Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men, the song According to You by Orianthi, NCIS, or any other things I may or may not have mentioned in this fanfic. All credit goes to their respective owners. I'm just using them as a creative outlet. ;)
According to you I'm stupid, I'm useless
I can't do anything right
"Rogue! Defend your teammates!"
"Why can't you do anything right?"
"At least try and make yourself useful!" Scott 'Cyclopes' Summers' furious voice echoed in Anna Marie 'Rouge' Darkholm's head long after she stormed out of the Danger room session in which Scott decided it would be enjoyable if he mocked, yelled, and insulted her all throughout the session. After the last one Anna Marie had left, nearly in tears.
Changing out of her uniform, she pondered just what she had done to get that kind of treatment from him.
Whenever he and Jean had an argument, she was the 'rebound girl'. The girl to make Jean jealous and Scott feel good. Yeah, it hurt whenever he dumped her for Jean, but she didn't stop him from doing it and making a real choice because, well, she liked him. He was the reason why she joined the X-Men. And now, three years later, after they had defeated Apocalypse together, they were once again in their 'relationship'. Usually, though, he saved the insults until after they broke up, or, possibly worse, they got in an argument. But she couldn't think of anything she did wrong. She was defending her teammates. She did make some mistakes, but she did do some things right. And she was more useful then she had been previously, due to the Professor's help. She was now able to 'bring back' old psyches and use their powers. Although it still required a good deal of concentration, she could help now, instead of just leeching. She was even working on touch. It was difficult, and she hadn't succeeded yet, but she did it for him. Why didn't he see that?
According to you I'm difficult, hard to please
Forever changing my mind
At dinner that night, Anna Marie tried once again to convince him to call her by her real name.
"It's kind of hard to call someone by their real name when you don't know what it is." He remarked snidely.
"Scott, I thought I told you that my name was Anna Marie." She said softly in exasperation.
"Well, which is it, Anna or Marie?" He snapped in irritation.
"It's Anna Marie. If you think it's too long pick one of them, but please, don't call me Rogue outside of the DR and missions. I'm tired of not having a name." With this comment Anna Marie picked up her plate to take it to the kitchen, saying, "I'll go get ready for our date now. See you in a while."
I'm a mess in a dress, can't show up on time
Even if it would save my life
According to you, according to you
"RO- Erm, ANNA! Are you ready yet?" Scott's frustrated voice came to Anna Marie once again as she tried to convince Kitty once again that Scott didn't care if she wore glitter eyeliner.
"Hurry up! We're already running late!" His voice came again as she finally used Kitty's own power against the brunette to phase through the door and start running down the hall.
"I wasn't, like, done! Scott, if she looks bad, it's, like, your own fault!" The valley girl's voice came towards the couple as Anna Marie reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Ready!" Anna Marie said somewhat breathlessly as he looked at her, and, without accepting the hug she was offering, turned around and said, "You're driving."
"What, no hug?" Anna Marie said half-jokingly, trying to catch up to his retreating figure.
"No. Why can't you ever be on time?" He whined as they got into her forest green Ferrari, which had been an 18th birthday present from Logan, Ororo and the Professor.
Anna Marie heard the underlying tone though. Death-gripping the steering wheel she said softy, "Well, I'm sorry I'm not Jean."
But according to him I'm beautiful, incredible
He can't get me out of his head
According to him I'm funny, irresistible
Everything he ever wanted
When they arrived at the theatre, Scott bought the tickets to Shrek: The Final Chapter with Anna Marie wondering, yet again, how Jean put up with his choice of movies on a long-term basis. As they entered the theatre, Scott started to complain about how they would miss the first five minutes of the movie unless they boycotted the popcorn.
Interrupting, Anna Marie said, "I'll get the popcorn, you go ahead."
Stopping in mid-sentence, Scott looked at her in surprise, exclaiming, "Are you sure? You've been looking forward to this for three months!"
Realizing then why they were going to see this particular movie, Anna Marie said with a small smile and a sigh, "No, Scott, Jean has been looking forward to this. You go ahead."
