A/N: This is going to be kind of a long author's note so feel free to skip it...This is an extra long chapter because I am going fly out of town for work and won't be near a computer for a bit so enjoy. Please review and tell me what you think, I am a review slut so please feed my obsession. :) I don't own the X-Men...people with lots of money and better lawyers do, so don't go running to Marvel.

Waking from the first deep sleep he'd had in weeks, Scott Summers stretches out his limbs and lets out a loud yawn. Moving his hand to his face, he checks to make sure his ruby quartz glasses are still firmly on his face before opening his eyes. Rolling over on his side, he catches a glance at the frail female form lying in a heap on the floor beside him.

"Rogue?"

Rogue lays still on the tile floor, the silver bangs of her hair spread across her face. Scott watches her chest for a moment. She does not appear to be breathing. In a panic, Scott scrambles to the floor next to her. He reaches for the girl's gloved arm, feeling at her wrist for a pulse. Satisfied that she is still alive, he gathers the girl's form up in his arms to set her on the examining table.

As Scott lifts Rogue off the floor, his bare forearm brushes the skin of her shoulder. Almost immediately, Scott feels as if his very life is being sucked out of his body. His skin grows tight and veined as Rogue's powers take effect. Fading into unconsciousness, Scott falls forward, dropping Rogue on her back. The unconscious girl does not stir. Scott lands with his cheek against the nape of Rogue's neck, and his absorption continues.

~*~

"I am totally going to fail astronomy," Kitty Pryde moans as she and Jubilation Lee walk into Professor Xavier's office for class.

"You're not the only one, chica," Jubilee says, chomping madly at the gum in her mouth. "I'm telling you, we need to start a study group. Like, tonight."

"So, what, we ask the Professor if he'll teach us for another hour every night until the midterm?" Kitty says as the two girls sit in their desks.

"No, we get the next best thing," Jubilee says. "Bob-by," she taunted in a sing-song whisper.

"What's that all about? You're acting like I like him or something."

"Girl, please," Jubilee says in a hushed tone. "You've been crushing hard on Bobby Drake ever since he and Rogue hooked up. And here I thought you were into the farmboy over there." She casts a glance across the room at Peter Rasputin, who is sketching in his notebook.

"I do not like Bobby!" Kitty says in a furtive whisper.

"You'd better move to Egypt, 'cuz you're the queen of denial," Jubilee says, still watching Peter. Feeling the gaze on him, Peter looks over at Jubilee, who is blowing a bubble with her gum. Jubilee winks at him as the bubble bursts. The shy Russian's face blushes as he meekly turns his gaze back to his sketchpad.

"Okay, fine, I do," Kitty says with a resigned sigh. "But what does that have to do with astronomy?"

"Bobby's got the best grades in the class," Jubilee says. "So, like, go over to Vanilla Ice over there and use your feminine wiles to persuade him to, y'know, help us out."

The door to the hallway opens, and Remy Lebeau strides into the room like he owns the joint. Kitty and Jubilee watch Remy's every step as he takes a seat behind Peter. Amara Aquilla slides into the seat behind Kitty, watching the Cajun as well.

"So that's the new guy, huh?" says Amara. Neither Kitty nor Jubilee answer; their attention is transfixed on the dark-eyed scoundrel across the room. The bubble Jubilee was blowing sags limply from her mouth.

The door opens again, and Professor Xavier wheels himself into the room, stopping at Jubilee's desk.

"Miss Lee, what have I told you about gum-chewing in my class?"

"Sorry, Professor," Jubilee says, motioning to take the gum out of her mouth as the Professor proceeds to his desk.

"And please, Miss Lee, do not stick it to the underside of the desk, or you'll have to scrape it off," the Professor says, turning to face the class. "Now then, class, I would like to introduce you to our new student..."

Professor Xavier suddenly reaches his hand to his head, closing his eyes tight in concentration.

"There's an emergency in the medlab," he says after a moment. "Since we are headed to the danger room today to look at certain constellations on the planetarium screen, you may follow me, and I will join you in the danger room directly."

As the students file out of the office behind him, the Professor reaches out with his telepathy to the mind of Dr. Hank McCoy. He allows himself a wry smile when he finds the doctor in his upstairs quarters, bathing his furry blue form in a giant bubble bath.

~Hank? My apologies for interrupting your bath, but there's an emergency in the medlab with Scott and Rogue. Please meet me there immediately. I have students with me, so I will meet you as soon as I set up the danger room for them.~ Xavier feels a shock of pain in Hank's mind. ~Hank?~

~My apologies for the unintentional shock treatment, Professor,~ Hank's thoughts answer. ~In my rush to spring into action, I managed to drop my image inducer on the floor and crush it beneath my foot. I am on my way now, however-- a bouncing, pouncing ball of dripping wet fur careening towards the sublevels with feline grace and speed.~

~Excellent,~ the Professor says. ~Just mind the...~

The class stops in its tracks as the sound of breaking pottery echoes from upstairs.

