Disclaimer: anyone I gave a full name for is property of Marvel. Some of the students I made up myself; any similarities to already-existing Marvel characters are coincidental and unintentional.

Secrets were a rare thing at the school. So even though Bobby and Rogue had only dropped the news to Piotr and Logan the next morning, when they met for lunch two days later, the entire school was waiting to scream, "Surprise!"

Bobby laughed, closing his arm around Rogue's waist. "Who did you tell?" he whispered.

"Just Logan," she said.

"Don't look at me," said Logan, coming up to them. "I can keep a secret." He gave them a rare grin, although there was pain behind his eyes that made Bobby wonder if Logan had ever held dreams of getting married. "Congratulations, kids. And Frosty," he gave Bobby an almost dangerous look, "don't screw this up."

A few years had gone by, and Logan had grown to respect Bobby to the point where they were almost friends, but that didn't mean that Bobby still wasn't occasionally terrified of him. "I'll try not to," he said with a smile tight enough to make Rogue laugh. Logan hugged Rogue, and then stepped aside so she could get assaulted by a few of her giddy female students. Bobby sought out Piotr in the crowd, and said, "When I said I'd tell people on my own, what did you think I meant?"

Piotr only smiled.

Bobby was embraced by friends and clapped on the back by students. "Way to nail the hot chick, Mr. D," exclaimed Lester, one of his more enthusiastic students, using the nickname with which the boys usually favored Bobby.

"Don't make me give you detention, Lester," said Bobby good-naturedly. Lester, a teleporter with ever-advancing powers, had, like John, a tendency of letting his mouth get away with him. Unlike John, however, it was never with ill intention.

"Checkmate, bro," said Lester, giving Bobby the wink-and-point, before falling back into the crowd of well-wishers.

"Congratulations, my boy," said Dr. McCoy, popping out of the school's residents like a phantom, though it was nearly impossible to miss his tall, blue, furry form. He clasped Bobby's hand between his own massive ones, and pumped enthusiastically.

"Dr. McCoy, great to see you," said Bobby. "It's really nice of you to come."

"Well, I do like to show my allegiance to the X-Men under far less dire circumstances. When Ororo informed me of the party, I hopped the first private jet down."

"Oh. Well, thanks."

"I'm sure you realize what a large deal a mutant-human relationship is," said Dr. McCoy seriously. "Even if she was a mutant prior."

"Yeah," said Bobby, although it wasn't until it was uttered by the former Secretary of Mutant Affairs that Bobby began to realize how intense the situation really was. It could do great things for relations between mutants and non-mutants, which was what Professor Xavier had always wanted. Bobby felt a surge of pride for moving along the Professor's cause in his own way.

On the other hand, it could be a huge political snafu, especially considering how high-profile the X-Men were following the war at Worthington Labs. Unbidden, Bobby's gaze scoped out the whole of the dining-room-cum-reception-hall, on a reconnaissance mission to find his wayward fiancée. She was standing with Storm, who Bobby was at last comfortable referring to as Ororo, the two women laughing over nothing with all the exuberance of longtime friends.

"But," he continued to Dr. McCoy, staring at Rogue, "I love her. And when you love someone, screw everything else."

"An admirable sentiment, Robert." The older man lay his large, warm hand on Bobby's shoulder.

"No one calls me that," said Bobby, who hadn't been referred to as Robert since it had been written on his birth certificate.

"I do," said Dr. McCoy with a roguish grin. "Now go on, chat with your other guests. I won't monopolize all of your time."

In his wake was Ororo, who had made it over to him in record time to spread her congratulations. She embraced him with a bright smile. "I was so glad when I heard," she said. "I hope you don't mind the party."

"No, it's great," he said.

"Good. We haven't had much reason to celebrate around here in awhile."

"Tell me about it." He gazed around the room just as the music was starting up. The tables had been pushed aside, stacked precariously in a corner of the room, and held in place by a telekinetic. A DJ booth had been set up by Vincent, who had the odd ability to play vinyl records in midair, without the aid of any machine. The kids were boogieing, some with grace, some decidedly without, and all without much care. "I love this place," said Bobby, hit with a wave of nostalgia for his first years here, where he would've been dancing poorly with his friends, and laughing at the whole situation.

