Rogue sat in a chair in the living room, looking at Zander as he watched the news. He'd told her he'd been worried about her when she'd stayed out later than he'd thought she was going to, and then had pulled her into his arms and kissed her, telling her how glad he was she was home.
Rogue didn't feel as if she were home. She was in Zander's apartment. She sighed as she watched him, knowing that she better make the place seem like home to her pretty soon, since after the wedding she'd be moving in officially. And in a couple of years, they'd be buying a house together outside the city so they could raise a family.
Rogue reached up and touched her lips, her mind comparing Zander's kiss to Remy's. In the few times in the past when she and Gambit had been able to kiss, there had always been something there that she didn't remember ever feeling with Zander. She'd decided it was because whenever she'd been able to kiss Remy it had been under some sort of strange circumstance. The thrill of the moment must've been what gave the kisses so much passion. She told herself that was all it had been this time, too. She hadn't seen Remy for years and here he was, finally able to touch her. That, combined with the forbidden nature of a kiss shared with someone other than her fiancé must have been what made it affect Rogue the way it had.
That had to be all it was.
She looked back over at Zander. He was concentrating on the news, not even as much as glancing up at Rogue. She wondered why he'd even cared about how long she'd been gone. He certainly wasn't paying her any attention now. She got up from the chair and sat beside him. He still stared ahead at the television. She moved closer to him and put her hand on his leg. He shifted slightly, but that was it. She slid over until she was right beside him, wrapping her arm around his and resting her head on his chest. He looked over at her. "Do you need something?"
She kissed him on the cheek. "I haven't seen you all day," she said. "I've missed you."
He slipped his arm out from hers. "I'm watching the news right now, darling. We can talk when it's over."
Rogue slid to the other side of the couch, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting. She knew if she'd stayed with Remy that night he would've been paying attention to her. She sighed. That wasn't fair to Zander, she realized. He didn't know all that was going through her head, didn't know why she was suddenly desperate for his affection. And so what if Remy would've been there for her that night? What about the next night and the night after that? If she left Zander to go back to Remy, how soon would it be until they fell back into their pattern of constant fights and break-ups? At least with Zander she had stability.
Rogue tried to make herself forget what it had been like to kiss Gambit. She'd made her decision, and she knew it was the right thing to do.
*** *** ***
Cordelia Hayes decided that she needed to throw an engagement party even though the schedule of events between Rogue and Zander's announcement of their engagement and the actually date of the ceremony made it so the first available opportunity to throw such a party was three days before the wedding. Zander had said it wasn't necessary, but Mrs. Hayes had gone on about how socially-unacceptable that was until she'd finally gotten her way.
When the day came, Rogue was running around the party, doing her best to behave in a way befitting the fiancé of a man in Zander's position—talking politely to his friends, and smiling to the point that her cheeks hurt.
"Rogue's not acting like herself," Jubilee commented to Bobby Drake.
Bobby shook his head. "Nope. She hasn't punched anyone through a wall all night."
"Come on, Bobby, I'm trying to be serious," Jubilee said, although the corners of her lips were turning up in a small smile. "The way she's behaving, it's like she's trying to be someone else."
"Probably trying to fit in with this crowd," Bobby said. "I've been to parties held at Frost Enterprises that were less stiff than this."
"Aren't weddings supposed to be happy occasions?" Jubilee asked.
"Apparently not when three-fourths of the guests have sticks up their asses bigger than that one Scott's always trying to walk around with."
"Is Rogue really happy with him?"
Bobby shrugged. "I guess. She says she is. And she seemed happy until a few weeks ago. Maybe the stress of the fact that the wedding's so close is getting to her."
"Maybe she's still in love with Gambit," Jubilee suggested.
"I hope not," Bobby said with a groan. "Never liked that guy."
"You were just jealous."
"Huh?"
"Oh, don't play dumb, Robert. You know you wanted Rogue."
"So do you think she's making a mistake marrying Zander?" Bobby asked.
"I don't know," Jubilee replied. "I've been trying to figure it out myself. I think she could be content with him, it's just—something's missing."
"And you think that something has red eyes and tends to wear a brown duster?"
Jubilee laughed. "It very well may."
As much as he didn't like Remy, Bobby didn't much like the idea of Rogue being unhappy either. "So what do we do?"
"Nothing, I'm afraid," Jubilee said. "We can't make Rogue's decisions for her. If this is the wrong thing for her to do, she'll figure it out on her own eventually."
Bobby looked back over at Rogue as she laughed charmingly at something one of Zander's brothers said. "If that's the case, I just hope she signed a good prenup."
*** *** ***
Everyone in the mansion except for Remy had gone to Rogue's engagement party. The last thing he wanted to have to do was spend all night watching Rogue on Zander's arm.
And the more he thought about it, Gambit realized he didn't want to have to watch Zander with Rogue at all. He didn't even want to think about it. He knew he still loved Rogue, and her being with another man was more than Gambit could handle.
