A/N So we've getting close guys!
Thanks again, reviewers! EmeraldGreyClouds, Chica De Los Ojos Café, yingyanggirl, Chellerbelle, sharky237, Rogue237, Fostersb, aiRo25, Sweetcornbee, and Lucida Lownes!
A month turned to two, then four, then all of the sudden it was Thanksgiving.
"Yo' know what dis means, chère?"
"Uhm, no?"
"De kiddies go home," he answered, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Just yo'…moi…" Rogue giggled.
"Not in the kitchen, Cajun!"
"…and de Wolverine, apparently." Rogue laughed harder. "Speaking o' T'hanksgiving, how does dat work around here Stormy?" Storm sighed at the nickname.
"Most kids go home. Of course, a lot of them can't, so most of the teachers stay. I'll be here, so will Logan and Jubilee. Kitty and Bobby will be home, but Chicago and Boston are close."
"I'll stay," Rogue said. "Not like I have anywhere else to go."
"I'll stay as well, den," Gambit said. Storm raised her eyebrows. As long as she'd known him, he had never missed a holiday meal with his family, except during his exile. Now it was his first year free…and he was spending it here?
When classes ended for the holiday break, Jubilee, Pete, Rogue, Remy, and Logan gathered in the rec room for some poker.
"But Gambiiiiit," Jubilee whined, folding. "You have to make Thanksgiving dinner! Seriously, you don't want us to do it ourselves. Last year was frightening."
"They are pretty bad," Rogue laughed. "Though some of it might be SOMEONE kept throwing things at Bobby last time I was here. It scared the crap out of him so he kept freezing the food."
Everyone burst out laughing. It surprised Rogue how easily she could talk about Bobby without getting pissed. Once glance at Gambit gave her a hint as to why.
"Well I couldn't help it!" Jubilee answered. "He's just so easy to taunt!"
"True," Gambit grinned. Pete suddenly started laughing uncontrollably, causing Gambit to grin wider.
"Uh, are we missing something?" Jubilee asked.
"Oh, did we not tell yo' about Bobby's buttons?"
"No…"
"Oh. Nevermind den." Pete managed to compose himself, finally, until Gambit tossed a button and hit him in the forehead. He lost it completely, bowing out of the game.
"Okay, but seriously," Jubilee said, casting Pete an alarmed sideways look. "Gambit, you HAVE to cook. Please? Please please please?"
"Eh."
"Please!"
"Jubes…"
"Please?"
"Firecracker…"
"PLEASE!"
Gambit finally agreed, as long as he got help. He flat out refused to attempt it alone. Thus, early Thanksgiving morning, Gambit found himself alone in the kitchen, doing the meal's prep work. He figured what better time to call home? He dialed his brother and waited for the line to pick up.
"Yesss?"
"
Now, is dat de way t' answer for yo' favorite frère?"
"I have no frère," Henri said sleepily. "Just a petite soeur [sister] wit' long brown hair, red eyes and glows all pink-like."
"Yo' wound moi. Here all I wanted was t' talk t' mon frère on T'anksgiving, but noooo."
"How're yo' Remy?" Henri interrupted. "Still hiding?"
"Oui, dat's why I'm not back in N'Awlins today."
"Pére's not thrilled."
"Neither am I."
"Mercy is, though."
"Devil woman."
"Anyt'ing new and interesting, Remy?"
"De kids are on break, so it's quieter."
"Kids?"
"Oui, I told yo' Rogue and I work at a school." There was a pause.
"Yo' were serious about dat?"
"Oui."
"And you're still wit' Rogue?"
"Oui."
"And it's been, what, nearly cinq [5] months?"
"Oui."
Silence.
"We're sharing a room and teaching mutants."
More silence.
"I'm going to ask her t' come to N'Awlins for Christmas."
Even more silence.
"Henri?"
"Remy?"
"Oui?"
"Is she blackmailing you?"
