Disclaimer: I might wish every single day that Remy LeBeau was mine, unfortunately he isn't. Neither is anything else related to Marvel.
Chapter One
Things were never what you might call normal at the X-mansion.
Though that was probably to be expected. It was hard enough having a building full of adolescents, but when those rioting teenagers were fuelled by supernatural powers they could barely control. Well, they were lucky to go a week without something blowing up and trying to find some solitude was near impossible.
That was what Rogue was doing.
She'd taken refuge up on the roof, climbing out of her bedroom window and scaling the drainpipe had seemed like a better option than dealing with the hysterical Tabatha Smith currently bombing the wreck room. No one would know where she was, except maybe Emma, but the stunning blonde telepath would never give her away. Of all people, Emma understood how hard it was trying to find some peace and quiet when you couldn't even escape the noise in your own head.
The truth was, she was craving a cigarette.
Except it wasn't her that was craving the sweet hit of nicotine. She had an idea it was a combination of the small part of Logan she had absorbed the last time they'd fought hand to hand combat, and a small part of John, that was dying for a cigarette.
She sighed. Her mutation was hard enough to deal with without having to contemplate all the other personalities she had to compete with for space inside her own head.
Rogue's 'gift' as Storm liked to call it, was hidden in her skin. Every pore carried the deadly curse, and should anyone ever make skin to skin contact with her, she could easily absorb their memories, powers, and eventually their very life force.
The initial contact was unpleasant, but the aftershock was worse. Just after she'd made contact with someone else was usually when the part of them was strongest within her head. Sometimes they fought to take control, sometimes they tried to use their powers, and sometimes they did nothing at all. The last was Rogue's favourite. She had found that this usually only happened when she absorbed someone she knew. Recently she had been absorbing Logan most days, and while his personality was strong within her own, he never tried to take control. He only ever tried to help.
Not that he was much help right now.
Logan was probably her best friend in the mansion. They had connected when they'd both arrived and their relationship had remained strong since. Rogue found it hard to get close to people, she guessed it had something to do with her mutation. But things weren't hard with Logan.
The problem was, he wasn't half restless.
If he wasn't running off to Canada to 'figure some things out' then he was spending the night at his favourite bar in some pointless attempt to get drunk, or off running a mission for Scott that was 'too dangerous' for her to join him. That's where he had taken off to a week ago. Logan and Scott had taken off on a mission together.
It seemed like a terrible idea to her.
Originally when Logan had told her she'd thought he was joking. If there was one person in the entire mansion that Logan did not agree with, it was Scott; and Rogue was sure the feeling was more than mutual. They were just too different. Scott was straight laced and serious, while Logan was shady and unreasonable. It probably didn't help that they were both in love with the same woman, Jean Grey. Or that she had chosen Scott a long time ago, yet couldn't quite let Logan all the way out of her sights.
Anyway, Rogue was sure they either weren't going to make it back, or there would be some severe injuries if they did.
They had been gone for a week now. It wasn't exactly a long period of time but it was making Rogue antsy. She needed Logan to come back, she needed someone to talk to. Ever since her colossal break up with Bobby she'd found it really hard to talk to anyone, and although Logan wasn't the best listener he really wanted to know what she had to say. He really cared about her, and she needed that these days.
After trying to deal with a rocky relationship for almost a year, Bobby had decided that his and Rogue's fate were not destined to be tied. At first Rogue had thought it was because of Kitty Pryde. The plucky little phaser was just so cute and touchable, she wasn't sure if she could even blame Bobby for choosing her. As it turned out, Bobby had read all the signals wrong and Kitty had really never been that interested. She'd had her sights set on a much bigger prize.
So Bobby had downgraded, and was now undertaking a much more fulfilling relationship with one of the newest students, Lorna Dane.
Rogue couldn't blame him, what man would want to spend their entire life in a PG relationship? She didn't even want that, and she didn't have any other choice.
That didn't make things any easier.
Though Tabatha had been one of the reasons Rogue had retreated to the roof, another had been the sight of Bobby and Lorna locked in some sort of wrestling match in the arm chair across the room. So she didn't have any feelings for her ex anymore, didn't mean she liked seeming him touching another girl either.
