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Disclaimer: Gambit stole the disclaimer. He just hates them so much.

Rogue spent the next several days torn between euphoria and panic. She managed to escape school every lunchtime and spent them with Pietro, and they got together every evening. Two lunchtimes the Brotherhood house had been empty and they'd gone directly to bed. One evening Pietro had bribed the rest of the Brotherhood to go out for a couple of hours and they'd spent that short time in bed too. She couldn't recall ever being so happy or feeling so close to anyone.

            The panic came mostly from waiting to be found out. She'd been half an hour late to Lit after a tryst with Pietro, a class she shared with Scott. Her teacher had believed her claim of illness. Scott hadn't. He'd gone ballistic about mutants showing others that they could be responsible. She'd lost her temper, made a few sarcastic remarks to him and now the team leader was pissed at her. Kitty still wasn't talking to her. Kurt was on her back about confiding in him, trying to get her involved in his 'happy families' scenario. And while she trusted the Professor not to read her mind, that trust did not extend to Jean, who she was trying to avoid. It was only a matter of time before some one lost patience with her and decided to find out what was going on.

            They had a reason to be suspicious.

            She couldn't deny it to herself anymore, no matter how much she tried to – the serum didn't wholly control her powers. Every single time she and Pietro had skin contact, she took on more of his personality and memories. She'd never realised how impatient he was until she had his mannerisms. Everything seemed so slow these days. Because she had absorbed many of his thoughts, she knew he liked her, but now she knew what he thought of her friends. Not much. When it came to personal observations, Pietro could be brutally honest and HIS opinions had been coming out of HER mouth.

            She was scared of Magneto now. Before, she'd been nervous of him, intimidated, mostly because Mystique had been so edgy around him and Mystique was never scared of anyone. But Pietro was afraid of him, father or not, afraid of what might happen to anyone who opposed the Master of Magnetism, himself included. It didn't matter how well he'd kept it hidden; now Rogue had her boyfriends' resentment and dread of his father. On the other hand, he didn't consider Mystique much of a threat, which was fine for him to feel, but potentially dangerous for her.

            Pietro himself seemed unharmed by her taking on his memories – but how could she be sure? She might be doing him permanent damage. He had to have noticed her change in attitude by now, but whenever he brought up the serum she dismissed his concerns, told him there was no problem and changed the subject. He never pressured her about it, but his questions were becoming more insistent. It wouldn't be too long before he asked her straight out what was happening to her and he wasn't going to like the answer, or the solution.

            The obvious thing – the only thing – was to stop taking the serum, cover her skin up, never touch Pietro again…

            She couldn't do it. There was no way she could go back to being covered from head to toe and keeping her distance from the rest of humanity. Not when there was an alternative. And if the only person being hurt was her – well, she could live with that.

                                    *************************

            "Wanna go out tomorrow night?" asked Pietro, running his hand down Rogues back as she lay on the bed. She wore a halter neck and he was still surprised and pleased when he was able to make skin contact with her. "The Brotherhood's having a night in with a pile of action movies. Unless you're into spies blowing shit up, there's nothing doing here."

            "Fond as ah am of explosions and violence, ah'd rather not." Rogue rolled over, Pietro's touch was tickling her. "Ah'm already getting the evil eye off those guys!"

            "If you want explosions and violence, let's go to the arcade!" Pietro's eyes lit up at the thought. "I rule at 'House of the Dead'!"

            "Ah can kick your ass at that game any day."

            "No way! I'm way too fast for a bunch of zombies!"

            "Yeah, but you're a crap aim."

            "Am not!"

            Rogue laughed at his indignation and Pietro grinned back, but inwardly, he was worried. His girlfriend was different since she'd been taking the serum and he'd started getting a bad feeling about what was happening to her. Every time he mentioned the serum, she insisted it worked fine and there were no side effects. What was he supposed to say? Hey Rogue, have you noticed you're turning into me?

            "Ah'll bring a ton of quarters," she said smugly. "You'll need 'em!"

            "You're going down, Goth girl!" yelled Pietro and hit her with a pillow. She retaliated with another and soon they were laid in a laughing heap on the floor with feathers floating down around them.

