All I Want For Christmas Revised
By Kaslin Mortaine
The Christmas pageant ended with a roar from the crowd.
The music died under the din of yells, whistles, and clapping.
The lights in the auditorium went up and the audience stood from their seats, applauding, as the cast came back on stage for their final bow.
No one noticed the young woman standing near the doors; they were all to busy cheering for their children, their children's children, their friend's children and their friends.
She was invisible to them.
She stood alone in the shadows cast by the auditorium lights, hidden from sight. She pulled her jacket closer, trying to keep herself warm, the sleeves and her thick leather gloves muffling the gentle sound of her clap. She had come to see the play for one reason.
Scott Summers had played the part of Joseph in the Bayville Christmas Pageant, and now he stood on stage with his friends Jean Gray, Kitty Pryde, Kurt Wagner, Evan Daniels, and Sam Gunthry. There were a few more students standing with them, but they were the stars of the show. Jean had made a beautiful angel, and Kitty had played the Virgin Mary. Kurt, Evan and Sam had played the three wise men, an extremely comical sight in the eyes of the crowd.
It had been a beautiful play.
He even thought he had seen Storm wipe a tear from her eye half way through the performance.
Scott could name almost everyone in the audience and their next of kin, but there had been one particular person he had been hoping he would see that night. He had asked her to come, but so far he hadn't seen her. He had asked her to come to the first performance.
She hadn't....
His eyes scanned the audience once more, making sure not to miss a face when he caught a glimpse of a forest green trench coat. There was a pale face hidden beneath the hood, gloved hands pressed over the small mouth. Gray-green eyes stared back at him from the shadows and he could feel her watching him. He thought it odd that he knew the exact shade of her eyes. He knew he had never seen the color clearly through his ruby quartz sunglasses, but he still knew the exact tint of green… the precise complement of gray.
His smile broadened.
'Rogue....'
She had joined the X-men last winter. It had been a bitter confrontation between Mystic and Rogue that turned into a serious battle for his life. Rogue had saved him.
Scott felt a part of himself that was drawn to her. She was withdrawn, solemn. He liked that. She was easy to relate to. Their conversations had been comfortable, almost flirtatious at times, until recently.
His smile faded.
Rogue could feel Scott's eyes on her; it was an uncomfortable feeling that sent chills up her spine. He knew she was there. She shivered despite the warmth generated by the multitude of people in the auditorium.
She pulled her jacket tighter, waved good-bye to Scott, and then disappeared into the night.
*****
Snow fell from the sky in soft fat flakes, covering the ground in a blanket of frosty white.
It turned Bayville into a beautiful winter wonderland.
The only thing that disturbed the dense white powder was a single trail of footprints.
Rogue was walking home.
She gripped the edges of her hood with one gloved hand the other shoved deep inside a pocket as she trudged through the deepening snow banks.
The wind was blistering as it swept past her, tugging at her trench coat mercilessly.
She couldn't help but smile at herself. She could have ridden home with her teammates but she had decided to be stubborn, going out of her way to make them all think she wasn't going to go to the pageant and then walking home in a snow storm when at least one of them had seen her at the auditorium.
No one was going to turn their back on her; they were there to help, but she still felt like she was the only person in the entire world.
No one understood her powers.
No one could understand what she went through each and every day. All of the voices she had to deal with inside of her head. All she wanted was silence.
Rogue stopped walking and looked up into the night sky.
"All ah ask… wish. All ah WISH for is to be normal," she shouted. Snow fell in silent flakes, one of them hitting her on the forehead and then quickly melting away. "For just one day! That's all ah'm asking. Please... ah just wanna be normal."
Silence answered her.
She stood there a while longer, staring up into the bright gray clouds.
Her eyes drifted shut as she stood, letting the snow surround her, letting the wind pull her jacket open. It caressed her through her clothing, its icy fingers brushing her cheeks, pulling at her white streaked auburn hair.
It was the only touch she was allowed.
The wind was the only lover she knew, and she assumed it would be the only one she would ever know. She opened her eyes and stared up at the sky again; shaking her head she resumed walking.
It was past 1:oo am when Rogue arrived at the mansion's front door. She had gotten sidetracked and walked in the opposite direction for an hour before realizing she was going the wrong way. Cursing at herself for not paying attention and losing so much time she crept through the mansion's large double doors.
Kurt Wagner exited the kitchen with a glass of milk in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. He turned when the front door opened, and froze when he saw a human shaped snowball standing in the doorway.
For once in his life he was at a loss for words as he watched the snowball shake, loads of powder falling to the floor. He stood there as Rogue took off her jacket, hanging it on the coat rack, and closed the front door.
"Howdy Kurt," she said as she walked past him toward the stairs.
In response to her hello Kurt teleported from the hallway with a 'phwamp', leaving behind the familiar smell of sulfur, ash and brimstone, and re- appeared on the couch, next to Kitty, in the R.E.C. room were everyone else waited.
"AHHH!!!" Kitty fell through the back of the couch, hitting her head on the floor. "Would you mind NOT doing that?!"
"Sorry Katzchen," Kurt apologized in his natural German accent, turning his attention to the rest of the group. "Rogue has returned."
'Rogue, please report to the R.E.C. room.'
Rogue stopped just short of the top of the stairs. Xavier's voice had been loud and clear, echoing in her head. He did not sound happy, she thought to herself. "Ah think ah'm in trouble."
She turned on her heel and proceeded in descending the stairs.
As soon as the door to the R.E.C. room door swung open Scott was on his feet. "Where have you been?!"
"Scott," Jean interjected coolly. "Relax."
"Yes Scott," Xavier said. "Please, sit back down."
Scott plopped himself back on the couch between Jean and Kurt.
Rogue looked around the room.
Storm stood behind Xavier, Kitty sat in a chair next to the pool table where Evan and Sam had a game going. Jean sat on one side of Scott, Kurt on the other happily munching on a cookie, and Wolverine sat in a nice looking recliner drinking a beer, Raine curled, in her bestial form, at his feet.
Everyone else had already gone to bed.
One happy family, she thought to herself. "What's goin' on?"
"Do you know what time it is, Rogue?" Xavier asked her, his tone flat.
She shot a glance at the clock on the V.C.R.
"A quarter tah two," she answered.
"Where have you been?"
"Out."
Rogue knew that Xavier would not invade her mind for an answer, even if he could. She did not have to give him a response, not if he trusted her. Her eyebrow lifted in speculation.
"Why do y'all ask?"
"We were simply worried child," Storm responded, her voice filled with motherly empathy. "We did not know of your whereabouts."
Rogue nodded.
"Why don'tcha tell us next time your gonna go 'out', or at least leave us a note so's we don't worry," Logan growled over his beer can. He stood from his seat, mumbling something about going to bed, and then left the room.
"I think he's got the right idea," Kitty said, yawning. "I'm goin' to bed too."
"Yah," Kurt agreed, still munching on his cookie. "It has been a long day and we all have to get up early tomorrow."
"Speak for yourself fuzzy," Kitty argued as the two walked out of the room. "Tomorrow's Christmas morning, I'm sleeping in."
Storm excused herself and left for bed as well.
Evan, Raine, and Sam followed shortly after.
"You three should do the same," Xavier said, directing his attention to Scott, Jean and Rogue as he left the room.
The three ascended the stairs together, parting ways at the top. Scott went down one hall and the girls turned to another, heading for their rooms.
"So," Jean started. "You like the play?"
Rogue gave her a sideways glance, not answering the question.
