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Had some free time and wanted to work on this story.

Got the update up a bit faster this time! Only a month since my last.

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Explosions of Every Kind Chapter 16: Who to Talk To?

"Irresponsible. Risky. Dangerous. Reckless. Unsafe. Foolish. What were you thinking?"

Leaning uncomfortably on the cream-colored couch, Scott, Rogue, and Gambit stranded their eyes anywhere except for Xavier's face. Scott, his broken, smutty leg propped up for the time-being on a garnet plush pillow, endeavored to defend their actions but was shot down by an intimidating, disappointed glare from Xavier.

"I would never expect any of my students do something so unintelligent and potentially life-threatening, especially you, Scott. We have rules for a reason! I refused to send a rescue party for Gambit because I knew, I knew, Magneto would bring harm to them. And now? Look at you three! Your leg is broken," Xavier pointed out furiously, "And so is your arm!" He flicked an irritated hand at Gambit. "Do you have any idea how fortunate you are to be alive?" He directed this question at Rogue, who was hugging her nimble arms around Gambit's sooty waist. "Rash decisions lead to nothing but trouble. I'd expect you all to know that by now."

Once again the three X-men looked around uneasily, hoping to avoid eye contact.

"Go. Go to the infirmary and get patched up. It's 3 a.m. and you all need some sleep. I'll send Beast down there to take care of you all, and we will finish this discussion tomorrow."

Hobbling sorely through the mansion halls they made their way to the double—smudged— glass doors of the infirmary and entered. All the lights were off and therefore the three stumbled to find either a cold hospital bed or a, what seemed to be, microscopic light switch.

The light switch proved the more difficult task as Scott clunked into a bed, followed shortly by Rogue and Gambit. Within a matter of minutes smacking, thunderous footsteps were carrying down the same corridor they had taken until a shaded, furry figure could be seen pushing open one of the translucent doors. Flipping on the lights, Beast discovered all three had passed out from exhaustion and, not wanting to wake them, he quietly, cautiously examined each then stayed with them all night.

Five hours of sleep seemed to pass in a matter of minutes to Gambit, who was the first to awake and take in the scene. Beast had poured himself a cup of black coffee and was currently preparing casting while Rogue lay, disoriented, next to him and Scott's unconscious body relaxed, twisted oddly, on the adjacent bed. Looking up, Gambit blinded himself from the luminosity of yellow light and blinked wildly to dispose of the purple sun spots he now saw.

"Beast," he whispered, afraid of waking Rogue. "Beast."

Hank McCoy tilted his head toward Gambit in acknowledgement. "Yes? Oh good, you're up."

He walked over to his bed and began to lift his arm for cast measurements. Gambit, struggling to regain control of his own arm asked, "How's Rogue?"

Irritatingly yanking Gambit's arm out straight again, Beast peered over to the girl lying next to him, blood still caked on her upper lip. "Her nose is broken, she's torn up, and she may have fractured her wrist. But she will live…" Beast paused, contemplating whether to add some humor to this situation or not, then put in, "After all, this is the second explosions she's been in."

Gambit, however, did not find this funny. He glared at Beast, as if trying to stare daggers through his shaggy exterior into his heart. "Y't'ink dat's funny?" his tone incredibly threatening for an injured man.

"Well," he saw how upset that had made him and quickly changed his response, "no. I'm sorry."

As the other two woke up, groggily and wounded, Beast set casts on them as well as clean up their cuts and bruises just in time for Professor Xavier to show up.

"Good, you're all up," he observed as entering the infirmary. "Report Hank?"

"Gambit has a broken arm. Scott's left leg is broken. Rogue's nose was broken and wrist fractured. And all three are a bit torn up and bruised."

Xavier nodded and Beast left the room.

"How could you be so careless?" His tenor was quiet, sad… not angry. "I could go one for days about the unnecessary risks you two took for just one mutant, but a lot of good that will do. Truth is, in your situation Rogue I may have done the same thing. However that does not excuse your rash, foolish, risky behavior, and there will be punishments."

"Ain't de broken bones enough of a punishm'nt, mon ami?"

"Lessons need to be learned. You cannot sacrifice the greater good for just one mutant. No matter who."

"Bullshit," Rogue whispered into Gambit's chest.

"Excuse me."

"Y'know very well we'd all do that, Professor," she turned away from Gambit and looked into Xavier's eyes, "Ah'd do it f'r Gambit, he'd do it f'r me, Scott'd do it f'r Jean. Hell! Even Lance'd probably do it f'r Kitty. And y'know there's someone you'd do it f'r too."

The room was silent as they all processed what Rogue had said, even her.

After a few moments Xavier continued, "In the future we will have to recognize which risks are necessary and which are not. Now, rest." With that, he wheeled away, not to return that day.

