Title: So Little Time
Author: The Scribe
Rating: R
Summary: Rogue and Logan have spent one glorious night together, but how will everyone react when they find out?
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone. Thanks for letting me borrow them.
Feedback: You know what to do. That's right…read and review.
**AN: Okay…so I have a confession the make. I have a bit of a crush on Patrick Stewart. Strange, I know, but it's just one of those little oddities that make life interesting. So since I am a thirty year old black woman and Storm is a 30ish black woman, I felt that the relationship between Xavier and Ororo was plausible. You'll have to forgive me if I show them too much. I just really love that pairing.
Wednesday
Logan
Early that morning Logan felt a strange nudging in his brain. He fought against it at first, wanting more sleep, but then jerked awake when he heard Charles Xavier's voice echoing in his head. "Come to my office as soon as possible."
Logan ran a hand over his face, groggily, before looking down at Rogue, who began to stir from her resting spot against his side. He brushed his lips against the crown of her head and held her close to him. If she weren't there in the flesh, he'd have sworn that the night before had been a dream. It had perhaps been the most humbling experience of his life. Never had anyone given so much of themselves to him, nor had he ever felt so free to do the same.
Just then, a set of large brown eyes opened to look up at him. A small smile curved his mouth and he gladly accepted the kiss she placed to his lips. When she pulled away he said with a great deal of regret, "I've got to go. Xavier just called me to his office."
"He called me, too," she mumbled as she kissed the little spot beneath his ear. With a contented rumble, he lowered his head and tasted the tender skin of her throat. She chuckled and slipped out of his arms to sit up. "We don't have time for that."
With a lazy smile he tucked an arm behind his head and allowed his free hand to slide over Rogue's thigh as he gazed up at her. "You look beautiful," he said huskily as his eyes took in the sight of her naked form.
Smiling broadly, she replied, "You're not so bad yourself, Canadian." She leaned down to give him one last lingering kiss before getting up from the bed and slipping her nightgown over her head. Logan got up too and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her slim body and kissing her neck. "I'm not ready to let reality back in just yet," he murmured.
She reached back and looped an arm around his neck, tilting her head into the softness of his mouth. "Neither am I, but this could be an emergency."
Nodding, he released her and she turned around to face him. He cocked a brow at her and gave her a crooked grin as he eyed her in her nearly transparent negligee. "You can't go back down the hall like this." He walked over to the dresser and pulled out a flannel shirt from one of the drawers. Coming back over to her, he draped the well-worn material over her shoulders before cupping her face in his hands and lowering his mouth to hers in a soft kiss.
Once it ended, they stared at one another for an electric moment before Rogue finally said, "I guess I'd better go."
"Yeah, I guess you'd better," he replied quietly, feeling his heart beat erratically in his chest.
She made her way over to the door, pausing as she opened it to smile back at him and say, "I'll see you there."
After the door closed behind her, Logan quickly showered and dressed. When he got to Xavier's office, he was surprised to find Storm, Hank and Scott their also. A few minutes later, Jean walked in and their eyes met for the briefest of moments. He didn't miss the flicker of hurt that rested in the depths of hers. The younger X-men eventually began to file in, too, including Rogue, who looked more stunning than ever, if that was possible. His eyes followed her as she crossed the room to speak to Storm and then came back to take the seat next to him.
Logan felt a bit uncertain being so close to Rogue, wanting to acknowledge the change in their relationship, but not knowing exactly how. For a moment, he thought to lay a possessive hand on her, but wasn't sure if she would welcome it. After a few seconds of deliberation he decided against the idea and kept his hands to himself. She, on the other hand, ran a hand down his thigh, whispering a private "hi," that was unmistakably intimate. The gesture was brief, but meant more to Logan than he was ready to admit.
Xavier
Once all of the team members had arrived, Professor X began to speak. "I put off this meeting until this morning to give you all a chance to recover, be we cannot afford to waste anymore time. The children have been sent to safe homes to ensure their protection, but I really don't think Erik had any intentions of going after them. I fear that we are the ones he desires to hurt."
Xavier took a long breath before continuing. "I believe he has come to the realization that we will always be there to stop his crimes against humanity and has decided to get rid of us once and for all. Rogue," he said addressing the young woman. "I believe Magneto has rebuilt his machine and still plans to use you to power it."
He paused, but then continued on in a graver tone. "Ororo, I'm fairly certain that Erik and Victor have plans for you that are much more heinous than that." Letting his eyes travel over the assembled group, he went on. "He fully intended to slaughter us the other night, but he grossly underestimated the strength of the X-men. We are not as easy to dispose of as he would believe. But now, for the sake of us all, he must be stopped." Resting his chin on steepled fingers, he added, "At this point, I am open to any suggestions you may have as to how we should proceed."
