Logan told Rogue he’d wait in the Explorer while she ran into the cabin for her wallet. As soon as she was out of sight, he pulled the cell phone out and called the professor.
“Don’t have much time, Chuck,” he greeted. “It’s about Rogue. She’s havin’ mood swings. Happy one minute, lookin’ for a fight the next.”
“Are you sure it’s not just normal emotional fluctuations?”
Logan growled. “I know her better than anybody, Wheels, and if I say she’s actin’ weird, then she’s actin’ weird.”
“All right,” Xavier soothed, “I believe you. Did you open the package I sent you?”
“No, didn’t have time.”
“Well, there’s a laptop equipped with a camera so we can do video conferencing. Get it set up this evening and Hank and I will observe Rogue throughout the conversation. If she agrees, I’ll try reading her using Cerebro and see what I can find out.”
“Uh, Chuck. We don’t have internet service up here.”
The professor chuckled. “The laptop is equipped with all the newest gadgetry – I don’t pretend to understand it, I had Kitty make the selection – and with something involving satellites, we’ll have clear, unbroken images and you’ll have internet access whenever you want or need it.”
“Kitty?” Logan said in disbelief.
“Yes, she’s turned into quite the accomplished technophile. She also assures me that whatever she’s set up for us is untraceable.”
“And you don’t understand the technology? Couldn’t you learn anythin’ you want to know by readin’ people?” Logan asked curiously.
“I could,” Xavier admitted, “but that is hardly an ethical use of my abilities.”
Logan snorted. “So we get this thing set up tonight, but what should I do in the meantime?”
“I would recommend just observing Rogue. Don’t do anything to upset her, and certainly don’t let her do anything she would regret.”
“I don’t think she’s dangerous, Chuck,” Logan said with a frown.
“Maybe not, but it’s probably best to expect the worst in this situation.”
“Right,” Logan said hurriedly as he saw the front door of the cabin swinging open. “Gotta go.” He snapped the phone closed and slid it into his jacket pocket. Rogue was walking toward the vehicle with her head down and her hands shoved in the pockets of her sweatshirt. When she opened the passenger door, Logan raised an eyebrow and obligingly slid over into the driver’s seat.
“Let’s go,” Rogue said softly, her accent strangely muted.
* * *
She seems nervous, Wolverine observed as they were walking back into the diner.
Rogue paused in the doorway and scanned the interior, quickly locating their waitress. Not even sparing Logan a glance, she made a beeline toward the woman. Perhaps attracted to the sudden, purposeful movement in her direction, the woman glanced up. When she saw Rogue, she frowned and slammed the carafe of coffee she was holding onto the counter. Rogue slowed and pulled out her wallet. She flipped it open and held it out to the woman with an awkward smile.
“I’m sorry about earlier,” she said softly and shrugged. “It’s just that we – Logan and I – have been dealing with people looking at us funny for too long.”
Logan was suddenly alert, a chill creeping over him at Rogue’s precise, unaccented speech. Dimly, he felt Wolverine’s heightened awareness at the situation.
The waitress considered Rogue for a moment before slowly reaching for the ID. She looked at it closely and frowned as she handed it back. “I suppose I owe you two an apology then,” she said cautiously.
Rogue shook her head. “No, you were just trying to look out for somebody you thought needed help. Nobody should ever apologize for something like that.”
The waitress cracked a smile. “Well, since we seem to be tryin’ to be honest with each other here, I have to admit that I overreacted. My little sister got mixed up with an older man when we were still in high school and made a mess of her life.”
Rogue smiled back. “That must’ve been hard on you. But what I’ve got with Logan isn’t like that. Even though he is quite a bit older than I am.”
Logan, having moved to stand next to Rogue, frowned as he listened to the exchange. He made an effort to relax his features, though, as the waitress’s eyes flickered to him and her smile became uncertain.
“Don’t mind me,” he murmured to her.
Her smile became less tentative and she waved toward the booth they had been in earlier. “Why don’t ya’ll have a seat and I’ll bring you a couple menus and some coffee?” she offered.
“Sounds good,” Rogue chirped and smiled brilliantly.
Choosing to sit opposite each other this time, Logan watched Rogue closely as they looked over the menus. She glanced up and caught him staring.
“What?”
