It was one week until the wedding, and Rogue was busy putting into motion all the plans Cordelia Hayes had made. She'd managed to avoid Remy since their confrontation at the mansion in front of Zander—mainly because she'd been avoiding the mansion almost entirely. If she was going to stop being an X-Man, then she might as well begin weaning herself from it.
Rogue was currently at yet another wedding dress alteration session. It seemed like every time she turned around, Mrs. Hayes was "suggesting" Rogue have something else done to the dress. Rogue looked down as the seamstress worked diligently. Sure, it wasn't exactly what she would've picked on her own for her wedding dress, but it was still nice.
She glanced up at the clock on the wall. She had to be at the mansion in forty-five minutes for the bridal shower her fellow X-Women were throwing for her. "Are you almost done?" Rogue asked. She was sick of having to act like a mannequin.
"Almost," the woman replied through the straight pins in her teeth. "Just a few more stitches."
Rogue tried to concentrate on something other than the agonizing process of creating what Cordelia Hayes believed to be the prefect wedding dress. She kept reminding herself that in only one week, the wedding would be over and Zander's mother would be out of her hair.
Rogue frowned. Who was she kidding? Zander's mother would bother them until the day she finally keeled over and died, and with Rogue's luck, that wouldn't be anytime soon. She figured a mother-in-law from hell was just another concession she'd have to make for being with Zander.
Rogue failed to notice how quickly those concessions were piling up.
*** *** ***
"What's all dis?" Gambit asked as he walked in on the mansion's female population obviously preparing for something.
"We're setting up for Rogue's bridal shower," Jean said. She stopped hanging streamers and turned around to face him. "Are you going to be okay with this being here?"
Gambit erected his best mental shields over his emotions and shrugged. "Sure? Why should I care? Most brides get a bridal shower, Rogue havin' one means not'in' t'me."
"Are you sure?" Jubilee asked.
"Oui." He went to the fridge and got a beer. "I'll be in de den if any of you ladies needs me."
Remy walked out of the kitchen and into the den. He fell back onto the couch, popped open his beer, and flipped on the television. Some sappy soap opera was on, with a man looking meaningfully into the mirror while his thoughts played in voiceover. Apparently, he'd disappeared only to return to find the love of his life in the arms of another man.
"Mon Dieu," Gambit muttered. "When did my life get t'be a soap opera?" He could suddenly see Rogue as one of the queens of daytime and he couldn't help but laugh. Maybe she'd have been well-suited for that career with her flair for over dramatizing everything.
He flipped the channel and found American Movie Classics playing Gone with the Wind yet again. In his mind, Rogue became Scarlet, with himself as Rhett Butler and Zander as Ashley. He shook his head and changed the channel again. He didn't want to have to think about Rogue.
Discovery Channel. That should be safe. What could the Discovery Channel possibly have to remind him of Rogue? They returned from commercial break to resume their special on—skunks? Remy groaned. The little white-striped animals were reminding him of Rogue's hair. He downed the rest of his beer in one gulp, then turned off the television. Apparently it was not helping him clear his mind one bit.
He got off the couch and decided he'd lock himself up in his room while Rogue was there, maybe play some solitaire or something. However, he apparently had terrible timing, since he walked into the main hall of the X-Mansion at almost the exact second Rogue came through the door.
*** *** ***
Rogue walked in and all but ran straight into Gambit. "Excuse me," she said softly as she moved past.
"Chére, wait…" Remy said.
Rogue turned around and felt all her long-buried emotions for Remy LeBeau come rushing to the surface. "What?"
"Wanted t'say I'm sorry for de way I acted 'round Zander. Dat wasn't right t'do to ya."
"It's all right," Rogue said, hoping her voice wasn't cracking. "I understand why you're upset with me."
Remy shook his head. "Non. Dat was de past. You've moved on, so should I. I don' need t'make ya feel guilty for somet'ing dat happen so long ago."
Rogue looked down. "But the way I treated you…I've never forgiven myself for that, Remy."
Remy took Rogue's chin in his hand and tilted her face so he could look her in the eyes. He could see her flush and hear her breath quicken at the contact. "You should forgive yourself, Chére. I forgave you 'long time ago."
"Even for Antarctica?"
"Oui."
"Why, Remy? You coulda died. I almost killed you…"
"Easy to forgive someone you love."
Rogue felt as if the world was spinning out of control. Remy's bare hand was touching her face and it would've been so easy to just lean up and kiss him. "Remy, I…"
He moved his hand back down to his side and took a step back. "Dey're waitin' for you in dere, Rogue."
She nodded, not trusting her ability to speak, then went into the kitchen.
*** *** ***
"Rogue, are you all right?" Storm asked as Rogue walked in.
"You look a little…pale," Psylocke added.
"I'm fine," Rogue lied. "It's just been a long day. This wedding has me running all over the place."
"Here, sit down," Jean said, pulling out a chair for her. "I'll get you some water."
Rogue sat down and a moment later took a floating glass of water from the air. "Thank you, Jean."
"So what exactly about this wedding has you so bent out of shape?" Jubilee asked. "I mean, I know they're hard—I sorta had one myself once*—but you look, well, terrible."
Rogue couldn't bring herself to admit that it was talking to Gambit that had gotten her so flustered, although she figured Jean and Betsy probably already knew. One of the things you get used to when you live with telepaths. "It's all these hoops I have to jump through to please Zander's mother," she said. After all, it was partially true. That was bothering her.
"I do not understand why you let her push you around," Storm said. "This is supposed to be a day in which all of your dreams come true—not hers."
"Want me to hit her with a psychic knife?" Betsy asked in a tone that made Rogue wonder if she was kidding or not. "I could make it look like natural causes."
"Betsy…" Jean warned.
