Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
For the last three weeks or so, the Professor had been working with Rogue. He was trying to get her to move on after the incident with Mystique and the cliff. They had early morning sessions three times a week. This was one of those days.
Xavier had her focus on Mystique and that day. She saw the statue crumbling and felt herself plummeting. Her eyes snapped open and she started gasping for air.
"You're doing fine, Rogue."
"I can't do this anymore. It isn't working."
"Listen, Rogue, this will take time. You're confronting painful issues of your mother's betrayal."
Rogue grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. "Ah really think that Ah just need to get away from everything."
"Rogue," she ignored him and walked out of the gazebo.
Rogue was still trying to avoid most of her team whenever possible. It didn't help that Remy had seriously pissed her off the night before. He'd tried to call her back several times after she had hung up on him, but she ended up turning her phone off. She was still pissed as she walked to school that morning.
Rogue was nearing the school when the bell rang. She didn't care if she was late. It was her senior year, anyway. She stopped and looked at the school before turning to walk away.
"Kurt," she said in surprise as she ran into her younger brother.
"Excuse me. I'm late for school."
"Wait, Kurt. Ah, Ah don't know what made me do that to Mystique. Ah just,"
"It's pretty clear, Rogue. There's only one reason to push someone off a cliff."
"Ah'm sorry!"
Kurt stopped walking and tuned to look at her. "Are the rumors true, that you're thinking about leaving?"
"Maybe. Ah don't know yet. Rogue turned and walked back down the alley away from the school. She was passing an opening when a hand reached out to grab her.
"What do you think you're doing?" Rogue asked as son as she saw who it was.
"You are way too tense, chére." Remy wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "And I have just the thing for you. Somethin' to help you relax." He leaned in to kiss her. Rogue pulled back and twisted, successfully getting out of his hold.
"What do ya want?"
"You, Anna."
"Ah've got school." She turned to leave.
"I need your help." She turned around at the seriousness that was suddenly in his usually teasing tone.
"Help?"
"Ya damn family has my father. I need your help to get him back."
"Fine." Remy reached for her again and she stepped out of his reach. "But Ah'm still mad at ya. Oh and Ah'm not turnin my powers off until Ah forgive ya, so don't try anything." Remy sighed and followed his fiancé out of the alley.
"We're goin by train," he answered before she even opened her mouth to ask the question. Rogue glared at him and led the way to the station. They hopped on a cargo train and Rogue curled up to go to sleep.
When she woke up, she saw Remy leaning against the side of the car, watching the scenery through the open door. She noticed that his duster was draped over her. He glanced back over his shoulder.
"Ah've been watchin ya for the last few weeks. You're such an unhappy girl."
"No shit, Sherlock." She stood up and walked over to where he was standing. She handed him the coat. She pulled herself up on crate and sat down Indian style. "So…"
Remy sighed. "I know what you're waiting for. I'm sorry."
"That wasn't so hard, was it, sugah?" Remy glanced at her before watching the scenery again. "It'll be okay, Rem. Julian's a dick, but Ah don't think he'll do anything to Jean Luc."
"I hope you're right, Anna."
Rogue settled back against the side of he train and tired to go back to sleep. She had hardly slept the night before because of her fight with Remy. She figured that he didn't get much sleep either. "Come here, Rems."
He looked at her, but walked over anyway. She turned off her powers and leaned in to kiss him. "Relax. Get some sleep while ya can. It'll be crazy down in N' Awlins for you to get any. Especially since it's Mardi Gras." Remy nodded and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned against the side of the train and closed his eyes.
When Rogue woke up again, Remy was sitting at a crate playing solitaire. She watched him as he played. "Nervous?"
Remy glanced up ad smiled at her. "Nope."
"Liar." Remy raised an eyebrow. "You always do something with your hands when you're nervous. Usually you shuffle cards, but sometimes you play solitaire or jiggle your foot."
"Observant, aren't we?"
