~Chapter 8~

Exiting the elevator and entering the kitchen, Rogue dropped her jacket on the tiled floor and stepped outside. Feeling the rain on her face and wash away all the pain that she felt, the tears came undone.Hands on the railing, her shoulders violently shook.

Knowing that he and Jean slept together made her want scream and hate them, but add in her carring his baby, all hell was sure to errupt.

Throwing her head back and screaming, lightening rained down all over the estate.
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Watching as more and more lightening continued to fall, Storm and Emma frowned.

"How long will she keep this up?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know. Can you cancel it out with your own ability?"

Shaking her head, Storm sighed. "I been trying, but the anger that she is emanting, is driving her for dominance over me."

"We can't let her continue this."

Storm agreed. "The only person that she would listen to, is the very one who brought all this on."

"How close were they?"

"Honestly?"

Emma nodded.

"We all thought he was biding his time until she was legal, but as him and Jean teased one another more often, we saw it for what it was. He was merely concerned and keeping his promise to her, that he would take care of her."

She raised an eyebrow. "Did none of you ever take into account that the beast that he has inside is what leads him back to her?"

Leaning forward, Storm glimplsed the file on her desk before she placed it in one of the drawers. "Why are you so facinated with Wolverine?"

Tilting her head, Emma's gaze hardened. "Why do you ask?"

"The file was the size of a dictionary."

Leaning back in her chair, she gave a sigh. "Let's just say, I know more about him than any of you could imagine."

"You know about his past?"

"As well as one of your X-Men."

"Who?"

"That is not for me to say. I have my own reasons for my intrest in him."

Accepting that she wouldn't tell more, Storm sighed."When can you use Cerebro?"

"Now." Standing, Emma excused herself.

Nodding, her gaze landed on the sky that mirrored the one lost to her pain.
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Feelind the rain mold and caress her face, Rogue slid to the ground and hugged her knees to herself.

"Need a friend?"

Looking up, she found Kitty kneeling before her. "No. Just go."

Frowning and ignoring the rain soaking her freshly changed clothes, she took a seat beside her. "I bet you were scared when you first came here. It's different and you're new here. If I was in your shoes, I would've..."
"How could he." Her broken voice sounded.

"It will get better." Releasing a breath and wrapping an arm around her bare shoulders, she sighed. "I know it's hard to imagine, but it will."

"She's carrying his baby."

"You wouldn't want to switch shoes with her and..."

"That's the thing, I would."

Seeing the honest and truth in her eyes, Kitty sighed. "How far does your feelings for Logan actually go?"

"I would die to be in his arms and kill to switch places with any woman he takes to bed."

"But why him?"

Turning her face up towards the sky, a small lazy smile streatched across her lips. "Even after that first night when he stabbed me and I took his healing mutation and about killed him, he never feared touching me. I would never want to be with someone that didn't see me back then, as they would if I was able to touch. And I know with Logan he would care for me and how I'm effected first. I never wanted to admit it out loud, but I'm in love with him and I guess I always will be."

"That's understandable, but..."

"No buts, Kitty." Standing and releasing a breath, the storm suddenly came to a stop and the stars became visable. "I can't just move on and start something, until I can stop saying 'what if'."

Coming to her feet, she nodded. "And the baby?"

"I don't know...I'm going to head in. You should do the same." Turning, she walked off.

"I never wanted this."

Jumping and piviting on her feet, Kitty placed a hand on her heart. "Mr. Logan, you scared me."

"Sorry kid, never intended to." Moving towards the railing where his Marie once stood, he took in her scent and smiled.

"May I ask a question?"

He nodded.

"Did you ever think of Rogue as more than a 'kid'?"

Looking out at the massive puddles, he sighed. "Truthfully?"

She nodded.

"Yes. I once did."

"Then what stoped you when she became legal?"

Facing her, Logan raised an eyebrow. "You have alot of questions."

Daring to take a step, she stared him dead in the eyes. "This all could've been avoided, if you didn't fear what everyone thought. So you make me question, if you cared enough for her to begin with."

Jerking back as if slapped, he narrowed his eyes. "Don't you dare question how much I care for her."

"So you still do?"

" Yes and I never will stop."

"Then why didn't you tell her!" Kitty yelled, out into the night.

Releasing a breath and allowing all the anger and tension to leave him, Logan said the one thing that made her rethink all she thought she knew.

"Xavier and his threat to kick her out."
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Entering the sub-basement, Emma motioned all in the briefing room. Once all were settled, she began.

"I have used Cerebro and I located Xavier." Pausing and taking a step to the left, the rather large computer screen showed a damn.

"There's nothing there." Logan stated.

She shook her head. "There's nothing on the surface, but underground is a lab and tunnels ran by a man, named William Stryker. He is...."

"I will deal with him."

Storm frowned. "We all want a piece of him for all that he did, but..."

"He is the reason I have animanium in my body." He growled, as his claws extended.

Gasping, the students who were present shrank back from him.

"Trust me, I understand more than anybody." Emma stated. "But back to what I was saying, Stryker has taken Xavier so he may wipe out the mutant race."
Scott folded his arms. "Is that possible?"

"Yes. The Proffessor can lock on to all the mutants or humans, if he chose and killed them with a mere thought."

Jean added. "He is that strong."

"Stryker is using his son's telepathy gift to aid him in doing this." Emma finished.

"How are we geting in?" Bobby inquired.

"I will have Rogue enter and open the flood gates for us to enter."

Immediately, the room errupted into chaos.

"Silence!"

Promptly closing their mouths , all eyes landed on the figure at the far left of the table.

"I want to hear this plan out."

Giving Rogue a nod, she continued. "In her stay here, she has absorbed one of my students abilites to shapeshift and she will use that to get in."

"Who will she change into?"

Giving Scott a wicked smile, Emma winked at her.

Closing her eyes and releasing a breath, Rogue felt her skin begin to crawl. Feeling her body finish with a select few adjustments, she opened her eyes.

"Amazing. I didn't know she could master another's mutation so easily." Storm stated, touching her pointy hair.

Logan scoffed. "Me? You think Stryker won't release a fake?"

"Hopefully, she will have enough time to get past and make it to the control room."

"You seem to have awefully alot of faith in her?" Jean challenged.

Unfazed, Emma raised an eyebrow. "A matter of fact, I do. Is that a problem?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She is a only a kid and has never been on such an extreme mission. She needs to sit this out, or help in another way."

"You didn't think I was a kid when you punched me a good one to the face." Rogue challenged as she took a step and shifted back to herself. "If I recall correctly, you called me a 'whore'?" She about growled, as Caro blocked her from reaching the red head.

Folding her arms, Jean smiled. "You are the one that dared to leave the guys' rooms at a late hour. I couldn't help but notice."

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head. "We were drinking. The guys would steal a couple of beers and blame it on Logan."

He raised an eyebrow at that, as he rethought how many times him and wonder boy got into it over swiping his beer.

Jean went quite.

"And after we enter, we will spit up into teams." Emma voiced, as a 3D hollogram appeared in the middle of the table. "Storm and Nightcrawler will take the west tunnels and gather Xavier from where he is being kept." Pushing a button, the map of the tunnels changed. "Here is the northern tunnels that will lead to an emergancy exit. I want Kitty, Bobby, and Gypsy making sure no one leaves. Knock them unconcious if you must. Also in this part of the tunnels, is where the children will be kept. Myself and Scott will handle them." Once more pressing a button, the map changed. "Here, Rogue will be waiting for her back up. Majestic and Wolverine will meet her at the control room and together, I want you all to gather any documents that talk about the experiments and mutant activity. Once everyone's job is done, make your way back to the jet that will be waiting."

Jean frowned. "What about me?"

Emma folded her arms. "Sorry, but in your condition, you are no use. If you become injured, you risk miscarrying.
I don't want that on my concious."

