Undying Hearts Chapter 4: My Only Home, a x-men: evolution fanfic

Here's another chappie comin' right at ya! I wanna do some fast updating to get back on track so here we go. Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far. YOU'RE AWESOME!!! Now, heeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre's ROUGEY! Uh, um, in this chap I mean. -

Disclaimer: Apparently we have some lack of communication here. Let me put it to you really slow: I—I—I—I—E—E—E D—D—O—O—O—O—N—N—N—'—T—T O—O—O—O—W—W—N—N E—X—S—M—M—E—E—N—N—N !--!--!--!--!

How's that? Point taken? Okey-dokey, then. On to da fic!

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Chapter 4 – My Only Home

"C'mon, Betsy! We're almost home free!"

The two girls had almost made it out. Just a few more steps and they would be free. Out of school. Out of Hell on Earth. Out of . . .

"Where are you two going in such a hurry?"

Rogue and Betsy stopped dead in their tracks, then slowly turned around. As they had predicted, there he was.

He looked down upon them, erect and proud, almost intimidating despite how thin he was. His height made up for that. Those reddish-brown eyes stared at the two girls, almost as if they could see right through. His features were actually quite handsome. He was lean but fit, not skinny and stick-like at all. His eyes, though threatening, were set a suitable length apart, not too narrow and not too wide. His nose curved inward and ended in a slight snub, making his face seem almost boyish. His cheekbones were high but strong. His jaw was just the right size, not too narrow or wide, and his mouth seemed too good to be true. His lips were thin and light pink, which covered the pearly whites behind it. His fangs were sharp and also intimidating, but still attractive to lady vampires. Lastly, his silky blonde hair flowed from the V-shaped hairline over his upward-folded collar.

Yep, if there was just one male teacher at that school worth crushing on, he would've been the one.

Unfortunately, he wasn't just any teacher. He was the headmaster.

"I said, where are you two going in such a hurry?"

His voice was suave, though not incredibly deep. It almost carried a British accent, though everyone said he wasn't British.

Both girls were silent for a moment. Why was it always so hard to speak whenever he was around?

Well duh, thought Rogue, he IS the headmaster. It's always impossible to talk when they're around.

It was still a few more moments before anyone spoke. Rogue was kind of surprised he was willing to wait so long.

"W-we weren't c-causing any t-trouble, P-prof-fessor Lucero," stammered Betsy. "W-we were just . . . just . . . uh . . ."

Rogue rolled her eyes. Despite how hard Betsy wanted to be the brave one and speak for them, her tongue just could not straighten itself out. Finally, Rogue decided to intervene.

"We were just really anxious to get home. Ya know, to make sure our families don't get worried." She said it so quickly she was afraid the headmaster had missed it all. However, he apparently understood her.

"I understand, my dears," said he. The term of endearment made Rogue shiver, and not out of pleasure. "But there is no need to rush things. Take your time, slow down a bit. Your homes will still be there. Besides," now leaning in, "you're not supposed to be running in the hallways."

Rogue and Betsy's eyes immediately widened in this realization and were glad they hadn't been given a detention. This was the headmaster after all.

"Oh, we are so sorry, professor sir. It totally jumped out of our heads! We'll be sure to remember that."

Professor Lucero chuckled, which somewhat annoyed Rogue. Hello, she was practically groveling and all he could do was laugh?

"Well, we should probably go," said Rogue. "Um, have a good vacation, sir."

"And you as well," he called as the girls took off, making sure to power-walk instead of run.

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They were halfway to Rogue's house when they decided it was safe to talk about the headmaster. "Man, that guy can sure give me the creeps," said Rogue, assuming Betsy felt the same way. "Sometimes Ah think he lives to scare us."

"You think he's scary?" asked Betsy, sounding very surprised.

"Well, yeah. Weren't you scared by him just now?"

"Not really." Betsy acted as if she had no idea what Rogue was talking about.

"Oh come on! You were stammerin' back there! You looked like you were gonna wet yourself!"

"I would never do such a thing, girl! Especially not in front of him." Betsy started to get that far away look again.

"Oh no. Don't tell me you like him too! You've already got Pietro, who is this close to drivin' me off the edge."

