Omg! Special thanks to the following for reviewing:
Wiccamage(I'll explain the powers later)
SouthernLoner, (Glad you like it!)
b.a.n.h.s.f.c.x.oc (Yes, I have read Mathew.)
Baka Pocky (Please don't send rabid turtles. I heard they bite.)
gambitfan85 (Glad you are enjoying it)
UltimateGammy91 (Thanks for the review!)
Proud to be an X-Nerd 2216 (Please don't hate me for this chapter! He hasn't come back. But he makes up for it. Most guys do.)
allyg1990 (Thanks for the compliment and the review!)
Okay people now here's chapter two!
Chapter two
Sixteen years of searching and still Rogue hadn't found anything that would lead her to believe her child was alive. Yet, Rogue refused to give up. Perhaps it was from pity, or from concern for her mental health, but Xavier had extended his offer to Rogue, allowing her to stay in the house for as long as she wanted…which may very well be until she died. Over the course of the last sixteen years Rogue had fallen into a pattern. Every morning at five she rose for Danger Room training with Logan. At six they would leave the Danger room to shower and eat breakfast. That's when the hunt began. Around eight she would wait outside Cerebro while Xavier searched for any signs of another life being that may share Rogue's DNA. Every morning he would come out and shake his head. He had long sense stopped telling her not to give up hope. He had given up himself. But no one would ever let Rogue see that.
Most of the rest of the day Rogue spent in the Danger Room training the new recruits with Logan, and then she, along with Hank, would search the libraries and the internet for anything on cases similar to her own. She believed the doctor had sold her baby on the black market. When Hank researched her theory, they were both surprised at the number of doctors in jail for committing that exact crime. None of the names registered with either Hank or Rogue, but neither gave up. Currently there was a list sitting on the table of about two thousand names, all doctors that had been in jail for selling babies on the black market, or suspected of selling babies. But none of the names registered with the names of the Doctors that worked in the hospital on that day. Even Hank was beginning to give up. It was a lost cause.
Emotionally, Rogue seemed well. Often she would hum to herself; often she would share snappy comebacks with Bobby, or shop with Jean and Jubilee. She baby sat often for Jean and Scott when they had their first child Susan, with her long red hair and green eyes. To everyone, she was the same Rogue that they all knew and loved before any of it had happened. But there were times someone would pass her door at night and hear her soft sobs. No one asked her why she cried, and there was a silent rule that all occupants of the school knew, young or old. The silent rule was no one, under any circumstances mentioned the baby, the incident, or Remy.
Life without Remy was hard on Rogue, especially since he never called or wrote or anything. It was as if she had lost both the baby and Remy on that day. But no one mentioned that, and Rogue tried as hard as she could to forget it. Life went on.
Today was the same as any other day. Logan met her in the Danger room, and their session began. At first, Logan and Rogue stared at each other. For a long moment the metal room didn't change to a different habitat like it was supposed to. Rogue glanced at Logan and noticed how he shifted from foot to foot. Something was wrong. She could tell. By now, Logan would be pounding her into the ground, or vice versa.
That's when the room changed. Buildings shot up on either side of Rogue and cars and people materialized out of thin air. Streamers flew over her head and loud music rang through the alleys. It all seemed familiar to Rogue. Almost too familiar. She moved out of the alley she was in and gasped. A large parade of people were passing by, dressed in all sorts of masks and hanging from large floats.
Rogue didn't move for a few moments as she tried to calm her heart. She knew where she was. She was in the heart of Louisiana. In New Orleans. During Marti Gras. She recognized the restaurant and cursed. "This isn't funny, Logan!" she screamed. She knew he could hear her. But he still didn't turn the simulation off.
The door behind her to the restaurant opened and she didn't dare turn around. Two arms snaked around her and pulled her back against a firm chest. A warm, thickly accented voice whispered, "Bonjour, chere."
Rogue spun. This couldn't be happening. There Remy stood, dressed in his dark brown duster and his black uniform under that. He pulled out a deck of cards and, leaning back against the wall, began shuffling them.
"How ya been?" he asked. She didn't answer. This was a hologram. Only a hologram.
"Logan!" she screamed but there was no answer. She turned back to the holographic Remy…no Gambit; she wouldn't call him Remy anymore, and whispered, "What do you want?"
"You chere. I've always wanted you."
