Thank you for all the great reviews! I wanted to get Chapter 2 up quickly, as Chapter 3 is going to take a little while. Thanks again for reading everyone and I hope you enjoy it.
Rogue laid down on the edge of the back patio of the mansion the next afternoon, lazily contemplating the clouds wafting above her as the sun started to set. She had plenty of studying to do, but she needed a brain break, not to mention a break from the tension in the house. That morning at breakfast, an argument had started between the usually-placid Jean and Scott over Scott's refusal to pass the butter when Gambit had asked for it.
It went downhill from there and had almost escalated into a food-fight-slash-brawl-with-superpowers when Hank McCoy broke it up. Rogue had gone off to school with a heavy heart, feeling badly for Remy, who was going to be stuck in the mansion all day with Scott and Logan, who still clearly hated him.
Needless to say, she hadn't gotten a whole lot done at school that day either.
"Hi," a soft voice interrupted her thoughts.
Rogue sat up as she saw Sam standing above her. "Is it still ok if I join you?"
"Sure," she said, patting the space next to her on the edge of the patio. She looked back up at the clouds again and pointed. "I was just trying to figure out if that cloud up there looks more like Logan or the X-Jet."
Sam laughed in spite of his nervousness, then sat down next to her. You can do this, he reassured himself. This is easy! It's not like fighting the Brotherhood or Magneto or anything. It's just a girl.
A girl you really like.
That you want to ask to the prom.
Aw shoot, why am I doing this again?
"It's your Senior Year right Rogue?" Sam was amazed he had managed to blurt out a complete sentence.
Rogue looked at him, slightly surprised at the question. "Uh huh, unfortunately. The Professor's been wantin' me to pick some college courses online to take next fall, so I can stay here at the Mansion and help teach like Scott and Jean are doing, but I can't make my mind up on what I'd like to study." She laughed in spite of herself. "With the way things have been goin' the past few days, psychology might be the best choice." She stopped, wondering where he was going with this. "Why'd you ask?"
"It's just, well, everyone should get to go to their Senior Prom is all," Sam blurted out.
"That'd be nice," Rogue said with more than a hint of bitterness in her voice. "VERY unlikely in my case, though, but nice all the same."
Just say it! Sam screamed in his head. "Uhm, well, I was sort of wondering...if maybe if you sort of kind of maybe went with me, then you could go."
Rogue smiled as she realized what he was saying. "Sam, are you asking me to go to the Prom with you?"
Sam looked at her meekly. "Uhm, if you want me to?"
She continued smiling in spite of herself. Since when do I get all girly about stuff like the prom? She'd all but announced yesterday that she didn't have the slightest interest in going. But she knew in her heart that it wasn't really true. She did want to dress up and get made up and be admired and appreciated as much as Kitty did.
Well, maybe not quite that much.
She sighed inwardly as she thought about what Kitty's reaction would be when she heard Rogue was going to the prom. What am I getting myself into if I say yes?
She didn't know Sam all that well, and he was younger than she was, but as the Professor had told them many times regarding the responsibility they had with their powers, when you were an X-Man, age was just a number.
Except in Bobby's case, of course.
On the plus side, of course, Sam was a tall, good looking guy, but most importantly, Rogue could tell Sam had an honest heart and a sweet, unassuming way about him that reminded her of home every time he talked to her.
She'd made her decision.
"Sure Sam, I'll go to the Prom with you," she smiled.
"Really?" he squeaked, then desperately tried to regain his composure. "Oh ok. Sweet." He stood up as casually as he could manage and stuck his hands in his pockets. "Ok. Great. Uhm, I'll tell Kurt...I mean, do you want to go with Kurt and Kitty?"
Rogue shrugged. "Sounds like fun."
Sam was grinning ear to ear as he walked backwards towards the door. Drastically underestimating the doorway's location, he ended up almost falling backwards over the patio table next to the door. Rogue had to pretend she had a cough and covered her mouth to fight off a giggle.
"Okay, great, well see you at dinner then," Sam managed to articulate as he turned to go back inside, waving.
"See you then," Rogue replied. She turned back to look out at the sky and cringed as she heard the sound of something metal and very heavy falling over in the hallway. She didn't have to guess who had knocked it over.
Hopefully he'll be more graceful on the dance floor than he is in the X-Mansion, Rogue smiled to herself.
The moon was starting to appear above the trees and Rogue sighed contentedly. How weird life could be that your day could be so bad one minute and so unexpectedly nice the next.
Suddenly, a screeching noise not uttered by most life forms on the planet suddenly came wafting through the hallway that led out to the patio, breaking Rogue's reverie.
What on Earth? Rogue wondered, then a sudden dread and realization washed over her. Oh no, it can't be. How could she have possibly found out ALREADY?
Kitty bounced onto the patio, uttering a shrill, shrieking noise Rogue hadn't heard since Kitty first saw Orlando Bloom without his shirt on in the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie. "Ohmigod Omigod Ohmigod!! We HAVE to go shopping!! LIKE!! RIGHT!! Now!!" Kitty pulled her friend to her feet and hugged her so tightly Rogue thought she was going to suffocate her.
Rogue sighed. It was going to be a very, very long night.
"You're quite certain, Remy?" Charles Xavier asked as he and Gambit strolled around the walkway in front of the mansion later that night.
"He said he got it from an art dealer he knew, and knowing about what happened the last time Apocalypse showed up, that he wanted me to have it to take with me," Gambit said. "I know he wasn't happy about my leavin' again, especially to join the X-Men, but why would give me something to help you all that he knew was phony?"
