Fragile Hearts: Part Two

Previously, on X-Men:

-"Jus' listen t' me for a second, cherie. I wanna help you."

Rogue tried to pull away but his grip was too firm. "Get offa me!" She tugged at his hand.

"I don' give up dat easily cherie," Gambit murmured. He grabbed her other hand and pulled her towards him. "Especially when I'm determined about somet'ing." His eyes glittered.

Rogue shoved him hard. "Stay away from me!"

*

-"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded.

"Kitty- I'm sorry," he said, flipping over and seeing her angry face. "I- I couldn't help myself. . . I-"

"This date is *over* Lance," she said furiously.

He shifted back into his seat. "I'll drive you-"

"I'm walking!" Kitty nearly shouted. She phased right through the car door and began storming down the street.

*

- Jean looked at him and said, "I think Rogue has been so wired today because of Remy."

Logan snorted. "I coulda toldja that Red."

*

- She tensed at his touch, and turned away from his wandering eyes. Her voice cracked as she said, "What do you want from me?"

"Don' want anything Rogue. Jus' mebbe you," He soughed.

She felt her pulse quicken. Her body was betraying her and it made her furious! She looked back at him and their eyes locked.

"Please Rogue," he said, his eyes boring into hers. "Jus' give me a chance."

"No way swamp rat," she hissed.

*

- "You never told him to stop," Jean said gently.

Kitty looked at her in such a way that Jean thought for a second she had sprouted a new head. "WHAT?" She said, totally lost by Jean's comment.

"Kitty, you know how guys are. You only said Lance's name. In the state of mind he was in, how was he supposed to know it was some sort of warning?"

Kitty's jaw dropped. "Are you saying that that was MY fault?"

"No, not at all," Jean shook her head, her red hair cascading over her shoulders. "I'm just saying you may have jumped the gun there, thinking he was out to rape you or something."

*

- Remy once again turned his eyes to Rogue, who looked very shaken up. He sighed. "If you want cherie, I'll go."

His empathic abilities picked up the slightest traces of lust under her confusion and fear. "Ah- Ah" she stammered.

Remy put his glove to her lips again to silence her, and was actually a bit shocked to feel her lips moving upon it. He placed his lips on his side and gently kissed back in response. Her craving for him suddenly increased and she found herself tangling her hands in his hair. He had his one free hand on the small of her back, gently caressing her. Rogue's panic suddenly overwhelmed her, and she broke away abruptly. She pushed him off gently, and then quickly and quietly retreated down the hall.

Remy's eyes followed her, memorizing every feminine curve and move her body made. He put his glove up to his lips and kissed where her lips had been placed. He was winning her over, but her fear of her powers was going to be a big hurtle to jump.

*

-"Kurt- Kurt was tryin' t' save someone. . . Aw gawd Kitty! Lance was drivin' like a lunatic, his powers were outta control - or something- an'- an' he crashed," Rogue said, her eyes brimming with tears at the look of horror on Kitty's face.

"Where is he?" Kitty breathed. "How bad is he hurt?"

"They jus' got him to the hospital. It- it took them a while t'- t' get him outta th' wreck," Rogue said, watching Kitty's face turn sheet white. "He's- he's not doin' good at all. His own earthquake flung him into a wall."

Jean wrapped her arms around Kitty, who had begun breathing heavily.

Rogue looked away from them and finally spit out, "They're not sure he's gonna make it."

***

The slow beeping of the machines attached to Lance Alvers and the sobs of Kitty Pryde were the only sounds that broke the silence of the hospital waiting room. There was a group of them sitting outside of Lance's door. Kurt Wagner was in a corner, with his head in his hands. He hadn't been fast enough to get into the Jeep and get Lance out. His girlfriend, Amanda, was trying her best to console him. It was a hard thing for a would-be hero- to make a mistake, or be just a second too slow, and possibly cost someone their life. Especially when someone who mattered so much to one of his best friends and teammates.

Rogue was trying her very best to comfort her roommate, but to no avail. Kitty had been unreachable since she had heard the news. She was wearing the bracelet that Lance had bought for her, but hadn't been able to give her in person. Rogue knew why Kitty was aching so badly. Jean had filled her in, and Kitty had gone so berserk after hearing the news that Rogue had been forced to use her own abilities to calm her. A small part of her was suffering just as badly as Kitty was now. Just hours before the car crash, Kitty and Lance had had an awful fight over an incident in Lance's Jeep, which was being turned into scrap metal somewhere at the moment. Kitty had left him with a few heated words, and she was now convinced that he had been so furious with her, or himself, that his powers had gone out of control and he crashed his car.

Everyone fell silent and looked up as professor Xavier wheeled out of Lance's room. The nurse nodded at the students, signaling that visitors were welcome. Xavier signaled to Kitty and Rogue. Rogue helped the shaky Kitty to her feet.

"They've stabilized his condition. Luckily, there was no internal bleeding, and he was wearing his seat belt. That saved his life. At this point the doctors can't be certain, but they believe he'll recover fully. There is no lasting damage," he frowned, "however he does appear to be in a deep coma."

"Can I see him?" Kitty whispered.

Xavier nodded. Kitty entered the room and bit her lip at the sight of all the bandages and tubes on and in Lance's body. Rogue patted her on the back and Xavier wheeled in behind them.

"Can you do anything for him professor? For his coma, I mean?" Kitty begged.

The professor sighed. He knew that she would ask, but in all reality he wasn't sure he could do anything. "I can try."

Kitty slipped over to the left side of Lance's bed and held his hand. Rogue hung back on the right side, aware of the fact that most of Lance's right side was wrapped up, unlike his left. Rogue was wearing three-quarter sleeves and her gloves today, and she really didn't feel like taking any chances when it came to absorbing a hospitalized mutant.

Xavier held his hands nearby Lance's head and mentally tried to find the boy. His mind was a huge mass of confusion. Images of the crash kept flashing through his mind, and over and over again, as if superimposed on top of it all, was Kitty's visage, walking away from him. Lance, the professor mentally called. Can you hear me?

Kitty please-! His mind shouted. Xavier winced.

