Disclaimer: I wish. But I don't, so with much hardship I admit I don't own
anything remotely that I wrote about. *sob*
A/N: What's Rogue gonna do? Hee hee. Read on. Then Review.
Chapter Eight
She'd worked hard to belong to the X-Men family. No way was she going to let some mutant scumbag like Magneto ruin her and their happiness just because she was raised and had slight ties to his second in command. Her hands shook slightly as she furiously shoved clothes into her travel bag. So, she'd leave until the professor thought it was safe for her to return.
"Runnin' again?"
The voice from the doorway had her whirling around into a defensive stance. Recognising the person, she turned back and replied, "For a reason and with the professors blessing this time."
He continued to watch as she moved around the room efficiently packing only the essentials, "I'll be back."
He snorted. " I had two very concerned boys come to me. They wanted me to find out what was wrong and then talk you out of doin' whatever it is you're doin'."
"Yah wouldn't understand. Neither would they."
"Why don't you try explain."
Her eyes narrowed. "It's not that simple."
"Make it simple."
She shook her head. When he snarled, she closed her eyes.
*Professor*
*Yes Rogue*
*Ah've decided to leave. Is it alright if ah tell Wolvie why?*
*Yes, that's fine. I was going to tell them tonight.*
*Thanks.*
She opened her eyes. "My parents died when ah was 4. Ah was adopted by Mystique when ah was 5. She and Irene Adler raised me, trained me. She betrayed me and Magneto used me for his scheme to 'rule the world'. Ah thought we were the good guys. Ah was wrong. Anyway. The professor told me that Magneto has escaped his containment. He might come after me, because he thinks Ah'd make a good, bad mutant. He thinks Ah should go home for awhile, jus' in case Mags makes any attacks here, lookin' for me. Ah think it would be better if Ah went."
Logan made a frustrated sound. "This is your home now Stripes. We'd protect you."
"Ah don' want anyone hurt on my account. Plus it would be nice ta see home and Irene again." She shifted her gaze from him and studied the doorframe intently. "Yah won't tell anyone what ah said, will yah?"
His face softened. " 'Course not Stripes. I'm glad you trust me to have told me."
She flashed him a smile.
He made himself comfortable, holding the wall up. "So, what kind of 'training' did they give you?" His eyes narrowed. "You havn't been holding back in the Danger Room training, have you?"
She shifted nervously, looking around uncomfortably.
"Stripes.."
"No, no, not really. The kind of training ah got isn't really applicable as an X-Man and ah don' wanna talk about it."
"Okay. So you gonna tell your lover boys why you're leaving or you gonna leave them high and dry?"
She gaped at him. "Lover boys?"
He smiled slyly, baring his teeth. "Thought I hadn't noticed, didn't ya."
She flushed. "Ah don' know what yah talking about. Ah ain't like that, Ah can't be."
He frowned, took a step forward. "Rogue..I'm sorry..I didn't think."
"It's ok. Ah was jus' surprised. And the professor's going to tell them tonight. When Ah've gone."
"Do you think that's fair?"
She spread her hands helplessly. "Ah really don' think they'll be too worried."
"You're wrong. They will, especially John."
She shrugged, confused.
Logan let it go. "I don't think you should go. What if Mystique and Bukethead turn up there? Who's going to protect you? You'd be better off here. Think about it, Stripes. It's what family do. We protect each other. We hurt for each other." Leaving her with that satisfied he'd got his point through he wandered off.
Rogue sat down hard. Family. She had family that would hurt for her. Would she let them hurt for her?
She sighed.
"Wolvie's right, you know." Rogues head snapped up at John's voice. "You'd be better off here."
"John, Ah."
"Plus you can't go. We have an assignment to finish."
She laughed weakly and started to speak when she was interrupted. Again.
"True Chere, and if you must really insist on leavin' us at least go somewher' safe. Like New Orleans. Remys famli' would look afta' ya."
Rogue hid her sob by laughing. "Did you guys eavesdrop?"
John made an innocent face, but underneath Rogue could see his worry. "Nah, your privacy is still intact. We went to the Professor. He told us."
She sighed and looked around the room.
A spark of anger flared in John. "So, were you going to tell us you were leaving or were you going to leave it up to someone else?"
Two pairs of accusing eyes stared at her and she had the grace to look embarrassed. Her response came across terse. "Look ah don' want anyone to get hurt if he comes here."
Remy shook his head. "Chere, Remy only be'n here a short time but he don' t'ink anybody would let Mags hurt you and the others."
"Rogue, you won't be safe going away. You should stay. You don't even know of he's gonna come after you." As John had spoken he'd crossed the room and gripped Rogue by the shoulders. "Stay. We're your family. Please." He shook her gently.
She slowly sat. She looked around at the 3 determined faces staring at her. She raised her eyebrow at Logan's reappearance. He shrugged.
"Ah don' really have a choice do ah?"
"No." "Non." Logan shook his head.
"Alright. Ah'll stay. BUT, if Magneto heads this way ah'm leaving."
"Fine. Whatever. Lets celebrate." With that they dragged Rogue out of her room and downstairs.