"No…" Just then, Rogue walked in, making a beeline for the coffee.
"Drugged yo'?"
"No."
"Holding yo' hostage?"
"No." Rogue sat next to him and looked at the phone curiously. Gambit mouthed 'mon frère'.
"Torture?"
"Definitely no. Yo' can talk t' her if yo' like."
"Uh…" Gambit handed Rogue the phone.
"Hello?"
"Bonjour…it's Henri."
"I know."
"So…no torture?"
"Not that I've noticed..?"
"Or blackmail? Drugs? Hostage?"
"Are YOU on drugs?" Gambit laughed next to her.
"Just shocked yo' managed to tame Remy, is all."
"Well he isn't exactly tame," Rogue said, wryly. "You should hear some of the things he says in front of the kids. Storm was so mad when a boy asked her if his art of seduction was working." Henri exploded into laughter.
"I forgot how much I like yo'. Ow! I woke Mercy, she's kicking me in de ribs – OW! Stop it woman! Tell Remy goodb-" Rogue looked down at the dead phone in her hands.
"He said bye. His wife started beating him."
"Sounds like Mercy. Chère, I was wondering, do yo' have any Christmas traditions?"
"Oh," Rogue blushed immediately. "Not really…Chinese good and Supernatural marathon." Gambit tried valiantly to hide his amusement. "Shut up!" Poorly.
"Well I was t'inking, dis year, yo' could come to N'Awlins with me. Enjoy some o' our traditions."
"You want me to come to Christmas with your family?"
"Very much so." There was a second before Rogue realized he needed an answer.
"I'd love to!" Gambit grinned.
"Bon."
Thanksgiving Day went by rapidly. The boys tried to watch football, only to be schooled by Sarah's friend Kelly on the incorrect comments they made. Eventually they just watched the game in sullen silence.
Much to Jubilee's pleasure, Gambit's meal was fabulous. She thanked him every few minutes, finally stopping when Rogue threatened to shove a yam up her nose. Even Logan was suitably impressed, which annoyed the hell out of him.
Gambit even had made pumpkin pie and refused point blank to speak to anyone who claimed not to like pie, pumpkin or any other kind. It wasn't until everyone started dozing at the table, and Sarah literally fell asleep on her plate, that Storm announced it was time to turn in.
As Rogue was falling asleep in Gambit's arms, she managed to sleepily mutter, "You really want me to come and meet your family in New Orleans?"
"I really do, chère."
"Wow…cool." Twenty seconds later, she was out like a light.
In an effort to cheer up the students who had nowhere to go for the holidays, Kitty had helped Gambit program a Danger Room simulation. He planned to take them skiing, then to the beach, and finally some 'secret' destination that Gambit wouldn't reveal. He and Jubilee were bringing the vast majority of the students, though a few opted to shop with Storm and, much to his displeasure, Logan.
This left Rogue alone to hold down the fort. She actually was a bit relieved. For the first time since she got there, it was quiet. She sat in the rec room and read. This put Rogue in a shockingly good mood. It had been awhile since she had been able to sit and relax with a book, life on the road didn't leave much time for such hobbies. Excited, she curled up and began to reread a favorite, a guilty pleasure, Harry Potter.
She was well into the book when the phone rang. Glancing at the clock, she frowned. Who would be calling at 10 PM? Sighing, she marked her place and got up to answer the phone.
"Xavier's Institute," she said shortly. It was very difficult to not add "do you know what time it is?"
"Hello? Hello? It's Toby! Miss Rogue?"
"Toby?" Toby was 11 and one of her best students. He always smiled at her and always w as respectful. Toby had started the year much like Sarah had, very quiet. Over time, he became more open, talking to kids more. His parents, who sent him to Xavier's when his mutation began to frustrate them, even wanted him back for Thanksgiving.
"Miss R-Rogue?" Toby stuttered. His panicked voice made Rogue's blood run cold. "They, they left me here!"
