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Chapter Nine of
Taunting Repartee RM'd
Scandal
As Rogue exited the building, she turned to see Magneto standing at the school's entrance. He gave her a short wave. She gave him a nod before she turned and waited. She could see Scott's car speeding along as fast as it could, before pulling up in front of her.
"Rogue!" Kitty rushed out of the car. "We are, like, so sorry."
"Yeah, we didn't mean to leave without you, we swear," Kurt added.
"Magneto?" Scott questioned in confusion. Both Kitty and Kurt drew their attention away from Rogue, to look at Magneto. Kitty gripped Rogue's arm with both hands while Kurt took a half step in front of them both. Scott's hand flew to his glasses. The rims radiated red in a wordless threat.
"Mr. Summers, Ms. Pride, Mr. Wanger, please, do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm."
"I doubt that." Scott said with malice. "Magneto, what are you doing here?" he demanded to know.
"I simply came to speak with Rogue. Surely you can not be against conversation, Mr. Summers," Magneto said.
"Rogue, are you alright?" Kitty asked.
"I'm fine. Let's just go home," she replied as she made her way toward the car.
"What do you want with Rogue?" Scott questioned.
"That is between Rogue and I. If you're honestly so intrigued I suggest you ask her," he said before Scott turned to address her.
"Rogue?" Scott asked. She rolled her eyes still angry at him as she motioned for the three of them to get into the car. Kitty and Kurt reluctantly got in. Scott stayed standing, ready to fight.
"Let's go," she muttered angrily at Scott.
"Not until you tell me what's going on," he said.
"What's going on, is you were so pissed at me about this morning, you left me here by myself," she said under her breath.
"Rogue, what are you talking about? We thought you were in the car," Scott said. She blinked.
"You thought I was in the-" repeated astonished before anger took over. She turned to look at Magneto. "They thought I was in the car," she echoed, her voice raising until she was practically screaming. All fear of him was lost in a rushing wave of anger.
"What?" Magneto chuckled. "Surely, you suspected," he said amused.
"With what time?" she asked him before another chuckle escaped him. "Where the hell is Emma?" she asked, annoyed as she cast glances left and right. She was going to give her future sister-in-law a piece of her mind.
"Not her," Magneto answered dryly.
"Who else is here?" she asked irate.
"Does it honestly matter, Anna-Marie?" Magneto asked.
"Rogue, I was wrong, let's just go," Scott said, his hand on her shoulder, his turn to try and talk reason into her. He acted this way whenever he saw Rogue about to explode in anger. Must be something about women getting all fired up.
"No," she said, shrugging him off before taking a step closer to Magneto. "You wanna recruit me, right? That's what all of this is about?" she asked as she heard Kurt and Kitty gasp behind her. "The versatility of my powers and how you could use them and me to your advantage," she stated verbatim, the last part almost an accusation.
"Correct," he said, confirming what they both knew to be true.
"Ya know what happens when I absorb someone, genius?" she asked, taking another step toward him.
"Intimately," he said, walking down the front steps at the school's entrance. "Though, I have a feeling you're going to tell me regardless," he said amused.
"I get information, Jackass," she said. "So, why the hell did ya think it was a good idea to lie to me?"
"I didn't lie," he asserted, cocking his head, as he folded his arms over his chest.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Then why did you 'fabricate a situation'," she said while using air quotes, "and then attempt to use that fabrication to convince me to join you? What if I had yes, Erik? What if the first time, after switching sides, I absorbed you and everything you know?" she asked as she watched his gaze turn from amused to wide-eyed to contemplative. "Your memories, motives, and tactics. How could you honestly not expect me to turn on you immediately for being a manipulative, lying sack of shit," she ranted.
She watched Magneto take a breath as she heard short gasps escape Kitty and Kurt from behind her.
"Under those circumstances," Magneto said, glancing away from her, "you'd be well within your rights to turn my own powers against me. Which would not be ideal and rather a wasted effort on my part," he said before looking back at her. "I apologize," he said.
"What?" she asked, confused, certain she had misheard him.
"You're absolutely right, Anna-Marie," he said before sucking in a breath. "I can't lie to you," he said somewhat astonished. "It doesn't serve my purpose. In fact, it's counterproductive," he realized aloud, nodding slightly to himself. "I apologize for this afternoon, It won't happen again," he said.
