Author's Chapter Notes:
'Means telepathic conversation'
“Are you sure you don’t want my help?” Logan asked after they finished loading the truck and bikes into the storage bay of the jet. An hour and a half earlier, Storm had called to let them know that she had found a clearing in a set of woods not to far from the house, telling them to meet her there.

There were tearful goodbyes and promises of frequent visits before Rogue said goodbye to her parents. The ride to the clearing had been quiet, neither wanting to say anything, least it provoke a fight.

“I’ll be fine, Logan. I’m not afraid of him. I’ll be safe.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body to his. “I’ll be home tomorrow. Just have a warm bath ready for me.”

“I think I can handle that,” he replied as his own arms snaked around her waist. “Just hurry.”

He kissed her, and this kiss was filled with hunger and passion she knew she would never again be able to live without. Never again would she be able to live without the kind of love he was offering, and, as much as that scared her, she knew there was nothing left but to accept it. It would be too painful to fight.

He pulled away slowly, his eyes opening while his head felt a little dizzy. It would never be any better than that.

“You need to go,” she whispered as she lowered her eyes. She didn’t want to leave his arms, but knew that she must.

“You go first. I won’t follow. I promise. I want to see you fly.” Logan growled at her lightly and she felt her body grow warm.

“Be careful, Sugar,” she called to him as she began to levitate.

“Promise. You be good, Darlin.” He smiled at her, wishing that he could go with her.

“I always am.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

She felt his watching her until well after she knew she was out of range. She could feel her eyes begin to tear, only for the fluid to dry before falling due to the wind hitting her face.

She missed Logan, but, she had to admit, there was nothing like flying. She had never flown like this before, by herself, with no one to watch over her. She pushed herself up, through the clouds, going as high as she could before the air began to thin and she felt herself grow could. She had never felt so free before.

Nothing seemed to matter up here. There was no one to be angry with, no reason to be extra careful. She realized that some part of her wished that she had been born with this ability instead of her skin. And part of her wanted to weep for the woman she had taken it from. But, as she forced herself to push past those emotions as she pushed through the clouds, she knew that it was no point in dwelling on these things. Life was good now. And she had only one more thing she had to do before she could go home.

~*~*~*~*~*~

It was easy enough to find the mental hospital. She had pretty much noticed it as she was flying over.

She landed softly just outside, hoping that no one noticed her. She couldn’t help but wonder what the doctors would say if one of the patients had seen her. From what her parents told her, the people who were kept here weren’t just psychotic, but deranged. Most of these people lived in their own little worlds of butterflies and make-believe. She couldn’t help but wonder how close she had come to living in a place like this herself.

Shaking her head clear of those kinds of thoughts, she walked into the building, mentally preparing herself for a glimpse of the past.

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Can I help you?” The nurse sitting at the greeting station asked as Rogue approached the desk. Although she was smiling, Rogue couldn’t help but notice the bags under her tired eyes and the tightness in her voice.

“I’m here to see Mr. Own Ellett.” Rogue wasn’t sure where the last name came from. She wasn’t sure if it was the correct one, but it seemed to jump out with her father’s given name. It was familiar, though, and it felt right. She couldn’t deny that. Chances were, it wasn’t even corre…

“Yes, he’s here. I think you’re the first visitor he’s had since he was brought in here. What’s your name?” The nurse asked, stopping Marie’s train of thought.

“Marie D’Ancanto,” Rogue whispered. She still could not believe that it was the right name. She wondered if she really ever forgot.

“And relation?”

Rogue took in a deep breath, preparing to say the words that would haunt her. “His daughter.”

The nurse stopped typing for a moment, looking Rogue over quickly. “You’re Prissy’s daughter, then?”

Rogue’s heart seemed to catch in her throat. She wasn’t sure what to say. Had Owen began to remember his past life? Had he started talking about all the things that had happened? She could only shake her head yes.

“I went to school with your momma,” the nurse sighed. Rogue glanced at her name tag for the first time, noticing that her name was Anna. “She was a good friend of mine. We were all pretty torn up when we heard she had disappeared. I was just starting here by then. And then, Owen came to live with us not to much later. I had heard that your auntie had taken you in. Her and her husband. You look good. A whole lot like your momma. I was wondering if you would ever even show up around here. The way I heard it, your auntie and uncle were raising you as their own and they were trying to protect you from who your parents were. I never agreed with it, but I wasn’t one to judge. When did you find out?”

“Just recently. My parents told me that he wasn’t really in good shape, but I had to come and see for myself.” Rogue couldn’t help but notice that her accent had began to thicken over the time she had been in the south, and now that she was nervous, it was almost as thick as it had been before.

