THANKS MUCH FOR Y'ALL REVIEWS! I'm glad to see that I'm on somebody's
favorites list! And now, here is chap. 9!
Chapter 9: Red Rose
Rogue's eyes slowly opened as she woke. She sat up and found she was in her large, comfy bed. The battle with Carol was over and she was thankful to have her body back even if she still couldn't touch anyone. That was one thing that made her envious of Carol: touch. Somehow Carol had found a way to control powers that weren't even hers, powers that truly belonged to Rogue. But how? Rogue supposed she just hadn't been training hard enough in her personal sessions with Xavier, or maybe there was simply just something wrong with her; either way, she was too worn to think about it now. Thinking about her uncontrolled powers made her feel depressed and after all the fighting with Carol, she didn't need any more stress.
Rogue turned over in her bed and glanced at her digital clock. It was 5:30 in the afternoon. *How long have Ah been asleep? *
She stood up and stretched her body's joints listlessly. She strode over to her closet and threw on her customary gothic clothing along with make up on her face, but for some reason she didn't apply as much as usual.
Then the door of the room opened and Jean entered. She was carrying a plate of food in her hands.
"Oh, you're awake," Jean noticed as she came in.
Rogue didn't speak; she just stared at the tall red-haired girl. "Ya brought me food?"
"Uh, yeah, I figured you would need some good nourishment after battling that mutant Carol took so much out of you," Jean replied.
"Ya know 'bout me fightin' her?"
"Yeah, everybody does. The professor went on and on about how determined you were and he's really proud of you," Jean said, yet with a small, noticeable twinge of envy in her words.
Rogue smiled slightly. *The professor's proud o' me. *
Jean sat the plate down on a dresser and settled down at the foot of Rogue's bed in front of the gothic girl.
"Listen, Rogue, I know we've had our differences and disagreements, but even though you might not believe me I do care what happens to you," Jean said earnestly.
Rogue paused, not sure what to say. She had been jealous of Jean for so long and still mildly was, but maybe it was time for them to call a truce.
"Thanks for worryin' 'bout me, Jean," Rogue said with a half-smile. "Ya not so bad yourself."
The two shared a smile for a moment that for once didn't feel awkward or false.
"Now get outta mah room, Miss Perfect-Ah don't like spectators when Ah'm eatin'," Rogue joked with her harsh persona returning.
Jean laughed a little and did as the slightly younger girl requested. Even though the rare moment of friendliness between them would probably never happen again Jean was glade it had. She didn't like being enemies with anyone. Although she and Rogue would never be best friends at least they could have some sort of mutual understanding, which was important since after all, they were teammates.
~~~~~~~
Once Rogue had finished eating she went downstairs and into the living room to find Kitty, Kurt and Evan watching television.
"So what's on TV?" Rogue asked nonchalantly.
Kurt turned around and hugged his sister tightly.
"I'm so glade you're all vight!" he said.
"Uh, yeah, could ya let go o' me now, Kurt? Ah can't breathe," she said and he quickly released her.
Kitty chuckled and stood up. "You know, we were all just about to, like, go to the café, you want to come? It is Friday afternoon, you know?"
"Friday? How long have Ah been asleep?"
"Exactly a two days, not counting today. You're lucky, at least you got to miss Mr. Tyler's boring lectures in science class," Evan said.
"Anyway, you coming with us or not? I mean, I, like, figured since your all rested and everything you'd need to get out of the house-please," Kitty pressed.
"All right, if it'll make ya happy," Rogue said.
~~~~~~~
Remy sat in the booth of the café that Rogue would traditionally sit in and drank some coffee. He had on his worn brown trench coat and was staring outside watching people amble the active streets of New York, which resembled the busyness of his hometown New Orleans. For a moment, he let his mind wander back to the very few good points in his childhood.
A group of teenagers entering the café interrupted his daydreaming. Then he realized one of them was Rogue, whom he recalled was his assignment.
~~~~~~~
Rogue, Kitty, Kurt and Evan headed for the booth they usually sat in, though someone was already there. Rogue looked in anger as she found it was Gambit seated in THEIR cubicle.
"Can't ya sit someplace else?" Rogue snapped at him.
"Why? Don' see your name written on de seat," he retorted; yet sent her a charismatic grin.
"Come on, let's just find another booth," Kitty said, before Rogue could snap at him again.
