Holy crap I did not realize it's been two weeks. Two weeks since my last update! God, I'm becoming like the other authors who hardly ever update. Uggghhh.... Seriously, though, if I had more time, these updates would come up faster. Real life just catches up to you, you know? I'm sure you guys understand.
And since I wanted to get this up as soon as possible, I didn't really read it over with care like I usually do. So you guys are just gonna have to deal with the typos and spelling/grammar mistakes. Next chapter will come up sooner, I think!
Ah, hell, I have to proof read. I'll upload in few minutes...
Nightshade: whoa, 11-3 in the morning is quite a time-frame for reading. I think my brain would be too fuzzed up at that time to be able to function. Good job. I'm brewing up the plot for the sequel. Can't wait to actually start writing it! Star-of-Chaos: yeah, tons of blood flow would kind of distract you, huh? I can't remember if this chapter has fluff or not.... Ishandahalf: the badness is far far far from being over. It's actually just beginning. The seeds have been planted, so to speak. We'll see if Rogue takes Annabel's advice or not. She's a very obstinate girl, as you well know. Are you writing any other stories? Please write some, or recommend me some. I need something good to read. Sweety8587: Don't ya like how Rogue climbed into bed with Remy? He wasn't really all that awake though so...eh, w/e. And this story is far from over. You can kind of say it crosses over to the next one, what with Morph and Sinister to consider... And no, sorry, but Romy angst can never be avoided. Blackrougefillie: Annabel is dead and Rogue has control, but that has yet to be explained. Flowerperson: Oh, you're in England!That's so cool. I always wanted to talk to an English person. You've just many good things going for you, huh. Nai-Pants: You like? Hope I continue to deliver. This story still has a way to go. Allie: Oooh, sorry about the big words. I try to use the new vocab I've learned. I hope I didn't overdo it to make it all like I whipped out some thesaurus. Ugh, that'd be awful. I think I will tone it down a bit. You didn't get chapter 27?? But every one is crucial! If you want, I can send it to you. CatStar14: Yeah, I am in high school. I pride myself on my writing skills--it's seriously all that I have! Hope this update wasn't too belated. TotallyObsessed: Here is what happens next, but I don't think there's much Romy. GreenFairyGirl88: heck no the story's not over. Not for some chapters yet. And, eech, this was certainly my latest update yet. Enchanted light: thanks, as always Freak87: so many questions and musings! I can't possibly respond to them all, but yeah, for sure Annabel is dead. Dead as a doornail, though I don't understand that saying, or did I just get it wrong? Oh, who really cares. I almost forgot about Napes, the pilot, and Perry still on the plane. Heh, talk about plot holes--which I hate. Plot holes ruin a good story. Kendokao: haha, tons of bloody people in general, that made me laugh. And yeah, now that I think about it, that was a lot of stuff to take in at once. Ever wonder how much tension and pressure are really put on the characters of such complex stories? I mean, I would certainly snap. Cd lover: Oh, jesus! Didn't know you cared so much about Kitty! But I promise, she has a scene just for her coming up. I think it's the chapter after this one though...please don't stop reviewing!! Angel-In-Black: The best? Oh, you're too much, but don't stop. More will come, especially with the sequel. Epona04: uh, hmm, I guess this is still a continuation of "Demon In My View", though it does set up a lot for the sequel. Actually, this whole story sort of set up for the sequel. Huh, well, you'll see. Flame31: you think so? Thank you! Hope you like this chapter just as much. EmeraldKatsEye: I can't remember if you've ever reviewed before...your name looks new, but w/e. That good, huh? Thank you for your praises. You guys are the reason I do this--well, half of it anyway. Sorry about such a late update! Shockgoddess: I wish I could bow to your applause, I've always wanted to bow. I hope the sequel is awesome. You know how sequels sometimes end up badly bc they live up to the original? God, that'd suck if that happened.
He was nearly certain she had been there. Memory was not serving him particularily well at the moment, but he could still feel her warmth. He remembered her eyes, dusky green in the darkness, gazing at him with fatigued tenderness. So close, so warm... But now she was gone.
He tried to move, found his muscles uncooperative. A tired nostalgia enveloped him and made it difficult to gather thoughts together. He could not remember what had happened or why he was lying in a bed, unable to move or think properly. He just wanted to see her. He had a faint inkling that something bad had happened and him being barely conscious was horribly inconvenient.
There were voices and movement around him. People were present. Two; neither of them her.
"How is he doing?"
"Much better. I was afraid he might develop complications in the night, but it seems he's recovering as quickly as can be expected. Gambit sure does know how to bounce back, even after the previous injuries. Curious, I wonder if he was even fully healed of those..."
