"Ah'm not really doin' too badly," Rogue was saying. "Ah mean, Ah lost Calvin aftah two years, and Ah've had Ms Marvel for three now and Ah haven't even noticed any sign of her fadin' or anythin'. Still, Ah don't want there to be a rapid decline in the middle of the school year or anythin'."
Professor Xavier nodded.
"It may be that you'll have her for a while yet. Ms Marvels powers are more passive than Calvin's were."
"And Ah know Ah used Calvin's powers a lot too," Rogue nodded. "Y'know, it's funny, but Ah'd never thought Ah'd ever be grateful to one of those psychos in my head, but if it weren' for Calvin Ah'd probably still be stuck usin' that choker. Which, Ah might add, is a fitting name."
"Where is it now, anyway?"
"Ah dunno. Ah lost it after Ah stopped needin' it, well, thought Ah stopped needin' it."
The Professor caught the unhappy expression flit aross her face.
"Another dizzy spell?" he enquired gently.
"No. No, Ah..." Rogue swallowed and looked down at her hands. "Ah think that... that Remy's afraid of me."
"Why do you think that?"
"A couple o' weeks ago we were... well.. muh eyes turned into his... it kinda freaked him out," Rogue replied, scrubbing her hands together. "We... we haven't really spoken much since. He... he won't even meet muh eyes any more."
The Professor reach out then, and touched her bare arm. Rogue looked up at him, well aware of the level of trust shown in this moment.
"Rogue you have made remarkable progress since you've been here. I seem to remember a girl who once despaired of ever having what you have now," he said. "You've had it harder than some, as the option of practice has not been readily available. You know how to control your power now Rogue, it's simply a matter of refining those techniques. How's the young fellow in England doing? Duke Braddock?"
Rogue nodded.
"He calls me often enough," she smiled. "They got a shapeshiftah to double for him on the show so they could have power usage scenes without actually hurtin' his fellow actors. That kinda annoyed him, Ah think, but then that whole thing with the girl trying to sue him for invasion of privacy's made him a bit bitter, Ah think."
"As I'm sure it would anyone."
"Yeah."
"So, as you're not planning on teaching another class next year, what would you like to do? Go on more missions?"
"Yes. And Ah'd like to spend more time tryin' to... refine techniques," Rogue replied, trying to smile.
"Naturally," Professor Xavier paused briefly before continuing. "You know, there may be something you might want tp consider trying."
"Yes?"
"You can now - for the most part - determine your absorbtion rate. Is it perhaps possible to take something specific?"
"What do you mean?"
"For example, you and your team are on a mission, during which one of your teammates is knocked out. You need their particular power to escape, would it be possible for you to touch them and only borrow their power without copying their memories as well? Or in another scenario, to touch someone with the intention of finding out a specific piece of information."
Rogue paused.
"Well, Ah... Ah don't know," she replied. "Ah never really thought about it."
"Spent most of your time trying to figure out how not to absorb them?"
"Pretty much. It would be nice to be able to render some of these... psychos unconsious without having them in muh head for the rest of muh life," Rogue mused. "Although... Ah don't know... Ah guess it's something to keep in mind in the future anyway."
"You have your doubts?"
Rogue shrugged.
"Ah have muh doubts that being able to absorb someone's life force without ending up with them in my head is possible," she explained. "Ah think that 'life force' is too... interconnected for that."