Disclaimer: Not mine.
33-The Acolyte
Rogue stifled a yawn as she made her way downstairs. Logan had put her through a grueling two hour practice session in the Danger Room…and now her entire body was sore. Rogue made a mental note to herself to try and keep in shape whenever she crashed over at the boarding house before she entered the kitchen. Crinkling her nose in disgust Rogue took her usual seat between Kurt and Bobby. She was half surprised not to see food being thrown about.
"Hey, Rogue," greeted Bobby warmly, holding out a bowl, "want a muffin?"
"What kind?" asked Rogue hesitantly.
Kurt spoke up from Rogue's other side, "The dangerous kind. Kitty made them. They aren't edible, watch." Kurt pulled a muffin out of the bowl in Bobby's hands and dropped it on the table. The muffin made a loud noise as it landed.
"Ya know, Ah'm really not that hungry after all," murmured Rogue.
"They aren't that bad!" Kitty defended herself with a sharp glare at both Bobby and Kurt.
Rogue raised an eyebrow. With swift movements she grabbed the fallen muffin and tossed it in the air, calling out, "Hey, Jonny, think fast."
St. John glanced up from the other side of Bobby and instantly took out his lighter, manipulating the flame to engulf the flying muffin. The room went silent as the muffin plunked back down on the table, crackling with flames. Bobby quickly put out the flame by touching the table top and icing it over.
"Okay," amended Kitty after a moment, "maybe I'm not the best cook in the world, but I'm totally working on it."
"Sugah, you've managed to bake up a batch of potential firearms. You're gonna need a lot of work if ya want to make somethin' edible," replied Rogue.
"Like you could do better," scoffed Amara from beside Kitty.
Rogue rolled her eyes and addressed Kitty. "If you have time this evenin' Ah'll show ya how ta make a real meal."
Kitty's eyes brightened up at the offer. "Really? That'd be great. Thanks, Rogue."
Rogue shrugged nonchalantly as she sat back in her seat. She wasn't sure why she had offered to help out Kitty, but she figured she might as well do some good while she lived under the same roof as the X-Men. If only to placate the guilty feeling she had whenever she thought about Magneto and the Brotherhood.
Kurt regarded Rogue with a surprised look. "I didn't know you knew how to cook."
"Does it matter?" shot back Rogue acerbically.
"Of course it matters!" continued Kurt ignoring the tone of her voice. "As your brother I have every right to know these kinds of things!"
"Shit." Rogue pushed back her seat and stalked out of the kitchen muttering under her breath.
"Think I went too far?" Kurt asked Bobby.
The blonde nodded. "Yeah, just a little. I don't think Rogue's ready to come to terms with your relationship yet. Give her some more time and I bet she'll come around."
"I sure hope so," sighed Kurt dismally. He leaned his elbows on the icy table and blew out another deep breath.
Across the table Amara was studying Bobby with admiration in her eyes. "I didn't know you could be so serious," she admitted. "It's sweet."
"Sweet? Bobby?" repeated St. John glancing back and forth between Bobby and Amara. His face darkened as he saw the look in Amara's eyes. She was developing something of a crush on Bobby…his closest friend at the mansion. "For the love of God," he muttered as he got out of his seat. With a shake of his head St. John made his way out of the kitchen and towards the front door. A walk to school might do him some good.
Already standing outside was Rogue lighting up a cigarette. She didn't even glance up as St. John joined her. Without a word she handed him a cigarette and watched as he put it in his mouth and gave her a wink. Rogue gave a startled jump as a flame from her cigarette hit his.
"Next time ya decide ta do that, warn meh."
"You got yerself a deal, Shelia."
Rogue chuckled as St. John made his way down the walkway motioning for Rogue to follow him. "So tell meh, Jonny, did Dr. McCoy join the X-Men yesterday?"
"Him an' some other kid. A damn foreigner too—quiet and arty. He paints," remarked St. John as they walked.
"You don't say? Ah take it ya aren't very fond of him?"
