Disclaimer: Don't own.
Rapunzel34: Lol. Yes, I shall soon be explaining to everyone the reason why Rogue has contact with Logan and why Scott can touch her and not get hurt. It might happen all in this chapter, but in time it will.
Baby12: Thank you thank you. Bows and curtsies and smiles like an idiot I shall try updating sooner.
Mechelle-VanPatten: Rude? I'm so sorry! Lol! I'm really so so so so so so sorry. I hope you like this chapter!
LoneCat: You love the story? I'm so happy!
Nicki-hunny: Lol. That's the second time someone has told me that I was mean and/or rude! I'm sorry if I'm a cliff-hanger kind of person!
Chica De Los Ojos Café: Yep, skin to glorious skin…don't you just envy Rogue for a moment?
VanillaStrawberry: I'm glad you like it so much!
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Fidgeting in the chair, Rogue refused to meet either Professor Xavier's or Scott's eyes. Her gaze was concentrated on her gloves, and her mind wandered onto the happenings that had caused Scott and herself to awaken the professor at such an ungodly hour of the morning. Shame tinted her cheeks pink as she listened to Scott explaining the circumstances that brought on their discovery to the professor without trying to disclose too much information—and that the professor saw through everything and apparently knew what had happened. Did it show on her face? Was it that obvious?
"Rogue, would you please stop fidgeting, you have nothing to be worried about." The professor announced in a reassuring voice that held hints of amusement. Leaning forwards on his desk, he looked at Scott and then at Rogue. "Scott has told me that he has been able to touch your skin without being hurt. Is this correct?"
She nodded wordlessly, still not looking up from her gloves. This was just so embarrassing!
"Good." The professor smiled, his wheel chair moving from behind the desk to seat him right next to the nervous woman in his midst. "It is just as I thought. You're mutation is controlled by you—though very subconsciously I must add."
Her head jerked up at that and she could only stare at the professor as if he had gone mad. How could he say that she was in control of her mutation? That was stupid and hurtful. There was no way that she had kept herself from being touched by loved ones all of those years that she yearned for the feel of skin against skin. This was madness. The professor had finally lost it.
"I have done no such thing." The professor chuckled, and Rogue blushed crimson, eyes widening in horror when she realized that he had read her mind When she'd thought that. He chuckled even more before returning to his serious self. "I know that this is confusing and hard for you to accept, Rogue, but it is true. I have been suspecting it for some time now but up until now I had no proof, only a theory. I'd have thought that this would have happened with Wolverine, but apparently there wasn't enough of it to trigger the reaction."
Scott, obviously just as baffled as Rogue was by the professor's confusing ramblings, cleared his throat from where he stood by the side of her chair. He looked at Professor Xavier as if trying to figure out if he'd heard right. "Enough of what, professor? What are you talking about?"
But instead of answering Scott, Professor Xavier turned to look at her, and Rogue gulped, sensing that something she wouldn't like was about to commence. He looked at her and placed a comforting hand on her sleeved arm before beginning. "Rogue, I know that this is going to be hard for you, but I need you to be truthful with me. This mutation wasn't always like this, was it?"
"I—I—I don't know." She whispered, beginning to feel like a lab rat being examined. Her body was growing tense and she tried searching her memory for a time when she wasn't cursed by her skin, but she came up blank when she tried going far back into her childhood. It was as if there was a wall constructed across a certain section of her brain that kept her from remembering far back.
"There is."
Jumping slightly in shock, she looked at the professor and placed a hand on her rapidly beating heart. If he continued that way he was bound to give her a heart attack!
Being the only one not cued in on what they were talking about, Scott frowned. "There is what?"
No one answered him.
Rogue just looked deep into the professor's eyes and for her it was as if she saw her brain through them, and saw a large wall blocking something she felt was vitally important. She searched for some sort of opening, a door, a crack in the wall, anything that might get her to the other side, but there was none.
Suddenly the wall cracked on its own and came tumbling down; causing what had been locked behind it to become unleashed. There were sounds of screaming and struggling, sounds of something breaking and someone laughing. There were sounds of running, and the smell of fear was in the air. There was blood and cursing, pain and betrayal. Then, it changed, and the attacker was screaming, crying out for mercy.
