Chapter Four: In Her Head
* ~ *
Rogue felt like the world was spinning far too fast. Mystique, that evil, conniving, I'm going to push you and Scott off a cliff and then try to warp Kurt's mind because I feel like it bitch was in her balcony?!
The thought made her sick. With the Brotherhood, Mystique had acted like she cared, only to cut Rogue down without a second thought when she got in her way. Now what? Was she coming back just to stalk her and mess her up even more than she was already? It didn't make any sense.
The room danced with black spots as Rogue grew uncomfortably hot. Her legs went out from under her.
She thought she heard a scream.
* ~ *
"Are you all right, dear?" Ororo Munroe asked her young charge.
Rogue nodded as the woman put a cool cloth on her head. She frowned. "You fainted back there, you know. Is there something the matter?"
"Ah think ah was just dehydrated or somethin'," she lied lamely. Owww, why did her head hurt so much?
"You bumped your head on the china cabinet," Ororo supplied. She handed her an ice pack. "Mr. McCoy would be far better at this, but he was too embarrassed to come into you girls' room."
"Thanks," Rogue told her. What else was she supposed to do?
"I suppose you were a little shocked to learn Mystique could have possibly been here. I know how the two of you didn't get along."
"We got along fine until. until she lied to me an, well, you know!"
Ororo nodded. "I am sure the whole situation was upsetting to you. Especially after you started to receive her memories. You are not. still dreaming of her memories, are you?"
Rogue shook her head. It was a half-truth. She didn't really know if they were Mystique's memories, and if the were, couldn't figure out how she was connected. She didn't really want to lie to Miss Munroe, especially after how kindly she had been treating her during her stay at the institute. Still, Rogue loathed adult-interference with something very personal to her. Most likely they would imprison her, thinking Mystique was out to get her, or something worse. No, that was absolutely not an option.
"Then they are not anyone else's memories?"
"Ah really don't know what you're talkin' about. They're just silly nightmares. The Prof was right, I really shouldn't be reading horror novels before lights-out."
She raised a dark eyebrow, obviously not convinced. "If you say so."
* ~ *
"Come here, there's some one I want you to meet," a young, blonde-haired woman called to Rogue, who was playing outside with a neighbor boy.
"Gotta go, we'll finish playin' war t'morrow," she told her friend and immediately jumped up and raced towards her mother. "Who is it, Momma?"
"This is Irene Adler, a friend of mine," she replied, gesturing to a young woman with shoulder-length, coppery-brown locks, and a dazzling smile. She wore sunglasses, even though it was cloudy outside, and held a cane, which puzzled Rogue.
Rogue stuck her hand out. "Pleased t' meet ya."
"Likewise," Irene replied, but did not return the little girl's gesture.
She took it as an insult and sulked.
The blonde chuckled. "Honey, she can't see you, otherwise she would've shaken your hand. Trust me, Ireney won't bite."
"How come she's got glasses on, an has an old man's pole?"
Irene smiled, laughing. "The 'old man's pole' is actually a cane, and it helps me find my way around."
"An the glasses?"
She took them off, revealing pale, glassy brown eyes. "Because I'm blind, my eye's are not very pretty, so I wear these to cover it up."
Rogue nodded. "So you don't know what me or Momma look like?"
"Not by sight, dear."
Rogue's mother smiled. "Sabine, will you go inside and pick up your toys? Irene and I would like to talk."
"But, wh-"
"Thank you, child," the woman said tightly.
Rogue- no, "Sabine"- knew by her tone that she should do what she was told, but couldn't help but eavesdrop when she went inside the house.
"Your time is up," Irene said. "I said you could keep her for another year. It's been two. I've tried to be lenient, darling, but you are forgetting why she must be sent away. Not only because of my visions, but because of her father. He must not know where she is, or who she is. He'll come for her soon, and you know it."
"I know, but where are we going to send her? She can't go back to Boston, nor can she stay in New Orleans again. This is the safest place."
Irene shook her head. "It's still sticks out like a sore thumb. He could easily find her, even when we change her name."
"Change mah name?" Rogue asked, without realizing she had said it aloud until it was too late.
The woman's head snapped in her direction. "Excuse me Irene, but I think someone needs to go pick up her toys. We'll talk about this later."
* ~ *
"Rogue," Scott said. "Time to get up. Breakfast's ready."
She turned over and threw a pillow at him, moaning.
Last night she had managed to get a satisfactory night's sleep. The dream last night was somewhat mild, but still confused her. She was still in no condition to contemplate it, however, and wished Scott would catch the drift.
He pulled off her covers. "Come on! Out of bed, sleepy head."