"Whoa," she heard Kitty whisper behind her. She kept her attention focused on Magneto.
"You're serious? You will never lie to me again?" she asked.
"You have my word. That doesn't, however, mean you're privy to all my secrets, girl," he said taking another up to her, they were fairly close again, almost touching. "If in the future you ask me a question, and I'd rather not divulge, I'll refrain from answering. Good enough?" he asked.
"Ah-huh," she said, nodding, not believing she won this round.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"Nope," she said, shaking her head.
"Then you'd best be on your way. I believe you're running late for your three o'clock with Charles," he pointed out.
"Oh my god," she muttered to herself. She turned back towards her teammates before she groaned and turned back towards the school. She felt frazzled and unsure of what to do. She felt a hand on her shoulder and glanced up at Magneto, now standing even closer to her.
"What do you need, Rogue?" Magneto asked and she saw a hint of concern in his gaze.
"The stuff outta my locker," she answered as she turned toward him, his hand still cupping her shoulder as she did.
"The bag with the clothes your mother returned," he said as he held out his free hand toward the school. And she nodded. "Anything else?" he asked.
"My wallet and my history textbook," she answered.
"Moving on from Chemistry, are we?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. She blinked at his sudden admission of knowledge. Less than ten minutes ago he had claimed to be ignorant of the fragment and now he was referencing the specific subject of interest in her most training with him?
"I'm just taking a break," she said as she brushed some hair behind her ear, while trying not to look like she was studying his reaction. He had admitted to enjoying reading her mind. Had it been a bluff when he asked about Erik? Had he listened in on her conversations with the Fragment and already knew all about him?
"Yes," he said as the bag from her mother flew to his hand. She saw her belt looped around the bag, allowing him to carry it through the air for her. "Here we are," he said, handing it to her and she was surprised at how heavy it was. She looked down to see her textbook and wallet were in there as well.
"Thank you," she said meekly, ready to leave, his hand still on her shoulder.
"You're welcome. Though that textbook will scarcely teach you more than dates," he pointed out as she looked back up at him. "It's watered-down dribble, with a frankly American bias, toward world events. If you want to learn actual history, talk to Charles. I'm certain he'll have a few books he can lend you to get you started," he said.
And now he was acting like the fragment? Copying him? Wait, did that make sense? They were the same person but- Could she really call it copying if he was just being himself? But more open and willing to help her? She felt the lines between the two men blurring. It was confusing her and she didn't have time to be confused right now.
"Yeah, I'll ask him," she agreed with a nod.
"I hope you do," he said warmly, his hand dropping as he gestured towards her friend. "Till next time," he said as she forced herself to leave his gaze. She took a breath as she walked away from him. She heard him walking as well but didn't turn to see where. Instead, looking at Scott.
"Rogue, where are your gloves?" Scott asked as he took the clothes bag from her, careful not to touch her skin. She pulled her backpack off of her shoulder and pulled out one of her gloves. She slipped it on- "Where's the other one?" he asked.
"Anna-Marie," Magneto called out and she saw him standing by the bench, picking up her glove. He gave it a good bang against the side of the bench, to remove any debris, as she rushed up to him. He held out her glove and she blushed, it may as well have been a pair of underwear. His lips curved upward. "Out of curiosity," he asked in a hushed tone. "How many of my memories have you looked through?" he asked.
"Older ones mostly. I tried to stay away from the more recent stuff," she answered.
"Even after visiting my cafe?" he asked.
"Yeah, I was kinda freaked out most of yesterday and it's only been a day, Erik. I know I probably sound like a broken record, but I really do need time to think about everything that's happened," she said.
"Hmm," he mused. "Does Charles understand the full extent of your powers?"
"Honestly, I don't understand the full extent of my powers," she admitted.
"A shame. You're capable of so much more than you think," he said and she felt herself suck in a breath.
"Rogue!" Scott called out from behind her.
"I gotta go," she said, though she felt reluctant to leave.
"But you do wish to continue?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back and leaning in slightly toward her.
"Talking?" she asked, not intending to flirt but from the on his face, she must have accidentally.
"Among other things," he said.
"I probably shouldn't," she said, feeling her face start to blush again. Not good.
"We'll continue this soon," he promised, as he backed off an inch.
