First and foremost, I'm sorry to get this out so late. I had to have emergency surgery due to an unexpected ectopic pregnancy and internal bleeding, so I've been out of commission...

Many, many, MANY thanks to Paulina Ann, Wee Auntie, Coco-Chic, salimaran08, and Mrs. Chaton for the reviews! I love to know what you think.

Just FYI, I did go back and revise Chapter 12 again to fix a few things. I tend to write, post, and THEN go back and re-read for some silly reason. Probably something to do with the 2 am updates! ;)

Again, PLEASE review! I may have to start holding my updates hostage for a certain number of reviews like they do on Youtube. ;)

Love and Light!

Wiccamage

X~X~X~X~X

It was quarter after three in the morning on Friday, and Wolverine was pacing in the Professor's study.

"Are you SURE you haven't heard anything from her yet, Charles?"

The Professor gave his friend a tight lipped smile. "No, Logan, as I just told you…"

A soft knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Ororo let herself in silently. She was wrapped in a blue silk night robe and wearing simple pink ballet style slippers that formed to her delicate feet.

"I thought I heard voices," the weather witch spoke softly, but looked concerned as she took in the tension between the colleagues. "She isn't home yet? Charles, I'm getting worried. It isn't like Rogue to stay out all night. I know she left a note, but …"

Logan growled again and yanked his coat off the back of his chair, tugging it on. "That's it. I'm going t' go find her."

"Logan, wait," Xavier called to his friend, "That won't be necessary." Wolverine turned toward the window, his acute hearing picking up the faint sound of a motorcycle in the distance.

He growled. "If she's with Gumbo again, they're both dead…" Wolverine unsheathed his claws on one hand and started for the door.

"One moment please, Logan. I actually wanted to discuss Rogue with both of you, and I suppose now is as good a time as any."

"You mean to discuss how much trouble she's in for this little stunt, or how bad I'm gonna beat that Cajun scumball for comin' back here after what he did?"

Ororo smiled softly at her friend's overprotectiveness toward Rogue as she sat down across from Xavier's desk.

The Professor sighed as he motioned for Logan to do the same. "Logan, my friend, you had better sit down."

X~X~X

From outside the mansion's gates, Rogue took off her helmet and glanced up at the single light shining in a window.

"Oh man, I am so dead," she declared, pulling her coffee out of Gambit's saddle bag as she stared at the house, dreading her fast approaching doom.

"Who knows," Gambit shrugged, "Mebbe not."

He put the kickstand down on his bike and sat with her for a moment. She was still wearing his coat, and though he WAS a little chilly without it, he knew Rogue was practically freezing from their quick drive home. She had gripped him tighter than he ever dreamed she would, declaring it was only because she was trying to keep HIM warmer, although he knew in reality that she had been exceptionally cold. He had tried to keep up a steady kinetic charge all the way home to warm both his body and hers.

"Y'r an adult now, chere. You should be able t' make y'r own choices. It ain't a school night, and if y' want t' go out dancin,' why shouldn't ya?"

Rogue scoffed as she swung her leg over his motorcycle, dismounting. "You really see Logan just letting this slide? Ah'll be doin' triple danger room sessions with him for at LEAST the next two weeks. Prob'ly even two months."

Remy dismounted as well and stood next to Rogue, removing his own helmet. "But it was worth it, non?"

Rogue snorted, but smiled as she met his flirtatious gaze. "Keep tellin' yourself that, Cajun." Sighing again as she looked up at the window, Rogue finally shrugged Remy's jacket off her shoulders and held it out to him. "Here ya go. Thanks again for lettin' me use it."

"Bien sur (of course), hope you stayed warm enough," he replied.

She nodded, taking a sip of her coffee. "Yeah. Between the heated under seat compartment for the coffee, and YOUR 'internal heating,' I did pretty well. It WAS a mite cold, but ah ain't got frostbite." She caught herself smiling at him again and realized she was having a hard time keeping her normal biting tone. She sucked her lips in, trying to stop herself from smiling like a fool.

Suddenly the gates opened, and Rogue cringed.

"Well, that's mah cue. It's been nice knowin' ya." She stood there awkwardly, not really wanting to go inside and face the proverbial music, but knowing she couldn't stay outside. As she finally took a step forward, Remy reached out and grabbed her gloved hand. She turned to face him.