Mumbling under her breath, she sat back and listened as more discussion about the mission was shared.
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Jerking upright, Rogue felt tears cascade down her face. Fixing her face and glimpsing the clock, she groaned.

Three forty-one.

No way ws she going back to bed. Sitting up and heading for the door, she stiffled a yarn. Silently closing the door behind her, she quietly decended the steps. Upon entering the kitchen, she froze.

Placing his beer down, Logan gave a small smile. "You're up early."

Sighing, she made move to return to her room.

"Marie, don't go. Please." He desperatly called out.

Haulting and facing him, she entered. Retreiving a glass out of the cabnet and pouring a glass of milk, she popped it in the microwave. All the while, he remained silent and observing her.

"Are you done staring?"

Jumping and looking at his beer, he sighed. "I wanted to talk to you, but I didn't know what to say and..."

"Then don't." She bit out. "Because it won't change a thing."

"I know it won't, but I need you to know that I'm sorry about all this."

Narrowing her eyes and pointing to her arm that was still coated in a small line of blood, she tilted her head. "Sorry won't take away the pain."

Moving towards her and moving to grab her arm, he opted for tracing the mark with his eyes. "Popsickle said that you use to cut, but stopped?"

Sighing, she gave a small nod. "I should've known he wouldn't keep it to himself."

"What made you stop?"

Looking him dead in the face, she frowned. "You."

"Me? How?"

Taking two steps back and leaning on the counter where her milk waited, she folded her arms. "After you boarded that train and promised to take care of me. I knew you would make sure I had all I wanted and you did."

"And when you found out about me and Jean, you started back up again?"

She nodded.

"Look, I never knew that you lov..."

"Don't. I don't want to hear it." Grabing her glass of warm milk, she faced him. "It's in the past and it's best that it remains there. You have a baby to think about." And with that, he found himself alone.
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Looking out the window, he sighed.

"You alright over there?" Emma casually asked, while she continued to check the radar for oncoming objects.

"What do you think? My wife's been cheating on me and now carrying another man's child." Scott bitterly voiced, as he steered.

"Miserable and I completely understand. But you need to talk to her about what your relationship."

Puting the jet on auto pilot, he faced her. "You think this is karma, for what we did back in the day?"

Smiling, she shook her head. "No. Jean was just curious about the common bad boy and got caught in the middle."

"You honestly believe that?"

"Yes. And we were a different story."

"What you mean?"

"I didn't come onto you, until you and her were on a break. You were fair game and that's the major difference. She slept with Wolverine because she wanted to know what it was like and got lost. It's her fault for all this. "

Falling silent, Scott cut the auto pilot off and returned
to pioneering the jet.
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"So you think of coming back?" Kitty asked, as Bobby held her hand.

Looking from their touching skin, she shook her head. "Honestly, no."

She frowned. "You now Jubes miss you."

"I know, but I..." Falling silent, she unstrapped her seatbelt and moved towards the back window. Glimpsing out of it, she gasped. "On coming missel!" She yelled.

Finding a moving object on the screen before her, Emma gave Storm a look.

Nodding, her eyes glossed and they entered a cloud of fog.

"John." Scott called.

Standing and moving to the jet door that was opening, he shot a fire ball out. Retaking his seat, all relaxed as the missel followed. As Rogue turned and made for her seat, there was a sudden hit to their left. Falling, she tried to come to her feet, but found a strong wind pulling at her. Turning and spotting the hole in the back of jet, she gasped. Looking up and locking gazes with Logan, she reached out for him.

But before she could get a good grip, she was pulled out of the jet.

Watching as she went sailing through the hole, his heart stopped. Reaching up, he struggled to unfasten his seatbelt. Out the corner of his eye, there was a blue puff of smoke and the smell of sulfer. Ignoring it, he moved to stand. But just as he came to his feet, another smoke screen appeared and out of that appeared two figures.

Holding on to him with a death grip, Rogue said a silent thanks to all that were hearing. Feeling the jet land, she released a breath and stood. Releasing a breath, she gave the blue skinned man a smile. "Thanks."

