A/N: Guess who's back? Yes, it's me. I bet you were wondering if I had abandoned this fic. Of course not! I wouldn't do that to a story so far into the plot line. :) Come on now. Truthfully, school has been a major hassle so I haven't gotten around to writing anything yet and I also have two other fics to write. But here is chapter thirty and I promise that chapter thirty one will be out faster!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter Thirty- FreedWillow nodded, as if suspecting that was what the young woman would answer. She supposed that she would do the same thing, if she had been in Rogue's position. But she had still… she had hoped Rogue wouldn't have been willing to risk her life again.
There was something Willow hadn't told anyone, not even Xander. After all she had done, after all she had defeated, she was still afraid of the dark places magickal spells took her to. She still afraid she be trapped as Dark Willow again… she was afraid she would kill. Every time she did a spell that was hard or extremely complicated, she worried she'd be locked in that dark place she had been before. She was afraid she'd be lost again and this time Xander wouldn't be able to save her.
Kennedy, Willow's lover, had suspected what had gone on in the witch's mind and had been able to force Willow to tell her what she feared. That was why Kennedy had wanted to come to Bayville so badly, to protect Willow from the dark places she feared. Maybe that was why she loved Kennedy so much… Kennedy was willing to do anything for those she called as hers.
But Willow was grimly aware that Kennedy didn't truly understand about what went on inside her. Kennedy hadn't been Dark Willow, hadn't been trapped in that void. Hadn't killed people. Willow had, she had done all those things.
And she was forever haunted by that…
Rogue was looking at her in confusion, as if trying to understand what went on in the redhead's mind. She looked lost and scared, those big eyes of hers glazed. She looked to be in another world. Rogue worried over this woman, who seemed to fear the magick she so powerfully controlled. She also wondered why. If she had that kind of power, she'd use it for good and she couldn't imagine being afraid of it.
Willow snapped out of her daze and saw Rogue looking at her with suspicious eyes. Trying to reassure her as much as herself, the Wicca smiled and said, "Alright then. I have all the materials we need here. So shall we just… ah… well, begin? Commence?"
Rogue nodded, her heart suddenly picking up its tempo, "Yeah. I… I want to do this as quickly as possible."
Willow nodded grimly and placed a large bowl she had clasped into her arms unto the ground. In it was a paint brush, pointed, and black thick paint. From under her arm, Willow withdrew a quilt. Carefully she spread it on the ground. She knelt down.
The quilt was the purest of whites Rogue had ever seen. Willow, not speaking a word, motioned Rogue to set on the quilt. As Rogue did so, Willow caressed the brush in the black paint. Under her breath she began to whisper Latin chants, thick, deep, and ancient. She drew a circle around where Rogue sat and then drew odd symbols besides her. She saw a verity of squares and triangles and pentagons, all mixed together. Then, from the backpack on her back, Willow took out two very large white candles. She mumbled something and the candles burst to life with fire. She muttered more words Rogue didn't understand and the lights in the room went out.
Now Willow raised her head to look at Rogue, her eyes glowing in the dim light. Willow sighed and looked away for a brief second, steadying herself.
"Limbo isn't enjoyable Rogue." Willow warned lightly, "It'll probably be the scariest thing you'll ever see… ah, not counting the whole Tora-Kone mind thing, of course. I've been there once… when I… well, let's not go into. The fact of the matter is that it will not be a joyride, okay? I just want you to know it's going to be painful."
Rogue smiled softly, touched by the fact that the Wicca seemed to care so much, and said, "Ah know it'll be painful, but Ah'm ready for anathing. Ya do what ya have to do, okay?"
"Don't say I didn't warn you 'cause I did." Willow muttered and sat cross-legged on the quilt. She leaned forward at her hips and touched Rogue's forehead. From her mouth rose the ancient Latin words. The black markings on the quilt began to glow gold.
