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
Day 7
The teams worked slowly, moving rubble working their way through the expansive mine. Kitty sat tiredly against some rocks, she had been wandering for hours and nearly got lost herself in the winding tunnels. The moral of the group was lessening by the hour. How could these two girls survive in a caved in mine with no food and no water for over 168 hours? Even if the girl's were long dead the professor intended on finding them and bringing them home. They deserved that much.
"Kitty! Here you should drink some water…" Kurt stood over her. His furry blue features a picture of concern. Kitty nodded and accepted the drink.
"I just feel bad drinking so freely when I know Rogue and Jean have none ya know." Kitty frowned.
"Ya for sure Kitty! But we need to stay strong for them!" He replied.
Back and forth Scott paced restlessly. His powers too strong to be used in the mines for risk of bringing them down with the vibration meant he had to wait on the sidelines with the professor, helping as best he could to lug rocks away when the opportunity came.
"Be optimistic Scott. This isn't your fault." The professor tried to comfort the guilt ridden team leader. He just wasn't getting through.
000
Rogue lay against a rough stone wall, breathing heavy, wheezing slightly. Ribs worse off than either of the lost girls had guessed earlier. Coughing was often accompanied by the sharp metallic taste of blood. While Jean herself still suffered from random dizzy spells. Neither had any sense of time, having discussed it they decided they had been buried maybe 2 days. The fact which most likely kept them alive that long.
"You ok Rogue?" Jeans gentle voice penetrated the gloomy silence.
"Yeah I think so; it only hurts when I breathe…" She tried to offer up a smile, Jean responded with a small chuckle. Though she laughed at the joke, she was very aware of the seriousness of Rogue's injury. Slowly she moved close and sat beside the weary girl. They spent many hours huddled close together, claiming for warmth, but the truth being they needed each other. Closeness and support in place of food and water.
Casually Jean laid her head on Rogue's shoulder. Rogue only tensed slightly in response. Jean had experienced more than one shock since this event began. A stray hand of a sleeping partner brushed skin, causing them both to jolt awake with sudden pain. Again Jean reached across and laced her fingers with Rogue's gloved hand. She wiggled closer, shivering, from cold, fear, and the exotic excitement that came with it all. Trapped alone with the girl she has found herself dreaming about for sometime.
Feeling Jean move to get closerRogue lifted her arm, allowing Jean to slide under while keeping their fingers laced. Rogue's arm was then wittingly placed around Jean in a tight embrace. Rogue closed her eyes and tilted her head slightly closer to Jean, inhaling her scent in a deep breath. Both girls had all but attained an unpleasant scent, dirt, blood, and not to mention the unavoidable waste their bodies produced. Having sectioned off a corner of the room for that purpose, but still did nothing to cover the smell.
"Rogue…" Jean's voice was no more than a distant whisper.
"Jean?" Rogue answered.
"Maybe they are not going to come for us? Maybe they gave up…" Jean shuddered.
"Don't even say that! The Professor will come for us! They wouldn't leave us down here to die!"
000
Day 9
Logan moved quickly, bounding down the hall towards the others.
"I got bad news Chuck!" He growled.
"What is it Logan?" Xavier inquired, the worry clearly marked on his face.
"The wood holdin' this thing together is creakin' like a rusty screen door. It's gonna come down on our heads if we don't get outta here soon!" He gruffed.
The team gathered around the Professor's chair waiting to hear his response. Worry and fatigue wore heavy on every person's face. Covered in dirt and dust, everyone was tired and sore. Worn down and worn out, the search lasting now over 200 hours. Charles' head sunk with defeat.
"Let's go home." He voice barely above a whisper. Kurt hugged Kitty to him. Beast placed a hand on Ororo's shoulder, Bobby and Scott felt their stomachs turn. "I will continue the search with other help."
"Professor?" Ororo ventured. Xavier just lifted his hand.
"Let's get out of here." The professor turned slowly and wheeled down the dust ridden path.
000
Rogue's fingers gently and absent mindedly traced through Jean's hair. The sleeping girl rested with her head in Rogue's lap. They have had much to talk about during their time below, though neither of them had made the move to discuss their romantic feelings.
"Rogue?" Jean yawned.
"I am awake." Rogue answered, her fingers never ceasing their gentle play.
