Rogue buys herself a watch. Later in the mansion, Nightcrawler wants to fill her in on how to use the X-Men’s cell phones and can’t help but recognize it. Rogue explains that she bought the watch to have a reminder for Lance and the evnts that made her return to the team. Kurt then goes on to explain the phone, despite her saying that she won’t need to make a call.
Elsewhere in the mansion, Jean Grey examines a young boy named Jason. He actually would prefer to speak with xavier himself, but Jean says that he is too busy.
Meanwhile Rogue has mastered the technology and she and Kurt are making phone calls to each other, although they are both in the same room. They are just testing. Xavier enters the room, and Rogue asks to speak with him aklone, so Kurt teleports away. She tells him that ssinc she absorbed part of the professor she knows his feelings and that he must be relieved to have her back, as he blamed himself for the failure of their earlier training. Xavier is amazed by her statement and confirms that he is happy that she came back. They then talk about the incident with the police officer Lance, and although a week has passed, Rogue still thinks about him, as this absorbtion was different. Sibnce Lance was near death, he was not very dominant, and actually Rogue had full control , while usually she feels that the other personality is intruding and wants to take over, but this time everything was quiet and peaceful. They wonder if Rogue will reach a level of control that allows her to choose what she absorbs and how much.
All of a sudden an explosion is heard. Jason‘s powers are out of control and he has set the lab on fire. Jean is helpless and actually her coat has caught fire too. Xavier, Cyclops and Rogue run to the lab, and Scott saves Jean by taking off her burning clothes. Xavier tries to mentally calm Jason, but his fear is too raw and he can’t overcome his barriers. Rogue then touches Jason and absorbs his flame powers, but the mansion is already on fire. Jean and Scott take the boy and run out, while Rogue says that she’ll get the professor. Yet as she reaches him, she realizes that her gloves have burned away. She does not want to make skin contact and tries to push his wheelchair, but it’s stuck in the debris, so the only option is to drag him out by hand. Xavier is fully trusting, but is afraid. Still as more and more parts of the mansion come crashing down they touch and she pulls him out. At the same time she slowly absorbs some memories and experiences them as well : cut while shaving, turned down by a date, examined in the lab after Rogue accidentally absorbed him during training, feelings when Rogue returned.
Finally they have made it outside, and Xavier still conscious thanks Rogue; he knew that she could handle it.The X-Men watch as the firefighters arrive and suddenly Xavier’s owl flies out of the flames, carrying her new watch.
The next day, the mansion is already getting rebuilt. Jason apologizes to Xavier, who says that things happen and he shouldn’t blame himself. Jason thinks about leaving the school, but Rogue comes in to tell him to stay. She then tells Xavier avbout how she perceives herself. She is no superhero, but a „safety valve“, like surgery it isn’t pleasant, but sometimes necessary. Xavier says that no true hero thinks that he is one, and congratulate Rogue for clinging to the last bit of hope that she had inside herself.