"You're not thinking of leaving us after the wedding, are you?" said Ororo.

"Of course not," he said. "This is my home. This will always be my home."

"I'm glad to hear that," she said. "I don't know what we'd do without the both of you." She smiled at him, eyes twinkling. "I mean that."

Bobby, warmed by Ororo's sentiment, found his way over to Rogue's side. She was watching the dancer's circle, which was rapidly increasing in intensity, on the verge of becoming a mosh pit. At the edge of it, Warren was just pulling Kitty onto the floor. He was beaming, she was a little red-faced, but they moved fluidly together.

"It's not fair that a guy who looks like that can move like that," sighed Rogue.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Bobby. "I've got moves."

Rogue looked at him almost pityingly. "Oh, Bobby."

"I have moves!" he insisted.

He kissed her cheek, and pulled her onto the dance floor. Watching them, DJ Vince replaced the record he was holding over one finger with another, and set it spinning. A sensual tune flooded the room, perfectly designed for slow dancing. Several couples took the floor, but the clear centerpieces were Bobby and Rogue, interlocked and swaying. Bobby lowered his mouth to hers, to the catcalls of the entire student body.

"Dude, Mr. D, get a room!"

"This so wasn't advertised in the brochure."

Bobby laughed. "I love you," he said in a low voice.

Rogue still looked properly mortified from having the students 'catching' her, but she half-smiled at him. "I love you, too."

DJ Vince segued into the next song, far more peppy, perhaps intending to take the heat off of his teachers. Warren approached them. "I hate to interrupt," he said, "but I don't know anyone else well enough that I can ask to dance."

Rogue looked at Bobby excitedly. "Did you hear that?" she hissed. "Warren wants to dance with me."

Bobby obliged her with an eye roll, and she scampered off. Moments later, though, Kitty tapped on his arm. "Hi."

"Hi," he said.

"You wanna dance?" she asked. "I love this song."

"Okay."

She stepped into place, and they began to move together. Kitty had her natural dancer's grace, but Bobby was always an awkward step behind, until Kitty expelled a frustrated sigh. "You are so useless," she said. "Here, like this." She took his hands, and showed him the moves, step by agonizing step. Bobby, though trying admirably, couldn't quite match the rhythm. "You're pathetic," she said, laughing. "Marie's totally marrying you out of pity."

"It's not that bad," he protested.

"Oh yes it is. Are you guys going to be dancing at the reception? Because I'm thinking you shouldn't."

Bobby laughed. "So I take it you're not mad at me anymore?"

"Mad? I'm ashamed. You're making me look bad." She shrugged under the weight of his stare. "I was never mad, Bobby. Just stupid. You and I have been friends for so long, but you and Rogue are meant for each other. I thought... I don't know what I thought."

"I understand," he said.

She shook her head with a nearly wistful smile. "You don't, but it's sweet of you to say. I'm sorry if I screwed up our friendship, Bobby."

"You didn't. Things just changed, is all. It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"I guess."

"And speaking of change, I saw you getting cozy with Warren earlier."

Kitty blushed at Warren's name, and Bobby felt a stab of relief. "Well," she said.

"You know, those late-night training sessions," he teased, "the romance just starts to flare..."

Giggling, Kitty punched his shoulder. "Shut it, you." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "Thanks, though." She scampered off, and Rogue came to fill the void left behind, looking over her shoulder at Kitty's departing back.

"What was that all about?"

"What? Oh, Kitty and I were just tying up some loose ends," he said distractedly. "Is that Logan and Ororo?" Rogue followed his point, although obviously it was their two coworkers and friends. Ororo was trying futilely to pull Logan onto the dance floor, but Logan stood stiffly, refusing to move. The both of them were laughing.

"Looks that way," said Rogue, her voice a little far away, even though she stood right next to him.

"I guess he's moving on," said Bobby.

Rogue murmured noncommittally, and he got the impression she was no longer listening. Her gaze was straying to Warren and Kitty; to Piotr and his impressive cadre of giggling freshman girls; to DJ Vince balancing three rotating vinyl discs atop each other, with a solid two inches of space between each, creating a tantalizing beat. With the simple flick of a wrist, the records stopped in place, and without his powers to support them, fell back down into his outstretched hand with a neat stacking sound. Dr. McCoy was stepping up to the DJ booth, raising a glass of champagne to command attention.