Rogue's eyes were suddenly becoming heavy and her vision blurred. She was sleepy, so very sleepy. When had that happened? she wondered. She had spelt for almost four days so she should be quite rested but she was inches away from collapsing on the ground.
Willow was disappearing now. In fact, everything was disappearing. She could no longer make out her room. The only thing she saw were the red shadows of the flames. She watched them dance in a trance, lost in the spell that swept into her blood. Her heart slowed, she could've sworn she heard its pounding almost stop but she couldn't seem to care. Her eyes could not be broken from the hold the shadow-fire had on her. Rogue was so consumed with the fire that she didn't even see the figure looming at her door's threshold.
Gambit's gut tightened as he watched Rogue's head loll back on her shoulders. What was Willow doing to her? Rogue looked like she was dying. She muttered something sounding like 'shadow fire'. And the whole while, Willow had her hand raised on Rogue's forehead and was muttering in Latin.
Then something happen that would haunt Gambit for the rest of his days. Suddenly Rogue's eyes widened, seemed to bulge from her sockets, and she screamed. Her voice ripped through the room and embedded itself in Gambit's ears. His fingers tightened on the door frame as he fought to stop himself from rushing into the room and forcing Willow to stop.
Trust Willow, he commanded himself, she knows what she's doing. She has to know what she's doing. She saved Rogue from a coma. Trust her.
Rogue didn't know what had happened. One moment she was lax and content, the next a searing pain bloomed in her bosom. It was as if her whole body was suddenly on fire. It started in the middle of her chest and then consumed all of her. As the pain took off, she screamed and begged Willow for help.
Good luck, Rogue, Willow's thought whispered in her head.
Then Rogue was flying, soaring through fire. It scorched her skin and made her flesh blister and burn, but at the same time it made her feel free. She wanted to reach out and blister her palm on the burning flames. But instead, she clutched them to her chest and cried out once more.
Then suddenly, Rogue's body stopped soaring. She was lying on the soft white of a material she had never seen before. The purity of its white almost blinded her. Weakly, she stood from the ground.
Where am I? Rogue wondered to herself.
"This place is called Dara-Knew, Rogue." Answered an unknown voice.
How do they know my name? Rogue wondered.
"We can read your mind. Since you and all other mortals cannot not speak in Dara-Knew, we have the ability to read minds. We have watched you for a long time, Rogue. We have been waiting for the day you will finally come here." The voice answered.
Who are you? Rogue thought, what do you mean 'have watched me for a long time'?
"For now that is not important. We will not be important to you, though we cannot say the same for the Slayer. We are the Powers That Be. We guard this Earth, your Earth, from beings of other worlds. We are the originally the being who created the power given to the Slayer. We are the counterpart to the First. Where the First was the prime evil we are the prime good. Now, Rogue stand up. The young Witch Willow has sent you here so that you may control your powers. We will help you." The voice whispered.
Sighing softly, Rogue prepared herself for the pain but it did not come. Instead a feeling of relaxation floated over her. She felt the power which had also pressed against her walls of control lessen. She felt the power twine itself around her fingertips. She felt it waiting.
Softly, the voice said, "It is done. Learn your powers, learn to use them and fight well. Good luck youngling. We hope to see you again one day far from this one."
Rogue felt her body float gently back down to the floor. She sighed and thought a soft prayer of thanks as she slid into something solid, something human.
Gasping for breath, Rogue's eyes snapped open. Hastily she looked around and saw Willow staring at her in soft worry. Willow looked exhausted her. Her hair, greased with sweat, was matted to her forehead and her skin was ghastly pale. She too was panting and her arms were blistered, as if she had walked across the fire with Rogue.
"Rogue?" Willow called softly, "Are you okay?"
To answer, Rogue pulled away and propped herself against her bed, "I… I think so." she said weakly, "How do I… I know if the spell worked."
