Uncommon Knowledge Chapter 6: Parting is such sweet sorrow
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I'm a worse poker player than I thought. Not only do Lee and Whedon still own X-Men and Buffy, respectively, they are also co-owners of my soul now. Let that be a lesson to you, do not play poker with executive types unless you know what the hell you're doing.
Dedication: To my loving, wonderful fiancée, who is the sole owner of my heart (not that I'd gamble that) I love you and can't wait to see you again!
Special Thanks: As always, to my wonderful reviewers. ( What can I say about you guys? So supportive and understanding at the same time. If I ever need an intervention, I'm calling you all!!
And exit, stage left...
The soft, warm rays of the early afternoon sun stretching across her face woke Marie, still snuggled in the comfort and protection of Xander's arms. Glancing at the clock near the bed, she saw that it was just after noon. Twisting carefully in his embrace, Marie turned to face the still sleeping Xander, smiling just a little as her ears picked up on his faint snoring. It had been the first time she'd ever shared a bed with a boy, and studying Xander's face quietly, she decided that there wasn't anyone she'd have rather had the experience with. * Careful * she warned herself * Thinking like that'll just lead to developing a crush on him, and you know full well that it couldn't possibly go anywhere * Her heart tightened in her chest as the full impact of the thought crashed into her. Though she'd gotten used to the idea that she couldn't touch anyone without hurting them, it'd been a long time since she'd honestly wanted to. Not for the first time, she silently cursed who, or what, ever was responsible for her being a freak. Xander snored a bit more loudly and shifted in his sleep, his arms slipping from around her and laying between them on the bed. * At least Ah can get out while he's asleep. Maybe he'll think it was just a dream. Yea, right. * Silently slipping from the bed, Marie shook her head sadly, knowing there wasn't a shot in hell that he'd think that he'd simply dreamed her up and that it would probably hurt for him to wake up to find her gone. Unfortunately, it was better this way. It had to be.
Without a sound she slipped out of the bathrobe and t-shirt, smiling slightly as she thought * Maybe if he wakes up right now and sees me standing half naked he'd be more likely to think it's a dream* A giggle threatened to escape her lips and her hand flew to her mouth, suppressing it. * Right, packing, leaving..not thinking about giving Xander a heart attack. * Walking over to her duffel, she pulled out a bra, a dark red long sleeved t-shirt, and a pair of black cotton stretch pants. She dressed quickly, careful not to make too much noise as she did, and pulled her hair back, working it into a tight French braid with the skill of one not used to doing their hair in front of a mirror. Finally, she donned her trench coat and slung the duffel over her shoulder, heading for the door. Grasping the doorknob, she turned to take one final look at Xander's sleeping form, and in doing so, failed to notice the small pyramid of cans at the base of the door. As she opened the door, the sound of crashing cans drew her eyes to the floor " Shit!" the exclamation flew from her mouth unexpectedly and she slapped her hand up over her mouth quickly. However, she wasn't quite quick enough " And good morning to you too" a sleepy Xander yawned, sitting up in the bed and casually brushing a hand through his hair. " So..punching a guy in the jaw is Thank you in the South, and Shit is how you say good morning. I guess my guidance counselor was right, travel really does broaden your understanding of the world."
Smiling in resignation, Marie set the duffel by the door, kicking the cans out of the way before walking back to the bed and sitting on the edge. " Ah guess you kinda figured out that Ah wasn't planning on being here when you woke up and set your little trap. Sneaky". Xander grinned and Marie felt her own smile widen in response. It'd been a long while since she'd actually had a reason to smile as often as she had in the not even twelve hours she'd known Xander, and knowing her life, it would be along while afterwards too. " Ah know you probably don't understand it Xander. But it'll just be better if Ah'm on my own for now. Ah don't want to owe anybody anything. And Ah'm terrible at goodbyes..Ah didn't even say goodbye to my parents before running off...not that they'd care. They're probably glad not to have a mutant living with them anymore.." A saddened expression crossed her face as she glanced down at her gloved hands.