St. John shrugged. "He's alright. But the girls think he's some kind of god. Strong as an ox. They're startin' to call him Hercules."
Rogue groaned. "That's the lamest thing Ah've ever heard."
"You're tellin' me, Shelia. The guy hasn't said two words since he arrived. He scares the shit outta me."
"Hmm." Rogue made a noncommittal sound as she digested this new piece of information. It seemed Piotr was going to be a challenge. And Rogue was growing tired of new challenges.
"But what really gets me is the way the perky girl is hangin' all over him."
"Perky girl?" repeated Rogue jolting from her chance.
"Yeah, the one who can't cook. She's been goin' outta her way ta make him feel welcome. I think she has a crush on the poor fella. I guess she an' whatshisface are on the outs," answered St. John. Rogue chewed on her lip, her mind whirling a million miles per second. Lance wouldn't take too kindly to this latest piece of news.
Boarding House:
Tabitha was lounging on the couch, periodically checking her watch when the front door of the boarding house flew open. She glanced up in surprise, and made a face as the blue shape shifter known as Mystique entered.
Mystique's eyes instantly locked on Tabitha suspiciously. "What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded shrilly.
"Swimming—what the hell does it look like I'm doing here?" tossed back Tabitha with a low growl.
"Hmph. Fucking brat. I'm not about to let you stay under my roof when you still have close ties to the X-Men."
"No," agreed Tabitha slyly, "but you will let both your children work for the X-Men instead. I don't know how you've managed to stay alive so long after all you're brilliant planning, woman. You're a fucking joke."
"Is that so?" Mystique narrowed her eyes before continuing. "You have until tomorrow to get out of this house or I swear to God you'll wish you had never been born. And trust me when I say I can make that happen."
"You're all bark and no bite, Mystique. You know Rogue's my best friend here…she'd kill you before you could even touch me, and you know it. So don't threaten me, or you'll wish you had never been born." Tabitha smirked in triumph as Mystique lapsed into silence.
At that very moment Lance and Pietro decided to make their way downstairs. Lance groaned aloud. "What the hell are you doing back? I thought you had left town."
"Oh please," said Mystique. "Don't forget who's in charge here. Just because I'm not around doesn't mean you don't have to follow my rules. You boys need to shape up. The X-Men could kick your asses blindfolded. I'm only stopping by to let you know I'm gathering in a new recruit. I should be back in a day or two. Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone."
"You mean like tell Roguey you decided to drop by while she was out? She'll be crushed to know you didn't want to see her," replied Pietro flippantly.
"Don't push it, Pietro. Just because your father is Magneto doesn't mean I won't kick your ass. Shape up—you boys are sorry excuses for mutants. I don't know why I'm bothering with you still."
Toad bounced into the living room with an indignant look on his face. "You're full of shit, Mystique. You need us and you know it."
"Yeah…and don't threaten my friends or I'll sit on you," added Fred with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
Lance chuckled. "Looks like you're losing your edge, Mystique. Our loyalties don't lie with you anymore."
Mystique eyed each of her charges silently. Finally she said, "You brats have gone soft over Rogue. That won't get you far. She's working with the X-Men…she cannot be trusted."
"Neither can you," announced another voice. Mystique turned to the doorway and inwardly cursed at seeing Sabertooth standing in the doorway with a young auburn haired man with a matching goatee and red irises.
"What the hell do you want, fur ball?" she challenged.
Sabertooth grunted. "Just thought I'd drop by. Didn't you miss me?"
"Fuck you."
"You have a mission, Mystique. Stick to it. Leave the boys to me. I'll fix 'em up for you." Sabertooth gave a deep chuckle as the four teens in question blanched. It was a well known fact that Sabertooth could be something of a slave driver when dealing with underlings.
"Fine," relented Mystique after a thoughtful silence. "I'll be back in a few days." She glared at Tabitha, who simply flipped her off, and disappeared out the front door.
Sabertooth turned his attention to the Brotherhood with a growl. "She's right. You boys are out of shape. The boss won't like it if you were beaten like a bunch of pansies." Then Sabertooth turned his attention to Tabitha. "You. Where do you stand?"