"How soon?" she asked, part wary, part eager, part accusatory. He let out a chuckle in response.
"Soon enough," he answered.
"Rogue, come on," Scott yelled again.
"About nine years ago," Magneto said, drawing her attention away from her friends yet again. "I bought a house only a few towns from here," he said as an address instantly popped into her mind.
"In Jericho?" she asked.
"Indeed," he said with a smile. "Do you know the phone number?" he asked and that popped into her mind as well.
"Ah-huh," she nodded.
"Good. If you wish to speak with me, I check the voicemail often. It won't take long for me to return your call. Also, should you need a place to stay, for any reason, you're welcome there," he offered.
"Rogue!" Scott bellowed again.
"Thank you," she said, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. He nodded at her before leaning in closer to her.
"Best get going before Mr. Summers has an aneurysm," he whispered dryly and Rogue tried holding back a laugh but failed. She wasn't used to hearing his dry wit aloud. He chuckled in turn.
Okay, she really really needed to go now.
"Bye Erik," she said, giving him a slight wave.
"Goodbye, Anna-Marie," he said again before she turned and rushed back to her friends. Scott was in the front seat and Kurt and Kitty were sitting in the back. Scott gave her an incredulous look- almost like he wanted to ask her what had taken so long.
"Rogue, what's going on?" Scott asked instead as she sat in the passenger seat next to him. As soon as her seatbelt was buckled, he took off.
"Y'all heard. He's trying to recruit me," Rogue answered.
"Does the Professor know?" Scott asked.
"Yeah, he knows," she said and she watched his jaw clench in response. Jealousy really didn't look good on him. She blinked as she heard Magneto chuckling in the distance.
"Man, that is creepy," Kurt commented as she turned back to look at Erik. "Why does he laugh so much?" he asked as Erik held her gaze.
"He's easily amused," Rogue commented as she faced the front.
"You would know, right? Like because you have him in your head?" Kitty asked.
"Wait, is that why he wants to recruit you?" Kurt asked.
"Yeah, that ain't too far from the truth," she said.
"And the rest?" Scott asked.
"I'll explain to the Professor," she sighed before she prompted her elbow up and rested her chin in her hand.
"So, Anna-Marie, huh?" Kurt asked, both changing the subject and trying to lighten the mood. One of the things she loved about her brother. Rogue blinked, replaying his question. Right. She hadn't gone out of her way to tell him her name, had she?
"Oh my god, Kurt, you didn't know that?" Kitty asked, failing to smother a smile on her face.
"She goes by Rogue," Kurt said defensively.
"It's, like, right on her report card and like every piece of homework she's ever done," Kitty laughed. "You're, like, so oblivious sometimes, Kurt. Like, it's totally unbelievable," she laughed.
Rogue let out a sigh of relief at the exchange.
"It ain't his fault, Kitty. I don't go outta my way to tell people," she said.
"Thank you," Kurt said, his tone justified.
"I still think you're oblivious. Scott, you totally knew, right?" Kitty asked.
"Yeah," Scott confirmed as Rogue looked over at him. "We sat next to each other in English. I saw you write your name a few times," he shrugged. She kept looking at him, waiting for the inevitable. "Your last name's Creed, right?" he finally asked.
"Ah-huh," she huffed, they both knew he knew that. She waited for what he actually wanted to know.
"Any relation to Victor Creed?" Scott asked.
"Not by blood," Rogue answered, testing the waters cautiously.
"Okay, cool," Scott said, almost relieved. His hands seemed to grip the wheel a little less tightly.
"I did live with him for about six years after he and Mystique adopted me together," she admitted, but as casually as she had said the above. She was almost proud of her recent self-control.
"Wait, what?" Kitty exclaimed as Scott's eyebrow arched as he looked inquisitively at her.
"Oh, who's oblivious now?" Kurt teased as Rogue just shrugged at Scott.
"Oh my god, quit it, Kurt," Kitty said.
"Didn't Sabortooth try to kidnap you?" Scott asked.
"Yeah," Rogue sighed. "I don't really know what would've happened if he had taken me from the park," she admitted. "I mean, I know he wouldn't've hurt me. He's an asshole, but he's still my dad… kinda," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Not that we've talked in years," she huffed.
"What happened? Why did you stop living with him and Mother?" Kurt asked and Rogue felt herself suck in a breath as she was unwittingly pulled into her own memory.
