Gambit's life swirled around him. Soon he had ingratiated himself with the
X-Men. He had fallen for his fellow hero, Rogue. And Gambit knew of this
alternate world only what had transpired within it until one day as he
turned the corner by his room, on his way to bed.
"Eh?" Remy thought. "Was' dis?" He paused to consider the answer.
Sure enough it was a bright metal handle. Similar to the throttle on a train. Something had nagged at him. Had he seen one before?
It obviously didn't belong sticking out of the floor in front of Rogue's room. A person couldn't even walk in without pulling it back and out of the way.
That same something nagged again. What was it?
He placed his hand on the handle and the memories returned in a flash. The Morlocks. The Tunnels. All changed. All fixed. The Author. Sitting over all of it.
Gambit broke in to a cold sweat. He focused all his reserves in to pulling the throttle back and out of the way of the door.
Suddenly the door flew open and drew Remy's attention. He glanced back and the handle was gone. Just as quickly the memory or it was fleeing and as he turned to face Rogue, he forgot his other life entirely.
"Remy!" Her eyes were bright and alive. Her hair fell in a sort array about her face and she spoke like an angel. "Ah did it Remy. Look. I'm doing it!"
And she held up a baby squirrel that had fallen in to her window.
"But Chere'? How?" Remy stared at the baby squirrel as it moved about in her hands, it's skin to hers.
"Well, Ah thought I had better scoop em quick and put him down." She paused. "And I thought 'Because I don't want to absorb a squirrel.' And I was a gonna laugh about it." She looked thoughtful as though looking for the right words "And ah could FEEL it. Like my skin was tightenin' and like electricity was flowing through me, real slow." She looked at him. "At the same time."
He nodded.
"And when I couldn't put him down in time." She looked wonderfully alive. "Nothin' happened!" She was thrilled.
"Put down the pet Cherie." Gambit stepped in close to her. "Gambit need to see this work for he' self."
She let the squirrel fall in to an open drawer of laundry and turned like a schoolgirl to face him.
He ran his index finger hesitantly over her lips and down over her chin. Nothing happened. He let his fingers slide behind her neck in to the soft curls of hair. And noting happened.
He led her in close to him and felt her warm hand touch his face and neck. And still nothing happened.
And their lips met. Softly and timidly on both sides at first and then Rogue fell in to the embrace and Gambit guided her gently back, in to her room, and closed the door behind them, almost absently, with his foot.
"Awww!" Jubilee said just a touch too loudly over Cyclops shoulder.
"Awww. Nothing." He said. "It's practically pornographic." He thought for a moment. "You're lucky you're seeing it at all." He told her.
"Whatever Cyke." She rolled her eyes. " I'm old enough to risk my life for mutant kind but not old enough for some closed door activities."
"Just what do you know about 'Closed Doors'?" Scott asked. Before hastily adding "Never mind. Forget I said anything." And throwing up his hands in frustration.
"I think it's sweet." Storm commented.
"You would." Scott turned away.
"Well, Scott Summers. YOU'RE POUTING!" Storm said out loud.
"I am not!" He countered. "I'm brooding." He corrected. "It's all fun and games until everyone looses a universe!"
Storm wanted to laugh but she held back. Instead she simply smiled. "I think it's good for Rogue."
And although he wanted to argue, he saw no point. "So I guess we should just thank God for small favors." He grimaced. "Or the author."
"Or we could thank Gambit since he started it all." Jubilee thought out loud.
"So now I should THANK HIM? For disappearing to do The Author knows what with Rogue? I should THANK HIM now?" He couldn't she'd said that.
"I'd thank a guy if he did it right." Jubilee nodded to Storm who laughed despite herself. "'Specially if it was, you know, necessary?"
And Cyclops did not want to know. Not at all.
"Did you find anything on the computer?" He asked her.
"Way to change the subject fearless leader." Jubilee smiled at him across her hot chocolate. "I left it on the screen."
"Does our guy have a name?" Scott asked out loud.
