Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men , X-Men:Evolution or any of its
iterations.
I'm really bad at accents so forgive me for not even trying.
I was disappointed in the resolution of Kurt's and Rogue's problems in Cajun Spice – so this was my attempt at it.
% Denotes images within Kurt's dream %
The Long Flight Home: Chapter 9 – Kurt's Dream
It was early in the morning but there wasn't any AM training scheduled. Scott was waiting for Jean to finish her makeup. They planned a grocery store run after they grabbed a quick breakfast.
Scott and Jean passed by the Professor's office and they could hear fighting inside. The words were not distinct, but the voices were easy to identify – Rogue and Kurt.
She could see the pain on Scott's face as he hurried forward away from the racket and she knew he was second-guessing himself. His projection was loud and clear - was this better then before? Should he have kept his nose out of their problems?
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The professor had let Kurt and Rogue go at it for a while – and they were both tired now. Kurt had kept his promise of not 'bamfing' out of the room – he had stayed throughout the argument. Many angry words were exchanged, but Charles felt there was one last thing that needed to be said.
"Rogue, I think now would be the right time to tell Kurt about the detention you went through at school a couple of months back."
"I'm not sure it's a good idea, Professor." It was more of a request, she had harmed him enough today.
The professor did not waver. "He needs to know."
Kurt's curiosity got the better of him. He knew she had gone through some detention – something about cutting classes, but he was sure it wasn't related to a mission.
She looked at the floor not wanting to see him go through this. "It was after we found out about her – that she was your mom. She ran off after she tried to meet you at the construction site. I know you tried to see her and she avoided you, so I thought I would try."
Kurt looked out the window of the office, towards the shoreline where Mystique was – or what was left of her.
"I went early in the morning to get an appointment during my study hall and went back when she was supposed to meet me. I couldn't get past the secretary Dorothy – she seemed scared for her life if I got into that office. So I waited for her to come out – beyond the time I was due back in class. I thought I could wait for her to leave – but I guess she had snuck out the window. She had left instructions that I get detention for the classes I missed."
The professor knew there was more – Rogue had thought she could hide it from the others. The next day, Rogue had considered leaving a note for Mystique offering to return to the Brotherhood in exchange for a few answers to Kurt's questions. He was glad she never made such an offer – she had made tremendous strides here in the mansion. Life wasn't easy for her here, but it would have been much harder in the Brotherhood house. He found out this secret in their recent sessions to help Rogue deal with what she done to Mystique – or the statue. She had begun to regret not leaving the note – it would have avoided the situation they were in today.
Kurt had enough for one day. He stood saying, "Yeah, well thanks," and disappeared in a flash of brimstone and smoke.
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Kurt stood at the gazebo – as he had done so many times recently.
Again with the sacrifice for him – was he always destined to have Rogue doing these things for him? Messing up her life to ease his pain? Could he stay angry at someone like this? Was this what it was like to have a sister? It was a common daydream from his young childhood.
But Rogue had taken something from him – a chance to speak to his biological mother.
This wasn't the way he imagined having a sibling. It was always happy times – someone to play hide and seek with, someone to put puzzles together with, someone to share an ice cream cone with. Not this – someone to share pain with, someone to argue with, somebody to loathe being in the same room with.
And his companion – the angry demon – was back. He thought he could forgive her, move past this – but the anger kept returning – insistent, demanding retribution. Would this ever end – ever go away like he wanted?
But was it Rogue's fault he and Mystique never met after he found out they were connected? Didn't she try to stop Mystique from leaving at the construction site?
The headache he felt coming on was a whopper. Kurt teleported to the boy's end of the dorm, searching the hall closet for some aspirin. He heard Scott's CD player up the hall and impulsively jumped into his friend's room.
Scott got over the shock of Kurt's sudden appearance – he was beginning to develop nerves of steel in response to the blue mutant's practical joking of porting in any time he felt like it.
Kurt asked, "So when does the anger go away? Or should I ask does it ever go away?"
Scott nodded, acknowledging the reality of his friend's second question – so Kurt was on his way to accepting what had happened. "Everyday it's a little less, fewer things will trigger it, but it will still be there, under the surface. Everyday you push it away just a little further." If you chose to, he added silently. That was a big step.
