I'm so sorry guys! I thought I had posted this update on Friday and it wasn't even uploaded onto my documents on here! Insanity!

I am putting it up now though, so don't release the hounds on me just yet. ;)

This chapter is building more onto what is coming. Be prepared, because Rogue is hurt so Remy is going to be ticked.

I hope you all enjoy this!

~Zari

Chapter 29: Inspiration.

Kurt sat at Rogue's bedside in the infirmary. Henry was working hard to bring her out of whatever effect the shock had had on her. He couldn't stop replaying the memory in his mind. She must have known what was going to happen, and didn't want Logan and Remy to be harmed by it.

Kurt took her hand in his and looked at her pale face. "You'll be all right. You've come through worse than this. I know you will be all right."

Logan entered the room and looked at the two siblings. "How's she doin'?"

Kurt shook his head. "She's not been up yet."

Logan sighed slightly and brushed her hair out of her face with his bare hand. He touched the soft skin on her forehead and wasn't absorbed. "Still no powers."

Kurt looked at Logan worriedly. "What was that machine?" He was so worried about Rogue, that he hadn't even bothered to use his morpher to look human-like. His blue self sat next to the bed, with his tail laying lifelessly on the floor.

Logan shrugged. "Whatever it was, Rogue knows what it does. It's gone now, but I bet there's more of 'em."

Kurt nodded and looked back to Rogue. "But she'll be all right, right?"

Logan stared down at Rogue for a long moment. "Sure she will. Now come on. We got trainin' t' do," he told him as he opened the door.

Kurt patted Rogue's hand one more and walked out of the room.

Logan followed after him, sparing one more glance over his shoulder at the recuperating Rogue. "Be strong, kid," he whispered.

()

"What exactly are we doing here, Gambit?" John asked as he looked around the facility. "Oi mean, this doesn't look loike a place that houses much goods."

"I' got a score to settle with someone here," Remy told him. He had done a little digging around with his darker "friends" and found out who was behind the building of the machine in the base that had left Rogue, his Rogue, lying in a medical bed lifelessly. That would not happen again as long as he could help it.

John shrugged. "Okay. You got me. What score?"

Remy didn't answer him. He didn't need that much information. Remy finally found where he was looking for. The research level of Dr. Amir Zarius. According to his sources, if anyone had made that machine, it was him. Remy broke the lock and opened the door. "Keep watch," he told John.

John leaned against the wall and folded his arms over his chest. "The boring job, eh?"

Remy stepped into the laboratory. His sources were right on. There were countless prototypes and various machines that had been found in the base. Tucked away in the corner was a short, balding man with a round figure. Remy snuck up on him and grabbed him by his lab coat and pushed him against the wall.

The little man let out a cry of fear and called out, "Help! Someone help me!"

Remy looked up at him with a deathly gaze. "Ain't nobody comin'. Guess it' jus' us."

The little man stared down at Remy with eyes wide with terror. "What do you want?"

Remy lowered his eyebrows at the man. "I wan' to know about one of your machines."

()

Rogue slowly awoke, looking around at the room with blurred vision. As her sight cleared, she saw the door open and a large blue furred figure enter the room.

"Ah! You're finally awake," Henry's kindly voice soothed her ears. He set a tray of medical supplies down on the counter and came over to her bedside. "Can you move yet?"

Rogue moved her hands and then slowly attempted to sit up. She was dizzy, but she had enough strength to fight it and stay sitting upright.

"How are you feeling?" Henry asked as he checked her pupils reaction with a flashlight.

"Like Ah was hit by a truck," Rogue answered honestly.

Henry laughed a little. "You most certainly weren't, but you were asleep for quite a while."

Rogue looked at him worriedly. "How long?"

Henry continued to check her reflexes. "Almost three days."

Rogue wanted to smack herself. She had wasted all that time. Still, she couldn't remember how long the effects of the bomb were going to last. She felt it was safe to say that it was still present because Henry was touching her skin without any gloves and wasn't being harmed.

Henry smiled up at her. "Everything seems to be normal. You still haven't regained your powers yet though. You should avoid training until we know how that is affecting you physically."

"They've been gone all this time?" Rogue asked, searching for confirmation more than anything.

Henry nodded and brought over the tools to remove her IV. He did it painlessly. "The entire time. They still haven't returned, so you'll need to be careful for a while."

Rogue felt her stomach growl.

Henry laughed. "I suppose you should be hungry. Let me call and have someone bring you food."

Rogue smiled. "Thanks."

