Rogue and Garrison -- Back into the groove of things

[x-traction.livejournal.com]

Although she continued to be angry with Kane, talking with Adrienne had helped. It was easy to get caught up in the victim mentality. But Rogue had accepted that other people were impacted by her amnesia too. Kane, in particular had taken it badly.

Looking around the mansion, she didn't see him in his usual places, so that meant a slightly less usual one: the garage. As she entered the room,she was pleased to see that she was right. Kane was bent over the hood of one of the vehicles, looking very intent on what he was doing. Sneaking up , she tiptoed behind him before she alerted him to her prescence with a firm, open handed slap on the derriere. "Asshole," she exclaimed, glaring at Kane. "You would seriously prefer pouting in a corner than helping me get my memories back?"

"Ow! Fuck... you bitch!" Kane said, spinning around. "You don't get to criticize me, Beulah! You didn't remember any of us."

"So?" She glared at him, her hands on her hips in her typical 'I'm pissed' stance. Or was it typical? Rogue wasn't sure when she picked up that behaviour, but she definitely had used it as an adult. "I needed my best friend, and you blew it, buddy. I get it -- lots of loss, lots of grief, but holy shit Kane! What if I had never gotten my memories back? Would you have just rathered to go the rest of your life without our friendship? Or would it always be begrudging?" She took a pause. "Lucky for you, I love jackasses."

"No, you didn't need your best friend. At least, not me. Because you didn't remember any of it. All I could be was some guy bothering you about a bunch of things you didn't know about and had no connection to confusing you." Kane said, his face hot. "That was the problem. There wasn't anything I could do because eight months ago, we had met for the first time again. I couldn't do anything!"

"Adrienne gave me a job and she's known me for less than you have," Rogue pointed out, annoyed. "So there was plenty you could do. Even being supportive, or trying to get to know the new me would've been good." She gave a sigh, trying to let some of her anger out. "Emma helped me with my brain. I remember everything now."

"I heard. I also figured you'd come out." He paused and wiped his hands with a rag. "I miss Callisto. She's so better at tune ups than I am. Look, I'm sorry it wasn't that easy for me. We went through my mother's death together. The loss of Alpha Flight. A lot of careful mutual masturbation. And every time I looked at you, all I could see where the moments that were gone."

Rogue could have kept being angry but his usual Kane comments made her smirk. "God, focus, boy! There was more to our relationship than getting off. We had conversations. Went places. Did things. Enjoyed each other's company," she said, rolling her eyes. "And just so you know, I'm writing myself a little Cole's Notes in case I ever lose my memory again. Your page will say 'Douchebag who can't cope. Show him your tits and all will be forgiven.'"

"We watched my mother and my friends die together. You can call it that, but I think you're deliberately missing the point."

"And I think you're taking this too personally. I didn't choose to lose my memories. I didn't deliberately choose to be 19 again. If the tables were turned, and it was you who didn't remember me, I wouldn't have shut you out. I would've been there and learned to love you all over again, because at the end of the day, you and me, we're solid."

"I didn't blame you but geez, Marie... how much loss can you ask someone to take? It's not bad enough those who died but living with different people in the same faces? Trying to gut through every day without risking a challenge to the new world?" Kane sighed. "I'm human. There's only so much even I can deal with."

Rogue echoed his sigh, and stepped forward. She reached out and gave him a hug. "I know, handsome. That's why I'm not really mad. It's just I guess part of me realized you weren't there and when my brain finally made sense of things, you were right up there to yell at. I'm sorry you had to deal with all this and I wasn't here for you either."


He buried his nose in his hair. "The scariest part? I could accept the people that I lost. But you were right here and still lost. I have never been as close to giving up."

Those words immediately triggered her training, but she was positive that wasn't what he meant. Still. "Were you suicidal?"

"Relax, Freud. I have a degree in psychology as well. I was more ready to pack in the X-Men and run and hide."

"A cigar isn't always a cigar," she grumbled back. "And I don't blame you. I kinda wanna run away and join a whole different kind of circus."

"No. The stakes are way too high right now. The X-Men need both of us... and about a dozen more of us, to be honest."

Bleh. "I still can't believe how soundly we got our asses kicked on that last mission.". She stepped back and brushed her hair behind her ears. "How bad did it affect you?"

"I'm okay. We were hardcore outclassed. But it's a sign. We need to operate differently. We aren't the only sheriff."

Rogue nodded. "True dat. Well, it's probably been about eight months since I had a solid DR session. Think you can be gentle?"

"Last I remember, you used to like it hard."

"I also like breathing."

"With that chest, so do we. But yeah, I'll ease you back in. Look-" He pulled her back for a moment, looking in her eyes. "You and us. We're a team, right?"

She nodded with no hesitation. "Absolutely. You're stuck with me."

"Good. Now let me finish up on the Beast here and then we'll get you back into shape in the DR. Gentle, my ass."

Rogue snorted. "If you ain't gentle, then it will be your ass."