"I noticed you went to all three performances," Jean went on. "I didn't really like the fact that it had to be on the weekend. I was really looking forward to seeing my family tonight, but thanks to the play I was too busy."
"Yeah," Rogue responded, attempting to shut the girl up. "Bummer."
"You never told me if you liked the play or not."
Rogue opened the door to her room, glancing over at Jean's door where the red head waited for a reply.
"Ah'm taking a shower," Rogue informed her, walking into the room and shutting the door.
She never answered Jean's question.
*****
Scott woke the next morning around 6:00 am.
He rose from his bed, unable to get back to sleep, and threw a robe on over his bare shoulders.
He descended the stairs, planning on making a cup of hot chocolate, and headed for the kitchen. When he reached it there was already a kettle on the stove. He could smell the aroma of chocolate in the air.
"Someone beat me to it," he said out loud, pouring himself a cup and then heading for the living room.
He entered the room, stopping to admire the Christmas tree, and noticed Rogue sitting on the windowsill behind it.
She was almost completely concealed by the tree.
She turned on the tree's lights, he told himself as the glittering lights pulled at the corners of his consciousness.
She hadn't noticed him.
She wore a pair of black sweatpants and a hunter green sports bra; it was something he had seen her in when she trained, exposing deadly flesh in what she thought was the privacy of an empty room, her robe sitting on the chair next to where he stood, her gloves tucked into one of the oversized pockets.
Her delicate looking hands held between them a steaming mug, which she brought to her lips whenever she recalled its presence. Her hair was drenched with sweat, her snowy bangs clinging to her brow. A light rose colored her cheeks; Scott couldn't tell if it was because she had just finished working out or if she was cold.
She stared out the window with a faraway look in her eyes, humming Silent Night under her breath, singing the words only when she remembered them.
She was a thousand miles away, completely oblivious to his presence.
"Good morning…"
Rogue nearly fell from where she sat.
"How long you been standin' there?" she asked him, accusingly.
"Just a few seconds," he reassured her. "How long have you been awake?"
"Just a few hours," she replied, mocking his previous answer.
He smiled. "You cold?"
"Nope." It was her turn to reassure him.
"Good work out then?"
"You could say that."
Scott moved closer to the window, stopping just short of where she sat. The two of them watched as the sky started turning colors with the rising of the sun. It turned a deep purple, than a lighter blue, and finally a fiery orange that was mimicked by the blanket of snow that covered the landscape.
"Beautiful," Rogue whispered, barely audible to Scott.
"Definitely," he agreed, smiling down at her.
Both of them took a sip from their mugs and then Rogue sighed.
"Marry Christmas Scott," she said, looking up at him, then quickly looking back out the window.
She seemed hesitant to lock eyes with him.
"Same to you," he replied. "I got you something."
He walked back to the tree, returning to her side with a small colorfully wrapped package in his hand.
"You shouldn't 'uve," she scolded. "I ain't got nothin' for you."
"I never expected you to get me anything," he said, placing the package in her lap. "Open it."
"What 'bout Jean," Rogue asked.
"Just open it," he insisted, choosing not to think about Jean at the moment.
Rogue pulled the paper off, careful not to rip any of it, and opened the tiny box. Inside sat a glittering gold chain with a charm that said 'ANGEL'.
"I ain't no angel."
"So you've said once before."
"Than why-"
"Because you've helped me out of more than one jam and you've saved my life on a number of accounts," he explained. "Sometimes a guy starts to wonder."
Her eyes remained fixed on the necklace.
"Thanx."
He pulled the piece of jewelry from the box, opening the clasp, and wrapped it around her neck. "B'careful," she warned. He re-hooked the clasp than laid her hair back over it, coming around to face her.
"It looks great on you." Scott swore he saw Rogue blush and it made his smile that much brighter.
"Good morning mein fraunds!" Kurt's voice entered the room long before he did, followed by the voices of several others.
"Look's like everybody else is up," Rogue stated blandly.
"Yup," Scott agreed.
Rogue stood from her seat, preparing to leave the room. She took a step forward and her foot caught on the electrical cord of the Christmas tree lights.
She stumbled.
Scott instinctively caught her by the arm.
Skin met skin and neither of them moved.
Scott waited for the initial shock of electricity that came with her touch. Rogue waited for his memories to flood into her mind and him to drop to the floor completely unconscious. When nothing happened they both stood there in total amazement, staring at his hand on her bare arm.
"Is it just me or did nothing happen?" Rogue couldn't answer, her voice had escaped her for the first time in her memory.
Kurt and Evan entered the room in a flurry of noise.
Scott and Rogue moved apart before the two boys noticed anything out of the ordinary.
"Good morning all," Evan bellowed when he spotted them. "And how are you two this fine Christmas morning?"
"We were enjoying the silence," Scott replied, irritation thick in his voice.
Rogue quickly exited the room, grabbing her robe and giving Scott a disturbing glance over her shoulder as she disappeared beyond the doorway.
"Rogue wait!" Scott called after her. "Thanks a lot guys, you just…"
"What's the matter with you Scott," Evan asked. "You're acting like we interrupted a Kodak moment between you and little miss cold shoulder."
"Shut up Evan," Scott snapped.
"Morning Scott," Jean crooned, entering the room with a tray, several mugs sitting precariously on it. "What's the matter?"
"Apparently Scott's mad at Kurt and me for existing," Evan informed her.
"We are sorry," Kurt began. "If we-"
"Forget it guys," Scott assured them. "It's alright."
Storm and Wolverine were the next to enter the room. Storm gave everyone a cheerful good-morning, hugging each in turn, while Wolverine merely mumbled, taking one of the mugs from Jean's tray as she set it on the coffee table. Xavier entered next, followed shortly after by Kitty who complained about all the noise. Scott found himself agreeing with her.
"So," Kitty started. "Are we, like, going to open presents or what?"
"Rogue's not here," Jean stated.
"I'll go get her," Scott declared, leaving the room almost as quickly as Rogue had a few moments before.
Scott found Rogue in the Danger Room.
The program that was running was that of a dojo somewhere in the heart of ancient Japan. Rogue had been studying the martial arts since she had found out that she was a mutant. At first it was so that she could fight against the X-men, Mystique's idea, but she had rarely fought them then and now she was on their side.
Her powers were to absorb the life force of others but she refused to use it when training and she did not like using it against her enemies unless there was no other alternative. Martial arts centered her mind when she fought and it kept her from having to use her powers all of the time.
Scott watched as she moved, her motions fluid and constant.
He hadn't noticed before, but she was extremely well defined. Her arms were solid, abdomen carved into a perfect six-pack, shoulders showing incredible strength.
She was the exact opposite of Jean and Kitty who both, while in good physical condition, preferred to remain looking as feminine as possible. Neither of them enjoyed the idea of well-defined muscles unless they were on the guy they were dating.
Scott watched her make an attempt at a round house, landing hard on her rear end when she should have landed on her feet. She had been having a lot of trouble with that move since before she had come to the Institute and it made him smile every time he saw her attempt it but his smile faded quickly this time when he noticed that she wasn't getting up. Rogue sat on the floor, elbows on the ground between her knees, her head in her hands.
"You need to work on getting more height when you jump," he criticized. She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, looking back at him. "You alright?"
"Ah'm fine," she snapped. "Are you stalkin' me?"
"No." He gave a small chuckle at the idea. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"
She didn't give him a reply just a nasty sideways glance.
