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Chapter Fifty-Seven:
Charles was exhausted but unable to sleep. He knew he should have attempted to get more rest. He would require all of his wits for his following conversation with Rogue. At the very least, they seemed to have found some common ground- or perhaps he was merely starting to understand her better. Though he had an abundance of questions.
And as much as he wanted more sleep, he found himself unable to. When laying in bed had become a chore in it of itself, he sought a more productive exercise. First by reflecting upon his and Rogue's past conversations, as he had showered and gotten ready for the day ahead of him. Second by getting himself a cup of coffee. No one else had been up. It had almost been nice having the kitchen to himself. Presently, he sat in the Institute's greenhouse. He had left the door open behind him, to give Ororo an indication he was there. No need to surprise her. She was making her way down and out of the institute. She would be with him shortly.
In the meantime, the fresh air from outside mixed with the flowery fragrance of the greenhouse itself was utterly relaxing. He closed his eyes as he allowed it to fill his senses.
Gardening was never his forte. He was thankful their resident Weather Witch had such a prolific green thumb. The array of plants and flowers she had cultivated was truly wonderful. He really should make an effort to appreciate it more often. Not just when complicated matters necessitated an early morning meeting with one of his most trusted staff members.
A short shuffling noise prompted him to glance to his left. He briefly saw a shadow out of the corner of his eyes toward the taller plants on the left side of the room. Aside from Ororo and Scott, he didn't sense anyone else walking about. 'Strange,' he thought as he pressed on the controls of his chair. "Hello?" he asked, regardless as he moved further into the room.
Nothing, no response.
"Hello?" he asked again as he turned the corner. His eyes widened briefly as he took in the sight of an orange and white cat. "Well, hello there," he said amused, as he leaned down. "Have you been in here all night? Or did you manage to sneak past me, perhaps?" he asked as he reached down and held his fingers out towards the small creature. It seemed to be just as startled by him as it backed away from his outstretched hand. A fierce hiss was the cat's response before he ran under the table and out of his sight.
"Charles?" Ororo asked from the entrance.
"Just a moment, please," he said as he prompted his chair to move backward. "I apologize for disturbing your morning routine. However-"
"Charles, please, no apology is necessary," she said dismissively as he joined her in the middle of the room. "You need to talk about Rogue, I presume?" she asked as she summoned a rain cloud and started to water her plants.
"Indeed," he said as he surveyed the room for the cat. He shook his head and dismissed the small creature from his thoughts. The door was open, it would find its way out of his own. If he didn't see it again, he would mention it to Ororo before they headed to breakfast. "I've been reflecting on all we've learned, and something has been bothering me," he said.
"One would imagine many things would," she said dryly as she slowly moved about the room, giving each plant its necessary attention.
"Well, yes," he said, surprised at her tone. "Thinking back over the past month, I realized how often Rogue borrowed Jean's powers. Especially after dinner," he said.
"Scott's right about Jean's kind nature. There are probably many instances we are unaware of," she said as she raised her hands and the cloud followed suit, watering one of the taller plants.
"Yes, most likely," he agreed.
"Is that what's bothering you?" she asked.
"No, she's supposed to help the students. Jean lending Rogue her powers isn't the issue. However, now, there's a second activity she engaged in during those sessions," he thought aloud.
"Visiting Lorna in California," Ororo finished.
"Yes, precisely," he said. He took a moment to think. "Do you think it's possible that she did both?"
"I'm afraid to say it, but no, not a chance. It's more likely you've," she said.
"Caught her in another lie," he finished before sighing. "But Magnus was-" he said before his thought was interrupted as Scott popped his head into the room. "Good morning Scott. Can we help you with something?" he asked.
"Yeah, have either of you seen Jean?" he asked.
"No, not since yesterday," he answered before sharing a glance with Ororo.
"Have you tried the lower levels? She could be conducting a training session with one of the students," Ororo suggested.
"I was just there and there's nothing on the schedule," he said. "Professor, could you?" he asked.
"I apologize, Scott, but I suspect Jean has been avoiding me. And given recent events, I would rather not pry into her mind," he said.
"But I looked everywhere," he said.
