Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men.

A/N: Thanks to all those who reviewed…coup fatal, The Freak in the Shadows, PyroWhore, CodenameCali, PyroDeScorpio2, MJLS…

The sound of the curtains being zipped open had woken him up. He bolted up into a sitting position, but was quite surprised. For one, he was alive. That was good. For two, he was in a bed…no the road nor some hospital bed…a comfortable bed. He looked around. The way and design of the room was rather familiar. It was only when his eyes rested on the grey-hair woman by the window that he realized where he was. He was in the mansion. At the school. Not a good thing.

"Morning, sunshine," Ororo Munroe said brightly before taking a seat in a nearby armchair. She looked outside at the bright sky, and as her smile widened, so did the sun's brightness. Then she turned to Pyro. "Hi, John."

He didn't reply immediately. He couldn't understand. They hated him. Loathed him to be more precise. He was a traitor. They were suppose to hate him. Not greet him…or…heal him. He looked down at his wounds. They were all bandaged up. He wasn't aching that much either. Yet, he didn't care. A thought had just raced through his mind. "Rogue…" he murmured. His head had started aching, and he got flashbacks of his last moments awake.

"She's fine, John," Storm said firmly. He looked up at her. He rubbed his face with his hands, and she watched his reaction. Where was the jackass of a John Allerdyce she had grown to teach and handle? He was…calmer…heck, maybe it was the meds. But she was sure of one thing. "You really care for her." Statement. Not question. She was sure.

"Yeah…I do. Where…is…is she all right?" he asked, unsure, maybe even a little scared. He hoped she was. Last he saw her, she was looking down at him. He could see the care in her eyes. Maybe it was love. Huh. Yeah. Maybe it was.

"She's fine. She's resting. How're you, John?"

"It's Py – heck…I don't know…" he looked at her sincerely. "Maybe it's…John now. Sure seems like it."

She smiled at that. "It took a lot of convincing, y'know…to get Logan to bring you here as well. Rogue wouldn't go with him. She said if you didn't come, she wouldn't either. Quite a connection the two of you have. Is something…going on?"

He covered his face with his hands. Aching again. He thought of it. Yeah, they were official. They cared about each other and had even admitted to have started loving each other. He gave thought. They had never really said anything. It was assumed. But it was good. They knew that they were. "Yeah. We're…us," he said, looking up at her.

"That's…well, I don't know if that's a good thing. But you've changed. And I wonder…is it because of her?"

"It is."

"So…you're on our side now?"

"No."

"Then you denied Magneto and nearly cost your girlfriend her life for nothing?"

"I nearly cost my girlfriend her life because I loved her and couldn't let go. I'm not on your side. I'm not on anyone's side. Neither is Rogue. It's just us. It has been for the past two weeks."

"I know, John. I'm not arguing with you. I just thought you'd had a change of heart."

"I have. My heart belongs to her now." He couldn't believe he had just said something as corny at that. Huh. Maybe he was changing.

"And your alliance?"

"To her. Only her."

"I understand," Ororo Munroe said, folding her legs. She looked at him and smiled. "You're in love. You're so deeply in love you can barely see the surface." She was teasing him…somewhat. He knew that. It was embarrassing really. He felt himself go slightly red. It just encouraged her. "I never really thought I'd see this," she said truthfully. "But it's good, John. You're not gonna join Magneto, nor betray him and you're not gonna join us, nor betray us. It's good, John. We're friends. Don't worry. No hard feelings. Therefore…" she said, dragging slightly. "I might have to warn you that…well, Rogue's been awake for two days now. You've been out for eight, her for four. So…she had a talk…or Logan had a talk with her. Bobby had too. To shorten the details, Logan wants to kill you. Bobby just hates you…"

John shrugged. He didn't care about Ice Prick nor Wolverine. He only cared about Rogue.

"Where's Rogue?" he asked.

"Ah, can't keep you love birds apart, can I?" Storm teased. She stood up. "I'll send her in. She's somewhat okay now. Her wounds were numerous but not that deep. You, on the other hand, can't get out of this room, because a) you need to rest, and b) half the team want to kill you. Consider yourself lucky, John. It's the middle of summer."

"Hey…that's right," he said, beginning to catch on. "It's damn hot. So why…did it rain heavily two weeks ago around night?" He pointed at glance towards the weather goddess.

"Let's just say Wolverine had gotten onto my nerves." She smiled at him slightly and left the room, and in less than a minute, it opened again, and Rogue entered.

Her hair was carelessly lying on her shoulders. She looked perky and strained at the same time. He couldn't see any bandages. She was wearing a long sleeved sweat shirt and long jeans. She was smiling. He started smiling. She sat down next to him on the bed, and placed her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat. It sounded good. This was right.

