Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews, glad that the last chapter was so well received. Can't believe the review count is up to 502! But I'm afraid that hurricane Raven isn't quite finished yet. Not by a long shot.

-Gams

Chapter Thirty-Six – Water Works

Engulfed in warm bath-water, Rogue let out a content sigh as she slumped back into the comfort of the bath-tub. To say the least, it had been a long, long day. One she wouldn't miss in the least if she happened to forget it.

After her mother's initial outburst that she had been anticipating like a doctor anticipating a patient's meds to wear-off, the evening had run smoothly except for a hiccup here and there. Raven of course, was at the root of every hiccup.

Rogue let out another deep sigh as one particular hiccup came to mind.

Their two families had been happily discussing the babies around the living room, sporting cups of coffee and tea like any other night when the idea of having a New Orleans based Baby Shower was brought up ever so subtly by Mercy.

"Oh come on Rogue ma chér, I've never planned a bébe shower before let alone one for twins! Et b'sides! Dese are ma nièces and or neveux!" (My nieces and or nephews)

While Mercy had looked at her with all the hope in the world kindled in her sky-blue eyes, she caught Wanda and John give knowing looks of amusement from the corner of her eye. And as much as she loved Mercy...one baby shower was enough to last her a lifetime, so she replied...

"Mercy ah know ya mean well but honestly, meh and Remy's apartment can't take another baby shower. Anymore baby shower gifts an' it'll overflow. Ah'm not kidding."

When Mercy's face completely fell, she quickly added that she would give Mercy free reign on planning the twins' first birthday party. Mercy had practically beamed she was so elated by the idea. However the moment was complete shot down when Raven spoke.

"Darling, this is exactly why you need to move yourselves into a proper house. If you can't expect to hold a parade of baby-shower gifts, how do you expect to horde all the things you'll need once the children arrive?"

Though she directed the question to Rogue with the utter-most motherly tone, her cold gaze remained entirely on Remy as if to say 'You're the most incompetent father-to-be I have ever seen,' and that was just the nice and abbreviated version.

Rogue gave an exhausted sigh; her contentment in the bathtub was wearing thin with such thoughts so she decided to get out. She wrapped a thick bathrobe around herself after towelling off, tied the straps above her slightly swelled abdomen and released her hair from a clawed hair-clip. Steam erupted from the bathroom as she stepped into her childhood bedroom. The room had stayed more or less the same over her childhood years. Though the wallpaper was a little worse for wear, the thick stripes of honey-yellow and white warmed the room. A body-length mirror stood opposite a matching dresser while a small desk stood across the way; all of which were cluttered with old trinkets from her childhood. A few stuffed animals and teddies cluttered the book shelves, the bed and the heavy jarrah-wood trunk. Rogue smiled at an old, brown teddy-bear that sat alone on the top of her bed pillow. Picking it up, the scraggly old thing became limp and bowled over to one side. Her father had given her Jerry when she was only a few days old; her first teddy-bear. When her parents had divorced, this ol' teddy bear was the closest she had got to being near her Dad. Things hadn't changed since.

Hugging Jerry to her chest in one arm, she reached for her cell phone on the bedside table and dialled her Dad's home-phone number. It was several rings before he picked up and answered in a typical gruff voice.

"Hey kid. How'd it go with your mother?"

Rogue couldn't help but give a slight chuckle. What he really meant to ask was "Did she kill that Cajun or what?" So she replied his real question.

"She didn't kill Remy on the spot, so it went okay. Ah bet ya disappointed bah that minor detail."

There was a gruff snort of bemusement from his end that made her smile with amusement.

"You sure you told your mother that he got you drunk before- ehem...Before you-know. Because that don't sound like your mother."

Rogue gave a light scoff and grinned as she sat back in the comfort of her own bed.

"She did give Remy a bit of an ear-bashin' after she found out we've been living together but-"

There was a husky chuckle that sounded pleased.

"That's the Raven I know."

Rogue rolled her eyes.

"She's alright with it now in case ya were worried."

Another chuckle.

"Don't think it'll last kid. You know how temperamental your mother can be."

Rogue rolled her eyes as she retorted in defence.

"Ah could say the same for ya!"

"So can I, Stripes."

Rogue gave a low growl-of-a-sigh. There was minute of silence before Logan spoke up again.

"So...what did ya want to talk to me about?"

Rogue frowned.

"Is it so weird that ah just wanted t' talk to ya without a specific reason?"

"It's weird for you not to darlin'. Now what's botherin' you? If it's anything t' do with them pregnancy hormones, go find that Cajun of yours. Take it out on him."

Rogue rolled her eyes and sighed irritably. You would think after over a decade of tolerating Remy, he would be a little less obvious to his disliking of the man. Not her father. Never.

"It ain't that. An' if it was, ah'd chew ya out for even sayin' that!"

"Well it sounds a lot like you're doin' that now."

She paused before starting again.

"Nothin' is wrong. Just..."

A deep sigh heaved through her lungs before she continued.

"Ah guess ah needed t' hear from someone that ain't gonna ask meh about Baby showers or when it is Remy an' ah are gonna get a house suitable for raising children or-"

"You're getting a house together now-?"

Rogue imitated one of her father's classic growls of impatience. Logan muttered a brief apology before replying with a tired sigh that could well match how Rogue felt; overwrought.

"Did you put the Runt to bed or did your mother?"

