Recap: It's been a few days and Rogue thinks over what happened in the room with Gambit, Theo and Jean-Luc. Tante Mattie has brought her wedding magazines and Rogue keeps trying to remind herself that she's doing this for the X-Men and that thieves have been sent away to look for the X-Men now. Rogue leaves Tante and Merci to go wander around the house. She ends up bumbing into Gambit who she hasn't seen or heard of in a long time. He says he's got responsibilities now that he's been accepted back in the guild which keeps him busy. Gambit rushes passed Rogue when she asks if they can talk. Rogue continues on walking towards the gym where she finds Theo shirtless and realises that she's marrying a hunk. Theo guesses that Rogue's worrying about her family again. He offers to go down to New York to look for them himself. While he's talking to her, he has gloves on and is gently touching her face and back to comfort her. Theo says he's go later on that night after the ball. Rogue is confused about the ball. Theo tells her the assassins and thieves have something to tell everyone and that he guessed she didn't know because he was told and they're seen as a couple already now so he should have told her, but he didn't realise and he's sorry. Rogue tells him it doesn't matter. Once Theo leaves her in the gym she feels cold now his hands are gone. Later, Merci has helped Rogue get dressed but Rogue notices there is something off with Merci. Theo comes and they go down to the ball room which is full of dancing people. Theo and Rogue get seperated. Rogue is about to fall when Gambit catches her. She can smell the alcohol on his breath but when he asks her to dance, she does. The song ends and they stop dancing. A woman comes and takes Gambit away. Theo comes to Rogue with drinks. Before Rogue can say anything to Theo, Jean-Luc announces Gambit and Belladonna (the woman who dragged him off the dance floor before) were going to be married. Rogue goes into shock, but then Jean-Luc puts the spot light on her and Theo, annouching their wedding will be before Gambit's and Belladonna's. Theo whispers into Rogue's ear to smile and wave. Rogue sucks it up and does as Theo tells her and faces the thieves who come at her with questions about their relationship. At the table where the kings, princes and princess of the thieves and assassins sit, Merci has a go at Gambit for not telling Rogue before the ball that he was marrying Belladonna. She blames him for putting her up on stage while she's already hurting from losing her family and having to marry a man she doesn't love so she can find them and now she also has to smile and wave while her hearts just been broken by his father annouching that he is marrying Belladonna. Gambit says he can't change anything and if anyones to blame, it's Jean-Luc. Merci agrees, but tells him to grow up and stop hurting Rogue more. Gambit downs his drink. After the party, Rogue cries in her room. Gambit sneaks in. Rogue is mad at him, refusing to listen to himbut when Gambit starts crying she listens to him try and justify himself. He's very drunk and hints that he doesn't love Bella and the woman he does is marrying someone else. Rogue ends up breaking down with Gambit and they fall asleep together.

Chapter 23

Rogue felt calm again at last. So calm that her nightmares seemed to just faded away. All her fears of losing her friend gone and she was just left alone in her mind, with that purple cloud still hanging over her. It was amazing how much she'd almost forgotten about that cloud because of everything that has been going on and her thoughts being on other things. But it was still always there. Rogue wondered if she could do it again. In her mind, she wondered if she could enter the cloud and face whatever was in their waiting for her.

Rogue flew up into the purple cloud, feeling something like an electrical current shook her.

Rogue jolted in her sleep. Gambit had half woke up, inspecting the room for danger, but when there was none, he pulled her closer into his chest as she pulled away. Gambit blinked once more as he tried to figure out what had disturbed him, but all he could see was Rogue was asleep. The tired side of him pulled more at his conscious though, and he pulled closer to Rogue, willing this new feeling of a sort of jump scare fear to smooth and just be calm and steady.