"I don't know," the Professor responded. "Whether the coin is real or fake, the situation is very troubling indeed." He stopped his chair and turned to face Gambit. "Perhaps you and I need to pay your adopted father a visit to get to the bottom of all this."
"Rghlflup," Rogue muttered incoherently as Kitty tugged on her comforter.
"Rogue, you have to get up. You're gonna be late for school!" Kitty implored. Rogue grunted and pulled her pillow over her head.
"Didn't I just go to sleep?" Rogue's muffled voice queried sleepily.
"NO," Kitty said, tapping her foot impatiently. No response. Kitty threw up her arms in frustration. "FINE. I'm just going to have to resort to something drastic."
"More drastic than last night...HEY!" Rogue protested as her pillow disappeared along with her comforter as Kitty phased them through the bed.
"Have I ever mentioned that I HATE when you do that?" Rogue said as she slowly sat up in her bed, trying to rub the sleep out of her eyes.
"Not today," Kitty replied in that sing-songy voice which drove Rogue crazy and reminded her of the lead character in Enchanted, a movie Kitty had forced them all to watch a few weeks ago at the Mansion – under extreme protest from pretty much everyone, mind you, except Jean (no surprise there, Rogue had thought at the time). "Come on, we've got another big day of shopping ahead once we get out of school."
"MORE shopping?" Rogue asked incredulously. Was that even POSSIBLE? Rogue slowly got out of bed and walked over to her dresser, trying to pull herself out of her grogginess as she started rummaging around for something to wear. As soon as Kitty had finally released her death-grip of joy on her the night before, she had dragged her to the mall, where they had spent what felt like four days looking at and trying on dresses. And more dresses. And MORE dresses.
"You still haven't found your dress yet silly, so of COURSE we have shopping to do," Kitty said in a matter-of-fact voice. "And once we do we have to find you a purse to go with it, the right accessories, makeup, how we're going to do your hair..."
Rogue sighed as she pulled on a new turquoise sleeveless shirtdress over her black long-sleeved leotard top and black leggings. "You do realize we have two finals on Friday morning, right?"
"Pfft. Finals can wait. The Prom is...forevah!" Kitty said as she did a little twirl in front of her mirror, swished her ponytail merrily, and headed out the door.
"Lord save us from the Prom Fairy," Rogue rolled her eyes as she followed Kitty out the door.
As she stepped into the hallway, she almost collided with Gambit, who was carrying a large box in one hand. "Sorry 'bout that, Gambit," Rogue said. "I'm still recovering from an overdose of Kitty's patented peppiness."
Gambit smiled at her. "I haven't been here long, cherie, but I can tell that one can take some getting used to."
Rogue chuckled. "I've been here for years and I'm still trying to get used to it." She looked at the battered leather bag slung over his shoulder. "Are you goin' somewhere?"
Gambit rubbed the back of his neck uneasily with his free hand. "The Professor wants to go ask my fath... – I mean Jean-Luc – some questions about the coin he gave me."
Rogue was curious. "Does the Professor think it's a fake?"
"May be. I'm hoping we can get some answers and get back outta town as quick as possible. I still don't trust the man completely, 'specially with any other mutants."
Rogue nodded. She vividly remembered Gambit's adopted father's reaction to seeing her and Storm's powers. Rogue had wondered at the time if it was admiration or acquisition he had on mind when he saw her and the rest of the X-Men at work. Either way, Rogue shared Remy's uneasiness.
"Don't you guys think you should maybe bring some backup, just in case?" Rogue asked.
"The Professor said he won't allow any of you all in school to go 'cause of your finals, and as for the rest, well," Gambit looked a bit wary, " he felt that because things were still a bit unsettled and all, it might not be best to bring them along."
"I know you'll do a good job watching out for the Professor Gambit," Rogue said.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence mon petit, but the Professor is a big boy and don't need me to take care of him, " he smiled, then nodded at the box he was carrying. "Now back to the reason I came to find you this morning. This," he said, placing it in her surprised hands, "is for you. Heard through the grapevine that you might be needing something like this. It was my mother's, and I want you to have it for your big night."
Rogue could only stand rooted in place like a dusty statue, trying to wrap her mind around what had just happened. Did Gambit just give me a present?
"I had better go. You have fun cherie, no one deserves it more than you." Gambit winked at her, taking one of her gloved hands and kissing it with a flourish. "You just let me know if that Guthrie boy misbehaves and I'll take care of him for you."
Rogue managed to mumble a goodbye as he disappeared down the hallway.
Her face felt hot. Then she felt clammy. Then she felt dizzy.
Did Gambit just give me a present...and sorta KISS me?
I have to sit down, she instructed herself as she stumbled down the hallway back to her room. She dropped down onto the bed, still holding the box in her lap.
She slowly pulled the top off of the box, then inhaled deeply as she saw what was inside.
It was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen in her life.
Gingerly she took the dress out of the box and held it up in front of her. It was the deepest blue-green color she had ever seen. And it wasn't like the overdone, busy, unecessarily floofy dresses that Kitty had tried to get her to buy, the kind that every princess in the animation world seemed to own a dozen of. It was elegant, understated, beautiful and classy. She absolutely loved it.
But that wasn't all. Underneath the dress were two long, satin gloves in the same exact color as the dress.
Rogue wiped away a small tear. This whole Prom thing really IS makin' me all girly and mushy, she laughed at herself. If I'm not more careful, I'm gonna turn into Kitty version 2.0.
Now that was a thought scarier than even Apolcalypse.