DA Revelations

Episode 17 - Guilt

Chapter One – Who is She?

"I don't believe this is happening – how could something this huge have just gone by without someone thinking once to tell me..."

Rogue waited for Kitty's response to her question on the phone, but on the other end it was silent for several moments.

"He has a daughter. And no one thought once of telling me. Meanwhile I find out you and Jean, the Professor and Hank all fucking knew about it?!"

"It's complicated," was Kitty's response after a moment of contemplation; she sounded tired. It was early in Bayville, although it was already mid-morning in Scotland.

Rogue frowned, "complicated?! How complicated could it be if half the mansion gets to know while I'm left in the dark and I'm the one dating the so-called father."

"It's complicated because of the situation, Rogue. None of us know how Jessie even exists. I'm sure even you must have thought to do the math?"

"Jessie is seven...Remy was dating me around the time she would have been conceived," Rogue leaned against the wall, curling the wire of the payphone around her fingers. "So did he cheat?"

"No. He maintains he didn't...and you know Remy...he'd have said eventually if he had."

"So how is it this seven year old girl is here when Remy didn't cheat."

"We're trying to figure that out too, Rogue."

"Is she Gabrielle?" Rogue asked.

"No...Jessie was born after Gabrielle..."

"So...who is she then?"

"We've been trying to work that out for seven months...and nothing has really become any clearer..."

"Seven months," Rogue shook her head, "god...seven months this has been going on...and right under my nose..."

"I'm sorry," Kitty said. "I wanted to tell you but...I was afraid you just...wouldn't understand. We all were scared you'd flip. Remy was gone for such a long time we didn't think it'd make any difference whether you knew or not, and when he came back...we were so afraid that it'd raise so many questions...eventually that it'd break you up...we couldn't do that to you."

Rogue stared through the glass door into the kitchen of the research centre; Jessie was sitting at the table eating French Toast. At her side, Sean Cassidy was drinking hot coffee, looking thoroughly exhausted. She sighed to herself. "Does Jessie know?"

"No...and we don't think it'd be wise to ever tell her. She'd never understand, Rogue. I mean...how could you explain to a seven year old that her mom and dad weren't her real mom and dad and this total stranger she met just incidentally is actually your real father. She's messed up enough..."

"Remy has known all this time too?"

"No," Kitty answered quickly, "he's known only for about a month...and he's been struggling with it..."

"I can't believe he never told me..."

"He wanted to...but...he didn't want to scare you off – especially since he couldn't even explain how she exists..."

Struggling to come to grips with everything she'd only learned in the last hour, she stood silent for several minutes trying to think clearly. Finally, she spoke. "I don't know how to handle this, Kitty. I mean...what do I do now?"

Kitty's voice was dry on the other end of the line, "you don't need to do anything. Things were fine before you knew and they'll be fine now. If anything they'll be easier now that there's no more secrets."

"I'm not so sure," Rogue said, "knowing something like this makes everything so...so different."

"Why? What has it really changed?"

"I don't know...everything," Rogue rubbed the back of her neck, it felt sore from sleeping awkwardly in the bed beside Jessie. "Everything is different...I can't explain it."

"You're being ridiculous."

"You're supposed to be my best friend and you've been keeping secrets from me for seven months about a daughter the man I love has and you're saying I'm ridiculous?" Rogue demanded. "I'm furious."

"I know. I'm sorry. Listen, I gotta go...Caleb's just spewed all over me and it's gross."

"Fine," Rogue sighed, "bye."

As she slammed the phone down she realised that it was unfair to be so mad with Kitty – it probably hadn't been Kitty's idea to keep the whole thing a secret in the first place. Kitty hadn't been the only one keeping secrets...the Professor, Jean, and Hank had too.

Remy knew for a month...now I understand why he was so upset over Christmas and New Years.