#rogue x-men | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

summersnow82 · 7 months

Text

The Scent of Roses - Part 5

Fanfiction_X-Men

Fictober 2023_Prompt 19: “What if we’re wrong?”

.....

Xavier’s property was vast, and it wasn’t uncommon for students to discover new nooks and crannies years after they’d been living in the mansion. The garden Sabrina led Rogue to was one of those delightful surprises. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the mansion the garden was quiet and serene with a bench, a small fountain, and the hypnotic smell of roses.

Sabrina took a deep breath in, closing her eyes and enjoying the quiet. “You know,” she said, “this is where I would come when I was homesick.” She opened her eyes and turned to look at Rogue who was sitting next to her on the bench. “It’s probably because it’s so quiet and well-hidden. A nice little escape from the constant buzzing in my mind.” She held up a hand, carefully removing a glove. “This bench retains so much of me it’s astounding, and now,” she smiled, leaning in and giving Rogue a wink, “it has some of you.” She ran a bare finger along the arm rest, and smiled wistfully as her eyes glowed briefly.

“Sabrina, I love it when we talk, but I kind of thought you brought me out here to talk me out of getting the cure.” Rogue shrugged, leaning forward on her knees and gazing out at the garden before them. “I’m going to get it, you know.” She cast a glance back at her mentor who was watching her fondly.

“I know. I knew the moment I saw it on TV. I just wanted to talk to you before you go. Make sure you’ve thought this through.”

Rogue frowned. “What’s there to think through? I’m not enough for Bobby like this, and now he’s fawning all over Kitty.”

Sabrina tilted her head back, narrowing her eyes against the sun. “If this is what you want, Rogue, don’t do it for a boy. Do it for yourself. Boys come and go, and the right one wouldn’t want to change you.”

“He doesn’t want to change me. I want to change me. I kill anyone I touch.” She stared at her hands, grimacing, and Sabrina understood the expression better now. Her insight into Hank was monumental; she’d known him for decades, and never known the true depths of his feelings about his mutation. What else didn’t she know about those she cared for dearly?

“You know,” Sabrina began slowly, “I was about your age when the Professor came to me for an active mission. He’d been hesitant because my empath abilities were the hardest thing for me to control, but this case was different.” She leaned forward on her knees, unintentionally matching Rogue’s pose. “A child had been taken from his bed in the middle of the night – tiny thing, maybe three – and his mother had died trying to stop it. The police had no clues, no evidence, no leads. But the Professor,” she turned to Rogue with a small smile, “had me. I found that sweet baby, reunited him with his father, and helped take a monster off the streets.”

Rogue was watching her thoughtfully. “You never told me that before. Is that why you do what you do now?”

Sabrina nodded. “Yup. Before I came here I worked with other mutants specifically finding lost and abducted children – human and mutant. I’ve been part of teams that stopped trafficking, ransoms, all kinds of evil. I never told you about that particular case because it was the hardest on me.” She tapped her temple. “I still see it when I dream sometimes. It’s always there now, all because I walked into a crime scene and removed my gloves.”

Rogue held her mentor’s gaze as she said, “You think I can do the same thing?”

Sabrina shook her head. “No, Marie. I think you can do more.” Rogue’s eyes widened just a touch, and Sabrina added, “You are incredibly powerful, Rogue. Your mutation – your gift – it has a huge amount of untapped potential, and if you get this cure it will all just disappear.”

“What if we’re wrong?” Rogue asked. “What if this is a way to bring peace, to really help others?”

“People hate, Rogue. It’s just what they do. If it’s not a mutation it’ll be a religion or a skin color or something else. We can’t limit who we are and hide to make them feel safe.” Rogue took a deep breath, and leaned back taking in everything Sabrina had just said. The older blonde followed suit, tilting her head back to the sun as a cool breeze drifted over them. “I’ll support you,” Sabrina said softly, “whatever your decision.” She opened her eyes to see silent tears running down the younger woman’s face.

“I hate what I am, Sabrina.” Rogue turned to her, her lower lip trembling. “I hate worrying I might hurt someone just by accidentally brushing up beside them. I hate worrying about crowds, and envying couples, and wondering if I would be a good mother one day. I feel like death walking.” Her voice broke, and more tears spilled down her cheeks. “I’m cursed, Sabrina.”

“No.” Sabrina leaned forward, wrapping the younger woman in a hug. “No, you’re amazing, and wonderful, and so, so dear to me.” She could feel Rogue shake against her as she sobbed into her cardigan. She thought back to hours earlier when she’d begged Hank to go so she could cry in private, and he had begrudgingly obliged. He didn’t know – Rogue didn’t know – how intense the self-loathing and self-hatred she’d felt had been.

