Chapter Five: Rogue's Powers

And here's Chapter Five! Random question: do you ever go to sleep at night, wondering whether or not you should back out of what you're currently doing? I love that I'm finally posting a story and people are liking it, but every time I go to bed, I'm plagued by doubts over whether or not this saga is gonna go well, and if I should give up and take it down.

DusktoDawn21: I'm happy to see that I've still got your attention! In relation to what I said above, I'm actually a little worried about how I could possibly build up the main relationships in a way that's both believable and acceptable (don't know if that's the right word to use).

Weeee: First of all, love your name! Second, I hope you like this new update! And which ship are you referring to? If you meant Rogue/Cyclops, then me too, friend! I have since Evolution! If you meant Logan/Jean, then I really hope I don't disappoint! Maybe I'm having a hard time writing this ship because I don't really ship them (I ship Logan with Storm), but I'm REALLY trying!

And again, updates are on Sundays! Just wanna make sure everyone knows that! :)

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men.

While Rogue began to feel more comfortable at the school, she couldn't help her heart beating faster every time she saw Scott Summers. Apart from finding him attractive (ugh, her hormones needed to get a grip), she found herself relating to him. She learned from Ororo that he wore those red shades to hide his optic blasts. Like her and her gloves, he couldn't control his powers unless he wore those glasses. She wanted so much to tell him that she understood his situation, but her shyness held her back.

What she didn't know, however, was that Scott felt the same way. After he and Ororo brought Rogue and Logan to the mansion, the professor had told them about her powers, how she could take a person's life force, memories, and abilities, human or mutant, just by touching their skin. He added that she was incapable of controlling it, and therefore incapable of human contact unless she wore layers of clothing, including gloves. Scott felt so bad for her, and felt a growing protective instinct for her. He wanted to tell her that he was in a similar situation, but he held himself back. He feared that Jean was reading too deep into his feelings, and the last thing he needed was his fiancée accusing him of falling for a seventeen-year-old girl that he admittedly found very pretty. Then again, she wasn't exactly innocent either, and neither was Logan...

"I think you'll be comfortable here." Jean turned on a lamp in Logan's new bedroom. She couldn't figure out why she got these weird new feelings when she was around him. She was engaged to Scott, her long time friend, and yet here she was attracted to this mysterious and undoubtedly dangerous man. Sure, he had an impressive physique and looked handsome in a rugged way, not to mention the fact that his past was a mystery deeply intrigued her...she was getting distracted. She kept her back to him, hoping he didn't notice her face reddening.

"Where is your room?" he asked while going to his closet.

"With Scott down the hall," she answered as she turned on more lights.

Logan stopped when he opened the closet doors. You've gotta be kidding me, he thought. "Is that your gift?" he questioned her. "Putting up with that guy?"

Jean smirked. "Actually, I'm telekinetic. I can move things with my mind."

He looked at her with great interest. "Really? What kinds of things."

She nodded her head at his closet doors, and they swung shut. "All kinds of things. I also have some telepathic ability."

"What, like your professor?"

Jean chuckled. "Nowhere near that powerful. But he's teaching me to develop it."

Logan slowly walked up to her. "I'm sure he is. So read my mind."

Jean couldn't fight the blush that grew back on her cheeks, but kept a serious face. "I'd rather not."

"Come on," he whispered almost playfully. "You afraid you might like it?"

"I doubt it," she whispered back, smiling.

He smirked. "Maybe your professor's holding you back. Maybe he's not alone."

Jean raised her eyebrows. "I hope you're not suggesting that Scott's holding me back."

"You know, he seems a little restraining for a woman like you," he said. He knew he was pushing it, but he just couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why or how a stunningly beautiful and possibly powerful woman like her was stuck with an anal boy scout like Summers.

"Really?" She, of course, was picking up on his thoughts, but chose not to mention it.

He shrugged. "Just an observation."

"If Scott opened his eyes without that visor, he could punch a hole through a mountain," she said seriously. "I think it's good for all of us if he has a sense of control, thank you."

Logan nodded, finally backing off. He turned back to his closet.

But Jean's curiosity got the best of her. "Wait," she said. "Come here."

He walked back towards her.

She took a deep breath. "All right, I need you to try and relax." She held up her hands beside his head and closed her eyes. She caught images of him in some kind of lab, encased in water and covered in thin restraints. She gasped a little, pulling away.

