“Ya look awful, Charles,” Rogue blurted when the professor’s image appeared on the computer screen.
Xavier gave her a weary smile. “And you look lovelier than ever, my dear.” His eyes shifted to Logan who was sitting in the chair next to Rogue. “How are you, Logan?”
“Good,” Logan rumbled. “Really good. So what’s goin’ on, Chuck?”
Sighing loudly, the professor slumped back in his wheelchair and pressed a fist against his forehead. “They passed the Mutant Registration Act.”
“But there’s been nothin’ in the news about it!” Rogue protested.
“It hasn’t been announced yet. I know it isn’t an ethical use of my mutation, but I was um…listening in on the vote.”
“Screw ethics,” Logan said. “You did the right thing.”
“Thank you for that, Logan,” Xavier said quietly. He shook his head once and continued. “Most of the students and families who were interested have been relocated to Scotland. Several of them - those who could pass as human without a problem - have chosen to stay in the United States. At this time, the government cannot force genetic testing on the general population, so the children should remain safe for the time being. And as minors, they cannot be held responsible for not registering themselves as mutants; the decision is supposed to be made by parents, but as you know, many children hide their mutations even from their families. ‘Plausible deniability’ should protect the parents if the children are somehow exposed.”
“What can we do to help?” Rogue asked, grasping Logan’s hand tightly.
“Nothing right now. Just be ready in case we need to send more children to you.”
Logan leaned forward. “About that, Chuck. Rogue and I think we need another adult - a human adult - here to handle things in town. We’re already startin’ to attract notice, what with everythin’ we’ve bought recently and just the fact that we’re new to the area. I think people are startin’ to wonder what we’re doin’ out here. Not enough to come out and see yet, but it’s always a possibility.”
“I see.” Xavier steepled his fingers beneath his chin as he thought. “I think you might be right, Logan. And if you ever did have visitors, a human greeting them might allay any suspicions.”
“That’s what we were thinkin’,” Rogue said. “So if you know anybody….” She trailed off and left the question open.
“Of course,” Xavier said, somewhat absently. Rogue sighed, but she didn’t press the issue. She could see how tired the professor was.
“What’s Monique been up to?” Logan’s question was such a deep growl that it took the professor a moment to decipher it.
“More of the same. She’s now campaigning for screening of the x-gene for college entrance physicals. Mind you, she’s not proposing that mutants be excluded; she’s saying that it would just be safer to have mutant and non-mutant dorms.”
“Ugh,” Rogue said in disgust. “Might as well just require the mutant students to wear bull’s-eyes on their backs.” Logan rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
“I’m afraid many mutant students are already withdrawing from their schools, Rogue. As the majority of them are over eighteen and would have to register as mutants, which will be a matter of public record, they undoubtedly feel that they won’t be safe at school.”
“What about Xavier’s?” Logan asked. “Are you going to be able to stay open?”
The professor frowned as he answered. “Because we do receive some government funding, we would be required to provide them with access to all our student records. I am in the process of completely privatizing the school, but I’m afraid that will automatically make us suspect. So, for the time being, we are relocating the students and will probably be closing for at least a short period of time under the guise of renovations to the student wing.”
“What about the students who don’t have anywhere to go?” Rogue’s voice was quiet.
“We’re drawing on the scholarship funds and donations right now,” Xavier explained, knowing that Rogue was referring to the fact that the government funding the school received was directly responsible for providing their homeless students with a place to stay when school was not in session. “And some of the students with families have been generous enough to open their homes to their classmates.”
“So it’s only a temporary solution at best.” Rogue glanced at Logan, making short but meaningful eye contact. “Send as many students to us as you need to, Charles. We’ll be ready,” she promised.
The professor visibly wilted in relief. “Thank you, Rogue,” he breathed. “And Logan. Thank you both.” Flipping open a folder on his desk and scanning some information, he said, “I believe each of the dorms can house thirty students, yes? Have repairs been made to all three buildings?”
Logan shrugged, somewhat amused that the professor just happened to have the file on their property on his desk. “More or less. Everything’s structurally sound and will be furnished by the end of the week. Just needs some new paint and we’ll need to order linens and whatnot.”
