Rogue stands in the shower, allowing her head to tilt back. The warmth from the steam and hot water seem to do nothing to calm her and her hands. Her eyes gaze land back onto her hands. Her trembling hands. Why can't she calm herself. She can feel trembles start in her fingers and make their way all over her body uncontrollably.
Purposely, she shakes her head and body. Rogue takes in a deep breath. "Ah'm alright. What am ah all work up about?"
She thinks back to the thugs that Wolverine had no problem dispatching and quivers. "Ah guess it's a good reason."
She steps out of the shower and wraps a towel in her hair and covers herself with a robe. Her hands wipe the steam from the mirror and she sees herself starring back. "What is mah issue? Ah've been in tighter situations before. Why is this different?"
She rolls her eyes. "Ok, Rogue. You've truly lost it. Now yah talking to yourself." She opens her bathroom door and enters her bedroom.
"Wouldn't be the first time darlin." The husky voice informs her from a chair.
Rogue slams her back into the nearby wall. "Damn it! Logan! You really gotta stop doing that..." She takes in another deep breath.
Wolverine grins. "Sorry."
Rogue shakes her head. "Just what are yah doing here anyways?" She rests her hands on her hips, demanding an answer.
Logan smiles warmly and stands from his chair. "I just wanted to make sure that you were ok. That entire event must of shaken y'ah up a bit. I mean when was the last time you were caught off guard? And with out your powers?"
Silence.
Wolverine inhales deeply and stares at the ceiling for a moment. "It's my fault." He exhales, his tone low, his eyes now on the floor.
Rogue takes a few steps forward, rests a hand on his shoulder. "How?"
He looks at her from the corner of his eyes. "I should have sensed them earlier. I should have remembered that you were wearing ..." His eyes drop back to the floor and he sighs. "If I would have been slower...you might not have..."
"Logan, sugah. I'm fine." He tries to face her, but finds he still can't. "None of this is your fault. There are some things the Great Wolverine can't control." She shrugs him lightly with her shoulder. "And ah still love your gift. And ah still had a great time."
Rogue walts over and sits firmly on her bed. "Ah just think that...that this opened mah eyes a little."
Wolverine looks over at her puzzled.
She laughs lightly and loosens her hair from the towel. "Ah think ah've just realized that ah don't ever want to be with out mah powers, but that ah do want to have control over them." She laughs again. "Does that make sense?"
Logan nodds. He stares at her a moment, trying to decide if she really is 'alright' or if he should stay a while. "Rogue..."
"Hmmm?" She begins drying her hair with the towel.
"Are you going to be alright? Do you want me...I mean need me to stay longer?" He coughs.
"I'm fine, Logan. Thanks." She raises her shoulders and smiles at him.
He waits a few moments.
"Really Logan. Now go t'ah bed. Ah'm sure yah gotta be tired."
He turns to leave, taking one glance over his shoulder he decides to exit her room. The door closes. Rogue sits on her bed, alone. She pulls up the sleeve from her robe and stares at her gift. She can't help but smile.
"Guess I gotta talk t'ah Hank in the morning."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"It's the only way." The man known as Sinister continues to work on a project while keeping his back to the cajun thief. "She has some memories, and this is the best way to assure..."
"Dat what? We keep her under control? On our side? D'is isn't going to work?" Gambit fumes as he walks back and forth trying to keep his cool.
Sinister continues to work. "Understand this. She has memories of love. Memories of a man she loved that had different red eyes. She remembers a sense of family. Of Power. And most of all a purpose." He turns and faces Remi.
"If we are able to give her that sense here, she will come to trust us more. When she does, we can implant memoriers. Then and only then will she be totally ours. But there is a piece missing to this puzzle."
Gambit sighs, dropping his shoulders. "I don't know if I can go threw with dis. Won't she be able to sense dat it's a lie...I mean..."
Sinsiter laughs. "Don't you understand why I chose you? You are a master deceiver. Charmer. You guise your emotions without effort. Why do you think I sought you out? You are the only one fit for this." He turns back to his work.
"And if dis works? Den what?" Gambit lights a cigarette and begins walking towards the door.
"Then that's when the fun begins."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sunday, bloody Sunday.
Emma sits at her spot on the balcony, coffee in hand. Her eyes never leaving the marvel on her finger. He never did ask 'the question', but she knew what this was a symbol of. Their love. She really couldn't picture herself walking down an aisle in a white gown anyways.
"Hmmmm...white."
How she so loves that shade. Pure. Perfect.
Besides, she isn't here to replace Jean. She's here of her own free will. She thinks back to their moment on the balcony and decides that, that moment was all she'll ever need. The hell with getting officially married in front of a bunch of people, this token is more then good enough. Plus it looks like it must have cost him a fortune. If that isn't proof of anything, then what was?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Ah don't know how to thank you Hank. It means more then yah could know." Rogue squeezes Beast for about the seventh time.
"Yes, yes. I'm glad you like it. It really is quite spectacular." He smiles straightening out his back.
Rogue covers her mouth with her hand trying to suppress the giggles she can feel rising. Not only does Beast know that he is a Genius for coming up with this, but Rogues constant praises do something to raise his pride.
"I just wanted to know, how did you get mah name to glow like that?" She asks truly interested.
"My dear, if I were to explain this, I would be revealing my secrets. There for, it would no longer be a magnifiscent wonder." We winks and struts past her to the hall. "Please let me know if you discover any malfuctions of any kind."
"Will do. Ah'm sure it would be something noticable." She giggles.
"Well take care. I'm off to relax." By that she knows he means 'I'm off to conduct more experiments and do some research'.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A few weeks have passed.
Rogue has been using her bracelet when ever she can. The only time she has vowed to ever have it 'off' will be during a mission.