                                    *****************************

            Ah'm in deep shit.

            Rogue stood miserably in the middle of the Danger Room, splattered with orange paint and painfully aware of the other X-Men watching her as she received a lecture.

            "What made you think you could outrun it?" growled Logan, looking unbelievably pissed off. "Why didn't you dodge it? You've never tried something that stupid before."

            "Ah'm sorry, ah just … acted on instinct."

            "Those 'instincts' are gonna get you killed in a battle situation." Logan regarded her through narrowed eyes and softened a little when he saw her dejected expression. "OK, we'll do it again tomorrow." There were groans of complaint from the others. "All of you! No arguments."

            The X-Men trailed out of the room, muttering and shooting poisonous glances at Rogue, who looked at her feet and started to follow them.

            "Not so fast Stripes." Logan put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

            "Yeah, ah'm fine! Ah just messed up!"

            "Uh-huh. And I'm the tooth fairy." Logan paused for a moment. "Have you…absorbed anyone lately?"

            Rogue spun around, eyes blazing. "Ah cannot believe that you of all people would ask me that!"

            "You've not been yourself –"

            "So ah must be some one else?" Rogue laughed bitterly. Ah AM myself. Ah haven't used mah powers on anyone since Beast at the training session and ah never will again. So y'can stop worrying about me and GET OFF MAH BACK!" With that she stormed out, leaving Wolverine stunned.

                                    ******************************

            "C'mon Kitty, it'll be fun!" Tabitha sat on the end of Kitty's bed and bounced a couple of times. "The boys're gonna see a movie – 'Bikini Vampire Sluts Blow Shit Up Part Two' or something – so we can have a proper girls night, it'll be a blast! Just the Bayville Sirens, whaddya say?"

            "We'll be one short," pointed out Kitty.

            "Who, Rogue?" Jean rolled her eyes. "Forget about her. If she doesn't want to come out with us, that's her problem."

            "I guess so."

            Amara picked up a luminous pink stuffed gorilla from Kitty's shelf and eyed it, vaguely disturbed. "This is horrible. So, where should we go?"
            "Maybe we could – "  Jean broke off as Rogue entered the bedroom. "Hi Rogue. Want to come out with us tonight?"

            "Can't. Busy." Rogue sauntered over to the dresser and began searching through it.

            "OK then," replied Jean, a smile on her face. She hadn't read Rogues mind, but she'd let her psychic shields down a little and one word –

            - Arcade -

- - Had been at the forefront of the younger girls mind. This had gone on for long enough. It was time to find out what was going on.

                                          *******************************

            "Do you see her anywhere?" asked Amara, looking around the noisy, crowded arcade. They'd been there for almost twenty minutes and there was still no sign of their teammate.

            "Like, maybe she was thinking of Arcade the person," said Kitty.

            "Maybe you're right," said Jean, discouraged. "I can't even scan this place telepathically. It's too loud. I can't concentrate on finding her."

            "I thought I saw her over on 'House of the Dead', but it's just Pietro's bimbo of the week," said Tabitha with a hint of admiration in her voice. "Now that boy knows how to work it!"

            The four girls looked over to the machine where Pietro and his date were playing. "It does look like Rogue from the back," said Jean thoughtfully.

            "With Quicksilver? Unlikely!" replied Amara.

            "Yeah," added Kitty. "Besides, that top's like, barely legal…"

            "Hey, I've got a top like that!" said Tabitha crossly.

            "And Rogue wouldn't wear it, with her 'no touching' thing!"

            Jean narrowed her eyes at the couple. Pietro was showing off, waving the gun around and shouting, "Pow! Take that slow dead guy!" As she watched, he threw down the gun in disgust, apparently just lost. His girlfriend said something to him and he started poking her in the ribs. She couldn't aim her own gun for laughing and turned around to hit Pietro playfully.

            From the side view, the four X-Men could see the white streaks in her hair.

            "Ohmigod!" gasped Kitty. "It IS Rogue!"

            "I don't believe it!" exclaimed Amara.

            "Holy shit!" Tabby said, sounding shocked. "I knew that was my top! I'll never be able to wear it again!"

            "But how?" Kitty frowned in confusion. "They're touching! And what's she doing with that jerk Pietro?"

