Hey all, sorry I took so long to write. I had the writer's block, as well as a lot of homework. I'm going to try and write more and not go another month without updating, but I'm starting to test subjects for my Independent study this week, so I'm about to get really busy. Knowing me, I'll probably get more writing done because I'll have to plain in advance when I'm going to write. So here's hoping...

Just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who's still reading. You guys are the reason I'm doing this. And I really hope you're all loving this story!!!

Please Enjoy

Taunting Repartee

Chapter Thirteen

Rogue groaned as she felt herself waking up. It took her less than a second to recall everything that had happened before she had closed her eyes. She shuddered as she raced to open her eyes.

She was laying on the bed, in the guess surveyed the room, everything was where it should be the to dressers, the bed, the closet, the door that led to the adjoining bathroom. Everything looked the same.

'He wouldn't of gone to the trouble of putting me to sleep if he didn't change anything... what did he change?' she asked as she stood up. 'Am I even at the institute?' she asked in fear. She walked over to the window and glanced outside nervously. 'It looks like the institute,' she thought happily as she saw some of the younger students attacking each other, playfully. 'But what if it ain't?' she asked anxiously as she moved her arms to hug herself. She started to rub her arms up and down slowly as she thought, 'Girl relax. You're just over thinkin-' she paused as hands rubbed over smooth skin. 'The metal it's-' she stopped at her shoulders, and gasped. She quickly kneed down on the ground and pulled up the hem of her pants. 'it's gone.' She swiftly switched to the other leg. She let out a sigh of relief. That metal ring was gone as well.

It took only a second for her relief to transform into panic.

'Oh, god, is that a good or bad?' Rogue asked as her heart started to race. She stood up and ran towards the door. Her hand clenched the door-nob, and just as she was about to turn the nob she paused. The only sound in the room was her overactive heart beat, and rapid breathing. 'What it won't open?' she asked herself as she hesitated to move.

Question after question flowed into Rogue's mind: What if she was not longer in the institute? What if Magneto had taken her from her home, and she was now in she room that looked similar to it? Or what if she was in the institute, but he wouldn't let her leave this room? How long would it be until her friends realized she was missing? How long until they started to look for her? Would they be able to? Would Magneto let them? Was she even someplace where they could find her?

'There is only one way to find out, my dear.' Magneto said calmly.

'Are you really him or the fragment?' she asked.

'At this particular point in time do such distinctions actually matter?' he asked. She thought about for a moment.

'No...' she thought sadly.

'Open the door,' he commanded gently. Rogue tighten her grip on the door-nob, as she stared at it.

'Eric, I'm afraid,' she confessed.

'Smart girl,' he commented smugly.

Tears ran down her face as she screamed, 'That ain't helping.' She heard him laugh darkly.

'And you assume I am here to help?' he asked coldly.

'You always have before,' she thought slightly confused.

'No, I have not. My counterpart is the one who is infatuated with you. For the life of me, I don't understand why. You're pretty when you do not insist on wearing that face of oil and grease you comically refer to as make-up... But you're a child,' he said with disgust in his voice. 'You're intelligent. More so than the majority of those your age. But that is only because of my counterpart's influence...' He paused for a long moment. 'That would explain quite a bit,' he murmured in her mind. She had to concentrate to hear him fully.

'What would explain what?' she asked.

'...I am not in the mood to share,' he informed her dryly.

"You don't have to be in the mood," she said strongly. 'I can take whatever knowledge I want. You're minds in mine,' she thought as she started to focus on his mind. As usual she was able to push into his and there she was able to see a stream of images, each one a different memory. Just as she was about to concentrate on the one she wanted, without her consent one of the images began to grow, and pull her in. She fought it, pushing against the memory, trying to get it to go away. Rogue gasped, she thought she past this. She thought she had control of the fragments in mind. She didn't think that he could fight her like this. She was the one who was suppose to decide which memories she saw, not him.

'No one's gonna take this control away from me,' Rogue thought strongly as she pushed even harder, but it was no use, soon the memory engulfed her completely and she was surrounded by mud, and dead bodies. She shuddered a she felt the lifeless body in her arms, by was powerless to drop it as she desperately wanted to. 'No,' she murmured. She recognized this place. 'Auschwitz,' she thought panicked. 'I don't want to be here.'

'Then leave,' Magneto voice screamed as she was tossed from the memory. She came back to herself in the real world. She was laying on the floor several feet away from the door.

'What- what was that?' she asked as she sat up, her hand went to her chest as she caught her breath.

'Unlike my counterpart I do not approve of that breach of privacy. You will stay out of my mind... or else.' he warned.

'I don't understand,' she thought quickly. 'Eric's always been nice to-'

'I am not your Eric, I hold no claim to that name.' he said firmly, interrupting her. 'You will receive no assistance or kind words from me, Rogue, for I have no feelings for you. I am the man's who's life you stole, and I resent you for it as much one, deprived of their freedom, should in such a situation.'