There was silence for a few seconds before Logan spoke up. "I guess we try to stay alive and do everything we can to protect Rogue and Storm. What other choice is there?" Xavier's eyes settled on Logan. He realized that Logan would always be protective of Rogue, but he seemed just as anxious to protect Ororo. Was Scott correct in his assumption that Logan wanted Storm? Charles wanted very much, at that moment, to read Logan's mind, but resisted the urge to misuse his power.
"Yes, but we need a plan," Scott added.
"Is there still no way to locate them," John asked Xavier.
"I've been trying, but have been unsuccessful thus far," he replied to the young man.
Ororo spoke then. "There is no need to find them. Eventually, they will come to us. All we need to do is be ready for them."
"I agree," Scott said. "But, what we need to know now, Professor, is whether we should be aiming to maim or to kill when the time comes."
Xavier looked into Scott's face. "Erik once said that I was not willing to make sacrifices, not willing to take a life. He was wrong. If allowed to live, they will continue to hunt us, and eventually the children, in an effort to destroy the X-men. If it comes down to either them or us, I prefer them.
Scott nodded firmly before addressing the rest of the group, "Magneto has the ability to render Logan powerless and, more importantly, he's the ringleader of this little campaign against us. He needs to go down, first. Once he's gone, the others may abandon the fight altogether. If not, we take care of them all."
Ororo spoke next. "For now, we should keep watch in intervals. Scott, Jean, Bobby, and Kitty can take the 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. shift and the rest of us will have the other twelve hours. Get suited up for your scheduled time and patrol the house and the outside perimeter," she finished.
"If that's settled, then our meeting is adjourned," Xavier announced.
Logan
As Xavier declared the meeting over, Logan stood ready to get the hell out of there and find a quiet spot to ravish his woman. He was waylaid, however, when Storm came up to him saying, "I want to talk to you." Logan looked down at her and knew instantly that she was aware of his liaison with Rogue.
"Let's go somewhere private," he said to her. Neither of them saw the look that Xavier gave them as Logan made his statement.
The two of them headed out of Xavier's office and down the hall into Ororo's. After shutting the door she pointed toward a leather chair in front of her desk. "Please sit." He did and was taken by surprise when she perched on the front of her desk instead of sitting in the chair behind it. "I want to talk about Rogue."
"I thought you might," he said back to her.
"I think that maybe you have the wrong impression about something."
He looked at her skeptically. "About what?"
"Love," she said with an understanding smile.
Logan shook his head bitterly and looked down. "What the hell do I know about love?"
"That is my point. You feel very strongly for Rogue, don't you?"
"Yeah," he replied as he studied the floor.
"You want to protect her, hold her, and make her happy… am I right," she asked then.
Her accuracy made him look up at her. "Yeah, I do."
"That is love, Logan. I think you were expecting too much of yourself where that emotion is concerned, but it can be that simple. Love born from friendship can be the most satisfying, blissfully exhilarating experience you'll ever know. I want that for Rogue and I know she can have it with you." She hopped down from her desk and placed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Think about it."
After she had gone, he sat there for a moment as her words sank in. He had expected a lecture and a swift kick in the ass when he had come into Storm's office, but instead she had offered him advice on building something solid with Rogue. Logan's esteem for the white haired woman went up another notch and a little spark of belief started in his chest, prompting him to go seek out the very woman he was longing for.
Bobby
It was happening all over again. When Rogue had first arrived at the mansion over two years before, she had been enamored with the Wolverine. Bobby hadn't really been able to gain her interest until the man had gone. Even then, he and Rogue didn't work out as a couple. Her skin had proven to be a greater obstacle than he had anticipated. How was a guy with raging hormones supposed to deal with a girl he couldn't even kiss? But, for some reason, Bobby hadn't been able to stop liking her and that's how they had ended up as friends. He hadn't really ever expected to be involved with Rogue again until he had an interesting conversation with John.
They had been sitting around listening to music and drinking beers they had stolen from Scott Summers, when John started talking about the girls at the school and their various assets. When he got to Rogue, John had declared, "She's one hot piece of ass, but nothing but trouble. I mean, how do you fuck a girl you can't even touch."
"Yeah, tell me about it. I've been there with her," Bobby had retorted, drinking from his bottle.
