Author Note: This is my first fanfiction so be gentle.

Summary: Rogue had always put up barriers to keep everyone safe. However, one little break in her barriers has caused her to open her eyes to what exactly her life had become. She is now out to right the wrongs she had done to herself by living life and stop hiding behind a layered hard shell. It is the least she can do for taking away the lives of so many. The path is filled with mistakes, mischief, and heartbreak. But will our spit fire southern belle find the light at the end of the tunnel? A story of Rogue finding herself through the chaos called life. A mixture of movie, tv show and comic book story lines. Set after apocalypse in X-Men Evolution.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except this keyboard and the shirt on my back. Definitely not X-men or X-men by products. I heard they turn into snakes.

This can't be happening.

Her breath hitched, her ears rung and her vision was blurry. The area seemed too hot and fuzzy as she stared at her gloves. They were so dirty, filled with mud and blood.

"Scott?"

She stared at her hands; no her gloves. The very contraption she wore every day. The last thing she put on every day and last thing she took off. They were a barrier, something that was supposed to protect everyone from her.

"SCOOOOTTTT!"

Yet they failed

Jean ran up next to Rogue looking at Scott's body. She quickly scanned his mind checking for any brain activity. Rogue stared at her hands wondering what went wrong. From all the blood caked in her gloves she didn't noticed the breach in the barrier. A tare so small it was unnoticeable until it was too late. She didn't feel the telltale signs of her powers, the pull. But it was there and without warning a concentrated beam fled from her eyes. All she wanted to do was help.

"Scott, no…." Jean eyes grew wide in terror.

There was nothing but the slight hum. There were no thoughts, memories or dreams in Scott's head. Just a slight hum as though air was blowing against the inner walls of his skull. She stared at Rogue who held her hands in disbelief. Rogue eyes were closed to stop the beams but she can see how she focused intensely at the gloves. As though she can see through her eyelids the very horrors she had done.

"Jean, we have to get him to Hank ASAP" Wolverine said grabbing the red head. He stared at Rogue "Move it kid"

Rogue looked up at Wolverine her eyes firmly shut. Wolverine gave a low grunt. "Suit yourself…" Wolverine grabbed Scott and pulling him over his shoulder "Half-pint bring the stretcher, and open the hanger of the Blackbird"

Kitty ran passed Wolverine to get the jet ready. Wolverine started running to the jet only to give Rogue a quick look. For a second he hesitated to comfort the woman he called stripes. Yet nothing he could say would ring true to her ears. So he had to remain focus on the man that was bleeding out in his shoulder.

Rogue sat in the medical bay. Her lips were split, her ribs broken and her eye blackened, yet she didn't seek medical attention. She just stood pressing the bruise that formed on her left side as she looked at Hank and the Professor.

They were talking about Scott and his current condition. He had a severe wound on his chest and broken rib much like Rogue's. The wounds were painful but not enough to keep him asleep for the last five hours. Rogue can't help but take credit for that one.

Rogue's eyes shifted to Jean. Little Miss Perfect was holding onto herself as she loomed over her boyfriend. She can only see her back but Rogue knew she was crying. She felt the slight pang in her chest. She was concerned for Scott and Jean however her concern for Jean was amplified by Scott's influence no doubt.

"Rogue are you alright?" The Professor wheeled next to Rogue and watched the scene with Scott and Jean.

"Ah'm alright professor" She was able to choke out.

"His condition is stable for now. His chest wound was very deep and shattered a few bones, we were lucky it didn't pierce his lungs."

Rogue stared down at the Professor her face stoic. As selfish at it may seem it wasn't what she was worried about. It wasn't what she wanted to hear.

Professor got the hint "We don't know about his mental condition. There were no signs of your mutation until you manifest Scott's, hence we don't know how long you were in contact." The Professor sighed "We don't know how long he will be out for"

"Or if he will ever wake up"

"Rogue" The Professor clapped his hands together and rested his chin. "What happened was an accident. Your powers are fine. You may not have felt a pull but it may have been left unnoticed during the chaos. He may be asleep due to the chest wound"

"Ah know Professor. Ah know the soul sucking type of person Ah am…" Rogue hugged herself "Ah know how long a need to hold on and how long someone would be out fo'" She took one shaky breath "It's been five hours and he hasn't woken up. That ain't no chest wound, Ah sucked out his very life and he might never wake up" She fought the tears that threatened to fall "My powers-"

"Rogue" The Professor said sternly "We do not know the exact response his body would have to that type of trauma. He got shot Rogue, this may be his body's natural response. We must wait and see. Please get some rest and you can see him tomorrow." The Professor rolled out to speak further to Hank.

Rogue bit her lip "Ah don't think either of them would want to see me Professor…" She looked at the red head that held her lovers hand.

Rogue pulled herself from the scene and walked upstairs to her room. Walking through the hallways she noticed everyone's behavior. They increased their distance making sure even fabric didn't touch her in the wide hallway. She scoffed at them, cowards all of them. She knew she was dangerous. However she took every precaution so they didn't have too, so she could be closer to them. She chewed on her lip somehow down the line her precautions failed.

It had been a year since Apocalypse. One year, and she finally felt like she was part of the family. She still kept her distance, still living in fear of her mutation but she was looser, more talkative, and happier. Most people stopped tippy toeing around her. They would high five her when a mission were successful for a job well done. It was funny how a little notion of glove slapping skin meant so much to her. It was a motion that made her feel they trusted her.

Now they were afraid again. The incident with Scott brought a painful remainder what exactly Rogue could do. That one little touch of skin to skin can make a grown man tumble to his knees. Even though Kitty informed her that no one blamed her. She knew how wrong Kitty was. She can feel their fear boring into her skin like a hot skewer.

Once in her bedroom she turned on the lights and stared at her room. She left it the same as this morning but something was off. As though her bed was smaller, her dresser was just an inch off to the side and her sheets were not exactly the same color she left them. Something had changed, or maybe her side of the room was always this gloomy.

"Like Rogue, I was like sleeping…" Kitty yawned not a hint of annoyance in her voice. She stood up from her bed and rubbed her eyes to stare at Rogue. "Professor said to like get some sleep. It's like pass lights out."

"Ah was checking on Scott…." Rogue moved over her bed to take off her shoes

Kitty froze. She can just feel the guilt radiating out of her friend.

"Is he like okay?"

Rogue bit down her anger that rose from Kitty's question.

"Are you like okay?" Kitty asked leaning slightly forward.

"I'm fine; now go to god damn bed…." Rogue got up and shut the lights.

Rogue got into her bed fully clothed from the battle field. Kitty sat on her bed staring at her roommate. She knew her words wouldn't help calm Rogue. It was trying to sooth a cat with water, a big angry southern tempered cat.

Her and Rogue might have gotten close, even go as far as say they were best friends. But, moments like these it was hard to calm her feisty friend. Her mutation was a sensitive subject. She had refused to use it unless completely necessary. Rogue was so careful.

"Like, Scott gonna be alright. The Professor said so."

"Kitty?"

"Yeah, Rogue?"

"Shut up and go to sleep"

Kitty bit her tongue. She didn't know what hurt Rogue more, what the Professor said or the mentioning of Scott. Rogue had been poor on hiding her feelings. The girl practically wore her heart on her sleeve, even if the sleeve was protected by an angry wet cat. Kitty chose her next words wisely.

"Maybe…just maybe the no pull thing was a good thing. Just maybe the chest wound like is the reason he hasn't woken up. Maybe like your powers have evolved for the better…" Kitty said before settling down between her sheets and drifting off to sleep.