AN: All recognisable quotes belong to the respective authors. I own nothing except a hag bitch from hell for a biology teacher and a stupid piece of prep she is making me re-do. Grr.
Song: Naive – The Kooks
Back at the mansion Mystique went down to the med lab to check on her adopted daughter. And found her to be missing. Unsurprisingly this worried her and when Hank wandered in, cup of coffee in hand, yawning, he found her pacing anxiously.
"Morning Mystique. How are you this morning?" He said, trying to be polite.
"Where's Rogue?" The woman demanded angrily, ignoring all pleasantries.
"Straight to the point I see. She left yesterday afternoon."
"And no one thought to tell me?" she demanded angrily.
Hank looked sheepish. "Well we had sort of forgotten you... also Logan was hanging around and you know how he gets."
Mystique hung her head for a second before nodding at the doctor and striding away. She just had to speak to Emma and then she could leave.
Hank watched her go with a puzzled expression before shrugging and returning to his microscope... Now... Where had he put the slide with the gram positive bacteria?
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The next morning Rogue awoke to the smell of green tea. Green tea with apples to be precise. She cracked an eye and saw Remy wafting the smell of a steaming cup at her.
"Remy? What in God's name are you doin'?"
He grinned heartbreakingly "Waking up ma chère, course. I know you like your morning tea. So I t'ought I'd bring it to you in bed."
She sat up a little more, shifting to one side to allow Remy to slide in next to her. Sipping her tea carefully a little thought in her brain nudged the rest of her until she asked "How did you know I liked green tea?" she asked, confused.
He laughed softly and put his arm around her shoulders. "I know y' don' like coffee as y' said that caffeine messes y' up. I've seen y' drink normal tea sometimes but den I noticed the pack of tea on y'r shelf." He nodded towards the shelf opposite her bed where her school books and novels were stored. There were also little knickknacks on there such as a framed photo of a woman holding a child, a very large clam or oyster shell that was intact and closed and some photo albums.
It was also where she stored her tea so she could find it quickly.
She turned her head and glared up at him "You shouldn't snoop around people's things! And stay out of my room." She muttered, brooding over her cup.
"Permanently? Aw chère... Y' don' mean that!" he pouted and looked very sad. He then started to run his hand up and down her side. Gentle enough that it wasn't too ticklish but with enough pressure that she felt it and it started to annoy her.
Slapping his hand away she continued to sip on her tea, enjoying the fragrance and basking in the love she felt for the man next to her. "Fine. You can come in sometimes. But only when I say!" she said in mock anger. She was shocked that he was perceptive enough to find out what she liked to drink in the morning. And also tea in bed was just so sweet!
Rogue had never thought of herself as gushy or cutesy but Remy seemed to turn her into one of the giggling school girls she'd always sneered at.
Draining the last of her tea she reached over and put it on her desk before snuggling back up to Remy and wrapping an arm around his chest. In response he tightened his arm around her shoulders.
She leaned up quickly and pressed a quick kiss to his jaw. "Thank you, Remy. This was really sweet of you." He leant down and pressed a small kiss into her hair. "Twas nothin' chère."
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Later that day there were a group of them lounging in front of the television when they heard a tremendous bang. It sounded like someone was trying to break down the door. Rogue was out of her chair and in the hall before the rest of them could blink. But as soon as they could they were all standing behind her. If only to see her throw down. She looked like she could drop kick anyone in a heartbeat... And in the mood to...
Even Remy was there. He's pushed himself towards the front of the group but was still slightly behind Rogue. His manly pride took a blow but then he rational side of him thought that if anyone could stop a bullet it was her.
A man threw the door open. He was tall and blonde but rather average over all. He was the sort of man who could fit into any crowd. He held open his arms and proclaimed in a rather camp voice "Hello daaaaahlings!"
Rogue straightened up from her crouch slowly, confused.
"Roguey poo!" the man had espied her and dashed forward to envelop her in a hug. He pulled back too look at her face. "Aww you are just as Stormy described you."
Rogue removed the man's hands from her person and asked "Wait, Storm sent you?"
"Yah! Said you might want some help around here." He peered at the assembled humans behind her. "And by golly she was right!"
Fiona was staring at him and pointing. He nudged Rogue and murmured "Is she okay?"
Rogue glanced over her shoulder. "Yeah she does that. Just ignore her. It's what she does when she sees something that doesn't fit in her perfect little world."
"Ah it doesn't matter. Come! I have much news for you."
He then bodily dragged her from the room to the kitchen and sat her down in a seat. Rogue was in a sort of daze while this happened. She expected HYDRA to come bursting through the door and so had been busy sorting out escape plans and attack strategies. So she had been completely unprepared for the boisterous man in front of her.
