I'm back! Sorry I took a little longer than usual to update. This weekend's been kinda busy so I haven't spend much quality time with my story until now. So here it is! Here are my shout outs to y'all (I just love sayin' that!)
ldypebsaby: Thanks for the compliment. You wouldn't believe how long it took me to finally write something for ever since I started reading stuff on it. I have all these ideas but I can never write them down. It helps when you're writing a parody 'cuz you've got something to work with. I just hope I can soon write something original. Anyway, here's the next chappie for ya. Hope you likey!
todd fan: Thanks! Wow, you've been reading me for a while. How do you put up with it?! Heehee!
The Uncanny R-Man: Isn't it strange how that kind of show sticks with ya? My sister is crazy about it! Anyway, I'm glad you like it. Wouldn't it be funny if Logan actually threw something at Xavier's head in an X-Men Evo episode?! Oh, I could die laughing! Heeheehee!!
Scene from non-existing clip from X-Men: Evolution:
Logan: (to Xavier) I am so sick and tired of you going into my head!
(Throws book at Xavier's head)
Xavier: Hey! (rubs his head) I'm not telepathic anymore!
End scene
Well, there it is! Hope you like the next chap! Thanks for reviewing!
KaliAnn: Hi again! I know, it's kinda boring if a parody starts following the original word for word. Here's some more original stuff comin' atcha! Hope you like! Thanks for the comment!
Rogue14: If this happened in the show, the kids would probably be fighting over what music to play. Poor Logan. At least that's one ability he can live without! Thanks for the review!
Disclaimer: things not owned: X-Men: Evolution, Lilo & Stitch, shall I continue? There's a lot I don't own. No? You sure? There's about over a million things I don't ow - oh, okay, you just want me to shut up? Alright, here's the fic. But seriously, the list just goes on and – ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!
Oh yeah! Warning: depressing part at end of chapter. You will be sad. You may start crying. You have been warned.
Enjoy!
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Chapter 7
Jean and Rogue made an agreement: Rogue and Logan were to go with Jean to the places she could look for a job. While she spoke to the person in charge, Rogue could work with Logan nearby, but not interfering with Jean, on his 'model citizen' lessons.
The first place they set out for was Agatha Harkness's fruit stands. They found her watering her fruit to keep them moist. Jean went up to talk to her while Rogue and Logan basically left her alone.
Jean had brought Ms. Harkness's want ad to show her that she was there to answer it. "Ms. Harkness? I'm here to answer your newspaper ad."
Meanwhile, Rogue was talking to Logan at one of the nearby fruit stands. "Elvis Presley was a model citizen," she said. "I have created a list of traits for you to practice." She reached into the red wagon she had bought along with all of her materials and pulled out a hula skirt. "The first – is dancing."
"I can't talk now, dear," said Ms. Harkness. "I'm waiting for someone to answer my ad."
"That's why I'm here," explained Jean.
By now Rogue had gotten Logan to put on the skirt. He really didn't want to do it, but he finally gave in. "Okay, now put yer hands on yer hips like this . . ." Rogue put her hands to her hips and Logan did the same. " . . . and follow mah lead." She swung her hips to her left, and Logan followed. When he did, he got this weird feeling that actually felt kind of good. Whoa!
After that, every move that Rogue made Logan copied it almost simultaneously. They soon broke out in a funny little dance.
Ms. Harkness looked at her ad that Jean had brought. "Say, that's my newspaper ad!"
"I know!" answered Jean loudly. How long is it gonna take to get through to this woman?
In the middle of they're dance, Logan took Rogue by the hand, slid across the ground, then stopped to let Rogue fall into his arm. Then they both assumed 'pharaoh' positions and lifted their shoulders up and down. (I'll give you credit for trying to imagine this.) While Rogue danced as a scuba driver (holding your nose and waving your hand back and forth over your head, like you're underwater), Logan tried to spin himself.