Rogue silently smiled with relief. She could always- well, almost always count on Logan for changing the subject to less stressful topics; It was one of his many charms that made him her father. Leaning into the comfort of the pillows behind her, Rogue settled on the topic he had chosen. They talked for about an hour before Logan called it a night, told her to take care of herself and keep an ear open for Sahirah like always. Rogue was dressed and about to settle down for the night between the sheets when her stomach gave a rumbling groan. She gave a disheartened sigh. Though thoroughly exhausted, her cravings were too strong to resist. Pushing back the bedcovers, Rogue looked down with an accusative frown at her abdomen and chided lightly.

"Ya two have great tahming ya know that? Now Mama has t' go all the way downstairs t' get some food."

She patted her belly but it was with affection. Doctor McCoy had encouraged her and Remy to talk to the babies as much as possible, stating that it was all part of the nurturing process and getting the babies used to the sound of their voices. Though she doubted they could hear her just yet, it was good practice for the months to follow. She didn't care if people thought she was mental. With a defeated sigh, Rogue pulled on her dressing robe and began to make her way down the hallway towards the stairwell. The house was quiet, the rooms dark, so it was by sheer memory that she managed to find her way to the kitchen below. However upon opening the door, Rogue was forced to close her eyes to the onslaught of light. Blinking, her eyes fell on the familiar figure seated at the kitchen bench. Raven had sat in a navy-blue, satin dressing robe, nursing a mug of tea between her fingers. Her head turned as Rogue opened the door. A small, tired smile spread across Raven's lips as she spoke. Nothing could prevent the woman from using a motherly tone with her daughter, no matter how adult her daughter now was.

"What are you doing up at this hour? It's nearly two in the morning."

Rogue shrugged as she made her way towards the pantry. She replied as she began to go through the pantry's contents.

"Ah was about t' call it a night when ah got this strange cravin' for Hershey's chocolate on toast."

She pulled out a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup and a bag of sliced bread and held them up as evidence for her mother to discern only to watch as her mother gave a small chuckle of amusement. Rogue raised a bemused brow.

"What? Ah didn't think it was all that strange..."

Raven only continued to smile.

"I know but...it is strange since that's what I used to eat all the time when I was pregnant with you."

Rogue gave a disbelieving snort of amusement.

"Really? Ya never told meh that..."

Raven gave a small shrug.

"Yes well, believe it or not there are some things about your mother that you don't know."

There was a teasing glint in her eyes that made Rogue feel like a little girl again, sharing a special secret with her mother. Rogue smiled as she began to pull out the toaster from its usual place.

"What other things did ya do when ya were pregnant with meh? Ah've had the strangest of cravings..."

As Rogue toasted her bread, they continued to talk about everything and anything that Raven did while pregnant with Rogue and on occasion when pregnant with her brother. Rogue was happily munching on Hershey-chocolate lathered toast when they arrived on childhood memories that Rogue couldn't remember, but Raven obviously did.

"Oh here's one I'm sure you've forgotten. Do you remember when we went up to that house décor outlet place when you were five? And you picked out a set of glow-in-the-dark stars for your bedroom ceiling?"

Rogue frowned in deep thought but the memory proved to be vague and blurred in her mind.

"Sort of...Ah remember sleepin' under 'em until we moved here but not how ah got them. Why? What was so interestin' bout that?"

Raven gave an all too knowing chuckle as she began to dredge her second mug's tea-bags. She shifted around the kitchen for the milk carton as she replied.

"Well, when we went to the front desk to ask where the boxes were kept, the saleswoman behind the counter told us that they had sold out of the stars and only had the daisies or rockets or whatever they were- Anyway, I don't think I can forget that look across your face when you heard they didn't have any stars left. You were the most adorable little thing with those little piggy tails you used to have in your hair..."

While Rogue cringed slightly at the memory of being forced to put her hair in piggy-tails as a child, Raven gave a warm smile that was rich with the memory of it. She finished making her tea and sat down as she continued.

"Anyway, you were so upset by the time we got back home that I couldn't take it any longer. So, I sat you down, looked you right in the eyes and asked if it really meant that much to you. And you said that "Ah've never wan' somethin' so much in all my lifes!" And yes- that's exactly how you said it!"

Rogue let out an embarrassed groan at the high-pitched imitation her mother attempted of her five year-old self but continued to listen.

"So, we drove all the way back to that store and asked where the closest sister store was which was all the way in Jackson."

Recognition illuminated Rogue's eyes as a vague memory of driving out of town as a child. Slowly, she continued from where Raven left off.

"An' we trekked hours across the state jus' t' get them raght?"

Raven smiled and nodded, the memory as visible in her thoughts as it was across her face. A content silence passed between them before Raven gave a small sigh.

"I miss those stars sometimes. It was a shame we couldn't re-use them here."

Rogue, who sat beside her mother, reached out and rested a hand over hers. When Raven caught her gaze, she spoke.

"We could always jump in the car and drive t' Jackson. They might still have some."

Raven smiled and squeezed her daughter's hand. Though she would deny it later, there were unshed tears in her eyes.

"I'm sure we could put them in the twins' room if you would like."

Rogue's lower-lip quivered somewhat before a pair of fresh tears streamed down her cheeks but instead of sobbing, she let out a frustrated growl and retorted tearfully.

"Damn it! Ah do not need the water works rahght now!"

Raven gave a sympathetic smile but chuckled with amusement as she reached out and grabbed a tissue box, she held it out to her hormonal daughter as she spoke gently.

"Oh dearest, the water works are but the least of your problems. Believe me, I've been there. Twice."

Though Rogue gave a small gasp of a laugh, it didn't stop the water works from giving a decent show.

Hurricane Raven will return next update. Believe it.

-Gams