It was the first quiet night in the Charles Xavier's School for the Gifted since the beginning of summer vacation. Everyone was spending their last free weekend out shopping or partying, everyone except Rogue, who intended on taking advantage of the rare silence.
Rogue was sitting on her bed reading a gothic romance when her roommate Kitty walked out of the bathroom. "Rogue have you seen my black heels? I'm like totally late and Lance is going to kill me!"
Rogue got off her bed and began to dig around in the piles of clothes that Kitty had lying in every corner.
"Forget it, I found them," said Kitty morphing her arm through the bed and retrieving a pair of slick black heels.
She put them on hastily and then turned to leave, but she flung around and asked Rogue how she looked.
Rogue observed Kitty for a moment; she was always pretty, even in simple khakis and a t-shirt, but tonight Kitty was wearing a blue strapless cocktail dress. She had her long brown hair hanging loose for once and she had applied just the tiniest amount of eyeliner so that her auburn eyes sparkles.
"Well Kitty," said Rogue, "ah'm not o sure you'll have a date for long cause you're going to make him drop dead."
Kitty giggled then gave Rogue a quick hug, "Thanks Rogue, you're a great friend!" And with that Kitty was gone.
Rogue went back to the bed but just sat on the edge wondering if she should've made plans, after all it was only another eight days till it was back to Bayville High. But then again, she thought, this whole quiet thing is bliss.
Rogue stood and walked around in circles about the room for several minutes, until she came to Kitty's open armoire, and studied herself in the full length mirror.
She hadn't changed a great deal over the summer; she still had the same dark red hair with white bangs, though it was a little longer and somewhat layered, and her skin wasn't quite as pale due to Kitty always insisting that they go swimming, but Rogue could still say she had lovely ivory skin. She still wore black on a daily bases but she was beginning to wear tank tops, which would have to end once school started again. As for makeup Rogue hadn't worn a too much over the summer, she had given up the dark purple lipstick for a lighter shade and she still wore black eyeliner to illuminate her emerald eyes.
But tonight she had on absolutely no makeup and was wearing a pair of black shorts and a tight green shirt. Rogue pulled her hair back and twisted her hip like she had often seen Kitty and Jean make look so attractive, but after a moment she slammed the armoire shut and threw herself on the bed.
"Who am ah' kiddin'!" Rogue said out loud to herself. "Kitty's got Lance, Jean has Scott, Kurt has Amanda, hec everyone's got some one except me."
It was then that Rogue looked to the dresser that sat next to her bed and with one hand opened the drawer knowing exactly where a single queen of hearts playing card lay. She took it in between her fingers and starred at it for several minutes. Memories of her handsome Cajun kidnapper crept into her mind.
"Ah' always save her for last," the young Cajun, Remy LeBeau, codename Gambit, had explained. "The queen of hearts?" Rogue asked. "My lucky lady, ah' always save her for last."
"Ah' doubt that Cajun," Rogue said, but something didn't sound quite right as the word Cajun rolled off her lips. Cajun was what Logan called him and to Rogue it sounded far too polite. "Ah' doubt that….swamp rat!" she finally said, satisfied with the nickname.
Rogue yawned and found herself drifting off, she grabbed her pillow and buried her face into it, when she finally fell asleep she hadn't noticed that the card was still in her hand.
Rogue awoke with a start when she heard her bedroom door slam open and Kitty ran right past her into the bathroom where she closed and locked the door.
Rogue looked at the clock; it was only 8:30, usually when Kitty went out with Lance she wasn't home till the 1:00 a.m. curfew. That's when Rogue could hear Kitty crying.
Rogue knocked on the door, "Kitty, ya o.k?" There was no answer. "Kitty common, what happened?"
"He's such jerk!" Kitty screeched. "I got there and knocked on the door, but no one answered so I just walked in and it looked no one was home. Then I heard something upstairs and headed for Lance's room, when…." She was silent again.
"When what Kitty?"
"When I saw Lance on top of Boom Boom!" Kitty yelled, then broke out into intense sobbing.
"Oh Kitty," said Rogue, not really knowing what to do or say. "Are you sure it's not just some misunderstanding?"
"Oh no, they were hot and heavy. But you know the worst part? The worst part was that as I was running out I could hear Lance yelling, "Kitty wait let me explain!" but what is there to explain? He's a lying cheating scoundrel and I never want to see him again!"
Rogue just stood there for a few minutes listening to Kitty sob. Finally she said, "Is there anything I can do for you Kitty."
"No, just leave me alone for awhile," was Kitty's reply.