Feeling a little self conscious in the early morning light, Xander pulled the covers up a little further against his chest with one hand as he sat up to rub her back with the other. " If that's true, they don't know just what they're missing. My friend Buffy's mom, Joyce, kicked her out of the house after learning she was the Slayer and that Vampires were real and all. The next few months were hell on earth for her, not knowing if her daughter was alive or not. I'm sure your parents miss you too. Maybe you could try going back home?" Marie just smiled sadly and shook her head " You never know unless you try" he said softly, looking into her warm brown eyes.
" Ah wish it were that simple Xander. Ah really do; but you don't understand. There were kids back in school with me in Meridian who had to transfer schools just because of rumors and allegations that they were mutants. Even though the school never officially backed those sort of things, there were teachers who weren't willing to take any chances that the rumors were true. They threatened to quit unless those students were sent to a different school. They didn't want to "catch" mutancy or something stupid like that. Meridian is a fairly small, and small minded, community. Even if my parents took me back in, it wouldn't matter to everyone else who knew what Ah did to Cody with just a kiss" She sighed sadly before continuing; her gaze returning to her hands as she spoke. " So Ah can't really go back home. 'Sides, now Ah get to see the world. Ah'm thinking of heading up to New York for a bit next, then Canada, and eventually Alaska. Ah'm not a big fan of the cold or anything, but at least there no one will look at me funny for keeping covered up."
Dropping the covers from his chest, Xander swung his legs out over the edge of the bed and stood up, walking to the dresser. " Ok, I get the whole, desire to be alone and isolated thing. Really. But I was planning on driving to all fifty states anyway, and since Alaska would fall into that category, being a state and all. Why don't we go it together for a bit? I wasn't planning on heading back to Sunnydale..well.ever, but as we've seen it seems that the good old hellmouth doesn't seem to have the lock on Vamps. We could travel together, watch each other's backs. I could teach you about Vampires and demons..what I know anyway. I'm not exactly Watcher material, but I've learned enough over the past few years to keep me going.." As he trailed on, Xander focused on pulling what clothes he'd packed for his trip from the dresser, folding them, and placing them on the bed. As a result, he missed the shock on Marie's face at his suggestion. An expression that stayed there for a moment, before shifting into a brief hope and finally, irrevocably, sliding into a depressed resignation.
" Xander," She said softly, catching his attention mid-fold, " Ah appreciate the offer, really. But it just wouldn't work. Ah wouldn't mind the ride or the company, if things were different...if Ah were different, normal. But Ah'm not and things are what they are. You wanted to know what Ah know about being a mutant. It can be summed up in one word: dangerous. Ah've been on the road for a couple of months now, and Ah haven't so much as met another mutant. And you know why?" She sat on the edge of the bed, taking the shirt he was holding from his hands and setting it down on the bed before taking his bare hands in her gloved ones, " Because every mutant who's come forward so far, who has just wanted to be accepted as they are has been met with anger and fear. Ah have a better chance of not drawing attention to myself if Ah travel alone. Now, Ah know you're very into protecting women in distress or whatever, but do you really think you could save me from a mob? The people attacking mutants aren't monsters, despite their actions, you can't just kill them and expect society to look the other way. And it's not like Ah like running and hiding, but for now, it's the best way for me to stay alive. You're a nice guy Xander, you don't deserve to be drawn in to my mess of a life. Ah'm not saying you should go back to Sunnydale if you don't want to, from what you've told me Ah wouldn't be in a hurry to get back there either. What Ah'm trying to say is, you deserve to live a normal life, and with me, you're not going to have that." She released his hands sadly and once again headed for the door, surreptitiously removing her gloves as she did so, and tossed a casual " Goodbye Xander, and thank you" over her shoulder.