"I had a real nice time wit' you t'night Rogue. I hope we see each other again soon."

Rogue tried biting her lips again, but couldn't stop herself from smiling at his sincerity. "Me too." She stared into his eyes, hoping he could read the honesty of her words.

Standing in the moonlight, staring into each other's eyes, Rogue felt an odd sense of peace wash over her as she hugged herself tightly against the cold. His eyes were drawing her in, and she felt herself leaning in closer to him, barely registering that he was doing the same. Then, just as he started to descend for a kiss, he quickly dropped his head and picked up her hand, kissing the back of her black glove.

"See you soon petite," he said, dropping her hand again and climbing on his motorcycle quickly.

Rogue nibbled on her lower lip and nodded, turning and jogging up to the house as Remy started up his engine again.

He watched her leave and cursed under his breath. "De cold air'll do me good," he muttered, and promptly shoved his coat in his saddle bag before revving the engine and heading down the road.

Rogue didn't dare turn around as she slowed to a quick walk. She was bright red as she shivered in the cold. "What was ah thinkin'?!" She admonished herself out loud. "Ah can't KISS Gambit! Ah'd kill him! And he's Gambit. A thief and a liar, and, and… God! What's WRONG with me?!"

"That's exactly what *I* was just wonderin'."

Rogue jumped back, her head whipping up to meet Logan's stern face. He was standing next to the railing at the top of the steps, glaring down at her.

"God Logan!" she railed as she tried to recompose herself. "Ya nearly scared me t' death. What're ya doin' sneakin' around in the shadows for, anyhow?" She continued up the muddy path, carefully picking her way around the slushy, muddy snow in her nice suede boots.

"What are YOU doin' sneakin' home after 3 o'clock in the mornin'?" he growled back.

Reaching the top of the steps, Rogue shivered and rested her back against the rail next to Logan. "Look, ah'm sorry ah bailed like that, and I'm sorry t' get home so late, but ah'm just…"

Remy's words about everything chipping away echoed back at her from in her head. She sighed and dropped her head, turning around to put her arms on the railing, and staring up at the moon.

"Truth is, ah'm TIRED Logan." She turned her head slightly to meet his gaze as he rested his hip against the rail next to her. "Ah'm tired of pretendin' not t' care what people think or what they say. Ah'm tired of bein' mean and snarky t' everyone. Ah'm tired of trying t' defend myself all the time; ah'm tired of hidin' from everyone, and ah'm sure as hell tired of people not TRUSTIN' me."

Her anger flared and she took another deep breath, dropping her head against her chest.

Logan regarded her pensively, a bit shocked by her admissions. "This all comin' out 'cause a Gambit?" he asked suspiciously. "Just because ya spend one day with him don't mean…"

"Yes. No. Ah don't know!" Rogue cut him off and ran a hand through her wind tousled hair. "Ah KNOW it don't mean anything, but t' me, it kinda does."

She licked her lips and took another deep breath as she tried to sort through her thoughts. "Ah like that ah don't have t' hide from him, Logan. He doesn't expect anything from me, so ah don't have t' pretend. He doesn't fall for mah usual tactics to make people go away, so it's not even worth tryin'. He doesn't judge or act surprised when ah do something… different… either."

She smiled, remembering his reaction to her outfit. "Hell, the only thing he said about these clothes was that they were nice. No mention of "fashion sense" or being "out of character" or anything. Not even a raised eyebrow."

Rogue gave Logan a look. "Ah saw the way you looked at me when Tabitha was showin' these clothes around t' everyone that day. You thought I'd lost it." Her expression softened as she stared out at the gates again. "Ah know ya'll don't trust him - heck, even AH don't really trust him all that much yet - but a'm tryin'. Ah like the way he makes me forget things. Ah like the way he tries t' make me smile, and ah like the way he makes me feel like… me. The way ah WANT t' be, and not the way ah HAVE t' be."

There were a few moments of silence before Logan let out a long, low breath. "Huh," he said finally. "Well, I guess if it's that important to ya, I'll keep the claws in check around him. At least for now."

Rogue smiled as she stood up again and quickly gave Logan a hug before she lost her nerve, surprising her mentor.

"Thanks," she said, stepping back again to meet his eyes.

