A.N. A woman with as many words to use each day as I should never be struck with laryngitis. It's just cruel. This chapter coming so quickly on the heels of its predecessor is all thanks to my husband who suggested this may be a good way to vent. I think he was just tired of my dry erase board messages, though. LOL

For Meg and Finn.

Disclaimer: They belong to Marvel and the fact that I can't get enough of them just shows Stan Lee's brilliance.

"What 'm sayin', ma Rogue-chérie, is dat I want y' t' be certain dat y' want all dat comes wit' de kisses." He moved even closer, something she wouldn't have thought possible. "Rogue, y' m' meilleur ami (best friend), oui (yes)… but I want so much more wit' y'. I need y', Boo. I need vos baisers (your kisses) all de time an' I need y' friendship; even more dan dat, j'ai besoin (I need) y' -," Remy broke off. It was too soon. He was screwing this up, pushing too hard. She was going to bolt. He wanted to kick his own behind for this. He couldn't believe what he'd almost said. Remy had almost confessed aloud to her that he needed her to love him the way he loved her. Ânesourd-muet ! (Dumb ass!) he berated himself internally.

Rogue was floored by his words, which were the next best thing to a declaration of some kind. She could barely breathe. She could not speak. She did the only thing left to her. Looking him square in the eyes, Rogue slid her hands up his torso, across his shoulders, along his neck, and then used them to draw his face down to hers. Never looking away from his glowing garnet gaze, she rose up on her toes and whispered, "Ah know what it means now and it's what Ah want. Je vous veux (I want you), Rems." Rogue's plump, petal-soft lips feathered over his before parting slightly to embrace Remy's lower lip with gently clinging, moist warmth.

That's when it happened. That's when Remy knew he'd found his bit of heaven on earth. His Rogue wanted him. Her lips massaged his with tender affection and it was his undoing. Remy knew there were no more causes for hesitation. With a muffled groan of appreciation for this gift he knew he didn't deserve, Remy gathered her even closer to himself and molded her against his body. His touch remained light and gentle, but it held a new confidence and possessiveness that Rogue found intoxicating.

She lost herself in this newfound freedom between them. Awash in sensations so new and exciting to the inexperienced girl she could only think that if she'd known it could be like this she would have freely admitted her feelings for him far sooner. Knowing they had all the time in the world now, the couple lingered over their kisses never moving beyond the simple, exquisite, relatively innocent pleasure they offered, both willing to linger and take their time exploring each new sensation. For Rogue, it was all still so new she was wise enough to know she could easily get in over her head here. Remy, while more worldly, had never felt this deeply or selflessly for anyone before and he wanted to keep it all unique, something shared only with his Rogue-chérie.

Fifteen minutes later, Remy knew they needed to stop for now or he'd no longer be able to stop at all. Rogue looked into his eyes, which were glowing brighter with their inner flames than she'd ever seen, and knew without needing words why he'd pulled back. She ran her bare hands over the hard planes of his face, reveling in the feel of his warmth against her skin before moving them to tangle in his silky auburn locks, first relishing the freedom to touch them and then teasingly ruffling those same strands. "Rahght. Tahme for a cool-down. Ah've got just tha' ticket." She led him from the room and soon they were busy building new creations from the Legos some of the younger boys had gotten for Christmas while Rogue, now wearing her gloves for safety's sake, braided hair and then read to a couple of toddlers who pressed in on either side of her body to see the pictures.

Every once in awhile Remy would glance up to watch her and find his bemused thoughts wandering paths they'd never been inclined to travel before. All who knew Remy were all too aware of how well he could wield romance as a tool to get what he wanted. However, few would ever call him a true romantic. Only his father, his Tante, and likely Belladonna would label him one. All the same, he kept mentally replacing the two little ones cozily sitting with his chère with a little auburn haired girl with bright green eyes and a slightly bigger boy with white streaks to break up his brown-red hair and familiar red-on-black eyes. Shaking his head clear of the vision filling his mind, he turned back to the same rascals who'd broken into Rogue's room not long after her arrival and who so eagerly asked for his approval of their creations.

