TITLE: Slippery When Wet
AUTHOR : Melissa Flores
EMAIL: mistiec_flores@yahoo.com
 

CHAPTER SIX
 

Scott Summers found his wife alone in the meeting room, back facing him, eyes riveted on the maps that had been made of the surrounding area.

He paused, tilting his head, watching her reach out and touch one map, slide her finger down it.

In his red-hazed world, she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.  Her body was tall, lean, curvy. Her eyes were so bright and yet so subtle, and although her looks were something she was never allowed to forget, they never seemed to matter. True, she always took care to look her best, and true, she was always dressed in the most fashionable clothes that Charles' vast resources had afforded her to buy, but there was always something about her, as if she was unaware that she could cause accidents, very nearly had once while they were walking through town.

And she was his wife. A man who could never appreciate the true vibrance of her hair, or the beautiful shade of her eyes. But she loved him, despite the fact that she could never see his eyes... she told him his mind gave her more.

And this morning he had denied her even that.  Why? Sadness... anger... jealousy?

He swallowed, walking further into the room, steps hesitant.

"Are they ready?"  She spoke without turning, tone distracted, distant, talking to him as if he had been anyone.

"Yes."

"Good." Her eyes flickered back to him this time, and there her gaze stayed. "You look tired."

"I am tired."

She nodded, eyebrows narrowing together as she turned back to the maps. "Hopefully we'll all be able to get some rest... soon." He nodded, didn't move from his spot. "You know it's selfish of me."

His head lifted slightly, looking at her curiously. "What is?"

"The fact that I want more than anything to hold you right now, and know that I can't..."

Her back was still turned to him, she never saw his stunned expression, but he bet she could most likely feel the heartache that came with it. "Jean... you can."

She stiffened slightly, turned back again to meet his eyes.  "I wish I could Scott... but with Rogue gone and Storm missing... "

He bit the inside of his cheek, flushing as he looked away. He knew what she was saying... seeing Logan and Remy's faces...

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice louder, more impersonal, coming forward to stand next to her.

"Thinking... finally." She clucked her tongue, crossing her arms, her eyes narrowed in concentration.  "I'm missing something here."

"What do you mean?"

"We're going about this the wrong way," she breathed.

His eyebrows knit together, clearly confused, but he said nothing. Jean was without a doubt one of the smartest people he knew, and he had long ago learned to simply let her mind go, without interruptions. She would explain herself soon enough.

"Scott, Rogue has never been like this. What we saw, what she said to me..." she trailed off, shuddering slightly, her hand cradling the back of her neck as she turned, massaging lightly, moving past him to pace.

"What did she say to you?"

She paused, looking at him, and then choosing to ignore the question as she continued, voicing her thoughts. "It was him. He's inside of her, changing her... It's all a game to him. And we've been fighting it all wrong."

"Jean-"

"NO Scott! Don't you see? It's ... He doesn't like to fight - He's playing with our heads. It's a mindgame. All these battles and explosions they mean nothing. He's got us in our heads. That's why he's using Rogue. He's winning the battle up here!" she emphasized, the hand to her temple.  She continued her walk, paced,  breath hitching slightly. "Destiny. He wanted Rogue's mutation because he wants to be one of us...Rogue's mutation allows him to use any of our powers against us... but... "

Scott crossed his arm, leaning against the table, fascinated with Jean's revelations.

"What?"

She paused, one hand leaning against the table, eyes on some far off spot only she could see. "Scott... something's changing in his plan... he wouldn't NEED Rogue for that... He should have just destroyed her..."

"How do you know-"

"Because that's what I would have done." Scott swallowed at the matter-of-fact answer, stepping back slightly as Jean crossed her arms, lost in thought, never noticing his reaction.  "But... something changed and..." she stopped, turning. "I think he's in love with her."

Scott blinked,  "He's WHAT?"

"That explains it! Why he would take her back. He's not trying to kill her because he's in love with her... and... if That's true... he would want to obliterate anything and everything that would bring her back to us."

Scott had to swallow to get the moisture back in his tongue before he spoke. "So he's trying to take over Rogue completely?"

"Yes. ROGUE. HIS ROGUE. The Rogue he created. He's ... killing Marie... the little girl, the heart of Rogue. Anything that links his Rogue to Marie... Logan... us... he wants to her to forget it all. And if THAT is true..." she paused, her body trembling slightly. "Then Storm is in serious trouble."

Scott nodded breathlessly.

"And Rogue?"

"Rogue's been fighting strong personalities in her head for a long time... she can more than hold her own... she would never have let him in her if she thought she couldn't unless we were on the line... " she paused, her eyes darkening slightly. "I think she needed my help.  That's what she was telling me. She can't get a hold of him..." Her eyes brightened in realization and she whirled to speak when the flap flew open and Logan stumbled into the room, breaking into her speech.

"Storm's dead."

At first the words didn't seem to make sense. Scott blinked, staring blankly at Logan, and when his eyes moved around Logan to Remy, who was holding his injured shoulder and bleeding from a cut above his left eyebrow, the world suddenly dropped out from under him.

He forced himself to breathe, felt his chest rising back and forth, barely eeking out an answer. "What... happened?"

Logan swallowed, looked toward Remy, but the Cajun looked incapable of anything coherent. Instead he leaned against the wall, head lolling back, eyes on Jean as she came forward. She cradled his head in her palms, inspecting the damage.

"What happened, Logan?" he repeated, heart hammering so loudly against his chest he had trouble hearing when Logan rasped a reply.

"Gambit and I... we went after Rogue and Storm... and she... she killed her...right in front of us-" The voice was thick, too thick, because Logan broke off and something that was akin to a howl and a growl emerged unwillingly from his throat. "I shouldn't have let her go, FUCK. I SHOULDN'T HAVE LET GO." He banged his fist at the wall. Scott could only watch, only aware of the breathing, letting it all sink in.

"Storm... Ororo's dead?"

Jean was trembling, trembling so violently, head buried in her hands as she hid her face from the world, and he closed his eyes when his vision blurred suddenly, mind full of the Goddess of the winds with the somber smile and the laughing eyes.

Their very best friend.

Killed by Rogue.

"No," he rasped.  "DAMMIT NO."  Logan was heaving against the wall like a caged animal, Remy's eyes were flooded with tears and the Cajun openly grieved, not caring who was in the room or who was watching as Jubilee and Kitty ran inside, watching the scene with wide eyes.

"I loved her," the Creole whispered. "I loved her."

It never occurred to Scott to be angry with the two men for breaking rank and attempting their own rescue. Instead his eyes flew to Jean, who now had her hands on her thighs, eyes closed, breathing in and out in a way he had seen her do before, putting it all away until she could deal with it.

But flashes of Storm still slid before his eyes and he found himself reaching out blindly for a chair, sinking into it as his weakened legs gave way.

His heart beat so fast and his throat was clogged with tears, body slumped over like a child as he attempted to swallow down the tears, the buried emotion.

Oh, God.

He was the leader... he had to... he had to pull it together... he was the leader.

His mind scrambled and he tried his best to say something, but the hoarse emotion kept blocking his voice and the lump in his throat was beyond painful.

"We..." he gasped. "We have to..."