He nodded and they turned to head inside.

"Still don't mean yer gettin' outta extra danger room sessions for missin' curfew," he warned.

She shrugged, and Logan wrapped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "Just do me one favor, kid," he asked as he reached for the door handle.

"What's that?" she responded, still tucked against his side.

"Don't EVER let me hear you say anything involving you, Gumbo, and KISSING ever again."

Rogue covered her face with both hands as she turned bright red, but a tiny, embarrassed giggle managed to escape as they headed inside.

X~X~X~X

"Kitty..."

Katherine Pryde muttered something unintelligible in her sleep and rolled away from whomever was calling her name.

"Kitty, wake up."

The brunette snored loudly.

"Kitty? Ah - ah think ah just went on mah first date…" Rogue whispered as she kneeled next to her friend's bed in the dark.

"Wha-? Date? Who went on a date?" Kitty sat up in bed, her eyes still mostly closed.

Rogue laughed out loud at Kitty's reaction, and smiled as her friend finally opened her eyes and became more cognizant.

"Rogue? Oh my god, we were so worried about you! Where have you been!? I finally just had to go to bed around midnight, and you weren't here yet, and…"

Rogue bit her lip. "Ah was out - with a… with a friend."

Kitty's eyes widened. "OMG, are you serious? Someone from school, or…" the brunette started to get excited. "Was it your secret admirer?!"

The Southerner gnawed on her bottom lip a moment. "No, not exactly. Ya know that club, The Projects? Well, ah ran into Remy after ah bailed and …"

"Oh my God, Gambit!? You were on a date with GAMBIT!?"

Rogue jumped up and clamped a gloved hand over Kitty's mouth. "Geez, Kit, y'r gonna wake the whole house!" she hissed. "Yes, ah was with Gambit - but we ran into each other by accident." She removed her hand slowly. "We spent almost the whole night talkin'. We finally left at almost three, and then we ran into Duncan and his crew."

She scowled a little, a look of concern flashing across her otherwise happy countenance. "They told Remy t' leave, but he totally kicked their asses. He slugged Duncan so hard for calling me somethin' … unsavory… that he may have knocked out a few teeth. Knocked him out cold for a few minutes, any road."

Kitty still hadn't said anything and was sitting with her mouth hanging open, so Rogue forged ahead. "Then he bought me a coffee and drove me home. Let me wear his coat and everything. He just dropped me off at the gates a few minutes ago."

After a few moments of silence, Kitty suddenly lunged at Rogue, giving her an enthusiastic but cautious hug. "Oh my gosh this is awesome! Your first date!"

Suddenly she pulled back, serious again. "Logan can NEVER find out about this! He'd totally freak!"

With a small snort, Rogue stood and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "He uh, he kinda already knows. He was waitin' on the porch when ah got home."

Kitty was shocked. "And you're seriously still alive?"

"Ah think spillin' mah guts out mighta made him go easier on me," Rogue chuckled, suddenly self-conscious.

"Really?" Kitty's eyes were wide with wonderment and curiosity.

Rogue took a deep breath and smiled widely, flopping back on the foot of Kitty's bed without warning. Her legs dangled off the side, and Rogue turned to look at her friend. "Ah don't know, Kit," she started. "With everything that's goin' on lately, ah just feel…"

"Whimsical, fabulous, romantic, emotional?" Kitty provided.

Rogue turned her head back to look at the ceiling again. "Off balance," she finally said.

"Between this secret admirer business and Gambit suddenly poppin' up outta the blue, ah just feel like ah can't get mah feet under me. Seems like all the boys around here are suddenly givin' me compliments and openin' doors, and… Ah don't know how t' respond t' this stuff, ya know?" She sat up again and ran her fingers through her hair to untangle the locks. "Scott's actin' like a complete jerk over Gambit already and…"

Kitty suddenly gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, startling Rogue. "What if Scott's being such a jerk 'cause he's jealous?! What if HE'S the secret admirer?!"

Rogue rolled her eyes and shot her friend a look. "Get a grip, Kit. Scott's with Jean, and he's certainly got no romantic interest in me."

"Well then, maybe he KNOWS who the secret admirer is, and he's upset because he doesn't want to see his friend get hurt because of Gambit!" Kitty jumped onto her knees and bounced on the bed a little with excitement.

