Chapter 11

Gambit left a little after nine when he got a call from the guild. Nothing else had been said between him and Rogue, but somehow even though she hadn't forgiven him, just sitting close to her and watching movies all day was the first relief he'd had all week. The reason he hadn't gone straight to Rogue after his father ordered him to was because he was scared. Scared of getting rejected by her. Scared of how to approach her. He'd been watching her go to work and go home with this Natalie,not to be seen out of the flat until work called. He had been worried about rogue not eating. She'd been sat there in front of the tv for a long time just doing nothing. She hadn't taken any calls from the XMen or anyone. She was just isolated and that was what made Gambit feel guilty that he might of broken her, but relieved to know she wasn't the thief.

So when the call came asking weather or not rogue had taken the money, he gladly said no down the phone to them with rogue sat besides him. They then asked for him to come back, that they might have found the mole. Gambit stood up and looked to rogue. She didn't look back.

"I gotta go now cher."

"Ah never asked ya to stay."

"I know... I'm just glad your eating."

"Ah didn't eat for you gambit. Ah ate for Nat."

"Where is she anyway?"

"Most likely cross the hall. She and Mark, the guy across from us, well ahd say they're a thing. Thing is Marks too soft n shy ta make a move. Ah think Nat was gonna ask him if he wanted ta move in with er, but then... Ah happened..."

"It ain't your fault your here."

"No. It's yours." Said rogue curly.

There it was again, thought gambit. Rogue had brought down the shutters and locked him out again. Rejected him. No, he had to think about how rogue felt, he thought. So he began thinking that if he'd just been called a good for nothing gold digger on his wedding day, by someone he thought he was developing feelings for, then wouldn't he be pissed off at them too? Would he forgive them straight away even if they have told a shitty excuse of the truth? No. Probably not. So that just meant he'd have to give her time. And would have to try and try again to show just how sorry he was.

"You goin or ya just gonna stand there?" Asked rogue. Gambit had been so deep in thought he'd lost track of time and had been stood there thinking about rogue nd only rogue. At lasted he turned and closed the door behind him.

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"We th'nk de assassins might of had a hand in dis." Said Jean Luc to his sons. "We found somethin dropped by one of de status by the west wing. It's a hair tie. N there was a hair on it. Were havin it run through tests now, but the colour of de hair was blond."

"You think Bella Donna did dis?" Ask gambit a little shocked.

"Oui, but either way it's a led. Bella Donnas father is havin every blond assassin tested n it's de same with de guild n anyone we know who has blond hair." Declared Jean Luc. Gambit couldn't be happier at that moment. Rogues hair was brown and white. And if Bella Donna did get found to be the thief then that meant Gambit wouldn't have to marry her. It would mean that her father would either banish her or... Gambit suddenly didn't feel so good. She would either be banished or killed. He didn't want to marry Bella Donna but he didn't want her killed. But there was nothing he could do Now. The hair had been found and was being tested and if it was Bella's then it'll be up to the assassins guild to decide her fate. Gambit couldn't step in in save her and he couldn't steal the hair or else he'd be facing the same fate as the person who did do this. What did he do now? Why did he even care?

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Natalie got back in with Mark at eleven o'clock. It turned out that they had gone out to town in New Orleans For dinner and a movie. When they got in Natalie was looking down shy at the ground and Mark was looking at her with a smile. Mark had bright blue eyes and thick blond hair. He reminded her of someone. Someone who she had thought about lately. And it made her sad.

"Oh Rogue. I...I didn't think you'd be up."

"Oh don't worry bout it. Ah was... Just... Goin ta bed. Hmmm, you know. Hmmm. There's sumthing have been meanin ta talk to you bout." Rogue said standing up, feeling a little uneasy at her quick decision.

"Oh, okay. Well... I guess I'll see you later then Mark."

"Actually, it involves him too. Do you guys mind comin in n sittin down." They did as they were asked. "Look Nat. It's been wonderful livin with you n all. But... Ah'm moving on."