It just served as a continued reminder of what she couldn't have. Ever.
She sighed again, the craving for that cigarette increasing. She hadn't meant to hide on the roof and throw herself a pity party, but sometimes these things were just unavoidable. It was difficult being untouchable.
That was her final thought before she heard the sound of jet engines in the sky. Her eyes snapped up just as the X-Jet came in to view, cruising through the air lazily as though trying to decide where to land. She jumped up so fast she'd forgotten where she was, and almost slipped off the roof tiles.
She quickly regained her balance and began to slide back towards her window as the X-Jet slowed and hovered above the hanger bay. It had to be Logan and Scott. No one else had checked out any of the jets recently and there were no other active missions taking place. It had to be them. She clambered through her window, leaped over the bed and took off towards the door at full pelt. She almost took it off its hinges as the siren call 'X-men to the war room' sounded across the mansion.
Something must have happened if Scott was calling a briefing.
She ran full pelt down the corridor and almost ran straight in to Kitty as she reached the bottom of the stairs. Luckily the phaser seemed to be prepared and Rogue only ran straight though her.
"Wait up, Rogue!" Kitty called, as Rogue hadn't even glanced back as she dashed past.
"Cain't!" she yelled over her shoulder, slightly breathless, "Logan's back!"
She didn't wait for a reply but lunged herself into one of the open elevators and anxiously pressed the basement button at least six times. The elevator seemed to sense her haste and the doors quickly slid shut. Rogue tapped her foot impatiently as the elevator moved down, she had waited a week already to see Logan, she didn't want to wait anymore.
She threw herself into the corridor the minute the doors opened and marched towards the war room. Logan wasn't one for emotion or displays of affection, but at this point Rogue didn't really care. She opened the door to the war room and paused, gauging who was inside. For the moment it seemed just Logan and Scott were present, though Jean at least had made her way down to greet them. She and Scott where having a very cosy looking reunion, while Logan stood with his arms crossed over his chest throwing them disdainful glances.
She didn't even think about what to do, she flung herself into the room and into his arms before he'd even realised what had happened. He smelled like worn leather and old cigars. She let the familiar scent wash over her and immediately began to relax.
"Woah there, kiddo" Logan said gruffly, but she felt his arms tighten around her and heard the smile in his voice, "You miss me?"
She leaned back to look into his face but he didn't relax his grip on her waist, "Maybe a little" she admitted, grinning.
His brown eyes shone with amusement.
"A little?" a voice came from the doorway and they all turned to see Jubilee wandering into the room, "She hasn't shut up about you since you left" the firecracker said, rolling her eyes and taking a seat at the table.
It seemed the rest of the X-men had arrived.
"Nearly knocked me over on her haste to get here" Kitty agreed, taking the seat next to Jubilee.
"I have to agree" Emma sighed, her ice blue eyes surveying Scott as she entered the room. "I will be glad when I no longer have to listen to the 'Logan is the best' show that appears to be on a loop in Rogue's mind."
"Maybe yah should stay outta mah head, sugah" Rogue suggested, detaching herself from Logan so she could take a seat at the table. Logan sat down beside her.
"Perhaps you shouldn't shout your thoughts at me" Emma suggested.
Yah shoutin' yoars at Jean right now? Rogue thought.
Emma merely raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything.
Bobby and Colossus were the last two to join them and finally the X-men all sat down together.
"Where's Storm?" Rogue asked curiously.
"She's with the Professor" Jean answered, "He didn't think she would be needed for this mission."
"So there is a mission then?" Bobby asked. "You didn't just call us all down here for a nice game of Checkers?"
Jean rolled her eyes.
"An' here I was wonderin' why we were gone so long" Logan growled.
Scott ignored the exchange, as he mostly did. It was likely to be hard, trying to lead this rowdy bunch also known as a team. Most of the time he just sucked in a breath and counted to ten in his head, just to get himself through the day. "Me and Logan have been on a recon mission these past few days, up in New Orleans."
Rogue pouted, "Ya'll coulda invited a southern lady tah come along."