"Toby, breathe Toby, it's okay. Just tell me where you are."
"I-I don't know! My mom said I am too much of a f-freak and a threat!" Toby sobbed. "Then she just left me here and said never to c-come home! I didn't mean to, it was an accident!" Toby wailed and it took everything Rogue had to keep from crying with him. Tears filled her eyes anyways, and she wiped at them impatiently.
"Where are you Toby?" Rogue asked calmly. She wrote down the street he saw a sign for and all the landmarks. Toby was still crying softly. "All right Toby, find a place to hide and I'll be there soon, okay?"
"They left me, Miss Rogue…they're supposed to love me and they just left me out here." This time Rogue couldn't control the tears making their way down her face.
"I'm coming for you, Toby. The X-Men don't leave children."
Rogue wrote a quick note for Gambit, explaining what had happened before hopping into her car. She sped to the street where Toby was, ignoring all traffic laws along the way. A half hour later, Rogue zoomed to a stop in front of the telephone booth Toby had called from. She glanced around, seeing no one.
"Toby?" she called. "Toby it's Rogue. Come on sugar, let's get back to the mansion." A skittering sound caused Rogue to turn, only to see a beer can rolling from an overfilled dumpster.
"Miss Rogue?" Rogue whipped around, adrenaline pumping. Toby emerged from behind the phone booth, white faced and shaking. The stained lines down his cheek marked the dried tears.
"Oh, Toby," Rogue sighed. She opened her arms and gestured to him. "Come here." Toby started silently crying and moved toward her. When he came under the light on the street lamp, Rogue could see the red imprint of a fist under his right eye, already starting to bruise. Rogue sucked in her breath and pulled Toby in for a hug to hide the murderous expression on her face.
"Okay Toby," she said, putting on a strong face for him. "We'll get back to the mansion and figure this all out."
"Okay," Toby said, wiping his eyes. They turned to walk back to the car when Rogue heard another sound from behind the dumpster. She pushed Toby down and got into a defensive crouch.
"Stay down," she hissed. Rogue slowly made her way over and lashed behind the dumpster. She straightened up with a frown.
"Miss Rogue?"
"There's no one there," she answered. It seemed wrong, too easy. "Toby-"
"Miss Rogue, behind you!" Rogue whipped around in time to see a man twice her size swing out at her. There was no time to block the punch and Rogue went down, seeing stars.
"Go, Toby go!" she yelled, rolling to the side and staggering to her feet. The man lunged and barely missed, earning a kick to the kidneys from Rogue. "Toby, tell Gambit what happened, go!" Still disoriented, Rogue didn't see the next hit, she just saw a flash of red light and Toby was gone.
There was a flash and a burning sensation, like he jumped very quickly through a bunch of sparklers. Toby gasped. Looking around, he realized he was in Times Square. Another flash and burn later, he was in the middle of what he suspected to be the Bronx. Flash, burn, splash. Sputtering, Toby came up for air in what was a river of some name. With a groan he tried again. Stupid uncontrolled teleportation.
Twenty minutes of flashed and burns and some stumbling, Toby made it to the institute's door. He tripped in, falling to his knees.
"Remy!" Toby looked up to see the girl, Sarah, staring down at him, eyes wide. "Help!" Gambit bolted into the room and scooped up the wet and exhausted Toby. He brought him into the rec room and set him on the couch, sending someone to get him water and blankets.
"Toby," Gambit asked a calmly as possible. "What happened?"
"Miss Rogue came to get me," Toby muttered, eyelids fluttering. "And, and some guy attacked her. They took her, she told me to run and find you!" His eyes close before he perked up again. "I'm sorry! I would've been here sooner but teleporting is hard, I got lost. I fell in the river!" Sarah put a blanket over Toby, who promptly passed out.
"It's okay, Toby, t'ank yo'." Gambit stood and looked around himself at the wide eyed children and slack jawed Jubilee. Shit.