Author's Chapter Notes:
(Translations at the bottom)
Rogue stayed out in the hallway. Tense. Alert. Prepared.

She ignored the heavy rocks of guilt that dropped into her stomach at the expressions of hope on the X-Men’s faces as they stepped out of the elevator into the sickbay corridor. Rogue averted her eyes when Ororo attempted to catch her attention and Kurt and Piotr gave her encouraging smiles before following Hank into Charles’ room. Seeing her, Scott paused for a moment, the look on his face a study of conflict and Rogue lifted her chin challengingly, almost daring him to approach her. Out of the three who turned on her, it was him that hurt her most and he knew it. Scott made a move towards her but was stopped by the arrival of Logan and Emma, his face falling when Rogue looked away and his chance was gone.

Logan escorted Emma Frost inside and Rogue unblinkingly matched the appraising look sent her way by the Hellfire Club executive. Logan’s eyes touched Emma’s shoulder, breaking the standoff between the two women and sent Rogue a reproving look. Unrepentant, she responded with an arched eyebrow.

Watching through the glass window, Rogue took in the tightening of Emma’s lovely features as she pressed two fingers to the side of her head, concentrating all her telepathic power into one direct channel to access the professor’s mind. Minutes passed, everyone’s eyes focused on the unconscious man they were standing around, but it was clear Emma was unable to break through. Their harsh disappointment wafted out to where Rogue was standing, and she willed her growing guilt away and fed instead the relief that came forward at the blond telepath’s failure. And her success.

Emma Frost shot a glance at Logan and he frowned, turning his head to watch Rogue return to Laura’s room.


*****



“You’re wrong.” He was getting angry.

Emma sighed dramatically. “I’m not, Logan. There is no doubt in my mind Rogue is responsible for the professor’s condition.”

They were standing in front of Jean’s memorial, the faint rays of the dying sun backlighting the mansion behind them. Everyone was settling in for the night, most of the faculty having returned from their summer holidays over the past few days and busy orienting the students and themselves for the quickly approaching new school year. Logan could hear Ororo shooing kids inside from around back, all complaining loudly as they emptied the pool where they had been determined to wring out the last moments of the day. Some were convinced she could keep the daylight from fading and after trying to explain that her mutation didn’t control the sun and moon, Ororo gave up and simply yelled at them to get out of the water, right now, her ominous backward counting sending the remaining few racing into the academy.

Stubbing out the cigar he had been smoking into his open palm, Logan asked, “Where’s your proof?”

“I recognize her psychic imprint. The same wall I encountered when I attempted to read her mind earlier is the same wall that is presently wrapped around Charles. Her telepathic mutation is an exact duplicate of Xavier’s.”

Logan grew silent as he took in the somber expression on her face. “She’s becoming too dangerous, Logan,” Emma told him quietly. “You saw what happened with Ororo. And the one person capable of containing Rogue has been neutralized. By her.”

“Chuck scared her, Emma. He started yellin’ at everyone to take Rogue down, even attacked Stark to stop her from leavin’.”

“He probably didn’t want her to leave because she’s becoming unstable,” Emma suggested.

Logan shook his head. “No, that can’t be it. Rogue’s figured out Gambit’s mutation, and mine. She was even able to access Hank’s surgical ability without drainin’ energy from him or gettin’ his memories. Rogue’s not out of control. Not even close. If anything, she’s goin’ in the other direction.”

“Either way, I strongly suspect the safeguards you think Charles placed in her mind were put there to protect everyone, as much as her. Didn’t she lose control at one time when she was younger?” At Logan’s affirmative reply, Emma pursed her lips, thoughtful. “I believe Charles began to install safeguards in Rogue’s mind back then to rein her in. Rogue’s mutation seems to be limitless, Logan. Can you imagine what that kind of power can do to someone?”

Logan ran his hand through his hair, squeezing his eyes shut at the memory of a beautiful redheaded woman, begging to be killed. He didn’t have to imagine. “Fuck. Chuck’s track record ain’t the greatest when it comes to this shit.”

They both regarded the stone statue of the guardian angel erected in Jean Grey’s memory.

“I expect you would prefer I keep this to myself?”

“For now, Emma.”

She nodded in agreement. “Some of your X-Men are already uncomfortable with her aggressive behavior towards them.”

