Author's Note: Heyyyyyy guyyyyys, long time no see. By the way, sorry for that. :/ It's been pretty hectic at my house and it hasn't given me much time to write at all. First, family comes over, I got myself a brand new used car, finally got my bow, best friend ran away and now she wants to come back, went to the ocean. Quite a busy two weeks, no? Once again, sorry for that and I'm just happy that you all are sticking with me through this.

This chapter would've been the halfway point, basically, had I not added more Kitty/ Piotr chapters! :) Since you all love them so much, I decided to add two or three more chapters specifically for them, roughly adding up to twenty-four chapters.

Honestly, I'm not particularly proud of this chapter. It's just something I had to get out of the way because I can't continue without it, ya know? It shows a really AU version of Rogue and Remy where Rogue is slightly more distressed and Remy is... being helpful? I don't know how to word it that well (This coming from an author) but you'll know it when you see it.

I'm loving all your reviews so far! I've tried getting in touch with some of you and you all seem like lovely people! I just wish I could get in touch with some of the guest reviewers. :( I know that whenever I leave a review for something, it always comes up as a guest because I read stuff off my phone, so... leave a username? :) Also, there was a guest that asked how old our main characters are, so here are their ages and I'm sorry for not clearing this up earlier. Rogue is 18, Remy is 22, Piotr is 23 (as explained) and Kitty is almost 18, but still 17.

Alrighty, today's song is by the band that got me in to rock/metal. Shinedown! And well, there's a reason I picked this song for this chapter. It just fits."It's about having an unattainable dream that maybe the people around you are telling you that you can't accomplish and you're never going to succeed at it, and maybe they're being that way towards you because they didn't go after THEIR dreams. And "Fly From The Inside" is just a metaphor about believing in yourself and going after anything that seems unattainable. You have to at least try for it...because you'll be kicking yourself in the ass if you don't!" ~Brent Smith, Lead singer for Shinedown.

With that, enjoy the chapter and reviews/favs/follows, and whatever is always welcomed.

Chapter 10: Fly From the Inside

Rogue POV:

I woke up in a cold sweat. It was another nightmare, but it wasn't mine. They're never mine anymore.

This time, it was Logan's; one of the worst ones. There was just so much poking and prodding and pain. So much pain. It was so unbearable, I could feel myself writhing in said pain even though I was unconscious. Waking up, I was mildly pleased to find myself unscathed, but it didn't do any good to wipe the memory now carved in my brain.

Tonight looked a lot like it did for the past two weeks now. Ever since Professor X told me that I could possibly have full control over my mutation, all these nightmares have been resurfacing as if they were trying to scare me out of the method the Professor is using with me.

Some were petty fears, like of spiders and snakes, that the students had, but then there were those that I just couldn't get over for the rest of the night. Much like tonight's. The last one this bad was coming from Ororo's Psych and her claustrophobia. That night, I woke up and felt as if I couldn't breathe for half an hour.

However, tonight I decided against laying in my own sweat and made my way down to the kitchen for comfort food or something along the lines of it.

There wasn't much lighting the halls of the Xavier Institute. After all, it was nearly three in the morning.

I dragged my feet across the soft carpets of the mansion and slowly made my way down stairs as I attempted to wipe the sleep from my vision. When I made it to the kitchen, I practically made a beeline for the refrigerator to get some chocolate milk, because who could go wrong with chocolate milk? Sipping the drink from a glass, my throat felt significantly less dry than before and I didn't feel as clammy as I did only mere minutes ago. Even so, the memory and fear still radiated within me and I could tell that I wouldn't be going back to sleep anytime soon.

So, I thought. I thought about why I'm putting myself through this personal hell. And I thought of all the good it'll eventually do me.

"The decision is up to you," he said.

"Yes, Ah'll do it."

"Rogue," he paused. "You need to understand that this isn't going to be just some walk in the park."

I suddenly got curious.

"Whadda ya mean, Prof?" I asked.

