Jean ran desperately after Scott down the darkened street towards his car. She knew, knew, knew that Scott never should have come. He didn't understand the true nature of the bet, and she hadn't had time to explain. It was all a game to Gambit and Rogue, a game to see how far they could go. None of their insane capers meant anything at all to the duo, except for a good laugh. It was part of their dynamic as a couple. They had developed a very wry and often low brow sense of humour regarding the bet. Jean understood it. She was sure that had she been bullied into the same position they were she would react the same way and lash out in total anarchy.

"Scott!" she called in despair as she finally reached him.

"Jean, there is absolutely nothing you can say to me that would make me reconsider my decision," Scott answered back in anger.

"But you don't understand what's going on!"

He whirled around to face her. "I don't care what's going on, Jean. We've just been kicked out of a public place all because of that guy. What do you think the Professor will say when he finds out we've been out tarnishing the school's name?"

Jean had a few things to say about his reasoning. Firstly, Rogue had a hand in their being thrown out of the club, not just Gambit. And second, no one knew they were from Xavier's. They were just a group of rowdy teens. Well, a group with two rowdy teens.

"Are you going to tell me that you didn't notice him hold doors open and pull chairs out for Rogue?"

"If you think that proves he's decent, you obviously weren't listening closely to the song lyrics."

"And catching Lance's drink before it spilt all over Kitty? He could have let it fall on her."

"So what? Lot's of people have quick reflexes on the team already."

"Alright," Jean stated, placing her hands on her hips. "How about him tipping the coat check girl even after he'd been thrown out? Who the hell does that Scott? Drops a twenty into the tip jar on his way out after being told to leave?"

"Okay, I'll admit that one seemed a little odd," Scott answered, giving in a little bit.

"And did you not notice how incredibly happy Rogue was?"

"She wasn't smiling that much."

"Then obviously you weren't watching her eyes closely enough. They smiled the whole evening for him."

"Doesn't mean he's reciprocating the feeling."

"For all the careful watching you did, you didn't notice a damn thing." Jean sighed in anger. "How can it not be so obvious to you?"

"And what exactly should be so obvious to me?" he answered with his own anger rising up again.

Jean threw her hands in the air in exasperation. Why didn't anyone see it? How could no one else get it? "They're dating, Scott!"

"No, this is bet of seduction, Jean. Clearly, you're getting confused with the whole idea of this thing—"

"They are dating! The two have been sneaking out together outside the bet! That's why Rogue's so tired all the time. Bet by day, Gambit by night. All this obnoxious bet crap, they're doing it on purpose!" Jean practically yelled in frustration. "They're playing everyone involved in the bet, Scott, even you."

"What the hell for?"

"Wouldn't you be fed up if you had some bossy little pseudo-parent following you around, monitoring your every move? Wouldn't you be acting out?"

"Well, I can't say that I would, but I guess I can see you're point a little bit."

"A little is all I need." Jean sighed in exhausted relief. Finally things were starting to go her way.

Remy handed her back her panties once they were outside the club and alone. Scott had stormed off furiously to his car with Jean running after. Kitty and Lance left without them, stranding both him and Rogue on the empty street. He averted his eyes as she dipped back into her underwear. The night had gone off better than he could have planned it. Up until Rogue spoke.

"Do you think we took it too far?" she asked, a little concerned.

"I don't think it's really that hard to get thrown out of a place."

"I mean with everyone. Scott's pissed, and well Kitty and Lance are—"

"Furious enough to call this whole thing off."

"It's only one more date, Remy."

"I thought we wanted to be out of this thing?"

"Well, yeah." Rogue hesitated. "But not at the cost of our friends."

"They're not my friends."

"So? They're still mine," she replied defensively. "And I don't like hurting them."

"Why was tonight any different? We've pulled stunts like this before in front of Lance and Ki—"

"Because Scott and Jean were there!"

"You told me you weren't friends with Jean."

"Yeah, but I'm friends with Scott!"

Remy frowned. He didn't like the desperation in her voice when she said Summers's name. Why should Scott's opinion of her matter so much to her?

"You didn't have to throw your panties at me. You could have chosen not to," he answered a little too condescending.

Rogue glared at him and his unexpected words. "You're right. I shouldn't have, but we also shouldn't have gotten so spiteful, and what's worse is you don't even care!" she shouted angrily. "You don't even care that we might have broken up two couples tonight!"

"I hardly think we have anything to do with their problems," Remy answered back in lofty tone.

"You know what? Make that three couples, Remy," she cried back before she turned her back to him and began walking away.

Hell.

Had she just dumped him?

"Rogue?" he called, shell shocked after getting the meaning behind her words.

She still kept walking, didn't even turn around. "Learn to give a damn, Remy," she shouted back with a shaky voice.

He knew she was crying. His instincts were to run and catch up with her, do everything in his power to appease her and make her happy again.

Make her want him again.