Unfortunately, he spun a little too fast and smacked into Agatha Harkness. They both landed on the ground against a fruit stand with Ms. Harkness in Logan's lap. She had a watermelon stuck on her head. "Hey, why is everything so dark?"
The next place they visited was a café run by someone that Jean knew. She thought that maybe she would have better luck there. "I am all about coffee," she began to tell the owner.
Logan and Rogue went to one of the tables that were positioned outside. "Let's move on to step 2," Rogue suggested. She picked up her electric guitar from her wagon. "Elvis Presley played guitar."
She took Logan's left hand and placed it at the head of the guitar. She gave him a little piece of plastic and brought his right hand to the guitar strings. "This is you're pick. You use it to play the strings. Put the pick here . . . and do this." As she did, she used his hand to run the pick across the strings, making a clean, harmonious sound. Logan decided to give it a try. He began playing some tune that he made up as he went along.
"-and I make great capo chinos and lattés-" continued Jean.
"I wish I could, Jean," said the owner, "but I hired Teddy and the tourist season just ended." Just then both she and Jean noticed Logan playing the guitar. As he played, he got higher and higher on the scale. When he reached some really high notes, the glasses around the restaurant started breaking, including the glass pitcher that the owner was holding. The coffee inside it spilled onto the ground. Jean looked at Rogue, who only sighed. She hadn't thought this through enough. While Logan was having fun playing, Rogue hung her head and covered her face with her hand.
The trio next went to a hotel. "Concierge – ing is my life," Jean said to the manager of the hotel as she tried to put in enthusiasm. "I just love to answer phones . . ."
Rogue walked Logan over to a couch in the lobby of the hotel. Logan was now wearing a black leather jacket instead of his regular brown one and was holding a red rose in his hand. (Hey, what chic doesn't dig black leather? Okay, just kidding.)
"This is the face of romance," said Rogue holding up a picture of Elvis. Then she looked over at the old lady sitting in the couch. "Looks like she could use some lovin'." So Logan sat on the couch next to the lady and held her hand. The lady, who had been reading a newspaper, brought it down with a surprised look on her face.
"Well, we may have something," said the hotel manager, who to be completely honest kind of acted like a snob. Jean watched hopefully as he flipped through his files.
By now, Logan had given the old lady his rose. "Good," said Rogue. "Now kiss her."
As the manager kept flipping through the files, there was a sudden loud shriek. In just a few seconds, Jean was pulling Rogue out of the building as fast as she could with Logan behind them. "Ah'm sure Elvis had his bad days too," Rogue consoled Logan.
The last place they went to was the beach. "I'm all about saving people," said Jean to a female lifeguard, now having lost most of her confidence. The lifeguard thought for a moment. "Actually," she said, "I do believe we have an opening."
"Really?" said Jean hopefully. Maybe she would get a job after all.
Near to where the trees ended and the beach began, Rogue was standing next to Logan, who was wearing a glittering white disco outfit and gold medallion that could be labeled as Elvis look-alike material. "Okay, this is it," she told him. "This is where it all comes together."
"Oh, thank you so much!" said Jean excitedly. "You don't know how much I need this job!"
Just as she said that, Logan walked onto the beach, in front of everyone so they could see him. By now he felt really uncomfortable. Oh man! I can't do this!
"C'mon! You c'n do it!" Rogue called from the back. "It's all you! Knock 'em dead!" With that said she plugged two large wires together near a large speaker.
Logan was holding his electric guitar, this time with a wire connecting to the speaker. Nervously, he began to play the tune he made up and danced a little while doing it. Rogue got on top of one of the speakers and began dancing around too. Everyone on the beach was bewildered by this strange sight. Soon, they all started approaching him to take his picture. When one woman approach him to take a picture, he winked at her and she fainted.
Everything was going great. That is, until the flashes from the cameras started going off. This was too much for the poor guy. He dropped his guitar and tried to cover his eyes. "Don't crowd him!" cried Rogue as she tried to help him.