Anna-Marie felt herself curled into the fetal position as she stared motionless at the tiny dust bunnies under the bed.
She winced, shutting her eyes tightly, at the sound of something breaking on the ground floor.
"Victor, calm down," her mother yelled.
"Calm down," he screamed. "You want me to calm the fuck down. How the fuck am I supposed be calm when you're fucking-" he screamed before several more items were smashed to the ground.
'It's all my fault,' she thought, tears running down her tiny face. 'It's all my fault,' she repeated over and over as she hugged herself as tightly as she could.
"Rogue," Kitty called out. She felt a hand on her shoulder, shaking her slightly. Rogue blinked rapidly as she pulled out of her memory. She sniffled as she felt a few errant tears running down her face. She quickly moved to wipe her face.
"You okay?" Kurt asked, concerned.
"They ah- they got divorced," Rogue answered solemnly.
"Oh, o-okay," Kurt said.
"I don't wanna talk about my parents anymore, okay?" Rogue asked.
"Yeah, no biggie," Kitty said. She was grateful when the three of them backed off and left her to her thoughts. Not that she was having any of those at the moment. She just wanted to keep her mind clear and try not to cry.
About twenty minutes later they were home and walking into the main lobby. Emotionally she was spent. Between talking to Magneto and talking about her parents, she just wanted to go to sleep. But she doubted the Professor would leave it alone two days in a row. She tried to brace herself as they entered the main lobby, but the entire staff was there, the Professor, Storm, Mr. McCoy, and Logan were waiting for them.
"Are you alright?" the Professor asked, looking at her first.
"Ah-huh," she answered promptly. "We just talked again," she explained.
"He didn't hurt you?" he asked.
"No, I'm fine. But I do wanna go take a shower first, before our meeting. If that's okay?" she asked as she heard Logan sniffing the air.
"Chuck, his scent's all over her shoulders," Logan reported.
"He didn't hurt me," she said again. "I'm fine," she insisted.
"Rogue, you're not in trouble," the Professor said. "We're just concerned for your safety. You've had encounters with Magneto two days in a row. It's troubling, deeply troubling the interest he's taken in you," he said.
"I know," she sighed, her eyes on the ground.
"If he threatened you in any way, I need to know," he said.
"I-" she struggled. They knew something was off and she couldn't tell them everything. But she had to give them something to explain.
"Yes?" the Professor asked.
"I kinda need a new pair of shoes. One's without metal in 'em," she said, laughing nervously. She watched looks of alarm cross all of their faces, the Professors especially.
"Rogue, when I asked if Magneto had hurt you- regardless if you felt physical pain, I assumed that would include any instance of him using his abilities on or around you," he said. "Even if it didn't hurt, Magneto using his powers- and I'm guessing he did so to restrain or limit your movement in some way- that counts," he said.
"Oh," she said, blinking a few times as she kept her eyes on the floor. Right, him using his powers to restrain her was supposed to be a bad thing."I- hmm, I ain't hurt and I didn't wanna worry you," she attempted to justify her exclusion.
"Rogue, it's my job to worry about you. That's why you're here," he said as gently as he could. He was so earnest. Logan, on the other hand, growled under his breath which was less than gentle. "Using his abilities on you, it's a power-play, obviously, It's meant to intimidate and coerce you. I know you're frightened of him. And I also know you like him. It's a volatile combination. One Magneto would be all too happy to exploit. Do you understand?" he asked.
"Yeah, I-I think so," she nodded.
Vaguely she felt the words, 'too late,' lingering in the back of her mind. She wasn't certain if she had said it, or one of the fragments in her mind. It might have sounded vaguely like her mother, but she wasn't sure. Not that she had time to reflect on that now. Not in front of the Professor.
"Alright, we'll talk more in my office after you've had some time to collect yourself," he said, gesturing towards the stairs, dismissing her, much to her relief.
"Sorry, I'm late again," she said as she headed up.
"It's not your fault," the Professor said. "In fact, as a minor, anything that happened between you and him is not your fault," he added. Rogue sucked in an anxious breath before she hurried up the stairs and away from her worried teammates.
About an hour later, Rogue sat in her adopted bedroom, taking her time, and getting ready for her meeting with the Professor. She was anxious and tired and worried and scared and so many emotions were flooding her mind.