"Initially, we need to find the point of origin; where this all started to answer why you can't control your mutation," he said matter-of-factly.

"Point of origin?" I asked, still confused to no end.

"We need to find where this all began and go back to when your power first manifested," he said.

And just like that, the confusion was gone. I now understood what he was trying to tell me. I mean, it could only mean one thing, right? Cody.

"Ya mean… 'bout what happened in Mississippi?" I asked. Just to be specific.

"Yes. We will have to access that part of your brain in order for us to fix the original problem," he stated.

"Well, not tah sound morbidly stupid, but what is the problem, Professor?"

"In the way that your mutation manifested, it seemed to have a traumatic impact on your mental state," he said, informatively, but not as if he was talking to a kid.

Yeah, I could definitely see where he was getting at. After Cody, I didn't remember much, except for being a nervous wreck and clearly making a wrong decision or two.

"So, what does that mean tah meh? What do Ah have tah do?" I asked while furrowing my eyebrows.

"It means that," he gave a contemplative pause. "It means that you need to open your mind- you need to take down your walls and make peace with your inner self."

"But, that's what we were alreadeh doin' 'fore? Whah would Ah take down all the walls?"

"Well, it seems that we overlooked the whole Mississippi incident in our sessions and there is a strong possibility that it could be the source of why you can't have full control over the absorption," he said.

I looked at him with confusion, clear as day, lacing my features. "So," I began, already dreading the possibility of the truth. "Ah have tah fahnd Cody's Psych an' make peace with it?"

"Basically, yes," he said. "But, I can only assist in finding his Psych, anything beyond that is up to you. Are you sure you want to do this, Rogue? If not, we can still-"

"Ah want this. Please, Ah jus' wanna try," I said pleadingly.

No matter how much doubt I was carrying and how many questions were now swimming around in my mind, I still wanted this. And I would continue to want this until I got it. I figured, if I can't have this, then I can't move on with my life.

In my moments of spacing out, I realized that I was now finished drinking the chocolate milk and that no one could go wrong with more. Getting up from my slouching position against the counter, I turned around to get the carton out of the fridge and ran into something hard and familiar that made me stumble back a bit while saying something along the lines of "umph."

Warm hands found their way to my upper arms as if to steady me and I couldn't fight the tingly feeling that began to fill my chest.

"Remy," I said while giving him a nod in acknowledgement.

"Chere," he drawled, not letting go of me. "Wha's une jolie fille like yo'self doin' up so late?"

"Runnin' a marathon… what does it look lahke, Cajun?" I asked jokingly.

He gave a slight chuckle, something that I think I've come to love since him being here. He then said, "Touché, Roguey, touché. Remy curious, dough, pourquoi yo' up et 'bout dis late at night?"

I could hear the slight worry in his voice and it just made my heart swell a tad bit more. I wasn't used to people caring for me, much less him, seeing as how he was at the top of that list, but maybe I could grow accustomed to it.

What was I supposed to tell him, though? Professor Xavier and I agreed that this new revelation would stay secret for the time being as to not get anyone's hopes up, but it was hard keeping secrets from Remy LeBeau, especially when he was intent on figuring them out. But, as happy as I tell myself I am, I've managed to keep this away from everyone for nearly two weeks now, it's only fair of me to keep it for a while longer.

So what does that leave meh with? What do Ah tell him?

"Nightmare, nothin' big," I said, shimmying out of his grasp and to the refrigerator, remembering my salvation.

He sat down at the table and nudged the chair next to him with his foot for me to sit down. "Wanna tell Remy 'bout it?"

I scowled at the thought. Ah want tah, but Ah shouldn't. "Not realleh," I said with my eyes downcast. "Ah jus' wanna forget 'bout it," I said a little bit quieter as I sat next to him at the table.

He gently sat his hand on top of my gloved one, looked at me with a certain seriousness- or was it determination?- in his features and said, "Ah'm here fo' yo', Rogue."

