Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.

A/N: Okay, I was trying to hold off posting this chapter until I saw X3 one more time, but because of all my fantastic reviewers out there, I've decided to go ahead and post it. Be warned, however, that the content of this chapter could change slightly after I watch the movie again, which should be sometime early next week. If I do change something, I'll be sure to put an A/N saying that chapter is the revised version. So if there are any mistakes in this section, blame it on a faulty memory, correct me politely, and they will be changed.

That said, enjoy!

Chapter 3: Unwelcome News

"Rogue's gone."

Logan's head snapped up. "What?"

"She left almost six months ago. I tried to find you, to tell you, but no one knew where you were. I knew you'd been sending letters to Rogue, but she was always complaining because you never left a return address, and anyway, she took the letters with her. I didn't know how to reach you."

Logan stared at Storm without seeing her. The two of them had been talking for the past half-hour or so, Storm filling him in on the school's progress, and the surprising amount of support the public was now providing. More and more parents were sending their mutant children to the school willingly, in the belief that being around other mutants in a controlled environment would help them develop their gifts and put them to good use. Additional mutant schools had sprung up around the country, in the hopes that with proper training, the students could prove valuable to society.

For those parents who wished their children to live "normal" lives, public school was now much more acceptable. Their children could retain their powers, could even use them, within certain limits, and were able to live and grow side-by-side with non-mutants.

It was a drastic change. The old fear and prejudice was all but gone, and society had -for the most part- fully accepted their genetically-advanced neighbors.

Not that it was all smooth-sailing, of course. There had been setbacks, protests and a few skirmishes, but nothing major. Those who wanted the cure could have it, but more and more mutants were choosing to keep their abilities now that they were being accepted. The dream they had all worked so hard for -even died for- was finally being realized.

Logan knew he should be glad. And he had been, for a moment. Then the conversation had turned to old friends, and Rogue's name had come up. When Storm had mentioned the girl's disappearance, any satisfaction Logan might have been feeling vanished.

"Where'd she go?" he asked now.

Storm shook her head. "No one knows. She just…disappeared."

Logan's jaw tightened in anger. "Disappeared," he repeated, his voice hard. "Why the hell would she do that?"

Storm could only shake her head uneasily. "I don't know. She left a note, but it didn't really tell us anything. All it said was that she had to leave immediately, and that we shouldn't worry or waste time searching for her."

Logan glared at her incredulously. "So you didn't even look?"

"Of course we looked," Storm retorted. "Bobby and I have been searching for months on end." Storm sighed. "We've never found anything to explain where she went, or why."

Logan stood, suddenly unable to remain sitting. "Six months," he said, pacing the room in a manner similar to that of a caged animal. "She's been missing for almost half a year." He halted suddenly, his expression thoughtful. "Do you have the note?"

In answer, Storm ruffled through a desk drawer, finally withdrawing a slightly worn-looking envelope.

Taking it from her, Logan found a piece of notebook paper tucked inside. Unfolding it, he read Rogue's words eagerly, hoping to see something the others had missed.

Dear Bobby,

I have to leave, immediately. I can't tell you why, so you'll just have to trust me. I'll be fine, I promise, only there's something I have to take care of. I'll come back as soon as I can, so don't worry, and don't bother looking for me. You won't find me.

Rogue

After he had read the letter through once, Logan scanned it twice more, unwilling to admit what Storm had already known. There was nothing here to help them discover Rogue's location.

"Do you believe it?" Logan asked Storm, referring to the letter he held.

Storm shrugged. "I didn't at first, but after a while…we just didn't know what else it could be. There was no evidence that her departure was involuntarily, no sign of forced entry anywhere on the property."

"You talked to her family?"

Storm nodded. "That was the first thing I tried, right after we found the note and realized she was gone. They've neither seen nor heard from her. Whatever she left to take care of, it was known to her, and her alone."

Logan shook his head. "I don't believe it. Rogue wouldn't just disappear like that-"

"You forget," Storm interrupted. "She already did once."

Logan paused, remembering the previous time Rogue had fled the school. Right after the night he'd stabbed her through the heart and she'd used her ability to take his power, healing herself and nearly killing him in the process. She'd felt so guilty, but Logan had just been glad she was alive. He shuddered inwardly. The whole incident still gave him nightmares sometimes. He just couldn't imagine what he would have done if he had killed her.

