Chapter 1: Waiting
Rogue stared out of her bedroom window, snow was falling heavily on the Xavier estate, so thick she could barely even see the perimeter fences around the grounds through its dense white curtain. She felt as if she'd done nothing since the beginning of November except look from windows, awaiting the return of Remy LeBeau – the man she was head over heels for.
He'd promised he'd return within three months, it was now only five days until Christmas, and no word had come from him – it had been so long since she'd seen his face, or heard his voice. Since his last departure, Remy had not even called by telephone, or written a letter. She was beginning to worry. He'd gone to break off an engagement of a girl he'd been betrothed to since he was fifteen – the daughter of a notorious guild of dangerous professional Assassins. Five years later, and Remy had been still doing everything he could to avoid marrying his fiancée, Bella Donna – whom he swore he didn't love.
Rogue had been pining since the first of November when he'd left again, on his twentieth birthday, he'd left while she'd been asleep, leaving only a playing card – the ace of hearts – on a coffee table as a reminder of himself to her.
"Doesn't make sense, Kitty," Rogue said to her roommate, who was sitting on the floor skimming through a very large pile of CDs, mostly pop CDs.
Kitty dropped a CD into a smaller pile on the floor near a bag, she was preparing to take off for Christmas – or rather for the remainder of Chanukah. "What doesn't make sense?" Kitty asked distractedly, sorting which CDs she'd like to take with her over the holidays.
"This whole thing," Rogue threw herself on her bed, she was in pyjamas, as it was a late Thursday night, "It's nearly Christmas, Remy isn't back yet…"
"Give it a rest, Rogue, it isn't even three months yet, you said three months, he came back for like one day after the first three weeks or something."
"But it was early October when we made that agreement, I thought it'd be obvious he should be back before Christmas," Rogue stated, she sighed, "I just don't understand, no phone calls, no letters…nothing…" she stated, "stupid jerk," Rogue pressed her face into her pillow and muffled a scream of frustration.
Kitty shrugged, "maybe he's been busy," she shrugged.
"Maybe he's dead," Rogue sighed. This was certainly a possibility, Remy had told her that his future wife's family were not thrilled at his trying to get out of the marriage and would probably kill him before they let him dump one of their own.
"Don't say stuff like that, it's like, bad luck," Kitty reminded. "it's like, tempting fate."
"But it's really possible, Kitty…Remy has people out to kill him, he told me so…he when he came back that one night he had bruises and cuts…"
"You're paranoid," Kitty rolled her large blue eyes, "but hey," Kitty began, "You could always, like, I dunno, take off to New Orleans to check up on him," she stated.
"Professor wouldn't allow me to go it alone," Rogue sighed wearily, "and I don't feel much like taking Logan or the Professor with me…it'd be so embarrassing…" she winced at the thought.
"So take Scott…" Kitty raised an eyebrow, "I'm sure he isn't doin' anything over the holidays."
"Actually he is, he's goin' to spend some time with Alex. Look, I'll figure it out on my own somehow," Rogue rubbed her forehead, "Even if I did go up to the Big Easy, I mean, hell, how am I meant to find him? New Orleans' is a massive place, a lot bigger than Bayville, you know," Rogue reminded, "I don't have an address for him, all I know is his last name – and like, how many people in New Orleans do you expect have the name 'LeBeau'?" Rogue asked.
"I don't know," Kitty put two CDs in a pile next to her.
"This is probably just what he planned," Rogue fumed, "not being able to be traced…I mean where do you find a Cajun thief fluent in French and fond of women down in the Big Easy?" Rogue demanded.
"French Quarter," Kitty shrugged, "did Gambit mention that was where he lived? The French Quarter?" she turned and looked at Rogue.
Rogue sighed, "tomorrow I'll talk to the professor about it, see what he thinks – maybe he can track him using cerebro or something," Rogue climbed under the covers and threw her head down on the pillows of her bed.
Kitty put all her CDs away neatly and climbed into her own bed, "what about Kurt?" "What do you mean?"
"Take Kurt to New Orleans," Kitty suggested.
"He's going to Germany tomorrow," Rogue rolled her eyes.
"Oh yeah," Kitty screwed up her face, "Oh…well, I know you'll figure out something, you always do, just try not to break the rules this time," she picked up a book from the cabinet beside her bed and settled down to read.
"Do you think I should go through his things?" Rogue asked quietly.
"Huh?" Kitty glanced up from her book.
Rogue climbed out of the bed, "in his room – he only took some clothes with him, I mean everything should be in tact, maybe there are some clues to where he lives or something, c'mon," Rogue got up and pulled her gloves on.
"Why do I have to come?"
"Because his room door is locked," Rogue stuck her tongue out, "you need to phase us through."
"Great," Kitty kicked her covers off and climbed out of the bed, tossing the book aside carelessly, "why do I always get involved in these stupid little ideas of yours?" she demanded.
"Because you're my friend," Rogue grinned.
"I'm so sick of getting into trouble," Kitty made a face at Rogue.
"Check the hall…" Rogue commanded.
Kitty frowned, "Yes, mistress, whatever you say," she rolled her large blue eyes, she phased her head through the wall and glanced down the hallway, "coast is clear," she commented as she returned all the way back into the room.
The girls silently crept out of the room into the hallway, Kitty grabbed a hold of Rogue's elbow, concentrating her power to her feet, she began to phase down into the floor, which would lead them both to the second floor of the mansion – where the boys dorms were. They landed with a thud falling through the ceiling onto the hard floor of the boys dorm hallway.