The days marched on with regular short calls from Logan, who always ended by asking to speak with 'the Cajun Gator Bait'. Remy never told her what was said between them which frustrated her. The biggest change was the open affection between Remy and Rogue. They'd always been blatant in their regard for one another, but the amount of touching increased along with the number of kisses exchanged. Remy's father had called him in to tell him there would under no circumstance be any more nights spent together in one another's rooms now that things had moved on between them. Rogue had agreed readily enough, Remy a little less so, but he did honor his promise to his father no matter how reluctantly. It wasn't that he thought anything more would happen; in fact it was the opposite. He knew there were times when one or the other of them had trouble sleeping and it was just easier when they were together. It had somewhere along the line become part of their friendship and he hated that that had to change now, but there was no way he would ever risk their relationship by rushing things with her physically.

Finally New Year's Eve was upon them and as Rogue stepped from the shower and toweled off she realized that so, too, was the end of her stay here. Time had flown by and so much had happened, but it would soon all be over and she'd be back to her regular routine of school, Danger Room sessions, and annoying spastic kids. It felt like a whole other world. She was like a different person now. In fact, she was a little nervous about what it would be like when they returned to New York since it all seemed so far away. Would she and Remy go back to the way they'd been before? Is that what she wanted? What if that wasn't what happened; what if they went back with this new… thing between them? How would the others react?

There was no changing the inevitable so she just brushed off her faint disappointment and doubtfulness and got down to business. Tonight felt like some sort of test. She was going to an official event, a formal event, where she'd be under the scrutiny of not only Remy's entire guild but also that of the guild they'd been fighting with for years and were now trying to form a treaty with. Yeah, no pressure at all! You've got this covered kid. Who cares what a bunch of crooks and killers think anyway? All she could think was that over the course of this visit, she'd started to care a great deal what they thought of her. More than she should probably. Who coul' 'elp adorin' y', ma amour? Rogue rolled her eyes at mini-Remy's input. She could rattle off a pretty long list, actually.

Hoping to distract herself, Rogue turned on some music to listen to and picked up the hairdryer. After about half an hour she had her hair dried and was almost done curling it into loose curls, which she sprayed after lightly tousling them. Very carefully she applied her make-up for the evening which she was working hard to get just right after talking to Mercy about it. Once finished she thought she'd found the right balance between natural and elegantly dramatic. She stood back and studied the results. Blowing out a shaky breath she decided that was simply as good as she could get it and turned to the items waiting on her bed.

Forty five minutes later she descended the stairs, terrified she's fall and break her neck before reaching the bottom safely. These shoes were the stupidest thing she'd ever done to herself. She ought to go back upstairs and put her combat boots on. At least she knew how to navigate in those. Before she could retreat to enact her new plan of action her attention was caught by the odd choking sound just below her. Rogue hesitated and gripped the banister to keep her balance so she could look ahead without falling on her butt. Once she saw the source of the strange noise, she couldn't look away.

Remy stood transfixed by the beauty slowly making her way to him. This woman was with him. That's all he could think. She made his heart stop and his senses whirl and challenged him mentally, physically, and emotionally and she'd chosen him. He was one lucky man, he decided. How could she not know just how amazing she was? The dress looked even more incredible now than it had in the shop and those shoes… Just when he thought he knew her she found a way to surprise him all over again. His Rogue-chère never ceased to amaze him.

Having lost the ability to speak made it difficult to shower her with the compliments she deserved. All he could do was stand transfixed by her. Rogue's face flushed with embarrassed discomfort. Her stare dropped to the floor and there it went, the fidgeting with the seams on her opera length gloves dyed to perfectly match her burgundy gown. It was her worst tell and spurred him into action. With the same flair displayed by all of the LeBeau men, he swept one of her hands up to his lips. Before he could speak his father was there. "Petit princesse, y' a vision in dat gown." This was ridiculous. Remy was actually feeling jealous of his own father! But she didn't need to beam at him that way. Remy ran a frustrated hand through his hair not caring if he messed it up.

