Learning to Deal

I don't own X-Men Evolution (or X-Men for that matter) characters or anything concerning the show, comics, ect. No suing! Be civil in reviews (if there are any).

Who would have thought that Rogue would have been able to survive a week-yes, a whole week!-without anyone-that's right, anyone-touching her skin?! Certainly not Rogue, she thought that by the third day someone would have touched her and her little secret would be out, but it hadn't happened.

That and there was even more good news to go with that, Lucas and his posse didn't bother her in the least. No one stalked her, no one came up to her making threats or 'persuasive' speeches, nada. So naturally, Rogue was feeling fairly lucky but she knew that as soon as that feeling rose it came crashing down as well.

Unfortunately, there were no exceptions to that rule in Rogue's life.

It was the afternoon on a Thursday and Marian had sent Rogue out to intercept Timothy outside his school to tell him that they needed his help because there was an unexpectedly large crowd. Normally, in such cases, most families would have used the cell phone given to their child but Marian didn't make that kind of money for a cell phone and Timothy didn't have much use for it due to his lack of friends at school.

So, there was Rogue, waiting outside the junior high school for the young teen. It wasn't the prison-like school that made her uneasy but rather the school behind it, the high school that caused her to squirm a bit.

Despite the fact that apparently the Lucas groupies had decided to go to school that day, Rogue couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, one or two of them had decided to ditch class like she had several times in the past. Seriously, what if she ran into one of them and he or she kept pushing Rogue to make a decision on the spot? Well, of course Rogue would tell them to back off but what if they touched her?

Or what if Timothy saw one of them touch meh? Rogue thought as the idea sent chills up her spine.

"Boo!"

"Ah!" Rogue cried out as she jumped a bit. Under normal circumstances Rogue would never have jumped like that but she was so engrossed in her thoughts that she completely spaced out until that 'boo' was whispered in her ear.

Spinning around Rogue found herself standing in front of a forty-something year old guy that was balding and wearing an outdated suite from the 70s.

Is this guy a pervert or a drunk? wondered Rogue as she began to distant herself away from the man. "Uh…sir, are you okay?"

"Aw, is that all you have to say to me? Jeez, I expected a little better from you Rogue, like maybe a 'what do you want?' or something like 'wow Morph, you're so cool!'," came Morph's voice from the middle-aged man's mouth.

He's a shape shifter? Rogue questioned as she raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Morph?"

"Yeah that's my name don't wear it out, unless you want to buy me a new name," the man nodded.

"You look…different," Rogue noted, "a little older and balder."

There was a questioning expression on the older man's face until he looked down at himself. "Oh! Oh, this! Naw, this isn't me it's just my principle, the prick. I had to do something to get out of detention so I changed into the principle and cut out of school early," Morph explained as he melted into himself. "So, what are you doing here, I would have you figured for a high school student."

Rogue glared at the kid, "Ah dropped out late in mah senior year this year."

There was a disappointed look that crossed Morph's face then it turned into one of playful scrutiny as he eyed her.

"Really, or are you making this up to impress me?" he questioned.

There was another glare directed at the shape shifter. "Why would Ah feel the need to 'impress' you?" she challenged, turning her back to Morph to watch the teens exit the school.

"I don't know, maybe because you would like to make a junior like me think that you are a major 'big, bad senior'," shrugged Morph lamely noticing a fly on Rogue's bare shoulder. "Don't move."

Not having heard what Morph said, Rogue continued her search for Timothy but there was no need for that since he found Rogue first.

"Rogue what are ya doing here?" Timothy inquired, unaware that Morph was right behind his mother's employee.

"Your mom and Ah need your help at the diner," Rogue told him.

Timothy nodded his understanding but his attention was really caught by the hand that was reaching to touch Rogue's shoulder. "Uh Rogue, someone's about to touch your shoulder," he pointed out.

Immediately Rogue panicked and turned around too quickly that she didn't take the time to notice just how close Morph's hand was to her shoulder until his finger brushed up against it.

The next few seconds were electrifying as Rogue felt Morph's power, his memories, and his life flow from his finger tip into her body. As with everyone else, the feeling last for a mere two seconds but it felt more like forever and a day to Rogue.

