Logan left Rogue standing at her door with a look of confusion on her face. However, he knew it wasn't long before she figured it out. In a small sense. In the grander scheme of things, he knew she had a lot to figure out. Hell, they all did. Life was never easy—on anyone. But he would be there for her when she wanted him. He would try to be there when she needed him. It was hard to tell though.
He hadn't wanted to crowd her, so he spent the rest of the day and a few more doing his own thing. He never really saw himself as an 'X-man', but he sort of missed the groove. Although he hadn't done it long, he'd come back. For more than one reason. But now, the idea of being an educator? An instructor? No. But the idea of coach…trainer? Yeah, he could handle that for some time. Who doesn't need to know how to defend themselves? A fool.
When he finally came across Jean, she was alone. She helped with the school occasionally, but seemed more involved on the X-men front. While he didn't need a check physical or otherwise, Chuck still sent him to see her. If anything, Jean would be able to inform him on other events Charles couldn't. To no surprise, he found Scott in Jean's work rooms.
"Wolverine," he nodded to him smugly.
"Scooter." Logan shot back, walking up to Jean.
"Back so soon?" Jean asked, having been informed of his arrival by Scott the previous night.
"Couldn't wait for all the fun." He grinned.
"I'm sure you know how much we missed you, so we won't waste breath." Cyclops grinned right back.
Storm came in at the same time, carrying hard copy files. She looked over to see Wolverine. "Hullo Logan."
"Storm," he gave her a nod.
"Scott, here are the papers you requested, I think it should suffice." She handed him her files, placing a disk on top, one that surely held all the same data for the computer.
"We'll all meet tonight, and situate our issues." Scott said as he got up heading out the door with Ororo's offering.
Storm stayed some minutes to discuss with Jean something Logan had no idea over, he stepped to the side and waited. After awhile the woman left.
"Like the cut," Logan called after her, the mohawk was a change since the last time he had seen her.
"Now, what may I do for you, Wolverine?" Jean turned her attention to Logan.
He suppressed the laughter and the foul answer he had for her, grunting something about Xavier. Jean already knew why he was there, but wanted him to make an effort if he was going to join up.
"Well, let's see what we can do then, eh?" she pointed him to the examination table.
When he left, Logan felt violated. Not physically, but mentally. He had not wanted her inside his head, but knew she needed to check it was him and not some impersonator, like Mystique. She had stayed true to her word and only searched what she knew was allowed. He did let her see a glimpse of herself in his brain though, and she blushed. Like he knew she would.
Jean Grey would never admit her attraction to Logan, Scott held her heart. He always had. Ever since they were young. But she liked the cocky, arrogant, self-assured, jackass Canadian. He was something that she had not had much experience with, an opposite of herself. Her psychological interests drew her to him.
Wolverine went to the action wing, as it was called, were one would find the danger room and the fitness equipment. He reattached the bag he broke the previous night and looked through his new arena. His classroom. He shuddered to think of himself that way, but it would do for now. He knew these kids needed hand-to-hand training. The War Room was left for the more advanced students, the pre-Xers. Logan had refused to punch buttons, and left the Danger room training to someone else. He wanted hands on action.
Looking around, he could tell that the kids had been doing well, the machines and weights were well used, but Logan could tell he need personal preference equipment, his classes wouldn't start until the summer, so he had some time.
Rogue didn't seek Logan out for sometime. She didn't want to. She couldn't. Instead she made note of his schedule and ran through the equipment when he wasn't there. She knew, however, that it was just a matter of time before he cornered her. It came when she was confidently beating up the smaller bag with quicker punches. It loudly covered everything as she rapidly pummeled it.
She felt that if she worked out she was getting out her aggressions, and more deserving of her new strength. Most of the time she didn't quite believe that. She slowed down giving it one last deck before turning around, right into Logan.
"Hey Kid."
"Logan." She still wasn't sure how to deal with him. Maybe they were still friends, well they were. No maybe. But she wasn't ready to forgive him. They both knew it.
"Ah, still with the dramatics," he took her place to quickly hit on the small handbag. He surprised himself sometimes with how honest he was with this girl.
"It's a gift."
In that, he knew she was still standoffish. The new stronger/weaker Rogue was difficult. She'd long discarded her layered clothes for revealing attire that let her skin breathe. But he knew it was due to her new daring personality. She didn't care. She was a walking contradictory confusion lately. Everyone knew it.