"So, ya' big Cajun stud… ya' readeh ta' do this?" Her lighthearted teasing was just what Remy needed to get his head on straight again. He returned her grin.

Remy pulled her close, rubbing her back, feeling her heat through the sheer, beaded material that both covered and exposed her skin at the same time. "Any time y' are, ma Rogue-chère."

They would be riding with Jean-Luc to the ball and later would ride with Henri and Mercy to one of the clubs. Jean-Luc's genteel, leading questions led to him knowing even more about Rogue which Remy let go for the first ten minutes of the drive before he entered into the conversation and led it back to neutral ground. They then discussed the ball they would soon arrive at and who would be in attendance this year. "Ah appreciate y'all letting me attend tanahght. Ah know it's not usually somethin' ya' invahte outsahdahs to."

"Ah, bu' you, petite chérie, are famille, oui?" And with those words, they all felt the limousine begin to slow. They'd arrived. Jean-Luc helped her from the car, letting her steady herself on his arm until Remy emerged from the classic vehicle's dark interior to stand behind her. Remy's arm wrapped around her waist, willing his confidence in her ability to handle whatever came her way tonight with grace into her. Rogue squared her shoulders and tried to move forward with them without busting her butt on the wide sweeping stairs that would lead them inside the opulent building where this grand even was taking place.

Rogue still felt a little self-conscious until she saw the other women and girls were dressed similarly to her. It was a ball, after all, and she'd feared that her dress wasn't really 'grand' enough to live up to that title, but in light of the fact that most of the younger people left early to go on to other entertainment for the night the dresses were slightly less formal. Hers seemed to be perfectly appropriate. "Tol' y' so," Remy murmured against her ear, making her smile. She should have known he wouldn't do anything to steer her wrong. Dat's righ'! her mini-Remy added, making her chuckle. She looked up at his tall, handsome counterpart and smiled at him, ready to enjoy the evening together.

Remy looked down into those sparkling, lively eyes and wanted to steal her away somewhere just the two of them and not share her with anyone at all for a good long time. They could just forget about him playing well with others when it came to his Rogue-chère. He reminded her they had only a few minutes before they'd have to return to his father's side for the formal opening of the ball and braced himself for what he knew was coming. It was a disagreement they'd been having for the past couple of days.

"Rems, sugah, You and Ah both know that y'all's immediate famille an' tha' Guild council ahre s'posed ta' open tha' ball and Ah'm not eithah. Ah'll just hang with Emil, Eti, an' tha' othahs until ya're done." She wanted to stamp her foot when he gave a succinct, "Non," in response, but feared she'd lose her balance completely if she did. These shoes were a horrible idea.

Before they could continue debating the matter, Jean-Luc had subtly beckoned both of his sons and the ruling council to stand with him in the place of honor at the head of the ballroom's stunning marble mosaic floor beneath warmly glowing chandeliers of elaborate design rivaled only by the gorgeous jewels adorning the women present. Henri led his fiancée to his rightful place at Jean-Luc's side while Remy and Rogue were still wending their way through the assorted party-goers. She was offering quiet protestations under her breath, which he contested in a voice just as frustrated and yet hushed as hers. "But Mercy's goin' ta' be in ya' family! Henri's marryin' her!"

Remy spun to her so quickly they almost collided and he had to grip her waist with both hands to hold her steady. "An' y' goin' t' be famille, aussi (too), so le's go 'stead o' standin' 'ere arguin' ove' not'in." His hands caressed over her hips as they fell away and he gave her a roguish wink before resuming their course tugging her along one step behind him. Rogue was too stunned to do anything other than follow his lead. What did - ? Did he mean - ? No. No, he couldn't have meant - … Even in her thoughts Rogue could put together complete sentences! Before she was coherent again, they were assembled with the rest of Jean-Luc's entourage and he was finishing up his welcome to everyone. She did manage to catch his formal recognition of and greeting to Marius and company, though she didn't see Julien anywhere near his father which surprised her. Once the formalities were completed, she raised her glass of champagne along with everyone else in agreement with Jean-Luc's toast and the music began.

