"I just want one day. One day of thievin'. Gambit ain't been able to flex his sticky fingers in years. I'm gettin' antsy," Gambit complained, staring absentmindedly into his empty glass of scotch. He swirled the air absentmindedly before pointing the rim toward his father expectantly.
"Of course. But be warned. I need to get a day to give a day." Candra said, her pale blue eyes boring into Remy. Normally, the gaze would chill Remy to the core but tonight, mostly due to the influence of alcohol, Remy only looked blankly back at her.
Jean-Luc filled Remy's cup to the bring with amber liquid.
"What do you mean?" Remy asked, bringing the glass to his lips.
"One day of your life. Perhaps the day you were sick, some day from the past that you probably don't remember," Candra said quietly, her eyes gleaming.
"A day when I was suffering from the flu? In exchange for a day of consequence-free thievin'? Sign right up."
The smirk on Candra's face matched Jean-Luc's, "Of course. Nothing less for the Prince of Thieves."
Remy laughed, "Ain't been a prince fo' a long time. Rogue got me whipped real good."
"Just sign right here," Candra said, rolling out a long golden roll of parchment. She set forward a quill and a gold bottle of ink.
Remy lazily signed his name in cursive. The light in the room began to shimmer, and wind began to whirl loudly.
"Have a nice day of freedom."
Remy woke up with a groan, a crick in his neck. He rubbed it slightly and groaned, slowly sitting up. He blinked twice, trying to get his bearings. His memories were vague, something about a contract, and "a day of..."
Remy sat up. His day of thieving! He had 24 hours of stress free life as the Prince of Thieves. No mansion. No X-Men. No rules.
A female cough sounded beside him.
His heart dropped a little. If Rogue was here with him, it was obvious that Candra's magic hadn't worked.
Oh, well. Nothing like a little bit of Rogue to cheer him up.
"Mon cherie, how was your evening with Gambit," he drawled, turning toward-
Oh. Shit.
The girl's back was completely bare. Alarm bells were ringing in his head. Blonde hair. Blonde hair. The girl yawned, turning over, and she smiled, "Thanks for the great night, Gambit."
Remy was still, his expression frozen.
"You okay, hon'?" the girl asked, searching around the sheets for her clothes. She pulled on her shirt, and then glanced at the clock, "I gotta go, I got work. You'll be okay, right hon'?"
Remy nodded dumbly. The girl blew him a kiss and walked out the door of his bedroom.
Where was he?
His apartment. His old apartment from when he had still lived in New Orleans. From before he had joined the X-Men.
He stood up, rooting around his closet for his clothes. He pulled on a t-shirt, jeans, and his trench coat.
His mind busily formulated a plan in his mind. Head to the Guild, figure out if this is real, and then enjoy his day.
He sighed a little happily. One day would be all he needed. All the kids at the X-Men Mansion had been started to eat at his nerves.
He grabbed his motorcycle keys by the dish in the foyer, and was pleased when he spotted his old black motorcycle in the garage. When he had moved to the Mansion, the motorcycle had been crushed by a tin can after Bobby had decided to take it out for a joy ride.
Granted, Bobby had been forced to work chores at the mansion, doing odd jobs for people so he could buy Gambit a new, cherry red motorcycle, but Gambit had still missed the feeling of his old motorcycle.
He chuckled as the engine purred, and he veered out onto the familiar streets of the Big Easy.
The landmarks, the roads, were so familiar that his motions steering the motorcycle seemed like second nature. He pulled into the driveway of the Thieve's Guild Headquarters, and hopped out. He walked into the mansion, pressing the button for entrance.
There was a weird, about thirty second wait before the metal gates swung open to admit him, but Remy's grin broadened as he strolled in.
Jean Luc was waiting for him in the foyer. His gaze seemed a little off, but Remy ignored it. He was feeling on top of the world.
"Why are you late?" His father asked, crossing his arms.
"Traffic?" Remy asked, shrugging.
Jean Luc laughed slightly, "You have a job. Tonight. Etienne and Henri will be going with you."
"Bien!" Remy said, grinning from ear to ear and rubbing his hands together.
He dropped into bed, his body sore from exertion.
This was what he had missed. The adrenaline, the heart-pumping, amazing feeling after a heist. He sighed happily.
Now, he just needed to go to sleep and he would be able to wake next to his beautiful, albeit, untouchable, girl tomorrow morning.
The break from...domestic...X-men life had been sorely needed, but now all he wanted was to get back to his life with Rogue.
He closed his eyes slowly, letting sleep and exhaustion take him.
In his dream, he was standing in the middle of the Thieve's Guild Mansion. Jean Luc was conversing quietly with somebody, and Remy was sitting with a bored expression on his face on the big, oak chair next to his father.
