I found some good news and bad news in my life; bad: grandma has an infection in the hip that was operated on and they may have to redo the surgery that almost killed her over again, good news: that made an oopse that the bad news wasn't true. I want to drive 5 hrs to smack the doctor who screwed up.
Special thanks to: A Rose in the Night, XOXheartAmy, tfobmv18, drumgirl1923, cherish15, Nikari87 (sorry, grammar is one of my biggest weaknesses, I try to catch any mistake and have my friend reread it and stuff still slips by :( ), bri419, Anna Marcia Gregorio, Rogue-Slayer13, gambitfan85, Anne Amazon Queen, coup fatal, A Forgotten-Fairy. .AKA- Fairy, Laceylou76, calitana, ChamberllineofMusic, water raven, Romy4Evah, Gidgeygirl, Dark, Bologna121, RomyLover, Mint, PhoenixCrystal, and Anne; thank you so much for being so patient with the long wait. You guys are so awesome, hugs all around! Also, some questions were asked in the reviews, I've placed them at the bottom and answered them (even the most asked one).
Disclaimer: If I owned X-Men, Jean Grey would stop dying, Rogue and Gambit would get together and get over her powers, Wolverine would have equal time as everyone else, and Vulcan would have never existed, but I don't own X-Men or it's characters so it is what it is today -_-
Rogue blinked for a moment not expecting this turn of events. A part of her told herself to back off because she wouldn't stand a chance. She had no powers to defend herself with and even though she knew some combat, it wouldn't be enough. The other part told her to beat the shit out of the Cajun for making her feel weak. She clenched her fists as she decided to listen to her instincts.
"That is unless you're afraid." Gambit grinned and folded his arms over his chest. His red irises seeming to glow brighter in amusement. Rogue growled under her breath.
"Ah don't think so and Ah'm gonna wipe that smirk off your face. Then Ah'll carry ya sorry ass back to the apartment for Logan ta beat the shit outta ya." Rogue snarled at him.
"Big words, let's see if y' can back dem up or if y' really are weak and pathetic as y' make y'rself believe." Gambit responded as Rogue finally had enough and lunged forward to punch him in the face, only to have him bring his arm up to defend himself.
"A little slow." Gambit taunted her as she kicked at him, but he moved to the side and dodged the attack again.
"Shut the hell up and stay still!" Rogue snapped and swung at Gambit again, barely missing him as he ducked and swung his right leg and kicked her legs out from under her.
Rogue hit the cement and stared up at the sky. She felt like tears starting to spring into her eyes, but she pushed them back. 'Ah really am weak, this is why Bobby left me. Why be with someone who needs protectin' when he can be with Kitty.' She thought to herself before she saw a hand in front of her. She looked over to see Remy looking down at her.
"Come on, get y'r lazy ass off the ground and beat de shit outta me like y' promised." He said with a small smile. She wiped her eyes and shoved his hand away.
"Ah don' need ya help." She yelled at him and got off the ground and dusted the leaves and dirt that clung her to pants. "Ya made ya point already, Ah'm weak." She glared at him, but it only caused him to raise an eyebrow at her. "Ya don't have ta keep humilatin' me."
"I'm gonna tell y' dis once and only once. Stop feelin' sorry for y'rself and makin' y'rself weak. Y' ain't weak, girl. Dere is a fire underneath y', but y' keep puttin' it out before it can erupt. Let it go. Anyone tells y' dat y'r weak, don't hold back like y'r doin' now. I know y' can do better dan dis, but y'r holdin' back and not takin' dis seriously." Gambit pointed a finger at her. Rogue stared at him in disbelief. She hadn't been expecting him to say what he did; instead she thought his first words were on how weak she was.
"Don't preach ta meh like ya know meh! Ah only met ya yesterday and ya act like ya have known meh for years! Ya don't know what Ah feel, so leave meh alone!" Rogue yelled at him and took a step back. Wave after wave of emotions hit Gambit head on to the point he almost felt nauseous. Anger, betrayal, loneliness, hurt, and pain, but none were as strong as the sadness that radiated off the girl in front of him.