Absorbing the kid left Rogue a bit off balance as she felt her body change on her into Morph's form and then back into hers. Now she had one more personality to deal with in her head and it hurt for a moment.

"Rogue?" came Timothy's terrified voice and that was all Rogue needed to be brought back to reality.

With her head still in shambles, Rogue glanced around her to find a good majority of the junior high kids, including Timothy, starring at her in amazement and fear. That sent the familiar sense of panic to rise in Rogue, causing her to start running down the street.

Ah've got to get away from here! her mind yelled as she ran down the street, ignoring Timothy's cries for her to stop. This was a bad idea from the start. How could Ah have been stupid enough to think something like this wouldn't happen to meh?! Ah should never have stayed here, Ah should have continued towards Charleston. Now Ah've got no choose but to go an' this time without any money…

That was when Rogue's brain stopped for a moment. Ah have no money, how am Ah to pay for mah bus fare? Starring at the bus stop sign ahead of her, Rogue slowed to a walk and realized that she couldn't possibly take the bus without money. Ah'll have ta hitch a ride then.

Timothy had no idea what was happening, one moment Rogue was turning around to face Sydney and then the next Sydney was silently screaming with Rogue. The moment after was the freakiest though because Rogue seemed to change into Morph as the real Morph fell to the cement.

"Rogue?" he spoke up after she had returned to her form.

The scared expression on her face when she turned around was genuine and could not have been mistaken for anything else. That fearful look turned into something akin to panic before Rogue took off running away from the school as fast as she could.

It took Timothy a second to find his voice but when he did he started to call out, "Rogue, stop! Come back!" The girl just wouldn't listen to him though and she kept running down the street.

Not knowing what to do Timothy did the only thing he could think of to do, run to the diner. If there was ever anyone that could fix this it was his mother, she could fix any problem there was.

"Timothy!" Marian cried out as her son entered the diner breathlessly.

Setting down the pot of coffee in her hand, Marian went up to her son and led him to a stool at the counter.

"Timothy what's wrong? Where's Rogue?" Marian inquired, taking notice of the young girl's absence.

"She…she…she ran…ran away…" Timothy gasped, trying to breath slowly but it wasn't working.

"What?! Why?" Marian demanded, illogically shaking her son's shoulders but then she caught herself. "Which direction did she go?"

"T-towards the…the bus stop," answered Timothy.

Standing up, Marian took off her apron and tossed it at the blond gothic girl that was standing by the counter. "Carol, take over for me and Timothy's in charge," the older woman stated, grabbing her car keys. "Ah'm going after Rogue."

"What?!" the blond protested. "Marian, I can't help out…"

"Carol Susan Jane Danvers, Ah've known ya since you were little. Now Ah need your help so please do what Ah ask and Ah'll pay ya for your services later, but right now Ah really need to get going if Ah want to catch up with Rogue," implored Marian.

"Okay," agreed Carol as she put on the apron. This was a challenge being placed at her feet and she wasn't about to let it slide past her for any reason. Besides, Lucas was interested in the girl and if Marian was willing to go after her then that was fine by Carol.

"Thank you," Marian quickly said before racing out of the diner to her car. Despite the fact that her house was not that far from the diner she felt that it was always better that she take the car in case there was an emergency and they needed to take someone to the hospital.

Getting into her car, Marian started up the vehicle and pulled into the empty lane, trying not to speed but her foot seemed to have a mind of its own for it kept pressing down on the exhilarator.

"Rogue, what happened that made you take off like that? What is the matter?" Marian wondered aloud as she scanned the streets for someone like Rogue by the bus stop.

There was no one.

"Oh, where would she have gone?" Marian growled, slamming her fist against the stirring wheel.

Stopping at the a red light, Marian sat back and began to breath slowly to calm herself. How was she to think if she was too angry and frustrated to analyze the situation?

"Okay, she's not at the bus stop yet she obviously wants to get out of town, so where would she go from here?" Marian thought aloud. "If she had wanted to take the bus then she would have waited the extra ten minutes but she didn't which means she probably doesn't have any money on her. So without the money what's her next best option?"

Even though the light had turned green Marian still didn't move.

"Hitchhiking."