Oh. He remembered this day. This when he had met Rogue.
Rogue was brought in with a metal shackle around the her neck. The guards around her were holding her at a distance by the long metal poles attached to the shackle. Her distinctive white streak glimmered in the lighting, and her eyes looked defiantly at Jean Luc and Remy.
"What is this?" Jean Luc asked, pausing his conversation.
"This girl was caught snooping around the East Perimeter," one of the guards said.
"And so? This is a security matter, not one of pressing importance."
"She managed to knock out six guards before we detained her."
"And..."
"We believe she's a mutant."
At this point, Remy remembered sitting up slightly in interest. Under his sunglasses, his red on black eyes had carefully examined the girl, who couldn't be more than nineteen or twenty years old.
"We also found this on her person," the guard said, coming forward with a metal communicator with a metal X on it.
Jean Luc picked it up, examined it, and then handed it over to Henri, "Recognize it?"
"Oui, the X-Men," Henri said slowly, from the right side of Jean Luc.
"And what is the little mutie do-gooder doing so far away from home?" Etienne asked from beside Henri, grinning.
Rogue merely glared back.
"What are your abilities?"
Jean Luc had an appraising look on his face.
"I can knock people out, with a touch."
He remembered it now, Rogue would turn to him, with a pleading look on her face, seeming to burn into his eyes. A mutant crying out to another mutant for help. He would stand up in his chair, and then demand that she be handed over to him. Her skills would be useful, she would claim. Jean Luc would laugh, and accept, and Remy would smile internally when the relief briefly flickered over her face. She would be suspicious at first, but the next "heist" would be in New York, and then he would cut her loose. She'd tell him the truth about her powers, they'd fall in love, she'd invite him to jump to the other side, and he would join the X-Men. Happily ever after.
Remy was entranced by how beautiful, how passionate and fiery she looked with the defiance and passion bubbling in her eyes.
"She's leaving something out," Etienne sing-songed, "Shifty eyes, not lifting her head, quivering voice. Liar, liar, pants on fire!"
"Well, girl? Speak or lose your head," Jean Luc said.
Wait, what? This wasn't part of the memory. It shouldn't be part of his dream.
Rogue's gaze flickered away from Remy, and his heart seemed to thud loudly. This was wrong. This was totally wrong.
"I absorb people's thoughts," Rogue spat after a moment of hesitation, "I can absorb secrets, life energy, and mutant powers."
"Interesting," Jean Luc said, "Perhaps we could find a use for a you. A way for you to repay your debt."
"Debt?" Rogue asks.
"Yes, your new debt to the Thieves Guild. We don't take very kindly to intruders, but we can make an exception for you," Jean Luc said.
What is this? Is this just because this is a dream?
Rogue seemed to think this over quietly, "What are your terms?"
"One or two heists. You absorb information for our use, and we will let you go on your way," Jean Luc said slowly.
"Deal," Rogue said.
Jean Luc nodded, and then glanced to one of the guards, who immediately unlocked the shackles around Rogues's neck, "Welcome to the Thieve's Guild."
Remy woke with a start. What a weird dream. He turned, expecting to see Rogue's back clad in an oversized t-shirt to prevent accidental contact.
His bed was bare. Maybe in the bathroom?
He blinked twice before coming to a sudden realization.
He was still in his old apartment.
Merde.
What had he done? Was this still a dream? He pinched himself. Ow. He flung the covers off, rapidly throwing on clothes and hopping on his motorcycle.
The Thieves Guild. He had to talk to...
Who had been with him that night?
Jean Luc and Candra. Candra wouldn't see him unless she wanted to see him, so Jean Luc would have to be the one to ask.
What happened? What was going on?
He flung the doors open to Guild Headquarters, "Père, what is going on?"
"Remy, what is the meanin of dis' racket?" Jean Luc asked, looking up from his folder of papers.
Remy was about to yell, but then taking note of the other thieves in the room that had stopped their activities and were staring at the Prince he faltered, "Can we talk. Right now. In private."
"What did you need, Remy?"
"What did you do? What did I sign?" Remy asked.
Jean Luc sighed, settling in behind his desk, "Candra told me to expect that you would be resistant to the change."
A hot anger stabbed at his heart and he slammed his fist on the desk, "Tell me where Rogue is!"
Jean Luc stood, walking over to the window, "Candra cheated me, Remy. I had thought that when you signed the contract, it would mean we would mean that we would be able to use the rather...useful...resources Rogue has at her disposal."
Remy sat down, his head in his hands, "You tricked me. You lied to me. Merde. I lost her. I'm never going to see her again."
"Rogue is with Candra."
Remy looked up, "What? How?"
