Authors Note:This is a longer chapter than the first one. I changed the story for cohesiveness. Only a year passed since apocalypse and about 8 months since the story began. A made it so Rogue is about 19-20 in the story now, Jean and Scott 20-21 while Kitty is 18.

Disclaimer: Still don't own X-men or X-men by products. If I did I would pull it away from the evil clutches of 20th Century Fox.

It was a simple fight with the Sentinels that started the whole mission. Yet amongst the chaos the Friends of Humanity got involved and it turned to be an all-out war. She was teamed with Scott, long range and short range fighter. Everything went smoothly until one of the mutant haters pulled out a gun and aimed it straight at her. Rogue was defenseless. She may have trained in martial arts, had better stamina and form than all her other teammates but there was one thing irrefutable. You can't stop a bullet.

The trigger was pulled before she even noticed the shotgun aimed at her. She let out a gasp and Scott thought quickly. He threw himself in front of Rogue aiming his eyes straight at the person's gun. Scott was able to knock off the gun but not without a concentrated shot to the chest.

Scott fell over her and she banged her head against the pavement. When her vision stopped being blurry she felt Scott heavy body on her. He was awake coherent, but there was so much blood. Rogue panicked pushing him off her and laying him on the floor.

"Are you okay Rogue?" He whispered so faint

"Ya, Ah'm okay. You silly fool why ya get ya'self caught in that blast? The wound could have been worse" She said pressing her hand on his chest to compress the wound.

"You would have gotten hurt." Scott was able to wheeze out

Rogue shook her head "Nothing of value would have been lost, shuga." She pressed harder "The others will be here any second fearless leader."

"Rogue…" Scott wheezed trying to stay awake. "Don't say that you're a valuable asset to the team…"

Rogue scoffed "Ya, what help Ah am"

"Rogue" He closed his eyes "You also a valuable friend. Didn't want to lose you"

Rogue stared at the man who was her leader. He was the first person she trusted since longer than she could remember. Yes, she got along with Kitty now, Kurt and even Logan. But with Scott it was different. The first initial friendship was hard to forget. He stuck and burned into her something she never felt before. Compassion, respect and something she would never admit to herself let along him and Little Miss Perfect.

"Hold on Scott…" She can feel his heart beat slow-down. "Don't do this to me. There so-"Her sentence was stopped short from the concentrated beam that fled from her eyes.

Rogue woke up her face scrunched up. It had been eight months. Eight, long agonizing month and the incident still replayed in her head. As though all the voices in her head decided to stay quiet, just to replay her guilt. Eight months, and Scott hadn't batted an eyelash.

Rogue woke up and got ready for school. She got to the kitchen and saw Kitty already munching on toast. She poured herself some cereal and set the coffee maker. She would need it for the long day at school. It was another day she had to survive with three hours of sleep.

Rogue pulled a seat next to Kitty and started eating her Frosted Flakes.

"Ohh what is that?" Bobby said looming over her shoulder.

"Cereal idiot or ya forgot how it looked like?" Rogue taunted.

Bobby ignored her and took one un-soggy flake from her bowl. He proceeded to eat it seeing Rogue's face. It was filled with anger and disgust. It made it so much sweeter.

"Tony is right! These are great!" He reached to take another until Rogue slapped his hand with a spoon.

"Lay off Popsicle. Get ya own.." Rogue hissed pulling her cereal away.

"It taste better when it is from your bowl…" Bobby reached over again.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Here fetch" Rogue reached over Kitty's plate and grabbed a piece of toast. She proceeded to fling it towards Bobby. Bobby ran backwards jumping slightly up to catch the piece of toast in his mouth. For a moment he looked like a golden retriever. He ran back to Rogue chewing on the toast.

"Hey like that wasn't nice. That was mine!" Kitty groaned.

"Better you than me." Rogue chuckled as Bobby sat down next to her.

Kitty ate her toast with a pout. She specifically woke up early to make some toast in peace. Only ten minutes and Rogue and Bobby started bothering her. She sighed; well it wasn't like anything could be done. There wasn't any privacy with a mansion filled with mutants.

