Moving On Chapter 5

By Gimpy


The sun beat tirelessly on the grounds surrounding the immaculate mansion forcing anyone with common sense to find shade anywhere they could. The large swimming pool was lifeless, no one willing to risk the sun burns even though the water seemed too enticing to ignore. The air was humid, testing Rogue's strength at being burdened with the layers of clothes. Sprawling out along the extended lounge chair, she tried to keep cool praising the overbearing height of the mansion cascading a welcomed shadow over her warmed form. Turning her gaze to her underdressed counterpart she found herself jealous of the small tank top and mini shorts she adorned.

Sensing Rogue's eyes on her, Jubilee turned over and smiled at her friend. It slipped just a little when she caught sight of the brace encasing her arm. Her friend and confidant still hadn't explained its presence.

"So," she spoke, flopping onto her stomach and pushing herself up to rest on her elbows.

"So…" Rogue queried when the girl didn't continue her thought.

"You gonna tell me how you got that not so fashionable arm accessory?"

Leaning into the soft cushion beneath her, Rogue muttered, "Bad night plus a bad day multiplied by frustration equaled fists meetin' Logan's dashboard."

"Ouch," Jubilee muttered, toying with the strands of her hair. When the girl didn't expand Jubilee let it go, knowing she would when ready. "It's too damn hot out here."

Sweltering, Rogue peeled her damn T-shirt from her form, when she let go it slapped back against her skin. "It's better then the rain we've been gettin' lately. Ah love a good thunderstorm but it's been ridiculous."

"I don't know, there's something more then appealing about making out during a thunderstorm." Jubilee quipped, a wistful smile on her face.

The light grin that had feathered Rogue's face fell, her thoughts travelling to the newly founded relationship between her best friend and her former boyfriend. "Ah wouldn't know…"

"What's up with you today? You seem… sour…"

"Ah'm sorry…" she muttered, chewing her cheek. "Can Ah ask yah somethin?"

"Of course ya can," she whispered, concern streaking across her face as she wondered when their open lines of communication had become questionable, trying to find a time when they couldn't ask each other anything, a reason for Rogue to be hesitant to talk to her now.

Gathering herself Rogue made a mental note to keep her question as vague as possible. "Have yah…" she sighed, unsure of where to start.

"Have I what?" Jubilee encouraged with warmth in her eyes.

"Have yah ever been so confused… so conflicted that it… it's all yah can think 'bout? It haunts yah an' yah just can't seem ta escape it? An the only people yah feel yah can talk ta are the people yah can't talk ta?"

Speechless, Jubilee was caught off guard by the completely lost look in her eyes. Wracking her brain Jubilee gave her a small reassuring grin. "Wow… heady…"

Bowing away Rogue muttered a soft apology and added, "It's stupid, Ah know."

"Actually…" She started, hugging her body to the cushion beneath her. "That's pretty much exactly how I felt about the whole me and Bobby thing."

"Really?"

"Yeah… I mean I've liked him for awhile and I suspected he liked me too but I didn't know, know. And… It was hard cause I didn't know what to do about it. There's only one person in this place I have ever felt comfortable talking to and that's you. It wasn't as if I could have just walked up to you and started in on how I liked your ex. It was just, hard beyond belief."

"Yah know yah could have come ta me at any point. Ah would have been okay with it," Rogue stated though Jubilee could tell it was lacking in conviction.

Eyeing her softly Jubilee probed, "Are you sure about that?"

Cradling her arm closer to her chest Rogue thought about her answer before she gave it. "Honestly?" she asked receiving a nod. "It's a lil hard… not cause its you but cause he was mah first boyfriend… it was hard enough losin' him. Ah should have listened to mah gut an never gone out with him in the first place. It was never fair ta him." Growing silent, lost in contemplation she took a moment before speaking again. "Ah'm glad that he has yah just… watch out, he may be a lil or should Ah say a lot affectionate."

Jubilee grinned stupidly at the sentiment. "That I won't mind."

Letting out a soft giggle, Rogue went back to idly toying with the plastic brace holding her mangled hand in place. Jubilee smothered her face into her cushion, her mind on overdrive thinking about just how affectionate Bobby was going to be. Shifting, Rogue tried to ignore the sweat forming on her overheated body.

"It's too damned hot," she grumbled.

"Well no wonder, you're decked out in a pair of jeans, a far too thick T-shirt and those gloves… I think I'd die if I were you." Jubilee mused. Bursting into a sitting position her eyes flashed as an idea popped into her head. "I'll be right back!"