"What do you mean movin on?" Asked Natalie.

" Ah mean the only reason why ah came down here in the first place was cause of...Remy. His family lives here n he wanted me ta met em. Well... After tha weddin. But... Ya know how that turned out... So, ah'm goin home."

"Oh...Oh Rogue. I'm so sorry."

"No ah'm sorry Nat... Ah'm leavin ta morrow. Ah'm gonna pack tonight n leave tomorrow."

" But whatta bout work?"

"Ah'll... Ah'll work ma shift... And Ah'll tell Tanya what ah'm doin. Ah th'nk she'll understand. But ah don't wanna leave you alone. N this is where you come inta this Mark. ah know you two were th'nk bout movin in tagether before ah came along, n ah think it's a great idea. Ah think ya should do it. At least that way ya know Nats not gettin some messed up flat mate or sumthin." They looked at each other then back at Rogue. She must have made it awkward for them. Rogue left to go to her room saying good night to both and thanks and bye to Mark.

After Natalie seen Mark out she knocked on Rogues door to find her picking out and folding away her clothes into the bags they came in.

"Hey... I guess things didn't go well then."

"Nope... He told me that the reason he told me ah was a gold digger was because ah rejected him, n cause of his own guilt n anger at himself for not remembering if he slept with someone the night before our weddin."

" Oh... Well, he was defently wrong then for blamin you. I mean ya were gettin marreid to the man for cryin out loud."

Rogue breathed out a sigh." Ah don't know Nat... Ah'm not... Ah don't really know how ta show love... Maybe he was right... Ah don't trust people easily... Maybe ah was givin him mixed emotions."

" But that dunt give im no reason ta go sleep with some slut then take it out on ya."

"Ah know... He was bein selfish. Only thinkin bout himself n his needs n guilt... when ya left us that's what happened... But then he refused to leave. He refused ta go till ah ate sumthin. He ordered the food n everything. Really, he didn't want ta leave meh without knowin ahd eaten."

Rogue looked to Natalie who shrugged her shoulders not inderstanding herself. "Maybe he's had a change of heart. Maybe he's realised what an idiot he's been n wants ta make it up ta ya."

"Maybe... It was kinda nice feelin as if someone was lookin after meh... But ah gotta Go Nat."

"You don't haveta go." Natalie said coming to stand right besides her, placing her hand down on the top she was folding. "You could stay. Try n make things right. It's obvious ya like him."

"N it's obvious you like Mark, but you ain't made ya move. Trust meh Nat, ah've gotta go."

"But why? Where will ya go?"

"Why? Cause ah came here ta get married and save a life. Ah've saved a life n had ma heart broken by bein dumped at the alter. For the past week the only thing ah've had ta live for was workin, then after that... He won't go away Nat... Ah can't get Remy outta ma when he came here it wasn't to apologise, it was to ask if had stolen from his family."

Natalie gasped. "That slim ball."

" Yeah maybe. He said he dunt believe it was meh, and that his family was makin him do this. Ah don't know if ah believe im or not. But the thing is Nat, ah was actually starting ta fall for im all over gain. Ah can't fall for im Nat. Ah've already been hurt by him once, ah can't be hurt by him again... Ah'm gonna go back ta ma foster home... There was a boy there who went inta a coma... N it was ma fault... Ah think ah owe him a visit n an apology. From there ah don't know where Ah'll go."

"... Oh Rogue... Why don't ya go back home to ya family. Ah know ya said ya relationship with ya family ain't great, but it must be better than here if it's really makin ya that upset."

"Nat... There's sumthin have not told ya..." Rogue turned around to face Natalie in the eye. She actually didn't know what her reaction would be but she couldn't keep lying to her. Rogue had only told her and Tanya a brief of what had happened between her and Gambit. This girl had helped her out n she deserved to know the truth. "Ah'm a mutant Nat." Natalie's eyes were wide, but she didn't say anything. "The guy, Logan, who tried talkin meh out of gettin married, he wasn't ma father. Ah like ta think he is, but he's not. He's a mutant too. He was one of the mutants ah used ta live with. Ah used ta be an XMen, Nat. One of these mutants ya see on TV."

