Rogue, Remy and Jean fled right out into the open air, and leaped straight into a motorboat by the jetty above the river. Behind them, the men yelled and cursed furiously, and ran on. Swearing silently under his breath, Remy found himself staring foolishly at the boat, not quite sure what to do with it.
"I'll take care of this. I've still got those guys' memories," Rogue announced firmly, jumping into the front seat.
"Right. We'll leave it to you."
"There they are! Stop them!"
"Curse it," Rogue muttered angrily, steering the boat away at a dangerous pace. "At this rate, they'll be catching up to us before we can escape!"
"You happen to have a back-up plan?" Remy enquired.
"Not exactly!" Rogue shouted, trying to make herself heard above the din of the roaring boats. "I did come alone, after all!"
"Perfect! So you come here to help, and tell me now that there's no-one else?"
"Are you being ungrateful?" Rogue retaliated.
"Certainly not, madame," Remy replied mockingly. "Believe me, I wouldn't dream of it."
A ear-splitting gunshot rang out near them, startling them both considerably. As the trio ducked promptly, turning around, they were just in time to see the gunshot explode directly into a tree, sending bits of wood chips flying all over them.
"Damn it!" Remy swore. "At this rate, we'll all be turned to human mush before we can count to twenty."
"Your cards, for goodness sake!" Rogue snapped.
"Of, of course. Well, time for more entertainment, isn't it?"
Charged-up cards flew out from Remy's hand, exploding with full effect amongst the men. Yells and screams, and then the boat, completely out of control, swerved dangerously to the side, tipping up its contents happily into the cold water.
"Another one! There!" Jean called out, pointing to the left.
"How many are there, honestly?" Rogue grumbled, steering the boat abruptly in the opposite direction, nearly tipping up Jean and Remy.
"I'd estimate at least twenty thousand," Remy commented sarcastically.
"Yeah, sure," Rogue muttered. "Arrrg!!! Damn it! There's another one there!"
"We won't be able to make it out at this rate," Jean observed seriously. "What we need is a miracle!"
"Yea. And something miraculous is just going to pop up?" Rogue grumbled.
"We'll figure something out!" Remy called, from behind, flinging another exploding card at the pursuers.
"Figure that something now!" Rogue roared, steering the boat violently again to avoid another gunshot. "And do it quick before we're all mush!"
"Got them!"
"Aahhh!" Rogue yelled, as a gunshot hit them directly in the back, unnoticed. "We're hit!"
"Rogue!"
"Can't…control…this," Rogue grunted with frustration, trying her desperate hardest to steer it. "Remy, it's no use! We're going down!"
The boat tipped over then, violently to one side. Yelling with dismay and upset, its contents were immediately tipped out rudely into the river.
"Damn it! Why does it have to be cold water day?" Rogue swore, surfacing quickly, gasping and panting.
"Rogue! Rogue! Are you OK?"
It was a boy's voice, calling her from the shore. Shoving water and hair out of her face, Rogue turned, only to catch sight of Kurt, Jean, Scott, Logan and Dorian Leech, a young, warty-faced boy.
"Kurt!"
"Rogue, look out! Behind you!" Scott was shouting.
"What?"
"I'm coming! Hold on, Rogue!" Kurt yelled, as he noticed what Scott had undoubtedly seen.
Crocodiles.
"Rogue, hold on! I've got you!" Kurt cried out with relief, as he teleported himself into the water, right next to Rogue, before teleporting back to dry land.
"Rogue, are you alright?" Logan demanded, as Rogue collapsed onto the ground, gasping still for air. "What did that rat do to you?"
"I'm fine!" Rogue managed to gasp. "Remy…where is he?"
"Over here." As Rogue turned, she saw Remy climbing to the shore very slowly now, panting with exhaustion.
"Stop them!"
"Damn it," Remy muttered with annoyance.
"Jean…" Rogue begin.
"Got it." Jean shut her eyes, extended her arm towards the chasing men, and concentrated.
"Ahhh! What's going on?" the men roared, as Jean sent them flying several meters away.
"Get away from them!" Scott was shouting, aiming his laser beams at the remaining men.
"You guys are my total saviours, I'm forced to admit," Rogue confessed, with utter relief.
"Don't thank us yet," Logan returned, in his gruff voice. "I have yet to deal with this rat over here."
"Logan…"
"Hi," Remy could only utter, awkwardly, as Logan strode right up to him.
"What have you done with Rogue?" Logan roared furiously, grabbing Remy by the front of his soaked jacket, hauling him several inches off the ground. "Answer me, you rat! What have you been doing?"
"Now, now…"
"Logan, stop it!" Rogue snapped firmly, striding right up to him. "He's done nothing! I'll explain later."
Logan glared balefully at Remy before unwillingly returning him to the ground.
"So, it looks like I'm already most unwelcome here," Remy remarked calmly.
"Sure. What else did you expect?" Rogue smiled teasingly, as she grabbed his wrist and yanked him behind a tree several feet away from the others, out of sight. "A nice, long red carpet laid out for you?"
"Ahh." Remy simply sighed, arms folded.
"So," Rogue begin, clearing her throat, wondering how to get her message across with offending him. "Now, I know that – I know that you and I – we've been…" She stopped here, quite unable to find the right words.
"Don't ya worry, mademoiselle. I know precisely what you're at," Remy said, with his old grin. "That it's time to say adieu. You want to go on with your X-Men, I want to return to my home alone. Is that not it?"
"You've taken the very words right out of my mouth," Rogue smiled. "Come, come, Rogue. Rethink this. Maybe we won't have to. If you're willing to…" A slight flush came over his face.
"Don't even suggest it," Rogue merely smiled. "You know I can't. I appreciate your friendship, Remy, but living with you…it's not the kind of life I want to lead. I've found my home now, and I'm more than willing to stick with it."
"So this really is goodbye, after all?"
"Hey, it won't be that bad after all," Rogue said, trying to sound cheerful. "A swamp rat like you is definitely bound to come popping up here and then, trying to annoy me all over again."
"If you think so, fine." Remy cocked his head slightly, looking mildly amused. In his heart, he longed for nothing more than to enquired Rogue as to why she had so unexpectedly returned, or how she knew where exactly to find him in the mansion, but common sense told him there was no need to ask such a question anymore. The answer was surely clearer than the sun in the sky.
"Well, then, I'd better be off, Remy."
"Wait a second." Before Rogue could take a further step away, Remy had stepped forward, and was reaching out to take her gloved hand in his. "Something for ya which I thought you might like."
"What is it?"
"See for yourself. Adieu, mademoiselle."
"Goodbye, Remy."
Smiling with surprising cheerfulness, Remy tightened his grip momentarily on Rogue's hand, before releasing it, very slowly, as though the effort cost him too much pain, while his other gloved hand went up to her cheek. Rogue simply shut her eyes, breathing rapidly. Then it was over, and Remy was gone, striding away swiftly in the opposite direction.
"Rogue, you OK?" This time, it was Kurt, blue-furred, slowly approaching her, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Kurt." As Rogue allowed Kurt to gently lead her away, she turned back one last time, letting her eyes travel a final time over Remy's gradually disappearing figure. Only then did she allow herself to open her hand to see what gift Remy had given her before parting.
A Queen of Hearts card.
Yeah!!!! Story's nearly over now!!! Don't worry, this isn't the end yet; I'm posting one more chappie soon!!! Please just review, anyway, and tell me what you think!!!
