A/N: This is kinda a ROMY/RIETRO ....Thats Rogue-Remy, and Rogue-Pietro (NOT Remy-Pietro, as cute as they'd look together.... and I do love them both....). Anyways, Savage Garden's "The Lover After Me" Is obviously not my work.... Shame.... and I only wish the X-men were mine, but SOMEONE forgot to get me them for Xmas....

The Lover After Me

"Speech"   ~Lyrics~    (Rogue's comments)

An auburn haired woman sat at her desk, not realising the time, or that it was infact pitch black outside, having only paused once in her writing to turn the lights on. Her assistant knew better than to disturb her when she was working, especially as she was the most widely acclaimed song-writer.

"Rogue?" Pietro asked from the doorway. As Rogue, now formally known as Marie Darkholme, turned to look at him, he noted the tireness and worn-out look in her eyes. As her occasional lover and friend, he recognised that look instantly, and picked her up. "No more work tonight, okay? You've been there for about 13 hours straight. Bad for you.." Rogue laughed, her work in hand.

"Ah was enjoyin mahself. Wahy don't ya run off ahn do tha same Pietro?" He smirked. "'Sides… Was jus somethin' Ah had ta get off Mah chest." He just nodded. He knew exactly what it was. Slowly, as more time went by, she was getting used to having him around, instead of his friend, Remy Lebeau.

"Lousy-no-good-Cajun-been-interupting-your-thoughts?" He had managed to control the speed of his speech, except when he was upset.

"Yeah…" She whispered. "An' its abaht tihme he stopped." She smiled a little.

~Here I go again I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today, (again)
It's been seven months and counting,
You've moved on,
(or back really…)
I still feel exactly the same.
(except now Ah hate ya as well…)
It's just that everywhere I go all the buildings know your name,
( no surprise Cajun)
Like photographs and memories of love,
Steel and granite reminders,
The city calls your name and I can't move on.~

No, no matter what happened, they both knew she was always going to think about him, and she wasn't going to be able to stop herself.  She was just using Pietro, she knew that, but he was using her as well. He wasn't interested in anyone but Kitty, but ever since Lance had shown an interest in her, She'd forgotten all about Pietro.

"You don't have to y'know… You don't have to forget him…"

"Ah dohnt wahnt ta Pietro, Ah jus don't wahnt him in mah head all tha time." She sighed. "Ah wahnt him here… and Bets… An Kitty… an All th' people Ah miss." She handed him her sheets of paper to read, the work typed, with pencil comments written in.

~Ever since you've been gone,
The lights go out the same,
The only difference is,
You call another name,
To your love,
To your lover now,
To your love,
The lover after me.~


"This what you've been working on all day?" Pietro looked worried, but it was only natural that she wrote this now. Ten years exactly since Rogue and Remy met… An amusing incident.

"Ah done mah homework…" She teased.

"Well then I guess you can go out and play…" he retorted quickly, this coming from his mind rather than his speed.


"Thahnk ya kihndley Sir...." She muttered, starting to feel the tiredness in her muscles. Taking the hand he offered to her, she let him lead her into the front room, and onto the sofa infront of the roaring open fire. Pietro watched her as she curled up against his body on the sofa and fell asleep.


~Am I all alone in the universe?
There's no love on these streets
I have given mine away to a world that didn't want it anyway
So this is my new freedom
It's funny
I don't remember being chained
But nothing seems to make sense anymore
Without you I'm always twenty minutes late~


He stroked her hair softly, re-reading what she'd handed him. "You should call him...." He whispered to her sleeping form. "Or move on.... and-youre-not-the-only-one." He finished a little sadly, reaching for his glass of Jack Daniels already poured on the side next to him. He glanced around the large living room, thinking of how things should have been. "I-should-be-with.... someone.... anyone.... who-loves-me...." He smiled at Rogue. "An-you-should-be-with-that-Cajun-asshole." He paused again, taking another mouthful of the brown liquid, not wincing as it burned a passage down his throat, having gotten used to the taste now. "But-Ill-never-leave-you-Marie. I-love-you-even-though-you-don't-love-me." He paused again, running and hand back through his silver hair, pushing it out of his eyes. "Maybe-one-day-you-can-and-will."

          Asleep, Rogues dreams were the same as they had been for some time now.... Remy.... her dreams haunted by a red-on-black eyed Cajun card slinger, and a silver-haired speed-demon. Torn between the two. Remy left her.... and Pietro.... she didn't love Pietro, as much as she would love to believe that she did. He was.... convient.... safe.

