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Chapter 3: There’s Only Us
There were a lot of things that Rogue didn’t like to do. For instance, she hated being in
the same room with Logan while he was smoking those God awful cigars. She also hated going on blind dates, but luckily she’d only done that twice. However, the thing she hated most of all was being useless. Not only did she have an ugly “cut” that mad it impossible to move, but she also had a couple of broken ribs and a minor fracture in her right leg. Basically, with the exception of bathroom breaks and showering, she had been instructed to remain immobile for seven days.
She was moved to her new room on the faculty hall. Everyone thought that it would be more comfortable than the med-lab, but as soon as Rogue saw all the boxes that needed unpacking and when she heard people walking past her door with things to do, it was almost torturous. Then, of course, there was always someone (usually Logan, Jubes, or Kitty) breathing down her neck almost every second of the day. She knew that they were just trying to make things easier on her, but depending on people was never something that came easy to Rogue. That’s why the last six years had been so liberating. She had taken care of herself, made her own friends, and worked for her own money.
In fact, the only visitor that didn’t annoy her in the least bit was Samantha. She found herself enjoying the enthusiastic little girl’s company. For a child, Sammy was amusingly witty and thoughtful. They had only met each other a few days ago and both of them showed a genuine affection and attachment towards each other. The thought of the bouncy young girl made Rogue smile as she sat with her leg propped up in bed with C.S. Lewis’ Abolition of Man in her right hand.
‘May I come in, Rogue?’ The Professor’s voice sounded in her head making her jump.
“Come on in, Professor ” She shouted at the door and emitted a giggle as he wheeled into her room with a knowing smile on his face.
“How do you feel today, Rogue?” He pulled up to her bedside and lightly patted her gloved hand with his own.
“I’ll survive. Did you find anything else out about the train crash?”
“Sadly, no. The police are calling the train wreck an accident, however...”
Rogue studied his face intently. She wasn’t psychic like him, but she certainly caught on to what he was thinking. “You don’t think the crash was an accident, do you Professor?”
He smiled slightly at this, “Still the bright and observant student, aren’t you?”
“Ah, but I’m no longer a student. Now I’m a teacher.”
“Indeed, and we must discuss the details regarding your classes, but we shall save that for a later date, closer to the fall.” He paused to read the cover of her book before continuing, “C.S. Lewis? He has some rather intriguing things to say about modern education, doesn’t he?”
“I find that he has some rather intriguing things to say about everything, actually,” Rogue said as she smiled and placed the book on the night stand next to her bed, “but you didn’t come here to discuss modern education or train wrecks did you?”
He chuckled at her perceptiveness, “Perhaps observant was an understatement, Rogue. You’re right. I’ve come to talk to you about Samantha.”
Rogue’s eyes filled with concern, “Is she doing all right? I mean, is she fitting in and all?” It was never easy for someone to be surrounded by a new crowd. Even though many of the students were at home for summer vacation, others had no where else to go. Nevertheless, there were still several students who resided at the mansion all year long and it could be very overwhelming for a new student.
“She’s doing just fine. The other children have taken to her almost as easily as you have. I just wanted to ask you how you met her.” He leaned forward slightly in his wheelchair and studied her as she explained the events leading up to the train wreck when the X-men found them and brought them back to the mansion.
“Something I don’t understand,” Rogue stated after telling her story, “is that Sam is still very young. Isn’t the mutant gene usually dormant until puberty?”
“Good point,” Logan interrupted from the door. They looked up to see him leaning against the doorframe, apparently having been listening to the entire conversation. He walked over and made himself comfortable on the other side of Rogue’s bed, putting an extra pillow behind his back and reclining against the headboard. Rogue rolled her eyes at him and he just looked back at her with a smug smile plastered on his face. She ignored him and they both returned their attention back to a very amused looking Professor Xavier.
“Yes, that’s usually the case,” Xavier continued as if there had been no interruptions.
“But Sammy can’t be any older than nine years old. How is that possible?”
“From what Mrs. Robertson, Samantha’s mother, told me over the phone, Mr. Robertson died recently. However, it was the events before his death that might have caused the stress that brought upon Samantha’s mutation.”
“Events?” Rogue asked, her voice laced with confusion.
“He abused her.” Rogue leaned back in shock, “He died a few months ago in a car accident.”
“In my book its just what the sick bastard deserved,” Logan grunted.