"Oh, come off it, luv. I know Pietro isn't the greatest guy on earth, but you can't resist him. He's one of those uncommitted guys that every girl wants, hoping they'll be the one to win his wild untamed heart." Once more Rogue's friend was lost to her.

"Uh, Houston, we have lost contact with Captain Braddock. Prepare for emergency rescue. Over." And with that, Rogue grabbed her friend around the waist and tackled her to the ground.

"Ahh! Stop it! Rogue, cut it out! I mean it!" But it was hard to stay strong when Rogue began to tickle her. "AHH! NO! STOP!! PLE-HE-HEEASE!!!"

Soon both the girls were rolling around and laughing. It was a good way to lighten the mood. Finally Rogue ceased her torturous ways and sat up on the grass. "Operation Rescue successful. We have retrieved Captain Braddock. Over."

"Stop it, you rogue!" scolded Betsy, still laughing her sides out. "You're gonna make me bust a gut!"

"Hey, that's mah name and that's mah game. C'mon, let's get to the house before we have another 'operation rescue' initiated."

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"Whoa! I keep forgetting how nice your place is, luv!"

"Oh, cut it out. It ain't as nahce as yours. Yours is the family with the mansion and the swimming pool--"

"Are you kidding? I'd rather give all that up for this!"

Rogue looked around. How could Betsy think a place like this was better than a mansion with a pool and game hall and everything? It was your basic log cabin with a large usable fireplace, a stone chimney, walls made of wood, three rooms and a bathroom. Of course, Betsy might have been taking notice of all the decorations around the house. The living room was covered from top to bottom with souvenirs that Destiny would bring for Rogue when she came back from her trips. Every charm, symbol, and fabric design from almost every culture was hung, strung, pasted or placed in there; from along the mantle of the fireplace, the walls, the rafters (which were rather low), the windows or the large comfy sofa right in front of the fireplace.

"I love how it's decorated! And it's so snug! You could never get something like that at my house!"

That was true. Her mansion was incredibly large, a little over half the size of the academy. There was really no place to cuddle up and drink hot chicken soup with chicken blood broth like they would do on cold winter nights.

"It's okay, Ah guess. Ah'll go into the kitchen and make up some of that chicken soup you lahke."

"Sure, luv!"

Rogue went into the kitchen to get out the supplies she needed. The kitchen was homely and simple. There was a sink, cupboards, cabinets, and a rack for the pots and pans hanging above the counter. There was also a table she and Destiny would usually eat at. On the counter was a toaster oven and an ice box where the perishables were kept. Destiny didn't have enough money to get a nice big refrigerator or a microwave and toaster. Getting the toaster oven killed two birds with one stone as Destiny always said. Fortunately, they were able to afford a gas stove with a real oven whenever they cooked something larger. Rogue quickly got a match and lit one of the burners and filled a pot with hot water. As the water came to a boil she worked on slicing the chicken and pouring a carton of chicken blood into a separate bowl. The local market always sold animal blood separate for both drinking and cooking purposes.

She had helped Destiny so many times in the kitchen, whether cooking or cleaning, she was able to wander in her thoughts without messing anything up. Besides, she was still wearing her gloves, so it wouldn't be too bad if she cut herself. It wasn't like it really mattered anyway. Heck, zombies and mummies lose body parts all the time, she told herself.

She began thinking over what had been going on the last few weeks. Destiny had urged her to try and control her skin, now that she had completed her telekinesis training at school. All vampires who had the ability were assigned to the class. Betsy had also been assigned to the class, and it was probably the only class she got a low grade in.

"I can't help it, luv. I'm afraid of heights," she used to say. "Besides, not every vampire who's telepathic and can create psychic blades is necessarily telekinetic! I mean come on!"

It was also the only class that Rogue got the highest grade in. Even though it was more of a borrowed power, she never lost her ability to use it and mastered it quite well. The other students who had inherited their ability were of course jealous and shunned her. It didn't matter to her, though. Rogue never really liked them in the first place, and they never really liked her. She was alien to them. There was something foreign about her that made them dislike her. With her white bangs against her dark brown hair, she looked downright freaky, even by their standards. Thank goodness for Betsy, Kitty and Tabitha. They never turned her away. They loved her too much. And more than not Rogue wished that was enough to sustain her.