"What do you see?" Logan asked, gently taking her hands and lowering them.

Jean's eyes were wide as she thought about what she saw. But then she looked over his shoulder. "Scott."

Scott was standing in Logan's doorway. His facial expression was difficult to read, but Jean knew what he was thinking.

"Jean," he said. "I think we need to talk about some things."

Jean looked down, knowing exactly what they needed to talk about. "Yes, we do. Good night, Logan."

As she walked away, Logan couldn't help but wonder what she saw. He was also a bit concerned; if she was that frightened by what was in his mind...

He then turned to look at Scott, who looked like he wanted to say something, but instead merely nodded and walked out.

Later that night, everyone in the mansion was sound asleep, except for one. Rogue was wide awake as she heard Logan's grunts and other sounds of distress. She eventually left the room she shared with Kitty and Jubilee and went to his, finding him thrashing a bit in his bed, covered in sweat. She walked up to him, careful not to touch him, and whispered, "Logan?"

But Logan didn't hear her. He was having the nightmares again. The same nightmares of him in some kind of lab and being held underwater for a procedure. He faintly caught glimpses of people standing around him, but their faces weren't clear.

"Logan! Logan, wake up!"

Soon, the distress was too much for him, and his eyes snapped open. On instinct, he shot up, roaring, and extended his claws, barely hearing someone scream.

For several seconds, Rogue and Logan were still and silent, before Rogue let out a small pained grunt. He looked down and saw, to his horror, that he had stabbed her through her right shoulder. He withdrew his claws, watching as she stumbled and winced.

The southern girl had never felt pain like this. It was so excruciating, so intense, she couldn't bring herself to scream again. It was as if her voice fled in fear.

"Help me!" said Logan weakly. Seeing her grimace, he shouted, "Somebody HELP!"

Rogue forced herself to stay still and focus on him. She remembered that he had some kind of ability to heal himself, and knew that she needed that ability now. She shakily lifted her hand to his face, and lightly pressed her fingertips to his cheek. She watched as he gasped for air, his eyes widening, and veins appearing all over his face. She felt a rush of energy flow through her, and the claw wounds in her shoulder began to slowly close up.

Neither of them noticed the light turn on, nor that a crowd formed in the doorway. Among the crowd were Ororo, Jean, and Scott.

Finally, when she felt her wounds heal completely, Rogue let go of Logan. He felt to the floor, his body shaking like he was having a seizure.

"Scott, grab a pillow!" said Jean as she knelt beside him. Scott got over his shock and grabbed a pillow from Logan's bed and handed it to her.

Rogue turned to face Ororo. "It was an accident," she said hoarsely, her voice having decided to return.

The older woman didn't say anything. Rogue then realized that everyone was staring at her, including Scott. Embarrassed and mortified, she left the room, the other students gasping and backing away from her as if she had a contagious disease. A faint sniffle was heard as she fled.

Scott stared sadly after her. He wanted so badly to go after her and comfort her, but he was needed here. This didn't go unnoticed by Jean, who had begun absentmindedly stroking Logan's hair.

"Logan?" Logan stirred awake. He was back in his bed, and the professor was looking down at him. Everyone else had gone back to bed.

"What happened?" he murmured. "Is she all right?"

Professor Xavier nodded. "She'll be all right."

Logan closed his eyes, suddenly aware of his massive headache. "What did she do to me?"

"Whenever Rogue touches someone," Professor Xavier explained, "she takes their energy, their life force. In the case of mutants, she absorbs their gifts for a short while. In your case, your ability to heal."

Logan grimaced. "It felt like she almost killed me."

Professor Xavier raised his eyebrows. "If she'd held out any longer, she could have."

Logan could only stare at him. And when he tried to go back to sleep, he felt an odd sensation of feminine fingers combing through his hair...

And there's Chapter Five! Yep, Scott and Jean's relationship seems to be withering away. I didn't write a scene for their talk, because I can't really come up with a conversation as heavy as this without feeling uncomfortable, or risking either of them being "out of character" (I'm having a hard enough time writing the main relationships in a way that's believable). Feel free to imagine how it went, if you want.

Also, I used the extended scene of Jean and Logan's conversation, in case you were wondering.