"I almost forgot you two used to be an item," John had replied thoughtfully. After a moment of silence he finally pronounced, "But really, if anybody could be with her, you could. I'm not suggesting you freeze your dick or anything, but a layer of ice could work if you really wanted to touch her." And for some insane reason, Bobby couldn't get the idea out of his head. For the next couple of weeks after that, all he had been able to think about was touching Rogue. So on the night of training graduation he had asked her out.
And then Logan had shown up again. At first, it seemed as though it wasn't going to matter, that nothing was going to change between Bobby and Rogue. But then evidence started coming together like pieces to a puzzle. There was the one instance when Rogue pulled away from him before conditioning and then another when she abandoned his company for Logan's later that same afternoon. The final piece clicked into place when Bobby saw the way the two of them had looked at each other that very morning as the professor pronounced that Magneto wanted the whole bunch of them dead. They had looked as though they were in their own little world.
Now that the meeting was over, Bobby saw Rogue approaching him in the hallway with purpose to her stride.
"Bobby, can we talk for a minute," she asked, giving him one of her patented bright smiles.
The full of force of that smile mixed with the smooth richness of her voice sent shivers down Bobby's spine, just as it always did. Giving himself a mental shake, he strengthened his resolve and affirmed, "You don't need to say anything. I know exactly what's going on."
Rogue grabbed his arm and pulled him further away from the small group of their friends. "I'm sorry, I should have talked to you about this before now. Everything is happening so fast. I found out yesterday that Logan is immune to my touch."
"And I bet he's really been enjoying it, too," he rejoined with mild disgust. "Why didn't you just tell me you were interested in him?"
"I didn't really realize it at first. Everything is just so complicated right now." She put her hands on his shoulders and looked deeply into his eyes. "I want us to be friends, Bobby, like we used to be. Do you think we can do that?"
He squirmed inside at the imploring look on her face. She always could get him to do whatever it was she wanted. But, there was no sense in letting her know just how whipped he really was. He took hold of her hands and removed them from his shoulders. "Whatever, Rogue. We can be friends. But when, and notice I didn't say if, he hurts you, don't come crying to me." He walked away, leaving her standing there staring after him.
Storm
After talking to Logan, Ororo went upstairs and started to slip out of her clothes to change into something more comfortable for sleeping. A moment later Xavier came into the room.
"For once, I am glad you keep this room so dark," she said as she continued to change. "It will make it easier to sleep during the day." When finished, she sat down on the bed and he rolled up next to her. She took one look at the solemn expression on the older man's face and knew right away that something wasn't right. "What's the matter?"
His eyes narrowed as he spoke. "There is something you are not telling me. I have refrained from looking into your mind because I want to trust you, so please be honest with me."
His statement stunned Ororo. "I was merely keeping a friend's confidence, but if you must know everything, I will tell you. Logan and Rogue are romantically involved. It just began and I believe she is mature enough to handle it, maybe more so than he."
"Logan and Rogue," he questioned, sounding confused.
"Yes. Now, you'll get no more information from me, so do not ask," she said to him defiantly.
To her astonishment, he laughed. "Forgive me, Precious, for being a jealous old fool. Scott assured me that Logan had an interest in you and I assumed he was pursuing it."
"Charles," she admonished softly. "Don't you realize yet how much I love you? There is no one else, and there never will be." She got up and sat down in his lap, with her legs dangling over one arm of his chair. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she sought his lips.
"You've thoroughly besotted me, Ororo. I couldn't bare to lose you," he said between kisses.
"That isn't something you have to worry about. Now come to bed with me. I want to have my wicked way with you before I take my nap."
She started to get up but he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her in place. "I am concerned for Rogue, though. Despite the obvious age difference between them, there are other issues to consider. Logan is a very troubled man and worldly in the extreme. Rogue has had a taste of it through her shared memories with both he and Erik, but has basically been sheltered all of her life. I worry that she will be hurt by this experience."
"I think that is a chance she's willing to take. Pain is a part of life, dearest, and we can't keep it from her. Nor can we keep her locked away from the world forever. Ororo paused in her speech before confessing, "And there is something else I haven't told you. Somehow Logan's body has mutated to the point where he can withstand Rogue's touch."
"Really? Why wasn't I told," Charles questioned, frowning in slight irritation.
"You don't have to know every detail of what goes on in this house," she reminded him, gently. "Not only is Logan Rogue's only chance for a normal relationship, but they are falling in love with each other." Running her fingertips over his lips she pleaded, "Do not interfere, Charles. Please."
He looked at her, studying her face, before tenderly kissing her fingers. "I don't think I'll ever learn to say no to you."
"I sincerely hope not," she said softly before kissing him.
