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).
Balancing himself upside down on the bed, Kurt glared off into the empty space of his room. Since he didn't have a fan or anything to wrap his tail around, he couldn't hang upside down, Kurt had to settle for doing some form of a head stand on his bed.
There was always something about being upside down that just made Kurt feel as though he was getting another perspective of something and that it actually helped to make him think. Of course someone like Kitty would argue that, but he truly felt as though it did help him to think more clearly.
"Zis sucks," he grunted, still staring off into space. "I now know vay she is and I can't do anyzing about it since I promised not to go after her." Sighing, Kurt tucked his chin under and rolled forward, almost falling off his bed by doing so.
What was he supposed to do, just sit at home while Rogue was in South Carolina, where she could be persecuted even worse than at Bayville? No, that he would never tolerate, but he gave his word to the Professor and to Logan, and they were going to hold him to his word to be sure.
"He wants me to keep him informed if we ever find Rogue," Kitty had told him when they were talking about that Cajun.
At the time Kurt had completely disapproved of letting the Acolytes know anything about Rogue's whereabouts, should they ever find her, that is. Vell, now you have, Kurt reminded himself ruefully.
Looking up, Kurt glanced over at the Bible that lay on his dresser, recently he had been in need of guidance that the Professor simply could not provide. So far, he has found what he needed in the Bible and in his belief of God.
Everything zat happens is for some good, he reminded himself. Everything…
"Zat's it!" Kurt exclaimed, leaping off the bed. "Kitty!" Realizing how futile it was to just call out her name in a mansion of that size, Kurt quickly 'ported to the first place he could that she would be; her room.
"Kitty?" he called out only to have something solid hit his forehead.
"Hey, vhat vas zat for?" Kurt groaned, bending over a bit to rub his poor, wounded forehead.
"Next time give a girl some warning before you just 'port in, Kurt," Kitty retorted.
Kurt had no idea what she was doing but there was a bunch of shuffling sounds. Instead of looking up, Kurt found it to be safer to keep his head looking at the ground rather than at the girl.
"You can look up now," she sighed, wrapping her arms about herself.
Cautiously, Kurt lifted his head to find Kitty covered hastily in a bathrobe and her wet hair dangling about her. Swallowing hard, Kurt shook his head a bit to clear it of any thought or images that might have risen.
"Was there something you wanted?" questioned Kitty, bringing Kurt back to the reason why he 'ported into the room to begin with.
"Uh, ja. Vhen did you say zat you vill be meeting vith zat guy?" Kurt inquired, adverting his eyes to anything that wasn't in Kitty's general direction.
"Friday, why, I thought you didn't want me talking to him about Rogue anymore…"
Shaking his fuzzy head, Kurt quickly interrupted, "Zat vas earlier. Listen to me Kitty, I need you to help enlist his help for me." At the girl's bewildered expression, she had yet to master the raised eyebrow, Kurt hurriedly clarified, "Ze Professor has found vhere Rogue is."
"What? When? How? Where is she? Why haven't I heard of a team being assembled to go get her?" The questions were just rolling off her tongue, one right after the other, it even amazed Kitty.
"Zat just it, ze Professor doesn't vant us going after her because of her letter. He zinks zat ve'll maintain her trust by compiling vith her request of us not going after her, of course I disagree. So, he von't send out a team to go after her…"
"And that's why you want to enlist Gambit's help," finished Kitty with a knowing look on her face. That expression grew broader after Kurt nodded his confirmation. "Just tell me where she is and I'll make sure that he gives me his word that he'll go after her or something along those lines."
Reluctantly, Kurt nodded, he just didn't trust that southern boy, there just seemed to be something off with other than the fact that he was one of Magneto's boys.
It was nearly nine o'clock when Marian, Timothy, and Rogue got into the house, which was later than the normal time.
"Timothy, go upstairs and get to your homework, Ah'll bring you up a snack shortly but Ah want to see you doing some homework when Ah do," instructed Marian, setting down her purse on the kitchen table.
"Alright mom," nodded Timothy, hurrying up the stairs to his room.
Once Marian heard her son's door close, she turned to Rogue, who stood near the door as though she were contemplating of making a quick getaway. "Take a seat hon, an' Ah'll make you something to eat," Marian stated, gesturing to one of the four empty chairs at the table.