I looked at him, really looked at him. I looked passed the mesmerizing red on black orbs and saw more than just pride. I saw pain, sorrow, want.

Yo' an' Ah; we could write a book 'bout it. Been down the same roads.

Back then, in New Orleans, I didn't understand what he meant by that, but now it was as clear as sun on a summer day. He's just as broken as I am.

And it hurt.

It hurt so much to know that someone was just as pained and burdened as I was. Because no one should have to endure what I go through on a daily basis.

Curiosity got the best of me and I wondered aloud, "Why're ya up?"

"Why, Remy beh runnin' une marat'on. Ain't it obvious?" He said with a smirk.

That definitely lightened the mood a little bit. Unbeknownst to myself, I was grinning like a fool and the next words out of his mouth were, "Yo' should smile mo'e often. It suits yo'."

"That's hardly a compliment, Cajun," I said while laughing off the embarrassment creeping into my bones. But it was nahce, nonetheless.

Silence overcame us for a few short seconds, as he looked over me contemplatively. What is this Cajun up tah?

Looking at me with calm eyes, he said with, "Alone, yo're une gen'ral sight tah see; attractive on da outside- very attractive," he said with a wink. "Yet beautiful inside. When yo' smile? Mon Dieu chéri, da's une whole ot'er story on its own!"

At this, he inclined his head slightly closer to mine, as I sat transfixed on his beautiful words. Time stopped and everything blurred together. It wasn't two people sitting in the kitchen, a forgotten glass of chocolate milk off to the side somewhere and the hypnotizing tick-tock of the wall clock on the far right wall. No. It was so much less complex, yet more so at the same time.

In the moment, it was just us and that itself brought questions to my head. What does this mean? Where is this leadin'? Should Ah stop this? Is he goin' tah stop this? What's even happenin'? When did he get so close?

He began speaking once again. "C'est like une… like une shootin' star, ya know? Dey beh rare, sure, mais when dey make demselves present somet'in' transfixin' an' magical happens," he pause and a meaningful look that carried so much emotion on its own was aimed towards me. "It jus' brings light an' radiance tah da darkest o' nights, mais only some can witness it an' when dey do… when dey do, dey become da luckiest o' dem all. Now how's dat fo' une compliment?"

The whole time he was speaking, I was so enthralled with his words that I didn't know the growing proximity between us. Where did he learn how tah talk tah a girl so… so… lahke that?!

Suddenly, I saw how close his face was, only mere inches from mine and I couldn't find it in myself to pull away from the enticing scent of Le Diable Blanc, the mixture of aftershave, typical southern spices and cigarettes.

I couldn't say anything in this moment. Whatever this is between us, right now, I probably would've ruined it with words, but I wasn't willing to back down from a fight. So, I stayed there.

I felt the familiar butterflies begin to make themselves present- the same butterflies I always get whenever I'm around him, the ones that I never seem to get tired of. Or used to.

I could feel his warm, ragged breathe against the corner of my mouth and my cheek and it was somehow calming. I don't know why and maybe I wasn't meant to.

What happened next was a surprise even to myself.

I was willingly pulled into a gentle and slow kiss. It was fascinating and openly welcomed. The butterflies flew faster and harder than before and I saw fireworks of all different colors behind my eye lids.

Alas, as soon as it started, it ended, but the butterflies remained. However, my elated and carefree mood was replaced by something unwanted; fear.

Gasping and whipping my eyes open, I was scared at what could lie before me. A soon to be passed out Remy? A comatose Remy? A dead Remy?

That surprise I mentioned? It comes in right about now because he was none of those things. In fact, his face mirrored mine in surprise. What the hell just happened?

"What the hell jus' happened?" I asked, bewildered. "Ya- ya aren't… But how… This doesn't make any sense. Ah thought the method wasn't workin'," I mumbled to myself.

"Met'od?" He asked.

