Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men.
~~~~~~~
Rogue dashed around the corner only to bump straight into Kurt. They tumbled into a mass of blue fur and appendages that ended up awkwardly sprawled on the kitchen linoleum. Dazed, Rogue was the first to extract herself from the tangle, bouncing to her feet, her mood far from ruined. Kurt just lay there, confused, holding himself up slightly by his elbows. His sister was bouncing.
"Kurt! Yah'll never believe what Ah can do now! An' it's all thanks ta th' professor and Mr. McCoy, and Ororo too."
Kurt wobbled as he got back to his feet, his tail swishing anxiously behind him. "Vhat? Vait, Rogue, I don' understand."
Rogue giggled, surprising the blue elf once more. All of a sudden, she pounced on him, wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug, and he had to restrain himself from flinching away. Giving him a huge peck on the cheek, she grinned. "Ah can touch ya now, see?" He could only gawk at her.
"Mein gott, zis must be a dream."
Rogue shook her head happily. "Nope! It's really happenin'!" She lifted her hand and lifted the chain slightly from her neck. "It's because of this chain. So long as Ah wear it, Ah can touch ya." She released the necklace to take Nightcrawler's hand. "See?"
"Das... das vonderful! I'm so happy for you, Rogue!" He swept her up in a hug, producing a squeal from the ecstatic girl. "Mein schweister, I can only begin to imagine vhat zis means for you. Vait till the ozzers find out!"
Rogue giggled. "Well, what are we waitin' fo'?"
He grinned, teleporting them both over to the rec room where he knew most of the others would be. After the smoke cleared, he released her and announced, "Everybody, you'll never believe vhat Rogue has to tell you!"
Rogue made her announcement, brushing her fingers over random hands occasionally as if to prove its truth, though it was an act of reassurance for herself as well. Everybody was excited for her, though everyone combined could not match her own feelings in the matter. She kept repeating, "Ah can touch! Ah can touch now!" And still it felt too surreal, too much like a dream that would end way too soon. But as her friends, her family, came up to hug her, she felt how real it was. Touch was nothing less than she had ever dreamed it to be, and she had to burst into tears, sobbing into Kitty's shoulder, whose turn it was to hug and congratulate the young goth. "Oh, gawd, Ah.. Ah can touch. Ah really can!" She lifted her chin to look at Kitty. "Ah don' have ta be afraid of hurtin' ya anymore. Ah can get close ta ya, Ah can get close ta everybody." She broke down into fresh sobs. "Ah don' have ta be so lonely anymore!"
Kitty held her friend tightly, her own tears wetting the corners of her eyes. "I'm so happy for you, Rogue. You totally deserved something like this."
Scott smiled as he approached, next to Jean as she rested a hand on Rogue's back. "I can only imagine how good you feel," murmured Cyclops, a bit awkwardly. "I'm- we're all happy for you."
Rogue lifted her head to look at Scott. "Ya know, this chain would work fo' ya too. If ya wear it, ya wouldn' have ta wear yo' sunglasses all th' tahme."
"Thanks, but they gave it to you. And frankly, I really wouldn't have it any other way." He reached up to touch the frame of his glasses, his lips turned up in a half-grin. "I'm used to these anyhow."
She smiled serenely in return, slowly turning her head to look over the beaming crowd of mutants. For the first time in a long while, she finally felt like she was home, like she belonged. "Ah.. Ah'm jus' glad that Ah ain' alone anymore."
"But you were never really alone, Rogue," cooed Jean. "We were always here for you if you needed us."
"Ah know... it was jus'... Ah knew yah'll were afraid o' meh," she finished softly. "An' Ah didn' wan' ta go an' mess things up."
"You wouldn't have messed anything up," asserted Jean. "We were all aware of your situation, and we could have adjusted to accommodate fo-"
"It's fahne," interrupted Rogue, an irritated look beginning to surface on her face. "It's all in th' past now. Things will be different, now that Ah can touch."