Logan thought of asking her friends what had been happening with her, but had gone about it carefully. Kitty had not wanted to talk about it with him, saying it wasn't hers to discuss. Jubilee had told her what she knew which wasn't much. Bobby was, in a word, icy. The boy was just as protective over Rogue as Logan.
So time continued on, and Wolverine accepted his X-men duties. The occasional missions were entertaining, as he found the mansion dulled him. But the kids were entertaining. The ones that learned to fly and that excelled in the Danger room were up for membership in the club, as Logan put it. All that needed to be discussed at the meeting of the X-men with the professor in following months.
Charles had much to discuss with his X-men, several things had come into light in recent months that needed attention. First on course new X-men. The rest were only aware of the brilliant young adults that had emerged in the school, but there were more mutants that Charles was interested in recruiting.
"I know we are to discuss the up and coming talents," Xavier started the discussion, "But others call my attention first."
He passed out a few pages. "These mutants particularly caught my eye, and I feel that we could use them. Look them over.
"Now, as for the former students we have here. Who do we feel is ready?"
"Iceman is certainly ready, we can all agree?" Scott looked around. "He has excelled on flight, combat, academic standards."
No one could argue with that, despite a derogatory 'frosty' remark by Logan. Besides, they knew he wanted it, which gave him drive.
"I think Kitty Pryde could use another year," Storm spoke up. "She is doing rather well, but is a younger member than the rest and it would only be to her advantage to wait."
"Jubilee," Jean spoke up, "as well. She, as the youngest, is still not as disciplined. But has the talent and the future."
"The kids have spunk though," Logan defended them. "They'll get there."
They talked about others, Peter, John, etc. Most of them were very close, but another six months or a year and they would be ready. It was not set that they would decide every year who made it and didn't, and not every one did make it, or wanted to. Some of the kids who were advanced went back to normal lives, or even joined other teams, some not even in the states. But some looked to stay.
Everyone remained quite because one thing was left undone, or untouched as it were. Rogue.
"Rogue." Someone finally said.
No one spoke at first. Technically she was ready. She had proved herself academically, physically, and more. The only thing holding her back was her.
"Perhaps we should give her a chance." Storm started of the discussion carefully.
"Perhaps not." Scott said in a regretful, not malicious, tone. "She could be a threat if she cannot maintain composure."
"She could be a threat on her own." Logan growled.
Xavier listen as his colleagues went back and forth, no one on either side, but just as confused as the poor girl they discussed. Finally he cleared his throat, knowing what it would come to.
"If it were not for her accident, the incident, would we feel her capable with just her lack of touch?"
Mumblings of confirmation came through as it was decided her ice queen standoffish behavior was a direct result the previous year's harm. Finding this to be the case, Charles then confirmed his initial thought.
"I will see her in my office, and continue the discarded sessions. We will find it all out. She is not telling everything."
"It is time." Cyclops and Storm both nodded.
Wolverine and Jean looked to each other, not seeing each other for a change, and nodded as well. Rogue would be examined.
Rogue's therapy did not begin right away. But, other changes occurred around the manor as well. A big blue bloke showed up, Dr. Henry McCoy, AKA Beast. The x-lings were fascinated by the new X-man and his science classes.
"A new player," John whispered to Bobby in class one day.
"Looks that way. Wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of that." Bobby elbowed Rogue and Kitty on either side of him.
"Wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of any of them." Kitty smiled.
At lunch, the discussion hadn't yet died.
"He's very smart," Jubilee said, as she had taken a class with him. "Jean, who was watching his first class that day, had to stop him and get him to speak in lay terms! Then she had to translate that!"
"Did he say what his abilities are?" asked Kitty.
"He's smart?" John laughed.
"I think your bein' smart, Pyro." Rogue teased him with a smile.
John shrugged sheepishly, flirting back. He knew Bobby hated it when she flirted, and it was rare, but John wasn't going to let her good humor slip away today.
"Apparently," Kitty leaned over in Gossip mode, "he's not the only change around here."
"Oh?" Jubes asked with a mouthful of sandwich.
"I think we have a growth spurt on our hands, x-men-wise." Kitty shot a look at Bobby.
"Yeh, your a shoe in, shug." Rogue turned her smile to Bobby, who also took advantage of her good mood.