"Even the bathrooms?" Ororo asked. "She could be beating the morning shower rush," she suggested.
"Oh yeah, that's true," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Scott, if you haven't located her in the next hour, come find me and we'll look together," Charles said.
"Yeah, got it," Scott sighed. "Thanks, Professor," he said before leaving the room.
"Charles, you were saying?" she asked.
"Yes, right," he said as he found his train of thought. He took a breath before continuing. "I recall the conversation Magnus and I had regarding his efforts to help Rogue, how she needed someone to practice her physical abilities on and how he had volunteered to do so," he said.
"Could he have been lying as well?" she asked.
"I really don't think so. Magnus genuinely wished to help Rogue with her powers," he said as he glanced up at Ororo. "If she did have control, why lie to him about it? I know she hid her capabilities because of Magneto. She was frightened of what he would do with that knowledge. But once he joined us, why would she go through the effort of pretending?" he asked as he watched her eyes shift. "What?" he asked.
"Magneto tried to recruit Rogue," she said.
"Yes, outside the brotherhood manor when we went to collect her things," he said.
"Charles, she was conflicted about her decision. I went with her back inside the Brotherhood house. I watched her pace for- it was, at least, ten minutes. She was muttering to herself and- I thought she was just scared and maybe she was- but given their relationship, I think it evident she wanted to go with him," she said.
"Yes, I believe you're right about that," he agreed.
"He said they spoke at the high school, didn't he?" she asked.
"Yes, yes, he had," he said.
"But he has amnesia," Ororo said as Charles felt his eyes widen. "What if he doesn't remember the full extent of their discussions?"
"And what if he'd already helped her gain control?" Charles continued the train of thought. "I know she's been recreating conversations with him. She told me as much. Though she said those talks were with the copy of Magneto's consciousness within her mind," he stated.
"Did either of you know about the amnesia when she made this claim?" Ororo asked.
"No, we were still in the dark," he said.
"Another lie, then," she muttered under her breath as the small cloud flickered with lightning.
"Ororo," he said concerned. He watched her take a breath as she composed herself.
"There's a pattern, Charles, one I don't think can be ignored for much longer," she added.
"Shortly after they started speaking, Rogue informed me she had lied in the past. She apologized for her actions and promised I would learn the full extent of it when she was ready. This, all of this, I've realized, is the fulfillment of that promise," he said.
"But if we can't trust Rogue, can you allow her to stay an x-man? Should you?" she asked.
That was a bit extreme.
"Ororo, where's this coming from?" he asked.
"Logan said something. He- Rogue's been different," she said.
"Since Magneto joined us. Yes, we all see it," he said.
"Logan said this is who she has always been. I knew Rogue to be a troubled but passionate young girl. Now, she's this manipulative woman who's clearly on Magneto'sside. If he hadn't given himself amnesia, I very much doubt she ever would have become an x-man. How do we reconcile who she is with who she has pretended to be?" she asked.
"All excellent questions, Ororo," he said.
"But?" she asked.
"But we have to remember that Rogue joined us to escape Mystique. She tried to kill both her and Scott on the field trip. And you heard Magneto. She had an assault rifle and was more than prepared to use it to kidnap Rogue and Kurt. These are not easy situations," he said.
"I know that, Charles," Ororo said. "I just wish she had been truthful from the start," she said.
"As do I," he said. "But we can't change the past. And like it or not, Rogue and Magneto go hand-in-hand. And there is much that can be tolerated for the sake of peace," he said. "Besides, Rogue is attempting to rebuild trust. She's consented to my use of telepathy," he said.
"Yes, she chooses her words with care," Ororo said dryly.
"I've noticed as well. It's not the best reason for someone to be forthright- but then again, Rogue said she was expecting me to utilize the tactic sooner," he said.
"Or she started calling you by your first name in order to prompt you to use this tactic," she suggested.
"It's possible," he said thoughtfully. "Hmm," he huffed. "Alright, let's say we're correct and the conversations she sought to recreate were with Magneto himself. Even if that's true, how often could they have spoken?" he asked. "It wasn't that long before Rogue left the brotherhood to join us," he said.
