A/N: One of my most favorite lines is in this chapter. The Remy in my head insisted he had to say it. It was very important to assert his dominance and place in Rogue's life. Kudos to those who pick it out!
Thanks this round goes to all the new followers. Wow, you simply surprise me with how many new people have found this fic! And of course I couldn't forget those who have been there since the beginning. You gave me the boost to keep going for more than just myself.
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Chapter 11
An Hour After Midnight – Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters
A warm hand held Rogue's as she slowly became aware. She remembered mentally calling to Emma until she'd worn herself out. Sleep must have taken over because she didn't remember much after that.
The quiet beeping from her heart monitor changed rhythm just a bit and the hand holding hers squeezed. It was encased in soft, supple leather. Emma must have figured out her mutation had returned and warned everyone to protect themselves. The bed shifted by her hip and she heard shuffling from someone sitting up.
"Y' awake in there, petite? Emma thought y' might come and go. She's still havin' a hard time findin' y', but she said she made progress clearin' a path." Remy brushed her hair away from her face.
The strokes were soothing and gentle, making her want to lean her face into his caress. She still couldn't move though. Suddenly, all the things she needed to tell Remy flooded her mind. Obviously he knew enough about her mutation to protect himself. But would he still want to be with her once he found out they couldn't have a physical relationship anymore? Somehow, Rogue didn't see him as the type of man to be celibate longer than a couple of days. Her heart plummeted thinking about how he'd eventually leave her for someone he could touch.
As if sensing her inner struggle, he spoke to her. "Don't fight it, Anna. Emma said t' let it come naturally."
The fact that he was with her now should set her at ease, but she took little comfort in his presence. It was only temporary. Without a doubt, she knew he'd be gone as soon as she wasn't a vegetable anymore. The sound of swishing doors reluctantly drew Rogue's attention away from the pity party in her head.
"Remy? Dinner is being served upstairs." Storm softly coaxed. When he didn't respond, she continued: "You've been down here all day. Why don't you take a moment for yourself. I promise Rogue will be fine for fifteen minutes without you."
With a sigh, Remy let go of her hand but not before placing a chaste kiss on her hair. His lips were close to her ear as he whispered. "Je vais revenir. Je vous promets, ma chère."
Rogue heard the doors open and two sets of footsteps leave. Other than the soft beeps from the medical monitors, the silence rung in her ears. Why couldn't Storm have come while she was still asleep? Maybe she couldn't have a conversation, but at least she wouldn't have been alone. Plus, she vaguely remembered hearing Remy's voice as she dozed in and out throughout the day. Emma probably told him to talk to her. It was the same treatment some doctors told families of comatose patients.
It seemed like hours passed as Rogue mentally twiddled her thumbs. She tried to push through the rubble of psyches. But even with the path ahead cleared, she was still stuck behind a brick wall. Frustrated with her lack of progress, she almost missed the sound of the doors opening again. Her heart sped with excitement realizing Remy was back.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Rogue, but it's just me." Emma spoke as she confidently stepped into the room. "I've been doing a little research and I've found another tactic that may give us some results. Do you feel up for a try?" She asked as she took a seat at the head of Rogue's bed.
'Yes, Ms. Frost. Anythin', please!' Rogue mentally begged.
"This technique is for patients with Dissociative Identity Disorder, but the basic theory is the same. However you my dear, have an advantage. We have already established your Inner Self Helper: you. And instead of joining all the psyches in your head together, we're going to break them down and isolate them one by one. After all, we want to keep you intact, don't we?" There was a rustle as Emma settled into a more comfortable position.
She chuckled when Rogue's heart monitor beeped faster. "Excited about that, hmm?"
Rogue was excited. This prospect sounded promising. The sooner she could get back to her old self, the better.
"Alright, Rogue. I want you to draw out each psyche individually. Let them take over briefly, long enough for me to hone in on them. It will allow me to segregate them from your mind. And hopefully after we've got them all locked away, we'll be left with only you to come back to us." Emma explained. "Just relax and let's get started."
Emma's gloved hands rested lightly on each side of her patient's head. With a shove, Rogue tossed the first person toward her telepathic psychotherapist.
(X) - (X) - (X)
After several hours of work, Emma's plan was a total success. Rogue regained consciousness as soon as the last psyche was locked away. And while control over her mutation still eluded her, she was thankful to at least be awake again.
Annie and Emma had both insisted she stay in the Med Lab for at least another day before they would feel comfortable discharging her. Her protests about being just fine fell on deaf ears, but she eventually relented when Emma promised to send Remy her way. Apparently he'd tried to return after dinner only to be shooed away by Annie. Emma had left strict instructions not to be disturbed during the procedure.
