Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. How many times must I state this incredibly obvious fact?

Author's Notes: Well…how do you like them apples? Hoo, boy. Things are getting dramatic now. The chapter estimation has been extended to twelve, for those who care – it sounds like a small number, but when you consider that I put in about five-to-six-thousand words apiece that's not too shabby.

For your enjoyment this evening, I bring tidings of shocked X-Men with breakfast, a quietly distraught Rogue and a somewhat angry, somewhat scared Kitty teamed up with a quietly disappointed Kurt with the question that everyone's been dying to hear confirmation of (or not)…we'll find out if Rogue does actually love the Master of Magnetism! Love it or shove it!

Inappropriate Conduct

Chapter Nine

The elevator doors slid aside.

Xavier hesitated before assuming his journey towards the kitchen. Storm followed him, quiet as a shadow though he could tell she was worried about the purposely blank expression he held and the tension in his every lineament. He realized she would know the cause – Rogue's appearance in his study; a thing so very uncommon, and so very uncharacteristic early in the morning. However, when the weather witch had asked him just what Rogue had said that had stuck him in such a way, he had told her that she would know only in due time; he would tell this only once, and she would have to wait until that time.

…Though now, as the two of them solemnly approached the boisterous noise emanating from the kitchens, Xavier found himself wanting to retreat back to his study and merely dissect a plan of action with the senior X-Men. Wasn't that what every leader did when his enemy poised to make a lethal strike?

Ororo pushed open the kitchen door, casting one last look at him before he wheeled by her. Xavier nodded to her by way of expressed thanks, then turned his eyes to the inhabitants of the room. He found that – just as he'd been told – Iceman was proudly walking about without anything to hide his shame but a pair of boxers; Kitty was now attempting to phase his pants back onto him whilst cringing; Wolverine had retreated behind a newspaper, determined to ignore the display though quite aware of it judging by the tick going in his right eye; Jean was attempting to calm Scott, who looked ready to obliterate his half-dressed teammate. Beast was lecturing Kurt on the lack of nutritional value of his sugar-frosted cereal, the New Recruits were engaged in a furtive battle of condiments and Cheerios and Gambit sat removed from it all, his elbows resting on the table edge as he stared furiously with unseeing eyes at the wall.

The noise began to subside as soon as he was noticed – the younger students immediately stopped their small food fight; Bobby grabbed his pants and pulled them on hastily; Kitty sat down and tried to look innocent. Scott stood up, frowning around his visor, noticing his mentor's expression. "Professor? Is something wrong?" Everyone but Gambit now turned to regard the X-Men's founder. Xavier looked at the Cajun for a moment, contemplative, before turning back to the grouped mass.

He cleared his throat, realizing belatedly that he was stalling for time. "Once you have all finished breakfast, I would like you to assemble in the dining room."

"The dining room?" Jean repeated. "We usually have briefings in the War Room…"

Xavier glanced about once again – this time even Gambit was watching him apprehensively. "Yes…but we don't usually encounter…complications, such as this one."

The dining room filled slowly.

Xavier watched from his end of the vast oak table as – whether solitary or grouped in small clusters – his X-Men began to file in. Storm and Beast had joined him first, each with a number of questions evidently on their tongues but Xavier had shaken his head, quelling their curiosity. Jean and Scott had followed soon after, both sitting down placidly, seemingly content to wait for the announcement despite the obvious reality that they were in the middle of speculating via the telepathic link they had forged. Kurt edged into the room next, looking slightly guilty-faced, along with Wolverine who cast a suspicious glance at Xavier. Kitty followed with the throng of younger students, all of them uncharacteristically quiet and cautious.

Last of all was Gambit.

As the Cajun sat, Xavier noticed him casting a glance at the only remaining vacant chair at the table – the space between Kurt and Gambit himself, which was usually occupied by Rogue. His mouth twisted oddly, but his expression was blank when he turned to face the Professor.

Xavier held the other man's stare for a moment, wondering how he would take the news. The entire Institute had heard about the conversation in the kitchen – courtesy of Jubilee, who'd heard everything after briefly leaving the Rec Room for a snack – and the rest of the debacle had been pieced together with what had been gathered between the younger students as Rogue had stormed from her room and out beyond the grounds of the Institute with Gambit trailing after her, imploring her to give their relationship another chance. He probably wasn't aware that one of the decisive factors in Rogue ending their relationship was the mysterious man she had spent the night with – the very same man that was causing so much speculation in amongst the inhabitants of the Institute. More than likely, Gambit was also unaware that Rogue had forged a relationship with the man.

Certainly, not one of the people in that room would be expecting the name 'Eric Lensherr' to be even remotely associated with that mystery figure.