Cautiously, Rogue took the seat farthest from Marian but closest to the door. She just didn't feel right being in Marian's house as the woman moved about the kitchen pulling out leftovers and heating them up for their supper.
The leftover pineapple with anchovies pizza from last night was reheated and Marian handed Rogue the plate, telling her to go give it to Timothy along with a can of soda. Rogue was very reluctant to take the food up to the boy but after some gentle coaxing from Marian she did.
Just going up the stairs was torture for Rogue but once she reached Timothy's door all her fears heightened.
What he must think of meh, Rogue thought with a grimace. He saw what had happened b'fore, how could he not be scared of some…freak livin' in the same house as 'im, especially if there's a chance of meh touchin' his mom…
All trains of thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Timothy opened the door for Rogue and barely stopped himself from running into her. His eyes were wide with fear once he realized that he had nearly ran into Rogue, and that only assured Rogue that life before that afternoon would never be in her grasp again.
"Your ma wanted meh to give ya this," Rogue told him, holding out the plate of food to Timothy, who did not take it. "Don' worry, as long as mah gloves are on Ah can't hurt ya."
Warily, Timothy took the plate of food, without coming into contact with Rogue's gloved fingers.
"Thanks," he said stiffly, watching as Rogue turned away with this hurtful, rejected look on her face that just began to tear at the young teen's heart. "Sydney's okay now," Timothy spoke up, bringing Rogue to a halt, "Ah just thought that you might like to know."
"Ah'm glad," Rogue told him with a tiny smile playing at the corners of her mouth. Then she went downstairs only to find Marian sitting at the table with two plates of food, one of them waiting for Rogue.
"Sit down an' eat before it gets cold," ordered Marian, indicating to the chair beside her.
Why is she still bein' so nice to meh? Surely Timothy or someone told her want had happened. So why isn't she screamin' 'freak' in mah face or holdin' a gun at mah face to make meh 'cooperate'? Rogue wondered as she took the chair she had occupied earlier, putting distance between her and Marian.
They ate in silence, well, Marian ate while Rogue observed her with suspicious eyes. Life has never been generous to her before so why should Rogue dare to hope that Marian might still accept her for who she was? There had to be some sort of a catch, there just had to be.
"If you're not going to eat then do you want to tell me what happened when you went to get Timothy?" Marian suggested, sipping her can of Pepsi.
The reaction was immediate, Rogue instinctively straightened in her seat and her hands gripped at her pants under the table. "Ah don' think ya really want to know…" she began to protest.
"Well, normally Ah probably wouldn't but when you just suddenly decide to run away then it has to be something huge, so tell me about it so that Ah can help you out," pointed out Marian, sitting back a bit.
"You wouldn't understand," muttered Rogue, looking down at her plate of cold pizza.
"Then you'll have to explain it to me until Ah do understand, but realize this much Rogue, Ah want to help you out in anyway possible," Marian told her. "So, tell me what happened."
Biting her lip, Rogue considered the many possible ways that she could go to break the truth to Marian, something that she really was hoping that she could avoid. Well, it's not now is it? So jus' get it over with so that she can kick you out, Rogue reminded herself.
"Do ya watch the news Marian?" she inquired softly.
"Not really, but my older boy, Jonathan keeps me well informed of the world outside of this small town. So, Ah guess that Ah know a bit of what's going on in the world," the older woman answered straightforwardly, without asking for an explanation, much to Rogue's amazement.
"Have you heard about the…'mutant crisis'?" Rogue chocked out. Just that word 'crisis' made it sound as though it was some deadly epidemic that was sweeping the globe and only becoming worse.
Marian's eyebrows rose a bit, rather if it was from realization or disgust/surprise Rogue couldn't tell, but she was willing to bet it wasn't good news.
"Yeah, Ah have a bit," she nodded slowly.
"Well, Ah-Ah'm-Ah'm a-ah…well that is to say Ah'm…a," Rogue just couldn't seem to be able to piece together the sentence.
"A mutant?" finished Marian.
Rogue simply nodded, lowering her head farther. "Ah'll understand if ya want to meh outta here but at least hear meh out, Ah didn't mean to hurt Sydney, it was all strictly by accident," she explained.
There, she had made her case now it was up to Marian whether or not she actually wanted her around anymore. Just say 'no' an' get it over with, Rogue silently begged, keeping her eyes lowered.
Instead of saying anything Marian did the one thing Rogue least expected to happen in this situation, she laughed.