'Why the fuck did you even talk to me then?' she asked annoyed.

'I will not address a question with such crass language in it. It is disrespectful to both you, and more importantly me.'

She rolled her eyes with a huff. If he was telling the truth, if he was the fragment, then she might have to deal with him on a daily basis for quite some time. It wasn't too long ago that a moment of silence was an uphill battle. Fragment upon fragment screaming at her. The never-ending noise and questions. Did she really want to go back to that? Even if it was only one of the fragments that was screaming at her? Maybe it would be better for her that she get along with this version of Magneto rather than fight with him.

"Why did you even talk to me then?" she repeated her question, forgoing the one word he didn't approve of.

'Better,' he said. She noted the satisfiable tone of his voice. 'I was hoping you would assume that I was Eric, and obey me.'

'Why would you think I would do what you said if you were Eric?' she asked.

'After what you attempted this morning?" he asked with a laugh. 'You would be a fool not to obey,' he said.

"This morning,"she muttered to herself, while trying to ignore his laughter. She turned her head towards the clock, and saw that it was 4:38pm. "Whole days almost gone," she said as she stood up, and made her way to the door. A she was reaching for the door-nob, she realized she was glove, and sleeveless. She rolled her eyes as she marched over to the dresser she used and opened the top draw. Inside there was a pair of black gloves, and one of her usual green sheer shirt folded neatly.

Rogue sighed, as she slipped the shirt over her head. She had not been the one to put those articles of clothing there. She could only assume that it had been Eric before he left the institute. She sighed again as she put on one of the gloves.

"I gotta go and make sure Kurt's okay," she muttered to herself as she snatched the other glove out of the draw, and closed it.

'I thought you were not certain you were even in the institute,' he said mockingly.

'I get it now. Eric left the institute, for real this time, after he forced me to sleep,' she said as she put on the other glove while she walked towards the door.

'How can you be so certain?' he asked offhandedly

'Because he left me with you,' she thought before she turned the door-nob and opened the door. She let out a sigh of relief as she stared out into the familiar hallway. 'Where would Kurt be right now?' she asked herself as she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. 'Maybe the common room...' she thought as she started to walk down the hallway.

'And what precisely was that comment suppose to mean?' he asked irate.

'Well it's common that people might hang out in the common room, so I'm gonna go and see if my brother there and-'

'That is not the comment I was revering to and you know it,' he screamed in her mind. She couldn't help but smirk.

'He's gone and he left me with you,' she said as she jogged down the stairs.

'As you have said before,' he said angry. 'But where is my significance in this situation?'

'You're mean. You're gonna hate pretty much everything I do, and you won't be shy about letting me know of your disapproval,' she said as she made her way down to the common room.

'And?' he questioned further.

'Don't you get it?' she asked incredulously.

'Enlighten me,' he said dryly.

'You're my punishment for pissing him off,' she thought. Magneto became silent after that. She knew she should be warily of it. That meant he was contemplating their situation, and whatever conclusion he came to, she was fairly certain she wasn't going to like it. But for the moment she was just thankful for the break from his presence.

Rogue opened the door of the common room and smile when she saw Kitty and Kurt, and Scott sitting on the couch, watching something on the television.

"Mind if I join ya all?" Rogue asked. She felt the need to ask Kurt's permission before sitting down. She wasn't sure if he was still upset about that morning. Kitty turned around and greeted her with a smile.

"Hi, Rogue. Like, of course, you join us," Kitty said with a smile. Rogue walked around the couch and sat down in one of the armchairs nearest Kitty.

"You finish whatever it was you had to do?" Scott asked as he leaned forward in his seat and looked, pasted Kurt and Kitty, over at her.

"Yeah," she said with a nod. "It just took a lot longer than I thought it was going to," Rogue said. She heard Magneto chuckle in her mind. She took a deep breath as she tried to ignore him.

"So, you're done being alone then?" Kurt asked from his seat in between Kitty and Scott on the couch. Kurt kept looking forward at the television, momentarily refusing to move and look at her. She could hear slightest hint of anger in his voice.

"Yeah..." Rogue said quietly. "Kurt, look I... What I said this morning, it came out wrong. I was anger at someone else, and that came out when I was talking to you... I'm sorry," she said as looked away from his face, staring at the floor instead.

"See?" Kitty asked. Rogue looked up just as Kitty turned to look at Kurt. "I told you there was, like, no way she meant to be mean to you," Kitty said. Kurt kept looking forward. 'And you were all like, 'but Rogue doesn't like me,' Kitty said attempting to copy Kurt's ascent; Scott smiled at that.

"Kitty," Kurt exclaimed as he turned to look at her.

"but she, like, totally does. I mean, when was the last time you heard her apologize to anyone? She doesn't do that unless you're, like, super special." Kitty said.