Remy had come back to the mansion in an attempt to win back Rogue's heart. So why was he staying now? He'd lost her, and there was no way to get them back to where they used to be. He had to move on with his life, maybe even find someone else to love. Nothing remained at the mansion to hold him there.
He planned to be gone before anyone of the others returned.
*** *** ***
Rogue felt exhausted as she tried to keep the guests happy. She knew she better get used to this, since as Zander's wife she'd probably be doing a good bit of entertaining.
Still, she needed some fresh air. She was on her way out to the back for a breather when she passed the living room and heard Zander's mother and his sister, Monica, talking.
"I don't know why you're letting Zander marry that woman, Mother. She's obviously beneath him."
"I know, dear, but Zander's smitten. There's no way I could convince him not to marry her."
"You said before you thought it was just a physical attraction," Monica said. "Do you still believe that?"
"I don't know," Mrs. Hayes replied. "I believe that hussy may have actually gotten more of a hold on Zander than that by now. Pity, too. She'll probably raise my grandchildren to be trash."
"Only thing that would be wrong with my children would be they might get the bitch gene you obviously have and passed on to your daughter, Cordelia."
Zander's mother and sister turned around to see Rogue standing in the doorway, glaring. "What did you just say to us?" Mrs. Hayes asked.
"I called y'all a couple of bitches," Rogue said. "Although I don't know why you'd give a damn about the opinion of a trashy hussy."
"You have no right to talk to my mother that way," Monica said.
"I have as much right to as she does to say those things about me."
"No you don't! You're in no way equal to us."
"Zander doesn't seem to agree," Rogue said.
"If he was thinking clearly, he would," Mrs. Hayes said. "He would see the same as I do that you're nothing but a two-bit hooker with a terrible dye job."
As Rogue's fist impacted with her face, Mrs. Hayes learned why you do not insult a woman with super strength. "My hair ain't dyed."
Monica screamed, bring a crowd into the room. Zander ran to the front and knelt in front of his mother. "What happened?"
"She hit her," Monica said, pointing to Rogue.
Mrs. Hayes took hold of Zander's hand. "She just attacked me," she said weakly. "It was completely unprovoked, I…"
"You lyin', manipulative, bitch," Rogue spat. "After the way you've been treatin' me, you're lucky all I did was hit ya."
"Rogue!" Zander snapped. "I can't believe you've done this. Apologize to her right now! It's the least you can do."
"No way in hell I'm apologizin' to her, Zander. I'm not sorry."
"What has gotten into you?" Zander asked. "This isn't like you at all."
"Yes it is," Rogue said. "And I'm sick an' tired of doin' what you want all the time. I don't wanna leave my friends, I don't wanna be your perfect little housewife, and I really don't wanna have to put up with that thing ya call a mother."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm sayin' that I don't want to do this anymore! This ain't me. Never has been, never will be. Find some other poor soul to put up with ya for the rest of her life." She took off her ring, threw it to the ground in front of him, and stormed off.
"Well," Bobby said after watching the scene, "looks like we have Rogue back."
*** *** ***
Rogue ran out of the building and took to the skies. She didn't need stability—she needed Remy. If she flew fast enough, she'd be at the mansion in minutes. As soon as she was there, she'd find Remy and confess to him that she still loved him—even if it led to rejection. She couldn't live the rest of her life without at least attempting to win Gambit back. She still loved him and knew she always would.
When she got to the mansion, Rogue found it dark and empty. "Remy?" she called. "Remy, are ya here?" She looked around, all the while calling his name. Rogue started to panic. He hadn't been at the engagement party, and Jubilee had said that he'd decided to stay alone at the mansion. So why wasn't he there?
She ran up the stairs to the living quarters, hoping maybe she'd find him in his room. She was on the way down the hall when she saw something beside her own door. There lay a single white rose with a note under it. She bent down and picked them up, reading the note.
Je t'aime tout le temps, ma chére.*
"No," Rogue said, hoping the note and the rose didn't mean what she thought they did. He couldn't leave, not now when they were so close to being together. She ran down to the garage, hoping to find him there, but she was too late. His motorcycle was gone. Rogue felt a sense of defeat wash over her. It was over, and she had lost Remy forever.
*** *** ***
Rogue walked into the mansion and heard the phone ring. She darted over to it, wondering if maybe luck was on her side and it was Remy.
"Hello?"
Rogue's mouth grew dry and she didn't respond. "Hello, is anyone there?" the person on the other line of the phone repeated.
"Yeah, Zander, I'm here."
"Rogue, I have to talk to you. Please, darling, just hear me out."
Rogue sighed. "I'm listening."
*** *** ***
*Translation: "I love you forever, my sweet."
Okay, the next part is the conclusion. Almost to the end! Let me know what you thought of this chapter… (No death threats, please.)