Kurt looked at Scott, searching for the answer he knew he could get from the older boy. "So on some level, you're still angry at your dad, aren't you?" Scott took a deep breath and slowly let it out slowly. "It's been ten years. I can sometimes go a week without it popping up."
Scott saw that Kurt was at peace for a moment – something he hadn't seen in weeks – a long time since that night. "Thanks, man. That's a big help." On that thought, Kurt disappeared.
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Logan had sprung a surprise training session for Scott, Jean, Kurt, Ororo and Hank in the afternoon. Kurt had taken quite a few hits from the rampaging red robots and was exhausted. The exercise had involved a maze based on the best intelligence info they could remember of the Egyptian temples. There were a lot of dead ends and Kurt put his teleporting abilities to heavy use moving the team around trying to recover lost time.
Carrying Kurt's arm over his shoulder, Scott helped his younger teammate out of the elevator and into his room. "Nice work today, you saved me a couple of times out there." Kurt plopped face down on his bed and just stayed there. Scott smirked and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll wake you when it's dinner time." Kurt waved a hand saying, "Ja, Ja, danka," as Scott left for his own room.
Kurt slipped off into a deep sleep and the sinking sun crept across the floor of his room, onto his bed then his face.
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Rogue and Kitty had the New Mutants on the front lawn for a martial arts class. When the class was done, the newbies stayed outside for a game of frisbee football convincing Kitty to play ref. Rogue went upstairs to the dorm level and saw Kurt's room door was open. She quietly walked over and stopped by to see how he was doing since their session this morning. Rogue noticed him on top of his bed covers, still in uniform. :Logan strikes again:, she thought.
She went to his closet and took out one of the blankets his mom in Germany had knit for him. She lay the blanket on top of him and sat on the edge of his bed.
% He was back in the nightmare. Since he had come to Bayville, a dream haunted him over and over. It reminded him of his first night in the mansion – when Todd Tolansky was tested as a candidate for the X-Men. A stormy night like the time he was chased by a mob in Germany.
Kurt was at the gazebo. There was a strong wind blowing his hair into his eyes as the rain pelted him, matting his fur. Lightning flashed again and thunder roared shortly after – a sure sign the lightning was striking very close. He felt lost, alone. This had the feeling of a hurricane or at least a classic northeaster – his thoughts swirled around him.
He always waits out the storm alone. It just takes time for the rain to stop and the clouds to clear. Kurt knows the power of patience and the strength of solitude. %
Rogue watched Kurt as he slept. She gently brushed a lock of his hair out of his eyes. "Kurt, I . . . ." She stopped. She can tell he is dreaming – his hands and feet are twitching – what she and Kitty nicknamed his puppy dream state. :Maybe I should just let him rest,: she thought.
% Something new happened in Kurt's dream.
A rope lands at his feet, like the ones he and the other X-men practice rescues with. Without a thought, his training instincts kick in. He picks up the rope, measures out twenty feet, ties off that length to the gazebo rail leaving a lot of slack at the end, then ties himself to the rail. This one of the real strong ropes, it would help him through this storm. Even in the dark he could make out the colors in the rope – black and green.
The rain has stopped and slowly the clouds clear. He can see it is late in the day. %
"I should have warned you what I wanted to do before I did it. I was wrong to make that decision without you."
% On the horizon he can see the sun setting. He looks out into the water to see where the rope comes from. He spots Rogue in the bay on a small island by herself. She waves to Kurt and he gives her a 'thumbs up' sign, letting her know he is ok.
He remembers the day he and Rogue found out they were connected as a family – the pledge she made to him to help find answers. Everytime he sees the sun set over the bay, he remembers that bond between them. %
"I could tell you I'm sorry everyday but I'd understand if you'd never forgive me."
% In the growing darkness he hears someone walking towards him. He turns to see Mystique in her natural blue form. She calls to him, beckoning him away from the gazebo. He hesitates – this is a safe place – why would he leave?
More clouds suddenly darken the now night sky, blocking the light from the stars and the moon. He calls to Mystique to join him, how he could help her be secure in the storm approaching. Her eyes follow the rope out to the bay. The shapeshifter smiles as she sees Rogue on the island, smiles in a way that is not friendly or motherly.
Mystique walks to the cliff edge and suddenly grows larger then life. She is like the woman in the cheesy sci-fi film he saw with Scott once for laughs – where a woman becomes 50 feet tall. But this isn't funny at all to Kurt. He can see her relish the power she now possesses.
