A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews! There's a couple of things in this chapter important for the end, one more so than the other, think you can figure it out? :-D
--
"Here it is, Marie Rose Howlett born here January 16th, 1986." The receptionist, a man with long graying hair pulled back in a ponytail, smiled friendly at Rogue and James, "Anything else I can help you with?"
Rogue nodded hesitantly, "Were there any complications?" She shoved her gloved hands into the pouches in her sweatshirt and leaned forward trying to get a better view of the computer screen.
James leaned his side against the counter beside Rogue and began flipping through the journal he had brought inside with them. They had been there a little over two hours trying to convince someone to look up the files for them, finally Roy, the graying receptionist, agreed to it.
"Mrs. Howlett died of a hemorrhage. She was dead before the baby even drew her first breath, sad really…" Roy said then looked up to Rogue, "I'm sorry but that's all there is here."
"Thanks." Rogue sighed moving away from the counter, "Well that was a waste of time." She grumbled heading towards the elevator with James a few steps behind, completely absorbed in the journal.
"Did you find something?" She asked stepping into the elevator and pressed the button for the main floor. James pulled himself away from the journal and closed it stretching out his back and arms.
"I don't think Xavier's gonna tell us much." He bit back a yawn and rubbed his eyes as the elevator came to a stop and the doors reopened.
Rogue tilted her head to the side curiously, "Why's that?"
James held up the little green journal, "Chuck was planning ta create a mutant team to subdue the humans with." He said lowly so that only Rogue could hear as they walked through the front doors. Rogue frowned giving James a confused look while he fumbled with his keys and unlocked the van.
"But…" Rogue's face scrunched up in thought, "He's always been for humans and mutants co-existing… James, Xavier is like a father to me… he's raised me from an infant and I have never heard him say anything about a mutant team for subduing humans."
"Really?" James said slowly raising an eyebrow in disbelief, "What about the X-men?"
--
The van was silent and slowly cooling down, it had to be at least 20 degrees outside. Canada sure had some bizarre weather, but who was I to complain? My eyes rolled over to Rogue staring at the sign above the door reading 'Princess's Bar'. Logan used to hang out here a lot, said it reminded him of his old bar down (up?) in Madripoor where everyone knew him as 'Patch'. Kinda sounds like 'Cheers' to me, Rogue had said the same thing when I read her the passage before leaving the hospital.
I reached for the door handle sighing, "Come on let's go in." I offered her a weak smile before opening the door and pulling myself out of the driver's seat. I stretched a bit before closing the door, I had, after all, been driving for a little over an hour and a half.
Logan sure did get around.
The bar was dark and smelled sour and dusty, kinda like the library… Rogue followed hesitantly behind me looking about the small cabin-like bar, "This place," She said softly eyeing a fighting cage in the corner, "seems familiar."
I nodded but before I could answer a booming voice rose up from the bar, "I thought I told ya that ya weren't welcomed here 'ny more runt!" The bartender, a stout man with a rifle in his hand aimed at my head shouted.
Rogue made a squeaking noise, her eyes growing wide at the sight of the gun.
"You've never told me that," I grunted, something in the back of my mind beginning to nag at me but I ignore it, "Look, we're just here to get some answers about someone is all."
The man cocked back the hammer on his gun, "Ya ain't tricking me ya stupid mutie, I remember ya even if it's been twenty years."
"You knew Logan?" Rogue spoke up suddenly, "We're here about him! I'm his daughter."
"I don't care who the hell ya are! Get outta my bar!" He pointed the gun at the door before aiming it right back at my head. Rolling my eyes I turned for the door, "Come on Rogue, let's get outta here." I grumbled.
Another dead end and waste of time. Rogue huffs as she climbs into the van and slams her door shut.
"I hate people." She declares pulling out a bag of beef jerky she had stashed in the glove compartment. I snort cranking up the heat before pulling out of the parking lot and back onto the dirt road. "But not just one person, all of them. Mutant and humans alike." Rogue continued shoving a large piece of meat into her mouth.
I snag a piece of jerky from her bag without taking my eyes off the road, "Just 'cause of one person?" I asked chewing on the meat.
Rogue shakes her head, "Nah, a couple… well I don't know." She sighs tucking the jerky back into the glove compartment before reclining back in her seat, "Where to next?"
--
A/N: Please Review!!!