Rogue propped herself up on her elbows to look at Kitty. "Hmm," she thought aloud, "ya might have soemthing' there, but Scott's not really a master of deception. And, if he knows, then Jean knows, and she usually can't keep a smile off her face when she knows something really juicy like this."

Both girls sighed pensively, and Rogue finally heaved herself up to walk to the door. "Well, ah'm gonna go freshen up a bit and then get some breakfast on the table b'fore everyone gets up in 30 minutes."

"But?!" Kitty cried, hopping out of bed and grabbing her clothes from the footboard. "What about your romantic crisis?! And your date!? I want DETAILS!" Kitty was trying to keep quiet, but she was positively bubbling over with excitement despite her meager three hours of sleep.

"Ah don't think there's really time right now, Kitty, but ah promise ah'll tell you what I can if there's a minute before you leave." Rogue smiled as she reached for the door handle and pulled it open a smidge, but Kitty promptly shut it again.

"Oh no, no WAY are you getting off that easy! Gimme five minutes and I'll meet you downstairs and help cook breakfast."

Rogue shot her a look.

"Okay, okay, I'll get the stuff out, and set the table or something while you tell me everything!" Kitty conceded.

With a chuckle, the Southerner nodded and headed to the bathroom while Kitty got dressed and ready as well.

X~X~X ~X~X

45 minutes later, Rogue and Kitty were seated across from each other at the large dining table next to the kitchen island. There was a massive spread of bagels, cream cheese, glasses of milk and orange juice, buttered toast with jam, a bowl of fruit, and even some blueberry muffins and bacon laid out on the island along with plates and silverware. It was just after 4 a.m. and the girls knew the other students would soon be trickling in.

As if on cue, Tabitha sauntered into the kitchen, looking much less perky and put together than normal. She moved as if on autopilot and went straight for the bacon.

"He really asked you to dance?" Kitty held a muffin in one hand and rested her head on the other, a dreamy expression on her face.

"A few times actually, but ah…"

"You said no. But WHY?" Kitty looked at her friend with mock horror as Rogue shook her head and took another bite of her bagel.

"Yeah Rogue, why?" Tabitha asked blithely as she sat down next to Kitty and propped her feet up on the chair next to Rogue. "Lemme guess. You don't dance," she added, sounding equal parts amused and mocking.

"Ah dance," Rogue replied defensively, "Just not with Gambit."

Tabitha's feet suddenly dropped from the chair and she reached over to grab Rogue's apple, resting her elbows on the table as she smiled mischievously.

"Whoa, now you're having naughty dreams about mister tall, dark, and Acolyte? Do tell!" The blonde took a predatory bite of the apple as she waggled her eyebrows.

Rogue blushed lightly as Kitty smirked.

"Former Acolyte," Rogue corrected quietly and tore off another piece of bagel.

"And," Kitty interjected, "for your information, it wasn't a dream."

Tabitha rolled her eyes. "Oh, excuse me - FANTASIES then."

Kitty sighed happily as Rogue munched silently. "Rogue ran into him last night after she took off. She only just got home."

Tabitha suddenly sat up straight and started choking on her apple. Kitty thumped her on the back a few times while Rogue snickered.

"No shit, really!?" the blonde asked after she'd recovered. "You had a date… with Gambit… for…" Tabitha held up her fingers as she tried to do the math.

Kitty rolled her eyes. "Six hours, Tabby. They were gone for six hours."

"You were on a date for SIX HOURS?!" Tabitha screeched.

"Who was on a date for six hours?" Amara asked as she entered the kitchen, taking a deep breath and smiling at the aroma wafting through the air. She, Jubilee, Bobby, and Sam entered together and immediately grabbed plates.

Only Bobby paused for a moment to look at the spread of food, and then look back at the girls who were seated at the table.

"Who made all the food?" he asked, looking from Kitty to Tabitha to Rogue.

"Rogue made it," Kitty answered. "I just helped."

Bobby nodded appreciatively and quickly piled a variety of food onto his plate as Rogue headed to the sink to wash hers.

Kitty stuck out her tongue at Bobby, but then smiled conspiratorially. "Oh, and Rogue was on a date. Last night. With Gambit."

