Rogue screamed as she watched Logan's clawed fist come down. She tore herself from Piotr's grip, flew towards Logan and pulled him away. Remy jerked forward a moment, still caught on Logan's claws before he slid free. Three holes over his heart poured blood. Rogue pressed her hands to the wounds. Blood seeped between her fingers, she knew too, that blood was pouring from matching holes in his back. Jean was suddenly descending from the loft above. The stream of blood slowed and stopped as from a distance, Jean used her telekinesis to staunch the flow.

"Remy," Rogue sobbed. "Oh no, oh no..."

His eyes blinked open at her, looking their normal color again.

Rogue turned on Logan. "How could you do this?" she screamed.

Remy's hand blindly sought hers. "S'okay," he said, blood ran from the corner of his mouth. "Had t'be done."

Save for Jean, the rest of the X-Men gathered close.

"I vill bring Gambit back to the mansion!" Kurt announced.

Rogue made to grasp at Kurt's arm, to borrow his powers. They could both go. But then Ororo said: "Kurt, you cannot use your powers within the field. Save your strength to make your way to X-Factor headquarters. Bring Henry. We need Jean's help to prevent Remy from bleeding to death. Piotr, can you place him in the vehicle?"

Kurt vanished in a burst of brimstone and Colossus moved forward. Rogue staggered away from Remy to give Piotr room to maneuver. When he was hefted from the ground, Remy's head lolled to the side. He looked up at the loft over the garage. "Good t'ing I didn't...get my deposit. Back."

Rogue saw the Jeep at the end of the driveway. She hurried towards it, pulled open the door and climbed into the backseat. Behind her, she heard Logan tell Ororo: "Find the kid's coat. The keys to the bike. You follow behind the Jeep with Jean. Stay close."

Piotr passed Remy through the door to Rogue and laid him in the narrow back seat of the Jeep, half on Rogue's lap. She situated him as best she could before climbing over the center console to assume the driver's seat. Logan looked down into the Jeep. "Piotr and I will follow on foot. Meet you back at the mansion."

Kitty slipped into the rear, holding her hand to Remy's chest while sitting on the floor behind Rogue's seat. Magnus sat in the passenger seat, closed the door. From behind them, they could hear Ororo start the Harley. Rogue turned the key that had been left in the ignition. Struggled to restrain herself from mashing her foot on the gas, knowing she'd have to wait for Ororo to follow. Wishing instead she could just fly Remy home, but with the inhibitor on, there was no other way.

Rogue squeaked out of the drive and onto the icy road, the rear fishtailed. Magnus shot her a warning glance. None of them had their powers at the moment, Rogue could easily put them in a ditch. As she started towards the mansion, Remy coughed wetly.

"Think I prob'ly...need a priest," he told Kitty.

"Ssh," she told him. "It'll be fine. Just keep still."

Remy struggled to draw a breath. Rogue's hands gripped the wheel, her teeth ground together.

"Don't be mad. At Logan," Remy said. "I asked him. To."

Rogue let out a strangled sob.

"Focus on driving," Magnus told her. "Remy. Please conserve your strength. Do not engage with Rogue. She needs to concentrate."

"Only…'cause you said. 'Please.'"

Magnus sighed tiredly through his nose.

"Do me. A favor," Remy said to him.

"Yes. What is it?" Magnus asked, perhaps humoring Remy so that Rogue could drive.

"Can you call. My father. Jean-Luc…? Tell him-I said. I was sorry."

"I will let him know you have been injured. You may apologize to him at a later date."

"If...you failed t'notice. My co-pilot's...personality. Leaves s'mthin'. T'be desired. Doubt he'll...keep me 'round. Long."

"You're going to talk yourself to death!" Kitty scolded him.

Remy was silenced by several coughs and a rattle in his chest. Rogue was turning into the school's driveway, the Jeep slid and nearly clipped the gate. She brought the vehicle to a skidding halt in front of the main entrance, threw herself from the Jeep. Ororo was not far behind on the motorcycle. Jean climbed from her place behind Ororo.

"I can carry him inside," Jean told Rogue. "Can you go down to the infirmary? Please bring Elisabeth."

Rogue nodded and ran. She felt as if she were moving through a surreal nightmare. The glimpse of Remy she saw before dashing inside showed her that his face was pale in the warm glow of the Christmas lights. His eyes were closed. Her distress was enough to bring Betsy to her. Betsy called the elevator to the ground floor for Jean before running down the staircase after Rogue. It seemed everyone save Rogue was capable of thinking ahead. In the infirmary, they met Hank. He looked disheveled, perhaps having just been woken from sleep (or teleported in multiple jumps from the city to Salem Center). Kurt was seated on an empty bed nearby, looking exhausted.

"Where is-?" Hank began. He looked at the blood staining Rogue's front. She was in a total state of undress. Betsy handed her a hospital gown, which Rogue put on robotically. Betsy tied it in the back for her.

"Jean and Magnus are coming down the elevator with him now," Betsy told the doctor.

It seemed Rogue had blinked her eyes very slowly, for when she opened them again, Hank was standing over Remy where he lay on a hospital bed. Hank's expression did not convey confidence. "I think we will have to remove the inhibitor field," Hank said. "It's his best chance."

"Sinister will not hesitate to kill us," Magnus said.

Rogue stammered: "He won't…he won't come out."

Magnus looked at her, waiting for her to continue.

"He won't want to be in pain. So long as Remy's hurt. He'll keep himself hid," Rogue said and approached Remy. Hank had placed an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth, hooked him up to a heart monitor. She didn't need the equipment to tell her he was dying. "Ah can unlock it. Jean can protect the school in case of a fallout. You can get everyone else away from the house."

"He is capable of killing you, invulnerable or not," Jean told her.

"Ah'm well aware," Rogue said quietly. "Just everyone go. Ah'll give you a couple minutes."

Magnus turned and departed with Betsy, who assisted Kurt through the doorway. As Betsy left, she called out a telepathic signal for the students to evacuate. Jean stood as close to the bedside and inhibitor as she could without interrupting her telekinesis, Hank just behind her. Behind her on the monitor, Rogue could hear Remy's heart rate plummeting. Then he stopped breathing. She reached out to deactivate the inhibitor. She set her opposite hand on his chest, feeling it sticky with his blood. With her other hand, she disarmed the lock. For a moment there was nothing but the squeal of the heart monitor alarms behind her. Jean gasped, attempted to restart Remy's heart.

Faint light fizzled in the wounds in Remy's chest. Rogue felt the current begin to flow from him, through her and back again. She felt him draw a shuddering breath. Rogue hoped to use her powers, to somehow draw Sinister out. The wounds from Logan's claws sealed themselves. Remy's chest relit with bright light. Jean rushed forward as Remy's hand reached towards his own face, wanting to claw the mask from his nose and mouth. He thrashed for a moment and Rogue knew then he was struggling against Sinister. Jean reactivated the device and Rogue abruptly fell back, the current broken.

Sinister's eyes glared at Jean as she held him immobile. Jean called out to Elisabeth to signal an all-clear. They'd need restraints. A cell to put their prisoner in.

Rogue was transfixed, staring at the horrible monster wearing the face and form of the man she loved.

I'm sorry for not bein' completely honest with you. Remy's thoughts told her. Might've made a few omissions. But. I love you, too.


Next time: Gambit and Sinister sitting in a cell. I-N-D-W-E-L-L.

Plus more Remy/Logan heart-to-heart. Everyone knows the bromance is the best part right? I mean, Cobra Kai knows where it's at. I ship Johniel.