As she stood in the seemingly endless line for popcorn she heard a familiar voice in her ear mummer, "Fancy seeing you here cher."
Whirling around, she found herself uncomfortably close to a certain Cajun.
Looking into his eyes, she was reminded of how nice it was when he took her to New Orleans. "Well, until he decided to betray you." One of Anna Marie's psyches spoke up annoyingly. Deciding to take her annoyance at the psyches out on him, she thwacked him. Hard. "What are you doing here, Gambit?" She whispered furiously, saying his name as if a curse.
He smiled his classic smirk and said, "I'm here to watch a movie. My date sent me to get popcorn. What are you doing here?"
"My date sent me to get popcorn." She said dryly, turning back around to focus her attention on the unmoving line. For some reason she couldn't comprehend, her heart fell when he said that he was here on a date. Be quiet! You like Scott! She reminded herself sternly. The only problem with scolding herself is that her psyches tended to speak up more when she did.
"Stay away from him kid. Stay away from Summers too. They both just want to use you." Logan growled from the abyss of her mind.
"Like, he's totally into you! He just said that to make you, like, jealous. Just like Scott's doing with Jean. Personally, I think you'd be better off with Remy. He's way more toned." Kitty's valley girl peppiness invaded her thoughts next.
"Nein! Stay away from him! This guy is bad news. I will not let him hurt mein Schwester. Nicht again." Kurt's older/younger brother possessiveness came over her as she began to hold onto her head, unable to keep all of the voices in her mental 'room' like she usually was able to.
"Cher? Are you all right? Rogue?" She heard Gambit's voice, filled with concern as she knelt on the ground, overcome with the pain of the psyches, each of them demanding to be heard next.
"I'm fine. If Scott comes out tell him I went to the car." The girl muttered quickly, trying to stand up, only to realize that Gambit had her in his arms carrying her to the exit.
"Gambit! Let me go!" The Southern girl's accent became noticeably stronger as she weakly struggled against his arms.
"Non." He replied stubbornly.
"Why?" Anna Marie seethed with rage.
"Cher, you couldn't even make it to the candy counter. If you think I'm about to let you drive back to the Institute, then you're un femme aliéné."
"For your information, Swamp Rat, I'm fine! I just got a headache! No big deal!" She snapped, furious that he noticed that she needed someone's help. She was just going to stay in the car until Scott came out, but suddenly a thought overcame her. But now I can figure out why he didn't come back with me to the Institute last year!
Then, as she translated what he had said, she gasped and said, "I am not your cher or insane!"
In response, he simply chuckled, a deep, warm sound that reminded Rogue of dark chocolate. If chocolate had a sound, that is.
Leaning into his arms with a huff, Anna Marie noticed, with most her girl psyches cheering, that Gambit really was toned.
Everything is opposite; I don't feel like stopping it
So baby tell me what I got to lose
He's into me for everything I'm not
According to you
"I can't believe you let him drive you home! And that you left me!" Scott was whining. Again.
"Well, you got back home fine, didn't you? You said the movie was the best one yet too. I don't see why you're so mad at me." Anna Marie barely glanced up from her book as he ranted again.
"Gambit is bad news! Remember what happened when he kidnapped you?"
"Scott! Contrary to what you may believe, Gambit took me to New Orleans to help his father. He did the wrong thing for the right reasons." Anna Marie was beginning to get slightly annoyed. No, scratch that. She was already very annoyed.
"Then why didn't he help us with Apocalypse? Why didn't he join us?" The make teen asked, his glasses flashing with anger.
"He had to get out of an arranged marriage. He explained it to me on the drive home. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a book I want to read." With this statement the Rogue stood up and walked away, trying to find a place with peace and quiet for once. Which, when living in a mansion full of mutant teenagers, is harder than it sounds.
According to you I'm boring, I'm moody
You can't take me anyplace
"What about you Kurt? You in for the night in the 'City that never sleeps'?" Scott's voice floated towards Anna Marie, who was practicing with Logan at the time. And by practicing, she meant using his own powers against him to try and win. Also harder then it sounds, since she promised to only use his powers and to try not absorbing him.