But would they always be there for her? Did they even really understand her? They could still love her and not really know who she was. Heck, she wasn't sure she knew who she was. She felt like a bat in the sunlight, only not. That was the only analogy she could think of for her situation. This was where she was supposed to belong. She was, after all, a vampire. She was born that way. It wasn't like all of those stories where people are bitten by vampires but still try to maintain their human morals. She wasn't supposed to be like that. But she still felt estranged to the world around her.

Maybe I need to get away. Just take a vacation on my own. Just so I can pull myself together. It never hurts to take a break from home, right?

"Hey, hun! Do you need any help in there?" called Betsy, who was becoming worried by her friend's lengthy absence.

"No, no, Ah'm fahne. Ah'll be there in a minute." Rogue quickly looked over at the pot and noticed it bubbling. She took the chicken over to the pot and let it soak in the hot water for a while, gradually turning the burner off. She stirred and stirred till the chicken was soft. Then she carefully lifted the pot, carried it over to the counter, and ever so cautiously poured the scalding liquid and chicken into the bowl of fresh blood. The mixture of scents was sweet in her nostrils, and made her ever so hungry. Her mind started to drift again while she stirred the soup and waiting for it to cool.

Destiny did say the time would come when I would need to get out on my own. But she also said through concentration and an outside force I would learn to control my power. What force was she talking about? Did she mean some kind of magic icon, or maybe just a person? If it is a person, are they just outside because they are outside my body, or someone not from around here? Maybe a guru of some sort. Maybe I need to find a teacher.

The thought of a teacher reminded Rogue of several things. First, it reminded her of all the work that Destiny and she had done together. After all, the fortuneteller was her guardian. She was the only one she truly felt comfortable with. The only one who could possibly understand her. The second reminder, of course, were her teachers at school; all of whom did not understand her one bit. She didn't trust them at all really. She heard the stories about how her birth and being orphaned left the community in hysteria until Destiny came along. They were afraid of her. She was different somehow. She didn't know how but she knew there was something that made the elders nervous, just like how it made the kids not like her. Day by day, it was becoming more evident. Whether they had something against her or there was something just downright wrong with her she didn't know. Whenever she brought it up with Destiny she merely said to 'give it time' and then changed the subject.

Now Rogue was tired. Tired of waiting. Tired of being shunned and being feared. She wanted answers so she wouldn't have to live in suspicion anymore.

There was another thing happening lately that also made her worried. It was the headmaster, Professor Lucero. He was a newer addition to the academy, but everyone acted like he had been the ruler of the community forever. The other teachers were silent when he passed by, and only spoke to him when they were spoken to. It wasn't because they disliked him. It was because they respected him, maybe even feared him. But why?

He had also been taking a little too much interest in the students' daily activities. Everyday he was wandering up and down the halls, looking into every classroom. However, no one seemed to notice him, or if they did they acted as if he wasn't there. The girls looked on him with batty eyes and flushed cheeks, hoping he would look their way. The boys were a bit more divided. Some resented him, saying it's never fun when the 'babe magnet' is a teacher, and that was just wrong. Others actually wanted to be like him, with his suave manners and techniques of making others seem inferior to him.

It overall ticked Rogue off. She didn't like him. Not because he shunned her, and not because he gave her funny looks. He just gave off a certain aura that made her grimace. It was uncomfortable, almost like a sixth sense. She couldn't put her finger on anything in particular, but she knew she didn't like him. Nor trust him.

That was why she became worried when she started occasionally catching him glancing in her direction. He had never made a move toward her or ever spoke to her, but he somehow noticed her. At first Rogue thought he was looking at Betsy or Tabitha, who were usually doing something that often earned a hard glare from a teacher. But she soon realized, one day as she was leaving her history class by herself, that she saw him in the hallway, looking at her. Probably just a coincidence.