Lance, you know me. I'm professor Charles Xavier. I've come to help you.

Lance seemed oblivious to his presence. He reached out towards 'Kitty' calling to her.

Lance, please, try to focus on me. Xavier looked at Kitty. "I'm not getting through to him. He doesn't hear me. . ."

"Lance," Kitty said mournfully. "Lance. . ."

Lance's right hand twitched. Rogue, who was looking at Kitty stroking Lance's left hand, didn't notice.

KITTY! Lance screamed mentally. Xavier's head snapped back like he had been struck, and Lance's right hand shot out to grab 'Kitty's' wrist.

It wasn't the real Kitty he latched onto.

Rogue gasped and shouted as Lance's hand wrapped around her wrist with the force of a clamp. She tried to wrench herself away but he was holding on as if it was a matter of life and death. His mind bombarded hers. Rogue jerked and twitched in his grip, receiving pain from wounds that weren't hers.

"Oh god!" Xavier said. He mentally reached out and tried to clamp off Lance's mind from Rogue. He wasn't sure what would happened if skin contact was kept with Rogue for more than a few seconds.

"Kitty!"

Kitty's looked up astonished. That was Lance's voice! Lance's mouth, however, wasn't moving. It was coming from Rogue, much like the way Jean had spoken through Rogue once before.

"L- Lance?"

Rogue's eyes were rolled in the back of her head, and her body was bent over, but her head was looking up. "Kitty. . . god I'm so sorry! I never meant to- never meant-," a spasm sent Rogue's body twitching again, as a similar spasm went through Lance's body on the table. "You're the only good thing that's ever happened to me, and I ruined it!"

"No, no, Lance! It's okay. I- Jean helped me think about it- it wasn't only your fault!" Kitty stammered.

"I'm such a asshole," he shouted, as Rogue's body arched in pain that his body did not experience.

"Kitty, you have to help me!" Xavier suddenly shouted. "Rogue can't take this kind of stress!"

Kitty saw the way Rogue was straining, her face contorted, her body rigid, and panicked. "Lance! You have to let go!"

"No!" He gasped. "No, I can't. I can't give you up!"

Rogue's wrist was a bright red from the pressure he was putting on it, and Kitty could see blood trickling down from Rogue's ears. Kitty phased through the bed, grabbed her roommate, and phased her through Lance's hold.

Lance's body gave a shudder that sent all the monitors off in a dangerous beeping pattern for a few seconds, then returned to normal. Rogue collapsed like a rag doll. Xavier's mental block between the two minds was shattered by their separation and he winced.

"Professor!"

Kitty's voice made Xavier turn to look at her and Rogue. Xavier's face paled at what he saw. "Oh no."

"She's having some sort of seizure!" Kitty said. Rogue was twisting and moaning. He face was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her limbs had a mind of their own, and her eyes were still rolled back inside her head.

Kurt! Xavier mentally shouted. Kurt rushed into the room.

"Vhat is it professor?" Kurt began but when he saw Rogue his eyes widened.

"Rogue. Infirmary. Now! Kitty too!" Xavier ordered.

Kurt nodded and touched the two of them, teleporting away in an instant. Xavier reached Beast psychically and told him they would be arriving.

I'll be right there! Beast responded. He went galloping off down to the infirmary.

Xavier knew that he had to get there quickly too. Storm was downstairs with the car, and he explained the situation to her psychically while telling Amanda that Kurt had gone. When he offered Amanda a ride she shook her head.

"I'll stay here for a little while longer and then I'll walk home, sir. It's not problem."

Xavier nodded. "You're a very good soul, Amanda," he said. Her quickly went off to the elevator. Amanda watched him go, then settled back into her seat and sighed. Somehow she was going to explain the abrupt departure of four people to the nurses.

*

"Oh my stars and garters," murmured Beast as the sight within the infirmary reached his eyes. Kitty and Kurt were trying to hold down a raging Rogue. Every time she strained against their arms the ground trembled. She was shouting incoherent phrases, and trying to pull herself off of the infirmary bed. Kurt had one arm while Kitty had the other and they both looked mortified.

Beast filled a needle with a sedative and attempted to administer it to the struggling girl, but as soon as the needle pierced her skin she shrieked. The floor rippled and sent Beast crashing against the infirmary wall. Kitty let go of Rogue for a second to push the plunger, and Rogue practically roared in fury. The whole house shook, then it settled as Rogue's eyes shut.

"I believe the most appropriate quote for this situation would be- Good grief!" Beast said, rubbing his head. "What happened here?"

"Lance- he made contact with Rogue at the hospital. He wouldn't let go and Rogue started reacting weirdly- I think the professor was trying to do something at the same time, so I'm not really sure," Kitty explained quickly.

Beast nodded and put on a pair of surgical gloves. He picked up Rogue's wrist and felt her pulse, while looking at his watch. He nodded, then took out a flash light and gently opened one of Rogue's eyes and shined the light on it. He frowned.

"Is she going to be okay?" Kurt asked quickly.

"Frankly, this is a rather odd situation. She appears to be having some sort of concussion, even thought from what you tell me there was no actual head trauma," Beast evaluated.

"Vhat does dhat mean?" Kurt asked in a trembling voice.

"I'm not sure yet," Beast admitted.

*

"Hey! Is anyone out there?"

Rogue sat up, unsure of where she was. It was very dark, and her eyes hadn't adjusted yet. She closed them for a few minutes then opened them again. Still, nothing but blackness. She looked down at her hand and her brows furrowed. She could see her body as if she was in a well lighted room, in fact she appeared to be glowing. "That can't be a good sign. . ."

She stood slowly, trying to figure out exactly what she was standing on. Everything around her was just black. There didn't appear to be any horizon, there didn't appear to be any light, and there didn't appear to be anyone else.

"Professor? Kitty?" she called out nervously. Her voice echoed in the dark expanse but there was no responding cries.

"Where th' hell am Ah?"

*

Xavier made it back to the mansion a few minutes later. Warren and Remy noticed his worried expression as he wheeled his way to the infirmary. Then they saw Storm come in after him, just as worried.

"Hey! Stormy!" Remy called out. She stopped. "What's goin' on?"