"The day that Candra took was the day you said you'd take Rogue with you to New York. The day she was found on the property. For that one day, you didn't exist. Without you there, Rogue was taken into the Guild. We faked her death without telling her so the X-Men wouldn't come after her. She still doesn't know that the X-Men think she's dead. She thinks they abandoned her."
Remy's hands shook.
"I had thought that over time, some sort of loyalty to the Guild would form, that she would begin to use her powers for the Guild out of her own will. But-"
The corner of Remy's lips twitched, "She was always the hero."
"She wanted out, and Candra had wanted her abilities the whole time. I guess Candra offered her a way out, and Rogue jumped at the opportunity."
"I want her back." Remy growled.
"How? How will you do it?"
"I'll call for help. From the X-Men."
The wind was flowing through Remy's hair, and he breathed in deeply. After a four days on the road, he was exhausted.
One more hour. Just a little farther.
Finally, the familiar iron-wrought gate appeared at the end of the driveway. After the initial pang of regret when his fingerprint didn't work in the scanner, Remy easily jumped the fence and landed deftly on the grounds.
Remy's heart thudded loudly in his ears when he spotted a new tombstone next to Scott, Jean, and Professor X's in front of the house.
Remy ran a finger over her engraved name, but then refocused on his mission. Who would be the best person to tell?
Wolverine. He was closest to her.
He walked to the door, and then picked the lock. He flung it open, making a loud enough racket to ensure that Wolverine would be woken up.
Sure enough, within seconds Wolverine's bulky form landed in front of Remy.
"M'sieur, I am in great need of your assistance," Remy said, putting his hands up to show that he was surrendering.
"I don't really like Cajun," Wolverine growled, grabbing Remy by the collar.
Spots were dotting the edge of Remy's vision as Wolverine choked the oxygen out of Remy.
"Rogue is alive," Remy managed to choke out.
Wolverine released Remy, and he fell to the ground in a heap.
"Start talking, Gumbo."
"How do you plan to get Rogue out from Candra's influence?" Storm asked.
"I-I don't know," Remy said quietly, "I just want to help her."
Wolverine had been silent the entire time while Gambit had been explaining the situation. He had left out the "alternate reality" story line, and the part where he and Rogue had been together but he had ruined it by wishing for one day of freedom. He didn't think Wolverine would let him get away with that.
"Home. With us?" Wolverine groused.
"It's been four years," Bobby said quietly.
Storm patted him on the back comfortingly, "I know you took it the hardest, Bobby. But she's alive. She'll be home with us soon."
Remy tensed. That's right. Bobby and Rogue had broken up after the heist. Would she go back to Bobby? Would he have to make her fall in love with him again?
"The Thieve's Guild will be on our side. Candra betrayed Jean Luc when she took Rogue away from them."
Wolverine scoffed, "It'll be easy to convince Rogue to come back then. She doesn't really like the idea of being used as a pawn."
"We'll head to New Orleans as soon as possible then," Storm said.
"Why has the Prince of Thieves chose to grace me with his presence?" Rogues asked teasingly. Her tone was still unfamiliar to Remy, someone more weathered than the Rogue he knew. She was sitting on the edge of the bed in the X-Mansion med-bay, her legs dangling off the sides. Her cheek bore a nasty bruise from the fight with Candra, but she looked otherwise calm.
"Rogue, I have to-"
"Rogue?"
Pain flashed across Rogue's face, "Bobby?"
"Rogue! I thought you were dead!" Bobby rushed to Rogue, enveloping her in his arms. Remy suppressed the jealousy bubbling in his throat.
"I thought you guys-"
"The Thieve's Guild faked your death," Bobby whispered, "I thought I'd never see you again."
Rogue sniffled, and Remy's heart felt as if it was tearing in half.
"Look Bobby," Rogue said quietly, and she tenderly placed her hand on Bobby's cheek. Remy was about to head out of the room.
Bobby gasped, and Remy suddenly felt as if he was intruding.
"I'm so happy to be home," Rogue whispered. Bobby pressed a kissed to Rogue's lips, and smiled.
Bobby suddenly turned to Remy, "Thanks for bringing her back, Gambit."
Rogue smiled shyly at Gambit, and Gambit smiled crookedly back. He couldn't help himself, he drew her into a hug.
At the sudden contact, Gambit felt something spark between them, like an electrical charge and Rogue drew back immediately.
"Sorry, I can only control my powers if I initiate the contact," Rogue mumbled, looking down at the ground.
"No worries, mon chere," Gambit said.
Rogue frowned at the nickname, as if she was remembering something.
Gambit hoped beyond hope that she was remembering something from past life. Perhaps an alternate reality.
As Rogue was led out of the room by Bobby, she glanced back at Gambit for a moment. Perhaps Gambit imagined it, but he swore he could see a flash of something in her eyes as she was led out of the Med Bay.