CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

A Conversation

AN: I'm seeing lots of Favorites and Follows on my story, and THANK YOU SO MUCH…..but I still prefer reviews….Gosh, I am such a review-hog. When I first started actually POSTING on , I told myself I wouldn't be like those authors who go nuts until they get reviews…..well, I have become one of them…..oh the guilt. (hides face in hands) none the less, PLEASE REVIEW!

(Tackles FleeingDawn and covers her in totally platonic hugs and purrs) I'm so sorry…..purr purr purr purr purr. A shout out to FleeingDawn who is currently having to deal with sucky wifi.

(rolls story dice) A tent, a magnifying glass, and some ocean waves…..again with the ocean…..Well, the story cubes helped with the last chapter (see if you can go back and find mention of the cubes; a crab, which should be obvious, a pair of glasses, and a puzzle piece)

ONTO THE CHAPTER: (charges forward on a bengal tiger, bow and arrow held proudly in hand)

LAST TIME:

"Marie, darlin." Logan gently wrapped an arm around the southern-bells shoulders and pulled her up against his chest protectively. "I've been meanin' to ask you. What did Sabretooth do when he took you to Magneto?"

Rogue looked down. "Oh. He…..he let me touch him, absorb his healing power. He said so I wouldn't die on Magnetos machine."

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Logan pushed Rogue away from him, holding her at arms length with his hands firm but gentle on her shoulder. "He WHAT!?"

Rogue winced, looking down. "Ah know ah should've told ya before, Logan, but you were so mad at Sabretooth ah, ah didn't want ta make that worse."

Logan gritted his teeth together, taking in a deep breath (one, two, three, four, five) holding it (one, two, three, four, five) then letting it out (one, two, three, four, five) and repeating the process. He was slightly proud of himself when his voice came out calm and collected. "You're SURE that's what he did? Sabretooth!?"

Rogue nodded her head, looking a mix between a child caught-in-a-lie, a sympathetic young woman, and a touch of fire.

Logan let out a low stream of curses as he turned to clutch onto the banister surrounded the veranda, accidentally splintering the wood. Rogue, wisely, remained silent behind him, trying to be supportive and contrite.

Finally, the Wolverine spoke. "Was I so wrong all this time?"

Rogue shrugged, realized that he couldn't see her with his back turned (though he might have sensed it with those darned feral instincts of his, she thought) then replied. "I don' know sugah. He did some really bad things but at the same time…." She paused, searching for words. "…..at the same time, what he's been doin' now, with the kids'n all an Cassie…..maybe he's changed….."

Logan shook his head in disagreement. "People like him don't change."

"Then maybe he wasn't who we thought he was in the beginning." Rogue consoled, walking up carefully and putting a hand on Logans shoulder. "Ah was wrong not ta tell ya, Logan, and ah'm sorry…..."

"You can't keep things like this from me, Marie." Logan growled, still not turning. "You can't just pick and chose what you information you want to give me when something happens!? How am I supposed to make the right decision if I don't know the whole situation!?"

Rogue chewed on her lower lip. "Then ah suppose I should tell ya that Cassie made a phone call to someone else?"

Logan began another series of deep breaths. "Yeah, Marie, that would be helpful. Who did she call?"

Rogue shifted her weight onto her other leg and crossed her arms under her chest uneasily. "Well, she calls her 'Bunny' but ah don' think that's her real name."

Logan grunted, turning around to look at her and leaning against the banister. "Okay. And who is she? Someone like this 'Steve' guy?"

"Ah guess. From what ah could tell, she sees this 'Bunny' as a sister."

Logan gave another grunt. "Okay, so tell me about the conversation."

-flashback-

They FINALLY made it to one of the studies with a phone after many detours and the poking-around of many rooms. Rogue had to tell her that it would soon be too late to use the phone (a small fib) to finally get her to move. Then they found themselves in a small room used for when one of the students wanted to call their parents (if they hadn't disowned them for being a mutant or abandoned them at birth) or siblings. Of course, the Professor knew whenever phone-calls that shouldn't be made were being made, so things were kept strictly clean and on the line.

Cassie picked up the phone, started to dial, then paused, scrunching up her nose.

Rogue was becoming more and more amused by the second at the childishness of the young woman. Still, she had learned long ago not to judge by appearances, or first impressions. "Is there a problem, sugah?"

The brunette turned to look at the southern bell with her nose scrunched up. "Would you happen to know the area-code for Arkansas?"

"There's a phone book in the desk drawer, sugah."