Storm hesitated. "Rogue's been hurt."

Remy stepped back, looking like he'd been sucker punched. "What-?! How? She was at de hospital for Pete's sate! How'd she get hurt there?"

"Gambit, I want to make sure she's all right. I will explain it to you later."

"But-!" Remy protested. Warren held him back. Remy grabbed his hand. "You wanna keep dat limb, pup, you let me go."

"Gambit, you're not going to help her, acting like this," Warren said.

Remy glared at him. "I need to see her."

"You'll only get in the way," Warren said, making his grip more firm.

"Don' tell me what I will an' will not do, pup!" Remy snapped, slapping his hand away.

Scott, who was coming down the stairs, saw the two arguing and pushed his way in-between them. "Hey! Chill out! What's going on?"

"Rogue's hurt and de rich boy t'inks I get in de way if I go see her," Remy growled.

Scott's eyebrows shot up. "Rogue's hurt-?"

"Yeah, Storm and Xavier just came in. I think Kurt must have teleported her here from the hospital all ready," Warren said, much more calmly.

Scott grimaced. That was never a good thing. "Gambit," he said breaching the subject daintily, "I think you should stay here."

"WHAT?!" Remy shouted. "What're you all, crazy? I ain't gonna sit here an' do nothin'! I care for de girl mes ami! I ain't lettin' her go t'rough dis alone!"

It was the first time he had said anything about his feelings for Rogue to any of the other mansion residents, and Scott and Warren were taken aback. Taking advantage of the momentary silence, Remy whipped out his Bo staff, knocked Scott over and pinned Warren to the wall with it.

"You gonna stop me now pup?" Remy snarled.

"He might not," another voice snarled, "but I will, bub." Remy felt cold steel prick into the back of his neck. "Drop the stick and step back slowly gumbo."

Remy did as he was told, but his hands flew to his cards. The point in the back of his neck became sharper.

"You don't wanna do that bub," Logan breathed. Remy's arms dropped limply. Logan retracted his claws and Remy turned around, looking at him with a defiant stare. "You know, what you did just now could earn you about a years worth of extra training sessions."

"I'd do it again in a second monsieur Wolverine," Remy retorted. "Extra training or non."

Logan grunted. "Good."

Warren shook his head. "Good? What the hell?! He just attacked us!"

"Yeah, but he did it for good reasons," Logan said, putting a hand on Remy's shoulder, restraining him. He added in an undertone so that only the Cajun could hear, "Rogue needs someone who would do that sort of thing for her."

"I'd die for her," Remy returned.

Logan looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "I wouldn't doubt it gumbo." He raised his voice again and said firmly, "But you ain't goin' in there unless Chuck calls you."

Remy scowled at him, but knew that Wolverine was more than a match for his fighting skills. It would be totally useless to try and fight him. He shrugged off Wolverines hand, picked up his staff and folded it up, and offered Scott a hand. Scott took it and Remy mumbled an apology.

"It's okay," Scott muttered. He had the wind knocked out of him, but other than that, only his pride had been hurt. He should have seen that attack coming from a mile away.

Logan grunted and sat down in a chair nearby. Remy sat on the floor next to him and Warren and Scott rested on the bottom step. "We're just gonna hang out here until we find out more, all right?" Wolverine said, glancing around at the group.

They nodded, Remy last and more slowly, but with Wolverine 'baby-sitting' there was not much he could do.

*

Rogue felt like she had been walking for hours, but she wasn't tired, nor was she hungry. She couldn't tell if she had gone anywhere, or if there was any purpose in going anywhere, because the features of the land didn't change. "HEY!!" She shouted at the top of her lungs. "Is there any-fuckin'-body out there?!"

This was really beginning to get on her nerves.

"Yo! Where th' hell am Ah?"

Her words were lost in the darkness.

"Well this is just great," she grumbled. She sat down and crossed her legs. "Ah ain't going nowhere, Ah ain't findin' no one an' Ah ain't got any frickin' idea what I would do if Ah did."

Rogue thought she heard a whisper and she jumped to her feet. "Hello? Is there someone out there?"

No one answered.

*

Kurt was bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet as Xavier wheeled into the infirmary. "Dhank god!" he said vehemently.

Beast quickly explained his analysis to the professor. He nodded. "I understand. She must be in some sort of mental shock. I'll just-"

Whatever he was going to say was abruptly cut off as Rogue's eyes snapped open. Kitty let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding and Kurt pumped his arm in the air.

"You're okay!" Kitty and Kurt chimed.

"What in god's name am I doing here?" Rogue said, but it wasn't Rogue's voice. It was very clearly Mystique's.

"Oh dear," Beast said, nicely summing up what everyone was thinking.

"Xavier! What is the meaning of this?" Rogue demanded.

"Ah, Raven," Xavier's voice died.

"Mother?" Kurt said, his eyes going wide.

"Kurt?" Rogue said, still as Mystique. She sat up in a very fluid manner. "How in world did I wind up here?"

"If I might explain in the simplest terms," Beast began.

"Please do," Rogue/Mystique insisted.

"You're not you. You're a fragment of your mind within Rogue's mind. . . And you have apparently taken control of said mind."

Rogue's head tilted to one side. "Excuse me?"

"Try to shape shift if you don't believe him Raven," Xavier suggested.

"This is absolutely ludicrous!" She barked. She concentrated for a moment then her eyes widened in shock. "What? What have you done to me you damned psychic?!"

"Mother, de professor has done nothing. You've taken over Rogue's body! You have to leave and let her come back," Kurt pleaded.

"And how do you propose I do that? The only thing I know is I woke up," Mystique's voice responded. "I didn't 'mean' to take over her mind, if that's what you're thinking."

Xavier couldn't scan her mentally, but could hear the truth in her voice. "Rogue's trapped in her own mind then." He stroked his chin. "And I'm not sure I can bring her back."

*

"Is there an in-void movie Ah'm missin'?" Rogue shouted. Her bitter humor was lost in the mass expanse of nothing. She'd walked, and walked, then walked some more, with a bit of sprinting and jogging in between, and she'd gotten nowhere. She jumped up and down. Sure, the blackness beneath her acted like the ground, but it didn't look like ground. Nothing looked like anything, except herself.