"We can't stay here." He looked up to see Jean standing, coming over to him, her hands on his shoulders, squeezing as she looked at the rest of the group that had momentarily assembled into the room. "We're not doing anything here , and we have no reason to stay here."

Logan whimpered, lost in his own anger, fear... hurt and betrayal.

"If Rogue has killed Storm, then she has reached the point of no return. She is now considered our enemy, and it will be up to us to destroy her at all costs." No one argued, and in the lingering sadness that clouded the room, Scott wondered how Jean found the courage to speak at all. "But we're not going to do any good here. We need to be back at the mansion, regroup... we need to know how to fight her."

"We... " Logan tried to fight it, Scott could tell, but when he sank down on the floor, palms spread out on the ground in desperate submission, he knew that it was over.

He finally stood, squeezing Jean's hand as he looked at the group, taking over. "Let's go."

~*~

Jean threw the last pack into the jet, her heart beat slow, steady... not at all chaotic.

She didn't allow herself to think of Storm, her best friend since high school, of the smiles or the pranks that had been played, and though the knot in her stomach suggested that she felt guilty because of it, Jean knew she had the lives of sixteen other team members to preserve, and she very much intended they stay that way.

She swallowed down the lump in her throat that never really went away, and when her eyes roamed over the camp that had been collapsed and pulled apart in less than twenty minutes, there was only one dark figure that was left.

She bit her lip, glancing back to the other members who were buckling up, and jumped back down, her feet sinking into the snow, walking toward Logan.
 
She gave him a minute, and then came forward, gently touching his elbow. "Logan. We have to go."

He didn't move, didn't look at her, his voice hoarse and rough and angry. "I thought you said we'd get her back Jean."

She could say nothing to that.

He didn't speak, his eyes narrowed. "She still has to be in there."

"Logan."

"I'm not gonna give her up that easy!" he snarled, head whipping about to face her. "I can't."

She stared at him, arms crossed, eyes boring into his. "Who the hell says I'm giving up?"

He stared at her, not moving.

"Get your ass in the jet, Logan."

The order was given. For a second, she was afraid that the dark, uncharacteristic tone wasn't enough, but he only growled slightly, eyes full of pain and hurt and voice raw with emotion, and looked back to the winds.

She held her breath until he walked past her, climbing into the jet.

Her eyes closed and the tears brimmed under hers, but she wiped her tears away, looking at the white snow with narrowed eyes.

God... she had been so close... she could have sworn-

The wind began to whip harder, startling her back into the present, and quickly she moved, grabbing Bobby's outstretched hand and climbing into the jet as the door closed behind her.

"We're going to have trouble," Scott told her matter-of-factly as she slipped into the chair beside him. Ororo's old seat.

She blinked, taking a breath. "What?"

"The winds," he said, his jaw set and determined. "Bastard sent his damn winds after us."

Jean glanced down at the control panel, her eyes moving up to find that indeed, a swirling blizzard was heading in their direction.

"Sick Fuck," she heard muttered behind her. Even she felt a bit of contemptible hate at the reminder of what they had lost.

"Scott, now."

He nodded, and the jet rose, expertly going into a take-off until the winds hit the jet and it shuddered. Jean jerked out of her seat, banging her head against the wall as the shaking started. She paid it no mind, hearing the curses and the mutters behind from the other team members

Her hand lurched out to steady herself, eyes now on the controls as the jet rocked, the winds pulling at them. Scott's forehead beaded with sweat and she gasped as the jet lurched down, her stomach dropping down along with it.

"DAMMIT," he growled, in a tone that would have made Logan proud as he pulled up, eyes flicking up to the view screen.

"Someone sure as hell doesn't want us to leave."

"Kitty! Radio the other jet and check on the professor!" Jean ordered, throwing her words back behind her. "Make sure he's allright."

Immediately she heard Kitty's voice contacting the other jet as theirs continued to rock.

"Not working, she said after a minute. "But I think they got out before it hit."

"Scott..." Jean said, watching as the winds came faster.

He only pursed his lips, and with a yell he lurched forward and the jet shot forth as if shot out of a cannon. The group lurched forward, then snapped back as the seat belts held them and the plane rose higher in the sky.

Jean felt a sigh of relief exhale from her body as she held her hands to her forehead, rising shakily, looking back.

"Everyone okay?"

"Physically or mentally?"

Jean gave Kitty a sad shrug, squeezing her shoulder as she walked past her, settling into the seat with the backview, telling Jubilee to take her place up top.

Her heart beat faster as she looked forward.

God... those had really felt like Ororo's winds.

She ignored her instincts, closing her eyes, and leaning back, steadying her breath.

As her exhausted mind dozed, she never caught the black figure standing in the snow, looking up at the rapidly departing jet.

~*~

Her mind was troubled. He could feel it as he skimmed her skin with his fingertips, palm settled on her ribs, her body trembling ever so slightly as she nestled in the crook of his arm, licking her lips and lost in her own world.

"How do you feel?"

Her eyes, brown and soft, but always with the violet tint that was his, narrowed slightly as they focused on him.

"How the hell do you think I feel?"

"Elated?"

She pinched him, and he blinked, pinching her back.

She pulled away from him, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"No, not ELATED. I just killed my best friend."

The corners of his mouth turned downwards as he reached for her, pulling her back gently against her. "That's disappointing."

She pursed her lips, looking back at him. "You think so too?"

He found himself smiling at her child-like ignorance.

"Disappointing that you feel that way."

She paused, looking away. "I know you wanted me to do it."

"Is that why you did it?"

She shrugged. "I had to make a point. But Remy and Logan's eyes... "

A cold chill settled over his heart at the mention of her former lover's name. He closed his eyes, taking the moment to breathe, aware that the Marie in Rogue's heart was alive and well.

He reached forward, gripping her wrist, and pulled her back on top of him, reaching up to pull her chest up until it was level with his bare one.

"That will not do, now will it?" he whispered, his eyes cold, deadly, even.

Her chest heaved against his, arousing him, marking a change in his breathing, as he hands slid up her small waist and over her silk night gown to her bare shoulders, feeling the skin beneath his palms.

Her eyes were wide open when he jerked her as close as he could against him, pinning her, flipping them over until she was held underneath him. For a brief moment, he could sense the fear behind them until he reached down, pressing his lips against the spot just under her jaw where her aching pulse beat.

"Augustus," she breathed, raggedly, and when he growled softly in response, she stiffened, and pushed him off with a surprising burst of strength, knocking him off the bed.

"NO." Her eyes blinked and her hands rubbed over her shoulders, hugging herself as she shook her head adamantly. "I can't... Augustus... it HURTS."

His eyes widened and he moved, immediately scrambling up to grasp her hands, thumbs rubbing circles, his own head splintering as the connection resurfaced.

"Rogue, look at me. Come on, dear, look at me." She shuddered, trying to push him away, but he continued, until her eyes met his own, and his narrowed, mouth speaking words, and the trembling stopped and she whimpered, burying herself in his arms. The tears on her cheeks felt wet and moist against his chest, but he only continued to hold her, pressing kisses against her forehead, her hair, feeling her heart beating rapidly under her breasts.

"I can't do this anymore, Augustus. It has to stop."