"Excuse me?" murmured Tabitha getting to her feet.
"Are you with us or are you with the X-Men?"
Tabitha raised an eyebrow. "Now that's an interesting question. I'll let you know later. I think school's gonna come first today. Don't get your whiskers in a bunch while I'm gone." Tabitha snickered as she bounded out the front door.
"Damn bitch." Sabertooth shook his head and glanced back to the males. "I don't have time to be messin' around with a bunch of kids. So Gambit here is gonna whip you four in shape. Don't go too hard on them." The last part was spoken to man behind him.
"I'll try my best," said Remy with a smirk. Sabertooth nodded as he left the boarding house.
"What the hell is this?" demanded Lance eyeing the Cajun up and down. "You think you can boss us around? I'll show you what it's like to try and mess with me, asshole." Lance clenched his hands into fists and the ground began to shake.
Remy didn't even flinch a muscle as the house made a creaking noise. "Keep dat up an' the whole house'll come down."
Lance felt his jaw tighten in anger, but he unclenched his fists, stopping the earthquake. Pietro made a face. "Who the hell are you?"
"The name, mon amis, is Remy Lebeau. But you can call me Gambit. I'm in charge of you jokes now. As soon as you get back from school da real fun will begin."
School:
Lance was still grumbling as he made his way into the school. He was sick and tired of being pushed around by others. One day soon he was going to let them know how he felt, and he sure as hell wasn't going to be nice about it. And the first one on his list was the damn Acolyte.
With this revengeful thought foremost on his mind, Lance was not prepared to see his girlfriend chatting up the new kid in school. And not just any new kid—the Russian art freak. This really wasn't turning out to be his day.
"Don't even think about it," warned Rogue in a soft, but dangerous tone of voice. Lance felt a gloved hand grab his arm, stopping him from walking over to Kitty and Piotr.
"Why not? What the hell does she think she's doing talking to him?" snapped Lance irritably.
Rogue sighed. "Lance, do ya really want meh ta go into the reasons why? Gawd, Ah don't even know why Ah'm stoppin' you. Ah should let ya go ahead ahn make an idiot of yourself ahn Kitty. It'd serve you right."
Lance turned to glance at Rogue. "You're gonna hold that against me for the rest of my life, aren't you?"
"Ah wasn't plannin' ohn it."
"Admit it, you miss me."
Rogue frowned. "Lance—"
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you're trying to deal with the whole Maximoff thing. I don't know why you're wasting your time with him—even if he is ten times better than that rich playboy you had in New York. But I know you can do better, Roguey." Lance lowered his voice with a sly grin on his face as he leaned towards Rogue.
"Don't push your luck, sugah," replied Rogue gently pushing Lance away with her hand.
"I'll give you points for dumping that Warren guy, but I don't get why you did it for Maximoff. He's worse than I am when it comes to girls. You should know that."
"Ah didn't break up with Warren just 'cause of Speedy," murmured Rogue. "There were a lot of different reasons. Speedy is only a small part of them."
"I'm tellin' ya, Rogue; I'd treat you better this time if you gave me the chance."
"Ah'll pass."
Lance shrugged with a teasing smile. "Have it your way, but you're missing out. Maximoff isn't the guy for you, Rogue. Trust me on this would you?" Lance chuckled and turned to walk away, passing Scott and Bobby who had overheard the whole thing.
Scott scratched his head as Rogue glanced at him. "You and Warren broke up?" he asked.
"It's not a big deal," said Rogue leaning back against the lockers.
"Not a big deal? Rogue, we're friends, you can tell us these things, you know?" Scott edged closer with evident concern on his face. "Especially if you're thinking of getting with Pietro—why didn't you tell me?"
"Why do Ah have ta tell you anythin'?" questioned Rogue. "It's none of your business."