"Alright," said Rogue and walked out of the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.
"Dat, lyin, son of a….." began Rogue before Amara, Jubilee, and even X23, who they now called Sarah, came frantically running down the hall.
They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Rogue, "Did he pass through here yet?" asked Amara.
"Did who pass through ere'?" said Rogue.
"Storm and the new guy!" explained Jubilee.
"New guy?" asked Rogue.
"Yes!" shouted Amara, "We were just about to leave to go see a movie when Sarah heard a car pull up. Storm got out and opened the trunk and started taking out a lot of baggage. A few seconds later a black motorcycle pulled up next to her and the guy was gorgeous!"
"Well ah' haven't seen anyone," Rogue began when they all heard the front door open; all three younger girls took off running down the stairs.
"Silly gals," Rogue said to nothing but air.
She began to head toward the stairway when she found herself still holding the card. "Geeze! What the hec is wrong wit'me?" she said.
Rogue went back into her room and placed the card back in the drawer, she could hear Amara and the others coming down the hallway, giggling like wild hyenas. Rogue rolled her eyes, time to out stage these northern girls with a little southern charm, she thought.
Rogue smiled very sensually, grabbed the door frame and turned into the hallway very slowly and sexy. "Now ladies, where have ya manners gone," she said with one hand still on the door frame, the other resting on her hip.
All three girls quit giggling at instead scowled at Rogue, what she had done was dead sexy, and they all turned around to see if it had at all caught the newcomers attention, Rogue followed their stare and nearly fell over.
"What are you doing here swap rat!" Rogue yelled.
"Awe, Cherie, nice of you to remember old Remy."
"How could ah' forget!" said Rogue harshly.
She looked the Cajun up and down; he too had changed since they last met. He was still tall, with light brown hair, and demon like red eyes, but he was obviously more buff than the last time they met, he no longer looked like a boy but a young man.
"Now common mon Cherie, no need to be cruel, Remy come all dis way jus to see ya," said Remy with his trade mark smirk.
Rogue crossed her arms and scowled, "Come to try and kidnap me again swamp scum?"
"Sorry to disappoint Cherie, but ah' come to live here and I jus gotta say dat you should be nice to Remy, or else he gonna make you work very hard tomorrow."
"Ya working here now?" asked Rogue half confused and half mortified.
"That's right Cheir…" began Gambit before he was interrupted by Jubilee.
"Hate to interrupt the reunion, but this bag I'm carrying is kinda heavy."
"Here let me take it," said Rogue moving forward to take it from Jubilee.
"Don't think so kid," said Logan who came up the stairs. "You gotta go pick up Fur Ball and Amanda from the movies. And as for you Cajun, when you're done unpacking the Professor wants to see you in his office," Logan looked tired, and after giving a grim scowl to Remy he continued his way down the hall.
Rogue turned back to face Remy, "Now listen you good for nothin' swamp rat, no messin' with these girls got it!" she snarled.
"Of course Cherie," said Remy as the three younger girls continued down the hall, and Rogue took the off toward the stairs. But once she walked by Remy dropped the two bags he was carrying, turned, and grabbed her by the waist, careful not to make skin to skin contact.
"Why would I mess wit' anyone else with you around mon Cherie, things gonna get really interesting, non?" he whispered so close to her ear that Rogue could feel his warm breath as his hands were caressing her waist.
"I ain't yours swampy!" snapped Rogue who pulled out of Remy's hard grasp and ran as fast as she could to the garage.
An hour later Remy stood inside the Professors office not knowing whether to be calm or plain terrified.
"Welcome Remy," said the Professor, "I trust you've gotten all your possessions organized in your room?"
"Well everythin' is there, jus not organized," said Remy.
The Professor smiled, "Yes, I guessed as much." Then the smile died and the Professor became very serious, "Now listen Remy, I have taken you in and made you a member of my staff because I feel like you truly want to change. But I want to hear you that you will leave the past behind forever and be a good and honorable X-man."
Remy sighed, "Professor I will work my hardest to be a good X-man, but as for moi past, Remy more than happy to give it up, I jus worry dat one day it all gonna come back to haunt me."
"I can understand that Remy," said the Professor. "It may very well one day catch up to you, but I want you to know that all the other X-men and I will be there to help you, just as long as you stay true to your word."
"I think dat can be arranged," said Remy walking over to the Professor and giving him a firm handshake.
"I think so too, now go, you have a rather large group of young ladies waiting to see you downstairs," said the Professor with a grin on his face.
