INT. X MANSION - KITCHEN - DAY

Remy goes into the fridge for a can of pop.

Off screen, BAMF!

Remy turns around, startled, and drops the can.

A blue, prehensile tail catches it before it hits the ground.
It lifts the can up to reveal-

-Nightcrawler. He POPS it open and hands it to Gambit.

NIGHTCRAWLER:
Sorry to startle you, mein Freund.

Gambit takes the can.

NIGHTCRAWLER:
I'm Kurt. You must be Remy?

GAMBIT:
Yeah.

NIGHTCRAWLER:
Logan was looking for you. He said something about fixing your car.

GAMBIT:
Where is he?

NIGHTCRAWLER:
Oh, he left.

GAMBIT:
Thanks anyway.

Nightcrawler roots through the fridge and brings out a cup of yogurt with his tail. He BAMFS to a silverware drawer.

GAMBIT:
Hey, uh... do you happen to have any Russian relatives?

NIGHTCRAWLER:
No. I'm German.

GAMBIT:
Yeah, ok.

Rogue enters. She sees Gambit and rolls her eyes. She goes to the fridge, but he's in her way.

ROGUE:
Excuse me.

GAMBIT:
Hey, I'd really like to apologize, cherie. I'm not really quite sure what I did wrong, but-

ROGUE:
I said, excuse me.

GAMBIT:
Come on, hear me out.

ROGUE:
There's nothing to talk about, Remy. Let me in the fridge.

He steps out of the way and opens the door for her, gesturing to it like a gentleman. She roots around in it.

GAMBIT:
I was thinking, it don't have to be that way. I can get pretty...
creative... if you know what I mean.

She shuts the door and stares at him in disbelief.

GAMBIT:
And I don't mind a little pain,
either, if that's what it takes.

ROGUE:
Are you crazy? What part of "a coma" don't you understand?

GAMBIT:
I just like dangerous women, that's all.

Rogue groans in frustration and storms out of the kitchen.

Nightcrawler has been eating yogurt silently on the other side of the room. Gambit stares at him. Kurt looks embarrassed and BAMFS out.

Remy exits and follows Marie to the-

STAIRCASE

He grabs her hand.

GAMBIT:
How long does it take?

ROGUE:
What?

GAMBIT:
Does it happen like-
(snaps his fingers)
-or does it take a little bit?

ROGUE:
I guess... about three seconds?

GAMBIT:
Three full seconds? Like, 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi?

ROGUE:
Yeah, but that's not long enough to-

He takes her head in his hands and kisses her on the lips.
She tries to pull away at first, but relaxes, losing herself.

Gambit holds out his hand and counts,

1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi, 3 Mississippi...

The veins around his mouth and face begin to stand out. He opens his eyes in surprise and gasps. She does the same and pushes him away.

He's very pale. He grabs the staircase railing for support, then sinks to the steps as he gasps for breath.

Her eyes fill with tears.

ROGUE:
Why did you do that?

GAMBIT:
I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Marie.

She runs up the stairs, leaving him.

INT. FROST ESTATE - MASTER BEDROOM - DAY

Emma lies sleeping peacefully on one side of a king sized bed. Birds CHIRP happily outside as light streams through the breezy curtains.

The other side of the bed appears to have been slept in as well, but is now empty.

She turns over and rubs her eyes, without opening them.

EMMA:
Azazel? Could you get me-

She opens her eyes, realizing he's not there.

EMMA:
Azazel?

She rises.

She walks into the-

HALLWAY

-searching for him.

INT. FROST ESTATE - LABORATORY - DAY

She opens the door from the hallway.

Azazel and Dr. Essex sit together. They speak in lowered tones. They both look over to Emma, with cold surprise.

EMMA:
Azazel?

He stands and walks to her. He smiles, gives her a kiss on the cheek, then POOF, he's gone.

EMMA:
What were you two talking about?

ESSEX:
Oh, Azazel was just telling me about the old exploits of the Hellfire Club. I had no idea Sebastian Shaw was a member, Ms.
Frost!

EMMA:
Yes. He founded the Club.

ESSEX:
You should have told me! I'm a great fan of his... experiments.

As he speaks, he gets up and goes to a cabinet, meticulously laying out various intimidating surgical instruments.

Emma pauses. She chooses her words carefully.

EMMA:
What, precisely, were you planning to do while in New Orleans, Doctor?

ESSEX:
Imperfect mutations run rampant in this city, Ms. Frost. Human intervention has rendered natural selection utterly useless.

He examines a particularly ominous looking instrument.

ESSEX:
I'm just here to help nature select.

EMMA:
I don't understand.

ESSEX:
You will, my dear. Once Gambit comes back from his little trip,
everything will be clear as crystal.

Emma is frozen in place, thoroughly creeped out.

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAY

Logan works on Gambit's car, hood open. His motorcycle stands a few feet away.

Off in the distance, Gambit trudges towards him. Wolverine sees him but keeps working silently.

GAMBIT: (calling)
Hey! Were you gonna invite me or what?

LOGAN:
Couldn't find you.

GAMBIT:
Well, you didn't look very hard,
did you, mon ami?

He's now at the car, panting. He leans against Logan's bike.

LOGAN:
Get your fingerprints on that and you die.

GAMBIT:
I die if I touch just about anything around here, huh?

LOGAN:
That's right. Especially-

GAMBIT:
Rogue, yeah, I know. You don't have to defend her, anyway. I'd say she's got a pretty good defense system built right in.

LOGAN:
So you finally figured it out?

GAMBIT:
Yeah.
(aside)
The hard way.

Logan freezes. He SLAMS the hood and approaches him, cold rage in his voice.