Kurt and Evan seemed to agree with Kitty; it was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon and they didn't want to start it off wrong by getting into a petty fight with one of Magneto's associates. Rogue followed her friends since majority ruled that decision, but she would have preferred to punch the Cajun in his face for having the nerve to sit in their booth.
~~~~~~~
A short while later, the four teens had forgotten all about the small confrontation with Gambit earlier and were talking and laughing.
"Here you are, ma'am," said a waiter, handing Rogue a single red rose with a note wrapped around its stem.
"This ain't mine," Rogue told him.
"Well, the young gentleman that's in the booth across from you told me to give it to you," the waiter said.
"What gentleman!" Kitty said with enthusiasm as her eyes frantically searched the room for a possible admirer of her friend.
"Looks like Rogue's got a fan we didn't know about, eh, Kurt?" Evan asked with a smile.
Kurt nodded and gave Rogue a playfully suspicious look. Rogue blushed slightly at the thought of having an admirer.
The waiter looked around, "I believe he's just left, but if you'd like me to go after him-"
"No! No, it's fine. Ah'm, um, Ah think Ah'm gonna go home now," Rogue nervously told her friends.
For Rogue, one of the toughest, no-nonsense girls at Bayville High School to have an admirer was nearly embarrassing. She was always scaring boys away with her stiff attitude and for someone to have the valor to send her a rose, in front of her friends no less, meant she was losing her touch with maintaining her frosty personality; she thought someone sending her a rose made her seem weak and she wanted to run to the mansion and hide before anyone could see her like that.
"Well, we're going to go to a party at Amanda's house in a little while, you don't want to come?" Evan asked.
"No, Ah just want t' go home an' curl up in front of the TV," Rogue replied.
"You don't want a ride?" Kurt asked, worried about her as he always was.
"No, the mansion ain't far from here. Ah'll walk, fresh air will do me good," Rogue said and with that she departed from the café.
~~~~~~~
"Aren't y' goin' t' read de note, chèrie?" came a suave voice.
Rogue stopped her pacing down the street immediately, but did not turn to face him.
"What are ya talkin' about?"
"On de rose's stem, dere be a note," he replied.
She sighed and unwrapped the note from around the rose's long, green stalk. She read it silently:
There is something between us that you won't admit we share. You pretend you don't want me or care, but you are how I breathe, my air. And in your time of need or despair, I will always be there, because not to a single or a thousand roses could your beauty be compared.
Rogue barely held back crying at how beautiful the note was; no one had ever written anything for her before. She quickly regained her composure and continued to uphold her icy façade. She spun around to face him.
"What are ya tryin' t' pull!" Rogue accused angrily.
"Not'ing, Gambit jus' want t' express how he feel," he replied.
Remy leaned down, his warm breath caressing the side of her face, and he whispered into her ear, "An' Gambit feel t'ings real strong 'bout you."
She pushed him away. "Yeah? Well, ya gonna FEEL a lot o' pain if ya don' leave me alone! Besides ya don' even know me! So how can ya feel anything?!"
"Can't explain it, petite," he replied. "But den again some t'ings jus' fate."
"Yeah? Well Ah don' believe in fate!" Rogue stated sharply and began to walk away from him.
"What about love?"
Rogue didn't answer him, she just continued to walk home at a hurried pace.
~~~~~~~
That night Rogue was lying in her bed and found she couldn't sleep. She stared across the room at the small trashcan that she'd thrown the rose and note into when she'd first gotten home.
*Was he serious? Ah guess Ah do feel a tiny spark when he's near me, but so what! He's probably jus' messin' with mah head anyway! He looks like the type t' love 'em an' leave 'em. If Ah see him again Ah'm gonna punch his lights out! Still, there's somethin' he makes me feel- *
Her mind baffled itself trying to figure out Gambit's true motives. Before she'd realized it, Rogue had gotten out of bed and taken the rose and note from the trashcan, then placed them in front of her, atop her nightstand. With the red rose reflecting in her emerald eyes, Rogue finally began to fall asleep in her bed. Though as her eyes closed for the last time before her slumber she didn't see the rose, but instead, for a moment, she saw a flicker of eyes, red on black. Then she finally fell asleep.
A/N: Sorry, no BHB in this chap. But Brotherhood fans, y'all don't fret, next chap will have plenty of the 'Hood boys. As always REVIEW PLEASE this chap!!! Cam:. Chao!