“What’s goin’ on with you, darlin’?” he asked cautiously.
“Nothin’, sugar,” she said with surprise. Logan felt the muscles in his shoulders relax when he heard the southern drawl.
“You’ve been actin’ odd today.”
Rogue’s face scrunched up in an odd mix of confusion and apprehension. “Ah…Ah kinda feel odd today, Logan. Thought it was just ‘cause o’ movin’ around an’ all.”
“Odd how?” he asked sharply.
Rogue shrugged uncomfortably. “Ah’m not sure exactly. This mornin’ Ah was almost giddy, but when we sat down an’ Ah was readin’ the menu, it started to fade.” She searched his face anxiously before continuing. “Ah started to feel kinda dizzy, so Ah went to the ladies’ an’ splashed some water on mah face, an’…I dunno.” She shrugged again.
She’s hidin’ somethin’, Wolverine said abruptly.
I know, Logan replied, scenting the air subtly. There was an odd edge to Rogue’s normal, clean smell. Underneath the strawberry and faint scent of chemicals still clinging to her hair, there was a hint of something that reminded him of freezing metal. Magneto actin’ up? he questioned.
He had the odd sensation of Wolverine shaking his head. No. With him, it’s always like the air right before a lightning strike.
Deciding to quit the guessing game, Logan said bluntly, “You smell different.”
Rogue reared back in surprise. “Ah do?” She started chewing nervously on her lower lip. “How?”
“Like you, but with somethin’ else mixed in.”
“Ya ever noticed anythin’ like this before?”
Logan considered the question seriously, wondering how honest he should be. Finally, he shook his head slowly. “Not with you.”
Rogue stilled. “With anybody else then?” Logan remained silent. “Who? Logan, ya need to tell me.” The pleading edge to her voice prompted him to reply.
“With Jean.”
“W-when she changed?”
“Yeah.” Logan’s voice was grim.
* * *
They ate their meal in near silence, speaking only when the waitress came to check on them. Logan, and strangely enough Wolverine as well, were content to let Rogue mull over the disturbing information he had dropped in her lap.
Rogue was not so calm, although she showed none of her anxiety outwardly.
What the hell’s goin’ on? she railed desperately at the voice in her head as she took a precise bite of broccoli.
Honestly, I’m not entirely sure, the voice said soothingly. I can’t really explain how I came into existence, you know, but I can tell you that I mean you no harm.
Ah…ya…who are ya?
I’m you. And I’m not.
Rogue snorted mentally, wondering absently if the various passengers in her head had equipped her with the ability to hold internal conversations or if it was a skill she had always possessed. That doesn’t help.
I know, the voice said apologetically.
Do ya know why ye’re in mah head?
To help.
With what?
With everybody else up here. With your control. With your emotions.
Mah emotions? Rogue squeaked. Ye’re manipulatin’ the way Ah feel? Is that why Ah went all psychopath this mornin’?
Nooo, the voice said carefully, that happened because you were fighting against me.
Huh?
I was trying to help you stay calm, but you were getting worked up too fast. That’s why you felt sick.
No, Rogue said instantly. That was before the waitress said all that stuff. Ah wasn’t upset then.
You were, the voice argued. You just didn’t realize it yet.
Rogue shook her head. She was startled for a moment when she realized that the gesture was completely internal and no movement of her physical body followed. There wasn’t anythin’ to upset me at that point, she stubbornly maintained.
Nonverbal clues. You were responding to looks and the way people moved when they saw you and Logan together.
Ah can’t do that.
There was a brief moment of silence. But I can.
Ya mean it was yer fault? Ah got upset ‘cause o’ what ya saw?
I’m sorry, the voice said contritely. It was automatic, my feeding you information I gathered. By the time I realized it was upsetting you, the damage had already been done, and that’s when you started fighting me. You were already set to go off when the waitress started in on your relationship with Logan.
Rogue chewed slowly as she thought over the morning’s events. Did ya help me calm down afterward?
As soon as I could. You were blocking me out pretty effectively for a while.
How’d Ah do that? Rogue asked with real curiosity.
Your mind’s equipped with traps, snares, and locked rooms galore, girl. And more show up every day.
