Chapter 21

Gambit had gotten out of the shop, but stopped at the entrance as he watched a fire engine roar past. Gambit watched it begging it not to turn left. But it did. Gambit swore under his breath as he noticed black smoke coming from behind some trees. Gambit ran back in the direction where rogue was. And to his horror he found the firemen trying to put out the ragging fire.

"ROGUE!" He yelled dropping the bags and running towards the fire lit house.

Only he was stopped by two fire men."Sir you can't go in there. Your gonna have to wait-"

"LET ME THROW!" Yelled gambit, whose shades then fell from his face.

The firemen stepped back in fear, giving gambit a chance to run past them and every other thing blocking his way and barge into the front door. When it didn't open, gambit charged it then entered. The whole of down stairs was on fire and so was the kitchen. He couldn't see rogue anywhere. "ROGUE!WHERE ARE YA?"

"REMY!" Rogue yelled back. Gambit looked above him. Although they were screaming from the top of their lungs, it sounded quieter to their ears as they yelled for each other. It only made it harder to pin point where they were. But now gambit knew rogue was upstairs. Choking on black smoke, he made his way up the stairs, fire exploding and spitting at him as he pushed forwards to rogue.

Then as he finally got up stairs he found a body. It was lay out cold in the middle of the hallway. Gambit looked on horrified at the body."ROGUE!" He yelled again.

"REMY! REMY HELP ME PLEASE! HELP ME!" Rogue screamed sobbed in total fear and agony.

Gambit looked up from Rogues dead fathers body that was on fire and fading away like the house was. Gambit moved over rogues father to get to rogues old bedroom. He tried opening it by the hot handle, only to find it was locked. Rogue was clearly right behind the door as she yelled and sobbed as loudly and clearly as she could. But it was hard for both of them with the smoke intoxicating their lungs. "MOVE AWAY FROM THE DOOR CHER!" Yelled gambit.

Gambit then charged the door and backed away as it exploded. fire came shooting at him, burning his face. Luckily it wasn't that close or bad a Burn. As soon as he could though, gambit turned around and entered the room. He looked around it. Then found the sobbing rogue who was filthy with snoot and blood curled up against the wall by the door. Gambit hurried to her side and guided her up to her feet. Her arms wrapped around him tightly. She needed him desperately. She needed his strength and courage to get herself out.

But as they turned to go back down stairs, the stairs collapsed. rogue screamed bloody murder, as she watched her death fathers burning body fall with the collapsed floor and when he landed, had wooden floor bored sticking in him from all areas. She turned her head back into gambits hold and cried into him. Gambit stroked her hair, trying not to be sick at the revolting sight as well. He certainly didn't like the man, but no one deserved a ghastly death like that.

Gambit tried to think as he realised he'd just lost their exit. But being a thief and having search the house already, he knew how to get out. He turned him head to the window and stood up, dragging rogue to her feet. He pleaded for her to get up and stay close to him. She did what she was told but it wasn't easy having rogue hang onto him while he tried to get them out. He touched a clear space on the wooden planks on rogues window which wasn't on fire. He charged them, and brought both him and rogue back. He tripped her over and dived over her as the window planks exploded and a bare hole in the wall was now open to them as an pulled rogue back up and looked out the window. It was a straight forwards drop which looked like it would hurt.

"ROGUE LISTEN TO ME! YOU HAVE TO TRUST ME! DO YOU TRUST ME?"

"YES." Rogue yelled back after a moment of staring between the long drop to the ground outside her window and the enraging fire surrounding them.

"ROGUE WERE GONNA HAVTA JUMP." Gambit yelled, cupping her face so she was looking at him and only him. He madd her focus on him so she wouldn't be as scared as she was and it would be easier to do what he told her to. Rogue shuck her head and sobbed a bit more while looking into gambits eyes. He was in pain like her from the fire and scared too for her life. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up to the hole in the window. He climbed up next to her, taking her hand in his."ALRIGHT, AFTA THREE!ONE'TWO!THREE!"

Rogue was reluctant to jump, but Gambit wrapped him arms around her back and pushed her. They fell face first out the window. Gambit quickly moved though, hanging them so they feel on their feet/bum. He moved in front of rogue so that he'd take the hit. Both of them landed on dry land and both of them hit it hard.