Rogue
After her talk with Bobby, Rogue went to her room and put a few things in a bag. If she was going to spend nights in Logan's room, she may as well be prepared. When she entered his room with her things, he wrapped an arm around her, kissing her enthusiastically, before taking her bag from her and putting it in his closet. That simple act of acceptance meant everything to her.
"I've been waiting all morning to kiss you," He said to her with a devilish grin.
"Well I've been waiting all morning to get you naked," she shot back stripping off her gloves and untying her scarf.
"There'll be plenty of time for that later. Right now we need to get some sleep." He came over to her, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She wiggled a bit; laughing as he gave her bottom a light tap, then deposited her onto the bed. He unlaced and removed her shoes, then started to remove her jeans. His hands were gentle as he pulled the dark denim down her legs.
"You're good at pampering me," she said as he completed the task.
"It's just guilt for keeping you up so late last night," he quipped as he joined her on the bed. They settled into a spoon position with Rogue's bottom tucked neatly against his crotch. Rogue couldn't decide what she loved more, the scratch of his whiskered chin against the back of her neck or the soothing feel of his chest rising and falling against her back. Every time she lay in his arms she felt an intense sense of completion, like some nameless missing part of her was finally finding its way home, and this moment was no exception. It was with this sense of contentment that Rogue drifted off to sleep nestled within Logan's arms.
Hours later Rogue felt a warm hand on her thigh gently shaking her. "Wake up, gorgeous. I brought dinner." She stretched and rolled over onto her back, catching a whiff of Chinese food.
Opening her eyes, she spotted Logan settling in at the foot of the bed. His hair was windblown, no doubt from the ride to get the food, and he wore an expression of pure mischief on his face. Rogue had never seen him look sexier. With a sleepy smile, she reached out to him saying, "I'd rather have a taste of you first."
"Is that right," Logan asked, giving a playful growl. He got to his hands and knees on the bed and began to creep up toward her like an animal stalking his prey. Leaning over her with an easy smile, he said, "I like the way you think, kid," before giving her a kiss that she felt all the way down to her toes.
Wide-awake now, Rogue pulled him down and rolled him over onto his back. Straddling his hips, she pulled his t-shirt up over his head, casting it to the floor, and then let her hands roam freely over his finely chiseled muscles. With a seductive smile and a purposely-arousing movement of her hips, Rogue asked, "Are you going to call me 'kid' for the rest of my life?"
A groan escaped him as his powerful hands moved to grip her thighs firmly. With a chuckle, she pulled her shirt over her head and undulated her hips again. "Well, are you?"
He released his hold on her thighs and reached up to pop the front clasp of her bra. With a raised brow he asked, "Should I call you Marie instead," before cupping her breasts in his rough hands.
"Hell no," she laughed back, as a tremble ran through her. "That makes me sound all soft."
"A woman after my own heart," he replied with a grin.
"Well you know, you're still inside my head," she informed him and began undoing the button on his jeans.
Wrapping his arms around her, he rolled her over onto her back. "Honey, I like being inside you wherever I can get," he declared just before threading his hands into her hair, catching her lips in a deep kiss that made liquid fire pool in her stomach. As his kiss consumed her, there was an intrusive knock on the door that they both ignored. Rogue was too busy enjoying the slick heat of Logan's tongue against hers to wonder about their unwanted visitor. She gave a throaty sigh and unexpectedly detected a scent in the room that was vaguely familiar but somehow out of place. Logan must have caught it too, because he stiffened a split second before he was jerked away from her.
Scott
It had been hours since the meeting in the professor's office and nothing unusual had happened. At the moment Scott, Jean, and Kitty sat around playing cards while Bobby watched TV. Flipping through the channels, Bobby muttered, "These freaking uniforms are getting hot."
Jean place one of her cards down as she said, "That reminds me. Scott, you need to give Logan a uniform. The others go on duty in a couple of hours.
"Oh, right," he replied, throwing his cards on the table. "I may as well do it now. My hand sucks." After making a quick trip downstairs to retrieve the leather suit, Scott made his way to Logan's room. He knocked and waited for the answering call but it never came. Assuming that Logan was either asleep or off somewhere with Rogue, Scott opened the door intent on leaving the uniform on the bed. He was caught totally off guard by what he found.
The first few seconds seemed to play in slow motion. He heard her first. She let out a throaty sort of moan that sent shivers down Scott's spine. Then his eyes registered what he was seeing. Rogue was wearing nothing but a pair of bikini panties and Logan was stripped down to a pair of unbuttoned jeans. The two of them were laying together in a tangle of limbs, kissing passionately. They were so wrapped up in their activity that they hadn't even noticed that he had walked in. Scott was so enraged at the sight, that it didn't occur to him that Rogue had somehow overcome her mutation.
