Chapter 3:Bitter-Sweet
In normal time, back at the mansion...
Crying could be heard flowing through the halls. Kurt's usually tidy room was in complete disarray. Sheets and blankets were scattered on the ground, a picture of him and Rogue together was shattered on the ground. Kurt lay a sobbing heap on the floor beside his window. He had been crying all night and all day so far. As soon as Logan had lifted him away from the beach- Kurt wouldn't move, he just sobbed uncontrollably- he'd put him in his room. Kurt hadn't left since. He'd talked to no one, not Kitty, not the Professor, not even his girlfriend Amanda. He didn't even know why he cared so much that Rogue had killed her. I mean, she wasn't a good mother to him either. Why did he care so much? Because. That's just it. She was his mother. That's good enough of a reason for Kurt. He had loved her still. He knew what he should do, he should have a funeral for his beloved mother. He wouldn't invite anyone, well, then again, he could invite Kitty...though he would admit it to no one, he had a small affection for Kitty...but he shook his head.
No! We are just friends! Kurt scolded himself in his mind. He shook his head. He was letting his mind stray. Yes, he would get a casket and everything...he'd go in the evening so no one would be in the cemetery. He would bury her, give her the respect she deserved. Deep in his heart, he knew she was not a bad person...she had been driven to it. After all, after she had found him again, she had tried to save him, tell him the truth, get him to love her back. But after seeing what she'd done to Rogue, he had not believed her, had hated her, had rejected her. Now he had wished he hadn't. Perhaps if he had gone with her at the start, she would still be alive. This only forced him back into tears.
It vas my fault! Kurt screamed in his mind. It's my fault she was shattered! If I had gone with her, perhaps she would have grown nicer! Not gone with Apocalypse! He screamed in his mind so loudly, he could hear it outside his mind. Then, he realized that he had unconsciously screamed it, and had thrown several items to their doom against his bedroom wall.
No. His mind said back to him. It wasn't your fault. It was the Rogue's fault. It said.
"You're right!" Kurt said quietly to himself, standing up and wiping away the tears. "It's Rogue's fault, not mine!" He bared his teeth and growled involuntarily at the name. I'm going to pay her a visit. He quickly teleported into Rogue's room to find her at the window, staring.
"You! You evil person! You killed our mother! You shattered her body! And worst of all, you didn't even feel sorry for her, or me! I hope you get sent to hell!" Kurt snarled, pointing an accusing finger at her. She turned around angrily at him, her eyes still wet with tears.
"Didn't feel sorry? Didn't feel sorry?" Rogue growled, her eyes streaming with hot, angry tears. "Why should Ah feel sorry for her? Did she feel sorry for me when mah powers went out of control? Did she feel sorry for me when she tried to push me off a cliff as a wolf? Did she feel sorry for me when she used me to release Apocalypse? NO!" She bellowed, spraying a bit of saliva on Kurt's red hot face, his expression a grimace. "She didn't deserve mah love! She was a cold, heartless witch! And if anyone's gettin' damned to hell, it'll be her!" Rogue screamed. Several people paused outside the room to hear the fight going on within.
"She may not have been the greatest, but she was our mother nonetheless!" Kurt had hot tears running down his face too.
"Get outta here! If you are going to defend that woman, Ah don't want to know you!" Rogue shrieked one last time before collapsing forward onto her bed. "Ah'm so sorry, Kurt... Ah'm so, so sorry..." She sobbed. Kurt calmed himself down. He got down onto the bed too, their tears staining the dry comforter.
"I don't mean the things I said..." He sobbed.
"It's okay...neither did Ah..." Rogue tried to compose herself. Her dark eyeshadow began running down her face.
What am Ah doin'? She deserved it! Rage overtook her againShe pushed Kurt off the bed. He stumbled in surprise.
"Get out." She growled.
"Vhat?" Kurt asked. A moment ago, they had been crying together on the bed. Now she wanted to fight again?
"You heard me, Furball! Get OUT!" She cried.
"One day, I might forgive you...if you can forgive yourself." Kurt stated angrily before teleporting back to his own room. She collapsed again.
She ruined mah life. No matter how much Ah try, Ah'm becoming just like her. Angry, destructive, unforgiving. She thought sadly. Kurt's words rang through her mind...I might forgive you...if you can forgive yourself... it was getting late again. Surprisingly, she didn't feel hungry, considering that she hadn't left her room since the night before. She didn't even both getting into her pajamas. She cried herself to sleep that night.
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The next morning, Rogue awoke and found she had her appetite back. She quietly opened her door; it was very early, around 6:00, while all of the X-Men and students woke up around 8:00. She crept down the hall to the bathroom, and put her thick make-up on. She snuck down the stairs, down to the kitchen. She creaked the door open to find Kurt sitting, eating. They didn't say anything to each other. They simply glared at one another, trying to see which one could make the other explode first by looking at them. Instead of getting into another fight with him, she grabbed her breakfast and ate it in the living room. She heard a knock at the door, and crept over to it. She opened it and found it was the mailman.
"Isn't it a little early to be deliverin' mail?" Rogue asked suspiciously.
"Normally, yes, but this is apparently an urgent letter. Is there someone named... 'Rogue' here?" The mailman said, looking down at a letter he was holding.
"Uh, that'd be me." Rogue told him.
"Okay, just sign here please." He asked her, showing her a clipboard. She signed the papers, and accepted the letter. She thanked him. She walked back into the kitchen, this time not even looking at Kurt.
"Who vas that?" He asked her, but she ignored him. She grabbed a knife out of the drawer and opened the envelope. Inside, she found a letter with handwriting she recognized.