XXXXX

They eh wasn't sure how long they were out, but rogue was the first to wake up. A terrible fear filled her as she woke up seeing a snoot face Gambit with blood running down his temple. Rogue panicked for his life,mans instantly gained strength she hadn't had. Should of had. The amount of smoke she inhaled should of had her out for ages. But when she saw that gambit might be dead, well her heart just froze and smashed into a million little pieces. She wasn't willing to lose gambit. Not now not ever. Rogue jumped at Gambits body, quickly trying to find a pulse. It was weak but it was there. She shuck him, begging him to wake up or move. Once he frowned rogue gave a little laugh into his chest. Then she heard the collapsing of yet another level of flooring from her house. The fire was on an unstoppable fire and rogue could see that gambit was in danger by being so close.

Struggling, she linked her arms under gambits and dragged him into the forest. She knew she had to get him as far away from the fire as possible, so just kept dragging and dragging him out, till they were besides the Mississippi river. Rogue stopped, dropping gambit into her lap and she panted and coughed roughly.

Gambit was fading in and out and rogue was glad to see that he was waking up. Slowly he sat up and the pair just panted and breathed in that fresh air."What...Happened?" Gambit coughed.

"He...set fire...to...the place." Rogue coughed out, it becoming easier for her to breath now, but still. She watched gambit carefully, examine for any injuries. Apparently gambit did the same with rogue, as he gripped her chin, turning her face from side to side, then looked down the rest of her body.

"He... Attack you ?"

Rogue just breathed heavily, the nodded. Gambit swore and lay back down on the ground, his hands digging into his face and clawing at his hair.

"Don't-" Rogue pleaded.

"Fuck in hell. I should neva have left... What de fuck was I t'ink?I'm an idiot."

"No!No your-" rogue said pulling at his hands which offered his eyes

"Yes, I am! Ya coulda died in der rogue... I was fucking terrified." Gambit said, removing his hands and showing rogue his tears.

Rogue felt tears of her own enter her eyes at the same fear of almost losing gambit. She felt like she needed to comfort him. She began, being very gentle, but strong handily pushing back his messy hair from his face, and putting his head into her lap. She leaned down so close to him that the top of her head rested on his shoulder blades. "It won't your fault. Ya didn't start it. It won't your fault. Ya saved meh. It won't your fault. Ya saved meh Remy, ya saved meh. Were safe." She finished cracking up. Gambit began stroking her face, admiring what he'd almost lost in that fire. Both just held onto each other for a time, letting the other cry, and comforting each other.

XXXXX

A few more moments later, Gambit sat up, but they never parted. If anything they grew closer. Rogue came to sit in gambits lap as he wrapped her in a bear hug close to his chest. Her arms snaked around his back too as she desperately held him close.

Then the phone rang. Gambit let it ring for a moment, before fishing it out of his pocket and accepting the call. "Gambit." He stated into the phone. Rogue listened carefully.

"Remh, it's ya frere. De courts finished judgin Bella."

"What dey say?"

"Remy, she got found guilty. Dey found some of de money in er bank n Julian's n some other assassins. De other assassins claim dey didn't know bout it n have disowned Bella. She gonna be killed tamorrow Remy. Dey expect ya ta be there."

Both rogue and gambit froze at those words. Gambit had an idea that girl would get herself into trouble somehow, but he never thought this. Never believed that such a good bell assassin would be caught and fined the death plenty. This was very disterbing that the woman he was going to marry was going to die. He'd be free from bei forced to marry her and would be able to be with rogue but he felt no joy in Bellas death.

Rogue on the other hand felt cold. Very cold. Very very cold as realisation dawned on her about what was going to happen because of her. Her fathers words from just an hour or so ago, started to set in.

"Remym you still der."

"Oui frere...thanks for lettin mon know."

There was a nose down the other end of the phone and both rogue and gambit picked up that his brother had nodded his head or something. Gambit hung up on his brother and held rogue closer. he didn't believe his luck. Hed just barely managed to save Rogues life, now Bella donnas life was on the line. Was he bad luck or what?

"Remy." Rogue asked in a voice so quiet gambit didnt acknowledge she'd spoken for a while til she repeated his name.

"Oui, cher."

"Are ya upset Bella's gonna die?"

"...Oui." He answered truthfully to rogue.