'Super special?' Magneto asked in disbelief. 'Really, where does Charles find these children?' he asked with disgust in his voice.

'Would you shut up? I'm trying to have a conversation here,' Rogue thought.

"Rogue?" Scott asked, calling for her attention. Rogue glanced up to see that Kurt had turned away from her and Kitty again. He had a hurt expression on his face.

'Did he say something to me?' she asked herself.

'How should I know? We were talking to one another at the time,' Magneto commented.

"Is everything okay in your head?" Scott asked, his voice was slightly elevated, not out of anger, he was just trying to get her attention.

'Guess he use to me drifting in and out of a conversation,' Rogue thought. "Kind of. Just, since the whole thing with Magneto the other day, me and the fragment I got haven't been getting along very well. He keeps making comments," Rogue explained.

Yes, Magneto had only made one comment so far, but he was going to make more. She figured she might as well get explaining it out of the way, now. Maybe, they would understand why she was going to be in such a bad mood for the... however long this deal, she had with, Eric lasted. At the very least maybe they would understand that not all of her facial expression were aimed at them. And maybe certain people she cared about wouldn't take everything she did so personally.

Kurt looked up from the television, and glanced at Rogue. Rogue met his gaze and smiled. After a moment, Kurt smiled back.

"So, what kind of things are he saying?" Kurt asked.

"I don't want to get into it. Most of the things he's says they're degrading, rude... annoying," she said with a sigh. "If I could keep from hearing them I would. There's ain't any reason for you guys to hear them too," Rogue explained.

"I don't think there's anything we can do about the fragment in your head, but if the real Magneto keeps trying to mess with you, let us know and we'll give him a piece of our minds," Scott said with a smile.

"And we'll kick his sorry butt," Kurt said enthusiastically. Kitty looked over at Rogue, nodding with a large grin on her face.

"Thanks," was all she could bring herself to say.

'It only it were that simple, eh Rogue?' Magneto asked.

'If only,' Rogue thought sadly as she took a deep breath and forced her self to smile along side her friends. 'I'm gonna have to do this a lot aren't I?' she asked.

'Blatantly lie to those who trust you? I can not see anyway to avoid it. Can you?'

'No,' she thought sadly as she half listened her friends decide what television show they were going to watch next.

'You're going to be become an excellent lair, Rogue... But then again, I suppose that is one of my counterpart's means,' Magneto said.

'What do you-'

"Which would you rather watch, Rogue?" Kitty asked.

"I'm okay with anything," Rogue said quickly with another forced smile. 'What do you mean by that?' she asked once Kitty had turned her attention back to the boys.

'You're are going to be lying to them on a daily basis. For now you are troubled by the concept, but never-the-less you will precede out of necessity. I wonder, how much time will pass until you are completely desensitized to lying?' he asked.

She didn't respond, instead she choose to turn her attention towards the television. In the end the three of them had turned on a sitcom she didn't know the name of. Not that it mattered, she didn't get to focus on the show for more than a few seconds before Magneto continued to whisper painful question.

'How long, do you think, until dishonesty towards your family comes as easily as breathing?' Magneto asked smoothly, before laughing loudly.

It was his laugh that made watching the show in peace impossible. She took another deep breath. She had to keep her body language neutral, appear as through she was watching the show, and attempt to ignore him all at the same time.

It wasn't easy.

'And then, Rogue... and then after that threshold has been crossed how long... How long,' he repeated strongly causing her to focus on his words, 'until you stop caring about the lies you must tell? And about the people you must tell them to?'

'That's not gonna happen,' she said firmly. 'I'm never gonna stop caring about my family.'

'Given that you are the outcast of not one by three broken homes, how certain of that claim can you honestly be?'

'I've learned from all those mistakes what makes a family work.'

'And what was the one thing that cause your family's past schisms?' He laughed darkly 'Dishonestly, was it not?' he asked as he continued to laugh as her expense. 'It was your mother's betrayals that broke apart two of your families. First was to your father in the form of an affair. Years later when she lied to you, Rogue, so many times over things so many important things that the trust-pass was unforgivable. And now," he said with a laugh, 'and now what must you do to insure your place among this family? ... The very thing that destroyed your past happiness, if it ever existed that is... You must lie, Rogue, ... constantly... consistently lie. How long will you be able to endure that, I wonder? How long will it be until you beg my counterpart to take it all away?' he asked in a whisper. 'To make you safe, and happy once again as you were all those months in his arms,' he said in the softest voices. She stood up a little too quickly.

"Rogue?" Scott asked.

"Bathroom," she explained in one word as she turned her face away from him, to keep him from seeing the tears on her face. With effort she managed, not to run from the room as she wanted to, but to walk at just the right pace, to not cause suspicion to herself, out of the common room and down the hall.