"The others wanted me to come and get you, we're all opening presents soon," he explained as cheerfully as he possibly could, then he changed the subject. "Rogue... what happened upstairs? I did touch your skin didn't I?"
She nodded.
"Than why didn't your powers kick in?"
"Ah don't know!" Rogue slammed her fists against the ground, her body trembling. Her confusion was coming out as frustration, as fear, and it made her angry.
Scott walked slowly towards her, gingerly brushing his fingertips against the bare skin of her shoulder. When nothing happened he placed his whole hand on her back. She leaned into his touch, yearning for more, and he knelt down next her.
Her powers did nothing to react to his touch and she burst into tears.
Scott sat with her for several minutes, allowing her to regain control over her emotions.
It was a side of her he had never seen before and every tear that slipped down her cheek caused his heart to ache.
He held her head to his chest, running his fingers through her short, white streaked, auburn hair. Her skin felt like cool satin against his. Her hair was damp, clinging to her face as well as his bare chest. She felt nice against him, soft. He smiled. She smelt great despite the extensive workout she had just put herself through.
Rogue looked up at Scott through her tears, her eyes glowing like the ocean after the passing of a harsh storm, turbulent greens and grays that drew him in.
He slowly leaned closer, licking his lips.
"We should get upstairs," he whispered harshly, reluctantly breaking the hold that had come over him. "Before they send out a search party."
She just nodded, allowing him to help her to her feet, and the two of them went upstairs to join everyone else.
*****
After breakfast almost every one left. Storm drove into the city, taking Jean and her nephew, Evan, to see their parents. Wolverine took Kitty and quite a few of the other kids home and the Professor took Kurt to Germany, planning to stop in Ireland to visit a friend of his there.
Scott and Rogue were left alone with only a few of the other kids scattered around the mansion with nowhere to go for the holidays.
"Ah feel bad 'bout not gettin' anybody anything," Rogue muttered as she fiddled with the sleeve of a sweater Kitty had given her earlier that morning.
"Forget about it Rogue," Scott said. "Nobody cares whether you got them something or not."
"Yeah," she mumbled. "Ah know that."
"Look," Scott started, putting his arm around her shoulder. "It's the thought that counts right?"
Rogue smiled, hiding her blush as she bent to examine the laces on her boots.
The silence became longer, Rogue still examining her feet when Scott decided to make a suggestion. "Let's go to the rink."
"What?"
"Let's go to the ice rink," he said again, receiving a cynical look from Rogue. "It'll be fun."
"I don't know where y'all grew up," Rogue stated. "But down south it ain't no fun to freeze your butt off every time y'all fall down."
Scott laughed then, grabbing Rogues gloved hand, stood and started heading towards the mansion's large multi-cared garage where he kept his Porche.
*****
"See, you've got it," Scott shouted happily over the small din coming from the crowd around him and Rogue. His hands were on her hips as she skated hesitantly across the ice. She had already fallen four times, taking Scott down with her for three of them. Her butt was sore and her fingers were cold but she couldn't help smiling at the dumb look on Scotts face as he managed to let her go and skate past without her falling again.
She got about three feet from where Scott let go when she fell for the fifth time, nearly cracking her skull on the ice. She just laid there, waiting for Scott to help her up again.
"Are you alright?" he asked when he reached her, pulling her to her feet.
"Fine," she assured him. "Can we stop now?"
Scott smiled.
"Yeah."
Scott and Rogue sat on one of the many benches around the rink, drinking steaming cups of hot chocolate and talking about skating when an all too familiar voice interrupted their laughter.
"Hey X-freak!" The voice rose over the small crowd, catching the attention of several passersby.
Todd Tolansky stood between Fed Dukes and Lance Alvers, Pietro Maximoff standing off to one side.
All four of them were approaching the table.
A fight was immanent.
"What do you want Tolansky?" Scott asked as he stood from his seat.
"Nuthin' much Summers," The boy replied, wrapping one arm over Scott's shoulder. "Just wanted to know what ya'll did to us is all."
"What do you mean what we all did to you?" Scott pealed Todd's arm away from his shoulder, letting the boy take it and step away.
"Our powers X-man," Pietro noted, stepping up and slamming his fists against the table. "They ain't workin'."
"So what!" Rogue snapped, standing up.
"Well," Fred spoke up. "Little miss 'I'm too good for them' wants to join the conversation."
"What's happenin' Roguey?" Lance asked snidely.
Both boys closed in on Rogue.
She looked so small.
"Leave her alone!" Scott demanded.
"Oh we will, Summers," Todd promised. "When we're done with her."
Rogue was now the center of attention for all four boys. They had circled around the table, cutting her off from Scott and backing her towards the rink wall.
Fred grabbed her by the neck of her sweater just as she tried to get away, slamming her against the wall. "Where you think you're goin' miss?"
The cracking sound her skull made as it connected with the wall reverberated throughout the building. Rogue was left grasping at what was left of her consciousness.
Scott's anger rose like a demon fire in his belly. A scream burst from his throat as he pulled the sunglasses from his head and opened his eyes. Nothing happened. The optic energy blasts that could have punched a hole through a mountain were gone, like Rogue's power to absorb other people's life force was gone.
He was normal.
He couldn't help her.
"Huh," Todd snorted. "Summers' powers ain't workin' neither."
"That means," Pietro ventured, touching Rogue's cheek with his bare hand. "That neither are hers."
"So, we can touch the untouchable?" Lance asked.
"Apparently so," Pietro answered.
"Cool."
Rogue's eyes widened.
She wasn't completely coherent but she could feel Pietro's skin against her own and she knew what they would do to her now that they could touch her. It had been something they had teased her about when she was one of them... only now it was a serious threat.
She started to tremble, fear finally taking hold within her.
She didn't have her powers to protect her anymore.
Tears burned their way to the surface, streaking down her cheeks as images of what was happening blurred before her eyes.
Scott had taken action, after seeing the looks on the Brotherhood's faces when they found out that Rogue was vulnerable he wasn't going to stand there and watch them hurt her. He closed the distance between himself and Todd quickly, throwing his punch just as the boy turned to face him.
His fist connected with the other boy's jaw and Todd flew to the floor, clutching at his damaged face.
Fred dropped Rogue, turning to attack Scott as the young X-man planted a perfect roundhouse into Lance's chest.
Rogue didn't even think about what she was doing.
Her foot swept out at Fred's feet, knocking them out from under the large boy. He crashed to the floor nearly taking Pietro down with him but Pietro moved out of the way just in time.
That's when Scott grabbed him by the front of his shirt.
"I told you all to leave her alone," he reminded the other boy. "Get your friends and get out of here before I get really mad."
Pietro nodded frantically and Scott let him go.
He knelt beside Rogue, pulling her to her feet.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded, leaning against him as he helped her walk back to his car.
*****
"You sure you're all right?" Scott asked Rogue again as he handed her a towel filled with ice cubes from the freezer. "You hit your head pretty hard."
"Ah'm fine Scott." Rogue took the ice from him and held it against the back of her head. "Ah just got a bit of a headache now is all."
Scott sat down across from her at the table, fiddling with the frames of his sunglasses.
The silence grew thick between them.
It seemed like they had been sitting there for over an hour when Kitty's voice echoed in the hall outside the kitchen.
"You think what happened to you was bad," she shouted. "I walked into the wall... THREE TIMES!"
Arguing voices followed her.
Both Scott and Rogue entered the hall.
Xavier had returned along with everyone else.
Scott look at Rogue as everyone disappeared down the hall to Xavier's study.
"We should tell them about what happened today," he said.