"ya don't want er to die?"

"non."

"...What if she been set up? What if someone else is ta blame."

"... They're gonna kill er tamorrow cher. if it really wasn't bell n she was. Played den the assassins got till tomorrow ta find de person n present em to the higher courts. if they be found guilty bell might get off n de person take her punishment."

"If... You knew who really did it... Who framed bella, n was bout to get er killed, would ya turn em in? Would ya be mad at em?"

"Oui. Bell might be evil, but she dunt deserve it."

"Thought ya didn't like killers?" rogue said looking up at him.

"I don't, but bell usually kills de most vile of people. if dis be framing n killin de innocent den I don't like it. I hate it. I'd hate em. I'd be join bells brother julisn in huntin em down n killin em moi self."

Rogue looked back down into her hands. She really was like her mother. Doing anything to keep her man. She thought she was freeing him. She didn't realise...Gambit looked down at her confused. Rogue pulled away at his silence. "Rogue?" Gambit questioned her, turning her head up to look at him. "Do ya know sumthin?" He asked.

Rogue had stood up in front of gambit which confused rogue had decided what she was going to do. As it was going to break her heart to do it. She turned around looking down into eyes confused eyes. They were so beautiful. She took a moment to study them and take them all in. They may have been demon eyes to everyone else, but to her she'd never seen eyes so beautiful before. She knew that when she died she'd be seeing those eyes. Thinking about them. Those beautiful devil eyes. A tear ran from her eye. "Cher?" Gambit asked reaching his hand up to her wrist and attempting to get up. He stilled as rogues other hand came upon gambits hand. He stayed seated at her gesture and looked up into those emerald pools. "Cher, what's wrong?"

"Oh Remy, ahve done something terrible. Bella Donna didn't steal that money, ah did."

Gambit looked bewildered at her for a moment as if she'd started speaking an enter early different language hed never heard of before. "What'?" He breathed.

Rogues tears kept escaping."Ah set that money up."

"What...? But... No, ya couldn't have."

"Yes Remy, ah did."

"I... But... How...? Why? What?-"

"It was right afta the weddin when had broke ma heart. Ah packed up n left ya, but ah still hurt inside. it still hurt n ah wanted revenge... So ah came up with a plan... You called meh a gold digger, so ah thought ahd prove ya right n steal way all ya money. But not just your money so ya had ya family ta fall back on. all off it... Ah pulled up yours n Julian's physics in ma head, n ah broke inta their minds. First ah sneaked inta the assassins house n stole some of Bella's hair n bank details By touching some of tha assassins... Then ah went ta your house n broke in usin your thief skills. Ah stole all the money in the volt n got all tha bank details... Remy ah stole from you n ya family n gave it to tha assassins. Ah didn't wanna start another feud tween ya, but ah knew from ya psychic that that wouldn't happen if someone was framed... Even then Remy, ever when ya blow meh off n broke mah heart, ah still felt something for ya. Ah still didn't want ya marryin er. Ah still didn't want ya dead... So ah framed Bella... Ah just didn't know what the consequences were."

Gambit couldn't believe what he was hearing. He hadn't taken it in properly. No, it couldn't have been his rogue. He shuck his head, "no."

"What'?" rogue chocked. "Ah did it Remy. Ah'm guilty."

"No! Gambit yelled trapping a harsher grip on rogues wrist before standing up." Ya can't be de thief. Ya couldn't of framed Bella. Ya couldn't of wanted ta kill er. Ya too kind hearted to do something like dat."

Rogue shuck her head. "Ah neva planned ta get er killed Remy. Just ta discredited er. So ya wouldn't have ta marry er or some dumb blond bimbo. It hurt ta t'ink of ya with anyone else Remy. It hurt ta t'ink of ya bein murdered. Ah... Ah just... Ah-"

"Rogue..." Gambit said again. She'd been looking away from his face and when she looked back at him now, his eyes were still wide and confused and hurt. It looked like she'd suddenly just stabbed him in the chest with a dagger for no reason. It hurt her so much. Rogue couldn't look at him, so she looked away. "I...I don't understand."gambit took her under the chin and forced her to look at him."rogue... Ya can't be the thief... i woulda known. I...I."

