Resentment radiated off of Kitty in waves so strong that other students she passed gave her a wide berth-unusual for a group that was used to her intangibility. Despite having the option of stomping through the mansion without disturbing so much as a thread of carpet, she remained solid all the way from the kitchen to John's cell, slamming everything she possibly could in between.

She was getting used to seeing John's back-somehow he always managed to have it to her. Though this time when she phased herself through the panes of his see-through prison, he finally turned to face her before she spoke.

He greeted her with "God, I'm starving," and dove into his meal almost before Kitty could set it down. She settled herself on the end of his cot while he ate, hoping to delay the inevitable.

Halfway through his burger, John realized Kitty was still in the room with him, and that she was not a happy camper. "So when's the funeral?"

She looked up as though she had forgotten he was there. "Whose funeral?"

"You look like someone just died. I hope it was Bobby." He used his thumb to wipe away a smudge of ketchup at the corner of his mouth.

"What the hell happened with you two, anyway?" Kitty was more than happy to change the subject.

"Rogue make it back?" It was John's turn to change the subject.

"Yeah, she showed up a couple of days ago." She raised an eyebrow in inquiry. "Why do you care?"

"No reason." Handing her the empty tray, he gave her a wolfish grin. "Hope you weren't expecting a tip."

XXXX

Next time, Bobby thought to himself, I'm keeping my big mouth shut.

Last month he had finished an extensive self-study course on lock mechanics with an emphasis on electronic devices. Eager to utilize his newfound wealth of knowledge, Bobby had been the first to volunteer when Logan had asked which of them wanted to help him with the pre-inspection prep of John's cell. He didn't realize until much later that the inspection included not only debugging the program failsafe and combing over the permissions parameters with a fine-tooth comb, but also an actual, physical inspection of the locks in place.

Which was how he found himself standing outside the cell of his former friend, trying to ignore the look on John's face that reminded him of a coyote that had cornered its meal.

"I guess Bobby's a big boy now, huh?" The intercom system that had been installed could be turned on and off by anyone trying to patch themselves into the room from the outside, but from inside the room it was kept on by default, leaving Bobby wide open to John's poisonous jabs. "Putting all that book learnin' to good use?"

Bobby desperately wanted to open the door and wipe the smirk off of his smug face, but a warning look from Logan made it clear that he was being watched just as closely as John was. Trying to let the comment roll off his back, he set his jaw and stared intently at the wiring Logan was inspecting for disrepair.

"We'll be out of here in a few minutes," Logan said, before Bobby could ask how much longer he was going to have to take John's abuse. "The people they're sending out actually know what they're doing, we're just checking for the big holes."

"So I hear Rogue's back," their prisoner piped up again, almost sounding conversational. "Make sure you tell her I said thanks."

Another look from Logan wasn't enough to keep him from mashing down the intercom button with his fist. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you? I found her after I ran into you at that clinic. After she'd already gotten the cure." His smirk spread, revealing the points of his canines. "She let me take her for a little test drive. You're a lucky man, Bobby."

Before he could react, Logan was on his feet, yanking Bobby's fist off the button, hands on his arms in an iron-tight grip. "He's bullshitting. Don't let him get to you, Bobby."

Ignorant of the reassurance Logan was trying to give, John continued his goading. "Ask her to do that thing with her hips sometime. You won't regret it."

A bolt of cold shot from Bobby's hands, pelting against the thick glass between them and creating a furious sheet of angry-patterned frost as John howled with laughter.

"Iceman!" Logan shook him just hard enough to hurt, and the ice stopped coming. "You're not gonna get through bulletproof glass. Now put it away," he snarled.

When he was satisfied that Bobby wouldn't try anything else, Logan released his grip and reached for the panel that fit over the lock wiring. "Get upstairs," he ordered.

Bobby obediently headed for the elevator that would take him out of the sub basement, John's mocking laughter ringing in his ears.

XXXX

He found Rogue in the rec room, sprawled along a sofa reading a magazine. Smiling up at him, she pulled her legs up closer to her chest to make room for him to sit down, and he acquiesced without complaint. "Inspection go all right?"

"Yeah. Everything looks good." Bobby's smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

She rose to a sitting position beside him, tossing the magazine aside and resting a hand on his thigh. "You don't sound as excited about that as I thought you'd be." Her hair spilled over her shoulder as she tilted her head. "Logan givin' you a hard time?"

"No, he was great." His arms didn't find their way around her waist like they usually did. "I have to ask you something."

"Okaaay…" The look on her face felt familiar-it was not unlike the look she used to get when his hands strayed a little too close to her bare skin.

"You didn't run into John, at all, did you? After you got the…" Why was it still so hard to say out loud? "…Afterwards?"

Rogue shook her head, eyes puzzled. "No. I know he hit a couple of clinics, but I don't think he got the one I went to…why are you starin' at me like that?"

His smile was genuine this time. "Sorry, it's stupid. He was heckling me, that's all."

"About me?" She'd started to relax, but her face tensed up again at his remark. "What'd he say?"

This situation was not progressing the way Bobby had imagined it. She was supposed to say "No, I didn't see him" and then he would wrap her up in a hug and the world would be right again. Nowhere in his plans was there a part where she sat glaring at him until tiny beads of sweat formed and immediately froze along his hairline.

He shifted uncomfortably, wiping away the bit of frost that had formed on his forehead. "Nothing, just being crude, you know…par for the course for John."

"Bein' crude." Her eyes narrowed. "What did he say, Bobby?"

"He said-" The damage was done-his only chance now was to find a choise of words that wouldn't set her off. "He tried to tell me that he slept with you. But I didn't believe him," he added hastily.

"But you asked me if I saw him."

"I wanted to hear it from you, that's all."

"So you did believe him."

"I'm telling you I didn't." His eyes were desperate, pleading. Please don't do this.

"Then you wouldn't have asked!" She practically leaped off the sofa, pressing her hand down on his leg for leverage and pushing hard enough that he winced. "This is unbelievable. You don't trust me."

Bobby stood to look her in the eye. "I trust you!"

Her mouth dropped open a little in shock. "If you trusted me, then when John told you he slept with me you would have laughed in his face. I didn't ask you about Kitty after I got back."

He blinked, startled. "What about Kitty?"

"Oh, maybe just the hours a day you were spendin' with her." She rolled her eyes. "Or all the attention you were payin' to her, asking her to come along with us places, takin' her ice skating-"

"How did you know about that?" His voice had gone quiet and intense again, and Rogue looked at him in surprise.

"I saw you," she said, feeling strangely guilty. "Out my window. The night I left."

The two of them stared at each other for suffocating minutes, until Rogue pushed her way past him out of the rec room. "I need some air."

Bobby watched her go, but when he could no longer see her he headed back to the basement, hoping a couple of hours in the Danger Room would silence the nagging doubts that had come roaring back.