Hi Everyone, This is an Alternate X-Men story that I thought up in my head one day, really! (yes, I know that it is scary =) All characteristics are kept the same, just the plot has been changes. Once again, I do not own the X-Men and am making no money on this story. I hope that you enjoy it.
"…" – Speaking
'…' – Thought
…/*** - Scene change
Here on Earth
Cynic X
The news once again reported on mutant crimes. Humans were always the victims, while most of the time it was the mutants. There was a war going on, and the sides were clear, crystal clear. If you weren't part of the human race you had to be destroyed. Many fought valiantly to try and stop this war, but progress was slow and mostly regressive. What one could not understand, they feared, and things that were feared were destroyed…
"Professor, did you ever think that maybe you are fighting a losing battle? I've been here for five years, and have yet to see any improvement. Humanity is still targeting mutants for everything that's wrong with the world, and improvement is no where in sight. I'm not saying to give up on your dream, but maybe try to attack the problem from a different angle." Rogue said with as much confidence as she could. The X-Men had just gotten done holding a meeting, where they were discussing the future, not just what was going to happen to the world, but the X-Men itself. Many of their comrades had fallen in the battle that just claimed the lives of many on both sides of the war. Now, those that remained wanted to make decisions so that action could be taken. Not to just act upon violence, but to make decisions so that action in the right direction could take place, instead of sitting and waiting for peace to be resolved by itself. Rogue was cursing the fates right now that she was the one chosen to break the news to the Professor.
After hearing what she had to say, he turned his face into a menacing scowl and yelled, "If we don't see eye to eye, then you have no place being here."
She stood at the door shocked. She had put her blood, sweat and tears into this team, into his "dream" and that is how he reacts to a comment about his so-called "quest".
"That's not what I meant!" she cried.
"Then what exactly do you mean? If you don't like it here, not one is forcing you to stay!" The professor said with venom in his voice.
"I trusted you, I thought you genuinely cared for all of us, what happened?" Rogue asked.
"Nothing happened, now please leave, or I will have you removed."
'Fine then.' She thought as she turned the knob of the study's door. 'A girl should know when she is not wanted. He told me to leave and that is exactly what I am doing.' She rounded the corner and went back into the briefing room where the remaining X-Men were. Storm, Wolverine, Gambit were the first to approach her as she entered the room.
"So, what happened?" Wolverine asked, as he extinguished his cigar.
"He refuses to hear us." Rogue said, as she tried to push the tears back from her eyes. 'There is no way that I am going to shed tears over that bastard' she thought.
"What do you mean Rogue?" Storm asked with concern.
"He told me to get the hell out, and that is just what Ah'm doing. Look, if you don't believe me, go ask him yourself, and see if you get a different answer." Rogue said as she exited.
"Rogue, please calm down. Maybe he isn't feeling himself today. We should go and try to talk with him more diplomatically." Storm said as she placed a hand on her friends' shoulder. Rogue shifted away from her.
"No way. You should have heard the things he said in there. I'm leaving and I'm not coming back. I was here for six years, six years damn it!" She said as she threw up her arms. "He said he would help me try to control my powers, and he never made a single attempt to do that. Hell, he wouldn't even take time out to try, and not once did I say anything. I followed him faithfully and now, now when I finally speak up and voice our opinions, my opinion, he tells me to leave. Fine, I'm out of here, and I hope he rots in hell." Rogue said as tears streamed down her face, as she ran out the door.
"Rogue wait!" Gambit yelled after her, but she was too angry to hear his plead for her to come back.
*****
'I don't know where I'm going to go, but I am not going to stay here.' Rogue said as she threw clothes into a duffel bag, not even checking to see which ones they were. 'Remy, I'm going to miss you the most. I just hope you can forgive me. Please, let us met again someday.' She silently prayed as she laid the note on her end table with his name clearly printed on the envelope. With one last look at the room she called home for years, she floated out of her window for the last time, and ascended into the star filled night sky. Turning one last time to look back at the school, and then flying with all the speed she had so she could get as far away as possible before she lost her nerve to do so. 'That's it then.' She thought after the school became a dot on the horizon. 'That chapter is closing and a new one beginning.'
