MAGNETIC ATTRACTION
Part Thirty-Eight
Rogue's Sunday was rather uneventful; to try and avoid thinking of her woes, she spent most of it working with Lance to fix the problems with her car. After hours of toiling, of her assisting, somehow Lance had finally managed to get the thing working (for a fee, of course). She wasn't positive it would last for very long, but at least for now, she wasn't trapped at the warehouse any more – she'd be able to leave if she wanted.
Any time she passed by Magneto's office door she would cast her eyes upon it and wonder how much progress he was making on the evolution project. How many more days would it take? Her stomach fluttered like a jar of butterflies every time she thought of it. She could practically feel the wings vibrating with each little passing of the door and wondering how much longer...how much further?
That next morning, she forced herself to go to college even though she hadn't slept well and didn't feel much like going. She'd wanted to remain at the warehouse and wait to see if Magneto might need her assistance, but remembering that the Professor was still paying for her education, she thought it important to hold up her end of the deal and actually go to her classes.
All morning, she was preoccupied, barely managing to keep up with the course work. When Lunch-time arrived, she was surprised as she was leaving the building her English literature class was in that Remy LeBeau was waiting right outside, standing against a nearby lamp post in the courtyard, his arms folded, a pair of rather old fashioned dorky sunglasses hiding his mutant eyes from passing students sight.
He was quite unshaven, and his hair greasy. He clearly hadn't showered today. A little part of her strangely felt elated to see him, but other parts of her spoke of anger and hurt. She hadn't been quite prepared to see him yet and she hadn't even rehearsed what she might say to him if they did run into each other again.
He didn't go! He stayed! She thought. Ah thought he'd be halfway to Louisiana by now...but he's here. He looks so tired...
Insecurely, Rogue breezed by him, she'd fallen behind the rush of other students leaving the same building. She wasn't sure how to interact with him, and while she wanted very much to greet him warmly, she also felt like smacking him for walking out on her as he'd done, for leaving her there, for not even fighting for his right to stay.
"You gonna ignore me now?" he pushed himself away from the lamp post and caught up with her.
"Ah didn't ignore you," Rogue commented quietly, her eyes falling to the path as she headed towards the cafeteria building. "Ah saw you there."
"Why you just keep walkin then'?" he demanded quickly.
"Ah have to go eat, Ah don't have long."
"Are we going to talk about this?" Remy asked of her, walking at her side now, quickening his pace to keep up.
"What's to talk about?" Rogue frowned a little, "you walked out instead of fighting to stay. You dumped me in front of our boss..." she kept her voice quiet so that the other students ahead of her wouldn't hear. She felt Remy grab her arm to stop her and he turned her towards him.
"I didn't dump you," he kept his voice down too, "in fact...It felt like the reverse actually..."
Rogue snorted, and pushed him away, "you're going to accuse me of dumping you?"
"You chose Magneto over me," he reminded, looking quite distressed. "You said if I didn't agree with any of this then there was nothing left to say between us," he reminded.
"Ah didn't mean it like that," she huffed.
"He doesn't want what's best for you..."
"Neither do you. You want what's best for you, and that's always what you've wanted. Ah've been askin' myself since you walked out what it is you have to gain from me not goin' through with this...because you're so hell bent on stoppin' it that there has to be somethin'..."
Remy stared at her, there was a strange worried look on his face that she caught, but it was very brief, because he recomposed himself rather quickly, and his expression was rather casual again.
God he's good at pretending nothing fazes him, she thought dully. "There is something," she sighed.
"Yes," he shrugged. "I get to save you."
She didn't buy it, but he obviously was going to play games and she wasn't in the mood to stand around and listen to it. She turned and headed back towards the cafeteria building.
"Let me buy you lunch," he pleaded of her, "we can talk."
"There's nothin' left to talk about," Rogue sighed, she looked over her shoulder at him. "We don't agree...why bother even trying to talk about it?" she rolled her eyes.
Remy caught up to her and sighed too, "because I love you."
Rogue stopped in her tracks, she stared away from him, clenching her fists. That was a low blow. Why did he have to do that? Was he trying to manipulate her?
"I'm irrevocably in love with you..." he moved in front of her. "Everythin' in my life has been like I'm goin' through the motions...until you got here...it's like...I woke up..."
She stood staring at him, folding her arms and shifting from foot to foot awkwardly as he spoke.
"I didn't ask for these feelings. It'd be easier if I didn't have them. But I do. I can't change that. All I think about...is you."
Rogue tried to meet his eyes through the sunglasses, "Ah'd be lyin' if Ah told you Ah didn't think about you...'cause Ah do..." she chewed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully.
"But?" he asked, recognising that there was a but in there.