Rogue watched with an amused grin as her friend dash into the mansion without even uttering a reason. When she realized she was now alone with herself she cursed. Just as her wavering mind started to fall back to the day before she heard footsteps coming from the French doors. Her spirits lifting she turned expecting to find her jubilant friend but her mood crumbled when her eyes landed on her visitor.

Logan's disheveled form stood in the doorway, his face blank as ever but she could visibly see the nerves coming off him in spades. She tried to smile at him but found she lacked the ability. For a moment he just stood there staring at her, his eyes almost seeing right through her. And just like that it faltered and his hazel gaze fell. Spotting the brace he veered in on it.

"How bad?" he asked, managing to turn two simple words into a twofold question.

Shrugging, she answered in an almost despondent voice. "Sprained, hence the brace."

Logan nodded as he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the many things that made him Logan. Placing the cigar in his mouth he lit it taking a generous amount of smoke into his lungs. Once again he stood, silent and unreadable, content to simply take breath after breath of acidic clouds into his chest then puff them back out. The unease he was creating within Rogue was starting to make her fidget, practically pealing at the plastic covering on her arm.

Unable to bear the silence she spoke up. "So… what have yah been doin all mornin?"

She half expected him to ignore the question and continue to suck on the poisonous tobacco. He didn't, glancing her way with a tired look in his eyes. "Became the designated bellhop."

"Bellhop?"

Giving the question a shrug with his broad shoulders he inched towards her, planting himself on the end of her lounge chair. She immediately curled in on herself, moving her legs as far away as possible without actually getting off the chair.

"Yeah… A lot of the kids are leaving today, headed off to college or vacation or whatever," he muttered, his thumb absently running the length of the cigar as it sat in his hand.

"An' they elected yah ta do the heavy liftin'," she finished for him adding a nervous laugh.

"Pretty much," he droned. "But hey, if it means getting rid of a few geeks I'm up to it." There was no laughter though his words were a blatant joke. Taking her in from the corner of his eye Logan sighed. He'd made a mess and now he had to try and clean it up. The only problem was he didn't know what to say. Hell he didn't even know the answers himself. Twisting around to face her his hand unconsciously found her bent knee, grasping it almost possessively.

"Marie… about last night-" he started but she quickly sat up straight and cut him off.

"Logan it's okay, really. Yah don't have ta explain cause Ah already get it." Her voice was soft, betraying nothing.

Giving her an uncertain look, his brow raising smoothly he asked, "You do?"

Swallowing hard, she nodded. "It's been awhile since yah… Yah know…" Her cheeks flushed in a deep vibrant red.

"Yeah…" The word was more a question then affirmation.

"An'… Ah was there," she whispered, barely able to look at him. "Ah know it doesn't mean anythin'. Ah was convenient."

Logan struggled for words, his heart clenching for reasons unknown to him. Connecting with her brilliant eyes he realized she was giving him a way out. A way to pretend it never happened. The fact that she was willing to do that for him almost made his heart break. He questioned himself, hating that he wanted to take it but knowing it was easier that way.

"Convenient…" he murmured. "Right."

Her heart caught at his words, hating them as much as she needed to hear them. She wasn't stupid she knew that it really had meant nothing but she'd hoped. Tears swelled in her eyes, a fact she tried to hide. She failed and he caught their scent, confusing him even further.

"Yah should probably head back in," Rogue suggested, just wanting him to leave.

Taking one long drag from the cigar he leaned over and brushed the cherry tip on the concrete. Placing the dead cigar in his pocket he turned to her, finding her eyes once more. What he saw ate at him because he knew he'd hurt her again somehow. But she wanted it this way, didn't she? Feeling far more lost then before he started back in. As he passed the threshold he bumped into Jubilee who swiftly made a derogatory comment he barely even heard.

"What's eating him?" she asked moving to take back her chair.

"Don't know," Rogue muttered finally allowing her legs to stretch out again.

"Here," Jubilee said, passing a huge bowl of ice cream.

Rogue took it gratefully, reeling in the feel of something cold against her warmed skin. Bringing the biggest helping of the smooth frozen desert to her lips her eyes found their way to the path Logan had taken. When the cool food touched her tongue she gasped. "Cold!" she cried, taking the spoon from her mouth quickly.

"That's the point, silly," Jubilee quipped. Watching as her friend got herself accustomed the feel of something frozen in her mouth she turned back to her own musing softly, "You are one lucky chica."