"Maybe Ah died. . . An' this is hell-?" She asked the nothing.

It didn't respond.

"Well, fine, be that way." Rogue began to walk again. After a few steps she stopped. "Did Ah really commit so many sins that Ah dropped here when Ah died? Or am Ah dead?"
Still, no response.

Rogue shivered, not because she was cold, since the temperature seemed to be neutral, but because she was very scared.

Someone giggled.

Rogue whirled around. "Kitty? Is that you? Hey! If this is some sorta sick joke an' Ah'm in th' danger room, turn it th' hell off!" She added, with more passion, "Othahwise Ah am so going to pound the crap outta you!"

Silence again.

*

Rogue's body shuddered and Raven gasped, as if in pain.

"Mother?!"

"Mother? Whoa, Kurt, I think you've had one too many burgers this morning or something." Rogue said, then added in a startled cry, "Hey! Where are my glasses? How come I'm not blowing you all away?!"

"Oh good god," Xavier murmured.

If the situation wasn't so serious, Kitty would have laughed hysterically at the idea of Scott trapped within Rogue's body. Beast took out a pad of paper and a pen. "Well, that makes two, Mystique and Scott."

"What- Mystique? Professor?" Rogue looked at Xavier in total confusion. "What's going on?"

Xavier sighed. "You're not really you. You're the piece of Scott Summers that was left behind in Rogue's mind." He felt a lot of similar explanations coming on.

"What?" He looked down at 'his' body. "Holy shit!"

Kurt snickered. "Consider dhis payback for when you saw me as a woman Scott," he said.

"Why is this happening to her? I thought we cleared all this out of her mind?!" Rogue/Scott said.

"Apparently not," the professor said. "Now that someone with less psychic barriers is in control though I'm going to try to get to the root of the problem."

"I'll do whatever I can to help professor."

"I know Scott. I only pray that it is enough."

*

This wasn't the danger room. No one would be this cruel. This was sensory deprivation taken to an extreme that it wasn't meant to go. Rogue was curled in a fetal position, listening to her own breathing, trying to stay calm. It wasn't easy in this atmosphere.

"Please, please, please, please, jus' let me go home," Rogue whispered.

*

The nurses were frantically looking over the machinery in Lance's room. Things kept beeping and they were getting odd readings. When one of the nurses had popped in just after the girl with the dark hair had told them the others had to leave suddenly, there was no brain wave activity and the boy had hardly been breathing.

"Someone should call Dr. Johnson. . ." The senior nurse breathed.

Amanda stuck her head in the door, listening to the nurses worried chatter.

"What kind of reading is that?"

"I don't know- how do you expect me to know? You've been here longer."

"I've never seen that sort of thing happen. You say his brain waves were- gone?" There was a light tapping of a fingernail to metal.

"Gone! Kaput! Then all of a sudden they were back!"

Amanda put two and two together and figured out why the Professor and the others had departed so quickly. She bit her lip. What sort of effect would having his mind absorbed while in a coma have on Lance?

"OH!"

There was a clatter and a few tinkles of shattering glass. One of the machines started beeping loudly and Amanda heard a curse.

"What the hell is this stuff?"

"Oh! OH!" The nurse gasped again as Lance began speaking.

"Where am I-? The hospit- ow!" He yelped. "Jesus, look at me, I'm more banged up than the boarding house."

Amanda edged into the room. Lance was picking at an IV tube. The three nurses we huddled in a corner, shocked. Finally the senior nurse leapt out and pulled his hand away from the IV.

"Don't do that dear!"

"I need to see Kitty Pryde-" Lance said firmly. "Is she here?"

"I don't know hon, there's a girl with dark hair outside, but I don't think her name is 'Kitty'. . ." The nurse explained to him.

"If she's not here then I have no reason to be!" Lance said. He strained against a sling that held his fractured left arm elevated. He winced in pain. The other two nurses jump up to help the first and tried to hold him down.

"Get off! Lance snapped, a ripple shooting through the floor. The nurses lost their footing and landed on the floor roughly. "What in the world-?"

Thinking it was best to step in and do something before things got complicated, Amanda burst in through the door, shouting "You're all right!"

This certainly distracted the nurses, who immediately tried to usher Amanda out and deal with their patient but Lance saw her and said, "No! Wait!" The two younger nurses paused, wondering what they should do. The senior nurse motioned for them to move back.

Lance raised an eyebrow at Amanda. He recognized her, but he couldn't remember from where. . . Amanda picked up on the look and said quickly, "Amanda- Kurt's girlfriend."

Lance nodded. "Kurt- he tried to tele-"

"Hush," Amanda said, indicating the nurses with a flick of her eye.

"Where's Kitty?!" Lance demanded, grabbing Amanda's hand. "I have to apologize to her- to talk to her-" The ground began to shake.

"Easy there," Amanda said, indicating the nurses again. "Kitty was here- but she had to leave suddenly.

Lance's face fell. "No. . . Ah, god!" He hung his head. Then he looked up again. "I have to talk to her." He began to struggled with the sling his left arm was in again.

"Hey! Stop that!" Amanda demanded, the nurses echoing her sentiments in different manners. "Listen- you keep cool, I'll go get Kitty and convince her to come back here as soon as the whole thing blows over."

Lance frowned. "I'd have to talk to her before this blows over-"

"No! No not that," Amanda said. "Rogue- something happened with her."

"Rogue?" Lance looked curious. "Really? I thought- it was weird, I was lost for a while, then I thought I felt something tugging at my mind- could it have been her?"

"Probably. . ."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a day. You were in a coma though. We weren't sure when you were going to wake up. . ."

They looked at each other. "Rogue. . ." Lance murmured. "Damn! Her powers must have brought me back, and caused her to be hurt. I cant do ANYTHING right." He closed his eyes, groaning. "So I freak out Kitty and possibly killed her roommate. She's going to be soooo pissed at me."

"You forgot that you nearly got yourself killed."