"I know," he whispered, eyes narrowing as his eyes stopped at the uniform she had brought with her, at the silver X that was emblazoned on it. "Yes it does."  He grit his teeth, staving off her pain and once again he blocked her out, letting her handle her burden and he cradled her head in his palms, looking at her. "Rogue, Rogue look at me. Do you want it to stop?"

She nodded mutely, eyes flooded with tears.

"The pain and anger and guilt, do you want it to stop?"

A pause, and then a nod.

"Then destroy your past. They are the ones causing the pain."

There was a long moment, but the purple eyes glinted and she finally nodded again, lips pressing  a small kiss to his palms before extracting herself from his arms.

He moved as she scrambled over him, reaching for the black leather pants he had given her, and pulling them on,  her back to him as she pulled off the nightgown and slid on a black sweater instead.

"Where are you going, Rogue?"

"Outside. I need to think. If I do this I need to have my head clear for it."

His eyes narrowed, and he considered protesting, but evidently having him in her head had given her a view on his personality because she immediately tossed "If I had wanted to leave wouldn't I have done it by now? Trust me, Augustus."

He smiled and raised an eyebrow, lying back on the bed as she pulled on the long black jacket that reached her knees. "Get everything ready, Augustus. We'll go when I get back."

His smile widened, content to ask, "Where?"

She paused. "Ta destroy mah past, sugar."

~*~

His mind was a fucking whirlwind.

Logan had never felt this tense or angry before, never felt his heart splintered into a million pieces and had never felt the nausea that settled into the stomach, making him half wild and desperate.

He had never wanted to not believe something more than what he had seen, what he had felt the moment his heart seared in two as his beautiful little Marie, responsible for killing a woman, a friend, who only tried to save her, tell them that the woman he had given his soul too, was dead.

He couldn't believe it.

He knew he was an asshole and Dammit if the other team members looked at him with that pitying half scared look one more time he was going ram some heads up asses.

He stuck close to Remy. The injured Cajun said nothing to him, but Logan stuck by him, making sure the thief was taken care of by the blue furred beast in the medical ward, then walking with him to the meeting room where he knew Jean and Scott would be waiting.

He remembered not liking him, only a few weeks ago, he remembered hating him. But at that moment the damned Frenchmen with the annoying accent and even more annoying third-person talk was the only person he could stand to see.

Remy knew why, and Logan, with his bitter, seething growl and broken heart, never mentioned the reason.

As he walked into the room, made sure Remy was seated and sank down into the chair next to him, his mind was buried with flashes.

His eyes snapped closed and she was under him, whispering his name, body bathed in sweat as her fingernails raked across his back and her eyes opened as her hips arched, soft and dark and brown and so full of passion and -

"Logan."

His eyes snapped open and he involuntarily growled, finding Jean staring at him, her voice purposely void of any emotion.

He had wondered at the military act she was putting on, and watching her, knowing she could see and probably feel the anger and longing ripping through him, he finally felt he figured her out.

She knew how to act with him.  She knew that any minute he'd crack and the minute she let up and started being Jean he'd walk all over her like he walked all over everyone.

But she didn't.

So he stayed put, pulling the cigar out of his jean jacket and sticking it into his mouth.

"What?"

Her arms were crossed, mouth pursed, the glasses only adding to the aura of her newly appointed job as a leader as she looked at the three men.

"What do you think?"

"About what?"

"About Rogue." The voice was clipped, crisp.

He felt his heart lurch, but he managed to sound only bitter and angry as he responded. "What about Rogue?"

"I need to know what will happen when and if you come face to face with her," she said matter-of-factly. "Because if you don't know, then I'd rather you not be a part of this mission."

"You're asking if I could kill her."

"Yes."

It was honest, and despite the anger flaring and the glare he gave her, he had to give her credit for being honest. So he was honest right back.

"Fuck no."

"That's all I needed to know."

Scott had moved, turning his face away from him, and Logan watched as Jean pulled the glasses from her eyes, closing them and rubbing at them slowly.

"I'm going to have to do it."

Scott stiffened, the cigar fell out of Logan's mouth and Remy sat up, eyes narrowing.

"What?"

"This is... not something any of you can handle. It's ... hard to explain... I have to shut her down, from the inside."

"Like what the professor did with Logan?"

She looked distracted, but she nodded. "Something like that. Then we'll only have to worry about Augustus."

"I'm going to kill that bastard."

Scott and Remy turned to look at him, but Jean didn't seem the least surprised as she regarded Logan, who now stood to face her.

"Logan-"

"I almost did it before."

"He didn't have Rogue's memories, her powers then."

"I can kill him."

Jean opened her mouth to argue again when a piercing siren burst into his ears. He winced, putting his hands on his ears and Jean and Scott immediately exchanged glances, heading to the viewscreen.

Remy and Logan immediately followed. Logan crossed his arms, trying to block out the siren that continued as Jean's hands flew over the controls.

"Holy shit," Scott gasped, and immediately went over to the table, calling up the image diagnostic.

The school appeared, and Logan's eyes widened as he saw what was coming.

Jean licked her lips. "Looks like we don't have to worry about getting inside that icebox anymore," she breathed. "They're here."

~*~

The school was under attack.

Jubilee grit her teeth, replacement goggles fitting over her eyes nicely as she led the children down the corridor, once again furious at the events that had taken place.

It just FIGURED Rogue would get that Auggie guy and his deluded mutants to attack them on their turf.

"GO!"

Jubilee flung her arm around the student, pulling him closer to her as she gathered another mutant child with her free arm.  The darkness flickered back and forth with the red lights and she winced, keeping them close to her as she heard the furious sounds of the battle outside.

"KITTY!"

"HERE!" Shadowcat dove forward,  pulling another child with her, and then running back into the wall.

Jubilee winked at the green haired kid... Jess... that was his name... and patted him. "It's all good, Jess, we're just taking you down for some-"

BAM!

The door slammed open and Jubilee immediately placed herself in front of the group of children, her eyes narrowed as she held her fingers ready.

The mutant looked more like a beast than a man, and Jubilee felt her heart jump slightly as she pushed the kids backwards, opening the door that led downstairs.

"Run. Down to the basement like you've been taught. GO."

The silver eyes narrowed, and she stood, the fighting stance easy and loose.

He shot out with claws and she ducked under them easily, kicking him hard in the stomach before rolling away from him. Thank God for being small and nimble.  He plowed after her, knocking over desks and chairs and she jumped over the large teacher's desk, flipping over it and shooting out the sparks that landed directly in his face.

He growled, arms swinging out and she barely avoided the sharpened nails as she stumbled over the fallen desk. He was bleeding where the charges had hit him, but the room was quickly getting smaller.

Jubilee took in a quick breath and scrambled to her feet, shooting the sparks that were blocked when he picked up a student's desk and held it in front of him.

SHIT. He was actually smart.

The door behind them burst open and Kitty stopped, holding back the group of children she had with her as she took in the scene.

"KITTY! Get them down there!" She launched forward, plowing into Silver-Eyed Beastie Guy with a force that send them both flying back, and Kitty immediately grabbed the kids, pushing them to the other side of the room.

"Let's go guys, come on. Alex, Prissy, Jake - NOW."

