Rogue knocked on the door of the apartment building. A moment later it was opened up by someone she had never met before.
"Oh, umm... sorry.... there wouldn't be a Julie here, would there?"
"Yeah," Annika replied. "Who are you?"
"My name's Rogue... I'm an old friend of hers from school?"
"Oh! So you're Rogue!" Annika exclaimed. "I'm Annika, come on in. I just came over for a meeting with Julie about our business. I left a sign on my door for couriers to come here, because I'm expecting one."
"Oh, okay," Rogue replied, walking into the apartment.
The first thing she saw was the lounge room. The coffee table was strewed with papers, pens, opened folders, mugs of hot drink and plates of various munchies. 4 children were playing on the floor nearby. Julie was sitting on the lounge, breastfeeding another baby.
"Rogue!" Julie exclaimed, upon seeing her friend.
"Julie!"
Julie looked down at Josh, and then helplessly back up to Rogue. Rogue giggled and moved over to give her a lopsided hug.
"How you doing?"
"I'm great. How was your trip? When did you get back?"
"It was great. Mostly. I got back last month."
"And you didn't tell me?"
"Well... I was busy getting settled into Xaviers'. I meant to call you but everytime I had a chance to I forgot, and everytime I remembered it was too late to call," Rogue rolled her eyes. "Obviously, I eventually gave up, and just took a day off. Shannon gave me your address."
"So, Shannon's known all this time, and she didn't tell me either," Julie replied, sounding disgruntled.
"Sorry. So... who are all these ones?" Rogue asked, looking around.
"This is Josh. You've met B'Elanna and Tom. That's Tinga. And Brett over there is Annika's."
"Aren't there two others?"
"Cindy and Dax are sleeping."
"Ahh, cool."
Bobby
Bobby walked into the living room, an open book in his hands, another folder tucked under his arm and a pen hanging out of his mouth. Reading glasses perched on the end of his nose as he perused the page he was on.
"Mmmph mpphm," he started, then let the pen fall into the open book and started again. "I can duck out in two seconds and get us lunch, J."
He looked up for a second and his eyes crinkled back in a smile as he took in the sight of Rogue.
"Roguey!"
Rogue and Julie
Rogue stared.
"Umm, hi," she said. "Do I know you? I mean you remind me of my friend Bobby. But the Bobby I know doesn't carry around books and folders and pens and wear glasses."
Julie laughed.
Bobby
"Well this Bobby realised how cute he looked in glasses."
Bobby put his stuff down on the already crowded table and then swept Rogue up in a giant hug.
"When did you get back? You look awesome! You missed our wedding!"
And on that last note, he pouted.
Rogue and Julie
"Last month," Rogue replied, hugging him back. "Sorry I missed your wedding. Shannon mentioned you finally tied the knot. Congratulations!"
"Thank you," Julie smiled.
Bobby
"I finally made an honest woman out of her."
Bobby kissed the top of Rogue's head then released her.
"So, staying for lunch, Roguey? I cook now!"
Rogue, Julie and Annika
"Umm, sure," Rogue replied.
She looked back and forth between Bobby and Julie for a moment and finally asked Julie: "You sure he's not a doppleganger or something?"
Julie laughed.
"I'm sure. So, what class are you going to be teaching?"
"Espionage."
"Since when do you know anything about espionage?" Julie asked, surprised.
"I don't know a thing," Rogue replied. "But my latest personality was well indoctinated into the industry."
"Your lastest personality?" Annika repeated.
"I told you about Rogue's power right?" Julie asked.
Annika nodded, and Julie frowned.
"But I didn't think that you retained enough memory from them to teach a class."
"Oh, I retain everything," Rogue dismissed. "Sometimes I'm surprised by brain hasn't exploded from over information. Although, in fairness, for most absorbtions, accessing said memories is nearly impossible."
"That's what I meant. Accessing them."
"Well, my latest personality is an execption. I absorbed her permanently."
"What? How? When? Why?"
"While I was in Ireland. I got a job offer for an organisation called the Caretakers. I was getting a tour of the facilities when we found out about Ms Marvel. She was dying, and they couldn't save her. They wanted the information that she risked her life to get for them," Rogue shrugged. "So - reluctantly - I absorbed her. I took the last of her life and now her life's memories and powers are mine and I have her voice in my head raging about how I decided not to take the job with the Caretakers and go back to the X-men. I swear, one of these days these voices are going to drive me insane."
Bobby
"That sounds awesome."
Bobby gave Rogue two thumbs up.
"Right now I'm a part time X-Men. X-Man. Whatever."
Rogue
"Oh, nifty, we're working together," Rogue replied. "Part time, anyway."
She chuckled.