She nodded, still clutching the towel full of ice to the back of her head. "Ah need ta go lay down though, mah head is killin' me."
"I'll tell them."
Scott left Rogue standing alone in the hallway. She felt a pang of guilt as she headed up the stairs to her bedroom. She couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened... what had almost happened. The X-men were powerless and she couldn't help but think that it was all her fault.
*****
"I thought you were lying down."
Scott was sitting on Rogue's bed when she came out of the bathroom.
He had startled her again.
"That's the third time y'all've snuck up on me today," she told him as she walked across the room and tossed her clothes in the hamper that was barely hidden behind the open door of her closet.
She was wrapped in nothing but a hunter green bath sheet, exposing her lithe legs and the pale milky skin of her shoulders.
Scott couldn't keep his eyes from lingering on her muscular legs. He wasn't sure why but her being wrapped in nothing but the towel was beginning to bother him. He felt hot beneath the collar of his crisp button up shirt. Blinking his dark chestnut colored eyes he looked up at her elfin face, free of its usual dark make-up.
She shot him a glance in the mirror on the door, blushing when she realized how intently he was watching her. She looked away from the mirror. Feeling over exposed, she pushed some clothes aside as she casually starting looking for something to wear.
Scott watched, feeling more and more like he shouldn't be there.
After several minutes had pasted and Rogue was unable to find something she wanted to wear she stopped rummaging, looking back in the mirror, curious to see if Scott was still watching her.
He was lying on her bed, his booted feet resting high on her foot board while his head was nestled on her pillows. The ruby quarts sunglasses that he usually wore were back over his eyes. Rogue couldn't tell if they were open or closed so she moved closer to check.
"Scott," she nearly whispered.
He didn't answer.
When she was within arms length of him she reached out to touch his shoulder, wondering why he had lain down and if she really had taken that long looking for clothes. Her slender fingers brushed the crisp cotton of his sleeve.
With lightning speed Scott caught Rogue by the wrist, pulling her onto the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around her smaller form, trapping her, despite her shocked efforts to escape.
He laughed.
She stopped squirming.
Realizing that she was still barely covered, her cheeks turned a tantalizing shade of pink.
"What do y'all think yer doin'?" she exclaimed breathlessly.
Scott shrugged, nuzzling his face into her damp hair.
His lips near her ear he whispered.
"None of the others have any powers either."
Rogue was caught further off guard by the subject. Guilt coursed through her, banishing the excitement that had begun welling within her breast at his sudden interest in her.
Scott could feel the change his words evoked.
"What do you know about our powers, Rogue?" he asked, still whispering in her ear. "What do you know about them being gone?"
"What makes you think Ah know anything?" she asked him, avoiding his question. She pushed away from him, sitting up and adjusting her towel before standing and walking toward the desk on the opposite side of the room.
Scott followed her.
"The way you're acting," he told her. He brushed the hair away from the back of her neck with his fingertips, causing her to shiver.
"Ah don't know nothin'," she insisted.
"Why won't you tell me Rogue?" He sounded hurt. "Why do you insist on lying to everyone? Why are you lying to me?"
"Because y'all will hate me," she blurted.
"That isn't true," he swore, laying his hands on her shoulders.
The feeling of his bare hands on her skin sent chills racing up her legs. She yearned to experience more but her better judgment left her inwardly scolding herself for the childish lack of restraint.
"It's all mah fault," she mumbled under her breath so that Scott could barely hear her.
"What-"
"IT'S MAH FAULT," she screamed, knocking the desk back against the wall in an unexpected outburst of anger and frustration. She tried to pull away from him but he tightened his grip, his fingers leaving red marks on her white skin.
"How is that possible?" he asked, remaining calm.
"Ah wished it," she explained, containing herself from the childish tantrum that echoed inside her head. "Last night."
"That isn't feasible," he told her. "Wishes don't just come true."
"We ain't got our powers now do we?" she asked, her old sarcastic self coming back long enough to scald him for his reasoning.
There was a pause before he spoke again.
"So, we're normal?"
It wasn't the kind of question you answer so Rogue kept her mouth shut. She wouldn't have known how to answer anyway. The flood of guilt brimmed over the surface, threatening to overflow and spill out like a tidal wave she couldn't control. Scott was silent for longer than made her comfortable.
"How long do you think we'll be like this, "he asked, finally breaking the painful silence that had descended between them.
Rogue shrugged her slender shoulders, his hands loosening their grip on her and falling to his sides. The loss of his touch made her skin scream. The red marks left behind by his strong fingers burned. It took all of her strength to keep from turning to him and wrapping her arms around his lean waist. She wanted his touch more than anything in her entire life and the teenager within was screaming for it at the top of her lungs.
But his touch wasn't coming back.
Scott took a few steps away from Rogue and the girl turned to face him, her grey-green eyes glistening in the iridescent light that shone down from the ceiling fan above. Without her dark gothic make-up she looked like a porcelain doll, her skin the color of ivory, her lips a pale pastel pink. She made his breath quicken.
The feelings that erupted within him were confusing.
He had never felt this way about Rogue before.
But now, with their powers suspended, he was drawn to touch her. He had wanted to be near her every minute of the day and when she was gone from the room it felt void of oxygen. It was the way he had always felt about Jean, but she was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment.
He watched Rogue, her eyes brimming with unshed tears and he felt the unyielding urge to comfort her.
He reached out his hand, extending his fingers toward her cheek, but she pulled away in a final act of self-preservation.
This is foolish, she chided herself as she ducked around him and moved towards her bed. She blinked back the childish tears that threatened to stain her cheeks, running a shaky hand through her snow white bangs before turning back to face Scott.
He hadn't moved.
"Y'all should leave now," she said, defying the teenager that protested loudly deep within her skull.
Scott looked dumbstruck.
"What if I don't want to leave," he asked.
"Y'all ain't got no choice," she told him. She sauntered over to the door of her room and pulled it open, signaling for him to go.
Scott bowed his head, slowly walking toward the open door, avoiding Rogue's withering gaze. What had he done wrong? She hadn't protested when he had been cuddling her on the bed. Had he said something to upset her?
"Rogue," he started, unsure of his own voice. "I'm sorry."
"Just go," she told him, shaking her head as she moved to close the door behind him.
He couldn't breathe; it felt like a vise had a hold of his chest and was squeezing the air out of him. He turned, his eyes pleading for Rogue not to shut him out but the door was already more than half closed.
Anger struck him like a blast from one of the robots in the Danger room and he struck out at the closing door, knocking Rogue back a step as he re-entered the room. Determination spurred him forward as he grabbed Rogue around the waist and pulled her against him. He forced his lips against hers, eliciting a stifled protest that faded quickly as she seemed to melt against him.
His lips burned against hers.
They stumbled backwards, falling onto the bed.
The impact jarred Rogue's eyes open and she saw an empty room. It was dark and she was lying on her back in bed, the covers pulled up just beneath her breasts. She rolled onto her side to see the glowing red digital numbers on her alarm cloak as they struck 12:32am. She blinked, trying to clear her head of the confusing mists of slumber. The realization that the day had been a dream struck her hard, causing her eyes to burn as tears started streaking across her cheeks coming to rest on her pillow.
Rogue cried for an hour before lifting her trembling body out of bed.
She moved toward the desk where her robe hung on the back of a chair, donning it she pulled a pair of gloves out of the pockets and headed out of the room towards the Danger Room and an invigorating workout.
By Kaslin Mortaine
The Christmas pageant ended with a roar from the crowd.