"Huh, is she mad about that too? I thought it would be the only thing I've done lately that she would be happy about."

Amanda sighed and shook her head. "Listen, just cooperate with the nurses for a while. I swear I'll find Kitty and get her up here if I have to drag her by her ponytail."

"Don't hurt her!" Lance said vehemently.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Just- wait here," she said.

Lance nodded slowly. He wasn't so sure that this was going to work, but it was worth a shot. As Amanda scurried out of the room the nurses swooped down on him like vultures, tweaking IVs and checking charts. His whole body ached, especially his rib cage. From what he could tell he had been in surgery at least once, because one of the nurses was taking a look at his stitches to make sure he hadn't broken any while he was twisting around. Bah he thought, it's not driving drunk I have to worry about- it's driving mad! He had only been awake for five minutes and all ready he'd been prodded so much and asked so many questions that he wished he was back in his comfortable, quiet coma. On second thought- I would worry about getting driven mad right about now. . .

"All right dear, we're going to get the doctor and then get you some lunch," the senior nurse said.

"Ugh," Lance grunted. It was going to be the best meal he'd had in days, but even if he was dying of hunger hospital and other processed foods would never sit right in his stomach.

Never, ever again will I listen to the lower brain.

*

Several personalities, both cooperative and uncooperative, later Xavier was no closer to figuring out what was wrong with Rogue than he had been at the start. "Beast? How goes the list?"

"Well, we've had Mystique twice, Scott four times, Jean twice, Kitty, Quicksilver, Blob and Toad once, several people we were unable to identify but must be kids from the rock concert where Rogue's powers went berserk, and that horrifying Juggernaut experience," Beast said, adjusting his glasses.

Kurt flinched. "Tell me about it! I thought she vas going to strangle me to death." He rubbed his neck tenderly.

"Ja!" Rogue chimed in. "Glad I took over vhen I did!"

"And Kurt," Beast amended.

"But no Rogue," Kitty murmured.

"We have to keep trying," Xavier said. There was a sharp rapping at the door. Xavier turned to it, scanning who was outside. "Come in Logan."

Wolverine opened the door and growled as soon as he came in. "Summers, Worthington, LeBeau and I are out here thinkin' Rogue's hurt, maybe dying, and she's sitting upright, chipper as can be, and no one told us?"

"Vell, not quite," Kurt and Rogue echoed with the same accent.

Logan blinked. He opened his mouth to say something more, but Remy finally pushed his way in.

"Dat," he said, referring to the way Rogue was talking like Kurt, "was not somethin' I wanted t' hear."

"Back outside gumbo," Logan rumbled.

*

"Dat was not somethin' I wanted t' hear."

Rogue still knew that accent anywhere. She sat up as she heard his voice. "Remy? Remy are ya there? What's going on? Please tell me someone's out there."

*

Xavier held up his hand. "No. Gambit, stay." He'd felt a twinge of reaction in the back of Rogue's mind. "Talk to her."

Remy looked at him with some surprise. "Me? Haven't you been talkin' to her dis whole time? Why would I make any difference?"

"Humor me," Xavier said. "Rogue's life may depend upon it."

Remy nodded slowly. "Rogue? Cherie?"

*

"Rogue? Cherie?"

"Thank god," Rogue whispered. She couldn't tell where his voice was coming from, so she shouted, "Where are you?"

*

"Rogue, I dunno if you can hear me girl," Remy said, taking up one of her hands. "But I'm here. I'm here to help you."

*

"What do you mean, 'dunno if ya can hear me'? Remy, what's going on?!" she said frantically.

*

"It's gonna be all right cherie. Jus' listen to de sound of my voice. Focus on it." Remy said slowly. "I would sing you a song, but I can't carry a tune."

*

"Remy! Please, get me out of here!" Rogue moaned. "Ah can't take this anymore."

"There you are."

Rogue whirled around to see professor Xavier, standing.

"P- professor?"

Xavier smiled at her in a comforting way. "It's all right Rogue. You're trapped in your subconscious at the moment. I've been trying to find you, but didn't think to look here."

"Trapped-?" Rogue couldn't grasp the concept.

"When Lance touched you he held on too long. I tried to damper the effects, but it left your mind shocked enough that you retreated to your subconscious, while the others you absorbed switched as your conscious self."

Rogue immediately asked, "Was anyone hurt?"

"No. No one was hurt," Xavier assured her. "Now, take my hand. I'll bring you back."

Rogue nodded nervously. She grabbed the professor's hand tightly. She felt as if she had suddenly shot out of a cannon, and hit a brick wall.

*

Rogue's eyes snapped open. She put a hand to her head, which was aching more than it ever had before. The lights and noises and textures of the world around her gave her a sort of sensory overload after the black void. It took her a moment to get her mouth to work, but when it did she muttered, "Can Ah have an aspirin? An' a glass of watah?"

Beast, smiling from ear to pointed ear, nodded and strode over to the sink. Kitty hugged her roommate and Kurt smiled at her and patted her on the back.

"I'm glad you back. It vas veird, hearing my voice coming out from your mouth."

They moved away as Beast handed Rogue the aspirin and the glass. Rogue immediately downed it. She saw Logan in the corner and gave him a weak grin. "Did Ah have ya worried?"

"I wasn't nearly as worried as some," Logan said cryptically. He looked at Kurt and Kitty and they nodded and walked over towards him. Logan ushered them out. "We'll stop by later kid."

Rogue nodded, a bit puzzled as to why they so hastily left. Perhaps they were going back to the hospital to see Lance?

Then Beast coughed and said to Xavier, "Sir? I rather think we should check up on that new simulation we were trying out in the danger room. There are a few ideas I'd like to play around with."

Rogue was more surprised by this, and became suspicious when Xavier said," Ah, yes, of course Hank. I'll be right there."

"Wh-" Rogue began.

"I'll stop by in a little while as well Rogue. You just rest," Xavier cut her off. Before she could think of a response they were all gone.

A pair of strong arms wrapped around her. Her heart raced as she heard Remy's voice say "Ma belle cherie, Rogue, mon amour. . ."

