TITLE: Asylum

SUMMARY: Rogue thought the cure would fix everything. Can a new student help her realize the best things in life aren't perfect?

CHARACTERS: Lots, though mainly Rogue

RATING: K

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing. Thusly it would not just be wrong, but stupid to sue me as you'd invariably be in the hole as far as retribution.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Um, I sort of blame LithiumAddict for this one as I was reading her fic 'I Get By' when I thought of this. That said, if this sounds too much like hers I apologize and will certainly allow her to sue me. :)

Also, if there's lots in the OOCness of the characters, it's probably because I know very little about the New Mutants. Sorries. Please don't throw rotten vegetables! (I prefer fruits)

And yes, I know that I have a bunch of other stories that need updating. So sue me. I write when stricken with heavy mallets by vengeful plot bunnies.

CHAPTER 1: HIS SHIRT

Xavier's Institute for Gifted Youngsters. It sounded like a mental institute created by a happily oblivious old man with too much money and ridiculously high hopes. Which was more or less pretty accurate. An accuracy that was slowly beginning to unwind the tightly wrapped coils of sanity that had been loosening over the past two years of attendance at said institute. Two years that she had spent in hopes of finding a rhyme, a reason, a change or even just a glimmer of something that would make it all better. A Band-Aid for the mess that was her life. Two years that she had, in lieu of such hopes, spent in vain.

And then it had happened-- like a shining beacon of light in her dreary world of coils and oblivious old men-- the cure. It was her chance to be something other than a human sponge that left you in the hospital. A chance to rewrap some of those stupid little coils. And she'd jumped at it like a dolphin in that happy, giddy way that they always do. She could blame it on Bobby if she'd like. Blame it on the kiss in the pond or the flirtation oriented Danger Room sessions. She could hate both him and Kitty if she so desired, even find herself justifiable in the end. But it didn't matter, because ultimately it was her choice. And she wanted it.

Even when she'd been caught by Logan heading out the door feeling a heavy laden breast of guilt attack her senses. Even when she'd been waiting in line with her fellow 'traitors' listening to the protestors screaming their disdain, disgust and disparagement at those whom only wanted to be normal. Even when she was feeling the horrible, painful shock of something foreign and unnatural entering her body and changing the chemistry within.

She still wanted it.

Of course, returning to the Xavier Institute had been a somewhat trepid, eggshell filled decision it was one she still made. Just like returning to Bobby when she ultimately knew that his feelings for her had changed. All of it felt uneasily natural and she knew that just as those protestors had screamed her stupidity out in the open, her friends and the other students of this mental asylum would mutedly roar their distaste of her betrayal. And yet, still, she came back. Still, she asked to stay. Still, she took Bobby's hand in hers.

And still she had wanted it.

For two weeks she had been able to pretend things were normal in her world and that the derisive nature of the other students towards her would dissipate over time. For two weeks her relationship with Bobby had seemed... perfect. Of course, she had been deluding herself if she ever truly believed in such a thing as perfection. It was an anomaly that simply did not happen. And after those fist two weeks her delusions left her open and bare in the harsh reality.

Marie didn't fit. Not with the others at the mansion. Not with the humans beyond it. She simply did not fit. Anywhere. And with that simple little fact she realized that the cure had done nothing for her as ultimately she was right where she started: isolated and alone in a world where even among freaks, she was too strange to ever be loved.

Needless to say, such things were beginning to depress her.

It was on a chilly October morning that she had awoken early to the soft silence of a mansion still sleeping and a world outside that was slowly reaching a perfectly natural death of sorts. She had the peculiar feeling that things were... different somehow. As if she'd gone to sleep in Summer and awoken to find that it had all become Fall overnight. Or maybe it was just her imagination. Or Logan's imagination, she amended silently, as it was so often his dreams that stirred her in the night. Cure or no, the voices remained. The people, psyches, would be with her forever.

