Dropping Eaves

By: Kryptonite

*****

*Two Days Before*

" Scott? Can I talk to you?" Rogue asked. It had been a while since she had left her room. She was standing there nervous, clothes wrinkled, hair limp.

" Has Rogue lost weight?" Kitty asked, concerned. Bobby didn't even glance up.

" Maybe." Jubilee shrugged, flipping a page in her magazine.

" Sure Rogue, what's up?" Scott asked, turning to the young girl.

" It's kinda private." What am I doing? He won't help me, no one will.

" Okay-"

" Scott?" A young mutant came up catching the leaders' attention.

" Yeah? Just a minute Rogue." He said, half-remembering she was there. Rogue nodded and clutched her arms tighter around her, stomach protesting loudly. She had barely kept it fed since Alkali Lake. Don't take it personal. He's just talking to someone; it's nothing personal. He wants to help you. He will help you once… once he knows.

" And that's it." Danny said, Rogue just catching the end of the conversation.

" Alright. Rogue, can I talk to you later?" Rogue crumbled, every stone barrier breaking against the flood of emotions. It didn't help that the angry memories, personalities, of the men she had absorbed were still floating around in there.

" You know what, never mind. It's not important." Rogue turned and fled, walking quickly. Scott didn't think twice about it.

" Hey kid, where you going so fast?" Logan asked, stopping Rogue from falling after running into her.

" Just up to my room." She muttered. Trying to get past Logan, her stomach started growling again.

" Nope, to the kitchen." Rogue didn't have the energy to protest.

" Whatever." She let Logan steer her body to the kitchen, moving of her own accord to the fridge. Grabbing out some leftovers, Rogue heated just enough to stop her stomach from growling.

" Come on, you can eat more than that."

" I'm not hungry." She said, poking the food around with her fork.

" Ya haven't been at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Ya have ta be hungry."

" I said I'm fine." She ground out between clenched teeth.

" You okay kid?" Rogue instantly brightened, slipping back into her element.

" I'm fine Logan. Why wouldn't I be? I mean, I'm still getting straight A's in my classes, not fighting with anybody."

" That's what's got me worried. Ya seem ta be sleeping an awful lot in yer classes."

" You realize you can't actually light that thing, right?" Logan shrugged, keeping the unlit cigar clenched firmly between his teeth. " And I've been having a little trouble sleeping. Nothing I can't deal with."

" Does it have anything to do with…" Logan made a motion at his head to indicate Rogue's memories of the people she's absorbed. She knew he was most interested in him. And she took that and lied.

" You're already gone. So is everybody else. Completely me up there." A smile which had always managed to fool everybody before slipped easily onto her face, falling comfortably back into it's old routine, even if her mind screamed that this was wrong.

" Glad to see you smiling again kid. I have to go do some stuff. I'll see you in class." Logan was helping Scott teach a self-defense class ever since Alkali Lake.

" See you around." Rogue said, smile following Logan out until he had disappeared through the door. Standing and dumping the dishes in the sink, Rogue went back to her room.

" Shut up."

" I told you they wouldn't listen. You know that, that's why you lied." Pyro hissed vehemently.

" We can't tell them the truth. They'll never understand." It was Marie's turn to whisper. Knocking at the door stopped the torment.

" Rogue? Rogue, you in there?"

" Did you need something Scott?" Rogue asked, opening the door.

" Yeah I wanted to say I was sorry about ditching you earlier." He doesn't care!

" It's okay, no prob."

" No it is a problem. You had something you wanted to talk about?" He seemed concerned. He's not. He doesn't care about you.

" Nothing, just something really stupid. Already figured it out."

" Oh, okay. You know you can talk to me if something's wrong?" Rogue smiled up at him, eyes blinking rapidly.

" I know." He's lying!

" I'll see you in class Rogue."

" Bye Scott." Rogue listened as his footsteps echoed off before collapsing again. " Oh god why couldn't I tell him?"

" Because you know he doesn't care. Because you know he'd rather have Jean alive than you."

" We'd all rather have Jean alive." Logan added to Magneto's statement, more than a tear in his eye.

" He would've helped me. It wasn't my fault she died." She whispered, clutching her head.

" You killed her!"

" I didn't!" Outside, Scott gently removed his ear from the wood and crept silently down the hall to Logan's room.

" It always helps to eavesdrop. Logan, we need to talk." He said as soon as the door inched open. Stepping in, he closed it right behind him again, locking the two men in a room together.

When in doubt, eavesdrop.

*****

A/N: Okay, hi again. I want to say a quick thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I'd also like to take the time and address a few issues that were raised.

Starshine, in the last chapter it Logan was saying and doing all those things but Rogue, being depressed, is reading into it a little too much. Much of this story, although in third person, will come off from Rogue's perspective.

Kendarath, I completely understand. Most people have them ending up together in such an impossible way. Although I do have to admit, Scott is much of the 'Romance—candy, flowers, poetry' type.

And last to Lee. I want to say thank you for taking the time to review. I also want to say thank you for the review itself. You stated your opinion and you gave reasons why you felt that way. And to respond to your comments: I'm trying to do most of this story from a very shaky memory of the movie, so forgive my mistakes, please. Another thing, (and I just read over my chapters so I know why you're asking about it) the reason why Rogue blames herself—Warning Slight Spoilers—Is that she saw Jean get off the jet. Watched her and didn't do a thing. Blames herself because she could have taken Jean's powers and consequently saved her.

Another thing with depression is that they tend to take things very personally. They have a hard time separating what's about them and what isn't. They also generally have a tendency to blame themselves (hint, hint) for things they couldn't control.

I'm sorry you didn't like my story. I appreciate your review. If you didn't like this might I suggest Cradle my Heart, I'm Not Myself, Sleep, The Rogue, or even The Price of Love. All good stories I've read and liked.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read and review. It means a lot. Also, I'm planning on jumping into the future shortly, so hopefully I'll be able to get beyond when Marie drowned and Rogue took over :P Just to confuse you more, hehe.