Scott sprang into action without thought. "You dirty son of a bitch," he spit out as he dropped the uniform and grabbed Logan's shoulders, jerking him to the floor. Logan landed on his back but sprang to his feet instantly, popping out his claws. Rogue screamed and pulled the comforter up to cover her exposed body.
Pointing an accusatory finger at Logan, Scott demanded, "Keep your goddamned hands off of her."
"Please don't do this, Scott. It's okay," he heard Rogue say in the background, but he ignored her.
Sheathing his claws, Logan stalked closer to Scott, bringing them face-to- face. "And if I don't," he asked in a gruff whisper.
That's when Scott punched him, plowing right into Logan's jaw. The blow sparked an immediate response from Logan, who hit Scott in the stomach and backhanded him across the face. The force of it sent Scott falling into the nightstand, sending a lamp crashing to the floor.
"Stop it, Logan. Don't hurt him," Rogue yelled, worriedly.
Scott got up and, feeling new rage build inside him, charged at Logan, catching him around the waist, and pulling him to the floor. The two of them began to fight brutally, laying into one another as they rolled around. Scott took several hits to the face and body, but was able to land a few good cracks to the Wolverine as well. Scott could tell that Logan was holding back, not doing as much damage as he was capable of, but it still hurt like hell. The two of them kept up the scuffle until Scott and Logan were pulled apart and immobilized by Jean's telekinetic power.
Fighting to catch his breath, Scott looked up and saw that a small crowd had gathered and were watching, transfixed.
Jean
Jean had been dealing another hand for herself and Kitty when John and Jubilee came racing down the hall. "Jean," they called simultaneously. "I think there's trouble upstairs," Jubilee managed to gasp out as she held a hand to a stitch in her side.
Jean jumped up, as did Bobby and Kitty, but she stayed them with a raised hand. "Stay down here in case Magneto and those have split up."
Charging back toward the elevator, Jean, John and Jubilee wasted no time in getting to the second floor. Jean followed the sounds of discord down the hall to Logan's room and threw open the door only to find Scott and Logan thrashing about on the floor. Using her power, she separated them and held them fast.
"What are you two doing? We thought we were being attacked," she exclaimed breathlessly. Then she noticed Rogue huddled on the bed and suddenly it all made sense. Seeing the young woman holding the covers from the bed to her chest, leaving her naked shoulders exposed, explained why Scott had flown off the handle.
The implications of the situation left Jean feeling uneasy, herself. She really hadn't expected Rogue and Logan to jump into bed together so soon, which was naïve of her because she knew just how enticing the man could be. Her worry for Rogue doubled as she remembered how convinced she, Jean, had been just days ago that Logan had eyes only for her. She wondered how long it would take him to move on this time.
With a stifled groan, Rogue covered her eyes in abject embarrassment as John cleared his throat, pointedly looking down at the floor and Jubilee looked from Rogue's state of undress to Logan's several times before breaking out in a grin. Jean released her hold over the two men, and they both got up looking as though they would go another round when Jean firmly commanded, "Stop it. Just stop it right now." Turning toward John and Jubilee she said, "You guys go, now." The two of them seemed reluctant to leave and miss any of the little drama being played out, but in the end followed her order, closing the door behind them.
Jean went to stand beside Scott, putting a firm arm around him, ready to hold him back if necessary. "Fighting isn't a good way to resolve anything," she admonished to both men but her eyes rested on Logan.
"In this case I think a good ass kicking is exactly what's in order," Scott said with a sneer.
"Why don't you just mind your own damned business," Logan ground out as he clinched his hands into fists, obviously trying to keep his anger in check.
"Mind my own business, " Scott questioned with a expression of disbelief. "I trusted you. I thought you cared for Rogue the way we care for her. If I had known for one second that you would take advantage of her like this, I never would have let you back into this house, but that's a mistake I can remedy easily enough." Wrenching himself free of Jean's grasp, Scott stormed from the room.
With an irritated shake of his head, Logan crossed his arms over his bare chest, and stared at Jean expectantly, the action calling her attention to his well-defined physique. Mentally berating herself for noticing him in that way again, she broke into the sudden silence to say, "I'm sorry for Scott's behavior."
Logan's expression hardened and his feral green eyes bore into her as he replied, "Don't apologize to me. Rogue's the one who deserves the apology."