Yawning tiredly, Marie glanced at the glowing red numbers of her alarm clock glaring at her as though taunting her with the time. 2:13 was ungodly, damnit. She scowled at those numbers as viciously as she could in an effort to make them go back just a few hours. Sadly, time refused to move at her command.

"Too bad." She mumbled peevishly. "THAT would've been a cool power."

Sighing, she swung her legs about to the edge of the bed and rose only to fall unceremoniously to the floor as she realized belatedly that her sheets had ganged up with the alarm clock against her in silent battle and their latest attack involved wrapping about her legs. Cursing in an un-ladylike way that would have made Logan cringe, she ripped the sheets from her. She checked briefly to make sure that her roommate had not awakened at the sudden thwop or subsequent swearing. In the bed to her right, Kitty Pryde continued to slumber easily in a comfortable state.

Picking herself up from the cold floor and rubbing her now sore backside, she stretched ever so slightly and headed to the window. Throwing it open wide she moved out onto the balcony, leaning over the edge. She watched the slow twist of golden leaves that looked more like ash in the moonlight as they flittered about in the wind. A wind that played on her skin in a mocking touch as if to remind her 'you'll never feel anyone but me on your fair skin, my love'. Still, she enjoyed it all the same.

When it wasn't freezing. Which at that moment she was positive it was. Or maybe it was the black nightgown she was wearing. Either way it encouraged her to return to the warm interior of the mansion, an encouragement she took to heart closing the chilly glass windows behind her. Certain that she would not be returning to the blissful oblivion only achieved with true, 'I've just been knocked unconscious' sleep, Rogue headed past her bed and out of her dorm. She briefly checked the halls, looking left and then right, before quietly leaving her room. Strictly speaking she wasn't supposed to be up. And besides, she wasn't in a 'company' kind of mood.

She tiptoed down the stairs, heading for whatever reason to the kitchen passing the ever-awake Simon. It wasn't like she was hungry or anything, although she could go for something deliciously fattening at the moment, she just always went to the kitchen because that was where one went when awake at hours which one could only curse at incoherently. Which was apparently not an exaggeration on her part as there sitting on one of the bar stools eating what she could only assume to be a pint of Ben and Jerry's was none other than Bobby Drake, current boyfriend. As mentioned before, she wasn't particularly in the mood for company, but she made a conscious decision to make an exception, as they were both already there. But before she had the chance to draw his attention towards her, she noticed the second figure in the kitchen. She recognized the girl immediately as Lorna Dane a pretty, slightly green haired new student to the Institute whom she shared several classes with. As she recalled the girl was what humans referred to as a 'magnet person' and it wasn't for her personality.

Although maybe it should have been.

Normally, Marie wouldn't have made much of it. After all, the kitchen was congregation point for all students awake at ungodly hours, right? It was perfectly reasonable that they both wound up in the kitchen at the same time. Perfectly reasonable that Lorna was wearing only an oversized dark blue t-shirt and Bobby only his boxers. Perfectly reasonable that Lorna was leaning over the counter mere inches from him. Perfectly reasonable that she had taken the spoon from his hands and began to lick the residue of ice cream from the cold metal. Perfectly reasonable that they shared a kiss that very quickly turned into a make-out session.

And all Marie could think of was: She's wearing his shirt.

With an unexplainable amount of emptiness towards the entire display, she turned from the kitchen and headed back the way she came briefly stopping to check on an ever-sleepless Simon. She trekked her way back to her room no longer caring what her level of noise was or whom she might unintentionally run into. She entered her dorm and clicked the door behind her. Biting back what she could only assume was bile; she headed over to her bed and flopped out haplessly over the mattress. Kitty's soft breathing the only sound in the room. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

--

The official start of said long day began with breakfast. Breakfast was always a bit of a hassle and incredibly dangerous if you just so happened to piss off the wrong mutant whom was still only half-awake and therefore only in a state to register his or her annoyance. With you. And it seemed like someone always managed to piss off the wrong mutant.