One of the older students paused as Kitty shut the door, and when she turned back, he opened it again.

"Is that the thing that killed Ms. Munroe?" he shouted over the fighting in the room.

Kitty did a double take, ducking when the Claw guy threw Jubilee across the room and reached for her. "DARYL! Get your ass back in there!"

"IS HE?"

"NO!"

Daryl weighed his options, and with a set frown he slipped back inside the classroom, and picked up a desk.

With a yell, he flung it forward, hands shooting out as the thing changed in mid air.

When it struck the mutant in the back, it had become a spear.

Kitty and Jubilee both watched with widened eyes as the Mutant growled in pain, rearing back, dropping Kitty and sinking to the ground.

Jubilee gasped and she looked at the student.

"Daryl?"

He frowned, shrugging slightly. "I liked Ms. Munroe."

Jubilee's expression was hard to tell, but Kitty's smile froze before she came forward, stepping around Silver-Eyed-Mutant-Guy and squeezing his shoulder. "We gotta go get the other kids. Can you take care of these?"

The new student nodded, and walked back into the corridor.

Her shoulders slumped, and Kitty blinked her tears away, taking a deep breath before straightening and turning to Jubilee.

"Come on."

~*~

Explosions boomed all around him, but Logan didn't give a rat's ass. He smelled the smoke, saw the ashes, saw the school littered with his fighting colleagues, but even the smell of the fight did nothing to quell his need to face one man.

He growled, the knives sliding from his hands as his eyes caught the injured Remy grappling with the same snake man from before.

His eyes narrowed and he launched forward, claws digging into the Snake's shoulder, barely looking as the man slithered and cried out, barely hearing as Remy shouted his thanks, instead his eyes continued to rove, like a hunter in search for prey.

Something launched at him and he barely paid any noticed, throwing it off and kicking it to the ground.

If these bastards were here, then Rogue was here, and if Rogue was here...

"Logan, I presume?"

Logan's eyes narrowed and the seething hate bloomed in his soul. The bastard with the purple eyes.

Augustus smiled, crossing his arms. "You know I don't normally do this whole climactic battle. But I figured... just one time wouldn't hurt."

He growled and doved forward, claws extended. Augustus sideswiped him easily, kicking him in the back, but Logan caught his knees, bringing him to the ground with him.

~*~

"Are you all right?"

Jean kept her hand on her forehead, keeping the door closed from the intruders as she walked backwards, ignoring Cyclops.

She waited a minute, taking a breath, and pushed with all her might.

The door stopped banging, for the moment.

She swallowed, then turned to Scott. "Fine. Scott, I need you to make sure Charles is safe. I'll try to keep them from getting in and then we help the others."

"I'm not leaving you."

"I'll be fine. I'd rather you be with him."

"Jean-"

She cut him off by kissing him roughly, letting a lingering hand caress the rim of his glasses as she smiled. "Come back when you can."

"Alright. I'm not doing this because you're my leader or anything."

She smiled in spite of herself and smacked him on the shoulder blade. "Get outta here, Scott."

He nodded, swallowing and kissing her quickly one more time he let her go, running through the library where they were stationed.

She let out her breath, gathering the loose strands of her reddish mane and pulling it back into the ponytail where it had fallen free.

The door pounded again and she jerked back to face it, grabbing one of the battle batons and walking toward it.

"I wouldn't worry about him. Beast is on the other side completely kickin' his ass."

Jean froze, and her eyes closed as she took a breath, steadying herself, keeping her face perfectly neutral as she turned toward the open window.

"Hello, Rogue."

Rogue smiled, swinging her legs easily as she leaned on the third story window ledge. "Hey Jean."

~*~

Robert Drake's eyes were ice blue, and his rage was considerable as he slid on the slippery wet ice that his outstretched arm produced before him.

In and out, he weaved between the fighting mutants, icicles spitting from his left hand, pinning mutants to the ground, thankful that they were fighting on the very grounds he trained on.

He smiled as he iced the ground one mutant was fighting on, and the smile widened as he looked over his shoulder to find St. John melting it easily, making the mutant fall back flat on his back, leaving Remy to finish the job.

His throat clogged for just a second as he saw Logan fighting off the man with the purple eyes, and the emotion, the hatred directed at him outweighed even his dislike for Logan.

But he wasn't completely useless... he continued to ice and St. John continued to melt because the long years of training had taught him one thing that fire and ice had both used to their advantage:

Things got slippery when they were wet.

And fire and ice, when hot and cold enough, BURNED.

~*~

It felt like a face-off.

Jean kept her head even, her eyes not on Rogue's eyes, but on her hands, as they circled each other slowly, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Rogue always was a talker, and Jean had learned in the long training simulations to let her talk, because Rogue used the distraction to get at you, either a foot hooked under a knee, or an elbow sneaking it's way under her armpit.

She was crafty. She didn't just enjoy the battle, didn't launch into it like Logan and Remy did or stay as far from it as possible so as to have a clear shot like Scott did, to her it was a game...

A mind game.

"You know, Jean Ah'm disapointed in you."

Jean remained silent, watching as Rogue's fingers twitched slightly, not looking into the violet eyes for fear of who she might find behind it.

"You out of everyone here could finish it. You know what it takes."

Again, Jean said nothing. She was ready when Rogue lurched forward and when it happened she merely used her mind to swing Rogue with her momentum into the nearest wall.

Books fell off shelves and the walls teetered, but Rogue stood, smiling, nodding.

Jean nodded back, a smile on her own on her face.

Rogue got up, dusted herself off.

"You know for the longest time, you were a hero to me. It seemed like you had it all together. But I don't think you do. If you did you wouldn't have freaked out... would you?"

Rogue's foot shot out and Jean blocked it easily, again using Rogue's much more immense strength against her, sweeping under her foot and pushing up.

Rogue flipped over her head, catching Jean with a sharp, but largely ineffective kick in the back. Jean stumbled forward, but righted herself easily, her breaths becoming gasps, sweat beginning to bead her forehead.

She turned back, regarding Rogue.

Rogue paused, hands falling to her sides as she looked at Jean, eyes narrowing. "You're learning, Jean. I think you've figured it out."

Jean merely plastered a fake smirk on her face, eyes on her Rogue's hands once again. Something was wrong. Rogue was usually a better fighter than this... It was almost as if she was intentionally-

"You know the darkness... you're afraid of it... afraid you might like it maybe? You've never tasted it, have you? But you want to, because you know that deep down you can play the game. You can play it better than me... better than him."

Jean shook her head slightly, her lungs tightening as the words washed over her. Shit, Jean. Don't listen... don't listen... She wants you to listen...

"All this? The bombs and men with their damn testorone fighting and getting sweaty and the bruises and punches and blood... that's not the real game. The real game is upstairs... in here." Rogue's finger tapped the side of her temple and Jean licked her lips, her heart skipping a beat.

Shit... there it was again... that... feeling she couldn't quite put her finger on...

Her eyebrows knit together in concentration and her gaze went to Rogue's eyes, right where she suspected Rogue wanted them.

Rogue paused, sliding onto a desk, watching Jean quietly.

"You know what made me run, Jean? It was Bobby. Ah found him an' Logan six feet in the snow, and Bobby had three clawmarks through his stomach... right here." Her hand rested against her tight abdomen, making her point.