Xander sat on the bed for a moment before springing up after her, " You're leaving me for my own good?! Did I not tell you how that's exactly the attitude Buffy and Wills have? The poor normal guy, he can't handle our lifestyle, he should be protected for his own good. What if I don't want a normal life, ok? It's my life, and I have the right to choose how I want to live it.." Intent on reaching the door before Marie could, Xander failed to notice her now bare hands until it was too late. His last conscious thought as her hands gently cupped his cheeks was * I knew that she'd have a gentle touch *. He then proceeded to drop to the floor, convulsing violently as his body fought to regain the strength it had just lost.
After the initial wash of memories and experiences had subsided somewhat, Marie bent down and lifted Xander's prone form into her arms, carrying him back to bed and tucking him in before putting her gloves back on. She sat on the edge, watching him with watering eyes until the convulsions were completely over, " Ah'm sorry Xander. You're a great guy, and Ah wish that..well..if things were different we'd probably have never met, but Ah wish that Ah could take you with me. But Ah just need to be alone right now. And Ah know you probably can't hear me, but listen up anyway. After seeing what's inside your head, Ah honestly think you should go back to Sunnydale. Even if no one else ever knows that a normal guy can save the world, at least you and Ah will. And even though Ah'm cursed, Ah wouldn't trade the world being here for anything, because there are guys like you in it. Take care Xander." She brushed her gloved fingers once more through the dark brown curls of his hair and stood, then walked out the door, grabbing her duffel on the way, making sure that it closed securely behind her. When Xander wouldn't be able to go down to pay for another night in the room or check out , she knew that the manager would find his prone form and call the hospital. The thought of paying for the room triggered a memory in her mind that she instantly recognized as Xander's. " He didn't" she breathed softly. Reaching into the pocket of her coat, Marie felt her fingers brush against the stiff edge of an envelope. She pulled the envelope out slowly, not quite believing what Xander's memory told her, and her fingers trembled slightly as she slid a nail along the edge, tearing it open. " My god" she whispered as a wad of bills spilled out of it into her hand. Quickly counting through it she saw that it was well over five hundred dollars. Marie turned and was set to march back into the motel room and put the money back when a sheet of paper inside the envelope caught her eye. Pulling it out quickly, she saw that it was a letter from Xander and sat down on the curb to read it. " Marie, if you're reading this then one of two possibilities has happened. One, you've let me come with you and I told you to look in your pocket. Don't be surprised, I knew that you were planning on leaving when we talked tonight, it was something in your eyes. However, I doubt you let me come with you, which brings us to possibility two. You convinced me to stay, and I'm sitting and sulking in the room. Ok, so that's not too likely either knowing how stubborn I am. Which brings us to possibility number three..ok so there are three possibilities. Can you believe I'm a high school graduate? Anyway, the third possibility is that I'm unconscious right now, thanks to your powers. Let me assure you that I understand, and I don't want you feeling bad for using them on me. I also want you to keep the money. If you're going to be on the road for a while, it might help you get to wherever you're going. Though part of me knows you're too much of a rogue to accept help or settle down right now, don't be afraid to ask people for help if you need it and to trust your instincts. And if you ever are ready to settle down, feel free to drop me a line and let me know how you're doing. Your friend, Xander". Wiping tears from her eyes that she wasn't even aware of, Marie cast one last look at the room she'd left before walking away, whispering " Thank you again Xander". Standing on the edge of the road she stuck out a thumb and put on the most innocent and hopeful face she could manage through her tears until a car finally pulled over to the side.
It was a yellow Volkswagen bug, driven by a girl who appeared to be about her own age, who motioned for her to climb inside. Marie opened the door and awkwardly worked her way into the passenger seat and buckled up with a quiet "Thanks".
The driver smiled kindly, " Anytime. It's not my place to say anything, but from the looks of it you're probably in some sort of trouble right? Well, don't worry I can take you somewhere safe if you want. My name's Kelly by the way. What's yours?"
Though she didn't feel much like talking, Marie managed a small smile, " Mar..My name's Rogue" she said. If Kelly had noticed the quick correction, she didn't say anything about it. " Well Rogue, it's nice to meet you" she said cheerfully. "Where are you headed?"