Remy kept her anchored firmly by his side as they remained in place while the higher-ranking guests made their way along the receiving line that she was apparently a part of. There were innumerable handshakes with the women and kisses on her gloved knuckles from the men and throughout the entire surreal experience, Remy remained steady as a rock beside her, keeping her on track. Sooner than she would have expected, she found herself in Remy's arms on the dancer floor moving gracefully around the room to a waltz, which she'd been practicing all week.

They said nothing more about his words, spoken while coercing her to join the family, but she was all too aware of the elephant in the room. Determinedly shoving it aside, Rogue focused herself on the moment… the glittering, music-filled, elegant, fairy tale moment. Time flew by with her dancing partners switching out occasionally. It was when Henri squired her about the dance floor that she learned Julien was not present as part of his punishment for his rash actions against Rogue, and thus against the Guild. Emil and Etienne had her laughing as they spun and twirled her about. She enjoyed brief breaks in the dancing with Mercy and glasses of the refreshing, fruity punch. Jean-Luc even danced with her twice, his grace and control on the floor a reflection of the way he carried himself in all the other areas of his life.

Before Rogue knew it, it was time for them to leave and head to Bourbon Street. She was grateful for the warm formal cropped jacket Remy produced from somewhere for her to wear as it was pretty chilly out. The car dropped them at the end of the street leaving them to make their way on foot. "What about latah when we want ta' go home?" she leaned up to ask in Remy's ear. The noisy crowd made it difficult to hear one another as they passed Cat's Meow where several women were busy flashing their assets and both Remy and Henri had to be pulled away by the Rogue, Mercy, and the cousins to prevent a fistfight when several men tried to encourage the two women to join in the fun.

"We all have ways home dat we stashed 'ere dis mornin'." Rogue nodded that she'd heard him and readily cozied up to him when he wrapped his arm around her and nestled her close to his side. Over his formal suit he wore his trademark trench coat and somehow he made the unlikely combination work. Not until they slipped down a dark, slightly creepy in her opinion, alley and slipped in the back entrance of a club was she even sure of their destination. It was obvious they frequented the club when even the kitchen staff greeted them on their way through.

They were soon enjoying their drinks, with Rogue gulping her soda down with gusto. She felt a little lightheaded for some reason. Remy finally leaned down to ask if she was feeling any better yet. "How'd ya' know Ah felt funneh?"

"Y' were drinkin' de punch at de ball like 't was fruit juice, Boo. I knew it had t' be affectin' y'."

Her eyes widened as the truth struck her. "Ya' mean it was…"

"Planter's punch has more booze in 't dan most any odder drink, amoureux," he told her with a chuckle.

Well, that would certainly explain the giddy happiness that filled her along with the faint vertigo haunting every motion of her body. Remy hugged her to him and led her to the dance floor where they two-stepped to Mary Chapin Carpenter's "Down at the Twist and Shout" before he swung her to a relatively quiet corner and covered her eyes with one hand. "Y' ready fo' y' su'prise now, chère?"

In the fuss and rush of preparing for this big night, Rogue had forgotten all about that. She put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight in her typical sassy way. "Ya' betcha sweet Cajun behahnd Ah am!"

She heard his husky chuckle just behind her shoulder and smiled in response to the sound. He pulled his hands away very suddenly and when, seconds later, her eyes readjusted to the low lights in the room there stood Sam. She said his name with open excitement and immediately started hugging him. "When did ya' get heah? How did ya' get heah?" Rogue had more questions, but her thoughts were too frenetic to get any more of them out.