"Hey…" he murmured.

"Are you all right?" she asked him; she was concerned. He liked that.

"Probably need an aspirin," he said. As she moved to go get him one, he pulled her back. "Not now," he said, pulling her closer. He closed his eyes, his chin on her head. She could feel him breathing. His arms wrapped around her. Her hands cupped themselves over his. It was one of their silent moments when no one else really mattered.

"I love you," he breathed. He didn't even think that she heard, but she did.

"That's nice," she said. She chuckled slightly. "I love you too."

"What've you been doing lately?"

"Reading…resting…watching you sleep…"

"I was afraid you were badly hurt…or worse."

"I was afraid I had lost you. Twice that day itself." He pulled her closer.

"I care about you, Rogue. I'd give up so much for you…maybe I already have. I just want to be with you."

"I know. I care about you too. I just want to wake up next to you everyday and know that you're there."

"Baby, ofcourse I'm there. I'll always be there. Promise me you'll always know that. I want you to know that I care. I love you. I think about you all the time."

"I know that. I promise I'll always remember that. I don't ever want you to leave."

"I keep telling you. I'll always be here with you. I'm never leaving. I've found what I always wanted. I'm not going to give it up that easily." He kissed her on the top of her head, and remained in that position for a few moments. "What's…what's going to happen now? Did they tell you anything? Is Magneto's contract still on?"

"Logan gutted her. Pulled her out of the truck and whammed her straight. She's gone. But I don't know if he'll leave us alone."

"Magneto won't give up so easily. Now that I've left his side, all he wants me to feel is pain. Whatever torture he can bring upon me. Upon us."

She didn't reply for a moment, but basked in them. Basked in the moments they were sharing. Moments of peace. Moments revolving only them. Their moments. But then she had to tell him what was on her mind.

"Johnny?" she asked.

"Mhmm?"

"I wasn't talking about Magneto. I was talking about Logan."

"Oh. He doesn't like me that much, does he?"

"Hates you a lot. He…kept telling me we weren't right. Kept making everything your fault. Said that I was making a mistake. Said that you were just using me as a grand escape from trouble. Like you were just going to let me get hurt for your well-being. He said that you didn't care about me…"

"Do you believe him?"

"I love you."

"I know. But do you believe him?"

"No…"

"Good," he sighed. "What's going to happen after we get better?"

"I don't know yet. Storm's pretty much on our side, and doing anything she can to piss of Logan. Bobby's pissed off too. He's admitted it. Kitty's…refraining from staying in the same room as me. Dr. McCoy's not against us either. But I don't know…I'm just scared they'll call the cops. Storm and Dr. McCoy won't…but I don't want Logan to hurt you." The word 'hurt' had brought up memories. She thought about them in the silence. She didn't want to be hurt again, and despite disbelieving every assumption Logan had made…she was a little bit unsure of her and John. She knew he loved her, but if Magneto had been persuasive in terms of power…who knows? Maybe she wasn't good enough for her. At one point he might end up choosing something else before her. She didn't want him to just forget her momentarily, like Bobby or practically forget her, like Logan. Their actions hurt. She didn't want to be hurt. "I…" she began, planning to say what was on her mind. She made a quick decision to just tell him. "I know you love me, Johnny…I love you too. I just…I don't want to get hurt again. Not like before…"

"I know that. I won't. I'm not going to repeat the faults of others."

"What if…what if everyone trying to break us up…what if they're right in the long run? What if it won't last? What…what if something happens and…"

"Don't think like that. Nothing can break us up. Nothing can make me leave you. Nothing, do you hear me?" His voice had risen slightly. It had scared him for a moment, her doubt. It had sort of made him slightly angry.

"I'm sorry," she said, sensing his disappointment.

"Don't be. Just understand that, please."

"I do, Johnny…I do."

"Good. After we're okay again, we leave, agreed? Go somewhere. Start over. Be us. Forget everything else. Okay?" It was clearly what they wanted, what they needed.

"Okay," she said. It was final. They were just them. Nothing else.

…X…

Five days later. Both of them were around all right now. They were standing in the office Logan had just marched them into. He was completely in disagreement.

"Listen," Wolverine said, pointing at Pyro. "I don't like you. I don't like you with her. I don't like you in general. You're leaving. She's staying."

"You're not my father, Logan!" Rogue said. "You said it yourself. I make my own decisions. I'm going with John."

"No! You're not thinking, Rogue! He's not always going to be there!"

"He will be!" she said, taking a step closer.

"So…you're willing to be a traitor? Willing to just give up on the school? On your friends? Because you going with him will make you a traitor, Rogue."

