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Story Notes:
Character Death! Sorry! I wrote this from the perspective of someone who has had to wear long sleeve in summer because of a skin disorder. Of someone who people didn't want to touch because they believed psoriasis is contagious which it's not. I feel for Rogue in a lot of ways. Poor girl.
Author's Chapter Notes:
It occurred to me that people are cruel beasts sometimes and I had to wonder what Rogues frame of mind would be like if she chose not to get the cure out of some obscure sense of loyalty that wasn't returned. I've since crucified the plot bunny that gave me this idea.
'Why?'

'Why?'

'Why?'

'Why?!' The word races around my head making me dizzy. 'Why did Ah develop this mutation? Why is my skin deadly? Why can Ah only ever take?'

'Take.'

'Take.'

'Take!'

'Taking life, power, souls, dreams, wishes, hopes. It's all Ah can do. Its my only talent. Ah take with a touch. And thats all Ah want. Touch.'

'Touch.'

'Touch.'

'Touch!'

'Everyone avoids me. Keeping their distance even when I'm wearing all my layers. They know instinctively. Survival instinct. Thats what he called it. My knight. My gruff knight on his two wheeled steed. He touches me but never skin to skin. Never. Not safe and he knows it. The cure. Right, cure. They all looked at me like Ah committed a sin. They can touch, feel, have, hold, kiss, hug. So many things they can do that Ah can't. Ah want it. Ah need it.'

'Need.'

'Need.'

'Need!'

'The professor knew. He understood. Told me I'd never have it under control. Impossible he said. Now he's dead. Lucky. Why are they looking at me? Ah didn't take the cure. Ah wanted to but Ah didn't, couldn't, wouldn't. They would have abandoned me, kicked me out, told me to leave. Ah can't lose my family. Family.'

'Family.'

'Family.'

'Family!'

'People crying. Bobby holding Kitty. Why won't he hold me anymore? He won't look at me. Storm avoiding me. I miss them. Scott and Jean and the Professor. All gone, dead and gone. Ah want to be alone.'

'Alone.'

'Alone.'

'Alone!'

'Voices in my head. They never shut up. Always talking, always yelling, screaming, fighting. No one hears them anymore. No one wants to. Pity the poor girl. Can't touch, isn't safe, of the world but not in it. They all watch me with pity eyes. Pitying me but glad they aren't me. Even with obvious mutations, blue skin, strange hands, eyes. Glad they aren't me because they can touch. Why? Why do I have to be alone?'

'Why?'

'Why?'

'Why?'

---------------------------------------------------------------

Logan watched her through the glass. She sat in a corner her arms wrapped around her legs rocking back and forth. He looked over at the man standing beside him. The professor in his new body. He had a pained look on his face. "Can ya help her Chuck?"

"I'm afraid I don't know Logan. She's withdrawn into herself. I don't know that she even has the will to live."

Logan turned his eyes back to her. He felt Xavier leave and he kept watching her. He remembered the day it happened. She'd been watching all the kids in the rec room on Christmas day. Opening presents giggling and pushing each other as they jostled for a better spot next to the tree. She had tried to ease closer. Several of the kids had shrunk away from her and finally one had glared at her. "Why won't you just go away? No one wants you close. No one wants to die!"

She had gaped at the kid her eyes had gone flat and she sank to her knees on the floor. He had swept in and picked her up taking her out of the rec room. He'd waited for her to come around but she never had. They'd moved her to the med bay. Two days later she'd left the gurney and walked unseeing into the observation cell and sat on the floor wrapping her arms around her legs and just sat in the corner. That had been four days ago. She was dieing. Logan could smell it. Then it occurred to him that maybe she had died Christmas day and her body was only now catching up.

He heart her heart slowing and walked into the cell. Crouching down he looked at her while her heart stopped beating. She looked up at him with unseeing eyes and spoke just one word. "Why?"
---------------------------------------------------------------

Logan buried her alone. No one came to her funeral. No one wanted to. He mounted the stone with her name and the dates. He scored it with his claws and read the epitaph. A single word that said so much.

"Why?"
Chapter End Notes:
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