Sam laughed that fun-loving laughter that always made those around him grin along. "Slow down, girl! Ah just got in taday an' Remeh arranged ev'rythang." Practically bouncing with enthusiasm, not that she would ever really let go enough for that to happen, she turned back to her rather smug Cajun and pulled his face down to hers for a kiss that lasted far longer than a friendly little minute. Sam's eyes widened and his mouth hung slightly open as he took in the sight of the pair's rather heated exchange. "Thank ya' so much, ya' bracque Beb (crazy Darling, Sweetheart, Honey)," she murmured to him in a sultry tone that had Sam even more floored by what was unfolding before his very eyes. And what in blue blazes did she just say anyway?

"Uh, guys? Is there somethin' ya' wanna share with tha' class mehbe?" Sam, for the first time, felt incredibly awkward in Remy and Rogue's presence. They broke what had starting looking like a marathon liplock and turned to him, Remy wearing a very satisfied smirk and Rogue twinkling with a good humor that looked beautiful but so unfamiliar on her usually unhappy face. "What's been goin' on down heah, exactleh?" Remy clapped him on the back and led his friend and his femme to a table to which their group has laid claim. They gave a very brief re-cap and then hustled to Jackson Square for the midnight countdown. The trio chose to stay on the fringes of the crowd in deference to Rogue's still slightly fuzzy state which could lead to a slip in her control.

When the New Year was ringing in Rogue and Remy turned to one another and for a few minutes were the only two people in the city. After they eased apart, they stayed pressed close together staring into one another's gaze. Finally they eased apart and she turned to give Sam a quick kiss while wishing him a happy new year. After two thirty had come and gone, Rogue was dozing against Remy's shoulder in the booth they now occupied in their third club of the night. "I t'ink it's time fo' us t' get ma cherie tucked int' 'er bed." Sam yawned and agreed. Henri and Mercy were also more than ready to head back so the five of them made their way to where Remy and Henri had left a car waiting.

The drive home was a quiet one. Rogue's hazy thoughts reminded her of all the questions she wanted to ask of Sam, but she couldn't gather her muddled ideas together enough to form a coherent sentence. Remy showed Sam to a guest room and got him settled in while Mercy took the sleepy, child-like Rogue to help her get ready for bed. Remy stopped by her room after Sam was seen to and did nothing to hide the tender smile on his lips at the sight of his amour looking so like a little child. These were among his favorite times with Rogue as she let her true self show far more in moments like these than any other.

"Remy-sug, Ah had a real nahce tahme t'nahght. Thanks for Sam an' helpin' with tha' dress an'," she sighed and yawned mid-sentence, "well, just ev'rythin'." He was about to respond that it was his pleasure when she spoke, sluggish and soft it's true, again. "Ah," she burrowed into her pillow a little deeper, "Ah realleh do lo- mmm, so tahred. Gotta sleep now… Nahght sugah." A part of Remy wanted to shake her back to wakefulness so she could finish what she'd started saying, but the rest of him just wanted to gather her up in his arms and cradle her against him the whole night through watching her lips quirk with her dreams and her lashes flutter, stroking her hair off her face when it slipped across those creamy cheeks as she rested.

Hearing the steady tread of someone coming down the hall, he knew it was time for him to leave. He brushed his lips across hers, tucked her securely under the covers, and left the room. "Bonne nuit, le désir de mon cœur. Je t'aime, aussi (Good night, my heart's desire. I love you, too.)"

The next day Rogue talked with Sam as she packed her bags for their trip back home. He told her all about his holidays with his family and had her laughing with his imitations of them all. Remy was just about done with his own packing and could hear the hum of their voices a few doors down. He sat for a few minutes and just thought about all that had changed since they left Bayville behind. Relief that he wouldn't have to beat the other guys to bloody pulps to keep them away from Rogue dominated his thoughts. Finally, things were out in the open between them and they'd be able to just be together without the weirdness and tension. Dieu he loved that girl. It was going to be so nice to just be a normal couple.

