Note - To tx peppa - Thanks for the review XD! Yeah, I like my cliffhangers. It should be answered in this chapter, that last cliffhanger I felt you guys on. Sorry if you don't like them, but just a warning there is going to be a few more. I'm going to try and update as much as I can though. I know loads of people say that then forget, but I've already got the next few chapters written. I'm just going through them to make sure everything adds up, because this is going to be a long story. And as for the life debt, we'll see ; )

Note - To other cool guys who follow/favour my story - Thanks for the follow/favour. Like I said above, I am going to update as soon as I can, but I'm just making sure the story line fits. Once it's all up, I'll read through it and smooth out any mistakes I can. Sorry for the bad southern accents. I couldn't do Gambit's accent, so I gave him a bit of Rogue's ah since they're both from the south anyway. If you guys have any tips on improving their speech then let me know please. It's for you guys so I can try and make the story better. Anyway, thanks again my Tinney Poppers XD!

Recap - Hank, Storm, Logan who forces Joseph to come with them go to the Mall to help break up the fight between the X-Men and Brotherhood, leaving Rogue on her own in the mansion. Rogue disobeys Logan's orders to not go back into the danger room. When she finishes her session, she comes out bloody and is caught by Gambit, who says he's not there to hurt her and takes her to the medical lab where he starts to clean her wounds. Gambit tells Rogue that he isn't working for Magneto anymore and that he stayed with his family in New Orleans after she left, but he also says he left his family shortly after. Gambit also tells Rogue that he has come to see her to tell her of the life debt she has got with the thieves and that if she ever needs anything, then the thieves have her back. As Gambit is leaving both he and Rogue find it hard to say goodbye as he tells her she won't see him again. However once a Gambit leaves, some mystery guys who are hidden outside the mansion move in on their plan to kidnap Rogue.

Chapter three

"Who are these guys?" Scott said as he came back to back with Logan. He growled, clawed a guy's gun then upper cut him with his other hand that didn't have his claws out.

"I don't know, but whoever they are, they picked the wrong mutants to mess with."

Wolverine, Storm and Beast had arrived and scared off the Brotherhood, but were being shot at by other people who were yelling about mutants. Before they knew it they were surrounded by mutant haters and having to fight their way out without hurting them. Using his laser, Scott managed to draw a line deep in the floor to stop them from running at them. He then blasted a hole in the wall and shooted to his X-Men. "This way." But as he was running towards the clear exit, it filled with more mutant haters with guns.

"It's endless." Jean said as she floated down next to Scott and blocking the bullets, while Scott sealed the hole by blasting the wall above it, making more rocks fall and block the exit. "Scott what do we do?"

"I don't know. Kurt. Kitty. Exit plan now."

The two mutants Scott addressed looked at each other before grabbing hold of the mutants around them and telling them to hold on to someone else. Scott grabbed hold of Jean and as they were lost in a moment, looking deep into each other's eyes, they didn't see a bullet heading towards Scott. As he turned around just seeing it coming at him, a sparkling jew jumped in front of him and the bullet hit off her body, dropping to the floor. Losing her diamond form, Emma used her telepathy to knock the men and woman on their backsides.

"Honestly Scott. Pay attention or else you're going to end up dead." She said looking more to Jean who's eyes flared red after that comment.

Swift, but sweetly Emma pressed herself up against Scott's arm, and Jean watched as she saw her boyfriend staring down into those cold blue eyes of Emma Frost. Before she could say anything though, Kurt had grabbed Jean's other free hand and teleported them and most of the other X-Men out of the mall.

XXXXX

Once she had seen Gambit past the half way point to the gate, Rogue turned and left Scott's room. She went back to her room and pulled out something comfortable to wear. A warm green jumper and black leggings would do. They weren't anything too showy or too lazy, but they were just casual. Apart from the aches and pains in her muscles that work out had seemed to calm the voices and helped clear up the blurriness. It was still there, but Rogue felt as if she could be herself and think clearly again about at least one thing. Gambit. She didn't like how her thoughts were about him. She had started picturing Gambit working for some king pin off in Mexico or whatever. He seemed like he wanted to get away, which truthfully made Rogue feel a little sad that she wouldn't see him again, but she fought off that thought. No, she didn't care about Gambit. She didn't care if she ever saw him again. He was a no good thief who only got her into more trouble than she usually got herself into.

She got into the hot steaming warm shower that just massaged her aching muscles and head. It felt like a silken knot unravelling and she just lavished in it. Her mind was still on Gambit and how much older he looked. He'd become more built and his hair had finally grown out of that bowl cut. It had fell in long strips down by his face and made his now manly check bones look bolder. His eyes seemed harder, she noticed. But then again he did say that he'd been through some rough times. She wished now that she'd questioned him more about it. It was going to pester her now for a while and anytime Gambit's psych came up in her head. The Gambit in her head was usually quiet and not as strong as the rest of the psyches. Maybe that was because it was only her little figure that touched his check and not a full hand like she had the others. Then again she'd held on longer to others too. Maybe that was why he was so quiet in her head.

Finally shaking off the feeling and thoughts of Gambit, Rogue stepped out of the shower and towel dried herself. Just as she was pulling on her top, the psychics screamed at her. She fell to the floor moaning in pain, panting. What the hell had happened? The voices heard her question and Logan answered, 'kid, intruders.' Intruders? Was he talking about Gambit? Was he back? But that fog had clouded over and hid the voices away from her again. She was sure that wasn't her who did that, but she was more interested in the intruder now. Grabbing her leggings Rogue pulled them on and unlocked the door. Why was Gambit back?

The thought was lost as she noticed a dark figure beside her through the corner of her eye. Straight away she knew it wasn't Gambit. They were too small to be and they seemed to have something in there arm. Thankful for Logan's training sessions, Rogue lifted her arm and just blocked the stranger from injecting her with something. It seemed to be a he, but whoever it was was wearing a mask that hid their face from her. The guy obviously knew about her power since they were covered head to toe in thick cotton. Realising that this guy was attacking her and a threat, she kicked him in the groaned and as he dropped to the floor, she scanned the room. But she only had chance to see another intruder coming from her door with a gun pointing towards her. Faster than he could move, she deflected the guns aim at her by hitting his arm up, then punching him into the wall. As she jerked her arm up pain shocked through her and she stumbled back moaning. She didn't lose her fighting stand though, yet she hadn't seen or heard the guy come from behind her. Swiftly, he choked Rogue, using a metal bar to pull her closer to him and lift her slightly of the ground. He must have been tall as Rogue began kicking her feet, but couldn't find the ground. Black dots were taking over her eyes from the lack of oxygen, but she saw another masked figure come through her door. Using her elbow she hit the guy in the chest and as he bent over, gasping for breath, she used as much strength as she could muster to through him off her back and into the intruder entering her room. The entrance to her room was blocked and she was in pain and dizzy. She knew she needed to escape them and recuperate for at least a moment if she had a chance at fighting them. Gambit then came to her mind and how he'd jumped out the window. It was her only option she saw as she turned to see the window clear. She began running to it, but felt a firing rip in her leg, which made her scream in pain and fall to the ground.

"Stupid bitch." Said the guy who she had kneed in the groaned. He'd picked up the gun that the second intruder had used and shot her in the leg. As he picked himself up, holding himself he walked over to Rogue who was fighting back not only the bursting shots of pain riding up her leg and through her body, but the tears. Her attempted at a crawl was stopped though, as the guy heavily sat on top of her. She felt the cold needle pierce her skin and the cold liquid explode in her neck. Not being able to fight for much longer, her head fell and hit the floor. The guy pulled a bag over her head and she felt her arms being tired up while she was still conscious. The last words she heard were, "You idiot. He wants her unharmed."

XXXXX

He'd been staring back at the mansion for a while, but now he moved future into the forest outside of the mansion, to find his hidden bike. Just as he pulled the camouflaged blanket off his bike he heard an engine growing closer. When he looked up, through the gaps in the trees, he saw a red helicopter flying towards the direction of the mansion. Curious, Gambit stepped out of the forest and watched from the gates as the helicopter began landing on the mansion grounds. But the X-Men hadn't taken a helicopter out. They didn't own a red one anyway. It was then he felt his heart hit his ribs as a large thug dressed head to toe in black came out from the door, with a small weakened figure on his shoulder. They were kidnapping Rogue.

He didn't know what to do. Three ideas popped into his mind all at once. His first instint was to go over there and save Rogue. But then he wondered if he'd stand a chance against all those thugs. His next plan was to run and tell the X-Men, but they would have kidnapped her by then and he was keeping a low profile. That was his last plan. To stay out of it...But he'd told her that she'd have the thieves protection and he was a thief. And seeing her lifeless body fail around on that thugs shoulder mad him angry. Angry enough to think that he'd save his father, someone he hated the living guts of, but not Rogue, the girl who he got on with and understood. No moi aim. This wasn't gonna happen. Running to the gate, Gambit pulled out his bo-staff and jumped it. Next he pulled his playing cards out of his coat pocket and through them at the helicopter. Now the thugs were aware of his presence and backed off away from the helicopter as explosions went off around it. Gambit watched the guy who had Rogue over his shoulders stumble away and move behind the smaller thugs who had pulled out guns and knives. Dodging not only the bullets from the thugs, but the X-Men's security, he managed to hide behind the helicopter and pull out some more cards. Before he threw them, he looked to see where Rogue was. The thug who had her had moved back inside the mansion. That was where he needed to be. Smiling he pulled out the full deck of cards he had and knowing Rogue was out of the way, he through them direct at each thug and knocked them out.