"Is there any water left?" Slowly Jean sat up. Rogue lifted a scrap of cloth from the ground taken from the back of Jean's top. The cleanest place they could find. She reached over and dabbed it into the fading puddle then offered it to Jean who squeezed the repulsive fluid into her mouth. Jean then offered the remainder to the sullen Goth girl who repeated the process.
"Is it just me… or is the water beginning to taste better?" Rogue smiled weakly.
"I think you've finally gone insane from starvation." Jean grinned slightly.
"Do you think we could eat the moss? We would be in the dark again… but maybe we can eat it?" Rogue stood getting her legs under her shakily and moved to the moss. She scrapped off a sample and placed it on her tongue, chewing it. Her face twisted in revulsion but swallowed it. "Well… I'm not dead yet." She scrapped more off and sat back with Jean.
"Rogue… I think I need to tell you something… before we die." A single tear rolled down the redhead's cheek.
"Jean… we're not going to die. Eat some of this; it's not as bad as the water." Rogue lifted her hand and fed Jean the earthy morsel. Jean screwed up her face.
"Yuck… that's gross" she swallowed and frowned. "Rogue… are you afraid to die… without having ever been in love?" Jean slowly lifted her eyes to the Goth girl's. Rogue made a face and looked away.
"No… because I have been in love." She replied.
"Did you ever tell them?" Jean reached over, taking Rogue's hands in her own.
"No… No I didn't." She shook her head.
"Why?" Jean asked.
"Because they could never return it." Rogue answered truthfully.
"Because you can't touch anyone?" Jean tilted her head to the side and squeezed Rogue's hands.
"No… because they just wouldn't love me." Rogue felt a shiver run through her body. Jeans strong hand's holding hers made her feel better.
"How do you know?" Jean pressed the subject.
"Because sh… he just couldn't…" Rogue was beginning to panic, she couldn't lose Jean... not now… she needed her friendship to live.
"I'm afraid I'll die without telling the person I love, I love them" Jean confessed.
"But Scott knows how you feel…" Rogue frowned thinking of it.
"It's not Scott" Jean whispered, Rogue's eyes snapped up to meet Jean's.
"Who?" Rogue could barely speak.
"Do you trust me Rogue?" Jean asked quietly.
"Yes… of course I do." Rogue shook her head, "I don't understand."
"Shhhh…" Jean reached out hesitantly. "Trust me now then." Her bare hand grazed Rogue's bare cheek. Both of them jerked and froze, eyes locked. Both their mouths slipped open in silent screams. Jean began to pant heavily. Her eyes began to roll back into her head.
"Jean! JEAN!" Rogue grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Look at me!"
Jean slowly shook her head, feeling a twinge in her spine which traveled up to her neck. She blinked, a heat spreading through her ab and up into her chest, a fire burning inside her, a desire begging to be sated. She locked her eyes with Rogue's and leant forward. Rogue tried to jerk away, afraid now not for their lives starving to death down here, but of what was going on inside Jean. The redhead's eyes burned. Literally. Jean's hands burned Rogue's flesh once more, though no life draining shock rocked them. Rogue watched unbelieving as Jean's body seemed to ignite in fire, a form rising from her body. Like a fleshy statue stuck in the middle of a flaming bird.
Unable to pull away Rogue just stared as Jean moved closer. Her fiery lips reached the shocked Goth girl's and devoured her in a passionate kiss. Fear gripped Rogue afraid somehow she was hurting Jean, but she felt no transfer of thoughts or memories. Succumbing to the pleasure Rogue simply shut her eyes and leaned closer. Their lips meshed together, nipping and suckling, fighting for dominance. Jean's hands moved from Rogue's cheeks to her hair. Rogue's hands found their way to Jean's waist and pulled her closer.
Lost in the forbidden embrace their tongues dueled. The two girls moaned gently into each others mouths. Warm tongue's sliding over each other, battling back and forth between each others mouths. The heat grew fast and steady, the room filling with a blinding light. A sudden and ear piercing shriek echoed through the cave, more of a cry. The battle cries of a hawk or eagle… more like a phoenix.
000
Charles sat back in his chair, having not even had the chance to lift the helmet of Cerebro to his head. The cry of this powerful entity echoed brutally in his head. Crying out, Charles grabbed his head and slumped forward to the floor.
000
TBC: Yes I know… its nothing like the show... but this isn't the show… its MY show and I will bring the phoenix anyway I want lol… not like the cartoon would feature lesbians anyways lol.
