Rogue frowned at the pale expanse of a wall. It had been two days since Jubilee had given Jean the memories that haunted them. Two days of waiting and watching…listening to quiet conversations that somehow hurt even more than knowing what had happened in the basement holding area.

“Wishing you’d been there?” Logan’s soft growl had her whirling to face him a slight smile gracing her face.

“Yeah. It feels like there’s something missing. Something I should be doing.”

Logan shrugged and moved over to stand beside her. “You’ve done more than most. You’ve stood strong in the face of the adversity. You’ve kept your dignity, and your pride in tact and you’ve helped Jubilee and Kitty do likewise.”

“But I didn’t punish Jean. This wouldn’t have happened if it hadn’t been because of me.”

Logan sighed. “I think it would have. She wanted to have power, wanted to be the center of attention and nothing you said or did could change that. The only difference is that you got caught in the middle of her lust. She knew she couldn’t have what she wanted so she figured by removing you she’d get it. Don’t work that way.”

Rogue sighed. “Perhaps.”

“Hey. If you hadn’t been there I’d have never went back. I wasn’t going back for them…I was going back for you.”

Rogue nodded. “Am I ever gonna get over this guilt? It feels like a weight dragging me down and I don’t know how to stop myself.”

Logan pulled into his arms. “If I have anything to say about it. Now then I happen to know that the tribunal is first thing in the morning so what do you say we get a good nights sleep?”

Giggling Rogue nodded. “Define good nights sleep.”

“At least three hours.” Logan teased her gently.

“After the tribunal Jubilee and Kitty and I want to have a no men discussion.” Rogue admitted softly as she followed Logan down the hall to their bedroom. “A discussion about what we want, where we want to be. Can you accept that?”

Logan paused. Whatever he said now could either build or destroy Rogue’s faith in herself. “As long as you’re prepared to have me in your life in some sense yeah. I may not like it, I may resent it like hell but I’ll accept it.”

“Good. Because you, Scott, and Tank are going to have to start remodeling the spare room. Make it into a three way nursery.”

With a groan Logan ushered her into their room. “Tomorrow. Right now we’ve got better things to think of, to do.”

“Yeah? Tell me more.” Rogue giggled as Logan stripped the pale cotton dress she wore from her body.

“I’d rather show you.”



Glancing up at the sudden and unannounced opening of the door Charles, Storm, Hank, and Piotr stared at the elegantly dressed women standing in the open doorway.

“Good morning.” Rogue declared with an easy smile and moved into the room. Dressed similarly to Jubilee and Kitty in a dark pantsuit she looked calm, in control, an unfamiliar steely resolve settled upon her shoulders.

“Good morning Rogue.” Charles greeted her calmly. “How are you doing?”

Rogue smiled slightly, disbelief in her eyes. “Let’s not play with idle chitchat.”

“Okay.” Charles drawled. “What do you want?”

“Penance.” Kitty replied. “Your debt is being called in.”

“My debt?” Charles eyed the trio of girls. None looked like they would be swayed by words, or by actions. No they all looked unified and stronger than he’d have ever believed them capable of being. Separated they would be weaker, more likely to fall prey to their fears but together…together they were a solid, strong entity.

“Yeah your debt. You forgot us, left us in that place and for what? For your precious Jean? For what you thought you could get out of it?” Kitty snarled angrily. “We’re worth more than that. We’re worth more than your cause, more than your precious school and you left us behind. You treated us worse than an old pair of shoes and you owe us an apology.”

Charles nodded slowly, he didn’t trust this situation even as his gaze fell upon Rogue who eyed him with indifference. “Rogue what do you have to say? Do you agree with her?”

“She has a name.” Rogue replied coldly. “And yes I do.”

Charles nodded quickly, calmly.

“I’m sorry Rogue, I’m sorry that what happened still haunts you.” Storm whispered softly. “That we left you three to the wolves without a thought. We treated you abominably and there’s no excuse for that. There is no way we can give you back what was stolen from you and we can offer words but they aren’t hardly enough.”

Rogue shrugged and glanced at Jubilee who looked beyond furious. Her face bore the icy rage that lingered in their lives. Prone to acts of violence against themselves it was something they’d hid from the men and children around them.

Even now Jubilee’s arms bore the marks of the blades she’d trailed across them. It was so clear that she longed to bleed away the poison that still coursed through her body. Pushing the memories into Jean hadn’t made that pain disappear; it hadn’t stopped her from remembering, from feeling the pain of her captivity. Nothing would ever do that, not an apology, not Jean’s growing insanity, not a river of blood…nothing.

Listening to Kitty’s furious voice Rogue shifted, they all had so much more than what Jean and Xavier had wanted for them. They had friends, family, a cause, a reason to live. More importantly though they had the strength to walk away and when it was all said and done that was what was important.

“You know,” Rogue interrupted Kitty smoothly. “It strikes me that we’re missing part of the guilty party here. Jean should be here to take part in this tribunal. She owes us more than she can ever repay and she should know it.”

“And you don’t think that corrupting her mind is enough?” Charles demanded.

Rogue looked at him steadily before walking over to stand over him, one eyebrow raised in an eerily familiar expression. “No I don’t. You want to know what I think. I’ll tell you. I think about the drugs they pushed into my body. I think about the urine, the blood, the semen that soaked my skin, my clothes, and my hair every day. I think about the sounds of my friends screams of agony, the sounds of them begging for mercy from people that had none. Jean may be suffering right now but she has no idea what it feels like to know that you’re worthless. Destroying her mind won’t teach her that.”

“So what are you going to do?” Storm whispered fearfully.

Rogue smiled, a cold, manically expression. “Pass judgment.”

“You’ve already tortured her, marked her for life and destroyed her mind with the horrors you’ve all endured. Don’t you think that’s enough?” Charles demanded.

“Do you? If she could she’d kill me right now, and while I’m laying there bleeding out she’d fuck Logan just to spite me. I’m going to give her a taste of her own medicine. She wants to play God lets see if she can handle it. I’m not nearly as sympathetic to her as you are. I have more to fight for than just my pride.” Rogue replied and stalked out of the room leaving Jubilee and Kitty to smirk at Charles.

“What’s she going to do?” Charles demanded. “Jean is hardly a threat now.”

Kitty shrugged and giggled before glancing back at the man sitting on the floor. “She’s going to destroy what’s left of her.”

“How?”

“I do hope you brought some proper attire. Black leather isn’t really suitable for a wedding.” Jubilee snapped as she followed Kitty out of the door. “After all we’re human to.”

Sharing a glance amongst themselves Charles and his team wondered just what would happen within the bowels of their prison in the coming days.
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