(Gave up on havin Remy speak in third person but he does a little bit)

Disclaimer; Do NOT own the X men.

Chapter 1: For Richer, for Poorer.

The moon was full in the night sky: illuminating the forest below. A girl picked her way through the undergrowth, her black boots avoiding the twigs that littered the floor. Her dark clothes blended in with the gloom so all that was visible where the white streaks of hair that framed her face. Rogue was no longer a teenager but was now twenty-two with auburn hair that reached her shoulders. She was now a senior member of the X-men and still lived at the Xavier institute with a new generation of mutants. The Acolytes and the Brotherhood still terrorised Bayville and the X-men were always there to stop them.

Now Rogue found herself peering wearily about this dark wood as if expecting an attack. Suddenly someone dived from the cover of the trees, knocking Rogue off her feet. The two combatants rolled down the slight hill, bumping over the roots of the trees until they came to a halt with Rogue on top. Then she saw her assailant's face.

"Remy! What the hell do ya think ya doin!"

"Remy is surprisin his Cherie," Gambit coughed.

Rogue sat on the ground next to him as he sat up, fingering the bruises that were already forming on his back.

"Next time Remy'll pick a surprise dat don't hurt so much," he said smiling. Rogue's anger melted away as the Cajun leaned forwards and pressed his lips against hers. Rogue's mind drifted back to the first time they had ever kissed.

Flashback

Rogue stood in the park awaiting the arrival of Remy LeBeau. Their relationship started a few months ago on Rogue's eighteenth birthday. The Cajun had appeared carrying a dozen red roses. No one knew of their relationship, because they met in secret and Rogue was really careful not to let anything slip. Rogue looked up when she heard the rev of a motorbike engine. Off stepped a tall man in a brown trench coat. Underneath he was wearing black jeans and a tight black T-shirt that clung to his incredible body. Her heart nearly stopped when his amazing red on black eyes spotted her. The most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.

"How is Remy's petite dis evenin?" he said as he reached her.

"Fine," she sighed breathlessly.

"How has de institute bin treatin you?" he asked taking her gloved hand in his as they started through a moon lit park.

"Jean n Scott are getting on really well. Ah see marriage somewhere in their future if Mr Righteous ever can bring himself to ask Miss Perfect. Can ya imagine their kids! They'll be tellin meh what to do by the time their two," she heard Remy chuckle next to her. She continued to tell him about the goings on at the institute as they wandered, hand in hand to the place they always sat, alone or together. When Rogue finished talking about her housemates, the couple sat in silence. Rogue was completely relaxed when she was with Remy, just as she was now even though he was staring intently at her.

"Did Remy ever tell Rogue how beautiful she is?" he whispered.

Rogue blushed. Suddenly Remy leaned forward and kissed her bare lips. Rogue pulled back as quickly as she could but she knew that the contact would have drained him. Yet Rogue didn't feel funny. To her shock Remy was sitting opposite her, perfectly fine. They smiled at each other before meeting in a passionate embrace, hands running through each others hair as they fell on the grass.

End Flashback

"Ah liked that hello a lot betta," Rogue said when their kiss ended. "Now can we go somewhere where it's not so cold?"

"If Remy's chere is cold then he will build her a fire."

Fifteen minuets later, Rogue was snuggled up with Remy watching the flames of their fire dance.

"Why do we have to do this?" Rogue muttered.

"Do what petite?"

"Hide what we're doing," Rogue untangled herself from her boyfriend so she could look into his eyes. "We've hid our relationship for four years, Ah can't do this any more." She grabbed his hand. "Join the X-men. Then we can spend every day together instead of sneaking off in the middle of the night like we're ashamed."

"Remy has never been ashamed of his Rogue," his red eyes searched her green. "I have thought about joinin the X-men but den I realised I can't. They'll never trust Gambit, Remy did kidnap Rogue. They'll be wantin to drive you and me apart and they'll be waitin for me to step out of line. Den they'll find about Julian. Remy doesn't wanna wake up wid three little holes in his chest."

Rogue sighed as she wrapped her arms around Remy's waist. She could see some truth in Remy's words. The X-men had grown irritated with their struggle with the Acolytes and impatient with their new members. Lance had tried to bridge the gap between the X-men and the Brotherhood so Kitty and himself could have a go at a relationship. It ended with Lance being driven off by an anxious Scott, who at the time was waiting for an answer from Jean.

"How is this goin to work?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Marry Remy, chere."

"Very funny Remy," she said.

"I is serious petite. Open your eyes." Rogue's eyes snapped open to see Remy holding out a beautiful, diamond ring. Shocked, she looked up at Remy's gorgeous face.

"I love you Rogue and I don't wanna lose you. I never thought this could happen but now that it has I wanna spend every moment with you. Will Rogue marry Remy LeBeau?" he asked, eyes gazing into hers.

"Yes, Remy, Ah'll marry ya."

LJLJLJ

Rogue clambered over the mansion wall and started across the lawn avoiding all the defences. She climbed up to her room's balcony with the ease of someone who had repeated this procedure hundreds of times. Carefully she eased the sliding open, slipped inside and turned to shut it. Behind her a light clicked on. Rogue whirled round to find Kitty sitting on a chair in her pyjamas.

"Holy crap, Kitty. Ya scared the shit out of meh!" she exclaimed, trying to calm her racing heart.

"Rogue, its, like, half four," said the short brunette as she stood up. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Ah went for a walk," Rogue said calmly as she went to hang her jacket up. Kitty followed her across the room.

"You don't go out in the middle of the night to go for a walk! Last night you didn't come home 'til five," Kitty chased after Rogue as she took her boots off. "Rogue, are you even listening to me."

"Ah'm listening," Rogue said as she fiddled with her laces. Kitty sat down on a chair opposite her.

"Rogue, I'm worried about you. You're out all night, doing God knows what. Then during the day your, like, not yourself. Please Rogue, you're my best friend. If you're in some kind of trouble, I can help. I can't loose you."

Rogue looked across to Kitty. The other girl's blue eyes looked into hers, begging for an answer. Rogue realised it was time to tell her.

"Promise ya won't freak out but…" and Rogue told her everything. Kitty sat there, mouth wide open as she listened to Rogue's tale of the romance that she had hidden for four years.

"Ah love him Kitty and Ah'm gonna marry him," Rogue said finally. "Don't tell anyone, they'll just ruin it."

Kitty sat there staring at her southern friend for a few seconds.

"On one condition," the brunette said. "I get to be your bridesmaid. O my God your getting married. Way exciting." Rogue smiled as her friend babbled on about dresses and flowers.

JLJLJL

Down in the lower levels, Professor Xavier wheeled himself out of Cerebro. Logan walked along side him listening carefully.

"I have discovered a new mutant in the Mississippi area. His powers haven't shown themselves so we cannot move in yet."

"Will he be dangerous," Logan growled.

"It's hard to tell," the Prof said. "But we must keep a watchful eye on him so we can make our move at the right time."