~The Ming vase at the top of the stairs~, the Professor thinks, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. The students duck as the Beast pings off the stairway walls and bounds for the elevator.

"Hot coffee, coming through!" screams Dr. McCoy as the elevator door opens. With a tumble and a spin, he lands in the elevator, facing the startled students and a stunned Professor Xavier. He bows with a flourish as the doors close. Peter turns to Bobby and mouths, "Hot coffee?" Bobby just shrugs.

A few moments later, as the elevator returns to the main floor, Professor Xavier watches as all of his students entered the elevator car--except one. He catches a feeling of Remy's thoughts. He is outside, with one motive in his mind: ::Femme's in trouble. Get the Wolverine man.::

~*~

Hank arrives at the door to the medlab and bounds inside. He finds Scott and Rogue on the floor, both their bodies convulsing wildly. With one arm sweep, Hank pulls Scott away from Rogue and sets him sitting against an examining table. He then grabs up Rogue in his arms and lays her on a table on the other side of the room. Looking back, he sees that Scott's skin has returned to normal, and his seizure has subsided.

~Professor, I'm in the medlab,~ he thinks, projecting openly so Professor Xavier can receive him. ~I found Scott and young Rogue on the floor, unconscious, in skin-to-skin contact, and in shock. Mr. Summers appears to be recovering, but the young lady has yet to stop convulsing.~

~I'm leading my students past you now,~ replies Xavier. ~Do you need any immediate help?~

~I need to sedate her in order to stabilize her condition,~ thinks Hank. ~If you have someone who can hold the girl down, it would expedite the treatment.~

Professor Xavier enters the medlab; his students gather at the doorway. Bobby pushes his way to the front of the group when he sees who Dr. McCoy has on the table.

"Rogue!" he shouts, rushing into the room to Rogue's side.

"Damn," says Kitty quietly, grasping the doorframe. Jubilee gives her a questionable glare.

"I must ask you to stand away, young master Drake," says the Beast, scrambling around the table to prepare an IV bag. "This is a delicate matter."

"Peter," orders Xavier, "Would you and Mr. Drake please put on some gloves and help Dr. McCoy?"

"Ah, tovarisch Piotr," says Dr. McCoy. "Please, gentlemen, restrain her while I start this IV. Spaseeba." He tosses a pair of latex gloves to Peter and Bobby, who both take a side and hold Rogue down while Dr. McCoy prepares the sedative.

"Mr. DaCosta," says the Professor, "Could you put Mr. Summers on the other table, please?"

"Sure thing, Professor," says Roberto DaCosta. His dark brown skin grows black as a fiery aura surrounds him. With his solar-powered strength, the young mutant called Sunspot lifts Scott off the ground and sets him gently on the table.

The Professor wheels himself over to Scott's table and places his hands across the crown of Scott's head, to focus his telepathic powers on scanning Scott's mind. On the other side of the room, the Beast jams the IV needle into Rogue's arm and starts the tranquilizer drip. As Rogue's convulsions ease, the boys let go of her limbs.

"Rogue is stabilizing, Professor," says Dr. McCoy, hooking the girl up to the heart rate monitor. The Professor pushes his wheelchair across the room to Rogue's bed and tries to scan her mind.

"She's becoming conscious again," Xavier announces. "Or, at least, her mind is becoming active."

Rogue, can you hear my thoughts? Xavier says mentally, reaching for the spark of psyche he has discovered.

~Charles?~ answers a familiar male voice from the girl's subconscious.

~Erik? Is that you I hear? ~

~Charles, we're in a rather deep well here, so to speak. If you can throw us a rope, I can bring your pupil to the surface.~

"Peter," Xavier says quietly, "Armor up."

With a crackle of static energy and a series of soft clinking sounds, the towering Russian changes from flesh and blood to gleaming steel.

"Wow." Jubilee whispers "Talk about your buns of steel." Kitty and Amara both roll their eyes at the same time.

"Sometimes, you have to let the easy ones go," Amara whispers as Kitty smacks the dark-haired girl on her arm.

"Peter, put your hand on Rogue's forehead," Professor Xavier says. Peter hesitates and looks at the Professor, confused.

"It will be fine," the Professor adds. "She is in too much shock to absorb you and someone inside of her needs a little incentive, so to speak."