Psylocke rolled her eyes.
"No, I think it'll be all right," Rogue said. "I keep telling myself if I can just hold on and get through this wedding, I'll be with Zander and everything will be fine."
"You're wedding day shouldn't look like a dark spot on the horizon, Rogue," Jean said.
Rogue sighed. "I know, and it doesn't, it's just…well, when it's over I can relax."
"Where are you guys going for your honeymoon?" Jubilee asked.
"Some expensive resort in the Caribbean," Rogue said.
"You don't know the name of it?" Betsy asked.
"Zander's dealing with all that."
"Hey, Rogue, I've been meaning to ask you," Jubilee began, "What are you going to do about the team? I mean, I know being married is going to keep you away a lot, but…"
"I'm quitting the X-Men."
The other women looked at her in shock. "What? You're leaving?" Betsy asked.
"Yes. Well, Zander thinks…we think…it would be for the best."
"Geez, Rogue, we're really gonna miss you around here," Jubilee said.
"I'm gonna miss y'all, too," Rogue said, "But this is what I have to do."
"Is it you who feels that way or Zander?" Jean asked.
"Both of us," Rogue answered, hoping Jean wasn't trying to probe past her surface thoughts.
Even without the aid of her telepathic abilities, Jean was unconvinced—as was everyone else in the room.
*** *** ***
Rogue was having a good time with her friends, but a glance at the clock told her she needed to be getting home. "It's late," she said, standing up. "Zander's probably wondering where I am."
"Didn't you tell him you were coming here?" Betsy asked.
"Yes, but he still worries when I'm gone a long time."
Jubilee stood up and gave Rogue a quick hug. "Thanks for coming by and hanging with us today," she said. "And I really wish you wouldn't leave."
Rogue smiled. "This coming from the girl who's been gone from here for—how many years has it been now?"
"Hey, I'm back," Jubilee said. "Besides, I was driven away."
"You were not," Jean said. "We just wanted what was best for you."
Jubilee smiled. "Really? Ask your husband about that. I think Scott got rid of me on purpose."
"Well, you did dye his hair bright green once…" Jean said.
"And pink another time," Betsy reminded her, stifling a giggle.
"I was young and rebellious!" Jubilee defended herself. "Besides, hot pink really is his color."
As the X-Men began their usual, friendly banter, Rogue wanted to leave even more. It only served to remind her how much she was going to miss them. "Well, I'm out of here. See y'all later," she said, moving towards the door. She barely paid any attention to the various "good-byes" that were thrown her way.
Remy was leaning against a column on the front porch, smoking a cigarette, when she walked outside. She'd been hoping to avoid him, but here he was, right in front of her again. He looked momentarily startled by her presence, but soon relaxed into his laid-back persona.
"Evenin', Chére."
"Hey, Remy."
"Enjoy de shower?"
"Yeah."
"Dey didn't give ya any presents?"
"They're already in my car." She pointed to his cigarette. "I wish you wouldn't smoke those things. They're so bad for you. I saw this special on Dateline the other night and it showed all the terrible things that are happening to your lungs right now and…"
Remy silenced her by snuffing out the cigarette. "Dat better?"
"Yeah. Would be even better if I knew you weren't going to light another one as soon as I left."
"Den don' leave an' I won't light anot'er one."
Rogue's pulse began to race at the thought of staying there with Gambit. "I…I can't. I have to get home to Zander."
"He got ya on a short leash already?"
Rogue's eyes narrowed at the insinuation that her fiancé would have control over her like that. "No, he just worries when I'm out too late. Zander lets me do what I want, Remy."
"Really? So he's okay wit' you bein' an X-Man den? After y'all get married?"
"I'm quitting the team after I get married," Rogue said.
"Zander tell ya t'do dat?"
"We discussed it, and we both think it's for the best."
"Dat don' sound like you, Rogue. De X-Men always been one of de most important thing in your life."
"You haven't seen me in three years, Remy," Rogue said. "People change."
"Oui, I guess dey do. Night, ma chérie," he said as he started to walk back into the mansion.
"Remy?" He stopped and turned to look at her. "Even if we can't be together anymore, I don't want to lose you completely. You were the best friend I ever had. Not having you around these past few years, well, it's been hard. Especially since I knew I was to blame for you leaving."
Remy shook his head. "Non. It was my decision to leave. An' it was a bad one at dat."
"Bad? How so?"
He moved over so close to her that they were almost touching. "I lost you."
"But the relationship we had. We fought so much and…"
"We were in love, Chére. You can't deny dat. Even wit' all the fightin', it was love."
"Deep love," Rogue said, almost in a whisper. "The kind that only comes once in a lifetime."
"You don' love Zander like dat?"
"It doesn't matter," she said, looking up and feeling as if his red-on-black eyes were seeing straight through to her soul. "What you and I had is part of the past."
"De past can repeat itself, y'know," Gambit said, reaching out to stroke her cheek, barely even touching her.
"Remy, we can't…Zander he…"
Gambit didn't wait around to hear what she was about to say about her fiancé. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her the way he'd always wanted to do: with no barriers, no fear of her powers—just passion. Rogue felt the fire in his lips and knew she would sink to her knees if he hadn't had a hand on her back to support her. She melted into the kiss, and everything else seemed to fade away around her.
But as Remy pulled away, reality hit her cold. "Remy…" Her voice went away as she began to cry, and she ran from the porch.
Remy leaned against the wall and lit another cigarette. "Merde."
*** *** ***
*Jubilee's almost-wedding is explained in my series "Back Where the Sun Can Find You." If you haven't read it, do. It has Rogue and Gambit. :-)
Okay, quick poll—who do you want Rogue to end up with, Gambit or Zander? Leave a review and let me know (along with any other comments you'd like to make…).