Chapter Three

It had been a few months since Remy moved in with Becca and Anne. Remy had gotten a job cooking for a small restaurant. They had all decided that they needed a bigger place to live, so today they were moving into a small three bedroom, two-bath house on the edge of town.

"Remy would you hurry up with that last kitchen box. I want to get all the dishes put up before the delivery men get here with the new refrigerator." Anne called through the back door of her new home.

"I'm coming, chere. This box is heavier than the others are. What's in here anyway?" Remy asked Anne as a pale blue light eased its way from Anne's hand and engulfed the box.

"Stone wear. I got it for a little bit of nothing at the second hand store last week. And it ain't that heavy!" Anne said.

"I ain't the one using my head to lift it." Remy laughed out loud.

"Fine, you want to carry it with your head?" Anne asked as she levitated the box over his head.

Remy got on his knees and mockingly begged, "Please chere don't. I ain't got enough in my head to spare."

There was a knock at the front door. "I'll get it. Hey, guys can we get a doorbell?" Called Becca from the living room.

Anne quickly lowered her arm easing the box to the floor.

"Has to be the icebox." Anne said as she walked out the kitchen door.

Remy remained behind and sat at the table. Remy was enjoying his new life. He loved being around Anne and her daughter. Becca was a sweet child and adjusted to him quickly. She was already calling him Uncle Remy. And Anne seemed to surprise him at every turn. Until today he hadn't know she could levitate things. He had a nice job and a new house to come home to. Life was looking up. The only thing to complain about was that he missed the X-men.

As Anne directed the deliverymen she thought about the recent changes in her life. She enjoyed having another adult around. She liked her new house. It was much better than an apartment. She and Becca owed a lot to Remy. If it weren't for him they wouldn't have this house. His salary changed many things. They now had some extra money and often did things together. They loved to go see movies or visit the local zoo.

They were becoming a cozy little family. Anne had realized this morning that she was becoming very fond of Remy. She didn't know why. He was very different than what she remembered of her husband. But she was younger back then. Sometimes Anne wondered if she and her forgotten love would have fallen in love if she had been older. She had committed her whole life to him, but now she was too independent to do that. And she liked herself better this way. Maybe he would have liked her better this way. Maybe he would have stayed, if she hadn't been so needy.

She often wondered how their marriage would have been if he hadn't sacrificed it for her sake. Would it have lasted much longer? Would they be married today? She knew she would have been able to keep Rebecca. Yet she wonders if she would have had more children. Anne quickly stopped that train of thought. She knew it wasn't good to worry about what could have beens.

Anne wondered if Remy had any feelings for her. She hoped he was happy here. He had become a much better man than the Remy she knew from their time together from before he became an X-man. He had really lived up to the potential she had seen in him.

Remy wondered if Anne had any feelings for him. Because he sure as hell had some strong ones for her. He was watching her put the last of the kitchen items away. He knew he was falling in love with her. Fast and hard. She was something else. She was easy to be around. She was beautiful, talented, and funny. She was a good mother. She would do anything for her family. But she was real, she made mistakes and she admitted it. He knew that from their previous dealings with each other.

He would always love Rogue, but their relationship was over. He didn't think they could ever be together again. They could no longer trust each other. Trust was important. Remy needed a woman he could trust, also a woman that could trust him. He completely trusted Anne. She was trustworthy. And Anne trusted him he knew that. He also knew it was hard for her to trust anyone. Especially after her abduction and with all her missing memories.

Gambit also put some blame on her ex-husband. Gambit may not have known her former husband but he knew the man had done a number on Anne. Whoever he was he had hurt her, not purposely, but it had still hurt her. Anne was still not willing to give him any more details on the subject.

Remy was a happy man again. He was gradually becoming part of a family and enjoying it. He was falling in love and enjoying it. He liked his job and loved his home. He knew he was a lucky man. And he owed it all to one woman, Rogue.

If Rogue had not abandoned him, he would have never found Anne. He would have to thank her if he ever saw her again. Make that when he sees her again. He wanted to return to the X-men if only to apologize for keeping his secret. He would have to talk to Anne at the end of the month and see if she would like to return with him. Even though they would have to leave this nice house behind.