"You left." She accused. Her fists came up and Gambit frowned.
"Oh, why ya gotta be dat way, cher?"
"I'm not your dear." She hissed and launched herself at him.
"You left!" she screamed just as her fist connected with the wall. He had stepped out of the way just at the last minute and was now right beside her.
"Yes I did. But could ya blame moi?" She recoiled and then swung, connecting with his jaw. He flew back into the wall and she was on him in an instant.
"You son of a bitch!" she yelled and pounded his face. Everything in her screamed at him, every emotion she had held in for sixteen years flew into her hands and guided them to his face.
"Stop!" he cried but she ignored it. Then suddenly her fist connected with the metal floor of the danger room. Tears streamed down her face as she looked up at Logan who was walking slowly, cautiously, toward her. She stayed where she was, but instead of crouching she let her knees fall to the ground in a more comfortable position.
"Why?" she whispered as Logan crouched down in front of her.
"Because for sixteen years you've been knocking the shit out of me, when you've really wanted to knock the shit out of Gumbo. I thought it might make you feel better to knock him around a bit."
Without a word she cradled her left wrist close to her body. She probably broke it when she punched the floor. That's not holographic. Logan watched her for a moment and then asked, "You alright, stripes?"
She got to her feet slowly and then glared at him. "I'm fine. But I've got things to do." She shoved past him, using her good hand, and headed toward her room. A quick shower would make her feel better. And then she would have Charles search the computers for her again. Maybe, just maybe she'd have some luck today.
She didn't bother smiling at anyone she passed in the hall. Most of them were strangers to her. Faces she had seen during training room sessions and nothing else. Storm caught her arm just as Rogue reached for her door knob and brought Rogue out of her trance.
"Child, are you alright?" she asked. Rogue glared at her.
"No, actually. Your husband probably broke my hand." Storm frowned but released Rogue's arm.
"I'll speak with him." She mumbled and walked away. Rogue sighed and opened her arm. She resisted the urge to slam it shut and closed it softly behind her.
"Do you have any idea how long I've, like, been waiting for you?"
Rogue nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned to face the bed that had once belonged to Katherine Pryde to see none other than Katherine Pryde sitting on it. Her long brown hair was tied into a ponytail, just like always, although now she wore a long sleeved Tommy Hilfiger shirt over dark blue jeans. She grinned at Rogue and then frowned when she noticed the swollen wrist.
"You should let Hank see that." Rogue rolled her eyes.
"Ya well if Hank sees you, you and that husband of yours are toast."
It was Kitty's turn to roll her eyes.
"You know, Lance isn't that bad. You ought to give him a chance. He is my husband after all."
Rogue sighed and headed toward the shower. "I know. I'll think about it. You have ta take into consideration that he did steal my best friend."
Kitty followed Rogue and sat against the door while her friend showered.
"I was wondering if you had seen Alec today. He wasn't in bed when I went to check on him and Lance said he hadn't seen him all day."
"He's probably out causin trouble somewhere…wonder who he gets that from."
Kitty sighed. "Could you, like, try to be nice?" she asked.
No reply.
She banged her hand against the door. After a couple of more minutes Rogue swung the door open and headed into her closet.
"What's eatin you?" Kitty asked and Rogue stopped mid stride.
"Logan actually."
"What's he done now?"
Rogue walked into her closet and began searching for something to wear.
"He set up a new simulation for me. I was in New Orleans." Rogue didn't have to say anything else. Kitty knew exactly what that meant.
"Did you, like, hit him once for me?"
Rogue didn't respond. After she dressed she reappeared and in a softer voice whispered, "I hit him a lot, Kitty."
Neither said a word for another minute. But before either could get the chance Xavier's voice echoed in their heads. 'X-men, I'm tracking a young mutant who has just activated her powers. She's in Florida. Meet me in the briefing room in ten minutes.'
Rogue sighed and Kitty rose.
"Guess I gotta go. X-men are calling."
Kitty rolled her eyes. "So over that" she mumbled and hugged Rogue.
"You could come, ya know."
Kitty shook her head. "I better go find the trouble maker. You know how they can be at eighteen. I bet he's got, like, half the town after him by now. I'll, like, catch ya latter though, right?"
Rogue nodded. "Definitely."
Florida? I wonder what new mutant could be in Florida. Read to find out! Oh and hope you enjoy! Review!