Remy entered a few seconds later. "Chère. 'M gonna need y'r help fixing de door. Either dat or we call a repairman."
Rogue answered automatically. "I'll do it later." Her mind was a million miles away.
The mysterious man started to make coffee but Remy intercepted him and said "Let me do de drinks, homme. Y' go explain y'rself before ma petite femme goes Hulk on y'."
The man threw up his hands. "Ah my apologies-" he suddenly shifted form into the stereotypical French man – black beret, moustache and a cigarette in one corner of his mouth "Ma apologies mon ami." He said in a very bad, very put on French accent.
Remy stepped back in shock and automatically went for a pack of cards.
Rogue was on her feet. "Mystique?"
The man snorted. "Nah. I'm much more fun than her. I'm an old friend of Wolvie's. Course he doesn't know I'm here... but anyway! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kevin Sydney. Also known as Morph. I'm an actor, a mutant, comic relief and just plain awesome really."
Rogue sat down again. "Kevin eh?"
"That's me." He said in a comic voice before morphing into a human shape with white skin, almost like a skull but with muscle underneath. He also wore a blue and yellow X uniform.
Rogue looked at Remy and when he saw her expression he hurried over. She looked like she was about to faint. "Chère? Y' okay?"
"Fine. I mean I think I've had a mental break down and lost my mind. But apart from that I'm just hunky dory."
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As it was approaching Christmas everyone was thinking about decorating their home and getting a Christmas tree. Of course this lead to the age old debate about natural over plastic and lights over tinsel. Rogue volunteered to go and cut down a tree and bring it back but that was shot down as everyone was just a little scared at the thought. It wasn't that mutants weren't accepted it's just that it made everyone feel better to pretend she wasn't so... special. Except when it suited them or for cheap tricks.
So Rogue, Neal, Alex and Luke were dispatched to get a tree from a store along with other Christmassy things. Although Rogue rolled her eyes at the vague instructions she dutifully hopped into her car and grudgingly allowed Luke to join her. With multiple threats that if he even thought about wrecking her leather upholstery she would see to it that he would spend the rest of his days under the impression that he was a 6 year old girl. Neal took Alex in his dinky Fiat 500. And were, unsurprisingly, not too happy about it.
Arriving at the store Rogue took charge and sent the boys to get a tree while she looked at decorations and tinsel and all that jazz.
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Meanwhile Remy was sitting in the living room, trying to think up a present for Rogue. It couldn't be anything big like a car as that would send the wrong signal. Not that she needed a car of course with a LP 560-4 that probably cost over $220,000! But he couldn't go small either as that might equate that she wasn't worth much... So something like a fridge magnet or socks was probably a bad idea...
Hmm... Jewellery? Necklace? Anklet? Bracelet?
What other sorts of jewellery were there?
He scratched his head. This whole present thing was turning out to be harder than he thought...
Maybe a ring?
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Arms bursting with tinsel, lights and those small little baubles that are way too delicate but look so pretty, Rogue made her way to the check out where the boys were standing with huge grins on their faces.
"Look at our tree!"
"Isn't it simply the best?"
Rogue smiled at their childlike joy. "It's lovely boys. Now, unless one of you helps me with all these damn shiny things I am going to shove it where the sun doesn't shine." She said this with cheer and joy and so it took them a moment for things to sink in. Nevertheless, soon the boys were carrying the trinkets and she was carrying the tree. With one hand. Not showing off at all...
The cashier gaped at her as she gently put it down before rummaging in a pocket while gesturing at the boys to put everything down so it could be scanned.
The cashier scanned the items quickly, trying not to stare at Rogue in shock as she checked her phone for messages. The boys exchanged smug looks as if to say 'Yeah. She's ours.'
Soon it was done and after paying for the goodies Rogue once again lifted the tree without apparent effort and, whilst texting Remy, she carried it out to the car.
The thing that the boys liked most was the gobsmacked expressions of the people they passed.
But when they arrived at the car they discovered a problem. They had nowhere to put the tree. Rogue refused to let it go near her baby and Neal's pathetic little Fiat probably weighed less than the tree!
Rogue sighed. "Okay this is what we'll do. Put the other stuff in the Fiat and Neal and Alex will drive that." She turned to Luke with an expression that can only be described as similar to when one is experiencing a painful bowel movement.
"Luke. You will drive my Lambo. Fuck her up in anyway and I will crush you into a fine paste and anoint my firstborn with your soul. After ripping out your liver and cooking it and then feeding it to you. Do remember that I have a thousand ways to make you suffer if ANYTHING happens to my car. Got it?"
Luke nodded, wide eyed and feeling like he needed to visit the little boy's room.