That was twenty minutes ago. So here she was, waiting for Remy to make his appearance. After spending so much time locked in her own head, Rogue fidgeted with anything she could get her hands on just to keep moving. As she brushed her hair, she heard the door swoosh open. The disappointment at seeing Bobby instead of Remy was no doubt clearly written on her face.
"Hi, Marie. I heard Emma say you were awake again. You feel up for a visitor?" Bobby tentatively asked as he entered her room.
"Yeah, Bobby." Rogue answered. "Sure."
She was hesitant to be alone with her ex. There were still a lot of things unsaid between them. And her coming home with a strange man who'd been by her side the whole time was bound to not go over well. Better to get this over, like ripping off a band-aid.
"So, um, the guy who brought you back…are you two…" The insecurity was strong in Bobby's tone.
"Um, yeah." Rogue didn't know what else to say without getting into too many details.
Bobby just nodded as he looked away. An awkward silence fell between them for a moment. In the room adjoining Rogue's, Remy stepped into the shadows. He'd mixed up the doors and ended up in the other by mistake. Since neither seemed to notice he was there, he hung back to eavesdrop.
After several false starts, Bobby finally surged forward. "I thought we were just taking a break because of my busy semester. Instead, I came home to find out you'd up and left without telling anyone where you'd gone. I took the Fall semester off so I'd be here when you came back. You disappeared without any word for months and then when you finally do show up, it's with that swamp trash…." Anger flared in Bobby's eyes as he flung his hand out in disgust.
Remy held his temper in check. Bobby's insult was enough to earn a solid punch, but the implication of a relationship between Rogue and Bobby held him back. Were they an item?
"Bobby! That's not nice and Ah don't appreciate it!" Rogue said, appalled by his behavior.
"You're my girlfriend, Marie. How the hell else am I supposed to react when I find out you've been cheating on me?" Bobby shouted.
Remy heard enough. He quietly slipped out, intent on packing up his things and leaving before Rogue could stop him. There wasn't anything she could say that would erase this betrayal. And this time, he had every right to the feeling.
He'd always been careful in his life not to play the cheater. He'd seen too much unfaithfulness to be a participant himself. Not to mention there were already enough ticks against him that he didn't need to add another sin to his marker. But he'd unknowingly filled the role the moment he'd slept with Rogue. She belonged with another man and she'd only been with him to fulfill a carnal need.
He'd learned a long time ago that women were just out to use him. Shame on him for believing anything different could come out of a relationship with her, that she was the difference that could redeem him. As he stepped out of the adjacent room, he completely missed Rogue's defense.
"How dare ya! Ya know damn well that neither of us held any expectation of the other. What was Ah s'pose ta do, Bobby? Sit around and pine for ya while ya had a life at school?" The temper flared in Rogue's eyes as her blood boiled.
Of all the nerve! They both ended things mutually. And yes, she did promise to try things again with Bobby after his semester ended. But she hadn't planned on meeting Remy. And the feelings she had for him were a thousand times stronger than any puppy love she'd ever had for Bobby.
"No! But I thought-" Bobby tried, but Rogue quickly interrupted him. "Ah don't care what ya thought. In fact, Ah don't care ta have this conversation anymore!" Rogue shouted.
She closed her eyes and mentally grabbed control of herself. In a calmer tone, she continued: "Bobby we've been over for a while, long before Spring Break. And that ain't gonna change now. Ah hope ya find someone that makes ya happy. Because Ah'm not the same person anymore. And Ah ain't ever gonna be that lost little girl who needed a hero."
Bobby stared at her a moment longer before nodding his head in resolve. "I guess that's it then."
"Yeah." Rogue looked down at her hands. Shame burned in her cheeks. All she'd wanted to do was live a little and instead she'd hurt someone important to her. "Ah'm sorry, Bobby. Ah didn't mean for any of this ta happen. It just did. And now that it has, Ah can't go back."
"Yeah. I'm sorry too." Bobby said with bitterness. He paused before adding, "My semester starts up in another few days. I think I'm going to get an apartment off campus. Probably won't be back for a while, so I'll see you around, Marie." He brushed his sweaty hands down his jeans before he stood up and quietly left the room.
"Bye, Bobby." Rogue brushed a stray tear off her cheek.
The pain of hurting someone she once loved left her feeling raw. All she wanted at that moment was a hug from Remy and the reassurance that their feelings for each other was worth the torture she just experienced. But he'd yet to make an appearance. Instead, she curled up on her side and wallowed in her misery.