She no longer is looking at him – only the island. %
"You tried to protect me from this emptiness I feel now – you tried to warn me. But I beat you to it – I protected you from her lies, her deceptions."
% Mystique steps into the choppy water, with a hand extended towards Rogue. The night sky flashes for a long time, much longer then normal lightning - blinding him and he hears a scream from the bay. As his vision returns, he sees Mystique is now a stone statue with her hand on the rope connecting him to Rogue. Waves push the statute around in the bay and the giant figure is threatening to pull the brother and sister into the water.
He notices the stone hand is wearing on the rope, pressing down hard on it and the gazebo rail is starting to crack under the strain. Kurt tries to teleport but is blocked by some sort of barrier. He tries again – and again can not leave the gazebo this way. He looks out to the bay and sees the rope connecting him and Rogue has broken – worn through by the statue.
The statue is now being pushed around more fiercely in the bay as the tide is coming in. It starts to rock towards the gazebo, and Kurt is concerned about where it will land if it tips over.
And he's not the only one. Rogue has her end of the rope coiled lasso style and is attempting to catch the statue's outstretched hand. She keeps trying and on her fourth toss succeeds in connecting. With a long shout, Rogue pulls on the rope and slowly the stone figure starts to lean away from the gazebo shoreline and towards the island. Rogue looks to the gazebo to make sure Kurt is okay, there is no fear in her eyes as the shadow of Mystique covers her. %
Kurt is stirring in his sleep – and it doesn't look restful. Rogue stands up, certain her voice is disturbing him. She debates whether she should just leave now or just let him know one last thing.
% A storm begins again, this time much more intense. He looks out to the island but does not see Rogue, only the shattered pieces of Mystique. Is his sister lost to him? Where can she be?
The X-Plane appears above him, Scott in the plane hatchway. His friend tosses out some rope and Kurt catches it. "I can't spare anyone else. It's up to you. It won't be easy. . . " The teen leader gives him a tentative 'thumbs up' as the hatch closes and the X-Plane rises up into the clouds.
Kurt looks at the rope in his hands. It feels very light – not as strong as the rope from before, and he notices the color is different - a mix of blue and gold. It would have to do - time is running out.
He tries teleporting again – the block is still up. He decides a different approach is needed. He pulls in the remaining strong rope from the bay. Kurt unties the middle of the black and green rope from the gazebo rail, then reties the end from the bay to the gazebo rail, using the full length for his lifeline. He makes sure he has his blue and gold rope coiled securely in his belt and dives out into the water. Logan would lecture him on the recklessness of this move but there's no time to waste.
He lands in the rough surf and begins searching after surfacing. He reaches the end of the black and green rope and continues to look for Rogue. He begins to panic as she is nowhere in sight and comes to a decision. He pulls the blue and yellow rope from his belt and casts it out in a random direction as he scans the choppy waves for some sign of her. %
"I'll always love you – no matter what happens between us." She can see he's struggling in his sleep – his breathing rate is up. :No more – he's heard enough for one day.: She stands up and looks at him one more time.
% Through the waves, he spots something white – and it's not sea foam. Kurt casts the rope again hoping she'll see it. No tension in the rope. He coils it and casts again. This time as he's coiling, he feels a tug. He waits a few heartbeats and slowly pulls again.
The rope around is waist is tugging hard, biting into his midsection. The cast rope has tension but it disappeared under the surface. His arms are burning from the strain, his back and belly ache with the pull of the rope leading to the gazebo. He practices what Logan taught him as he draws in the line – to imagine there is no pain now – let it build up for later.
Suddenly he sees a glove break the surface of the water, followed by an arm. He grabs hold.%
As she turns to walk away, Kurt leapt from his bed, grabbing her arm. Rogue tried to break his grip, but he has a hold of incredible strength – much stronger then she ever imagined the small framed boy to ever have. She continues to wrestle with him but he is determined to wrap his arms around her. "Don't worry, I've got you, you're safe with me, we'll make it together" he assures her, speaking at Pietro speed as he wakes from his dream.
"Kurt, let go – you're gonna knock yourself out touching me!" she screamed, but her sweatshirt and pants protected him from any skin contact. How stupid was this – she needed to wake him up so he didn't touch her skin and fall back alseep. "Wake up, wake up!" So much for letting him nap.
