A/N:

Flashback

Thoughts

'Speech'

--

A warm breeze drifted through the lace curtains. In the middle of the room a four posted canopy bed sat resplendent, muted white sheets and a sheer organza curtain lending it an air of elegance. Picking up a battered teddy bear, a teenage Rogue took in her surroundings warily. This had been her bedroom in Caldecott.

A thundering of footsteps and the door flew open, revealing two giggling children. A young Rogue tumbled into the room, her auburn and white hair bunched back into pigtails and her clothes streaked with mud. Beside her, a young boy with blond hair and cornflower blue eyes gasped for breath, a finger pointed accusingly at his female companion. Green eyes widened.

What in tha blue hell?

'Marie!' The young boy cried out, 'ya wasn' supposed ta let 'em know we was there!'

'It ain' mah fault ya'll are so slow,' Marie replied, sticking her tongue out as she collapsed onto the bed. Rogue sat immobile as Marie lay inches from her. Couldn't she see her?

Prolly another memory.

For the life of her, Rogue couldn't recall this day. Watching Marie and Cody grin widely at each other, she wondered why. Happy moments like these were hard to come by these days.

'Don' he look slow Rogue?' Marie asked, turning to her. Oh, she could see her. This was new.

'Ya'll aren't supposed to be able ta see meh,' Rogue stuttered out. Rolling his eyes, Cody tugged on Rogue's arm. His small hand felt warm and calloused and sandy. Rogue looked down to see he was grasping her bare wrist. She waited for the inevitable pull, which failed to manifest itself.

'Ya shouldn' be so sad,' Cody said, his blue innocent eyes looking up at her.

'He's rahght. Ya always so moody,' Marie agreed, kicking her legs up in the air.

'It wasn' ya fault that ya absorbed meh,' Cody said. Marie nodded in agreement. 'Ah don' blame ya. Well, tha part of meh in ya doesn'.'

Rogue listened to them talking, wondering if she had finally, finally, gone over the deep edge.

'An' Mistah Logan didn' really mean those nasty things he said to ya,' Marie burst out, grabbing Rogue's other hand. 'It's jus' ya mind playin' tricks on ya.'

'It's lahke Cody said,' Rogue whispered. 'A part of him is still in meh. So it's true.'

'No it ain'!' Both Marie and Cody denied passionately.

'It's that big, nasty man that's in here. He's tryna make everythin' all dark and scary lahke in here,' Marie said sulkily. Cody nodded.

'Yeah. He's been tryna keep us locked up in this here room. Me and Marie wanna play in the fields! Ain' nothin' lahke swimming aroun' in tha river ta make tha day go by,' he said with childish aplomb.

'Man?' Rogue queried. 'Ya mean Apocalypse?'

'Is that his name?' Marie asked.

'He wears a skirt,' Cody said, face screwed up in disgust. Rogue had to smile at that.

'He does too,' Marie said, a similar picture of revulsion plastered across her features. 'Ewwww!'

'Uncle Charles-' Cody started.

'Tha Professor?' Rogue interrupted.

'Whatever.' Cody sounded annoyed. 'He said that ya should let us out of tha room so we can help.'

'No,' Rogue answered, ignoring their protests. 'Ah can' take more of ya'll screamin' at meh, callin' meh sh-names,' Rogue hastily corrected herself. There were children present after all.

Marie let out an impatient sigh. Cody rolled his eyes.

'Ain' ya listenin' ta a word we said?' Marie demanded. 'Tha nasty man's been makin'…what d'ya call it Cody?'

'Puppets,' the boy replied with an air of wisdom.

'Are ya sure?'

'Of course Ah am! Ahm a boy.'

Marie raised an eyebrow. It seemed almost mocking. 'Rahght. Anyways, tha nasty man's made puppets of everyone in tha room.'

'Which means that all those nasty things people been sayin' were from nasty's puppets!' Cody crowed triumphantly.

'Ah was gonna tell her that!'

'Ya always take too long,' Cody said dismissively. 'Girls are slow.'

'Am not!'

'Am to!'

'Am not!'

Suddenly, the world around them seemed to warp. Both children went quiet immediately. Rogue felt Cody's arm start to shake.

'What's tha matter?' Rogue asked.

'He found us,' Marie murmured, fearful.

'Let us out of the room!' Cody said, as he and Marie pulled Rogue violently to her feet. 'Go! Before he comes and gets us!'

'But…how am Ah supposed to do that?' Rogue asked as they propelled her towards the door. The room seemed to spin all around them.

'Find tha key, silly,' Cody responded, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

'Where?' Rogue cried out desperately. But the door was already shut in her face and the sounds of children screaming filled the air.