The Fuzzy One's Secret
"Will she be alright?" Kurt asked Scott as he left the room hoping to find answers as all the X-men were wondering.
"Hey, fuzzy one, do you sense anything?"
"I think you're too uptight, Scott; it wasn't your fault."
"It was; I couldn't help her!" He left the room looking angrier and more frustrated then the night before.
"Couldn't sleep again?" Jean asked as he walked by her door. She was using her telekinetic powers to brush her hair. "Look, was it about her again? You have to let it go; it wasn't your fault, Scott."
"No! Could you tell that easily?"
"Well, duh! But…." She got up, put her brush down, and walked to her door, grabbing Scott and pulling him in her room. When he was in, she shut the door with her mind.
"But…" he continued for her.
"She, well, is...." She brushed her hair aside with her hand and looked down to the floor, hoping for advice. "I have something to tell you… you won't like it but you need to know."
He jumped up, knocking her pillows aside. "Jean, you act like she's dead! Well I assure you, she won't; she wouldn't do that to me!" Tears immediately started in his eyes.
"You?" Tears formed in hers too.
"I meant us…" he added quickly after her statement. "Us: the X-men! You know: Logan, Kurt, Kitty, you!"
"Scott, it will hurt for awhile for all of us! You have to let it go." At this Scott bolted for the door trying to get away fast, knowing Jean was right. It wasn't his fault but he didn't want to let it go; she was a part of him: all of them. "She's gone, Scott! I can't read her mind! It's terrible, you know what this could mean… don't you?"
He ran down the hall and came to breakfast were everyone was silently eating. Three chairs remained empty: Scott's, Jean's, and Rogue's. He sat down and looked up to Professor Xavier.
"Professor, is it true what Jean said?" He got up and slammed his fists on the table. "Tell me!" Tears started forming in his eyes.
"Well, Scott, it depends. What did she say?" At this he raised his eyebrows in suspicion.
"That you and she can't…" he choked, cleared his throat and his eyes.
"That we can't what?" Everyone stared now, all wanting to know more about the situation; they became quiet.
"Is it true you can't read her mind or communicate with her?"
"Yes, Scott; it's true. We might have lost her."
At this Scott collapsed in his chair and cried. Storm went to calm him but Xavier told her to leave him.
"All right students, today we are going to clean up the carnival.…" At this Scott cried harder and with more pain in his voice. "Well, let's move out." Everyone glanced at Scott as they passed him.
"Kurt, go and get Jean; and Scott, someone wants to see you in the infirmary." He started to leave and then turned back. "Don't get your hopes up."
Scott got in his car but before putting the key in he broke down and cried more. "I can't do it; she might be gone and I can't face her." He talked quietly to himself for an hour when the X-men arrived back.
"Scott, you're back so soon?" Xavier looked perplexed. "How was she?"
"I haven't gone! I've been crying… this whole time. How could I have let her down like that?"
"She wants to see you Scott… she…well…told me so."
"How, Professor? You said you couldn't reach her." He looked up, drying his eyes. "I'll go… thanks Professor!"
"Any time Scott, any time."
He wheeled into the infirmary and ran up to the desk.
"What's Rogue's room? That's what she would be under!"
"Intensive care, room 184. Are you Scott Summers?" the nurse asked.
"Yes!" He looked as happy as when he had gotten his car.
"She's been waiting." She pointed to an elevator. "Go up two and down the left hall; you'll find her room."
"Thank you."
He went on the elevator, up two floors, down the left hall, and stood outside room 184. He reached out a shaking hand and knocked; from inside he heard a loud voice.
"Come in!"
He walked in and saw the doctor standing over the bed holding a gloved hand in his.
"Ah… you must be mister Summers! You are late and she is breathing heavy now! You may have time with her now! I will leave!"
He walked out beside Scott, glaring as he walked, but Scott didn't care; he was to see Rogue, his love, and she was alive, and that meant more than sun on a cloudy day.
"Rogue… Rogue…" he started to shout to see if she could hear him. When she didn't respond he moved in closer; he was by her bed, and pulled over a chair. "Hey Rogue." He was still shouting.