"But..." she continued unhappily, "There's somethin' Ah also think about all the time...and that's gettin' control of my powers. Ah've spent these last few years caged by this, watchin' everyone around me move on, havin' relationships, bein' able to do the things Ah can't..." she swallowed, "And it's my turn now," she dropped her arms and gestured a little, "Ah want to have the things everyone else has..."
"Rogue..." he began carefully, "my chere..." he licked his lips, "you don't need control of your powers to have passion and love, and pleasure..." he lowered his voice a little and reached to take her hands. She allowed him this, too mentally exhausted to push him away a second time. "I showed you...didn't I? That we can have those things..."
"Ah..." she began, finding no words to finish with.
He tilted his head to look at her, "skip your classes for the day. Come with me, we'll ride out of this godforsaken town...we'll book a hotel room and stay there. And I'll give you everythin' you want. I'll make you feel like no human woman ever could..." he used that voice, that low, honeyed tone, seductive, sweet, almost hypnotic. "Period or no period, I'll give you the experiences you've always wanted..."
Rogue felt her legs go strangely weak as she thought of his touch before her period had ruined the moment, of watching his face at her own touch. She wanted that again. But she didn't just want that. She wanted it much more intensely, and intimately. She wanted him in the way every other girl had had him and to be the only one who ever would for the rest of their lives. But she couldn't have that. Not like this, anyway. Her lips trembled as she stared up at him, "Ah...Ah can't..." she shook her head, "Ah have rehearsals..."
"Please..." he pleaded of her, he raised his glasses to look at her, no students were near enough to notice his odd eyes. "I'll do anythin' I can to make you happy."
Rogue felt her eyes tearing up, he believed he could but she knew he couldn't. There was nothing he could do. Only Magneto could. He was the one who had the power and knowledge to give her what would make her happy. "Can you?" she asked, "can you really?"
"I..." he began.
"Can you kiss me?" she asked.
He stammered, "I...no..."
"Can you touch my cheek without gloves?"
He blinked.
"Can you be inside of me...the way you were with Wanda...the way you have with probably hundreds of other girls?" she asked pointedly.
Remy's eyes seemed strangely glassy, and he reached up and put the glasses back on, hiding this from her view.
He can't even show me his vulnerability, she thought dully.
"There are things I can't give you...okay..." he finally said, sighing, "but...there are things I can do for you. It might take patience...time...experimentation...it would be a learning experience for both of us. But...who's to say it's not gonna be better than the real thing?"
"It won't be enough for you," Rogue shook her head.
"You can't tell me how I'll think or feel," he tried, "you don't know that."
"Neither do you," Rogue shrugged, "you don't know that playin' over the clothes is gonna be enough...you don't know that in two weeks you won't be bangin' on Wanda's door again lookin' to have her fuck you in the wild way only someone like her can..."
His face suddenly darkened, and he looked away from her, furious now, "you think I'd do that? Go back to a girl who used me like that...that I'd be so desperate that I'd willingly fuck a girl who raped me."
Rogue realised her mistake, she hadn't even thought of this when the words had come pouring out of her mouth like a burst dam spewed water. "Ah..." she tried.
Remy shook his head, "in fact...you think I'd do somethin' so stupid as to go with any other girl...when I've finally figured out what it is I've been missin' all this time? You think that I'm that shallow..."
"Ah've been in your head," she reminded, trying to justify the statement, wishing she could take it back.
"Not lately," he frowned, turning to look back at her again. "How about you take a stroll in it now, see how I really feel."
Rogue stepped back from him a little, her blood run cold at the thought of it. "No..."
"What are you scared of? That you'll be wrong? That you'll see everythin' I'm sayin' is real and that you will change your mind?"
"Ah'm not going to change my mind."
"Then how about you take a few months before going through with it."
"Ah can't do that. Wanda needs this now."
"Then let Wanda be the first to go through the machine. If Magneto is that confident that his plans are going to go without a hitch, then he shouldn't need a test subject. Let Wanda be his test subject, and you can go through when you know for sure it works."
Rogue shook her head at him, "Ah feel like Ah'm goin' in circles with you."
"I'll go through circles with you again and again for eternity if it stops you making this horrible mistake."
"It's not a mistake," Rogue took off walking towards the cafeteria building again, and again, he stopped her.
"Why won't you give this a chance, chere? We've barely figured out how we feel...and you're trying to run straight for the finish line...why can't we take time and explore this before you go through any life alterin' decisions."
"Because Ah have no quality of life like this," Rogue commented unhappily.