Jean swung around to look at the woman perched on the bed. She had almost forgotten that Rogue was even in the room. She started moving toward the door as she atoned, "I'm sorry we all burst in on you two like this. I'll leave now." Jean let herself out and turned to shut the door behind her. Through the open crack she saw Rogue get up, draped in the comforter from the bed. She approach Logan, who wrapped his arms around her enshrouded body, holding her close to him as though trying to shield her from any unpleasantness. Jean watched a few seconds longer and saw the two of them rocking back and forth ever so slightly in the quiet of the room, oblivious to her presence. The tender scene struck a chord in Jean. It occurred to her that maybe what Logan felt for Rogue went much deeper than any crush he had ever had on Jean.
She finally shut the door and advanced down the hall toward the elevator where, she was surprised to discover, Scott stood waiting for her.
Storm
After a leisurely nap and a delicious meal prepared by her handsome man, Ororo began to crave the feel of the outside air. She bid adieu to Charles, who was on his way down to his office to get some work done, before throwing open the French doors that led to the balcony. The evening sun hung low in the sky as Ororo called up a gentle summer breeze to flow through her hair. She had always loved this time of year, and it was especially sweet this time around because of Xavier.
Deeply inhaling the fragrant air, Ororo beckoned the surrounding winds to lift her. With arms stretched out at her sides, she closed her eyes and ascended into the heavens braced on a current of air. With a burst of exhilaration, Ororo flew across the burnt sienna sky feeling freer than she had felt in a long time.
About an hour later, Ororo was streaking past the courtyard when she spotted Henry McCoy. An instant smile appeared on her face as she lowered herself to the ground and fell into step beside the large man. "Hello, Henry," she greeted.
"Greetings, Windrider," he said back with a smile curving his lips.
"May I walk with you, or would you rather be alone," she inquired with a raised brow.
"Nothing would bring me greater pleasure, than for you to accompany me." He offered her his arm and she took it, stroking the soft blue fur.
They strolled along the courtyard together for a long time in silence before Ororo spoke. "This little part of the world seems so peaceful. It is hard to believe that a battle took place here just a couple of days ago."
"Indeed it is." He looked down at her, before continuing, "You had a lot of people worried about you when you were hurt… especially Charles Xavier."
A self-conscious smile graced her lips. "He has become quite protective of me lately."
"That is not surprising. Every man feels protective of the woman he loves. It is only natural."
With a carefree laugh she patted his massive arm. "Tell me, what lucky lady has stolen your heart, and don't deny it that there is one. I can see it in your eyes that you know first hand of what you speak."
He broke eye contact with her to squint at the setting sun. "There is one woman that I care very deeply for."
"I knew it," she teased. "So when do I get to meet her?"
"I'm afraid it isn't to be. You see, this woman already belongs to another."
"Oh, Henry. I am sorry to hear that." Her heart went out to the doctor and his unrequited love. With a determined nod, Ororo declared, "It is her loss. If she cannot see that you are the better man, then she does not deserve you."
He smiled down at her, flashing his sharp white teeth. "It is quite alright, Ororo. I don't begrudge her this happiness that she's found. I only hope that things continue to go as well for her in the future."
She shook her head in amazement. "You are a lot nicer than I am. I don't think I could stand to see Charles with another woman."
"Let us be glad that you don't have to," Hank replied jovially. "I would hate to see you unleash the full fury of the elements on some innocent person."
Chuckling she countered, "So would I." She stopped walking then and reached up to take his chin in her hand. "You are a darling man. The right woman will come along, I know it." She stepped back and sighed, "I guess I should go. I wanted to go see Charles before I go on duty and I still haven't put on my uniform. It is going to be such a long night." She pulled Hank down to kiss his cheek before taking to the air again.
Scott
After leaving Logan's room, Scott stood by the elevator waiting on Jean. When she caught up with him, they headed for Charles Xavier's office. On the way down, Scott looked at his fiancé who hadn't said a word since leaving the ugly scene. "You didn't seem surprised at all by what we found up there," he reflected with cynicism.
"I suspected that something was developing between the two of them," she replied softly. The elevator doors opened and Jean quickly stepped out, but just beyond the opening Scott stopped her.
"You knew about this and didn't do anything about it," he accused in an outraged whisper.
"What was there to do, Scott? Rogue is an adult. She can become involved with any man she wants and there's nothing we can do about it."
"Well we'll just see about that," he snapped as he continued down the hall.
Soon after, Scott and Jean sat in Xavier's office, the former, gazing at his mentor in astonishment. "Are you saying that you knew?"
"Yes. I was told, rather reluctantly, by Ororo," Charles replied with a hint of apology.
"So she knows, too," Scott asked, feeling somewhat betrayed.
"You know that she and Rogue are very close. Do not sound so wounded," the older man responded with kindness.
Scott gave the professor an accommodating smile. "I'm just surprised that you're aware of what's happening and haven't taken any actions yet."
"To be honest, Scott, I don't plan on taking any action against Logan."
Scott's mouth fell open. "You can't be serious? He is, God knows how many years, older than Rogue and very likely to take off whenever the mood strikes him. I don't know if I can sit back and allow him to hurt her like that."
"We don't have much choice. She is over 18, a legal adult, and staying here of her own freewill. The decisions of how her life will be run are hers alone to make."
Scott rubbed his face in irritation before declaring; "Being nineteen doesn't make you capable of making good decisions."
Jean responded this time. "No, but people can make bad choices no matter how old they are. I think that you should give her a little more credit than that."
Just then the door to Xavier's office swung open and Ororo stepped in, stopping abruptly as she spotted Jean and Scott. "Am I interrupting anything," she asked tentatively.
"No," Scott assured her. "I think you should be in on this conversation, 'Ro. Maybe you can help me convince these two that Logan is a danger to Rogue."
"Ah, so that is what you all are discussing," she commented as she breezed into the room and took a seat next to Scott. "I'm sorry, my friend, but I cannot agree with you. I think Logan is exactly what Rogue needs."
"I don't believe this," Scott said in exasperation. "Not you, too?"
Giving him a friendly smile, she said, "Why don't you tell me why you have a problem with their relationship, and I will try to explain why I don't."
"Well, for one thing, he's so much older than she is," Scott pointed out. He just couldn't understand why no one seemed to be as concerned as he was.
"That is not a problem unless you make it so, Scott. I, for one, happen to prefer an older man. They possess a certain sophistication that I like." She winked at the professor who smiled back with affection.
Scott cleared his throat to gain back her attention. "Yes, but Logan is careless and unpredictable as well."
Taking a moment to measure her words, Ororo replied, "Maybe, in Rogue, he has found a reason to settle down."
"Yeah, but what if he hasn't? What if he's just looking for a good time? Is it really worth the risk where Rogue is concerned?"
"I know where you're coming from, Scott. I know you're looking at this from an authoritative perspective, but consider her unique situation. She is a woman who will, for the rest of her life, be deprived of all physical touch, save that of this one man. Would you really refuse her that basic human need?"
Scott looked into the faces of his three colleagues and saw that he was outnumbered. With a resigned sigh he consented, "Okay. I won't fight this anymore, but I still don't like it. I promise you, if he messes up even once, I'm kicking his butt all the way back to Canada."
With an almost boyish grin, Charles replied, "That sounds fair enough to me."
Rogue
At eight o'clock Rogue finished zipping up her uniform and went with Logan down to the first floor. As they neared the common room, she couldn't help but notice Bobby and John standing together talking. She knew instinctively that she was the topic of discussion. When she came further into the room, the two of them looked up at her, abruptly ending their conversation. Rogue and Bobby's eyes met and she thought for a second that she saw regret there. She quickly looked away only to see John giving her a thumbs up and a grin.
A moment later she felt Logan's hands on her shoulders. "Don't let the talk bother you," he said so softly that only her ears could hear. She reached up and gently squeezed one of his hands as she tried to borrow some of his strength. She was not at all ashamed of her relationship with Logan, but a girl's first time was something private and sacred and she didn't know how she felt about people discussing it behind her back.
A minute or two later, Jubilee and Kitty swept into the room decked out in their uniforms, and made a bee line over to Rogue. "Can we borrow her for a second," Jubilee asked as she gently pulled Rogue away from Logan. Rogue looked back helplessly at him but he only grinned and waved her on.
"I knew it, I knew it," Kitty exclaimed in an excited whisper as the three young women stood off in the corner. "You were all, 'it's not like that', but I was right."
Jubilee gave Kitty a friendly elbow to the ribs. "Leave her alone. She wasn't ready to talk about it then." Looking at Rogue she added, "But I hope you're ready now, 'cause I'm dying to know if you and Wolvie hit the sheets before today or were you guys just getting started."
Rogue stared from one friend to the other for a moment before smiling. Okay, so maybe talking about it wasn't so bad after all. She had always missed out on this part of the girl talk and it felt pretty good to actually have something to tell. "We were together for the first time last night," she confided and felt her face blush pink.
"Look at her. She's glowing," Kitty chuckled.
"How was it," Jubilee asked in a loud whisper.
"Wonderful," Rogue replied as she looked over her shoulder at Logan who watched her from across the room. His face held a hint of amusement, telling her that he could hear every word they were saying.
At that moment Scott and Ororo entered the room. "Kitty, Bobby," Scott called to the two twenty year olds. "You guys should probably grab something to eat and get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."