"I don't know. Can Amanda come?" Kurt's eager voice came next as she avoided getting skewered, yet again.
Scott chuckled, saying, "Sure! The more the merrier. Oh, one thing. Don't tell Rogue about this."
Frowning with concentration and frustration at him not using her real name again, Anna Marie kicked Logan's legs out from underneath him and placed her bone claws at his neck.
"Why?" Anna Marie heard Kurt ask as she smiled down at Logan.
"I win!" She smirked, helping the Canadian up.
"Well, she doesn't really like crowds. I don't want her to bring the attitude of the rest of the group down."
"Only because I let you. You're getting better kid. Don't get cocky though." Logan growled, playfully punching the girl.
As he looked at her hurt face, he asked, "Did I punch you that hard?"
Shaking her head, Anna Marie simply said, "Don't you dare kill anyone in or around the mansion after I get through with this." Walking out of the Danger Room, Anna Marie left a very confused Canadian behind her as she tried to find Scott. He's only ever going to use me. She realized suddenly, her stomach sinking.
According to you I suck at telling jokes
'Cause I always give it away
"Scott? Can I talk to you?" Anna Marie stood in his doorway tentatively, knowing full well what she had to do, and hating herself for not realizing it earlier.
"Yeah, sure. Come on in." Scott finished polishing his glasses. When he put them back on, Anna Marie couldn't help but notice that he looked slightly disappointed.
"Because you're not me." Jean's psyche spoke up smugly. Anna Marie couldn't even remember when she absorbed Jean. All she knew was Ms. Perfect was in her head and she was pissed that Anna Marie kept stealing her man.
"I have a riddle for you. It's one I saw on NCIS the other day."(1) She said with false cheeriness, plastering a smile on her face.
"Is it the one with the guy in the room with only a mirror and a bench again?" The young man asked the girl while making a face.
"How did you know?" She asked, disappointed. It would have been the perfect opening line to break up with him.
"I was there when you watched that episode with Kitty. Remember?" He smiled at her patronizingly, a sight which now made her sick to her stomach instead of the usual butterflies.
I'm the girl with the worst attention span
You're the boy who puts up with that
According to you, according to you
"You're breaking up with me? But, but, this is all wrong! I'm supposed to be the one to break up with you!" Scott's furious voice sounded throughout the mansion, with all but the extremely brave, or foolish, staying to see the end result.
"Scott, I'm tired of being your rebound girl! Just talk to Jean about your relationship issues once in a while. Might help you out since you two always break up over the same thing." Anna Marie explained calmly, refusing to raise her voice.
"This is about Gambit, isn't it? He's seduced you again!" Scott accused as she rose to leave.
Whirling around, Anna Marie shouted for the first time in the argument, saying, "Leave him out of this! This is between you and me. Yeah, maybe hanging out with him last night made me realize that I'll never beanything other than a teammate to you. Is that such a bad thing? I think not!"
Stalking out of his room, Anna Marie slammed the door closed as hard as she could while using Colossus' power, which, thankfully, had stayed with her after Apocalypse.
But according to him I'm beautiful, incredible
He can't get me out of his head
After being stared at by the rest of the Institute all throughout dinner, Anna Marie gave up on trying to tell people that she was fine.
"I'm going to visit Wanda! Anyone need a lift into town?" She called, getting tired of everyone treating her like a time bomb. After Apocalypse she and Wanda had become good friends, much to the chagrin of Kitty, because now Anna Marie had someone to shop with.
"You meeting her at the, like, Brotherhood house?" Kitty asked as she phased through the ceiling into the front foyer.
"Yeah, I am. Why?" Anna Marie asked, curious despite her better instincts, walking towards the garage.
"I'm going to, like, break up with Lance." Kitty said determinedly. Or, as determinedly as the petite valley girl could get.
Stopping dead in her tracks, Anna Marie spun around, and seeing the look of shock on the other girl's face, Kitty laughed, saying, "You know, sometimes it takes one person to realize how, like, crappy their relationship is in order for another to, like, realize the exact same thing. You breaking up with Scott helped me realize that Lance isn't treating me right. So, like, thanks!"