The smile dropped from her face when she heard the Professor call her inside her head, requesting her to his office. She bit her lip and told her friends, getting up and slowly leaving. They gave her good-natured teasing about being in trouble as she left.
Despite the warm weather, Rogue felt cold in her tank top, she wrapped her short-gloved hands around her arms. Slowly she made her way to X's door, knowing hesitantly. The door opened for her revealing the Professor and a few X-men, Wolverine among them. Deep inside her she knew what this was about, and her stomach churned.
"H-hello," She tried to smile, her accent coming out full force due to her nervousness.
"Sit Rogue, relax." Professor Xavier gestured to an empty seat.
Feeling pressured she sat quickly down with her arms still hugging her body. She did not feel relaxed. She chewed on her lip and shot an eye to Logan, who gave the smallest nod and blink, just so she'd notice.
"You know what this is about?" Xavier asked her.
"Yes."
He looked for her to explain.
"Carol."
He let her go on.
"And Sinister."
While he didn't say anything, she refused to go on. The deeper rougher stubborn part of her emerging and refusing to be forced around.
"Rogue, I'm going to be honest with you." Xavier looked on if this was okay with her, she nodded. "We have been looking into new X-men, and we feel you are a strong candidate." He could feel her shock and her mind reel.
"However, we cannot continue," he sighed at a loss for words, "on this path."
"We need to sort out last winter."
She nodded, tears coming down her face, in spite of her glare.
"Are you in agreement with this."
She nodded, still angry and hurt, but part of her aching yes.
"Logan is here, do you feel safe?"
She nodded again, with a look to her friend, a look that said she forgave him, and he looked painfully on.
"I'd like to enter into your subconscious and pull forward your repressed memories of that time. I'd like to put you to sleep. I know you're having ill time sleeping. So we will dig in. Is this acceptable?"
With a nod, Rogue took a big sigh and looked around to see whom she was exposing herself to. Logan. Storm. Jean. The New Dr. McCoy. At least everyone wasn't there she told herself. She couldn't face an entire humiliation.
Xavier gestured to the couch and let her take her time. She was nervous but he wasn't going to force her. With Jean's help, he put her to sleep and the two sorted through the darkness.
Xavier went back to until he found a missing piece in her memory. He then focused in on that misty part. Like an overgrown forest, he had to find his way into the web and not destroy anything. Carefully peeling back piece after piece so the center could be revealed and before the rest would make sense.
It was snowing out. The X-men had just been relieved of duty, back from a previous mission, and all was quiet and well. Jean and Scott had taken private time, Logan was still away, Storm happy with the weather, and others went about their various business. Charles had taken time away from the school and was not in reach. It should have been an indicator to them. It was the perfect time.
The kids were scattered about the school, the ones not on holiday visiting home. Xavier took this time to delve into Rogue's psyche more. Bobby was home and had taken John, Kitty and Jubilee had gone to the city to shop and Rogue was with Carol, Betsy and the others. In Rogue's mind, Xavier could tell that Rogue was taken with Carol. She was the most popular and brilliant, most beautiful girl Rogue had ever met. Rogue adored the older girl. Carol was kind to her, once Bobby had broken the ground between Rogue and the rest of the school after that first mishap of her arrival.
Carol and Rogue sat outside while the others went inside and watched some of the younger kids. They ran about flexing their powers. Xavier could see how it was an absolute magnet to Sinister. Literally out of the blue, from the clouds descended a stealth ship that rivaled the Blackbird and broke through the school's gates. The kids were all shocked, but before anything could happen, they were gone. The alarm sounded, but all the outsiders had been scooped up and placed on board. Men in dark clothes ran back to the ship seeing the stirring X-men coming in force. The plane was gone before anyone even got outside.
Xavier knew at this point, Cyclops had taken charge and had a team to go after. He left the older kids in charge, the ones that were soon to be team members. Cyclops had been clear in what had happened on his end. Awoke by the alarm, he sprinted to the source to find the departing plane, screaming kids, and missing mutants. He gathered his team and set out after, keeping Jean on Cerebro and in touch.
But Rogue's memories had more to them. Xavier tried to piece what he knew with what he as now seeing. Carol and Rogue were just as scared as anyone on that plane, but tried to keep the younger kids calm. Rogue, layered completely, hugged on one who needed it. They were in the dark and time made no sense. The plane rumbled them about and she lost consciousness with the rest.