Kitty winked at Rogue saying, "Talk to you later," then walked with Bobby in the direction of the cafeteria.
Rogue watched Logan approach Scott and Storm, and wondered if another fight would break out. "Excuse me for a minute," Rogue said as she walked away from her Asian friend and approached the threesome.
When she reached Logan's side he snaked an arm around her middle saying, "I was just about to ask our friend, Cyclops here, if he was ready to serve me my walking papers."
With an annoyed expression Scott replied, "I've talked with Professor Xavier and he has decided to let you stay. I don't agree with his decision, but ultimately, he's the boss." Rogue's eyes darted toward Ororo, who smiled openly. She had a feeling that the professor's acquiescence had a lot to do with her. Secretly, Rogue breathed a sigh of relief. She had been willing to leave if it had come down to that, she had told Logan just that after Jean had left the room. But she wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to her family and home.
Scott continued, "If it were up to me, I'd kick your sorry ass out of here…"
Logan cut in shortly, "But it's not. You walk around here, throwing around orders like you're king of the mutants, but you can't do a damn thing about me."
"Logan, that's enough," Rogue insisted.
The two men glared at each other for another heated moment before Scott spoke again. "You're right, I'm done with you. Now, I want to talk to Rogue…alone."
"I'm not going to let you rag on her about this. Your beef is with me," Logan said in her defense, but Rogue quickly shook her head.
"No, it's alright Logan. I want to talk to him."
He eyed her for a second before Ororo linked her arm through his saying, "I could use your help taking a look around outside." He cut his eyes toward Storm and gave her a reluctant nod. She led him out the front door, chatting with him as though nothing at all was out of the ordinary.
Scott
Sighing, Scott put a hand on the small of Rogue's leather clad back and guided her to the couch. "I'm not going to rag on you. I just want to make sure you're okay."
"I'm fine, Scott. You're making too big a deal of this whole thing," she replied with impatience.
"I don't think so. Logan is just so wrong for you…" Scott's voice trailed off when he noticed the look of aggravation that crossed her face. Changing tactics, he asked, "What about Bobby. I thought the two of you were getting together."
"We were at first, but then Logan and I began to feel this attraction. We just sort of fell for each other," she finished with a shrug. Scott clinched his jaw to keep from saying something rude.
Swallowing hard, he tried to ask, "Has he… have the two of you…you guys haven't…" He couldn't bring himself to finish and she made no attempt to answer. Her silence, however, was answer enough. He let out a curse so vile that the tips of Rogue's ears turned red. He took a moment to calm himself before he spoke again, "I can't tell you what to do, but please be careful. If you get pregnant…let's just say Logan's not the daddy type."
Rogue sighed and looked down at her hands, saying, "I know you're disappointed in me, but I don't want to spend the rest of my life just holding hands. Logan is the only person that I can touch and, to me, that's reason enough to be with him. But he's also a man I'm attracted to and one that I'm falling in love with."
Scott's heart seized at her confession. 'Ro had been right. In his quest to protect Rogue, he had somehow overlooked the fact that she wasn't just some object to keep safe. She was a living, breathing, feeling person who needed physical contact just like everybody else. Scott thought about all the times he had come across Jubilee and John cuddled together on the couch or seen Kitty kissing that human boy she met at the mall. He, himself, couldn't imagine what it would be like to not be able to touch Jean's warm skin whenever he wanted.
"Rogue," he began in a soothing tone as he draped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I'm not disappointed in you. I guess I'm just having trouble letting you grow up. I've been your teacher and adviser for so long that it's just hard for me to let go and become your friend. I have to admit that I don't trust Logan a whole lot, but because you care for him, I'll make amends." He gave her shoulders a squeeze. "I'm sorry for putting you through all this embarrassment. I just wanted to protect you."
"I know, and I love you for it." She kissed her gloved fingertips and held them to his cheek. The gesture was yet another reminder of why Logan was so important to her. She smiled at him as she stood, saying, "I guess I'd better start patrolling."
Pushing all of his worry to the back of his head, Scott smiled back. "Keep your eyes open."
"We will," she replied, crossing the room to join Jubilee and John who stood in the entranceway, waiting. The three young X-men then headed down the hall and out of sight.
**AN- So this is the last chapter that I had already written previously. The next chapter is in the works and I hope to have it completed in the next couple of weeks. But for some reason the two sequels to this story want to get written before I finish this one. Be patient with me while I try to reign in the other stories and focus on this one. It's difficult. The characters keep telling me what happens in the future and I find it incredibly interesting. Bear with me…