Shocked, Rogue almost spat out her café mocha flavored treat, managing to swallow it instead. "How's that?" she asked, shivering as a cool rush flooded her veins.

Rolling her eyes, Jubilee shoved another spoonful of ice cream into her mouth before responding. "Girl, you are smack dab in the center of one of the most tantalizing and gorgeous love triangles to ever be created."

A scoff managed to filter from her cream fill mouth, "Excuse me?"

"Please! You," she pointed her spoon at Rogue, a grin on her rosy cheeks. "Cannot tell me you haven't noticed."

"Ah don't know what yah're talkin' about."

Jubilee's eyes bulged and her ice cream was forgotten. "Come on! You, Logan and Scott." When nothing registered on Rogue's face Jubilee almost died. "Chica honey, you can't tell me you haven't noticed the male macho contest going on between them?"

Titling her head in disbelief Rogue quipped, "They've always done that, from the moment they met. It has nothin ta do with me."

"See now that's where you're wrong. It has everything to do with you. They go out of their way to make you happy, you're the only person aside from the Prof. they actually talk to and if one of them gets a moment alone with you the other one sees green for a week."

"Yah're insane, yah know that? Like clinically insane." Rogue muttered, turning her attention back to her bowl.

"Me? Insane? Never! … Well maybe a little, but that's not in question here. Think about it, who does Scott go to when he has a bad day or he needs someone else's opinion on something?"

"Well me but that's cause we're friend Jube's. Like you an me. We talk an' confide in each other all the time."

The Asian beauty's brow rose. "If our relationship was anything like the one you have with Scott, I would have kept on dancing with you the other night instead of going over to Bobby."

"Okay no!" Rogue cried out, mock disgust riddling her face. "Don't get me wrong, yah're a beautiful girl an if Ah went that way, an it were possible, Ah probably would have jumped yah already."

"Ditto chica," Jubilee smiled blowing Rogue a mock airy kiss. "But ya can't deny that there's something there. Plus there's no way in hell that you can deny that there's something between you and Logan. That man has it hard for you in the 'primal beast - possessive - touch and die' kind of way. He almost died for you and would totally do it again. At which point I curse your existence and wish hopelessly that he looked at me the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is watching."

Rogue was beyond speechless, any chance at words swallowed whole by the implications. Scott and Logan don't feel that way about her. They couldn't, Scott was ten years her senior though technically eight maybe seven, but he didn't know that. Which is aside from the fact that he's still grieving the love of his life. Then again there have been moments. Hugs that left little room to breathe and lasted a little longer then needed. Moments when his hand found hers under the table or his leg brushed against hers and then stayed. She'd always discounted them as his need for reassurance, understanding that he wasn't alone…

"Then there's of course the little moment you just had with Logan. I felt the sexual tension from the kitchen and what I walked in on… that was seriously uncomfortable," Jubilee's voice faded to the background in Rogue's mind as she tried to disprove her theory.

She could never believe that Scott would see her that way but Logan… A shift had happened in him when he's taken her in and she questioned every moment of it. The look they shared when he'd spotted her from his side of the cage up in Laughlin. The quick shift in his decision to let her hitch a ride with him. All the little things that had happened, the sharing of their real names, the disclosure about his dog tags, their presence around her neck for all that time. Then there was of course the moment on the train when he wrapped his arm around her and held her to him, something you'd never expect from the angered Canadian. Liberty Island, his willingness to give up his life for her…

A crush had formed after all of that but she'd come to the conclusion that it was too childish, too idiotic to keep. His age was boundless and when he'd come back after searching the Rockies for his former self that connection they had formed had almost completely vanished. She'd accepted his love for the red headed beauty knowing nothing would ever happen between herself and him.

But Jean was gone now. Had become the replacement? That's the only reason she could imagine either man feeling anything even remotely romantic towards her. They were replacing Jean with her.

"Did something happen between you and Logan?" Rogue's silence was ringing bells in Jubilee's head and the look of something close to guilt that followed her question almost gave the girl a heart attack. "Oh! OH!" Jubilee's hands waved around frantically trying to dispel the utter bliss and excitement ready to burst forth.

Rogue shot her a menacing look but the other girl didn't notice or care. Practically bouncing out of her own skin Jubilee shot over to Rogue's chair her large brown eyes gleaming brightly.

"Something happened? Oh my god! You have to dish every detail even the minor ones. I want every word spoken, every caress but most of all I wanna know what that fine piece of Canadian beef feels like."

