Author's Note: Okay, I know this took forever to come out and this chapter is shorter then most chapters I know, but my grandfather had a heart attack, we thought for a while we were gonna lose him altogether so I was running between the hospital ICU ward, home and work as fast as I could, plus taking care of my grandmother, who was basically a basket case at the time (48 years of marriage, wouldn't you be?). I hardly had time to pee and take a shower before going back to the hospital, let alone get close to a computer. Then to top it off I got hit by a car, fractured my wrist in two places, dislocated my knee and got mugged on my way home from work …all in four days.(And at this point, I'd accept any spells anyone has to reverse bad Karma, because I really think the universe is out to get me and my family in general) I was in no shape to be writing, so this chapter is way too late(Be happy though, I almost decided to give up on the story all together, I'd been off it so long, but my comic addicted buddies changed my mind) and for that I'm really sorry but bear with me okay? If you don't give up on me, I won't give up on writing or you guys.
This essentially a Remy free chappie. Okay, I know at this point, after everything I've put you through you're all grabbing your coats and checking out but I needed a chapter with just Rogue and other various characters to set up a big part of the story. So while he's mentioned a lot, and he might have one or two small scenes, this chapter is mainly about Rogue. It has to be this way for the story to work out. Like the comic books, where sometimes a character is missing for an issue, he'll be back full force next chapter. I promise, now you if you'd all stop throwing rotten fruits at me, I'm heading off to start working on the next chapter. It'll be full of Romy goodness, you have my word. I knew it's not up to par, but it's all I could do for now, next chappie will be better then ever I promise.(And stay tuned soon for when Remy and Rogue come face to face again… or do they?)
III
"Jubilee?"
"Hmmm?"
"Where are we?"
"I don't know, look at the map!"
"I am looking at the map."
………
"Alright, pass it over here…"
Logan passed her the map silently, watching as she opened it and spread it out trying to find out exactly where they'd gotten off course. Then he watched in marvel as his wife tried to read the map, drive and he was pretty sure settle world peace (or at least world fashion trends) on her cell phone as they went.
"Jubilee." He said after a moment, watching her bowed sunglasses adorned head then back up, as they began to drift off the road, lazily towards a fence as she paid attention to the map and not the car. It was looking more and more like she was hell-bent on putting them in a roadside ditch, instead of getting them to Miami.
"What?" She said, not looking up.
"Jubes ."
"What?" She asked in exasperation as she pushed her glasses farther up on her head.
"Jubilee!"
"WHAT!"
"Look up and watch the road!"
Jubilee was shocked back to attention when all of a sudden Logan leaned over and jerked the steering wheel hard, setting them back on course as they skidded down the road harshly before spinning to a stop in a cloud of dust.
Jubilee hit the breaks hard as they stopped, slamming they forward with a shriek that caused Logan to wince and wonder why he'd ever let her drive his car in the first place.
Jubilee shot him a wide eyed look (from behind her now lowered sunglasses) and then let loose in a barrage of Chinese that he really couldn't understand, and got the feeling he didn't want to. Carefully, she took the keys out of the ignition and then stepped out of the car slowly, Logan following.
"What the hell was that?" She cried as she looked at the smoke billowing from under the hood.
"What do you mean, what was that?" Logan said defensively. "You nearly ran us off the road!"
"I was looking at the map!" She yelled. " In case you haven't noticed, we're lost!"
"Oh I noticed, darlin." He said. " I lost the scent of anything remotely civilized two hours ago."
"That's not a reason to try and get us killed!"
" You nearly ran us off the road." He pointed out. " You weren't even looking where we where going."
" I knew exactly where we were going." She argued.
" Really?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "What direction were we going in?"
Jubilee opened her mouth to speak, and then close it again quickly. "Fine, so I wasn't watching where I was going. Might I remind you, it wasn't my idea to come on this trip in the first place. I wanted to go to Miami!"
"We are going to Miami; I just thought it would be nice to drive there instead of flying. This is our first vacation since the baby came and in case you noticed we haven't been on a road trip together… ever!"
"Well, this is the last one we're going on." Jubilee said as she turned her back to him.
Logan rolled his eyes, and decided this was one of the times he was going to have to suck it up, and admit he was wrong when he was right…like always. "Look I'm sorry." He said, pulling her into his arms. "I just want us to have a nice vacation, being dead doesn't come into to it."
For a moment, Jubilee remained stiff against him, and then she gave in, giggling softly as he kissed her neck. " Then let's get a move on shall we?"
"I better make sure the car's alright." Logan said, as she slid behind the wheel, and he popped the hood. 'She's not used to being so roughly handled."
"Oh please." Jubilee said with a sigh, knowing better then to insult the car if she ever wanted to have sex again in her life time.
" Good to go?" She asked, as he slid in beside her a few moment's later.
"As good as can be." He said, as they started off again. "Did you find out where we are?"
Jubilee nodded, "Yeah, the middle of nowhere, but good news, there's a town a few miles up the road where we can stop for a bit."
"What's it called?" Logan asked as he slipped on his shades.
"Legacy, Mississippi."
"What Ah mess."
With a sigh, Rogue swiped at the cobwebs with her dust cloth and then stepped back to inspect her work. She'd been cleaning and dusting all day, trying to make her new home, well…a home. So far however, every time she'd managed to get one spot clean another appeared to have a decade of dusting laying on it.
A cleaning service was looking better or better.
Casually, she rubbed the back of her neck, and looked up. The cobwebs she'd been working on didn't seem to have dissipated at all, and with a curse she gave up. Carefully she stepped down off of the chair she'd been standing on, and rubbed her lower back through the loose men's shirt she wore over a pair of jean cut offs. It was just too hot a day to clean, and the house was too much for her to do on her own.
She decided to get something to eat instead.
It was a strange thing pregnancy, as a result of it, she was beginning to realize she could get out of a lot of things she didn't want to do, by saying she was hungry and then making a beeline for the nearest fridge or store.
Like now, for instance.
Ah well, she'd needed to get groceries anyways. All she had in the fridge was mayo, and ...well that was it.
As she past a mirror she caught sight of herself, her face dirty and smudged, her hair pulled back under a bandana and decided, maybe a wash was in order, before she left.
As if on cue her stomach rumbled, and she looked down at the still flat surface (well almost, still flat, there was a distinct curve there she wasn't quite ready to admit existed yet.) and sighed.