LOGAN:
What the hell do you mean, "the hard way"?

Logan is uncomfortably close to him, ready to rip him a new one. He suddenly SNIFFS the air.

GAMBIT:
What is it, Lassie?

LOGAN:
I smell something on you.

GAMBIT:
If it's B.O., I think it's you.

Wolverine grabs him by the throat, throws him down on the hood of the car, and PUNCHES one of his clawed hands through the hood.

There is a claw on either side of Gambit's throat.

LOGAN:
You've been in the basement.

GAMBIT:
I don't know what the hell-

LOGAN:
Don't give me that bull! You've been sneaking around, haven't you?

GAMBIT:
I wasn't sneaking around!

Wolverine slides out the very tip of the middle claw until it touches Gambit's skin.

LOGAN:
You better quit playing games, bub.
Tell me why you're really here or I cut your throat out.

GAMBIT:
How about you let me go...

He brings his finger to a claw on the side of his throat. He charges it. It spreads up to Logan's hands, then his arms,
making his bones glow reddish pink through his skin.

GAMBIT:
... and I don't blow you the hell up?

Logan holds his ground for a few seconds, then slides his claws back in. His bones lose the charge.

LOGAN:
You better listen to me, Cajun. I'm gonna be real nice and fix your pile of crap, and then you're gonna go home. If you ain't gone by morning, your head'll be shish kabob. Got it?

Gambit says nothing, getting up and straitening his coat.

Logan opens the hood again and continues to work.

EXT. X MANSION - DAY

Gambit walks towards the mansion. Rogue is sitting outside on a bench near the cemetery, wearing a hooded coat. They catch each other's glance. Remy looks down and continues to walk, without his usual smile. As he passes-

ROGUE:
Hey... I... I'm sorry, Remy.

He turns to her in surprise.

GAMBIT:
You're sorry? What the hell for?

ROGUE:
I should have pushed you away sooner, or... something.

GAMBIT:
It was my own damned fault I got hurt. I can't leave well enough alone, I guess.

ROGUE:
You could have any woman in the universe, and you want the one you can't touch.

GAMBIT:
I want what I can't have, cherie. But if I had you, I think I'd be happy.

She looks longingly into his eyes. She gets up.

ROGUE:
Remy, if there were any way in the world we could be together, even just for a little while, I'd take it in a second.
(beat)
Would you still like me if I decided to get the cure?

GAMBIT:
Sure. But I like you how you are now.

ROGUE:
I wish I could.

She goes inside.

INT. X MANSION - CENTRAL FOYER - DAY

Gambit wanders down the hall and catches a glimpse of himself in a decorative mirror. He stops.

GAMBIT:
(to his reflection)
What are you looking at, asshole?

From a

CLASSROOM

A handful of mutant students stream out, books in hand.

A young man of about 16, bald, LEECH, walks out with Storm.
Storm's hair is now dark brown instead of white.

LEECH:
Ms. Monroe, can I talk to you about my homework a little later?

STORM:
Sure, Leech. I've got one more class today and then we can talk,
all right?

LEECH:
Ok.

Storm leaves. As she gets farther away from Leech, her hair changes from brown to white again.

Gambit stares, perplexed. Leech walks down the hallway past him. Gambit puts out his hand and stops him. He points at Storm, still walking away.

GAMBIT:
What the hell was that?

LEECH:
Uh, Storm? Oh, you mean the hair?

Gambit nods, still staring at Storm.

LEECH:
It's my power. I leech away other people's mutatations when I get too close.
(pointing to Gambit)
It's happening to you too, look!

Gambit looks in the mirror. His eyes turn from black corneas and red irises to normal looking white corneas and brown irises.

Gambit approaches the mirror and examines his eyes in disbelief.

GAMBIT:
Kid... do you want to make 50 bucks?

EXT. X MANSION - NIGHT

The moon shines bright above the roof of the now quiet estate. CRICKETS and FROGS CHIRP.

INT. X MANSION - GIRL'S BEDROOM HALLWAY - NIGHT

Gambit sneaks down the hall. He stops at a door, whispering loudly into it.

GAMBIT:
Rogue! Marie!

Rogue sleepily opens her door.

ROGUE:
Gambit? What are you...?

He puts a finger to his lips.

GAMBIT:
(whispering)
I need to show you something.

ROGUE:
It's like, 12 o clock.

GAMBIT:
I know, but... Rogue, can I hold you to what you said earlier?

ROGUE:
Huh?

GAMBIT:
About taking any chance you could, if it meant we could be together for a little while? Because I've got a way. But it has to be like... right now, tonight.

ROGUE:
I don't-

GAMBIT:
Trust me, Rogue. Please?

ROGUE:
I... I trust you.

He smiles, gives her a very quick kiss, and takes her hand, leading her down the hallway.

INT. X MANSION - BOY'S BEDROOM HALLWAY - NIGHT

Gambit and Rogue sneak quickly into his room.

When Gambit shuts the door, Leech appears from around a corner and sits against the perimeter wall of Gambits room.

INT. - X MANSION - GAMBIT'S ROOM - NIGHT

He brings her closer and closer to the bed, walking backwards and leading her towards him.

GAMBIT:
Tell me if you notice anything weird.

ROGUE:
Like what?

Gambit's eyes change from red and black to white and brown when he reaches the bed.

Rogue looks at him in surprise. That's all the cue he needs.

He pulls her towards him and slowly pulls off one of her long gloves.

ROGUE:
Remy!-

He touches her hand to his face, holding it there. Nothing happens.

Haltingly, she kisses him deep, longer than three seconds. Again, nothing happens.

They kiss again, both sinking onto the bed.