Old Habits
By: Kryptonite
Seven Years Four Months One Week Before
" Marie?" A knock at the door sent the girl scrabbling across her bed, trying to hide the evidence.
" Just a minute." She called, tugging her sleeves down past her wrist. Marie slid the blade under her pillow. " Come in." She quickly flipped the book right side up and looked up to the door as the woman walked in.
" I wanted to talk to you about your behavior lately."
" I know and I'm sorry. I've just been feeling really bad lately." The woman nodded, letting Marie's interruption go without comment.
" Marie, we are your parents now and as such we expect you to respect us."
" I do, I do. It's just… I haven't been feeling like myself lately. I promise it won't happen again." It won't ever have to happen again, Marie thought to herself, thoughts going to the slight sting on her arm.
" I'm glad we talked about this." The woman kissed Marie on the top of her head and headed out of the room. Marie breathed a sigh of relief, putting the book down and replacing her knife.
" I'll never act out like that again, I promise." Marie whispered, pressing the cloth of the sweatshirt down on her forearm.
One Year Before
" Rogue?" A knock on the door sent a girl scrabbling across her bed. It was the same girl, only six years older.
" Yeah?" She questioned.
" Just thought you might be sick or something since you missed class." Jubilee was still angry from the tongue-lashing she had received from Rogue not two hours earlier. And then to be sent to make sure the precious little girl was safe was adding salt to the wound.
" I'm not feeling well. Thank you." Rogue bit her lip, eyes searching Jubilee's to see if she really needed to apologize. " I'm sorry."
" Whatever." Jubilee walked out, the door shutting loudly behind her. Rogue knew that it wouldn't work but she had tried anyway.
" I'm always screwing up." With the door closed against the world Rogue added another line to her growing collection.
Three Weeks Six Days Before
Everyone was numb; there was no two ways around it. It had taken a week to gather the missing students and get them all safely back to the mansion. Jean was gone. Most of the students expected her to walk back in the front door; a little bit worse for wear but still alive.
Rogue sat in her room; a constant line running down her arms as her eyes stared vacantly ahead. Her Wolverine-induced hearing picked up his words of comfort to Scott.
" She picked you. You won."
'And it's my fault that it's a hollow victory.' Rogue added a fifth line, digging deep as she sat and stared, shutting off all brain activity.
Old habits die-hard.
A/N: Cookies to everyone who reviewed, thank you! I know this is a short little chapter but it's better than no chapter, right? I thought so. Anyway so we find out Rogue's always been like this. I'm also going on the basis that Rogue was adopted by the parents she had in the movie.
I figured out the time (again). If she was fifteen when she first came to the Mansion (One year, four months and one week before Released and about a week before the Statue of Liberty incident) then she was nine in that first section. That might also be a cause of the depression, getting bounced around from house to house. Just thought y'all would like to know. I'll update the Timeline at some point (hopefully today!)
Also, I know that the last line where I have Logan talking to Scott isn't absolutely correct but it's 7:22 am, I can't find the script online and I don't feel like messing with the DVD player and all that mess. So please don't flame me for that because I know I got the basic gist of it right.
Dawn, I'm glad you actually read all the chapters. Yeah the first two chapters have to be really interesting in order for me to read stories that have more than twenty chapters so I'm totally stoked that you liked this! I'm glad you liked it Rogue-Piper.
Roguechere and TpolTucker (yay!), I'm pretty sure that the last chapter will be a wedding (with Jean and Logan there to sit in their unhappiness). Me? Forget a story? Please Blue, I'm insulted! (Not really cause I actually have done that a few times blushes)
LizaGirl, that's the beauty of doing it this way. You have so many gaps in the story from one chapter to the next that anything's possible. I'm glad it rocks your socks (I'm also glad you didn't substitute an x for the cks) Oriental. Hope the rest of the chapters do the same.
Have a good life everyone, best of luck to ya.