Nope, the jury had spoken.
Food first, appearance later, it was the way of the world.
Or at least, the way of the hungry, mildly pregnant Rogue.
She stepped outside onto the porch, and let the increasingly warm March heat her up turned face briefly, before turning and locking her door and heading on her way. The grocery store was just down the street from the house and she knew she could probably find something there that would satisfy her hunger and brighten her mood.
When she stepped inside a few moments later, the air conditioning hit her full blast, causing her to shiver in delight. She really had to think about getting it at home, it would make things so much easier if the house wasn't as stuffy as it was. She grabbed a basket from a stack, and began to work her way up an aisle, tossing things in her basket as she went.
She was stopped at the deli counter, checking out the various meats for sale when something caught her attention.
"Awww, come on darlin, I don't see why not."
Rogue cocked her head, and listen to the voice.
It couldn't be.
"No! Logan, it's bad enough I've got to live with your cigar smoke. I'm not traveling the next hundred miles with anchovies in the car. You'll stink me out!"
"Jubes!"
Rogue's eyes widened.
It was, and further more he'd brought his slightly wacky girlfriend (albeit, Rogue's best friend) with him.
Her meat forgotten, Rogue casually peaked around the corner, and sure enough, much to her hidden delight, there was Jubilee and Logan, just the way she always pictured them.
Standing in the middle of the grocery isle, totally obvious to anyone around them.
Fighting as usual.
She'd never been so happy to see anyone in her life.
"You, insensitive jerk!"
"Drama queen."
"Shortstop."
"Fashion victim,"
Oh, they were making her homesick just listening to them.
She couldn't help herself.
"Now, now, now children." She said as she approached them from behind. "Ya'll need to learn to play nicer!"
Both her friends whirled around in surprise, Jubilee couldn't have looked more shocked if something had told her she'd missed the annul 50 off sale at Barney's. She wasn't too shocked through to miss her opportunity to get the anchovies out of Logan's hand and back on the shelf however.
"Rogue" Jubilee said in disbelief.
"In the slowly expanding flesh." Rogue said, patting her still depressingly thin (okay almost thin) stomach "So what the hell are ya'll doing in my corner of the woods?"
Before anyone could speak Logan rushed forward and scooped her into his arms, lifting her off the ground and swinging her around in a hug that nearly took her breath away.
"Oh god! Logan put me down." She cried as nausea assailed her. "Mah stomach isn't up to this on a good day!"
"Sorry darlin." He said as he gently set her on her feet. A look of concern crossed his faced as he patted at her gently. "I didn't shake anything important loose did I?"
"Oh for godsakes Logan, she's pregnant, not a gumball machine." Jubilee said, then remembering how strong Logan was (especially when he was excited) "He didn't shake anything important loose did he?"
"No." Rogue said, as her stomach fought the urge to make its presence known, there went her appetite. Just then, Jubes lunged at her and wrapped her in another hug that left her breathless. "Never, mind though, Jubes, you finished me off."
"I'm sorry." Jubilee said, choking back tears. "It's just we missed you that's all."
"Ah know." Rogue said equally as tearful as she pulled back to look at her friend. "Ah missed you guys too."
"Don't look now, but we're gathering an audience." Logan spoke up.
It was then that Rogue remembered where they were, standing the in the middle of the can food isle, and when she looked up (Sure enough) people were stopped in their tracks staring at them. She sighed; sometimes living in small town was like living in a fish bowl. "Come on." She said happily, taking Jubilee by the hand.
"Where are we going?" Jubilee said as she stumbled along behind her.
"My house." Rogue said, over her shoulder as she led them to the doors, their food forgotten in the isle.
"Where is it?" Logan asked as he jogged along to keep up.
"Not far." Rogue said. "Your gonna love it, I can tell."
"Oh my god." Jubilee said as they approached their house. "Roguey what did you do?"
"You like?" Rogue said as she pushed the gate opened carefully.
"I'm not sure." Jubilee said as she started up the walk. "Ask me after you've given me a tour of The AdamsFamilyMansion here."
"God, Rogue." Logan said coming up behind them. "What did you do, buy the local funeral home."
"You Ah think it might have actually been used for that once." Rogue said with a sigh. "Ah forgot to ask."
"This place is a wreck." Jubilee said. "And by the way, does it come a corpse like butler and a freaky uncle."
"It's not that bad." Rogue argued. "It just needs to be fixed up is all."
"Fixed up?" Logan said as they stepped inside the dim entry way. "Remy would have my ass if he knew we'd found you in a place like this and not convinced you to come back with us."
Oops.
Jubilee jabbed him none to gently in the ribs with a feminine elbow, seeing the pained look on Rogue's face. "Nice move Logan." She said wryly "Why don't you put your foot in your mouth a little more."
"Sorry." He said, shooting his life a look as an awkward silence stretched between them. " I just meant…"
" Ah know." Rogue said as she directed them towards the kitchen, ignoring the beating of her heart as she spoke. "How is he?"
" Going crazy looking for you." Jubilee said honestly. "He's used every contact he's got, but nothing's turned up yet."
"Obviously." Rogue said. "Which begs the question how did you find me?"
"By accident." Logan said as he took the beer she offered. "I let Jubes drive and she tried to kill us, so we wound up here."
"We were passing through and we'd stopped to pick up some food…"Jubes said with an exasperated look. "And there you where."
Rogue fixed them with a disbelieving stare.
"Guys." She said finally in a patent tone. The tone of one who'd spent many, many years living under Charles Xavier's roof, well enough to know the word coincidence was often Xavier code for telepathic suggestion "This place is twenty miles past the middle of nowhere, and you found me easily. It wasn't an accident or a consequence, Ah'd say someone sent you to check up on me."
" You mean..." Logan said, blowing out air. "Cue ball! He set us up so we'd find you."
" Ah think it's kind of sweet, he's checking up on me." Rogue said. "Meddlesome, but sweet."
" I think it's a good way to have me flip out on his ass when we get back." Logan snarled. "Not that we're not glad to see you, of course."
"I know." Rogue handing Jubilee a drink and then motioning for them to sit down at her kitchen table.
"He couldn't have just planted an idea in your head without you knowing it." Jubilee argued.
"Honey, this is Charles Xavier." Rogue said gently. "He's the strongest telepath in the world, if he wants ya'll to dress in drag and do tha limbo, your gonna."