"Give it a few minutes to settle in." Willow suggested, "And then ask Buffy if you can touch her. I already explained the situation to her so she won't be hesitant. If it works then I'll teach you how to summon your powers… if not, I'm sorry. Now, I'm off to bed. I'm exhausted." The redhead Wicca pushed herself to her feet and started to gather her thing up. Rogue wanted to help Willow, but she couldn't even lift her arms. Willow smiled weakly at her and then hobbled out of the room.
For many moments, Rogue sat still. She drew in deep breaths and tried to find the energy to get to her feet. Finally she did and she used the bed to push herself up. She wanted desperately to find Buffy and see if the spell had worked. Moaning with pain, she made her way to the door.
As she moved, Rogue couldn't help but smile a little. If the spell worked then she could touch, feel the brush of human skin. She couldn't imagine being able to hold hands or brush lips. It was so foreign to her. The very thought of it made her shiver with pleasure.
But what if it didn't work? That was always a thought that brought her hopes down. What if it didn't work and she ended up knocking Buffy out? She didn't know how she'd survive knowing she came so close to being normal but tripping at the finish line. She couldn't imagine what that would be like, either.
Just as she stepped into the hallway, someone reached out and grabbed her. As she pulled into a corner of the hallway, Rogue prepared to scream. But then she realized who it was and she just glared.
Up into the face of Gambit.
For the first time since they had met Gambit looked as equal angry as Rogue always claimed to be, "What the hell happened in there!?" He demanded to know. Rogue raised her chin haughtily.
"None of yar business." She snapped, her eyes narrowed and her face reddening with anger.
"Do I need to remind you that you were unconscious for about four days because you leap into unnecessary danger, chere?" Gambit asked and gave her a shake for good measure, "Do you want to be back in the hospital ward?"
Rogue tried to pull away from him but Gambit held firm. Glaring at him with more anger then she had ever felt she said heatedly, "Ah can do whatever Ah want! For yar information Ah trust Willow. And she was the one who made the big risk. Didn't ya see her leaving? She looks like she's about ta collapse!" Panting from her scream, she lowered her eyes.
Gambit shook her again and said, "I'm worried about you, Rogue. Do you know you screamed? I'm surprised everyone didn't come rushing. Dat was the scariest ding I ever heard and you willing put yourself into it! I'm thinkin' dat your brain's still ain't workin right from your coma. Do you hear me?"
But Rogue wasn't looking at him, wasn't hearing him. Her eyes were wide and her lips were parted. Gambit lowered his eyes as well to see what had captured the teen's attention. He found his own eyes widening.
His hands were clutching the bare skin of her upper arm. His fingers dug into her skin and yet he was still standing. His body wasn't weakening, his powers weren't being drained. What was going on?
In a voice filled with awe, Rogue whispered, "Willow's spell. She did it… ma powers… Ah can control them…" She looked up at him then with confusion her face. The feeling of his skin against hers was odd and yet… wonderful, "Gambit…"
Saying not another word, Gambit leaned his head and brushed his lips against the softness of hers. Seeing that his powers weren't being drained, he pressed his lips more firmly against her parted ones. At that increased pressure, he felt Rogue take a deep breath before she pressed herself against him.
This feeling that was taking over her body was so new to her and it felt like she had waited for this all her life. This feeling she was getting with Gambit. And somehow, somehow she knew she wouldn't feel this with anyone but Gambit. As if acting on their own accord, her hands reached out and pushed off his headband so they could tangle in his hair. She felt Gambit's hand fist at her thighs and sighed. This was perfect.
It was odd, Gambit would think later, that this young woman had such an effect on him when so many others did not. But he didn't think that now. His brain had turned to mush. All there was in his world was Rogue. He kissed her like he had never kissed before. He put everything he had into the kiss so she would never forget what he made her feel like. He never wanted her to forget.
The pressure on her chest told her she needed air. Reluctantly she pulled her head away from Gambit's and drew in deep breaths. Above her, she heard Gambit panting as well. She felt a smile, a smile of womanly knowledge she had never had before, bloom across her swollen lips.
As he saw that smile come across her face, Gambit couldn't help but draw his thumb across it, "Mon chere, for someone who has not been kissed before you do it like an expert."