Everyone at the island stopped and turned to stare at Rogue, who was standing over the sink. With a subtle toss of her still wavy hair, Rogue turned slightly to look at the others, putting one gloved hand on her cocked hip.

"What? A girl ain't allowed t' have a little fun?" she asked, a devil may care look on her face.

"A six hour date with Gambit in THAT outfit?" Tabitha asked. "I think you had more than just a LITTLE fun!" She laughed as the boys continued to stare at Rogue with open mouths.

Before the newcomers could recover, Roberto, Jamie, Ray, and Rahne entered the kitchen and looked around at their teammates quizzically.

"What's going on? Are we under attack again?" Ray groaned as he stood in the doorway

After loading her plate in the dishwasher, Rogue sauntered toward the door, pausing in front of Bobby for a moment. Almost seductively, she raised one gloved finger to his jaw and shut his mouth.

"Y'r catchin' flies, hun," she said with a wink. On her way out she called, "Eat up ya'll. Y' don't want t' miss y'r ride!"

As the door closed behind her, the kitchen suddenly erupted with chatter. Rogue shook her head with a small chuckle. "That should give 'em enough gossip t' fill their stockings," she muttered aloud.

She was still smiling moments later when she ran into Scott and Jean.

"Hey, Rogue," Scott smiled awkwardly at his friend.

"Hey yourself," Rogue replied apprehensively, forcing herself not to fold her arms.

Scott sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Beside him, Jean was squinting at the kitchen door.

"Look," Scott started, "I'm sorry for acting like such a jerk last night. I just… I don't want you to get hurt. You're my friend and Gambit's nothing but trouble, and…"

"You went on a date with him last night?!" Jean exclaimed suddenly, looking from the kitchen door to Rogue, who quickly folded her arms across her chest and squared her jaw..

Scott whipped around to stare at Jean, then looked at Rogue, and then back at Jean. "Wait, what?"

"I just heard it from the boys in the kitchen," Jean replied. "They're projecting all over the place." She paused. "You were out all NIGHT!?"

"WHAT?!" Scott shouted, then took a step back from Rogue. "What were you thinking? We were worried sick about you and you were off messing around with that Acolyte?"

"Ah ran into him at a club by coincidence," the Southerner bit out.

"Yeah?" Scott asked, his jaw set in a mask of anger and betrayal. "Twice in 24 hours? Doesn't seem like much of a coincidence to me."

Rogue's expression turned dark. "He was already there when ah ported in, and since ah took off on the way home from dinner, he couldn't have known ah was gonna be there."

"Oh, so you PLANNED to meet him, huh?" The team leader's face morphed from anger and hurt to spite. Jean touched his arm quietly.

"Watch it CYKE," Rogue snarled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Ah took off last night because of you and your crappy attitude, and if ah HADN'T met Gambit at that club, ah woulda been walking home ALONE when ah ran into Duncan and his crew." She looked to Jean for a moment, who's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Instead of fightin' seven burly guys by mahself, ah got t' watch Gambit beat the snot outta them for threatenin' me."

She gave Cyclops a pointed look, then stormed off to her bedroom.

With a scowl on his face. Scott watched Rogue walk away. He'd never even had a chance to tell her how niced she looked in that outfit. He didn't know what it was about Gambit that rubbed him the wrong way, but Scott couldn't help being infuriated by the mere mention of his name.

With her hand still gently grasping his forearm, Jean tugged slightly on her boyfriend's sweater. "Come on," she coaxed, "let's go talk to the Professor."

As the two turned to head up the stairs, however, they heard the elevator chime.

"Professor," Jean greeted the man warmly. "We were just on our way up to come see you."

Xavier offered his students a warm smile. "Ah yes, about Rogue's date with Mr. LeBeau, no doubt."

Scott folded his arms as he stared down at their mentor in shock. "You already know about it?

The Professor sighed sympathetically. "Of course. Rogue contacted me shortly after running into him last night. In fact, I'd say she handled herself very responsibly.

"I'd hardly call bailing on your friends and staying out all night 'responsible.'" Jean scoffed.

Xavier's countenance turned stern. "Considering the personal attacks Rogue was subjected to, I would say she was well within her rights to remove herself from a hostile situation." He frowned as he looked from Jean to Scott. "As for staying out all night with a FORMER Acolyte - that is a matter that has already been dealt with, and furthermore should not be any of your concern."

