I haven't written an X-Men story in a while. This one sort of just came at me. Not sure how long it will be, or actually where is going. Any suggestions are welcome.

Chapter One: Thoughts Of Him

Rogue looked up at the clock for the fourth time in the past minute or so. She didn't know why she was so anxious. All that was waiting for her at home was homework and a training session with Logan. Then again, some physical activity might be what she needed to get her mind off of things… or more likely someone.

Suddenly the bell rang, but she didn't even hear it. She stayed in her seat until Kitty came up to her desk and pulled on her arm. "Come on, Rogue," she urged. "If we're late one more time, we'll like have Logan sessions until the day we like die."

"Okay, okay, ah'm comin'," she snapped, jerking her arm back. Rogue grabbed her backpack and followed Kitty out of the classroom quietly grumbling to herself.

The girls made it back to the mansion with five minutes to spare. They quickly changed and raced down to the Danger Room, where Logan was waiting. He was impatiently tapping his foot with his arms crossed when he eyed the girls.

"Well, it's nice that someone showed up on time… for once." He looked right at Rogue when he said it. She knew that look. She had been getting it for the past two weeks, ever since her little excursion with Gambit in New Orleans. Numerous times Logan asked her what happened there, but she was always closed-mouthed about it. He soon dropped it, knowing she was at times just as stubborn as he was, but he vowed one day he would find out the truth.

Logan looked down at his watch. "Okay, time's up," he said. Then he looked towards the entrance door hearing the faint laughter of teenagers coming down the hall. Sam was the first to enter, followed by Jubilee and Amara. Logan had a stern look on his face as the three teenagers looked up at him. "You're late," was all he said.

"Yeah," Sam said, stuttering a bit. "We stopped for a burger after school. Can't train on an empty stomach." He laughed a bit, but stopped when he realized Logan wasn't laughing with him.

"Okay, you three are first since you're late. Cannonball, you do the honors," Logan said, using a bit of sarcasm.

"Whatever happened to ladies first?" he asked, trying to be funny. Logan just grunted. Putting up his hands in defeat, Sam said, "Okay, let's just get this over with."

Logan directed Amara and Jubilee to the other side of the room. Logan turned to Sam and said, "Your objective is to get the other side and rescue the girls."

"Piece of cake," Sam said, putting on a sly smirk.

Kitty just giggled and said, "Like easier said than done, Sammy boy."

Sam just cocked his head and readied himself. "Ah think ya just bruised his manhood, Kitty," Rogue said.

"Whatever," Kitty said and crossed her arms satisfied with herself. "Let's just see if he pulls it off."

Sam took off running, but within moments simulated guns came out of the walls aimed directly at him. "Ha! You think you can get me with that. He blasted them one by one and moved closer towards the center of the room. Suddenly another obstacle came out of the ceiling. It had metal spiral arms that grabbed hold of him and lifted him up. "Hey, no fair," he shouted. He couldn't get loose from the contraption as it was holding his arms.

"Shadowcat, Rogue, you're up," Logan said.

"You got it," Kitty said and ran towards Sam, but Rogue was in a daze and didn't hear a word Logan said. Kitty leaped up in the air and grabbed hold of one of the metal arms. She fazed her hand through shorting it out and then grabbed hold of Sam, but they both came crashing down onto the floor.

"Oh, damn," Sam said as he fell on top of Kitty. "Wipeout."

"Get off of me," Kitty shouted at him, annoyed.

"Rogue!" she finally heard someone shout at her. She jumped and realized it was Logan.

"What?" she questioned coming back to reality.

"That's what I'd like to know," Logan said.

"I guess we don't get rescued," Jubilee said, directing the question at Amara.

"Looks that way," Amara said almost jokingly.

"Oh, sorry," Rogue said, realizing what had happened. "Ah guess ah'm just distracted."

"Class dismissed," Logan grumbled. The kids filed out glad that this was a short session. Rogue was about to leave when Logan called her back. "Rogue, we need to talk."

"About what?" she asked, but she knew what he was going to say.

"What's going on with you?" Logan asked.