About twenty minutes later, Kurt popped into the room, holding a large tray of food. "You're awake!" he cried and he set the food aside and hugged her tightly.

Rogue hugged him back.

"Not too tight, Kurt. We wouldn't want her to lose consciousness again," Henry told him.

Kurt turned to pick up the tray and set it in her lap with a large smile across his face. "I made all your favorites!"

Rogue smiled at him. She was glad to have people in her life that cared so much for her. That made her wonder if Remy had tried to visit her at all. She knew he didn't take well to people being hospitalized, so it would really be something if he had set that aside to come see her.

()

"Haven't seen you that mad in a while, mate," John told him as he followed Remy down the sidewalk.

Remy was finally calming down. Now that he knew the device was only supposed to give a few days of unconsciousness followed by a few days without powers to mutants, he was feeling more calm. Rogue would be all right. She would wake up and not be hurt. She wouldn't have her powers either. She had finally lost her powers at a time when they were on good terms.

"What'd he do to ya?" John pressed on.

Remy grabbed a bouquet of flowers and actually paid for them.

"Ah, Oi see now. It's over that sheila again," he said cockily. "You need help, mate."

Remy smiled. "You' get it some day."

John shrugged. "Are we still on for another job? There's a shipment of gold comin in next week, and Oi could use a good thief to help loight the place up."

Remy laughed. "You can count on me."

()

Rogue read more of her book. Each of the X-Men had come by to visit her and make sure she was all right. Well, all of them but one. It was all right though. She knew that Remy was probably off stealing from some poor innocent person. She hadn't gotten her hopes up that he was going to wait by her side or anything. She knew him too well for that.

The door opened and Rogue saw something that she didn't expect, but was pleasantly surprised to see. Remy stepped through the door and closed it behind him. "Heard you were awake," he said as he moved to the side of her bed and took Kurt's seat.

Rogue closed her book and set it to the side. "You're a little late."

Remy smiled at her. He lifted a bouquet of pink and yellow flowers and held them in front of her. "Forgive me?"

Rogue smiled as she took the flowers. "Ah guess."

Remy grinned widely at her comment.

"Thanks," Rogue told him. She pushed the covers aside and stood slowly.

Remy watched her nervously. "Should you be up?"

Rogue shrugged. "Ah'm supposed to be walking a little to keep my strength up. Ah don't want to go out lookin like this though." She found a tall glass and put water in it to hold the flowers.

Remy smirked and walked over to her. "Den I could go get you some clothes?"

Rogue didn't look at him at first. His tone was telling her to be careful. He had plans that she didn't know about, and that she wouldn't be able to find while she didn't have her power. "Ah guess."

Remy grinned at her and pushed some hair from her face. "I hear your powers are gone."

Rogue looked at him from the corner of her eye. "And what if they are?"

Remy smiled at her. "I' show you, Chère."

TaDa! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I don't know when the next one will be up, but I will try to get it up quickly to make up for the mishap with this one.

Thanks to everyone who favorited and reviewed!

Rogueslove22 - How I missed you, I will never know! You're one of my most loyal reviewers and you don't get a reply? Bad Zari! Thus, you get the first reply on this chapter. :D Bobby will sooner or later find a way to find happiness and love without trying to steal Rogue away from Remy. :p He is quite the trickster though, isn't he?

Arian Gwyliwr - I know right! I thought that would be something original and completely Rogue!

Chellerbelle - Thanks!

clueless c - Yes. The next few chapters are going to be full of surprises. I'm glad you liked the Kitty bit. I figured since she was getting what she wanted, she would be pushing things further. :p

Resirius - Thank you! I'm glad you like it! It'll get better from here on out too! I hope. ;)

Kramer3000 - Thanks! I'm trying to update regularly. The next chapter should be up soon.

blackberryhunttress - You found it! That was one of my favorite scenes! Made me smile all day long after I saw it.

Alienarcher326 - Thanks! Glad you like it! More coming soon!

Luna Carter (microcheese) - Thanks! Glad it's good for you! More coming soon!

Icelynne - My cliffies are the worst! I make up for them though. ;)

Gam-gue - Thanks! Hope you liked this one! More coming soon!

DancingtilSunset - Thanks! I hope to wrap the whole story up with a lot of tears, adventure, and laughs. We'll see how I get there from here though. Keep reading. ;)

Thanks again everyone! Until next time, please be kind and review!

In the next chapter, Remy takes Rogue out on a date, Bobby gets his talk from Logan, finally, and the mastermind behind all the big mutant huntings rears his ugly head (not anyone based on the original story)!