"Ah." Cassie opened the little drawer and pulled out a yellow phone book, opening it to flip to the area-codes. "Got it."

While she dialed, Rogue looked at her watch, chewing her lip. Logan would be expecting her to be at dinner, the gruff Canadian was a terror-on-earth if one of his "kids" missed a meal and could be counted on to hunt down his errant 'pack-member' to the ends of the earth.

That's when the conversation started. "Heah Bun."

Rogue let out a little sigh when she realized that this conversation was going to be very one-sided considering that she could only hear Cassie's side…..or could she? Rogue closed her eyes and focused, trying to bring her "inner Logan" to the surface.

Everyone knew that Rogues skin was the source of her mutation. If she touched someone who was NOT a mutant, she literally sucked the life right out of them and into her skin. However, if she touched a mutant, she would absorb their powers before ultimately killing him and, for a little time afterwards, would be able to use that mutants power.

Her "borrowed" power would wear off in a few hours, but she found that the more times she touched a certain mutant, the more times she absorbed certain powers, then she was able to gain a little permanent control over that power…..as well as their absorbed personalities, (which she did her darndest not to think about).

One of the mutants she had touched the most was Logan aka Woverline. He had held onto her briefly many times to save her life, but the longest contact was when she had absorbed his healing powers to save her own life when he had accidently skewered her with his claws during a nightmare.

Logan, like all ferals, had accelerated senses, and it was his sense of hearing that she could use the most right now. She focused on her "inner Logan". The musky scent of him, of earth and cigar smoke and beer and pine, and instead of her hearing her sense of smell shot through the roof. She nearly stumbled and fell on her butt, thankful when Cassie didn't notice, overwhelmed with the scent of carpet, cleaning agents, sweat, hormones and an overwhelming scent of musk, which she assumed was Sabretooth.

`Whoops. Wrong sense there.` Rogue thought to herself, taking a deep breath through her mouth. `Let's try again. Okay, come to Mama…..`

This time she got it right and her hearing ramped up till she could hear every word of the conversation as if she was standing right next to Cassie.

"…..Don't get lost." Said 'Bunny'.

"Really, Bun? I tell you I'm in New York and your first response is to tell me to not get lost?"'

Rogue snorted softly. Apparently this Cassie had no sense of direction to go along with no balance.

"Cat, you got lost in the mall."

"Okay, okay, okay. Not the point!" Cassie tried to get the conversation back on track. "The point is I'm in New York and…uh…..well, Sabretooth kidnapped me."

Silence, then a shrill screech that made both Cassie and Rogue wince. "WHHHHHHAAAT!?" There was a pause and then; "Ah'm gonna hunt him down and castarate him! How did you get to a phone!? Do you know exactly where in New York you are?!" then Bunny spoke to someone off-phone. "Manny, hun, grab my duffle bag will ya?!" Then; "How did you get to a phone, Cat?"

"I'm' at this school. I was already, uh, rescued. The thing is, they don't want me to leave. Uncle Steve is here, and things seem a LITTLE settled, but I"d really feel better if you were here."

"Are you hurt?"

"Uh, no."

"I'm bringing my knives."

Then there was some conversation about sneaking sharp metal objects past airplane security before Cassie cut in. "I, uh, better get you the address." She looked over to Rogue and spoke a little louder so that the southern bell quickly had to adjust her hearing. "Hey, Rogue? Where are we exactly? Like, the address?"

"Xaviers School for Gifted Children." Rogue answered, pressing her fingertips to her temples. She was getting a touch of a headache. "1407 Graymalkin Lane, Westchester County New York, one-zero-four-six-one."

Cassie dutifully repeated it back over the phone, looking to Rogue to make sure she had gotten it correct (she was given a thumbs up the second time around when she accidently said Eastchester the first time).

"I can't wait till you hear, Bun. Thanks. Love ya."

"Love ya too, cat."

Then Cassie hung up.

-end flashback-

Logan sighed, clenching and unclenching his fists. "More complications. When is this "Rabbit" supposed to get here?"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah dunno, sugah, they didn't hash that part out while Ah was there, but Ah'm assuming soon."

"Alright, thanks darlin."

To Rogues surprise, the Canadian pulled her into his arms and kissed her briefly on the forehead before her power could suck in his own. "Come on, darlin', it's high time you were in bed."

VOCABULARY:

CONTRITE: adj. feeling very sorry for having done something.

CITATIONS:

"Marval Database." Wikia. N.p.. Web. 16 Jun 2013. Xavier's_School_for_Gifted_Youngsters.