Shivering against the fall air and wearing barely anything, Rogue finally forced herself out of bed. When she walked by Scott, she punched him in the arm.
"Perv." she said, flouncing off.
He followed her. "Where are you going?"
"Ah'm goin' t' go pee, if you must know," she said, and then stopped walking. "Why the hell did you wake me up in th' first place? It's not even nine yet!"
"The Professor wanted to speak with you after breakfast," Scott replied.
"What for?"
"I dunno, he said it didn't concern any of us."
She smiled. "Sounds int'restin'."
Scott nodded. "Well, I'm going to join the others. We're having pancakes. Logan's treating."
Rogue rolled her green eyes. "Greeeat. Like ah need a stomach ache to start mah day with? Ah think ah'll just pass."
"Suit yourself, just come down when you're all dressed and r-"
"Oh mah Gawd! Mah clothes!" Rogue cried, covering up her face, and looking down at her black nightgown. She was practically in lingerie and she didn't even notice it! She turned beet red and ran off without an explanation.
"Where are you going?" Scott called after her.
"Ah told ya before!" she replied, mortified.
Scott scratched his head and muttered something about how impossible women were to understand. She sure did look pretty this morning, he thought.
* ~ *
"What'd you want t' talk t' me about, Professor?" Rogue asked, taking a seat in his study. She hoped she hadn't gotten in any trouble.
"A few things, quite frankly," he answered. "You're not in any kind of trouble, as you might say, but I have been quite disappointed in your behavior."
Rogue swallowed, a sick feeling over-coming her. She had been a good girl, hadn't she? What was Professor X talking about?
"I know a few things have been happening in your life that you have not told any of the adults at the institute about, and I feel you know better. The dreams you have been receiving are starting to concern me, and Miss Munroe also. Why didn't you speak with her yesterday?"
"There was nothin' t' talk about," she replied hotly. "An even if there was, why is it any of her business? She isn't mah mom!"
But you don't know who is, Rogue thought bitterly. If you told Miss Munroe. No, Ah have t' find out on mah own.
"Rogue, I realize that, but the X-Men are your family right now, and there's a reason why we make such rules. You should tell us why you are having these dreams. You should tell us even if you're not sure. We care about you and don't want you to get hurt."
She just stared. "An you think these dreams are hurtin' me? They're just hurtin' mah grades because ah can't keep awake in school."
Professor X nodded. "And your grades are something I thought we should also discuss."
"Look, Prof," Rogue said, "Some thangs in mah head, ah don't want people t' know, okay? You bein' a telepath, ah'm sure y'r not used to the concept of privacy, but ah like t' have mine. Unless a girl volunteers t' speak, ah reckon y'all oughta respect her own space."
"That's not true. I have rarely read your thoughts without your consent."
"Rarely, Prof, that's th' deal. You an Jean think y'all can help me by getting' in mah head an tellin' me what's in there an why, but y'r wrong. There's thangs in there, thoughts, memories, images, that even scare me. Ah don't need y'r help t' handle it, cause ah don't think anyone could, not just you telepaths, but everyone around here."
Deep lines appeared on his forehead. "You may not realize it, but many of us know exactly what you're going through."
"You have no idea what's it's like t' wake up an not know if y'r you, where you are, who y'r family is-"
She stopped speaking when she realized what she had let slip.
"Rogue, are you upset because you haven't seen your foster mother?"
Irene. just the thought of her brought tears to her eyes. Where was her foster mother? Was she still in Caldecott liked she had promised, awaiting new on Rogue's new life with her "friend."
Her "friend" had turned out to be Mystique, an evil, manipulative, psycho bitch that almost tried to kill her and Scott. What would Irene say if she knew her "friend" had acted? What would she say to the fact that she was now living with the "mutant-hunting X-Men" as Irene had put it.
Though she loved her so, Rogue still had a right to be angry towards the woman. It was impossible for her not to hate her. She had sent Rogue to Mystique willingly, and though Rogue was sure Irene had no idea what kind of person Mystique wad, she still had left Rogue with her.
Was it possible to go back?
"Rogue, are you listening?"
She blinked. "Um, yeah, sorry Professor."
Charles Xavier sighed and forced a slight smile. "Consider this a warning. Next time something like this comes up, please tell me about it. For the most part, I will try to respect your privacy."
Rogue nodded absent-mindedly and walked past her questioning teammates into her room. The thought spread across her like a warm sunrise. Of course! Irene would know all about the memories, after all, she was in all of them.
She was going back to Caldecott.
* ~ *
My chapter titles have gotten way uncreative, but oh well. I hope you liked this chapter. Bear in mind next chapter or two will focus on Kurt, Irene, and Mystique also, not just Rogue. Please review!!! Thankies!
