THE RETURN OF SPIDER-X

CHAPTER 38: A MOMENT TO REMEMBER

As it had turned out getting out of the complex had been much easier then getting in especially after Deadpool was taken care off. And with Xavier on their sides it was a simple matter for him while in the X-Jet to give the security guards think that the X-Men were in another part of the complex.

After getting back to the jet they wasted no time in getting back to the camp site. Hank gave each of them a look over to make sure there weren't any lasting effects Logan was flying the jet while this was going on and Storm was next to him he noticed her hands shaking a little. "You alright 'Ro?"

She looked at him surprised and then at her hand, "I will be it's just that…When he put that grenade down my shirt…I really thought I was going to die. I hadn't felt like that since…" She trailed off remember being buried alive and how each moment she thought was going to be her last. When that grenade hit her skin she felt that was it for her.

Logan let out a small growl, "I swear if I ever see that guy again I'm taking him apart piece by piece." He gave her a small glance though, "But I'm glad you're okay then."

She gave him a small smile with a thankful nod, "I just think I'll need a good nights rest after this. I think my heart is still racing a bit from that scare but I'll be all right." Logan nodded his head glad to hear that.

Xavier himself was in deep thought things hadn't been going as he had hoped this incident not only worried him deeply that mutants all over the world could be facing such actions themselves by others but also with what Hank had told him on the events that were happening.

He had hoped to take them all to Muir Island to settle and wait while he hoped the storm would blow over but things weren't going that way. They needed to show the world that they were not to be feared. The next actions they had to take he had to think carefully about hopefully soon he would know what do to next for them.

In the back the mood was a lot better, they now had everyone back together and for the first time since the Sentinel attack things were finally going their way. Jean and Scott were extremely close with her resting her head on his shoulder hugging him close as he had an arm around her shoulder reading his own head on hers.

Both of them were resting against east other both of them embracing each other and feeling the love each other had. Scott had been so cared of losing her and he never wanted to feel that again. Having Jean here in his arms felt like he had a part of himself back the better part.

They weren't the only happy couple to be reunited. Rogue was sitting on Peter's lap his masked pulled off with her resting her head on his shoulder her eyes closed just listening to him breath and feeling his gloved hand running through her hair. She had nearly lost him and she never had told him how she felt.

Rogue felt that she was going to have one more thing taken from her in her life, first she lost her ability to touch and in a way she gave up on ever having a relationship. Ever finding love, or even just someone to touch but then Peter came into her life and gave her that and so much more. "Ah missed you so much," She whispered out.

"Sorry about worrying you Rogue, trust me I never wanted to put you through something like that." He whispered softly to her.

She gave a small sighed getting more comfortable, "Ah know." She wished she had brought the bracelet with her she wanted nothing more then to kiss him but she wasn't sure she could keep her powers back as long as she wanted to. But this was still nice. "Oh by tha way did you really tripped and fell on your face when ya first met MJ?"

Peter looked suddenly surprised and looked down at her, "Hey ease off on my memories you got."

She smiled trying not to laugh, "Ah didn't get it from there, Mary Jane told meh we kind of have been talkin' lately."

Peter groaned at that first because soon he would have to have a very long talk with his friends and then the fact his best friend and girlfriend were talking to each other. The ammo they had on their own was bad enough but together…Peter suddenly wished that he was back in the tank. The rest of the flight was fairly relaxed and the mood high a few took a few naps on the flight since a battle really took it out of you.

The landing managed to wake up any that were asleep and the back hatch lowered to allow them to walk out. Kurt yawed and stretched, "I zhink I'm going straight to sleep I'm too tired to even change out of my uniform."

"I hear you," Wanda said rubbing her shoulder it had taken a hit back there at one point and she just knew it would be a bruise the next day. "I just want to get to that nice peaceful cave and sleep until noon." She pulled off her coat to check her arm and saw a little discoloration.

"Kitty you there?" Lance called up as he walked up the ramp and smiled seeing her there, "So how did it go?"

"Got them all back," She said jumping into a hug with him it was a nice night. "Plus I think we shut them down for a bit too whoever these guys were that were behind this."

Lance signed in disgust at someone kidnapping and experimenting on mutants and he felt that only a human would be behind this but he didn't want to start something. He knew how Kitty got when he started to get on how he felt most humans were against them even though by the looks of it he was right. "Come on then, there's a big campfire with the others and I put aside some food just in case."