Jean's eyes narrowed, and she found herself pausing, as Rogue's eyes bore into hers.

Bobby never had any claw marks-

Jean gave a huge gasp inward.  She blinked once, twice, and her head shook and her body trembled and her heart gave and suddenly Rogue was next to her, hand to her throat, seconds away from squeezing the life out of her.

"What'sa matter, Jean?" she whispered roughly, pushing her back against the bookshelf. "Fight gone outta ya?"

Jean stared deeply into her eyes, and she finally smiled, speaking for the first time to her old comrade.

"No. I'm done fighting. I'm ready to play. Game's not lost yet."

Rogue watched her, Jean felt her hands tighten slightly and she closed her eyes, praying she had made the right choice.

And the fingers slipped away from her throat. Rogue's strong arms helped her right herself easily.  When Jean's eyes opened, Rogue was smiling at her, hands at her sides.

"Nice to have someone on my team for once."

~*~

If Scott Summers had stopped to muse on his team, he would have been quite proud.

Almost all the mutants who had managed to get inside had been promptly shoved out or snuffed out, and thankfully, except for a twisted ankle, none of the children were hurt.

But he never was one to muse during a fight, and instead his mind and heart were only trained on one thing : his wife.

He ran through the corridor, barely stopping to clap Beast on the shoulder, his heart hammering against his chest as he pushed the door open where he had last seen Jean.

His throat immediately closed, his eyes widened, and his hand went to his visor.

"Jean duck!"

Rogue and Jean jerked their heads in his direction, and Rogue's hand immediately slipped from Jean's cheek, moving back toward the window.

Jean reached her hand out, cried out for him to stop, but his fingers flicked, and Rogue couldn't move fast enough.

The red blast hit her square in the chest, taking her body with it.

Jean ran to the window, stopping as she watched Rogue land with a thud in the meadow, in the midst of the fighting.

"Oh, God, Scott," she whispered. "What the hell did you do?"

She jerked away from the window, pushing past him, and ran out of the room.

~*~

He ducked under his flying hand, reaching up and punching him hard in the solarplex.

Augustus groaned, eyes flashing as he grabbed Logan, ducking under and rolling him over him.

"Enough of the violence. It's so primeval."

"Oh I think the definition of evil ain't me, bub."

The blast from the window caused them both to look up, and suddenly both forms froze as they watched in horror as one woman landed with a sickening squelch on the ground not twenty feet away.

Augustus cried out at the same time as Logan did, both men running toward her immediately.

"MARIE!"

"ROGUE!"

Augustus reached her first, pulling her up, voice raw and hoarse as he lifted her to him, barely able to cradle her before he was pushed back by Logan.

"Stay the hell away from her," he growled, claws extended, cradling the groaning Rogue closer to him as he backed away from Augustus.

Augustus narrowed his eyes, but stayed put, eyes only on Rogue. Logan gently held her, patted her face, eyes wide and voice unsteady in his panic.

"Marie... Marie, darlin'..." he swallowed, eyes lifting up to see Augustus coming near again. "DON'T COME NEAR HER!" he snarled again, and there was so much rage in his voice the violet-eyed man actually paused, if only for half a second.

Again Logan pressed his cheek against Rogue's forehead, eyes burning, holding her tighter. Her eyes fluttered against his cheek and she breathed in, hands at the wound on her chest that hadn't hit her hard enough to cause any permanent damage, but he guessed still hurt like living hell.

"Lo-Logan?"

"Hey... I'm here."

"Get away from her." Augustus was on his haunches, eyes glittering, watching the scene with the grace of a panther. "She's not Marie anymore, Animal. She belongs to me."

"Like HELL she does."

Marie's hand clutched to Logan's lapels, and he gently brushed his lips against the top of her head before setting her down.

The pounding of footsteps behind him startled him, and that was all Augustus needed. He jumped forward, and Logan felt his breath sucked out of him as Augustus jammed his shoulder into his the softness of his stomach, taking Logan with him as they rolled across the ground.

~*~

Jean winced, watching as the men fought not more than five feet away from her, and she took a breath, nodding the Robert Drake, St. John and Gambit, all who had finished their battles and were watching with mixed emotions.

"Watch Logan. Make sure he and Augustus-"

The cry of pain at her feet drew her attention, and immediately Jean fell to her knees, gathering Rogue's head and bringing it to her thighs.

"Jean what are you doing?!"

Jean immediately looked up, and Scott gasped as he was pinned back, kept away from the fighting by the power of Jean's mind.

"Stay away from this, Scott. It's not your fight. It's not your game."

The voice was harsh and cold and not at all like Jean, but she paid them no attention as she helped Rogue to her feet, hand on the abdomen that shown clearly through the burned spandex.

Her eyes fixated on the brown eyes, the weakened version of Rogue, and she took a breath. "How much longer are we waiting?"

Rogue swallowed, wincing, stumbling forward as she looked at the fight. "Oh, God. He'll kill him."

"Who?"

Rogue's eyes were on the fight, her voice raspy and faint. "Take your pick."

Jean was scared to wonder who the concern was for in Rogue's eyes.

She swallowed, looking up at the clear blue sky.

Rogue groaned, and Jean stumbled under her weight, holding her up as she took a quick look at the men who were still watching, unsure of what to do.

Rogue sucked in her breath, her eyes riveted on the fight.

Augustus and Logan were well matched, and it seemed that now both were fighting bare knuckled, beating each other to a bloody pulp using fists and legs and not much else.

It seemed almost medieval, the dark knight and the white knight fighting for the woman they both loved, for the right to own her, to posses her.

Funny how she knew, in the end, the only one who would own anyone was Rogue herself.

The game was already lost.

"He's toying with him," she whispered, her eyes dark and violet and fascinated.

"Rogue..." Jean's voice held slight dread, but then the winds whipped around them, and Rogue's eyes lifted toward the sky and she smiled.

"TOOK damn long enough."

Jean understood completely, sucking in her breath and taking another look at her friend. "You sure about this?"

Rogue closed her eyes, staving off the pain, and when she looked at Jean, she swallowed. "What's matter, Jean? Backing out of the game so soon?"

"Not a chance."

Rogue regarded her. "You sure about this?"

Jean nodded, almost glaring at her as the fear pounded into her very soul. God was she? Really? Did she trust herself that much?

"Yes," she found herself saying. "I want to play."

"Good." Their fingers tangled and squeezed and the winds whipped harder, swirling around and around until she and Rogue were in the eye of a storm, watching as the blizzard cut off everyone else from their little playground.

"Game's lost," she heard Rogue mumble, and suddenly Rogue ran forward, pushing herself in between the fight and with an amount of strength that was admirable considering her injury, she punched Logan, hard, flinging him hard and fast out of the playing field.

~*~

Remy held an arm to the bleeding shoulder, watching through the haze of the storm with eyes of uncertainty and dread that shivered through him down to his very soul.

He watched as Logan tried to scramble back in, only to be pushed back by the winds. He watched as Scott screamed for Jean until he became hoarse, but he too was repelled by the winds, so strong and controlled.

It caused a lump in his throat to feel so helpless,  so confused...