* ~ *
Rogue felt like the world was spinning far too fast. Mystique, that evil, conniving, I'm going to push you and Scott off a cliff and then try to warp Kurt's mind because I feel like it bitch was in her balcony?!
The thought made her sick. With the Brotherhood, Mystique had acted like she cared, only to cut Rogue down without a second thought when she got in her way. Now what? Was she coming back just to stalk her and mess her up even more than she was already? It didn't make any sense.
The room danced with black spots as Rogue grew uncomfortably hot. Her legs went out from under her.
She thought she heard a scream.
* ~ *
"Are you all right, dear?" Ororo Munroe asked her young charge.
Rogue nodded as the woman put a cool cloth on her head. She frowned. "You fainted back there, you know. Is there something the matter?"
"Ah think ah was just dehydrated or somethin'," she lied lamely. Owww, why did her head hurt so much?
"You bumped your head on the china cabinet," Ororo supplied. She handed her an ice pack. "Mr. McCoy would be far better at this, but he was too embarrassed to come into you girls' room."
"Thanks," Rogue told her. What else was she supposed to do?
"I suppose you were a little shocked to learn Mystique could have possibly been here. I know how the two of you didn't get along."
"We got along fine until. until she lied to me an, well, you know!"
Ororo nodded. "I am sure the whole situation was upsetting to you. Especially after you started to receive her memories. You are not. still dreaming of her memories, are you?"
Rogue shook her head. It was a half-truth. She didn't really know if they were Mystique's memories, and if the were, couldn't figure out how she was connected. She didn't really want to lie to Miss Munroe, especially after how kindly she had been treating her during her stay at the institute. Still, Rogue loathed adult-interference with something very personal to her. Most likely they would imprison her, thinking Mystique was out to get her, or something worse. No, that was absolutely not an option.
"Then they are not anyone else's memories?"
"Ah really don't know what you're talkin' about. They're just silly nightmares. The Prof was right, I really shouldn't be reading horror novels before lights-out."
She raised a dark eyebrow, obviously not convinced. "If you say so."
* ~ *
"Come here, there's some one I want you to meet," a young, blonde-haired woman called to Rogue, who was playing outside with a neighbor boy.
"Gotta go, we'll finish playin' war t'morrow," she told her friend and immediately jumped up and raced towards her mother. "Who is it, Momma?"
"This is Irene Adler, a friend of mine," she replied, gesturing to a young woman with shoulder-length, coppery-brown locks, and a dazzling smile. She wore sunglasses, even though it was cloudy outside, and held a cane, which puzzled Rogue.
Rogue stuck her hand out. "Pleased t' meet ya."
"Likewise," Irene replied, but did not return the little girl's gesture.
She took it as an insult and sulked.
The blonde chuckled. "Honey, she can't see you, otherwise she would've shaken your hand. Trust me, Ireney won't bite."
"How come she's got glasses on, an has an old man's pole?"
Irene smiled, laughing. "The 'old man's pole' is actually a cane, and it helps me find my way around."
"An the glasses?"
She took them off, revealing pale, glassy brown eyes. "Because I'm blind, my eye's are not very pretty, so I wear these to cover it up."
Rogue nodded. "So you don't know what me or Momma look like?"
"Not by sight, dear."
Rogue's mother smiled. "Sabine, will you go inside and pick up your toys? Irene and I would like to talk."
"But, wh-"
"Thank you, child," the woman said tightly.
Rogue- no, "Sabine"- knew by her tone that she should do what she was told, but couldn't help but eavesdrop when she went inside the house.
"Your time is up," Irene said. "I said you could keep her for another year. It's been two. I've tried to be lenient, darling, but you are forgetting why she must be sent away. Not only because of my visions, but because of her father. He must not know where she is, or who she is. He'll come for her soon, and you know it."
"I know, but where are we going to send her? She can't go back to Boston, nor can she stay in New Orleans again. This is the safest place."
Irene shook her head. "It's still sticks out like a sore thumb. He could easily find her, even when we change her name."
"Change mah name?" Rogue asked, without realizing she had said it aloud until it was too late.
The woman's head snapped in her direction. "Excuse me Irene, but I think someone needs to go pick up her toys. We'll talk about this later."
* ~ *
"Rogue," Scott said. "Time to get up. Breakfast's ready."
She turned over and threw a pillow at him, moaning.
Last night she had managed to get a satisfactory night's sleep. The dream last night was somewhat mild, but still confused her. She was still in no condition to contemplate it, however, and wished Scott would catch the drift.
He pulled off her covers. "Come on! Out of bed, sleepy head."