“Very good,” Xavier said, somewhat absently, as he snapped the folder closed. “As for the other matter you mentioned - a human helper - I’ll see what I can do.” Logan and Rogue heard the door in Xavier’s office open. The professor glanced away from the screen for a moment. “Ah, Hank. One moment, please.” He turned back to the computer. “Is there anything else you needed to discuss with me?”
Hearing that his tone was clearly dismissive, Logan gave a half smile. “Nah. You go ahead and take care of whatever you need to, Chuck. If something comes up we’ll call you.” Rogue nodded in silent agreement and, reaching forward, turned off the webcam.
* * *
“You haven’t had a chance to practice your own stuff all week.” Logan watched Rogue as she wiped sweat from her face and neck with a hand towel.
Shrugging, Rogue replied, “Ah think teachin’ the kids to defend themselves is more important.”
Slouching in a kitchen chair, Logan growled, “I still don’t like it. I understand what you’re sayin’, but you need to practice usin’ your new abilities so you’ll be able to use ‘em to defend yourself and the kids if you have to.”
Her expression softening, Rogue walked to the table and dropped lightly into Logan’s lap. His hands came around her hips in a loose embrace and she rested her head on his shoulder with a soft sigh. “Ah just don’t feel like Ah should be splittin’ my focus right now,” she explained softly. “Ah don’t want to have my attention or thoughts wanderin’ to my own stuff when Ah’m showin’ the kids somethin’ that might save their lives. And Ah really don’t think Ah could concentrate on controllin’ my abilities when Ah’m so worried about the kids.”
Letting out a sigh of his own, Logan nodded. “Okay. But as soon as we get the kids to the point where they can practice on their own a bit, you need to spend some time on yourself, got it?”
“Got it,” Rogue agreed, lifting her head to look at Logan. She brought her hands up to cup his face and searched his eyes for a moment. “Your eyes are beautiful with all that gold you know.”
Logan grunted softly, the sound more embarrassed than dismissive.
Smiling softly, Rogue continued, “Ah’ve never really told you how beautiful Ah think you are, have Ah?”
Catching her hands in his and pulling them away from his face, Logan scowled. “Men aren’t beautiful.”
“You are.” Rogue’s smile grew brighter. “Everythin’ about you from the day Ah met you. Your imperfections and flaws, insecurities, all of it. It’s all beautiful. And Ah love you for it.”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” There was suspicion in Logan’s voice.
Rogue laughed at him and poked him in the shoulder. “What, Ah can’t even let you know how much Ah love you without you thinkin’ there’s somethin’ wrong with me?”
“You said it yourself, darlin’. You’ve never said any of this stuff before, so why now? What’s different? You’re okay, right?”
“Ah’m fine, Logan.” Rogue’s lips tipped back into the gentle smile. “All the stuff that’s been goin’ on just has me thinkin’ that nothin’s guaranteed, you know? So even if Ah don’t ever say it again, Ah just wanted to know that Ah told you at least once what you mean to me when Ah had the chance.”
Still frowning, Logan smoothed her hair back from her face. “I love you, too,” he said simply. “I love you for a thousand reasons I could name and a thousand more I don’t have words for.” Pulling her into a tight hug, they held each other silently until they heard the children approaching the cabin.
“Must be dinner time,” Rogue said softly. “Ah swear, if we didn’t have any clocks we’d still know what time it was just by listenin’ to their stomachs rumblin’.”
Logan chuckled. “Go on and grab a shower, darlin’. I can at least manage to throw a salad and some sandwiches together.”
“‘Kay,” Rogue agreed happily, standing and moving toward the door. Their fingers trailed the lengths of each other’s arms, the tips meeting and holding briefly before finally parting.
* * *
Logan caught Elizaveta staring at him whenever she thought he wouldn’t notice. When he would turn to meet her eyes, she would immediately drop them to her plate and take another bite of her sandwich. Deciding to let the strange behavior go for the moment in favor of refereeing the shoving match between Michael and Jesse, Logan barely noticed when Rogue rejoined them, her hair still wet from her shower. If he had been paying more attention, he would have seen the way Elizaveta began switching her stares between him and Rogue.