I purposely didn't write a note last chapter. I figured that you would all be tired of my blabbering before you got to read the chapter. But you know what? I like to write my thoughts and know that people are actually reading them. I write a lot of things, from fanfics, to journals, to my own stories (only 1 of which I have finished), but it makes me happy that someone is reading what I write and all the blabbery thoughts that I have before I begin my literate thoughts in my stories. :) :) :) :)
Thanx 4 readin' :)
Eyliena

Despite Rogue's brave words about finally learning how to use her power, she was reluctant to start. The fact that she didn't have to wear her gloves any more and be wary of people getting close was a relief for her, but that didn't stop her from continuing the habits she had had for a long time. One thing that Rogue couldn't stand now that she had herself under control was that she had to stay with Jean, and Bobby was so far away. There was nothing she wanted to do more than share her good news with him, but the only way she was going to go back was if she finally knew how to use her power, and Rogue was reluctant to do anything else with her powers for a while.
Jean understood that she didn't want to go any further too soon, and she put no pressure on Rogue to want to learn anything right away, and so Rogue just wasn't in any hurry to do anything at all. She left the training do long that she even began to go to the school in the town with the other kids.

"How was school today?" Came Callie's usual greeting as Rogue entered her room.
"It was okay." Came Rogue's generic reply. "You should start to come."
"Well, you should get back to your training with Jean sometime soon." Callie pointed out.
"Yeah, I should…" The room was silent as Rogue moved to sit on Callie's bed. "You know, maybe we should give this conversation some thought." She said as she lay down. "We can talk about going to school and finishing my training for the rest of our lives, but it is never going to get us anywhere."
"So you're going to start training again soon?" Callie asked.
"I didn't say that." The room was once again silent for a while.
"You're gonna have to hurry up and finish this if you want to go back to Bobby." Callie finally mumbled.
"Yeah, but what about you?"
"I'm not your boyfriend." Callie stated. Rogue suddenly sat up as an idea came to her.
"If I get it over with and finish this, will you come with me, Callie?" She asked.
"Ahh…"
"Come on, what would you do here by yourself? You can come to school at Xavier's. Everyone there would understand what you're going through."
"And people here don't?"
"Not at the school… It'll be a new start. For both of us."
"I'll have to think about it."

Rogue entered the training room alone and was immediately greeted by James.
"Where's Callie today?" He asked.
"She wanted to be alone to think."
"Do you wanna do some sparring?" James asked as he dragged her towards the nearest mat. Rogue nodded and let him pull her.
"You ready?" She asked as she faced him on the mat.
"You bet." He replied. Rogue ducked under a punch and tried to kick his legs out from underneath him, and was surprised when James was ready for it and jumped. In her surprise, she left herself open and James quickly knocked her down onto the mat.
"How'd you do that?" Rogue asked from the floor.
"That?" James commented modestly. "Just something I picked up from Noah. He can anticipate what move the other person is going to make, and told me how to spot some of them."
"Handy trick to have." Rogue commented as James held out his hand to help her up. As soon as Rogue was on her feet again, she was ready to fight him. She had fought with the X-Men and wasn't going to let a little pushover win against her. Once again, James started with a punch, and as she ducked, James just delivered a blow to her stomach that knocked her right over again.
"I think I should stop letting you have the first hit." Rogue quickly stood back up. She took a swing at James, but he moved sideways to dodge it and smacked Rogue to the mat once again. "Maybe you should show me how to do that." Rogue commented. James held out a hand to help her up.
"Come on, then." He said.

Rogue walked through the winding passageways behind James, wondering what she'd do if she got lost.
"How do you find your way through here?" Rogue asked him.
"Practice." James remarked. He slowed down to walk next to her.
"Hey, you never told me what your power is, Rogue." He said to her.
"No, I haven't, have I?" Rogue teased him. James just looked at her from the corner of his eye as he walked along.
"Are you going to?" He asked.
"As soon as I find out, I'll let you know."
James stopped abruptly, startling Rogue.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing. We're just here."
"Your room?" Rogue asked suspiciously.
"Where else are you going to have a private lesson?" Rogue smiled as James let her into his room and let her enter first. As soon as James closed the door behind him, though, Rogue felt uncomfortable. She stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, and James sat down on his bed. "Come on." He said, patting the space next to him. Rogue went to sit down, but stopped just in front of James.
"Weren't you going to show me how to anticipate your moves?" She asked him.
"Yeah, in a minute." James told her. "Don't you wanna just sit down and rest?"
"No, actually I don't." Rogue stood exactly where she was, staring down at James until he sighed and stood up to face her.
"Did you anticipate this?" He asked as he drew close to her face and kissed her.
"What? No!" Rogue exclaimed as she stumbled backwards. James looked hurt, and Rogue felt like she owed him an explanation. "I'm in love with someone else, James. Someone back at Xavier's." James just glared at her resentfully.
"What is it?" He asked. "Am I not good enough for you because of the color of my skin?" He stepped closer to her again.
"No, of course that's not…" Rogue trailed off as James' skin color began to change to white. "Am I better for you now, Rogue?"
"James. I can't help it, I'm in love with Bobby." Rogue said as she stepped away from him once more. She looked towards the door and James smiled at her.
"You think I can't anticipate what you want to do?" He asked her.
"Look, James. Don't do this, because I really don't want to hurt you."
"What can you do?" He sneered back at her. "You said you don't even know what your power is."
"No, but I know what it used to do. Why do you think I always used to wear those gloves?"
"I dunno. Really bad fashion statement?" James smirked at her, then stopped and shook his head as his skin changed back to normal. He looked bewildered. "What did I just do?" He asked her. Rogue shook her head in disbelief and ran out of the room with James calling out after her.

Okay, are you really confused now? Because so am I. I really don't know where that came from. :) It was just a really weird spur-of-the-moment, out-of-nowhere thing where my fingers just do the typing and I think about what I wrote later. Feedback on my little literary outburst there is definitely welcomed. Hope to post again really soon when my brain catches up with my fingers and I work out what's going to happen next.
Your forever psycho
Eyliena