What happened next was kind of like something out of King Kong. When the crowd wouldn't stop photographing him, he lost his temper. He ripped off his Elvis outfit and medallion (fortunately he had his shirt and jeans on underneath) and began growling and snarling at everyone. He grabbed one person's camera and broke it with his mouth.
"Hey, knock that off!" cried one of the spectators who began squirting a water gun at him. BIG mistake. He viciously swiped the kid's gun from him and dug his teeth and nails into it, causing it to explode. This freaked out everyone on the beach and they all quickly left, in the meantime some of them bumping into poor Blob (from the first chapter) and knocking his ice cream off the cone.
Jean and the lifeguard were shocked by what had happened. The only people still on the beach bedsides them were Logan and Rogue. Rogue nervously waved to Jean. Jean looked at the lifeguard, who merely shook her head and walked away. Jean knew what that meant. And so did Rogue. She looked at Logan, who suddenly felt ashamed of himself (hey, that's a first). He tried to think of something to say, but Rogue just walked away. He hung his head and looked down at the top half of his guitar.
Jean and Rogue both sat down by the knocked over lifeguard stand. Jean held the wanted ads in her hand, and Rogue held a picture of Elvis in hers. They both tossed them aside. Just then Scott came up to then with a couple of surf boards. "Hey Rogue! How is it – Jean?" That was when he saw the disappointed looks on their faces. Rogue looked up at him. "We've been havin' a bad day."
Jean still didn't look up. Scott thought for a moment, then said, "Hey, I might not be a doctor, but I do know that the best thing for a sour face is a couple of boards and some choice waves. What do you think?"
Jean and Rogue looked at each other and smiled. "I think that's a great idea," said Jean.
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They were all soon on the water. Scott rode out on one board, and Jean, Rogue and Logan rode out on the other. Logan was far from thrilled about this expedition. He refused to let any part of his body touch the water, since he had a great fear of it. Hey, wouldn't you if you always sank like a stone every time you went in? He once ventured to try and touch the water, but as soon as he did he recoiled back. He sat on the board, feeling depressed. As Scott's board passed the other, Scott gave a comforting pat on Logan's shoulder. At first Logan sneered at him, but then he just ignored him and became depressed again.
Rogue kept looking back at Logan. She was kind of worried about him being so depressed. He knew she was staring at him and tried to ignore her. Soon the group was far out enough that they could start surfing. Figuring that Logan didn't want to go, due to his depressed attitude, Rogue switched to Scott's board and was the first along with Scott to ride a wave. As they began to take off, Logan couldn't help but turn and watch them. He watched as they descended down the face of the great wave with excited looks on their faces. It did look like fun, even though it also seemed really dangerous.
Jean watched them too, glad to see Rogue have fun. But how long could it last? She didn't want to think about it, but the thought still lingered in her mind. It was interrupted when Logan excitedly sat up on his knees and pointed to the pair as they rode. Jean gave him an odd look, then tried to avoid eye contact with him. Seeing that Jean wasn't all that thrilled, Logan quickly hushed up.
When they got back to Jean and Logan, Scott began describing how big the wave was and how well he handled it. Before he could get far, Jean knocked him off his board, making Rogue laugh. They all took turns riding the waves, that is, except for Logan. He chose to be observant and watch the humans at their fun rather than to take part in it. But the more he watched them, the more he was tempted to join them in their fun.
When they weren't surfing, they were swimming, and later playing on the beach. When they went back to the beach, Logan separated himself from them to watch from a distance. Even without riding huge waves they still managed to have fun. As the day progressed towards evening, Scott and Jean built a sand castle on top of Rogue. Their smiles never faded as they did. Logan wondered if he could ever be as happy as them. He tried to copy them by gathering a pile of sand on top of his legs where he sat. After he did, he saw Jean putting a little red flag on top of a now completed castle. They were still smiling now that the castle was done and they marveled at their work. Logan quickly looked around and found a little leaf that could be a flag. He stuck it on top of his pile and tried to smile, but he didn't feel any happier. He felt pathetic. Once more depressed, he let his face fall into the pile of sand on his lap.