Bobby
"Mmmhmmm, hopefully I won't die."
Bobby nodded.
"Because I like married life."
Rogue
Rogue chuckled.
"You like a few other things too, as I understand it," she said cheekily. "Don't worry Bobby, I'm sure we'll all be stuck with you a long time yet."
Bobby
"You love me, Roguey, you know you do."
Bobby grinned cheekily.
"Ok, shall I go get us some lunchables?"
Julie, Rogue and Annika
Rogue chuckled.
"Sounds good to me," Julie said, easing a now saited Josh off. "So, what powers did you inherit from this... Ms Marvel person?"
"Invulernability, flight, strength and a danger sense."
"Ooh, spiffy. You're getting quite a collection, aren't you?"
"Mmm, I'd rather not, if it mean's people's deaths."
"Point taken."
There was a knock on the door at that point.
"Ah ha, that must be the courier," said Annika.
She stood, answered the door, and discovered it really was the courier this time with about three boxes.
"Wow," Rogue said. "What's in all those?"
Annika closed the door, and checked the packing slip.
"This should be the new Phrydai stuff."
"Friday stuff?"
"Yeah," Julie said. "I created a new character for my online game, Joolesgaim, named Phrydai. After Friday. Because she asked. And Annika thought a new star would be good for marketting."
"And she is," Annika nodded. "This is the supply of shirts and caps I was expecting."
"And people buy them?" Rogue was interested, "Not that I don't think they would but..."
"No, people actually buy them," Julie smiled, understanding.
Bobby
"Our house has turned into a nerd kingdom, what with computer games and me studying, it's almost too insane."
Bobby rubbed his jaw for a moment.
"K, I'm gonna go get us lunch. Any requests?"
Julie, Rogue and Annika
"Yay nerds," Julie grinned. "Umm... how about some chicken? Anyone feel like some KFC?"
"Mmm yeah," Rogue said. "I'll just have a chicken burger thanks."
"Twister," Julie nodded.
"I'll get something from home, thanks anyway," Annika said.
Bobby
"Nope, come on Neeki, you have to stay for lunch, after Julie has made you work like a dog all morning, you deserve a little chicken."
Bobby pouted at her.
Annika, Julie and Rogue
Annika laughed.
"How can you resist that face?" Julie asked.
"Okay," Annika said, giggling. "Popcorn chicken."
"Neeki?" Rogue asked.
"Oh, you know Bobby... comes up with a nickname for everyone. Friday is Frizie," Julie explained.
Bobby
"Exactly, you're Roguey. Or Raz maybe. I think I like Roguey better though."
Bobby wiggled around a bit as his phone rang.
"Myello? ... Gabbo! Hold on a sec."
He pulled the phone away from his ear for a second to talk to the others.
"K, I'll get us lunch now. See ya's!"
He returned the phone to his ear as he went searching the house for his wallet.
"Tomorrow? Yeah, cool, Lennonononon and I were gonna do some study anyway... call up Shay?"
Julie and Rogue
Rogue chuckled.
"See ya," Julie smiled. "So, Roguey..."
"As Bobby would say," Rogue grinned.
"Yep," Julie replied, patting the seat next to her. "Come, sit. Tell us about travelling."
Bobby
Bobby returned 15 minutes later, carrying bags of KFC food in one hand and his other hand still clasped onto the phone. He was laughing hysterically as he pushed the door open with his hip.
"You want me to drop you off? Why, so you can look ultra cool in my car?"
Bobby walked into the living room and winked at the girls, then deposited the food on the table, before walking into the kitchen to get plates and such.
"And pick you up? I swear to God, you're so high maintenance. If we weren't bestest buddies for life... I know... I know you are, but what am I?"
He carried everything back into the living room and handed Julie the plates.
"Kk. I'll see you tomorrow around then. Yes, I'll pick you up, JC woman! See ya bye!"
Bobby flipped his phone shut and licked his lips.
"CHICKEN!"
Julie, Rogue and Annika
The girls laughed.
"Thanks, Bobby," Julie said, doling out the KFC.
"Yes, thanks," put in Annika.
"Thrice thanks," Rogue giggled. "Hmm... I guess I should put Tinga down..."
"I'll take her," Annika said, seeing Julie's hands full. "I know where the nursary is, and I bet the little angel's getting sleepy."
Tinga promptly started wailing.
"Oh, come here, Tinga," Annika said, retriving her from Rogue's arms. "Here, Auntie Annika will take you to your nice, quiet room."
"Thanks, Annika."
"No problem."
"I've been meaning to take her down to the school to see if Xavier - or anyone, for that matter - can figure out why she's always so sensitive," Julie told Rogue. "There have been times where I've seriously considered putting her in another room, just so she can't disturb the others, and they can't disturb her."