"Y'r right, I don' know y'. I know what y' have told me. Y' feel as if it is y'r fault for what happened to y'r ex-boyfriend." Remy stated and noticed she opened her mouth to protest, but he continued before she could say a word. "I don' know what else has happened in y'r life to cause y' so much pain dat y' think dis is all y'r fault. I do know what y' feel." He said and ignored Rogue's eyes rolling.
"For months I blamed myself for what happened to Bella and our child." He said in a quiet tone. Rogue's angry expression softened slightly. "I kept tellin' myself dat dere were so many things' dat I could have done to prevent what happened. I sulked around for months, just like y' are now." Gambit ran a hand through his hair as he remembered those miserable months of self-pity.
"What did ya do ta get over it?" She asked him. She looked down at the ground thinking over what had happened with Bobby. She secretly knew what had happened between Bobby and herself was not her fault. It was the fact that he seemed to lose interest in her that made her feel as if it were. However, it had not been the first time she had felt like this.
Flashback
"But Ah thought we were gonna go to the movies?" Marie stared at David in the hallway of the school. It was going to be their one month anniversary and he had told her they were going to go to the movies to celebrate.
"We'll reschedule it another time. I really want to go to the concert with my friends." David told her. "It's not a big deal." He shrugged.
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Marie sat quietly waiting for David to arrive in the park. He said for their four month anniversary, they should have a picnic just the two of them. She sighed and laid down on the green blanket she had spread out across the grass.
She got out her cell phone and looked at the time. 'Thirty minutes late.' She sighed before she clicked it open and pressed David's number. It rang three times before he answered it.
"Hello? Marie?" He said on the other line. Marie swore she heard giggling in the background, but shook it off as the radio.
"Are ya on your way?" She asked him.
"Yeah, I'm just stuck in traffic. I'll be there in a little bit." He replied carelessly. "Love ya, babe." He said before she heard more giggling and he hung up.
Marie sat up on the blanket and curled her arms around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. She had talked to her parents about David; she didn't feel like he cared about her. However her father told her that David was a straight A student and had a bright future ahead of him and it would be a great idea to stay with him. Her mother agreed and said that she needed to date David longer to see how it goes.
Marie sat by herself as the clouds began to darken in the sky and thunder rumbled behind her. A single tear ran down her cheek as she looked back at her cell phone. It was two hours later and he still hadn't shown up.
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"Come on, it was nothing. There was a huge accident and I couldn't go that way so I turned around to go home." David told her while she sat on her bed refusing to look at him.
"Ya could have called meh instead of leavin' meh there like an idiot." She whispered and cringed away when he sat down next to her and pulled her close.
"Sorry about that, my phone died and I feel bad for what happened. Come on, give me another chance." David looked at her.
Marie looked at him and started to wonder to herself how many chances she needed to give him. Her parent's words rang in the back of her head as she heard the piano playing downstairs and sighed. "Alright, one more chance." She told him as he smiled and kissed her. Little did either know, her powers would develop an hour later and lead her onto a new path of misery.
End of Flashback
Thinking back on that particular event, she knew that was where her insecurity started. All her life people had been telling her of what she should and should not do and refused to let her decide on her own. She was never allowed to be herself; she always pretended to be what others wanted her to be. A quiet girl, who got good grades and listened to orders. She began to see why Bobby went for Kitty.
"I got over it by releasin' all de frustration I had at de world and those who caused me pain. I may not have gotten de mutant dat killed Bella, but while I was walkin' to de shower room, I finally let loose and beat de shit out of some of de guards. I got beaten for it, but y' know what? If felt good to let go. Dat's what y' need to do too." He told her and she nodded understandingly.
"Ah don't know how. Ah feel like at times Ah can when Ah'm around people who accept meh, like Logan. Other times, Ah feel like Ah want ta, but then a voice tells meh ta not act that way." She stated, realizing the voice sounded very similar to that of her parent's voice.
