The next morning came, the sun still hiding low and all was dark. Rogue wished she could sleep in, she hadn't done that in months, years even. She never slept in. Too much had to be done. But for once she took the time to wish it was already done instead of just getting up and doing it. She curled up tighter, then stretching out and forcing herself up.

Going through the motions helped and didn't. She dragged a brush through her hair without realizing it, she dressed in a daze. She was so tired despite the half drank coffee cup in her hand. Her mind was fog, thoughts everywhere, but she avoided them to think nothing.

She found herself in the team meeting when she finished waking up. She wished otherwise yet again and let herself slip a little a way. She couldn't be cognizant without seeing everyone around her and having them in her head. They were still there, murmuring effecting her, but she didn't have the strength to deal with it, so she didn't. it was the best laid plan, she surely knew, but it was all she could do. She didn't want to hear Logan's would-be thought on Jean, Bobby's babbling apologies or hero-worshipping, Kitty's love issues, Jubes firecracking explosions, or any of the others. She wouldn't even let herself think of who those others included. She knew.

As she headed down to fight, she was stopped by Storm. She heard the woman talking at her, but nodded or shook her head. She remained as neutral as possible, knowing Ororo couldn't read her mind, thank god Jean hadn't stopped her. The neutrality in her expressions only reinforced her assurance that everything was fine with her, it didn't give her away.

Rogue did reprimand herself as she went down the steps to training. She needed to pull it together to fight. She could avoid people all she wanted and fake normality, but with the machines and holographic fighting, she needed to be on. No games.

"It's not a game," she said aloud.

The battle went as battles tend to, with much explosions and noises, Rogue found small pleasures in driving her fist through walls and machinery. She settled down when she heard the warning bell chime, the session had ended, or was pausing. Everyone ended their own fights as the foes suspended.

Cyclops babbled on about his usual spiel before priming his hand at his visor. "Ready, Jean."

And then the 'war' began again. Perfectly happy to fight by herself, Rogue kept to the upper airway of the room, only having to occasionally share it with Storm and the various baddies. When no more were in the air, she was forced to come to the ground and fight. But the enemies were few.

She stood, looking down at the mechanical hand grasping her leg, trying to climb up it. She tried to shake it off but ripped it from her leg and threw it against the wall.

"Nice, Chere. Dat works too."

Gambit leaned against his Bo, the staff longwise and his arms crossed around it. His grin tripped his features.

Rogue felt a nuzzling in her brain, like a headache trying to come forth, but she wouldn't have it. She opened her mouth to speak before she really had anything to say to him.

"Watch it, Rogue!" She heard the call. The time slowed and Rogue idly wondered if someone could control the passing of time with mutation.

She turned, indifferently, and looked over to what she was supposed to be ducking from. She watched as the blast came straight for her, part of her asked the rest of her if she wished to move. But she watched. She watched the force hit her, feeling it in her chest, but her invincibility cut the sensation. She felt something on her back before she blacked out.

***

Rogue slammed through one wall after another, and the battle quickly drew to a close and the rest of the team finished their components. Trained to fight on, few did. Everyone saw Rogue blankly eye the shot and it claimed her before she could respond.

From the control room, Jean couldn't keep track of all the commotion, she didn't need to. She was there to shut down the system on such a injury. She waited for Rogue to fly back into the action as she had always done. But when the feisty girl didn't show a few minutes later, Jean ended the session.

"Is she okay?"

The holographic walls fell and a few members streaked over to see if Rogue were okay. Gambit, already there, had picked her up from where the rumble had been. Despite the fake walls, the injuries were real enough. Rogue wore gashes about her face and ripped clothing. She hung limp in the cajun's arms.

"De Rogue be out," he said.

"Is she okay?" Jubes ran over to see more closely.

"Take her to the infirmary and Jean can administer," Cyclops directed. "A bump on the head, nothing more."

A bump, nothing more, a few hours later had not left Rogue, the girl hadn't woken up. Beast and Jean saw to her, attaching various machines and running the sundry tests. When night came, and the machines and tests showed no conclusive results, they began to worry.

"Rogue is a very strong body," Jean said. "I am not sure what we are missing."

"She does not have Logan's regenerative abilities, she recovers at a normal rate." Beast looked at his clipboard, reading carefully and marking just as so.

"I knew I heard my ears burnin'," the gruff voice stomped into the room.

"Wolverine," Jean started. "Logan."

"Let's go about this the easy way." He pulled off his motorcycle gloves. "I was never one for gadgets, myself."

He reached forward and touched Rogue's cheek with his hand, cupping her face. He frowned. Flipping his hand around and then bring in his other hand as well, he felt her. A harsh breath, a growl, escaped him.

"What? What is it?" Jean and Beast quickly asked.

"Marie?" Logan asked her, ignoring the others. He tried and tried, again and again, to get her skin and his to take contact. All he felt was skin, no grip or force taking him or invading him.

Logan felt the hand on his shoulder and his back, but it didn't cut the feeling ,or lack there of, of Rogue's skin, his forehead against hers.

"She is fine, the tests show." Beast was explaining to the Professor when Logan looked up, he wasn't sure how long it had been.

Logan scoffed in his gruff manner. "She is not fine."

"Whatever is wrong with Rogue," Jean said, "it is not physical. Her Mental barriers are closed as well, Professor."

"You didn't want to "invade?" he gestured. "You believe it is self-inflicted?"

Jean shifted, noticing the other X-men appearing in the room. "She has placed herself, unwillingly or not, I have no idea, in an untouchable place."

"No place is untouchable," Wolverine said.

"You're right," Prof X nodded, "but for now, it is best to wait a day and see. The poor child might simply be tired. I will check on her tomorrow morning." He turned around to the rest of the room. "As for the rest of you, Rogue is in no great peril. Her invincibility kept her from being too badly bruised. The best we can do for her until she is ready is to give her space."

He looked at Wolverine and Logan, Beast and Storm, Cyclops and Bobby, and sent the thoughts out into the hall where he knew young girls lurked, unsure. And in a dark corner, one cajun.

Sorry so short, wanted to put something up since it has been so long. hang in there.