Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Your comments were very much appreciated!
I love it when people tell me what they think of my writing, even though I
suck. You should read my essay on teen discrimination, though. It rocks! I
promised not to babble.
* ~ *
Chapter Two: Faded Dreams
It was two o'clock in the morning at the Xavier Institute, and all was peaceful. The children were sleeping undisturbed (Ororo had checked on them to make sure), and so were the adults.
That calm was soon shattered when Rogue shot from her bed, screaming and gasping for air. She had dreamt of horrible, awful things, and the world around her was only a blur. Her nightmare had scared her so much that she was still disoriented when Kitty rushed to her side.
"Rogue, are you okay?!" she exclaimed.
The older girl shook her head, trying to clear mind. ".Yeah. Just a nightmare. Don't worry 'bout it Kitty."
"With your track record I wouldn't be so sure," Kitty replied, trying to cheer her roommate up. "Do you, like, wanna talk about it?"
"No, ah'll be all right. Ah just need some fresh air."
She nodded, and began to climb into bed. "All right, but, like, maybe you should tell the Professor. It might be a repressed memory or whatever."
Rogue rolled her eyes. Kitty always said that about her nightmares. Everyone at the institute were used to them by now, and no one bothered. Xavier would just say Rogue shouldn't read books about vampires before she went to sleep.
Besides, Rogue thought. It can't be a memory, ah mean, who would have a memory with me an Irene in it?
She put on a sweater and opened the sliding glass doors to the balcony. The fresh fall air rushed around her, and Rogue stepped outside and shut the doors, so she didn't disturb Kitty. She already felt bad enough for making her wake up.
A chair was wedged at the corner of the balcony, a necessity for the many nights she spent there. Sometimes Rogue would even carry a blanket outside and fall asleep beneath the stars.
When she would wake up, a pillow would be placed beneath her sleeping head, and the blanket was wrapped tightly around her form. For a moment, Rogue would think Irene had done this. Irene had always caught Rogue sleeping on the couch, and even told her stories of how Rogue slept under her crib when she was little. Irene never wanted to wake the child, so she would always provide a comfortable environment instead.
But it was always only Ororo, who had taken the obligation to act as a mother to the Institute's students. She was nice enough, but Rogue was always left depressed by Storm's actions. They always made Rogue wonder what her real mother would have done.
Like the woman in mah dreams.
Rogue was snapped back to reality. She was sure the blonde-haired female in her dream was her real mother. It was why Rogue was so scared to be separated from her, to be taken to Irene, who would later be the only family she had ever owned.
Ah wonder if she loved me. An if she did, why did she give me t' Irene?
The though angered her. If the woman loved her daughter so, why did she just cast her aside to some woman? Why didn't she stay with the little girl who needed her most?
At least she didn't dump me in a river.
Rogue smiled at the bitter voice in her head. Ah can always count on myself t' be an optimist. Ah'm sure she had a good reason.
Thoughts melded into nothingness and dreams faded into sleep. Rogue fell into slumber, curled into a ball.
* ~ *
Ororo Munroe groaned. For two hours, she had tried counting sheep, relaxing breaths, and even aromatherapy, but her efforts were simply futile. She just couldn't seem to fall asleep.
The woman rose from her bed and slipped into a baby blue robe and a pair of slippers. The kitchen seemed like a good place to be, so Ororo flipped on the light and began to boil some hot water for tea.
"Couldn't sleep?" a gruff voice asked her.
She was startled, but relaxed when she realized Logan had been standing behind her. "No, I must be anxious about tomorrow's training session with some of the new recruits. Hank has told me that they are quite a challenge to contain."
"You'll do fine, Windrider," he replied, opening the refrigerator and pulling out some left over pizza. "All the kids love ya."
She smiled. "Thank you."
"No problem."
He paused. "You did rounds tonight, right?"
Ororo nodded. "Of course. Why?"
"Nothin'. I think I'm gonna check on them again."
She smirked. "I won't tell Logan. I think it's sweet."
Storm knew he checked on the children every night. He would always secretly do nice things without any intent of taking the credit. Once, Rogue even asked the woman if she had tucked her in at night. Storm said she did it; she could just imagine Logan's reaction if she found out it was actually him.
"Whatever, kid. Maybe it was McCoy."
She silently laughed at the thought. Inside, Logan was just a big softy.
* ~ *
Wolverine knocked softly on the door, to make sure he wasn't troubling anyone. He quietly walked into the room, looking around.
Kitty was sound-asleep, but Rogue's bed was empty. He frowned. Did she have another nightmare?
When he walked out to the balcony, Logan jumped back in surprise. As usual, Rogue was sleeping outside on a chair. That didn't shock him. What did was that Rogue was already tucked in.
She coulda done it herself, Logan though. But something isn't right here.
Something rubbed against his legs, and Wolverine glanced down at a black cat. I thought I told them pets weren't allowed at the institute! Yet another thing he'd have to bring up with the professor.
* ~ *
I know it's not Logan's image to be all soft like that, but I thought it was cute. And the students all really seem to like him, so yeah. Well, the next chapter is on it's way! Please review I will sooo love you if you do!!!