            Jean scowled. "Let's go and find out."

            Pietro chose that moment to give Rogue a brief kiss and out of the corner of his eye saw a movement. He glanced over and noticed four very irate mutants heading their way.

            "Trouble," he said quietly. "With a capital X!"

            Rogue grabbed his hand. "Let's just get outta here. If we don't attract attention, they might not notice us."

            "I think it's too late for that." The pair hurried past the flashing machines and gangs of excited teens. "Think they'll try to stop us?"

            "Ah don't think they'll use their powers in here."

            "Can I?"

            "No! We're tryin to keep a low profile!"

            "But I don't know how to keep a low profile!"

            "Don't ah know it." Rogue snuck a glance behind her. "Shit! They're following us!"

            "Told you they'd seen us."

            Rogue looked around again, dismayed. Jean and Kitty looked pissed enough to commit murder, Tabitha seemed excited, Amara nervous. No doubt about it, the shit was going to hit the fan hen they caught up. Then the absurdity of the situation hit her – the untouchable Goth hand in hand with Bayville's most notorious skirt-chaser, being chased through an arcade by four angry super powered teenagers - and she started to laugh.

            Her hand still linked with Pietro's, she acted on instincts that weren't her own and started to run. Pietro kept up easily, cackling like a madman. "Ooooh Roguey! You've pissed 'em off now! They're gonna be madder'n hell!"

            "Shut up Speedy!" giggled Rogue as they ducked around a gambler. "You sound like Pyro!" Risking a look behind her, she saw the four girls running after them, trying to catch up. But you'll never catch me, she thought smugly, ah'm too fast.

            "Door's over here." Pietro pulled Rogue past a Teletubbies ride, ignoring the people staring at them.

            "Oh, ah'm getting a stitch," sniggered Rogue.

            "Come here slowpoke. Screw the no powers thing!"

            Jean, Kitty, Amara and Tabitha raced towards the Teletubbies ride only to see Pietro pick up Rogue and the pair took off so fast that no one had a chance of catching them. Jean considered picking them up telepathically, but knew that Quicksilver would probably make a scene, the last thing the mutant population of Bayville needed.

            Kitty stopped running and glared at the door as it flew open and the blur that was the couple sped through. "So what now?"

            "Now we go back to the mansion," said Jean, the anger in her voice barely controlled. "She's gotta come home sometime."

                                    ******************************

No one up thank God, thought Rogue as she headed to her bedroom. She'd gotten back to the Institute before curfew, but rather than go upstairs, she'd run a training session in the Danger Room. She knew she was avoiding the others, but she really couldn't think of what to tell them. It wasn't even as if she could keep them out of her room, not when she shared it with Kitty.

            Pietro hadn't been keen on her going home at all. He'd carried her to the park and they'd lain under a tree until the laughing fit had passed. That had led to a prolonged necking session, only stopped from going any further by the sound of a gang of drunken boys shouting nearby. Rogue had reluctantly rearranged her clothing and told him she had to go. Pietro pointed out that Jean was bound to tell the Professor and she should stay in the Brotherhood house that night and sort things out in the morning. Rogue told him that if she didn't go home, Logan would probably come to the house to find her. That had been the end of the discussion.

            But maybe the others had kept their mouths shut. None of the instructors had come looking for her and she doubted she could have been in the house for this long without them confronting her, if they knew.

            There was no light from beneath the bedroom door. Kitty was probably asleep. Rogue entered the room and began to creep towards the bed.

            The bedside lamp came on. "Hello Rogue."

            "GAAAAAH!" Rogue looked over to the other X-girls sitting on Kitty's bed and decided she was screwed.

            "Pietro Maximoff, huh?" Kitty folded her arms and glared at her roommate. "How long?"

            "A while," admitted Rogue. "Did you have to do the secret spy thing with the light?"

            Jean looked furious. "Did you forget that he's the enemy? That he betrayed the Brotherhood and us for Magneto? Let his own sister fall off a building?"

            "Ah didn't forget, ah – "

            "We always knew you were a crappy judge of character after the Risty thing, but this is – "

            "FUCK YOU!" roared Rogue, surprising everyone. There was a silence as they waited to see if the adults would come to investigate. None did.