"Anywhere" Rogue said tiredly, resting her head against the window.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I'm a worse poker player than I thought. Not only do Lee and Whedon still own X-Men and Buffy, respectively, they are also co-owners of my soul now. Let that be a lesson to you, do not play poker with executive types unless you know what the hell you're doing.
Dedication: To my loving, wonderful fiancée, who is the sole owner of my heart (not that I'd gamble that) I love you and can't wait to see you again!
Special Thanks: As always, to my wonderful reviewers. ( What can I say about you guys? So supportive and understanding at the same time. If I ever need an intervention, I'm calling you all!!
And exit, stage left...
The soft, warm rays of the early afternoon sun stretching across her face woke Marie, still snuggled in the comfort and protection of Xander's arms. Glancing at the clock near the bed, she saw that it was just after noon. Twisting carefully in his embrace, Marie turned to face the still sleeping Xander, smiling just a little as her ears picked up on his faint snoring. It had been the first time she'd ever shared a bed with a boy, and studying Xander's face quietly, she decided that there wasn't anyone she'd have rather had the experience with. * Careful * she warned herself * Thinking like that'll just lead to developing a crush on him, and you know full well that it couldn't possibly go anywhere * Her heart tightened in her chest as the full impact of the thought crashed into her. Though she'd gotten used to the idea that she couldn't touch anyone without hurting them, it'd been a long time since she'd honestly wanted to. Not for the first time, she silently cursed who, or what, ever was responsible for her being a freak. Xander snored a bit more loudly and shifted in his sleep, his arms slipping from around her and laying between them on the bed. * At least Ah can get out while he's asleep. Maybe he'll think it was just a dream. Yea, right. * Silently slipping from the bed, Marie shook her head sadly, knowing there wasn't a shot in hell that he'd think that he'd simply dreamed her up and that it would probably hurt for him to wake up to find her gone. Unfortunately, it was better this way. It had to be.
Without a sound she slipped out of the bathrobe and t-shirt, smiling slightly as she thought * Maybe if he wakes up right now and sees me standing half naked he'd be more likely to think it's a dream* A giggle threatened to escape her lips and her hand flew to her mouth, suppressing it. * Right, packing, leaving..not thinking about giving Xander a heart attack. * Walking over to her duffel, she pulled out a bra, a dark red long sleeved t-shirt, and a pair of black cotton stretch pants. She dressed quickly, careful not to make too much noise as she did, and pulled her hair back, working it into a tight French braid with the skill of one not used to doing their hair in front of a mirror. Finally, she donned her trench coat and slung the duffel over her shoulder, heading for the door. Grasping the doorknob, she turned to take one final look at Xander's sleeping form, and in doing so, failed to notice the small pyramid of cans at the base of the door. As she opened the door, the sound of crashing cans drew her eyes to the floor " Shit!" the exclamation flew from her mouth unexpectedly and she slapped her hand up over her mouth quickly. However, she wasn't quite quick enough " And good morning to you too" a sleepy Xander yawned, sitting up in the bed and casually brushing a hand through his hair. " So..punching a guy in the jaw is Thank you in the South, and Shit is how you say good morning. I guess my guidance counselor was right, travel really does broaden your understanding of the world."
Smiling in resignation, Marie set the duffel by the door, kicking the cans out of the way before walking back to the bed and sitting on the edge. " Ah guess you kinda figured out that Ah wasn't planning on being here when you woke up and set your little trap. Sneaky". Xander grinned and Marie felt her own smile widen in response. It'd been a long while since she'd actually had a reason to smile as often as she had in the not even twelve hours she'd known Xander, and knowing her life, it would be along while afterwards too. " Ah know you probably don't understand it Xander. But it'll just be better if Ah'm on my own for now. Ah don't want to owe anybody anything. And Ah'm terrible at goodbyes..Ah didn't even say goodbye to my parents before running off...not that they'd care. They're probably glad not to have a mutant living with them anymore.." A saddened expression crossed her face as she glanced down at her gloved hands.