"I'd pay good money to see that." Jubilee said, taking the coffee Logan had poured for her. "If I could take lots of funny pictures."
"Ha, freaking, ha." Logan growled as he sat down with a thump.
"But would Charles do something like that?" Jubilee asked as she cuddled on Logan's lap, sending a pang of longing through Rogue's heart.
"Of course he would." Logan said. "If he was worried about her."
"Why would he worry?" Rogue said." I'm healthy, the baby's healthy. There's noting to worry about."
"I don't know." Logan said. "I don't pretend to understand him, or what he does anymore. It important to my sanity."
"Amen." Jubilee agreed. "But it really doesn't sound like something Charles would do; he's against just tampering in someone's mind. I can't see him just deciding to plant something in your mind. It'd be like an invasion for him to do that."
"He'd do it." Logan said. "But he'd only do it for a good reason."
"What?" Rogue asked.
"I don't know yet." Logan said. "But I'm going to find out."
"Hey!" Rogue said looking around as if she'd just realized something. "You're traveling one bucket short of the fire brigade. Where's the baby?"
"With her Auntie Jean and Uncle Scooter." Jubilee said with a sigh. "I wanted to bring her, but Logan insisted on us taking this trip alone." A look pf annoyance crossed her face. "Or was that Xavier again, planting suggestions?"
"That was me, darlin." Logan said, kissing her neck affectionately. "You needed a break for a little while, we both did."
"And how's that working out?" Rogue asked in an amused tone.
"Ask him." Jubilee said. "I'm not the one who has to stop every twenty miles to phone and see if she's alright." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Mr. Softy Claws here does."
"I do not." Logan argued. "I know they'll take good care of her."
"That's why you kept stopping the first day." Jubilee said gently. "Because you knew she was so well taken care of. Admit it; she's got you wrapped around her little finger."
"Just like her mama." He said with a sigh as he kissed her neck sheepishly again.
"So how's Genny doing anyway?" Rogue asked thinking of her own child and missing her godchild fiercely.
"Good." Jubilee said.
"She can talk now." Logan said proudly.
"Yeah, tell her what she can say." Jubilee said darkly.
"What?" Rogue asked.
Logan grinned sheepishly again. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Jubilee said with a laugh. "Thanks to her father's golden influence, my little girl can now say three whole sentences. Do you know what they are?"
"What?" Rogue asked, afraid to know.
"Put twenty on the Packers; pass my beer darlin, and who the hell made that call?" Jubilee said.
"You're kidding?" Rogue sad.
"Nope." Jubilee said. "Honest as the day is long, oh wait! There's one I forgot!" She nudged Logan. "Tell her."
Logan grinned like a proud papa. "Up yours, Scooter."
"Nice, huh?" Jubilee said with a laugh, watching as Rogue had to lower her head to the table to muffle her laughter.
"You know Ah've really missed you guys." She said after she stopped laughing and wiped the tears away. "Everyone else too."
"Well you know there's a simple solution to that." Jubilee said gently.
"What?" Rogue said.
"Hike your ass home where you belong." Logan growled not so gently. "Before the Cajun drives me anymore nuts, and I have to kill him to get some peace."
"He's that bad off huh?" Rogue said
"Right now, he's off checking all of your houses." Jubilee said with a sigh.
"Ah have houses on three continents." Rogue said. "And that's not including mah condo in New Orleans, or my loft in San Francisco."
"And instead of going to one of these many houses, you chose the Gothic Funeral parlor because?" Jubilee said.
"Precisely because of that." Rogue said pointedly. "I knew he would come looking for me, and I didn't want to be found."
"Why?" Jubilee said with a frustrated sigh. "Why the self imposed exile? It's not like you did anything wrong."
"Ah know." Rogue said." It's just… Ah saw how hurt Remy was when I got pregnant. Ah didn't want to rub it in his face, plus Ah saw the change to be normal and I took it."
"Normal." Logan said with a snort, capturing her chin in his fingers so she was face to face with him. "Rogue, honey, I say this because I love you like a daughter, you will never be normal. Even with inactive powers. You're still a mutant, and that's because it's the way you're supposed to be. It's the way all of us are supposed to be."
Rogue jerked away, her eyes filling with tears, because she knew he was probably right. She wasn't willing to admit it though, because that meant she'd left her home, her friends, her Cajun…for nothing.
It was an unthinkable thought
"Anyways, who wants to be normal?" Jubilee said. "It's so last season."
"Maybe Ah should drop Gambit a line at home, tell him Ah'm alright." Rogue said with a musing sigh. "So he doesn't worry."
"Sweetie, he's not going to stop worrying about you until you are home." Jubilee said. "And if you did that, you'd probably wind up with a very angry Swamp Rat on your door step."
"Ah wouldn't put a return address on it." Rogue said defensively.
"Doesn't matter." Logan said agreeing with his wife (for once) "He'd find a way to trace it."
"And again I say he'd be on your doorstep in an instant." Jubilee said.
"With a club." Logan said.
"And a bottle of chloroform." Jubilee agreed.
"Not to mention an armored truck." Rogue granted.
"Or worse." Jubilee said with mock severity. "Suitcases."
"He'd try to talk me in to going home." Rogue said with a sigh.
"And when that didn't work he'd kidnap as you sleep and drag you back kicking and screaming." Jubilee said.
"This may not be a bad thing." Logan said as wife elbowed him lightly in the ribs. 'What, I'm being truthful. I want her to come home, all of us do."
"He knows." Jubilee said. "And he doesn't care one damn bit. He just wants you back again."
'Yeah, did you ever consider he might just show up to stay if he found out where you where?" Logan asked. "And not be mad as hell?"
"How could he not be?" Rogue asked with a sigh. "With the baby not being his, and the way Ah left. He has to be mad at me to some degree, Ah…Ah…just can't face that right now. Maybe after the baby comes Ah'll see." Rogue rolled her eyes as tears filled them but inside she felt bad for putting Remy through everything she had. "Ah wish Ah could change things but Ah can't."
For a moment after that confession, silence hung in the air until Logan spoke up with a clearing of his throat. "So what needs to be fixed around this place, anyway?"
Later, once they were alone and tucked into bed for the night, Logan felt no compunction about voicing his opinions to his wife.
"She's nuts." He said with a sigh, as he pulled back the covers and watched her slid in.
