::I thought that you'd be here by now::
::There's nothing but the rain::
::No footsteps on the ground::
::I'm listening but there's no sound::

Marie shivered, thankful that the cloak that she had worn was waterproof. She was so tired. Being a good girl, she was usually inside her nice, warm, comforting room at ten o'clock at night, not out in the pouring rain. But Cody had promised to meet her here. Her fingers slipped into her pocket, feeling the paper that he has slipped to her during chemistry. "Meet me by Crooked Creek at ten tonight. I have a surprise for you," he had written.

Sighing, she looked at her watch. The glaring red numbers announced the time: 10:48 PM. Feeling like a grade-A fool, she knelt down, putting her hand to the cement. No rumbles, no noises. She'd been set up again. Fighting back tears, she stood, and made her way back home.

::Isn't anyone trying to find me?::
::Won't somebody come take me home?::
::It's a damn cold night::
::Trying to figure out this life::

Looking around the depressing town of Laughlin City, Rogue slowly trudged her way to the bar that she had seen. Usually the bars were a good hiding spot for a while. Nobody asked too many questions, and, while she did get some unusual offers, she felt safe in the smoky, noisy bars. She grimaced, and realized just how much Marie had died. Marie wouldn't have stopped at a bar, but Rogue realized the usefulness of such a place. She sighed, and pulled her cloak closer around herself. As her body walked towards the building, her mind went back to its war with itself. While Marie felt upset that her family hadn't even looked for her, Rogue knew that the turn of events was for the best. After all, who would want a mutant daughter that could kill them with a hug? Pushing open the bar doors, she thought back to her predicament. What did mutants do to live? She knew that more normal mutants, like telepaths and those that didn't look different, could make a normal living. But what did the others do? The ones who looked different, or, like herself, couldn't control their powers? Smiling cynically to herself, she thought 'well, besides join the circus. But I always did tell Grandma that I wanted to join the circus. Heh.'

::I'm looking for a place::
::Searching for a face::

::Is anybody here I know?::

As she entered the smoky environment, she looked around for any familiar faces. At the bar in North Dakota, her uncle had almost caught her. After that, she learned to look first, and find another place if anyone looked even remotely familiar. Aside from the attraction to the fighter in the cage, it felt safe, and not one person tipped off the bells in her head. She pulled up a seat at the bar, and ordered a glass of water. Maybe she could drown the protests of her stomach if she tried hard enough.

::Won't you take me by the hand::
::Take me somewhere new?::
::I don't know who you are::
::But I... I'm with you::

When the bar fighter sat down later, she knew. Even though he didn't look different, and she wasn't even paying attention to him, she knew he was like her. A mutant. She also noticed that she felt immediately grounded, and safe. Rogue sighed deeply, savoring that feel. It had been too long since she felt safe. When his opponent pulled out a knife, she hadn't hesitated to warn him. But she also noticed that he was moving before she even said a word. 'Almost like he heard it.' she noted. When he later left, she faltered for a moment, then left the bar, following him. She didn't know who he was, but she should be able to get a to further away from Laughlin City before he noticed her. If she was honestly lucky, he may even take her someplace new. A feeling of rightness settled around her, and she sighed, pulling her cloak around her tighter.

She might even find home.

::Oh why is everything so confusing?::
::Maybe I'm just out of my mind.::

The End

---

Okay, X-Men are not mine, nor is "Damn Cold Night" by Avril Lavigne. Here are the whole lyrics:

I'm standing on a bridge,
I'm waiting in the dark,
I thought that you'd be here by now.
There's nothing but the rain,
No footsteps on the ground,
I'm listening but there's no sound.

Chorus:
Isn't anyone trying to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night.
Trying to figure out this life
Won't you take me by the hand?

Take me somewhere new,
I don't know who you are,
but I... I'm with you.

I'm looking for a place,

Searching for a face,
Is anybody here I know?
Cause nothings going right,
And everything's a mess,
And no one likes to be alone.

Chorus

oh why is everything so confusing
maybe I'm just out of my mind
yea yea yea

Chorus

Take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
but I... I'm with you
I'm with you

Take me by the hand
take me somewhere new
I don't know who you are
but I... I'm with you
I'm with you
I'm with you...