"Ja, you are going to join us more often, hm?" Kurt grinned hopefully. "No more hiding away from us?"
Rogue laughed, pulling away from Kitty to ruffle Kurt's hair. "Ah don' know 'bout that. Ta tell th' truth, Ah was only hidin' away from you!"
"Me?"
"Yea, cain't stand annoyin' little brothers!"
"Ha! Now I know you're lying. Nobody can hate ze fuzzy dude, not even mein schweister!" He grabbed her and proceeded to dig his three knuckles, albeit gently, onto the top of her head. Rogue squeaked in indignation, wrestling out of the hold with a grin on her lips.
"Whay ya.."
"Children, children," sighed Kitty mockingly, putting herself between the two siblings. "Aren't we like above brawling? I mean, how old are we?" Rogue and Kurt smirked at eachother, before turning on Kitty, tickling her from both sides. Kitty squealed, squirming uncontrollably and falling into a mass of giggles. "Hey! No fair!"
"All's fair in love an' war."
"And zis is war!"
Kurt and Rogue were about to set upon Kitty with a fresh batch of tickles, when Jean spoke up as if to deter the oncoming onslaught. "Speaking of love... Rogue, what effect will this have on your... relationship..?"
Rogue stiffened; Kitty and Kurt both freezing in their places, their eyes flitting back and forth between Rogue and Jean. No. Not now. Things were going too well to bring that up. "It ain' none o' yo' business, Jean," murmured Rogue, a threatening tone in her voice.
"But it is a reasonable question," added Scott, reverting to leader mode once more. Both Kitty and Kurt winced, their shoulders slumping in resignation. This was going to accelerate. "Now that you can touch, I hope you don't intend on meeting up with that... that Acolyte." He spat out Gambit's title venomously. "You know he's using you. If you give him the physical satisfaction-"
"Ah said, it ain' none o' yo' business!" She glared at Cyclops, clenching her fists tightly by her sides.
Jean stepped forward, placing a restraining hand on Scott. "Rogue, we're only concerned about your well-being. We don't know anything about him, and all we know is that he's dangerous."
"Yea, but Ah know more. Ah don' know whay ya keep buttin' in! For one, ya don' even know him. An' for another, it's mah lahfe, mah choice ta make!"
"But it's not," Scott deadpanned, his arms crossed obstinately across his chest.
Rogue stared at him. "What did ya say? It's NOT mah choice?"
"No, it isn't. So long as you are a part of the team, you have a responsibility to fulfill. We all do. And so you cannot be fraternizing with the enemy!"
"An' what if Ah don' wan' ta be a part of th' team anymore?"
"... Then, that is your choice." He turned his head away from her as if shunning her presence. "Go then. We don't need, or want, somebody who doesn't put her family first. And don't come begging us for help when he betrays you."
"Scott!" Jean stared at Scott, shocked, before turning her gaze to Rogue. "No, Rogue, he doesn't mean that."
Rogue ignored Jean, glaring instead at the back of Scott's head with watery eyes. "Is that so..?" She took in a shuddering breath, the tears falling reluctantly down her cheeks. "Well, fahne then! Ah don' need ya, any of ya, either! None of yah'll were ever really mah family anyway! An' ya know what? If it came down ta it, Ah would always choose Remy over yah'll. Ah... Ah choose him now!" She whirled around on her heel, dashing off towards her room. Kitty glared briefly at Scott before taking off after her, Kurt following only moments after.
"Well, I hope you're happy, Scott," muttered Jean. "You handled that terribly." He did not answer her, instead turning sulkily further away from her. Jean sighed, glancing over to the door into which Rogue and the others had disappeared through. "You better hope that Kitty and Kurt calm her down, or else you've lost us one of the X-Men."
*****
Kurt teleported into Rogue and Kitty's room to find them arguing over Rogue's open suitcase. His sister was leaving. "No, Rogue!" He rushed over to her side, latching his hand onto one of the suitcase's handles. "Please don't go, don't leave me!"
