X-Claimer: Ok, it's been four episodes since "Impact", and the authors have said absolutely NOTHING about Kurt and Rogue's relationship, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. As usual, I do not own any of the characters normally associated with X-Men Evolution.

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Kurt gasped in shock as Rogue shoved the petrified form of Mystique, sending it tumbling over the gazebo's railing and hurtling into the depths below. Unthinking, he dashed toward the cliffside and leapt out into space, hoping this time would be different.

He felt the air whipping against his fur as he fell. He stretched his arms out, reaching for the falling statue, willing himself to fall faster. Knowing that the rocky side of the cliff was drawing treacherously close.

Now he was mere inches away from Mystique's falling body. He strained desperately, trying to reach her, so he could teleport them away to safety. But as they fell towards the ground, Kurt had the grim sense that this was destined to end up like all the other times he had been here before, reliving these images again and again. And now, he saw that he was too late to save his mother, and teleported to the ground below, lest he meet her fate.

With a *bamf* he appeared down on the beach, and looked up just in time to see the scene that had haunted his mind for weeks: his mother crashing onto the rocks and shattering, sending stone debris raining down on him. Kurt got one good look at his mother's frozen features before her now severed head went flying past him, vanishing beneath the waves of the ocean behind him…

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Kurt sat up suddenly in his bed, gasping for breath. His sheets were drenched with sweat and his hair and fur were matted down. For weeks, ever since Rogue had pushed Mystique to her demise, he had been having these dreams. Almost every night saw him panting for breath in his moonlit room.

He glanced at the door in the wall in front of him and gritted his teeth, knowing that the cause of these horrible dreams, his so-called 'sister' was probably sound asleep on the other side.

Kurt had not spoken to Rogue once since that night, and had made every possible effort to avoid her, both at school and at home. He had even walked out of a training session when he found out that the two of them would be working together. For him, the trust that had existed between them was very much gone, shattered to pieces just like his mother's body, which had long since been swept away by the tides.

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On the other side of the wall that separated Kurt's bedroom from Rogue's, Rogue lay awake in her bed. She heard the shriek that had emanated from Kurt's room and sighed. She had tried to apologize to Kurt after that night, to try and explain her actions, but the furry mutant had refused to listen to her. After days of seeing him teleport away every time she tried to approach him, she had given up trying to talk to him. 

How can I let you know? she thought. How can I tell you that I'm just as haunted by this as you are?

She looked over at the door between her room and Kurt's, wondering if she should try to go talk to him. I've got to end this, she finally decided, and pushed back the covers. She walked over to the door and placed her hand tentatively on the knob, and knocked.

Kurt heard the knocking coming from Rogue's room, and felt his heart burn with anger once more. "Who's there?" he asked suspiciously.

"Kurt, it's me," Rogue's voice came back, muffled by the door. "I want to talk to you,"

Kurt rolled out of bed and walked over to the door, but he did not open it. "Why are you still awake?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep," Rogue began, trying to get a good cover going that would convince Kurt to open the door. She knew that the wrong choice of words would bring this conversation to an abrupt halt. "Can I come in?"

Kurt hesitated, growing suspicious that she was up to something, but after a few seconds, he turned the knob and pulled the door open. He turned on the lamp on his nightstand as Rogue walked in, and it cast a faint glow across the room.

"Thanks," Rogue said, and sat down in the chair by Kurt's desk, grateful that Kurt was willing to let her get close to him without running away.

"So, what's keeping you up?" Kurt asked, sitting back down on his bed.

"I…", Rogue began, but decided to be direct. She had her opportunity to talk about this now, and saw no sense in wasting it or delaying things any longer. "I heard you screaming again. Are you still thinking about her?"

"I've barely thought about anything else," Kurt said, looking at Rogue forlornly. "Every night, I have the same dream. I'm trying to save her, and every time, I fail!" He buried his head in his hands and began to weep.

Rogue leaned over and put a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "Kurt, it's been weeks now. You have to let this go!"  Kurt looked up suddenly and violently pushed her hand back. "Who are you to talk about letting go?" he asked her accusingly. "This is your fault! You murdered her, Rogue! I was trying to save her, and you murdered her!"

"Kurt, listen to me!" Rogue shouted back, her temper suddenly swelling. "She's hurt us too much! She got what she deserved!"

Kurt looked at her aghast. "How could you say something like that?!" he asked her, incredulous at hearing the words she had just spoken.

Rogue quickly realized her error and tried to backtrack. "Kurt, wait. I didn't mean it like that, I…"

"Shut up!" Kurt screamed. "I don't want to talk to you any more!" Before Rogue could react, he vanished in a puff of smoke.

Dammit, Rogue swore to herself. "Dammit, Kurt, I'm sorry!" she shouted to the empty room. "I'm sorry," she muttered again, a tear rolling down her cheek. After a moment, she stood up, turned off the light, and walked back to her own room, the opportunity for reconciliation lost.

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