"Rogue—"
"Scott, you ahn Ah didn't work out. We both know why. Ahn, yeah, we're kinda friends, but that doesn't mean Ah'm gonna tell ya everythin' goin' ohn in mah life. So what if Warren ahn Ah broke up? So what if Ah'm thinkin' of datin' Speedy? Gawd, one kiss doesn't mean anythin'—why do you guys have ta make it into such a big deal?"
"I just think that you're making a bad decision, Rogue."
Rogue rolled her eyes. "'Course ya do, 'cause we all know that you're good at makin' good ones yourself. Scott, the whole school knows you've got a thing for Jeanie…so why date Taryn, huh? You have no right ta tell meh that Ah'm makin' a bad decision when ya cahn't make the right choice either." With a shake of her head Rogue pushed past Scott and Bobby to head towards homeroom.
Bobby watched in dumbfounded silence as Scott stalked off in the other direction. He had had no idea Scott had kissed Rogue—but that was minor news compared to the other. Rogue and Warren had broken up. She was single again. Bobby still had a chance to prove himself to Rogue.
"Hey, mate, what're you smilin' about?" asked St. John joining the blonde teen.
"Rogue broke up with Warren."
"Yeah, yeah, the Sheila is datin' the Speedster." St. John waved a hand in the air with a bored expression on his face.
Bobby turned and shook St. John by the shoulders. "Not officially! I have a chance with her now—I'm not screwing up this time! I'm gonna prove to Rogue that I'm not just a goof-off! I'm gonna show her who I really am!"
St. John was speechless as Bobby bounded away with an eager look in his eyes. "But…bloody hell! What does a fella gotta do to get some attention around here?" muttered the Aussie to himself. "The guy already has Jubilee and Amara—what the hell is his problem?"
Lunch:
"So your evil stepmother decided to drop by this morning," murmured Tabitha as she and Rogue made their way over towards the Brotherhood table.
"What did she want?"
"She gave me an ultimatum. I have to be out of the house by the time she returns. Apparently she's getting a new recruit. Just thought you might like to know…but don't worry, she's afraid of you now. She was practically shaking when Pietro mentioned your name. Are you sure you're related to her?"
Rogue sighed. "Ah wish Ah wasn't."
Pietro glanced up with a grin as Rogue took the seat beside him. "Hey, Roguey, how's life at the mansion again?"
"Lets just say Ah'm havin' second thoughts—but there's no way in hell Ah'm stayin' with y'all while that new guy is there," replied Rogue in a low voice.
"We know what you mean, yo—the guy's gonna shape us up. Sabertooth thinks we're wimps," grumbled Toad chewing on a carrot stick.
"Good luck. The guy doesn't look that tough ta meh."
"I'm gonna sit on him if he tries any funny stuff," announced Fred pounding the table with a fist.
"Yeah," agreed Tabitha with a frown, "I'm not sure if I want part of that. Crashing at the boarding house was fine and dandy 'til the Wicked Witch of the West decided to drop by. I don't wanna play by her rules. Let Amara know I'm gonna want my room back pretty soon. I have a feeling I'm gonna have to go back to the mansion."
"Tabby! We need to talk!" Lance's voice startled both Rogue and Tabitha as it called out across the cafeteria.
"Do I really want to?" questioned Tabitha to Rogue.
"Ah think he's lookin' for a way ta piss Kitty off. He saw her flirtin' with the Russian kid this mornin'."
Tabitha's eyes lit up in delight. "Well in that case, don't wait up." Tabitha got to her feet and headed over to Lance. Rogue shook her head with an amused smile as the pair disappeared out of the cafeteria. Rogue turned her attention back to the table in time to see St. John join them. The Aussie had a sour expression on his face, and Rogue was just about to comment on it when Jean appeared at her shoulder.
"Rogue, can we talk?" asked the red head quietly. Rogue glanced up and made a face, but she nodded as she got to her feet. The two girls made their way out of the cafeteria and down the hallway until the reached the side door leading outside. Jean glanced around carefully before pushing the door open. Rogue rolled her eyes and followed suit.
Outside a cold wind was blowing, forcing Rogue to clamp her arms around her body to keep warm. "Alright, you wanted ta talk, so talk. Ah'm freezin' out here."