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Scott hears a commotion up the hall and breaks out into a run, fearing the worst. Jean senses Scott's surprise and bolts from her room to join him.
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Kurt shakes his head, realizing it was all just a dream – but he continues to hold her onto her. "I thought I'd lost you – given the choice, I choose you over - ." He pulls her into an embrace.
Rogue's eyebrows knit – what choice is he talking about?
He stops grappling with her and continues, "I'm so tired of the fighting and the anger. I'm still not happy about what happened, but it's time for us, for me to look past it. I'm not willing to let go of this." His grip on her tightens slightly for emphasis. Mystique had come to her decision – she had left him behind again. It was time for him to respect that and not jeopardize what he had here anymore.
"I don't want to loose you to the anger," he says as he pulls her into his arms. In his head, the demon is raging at full pitch – screaming for blood, for revenge, for payback. He lets the demon have its say, but he closes his eyes concentrating on the sound of Rogue's breathing, feeling the warmth of her heart against his chest, the scent of her hair.
He smiles to himself as Rogue eventually and gently returns his hug.
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Scott hesitates at the doorway to Kurt's room, surprised by what he sees inside. He has seen them hug before – it's just been so long. . . Jean stops behind him and peers around his back. Concentrating for a moment, Jean then tugs at his arm, back the way they came. She whispers, "They're starting to be okay again – thanks to you." He looks one more time to be sure what he sees is real, then lets Jean lead him up the hallway.
Author's notes: Just when I thought I had the end of this story in sight, I had this inspiration for this dream sequence for Kurt. And I had to write it and rewrite it and tear it apart and rewrite it to get it right.
Many thanks to my patient readers and extra special thanks to my reviewers.
I've hit a milestone today – over 5000 hits for all my stories and over 2600 of them are for this story alone. (Of course about a 1000 of those are my editing fixes – but who counting anyway?)
This has been a really hard piece of work to get through – I've been trying to do chapters on the fly – not such a good idea for such a heavy topic. I think I understand why the writers went the 'he saves her from the crocodile and everything is ok now' route. I think I might stick to my short goofy stories for a while.
I'm really bad at accents so forgive me for not even trying.
I was disappointed in the resolution of Kurt's and Rogue's problems in Cajun Spice – so this was my attempt at it.
% Denotes images within Kurt's dream %
The Long Flight Home: Chapter 9 – Kurt's Dream
It was early in the morning but there wasn't any AM training scheduled. Scott was waiting for Jean to finish her makeup. They planned a grocery store run after they grabbed a quick breakfast.
Scott and Jean passed by the Professor's office and they could hear fighting inside. The words were not distinct, but the voices were easy to identify – Rogue and Kurt.
She could see the pain on Scott's face as he hurried forward away from the racket and she knew he was second-guessing himself. His projection was loud and clear - was this better then before? Should he have kept his nose out of their problems?
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The professor had let Kurt and Rogue go at it for a while – and they were both tired now. Kurt had kept his promise of not 'bamfing' out of the room – he had stayed throughout the argument. Many angry words were exchanged, but Charles felt there was one last thing that needed to be said.
"Rogue, I think now would be the right time to tell Kurt about the detention you went through at school a couple of months back."
"I'm not sure it's a good idea, Professor." It was more of a request, she had harmed him enough today.
The professor did not waver. "He needs to know."
Kurt's curiosity got the better of him. He knew she had gone through some detention – something about cutting classes, but he was sure it wasn't related to a mission.
She looked at the floor not wanting to see him go through this. "It was after we found out about her – that she was your mom. She ran off after she tried to meet you at the construction site. I know you tried to see her and she avoided you, so I thought I would try."
Kurt looked out the window of the office, towards the shoreline where Mystique was – or what was left of her.
"I went early in the morning to get an appointment during my study hall and went back when she was supposed to meet me. I couldn't get past the secretary Dorothy – she seemed scared for her life if I got into that office. So I waited for her to come out – beyond the time I was due back in class. I thought I could wait for her to leave – but I guess she had snuck out the window. She had left instructions that I get detention for the classes I missed."