"Quality of life?!" he demanded incredulously. "You have great health, beauty, friends, an education...and a man who loves you," he pointed out, looking hurt, "what more quality of life is there? There are people out there stuck in wheelchairs locked in their own bodies without bein' able to speak or move...people in vegetative states, kids bein' born with horrible deformities and havin' the world ridicule them, people livin' in third world countries with AIDS, givin' birth to babies they can't afford to even feed. Those people ain't got no quality of life, chere. You have an affliction. All right...it's a fucking bitch of one, you can't have sex, can't kiss. So what...plenty other stuff you can do. You have so much more than others ever will..."
Rogue felt her eyes growing misty, and she looked way, refusing to meet his eyes. She hated the way he made her feel so small like this.
"You don't need to get your powers under control. You're doing fine without control."
She took a moment to try and prevent herself from letting any tears escape, "and what about you?"
"What about me?"
"Ah had to watch one guy Ah cared for move on to someone else because Ah wasn't able to give him what he wanted."
Remy scoffed, "no. You watched him move on to someone else because you sat on your fucking hands and didn't tell him how you felt. Cyclops didn't forget all about you because you couldn't touch him. He had no clue. I spied on you, I watched you with him and he was clueless. For all you know if you had told him it might have worked. But you didn't. The only person preventin' you from havin' him was you."
Frustrated, Rogue sighed, "it won't be enough."
"What do I need to do?!" he demanded quite loudly; Rogue was thankful that all the other students had moved out of the vicinity to get lunch, as she'd have been humiliated at this point. "Do I need to go get myself castrated and live as a fucking eunuch just so you know I'll have no reason to look elsewhere for what you think I need?!"
Rogue stammered, "no..."
"Chastity belt with you the only one holdin' the key? What do I need to fucking do?!" he demanded.
Rogue sighed, "Ah need to go..."
"You have forty minutes left," he stated knowingly.
She raised an eyebrow at him.
"Please...just think about this. I don't want to lose you."
She bit her lip and stared up at him, "you don't have to."
"What do I have to do, chere...?" he asked again, his voice thick. "What do I have to do to prove to you that I love you?"
Drawing her breath, she said softly, "the day Ah go into that machine and come out cured, Ah want you there..."
Remy sighed, he looked away from her.
Rogue boldly reached up and took his face within her gloved hands to turn his head to look at her again. "If you love me...if you really want to be with me..." she murmured, "you'll be there...standin' there...supportin' me."
"I can't..." he whispered. "I can't watch you into that thing...not knowin' if you're gonna make it out again..."
"Ah will...Ah promise..."
Remy said nothing, he just looked away again.
"Ah have to go..." she sighed.
Remy took a step back from her, shaking his head at her sadly. "You're really gonna leave it like this?"
"Ah've told you how it is, Remy. Ah've thought of it all logically, over and over again until my head hurts. This is how it has to be. If we're to...be together...then...it's up to you. You know what you have to do."
Unable to cope with the heartbreak of this conversation any more, she headed towards the cafeteria building, never even taking a single moment to look back.
Remy was so furious with his failure in the discussion with Rogue that he avoided going straight back to the mansion, not really feeling to be in the mood to relay the entire conversation and it's failure to the Professor. Instead, he went for coffee and tried to eat a croissant but could barely even force himself to finish chewing the first bite.
After wandering around the Bayville park for a little while to try and calm himself down, Remy returned back to the Xavier mansion. The gates were unlocked, and so he rode through straight on up the drive and to the front of the grand home, the bike skidded on the ice a little as he turned to park it. As he climbed off of his bike, he saw Wolverine exiting through the front door, a cigar in hand, a Zippo lighter in the other.
"How'd it go?" asked Wolverine gruffly, he put the cigar to his mouth and lit, the end turning bright orange.
Remy shivered in the cold, he glanced up as a light snow began to drift down from the pale grey sky. "How you think it went?" he asked pointedly. He came to stand under the porch.
"You don't look happy, so I'm going to go with the assumption that it went piss-poorly."
"Girl is as stubborn as an ox," said Remy unhappily as he put his helmet away and came up the steps, almost slipping on the ice. He played off his almost-fall and pulled his pack of cigarettes out, putting one to his lips and accepting Wolverine's lighter to light it. "I think she ain't gonna come around."
"Charles is gonna go soon to talk to Magneto," Wolverine exhaled a thick stream of smoke, the smell was strong and it hung in the air.
Remy inhaled his own cigarette, the warmth seemed to fill him, comforted him in spite of the cold. "Hopefully he has more success than I did," he muttered. "What the hell is up with this cold? Is this Storm's doin'?" he asked, gesturing to the sky.
"Nope, this is all just good old fashioned Bayville November. Winter usually starts fairly early here...we always get snow, with or without a weather witch."
"It's freezin'. I ain't got the clothes for this kind of weather."
