Author's Note: Hey, there's something that could confuse people in this chapter. I had no idea how to explain it without rambling or making the conversations sound even more awkward than they normally do, but the room has a program in it that tries to make her most comfortable. Hence it makes pizza, Coke, and the radio with CDs appear. I had no better ideas. Please forgive me!

Chapter 33: A Rouge Encounter

Just then, Logan walked in to the room and bellowed, "KURT. WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Kurt spun around as Alara ran and dove behind her bed.

"Ich spreche mit Alara! Das ist alle! Ich spreche!" he cried.

"What?" Logan asked, scrunching his face in confusion.

"I mean… I'm just talking vith Alara. That's it. I promise."

"Oh," Logan said, smiling. "I just came in here to say that dinner is ready."

Kurt nodded.

"All right. Thanks Logan."

Logan looked around Kurt.

"Where's Alara, anyways?"

Kurt turned and looked around the box.

"I don't know. She vas here just a minute ago. I think you just scared her."

Alara's head suddenly popped up from behind the bed. Her face had returned to its regular, shoulder-length black hair and her eyes were the same deep green. She stood and said, "Hello Logan. You scared me."

She looked around the box.

"What did you say to Kurt, Logan?"

"I told him that dinner was ready," Logan replied. "I also came to ask you if there was anything you would like in particular."

Alara smiled.

"Pizza, if that's possible."

Logan smiled.

"I'm sure that's possible. Oh and those pictures you asked for are ready. They should come with your dinner."

Alara nodded.

"All right. Thanks Mr. Logan."

Logan looked at Kurt and glared slightly.

"All right Alara. I'll talk to you later. Kurt's gonna come with me right now. He's going to eat dinner and then he's going to play a game with me."

"Really?" Kurt asked, hopefully. "Vhich game? Monopoly? Life? Or something else?"

"Nope. It's even better. It's called, 'Get in the Danger Room and Fight Logan for a Few Hours Before Bed."

Kurt sighed.

"Aw man. Me and my big mouth."

Alara smiled sadly.

"So I have to stay alone?"

Logan nodded.

"I'm sorry to say it Alara, but it seems so."

Alara sighed.

"Okay."

Logan smiled and walked out. Kurt turned to leave, and just before he closed the door, he called to Alara and said, "I'll be back in the morning before I go to school. Okay?"

Alara smiled at the blank wall and nodded.

"Okay. I'll try to wake up then."

Kurt laughed slightly and closed the door. Alara sighed, flopping onto her bed and twiddling her thumbs. Suddenly, a loud, whirring noise above her made her look up to find a flat surface slide out of the wall above her bed and as she got up to see what it was, a heavenly aroma met her nose. A cheese and pepperoni pizza sat on top with a small, manila envelope. She took the pizza's plate and the envelope carefully and pushed the surface back into the wall. Picking up a piece of pizza, she took a large bite and while chewing thoughtfully, she opened the envelope.

Squealing happily, she put the pizza slice on the plate on her nightstand and wiped the grease on her plaid skirt. Then she dumped the contents onto her bed. Dozens of wallet sized photos fell onto the comforter like a storm. She smiled and looked through each of them. On the backs were signatures of each of the people. On Kurt's, Kurt had scrawled, "You know who I am. I'm the cute, blue fuzzy one," and had a small K inside the heart on the bottom. She smiled and put that one on her dresser. She then proceeded to alphabetize the photos while consuming the pizza.

"Man. I wish I had a Coke," she murmured to herself. Suddenly, she looked at her dresser, which shook slighly as a twelve pack of Coke appeared on the top. She blinked, then grinned evilly. Suddenly, a radio appeared on the floor in the corner. It was bigger than her and was complete with a CD player. And to accompany it, a CD case full of CDs appeared in front of Alara. She put in one by one of her favorite bands and danced around for a while, not hearing a door on the other side of the room creak open and someone walk in, sobbing. She picked up a Coke, opened it and guzzled half of it, before bouncing over to the radio to repeat a song. As it paused a moment before registering the song, Alara heard a loud sob and she paused the song quickly, calling out, "Hello? Is someone in here?"

The sobs were muffled and a gasp came from somewhere in the room. Alara sat on her bed, cross-legged and she called out again, "Are you crying?"

"Who ah you?" the voice called out.

"My name is Alara," she replied, calmly. "Who are you?"

"M-mah name is… Well, everyone jus' calls me Rogue."

She reached on top of the radio, pulled out a manila envelope, and began flinging the pictures everywhere.

"No… no… noo… DEFINITELY NOT… Ah, here we go."

She held the picture up to a wall and asked, "This is you right?"

She heard someone get up and walk over to the wall.

"Yeah. It's me. Ah had no idea they were givin' it to someone in here. Why'dja want a picture of me?"

Alara smiled and sat next to the wall.

"I wanted to know who I was talking to when I talked to someone who came in here."

"Oh."

"Where are you?"

On the other side, Rogue blinked.

"You cain't see me? Why not?"

Alara smiled sadly.

"I'm not allowed. We don't know what my abilities are and since I'm surging, I can't see anyone."

"Ah see."

Alara looked at the picture. Rogue had been glaring at the camera.

"You don't look very happy."