The chatter of the students and faculty stilled and stopped, and Bobby found himself holding his own champagne flute. One of the students was weaving through the crowd so quickly that he or she was merely a rush of air, passing out full glasses. Though Bobby racked his brain trying to remember who had super-speed, he could not come up with a name, and took a sip to console himself.

"I understand that it isn't usually the procedure to do this sort of thing at an engagement party," apologized Dr. McCoy, "so I hope you'll indulge me, and in return, I'll keep it short." He was an impressive speaker, booming with all of the volume that one would expect from someone with the codename Beast, but with all the eloquence and manners of someone who was in direct contact with several world officials. "As a wise man once told me, 'When you love someone, screw everything else.'" Bobby snorted his follow-up sip, the sound drowned out by the laughter of the crowd. Dr. McCoy graced them with a smile. "In their quest for romance, Bobby and Marie have fought countless adversaries: mutant and non; in situations both mundane and severe. And their strength in battle was amplified only by the strength of their love for each other.

"In the grand span of life, my relationship with these two is a minor speck. But together, they are a brilliant spark. They transcend boundaries, and inspire all of us with the quality of their love for each other." He raised his glass. "To Bobby and Marie."

"To Bobby and Marie," the partygoers echoed, and the two teachers blushed slightly as their friends and family drank a toast to them.

"Yeah, Mr. D!" piped up a familiar voice, breaking the solemnity of the moment. Bobby laughed, kissed Rogue's temple, and took a celebratory swig of his champagne, taking in every detail of this memory in the making, so that he could carry it with him for the rest of his life.

Bobby sat at his desk, tapping his foot anxiously against the chair leg. He glanced over his shoulder at Rogue, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, pouring over yet another essay. "I was thinking we should invite my family to the wedding," he said, the words exploding out of him before they were even a fully-formed thought.

Rogue looked up, a shock of hair falling in front of her face. "What?"

"My parents. I think we should invite them."

"Bobby, we haven't even set a date yet. Hell, you only proposed a few days ago. Why are you even thinking about this?"

Bobby dropped his red pen on the desk, where it clattered and rolled off, bounced on the carpet, and disappeared. "I don't know. I was just thinking about it."

"Your parents disowned you," she pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but they're still my family. I mean, Warren's dad tried to use him as a guinea pig, and look at their relationship now." Despite the initial nature of their relationship post-Alcatraz, the Worthingtons had come to a peaceful point, and Warren now called his dad regularly. Between that and Kitty, he was now in the habit of looking far less sad.

"Yeah, but you're not Warren, and your parents aren't the Worthingtons. Your brother called the cops to come and take you away, and your parents just watched it happen. I can see why you'd want them in an entire roomful of mutants."

"Hey, look on the bright side," he said, "at least now they'll love you. You'll be the only non-mutant in the room."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"It doesn't mean anything. I'm just illustrating the narrow-mindedness of my parents."

"By singling me out. Thank you for that."

She was acting very bizarrely, but for the life of him, he had no idea why. "What's up?"

"I noticed you not offering to invite my parents."

"I didn't think you'd want them to come. I mean, you ran away from home."

"But you didn't ask. You know, we both got the short end of the stick as far as supportive family goes, but you don't own the patent on having a heart in spite of it."

"What," said Bobby, pushing his chair away from the table and rising. He stood at the end of the bed, his organs feeling like they were impacting from the tension, but he remained even more upright than usual, indignation pulling a string at his spine. "It's not like that at all."

She sighed. "Fine. You're right. I'm sorry." She didn't sound particularly sorry, but just as Rogue switched to the defensive, Bobby switched over to remorse. He was no longer in the mood to push the increasingly ridiculous fight.

"Hey, how about this weekend, we get the gang back together and go out somewhere," he said as a peace offering. "You, me, Pete, Kitty, just like old times." It wasn't until the words left his mouth that he felt a pang of something else. Nostalgia, perhaps, and regret, because old times would have included John. John would have offered up commentary, biting to the point of being cruel, which would get him into yet another argument with Kitty. Piotr would plead feebly for them to all get along, Rogue would offer up her hallmark of a scoff and a heavenward gaze, and Bobby would wish for five or ten or fifteen seconds that he was anywhere else. The things he missed.

