A/N: Thank you Xiowolfe, Blix Howlett, and TricaLee for the reviews!! :-D
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"It should be right 'round -- there!" James spun the steering wheel to the left turning the 'van sharply into a hidden road. "Hah!" He laughed grinning in triumph. Rogue allowed herself a small smile, she hadn't said much since James' episode. It must have rattled her more than she thought; she figured her eyes searching the trees for a path of some kind. James pulled the van over and parked it.
"You see it?" Rogue asked softly her eyes flickering to his face then back to the trees.
James shook his head pulling the keys out of the ignition, "No, it's over grown. But the cabin should be straight that way." He pointed out Rogue's window then climbed out of the van. Rogue's lip twitched downward as she climbed out and had to run to catch up with him.
"Wait!" She called out ducking under a low-lying branch, "James!"
He slowed down a bit but didn't stop, his eyes transfixed on the barely visible path in front of him. Rogue trailed behind him suddenly contempt at being behind him, and then her eyes fell on the small cabin in front of them. James didn't even hesitate going up the stairs and trying the doorknob. Rogue's eyes wandered over the old cabin, the place was completely abandoned. Dust coated the windows, weeds ate up the sides, and the door was locked.
James scowled thumping on the door with his fist, "The middle o' no where an' he locks the door!?" He tried the knob again this time using a little more force to no avail.
Rogue sighed shoving her hands in her pocket, "Didn't he write where he hid the key?" The man had written down where the cabin was but had forgotten that he locked the place, how ironic…
"No." James snapped childishly, Rogue smirked a little imagining him as a little boy stomping around the living room of his home. The smirk dissipated when James produced a paper clip from his pants pocket and unbent it before sticking it in the lock. He twisted and turned the thin piece of wire for a moment before the door clicked and the knob turned in his hand. Slowly he pushed the door open and tilted his head to the side before turning back to her with a triumphant smirk.
"Someone's been watchin' MacGyver reruns." Rogue snorted climbing up the old creaky stairs to where James stood holding the door open for her, "Sure it's safe?"
James shrugged walking in before her, "Yea, it's only been abandoned fer eighteen years." He looked around running his hand over a chest positioned against the wall and came back with black smudges on his fingers.
"With a little cleanin' I bet this place would be nice." Rogue muttered softly picking up a book from the coffee table in the center of the room. It was coated with at least an inch of dust, sucking in a lung full of air she blew the dust from the cover and watched as it resettled on the coffee table. Black Japanese symbols stared at her from the would be red covered book.
"He knew… Chinese?" She held the book out to James as he walked over and took it from her.
"Japanese. Lived there for a while I guess." He shrugged setting the book back down on the dust white coffee table. Rogue watched the dust settle around the book as James walked into the kitchen. Nothing much was in there but bare cupboards, a table, and a 'fridge. Curiosity spiked his interest as his eyes landed on the 'fridge.
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'What would be in a 18 year old abandoned 'fridge?' I thought wiping the dust from the handle, 'Maybe nothing… most likely nothing…' But I pulled the door open anyways halfway expecting to see some kind of dead rotting animal corpse in there for some reason.
Instead I find three bottles of expired beer.
That was certainly fun. I search through the drawers finding another bottle of expired beer and a rancid piece of meat. Thank God it was wrapped tightly in a Ziploc bag, I quickly close the drawer and the 'fridge turning away from it. The smell of putrid meat was trying to force it's way out of the drawer and out of the 'fridge, I could smell it.
"Hey Rogue?" I called out moving away from the 'fridge to where Rogue stood looking at something, I moved closer catching a glimpse of what she was holding. It was a picture of Logan and a beautiful young woman with long dark brown hair and piercing green eyes. Rogue turned to me still looking down at the picture, "God James," She said softly, "They look… They look just like us."
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A/N: Please Review!