A/N: Many thanks go to X-Storm for catching a mistake. I hadn't placed within the story that the school the children are attending is the actual mansion in which they reside. I should have said something, and I thought I had. But we all make mistakes. (It's imperative to my plot that the students remain at the mansion. So don't bust my chops over it too bad.-wink-)

Disclaimer: Marvel still isn't mine. -Cry-

Day three: Enlighten Me

"Do you think we can trust 'im?" Logan still wasn't convinced after talking with the Professor. Most of the X-men weren't either, but the Professor assured them that Remy Labeau's intentions were good.

A large furry hand waved through the air with a curious chuckle. Beneath a fuzzy blue brow were the sharp eyes of a scientist. They watched Logan's aggravation grow, his distrust deepen with each passing hour. The Beast spoke calmly as he always does, "Charles insures Gambit's sincerity. I have the same emotions as you, but I repress them for the good of the school."

Logan sighed exasperatedly; no one was on his side about this? Well, no one was straight forward with it. He was almost at the point of confronting the "supposedly" smooth-talking Cajun to set him right. But he bit back his anger for the sake of the Professor and students. Something he found to be nearly impossible and against his animal instinct.

-------

The Professor wheeled about the long corridors through the lower level of the school. He was alone, but he felt a glare at the nape of his neck. He knew that no one was there, but the simple feeling never left him, even as he surfed through the enhanced seeing powers of Cerebro.

-------

Rogue was striding down the hall; on either side of her were dimly colored lockers. A nasty pale tan they were painted. Mauve. Rogue hated the lockers colors more then any other color in the spectrum. Students filed into their classes for studies. Rogue would gladly join her normal scheduled period, but she was summoned to a meeting in the conference room with other junior X-Men.

The sub levels were heated, though they always seemed cold and barren. Rogue felt as if the corridors were a metaphor for her heart. She'd written a few poems about the similarities, but immediately burned them. She wasn't a very strong poet.

Holding her arms she rounded a corner. She was nearly shivering. She felt very cold. Was it just her imagination? Suddenly, cold arms wrapped around her waist, bringing her close to a cold body. "I'm so sorry Rogue; I never meant to hurt you." She'd felt this before, hadn't she? Then recollection came into place. Bobby held tight to her waist, he seemed to shiver. Rogue was surprised beyond logic and capable thinking. She wanted to melt so he could make her solid again, and they could be one together. Flashes of pictures and impossible scenarios danced within her thought and she spun around in his grip to face the handsome young blonde, planting a hot kiss on his frosty lips.

The reaction was far from what she had hoped for. The chill started to spread to her limbs instead of residing in his. She seemed to hear a scream far off, whose voice was that? The cold spread to her chest. She suddenly could see a tree, a brightly lit tree with gifts beneath it. Then in her lap a present. Beyond the brightly wrapped gifts were three people. A man. A woman. And a little boy. The little boy was crying into his mother's lap, "He's a FREAK!" She could feel the water well within the corner of her eyes and freeze as soon as they hit the air.

The scream didn't fade, in fact, it grew louder, it rang within her ears till she felt the eardrum would burst and she'd be cursed without hearing as well. That voice is so familiar…Kitty? Jean? Ro?

She came back into consciousness, Bobby was in her arms convulsing. The scream was still in the air and finally she recognized it as her own. She dropped Bobby to the floor, he still convulsed, but only in mild twitches. She stepped back; shakily she found the steely wall. Her back met the wall and she slid down to her knees. Her eyes were wide with fright. Other mutants came running reacting to the scream. She watched Bobby's eyes fluttered close. Her hands began producing frost; starting from her gloved palms stretching out to her fingertips. Soon she was literally frozen to the spot. More memories pulsed through her consciousness. Her eyes hazed over white; she drooped against the wall twitching. She could hear voices, raised voices, and she wasn't sure if they were Bobby's memory or actually happening.

"Rogue just sapped Iceman!" She heard from a worried voice.

"Get the Professor!" Another came fluttering through her ear.

Then another voice came, it was thickly Cajun, and she swore she could taste it on her own lips. She could faintly feel a hand rest on her shoulder then draw back quickly.

"Be careful, Chere, no one wants a frozen River Rat."

-------

Rogue was out of the infirmary before Bobby had even regained consciousness.

Waking up with an extremely painful and immobilizing headache Bobby could scarcely see Professor Xavier sitting at his bedside.

"That was quite the ordeal." He had said. Bobby could hardly tell if it was speech. It felt like a million buzz-saws going off in his ears simultaneously.

He choked for saliva, but his throat was bone dry, so speaking was painful also, "I-Is Ro-"

The Professor sensed Bobby's pain and answered to ease it, "Rogue is all right. She's in her room now, resting. She left you that."

He pointed to a picture, and he might as well have been pointing to something out in space, because Bobby couldn't see it nor held any connotation that he could.

The good Professor placed the single snapshot on Bobby's lap. Bobby's curiosity masked the pan for a thankful second and he examined the small picture. It was Rogue's favorite picture of them. They were hugging and laughing, he remembered Kitty insisting on taking it. It was one of the few times he'd seen Rogue free of her normal thoughts.

Another A/N: Sorry for the short chapter this time guys! I'm actually posting from school because it has better writing programs than my computer at home. I'll make tomorrow's extra long:)