DISCLAIMER: I'm too tired to come up with anything witty. It's late, I'm tired, and my hands are frozen. THE X-MEN AREN'T MINE!

Raven flicked open the curtain, and peered down at the street below. She could see the boy Remy walking along the pavement. As she watched, he crossed the street, dodging across traffic, and causing many drivers to honk their horns at him, or shout rude slang. He seemed to ignore them, and disappeared around the corner as he slid his sunglasses on.

Raven closed the curtain again, and turned around. Rogue, her daughter was resting on her bed, chest rising shallowly with each breath. Though not her child biologically, Rogue fit the part well, and Raven was more worried about her than she cared to let show. Checking one last time to make sure that she was all right, Raven left Rogue in blissful unconsciousness, and walked down the hallway to Destiny's room, crumpling the paper with Remy's hotel details on it into a pocket of her jeans.

The musty chamber was kept dark at all times, and Raven felt dust in the room tickling the inside of her nose and the back of her throat. Irene sat in an old fashioned red armchair in the corner of the room, cane in her lap. Her dark glasses shadowed her eyes, making it impossible for Raven to tell if she was awake or not.

Raven was about to leave, when Destiny spoke up, her voice sounding like wind through dry grass. "Don't just stand there Raven. Come in. Oh, and do drop whatever form you have chosen for yourself at the moment."

Raven shivered slightly, but complied. As she sat down in a creaky rocker, she allowed the lines of her body to shift and flow to their usual

angles. Wrinkled tan skin darkened to blue scales. Long grey-blonde hair shrank, and turned copper red, and ice blue eyes turned a brilliant amber.

"Why didn't you go help out Rogue when the boy was calling?" Raven- or Mystique- asked bluntly. "I was on the phone in the kitchen, and I still heard that little rodent calling for help. You are much closer."

Irene smiled faintly. "And who were you on the phone too? Maybe it's a good thing I interrupted your call."

Raven's head, which had been lowered so she could stare at the floor, jerked up. Did Irene somehow know that she had been talking to the creature known as Sinister? With a sinking sensation, Raven realised that yes, she probably did.

"Why do you not want me to dispose of him?" The blue-skinned mutant asked the elderly woman in frost of her. "We both know that he's not good for her! You have to know that he'll break her heart."

Irene was silent for a moment. "We both know he's not good for her? Or do you alone think he's not good for her? Raven, did Rogue seem happy to see him?"

Raven thought for a moment. In her mind, she saw Rogue crying, before throwing herself into his arms. She saw the look of contentment on the face of Remy's face, while he held her tightly. And she knew that Rogue wasn't just happy to see him- she was overjoyed.

She didn't say anything though, and Irene smiled a satisfied smile. "That's your answer. Now, the choice is up to you. You can call back whomever you were on the phone too...or you can just let it go."

Raven stood up, hearing the piece of paper in her pocket crackle. She hated it when Irene did things like this to her. She expected Raven to make the right choice- but Raven herself didn't know what was right.

Quietly, she left Destiny's room, and headed back to the kitchen. The blue mutant stared at the phone in it's cradle. What should she do? Leave it, or do something?

She sat down at the kitchen table, and pondered. Raven knew that Rogue would probably be heartbroken if anything should happen to that swine she seemed to care so much for. But Raven was in the position of a mother. So, she did what any concerned mother would have done for her child- she went for help to destroy the threat.

Smoothing out the piece of paper, Raven picked up the phone, and hit the 'redial' button. While it rang, she told herself over and over that she was doing it for Rogue, and that the young woman would thank her for it one day. But Raven knew deep down that she was deceiving herself. And she didn't care.

~~~~~

Rogue stirred slightly, and her eyelids fluttered open. Her room was dark, except for a sliver of moonlight which crept through the gap between the curtains. For a moment, she was confused as to why it was so late, and why she was fully clothed. Then, slowly, the events of the day filtered back to her.

"Remy!" she cried softly, sitting upright too quickly. She felt the blood drain from her head, and was momentarily dizzy. The feeling quickly passed though, and she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, and stood up.

She gasped with pain, as the dull ache in her side once again blossomed. But it wasn't the excruciating agony which had plagued her earlier in the day, and for that, Rogue was extremely grateful.

"Oh Remy." She whispered to the dark room. "Ah'll never see you again, will Ah?"

The room didn't answer. Trying to dismiss the sadness that grew from deep within her body, Rogue took a tentative stepped forward, and winced as once again, her side twinged in protest. Taking a deep breath Rogue employed the flight powers of Carol Danvers, whom she had fully absorbed not too long ago. The strength was easy to forget about, but Rogue felt guilty every time she thought of taking to the sky. She hovered slightly above the ground, remembering, then flew out of her room.

The lights were still on in the small apartment, and after a quick trip to the bathroom, Rogue flew down the stairs to the kitchen in search of food and a glass of water. There, she found the reason the lights were still on.

Raven had her head on the table, and was sleeping soundly. A cup of long cold coffee was beside her limp hand. Rogue smiled fondly, and was about to shake her awake, when she saw the piece of familiar looking paper just underneath Raven's head.

Frowning, Rogue gently tugged at the piece of her own stationary with unfamiliar-hand writing on it. It was horribly crumpled, and Rogue's eyes widened as she read the text.

BELNORD HOTEL

207/209 WEST 87TH STREET

A hotel address! Rogue's heart soared. When she had woken up, she had been almost certain that Remy was long gone, and that she would never seen him again. It appeared though, that he had left an address for her. Maybe he wasn't gone for good.

Clutching the paper tightly in her hand, she flew back upstairs to her room. She threw open the curtains, letting the moonlight wash over her, and turn her white streak silver, before opening the window so violently she nearly tore it off, and flying out. Rogue knew that Raven wouldn't like it, but she had to see him again. She couldn't bear the thought of not seeing him just once more. Deal with Momma later. she told herself firmly, before soaring off towards 87TH Street.

