Disclaimer: Marvel owns all the characters, names, and settings. You know it, and I know it, and nothing we do can change it. I am not making money off this. Also, do not look for parallels to the comic plot in this story. This is a real fan fiction, not just other interpretations of pre-set events. I am not following a plot line, though I did pull certain events from various places that make no sense. Some of this comes from my own personal experience, because I always wanted to be Rogue. Who doesn't, right? So yes, I'm using the characters we know and love and making their story into what I want it to be. I tried to write in the accents accurately, don't know how great it turned out, but I don't think it's horrendous. So, here it is, I hope you like it. Also, this story is very long. I'm long-winded. Can't help it.

Contact Me: Questions, comments, corrections, death threats, I want them all. Also, if you want to use this story elsewhere, that's fine, actually somewhat flattering, but just tell me that you're doing it so I can giggle with foolish pride.

Summary: Rogue and Remy walk us back over a long road.

Part 1: Where to Begin?

Sometimes, a man's fate c'n walk right in front o' him and he don' see it. It's da strangest t'ing. I t'ink dat's what happened when I first came to dis school. Now I always had an eye for da ladies, dat's true enough. From de time I was a pup I had a certain charm about me dat petites couldn' seem to resist. An' I used it to my advantage, on more dan one occasion. So when Stormy brought me to de Professor, an de rest o' de X-men, dere were several femmes on my mind. Course, de hommes of team were more dan willing to help me sort dem out. D'ere just dat generous. Jean Gray was de first name dat got crossed off my list. Den Wolvie scratched off Jub'lee, by way of making some threatenin' comments dat made it seem less worthwhile, somehow. Dat's al'right. She too young anyhow. Stormy crossed her own self off, which hurt my pride jus' a little. Colossus helped me veto Kitty. I was getting a little discouraged, tell da truth. But finally, dey laid off, and I decided my best bet was prolly Betsy, otherwise known as Elisabeth Braddock aka Psylocke. Beauty, brains, an' an interestin' temperament dat made her jus' enough of a challenge fo' Remy. In my defense, I definitely t'ought lil Rogue was de prettiest petit Gambit ever did see, but I wasn't really looking for l'amour, just den. Never was the settling down type. And I couldn't really have much of a fling wit' a girl I couldn' touch. T'inkin back dat make me feel real stupid. But it was hardly my fault. Seem like now dat we've been through all dat we have, dat de moment I laid eyes on her should have been more dramatic. Seem like I shoulda been struck by lightnin' or somet'in. It didn' happen though.

I saw Rogue and learned her name a long time 'fore we ever actually spoke for de first time. Stormy was rushing me round, pointin' people out ta me but she was real anxious ta get me to da Professor. De t'ing dat stuck out 'bout Rogue was dat she was de only one who made eye contact wit' me. Mos' people get a look at my eyes, and try to look away real fas'. I'm told d'ere more of an acquired taste. Some of de femmes still looked at me, an I'm used to dat, but when I looked back they played coy and made like dey wasn't. But Rogue looked at me out of d'ose green as August eyes and smiled. I smiled back, and thought dat maybe I ought to go an talk to dat one, but Storm hurried me along 'fore I had de chance.

Anyway, I met all de X-men, and decided dat mebbe I'd stick 'round fo' a while. Course, Logan, Scott, and de Prof all had my number, I t'ink, and dey kept me busy on dat count. But I still found time ta wander off ev'ry so often, and talk ta Psylocke some. Seemed to be goin' ok for a bit d'ere, but between dem keeping me busy an her keeping herself busy, I didn' have enough time to really start much. Most of de time I'd wander off and couldn' find her anywhere, and dat's when I started makin some other friends.

First time I talked to Rogue, I was outside, practicin' some card tricks on a bench. Some kids came over, watched fo' a bit, and den wandered back off. Lots o' kids were outside, playing basketball and stuff. And d'ere she was, sitting in a corner by herself, wit' a notebook restin' on her knees, just watchin'. I couldn' help but wonder why a girl dat pretty should be off by herself, wit' no comp'ny and no one ta play wit'. I decided dat d'ere weren't no reason fo' it, and so I went over d'ere.

"I's Rogue, isn't it?"

"Ah didn't know ya paid that much attention, Gambit." She smiled, and pulled some strands of red and white away from her face. I sat down next ta her.

"Touche, chere. But if you're dat interested in my name, den you can call me Remy. Remy LeBeau."

"That's a nice name, Remy, Remy LeBeau." Hurry up wit' da introductions, yeah I know.

"Teasin' already, are we?" I grinned at her. "And what's yo' name, femme?" She looked at the ground fo' a minute, and den said,

"Rogue. Mah name's just Rogue."

"Well den, Rogue, just Rogue, you sound like yo' from around my neck o' de woods."

"Ah'm from Mississippi, and from the sound of yoah French, ah'd say you must be a Cajun."

"I give myself away ev'ry time." She laughed. "So what you doin' over here all by yo'self, petit?"

"Ah was just writin'."

"What about?"

"None of yoah business, Remy LeBeau." She smiled when she said it.