Two years later…
"Ugh…Mah feet hurt." Rogue said, as she kicked her shoes into the corner near her door, as she entered her small apartment. She turned on the lights, and proceeded to change out of her waitress uniform. It had been a busy night, and the fact that it was raining, didn't help. She went to get a towel to dry her hair from the short walk home. She turned on the TV to listen to the news as she got ready for bed. They were talking about more anti-mutant riots that recently took place, and that got her thinking about what had happened.
It had been two years, two years since she had left the X-Men, and went out on her own. In reality, she went home. Back down south to Mississippi. At first it had been difficult. No one wanted to keep in touch with the "Rogue X-Man" that went against Xavier's rules. Storm would write her every once in a while, and keep her posted on the news at the mansion. Turns out that right after Rogue left, Remy left too. No one knows where he went, just that they all woke up one morning, and he was gone. No note…nothing. After a couple more months, the team did break up. Xavier had gone completely crazy, and everyone got fed up and went their own ways. 'It's a shame' she thought, as she took off her shirt, 'that the worlds only hope for peace wasn't strong enough to over come their own personal differences.' She put on her pants, and started to brush her hair. 'Ah wonder what did happen to Remy. Ah heard that he went back to Nawlins, I hope he didn't get mixed up in all that trouble again.' She heard a noise at the window, and peered through the curtains. The rain was pouring like mad now, and she was glad that she was safe inside, but someone wasn't as lucky. As the lightening flashed across the sky, she could make out a dark figure in the rain.
"Mah Gawd, someone is out there in this weather!" Rogue cried as she continued to pear through the open window. 'There is something familiar about that stance' Rogue thought as she continued to watch the solitary figure, unmoving. After another flash of lightening, the sky went black, until it was once again illuminated, and in that short interval, the figure slipped from the spot it once occupied to a sprawled heap on the wet ground.
"Ah have to help that person, they just collapsed on the street." Rogue said, as she ran to the door, grabbing a pair of gloves on her way out. Sure, she tried to live as a normal person, hell she even dyed the white streak out of her hair, but her powers still remained, and as long as they remained, she could never truly forget who she was.
Talking the steps two at a time, she raced out of the building, and threw the door open as the rain pelted her face. She ran with all she could, curing the fact that she couldn't fly in public until she reached the figure, who was face down.
"Hey, come on, you have to get up!" Rogue screamed above the sound of thunder, but the figure wouldn't move. Sensing that the situation was getting worse, Rogue, with one last look at the sight before her, gathered the person up, and flew with all her might back through the side door of the building.
'Hope no one saw that' Rogue said, as she brushed her wet hair out of her face with the back of her hand. She still had no idea of who the person was in her arms, but decided that her warm apartment was better than lying face down in the street. She quietly climbed the stairs back up, and opened her door. She placed the sopping wet figure on the couch and decided to see who this person really was. This in fact was a task in itself, since they were wearing a huge jacket, that covered them from head to toe, but as Rogue peeled off the hood, she gasped.
"Remy!"
She felt sick to her stomach. 'What is wrong? Why did he sudden try to find me?' She though, as she tried to take him out of his wet clothes, knowing that if he stayed in the condition he was, he would catch hypothermia. 'What am ah going to do? He looks like he is half-dead! Please Remy, open those eyes so ah know that everything is alright.' Rogue prayed silently, as she tried to make him more comfortable. Minutes passed, and nothing changed. Remy still failed to come to consciousness, while Rogue kept a vigil over him. Rogue gazed over at the man that was her heart's affection. Had that felling changed in the years that past? Hardly. He was still as perfect as when she saw him last. "Ah should of kept in contact with him, Gawd knows ah wanted too, but ah was just too damn stubborn! And now if he dies here Ah'll feel awful!" Rogue tried to choke back the tears that were forming in her throat. Her mind was filled with all the things she should have done and said, that she failed to notice him slowly open his eyes.