It wasn't though. It couldn't be. Not when it happened every other day. It had to be something else. But who could she report to about it? She decided to talk to Destiny. When she told Destiny what was going on, her guardian could only look into the distance that she couldn't see. Rogue wondered if Destiny was trying to see into the future, to see what this new headmaster was up to or what he would do to her. After a while the older woman said, "Just stay focused on your studies. He will not do anything to harm you. If anything is going to happen I will let you know."

And that was it. She would speak no more about it. And neither did Rogue. She didn't even tell her friends about it. It would've only worried them. Like Destiny said, they needed to focus on their studies.

The more Rogue thought about what had been going on, the more anxious she was to follow through with her plan. There was more motivation this time. Before, the world around her had not bothered her so much. But it had been coming, gradually. And now she knew the time was right. She had always told herself she'd wait till she was older. Well, she was older now, practically an adult.

I'll do it, she thought. I will. I'll get my things together tonight, after Betsy leaves. Oh, I wish I could tell her what I'm going to do, maybe even bring her along. No. I can't do that. This is something I have to do alone. This is the only way. Well, maybe I could leave a note at her house, when everyone's asleep. Just to tell her what I'm doing and that no one should come looking for me. Huh, no one would look for me anyway.

"ROGUE!! What's taking you?!"

"Oh! SORRY! Ah'm comin'!" Rogue quickly poured the soup into two small bowls and placed a spoon in each one. She put her nose to hers to make sure it was still warm. Yep, it was. The soup always took forever to cool down anyway. She picked up a bowl in each hand and brought it out to the living room, where a now impatient Betsy was waiting. "I hope the soup didn't freeze while you were in there!"

"Oh, stop fussin.' Ya know it takes a while for the soup to cool down."

"I'd rather have my fingers burned off than to be starved! For goodness sake, let me have it!"

"Alraght, alraght! Here you go! Sheesh! You're lucky Ah can even cook!"

"Hey! I cook too!" Betsy took the bowl from her friend but didn't start to eat it until she gave the gothic vampire a piece of her mind. "You're the one who offered to cook up some grub. And I offered to help. But nooooooooo, you wanted to do it ALL yourself! Now, can we PLEASE just have the bloody soup?!"

Rogue couldn't contain her laughter. "Betsy, just eat the stupid gruel."

"That's what I just said!!!"

Rogue quickly took her seat on the sofa next to Betsy so she wouldn't drop her soup as she held her aching sides.

"Well," smiled Betsy, "look who's going to bust a gut now!"

"Okay, point taken!" Rogue quickly calmed down her laughter but still kept smiling. Being with Betsy was just way too much fun. Whether it was pulling pranks, making jokes, or making an agreement sound like an argument, the girls always found a way to laugh at least twice every time they were together.

Betsy decided to change the subject to one that had been pecking at her for quite a while. "Luv? Remember earlier when Pietro said that you've never had a boyfriend before?"

Rogue rolled her eyes at the recollection. "Yeah."

"Well . . ." Betsy couldn't help but hesitate. She didn't want to pry into her best friend's business. But after all, they were best friends. "Um . . . I was just wondering if . . . if that has been true . . . I mean recently?"

Rogue was a little surprised at first. Betsy and Rogue had both been seeing guys since sophomore year, and Betsy even before that. Unfortunately, Rogue hadn't been very lucky in love. It was hard to find someone when you were treated like the plague by everyone. Most of the guys Rogue went out with were younger and newcomers. There had been a few guys here and there Rogue thought she had a crush on, but nothing permanent or scarring. Neither had been her relationships with those she went out with. Normally a guy would approach her, ask her out to a dance or something, go out for a few days, maybe a second date, and in less than a week they would break up. Nothing out of the ordinary. Betsy had had a few more lasting relationships, up to a month. That was a record for high school dating.

In all truth Rogue never really enjoyed going out. Sure, some of the guys were cute, but they didn't really know what they were getting into. Most of the time she kept quiet and only spoke when she had to. And when she did open herself up, it scared most of them so much they wouldn't go out with her anymore. It did hurt a bit, but nothing heartbreaking. She just admitted she was not desirable. At least she said that in front of her friends. But sometimes at night, when she was in her bed alone, she felt the fear that there wasn't anyone out there for her – that she didn't deserve anybody. Who would want to be with a girl who couldn't touch and couldn't fit in?