Jean nodded absently. "Um…the thing is…well, the other day. Rogue, when you had your little…freak out…um, it wasn't really you in control…it was me, or at least the part of me I keep hidden."
"Yeah, Ah noticed. You've got somethin' dangerous inside of you, Jeanie. Ah don't know what it is, but it's pretty damn blood thirsty. Ah take it no one else knows about this other you?"
"Pietro kinda knows, but I don't think he really understands it. But, no, no one else knows, and, frankly, I don't think anyone else needs to know. Rogue, I'm hoping you'll do me this tiny little favor and keep my secret to yourself—at least until I can figure out exactly what it is inside of me and how to control it. The Professor—he's great at what he does, but I'm afraid I might be forced into hiding or something worse…like an asylum because of what I am."
Rogue blew out a frustrated breath. "Fine. Ah won't talk about it, but you need to find out how ta control it ahn let meh know, Jeanie, 'cause part of it is in meh too now. There are too many people in mah head, but you're the scariest one up there. Ah don't wanna lose control again, ya got it?"
"I got it. I promise, I'll try and figure out how to control my powers just as long as you keep quiet for a little while," agreed Jeanie with evident relief written across her face.
"Okay." Rogue watched as Jean headed back inside the school. Uncrossing her arms Rogue brought a pair of crossed fingers in front of her face. "Ah won't talk ta the X-Men about it, Jeanie, but Ah never promised Ah wouldn't try ahn figure out what kind of dormant powers you've got hidden inside of you. Ahn there's only one person who cahn help meh out."
With those words Rogue set off away from the school in search of Caliban.
Meanwhile, Jean entered the cafeteria and came across a group of students. They had their backs to her and were cheering at something going on in the middle of a large circle. Jean pushed her way to the front of the circle and groaned at the sight of Pietro and Scott throwing punches at one another on the floor. She was about to put a stop to it when Principal Kelly entered the cafeteria. With a sigh she kept still, there was no use irking his anger anymore than possible.
Other Side of Town:
Rogue stood in front of a window watching one of the various televisions sitting there talk about a mysterious fire. It seemed an asylum had been burned down, and all the inhabitants inside the asylum were on the loose. Many of them were dangerous to the public. Rogue snorted and turned to walk down an alley. She wasn't surprised to see Caliban there waiting for her.
"Ah see ya made it back alive from the Big Easy," remarked Rogue.
Caliban nodded. "The job was completed and as soon as we reached Bayville, Sabertooth and I parted ways. I have been most concerned about you, however. You lost control, Rogue. I was afraid something like this would happen. Your powers are most intriguing, as well as dangerous."
"Well Ah made it out alright, if not a little tired ahn out of shape. But that's kinda why Ah wanted ta talk to you. See, Ah wasn't really in control when Ah had mah power outage. It seems when Ah drained Jeanie way back when Ah drained something else too. She has a hidden power—a dangerous, evil kind of power inside of her. Ah was wonderin' if you might know somethin' about it."
"Are you sure?" asked Caliban. Rogue nodded, and the pale faced mutant lapsed into a temporary silence. "There were rumors once that there had been a prophecy about mutant and human kind. I do not know what this prophecy was, but believe the powers within Jean Grey may have a role to play. I have sensed two parts to her before…but I did not imagine that she had a darker side."
"Sugah, everyone has a dark side. It's just a matter of lettin' it out every once in a while," murmured Rogue with an amused grin.
"Perhaps. There is one mutant who does know the prophecy. Destiny."
Rogue made a face. "There's no way in hell Ah'm talkin' to that woman ever again. Ah'm sick ahn tired of all her mumbo jumbo."
"I will see if I can learn anything about this prophecy for you, Rogue. I fear it is very important and will soon come into play."
Mansion:
Rogue was still mulling over the latest turn of events when she returned to the mansion later that afternoon. She had returned to school briefly only to learn that Pietro and Scott had been suspended for a day. So she had left and wandered around town trying to figure out what to do next. Technically she was supposed to help woo Piotr and St. John to Magneto's side, but she wasn't sure how she was supposed to do that without making the X-Men suspicious.