"Chere" Remy said hoarsely, as he tried to sit up.
"Remy! You're okay!" Rogue said as she threw her arms around him, thanking who ever was up there that he was okay.
"Remy's always going to be okay," He said, as he lifted her chin to meet his eyes with his gloved hands.
"Ah don't know swap rat, you had me scared there for awhile, Ah was afraid Ah was going to lose you." Rogue said, as she tried to hide her tear stained eyes.
"Chere, don't worry about that now, Gambit fine see." Remy said with a smile.
"What evah you say sugah, hey, what are you doing here anyway, how did ya find me?" Rogue asked, with confusion.
"My heart lead me to you" Remy said as he pointed to his chest.
"You never learn do ya Remy? Really how?" Rogue asked, this time seriously.
"You see, that is actually a long story." Remy said, his face falling, as he looked down. "Remy just had to see you again." He said, as he smiled at her.
"Always the charmer." Rogue laughed, as she stood up. "Can Ah get you anything Remy?"
'You can give me everything Chere, if you just let me in.' He thought sadly, and tried not to let the emotion show on his face. "No, I'm fine. So, how's your life been these last couple of years?" he asked, as he looked around her apartment.
"Not bad, I mean working as a waitress is not what I always dreamed of as a profession, but it pays the bills. Other than that, it's been real quiet. How 'bout you?" She asked.
"Well, after de X-men broke up, I moved back to Nawlins." Remy said.
"Back to the guild?" Rogue asked sadly.
"Yeah, I had no place else to go, but I wish I didn't" Remy said, looking down.
"Well, how did you wind up here then sugah?" Rogue asked, trying to lighten the mood.
"I came because I have to tell you something." Remy said, looking back up and into her dark green eyes.
"What is it, is something wrong?" She asked worriedly.
"No, I have to tell you something that I should have told you a long time ago, but never really meant it until now. Rogue…I love you, I always have and I always will."
"…Remy…Ah…Ah love you too, with all mah heart." She said as tears started to fall, while she embraced him. He wrapped his arms around her, as he placed his head on her hair, regretting ever having to move from this position. 'I'm going to miss her so much.' He thought, as he broke the embrace.
"I have to go Rogue." Remy said, as she started to move towards the door.
"But Remy, you just got here!" Rogue called as she followed after him.
"Rogue please…I love you, and that's all that matters." He said, as he took her hand, and careful kissed her on her lips. For two brief seconds, it was heaven, until he made a dash for the door, and was out of her life, leaving her wondering how he did that, and if she was ever going to see him again.
Two weeks later…
"Howdy Y'all what can ah get ya…Storm!" Rogue said, as she looked up from her pad.
"Hello Rogue, I didn't expect to see you here." Storm said with a smile, as she stood up to give her friends a hug.
"Yeah, well a girl has to made a living some how." Rogue said with a smile.
"Agreed. How long has it been since we last saw each other?" Storm asked sadly.
"Too long" Rogue said as her head dropped. "Hey, I'm off in a few minutes, wanna go someplace and talk? You know, catch up on old times?" Rogue asked hopefully.
"I'd love too, it has been too long." Storm said with a smile.
"Great, give me five minutes, I'll meet ya outside." Rogue said as she raced back to finish off her orders and punch out.
….
"So Storm, how have you been?" Rogue asked, as the two walked down the street. It was a sunny afternoon, and a warm breeze cooled the air.
"As well as cane be expected." Storm said with a smile, as she brushed a strand of white hair behind her ear.
"Yeah, Ah can relate to that." Rogue said with a smile. "So, have you been in contact with any of the other X-Men?"
"Actually, yes, I have been. Just recently, Scott and Jean wrote me to inform me that the reason why the Professor was acting so strange. He was possessed by the Shadow King!" Storm said.