She looked at Rogue in the corner of her eye as Rogue ate her cereal. In the last eight months Rogue had acted different. Not different, difffrent but just different. She smiled a little more but she still whimpered at night. Kitty had a slight clue what does dreams were really about.

"Hey, like Rogue I was thinking going to the mall. They have these limited edition Steve madden shoes on sale."

Rogue rolled her eyes "The joy, Ah just wanted to spend the rest of my day being flatten by a bunch of mall creepers." Bobby snickered with a mouth full of toast.

"Like, jeeze. We can buy some like Doc Marten's you like so much. Oh!" Kitty clapped "Get some new wardrobe, cause like you need an update Rogue."

Rogue raised an eyebrow 'Excuse me?"

"Like we are in college Rogue" Kitty rolled her eyes "We like need to look all grown up and you looking like something out of Dracula will not fly. Plus green mesh shirt is like so last year" She shook her head like it was common knowledge.

"What about Ah take my shirt and shove it-"

"Like, how the hell you are going to get like a boyfriend otherwise? Goth is so, unapproachable…" Kitty bit the last of the toast.

The last words made Rogue suck back her tongue. Didn't Kitty get it? The more unapproachable she seemed the less people were tempted to touch her. Getting a boyfriend wasn't her road to happiness. Especially since..

Bobby spoke up to cut the tension "Oh I was talking to Professor and I heard Scott was still doing okay"

Wrong choice of topic Booby. Kitty groaned.

Rogue froze even more placing her spoon back into the bowl. Eight months and Scott's condition hadn't changed. His wounds had fully healed and there was nothing medically stopping him from waking up. His brain activity, heart rate and blood pressure were normal. The only thing odd was even though his brain seemed to be functioning, no thoughts, dreams or memories could be heard. As though everything was wiped clean out of Scott's brain.

After three months of going to the infirmary Rogue had lost hope. She stop going, afraid of getting too wrapped into hope. Plus she didn't want to see Jean walk in looking shocked she came and sparking conversation. Conversation that always led to it is not your fault and Scott doesn't blame you. Scott may not, but you sure do, Rogue though bitterly. She just wished Jean cut the nice act and just yelled at her for once.

Was it so hard for someone to just say it was her fault?

That she should have been more careful?

That she was the soul sucking mud water Mississippi vampire?

Guess that was a yes.

Kitty broke the silence "Like, we have like twenty minutes before like school."

"We better get going then "Rogue ate the last of her cereal and put the bowl in the sink. She started pouring coffee into a travel mug.

"Oh oh, I'm driving!" Kitty jumped up and ran to the get the keys.

"Like hell ya do! I like to get there alive!" Rogue ran after Kitty.

After many years of struggling with X-men, school and trying to get a hold on her powers Rogue pulled a miracle and got into a decent college. Okay, maybe it wasn't a miracle. She damn well worked her little butt off and deserved ever little second of her education. She refused to go to a community college where she knew all the people who teased her in school will end up. She wanted a fresh start.

Rogue sat at the middle of the lecture hall hearing some iteration of what they had already read. Hence there was no reason to listen to the Professor flap his gums, not like she could pay attention. Law was so boring when someone talked about it, she was better teaching herself anyways. Rogue fell into political science program, not brainy enough for computer engineering like Kitty or social enough for the pre-med track like Jean. Heck, she rather chew her own arm off than to do anything remotely similar to Jean. Hence she picked political science which was different than anyone else, but something she remotely enjoyed. Eh well remotely.

"Okay, a let you guys out two minutes early. I can see your heads gravitating to the desk." Professor Todd said.

Rogue got up and put her books inside her bag and walked to the door.

"Hey, Ms. Adler mind if I take a moment of your time?" Rogue froze and turned over to her teacher.

He was slightly younger than most professors, around late 20's to early 30's. Dark brown hair with hazel eyes, and he was tall, lean and a little gangly. Rogue couldn't help but feel he look like someone if he didn't have his mutation.

"I read your paper on the new mutant laws." Professor Todd said sitting on the table and handing her paper. "It was…interesting…"

"Interesting bad or interesting good?" She said raising an eyebrow and looking at the paper.

