Chapter Two

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the nice reviews! For those of you who didn't see my post in the reviews section, I had previously been unable to upload the new chapter (this one) for almost a week now! But whatever glitch that was has been fixed and so here it is! Enjoy :0)

"The cure is temporary," came the familiar voice and comforting blue appearance on the live web cam feed. Dr. Hank McCoy sat in his office in Brussels, a large file held between his fuzzy fingers. "Worthington labs plans on announcing it during a press conference in two days."

On the other end of the web feed a group of four was listening intently. Rogue felt her face fall at his words; though, after what had happened with Jones just two days before, she'd known that statement was coming. After all, she'd taken to wearing her old gloves again, and had been covering her lethal skin ever since. She wasn't cured.

"Hey kid," Logan reached over and shook her knee to get her attention. "You okay?" Rogue looked up and saw the others staring at her in concern. It was only then that she realized that there were tear tracks down her cheeks. She half expected the tears to boil…but then of course she was not dangerous to herself, just to the rest of the world.

"How come Logan could touch me?" Rogue ignored the question, and the tears that were now making her cheeks sticky, and addressed Hank. "After I touched Jones, Logan touched me."

"I was fine," Logan added with confusion. Hank appeared to be as puzzled as everyone else.

"Have you touched anyone since then Rogue?" Hank asked her. She shook her head sadly, not able to bring herself to look at Bobby, who was listening intently. "It could have been a delayed reaction, or it's possible that Logan's mutation allows him to touch your skin longer than others can…"

Rogue nodded sadly, once again staring down at her hands.

"…or it could be that the cure has changed the nature of your mutation," Hank finished. All four heads looked up at that.

"What do you mean?" Storm asked.

"I don't know for sure," Hank pointed out quickly. "And I would actually like to get a DNA sample to verify my theory."

"But you have a theory?" Bobby asked eagerly.

"I do," Hank nodded. "I would need a couple of volunteers to test it though."

"I'll do it," Logan answered immediately and Bobby nodded vigorously in agreement.

"What do you mean by test?" Rogue asked him.

"Rogue I would like you to try touching Logan, Bobby, and Storm…if she's willing of course," Hank added hastily. All eyes turned to Storm.

She hesitated only momentarily (Rogue didn't blame her) before nodding her consent. The professor would have done it, and Rogue knew that Storm was trying her best to fill that gap. "Okay then," Hank clapped his hands together. "Best start with Logan. If my theory is wrong he will recover faster than anyone else."

She could feel her eyes welling up even as she pulled off her gloves. Part of her hated being made a spectacle, but another part of her was immensely curious and prayed that she would be able to touch someone again. Her heart swelled a little when Logan reached out and pressed his hands to hers, seemingly not afraid, and understanding her desire for it to be true.

The room was silent while they waited (deathly quiet, she thought to herself with a sick feeling) for something, that horrible thing, to happen. After half a minute she breathed a sigh of relief; even with Logan's healing ability her powers should have knocked him over in that amount of time. He flashed her a half smirk at her wide grin.

"Wonderful," Hank exclaimed joyously. "How about Bobby next, hmm?"

Bobby jumped to his feet quickly and came to stand in front of her. Like Logan had, he reached for her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. His boyish face was as eager as the rest of them, but he couldn't quite hide the apprehension at the thought of what could happen. Nothing happened.

Before she realized it, Bobby laughed and wrapped his arms around her tightly, pressing his cheek to her temple and squeezing her tightly. Rogue felt her eyes close blissfully, thinking that she'd lost the feeling of his skin against hers, and elated that she'd been wrong. When they pulled apart Storm and Hank looked amused, and even Logan looked a little less annoyed than he usually would have.

"Alright, Storm?" Hank nodded towards the weather goddess.

Storm climbed to her feet gracefully and pressed her palms against Rogues confidently. The smiles on everyone's faces faded quickly as both women gasped. Through the pleasure induced blur of her vision Rogue saw the telltale veins emerge on Storm's skin. She could hear thunder crackle in the back of her mind and felt an incredible sensation of electricity, as if lightening were coming out of her fingertips.

Rogue pulled away quickly and Storm collapsed into Logan's arms. She was still conscious though, and looked up at Rogue in shock. Tears once again made her way down Rogue's face, and outside the window the wind picked up furiously. "It's okay Rogue," Storm managed to croak out as Logan helped her sit on the sofa. "Take a few calming breaths."