The salt of tears filled the air.
Rogue was crying hysterically into her trembling hands. The young woman fell to her knees on the ground and began rocking herself back and forth.
Scott, seeing her sudden distress, fell to his knees as well and pulled her into his embrace. She melted into his arms, feeling once more protected from the memories and the feelings of hurt, betrayal, and pain. Scott's arms offered warmth and peace, as he tried comforting her without even knowing what had caused her to act this way in the first place. This was why she loved being with him. This was why she trusted him. He'd never hurt her.
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Seeing that Rogue still hadn't been able to stop crying, the sympathetic old man turned to look at Scott, who was comforting Rogue the way a father would a child. The tender picture they made was heartwarming, and Xavier just sat in his wheelchair, watching them and smiling softly to himself. Yes, he could understand now why it had taken so long to happen. Everything happened for a reason, and now Rogue's time had finally arrived.
Scott turned to look at the professor in confusion while whispering comforting words into Rogue's ear. It was obvious that the younger man didn't know what was happening, and Xavier shook his head for him to wait. Things would be discussed when the young woman was able to sit in the chair and relax. This was a delicate situation, and Xavier wasn't about to risk Rogue subconsciously 'protecting' herself once more if she felt cornered by them.
It took a while, but Rogue did get control of herself and sat down in her seat once more. Her shoulders were slightly shaking, but they stopped doing so when Scott (who had taken his place standing behind her chair) placed his hands on her shoulders. She gave a long sigh and Xavier took the moment to offer her a handkerchief he'd retrieved from his desk while waiting for her to calm down. "My dear child, would you prefer for me to tell him?"
When the old man saw Rogue finally give a small nod, Xavier smiled comfortingly at her and then quickly at Scott as well, for the poor young man looked so shaken up to see Rogue in this distraught condition that he had earned Xavier's sympathy as well. "Scott, while you comforted Rogue some moments ago you cupped her face in your hands and kissed her forehead. Skin against skin, and once more, nothing happened." He ignored the softly blushes that appeared on both Rogue's and Scott's cheeks as he continued. "Would you like to know how this was possible?"
"Yes sir." Scott nodded, determination radiating off of his strong and capable body.
Xavier exchanged silent glances with the female in their midst before beginning. "When Rogue was younger, much younger, she was attacked by someone she trusted, someone she thought she'd be safe with. At the time her powers had been controllable, but when this man tried to hurt her, her body went into what you could call 'auto-control protect' mode. Her mutation killed her attacked, absorbed him, and then the mind of the then nine year old blocked it out from her memory in another effort to try and protect her. Since that day, her mutation has been on 'protect' mode and hadn't been turned off until earlier this evening. Would you like to know why?"
White rage was visible on Scott's face and Xavier could feel the anger that radiated through his body, which had grown abnormally stiff. Xavier curiously delved into the younger mutant's mind, to see how the news had affected him. Right away the older mutant sensed the deep hatred being aimed towards the man who would hurt Rogue, and Xavier blinked in surprise, having been sure that he'd picked up a 'my Rogue' in Scott's line of thoughts.
Finally able to respond, Scott nodded mechanically and he repeated. "Yes sir."
So, he continued. "Rogue wasn't the one to turn off her protective mode." Xavier turned to look at Rogue momentarily and saw the shame and humiliation written in her eyes, yet, shimmering through those horrible emotions, he could also detect curiosity. Realizing that the young woman still hadn't figured out for herself why she'd regained control over her power, the old man leaned back in his wheelchair before returning his gaze to an expectant Scott. "You did."
A shocked silence filled the room; the two younger mutants didn't know what to say. They just looked at Xavier in surprise.
"Yes. It is quite true." Xavier reaffirmed, wheeling his chair back behind his desk and turned to look at them. Waiting a couple of minutes, he tried to think of a way to say this without confusing them all the more. For him as well it was a new concept, but it wasn't unheard of, just very rare. "Let me explain something about the mutant body for you. When under extreme feelings, such as paralyzing fear, intense pain, or heartbreaking betrayal, the mutant body can do something that the human body can't. It can form some sort of defense, as did Rogue's. When she was being attacked, those feelings triggered a valve in her brain which started her 'protect' mode. Her mutation took control and the attacker was killed instantly, saving Rogue from a fate worse than death."