He was so swamped in memories that he missed the irritation flooding into Rogue's face. "Great, Bobby, that's just a great idea," she said.

"What?" he asked. "What's wrong now?"

"For starters, maybe you haven't clued into this concept yet, but we can't be fraternizing with the students. Storm'll have our heads."

"What fraternizing?" he said. "Pete and Kitty have been our friends for ages. Everyone knows this."

"Some friends," she scoffed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Bobby.

"I saw Kitty kiss you at the party, Bobby." She crossed her arms over her chest, and Bobby had to question who had the ice powers, because the temperature in the room went down considerably.

Bobby prickled with insult, but struggled to keep the rational calm for which he was known. "Marie," he began, but couldn't find the right phrase to finish. To say that he and Kitty were only friends was a true statement, but it also led credence to Rogue's apparent theory that he and Kitty were having a torrid affair.

Still, it was the statement that would get to the heart of the matter, and really, the only thing he could think of to say. "Kitty and I are just friends."

"I'm not blind, Bobby, and I'm not foolish."

"And I'm not he kind of guy you seem to be painting me as," he retorted. "Give me some credit, okay? Kitty and I were friends long before you came here."

"Is that really the argument you're going to pull?" she challenged him. "Your way of justifying things?"

Too late, he realized he was only digging his grave deeper. Yet, no matter how strong his ice powers were, he couldn't repress the flare of anger inside him. "What's there to justify?" he said. "She's my friend, that's all."

"And I'm supposed to trust your taste in friends?" she said. "Or have you forgotten about John?"

It would be a long, long time before he forgot about John.

Bobby had to force himself to remain on-topic, because the last thing he wanted to do was again suffer the guilt that had plagued him when John first departed. The way she'd taken the words, bending and twisting them all around like a pipe cleaner, made him wonder if she really believed that it was his fault.

"Look, Kitty's not interested in me," he said. It was a lie, of course, because Kitty's visit to him, however long ago, was proof enough that she was, or at least had been, very much interested in him. But still, "And I'm not interested in her." That was absolutely the truth. "I love you, Rogue. Marie," he covered. "I've only ever loved you." And that was the ultimate truth, uncontested, with irrefutable evidence and eyewitnesses to back it up.

"You wanted a girl you could touch, Bobby, I can't blame you for that," she sighed. She sounded sad, as though she was on the verge of conceding defeat. Her tone wasn't what caught the most of Bobby's attention; it was, unfortunately, the words themselves.

"Did you get the cure because of Kitty?" he demanded, his voice belying far more of his anger than he would have liked, or at least, than he would have liked if he had been in a calmer state of mind. But it was too late for that. "Did you do it because you thought I was cheating on you?"

"You two were all over each other," she snarled, her accent sharpening as the color in her cheeks grew darker. "Hell, with Kitty's intangibility, you were probably all in each other, too! How do you think that makes me feel?"

"How does that make you feel," he said, unable to stop the torrent of words once the button was pushed, "how do you think it makes me feel? God, Marie, what part of 'I love you' is so hard for you to grasp? I asked you to marry me!"

"You only asked me after you found out you could sleep with me," she spat.

He didn't know which stung him worse, the lie, or the idea that she could actually ever believe that of him. That she could believe any of this of him. "Don't go laying this on me. You're the one that left; you're the one that abandoned us. The team could have used you, Rogue! There were six of us out there, six against hundreds of Magneto's guys, six against a pile of angry humans who were all armed and ready to neuter us. We needed all we could get, and you just abandoned the X-Men because you don't trust me!"

"Neuter?" she said incredulously. "Is that what this is? Am I suddenly less of a person now that I'm less of a mutant?" She was trembling with anger. "I didn't abandon you. I was saving you all from a power I can't control. And besides, the almighty X-Men seem to have done fine without me. You're just like Storm, aren't you. You just can't support my decision on this." Her eyes were tragically beautiful, flaring with rage, yet glistening with tears she had just enough power not to shed. She rose to her feet, and with an impressive display of calm, she issued, "I'm on your side, Bobby. Mutant, not, it doesn't matter, I was always on your side." Gazing down at him sadly, she turned and left, slamming the door with a distinct crash of finality.