Steeling himself for the impact, Xavier turned to watch each individual face for a second as he drew in a long breath. "I have been asked to divulge a…particularly difficult and confusing piece of information to you all," he began slowly. "I must admit that it wasn't just this morning that I was made aware of it, but neither have I been concealing this from you for long. Truth be it known, this is a fairly recent occurrence…one that has drawn some speculation and accumulated a number of rumors." Here he cast a look to Kitty and the younger recruits, who had the good decency to look ashamed of their reputed gossiping. "Needless to say from that, what I have to say concerns the only absent member of the team."

Some looked around to see who that absent member was. Others were more aware – Kurt straightened and looked stricken; Kitty's eyes widened; Gambit tensed and shifted in his seat.

Xavier leaned back in his wheelchair. "I won't go into the private details of the matter; I won't divulge the chronology of the events leading up to this occurrence. Doubtlessly, with what information there is that has been made readily available," he cast another chastising look at the gossipers, "the truth will be apparent with what little information I can give you." He looked away from all the curious, anxious eyes. "God only knows I never imagined I'd ever have to say anything of this sort at all."

A pause fell, momentarily.

"Rogue has begun a relationship with…" Xavier exhaled resignedly, and hung his head. "Magneto."

To his surprise, there was no burst of outrage – rather, the X-Men seemed to be frozen in shock. Five long seconds passed before anyone moved again. Kitty clamped a hand over her mouth and gave a strangled squeak; Scott fidgeted uncomfortably; a slow snarl spread over Wolverine's face. Remy's chair flung back as the Cajun shot to his feet, one fist slamming down on the antique table in front of him. All eyes turned to him.

"Wit'…she's wit' Magneto?" he bit out, his voice quiet despite the fury that contorted his features.

"I'm afraid so," Xavier replied carefully, while watching Gambit cautiously. The young man was red with ill-disguised rage, but he appeared to register that there was no use in unleashing that rage on anyone present. "The revelations don't end there, however." He frowned, shifting his view to address the X-Men as a whole again. "This…is a delicate situation to say the least…though at least I know, having spoken to both of them separately on the matter, how things currently stand. Rogue is very confused right now; she's begun to question her motives, her loyalties, her very self. She's plainly expressed to me that she regrets her conduct because she is aware it would be viewed as a betrayal; other than that, she is content with the course of things currently." He paused again. "However, seeing as though the course of things has abruptly changed…so has her view. She wished for you all to know, first-hand, before she makes her decision."

"What decision would that be, Charles?" Beast spoke up.

For a moment, Xavier bowed his head and studied the armrest of his wheelchair. Magneto had once again thrown him into an uncomfortable situation, and – once again – Xavier was reduced to being a mere pawn of his former friend's boundless, ambitious whims. It was in that same sense, Rogue's part in the situation was somewhat diminished and she was absolved of any blame – she was a pawn as well, having been taken advantage of in an emotional stage and manipulated into her part. Despite any insight her powers gave her, she was still young and inexperienced and, even if he hadn't intended to, Magneto had definitely taken advantage of that.

Xavier just hoped that the X-Men could see that as well as he did.

He looked up again at the shocked and angry faces. "Cut off as we are from the general mutant community, I'm going to assume none of you are aware of the reason behind Magneto's inactivity of late." He cast a look at Wolverine as the man snorted. "Incidentally, it had nothing to do with Rogue. As I said earlier, this turn of events is rather recent – Magneto has been more or less absent from all our lives for some months now." He turned back to the table at whole. "He has – with the help of Forge, who has apparently joined the ranks of the Acolytes – constructed an exclusively mutant nation out of an asteroid. If this place, Avalon, follows any of the plans he drew up when I knew him, it is more than likely impossible to infiltrate without express authorization from the inside and would be heavily defended, but…the general idea behind it is that it would be a peaceful haven that the persecuted, the hunted and the genetically-apparent mutants can escape to."

"This doesn't sound…right," Scott put in. "Magneto's not the kind to hide somewhere, even if it's on an asteroid with an arsenal at his command. And…well, I can't presume as much as you, Professor, but I've never heard of him extending a helping hand to anyone without an ulterior motive. How do you know that the mutants the wind up on this asteroid aren't going to be recruited into his Acolytes?"

"You're right, Scott," Xavier agreed, nodding to his protégé. "This move is somewhat inconsistent with what you are all used to in Magneto, though I can assure you that this has been a plan long in development and it isn't entirely against his nature – though he might find his Acolytes expanding in rank, he does wish to provide shelter for mutants who need it, just as much as I do. I'm actually quite surprised that it's taken him this long to construct such a refuge, considering the persecution that mutants face currently."

"Enough of dis…" Gambit, having retrieved his chair and sat back down again, now clenched his fists on the table and glared at the Professor. "What's de decision Rogue has t' make? What's dis 'Avalon' got t' do…" He broke off abruptly, his eyes widening and then, just as quickly, narrowing.

Xavier nodded towards him. "Magneto has…has expressed a wish for Rogue to accompany him to Avalon, to become a permanent resident of the place."

