"What the hell is wrong with her, Chuck?" The look in the former weapons project's eyes scared even the bald telepath, and he trusted the man fully. But in them, he saw a man at his breaking point. Pushed to the edge by incarceration, abuse, and torture. The torture of innocents, ones he'd sworn to protect. No matter what the costs. Charles Xavier was aware that everyone had their limit, and Logan was fast approaching his.

He thought carefully of his words, knowing what he said and how he said it would steer this whole experience. It wasn't easy, not for any of them. One of them had changed. Maybe, indefinitely. And everyone was just going to have to adjust to it. There were simply no other options. "Charles," Logan's left eye is twitching, he's still covered in muss and soot. Uncomfortable, like he may need to grab her and bolt at any moment.

"Logan-"

"Hey, kid." Rogue was sitting on roof, by herself as she usually did these days. The mansion still wasn't back to normal after she had a lapse in the control of her amassed psyches. It was one in particular giving her a lot of trouble, and that one can deal a lot of damage. If she wants. Some walls need to be plastered, windows replaced. Floors rebuilt. It was a bad episode, one of her worst.

But Logan, Scott, and the others weren't giving up. Even if she maybe had. Logan stood beside her as the sun dipped below the horizon, a cowboy hat on his head and a dark shirt on. Some things never changed. Rogue, however, had changed a lot. And it'd mostly been very difficult, at least for her. She never straightened her hair much these days. She didn't seem to want to do anything but stay in her room.

Haunting, blue eyes flash in her head. "Rogue?"

"I messed up the mansion again," She mumbled, refusing to look at him. He stooped down beside her with a sigh.

"I know, it's okay. You couldn't help it, Rogue." She turned to him with an accusing stare.

"I hurt Kitty. And, Scott."

"It was an accident." He pressed to her. "I've hurt people too, on accident. Sometimes, not. Do you hold that against me?" Rogue was silent for an answer, because the answer was obvious. Of course, not. "Everyone knows what you've been through. Really. It's okay, Rogue." She hated when people said that. She didn't know why. A woman was dead, what she went through just didn't begin to cover the half of it.

She sucked her teeth as though it served as a response. Logan frowned, his patience with Rogue's moping wearing thin. "Listen, Stripes. I get your attitude, to a point. But, there's a point where ya gotta approach things a little differently-" She turned, quickly, her eyes shining brighter than they had in weeks.

"What could Ah do differently about-"

"I'm not attacking you." He cut in firmly, his face hard. "I just don't want to see you punish yourself anymore." He stood taller. "I came up to tell you we got a mission." She cocked an eyebrow in surprise at him. Ever since, she'd been opting out of missions. Everyone knew that. "No, but's, Rogue. I need your help, and yours only. Gotta get outta this slump somehow, never figured out how to get you to help yourself..." He grumbled, the look in his eyes soft. "So, help me help some mutants in trouble."

She huffed, but slowly creaked to a stand beside the man. She had a dark green hood pulled over her head, unruly auburn and silver wisps poking out. "Ah don't got much of a choice, do Ah..." He sneered at her, lighting a strong smelling cigar. She wrinkled her nose.

"Smart girl."

Charles gave Logan a pleading look as they stood outside the infirmary. "Logan," He began, his tone soothing, like he was speaking to a child. "You know that I do not exactly know." He took a breath. "Her mind right now, has even more land mines than yours at your worst." Logan inhaled and it turned into a snarl before he could help himself. Something about Rogue wasn't right. In fact, it was wrong. Really, really wrong. And, the last thing he wanted to hear was that he didn't know what that was. If Charles Xavier didn't know, then who did? "I cannot, I will not violate her mind further and risk making matters worse." He hardened his stare.

He knows how the rough man loved the mutant girl. They had always stuck closest together, and Logan had made it his personal mission to protect her. Everyone knew that. The problem was he felt he failed, and he would go to any lengths to make that right. Crazy ones. Desperate ones. He spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "So, what do we do."

Charles leaned his chin against his fingers. "We may have to wait, give it time. Rogue is fragile right now, Logan. Or else, this wouldn't be happening. We must take care in the things we do next." Logan inhaled sharply. He was not optimistic enough to expect a quick fix, but it was beginning to all seem more involved than he'd hoped. He would find time, make time, go back in time to the ones who hurt her and make them pay-

A pitiful scream tore Logan from his morbid, raging thoughts. Charles was already calling out to anyone near, and Logan flew deep inside the infirmary faster than Pietro could've. He was by Rogue's side in a flash, flying by Jean and Scott on his way. 'They were supposed to-'

Rogue, who was draped in a green and white cloak Ororo had found for her, was cowering behind Hank. Terrified. Shaking. Remy stood, his face shattered into a million pieces as as she shook in fear of him. He had never seen anything like it. She had the eyes of a child, the movement of a child. She had completely regressed. He wasn't even sure if she could speak. He felt nausea bubble in his stomach as he wondered what happened.

"R-Remy... Perhaps, when they told you she wasn't well, it had a different connotation." The doctor offered with an awkward smile. She was gripping to his blue, furry arms tight, hiding the red eyed thief from her line of vision. She moved quickly when Logan approached her, his savage stare on the cajun. Sniffing around and flirting with a Rogue who could defend herself was one thing, but he'd have no part in having Remy around this child-like one.

A growl rumbled in his throat as Scott filed in, red faced, with Jean behind him. "I tried to tell you," He hissed. Jean placed a gentle hand on Remy's shoulder, his stare still locked on Rogue.