"I knew it." Said Natalie pointing a finger at rogue." I knew it was you. I thought I recognised ya on TV. Your that girl, the Rogue. The one who can take someone out with a simple touch." Natalie was giving nothing away except shock, but Rogue couldn't decided if it was good shock or bad shock.

"Yeah, that's meh. The untouchable. When ma powers first manifested ah turned to the Xmen for help. Ah ran away from ma foster mother n haven't seen her since... But that's cause she betrayed meh. She ain't bad, but she ain't innocent. She'd been lookin after meh for ma powers. If she couldn't have seen the future n couldn't have seen what ma powers would be, then ah woulda been some street rat, most likely dead... No matter where ah go or who ah get ta know, they always turn out ta wanna use meh for ma powers."

Natalie looked hurt." I never knew bout ya powers."

"Cause ya never knew. Cause ah never told ya. Ya one of the only descent people have known who hasn't used ma power, n ah had ta lie ta ya bout ma powers. Ah'm so sorry Nat. Ah'm gonna go n ya won't have ta worry bout meh anymore."

"wow, wow hold up. Do you think im a mutant hater?"

"Well Ya've not really said anythin."

"Rogue, ya the first mutant I've met. I don't know how to react. I've never really gotten inta the whole mutants-are-bad, mutants-are-friends thing. I don't care bout dat stuff. I just wanna enjoy life. But I gotta say Rogue. Ya a good girl who just seems lost. If all mutants r like ya then I think I'm for." This made rogue smile. Now she understood why it was so important to the Professor to get people to like mutants. Being accepted and knowing that you showed someone that mutants are no different than ordinary people felt amazing." Look rogue, I ain't got no problem with ya bein a mutant. All i care bout is that ya safe n ya happy. Were friends n friends look out for eachother. So, if ya really wanna go back home, then go, but just know that there will always be a bed for ya here."

"Thank ya Nat. Ya don't know how good it is ta here ya say that."

" I'll bet bein a mutant seems hard. Now if ya want ya can borrow ma suit case. Left dat way i know youll be comin back n sayin hi."

That night the girls packed and tried to enjoy what little time left they had together.

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The next day some important news had been discovered. That day gambit and the guild had spent in a court like session. The next day gambit slipped out to go see someone he felt should know what happened. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Oh." Said Natalie as she answered the door. "Rogues not here."

"It's important." Gambit said, pushing past. Rogue wasn't on the sofa. He went to check out the rooms but she wasn't there either. "Where is she?" Gambit asked Natalie.

"She's gone."

"Fuck." Gambit cursed under his breath and running his hands through his hair. "Where?." He asked.

"Ah. Ah don't think-."

"Please. It's important."

Natalie thought about this. He looked desperate. A man desperately in love and she was a sucker for romances. " She's gone back home."

"The Xmen." Gambit breathed as he ran his hands down his face. If she'd gone back to the Xmen it would be harder to get her alone and talk to her. The wolverine would be all over her making it imposable to get her away.

" No actually. She erm she's gone back ta Missisipi."

" Her home town? Why?"

" Erm, she said she'd put some guy in a coma n thought it was time she said her sorry. I don't think she knows where she's goin from there, but I made her promise ta come back here. N rogue always keeps her promise."

That statement hurt worse than hearing she'd gone. "Yeah... I know she does."

"So ya goin after er?" Asked Natalie.

Gambit looked at Rogues cheerful friend. She wasn't very good at keeping rogues location a secret. Did rogue want him to find her? "Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, shes gone ta a hospital in Missisipi called Hope, but I'm not sure where that is. The guy she's gone ta see though who's in a coma, his name is Cody Robinson."

"Thanks, I cam find er from that." Gambit said and left. But there was one thing on his mind more than him worrying about why and where rogue had gone. Who was this Cody and what was he to rogue?