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Reviews:

Jikei- wolverine rules, simple as that.

Ish- out of pure curiosity, does a nerf ball shoot out of you computer to smack you in the head everytime I update, because holy cow to you review quickly. I appriciate it of course, just curious. I think a lot of people would rather have Wolverine helping Rogue than Mystique. Comfort isn't her forte

Nettlez- hope you did well on your exam! Thank you for valuing my story over other responsibilites, lol.

Sinsinster Bra- yep I'm on a roll with this one. Here is the next chapter quick quick.


Chapter 12- Saved

Rogue glanced over at the clock. It read 4:53 A.M. She had taken a small nap, but was forced awake by a dream. She had jumped out of an airplane with her younger brother while her parents stayed in the crashing airplane. It was a miserable memory and as was par for her power, not even hers. Rogue wasn't the least surprised about this. Her burst of anger had turned up the volume of the presences in her mind. The louder they were, the greater their influence and the more chance there was for small bits of their traits to appear in her life, dreams being most common. When she was asleep, her mind was weakest as the professor explained to her one time. Also on that day he suggested that she try to analyze her power, as she knew it best. "Keep a journal," he said, "Try to describe your power and how it makes you feel."

It sounded like a bad line out of a self-help book but Rogue had complied, and eventually she came up with CD players. There was a common misconception over her power. When she described loud voices, they thought there were whole people just walking around her mind talking to her. It was not even close to being that simple. Hence why it took so much time and effort to put it down on paper as something others could understand. CD Players had come the closest.

Each person was a CD player with a different CD. Each player had a volume button. The volume button was the most easily understood portion of her power. The stronger the force in her mind, the louder the volume. Control was turning down the volume. When the professor had cleared her mind after her surge, he had essentially put the volume on mute. It was quite nice. However after apocalypse the mute button had apparently broken. With effort, she could turn the volume down, but never off. And of course, the more emotional she got, the higher the little dial turned until it overtook her.

The overtaking/CD part was the extremely complicated part. First off each person's CD was different like rock versus rap. There are also specifications on each CD. Some had more tracks than others. Those were people that have been absorbed more often and therefore put more information (tracks) into her mind.

In the music world there are artists that have albums of music where every song sounds the same. Then there are albums where songs are radically different (though you can still tell it is the same artist). This is true for Rogue's head. The CD's where the songs are pretty different signify a longer hold on a person. They have been absorbed longer and deeper, therefore their thoughts are more complex and different. The rest have similar songs because only surface memories have been taken in. They could have as many tracks as the other artists because they could have been absorbed more than once, but still only surface memories have been taken in.

The voices are CD's because they aren't whole people. They are just fragments that are repeated over and over again, like a teddy bear with a string. There can be various phrases, but they don't change.

Now when a voice took her over, it was like the volume of their music got so loud Rogue could hear her own thoughts anymore. The pieces of personality, memory, and power that Rogue absorbs took over her body. Right after she absorbed someone, she could separate their mind from their power, but when they came back from her mind it was a package. Their personality was whatever she had grabbed from them when she touched them. Usually it wasn't very amicable considering they were usually taken down in a fight.

Sadly enough that was the simple version. Rogue filled her little journal with random paragraphs, arrows, charts, squiggly lines, and humorously enough a picture of a bunch of little CD players with names beside them.

She sighed. Right now the volume buttons were louder then they had been in a while and showed no signs of going back down. Her strong emotions were going to make her lose control all over again.

Not being able to think of anything more productive to do, she curled up under the covers in a pathetic attempt to sleep some more.

At seven, she joined Irene in the kitchen over coffee. Irene looked worn, as if she hadn't slept well either.

"Are you okay Irene?" Rogue asked, concerned.

"No Rogue, I have bad news." She said slowly.

Dread filled as she gazed her blind caretaker, "What?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"I had a vision last night. I saw Sabertooth approach Logan. He told him…he told him what he did to you. Logan is looking for you now."

Due to lack of sleep this concept took a while to sink in. When it did however, it was horrible. She had failed. She had done so much, oh so much, to keep it from the X-Men and in a moment, it was ruined.

"It has already happened?"

"I'm afraid so, dear child. I'm sorry. I know that you didn't want him to-"

"Why didn't you tell me before," Rogue cried, "Why didn't you do something to stop it. What the hell are your visions good for if you can't stop anything?"

"I had the vision in my sleep, and didn't know about it until I woke up this morning, after it had already happened. I'm sorry."

Rogue bashed her fist into the table, crying out in anger and frustration. Everything had been ruined.

"Rogue listen-" Irene began, but the girl had already left the kitchen and started to race up the stairs.

"Rogue! Where are you going," she called, but got no answer. She followed up the stairs.

In her room Rogue pulled out her suitcase and started to throw her belongings into it. Irene stepped in the doorway.

"Rogue. Please- please don't leave. Don't run again."

"I have to Irene, don't you see. He will find me here if I don't"

"Why are you running from him now? What does it matter anymore? He knows, everything is out in the open."

"He'll bring me back. I know he will. I can't go back Irene. Don't you understand? God, the way they already looked at me….Now…now it will be a thousand times worse and I can't take it."

"But can't you just explain that to him. Just explain that you can't go back. He is worried about you. At least talk to Wolverine for a little while. Make him see that you are okay."