Rogue whimpered slightly at the reminder of what could have happened that fateful day.
Scott tightened his grip reassuringly on her shoulder, trying to comfort her but so confused himself. "I, I do believe that I understand what you are saying, professor, but what did I have to do with Rogue's regaining control over her mutation?"
"It was through a process called 'Reverse Psychoanalogy'. Let me explain this for you in moderate terms. Reverse Psychoanalogy is when something similar happens to a person that it similar to something that has already happened, yet completely different." The blank looks on their faces showed that they hadn't understood what he was trying to say, so the old man sighed and thought for a moment in silence, trying to come up with a simpler way of explaining such a complex process as Reverse Psychoanalogy. "Let me explain it to you with the events that have happened."
Scott and Rogue both nodded.
Xavier sighed and begun this once more. "As I have already said, when Rogue was younger she was attacked by someone she trusted, thus issuing the 'protect' mode in her mutation. After said happening she journeyed through the rest of her life until now living that same life in the protection of her mutation because subconsciously she was still frightened of being hurt once more." Pausing to make sure that they were following him on it, he smiled briefly to see that they seemed to understand what he was saying up to this point. "Last night—or this morning—however you would like to see it, Reverse Psychoanalogy took place. Why you ask? It took place because Rogue felt intense feelings that were the complete opposite of the feelings that she'd felt the night that her mutation took control of her." Once more he paused to let this sink in, wondering if they'd finally understood what he was trying to tell them. If they don't it's going to be rather embarrassing to have to tell them it the blunter way. Seeing the furious blushes appearing on their cheeks assured the old mutant that they had gotten his point and he sighed with relief, since he hadn't wanted to have to start the other conversation at all. "Also, the most important feeling she felt with you was trust. Scott, you have earned her trust, and that was why it was you who triggered the deactivation of the 'protect' mode."
There was complete silence in the room, and this quite frankly, amused the old man to no small extent. "Now, it would be best if you two went and got ready to leave. Departure will be in less than an hour."
Rogue nodded. "Th-thank you, professor." With that she rushed out of the room, not even bothering to look at Scott.
But that didn't seem to bother the young man, because he looked lost in his own thoughts. He walked mechanically to the door, but, before going out, Scott turned to look at the professor, a confused and troubled expression covering his face. "Professor? I have a question to ask."
Oh, Xavier was sure that Scott had millions of questions, but he kept that to himself. He leaned forwards onto the desk and rested his elbows on the surface while touching his fingers playfully together. "And what would that be?"
"Wolverine." Scott announced, and Xavier kept back a smile, having guessed that it would be about the other man, because Xavier had been questioning himself about this for some time now himself. "Rogue trusted Wolverine; he saved her life twice at least. And she was in love with him. Why—why was it me who deactivated her 'protect' mode and not Wolverine?"
Leaning back against his chair once more, Xavier looked up at the troubled young man before him. My, my, he has always had insecurities when it came to Logan, hasn't he? Then again, there had always been a reason for that. Before Logan had arrived Scott had been the all-mighty leader of the X-Men and the love of Jean's life.
Then, Wolverine had appeared, questioned Scott authority time and time again, proved that he was an equal, and had fallen in love with Jean, who slightly reciprocated those feelings. Scott had always believed that Jean cared for Logan more than for him; he hadn't believed Logan when he'd told him that Jean had picked him over the Wolverine. Xavier had heard that encounter and it had hurt him deeply tp feel Scott's inner turmoil, but he'd thought that with Jean dead, Logan and Scott could somehow form a friendship.
But fate seemed to be against this match of friendship, and Xavier frowned slightly. He knew that Logan and Scott had formed a truce of some sort with each other, but would that truce last when Wolverine was freed? I doubt it. Once again Logan and Scott would be at odds with each other. They'd be fighting over dominance, seeing who was the alpha male of the two, their personalities would conflict more than ever, and once more, they would be fighting over the attention of one confused young lady. Poor Rogue didn't know what she was in for.
