Chapter 6: Paradise Lost
A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers so far…especially to those who have been following the story since it was first posted. I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY DO appreciate the time you take to push that button and post a comment, it means a lot to me. Recently I've been reviewing every story I read, hoping the karma will come back to me!
Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men; I never have and never will. Much to my sorrow.
The sun rose bright over the mansion, one summer Monday morning, a few days after the zoo field trip. Rogue peered out the window at the clear blue sky. It was going to be another hot day, she thought as she stood under the shower, the hot water warming her to the bone. When she came out of the bathroom wrapped in a fluffy white towel, Bobby was awake. He smiled at her and winked.
"Good morning beautiful."
He grabbed her hand as she walked to the closet and pulled her down onto the bed. Rogue lost her grip on the towel and it slid off.
"Bobby!" she muttered, half-loving it, half-annoyed. As she went to pull the towel up, he caught her hand again.
"Don't," he said, planting kisses on her hand, up her arm, her shoulder, her collarbone, down, down, down….
Next door, Jeanie slept, dreaming of hippos and elephants and a walking piano named Logan.
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It was 10.00 AM and Rogue was tearing her hair out. Two thirds of her 7th grade English class had not done their homework, and the class troublemaker, a telekinetic named Alison, was on a roll.
"Everyone who has not got their assignment with them today will have it on my desk before 1st period tomorrow, or you will all be paying a visit to Professor Monroe's office. Alison! Are you listening?"
"Yes, Miss D'Ancanto."
"Then please bring your pencil case down."
Said pencil case was currently whizzing around the room above the students' heads. Before Alison could think of a smart-alec comment, the bell rang.
"Class dismissed," said Rogue wearily. She picked up her books and made her way to the kitchen for a long-awaited cappuccino. As she went to turn the coffee machine on, Kitty ran past with a cry of "The machine's broken Rogue!"
This was going to be a long day.
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At 4.00 PM that afternoon, after giving her last class of the day, Rogue collapsed into an armchair, exhausted from her lack of caffeine. She'd hardly been there five minutes before Jean bounced in carrying a pink satchel, her dark hair in bunches.
Because Jean was half the age of the youngest student at the Institute and she wasn't a mutant, she went to the local elementary school. The teachers there knew her background but it wasn't a problem. And because Bobby and Rogue both had tight schedules, Logan picked Jeanie up everyday on his motorbike. He'd even got her a customised helmet with her name on it.
"Mommy, guess what we learnt in Gym class today?" The little girl was bursting with excitement.
Rogue smiled.
"What did you learn?"
"Cartwheels! Wanna see?"
"Not in here honey."
Jeanie's face fell, but Rogue hurried to console her.
"It's just that you might break something, but tell you what? After dinner, you can show me in the garden, ok?"
Jeanie wiped away a tear, and muttered a faint "Ok."
"Good. Then you can have your piano lesson now."
Jean's face brightened even more as she flew to the piano and opened it. For the next half- hour, she practiced her scales and exercises vigorously. As Rogue went to close the lid, Jeanie stopped her.
"Mommy, will you play my song? Pleeease??"
"Oh, alright then. Scoot over."
Rogue placed her tapered fingers on the ivory keys and began to play Gabriel Faure's "Pavane". Slowly but surely, the melody grew in strength and sound. It was the same piece Rogue had first played on this piano over six years ago. As it came to an end, Rogue closed the piano lid and locked it, took Jeanie's hand in hers, and together they walked down to the dining-room in silence.
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Dinner was pasta with tomato sauce – Jeanie's least favourite food. Bobby pretended the fork was an aeroplane to coax her into eating it (to no effect) while Rogue and Logan looked on and laughed at this hopeless cause. After dinner, Bobby was on clear-up duty while Logan had the fun task of forcing teenagers to agree on one TV show for the evening.
Jeanie tugged her mother's shirt.
"Mommy, you promised…"
"Ok sugah, lets go."
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"Mommy, mommy, look at me!" Jeanie turned a wobbly cartwheel on the soft grass. Her hair hung down in loose waves and her eyes sparkled as a nearby Rogue applauded loudly. Rogue glanced at the wristwatch on her pale, thin wrist.
"Ok, sugah, bedtime. Daddy's in the kitchen, go tell him to take you upstairs and read you Sleeping Beauty, ok? Goodnight honey."
Jeanie turned towards the ivy-covered mansion, and started to run towards the door. Then she stopped, and ran back into her mother's arms.
"I love you mommy" whispered Jeanie.
Rogue smiled.
"I love you too baby. Very, very much. Gimme a kiss and I'll come up and tuck you in."
Jean planted a wet, sticky kiss – the kind only children give – on Rogue's cheek. Suddenly her body went limp and floppy.
"Sugah, you're gonna drown me – Honey? Jeanie?"
Rogue laid her body out on the grass. Her eyes were closed, her lips blue, and her breathing shallow.
"Oh God! Jeanie, honey, wake up! Wake up Jean! Oh God, oh God, I knew it couldn't last…"
A/N: Wow, I can't believe I've got this far! I'm more of a one-shot person, so this is a big achievement for me. Only about 2 more chapters to go, I'm afraid. Thanks for all of your support. The reviews make me update faster, so you know what to do!