Check
By: Kryptonite
*****
*Nine Months Two Weeks After*
" Hey Rogue?" Rogue's head turned to the voice at the door of her room.
" Yeah?" She asked, cooler than ice.
" I just want to talk." Frowning Rogue nodded her head and Logan entered, looking sheepish. " Going somewhere?"
" Yeah. Scott's going to take me out to dinner." She said, seating herself at the vanity after closing the door halfway.
" Really? That's good. That you know, you guys are friends?" Rogue could tell from Logan's half-assed phrasing that he was trying to get some information out of her about her relationship with Scott.
" Yeah, Scott's the best guy in the world. Really knows how to treat his friends." Logan seemed to relax for a minute. " Unlike you." She added, sneering.
" Look I said I was sorry kid."
" For crying out loud would you stop calling me that? Do I look like a kid to you?" Rogue asked, standing up in anger. Logan took a second to look over her outfit and had to agree, she didn't.
Rogue was wearing a form-fitting dark, dark red halter dress with flat-soled black boots that came up to just under her knees. Her hair had been pulled up with the white coming out in little tendrils around her face. It suddenly struck him how much she had grown up the past eight or so months he'd been gone.
" No, you don't."
" Well I'm glad to know something's change." She muttered, sitting back down on the chair.
" A lot of stuff has changed. Got a new doctor, new students-"
" I meant, you Logan. You've finally learned to open your eyes."
" Knock, knock. Oh sorry." Scott said, opening the door without waiting for a response. He noticed Logan sitting on the bed first. " Ready to go?"
" Whenever you are." Rogue said, eyes lighting up happily. Logan watched the transformation from hurt child to happy, beautiful young woman and wished that it had been him to make it happen.
" Happy-" Rogue clamped a hand over Scott's mouth.
" Not now." Scott nodded and the two walked out the door.
" Have a good time." Logan called, still feeling jealousy twisting his stomach into knots.
*****
" Happy birthday Rogue." Scott said, kissing her cheek as they stood outside her door.
" Thanks for taking me to dinner."
" My pleasure. I'll see you in class?" Rogue smiled and rested a hand on the brass doorknob.
" Of course."
" What are you so happy about? He doesn't want you!" Rogue steadfastly focused on Scott's face, ignoring the voice of the 'other one', the one that Marie had known for most of her life.
" See you tomorrow Rogue. Good night." Scott smiled before turning to walk down the hall to his own room. Rogue paused a minute to smile happily after him before turning into her own room.
" Stop dreaming. He had Jean Grey! What would he ever see in a little brat like you?"
" Hey kid." Rogue jumped at the voice echoing from the darkness.
" Logan!" She exclaimed, turning on the light. Logan was sitting exactly where she had left him.
" It's your birthday? Why didn't you tell me?" Logan's eyes held a world of hurt.
" Now you're going to get it, you little snot. I don't like to be left out of things I consider mine. Saving your life twice more than marks my territory." Logan in Rogue's head crowed with joy. Rogue ignored his warnings of doom and focused on the flesh and blood version in front of her.
" What are you doing here?" Rogue tried to mask her fear with anger. It didn't work very well since her voice still trembled.
" Waiting for you. I wanted to see how your date with the local tight-ass went."
" It wasn't a date, least ways not the way you seem to think it was. He is my friend and as my friend he took me out to celebrate my birthday."
" You guys got back a little late, sure he didn't give you something else to 'celebrate' your birthday by." Rogue's anger came full-force to the surface, eyes flashing fire.
" No, he didn't now get out of my room." Her voice was low but angry. The voices in her head were getting stronger, louder, crying for her to do something stupid so she would be punished. Begging her too.
" How can I be sure, except to check for myself?"
Never expect someone to take you at your word if they are not within their logical reasoning capabilities. Always expect them to check for themselves.
*****
A/N: Talk about a cliffhanger. Morph, I'm glad you keep reading and reviewing even though you think its a little too depressing. Thanks. To silverCross, I'm glad you reviewed, hope you review again. I know what you're saying about the voices. Most authors have those stupid little things off to the side, erased, or just plain not there. It's annoying. Also, the reason I do so well with showing the 'twistedness' of depression is that I have it, just not diagnosed.
Not to mention they really help with the whole Rogue blaming herself thing. I mean, if you had five or six separate personalities in your head telling you that something was your fault, you start to believe it. And Angel, I know it was I was joking. I really don't know where this is going but the original idea was to put her with Scott.
After this chapter, I think that's still the plan. To everyone else, have a great day/week/month/year/lifetime. I'll catch you on the flipside (I love saying that :P).