Later, Logan somewhat shyly approached Rogue, who was sitting on the sand making some kind of sand pyramid with starfish on it. He gently touched Rogue's back with his foot. She turned around and looked up at him. He turned and put down the surf board he had been dragging behind his back. He looked at it with hope and anticipation in his eyes, then he looked back at Rogue. She stared at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was trying to tell her. Then she smiled.
All of this time Magneto and Mystique had been sitting in a palm tree watching Wolverine. That is, Magneto was watching Wolverine while Mystique was using her communicator.
"Oh, you know, Mom, can't complain," she said to her communicator, "just camping out with a convicted criminal. And . . .oh yeah, I had my head chewed on by a MONSTER!!"
Magneto ignored Mystique's comments. He was much more interested in what was going on at that moment.
"Wait . . . something isn't right. Wolverine is returning willingly to water."
Mystique's communicator began to beep. "Oh, hang on Mom, another call." She pushed a button and let out a yelp of surprise. It was Grand Councilor Storm.
"Mystique, you are overdue! I want a status report."
"Oh, things are going well," she said nervously.
"He cannot swim!" said Magneto, completely oblivious to Mystique's conversation.
"Magneto, aren't things going well?"
"Why would he risk drowning?!"
"Magneto?" Mystique quickly covered up the communicator monitor. "Magneto, help me out here!" She looked back at the monitor.
"I would've expected you back by now with Wolverine in hand," said Storm.
"Oh, just, uh, a few things to pack . . . and we'll be . . . um-"
"Hang up," said Magneto all of a sudden, turning off the communicator. "We're going swimming." He began to climb down from the tree.
"Huh?" asked Mystique. Why on earth were they going swimming? She didn't have time to think since Magneto's jumping out of the top of the tree caused Mystique to be flung off.
Out on the water, Jean was rowing the board toward further out with Rogue in front and Logan in back. Hey, this isn't so bad, he thought as he was sitting. That was what he kept telling himself over and over so he wouldn't be so afraid. It worked well until they got to the top of a really big wave. Now that was a different story! As they began to descend the wave, they also picked up speed and the board began to shake. Fear came over Logan's face, but fear that was also mixed in with thrill and excitement. "WHOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
They finally leveled out in the middle of the wave but still kept going really fast. So Logan decided to try and stand up. He had a hard time at first keeping his balance, so he was forced to put his hand on Jean's shoulder. At first this surprised Jean, but then she smiled and looked in front of her again. Rogue kept herself low, Jean skimmed the wave with her hand, and Logan leaned out a bit so he could see rest of the wave in front of them. Soon he was able to let go of Jean's shoulder and stand on his own. He spread out his arms to keep his balance and let out a whoop of joy. Now he could understand why they liked surfing so much!
Unfortunately, it didn't last long, for unbeknownst to Logan, Magneto and Mystique were also in the water. Not only that, but Magneto was in the wave that the trio was riding on. Now that Logan was out of the girls' view and wasn't hanging on to anyone, Magneto seized the opportunity, came out of the wave and grabbed Logan. This caused the girls to lose their balance and they fell off the board.
Jean was the first to resurface. She looked around her and saw no sign of Rogue, Logan, or the board. "Rogue?" she called. Rogue came up next. "What happened?"
"I dunno. Some idiot must've stuffed us in the barrel."
Rogue looked around for a second. "Where's Logan?"
Logan came up next, but much more frantic. He was splashing around and gasping for air. As he splashed and spluttered, he grabbed onto Rogue to keep himself up. "Get off her!" Jean cried. Just as she did, Logan was pulled down by some unknown force, unintentionally pulling Rogue down with him. Rogue had to close her eyes, but Logan kept his open and soon saw that it was Magneto who had been pulling on the metal in his body through magnetism. Both he and Mystique were hooked up to an oxygen tank with breathing masks. As Magneto pulled them down, everything became darker and darker.
Scott, who had been watching them from the shore, quickly swam out to them. "What happened?"