When she awoke, Rogue found herself stripped of her gloves, sleeves, and boots and chained to a machine. Having flashbacks to Magneto she fought hard to free herself. She couldn't. Finally looking around she could see the others chained as well. Carol was drugged she could tell, and the closest to her. The beautiful girl was strong beyond belief, Rogue knew, so her keeping her drugged kept her from her power source, unable to wield it. If they could control Marvel, Rogue knew things weren't good.
A man came up to her and Rogue couldn't see his face. She could hear the whimpering and cries of the other children. It was then that she realized that she was centered in the middle of them. The man laughed and only laughed harder as she struggled to get away. He mumbled something about helping her out and flipped a switch that started a generator. It rumbled to life and Rogue, not wanting to be scared stiff again, fought even harder, cutting herself on the bars that held her. She bruised and bled as she squirmed, though it did no good.
Finally, the machine was reaching its charge as Rogue's shackled wall was moved to the closest one. Seeing it was Carol, she called after her, seeing if she were okay. The girl was slowly coming to. But her powers were still beyond her reach. She was still young and not quite mature enough to control them so quickly after unconsciousness. The horrible cackling man yanked Rogue off her pedestal and forced her bare hand to Carol.
'No! No!' Rogue begged, seeing what he wanted. He wanted Rogue to touch her friend, to absorb her powers, and surely to absorb them all. The machine was to take them all from her and give them to the awful villain.
Carol looked up to see Rogue being forced at her, she cried as well, not able to do anything. Her strength, something she had always depended on could not save her. Her flight ability was not responding and left her grounded. She cried, begging it to stop.
To Rogue it looked like Carol begging her not to, but looking back on it a year later, she knew Carol was begging Sinister to stop. Carol broke down and hung from her chains, crying at her inability to stop the inevitable.
"No! NO!" Rogue screamed to stop the driving force. She couldn't.
She was forced to touch her friend, absorbing it all. Rogue felt the sickening touch and cried out as she felt she felt the energy transfer. From her powers, to her memories, to her life force. Rogue had taken it all. The man would have kept her hand in place if the sound of the X-men breaking in hadn't interrupted. Rogue fell in her chains when he left her, and so overwhelmed, she didn't know what had happened until she had awoke in the hospital wing back at the mansion. Next to the body of Carol.
Xavier knew that Cyclops had been able to track the weak trace Jean had been able to give him. Cerebro knew Rogue, and recognized her power spike. While they hadn't been in time to save Carol, the rest were spared from being absorbed and lost. Xavier, looking back later, was able to discern that Sinister had meant to collect the various mutant powers and transfer he powers to himself. Rogue would take them, and he would take them from her, the machine would see to that he had thought.
Xavier let go of his hold on Rogue, letting the girl continue to sleep, fearing she hadn't done so in quite some time. Sleep soundly anyway. He looked at Jean, who had witnessed it all as well. It was no wonder the girl was having problems. Not only had this happened to her before, but this time she had been forced to kill a friend. A friend whose personality she now wore.
"It's more than I thought," Xavier told them.
Storm and Logan leaned closer.
"She has Marvel's abilities, but refuses to use them." Xavier said. He had seen this as he had been unraveling the knots. "She feels responsible for Carol's death.
"In fact, she thinks her mutation is a curse, and feels nothing but a thief. Not wanting to get close to anyone else, she is afraid she will hurt everyone."
"So she is fighting with the multiple personalities in her head?" Storm asked.
"Indeed. The changes we've seen in her are partly due to the Carol in her. She is more sociable, or at least not completely willing to leave because Carol was drawn to people and vice-verse.
"But she is also bitter over it all. She keeps her friends, but at a distant. She is punishing herself in ways as well.
"And punishing those around her." Logan added, not needing telepathy to know that.
"Part of her wants to make others hurt, as she has so often been hurt. She shows her skin now, knowing that no one can touch it, or will touch it. But she stays by herself when she can because she is ashamed of herself, what she did—was forced to do, and what she can do.
"Rogue can't quite understand why she hasn't been ostracized either, so she has taken it upon herself. She separates herself from others so they don't have to go through the pain themselves. Or at least that is how she views it.
"So this is deeper that we suspected," Henry spoke up.
"Yes, but I think we have made a step in the right direction. Determining the problem is the first step."
"Or problems?" Logan asked directly, not wanting to play any of it down. He knew Rogue needed help, ignoring any of it would not help her.