Ya’ve lost me, Rogue admitted. Ah mean, Ah know Ah got pretty good at puttin’ everybody into their own little room when the professor was helpin’ me with mah control. But traps? An’ Ah haven’t thought up any rooms ‘cept fer the ones holdin’ in all the other personalities.
Maybe not consciously. But it’s like an ongoing construction project in here with new hallways, rooms, stairs, trap doors popping up everywhere.
Severely unsettled by the information, Rogue’s mental voice shook. We need to talk to the professor ‘bout this.
Okay, the voice readily agreed. We can trust him. Just do me one favor and make sure he doesn’t do anything to try to get rid of me, will you?
The bizarre cheerfulness of the voice’s request for continued survival caught Rogue by surprise and her snort of laughter was not only mental. Logan looked at her questioningly, but she just reached for her water and dismissed his concern with a waggle of her fingers.
“Marie?” he growled, staring at her intently.
“Ah’m fine, Logan. But Ah gotta talk to the professor tonight. Maybe Hank too?” Rogue tapped her lips with her index finger as she thought about it.
Logan sighed in relief. “Yeah, we’ll talk to ‘em.”
* * *
They spent the rest of the day finishing the errands that had been interrupted that morning. While loading the supplies and groceries into the Explorer, Logan cursed himself for not taking the package from the professor out of the vehicle when they had gone back to the cabin. Wolverine pointed out pragmatically that they had had other, more important, things on their mind at the time.
With an exasperated huff, Logan admitted that he was right and bent down to pick up the last item. Wrestling the newly purchased extension ladder onto the luggage rack on the roof, Logan paused only long enough to throw an end of rope to Rogue, who was standing on the other side of the Explorer. She caught it deftly and wove it securely through a rung of the ladder and, still holding the rope, ducked into the back seat and crawled across to Logan’s side. His door also hung open and she waited patiently for him to hand her the other end of the rope. Pulling both ends taut, Rogue, without thinking about it, tied a complicated knot with the two ends, one that was incredibly strong and secure, but could be undone easily with a tug on the right section of the rope.
Logan ducked his head inside and grunted his approval. “Where’d you learn that knot, darlin’?”
Rogue’s hands hovered uncertainly over the rope. She blinked slowly as she met Logan’s eyes, and he had the strange impression that she was just waking up.
“Ah…Ah don’t know.” She frowned and pinched the bridge of her nose hard with a thumb and forefinger. She screwed her eyes shut and Logan saw her lips moving in a silent conversation.
What the hell’s goin’ on? Wolverine asked nervously.
“Marie?” Logan said loudly.
Her eyes snapped open. “Yeah. Yeah, Ah’m all right. Magneto. He used to go fishing with his father when he was a little boy. That was the last knot his father taught him before the camps.”
Logan shifted his weight uneasily. Before he could speak, though, Rogue continued in a soft, almost dreamlike voice.
“Ya learned it when ya were a boy, too.”
His heart slammed hard against his ribs. “What?”
“Ah…there was a boat alongside a dock. An’ a girl showed ya how to tie it up so it wouldn’t drift away.”
As soon as she spoke, Logan’s senses were filled with the clean scent of lake water, the faint rolling feel of wood beneath his feet. He heard the gentle stir of small waves against the shore behind him and the skittering of pebbles pulled out of place as the water receded. There was a slight chill to the air that blew against his cheek even though the sun was bright and warm up above. Looking down, he saw small unscarred hands hopelessly tangled in a length of rope while larger, more delicate looking hands worked to free them. There was the impression of movement and a strand of red hair fell forward over the hands, only to be swept away a moment later in irritation. Logan – the boy, he realized – started to look up at the redhead.
Rogue’s hand roughly shaking his arm brought him back. “Logan? Logan, ya all right?”
He shook his head a few times to scatter the lingering image and met Rogue’s anxious eyes.
“We’ve both gotta talk to Chuck,” he said hoarsely.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This chapter's a little short, and I do apologize for taking so long with it. I've noticed that the last few chapters have been getting lower ratings from reviewers (I take everything you all say seriously!), so I want to get back to thoroughly editing/rewriting each chapter before posting it. Quality over quantity, right? If you have any suggestions for improving the story/writing, feel free to let me know. I think I'm particularly weak with dialogue, so any feedback you can provide in this area in particular would be great.