"You are here," she murmured. "Ah- Ah heard you." She realized that he was trembling slightly, and it startled her. She squirmed in his grasp in order to face him. He was smiling, but his eyes were teary. Remy slipped onto the bed and pulled her closer to him.

"Rogue," he whispered hoarsely. "Ah, ma cherie, you scared me so."

He had been scared? Worried about, and scared for, her?

He reached out to touch her face, oblivious to the fact that he only had three fingers covered. Rogue caught his hand before it reached her skin, but now she was convinced that he had been terrified. No one just 'forgot' her powers. When he pulled her closer she did not resist, as she might have otherwise. She closed her eyes. In that blackness, in that silent nothing, he had been able to reach her. Why? Was it because of him? Did he have a power that allowed him to help her? Even if he was telepathic, the professor had trouble getting through to her. How could he have done it?

Unless. . .

Rogue suddenly felt her cheeks turn red. It was her subconscious that Xavier had found her in. Perhaps Remy was a part of her sub consciousness. An' why would that be? a wicked voice in her mind said. Maybe because ya have a thang f'r him, but ya don't wanna admit it?

Rogue found herself soothing Remy with her sweet southern tones. "It's all right sugah. Ah'm okay, thanks t' ya." She pulled away from him so that he could look at his face, and she ran her hands through his hair. "Look? Ya see? Ah'm okay swamp rat."

With a lightning fast movement Remy placed the swiftest and softest kiss on her lips. Rouge felt a slight buzz of emotion and memory, including a huge amount of relief, love, and desire. There was a question there too, boring into Rogue's mind. Remy looked a little dizzy, but not much worse for wear. His eyes shone.

Rogue smiled at him sadly. "You know that we'll nevah be able-"

"Don' care," Remy said bluntly.

"Nevah means nevah," she stressed.

"I jus' want you Rogue. Not your body. You."

"Then, yes," she whispered breathlessly. "Ah'll go out with ya, ya crazy Cajun."

He grinned like a young child. She placed her gloved hand over his mouth, like he had done earlier and kissed the back of it. Even through the material she could feel his lips, kissing her back in the only way he could. His hands slid onto her hips, and then wrapped around to greedily grasp at her rear but Rogue shoved him away before he could.

"Don't even think about it swamp rat," she scolded.

"What?" Remy said, feigning innocence.

Rogue was about to say something when she caught a glimpse out the window into the infirmary. There was the entire group who had 'left' watching them. Rogue's eyes blazed with fury.

"AH CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" she shouted. It was so powerful the glass rattled. "HOW LONG HAVE Y'ALL BEEN STANDIN' THERE? DON'T Y'ALL HAVE SOMETHIN' BETTAH T' BE DOING?" Her face was bright red. The adults were visibly shaking with mirth and Kitty and Kurt were giving one another high-fives. "Go- go harass Scott an' Jean!" Rogue snapped.

"Aw, give dem a break Rogue. Dey jus' worried about you," Remy said.

"You stay outta this," Rogue said to him sharply. "Ah woulda thought th' professor would have more tact than this at least!"

"Let 'em watch," Remy whispered in her ear. "Dey jus' jealous 'cause I got de mos' beautiful woman in de house."

The color that had faded from Rogue's face returned. "Kitty's not a guy, an' she ain't a lesbian either."

"But if she was either, she'd be jealous."

"LeBeau, you are impossible."

"Ah, but you love it, don' you cherie?"

"Don't hold your breath," she said, "an' get yah hand back on mah waist. Ah nevah said you could touch anyplace else."

Remy's hand, which had been wandering up towards her chest, dropped down in defeat. "Ah," Remy said with a smirk, "but you never said I couldn't touch anyplace else, non?"

"Well, now Ah am," she mumbled.

"Noted," Remy said. "Dat doesn't mean I'll listen."

"If ya wanna have a relationship ya will," Rogue informed him.

He smirked again. "We'll see, cherie." He reached out and waved at the onlookers, before pulling a curtain around Rogue's bed. He pulled one of her hands up to his lips and kissed it. Rogue, despite herself, nuzzled up against him, slipping her head underneath his chin. Remy wrapped his arms around her, and it was in his embrace that Rogue fell asleep.

*

Jean had driven Kitty back to the hospital, on the condition that she inform the redhead exactly what was up with Rogue and her new beau, or LeBeau, as the case was. Kitty eagerly shared all the details, right up until the point when the curtain was pulled. Jean smirked.

"So, someone finally touched the untouchable."

"I'd say so," Kitty nodded in affirmation. "I like, know I should be happy for her and everything, but I just can't right now. In fact I'm sort of angry. It's like Lance's pain caused Rogue's happiness in an indirect, roundabout way."

"I can understand that Kitty-" Jean said as they pulled up to the hospital. "Oh, look. It's Amanda."

Amanda, recognizing the car, trotted over with a huge grin plastered on he face. "Oh great! You're here! I was just about to call you."

"What's up?" Jean asked.

"Well, about twenty minutes ago Lance's monitors went crazy. The nurses came in and nearly had a heart attack because he sat up and was demanding to see Kitty, and he was not cooperating with them at all. I went in to talk some sense into him, but he only clamed down after I promised to try and get you to come," she said, the last part addressed to Kitty.

"Sounds like he's doing fine," Jean said rolling her eyes.

Kitty didn't bother to unbuckle her safety belt. She phased through it, and the door of the SUV, and grabbed Amanda's arm. "Well? What are we waiting for?"

Amanda laughed and led the way to Lance's room.

*

His face upon seeing Kitty was priceless. Tears trickled down his cheeks and he looked terrified and overjoyed at the same time. All he could say was, "Kitty. . ."

She stood in the doorway, just looking at him for a moment, before her self control gave way and she rushed to his bedside. His heart did a flip flop. "Kitty, oh Kitty I'm so, so sorry-"

"Hush, Lance. You all ready told me," she said softly. "You're not an asshole." Kitty stroked his cheek.

He spied the bracelet on her wrist. "I- I don't understand."

"You don't need to," Kitty purred at him.

Lance smiled as best he could. "If my right arm wasn't strapped to a million IVs and my left wasn't broken, I would be giving you the biggest hug right now. . ."