"Sure does." Storm told him "It's Remedy=Chill." She told him. "With an equals sign in the middle."
"Cute." Cyke told her as he began to read the online biography.
"Eh?" Remy thought. "Was' dis?" He paused to consider the answer.
Sure enough it was a bright metal handle. Similar to the throttle on a train. Something had nagged at him. Had he seen one before?
It obviously didn't belong sticking out of the floor in front of Rogue's room. A person couldn't even walk in without pulling it back and out of the way.
That same something nagged again. What was it?
He placed his hand on the handle and the memories returned in a flash. The Morlocks. The Tunnels. All changed. All fixed. The Author. Sitting over all of it.
Gambit broke in to a cold sweat. He focused all his reserves in to pulling the throttle back and out of the way of the door.
Suddenly the door flew open and drew Remy's attention. He glanced back and the handle was gone. Just as quickly the memory or it was fleeing and as he turned to face Rogue, he forgot his other life entirely.
"Remy!" Her eyes were bright and alive. Her hair fell in a sort array about her face and she spoke like an angel. "Ah did it Remy. Look. I'm doing it!"
And she held up a baby squirrel that had fallen in to her window.
"But Chere'? How?" Remy stared at the baby squirrel as it moved about in her hands, it's skin to hers.
"Well, Ah thought I had better scoop em quick and put him down." She paused. "And I thought 'Because I don't want to absorb a squirrel.' And I was a gonna laugh about it." She looked thoughtful as though looking for the right words "And ah could FEEL it. Like my skin was tightenin' and like electricity was flowing through me, real slow." She looked at him. "At the same time."
He nodded.
"And when I couldn't put him down in time." She looked wonderfully alive. "Nothin' happened!" She was thrilled.
"Put down the pet Cherie." Gambit stepped in close to her. "Gambit need to see this work for he' self."
She let the squirrel fall in to an open drawer of laundry and turned like a schoolgirl to face him.
He ran his index finger hesitantly over her lips and down over her chin. Nothing happened. He let his fingers slide behind her neck in to the soft curls of hair. And noting happened.
He led her in close to him and felt her warm hand touch his face and neck. And still nothing happened.
And their lips met. Softly and timidly on both sides at first and then Rogue fell in to the embrace and Gambit guided her gently back, in to her room, and closed the door behind them, almost absently, with his foot.
"Awww!" Jubilee said just a touch too loudly over Cyclops shoulder.
"Awww. Nothing." He said. "It's practically pornographic." He thought for a moment. "You're lucky you're seeing it at all." He told her.
"Whatever Cyke." She rolled her eyes. " I'm old enough to risk my life for mutant kind but not old enough for some closed door activities."
"Just what do you know about 'Closed Doors'?" Scott asked. Before hastily adding "Never mind. Forget I said anything." And throwing up his hands in frustration.
"I think it's sweet." Storm commented.
"You would." Scott turned away.
"Well, Scott Summers. YOU'RE POUTING!" Storm said out loud.
"I am not!" He countered. "I'm brooding." He corrected. "It's all fun and games until everyone looses a universe!"
Storm wanted to laugh but she held back. Instead she simply smiled. "I think it's good for Rogue."
And although he wanted to argue, he saw no point. "So I guess we should just thank God for small favors." He grimaced. "Or the author."
"Or we could thank Gambit since he started it all." Jubilee thought out loud.
"So now I should THANK HIM? For disappearing to do The Author knows what with Rogue? I should THANK HIM now?" He couldn't she'd said that.
"I'd thank a guy if he did it right." Jubilee nodded to Storm who laughed despite herself. "'Specially if it was, you know, necessary?"
And Cyclops did not want to know. Not at all.
"Did you find anything on the computer?" He asked her.
"Way to change the subject fearless leader." Jubilee smiled at him across her hot chocolate. "I left it on the screen."
"Does our guy have a name?" Scott asked out loud.
"Sure does." Storm told him "It's Remedy=Chill." She told him. "With an equals sign in the middle."
"Cute." Cyke told her as he began to read the online biography.