'It won't be too long,' he said as she entered the bathroom.

"Your wrong," she said purposefully as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

'Yet here we are, Rogue. Less than an hour into our coexistence and I have you crying alone a bathroom,' he laughed. 'You won't last the week,' he said. She took a deep breath as a thought came to mind. She smirked.

'I'll take that bet,' she thought.

'Excuse me?' he asked.

'If I can handle one week of your worst, you shut up for two.'

'And what precisely do I get out of this arrangement if I should win?'

'If I can't last the week, then I'll say yes to Eric, and you'll be one step closer finding out what your counterpart's up to. That why you wanted me to open the door earlier, wasn't it? You wanted to know where we were. You want to know what you no longer have access to, what Magneto is planing.'

'Maybe so, but I was going to do that either way. Why should I give you the opportunity to heal?' he asked. She laughed as she stripped off her gloves and placed them on the counter.

'A minute ago you were so sure that under your duress I wouldn't be able to last a week. Now, you think that you might fail enough that, you ain't willing to stake your coercive talents against little old me. I thought I was just a child in your eyes. Magneto, you didn't have to go looking for excuses to justify your unwillingness. If you don't think you're up to the challenge, that's all you had to say,' Rogue said as she washed her face so the other wouldn't know she had been crying. He was quiet for a long moment.

'...Appealing to both, my pride and intellectual vanities to convince me to enter an accord you will likely win?' he asked. '...I think I'm starting to understand what my counterpart see in you,' he said quietly. She dried off her hands on the hand towel to her left '...Untapped potential... I will not be entering the bet, Rogue. Sorry to disappoint,' he mockingly apologized.

"Whatever," she said dismissively as she put her gloves back on. 'Think you could be quiet long enough so I could enjoy the show?' she asked with a sigh.

'Why should I allow you that comfort?'

'Why not?' she asked. 'It's not like you have a time limit on when you have to me to say yes to him. Besides you might actually like the show,' she suggested as she walked down the hall and back into the common room.

'Not likely,' Magneto said as Rogue retook her seat. Kitty turned to Rogue and gave her a quick smile. Rogue returned it quickly before they both turned their attention back to the television.

''Think I'll do something else for the moment. Enjoy your mind-numbing program,' Magneto said before fading into the background of her mind.

And that's it for this chapter. I know short, but the next chapter starts off a week later. And it's going to be a long one, so I cut it off here, and will start writing the next chapter after I write two papers for school. :( Stupid college wanting me to do work...

Anyway, it review time!!!!

Meow114: Thanks for reading!

Rogue hit Magneto because she was sick of him using any weakness she displayed as a change touch her. While Magneto was pulling Rogue into arms (right before she punched him) she was stuck in a memory of feeling utterly helpless. She was reliving all those feelings and was barely conscious of what Magneto was doing in real time, until he kissed her. That contact brought her out of the memory, and she realized that Magneto had used her weakness to take advantage of her for about the 100th time that month, and she was sick and tired or it. So, she wanted to make it clear that he shouldn't do that anymore. Talking hadn't worked. Making him promise not to touch her, hadn't stopped him from trying, (and succeeding ^.^) to seduce her the night before. Physical force was the one of the only options she hadn't explored yet. So, she hit him...

You have my apologizes. I thought I had explained that right, but obviously I didn't. I hope you understand why now. If not, feel free to ask. And I'll try to be more mindful of that in the future and make sure I explain things fully.

Oh and about Rogue learning how to use other powers, she does learn how to control one person's abilities. It just not be in the way you expect! ^.^ But, I'm getting ahead myself. We have a really really really long time before we get there. That's going to be past season four, and we're still in the middle of season two. Keep reading! I hope you won't be disappointed.

LadyNorth76: Thanks! I'm happy to see that you reviewed ^.^ I'm glad you like that Eric was living in the institute. Sorry my updating sucks. I'm trying I swear! I hoped you loved this chapter, and I can't wait to see what else you have to say.

Original1: Sorry, I took so long to update! I know exactly what you're talking about. I should be doing hw right now, but instead I'm having fun updating ^.^ thanks for reading, and I hope you love this chapter!

Seshiru Hikari, Jammie113 and Kouichii: Thank you all for reading and for putting my fic on our story alerts!!!! Hope you all liked this chapter!

Sinner-Pandemonium: Aww. Thank you! I've received compliments before but this is my first marriage proposal! Even if it was given at two in morning after one too many energy drinks and in hindsight you probably didn't mean, it made my day, and helped me get over my writer's block! So, thank you! I really can't wait to hear what else you have to say. Hope you loved this chapter ^.^

Nisiria : Hi you! Thank you for doing everything! ^.^ It really makes my day when I see that someone put both my stories on story alert and favorite story list. As well as add my to their favorite authors list!! So, thank you so much! I hope you loved this new chapter!!!!!