The music died under the din of yells, whistles, and clapping.
The lights in the auditorium went up and the audience stood from their seats, applauding, as the cast came back on stage for their final bow.
No one noticed the young woman standing near the doors; they were all to busy cheering for their children, their children's children, their friend's children and their friends.
She was invisible to them.
She stood alone in the shadows cast by the auditorium lights, hidden from sight. She pulled her jacket closer, trying to keep herself warm, the sleeves and her thick leather gloves muffling the gentle sound of her clap. She had come to see the play for one reason.
Scott Summers had played the part of Joseph in the Bayville Christmas Pageant, and now he stood on stage with his friends Jean Gray, Kitty Pryde, Kurt Wagner, Evan Daniels, and Sam Gunthry. There were a few more students standing with them, but they were the stars of the show. Jean had made a beautiful angel, and Kitty had played the Virgin Mary. Kurt, Evan and Sam had played the three wise men, an extremely comical sight in the eyes of the crowd.
It had been a beautiful play.
He even thought he had seen Storm wipe a tear from her eye half way through the performance.
Scott could name almost everyone in the audience and their next of kin, but there had been one particular person he had been hoping he would see that night. He had asked her to come, but so far he hadn't seen her. He had asked her to come to the first performance.
She hadn't....
His eyes scanned the audience once more, making sure not to miss a face when he caught a glimpse of a forest green trench coat. There was a pale face hidden beneath the hood, gloved hands pressed over the small mouth. Gray-green eyes stared back at him from the shadows and he could feel her watching him. He thought it odd that he knew the exact shade of her eyes. He knew he had never seen the color clearly through his ruby quartz sunglasses, but he still knew the exact tint of green… the precise complement of gray.
His smile broadened.
'Rogue....'
She had joined the X-men last winter. It had been a bitter confrontation between Mystic and Rogue that turned into a serious battle for his life. Rogue had saved him.
Scott felt a part of himself that was drawn to her. She was withdrawn, solemn. He liked that. She was easy to relate to. Their conversations had been comfortable, almost flirtatious at times, until recently.
His smile faded.
Rogue could feel Scott's eyes on her; it was an uncomfortable feeling that sent chills up her spine. He knew she was there. She shivered despite the warmth generated by the multitude of people in the auditorium.
She pulled her jacket tighter, waved good-bye to Scott, and then disappeared into the night.
*****
Snow fell from the sky in soft fat flakes, covering the ground in a blanket of frosty white.
It turned Bayville into a beautiful winter wonderland.
The only thing that disturbed the dense white powder was a single trail of footprints.
Rogue was walking home.
She gripped the edges of her hood with one gloved hand the other shoved deep inside a pocket as she trudged through the deepening snow banks.
The wind was blistering as it swept past her, tugging at her trench coat mercilessly.
She couldn't help but smile at herself. She could have ridden home with her teammates but she had decided to be stubborn, going out of her way to make them all think she wasn't going to go to the pageant and then walking home in a snow storm when at least one of them had seen her at the auditorium.
No one was going to turn their back on her; they were there to help, but she still felt like she was the only person in the entire world.
No one understood her powers.
No one could understand what she went through each and every day. All of the voices she had to deal with inside of her head. All she wanted was silence.
Rogue stopped walking and looked up into the night sky.
"All ah ask… wish. All ah WISH for is to be normal," she shouted. Snow fell in silent flakes, one of them hitting her on the forehead and then quickly melting away. "For just one day! That's all ah'm asking. Please... ah just wanna be normal."
Silence answered her.
She stood there a while longer, staring up into the bright gray clouds.
Her eyes drifted shut as she stood, letting the snow surround her, letting the wind pull her jacket open. It caressed her through her clothing, its icy fingers brushing her cheeks, pulling at her white streaked auburn hair.
It was the only touch she was allowed.
The wind was the only lover she knew, and she assumed it would be the only one she would ever know. She opened her eyes and stared up at the sky again; shaking her head she resumed walking.
It was past 1:oo am when Rogue arrived at the mansion's front door. She had gotten sidetracked and walked in the opposite direction for an hour before realizing she was going the wrong way. Cursing at herself for not paying attention and losing so much time she crept through the mansion's large double doors.
Kurt Wagner exited the kitchen with a glass of milk in one hand and a plate of cookies in the other. He turned when the front door opened, and froze when he saw a human shaped snowball standing in the doorway.
For once in his life he was at a loss for words as he watched the snowball shake, loads of powder falling to the floor. He stood there as Rogue took off her jacket, hanging it on the coat rack, and closed the front door.
"Howdy Kurt," she said as she walked past him toward the stairs.
In response to her hello Kurt teleported from the hallway with a 'phwamp', leaving behind the familiar smell of sulfur, ash and brimstone, and re- appeared on the couch, next to Kitty, in the R.E.C. room were everyone else waited.
"AHHH!!!" Kitty fell through the back of the couch, hitting her head on the floor. "Would you mind NOT doing that?!"
"Sorry Katzchen," Kurt apologized in his natural German accent, turning his attention to the rest of the group. "Rogue has returned."
'Rogue, please report to the R.E.C. room.'
Rogue stopped just short of the top of the stairs. Xavier's voice had been loud and clear, echoing in her head. He did not sound happy, she thought to herself. "Ah think ah'm in trouble."
She turned on her heel and proceeded in descending the stairs.
As soon as the door to the R.E.C. room door swung open Scott was on his feet. "Where have you been?!"
"Scott," Jean interjected coolly. "Relax."
"Yes Scott," Xavier said. "Please, sit back down."
Scott plopped himself back on the couch between Jean and Kurt.
Rogue looked around the room.
Storm stood behind Xavier, Kitty sat in a chair next to the pool table where Evan and Sam had a game going. Jean sat on one side of Scott, Kurt on the other happily munching on a cookie, and Wolverine sat in a nice looking recliner drinking a beer, Raine curled, in her bestial form, at his feet.
Everyone else had already gone to bed.
One happy family, she thought to herself. "What's goin' on?"
"Do you know what time it is, Rogue?" Xavier asked her, his tone flat.
She shot a glance at the clock on the V.C.R.
"A quarter tah two," she answered.
"Where have you been?"
"Out."
Rogue knew that Xavier would not invade her mind for an answer, even if he could. She did not have to give him a response, not if he trusted her. Her eyebrow lifted in speculation.
"Why do y'all ask?"
"We were simply worried child," Storm responded, her voice filled with motherly empathy. "We did not know of your whereabouts."
Rogue nodded.
"Why don'tcha tell us next time your gonna go 'out', or at least leave us a note so's we don't worry," Logan growled over his beer can. He stood from his seat, mumbling something about going to bed, and then left the room.
"I think he's got the right idea," Kitty said, yawning. "I'm goin' to bed too."
"Yah," Kurt agreed, still munching on his cookie. "It has been a long day and we all have to get up early tomorrow."
"Speak for yourself fuzzy," Kitty argued as the two walked out of the room. "Tomorrow's Christmas morning, I'm sleeping in."
Storm excused herself and left for bed as well.
Evan, Raine, and Sam followed shortly after.
"You three should do the same," Xavier said, directing his attention to Scott, Jean and Rogue as he left the room.
The three ascended the stairs together, parting ways at the top. Scott went down one hall and the girls turned to another, heading for their rooms.
"So," Jean started. "You like the play?"
Rogue gave her a sideways glance, not answering the question.
"I noticed you went to all three performances," Jean went on. "I didn't really like the fact that it had to be on the weekend. I was really looking forward to seeing my family tonight, but thanks to the play I was too busy."