"Den it mus' be about me."

"Don' flatter yourself, swamp rat." Yep, dat was de first time she called me swamp rat.

"Well if it's not bout me, river rat, den why you got ta be so secretive?"

"Creative comeback. An ah ain't secretive."

"Den you don't mind me readin' it." I tried ta snatch de notebook, an she slapped my hand.

"A gentleman shouldn' go grabbin' things from a lady like that."

"When did I say I was a gentleman?" We were laughing. She makes de funniest faces sometime'. I tried ta tackle her, but she shoved my head out of de way and den flew round me. Kinda startled me. She was a lot stronger den I had expected, an' of course, I didn' realize she could fly.

"So dat's yo' power den?" she dropped back down, and her smile faded just a lil bit, but still enough dat I noticed it.

"Not exactly."

"Well, dat's an interestin' answer." D'ere was still a smile on her face, but it had faded entirely out o' her eyes. I felt kinda bad about dat, but I didn' know what I had done to make it go away. She waited a minute, fumbling fo' words, I could tell. Finally, she took a deep breath.

"Ah absorb….energy….ah guess, from other people...when ah touch them. In the case of a mutant, ah absorb they're powers."

"You say dat like it's a horrible t'ing. Seem like it'd be a big advantage." She took another moment, and dis time de smile went gone all de way.

"It's more than that. But if ah tell ya, ya won't feel like talkin' much anymore."

"I doubt dat, cherie."

"Ah don't."

"So little faith, petite? Come on now, I promise. You got Remy all curious now."

She looked at me, real hard. "Y' ain't gonna leave it alone, are ya?"

"Prolly not." She took a deep breath, and she looked at me almos' like she was pleadin' wit' me for somet'in, but I didn' know what.

"Ah absorb memories, and thoughts, too. Ah become the person foah a little while. And the person ah touch…..they get hurt…..real bad. Sometimes they don't get better…." She looked away, like she was ashamed, and I could tell she was t'inking about something, but I knew better den to ask what. I had already pushed farther den I should have, but I didn' know until too late. So I decided I better be real charmin to make up fo' it.

"I see. Well, dat would explain de outfit. Don' get me wrong, chere, you look damn good in it, but it's not exactly climate-conscious." I grinned at her, and she smiled, just a little bit, almost gratefully. Dat made me feel better. I felt real bad fo' her just den, too. No mutant has it easy, dat much I can tell you, but her story….dat's real hard. An' it only gets worse de more you know about it. It's when you get deprived of de simple pleasures of life dat it gets hard in de first place, and not bein able to touch anybody deprives of quite a few. More on dat part later. But she smiled, and dat was good enough fo' now. She came back and sat beside me again, an' out of habit I made a quick appraisal. Den I had some unchristian thoughts. Fortunately fo' me, she started talking again so I didn' have ta worry about it.

"So what's yoah power then? Other than snake charmin' of course."

"Are you sayin dat yo' a snake, femme?" D'ere went does unchristian t'oughts a'gin.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, nothin', just wonderin' if you were charmed yet."

"You wish."

"Maybe I do."

"You didn't answer my question, Cajun."

"De lady changed de subject. I b'lieve dat falls under de category of self-incrimination, chere?"

"You certainly are full o' yourself, Remy LeBeau."

"'S a trademark."

"Ah bet it is. Good thing there's girls like me around to keep you in check."

"What c'n I say? I'm just a lucky man, I s'pose." I took to shuffling my cards a'gin. She watched me fo' a lil bit.

"You any good at rummy, swamp rat?"

"Depends. What's in it fo' me?"

"Ah got a few minutes 'fore ah gotta get to class. Loser buys lunch?"

"You got yourself a game, chere." Turns out, I am pretty good at rummy. 'Specially when I'm using my cards. She was kin' enough to compliment me on my skills. Always was a fool fo' flattery.

"You dirty rotten swamp rat! You cheated!"

"If it makes you happy ta t'ink so, petit."

"Liar!"

"Au contraire, fille, jus' lucky. You jus' mad cause now you gotta feed me."

"You must be awful hungry if ya felt like ya needed to cheat and lie over a game of rummy."

"Starved." I grinned at her, and she tried to glare at me, but she blushed instead. It was de cutest t'ing.

"Fine then. Ah have to get to class now, ah'm already late, but it's over around one-thirty, so be back then. And ah ain't waiting foah ya!" She flew up and through one of de third floor windows. I was t'inkin she was real cute. But about dat time, I spotted Psylocke through one o' de downstairs windows, and went back on to pursuing my original purpose. Always been bad 'bout getting' sidetracked.

I walked in, an' Betsy was typin' away on her laptop, her mouth set in a straight line dat sometimes makes me wonder if de fille ever smiles.

"You sho' look serious, chere. What you workin' on? Nuclear physics?"

She raised an eyebrow at me, obviously not amused. Gon' hafta try a lil harder, it seemed.

"I'm checking my e-mail, Gambit. You know, personal stuff, where you wish people would knock before they came in and sat down."

"You sure know how ta make a man feel welcome. An' 'xactly how many times do I hafta ask ya ta call me Remy?"