There was a momentary pause.

"An'…" Gambit's fists clenched tighter and he looked down at the table in front of him. "An' she's considerin' dis?" he demanded quietly.

Xavier paused for a moment longer. "As I said before, this turn of events has left Rogue very confused, and that confusion is only growing as time goes by." He looked away from the watching eyes of his X-Men. "Though it doesn't end there. I also mentioned before that I have had the chance to talk to both of them, alone, regarding the matter. Magneto has…complicated the matter, for want of a better way to say it. He has fallen in love with her."

Silence reigned once again, eventually broken by a quiet exclamation from Beast: "Oh my stars and garters…"

Xavier couldn't help but smile slightly at that. "It was…surprising to find this, to say the least. Naturally, with Magneto being who he is, he never said as much in words, but it was still fairly apparent how he felt. I also know, having spoken to Rogue about this matter, that he hasn't told her outright either. Nor do I think he will, until he is certain that he won't be rejected from her affections in turn." He spared a slightly sardonic look to them all. "His pride is very easily wounded, and I believe his late wife left him very cautious of matters of the heart besides. Nonetheless, Rogue is aware…though I don't believe she quite comprehends the concept as yet."

There was another pause. Xavier took the opportunity to gauge the reactions of those closest to Rogue so far. After all, it would be these few who would be designated with the task of talking to her; it was these few who would be trying to sway her decision in favor of the X-Men. These were the people she would listen to.

To his right and two seats down, Wolverine was clenching and unclenching his fists and a tic was going in his cheek, but it was hard to say what was on his mind until Xavier saw his eyes, clouded over with a conflicting clash of concern and anger. Beside him, Kurt's expressive face conveyed deep disappointment and despair, though it somehow appeared to be a self-reflective look. Across the table, Kitty was still holding her hands over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock and bright with heavy tears – the full impact of the revelation wasn't lost on her in the slightest manner.

And then there was Gambit.

The Cajun was shuddering under the weight of this information and its implications. His head was still bowed; his eyes were fixed on his hands in front of him on the table. His hair hung in the way of what could've been seen of his face, entirely obscuring him from inspection. Xavier could only guess what he made of the situation, not being one for invading his X-Men's privacy. It was quite apparent that Gambit had intended to repair his relationship with Rogue; it was obvious that he'd meant to give her space, to stand aside with the objective of approaching her again after she had cooled down enough to accept his apology. Despite his actions, of which Xavier was aware enough now, Gambit seemed to genuinely care about Rogue.

Perhaps…perhaps he even cared for her as Magneto did.

Xavier set his jaw and went on. "I don't pretend to know what prompted Magneto's response to Rogue; it is irrelevant, besides. I can be certain, however, that I understand why Rogue herself is considering this offer – I understand that he expressly told her he didn't want her to become an Acolyte once on Avalon; he wants her to be his equal, not his subordinate. In short, though I wager it was never specifically said in words, Magneto has offered her commanding power and control. More than likely, he is aware just how much control, of any variety, means to her." He paused again. "Also, I can discern that while Rogue knows she doesn't comprehend, exactly, that Magneto loves her."

"Wait…" Jean frowned slightly, looking about the table. "Should we…I mean to say, would it be a good idea to…aid her comprehension? Should she be brought to understand?"

"That, Jean, is an interesting point to contemplate," Xavier acknowledged. "It depends on the outcome one desires of this turn of events; it also comes to a question of conscience. I'm going to assume that, despite this, Rogue would still be a welcome member of the X-Men if she refused to accompany Magneto to Avalon…keeping in mind," he stressed abruptly, looking at some of the younger students as they began to assume expression of indignation and uncertainty, "that neither person involved has divulged sensitive information to the other, nor did either one set out with the intention of finding any such intelligence. If this is indeed the case, and you wished Rogue to remain, you would stress the implications of Magneto's affections strongly and in the most negative light possible in an attempt to dissuade her from leaving for Avalon. For this, were she to remain here you would have to face your conscience on the matter whenever you were confronted with her – you would forever be questioning whether she would have remained with us if she hadn't realized so clearly what it meant for Magneto to love her. Under that concern, her loyalty would always be under criticism."

"So…we should just…let her go?" Scott interjected, disbelieving.

Xavier nodded, though he felt just as dissatisfied with his reply as everyone else seemed to. "This isn't a carefully orchestrated attack against the X-Men," he stated clearly. "This is a confusing circumstance that even Magneto is lacking foresight and control in – a rare occurrence, I assure you. It isn't in our power to influence this decision of Rogue's one way or another. Nor is it our place to. We cannot force her to remain her, but we can tell her what we believe and how this effects us. She doesn't disregard the X-Men; it's her love for this closely-knit group that her hesitation stems from. If it weren't for her attachments here, she would have already left us for Magneto." Here, Kitty made another strangled noise behind her hands and began to cry. Xavier softened slightly and sighed. "What remains for us now is to speak with Rogue if she needs us, to help her through this confusing decision if she asks. Those of us closest to her will be the ultimate conclusion in this decision. It is their understanding that will either keep her here, and it is their anger that will push her away."

