Chapter One

Rogue couldn't believe her luck, for most of her life her mutation had stopped her from touching anyone, it made her paranoid of everything. One accidental touch and she would gain a new psyche in her head and risk killing someone.

The cure was meant to fix that, it was real and it was permanent and so she took it. She left the school and had the injection. Her ability to absorb people was gone and she was so pleased. No more gloves, no more caution when walking down the street and no more ice kisses. She could kiss Bobby her boyfriend now and that was the first thing she set out to do.

In hind sight she should have thought it through, without the allure of being untouchable, she and Bobby have nothing in common and to make matter worse, he and Kitty had everything in common. It was only two weeks, that's how long it took for her to realise the truth. He didn't want her, she touched him, she kissed him she tried to give him more but he always looked uncomfortable. When he finally broke up with her, she was just a nobody in a school for mutants. Old enough to no longer need to go to school and no longer a mutant to be welcome to stay. Logan was gone, doing more travelling, the professor, Jean and Scott where all dead. She had no one here.

Packing her stuff she went to say goodbye to Bobby hoping they could still be friends but all she found was him in bed with Kitty who had the decency to look ashamed about it, but not Bobby.

"We're not together anymore Rogue" had been his only explanation, so I left.

The real kicker was the fact that the cure was not in fact permanent, it wore off after two month and I was back to wearing gloves, knee length boots, turtle necks and long coats all day every day.

"yo' look sad mon amie"

As cliché as it sounds, she learnt from Logan the best way to drown your troubles was at any place with beer and so the first pub she saw she entered, it was quite other than a poker game at the back happening which is where this drunk fool has stumbled away from.

"Not in the mood"

"Don't worry, Gambit ain't hitting on yo"

"Again not interested"

"Ah, here I t'ought mutants meant t' stick together"

At that I actually stop and look at him, he's hot I'll give him that but that's pretty much means nothing to me if I can't touch him. He looked about six ft. but he was leaning back casually at the back, without a care in the world. Wearing a black leather trench coat and from what she see metal riding boots. He looked sinfully delicious, with his shoulder length hair pulled up into a messy knot at the back of his head and a half lit cigarette hanging from his plush lips. The black thick glasses he wore shielded his eyes from her view but she could feel them looking her over as he turned his head her way.

"Who said I was a mutant?" she snapped.

He smirked around the cigarette as he took a poisonous inhale. "Moi"

In that moment Rogue had never hated French more.

"Look Sugah I ain't interested in whatever it is you're sellin"

"Gambit only make conversation, pretty mutant lookin sad is upsettin"

"Apparently Gambit only talks in third person too huh?"

"Oui. What's wrong mon amie? Tell Gambit"

"I'm not gonna sleep with you so why bother listening to ma problems"

"I'm no asking for sex, yo don't look old enough for that anyway." He jokes and pulls out the seat next to me to sit, still facing me "Tell moi"

With a sigh I do, I don't know why. I don't even know this guy and honestly I'm not too worried that he might be a guy that doesn't take no for answer. If he tries to touch me he'll be out cold. So I tell him the whole story, Bobby and Kitty, The Cure, Leaving the school, Logan being gone, everything. By the time I'm done he looks at me and smiles.

"Yo' ex sounds stupid, don't waste t'ought on him, he clearly no the one for you if he could do t'at Cherie"

"Yeah I know but that doesn't mean it hurts any less"

"I'm sorry your powers came back chere, I no personally how bad it came be when yo power aint working right"

"You do" this surprised me, sometimes I felt like the only one who couldn't control it.

"Oui, I have to touch tings to charge em till they blow, before used to blow up anyting without touch, injured myself a lot. Turned to some bad people for help, got better but it weren't worth it."

"How'd they fix you sugah?"

"Brain surgery while awake"

"WHAT!"

"It hurt but I have control now, again no worth It"

Before we knew it "FINAL CALL!" came and I lifted my heavy rucksack up on to my back and made for the cold outdoors before he could say more, I had some money left and needed to find a motel for the night. I couldn't go home and I can't return to the school. I had nothing left for me there. Finding somewhere nice and mutant friendly to set up shop seemed like my last bet.

"Chere? Yo need place to stay?"

He was back again, somehow he'd managed to get ahead of me and was leaning up against a motorcycle watching me. I wonder if he's naturally that cool or if he puts a lot of effort into looking like he is.

"No thanks, I have a motel." I say and keep going, as friendly as he was before I don't wanna take my chances with him.

"Here"

I have no words when he hands me a white card, on the front was a cartoon picture of a burglar. The classic outline of a man with a heavy bag over his back as he stands on tip toes and creeps away, on the back was a number. No name. "In case yo need someting, Gambit a sucker for damsel in distress. Hate to see a women sad, ring me if you need me mon amie"

I give him a smile, tuck the card away and head on my way. Making sure to listen to him start up his bike and leave and breathe a sigh of relief that he wasn't going to watch me go or follow me.

He seemed nice, genuine even but after everything I've been through, I didn't want to risk it and something bad happen. I had no one now, if I got in trouble or captured I doubted anyone was going to come for me.

A few hours later rogue had come to the conclusion that Gambit must have known she was going to need help tonight, the few good places she found where full. And the only motel with any vacancies had dodgy doors that looked like one kick would be all it took to get in, Rogue doubted that was an accident the guy behind the counter was giving her all sorts of dirty looks and it didn't help that another group of guys outside where shouting rude stuff her way. She had no choice but to find the nearest pay phone and ring the number on the card.

One guy maybe two she could take but five, plus the guy inside. All it would take is for one of them to figure out she was a mutant and find another way to hurt me.

"Bonjour Mon Amie, where yo?"

Ignoring how he knew it was me I gave him the name of the hotel then hung up and did my best to look busy as I waited.

"Hello baby you need company tonight"

"I got a toy you could play with babe"

"Yo, we talking to you"

"She think her too good for us"

"Oi bitch" I'm spun around by the tugging on my coat and come face to face with alcohol reeking idiots. "We talking to you"

"Okay"

"Okay! you ignoring us bitch"

"Don't call me bitch!"

"Teach her a lesson Petey"

Thankfully Petey was interrupted by the sound of a familiar motorcycle rumbling closer in the distance, before stopping right in front of us. Petey hastily let me go and I wasted no time in jumping on behind Gambit.

It all happened within a blink of an eye one minute they all looked scared as they stared at Gambit the next they were knocked a good while back onto the floor by flying playing cards. You cannot make this stuff up.

"Perhaps you should pick on someone yo' own size no?"

I'm pretty sure Petey peed himself along with his friends. Idiots.

Wrapping my hands are his firm waist, careful to keep my skin concealed, I smiled into Gambits back.

"You have great timing" I shout over the loud noise as we zoom down the streets, god this reminds me of all the times Logan took me out on his bike.

"I told ya, Gambit a sucker for damsel in distress mon amie" clutching the accelerator he speeds up and I hold on for dear life. This man is clearly nuts but still I smile into his back glad he can't see me blush.