Logan could only smell Erik on her shoulders, at least that's what he said. And Scott and the others had seen Magneto touch her there. That had definitely been intentional of Erik. And now that she had showered and scrubbed pretty aggressively, she knew she wouldn't smell like him anymore.
She'd also given her underwear and tights a thorough hand-washing in the bathroom sink. Now hanging up to dry she hoped it was enough so Logan didn't smell anything suspicious. He was in a house full of teenagers, right? She had fresh clothes on, though she was still debating which shirt to wear. A turtleneck shirt meant she could wear less makeup, but would it be obvious she was trying to hide something if she did?
The Professor already suspected that she and Erik had been intimate in some way. Telling her it wasn't her fault, he knew right? Or maybe he was just fishing? Trying to gauge her reaction to see if he was right without having to outright ask her.
It was all so confusing.
And if Prof thought two days in a row was bad, how was he going to react to three? She was still very certain she was seeing him tomorrow. Should she tell the Professor?
But Erik had thanked her for her discretion. He was expecting her to keep her mouth shut about a lot of things. Any of his base of operations, and any of his business locations. Not to mention what they did together. To one another…
'Oh my god,' she thought to herself as she realized she'd given him a blowjob. She'd actually had his cock in her mouth and he had-
What the hell was wrong with her? In her dreams was one thing. It wasn't real. Not that the Fragment had ever let her do anything for him. That was a scruple the Magneto in reality didn't share. And now she was- god she was in a sexual relationship with him? Right? Because she didn't want this to be a one-off event.
So yeah, yeah she was. And it was more than obvious that he wanted to do it again. He had said so. It really wasn't hard for him to isolate her, was it? A little telepathic intervention, a stubborn locker, and Magneto had her all to himself for nearly an hour. And once she was alone with him, once he was touching her, god she could barely control herself. She wanted him. He wanted her.
What was she going to do?
Should she just tell the Professor everything? He said she wasn't in trouble right? That it wasn't her fault. But would that really stop him from judging her? She didn't have a copy of the Professor in her head. She didn't get a practice round. It was all or nothing with him and-
No. No, she was not ready to pull that trigger. She was not ready to admit to how she felt or what she liked. It was one thing with Magneto, they had similar- no, complementary tastes. She was scared of him, she did like him and she did like when he used his powers on her. Rogue was also rather certain that Magneto liked the same, of her and with her. She noticed it in her dreams with Erik but Magneto had…the real Erik had dialed up the intensity so much farther than she thought she was willing to go and she had- god, she didn't just like it. She loved it.
'There's no use denying what you like, Anna-Marie. I've never bothered with such presences,' his voice echoed in her mind.
Even if she wasn't willing to join him, she could see him stealing more moments, isolating her, so they could- She could see this going on for years honestly.
She took a long deep breath. She was not going to join Magneto because she liked the way he touched her. That was not happening. She had more- she took another breath.
She needed to get this conversation with the Professor over with. She thought long enough and she's stalled long enough.
"Okay," she said as walked back into the bathroom and gave her appearance another once over. Her neck was fine, she'd covered it up enough. Wearing a turtleneck was too much. She was better off in more casual clothes she was wearing now; a long-sleeved black shirt and gray sweatpants. She grabbed her pair of green gloves and left her room.
Rogue knocked on the Professor's door.
"Come in," he said. She entered and was surprised at how crowded his office was. Everyone who had been in the lobby was now here: The Professor, Logan, Storm, Mr. McCoy, Scott, Kitty, and Kurt. "Thank you, for allowing me to view your memories outside the school today," he explained, she assumed for her benefit.
Oh god, he wasn't going to want to read her mind, right? The others had all agreed to allow him to. What would it say about her if she tried to decline his request? It would be obvious she was hiding something, right?
Well, she was hiding something. More than one thing. She just needed to focus on the right details.
"Why don't you all go get ready for dinner," the Professor said, dismissing them.
Rogue sat down on the couch as she watched her teammates get up and exit the room. Both Kitty and Kurt shot her concerned glances as they left.
Once the door closed, leaving her with the staff, she turned to look at the Professor. She took a breath as she decided what she was going to do.