"Logan dragged her down!" Jean answered. They both dove down to retrieve Rogue. It soon became too dark to see anything beyond a few feet below them, so the only thing that Jean and Scott could see was Logan sinking and holding on to Rogue. The two of them managed to get down to Rogue. While Scott grabbed her, Jean pushed on Logan's head, forcing him to let go. Then the three of them went back to the surface. As soon as they got there, Rogue cried out, "We lost Logan!" While Jean took Rogue back to shore, Scott tried to dive down and find Logan.
Underwater, Logan had reached Magneto and Mystique, and Mystique was trying to get the handcuffs on Logan. Even though Logan couldn't move freely for the most part, he was able to make little movements that caused him to spin and turn, which prevented Mystique from putting the cuffs on him. When the timing was right, he knocked his legs into her, causing her to knock into Magneto. This caused Magneto to release Logan, who immediately ejected his claws and sliced open the oxygen tank. The tank flew out of the water, dragging Magneto and Mystique along with it. It flew way up high, then bounced on the water for a long distance, with the two of them screaming all the way.
Logan managed to retract his claws, but now he was out of air and had no strength to reach the surface. He looked up and he watched as the sunlight shining in the water started to fade away. He could feel the water beginning to fill his lungs, and soon he blacked out. Just after he passed out, Scott grabbed him and brought him to the surface.
Back on shore, Jean was trying to talk to Rogue, who hadn't said anything after the incident. Ever since she came out of the water she had been holding the side of her arm where Logan had grabbed her. "Rogue? Rogue, look at me honey, are you hurt?" Jean tried to look at the arm but Rogue pulled it away. "No," she answered quietly.
Suddenly, Scott came up out of the water with Logan leaning on him. "He's unconscious, but I think he's alive."
He carefully laid Logan down on his backside and the two girls approached him. After a few seconds, Logan began coughing up water and gasping. He rubbed his eyes and in a fit of frustration leapt up and made those awful snarling noises again. Jean quickly pulled Rogue away from him, just like that day at the community center.
Jean turned to see if anyone else had been on the beach at the time, and there had been. Charles Xavier. Oh no, she thought. Then she turned to Scott. "Scott, stay with Rogue." Then she quickly ran over to where Xavier was sitting. "This – this isn't what it looks like. We were just . . ." She didn't finish. She didn't have to. Just the look on Xavier's face was enough to tell her what was going to happen.
"I know you're trying, Jean," said Xavier in a quiet tone. "But you have to think about what is best for Rogue. Even if it means removing you from the picture."
Jean wanted to say something, but there was really nothing more to say. It was clear the Professor wasn't going to change his mind. "I'll be back tomorrow morning for Rogue." With that, he left.
Logan didn't really know what was going on. He hadn't been there the entire time to know the situation that Jean and Rogue were in. It seemed to him now that the bald man he hit in the head that morning had something more personal to do with what was going on in Jean and Rogue's life. Yet he couldn't figure it out. He had watched the conversation between Xavier and Jean and it didn't look like it went well. He felt somewhat stupid in not realizing that something bigger was going on in their lives and there was nothing he could do to help.
Scott walked up to Jean with Rogue by his side. "Jean? Is there anything I can do?"
"No Scott," said Jean quietly. She looked like she was going to break into tears. "I need to take Rogue home now. We have a lot to talk about." She took Rogue by the hand and walked her home.
Scott watched sadly as the girls left. Logan came up beside him. "You know, I really believed they had a chance," Scott said to Logan. He turned to him. "Then you came along."
Logan looked at him in surprise. He then realized something. Not only had he done nothing to help their present situation, whatever it was, he apparently only made it worse. Logan felt something terribly heavy weighing down in his chest. He never wanted to hurt them. After all, they were the ones who rescued him from that place. And sure, maybe the other day was pretty tormenting for him, but it wasn't really their fault.