"Who?" Jubilee said with a yawn.
Logan gave her one of his patented who do you think, looks before he spoke. "Rogue, who else. She's gone off her gourd, holed up in this old house, in the middle of no where, what else would you call it?"
"Peace." Jubilee said as she snuggled against him warmly.
"What's that?" Logan asked with the sigh of someone who's seen too much war and death to believe anymore.
"She's okay." Jubilee said. "She's doing fine."
"Darlin, if you believe that," Logan said. "I've got some football teams I'd like you to bet on against me." He cuddled her closer in the circle of his arms. "All you have to do is mention Remy, and you can see how she's really doing."
"I know." Jubilee said. "But she's too stubborn and proud to admit it." She looked up at him, brushing a kiss over his chin lightly. "Something else is bothering you, what is it?"
Logan didn't even try and pretend with her.
"I'm worried." He admitted. "If Cue ball sent us here like she said, it was for a reason. He was ether worried, or upset about something with Rogue. I just wish I knew what it was, that's all."
"And Xavier isn't exactly forthcoming with details." Logan said. "I phoned home after dinner and Jean said, he'd gone to Japan. Some kind of emergency World conference on mutants, won't be back for days."
"So we're on our own here?" Jubilee asked
"Pretty much." Logan agreed. "And I don't like it one bit, I don't feel safe leaving her alone here. If Xavier sent us here for a reason and I don't mean to just check up on her either, he could use Cerebro to do that easily enough, then we're here its because he wants to stay close."
"Well." Jubilee said. " Rogue did offer to let us stay here for as long as we wanted."
"What are you saying?" He asked. "You want to skip Miami and stay here for awhile instead?"
" If that's what you want." Jubilee said with a yawn. " If it'll make you feel better about things."
"It would." He admitted. "But you really wanted to see Miami."
"I can see it another time." Jubilee said with a wave of her hand, "Okay, so the spring sales won't be on then but who cares. I can pay full price for things." She smiled. " Plus I really would like to have Genny along with us next time."
"You really miss her, huh?" He said as he stroked her hair.
Jubilee nodded, barely holing back tears as she fingered the locket she always wore with Genny's picture in it. Logan had given it to her the night after she'd been born, it held a lock of her hair and one of her first baby pictures. One of Logan holding Genny tenderly, a candid moment Scott had caught and Logan had forgiven under the circumstances "Don't you."
"Like crazy." Logan divulged, still marveling how his little girl had him wrapped around her little pinky. Then again…her mother did as well, so it really made sense.
" But she's okay with Scott and Jean." Jubilee ventured.
"That's a matter of opinion." Logan growled, then seeing the look of concern on his wife's face he conceded. "I know she's safe with them sweetie. We wouldn't have left her with them if we didn't trust them."
" Your right." Jubilee agreed.
"I guess we're just returning into a pair of neurotic old parents." Logan mused as he kissed her brow. "Who'd have thought huh?" With a laugh he pulled the covers over them. "Now let's get some sleep, something tells me I've got a lot of work to do in the next few days."
And in his mind, he was already formulating an idea; something that would put a smile on both his wife and Rogue's faces…or else it would get him pummeled severely.
It would be interesting (to say the least) to see which way things turned out.
And if his plan backfired…at least nether of them had the strength to kill him…he hoped.
Rogue was woken early, by the Hounds of Hell.
Or at least that's what it sounded like to her.
That was until she heard a familiar voice, cursing lightly from just above her open window.
With a look of perplexity, she slid out of bed and grabbed her robe off of the back of her rocker, then headed for the window. Pushing back the curtains, she poked her head out the window and looked up…and narrowly missed being hit by a pile of garbage being tossed off her roof.
"Head up!" Logan called as he caught wind of her from his position above her.
"Logan?" She called back. "What in the name of sweet hell are you doing on mah roof?" She looked down at the pile of refuse on her lawn and then back up at him. "Or, should Ah say, too mah roof?"
"Your roof is rotten!" He called back down to her. "Or at least big patches of it are."
"Ah know." She called back. "Ah need to get it fixed."
"Precisely." He said. "Which is exactly, what I'm trying to start right now."
"You don't have to do that." She called back. "Your on vacation, you should be relaxing!"
'This is relaxing for me." He yelled. "Don't worry; I'll have it fixed up in no time." With that (and what she swore was a happy whistle.) he went back to clomping and bouncing around her roof, trying to locate the other spots that needed to be fixed.
"Your husband's insane!" Rogue said, an hour later after she'd showered and dressed. She'd headed for the kitchen to find Jubilee already there, reading the local paper and sipping a cup of coffee placidly. "He's up there, preparing to fix mah roof! Do you know this?"
"Yup." Jubilee said. "And then after that I think he's planning to fix the rotten boards in the front and back porches, and then give the house a good solid coat of paint as well as repairing some of the windows and the chimney."
"He'll never be able to do all that on his own!" Rogue said. "He'll have to get help."
"I suppose, he's got all the he needs." Jubilee said vaguely, catching Rogue's attention immediately. "You know, this place is well kept on the inside, but the outside it needs a lot of work." She cocked her head. "Did you buy or rent?"
"Rent." Rogue said her minding working. "But the owners said, Ah could do any thing Ah wanted when it came to repairs or changes. Whose Logan got helping him?"
"Hmmm?" Jubilee said innocently. "Oh, I don't know. I never really asked. You know I have to admit, this is actually a lot better vacation for him then Miami. I think he's happier here."
"You never asked?" Rogue said with a raised eyebrow as she headed for the backdoor. " Ah don't believe that."
"Okay, okay!" Jubilee said, beating her to the door and blocking it for a moment. " But it wasn't my idea, I promise. He did it before I got up!"
"Did what?" Rogue asked as she leaned around her and opened the door, slipping by her easily.
She stopped dead in her tracks.
Her backyard was full of X-Men.
Storm was inspecting her flower beds with a look of disapproval while Scott and Jean were clearly getting ready to start painting the house, if they could stop bickering about various colors. (Rogue quickly noted that Logan must have found her paint samples because it was the exact shade she wanted.) Meanwhile on the roof, Logan(who she planned to trounce later) was working with Cannonball and Alex Summers to start putting down new shingles.
As if on cue Alex noticed she was there. "Hey Rogue." The younger blonder Summers brother called. "Sleep well?"
"Ah was, until someone stated pounding on my roof." She called back.