Rogue felt calm and steady wash over her as she kept moving up into the purple cloud. Atlas, she was sure she came to a stop (some sort of floor in the cloud). "Professor." Rogue called out, remembering last time she had managed to communicate with the Professor. She felt saddened and dragged down by the flash memory of Logan yelling at her for keeping it her crazy little secret, but again felt a wave of calm come over her. The walls of the purple cloud started to shake and get a little wild as thy did before when she tried this. "Professor." Rogue yelled out, visualising the Professor locked in chains like the last time she saw him. the clouds got more and more violent, until, they parted sideways once again and struggling to reach out to her was the Professor's psych. Rogue for for him, reaching out and grasping his hand.

she was almost happy to see the icky rainbow colours inside the Professor's head.

"Rogue." Cried out he Professor.

Rogue spun around where she was and smiled largely. "Professor." She cried out, running towards him and greeting him by wrapping him up in a hug. The Professor seemed a little taken back by this, but he wrapped his arms lightly around Rogue too.

"Oh God Professor. Things have gotten worse. Much, much worse since tha last time I saw ya."

"I know Rogue." Said the Professor, gravelly.

Rogue pulled back to look at the Professor, a little shocked and suprized to hear him say that. "You... You what?"

"I know Rogue. Me and Magnus or no longer the only one's in the prison."

Rogue's bottom lip started to tremble."W-What do you mean?"

"The Brotherhood are here with us."

"What?" Rogue said, absolutely shocked at this piece of news, but at the same time finding some little relief in knowing where the Brotherhood were and that they were all together.

"Yes Rogue. They are here with us. Not in the same cell as us, but we know they are here with us in one of the other cells. They all tell me that they were attacked by vampires." The Professor said, sounding rather sceptical about that word.

Rogue nodded her head,closing her eyes as she tried to ready herself to face the Professor. "Yeah. They got it pretty much right there. I...Me and Kurt... We ran inta them back at the Brotherhood house." Again Rogue was coming to tears.

"Rogue, what's happened?" Rogue wipe her tears away as she started to explain.

"It' all ma fault Professor. I knew stuff, information that I shoulda told Logan and the others and now, now they're..." Rogue gasped a sob.

"Rogue?-"

"Professor they're gone! They're gone and I don't know where they are! The last I saw of 'em-... Oh God. Oh God, we we in the Morlock tunnels." This time Rogue really couldn't help it. She couldn't stop the tears or the break down. Rogue had been strong, keeping her face held high and toughing things out at first, but now as times gone on, nothings changed but only got worse and more friends had been lost because of her mistakes, she just couldn't take it. Rogue fell to her knees ashamed. Ashamed even to be crying like this now when it was the Professor who was in prison most likely being tortured with the others. That was all her fault too.

"Rogue, you need to pull yourself together." Said the Professor, getting down on one knee besides her as she'd fell to the floor on her knees crying. It was the harshest she'd ever heard the Professor speak to her and it got her attention. Rogue tried to stop crying, but as she looked up into the Professor's eyes, she really didn't want to tell him about the Morlocks. Or anything going on out side of the prison. If she felt lost with no hope, how could the man and people relying on her depend on her? "Rogue." Th Professor said in a gentle voice, with soft blue eyes that made you want to do what ever it was he told you to do."Tell me." He said.

Rogue wished she hadn't opened her mouth, but the truth was she needed help and guidance and the Professor was the only one she knew who she had contact with who could instruct her an help her. "Professor the Morlocks are dead." Rogue said bluntly, needing to rip I of like a bandage. The Professor looked confused at first. Taken back, not expecting that. "What?" He asked.

Rogue nodded her head. "They're dead Professor. The Morlocks, they-... I had a vision of Kitty and Pete gettin' attacked by vampires, like they said they were. I saw them get attacked from the vampires point of view. Then when the X-Men got there 'cause I warned them, we got Kitty and Pete safe, but the Brotherhood were gone. I'm kinda glad though that they're there with you."

"Because now it tells us that the same person who lured me and Magneto into a trap is the someone working with these Vampires. But Rogue, tell me about the Morlocks! Evan, is he OK? Were there survivors? What happened?"

