First of all: A big ol' thanks to all, you guys and gals who have reviewed my story. I'm an incredibly lazy writer, and I'm truly sorry that y'all had to wait forever for a new chapter

The jungle sequence actually represents what happed to Frank in 'Nam. If you have read 'The Punisher: Born' I think you'll understand. If not, then let's just say Big Frank got a little too happy being down there…

Laura-trekkie: Gory indeed! I'll try to update a wee bit faster in the future. Thanks for the review

Chica De Los Ojos Cafe: I'm afraid there'll be no romance for Frank in this story. He's too messed up for that sort of thing ;)

Slickboy444: Thanks for the compliments. Nothing makes a day better than receiving such positive reviews. You might just be the reason this chapter gets posted quicker.

Gypsy: Errr, to tell the truth, I'm not all that well-versed in the X-men universe. Let's just say her guard was down or something. -.-'

A Greyer shade of grey: Thanks. I put a lot of effort in cooking up all these metaphors, so I'm glad they're appreciated.

Booyah: Jeg bor i Sønderjylland, i en lille by der hedder Genner. Ligger tæt på Aabenraa.

Now, let's get down to business, shall we? ;)

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Jean woke with a start. Her telepathic alarms were blaring inside her skull with enough urgency to make a fire-siren pale in comparison. Something was wrong. She could tell that Scott sensed it too, because he stirred and forced his eyelids open.

"Mmm. Something wrong, honey?"

He mumbled hazily, still trying to gather coherent thoughts through the cloud of sleep behind his eyes.

"Nothing honey, just another nightmare"

She hated lying to Scott. Guilt stirring in the pit of her stomach, snickering slyly at her, but she felt that this was something she should handle herself.

"Wanna talk about it?"

Even while intoxicated by need of sleep he still worried about her. She smiled and kissed him lightly on his lips.

"No"

Another kiss, this time a bit longer.

"But thanks"

He just slurred some kind of acknowledgment before surrendering to sleeps sweet oblivion. She smiled. He had been up all night brooding over something, like he would often do when something was bothering him. And it wasn't exactly brain-surgery finding out what was the problem, so he needed all the sleep he could get. He was a very calculating person, always analysing and evaluating whatever troubles the X-men were currently in. It would flicker behind his eyes like a rabid slide-show being fast-forwarded, and he wouldn't rest until a solution had presented itself.

But in this particular case, the only thing that presented themselves were more problems.

Jean waited until Scott's breathing was steady once more, then she gingerly got out of bed and headed in the general direction of the disturbance.

It wasn't long 'till she realized that she was headed for the kitchen. As the approached the door, she could hear the soft pit-pats of bare feet on the linoleum floor.

Being Polite as always, Jean knocked gently before entering. Inside Rogue was standing in her light-blue pyjamas and holding a glass of milk. Her hair looked like she had been break-dancing in her bed sheets, exploding into every direction in big, knotty tufts. Her face was pale and covered with a layer of cold perspiration. Her eyes looked haunted and were adorned with big bluish-black circles underneath.

"God, Rogue, what happened to you"

She looked up, only now becoming aware of Jean's presence. She also knew better that to try and make an excuse, so she simply told what she had dreamed, intentionally leaving out the gruesome details.

"… Ah mean, his memories were bad enough, but THIS"

Rogue felt her legs beginning to wobble dangerously, so she quickly pulled out a chair and plumped unceremoniously down in it, covering her moist eyes with her hands.

"Ah've never tried something like that before. It was horrible" Her voice began to quiver

Jean sat down next to the shaken woman and leaned her forehead on hers, and, using the gift she was granted, reached into Rogues mind, and with an incorporeal hand she soothed the churning chaos inside. She organized her thoughts, so she could think more rationally, and surpassed the fear that was suffocating Rogue's mind. She also looked deeper, and though she carefully kept her mind at a distance, she still saw some vague pictures of what Rogue had seen.

When she was done she leaned back in her chair, and was rewarded with the sight of a much calmer-looking Rogue.

"Thanks Jean"

She sounded like the weight of the entire mansion had been lifted off her shoulders. She leaned in and embraced the red-head in an appreciative hug, whispering her heart-felt thanks.

So they sat in silence for awhile, until Jean spoke up.

"A few days ago, I caught some stray thoughts from while he was in the infirmary. He was dreaming I think, and I got a full, unfiltered piece of his nightmare. It completely shattered my mental shields"

"How?" Rogue asked fearfully

"It's his psychosis I think"

Rogue jerked back in fear

"He's psychotic?"

"In a manner. He's not like Sabretooth or some of the other nut-cases. His psychosis doesn't make him a howling lunatic; it actually does the exact opposite. His mind is abnormally focused and singular, and he doesn't see the incorrect in killing hundreds of criminals. He lives and breathes for the war he wages. It's very scary, because it is impossible to tell if persons are like that. In fact, people with psychopathic characteristics like that are often fiercely intelligent."

"So he's a psychopath?"

Rogues voice was soaked in fear

"Not entirely. True psychopaths lack any empathy whatsoever. Frank doesn't. As you saw, he was willing to sacrifice his own life to rescue a complete stranger. He lives by some sort of personal codex. People guilty of severe crimes are free game, and innocents must be protected at all costs.

You could say that he has just takes the normal super-hero custom to the extremes"

"Poor guy.

A long silence followed, the dark mood saturated the room, covering both women in a thick layer.

"How is he?"

"He'll live. He doesn't seem very surprised at what happened. I guess he's getting used to our little quirks."

"Comes from living in a house where telekinesis and claws are as normal as legs, ah guess"

"Indeed. Well, I better get back to bed. If Scott wakes up he'll have a heart-attack if I'm not there"

Rogue chuckled, lightning the atmosphere considerable.

"Aww, that poor dear. You go be an obedient wife, now"

Jean began walking away, but before she closed the kitchen-door behind she smirked

"Just 'cause Gambit isn't here…"

"AH HEARD THAT!!"

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HAPPY NEWYEAR BOYS 'N' GALS!!!

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