"Nothin'", she said and wouldn't elaborate any further.

"Don't give me that crap," Logan demanded. "You haven't been yourself since…" He stopped seeing Rogue give him her famous death glare. "What's goin' on in that head of yours?"

Ah told ya it's nothin'," she shouted. She paused, calming down a little. "Ah just gotta lotta stuff on mah mind." She headed towards the door as she heard Logan call her name. "Ah don't wanna talk 'bout it!" she called back, refusing to even look at him. She stumped on down the hallway not realizing that Kitty was waiting for her. She kept walking as the younger girl tried to keep up with her.

"So what happened?" Kitty asked. "Like how mad was Logan?"

"Like ah said," she stopped and looked straight at Kitty and shouted. "Ah don't wanna talk 'bout it."

Kitty was so stunned she just stood there while Rogue ran off down the hallway. She made her way up to the bedroom she shared with Kitty and slammed the door after she entered. She sat down on her bed and put her head in her hands. She wondered if Logan was right. Was there something wrong? She didn't know. She had been so moody lately, moodier than usual and she didn't know why. Well, maybe she did.

She opened the drawer to her nightstand and pulled out something. It was a card, the queen of hearts to be exact. She lay down on her stomach on her bed with her feet swaying back and forth and her head propped up staring at the card. She glided her fingers over the picture, studying the intricate details of the artwork. Every line traced by her own hand.

All her thoughts gravitated to that crazy Cajun. She almost smiled at the memories she shared with him, those few stolen moments on the battlefield, and their impromptu adventure in New Orleans. She wondered what he was doing right now, or who with.

"Damn it," she whispered to herself. "Get out of my head."

The problem was that he wouldn't, and in some ways she didn't want him to. She absorbed so many people, but he just seemed to linger there the most. Part of her didn't want him to fade away, and part of her hated herself for thinking about him at all. Why didn't she just throw that card away and forget about him forever. She almost did, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She took a whiff of air and breathed in. The card even smelled like him. It made her heart flutter just thinking about him.

Suddenly the door flew open and she looked up to see Kitty standing there. "Rogue, I like should be so pissed at you right now," Kitty shouted. "You like just left me hanging there."

"Sorry," was all that she said. She kept the card concealed so Kitty couldn't see it.

"Sorry? Is that all you have to say?" Kitty said, plopping down on Rogue's bed. "Sam fell right on top of me, and he had that smirk on his face when he did it. I swear he must of like copped a feel when I was like too distracted to notice."

"I said I was sorry," Rogue said. She still had the card in her hand and tried to cover it as much as possible. The effort was in vain.

"Hey, what's that?" Kitty said, pointing at the card. She would have grabbed it out of her hand, but Rogue wasn't wearing any gloves.

"It's nothin'," Rogue said and sat up and attempted to put it back in her nightstand, but the drawer got stuck.

Kitty got a glance at it. "A playing card? Hey, you weren't thinking of playing poker tonight…not after the last time…"

"No," Rogue said. "It was just a present from…someone," she said. Kitty looked at her enquiringly. "Okay, it was from Gambit," she blurted out, no longer able to take Kitty's knowing smirk. Rogue got off her bed and put the playing card on top of her nightstand.

"Oh, I get it," Kitty said giggling. "You like him."

"Ah do not," Rogue snapped at her. "It's just… forget it," Rogue said and walked over to the window. She stared out into the night sky, knowing he was somewhere out there.

"Oh, yeah, you got it bad," Kitty said, still laughing. "So what did you guys like do in New Orleans?"

"Nothin'," Rogue shouted at her as she turned from the window and glared at her teasing friend. Thinking about the danger they had stepped into, she threw her arms up in frustration. In a calmer voice she said, "Just almost got ourselves killed is all." Rogue stumped towards the door of her bedroom and ran down the stairs and out the door. She kept running until she reached the old gazebo. She liked to go there to think, to get away from everything, but she couldn't get away from the thoughts of him. Gambit remained on her mind.

Okay, that it for the first chapter. Second chapter is on it's way and Gambit will be in it. Thanks for reading and remember to review.