"Not long after Kitty an Pete got taken, Storm got attacked too... Professor, I'm really scared."

"Why Rogue? What off? How's this got to do with the Morlocks?" The Professor asked, starting to sound like he was getting angry and annoyed. It was kinda scary seeing the Professor lose his cool. If the Professor was mad and/or scared, then there was definitely something majorly wrong.

"I-I-I kept seein' people getting attacked by the vampire's point of view... Storm was visitin' Evan and the Morlocks, tryna get them ta came stay with us at the mansion because she was scared for their safety. They said no 'n' as soon as she stepped outside, she got attacked by vampires. Evan and the Morlocks tried protecting her and managed to get her safe. We... We thought that the Morlocks were safe and could be left alone because they were hidden underground and the vampires couldn't or wouldn't go underground. Storm came back home with us, but... Professor, we get a call from a little girl named Sarah... She was the only survivor."

"What happened to the morlocks Rogue?"

Rogue shuck her head from side to side. "We don't know Professor. Someone attacked them and killed them all. Evan was with the X-Men at the time, but... Professor, there was so much blood and so bodies every where... Me and Logan had ta pile them up and leave them till we could go back ta give em all a real grave...The only reason I could help him was because of Magneto's memories. But Professor." Rogue closed her eyes again and let a tear slip down her face. "I was an idiot."

"What did you do Rogue?" The Professor said forcing her to look at him with in a commanding voice. Though it was hard to mask the Professor's upset as he spoke to her.

"I-I made Kurt teleport us to the Brotherhood house when we were suppose ta be lookin' for survivors. W-We meet Destiny there. S-s-she told m-m-me that she could't tell me where yo were. S-S-She id the people who attacked Morlocks we not the vampires, b-b-ut they work for the same person. The person who tried to kidnap me. Who tried kidnapping Storm. The person who tricked you and Magneto. the person behind the vampire attacks they're all connected to ...she talked about g-gambit and j-joseph...said they both had secrets and were both going to hurt me but that they didn't want to and were both being controlled... I don't understand what she means by controlled, but they both hurt me Professor." Rogue said, another tear falling down her face.-

"Does this have anything to do with what's going on now Rogue?"

It did, but at the same time rogue didn't want to go into detail about boy troubles. "Y-Yes, kinda. J-Joseph, he... He betrayed me Professor. Kurt, Irene, everyone tried to warn me but I didn't listen. Just before Irene left, me and Kurt got attacked by Vampires. Kurt, he got hurt. I absorbed his powers, got him away from them as fast as I could. I went to the tunnels to try and find the X-Men, but they were gone, then I went to the mansion and... oh God, the mansion. Professor, the mansion got blown up... While the younger mutants were still in it."

"What!" Yelled the Professor.

Rogue had gone still and quiet. She felt the same guilt and self loathing she'd been feeling all this time as every day passed and there was still no word on any survivors. Rogue found herself absolutly repeating this.

"The thieves... They haven't found any survivors..."

"Professor, what the heck is going on back in Bayvillie?" The Professor said, shaking her harshly to get her attention and to make her look at him instead of looking blank and lost. Rogue was almost scared to see this scared, angry side of the Professor. It was really scary. "Where are they Rogue?" He said again, shaking her.

Rogue shuck her head from side to side; no. "I don't know."

"You don't know. Rogue, what else haven't you told me? What..."

"Joseph attacked me Professor." Rogue said quietly, a single tear trailing down her check again. The Professor was still. He wanted to tell her he had no time for her love life, but he needed to try and remain calm so she could try and tell him what was happening to his students. "He attacked me and hurt me pretty badly... I got away using Kurt's powers, but... I couldn't get over to Kurt to take him with me... I ran Professor. I was badly hurt and fading in and out and I just thought of Gambit and that one time he kidnapped me. I ended up on a train to New Orleans, found Gambit's brother who helped me find Gambit... And now they won't let me leave."