Kitty leaned over and brushed her lips against his gently, trying not to hurt him. He squirmed. Between the IVs and the nodes and the bandages, he felt like he was strapped to the bed. Kitty suddenly pulled back and gave him a funny look.

"What?" he said, looking worried anew.

"Didn't you know how dangerous it was, causing an earthquake while you were driving?"

"Of course I did," Lance said, looking a bit offended, "but," he added sheepishly, "I was so furious with myself that I didn't really care. It started because I was angry and I didn't think to stop it."

Kitty suddenly looked at him with a wry smile. "What set you off in the car?"

"I- uh- well, uh- you see- uh," Lance stammered, turning scarlet. "Well, you of course, but uh, it was, well, the skirt."

She raised an eyebrow. "The skirt?"

"Yeah," his blush became deeper, "you're always wearing jeans or Capri pants. That was the first time I've seen you in a skirt. . . And I'm what they would call, a 'legs man'. . ." He added with a great deal of effort put into looking straight faced versus foolish. "I'm really, really sorry, I swear that it won't happen again. . ."

Kitty couldn't help but giggle at him. "I'll have to skip the skirts from now on. . ."

Lance looked away, still embarrassed.

". . . And save them for special occasions," she finished.

Lance made a funny squeaking noise.

Kitty burst out into peals of laughter that echoed down the hall for several minutes. A few nurses looked in to see the two conversing quietly, their patient a bit red, and the girl with him looking rather content.

"Ah, young love," one of the older nurses chuckled.

The other nurses smiled knowingly.

*

Rogue shifted in Remy's arms and he froze. He didn't want to wake her. It had been a while now that she had been asleep. He had held her, stroking her hair on occasion. Her eyes fluttered open. Remy smiled down at her.

"Have a good nap cherie?"

"Mmm hmm," Rogue nodded. Her dreams had been blissfully peaceful for once. "You been here th' whole time swamp rat?"

"Couldn't do much about it, cherie." He said, indicating his situation. She was laying back on him. If he had moved he certainly would have disturbed her.

"Ya make a pretty comfy pillow," she commented.

"Anytime you wanna sleep wit' me, you jus' let me know," Remy said mischievously.

"Now don't start- is that the time?!" Rogue exclaimed, seeing the clock.

"Yeah," His brows furrowed. "Why? Got a hot date?"

"No, but Ah've been asleep for ovah two hours!" She rounded on him. "When were ya gonna move yah hide and get comfortable?"

"Doin' so now," he said with a grin. He twisted around so that he was facing her and folded his arms around her. "Dere. Dat's much better. You know, de front o' your head is much prettier den de back. Not dat dere's anyt'ing wrong wit' de back, but it isn't your face, you know?"

"LeBeau. . ." Rogue said in an exasperated manner. She was blushing, despite herself.

Remy frowned. "Well, you know, dere's only one t'ing I'm gonna regret outta all o' dis."

"An' what might that be?"

Remy held up one of his hands, grinning, "Gonna have to get me some new gloves wit' all de fingers so I c'n touch your beautiful face."

Rogue shoved him playfully. "Oh, Ah'm so sure that'll be such a pain f'r ya."

"Well, I gotta find someone to pickpocket, den I gotta find a shop dat sells gloves in my size. . ."

"An' steal them?"

"You know me so well all ready cherie."

"Ya ain't gonna steal anyone's wallet under mah watch Cajun. Got it?"

"Yeah, but fo' dat to work, you gotta be watchin'."

"Remy!" Rogue snapped.

"What?"

"UGH! What have Ah gotten mahself into?" Rogue moaned, putting her head in her hands.

Remy leaned close and whispered into her ear, "Somet'ing you ain't gonna regret, mon amour."

*

"'Choo found de girl?"

"Yeah, Julien," said a thief wearing a dark jacket. "Came back here soon as I knew fo' sure." The thief grinned, displaying a silver tooth. "An' I found someone else wit' her dat choo might be in'erested in.

Julien turned to him, Bo staff raised. "Like who?"

"De girl lives a a sc'ool fo' mutants. Couple o' days ago dey got in some new students. One Peter Rasputin, and a Remy LeBeau."

Julien's eyes narrowed. "Dat backwater slime! I'll tear him to pieces!"

"Dere's more," the informant thief indicated.

"Like what-?" Julien snapped.

"Remy LeBeau has a t'ing fo' de girl choo want. Choo get her choo c'n kill two birds wit' one stone, 'cause LeBeau will come after her."

"Yeah, but so will de girl's fuckin' 'fam'ly'!" Julien shouted. "No one is to know we got de girl until we want them to know. . ." He paused. "Dat girl's 'fam'ly' is de reason we after de girl in de firs' place. No one trashes de Rippers stronghold and gets away wit' it! De t'ing is, we need somet'ing dat will make de muties less of a threat. 'Specially de girl. She can knock you out wit' a touch." Julien looked over at his informant.

"I get right on it," the thief said, bowing.

"Good man."

After the man left Julien picked up the phone and dialed a number. The phone rang for a few seconds then someone picked up. "Bon jour, dis is Julien. I was wonderin' if my father- no? Not even a word? All right, t'ank you." He dropped the phone back onto it's cradle and growled. "You gonna pay fo' dis LeBeau. You and dat skunk-haired girlfriend of yours are gonna pay."

*

"Lance is going to be in the hospital for a while," Kitty sighed when Jean picked her up. "They're still worried about him. I mean he has woken up but he still has a concussion and they want to make sure everything's okay. He right lung had collapsed and stuff when they got to the hospital and it was a struggle for them to get it working. He's got a few broken ribs and stuff. . ." Kitty shuddered. "I'm just glad he's okay. . . They we're okay."

"I take it you discussed the situation with him then?" Jean said, watching the road carefully.

"Yeah," Kitty blushed. "It was kinda funny, you know? Now that I look back on it that is."

"Well, I think you did the right thing by getting out of there when you did," Jean advised her, "because who would have known if the situation would turn out this way or not? You could be the one in the hospital now. And Kitty," Jean said, glancing at the younger girl out of the corner of her eye, "you should not blame yourself for what happened."