"When will he awake?"
"Few hours yet. It's only five o' clock. The morphine is running through his system prolifically."
"Then I suppose I must wait before getting any answers."
"Why is that?"
"I think it would be better for Rogue and Gambit to be questioned together. They seem to have bonded somewhat, from what Jean tells me. And both have obviously played key roles in what transpired." A pondering silence ensued. "Yes, well, there is much explaining to do. The students need to be informed of the new developments. Join us upstairs in a few hours, Hank, when you are finished."
"Will do."
Remy barely heard the whir of wheels rolling away. He wanted so badly to wake up, but the strength would not come. Focus escaped him and his mind began to wander indolently. His thoughts revolved around a certain girl, a warm place, a perfect time. Soon he forgot the urgent need for consciousness and surrendered once again to blissful dreaming.
-------------------------
"C'mon, give it a shot."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because! Just leave me alone!"
"Crikey, you X-girls are jumpy as nervous wallabies."
Amara glared daggers at Pyro, "And you Acolytes are as annoying as cold sores."
Colossus turned his austere gaze in her direction. "Please, do not judge us all by him," he said, and returned his attention to buttering a morning muffin.
The X-Men were gathered in a rather deranged kitchen for a makeshift breakfast. All of them still looked tired though it was close to eight o' clock in the morning. A few of the chairs were broken, Jean had pointed out sheepishly, so many of them dined while sitting on counters or standing. Food was in short supply, but after Kurt ported to a local grocery and back, it was sweet pastries and bottled juice galore. Everyone ate their fill, knowing full well of the tasks to be completed that day.
Lance, Scott, and Amara were seated at the table, still slightly weak and dressed in Med Bay scrubs. Pyro sat in the chair adjacent to Amara's, feet propped up on the table while lazily chewing upon a glazed donut.
"Aw, she don't mean it," he said confidently. Amara's remark caused his grin to widen. "Feisty little sheila, though, ain't ye, gal? C'mon, what's the harm in showin' off ye powers?"
"Because you'll just manipulate the fire and burn the whole mansion down," Amara huffed.
Pyro opened his mouth to retort but Scott said, "She's too weak to use her powers anyway. Give it up."
"Blimey," Pyro rolled his eyes. "Better get myself outta here 'fore a fight breaks out." He slowly rose from his chair. "Wonder how my buddy Gambit's doin'."
"I would like to know also," Colossus said, and followed Pyro towards the exit.
Scott's eyes immediately narrowed. "That Cajun's still here?"
"Give him a break," Kurt rolled his eyes. "The guy's been through a lot."
"And we haven't?"
"You've been sleeping for most of the time, mate," Pyro drawled as Colossus ushered him out. "Don't reckon that's experiencing much!"
"I didn't ask you," Scott scowled as the two Acolytes left.
Kurt scratched his left calf with his right toe, feet suspended while perched on the countertop. "Anybody else think it's a little veird that the Acolytes are here?" he said. "Like ve're all buddies or something."
"No different than having Brotherhood members around." Tabitha yawned and leaned back against the wall. She sat cross-legged upon a cushion on the floor, looking unkempt with her usually spiky hair flat and awry.
Wanda narrowed her eyes and Lance shifted in his seat.
Scott drew a stiff sip of his coffee, lost in his own conviction of conspiracy. "I wouldn't be surprised if Gambit was the cause of all this. Everything started the night he came here, all beat up for reasons he wouldn't explain. I'll bet--"
"Shut up, Scott," Jean snapped.
All eyes turned to the redhead in both shock and amusement.
Jean clenched her eyes shut. She remembered standing at the window, watching as a distraught Rogue ran into the mansion. She remembered seeing Gambit disoriented and hurt, stumbling in an attempt to reach the door... Jean opened her eyes and ran a hand through her hair. She did not meet Scott's gaze. "I don't know why you dislike Gambit so much," she said calmly, "but you don't know what's happened. You don't know what it's been like around here with everyone sick or gone..."
Her words delivered a sobering silence, made everyone remember their troubles. Last night's jollity had shrouded the effects of their problems; many had almost forgotten about the mutant predator amidst all the excitement of awakening and the adults' return.
"It was horrible," Jean murmured. "Rogue and I...we didn't know whether you guys would wake up or die. We didn't know which of us would be next...who would be left alone."
Kurt noticeably twitched. He had a faint recollection of reading a book in his room, hearing an eerie voice whispering threats into his ear, a head-splitting ache in the skull...