"Yes. There are many."
"What do we do?" Jean asked.
"We continue on." Charles turned toward her. "She is not ready for full membership, but we can begin to help her. I think more sessions will have to be the start. Repressing her trauma is not the solution. I am sad that I let it get to this point. I had no idea."
Jean lowered her eyes as well. When Scott found the children, most were fine, if not traumatized, except for the two older girls. He carefully grabbed the two and brought them back. They were placed in critical care, and the others checked out. Jean then determined that Carol was alive in body only, and just barely. It was pieced together what possibly happened, that Rogue had absorbed Carol, and they knew she had received her powers and memories. They hadn't considered her personality traits until months later, when Rogue changes became more abrupt. When it was obvious Carol would never recover, Jean was forced to do what she did not want. Rogue covered her problems and hid them, making them believe that less was wrong. Carol had been a little star of an actress in her single digit years, before her powers, none of them knew. Rogue had down played the trauma. Now it was surfacing.
Logan had no idea the severe disturbance on Rogue, despite Xavier's explanations to him on his first night home. Charles had warned him what had happened. Rogue was going through changes and had new powers that she chose not to use. But none had realized the brutal truth of it all.
Rogue stayed in bed the next day, the Professor's control over her lasting through the night. She was grateful that he had let her sleep, but had had to relive what had happened, witness it all over. The morning came and her roommates got up like usual and went about their routines. They must've been warned, for none disturbed her. She couldn't bear to get up and out after watching Carol die all over again. Once the other girls left, she let herself cry, have a nice good long cry. She didn't do it that often, but it was due.
She considered that she might have been wallowing in self-pity all this time, but discarded the notion when her moodiness kicked in. She was complex yes, fine, she accepted it. But that moodiness yanked her up out of bed and on with life. It convinced her that it was not self-pity since she was still able to get up and about and on with her life. She wasn't going to let it affect her. It wasn't worth it. She was strong now, maybe physically, but this was making her grow emotionally too she knew. If she was ever going to be an X-men, or anything for that matter, productive, she needed to live. Not wallow.
The sessions with the Professor proved helpful at first, but the wall that was created did not yield after some time. The first few breakthroughs were wonderful, but it did not last, as Rogue's stubborn ill will found a way around it. It wasn't that she didn't want to be cured, it's just that it wasn't not so easy as laying back on a couch and divulging secrets to the Professor. He knew that too, and took time and care with her. Finally telling her they would take a break for a while, and pick the therapy back up in a few weeks.
Logan, however, worked with her on a physical therapy. Getting out every anger she felt, and trying to get her to wield her other powers. She couldn't, wouldn't though, never giving a reason, and Logan never pushed.
After one strenuous workout, she walked through the halls, thinking of going to the movie that night with Kitty. She kept asking her and Rogue actually felt like going out for a change. She nearly ran into Betsy coming out of her room as the girl made her way for the stairs.
"Hun, where's the fire?" Rogue laughed at Betsy stopping to primp one more time in the mirror.
"The fire's down in the foyer, luv" Betsy told her. "New meat is scrumptious."
"Be right down," Rogue called after her.
After showering and dressing, Rogue met the rest down at the steps to see about going out on the town and saw the man Betsy was on about. He had just entered into the Professor's office, his white wings trailing behind him.
"That him?" she asked Betsy, smiling, knowing the girl would go on about him.
"Oh, you didn't see the front!" she grinned wickedly. "Dahlings, I don't think I'll be going with you tonight."
"Fine, pant over the new recruit." Jubilee stuck her tongue out at the other girl.
"I will," Betsy sauntered to the rec room.
"Another new one, eh?" Rogue asked.
"Yeh, they are coming every so often it seems. Something big might be going down soon." Bobby came up behind the girls. "According to Kitty."
"Kitty also says," Kitty spoke in third person, "That there is more she thinks."
"More X-men?"
"More than what we know," Jubilee pointed out.
Jubiliee was right of course. More was going on than anyone knew. New mutants were coming to the mansion not just to join up, but for school as well. After a number of new students came in and the odd new team member or so, Xavier felt the need to make introductions. Rather than hold some traditional school assembly, he took the older kids out and had them meet their new mentors. Then they would be able to tell the rest. The new students were taken in warmly enough, but the new X-men required more.