Yet again, there was disturbing quiet as Xavier's words hung in the air. Each person was looking unfocusedly at something – no two pairs of eyes met as the X-Men digested what they had just been told. Time ticked by slowly – it was probably close to being lunchtime by now, surely – as the ominous silence dominated the room.

"This is…unbelievable," Ororo said quietly, breaking the peace.

Kitty stood up, holding her arms resolutely at her sides and standing rigid-backed, like a soldier. Her eyes were still red, however, and her tears still fell freely down her pale cheeks. "Professor?" she said. She didn't seem to be able to focus her eyes and look at him. "Where's Rogue now?"

"She said she was retiring to her room. She may be asleep," Xavier replied.

"Right." Kitty nodded. Then she bit her lip – the warrior-like determination suddenly left her and her breathing hitched in her throat. "I can't go alone," she whispered, still not meeting any eyes in the room.

"I'll go vith you," Kurt told her. He stood up as well, moving as if in a trance. He came around the table, gently laid a hand on Kitty's shoulder and steered her away. "Ve vill talk to her first," he said, addressing the rest of the table in monotone. He turned his disturbing blank eyes to the Professor. "Are ve dismissed?"

Xavier nodded. The younger students stood up and fled the room, dodging around Kitty and Kurt as the pair slowly made their way to the foyer and, from there, to Rogue's room. Beast and Ororo were both watching Wolverine cautiously as he stood up and began to pace the length of the room. Jean and Scott both looked at each other before slowly getting to their feet, leaving the room via the door that connected the dining room and the kitchen. Lastly, unobserved by any save Xavier, Gambit passed a hand over his face and grit his teeth.

Rogue had drawn the curtains over her window with grim determination in an attempt to pretend that the day wasn't happening. Here – in the darkness, finally out of last night's outfit and safely tucked in her bed in her cozy flannel pajamas – she could close her eyes and make as if it were any other day in her life. For now, there was no dangerous mind games; there was no confusing emotions; there was no floods of overbearing guilt; there was no heart-wrenching decisions; there was no overwhelming feelings of selfishness. For now, she could listen to the chaos of breakfast below and contemplate tactics for taking down the bots in the Danger Room for her next scheduled session.

But the din of the morning meal below her died too quickly, reminding her sharply that her problems were very real. Right now, the X-Men were probably being informed of them in the detail and depth only a telepath could deliver. Rogue closed her eyes defiantly and tucked her bedsheets more snugly under her chin, defying the silence. She strained to hear even the slightest sound – a hint of the bedlam she was used to – but no such comforting racket came.

It was the loneliest silence she'd ever found herself in.

So she turned her head and watched the little digital alarm clock on her bedside table. Her hair, now held back in a ponytail, lumped at the nape of her neck on the pillow as she stared at the red-glowing thing, watching the minutes slowly, slowly pass by.

And it was while watching those digits that she noticed something that impacted on her like a kick to the stomach – the alarm clock was completely black, save for the glowing red numbers.

Rogue started violently, her green eyes going wide. Good God. Gambit.

Her insides felt as if they were shriveling. He was, inevitably, finding out her secret just as all the rest of the X-Men currently were…but, whether he sincerely cared about her or not, he'd be feeling it on an entirely different level to them. He'd been feeling it, this betrayal, since there had been a secret for her to guard, before anything had even happened – emotionally – between her and Magneto, screwing up what should have just been a simple thing…an arrangement of mutual desire and unspoken trust. Rogue closed her eyes tightly, taking a deep breath. God…nothing was right anymore. Nothing.

It was all her fault.

Still, perhaps it wasn't too late. She was trying to right her wrongs – she was taking steps to confront this thing. She was revealing the secret…or, at least, she was getting someone else to do it. She smiled weakly at her own uncharacteristic cowardice, but went on contemplating. Maybe the X-Men wouldn't react as badly as she was thinking – maybe they'd even understand her confusion, and see that it was just a bad decision she had made without contemplating the results, which had catapulted into…this. Whatever this was. Rogue sighed to herself and rolled over onto her left side, away from the alarm clock and the unbidden memory of Gambit.

Even if she still had a place with the X-Men after this – which was doubtful enough, the way she saw things – Gambit wouldn't ever forgive her. She'd forgiven him his past, but…it wasn't the same, was it? This was a transgression between the two of them. He'd done the same thing to her – the very same lies and deceptions – and maybe even on more occasions than she was aware of…but his indiscretions, she knew instinctively, were meaningless, faceless, and most certainly never featured an enemy of their common cause. She, on the other hand, hadn't just betrayed him physically – now, she was still struggling to identify just what she felt for Magneto, but it was far from the old resentment she used to tag him with. It was something…something…she didn't know where to begin with it.