"A few more, let's put it that way. Now if you'll excuse me." She turned back to the computer screen.

"Actually, I was wonderin' if I could get some advice."

"I'm sure you could. I hear they're having a sale down at Office Depot."

"C'mon, I'm being innocen' here." She sighed and put two fingers to her temples.

"What?"

"T'anks fo' yo' interest an' undyin' generosity."

"You're welcome. Now I repeat, what?" Dat was all I needed in de way of encouragement. Waste not want not, I guess. So I started in wit' somet'in 'bout de security systems. Ended up findin' out dat day dat Psylocke's jus a bit ticklish. Don' tell her I told. I'm sworn to secrecy. Overall, I was feelin' a gen'ral sense o' well-being about life. Den I noticed da clock. 2:15pm. I was struck wit' a sense of forgettin' somet'in.

"Oh shit."

"What?"

"Jus' realized I was supposed ta meet someone." Shoulda thought 'bout dat one fo' it came outta my mouth. Betsy didn' look pleased.

"Oh really?"

"Now chere…"

"I didn't realize I was being such a distraction. You should run along then. I'll try not to let it happen again."

"T'ain't like dat…"

"You don't have to explain it to me, Gambit. Not like I care."

"You done cut me to de quick."

"I doubt it. Now get the hell out before I have to break out the big guns. Literally."

"Only cause you ask, ma petite." I made a flourishing bow and den wen' to make my exit.

"You know I only got eyes fo' you."…yeah, I'm aware dat it was a lie. Knew it den too. Was a long time ago. I'm sure she's forgiven me.

She quipped suggestively, "If you run into Warren, tell him to stop by. I'm lonely." Two steps fo'ward, one step back. But I hate ta let down a lady. I went out to where we talked earlier, on de chance dat she would still be d'ere, but dat wasn't de case. I shook my head.

"Remy you putz". Norm'lly I pride myself on showmanship. Not one ta leave a pretty girl waitin' long. Well, maybe she'd gone in to da cafeteria. I didn' like it in d'ere. Too many young people. Too many hormones. Mostly mine, yeah. Actually, I jus' never liked cafeterias. De food is so bad it makes me wan' to cry. But I was willing to brave de culinary disaster area fo' her, even den. So I went in d'ere, and looked around. Hard ta see anybody in particular in a room dat full. Kids' clustered round every table, talkin', eatin', playin'. So I walked around, mostly not bein' noticed in all de' hullabaloo. But den I saw her, sittin in a table by de window, wit' her notebook out in front o' her, an' her pen on de paper, but her eyes were elsewhere. D'ere was a tray of food, or somet'in like it, but it looked like she shared my disdain fo' de piddlin' excuse of a pizza. Once again, she was sittin' all by herself. She didn' even notice me walk up, till I pulled out de chair beside her.

"Remy gives his humblest apologies fo' bein late. I was workin' on somet'in an couldn' get away till now."

"You think ah missed ya?" Blow after blow after blow. Never a break. Not even fo' me.

"Doesn' hurt a fella ta hope, does it?" Dashin' smile, perfect timing. Normally it's fairly effective.

"Keep tryin' ta smooth talk me, Cajun, and we'll find out." Ouch. Backfire. De hurt puppy routine? I gave her de mos' pitiful face I could manage. De side of her mouth twitched. Success.

"It's fine Cajun. Yoah the one who missed a free meal. Yoah loss."

"No chance fo' it now, huh?"

"Ah wouldn't bet on it. 'Sides, ah only got a few more minutes anyway. Yoah that late. Course, unless yoah after the tomato disaster they like to call pizza…"

"Dat's all right, chere. I'd sooner eat my own shirt." She didn' say anyt'ing. I raised an eyebrow, expectantly. She looked down at her notebook. Interestin'.

"So you go anywhere wit'out dat t'ing?"

"Not at school. It keeps me busy."

"Why you always sit by yo'self, chere?" She didn' look at me, she jus' shrugged. "You didn' spit on de class president or somet'in like dat, did you?"

"Ah'm not from the bayou, Remy."

"Gimme jus' a sec ta remove de knife from my ribcage, and den I might have a comeback fo' dat one."

"Maybe you shouldn't ask so many questions, then."

"Maybe if you answered one or two of dem, I wouldn'."

"What are you doin' here, anyway?"

"Jus' enjoyin' scenic upstate New York."

"Liar."

"Only sometimes."

"Ah bet."

"Not well."

"You rotten little…"

"Save de poetry for an'oder time, belle. Wouldn' wan' you to run out."

"Don't you worry about that, Remy. Ah think ah have a bottomless cup of romance when it comes to you."

"De very t'ought takes my breath away."

"It'd be nice if that were true."

"It'd leave me in quite a vulnerable state, dat's true enough. Remy can't help but wonder what de femme would do wit' such an opportunity." Ok, I admit I was gettin' a lil fo'ward wit' her, but I couldn' help it. Unfo'tunately, de bell rung jus' den, and she never answered me. Maybe I'll ask her again, sometime, now dat dat occurred to me. But on wit' da story…