Hi everyone :)
Random fact of the chapter: our brains are made up of 80 water O.o
WolvGambit Le Diable Blanc: More has been added just as you wished :)
enchantedlight: Glad you liked it, here's the update :)
Freak87: Ah yes, so many different possibilities...You know, I sometimes wish I could write fanfiction for my fanfiction. You know, change it all around, like do a version where they are captured and one where they aren't. But alas, I doubt anyone would care that much to read them both :(
IvyZoe: No, the girls still think Remy can teleport, they just know that he didn't really kidnap Rogue. This is your favourite story? Wow, massive compliment there :)
Baby-Vixen: Okies? That's SO cute! New chapter just for that :D
LucreziaNoin86: Hope this new chapter came soon enough for you :)
CalliopeMused: Minnesota hmm? And a lot of possibilities? Yeah, I suppose there are really. I do like that one where the soldiers spotaneously combust...O.o
Wiccangurl: See, now, if you keep using the cute little pouty thing, it's gonna lose it's charm and won't work anymore. However, it still does work so I've written more as quick as I could :)
sakura5tar: This update was brought to you ASAP which I hope was conforming to your definition of ASAP...If that doesn't make sense, sorry, but it's too hot to think properly -.-
Shaishe: Good. Good :D. Here's the update :)
Nicki-hunny: I'm not surprised you have someone in mind for who framed Remy and Rogue but poor Rogue, she's a bit sleep deprived.
Rogue200315: I've updated, but only because you said please :)
Bec: My writing's captivating? Sweet :D
rebuttal101: Two week deadline hmm? Did I make it? No, seriously, I'm asking, I write these replies way before the chapter's published O.o
Lucy Wood: Glad you're liking everything :) Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint.
Chica De Los Ojos Cafe: As always, questions will be answered, just not here :D And it is sad that we're on the final countdown isn't it:(
firestorm13: Well, that game is basically what my friends said when we played that game one time so they must've used the ones they saw on Daria though I've never seen the episode with it in, even though I watch Daria all the time...Odd O.o
chicita: Here's the update. I hope it's reached you before you've freaked out too much :D
Elle457: Okay, here's another deal: I give you a butter knife and you cut through my writer's block, (points to a massive stone block a small ways off) If you break through it, I'll start writing faster :D
adrenaline addict: Yes, Logan would come in handy? Is he around though? Only time will tell...O.o
crystalwish: Lol, actually, that's kinda close to what I've done :)
Anna: Yep, she just panicked and totally forgot herself.
Coletterby: Lol, a brain damaged Rogue...Yeah, I can imagine that lol :D
Anna Marie Raven: Interesting prediction. You'll just have to read on to see if you're right.
SaintEmo: I'm gonna assume you meant update soon father than son, so I did update soon, just in case :D
Greetings my friends and welcome to Chapter 26 of our little story.
I've reached the 500 review mark! How super, funky, sweet is that? Thank you everyone who's reviewed this story so far. It helps me keep up the good work :)
We're still on track chapter-wise. Nine more chapters left after this one.
I can think of nothing more to say so I'll just let you all get on with your reading now :)
"Get Logan aht nah!...Aah don't care abaht that at the moment! Ah'm sure she'd rather a little pain then death!...Remind me, who exactly is in charge here?...Ah don't care what ya think! Shut up and get Logan here!"
The area had emptied of people in a matter of milliseconds after the shot was fired. Now, the only ones who remained were the four mutants and dozens of soldiers and security guards.
Kitty, Jubilee and Remy phased through the floor down to the ground floor. The second their feet touched the floor, Remy charged and threw several cards at the soldiers, injuring more than a few and also creating an effective smokescreen. Jubilee and Kitty dashed to the still form of Rogue, laying in a pool of her ownrapidly cooling blood. Not caring in the least about the consequences, Kitty grabbed her bare wrist.
"Oh my..." She gasped when nothing happened. "Remy! She's not absorbing me!" A hard look of concentration formed on Remy's face. "Remy!"
"Give her time!" He yelled back at them as he threw several more cards into the smoke, taking out his anger and fear on the soldiers and security guards.
Jubilee and Kitty glanced at each other, neither knowing what that was meant to mean. However, it didn't matter that much as within a few seconds they were given their answer. All of a sudden, Rogue's eyes shot open, her body tensed and she released an ear piercing scream of agony. The shock of the quick, violent switch back to life stunned Kitty and Jubilee into paralysis. Neither could move or speak and could only watch on as Rogue managed to push herself up on her hand and knees, one hand coming up to clutch the left side of her chest which was still bleeding badly all the while shallow, harsh pants escaped her lips.
Rogue's scream had, had a curious affect on Remy. His concern that she was in pain was almost completely over-ridden by the relief that she was alive. Although he had told Kitty and Jubilee to just give her time, he had been less than sure that she had still been alive. He knew she had the Wolverine in her head, he knew she had access to his healing power: he just hadn't known for sure she'd been able to use it.