            "I'm sorry," said Jean. "That was low."

            "Yeah, it was," said Rogue, not mollified by the apology. "Why doncha get outta here so ah can get some sleep?"

            "How were you able to touch him without your gloves on?" asked Kitty.

            "Ah…ah learned to control it."

            "And just didn't tell anyone? Yeah right." Tabitha jumped off the bed and approached Rogue. "Why don't I just make sure?"

            Rogue tried to back up but the bed got in her way and Tabitha managed to put her hand on Rogues cheek. Rogue knocked it away a second later. "Are you crazy?"

            "I'm still standing," said Tabitha. "Care to explain?"

            "Ah told you, ah can control it!"

            "So why didn't you tell us?" Jean asked.

            "'Cause ah knew you'd all go nuts about Pietro!"

            "So Pietro does have something to do with this. Is he giving you something to control your powers? Did he get something off Magneto?"

            "NO! Pietro wouldn't do anything to hurt me! Ah knew some one was watchin us tonight, ah should've know it'd be you guys. You're all just jealous!"

            "Jealous? Of you and Pietro?" Tabitha snorted. "Don't make me laugh."

            "It's not jealousy, we're worried!" Kitty gave Rogue an imploring look. "You've been actin so weird lately, you…" She trailed off for a moment. "You've been actin just like Pietro. You HAVE been absorbing him!"

            "Ah have not!" replied Rogue heatedly. "Ah just got sick of bein pushed around all the time!"

            "How far did you go with him?" asked Jean.

            "Huh?"

            "Did you have sex with him?"

            "Ah do not believe that's any of your business."

            "In other words, yes."

            "Piss off, Miss Perfect. Ah said it's none of your business. Ah don't ask if you and Scott go any further than no-tongue kisses between Danger Room sessions or what you – " She pointed to Kitty, " – and Lance got up to under the bleachers after the Sadie Hawkins dance that makes him blush every time he sees a game on TV."

            Kitty turned crimson as the other girls turned to look at her curiously. "It was like, one time! And we totally didn't have sex!"

            "But Lance left the field a happy man," commented Rogue.

            "How did you know?"

            "When ah touched Lance the last time."

            "Well…well…" Kitty thought furiously for a way out of the conversation. "Well, this is totally not about me."

            "It's not about me any more either. Ah'm goin to bed." Rogue grabbed her pyjamas and decided to change in the bathroom. "You'd better be gone when ah get back."

            "We'll have to tell the Professor about this Rogue," Jean warned her.

            "Do what you like," said Rogue wearily as she exited. "You will anyway."

            Jean sighed. "Well that went well."

            "She's like, totally not telling us the truth," said Kitty.

            "And she's getting all of Quicksilver's personality traits," added Jean. "Like trying to outrun the paintballs this morning. Whatever she's doing, it's not working."

            "Do we have to tell the Professor?" asked Kitty.

            "Yes," said Jean firmly.

            "Oh great," grumbled Tabitha. "He's gonna go ballistic."

            "Or worse," said Amara nervously. "He'll tell Logan."

            The four shared a brief yet alarmingly graphic moment as they imagined what Logan would do if got hold of Quicksilver. It made Jean feel somewhat better.

            "We'll tell them in the morning," she said, standing up. "Let's go to bed. I've got a feeling it's gonna be a long day tomorrow."

            When the other girls had gone, Kitty curled up in bed and thought about Lance. She blushed just remembering what they'd done under the bleachers. They'd just been attacked by monsters from another dimension, gone there to chill and one thing had led to another. It had been their only real date. Things had gone real bad real fast not long after that. He'd been an asshole, but she hadn't been very fair to him either, not given him a chance to explain what he'd done.

            Maybe Rogue was right, she thought sleepily, barely hearing Rogue re-enter the room and climb into bed. Maybe he's not a bad guy, maybe he is just misguided. Maybe Pietro's the same…

            Kitty fell asleep and dreamed about the night of the dance and Lance. She awoke the next morning feeling optimistic. Maybe Rogue could be persuaded to confess to the Professor herself…but a look at the other bed told her that the Goth was long gone.