It was palpable, bitter on her tongue, heavy on her skin, suffocating her, smothering her, all-consuming. Sabrina didn’t know how to handle her situation with Hank, but it was suddenly very clear how she would help Rogue.

Clutching the younger girl to her she turned her head ever so slightly, and whispered, “I love you, Rogue.” Another shift, and she was pressing her lips to Rogue’s cheek.

Her thoughts were intentional as she did so. All her love, adoration, and praise for the younger woman was funneled to the front of her mind. She understood if Rogue wanted the cure, and there was a part of her that wouldn’t blame her for choosing it, but she wanted Rogue to make that decision with all the facts.

Know I love you.

Know I admire you.

Know I’m proud of you.

Know I believe in you.

Know I will always be there when you need me.

Know I would die to protect you.

Know I trust you.

She could feel Rogue’s power from the moment of contact, and she felt like someone had shoved a vacuum hose down her throat. They were trying to turn her inside out, consume everything, and leave nothing behind. It was becoming harder to breath, harder to see, and everything felt so heavy.

The Professor and Storm were going to be so mad at her for this.

I love you, Marie.

One last thought, and she meant it completely. She loved Rogue. She’d fight for her, die for her, do whatever it took to protect her no matter the cost. Motherly instincts paired with sisterly affection would drive her to great lengths for the young girl, and she would not regret this decision.

“Sabrina? Sabrina!”

Everything was fading, and she wondered if perhaps there would have been a more organized way to do this. A way where she wasn’t lying on the cold gravel of the walking path. She’d just washed her hair, after all.

“Sabrina!” Rogue’s cry was getting fainter, the world dimmer, and then there was nothing.

……

Medical bay was a cold and sterile environment Sabrina had never cared for as a child. As an adult, she appreciated the technology and the location, but she still cared little for the facilities. “You’re awake.” Jean’s warm, familiar voice was a comfort Sabrina appreciated amongst the intense headache. “Don’t open your eyes, and don’t try to talk. I’ll get you something for the pain.” Sabrina relaxed against the firm bed.

Rogue? She thought at her mentor as the older woman cleaned a spot on her arm and injected her with something Sabrina trusted would ease the pain.

“She’s fine. Worried about you, but that’s to be expected. What exactly were you thinking, Sabrina? I’ve got a list of people ready to give you hell for that stunt.”

You know what I was thinking. Or you could.

She could hear the smile in Jean’s voice. “Hank said you weren’t yourself. I suppose obstinate is better than hostile.” Sabrina hated how her insides fluttered at the mere mention of Hank’s name. She really was pathetic. “It’s not pathetic to be in love, Sabrina.”

Unrequited love.

Jean was silent for a moment, then took Sabrina’s gloved hand in her own. “Yes. Even that.”

I wanted her to see herself the way I see her, Jeanie. There was so much hatred and self-loathing in that room. Didn’t you feel it?

A pause, and then, “Emotions and thoughts don’t always coexist, I’m afraid.”

Hank, too. Did you know?

A sigh. “I’ve suspected for quite some time.” She squeezed the younger woman’s hand. “We’ve all hated ourselves at one time or another, Sabrina.”

The blonde rolled her head to the side, and opened her eyes to see the red head. The medicine was beginning to take effect, and she was getting woozy. “I know, but there wasn’t a cure before. I wanted her to know how amazing she is. Now, even if she loses her powers she’ll always know at least one person wasn’t afraid of her.” Sabrina’s eyes drifted closed. “If I could give her that it was well worth it.”

Jean held Sabrina’s hand until her breathing became deep and rhythmic. When the blonde woke she should feel exponentially better. “It’s hard to be angry with her after an explanation like that.” Charles voice came from the doorway, and he rolled into the room to be by Sabrina’s side. “She seems so fragile to me sometimes.”

“She was pretty broken when she came here,” Jean said.

Charles nodded. “But she’s not anymore, is she?” Jean gave him a soft smile, shaking her head. “You know, even when you’re not my students anymore I still can’t help but worry.” He turned from Sabrina to look at Jean. “Hank called. He’s coming back from Washington tonight with news.”

“I wish he’d let one of us go with him,” Jean said with a shiver. “Just knowing that thing is out there makes me afraid to leave the grounds.”

“We’re not going to be afraid, my dear,” Charles assured her. “We’re going to be prepared.”

#fictober23 #fictober #fictober 2023 #x-men #hank mccoy #sabrina snow #my ocs #rogue #rogue x-men #beast x-men #charles xavier #jean grey #fanfic #fan fiction #ao3 #ao3 fanfic #hank x o

9 notes · View notes