"Ah've known ya for a long time, sugah." She nodded toward the cards. "Savin the queen?"
"Always do." He picked up the queen of hearts. "She's my lucky lady. Bout like another queen of hearts I know," he replied with a look at her.
"Ah'm not a queen of hearts."
"You're the queen of my heart, chére." Rogue looked at him and started laughing.
"Sorry. That's just one of the cheesiest lines Ah've heard ya use."
"It's true."
"Ah know. Ah'm just not used to hearin lines like that. Ah've been around the X-Men too much."
"X-Men my ass. They're boys."
"Scott's only two years younger than ya."
"But the boy scout ain't old enough to drink," Remy shot back with a grin.
"Ah forgot about that. If ya get drunk at Mardi Gras, Ah'm gonna kick ya ass."
"What if I buy you one?"
"Then Ah'll think about it."
Remy chuckled. "Nice to have someone lookin out for you, huh, chére?"
"Depends on who the someone is," Rogue replied.
"So, you decided on a date yet?"
"What?"
"For the wedding. You're eighteen now, so we can get married whenever you want."
"Ah haven't even thought about it. Ah was planning on waitin a few more years."
"Really? I was hopin that it'd be in the next year or so."
Rogue gave him a challenging look. "We're not getting married until Ah graduate from high school."
"So if you start planning now, we can get married in six months when you graduate."
"Ah think not."
"Why not?"
"Ah want some time to decide what Ah'm gonna do after high school."
"You're gonna be my wife and hopefully a mother. What's there to think about, chére?" Remy glanced over at her to see a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Swamp Rat, there is no way in hell that you are gonna push me into this. When Ah decide Ah'm ready to get married, we'll get married. Ah'm not rushin into this and having to deal with the consequences later." Rogue had backed him against the open door of the train. He was holding onto the sides to avoid falling an he accidentally charged the car.
Remy quickly relented. He'd push this later when they weren't in a train traveling at a high speed. "Alright. We'll finish this later."
"Fine." Rogue went and sat back by herself. Remy uncharged the boxcar and sat on the opposite end from his now pissed off fiancé. They were both silent for a good fifteen minutes.
"So how long do you think it'll take before the X-Men come after you?"
"They should be on their way. Ah'm sure they know where Ah'm at after ya pulled that stunt minute ago."
"Merde." He'd forgotten that Xavier could track mutants when they used their powers. That had definitely been a screw up on his part. Wolverine would have his head when they caught up to them.
"Thanks for bringin me. Ah needed a vacation."
Remy smirked at her. "I know."
"How did you know Ah was ready to leave?"
"It's been obvious for a while. Plus I heard you talkin to that Nightcrawler fool."
"That's another thing. How did you know Ah was going through that alley to get to school?"
Remy shrugged and gave her another smirk.
"You've been spying on me on my way to school?"
"No, just looking out for you." Remy looked at her curiously. "Why are you being such a bitch lately?"
"Ah cannot believe you just asked me that."
"Well?"
"Ah'm sick of bein at the Institute. Do ya have any idea how hard it is to hide who you are from everyone? Ah've got to constantly keep up mental blocks. Ah have to wear long sleeves and pants year round. Ah can't even touch anybody. And to top it all off, my mother is God knows where and Ah have to hide the fact that Ah've got a fiancé that tried to blow up my team! And this fiancé is pressuring me about a wedding when Ah haven't even graduated from fuckin high school yet."
"Sorry I asked, chére."
"Ya wanna know the worst thing?" Rogue asked, ignoring Remy's comment. "The professor has been making me go through counseling with him and it's making me loose my fuckin mind."
"Wow. I thought living with the Acolytes was bad." Remy wrapped an arm around her. "I'm sorry, chére. Will it help if I back off?"
"Honestly, Remy, Ah think the only thing that would help would be if I just came out and told them everything. But Ah don't know if Xavier would let me stay there if Ah did."
"Why not?"