"Yesterday when I met with Magneto, the first thing he did when I got there and the last thing he did before he let me go, was thank me for my discretion," she explained as a thoughtful look appeared on the Professor's face as she went on the offensive. "He doesn't want you knowing where his businesses, his bases, or anything that I know about him and that you don't," she said.
The Professor let out a sigh as Logan growled under his breath.
"Which is why you won't allow me to read your mind," the Professor finished.
"I'm sorry," she said simply.
"It's not your fault. It's mine," he said. She let out a sigh understanding the implication.
"I still ain't comfortable with you getting rid of the fragment. I know you don't like it, but he is helping me," she said.
"As I've said before, I will not do so without your consent. And frankly, were I to try, I don't know what it would do to you. I fear the damage of his influence has already been done," the Professor said. She felt the urge to roll her eyes before she let out a sigh. His fears were more accurate than he knew.
"What does that mean?" Logan asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"He's ingratiated himself to her; made her utterly dependent on him for her mental stability," the Professor explained. Before he could continue or she protest, Logan's growling managed to find its voice.
"Chuck, how did that happen? And why didn't you stop it?" he growled.
"Look, I-" Rogue said interrupting before she let out a sigh. "Y'all don't understand how much my life's improved since absorbing Erik."
"Well, that's because you haven't explained it to us," Mr. McCoy said. "Unless I'm mistaken?" he asked.
"No, you aren't, Hank," the Professor said. And then all eyes were on her.
She let out another sigh before she started. "There was screaming all of the time. Each fragment I absorbed was wild and active and loud. Especially my dad," she lamented.
"I wish I'd come to you for help," she said, looking at the Professor. "But the truth is I could barely think," she explained, as she saw empathic glances from all those in the room.
"Until I absorbed Erik," she said, unable to keep a smile from forming. "He wasn't angry like everyone else was. He didn't resent me for taking him away from himself. He didn't work against me like all the others did. And after I absorbed him my head got so quiet," she said wistfully. "It'd been months of constant screaming and yelling and anger and bitterness and- and once it was quiet, it was like I was coming outta this fog I haven't even realized I'd been in," she explained before taking a long breath.
Rogue closed her eyes, a few tears running down her face. She leaned her head back against the couch, needing a moment to compose herself before continuing. She was grateful for everyone's patience, no one was saying a word.
"Erik was the first person in my head who actually wanted me to look at his memories, who encouraged me to use my powers," she continued a few moments later before letting out another sigh. "At first I wouldn't and then I did and we both understand what happened with that, right?" she asked, looking at the Professor.
"We do, yes," he said.
"Ya wanna, maybe, explain it to the rest of us?" Logan asked impatiently.
"The Fragment of Magneto in Rogue's mind manipulated her into providing us with the location of his base, with the intention of making the real Magneto aware of her knowledge of him," the Professor said.
"Oh my stars and garters," Mr. McCoy muttered under his breath.
"Yeah," Rogue sighed. "And that's why I ain't talking to Erik right now," she said.
"You're not?" Storm asked as the Professor seemed to have a surprised yet hopeful expression on his face.
"I've been too reliant on him," Rogue said. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate all of Erik's help. Y'all've seen the progress I've made with my powers," she added.
"Yes, your performance this morning in the Danger Room was very impressive," Mr. McCoy said.
"I mean," Rogue couldn't help but smirk, "it didn't hurt that Prof designed the session with my powers in mind so I'd win," she pointed out. "No one can accuse you of favoritism if I've earned the privilege of skipping sessions, right?" she finished.
"Rogue, apologize at once," Storm demanded.
"For what, Ororo? Stating the truth?" the Professor asked, immediately confirming her claim. "The gossip surrounding Rogue these past few weeks has been upsetting. I won't have her feeling alienated, not here, where she is supposed to be safe and supported," he said.
"Charles," Storm said in disbelief.
"Rogue's powers require a different approach. Like Jean, there is a mental aspect that cannot be perfected in the Danger Room. What the students see as favoritism, is a necessary reallocation of Rogue's time to better support her study of the various aspects of her powers," the Professor finished explaining to Storm.
"And I still need that time to work on my powers, but I'll be doing it by myself," she said.
"Really?" the Professor asked.
"Talking ta the real Magneto put a couple of things into perspective," she said.
"Rogue, I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear you say that," he said and she smiled at him.