"Oh… Kay?" Turning back around, Anna Marie wondered if everyone in the Institute was going to break up because of her. That would definitely be interesting. She thought with a slight smile on her face while getting into her car.
According to him I'm funny, irresistible
Everything he ever wanted
As they pulled up to the Brotherhood Boarding House, Anna Marie and Kitty noticed two foreign motorcycles in the driveway. One was sliver chrome, and the other a reddish black.
"Maybe Mags decided to, like, try and buy his kids over to, like, his side again." Kitty offered lamely as they sat in the car, wondering if there was anyone new in the House.
Shrugging, Anna Marie said, "Maybe. I don't know about you, but I'm not going to sit her like a duck." Going comedic, she said in her Sherlock Holmes voice, "Let's investigate, Watson!"
Laughing, the two girls walked through the door, yelling simultaneously, "Honey, I'm home!" (2)
"Ah, so now I'm your honey? I feel so touched cherie." A distinctively Cajun voice came from the kitchen.
Groaning, Anna Marie tried to walk out the door, only to be stopped by Kitty. "Talk to him!" She mouthed. "You're free now!"
"We're in the kitchen!" Freddy yelled, also from the direction of the kitchen.
"Wow. Freddy is in the kitchen. I never would have guessed." Kitty joked, and, leaving Anna Marie in the front foyer looking shocked, she phased through all necessary obstacles and walls to get into said kitchen.
"Do you guys know where Lance, like, is?" Kitty asked as she came into the kitchen, slightly confused at the sight of both Gambit and Colossus sitting around the table talking to Freddy, Toad, Wanda, and Pietro. The only member of the Brotherhood missing was Lance.
As the Brotherhood shared uneasy glances, they were spared answering the question as they suffered an extreme shock.
Anna Marie also walked through the wall, nearly running into Kitty. Phasing through her at the last moment, Kitty joked, "You need to, like, stop doing that."
"Well now you know how it feels for the rest of us." Anna Marie joked right back.
Wanda, the first member to regain the power of speech, managed to get out, "How long?"
"How long what?" Anna Marie asked, thoroughly confused.
"Have you been able to control your powers?" Wanda asked, as the rest of the Brotherhood, and Gambit and Colossus, slowly came to their senses.
"Oh, I'm not in full control yet. I can only bring back old psyches. I'm still working on the whole touch thing."
"Rogue that's—"
Wanda's ecstatic voice was interrupted by Anna Marie saying, "My name's Anna Marie."
"Well, then, Ms. Marie, that's great!"
"She also, like, broke up with Scott." Kitty joined in on the conversation, surprised that the Brotherhood hadn't known yet.
"Kitty!" Anna Marie said right as Wanda and Gambit said, "Good." Although, Gambit used the French term, like the good Cajun he was.
Looking at them curiously, Anna Marie asked, "Why is it good? Just out of curiosity."
"He was a jerk." Wanda said simply.
"Now I can take you out on a date." Gambit stated, just as simply.
Everything is opposite; I don't feel like stopping it
So baby tell me what I got to lose
After about five minutes of shocked silence, Anna Marie said cockily, "What makes you think I'd want to go out with a Swamp Rat?"
"My incredible spidey-sense tells me so."(3) He replied, just as cockily.
"Look, Gambit –" Anna Marie started, clearly flustered.
"Remy." The Cajun charmer interrupted.
"Pardon?" The girl asked, arching an eyebrow.
"My name's Remy. Remy LeBeau." Remy stated.
"Oh…Kay? Look, I don't know if I'm ready for another relationship yet. The last guy I dated I just dumped about three hours ago, and he, as Wanda said so sweetly, a jerk." Anna Marie said delicately, not wanting to push Remy away completely.
"But you said yet. So that means that you'd give Remy a chance?" His eyes widening with hope, Anna Marie couldn't help but laugh.
She was spared answering as Lance came into the room with a pink haired girl on his arm.
Yet another shocked, and extremely awkward, silence fell upon the room as Kitty walked up to Lance and smiled sweetly.
"Who's this?" She asked, purposely widening her eyes to look like she was hurt.