“Rogue has the right to defend herself.”

“You don’t need to convince me, darling. Personally, I think Rogue and I have a lot in common. We all have a dark side, Logan. It just takes a tiny step to get there.”

Watching her for a few moments, Logan replied softly, “It takes the same distance to step back, Emma.”

Startled, her eyes snapped up to his. He wasn’t surprised when she quickly looked away to focus on the inscription written across the brass plaque near her feet. He didn’t need heightened senses to know she had become very uncomfortable.

“You don’t recognize the image of the woman that I was able to extract from Laura's mind?”

Logan accepted her change of subject. The White Queen of the Hellfire Club wasn’t looking for absolution and he sure as hell wasn’t in the business of offering any. “I know her name is Kimura and that she worked as Laura’s handler at the Facility. How she got her hands on the Muramasa Blade needs to be explained by Fury and his team, but at least now I know it wasn’t stolen to kill me. Once Laura’s out of danger, I’ll be hunting Kimura down and getting the blade back. Only this time, I’ll get Scooter to hang onto it.”

Both of Emma’s perfectly plucked eyebrows rose in surprise. “Do you think that’s prudent considering the history between you and Scott?” Twilight was quickly overtaking the courtyard, plunging the two friends into darkness as it consumed the long shadows of the manor that had stretched out towards the front gates of the school.

“It’s because of it.” Logan fixed his eyes on her. “I can count on him. One-Eye has his faults, but he always does the right thing.”

“Yes. I know.”

If it wasn’t for his super hearing, he would have missed her hushed reply. Before Logan could question the sudden sadness that came over her, Emma’s entire demeanor changed. “You can come out, darling,” she called out, her voice back to sounding crisp and aloof. “There’s no reason you can’t join us for some pleasant evening conversation out by Mutant High’s stone mascot.”

Scott opened the front door of the mansion, his face clearly showing his displeasure that they were standing next to his dead fiancée’s memorial. Emma rolled her eyes, hearing his thoughts.

“Really, Scott. This structure is in the most inconvenient spot if this is your reaction every time someone comes near it. You should have had it erected directly beneath your bedroom window.”

“Easy, Queenie.” Logan sent her a warning look. She ignored it as Scott stalked towards her, barely containing his anger.

“Past friendship or not Emma, I won’t have you mocking Jean’s death. Ever.”

Undaunted, she looked up at him, her blue eyes lit with fury despite the coldness in her voice. “I’m not mocking her death, Scott. I’m mocking your grief.”

Seeing things heat up between the two mutants, Logan left them to it, his thoughts going into overdrive as he walked back to the garage to work on his bike. He needed to think and he knew sleep was going to be hard to come by tonight after what Emma revealed to him.


*****



As soon as Rogue walked into the wood paneled study, her eyes were drawn to the extremely beautiful woman and equally attractive man sitting in front of the professor’s desk. Their extraordinary resemblance to each other indicated they were twins, but it was their striking elfin features and dark features that startled Rogue the most.

“You wanted to see me, Frost?” Jubilee and Remy returned from their two week mission that morning and Rogue was bringing them up to speed over breakfast when the telepath interrupted their conversation, communicating through Jubilee to ask Rogue to meet her in the professor’s office. Rogue left her friends to stomp up the stairs, intent on warning the White Queen that her tendency to mind control people without permission was going to become hazardous to her health. Seeing she had visitors, Rogue shelved that conversation for a later time and stayed by the doorway, working her anger back down to a manageable level of annoyance.

Emma motioned for Rogue to enter the study and she did, leaving the door open behind her. She was surprised to see Piotr, Scott and Hank in the room as well.

Vous êtes très joli,” Rogue heard the strange woman comment quietly, onyx colored eyes meeting hers.

Vous aussi.”

The woman was surprised her compliment was understood and so was Rogue, eyes widening at her automatic response.

She stepped more into the room away from Scott and he frowned, upset at her continued coolness towards him. Clearing his throat, Scott introduced, “Rogue, this is Aurora and her brother, Northstar.”

Rogue leaned towards the tall man who had stood up to shake her hand. “I have heard so much about you, Jean-Paul,” she told him with a genuine smile. “I am so pleased to finally meet you.”