Realizing that Scott was still waiting for an answer to his question, Xavier looked at the young man and noticed that for the first time he seemed content. Something about Rogue had helped Scott, and if things were going the way Xavier felt they would, he believed full-heartedly that more surprises were in store for them. "There is only one answer to that question, my boy: Rogue didn't trust Logan enough for the deactivation to occur."
This answer seemed to confuse Scott even more as he raked his lean fingers through his tousled hair. "But I don't understand. Wolverine saved her life. She was in love with him! How could Rogue not trust him enough but trust me?"
"Oh no, don't get me wrong. Rogue trusts Logan. She trusts him with her life." Xavier quickly amended, trying not to confuse the poor man anymore than he already was. "She knows that he'd die to save her. But she knows that he will hurt her, and he has. That is why she didn't trust him enough for the deactivation to occur."
Hearing this, Scott came back towards him and leaned down against the desk, his dark shades seeming to grow darker. "What do you mean that Wolverine hurt her? If he—I'll."
"Nothing of that sort, Scott, really. You should know that Logan wouldn't ever hurt Rogue intentionally. Sometimes it is like she is the only one who can bring out the human trapped deep inside of him. She's his only friend and for men like Logan friends are hard to find and worth their weight in gold." Xavier scolded Scott for ever having entertained such a thought.
Slumping down in the chair that Rogue had recently vacated, Scott sighed. "I just don't get it then. I'm confused."
"It's her heart, Scott. She doesn't trust Logan with her heart, because Rogue knew that he would leave her and she'd be hurt when he left, which he has done a number of times now. She did the same with Bobby."
Scott's head jerked up at that, and Xavier could feel the curiosity in his aura. Was Bobby and Rogue's relationship something that Scott thought about a lot?
"She didn't love Bobby and she knew it would hurt him when they broke up and hurting someone who meant a lot for her would hurt her in the process. So Rogue continued protecting herself. Still, she knew it would come, and from the rumors I have heard circulating the school, they broke up yesterday for that very same reason."
It was as if a burden had been taken off of Scott's shoulders, and he seemed carefree for a second.
Xavier watched as mixed emotions crossed Scott's face, wishing that he could see those eyes and get a better notion of what was going on in his head. "But she trusted you with her heart. Rogue doesn't seem to realize it, but she trusts you with it, she loves you. Here are some few words of advice." Allowing those words to sink in, he caught the younger man's surprised gaze.
Scott leaned forwards, as if not wanting to miss a word of whatever Xavier was about to tell him.
"You can always love those who have left us, but don't allow that special type of love to stand in the way of future happiness." He then looked down at the papers on his desk, trying to look busy.
Scott leaned back in the chair and seemed to be silently contemplating what he'd just been told. His gaze journeyed to his hands and then he sighed as if he was once more burdened with some invisible weight.
"Picking up some of the papers on his desk, Xavier pretended to read them with earnest interest. Then, after a couple of minutes of looking at the same sentence over and over again, he looked over at Scott, who hadn't moved a muscle. Feigning surprise, he spoke: "Oh, are you still there?" A smile forced its way into his face even though he'd been fighting it off valiantly. "I have a very important matter at hand now that must be resolved immediately if I do not want a crisis on our hands." His smile was growing, no matter how hard he fought it. "Off with you."
"Yes sir." Scott announced, standing up and walking out of the room as if in a trance.
Putting down the résumés of the many candidates applying for the very important position of Xavier's School's for Gifted Youth's newest janitor, Xavier's eyes wandered to the opened door and couldn't help but smile.
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He'd been transferred to a bigger cage, and he wondered why they were all of a sudden treating him as if he had feelings. Something was up, and it didn't take a genius to know it. There were planning something, or something special was about to happen. Maybe they were going to kill him and thought that he should spend his last days a little more dignified. He wasn't sure which of all of the many possibilities the right one was, but he knew that he has to be prepared for the worst and hope for the best—if there really was a best.
Sniffing the air the only scent he picked up was danger. Not finding much comfort in that he looked down at his bare feet, which were shackled to the bottom of this cage. Well, if they really wanted to give him a challenge they should have shackled his arms and neck, but he guessed that they had been too frightened to stay long enough to shackle those parts, even though they had shot a dart with sleeping position into his neck and at the time he was unconscious.