"Peter, if you start to feel a pull, you must remove your hand immediately, do you understand?" Dr. McCoy says warningly.

"I understand, Doctor." Peter says before placing a heavy hand on the girl's forehead.

~An organic metal man. How droll,~ says Magneto's psyche; Xavier imagines the smug smirk the real Magneto would wear, had he said that line.

~Your student is back at the surface, Charles,~ says Magneto. ~I leave her in your capable hands. A small word of warning, however: Don't let her open her eyes.~

"Hank, quick," the Professor orders. "Grab the spare set of Scott's glasses."

"Professor?" Rogue croaks.

"Looks like I got here just in time," exclaims a gruff voice from the doorway. Logan rushes through to Rogue's bedside, followed by Remy.

"Logan? That you?" Rogue pleads, her voice growing with panic. "Professor, my eyes hurt..."

"Rogue, keep your eyes closed tight. You may have absorbed too much of Cyclops' power."

"Ah'm scared," Rogue says. "Ah felt like Magneto was holding me. Did ah hear Logan?"

"I'm right here, darlin'," Logan says in a calming voice, pulling leather gloves from his back pocket. Dr. McCoy returns with the spare glasses.

"Rogue," says Dr. McCoy as he lowers the glasses onto Rogue's face, "do not open your eyes until I give you the word. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir," says Rogue. The glasses fit loosely around Rogue's ears, and heavy on the bridge of her nose.

"We will need to procure a band of some sort," Dr. McCoy says, "to keep them from slipping off completely, but until then, you should be fine. You can open your eyes now."

Rogue sits up on the table and looks around. "Everything's red," she says. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?" asks the Professor.

"Ah'd just finished workin' out in the danger room with the Cajun over there, and I was walking along. Ah must've stumbled in here and blacked out. Next thing ah know, ah feel like someone's carryin' me, and ah hear Magneto talking to you, Professor. Then ah wake up, and ah'm lookin' through rose-colored glasses."

"My hypothesis," says the Beast, placing a pair of bifocals on his snout, "is that your body shut down from the shock of absorbing so much psychic energy in one day."

"So your using her as a lab rat yesterday caused it?" Logan says lightly stroking Marie's hair.

"It is conceivable," says Dr. McCoy.

"I hadn't sent for you, Logan," says the Professor.

"Gumbo over there told me to come runnin'," Logan says, pointing a thumb at Remy. "I just followed the scent of bubble gum and wet cat fur." Logan scrunches up his nose in obvious disgust.

Every conscious head turns in Hank's direction. "I'll have you know that particular bubble bath has several non-matting properties..." the furry doctor begins.

An anguished groan comes from the opposite table interrupting that train of thought. Scott sits up, with a bit of aid from Roberto, and looks around the room. Marie quickly slides off the table and out of Logan's reach to make her way over to Scott's side.

"How do you feel, Scott?" the Professor asks.

"Like a car ran me down," answer Scott and Rogue simultaneously. The pair look at each other incredulously.

"Oh my stars and garters," says Hank. "This is an interesting development."

"Students," says the Professor, turning to his pupils, "Thank you for your assistance. Dr. McCoy and I obviously have a new matter to which we must attend, so you all have the rest of the morning off."

As the young mutants turn to leave, Professor Xavier wheels over to Remy. "Mr. LeBeau," he says, "Thank you for getting Mr. Logan. Please stay on the grounds today; I may call you back here later."

"Oui, Professeur," Remy says. He winks at Rogue. "Get well, chère."

Watching from the hallway, Bobby sees Rogue's girlish grin. He glares at Remy as he walks out of the medlab.

"Easy dere, Frosty," Remy says, walking towards the danger room. "Gettin' chilly in here." Frost forms on the walls as Bobby storms off towards the elevator.

With the room devoid of extra students, the Professor and Dr. McCoy make preparations to subject Scott and Rogue to a battery of tests.

"Now wait just a damned minute, you two," Logan protests.

"Logan, please, this is important," replies Xavier sternly.

"Um, Professor? Dr. McCoy?" asks Rogue in a feeble voice. "Ah don't mean to be rude or nothin', but, um, can this wait?"

"What's wrong, Rogue?" asks Hank.

"I'd like some breakfast," Scott and Rogue say simultaneously.

"That's eerie," Hank says aside to the Professor.

"You aren't the one doing it, Hank," Scott and Rogue say.

"I think in the best interest of everyone involved, you two should get something to eat," the Professor says. "Rogue, please stay close to Mr. Summers. If your powers go haywire, he may be your best defense."

"Come on, Rogue," Scott says. "I'll make you my specialty--a big Denver omelette with extra sausage."