"Jubes," she dragged out her name, feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable.

"No-o-o! No-no NO! I have been eyeing that dark, gorgeous, mysterious piece of ass for far too long! I live vicariously through you, I need to know," she begged desperately, grabbing at Rogue's pant legs and clenching them in her tightly wound fists. "Please… please… please."

"Oh mah god, yah are pathetic yah know that?" Rogue jibed, a smile lingering beneath her flustered and burning cheeks. "What 'bout Bobby?"

"Vicarious. It's a four syllable word that roughly means living through you cause I have always and will always be forced to admire from afar. It's a whole you can look but can't touch thing." Jubilee's words unwittingly scratched at a nerve, bringing tears to Rogue's eyes.

Reluctant but knowing if she held back she'd never hear the end of it Rogue sighed. "Ta be honest Ah don't know exactly what happened. Ah came home late an both Scott an Logan were waitin' for me."

Jubilee's face contorted. "Oh, ouch. You get the lecture?" A lecture she knew far too well.

"Not really… Scott was just worried. Ah explained as best Ah could an it seemed ta be enough. He left but Logan stayed behind."

Jubilee gleefully ran her hands together, her grin growing.

"It wasn't cause he wanted me Jubes," Rogue deadpanned.

"How do you know?"

"Ah do… He knew about mah hands, smelt em or somethin', wanted ta check em over." Once again her hands found the rough plastic. "Which he did… Ah was sittin' on the bed an he was kneelin' before me. When he saw em he said somethin' 'bout not knowin' what ta do with me. Ah dunno, somethin' changed, somethin' in the air. He looked at me an the next thing Ah know, Ah've got mah face buried in his shoulder an Ah'm whispering his name an then Ah was layin' on the bed an he was on top of me."

A squeal wormed its way out of the wired girl sitting before Rogue. "Ah!"

Whirling away from her, Rogue hung her head sadly. "Don't get too excited, that's where it ends."

"What! No it can't end there, it was getting good!" Jubilee protested.

"Yeah well… he tried ta kiss me an Ah panicked, things got awkward after that an he left."

"Well it's a start," the flamboyant girl reassured, not quite understanding that reassurance wasn't what Rogue needed.

Glaring at her friend Rogue grew frustrated, her words growing hot and disdained. "What would it matter any way? It didn't mean anythin' ta him, he told me so himself. Ah'm a replacement for both of them. What ever yah think is there it's not about me."

Pulling back, shocked by the anger fuming from her best friend Jubilee floundered for words. "What do you mean?"

"It's not 'bout me Jubes, its 'bout her. It's always 'bout her. Ah'm safe to them, the replacement that they know nothin can ever happen with. The girl who won't think anythin of it cause she can't afford ta." Frustrated tears welled and her teeth bared down on her innocent bottom lip.

"Well… You've made progress haven't you? You and the doc have been studying it for months now."

"Progress, right," she snapped, shooting up from the lounge chair. "All Ah know is what Ah knew comin' into this place, that Ah'm dangerous. Ah don't know how it works let alone how to control it."

"Honey…" she cooed, reaching out for a hand that wasn't there. "I didn't think…"

"Of course not… cause yah don't have ta. Yah have control, the person who lives vicariously is me not you!" Overwhelmed Rogue apologized softly and walked away.

All Jubilee could do was watch, her mouth hanging down and her mind reeling from her angered words.

Easing her way into the foyer Rogue almost turned around completely. A small group of graduates had gathered saying their misty good-byes, going around hugging and making unfounded promises to keep in touch. Their suitcases, luggage and even garbage bags littered the floor, waiting to be carted out and smack dab in the center of it was a frustrated and exhausted Logan. The path to sanctuary seemed unattainable but Rogue's desperation had reached a new height. Sticking to the back wall she weaved her way around them and when she hit the steps she started to charge up them.

From behind her she heard a knock at the door, listened as Logan gruffly answered it and for reasons unknown to her she went stark white when a man's voice engulfed her. There was no familiarity but something in the pit of her stomach demanded she freeze at the first landing and listen to what he had to say. The deep voice mentioned something about a package and Rogue quickly turned around. Logan stood glaring at the man as he struggled to find the name it belonged to.

"Here it is… Miss Marie D'-"

Rogue's heart stopped all together as he struggled to say her last name. Springing to action before the deliveryman could successfully pronounce it she dashed down the stairs. "Here!" she cried, pushing through the group of teens and coming to halt beside Logan. "Ah'm right here."

