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The rain was falling down steadily, drops running down the windowpane, only separated by a piece of glass from the pale face of the girl seated on the windowpane. Her hair was pulled into a half-ponytail, a deep brown with two white stripes left free at the front. Her eyes were unfocused, staring out at the rain as though she was seeing a world beyond it. She was hidden behind thick velvet curtains in the library of Xavier's School for the Gifted, attempting to escape the noise and bustle of the rest of the school. She was shaken from her reverie when the door opened and people came wandering in. She knew they couldn't see her and she was wondering if she should stay where she was and ignore them or get up and go somewhere else, then her attention was drawn by what they were saying.

"Can you believe Rogue, I mean, how can she act like she's sad over Dr Grey's death when it was her fault!" Kitty, how could her best friend say that when she'd comforted Rogue after she'd been crying about the people who were saying just those things?

"It wasn't her fault Kitty, if she hadn't flown that plane no one would have got out of there alive." That was Bobby, her supposed boyfriend, pity he couldn't sound a bit more convinced about what he was saying.

"Come off it Bobby, if it was that serious then why didn't you fly the plane, you've been here longer. She's just the poisoned skin freak under the Wolverine's protection. Me and Kitty think that's the only reason the Professor lets her stay here, he needs Wolverine for the X-Men, but I can't believe he lets her stay in our room, she could hurt us."

"Yeah."

Rogue tuned them out after that, her thoughts turning inward. Was it true, was it really her fault that Jean was dead. Maybe it was, maybe Logan not talking to her before he left was because he didn't want to talk to Jeans murderer, not because he was grieving, like she thought.

It had been a month since Alkali Lake, and Rogue had retreated further into herself with each day as she saw the looks and heard the accusations being whispered behind her back. It was getting beyond what she could bear, she'd been thinking about leaving; either going on the run again or finding her brothers, but this had decided it. It had been slightly bearable when she had her best friends and her boyfriend on her side, but it would appear that they believed it was her thought as well.

After about an hour where the three outside the curtains did their homework and talked about a myriad of subjects, and Rogue was planning what she was going to take, where she was going to go and where she was going to find her brothers, the gong ran for dinner. After they left she waited for a few minutes to ensure that they would be out of the corridor and wouldn't be able to see her she left as well. Sprinting to her rooms she pulled out the canvas bag that carried all her things when she was moving around and packed it swiftly. A few pairs of strong jeans, underwear, tops, she pulled her leather duster out from the bag before she started packing. She took off all the jewellery except for plain silver studs, three pairs, a moon and two stars in each ear, and a plain silver hoop at the top of her right ear. She put in a silver belly bar shaped as a crescent moon with silver stars hanging off. No one knew about her piercings, she'd made sure to keep them under glamour at all times. She changed into a pair of black jeans and a long-sleeved hunter green knit shirt and then her duster. Her hair was shaken loose and then she was ready to go. Everyone should be at dinner but she didn't want to take any chances so she left though her window. She moved through the grounds without a single sound or movement to betray her passing. When she reached the East Wall, separating the grounds from the public park next door she swung her bag over her shoulder and started to climb, the gloves she was wearing had been a special gift from her brothers for her fifteenth birthday, they gave her excellent traction on surfaces and with a flick of her wrist her palms were bare so it was easy to get skin-to-skin contact.

Jumping down from the wall she turned to stare at it and the school beyond, wondering if she was doing the right thing. It was hard to leave it behind, acting innocent, naïve, and good was hard, but it was hard to give up a place like that for a life like her old one. But after a few seconds she resumed her walk, she cared about the people in there, even if they hated her for causing Jean's death, so it was better for her to be gone, besides, she was going stir-crazy cooped up in one place for that long.

Five hours after she'd left the school Rogue was on her way down to Mississippi, it had been a long time since she'd seen Irene, and if anyone knew where her brothers where Irene would.

