When There's No One There To Catch You
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Wouldn't want to. Blah blah blah…
Note: Alright, thanks to everyone that reviewed! You guys are the best! Here's the next chapter, more should be out tomorrow or Saturday, I promise!
CHAPTER 2
Rogue was led to a large bedroom upstairs where she was told she could change into some dry clothes. After slightly nodding a thank you to Logan and Storm, she closed that huge wooden door and left them waiting in the hallway. Once alone in the room, Rogue paused quickly to get a good look at her surroundings. The bedroom was practically the size of half the brotherhood house, and had furnishings that looked more expensive than anything she had ever seen in a home. What had she walked into? She walked further into the room and dropped the wet blanket from her shoulders. It dropped to the floor with a dampened thud as she walked to the bed to deposit her bag, all the while keeping her gaze flowing from the high ceilings to the gigantic French doors that led to a balcony outside. Once she had adequately taken in the entire room, she turned back to her suitcase and began rummaging around for something warm and dry to wear. She quickly found that most of her clothing had been completely soaked by the rain. Finally she pulled out a dry, long sleeved green shirt and a pair of black jeans from the bottom of the bag.
After she had changed, she walked by a mirror and was stopped by the appearance of her reflection staring back at her. Even in the dim light of the room, she could see that her makeup had completely washed away in the rain. Her own, pale, clear features stared shockingly back at her. Her icy green eyes were no longer shadowed by her normal black liner, and her lips had resumed their normal shade of pale pink without their regular coat of purple. In the lighting of the room by the mirror, she looked mysterious and ethereal with her face glowing from within its frame of white streaks. Rogue's shocked expression was soon replaced by a small grimace as she gazed into the mirror. Ah can't go out like this… Ah can't let them see me, really see me. Not yet. She quickly pulled her damp hair into a high ponytail and took out a tiny makeup case from her bag. Within seconds, her face donned its usual mask, and the girl looked at her reflection with bitter satisfaction. Packing her makeup case back into her bag, Rogue turned, took a breath to steady herself, and opened the door to meet back with the two adults.
Storm and Logan exchanged quick confused glances as Rogue emerged from the room with her makeup renewed. It was nearly midnight; why was it necessary? A slight shrug was Logan's answer, and Strom wasn't going to bring it up with the shaken teen. So, it was a silent agreement among the trio that this wasn't the time, and Rogue couldn't be more thankful. "Where are we goin'?" she asked quietly as the other two led her down a long, wide hallway, the lamps on the walls illuminating as they passed.
"We have notified Professor Xavier and Mr. McCoy as to your arrival," answered Storm in an equally quiet voice, "It is important that you meet with the two of them as well. This way, we can all sit down and decide what is to be done."
Rogue visibly tensed at the mention of Professor Xavier's name. She knew it was irrational, after all, she had come here knowing that she was entering the home of the enemy. But, that was just it. It was the home of the enemy; the home of the man she had been trained to fight; the man she had been trained to hate. And now she was going to meet with him and ask if she could stay there, but she couldn't say why. Great, she thought, This is gonna go real well. Logan seemed to sense her apprehension, and gruffly said to her "Don't worry about it, kid. All you have to do is tell him why you're here. He won't kick you out."
For some reason, this didn't comfort the girl. Yeah right. Tell him why Ah'm here. She thought cynically to herself. She couldn't tell him why she had come. Not yet. She wasn't even sure she could tell the one person she had come for. No, she couldn't tell Kurt. Not yet. So many scenarios of what could possibly happen had occurred in her mind since earlier that night that she was terrified of what was to come. But she knew for sure that she couldn't tell the telepath. Not until she was sure. Not until she was ready.
