Notes: It's short, but it's all about Cathryn and Rogue, so I guess that's okay. Oh, and I added a couple of paragraphs to the last chapter in Rogue's journal entry about Chal, so if you're interested go read that. Enjoy and review!

Chapter Thirty Two

The club was quiet, the staff preparing for the oncoming night. Rogue had always liked to visit the club during the day and watch the staff as they got ready for the darkness, it was comforting in a way she did not really understand. Now, the building seemed imposing and threatening, making her muscles tense and her hands itch for a weapon. She hated that what had once been a sanctuary for her had become enemy territory, although the pain it offered was not physical.

Shaking her head, Rogue took a deep breath and walked inside. She stepped into the cool shade of the foyer and walked through to the main club. Her low heels clicked loudly on the dance floor, and she nodded politely to the one or two members of staff that she saw. As she passed the square bar, she raised one gloved hand to tap the solid wood with her fingertips, drumming a mindless pattern on the surface as she walked. She loved the bar, it was solid and… well, solid. It had a feeling of personality, of history to it.

The stairs to the upper-level were for staff-only, but she and the Roses were always allowed access, so no one batted an eye as she approached it, and was quickly allowed in by Chal's secretary when she buzzed the intercom. The stairs brought her to the second floor foyer, and she stopped in front of the desk, waiting for the secretary to finish her phone call. She hung up and smiled at Rogue, a bright, professional smile that was completely emotionless.

"Hello, Rogue, it's been a long time. Mr. LeBeau told me you would be coming when he called to check on Dr. Tear's safety. She's waiting for you in her office, go right on in."

"Thanks." Rogue looked at the door to Chal's office and fought with herself to not run away. This was just business, that was all, she was just asking her financer for some weapons and a couple of jets. No emotions, no betrayal, no nothing; just business. Yeah, right.

It had taken Chal three weeks to find the perfect desk, and she had spent a small fortune on it. It had been handcrafted, with a faint pattern of leaves and vines scored into the legs, and around the edges. It looked like it belonged in a large library, which was fitting because her office looked like a library, with bookshelves covering all the walls. The desk was very cluttered, showing what a busy person Cathryn was, with a state-of-the-art flat-screen computer, laptop, printer, scanner, pens, pencils, a stapler and everything imaginable down to a sticky taps dispenser and glue stick.

A couple of very comfy, very expensive chairs faced the desk, not the usual straight-backed chairs offices usually contained, but padded ones that were more like small armchairs, because Cathryn liked people to be comfortable

Chalice was sitting behind the desk, wearing her causal day clothes-jeans, ankle-high boots, and a long-sleeved tee shirt with the slogan 'The Surgeon General has declared that bothering me before I've had my morning coffee could be hazardous to your health'. Rogue had bought her the tee shirt for her birthday, along with a new pair of leather trousers.

She was wearing her contacts, and her auburn hair fell freely around her face. She was smiling, but it was small and nervous, and one hand was fiddling with a pen. Rogue hesitated just inside the door, but then made herself walk in and sit down in one of the oh-so-comfy chairs.

"I need some supplies," Rogue said, thankful that her voice was steady and strong.

"Yes, Remy told me, and I did receive a full mission report from Jamie. That girl's fantastic with all the little details, isn't she?"

Rogue noticed the attempt at small-talk, and realised just how nervous Cathryn was. Cathryn was one of the most social people she knew, she was comfortable talking to anyone about anything, unless her family or past were involved. She felt a slight twinge of… something, sympathy or pity or compassion, something that was a confusing mixture of all of that and yet none of it. It made her want to try and put her at ease a little.

"Yeah, she is," she said with what she hoped was a friendly-ish smile. "She remembers a lot of stuff that even I would forget. She's going to be a fantastic person when she grows up, and an amazing scientist. Now, the weapons I know we need, but she's told me that she would like a specific type of jet and nothing else will do."

"The weapons, no matter what they are, I can get within forty-eight hours, but the jets might be a bit of a problem. Do you have a list?"

Rogue nodded and handed over the small sheet of paper that she'd had tucked in her pocket. Cathryn read it, nodding to herself, and then put it down on the desk.

"I know the jets she wants, they're some of the fastest around and have some pretty decent weaponry onboard, whilst still having the capacity for a fair amount of people. In other words, ideal for your purposes. I might not be able to get them until the end of the week, though."

"We need them sooner. You heard what happened, we can't waste any more time."

Chalice sighed and nodded. "I'll do what I can. I take it you'll want to be able to land safely in Australia and a place to stay?"

Rogue nodded. "Please."

"I have a friend who owes me a favour, and he has a small, private air strip about thirty miles from the Agency. It's a big favour, so if required, you'll be able to stay at his place, and don't worry, he won't mind about anything you do."

"Is he trustworthy?"

Chalice smiled, and it was a real, honest smile that lit up her eyes. "That's like asking if Remy is trustworthy."

"Ah, right. Well, lemme know tonight how soon you can get my stuff, yeah?"

"Sure. How're Selene and Alistor doing, by the way?"

Rogue's lips twitched in what might have possibly been a wry smile. "They can't keep their hands off each other. Been a while since I saw the kind of emotion they show each other."

"Love?"

Rogue thought about that for a second. "Maybe. I'm not exactly the best expert on the subject. Anyway, I've got to go."

She was at the door, her hands on the handle, when Chalice spoke again. "Rogue? I'm…. I'm sorry that I betrayed your trust in me."

Rogue was silent for a long, tense minute, a thousand thoughts pressing against her mind, wanting to be voiced. Eventually, she sighed, bowing her head so that her hair slide forward and hid her face. She said the only thing that really summed up the entire, painful mess. She said the one thing that had succinctly explained just why she was hurting so badly. She didn't want to stand there and wax eloquent about her pain, so she said the only thing she could.

"So am I."