A/N-I know that this fic started off as a strong ryro and I was really adamant about keeping it that way, but you know sometimes you just have to write whatever works best and this is what keeps coming out. I hope you guys like it anyway!

Great New Heights

Rogue tapped on the desk subconsciously with a slightly glazed look on her face as she sat through another one of Scott's guilt trips.

"If I've said it once I've said it a thousand times, if you're going to drink all of the milk in the fridge, please tell one of us so we can go out and get some more." Scott's extra emphasis on the word please made Rogue's eyes float up toward his face.

"Whatever you say, captain."

Scott sighed and shook his head. "I know it's not just you."

Rogue raised an eyebrow. He was getting awfully serious about milk.

"I also know you've been going through a lot of things lately, but we're here if you need to talk to someone."

Rogue let her mouth hang open a second before regaining her composure. "Yeah, absolutely. Um, can I leave now?"

"Oh, right. Sure. Just think about what I said."

Still eyeing Scott, Rogue made her way out of the kitchen door and into the hallway, muttering "Jesus, that was weird."

"What was weird?" Bobby fell instep beside Rogue as she made her wait towards the front doors.

"Oh, I don't know. Scott was just acting really strange in there. First he was giving me a lecture about milk and then he started saying something about how he understands that I'm going through something… I don't even know," she said with a shake of her head.

"Hm…sounds like fun."

"You betcha."

"So where ya heading?" he asked as they stopped just short of the double doors that led outside.

"I was going to go for a walk, care to join me?"

Bobby furrowed his brow, "Well I'm not sure, I have such a busy schedule…"

Rogue tilted her head and a slightly impatient look crossed her face that was quickly followed by a poorly hidden smirk.

"Well if you insist."

"And I do." Rogue added pointedly.

"Then I guess I can come along."

A small smile played out on Rogue's face and, if only for a moment, Bobby swore he saw her blush.

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Kitty swam placidly on her back, gently kicking her legs to propel herself forward every so often. She closed her eyes and let the sun hug her body as she floated the length of the pool. The warmth of the day combined with all the stress she was carrying made this a perfect time to relax. She smiled as she felt the warmth of the sun….start to get a little too warm.

Her eyes snapped open in time to see John retract a ball of fire that she assumed he had made dance around her head.

"Hey!" Kitty righted herself so that she could reprimand John properly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Just seeing how long it would take you to notice I was here."

"And how did I do?"

"Sooner than I expected actually. I figured the sun would've burned you before I did."

"Cute." Kitty swam the short distance to the edge of the pool and climbed out. She made her way to her towel, but John reached it first.

He unfolded it and held it out in front of him. He seemed to want to help dry her off.

"What are you doing?" she asked for a second time.

"Just figured you'd want this."

Kitty narrowed her eyes for a moment before walking towards him. Well, through him, was more like it. She allowed herself enough time to grab her towel, but as soon as she touched his body she made herself incorporeal, taking her towel along with her.

John spun around, "Hey, that's cheating!"

"Yeah, well so was stealing my towel." Kitty continued walking back towards the mansion and tried ever more so when she felt John's presence beside her.

"Look, I'm sorry. You know I can't pass up a good opportunity to mess with you."

Kitty rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"Kitty, I'm serious. Can we talk?" John jogged several steps in front of her and turned to block her path, forcing her to look at him.

She sighed and put her hands on her hips. "What is there to talk about?"

"Yesterday, I just wanted to make sure everything's okay between us."

"Why wouldn't it be, nothing happened."

John's expression hardened. "That's not what it seemed like."

Kitty readjusted her towel and shrugged. "Well, I'm sorry, I don't know what you think happened but..." She tucked a wet lock of hair behind her ear and looked over his shoulder. "Look, I have to go."

She brushed past him and kept a quick pace towards the mansion, leaving John to stand staring after her.

0000000000000000

"What would you do if I fell?" Rogue hung upside down, her legs wrapped around a tree branch. She looked down at Bobby who had his face turned up to her.

"I would call 911."

Rogue's eyes widened as she feigned sweetness. "Aww, I can't believe you care so much!"

Bobby grinned. "Yeah, well what can I say. I'm a caring kind of guy."

Rolling her eyes, Rogue swung back onto the branch and flipped herself over so she could lean back against the trunk. She tipped her head back and watched the sun filter through the leaves, the breeze making different patterns on the ground.

"You should come up here."

"I'd really rather not."

Rogue frowned slightly. "Why not?"

Bobby fixed his face in a smile that wasn't visible to Rogue and said, "Because then who'd be down here to catch you when you fall?"

Rogue let out a burst of laughter. "I'm barely 10 feet off the ground!"

"Ten feet can do a lot of damage."

Sighing, Rogue gave up and stood shakily on the branch. She began to climb her way higher on the tree so she could gain a better view of the grounds.

"Wow, Bobby this is a really great view." She paused for a moment while she squinted at some distant figures. "I think I see Kitty and John."

Bobby perked up, "Really?"

"Yeah, hold on a second. I'm trying to get a better look." Rogue leaned forward through the branches in an attempt to get a clearer view of who she was staring at. She squinted harder and was able to discern the two shapes as John and Kitty. Only John looked like he was about o give her a hug…Is he wrapping her up in a towel? Rogue, momentarily forgetting where she was, took a step forward…into thin air.

Rogue felt like she was in some kind of cartoon when the bad guy realizes he's just run over a cliff. She seemed to be suspended in midair for just a moment before she began tumbling to the ground.