Kitty smiled sweetly at him he could be sweet when he tried to be and it was nice. She gave him a peck on the cheek and he wrapped an arm around her waist leading her through the group of the New Mutants looking to see how things were going as the older ones were flooded with questions.

Peter was walking hand in hand with Rogue when a small grey blur suddenly latched onto his chest. He wrapped an arm around the smaller body of Spyder as she was giving him a major hug that was close to crushing the air out of him. "You stupid headed jerk, you had me worried I thought…I thought I lost someone else in my life…" She told him her voice filled with relief, worry, fear and a little anger in it.

Peter smiled as he ran a hand through her hair, "Sorry to worry you I didn't want to do that. But I promised you that you'd never lose me and I like to keep my promises." He said softly to her and she nodded still holding tightly onto him.

He looked up to see his Aunt coming over to him and he smiled at her and she smiled back walking over and hugging him as well. Even Rogue smiled a bit at this and let go of his hand, "Ah'll leave you all alone, but Peter when you're done can you come and find meh?" She had a lot she wanted to say to him and she didn't want to put it off any longer then she had.

Peter looked at her and nodded as he went to be with his little family.

Xavier was put into a spare chair that was on the jet only this one was manual with no electronics he was glad that he kept his upper body in good health. "So Hank I take it we owe Peter's friends some thanks."

Hank smiled and nodded his head, "Their assistance was well timed and needed. Perhaps if more people like them were to speak out then it would calm those in power that are listening to all the fear."

Xavier halted as he thought on what Hank just said, there may be some merit into that statement but it was late and everyone was tired but in the morning he would have some work to do that was for sure. And he hoped that the idea he was thinking about could help for making a better future for them all.

Meanwhile Tabitha and Jean went to wash off all the stuff from the tubes they had been in. Both girls brought towels and there was a full moon out so it was easy to find the river it wasn't far and Amara and Rahne showed them the way. They had a trail of those glow sticks just in case.

"Damn this is cold," Tabitha said as she rose out of the water a bit, "But better then when Bobby froze the showers that one time, how you doing red?"

"Well a nice warm bath would be nice, too bad Amara can't heat up the lake or a small pond." Jean said using her hands to wash out the stuff in her hair it was a real pain given how much hair she had and how much it absorbed while in that tank.

"Well at least we're not some mad scientists guinea pigs anymore. I swear I was checking to see if they took anything out of me or off me or something." The blonde said feeling a bit better getting all that crap off her skin. "Plus I always wanted to try skinny dipping kind of thrilling not having anything on huh? Now if only a few cute boys could be here joining us."

"Tabitha!"

"What? I'm just saying is all besides haven't you ever been impulsive in your life? And I don't mean the Sirens thing besides that I bet you've never done an impulsive thing have you?"

"That's not sure I've done…Stuff," Jean tried to think up something after all she was getting close to nineteen years old she had lived…Hadn't she? Jean tried to look past the Sirens thing for something impulsive and not something little either.

"I rest my case," Tabitha laughed, "No wonder you and Scott are perfect for each other you two never seem to do anything spontaneous I bet you plan out your dates in advance don't you?"

"There's nothing wrong with that," Jean shot back sitting herself on a rock washing her hair.

Tabitha sighed and shook her head, "Jean you two need to loosen up and live a little. I mean we nearly got turned into one of those frogs in science class. That's why I like to take chances and risks. I like it because it makes me feel alive it makes me know that I am alive. You should try it sometime it's better to live a little an regret a few actions then never try anything and regret all that you missed."

Tabitha rose up out of the water walking to the edge to her towel to dry off and dress. "Well I'm going you going to be okay?"

"Yeah sure," Jean said absent mindedly as she went back to trying to wash out her hair. She was kind of lost in thought in what Tabitha said kind of made her think on things. She had only ever been impulsive once really and that was with the Sirens. Sure it ended with being grounded but while doing that she felt more alive then ever.

When Tabitha returned to camp Scott saw her and figured that all the girls must have been finished. He hadn't bathed in a couple of days plus that stuff that was on Jean had sunk into his uniform a bit he really felt like a wash. So he grabbed one of the few towels there were drying and went off. The trail of glow sticks was helpful as he saw the large bolder there.

With the way the river moved and the night animals he couldn't hear a certain redhead that was behind the large bolder. He stripped off his uniform and washed some of it off leaving it on a rock to dry off. He slipped into the water feeling the cold water and wishing he had done this in the afternoon when it was warmer.