"It t'was n'thing ." Kurt kindly stated.

Smiling and having the group come up and share a few words, Rogue soon found herself alone with Logan.
"You kinda gave me a me a heart attack, kid."

"Sorry I just..." Feeling strong arms around her, she
tensed. Turning, she released a breath and smirked. "I'm fine, no need to squeeze me tod death again." She lightly teased.

"You scared me." Caro stated, as he set her back on her feet.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I am sorry. I am to always have your back and tonight I let you..."

"No you didn't. No one knew there was going to a missel and could've expected what was going to happen next." She calmly replied. Raising her hand and squeezing his bisep, she smiled. "I know you will always be there and that's why I wanted you as my partner."

Nodding, he walked off to join the others near the fire.
Narrowing his eyes on the brute, Logan's attention zoomed in on her.

Spotting the all known raised eyebrow and silent question, she sighed. "He's a friend, so calm down."

"I don't like him."

"And I don't care." Turning, she tried to pass him. Taking a step to the left, he blocked her path. "Logan, just let it go and..."

"No." He about growled.

Taken back, she frowned. "And why not?"

"We need to talk."

"I don't want to hear..."

"I'm sorry for everything that happened and I just..Hell, I'm sorry for puting you in that situation." He mumbled. "I just...I knew you wouldn't tell and I'm sorry for not saying anything, until it was too late."

Releasing a breath, she shook her head. "Sorry won't take back the pain and my mental breatkdown."

Moving closer, he frowned. "I wish you went through that again."

Folding her arms, she looked away. "I should've known that Bobby would've said something."

"What caused you to stop before?"

"...You..."

"Me? How?"

Facing him, she sighed. "After you said you would take care of me that day on the train, you gave me something to live for."

Brushing her hair back and out of her face, his eyes turned soft. "I will and that won't never change."

"And what about the baby?"

"Let me worry about that."

She shook her head. "I don't need you."

"But I need you."

Opening her mouth to reply, she found herself silenced as his lips claimed her's in a deep and soul shattering kiss.
Pulling the resisiting girl closer to him, Logan lightly bit her lip. Moaning, Rogue melted under his touch. Just as he got her to open her cavern and moved to explore, her mutation began it's pull. Jerking back, but keeping her in his arms, he leaned his forehead against her covered one.

Releasing a shaky breath, she was speechless.

"I always cared for you, Marie. And back then before I chose to act, I was told it was wrong. I'm sorry, for everything. Give me a chance to make it up and see where we can go." He huskily voiced, as his gloved hand caressed her jaw.

Closing her eyes, she took a step back and out the shelter of his arms. Sighing, she gave him a sad look. "I...I just can't do this." Turning, she passsed him.

Reaching out, he cought her arm. "At least think about it."

Nodding, Rogue swiftly exited the jet.

Growling, Logan regained control of his emotions and did the same.
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Watching as her new student took a seat along side Caro, Emma frowned. Hearing slight stumps, her attention returned to a frowning Wolverine. Shaking her head, she sighed.

"We were hit and the jet needs to be fixed. It should only take a few hours and we can continue to Alkali Lake."
Standing, Caro frowned. "It will at least take a four hours, since I don't have a small laser and..."

"Scott?"

Raising an eyebrow, he saw the silent question. "I'll help you."

Nodding, the two men walked off, back towards the jet.

"Where did you get that mark from?" Storm voiced.

Facing her, Kurt frowned. "What mark?" His accent sounded, gaining all attention.

"On your neck."

He shrugged. "This I do not know. I have hard times remembering."

Looking towards Emma, she frowned.

Standing and walking over, she claimed the log beside him. "I am gifted with telepathy. I can look in her head and see what happened, that you can not remember. May I?"

Nodding, the two became lost to the world.

Coming to her feet, Rogue turned and entered the forest.