He returned her smile easily. “Piotr has told me a lot about you as well, mam’selle.” Damn, his accent was sexy; Rogue could see why Colossus was head over heels for this guy. What was it about this place and gorgeous men?

“I’m not as bad as I’m sure he’s made me out to be.” She winked playfully at the blushing Russian’s protests and turned her attention back to Aurora. “C'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer aussi.

Her tongue curled around the greeting as though it were native to it and Rogue wondered if this newly discovered ability came from Gambit, who had spent time in France years ago, or from Logan. Either way, it was pretty cool.

Le plaisir est le mien,” Aurora replied with a catlike smile before suddenly jumping up and squealing in delight. Logan had entered the room and Aurora threw herself into his arms, kissing him full on the lips and pressing her voluptuous body against him. Rogue felt hot anger splash over her and quickly bent her fingers to prevent the claws that surfaced between her knuckles from pricking past her skin. Watching them, she fought the impulse to tear the beautiful woman from Logan’s body. In pieces.

Logan returned Aurora’s hug, his deep affection for her reflected in his grin. “Encore fou et beau,” he told her, hazel eyes shining with mischief.

Aurora’s laughter rang out, replying in a much more heavily accented English than her brother, “Just crazy for you, Logan, but you still finding me beautiful is very encouraging. It was worth being found just to see you again, mon coeur.”

Logan gave her another squeeze before gently placing her back down. He glanced at Rogue but she evaded his searching gaze, irritated that he probably picked up on her flash of jealousy. Meanwhile, Northstar stepped forward to shake Logan’s hand.

“It is good to see you again, mon ami.”

Logan gripped his fellow Canadian’s arm, replying, “You too. Emma says you have some information about Rogue’s abduction?”

Northstar nodded solemnly. “Before Aurora’s disappearance, she was visited by a gentleman who wanted her to join a team he was putting together. Ms. Frost believes this person might be of some particular interest to you, Logan.” Northstar looked at his sister to proceed.

“His name is Daken,” Aurora began slowly, twirling a lock of long ebony hair around her finger as she sat back down, clearly enjoying the attention she was receiving from the occupants in the room. “He came to the convent looking for me and found Jeanne-Marie instead. She refused to speak with him but I found myself responding quite favorably to him.”

Hearing Aurora speak of her other personality as a separate person was strange; Rogue was grateful Piotr told her of Aurora’s dissociative disorder beforehand or she probably would have been confused as hell, listening to her.

Aurora cut her eyes at Logan coyly. “He reminded me of you, Logan. Very,” she paused for a moment and her dark eyes glittered before she finished huskily. “Virile.”

Logan sat on the edge of the professor’s desk near Rogue, but she kept her eyes on Aurora, envisioning ripping her slender throat apart. He sniffed the air, a small smirk taking ownership of his mouth and Rogue clenched her teeth in reaction to his obvious enjoyment of her growing jealousy.

“Daken is very handsome.” Aurora’s eyes took on a dreamy expression, remembering. “Tall and muscular, with long black hair worn in that style… comment dites-vous…? Ah yes. A mohawk. He has a tattoo that covers half his chest and left arm, all black slashes. But it was his delicious cologne that I will never forget.”

Rogue’s dislike of the raven-haired woman spiked when Logan suddenly bolted up and pulled Aurora back into his arms, deliberately inhaling her hair. Logan’s eyes were black orbs when they connected with Emma’s.

“It’s faint, but it’s there, Emma. It’s him.”

Emma Frost stepped towards Aurora. “Will you allow me to access your mind so that I may transmit Daken’s image into Logan’s, my dear?” Rogue arched an eyebrow in mock surprise at Emma’s uncharacteristic request for permission.

Certainement.”

The three mutants closed their eyes and Emma linked them telepathically. Within moments Logan’s eyes shot open, shock and disbelief swirling in their hazel depths and Rogue immediately took his face into her hands, the acrid scent of fear burning her nostrils. Rogue pressed her forehead to his, overwhelmed by his anguish and needing her, he buried his face into her shoulder, holding her tight against him. Running her fingers soothingly through his hair, she reminded him to breathe and he did, the movement so forced that his entire body shook from the effort.

Staring at the embracing couple Aurora said, “He wanted Anina.”

