Cat's POV
I've been gone from the Xavier Institute and the X-Men for a few months now. I'd told the Professor that I would be leaving as soon as Omega Red was stopped. And being true to my word I left the very night he was. Everybody tried to convince me to stay, well, everyone but the only one who could actually make me stay. Not even my brother, Gambit, could get me to stay on at the Institute, nor could his girlfriend, Rogue. Even Scott had tried to bribe me into staying by offering me a spot with the X-Men. They had plenty of spots now, though that wasn't a happy thought. Bobby had sacrificed himself in order to stop Omega Red. I never cared for the lustful looks he gave me, but he was a good person. He was too young to die. Every night since leaving the mansion I replayed that battle in my head but it always ended the same way: Bobby's death and my leaving.
Every time I heard a motorcycle my heart stops… I guess I'm just holding onto the sadistic hope that maybe Logan will come after me and ask me to stay with him forever. For years I've tried to forget him… now I knew I never would. No matter how many passionate kissed we shared, I'd always have the memory of the night I offered myself to him only for him to say that he didn't want me. Not only that, which was bad enough, but also… I tried to block out what he'd said; it just hurt too much to think about. But try as I may his words come at me like a knife to my heart: "Go be with Scott. Give yourself to him." He'd walked away leaving me standing in the hallway trying to figure out what just happened. After a few minutes I went to my room and started packing. I threw everything I had into my duffle back and headed downstairs to say good-bye. I lucked out in the fact that everyone, including Logan, was in the game room. Looking back on it now, I'm pretty sure it was Xavier's doing… even he was there. With my duffle bag slung across my back a walked toward Storm and Xavier.
"I'm leaving now. Good-bye and thank you for everything." I'd said to both of them.
"At least wait till morning."
"I can't Professor. I need to leave now." He doesn't want me. I mentally added at the end. I hugged them both and then made my way to Kitty, Piotr, and Kurt. After a short good-bye and three hugs I made my way to Scott.
"Hey." I said when I approached him; his back to me. When he turned around he had a smile on his face that quickly faded. "I'm leaving now, Scott."
"What! Stay. There's even a spot for you on the team."
"I can't. I'm sorry. Good-bye, pretty boy. Thanks for everything." I hugged him quickly before he could've said anything else. I broke the embrace first and made my way toward Gambit and Rogue, leaving them for last.
"You'll always have a spot on the team if you ever decide to come back." I heard Scott say. I just smiled over my shoulder. At this point, I wasn't ever coming back.
"Rogue. Gambit." I'd interrupted their game of pool. "I'm leaving now. I'll call you when I'm settled somewhere. I love you both. Take care of each other. There's nothin' yo' can say t'stay. Only one person can do dat an' he's already given me his answer. Don't hate him though. I don't… I can never. So, I guess this is good-bye."
"Not good-bye, Cat, just see ya." Rogue said as she hugged me.
"Gambit gonna miss yo'. Yo' better call your brother like yo' promised." Gambit and I shared the longest hug of the night.
As I walked out of the room I looked back at everyone… they were all watching me leave; all but him. I gave a small smile before walking out of the mansion. I hopped on my bike and drove away.
Professor, tell Hank I said good-bye and that I wished he was here for a proper one. I said mentally before speeding away from the mansion… and from my heart.
I'd ended up in a hotel just outside Washington D.C. I'd kept on driving; I just wanted to be out of there as soon as possible. It had rained as soon as I was away from the mansion… I have to remember to thank Storm. Not that Logan would ever come after me but… no, there was no just in case. Storm made it rain because all but one was sad to see me leave. Now, months later, I lay on a bed in yet another hotel room. This time I'm outside New Orleans. I figured I'd rest a bit here before deciding where it was I was headed. For the first time in months I turned my phone on… no messages. I figured as much, Gambit would wait for my call before he called me. I looked at the clock… 3:00am… which means it's 4:00am there. He'd be asleep. I flipped my phone closed and decided to wait till it was a decent hour before I called. I rolled over onto my side and tried to sleep… this was how it went every night. I'd toss and turn, while memories of my past danced through my mind. I'd eventually fall asleep around 4:00am just to be woken up around 8:00am by a stupid nightmare. Those were always the same too… I was always alone and in trouble but then someone (not just any someone either) would step in to save me but then I'd always end up alone again. Always alone; that is what became of my life. I debated whether I should try being with the X-Men and giving Scott a chance but then I remembered why it would never work. I could be in the most crowded place on the planet and still feel alone if Logan wasn't with me. I couldn't lead Scott on knowing full well that it would never work. My heart belongs to someone else… and, for that matter, so does my soul. I finally drifted off to sleep, tears running across my face… it's the same every night. When I woke up it was 8:30am so I decided to call Gambit.