Rogue shivered, though she was far from being cold. Nonetheless, she tightened her grip on her sheets and tried to bury herself further into them. She felt so childish burrowing like a scared little girl, but at the same time it was more comforting than anything she could think of.

But all the comfort she could create for herself fell away as a light, hesitant knock at the door broke through the deathly quiet she was surrounded in.

"Rogue?" It was Kitty – shaky-voiced and obviously on the verge of tears. Rogue closed her eyes as they began to sting.

God…not her. Not yet.

"Are you awake?"

She could already see her former roommate's red eyes, her blotchy cheeks. Too many times she'd seen the girl cry – when she got pushed around at school for being a mutant; when she accidentally hurt someone in the Danger Room; when her relationship with Avalanche had fallen through – and Rogue thought it hurt enough to just watch her in misery; to be the cause of it would probably be physically debilitating. No one could stand up to the girl's tears – they were precise weapons; the sympathy they invoked was the wound.

"Kurt and I just wanna talk to you…can we come in?"

No…not Kurt as well. The blue German hadn't made a noise; Rogue knew what that meant. He was staring passively in front of himself, not seeing anything – his face would be etched with hurt, and his eyes full of heart-wrenching, difficult questions. The only thing worse than Kitty's tears, to Rogue, was Nightcrawler's heavy-hearted disappointment, the quiet that would follow…and the hollowness she felt from it. It was a cruel gesture of fate – Karma, perhaps – that she had to face both of them at once.

But she had to face them.

Rogue sat up and smoothed back her hair. "Come in," she croaked. Her voice was already scratchy with tears and she hadn't even caught sight of their stricken faces yet.

The door opened cautiously – Kitty peeked around it, squinting through the darkness before she flicked on a light. Rogue winced, but threw off her covers and swung her legs about to rest her feet on the ground. She resolutely squared her shoulders, but found herself slumping before her former roommate and her brother had even passed the doorframe. She tried to tell herself that she could face them – she'd defeated the likes of Apocalypse, damn it – but it didn't seem to hold as Kitty slipped through the door – just as red-eyed and pale-faced as Rogue had predicted – to let Kurt through.

The two stared at her from the opposite end of the room. Just as Rogue had estimated, Kurt's hollow stare pierced right through her as Kitty's free-falling tears made her insides clench. She closed her eyes, her resolve slipping away entirely as her eyes burned. Cold wetness alighted her cheek; she was crying. God, she'd be some kind of monster if she didn't – just the presence of these two…!

There was a slight impression on the bed either side of her; before Rogue could open her eyes again completely, Kurt had his arms around her shoulders on her left and Kitty was hugging her pillow on her right. She looked at them individually from where she sat between them – her heart rushed up into her throat and threatened to choke her. She gave a strangled hiccup and let her guilty tears fall. "Oh Gawd," she whispered, shaking her head as Kurt gently pulled her to rest her forehead on his shoulder. "Oh…Gawd. Ah'm so sorry Ah did this to ya…Ah'm so sorry…"

Once again, as it had in the past and would continue to do so in the future, the English language failed to be adequate to express just what was on each individual's conscience as the three of them fought private, silent battles with their confusion and fear. Kitty started shaking her head, her reddened eyes wide. "It's not your fault!" she insisted, her voice high and strained. "It's not your fault!" She squished the pillow tighter around her middle, still shaking her head.

"She's right, Rogue," Kurt added quietly, now raising a three-fingered hand to rest on the top of Rogue's head. He was speaking in a voice distinctly reserved for occasions that left him without any of his usual bright cheeriness and humor – it made Rogue feel very small in a way, since this voice was now the one he often used whenever confronted by their lackluster mother; it was a voice heavy with resignation and hard with pain. "Ve…understand zhe problem. Ve know vhy you vould vant to go."

"Ah don't want to," Rogue insisted to the weave of her brother's shirt. "Ah don't…Ah just… Ah just don't get…Ah don't know what wrong with me…"

"It's not your fault," Kitty insisted again as she fumbled for a tissue on the bedside table, scrubbing at her drying tears with her sleeve as she did and still hugging the pillow to her stomach. "It's not!"

"Ah shouldn't have…have gone with him when Gambit stood me up," Rogue whispered. "Shouldn't have let it go on. Should've just…" She drew in another shaky breath and shook her head.

Kurt pulled her away from his shoulder, still looking hollow but at least it seemed as if he could see her now. "Ve all make bad decisions, Rogue." His monotone voice was clearing – there was some emotion in his face now, which spoke volumes of concern and worry…and not hate or disgust. Rogue couldn't help but feel hugely comforted in the compassionate change, however slight and almost unperceivable it was. "Ve all attach ourselves to people who don't deserve us," he went on, giving her the best reassuring smile he could. His eyes momentarily adopted a far-away look – Mystique was haunting his consciousness again – before he returned his focus back to his sister. "It's a part of being human…it's something you have to live vith as an emotional creature."