Scott, heavy on pain pills, fell back into the pale, sky blue sheets and drifted away. Gambit slipped his non-broken arm around Rogue's waist and drew her closer, as both of their bruised bodies ached. She made no moves of retreat, and had stifled her sound of pain. Instead, she rested her heavy head on his strong chest and smiled. Drifting off herself, Rogue realized something. She realized that Gambit would always take care of her and she finally accepted that as a good thing.

They slept for almost the entire day under those spotless, yellow lights. However, at one point in the drizzly day Scott clumsily left the infirmary on his newly acquired crutches. Not waking either Rogue or Gambit, he found his way to the Professor's office. Awkwardly opening the tall mahogany door, he entered.

"Professor?"

His chair turned from the closed window and he beckoned to the empty sofa. Scott, plopping onto that very same chocolate-colored couch, raised his leg onto another pillow before he began to speak. "I…I want to talk about Rogue and Gambit."

"I know, Scott. Go ahead." Xavier once again possessed that sincere, understanding voice he always spoke in.

"Something changed…"

"What do you mean?"

"She, well, she lets him touch her now. And…and in the car…"

"Keep going, it's okay."

"Rogue said she loved him." Scott's words shocked him and he was hoping, more than anything, that Xavier would provide him comfort. "I'm happy she seems to have found someone," he continued, "but for so long she tormented herself in isolation because of her abilities and I'm worried now that…that… she'll destroy herself. Now having experienced that feeling it'll driver her even madder not being able to touch him and I'm scared she'll do something drastic."

"I understand your fears Scott. I noticed the same thing in the infirmary and we will keep a very close eye on her. If anything happens that worries you do not hesitate to tell me."

Scott nodded, having nothing else to say.

"Now go back to the infirmary and get some more rest. I know Jean planned on visiting you sometime today."

Scott took Xavier's advice and left without another word.

Back in the ivory-bathed medical wing, Gambit awoke frightened after a particularly agonizing dream he could remember perfectly. He had been brainwashed by Mesmero and forced to fight Rogue in her weakened state. With no mercy he struck her down and with unsympathetic eyes watched her bleed out and die. Then, being released by Mesmero, mourned the loss of his love for the rest of his life. The dream caused him to physically hyperventilate and Rogue slipped off of his chest and onto the pillow.

Seeing Scott struggle back into his bed, Gambit slid out from under the rest of Rogue's body and tip-toed past Scott with a passing nod.

Within a matter of minutes the same lofty, mahogany door opened with a different, concerned mutant entering and taking up residence on the same chocolate-colored couch.

"Shouldn't you be resting, Gambit?"

"Can't…I had a…never mind. I need t'tell y'something 'bout Rogue."

"Yes?"

Gambit rubbed the back of his neck and recalled the worrisome scene, "After de crash, when we were facin' Magneto, Rogue tried t'use his powers but when she closed her eyes she…she screamed an' then collapsed. I… I don' want y'to encourage her t'do that anymore, 'cause I know she wants to. But I'm frightened it could very well kill her."

Xavier nodded, knowing Gambit wanted to keep talking.

"She'll push herself t'death. Y'know dis as well as I do. If she tries again she might lose it. I want y' to make her stop."

Xavier lowered his head sympathetically, "you know I cannot force her to stop, no one can. But I will not have her train that skill until we figure this out, I promise."

Gambit nodded, not totally satisfied but glad he expressed his concerns, and left to rejoin his girl in their single bed.

It was about 5 o'clock and the moment Gambit slipped back into the bed Rogue woke up to peer into his scruffy face. "Bonjour chere," he smiled genuinely.

"Hey Cajun."

Those two whispered words made Gambit become a fool. Scott's bed lay empty and they were alone together.

"So I hear y'love me," Gambit teased charmingly, leaning down for what would have been a good-morning kiss for any other couple, but for them was an almost Eskimo kiss.

Rogue, playfully pushed against his chest as a bashful smile curled across her lips and she chuckled, "Maybe."

"Y'hungry?" Gambit asked.

"Ummm, yeah but Ah've got t'do something first… meet y'in the kitchen?"

He smiled, "Of course."

Gambit strolled off towards the kitchen as Rogue rounded the opposite corner and knocked on a soaring, mahogany door. She creaked open the entry and said to the open space, "Y'here Professor?"

Yet again, Xavier turned invitingly from his favorite window and offered Rogue the couch. She refused it and stayed standing. "I thought I'd be hearing from you soon, Rogue."

Pacing back and forth for several minutes, Rogue finally blurted out, "What's happenin' to me?"

Chapter 16! :)

Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for reading and reviewing :)

Again, I DO NOT know when I will update next. Sorry!

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN XMEN/XMEN EVOLUTION