"Sure Scott's probably got somethin' that would fit you," Wolverine shrugged.
"Ugh, no thanks. I've seen his warddrobe. If I want to dress like a preppy nerd, I can shop at the Bayville mall."
Wolverine chuckled, but after a moment, he became serious, "how did Rogue seem?"
"What do you mean?" Remy asked, flicking his ash into an ashtray Wolverine had left on an nearby windowsill.
"Did she seem...worried, or...doubtful?"
"No. Just tired. She just seemed tired...which is nothin' new. She's been sleepin' badly for weeks. Since she joined the Acolytes, more or less. She tosses and turns."
"And you would know that how?" Wolverine asked suspiciously.
"She told me," Remy lied. He wasn't sure he wanted to admit to the man that he and Rogue had shared a bed even in a platonic sense more than once. Wolverine probably had ideas about how far the romantic relationship with Rogue had gone, but Remy was sure the sharing a bed would be frowned upon. Especially judging by that suspicious look on the older man's face.
"If she's tossing and turning that means she's probably not as confident about it as she thinks she is. There might be hope," Wolverine admitted.
Remy shook his head, "saw that look in her eyes. She's sure. There ain't no stoppin' her..." he sighed, "think it's time I just...faced the fact that...it's done. I ain't got a shot stoppin' her...and I can't sit and watch her do this so..."
Wolverine took a drag of his cigar, he exhaled, then said, "I doubt it matters. Like it or not, Gambit, if this thing works – and there's a chance of that so I hear – and she arrived at this doorstep cured of the powers that ruled her life up until now, you would have her in bed faster than any of us could blink."
"No," Remy shook his head, "it's not like that with her."
"Bull," Wolverine rolled his eyes. "You're a pushover when it comes to sex. You slept with Magneto's daughter, and from what I've heard in rumour, you've slept with half the girls in this town – and that ain't a small number. You wouldn't pass up the opportunity with Rogue."
"Yes. Yes I would," Remy stared down at the floorboards, frowning. "I don't want another easy lay, man...I want...everythin' else."
"Like?" asked Wolverine.
"The menstrual cramps, the mood swings, the arguin', the sufferin', the passion, the laughin', the horror film conventions, the breakfasts at the diner, I want it all."
"No one is sayin' you can't have it...except you."
"If she goes through this thing, chance is another person is gonna come out...not the same Rogue."
"Are you afraid it won't work, or afraid it will?"
Remy thought about this, he raised his eyes to the man. He wasn't sure how to answer this.
"You ain't never had a relationship in your life, have you?"
Giving a vague shrug, Remy took a long drag of his cigarette and glanced away.
"I know your type. Never been rejected, never been dumped, never had a girl say no. Charmed your way into every girl's panties, never had a day of heartache or honest to god feelin' for anyone but yourself. 'Til you met Rogue that is."
Remy sighed, "you done?"
"What do you want of her?"
"I want her to..." Remy tried to frustratedly answer, feeling strangely emasculated trying to explain this to the man, "to just want me...to give a fuck about my feelin's. To at least care enough about my goddamn feelin's to at least give this shit a second thought!" he yelled suddenly, feeling quite angry. In frustration, he kicked over a nearby planter, spilling the compost over the floorboards. It hadn't been in his intention, he'd thought the thing would have remained intact but it cracked into several pieces, and the roots were left exposed. He felt a little like that plant, as if Rogue had kicked and left him exposed at the roots too.
"That plant did nothin' to deserve that," said Wolverine staring down at the mess.
"Sorry."
"You're cleaning that up."
Remy sighed, "where's the cleanin' supplies?"
"Closet under the stairs," Wolverine gestured to the house. "Listen, kid..." he stopped Remy just as he were about to head inside after stubbing out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Like it or not. This may happen regardless of how much we try to interfere. You need to prepare yourself for the eventuality that she is gonna do this."
Remy stared down to the ground.
"Now...what happens after that...it's up to you. If it works or if it doesn't, there's feelin's there between you that don't just go away because you had an argument about who was right about this or who hurt whose feelin's..."
Remy bit his tongue. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say but he felt like snapping at the man anyway. He thought it ill advised and managed to keep himself in check.
"Charles and I will go see the maniac and see what we can do to talk him out of it, or Rogue. If not, we may all have to just accept some things can't be changed..." Wolverine shrugged. "If you care about Rogue, and you want her to care about you, then take my advice...be there for her regardless. Just like the rest of us will. And if at the end of the day, you need someone to be there when you decide it's time to make your own mistakes, you'll have someone to be there for you too."
Sighing, Remy turned towards the door, he placed his hand upon the knob, but paused, "ain't ever had anyone to tell me how to stop makin' mistakes since the day I was born. Got so used to just...predictin' when they were gonna be made so I could avoid makin' them..." he uttered under his breath, he glanced over his shoulder, "didn't predict that I was gonna feel anythin' for Rogue though."
"Your feelin's for Rogue aren't a mistake, LeBeau. They're probably the one honest thing you've ever had goin' for you."
"Are you givin' me your blessin'?" Remy snorted.
"No. I'm givin' you my opinion. And if you don't clean that shit up, I'll give you my foot up your ass."
"Of course."
Rogue's last class had been her drama class, which had gone very badly. She'd forgotten most of her lines and her professor had been furious, told her that she'd been slacking, and that she wasn't taking the part seriously enough now. How well she'd done only days ago and suddenly become so incompetent.
She supposed she'd have focused on her lines much easier if she'd been able to concentrate on the script she'd been reading during her lunch break, as opposed to spending the entire time thinking about Remy LeBeau's visit to her.
Maybe Ah should just drop out, she thought drearily as she made her way to the parking lot to meet Piotr who had promised to pick her up today. Ah don't have the energy to commit to it, Ah'm screwin' up and Ah can't concentrate on it. There's just too much goin' on my life to deal with it.
Piotr climbed out of his van as he saw her approach and gestured for her to climb into the drivers seat. The passengers side door had still never been fixed. It seemed to Rogue no one had luck with cars at the warehouse.
Rogue climbed in and dropped her backpack to the floor, sighing heavily as she pulled on her seatbelt whilst Piotr climbed in to do the same.
"How was your day?" asked Piotr politely. Piotr was so incredibly polite that Rogue had a hard time telling sometimes if he was genuinely interested or not.
"Rough," she responded quietly, rubbing her head.
"Did something happen?"
"Ah'd rather not talk about it," Rogue responded softly, she stared out of the window.
"Are you sure?" asked Piotr, staring the engine.
Rogue turned to look at him as he pulled the van out of the student parking area. "What makes you think somethin' happened?"
"You always look so angry when something bad has happened," Piotr responded, "and you look quite angry now."
She stared down at the dashboard and sighed, "Remy came to see me at school."
"He is still in town?"
"Ah don't know if he still is. He was. Ah don't even know how he knew where Ah would be at that time," she shook her head.
"What did he want?"
"To talk me out of wanting to fix my powers. He thinks Ah don't need to."
"He is just looking out for you," Piotr stated softly.
Rogue wondered if that was true. Was he looking out for her feelings, or simply just concentrating on his own? Or did he really have an ulterior motive to wanting to help her? When she'd brought it up he'd looked almost panicked for a split second. He'd let his guard down, but unintentionally, she'd known that by how quickly he'd tried to hide it and play it off. "Do we still need to go to the art store?" Rogue asked.
"I have been," Piotr admitted, "We are going straight home."
Shame, thought Rogue. She didn't really relish the thought of being home right now, Wanda was home too, and everyone had to take turns to sit with her and supervise her while Magneto worked on the machine. Rogue hated the thought of having to sit with the girl. How do you sit with a girl who tried to put her hand up your skirt? Rogue wondered.
On the drive, both were quiet, they listened to a CD, which seemed to be some kind of odd Slavic rap music that Piotr appreciated, and Rogue couldn't stand the sound of. Still, it was better to listen to that than her own miserable thoughts.
Ah should be happy, Rogue reminded herself as Piotr parked the van in the yard outside the warehouse. Ah'll get what Ah've always wanted soon.
Why did she feel so empty about that? Why did she feel guilty about it?
As Rogue got out of Piotr's van after he did, she noted the Professor's black Rolls Royce Phantom was parked right beside Magneto's Lexus. She blinked.
"Someone is visiting," Piotr said, shutting the door behind her.
"That's Professor Xavier's car," she said quietly, gazing into the drivers window; no one was there. The car wasn't adapted for a disabled driver, so someone was in there with him. The smell of cigar smoke outside told her right away it was Logan.
"This is nice car," said Piotr appreciatively, "thing of beauty."
"Yeah, it's...real nice," Rogue said distractedly, "thanks for the ride," she said to him quickly before rushing into the warehouse to find out what was going on. Upstairs in the living room area, the television was blaring, and it seemed to be MTV that whomever up there was watching. Rogue certainly didn't see the Professor nor Logan anywhere nearby, and realised the must have been in the office with Magneto.
Unfortunately that door couldn't be eavesdropped through.
She dropped her bag and sat on the floor, watching as Piotr passed her by distractedly carrying bags of art supplies and an armful of easels. Maybe he should paint Wanda...she'd probably be more than willing to pose for a nude, Rogue thought dryly as she sat there waiting.