The professor knew there was more – Rogue had thought she could hide it from the others. The next day, Rogue had considered leaving a note for Mystique offering to return to the Brotherhood in exchange for a few answers to Kurt's questions. He was glad she never made such an offer – she had made tremendous strides here in the mansion. Life wasn't easy for her here, but it would have been much harder in the Brotherhood house. He found out this secret in their recent sessions to help Rogue deal with what she done to Mystique – or the statue. She had begun to regret not leaving the note – it would have avoided the situation they were in today.
Kurt had enough for one day. He stood saying, "Yeah, well thanks," and disappeared in a flash of brimstone and smoke.
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Kurt stood at the gazebo – as he had done so many times recently.
Again with the sacrifice for him – was he always destined to have Rogue doing these things for him? Messing up her life to ease his pain? Could he stay angry at someone like this? Was this what it was like to have a sister? It was a common daydream from his young childhood.
But Rogue had taken something from him – a chance to speak to his biological mother.
This wasn't the way he imagined having a sibling. It was always happy times – someone to play hide and seek with, someone to put puzzles together with, someone to share an ice cream cone with. Not this – someone to share pain with, someone to argue with, somebody to loathe being in the same room with.
And his companion – the angry demon – was back. He thought he could forgive her, move past this – but the anger kept returning – insistent, demanding retribution. Would this ever end – ever go away like he wanted?
But was it Rogue's fault he and Mystique never met after he found out they were connected? Didn't she try to stop Mystique from leaving at the construction site?
The headache he felt coming on was a whopper. Kurt teleported to the boy's end of the dorm, searching the hall closet for some aspirin. He heard Scott's CD player up the hall and impulsively jumped into his friend's room.
Scott got over the shock of Kurt's sudden appearance – he was beginning to develop nerves of steel in response to the blue mutant's practical joking of porting in any time he felt like it.
Kurt asked, "So when does the anger go away? Or should I ask does it ever go away?"
Scott nodded, acknowledging the reality of his friend's second question – so Kurt was on his way to accepting what had happened. "Everyday it's a little less, fewer things will trigger it, but it will still be there, under the surface. Everyday you push it away just a little further." If you chose to, he added silently. That was a big step.
Kurt looked at Scott, searching for the answer he knew he could get from the older boy. "So on some level, you're still angry at your dad, aren't you?" Scott took a deep breath and slowly let it out slowly. "It's been ten years. I can sometimes go a week without it popping up."
Scott saw that Kurt was at peace for a moment – something he hadn't seen in weeks – a long time since that night. "Thanks, man. That's a big help." On that thought, Kurt disappeared.
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Logan had sprung a surprise training session for Scott, Jean, Kurt, Ororo and Hank in the afternoon. Kurt had taken quite a few hits from the rampaging red robots and was exhausted. The exercise had involved a maze based on the best intelligence info they could remember of the Egyptian temples. There were a lot of dead ends and Kurt put his teleporting abilities to heavy use moving the team around trying to recover lost time.
Carrying Kurt's arm over his shoulder, Scott helped his younger teammate out of the elevator and into his room. "Nice work today, you saved me a couple of times out there." Kurt plopped face down on his bed and just stayed there. Scott smirked and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll wake you when it's dinner time." Kurt waved a hand saying, "Ja, Ja, danka," as Scott left for his own room.
Kurt slipped off into a deep sleep and the sinking sun crept across the floor of his room, onto his bed then his face.
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Rogue and Kitty had the New Mutants on the front lawn for a martial arts class. When the class was done, the newbies stayed outside for a game of frisbee football convincing Kitty to play ref. Rogue went upstairs to the dorm level and saw Kurt's room door was open. She quietly walked over and stopped by to see how he was doing since their session this morning. Rogue noticed him on top of his bed covers, still in uniform. :Logan strikes again:, she thought.
She went to his closet and took out one of the blankets his mom in Germany had knit for him. She lay the blanket on top of him and sat on the edge of his bed.
% He was back in the nightmare. Since he had come to Bayville, a dream haunted him over and over. It reminded him of his first night in the mansion – when Todd Tolansky was tested as a candidate for the X-Men. A stormy night like the time he was chased by a mob in Germany.
Kurt was at the gazebo. There was a strong wind blowing his hair into his eyes as the rain pelted him, matting his fur. Lightning flashed again and thunder roared shortly after – a sure sign the lightning was striking very close. He felt lost, alone. This had the feeling of a hurricane or at least a classic northeaster – his thoughts swirled around him.