Bobby
Bobby grabbed his burger and his chicken and chips and put them on his plate.
"So Roguey, how was travelling?"
Rogue and Julie
"It was good," Rogue replied. "I went to the space station, and took up fuzzle breeding. And I taught self defense classes in Genovia. And toured with the mutant circus in England."
"Fuzzle breeding?" Julie repeated.
"Yep. I traded Rusty, Rosa and Rory for partners for Scarlet, Caleb and Zurina. There's no way I was going to give up Zurina! She and Verdae - that's her partner - are actually due any day now. At the moment, I have 17 fuzzles."
"Seventeen? My gosh! They must be a handful!"
"Oh, they are. But the older ones are actually really good in keeping the babies in line."
Bobby
"Mutant circus... is that the one John was in?"
Bobby's face got a little more serious as he asked the question.
Rogue
"Yep," Rogue replied. "Man, it was a shock seeing him there! He's lost weight, that's for sure. Otherwise, he's doing great. Apparently Magneto blackmailed him, and that's why he left. He was rather upset about that, as I'm sure you can understand. When I left them, they were headed for Genovia. I don't know if they're still there... it was a couple of months ago now, and Genovia is not exactly a big country."
Bobby
Bobby was silent for a long moment.
"Hmmm..."
He ate a bit of his burger.
Rogue and Julie
"Anyway, I'm sure if he knew I was going to catch up with you guys again, he'd send his greetings and his appologies," Rogue went on. "So: Hi! And I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"
Julie giggled as she raided the chips.
Bobby
Bobby stayed silent, chewing on his burger.
"I guess," he said, after a long pause.
Julie and Rogue
Julie gave Bobby a curious look.
"Something amiss?" she asked.
"Ahh, it probably doesn't mean as much coming from me," Rogue dismissed. "Apologies should come from the source."
And she bit into her chicken burger.
Bobby
"Nah, it's all good."
Bobby finished chewing, then pulled out his phone to tap off a reply SMS to the one he received.
A few seconds later, he received another reply and snorted with laughter.
"So, Roguey, any exciting upcoming plans? I personally think we should have a housewarming party, as we kinda didn't and we're all lacking a party."
Rogue
"No, not really. Just working out the curriculim for my espionage class stilll with the Professor. Checking in with everyone," Rogue replied. "Party sounds like fun. Can I invite Gambit? Or is everyone still sore with him? Or is that just Jono and the Mavericks and everyone else who seems to have disappeared from New York since I was last here?"
Bobby
"We were sore at Gambit?"
Bobby thought for a long moment.
"OH! The sex thing. I don't think I ever really gave a crap, personally. So he's welcome."
Rogue and Julie
Rogue giggled.
"That's like in the Gilmore Girls where Lorilai is trying to figure out who they're mad at this week, because they're always mad at someone, and Rory tries to explain that they're not mad at anyone."
"They haven't all disappeared," Julie said. "Spike and Vort are at the slayer school."
"Slayer school?"
"Yeah. The one in Cleveland. Friday's attending it."
"Oh. Okay. I can see I have some catching up to do."
Bobby
"It's all kinda crazy."
Bobby sighed.
"And kinda sad, not seeing everyone all the time."
Rogue and Julie
"Oh well, if you're working with the X-men part time, then you'll see some of us part of the time," Rogue replied.
"Hopefully Scott won't be one of them," Julie added.
Bobby
"Oh, that's very true."
Bobby finished off his burger, then started on his pieces of chicken.
"Who's on the team now?"
Rogue
"The team hasn't really changed since we were there," Rogue replied. "Shannon and a bunch of others who graduated with us are full team members, and/or doing tertiary studies now. There are a few more students than there were when I left on my trip."
Bobby
"Ah, fair enough. I'd like to team up with Storm."
Bobby chuckled.
"Oh the days of history with Storm in leather..."
Rogue
Rogue chuckled.
"Okay, I'm convinced. You can hide behind books and glasses all you want, but you're still Bobby."
Bobby
Bobby giggled.
"I'll never change. That much."
He finished off his last bit of chicken.
"So, Roguey, anything else new?"
Rogue
Rogue considered the matter.
"Let's see, travelling, fuzzle breeding, absorbing Ms Marvel, working on a new espionage class for Mutant High next year... nope, I think we've covered about everything."
Bobby
"Ah, excellent. And so the world keeps turning..."
Bobby leaned back in his chair.
Rogue
And so Rogue spent the rest of the day with her old friends, and new in the case of Annika. She doted on the babies, caught up on the rest of the happenings in their lives, played Julie's game, and generally had a good time before returning to the mansion again, after promises being extracted not to keep them out of the loop for a whole month again.