Neal bravely, or stupidly, spoke up and asked "Where are you going?"
Rogue simply smiled and grabbed the tree. "Race ya." Was all she said before she took off.
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Remy was pacing around, ignoring the twittering of the girls while the decided where to put the tree, waiting for Rogue to return. She had texted him on her way out to say that she was flying here and so he knew it wouldn't be long...
But he still paced.
Hearing a knock on the door he raced there, with Morph on his tail, and whipped it open.
There stood a rosy cheeked, windswept hair'd lovely.
Holding a large Christmas tree.
"That's perfect!" came a screech from behind the boys.
Turning they were almost trampled by the screaming hoard of girls who started to gasp at the tree and decide where things should go.
Rogue was nearly dragged inside so that she could put the tree down and so Remy and Morph were left standing by the open door with slightly glazed expressions.
Thankfully the boys pulled up in the cars a moment later and Luke leapt out asking "Is she here? Did we beat her?"
Morph morphed into a game show host, gel slicked hair and all and announced "The correct answer is... NO!"
The boys were heartbroken. But quickly moved on from it and started to discuss ways they could be better than Rogue as they lifted the bags out of the car.
Glad to be some assistance Remy and Morph, who had shifted back, picked up a bag each and lugged them into the living room.
There they found a group of girls standing at one edge of the room their heads all tilted to the right. Rogue was at the other end, trying to place the tree exactly where they wanted it. No mean feat.
"A little to the left."
Rogue obediently moved a step to the left.
"No. Back to the right."
Half a step in the other direction.
"Can you move forward a bit?"
A dutiful step forward. With only a slight grimace of anger.
"Nah it looks better where it was. Back you go."
Her patience was wearing thin.
"Can you move a little to the left?"
Rogue had had enough. She shunted the special base under where she held the tree and put it down. "That is where the tree is going. Any problems with that and you'll just have to get three of the boys to move it."
She walked, nose in the air, to where the boys were standing with the bags and grabbed one. Placing it on the floor in front of the girls she quickly opened it, allowing its contents to be visible before jumping out of the way.
And not a moment too soon. The girls jumped on that bag like it was the last pair of Prada shoes on sale. They hadn't been this excited since Gucci became a publically traded company!
Rogue placed a gentle hand on Remy and Morph's shoulders. "I'd put the bags down now. While you still have the chance. Then get out of here!"
They took her advice and soon they were running down the halls, laughing like children as someone, somewhere, put on that staple of Christmas music: Merry Christmas Everyone by Slade.
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Later, they were all sitting in the lounge, sipping on hot chocolate and reminiscing about Christmases gone.
"-and then he picked up the punch and threw it all over her!"
The girls giggled and gasped at Fiona's story while Rogue rolled her eyes and exchanged looks with all the guys who found her tale a little less than enthralling. Remy smiled indulgently at her and tucked her under his arm a little more. She was in her favourite place – partially on Remy.
"Christmas has to by my favourite time of year! And it's cute as well. I mean the whole nativity thing..."
Rogue sat up from her comfortable position and said "Seriously? You guys are thinking, functioning human beings and you haven't worked it out yet?"
They seemed alarmed at her sudden outburst. "What the hell do you mean?" Asked Neal slowly.
"You guys seriously think that there were baby lambs in December? I mean come on! It has been proven that Jesus wasn't born in December. He was born in March/April and the only reason his birth is celebrated on the 25th is that the Catholic Church moved the date to try and convert Pagans and Mithraists. The Pagan celebration of Yule falls between the 20th and 23rd usually and the 25th was sacred to the God Mithras."
Everyone was stunned at her speech.
"What?" She asked self-consciously. "Just because I'm Christian doesn't mean that I can't accept that other cultures and religions are being unfairly treated and have been for thousands of years..."
Neal looked up sneakily. "Sherry anyone?"
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AN: I am Pagan, as some of you will know, and so I had to put that little rant in there. I have tried to stay true to Rogue's Christian upbringing (think Sookie Stackhouse in True Blood – my inspiration "I hate it when you use the JC...") but I thought that people should know about it. It's a real conversation killer. One more chapter of fluff before the real action begins. Maybe. Not sure really...
Okay this is a MAJOR plea for reviews. I am aiming for more than the prequel to this so any of you guys hiding out there who have reviewed once, twice or not at all MAKE YOURSELVES KNOWN! Let me know what you think! Or just say hi! I respond to every review and I will give you all a metaphorical cookie!
Big thank you to my regular reviewers. There are 4 of you and I love you all deeply! But sadly it feels that you are the only ones who like my story... If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have half the ideas I do :(
Please *hopeful smile*