"See, Rogue? You can't leave!"
"Watch meh." Rogue hustled back and forth, grabbing her things.
"But Rogue...!" whined Kitty.
"Vhere are you going? Vhere vould you stay? You don't know vhat could happen to you out zere! Mutant haters are everywhere, and.. and.. and ze mansion is ze only place for us!"
"No, Kurt, it's not. Not fo' meh. Ah cain't stay." She closed her suitcase, filled with all of her belongings; she never really had that much to own. "This mansion was never a place fo' someone lahke meh. Ah'm different, though Ah'm not sure exactly whay. Ah'm a freak among freaks, an' 'cause o' that, Ah'll never really be trusted heah ta make the right decisions.." She sighed, looking down at her ungloved hands. "Ah thought it was 'cause o' mah powers. But apparently, it's somethin' else, somethin' under mah skin, that cain't be trusted. Maybe it's jus' meh."
"Rogue, no, you don't understand," protested Kitty. "You do belong here. We are family-"
"No, we're not. We're a _team_." Rogue lifted her suitcase and began heading towards the balcony. "Families trus' eachother. Families need eachother."
"Ve do need you!" Rogue did not answer, instead continuing on her way. "Vhat Scott said, he didn't mean it. He- Rogue, listen, please... Mein schweister... _I_ need you," plead Kurt. Rogue stopped, though she refused to turn around.
Kitty stepped up beside Kurt. "Please, don't leave us. Don't leave Kurt. Don't leave me."
Rogue bowed her head, her voice strained. "Ah have ta, Ah cain't stay..." Firming her resolve, she strode purposefully out to the balcony. "Th' team leader has spoken." With a minute hesitation, she tossed her suitcase to the ground below, cautiously climbing down after it. Landing, she glanced up to see the two figures reluctantly watching her leave. "An' Ah'm out." She stared at them silently for a moment, as if memorizing their faces. "Goodbye."
They watched her until in the darkness her form was too difficult to make out. Kitty burst into tears, sobbing into Kurt's shoulder, and he solemnly held her. "It's okay, Keety. She'll come back." He mournfully pressed his nose into her hair. "She has to."
*****
Rogue hurriedly made her way to the front gate, vaguely thinking that it was too easy for her to leave. The professor had to know. Maybe he was letting her go, maybe he did not want her either. She willed the tears to go away, but was only half successful; her eyes still shimmered with wetness. She bowed her head, refusing to take a look back at what she used to call home, and quickened her pace, only to bump into a figure that grunted gruffly at the impact.
"Stripes? What are you doin' out here?" Rogue withdrew slightly, clutching the suitcase to her chest as if it was her lifeline. Logan arched an eyebrow, growing perturbed. "Going on a little trip?"
"Ah'm leavin'," she whispered, afraid to meet his piercing gaze. "Ah cain't stay heah no more. None o' them trus' meh. Scott.. he said ta go, that they didn' need meh. Ah'm not wanted heah."
"Rogue..."
"Don' try ta stop meh, Logan, please. Don' make this harder than it already is."
"If it's that hard, why are ya even botherin'? Don't do this, Rogue. This is yer home, ain't nowhere else you can go."
"Please, Logan!" She tightened her fists around the handles of her suitcase. "Please..." she whispered. "Stop it."
"But-"
"Let her go," sounded Xavier's voice, inside of Logan's head. "We cannot force her to stay if she does not wish to."
"But Chuck, I can't just let 'er go."
"And you can't keep her against her will!" Logan could feel the professor sigh. "I had hoped she could be convinced otherwise, but... Let her leave. She needs the time away."
Logan grunted, closing his eyes in defeat. "Okay, Stripes. I... give up. I won't stop ya." Rogue looked up at him strangely, as if confused at his sudden change of heart, but decided not to push her look and ease by him. Hesitating, she murmured her thanks before fleeing out the front gates, leaving Wolverine in silence.