"Really, maybe that was why he was such a jerk when Ah talked to him." Rogue said with a frown.
"Most likely. They were able to purge him from his mind. They say he is back to normal, and…he wants us to come back and form the team once again." Storm said hoping Rogue would get the hint.
"You mean, that is why you tracked me down, and why you came here?" Rogue asked with confusion.
"Yes, even though all of us won't be coming back, Scott and Jean want to gather as many of us as possible." Storm said, sadly heavy in her voice.
"What do ya mean, all of us won't be coming back, do we have a choice in the matter?" Rogue asked with sarcasm.
"No, some of us don't. Haven't you heard what happened to Remy?" Storm asked as a tear threatened to fall from her eye.
"Yeah, he was just here two weeks ago. He went back to Nawlins, that came as a big surprise." Rogue said as she rolled here eyes.
"Rogue, what are you talking about. Remy could not have been here." Storm said frantically.
"Hey, 'Roro, I know what Ah saw, and he was in mah apartment after I carried him in out of the rain." Rogue said.
"Rogue stop! Remy's dead!" Storm cried as tears stained her face.
"Dead, that is a good one, really, what's the matter?" Rogue asked with a laugh.
"Rogue he is dead, I don't know who you saw, but he has been dead almost six months now. He was killed by a member of the thieves guild, something about him betraying his own kind." Storm said softly, as the tears fell.
Rogue didn't say anything, refusing to acknowledge what she just said. 'It doesn't make sense. I know what Ah saw. How could he be dead? Remy…gone…Ah won't believe it.'
"Storm, did you go to the funeral?" Rogue asked, as she tried to come to an understanding with the situation.
"No, no one did. They buried him in an unmarked grave. The only time we found out was when he tried to search for him with Cerebro. His mutant signature wasn't showing up anywhere on the face of the Earth. So the Professor had us try and find him, and after a couple of weeks of searching, we met up with a member of the thieves and he told us that Remy had died. Please Rogue, you have to believe me, I am not lying. Remy was one of my dearest friends, I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy."
"All right sugah, Ah believe you." Rogue said as she turned away. 'Ah must be crazy then, who the heck did Ah see the other night?'
"So…Rogue will you be joining us?" Storm asked as hope shown in her eyes.
"Ah don't know…It went down pretty bad with the Professor." Rogue said as she dug her hands in her pockets.
"That is all in the past. Please, you are one of our most valued members and will be a great asset to the team." Storm said.
"How can Ah say no to that." Rogue said as she tried to muster a smile, an act that was almost futile after she heard the news about Remy. "Ah still can't believe he won't be coming back." She said as she tried to brush away the tears that were forming.
"He will always be in our hearts Rogue." Storm said as she took her friend's gloved hand.
"Ah know that, but Ah can't believe that when we go back, he won't be there. No more Danger Room sessions, no more fighting, no more on again off again relationship. What am Ah going to do without him Storm?" Rogue asked as tears stained her face.
"You will move on…It is what he would have wanted." Storm said as she tried to form a smile through tears of her own.
"It'll never be the same again." Rogue said softly.
"Sometimes life happens Rogue, and we have no control over it. Never forget that he is still with us, as a member of the team, and as a friend. He sees what we do, and is with us when we succeed and when we fail."
"Ah should have told him." Rogue whispered to herself softly as she looked towards the sky.
"Come, let us go." Storm said, taking Rogue's hand.
….
One week later at the Mansion in Westchester NY
"It's so good to see you again Rogue." Jean said with a smile as she went to huge her friends.
"It's good to see you too Jean, and Scott." Rogue said as she returned the smile.
"I'm glad you have decided to rejoin the team. The Professor is extremely sorry about what happened, but as Storm told you, it wasn't him that said those words to you." Jean said as she put her hand on Rogue's shoulder.