"Okay, I know that all of you have been curious as to the latest going ons," Xavier smiled to the young adults before him in the receiving room. They had been asked in only to find everyone casually sitting about, less off-putting that way. "So, we'll make this easy."
"Most of you are familiar with Dr. McCoy, Beast," He nodded to his colleague. "He will continue on in the science department, but much like Jean Grey, will work mostly in the X-men laboratory.
"Mr. Worthington some of you may recognize, Archangel," he gestured to the winged man.
He pointed out a few others, not really naming there true purpose at the Mansion, or even mentioning them really living there. Just explaining that their appearance would not be unusual. Not every X-man lived at the Mansion or taught a class.
"Gambit," he gestured to the back wall next to Storm, "will be testing our securities, so please do not be alarmed by any sneaking about, he will steal up on you."
The man in the back, in his long trench coat and sunglass, grinned, but continued flipping cards around his fingers. No one had really noticed him sitting there, and Rogue fidgeted in her seat. Prof X was right when he said that one was a creeper. Kitty eyed her as well, they had both walked in and said hi to Ms. Munroe and were not even aware of the man that now stood beside her. It hadn't been hard to miss the giant white wings in the room, but apparently they had overlooked an entire man.
"One final thing," Charles looked to Cyclops. Scott stood up, taking cue from his mentor.
"We have discussed it immensely and feel you," he addressed the group, "are ready to enter the X-men, if you wish, for pre-training. This is different from what we have covered thus far, it requires commitment and dedication. Please think this through before."
A small buzz broke out, and Xavier cleared his throat. Jean continued for them. "We will have another meeting at the end of the week."
Jean and the others did not want to directly affect the decision of the pre-X-men, so quickly left the room. They were open to questions later on in the week, but wanted each post-student to figure things out for themselves. No one should join just because of their friend. All were being admitted, if they wished, on a trial-like basis, or on probation. They needed to grow and learn before truly being full-fledged members on their own. Most needed more experience, and hone their skills some. Rogue was still one to be watched, but she was too good to be let go as well. She deserved a chance as much as anyone else, despite the circumstance.
"Wow." Jubilee said for them all when just the few remained behind.
Peter nodded his agreement, looking on to Kitty, who for once didn't blush and fidget under his gaze. She grinned to the rest. John played with some fire as Bobby deflected it, although in a distracted way. Bobby looked to Rogue with a smile, and the girl weakly mirrored it. She was worried.
"Wow." She repeated in a more sedate tone. The excitement was strong, but the seriousness was not lost on them.
Jubilee cracked her knuckles, sending out mini fireworks. The others let out various displays of their powers as well, playing with the idea of X-manhood. Talking excitedly, they let their imaginations play.
"…Flying the blackbird," Bobby grinned to Rogue, knowing how much she liked it.
"Tight leather suits," Betsy laughed.
"I'm sure it's not all fun and games." Rogue hated to damper them, but she had been involved in a mission before, when they saved her.
"Fun and Games? No," John grinned, "But excitement? Yes."
"He's right, it's not necessarily that it's easy, but certainly something to be involved in." Kitty added.
"A good cause," Rogue nodded.
"You're one for Causes, Shugah," Jubilee mocked her southernness. 'The Cause' being the Confederates in the Civil War.
"And you are a cocky one, Miss," Rogue rose to her challenge.
"Someone has to be," Jubes grinned, leaning back in her seat.
"Yeh?" Rogue reached over and pushed her chair back ever so much that Jubes had to fight to balance, before falling backwards.
Rogue jumped up out of her seat and ran out of the room, knowing she was acting a child, but also knowing Jubilee would be right behind for the chase. Everyone felt good as they goofed off for the night and laughed. When Jubilee caught up with Rogue, who was nonchalantly chatting with a younger student and eyeing her friend, Jubes paced back and for before her attack, waiting. Rogue ran outside and jumped in the pool, with her clothes on, followed by her friends.
"You are full of it!" Kitty laughed, shocked at Rogue's spunk.
"Just piss and vinegar!" Rogue laughed as she kicked back and forth.
Bobby knelt down and let his power chill the pool, forcing Rogue out. When she got out, she made sure to shake her hair at him, soaking him just a bit. He thanked her sardonically.
"Sure thing," she grinned at him, truly feeling happy for the first time in a long time.
See? Rogue is adjusting…slowly. Enter Remy. Sluuurp!