"Um, this is, uh, Sarah. Sarah, this is uh…"
With a slap to his face, scratching him on the downward stroke, she said with more venom most thought she had, "His ex-girlfriend."
Walking out of the room, Kitty called over her shoulder, "I'll be at the mall." Just as she was out of the room, she poked her head back in and told Sarah, "You can do way better. Don't get sucked into his lies like I did. Nice to meet you!"
"Hold on a sec! Do you need a ride to the mall?" Sarah asked.
"That would be, like, great!" Kitty said cheerily.
"Cool! Lemme just fix one thing." Turning to Lance, Sarah asked him, "Does it hurt?"
Nodding, he eyed her warily.
"Good." With this statement, she shot bones out of her hands at him, pinning him to the wall.
As the two girls walked out of the House talking about all of the jerks they had gone out with, they heard Lance yelling, "Sarah! Kitty! Please give me another chance!"
The only response he got was the spinning of Sarah's car tires on the gravel outside.
He's into me for everything I'm not
According to you
"My-life-is-so-soap-opera-y!" Pietro complained in his high-speed voice.
As everyone laughed, Lance struggled to get away from the wall.
"A little help here?" He snarled, upset that he had made both girls angry with him.
"Not going to happen."
"Non."
"Not going to happen, yo"
"нет"
"Not on your life."
"Nope."
"You-really-are-delusional, aren't-you?"
With every comment, each person walked past him towards the living room.
"What did I do to deserve this kind of treatment?" The Chicago native yelled in frustration.
"You cheated!" All of the others yelled back.
Turning his attention back to Anna Marie, Remy asked again, "So you would give me a chance?"
"I… I don't know. Probably. Maybe." She said hesitantly. Then, out of the blue, she asked, "Why do you even want to go out with me? I thought you had a date last night. What about her?"
"Cher, I was at the movies with Piotr and John. We were having our 'guy date'. I'm pretty sure neither of them would mind if I went out with you. And why wouldn't I want to go out with you?" Remy smirked, his eyes both sincere and kind.
"Actually, I am pretty sure John would mind. He worries me." Colossus, or Piotr said solemnly, allowing his input on the situation to be heard. "But ever since Remy saw you at that first battle he has not stopped talking about you."
"Pete! Not cool homme!" Remy exclaimed, his embarrassment obvious.
"I was not supposed to tell her that? I am sorry comrade." Piotr said, slightly embarrassed that he had spilt his friend's secret.
Anna Marie's laughter was interrupted by her phone ringing, as she picked it up with an annoyed expression on her face, she felt Remy's eyes studying her.
"Please Rogue! Give me another chance!" Remy heard Scott's voice clearly through the girl's iPhone.
"What you just said made my decision to break up with you all the clearer. Get a life. One without me as your girlfriend." Anna Marie snapped, hanging up on him.
Leaning back with a sigh, the duel colored haired girl said, "I am going to drain him dry if he annoys me enough."
I need to feel appreciated
Like I'm not hated, oh no
"But Professor-" Scott tried to explain his point of view, once again.
"No Scott. I've made my decision. Both Gambit and Colossus can be valuable members of this team. As can Sarah, in time. Also, it seems you're overruled." Professor Charles Xavier said kindly but firmly as he tried to calm down the quick-tempered youth.
"Of course I'm overruled! Everyone will take Rogue and Kitty's side on this because of their relationships with them." Scott said furiously, spitting out the last word as if he were trying to get rid of a poison.
"Oh, so now you have a problem with Piotr too?" Kitty asked furiously, walking up to the young man, and looking quite comical while glaring at him from two feet below his head.
"N-No. It's just, it's just, G-Gambit's a b-bad influence." Scott stuttered he tried not to fall victim of 'The Lance Incident', which had become famous around the Institute.
"Bad influence my butt. Why can't you see me through his eyes? R-Gambit's a great guy, and you're making a mountain out of a molehill. It really is too bad you're making me decide.(4) Because if you do, I'll chose him, have no doubt about that." Anna Marie progressively got angrier as she approached Scott, backing him into the wall. After glaring at each other for about three minutes, Scott sighed angrily and said, "Fine. I'll go along with it, doesn't mean I'll be happy about it."