They hung out together the rest of that day until Remy and Rogue waved Sam off at the airport. His parents had purchased a ticket back to New York for him so they'd meet up with him back there. Remy's arm around her shoulder and Rogue's wrapped around his waist, they made their way back out to the car. Upon returning they'd sparred a while, gotten cleaned up, and just finished working on her control. Now they were simply enjoying some alone time. Their lips met, clung, teased and tasted, then drew apart for mere seconds of smiles before rejoining. The lazy-paced exchanges were a perfect reflection of their unhurried relationship. Just when the intensity had started increasing enough to make both of them start to lose themselves, her phone began playing 'Bad to the Bone' with his phone starting up immediately after.

Merde! Remy was seriously considering throwing both stupid phones into the murky waters of the swamp, but that would have to wait. Rogue was already pushing the button to accept the call.

They could both hear Logan's forceful voice commanding, "Get out of there NOW!" The pair was already running down the stairs, heading for the garages while Rogue demanded to know what was going on.

"It's bad, Stripes. You two get on the road going anywhere but north. We're on our way. I'll find you. Just get going." Logan never panicked. To hear the urgency in his edgy voice now let her know this was no time to question him. They'd raced through the house and leapt for Remy's motorcycle. She was straddling the seat behind him when he handed back a helmet for her to strap on.

Remy had left his phone connected once he let Storm know they were on the move to make them easier for the X-Men to track so he reached back while sending them flying down the drive and pulled Rogue's from her hip. She scooted forward as they left his home behind and reached around to steer while he dialed a number. Her legs gripped around the bike and his hips as she swerved to avoid a collision with the car in front of them. She didn't know how fast they were going now, but knew that it was far beyond the speed of any other vehicle they passed. Once he was done telling his family the little he knew and that they should prepare themselves for whatever was heading their way, he tucked the phone into a pocket on his long brown coat and reclaimed control of the bike.

They sped up even more as he wove his way through traffic and banked familiar corners leaving behind his home, his city, and his family. He was first concerned, then amused when he felt Rogue's arms unwind from his waist only to feel something heavy settling over his head. She even reached around him to fasten the strap on the helmet she'd put on him. He rarely bothered with one, but saw the gesture for what it was… her way of taking care of him. She pressed closely to him to lean with him when necessary. An unexpectedly big bump, exaggerated by their speed, almost flung her off entirely so she held him even closer. If he wasn't so concerned for her safety, he'd really be enjoying this.

Soon they were careening down more isolated roadways where they encountered far fewer obstacles. In many ways it was better, but both realized they were also far more exposed and vulnerable here than if they were surrounded by others. He had them headed west on highway 90 thinking he'd cut south on 1 which could take them all the way out to Grand Isle if they needed to keep running that long, but he thought that Logan was highly unlikely to take that long to get his girl to safety.

After awhile Remy noted the fuel level and decided Rogue could use a break. The tank had not been full when they'd taken off so he pulled into a gas station to fill up and give them both a chance to stretch their legs a bit. He let Rogue know he would be right back and then went inside to hand some cash over to the scrawny, slightly greasy looking kid working the counter being sure to hold the door open for the elderly backwoods man exiting as Remy entered. He wasn't sure who they were fleeing and didn't want to leave an obvious trail for them to follow, so he kept his credit cards tucked away. Back at the pump he looked around for Rogue while he started filling up.

Where was she? He didn't want to lose his head, but there wasn't much around here. He knew she wasn't inside or he'd have heard or seen her entering while he was there. She wouldn't be stupid enough to wander into the scraggly tree line and even if she had he'd still be able to see her through the thin covering there but he saw no sign of her. There was just… nothing. What could have happened in only a few minutes like that and how could he possibly not have heard any commotion? His chest clenched. Where was Rogue?

Remy came back quickly, his rapid footsteps getting Rogue's attention. She swung around from her study of the minor waterway near the road to see what was wrong now. "What? What's wrong?"

Remy reached for her hand and started dragging her behind him. "Dey real close," he told her his voice sounding brusque and not quite normal.

"Who? Do ya' know who we're runnin' from now?" she asked while running just one step behind him, following his lead.