She struggled to get her breathing under control, taking long, deep breaths. As she did the wind outside began to die down, eventually fading completely. "I'm sorry," she gasped and swiped furiously at the tears with one hand, snatching her gloves off of the sofa with the other.

"Is everyone alright?" Hank's voice asked with concern.

"Yeah," Logan laid a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We're all okay."

"Does this prove your theory Hank?" Storm asked him, obviously trying to move away from what had just happened.

"I believe it does," Hank nodded. They all sat back down and listened intently. "Prior to taking what we had believed to be the cure, Rogue had absorbed the powers of both Logan and Bobby. But not you Ororo."

"So?" Logan frowned.

"When Rogue absorbs a persons energy she temporarily absorbs a portion of their DNA. That's what gives her the ability to borrow their powers. The "cure," he used air quotes. "Was designed to suppress the mutant strands of DNA. But as the nature of Jimmy's power is temporary, the cure then became then became temporary too. My theory is that, when the cure wore off, all traces of mutant DNA in Rogue's system became active again. Rogue you have said in the past that the people you absorb remain in your head, so to speak, is that right?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"I believe then that, since they remain to an extent still in your conscious, a portion of the DNA that your mutation borrowed remained in your body as well," Hank finished triumphantly. "When your mutation reactivated it accepted the residual DNA in your system (which only originally managed to make it's way into your system because of your unique mutation) as a natural part of your body, and thus the mutation does not activate against it."

"So, I can touch the people that I absorbed before I took the cure?" Rogue tried to clarify.

"Essentially yes," Hank nodded with a smile. No one knew what to say.

Finally, Bobby broke the silence. "So Marie's mutation is back, but not quite as severe as before?"

"Not a threat for a select few," Hank clarified and then addressed Rogue directly. "But I know that you don't need me to point out that your mutation is just as powerful as ever when you come into contact with those that you have never absorbed."

"If the cure was temporary is it possible that this could be too?" Logan asked with an apologetic glace at Rogue. "I'm sorry kid, I just think it's better to know for sure. Furball, could her mutation stop recognizing our DNA?"

"I don't know," Hank admitted sadly. "But I am inclined to think that, since Rogue's mutation is permanent, its present condition should remain the same as long as nothing changes or suppresses her actual, biological DNA."

"This is still better news than we thought," Bobby pointed out, taking her gloved hand in his reassuringly.

"Thank-you Hank," Rogue nodded to the blue doctor with a calm exterior that she didn't necessarily feel.

"You're welcome my dear," he nodded sagely. "I only wish I could give you the news you were hoping for. I would still like a DNA sample, if you are willing. I may be able to tell you more if I can do some thorough research."

"Okay," she agreed.

Hank signed off shortly after that and Storm excused herself to go and check on dinner. Logan stood and stared at Rogue awkwardly, not sure what to say, and knowing that she was still quite upset. "We'll talk later darlin'," he patted her cheek with his hand and stalked off, ignoring Bobby completely.

Once they were alone, Rogue didn't know what to say to her boyfriend. The smile on her face was beginning to annoy her. "Stop grinning Bobby," she finally snapped out and collapsed gracelessly onto the sofa. "It's not really good news is it?"

The smile disappeared from his face and he sat beside her. "Marie it's better than we thought," he pointed out. "Your mutation may be back again but you can still touch some people—"

"Six people Bobby!"

"Fine, six people—"

She jumped to her feet, cutting him off. "No, this is not okay Bobby!" she cried, knowing that he didn't deserve to be treated that way, but having no one else around to yell at. "I can touch six people without killing them. I was normal and now I can touch six people…I never thought that I would have to go through this again!"

"Marie—"

"Rogue."

"What?"

"Come on Bobby," she smirked bitterly. "Marie died the second that my body tried to suck the life out of Jones."

"Fine then, Rogue," he made a point to enunciate her name. "It's going to be okay. You aren't alone here you know? The school will always be there for you, and nothing is going to change between us."

She nodded and allowed Bobby to pull her into a tight hug. Rogue let herself revel in the sensation of his cool skin against her and had to quell the rising sickness in her stomach at the thought of something changing, of her mutation changing, and her never being able to feel that feeling again.

Bobby moved to kiss her and she met his lips readily, decidedly pushing all thoughts of loosing to the back of her mind. Bobby was right. She was still better off than she was four months ago…she would worry about the rest later.

TBC…