Night Butterflies - Part Three

by Khaki and Loki


Jean heard the voices echoing down the hall a few seconds before she heard the light knocking on her door. She was so worried about Logan and Rogue, she'd been able to sleep only lightly, waking at every sound.

Scott groaned beside her as she got out of bed, but didn't wake up. As she approached the door, she could clearly hear Rogue say, "Let's go back, Jubes. I'm not even bleeding anymore."

Jean swung the door open and saw the girls jump in the dimness of the hall's nightlight.

"What's wrong?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

"Rogue cut herself, and I thought you should look..."

"How did you cut yourself, Rogue," Jean asked, worry creeping into her voice. Were Logan's suicidal tendencies already affecting the young woman?

"Well, I..." she began in a meek tones, then her voice hardened, "does it really matter, Red? It's healed now anyway."

Jean wasn't satisfied in the least. She turned to Jubilee, her expression demanding answers.

"Well, Dr. Summers, Rogue's gained some of Logan's abilities."

"Yes," Jean replied, "like the last time."

"Umm, this is a little worse than the last time. Ya wanna show her, Rogue?"

"I don't know how," Rogue answered, staring at her hands.

"Ok, Logan?"

"Don't wanna."

"Logan, either you show her, or I'll make you show her," Jubilee threatened.

Rogue turned and growled at her friend as Jean watched in shock. "Like to see you try, little girl."

"That's it," Jubilee said and attacked, grabbing her friend in a choke hold. Rogue fought back, breaking Jubilee's grip and releasing the bone claws in one swift motion. She lunged at her, only to be stopped by an unseen hand.

Shifting her gaze, she saw Jean, hand outstretched and shaking as she mentally held Rogue's body in place.

"That's enough, Logan," Jean commanded, the strain making its way into her voice. "Let me talk to Rogue."

Rogue's body relaxed and the bone claws resheathed. Jean waited a few seconds until she could be sure Rogue was in control and released her hold.

"Rogue, we need to go to the med lab. I have to check you out. I didn't know Logan's claws were a part of his mutation."

Rogue nodded, looking sadly at her hands. "I didn't know either. Even after I found out everything, regained my memories, I didn't know. How could I have had these things all my life and not known?"

Jean let that comment go. Both Logan and Rogue seemed to be cooperating at the moment, and she had to take advantage of that. She started walking, leading the two young women through the darkened hallways to the mansion's basement. As they entered, Rogue froze, staring at Logan's body on the bed.

"Rogue?" Jean asked, but a gruffer voice answered.

"No. I'm dead. It worked. I'm dead. What am I doing here? Why did you save me?"

"Logan," Jean began, trying to appease the man trapped in Rogue's mind, "you have to understand. We..."

"No!" a deep growl came from Rogue. Bone claws released and she ran towards the still patient.

**********

Although the first outburst from Logan had drained much of Dr. Summers' energy, she succeeded at keeping Rogue from assaulting the inanimate body on the table. On the older woman's directions, Jubilee hastily strapped Rogue to a portable table while Jean restrained her.

Jubes was furious. She grabbed Rogue by the shoulders, shaking her. "Hey, Logan, you bastard! Come here!" she ordered.

"You got a death wish, both of ye," came the low voice, full of menace.

"Yeah, but you'll listen to me, old man!" she shouted to Rogue's face.

"Jubilee! That's enough!" ordered Jean.

"Oh no, someone has to talk to this creep, and I've just voluntered!" She put her full attention back to Logan in Rogue's head. "You bastard, if you want to kill yourself, at least have the guts to do it yourself! You pretend to love her... My God! You don't care how making her kill you will affect her. You love no one, not even yourself..."

"I'll kill you..."

"Yeah, right. What else can you do, anyway? Kill, kill, kill! That's all you can do! Y'know what? I'd would pull the damn plugs on yer flamin' body this second if it wasn't for Rogue..."

"Be my guest."

Jean Summers stood still, listening, fascinated at Jubilee's rant. She couldn't help but agree with what the young woman was saying. She made sure to keep an open link with the now awake professor, so he could be informed of the new twist in this mess.

Jubilee didn't take Logan's bait. "I won't pull those friggin' plugs, 'cuz then Rogue'll be stuck with a damn flamin' freak in her head.... YOU!"

She took a breath. He wasn't arguing, so maybe she was on the right track. She continued, "'Cuz then she wouldn't know how to love anymore. You'd always be there to make her hate or kill everyone for things that, damnit, happened to YOU, not HER!"

"I..."

"Oh, shut up already! I'm not done with you! If you think one minute we're gonna let Rogue down, as YOU did, yer more nuts than I thought. She knows how to love, she DOES love someone. Sorry to tell ye, buddy, but it ain't you. Now, if ye wanna kill yourself 'cuz you can't deal with her being happy, suits me. You'll even make One-Eye happy!"

At that remark, Jean frowned a little. Scott wouldn't be really happy, relieved probably of not having to deal with the Logan-problem anymore, but not really happy.

"But if you are a MAN, you'll act as one. You're gonna leave Rogue in peace. You hear me?!!!"

Jubilee was so furious, she couldn't refrain from shaking. She was done; she had told the man what he had to be told.

Jean decided that now was the time to sedate Rogue to help her sleep the rest of the night. Against all expectations, the sedative started to work, as if Logan's healing factor wasn't triggered.

Jubilee helped Jean roll the table on which Rogue lay to the adjacent room. They locked the door between the two rooms.

"Jubilee, now go get some sleep. I'll stay with Rogue, in case..."

"No need, Red. I ain't going nowhere," came from Rogue's bed.

"There's no way you'll be left alone," coldly said Jean, not sure if she was talking to Rogue or Logan in her head.

"Jubilee, will you stay?" asked Rogue.

Jubilee looked down at her friend. Who had spoken, Rogue or Logan? And to who was responsible for the pleading in Rogue's eyes?


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