In his study, Charles smiled gently.
A/N: What's Rogue gonna do? Hee hee. Read on. Then Review.
Chapter Eight
She'd worked hard to belong to the X-Men family. No way was she going to let some mutant scumbag like Magneto ruin her and their happiness just because she was raised and had slight ties to his second in command. Her hands shook slightly as she furiously shoved clothes into her travel bag. So, she'd leave until the professor thought it was safe for her to return.
"Runnin' again?"
The voice from the doorway had her whirling around into a defensive stance. Recognising the person, she turned back and replied, "For a reason and with the professors blessing this time."
He continued to watch as she moved around the room efficiently packing only the essentials, "I'll be back."
He snorted. " I had two very concerned boys come to me. They wanted me to find out what was wrong and then talk you out of doin' whatever it is you're doin'."
"Yah wouldn't understand. Neither would they."
"Why don't you try explain."
Her eyes narrowed. "It's not that simple."
"Make it simple."
She shook her head. When he snarled, she closed her eyes.
*Professor*
*Yes Rogue*
*Ah've decided to leave. Is it alright if ah tell Wolvie why?*
*Yes, that's fine. I was going to tell them tonight.*
*Thanks.*
She opened her eyes. "My parents died when ah was 4. Ah was adopted by Mystique when ah was 5. She and Irene Adler raised me, trained me. She betrayed me and Magneto used me for his scheme to 'rule the world'. Ah thought we were the good guys. Ah was wrong. Anyway. The professor told me that Magneto has escaped his containment. He might come after me, because he thinks Ah'd make a good, bad mutant. He thinks Ah should go home for awhile, jus' in case Mags makes any attacks here, lookin' for me. Ah think it would be better if Ah went."
Logan made a frustrated sound. "This is your home now Stripes. We'd protect you."
"Ah don' want anyone hurt on my account. Plus it would be nice ta see home and Irene again." She shifted her gaze from him and studied the doorframe intently. "Yah won't tell anyone what ah said, will yah?"
His face softened. " 'Course not Stripes. I'm glad you trust me to have told me."
She flashed him a smile.
He made himself comfortable, holding the wall up. "So, what kind of 'training' did they give you?" His eyes narrowed. "You havn't been holding back in the Danger Room training, have you?"
She shifted nervously, looking around uncomfortably.
"Stripes.."
"No, no, not really. The kind of training ah got isn't really applicable as an X-Man and ah don' wanna talk about it."
"Okay. So you gonna tell your lover boys why you're leaving or you gonna leave them high and dry?"
She gaped at him. "Lover boys?"
He smiled slyly, baring his teeth. "Thought I hadn't noticed, didn't ya."
She flushed. "Ah don' know what yah talking about. Ah ain't like that, Ah can't be."
He frowned, took a step forward. "Rogue..I'm sorry..I didn't think."
"It's ok. Ah was jus' surprised. And the professor's going to tell them tonight. When Ah've gone."
"Do you think that's fair?"
She spread her hands helplessly. "Ah really don' think they'll be too worried."
"You're wrong. They will, especially John."
She shrugged, confused.
Logan let it go. "I don't think you should go. What if Mystique and Bukethead turn up there? Who's going to protect you? You'd be better off here. Think about it, Stripes. It's what family do. We protect each other. We hurt for each other." Leaving her with that satisfied he'd got his point through he wandered off.
Rogue sat down hard. Family. She had family that would hurt for her. Would she let them hurt for her?
She sighed.
"Wolvie's right, you know." Rogues head snapped up at John's voice. "You'd be better off here."
"John, Ah."
"Plus you can't go. We have an assignment to finish."
She laughed weakly and started to speak when she was interrupted. Again.
"True Chere, and if you must really insist on leavin' us at least go somewher' safe. Like New Orleans. Remys famli' would look afta' ya."
Rogue hid her sob by laughing. "Did you guys eavesdrop?"
John made an innocent face, but underneath Rogue could see his worry. "Nah, your privacy is still intact. We went to the Professor. He told us."
She sighed and looked around the room.
A spark of anger flared in John. "So, were you going to tell us you were leaving or were you going to leave it up to someone else?"
Two pairs of accusing eyes stared at her and she had the grace to look embarrassed. Her response came across terse. "Look ah don' want anyone to get hurt if he comes here."
Remy shook his head. "Chere, Remy only be'n here a short time but he don' t'ink anybody would let Mags hurt you and the others."
"Rogue, you won't be safe going away. You should stay. You don't even know of he's gonna come after you." As John had spoken he'd crossed the room and gripped Rogue by the shoulders. "Stay. We're your family. Please." He shook her gently.
She slowly sat. She looked around at the 3 determined faces staring at her. She raised her eyebrow at Logan's reappearance. He shrugged.
"Ah don' really have a choice do ah?"
"No." "Non." Logan shook his head.
"Alright. Ah'll stay. BUT, if Magneto heads this way ah'm leaving."
"Fine. Whatever. Lets celebrate." With that they dragged Rogue out of her room and downstairs.
In his study, Charles smiled gently.