It was only five minutes before the door to the office opened, and Logan stood there, gazing out at her curiously, "are you coming in or what?" he asked, as if her presence had been almost expected.
Rogue pushed herself up from the floor awkwardly, and dusted her backside off of dirt, "how'd you know Ah was here?"
"Professor sensed you, I smelled you," said Logan.
Oh god, Ah hope he couldn't tell Ah'm on the rag, Rogue thought feeling quite disturbed by this revelation of Logan's. His sense of smell was superior, and it must have been obvious surely. She gave him a questioning look as she passed by him to enter the room, but he said nothing.
"Rogue, please, take a seat," said Magneto, who was standing near the wall looking strangely irritated. Rogue realised at once he had not wanted visitors today.
Rogue sat down on the chair which had been placed a foot away from the Professor's wheelchair. Professor Xavier turned and gave her a warm smile, and spoke coolly. "It is good to see you. I had hoped we may speak with you before we leave."
"What's goin' on?" Rogue asked uneasily as she placed her hands in her lap, she glanced between the three. Logan moved to lean against a nearby wall casually, folding his arms, his expression almost bored.
"Charles has come to discuss your evolution," said Magneto quite coldly, "apparently Gambit has been divulging information that he should have not divulged."
Rogue turned to Professor Xavier and questioned him with her eyes. Was this what Remy had been hiding? Had he been spying for the X-Men all this time? Passing information?
"You know my feelings on this," the Professor said carefully, he pulled the chair out a little and swiftly turned it so he could face her. "Rogue, Gambit explained to me what is happening, and I am quite appalled. I understand the situation, but I must beg of you to please reconsider going through with this accelerated evolution."
"Ah've already made up my mind, you know that," Rogue quietly stated, trying to remain calm. She was sick of going through these arguments.
"Do you understand the risks?" the Professor asked carefully.
"Yes."
"And you still will not reconsider?"
"Ah've told you. My mind is set," Rogue responded.
"You see, Charles?" asked Magneto, he too folded his arms and gave a deep sigh, "I have explained to you that Rogue is her own person and cannot be easily swayed. She has her goal and she will achieve it. Nothing will stop her."
Rogue felt oddly complimented by the way Magneto put it, he sounded almost as if he were in admiration of it.
Professor Xavier thought of this, he turned back to Rogue, "you understand my ethical position on this, don't you?"
"What do you mean?" Rogue queried uncertainly.
"That I do not agree with this process, that the very thought of it goes against everything I have tried to work for and that I have taught you and the others I have cared for..."
"Ah know that," Rogue assured quietly.
"Then you will understand how hard this will be for me," sighed the Professor, he frowned and looked at Magneto. "Magnus, I will help you build the machine."
"Charles, I do not need your help."
"You may not need it, but you will have it," said the Professor, his voice cold and quick.
"But you don't agree with it..." Rogue gaped at the man.
"I do not agree and never will. A forced and accelerated evolution is against the very nature of the genetic gifts we are given. Nothing good can truly come of this. If I cannot prevent this travesty from taking place then I shall at least try to provide some kind of damage limitation by being here to help build this machine. It is the only way I can think of that I can try to protect you, as I always promised myself I would..." the Professor took Rogue's hand and squeezed it.
Rogue stared into his piercing eyes and tried to read him. Oh my god! Is he serious? Is he actually going to help Magneto?
"Do not be foolish to think there would be any damage. I do not make mistakes," said Magneto warningly to the Professor.
"There is always room for error, Magnus. To err is one of our most basic human flaws."
"I am not human, I am mutant," Magneto reminded flatly, "and I do not want, nor need, your help. You are not welcome in this project."
"Is that all this is to you, Magnus? A project?" the Professor asked carefully.
"Of course it is not!" hissed Magneto. "This...this is the only hope I have of saving my daughter's tortured mind. Of course it is not a project. It is..."
"A cure?"
"Her salvation."
Rogue stared at Magneto. He sounded so almost...maniacal. Like a raving lunatic. It reminded her vaguely of the religious zealots who would hang around the college campus handing out fliers for their deities talking about deliverance.
"Ask Rogue what she thinks," Professor Xavier offered hastily without so much as a thought.
Rogue blinked, "me?"
"Would you rather Magnus worked alone, rushing to build a machine that could alter you for the rest of your life, potentially damaging you a number of ways...or would you rather he had assistance, who can help limit any potential negative outcomes."
Rogue stammered, "well, Ah...uhm..."
"I am capable of building the machine alone without assistance, Rogue," Magneto assured confidently.
Rogue stared between the two of them. Both were calm, with calculating expressions, both confident and intelligent and precise. But there was something Magneto did have that the Professor didn't in this case. A look of exhaustion. His face was slightly unshaven, he looked rough and his face seemed to sag a little. He looked so much older than she remembered him looking. This was taking it's toll on him, and that wasn't a good sign.