"Oh, Ah don't know. Maybe because Ah've been lying to him for the past year and a half?"
"He would probably forgive you and let you stay there. I know that he doesn't like to turn any mutants down."
"Ah'll just wait until ya come back. Then Ah can stay with ya if he does."
"If that's what you want. I'll let you know when I come back, if I decide to stay down here at all."
They lapsed back into silence as the train neared the city. They jumped when the train slowed down so that they wouldn't get caught. They were on the streets within minutes.
Rogue looked around at the people swarming the town. She loved Mardi Gras. She didn't pay much attention to floats moving behind them, choosing to look at the costumes as people walked past.
"Ah always loved Mardi Gras. No matter who ya are ya fit in."
"First time I've been here without working."
"Working at what?"
"Gettin by," Remy replied, holding up a wallet he had just stolen.
Rogue frowned at him and took it from him. She ran back to the man he had taken it from. "Hey, you dropped your wallet!" She threw the wallet to him and tuned around to catch back up with Remy.
"Hungry?" he asked. "Because that little jazz club there has the best jambalaya."
"I remember," Rogue replied. They had frequented the jazz clubs in New Orleans years ago when they were hiding from Belle. She would never think to look somewhere in public when she couldn't find Remy.
Remy smiled at the waitress as she seated them in a private corner. Rogue looked around, taking in the familiar sights.
"Ah forgot how much Ah missed these kinds of places."
"Yeah. Nothin like this up north."
"So, Ah thought ya were a reformed thief."
"Never claimed to be."
"Don't tell me you're as 'reformed' as your family."
"Not quite, chére. I'm more reformed than they'll ever be." Remy looked up. "Julian." He quickly got to his feet. Julian's goons quickly surrounded them and grabbed each of them by the shoulders.
"Well, if it ain't the infamous Remy LeBeau. Dis just saves me de trouble of hunting y' down." His eyes strayed over Remy's companion. "Do I know y', fille?"
Rogue gave him a glare. "Ya oughta. Ah put up with your sorry ass for long enough."
The comment made something click in his mind. "Anna. Good t' see y'," he said dryly.
"How sweet. Ya remember me. Now ya mind getting your goons to let me and Remy go?"
"Let Anna go." The man holding Rogue immediately let go.
"Julian, let him go."
"Why should I? He's a t'ief. Why're y' even here wit him?"
"Because Ah want to be. Now let him go."
Julian looked at Rogue and relented. He knew that she could easily beat him if need be. "Y' heard her," he said to his men. "Why's it matter t' y', fille?"
"Cause Ah'll have a hell of a time finding a new fiancé."
"What?"
"Ya heard me. Ah'm engaged to Remy."
"Does my Father know dis?"
Rogue shrugged. "Don't know and Ah don't really care. He ain't got any control of my life."
"Really? Well we're supposed t' bring y' back. Mon pére wants t' see y'."
"Why?"
"He wants t' talk t' Anna D'Ancanto." Julian replied with a smirk. Remy growled and Rogue's eyes took on a harsh light.
"How do ya know about that?"
"Let's just say dat de Assassins have dere information sources."
"If Ah'm goin, Remy comes too. And ya'll leave him alone."
"Fine." As much as Julian didn't want to agree, Marius would have his head if he let her get away.
Julian led the way back to the Bordeaux mansion. They led Remy to the room where they were holding Jean Luc LeBeau. They untied him and led him into the room where Marius was waiting.
"Welcome back, daughter."
"Daughter?" Jean Luc looked at them in confusion while Rogue fixed a glare on her father.
"Seems dat y' son is in love wit my daughter and dat she loves him too."
"Daughter?" Jean Luc repeated.
Marius looked thoughtful for a minute. "Y' still want dat peace treaty, LeBeau?"
"Oui."
"Since it seems dat I got one more daughter den I t'ought, how bout we make it so dere marriage brings peace t' de Guilds?"
"Sounds good t' me. But how is Anna y' daughter?"
