AN: Luicida Lownes wanted me to use the word 'shenanigans'. And why not? It's a cool word, hahaha.

Just so there's no confusion, this first part is a dream/flashback.

Chapter 19: 1 Year Anniversary

Pain seared through his body. He felt like every part of him was on fire, like every cell in his being was being burnt down to ash and reforming again only to be burnt to ashes once more.

"Hey."

So intense was the pain that it took him a moment to register that it was Rogue that was speaking. He wanted to move, but he couldn't. All he could do was grip her offered hand.

"He's awake," Rogue reported.

Others must be there. Make it go. Please, make the pain go. He couldn't take it any more.

"Remy? How are you feeling? Hank asked "Is it burning still?"

"Yes!" he wanted to shout. "It burns so badly. You have to make it stop! Please make it stop!"

"Oui."

The word scratched on his throat. That his throat was sore from all the screaming he'd done previously seemed minor in comparison.

"Listen, your powers are coming back, but like Rogue's they're running at an accelerated rate."

"Make... make it stop."

It hurt! Everything he did hurt! Breathing, moving, speaking, blinking his eyes. Even when he didn't do anything it still hurt.

"I'm afraid there is no gas left, and I won't be able to acquire any more for another two days."

"We're going to get you through this," Storm said firmly. "You're going to get through this."

"Make it stop."

"M-maybe I should absorb him," Rogue said.

No!

"Absolutely not," Logan said. "It's his powers doing this to him. They'll do the same thing to you too. And Drake's powers didn't wear off for four days."

Four days. Rogue, no.

"I wouldn't touch him for very long," Rogue pointed out. "If I can't let go myself, then I've got three of you there to pull me off. Besides, Hank, didn't you say my powers are no longer running as fast as they were?"

"Yes, but they're by no means at the level they were."

"I only need to touch him for a second. If we can knock him out for the weekend that'll give him some peace until you can get more gas."

Yes! Please make this stop! More than anything, I want this to end.

"The sedative injections won't work on you any more than it will on Gumbo," Logan said. "And it'll all be redundant if you're stuck with his powers all weekend."

"Rogue, forget it," he wanted to say. "He's right. If it's me or you, I choose me."

"What's the point of having this stupid power if I don't use it?"

"Rogue," Storm said patiently, then turned to Hank. "Is it possible for you to calculate how long Rogue'll have Remy's powers for?"

Make it stop.

"Actually, I've been working on a program to determine that exact information," Hank replied.

"You're not seriously considering this," Logan demanded.

Burning. Endless burning.

"Rogue knows what the risks are," Storm replied. "If she's prepared to deal with it, and the time for Rogue having Gambit's powers is within a reasonable time frame, then I don't see any reason why we should deny her request to help."

I don't want her to help me! I don't want want her to go through this!

"Yeah? Can he calculate how long Remy'll be comatose for? What about Drake?" Logan snapped. "Sorry, Rogue. I get that you want to help but I'm not—"

Talk her out of it Logan. Don't let her.

"Two months," Hank said.

"What?"

Hurts...

"Based on Rogue's absorptions pre-Cure, estimated length of contact with Bobby and rate of power acceleration, Bobby will be in a coma for two months thereabouts," Hank replied calmly as he tapped away on the computer. "Now, albeit, I haven't done an exam of Rogue's power development today, but based on her progress so far... after a second of contact... Remy should be out of it for... one week and Rogue will have his powers for approximately six hours. Incidentally, Bobby's powers returned to him within a day, although exactly how long he was without them I cannot say for certain."

"Six hours," Logan repeated.

No.

"Two months," Rogue breathed.

"Rogue?" Storm inquired.

No! Open your mouth and say no!

"Six hours is better than forty-eight," Rogue said.

No you can't, Rogue. Not for six hours.

"Rogue—" Logan began.

Remy, you're a coward. Tell her no!

"Logan, not even you can deny that. And heck, if he's under for a week, that's all the better. Less sedative needed, if any at all," Rogue replied firmly.

No. No. NO!

"Wait," said Storm. "We should get a bed... and restraints ready."

You can't.

"Storm—" Logan began.

It hurts.

"Lesser of two evils, Logan."

"This is not the lesser!"

You can't let her.

"Logan, I appreciate your concern, I really do," Rogue said. "And I get where you're coming from—I'm not exactly looking forward to the idea—but something needs to be done, and this is what I do. And quite frankly, I actually think I like the idea of touching someone and doing them good instead of harm for once."

So you want to touch someone and hurt yourself more? No Rogue, you can't do this. It hurts. It hurts so much. You can't. Burning won't go away. I want it to stop. It has to stop. Not you Rogue. Please don't. Please make it stop. Say something! Open your mouth and say 'no' Remy! You can't let her... not this.

"It's not too late," said Logan.

No.

Gambit gasped for breath and shot up in bed. Cold sweat dripped down his forehead and he panted heavily. He ran a hand over his face and through his hair. He hated that particular nightmare, especially because it was true. He stared into the dark as his breathing finally calmed down, pushed the covers back and staggered into the ensuite. No way he was getting back to sleep now.

Gambit blinked as the light came on and turned on the shower. He adjusted the temperature, stepped inside and pressed his hands against the tile wall, leaning on them. One way or another, Rogue was going to get her powers under control; he'd make sure of it. He never should have let her absorb him. He should have had the guts to tell her no, but he didn't and look what happened to her. Six hours. Six hours of that. Even six minutes—six seconds—was too long. And to top it all off, he'd screwed up her relationship with her boyfriend, messed up the rest of her social life and her plans with Logan; albeit, those would be rectified in a few years but still. She shouldn't have had to start a new identity because of him. She shouldn't have gone through any of that because of him.

Gambit waited for Storm's students to leave the room, then knocked on the door frame and let himself in. Storm looked up at him and smiled.

"This is a surprise," she said as she packed up the papers on the desk. "What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you could do me a favour," Gambit replied as he sauntered over, "and keep the Wolverine occupied Sunday night."

"Why?" Storm asked, not without some suspicion in her voice. "What are you plotting?"

"Nothing bad," Gambit said, sitting down on the desk. "It's just Roguey and my's anniversary and I want to celebrate it with her without Logan getting the wrong idea."

"Why would he get the wrong idea?" Storm asked. "And for that matter, since when do you and Rogue have an anniversary?"

"Aww, chère. I can't believe you forgot. It's the anniversary of when we regressed. Okay, technically, it was a few days ago. Well...Rogue's was last Sunday and mine was is today I think...but Sunday is one year to the day when I woke up from the coma, so I figure that's a good day to celebrate," Gambit replied cheerfully. "You know, because that was the day we were both conscious of the fact that we were both thirteen. Again."

Storm blinked and stared at him for a moment. Finally she let out a long breath and shook her head, her eyes glancing at the calender.

"Yes," she said slowly. "It has been a year, hasn't it? Time certainly flies."

"When you're having fun," Gambit said, grinning broadly. "No wonder it went so fast."

"Indeed. You didn't answer my question though: Why would Logan get the wrong idea?"

"I thought Roguey might appreciate a home cooked dinner out on the gazebo," Gambit said. "You can see why I might be a little concerned about Logan crashing the evening? There isn't going to be anything romantic about it. Just a couple of friends celebrating the anniversary of a mutual life-changing experience."

Storm nodded slowly.

"Okay," she agreed. "But don't get into the habit of asking me to intervene, Remy."

"Done."

"And if he finds out, I knew nothing."

"Nothing about what?"

"Good boy."

"Have fun on your date," Rogue called after Logan and Storm in the foyer.

"Yeah," Kitty agreed. "Have a great time."

"Remember not to drink and drive," Jubilee added.

Storm and Logan looked at each other, then at the gaggle of girls. The both nicely dressed up—Logan reluctantly in a suit and Storm looking stunning in a beautiful white dress.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Tabitha giggled as Logan opened the door.

"Well," said Angelica cynically to Tabitha. "That's a short list."

"Remind me again why we thought it was a good idea to publicise us dating?" Logan asked Storm.

"Because half of them already knew anyway," Storm replied tolerantly as she stepped outside.

The girls laughed amongst themselves—especially after Logan's low growl—and the door closed firmly behind the couple.

"And now that the love birds have left the building," Rogue said, "I have to get changed."

"Changed for what?" asked Kitty.

"Remy's been planning something for our anniversary," she replied as she walked up the stairs.

"You have an anniversary?"

"Ooooh!" Jubilee exclaimed gleefully. "Rogue has a date!"

"It's not a date," Rogue corrected.

"Uh huh, yeah, suuuuure."

"You know," Angelica said thoughtfully. "That might explain why Remy spent so much time in the kitchen today."

"Rogue's got a da-ate. Rogue's got a da-ate," Jubilee teased.

"What's this?" Bobby asked, stepping into the hall just in time to hear Jubilee's last word.

"Uhh... Rogue has a date?" Jubilee said to him nervously.

There was silence as everyone looked at Bobby, and Bobby looked at Rogue. Rogue rolled her eyes.

"It's not a date," Rogue said firmly, glowering at the group. "It's the anniversary of when we became thirteen again. It's perfectly normal behaviour to celebrate anniversaries."

"Yeah, like wedding anniversaries," Tabitha teased her.

"Or birthdays," Rogue retorted. "y'all pathetic, you know that? Sometimes I think you're more childish than I am."

Rogue stamped the rest of the way up the stairs and down the hall to her room. What was everyone's obsession with them dating? It was really getting on her nerves!

The heels of Rogue's boots echoed on the paved pathway as she walked to the gazebo. As the gazebo came into view, Rogue could see a table, complete with table cloth, two candles, a bottle, glasses, and a couple of covered plates. Gambit was leaning over, still setting things up by the looks, when he heard her and he turned his head to smile at her.

"Bonjour chérie," he said.

"Hi sugar," Rogue replied as she walked up the three wooden stairs. "This looks—and smells—nice."

"Merci," he replied and gestured to the chair furthest away from him. "Have a seat."

"Don't mind if I do."

Gambit noted the pensive look on Rogue's face and as he sat down himself, he regarded her curiously.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

Rogue have a long sigh, her finger fidgeting with the edge of the table cloth.

"Just... rumour mongerers trying to tell me this is a date," she told him.

"Ahh. Well, more fool them. Here," and Gambit lifted up the cover from their plates.

"I do, thanks," Rogue said, smiling first at Gambit then at the food. "Ooh jambalaya."

Rogue picked up her fork and ate a bite, looking at Gambit thoughtfully while he lit the candles with the tip of his finger. She chuckled softly and he smiled at her and picked up the red wine bottle.

"Now this," he said. "Is a Shiraz."

"Oh... I thought we were going to have the Zinfandel again. That's what we had the last time we had jambalaya, isn't it?"

"Oui, but there's lots of dishes out there that go well with a few different types of wine. You know what they say, chère, variety is the spice of life," Gambit replied with a big silly grin.

Rogue groaned and shook her head. Gambit chuckled and started pouring the wine.

"There we are. One glass for you, and the rest of the bottle for me," he said, as he finished pouring his first glass and set the bottle back down.

"Thanks. By the way, did I happen to congratulate you on conning Storm on taking Logan out tonight?"

"Well, we couldn't have Logan smelling wine on you, Roguey."

"'Tis true."

"Happy anniversary."

Rogue giggled.

"Happy anniversary. I feel like we're an old married couple, saying that. May Jubes never find out I said that."

Gambit laughed.

"Never hear the end of it," Rogue muttered.

"Maybe we should put everyone out of their misery and just start dating."

"Sure, we could do that. Better yet, we could Inot/I."

"We could start a rumour that you're pregnant."

"I really don't think so."

"We could start a rumour that Stormy's pregnant."

"Do you have some kind of a death wish?"

"We could start a rumour that Logan is pregnant."

Rogue giggled. "I don't think anyone would buy that one."

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"He's missing parts."

"How do you know that, chère? Have you looked?"

"Actually, yes."

Gambit just about choked on his dinner. He spent a good two minutes coughing and spluttering while Rogue calmly continued eating like nothing remiss just happened.

"You've...you've seen Logan naked?" he asked incredulously, once he managed to start breathing properly again.

"Yep."

Gambit stared at her and waved his hands a bit. "When did this happen?"

"When Amara came here she was having these flare ups with her powers all the time. I mean, the girl doesn't call herself 'Magma' for no reason, y'know? So while she was having these flare ups we were keeping her away from the other students. Obviously she got the hang of it, but there was this one occasion where Logan had her in the danger room, and I was keeping an eye on things in the control room when she had one of these flare ups. Yeah, Logan ended up in the line of fire. He survived, of course, but his clothes? Not so much. I, uhh, lent him my jacket to give him some dignity until he could get some clothes. Storm's a lucky woman, by the way."

Gambit laughed.

"Mon dieu... So Amara's seen his junk too?"

"She was very embarrassed."

"You're not the slightest bit phased?"

"Well, at the time my powers were still active and most of the people I absorbed were male. I had plenty of visuals of that part of their anatomy," Rogue replied with a shrug. "But... I don't know. It's weird now because I remember seeing stuff I didn't particularly want to, but because the voices are all gone now I can't see the memories any more. Do you know what I mean?"

"Like when you see a picture, and you can remember seeing the picture, but when you go looking for it, it's not there any more?"

"Yeah."

"Heh, that's funny. I wish I'd known that story before he and Stormy started dating," Gambit said with a sigh. "So many things I could have said to taunt him about it..."

"You're just not happy unless you're annoying someone, are ya?"

"Nope. Bugging people is fun. Speaking of which, something has occurred to me."

"Yeah?"

"We're teenagers again—"

"Really? No!" Rogue exclaimed mockingly. "Damn, hide the wine, we are so busted."

"Actually, the Shiraz is Australian, and their legal drinking age is eighteen—okay I know legally we're fourteen but—I forget where I was going with that... Oh yeah, the point is, we're teenagers again but we've been awfully well-behaved teenagers this past year."

"Hmm, this is true. We haven't really gotten up to many shenanigans, have we?"

"This is something that must be remedied."

"I agree. Have anything in particular in mind?"

"Does Wolverine have claws?"

Rogue giggled and the rest of the meal was spent making evil plans, erm, planning mischievous teenage activities. After dessert, Gambit pulled a box onto the table.

"Got you something," he said as he pushed it over to her, pleased at the expression of surprise on her face.

"I... You didn't have to get me anything."

"Aww, but it's our anniversary."

"I didn't get you anything."

"No big deal. Go on, open it."

Rogue chewed her bottom lip and tentatively reached out for the box.

"Thank you," she said softly as she untied the red ribbon.

She pulled the ribbon away and lifted the lid. Inside the box was another box: a fine wooden jewellery box with—when she opened it—a dancing ballerina. Rogue giggled a little as the ballerina twirled around to the music.

"Wow," she said. "This is really beautiful, Remy. I'm not sure—"

"Oh no you don't," he cut in. "You do not get to say you can't accept it. It's a gift. I'll be most offended if you reject it."

"Uhh..." Rogue stammered and searched rapidly for an alternate ending to her sentence: "Where to put it."

"Good girl. I'm sure you'll find just the right spot. By the way, there's a secret compartment."

"Oh really?"

"There's a reward waiting for you for when you find it."

"So, you're not going to tell me where it is, huh?"

"Nope."

"Now this present makes so much more sense."

Gambit laughed and Rogue grinned at him.