Just look at him...he looks drained. Should Ah really just let him build this thing on his own? Without help? He...might make mistakes. The Professor is right, it's possible, and it's only human to make mistakes after all.
For the first time ever as Rogue looked at him, she saw the resemblance between Magneto and Wanda. Not just physically, but in their behaviour. That same strange desperate determination that their way was the only way. As much as she trusted Magneto had the ability to help both her and his daughter, she also felt some strange new sense of doubt.
Ah know he can help evolve my powers, Rogue decided. But he can't like this...
"Well? What do you think, Rogue?" Logan chimed in.
Rogue felt like she was being asked to choose sides again, just like last night. Only now it wasn't between Remy and Magneto.
"Well..." Rogue spoke up finally, "Ah guess that...it couldn't hurt to have the Professor help."
"I will not allow it."
"Ah know you don't want his interference," Rogue admitted, "but...two heads are better than one, right?"
Magneto's expression darkened.
"There you have it, Magnus," said Professor Xavier calmly.
"No."
Rogue looked between Magneto and the Professor, her stomach churning. How to deal with this? "Listen...this is...Ah mean...Ah'm the one who has to go through this process first, and it'd be nice to have a little...Ah don't know...reassurance that everythin' is gonna go right. And besides...your daughter has to go through this too, and Ah'd think you'd want to be sure...and Ah mean one hundred percent positive that she's gonna make it out of this cured. Ah'm not sayin' you'll make mistakes, but...rushin' to build somethin, sometimes things can be overlooked..."
"I do not overlook things!" Magneto growled.
"Two people buildin' a machine has gotta be faster than one person buildin' it," said Logan gruffly.
"This is not true," said Magneto angrily, he stared down at Professor Xavier, "you do not understand the process, the blueprints for this machine, you do not understand the unique mechanisms or-"
Professor Xavier interrupted quickly, "but I can do. If you allow me to step into your thoughts I will be able to see and understand the process as you do, I will be able to understand what it is that I shall be doing."
"Ah'd rather the Professor helped," Rogue admitted. "If not...maybe we should...postpone this, until things cool down here a little and there's less pressure."
"No!" Magneto hissed, "this must go ahead quickly. Wanda's condition is deteriorating and I must do something while there is still hope. I cannot risk another suicide attempt..."
"Then you don't have much of a choice in the matter," said the Professor, almost sounding triumphantly smug, he wheeled himself away and headed towards the door, "tomorrow, I shall be here at six am, and we shall begin work together on the machine. I recommend you spend tonight relaxing and get plenty of rest."
Logan pushed himself away from the wall, and as he passed by Rogue, he bumped her shoulder gently with his fist, "see ya, kid," he said simply, and with that, he followed the Professor out of the room. The door remained open behind them.
Rogue stood up, "Ah have homework," she admitted. Suddenly not liking the unhappy expression on Magneto's face. She understood that she had defied him, and that he was displeased. It would be best, for now, to stay well out of his way.
"You will be supervising Wanda," Magneto corrected.
"What about my homework?" Rogue blinked.
"I cannot work and keep an eye on her. Piotr spent all morning supervising her, and Pietro has spent the afternoon doing so, now it is your turn."
Rogue paused, "what about Lance?"
"Lance is..." Magneto paused, "not responsible enough."
What he means is he doesn't trust Lance enough, Rogue frowned, "fine. But if she so much as tries anythin'-" she warned.
"You have my permission to subdue her with your powers. But I doubt she will act out."
Wow, any father would suggest another form of punishment or way to calm her down, not using my powers on her, Rogue thought, feeling quite disturbed. Disgusted, she said nothing, and simply left the room to go to find Wanda, picking up her backpack as she went.
It turned out the loud noise of the television from upstairs was in fact, what Wanda and Pietro were watching together. Pietro was sitting on one end of the couch and Wanda on the other, a full seat between them. Rogue couldn't help but notice the strained look on Pietro's face. He didn't like sitting there being his sister's babysitter, and it showed.
"Ah'm supposed to relieve you," Rogue said quietly to Pietro as she stood at the top of the stairs staring at them both. Wanda didn't even lift her eyes from the screen, she looked to be in some sort of trance. She was hooked up to a portable IV, the needle taped firmly to her hand, and there was some kind of device strapped onto her wrist, a bulky thing with what looked like a small display upon it. It looked much more complex than a watch though.
"Thank god," muttered Pietro as he got up from his seat. As he headed to go downstairs he stopped at the top step and whispered to Rogue, "she's doped up, she won't do anythin'..."
