DISCLAIMER: Characters are not mine. They belong to marvel. lucky basta...yeah.

NOTE: for some reason, it wont let me italicize some things, or use other symbols, so sorry in advance...

The air was whipping past his ears faster than he could remember it ever going before. He felt as if he were a bullet, speeding out of a gun. More than anything, he wanted to tell her to slow down, but he knew that if he opened his mouth, she was likely to let go of him. He was just extra weight after all. So he remained still. In a manner of speaking. Not like he could really move if he wanted to. He had been rather unceremoniously slung over her shoulder, and his head was resting on her back. He propped himself up on his elbows, trying to get more comfortable.

Well, at least the view isn't that bad, he thought.

"If you're staring at my ass, Ah swear, Ah'll drop ya."

"Yes ma'am...speaking of dropped, nice accent."

He felt her grip on his legs loosen significantly, and he grabbed onto the back of her shirt for dear life.

"Kidding! I was kidding!"

She tightened her hold again and sped on.

"Are we there yet?"

"No. And when we get there, you're not to tell anyone who ah am. If anyone asks, Ah'm just Kurt's sister. That's all."

"Ok. But Jean will know. She'll tell Scott, and he's such a gossip..."

"Can it, Bobby."

He complied. Within minutes, they were at the front door of the mansion. She took a deep breath and opened the door. Just her luck, they had arrived in-between classes. The entryway was flooded with children. One particularly small girl spotted them and came running.

"Mr. Drake!!"

Bobby squatted to hug the small child, who then turned and looked up at Rogue.

"Whozzat?"

"Um, Kayla, this is Anna Marie. She's Mr. Wagner's sister. Anna Marie, this is Kayla. She's one of my students."

"Hi, lady. How come you're not blue?"

Before she could answer, a loud "BAMF" exploded nearby, and Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler, was standing next to Bobby.

"Bobby, Herr Professor wants to see you immediately. He says to..." He trailed off as he noticed the woman standing in front of him. Despite her changes, he still recognized her. "Mein Gott... Rogue?"

She smiled, starting to wonder whatever possessed her to leave in the first place, and told him, "Don't use that name."

Kurt was slightly taken aback, but nodded. "He wants to see you too. Before you do anything else."

She had been hoping to get to the med lab as soon as she could, but she had no choice but to see the professor. She started walking towards the stairs. As Bobby began to follow, the little girl tugged at his sleeve.

"Did he call her 'Rogue?' Like Mister LeBeau's Ro—"Bobby cut her off before she could finish the question.

"No, Kayla... you know those are just stories..."

As he walked up the stairs, he could tell that the small child wasn't convinced.

Welcome home

Rogue stopped halfway up the stairs. It had been so long since she had been spoken to that way. Wile she was stopped, Bobby caught up with her.

"I take it the professor couldn't wait thirty more seconds to see you again either?"

She smiled and kept on walking. Standing in front of the wooden door of the office, she reached out slowly to grab the doorknob. Before she could open the door, however, it swung open on its own and she was greeted by the smirking face of Wolverine.

"You still smell the same, kid." He said as he breezed past her and into the corridor. She made a face at him and walked into the office. It was just as she remembered it, the bookshelves lining the walls, the deep red carpet. The rich wooden desk. And the professor. He certainly looked the same.

"Bobby, I'll talk with you later. I'd like some time with Anna Marie first."

As Bobby left the office, she faced the professor for the first time since her hasty departure three years before.

"I'm sorry, Professor... I'm sorry I left."

"You left because you felt you had to. I do not hold it against you. Please, have a seat."

She sat down in front of the desk, relieved that he did not hate her for what she had done.

"Can I see him?" As quickly as that relief had come to her, it was overshadowed by worry as she remembered why exactly she had returned.

"Yes. But not today. Once you've settled back in, you may see him."

She opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off.

"I cannot risk having you come back into his life only to leave again without giving a reason. If you do that, he will be better off not seeing you at all."

She closed her mouth, she knew he was right. Nodding, she stood up.

"Where will I be staying?"

"Your room. It's all made up for you."

She thanked the professor, left the office, and headed towards the wing of the house that contained the team members' bedrooms. She took a deep breath as she turned the knob and opened the door to what used to be her room.