Before she had anymore time to think about her predicament, they had arrived at the door to Xavier's office. Rogue said a silent thank you for having not encountered any of the students on the way. That was a whole different problem that she wasn't sure she could deal with right now. Without hesitation, Wolverine pushed the massive doors open and ushered the two women inside. "Good evening, Charles," said Storm as she took a seat next to Hank McCoy, who was already sitting with the professor. Wolverine motioned for Rogue to take a seat, and promptly took the seat next to her. An eerie silence enveloped the room for the first few moments; none of the occupants quite sure how to begin what was sure to be a strange discussion. Mr. McCoy glanced from the professor to Rogue, not entirely sure what this emergency meeting was about. Storm and Logan waited expectantly for the professor to begin, while Rogue sat nervously in a chair that suddenly seemed to big for her small form. And then there was the professor. Charles Xavier sat calmly behind his large oak desk; his hands clasped and held up in front of his lips.
Xavier finally broke the silence with a low sigh. "Now, Rogue, it's time you tell us why you're here. You'll excuse us from being suspicious, of course, but it seems as though this sudden change of heart towards us is a bit sudden on your part. We really have no guarantee that you're not here on the part of a spy from your leader." He again brought his clasped hands in front of his mouth. The other faculty members of the institute looked at the professor with mild surprise at his forwardness towards the young mutant who was obviously troubled and insecure about being there. He may have had a point, but Logan made it very apparent that he didn't believe now was the time for accusations, by raising a bit from his seat and issuing a low growl.
"I'm sorry, Logan, and I'm sorry to you as well, Rogue, but you must understand that I am responsible for the safety of several other young mutants here; mutants that you have routinely fought against in the past." With that he paused and watched the crestfallen reaction of Rogue as she continued to sink into her seat. "You're not a stranger to us, you know this. We know quite a bit about your mutant abilities and your affiliation with the brotherhood. Yet, we know nothing about your past, nor your present motives for coming here. And yet, you offer us no explanation. Why, Rogue?"
The room again grew quiet, this time all eyes were turned on Rogue as she stopped shifting in her seat and looked up to meet the expectant eyes of Xavier. "Ah'm here because Ah can't stay with the brotherhood anymore. Ah have mah reasons, but they're none of your business." She too paused and gazed steadily at the professor. Even now it was difficult to see him as an ally, after so many hours of having him drilled into her head as an enemy. She abruptly decided that this wasn't going to work. She would encounter her brother in her own way. "If you can't deal with that, Ah have no problem leavin' and findin' mah own way," she finished evenly. She desperately hoped that her voice didn't betray the terrified feeling in her stomach. She could pretend to be brave as long as she wanted, but in her heart she knew that this was it. If this didn't work, she'd have nothing.
It was here that Storm interrupted. "I don't think that is necessary, child." She turned to regard Logan and Hank, and finally the professor in turn. "We would never send you out on your own when we can help in any way."
"Ororo is right, Rogue. If you have found your way here, then here is where you should be, and safely be. Your previous actions against us are forgotten," Mr. McCoy added with a comforting smile. He remembered all too well a previous fight in which he had been matched up against the young girl. It had actually been about a week ago, and his shoulder was still sore from the encounter. However, he too felt himself drawn to the now fragile personality of "the Rogue," and had little problem trusting in the instinct of Logan and Storm.
Apparently, Rogue also remembered that fight with the Beast, and blushed as she slumped in her seat a little. "Thanks…. And.. sorry about you shoulder…" she quietly said to the blue haired man. A small chuckle momentarily escaped Logan's tightly pressed lips, and a wry smile appeared on the face of Ororo. Beast, too, let out a lighthearted laugh (lighthearted given the situation). For the third time that evening, an uncomfortable silence filled the room. The only person yet to voice his approval was the most pivotal man in the room. Xavier sat for a long moment watching Rogue as she locked her eyes on the floor, still not comfortable with viewing the professor as a leader of any sort for her.
Charles continued to prolong the silence. He telepathically reached out to his staff members: I am still unsure of the Rogue's motives. I am having trouble penetrating her mind. She seems to be quite resistant to telepathic powers. He stopped and looked pointedly at Wolverine, who gazed steadily back at him. Logan, I am surprised that you have so readily accepted her story, or lack thereof. I have never known you to be so trusting with those whom you have fought. The professor's eyebrow's knitted in mild confusion as he proceeded with his silent dialogue with Logan.