Alex winced. "Sorry, but we had to get started so we can have it done and start on the windows tomorrow."
She nodded. "Logan?"
"Yeah?" he called down.
"Ah need to talk to you when you have a minute."
"Sure." Logan said, knowing he was in deep shit but not caring at all.
Without another word, Rogue headed for the house. This was a battle she had a feeling she wasn't going to win.
But she'd be damned if she'd give in without a fight.
Even if it took a load off her mind, worrying about house repairs she couldn't do on her own.
Even if, she'd had no clue how to start them.
Even if, she was really, really glad to see her friends.
The sight of Jubilee at the back door, holding Genny in her arms was what finally made up Rogue's mind.
She just couldn't stay mad at Logan for doing something as selfless as he'd done. She just couldn't.
But that didn't mean she couldn't tear him a new one for springing a surprise like that on her without any notice.
"You're not mad?" Jubilee asked softly as she approached.
"How could Ah be?" Rogue said taking her goddaughter from her and cradling her close. "Logan means well Ah know."
"He's got a heart of gold." Jubilee agreed.
"And a mouth like a New York City sewer." Rogue mused fondly as a stream of offenses (that could have only come from Logan) came through a near by open window, tainting the air blue around them.
"True," Jubilee agreed as they moved back inside. "Do you want some coffee, its fresh?"
"Ah shouldn't but Ah will." Rogue muttered as she set the baby in her highchair and plopped down gently. "How'd he get everyone here so quickly?"
"He phoned early this morning I guess." Jubilee said. "I really don't know, he didn't fill me in on his. I woke up to find the baby sleeping beside me, along with a note you keep quiet until you figured things out for your self."
"He's bout the only person who could get away with this you realize?" Rogue said with a sigh.
"And he knows it." Jubilee said.
"What about Remy?" Rogue asked.
"He's still out looking for you." Jubilee said as she handed the baby her bottle.
"Ah know, that's mah point." Rogue lamented. " He's out there trying ta find me, going crazy by your own admission and you guys all know where Ah am, don't that feel wrong to you." She said. "'Cause it does ta me."
"I never thought of it that way." Jubilee said.
"And Logan?" Rouge said. "And the others?"
"Logan doesn't care Chica," Jubilee admitted "And as for the others…well, it could be a problem if he ever finds out."
"If?" Rogue said with a raised eyebrow. "And could?"
"Well, your gonna come back at some point right?" Jubilee said, encouraged by Rogue's nod. "So maybe he won't have to find out."
"Ah doubt that." Rogue said. "It just not fair, you guys are supposed to be his friends as well. Ah feel like ya'll are betraying him by knowing where Ah am, while he's out there trying to find me."
'Ten it will be a problem." Jubilee amended. "And we'll deal with it if it happens." She sighed at Rogue's look. "Okay, look, it can't be both ways alright? Yes, we're his friends but we're also your friends and right now… we're here to help you out. When we get back to the mansion, who knows what'll happen. It's likely one of us will spill the beans, and then he'll hit the roof."
"And the road." Rogue said dryly.
" But we're not going to take sides." Jubilee finished. " At home, it's always been information on a need to know basis."
"And right now he doesn't need to know where Ah am?" Rogue guessed.
"Exactly." Jubilee said. "Maybe he needs this time away to figure things out, just like you do."
"That's a load of horse shit." Rogue said sweetly. "And he's still going to be pissed as hell and hurt if and when he finds out about this. He'll take it as a betrayal by silence."
Jubilee nodded. "Probably, but once he figures out we were trying to help, he'll be okay."
Oh, the hopes of the positively inclined.
Rogue sighed again and said nothing but deep down inside she knew the truth.
Remy was going to be pissed as hell…and her Swamp Rat tended to hold grudges long enough to make Logan proud.
Up on the roof, Logan tossed another pile of rotten tiles down, and almost hit Scooter, who cursed violently at him from where he was painting. Logan waved affectionately and gave him the finger as he continued on his way without blinking.
Something about this type of work just put a man in a good mood.
"So do you think Rogue is mad at you?" Alex asked as he helped him lay a piece of tar paper down.
"Hell, yes." Logan said in a good natured fashion. "Why do you think I'm up here, takin my time for? I'm looking forward to her confronting me as much as twelve hour car ride with Cyclops."
"That little huh?" Alex said, not batting an eye that Logan was talking about his big brother.
"Pretty much." Logan said. "But I needed the help to get this place up and going, and she needed to see her friends. She's too damn stubborn to go to the mansion, so I thought I'd bring the mansion to her." He coughed "Plus Jubilee really missed the baby." What he wasn't saying was he missed her like crazy too, too much to admit to a member of the Summers family.
Alex nodded. "I get that, but isn't Remy going to be pissed that we all know where she is and didn't say anything?"
"I could care less." Logan admitted cheerfully. "But just in case, spread the word that nobody's ta talk about this. That way if he finds out anyone knows, it can be me and that's who he'll be angry at."
"Covering for everyone?" Alex said with a raised eyebrow. " How noble, of you."
"It's not for my sake, it's for Rogue's." He said. " I don't want her or anyone else to get hurt because of something I started. I've had enough of that happen to other people I care about."
" You're a good man." Alex said, knowing somehow that it took a lot of Logan to admit that to someone. It wasn't something one took lightly.
" Yeah well," Logan said as he lit up a fresh cigar. "Don't tell anyone else that alright? You'll ruin my image."
"Deal." Alex agreed as Cannonball passed him a load of roof tiles. " Pass the nail gun, will you?"
" I need a break." Jean said as she and Storm came into the kitchen.
"Grab a cup." Rogue said indicating the fresh pot of tea sitting in the middle of the kitchen table.
Jean patted Genny on the head affectionately and sat down, followed closely by Ororo.
"Weren't you two recruited to work?" Jubilee asked as she sat.
"Yeah, but the guys are doing a better job without us." Jean said "Plus, we can keep you company. That's a better job anyways."
"I agree." Ororo put in. A disapproving look crossed her face. "Although when you have the time, we need to have a serious talk about the state of your garden."
"If you say so." Rogue said with a wince.
For a while the conversation ran the standard, gossip and mansion rumors that made Rogue both homesick and more and more glad Logan had violated her wishes and brought her friends here to her. She'd needed some old fashioned girl time more then she'd ever thought.
