Hey everybody!

Finally got chapter 12 up, I wasn't quite sure where I was going with it but I ended up liking the direction I took.

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, btw.

R&R! and as always enjoy :)

Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 12: Innocence

Nobody dared to mention his name in front of her, that act was a death sentence in itself, especially if they assumed him guilty. At present, Rogue skulked around the mansion, hands balled into fists and shoved deep within her pockets. The events of the previous week kept replaying and replaying in her mind: She had regained enough control to take supremacy over Magneto's psyche and had tried to yank Gambit back. However, Magneto was stronger, much stronger. Suddenly, the internal pipelines of the mansion burst through the ground and coiled around Rogue like hungry snakes. She did not have enough mental power to keep hold over Magneto's, or anyone else's, mutation and soon found herself strangled in the grip of a metal python. Just before her world went black, Rogue could make out the Professor's voice over the speakers say, "Erik, release her. You have what you came for." Abruptly, the coils went limp and Rogue collapsed to the ground.

After she had awoken, Rogue argued for hours with the Professor to send a rescue party to retrieve Gambit. But, since half of the mansion thought he was a mole anyways, Xavier refused Rogue's request, sending her into a fit of rage that she still hadn't cooled down from.

Silently, Rogue made her way through the halls to a space she was very familiar with: the weight room. She passed a lounge as swiftly and sullenly as the grim reaper might have, and the occupants seemed were worried.

"Her mood hasn't improved any, Chuck," Wolverine stated.

"I can see that, and I'm concerned she may do something rash and get herself hurt," Xavier replied.

"Can't believe I'm saying this, but maybe you shoulda let her go after lover boy."

"No, I had a gut feeling Magneto had something planned for her if she followed, plus she is still not completely in control," he defended.

"But now we got a pissed off, life draining, hormonally unbalanced Rogue prowlin' around," Logan said.

"Yes, thank you. I am well aware of that," Xavier sounded agitated.

"So what's the plan?"

Xavier thoughtfully placed his chin onto the palm of his hand. "Keep an eye on her."

Logan nodded in acknowledgment.

Blasting the stereo, Rogue ripped off her hoodie and tied her hair up in preparation of an intense workout. She began with the punching bag, jabbing it mercilessly until it all but swung off its hook.

"We care 'bout everyone he says, we don' leave anyone behin' he says; we're X-men he says," she muttered to herself. Then with one particularly strong blow to the bag she shouted, "Liar!"

She switched over to the bike machine and sprinted fifteen miles in one stretch before she started mumbling to herself again. "Why should Ah care anyways? Gambit was a pain in mah neck and now he's gone." She had now changed the settings to the equivalent of biking up a steep hill. "Ah got no reason t'be concerned, after all," the incline sharply increased and she let out a grunt, "he's back wit' his own team now."

Rogue dismounted the bike and as she lay on the floor to start her rotation of fifty crunches then fifty push-ups Rogue knew she was trying to convince herself she didn't care. She also knew she was failing. "He'll be fine, it ain't lahke Magneto will torture him," she told herself aloud, knowing the opposite was in all probability true.

"Rogue, help me…"

She stood up and spun around, "Who's there?" she yelled shakily.

"Rogue, help me…"

Her head whipped in every direction, only to encounter an empty room. "Ah mean it, who's there?"

"Rogue, it's Gambit. Help me…"

"Gambit? Impossible, you ain't here." She was starting to become increasingly worried.

"Rogue, Magneto he's…he's…I need you…"

Rogue was almost in a full stage freak-out. "Where are you? Gambit, where are you?"

"Listen t'de voice in your head…Rogue, help me…"

It was his psyche. She had worried herself sick about him being hurt by Magneto that the consciousness she carried of him inside of her was crying out for help. "Shut up!" she screamed. "Y'r not really in trouble, shut up, shut up!"

"Rogue…"

"Leave me alone!" She shrieked as she grabbed a five-pound weight and hurled it at the wall, breaking through the plaster. Rogue stood in the middle of the room, chest heaving up and down, as Scott, who happened to be walking by and heard the thunderous crash, burst through the doors.

"Rogue!" He ran over to her, "What happened? Are you okay?"

She hadn't heard him at first, until he took her by the hand (the only covered part on her entire upper limb) and squeezed it.

"Huh?" she snapped out of her funk. "Oh, Ah… Ah… Ah gotta see Gambit."

"Rogue," he called sternly as she started to walk away, "He was a spy. He just manipulated you."

That statement made Rogue stop in her tracks. Anger boiled just below the surface of her skin and as she turned to face Scott it could clearly be seen in her eyes. "What'd y'say?"

"I'm sorry, Rogue-" he began, and as soon as he had he was silenced by an upper cut to the jaw. Scott stumbled back substantially, not expecting the strike. "Rogue! He-" She threw another punch, followed by a kick in blind fury. Scott grabbed her foot in midair, "I won't fight you. But I can't let you leave." She yanked her foot out of his grip and clocked him in the abdomen. As he staggered back Rogue spun around for another kick, but was caught from behind in a bear-hug like attack by Scott.

"Let me go!" she hollered, even though she could have easily stomped on his foot to be released.

"He's our enemy," Scott tried to reason with her.

"Ah gotta make sure he's okay!"

Scott loosened his grip at that declaration and Rogue tore away from him. He stared at her, puzzled.

"What Scott?"

"Do you love him?"

The question took her completely by shock and she almost fell over. "Doesn't matter," she responded.

"How'd you figure that?"

"Even if Ah do, and even if he loves me we can't touch, can't kiss, can't be together," Rogue objected.

"Go," Scott said.

"What?"

"Go!" he shouted. "Keep him safe! But I'm coming with you."

Once again, she was almost too shocked to stand.

Didn't see that coming!

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing :)

Much love, I'll update soon!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION