Chapter Fourteen: Being Close

Rogue felt all giddy inside. She was pregnant and nobody knew! Nobody will even notice for several months! But then they do and every nosey teenage girl in the Institute will bump her with questions about the experience which she didn't even have! She surely didn't want to be the center of that attention. The baby was only hers, she will share it with no-one, it was something close to her heart, quite literally, and she wanted to keep it right there. Rouge didn't even tell Kitty. She knew it was very impolite to hide this very important ('oh my gosh!' in Kitty's words) fact from her. But right now Kitty was sorting out things with Lance, as Rogue was told in a very long discussion over the phone, and shouldn't be disturbed for some time. For a couple of months only several people knew about the baby excluding Rogue; they were Professor Xavier of course, Doctor MacCoy, who checked her body condition practically every day and Logan who, well, just knew. Oh and Remy of course.

'Should Ah call him to tell that the operation went smoothly? He is the father and all that, but on the other hand, he didn't even say good bye! The Guild was completely empty when Ah left. Was he ashamed? Of meh? Of fathering a child? But he was so eager to have another one, giving him his name and all that. Ah wonder what Emilien will say about all this...'

................................

Days went on. With them Danger Room lessons (where Rouge was told not to stress much, but couldn't avoid it, because someone should show those brats what a real danger is), baby books, lots and lots of tests by the Beast, and silent evenings in her room. Just the usual.

Until a telephone called in the rec room. The students were having a leisure evening watching a movie, so they didn't pick up the sound at first. Finally a blond girl flew towards it and picked up the receiver.

„Yeah?" she drawled.

„Is Rogue there?" asked a masculine voice that sent shivers down the girl's spine. Pleasant shivers.

„No... She is in the Medlab or something."

„Did something happen?" the men asked, sounding worried.

„Nothing I know of. Do you want to leave a message?" the girl asked, trying to prolong the conversation. Someone with that voice couldn't be anything but hot, so why should the Plague talk to him? She was a lot more attractive in every way.

„Can you, please, switch to the phone there, petite?"

„I can try, but I really doubt that she is there still, she must be in her room already and there is no phone there."

„I know, that's why be a dear and switch the call to the other phone."

Hearing metallic tone in the man's intonations, the girl decided to comply, even if quite reluctantly. Why didn't men with such sexy voice call her?

„Yes? Hank isn't here right now, but Ah can tell him if you -"

„Good evening, chere."

The end of the sentence died in Rogue's throat.

„You seem to have a habit to disappear on Remy."

Rogue finally snapped from shock. „You can't call on this phone!"

„Your cell and laptop are switched off, what do you want Remy to do?"

„They are parallel phones, dammit! Anyone can be on the other end!"

„Spying on us?"

Rogue felt strangely warm on the inside at the mentioning of the word 'us'. She knew it was only a properly used pronoun, but it felt kinda good that there was she and he and 'us'...

„Nobody calls meh here."

„Remy wants to see you."

„Huh?"

„Tomorrow near the French cafe at six."

„Hey, wait, Ah can't just leave and..." but Rogue heard only beeps on the other end of the line.

.....................................

'So what exactly am Ah doing here?' Rogue asked herself as she was standing in front of the French cafe warming herself with a paper cup with latte. She didn't know why she came, she had intention not to. They had nothing to say or do to each other, they weren't dating, they could be called friends, but she was caring his child. And she thought Kitty's relationship with Lance was screwed up. No, she and Remy seemed to make a new record of a crazy relationship.

Rogue had almost emptied her cup when she heard a squeal of the brakes. „A car?" she asked dumbfounded.

„Need a lift, chere?"

„Don't you prefer a two wheeled transport?"

„Remy does, but he can't risk it now, does he?" Remy got out of the car and opened the passenger door for her.

Rogue accepted the invitation, thinking what risk he was talking about. „So what are you doing here?" she finally uttered, when she understood that she had no idea where they were going.

„Came to pay a visit. Find out if you are well. Say hello from Emilien. He successfully fulfilled couple of contracts."

Rogue didn't like his dry answers, of course, his concentration was on the road (thankfully), but he was certainly not telling her something. He wasn't lying, no, but he was clearly hiding something.

„Please, don't call to the Institute anymore," Rogue said, when the silence became unbearable.

„You don't want anybody to know about Remy, right?" he asked bitterly.

„It's in your own interest. The Guild and everything."

„That Guild can go to Hell!" he cursed, slamming the wheel.

'So this is the way the wind is blowing from,' Rogue thought but said nothing out loud. She didn't want to press it out of him, she wanted him to tell her himself. Too many secrets were between them, Rogue couldn't stop thinking about the fact, that they knew absolutely nothing about each other. And the thought that she wanted to know him scared her even more.

„Stop the car, Remy," Rogue ordered, when he made another turn on a high speed. „Ah said, stop the car," she repeated when he ignored her. Finally he pulled over and hit his forehead on the wheel. „Okay, now get out, Ah am going to drive." Quite reluctantly Remy exchanged places with her. He seemed to be in a very sore mood. „Where were you going?" He only shrugged in response. „You mean you didn't know where you were going at all?! This looks like another kidnapping to meh!"

„Remy just wanted out."

„And how do Ah fit into this picture?" Again only silence in reply. „Okay, Ah know a good place."

Rogue sped up on the highway, heading out of town. Her eyes were on the road, but she kept throwing glances at her involuntary passenger. 'He definitely looks stressed. What could've happened to the careless Cajun to shake him up so badly? Maybe something with Emilien? But Remy said he was alright...'

She parked near a forest range and they headed deeper into the trees. Remy's trench coat swap on the wind and Rogue shivered, only now noticing the chilly air of the evening. She almost fell over from surprise when she clashed with Remy's shoulder as he pulled her towards him.

„Huh?"

„What? You are cold. And why don't you wear Remy's present?"

„Ah have enough people staring at meh."

„How can you blame them? It looks good on you, not to mention everything else looks good too."

„If you decided that showering meh with compliments will make meh forget about your problems with the Guild, you are greatly mistaken."

The trees thinned and they found themselves on a small meadow. There were two fallen trees on the side, forming a natural bench, the only problem was that their fall looked as far from natural as possible.

„Ah can summon a bit of previously absorbed powers. If Ah really want to," Rogue answered Remy's unspoken question.

„So this is your secret place?" Remy asked, making himself comfortable on the log.

„No, just a place out of telepathic waves. A place to think and the like. So what's with the Guild?"

„Why so curious, chere?"

„Okay, let's cut this careless shit right now," Rogue barked. „You rush here all the way from N'awlins, practically crash the car on the only mentioning of the Guild and now you play around like it is nothing major! Bullshit! Now spill!"

„They just don't like the way Remy runs things," he replied with a shrug, but his eyes were full of worry. That didn't pass unnoticed.

„And?"

„And the thieves want somebody else to be their leader."

„And this is just a huge blow on your ego. If that's the problem then- "

„This isn't it! How don't you understand?!"

„Than make meh understand, Remy! Stop telling meh half-truths! You told meh that you had become the Head of the Guild only out of duty, that you personally didn't want to even be near it, so what the fuck?"

„Because Remy doesn't have anywhere else to go! Fight, steal and blow things up are the only things Remy can do! Being a thief is Remy's life!"

„Who forbids you to be a thief? You just won't be the Head of the Guild."

„Competition, Rogue. Nobody can't stand a competition. What if Remy decides to join the Northern Thieves' Guild?"

„There is more than one Guild?"

„Of course. The whole country can't be controlled only by one Guild."

„Wait a minute, are you telling meh that the thieves want to kill you?" Rogue asked with a shaking voice. 'Ah can see it. The redness of his eyes can't hide it – he is scared and lost. And he came to meh to ask for help. But what can Ah do?"

„Could be. Mutiny is usually followed by the death of the previous leader, isn't it?"

„You can just step aside, right?"

„Give up?" Remy spat, insulted by the mere suggestion.

„But you do want to live, don't you? You have a son to raise. What is that thrilling in thieving anyway?"

„You don't know until you feel it yourself, chere."

„Ah know how it is. It's in mah nature to steal life, memories, powers and that's what Ah think about it all – it sucks! If you want to remain a thief then go and get yourself killed! Ah knew you were selfish, but this is just despicable! Ah bet Emilien thinks the same, thief's honor and other rubbish! Bloody Hell!" she swore, feeling that her vision started to get blurry. 'Ah am turning too emotional already. Damn hormones.'

Remy pulled her closer to him. He couldn't help but want to protect her. He was glad that she was upset about his possible death, but at the same time he felt guilty that he was the one who caused her unhappiness. „Everything is going to be alright. Nobody is going to die. Remy will just hide at the Assassins' for a while."

„Are you nuts?!" Rogue exclaimed, rising her head from Remy's shoulder, with which she decided to hide her tears. (Not to mention it had the smell she came to adore lately). The motion almost caused the collision of their noses, that's why Rogue jerked up from the log. 'He didn't even move to avoid it. Is he totally crazy?'

„About what?"

„The Assassins will definitely finish you off!"

„The pact won't let them."

„Ah don't believe some piece of paper will stop them."

„Remy and Tony became blood brothers to bond the Guilds. Neither thieves nor assassins can harm each other."

„Why don't you come to the Institute while the things calm down?" Rogue suggested, feeling uneasiness about Remy being not only in danger, but away from her. He always was at a distance, but having him beside her was something she began getting used to. „You can help teaching, you did help Emilien with his powers and -"

„Remy can't do that, chere. He can resolve the conflict himself. Don't worry yourself, even if Remy is flattered for you to be like this."

„Don't be," Rouge grunted, returning to the log and facing away from him, but still supporting her back by his arm. She was herself surprised how easy it was to be this close to Remy. Maybe because he was the only one who wasn't afraid?