"Rogue."

"I had to make an agreement with them Professor. The thieves... I had to promise ta marry one of them ta get them to help me look for the other X-Men Professor. Rogue shuck her head. "I was still recovering from the damage Joseph had done to me. 'Course that didn't stop me. I woulda been outta that door and back down to Bayvillie in a second if i could have... But Jean-Luc wouldn't let me leave... He said that I know too much now. He gave me three options and I chose the weddin' one... I've got a load trained thieves down their tracking down the X-Men, but they haven't found anything yet. I-I told 'em all the places they might go, but they still haven't found 'em yet... Professor... I'm so scared they're-..." Rogue couldn't complete that.

The Professor dropped his hands from Rogue's side. Defeat willing him too. Rogue felt so terrible that she just hated that she felt so bad. Her she was feeling sorry for herself, when all she seemed to be doing was just messing up at eveything she did. Like now, she'd just taken the hope away from the Professor. A tortured man locked in a prison where she didn''t even know where he was.

Then, the Professor suddenly looked up to her and asked, "Did Destiny say anything else?"

Rogue looked puzzled for a moment as she tried to think if Destiny did say anything else..." Yeah... She did. She said... She said that the Vampires... They wanted me. They wanted me alive and captive so they could bargin' with me to their boss who controls them because they want their freedom. Irene had started saying be wary and careful of the Vampires, but trust them which made no sense, but if they want me... Professor, if they want me, I could give myself to them and they could take me to where your being held and-"

"No Rogue!" Said the Professor strongly.

Rogue was taken aback by this. "B-But Professor-"

"No, Rogue, you need to find the other X-Men." Rogue felt herself deflate as he said that.

"P-Professor-"

"I don't believe they're gone Rogue and you shouldn't either. I'm dissapointed that you have given up fair in the X-Men so quickly and easily." Rogue felt stung, but she supposed she deserved it. "Rogue, you have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and start getting back out there. You need to escape the thieves Rogue. Your too young to marry anyway and I do not give my concent. You may be old enough, but you still live under my roof. Well, you know what I mean." Rogue attempted to giggle, but it didn't come out right and made thinks a little awkward. "Have Gambit get you out of there. I'm sure he is there with you at the thieves guild isn't he?"

"Y-yes, b-but Professor, he's getting married."

"As dreadfully sad I am for you and for what I m about to say right now, this does need to be said. Right now there are bigger things going on other than your love life Rouge."

"I-I know that Professor, I just-"

"I'm sorry Gambit is getting married to another woman, I persum as you didn't say you were getting married to him. I'm sorry Joseph betreyed you Rogue, which I still don't fully understand why he did, but you need to let it go Rogue and move on. You may feel bad now, but if theres a small chance the X-Men are still alive, which I believe they are, then you won't just feel bad if they die,you will hate yourself and resent every single living minute until the day you die. You have to find and reform the X-Men Rogue. I'm counting on you. Magnus and the Brotherhood are counting on you. The X-Men are counting on you. You know more about what's going on right now than anybody. You have to take control and become a leader."

"L-leader?"

"Yes Rogue. Others will help you, but for now you must keep structuring people around you. You ordered the thieves to find the x-men and told them where to look. That was an order Rogue. You made choices and destions. You didn't waste time in making them by sacrificing yourself because you believe or realise that that was the best call. Everything you've done already with the thieves, you were leading them to reform the X-Men. Then Rogue, you'll led them to find me. You already know how you can get to me, but you need a plan on how the others will find us. Do you understand me Rogue."

Rogue nodded her head. "Y-Yes Professor."

"Good girl." Said the Professor.

"Professor." Rogue said.

"Yes." Said the Professor, looking tired and slightly ill. "I'm sorry." Rogue said.