"Her mother an' m' had an affair a long time ago. She left an' it turns out dat she was pregnant. Anna is dat baby."
"So Remy an' Anna marry an' it brings peace? Y' know dat dere already engaged?"
"Oui. It makes it easier den arranging a marriage."
"Do we get any say in this?" Rogue asked from her spot next to Remy.
"Y' love him, right?" Marius asked.
"Yeah."
"An' y' love her?" Remy nodded. "Den what d' y' need t' say 'bout it?"
"Ah know the way Guild marriages work. Ya'll set a date and expect whoever is getting married to agree automatically."
"Yeah. What do y' t'ink, LeBeau? When should de date b'?"
"I don' know, Marius. Maybe…"
"There's no way in hell ya'll are pickin a date for my weddin. If Ah know ya," she looked at Marius, "ya'll want me to get married soon, since Ah'm already eighteen." Marius nodded. "De sooner, de better."
"Ah haven't even graduated from high school yet! Ah'll be damned if someone else is gonna plan my weddin for me."
"We got trouble," a man announced as he came through the door. "Dere's a boat comin dis way an' one hell of a storm brewin'."
"Shit." Rogue turned to Marius. "Pretend like your after us. Make your men chase us out."
"Why?"
"It's the X-Men. They're comin to 'rescue' me from my 'kidnapper'." She jerked her head toward Remy and Marius understood. These X-Men had no idea about the two.
"Fine, but we gonna talk more 'bout de weddin at some point." Rogue nodded. "Get em." Rogue, Remy, and Jean Luc took off running as Marius's men came after them. Rogue absorbed one to find their way out of the huge mansion.
A huge gust of wind broke out one of the mansion's front walls. Rogue led them toward the boat dock as she saw Storm overhead. Julian and his men pursued them. They lost them in the bayou after Remy blew up Julian's boat and Storm took care of the young Assassin.
Remy pulled himself out of the swamp, only to be confronted by Logan. He winced as his back was slammed hard against a tree. Wolverine's claws were in his face. "You've had it, bub."
"Logan, stop. Please, leave him alone." Rogue's heart nearly stopped when she saw Logan ready to gut her fiancé.
He growled and put him down. "I'm gonna want some answers, Rogue."
"You'll get em." She walked toward Remy.
"Rogue,"
"Don't. You just did the wrong thing for the right reasons."
"So what now?"
"Ah'm going back with the X-Men. Ah don't care what ya do."
"Sure y don't." He walked up behind her.
"Well, Ah better go."
Remy grabbed her hand as she walked away. "You will be fine, chére. Y' got people watchin for you." He let her go and walked away with Jean Luc. Rogue looked down at the card in her hand. 'Call me' was written in tiny print across the bottom.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Ah think so." Rogue followed her brother and the rest of the X-Men back to the jet.
About two weeks after Rogue had gotten back from Louisiana, some of the X-Men went on an ATV trip. Kitty got knocked out and started having dreams and visions about a girl. These visions haunted her until she was convinced that Danielle Moonstar was real and not just a figment of her imagination. She went back to the spot and found the girl in an underground cave. She rescued her and reunited her with her grandfather.
After that, the Professor and Storm went to confront Apocalypse. He ended up destroying them in the same way as he had Magneto. The X-Men teamed up with some other mutants and SHIELD to fight him. The Professor, Magneto, Storm, and Mystique weren't dead, but were being used as Apocalypse's horsemen.
The mutants split up into four groups. They were divided between each of the pyramids that had appeared. A horseman showed up in each location. The X-Men did their best to battle them while trying not to hurt them. Apocalypse gave the command and the tops of the pyramids went into orbit around the world. Rogue ended up saving the world by stopping Apocalypse with powers that she borrowed from Leech. By turning off the power around him, she disabled the pyramids that were supposed to turn the human race into mutants.
Okay. This chapter finishes off the episodes. Happy Holidays to everyone. Hope you enjoy this. Thanks reviewers!