"It weren't your fault Remy ya didn't notice..." Rogue said still not meeting his eyes." Ah lied ta ya n hid it from ya. What more could ya do ta realise ah was the thief?"

"No, I don't get why. why ya did it. Why rogue? Why'd ya do it?"

Rogue inhaled a deep breath and finally realised that now was her time to say god bye. She looked up into gambits large watery eyes, meeting them with watery eyes of her own, but they had a little fire of determination behind them. She knew what she had to do and it was for him. She'd do anything for him. Anything. "Ya wanna know why ah did it." Rogue said softly,min seen to Gambit that rogue was taking off her glove.

"Yes." He replied cupping her face now with both his hands and bring her ever so closer to look deeply into those gorges gems. He wanted so badly to just forget the world and everything that happened and just become lost in those eyes altogether.

"Ah did it Remy... Because ah love you."

That made gambit stop breathing. She'd said it. She'd finally said it. Gambit felt like something inside him was ripping out of his chest. "W-What'd you say...cher?"

"I love you Remy. Always have. From the moment ya put that card in ma hand ta the moment ah die, I loved and will always love ya Remy. There's never been anyone else. Just you. Ah might not have known it till recently, but ah was just scared. Ah was stupid. But now I know. Remy LeBeau, ah am truly madly deeply in love with ya..." Gambit had never felt so happy in his life. His heart was literally pounding into his rib cage at how happy he was. The girl he loved loved him back. The girl HE LOVED LOVED HIM BACK. He'd never felt this happy before. Tears of joy feel from his eyes and it seemed they flowed from rogues too. But she still looked upset. "N it why ah have ta let ya go?"

This made gambits heart drop to the bottom of his guts and break into a million pieces. "W-what?" He stammered out.

"Ah've got ta let ya go Remy... Ah've done sumthin bad, n ah haveta correct it... Ah never meant for Bella Donna ta get killed, which is why ah'm gonna go back ta the thieves guild n tell em everythin... Ah'm gonna die Remy. Die as the girl ya fell in love with... Ah can't let er die Remy. Ah can't become a killer. It aint who ah am. N ah won't be able ta live with maself if ah ever hurt ya. If ya ever looked at meh differently."Rogue pulled off her other glove.

Gambit was frozen. For what seemed like an eternity, he couldn't move. Couldn't speck... He was going to lose the girl who gave him meaning to live... No. "No...no, rogue. No ya can't do this. Ya can't go." Gambit said desperately pulling her closer to him, both were crying madly now. "Is neva look at ya differently. Neva. Rogue I love you no matter what ya r. Ah don't care. Let Bell die. It's you i want. Only you. I don't care bout the rest of the world, or maself. Just you. Just you rogue. I won't let ya go."

Rogue shuck her head. "Ah'm Sorrah Remy." Rogue said. Her hands gently raised and rested upon gambits check. For a moment nothing happened, then she saw it and felt it. Gambits breath caught in his throat and his grip on her cheek bones loosened. "Ah'm so Sorrah." She repeated, rubbing her thumbs against his checks and pressing her body up close to his. There were only four final words and one more thing she wanted to do. While standing on to her tip toes she said, "Ah love ya Remy, always." Then she kissed him With a gentle, but deep passion.

XXXXX

After rogue knew that she'd absorbed enough to knock someone out for at least a day, rogue softly lay gambit down on the grass, quietly hiccupping down her sobs. She stayed for a while just studying that beautiful face one last time, before she stripped out of her clothes till she was stood in her green underwear which looked similar to a bikini and swam into the Mississippi river. Rogue cleaned her wounds and got rid of all the snoot. After she cleaned herself and made herself look like a normal girl just out for a swim, Rogue ran through the forest with her clothes covering her front and marks her father had gave her. When she came to find the fire men, she saw ambulances as well and thanked The Lord. At least she knew Remy would be taken care of.

"Hey," she yelled at them. "There's a guy by the river. He's covered in snoot and passed out. Ah t'ink he's escaped the fire." Rogue yelled. Suddenly men and woman from the fire team and ambulance rushed passed her, and as a crowd grew, and the police kept them back, rogue slipped behind the crowd, and into the forest. Quickly she changed back into her clothes and ran into town. She stopped the first rid she could and as she made her way back to New Orleans, rogue looked back at the small town, her thoughts only of gambit and a quite tear slipped down her check.