I ain't overly trusting. That's why I'm sure this kid's alright. I can sense these things, he said, then added with a mirthless grin; and it ain't got nothin' to do with psychic ability. I've seen this girl in action, and I'll tell you it'll take a lot to make her the trembling kid that she is now. He looked over to Rogue. They did somethin' to her. And it wasn't good.
Charles looked over to Storm, who nodded her agreement, and to McCoy who also gave his consent. Defeated, Xavier turned to Rogue, who had been sinking into the large chair; her hands held tightly in her lap and her white bangs hanging over her glazed green eyes. "Well, my friends are right. It is not our way to turn away a mutant in need. You may stay here among the others; I trust you know them. You may stay here as long as you prove that you are no threat to us or anyone else." With that, he rolled out from behind his desk and addressed the others. "Storm, would you please take Rogue to the girls' dormitory? I believe Kitty has an extra bed in her room. Logan, Hank, you two will come with me and aid in informing the students of the situation. They all turned to the door, Storm gently guiding a relieved Rogue by the arm. As Logan turned the knob to the door, three bodies came crashing into the office.
Once the bodies had untangled themselves, the forms of Evan Daniels, Kitty Pride, and Scott Summers emerged from the mass on the floor; Jean Gray gracefully stepping in from outside the door. "I told you, you shouldn't lean on it, now we're going to…." Jean's voice trailed off as she realized that she and the others had just crashed directly into the office. "I.. I mean, I told them they shouldn't be listening in on a conversation that they're not involved in," she quickly said in effort to cover up her involvement. Wolverine rolled his eyes at the redhead and glared at the other three teens, each looking extremely sheepish before the adults.
"I'm surprised at you, Scott, Jean. And you Evan and Kitty," scolded the professor. "You know better than to eavesdrop on a conversation you're obviously not involved in." He sighed deeply and idly massaged his right temple. "Well, now you know. Rogue is going to stay with us. You will all welcome her as a part of the team."
Luckily, the four teens had recovered from their shock while they listened from the hallway, so they were able to avoid staring at Rogue with their mouths hanging open and their fists itching for a fight. However, they were still completely taken aback, and were silently willing someone else to be the first to confront her. Rogue, meanwhile, had retreated several steps back behind Logan and Beast. To her, the appearance of the younger X Men was a complete shock, and definitely something she had hoped she wouldn't have to deal with that night. She self consciously tucked a piece of white streaked hair behind her ear, glad that she had applied her makeup, as she waited for the first scream of protest to come from one of the mutant teens. Miraculously, all that accompanied the sound of rain hitting the roof of the building was silence. All of the young mutants stood quietly, staring somewhat wearily at one another.
Finally, the tension was broken as Kitty addressed Rogue. "So, um, I heard that you're, like, gonna live in my room. That's, like, totally cool. I have so much extra space that there should be no problem fitting you in," she said as she offered Rogue a small smile. The goth girl eased up a little and followed a nervous, yet still talkative Kitty out of the office. The two boys remained standing to the side of the doorway. Evan turned and watched the two girls head for the stairs.
"Damn," he muttered under his breath, "If I had realized the brotherhood girl looked that good, I would've started more fights…" His voice trailed off as he was rewarded with a smack to the back of the head from Jean. "Hey, Scott knows what I'm talking about, don't you man? When she's not kickin' our collective butt, the girl's not hard on the eyes if you know what I mean… I mean.. damn." Again, Evan was smacked, and Scott was given a cold glare.
"What, Jean? I didn't say anything!" he protested and gave Evan a look. "Geez, Jean, take it easy on me." Logan gave another bemused snort before leaving the office, muttering something about a need for a drink. Beast also bid goodnight to the remaining mutants within the office, since it was apparent that the news of Rogue's arrival would spread much more quickly through the teens than he could ever accomplish. Xavier turned to face Scott, Jean, and Evan.
