The darkness of midnight seemed more welcoming than the bright light of day as she moved through the hallways. Stocking clad feet were soundless as the slim figure moved through the shadows.

In one hand was a thick leather bound book and in the other a pair of black leather pumps. Moving silently, softly she paused outside of a door and sat the book down. Rising to her feet she turned and drifted along the corridor to the stairwell.

With each step further from her room, her steps seemed to lighten, seemed to become freer, a reminder of the young woman she’d once been. Hands encased in satin tugged on the leather as she slipped her shoes on before stepping outside. Walking down the stairs she pulled on the long dark cloak and hurried across the driveway to the waiting car.

Without a sound the car pulled away from the mansion grounds and headed east, toward the city. There was no conversation; no indication of anything but the sound of the engine’s inaudible purr as the pair flew threw the night.


Rubbing sleep from his eyes, Bobby opened the door to his room and blinked in shock at the sound of a thud. Glancing down he knelt to pick up the journal, a slight frown marring his face.

Opening it his frown deepened as he realized he couldn’t understand what had been written. Flipping through the pages, he paused on the last on. Blank but for several lines, the handwriting was achingly familiar and he blinked as he glanced around before turning his attention back to the words.

It’s a cheatin’ situation, a stealin’ invitation, to take what’s not really ours and make it through the midnight ours. Just a cheap imitation, doing what we have to do when there’s no love at home. There’s no use pretending there’ll be a happy ending, there isn’t one. I can’t be the one you want anymore. I love him too much to go through life feeling as though I’m being unfaithful to him. R

Closing the door softly he sank back onto his bed as he realized exactly what it meant. Rogue had gone, she’d gone to him. To the one man that everyone feared. He glanced out the window and sighed. He only prayed that Logan understood the magnitude of her sacrifice, that for Rogue her time here at the mansion had come to a close. Tucking the book into a drawer, Bobby laid down on his bed and blinked at the tears that froze before they could fall from his eyes.

“It’s a cheatin’ situation, a stealin’ invitation…just a cheap imitation.” He whispered. “But it felt real to me.”