He still had to dodge bullets that came from the helicopter, but he'd made a run for it and was safely inside the mansion. He stepped into the middle of the room searching all around for the thug who had Rogue. Just then the tall thug stepped out from underneath the large stairs with a gun held to Rogue's head. They had taken that bag off her head and he saw she was unconscious. But the thug held her up with one arm. Her feet were dangling inches from the floor and the thug had his arm wrapped around her waist and hand on her neck. "Move and I'll shot her!" The gruff voice behind the mask said.

Gambit's eyes moved between him and Rogue, then back to the thug. "You won't hurt 'er. Ya need 'er." Knowing there would be someone sneaking up behind him, Gambit used his bo-staff to trip the guy behind him up and smash him across the head. This distraction appeared to be the perfect time for the thug to change his weapons. In the hand which he had pointed a gun at Rogue was now a knife holding Rogue's throat up, and in his other hand that had been keeping Rogue's head up was his gun.

"Drop your weapon!" The man yelled. This time, he did use his weapon and a tinkle of blood fell from Rogue's neck. Slowly the thug pulled it across her neck and was digging deeper.

"Alright, stop!" Gambit dropped his weapon, not being willing enough to gamble Rogue's life away. But he knew he had to store. Keep them here as long as he could for the X-Men to get back.

"Why'd you want da fillie?" But Gambit felt something hit him over the head and as he fell to the floor, felt his own bo-staff jabbed into his back and pressing down on him. Gambit fought against the dizziness and to stay awake.

"There comin' back. Move it!" The thug holding Gambit down yelled.

"What ta 'bout that on." Said the thug holding Rogue.

"They only want the girl. We kill him."

"But they'll know."

"They'll know she's gone anyway."

"But we'll have time before they notice she's gone. If ya kill him and leave him in the door way that's a sure sign that we were here."

"Alright. We'll take him with us. Now listen ya stupid piece of shit, one false move and he'll cut ya girl. Do you hear me?" Nodding his head, Gambit felt the staff that was hurting him, move. Then he felt a hand at the gruff on his neck which pulled him up and pushed him towards the door. "Hands on ya head." Gambit felt dizzy, but fought against it. The man yelled, and Gambit felt the gun in the back of his head. He did what he was told, looking back at Rogue and the thug. He was struggling carrying Rogue and those two weapons. As the smaller thug that held the gun to Gambit's head led him out he tried to think of an idea to get out of the gun in the back of his neck. It'd have to be something fast so he could knock the biggest thug off his feet and get Rogue away from him. "Move." Came the gun holding thugs voice. Gambit moved outside and just as they reached the steps, spun around, kicking the thug off his feet.

Seeing the biggest thug coming out the doors with Rogue back over his shoulder again, the knife in the hand he was using to hold Rogue on his shoulder and the gun back in his hand, he kept low and out of the guns range. Seeing a chase, he upper cut the thug and watched him fall back, dropping Rogue. Gambit grinned as he moved towards Rogue's still unconscious body. But before he could reach her, he felt a bullet through the top of his shoulder which sent him falling to the floor in pain next to Rogue. As he cringed back the pain, he tried reaching over to Rogue, but felt more than two pair of hands on him, pulling him up and holding him back.

"There here, let's move now! Garth, move your backside now!" Came a thugs yell.

The biggest thug scrambled to pick rogue up, dropping his gun and knife, he made a run for the helicopter. Gambit tried to run after him and Rogue, but he was being pulled back and something hard hit him over the head, causing him to go give into the dizziness. "Move. Move. Move." Roared the voice.

XXXXX

Logan growled in the front of the van as he felt in his bones that something wasn't right. He could hear yelling. Yelling that wasn't Rogue's and it was coming from the institute. He couldn't see it yet, but he knew something was off.

"Scott, peg it." He growled.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it."

Scott listened to what Logan had said and speed forwards to the mansion gates. Then they saw it. There was a red helicopter in their yard and men in masks up loading a lanky figure into it. "What the-" Scott began."

"Drive!" Logan roared as he unleashed his claws.

"The gates."

"Go through them." Scott did as he was told and drove right into the gates, knocking them down. He drove over the grass and just as they made it close to the helicopter, it took up to the sky and flew off. Logan was out of the van and yelling, "no."

He'd ran up to where it was and jumped, trying to sink his claws into the metal, but he'd missed it. He watched it hopelessly as the door slammed shut. The other X-Men drove in and Jean came running up to Scott. "What happened?"

"Don't know. They were dragging someone into the helicopter."

"You don't think it was Rogue do you?" Jean asked.

"Of course it was Rogue. She was the only one left at the mansion. Scott shot. Use your eyes." Emma strolled up watching the helicopter, but now Jean's attention was on Emma.

