Taking a Risk

Summary: Waking up in the morning, Rogue felt like she had been hit by a truck.

"Rogue, would you hurry up?" Jubilee was standing in the doorway impatiently tapping her feet, waiting for her.

"I'm coming!" She ran out of her bathroom to meet her friend. She was wearing a shirt, black skirt and knee-highs, and a dark blue v-neck sweater with long sleeves. Even though she could control her skin these days, she couldn't help feeling safer covered up.

"Whoa, hot mama Rogue!" She blushed at her friend as they headed off.

They went out most Friday nights. They had to take their pagers in case there was a serious mission. But most Friday's were their own.

Logan watched them jump into the waiting taxi and smiled. He was happy that his little Marie was such a confident young woman. She was an X-Men, despite his better judgement; she was 21 and beautiful. He had watched her grow up, overcome her issues with her mutation, enough to gain complete control of it.

She didn't live at the mansion anymore. She had a small apartment in town over the top of a Chinese takeaway. She had only decided to rent it because of the smell. Most Friday nights she stayed with Jubes. They went out, and she spent all day Saturday there. She taught photography to some of the older students three times a week, but was there at least every other day to work out and train.

The club was heaving. People everywhere. Jubes kept glancing at Rogue to make sure she wasn't freaking out, but there wasn't any need. Rogue was having a great time.

They had been talking to a couple of guys for about an hour. Mike was tall, blonde and a little skinny, but Jubes liked his eyes and was flirting with him outrageously as he bought her drinks and flirted back. Ethan was well-built, dark with nicely-cut hair, and he reminded Marie of David Boreanez, the guy who played Angel in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'.

He was amazingly easy to talk to. He had flattered her with compliments and made her feel pretty and wanted. They had chatted about films and music, and he was currently asking her about her job while he rolled a cigarette. "So you teach photography?"

"Yeah, it's cool. You get to take pictures of really weird stuff, and no one questions it because you can call it *art*."

He finished his cigarette put it between his lips, and lit it. The moment Rogue smelled it, she knew it wasn't any smoke you could buy over the counter. He smiled at her and offered it to her.

Not wanting to look like a complete plank, she took it from him and drew off it. The weed filled her lungs, and she coughed. He smiled at her. "First one's the worst. Take a second toke on it." She did and was surprised that she didn't choke.

He rolled another and left her to smoke the first one. As the evening wore on, she drank what he bought her and smoked what he gave her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so deliriously happy. She giggled at everything. So did he. They laughed together as they watched Jubes and Mike dancing slowly while kissing; for some reason, the scene was hilarious.

When the club closed, they exchanged numbers, and he kissed her, holding his hands on her cheeks and pulling her to him. It wasn't a perfect kiss, but it was perfect at that moment. She didn't pull away, the drug in her system making her forget she had only just met him.

When she and Jubes got home, they tottered on their heels back to Jubes's room. Rogue couldn't stop giggling, and Jubes, even though she was drunk, just couldn't see what was so funny.

Waking up in the morning, Rogue felt like she had been hit by a truck: tired, dizzy, but thankfully not sick. Jubes, on the other hand, was already throwing up in the bathroom.