"Magneto hasn't been at the institute that long either and she has gained control. Either that or she had it the entire time," Ororo said.
"I don't like the thought of that," he said. "It's bad enough they're involved now. But to think this could have started when she was fifteen," he said.
"Assuming that is Rogue's age," Ororo said.
"Pardon?" he asked.
"During movie night, Rogue joked with Magneto that she was nine in nineteen-ninety-one. Scott pointed out that would make her twenty," she reminded him. He considered that a moment before his eyes widened.
"And when she first joined us, she all but told us her birth certificate was fake," he recalled. "She asked me not to look into the matter because she was afraid no one could prove her identity."
"When is her birthday?" she asked.
"August fourth, I believe," he answered.
"So, she's turning twenty-one this year," she said.
"Possibly," Charles said. "I'll have to ask her," he said.
"Would that make their relationship more tolerable?" she asked.
"That would mean she was eighteen when she was first attracted to him and twenty when they acted upon it. Three years may not seem like much. But at her age, it matters. Yes, actually, that would be better," he answered. "But why lie about her age, to begin with? What purpose did it serve?" he asked.
"Hmm," she mused as she dispersed her cloud.
"Because it wasn't Rogue's lie. It must have been Mystique's," he realized.
"Do you think so?" she asked.
"Mystique adopted Rogue when she was four years old. These were her words to Rogue on the matter. And Rogue certainly didn't acquire that birth certificate herself. It's the same way she hid her knowledge from Magneto. The same principle. Keep her enemies ignorant of her true capabilities, by keeping everyone ignorant. Her knowledge couldn't be used against her if no one knew she had it. It's the only thing that makes sense," he said.
"But why would Mystique lie to Rogue about her own age?" she asked.
"I've no idea," he said. "Either way, I won't know more about this or Moria until I've spoken with Rogue again," he said.
"Charles, about that. Moria was your friend, wasn't she?" Ororo asked.
"Fiancé, actually. Though we never made it to the altar," he answered.
"Was this before or after Gabrielle Haller?" she asked. The question took Charles by surprise. He didn't recall telling Ororo about his ex-wife, but he must have since she knew about her.
"Both actually," he answered, after a moment.
"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "Perhaps, you know more than you think. She may have used her powers in front of you without you realizing it," she said. He glanced up at her
"I hadn't considered that," he said.
"Reevaluating your memories might prove fruitful and it's better than waiting for Rogue," she said.
"You're right, it might be worth the effort," he said as he raised his hands to his temples. He was about to close his eyes when the cat reappeared. "There you are, little friend," he said before the cat rushed past his chair and out of the room.
"How did a cat get in here?" she asked.
"I may have let it in this morning, while I was waiting for you," he supplied.
"Oh," she said.
"I was going to mention it before we left. Though the situation seems to have resolved itself," he said.
"Thankfully," she said.
"Indeed," he said. "Ororo, would you please excuse me for a moment?" he asked.
"Of course," she said.
"Thank you," he said. And with that, he closed his eyes and delved deep into his memories.
Charles had always been what his mother, Shannon, had dubbed, 'a gifted youngster.' And his intelligence had taken him far—all the way to the hallowed halls of Oxford University at the tender age of sixteen. He had graduated from Bard College just last semester and was starting his graduate studies at Oxford. He would earn his first Ph.D's before he could legally have a drink. His mother was very proud. His stepfather was indifferent.
It was the day prior to classes starting as he sat in the school's cafeteria, with an open book to his right and his breakfast to his left. The latter grew cold as his interest in the material he was studying was far too compelling for him to care about the state of his sustenance. The book was called "Man and his Symbols", by Carl Gustav Jung. The insight Gustav Jung had of the unconscious mind was something he hadn't seen put into words before.
He wondered if the man was actually telepathic, like him, and had used academia to relay his deeper understanding of the human psyche to the general population. Perhaps he could do the same? It was all so interesting. His young mind couldn't read fast enough- his hunger for knowledge was insatiable.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" a female Scottish voice asked. He glanced up from his book to see a young woman. She had shoulder-length chestnut hair and a fair complexion. She was wearing a sports jacket and jeans. She was pretty. Actually, beautiful. Stunning even. Not that he had time for any of that.