As Joseph got out of the car he flew up into the air hearing Emma say it was Rogue in the helicopter. He flew close to where Storm was, but passed her. She was trying to stop the helicopter , by using her wind to bow it off track. Scott was trying to damage the helicopter by sending beams at the gliders. The helicopter had now gotten over the mansion walls. He would let it get that far, but not farer. Using his powers, he motioned his arms so that his hands in front of him moved a part. The helicopter began to rip in the middle, but it was slow. As men jumped from the helicopter using parachutes, Joseph ripped it the rest of the way open until he saw a small limp figure fall from the crack in the helicopter. But there was something wrapped around Rogue. This made Joseph stop and hesitate for a moment, making him lose focus of the helicopter, which fell into the forest and made a fire.

He didn't care about that though. As he flew closer to Rogue he noticed it was a male who had Rogue wrapped up safely in his arms, so he would take the hit instead of her when they hit the ground. Before Joseph could rip Rogue from him, a POOF of blue, grey and red smoke appeared in front of him and the furry blue mutant was gone with Rogue and that thug in less than second. Joseph looked back to the mansion grounds seeing the same cloud appear on the floor there and the X-Men move towards the three figures that now lay on the ground.

"Rogue...Wait is that...Gambit?" Kitty said gasping as the X-Men grew closer to them.

"No way." Kurt said. "What is he doin' vith my sister?"

Gambit still had a tight hold on Rogue's still body and had lost consciousness himself, finally relived to have the X-Men there to help.

Logan growled as he grabbed Gambit and pulled him up by his coat. Gambit's grip didn't loosen on Rogue, even when he was unconscious. "I don't know." He said. "But I'll find out." He raised his claws up, looking ready to use them.

"No Logan wait. Rogue's hurt."

Logan froze after hearing Jean's voice. The telepath moved closer to Rogue and motioned for Logan to lay them down gently. It was only then he noticed that Gambit still had a tight grip on Rogue and Rogue was bleeding heavily from her leg. "What happened?"

He asked, scared to move either of them at seeing how bad the blood was coming out. Logan, Jean and Hank moved closer to examine the bleeding of Rogue's leg. The thugs had attempted to wrap it up in bandages, but they had fallen to Rogue's ankle.

"It appears to be a bullet wound." Came Hanks voice. "A very serious bullet wound." Turning into the doctor he was, Hank picked up the bandage around Rogue's ankle and retired it around the hole where blood was coming from. Moving Rogue a little and struggling to release Gambit's grip on her, Logan and Kurt helped him pull Gambit off her. Logan growled at Gambit as Hank examined the rest of Rogue's body. He ordered the younger mutants to go fetch him his medical kit and a transporter.

"You're gonna greet ever havin' laid eyes on her Cajun." Wolverine said as he raised his claw just above Gambit's head.

"Wolverine." Came Storms thunderous voice. He looked up to see her and Joseph flying down to them. "Don't hurt him."

"Why?"

"Because I don't think he was working with the people who were kidnapping Rogue."

"Of course he was. He was on that helicopter too."

"Wolverine, the men I saw while looking through the windows of the helicopter were all dressed from he to toe in black. Gambit is not."

"So he didn't like the wardrobe. Be deal. He still pushed his luck by touching her."

"Logan. Enough. Something is not right here. None of this makes sense. Gambit did not use a helicopter to kidnap Rogue last time, and he didn't need hired help either."

"Well maybe this time he thought he'd need it after seeing how good of a fighter Rogue was."

"What if he knows information about these people who tried to kidnap Rogue. He could help us more alive than dead. And I believe that from the protective way he held Rogue while falling and even while on the ground, that he means her no harm. I believe Gambit is innocent in all of this and only tried to save Rogue from being taken in the first place."

"But why's he here? Why's he not back in New Orleans where we left him?"

"I do not know. I do not know who those men were who tried to kidnap Rogue either. But what I do know is that we need to get both Rogue and Gambit to the medical lab to heal. Why don't you go and see if you can track down the men in the forest. I need to put that fire out." Storm said as she raised herself from the ground. Logan growled, but knew she was right. Looking at the other X-Men he said, "Cyclopes, Frost, Joseph, and half pint, your with me. Find those thugs and being them back here."

"But-" Joseph began.

"You heard me Joseph. Now let's move." The X-Men ran back out the gate and into the forest. When Joseph looked back, he saw Jean, Kurt and Hank by Rogue's side. Jean eyes seemed to have widened in annoyance as she followed the X-Men leaving the mansion with her eyes. Kurt looked sad and worried as he held onto Rogue's hand and looked down into her eyes. But Hank turned to talk to him, "Go Joseph. Don't worry. She'll be perfectly fine with me."

Taking one final look at Rogue's pale face, he turned and left for the skies.