Thank you, everyone for all the reviews. .:bows.:: This is the next chapter. It's short, but they'll get longer. Yell at my muse. And the books Rogue is reading I recommed it

Chapter Two

Carol stirred and found a pair of red on black eyes staring at her. She jerked away. Shock was coursing through her and her heart was pounding in her chest. Where was she? How had she gotten here? The last thing she remembered was . . . . that doctor with that evil grin.

Suddenly her heart leapt again. She'd escaped? What about the others? Were they safe or had it just been her? Why was she wet?

Carefully, she tamed her trembling hands and looked up at her rescuer. "W-who're you?" She stammered out, hating that quaver in her voice.

He ignored her question. "Y'okay?" He questioned her.

She nodded. Invincibility was a power with few downsides. Her head throbbed a little, but minor considering. She shook off old memories. Judging from his eyes, he was a mutant like she was which made him a decent alley already. She swallowed her pride and asked. "My name's Carol. I'm a mutant. I need some help."

The man paused to look her over. She held her breath and clenched her fists, ready to fight him off if he had any ideas about the price of help. He still didn't say anything and his name was still lost to her, but he got up and offered her a hand. She took it holding it loosely afraid of crushing it with her strength and pulled herself up.

"Dere's a place dat I know of dat may help y'out," he said after a few moments of consideration. He walked back over to his bike and motioned for her to follow.

Carol climbed on the back of his motorcycle. His voice was nearly inaudible over the roar of the engine and the roar of thunder. He then introduced himself as Gambit.

Carol wrapped her arms around the man's slender waist and couldn't help but feel the strong ripple of muscles underneath the man's shirt. She shivered appreciatively.

They moved slowly for the first quarter of a mile. The storm making it hazardous to travel over twenty miles per hour, but the rain slowed, and the lightning came less frequently, but the rolls of thunder could still be heard.

Gambit jammed his foot down on the pedal as the break in between storms finally opened up. Carol caught her breath in surprise as they sped up and squeaked excitedly. The wind combed her hair and whirled around her, it was a warm fat breeze and it soon took the chill and damp off of her clothes. In fact, soon she was partially dry although she doubted that would last long.

She was about to ask him if Gambit could take the corners a little less sharply but stopped. He didn't have to do this after all. Wouldn't most people have left her in the road for dead?

I don't die easy, she thought with satisfaction as she crossed her hands and pressed herself closer to Gambit.

"Where're we going?" Carol finally had the gall to ask.

"Xavier's," He replied.

Rogue couldn't sleep; her voices seem to wake up just when she felt like falling asleep. She settled down with Midnight Bayou on a chair in the living room throwing both legs over the arm of the chair. The book was amusing: banter, romance, horror, everything that a normal person might experience. Rogue sighed and reached for her mug of hot chocolate and brought to her lips and flinched away. Still too hot to drink, she thought with a sigh, placing it back on the little table. The doorbell rang or buzzed as it was more a buzzing than a ringing. Rogue glanced up at the clock. Beast was still up working on an experiment and she's seen Sam, Bobby, Roberto, and Ray sneak down for a midnight snack. Being extremely stealthy.

Yes and the sky was florescent pink with green stripes. Which meant Rogue would have to get the door. The bell again. "Ah'm coming," she grumbled even though they couldn't hear.

She smoothed her shirt down and opened the door. "Gambit," she gasped gaping at him momentarily before it shifted into glared. "Whadda ya, Swamp rat?" She asked him putting her hands on her hips.

"Dis is Carol—she be needing some help," he motioned to the girl next to him. "Dat's all."

Rogue looked at Carol. She was a classic: Blonde hair, blue eyes. Perfect aristocratic features, she reminded Rogue of Jean. Just what she needed. "Oh." Was that all she could say? Oh, what a stupid thing to say. "Come on in," she told Carol moving away and keeping a safe distance from the girl.

Glancing around warily taking it all in interestedly. She tugged at the hem of her shirt and then sent a brilliant smile at Gambit. "Thank you, Gambit."

"No problem," he raised his right hand to wave but his sunglasses fell from his fingers. Instinctively Rogue reached out to catch them, her fingers closed around them just as Gambit's hands tightened around them as well. Their eyes met and although it was only for about two seconds, it seemed like for all eternity, but then Gambit froze and then fell. Rogue wrestled her hands from Gambit's grip, a shriek issuing from Rogue's mouth as it happened.

Carol gasped and leapt back as the new mutant boys thundered into the room. "Someone get Hank!" Bobby yelled taking charge of the situation. "And the professor!"

Rogue rubbed at her head hearing a new voice thickly accented with Cajun join the others.

Now, cherié,why'd y'do dat?

Shut up, Cajun, Rogue ordered, trying to grab control back from him. Mah body, mah mind. Ya shouldn't beh here. Ah don't want ya here.

Now, Chere, dat's no way to talk t' me. Gambit jus' tryin' t'help.

It would helpful to meh if ya weren't in here.

Now who's fault is that? A different voice scathing and cynical growled: Sabertooth.

Rogue clenched her teeth and grabbed at the edge of a table, which slowly began to turn pink and then red. "Shit," Rogue thought.

Gambit!

Want some help, ma cherié? Even as a voice he was infuriating.

What ahm Ah s'ppose ta do? Gambit's voice was soothing and carefully began talking her through the process she needed to use in order to keep the table from exploding.

Rogue struggled and finally, she managed to take the energy from the table. Trembling, she heard Dere, dat wasn' so hard was it?

No, guess not. Rogue gasped and fell to her knees, her eyes closing.