(X) - (X) - (X)
Remy shoved his clothes in a plastic grocery bag. It was the only thing he had here that was his. Even the clothes he was wearing now were borrowed from Logan until he could go out and buy new stuff. Grabbing his keys and wallet off the nightstand, he turned to make a quick escape only to find Storm standing in his doorway.
"What's wrong, Remy?" Her gentle eyes told him she'd seen his hurried packing.
"Nothin'. Just time t' leave. Worn out my welcome." He stood his ground, facing off with her but unwilling to brush past her.
"Remy, I've known you long enough to realize when something has you disturbed. This wouldn't have anything to do with Bobby and Rogue, would it?" Storm asked, her voice was a contradiction in sternness and caring.
Remy's barest flinch didn't go unnoticed by the weather goddess. She arched an eyebrow as she crossed her arms, waiting for an explanation. When he didn't answer, she closed the distance between them to rest her hands on his shoulders. He couldn't look away from her penetrating gaze.
"Whatever Rogue did or did not tell you, she had a reason. You must understand, the girl has been an outcast even amongst her own kind. She's been betrayed, isolated, used, and abandoned. It's eerily similar to someone else I know and love." A goading smile lifted the corner of her lips.
Remy looked away, but a small grin touched his eyes.
Storm continued as she nudged his chin, "You must have faith in her. She has so few who truly do."
The problem was he still felt raw from the hurt of Rogue's admission. And it meant he couldn't be around her until he got his head straight again.
"I can't do it right now. I can't be here." His resolve was firm.
"Alright. No one can make you stay. But if nothing else, help us. You are a good man, Remy. And if we are a target, we need all the good men we can get."
"I'm not a teacher if that's what yo' askin'. But I'll stay close if y' need help in a fight." Remy relented.
Even if Rogue wasn't his concern anymore, he did have two good friends here that he would help defend.
"Thank you." Storm held his face between her hands before giving him a tight hug.
After a moment in the embrace, he broke away. As he walked out of his guest suite, he was surprised with a right uppercut to his chin. It wasn't often someone got the jump on him, but he could honestly say he hadn't expected the punch. Remy quickly assessed the situation as he took a step back, ready to defend against a further attack.
"You son of a bitch!" Bobby screeched. "First you steal my girlfriend and now you're walking out?"
"See that's de whole problem. She didn't tell me she had a boyfriend. In fact, she was quite adamant 'bout de opposite of that." Remy leveled his rival with a hateful glare but tamped down his temper.
"Bobby! I expect better of you than this." Storm admonished as she stepped between the two men.
"Yeah, well, if he hadn't seduced Marie, we wouldn't be having a problem." Bobby venomously countered.
"Anna came to me willingly." Remy's fists clenched with his anger.
The little twat in front of him had the gall to imply he'd taken Rogue against her will. Or at the very least, convinced her into doing something she wouldn't normally do.
From down the hall, one of the staff suites opened. "What the hell is going on out here?" Logan demanded.
Bobby tried to push past Storm but she held her ground. "Her name's Marie. Not that you know anything about her."
With cold calculation, Remy menacingly answered, "I've been inside her. Somethin' I know for a fact y've never done."
The crudeness of his statement was too much, even for him. But his mind was clouded by the recent pain of betrayal. Remy's eyes focused in on Bobby, unaware of everyone else around them. A cerise glow flared around his irises as he itched for a card between his fingers.
With a lunge, Bobby roared after Remy. His fists flailed, trying to connect with any part of the Cajun's body but Logan managed to hold him back.
"Enough!" Storm levitated between them, a hand held against each man's chest.
"C'mon, Ice Boy. Let's cool you down in the Danger Room." Logan dragged Bobby by the scruff of his neck toward the elevator.
Once the two men were out of earshot, Storm floated to the ground and turned to Remy. "There's a boat house down by the lake on the edge of the property. You can stay there tonight until you can find a place in town tomorrow."
"Merci, mais non." He tossed at her. "I'm not stayin' anywhere close t' here."
"Please, Remy. It's been a rollercoaster the last few days. You know as well as I do that you need to clear your head. I'd feel much better if I didn't have to worry about you tonight." Storm pleaded with him.
As she begged him with her eyes, he felt his resolve soften and some of his anger melt away. "For you, Stormy. But only for t'night." He quickly added.
"Thank you." Her soft smile helped ease his troubled mind. As he walked away, he caught her parting sentiments. "Just wait and see, Remy. Everything will work out in the end."
Somehow, he couldn't bring himself to be so optimistic.
(X)
Je vais revenir. Je vous promets, ma chère. – I'll be back. I promise you, my dear.