And it made him damn angry as he looked up on the women he once loved, who had killed the woman who had taken his heart in such a way that would have made any thief proud.

~*~

Augustus was still, his mouth bleeding, eyes flashing brilliantly when Rogue faced him, face drawn and tired, but still holding that trademark smirk as she cocked her head at him.

"You were going suck him into you, weren't you?"

He pursed his lips, crossing his arms as he watched his little girl, regarded her with growing suspicion and unease in his heart. "It seemed necessary."

"Why?"

"He's a part of you."

"Augustus." Rogue trembled slightly, hand rising to her head as his narrowed. Carefully, he lifted the bond, pulling her mind, her power... and she stumbled back, crying out in pain.

His fingers trembled, but he couldn't take chances now... this had been a mistake... bringing her had been a mistake.

"Time to go home, Rogue."

Her eyes opened and she glanced to the red headed witch that watched from a few feet away, and suddenly the link was severed when an outside force pounded into him.

The stabbing pain brought him to his knees, making him wince, and his hands clenched into fists as he groaned, pitching forward, only to be caught by Rogue.

"Augustus," she whispered. "I am home."

~*~

Jean sank to her knees, eyes wide open, but body completely spent, tired, so tired already from her invasion in the battle of the minds.

She took in a breath, sucking it in an attempt to concentrate, thankful for the winds that kept her trapped, kept her focused, kept the fear away

Her eyes narrowed as she continued to isolate the heart, the strength, in an attempt to sever the bond and when the darkness caught her heart and squeezed she almost lost control, falling back, feeling it sear into her very soul.

To make order out of chaos was nearly impossible.

But Rogue whispered to her not to be a wimp, to continue to play... she needed her to play.

And Jean grit her teeth, hand stretched out and taking a stronger hold, thanking Charles for his constant, almost tedious mind lessons that had given her this much control... when it could have so easily been lost.

The stability was killing her, but it was all the stability Rogue had, and it was enough, because she watched as Rogue took Augustus, pulled him closer, kept them separate, and after what seemed an eternity, pressed her lips against his.

~*~

He screamed.

The pain and agony all came back and he struggled violently against her, his mouth muttering words against her lips that should have reversed it.

But it didn't. Her mind simply flipped, locked, found another channel...

She knew too much.

Her grip was strong and his was weakening with every second, but he continued to fight, even as his knees hit the ground, mind reeling, searching and fighting back with every ounce of strength.

~*~

"MARIE!"

Logan scrambled to his feet, tried to run into the whirlwind, but he was held back, Scott hooking an arm in his elbow and pulling.

"LOGAN NO!"

"What the hell is going on?!" he demanded.

"I don't know! But you can't go in there until we figure it out!"

"Marie's fucking in there!"

"Yeah and so is Jean!" Scott shouted back, pushing him away. "But you're not going in there!"

Logan glared. "Try me."

He pushed past Scott, but once again he was whipped back by the winds.

His eyes were wide and his throat was raw, and he was weak and tired from the fighting, but still he tried, and still he was flung back, and he cried a roar of animal rage as he could only watch helplessly as Rogue and Augustus continued to struggle.

~*~

It was a deceptively simple mind-game, but it was often true that the most simple easily became the most complex.

He was struggling, and she could sense Rogue's fear keeping her, stopping her. Jean knew her own doubts were not helping.

So she grit her teeth and pushed past the pain, helping her stay clear... focused...

And prayed she would get through before she passed out.

~*~

A combined howl came from inside the whirlwind, and Logan swallowed hard as it became fiercer, the debri flying around it making it impossible to see a thing.

"What's going on?" he breathed. Scott stood next to him, finger on his visor, but he looked just as frustrated, craning to find anything to target.

The screaming continued and as quickly as it had come, the winds slowed, stopped, and there was a flash and with no warning, Augustus and Rogue dropped to the ground.

"ROGUE!" he ran forward, but was flung back again, this time by Jean, who held him fast with her mind.

"No! Not until we know for sure!"

"Know what?!"

"Who won the game." Jean swallowed, and walked forward, hand out, keeping Logan at bay as she made her way to the two bodies.

"Jean what are you doing?" St. John cried, looking at Gambit unsteadily. "Get out of there. She killed Storm."

"No, she didn't."  The winds picked up slightly at the foreign voice, and like faithful hounds to their master, the winds whipped around Ororo Munroe, who landed lightly at her feet a few feet from Jean.

Storm looked tired, her eyes were still milky white and her knees trembled slightly, but she was very much alive.

Jean paused, her eyes locking with Ororo's, her heart thumping in relief, a gentle smile coming from her face.

"Oh, thank God she didn't lie about that."

Ororo shrugged slightly. "I am sorry it took so long. I had a long flight. You didn't wait for me."

"You're here. That's all that matters to me. DAMN it's good to see you."

Storm smiled, her eyes clouding slightly as she answered, "Likewise." She paused, hesitating, turning to see the X-Men watching with their mouths hanging open.

Her eyes lingered on the face of one red-eyed Cajun in particular, who was staring at her as if he was seeing a ghost, but her attention was quickly diverted when a groan came from Rogue.

Her eyes locked on Jean's and both women ran forward, moving past the hollowed looking form of Augustus, and picking up Rogue, cradling her gently between the two of them.

Rogue looked tired, worn, half dead.

Her eyes opened, and upon seeing them, Jean swallowed, dread flooding through her.  They were completely violet.

But Rogue gave only a familiar smile, and in a familiar drawl whispered, "Did we win?"

Ororo smiled gently, fingertips running over Rogue's mane, disentangling the white locks from the dark brown. "Yes."

"Yes, Rogue," Jean added, her eyes moistened slightly. "The game's lost."

Rogue gave her a weak smile. "Is Logan okay?"

"Yes."

"Good." Her eyes closed briefly, and in a weak voice she added, "I like it when Ah'm right."

Leaves crunched behind her and Jean looked up.

Logan stared down at them, his face oddly void of expression, eyes locked on Rogue's. His body was trembling.

"Marie?"

Rogue was completely still, but Jean moved, letting Logan kneel down in her place, carefully gather the fallen women's body in his strong arms, pulling her closer.

"Marie?"

She could hear Storm holding her breath beside her, and never realized she was holding her own until Rogue burst into tears, burying herself in Logan's arms.

Her heart lurched at the sound. It was painful, so very painful. The sobs were from the heart, as Rogue's entire body convulsed with them, her eyes closed as she kept her face buried in Logan's shoulder.

"Logan," she barely heard. "Logan, Ah'm sorry."

"Shh.." His voice was raw, and Jean could see he had trouble speaking by the way he swallowed, the way his mouth trembled and his eyes moistened as he pressed his lips to her forehead, bringing her in closer, nose inhaling her scent, eyes closed, sliding his cheek roughly against hers, as if this moment was what he had been waiting for his entire life.  "It's okay."

"No... it's not... " Marie struggled for breath, and Jean stopped smiling when she saw Rogue's head fall back.

And then Rogue promptly passed out.

~*~

He watched her as she slept, fingers reaching out every once in a while to run through the strands of her hair that lay pillowed about her.

Her wounds hadn't been serious. Jean had told him that she had been more exhausted than hurt, and explained that it was better for all of them if Rogue slept.