"Woops," Kitty gritted her teeth, "Hope Logan didn't hear that," she whispered, "which room is Gambit's?"
"This one," Rogue gestured to a locked door, she tested the doorknob again just to be sure, but it made a sharp clicking nose, but did not open, "locked."
Kitty leaned into the room, phasing half way through the door, making sure the coast was clear.
Rogue gasped, hearing footsteps coming from around a corner, "Kitty, quick!" she whispered.
The girls phased through Remy LeBeau's room.
"What is it?" Kitty asked loudly.
"Ssh!" Rogue pressed her gloved hand to Kitty's mouth to silence her, they listened, footsteps passed by the door, they looked to the crack between the door and the floor, seeing the shadows of feet passing by. Soon, the footsteps echoed away. Rogue took her hand from Kitty's mouth. "That was close."
"Who'd you think it was?"
"Well it wasn't the professor, that's for sure," Rogue remarked coldly, she looked around, in the darkness she could barely see anything. She was beginning to wonder if it was wise to turn on the lights, as it might only draw attention to their presence in his room.
Kitty glanced around, "Hey, there's some candles…" she pointed out to the dresser.
"Got a light?" Rogue asked.
"No, I don't smoke…"
"He does," Rogue realised, "must be some lighters or matches around somewhere," she opened a drawer on the dresser and fumbled around, finding a box of matches, "here we go," she took a match out and struck it, she touched the tip to the wicks of the five candles on the dresser, and the room began to take on a dim almost warm light. The candles flickered, Rogue realised the window was open slightly and she shivered slightly, the cold had crept in. She rushed to the window and shut it firmly, locking it into place.
"That's better," Kitty commented, "so what are we looking for?"
"Addresses, anything to suggest where he lives in New Orleans," Rogue walked over to the closet and pulled the doors open. There wasn't much inside the closet, an old brown trenchcoat, worn and threadbare, patched at the elbow and stitched at the sleeve, she'd seen him wear it a couple of times before he'd joined the X-Men.
Rogue yearned for him to be there and then, as she moved a few shirts along the railing on their hangers, and she caught the scent of his cologne, she breathed it in, "It smells like him in here," she murmured to herself wistfully.
Kitty was raking through drawers carefully, "never mind that, just look for whatever and stop mooning. We need to get out of here ASAP – before we get caught," Kitty stated.
Rogue knelt down on the floor, there were a few shoeboxes in the corner of the closet, she pulled one out, one was exceptionally lighter than a pair of shoes generally were. "Hmmm…what's this…" she wondered.
Kitty stopped and looked over, "what is it?"
Rogue took the lid carefully off the box, inside whatever the contents were, were wrapped in thin tissue paper, she carefully unfolded the large sheets of tissue, "photos…" she trailed off, she began to flick through them, trying to keep them in order.
"Who…is…that," Kitty knelt beside Rogue, she pointed to a girl in a picture.
The girl was probably close to eighteen or nineteen, with long golden hair, worn in a braid that was hanging over her shoulder. She had icy blue eyes, a perfect tan, and rose petal lips. Rogue had a feeling she'd met her before. "This must be…Bella Donna, his fiancée," she flicked through photos, "here they are together, look…"
Kitty glanced at the photo, Remy LeBeau, looking rather handsome if not a little younger, with his arms around the blonde in a loving embrace, they looked as if they were laughing about something. Their arms were bare and touching, cheek against cheek, he stood behind her, arms wrapped around her, gripping her hands.
Rogue chewed her lip, looking at the photo, "I…I…"
"Rogue, this is an old photo, you can tell," Kitty cut in, "I mean look at him, he doesn't have as much stubble, and the goatee is barely there," she pointed out.
Rogue closed her eyes tightly trying to get the image out of her head, "if he doesn't love her – and never did – why does he look so fucking happy with her?!" Rogue's voice boomed.
Kitty's eyes widened, "ssh! You'll get us caught!" she reminded.
Rogue felt tears burning at her eyes, "He's not going to come back, is he?"
"Sure he will!" Kitty stated, not even knowing the answer herself, "It's easy to fake being happy in a photograph, Rogue," Kitty stated, "everyone knows that," she stated.
Rogue sighed, "he's never looked that happy when he's around me, Kitty…"
"That like, proves nothing," Kitty soothed, she patted Rogue's back gingerly, "you never look happy when you're around him, doesn't mean you aren't," Kitty reminded.
Rogue realised Kitty had a point. Sighing, she put the photos away.
After a thorough and careful search of the room, they found nothing that would lead them any closer to finding Remy LeBeau. Rogue sighed, "Kitty, what if he really doesn't want to be found? What then?"
"He's head over heels for you, Rogue, he WANTS you to be with him."
"I hope you're right…" Rogue sighed.
"We haven't found anything, we need to get out of here," Kitty pointed out, "before we're caught…"
"I…I feel like being alone for a while, just go on without me," Rogue looked at Kitty hopefully.
"Are you sure?" Kitty felt concerned.
"I'm sure," Rogue nodded and feigned a smile.
"Alright," Kitty nodded, and left the room silently by walking through the door.
Rogue sighed to herself and sat on the bed, looking at the dresser with the candles all aglow, she felt so sick with concern for Remy – and sick with the desire just to be near him again. It was driving her crazy. She lay down on his bed, closing her eyes, imagining his cheek near hers, his eyes burning into hers. And she drifted into sleep, to dream of him.