He always waits out the storm alone. It just takes time for the rain to stop and the clouds to clear. Kurt knows the power of patience and the strength of solitude. %
Rogue watched Kurt as he slept. She gently brushed a lock of his hair out of his eyes. "Kurt, I . . . ." She stopped. She can tell he is dreaming – his hands and feet are twitching – what she and Kitty nicknamed his puppy dream state. :Maybe I should just let him rest,: she thought.
% Something new happened in Kurt's dream.
A rope lands at his feet, like the ones he and the other X-men practice rescues with. Without a thought, his training instincts kick in. He picks up the rope, measures out twenty feet, ties off that length to the gazebo rail leaving a lot of slack at the end, then ties himself to the rail. This one of the real strong ropes, it would help him through this storm. Even in the dark he could make out the colors in the rope – black and green.
The rain has stopped and slowly the clouds clear. He can see it is late in the day. %
"I should have warned you what I wanted to do before I did it. I was wrong to make that decision without you."
% On the horizon he can see the sun setting. He looks out into the water to see where the rope comes from. He spots Rogue in the bay on a small island by herself. She waves to Kurt and he gives her a 'thumbs up' sign, letting her know he is ok.
He remembers the day he and Rogue found out they were connected as a family – the pledge she made to him to help find answers. Everytime he sees the sun set over the bay, he remembers that bond between them. %
"I could tell you I'm sorry everyday but I'd understand if you'd never forgive me."
% In the growing darkness he hears someone walking towards him. He turns to see Mystique in her natural blue form. She calls to him, beckoning him away from the gazebo. He hesitates – this is a safe place – why would he leave?
More clouds suddenly darken the now night sky, blocking the light from the stars and the moon. He calls to Mystique to join him, how he could help her be secure in the storm approaching. Her eyes follow the rope out to the bay. The shapeshifter smiles as she sees Rogue on the island, smiles in a way that is not friendly or motherly.
Mystique walks to the cliff edge and suddenly grows larger then life. She is like the woman in the cheesy sci-fi film he saw with Scott once for laughs – where a woman becomes 50 feet tall. But this isn't funny at all to Kurt. He can see her relish the power she now possesses.
She no longer is looking at him – only the island. %
"You tried to protect me from this emptiness I feel now – you tried to warn me. But I beat you to it – I protected you from her lies, her deceptions."
% Mystique steps into the choppy water, with a hand extended towards Rogue. The night sky flashes for a long time, much longer then normal lightning - blinding him and he hears a scream from the bay. As his vision returns, he sees Mystique is now a stone statue with her hand on the rope connecting him to Rogue. Waves push the statute around in the bay and the giant figure is threatening to pull the brother and sister into the water.
He notices the stone hand is wearing on the rope, pressing down hard on it and the gazebo rail is starting to crack under the strain. Kurt tries to teleport but is blocked by some sort of barrier. He tries again – and again can not leave the gazebo this way. He looks out to the bay and sees the rope connecting him and Rogue has broken – worn through by the statue.
The statue is now being pushed around more fiercely in the bay as the tide is coming in. It starts to rock towards the gazebo, and Kurt is concerned about where it will land if it tips over.
And he's not the only one. Rogue has her end of the rope coiled lasso style and is attempting to catch the statue's outstretched hand. She keeps trying and on her fourth toss succeeds in connecting. With a long shout, Rogue pulls on the rope and slowly the stone figure starts to lean away from the gazebo shoreline and towards the island. Rogue looks to the gazebo to make sure Kurt is okay, there is no fear in her eyes as the shadow of Mystique covers her. %
Kurt is stirring in his sleep – and it doesn't look restful. Rogue stands up, certain her voice is disturbing him. She debates whether she should just leave now or just let him know one last thing.
% A storm begins again, this time much more intense. He looks out to the island but does not see Rogue, only the shattered pieces of Mystique. Is his sister lost to him? Where can she be?
The X-Plane appears above him, Scott in the plane hatchway. His friend tosses out some rope and Kurt catches it. "I can't spare anyone else. It's up to you. It won't be easy. . . " The teen leader gives him a tentative 'thumbs up' as the hatch closes and the X-Plane rises up into the clouds.