"I'm fine Scott!" She went to get up but cried and fell back down. "You know just a little hurt; no big deal."
"Rogue it's a huge deal! A Ferris wheel fell on top of you!"
"No, I fell in a hole; I can't remember why, but the Ferris wheel fell over me, so I only got the injuries from the fall. It hurts, but I will be ok."
"No, Rogue, we all thought you were gone. They couldn't reach you." He was crying now, harder then before, trying to admit he believed.
"Scott, move closer.…" He did what she said and she gave him a kiss. "Scott, this would've been a horrible way to die if you hadn't come to see me."
"You won't die, Rogue; we all know it and deep down you know it too."
Their conversation lasted three more hours, talking about everyone and everything.
"I have to go Rogue; it's past curfew. I know, lame, huh?"
"Take me with you Scott!" She got up winced but sat up straight. "I need to see everyone!"
"I can't; they said you should remain here for the rest of the week."
"Just tell them at the front desk that Xavier called and wants me to go back with you. They don't call to make sure; my roommates did it and they're not here! Take me, please?"
He walked out silently and didn't return.
"Scott, I was rude, you don't have to… Scott!"
He walked in with a wheel chair and wheeled it over to her bed.
"How much trouble you think we'll get in?"
"Enough!" They both laughed as she got in the wheelchair aided by Scott.
"What's yours?"
"The stuff in my dresser, closet, and bathroom: that, that, and that." She laughed. "You do the closet I'll do my stuff."
They got packed and headed downstairs.
"Get better soon, Rogue; goodbye." The desk lady waved a hand and sat down.
Once in Scott's car they sped off into the night, Rogue throwing her hands in the air and yelling into the night.
"Rogue, you have to keep it quiet."
"Alright Scott, but we just broke like a hundred rules, we are toast, and not good toast, but bad toast like when it gets burned." She laughed a little at her pathetic attempt at humor. Scott looked at her like she had a thousand heads. "What?" she asked after a moment.
"I like that kind of toast, you know, the burnt kind." Then they both laughed for a few minutes until they reached the school. "Ok Rogue, I'll get your stuff then I'll come for you, ok?"
"Sure Scott, that's fine."
---------------------------------------- Back at the hospital--------------------------------------------
"Where is Rogue!?" An evil face glared at the lady at the desk. "Well… where is my daughter!?"
"Oh, Rogue… well she left about half an hour ago with a very handsome young man."
"What did he look like!? Tell me; I must find my daughter!"
"Well, he, umm… had red sunglasses and…"
"That's enough thank you!" Then, before the nurse's eyes, the lady turned into an owl and flew out the open emergency door.
---------------------------------------- Back at the institute-------------------------------------------
"Ok, easy Rogue, I've got you. Give me your hand. I've got you."
"Thanks so much Scott." She threw her arms around him. "Thank you." She then fell asleep as easy as that; above them flew an owl. The owl glared angrily, landed, and reformed.
"Mystique, leave; we don't need you now."
"Scott, you're holding what I came for." She grinned evilly.
"Look, I don't want trouble, and she… she was in an accident. Leave her be." He turned and walked towards the institute and then saw Mystique jump in his way.
"I won't leave without my daughter and by taking her you're kidnapping. Haven't you broken enough rules without having to go to jail too?" She cackled and walked towards him. "Hand her to me and I won't have to inflict pain."
"Scott, what are you doing?"
"Professor, it's Mystique she wants Rogue."
"You're too late, both of you." And she ran past Scott grabbing Rogue and speeding off.
"Why did you bring her here, Scott? Now she is in worse danger then before."
"She asked me to. I didn't know about Mystique!"
"Scott, what are we going to do? She's hurt and is nowhere we would know of."
"She said I was kidnapping, but how? She's not her mother. Her mother put her up for adoption."
"She is her adopted mother and Kurt is her … brother. Kurt is Rogue's adopted brother; Mystique adopted her at age four. It's shocking, I know." Professor Xavier laid a hand on his shoulder as Scott fell realizing his whole world was crumbling.