Rhian looked around the room she'd been given in the teachers wing. She hadn't brought anything with her and she didn't feel like dealing with the headache she'd have if she conjured things from thin air. She thought for a moment then smiled. Duplication would solve the head ache issue and she knew just who to borrow from. She left the room and went in search of Rogue. She was intercepted by Logan however. "So what's yer angle?"
She looked at him and he couldn't help but stare at her black eyes. She tucked a stray curl behind her ear. "Whatever angle I have is my own. What about you?"
He snorted. "Depends on my mood. Mostly I'm looking for my past and kicking ass for Wheels."
'If only you knew the man I know.' She thought thinking about Victor waiting for her in the woods.
Logan caught a wiff of her arousal again but it disappeared as fast as it had come. "Maybe I just want to kick some ass as well." She said challengingly.
He chuckled and folded his arms leaning against the wall. "If you wanted to kick some ass you wouldn't have sneaked in like you did."
It was her turn to laugh. "I walked in. Through the front door, while you and your friends were playing school. The front door was unlocked for crying out loud!"
He scowled. "Yeah that's something I wanted to talk to you about. How the hell did you get past every security measure Scooter and I set up? Even if Chuck can't read yer mind and even if you can phase out like you did in his office the camera's and motion sensors shoulda picked you up."
She smiled enigmatically. "I'm sure you'll figure it out sooner or later."
"Or maybe you'll give the X-Men a demonstration in the Danger Room later." Scott said walking up to them.
She gave him an appraising look then shrugged. "sure, why not. After I get some cloths."
Scott raised an eyebrow. "You didn't come with any?"
"Just what I'm wearing. I travel light." She replied. "Know where I can find Rogue?"
Logan straightened sharply and glowered at her. "How do you know about her?"
"She wasn't mentioned and you've never seen or met her." Scott added watching Rhian suspiciously.
Rhian cursed herself for not thinking about that before she spoke. She answered carefully. "I told you if I'm feeling spunky I can sometimes see into the future. I saw a little bit of the future, basically I saw myself talking to a girl with white streaked hair and gloves. She introduced herself as Rogue."
She felt like holding her breath praying Logan would believe the lie. If he was anything at all like Victor it would be extremely difficult to lie to him but she had managed to once or twice before. His shoulders relaxed she felt her the cramp in her stomach ease. He'd bought it. "I'll take ya to see her." He said.
"Thanks." She followed him but made a note of the very suspicious look on Scott's face. She wasn't sure he'd bought her lie.
Logan lead her to another wing of the mansion and pointed out Rogues door. "Not gonna introduce us?" She asked.
"Thought you saw the future." He growled.
She laughed. "The future is like water. Every little ripple changes it. Just because I saw part of a vision of the future doesn't mean it's set in stone."
He nodded in understanding. "I'll let you make your own introductions." He said and stalked off.
'This is going to be harder than I thought.' She thought with a small sigh.
She knocked on Rogues door and waited. Rogue opened the door hesitantly and Rhian smiled reassuringly. "Hi, I'm Rhian. You're Rogue?"
Rogue opened the door. "Ah am." Sh replied.
"I just got here. I'm going to be teaching Comparative Religion. I was wondering if you could help me with something."
Rogue frowned and tucked an ivory lock of hair behind her ear. "Help with what?"
"I need some cloths and was wondering if I could copy some from you."
"From meh?" Rogue looked stunned. "Ah haven't got anything that would look good on ya."
"I think you might. What your wearing now looks pretty nice." She motioned to the lacy red long sleeved shirt Rogue was wearing over a black tanktop.
Rogue thought about it for a moment chewing her bottom lip nervously then she nodded and opened the door to let Rhian in. "Jus' don't touch mah skin." She warned.
"Why?" Rhian asked knowing full well why but playing her part.
"Ah have killer skin. Ah don't want to hurt ya." Rogue replied walking over to the closet.
She pulled out a few shirts and handed the to Rhian expecting her to drape them over her arm. Instead Rhian lay one on the bed spread and held her left hand out over the shirt, the right hovering over empty space. She concentrated for a moment and a duplicate of the shirt started to take shape. Rogue watched in stunned amazement. When the shirt was completely copied Rhian picked it up and held it up. "Pretty cool huh? I can use energy channeled through my own body and shaped by my will to do pretty much anything. Including make copies of cloths I like. I haven't paid for cloths in years."
Rogue blinked. "Ain't that like stealin'?"
"Depends on your point of view. Technically no one owns anything. It's all just borrowed from somewhere until we die then it's borrowed by someone else until they die. I'm just borrowing a little more efficiently." She watched Rogues face carefully. "If I'm making you uncomfortable with my cloths copying I can go elsewhere."
Rogue thought about it for a moment. "Nah. It's ok. Jus' never thought about it that way." She took the original shirt back from Rhian and handed her a different one. "So what happens with the cloths you copy? They got a time limit or somthin'?"
Rhian shook her head. "They last as long as the original and have to be washed and dried and mended just like the originals. I usually donate them to the Salvation Army or give them away when I'm done with them."
"That's nice of you." Rogue was starting to like Rhian.
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Rogue and Rhian walked into the dining hall together chatting amiably. Rhian as wearing a dark green tank top and a pair of jeans she'd copied from Rogue and looking perfectly comfortable. Rogue looked much as she usually did. Cautious but trying to enjoy life. Logan watched the pair of them but looked away when he saw Rogues head starting to turn towards him. He was doing his level best to leave Rogue alone to experience life unhindered by his damaged self. Apparently Rhian hadn't gotten that memo because she dragged Rogue over to sit at his table. Rogue was trying to unobtrusively attract his attention and Rhian was watching the whole sad affair. At one point during the meal she reached over and poked Logan with her fork. "Hey!"
"Hey yourself. You haven't said word one since dinner started. Mind telling me why you're sulking?" Rhian asked.
"I ain't sulking kid." He replied hoping to distract her with an obviously inappropriate nickname.
She wasn't biting. Victor had tried to push her away with the same tactics. She ignored the name. "You're sulking like someone took your favorite cigar."
"And how do you know I smoke cigars?" He asked.
"I can smell them and Rogue told me your favorite brand is Don Kiki." She replied smoothly. "Now quit avoiding the question and tell me why you're sulking."
He leaned forward and gave her his most intense stare which had the side effect of making Rogue shrink back. He felt a little guilty about that but if it kept her from ruining her life by pursuing him so much the better. "I. Ain't. Sulking." He stood and stalked off.
Rhian watched him leave. 'Just like Victor.'
She turned to Rogue. "He always this surly?"
"Only for the last month or so. It's mah fault too." Rogue replied looking down at her plate her long hair falling forward to hide her face.
Rhian suppressed a sigh. This damsel in distress thing was getting old but she'd promised Victor she'd get Logan and Rogue together. "And how is his bad attitude your fault?"
Rogue sighed. "Ah've been in love with him since Ah was seventeen. Last year after Ah turned twenty-one Ah tried to tell him how Ah felt and he pushed me away. He's been ignorin' me ever since."
Rhian watched Rogue for a few moments then turned her attention back to her meal. She wasn't going to make her move just yet. She still needed to gather a few more facts and make a plan before she did anything rash. She'd give it a week to settle in and get a feel for the situation. Then she'd start fulfilling her promise.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Three updates in one day. This bunny just won't shut up. My kid also won't leave me alone so I have to do this while he's occupied or napping.
Chapter End Notes:
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