"Or ah'll make it for you," Rogue says with a grateful smile.

"Bon appetit, mes amis," Hank says, undoing the IV in Rogue's arm. "Just remember to be back here at noon."

As Scott and Rogue walk out of the medlab, Xavier turns to Logan. "I don't need to be a mind reader to know you don't approve of this," he says.

"This is all bullshit," answers Logan gruffly.

Xavier furrows his brow. "Logan," he says, "you and I will continue this discussion in my office in five minutes."

~*~

"Felling any better?" Scott asks Rogue as the two cook in the kitchen, side by side. They move in absolute synchronicity.

"Ah feel better now that ah'm wearin' more clothes," says Rogue, wearing a green zip-up hoodie.

"Something's bothering you, though," Scott says, whisking eggs in a bowl.

"It's just..." Rogue stammers. "Why did it have to be him? Why did it have to be Magneto?"

"What do you mean?" Scott says.

"He tried to kill me, and now he--or at least the part of him claiming squatter's rights in my subconscious--brings me back from the brink? What is that?"

"Well, his was the first mind the Professor could reach."

"Ah don't care, Scott. Ah hate him. Ah hate that he used me. Ah hate that he tried to kill all of us. Ah hate that Pyro left to join him. And ah hate that he's still out there, because while he is, ah have nightmares that he's gonna come here and take me back to the torch of Lady Liberty and finish the job he started."

Rogue wipes back tears from around the rim of her ruby quartz glasses. "And ah hate that after all that, the part of him in me saved my life."

Scott takes the young girl in his arms, careful not to touch her skin again or knock off her glasses.

"No matter who saved you, you're saved," Scott says. "You're alive. And you're among friends. Family. We'll look after you."

Rogue looks up onto Scott's face. "Promise?" She says with a sniffle.

"Hey, I'll fight them all away, don't worry." Scott offers a smirk. "If Logan doesn't get to them first."

"Rogue!" Bobby yells as he, Kitty, Jubilee and Amara walk into the kitchen. Bobby dashes over to Rogue and wraps her in a tight hug.

"I got worried when I saw you on that table," Bobby says. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little," Rogue answers.

"Breakfast, anyone?" say Rogue and Scott simultaneously.

"Denver omelettes?" Amara says excitedly. "I haven't had one since Dr. Grey..."

Scott's face twists into grief for a split second.

"Oh, Mr. Summers," says Amara softly. "Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa."

"It's all right," Scott and Rogue answer, both crying.

"Jubes, this is, like, seriously freaking me out," Kitty whispers.

"I know," Jubilee whispers back. "As if our lives weren't Twilight Zone enough."

~*~

"Chuck, she is not going to be quarantined with the damn boy scout. I will not let that happen," Logan roars, uncaring of anyone who could hear him in the mansion, or the rest of New York, for that matter.

"I understand your concern, Logan but I assure." the Professor begins before being unceremoniously cut off mid-sentence.

"You don't get it, Wheels. It's not going to happen. I won't allow it."

"Wolverine, I know you are concerned for the girl's well-being, but I am afraid that you have no real say in the matter," Xavier says with maddening calm.

"Like hell I don't," Logan bellows. "Marie is the closest thing to family I've got, Chuck. I let you perform tests on her like she was some sort of damn lab rat yesterday, against my better judgment. I swear that I will not let that happen again."

"That may be true, Logan, but you are not the one who has final say over what happens to the girl."

"Her name is Marie, Charles. Say it with me.Marie. She is not some experiment or some pawn in a fight for mutants. She is a girl. She is my Marie," Logan says, dripping with barely suppressed rage.

"Logan, this is best for her."

"Like hell it is. I'm the closest thing that girl has to a family, Charles, and I will not allow you to confine her to the hip of the man who nearly killed her this morning."

"So you claim responsibility for her because Rogue has no other family, is that correct?"

"Thanks for opening up your ears and joining the conversation, Chuck."

"And if she had family, then I would have to consult them," Xavier says patiently.

"Yeah, if she had family, then it could be their call. Since her mutation, those people who wanted to call themselves parents no longer matter," Logan says.

"Fine, then we will ask her older brother," Xavier says.

"You've lost it, Chuck. She's an only child." Logan says with a laugh.

"On the contrary, she only thinks that she is an only child. In reality, she has family who cares greatly for her."

"And who would this family be, exactly?" Logan says, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at the Professor.

Just then, the door opens slowly. Both men turn their attention to the solid cherry door. Logan narrows his eyes in a penetrating glare before unadulterated shock mares his features.

"You wanted to see me, Herr Xavier?" asks a lilting German voice.