"We were gathering information on a group known as the Thieves Guild, they operate from there" Scott continued as though she hadn't spoke. "They are a-"
"They do what they say on the tin" Logan butted in, "They steal shit. Expensive shit."
Scott sighed and shook his head.
Bobby snorted, "What does that matter to us?" he asked, "We're not the cops."
"It matters Bobby, because they've just agreed to take a job for Senator Kelly" Scott put in.
Rogue's blood turned cold.
She would be the first to admit she didn't know a lot about Senator Kelly, but what she did know she didn't like. She'd seen him on the news preaching about the dangers of Mutants and their powers. He was the main proponent for the Mutant Registation Act and she wouldn't be at all surprised if she found out he was also a member of Friends of Humanity, the biggest mutant hate group around.
"So not good for us then?" Jubilee asked.
"Wouldn't have been so bad if Cyclops had let me go in there and rough some people up" Logan put in, unsheathing his claws menacingly.
Scott rolled his eyes, "The Thieves Guild are powerful and rich, it would be stupid to make an enemy from them."
"Seems like they just made one from us" Bobby pointed out, "They're selling us out down the river."
Scott opened up the folder on the table for the first time and pulled out a picture that he placed in the middle of the table. Rogue cocked her head to consider it. The man in the picture was obviously a mutant, his strange red and black eyes gave that away. He was also by far the most beautiful man Rogue had ever seen. He had a strong jaw, floppy brown hair and a permanent five o'clock shadow.
Just looking at the picture was making her blush.
"Who's he?" Kitty asked, her thought train obviously on the same tracks as Rogue's.
Colossus glanced at her, his brow furrowed.
"He Kitty, is none other than Remy LeBeau" Scott answered, "The youngest son to the Patriarch of the Thieves Guild, Jean-Luc LeBeau."
"But, he's a mutant!" Jubilee burst out.
"He's betraying his own kind, for what?" Emma said softly, "Is there really no honour among thieves."
"So what we gonna do, capture him?" Bobby asked.
"No" Scott answered, "Our plan is to place someone undercover in a building operated by the Thieves, from there they will get close to Remy and attempt to learn as much as they can about the Thieves' involvement with Senator Kelly."
"There is a nightclub not too far from the Guild Headquarters called Roxy's" Jean said, "It's known for its beautiful waitresses and high priced drinks. It's owned by the Thieves, we assume they use it to launder money and entertain clients."
"We need someone to pose as a cocktail waitress" Scott said.
Kitty and Jubilee both looked at each other, as though attempting to guess which of the two of them would be picked. In Rogue's opinion Emma would be a much better choice, she was a telepath after all. It would take her two seconds to find out what the guild were planning.
Rogue was so caught up in her own thoughts she didn't realise Scott had been looking at her until the entire room went silent.
She glanced up when he raised his eyebrows, finally catching his meaning she burst into hysterical laughter. "Ya'll cain't be serious" she snorted.
"Why not?" he asked, eyebrows still raised. "I can't think of anyone better."
"Emma?" Rogue suggested, shaking her head as though this entire things was ludicrous. "She's gorgeous, witty an' she has a rockin' body" Rogue pointed out, "Not tah mention, she can read minds!"
Scott sighed again.
"Thank you for pointing out all of my features Scott seems to have overlooked, Rogue" Emma said sweetly, her blue eyes smiling. "Unfortunately you have also overlooked something."
"Remy is immune to telepaths" Scott put in, glaring at Emma who had obviously been snooping in his thoughts. "It's part of his mutation, he has a static shield around his brain that stops anyone from reading his mind."
"Handy" Bobby muttered.
"Look Rogue, I understand why you're apprehensive" Scott said softly, "But I'll level with you, I think you're the best person to send on this mission."
"'Cos o' mah mutation?"
"No, because of your attitude" Scott continued, "I don't want you to absorb Remy, I want you to get him to trust you. He's a real snake charmer, and with your attitude I really think you're one of the few people here that could handle him."
"Well" Rogue sighed, blushing slightly at Scott's compliment. "With that glowin' recommendation, how can a gal say no?"