Sitting across from each other in the small diner, slowly eating and casting glances across the table, Rogue and Scott sat in quiet contemplation of each other. Neither knew what the other was thinking and both were confused and attracted and wondering where this “thing” was going. Rogue twirled her french fry in her ketchup and took a deep breath before looking back up at Scott. “I have a question for you, but I'm not quite sure how to ask it.”
“You can ask me anything,” Scott reached over and held Rogue's free hand in both of his, pulling it gently up to her lips and kissing her gloved fingers softly, “just start from the beginning and work from there.”
Rogue blushed and looked back down at her plate of french fries. Her mouth opened and closed a few times and her she let out an exasperated breath. “Gah. This is so much harder than I thought it would be.”
“What is?” Scott asked gently while rubbing her fingers against his lips.
“I. I. Um.” Rogue was distracted by each nibble and kiss of his. She closed her eyes and lost herself in the moment, her heart starting to pound and her breath coming out in small gasps.
“Would you be more comfortable talking about this in our room?” Scott asked her.
Rogue nodded wordlessly.
“Check please!” Scott called out to their waitress who was sitting at another table smoking and flipping through a magazine.
In the dark and smoky bar, Logan and Jubilee walked in and found it only held a group of locals sitting around the bar. This suited them just fine so they could grab a table and talk while being able to hear each other without shouting at each other. After choosing their table, Jubilee got up and told Logan she'd be right back and made her way towards the ladies room. Logan ordered a few beers from the waitress that came up to the table and settled back waiting on his beer and his companion.
After a few minutes, Jubilee returned to the table and sat down. She looked at the collection of beers on the table and raised an eyebrow at Logan. “I hope one of these are for me?” She batted her eyes flirtatiously.
Logan rolled his eyes and replied, “Yah you can have one if you want.”
“Thanks, you have no idea how thirsty I am. This being a best friend is tough work.” Jubilee took a swig from the bottle.
“What makes you think you're her best friend Sparky?” Logan asked.
“Excuse me? Hello? I know everything there is to know about her! Me and Rogue are like THAT!” Jubilee crossed her fingers and shoved them in Logan's face.
Logan snorted. “If you know EVERYTHING there is to know about Rogue, then tell me her real name.”
The smile on Jubilee's face melted away to an annoyed look. “Look fur-ball, no one knows that. She doesn't tell anyone. That person died when her parents kicked her out. Rogue was born and Rogue she will always be. That's what she told me the 9 million times I asked her, and trust me, if anyone could get someone to break down and admit something its me.”
“True you are fairly annoying.” Logan smirked.
“HEY! If that weren't kind of true I'd almost be offended. Lucky for you, my interrogation practices are supposed to be annoying. It gets me the information I need every time.” Jubilee sniffed raised her nose snootily.
Logan just took another swig of his beer and stared hard at the girl before him. She grew uncomfortable under his stare. She nervously sipped at her beer before finally breaking after a few minutes of his silent staring.
“What??!?” She set her beer down harshly on the table.
“Just trying to determine if you are as trustworthy as you seem to be right now. If you truly are a friend of Rogue's.” Logan paused then continued. “Everyone is acting mighty suspiciously today. I mean, shit, Rogue and Scooter are prolly going at it like a couple of minks on speed right this very minute. You aren't acting like the annoyingly bubbled-headed brat we all know so very damn well, and I'm not at Xavier's right now gutting the two I saw on that recording like I normally would be. Its made me sit back and think something is not right. I wonder who is being played here. Who's mind is being manipulated, if not all of us. Not a one of us is acting normal. I want to know what is going on. And I want to know now.” Logan growled.
“Shit. I hadn't thought of that. Shit.” Jubilee drained the last of her beer down. She took a deep breath and said, “Well you saw how it started, with those two walking into Rogue's room.”
Rogue and Scott walked into their motel room and both sat on the end of the king sized bed. Rogue looked over at Scott and then scooted back until she was sitting against the headboard and grabbed a pillow to hold onto and rest her chin on. She took a deep breath and kept her eyes on the quilted bedspread, tracing the patterns with her eyes. She took another breath and glanced at Scott and looked back down when she saw he was laying across the foot of the bed resting on one arm with his head in his hand just watching her curiously.