"Yeah. . . I know. . ." Kitty mumbled.

As they pulled up to the mansion, they saw Scott waving them in with a smile. Kitty looked at Jean, who was waving at Scott with one hand and said, "Somebody's jealous of all the time I had with his girlfriend today."

Jean's face quickly matched her hair, and before she could think up and adequate reply, Kitty had phased through the bottom of the van. Scott jogged up to the side of the car and peered in.

"Hey, where'd Kitty go?" He asked, puzzled.

Jean rolled her eyes. "She dropped out."

"Oh," Scott mused. "I, uh, see. . . Well, anyway," He adjusted his glasses nervously. "Are you still up for dinner tonight?"

"Oh!" Jean exclaimed. "I'm so sorry Scott, it totally slipped my mind!" She flushed. "Of course I'm still up for dinner. What time is it now?"

Scott checked his watch with a glance. "Five twenty-two," he offered.

"All right," she said. "I'm going to put the SUV in the garage and I'll be ready by six-thirty."

"Sounds fabulous," Scott beamed. He rubbed the back of his neck "Uh is this technically, well, a date then?"

"Uh, well," Jean stammered as badly as he had. "Well, uh, I guess so."

They were both blushing. An awkward silence drew out between them.

"Uh, I'll go park now," Jean said.

"Yeah, yeah," Scott nodded. He stepped away from the car and Jean slowly drove towards the garage.

"You're quite the Casanova there Shades," teased a familiar voice. "You could hardly get out more than a syllable while talking to her."

"Thanks a whole lot for the observation Tabitha," Scott said. He rolled his eyes behind his glasses.

"I can't wait to hear about the dinner conversation;" she began an expert imitation of his voice, "Uh, eh, uh, um, Jean, hey, uh, so, what did, um, you do, eh, today?"

Scott frowned at her, but realized that it was probably an accurate assumption. "Whatever," he mumbled.

"Ha! You know I'm right!" She shouted triumphantly. "Well, Shades, I wish you the best of luck," she snickered. "You're going to need it."

"Thanks," Scott said flatly.

"Anytime," Tabitha grinned. She flashed him a thumbs up and began to walk away.

Scott glanced in the direction Jean had driven off in, hoping to catch a glimpse of her and maybe walk her to her room on her way back. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he didn't notice the little firecracker that rolled between his legs until it exploded.

"TABITHA!" Scott shouted, after he jumped about a foot in the air. Tabitha's laughter could be heard off behind him somewhere.

He heard a gentle laughter echoing Tabitha's and he turned to see Jean approaching. "Never a dull moment, is there?" she said, her green eyes glittering.

"In a house full of hormonal teen-age mutants?" Scott shook his head. "A 'dull moment' would be a miracle."

Jean laughed again. Scott offered her his arm and she accepted, twisting in gently so she could twine her hand in his. He felt suddenly very at ease. He smiled at Jean warmly.

"Dhere you are!" Kurt exclaimed, as he appeared in front of them. "I dhought I'd never find you in time!" He was in full uniform, which wasn't unusual, but Peter followed behind him, also in uniform. Scott looked at them curiously, but Kurt answered him before he had a chance to ask. "Ve have a training session at six sharp tonight, remember?"

Jean and Scott groaned. Jean slapped herself on the forehead. It was her fault that they were in that situation in the first place! How could she have forgotten? "I'm afraid dinner might have to wait, Scott," Jean said sadly.

"Yeah. . ." He agreed slowly.

"Vell you better hurry up and get in uniform. Logan's on dhe varpath tonight and no one's sure vhy. . . Beast thinks it has something to do vith a scratch on his motorcycle," Kurt added.

"Ugh!" Scott groaned. "He's going to have the room at the highest level. He loves that bike!" Scott shook his head. "We're going to join Alvers in the hospital."

Kurt rolled his eyes. "It almost makes me vish I had Rogue's povers."

"Huh? Why?" Jean asked.

"Since Rogue has had sooch a rough day, what with visions in the mornink and the trauma from Lance" Peter interjected, "she had been exkused from trainink too-night."

"Man!" Scott said. "She gets out of more training sessions that way-!"

"But her powers give he more than enough problems to make up for it," Jean reminded him.

Scott's indignity deflated. "When you're right you're right. . ."

"And Gambit is exkused so he can stay weeth her," Peter mentioned casually.

"All right now that's going-" Scott began but then he paused. "Wait. Rogue, and Gambit?" He knew how Gambit felt for Rogue, but the feeling- mutual? "Did I miss something?"

"Scott it is vay past time you clean your glasses," Kurt said wisely. "Get vith de program man!"

"I- I didn't think she would-" Scott stammered.

"Neither did we," Jean intoned.

"Wow," he said quietly. "Good for him. . . and her. That's just really unexpected."

Kurt and Peter shrugged at one another. "Ve'll see you down in dhe danger room dhen."

He placed a hand on Peter's shoulder and teleported them away.

"Scott, why are you so weird all of a sudden?" Jean studied his face with a worried look.

"I dunno, I just, always kinda expected Rogue to be, you know, there. . . alone. I know it's cruel to say that," he said quickly, "but she was my best girl friend besides you. It's gonna be kinda weird without her hanging around. I- I mean you know what with a boyfriend and all she won't be talking to me as much anymore."

Jean felt a bit of a frown tug at her face and a minuscule feeling of jealously directed towards the southern girl. It faded quickly though. "Rogue will always be a good friend to you Scott. You were better friends then anyone else was with her before she joined us."

"Yeah, you're right. I really am happy for her," Scott smiled. "And heck, if there's anyone that can bring that goth out of her shell, it would have to be a flirt like Gambit."

Jean laughed loudly. "You're telling me."

"Well," Scott sighed, "we'd better get dressed. Otherwise Logan's gonna kill us for being late."

Jean gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Listen: dinner, tomorrow night. Same time we had planned for tonight. I'll wear something special."

Scott's cheeks and his glasses blended perfectly. "Uh sure. Fantastic!" He smiled.

Jean took up one of his hands, and slowly they made their way into the house.

*

The End. . .