Logan’s head jerked up at her quiet disclosure. He pulled away from Rogue and fixed his burning eyes on Aurora with a disturbing fierceness. A bit frightened, Aurora continued, “After our, um, mordu de l'amusement, we watched live coverage of the Senate Hearings. As soon as Anina disappeared, Daken became anxious to leave, telling me he arranged for her abduction so she would tell him where to find a certain mutant. Some ange d’or.”

“Gold angel? He was speaking of Auriel?” Everyone looked to Beast who had remained quiet up until then. His ears were pulled back in alarm.

Aurora gave a gallic shrug, pouting slightly. “Je ne sais pas, docteur. If that is the mutant’s name, Daken did not tell me. He wanted this mutant for his team and believed Anina knew where to locate this ‘Auriel’.” She directed her attention back to Rogue. “This morning when I saw the sketches Piotr made of you, I was beside myself. Je suis désolé. If I had known you were the famous Anina, I would have contacted the X-Men right away. I must say, cherie, I am a big, big fan.”

Rogue smiled shakily at Aurora’s sincere admiration but continued to watch Logan who had moved away to stand by the window. Before closing his eyes, she saw a veil cloud over them and knew he had withdrawn into himself.

“I have never heard of this mutant,” Emma sounded put out.

“Auriel operates incognito, Ms. Frost. Frankly, I am surprised this gentleman knows of her.” Hank brought his brows together, bemused. “I don’t think Auriel will be very receptive to joining a team of any sort. She has never joined the X-Men for any of our missions in the past two years that we have known of her existence.”

“What’s her mutation?” the telepath asked, moving closer to Scott who was now standing by the professor’s chair. Rogue looked over her shoulder, surprised by their reactionary scents to each other but Beast pulled her attention away with his next words.

“I am not quite sure. She has three sets of wings that enable her to fly and has the ability to emit emotion to those around her. Aurora’s description of a golden, seraphic shape is correct but outside of Auriel rescuing mutant children, that is the extent of my knowledge of her.”

“You need to warn her.” This came from Northstar, who was visibly upset with Logan’s reaction to his sister’s news. “I suspect this man does not have Auriel’s best interests at heart, especially since he was willing to abduct Rogue to gain access to her.”

Hank frowned, shaking his head. “Auriel doesn’t communicate with anyone outside of Rogue and Charles. Only they would know how to reach her.” Silence settled over the group as they looked to her and Rogue flushed at the reminder of Charles’ comatose state and her amnesiac one.

Aurora stretched a hand out to her brother and he stood up, taking it. “I hope I was of some help.” She glanced at Logan, concerned, but his eyes remained closed so she looked apologetically at Rogue before following Northstar and Piotr out into the hallway. Hank, Scott and Emma did the same, leaving Rogue and Logan alone in the emptied room.

Rogue wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his broad back, wishing she could absorb his pain away. It was so raw, it pierced straight through her.

“I have to be alone, Rogue.”

She turned him around gently to look at her. “No, you don’t. I’m here.” Her eyes poured over his haggard face, stunned by the desolation she found there.

“I’m telling you to leave.”

Her breath caught, hurt. Pausing to work around the lump in her throat, she said, “Please don’t shut me out, Logan. I want to help you.”

“How about what I want?” he bit out, jaw clenching in anger. “Not everything is about you, Rogue.”

Rogue’s flinched as though he had physically struck her, the truth behind his sharp words cutting her deep. Blinking back tears, she nodded quickly, looking at him one last time before closing the door softly behind her. Holding in the sob that was fighting its way out of her, Rogue walked away, the physical pain of withholding comfort from Logan staggering her steps.

Torn between wanting to chase after her and the image of Daken in his mind, all the breath Logan had in his lungs pulled out of him in one great big rush.

His child with Itsu survived. He had a son.
Chapter End Notes:
vous êtes très joli - you are very pretty.

vous aussi - you, as well.

c'est un plaisir de vous rencontrer aussi - it's a pleasure to meet you as well


le plaisir est le mien - the pleasure is mine

encore fou et beau - still crazy and beautiful.

mon coeur - my heart

mon ami - my friend

comment dites-vous - how do you say

certainement - certainly

mordu de l'amusement - a bit of fun

ange d’or - gold angel

Je ne sais pas, docteur - I don't know, doctor

Je suis désolé - I am sorry

cherie - sweetie
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