The kitchen was so silent that many of the X-Men feared their breathing was too loud. Jean's testimony seemed to demand the respect and attention of a eulogy. The students glanced at each other with uncertainty until all eyes landed on the team leader. Scott's previously shocked expression softened to complacent empathy.
Jean sighed. "What I'm getting at is, none of you--not even me--knows what really happened, how much Gambit or Rogue was really involved. So until we do know the whole story, we shouldn't make such unfair judgments." She looked at Scott, "You don't know how horrible it was. Things were bad and looked like they were only getting worse--and he stuck around. He helped us." He helped Rogue, she thought to herself.
Scott reached forward and clasped her hand. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to sound like a jerk."
Jean offered a weak smile, "I didn't mean to snap at you. I just--all this has been so much to handle and I still don't understand what's going on!"
"Then perhaps I can clarify."
Jubilee yelped as she spun around in her seat. "Professor! Don't sneak up on us like that! I thought--" She shook her head and Ray patted her on the shoulder. He exchanged a knowing look with Roberto.
The Professor winced slightly, "I apologize." He wheeled himself further into the kitchen until he was in proper view of everyone. "You all have many questions, but let me first say how proud I am of all of you, the maturity and teamwork you showed." He paused, sagacious eyes resting upon each individual's for a brief second. "But our problems are not yet resolved. There is still the matter of..." He stopped as he realized someone was missing. Suddenly, he realized he had not seen her in the Med Bay. "Where is Rogue?"
Kurt's fuzzy tail nervously twitched as he asked, "Isn't she sleeping?"
"No," the Professor said. "I assumed she had come up to eat breakfast..."
Jean frowned, wondering how Rogue was. "Maybe she just needs some time to...think," she said softly. She projected to the Professor, People have changed while you were gone. Rogue is not the same.
The Professor looked at her with a worried frown, But she is physically healthy. Has something caused her mental trauma?
No, nothing like that...not that I know of anyway. It was more...a change of heart, I think. She needs time to sort stuff out.
The Professor nodded and returned his attention to the other students. "Where are our Acolyte guests?"
"Gone to visit Gambit."
"Then they shall be informed later. In the meantime, there is much that you have yet to know, my X-Men. I suppose I should begin on the night we arrived in Austria. Everything seemed as well as could be, but as we finally met Armand..."
----------------
Such mornings were rare experiences for her. Mornings, in general, were things to be loathed and she would never have seen them if daily life didn't demand getting up at seven every day. But as she ventured outside during the sunrise, she saw that this morning was pretty. This morning gave her a strange solace. The horizon was awake with azure softness, the sun already returned from its nightly escapade. It was so bright, its warmth so imminent, that Rogue could not believe she was in the same place. The star's rays glittered off the ocean waters with such diurnal luminesence--it was almost magic. A fantasy of ethereal light.
The morning was such a contrast to the night she last spent at the gazebo. She recalled the frozen cold, the creeping darkness seeming to pull her very soul towards perdition. Never again did she want to feel that sort of despair; never again did she want to feel so alone. She laughed at the irony--wasn't solitude the very thing she had needed, wanted? But things were different now, things had been forever changed and it frightened her beyond excitement. Yet, here she was, sitting upon the cliffside, alone and brooding.
There was no rational reason to brood: the Professor, Logan, and Storm had returned; the X-Men were all revived; the psyches were at last granting her peace; she could touch... Her eyes fell to her hands, black and fuzzy from the gloves that covered them. It was an unnecessary precaution, she knew, but it didn't stop making her feel better. She wasn't ready for anyone to know, not yet. Things were complicated enough without people bombarding her with questions. She was still trying to figure out how things had worked out so well. Life was riddled with pain and doubt; life was not supposed to be so...good.
Rogue pulled her knees to her chest as a cool summer breeze ruffled her hair. She was still dressed in Med Bay scrubs, a flimsy white robe wrapped around her slender form. Everything was good; everyone was fine.
Remy was fine.
Rogue bit her lip.
Annabel was dead. Innocent, young Annabel who had her life stolen, who never knew the pleasures existence could offer. Rogue felt the familiar burn of tears behind her eyes, the irritation in her nose. She sniffed and rubbed her eyes, trying to forget all that had happened.
Images floated about her tranquil mind, commingling and intermixing. The white nightgown whipping against her frailness... Black curls twirling in the gusts, crystal eyes sad and penitent. But then those glacial orbs disappeared, morphed into a pair of rich, gold-speckled brown. And they were frightened, frightened and pleading, but knowing doom. The eyes suddenly belonged to a face. A girl of soft complexion and flushed cheeks--from exhiliration? Excitement? Fear? Fear. Beautiful in blossoming womanhood. But she was sad, a look of betrayal in those creamy coffee eyes... She was whimpering, couldn't scream properly because...
