Three months prior to Logan's departure

Marie and Storm took the jet to New Orleans to recruit Remy "Gambit" LeBeau...a reformed thief and gambling expert who happened to be able to manipulate kinetic energy and charm the panties off of virtually every woman he met. Marie had grown up around southern boys like him and was wary of the Cajun from the very start.

"If all the ladies back at this mansion o' yours looks as good as you two...Gambit might have to come back with ya right now."

Marie crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at him as Storm continued talking about the benefits of life as an X Man and teacher.

An hour later, they were still sitting in the same seedy bar as Storm tried to speak logically to the southern boy who wouldn't stop staring at her breasts. Marie stood and tossed a couple of bills on the table to cover she and Storm's drinks, "Lookey here crawdaddy...the pay is good, you can make up for all the bad shit you've pulled during this life and you'll be savin' the world while you're at it. You're in or you're out. We don't have time for all this flirty bullshit."

He laughed a little and smiled that little devilish grin of his as he rubbed his finger across his goatee. Remy eyed the southern belle across from him, "Spunky...I like 'er. Will you be on my team, belle?"

She leaned down slightly, "If I don't kill you in training first."

Gambit laughed and smacked the table, then gave her a long look, "When we leavin'?"

******End flashback******

She stayed in bed for nearly two days after Logan left, crying her eyes out. Storm, Jubilee, Kitty and even her ex boyfriend, Bobby, came by to try to lift her spirits, but she refused to even open her door.

On the third day, she finally showered and pulled it together enough to eat some of the food Jubilee had left outside of her door. When she attempted to venture out of her room later that evening, she found Remy leaning against the wall, holding a drink out to her, "Some morphine to dull the pain..."

She took the drink and took a sip, cringing as the amber liquid burned her throat, "What is this?"

"Whiskey. You'll get used to it, belle. The burn jus' means it's workin'."

Marie shuddered and walked back into her room as Remy followed, "Why don't you get dressed and let Gambit take ya out for a night on the town?"

She shook her head, "I'd rather just fester in my room."

Remy cocked his head to the side as she tossed herself back onto the bed and curled her body into the fetal position, "Wanna talk bout it?"

She looked at him and laughed, "Right..."

"Why you laughin', belle?"

She shrugged as her laughter died down, "I was just tryin' to figure out how me talkin' to ya bout my problems was gonna lead to me sleepin' with you...cause that seems to be the only reason you ever talk to women."

"Aw that's cold, belle. Real cold."

"But true..." she said as she took another sip of her drink, smirking over the glass.

"I've had plenty of conversations with women that didn't lead to their bedroom...thank ya very much."

"Really? Like who?"

Remy paused and thought for a moment. His eyes twinkled as he spoke, trying not to break into uncontrolled laughter, "My momma and grandmomma."

Marie giggled and ran a hand through her hair as Remy pointed at her face, "That's what I wanna see...there's the beautiful gal we all know and love."

"Yea...I'm a real charmer."

Remy cocked his head to the side, "So...you gonna spill it? Or do I have to get ya drunk to find out the whole story?"

She shrugged and looked down before whispering, "He left me."

"You talkin' bout wolf man, belle?"

She nodded wordlessly as she sat her drink down on the nightstand, "We had sex...and then he just left. I asked him to stay...begged really...then he just..."

Her voice trailed off as she looked away, impatiently wiping at the tears before they had the chance to reach her cheeks.

Remy pursed his lips together, "I'm sorry, belle. I know what it's like to lose someone ya love."

She took a deep breath in an attempt to stop crying before she spoke again, "I just hate it cause he was the only family I had. My parents kicked me out after they found out bout my mutation and he was the first person to take me in...show me kindness. Four years ago...he promised to take care of me...I shoulda known promises like that can't be made to a girl like me."

"Don't you get down on yo'self like that, belle. You deserve all the promises in the world."

Marie looked at him, "Tell me about her."

Remy raised his brows, "Who?"

"The girl you loved and lost..."

Hours later, Remy and Marie had successfully relayed each others life stories. He told her about Bella Donna, and she gave him her full history with Bobby and Logan. They traded stories concerning their childhoods in the south and their shared love of football.

Remy tried to teach her card tricks, but she failed horribly, which provided both of them endless hours of entertainment.

They fell asleep on her bed that night, fully clothed, and in each other's arms.

The next afternoon, she found Remy in the gym and approached him as he finished working out on the punching bag. He was taller and leaner than Logan, but his muscles were just as defined.

He shook his hair out of his face and smiled at her, "Good to see you up and about, belle."

Marie smiled and nodded, "Thanks...I just wanted to thank you for hangin' out with me last night. That was real sweet."

He nodded, "Was my pleasure, belle. I definitely enjoy your company."

She nodded slowly and looked down, "I didn't know you were so..."

He turned his head to the side, "So what? You surprised I spent the whole night with ya and didn't cop a feel?"

Marie laughed nervously, "No...that's not what I was gonna say..."

"Well good...cause I did try to cop a feel...just once though."

She rolled her eyes and playfully shoved him, "Shut it, LeBeau. Just take my gratitude and leave it at that, k?"

He nodded and wiped at his face with a towel, "Whatever you say, belle."

Marie turned and started to walk out, but stopped and turned back around, "So...did you want to hang out again tonight?"

Remy nodded, "I wouldn't wanna be anywhere else, belle."

For some reason, they never ran out of things to talk about. He stayed in her room, or she in his almost every night and to her surprise, he was a perfect gentleman.

Even Remy couldn't find it in his heart to sink low enough to take advantage of girl with a recently broken heart.

Truth be told, she was the most vivacious, challenging, frustrating, amazing woman he'd ever had the pleasure of knowing. He'd been with plenty of pretty faces in his lifetime, but none ever "got" him the way the spitfire from Mississippi did.

She watched football, knew how to cook a decent jambalaya and called him out on his bullshit without any reservations. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met.

On her end, Remy was quickly becoming Marie's balm for the heart that Logan broke into tiny little pieces. She didn't even realize her romantic feelings for him until he said something about Bella Donna during one of their late night talks.

Marie felt a bit of jealousy creep up and immediately tried to force it down. The last time she let her heart open, it was fed to the wolves. She didn't think she could survive another episode like that, so she ignored her feelings and buried them deep.

Even as she was busy fighting her feelings for the Cajun, she realized that the more time she spent with him, the less she mentioned Logan's name and the less she thought about him. She was beginning to heal, with the help of an unlikely friend.

When she first met him, she thought she had him pegged...but three weeks after, the man who she thought loved her left, Remy was sticking by her side and offering the shoulder she desperately needed to lean on.