Logan growled as he looked after her departing figure. He hated letting her go like that; it did not bide well with him, especially with how sensitive and vulnerable the girl really was. Sure, she had strength, stubborn as a mule and with admirable spunk, but if he had learned anything from that episode when she lost control, it was that she needed attention and care just as much, if not more, than the other kids at the mansion. She would never ask for it, for help, though, and everybody was too afraid of her powers to approach her. Him, on the other hand, was never one to give pep talks. He wrinkled his nose, snorting as he trudged slowly towards the mansion. She would be okay. She knew how to defend herself, how to take care of herself. And she would return, soon enough. He was sure of it.
He really was quite fond of his fellow loner; in her, he could see his own stubbornness, his own independence, and his way of dealing with his issues alone. Knowing how that went personally, he also knew that nobody should go through things like that alone. He hoped that she knew that, and also that she knew that they would always be there for her, he would always be there to listen.
But for the meantime... He stood in the foyer, glaring at his surroundings as he unsheathed his claws. He was not out for blood. Just for sheer terror.
With a roar, he bellowed, "Scott!" And took off running into the mansion halls.
~~~~~~~
And Rogue leaves the mansion. I tried to make it hard for her; I mean, no matter how she denies it, they were her family and all. But I don't think it was hard enough.
Lol. I was never dead and lying in a ditch. Just hampered down with life! (Yes, I do have one) This wasn't finished too much later than my last one, was it?
So yea, this one with the X-Men again. Man, they're just out to get her, aren't they? Ok, well, actually this time, Kurt and Kitty stayed out of the accusing stuff, so it was just mainly Scott and a bit of Jean. Honestly, I don't really hate Scott or anything. I hate Jean. But like, Scott is the team leader. And I feel he would be like that. He does have a sort of temper, I feel.
I also am not too fond of the 'newbies.' Meaning like Amara, Ray.. etc. Although, Bobby I don't mind. So while it's understood that they're there (like, when she tells everybody about her ability to touch now, it should be known that they're among her audience), that's just it, they're there.
I haven't ever had much concerning the relationship between Logan and Rogue, but from what I gather, it's like a father/daughter almost type thing. I didn't want to lay it on real thick or anything, so I didn't have logan be like 'Oh, she's like a daughter to me, I can't stand letting her go.' I mean, I think it did it subtly and tastefully enough..
And people, I know about Rogue/Joseph or Rogue/Magneto whatever... but this is evo-verse-centric, and I don't see no Joseph, or a Magneto/Rogue possibility. He's just too old, too withdrawn from teen life. It wouldn't work. Besides, supposedly, Pietro/Rogue is a form of replacement for that. Supposedly. Me, I just think Pietro's damn cute. Oh, and as for pairing Pietro with somebody else at the end of this fic... I don't think that's going to happen. This is a Romy, that's the focus. Even though it's also partially triangle-ish, the Romy-ness is the emphasis of my fic. That means that I get Rogue and Remy together, and just forget about everybody else, even Pietro. Though not really, I can never really forget him. Just... unfortunately, he's not important enough to go and develop a relationship with him and someone else in this fic. And besides, I wouldn't know who with anyway.
Ooh, yeah, I'm going to upset you Romy fans. Oh, man, like hell. Or maybe not. I don't know, crazy things can happen. Like, you just happen to overlook that chapter or something. Maybe not the next chapter, but the chapter after that or so.... I'm curious about what you're gonna say.
Anyway, X-Men and the adults aren't gonna show up again for awhile, and I'm relieved. I like writing about Pietro and Remy and Rogue simply better. Less characters to manipulate and control. Why I'm not much of an action writer. I like head-y stuff. You know, like emotions? With lotsa characters, there's way too much going on, so I don't really get much of a chance. Have to write about what they're doing, not thinking.
I think this is one my longest rants in awhile. I missed them...
:) Thanks for all the reviews so far. Keep it comin'!
Rielyn