Emma has been showing off her newest piece of jewelry as well. Knowing that it must bother Wolverine, she flaunts it every chance she gets. But there's one thing she still quite doesn't understand. Why can't Wolverine just accept her and Scotts relationship? Either way, she gets some sort of satisfaction knowing she has someone other then Kitty to aggravate.
Wolverine has been busy training, teaching and brooding as usual.
Scott has been doing all of his usual routines and then some.
A week back, Emma had managed to pick up an unknown mutant registry with Cerebra. Somehow, that mutant was linked with Sinister. Emma was not able to make out exactly what connection the two might have, but she was more then certain they were planning to attack. Soon. Further more, she was certain that he wanted them to know this.
All this information had become priority for Cyclops. He didn't know why. Somehow, something was bothering him. Something just wasn't right, didn't add up. Something was very disturbing. He can feel it in the air. And he knew Emma could to, but she just wasn't saying anything.
Now.
Scott Summers sits at his desk, watching the sun set. The sun.
"Something is coming..." He closes his eyes trying to focus. Something is coming.
With out notice, he hears Emma in his thoughts. "Scott, you need to assemble a team." He can sense tension in her thoughts. "A small team. But quickly."
"What? Why?" He stands and heads for the prep room.
"Because..." She pauses. "They're coming."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Well, I know you are all curious as to why we've summoned you here." Scott stares at the team before him.
"Damn straight." Wolverine leans against the wall glaring at Cyclops. "We haven't heard of any sort of threat or at least haven't been privileged to that information. You ask us to meet here, and tell us we are embarking on a mission. Hell, you know I'm up for it. It just sounds a bit...fishy Summers."
Cyclops points to a middle console. A series of lights flicker, and then a village map image pops up. "This is where we suspect that the Marauders are going. Their reason is still unknown. All we know is that the village is occupied by many civilians."
Logan shifts his weight. "No offense. I get we are going there to protect the civilians. But so far, you are saying they have no motives for going there?"
"Not that we know of." Scott turns his head to Emma.
"It's a trap. Obviously. That's why we are sending in a small team. We already have a second team waiting on stand by."
"That's just great." Logan shakes his head. "So who's all going now?"
Emma takes a few steps forward. "I will remain here with Cerebra. Havok will leading the second team. Scott will be leading the first."
Cyclops nods. "Team A will consist of Wolverine, Rogue, Kitty, Beast and myself. Our objective, intersect the Marauders before they can cause any damage."
Rogue stands and stretches her arms. "Well what we waiting for?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Is it just me, or has it been hours since we've been here and nothing. I think Emma might have been wrong." Kitty smirks, crossing her arms.
Wolverine taps Kitty on the shoulder. "Zip it kid. I hate waiting as much as the next guy. But somethings got Cyke all wound up. So that means we're in it for the long run."
Sniff, sniff.
"Cyke...I..."
Cyclops climbs down from a pile of rock that he had been perched on. "I know Wolverine."
Rogue, Kitty and Beast exchange looks of confusion.
Wolverine follows Scott down the hill into the village. Without looking back at the group, he tells them. "It's Jean."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Gambit sits comfortably on a hill of grass overlooking the little town. Chills crawl up and down his spine. He can't tell if it's excitement or fear. Fear of what? He shrugs it off and feels a hand on his shoulder. He looks up to see green eyes looking at him.
"They are ready. Are you?" The woman in black walks to the edge of the hill.
"Of corse chere. Lets get dis done." He smiles and trails behind her.
*~*~*~*~*~*
Wolverine points in the direction he smells the scent coming from. "That way." He signals for the rest to follow.
Rogue catches up with Cyclops, worried. "Hey do yah think that maybe..."
"Maybe she's the Dark Phoenix?" He doesn't even look her way, he just keeps up his paste and she does her best to follow. "Yes. I'm positive. But for some reason, there's no link."
Rogues eyes widen. "You mean the link you two have always shared?" He doesn't say anything and she knows the answer. "Ah see. So that can't be good."
Realization sets in. "God. That means that we are going to have to...."
Again, she receives silence. This time she stands still and the group keeps on. She stares at Cyclops and then at Wolverine. "Oh God. Not again." A lonely tear falls from her eye to the ground.
Soon enough, the Marauders are spotted. Walking out in plain view. Why?
Wolverine scans the area. No signs of Jean anywhere. He's just about to pounce on Gambit who walks by him in the shadows, then something strange happens. His skin begins to burn.
She's here, why didn't I smell her?
He's whipped across the road to the next building and slams into the wall. His body slides down the bricks and lands limp on the ground.
"Damn." As soon as he makes it to his knees he sees her coming. She so close why? She knows better. Logan grabs her by the neck and slams her into the ground. He clenches his right fist and allows his claws to be released.
Snikt.
"What the hell Jeannie? Why are you back here?" He looks her up and down quick. "And what the hell is with the new get up? This a new thing I got to be worried about?"
She doesn't answer, just struggles against his grip. She can easily set herself free but she doesn't. Wolverines fist slowly begins to back off.
"What the..."
A blast goes off beside him. Wolverine ducks his head and then glances over his right shoulder to see Gambit standing in the street, lighting up some more cards.
"Get your damn hands off m'ah wife, animal. Dats no way to treat a woman."
Wolverine eyes widen. Then he notices it, a ring on both their fingers.
The Wolverine & Rogue Fanfiction Archive
Barely Legal Since 2000
Author's Chapter Notes:
This chapter was very fun for me to write. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it :)
Disclaimer : Bah you know what goes here, utter dissapointment lol
Disclaimer : Bah you know what goes here, utter dissapointment lol
Chapter End Notes:
Yup this one had a twist and was nice and long compaired to the rest. Please review :D