The Professor nodded his head in away that told her he accepted her apology. "It is fine Rogue. Everyone has there down, now you just have to pick yourself up, sneak away from the thieves and find the X-Men. Everything else you'll be able to figure out yourself. Go now Rogue. Oh, Rogue?"

"Yes?" Rogue said.

"How are you able to communicate with me? Did you figure that out?" Rogue tried to think why her mind had been clear enough to talk to the Professor. "Errr." she said. "I... I was upset I found out..." Rogue went silent. "Gambit comforted me."

"Did he comfort you the last time we spoke like this?"

"I... Yeah! Yes he did! He did! He was holding me like he is now."

The Professor raised an eyebrow at this, and Rogue felt slightly embarresed at how much she had opened up to the Professor about her feelings and love life.

"I must say Rogue, I do find it stranger your sharing a bed with anyone considering your condition and fear over the littlest touch. As she sleeping with a man who's engaged to another-"

"Errr, we aren't sleeping together!" Rogue said making that clear. She didn't want the Professor getting any ideas. But apparently he wasn't thinking like that.

"Yes well. Something about having Gambit,errr, close to you when you sleep helps you communicate better with me. Try again soon, sleeping besides Gambit and see if you can reach me again."

Rogue nodded her head. "I will do Professor. Oh and Professor."

"Yes Rogue."

"I will get you out."

"I know you will Rogue."

And with that Rogue felt the Professor's mind

XXXXX

Rogue woke up that next morning in Gambit's arms feeling as if it had just been a few mintues of her talking to the Professor. Rogue forgot all logic of how she should have been questioning why she and Gambit slept beside each other last night when they were both engaged, but Rogue was more interested in forfilling what the Professor had told her to do.

"Remy, Remy wake up." Gambit was up instantly, questioning what was wrong. "We gotta go back to Bayvillie Remy. I gotta find the X-Men now."

"Cher." Gambit said, rubbing his eyes as he put his head back down on the pillow and went to cuddle up to it. Rogue was up though, and finding clothes for the day. "Theodor's tryin' his best ta find 'em cher."

"I know how to find the Professor." Rogue said in her long rant.

"What?" Gambit said, sitting up when he heard this. That's right the Professor and magneto had both gone missing. "You know where they are?"

"No, but I know a way we can find 'em."

"Rogue-" Gambit tried, not seeing how she could know.

"Listen Gambit, I get that I'm engaged to Theo and you Bell, but right now isn't the time. I can't just sit around and let others go find ma friends. I'm an X-Men and I should be out there lookin' for em. I should know where they are and when I do find them, we're gonna make a plan ta not only get the Professor back, but Magneto, the Brotherhood and the lot of em."

"Rogue." Gambit said, sitting up concerned that Rogue was not accepting reality that the X-Men might be dead. "You don't know if you'll find them." Gambit said, trying not to hurt her.

"They have to be alive Gambit. Don't you see? He wants them for experiments?"

"Who wants what?"

"I don't know who he is, but I know he's the man who tried ta get me kidnapped. The man who's sent out his Vampires to kill human beings to feed on and collect mutants that he can experiment on. And he's the man who ordered the Morlock's death."

Gambit swollowed hard at that. He didn't know how Rogue suddenly knew that this had all been Sinister's plan, but he hoped to God that she would never find out about what he did. He couldn't stomach thinking about it himself. Gambit kicked the bed sheets off him and sat at the edge of the bed, feeling like he might just throw up. They hadn't really talked since Rogue arrived here. There had just been so much getting in the way, but he remembered one of the other reasons why he wanted to avoid her. She knew he was with the Morlocks at the time of the attack. He ddin't want to be questioned about that.

"You OK?" Rogue asked looking concerned.

Gambit nodded his head as he saw Rogue had frozen in picking out her clothes to wear for the day. She nodded her head, then turned and went into the bathroom to quickly change into them. "Don't go anywhere." She said before closing the door behind her.