"Good, you had some good points and backed it up with some supporting laws. It was a great argument." He shrugged "By any chance…."

Rogue stiffened hoping he wasn't going to ask that question. Are you a mutant?

"You like to try the debate club?"

Rogue left out a relaxed breath

"We are thinking about starting one here. We have a couple of interested students and I thought you would be good at arguing." The Professor said putting his papers back into his briefcase.

Rogue clicked her tongue "Wouldn't be the first time Ah heard that…" Rogue sighed "Sorry Professor, but Ah don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" He looked at Rogue putting on his jacket.

Rogue sighed leaning against one of the desk. "People and Ah don't really get along." Yeah like one wrong move and Ah can have the team splattered on the floor.

"That's only fuels my reason why you will be perfect for the debate team. Think about it, you think lawyers like people? Why do you think they chose a job where they screw people over?" Pr. Todd laughed

Rogue gave a weak smile "Well, Ah can't argue with that…"

"That's why I'm the advisor" He pointed to himself and wiggled his eyebrow. "First meeting will be Wednesday at 6, no classes around that time right?"

Rogue bit her lip "No…but"

"No excuses then. " He waved at her "Run along…"

Rogue turned her head trying to hide the grin that surfaced. This was the first time since the Scott incident that someone congratulated her on a job well done. All her fellow X-men have been keeping their distance, and she wasn't on the same team as Bobby or Kitty anymore. Yet this was something new, something she might be good at that didn't involve fighting or stealing powers. She walked away giving a slight grin at the A she got on her paper, until Pr. Todd called out again.

"Ms. Adler?" Rogue turned around "Nice to see your actual face."

Rogue turned back around quickly her face turning bright red. For some reason she forgot to put her make up during the scuffle to school. Damn Kitty and her bad driving habits. She bit her tongue to stop herself from lashing out on her Professor. She was able to mutter a small thank you before running off to her next class.

"Debate team? You mean like arguing with people to prove that you are like right?" Kitty said swerving to the side in shock before moving straight again.

"Yeah, silly huh?" Rogue said clutching the glove box for dear life.

"Oh, I dropped my lip balm…" Kitty leaned down steering the car into the woods.

"Kitty!"

"What?" Kitty got up uncapping the lip balm "I got it…" Kitty moved the car back onto the road. "No, it like suits you Rogue. I never seen someone win when they are like wrong and sometimes you are like so wrong. Also, you can hold an argument against Wolverine that's like, a skill within itself."

"You think it's a good idea?"

"Oh no! Squirrel don't walk into the road! "Kitty moved the car to avoid the squirrel. Rogue head banged against the car window. She clenched her teeth.

"What the hell Kitty!"

"The pretty gray squirrel would have gotten hurt!"

"Good, we can make some god damn famous Mississippi roadkill soup!" Rogue grinded her teeth.

"That's like…sooo gross…" Kitty rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you should totally do it. You need to do something else other than homework and X-men."

"What about you know?" Rogue gulped "What happen if they want a group hug or a handshake. How do Ah explain the gloves?"

If Kitty can roll her eyes any harder they would be in space. "Rogue like chill. If anyone asks just say you have eczema and the gloves keep your hands moist. You can't let your mutation hold you back forever…"

Rogue gawked "Sometimes you have brilliant ideas."

"Yeah I know right?" Kitty smiled "We like totally need to get you some nice debate clothes."

"I take that back…" Rogue clicked her tongue

"Hey!" Kitty said turning the car as she waved her arms dramatically.

"Damn it Kitty you gonna get us killed!"

Rogue asked the Professor and he even thought it was a good idea. When she even asked Logan for his advice and he gave her a shrug, which was the Logan equivalent of sure, kid. She wished at least someone said no.

Rogue sat on her desk highlighting her law book. Somehow she felt like she was cheating. Her luck had suddenly turned for the better. Her grades were on the rise and she was joining a debate team. Her team still was weary of her, but other than that she still had Kitty and Bobby. This is all while someone downstairs was motionless for the last eight months.