She had been asleep for three days, but there was no dreams, no nightmares. Every so often her hands twitched or her eyelids fluttered, but that was it.

He knew. He hadn't left her side for more than five minutes from the second she was brought in.

His heart seemed constantly in his throat, and while the others still seemed weary, shocked, and more than a little confused, Logan never questioned it, never questioned the absolution, or Storm's reappearance, even though he had seen her killed before his very eyes.

All he could think about, all he could concentrate on, was the sleeping young woman in the infirmary, with the dark purple eyes that, according to Jean, were now her permanent eye color.

She had absorbed the sick bastard, and Logan's heart was caged with worry at what it would do to her.

He reached forward, taking a gloved palm in his own, pressing it to his lips, closing his eyes and just inhaling.

What he did know, was that there was no way, no how, he was letting her go again.

A deep breath in made his eyes look up.

Rogue's eyes were wide open, dark purple orbs staring at him, her chest heaving back.

He felt the emotion clog his throat, the love threaten to overwhelm him, but he forced himself to stay in his chair, to merely smile, keeping her palm enclosed in his as he said gruffly, "Mornin'."

"Hey, Logan," she whispered, eyes closing again as she attempted to gain her bearings, moving back to focus her eyes on him.

She gazed at him, eyes roaming over him as is he were some sacred object that she had been searching for her whole life and had only just found.

Her eyes flooded with tears and her smile trembled as he pressed her palm to his face again, mouth pressing against the gloved hand, eyes closed in reverence.

"God, I missed you," she whispered, the digits under his lips opening to cup his face lovingly.

"Same here."

She nodded, swallowing. "Did Jean and Storm tell you what happened? Ah mean... I'm sure everyone's kinda confused..."

He gave a snort. That was an understatement. "They're more than confused, Rogue. Jean said that we had to wait... until you're better. You'll explain it better than they could, they don't know half of it themselves."

She managed a small smile. "I did... ask them to take a lot on faith." Her smile faltered as she looked at him, and he wondered if he could see the wounds in his eyes because her eyes watered again and she whispered, "I'm sorry."

The lump came to his throat and he shook it away angrily, grunting. "Marie, that wasn't-"

"I shouldn't have left you that night. But I couldn't wait... if I had waited I wouldn't have been able to leave..."

His vision blurred suddenly as he remembered that night, but Logan didn't cry. He never cried. Instead he only gave a tight smile and shook his head again.

"You were fighting a mad man."

"No," she whispered. "Ah was fighting me."

Silence followed that statement, and slowly, gritting her teeth, Rogue pulled her hand away from him, using it to pull herself up. He immediately stood, hands slipping around her waist to steady her as she sat up.

"Wow," she whispered. "That was... dizzy." With a frown, she looked down to the gloves on her hands. "What're these for?"

His eyes narrowed, his answer clipped. "Jean wasn't sure... she wanted to keep them there... just in case."

"Oh." She nodded matter-of-factly, but immediately pulled them off. "He taught me to control it."

"He?"

Her violet orbs met his and Logan felt his body shudder with rage. Him.

"Marie..." he said after a minute, swallowing. "He... did you... "

Her bare arm on his flannel covered forearm stopped his stammering, sliding up his chest to bring his chin down so that his eyes had no place to go but to her face.

"Hey. He doesn't matter. Not anymore. I had to... Logan... he thought I was his destiny. He had no idea he was mine." He cocked his head, not quiet understanding until Rogue reached up, and gently brushed her lips with his.

The warmth of her lips against his shot a bolt right through him, and when her mouth opened and her tongue gently licked his bottom lip, he groaned, pulling her closer to him, his beating heart matching hers in intensity, body trembling from the contact.

She held him, lips breaking free, in a desperate embrace. He felt the moisture of her tears on his neck but he said nothing, just held her, inhaling her scene, inhaling all of her.

"I love you," she whispered. "You're my heart, Logan."

He squeezed tighter, and her lips brushed against his outer ear before whispering in a saucy tone, "'Sides, I've dealt with bigger bastards in my head before. Do you know how long it took for the urge to scratch my non-existent balls went away after you?"

His eyes opened in shock, and he pulled back slightly to look at her.

Her expression was playful, wicked, and her smirk held just a trace of the child he once knew.

But it was a trace, and it was enough.

She winked, and he found himself laughing, the first time in weeks, pulling her closer and just holding her.

"I love you," he whispered. "I'm never, letting you go again."

"I won't let you."

~*~

Storm stepped into the room where the X-Men had gathered. Once again she felt the stares, the looks that told her they couldn't believe it.

She had made the agreement with Jean not to explain her absence and 'death' until Rogue awoke, so as to not tell the story two hundred different times, and truth be told, she was glad.

It was nice, she had to admit, if not a little disconcerting, as the X-Men worked to rebuild the damage that had been done to the school, to be pulled into impulsive hugs and to have children burst into tears and jump into her lap.

Eyes were misty when they saw her, but no eyes bothered her more than the blank stares of the Cajun that held her heart.

She had been unsure what to say to him, what to do. She had felt his turmoil... his anger, maybe, at being tricked, stemming from the fact that he had been there when Rogue and Storm had carried out the plan.

It had more than broken her heart when she heard Gambit crying above her, but heaviness of the deep sleep was too heavy to fight.

He had stayed away from her, always in sight, but never coming near, and her body trembled and her eyes misted slightly with awareness of the fact that she couldn't talk to him, not yet.

What could she say?

I'm sorry I tricked you into thinking I was dead? Into thinking Rogue had killed me? I'm sorry I broke your heart twice?

Her eyes landed on him now, and once again the shuddering in her heart started as his eyes locked with hers.

She swallowed, taking a breath, sat down next to Jean, earning a sympathetic smile from the telepathic mutant.

Charles was seated next to Jean, face paler, thinner than he was before, but smiling, eyes alert and awake.

The other X-men wore mixed expressions, and Storm saw the reason as Rogue walked in, hand clasped with Logan's, walking hesitantly into the room.

She saw Jubilee avert her eyes immediately, saw Kitty shudder once, saw Bobby and St. John look away.

She also saw the sad expression that had flickered over Rogue's features for two seconds before she had pushed it away.

Jean cleared her throat, motioning for Rogue to sit.

"We owe you an explanation," she addressed the group. "That's why we're here."

There was silence again, and Rogue straightened, nodded as Jean looked at her. "I know ya'll are pretty confused... and I'm sorry. I never meant to suck you guys inta this. At the last battle, I met Augustus on a rooftop. He touched me, and he told I was his destiny." Her voice was soft, gentle, but oddly firm. "Ah didn't believe him, but the touch branded me, changed me, and later, when I went to go look for Bobby and Logan, Ah was so screwed up in the head... I could have sworn I saw Bobby bleedin' from three claw makes in his chest. I thought Logan had done... and I lost it." She paused, lips trembling slightly, before taking a breath and continuing. "When I realized what I had done, when all the murkiness had gone away, I had to leave... I was a danger to a group and I had almost killed him." Logan's hand tightened around hers.

"I don't want to go into to much, but Augustus found me and there was this spell... and he was in my head at the same time... as I was in his... I learned things from him... I learned how to ... I never planned on hurting any of you. He... had Storm... and..."