And, of course, after two weeks, I finally slipped up. Bound to happen, just glad it was with him. I'm glad it happened the way it did.

Groaning loudly, I thought about what to say next. "Can… we go somewhere mo'e… quiet?" I finally settled with.

"Yo' room?" He said while standing up.

"Yeah… yeah," I said, still distracted by what just happened.

When we got to my room and reasonably comfortable, I told him everything from what happened during Thanksgiving, the nightmares and what happened only a day ago. "Then, Ah found his Psych, an' he forgave meh. Ah was so happy, but then when Ah came back, nothin' happened. The Professor said it should'a worked, but it didn't an' Ah'm still getting' nightmares lahke crazy. An' then… what jus' happened downstairs… Ah jus'- Ah- Ah dunno what tah do or what it means…"

Throughout my whole story telling, he remained relatively quiet, only giving slight nods and words of understanding as to not distract me terribly, while lightly holding my hand for moral support. And it helped some. But, not enough seeing as I was freaking out to no end.

"Rogue," he drawled. "Yo' need tah calm down, chéri an' den figure dis out when yo' wake up, alrigh'? C'est been une long night fo' da bot' o' us."

As much as I wanted to disagree with him, I just couldn't find the rationality to do so. The yawns were becoming harder and harder to control and even I could hear the slur in my voice now. Yeah, I was pretty much already half asleep. "Yeah, ya're raght," I said sleepily.

I got into bed and quickly got accustomed to the welcomed warmth of the comforter and fluffiness of the pillows as Remy got up and stretched his back and arms. A faint pop and a groan to follow could be heard at some points and I couldn't resist. I gave a snort or laughter and said, "Ya alrigh' there, ole man?"

He gave me a pointed look, but it soon faded to something more playful. "Dat yo' new nickname fo' moi, Rivah Rat?"

"Not in a million years, Swamp Rat," I said, giving him a tired smirk.

Instead of trying to sass me back, he kissed the top of my head lightly and whispered, "G'night Rogue, sweet dreams."

He made to leave, but I reached out to grab his sleeved forearm. He turned back around half way, so I sat up a little and asked in a small voice, "Stay?"

Under his scrutiny, I felt like a small child again. I don't know what it was! Maybe it was my feelings? My half-asleep mind? Maybe Kitty's Psych? Maybe something more meaningful that I wasn't quite ready to admit?

I'd like to think of it as it being my half asleep brain's fault. In that moment, it was almost unfathomable how much I understood his skepticism, but he gave in.

He actually gave in and I could see it written all over his features and body language. It was relieving, in a way to know that I wouldn't be alone tonight.

He walked to the other side of my bed and climbed in opposite of me, staying on top of the covers because you could never be too cautious, right?

I turned to face him, well more like his chest and watched as he draped an arm over my waist carefully like he was a kid sneaking cookies from the cookie jar. Slowly, he brought me closer to his body and I couldn't fight the want to nuzzle my face into his chest. I felt a timid, but heavy weight being placed on top of my head as his hand began to draw circles across the blanket where my lower back was located.

After getting settled, I decided that I had never felt more comfortable in my own bed than I am right now, in this moment. "G'naght Remy," I said barely above a whisper as I was lulled to sleep by the sound of his constant, reassuring heart beat against my ear and the smell of cigarettes and spices that could fit no one else but him.

When we woke up, we'd go from there, but right now, we both needed the comfort and tranquility of the moment and neither one of us wanted to pass up this wonderful opportunity, not tonight.

Alright, you beautiful people! Tell me what you all think of this? Again, I'm so sorry that this took so long to get out, but can't really change that now, can we? I don't think I need to do translations, considering I've used all the phrases in previous chapters.

Suggestions and constructive criticism is always welcome, so don't be shy. I wont bite. ;)

From here on out, the story's going to go at a faster pace. Just be prepared for that, but I will let you all know how much time has passed between each chapter. With that, I think I'm done here for the day, so keep it classy you beautiful people. :)