"But I'm not Okay! And he will see that. He will see that the moment he looks at me. I don't want his pity or sympathy, and more than that I don't want to be his problem. Haven't I been enough trouble for him already? No, I have to leave. I have to get away from all this."

"Rogue, please, at least wait."

"Wait for what? For Logan to find me? Are you listening? I. Can't. Do. That." Rogue said ferociously.

"No, I mean wait for Mystique. She will be back early evening."

"Is that a coincidence?" Rogue asked in a low dangerous voice.

"No, it isn't" Irene conceded, "I called her before you came down and told her. She is coming back for you."

"Wonderful. Blue bitch gets information before I do. This is just fucking wonderful."

"Rogue!" Irene cried, affronted.

"No. Just forget it. I'm gone," she said, snapping her case shut and trying to walk out the door. Irene blocked her.

"Let. Me. Through." Rogue demanded. Irene wouldn't budge.

Instead she asked, "Where are you going Rogue? Do you even have a plan? Do you even have money? What are you going to do? I know you have no idea. You are just wandering off and don't have a chance of survival. Just wait Rogue. Your mother will be here later tonight and she is going to help you leave, she has already said that. I know you two aren't very close but she has resources and she can help you whether you like it or not."

It was a definite 'or not' but Rogue set her suitcase on the bed anyways, sitting beside it. Irene had been right. She had nowhere to go, no plan whatsoever. There was really nothing better to do than wait.

After a tense silence, Irene asked, "Are you hungry because I could make-"

"No." Rogue said in a flat tone of finality.

"Okay then. Let me know if you need anything," she said sadly as she left the room.

'The only thing I need,' Rogue thought, 'is one friggin break in my life. Just one.'

Rogue laid on her bed barely moving for the rest of the day. The first time she left her room was a little after five because she heard the door open and shut. Mystique had returned. It was time to go.

Rogue headed down the stairs dragging her suitcase behind her, crashing down on each step. She didn't care how loud it was. She didn't even bother to go greet anyone in the kitchen where they were currently located. Instead she just put her shoes on that were by the door and sat down by the welcome mat, waiting to leave.

Both women appeared in the foyer about ten minutes later.

"You are ready to leave I take it," Mystique said in her usual sardonic tone. Rogue merely nodded.

Irene looked at Rogue for a moment before saying, "Good bye Rogue, please take care. It will get better eventually. Time is a great healer."

"I…I will, thank you for everything," Rogue said, choking in her words due a parched mouth and lack of speaking all day.

Irene leaned down towards her foster daughter and kissed her on the head. Rogue just looked at her sadly, but Irene didn't see that.

"I will be back at some point Irene, see you soon." Mystique said in a business-like tone as she opened the door. The two made their way to the car.

Thanks to the winter season and daylight savings time, it was dark as they drove. It was a while before Mystique broke the silence.

"Where do you want to go?"

It was a fair question, to which Rogue had no answer. Instead she asked, "Where should I go?"

Mystique looked at her and opened her mouth to say something along the lines of chiding but was interrupted by a scream from Rogue. They had turned a corner and only Rogue saw the large looming tree that lay across the rode. Mystique hit the breaks but they would never stop in time. Instinctively, Rogue pressed her eyes shut, waiting for impact.

The sick sounds of crunching metal filled the women's ears as they were thrust forward, seat belts nearly strangling them. The air bags inflated throwing them back forcefully. Rogue's vision blurred as her head slammed against the back of the seat. She saw mystique out of the corner of her eye, slumped over her air bag, completely unconscious. Rogue wasn't far from that state either. She closed her eyes; it was just too hard to keep them open. Before total blackness came upon her, she smelled it. The air was heavy with smoke, as it surrounded them, billowing through the smashed windshield. Forcing her eyes open, Rogue saw a blob of orange dancing in front of her. She watched it through dazzled eyes for a while before understanding that it was fire. The car was on fire. Cars on fire blew up. She had to get out. She had to get Mystique out too. Rogue forced her arm to move enough to unlock the door. However, she did not have the strength or maneuverability to open it, no matter how hard she tried. She despaired before realizing that even if she could get it open, she wasn't going anywhere. The entire front of the car had smashed into a compact pile of metal, her legs included. It was over. Accepting the worst, she let her head fall back on the air bag. Her vision became even blurrier, and then started to darken. She couldn't even really breathe anymore anyways. Crunch. In her haze, she didn't know if she had imagined the noise. Fresh air rushed in around her. That didn't seem imaginary. More crunching, this time closer, right next to her body. Someone was tearing up the car. Someone was freeing her. Both of her legs came free and her savior pulled her out of the car. Strong arms carried her away from the burning car. She had been saved. It was all she knew as everything went black.


A/N

I love this chapter. Seriously it is one of my favorites. It was very easy to write. Which is good since i did it at 1:30 in the morning. Kudos to my beta for reading through it, i tend to make a lot of mistakes at that hour.

I apologize for the long winded explination of Rogue's powers but i wanted to make it somewhat clear what was going in her little head. Plus I created the whole metaphor one day and didn't want to waste it.

As you can probably tell, this fic is nearing the end. I never planned on it being long, or frankly very good. It is my first fic and I was just testing the waters as they say. So- the end is near so please stick with me.

Thanks for reading

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