.

Right down to the thong and adhesive bra they'd done it.

Without her absorbent skin, Rogue hadn't stood a chance against them as they forcibly dressed her in the clothing they'd selected.

Kitty's sudden protest at something sank through the shock she felt and Rogue turned her eyes to look at her friend.

"The blush should be more, like, sweeping. We've gotta totally emphasize her cheekbones," the other girl was saying to Tabitha.

When Betsy and Jean quickly agreed with that assessment, the blonde girl roughly removed the blush she'd already applied then put it back on as the others demanded.

That was the finishing touch and they all moved back to admire their work.

"It's a shame we can't do anything with this," Jean said as she picked up a strand of Rogue's hair.

Betsy frowned and knelt beside her friend to look at Rogue's reflection in the mirror.

"Have you ever considered letting it grow out, luv? I bet you'd look smashing with it long and there's not a bloke in the world who can resist the urge to tangle his hands in a gal's silky long tresses."

"She's, like, so right, Rogue," Kitty gushed with a flick of her long brown ponytail. "Plus you looked totally adorable with it long."

Betsy gasped at that and jumped to her feet to gape at Kitty.

"Do you mean to tell me she had it that way and cut it off?"

"No no," the other girl rushed to explain, "The first time she absorbed Sabertooth she got all furry and her hair grew really long. It looked totally great, but the effects just wore off and the hair was gone."

Jean suddenly burst out laughing behind them.

"I remember that! Her nails got all long too and she stayed that way for two days. Logan kept calling her 'she-wolf' and you could hear her squalling all over Bayville when she tried to wax the fur off her legs!"

As the other began joining in on the laughter, Rogue glared at them and rubbed her legs as if she were experiencing the pain of trying to remove that stubborn hair all over again.

~*~*~

The Professor finally received his signal from Betsy and moved to carry out his mission.

He found Logan programming a brutal new simulation into the Danger Room's memory for the X-Men's training exercises.

Charles frowned as he detected some hints of just how brutal the new simulation looked to be from the other man's thoughts, but put any thought of that aside for later discussion.

There were more pressing issues at hand, he thought with a hidden smile.

"I'm glad I found you here, Logan. I have a favor to ask of you."

"What is it, Chuck?" the man lifted his dark head to ask gruffly.

"I know how you hate 'babysitting,' as you call it, but the older students have planned an outing this evening which I'd like you to supervise."

"Why me, bub?"

The Professor arched a brow at being addressed in such a manner, but had long ago grown used to it from Logan.

"They've chosen to go to a local establishment that is known for catering to a rather rowdy bunch of customers for some dinner and dancing. The police are often called there to handle some disturbance on the weekends. Even though it is a Thursday night and such an event is unlikely to occur, I feel they should have an adult present just in case."

"Send 'Ro," Logan growled as he turned back to what he'd been doing.

"I would if I could, Logan, but I'm afraid she and Hank have already left for a date of their own this evening," he paused, folded his hands together, lifted them until the index fingers tented together and rested thoughtfully against his lips. "That may prove to be a blessing in disguise though. You're much more likely to deter anyone at this establishment from causing the team any problems while they enjoy a nice night out."

Logan stopped his programming to look curiously at the Professor.

"They going to Attica or something?"

The Professor chuckled at the mention of one of New York states' infamous correctional facilities then told Logan the name of the place the group was intending to go tonight.

Logan's eyes widened a bit then narrowed as he frowned upon hearing the Professor mention a bar and grill he often frequented.

"Who's goin'?" he demanded.

Biting back a smile, Charles began reciting the names of everyone taking part, deliberately saving one name for last.

"I'll do it," Logan snarled before stalking furiously from the room to go 'supervise' this outing.

The Professor threw back his bald head and laughed at how the other man had reacted to hearing that Rogue would be among the group he was to watch over.

Just as Betsy had predicted that was all it took to get the man to fall in with their plans.

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

A/N: I know, I'm getting a lil carried away with the silliness, but I find myself on an absolute roll! Don't worry though because I start getting to what we've all been waiting for in the next chapter. Total Logan & Rogue-ness! *cheers along with the audience*

To my younger or more sensitive readers PLEASE NOTE that this will be the last "clean" chapter for a bit while I get all caught up in writing the … love scenes.

Muahahahahahaha