Crouching on all fours, he looked and felt very much like an animal on display at one of those traveling circuses. Come one, come all, to see the grand, the dangerous, and the rarest animal on the earth, Wolverine. A voice taunted in his mind, and he shook his head to dispel those thoughts.
Another thought entered his mind. It was that of the dream he'd had last night with Marie. Still rather shaken up from the dream, Logan silently wondered if it had been a figment of his subconscious imagination or if it had been something much more important than that. It had been so real, as if his little Stripes was standing right outside of his cell, watching him in such a degrading circumstance, talking to him, reassuring him that help was on the way.
Another disturbing thought had been how she reeked of One Eye. Even her pores had emitted his scent.
Growling slightly at that memory, Wolverine kicked at one of the cage's bars, only managing to bruise his shackled leg. He cursed darkly and looked at his shackled legs once more. Why was he worrying so much? It was only a dream.
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Lying on her bed, Rogue cried, silently relieved that she hadn't awoken Jubilee when she'd rushed carelessly into their bedroom. Her tears fogged her view, and she didn't bother brushing them away. The visions running past her eyes of memories she'd forgotten ached at her soul. How had he been able to do that to her? She had trusted him and he had nearly--.
Closing her eyes tightly, Rogue wiped at her eyes and sat up in her bed. Looking at the sun as it began to shine through the window; she looked down at her wet gloves and slowly took them off. Her white skin seemed so foreign to her, and she looked at her fingers. Was she really cured? Could she actually touch people?
A soft smile touched her face as she thought of that possibility. She could be human again; she could touch people and not fear that she would kill them. And all of this was thanks to Scott Summers.
Just thinking of Scott made her smile grow more genuine. He was incredible, unlike any other man she had ever met. He was a gentleman with a mischievous soul hidden deep within him which captivated her completely. He was sweet, considerate of her feelings, always there for her when she needed him, and the kindest man on the planet. No wonder Jean had loved him.
Jean.
Getting up shakily, Rogue remembered the woman that Scott loved, and felt sick at her stomach. Fresh tears threatened to jump out but she wiped them away.
Why did she keep deluding herself with a possibility of a future with Scott? Even if she could touch him now, that didn't change the fact that his heart belonged to the good Doc. Trying to remind herself of that, Rogue went to the bathroom to get ready for their departure to Japan where she would pretend to be Scott's wife.
Mrs. Marie Summers.
Stopping short at as she tried out the name, Rogue smiled slightly to herself.
It's a beautiful name.
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Leaning against the wall outside of Xavier's office, Scott looked up at the ceiling without really seeing it. So many thought were racing through his mind as he replayed what the professor had told him after Rogue left the room in such a hurry. But one question dominated all the others…Did Rogue really love him?
Pushing away from the wall, the young man shoved his hands into his pants pockets and started walking slowly back to his room, head lowered. Rogue might love me. His eyes were trained on his shoes as he continued walking, pondering how that changed things. Scott's heart thumped rapidly, and he felt a smile trying to tug at his lips, but he pushed that aside. Yes. He had feeling for Rogue, and strong ones at that. But what about Jean? He'd loved her for so long! How could he now have feelings for Rogue?
The professor's voice spoke softly in his head: You can always love those who have left us, but don't allow that special type of love to stand in the way of future happiness
Replaying those words over and over in his head, Scott continued on his lonely walk, pondering on his heart. It would have been so easier to take a vacation and try to sort things out away from the school, the X-men, and Rogue, but in a couple of hours they would be traveling to Japan, where things would get ever so more complicated for him. He'd be near Rogue, he'd have to sleep in the same bed with her, and he'd have to pretend to be her husband.
Mrs. Marie Summer.
A genuine smile appeared on his lips and for a moment, the confusion seemed to lift.
It's a beautiful name.
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Opening his eyes, Xavier smiled and picked up the résumés once more since he possibly couldn't go back to sleep. No, the excitement was going to keep him up late into the night. Because, you see, he knew that some interesting happenings were about to commence.
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A/N: I hope that this chapter made up for the horrible way that I kept you waiting! I made this chapter longer than any of the others, see? Am I forgiven? Please forgive this contrite author! And review? (Makes Big Puppy Eyes) Yes, please review! PLEASE! OH! PLEASE! OH! PLEASE!
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