Nodding, the Professor said, "I expected that. Which is why you and Gambit will be room mates."
But according to me you're stupid, you're useless
You can't do anything right
It had been three months since Gambit, Piotr, and Sarah had joined the mansion. At this time everyone knew Gambit's real name, and Sarah had gotten a code name, Marrow. Everyone seemed to get along with each other until one day in the Danger Room.
It was team exercises, with room mates paired together. Scott and Remy were last. Everything had gone smoothly until Scott rounded on Remy, blasting him into the wall.
As the control room collectively gasped, Kurt teleported down to Remy, getting him to the med lab as soon as possible. Kitty ran down to help Dr. McCoy, and everyone else stood around talking about what had happened, ignoring Scott's protests that he didn't mean to attack Remy. Everyone except Anna Marie; she stood rooted to the spot, staring at the spot where Remy had landed with a glazed expression. As Scott continued to try to protest his innocence, Anna Marie suddenly whirled around at him and yelled, "Shut up with your no-good excuses! We all know you've never liked Remy, and you got the perfect opportunity to get rid of him down there. He could die because of what you did. Don't tempt me on taking up my offer on something I said to Remy once. Because if he doesn't make it, which you better hope he does, I will make your life a living hell; just as you did to me when we broke up. Except I won't stop." Just as she finished her rampage, Anna Marie used Kurt's teleporting abilities and went down to the med lab to see how her Cajun was doing.
Flashback
"You know you're beautiful, right?" Remy murmured into Anna Marie's ear as she sat on the roof, looking out at Bayville.
"Yeah, right. I bet you say that to anyone in a skirt." She scoffed, shifting slightly so that her skin wasn't as exposed.
"Non, I only say it when I mean it. And only to one femme." He said seriously, looking into her eyes.
"Why?" She whispered.
"Why what, cher?" Resting his head on her shoulder.
"Why do you want to be with me?" She asked, turning to him; confusion, hurt, and her love for him apparent in her emerald eyes.
"Well… I'm of the belief that you are beautiful, incredible, irresistible, funny, as well as everything I've ever wanted. I can't get you out of my head.(5) Everything is opposite; I don't feel like stopping it. Je t'aime, Marie."
So baby tell me what I got to lose
He's into me for everything I'm not
When she got down to the med lab, Dr. McCoy and Kitty were just emerging from the operating room.
"Will he be all right?" She asked them, skipping any small talk.
As Kitty began to hesitate, Anna Marie knew that it couldn't be good. "Can I go in?" She asked in a low voice, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to overflow.
"Go right in, my dear. Try not to wake him though. Kitty and I have done all that we can, however, we won't know if it's enough until morning."
According to you (you, you)
According to you (you, you)
Anna Marie stayed with him all night and all of the next day. Soon the day turned into days, which turned into weeks, which turned into months. She would go about her routine as usual, but every spare second she had she would be at his side, just talking to him.
He never woke up, and, in a way, neither did she.
According to you I'm stupid, I'm useless
I can't do anything right
(1) - This is from the NCIS episode 7x24 (Rule Fifty-One). And yes, I love NCIS!
(2)- From the hit tv show I Love Lucy
(3)- I heard my brother watching an episode of The Incredible Spider Man and I couldn't resist using this. I don't own Spider Man either, in case you were wondering.
(4)- It's actually dizzy, but the first few times I heard the song I thought it said decide. It worked out better for the flow this way.
(5)- I hope the general idea of the lyrics here is gotten across here. The song goes:
According to him, I'm beautiful, incredible
He can't get me out of his head
According to him, I'm funny, irresistible
Everything he ever wanted
A/N: This is my first ever fic… Add to that the fact that's it's a song fic; and I'm probably unnecessarily worried about how this will be received. All ratings and reviews are welcome.
I grew slightly bored at the end… Sorry if the ending is bad. I never planned for Remy to go, but the story began to write itself.
Also, I'm not really sure why I made Kitty Dr. McCoy's assistant. I suppose she struck me as a person who would go into the medical field.