"Professor!" Scott protested, "It's GAMBIT! What if he had tried something? Rogue could have been hurt."

Xavier nodded, but steepled his hands. "I understand your concern, Scott, truly, but I do not believe Gambit to be a threat to Rogue. In fact, he contacted me himself this morning as well. Apparently Rogue was in much more danger of Duncan Matthews and his friends than by Mr. LeBeau. Remy was, in fact, extremely concerned about Rogue's safety in regards to those young men. He told me that they were both armed and prepared for Rogue."

As the Professor spoke, Scott's tight posture relaxed slightly only to be replaced by more genuine concern.

"Mr. LeBeau is of the opinion that your former classmates intend to do serious harm to Rogue should they ever catch her alone. Apparently they had no interest in Gambit whatsoever. He believes they have a personal vendetta against Rogue and will not rest until they are vindicated."

Worried, Jean took a deep breath. "Do you really think they'd try to hurt her Professor? Duncan was aggressive sure, but he was always more talk than action."

Professor Xavier steepled his hands and touched his forehead. "Of that I am not sure. However, I would much rather trust Gambit's instincts than see Rogue come to harm."

"What can we do to help?" Scott asked at last.

"For now, you can enjoy your vacation," he smiled warmly. "Rogue should be relatively safe here while you are all away. She has vowed not to wander out alone, and we will be keeping a watchful eye until the matter is resolved. However, there is a chance you will be hearing - and perhaps even seeing - more of Gambit in the future. I would suggest you come to terms with that if you wish to salvage your own relationship with Rogue."

Scott pursed his lips, but nodded solemnly. Jean smiled softly and squeezed her boyfriend's hand. "Please let us know if we can help at all over the next week. My parents house is only a few hours away and Scott's going to come stay with us over New Years."

"And you all plan to be back on the 3rd, correct?"

Jean nodded. "Scott and I might even be back a little earlier. We're going up to New York for New Year's Eve. I'd really like to see the ball drop in Times Square."

"I'm sure you will have a fine time," the Professor smiled. "Why don't you go get your things now. I believe Logan is packing up the vehicles to head to the airport.

15 minutes later Jamie was hauling his luggage to Professor Xavier's Buick in the dark while Logan waited inside with Jubilee, Ray, and Tabitha. Bobby was catching a ride with Jean on their way to upstate New York, and Ororo was chauffeuring the rest of the students to the airport in the X-Van.

Beast, Rogue, and the Professor were standing on the porch with the lights on, watching everyone leave in the dark. Rogue was still wearing her denim half jacket and green blouse, but at least had her coat on this time. As Kurt waved at his sister one last time, Rogue suddenly bounded down the steps and held out two small boxes.

"Ah wanted t' give ya'll one last present - from sister to brother." She handed Kurt a shoebox sized package. "And for mah best friend." Kitty was handed a smaller gift.

The two opened their gifts, Kurt revealing a video camcorder along with a 3x5 picture of the two of them, and Kitty pulling out a fancy Prada handbag along with a cutesy picture frame complete with a picture of Kurt, Rogue, and Kitty inside.

Kitty phased out of the vehicle and gave Rogue a hug, and Kurt did the same before getting into the vehicle. They said their thank yous and goodbyes and Rogue returned to the porch with Xavier and waved to everyone.

"Bye y'all, have a great time!" she called.

Before the door of the X-Van was closed, she could hear Kurt groaning from inside. "Oh man, who swapped my cream cheese for sour cream!?"

Some of the other students laughed, and Kitty announced, "Man, if you wanted to really prank Kurt, you should have just told him about Rogue's date with Gambit!"

"What?!" her brother declared loudly just as the door was finally shut and Ororo was able to drive off.

X~X~X~X~X

A few hours later Rogue had awoken from a short slumber and was luxuriating in a nice hot bubble bath. The one she'd gotten after the muddy outdoor obstacle course had been short lived and anything but relaxing with a house full of mutants. Now, however, the only two people in the whole house were her Beast, and Professor Xavier, and the latter was currently resting as well.

Rogue felt a little guilty that her mentor had been so tired as it WAS mostly her fault. Nearly all of the adults and even some teammates had been up half the night waiting for her to get home.