"I can only assume you heard everything?" he questioned, and was answered by three nods. "Rogue is now one of us, so I expect you to treat her as such. I'll leave it to you to enlighten the rest of the students here. But leave out the details of what you heard. She is staying with us now. That is all they need to know." And she will soon benefit us in more ways than she could ever imagine, he thought to himself as the teens filed out of the office.
Upstairs in Kitty's room, the two girls had successfully located Rogue's suitcase and unpacked its contents into her new side of the room. It was mostly a quiet process, with Kitty chirping in every once in a while about how cool it was going to be to have a roommate and how she was glad that Rogue had come to their side. Rogue merely nodded and continued to put away her small supply of clothing into an unnecessarily large dresser. At the bottom of the bag she found a small wooden jewelry box, which she gently placed on top of the dresser. Finally, just as she was about to throw her suitcase into the closet, her gloved hand grazed a hard object in the pocket of the bag. Curiously, she pulled out a framed picture that she had forgotten she packed in her moment of haste to get away from the mansion. She picked up the frame, and her hear sank as she looked into the smiling faces of the brotherhood boys; all crowding around her as she stood with a neutral expression. It had been her first day with the brotherhood; with her boys….
Back at the brotherhood house, the four boys sat dejectedly in the large living room. Fred sat on the floor against a wall; staring at imaginary patterns on the ceiling. Todd sat beside Lance on the couch, and absent-mindedly flicked his tongue at passing insects in the air. Lance sat twirling a cigarette in his fingers, alternately putting it to his lips and angrily pulling it away. The only sound in the room was the still present sound of rain pounding on the roof and the annoying drip that leaked from the ceiling. Pietro stood by the window, watching the same place on the road by which Rogue had disappeared.
Todd finally grew fed-up with the silence and asked "Hey, yo, what if she doesn't go to the x-geeks' mansion? What if she just disappears?" Fred and Lance turned to regard him as if the idea hadn't occurred to them.
"You know, you're right! What if she just disappears and gets into some kind of trouble? She could be anywhere! We shouldn't have let her go," said Lance. His fingers became even more animated as he worried.
"She went to the mansion," answered Pietro without even turning his head from the window. "Rogue has to go there. It's important. She knows that, so do we." He finally turned to look at his teammates; his blue eyes dull and emotionless. He heaved a deep sigh and continued more to himself than the others, "She's has to be one of them now. And in being one of them, we have to treat her like one of them."
"What?!" exclaimed Lance, "We can't treat her like we treat them! We're awful to those losers! Rogue may be living with them now, but she'll always be our Rogue." He stood up from his seat on the couch and walked up to Pietro; his fists curled and tense. He couldn't believe that Pietro was saying this! Of all the things to say right now!
"You think this is what I want?!" answered Pietro defensively as Lance threateningly approached him. "We don't have a choice. Rogue's best chance of getting her life back is to be accepted by the geeks. If we still act like she's one of us, they'll think she's there on some mission for the boss or something. You know how suspicious they are. One mistake and they'll get rid of her for good," he finished.
"Oh… I get it," said Fred from the floor. "But, but we won't fight her, will we? I mean, I can deal with insulting her every once in a while if it's best, but we can't hurt her, can we?" he asked as his eyes became very concerned.
"No," answered Lance. "We can't hurt her. We'll just have to keep our distance. Avoid the x geeks in general. If we have to fight them, we stay away from Rogue. There's no way we can do anything to her. Just… just stay away from her."
"Yeah, I guess that's all we can do.." said Pietro, and again, the room resumed its previous silence. This time, a deep sorrow accompanied the sense of loss that had filled the room before.
Author: okay, so that's the end of the second chapter. I really wanted to do more with the brotherhood boys and the rest of the x men, but I couldn't keep going anymore for today. I'm already late for a class. Ack. Anyway, the next chapter will have rogue's meeting (well, re-meeting with Kurt) and her first day at school as an x man. How will the brotherhood react? Bwahahaha. Keep in touch to find out!