"Rogue?"
A gag around her mouth. She looked so frightened. I should have helped her.
"Hey, kiddo."
I could have done something. I should have saved her!
"Rogue!"
Rogue jerked her head in the direction of the voice and did not bother to plaster a fake smile on her face. "Hey," she muttered and turned her gaze back to the horizon. She was still disturbed by the memories. Memories she knew did not belong to her. In the intensity of the moment, she had not stopped to fully analyze what she had absorbed. Her ignorance had not made it go away.
Logan rubbed his knuckles as he spoke, "You want to talk about it?"
Rogue turned back towards the sea. "Not really."
"Well, tough, I do. What happened while we were gone, Stripes?"
Rogue could have smiled at his blasé manner of interrogation. Instead, her eyelids drooped and she murmured, "Lots of stuff. Ah'm a little confused about...it all."
"That got something to do with the gunshot Cajun?"
She grimaced, wished Logan would be gentler with his wording. "Maybe."
Logan stood, a stout figure of muscle and impatience. After a few seconds he seemed to deflate as he released a sigh. He sat down on the bench across from Rogue and rested his elbows on his knees. "Lots of crazy shit's been happening, kiddo. Don't know if anybody's told you, but Farrat's men were trying to ship the X-Men out of here--"
Rogue's head snapped up, her eyes piercing as she nearly shouted, "What?"
Logan patiently explained the situation. "I went to check out that Jersey City sector where you were supposed to be dropped off," he growled, "but there was nothing there. All I found were abandoned buildings. Bastard was smart, runnin' off before we even knew about him."
My debt will be repaid and you...finally meet your greatest admirer. Memories. They're not real, Rogue. Not hers. Coffee eyes. Golden-streaked coffee eyes.
Rogue gripped the sides of her head. There was no pain, no voices, but she thought it might make her feel better anyway.
Logan noticed the action, related it to previous instances when Rogue was suffering under the infliction of various psyches. "You okay? Maybe the Professor can--"
"No," Rogue said, "Ah'm fine. Just...Farrat said on the plane--while Gambit and Ah were trapped--that he was taking me to someone, someone he called my 'greatest admirer'. Ya think it's the same guy who tried taking the X-Men? He would have used Farrat's guys..." She bit her lip.
"No way to tell now," came Logan's grave reply. "What would they want with you?"
"You expect me to know?"
"Did Farrat give a name, description?"
Rogue shook her head. She suddenly wanted to know everything that had transpired since she got back. She hadn't spoken to anyone since waking up, didn't even leave a note as she left the mansion that morning. Almost immediately after, a wave of lethargia washed over her. The past weeks had been so full of fear, struggle, and foreboding that all she wanted was some peace. Let the others deal with the problems X-Men would never be rid of.
Because it'll never stop, Rogue thought. All this fighting, all this trouble...
"You talk to Hank on the way out?"
She shook her head.
Logan growled in disapproval. He stood, waving for her to follow. "We'll discuss this later with the Professor. You should get back to the Med Bay to make sure you're really all right. Then you've got some real explaninin' to do."
Rogue slowly stood, feeling an ache in her muscles similar to ones after strenuous Danger Room sessions. Her feet languidly carried her after Logan, her lips silent and unmoving. Logan did not disturb her pensive silence. Though he would rather not show it, he was very worried about what exactly she had been through. A girl shouldn't have to deal with so much crap.
They walked the long way, around the crash area, and saw the jet still cushioned in its spot of mangled trees and brush. The thin strip of woods separating the gazebo cliffside from the mansion was almost completely torn apart. Many of the trees would need to be replanted after the rubble was cleared.
"You pulled some crazy stunts, kid," Logan said as they came around to the front of the mansion. "From what Roberto, Jubilee, and Ray tell us..." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, sensed an almost disturbing sort of weariness, an apphrensive melancholy. He did not know what was troubling her, but he decided if it was the Cajun's doing, he would personally enact some retribution.
Rogue's head suddenly snapped up from its stubborn slant towards the ground. She slowly turned around, eyes searching the wide expanse of front yard.
A single yellow cab rolled through the non-existent front gates. The bright morning sun reflected off its color, causing the vehicle to shine with brilliant metallic sheen. As the cab winded its way up the driveway, circumvented the round-a-bout, and stopped at the Institute steps, Rogue could not help thinking it was some vermillion beacon of hope.
The backdoor clicked open and a petite brunette stepped out of the car. "Thank you!" she told the driver.
More doors opened, more people stepped out.