Looking at her questionably he looked down at the paper before him then back. "You're Marie D'An-"

"Yes!" she interrupted before he could say it. "Ah'm her."

All activity halted behind her, more uncertain looks falling her way, Logan's own sideways glance piercing her.

"Okay," the deliveryman drawled, shifting a large box that was resting against his hip. He offered it to her and she moved to take it but stopped short.

"Uh…" she laughed nervously, staring at her hands.

"I'll take that," Logan offered reaching for it.

"No! Ah can take it, honestly." Rogue protested.

"Right, sure and I can fly," Logan grumbled, unnerved by her actions.

Helplessly she watched Logan take the box from the carrier. "Ah can."

"Damn-it Marie just sign for the damned thing," Logan cursed.

Sighing hotly she did as he asked and then reached for the box. "Give it here," she demanded.

Leaning down slowly, a look of death on his face Logan whispered harshly, "There's no way in hell you can carry this with your hands so if this is about what happened between us let it go! You can be bitchy later."

Her mouth fell open anger searing through her as she seethed back, "This has nothin' ta do with yah… Ass!"

"Yes it does, you don't want me helping you!" he snapped back, his voice raising enough for onlookers to hear.

"Wrong," she bit back her voice barely above a whisper. "Ah don't want help period!"

"Well you're gonna take it! Now where do you want this?"

Grinding her teeth, her nose flaring in anger, her words strained from her lips. "Follow me." Spinning around hotly she stomped her way up the stairs ignoring the bemused looks as she went. She was fuming now, cursing Logan's arrogance and ego.

The deliveryman watched them go muttering, "Do I get a tip? This isn't exactly mid down." When his words were ignored he shook his head and left cursing rich people.

When they were halfway down the hall to Rogue's room Logan grabbed her arm and spun her around. "What the hell was that?"

"Ah could ask yah the same thing!" she spat.

"You're acting like a spoiled little brat, Marie!"

"Yeah! An yah seem ta think yah're God! So we're even!" She whipped around again and marched straight to her room slamming the door open. Logan followed his heavy boots ramming into the floor as he went. "Put it on the bed then get out."

Shaking his head Logan turned on her. "Look!"

"No yah look! Ah am not in the mood for your king of wild, head of the pack, Ah am the man of the house attitude! Ah'm not your possession, Ah'm not helpless an Ah don't need your protection so place the damned box on the fricken bed an leave!"

"You want it? Fine!" he screamed, throwing the box onto the bed. Its corner hit the mattress and it bounced into the headboard. Flinging back in jumped off the bed and went crashing into Rogue's desk. The sound thundered in the room and the boxes top broke, the contents swiftly bleeding forth. Neither one moved as slips of paper seeped from the box, each one a cut out from various newspapers. Headline after headline assaulted their eyes, Rogue's growing wider as recognition floored her.

She let out a broken gasp as her legs crumbled out from underneath her. The carpet connected with her knees hard but all she could see was the papers before her. Shaky, torn hands reached out to grasp at the slips. Through tears stinging her eyes she read one headline;

"Second Man This Week Found Unconscious"

Covering her mouth, preventing the wretched sobs from finding freedom she grabbed at another slip.

"Mother Of Three Mysteriously Falls Into A Coma"

And another…

"Suspected Serial Rapist Found Dead On Road Side"

They continued in the same manor, each one speaking of victims found dead or in coma's with no reasonable explanation. And each one seemed to physically weaken Rogue as she remembered the horrible words. She knew them off by heart, could read them to you word for word. The words, the faces, the moments described were all imprinted in her mind, carved deeply into the walls she'd created to protect herself. There were dozens, each holding a piece of her, scattered across the floor. Her Pandora's box had come to her and left her without hope.

She barely registered Logan as he came up behind her or when he kneeled beside her. When he reached for a slip she screamed and slapped at his hand. She continued to slap and scratch screaming, "Get out!" over and over. Logan's massive hands grabbed at her arms careful of the wounds. The restraint didn't stop her as she squirmed and fought against him.

"Marie!" Logan screamed, shaking the girl hard. Polished nails found his face and dug in. "Damn-it Marie stop! Stop it! Now!" his voice cracked as fear, uncertainty and empathy scoured him.

Quivering uncontrollably she managed another hoarse, "Get out."

"No!" he responded trying to pull her to him.

