Chapter Twenty-Three

Rogue had been in and out of consiousness all the way to the next base. There were no mutants to free in the second base, just the X-Men whom they picked up. Rogue hurried (and felt) Magneto take control and order the X-Men (and control the Jet) so they went straight to the first camp. There were mutants that were being saved from the first camp. They were being loaded up into the long truck Wolverine had drove down.

"Team two, go and help team one." Magneto commanded. "You, Night Crawler, bring Wolverine here!" They all looked a little unsure. "Now!" But hearing Magneto yell kicked them all into gear and they were on the move.

Within one minute, Wolverine appeared in a poof of blue smoke in front of Magneto and Rogue. "What the-" Wolverine started.

"Wolverine, touch Rogue!" Magneto command.

Wolverine took in the scene before him. Magneto was on his knees in front of Rogue, putting pressure on Rogue's stomach. Rogue had a bandage wrapped around her middle. There was a little bit of blood that leaked through the bandage, but most of it had stopped as Magneto had stictched Rogue's wound to stop the bleeding and help the healing. Wolverine looked at Rogue who looked like she was having a blinking fit as she kept coming in and out of consiousness.

"I've gotta get those kids back to safety." Wolverine said. He didn't much like being told what to do.

"If you don't touch her, she might die." Said Magneto.

"Those kids might die-"

"They have the others. They shall be fine." And against him will, Wolverine felt Magneto force his arm forwards so that he touched Rogue's check. Wolverine fell to his knees and collapsed. Rogue woke up with a jolt. She felt Wolverine's energy rushing through her veins. Then, felt the empty space in her chest start to fill. All Wolverine's thoughts and memories ran through her mind; his hurt, his betrayel over her kissing Magneto, but most of all his distress as he saw her lieing on the floor, pale white.

XXXXX

Rogue had passed out once again on the X-Jet to wake up in quite a noisy room full of people. Rogue sat up, rubbing her head as she took everything in. She was back in Magneto's metal base, in the hosiptal wing where a lot of beds were pushed together just to fit in more people. Rogue watched as doctors and other members of the X-Men ran up and down, checking on patients and getting them the treatment they needed. Rogue climbed off the bed, feeling she was just taking up space as she knew she was perfectly fine from Wolverine's healing powers.

Rogue began walking down the allies, looking at the injured. Some had large brusing, some had deep cuts and scars. Other's were missing parts of their bodies, just has Rogue had been missing most of her skin when she first managed to escape the hell hole. It had held quickly over time and a lot faster with Wolverine's healing factor (their was still some scars though that could never go away). Rogue looked, up and down the allies, until she came across the colourful mutant.

"Rogue." She gasped happily. The little girl crawled from underneath her covers towards Rogue. Jen stood up at the end of her bed and wrapped her arms around Rogue's middle. "I'm so happy your awake." She said with a quiet tear rolling down her face.

Rogue smiled warmly. She hadn't felt this touched since... Well, she guessed since Magneto had taken her in and understood her and her story and was nice to her. She knew how this little girl felt and she was happy she could give her this feeling of being safe and cared for.

"I'm happy your safe too kiddo. And I know someone else who's gonna be happy to know your safe and sound."

The girl looked up to Rogue from where she hugged her. "You really know my poppa?"

"Yes, I do sugar. He helped me and a friend out this one time, and I promised him I'd find you and get you back to him safe and sound for helpin' us. Now, he gave me his number just before we parted and I'm sure I'll be able to dig it up somewhere and have him come meet us so he can get ya." Jen's smile grew into a full tooth smile as she squeezed Rogue tighter. "Thank you." And then she began to cry.

Rogue held her for as long as she could, then said that she'd go find that number now to escape from the child's grasp. As she passed the X-Men though, she noticed they all had somewhat a look of pride and a smirk to their faces. Rogue didn't understand why they seemed so...nice to her. Then Kitty happened.

"Awww, you were so sweet with that girl. You've managed to put a smile on her face. She's so cute. Nice job." Then she was gone.

Was that why they were all giving her nice looks? Because she was nice to a child? Sometimes, she didn't understand people. There was still stuff between them all which hadn't been sorted out yet and from the rate things were going, Rogue doubted they'd ever be sorted out.