They'd been seated chatting pleasantly, for about an hour when a knock sounded on the front door, causing Rogue to jump. "Come in." She called. "Ah'm in the kitchen."
A moment later Aurelia poked her head around the door and looked around, vaguely suspicious. Rogue sighed, small towns, it didn't take long for people to figure out when strangers were around. "Aurelia!" Rogue said with a smile, trying to make the sudden heavy mood lighter. "Nice to see you again." To the others she said. "Aurelia is the real estate agent who rent's me the house." She cocked her head. "What can Ah do for you?"
"Nothing much." Aurelia said as introductions were made quickly. " Ah was passing through and noticed you were making some heavy repairs, thought Ah'd check in and see what was up."
"Oh nothing much really, mah friends decided to come and help me out with the house, so most of the repairs are being done as we speak." Rogue smiled. "It's the roof mostly."
"And the front porch." Jubes said with a sigh.
"And the windows." Jean muttered.
"Not to mention the state of the garden." Ororo said through gritted teeth, flashing the women a lighting emblazoned glare.
Rogue sighed sheepishly but wasn't surprised. Clearly her friends though living in the particular house was a mistake, and they were making sure that she knew they partly blamed the realtor for talking her into it.
Wait until they found out that wasn't true.
"Do you want a cup of coffee?" Rogue asked politely.
" No thanks Ava." Aurelia said with a clearly forced smile. " I just wanted to check in, Ah need to be on mah way." With that she turned and hurried off the women tossed startled glances among each other.
"What was that?' Jubilee said.
"And what crawled up her ass?" Jean said just as suspiciously " I couldn't get a strait telepathic reading off of her, its was jumbled, like her thoughts were caught in a rock tumbler."
Rogue shrugged. "Ah don't know, Ah've never see her like that before."
She sat back down and took a sip of her coffee as the other did the same and it wasn't long before the subject drifted around to where she'd always expected it too.
Jean was the one who brought it up, she always was the one to hit subjects on the head full force, whether people like to hear it or not.
"So when are you going to give up this nonsense and come home?"
" Jean!" Strom admonished but as usual jean trucked ahead, ignoring her.
"Ah'm not." Rogue said mildly, not offended in the least. "At least not right now.'
Inwardly her mind screamed, why did she have to keep repeating herself to everyone. She wanted this chance, for herself and her child. She wasn't running way like everyone thought she was, she wasn't.
Now she just had to prove it to everyone, including apparently herself.
"Ah need this, right now." She went on with a sigh. "I need to try this."
"What you need is your friends." Jean said tenaciously. "Rogue, I've been pregnant, I know how much it helps to have other women around you, how much you need others around you. You can't do this alone."
"Ah seem to be doin fine so far." Rogue said crossing her arms over her chest.
"It's early days yet." Jean said. "The more time that passes the more your gonna want people around." She gestured with a hand, levitating her coffee cup gently as she did so. "Look around you, who are you trying to kid? You holed up in this old house, with nobody around you know, your living in the middle of no where with no help whatsoever. That's not independence, its exile and you don't deserve it."
"She's right Rogue." Ororo said "You've isolated yourself, like you've done something wrong and you haven't"
"Why don't you let me decide that?" Rogue said, a tad irritated that they were preaching at her. Inwardly she knew they were her friend and they were worried but she still didn't like it.
" So you had a fight with Gambit, you broke up and you tried to move on with what you thought was right for you." Jean said gently. " There's nothing wrong with that sweetie but there a limit."
"I agree." Jubilee said. " Rogue come home, we miss you, he misses you, you two will find a way to make thing work."
"Ah don't think so." Rogue said as her eyes teared up. She smiled a watery smile at them. " And thank you for trying but Ah need to stay here, I need to see if Ah can make this work for me." She shrugged. "Ah've never a real home before."
"Yes you do." Ororo said. "Xavier's is your home."
"True." Rogue agreed. " But I want a home I've made my self."
" You have made the mansion home for yourself." Jubilee argued. " You know that." It was true, Xavier's could ether be a heaven for mutants or a prison of their own making, it all depended on the how a mutant made it."
"What if you need help?" Jean persisted. "What if your powers start to come back, and you're here all alone, you don't know how that would affect you or the baby?"
" Then Ah'll call you." Rogue said with a laugh. " You're an hour away by jet, Ah can always reach you."
"And you know it." Jubilee said leaning across the table to give her a hug.
" Hey I want one too." Ororo said as she joined in.
Jean rolled her eyes skyward and tried to put on a stern face but she couldn't and soon she too had her arms wrapped around her best friend, wondering how on earth she was ever going to leave her in this isolated place, so far from home.
Aurelia pulled into the real estate parking lot, and for a moment sat trying to catch her breath. Friends, that hadn't been part of the picture and she knew Sinister wouldn't like it one bit. He wanted Rogue alone and isolated, so when her time came there'd be nothing between them and the child…
And she had no option of not phoning him to tell him, that would mean her life and she knew it.
With trembling hand she puller her secure phone from her purse and hit the auto dial. After a moment she spoke briskly. "Put me through to him." She cocked her now translucent eyes. "Yes, it's an emergency; I wouldn't use this line if it wasn't." Without another word she was put through.
"Boss." She said immediately, knowing that even though she wasn't speaking he was listening and that was all she needed. "We have a big problem."
It was it was late that evening when Rogue said an emotional goodbye to her friends. "You can't stay longer?' She said tearfully as she embraced Scott and then Jean.
"I wish we could but we have to get back to teach." Jean said miserablely. There was something bothering her on a telepathic level and she couldn't figure out what it was, but she knew she wanted to speak to Xavier as soon as possible, "Most of the repairs are done, and the rest Logan can handle, Alex isn't teaching right now so he's going to stay and help out as well."
She gave Rogue another hug. "We're a phone call away, you know that right?"
"Right." Rogue said as she hugged Cannonball and then Ororo.
With a lonely heart she watched turn and head for the hopper that would take them to the jet. Quickly she gave into impulse, before she could scold herself for it. "Hey!" She called to her teammates. "You guys take care of Remy for me okay?" Her voice cracked. "Even if he says he doesn't need it, he really does."
"We will." Jean said with a smile and a wave as they stepped inside. "Don't worry; we'll be back as soon as we can."
With a sigh, Rogue watched them move out of sight, then felt Jubilee's hand on her shoulder. "Come on." Jubilee said with a grin. "Logan's making dinner, it should be ready soon."