“Well, let’s get you to him, then.” Anna tore her eyes off of her, and Rogue felt her body begin to relax. She typed something into the computer before looking back at Rogue. “Someone will be here in a second. Last I heard, you turned mutant?”

Rogue felt her heart skip. She hadn’t even thought that anyone here would know. What was she supposed to do now?

“Relax, Marie,” Anna whispered low. “I ain’t trying to start no trouble for you. I’d shame my son if I even thought about it. He’s a good boy, but he’s having some trouble in school. He’s seventeen now.”

“I know of a good school that he can go too. They helped me a whole lot when I needed it. The schools been going through a few things, but I think it might work. What’s his mutation, anyway?” Rogue smiled as she reached into her back pocket and pulled out her wallet. Opening it quickly, she pulled out a card and handed it to Anna.

“Well, believe it or not, he talks… to machines. It’s been like this since he was about fourteen, but, for the last few years, we’ve been able to keep it from anyone,” Anna sighed. Rogue motioned for her to continue, knowing that it was hard. “But one of the kids caught him ‘talking’ to a computer at school while he was trying to find something. I just don’t know what to do. Doug’s a good boy. He wasn’t doing anything wrong.”

“Talk to him, and, if you want, call the number on the back and we can arrange a tour. He’ll fit right in here.” Rogue smiled as the door just to the right of the greeting station opened. A large male nurse walked out, whistling.

“Ah, Marie, this is Nurse Brenton. He over looks your father. He’ll show you to him.” Rogue was surprised by how easily Anna was able to pull herself together. But, then again, she had to be fast. She was probably used to it.

“If you’ll just follow me,” Nurse Brenton said in a low voice. Rogue rolled her eyes as she felt his gaze on her breasts. Now she was really happy she hadn’t brought Logan along. He would have probably gutted the guy.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Her father was put into an isolated room with only two chairs and a table for their meeting. He hadn’t known she was coming and, when he saw her, she could almost see the recognition in his eyes. It was like he was trying to place where he knew her from. But, although she could see his struggle, her heart felt no pity.

She waited until the door closed swiftly behind her. Owen wasn’t considered to be a threat anymore, and his visits didn’t need any supervisation.

“Do you remember me at all?” Rogue asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Not really, but you are a pretty girl, aren’t you?” Owen asked with a sick smile. She felt bile rise in her throat. She wanted to hurt this man with everything she had, but she couldn’t do anything now. Not when there could be cameras.

“I’m your daughter,” Rogue said sternly, trying to get some kind of recognition out of him. Judging by the look on his face, it still hadn’t registered.

“Hell, come over here and give your daddy a hug, girl. Let me see how you’ve grown.” His smile was wide, and his eyes were full of lust. She let her mind wander for a second, catching his thoughts. She saw an image of herself bent over his knee as he paddled her. Her stomach lurched at the thought, and she knew she had to finish this before she lost it and killed him.

‘I can help you.’ She let her voice whisper into his mind. ‘Do you want to remember?’

His eyes became hard, calculating as he realized she was talking to him without any words. She saw the moment understanding dawned on him, and couldn’t help the small smile that played on her lips.

“You…”

She hushed him, knowing that if there were microphones, it could be disastrous. ‘Don’t say it. I’m a mutant, but, is that really such a surprise? I mean you’re wife was one. I’m sorry. I forgot. You don’t remember her.’

She let it sink in. As he thought, she couldn’t help but wonder why he was still here. He was competent, as far as she could tell. Maybe he didn’t want to be let out. Maybe he liked it here, were he could be the big man. Either way, she wasn’t about to tell his secret. Who knows what kind of pain he would inflict on people outside. Didn’t matter, though. By the time she was done with him, well, he would be exactly where he belonged.

‘How can you help me?’ His thoughts were to himself, but she heard every word. He wanted to know what he lost. ‘What’s in it for you?’

“It’s good to see you, Daddy. I wish you remembered me, though,” Rogue said sweetly, just in case anyone was listening. Owen gave her a strange look, as if he didn’t understand what was going on.

‘I got to make sure this looks real. Everything is in it for me. You know something that I need. I’ll come to you tonight. Which window is yours?’

She caught a picture image of a window around the back of the facility. She could remember it, and she would come back later.

“Well, Daddy. I got to go. I’ll come back tomorrow before I head out,” Rogue said as she stood up, walking away from him. He still had a blank look on his face, but she could hear the thoughts in his head, and knew that he was excited. Who knew her father was such a great actor.
Chapter End Notes:
almost there......
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