Exhibit A. Jamie had been in the process of getting food. He was a bit shorter than the other students as he was only about twelve and was constantly being jostled about. Which in Jamie's case was a no-no, because each jostle made a second Jamie appear. And from that Jamie another would appear and so on and so forth until most of the kitchen was filled with identical Jamie's, all tired, all hungry, and all completely unsure of how to pull themselves together. This in turn pissed off a certain fiery new student named Amara Aquila who evidently DID NOT appreciated being forced out of the room by a million Jamies. Needless to say, there was retaliation. Very hot retaliation that nearly burned down the kitchen and made more than one of the students shout 'Jamie's pants are on fire!'

Poor Jamie. Marie had a certain fondness for Jamie as he had always treated her with respect (she supposed that had to do with her being older) and never gotten that upturned nose from him since her cure. He was a sweet kid with the unfortunate problems of being unable to control his powers AND being a little kid in a school that seemed to focus on the teenage demographic.

As things calmed down a bit-- at least to the point where one could actually get breakfast-- Marie entered the kitchen keeping to herself as much as possible. Most of the students paid her no never mind and an occasional friendly face would wave a bleary good-morning, but she was always careful as every so often someone got an idea. And an idea this early in the morning was simply screaming trouble. After last night, she didn't need anymore trouble.

Speaking of last night, there was Lorna Dane just now entering the kitchen looking fresh as mountain air. Marie felt her throat tighten and quickly took her seat hoping to avoid for just a bit longer the reality of the night before. Apparently, however, life was not being kind to Marie because the other half of that picturesque portrait last night sat down beside her. Bobby smiled and kissed her briefly on the cheek. She tried not to shudder in a mixture of pleasure and disgust, the slight tingle of a touch running through her skin.

"G'morning." He mumbled through a yawn before starting on his breakfast.

She nearly choked over some eggs and returned a 'morning' that sounded more like a 'meep'. Bobby gave her a brief quizzical look that lasted mere seconds before being slightly distracted by Lorna passing by. If she hadn't been looking, Marie wouldn't have even noticed the significant look shared between the two or the slight blush that graced Lorna's face. Unfortunately, Marie had been looking.

"Ah'm not very hungry." she mumbled after a final choking bite of toast that just would not go down. "Ah'll see you in class."

With that Marie rose from her seat and left leaving an entirely confused Bobby Drake to finish his breakfast while sneaking glances at the pretty Lorna.

--

Classes that day went by with little event. Lecture, homework, lecture, more homework, reading time, busy work, blah, blah, blah. And then classes were done for the day. It was a Tuesday, which meant they wouldn't have Danger Room sessions-- not that it mattered in respect to Marie, as she'd been taken off the active roster-- so most of the students were milling about chatting with friends or desperately trying to finish some project that would probably be late. Marie and Kitty were in the library enjoying the quiet atmosphere not studying, but for the sake of the silence itself. They had been discussing classes and how the Danger Room was treating Kitty, as well as the occasional new student (although Marie pointedly avoided any comments pertaining to Lorna), but their conversation had dwindled to practically nothing as they settled into multiple games of Tic-Tac-Toe on their History notes.

Kitty placed a final winning X in the box to the upper left, much to Marie's dismay, and smiled triumphantly. She was on the verge of muttering a triumphant 'Ha' when a sound from the library stacks caught her attention. Marie, too, had noticed it as she was looking towards her left down the aisles. Kitty followed her gaze in the direction of the sound, before glancing questioningly at Marie, who shrugged in response.

In silent agreement, the girls had gotten up from the table and headed down the stacks towards their mysterious sound. What they found was enough to make Marie's throat go dry and Kitty's hand to smack across her mouth to stifle the shocked gasp.

There stood Lorna and Bobby in a passionate embrace trying to see who could swallow whom first. Kitty risked a worried glance at Marie, but the other girl dare not return it.