"Ah know." Rogue said as she tried to smile. 'There are just too many memories here. This really wasn't such a good idea.' Rogue thought, as memories of her and Remy filled her mind.
"Let's get you settled in." Jean said as she walked with Rogue into the huge house.
"Okay." Rogue said as she followed her, up the stairs, and down the hall to her old room. 'Wow, even after two years, the place is exactly like Ah left it.' Rogue thought as she entered her room.
"We'll be having diner tonight, when the Professor will address us all. You know the normal routine, Danger Room session in the morning. See you later." Jean said as she exited the room and walked down the hall.
'Some things never change, do they?' Rogue thought as she sat on her bed. 'If mah room is still the same, Ah wonder if Remy's is too? Probably not. They know what happened. Most likely they cleared it out.' She thought cynically. 'It's a shame that when we die, everything that we were is stuffed into a small box and placed out of sight so that no one will be hurt by the though that were gone.'
"Well, Ah guess Ah'll have to make myself at home, seeing that Ah decided to come back, I'm gonna have to make the best of it." She said out loud with a sign, as she went around straightening and arranging her room.
….
At diner that night, the Professor addressed the group, which was indeed small. Normally the team at one time could consist of anywhere from eight to twelve members at one, and they were luck if there was six of them sitting around the table now. 'Guess people move on with their lives.' Rogue thought as she examined the group. As Jean had said, the Professor stated that he was happy that they came back, and made it a point to apologize to Rogue. He stated his regrets that Gambit was no longer with them, and that he would not be forgotten, which made Rogue laugh to herself. Afterwards, Cyclops told them that they would still have Danger Room sessions and missions when they would be needed to keep peace between mutants and humans. All together, the whole thing was dreadfully boring, and it took every ounce of strength Rogue had not to fall asleep where she sat. When it was done, Rogue decided to go back to her room, and turn in early, so that she would be up to the Danger Room session in the morning.
"Ah'm beat." Rogue said with a yawn, as she laid down on her bed and shut her light. She thought she would fall right to sleep, since she was so tired, but sleep would not come. She didn't know how long she laid their staring at the ceiling. Maybe it was the fact that she wasn't in her normal bed, but this had been her room, and she should feel comfortable in it! She tossed and turned until her eyes caught the picture that was wedged between her dresser and her mirror. 'What is that?' Rogue thought as she tossed off the covered and walked over to the picture. 'Ah didn't notice it before when Ah was straightening up, could Ah have missed it?' She smiled as she looked at the picture. It was one of her and Remy the summer before she left. He had his arms around her as they sat on the front porch, big smiles on both of their faces. 'We were so happy then. Why do somethings have to change?' she thought sadly as she traced his face, which was illuminated by the moonlight coming in through her open window.
'Ah miss him so much.' Rogue thought as a tear slide down her check. You would think that after two years of not seeing him, she wouldn't feel this way, but in those two years, she had been lying to herself. She had pushed all thoughts of him out of her mind, because it was too painful that she couldn't see him. She kept herself occupied so she didn't think about him. She had pretended that she didn't care, but she did. 'Ah lost two years when Ah could have been with him.' She thought as more tears stained her face. 'Why, why Remy did you have to leave me?' An idea hit her. She silently made her way down the hall and into the men's wing of the mansion. 'Please…oh please.' She prayed silently as she carefully walked past closed doors, until she stood outside her destination. She slowly turned the doorknob, and let out a sigh of relief. 'It's still the same' she thought with a smile as she entered his room. In the dark, she could still make out the objects in the room. 'It still smells like him' she smiled happily, as she laid down on his bed, and looked at the moon through the window.