“Yes, well at any rate, between lack of money, and now Samantha’s gifts, Miranda is having difficulty know how to take care of the child. So, I offered to send for her.”
“What exactly can Sammy do?” Rogue asked warily.
“She’s a telepath.” The Professor smiled, “I plan to take on weekly sessions with her so that I might help her meditate and calm her thoughts. Her mother says that when Samantha gets angry or upset, she tends to lash out mentally at people.”
“I hope things turn out well for her,” Rogue leaned back into her pillows, “She’s such a wonderful little girl.”
“I am glad you have taken such a liking to the child, Rogue,” the Professor said enthusiastically, “and I hope you continue to spend time with her. I’m going to leave you now. We hope to see you up and about soon.”
“Hank says I can start moving around again,” Rogue sighed, “I’m actually pretty hungry. I think I’ll try getting up for some food in a little while.”
“Just so long as you take it easy, my dear.” He quickly added mentally, ‘We wouldn’t want Logan to worry any more than he already does.’ The older man squeezed her hand once more before leaving the room. Rogue turned to Logan who was still comfortably reclining next to her. He looked back at her and smirked.
“What?”
“How about you be your usual rebel self and take me out to eat.” She had that mischievous look on her face and that joyful sparkle in her eyes that usually made him do anything she wanted, but this time the Wolverine wasn’t so easily persuaded.
“No.” He said sharply, trying not to laugh at the pout that formed on her face.
“Why not?” She whined, slapping him playfully on the shoulder.
“Just because you’re ready to get outta bed doesn’t mean you should be going out, Marie.”
“Logan,” she whined again, “It’s not like I’m gonna be running around. All I have to do is walk down to the garage, where you can drive us to get food, where I can get out to eat, and then come straight back here to rest again. Pleeeeease,” she continued to plead and pout, “Sugar, I haven’t been outside for days. I was just in a train crash, for goodness sake. I could use a little mirth in my life.”
“Exactly,” he argued back, “you were in a train crash. Which is why you should be here resting and taking it easy.”
“We could jack Scott’s car,” Rogue smiled seductively, knowing that the idea of stealing anything on wheels, belonging to Scott, would be irresistible to Logan.
“Well,” he smirked back at her, “when you put it like that. I guess we could go out for a bite,” he got off the bed and moved around to the other side to grab her crutches and help her on her feet, “but the first sign of stress I see on that beautiful face of yours, darlin’, and you’ll be back in bed so fast you won’t even realize you’d left. Got it?” Once she was up he looked her square in the eye, and for a moment Rogue felt her entire body warm up and she was sure her cheeks were flushed.
‘Must be from getting outta bed for the first time in days,’ she thought to herself. “I got it, dad.” She said cheekily and hobbled past him to brush her hair quickly and pulling it back in a ponytail, leaving the white streaks to dangle and frame her face.
“Finish gettin’ ready and meet me in the garage. If we’re lucky, Scooter might have left the keys to the convertible in the glove compartment again.”
“Like that would stop you.” He shrugged and walked out of the room and she could hear his footsteps down the hallway.
Turning back to the mirror she added a touch of lip gloss and some eyeliner. Suddenly, as she was leaving her room, she paused, “Did he just call me beautiful?” She questioned herself. It’s not like he hadn’t said it before. In fact, a lot of people had said it before, but it was the way he said it that made her flush again just thinking about it. She didn’t know why, but the strangest things were happening to her lately. In the case of Logan, though, she didn’t know what to make of his recent behavior. Ever since she’d gotten back from New York, he’d been acting differently around her. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it just wasn’t like him.
There had never been awkward silences between them (at least not since that first day they met in his trailer). Silence for them had always come pretty easy. Sometimes when they hung out, it was in silence, and that was all because they had never needed words to enjoy each other’s company. Now it just seemed like there were things to say, but neither of them knew what to say or how to go about saying it.
On her way down to the garage, Rogue kept thinking that maybe she should talk to him about this whole thing. Maybe she had done something wrong? Maybe he had to tell her something.
Maybe he was leaving again......no. She refused to automatically assume that. Besides, there was no way he would be leaving her anytime soon. She could tell that just by knowing the way he had been acting with her lately. He’d been sticking to her like glue and barely let her out of his sight. There was something going on with Logan and it was driving her nuts. All Rogue knew was that she had to figure it out soon.
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