"Ah just seem ta attach mahself ta the wrong people in the worst way, huh?" She gave a choked laugh and quickly swiped at her blotchy face.

Kurt reached over for the tissues and sat them in Rogue's lap. Both of the younger mutants waited for Rogue to settle herself and start breathing evenly again. All three sat on the bed placidly, though both Kitty and Rogue were still red in the face. Kurt, on the other hand, looked a little more relaxed. Rogue couldn't figure out why he'd wound down, though. Perhaps he'd been worried that she was just going to shut them out, like they were accustomed to, and only give them vague answers to their questions. They'd obviously thought that she was looking for an escape route out of the Institute – evidenced in the look of resignation that Kurt had worn just moments ago, and the scared expression that Kitty still wore. It could just be a simple situation, where – now realizing that she didn't know what she wanted – Kurt's only remaining problem was the shock, the indignation and the hurt associated with the subject.

In any case, Rogue couldn't bring herself to ask them anything. They were the ones with the more pressing questions. Kitty was obviously bursting to say something, twisting the corner of the pillow as the puffy thing sat on her lap – finally released from the death-grip she'd held it in. All she'd said since she entered the room were words of panicked reassurance. There was something else on her mind that seemed infinitely more important; she chewed her bottom lip and stared at Rogue with those wide, scared eyes. She sniffed and looked down at the tissue in her hands. "Rogue?" she ventured quietly, not looking up. "I just want to know…it's not…I mean…" She winced at herself and looked up, drawing in a breath. "Do you love him?"

Rogue stared at the younger girl with surprised, puffy eyes. "Huh?"

Kitty caught eyes with Kurt over Rogue's shoulder and turned her head away quickly, looking like a frightened rabbit. "It's not my business," she went on, still speaking in a hushed whisper. "I mean…it's just, I don't know. I want to know, if you'd tell me. If you'd tell us." She gave a convulsive smile to Kurt, who – when Rogue turned to look at him – was shocked rigid with apprehension and fear.

"Love?" Rogue's stomach pitched oddly. She frowned at herself and looked at her feet, trying to form an honest answer with what little she knew of herself now. Up until a short while ago, she hadn't known Magneto at all except as a dangerous enemy and, before that, an unseen and non-invasive commander while she was in the Brotherhood. Their relationship, as it stood now, had been built upon a foundation of understanding, not emotion; it had just been an arrangement of a mutual need for physical release. Rogue, for one, was only just beginning to realize the emotional potential of intimacy – touch was still caught up with power and domination in her head. There was no room for love to spontaneously bloom on a foundation of power, need and trust, was there?

But she couldn't deny that things had changed, somehow. One way or another, emotions had come into play in the situation…the question that stemmed from that was 'how'? Perhaps there was room for higher emotion to reach her, with trust as a base? Trust wasn't just a state of mind, it was an emotion…it had to be – from the very first instance, their unemotional arrangement had been poisoned with that unassuming sentiment. Trust, as a compassionate emotion, could have given way to something else. Maybe it had given way to love. It had certainly poisoned the unemotional aspect of their relationship – maybe it had provoked stronger feelings than itself. It could be possible. Maybe it had happened. Certainly, something had happened. She knew she held him in a different light than before; she cared for him…substantially cared for him. Was that all? Was it mere platonic love? Could it be something higher?

Rogue looked up again, frowning across the room at the closed door.

She tried to look at it objectively – she ran over the things in her mind that could give her a hint. She had no idea what love was supposed to feel like, but she assumed she hadn't been in love before, not even with Gambit. The Cajun had stirred something in her, something that made her skin heat up, her limbs turn to liquid and her eyes cloud over despite all that had happened between them…but she wouldn't call it 'love'. They had a passion – a deep passion, a passion that was intense and had wound itself into her heart, in a way – but it didn't feel…detrimental enough. It didn't feel as though her world was concentrated in it.

Could she say the same about Magneto? His actions had swept over her stable life, wrecking everything that she held herself upon and building up something…something that was suited to him. Rogue's mouth twisted slightly – the words 'manipulative bastard' sat on her tongue – but she found she didn't really care. He'd taken control of her, entirely, without even meaning to – she knew for a fact that he hadn't set out to seduce her with any dark purpose on his mind, other than…what had come to pass on the first night. From there, amidst all the confusion…

"Oh, Gawd," she whispered in something close to horror. She clutched the box of tissues on her lap convulsively. "Ah…am in love." It was love that she felt – it had been right there, with all the changes around the two of them. Everything seemed to fall into place under that idea – the way she had ignored her initial guilt; her motivation to continue seeing him, even when she started to get horribly scared of him for bringing her back to her old self…it was all pointing to one conclusion. She screwed up her eyes tightly and shook her head in denial. "Ah can't be in love," she said, speaking to herself alone as much as she did to the gaping-mouthed Kurt and the shaking Kitty. "Not with him." How could she have fallen in love with Magneto? He'd tried to kill her, on quite a few separate occasions; he stood for everything that she fought against…but did she believe in what she fought for? Or was she only with the X-Men to keep herself from finding a disturbing truth? Perhaps she did believe in mutant supremacy, but had been ignoring it? She certainly had a knack for ignoring things currently…

She winced at herself. She had to stay on track here; she could question her motives later, but right now…she had other concerns.