Rogue frowned and whispered back, "what does he have her on?"
"I have no clue," whispered Pietro in response, his expression troubled, "she's barely even present..."
Rogue felt oddly sympathetic as she looked at Wanda, the girl in a daze as she stared at the television. "Poor girl."
Pietro gazed over at his twin, his expression so incredibly unhappy that Rogue felt for him. She'd never quite felt so bad for him before as she did at that moment.
"She shouldn't be out..." Rogue drew her breath, "she's ill...Ah can see it..."
"We don't have much choice. If we keep her in hospital her powers affect everything around her...people could die, and some one would come take her away because of how dangerous she is..." Pietro frowned, rubbing the back of his neck.
"They actually let her go like that?"
"I don't know," Pietro looked thoughtful for a moment, "I doubt it...but you know how things are, my dad isn't the kinda guy who can be stopped so..."
"What's the IV for? Sedating her?"
"No...that's not what that is," Pietro glanced back to his sister, "it's fluids, I think, hydrate her or something...you should probably ask my Dad about that."
"The thing on her wrist?" Rogue asked, feeling that she should at least understand what was being done for the girl should anything go wrong.
"It's keeping an eye on her heart-rate. Dad said something about cardiac arrest or something, so it's a precaution."
"Is there anything I should know or keep an eye out for?"
"If anything goes wrong, the monitor on her wrist will send a signal to my dad. All you have to do is sit with her and make sure she doesn't go anywhere or wander off..."
"She looks barely awake," Rogue raised an eyebrow, "Ah doubt she's gonna wander off..."
"You never know," Pietro sighed and with that, he disappeared off down the stairs, leaving Rogue alone with the girl.
Rogue slowly walked over, feeling horribly self conscious and somewhat afraid to even be in the same room with the girl. It felt like walking on eggshells, trying not to break anything as she moved towards the couch and sat down. Feigning a very light and casual tone, she said "hi, Wanda."
Wanda did not glance up, she was gazing at the TV but Rogue had the distinct impression that the girl wasn't even really seeing it. Probably a blur of colours and nothing more.
"It...looks like you're doing better than last night," Rogue cleared her throat uncomfortably, she held her backpack upon her lap, wondering if she should try to properly keep the girl company or if she should just partially ignore her and get on with her college assignments. She wasn't sure Wanda was even present enough to hear or know of her presence.
It'd be kind of...mean...to sit here and just study while she's in this condition, thought Rogue, she stared at the girl feeling somewhere towards resentment and pity. Wanda already feels like no one wants her...
Nervously, Rogue placed her hand gently on Wanda's arm and gripped it gently, and sighed, "you're gonna be fine, you know..."
Wanda moved for the first time since Rogue had arrived, her head slowly swinging to stare blankly at the girl as if she were a stranger, mouth hanging open, saliva trickling down her chin.
"Jesus...what has he done to you?" Rogue asked softly, feeling somewhat tearful for the girl. How could anyone's father do this to them? "What is he drugging you with?" Rogue dug into her pocket for a napkin she'd picked up during lunch at college and she wiped Wanda's chin carefully.
This is the man who said he's going to help you, the man who's been kind to you and look at how he's treating his own kid? Remy was right, he is bad news, Rogue realised as she examined Wanda's expressionless face. But if Ah don't go through with this...will Wanda get the help she needs? Who else is gonna go through that machine? Who can be trusted enough to go through without coming out a monster overcharged with powers?
"Don't worry, this is all gonna blow over soon...Ah'm gonna help you however Ah can..." Rogue promised, feeling so incredibly sorry for the girl that she wanted to cry. She'd never thought she could ever feel so much pity for the girl she'd called names, and thought of as cruel, and malicious. But here it was, so much pity. Rogue realised how incredibly lucky she was at this moment, despite being unable to touch anyone. At least her powers weren't driving her criminally insane.
Wanda's eyes blinked slowly, glassy sapphires that seemed to only barely see the world.
"Just a few more days...just wait and see...and you and me...we'll both get control...and our lives will be so much better."
Wanda turned her head back to the television, and Rogue saw a single tear trickle down the girls' face. Even in this state, the girl was unhappy. Only she was too drugged to do anything about it.
Ah'm so much luckier than Ah ever thought Ah was, Rogue thought, feeling suddenly miserable too. She dropped her bag at the side of the couch realising that right now, she wasn't going to be able to concentrate on her books. Wanda needed her attention more.
End of Part Thirty-Eight
Whew, this part is a little longer than some of the others, I hope it makes up for the last few being slightly shorter!
Thanks to all for their reviews and for favouriting the story. I'm so glad people are enjoying it! :) Hope to get the new few parts up fairly soon (next few days hopefully). Love you all 3