She fought the hold, her crystalline eyes cracking before him. "Please, go… yah can't… yah can't see this." Twisting she escaped him and grabbed at the papers, frantically ripping and tearing them her pained hands crying out in protest which she ignored. "Yah can't know… yah can't…"

Logan tried to grab at her again but she shoved him away with more strength then he'd expected. Tumbling into the bed he watched with frightened eyes as the now wild Rogue wreaked havoc on the slips.

Pushing himself up and extending a cautious hand towards her he spoke softly, calmly. "Marie, darlin', ya gotta stop. Ya have to."

"No," she murmured, her actions becoming sluggish. Like dead weight her hands collapsed, hitting the ground soundly. Defeat overwhelmed her. This was it. Everything she'd been trying to protect, keep secret, it was sitting here before her like an opened flesh wound. It was over. Her chest heaved, her arms moving up and down as she tried to catch what little breath was possible. "Ah'm sorry," she sobbed. "Ah'm so sorry."

Crawling across the floor Logan pulled the girl to him and this time she went willingly. Rocking back and forth Logan stared down at the papers littering the floor trying to decipher how and why they were affecting this angel so deeply. He reached for one and Rogue watched muttering a soft protest he ignored. The headline jumped out at him and the words that followed detailed a fearful havoc caused by a mysterious string of unrelated victims succumbing to an unknown force, many ending up in comas for weeks almost months.

Understanding washed over him like jagged sandpaper. Peering down at the lithe form cradled in his arms he no longer saw the innocent angel, his opinion of her completely shattered. Her large doe eyes stared up at him, tears cascading down her reddened cheeks.

"Ah'm sorry," she whimpered sadly.

Stunned into silence Logan just held her, no words, barely even a thought lasting.


To be continued…

Author's Notes: I've been sitting on this since late Thursday night. Why? Two reasons. One: I needed to wait for my beta to read it - which actually I didn't do - she hasn't had time to get to it. Two: I was hoping for more feedback, though I think I've already gotten far more then I deserve and I appreciated every single word of every single one. But, alas, I'm posting it now, I wanted to wait till Monday but I couldn't do it. Namely for my own ego, who is in dire need of boosting but also for the readers, cause I know I hate it when I have to wait too long for updates on the stories I'm reading… :glares at Angel LeeAnn - though she doesn't actually read this:

Little side note - Chapter 6 is completed and waiting to be beta read, I could of course do what I did with this one and post it prematurely - but that's only if you want it. :winks:


jupiterhime: Thank you for the vote of confidence, I always freak out about whether or not I'm doing okay… is the plot believable? Are the characters portrayed right? Am I too heady in my descriptions? (One of my major faults right there.) So honestly and sincerely thank you

Sade: You're like the big tipper who doesn't skimp on giving out the love and I love that. Makes me look forward to your reviews. For some odd reason I'm pumping a chapter out in one day. The last three chapters and the next one all happened in one day. I'm a huge Rogue/Logan shipper to, have been since I started reading X-Men fan fiction. I love playing with it but I think Scott has a chance here too, which is a good thing cause it's a love triangle and the winner shouldn't be obvious until the end . Okay I made that rule up, sue me heh. The shit is definitely going to hit the fan, how can it not? Hopefully I don't make a mess of it, though with shit it usually is messy. Thank you for the massive review and hopefully the wait wasn't too long.

Roguehere: Hug me? Of course you can! I love hugs . Don't know why I deserve one but I'll take it. You know for me it usually takes about five chapters if not more before I really start to love a story so thank you for that - makes a girl teary-eyed. An no worries about the vocab - I tend to forget mine too when I'm reviewing something. Thanks also for the laugh - I got a kick out of what you said at the end there about stopping with the reading of the review and getting on to writing. I seriously laughed at that.

The Mishinator: Don't mind the nickname - I'm in a funny mood. I love my hair too! It's curled on me but it's a nice curl - but you already know that, heh. You think that was bad for Rogue… well it's about to get that much worse and we're only halfway down the hell hole. (Tell me if that makes sense heh!)

April: Wow, now those are pretty words for a writer to receive. Relaxed huh? Well I don't usually think about the actually writing part but I do map out some of the talking in my head - though it never quite happens on paper like it does in my head. As for the suspense thing - I think the premature posting of this chapter is a sign that I too share the impatience thing. The wait shouldn't be that much longer, unless I get evil and decide to just give you a hint and then keep the rest to myself for a few more chapters… I'm kidding… I think :giggles:

Thank you all so much for the reviews… 37 for only 4 chapters… wow… This is me shocked and confused but utterly content to accept it