Rogue wasn't sure which was worse; the pain in her head or the pain which stung her entire left side as her heart, muscle and flesh healed itself. She suddenly had a new-found respect for Logan. He healed himself on a regular basis and if it always hurt this much, he was definately tough. Very tough. The sensation itself was odd. It felt like the flesh was burning, really badly burning. She could actually feel her muscles coming together and joining again. It was an awful sensation.
Kitty and Jubilee had to snap themselves out of their shock when Rogue suddenly fell forward as the arm which was supporting her buckled and gave way. They stopped her decent immediately, each grabbing a shoulder.
"Rogue, what's happening?" Jubilee cried desperately.
"Can't really...Talk raht...Nah." Rogue managed to say in a strained voice. "Call...Remy ova."
"Remy!" Kitty yelled. "Get over here!"
"Kinda busy." He called back irritably. Rogue let out a groan of frustration which she was able to start feeling again as the pain lessened though still killed.
"Nah!" Rogue suddenly cried out, knowing Remy would react to her. Sure enough, it only took a second for Remy to reach her side and grab hold of her hand. "We're leavin'." She told them all before abruptly teleporting them all out of the building.
Moments later, they had re-entered inside the motorhome and Rogue was all but unconscious. Seeing her sag a little, Remy quickly seized her from Kitty and Jubilee before heading towards the beds in the back.
"Jubilee, ge' us ou' o' here." He ordered over his shoulder. Jubilee did as she was told and darted for the driver's seat while Kitty stomped after Remy.
Rogue's eyes were clenched shut tightly in pain as her body continued to heal itself. Faintly, she felt the back of Remy's gloved hand gently caress her cheek and she leaned into the sensation, drawing comfort from it. Remy smiled slightly at her reaction from where he sat beside her on the bed which she lay. The motorhome jolted forward suddenly and Remy got up to his feet so he could go up to the front to advise Jubilee. However, when he turned to leave the small sleeping area, he found Kitty barring his way.
"I want an explanation." She demanded angrily. "Right now!"
The sky had long ago darkened to night and the motorhome continued on at a steady pace. The immediate run from the army had been mercifully short thanks to some amazingly skillful driving from Jubilee and some well-aimed throws from Remy. And then, once the panic was over, the explanations came. Remy revealed every last detail of the secret Rogue had so carefully kept and protected for the past few months. Then, when he was done and Kitty had recovered from the surprise, it was her turn to explain what she had seen on the TV. What she had to tell them meant that they had to totally change their plans.
Now, things felt calmer for all. Rogue was sleeping peacefully, Remy was occupied with driving the motorhome and Kitty and Jubilee were sitting together in the kitchen area. While Kitty read a book she'd found laying around, Jubilee half-heartedly played solitaire with an old pack of dog-eared playing cards. Every so often, Jubilee threw a quick glance at the girl opposite her and it wasn't going un-noticed.
"Is there a reason you keep staring at me every so often?" Kitty inquired, not bothering to look up from her book. Jubilee blushed sheepishly and didn't answer. After a moment of silence passed, Kitty lifted her eyes to look at her friend with raised eyebrows.
"I was just thinking about earlier. About how you took the blame for me and when you stepped in front of me when we were trapped in that dead end." Jubilee admitted quietly.
"That a fact?" Kitty mumbled, looking back down at the book.
"Why did you?" Jubilee asked with sudden earnest.
"Which one are you talking anout?" Kitty checked, her tone seemingly un-interested.
"Both."
"Seemed like good ideas at the time." Kitty answered with a shrug, once again not looking up. Jubilee stayed silent and, upon glancing up, Kitty saw she looked disappointed. With a sigh, she set the book down and leaned back against the chair she was sitting on. "How long have we known each other? About six years right? You know me better than anyone and you know I'm not good at this kinda stuff. Plus, if you can't figure out my reasons on your own, you're even dumber than I thought you were."
Jubilee remained ever silent and Kitty faught back a groan. She knew what was coming, she couldn't stop it. Her pride told her to not give in but she knew it needed to be said and she may as well get it over with. With a reluctant sigh, Kitty took a quick look at Jubilee before her gaze fell to the edge of the table.
"I did it because..." C'mon, be strong. Just say it! "...Because I love you."
"You what?" Jubilee gasped, shocked.
"I'm not saying it again." Kitty muttered, her eyes going back to her book.
Jubilee continued to stare at Kitty for a few more seconds before she smiled to herself and looked back down at the cards arranged in front of her on the table. A comfortable silence surrounded them again. Once again, all was calm.
It was later. Not that much later though, it was still dark outside. Kitty sat on the bottom bed of the bunk bed across from where Rogue slept. Jubilee had fallen asleep watching the TV and Remy was keeping himself occupied with driving.
It was obvious that, although Remy knew more about what was going on then either Kitty or Jubilee, he still had no real idea what was going on with her. He didn't know when she was going to wake up and he didn't know what state she'd be in when she did. The worry was eating him up, it could be seen clearly by the two girls. What was making everything worse though was the fact they could only wait for Rogue to wake up on her own. None of them knew how they could help her or even if they could help her, so all they could do was sit and stew in worry.