~~~~~

The cool night air whipped her hair back, and the cold stars, glittering like diamonds in the sky, illuminated Rogue's face as she gently touched down to the ground. Her eyes glittered with excitement, as she looked up at the white building with the dark blue awning towering over her, and for a moment she forgot all about her mutation, and her cancer. Rogue was just a normal girl, in search of the man she cared for.

Walking up the steps, she pushed open the door, and walked into the lobby. While reasonably clean, the hotel was obviously a cheap one, with it's tough, thin carpet, and faded curtains. The man in the blue plaid shirt behind the desk leered at her.

"Well, hi there pretty one. What might you be looking for?" The mousy looking man said, grinning up at her in a way he no doubt thought was charming.

Rogue swallowed the lump that had grown in her throat, and tried not to look too disgusted. "Well, hi, uh...Ah'm lookin' for someone, I think he's stayin' here? Name of Remy LeBeau?"

Disappointment flickered across the tiny man's face, and he began flicking through the pages of the large book on the desk in front of him, deliberately covering it so that Rogue couldn't see the contents. "Umm...Nope, can't say that we do!" The man said, self-satisfaction in his voice. "So, darling, how about us going out some time?" He winked at her.

Rogue's green eyes narrowed. She was almost certain that he was lying. "No, Ah don't think that'd be a good idea." she said coolly, letting loathing creep into her voice. Spinning on one heel, she walked out back onto the street.

Once outside again, she looked up at the building, frowning. She would just have to check each room to see where Remy was. Floating up into the air, she began a window-by-window search of all rooms that didn't have the curtains drawn. Just as she was about to give up, and acknowledge that maybe the man in the lobby had been telling the truth, she found him.

His room was on the third floor, with the curtains nearly drawn fully. Rogue almost bypassed the room, before she noticed the crack between the folds of fabric. Checking quickly, she gasped in delight.

Remy was fast asleep tossing and turning on the simple beige bed. He was frowning, an expression that was almost swallowed by the blackness permeating most of the room. Red lights played across his face occasionally, cast by the digital numbers of the clock, blinking 1:17.

Rogue tapped the window lightly, and carefully, so as not to accidentally smash it with the extra strength she had absorbed along with flight. Remy stirred again, but showed no sign of waking up.

Sighing in annoyance, she tapped it harder, and the window made a slight cracking sound. A star of broken glass formed from the point where her finger had tapped it, and Rogue winced slightly. It had down the trick though. Remy bolted upright, looking instantly alert, and his red on black eyes gazed around the room.

"Who's dere?" He demanded, in a voice so soft that Rogue had trouble hearing it through the glass. She tapped the window again, and a few shards fell out, making a soft tinkling sound as they shattered against the window sill.

In one smooth, graceful movement, Remy stood up, and moved over to the window. He opened the curtains, and blinked in shock at the site of Rogue hovering outside. "Chere? What are you doing 'ere? And flyin' outside my window, no less?"

Rogue smiled at him. Before Remy had showed up earlier that day, Rogue hadn't smiled for years. The sensation of it across her face still felt odd, as did the warmth spreading from inside her. Amazing how much a person could change in a few hours. "Mind lettin' me inside, Swamp Rat?"

Remy's eyes lit up at the mention of the name she had called him so many years earlier, on the banks of the Mississippi. He hastily opened the window, and Rogue flew in, alighting gently on the floor.

"Ah hope you don't mind me showin' up so early in the morning-" Rogue began, before she was cut off by Remy sweeping her up into a hug. "Remy!"

"Remy don't mind at all that you came ta visit." He whispered, and Rogue felt his breath warm against her neck. It made her hair brush against her cheek, tickling it, and Rogue shuddered involuntarily.

"Please, let me go..." Rogue pleaded, voice trailing off. She didn't want him to let go! She knew it was a potential risk though, and she wriggled slightly. "Please!"

He let go of her, and Rogue could see reluctance written on every feature of his face. And hurt. A wave of guilt washed over her for causing that look on him. "Ah'm sorry."

The red in his eyes shone in the darkness, and Rogue shivered at the pain in them. "Why you keep pushin' me away, chere? After so long, I t'ought you'd be 'appy to see me. Seems I was wrong though."