Gambit's head was pounding and not just from the disterbing wake up call he got this morning. He must have been hung over. How much did he have to drink last night,...? And why was he sleeping next to Rogue. Gambit tried to think what was happening. Rogue said he was engaged to Bella. Belladonna. The engament part had been last night. He must have felt bad on Rogue and come to see her... But he was avoiding her for reasons he'd been reminded of just that morning and he'd been distracting himself from something else just so he was busy enough not to see her). But, Rogue seemed almost cheery this morning. Had he said something last night to make her this way? If he had then he defeantly knew they hadn't talked about the Morlocks... He wondered if he told her how he felt?

Rogue reapeared a few moments later, dressed in denim jeans and a green jumper that went over a long black sleeved top. Rogue had just left her hair down looking a bit wild and frezzy and she put boots on to complete her dress. "Listen Remy, I know we've got weddings to go to" Rogue said, looking slightly gloomy as she said it, "But there are other things at the moment that are more important than weddings. I know the thieves won't let me leave without marrying Theodor, but Remy I gotta get outta here now and find ma friends. You got out of here once. I know you can do it again. I need ya ta help me Remy. I need ya ta get me outta here now."

Gambit rubbed between his nose and eyes. "Rogue, Theo's trying-"

"The more people who try the more likely we are to find em."

"You've not thought about this-"

"But I have! Me and the Professor came up with the plan last night."

"The Professor?"

"Yeah, the Professor. Oh, you don't know. Do you remmeber that one time we feel asleep together back in the mansion, just before Kitty and Pete got attacked."

"Oui." Gambit said.

"Well, just before that I... I went inta that purple cloud in my head. YOu know the one I've been telling yu about."

"Oui"

"Right, well, I entered it and I found the Professor there. Well, I think it was his psych, but it gave me a dirct mind link to the actual Professor. Now i'vee been tryin' ta do that again and again, but the only difference last night was you were here and because you were touchin' meh, I got to see the Professor. SOmething about you calms me when I'm in my mind and I'm able to think straight and talk to the Professor."

"So... Yu talked to the Professor?" Gambit ssaid, thinking it was too early to actually be taking any of this in.

"Yes. Last night. I told him... everything." Gambit didn't like that everything. "Everything... Told him about the Morlocks, losing Kurt, Kitty and Pete. About Storms attack and the X-Men dissapering... But the great thing about the Professor was he put me on track. He told me I gotta go back to Bayville and get away from the theieves. Remy I can barely breath alone here. I gotta get out so that I can do the next stage of the plan and find the Professor."

"You said you know where he is."

"Yeah, well sorta. I know how to get to him, but-"

"-it can't be here." Interrupted Gambit.

"Well, yeah." Rogue said, feeling herself deflat at Gambit's attitude. "I have to go back Remy. You will help me, won't you?"

Gambit stood up from the bed, shadows from his hair hiding his eyes. But Rogue could tell from how he hung his shoulders he was neglecting her. "I got Bell ta think of now Rogue. A weddin' I gotta plan and two guilds I gotta stop fighting."

"Remy."

"I can't help you Rogue." Rogue felt as if she'd just been stabbed in the heart. Gambit, the one person she had wanted to trust to help her wasn't going to help her. WHy did she think she could ever trust him. Hadn't she lived and learnt from this already?

"Gambit." Rogue said strongly, but coldly.

Gambit stopped where he was just about to turn the door handle. "There's guards out that way. Maybe you should find another way out si your future widfe to be doesn't think you that unfaithful already." Rogue said bitterly, turning on her heel and heading back into the bathroom to put her make-up on.

Gambit sighed as he moved towards the window. He saw thieves down there two and knew he'd have to be fast to get out without them noticing. He did though and when Rogue did comeback out of the bathroom, she was all alone.