Then another thought occurred to him. It was Rogue who had really rescued him. It was she who wanted to take him home, she who wanted him to have a family. He never really thought about it before. He had always taken it for granted. She didn't have to choose him. Her sister didn't even think it was a good idea. But she did anyway. No matter what he did, no matter how many times he pushed her or broke something or did something wrong when she was teaching him, she always kept trying. She had never given up. And now, only now, did he realize this just when an unknown force was about to hurt her and her sister in some way. And it was all his fault.
But I don't want to hurt her. I never meant to. Just because I'm meant to destroy means that I can't do something without hurting someone? Of all the people I know on this crazy planet, she is the last person I want to hurt. And yet I have, or at least I will. What am I gonna do?
By now, Scott had left him by himself, so he had no choice but to go home.
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It was late evening by the time he got back. As he ascended the steps, he saw a duck come out of the bushes. It looked like the duck in that story book Rogue had shown him. He looked at the duck, and it looked back at him. Suddenly, it let out a quack, and five little ducklings followed after it. Even the duck has a family. He stared after the duck family, then looked up. He saw Jean and Rogue sitting in a hammock on the porch. Each girl had a white flower in her hair.
"Rogue," began Jean. She was very hesitant in her speech. She still hadn't figured out exactly what to say to Rogue that would make the truth softer. "We have to, uh . . ."
Rogue looked at her sister. She knew something was wrong, and she thought of what it could be. Rogue had known for a while that there was the possibility she could be taken away from her older sister. But she always imagined that things could never go that bad. She never dared to dream it would come to that. She tried to live in a sort of denial that that was even a possibility. Now the possibility seemed to become more likely. Still, she wanted to hope that it wouldn't be true for as long as she could.
"Don't worry," she comforted, "yer nice, an' somebody will give you a job." After a pause she added, "Ah know ah would."
Jean had to make sure she didn't cry. It was just too much. She wasn't sure if Rogue knew what was going on or not, but her words of comfort only seemed to stab deeper into her. Why is it that in times when things are bad for you, you can only react to such words of comfort bitterly, even though you don't want to? Why can't they actually help? She looked at Rogue and sighed. "C'mon 'ere, hun." Rogue switched over next to Jean. Jean lovingly put an arm around her shoulders. Softly, she began to sing. Logan sat on the porch and listened
Aloha oe
Aloha oe
I ke onaona noho i ka lipo
One fond embrace
A hoe ae au . . .
As she sang, she took the two flowers out her and Rogue's hair, the placed them in the palm of her hands. Then Rogue placed her hands on top of the flowers. Jean closed her hands around the flowers and Rogue's fingers.
Until we meet again
Then they both released the flowers and let them fly into the wind, two flowers wandering in a sea of darkness, each going their separate ways. Logan watched them disappear into the night, then he looked back at the girls. He wondered what the ritual meant. He thought about the flowers, there being two, and how they each eventually went their separate ways. He wondered if it was representing Rogue and Jean's family. There were just the two of them. Now there was something that might be trying to tear them apart. Were things always this bad?
Suddenly, Logan remembered something Rogue said. Dad says ohana means family.
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Logan quietly crept into Rogue's room, went to her bed, and picked up the pillow. There was the photograph. He remembered that Rogue said never to touch it, so he made sure just to look at it from the bed. In the picture there were Jean and Rogue. Jean was sitting underneath a tree while Rogue was standing in between two more people. These people, Logan supposed, were Jean and Rogue's parents. He remembered that Rogue was also adopted, so she didn't look like anyone in the picture. But even so, she still looked a lot happier then. The mother had her arms around Rogue while the father was playing the guitar Rogue had given him. They all seemed so happy just being together.
"That's us before," said Rogue. Her voice made Logan jump, and he felt guilty about looking at Rogue's family picture without her knowing, but she didn't seem upset. She had already changed into her PJs and probably hadn't been standing there very long.
"It was rainin'," she continued, "and they went fer a drive." After staring at him a moment, she asked, "What happened t' yers?"