"I know I probably seemed real flustered when I first got home, but it's just been a long day, ya know? The danger room session this morning. Telling Kurt he's my brother. I reached out to Graydon again so he and Kurt can finally meet," she said.
"Who's Graydon?" the Professor asked.
"Me an' Kurt's older brother," she answered promptly. Her matter-of-fact nature was not shared by the room.
"Mystique's got more kids?" Logan asked.
"Just Graydon Creed," Rogue said as she held eye contact with Logan, to gauge his reaction. 'Please don't hate me,' she thought internally.
"Mystique and Sabertooth had a kid?" Logan asked in disbelief, bypassing the implication. Maybe he already knew?
"Ah-huh," she said before she glanced over at the Professor. He glanced at Logan and then back to her before he made a subtle hand gesture. She wasn't sure if it was meant for her or Logan. Both maybe.
"If I may ask, what has he inherited from his parents?" the Professor asked.
"A whole lotta nothin'," Rogue quoted her big brother with a slight smile on her lips.
"Excuse me?" the Professor asked, as Mr. McCoy glanced at her with a perplexed expression.
"Gray's human. X-gene skipped a generation," Rogue shrugged before a loud laugh emanated from Logan.
"How's that for a kick in the pants? Bet Sabertooth loves that," Logan said vindictively.
"Gray's his son. He still loves him, mutant or not," Rogue shrugged, feeling a little apprehensive about defending her dad to Logan but- "I remember when we all found out for sure that Gray wasn't a mutant. Gray was fifteen, I was eight and I just remember he was crying so hard 'cause he just wanted to make 'em proud, ya know?" she asked, while avoiding eye-contact with everyone in the room.
"And Gray was like, are y'all gonna disown me? Am I getting kicked outta the house? And I was crying," she explained as she felt tears forming, threatening to spill over, "'cause I thought I was losing my big brother. So, I was clingin' onta him, yelling at 'em both, that they if they were kicking Gray out, then I was going with him," she repeated, with an added grandiose inflection in her tone, she heard her younger self's voice in her mind. "And our dad, he just," she thought as she felt the memory playing out before her eyes. "He just came over and scooped both of us right up and-"
Her voice trailed off as the memory was pulled closer and closer to the surface of her mind.
Anna-Marie's face and little pink dress were soaked with tears, as she clung to her dad's shoulder. Her brother Graydon's brown hair was a mess, as he clung to their dad with the same force she was. At that moment, the seven-year difference in their age meant nothing as both of them sought the same reassurance from their dad. And his large heavy arms engulfed them both, just the same.
"Boy, you look at me now," Victor ordered and Anna-Marie glanced up at Graydon as he looked up at their dad. "Do I look like an asshole do you?" he asked.
"No," Graydon answered, shaking his head.
"No?" he asked again.
"No, sir," Graydon said more confidently.
"Am I the type of asshole who's gonna abandon my kids at the first sign of trouble? Do you think so little of me, boy?"
"No, sir," he said happily.
"Am I an asshole, Anna-Marie?" he asked, turning to look at her.
"You're not an asshole, daddy," she declared proudly as she vaguely heard her mother groaning behind them and her father laughing in front of her.
"That's right and if you ever think for one second I'm ever gonna stop loving either of you, you got another thing coming. You two are stuck with me for your whole lives," he said as Anna-Marie heard Irene let out a snort somewhere within the room. Anna-Marie saw her father's eyes narrow and winced in anticipation of yet another fight between her dad and Irene. Her father looked down at her and his gaze softened.
"You know who was an asshole?" he asked instead.
"Granda Creed," she and her brother spoke in unison.
"That's right. Granda Creed, may he burn in hell for what he put me and your Uncle Jimmy through," her dad said viciously. "You kids are never, never, dealing with that. You're stuck with me and as long as I live I'm gonna be the best dad to you two that I can be," he said.
"Daddy, will we ever get to meet Uncle Jimmy?" Anna-Marie asked hopefully. She had heard so many stories about their uncle and longed to meet him.
"Eh? Maybe when you're older," he said before kissing her cheek, she giggled at the contact. "You want one too, or are ya too old?" he asked Graydon, who responded by throwing his arms around their dad's neck, hugging him tightly.
"Rogue," she heard the Professor's voice calling out to her. She blinked rapidly as she pulled out of her memory. Gasping as she came back to herself, instantly conscious that her face was covered in tears.
