***I own NOTHING but the story idea.

******This takes place in the Ascension arc***

*Italics = Thoughts

*Underlined = Lyrics

*Bold = Phone Conversations

Fare thee well
My own true love
Farewell for a while
I'm going away
But I'll be back
Though I go 10,000 miles

Rogue excited the war room after being briefed, along with the others, by Logan on the plan to take out Apocalypse. She and Sam (Cannonball) would go with Nick Fury to pick up what would hopefully be their secret weapon against the ancient mutant.

As she walked down the metal corridor, she heard voices. Peering around the corner, she saw Scott embracing Jean as she cried for the Professor and Storm. A sudden surge of sadness and the need for comfort came over the girl and she rushed silently up the stairs to her room that had been built when the mansion was rebuilt. Locking the door, the auburn haired girl pulled out her cell phone and sat on the edge of her bed. Going to her contacts, Rogue pressed talk and waited for the voice she needed so badly to hear.

"Oui?" asked a male voice other the other side. Rogue forced herself not to break down.

"Remy?" she said, using her boyfriend's real name. After getting to know him better, she had fallen in love with Remy LeBeau or as her teammates knew him, Gambit. Yes, he was the enemy, but no one had to know about them yet, right? Personally Rogue suspected Logan knew or had an idea about them, but he never said anything.

"Cher? Êtes-vous d'accord (Dear, are you okay)?" A small lump was forming in her throat.

"Oh Remy, Ah… Remy the Professah and Storm, they've been takin' bah Apocalypse, just lahke Magneto. Ah'm so sorreh, Ah know Storm was ya friend." Rogue heard him inhale sharply.

"Merde (another word for crap), so what now?" Silence followed giving him an unnecessary hint that there was a bigger reason for her calling.

"Rogue, ce qui est mauvais (What's wrong)?" his voice grew serious. Rogue held her head in her right hand.

"We're goin' tah Egypt tah fiaght him. There are four teams that will split, one tah a pyramid and one tah the sphinx. Sam and Ah are goin' with Nick Fury tah pick up Dorian. He has the powah tah manipulate energy. Ah'll absorb him and Sam will get us inside tah deliver the final hit," Rogue took in a shaky breath, bracing herself for what she had to say next. "Listen Remy, Ah gotta tell ya somethin' 'fore Ah go…" Remy cut her off.

"Cher, y' makin' it sound like y' ain't comin' back."

"Ah… Ah'm not sure if Ah am," she whispered.

"Non Cher, den y' ain't goin'. I won't let y'." Rogue inwardly screamed at his stubbornness.

"Remy, Ah have tah! Don't ya get it? Ah'm the onleh one who can. Besides, Ah set him free. Ah was the final key. Yes," she cut off his protests, "Ah was undah mahnd control, but it was meh none the less. Riaght now Ah have two options. One is tah beh a coward and not fiaght, causing the world to lose ovah half its population and maybeh killin' us both. Mah othah option is tah go with Logan's plan and attack him." Remy stopped her for a moment.

"Mais (But), Rogue- Cher, y' could be…" the Cajun trailed off, not able to finish the sentence.

"Killed? Yeah Remy, Ah may diah, but if it will stop him, Ah'm willin' tah sacrifice mahself and do this," tears began to silently fall down her cheeks. "Ah just wish Ah coulda kissed ya for real without mah powers stoppin' us."

"Anna…" her boyfriend began only to be interrupted by a knock on Rogue's door.

"Stripes, ya got five minutes before you leave. Come on out and say goodbye," Logan said through the wood.

"Alriaght Logan, Ah'll beh down in a minute," the southern belle called.

"Anna, please, don't do dis. Je t'aime (I love you)," Remy pleaded. The rising lump in her throat finally caused a sob to come out.

"Ah'm so sorreh Remy. Ah love yah so much."

"Non, Anna… ROGUE!"

"Goodbah." With that said Rogue hung up on Remy's voice. Putting down the phone, Rogue wiped her eyes and left her room. But, before she left, the girl grabbed a Queen of Hearts card from under her pillow and tucked it into her belt.

Hours later, Rogue sat in a S.H.E.I.L.D. helicopter with Fury, Sam, Dorian, and his mother. The little boy was by her teammate, playing go-fish with a pack of cards. The sight of the cards made her heart ache with desire. After wiping her eyes and hanging up the phone, Rogue had gone down to the hanger to say farewell. Kitty had hugged her tightly, trying not to cry. Jean had smiled and Scott had given her a half-hug. Kurt, her adopted brother had been next. The words he had said burned in her mind. Achten Sie darauf meine Schwester. (Take care my sister). Beast spoke words of encouragement and wished her luck. The last person she spoke to was Logan.

~Flashback~

"Ya be careful, okay Stripes?" he said. Rogue nodded, looking up at him through her hair. "Alright then, we'll see you at the sphinx."

The auburn haired girl turned to leave with Sam and Fury. She had only walked a few steps when she spun back around and sprinted over to him, hugging the man that had become like a father to her. Logan grunted in surprise, but wrapped his arms around her tightly moment later without hesitance.

"Ah love yah Logan," Rogue whispered so only his sensitive ears could hear. He patted her back and she let go with a knowing smile. He loved her, but his tough appearance was necessary. Once more she turned to leave, only this time she didn't look back.

~End Flashback~

The next thing Rogue knew, Sam was shaking her shoulder, breaking her from her thoughts. They had reached the sphinx. It was time.

Rogue slid open the side door of the chopper and looked out. The wind blew her hair around and she took a deep breath. Putting on a brave face, she turned around to address Dorian's mom.

"It's okay, Miss Leech. This is as far as Dorian has tah go." She knelt down so she was eye level to the young boy who hid behind his mom's leg.

"Please don't beh scared. Lahke Ah said, the ability ya have tah shut down the energy around ya, it'll save a lot of people," she removed her right glove, " Ah'm just gonna borrow it for awhile. Are ya ready?"

The little boy looked up at his mom then back to Rogue and nodded. Rogue reached out and touched his forehead for a second. Dorian gave a soft moan as he fell unconscious into his mom's arms. Rogue stood up, glancing at Nick Fury who nodded. The wind whipped her hair back again as she put on her glove. Sam came forward and wrapped his arms around her waist tightly. Together they shot off into the sphinx.

Rogue and Cannonball found Logan struggling with Mystique outside of Apocalypse's tomb. The untouchable girl raised her arms and shut off the shape shifter's powers.

"It's about time you two showed up," growled Wolverine. The pair ran towards the door as he cut a hole through it. "Go, go, go!" he urged them as Mystique got to her feet. Climbing through the opening, Rogue was enraged to find an unconscious Kurt. Sam grabbed her brother and left. Lifting her arms, Rogue cut off the ancient mutant's power. Quickly and quietly she hurried to the capsule where the villain lay.

"You've used us for the last time," she said fiercely. The mutant's eyes open and he tried to grip her arm, but she closed the lid pieces. Logan suddenly jumped on top of the lid.

"Turn the power back one," he ordered. Rogue did as she was told and he dug his claws into the control panel. The pair then began to run towards the door, away from the time machine, Logan was further ahead. The next thing Rogue knew, she was flying through the air. There was pain, and then darkness came over her. The last thing on her mind was her boyfriend's face.