He started to wash up and when he heard something on the other side of the boulder he thought it was an animal or something. He placed a hand to his visor and slowly moved around it. He didn't see anything but then it was a bit harder for him to see at night thanks to everything being red the shadows tended to be a bit thicker is seemed with the ruby quartz.

When he relaxed that's when Jean came up, she had dunked herself under to try to get the last of her hair clean and Scott was frozen by the sight of her mainly how her hair flipped back and he saw her upper body. Jean suddenly felt a swell of emotion and turned to see Scott.

She screamed and covered her chest turning around that knocked Scott loose from his little brain freeze and turned around as well. "Scott!"

"Jean oh god I'm sorry I didn't think anyone else was here! I swear it!" He said to her feeling extremely embarrassed. 'Great first I see her in her underwear now totally topless…God she looked incredible. Damn it don't think that this is Jean your best friend…And Girlfriend…Okay yeah but try and be respectful…No matter the fact she never looked more beautiful and sexy in the moonlight…'

He tried to put a clamp on that part of his brain although Jean nearly mortified as she sunk down to her shoulder under the water couldn't help but pick it up. It was kind of nice hearing him say such things or at least think them. She was about to reach out for her towel with her powers but then Tabitha's words hit her again.

She looked over her shoulder at Scott's back and she remembered how his chest had looked when they had looked at each other. She had seen him in swim trunks but she never really looked at his body and it was really nice body. 'What am I thinking? I mean we're the responsible ones we can't just…what? Just have a moment together?'

Jean thought about where they were, alone in a river the moon was full it was a very romantic moment should they take it? Scott was going on about how sorry he was and she looked at his back and felt herself getting a little warm as certain thoughts filled her mind both from her and from…Scott. Lately she had been able to feel his mind easier as the days went by and now they were easier to see and to feel his emotions.

"Scott, did you mean it?" She cut him off.

"Yeah I do I'm sorry I'll go."

"No I mean…Did you think I look sexy?" She asked him blushing a bit and he froze for a moment. "Scott we're both adults here…If you want…You can turn around." She couldn't believe she was doing this the rational part of her mind was telling her to get her towel get back and never speak of this.

But her heart was hammering as she did this and maybe Tabitha was right maybe taking risks did make you feel a bit more alive. Scott slowly turned and saw her there shoulder deep in the water. "Jean…I mean…"

She reached out a hand and like in a dream he took it as she swam out into a little deeper into the water, "Can you help me wash my hair Scott?"

"Uh…Y-yeah I guess," He said nervously as she turned around he helped to wash it. He went gently with it and couldn't believe this was happening he had fantasized about something like this hell a lot of times. Jean smiled at how gentle and how good Scott was at this before they knew it she was pressed up against him. For a moment they both froze and she turned around to face him.

"J-Jean I…" He was silenced by a finger to his lips.

She kissed him gently and then smiled at him, "Don't try to talk Scott…Just think it." Jean listened to his thoughts and they were the same with her that this was wrong and yet right at the same time. "Maybe we should listen to our hearts more Scott instead of our minds."

Scott looked at her and he wished he could see her face, and her eyes without the red all over it. He wanted to see her like how everyone else did but he left his nullifier back at camp. But there could be other times right? But at the moment he looked at her and feeling her against him after finally finding her having her back it was just a very emotional day.

So he kissed her pulled her close to him and the two of them never did it make it back to camp that night as they spent it together in the moonlight.

-Across the Camp-

Peter was looking for Rogue as he had spent his time with his Aunt and Spyder assuring them that things were okay and that he was okay just a bit tired was all. By then everyone was either curled up to a fire for the night or in the cave for more privacy or in case it rained.

He had just washed off a bit of that stuff on him in the woods he thought about the river but he felt that a quick little sponge bath where no one would see him would be better.

Tabitha was telling them all about the lab facility and the fight to get out of course. Peter asked if anyone had seen Rogue and he got pointed in a direction into the forest. He walked into it and saw a small light when he got there it was a small clearing with a small campfire. Rogue was there sitting on a sleeping bag that was next to another one as she was looking up at the stars.

He smiled as he watched her just looking the glow of the fire playing off her. He saw that her gloves were off and to the side along with that green breast plat thing and her belt most likely to get more comfortable.

Rogue turned when she heard Peter walking into the light and she gave a small smile. His hair looked a little damp so she thought most likely he had washed up in the river a bit as he sat down next to her. "So then what's with the solitude?"

