Chapter Seventeen

Rogue was awoken by someone nudging her. When she opened her eyes, hay got into them. Rogue forgot where she was and what she was running from and sat up, trying to pull the hay out of her eyes. When they stopped watering she was able to look at the farmer who helped save her and Magneto. The memories came back.

"You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah. I'm good thanks. Where are we?" Rogue asked looking around.

"Just outside a Washington."

Rogue nodded her head, then looked at the farmer examingly. "Your southern. What you doing up north?"

"Thought I'd be what's best for ma daughter in me, but ever since Jen got took, it's been just me searchin' the whole of Washington for her by maself. The cops won't help me 'cause she's a mutant-"

"You wanna know if I can help ya find her?" Rogue cut to the chase.

The man nodded his head. Rogue felt pity. She had an idea where his daughter was, but even going back that one time was too much for her. She could feel it. She had plowed in and out of there, not thinking much, but now the pain of having been back there hit her. She felt sick as she climbed out of the truck and curled over.

"You alright there?"

Rogue nodded her head. She thought she was just catching her breath, but instead sick started to come. The man stood unsure what to do except watch her.

Magneto sat up and looked around. He'd been awaken the same way Rogue had, only he had been too scared to move. But hearing Rogue choking and coughing, he felt it was his job to repay her for saving him; whatever the costs. He sat up and took in the scene before him. The farmer stood unsure of how to help while Rogue was being sick. Magneto saw that Rogue was reacting from shock. He attempted to climb out of the truck.

"Whoa, hey, easy there." Said the farmer as he fell out of the truck. The farmer only just caught him before he gasped.

"Y-Your Magneto." Breathed the farmer.

Magneto tried to push the man away, though he was very weak and he tried to use the edge of the truck to help get himself back up.

Rogue had finished being sick and now stood up straight. She turned and noticed Magneto was up and wobbly. After coughing roughly one last time, Rogue stood up straighter, feeling dizzy as she did, but shuck it away and moved over to Magneto.

He looked up to her with those grey eyes of his. Rogue felt herself saddened. They weren't the strong fighting eyes she was used to. Instead they were scared and thankful. The same eyes he had back when he was a little boy; back during WW2. Rogue attempted a small smile, but it wasn't convincing. "Hey." Was all she could think to say.

"Where are we?" Magneto asked.

Rogue looked around too. She didn't actually know. They both turned to look at the farmer. "In the middle of nowhere."

Magneto and Rogue both looked at each other, that didn't help much. "Who is he?" Magneto asked.

Rogue looked back to the farmer then shrugged her shoulders. "Don't know. Just some good desent guy who helped get us away from the sentinals. How you holdin' up?"

Magneto stood up straighter, using the side of the van to steady him. "Better. Much better." Magneto then looked towards the farmer, staring at him.

The farmer looked inbetween the two and got the message. He went to sit inside his truck. Magneto turned back to Rogue. "Why did you come back for me?"

Rogue studied his face. He tried to show no emotion, but she could see he was actually really suprized and kinda touched along side his sadness. He didn't want a sobby answer, yet he set himself up to hearing he was nothng but a tool to her. "'Cause I know what it's like." Was all Rogue could think to say. Her eyes began to wonder anywhere but away from Magneto.

Magneto took her hand in his, squeezing it tight as he said, "Why did you really help me Rogue?"

Rogue shrugged her shoulders. Magneto wrapped a finger around her chin. "Rogue?" He questioned, forcing her to look at him.

Rogue did look into those grey orbs. She was happy to see they were once again starting to relight with fire and passion. Rogue opened her mouth to speak, not knowing what words were going to come out, when both of them turned their heads when they heard a jet engine close by.

Up to the skies they looked and there was the X Jet which landed on the field besides the road they was on. Rogue and Magneto became stiff and on guard. Magneto let go of the van and attempted to stand up without support. But he still felt ill and light headed. Rogue moved her body, noticing this, to moving to his side and letting her body touch his side. Magneto took the hint and leaned on Rogue a little without showing it. Rogue watched from behind Magneto as the X-Men approached them.

The farmer had gotten out of his truck and came to stand besides Rogue too. They all watched as member after member climbed out and headed towards them.

Rogue felt Magneto stiffen along side her as the Professor came in front of them.

"Erik, it is good to see you are no longer a prisoner of Sinister. And Rogue." The Professor paused as he looked her in her eye. He didn't need to read her thoughts to know that she hated him. It was in her eyes. "I think there is a lot of things we need to go over without a fight. Do you agree?"

"Ha, funny." Rogue said with a strong sense of mock in her voice. "Listen Professor, I don't know why ya made em all forget about me, but I'm tellin' ya now, I ain't gonna play your mind games. I ain't interested in you or anything to do with your X-Men. But you obviously want something from us. What do ya want?"

Rogue noticed that Cyclopse's shades glowed red. Rogue moved to stand into a defencive stances. And she also felt Magneto's power as he touched on the metal around them.

"That's enough. This is no time for us to be divided. All of us, all mutants, need to stand together and work together to defeat Sinister and his dyabolical skemes. Rogue, Magneto. We need your help to take down Sinister and you both know you need the X-Men too."

Magneto and Rogue looked to each other, then back to the X-Men. Rogue's eyes moved towards Wolverine who was staring at her with an almost soft look in his firest eye. Rogue looked back to the Professor. "How do we know we can trust you?"

"Huh, that's rich coming from you." Said Cyclopse.

Both Jean and the Professor hushed Cyclopse. "I give you my word-" Started to Professor.

"Your word means nothing to me." Rogue interrupted. The Professor frowned.

"Then what about me Strips? My word good enough for ya?" Rogue looked to Logan and a look of sympathy showed on her face.

"It's not you I have the problem with Logan. It the psychic."

"Then how about this." Said Jean Grey as she stepped forwards. "I'll give you my word to become your personal safeguard and if anything happens, I'll protect you."

"Jean." Said Scott. Jean just put and hand up to Scott to make him stop talking.

"Your too loyal to the Professor. If it was a choice between me and the Professor you would take his side no questions asked."

"This is riducalas Rogue." Said the Professor.

"Perhaps I could offer some light to this subject." Everyone turned to face Magneto and even Rogue was suprized by Magneto helping out the X-Men. He looked down to Rogue and something within his eyes spoke bold trust.

"What do you suppose Erik?" Asked the Professor.