Pietro awoke abruptly a sense of urgency overtaking him. He had been trying to catch up on the sleep he had lost the night before after his nightmare when he had suddenly known that Rogue needed him. Without taking the time to ponder exactly how he knew, he threw on his uniform and raced down the stairs. He paused when he saw Lance sitting on the couch.

“CalltheX-MenandtellthemthatRogue’sintrouble!” He shouted at the other boy. Lance gaped at him, not sure he had heard correctly.

“What?” Pietro resisted the almost overwhelming urge to just go by himself.

He forced himself to slow down. “Call up the X-Men and tell them that Rogue’s in trouble. She was walking home from school to the mansion. Tell them it’s an emergency.”

Lance heard the anxiousness in the other boy’s voice that assured him that he wasn’t playing a trick on them and leapt into action. “TOAD!! FRED!! Let’s go, we got an emergency!” Lance called up the stairs while he was dialing the phone. He turned his attention to where Pietro had been and wasn’t to surprised to see that the other boy had already left.

The phone was answered after the third ring and luckily it was Ororo. “This is Avalanche. Rogue’s in danger.” He told her cutting through necessities. She didn’t waste time asking unnecessary questions just where they needed to go and what they were up against. He told her what he could and then hung up. They had a friend to save.

Pietro arrived at Rogue’s side after what seemed to be an eternity but was actually only a minute. The site that greeted him was not one that he wanted to experience again. His girlfriend lay in the middle of the street with a huge man easily seven feet tall standing over her. He quickly raced up to them and swept her up before the man had the chance to realize he was there and ran a safe distance away.

He set her down and gently patted her cheek to wake her up, after a few seconds she blinked and groaned. Opening her eyes she saw the concerned expression on his face. “Damn! Did you get the license plate of that bus?”

He smiled at her weak attempt at a joke that he new was meant to reassure him. “You okay?”

“Yeah, just took a knock to the head. I’m fine now. What about the mutant?” She asked standing up.

“Still back there as far as I know. I had Lance call the others, they should be here soon.”

“Pietro… That mutant is the same one from my nightmare back at the mansion.” His eyes widened at that statement. His brow creased in a frown as he thought back to that night, recalling what she had said.

“Didn’t you say then that he was strong?” She nodded. “Okay, so this guys mutation is probably super-strength. Do you remember anything else about him from the dream?”

“I think he was invulnerable.” They were working of a plan to stop him when there was a squeal of brakes as the BoM arrived. They jumped out of the car and joined the other two.

“So what’s up?” Lance asked them.

“About a block up, a really tall guy. Super strength and invulnerability.”

“Do we have a plan?” Todd asked.

“Yeah. Todd, you and Fred distract him while Lance sends an earthquake at him which will hopefully knock him down long for Pietro to get me close enough to touch him. After that if he’s still standing he’ll at least be weak enough that we can take him down. Any questions?” Rogue informed them of the plan such a commanding tone that none even thought to contradict, though there were a few sharp looks at the unusual tone coming from the girl that she ignored.

They put their plan into action, all running up to where the mutant menace had been and saw that he was still there causing random destruction by smashing cars and knocking down lights and generally making a nuisance of himself. With a look at Rogue, who nodded in response, Toad and Blob set the first step of the plan into action.

Blob lifted up a car that had already been smashed by the UM (un-named mutant) and tossed it at him. The UM spun around in surprise at the unexpected attack but managed to dodge out of the way. However while he was distracted Toad launched his tongue out and wrapped it around his ankles and jerked which caused the UM to tumble to the ground. He was just getting back on his feet when Avalanche sent an earthquake at him that caused him to fall to his knees. As soon as the trembling stopped Quicksilver, Rogue in his arms, raced to the UM’s side. She pressed her ungloved hand against the mutants face. Both screamed in pain but she kept her hold for as long as she could. He finally managed to get her off and tossed her through the air. Before she could land Pietro was in front of her, slowing her down the impact sent both tumbling to the ground.

They quickly rose to their feet and returned to the action. The weakened UM was trying to catch Toad who was hopping around trying to trip him up again. A red beam came out of nowhere and struck the UM causing him to falter. Before he had a chance to regain his equilibrium another earthquake knocked him onto the ground where a telepathic shield held him. The Blob and the strengthened Rogue picked up one of the torn down light poles and wrapped it around the UM securing him into place.

After they were sure that he was secure the Brotherhood and the X-Men (who had shown up for the last of the battle and helped out) turned their attention to Rogue to reassure themselves that she was okay.

“Are you okay?” Scott asked her. All Storm had told them was that Rogue was in trouble and needed help and that she was somewhere between the school and the mansion.

“I’m fine,” She assured them, though it wasn’t completely true. The hit on the head was causing her head to ache and using her powers had amplified the feeling. The invulnerability that she had absorbed had helped to push it back but as it faded she began to feel slightly woozy. Everyone seemed to accept her pronouncement except for Pietro who rushed to her side concern evident on his face.

He pushed her face up so that she was looking straight into his eyes, his anxiety causing him to forget their audience of which the majority was gaping in shock at his touching her face with his bare skin. He brushed her hair out of her face and asked her, “Are you alright?”

She wouldn’t brush off his concern like she had the others and told him the truth. “Just slightly dizzy. I think I might have a mild concussion.”

“Why don’t I run you back to the institute so you can be examined?”

“EXCUSE ME!!” Scott’s yell cut through their conversation. “Would someone tell me what the hell is going on here?”

“There a couple, like duh!” Was Kitty’s response. Kurt nodded in agreement and Scott glared at the two of them.