Rogue stood frozen in a sort of dubious stupor. She knew all their faces, could imagine their voices, their laughter, and even their bickering. It had felt like such a long, long time since she had last seen them... She would have cried from delight if she was the type to.
Kitty met her with a bright smile, her eyes lighting up as though seeing a long-lost friend. "We're back!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around Rogue in a cheerful hug.
"Hell yeah, and it sure feels good!" Bobby Drake exclaimed. "It's so boring at home without people to prank."
Rogue blinked away her intial shock and smiled, "There's ya parents."
"Well, yeah, but they can ground me so that's out of the question." He smirked and began pulling luggage out of the trunk. "Oh, yeah, thanks for all the help, Kitty. You're a real trooper." He handed Sam Guthrie one of her many bags.
Kitty rolled her eyes as she clung to Rogue's arm. "You're always bragging about those muscles, Bobster--use 'em."
Logan greeted the boys with rather hard slaps on the back, "Way to make an entrance. Too much trouble to call?"
"Hey," Sam said, "the only surpises people like are good ones." He tossed Logan two heavy suitcases. "So, uh, something go down here or did you guys hire a bad exterior decorator?"
Logan headed up the front steps as he huffed, "Wait till you see the backyard."
Rogue sighed, a strange relief gracing her tense muscles. "How are you doing?" she asked Kitty. A sliver of that night's frightened despair returned to her. She still remembered the sound of Mrs. Pryde's tight, anxious voice.
"I should be asking you," Kitty said. "I take it that, like, lots of crap's happened?" Her bright blue eyes frowned in concern.
Large blue eyes. Glacially icy. Dead.
Rogue clenched her eyes shut before opening them again. "To say the least," she murmured.
Sam tossed a wad of money into the taxi as payment for the ride. After receiving the money, the cab driver pulled his taxi away rather hastily. They heard the screech of his tires as the cab swerved around the street corner and disappeared from view. "Guess he's figured we're mutants," Bobby shrugged.
"Gee," Sam quipped, "you think it was Kitty phasing through the front seat or you freezing the door knob that gave it away?"
"Don't be such a hater," Bobby huffed. "So Rogue, place just die without us around or something?" He noted the damaged yard, the bits and pieces of debris from the crash littering parts of the lawn.
Rogue forced a laugh, "Heh, yeah. You could say that." As she followed them into the mansion, she asked, "Where are Jamie and Rahne?"
"Jamie's parents won't let him come back until they see the mansion back in high-security mode," Sam said. "And Rahne's awake but sleepy. She's still at that hospital in Queens."
The boys dropped the bags in the foyer and stretched their arms. "Whoa," Kitty said. They looked around at the rather disheveled area where bullet and plasma gun trails marked the walls and floors. Bobby suddenly noticed, "Rogue, what's up with the scrubs?"
She blinked and looked down, unsure of how to reply. Thankfully, she didn't have to. The chipped kitchen door flew open and the first X-Man out was Tabitha.
She stopped as if to test whether she was imagining things, then a great smile lit up her face. "We are so gonna have a homecoming party tonight!" she whooped, and practically tackled Sam and Bobby. She gave them each a smacking kiss on the cheek before moving on to squeeze Kitty in a tight hug.
One by one the X-Men filed into the foyer, greeting their long-absent friends with happy smiles and warm hugs. They forgot their worries and troubles in the excitement of the homecoming. It felt as though they had overcome something greatly harrowing, though none of them could truly understand just how close to doom they had all been.
Rogue understood. She stood to the side, glad that everyone was so excited by the return of Bobby, Sam, and Kitty that they didn't notice her. She slowly crept away from the main throng, was about to sneak away when, with a poof of smoke and sulfurous odor, her brother appeared out of nowhere.
"Rogue, you're awake!" He hugged her before she had time to yelp in surprise. "Vhy didn't you come to breakfast? The Professor told us everything that happened in Austria. You should hear it, man--"
"Not now, Kurt," she cut him off, rather shortly. Too many people were around. She didn't want to deal with prodding questions and suffocating interrogations. "Ah need ta get some air right now..."
"Vhat's wrong?" he asked with concern. "Are you feeling okay? Mr. McCoy didn't get a chance to tell us how you were--"
Rogue grated her teeth together, summoning patience with great difficulty. "Ah'm fine. Ah just need some time to think, okay? Go say hi to the others or somethin'."
Kurt stubbornly stood in her way when she tried to get past. "You're not telling me something," he frowned.
"Later," Rogue said and phased right through him.
Stunned beyond words, Kurt stared at her with wide eyes. His jaw dropped as he watched his sister disappear through the adjacent wall.