Kurt looks at the rope in his hands. It feels very light – not as strong as the rope from before, and he notices the color is different - a mix of blue and gold. It would have to do - time is running out.
He tries teleporting again – the block is still up. He decides a different approach is needed. He pulls in the remaining strong rope from the bay. Kurt unties the middle of the black and green rope from the gazebo rail, then reties the end from the bay to the gazebo rail, using the full length for his lifeline. He makes sure he has his blue and gold rope coiled securely in his belt and dives out into the water. Logan would lecture him on the recklessness of this move but there's no time to waste.
He lands in the rough surf and begins searching after surfacing. He reaches the end of the black and green rope and continues to look for Rogue. He begins to panic as she is nowhere in sight and comes to a decision. He pulls the blue and yellow rope from his belt and casts it out in a random direction as he scans the choppy waves for some sign of her. %
"I'll always love you – no matter what happens between us." She can see he's struggling in his sleep – his breathing rate is up. :No more – he's heard enough for one day.: She stands up and looks at him one more time.
% Through the waves, he spots something white – and it's not sea foam. Kurt casts the rope again hoping she'll see it. No tension in the rope. He coils it and casts again. This time as he's coiling, he feels a tug. He waits a few heartbeats and slowly pulls again.
The rope around is waist is tugging hard, biting into his midsection. The cast rope has tension but it disappeared under the surface. His arms are burning from the strain, his back and belly ache with the pull of the rope leading to the gazebo. He practices what Logan taught him as he draws in the line – to imagine there is no pain now – let it build up for later.
Suddenly he sees a glove break the surface of the water, followed by an arm. He grabs hold.%
As she turns to walk away, Kurt leapt from his bed, grabbing her arm. Rogue tried to break his grip, but he has a hold of incredible strength – much stronger then she ever imagined the small framed boy to ever have. She continues to wrestle with him but he is determined to wrap his arms around her. "Don't worry, I've got you, you're safe with me, we'll make it together" he assures her, speaking at Pietro speed as he wakes from his dream.
"Kurt, let go – you're gonna knock yourself out touching me!" she screamed, but her sweatshirt and pants protected him from any skin contact. How stupid was this – she needed to wake him up so he didn't touch her skin and fall back alseep. "Wake up, wake up!" So much for letting him nap.
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Scott hears a commotion up the hall and breaks out into a run, fearing the worst. Jean senses Scott's surprise and bolts from her room to join him.
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Kurt shakes his head, realizing it was all just a dream – but he continues to hold her onto her. "I thought I'd lost you – given the choice, I choose you over - ." He pulls her into an embrace.
Rogue's eyebrows knit – what choice is he talking about?
He stops grappling with her and continues, "I'm so tired of the fighting and the anger. I'm still not happy about what happened, but it's time for us, for me to look past it. I'm not willing to let go of this." His grip on her tightens slightly for emphasis. Mystique had come to her decision – she had left him behind again. It was time for him to respect that and not jeopardize what he had here anymore.
"I don't want to loose you to the anger," he says as he pulls her into his arms. In his head, the demon is raging at full pitch – screaming for blood, for revenge, for payback. He lets the demon have its say, but he closes his eyes concentrating on the sound of Rogue's breathing, feeling the warmth of her heart against his chest, the scent of her hair.
He smiles to himself as Rogue eventually and gently returns his hug.
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Scott hesitates at the doorway to Kurt's room, surprised by what he sees inside. He has seen them hug before – it's just been so long. . . Jean stops behind him and peers around his back. Concentrating for a moment, Jean then tugs at his arm, back the way they came. She whispers, "They're starting to be okay again – thanks to you." He looks one more time to be sure what he sees is real, then lets Jean lead him up the hallway.
Author's notes: Just when I thought I had the end of this story in sight, I had this inspiration for this dream sequence for Kurt. And I had to write it and rewrite it and tear it apart and rewrite it to get it right.
Many thanks to my patient readers and extra special thanks to my reviewers.
I've hit a milestone today – over 5000 hits for all my stories and over 2600 of them are for this story alone. (Of course about a 1000 of those are my editing fixes – but who counting anyway?)
This has been a really hard piece of work to get through – I've been trying to do chapters on the fly – not such a good idea for such a heavy topic. I think I understand why the writers went the 'he saves her from the crocodile and everything is ok now' route. I think I might stick to my short goofy stories for a while.