"Den tell dat voice to shut de fuck up." Gambit told her as he walked closer. "Let's see if dis helps, pretend dat I'm Bobby and anyone else dat-" He began to say when all of the sudden he was knocked back and pain erupted from his nose. He brought his hand up and felt blood leaking down. "Merde." He muttered before he looked up and barely dodged another punch from Rogue.
He noticed the look in her eyes had changed. They were no longer those that looked frightened or scared while pretending to be tough, they were more determined. Sadness no longer overpowered her emotions, only anger. He also took note that her movements seemed less messy than they were before. She was making more hits instead of misses.
"It was not my fault." She muttered to herself as she struck him in the arm before he pulled away and tried to kick out her feet, but she jumped out of the way before his foot came in contact with her legs.
"Why is dat?" Gambit asked as he caught her fist and brought it down and ducked as her other fist swung at him. He let her go and pushed her back.
"Ah didn' do nothin' wrong! Ah did everythin' for him, but it was never good enough! Ah tried ta be the perfect girlfriend." She yelled referring both to Bobby and David as she laid another punch into Gambit's side.
"Are y' just sayin' dat or do y' finally believe it?" He asked her as he dodged out of the way of her punch as she made contact with the dumpster instead. She winced as pain coursed through her hand, but ignored it.
"Ah didn't tell that son of a bitch ta hang out with Kitty and abandon meh after Ah gave up everythin' for him!" She yelled and realized for the first time she actually meant it. She felt neither guilt, nor sadness when she said it. She felt like a pain had been lifted from her heart that had been plaguing it for years.
"How y' feel?" Gambit asked as the grin appeared on his face again. She smiled back at him and struck out to hit him.
"Good." She muttered as he dodged the attack. They continued for two more minutes before Rogue tried to deliver another punch at Gambit, but he brought out his bo staff and extended it to block the attack. "Hey!" She yelled at him before he flipped her over onto her back.
"I let y' have y'r fun, but I ain't gonna let y' beat me up, chere." Gambit said as he crouched down over her with the metal staff under her chin. "Words are nothin' but empty lies until y' can believe dem. Y' may say dat it wasn't y'r fault for what happened until y' can believe it for y'rself. Y' need to stop takin' care of everyone else's needs and be selfish for once. Y' don't deserve to be hurt because y'r hidin' who y' are. If someone can' except y' for de real y', den de hell with dem." He told her before letting her up.
Rogue thought for a moment as her knuckles rested against the cool cement underneath them. She wondered why it took her this long to realize what Gambit said was true. Because she wanted people to accept her? 'Maybe because I was lyin' about who Ah was they never accepted meh fully.' She thought before she stood up. She always knew it deep down, but never accepted it until she was truly confronted with the truth: it was never her fault for what happened.
"Ya cheat." She muttered to him as he retracted the bo staff and stuffed it in his coat pocket.
"How do I cheat? I was defendin' myself." Gambit asked her as he leaned up against the dumpster.
"We were fightin' without weapons and ya brought that out, it ain't fair." She told him and pointed towards his pocket.
"Dere weren't no rules. Besides, if y' fightin' someone y' think dat dey are gonna stop and let y' get a weapon just to be fair? Dere is only one rule when it comes to fightin'." Gambit replied as she crossed her hands over her chest.
"Ah already know that, it's winnin'." Rogue said as if it was obvious. She had been through many of Logan's Danger Room sessions and when he was really ruthless, he would keep them in there until they won.
"Dat is important to some people, but it'll only get y' killed. If dere is an openin' to win, go for it, but not at de cost of y'r life. Non, de most important rule of fightin' is survivin' afterwards." Gambit stated.
Present – Xavier's Office
Charles Xavier smiled as he listened over the phone and nodded as he wrote down notes on the papers in front of him. He didn't want to rush with getting a new teacher after the students had lost Jean Grey and Scott Summers, but it was unfair that the others had to take on extra work to fill the void. Especially with the number of students that were showing up.