Ring, ring, ring.
"This is Gambit."
"Hey, stranger."
"Cat?"
"Aye. I was just callin' t' let yo' know that I'm in N'Awlins. I'm not settled yet, but I figured I'll rest up here till I figure out where I want t' be."
"I miss yo'. I wish you'd come back but I know yo' won't."
"I'm sorry, but I can't be around him knowing that he's rather see me with someone else. I can't do that, Remy. Not when he's the only one I'll ever love."
"Well, he's a jerk! What kind of man tells you to be with someone else after you've told him and showed him that he's the only one you'll ever see?"
"Gambit, please. I don't wanna go through it again. I gotta go. Love yo'."
"Love yo' too, Cat."
I closed my phone and tossed it on the bed. I looked outside and noticed it was raining… again. It had rained every morning for the past couple of months… oh, I gotta stop doing that. I sighed then let the sun come out.
Logan's POV
I heard Remy on the phone. I couldn't help but over hear when he said her name. Apparently she'd told him what I'd told her. I hated myself for that. I knew that was one of the reasons what she left. I'd listened to all her good-byes that night but the one I constantly replayed in my head was her good-bye to Rogue and Gambit: '…there's nothin' yo' can say t' convince me t' stay. Only one person can do dat an' he's already given me his answer.' I knew that one person was me… Scott has practically begged her to stay. I knew that I was the reason she'd left when she did. She'd been gone months now… I couldn't track her even if I tried. I wanted to; I'd thought about it every day but I couldn't bring myself to do it.
"Scott, turn that up." I heard Kitty say as I passed the game room.
"'Breaking News. This just in: a band of Sentinels have been spotted arresting mutants in New Orleans, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and countless other cities across the country. We'll keep you updated as more news becomes available.'" The news anchor said.
"Did she say 'New Orleans'?" Gambit looked very pale.
"Yeah, why?" We all looked at Gambit. We'd never seen him like this.
He didn't say anything; he just took out his phone and called someone. "Cat! Cat, please call me back when you get this. You've got to get out of N'Awlins as soon as possible. It isn't safe…"
"Remy? What's wrong?" Rogue walked over to him. I don't think I'd even seen Gumbo this scared before.
"Cat's in N'Awlins. She just called me, said she was going to rest up for awhile before moving on."
I stood frozen at his words. I knew she'd called him but I didn't catch much of her part of the conversation.
"She'll be alright. She's tough. She'll call." I don't know if Scooter was trying to comfort us or himself.
After 20 minutes of not hearing anything from Cat, I started to pace around the room.
"Why are you so anxious, Logan? You're acting like you actually care about her." I growled at Scott but didn't stop pacing.
"Believe it or not, Scott, but he does care about her... in fact he might even love her but he won't admit it." Rogue's statement brought me to a stop. I looked over at her and knew I couldn't lie to anyone, including myself, anymore.
"I do care about her and I do love her. I was just too afraid to admit it even to myself."
"We wouldn't be here now if you'd have told her that instead of telling her to be with someone else." I looked at Gambit… it still hurt to think about the words I'd said to her. I don't even know why I said them; I couldn't stand even the thought of her being with another man.
"No wonder she took off the way she did. Who did you tell her to be with or do I even want to know?"
"You, Scott, I told her to be with you." I sat down on the floor with my back to the wall; I couldn't stand it any longer. These past several months have been rough and lonely.
Ring, ring, ring.
"Gambit."
"What's going on, Remy? I've just been attacked by a Sentinel!"
"Cat, get away from there! I don't care what you're feeling but please come back to the mansion until we figure this out."
"I've already thought of that, I'm trying to keep these things from following me there. It's harder than I thought. Is there any way you can meet me somewhere? Is there any way you can meet me in Ireland?"
"Ireland?" Scott asked when Gambit put her on speaker.
"It's the only place I can think of that they wouldn't think to go."
"Alright, we'll gather a team and meet you there. We've got to get the others into the safe houses just in case." Scott was acting like a leader. "The five of us will meet you in Ireland as soon as the others are safe. Stay hidden until we contact you with a time and place to meet up."
"Ok. Ahhhh! Sorry gotta go! I'll see you in Ireland." And then she hung up. Gambit just stood there looking at his phone. And so did I.
"Storm, get the jet ready. Rogue, Gambit, and Wolverine meet us at the jet once everyone is in the safe houses. Kitty, Piotr, Kurt, Hank, and Warren stay here with the rest of the students. No arguing; we don't have time for that." This was the last mission I wanted to be on but I wasn't going to argue. Scott wanted the Senior members (all but Hank) on this because there was no telling what we'd run into. At the same time, he also wanted some strong X-Men to stay behind just in case. I had to suck it up, but I wasn't ready to see Cat again.
