Disclaimer: I do not own X-men Evolution, Gambit or Rogue. I do own Kaitie.
A/N: Dedicated to DaSwampRat'sCherie , who helped inspire this story with are conversation on forgetfulness. Part of the Babysitting series, takes place right after Teething at Midnight.
Shopping, with Babies.
Rogue walked sleepily down the aisle in the pharmacy, in search of the diapers. Kaitie had been up very late the night before, teething, and Rogue would have much rather been at home taking a nap instead of shopping.
Rogue hated shopping, and crowds, and people staring at her. Though no one was actually staring at her right now, she felt certain that someone would stare at her as soon as her back was turned; in fact she was sure she was being followed. With that in mind she pushed her cart faster, ready to attack whoever it was in an instant if necessary.
She quickly looked around once more, then decided that she must be imagining things due to lack of sleep. With this thought, she relaxed again, as she finally found the diapers (that had been moved two aisles over in a renovation earlier in the week). She turned to put the bag in her cart… and screamed loudly…much like her brother.
Right there behind her, with less than an inch separating them was her boyfriend, Remy.
"What the heck Remy?!" she gasped. "Don't sneak up on me, when didja get here anyway?!"
"What do you mean? I waved at you over in hair products five minutes ago." Remy replied, confused.
"I didn't see you there." Rogue stated, shifting the heavy weight on her hip.
"…But, you waved back." Remy replied, wondering what was wrong with his girlfriend.
"Oh." Rogue stated. "Ah must've forgotten."
"In five minutes?" Remy asked.
"Give me a break. Ah got less than an hour sleep." Rogue stated as she walked around her boyfriend to place the heavy items in her cart, and froze.
The seat was empty. Right where her daughter was sitting less than a minute ago, there was nothing! How could her baby be gone, with her and Remy standing right here? True they hadn't been looking at the cart, but they were right here. Was it possible Kaitie has 'poofed' somewhere…? No she hadn't heard the noise that teleportation always came with. She was sure she would have remembered that.
Some must have taken her baby! That was they only explanation! Who could have done this? Why would they? Someone was going to pay! But first she had to find her baby; there was time for pain and permanent mental scaring later.
Remy stared blankly at his girlfriend. She was staring wildly at her cart as if something was missing. Had she lost her purse? Or perhaps it had been stolen. (The idea of someone having the nerve to steal from the love of a master thief only served to anger Remy). That must be it! Someone stole his girlfriend's purse, and they would pay! No one insulted the Prince of Thieves like this.
Fuming at the idea of someone taking off with his girlfriend's personal belongings, Remy stormed down the aisle calling over his shoulder "Don' worry Cher. I take care o' dis."
Rogue was comforted by the idea that Remy was on the case, but she wasn't helpless herself (Though she was slightly off her game with so little sleep), she wasn't going to just stand here waiting while Remy had all the fun busting heads! No, she would find the kidnapper, and then Remy could stand by and watch… or join in, she didn't care either way. She stormed off the opposite direction, abandoning her rather full cart in the baby aisle.
Remy was on the hunt, someone, somewhere in this store had his Roguey's purse and they were giving it back or else! Or else what he hadn't decided. But it would involve pain, and possibly screaming. Oh that it! If they won't give it back willingly, then I lock them in the room with Kurt and one of those cryin dolls! That's sure t' make em regret messin wit' us and, WAIT, I think that them!
Remy spotted and young woman carrying a large black purse just like Rogue's. Worse, she and her male companion (possibly her boyfriend or brother, Remy couldn't decide which just by appearance) were digging through said purse.
Remy was livid as he stormed up the aisle and grabbed the bag from the couple. "Y' shouldn' take t'ing dat don' belong t' ya." Remy stated with a growl.
"I didn't! That's my purse." The girl yelled back
"Sure. Dis is your purse dat happens t' look jus like de purse my girlfriend carries, and it was totally innocent dat you were digging through it."