"Thank you, I have your resume that you sent me and I shall look it over once more. However, I do not believe that will be necessary as I trust your judgment. It would be a privilege to see you once more and for you to join my staff, not only as a teacher, but as an X-Man as well." Charles said with a satisfied smile on his face.
The person on the other line said a few more words before Xavier answered. "Yes, I shall have a different room for you this time. Hopefully, you will grow to enjoy it here, unlike the last time." Charles replied over the phone.
"I shall see you then and take care of yourself." Charles finally said as he hung up the phone. After having lost two of his first students, he felt emptiness inside himself as if he had failed them. He hoped that with the return of another one of his first students it will become complete once more.
Past- New Orleans
"But if ya don't win, what's the point? Ya just look like a coward by runnin' away." Rogue commented.
"It may look cowardly, but it also shows y' what y' need to work on to improve and get stronger. Besides, I'd rather escape with my life, den die and still lost. Only if de risk is worth it would I stay till de death." Gambit explained to her as he stepped away from the dumpster and started walking towards her. "We should be getting' back before y'r little hairy friend starts to worry about y'." He told her before she grabbed onto his sleeve causing him to stop.
"Ah want ta get stronger. Ah don't want ta be sittin' on the sidelines while people defend meh. Ah want ta be the one that people can count on ta protect them." Rogue told him while looking into his demonic eyes. "Can ya teach meh what ya know?" She asked him, her emerald eyes pleading. She knew Logan could teach her, but with all the lessons he had to teach and the missions, there would be little time for it before was completely forgotten. She wanted to show everyone that she was not weak, especially Bobby. She smiled inwardly at the thought of punching him in the face with Kitty crying over him.
"Don' got dat much time within de few days, so I can show y' de basics of what y' need to know. Y'r technique is still a little sloppy and dere is plenty of openin's dat I could have hit y' with. We need to work on dat and some other stuff." Remy replied as the two of them began walking out of the alley.
"Ah don' need ta know about other stuff, Ah just want ta learn combat." Rogue told him as they exited the alley and began walking down the street. Both shivered slightly as the buildings were no longer blocking the harsh wind.
"Dere is more to fightin' den just dat. Y' need to observe y'r opponent for whatever weakness dat dey show, use your surroundin's to y'r advantage, and know when the fight is at a loss. Dese things are key to learnin' to fight and give y' an advantage." Remy explained and noticed Rogue stopped walking and looked around.
"Did ya hear somethin'?" She asked him. When he didn't answer, she looked up at the building next to her. She swore she heard someone say 'I see them', but saw no one. "Never mind, let's go." She shook her head and began walking again.
"If y' wanted a good look at my ass, chere, all y' had to do was ask." He grinned at her, causing her to smack him on the arm and glare at him.
"Not in this lifetime, Cajun." She rolled her eyes at him as they walked down the street back to the apartment.
Unknown to them, a figure in black was perched on top of the building Rogue had been looking at. A mask covered the person's face, but watched the two southerners disappear into the crowd. 'Julien is gonna want to know about dis, especially, his sister.' The figure thought before it disappeared into the shadows.
End of Chapter 10
Sorry this chapter ended up being short; I'll make sure the next one is much longer. And the next chapter is the last day 3 chapter! Finally!
Q/A: Some important questions were asked in the reviews that that I'll be answering here. One was how old are Rogue and Remy (Rogue: 19 not sure how old she is in the movies, but I'll put her at that age unless someone knows the exact age; Remy:22). The most asked question: Bekka (I love basing things in my fics off the comics and it sometimes gives hint to what is going to happen, however, in this fic it is the opposite, the more you know about the comic version, it will cause you to know less). We thought you abandoned this story (this story, I swear, will not be abandoned until it is COMPLETE! I have all my notes of what I originally intended to do with this, along with a few other ideas that popped into my mind. As long as I have my notebook and don't lose it or it blows up, it won't be abandoned! Not to mention, there are a few chapters in here that I've been wanting to write.) Next Chapter is titled: Southern Cooking