Dust and Blood

Legal Stuff: Don't own them, only borrowing them.

Rating: Not intended for children, story does contain mature subject matter. Injury and femslash.

000

"Rogue?" The voice was weak but defiantly there.

"I'm here Jean" The Goth girl whispered back.

"What happened?" Slowly Jean tried to sit up. Rogues hands helped her move slowly. Her head spun and throbbed violently. She groaned and held her head. "What the…"

"You were bleeding Jean. I tried to hold part of your top to your head to stop it. I don't know how good I did, I can't see at all." Rogue explained through the sheet of blackness. Both girls sat in the damp dust breathing heavy, the air always thick with the metallic dust.

"It's alright. I think I'm ok" The throbbing only becoming worse, causing her stomach to heave and roll unpleasantly. "I think I'm going to throw up…" Rogue simply reached out to caress her back.

"It's ok Jean. Just try to relax." Jean nodded and let her body slide back a little. Resting up against Rogue, both girls became suddenly aware of their closeness. For a moment the fear slipped away and they both cherished the moment in dark solitude.

"Jean?" Rogue whispered, "Are you awake still? You shouldn't sleep." Jean shifted against her.

"I am awake. Is there a way out?" Jean's voice was weak, a scary thought for Rogue who just swallowed hard and shook her head.

"I don't know, I have been here with you since we fell. I think I broke a rib or two." She leant back against a smooth rock wall. "The others will come for us. If you can use your telepathy I am sure they will get to us soon." Jean nodded slowly and closed her eyes, but the pain returned ten fold. A blinding light flashing in her head, splitting her skull in two

"Unngggnnn" Jean grabbed her head and Rogue placed her hand on Jean's leg.

"Don't push it. We can try again in a bit. Are you ok to stay here? I will go look for a way out." Rogue gently moved, helping Jean to sit against the wall. Wincing at every move, her ribs still a painful reminder of their fall.

"I'll be ok." Jean murmured as she sat back.

Rogue shuffled across the floor. Eyes squinted to try and see in the darkness, feet sliding across the sandy floor; arms outreached waving in front of her body. Finding the wall again she just fallowed it around. Finding a space big enough for them to get through, and even better some glowing coming from up ahead.

"Jean I found an exit. Can you walk?" She waited. "Jean?" Shuffling back towards where she left the girl. Bumping into the form of her injured friend Rogue quickly knelt and ran her hands to her friends face and neck, feeling for her pulse. Still there, still beating away. Mustering all her strength Rogue lifted Jean's fallen form into her arms, shuffling back across the cave floor, along the wall in search of the exit she had just found.

000

Day 2

At the mansion Scott, Logan and Ororo all stood outside of Cerebro. Scott felt bad that Ororo had to come back from taking care of her family, but luckily Evan got to stay behind to look over things and keep her posted. It's been close to 24 hours now since the minor quake and no one not even the professor and Cerebro can find the two girls. It's like the disappeared into thin air. All eyes moved to the Professor as the doors to Cerebro opened.

"Well?" asked Logan, "Anything yet Chuck?" The professor slowly shook his head.

"I am afraid not Logan. Scott you said they disappeared in the junk yard, well I know there is a very expansive mine set under that junk yard, the majority of it is collapsed and it will be difficult as it covers many miles be we are going to have to search through that rubble. The girls may not have much time… if any at all if they are down there. Ororo, will you put together a team of some of the students… perhaps they can help us."

"Of course professor." Turning on her heel Storm slipped from the cool halls of the sub-basement.

000

"Rogue?" Jean blinked and moved slowly sitting up. There was light here, a tiny green glow, making it hard to see anything in its phosphorescent haze. "Rogue?" Jean sat up, her head spinning yet again; to her side she could see Rogue lying on the sandy floor presumably asleep.

She lowered her ear towards Rogue's lips. Shivering slightly as the Goth girl's breath caressed her skin. Beside Rogue's hand lay a piece of bloody cloth. In the light Rogue had washed the rest of the blood from Jean's head from a small puddle of dirty water on the right. Jean moved to it slowly and brought some of the water to her lips with her palm. It tasted horrible, dirty, muddy, metallic, and just plain revolting but she managed to get a few swallows down before resting again. Lying on the sand, she faced Rogue and watched her sleep.

Jean's hand snaked across the sandy floor. Her fingers tentatively walked over Rogue's gloved hand. Their fingers laced together in the darkness. Rogue asleep, Jean awake. The darkness surrounding them seemed to close around them deeper. Jean tried again to reach the professor and again failed. Fear was beginning to settle in the pit of her stomach. Part of her wished Rogue was awake, at least just to talk, even if they argued.

000

Day 3

The professor sat before the team looking tired and drained. Behind him stood Wolverine and Storm suited up in their X-men uniforms. Excitement and fear gripped the group. Unknowing why they have been called here, but the prospect of battle seemed to be in the air, not even noticing they are down two members.

"Alright team," Xavier began. "We have called you all down here because we have a very special search and rescue mission. 72 hours ago during a routine training exercise two students went missing. It is believed they fell into the mines under the Junk Yard outside the city limits." Hushed whispers passed through the team. "The mines are very large; there are literally thousands of passages. We will concentrate on the area directly below the Junk Yard. Kitty your powers will be especially helpful. The rest of us will be moving slowly needing to move all the rubble out of our way. You will be able to search much faster and efficiently."

"Alright Professor." She nodded.

"Good, now Logan is going to instruct you on safe search and rescue techniques. I want you to pay attention; we cannot risk the mine trapping more of you inside." With that the professor wheeled away. Logan took over the lead and began assembling the group into smaller teams.

000

"I guess we have a lot to talk about hmmm?" Rogue sat back against the wall watching Jean's form.

"Yeah I guess so. The silence is worse than anything we can say to each other I suppose." Jean winced even as she spoke the words, sounding much too harsh even for her ears.

"Look," Rogue began, "I know we don't get along very well. Its not that I don't like you Jean, you were just the only one who really tried to be nice to me at first… It was kind of scary I guess." Rogue fiddled with her gloves nervously.

"Yeah, I guess I know what you mean. I guess maybe I just got hurt when you rebuffed me so much… I just started to act like a jerk… I do like... I like you Rogue."

"I like you too Jean."

000

TBC: No one reviewed the first chapter, I suppose if no one reviews this one I can assume no one is reading lol. I don't really like working for nothing. If anyone is reading I will continue. If no one is I won't bother. But you can be sure more seriousness to come, sickness, injury, life or death situations, maybe even… gasp sex?