She shrugged looking up into the heavens, "Just wanted some privacy…Man you can really see the stars out here…I never noticed that before now…"

Peter nodded looking up, "Yep less light pollution from the cities means less light in the sky getting in the way of our view…So…You going to say something because I know you well enough to know you didn't want a lesson in astrology."

She had to admit she did and she had been going it over and over in her head ever since the ride back here. It was hard to believe just how scared she was on the inside when she started to talk, "Before mah powers ah was pretty much alone, no real friends or nothing and ah kept to mah self. When ah came here ah slowly found mahself with friends and that ah was finally a part of somethin'."

"But it hasn't been easy for meh ta get used to it, it took time for meh to open up and start enjoyin' mah life here. You've helped a lot with that last part," She cast him a glace and he smiled at her.

"Anyway, ah've never been good at gettin' mah emotions out and expressin' mahself. Ah mean when you're a loner for so long…"

"It's hard to stop being a loner," Peter finished for her knowing exactly what she meant he knew what it was like being on the outside looking in. He had been bullied, picked on and made fun of all his life it seemed or at least in high school.

Rogue nodded her head as she went on, "Ah guess we can relate on that together, and you've helped meh not only with this device ah got on but you helped meh to reach out more to people. You make meh happy, you make meh laugh even and…You make meh feel loved…"

Peter reached out and gently caressed the side of her face, "You are loved and not just by me too Rogue. But yeah…I do love you when I saw you in that bed it just really hit home how much my feelings for you were."

"It was tha same for meh too…When you were gone and then when ah saw you in that tube ah didn't know if you were alive or dead…" She fought the tears in her eyes at the memory of that the pain she had felt in her heart she didn't want him to see her cry. "Ah realized tha same…That…That I loved you as well…Ah wanted ta say it back when ya first told meh but ah was too scared to say them…"

Peter pulled her closer and she hugged him close feeling a sense of relief of finally being able to say those simple words to him. She still couldn't believe it herself her, the most anti-social girl there was in love. It wasn't like with Scott she knew that was just a major crush on the first guy that had been truly nice to her but with Peter it was deeper and more powerful.

She reached up to his face and kissed him on the lips, he responded as she felt his hands crawl up her back caressing it. She had to admit he was a very good kisser as the two started up with slow loving ones and then they started to get a bit more passionate. She kissed down to his neck hearing him groan a bit. There had been another thought in her mind and she knew that under normal conditions she wouldn't think about it but these weren't normal conditions.

Peter noticed her hands going under his top and feeling his skin he was wondering what was going on but damn this was the best he ever felt at the moment. Although at this rate things might get out of hand. "Rogue…We should stop before we go too far…"

The next words surprised him, "Do we have ta stop?"

He was stunned as she looked into his eyes and for a moment he thought he heard wrong, "Rogue?"

"Peter…Nothin' will beh the same anymore in our lives, hell we'll have more enemies and our lives will beh more dangerous then ever now. We can't hide anymore and we're out in the open. When you go out as Spider-Man it scares meh sometimes that you'll come back hurt or…worse. But ah know how important it is what you do."

"We just saw an example of it now…People will come for us and…And I don't want ta waste my life hiding from mahself again. Life is too short Peter and ah want to be able to experience it before ah die or…" Her eyes took on a pained look on what if he died, she had come close to losing him for good too close.

"Rogue…" Peter said softly holding her gently in his arms as he debated on what to do. They were young and in love, then there was the usual hormones, then there was the fact that she was right. All their lives were now more dangerous then ever and this one chance this one moment may be all they had left. If this was the one change he had to be with the first woman he loved shouldn't he take it?

"Peter?" She questioned not sure if he would reject her offer but when he kissed her she threw her arms around his neck. There was no thought of consequences or of tomorrow. They pushed away all the pain of their past and would think about the future with the dawn. But tonight was their night, their moment.

She pulled off his top admiring his physical form as he helped her out of hers and saw her only in her bra for the first time. Both were nervous as they were taking things to another level but both wanted this moment. They felt after all the crap they had to deal with in their lives they dissevered at least one moment of perfect happiness.

Peter was on his back with her on top kissing each other with a new passion. "Oh god Rogue…This is like a dream, I swear if I wake up and this never happened I'm going to be pissed."

"Anna."

"What?" He asked her as she looked down into his face.

"Mah name…It's Anna and don't you dare tell another living soul or I swear Peter…" She said and the look and threat in her eyes told him she was serious.

"Yes ma'am," He smiled and reached up for the back of her head, "Now…Where were we…Anna?"

NEXT UP CHAPTER 39: MORNING AFTER

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