Rogue left the hospital wing. She wasn't sure where she was going, but she knew she didn't want to be there. The little girl was sweet, but there was just too many people and too much presure. Rogue soon found herself back in the wreck room where she and Magneto had played chest. Now it was filled with mutants that weren't as badly injured or tromatiesed by what had just happened to them (newly captures). Rogue left the wreck room, going into the kitchen and finding mutants there. They were everywhere and all she wanted was some peace. Atlas, she headed up to the surface which she knew would be a bad and dangerous idea, but she was willing to take that risk for some quiet time.

Rogue sneaked out of the base, convincing the mutants on patronl on the door that she wasn't going far and would stay hidden. They'd not been happy, but they didn't completely know she wasn't appart of the main X-Men body. All they knew was that she made the plans and was, therefore, somewhat of a leader on this whole thing. So they let her out.

She climbed a tree and sat in it. For hours that felt like moments, Rogue just massaged her head, calming the voices and thinking things over. One thought came to mind over and over again, until the though became too annoying to ignore. Rogue wanted to know what ad how Magneto had responded to the camp.

Later, as the sun was setting, Rogue climbed down the tree and reentered the base. It had become quieter now and the hallways and rooms less packed. Rogue searched the building, looking for one person. She found that person in his small cell like room. Rogue knocked on the door before opening it. She found Magneto just lay on his bed, looking up to the ceiling, thinking. There were three little metal balls in the air, dancing around each other as he pondered. He didn't eve seem to realise Rogue was there.

"Is this a bad time?" Rogue asked.

"No." Said Magneto. "What's wrong Rogue?" He asked.

"Nothing. I just came to see if you wanted another game of chest." Magneto eyed Rogue suspisiouly. Rogue just looked back unfazed by his look. It was a last minute lie but it was a white one.

"Not tonight I'm afraid. Anything else?" He asked.

Rogue shuck her head. She wasn't sure what her answer to her question was, but she didn't want to just come out with the questions. Not seeing anything else to keep them talking, Rogue turned and was about to leave.

"You never told me we were going to that base. But I have the idea that you were setting me up for some reason. What, pray tell, might that have been?"

Rogue twisted and looked at Magneto. For a long moment they just gazed at each other. "Your a cleaver man Magneto. You haven't figured it out yet?"

"I would like to here the answer from you."

Rogue turned in the door way so her body was facing him. She leaned against the door as she went into explination."We both know why I did it. That's the second time you've been in a death camp. The first time you escaped you regreated not going back, freeing the other poor souls and then blowing the place up into little tiny pieces. I gave you the chance to do that the second time around. How do you feel now?"

Magneto studied Rogue for a little longer. At the moment he felt in shock, not at the topic of their conversation but at what he kept forgetting. Everytime he looked at Rogue he saw himself in her stip of white hair, but each time it was as if a part of him forgot that she knew him so well from the memories she absorbed from him. And then she would do or say something that would shock him yet, show him clarity.

Magneto thought of how to answer her. He was a little bit edgy with her after realising she'd set him up. He didn't know what her motives were and he still didn't. Though, he guessed he'd have to give information to gain information.

"At the time I was angry. Mad, destructive."

Rogue nodded her head. "Yeah. I know. I saw that."

"Now... I feel only a little satisfied knowing that that camp is gone. But I am not stupid enough nor naive enough to rest in peace as they will simply build more camps and fill them up with more mutants. The war began a while ago and we are right in the middle of it. However, some are only just coming to realise we are in war now. It gives less hope to those of us who've seen this coming from the start. To those of us willing to fight and put our lifes on the line already. I fear we may be destoryed in numbers before we make any good difference."

Rogue folded her arms, seeming rather iritated. "Oh come on Magneto. Don't tell meh ya goin' all soft and defeaten on meh."

Magneto glared at Rogue as if she had tried to attack him. "The Magneto I know would have said, even if we are low in numbers, mutants are still dangerous and it'd only take, I don't know, one ta take down a thousand humans. You can't just go givin' up now that it seems we've hit rock bottom. Ya know this ain't rock bottom. This is boreder line safe in a war. And an attitude like that, you knows gonna get you killed. I took you to that camp to relight something within you. I hoped it would work, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe it's finally happened. Maybe the great Magneto, master of magnitism, has finally been broken and defeated."