“Still uncomfortable with talking about what you want to talk about?” Scott inquired softly. His free hand traced small circles on the bed.
Rogue watched his fingers moving in circles and nodded her head.
“Hmm. Do you want me to guess what it is you want to discuss?” He asked.
Rogue nodded again.
“OK. Is it about you and me?” He rolled over on his stomach and scooted facing her and getting a little closer.
Rogue nodded and whispered, “Yeah.”
“Hmm. Is it about what you feel about the two of us?” He pushed up until he was sitting on his heels and slipped his shoes off. “Put your feet over here” he told Rogue. She complied and he took her shoes off too. Then he started rubbing her sock covered feet while sitting near her.
Rogue clutched the pillow tighter. “Sort of,” she frowned, “Hmm, not really, no. Not about what I feel about us exactly.”
He set her feet in his lap and just held them loosely. “Are you worried about the sleeping arrangements for tonight?” he started rubbing her feet again.
Rogue shook her head in the negative. “No, that's not what I'm worrying about, but now that you mention it, it is a concern of mine. I'm afraid that what we discuss will change how you feel.”
“Ah, so you want to discuss my feelings on the two of us then?” He laid her feet back down on the bed, then crawled over to her side laying down on his side facing her, putting his head back on his hand and resting on his elbow.
Rogue scooted down and laid facing him on the bed, still clutching the pillow to her chest with one hand and mirroring his pose with her other arm and hand. “No, that's not it either. I want to discuss what happened on the recording, but you haven't seen it all yet, and I just can't say what happened. Would you mind watching the whole thing with me now? So we can discuss what happened?”
“You want to discuss what I feel about what I see on the recording then? And what you feel about it as well?” he laid his hand on hers on the pillow separating them.
“Yeah. There is so much you don't know yet, and I'm not sure that I want Logan watching the rest of it. I think it should just be you and me. I'm sorry Jubes already saw it, but I was kind of a basket-case at the time and I needed confirmation that what I saw was really what I saw. But she only saw it the once, and I don't really relish the thought of her watching us again.” she blushed as she spoke.
“Us? She saw us? Together on the video? Privately together? Something that shouldn't be shared with other people together? Together together??!?” his brows drew close as he tried desperately to remember them ever being together in her room in a private moment that couldn't be shared with others. “I don't remember us ever being together like that in your room, or anywhere else for that matter.”
“I know. I didn't either until after I watched it. Then it was like blinders coming off my memory.” She frowned. “Our memories have been blocked or something like that. I don't really understand the technical aspect of it, since I'm not a telepath or anything but I think you really should see it before much longer. And I really really think you should see it and decide if the others should watch it past where we stopped before.”
Scott laid back and put his hands on his forehead. “Shit, shit, shit. I can't remember. I don't remember anything, not even something vague.” He sat up quickly and looked over at Rogue. “Did I...” he coughed. “Um, did I hurt you? Oh god, please tell me I didn't hurt you or force you to do anything did I?”
“No Scott! You didn't hurt me or force me to do anything. I promise. Not at all. I swear it.” She placed her glove covered hand over his own, to reassure him.
“Oh thank god. Thank you god.” he held her hand in his. “Then I think we should watch it now, before I lose my nerve. Jesus, I don't think I've been this nervous ever. At least I can't remember ever being this nervous before.”
Rogue set up her laptop on the bedside table and got ready to start it.
“Before you start it, can I ask a favor?” Scott asked.
“Sure. What do you need?” Rogue looked over at Scott.
“This is going to sound kind of weird, but do you mind laying here with me while we watch it? I feel like snuggling while watching this, kind of like a kid again with a teddy bear for safety. I just know I'll feel better with you here next to me.” He smiled at Rogue.
Rogue laughed softly, “Yeah, that works for me too. Definitely better together than alone. I already did it once alone, and it would have been better with someone to hold on to.” She turned on the recording and snuggled up next to Scott while the screen started to show her room and the two people entering it.