Rogue could feel her mouth drop open in shock. "No! Don't think that way, shugah! Ah haven't been so happy for years now. Ah'm just afraid of hurting you."

Hope flitted across his face. "Well, how 'bout you let Remy look after himself, 'stead of you doin' it for him?"

She ducked her head, so he wouldn't be able to see the joy that she knew was on her face. It was so tempting to take up his offer, after so many years of worrying! Rogue knew she should turn him down, but her mouth refused to work, and Remy seemed to take it upon himself to make up her mind for her.

Remy wrapped his long arms around her, and Rogue buried her face in his shoulder. The heat from his body warmed her, and for the first time since she had received her powers, Rogue didn't feel cold inside. She could feel the stubble across his face grazing hers, and it was so close to actually touching his skin, she began to weep from the simple pleasure of it.

He whispered soothing words to her, and stroked the back of her head. After what seemed like an eternity, Rogue let go of herself, and for a few moments stopped caring about hurting him, or anyone else. She had decided to share her burden with others, rather than bearing it herself all the time, and it felt good.

So, she let him hold her, and simply enjoyed it.

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Now for the great long list of thankyous- before I begin though, I should warn you all that I won't be typing any more on this for a little while. I have lost my inspiration. So, I have decided to go on a quest for it. I may type up and post stories that I have had lying around, but I won't be writing. Please don't yell at me! I'm sure that my creativity will return! Ok, now on to the thankyous:

Maergrethe: *blushes* Thankyou so much for all your lovely comments! I try really hard to make my stories original.

Rogue Runaway: I have gone on, and written more!

Inuki: I'm mean? Maybe a little, lol. I was dropped on my head as a baby, and it turned me into the evil creature that is now plaguing fanfiction.net

V: Glad you like the cancer thing. I know it's angsty enough that Rogue can't touch anyone, but I thought that was getting a little old- I needed another reason for people to feel sorry for her. :) Oh, I'm a horrible person...

zeo: Yes, it was brutal. I feel terrible for it. I had a chuckle over your comment about Mystique. She is a lovely person, isn't she?

sugarhonie: Aww...you thought it was sweet....mesa feelin' so loved now...lol.

Izzy Lover: I wrote more! Please don't cry! (I myself only discovered the Caps button a little while ago. Marvelous invention, isn't it? :) )

magnolia: *blushes some more* I don't know how you got the impression that I'm modest. Mostly I'm an arrogant bitch, hehe. Glad you're liking it!

nikki: I'll see what I can do about that happy ending. I haven't really decided what I'm going to have happen yet, though I do have a vague mental image.

Thief: I am having HEAPS of fun with the cancer. Aren't I sadistic?

Blimey the Toad: I don't mind at all that you didn't review the first chapter, (die, Watch Dog, die!) I'm just thrilled that you like it.

aydenn: Thankyou sooooo much! I do try to put heaps of detail in, cause as I write I have this really clear mental image. Sometimes my brain disagrees with me when it comes to writing the images down and sharing them with you all though...

Sunhawk: Lo! A happy and angst-filled ending? Is that even possible?

lbdee: I still haven't decided what's going to happen to Rogue. She may die, but I may decide just to end it with her dying and not actually dead...(did that sentence make any sense at all?)

Disturbed Courtney: I'm trying really hard to make it a story that people will look forward to reading more of. Encouraged by your review, I have just begun reading Friends of Humanity, and so far, I think it's great.

Tammy: You said that the story was just getting interesting...sorry that this is such a nothing chapter, and not interesting at all, but it had to be written.

Rupeshwari: Beautiful? I wouldn't go that far. There are far better stories than mine out there. But thanks for the encouraging comment. :)

MErsh: I am typing really fast. I think my fingers nearly fell of for this one, lol...until I ran outta inspiration. Then they slowed down a bit.

Noir Star: Mystique is horrible, isn't she? I tried to give her an excuse for her behaviour, but there really is no excusing it when it comes between Rogue and Remy.

pj: Better than sex? LOL!!! There's a comment I've never gotten before! And I can't believe I made someone cry over a story of mine. I feel guilty now, lol.

Laura Night: Well, Sinister isn't here yet. But he will be, I promise! And the X-Men may make an appearance...I haven't really decided yet.

britt: Thanks, I wouldn't call it wonderful, but...*shrugs* whatever. If you think it's wonderful, that's great with me, I love compliments on my writing, hehe. Darn my arrogance!

CG: I love thickening plots. And plot devices. Lol, I can be a real idiot sometimes...

Mara Kraus: Erm, I'm not quite sure what to say to you. I know! I'm glad that you like it. (Gee, wasn't that creative?)

Joanna: The idea for cancer sprung out of the depths of my evil, cruel, terrible mind. After I got the idea, I found a form of cancer that was highly unpredictable, and voila! An evil plot twist!

Ok, that's everyone. You people are all wonderful, and I hope that you like this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it- before my blasted creativity abandoned me.