"Yeah," Rogue responded, attempting to shut the girl up. "Bummer."
"You never told me if you liked the play or not."
Rogue opened the door to her room, glancing over at Jean's door where the red head waited for a reply.
"Ah'm taking a shower," Rogue informed her, walking into the room and shutting the door.
She never answered Jean's question.
*****
Scott woke the next morning around 6:00 am.
He rose from his bed, unable to get back to sleep, and threw a robe on over his bare shoulders.
He descended the stairs, planning on making a cup of hot chocolate, and headed for the kitchen. When he reached it there was already a kettle on the stove. He could smell the aroma of chocolate in the air.
"Someone beat me to it," he said out loud, pouring himself a cup and then heading for the living room.
He entered the room, stopping to admire the Christmas tree, and noticed Rogue sitting on the windowsill behind it.
She was almost completely concealed by the tree.
She turned on the tree's lights, he told himself as the glittering lights pulled at the corners of his consciousness.
She hadn't noticed him.
She wore a pair of black sweatpants and a hunter green sports bra; it was something he had seen her in when she trained, exposing deadly flesh in what she thought was the privacy of an empty room, her robe sitting on the chair next to where he stood, her gloves tucked into one of the oversized pockets.
Her delicate looking hands held between them a steaming mug, which she brought to her lips whenever she recalled its presence. Her hair was drenched with sweat, her snowy bangs clinging to her brow. A light rose colored her cheeks; Scott couldn't tell if it was because she had just finished working out or if she was cold.
She stared out the window with a faraway look in her eyes, humming Silent Night under her breath, singing the words only when she remembered them.
She was a thousand miles away, completely oblivious to his presence.
"Good morning…"
Rogue nearly fell from where she sat.
"How long you been standin' there?" she asked him, accusingly.
"Just a few seconds," he reassured her. "How long have you been awake?"
"Just a few hours," she replied, mocking his previous answer.
He smiled. "You cold?"
"Nope." It was her turn to reassure him.
"Good work out then?"
"You could say that."
Scott moved closer to the window, stopping just short of where she sat. The two of them watched as the sky started turning colors with the rising of the sun. It turned a deep purple, than a lighter blue, and finally a fiery orange that was mimicked by the blanket of snow that covered the landscape.
"Beautiful," Rogue whispered, barely audible to Scott.
"Definitely," he agreed, smiling down at her.
Both of them took a sip from their mugs and then Rogue sighed.
"Marry Christmas Scott," she said, looking up at him, then quickly looking back out the window.
She seemed hesitant to lock eyes with him.
"Same to you," he replied. "I got you something."
He walked back to the tree, returning to her side with a small colorfully wrapped package in his hand.
"You shouldn't 'uve," she scolded. "I ain't got nothin' for you."
"I never expected you to get me anything," he said, placing the package in her lap. "Open it."
"What 'bout Jean," Rogue asked.
"Just open it," he insisted, choosing not to think about Jean at the moment.
Rogue pulled the paper off, careful not to rip any of it, and opened the tiny box. Inside sat a glittering gold chain with a charm that said 'ANGEL'.
"I ain't no angel."
"So you've said once before."
"Than why-"
"Because you've helped me out of more than one jam and you've saved my life on a number of accounts," he explained. "Sometimes a guy starts to wonder."
Her eyes remained fixed on the necklace.
"Thanx."
He pulled the piece of jewelry from the box, opening the clasp, and wrapped it around her neck. "B'careful," she warned. He re-hooked the clasp than laid her hair back over it, coming around to face her.
"It looks great on you." Scott swore he saw Rogue blush and it made his smile that much brighter.
"Good morning mein fraunds!" Kurt's voice entered the room long before he did, followed by the voices of several others.
"Look's like everybody else is up," Rogue stated blandly.
"Yup," Scott agreed.
Rogue stood from her seat, preparing to leave the room. She took a step forward and her foot caught on the electrical cord of the Christmas tree lights.
She stumbled.
Scott instinctively caught her by the arm.
Skin met skin and neither of them moved.
Scott waited for the initial shock of electricity that came with her touch. Rogue waited for his memories to flood into her mind and him to drop to the floor completely unconscious. When nothing happened they both stood there in total amazement, staring at his hand on her bare arm.
"Is it just me or did nothing happen?" Rogue couldn't answer, her voice had escaped her for the first time in her memory.
Kurt and Evan entered the room in a flurry of noise.
Scott and Rogue moved apart before the two boys noticed anything out of the ordinary.
"Good morning all," Evan bellowed when he spotted them. "And how are you two this fine Christmas morning?"
"We were enjoying the silence," Scott replied, irritation thick in his voice.
Rogue quickly exited the room, grabbing her robe and giving Scott a disturbing glance over her shoulder as she disappeared beyond the doorway.
"Rogue wait!" Scott called after her. "Thanks a lot guys, you just…"
"What's the matter with you Scott," Evan asked. "You're acting like we interrupted a Kodak moment between you and little miss cold shoulder."
"Shut up Evan," Scott snapped.
"Morning Scott," Jean crooned, entering the room with a tray, several mugs sitting precariously on it. "What's the matter?"
"Apparently Scott's mad at Kurt and me for existing," Evan informed her.
"We are sorry," Kurt began. "If we-"
"Forget it guys," Scott assured them. "It's alright."
Storm and Wolverine were the next to enter the room. Storm gave everyone a cheerful good-morning, hugging each in turn, while Wolverine merely mumbled, taking one of the mugs from Jean's tray as she set it on the coffee table. Xavier entered next, followed shortly after by Kitty who complained about all the noise. Scott found himself agreeing with her.
"So," Kitty started. "Are we, like, going to open presents or what?"
"Rogue's not here," Jean stated.
"I'll go get her," Scott declared, leaving the room almost as quickly as Rogue had a few moments before.
Scott found Rogue in the Danger Room.
The program that was running was that of a dojo somewhere in the heart of ancient Japan. Rogue had been studying the martial arts since she had found out that she was a mutant. At first it was so that she could fight against the X-men, Mystique's idea, but she had rarely fought them then and now she was on their side.
Her powers were to absorb the life force of others but she refused to use it when training and she did not like using it against her enemies unless there was no other alternative. Martial arts centered her mind when she fought and it kept her from having to use her powers all of the time.
Scott watched as she moved, her motions fluid and constant.
He hadn't noticed before, but she was extremely well defined. Her arms were solid, abdomen carved into a perfect six-pack, shoulders showing incredible strength.
She was the exact opposite of Jean and Kitty who both, while in good physical condition, preferred to remain looking as feminine as possible. Neither of them enjoyed the idea of well-defined muscles unless they were on the guy they were dating.
Scott watched her make an attempt at a round house, landing hard on her rear end when she should have landed on her feet. She had been having a lot of trouble with that move since before she had come to the Institute and it made him smile every time he saw her attempt it but his smile faded quickly this time when he noticed that she wasn't getting up. Rogue sat on the floor, elbows on the ground between her knees, her head in her hands.
"You need to work on getting more height when you jump," he criticized. She jumped slightly at the sound of his voice, looking back at him. "You alright?"
"Ah'm fine," she snapped. "Are you stalkin' me?"
"No." He gave a small chuckle at the idea. "What kind of guy do you think I am?"
She didn't give him a reply just a nasty sideways glance.
"The others wanted me to come and get you, we're all opening presents soon," he explained as cheerfully as he possibly could, then he changed the subject. "Rogue... what happened upstairs? I did touch your skin didn't I?"
