Chapter 8 "Words"

The darkness around Rogue was so thick she felt like she could swim through it. Am I dead, she wondered? Is this what death is like? Just swimming through the blackness?

Suddenly Rogue was thrust forward. At first she felt like she was being pulled off the ground by some unseen force, as if pulling her toward the heavens. And then with a sudden motion she knew she wasn't flying upward but falling downward into a tiny pin-hole of light that grew larger and larger until she hit it with such a force she thought every bone in her body would snap into pieces.

Rogue sat straight up in the hospital bed, her eyes flying open, a slight yelp escaping her lips. The bright lights from the lab blinded her momentarily and she shielded her face with her arm. She felt a strong pair of hands on her shoulders and gently push her back.

"Rest Rogue." She heard a male voice that she knew was Hank McCoy.

"Logan…" Rogue managed to choke out. She was exhausted. She felt like she hadn't slept in weeks even though she knew she had been unconscious.

"He's fine Rogue, but you need to rest dear." Hank said gently. Rogue could make out his gentle yet beastly blue face though her vision was very blurry blurry. "Just rest dear. Just rest…" Rogue could hear his voice faintly as she drifted off into a comfortable sleep.

……..0…….

Logan paced the hallway outside of the lab. After he was released by Dr. McCoy he initially refused to leave Rogue's side. He only left because Dr. McCoy said he would work better without Logan hovering over him all of the time, so Logan spent his time pacing the hallway outside the door, barely taking the time to eat.

Logan couldn't get the look on Rogue's dieing face out of his head. She'd looked at him with that same usual glare. Logan wondered if the reason she would had rather died on that warehouse floor was really because she didn't want to hurt him or because she would rather die then accept help from him. Did she really hate him? Logan decided that when she was able he would try one more time to talk to her about his feelings for her, and if she truly didn't want anything to do with him, not even as friends, he would leave her alone. It would be one of the hardest things he'd ever have to do but he would let her go if it was truly what he wanted.

"Logan?" Logan whipped around as he heard Hank's voice.

"Is she awake? Is she alright?" He asked quickly, trying to push past the big hairy blue man standing in front of the door.

"Logan, calm down," Hank said coolly, pushing Logan away from the door a little. "She did wake up for a few moments but then went back to sleep. She's out of the woods now though and that's the good thing. She'll wake up soon and probably be as good as new." He said cheerfully.

Logan sighed heavily and ran his hands through his hair. He'd been so afraid that he'd been too late in helping her. When he'd awoken first it had terrified him. He'd thought surely she would recover first.

"Can I see her?" Logan asked. Hank gave him a questioning look. "Please…" Logan said softly, looking at his feet. "I have to see her Hank…" Hank sighed and moved away from the door, allowing the Wolverine to enter.

"Don't disturb her. She needs her rest." Hank advised sternly and Logan nodded.

"Thank you," Logan nodded and stepped quietly into the room.

The beeping from Rogue's heart monitor filled with sterile smelling room. He could hear her slow shallow breathing from where he stood at the door and he knew that she was still sleeping. Logan sat quietly down in the chair next to her, taking her hand.

Logan had woken up a day after the mission at the warehouse and had been frantic when he found Rogue still unconscious. Hank couldn't find any medical reason for why Rogue hadn't awoken because she had no trace of Serpentania's venom in her system. The only explanation Hank could come up with was that Rogue was just tired. She carried around so much anxiety and anger that it had weighed down her body and driven her to near exhaustion. Hank thought that perhaps her mind was using this period of unconsciousness as a way for Rogue to work through her inner issues with herself.

"I'm not sure if you can hear me…" Logan whispered, running his free hand through his usually unruly hair. He sighed. "I'm not good at this, but I'm gonna try. Rouge… Marie, I love you. I left you because I loved you. I couldn't stay then because I thought that I wasn't good enough to be with you or that I'd ruin you somehow. I was probably right. I'm probably not good enough for you." Logan paused and took a deep shaky breath. He looked at her calm, serene face, and had to fight back the tears that were threatening to fall.

"But I was wrong Marie. I was so wrong. I'm not the one who gets to decide what is good or bad for you. That should had been your choice and I took that away from you, and for that I am so sorry. It took all the time that I was gone for me to realize that and I can only hope that I'm not too late."

Logan was so caught up in his musings that he hadn't noticed the change in Rogue's breathing nor the tears rolling down her cheeks.

"If you want, if it is really what will make you happy, I'll leave you alone. Forever. For good. You'll never hear from me again. I'll leave and…"

"No," Rogue barely choked out the word. Logan's eyes flew open and he stood up quickly.

"Rogue! You're awake!" Logan realized how stupid he sounded but he couldn't help it. He was beside himself with happiness just to see those beautiful doe eyes looking up at him.

"You… can't… ever… leave… me… again…" Rogue managed to get out. Logan rushed to get her a class of water which she gulped down greedily.

"I'm gonna go get Hank."

…..0….

Rogue's head cleared just a little after Logan ran for the door. She realized that she was in the medical wing and that her whole body felt like lead. She tried to sit up but the pain in her head made her think that wasn't the best idea. Her mouth was so dry that she felt like that she hadn't had a drink in months.