"Ah can't be in love," she said to herself again.

Kitty gave a high-pitched squeak that was more than likely a failed attempt at a laugh. "You sound like you just found out you're pregnant to the guy," she jibed.

On Rogue's left, Kurt started violently. "You aren't pregnant, are you?" he demanded, grabbing hold of his sister's shoulders again.

Rogue shook her head. "No…" She shouldn't be pregnant, anyway. In the interest of keeping a controlling hand on her cycle, Rogue had begun taking the contraceptive pill as prescribed some time ago. "Ah'm just…this." She waved a limp hand at herself and shook her head. "How the hell did this happen?" she muttered weakly.

Kitty sighed on her right. "We're all kind of wondering that."

"Yeah." Rogue closed her eyes again and shook her head. "This is just…" She sighed, unable to finish. There were no words for how surreal this whole situation was. Who could have expected it? Twisting a tissue in her lap, she looked at Kitty. "Y'all hate me for this, don't ya?"

"What?" Kitty's eyes widened to almost impossible proportions. "No!"

"Vhy do you think zhat?" Kurt asked, looking genuinely confused.

"If we hated you, we wouldn't be here!" Kitty insisted, giving Rogue the smallest smile. "We care about you, Rogue – we're…trying to make sense of this whole situation and find out what you think. We're trying to figure out what you want…maybe even find out what you think you're going to tell Magneto. We…I…" Kitty looked down and fiddled with the balled-up tissue in her hands. "I…want to know why you think you went with him in the first place. If it was just, you know, a thing about touch or…what."

Rogue took a deep breath. "Look…" she began, "Ah don't know why Ah did it. Ah don't know why Ah didn't stop it. Ta start with…well, Ah kinda felt that Ah couldn't." She ducked her head and bit her tongue, not wanting to admit that it had hardly crossed her mind, not once. "It just got outta hand. There's no reason why or how or…anythin'. It just happened." She looked between them again. "An'…the Professor prob'ly told ya that Ah'm not really…well, Ah don't really regret it happenin', but Ah do regret hurtin' y'all."

Kurt shook his head at her. "Rogue, ve aren't…vell, we are a little bit upset about the idea of you and…." He grimaced. "Look, if vhat the Professor said is all there is to it, zhen zhere is nothing to be sorry for, mein Schwester. As long as vhat happens between you and Magneto stays outside of your beliefs over zhe conflict – even if you…go, vith him – zhen…" He smiled his trademark, sheepish smile, with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Zhere is no betrayal, Rogue. I can't speak for everyone, but I know zhat I don't distrust you, and neither does Kitty. It seems as if everyone else is…confused, for zhe most part." He sighed and looked at his feet. "I vant you to be happy, you know? You have to decide just vhat you vant…but I can't say I don't hope zhat you decide you vill be happier here."

Some time after Kitty and Kurt left, Rogue curled in her bed again and hugged her knees to her chest under the quilt. A constriction in her chest that she hadn't properly noticed before was lifted after having talked to them. Two down, she thought as a wry expression crossed her face. It was comforting to know where her brother and her closest friend stood on the whole issue – even if they hadn't been so understanding, she would have felt some relief at having gotten their opinions, but their sympathy compassion made her feel slightly more better.

They'd left with a vague understanding of what she felt. It was enough for Rogue. She hadn't expected them to forgive her, in any case – what they could grasp of the situation was more than enough, with their forgiveness. Even considering that she knew how easily Kitty forgave people, it still meant a whole lot to receive express exoneration from her. Kurt, on the other hand, could hold a grudge for days, weeks…even months. It was certainly a mark of trust and compassion that he was already willing to face her, let alone forgive her for…this indiscretion. Her forgiveness was soothing; his forgiveness was inspiring.

…It made her feel as if there was still a place for her within the X-Men.

A/N: See? There's yet hope for Rogue to remain with the X-Men. Anyway, it's REVIEW TIME!

IvyZoe: I couldn't have Kitty flying off the handle, and with all the shocked reactions I was writing for Kurt he couldn't really just suddenly turn angry. This is a dark, difficult time in the Institute; it's a thing to address with sobriety and calm apprehension. I can tell you now, though, that the Gambit Confrontation isn't going to be nearly so easy and happy-sunshine-like. Angst-ahoy! It's only two chapters away now! Ta for the review, by the way. It's always fun to be appreciated.