She nodded.
"Than why didn't your powers kick in?"
"Ah don't know!" Rogue slammed her fists against the ground, her body trembling. Her confusion was coming out as frustration, as fear, and it made her angry.
Scott walked slowly towards her, gingerly brushing his fingertips against the bare skin of her shoulder. When nothing happened he placed his whole hand on her back. She leaned into his touch, yearning for more, and he knelt down next her.
Her powers did nothing to react to his touch and she burst into tears.
Scott sat with her for several minutes, allowing her to regain control over her emotions.
It was a side of her he had never seen before and every tear that slipped down her cheek caused his heart to ache.
He held her head to his chest, running his fingers through her short, white streaked, auburn hair. Her skin felt like cool satin against his. Her hair was damp, clinging to her face as well as his bare chest. She felt nice against him, soft. He smiled. She smelt great despite the extensive workout she had just put herself through.
Rogue looked up at Scott through her tears, her eyes glowing like the ocean after the passing of a harsh storm, turbulent greens and grays that drew him in.
He slowly leaned closer, licking his lips.
"We should get upstairs," he whispered harshly, reluctantly breaking the hold that had come over him. "Before they send out a search party."
She just nodded, allowing him to help her to her feet, and the two of them went upstairs to join everyone else.
*****
After breakfast almost every one left. Storm drove into the city, taking Jean and her nephew, Evan, to see their parents. Wolverine took Kitty and quite a few of the other kids home and the Professor took Kurt to Germany, planning to stop in Ireland to visit a friend of his there.
Scott and Rogue were left alone with only a few of the other kids scattered around the mansion with nowhere to go for the holidays.
"Ah feel bad 'bout not gettin' anybody anything," Rogue muttered as she fiddled with the sleeve of a sweater Kitty had given her earlier that morning.
"Forget about it Rogue," Scott said. "Nobody cares whether you got them something or not."
"Yeah," she mumbled. "Ah know that."
"Look," Scott started, putting his arm around her shoulder. "It's the thought that counts right?"
Rogue smiled, hiding her blush as she bent to examine the laces on her boots.
The silence became longer, Rogue still examining her feet when Scott decided to make a suggestion. "Let's go to the rink."
"What?"
"Let's go to the ice rink," he said again, receiving a cynical look from Rogue. "It'll be fun."
"I don't know where y'all grew up," Rogue stated. "But down south it ain't no fun to freeze your butt off every time y'all fall down."
Scott laughed then, grabbing Rogues gloved hand, stood and started heading towards the mansion's large multi-cared garage where he kept his Porche.
*****
"See, you've got it," Scott shouted happily over the small din coming from the crowd around him and Rogue. His hands were on her hips as she skated hesitantly across the ice. She had already fallen four times, taking Scott down with her for three of them. Her butt was sore and her fingers were cold but she couldn't help smiling at the dumb look on Scotts face as he managed to let her go and skate past without her falling again.
She got about three feet from where Scott let go when she fell for the fifth time, nearly cracking her skull on the ice. She just laid there, waiting for Scott to help her up again.
"Are you alright?" he asked when he reached her, pulling her to her feet.
"Fine," she assured him. "Can we stop now?"
Scott smiled.
"Yeah."
Scott and Rogue sat on one of the many benches around the rink, drinking steaming cups of hot chocolate and talking about skating when an all too familiar voice interrupted their laughter.
"Hey X-freak!" The voice rose over the small crowd, catching the attention of several passersby.
Todd Tolansky stood between Fed Dukes and Lance Alvers, Pietro Maximoff standing off to one side.
All four of them were approaching the table.
A fight was immanent.
"What do you want Tolansky?" Scott asked as he stood from his seat.
"Nuthin' much Summers," The boy replied, wrapping one arm over Scott's shoulder. "Just wanted to know what ya'll did to us is all."
"What do you mean what we all did to you?" Scott pealed Todd's arm away from his shoulder, letting the boy take it and step away.
"Our powers X-man," Pietro noted, stepping up and slamming his fists against the table. "They ain't workin'."
"So what!" Rogue snapped, standing up.
"Well," Fred spoke up. "Little miss 'I'm too good for them' wants to join the conversation."
"What's happenin' Roguey?" Lance asked snidely.
Both boys closed in on Rogue.
She looked so small.
"Leave her alone!" Scott demanded.
"Oh we will, Summers," Todd promised. "When we're done with her."
Rogue was now the center of attention for all four boys. They had circled around the table, cutting her off from Scott and backing her towards the rink wall.
Fred grabbed her by the neck of her sweater just as she tried to get away, slamming her against the wall. "Where you think you're goin' miss?"
The cracking sound her skull made as it connected with the wall reverberated throughout the building. Rogue was left grasping at what was left of her consciousness.
Scott's anger rose like a demon fire in his belly. A scream burst from his throat as he pulled the sunglasses from his head and opened his eyes. Nothing happened. The optic energy blasts that could have punched a hole through a mountain were gone, like Rogue's power to absorb other people's life force was gone.
He was normal.
He couldn't help her.
"Huh," Todd snorted. "Summers' powers ain't workin' neither."
"That means," Pietro ventured, touching Rogue's cheek with his bare hand. "That neither are hers."
"So, we can touch the untouchable?" Lance asked.
"Apparently so," Pietro answered.
"Cool."
Rogue's eyes widened.
She wasn't completely coherent but she could feel Pietro's skin against her own and she knew what they would do to her now that they could touch her. It had been something they had teased her about when she was one of them... only now it was a serious threat.
She started to tremble, fear finally taking hold within her.
She didn't have her powers to protect her anymore.
Tears burned their way to the surface, streaking down her cheeks as images of what was happening blurred before her eyes.
Scott had taken action, after seeing the looks on the Brotherhood's faces when they found out that Rogue was vulnerable he wasn't going to stand there and watch them hurt her. He closed the distance between himself and Todd quickly, throwing his punch just as the boy turned to face him.
His fist connected with the other boy's jaw and Todd flew to the floor, clutching at his damaged face.
Fred dropped Rogue, turning to attack Scott as the young X-man planted a perfect roundhouse into Lance's chest.
Rogue didn't even think about what she was doing.
Her foot swept out at Fred's feet, knocking them out from under the large boy. He crashed to the floor nearly taking Pietro down with him but Pietro moved out of the way just in time.
That's when Scott grabbed him by the front of his shirt.
"I told you all to leave her alone," he reminded the other boy. "Get your friends and get out of here before I get really mad."
Pietro nodded frantically and Scott let him go.
He knelt beside Rogue, pulling her to her feet.
"Are you all right?" he asked.
She nodded, leaning against him as he helped her walk back to his car.
*****
"You sure you're all right?" Scott asked Rogue again as he handed her a towel filled with ice cubes from the freezer. "You hit your head pretty hard."
"Ah'm fine Scott." Rogue took the ice from him and held it against the back of her head. "Ah just got a bit of a headache now is all."
Scott sat down across from her at the table, fiddling with the frames of his sunglasses.
The silence grew thick between them.
It seemed like they had been sitting there for over an hour when Kitty's voice echoed in the hall outside the kitchen.
"You think what happened to you was bad," she shouted. "I walked into the wall... THREE TIMES!"
Arguing voices followed her.
Both Scott and Rogue entered the hall.
Xavier had returned along with everyone else.
Scott look at Rogue as everyone disappeared down the hall to Xavier's study.
"We should tell them about what happened today," he said.