Charles, eager to return to his book, dismissed the observation almost as quickly as he had made it. "If you don't mind silence. I'm not much for conversation while reading," he offered as he glanced back down at his book.
"Why do you think I asked to sit here, Charles?" she asked. His eyes flashed to hers, upon hearing his name. "I have my own studying to do and I don't want to be bothered by every frat boy with a pulse, now do I?" she asked.
"You know my name?" he asked.
"Course, I do," she laughed. "I'm surprised you don't know mine," she smiled. "We're the two youngest students in the university, you and I," she pointed out.
He considered that a moment before he recalled, "oh, Moria. Moria Kinross."
"Aye," she said with a nod. "Glad we got introductions out of the way. They're such a bother, don't you think?" she asked with amusement in her voice.
He let out a short chuckle himself. Being telepathic he often knew a person's name before they had uttered a word. He had trained himself not to pry into the minds of others but even he couldn't help but gleam that much from most individuals he came across. This girl had merely surprised him due to his lack of attention.
"I find them redundant, but necessary," he said.
A short moment passed between them as he watched a large smile cross her face.
"That's the god's honest truth, isn't it?" she laughed.
"Yes," he chuckled in agreement, astonished she had found it comical. She couldn't know what he actually meant. She must have found it entertaining for her own reasons. He shook his head- it didn't matter.
"Now, can I sit or not?" she asked again, her tone turning impatient. "My bag's not exactly light, is it?" she asked.
"Oh, well, I suppose so," he said.
"Good," she said as she pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. Her school bag fell to the floor with a hefty thump. Not able to concentrate quite yet, he reached for his glass of orange juice as he watched her lean down. He heard the sound of a zipper opening. Next, he watched her unceremoniously drop a pile of textbooks onto the table.
"Do you plan to read all of those over breakfast?" he asked, teasingly.
"Course not, Charles," she laughed, unphased by his taunt before he took a large gulp of his drink. "I already read 'em," she continued. He felt his eyes widen as he coughed, some of his drink going down the wrong pipe. "What? You think I got into Oxford at sixteen with my looks?" she asked, mockingly as he recovered. "I earned my way in. Same as you," she said before leaning back down to her book bag.
"I didn't mean to suggest otherwise," he said, in lieu of an apology. She leaned back up, now armed with a yellow highlighter.
"Didn't ja now?" she asked, pointedly. She held his gaze for a long moment, undeterred. He felt sweat forming on his brow, as he found himself uncharacteristically nervous under her gaze.
"Look, I- I'm sorry, alright?" he relented. "I didn't mean to offend you," he said.
"That's better," she said pleased, briefly pointing the highlighter at him. She smiled as she pulled one of the textbooks in front of her and opened it. Her eyes flashed to his again. "I thought you didn't want a conversation. Shouldn't you go back to studying the unconscious mind?" she asked.
He blinked, impressed she knew enough about his book to berate him so casually. He found himself closing it and turning his full attention towards her.
"What are you majoring in, Moria?" he asked.
"Anthropology, Biophysics, and Genetics," she answered.
"I'm studying Biophysics, Genetics, and Psychology," he said, though she hadn't asked.
"Do you have Professor Essex for Bio?" she asked.
"Yes," he said. "Third period?" he asked.
"Aye," she said.
"Perhaps, we could sit next to each other in class?" he asked.
"Why? Do you think you might like me?" she teased.
"I don't dislike you," he said.
"Fine," she laughed, "but only if you keep up, eh? I can't have some boy slowing down my academic career," she said.
"Perish the thought," he said.
"Well, that's settled then," she said with a smirk. "I've heard Essex can be a bit of a hard-arse. He likes to call on people unexpectedly. I bet most students wish they could know what he was going to ask before he did. Give 'em a few precious seconds to formulate their answer," she said.
He let out a chuckle. She had no idea.
"I think I'll be alright."
"If you say so," she said. "Who am I to argue if you claim to be capable of telepathic feats," she said before he chuckled again.
"Well, Moria, If I was telepathic, I wouldn't want to read your mind," he said, leaning slightly towards her.