"Rogue knew that she had to play Augustus' game in order to defeat him," Storm broke in gently. Rogue smiled a gentle thanks, and Storm nodded back, continuing. "She knew that only she could keep him from coming after us, was to learn from him, all she could, and use that against him. When she came back to him, she and I formed a plan. She had learned how Augustus had used Bobby against her, and she decided to turn it around, use it against him, make him believe the she really accepted her destiny... with him. She had to cloud his judgment. She had to make him love her to keep him from destroying her."

Jean cleared her throat. "That original plan was to kill the body and take the mind. Rogue manipulated him into thinking he needed the body as well."

Kitty raised an eyebrow, but Rogue only took a breath.

"Storm's death, we staged for HIS benefit. We had no idea Remy and Logan were there until it was too late."

Storm watched as Remy shifted in his seat, and her eyes were only on him as she continued. "I was originally supposed to 'die' to get out, and then I was supposed to go back to the camp, warn you all, and convince Jean to help Rogue. But when Remy and Logan came... that kind of threw a wrench in the whole thing."

"We had to go through with it. He was watchin'... I'm sorry," Rogue said again. "I really did not.. you're weren't supposed to know."

"What did you need Jean's help for?" Jubilee asked.

Rogue swallowed, looked to Jean, who simply nodded, fielding the question. "Rogue wasn't strong enough, she was too weakened to fight him off herself. She needed me give her the stability she needed to push him out of her body and then suck him back in. That was why she convinced him to come here."

"At the same time, you all had assumed wrong," Storm said, a faint trace of a smirk on her face. "I tried to keep you from leaving long enough to take you with me."

Bobby gasped and St. John's eyes widened. "Those were YOUR winds holding us back?"

She shrugged. "Apparently they weren't strong enough. I had a hell of a long flight back home."

"Okay," Jubilee's hand rose slightly, the glasses slid from her face as she leaned forward. "You know, this explains a lot, but it still doesn't explain why Rogue beat us up and why she creeped the living hell out of us."

"Well I couldn't just COME OUT and say I was trying to beat him, could I? I mean I had to be semi convincing and considering I had a psycho in my head you're lucky I didn't kill you!"

"Rogue," Jean warned, and Rogue flushed, leaning back. "Rogue kept saying the game was lost, to let her go. She was trying to warn us, that she had him beat, and didn't want us to interfere."

Rogue nodded.

"Ohhhh..."

"I know that a lot of you don't trust me... and I don't blame you. But I've got Augustus contained. His powers... they're under my control."

"So you can do all that wind shit.. and the touching thing?"

"I can flip it back on and off. He was a wizard. It's just spells."

"But you know them all."

"Yes."

"You're right, it is gonna be kinda scary for a while."

Rogue conceded with a slight smirk and Jean shook her head, getting up.

"I think that explains it for now. If anyone has questions, they can direct them to Rogue later. For now I suggest we get lunch."

Murmurs filled the room as chairs were pushed back. Rogue shot Jean a grateful look and Jean only smiled as she whispered to Storm, "This is going to be interesting."

Ororo smiled back, pushing her chair back in and walking toward the doorway, keeping her eyes purposely away from Remy's body as she walked down the hall to her classroom.

She sat down at the chair, took a deep breath, and leaned over the desk, sliding her fingers in her long white hair, trembling slightly.

"So that... dying thing. Was not for me, no?"

Her hands jerked away from her face, as her eyes riveted on the Cajun, leaning against the doorway.

"No, it wasn't for you," she said softly. "It almost killed me that you had to go through that. I'm sorry."

He nodded, hands crossed over his chest as he walked into the room, eyes on the floor, studying it curiously.

"So... Remy go charging in like a big ole' man and get his heart broken, non?"

"Non." She smiled in spite of herself. "Not if I could help it."

He paused in the middle of the room, watching her with those beautiful flaming red eyes. "Curious thing. When I saw you... I didn't just thought I had lost my best friend, Cherie. I had lost you." His voice was oddly choked, and Storm felt her hands clench uncertainly. "Somethin' in here. It die, mon ami."

Her eyes flooded with tears as she stood, "Oh, Remy. I am sorry." Her body seemed trapped in limbo, part of her wanting to wrap her arms around him, the other scared to, unsure.

He swallowed, cocking his head. "So... you love me, eh?"

She snorted slightly, eyes widening in surprise. "What?"

"You love Remy, eh? Ole' manly man too much for you? Couldn't resist, no?"

"What?!"

"Eh. Knew it would happen sooner or later."

"Pardon?"

"Remy is all man, mon ami."

Her eyebrow rose, crossing her arms as she gazed at him evenly. "Listen, you scar faced thief, I would never-" She was cut off when he rapidly crossed the desk, hauled her against him, and pinned her against the wall, bringing his lips down on hers roughly.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but when the kiss continued, she found the arguments turning into a moan, eyes closing when the rough, sandpaper chin glided against hers, when his tongue ventured into her lips, she sighed.

When his hands lightly skimmed a breast, her eyes shot wide open.

"Remy-" the words died in her throat when she saw the intensity in the dark red eyes. Oh God... the stare burned.

"I love you, Stormy," he whispered, fingers cradling her face. "I love you."

Her heart pitter pattered, her chest heaved against him, and Storm realized that it was completely hopeless.

"Remy," she whispered, smiling into his lips, her calf sliding around his to pull him closer. "I am afraid you'll be the death of me."

He chuckled, breath hot and moist against her lips. "I'm counting on it, Cherie. 'Cause there is no other way Remy will let you go."
 

~*~

"Scott?"

Scott Summers looked up from his desk to find Rogue standing uncertainty in the hallway, head cocked.

"Hey Rogue."

"Kin I talk to you?"

He managed a smile, nodding and motioning to a seat. "Uh.. Sorry about the blast thing..."

Rogue grinned. "Hey... you were protecting the team. Didn't hurt... that much. The fall... that coulda killed me."

She took the seat, crossing her legs and staring at him.

"So... what's up?"

The smile stiffened, and Rogue coughed, her eyes drifting down to the floor as she squirmed uncomfortably. "I um... I don't know how to say this... and for a while I considered not saying anything at all... but I felt... I should tell you... just in case."

The heaviness in her tone struck him, made him lean forward. "What is it, Rogue?"

"I don't want to freak you out, but... I think you should keep an eye on Jean."

His eyebrow quirked and Rogue took a ragged breath, continuing. "It might be nothing but... she's got a dark side inside of her,  a spot inside of that she's afraid to touch, to deal with. Augustus saw it, the attraction, the fear. Jean has powers beyond anything we've known. But she knows what comes with it... and she's afraid of it. You have to be careful... We should be careful, because she doesn't want to face and it might come bursting out. Augustus used that... with me... that's how he got me. He had Rogue... he made me Rogue... and he had a name for her. He called her Dark Phoenix."

Scott swallowed, watching as Rogue rose from her chair, offering him a half smile. "I just... it may be nothing, but... I had to tell someone. Take care of her, Scott. Just in case."

And with that, Rogue turned, her back straight, walking out of the room, leaving Scott only to stare after her.
 

FIN

END SERIES.