N.M.C.L: Hm…it's possible that the good guys might win in the end, but it's equally as possible that they won't. It all hinges on Gambit, but I can tell you now that he's not going to beg! That Cajun's too damn proud to grovel:) The Logan-conversation might be interesting though. Here is the demanded update, with another set for posting in a week. Thanks for the review!

ishandahalf: Holy jailbait bondage-slave, Batman! (Ha! Come on…what else would happen in the Batcave, really?) That's yet another humongous review…not that I'm complaining, of course. Sorry, though, that my update schedule isn't wish-activated. It would be fun it if was, but I don't think the quality of the story would exactly maintain that way. Danke for the compliment on my internal monologues, and also thank you for the visual image of the X-Peeps just shrugging off the devastating news to get to the bottom of the pancake stack. "Oh, Rogue might be leaving us for Magneto, huh? How about that? Someone pass me the funny pages, thanks?" The traitorous-shunning-thing comes up next chapter – I felt that Rogue needed a compassionate shoulder to lean on (or two, as the case is) to give her some reason to stay. Onto the getting-Xavier-to-tell bit – I feel that Evo-Rogue was made to be passive-aggressive. She speaks her mind just find and is pretty kickass when it counts, but whenever confrontation happens…watch that girl shrink and cringe with unease! The various reactions are coming – I only provided a small snippet here, and an elaboration on Kurt and Kitty alone. I have to have something to write about in the next few chapters, don't I:) But I slipped in an 'oh my stars and garters' from Beast already – love that line! I can promise you Wolverine-stubborn-anger for the next chapter. Unfortunately, it isn't finished yet so – unlike last time where I completely forgot to put in a teaser – there is no quote to pique your interest with. Many apologies. Thankies for the review!

Elle Mooreside: Xavier does come across as a dirty old man, doesn't he? What kind of educator dresses his students up in spandex and leather, anyway? And the majority of them are underage! Ha! Ah, hilarity. By the way, I have to agree with your take on Wanda. Yes, she's angry – but she's not totally off-the-wall, right? A lack of social interaction growing up is all that's wrong with her. Poor Witchy. :) Anyway, thanks for the review. I shall endeavor to get back to your fic and review at some stage…providing my hunt for a new place of residence allows me the time…bah! Stupid real estate!

ExpectedAberrance: Oh, if all goes sour for the X-Men, there's going to be plenty of arrogant Cajun for you to hate in two chapters time. Also some Cyclops that you might want to strangle in passing, because – let's face it – when it comes to Magneto this boy doesn't see beyond the black and white. Regarding the anagram fun…hm. I was never good at these. Maybe there's a website that generates all the possible words to be made out of a name? I don't know. In any case, your moniker is clever, which is much more than many can say. Don't change a thing. Anyway, it was great to hear from you again. Thanks for the feedback!

thriller: I've actually been speaking my opinion quite loudly at a Evo forum called 'Why Romy?' – caters to both Romy-lovers and the critics. No, it's not my forum (so, no, this isn't a spot of blatant pimping), but I am a member. Whichever way you are inclined, come join the fun. By the way, regarding the Rogue-leaving dilemma…if she does end up going I have a sequel-fic in mind. If she doesn't…well, it doesn't really work. It could work without her leaving with ol' Mags, but there'd be gaping holes in the plot that only she could fill. Glad you liked the de-pants Bobby; I felt that someone else needed to be indecently exposed here, too. Who better:) Anyhoo, ta for the review and encouragement!

willowaus: It probably would be hugely embarrassing to talk to Xavier about that, no matter who you were! Blech. It's like having 'the talk' with your parents. But I felt it would be easier for Rogue to just tell one person – a person guaranteed to sit and listen to her, and help her make the right choices – than to blurt it out over breakfast in front of all the X-Men! Well, danke for the review.

RogueBHS: You're not going to enjoy Scott's reaction – just like that lousy writer in season 3 arranged, he's going to be either tactically avoiding her or getting really, really pissed off! Well, as you can see from this chapter, Kurt's semi-sympathetic, but as for the mystery that is Gambit…well, I'm still not sure how he's going to be. Anyway, re: the one-shot, I might give it a go. It all depends on how this one turns out – if Rogue leaves with Mags, then there's quite possibly going to be a sequel and I'll be too busy with that. If not, there could still be a sequel but I'll have to edit the idea somewhat. Keep in mind that I still haven't even decided how this is going to end. I'll know by the next time I update, but I won't be telling. :) Nyah! Anyhoo, thankies for the review! Hope you enjoyed this heapin' helpin' of update!

Christina: I like to think that the Professor's honesty about his stance on this whole shebang is a mark of respect and a sign of his acknowledgement for Rogue's capacity to make mature decisions for herself. Well, thank you for the review and here is the update requested – only a day after you sent your review! Talk about timing