"Why ever not?" she asked as she leaned in closer, copying his stance. "Am I not interesting enough for a gander?" she asked, going along with the joke.
"No, the opposite actually. It would ruin the conversation," he said earnestly and he watched a smile form on her face.
"Charles Francis Xavier, are you flirting with me?" she asked.
"I might be," he said, having no idea how she knew his middle name and at that moment not caring.
"Do you promise then?" she asked before he raised an eyebrow. "Even if you could never to read my mind?" she asked. He knew she was only going along with the joke, but still, he found himself taking the request seriously.
"You have my solemn vow," he said.
"Good. That's settled as well then," she said as she uncapped her highlighter. Her eyes gestured to his book and he instantly understood the exchange was over. Now it was time for both of them to return to their studies.
They swiftly fell into a comfortable silence. Every so often he would glance up from his book to look at her. And each time her eyes would flash to his as she gave him a soft smile. He already knew that this was going to be a regular occurrence and that he was going to spend countless hours with his fellow academic, simply enjoying their shared interest in furthering their education.
Charles' eyes flashed open.
"She knew. There's no doubt, she definitely knew," he said, shocked.
"That you were a mutant?" Ororo asked.
"Yes and telepathic. I- she manipulated me," he realized.
"How?" Ororo asked.
"She," he stuttered. His mind raced as replayed the conversation another time. "I might have known Essex," he said.
"What?" she asked, alarmed.
"I had a Professor at Oxford. His name was Essex and- Apologizes, Ororo, I need to go back into my mind," he said.
"Then go, I'll be here when you have finished," she said.
"Thank you," he said.
Okay calling it here! Hope you all enjoyed it! More to come! Please let me know your thoughts! Seriously, had some trouble with the chapter and then a review came in with some questions, and boom! The chapter was written a few days after that! THANK YOU!
Maryam Memarill: THANK YOU! Yeah, I was actually a little worried because I was doing something no one else has done before in Rogue/Magneto fanfics and I was concerned that people would find it out of character for him. But, yeah they're equals and I totally had Rogue manipulate his ego to get him to consent to it. So, yeah I think it worked and it was fun writing something new. I have so much plot, all of the plot, that I feel like any sex scene also has to serve the plot as well and this one did. I really glad you enjoyed it and I hope you liked this chapter too!
Oh and thanks for rereading chapter 41! Yeah, It would have been way too soon back then. So much has happened and he has so many more of his memories back! It's funny the first time I wrote it, it turned into an angry sex scene and the tone was totally off but the concept of making Rogue the dominant one was too interesting not to revisit. Again, glad you liked it, and hope to hear your thoughts about this chapter as well!
OkamiAran: THANK YOU! I have no idea how long it might take you to get to this chapter, but if you ever read this far, thanks for giving my fic a chance! I really appreciate it! :) And I'm glad you enjoyed the first 8 chapters!
Kirogue: THANK YOU! Yes, very true, Rogue has to be in front of so much and I think her submitting to Magneto is the kind of release she needs to help her cope with all of the control she has to adhere to, to control the timeline, and keep everyone alive! And yes, he wouldn't trust anyone else more. Marriage is a partnership and so is ruling a country together! :)
Totally fair questions about Rogue's powers. I think I mentioned a few chapters ago that I wish I had never written anything from Rogue's point of view. I've reconned a little bit as I finalized the full plot of this fic, but also not really. Rogue lied a LOT, so there is room for misinformation given the unreliable narrator. I haven't fully explained it yet but I will get there. As for hints in the past, there's been a few times, where Rogue has absorbed Magneto but has still been able to touch him afterward with no issues. Chapter 14 comes to mind when he had her tied to bed with metal cuffs and she undid them herself with his powers "Because she's smarter than that" :)
Charles and Ororo were fumbling, trying to understand as well. So, until Rogue is ready to speak more they (and by proxy you .) can only speculate. But seriously, please keep the speculation coming, it is so helpful. I was having trouble with this chapter. It's hard writing about two people thinking at each other with no real way to confirm the legitimacy of their thoughts, but your questions gave me a focus point for the conversation. So, THANK YOU! Hope to hear your thoughts on this chapter as well!