…
Rogue awoke with a yawn, as she stretched her arms out. 'What the?' She asked to herself, as she looked around the room, and realized it wasn't her own. 'Ah remember now. Ah couldn't sleep, so I went to Remy's old room, and feel asleep in it.' She thought, as she gazed out the window and gasped. The dark night was staring to be illuminated by color, showing that dawn was approaching. 'Ah should leave.' She thought as she got off his bed. Taking one last look around the room, she quietly walked back to hers, glad that no one was up at this hour, to avoid unwanted questions of what she was doing in his room. She opened her door, and laid down on her bed. 'Guess Ah'll just lay her until mah alarm clock goes off.' She thought as she once again went back to her routine of starting at the ceiling. When the alarm did go off, she got her uniform, and went down the hall to take a shower, and to make her way down stairs for breakfast, and then for her Danger Room session.
…
'Ow…Ah hurt all over.' Rogue said with a moan as she exited the Danger Room. The workout had been one of the hardest she had ever done, most likely because she wasn't in perfect fighting condition like she had been. She had tried to block out the memories of Remy, by trying to keep her mind focused on doing the best she could, but it became harder and harder as the session wore on. All she wanted to do now was to stager her way back to her room, get changed and zone out in front of the TV. The rest of the day passed pretty much uneventful, as most of the X-Men tried to keep their minds off the silence and emptiness of the mansion. That night, once again, Rogue found herself silently walking into Remy's room.
"Why do Ah keep doing this?" She whispered to herself. 'Ah should be stronger; am stronger than this. Then why does it hurt so much?' She thought silently as a tear made its way down her face. 'Maybe because it's the first time Ah ever lost someone I truly cared about. Oh Remy, Ah wish you were here'
And so continued her nightly routine of trying to fall asleep in her room, finding it futile, making her way down the hall to the men's wing, sleeping in his room to right before dawn, and then returning to her own. Little did she know, that tonight, she would have a problem. She was making her way to his room, as Logan was coming up the hall towards her. He eyed her suspiciously, and she thought quickly.
"Howdy Logan, wanna come with me to raid the refrigerator?" She said with a smile, thanking whatever god up their that one of the ways to the kitchen was through the men's wing.
"Is that what you are doing?" He said as she raised his eyebrow.
"Sure is, why do you ask?" Rogue said, as she tried to laugh, but her nervousness was obvious.
He came closer to her, and whispered in her ear. "Because your sent is all over the Cajun's room."
Rogue drew back, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Please don't tell anyone Logan."
"I won't, it's none of my business, but as a friend giving a friend some advice, you have to let him go at some point."
"Ah know, it's just so hard." Rogue said as she looked down; suddenly the pattern of the hard wood floors became very interesting.
"No one said life was easy." And with that he walked down the hall, fading into the darkness.
'Tell me about it.' Rogue said, checking to make sure the coast was clear and entering Remy' room once again. She turned on the small bed lamp, and walked over to his dresser. She opened the forgotten pack of playing cards studying each card carefully. It was the one thing in the world that reminded her of him most. Feeling the toll of the night on her, she made her way over to his bed, shut his lamp and feel into thoughts that had passed her mind so many times before.
'He loved me. He said so himself, at least Ah think. And Ah love him. Only then maybe Ah didn't appreciate what he was to me. He was always there for me, never straying from what his heart told him, and all Ah could do was break it. Remy, if you can hear me, it would mean the world to me if I could see you one last time.'
She closed her eyes and wished sleep to come to her. Out in the midnight blue sky, a star shown brightly and then flashed across the night sky.
…
'What is that?' Rogue thought, as she immediately sensed that something was different. She had only started to drift off to sleep when she felt something inside tell her that something was off. She opened her eyes, and looked out into the dark sky. 'Damn, I wasn't even sleeping that long.' She immediately gasped. As her sensed started to come back to her, she felt a weight on the bed next to her. She feared turning around and seeing on of her fellow X-Men sitting on the bed waiting for her to wake up and answer their questions. 'Man…oh…man, what the hell am Ah gonna do?' Rogue thought, as she tried to remain as still as possible, hoping that who ever was there would get fed up and wait until the morning. After lying still for about fifteen minutes, she sighed with defeat and turned around to see who was sitting on the bed, and gasped. 'Red on black, Remy?' she thought with shock at seeing the two colors in the dark. 'Ah must be dreaming.' She thought sadly, but decided to go with it as if it was a dream.