Shivering against the fall air and wearing barely anything, Rogue finally forced herself out of bed. When she walked by Scott, she punched him in the arm.
"Perv." she said, flouncing off.
He followed her. "Where are you going?"
"Ah'm goin' t' go pee, if you must know," she said, and then stopped walking. "Why the hell did you wake me up in th' first place? It's not even nine yet!"
"The Professor wanted to speak with you after breakfast," Scott replied.
"What for?"
"I dunno, he said it didn't concern any of us."
She smiled. "Sounds int'restin'."
Scott nodded. "Well, I'm going to join the others. We're having pancakes. Logan's treating."
Rogue rolled her green eyes. "Greeeat. Like ah need a stomach ache to start mah day with? Ah think ah'll just pass."
"Suit yourself, just come down when you're all dressed and r-"
"Oh mah Gawd! Mah clothes!" Rogue cried, covering up her face, and looking down at her black nightgown. She was practically in lingerie and she didn't even notice it! She turned beet red and ran off without an explanation.
"Where are you going?" Scott called after her.
"Ah told ya before!" she replied, mortified.
Scott scratched his head and muttered something about how impossible women were to understand. She sure did look pretty this morning, he thought.
* ~ *
"What'd you want t' talk t' me about, Professor?" Rogue asked, taking a seat in his study. She hoped she hadn't gotten in any trouble.
"A few things, quite frankly," he answered. "You're not in any kind of trouble, as you might say, but I have been quite disappointed in your behavior."
Rogue swallowed, a sick feeling over-coming her. She had been a good girl, hadn't she? What was Professor X talking about?
"I know a few things have been happening in your life that you have not told any of the adults at the institute about, and I feel you know better. The dreams you have been receiving are starting to concern me, and Miss Munroe also. Why didn't you speak with her yesterday?"
"There was nothin' t' talk about," she replied hotly. "An even if there was, why is it any of her business? She isn't mah mom!"
But you don't know who is, Rogue thought bitterly. If you told Miss Munroe. No, Ah have t' find out on mah own.
"Rogue, I realize that, but the X-Men are your family right now, and there's a reason why we make such rules. You should tell us why you are having these dreams. You should tell us even if you're not sure. We care about you and don't want you to get hurt."
She just stared. "An you think these dreams are hurtin' me? They're just hurtin' mah grades because ah can't keep awake in school."
Professor X nodded. "And your grades are something I thought we should also discuss."
"Look, Prof," Rogue said, "Some thangs in mah head, ah don't want people t' know, okay? You bein' a telepath, ah'm sure y'r not used to the concept of privacy, but ah like t' have mine. Unless a girl volunteers t' speak, ah reckon y'all oughta respect her own space."
"That's not true. I have rarely read your thoughts without your consent."
"Rarely, Prof, that's th' deal. You an Jean think y'all can help me by getting' in mah head an tellin' me what's in there an why, but y'r wrong. There's thangs in there, thoughts, memories, images, that even scare me. Ah don't need y'r help t' handle it, cause ah don't think anyone could, not just you telepaths, but everyone around here."
Deep lines appeared on his forehead. "You may not realize it, but many of us know exactly what you're going through."
"You have no idea what's it's like t' wake up an not know if y'r you, where you are, who y'r family is-"
She stopped speaking when she realized what she had let slip.
"Rogue, are you upset because you haven't seen your foster mother?"
Irene. just the thought of her brought tears to her eyes. Where was her foster mother? Was she still in Caldecott liked she had promised, awaiting new on Rogue's new life with her "friend."
Her "friend" had turned out to be Mystique, an evil, manipulative, psycho bitch that almost tried to kill her and Scott. What would Irene say if she knew her "friend" had acted? What would she say to the fact that she was now living with the "mutant-hunting X-Men" as Irene had put it.
Though she loved her so, Rogue still had a right to be angry towards the woman. It was impossible for her not to hate her. She had sent Rogue to Mystique willingly, and though Rogue was sure Irene had no idea what kind of person Mystique wad, she still had left Rogue with her.
Was it possible to go back?
"Rogue, are you listening?"
She blinked. "Um, yeah, sorry Professor."
Charles Xavier sighed and forced a slight smile. "Consider this a warning. Next time something like this comes up, please tell me about it. For the most part, I will try to respect your privacy."
Rogue nodded absent-mindedly and walked past her questioning teammates into her room. The thought spread across her like a warm sunrise. Of course! Irene would know all about the memories, after all, she was in all of them.
She was going back to Caldecott.
* ~ *
My chapter titles have gotten way uncreative, but oh well. I hope you liked this chapter. Bear in mind next chapter or two will focus on Kurt, Irene, and Mystique also, not just Rogue. Please review!!! Thankies!