The front door flew open and Rogue found herself being dragged inside the mansion by Kitty speaking a mile a minute. "It's about time you got here, Rogue, you're supposed to teach me to cook, remember?"
Rogue groaned. She had forgotten about that. Kitty dragged Rogue into the kitchen, where Bobby and St. John were already seated at the counter.
Bobby looked up with a grin. "Alright, so you guys are cooking dinner."
"Dinner?" repeated Rogue. "Oh no, Ah never said anythin' 'bout cookin' dinner. Ah just said Ah would teach Kitty how ta cook."
St. John chuckled. "Sorry Shelia, the whole house thinks you're cookin' dinner."
"Man, that's just mah luck. Ah offer ta do one nice thing ahn everyone decides Ah'm doin' the whole mansion a favor. You owe meh for this, Kitty."
"No problem, just tell me what to do first."
"This outta be fun," murmured St. John. He gulped as Rogue issued him a dark look.
"Out," she ordered pointing to the kitchen door. "Both of you out. There's no way in hell Ah'm teachin' Kitty ta cook with two Neanderthals mockin' her every move. Out!"
Bobby and St. John grumbled but both teens made their way out of the kitchen. Rogue breathed in relief as soon as the kitchen door swung shut. Turning her attention back to Kitty she sighed. This was going to be a long process.
Two hours later Rogue wearily took a seat at the counter beside Kitty. The lasagna was done. Not particularly her favorite meal, but Rogue figured it was better to start Kitty out on something easy rather than something complicated. So lasagna had been the obvious choice—especially since they were supposed to be feeding the entire mansion.
Kitty sighed. "Man, cooking's really hard work, isn't it? Maybe Mr. Logan should offer cooking courses instead of Danger Room sessions. I'd totally take those."
"Meh too. Ah'm still sore from this mornin'," agreed Rogue with a tired yawn.
"He shouldn't have pushed you so hard today," said Kitty glancing over at Rogue. "He knew you had a rough couple days—he really should have let you rest up. I don't know how much rest you got at the boarding house, but it sure as heck couldn't have been much."
Rogue shrugged. "Ah managed. Logan isn't the type ta ever take it easy ohn someone. He'll push meh just ta make sure Ah don't slack off in the future—that ahn Ah think he was still mad that Ah decided ta crash over at the boarding house rather than here."
"Kurt's really trying you know."
"Ah don't wanna talk about it." The two girls lapsed into a temporary silence until Kitty started talking again.
"Is Lance mad at me? I saw him take off with Tabitha at lunch." Kitty's voice held a tinge of pain in it, causing Rogue to flinch in guilt.
"He saw you with the Russian—he didn't take it very well," admitted Rogue quietly.
Kitty gave a half-hearted laugh. "I guess it's my fault really…I keep pushing him away. It's just…I can't compete with you, Rogue. I can't."
"Kitty, ya never had to compete with me for Lance. He's had a thing for you long before him ahn Ah got together. He doesn't want ya to be like meh—he likes you for who you are. Gawd that's cheesy."
"But I always felt like he was comparing me to you. Rogue, you're perfect. You've got this no nonsense attitude that Lance likes. Me, I'm into science. That's why Kurt and I clicked for a while. He loves Star Wars, and I could be myself with him. But with Lance I always feel like I have to be someone else…and I can't be."
Rogue shook her head. "That's the thing, Kitty, Lance is never gonna be the guy ya want him ta be. He's not an X-Man, ahn that's why he lets you push him away. He's not the type of guy ta settle down forever. He's always gonna be roamin' around doin' his own thing. He hates Speedy with a passion—oh, they cahn tolerate each other for a while, but Lance is a leader. He hates followin' the rules."
"He listens to you," pointed out Kitty.