Oh yeah, you might think being separated from your mother isn't that scary and horrible, but Rogue was young in her dream, so it was scary to her, if that makes any sense.
* ~ *
Chapter Two: Faded Dreams
It was two o'clock in the morning at the Xavier Institute, and all was peaceful. The children were sleeping undisturbed (Ororo had checked on them to make sure), and so were the adults.
That calm was soon shattered when Rogue shot from her bed, screaming and gasping for air. She had dreamt of horrible, awful things, and the world around her was only a blur. Her nightmare had scared her so much that she was still disoriented when Kitty rushed to her side.
"Rogue, are you okay?!" she exclaimed.
The older girl shook her head, trying to clear mind. ".Yeah. Just a nightmare. Don't worry 'bout it Kitty."
"With your track record I wouldn't be so sure," Kitty replied, trying to cheer her roommate up. "Do you, like, wanna talk about it?"
"No, ah'll be all right. Ah just need some fresh air."
She nodded, and began to climb into bed. "All right, but, like, maybe you should tell the Professor. It might be a repressed memory or whatever."
Rogue rolled her eyes. Kitty always said that about her nightmares. Everyone at the institute were used to them by now, and no one bothered. Xavier would just say Rogue shouldn't read books about vampires before she went to sleep.
Besides, Rogue thought. It can't be a memory, ah mean, who would have a memory with me an Irene in it?
She put on a sweater and opened the sliding glass doors to the balcony. The fresh fall air rushed around her, and Rogue stepped outside and shut the doors, so she didn't disturb Kitty. She already felt bad enough for making her wake up.
A chair was wedged at the corner of the balcony, a necessity for the many nights she spent there. Sometimes Rogue would even carry a blanket outside and fall asleep beneath the stars.
When she would wake up, a pillow would be placed beneath her sleeping head, and the blanket was wrapped tightly around her form. For a moment, Rogue would think Irene had done this. Irene had always caught Rogue sleeping on the couch, and even told her stories of how Rogue slept under her crib when she was little. Irene never wanted to wake the child, so she would always provide a comfortable environment instead.
But it was always only Ororo, who had taken the obligation to act as a mother to the Institute's students. She was nice enough, but Rogue was always left depressed by Storm's actions. They always made Rogue wonder what her real mother would have done.
Like the woman in mah dreams.
Rogue was snapped back to reality. She was sure the blonde-haired female in her dream was her real mother. It was why Rogue was so scared to be separated from her, to be taken to Irene, who would later be the only family she had ever owned.
Ah wonder if she loved me. An if she did, why did she give me t' Irene?
The though angered her. If the woman loved her daughter so, why did she just cast her aside to some woman? Why didn't she stay with the little girl who needed her most?
At least she didn't dump me in a river.
Rogue smiled at the bitter voice in her head. Ah can always count on myself t' be an optimist. Ah'm sure she had a good reason.
Thoughts melded into nothingness and dreams faded into sleep. Rogue fell into slumber, curled into a ball.
* ~ *
Ororo Munroe groaned. For two hours, she had tried counting sheep, relaxing breaths, and even aromatherapy, but her efforts were simply futile. She just couldn't seem to fall asleep.
The woman rose from her bed and slipped into a baby blue robe and a pair of slippers. The kitchen seemed like a good place to be, so Ororo flipped on the light and began to boil some hot water for tea.
"Couldn't sleep?" a gruff voice asked her.
She was startled, but relaxed when she realized Logan had been standing behind her. "No, I must be anxious about tomorrow's training session with some of the new recruits. Hank has told me that they are quite a challenge to contain."
"You'll do fine, Windrider," he replied, opening the refrigerator and pulling out some left over pizza. "All the kids love ya."
She smiled. "Thank you."
"No problem."
He paused. "You did rounds tonight, right?"
Ororo nodded. "Of course. Why?"
"Nothin'. I think I'm gonna check on them again."
She smirked. "I won't tell Logan. I think it's sweet."
Storm knew he checked on the children every night. He would always secretly do nice things without any intent of taking the credit. Once, Rogue even asked the woman if she had tucked her in at night. Storm said she did it; she could just imagine Logan's reaction if she found out it was actually him.
"Whatever, kid. Maybe it was McCoy."
She silently laughed at the thought. Inside, Logan was just a big softy.
* ~ *
Wolverine knocked softly on the door, to make sure he wasn't troubling anyone. He quietly walked into the room, looking around.
Kitty was sound-asleep, but Rogue's bed was empty. He frowned. Did she have another nightmare?
When he walked out to the balcony, Logan jumped back in surprise. As usual, Rogue was sleeping outside on a chair. That didn't shock him. What did was that Rogue was already tucked in.
She coulda done it herself, Logan though. But something isn't right here.
Something rubbed against his legs, and Wolverine glanced down at a black cat. I thought I told them pets weren't allowed at the institute! Yet another thing he'd have to bring up with the professor.
* ~ *
I know it's not Logan's image to be all soft like that, but I thought it was cute. And the students all really seem to like him, so yeah. Well, the next chapter is on it's way! Please review I will sooo love you if you do!!!
Oh yeah, you might think being separated from your mother isn't that scary and horrible, but Rogue was young in her dream, so it was scary to her, if that makes any sense.