"It's my purse! My wallet's in it! And these purses were on sale last month for ten dollars, every woman in town has one!"
"Den why have I not seen dem bein carried 'round?"
"I don't know, cause you're an idiot. Just look at my ID then you can say you're sorry and give it back. "
Remy gasps. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I went through my girlfriend's personal belongings?! Sides ya coulda switched out the IDs to throw me off!"
"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life! Why would I do that when I could just take the wallet and let you keep the purse, if it wasn't mine?!"
"Ahhah! I knew it! Dat was your plan all along, and you're tryin to trick me, but I ain't dat easy t' fool. Only an idiot would fall for your story an-"
Remy cut himself off when he glanced up at the check out lane… and saw five more identical purses apparently she was being somewhat honest. The young couple followed his line of sight before the woman smirked, and silently held out her hand for her purse.
Reluctantly, Remy handed it back over, still trying to figure out how this woman pulled off such a well-executed plan. Perhaps the others in line were part of some ring he hadn't heard of, and they set this whole thing up, just to steal Rogue's purse? No. That was just stupid. Of course he would have heard of them.
The woman pulled out her wallet and waved it in Remy's face. Remy walked away, not-pouting over this trickery of this situation, now he was going to have to tell his girlfriend that he, Remy LeBeau, had failed to catch a thief.
Rogue, meanwhile, was desperately walking up and down the aisles in search of her daughter. Every few feet she would spot another shopper, and ask. "Have you seen a baby girl with blond or brown or red (Kaitie had had they hiccups twice today) hair, in a pink dress?" Every time they would stare at her blankly, and she would walk away.
Rogue was getting frustrated, and scared, and more and more angry, with every aisle. How could no one have seen her daughter? It wasn't like Kaitlyn could have walked off on her own, she could barely crawl! Clearly someone had taken her, and these other people were either involved or stupid!
If she didn't find her baby, and soon, she was really going to freak out. This was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. Finally, Rogue spotted a store clerk, who were sparse at best, and walked up to him.
"Excuse me sir. Can you help me?" She asked doing her best to be polite.
"What is it?" He replied slightly rude.
"Have you seen my daughter? I can't find her anywhere. She six months old, and has blond hair that sometimes appears that it could be brown or red, and is wearing a pink sundress, white tights and black shoes." Rogue rushes out.
"Oh. Are they twins?" The clerk asked.
"Who?"
"Your daughters, are they twins?" The man repeated, gesturing toward the baby in Rogue's arms.
Rogue looked down, and there on her hip, where she could have sworn was her heavy purse, was Kaitie. Kaitie was staring up at her mother, with no clue how scared her mother had been, or how embarrassed she was now.
Thinking quickly, to avoid having to tell the clerk that she was an idiot, Rogue pointed wildly behind him, stating. "Never mind, I see her with her Daddy now. That man really needs to remember to tell me when he does stuff like wandering off with the baby."
The clerk turned around to see who she was pointing at (he loved twins, thought they were adorable) and she ran. She quickly made her way back to the diaper aisle, wondering where she could have left her purse.
She sets Kaitie back in the shopping cart seat, and digs through the back for a moment, before finding the purse under the diapers and on top of the new books she picked up for Kaitie.
Remy arrived a moment later, looking very depressed. "I'm sorry Cher, I look everywhere, but couldn' find your purse."
"That's okay Remy. Ah found it, I accidentally buried it under the diapers and stuff." Rogue replied.
Remy was relieved that his reputation wasn't ruined, and Rogue was happy that know one would ever know that she had lost her daughter, while holding her. They moved to the check out, and Rogue quickly paid before that clerk saw her and spilled the beans on her stupidity.
As they walked out of the store Remy said. "Why dontcha come over , and let me take care o' de baby while you nap?"
"YES! I mean okay, that works." Rogue replied as she buckled her baby in and followed her boyfriend home. Remy returned ten minutes later for the bags and her purse, which she had left in the cart.