"Friends? What friends? I have no friends! Nobody here, except Storm, has really been there! John's there! I'm going with him!"

Logan was annoyed and angry now, Pyro could tell. He put one hand around Rogue and on her shoulder. That really pissed off Wolverine. He started.

"So…what – you two planning to elope or something? 'Cause it's not gonna happen. Not on my watch." He pointed at Rogue. "You. You're human now. You're…well, how should I put this – rather…vulnerable. Rogue, you're not thinking at the moment. I know. It's a big change. I can help you. We're gonna give you a second chance." He then pointed at Pyro. "You. You're a whole different story. Leave the people who've accepted you. Move to the enemy. Betray. Kill. Fight. You don't get a second chance. You can leave."

The silence was endless. It seemed to go on an on. He wasn't sure of what to say. She finally was.

"I don't want a second chance…" Rogue murmured. She looked at Logan and took a couple of steps forward. "I'm not even asking for one. I left. I never wanted a second chance. You gave up on me. I didn't give up on me. And I am not vulnerable." It was another word that brought up memories. She turned to Pyro. "Neither am I pathetic." He saw the look on her face. Sadness. She remembered what he had said before. But it was a problem they'd fix later. For now, she turned back to Logan. "I don't need you. Or anyone to protect me." She was angry now. Both of the men understood that. "All I needed was for you to be there! Well, what do you know – you gave up on me. You stopped being there. You were busy about Jean. And if it wasn't Jean, it was Storm. And if it wasn't Storm…it was Kitty. I don't know, Logan, but for some reason, I've always be second. Second to this or to that or to whatever. I'm tired of that. I'm tired of you running to find Jean. I'm tired of you dashing away to help Ororo. I'm tired of you being too busy training Katherine friggin' Pryde! I'm just tired of you! Tired because you're tired of me. That's it. It's no biggie. People grow apart, people grow closer. Way of the world." She was blinking slightly to hold back the tears now. "I don't need you to be there. And you yourself threw away whatever responsibility you supposedly had over me. Remember? You told me that you…weren't…my father! You. Were. My. Friend. But you weren't. You. Couldn't. Be. My. Friend. And here we are now. I'm happy. I'm actually happy for once. I don't need you to be there if you don't need you to be there. I'm fine."

"No. Rogue. You're not. You're not fine. If you were, you'd have enough sense to understand what I'm saying!"

"I don't need to! And heck if I want to!" she said. They were close now, ready to burst out. Storm came through the door.

She glanced at Pyro, then at Logan and Rogue. "Ahem. Hey. Listen. No one is going anywhere for a while. Logan, John's okay now. Rogue's a grown up now as well. She can make her own decisions. Heck, yeah, Wolverine," she added as he gave her a look, "I'm defending them. Rogue's right. She doesn't have to be the one given a second chance. It's us. We blew it. You, most of all, blew it. On my account, I'm trying to make up for it. But you're at fault in this scenario Logan." She turned to Rogue at Pyro. "Look, you guys, you can leave if you want. No one's holding you back. But just not now. Something's going on. John, I know you know Magneto. He's not going to let this go that easily or that quickly. Atleast for now, you two will be safe her. Just for a little while. I know you two are probably tired of hiding, but it's for the ultimate best. Okay?"

Rogue nodded. She walked backwards into Pyro's arms. Wolverine grunted and stomped out of the room. Storm nodded, and took a deep breath. She checked her watch. "It's late. You two should get some sleep."

Pyro agreed. Storm kinda understood. She was on their side. Wolverine…well, it sure sounded as though Rogue was ready to shut him out. It was for the best. He loved her. She loved him. It was as simple as that. Yet their feelings didn't seem to make the walk to their bedroom any easier.

She was silent, but held his hand, his arm casually slung over her shoulder to pull her closer to him.

"You okay?" he asked. It was his turn to be concerned. She nodded. "Iceman told you what I said at the clinic, huh?"

She nodded once more. "And…you're angry at me?" he asked as they entered the bedroom they shared. She shook her head, and turned, so that they were about an inch apart, his forehead bending down to touch hers.

"I love you, John Allerdyce," she said. Her tone was soft. He wrapped her arms around her.

"That's good to know," he said softly.

He kissed her once. Kissed her twice. Then the third time, their kiss just grew hotter and longer. It became more passionate than ever. It wasn't just plain making out. It was sharing what they felt. Passion. Her hands ran through his hair, messing it up. She jumped up, her legs folding around his waist. He carried her towards the bed. It didn't matter if just around nearly two weeks ago they had been in a car crash. It was now. They'd ignore the short and small pangs of pain. He laid her down smoothly, coming up before her, forcing her unintentionally to stay down…

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