Meanwhile at the school. It had been nearly a day before anyone noticed Rogue was missing, that in itself showed the extent of her exile from the school community. Eventually Ororo noticed that she wasn't in lessons and asked her roommates if they had seen her. Jubilee and Kitty said they hadn't seen her since yesterday. If Storm noticed they had strange looks on their faces when they said that she didn't say anything.

Storm then went up to Rogues room to see if she was there and if there was any idea there as to where she could have disappeared to. Walking into the empty room she noticed a feeling of emptiness coming from Rogues side of the room. Looking at her bed she saw a piece of paper, picking it up she scanned the words quickly before running out of the room to the Professor. Leaving the door to slam, sending echoes around the empty room.

Dear Professor, I can't stay here, I'm only causing people pain. They're all right, it's my fault that Jean is dead; if I hadn't flown that plane she would still be alive. Everyone here is blaming me and they're right, even Logan wouldn't talk to me before he left. And my best friends and boyfriend think it as well. So they've got to be right. I don't belong here anyway, I'm not who you think I am. Au revoir professor.

Professor laid the letter on his desk in a state of shock at its contents, how could she think she was to blame for that tragic accident. Glancing up a Ororo who's worry was plainly written over her face he gathered himself together and sent out a message for his X-Men to come to his office, they had to find her.

Five minutes later Ororo, Scott and Kurt were standing before the Professor, having just heard rogues letter. "How could anyone do that, it wasn't her fault, it was no ones fault." Scott burst out, he was livid, how could anyone blame the girl who saved their lives fir Jeans death, it was a horrible tragic accident. "I don't know Scott but I do know we have to find her. And we have to let Logan know, he specifically asked to be kept aware of her situation at the school, before he left he was worried about how quiet she was. I want Ororo I want you to go through her room, see if anything she left behind could give us a clue to where she went." Nodding Storm left the room, "Scott, I want you to get the school together, see if anyone knows anything, and find out who's been spreading these rumours. Kurt, I want you to come down to Cerebro with me."

Somewhere in the wilds of Canada

Driving down a lonely road on his bike, well, technically it was Cykes's; Wolverine nearly drove off the road when a voice spoke in his head.

"Hello Logan."

"Chuck?" He pulled his bike over to the edge of the road and got off before he 'spoke' again.

"Yes Logan, and how many times do I have to ask you not to call me that." Logan looked affronted but before he could defend himself Charles 'spoke'. "This isn't the time for that Logan, rogue is missing." He sank back in his chair and waited for the inevitable outburst.

"WHAT!!! How can she be missing Chuck you were supposed to be looking after her."

"I know Logan. but she wasn't taken, she ran. It would seem that the students have been blaming her for Jeans death, she thought it would be better for everyone if she left."

"Send Scooter up here with the jet Prof, it'll take me a few weeks to get back by bike."

"I'll send him immediately. Logan try to understand that there we had no idea this would happen."

"We'll talk about that when I get back Chuck. Now send Cyke up here, NOW!"

Charles withdrew from the mans mind slowly. "Professor, vhat is ze matter?" The man in the wheelchair sighed, turning his head to face the blue mutant next to him, "I have a feeling we are all going to be in for a fairly unpleasant time when Logan arrives. I've sent Storm to retrieve him, Scott is still busy, and I don't think putting those two in the same place right now is such a good idea." Smiling at the German he turned back to Cerebro, "Time to look for Rogue I think." Putting the helmet back on he searched through the mutant signatures, looking for his missing student. After a few minutes of searching he thought he found her, and it shocked him that he could have missed it. Her mid was filled with pain, but there was a clear analytical piece that he had never sensed before. He was about to probe deeper to find where she was, not thinking that bursting into her mind was such a good idea, when he was forcefully thrown out, shutters slammed down around her mind and he was back in his chair. He shook his head, ignoring Kurt's queries as to whether he was all right, wondering how he could have missed a mind of such power in his school. It would seem that Rogue had her secrets as well.

Mississippi

Rogue smirked as she locked the Professor out; he wasn't going to find her like that. Then she turned her attention back beautiful house in front of her. She walked through the door, into the living room, her footsteps catching the attention of the room's occupant. "Hey Irene ah've come home.

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