Feeling a little self conscious in the early morning light, Xander pulled the covers up a little further against his chest with one hand as he sat up to rub her back with the other. " If that's true, they don't know just what they're missing. My friend Buffy's mom, Joyce, kicked her out of the house after learning she was the Slayer and that Vampires were real and all. The next few months were hell on earth for her, not knowing if her daughter was alive or not. I'm sure your parents miss you too. Maybe you could try going back home?" Marie just smiled sadly and shook her head " You never know unless you try" he said softly, looking into her warm brown eyes.
" Ah wish it were that simple Xander. Ah really do; but you don't understand. There were kids back in school with me in Meridian who had to transfer schools just because of rumors and allegations that they were mutants. Even though the school never officially backed those sort of things, there were teachers who weren't willing to take any chances that the rumors were true. They threatened to quit unless those students were sent to a different school. They didn't want to "catch" mutancy or something stupid like that. Meridian is a fairly small, and small minded, community. Even if my parents took me back in, it wouldn't matter to everyone else who knew what Ah did to Cody with just a kiss" She sighed sadly before continuing; her gaze returning to her hands as she spoke. " So Ah can't really go back home. 'Sides, now Ah get to see the world. Ah'm thinking of heading up to New York for a bit next, then Canada, and eventually Alaska. Ah'm not a big fan of the cold or anything, but at least there no one will look at me funny for keeping covered up."
Dropping the covers from his chest, Xander swung his legs out over the edge of the bed and stood up, walking to the dresser. " Ok, I get the whole, desire to be alone and isolated thing. Really. But I was planning on driving to all fifty states anyway, and since Alaska would fall into that category, being a state and all. Why don't we go it together for a bit? I wasn't planning on heading back to Sunnydale..well.ever, but as we've seen it seems that the good old hellmouth doesn't seem to have the lock on Vamps. We could travel together, watch each other's backs. I could teach you about Vampires and demons..what I know anyway. I'm not exactly Watcher material, but I've learned enough over the past few years to keep me going.." As he trailed on, Xander focused on pulling what clothes he'd packed for his trip from the dresser, folding them, and placing them on the bed. As a result, he missed the shock on Marie's face at his suggestion. An expression that stayed there for a moment, before shifting into a brief hope and finally, irrevocably, sliding into a depressed resignation.
" Xander," She said softly, catching his attention mid-fold, " Ah appreciate the offer, really. But it just wouldn't work. Ah wouldn't mind the ride or the company, if things were different...if Ah were different, normal. But Ah'm not and things are what they are. You wanted to know what Ah know about being a mutant. It can be summed up in one word: dangerous. Ah've been on the road for a couple of months now, and Ah haven't so much as met another mutant. And you know why?" She sat on the edge of the bed, taking the shirt he was holding from his hands and setting it down on the bed before taking his bare hands in her gloved ones, " Because every mutant who's come forward so far, who has just wanted to be accepted as they are has been met with anger and fear. Ah have a better chance of not drawing attention to myself if Ah travel alone. Now, Ah know you're very into protecting women in distress or whatever, but do you really think you could save me from a mob? The people attacking mutants aren't monsters, despite their actions, you can't just kill them and expect society to look the other way. And it's not like Ah like running and hiding, but for now, it's the best way for me to stay alive. You're a nice guy Xander, you don't deserve to be drawn in to my mess of a life. Ah'm not saying you should go back to Sunnydale if you don't want to, from what you've told me Ah wouldn't be in a hurry to get back there either. What Ah'm trying to say is, you deserve to live a normal life, and with me, you're not going to have that." She released his hands sadly and once again headed for the door, surreptitiously removing her gloves as she did so, and tossed a casual " Goodbye Xander, and thank you" over her shoulder.