“You two knew and you didn’t bother to tell me?!”

“We didn’t think it was any concern to you,” Kurt told him simply.

“Of course it concerns me when one of our teammates is cavorting with the enemy. I let the whole Kitty and Lance liaison slide but this is just too much. No more dating the enemy!” He turned his attention back to Rogue. “You’re going to have to choose, him or us!”

Rogue closed her eyes for a second as if in thought and then glared at Scott. “There’s not much choose is there?” She asked a weary tone in her voice. Scott started to smile in triumph when her next words brought him up short, “I’ll get my things and move out.”

“Wh… What? You can’t be serious. You would actually pick that manic speed freak over your team? Over your friends?”

Rogue’s only response was a shrug of her shoulder and she turned sharply to leave considering the conversation to be over. The sudden movement made her head reel and she stumbled slightly. Pietro immediately steadied her and she sent him a grateful smile. However, Scott wasn’t finished trying to talk some sense into the girl.

“Rogue, really think about what you’re doing here. You know that it won’t last and then where will you be?”

Pietro, who up until this point had been silent (something rare for him), was getting tired of listening to the X-Men bash him. “Listen you myopic moron. She’s hurt.”

Unfortunately his words gave the leader someone to focus his frustrations on. With a total disregard to the words Pietro had spoken, Scott stalked right up to him and got in his face. “You’re just using her.”

“I do believe that is the stupidest thing you have ever said Summers. And from you that’s saying a lot.” Pietro taunted.

His words farther angered the boy and he completely lost it. Completely disregarding his normal rigid control he gave into his urges and swung a punch at the silver-haired boy. His fist was met with thin air as the boy was already out of the way. “You really aren’t the brightest Summers. Haven’t you realized by now that you can’t touch me? You’re way to slow. I can dodge anything that you can throw.”

“Yeah, well dodge this!” With those words Scott shot an eye blast at Pietro completely taking him by surprise. Before the blast could hit him Rogue was moving with a speed to rival Quicksilver’s own, knocking the boy out of the way, and in the process the blast hit her sending her flying through the air, only to crash down on the pavement.

The impact combined with the previous injury was almost too much for her pushing her towards unconsciousness. She fought it back and looked up to see Pietro by her side, glaring at Scott with a look that caused the other boy to step back. “You better hope she’s alright!” That was the last thing she saw heard before she lost consciousness. She never saw Pietro fall to the ground beside her also unconscious.

Rogue opened her eyes but quickly shut them when they were assaulted by brightness. She eased them open slowly letting them adjust. When she was able to see clearly she attempted to sit up in the bed but groaned as her body protested. The sound caused the person sitting in the chair beside her to abruptly awaken. In a flash he was at her side.

“Are you okay, Roguey?” Quicksilver asked her, concern obvious in his voice.

“Besides this throbbing in my head I’m fine. How long have I been out?”

“They said it’s been three days.”

“That long?” She then realized the first part of that statement. “They said?”

“Yeah, I was out myself until a couple of hours ago. Apparently I passed out right after you did.” He dismissed it as unimportant, but a frown creased her brows at his words.

“What happened? Did someone attack you?” The words were rushed out, completely disregarding her own discomfort.

He was quick to reassure her, “Nothing like that. I just passed out. Cue-ball, umm, I mean Professor Xavier, wanted to talk to me about it but I didn’t want to leave until I knew you were better. And are you sure you‘re okay?”

“I’m sure.” She sat up to prove her point, and he took a seat beside her on the bed. Both fell silent.

“So…” Rogue began hesitantly, “I guess they know.”

“Yep. I know that it’s not how you wanted to tell them, but…”

“It’s alright. I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy and they reacted how I had expected them to.”

“They being Summers?”

“Not just him. The others accepted it but they weren’t exactly happy about it. Well, except for Kitty.” The last bit was added with a smile, but it soon dropped away. “I don’t know what’s going to happen now.”

“WellIwasthinking…” Pietro’s voice trailed off, and Rogue was surprised to realize that he was extremely nervous, which caused his words to accelerate. “Umm,wonderingreally. Whatifwe,I mean,youknowhowIfeelaboutyouandIwasthinking… Iknowthatwe’reyoungandall… ButIthinkit wouldwork… Thatisifyouwantedtoo…”

“Out with it, Pietro.” She ordered him, not unkindly.

“What if we moved in together? Our own place?” He finally blurted out.

Rogue’s eyes widened in surprise. Move in together? That was a bit of a surprise, but come to think of it, why not? But there were some problems with the idea.

“How would we afford it?”

“I have money. Actually quite a bit of money. When my mother died she left a trust fund for both Wanda and me that we were to receive when we turned 18. So money won’t be a problem.”

She tried to find any other faults with the idea and the only thing she could think of was their age. They were young, with him being 18 and her almost 18. But considering their lives, that didn’t seem like that big of a deal. They had both lived through so much and learned so much in that short amount of time that it made them feel old. And their lives were constantly in a state of turmoil that to wait just seemed, well foolish.

It was a big step, moving in with someone. But if she asked herself if she had any doubts to her feelings for him, or even his feelings for her, the answer was an unequivocal no. And that being the case was there really any doubt to her decision.

“There‘s no one I would rather live with more, Pietro.”

At her words his face broke into a huge grin and he leaned forward and kissed her, which she gladly returned. Sure it might not be easy, but there was no doubt in her mind that it was one of the best choices she had ever made. She would finally get the family she had always wanted, someone who accepted her for herself, and somewhere where she belonged. All of her dreams were coming true, and all it took was one person. Pietro.