Logan was surprised by her question. No one had asked him that before. It had been a question that haunted him during the night. Even thinking about it now it was the same answer: he didn't know. As far back as he could remember there had always been Magneto. He knew that Magneto was the one who experimented on him, but was there anything or anyone before Magneto? He couldn't remember, no matter how hard he tried. He didn't know whether he had a family of his own, or if he did where they were. Logan gave no answer.
After a moment of hesitation, she said, "Ah hear you cry at night."
This completely shocked him, and at the same time made him feel embarrassed. He didn't realize he did cry at night or that anybody heard him. That wasn't like him, was it?
"Do ya dream 'bout them?"
Logan still made no answer except hugging the pillow close to his chest and turning his face away from hers. He didn't want her to see whatever expression he was making.
Rogue turned her head slightly as well. "Ah know that's whah you wreck things. An' push me."
He hugged the pillow even tighter. Maybe she was right. Maybe that was why he needed to destroy. Still, he couldn't bear the thought that he had no control over his destructive behavior, and that it was all due to something that he had also had no control over. Rogue certainly didn't bring this upon him, and neither did he. It just wasn't fair. Why did Magneto have to do this to him?
Without a word, he put down the pillow on top of the photo and climbed down from Rogue's bed. She, in turn, climbed up into hers and got under the covers. Logan was about to climb into his bed when he stopped and saw the ugly duckling story book. As he looked at it, a thought began to form in his mind. If he did have a family out there, perhaps he needed to find it. As he thought, he heard Rogue say, "Our fam'ly's little now, an' we don't have many toys. But if you want, you could be a part of it."
He hung his head. He had only been there a few days and already he had made things worse for the family. He knew that if he did belong to a family, it sure wasn't this one.
"You could be our big brother an' help look out fer us. An' at the same time we could teach you t' be good."
Logan kept staring at the book. Something deep down inside of him actually wanted to stay. It was clear that Rogue wanted him to, so why couldn't he?
You know why. You cause nothing but destruction here. She may still like you now, but if you stay, you'll only make things worse. Before you know it, she'll hate you just like everyone else.
Reluctantly, he picked up the book and began walking toward the window. Without out him saying anything, Rogue knew exactly what he was up to. She sighed. "Ohana means fam'ly. Fam'ly means nobody gets left behind. But if you want t' leave, you can."
Logan looked back at her again. He felt so torn between leaving and staying he had to stop a moment. Then he moved toward the open window again, climbed up, and jumped out.
"Ah'll remember you, though," Rogue added softly. Then she took out the picture from underneath the pillow and looked at it. "Ah remember everyone that leaves." She snuggled her face into the pillow and fell asleep.
He still had his fingers on the window sill as he listened to Rogue's last words. He felt that stabbing feeling in his chest again. He still had a chance to change his mind.
No, it was made up. He had to leave. It was the best thing for them all.
He looked into the room one more time and watched Rogue's sleeping form. Then he let go and walked away.
Then why does it hurt so much?
All alone, Logan made his way up into the woods, the story book still under his arm. After a while he reached a clearing and decided to wait there. He sat down and opened up the book to the page he knew. He could see the pictures in the moonlight. He first looked at the page with the family of swans. He carefully touched it with his hand longingly. Then he looked at the other page. He was able to read the words the ugly duckling was saying by now. "L-l-lost," he said.
He sat there for a minute in silence, staring at the book. Then he looked up into the night sky past the foliage of the treetops. He hoped that maybe someone, even if they weren't his real family, would come and find him. He knew the chances were small, but until then he would stay there, out of everyone's way. As he looked up into the night, a feeling of despair rose up inside of him. Not the despair he felt the other day, but a deeper, even more painful despair that weakened even the strongest of hearts. He felt so alone, like a lost child. He hated feeling so helpless, but there was nothing to be done.
As he sat in the silence, he desperately called out, "I'm lost!"
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Aw, this is SO sad! [sniffs] Okay, the depression is finally passed. At least when I get to the next chapter. Until then . . . well, I DON'T KNOW! I'll just try and update A.S.A.P. See ya then! [sniffs]