"That's different. Ah don't let Lance boss meh around, but Ah don't boss him around either. He knows that Ah cahn hold mah own. We came to a silent agreement that we're equal. He listens ta meh as a friend, nothin' more. But he doesn't like it when you're always comparin' him ta the X-Men. Kitty, what you hafta understand is that there's a big difference between the Brotherhood ahn the X-Men, ahn that it's always gonna separate y'all."
"Like what?"
"The X-Men are all about family. Y'all have people who love you, care for you, ahn willin' ta do anythin' for one another. The Brotherhood doesn't have that."
Kitty frowned. "That's not true though. Scott doesn't have family, and Bobby's parents don't even know he's a mutant."
"That's not the point. Scott has you guys. The X-Men are always there for each other. Bobby has parents. The Brotherhood…Ah was raised by a couple who found meh ohn their doorstep. Ah…Ah grew up in a small town; mah best friend was mah first boyfriend…ahn mah first kiss. His parents ahn mahne thought he ahn Ah were gonna get married. Hell, Ah thought Ah was gonna marry Cody too. Mah life was perfect. Mah parents supported meh…ahn then they found out they were gonna have a baby…
"Everything changer after that. Cody ahn Ah kissed—but it was all wrong. Mah…powers kicked in ahn everything went downhill from there. Cody's parents wanted ta send meh ta an asylum…Ah didn't stick around ta find out if they meant a loony bin or some kinda research lab. Mah parents were willin' ta agree.
"Ah didn't have anyone after that. Ah was ohn mah own. That's why the Brotherhood was so perfect for meh…kinda like the misfits bandin' together. See, in the Brotherhood we don't have family. Lance's dad passed away a long time ago. His mom wasn't always there. Pietro—Gawd, his dad is never gonna win a father of the year award. It's Magneto, what else cahn Ah say. Ahn as for Toad ahn Freddy…well, Toad grew up in an orphanage, ahn Freddy bounced around in foster care. Ahn Tabby…well, she has bad family history too.
"Kitty, the X-Men are like the ones who were always cared for, always loved. The Brotherhood is for loners like meh…like Lance. We don't have anyone we cahn trust. We make do ohn our own. So you gotta tread carefully when it comes ta Lance. He's not used to being cared for in the way you care for him. Ahn flirtin' with this Piotr is really tearin' him up—even if it looks like it isn't."
Kitty sniffed as she wiped away a tear. "Do you think Lance and I are gonna be okay?"
"Ta be honest, Ah don't know if Lance is the one for you, Kitty…he isn't for meh, that much Ah know…ahn Ah'm not sure he's for Tabby either. But Ah'm not a fortune teller. Opposites do attract…but only if you're both willin' ta work for it," replied Rogue softly.
"You're really something, you know that?" asked Kitty with a tearful smile.
Rogue shrugged uncomfortably. She hadn't meant to say all that to Kitty—especially the part about her past. "Just don't go around tellin' people everythin'. It's in the past, ahn Ah don't live in the past anymore."
"Then why won't you try and get to know Kurt? He really needs you, Rogue. You're his sister."
"Ah'm not ready ta deal with that part of mah life yet, not until Ah cahn come ta terms with Mystique first. Ah'm not comfortable with this whole family thing. It's a lot ta handle knowin' mah birth mother is a terrorist, that Kurt is mah brother, ahn that somewhere out there Ah have a father who doesn't know Ah exist."
"Rogue, you're never gonna be alone. Not as long as you're with the X-Men," said Kitty placing a gently hand on Rogue's shoulder.
"You have no idea how wrong you are, though," whispered Rogue. "Ah will always be alone."
Kitty opened her mouth to argue, but the kitchen door was flung open as the rest of the mansion piled in for dinner. Rogue quickly got up from the counter and set about setting the table. Kitty watched with conflicting emotions on her face before helping Rogue out. They could finish their conversation later.
A/N: Alright, this chapter is basically a filler chapter—not much happening. I'm sorry it took so long to get it out, but I haven't felt particularly inspired to write this week. I've been too busy stressing over how I'm going to pay for college for the next two years. But, I'll try harder to get the next chapter up soon.