She nodded, still clutching the towel full of ice to the back of her head. "Ah need ta go lay down though, mah head is killin' me."
"I'll tell them."
Scott left Rogue standing alone in the hallway. She felt a pang of guilt as she headed up the stairs to her bedroom. She couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened... what had almost happened. The X-men were powerless and she couldn't help but think that it was all her fault.
*****
"I thought you were lying down."
Scott was sitting on Rogue's bed when she came out of the bathroom.
He had startled her again.
"That's the third time y'all've snuck up on me today," she told him as she walked across the room and tossed her clothes in the hamper that was barely hidden behind the open door of her closet.
She was wrapped in nothing but a hunter green bath sheet, exposing her lithe legs and the pale milky skin of her shoulders.
Scott couldn't keep his eyes from lingering on her muscular legs. He wasn't sure why but her being wrapped in nothing but the towel was beginning to bother him. He felt hot beneath the collar of his crisp button up shirt. Blinking his dark chestnut colored eyes he looked up at her elfin face, free of its usual dark make-up.
She shot him a glance in the mirror on the door, blushing when she realized how intently he was watching her. She looked away from the mirror. Feeling over exposed, she pushed some clothes aside as she casually starting looking for something to wear.
Scott watched, feeling more and more like he shouldn't be there.
After several minutes had pasted and Rogue was unable to find something she wanted to wear she stopped rummaging, looking back in the mirror, curious to see if Scott was still watching her.
He was lying on her bed, his booted feet resting high on her foot board while his head was nestled on her pillows. The ruby quarts sunglasses that he usually wore were back over his eyes. Rogue couldn't tell if they were open or closed so she moved closer to check.
"Scott," she nearly whispered.
He didn't answer.
When she was within arms length of him she reached out to touch his shoulder, wondering why he had lain down and if she really had taken that long looking for clothes. Her slender fingers brushed the crisp cotton of his sleeve.
With lightning speed Scott caught Rogue by the wrist, pulling her onto the bed beside him. He wrapped his arms around her smaller form, trapping her, despite her shocked efforts to escape.
He laughed.
She stopped squirming.
Realizing that she was still barely covered, her cheeks turned a tantalizing shade of pink.
"What do y'all think yer doin'?" she exclaimed breathlessly.
Scott shrugged, nuzzling his face into her damp hair.
His lips near her ear he whispered.
"None of the others have any powers either."
Rogue was caught further off guard by the subject. Guilt coursed through her, banishing the excitement that had begun welling within her breast at his sudden interest in her.
Scott could feel the change his words evoked.
"What do you know about our powers, Rogue?" he asked, still whispering in her ear. "What do you know about them being gone?"
"What makes you think Ah know anything?" she asked him, avoiding his question. She pushed away from him, sitting up and adjusting her towel before standing and walking toward the desk on the opposite side of the room.
Scott followed her.
"The way you're acting," he told her. He brushed the hair away from the back of her neck with his fingertips, causing her to shiver.
"Ah don't know nothin'," she insisted.
"Why won't you tell me Rogue?" He sounded hurt. "Why do you insist on lying to everyone? Why are you lying to me?"
"Because y'all will hate me," she blurted.
"That isn't true," he swore, laying his hands on her shoulders.
The feeling of his bare hands on her skin sent chills racing up her legs. She yearned to experience more but her better judgment left her inwardly scolding herself for the childish lack of restraint.
"It's all mah fault," she mumbled under her breath so that Scott could barely hear her.
"What-"
"IT'S MAH FAULT," she screamed, knocking the desk back against the wall in an unexpected outburst of anger and frustration. She tried to pull away from him but he tightened his grip, his fingers leaving red marks on her white skin.
"How is that possible?" he asked, remaining calm.
"Ah wished it," she explained, containing herself from the childish tantrum that echoed inside her head. "Last night."
"That isn't feasible," he told her. "Wishes don't just come true."
"We ain't got our powers now do we?" she asked, her old sarcastic self coming back long enough to scald him for his reasoning.
There was a pause before he spoke again.
"So, we're normal?"
It wasn't the kind of question you answer so Rogue kept her mouth shut. She wouldn't have known how to answer anyway. The flood of guilt brimmed over the surface, threatening to overflow and spill out like a tidal wave she couldn't control. Scott was silent for longer than made her comfortable.
"How long do you think we'll be like this, "he asked, finally breaking the painful silence that had descended between them.
Rogue shrugged her slender shoulders, his hands loosening their grip on her and falling to his sides. The loss of his touch made her skin scream. The red marks left behind by his strong fingers burned. It took all of her strength to keep from turning to him and wrapping her arms around his lean waist. She wanted his touch more than anything in her entire life and the teenager within was screaming for it at the top of her lungs.
But his touch wasn't coming back.
Scott took a few steps away from Rogue and the girl turned to face him, her grey-green eyes glistening in the iridescent light that shone down from the ceiling fan above. Without her dark gothic make-up she looked like a porcelain doll, her skin the color of ivory, her lips a pale pastel pink. She made his breath quicken.
The feelings that erupted within him were confusing.
He had never felt this way about Rogue before.
But now, with their powers suspended, he was drawn to touch her. He had wanted to be near her every minute of the day and when she was gone from the room it felt void of oxygen. It was the way he had always felt about Jean, but she was the farthest thing from his mind at the moment.
He watched Rogue, her eyes brimming with unshed tears and he felt the unyielding urge to comfort her.
He reached out his hand, extending his fingers toward her cheek, but she pulled away in a final act of self-preservation.
This is foolish, she chided herself as she ducked around him and moved towards her bed. She blinked back the childish tears that threatened to stain her cheeks, running a shaky hand through her snow white bangs before turning back to face Scott.
He hadn't moved.
"Y'all should leave now," she said, defying the teenager that protested loudly deep within her skull.
Scott looked dumbstruck.
"What if I don't want to leave," he asked.
"Y'all ain't got no choice," she told him. She sauntered over to the door of her room and pulled it open, signaling for him to go.
Scott bowed his head, slowly walking toward the open door, avoiding Rogue's withering gaze. What had he done wrong? She hadn't protested when he had been cuddling her on the bed. Had he said something to upset her?
"Rogue," he started, unsure of his own voice. "I'm sorry."
"Just go," she told him, shaking her head as she moved to close the door behind him.
He couldn't breathe; it felt like a vise had a hold of his chest and was squeezing the air out of him. He turned, his eyes pleading for Rogue not to shut him out but the door was already more than half closed.
Anger struck him like a blast from one of the robots in the Danger room and he struck out at the closing door, knocking Rogue back a step as he re-entered the room. Determination spurred him forward as he grabbed Rogue around the waist and pulled her against him. He forced his lips against hers, eliciting a stifled protest that faded quickly as she seemed to melt against him.
His lips burned against hers.
They stumbled backwards, falling onto the bed.
The impact jarred Rogue's eyes open and she saw an empty room. It was dark and she was lying on her back in bed, the covers pulled up just beneath her breasts. She rolled onto her side to see the glowing red digital numbers on her alarm cloak as they struck 12:32am. She blinked, trying to clear her head of the confusing mists of slumber. The realization that the day had been a dream struck her hard, causing her eyes to burn as tears started streaking across her cheeks coming to rest on her pillow.
Rogue cried for an hour before lifting her trembling body out of bed.
She moved toward the desk where her robe hung on the back of a chair, donning it she pulled a pair of gloves out of the pockets and headed out of the room towards the Danger Room and an invigorating workout.