But he stood silently, watching her go and finding that as much as he wanted to chase her, he knew there was no point. She was angry and she needed her space. She didn't want to be anywhere near him right now. If she did, she wouldn't have been walking further and further away. More troubling to him was that he didn't quite understand why she was so upset and angry in the first place. So her friends didn't like him, so what? As far as he could tell nobody did.

Except her.

Well, not right now.

Remy let out a confused sigh. She was mad because her friends were mad. She was mad because she said he didn't care, which wasn't true. He cared about her, so in an extension to her he should try to care about her friends. Was that it? Was that what he was supposed to be doing? For all his reputation as a ladies' man, he didn't get women at all.

He decided it was just best to go home. Perhaps she would let him know when and what he was supposed to be doing.

Rogue stayed in the shower until the water ran cold. The rushing water could drown out her tears. Shivering and sobbing, she remained under the spray of water until she forced herself to get out, else she make herself sick from the ice cold. Wrapped in a towel, she stared at herself in the bathroom mirror. Red rimmed eyes and a forlorn expression stared back at her.

She had dumped Remy.

The minute the words had fallen from her lips, she regretted them. She hadn't meant it. Her anger at his insensitivity had gotten to her and she just blurted out the awful words before she had really thought them over. She was always doing that. Saying things she didn't mean, chasing the world away from her. She'd been doing it for so long now that it was a hard habit to break.

It wasn't really his fault. Sure, he had acted like heartless jerk, but she never talked about having any close friends. Mostly because she didn't have any close friends. The closest she'd had in a friend was Risty and she had turned out to be Mystique in disguise. That friendship had been a ploy for Mystique to prey on Rogue's naivety and desire to be accepted for who she really was—mutation and all.

It wasn't easy for Rogue to make friends. It was so easy for all the other girls to make lasting connections and get along easily, but for her it had never been. She had been raised sheltered and encouraged to be alone. It was how people stayed safe. It was a step in Mystique exploiting her powers.

A fresh batch of tears started again. Remy had gotten that part about her. Being used and being exploited. He'd been adopted for the exact same reasons she had been. Remy didn't get the whole 'building relationships' thing either. He'd never been encouraged to. He, like her, had been a loner.

Well, that was just great. Thinking about Remy made her feel guilty. She pulled out a box of tissue and wiped her eyes, luckily right before Kitty entered the room, looking how Rogue felt.

She took one look at Rogue and almost burst into tears.

"Lance and I broke up," she said with a quivering lip. "For good this time."

Rogue felt even worse. If Jean came in here crying next, she would never forgive herself for her part in the evening.

"I'm really sorry, Kitty," Rogue apologized. "This is all my fault, I never meant—"

"Save it, Rogue," Kitty answered in a cold, but tearful voice. "Lance is a jerk. He's always been a jerk… and he always will be a jerk."

"Kitty—"

"No, I mean it! I've been awful the past two weeks," Kitty began before her words stumbled, and she plopped herself down on her bed. "I never should have gotten you involved in the stupid bet in the first place. I just… I just wanted to prove that for once I was right with him, y'know?"

"Kitty, about the bet—"

"It's stupid, I know, but he always acts like everything I say doesn't matter; like I'm just some stupid, little girl, always needing to be consoled or pacified. Just once I really wanted to prove him wrong, and I thought if anyone could do it, it'd be you."

"Me?" Rogue answered, completely floored.

"Yeah, 'cause you're like the toughest girl I know. I knew there was no way Gambit would stand a chance trying to charm you," Kitty exclaimed with a sense of pride and admiration. "Nobody gets the best of you."

"I'm afraid he got the best of me a few times."

"But you've bested him plenty of times. I mean, you've done some pretty outrageous things, but they've all worked!"

"There's something I need to tell you—"

Kitty carried on, not listening, "For awhile you had me pretty worried that you might…. you know, with him... for the sake of the bet. And he looks at you that way, and it worries me, but I know I'm being irrational—it just means you'll have to be on your guard at Pyro's party this weekend."

"Pyro's throwing a party this weekend?"

"Yeah, before the fight, Lance and I decided it'd be a good fifth date. You can go as crazy as you want there." Kitty gave her a small defeated, smile.

"Kitty," Rogue answered, coming to solid resolution. "I promise you, I will win this bet for you."

"Really?"

"Really. Gambit ain't seen nothing yet." Rogue smiled and moved to sit beside Kitty. She put an awkward, but comforting arm around Kitty's small, slumped shoulder.

Too long had Rogue been running and backing away from people. Kitty needed her to win so that Kitty could prove that her thoughts and opinions were valid. With her being broken up with Lance now, Kitty needed Rogue to win more than anything. Now it had become a very personal battle of wills. Rogue understood that need to be taken seriously, and hardly anyone ever took Kitty seriously. The girl needed this win, and as her friend, Rogue was going to win.

It was unfortunate that she would have to play Remy so fiercely after they had broken up, but Remy would understand.

He'd have to.