--

Lorna ran her hands through the thick blonde hair of Bobby Drake, the Iceman. His lips felt warm on hers, although she could feel a lingering minty fresh feeling filling her mouth as if she'd just had a breath mint. His hands ran along the small of her back, pulling her closer into him. Her breathing was heavy as it seemed she was getting very little air, but it didn't matter as she wasn't inclined to stop kissing him.

Even though he's taken.

The thought flitted across her mind unbidden. She tried desperately to focus on the undeniable feeling of bliss that she'd been indulging only moments earlier, but that nagging little thought had ruined it for her. Sure, they'd shared a wonderful time last night, and he'd been nothing but sweet to her since she arrived scared and unsure of herself, but he was 'taken'. He already had a girlfriend as was evidenced that morning.

Reluctant, yet insistent, she pushed him away breaking the wonderful kiss.

"I saw you sitting with her this morning." She was still slightly breathless and she dare not say the girl's name.

Bobby looked away momentarily. "Only for a moment." He offered as some sort of conciliatory gift.

"You said it was over between you two!" Lorna hissed in a low dangerous voice.

"It is." Bobby insisted, checking the library to make sure no one was 'looking for a book'.

Lorna crossed her arms, shifting her weight to her left hip so as to begin tapping her right foot impatiently. She sent him a look that clearly stated 'didn't look like it from where I was sitting this morning'.

Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's practically over." He amended quietly. "I don't want to hurt her or anything and she's been through a lot..."

Face softening a bit, Lorna's posture eased ever so slightly.

"I'm just trying to find the right way to tell her. I don't want to just throw this in her face on top of it all."

Finally, her arms fell from their determinedly crossed position and her facial features returned to their previously glorious state of grace. "But it's really over?" She hated how pleading her voice sounded.

Bobby smiled that ever-charming Bobby Drake smile and stepped closer to her, hand cupping her cheek. "I want to be with you." He reassured, leaning down into a kiss. She didn't resist, wrapping her arms about his neck.

--

Kitty and Marie had left the library in complete silence upon noticing the couple not sticking around for the show, neither choosing to comment on what they'd just seen. After all, both girls had had romantic encounters with Bobby-- however brief Kitty's may have been-- and seeing him so cavalier with someone else in the library was making them both feel a little... used. Obviously Marie more than Kitty, but still. Who knew the guy was such an ass?

"Ah thought he was with you." Marie finally conceded.

Kitty turned to her, surprised. Marie had known about... about the kiss? Suddenly Kitty felt a wave of guilt crash over her. It had been a one-time deal that she'd regretted almost instantaneously. She hadn't meant to do that at all. It had been a mistake. She was sad and lonely and-- and yes, she was attracted to him. She wouldn't lie to herself about that, but it had never been her intention to hurt Marie. They were roomies and Kitty would like to think of them as friends. Tentative friends, maybe, but getting closer all the time. Especially of late.

Biting her lower lip, Kitty shook her head. "I'm so sorry about the kiss. It-- I-- It was a mistake."

Marie waved it off easily. "S'all right, Kitty. Ah understand what an' why it happened."

An uneasy silence fell once more, though much briefer than the last. "Ah'm jus' kinda wonderin' how many girls Drake's got, ya know?"

"Well, I don't really know," Kitty answered thoughtfully. "But I do know that I'm not one of them."

Marie glanced at the smaller girl sideways for a moment as if considering her words. "No?"

Kitty shook her head. "That thing on the pond... It was a one time and big time mistake. He was with you and that was enough of a reason for me to back off. It never should have happened in the first place."

Finding herself smiling, Marie nodded. "Thanks, Kit."

Jokingly, Kitty softly punched Marie's uncovered arm touching skin to skin. "Ouch!" She squeaked a moment later, pulling back her hand. "Static shock much?" Waving her hand about as if to get rid of the lingering jolt, Kitty continued on. "So the question becomes: what are we going to do about Little Miss Sunshine over there?"

Marie didn't answer immediately. She was smoothing over the skin of her bare arm absently, not looking at Kitty. "Ah dunno."

A/N: Thoughts are appreciated. Please review.