Rogue nodded as tear slid down her face. She hated feeling this way, she was strong, but she was also lonely and she'd never wanted to run home as badly as she wanted too right now. "
"Hey." Jubilee said with a smile as she slung an arm around her shoulders. "We're staying for a while, don't worry, we'll take good care of you, I promise."
With that she led Rogue into the house and shut the door behind her firmly.
Remy was not in a pleasant mood when he cruised into the garage that night.
With a loud course of frustration he glided the sputtering bike into the garage, and let the kickstand down as he gingerly climbed off.
Five houses.
Five houses and he'd found nothing. Not a trace of his Roguey anywhere.
It was as if she'd simply dropped off the face of the earth into another dimension… and given the team's propensity to do just that he was starting to worry.
And now to top it off, his bike was starting to act up again, and guess who was the only one who could get it going again when it acted up.
Rogue, of course.
Trust one female to straighten out another
"Dammit, where are you chere?" He muttered as he hauled his duffle of the carry on bags. He passed an exhausted hand over his fatigue blurred eyes and slung the bag over his shoulder as he moved towards the house. All he wanted was a meal, a shower and a bed…and the meal and shower were optional.
As he straggled inside, he heaved a mental sigh. He just didn't know where she'd gone. She really didn't want to be found this time, even by him. He'd exhausted his contacts to the max and still they hadn't found a trace of her and he was beginning to believe his best bet was to wait her out and hope she came back to the mansion on her own like everyone was predicting.
That was the way they'd always worked things in the past, it was the key to the way their relationship succeeded, waiting. Sometimes he'd get fed up with team life and head home to New Orleans for a few months, or she'd get tired of fighting and head home south. Then one of them would just pack and go, and the other would wait, because they each knew that given time they'd return and their relationship would be stronger then ever. Hell, it had even gotten to the point towards the end where they'd take off together sometimes, and just go to wherever they thought they needed too for peace. Some people would have called it a strange on again, off again relationship but to him and Rogue, it was more. They loved each other; they just weren't the settling type. "Free as the wind." Rogue used to joke as they'd take off on his Harley for some down time. In its own unique way, it was settled.
It was the way they worked… until four months ago.
When Rogue had said she wanted a child, it had scared him, and being the proud Cajun that he was, he was afraid to admit to her. He was afraid they'd lose their spark, their independence if a child was brought into their life and that would destroy them. There was something about having permanent ties to anything that petrified him to the core; it was a fear he'd never known he possessed, let alone that he would ever use against her.
So he'd dredged up the fact that they fought all the time, that were apart as much as together, that he didn't think it was the right time for them to have a child(even when he didn't really think that) as a buffer hoping it would dissuade her from the idea. He'd used every dirty trick he knew to try and stop her from making that choice, even if he'd had to exaggerate things tenfold from the tiniest nuance. Like the fact they fought all the time, well so did Logan and Jubes and they were still damn good parents. And the fact that they were always in danger, fighting one thing or another, so what? They weren't the first people to be like that, and they wouldn't be the last. They just needed to be strong, they needed... each other.
He should have known better.
He knew once Rogue got an idea in her head, she wasn't going to let it go and nobody even him, was going to talk her out of it. And the thing was, even as he was fighting with her, he had been thinking deep inside, a child,a child, and the thought had thrilled him to the core. A little person that was both him and Rogue, someone he could teach and love as much as he loved her but that fear just wouldn't let him go, it had control.
He'd been afraid a big change like a child would destroy them, so he'd done it first before it could.
He'd accused her of being selfish, when he was just as selfish himself.
He knew Anna was right, she wasn't often given true opportunities like she had been with her powers negated. She had to take the moments she was given before they were whisked away… and he'd turned his back on her when he could have given what she needed. He'd forced her to take drastic measure just to be happy and have the life she'd wanted. He hadn't been there to back her up like he should have been. Instead he'd stated, no enforced that he didn't think they were ready for a child, made up lies he didn't believe, because he was afraid.
And when she'd finally said she was pregnant he'd blown up at her because he was hurt, because then he still believed a child would spell disaster for everything they'd worked for. He'd said she was cold and selfish because he was dying inside that she'd chosen to go on when he couldn't.
He'd said she was only thinking of herself, that she immature but then so was he.
God, they suited each other to a tee.
He realized now he'd been wrong in many ways, and more then anything he feared he'd never get to tell her that, to set things straight between them and try to make things right again. He didn't even care the baby wasn't his, he could be just as good a step-Daddy as a blood one. He just wanted her to come home, so he knew she was safe.
How could a person's opinion change in just a short while, he wasn't sure.
But he was afraid now he'd never get the chance to tell Rogue how he felt, that it was already too late.
As he came up the underground passage to the house, he could hear voices coming from the Blackbird's hanger, and automatically he headed in that direction. He wasn't surprised to see the team suited up and returning from a mission, they were always coming back from somewhere but he was surprised to see how tired and haggard they looked.
Something was up.
He knew this because of the fact that all conversation stopped the minute he entered the hanger, not just parts of it, all of it. This led him to believe (in his naturally suspicious way) that they had been talking about something they didn't want him to hear.
"Hey guys." He said as he dropped his duffel bag and leaned against the door jamb. "Rough trip?"
"Not bad." Scott said as he shouldered Jean's bag for her. "Intense."
"Quick fight." Jean said with a loud yawn. "We're all exhausted."
Storm nodded her agreement. "It was a challenging battle."
"And how'd we do?" He asked.
"We lost." Jean said dully. "We didn't secure the mutant we were looking too, came home empty handed."
"Any injuries?" he asked concerned.
"None to speak of." Scott said as they started to walk together. "But I doubt we've seen the last of her."
"Her?" Remy said "Ya'll should have taken me with ya, you know my way wit da ladies."
Jean laughed, and shook her head as they entered the school. "You wouldn't win against her, trust me."
"Has Remy met her before?" Gambit asked.
"No." Jean said quickly as they all started to part company for the night. "Not that I can say of." She wrapped an arm around Scott's shoulder and leaned her head against him. ' We'll see you in the morning at training, okay?"
"Sure." Gambit said, watching as they left him and Storm alone. "So Stormy," He said. " Tell me about this new enemy."
" I have an orchid I have to check on in the garden." She said with a smile as she glided off. ' I'll see you later."
