"Forgive me, Katie." My father begs as he holds my cold hand in his warm one, "something came up and I-I had to deal with it."

"It's ok, dad, I understand." I bite my lip to hide my shivering jaw. I can feel the cold seeping into my bones but I sit still to bring my father some comfort, he already feels guilty, what's the point in making him feel worse?

"I know you do my Katie, you always do but that doesn't mean that it's right- we had an emergency."

Sighing, I rub my hand over my damp jeans absentmindedly, hearing about an emergency that explains my father's absence is nothing new; but it still hurts.

We sit in silence for the rest of the car journey, I'm too focussed on the cold aching in my bones.

Finally my father breaks the silence by clearing his throat. I stop looking out of the window and turn my attention and my eyes back to my father.

"Did you not hug anything then?"

My eyes widen as I suddenly realise I left my bag sitting on the pavement, but I luckily hide my reaction. I can't imagine anything worse than my father offering to retrieve the bag and catching sight of that lacy monstrosity.

"Yeah..." I trail off, "there was nothing I wanted so I decided to save my money."

My father nods, keeping his lips pursed tightly together. I can tell he's angry with the prospect for not turning but I never understand why I can feel his anger wafting over to me as well.

We pull up into the compound, the rain still pounding on the windscreen, and I hurriedly open the door and dash towards our house as the rain chills my bones once again.

"Katie, wait!" My father calls after me as I shiver under the porch, he runs after me and hastily pulls out the key.

As soon as the lock clicks, I push my way through the door and start walking upstairs.

"Katie-" my father begins but I cut him off.

"I'm fine dad, I'm going for a shower." I snap at him as I head up the stairs, my feet falling down hard.

I hear my father sigh and I bite my lip in guilt, I can't punish him.

Turning around, I walk back down the stairs and throw myself into my father's arms. He holds me close and I instantly regret my anger towards him, everything he does is for me, to give me the best.

After a few moments of being enveloped in my father's arms I finally pull back.

"I do need a shower, dad," I mumble, "I'm really cold."

My father sighs heavily again and walks into the kitchen, I retake the stairs and finally allow myself to shiver.

I think I can feel a cold coming on, but I'll try to hide it from my father- he will only blame himself and he already has enough guilt on him.

Uneasily, I undress, grimacing at the sounds of wet cloth peeling back from my pale, goosebumped skin.

Warm water streams down my back and I let out a little moan of delight as the heat soothes my shivering bones.

After far too long standing under the water, I turn off the facet and step out of the shower. Shivering once again, I wrap a thick towel around my body.

Coughing shakes my chest and I know the cold has made me ill. Sighing, I pull on my dressing gown and pad quickly into my room.

I let out a squeal of surprise when I find the boy from earlier sitting on my bed. He smirks at me lazily as I shakily step back from the threshold of the door.

"It's alright Katie," he drawls and lifts up my forgotten bag as explanation.

"Oh did you-" I sneeze and cut off my question, making Rogue chuckle.

He stands from the bed and walks towards me slowly.

"I'm just here to drop this off," he pauses and his eyes darken with mirth and mischief, "I'm guessing you have important plans for this."

He teasingly holds the bag between his finger tips and wave it tauntingly in front of my face.

I gasp and flush with red, I try to snatch the bag from Rogue and he finally lets me grab it.

"Ok," I cough and shiver, "you've dropped it off, you can go now."

I'm suddenly beginning to feel really rotten and all I want to do is clamber into bed and sleep.

"Are you ok?" Rogue prompts, keeping his distance as I slip into my room.

"Yes," I sneeze again and groan, "but I'm definitely coming down with something."

"Because you were left in the rain?" Rogue finishes, his face darkens but I don't shrink from his fiery intensity.

"I guess," I shrug nonchalantly and rub at my arms. This dressing gown isn't keeping me warm but I can't exactly undress in front of rogue. I flush at the thought and shift nervously from foot to foot.

"I'm cold." I whine, looking up at Rogue with my best attempt at puppy dog eyes. He rolls his eyes and smirks, looking up to the ceiling before nodding.

"Fine, see you round... Katie."

I fight to hide my girlish giggle at his tone and the way he is staring at me but I can tell by the way his eyes dart in delight that he had heard me.

I watch from my bedroom doorway as Rogue slinks back towards my window, which I'm only just realising now is wide open, he throws me one last easy smirk before he clambers out of the window and disappears.

Gasping, I dash over to the window and peer down but Rogue is already gone.

Sighing, I walk over to my wardrobe and pull out the warmest pair of pyjamas I own. Once I'm dressed, I eagerly clamber into bed, hoping the blankets will stop me shivering.

I lay my head on the pillow, hoping my dad will come up to check on me like he always used to do when I was ill.

Instead I get a called goodbye from the foot of the stairs and the slam of the door as my father leaves me alone in the house.

Sighing, I roll over and close my eyes as my coughing rips through my chest and burns in my throat.