Watching as she went, Logan moved to follow, but Kitty and the Melody female ran after her. Growling to himself, he sat back down.
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Walking in a daze, she about tripped over a fallen branch.

"You alright?"

Turning, she found both girls eyeing her. "Yeah, just thinking."

Taking up on her left, Melody looped her arm through hers. "Wanna talk about it?"

Looking down at the ground, she fell silent.

"He told you then, didn't he?" Kitty voiced.

Head jerking in her direction,s eh frowned. "He told you?"

Nodding she sighed. "After you left me in the aftermath of your storm, he appeared."

"He heard everything?"

"Yeah."

"Then what stopped him from telling me years ago?"

Pausing, she raised an eyebrow. "Think about it. Who had the most influence and power at the mansion and no one
would think ill of."

Eyes going wide as saucers, she felt confused on all she thought she once knew.

"Proffessor."
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After all was said and done, Emma found her gaze landing on Logan. Sighing, she walked over.

"What do you want?" He bit out, as he bit his beef jerky.

"Is it true you don't recall nothing from your past?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Releasing a breath, she pulled out a picture. Watching as his eyes widdened, she frowned. "You don't remember her, do you?"

"Who is she?"

Running a finger over the smiling brown head, she felt tears gather in her eyes. "Kayla. She was my older
sister."

Eyeing the smiling male in the picture, he frowned. "Was?"

"She died years ago." Facing him, she frowned. "You don't remember me, do you?"

"Should I?"

Closing her eyes, she turned away and stared off into the forest. "Years ago, I was kidnapped by Styker and he..."
"The same Stryker that did this to me?" He demanded, as his claws came sprawling out.

She nodded. "I don't know everything, but Kayla worked for him to free me. At that time he was taking mutants and studying our mutation. He even didn mutations. Stryker put Kayla on a mission to befriend and keep an eye on you, since you left the group. After that, all I know is that you saved us and that was the day I met Xavier." Facing him, she revealed a tear streaked face. "I wanted to know how she died and it's in your mind. If you want to know about your past, then permit me to enter you head."

Looking down at the picture one last time, he nodded. As she touched his temples, he a movie of his paste ran through his mind in a blink of an eye.

He saw him killing his birth father then finding out him and Victor were brothers to running away and fighting in all the past wars. Next came Victor becoming currupt by the power and then being jailed, that soon followed with how they met Styker. After that, it all became a blur until he left the group of mutants and found Kayla.
She was his all and what kept him from believing he was a beast. Then her fake death and him crawling back to Stryker for the animanium and escaping, when he threatened to clean his memories. The old couple who passed, made him think of his own parents, or rather who he thought were his parents. Him killing Zero and declaring coming after Stryker. Then a nother blur of events, until he leapt free of Gambit's plane and entered the island's facility.

There, he once more felt all the betrayal over what Kayla did and when he came back to save her from dieing at the hands of his brother, Sabortooth. They fought and as he was going to kill him, it was Kayla that reminded him he wasn't an animal. Then together they freed the children and as they exited Dead Pool, a.k.a. Wade blocked their path.

After fighting and taking him out with his brother like in the old days when they had each other's back, he came across Kayla. Promising to take care of her and picking her up, she soon fell to the ground as Stryker shot him with an animanium bullet. Placing her down and approaching, he was soon shot in the skull three times, that successfully knocked him unconious.

When he came back, he had no memory of himself and Gambit led him away. But before they exited, he spotted the fallen woman dead on the ground. Stating he didn't know her, they were gone.

Droping her hand, Emma gave a small smile. "She knew she was shot and let us go so we wouldn't be cought. She was my hero, even till the day she died." She mumbled as she eyed the picture of her smiling sister.

"You and one eye, I saved you both."

She nodded. "He don't remember I think though."
Shaking his head, one fact scared him the most. "Sabortooth's my brother."

Seeing the dismay on his face, she couldn't hold the smile that graced her face. "You have alot to sort through and...thank you. I finally know the truth."

Watching as she walked off, Logan had a major headache.
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