Chapter 9: Red Rose
Rogue's eyes slowly opened as she woke. She sat up and found she was in her large, comfy bed. The battle with Carol was over and she was thankful to have her body back even if she still couldn't touch anyone. That was one thing that made her envious of Carol: touch. Somehow Carol had found a way to control powers that weren't even hers, powers that truly belonged to Rogue. But how? Rogue supposed she just hadn't been training hard enough in her personal sessions with Xavier, or maybe there was simply just something wrong with her; either way, she was too worn to think about it now. Thinking about her uncontrolled powers made her feel depressed and after all the fighting with Carol, she didn't need any more stress.
Rogue turned over in her bed and glanced at her digital clock. It was 5:30 in the afternoon. *How long have Ah been asleep? *
She stood up and stretched her body's joints listlessly. She strode over to her closet and threw on her customary gothic clothing along with make up on her face, but for some reason she didn't apply as much as usual.
Then the door of the room opened and Jean entered. She was carrying a plate of food in her hands.
"Oh, you're awake," Jean noticed as she came in.
Rogue didn't speak; she just stared at the tall red-haired girl. "Ya brought me food?"
"Uh, yeah, I figured you would need some good nourishment after battling that mutant Carol took so much out of you," Jean replied.
"Ya know 'bout me fightin' her?"
"Yeah, everybody does. The professor went on and on about how determined you were and he's really proud of you," Jean said, yet with a small, noticeable twinge of envy in her words.
Rogue smiled slightly. *The professor's proud o' me. *
Jean sat the plate down on a dresser and settled down at the foot of Rogue's bed in front of the gothic girl.
"Listen, Rogue, I know we've had our differences and disagreements, but even though you might not believe me I do care what happens to you," Jean said earnestly.
Rogue paused, not sure what to say. She had been jealous of Jean for so long and still mildly was, but maybe it was time for them to call a truce.
"Thanks for worryin' 'bout me, Jean," Rogue said with a half-smile. "Ya not so bad yourself."
The two shared a smile for a moment that for once didn't feel awkward or false.
"Now get outta mah room, Miss Perfect-Ah don't like spectators when Ah'm eatin'," Rogue joked with her harsh persona returning.
Jean laughed a little and did as the slightly younger girl requested. Even though the rare moment of friendliness between them would probably never happen again Jean was glade it had. She didn't like being enemies with anyone. Although she and Rogue would never be best friends at least they could have some sort of mutual understanding, which was important since after all, they were teammates.
~~~~~~~
Once Rogue had finished eating she went downstairs and into the living room to find Kitty, Kurt and Evan watching television.
"So what's on TV?" Rogue asked nonchalantly.
Kurt turned around and hugged his sister tightly.
"I'm so glade you're all vight!" he said.
"Uh, yeah, could ya let go o' me now, Kurt? Ah can't breathe," she said and he quickly released her.
Kitty chuckled and stood up. "You know, we were all just about to, like, go to the café, you want to come? It is Friday afternoon, you know?"
"Friday? How long have Ah been asleep?"
"Exactly a two days, not counting today. You're lucky, at least you got to miss Mr. Tyler's boring lectures in science class," Evan said.
"Anyway, you coming with us or not? I mean, I, like, figured since your all rested and everything you'd need to get out of the house-please," Kitty pressed.
"All right, if it'll make ya happy," Rogue said.
~~~~~~~
Remy sat in the booth of the café that Rogue would traditionally sit in and drank some coffee. He had on his worn brown trench coat and was staring outside watching people amble the active streets of New York, which resembled the busyness of his hometown New Orleans. For a moment, he let his mind wander back to the very few good points in his childhood.
A group of teenagers entering the café interrupted his daydreaming. Then he realized one of them was Rogue, whom he recalled was his assignment.
~~~~~~~
Rogue, Kitty, Kurt and Evan headed for the booth they usually sat in, though someone was already there. Rogue looked in anger as she found it was Gambit seated in THEIR cubicle.
"Can't ya sit someplace else?" Rogue snapped at him.
"Why? Don' see your name written on de seat," he retorted; yet sent her a charismatic grin.
"Come on, let's just find another booth," Kitty said, before Rogue could snap at him again.