Xander sat on the bed for a moment before springing up after her, " You're leaving me for my own good?! Did I not tell you how that's exactly the attitude Buffy and Wills have? The poor normal guy, he can't handle our lifestyle, he should be protected for his own good. What if I don't want a normal life, ok? It's my life, and I have the right to choose how I want to live it.." Intent on reaching the door before Marie could, Xander failed to notice her now bare hands until it was too late. His last conscious thought as her hands gently cupped his cheeks was * I knew that she'd have a gentle touch *. He then proceeded to drop to the floor, convulsing violently as his body fought to regain the strength it had just lost.
After the initial wash of memories and experiences had subsided somewhat, Marie bent down and lifted Xander's prone form into her arms, carrying him back to bed and tucking him in before putting her gloves back on. She sat on the edge, watching him with watering eyes until the convulsions were completely over, " Ah'm sorry Xander. You're a great guy, and Ah wish that..well..if things were different we'd probably have never met, but Ah wish that Ah could take you with me. But Ah just need to be alone right now. And Ah know you probably can't hear me, but listen up anyway. After seeing what's inside your head, Ah honestly think you should go back to Sunnydale. Even if no one else ever knows that a normal guy can save the world, at least you and Ah will. And even though Ah'm cursed, Ah wouldn't trade the world being here for anything, because there are guys like you in it. Take care Xander." She brushed her gloved fingers once more through the dark brown curls of his hair and stood, then walked out the door, grabbing her duffel on the way, making sure that it closed securely behind her. When Xander wouldn't be able to go down to pay for another night in the room or check out , she knew that the manager would find his prone form and call the hospital. The thought of paying for the room triggered a memory in her mind that she instantly recognized as Xander's. " He didn't" she breathed softly. Reaching into the pocket of her coat, Marie felt her fingers brush against the stiff edge of an envelope. She pulled the envelope out slowly, not quite believing what Xander's memory told her, and her fingers trembled slightly as she slid a nail along the edge, tearing it open. " My god" she whispered as a wad of bills spilled out of it into her hand. Quickly counting through it she saw that it was well over five hundred dollars. Marie turned and was set to march back into the motel room and put the money back when a sheet of paper inside the envelope caught her eye. Pulling it out quickly, she saw that it was a letter from Xander and sat down on the curb to read it. " Marie, if you're reading this then one of two possibilities has happened. One, you've let me come with you and I told you to look in your pocket. Don't be surprised, I knew that you were planning on leaving when we talked tonight, it was something in your eyes. However, I doubt you let me come with you, which brings us to possibility two. You convinced me to stay, and I'm sitting and sulking in the room. Ok, so that's not too likely either knowing how stubborn I am. Which brings us to possibility number three..ok so there are three possibilities. Can you believe I'm a high school graduate? Anyway, the third possibility is that I'm unconscious right now, thanks to your powers. Let me assure you that I understand, and I don't want you feeling bad for using them on me. I also want you to keep the money. If you're going to be on the road for a while, it might help you get to wherever you're going. Though part of me knows you're too much of a rogue to accept help or settle down right now, don't be afraid to ask people for help if you need it and to trust your instincts. And if you ever are ready to settle down, feel free to drop me a line and let me know how you're doing. Your friend, Xander". Wiping tears from her eyes that she wasn't even aware of, Marie cast one last look at the room she'd left before walking away, whispering " Thank you again Xander". Standing on the edge of the road she stuck out a thumb and put on the most innocent and hopeful face she could manage through her tears until a car finally pulled over to the side.
It was a yellow Volkswagen bug, driven by a girl who appeared to be about her own age, who motioned for her to climb inside. Marie opened the door and awkwardly worked her way into the passenger seat and buckled up with a quiet "Thanks".
The driver smiled kindly, " Anytime. It's not my place to say anything, but from the looks of it you're probably in some sort of trouble right? Well, don't worry I can take you somewhere safe if you want. My name's Kelly by the way. What's yours?"
Though she didn't feel much like talking, Marie managed a small smile, " Mar..My name's Rogue" she said. If Kelly had noticed the quick correction, she didn't say anything about it. " Well Rogue, it's nice to meet you" she said cheerfully. "Where are you headed?"
"Anywhere" Rogue said tiredly, resting her head against the window.