~Ever since you've been gone
The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me~


He kissed her forehead as she whimpered in her sleep, wondering, as always, what was running through her head.

          Rogue frowned, looking from one to the other. If, and that was a big if.... If Remy appeared, asking her to run away with him.... leave the mansion, and Pietro, would she? Pietro's psyche was sat on a bench looking at her with saddened eyes. HE knew she would. Remy's psyche, complete with cocky grin, also knew. She felt so weak. If he came back, she'd go with him. She knew it, and hated herself for it.

~And time goes by so slowly
The nights are cold and lonely
I shouldn't be holding on
But I'm still holding on for you~


The silk curtains shifted slightly in a breeze that hadn't been blowing before, and stopped as abruptly as it had started. Moving carefully out from under Rogue, Pietro made his way to the window, confused. He was sure he had closed and locked that before going to separate His Marie from her work. After sliding down the window, he didn't turn back around, just spoke low enough for her not to hear.

"You're here for her aren't you?"

"Oui home." The Cajun voice replied, just as smoothly.

"You know we have a front door?" Pietro replied smoothly, turning to face his old team-mate.

"Remy like t' make an entrance." He smirked, raising one eyebrow at Pietro's hands, balled up into fists at his side.

"She-doesn't-want-anything-to-do-with-you-Gambit. Leave." It was an order, and his voice was rising in volume.

"Y' gon' wake m' belle femme." Remy chided, loving annoying Pietro.

"Then-Go."

"Remy?" A sleepy voice asked from behind the couple. "Wha' th' hell ahre ya doin' here?"

"Prom'sed y' Remy'd b' back chere." He smirked.

~Here I go again
I promised myself I wouldn't think of you today
But I'm standing at your doorway
I'm calling out your name because I can't move on~

"What-do-you-want-Gambit?" Pietro bit out sharply.

"Rogue...." Gambit looked to her. "Came back f' y' chere....."

She shook her head and Pietro smiled. She wasn't buying it! Hope soared in him.

"Ah dont wahnt ya Cajun! Ya left without ah word! Ah aihnt f'givin ya THIS tihme." She folded her arms and stood, making to move past him to Pietro, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her up against his chest.

"Y' tryin' t' tell Remy dat y' don' love him n' more?"

"Get-your-filthy-hands-off-her!" Pietro shouted, taking a step forwards, but stopped when Rogue spoke.

"Ah cahn handle mahself Pietro. Coffee?" She asked him, and he nodded.

"If-that's-what-you-want-Marie." She nodded and he left. Putting her hands against Remy's chest, she tried to push him away.

"Get ya hands off meh Swamp-rat!" She slapped him to get that cocky grin off his face, but it just grew.

"Y' still love dis Cajun chere. Gambit Know."

"What makes ya think that?"

"If Y'really want'd Remy off, y'da punched 'im." He smirked and traced a finger down her jaw, watching her reaction to his touch with a smile, before kissing her lips gently. "An y'da drain'd 'im b' now."

"What do ya wahnt Remy? Ah have ah nice lihfe here...."

"With Pietro....?"

"With Pietro." She confirmed.

"Remy aint not'in wi'out y' petite."

~Ever since you've been gone

The lights go out the same
The only difference is
You call another name
To your love
To your lover now
To your love
The lover after me~

He kissed her again, softly, and ignored the shatter of the cup as Pietro came back into the room.

"Je t'aime Rogue...." He whispered, close to her ear.

"Ah love ya too." She whispered, moving away from him to Pietro. "Ahm sorry." He looked like an eight year old boy whos puppy just got ran over. "Thank ya Pietro, an dohnt worry.... th' impossible happ'n'd t'night.... Mehbe, it'll happen foah ya too."

"Don't-worry-bout-me-Marie." He watched her leave with Remy. "I-cant-have-what-I-want.... she-just-left-me."

A/n: Yep, I know Rogue's accent changes a little, gets thicker, then drops back to almost non-existant. Its late, I'm tired, it was just about time I put up a new fic. I love the idea of Rogue and Pietro getting together, but this is the only way I can ever see it happening. This kinda follows the "million miles away" and "bed of roses" (unfinished) storyline, where Remy leaves to go back to new Orleans and Belladonna because.... well, that's a whole nother fic.... one without a song hopefully!

Remember....

I love my reviewers....