"You dare question me?" Yelled Magneto at Rogue in outrage. "I recall it was me resueing you after you foolishly was shot for not looking over your shoulder."

Rogue, as scared as she was from having Magneto's rage aimed at her, kept her chin up high and turned to exit. "Your weak and not the man I thought you were."

Just as Rogue was about to step away, there was a tight grip around her arm stopping her from going anywhere. She was pulled back by a harsh grip and felt her back slab into the door frame. Magneto's body was so close to hers and his anger was pouncing off him. Rogue was out of breath even though she hadn't done anything. The heat rised between them and before they knew it, they were embracing each other in an aggressive kiss. Rogue felt herself lift up at the waist and she came to saddle Magneto's hips as he pressed harder into her.

After a moments pasted, Magneto dropped Rogue moving away from her; bent over from dizziness and faintness. Rogue got her breath (and footing) back and straighted up. "There..." She breathed. "There he is...The man I was looking for..." And with that, Rogue turned and left knowing she'd just won a tiny war and added something to her plot to take down Sinister.

XXXXX

"Hey Logan." Came a female voice.

Wolverine knew who it was before she even spoke.

"What do you want Rogue?" He growled with a cigar in his mouth.

Rogue moved from the shadowed tree towards him. She'd found him very far away from the base. "You plannin' on runnin' again?" Rogue asked.

"What do you care?" Snapped Wolverine.

"You know you can't abandon the team Logan. Not now when they need you. Not when Jean needs you."

Wolverine seemed to twitch at this as he turned to glare at Rogue from the corner of his eye. "You been looking through my mind?"

"Yes and no. I looked through you mind ages ago. Not much has changed, I can tell that without even looking." Wolverine grumbled and turned away from her."But I know there is something your missing."

"You blaming the Professor again?"

"It is his fault that you can't remember me Logan. I know it is."

"Drop it Rogue. I know all I need to know."

"But you don't know about us do you?" Rogue said gently.

"There is no us." Wolverine said with a firm snap in his tone.

"Your not sure about that though, are you." She spoke the truth, but he wouldn't let it show. He didn't answer her. Simply took another drag of his cigar. "You feel something for me. Some old strong past feeling for me that you don't understand." Rogue paused to see Wolverine's face. It was half lit up in the moon light. Rogue felt herself depressed at what she was about to say and do, but she would rather sacrife whatever feelings she had for Wolverine than to see him hurt. " We were close in the past. Very close." Rogue stepped to come besides him. Wolverine looked don at her. Thoughts going through his head that were disterbing, yet oddly pleasing as Rogue spoke. "But we weren't together... You didn't want me. Not like that."

Wolverine took in the twinkle in Rogue's eye and understood the situation somewhat. He turned away and took another drag of his cigar. "You loved me?" Said Wolverine as if it was nothing.

"I still do." Rogue said gently. "But our love's complicated. Our relationship's kinda like father/daughter, though, it's not. Ever since we met, you took care of me and saved me numerious times. You were always looking out for me,"He was suprized to see her chuckle."Even when my Ex, Bobby, came onto the scene, you put him in his place just to make sure I wouldn't get hurt. It was nice havin' ya around. When you were around. Just having you be there for me and look out for me." Her smile fell."Losing you... Was one of the worse feelings in the world... Yeah, pain and torture might be bad, but knowing that I didn't have you in my life anyone to help me... It almost broke me for a time...Losing you was like losing my home again. Losing hope... I could live without the mansion, but it was you who made it a home for me."

Finally Wolverine and Rogue looked at each other. Some deep connection flashing between them. Then Rogue looked up to the moon again as she spoke. "Now you know...Those feelings you have for me. Those unknown feelings...They're not like the one's you've got for Jean Grey."

Wolverine turned away from Rogue, looking down to the ground feeling guilty.

"If I can't have you Logan. Then I think it's fair I take control of my on life and find someone or something else that I can have and that'll want me back."

"And you think that person's Magneto?" Cracked Wolverine.

"You've not been inside his mind Logan." Rogue turned to look at him. "I have."

Rogue then turned and left.