Rogue had driven around for most of the afternoon. It was a lovely day and Rogue had parked her jeep and sat in the park on a bench.
She thought back on the last year, and everything that had come with it and everything that had been taken away, she was letting go but it wasn't the soul releasing process that some might imagine, it was proving slow and almost torturous however the fact that it had started was the best she'd felt in a long time. For a while she had thought that Warren would be the one to help her get over it,
but since over hearing his phone call she had come to the conclusion that it must of been about her, and even if she was just being paranoid and it was about someone else, then even then it had proved something of his character that she didn't enjoy. She wouldn't settle for just any man that showed her attention, that would be even worse, and wouldn't be fair on herself or the poor schmuck that had tried so hard.
She sat on the bench with her head back, the white envelope sat by her side. Maybe Remy was right? Did she really need to go to college? He was right in the respect that she had never expressed an interest in it before, she hadn't, her future had always been with the X-men, she had had no need to ,or want for that matter, to go else where, everyone she loved was under one roof.
Xavier has 5 different bases and numerous teams, new challenges and courses she could go on in the future. It was never a one man show. Her skills as a combat fighter were beyond exceptional and she had done evening courses during peace times. She was by no means under educated or putting all her eggs in one basket. Her idea of college was very abstract, though she new of the constant parties and vigorous studying. What would she get out of it? Time away from the job she loved, or the man she loved? It seemed very one sided to her, she didn't want to be driven out of the institute, her prospects and her family were all there, could she risk allowing the professor to think her so weak of mind that a boy could chase her out? How could a man with so much riding on all of his missions ever trust someone who couldn't stay and face someone on her own team? She was putting herself in a very compromising position just thinking about it.
She sighed and looked down at the envelope. She couldn't do it, the professor would always think she was weak for it. He would put her on the low risk missions or, even worse, get her doing administration. She'll just have to keep her eyes and ears peeled for new postings, Forge had recently set up a lab in Texas, she had always liked the way white lab coats looked.
She checked her watch, it was 2:45pm and the air was begining to cool, she shivered slightly and looked around, she wasn't in the mood to go back to the mansion yet, she didn't have a danger room session till 6pm. She would be coaching this session, and it would be her first one coaching with Gambit since the break up, yet another sign that even the powers that be thought that it was high time she should be getting over it. She saw a coffee shop on the other side of the park and headed towards it.
It was cosy on the inside, a small inderpendant place. The coffee was good and the sofas were old and squishy. She was about half way down her Latte when she heard the light tinkling sound of the bell on the door, indicating someones arrival. She looked up and was shocked to see Warren walk in. He looked around the tiny shop whilst his coffee was being made and when his eyes fell on Rogue they lit up. Rogue had always thought that the way they lit up when they saw her was wonderful, however know she new something more of his character the gesture seemed sleezey and fake, filled with undertones of a sexual nature which she didn't think appropriate at all. She started drinking her coffee a little faster not wanting an interaction with him just yet but it was pointless, he was already making his way over to her.
"Rogue, what a pleasent suprise! Mind if I join you?" He sat down opposite her without an invitation and placed his coffee on the table inbetween them and started to gaze at her. "I haven't seen you in a while, how are things?" he had always struck Rogue as being very polite never forgetting his civilities, but then again, now she thought of it, he nearly always instantly followed them up with some sort of invitation. He really did never let up.
"I'm fine, just thinking is all." Rogue tried to come across as being as vague and disinterested as possible so as to try and defer him.
"Oh my dear, you know where the best place to think is?.. My helicopter, I could order it for tonight? We could take in New York City's skyline at sunset?" He beamed his million dollar smile at Rogue, but she was completely unaffected. What a cheap trick! Yes she already knew he was rich, she didn't need a helicopter ride for that to be proved to her, nor did she need a helicopter at all, Remy knew a beautiful secluded spot on top of a hill were you could gaze down and see New York with out the thudding of the helicopters wings, or two men sat in the front yelling instructions to each other.
"I can't tonight I have to go see someone. Sorry." She left whatever coffee she had left on the table and got up to try and move out of the door when Warren grabbed her by the arm.
"Rogue? Have I done something wrong?" He half whispered in her ear.
"No..." She could see him visabley relax. "No, you did everything wrong. Goodbye." She wrenched her arm away from his grasp and walked out the door towards her jeep. She was absolutely livid at this point and there was only one person she could get answers from, and she didn't care if she had to absorb every inch of life from him to get them.