To my dear Rogue,
It is me, Irene. I know I hurt you, like, Raven, but there is something I urgently need your assistance with. Please, Rogue, I raised you all these years; don't you trust me? You used to tell me you loved me. Now, prove it. I am still living in Caldecott County, in the very same house you grew up in. Please, do not let your anger at Raven stop you from helping me. I love you, and no amount of lies or false words can change that.
Sincerely, Irene.
Rogue's head was spinning. Should she accept? After all, Irene had lied to her too. She had gone along with Mystique's plan to get her to join the Brotherhood. But then she racked through her brain, searching through Mystique's memories. Had she forced Irene to go along with it? After all, Irene was a blind old woman. She could not exactly defend herself, especially against someone like Mystique. But Mystique wouldn't hurt her dearest friend. Or would she? Rogue wouldn't put it past her.
"Vhat is it?" Kurt asked, walking up to look while he put his dishes in the sink.
"None of your business!" Rogue snapped. She decided she had to help Irene. She had raised her, and Rogue did trust her. She knew she could trust Irene. Irene wasn't the type to manipulate people. She dashed out of the kitchen, and before Kurt could catch up to her, had hidden, so Kurt couldn't follow her. When he had left to check another room, she dove into the elevator, and down the hallway towards the garage. She picked out a fine car, one the X-Men wouldn't notice was gone. She took the corresponding key from the key board, where all the car keys were kept, and started the engine. She sped off into the early morning sunrise, being as quiet as possible so as not to wake anyone up. As soon as she was out of sight of the mansion, she drove faster and louder. It seemed no one was awake but her in the usually busy city of Bayville. There were very few motorists on the roads this time of morning, and she raced by undetected. She had been lucky; she hadn't hit one red light. She drove for miles, and for hours, until finally she began recognizing things from her old home. She saw the swamp she used to play in with her friends when she was young, and had almost been eaten by an alligator. She past the hospital, where the boy Cody Robbins had spent a month in a coma after Rogue had touched him. And she passed the house where the touching had actually happened, one fateful night at a party. And eventually, she reached the place she had grown up. The place she'd once called home. She parked the car in the driveway, and sighed heavily. She walked slowly up to the front door. Everything seemed to move in slow motion; from the heavy fall of her footsteps, the bird flying overhead, to the trees blowing in the wind. She reached the door, not knowing what to do. Irene was blind, so she couldn't open the door.
You've gotten this far, girl! Don't blow it now! Her voice rang out in her mind. She knocked heavily three times, the slow-motion effect wearing off now.
"Come in." Was the answer that came from inside. Rogue slowly opened the door and peeked her head in.
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Meanwhile...
"Kurt? What're you doing up this early...?" Scott mumbled as Kurt shook him awake.
"Get up, Scott! You have to help me find Rogue!" Kurt shook him hard. He even slapped him with his tail.
"Okay, okay, I'm up! Now what's this about Rogue?" Scottt shook his head to wake himself up. He still had his glasses on; he had to sleep with them on.
"She got a letter from the letter carrier, and drove off!" Kurt urged desperately. Scott was wide awake now.
"Call the Professor." Scott told him.
There is no need, Scott. I can hear you. The Professor's voice rang in their minds.
Rogue's gone. Can you find her? Scott thought back urgently. A moment's silence.
Yes. She's back home. In Mississippi. Go, find her. Find out what she's doing. But be warned, she's still in a very agitated state. Be ready for anything.Was the reply.
Kurt read Scott's face and nodded, He teleported, waking up every X-Man. They met in the hallway.
"Scott, like, why are you waking us up at like, 6:30! That so totally, like, rude!" Kitty demanded.
"Yeah, dude! I need to rest up for the Skateboarding Championships tomorrow!"Evan complained.
"X-Men, suit up. Rogue's gone." Scott ordered solemnly.
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"Irene?" Rogue whispered as she shut the door.
"Yes. Oh, Rogue I knew you'd come! I've missed you so much. I love you, my dear!" Irene said, sensing where Rogue was and stretching for a hug. Surprisingly enough, Rogue gave it to her. As they broke apart, they both sat down.
"What is it that you need help wit, Irene?" Rogue asked as she watched the blind woman shift uncomfortably.
"Rogue, I know what you did at the Mansion." Irene told her solemnly. Rogue's face fell. How'd Irene know? Oh yeah, she had the ability to tell the future. Duh. Rogue mentally slapped herself. "Why did you do that?"
"Because...Ah don't know..." Rogue began quietly. She hated the subject. "Ah was thinkin' 'bout savin' her, but at the last minute Ah remembered how evil she was." Rogue said plainly.
"Yes, she was evil sometimes. But Rogue, was it much better for you to have killed her? Was that any more evil?" Irene replied. She didn't mean to, Rogue knew, but Irene was alienating Rogue. She made her feel terrible.
"She's done worse. She killed people all the time without even thinkin' 'bout it." Rogue retorted.
"Let us change the subject to why I asked you here." Irene said after a long pause.
Thank you, merciful God. Rogue thanked silently.
"Follow me. Or at least, could you bring me to the room with the curtain?" Irene asked.
Rogue nodded, then remembered Irene couldn't see her. "Yeah, Irene." She held Irene's arm and led her to a small room with a curtain cutting it off from the main room. Rogue pulled back the curtain and led Irene inside. Irene bit her lip, waiting for Rogue to scream, or become enraged and yell, or knock something over, or accidentily hurt Irene in a blind rage. But nothing happened. Only silence. This confused Irene greatly.
"Rogue, do you see her?" Irene asked Rogue.
"See who? What're you talkin' 'bout, Irene?" Rogue asked Irene, turning to face her. Irene frowned, and walked a few paces forward, groping through the air all the while. When nothing reached her fingers but the other wall, Irene gasped.
Where had Raven's body gone!