Running her hand through her hair, Kitty grimaced slightly at the feel of the greasy strands. It'd been a few days since she'd had a chance to wash her hair. Even though they had a shower, using the hot water drained the motorhome's battery so they had to stop to take showers. And, since they hadn't dared to stop for more than five minutes at a time, showers were little more than a very quick scrub down with a bar of soap.
"Kitty?"
Kitty snapped out of her train of thought the instant she heard the weak voice of Rogue. She looked over at her friend who they'd changed into Jubilee's pyjamas as her clothes had been ruined by her blood. She looked pale and weak and the slightly over-sized pyjamas made her look awfully frail.
"Hey, how ya feeling?" Kitty greeted her softly.
"Tahred. Did Ah lose a lot of blood?" Rogue inquired weakly.
"Yeah, quite a bit...Does Logan's healing ability help to make blood faster?" Kitty questioned, oddly shy.
Rogue nodded. "Mmhmm." She paused and frowned lightly. "Ah can actually feel it being made. Uch, how can Logan live lahke this?"
"Why didn't you tell us Rogue?" Kitty sighed, ignoring Rogue's comment.
"Didn't wanna worry ya." Rogue said with a weak smile.
"We could've help you."
"Hah? Bah tellin' the teachers? That's exactly what Ah didn't want."
"But why Rogue? I don't understand."
"Neither do Ah...That's what scares me." Rogue admitted.
Silence over-came them for a few moments until Kitty spoke. "I found out that the others are in Washington."
"Washin'ton?" Rogue gasped.
"The Professor got them out. He's working on clearing our names as welll. Hasn't helped that we're on the run though. Apparantly, it makes us look guilty." Kitty explained.
"Hah did you fahnd all this aht?"
"It was on the news, saw it in a shop window just before everything kicked off." Kitty answered. "We're gonna head to Washington instead of Canada. The Professor and the teachers will be able to protect us better than we can protect ourselves."
"Kay." Rogue sighed out her agreement. "Kitty? Ah don't want them to know abaht me."
"Rogue..." Kitty began to protest.
"Please Kitty, Ah don't wanna have to deal with them." Rogue insisted. Kitty studied her friend for a moment before releasing a reluctant sigh.
"I don't understand why you're so afraid for thm to know, but I'll do as you ask."
"Thanks Kitty." Rogue smiled.
"Hey, you've woken up." Jubilee's voice suddenly came. Rogue and Kitty looked up to see their friend enter the small space. "How are you feeling?"
"Better thanks." Rogue assured, still smiling.
"Good." Jubilee nodded, rocking back and forth on her heels. She paused before speaking again. "Kitty, would you mind if I spoke to Rogue privately for a sec?"
"Oh, yeah sure. I need to go check on how Remy's doing anyway." Kitty agreed, rising from the bed and phasing through Jubilee to get out of the room. Once she was gone, Jubilee took up the place on the bed where Kitty had just left.
"Okay, I'm just gonna get straight to the point." She told Rogue confidently. "You keep all the powers of the mutants you absorb right?"
"Yeah..."
"Then I want you to absorb me."
"Ya want me to WHAT?" Rogue cired, sitting up slightly.
"You heard me."
"But...That's insane!" Rogue insisted.
"Is it?" Jubilee asked. "We're in one of the most dangerous situations we've ever been in and we have to rely on ourselves for protection. There aren't any teachers, there's no Wolverine, there's no great number, it's just us four. I know you've already got a lot of powers and mine isn't exactly the strongest ever, but I want you to have access to it."
"Jubilee..."
"Please Rogue." Jubilee insisted. "Please let me help you."
Rogue practically glared at Jubilee for some time before releasing a reluctant groan of defeat. "Lay dahn." She ordered briskly. Jubilee looked at her quizically. "Ah'm in no condition to pick ya up when ya fall dahn unconscious." Jubilee got the idea and quickly lay down on the bed she was sitting on while Rogue pulled her right glove off with her teeth. "Hand." She said simply, holding out her own hand. Jubilee reached out her own hand and Rogue took hold of it firmly.
The pull was instantaneous and both girls winced slightly at the sensation. Neither pulled away though, although Rogue was sure to be aware just when she'd need to. She forced herself to watch Jubilee closely so sh could be sure exactly when she needed to pull away. When she saw her friend's head lull to the side, Rogue knew it was time to stop. She tore her hand away quickly and brought it up to press against her forehead where a dull throb had started to ache inside.
While taking in a few deep breaths to steady her nerves, Rogue took another look at her friend. She looked peaceful, just like she was sleeping. She was in a way. Rogue smiled lightly at the kindness of her friend before closing her eyes and letting out a sigh. Despite being kind though, Rogue was now aware of the odd obssession Jubilee had of making sure her underwear drawer was colour co-ordinated and also that she had a huge crush on Kurt...That was something she really could've done without knowing.
Okay, that bit where Kitty tells Jubilee that she loves her isn't in the romantic way. Are me and my friends the only ones who ever openly tell each other that I love each other?...Yep, guess so :D
So, the course has been changed and it's off to Washington we go. What a surprising turn of events!...Yeah, I'm just talking for the sake of talking now:D
Hugs
Dream