"I'm back," she said, nodding at him, trying to refocus her vision on the room in real-time, but her eyes stung from newly formed tears.
"Here," he said, handing her a tissue.
"Thank you," she said as she wiped her face. "This is why I don't talk about my parents," she explained.
"I know," the Professor said gently. "I rarely ask you about them for this very reason," he said.
"Thanks," she said, still wiping her face.
"Of course," he said.
"Is there anything we still need ta talk about?" she asked. "'Cause I really wanna go to bed," she said.
"A report of what you discussed with Magneto, most importantly where you left it with him, and then you can retire for the evening," he promised.
"Magneto wants me to join him, he explained a little about what that would mean, I said I wanted to think about it and he let me go last night," she summarized as concisely as possible. "He showed up at the school, we talked more. I-I told him I need time to really consider what his offer meant, what following him and his cause would mean to me, and if that was something I could ever get behind," she said as she heard Mr. McCoy suck in a breath.
"I told him that with your moral code," she said, focusing on the Professor, "I know where I stand as an X-Men and I'll never lose sleep fighting for your dream of co-existence with humanity," she said as she watched the Professor's expression change, somewhere between pleased and proud. "I asked Magneto if could promise me the same and he said he didn't know," she shrugged.
"I doubt he does," the Professor remarked.
"Yes, I like Erik. He's funny and charismatic and you know all of this 'cause he was your best friend for over a decade," she ranted as he nodded in agreement. "And yes, Erik's fragment has helped me so much. But I told him this ain't a popularity contest. I already jumped teams once for that reason and I was so lucky that it was to the X-Men. That Magneto or somebody else didn't get to me first when I was a complete mess after my mom's betrayal. God, I could barely think back then," she lamented.
"Rogue, I had no idea," the Professor said.
"I know and I- I don't regret joining the X-Men. Trust me I am happy here. I like it here," she said looking at all of them. "If I ever decide to leave, it's gonna be for the right reasons," she said with conviction. "I ain't- I refuse to make a decision like that in two fucking days," she exclaimed. "So, I asked him for time to think and I know he's gonna pop up every now and remind me of his offer. And yeah, I like him and I like talking to him. But- you saw the rest of it, right? Outside the school?" she asked. "That seemed genuine to me," she said.
"Oh, it was better than genuine, it was tactical," the Professor said. "He'd be a fool to lie to you again," he said. "And Rogue, to say that I'm touched by where your argument with Magneto led, is an understatement. Thank you for your trust. I will continue to endeavor to be worthy of it as leader of the X-Men," he promised.
She smiled letting out a sigh of relief.
"Can I go to bed now, please? After I found the note, Erik's fragment and I had a fight, he hasn't been helping me fall asleep since, and I'm fucking exhausted," she admitted. "It's one of the reasons I ain't talking to him," she added as she sat back against the couch. The Professor's lit up with alarm.
"Has he caused an impediment to your sleep, in any way?" he asked.
"I don't think so. No nightmares. My mind's still quiet. I haven't heard a peep outta him," she answered.
"Stress might also be a contributing factor," Mr. McCoy added.
"And I've had heaps of that since finding the note," Rogue said.
"Yes, you have," the Professor agreed. "Rogue, I have a number of errands to run tomorrow, including buying you shoes. I don't want you leaving the institute this weekend for your own safety," he said, neither framing as a request, nor a command. More of a statement.
"All I wanna do is sleep, so, I don't think that's gonna be a problem," she said.
"I'll check on you in a few hours and bring you something to eat," he said as she stood up, gratitude in her face. "Go up to bed then," the Professor said as she stood and walked toward the door. Rogue turned back to look at him.
"Prof, could we have a review on my powers on Sunday? Maybe figure out how I can adjust my training to get help from you instead've him?" she asked.
"Gladly," the Professor said.
"Thank you," she said. The Professor gave her a nod before she left the room, closing the door behind her.
"Charles," she heard Storm through the door. "Is no one going to comment on the fact that she hasn't said no to him?"
"She can't, Ororo," the Professor said, defending her.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because of the knowledge she has of him in her mind, she-"
Rogue took a breath as she pulled herself away from the office. The Professor understood, just like Erik had said he would. She could go to sleep with a clear conscience.
Well, mostly.