"Ah, so glad to see you awake my dear!" Hank boomed as he and Logan swung open the doors and made their way into the room. Rogue winced from the sound of Hank's huge voice. "We were beginning to wonder if we'd lost you there." He added, taking her wrist gently and checking her pulse.

Hank informed Rogue that she'd been unconscious for almost a week. He also told her about what they knew about Magneto and the attack at the Warehouse.

"What we know is basically, well…nothing. Magneto or his bunch hasn't so much as made a peep since the night you all were attacked." Hank said. Rogue found this odd.

"They'll try something else," Rogue muttered. "They want Gambit."

"That's what Storm and One-eye said," Logan grumbled from the corner. "The team decided that when you woke up and had a little time off to recuperate that we were gonna use the Cajun as bait."

"Sounds risky," Rogue grinned. She looked down at her arms and, despite Hank's yelps of protest, removed her I.V and all the other wires she couldn't name that she was hooked up to. "I like this idea." Logan smirked.

"I thought you might."

…….0……

Rogue was greeted warmly by the rest of the team and students when Hank issued her a clean bill of health and let her out of the medical wing.

"Oh girl!" screamed Jubilee as she tackled Rogue on sight as soon as she entered their room. "We were so scared!" By this time Kitty had joined in the group hug. Rogue laughed.

"I'm fine ya'll!" Rogue giggled and fiercely hugged her two best friends back. "Everything been running smoothly?" she asked.

"Oh yeah, definitely! Kitty here took over your archery class and I supervised. You know make sure nobody got their poor little mutant eyeballs poked out." Jubilee said with a smirk.

Rogue spent an hour and a half with Kitty and Jubilee, letting them regale her with the latest gossip that they knew she really didn't give a crap about, but knew she'd listen to anyway.

To be honest, Rogue's mind was very preoccupied. She felt a little guilty; she really should be paying attention to Kitty and Jube's. But she couldn't. For the first time in a very long time, Rogue felt…Rogue felt okay. She wasn't angry. She just was, and that was something she hadn't been in a while.

While she was unconscious she remembered having a dream. At first the dream was more of a nightmare. She was surrounded by voices screaming angry words, and it took her a while to realize that the voice belonged to her. All of the anger that had built it's way up inside her… and exploded. In her dream the bright light had almost blinded her, but it was all gone. There was nothing left but a white room with her standing in the middle of it.

And then there was another. Logan was in the room with her. He just stood there, whispering to her, then the words were louder and louder and louder until Rogue realized that she wasn't dreaming anymore. She was listening to the words that Logan was saying to her. He loved her. He really loved her and was willing to walk away from her if that's what she wanted.

"I'll catch ya'll later. I think I'm gonna go for a little walk. I need to clear my head." Rogue said to her friends, giving them an apologetic look, but they only shook their heads and told her to go. They understood. Rogue knew that they would. She needed time to figure out what the hell she was going to say to Logan. There was so much to say and Rogue was so without words.

"Hey chick?" Jubilee called to her before she exited the room.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Just tell him you love him. Just be happy." Jubilee grinned and Kitty smiled her usual bright smile. Rogue smiled. Actually smiled.

"You know, I think that's the best idea you've ever had." Rogue said to Jubilee, and then exited the room to go find her words.

………0……..

Logan found Rogue leaning against the balcony over looking the garden. Her hair was free, not in the restricting pony-tail she usually dawned. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back, letting the strong breeze brush against her face and let her hair fly wild. She looked so calm and serene, Logan felt almost guilty for intruding upon her space. It was just then that she opened her eyes and looked at him.

The look she gave him wasn't the usual angry glare. Her features were softer and the look in her eyes was calm and gentle. If Logan were one of those sensitive men, he might have cried at that moment. But instead, he cleared his throat and did his best to smile.

"Lookin' like you're feelin' good." Logan mumbled, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Rogue didn't answer right away. Instead she looked back at the garden. Logan walked and stood beside her, resting his body weight on his elbows leaning against the railing. He heard Rogue give a heavy sigh.

"I never hated you, you know." She finally said. Logan chuckled.

"Coulda fooled me." And at this, Rogue laughed.

"It feels good to hear you laugh again Rogue." Logan smiled over at her. Rogue looked over at him and flashed just the hint of a smile.

"The name's Marie."

And at that moment, Marie knew that was all that needed to be said right then. There was no need in pushing the issues between them. They were headed in the right direction and she didn't want to move to fast by pushing too hard, and she knew neither did he. So they stood there, chit chatting about anything that would come to their minds, both secretly smiling inside and being so glad to have their best friend back. And both secretly knowing that they were so much more than friends. So much more than words. And that was fine for the moment.

Authors Note: OMG CAN YOU EFFING BELIEVE I FINISHED THIS CHAPTER???? Yeah okay, I AM SOOOO SORRY! My life is nuts. I broke up w/ that asshole and it sorta spun my life outta control. School is nuts and I honestly had a huge ass case of writers block, but I think things will progress okay from here. The updates will still be spaced out pretty far, but I think I can develop the story a little more. This story isn't going to be very long, probably a few more chapters and I'm gonna call it a day, but we'll see. Again, I'm so sorry for the delay and thank all my reviewers and the people who are stickin with me!!!!!!!