" 'ello Chere." He said as he looked at her in the dark.
'Yup, I'm definitely dreaming, but what the hell, why not play along, it's not like Ah got anything to lose.' She thought sadly.
"What are ya doin' heah sugah?" She asked softly.
"Came to see you." He said as he smiled.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because, you won't let me go." He said sadly.
'If this is a dream, then there is no harm in telling him how I feel.' She though.
"How could I let you go Remy? How could I let everything good in my life be taken away? I could never let you go because as long as Ah'm alive, you will always be a part of me." She said.
With a sigh, he said "Chere, you have to move on."
"No", she said in defiance as tears fell, "Remy, I refuse too. I love you too much for you to be taken from me without ever telling you just how much I love you, and how much you are apart of me."
"You just did." He said, barely above a whisper.
Stunned with this news, her faced turned up into a smile, "Ah just did didn't Ah, well Ah meant every word, with everything Ah am. Remy don't go, don't leave me all alone again." She pleaded; fully knowing that her request was futile.
With a smile, he whispered, "I won't. I'll be back Chere." He kissed her softly on her forehead and then, as she began to sob, he disappeared.
…
Suddenly, Rogue awoke with a cry.
"Remy!" She looked around the room, and saw that it was daylight, and that she was alone, once again.
"Gawd, that was a dream. Damn it! Why is it always a dream?" She said, as she cried silently. She slowly got up and took one last look around the room. 'He couldn't have been here, it had to be my imagination.' And with that, she made her way back down the hall and to her room. 'Time to get changed.' She thought as she went to her closet, until a knock on her door startled her.
"What in the world?" She said aloud with surprise, as she opened he door. "Storm!"
"Hello Rogue, I'm glad that you are awake." She said with a smile.
"Hi Storm, what's up?" Rogue asked.
"There is a new member arriving today, and the Professor would like the whole team present. Do you think you could be ready in ten minutes?"
"Sure! Be right there!" Rogue said as she went back to getting dressed. 'Ah wonder who it is?' She thought as she brushed her hair, and decided to leave it down. She took one last look in the mirror, and started down the steps to the mansion's front door, where the rest of the team was assembled to welcome the new member.
"Hey guys." Rogue said, as she landed in the main hallway. The other members of the X-Men were already heading out the door and into the front yard. Rogue waited until she could pass, and almost stopped in her tracks. 'Ah know that voice.' She thought, as she was momentarily blinded by the bright sunlight. When her eyes adjusted, she felt her heart leap out of her chest.
"Remy!?" She cried, as she ran to the figure walking up the driveway.
"Chere!" He said, as he ran to embrace her.
"Is that really you?" She asked as tears freely fell from her eyes.
"Sure is." He said, and then came in closer to whisper in her ear. "I told you I wouldn't leave you again."
Rogue smiled, as they made their way back to the other X-Men.
"Hey Gumbo, I thought you were supposed to be dead." Wolverine said.
Remy shook his head and said, "De guild was lying, they wanted me dead, but they couldn't catch me."
"You mean that all the information we receive was false?" Storm asked.
"Must be, as far as I know, I'm not dead." Remy said with a smile.
"Welcome back" Storm said, as she gave Gambit a huge.
"Let's get you settled in." Jean said, as the group followed her into the mansion.
"Wait Rogue" Gambit said, as she gentle took her hand, and held her outside.
"What's the matter sugah?" Rogue asked with a big smile.
"You know that I'm not telling the truth don't you." Remy said, as he turned his head down in embarrassment.
"I know that, but as long as you here with me, I don't care how it happened, or what happened in the past." She said, as she embraced him.
He placed his head on her hair, and whispered softly, "I love you Rogue."
"I love you too Remy."
End…
Cynic X
7/24/01