"We think she discovered a way to cycle through her psyches, and got stuck..." Jean explained sadly, her eyes shut.

"Y'tink?" Remy repeated, his voice raising. What happened to her?

"As you can see, she's too fragile for Jean or the professor to read." Scott butt in, his tone condescending. "She's got to be well and strong enough to do it on her own." He moved closer to Remy, Jean frowning.

"Scott-"

"That means she needs a stable environment, with responsible & caring people she trusts around her." They all turned to the girl, anchored behind Logan and hidden from Remy's sight. "Don't know why, but she obviously doesn't trust you." Logan looked between them, deciding it smarter to just let Scott speak because he was not sure what words might come out, especially with the girl clinging to him in fear. Like a child. Her affect makes him want to slide anyone who looks at her, sideways.

"What Scott means, is," His girlfriend sent him a look the promised a telepathic reprimanding as well. "We really have to respect Rogue's boundaries and comfort levels during this time. It's crucial to her recovery, maybe even to figuring out her powers. This wouldn't be happening without a reason." Remy sighed, cutting himself off from saying more. He doesn't know if his heart could bare to know what made her like this.

"I think we all agree it best if you give her some space for a while." Jean looked at Scott in disbelief, and the cajun looked to the ground.

"For while we figure things out, Remy." Hank added quickly. "We want Rogue's recovery to come as soon as possible." Remy clamped his mouth shut, then his eyes.

"Got a problem, Gumbo-" Logan began, the hairs raising on the back of his neck. Rogue gripped the sleeve of his leather jacket tightly and whimpered.

"Logan," Jean chastised. 'This is hard enough.'

'I don't want to see her like this any longer than I have to.' He responded, his voice in his head low and gravelly. She could tell just how much whatever had happened had worn on him, too. She had never seen him so close to the edge like this.

'Oh, Logan.'

'I know that, neither do I.' She told him patiently. 'But, tearing into Gambit isn't helping her heal any faster.' Logan's face soured. 'This hurts him too, whether you or Scott believe it or not. I feel it.'

He let silence answer her, his stare on Remy unflinching. He wanted to hear him agree to stay away from Rogue for the time being.

"Non," Remy answered, his voice flat. He looked around the room for a long time, skipping over Rogue. "Remy don'." He left the infirmary without another word.

"Good," Logan snarled out of instinct. Jean huffed beside Scott, her head in her hands. It was going to be a long process, that she already knew. She looked to Rogue, shrouded in a long, green cape. The hood was up, almost covering her silver bangs. She had the same innocence as a child, one Jean wasn't always sure she had ever possessed. Being raised by Mystique didn't seem to leave much time for a childhood, and Rogue had always carried herself in such an adult way.

Whatever had happened, it'd taken Rogue's mind beyond it's limits. Just the thought made Jean's chest hurt. Scott wrapped an arm around her, his stare distant. This was something that was going to affect them all.

"Jean," Everyone turned their attention to the tired psychic in the doorway. "Could I ask you, Scott, and Hank to look after Rogue for a moment. I'd like to finish speaking with Logan." Scott nodded firmly, his face set like a cadet.

"Of course," Jean answered softly. "I'll take her outside, with Kitty. Come on." She reached, grabbing Rogue carefully by the sleeve of her cloak. She didn't object, following closely behind the telepath as she lead her. Scott followed dutifully after, alert and making sure both Jean and a vulnerable Rogue were fine. Logan huffed but followed after Charles, finding that he didn't want to talk much at all.

"I know it is a big adjustment period. Huge." He turned to face the stout man seriously. "I know that you care about her, very much so that it pains you. Scares you, to see her like this." Logan stared past the bald man, his silent and slightly shaking demeanor answering for him. "I have to ask you this now, with her best interest in mind and yours." This garners a strange look from the man. "Are you up to stepping up into the role that is required of you? One that is very near paternal at this point. Are you capable, can you, even if you want to?" Their eyes locked. "A part of this regression has to do with how Rogue views you, relates herself to you, and..."

Their eyes met for a solemn moment. Logan didn't even want to think about what had happened to them on Genosha. He couldn't. "And, whatever happened there, with you. In front of you-"

Logan lashed out suddenly, his claws free and his face red. Charles didn't seem moved or alarmed by the display of rage and frustration, he had been expecting it. Whatever had happened, it had not been good. And, he was none too keen to learn whatever it was himself. He knew he needed to in order to help Rogue. And Logan it seemed, as well. Rogue's mind was out of the question, the thoughts of what damage a psychic tampering could further do to her kept him up at night. But, there was another option.

"Just, just..." The clawed man inhaled sharply. "Tell me how to help her Chuck, I'll do it. As for..." His face twisted. "What you just asked me, I won't do anything differently than I have been before, so... Yes. I will be there for her, however I need to be." Charles nodded, least shocked of all with that answer.

"I thought you would. Then, let me read your mind. Experience this through your eyes so I can fully understand what's happening to her, and how to help." Logan scrubbed a burly hand over his face. He hated few things more than than having a psychic in his head. But for her, he would do it. He nodded stiffly, his face red.

"If it'll help her, fine." He sat down, somewhat reluctantly. Charles nodded, preparing himself and hoping Logan was ready.

"I assume this will be unpleasant. I am sorry."

"I know that, Chuck. Let's get on with it."

A/N: Thanks to everyone who's read or reviewed!