Remy had barely moved in the night, the ashtray next to him was overflowing with cigarette butts and he was now wearing the necklass he had found, there was also a half empty bottle of bourbon next to him on the floor, he was in the process of lighting one cigarette of the end of another when his phone rang.
"Wha..?!" Remy was too tired and drunk for civilities and the cigarette which he refused to remove from between his lips was muffling his speach somewhat.
"Gambit? This is Warren."
"Wha' the hell d' ye' wan'?" Remy scrambled up to a sitting position and removed the cigarette from his mouth and held it between his fingers.
"What the hell did you tell her?" Warren snarled back.
"Tell who?"
"Rogue!"
"I told her nothing man and if I had I think you're the last person on earth who would be entitled to say anything, now fuck off." Remy slammed the phone down and unplugged it at the wall, he then turned up the television and got back into his position. He didn't want anything interupting him now till 'Bambi' had finished, however someone had something else in mind.
Rogue was hammering on Remy's door. She could hear the muffled voices of the TV through the door and from the pitch of the voices she guessed it was Bambi, the thought brought a ghost of a smile to her lips, he had always insisted on watching it whenever he was ill. 'It makes Remy feel better Chere' she quickly dismissed the thought.
"GAMBIT OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR!!" She threw both fists at the door when it suddenly opened and she went hurltling forward and phased straight through Remy and landed on the floor.
"Damn, I'm never going to get used to that." She mumbled as she picked herself up from the floor.
"Rogue?... What the hell just ha..."
"Remy Lebeau! is it true?!?!" Rogue flared up up at him the second she had stood up straight.
"What? Whats true?"
"Did you listen to relationship advise from some guy you didn't know in a bar?!" She had her chin up in the air as an act of defience against the tears that were threatening to fall.
"Rogue, come on, you gotta listen, it wasn't like that.."
"What was it like then? Did he have diagrams and fucking pie charts?!" She interupted him again which only made Remy angry.
"Well to be bloody honest Rogue he didn't have to convince me very much! Its not as if you had been around much anyway!! I barely saw you Rogue!
You always off doing something! You didn't even fucking care anymore!" His eyes were begining to glow.
"Remy it wasn't peace time! I had to work! Why the hell did you think it was OK to talk to some guy you didn't know instead of me huh? If I knew how you'd fucking felt then maybe I wouldn't of spent so much extra time training!"
"Well maybe if you'd of just paid attention to your relationship you would have noticed!"
"You've put me through hell the last few months and your justification to all this is that I had to work?! Is this seriously what you're telling me?
Do you even know how close I was to dating that douchebag? You didn't even say anything! You were going to just let me get used?" Hot tears were falling now and there was nothing she could do to stop them.
"Rogue, I couldn't be sure, I was toasted that night, but I when I was sure I went to you, I went to try and warn you but you were in some sort of embrace with him and I got scared. I hated seeing you with someone else and I thought I was to late."
Rogue just stared up at him. She didn't know what to think or feel, she could feel the colour begin to fade from her face after the initial wave of anger had left but she could let herself feel anything else. She had to stay numb, she had to get out of the flat. She turned her back on him and put both her hands on the kitchen counter, she spread her fingers and felt the smooth work top under her fingers. She saw the book she had bought him on the counter top and sighed.
"Didn't like your present then?" She asked in a restrained voice.
"No, I loved it, I've already read it." Remy took a step towards her and put a hand on her shoulder and spun her around and locked his hands together on the small of his back. She put her hands on his chest and stared at them for a moment, untill she saw something glitter on his neck.
"What the hell is that around your neck Cajun?" Rogue went to pull it out from under his t shirt when Remy suddenly put his hand over it to stop her.
She narrowed her eyes at him and, consentrating hard, she phased her hand through his and picked it of of his neck and phased it out. She looked at it astonished for a few seconds and then looked back up at Remy, she saw the sheer panic on his face as she held it. It was then that she realized that he still loved her, and it was then that she realized that she still loved him.
Never breaking eye contact she phased the necklace through her own neck and wore it with all the pride and love that she had when she had first put it on. Remy visabley relaxed and finally moving his hand from around his neck, and keeping the other one firmly on the small of her back, he snaked his arm around her shoulders and drew her into him and held her there forever.
A/N awwww they got back together!! We'll see about another chapter. Because there doesn't seem to be much Romyness in this, however I thought that going into what inevitabley happens next would ruin it some how? Hmmm probably just me, but I wanted it to be a tender moment... awwww.
x