They dove into the scant forest, racing along until she could no longer see the gas station they'd left behind. They plunged across some railroad tracks and plowed on until Remy finally drew to a stop at the edge of one of the numerous narrow waterways in the area. Rogue put one hand on her diaphragm as she panted a bit. Just when she was about to ask again what Remy had seen or heard back there, a new voice interrupted.

"Look at that! The little girl is breathless with excitement. Are you looking forward to being my new toy so much?" Rogue's eyes first widened, then narrowed, ready to fight she relaxed her knees and shifted her balance to be ready for anything. She knew that voice.

"Reaper," she ground out. "Still havin' a bad make-up day, Ah see." Rogue turned to back up beside Remy only to feel the prick of a needle piercing her skin. She swung to see what was going on and saw that not Remy but the blue-skinned, underdressed, fashion-challenged Mystique was there in his place, stupid skull belt and all. What was she supposed to be anyway, some kind of voodoo woman?

Mystique raised one hand to halt Rogue's words and calmly informed her, "Just relax, Rogue. You'll soon lose consciousness and all your questions can wait until you awaken in your new home."

Rogue wanted to fight them, she wanted to demand to be told what they planned to do with her, she wanted to smack that smug look off that freak, Reaper's, face. But her tongue wouldn't cooperate and blackness was already creeping in at the edges of her vision. She swayed a bit, feeling unsteady but somehow light… weightless even.

Reaper reached out with newly gloved hands to steady her and she staggered away, almost falling into the water as she did so. "It is useless to fight it, Rogue. Just relax. And don't worry; I won't let him handle you while you're out." Rogue was too disoriented to follow what was being said. She felt a different pair of hands lift her up from under her arms and let her head loll back so she could see who had her now. It was Deathbird, whom Logan had fought the first time they'd encountered this group. The strange, but strong woman lifted her into the air and glided around the trees gracefully, never rising above their tops where they would be visible, until they arrived at a small, strange-looking craft where Reaper waited. Mystique was nowhere in sight. Rogue faded out completely before they finished strapping her down.

Remy was growing more frantic by the minute and had Rogue's phone out to call the X-Men. He heard a faint voice, thickly accented and sweeter than anything he'd ever heard calling to him from far back in the trees. How did she move out so far so quickly? Was someone after his chère? The thought was enough to send him plunging headlong into the thin brush in pursuit of her calls. She was calling his name and while she was obviously moving away, he was gaining on her as her voice grew a bit louder with each passing moment.

Relieved that he was catching up to her, Remy forged ahead with even greater determination. Not until he'd almost come to within reasonable sight range of her did he grow suspicious. He knew she could see him clearly now, but rather than slowing down or coming to him, she only looked over her shoulder and kept racing in the opposite direction. Rogue would never do that. Remy slowed to a halt and was about to reach for her phone in his pocket along with some of the cards he was never without when something dropped on him from above.

Taking full advantage of the element of surprise, Deathbird soon grappled his hands behind him and tethered them tightly together with a zip tie. With little regard for his comfort, she then lifted him with a grip under each arm and flew him quickly to the same unusual craft that already held Rogue's unconscious form. He was cursing and writhing against her hold the entire way, but they were high enough that he was unwilling to risk the fall. He ranted about Rogue until Deathbird finally gave in enough to tell him that she was 'safe' and she was taking him to where they held his friend. That settled Remy down a bit as he knew that at the very least, he'd be with Rogue soon.

He then started in about his beloved motorcycle. It was mostly an act, but he did really love that bike. The fact that it was driving the unusual woman carrying him aloft to deep anger, he thought he could even see her teeth clenching, was simply a side benefit. If I see to it that you and Rogue are kept together and that your beloved motorcycle also joins you, will you kindly refrain from antagonizing my associate? Remy was no fool. He'd just met Lord High Evolutionary, if not face to face then at least mind to mind. Remy went so far as to actually shrug. D'accord. His response was curt and terse, but he'd stand by it.

He silenced himself and hung loosely for the final bit of their flight.