"Sure." Gambit said faintly as he watched her go. "Later, chere."
He stood there for a moment after she'd left. He could tell something wasn't right, and while secrecy wasn't anything unusual in the mansion, he got the feeling this went beyond this.
Which posed the question, why would his friends lie to him… and what exactly where they trying to hide?
Humming a tune off key under her breath, and clad only in her silk robe, Rogue entered the downstairs master bathroom late that evening. "What a day." She muttered as she turned the water on as hot as it could go, and began to add her favorite bubble bath, the one Remy had given her on their last anniversary , a scant three weeks before everything had blown up in their faces.
She loved this bathroom more then hers upstairs at the moment, with its window over the tub, and its light cheery colors. The master bath upstairs was darker, and while she enjoyed the sunken in tub immensely, she hadn't the rest of the room redone yet to her tastes. She'd handed it off to Jubilee easily, so she could give the baby a wash and put her to bed while Logan was downstairs cleaning up the dishes from dinner.
She chuckled at the picture he'd made with her duck print apron on, smoking a cigar (with all the windows open so the smoke wouldn't bother her, Jubes or the baby), Mr. Tough guy up to his elbows in soapy floral scented water.
She wished she'd had a camera.
She turned the radio beside the tub on low, to the local country station and bent over to mix the bubble bath slowly through the water. She smiled as the strands of sandalwood, Japanese musk, and sweet grass wafted up to her nostrils, brining with it a familiar face. She knew Remy had had it made especially for her from her favorite beauty shop in New York City and that it had been expensive but worth it.
With a sigh of contentment, Rogue removed her hand from the water and straightened up… to find herself being watched by the coldest pair of dead looking eyes she'd ever seen.
Almost without realizing it, she screamed loudly and then promptly lost her balance as she stepped backward and caught her foot on the bathmat.
She went down hard, cradling her stomach protectively with both hands as she did while her gazed flashed to the now empty window. Her mind didn't have time to react as Logan, Alex and Jubilee came barreling through the door as fast as they could.
"Rogue!" Jubilee said, dropping to her knees beside her friend anxiously. "What happened?"
"Someone was outside the window." Rogue said as she tried to sit up and failed. "They scared me and Ah fell."
"Logan call an ambulance." Jubilee said instantly as she gently pushed Rogue down to the ground. '"Lie still and try not to move okay?"
"Ah think Ah'm fine." Rogue said as her breathing steadied, and she felt the baby kick reassuringly. "Really."
"Let's not take that risk alright?" Jubilee said as Rogue nodded her agreement and gentle began to cover her with a towel to keep her warm as well as sliding one under her head.
Alex didn't say a word, just headed for the nearest door to check outside and Rogue felt instantly grateful her friends were here with her at the moment
Logan returned a few moments later, dropping down beside her. "How you doing kid?" he asked.
"Fine." She assured him with a weak voice. "If Jubes'll ever let me up."
"I called an ambulance." He said, "They should be here any minute,"
Alex came in and gave her grim smile as he turned to Logan, "Bushes are broken outside the window." He said "Someone was there, but they booked pretty fast. I barely got a glimpse of them as they drove off."
Logan nodded, his hackles raised. "Alright, you go with Jubes and Rogue to the hospital, I'm going to see if I can get a scent. Maybe that'll give us something to work with."
"Rogue did you see what he looked like?" Alex asked gently.
"No." Rogue admitted. "Ah'll I can fixate on where his eyes, they were so cold.' She shuddered. "He scared the hell out of them, that's way Ah lost mah balance and fell." Her voice shook. "Do you think the baby'll be alright?"
"She'll be fine." Jubilee said as sirens approached the house and Alex ran to let EMT's in. "Don't worry about a thing, its just a precaution."
"Right." Rogue said with a nod. "Just to make sure everything's okay."
But she had a feeling things weren't going to be okay again for a longtime, as long as it took her to get the memory of those eyes out of her head.
"Idiot!" Sinister yelled as he paced back and forth in front of his best recognizance man. "Fools, do you realized what could have happened?" He glared at them. "What could still happen if she loses it."
"Boss, I didn't think she'd see me." He argued. "We were as careful as we could be."
"That's not good enough." Sinister yelled. "If something had happened to that child, my plans would be in ruins."
"We're sorry." His man argued in a whiny tone. "It won't happen again."
"No." Sinister agreed as he motioned over his shoulder and two of his best assassins entered the room. "It won't."
He turned to the hit man. "Make it painful." He said in a gleeful tone as he headed for the door. "And make sure there's not enough of him left to be found."
With that he turned and left, he had calls to make. He had to be sure, Rogue's child was alright.
It was after all, the key to LeBeau's downfall and that was something he'd waited for a very long time.
The next morning, Xavier was newly home from Japan, going over his paperwork when Logan came barreling through the door, looking like he hadn't slept or shaved in ages. "Logan." He said in a nonplussed tone. "How's Rogue?"
"In the hospital." Logan said shortly. It had been one hell of a night getting her settle in, and then he'd had to take a red eye to New York as fast as possible to get back home as quick as he did. Somehow he knew, Charles Xavier would have some kind of answer to all the questions he was going to ask.
"Is she alright?" Xavier said.
"She's fine." Logan said as he sat down. "She had a scare that's all."
'Why type of a scare?" Xavier said and Logan hurriedly filled him in.
"I was afraid something like this might happen." Xavier said thoughtfully. "That'd why I sent you and Jubilation there."
"Yeah." Logan said. "You and I have to have a little talk about that."
"You want to know why I sent you there." Xavier said as he tossed the papers aside.
"Of course." Logan said. "And don't skimp on the details Charlie, I get the feeling Rogue's life is on the line here."
"It very well could be." Xavier agreed. "I can't fill you in on many details yet because their even unknown to me, but I can say I want you and Jubilee to stay with her as much as possible over the next few months."
"Are she and the baby in extreme danger?" Logan asked.
"I don't know yet." Xavier admitted again. "I'm working to find out even as we speak."
"Well, what do you know?" Logan asked in a huffy tone.
Xavier quieted him with a level gaze. "What I do know." He said in an even tone. "Is that until three days before she left here, the town of Legacy Mississippi didn't appear on any maps, new or old. I've been checking ever since she left us and from what I can conclude" He spread his hand wide across his desk. "It simply didn't exist."
To Be Continued…