With Enya playing softly in the background, candles lighting the otherwise darkened bathroom, and her hair up in a sloppy bun, however, Rogue wasn't letting her guilt stress her out too much. In fact, she was so relaxed that she wasn't even startled by someone knocking loudly on her bathroom door around 11 o'clock.

"It's Danger Room time, Stripes," Logan called from the other side of the door.

"Ah'm takin' a bath, Logan," Rogue called back calmly, not even bothering to open her eyes.

He growled. "No ya ain't. You stayed out all night and this is what you get."

"That ain't what the Professor implied," she retorted, still utterly calm and relaxed.

"Don't care," Logan growled again. "Now get yer butt out here before I come in and drag you out."

Rogue actually laughed at him. "No offense, Logan, but ah'd LOVE t' see you try." Without another word, she put her earbuds in and sunk down a little deeper in the bubbles with a smirk. Sure, she'd regret this later, but that was later and right now she was just too content to care.

Outside the door, Logan muttered to himself about defiant kids and "girl thinks she's callin' the shots now." He stomped off, knowing full well that he wasn't about to confront Rogue while she was in the bath.

Instead, he poked his head into Xavier's office. "I'm takin' off for a while Chuck. May be gone a few days. Don't know yet."

The Professor looked concerned. "I was rather hoping you would stay and keep us company. I don't want Rogue wandering off unattended, and I feel you would probably be the best to supervise her off grounds."

"The kid ain't stupid, Charles. She was pretty shaken up 'bout that run in with Matthew's gang last night. Logan was quiet a moment as he reflected on something. "You SURE I can't go pay 'em a visit?"

The Professor gave the Canadian a look. "Yes, I am sure. Ororo and I are heading down to the police station this afternoon to file a complaint against the boys. If necessary, we will start a restraining order as well."

"Rogue's 18," Logan reminded Xavier. "Doesn't SHE have t' make that call?"

"Not if I start one on behalf of all my students," Xavier smirked.

Logan smiled, nodding. "Kid's not gonna like you goin' t' all this trouble for her."

"I know," Xavier agreed, "but if Mr. LeBeau is right - and I believe he is - then Duncan Matthews could prove to be a very dangerous individual - for Rogue or any of the students."

Logan finally stepped inside and sat at the chair across from Xaviers. "These kids are capable Chuck. They can handle themselves."

"Yes, they can. You've trained them very well for combat scenarios as a team, but what if they were caught alone, or off-guard, or were otherwise unable to use their powers?" Xavier questioned. "Rogue is a formidable opponent in the right circumstances, but as Remy told me last night, those boys were dressed from head to toe. Only their faces were left uncovered, and Remy swears they had hooded masks with them as well."

"Without any skin to touch, Rogue would have to rely solely on her combat skills," Xavier continued. "And seven to one odds are NOT in her favor."

Logan and Xavier each looked grim. Silently, Lognan stood and turned, walking toward the elevators.

"You're still leaving?" The Professor asked, perplexed.

"Nope," the Canadian responded. "Gonna go reprogram some Danger Room sessions. I know you told Rogue she could have a break, but there's no way she's going anywhere without bein' prepared for those goons."

Xavier smiled morosely as he watched his friend head to the basement levels.

X~X~X~X~

Exhausted, Rogue flopped down on her bed, careful not to let her filthy uniform boots touch the comforter. She was sweaty, dirty, and still in her uniform, but was far too tired to care.

Logan had nearly worked her to death for five straight hours both in the Danger Room and on the grounds, running simulation after simulation of ambushes, hand to hand combat, and 'evade the crazies' scenarios. Obviously, he was worried about her encounter with Duncan last night, even if he wouldn't admit it.

Rogue's stomach rumbled as she lay face down on her bed. It was only 6:30 in the evening, and dinner was in 30 minutes. She really needed to hop in the shower before meeting the others downstairs, but she was just SO tired! A few minutes rest, that was all she needed, she told herself. Seconds later, she was sound asleep, snoring lightly.

She never heard Logan knock on her door, nor did she feel him carefully remove her shoes. Most surprisingly, she hardly stirred when he deftly repositioned her onto the bed and covered her with an extra blanket from her closet.

"Night kid," he whispered as he finished tucking her in and silently closed the door to her room behind him.

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