"Those guys don't know wot they're missing!" Betsy would say. "If they can't handle a strong-willed woman like yourself, then they don't deserve you!" Her words did encourage her a bit. But if they couldn't take her, who would?

Rogue sighed. "Not in any relationships rahght now. Ah did go out with that Alvers guy, but it wasn't workin' for me. Kitty's goin' out with him now, and they seem a lot happier." As she said that her head sank lower into her shoulders.

"What about that Remy guy?" asked Betsy.

"Him?"

"Wasn't he hitting on you the other day?"

"He was for a bit, but another girl came onto him and now Ah think they're goin' out."

"Weren't you even the least bit interested?"

"Well, a little, but the guy couldn't even talk to me straight. His way of talkin' was all weird and rearranged, like he was talkin' in riddles. It bugged the crap outta me."

Betsy sighed. "Too bad. You two looked nice together when you were walking down the hall."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. "First you're mah mother, now you're mah matchmaker?"

Her friend smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, hun. I just want what's best for you. Besides, how do you know you want something unless you take a chance and grab it?"

Rogue just shrugged. She had never thought about it that way before actually. "Ah suppose you have a point."

"Of course I do! You have to take life by the fangs and make the most out of it! Whoa, I'm starting to sound like Tabby. Oh no! She's taking over my mind! Save me! SAVE ME!" Betsy dramatically reached one hand into the air and placed the back of her other hand on her forehead, pretending to swoon.

"Away, boy-crazy demon! You shall not win my best friend's soul!" cried Rogue as she pretended to exorcise the 'demon' from Betsy. Both girls immediately started laughing.

"Oh, poor Tabby," sighed Betsy as they calmed down. "She's really such a sweetheart."

"But a boy-crazy sweetheart, nonetheless," reminded Rogue.

"Oh, that reminds me! Pietro told me he has a twin sister who has been traveling around the world and is now returning home! I think her name is Wanda. Do you remember her?"

Rogue took a quick trip down memory lane. "Oh yeah! The girl that we played with in the first grade! Remember when we tried to switch her and me so that I would go to the Maximoffs and she'd come to my house!"

Betsy laughed. "I know, you two looked so much alike back then! But Pietro told me she's cut her hair really short now and dyed part of it red. Still, I bet you two still look quite alike."

Rogue couldn't stop smiling at the memory. The only bad part was the look on Professor Lensherr's face when he saw her call him 'dadda' in Wanda's clothes. He turned so red you wouldn't have thought he was a vampire. "So, when is she coming?"

"Sometime over vacation, either next week or the week after."

A slight look of worry came over Rogue's face. Would she be back by then?

"Are you okay, luv?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, Ah'm fahne. Just a little tired."

Betsy gasped. "That's right! You need lots of sleep tonight, young lady! Remember how tired you were today?"

"But it's vacation."

"I don't care! You get your little butt in bed in ten minutes or I will have to punish you!"

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Looks lahke you're mah mother again."

"I'm only doing what I have to do." With that Betsy gathered the now empty bowls and put them in the kitchen while Rogue went to her loft to change. She ascended the ladder that led to the platform where her bed was. Since there were only three rooms, Rogue had offered to build her own place to sleep in the rafters. Destiny after enduring much begging had finally agreed.

As Rogue made her ascent, she secretly smiled to herself. She was actually glad that Betsy made her go to bed earlier. That way she had plenty of rest for her trip later that night. She got ready for bed and climbed in while listening to Betsy do the dishes. She felt somewhat bad making Betsy do the chore. After all, she was the guest.

"It's alright, luv," called Betsy, "I don't mind one bit. You just get lots of shut eye and I'll tidy things up before I go."

Rogue shook her head. She's reading my mind again. She could now hear Betsy giggling as the thought passed through. Rather than argue, she plopped down on her pillow and closed her eyes.

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So, here you go. Hope you're happy, I'm totally pooped. But never fear, I will update as soon as I can. Thank you for your patience. Now, up, up, and AWAY! (smashes into ceiling)