Maybe it was not only people's memories and powers she stole. Who knew maybe it extended to luck? She had adsorbed Scott maybe a little too many times sucking out all his good luck. She sighed, that was not a power she would like. Hell, it wasn't like she had a choice in her current powers.

She laid back on her seat balancing a pencil on her lip. If she did absorb luck, than she owed Scott more than she can ever repay. Bringing her to the institute, being the first person to trust her and being the first person since Cod-, yeah she rather not think about that. She tilted her head to her Marilyn Manson poster, maybe Kitty was right. She winced at the idea. She needed to stop hiding, at least from her guilt. She sighed knowing she needed to visit the infirmary.

Rogue sat on the chair that was beside Scott's bed. He looked thinner; his lean muscled body already lost its tone. There was slight stubble on his chin. I guess Jean didn't shave him this week, Rogue thought. She sighed and held in her breath. How could she start?

"Hey Scott...how are ya doing?" Rogue let out a breath "Ah', doing mo' than good actually…" Rogue slapped her face "God, Ah'm talking to a comatose patient" She was more than frustrated in the fact that Scott couldn't talk to her back. She sighed again, she needed to do this.

"Ah know Ah haven't come to see ya in a long time." She shook her head "About five months now. Ah don't even have an excuse…" She fidgeted with the string of her gloves. "Other than my guilt eating away at me. Ah don't know what happened that day. Professor thought it was ya wounds, but Ah think it was my powers." Her eyes shifted to the large protruding scar on his chest. "Ah know it's my powers, ya should have been awake months ago. No way to test it though….Ah haven't used them in eight months…." She swallowed hard "Ah been active X-men, but Ah am making sure what happened ta ya won't happen to anybody else." She reached over to touch the scar on his chest.

She traced the scar lightly. It was deep, so deep the scar was at least two inches wide. Her eyes shifted to Scott's face. It looked so serene, as though he was just sleeping. Well sleeping with ruby quartz goggles. It almost felt wrong, sensual to touch Scott this way when he had no idea what was going on. She chewed the inside of her cheek pressing against the scar.

"Scott, what do you think about me joining the debate team?" She looked at him hoping for some reaction " My Law and Society Professor said Ah made a good argument against the laws they are trying to pass against mutants. Ya hear? The arguing Ah have always done with you actually paid off" She smiled weakly rubbing the scar. "Ah know you be happy for me and want me to pursue it, as long as it didn't stop me from my X-men duties. Hey, maybe Ah become a lawyer?' She laughed "Ah sure can make you shake in your boots when Ah was angry...maybe my temper might do some good…" She sighed "You would want me to be happy, try something new…"

Rogue chewed on her lip to stop herself from crying. "It feels wrong, me being happy, living life why you have a huge scar on ya chest." She looked again at his face. "What would you say? My powers are an asset and shouldn't be hiding away; that I should live my life like any normal young adult…with a skin condition." She smiled "Talking to you did cheer me up"

Rogue looked at the heart monitor. Scott was breathing and the heart monitor was beeping at a steady rhythm. Rogue sighed; she had no idea what really Scott would say in this situation. He had a stick up his butt to far deep to be ever pulled out. It was always playing by the rules, something her personality refused to let her do. Maybe that's why she respected Scott. No it wasn't just respect.

Rogue bit her lip. There were certain words she never spoke. Words she never had a chance to say. He was way too happy with Little Miss Perfect for her to ruin it with three little words. Knowing Scott he would be too flustered, confused and think he needed to do something about her feelings. He was too self-righteous and didn't know how to be selfish. Rogue sighed, maybe now she can say them. It would be one less thing to regret, even if the feelings were slowly dissipating.

She gave a small frown "…Scott I-"

"Rogue?"

Author Note: Anyone who can guess who is calling out to Rogue gets brownie points.

Cliffhanger of doom! Anyways, again sorry for it being so long. This chapter is sort of a set up for everything that is going to happen in the story. Next chapter is already written but needs some serious editing. I had way too much fun in that chapter. Please R&R its like substance for the starving authors. The more I see you care, the more I have the energy to write. Those who did review (stares at the one reviewer) thank you and I am happy to hear that your willing to keep reading. Ciao