Kurt and Evan seemed to agree with Kitty; it was supposed to be a relaxing afternoon and they didn't want to start it off wrong by getting into a petty fight with one of Magneto's associates. Rogue followed her friends since majority ruled that decision, but she would have preferred to punch the Cajun in his face for having the nerve to sit in their booth.
~~~~~~~
A short while later, the four teens had forgotten all about the small confrontation with Gambit earlier and were talking and laughing.
"Here you are, ma'am," said a waiter, handing Rogue a single red rose with a note wrapped around its stem.
"This ain't mine," Rogue told him.
"Well, the young gentleman that's in the booth across from you told me to give it to you," the waiter said.
"What gentleman!" Kitty said with enthusiasm as her eyes frantically searched the room for a possible admirer of her friend.
"Looks like Rogue's got a fan we didn't know about, eh, Kurt?" Evan asked with a smile.
Kurt nodded and gave Rogue a playfully suspicious look. Rogue blushed slightly at the thought of having an admirer.
The waiter looked around, "I believe he's just left, but if you'd like me to go after him-"
"No! No, it's fine. Ah'm, um, Ah think Ah'm gonna go home now," Rogue nervously told her friends.
For Rogue, one of the toughest, no-nonsense girls at Bayville High School to have an admirer was nearly embarrassing. She was always scaring boys away with her stiff attitude and for someone to have the valor to send her a rose, in front of her friends no less, meant she was losing her touch with maintaining her frosty personality; she thought someone sending her a rose made her seem weak and she wanted to run to the mansion and hide before anyone could see her like that.
"Well, we're going to go to a party at Amanda's house in a little while, you don't want to come?" Evan asked.
"No, Ah just want t' go home an' curl up in front of the TV," Rogue replied.
"You don't want a ride?" Kurt asked, worried about her as he always was.
"No, the mansion ain't far from here. Ah'll walk, fresh air will do me good," Rogue said and with that she departed from the café.
~~~~~~~
"Aren't y' goin' t' read de note, chèrie?" came a suave voice.
Rogue stopped her pacing down the street immediately, but did not turn to face him.
"What are ya talkin' about?"
"On de rose's stem, dere be a note," he replied.
She sighed and unwrapped the note from around the rose's long, green stalk. She read it silently:
There is something between us that you won't admit we share. You pretend you don't want me or care, but you are how I breathe, my air. And in your time of need or despair, I will always be there, because not to a single or a thousand roses could your beauty be compared.
Rogue barely held back crying at how beautiful the note was; no one had ever written anything for her before. She quickly regained her composure and continued to uphold her icy façade. She spun around to face him.
"What are ya tryin' t' pull!" Rogue accused angrily.
"Not'ing, Gambit jus' want t' express how he feel," he replied.
Remy leaned down, his warm breath caressing the side of her face, and he whispered into her ear, "An' Gambit feel t'ings real strong 'bout you."
She pushed him away. "Yeah? Well, ya gonna FEEL a lot o' pain if ya don' leave me alone! Besides ya don' even know me! So how can ya feel anything?!"
"Can't explain it, petite," he replied. "But den again some t'ings jus' fate."
"Yeah? Well Ah don' believe in fate!" Rogue stated sharply and began to walk away from him.
"What about love?"
Rogue didn't answer him, she just continued to walk home at a hurried pace.
~~~~~~~
That night Rogue was lying in her bed and found she couldn't sleep. She stared across the room at the small trashcan that she'd thrown the rose and note into when she'd first gotten home.
*Was he serious? Ah guess Ah do feel a tiny spark when he's near me, but so what! He's probably jus' messin' with mah head anyway! He looks like the type t' love 'em an' leave 'em. If Ah see him again Ah'm gonna punch his lights out! Still, there's somethin' he makes me feel- *
Her mind baffled itself trying to figure out Gambit's true motives. Before she'd realized it, Rogue had gotten out of bed and taken the rose and note from the trashcan, then placed them in front of her, atop her nightstand. With the red rose reflecting in her emerald eyes, Rogue finally began to fall asleep in her bed. Though as her eyes closed for the last time before her slumber she didn't see the rose, but instead, for a moment, she saw a flicker of eyes, red on black. Then she finally fell asleep.
A/N: Sorry, no BHB in this chap. But Brotherhood fans, y'all don't fret, next chap will have plenty of the 'Hood boys. As always REVIEW PLEASE this chap!!! Cam:. Chao!
