A Rogue's Tale

Hidden Truths: Part 3

She had breakfast ready in record time, and brought out the food on two large platters. She had an extra platter just for Fred. With his metabolism he needed to eat three times as much as anyone else to just function properly. She sat down at the table and looked over at Pietro who was leering at her. He didn't say anything, which was unusual because everyone who knew Pietro knew about his big mouth.

There was also something else unusual. Fred was barely eating, that alone made Rogue think that the big kid had let something slip. Perhaps that was why Speedy thought she and Fred were together in some way. It was better that he thought it was Fred she was sneaking around with and not an X-Man. Still, she was going to confront Fred about it just to know for sure what was said, so she could keep her story straight.

All through breakfast, Rogue was getting stares from Pietro which was making her weary of both Todd and Lance. What if he told them the outlandish rumor? She was going to confront Fred right after breakfast and find out just what he had said to Quicksilver.

She saw Mystique come out of the kitchen with a glass of orange juice in hand. She set it down in front of Rogue's place at the table. "Drink it all," she said. Rogue used to think that the woman was just being extra doting seeing she was the only girl in the house, but after what Remy told her Tara found out she knew something else was going on.

She only drank the juice with the knowledge that Tara had switched the contents. She still had that letter she swiped, and she was intent on reading it once she had a moment alone. Once she drank her juice, she excused herself from the table and prepared to go back upstairs. She still had Mystique's extra keys and had to put them back. Once she was down the hall, she heard footsteps behind her. They belonged to Fred. No one made a sound like him stumping up the stairs, not even Lance.

"Ah need t'talk to you," she said in a whispered voice.

Fred looked guilty as hell, and she was for sure he said something to Pietro.

"It's about last night, isn't it?" he asked. Well, at least he wasn't trying to play dumb.

"Yeah, well, Speedy told me he saw you comin' outta mah room last night," she said. Her voice got even quieter. "He thinks we..."

"I know, and I'm sorry, Rogue," Fred said and put his head down. "I didn't mean to make him think that about you and me...., but you know he never lets anything go. I didn't tell him about the guy you're seeing, so if anyone asks you can say it's me."

"Ah was thinkin' the same thing," she said. "Ah might need a cover this weekend. Would ya help with that?"

"Sure," he said. "I'm going to the derby on Saturday. I'll just say you're coming with me."

"Great," she said with a smile on her face. "Ah can't wait to tell..." She stopped herself from saying his name.

"Rogue, just be careful," Fred said with a look of concern on his face. "I just don't want you to get hurt."

"Ah won't," she said and was about to walk down the hall to her room. "Thanks, Freddie."

After she entered her room, she took out the letter and opened it. It was in German but thanks to her powers she had become bi-lingual. Somehow, she retained the German she picked up from the blue elf the night she met him.

That night she had absorbed Nightcrawler, she gained his powers temporarily, but that wasn't all. She gained some frightening memories of a little boy being chased by an angry mob and almost being torn to pieces. That was the night his powers manifested, and right before one of the angry humans was about to strike him with a lighted torch, he teleported for the first time. He was able to get away that night, but there were other nights that he had feared for his life, so did his parents.

She even feared him that night she first met him and seeing his true form. It was the only reason the accidental skin contact happened. The memories faded to the back of her mind, but for some reason she retained the knowledge of his native language.

She sat on her bed and read the letter. There were a few words she was unsure of, but most of the letter she understood just fine. She gasped as she read on, not believing the words it contained. When she finished, she folded it up and returned it to its envelope.

Her objective for breaking into Mystique's office was to get information on why she was her so much and why she was willing to wipe out her memories just to keep her in line, but she never dreamed she would get information about someone else, someone who was supposed to be her enemy.

To Be Continued...