"That was different."

Storm met his gaze squarely. "Maybe. The point is, we both know she's capable of vanishing if she wished. We found her before because of Cerebro. This time, that is not an option."

"So you're saying we should just give up?" Logan asked, his expression a mixture of disbelief and outrage.

"I'm saying maybe there's nothing to give up on," Storm clarified. "Rogue's a grown woman now, Logan. She turned twenty-three months ago. I'm just as worried as you are, but if she doesn't wish to be found, there isn't anything more we can do."

Logan's hands clenched in an unconscious gesture of defiance. "Would you listen to yourself? You don't really believe that bullshit you're spouting, do you?"

Storm's expression grew fierce, and for a moment, with the wind kicking up around him, Logan was sure a bolt of lightening was going to strike him dead where he stood. Then the wind died, and Storm seemed to crumple before his eyes. "No," she whispered. "But…it gives me hope." She looked up at him, desperate for understanding. "I feel so helpless, just sitting here, grading papers, hoping that she's still out there somewhere, that she's not-she's not-"

It was the first time Logan had ever seen Storm cry. She was normally in total control of herself. Instinctively he stepped forward, catching her in his arms.

"She's not." She couldn't be. He would have felt it. Ever since she had touched him, since she had borrowed his powers, he had had a sort of sixth-sense around her. He could feel her presence, her energy, and now, without knowing exactly how, he knew she wasn't dead.

Unfortunately, his awareness of her did not seem to extend so far as allowing him to locate her, nor was he capable of telling if she was hurt. A shudder raced through him at the thought of William Stryker, and the terrifying experiments he had conducted. Perhaps more than anyone, Logan knew there were worse things than death…

A/N: And there you have it! Hope you all enjoyed, and like I said at the beginning, if anything is wrong, let me know. And I'm not sure about how you spell "Stryker". Did they show it on the second movie, anyone remember? Chapter 4: Wondering what happened to Rogue? Part of the mystery is revealed...

Thanks to my reviewers, there were many of you, for which I am eternally greatful: whitemoonflower, overthemoon13, sheisbeautiful-sheisnotme (Alright, your question requires an explanation. You're absolutely right. Storm is very level-headed, and normally does keep her cool. However, from certain parts of the movies, especially the second, where she is talking with the teleporter, I got the feeling that she could be very passionate and very emotional in certain situations. I think Logan returning oh-so casually after 5 years, during which time Storm has had the burden of running an entire school pretty much single-handedly, is one of those times. Also, as you now know, Rogue has gone missing, which has only added to her stress. I look at Logan's return as a sort of catalyst. Finally, someone else is there that Storm can talk to, and that can relieve at least a little of her stress. Hope that makes sense and answers your question. And thanks for the comment!), arohalove (Thanks, I thought the lightening was a pretty cool idea myself.), jade598 (Breathe, Jade, breathe. If you pass out, how are you going to read any more chapters? lol.), Leash, angeloneous, Karibbean (Thank you! It's nice to know my writing style is appreciated, and that I haven't made too many grammatical errors. Especially since I don't have anyone beta-ing this thing.), OCattyOne, DarkAngelmi818, Gynx8 (Wow! That must have been the longest review I've gotten for this story. I'm glad you like the plot-line, I've tried to be as original as possible. Believe me, you have no idea what's coming...this actually looks like it could turn into quite a lengthy fic. I also totally agree with you about Rogue. She is not easy, and I don't think she should be portrayed if you are trying to stick to the character's true personality. Hopefully, I'm managing to keep all the characters in character.), Youko-Rose (I'm glad you don't mind waiting for the romance, because as I said, this is going to take time. First, and I'll go ahead and say this now, there is the whole Bobby issue. Rogue is not just going to toss him aside like some discarded toy, so there will be issues there. And that's all I'm going to say. I'm not giving anything else away. grins), emma134 (You are going to be totally surprised as far as Rogue and any "cool" powers go, believe me. And again, I'm not saying anything else... I'm totally evil.)

Special thanks to all those who answered my question about Rogue's age and the X-Men time-line. Especially since you all told me I had it right!