Rogue shrugged and said in a soft voice, "Ah guess it was a hidden talent."
Gambit gave her a hug, though truly he wasn't used to it. He was like Pyro when it came to women. Reckless. Though he tended to romance them first, unlike Pyro. And he was used to the more tender sides to a relationship and right now he wanted to show them to Rogue. He swore he would.
"I like you Rogue." Gambit admitted.
Rogue felt herself stiffen slightly. She liked it him as well. In fact, she was pretty sure you'd call this 'like' something else entirely, but she didn't dare say it. After all, did she really know if she was in love with Gambit? She was now just able to touch someone. How did she know if she was in love?
But just because she hadn't been able to touch people didn't mean she was immune to emotions like crushes and attraction. She had had a huge crush on Scott and it didn't even come close to what she was feeling for Gambit. But the question was did she want to tell Gambit that?
Not yet, Rogue decided and leaned into him, "Ah like you, too." she admitted.
Gambit looked down at her and knew that there was more then what she was saying, what they were both saying, but he didn't press it. Another day, he promised himself. Another day he'd get Rogue to tell him what was in her heart and when that happened he'd tell her what was in his. Until then he'd be content with just holding her.
Rogue smiled up at him, "Wanna train?" she asked.
Gambit shrugged and led the way to the Danger Room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A/N: ***squeal*** I made Rogue and Gambit get together ***does a happy dance*** wait… I can't dance ^_^* ah… never mind. Ya I know that 'whole get Rogue's powers fixed' is kinda over done but that's only because her fans want to see her happy, and usually with Gambit. So here's my take on how to control Rogue's power. What else are witches good for? No offense Willow of course ;).
To JoeHundredaire: Listen up, Joe, I haven't been having the best weeks lately and you've just made yourself a target. Okay, get this, yes I think Buffy would be the bitch leader from hell because A) even though she's younger then four of the members they really have no clue as to how to fight vampires—after all isn't Buffy the Vampire Slayer!? Duh—and B) even if it got her kicked out of the house in Season 7, Buffy can't change who she is; she acts like a bitchy leader because she is and if ask me there's nothing wrong with that, especially if it keeps everyone alive. I have no problem with criticism but what you're during is out right flaming. You offer me no ways to make my story better you just say 'it's in the crapper'. Also, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. I haven't seen any of your work (you don't right any… I wonder why?) so how do you know you aren't as 'poor' as me? And one more thing, genius, after ten chapters of nothing changing in story it becomes rather obvious it's not gonna. And when did you submit this review? Chapter 27!? Oh you poor, poor slow little man. I almost feel sorry for you…
To booster1: Well I'm glad that someone's enjoying. Before I read the other reviews I was feeling pretty low self-confidence wise thanks to a certain someone who shall remain nameless ***coughJoeHundredairecough*** Thanks for the boost… hey you're names booster… coincidence? And as far as the beta reader goes… she's already on 'self-destruct overload' so I'm kinda forced to edit it by myself. Please bare with ^_^*
To BD Kitten: Hey, I'm glad you liked. Please keep reviewing. It really sucks to get only ONE bad review and nothing else.
To hellmouth2: ***Beams*** Ah shucks… thank you. I'll certainly be e-mailing you (do you have IM?) if I ever need someone to talk to. You seem to be someone who is willing to listen. And as far as killing off OC's go… eh, well I usually think that stories need at least ONE good death and I certainly don't want to kill of a main character… so I kill some of my OC's. I guess I better give you some warnings about the upcoming chapters I lot of OC deaths… none to sad though… or at least I don't think so… :) Thanks for reviewing!
Chapter Thirty One: It's never ending get-together chapters! Next up at bat is Colossus and Buffy. Will they commit the dirty deed like Faith suggest? Why is Buffy pissed? Why is Colossus confused!?
"If at first don't succeed… then parachuting isn't for you…"
-Lizzy Rebel