XXXXX

Gambit walked around the grounds for a bit to clear his head. The guilt he had just wouldn't subside. She didn't know about him and the Morlocks, he'd figured. If she did then she would have been shocked, outraged, disguested and questioned him. But she didn't. This was killing him. The guilt was eating away at him. He'd cost the lives of hundreds of people just for his own selfish self and now he couldn't even admit what he was. Couldn't even tell the woman who's friends he killed that it was him who killed them. Could barely look her in the eye anymore or stand to be in the same room with her. He wasn't just a selfish sonovabitch, but he was a coward and prefectic. His life wasn't worth living in comparision to those who had died in the tunnels. What the hell could he do to make any of this right? Nothing, that was the answer.

Gambit was just about to reenter the mansion when Henri pulled up in a car. Henri jumped out and ran towards his brother, walking in with him as they entered through the main door.

"Remy, where'd you dissapear to last night? Bell be mighty peaved you just dissapeared. She's gonna-... Remy, you alright?"

"I'm fine Henri." Gambit said. He'd forgotten all about Belladonna. Another problem he'd have to face most likely in an hour or so when she tracked him down. He'd have to think up an excuse to why he left so suddenly.

Henri clasped his hand on Gambit's shoulder. "Don't worry moi frere. De be some good news today which'll cheer dat little spitfire southern bell ami of yours."

Gambit raised his head at this and looked towards his brother questionally. "What you talkin' about Henri?"

"Theo, he called dis mornin'. They found where de X-Men are hiding. Back in the wreckage of their mansion in the underground parts that weren't destoryed by the explotion. Theo's said though that he don't know if to approach 'em or so, so he wants me ta speak ta Rogue and figure out what she wants... But-"

"Your gonna have to go through Jean-Luc." Gambit said with a bitter sourness to his own voice. "He won't let her leave. If anythin' he'll put her in chains ta make sure she does stay... You can't tell 'im Herni!"

"What?" HEnri said.

Gambit pulled his Brother to the side and began whispering. "Look Henri, Rogue needs ta get back ta the X-Men. I don't think she'll go against her word of marryin' Theo, but she's got more important things than a wedding ta go to... We both have. The X-Men, they took me in and helped me out no questions asked. I gotta go help em Henri, and Rogue needs to be back with her family. 'member, if it weren't for her, then we'd be short of a family member ourselfes. Onea the best things Jean-Luc could do for her which she did for us is ta send her back ta her family like she did with us after she saved us from the rippers."

"Remy, ya really gonna make me lie for ya?"

"Please Henri. I'll have Rogue outta here within de hour, just hold off for a couple a more hours so I can get the girl outta New Orleans, please Henri. For her sack."

Henri frowned, but nodded his head. "Oui, ya got three hours mo frere. Go now."

Gambit nodded and sped off. Just as he was heading up the stairs to Rogue's room, however, Belladonna was there waiting.

"Where tha heck have you been Remy? Where tha hell did you go last night?" Bella screached.

Gambit's mind went blank. He hadn't thought of an excuse to tell her.

"Oh Bell." Came a female voice from behind her. "How foolish of me. I dragged de boy ta de kitchens ta help me scare way some rats 'fore anyone learnt they were there. He was a total life saver last night Bell, but de poor boy got caught up in 'elpin' moi with de washing up and tours like de good boy he is." Said Tante from behind Bella. "I'll tell you now Bell, dis man you marryin', he be one of de handest men around. Oh, spekin' of bein' handy, Merci wanted ta see ya Remy. She be in 'ere room, she said it was urgent."

Gambit nodded his head, sending silent thanks to Tante for always seeing to be in the right place at the right time, doing and saying all the right things. Gambit wasn't heading for MEcri's room though. Instead, he was heading for Rogues.

But he bumped into MErci anyway.

"Remy, what you think your doin'?" She snapped.

"I gotta go see Rogue, Merci."

"She ain't 'ere Remy."

"What?" Gambit said, spinning around on the spot to look at Merci. "She's gone."