Disclaimer: As you all know already, I don't own the X-men. Marvel does.
A/N: Okay I know that last chapter may have been a little lame on the action/adventure part, but it's called a bridge chapter. ^-^ I rewrote this chapter especially for Opaque, who asked for Remy to be included in the search for the diaries. Well, as an added bonus, I threw Logan in too. So, on with the story! :o)
Dreams
Chapter 8
Rogue stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down into the pre-historic scenery that spread out into the horizon. The Savage-Land had been the first place where she was able to touch other person without her powers hurting them. She had hoped that it would last, but during the battle with Sinister, the device that neutralized her powers had been destroyed.
She pulled up the woolen collar of her flight jacket around her, trying to ward off the arctic winds that blew her hair in her face. She was exhausted. Not wanting to push her powers too far, she had taken her time to reach Antarctica. But it still didn't help much. Turning to her left, she found a small cave and decided to take shelter there while she regained some of her strength.
The cave wasn't even a cave but a narrow opening in the stone cliff. She crouched down and climbed as far inside as she could and blew into her cold hands, hoping to warm them slightly. 'What I wouldn't give for a cup of hot chocolate, right about not.' She smiled as she remembered the past Christmas when Remy and her sat on the front patio, bundled up in warm sweaters. Drinking hot chocolate had then lead to the ensuing snowball battle, which she was happy to say she won.
A sound from outside the cave, grabbed her attention. Being as quiet as she possibly could, she listened, trying to determine if the noise was coming in her direction. After a couple of seconds, she was able to discern that whatever was out there, was coming closer to her position. 'Wait for the right moment. Three . . . two . . . one!'
Rogue came flying out of the cave with a heavy-handed punch, which unfortunately caught Remy square in the stomach. "Oh mah God, Remy!" Rogue yelled as she watched him pitch forward and land on his knees, gasping for breath. Crouching down, she began to babble. "Oh mah God, Remy. Ah'm so sorry. Ah didn't know it was ya. If ah'd known, I wouldn't have hit ya dat hard."
She turned when she heard a deep chuckle come from behind her. "It's about time someone knocked some sense into that Cajun." Logan replied, taking a drag off his cigarette. She glared at Logan as she helped Remy to his feet.
"Ah take it that Mystique didn't get too far with you guys." Watching Logan nod, she continued, "Ah should've know better than to think she'd last more than two minutes in that house."
Still clutching his stomach, Remy replied, "Actually, Chere, she lasted about 30 minutes. Dat is until she was 'sniffed' out, so ta speak." Remy added as he turned a smile toward Logan, who just growled back.
"Well, ah guess since ya're here..." Pointing to the moss covered stone fortress deep within the Savage Land, Rogue continued. "That's where we're headed." She turned away from them and walked closer to the edge of the cliff. "Normally, ah could just fly us over there and we'd be done in no time. However, ah don't think ah have the strength." Bowing her head, she wrapped her arms around herself.
Remy and Logan walked over and stood beside her. Logan placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Rogue. We'll go in on foot." Remy added, "Do ya think ya could glide us to the bottom, Chere? Ya know dat Remy don't like heights."
Rogue flashed him one of those heart stopping southern belle smiles, and gave him a small salute. "Ah think it's possible." Taking a hold of Logan, she looked back over her shoulder to Remy. "Don't be getting into any trouble while ah'm gone." With a quick wink, she and Logan disappeared into the clouds directly below the cliff. Seconds later, she re-appeared near the top of the cliff.
Remy stood back and let her land. They stared at each other for a moment, before Remy said, "Why ya gotta try and do dis stuff alone, Chere?"
She shrugged. "Maybe because ah've always been alone."
He pulled her close to him, and whispered in her ear, "Ya're not alone any more."
"Ah love you, Remy."
"Ah love you too, Chere. Now, lets go find dat cure."
****************
Hot, humid and tropical. 'Kind of reminds me of Mississippi.' Rogue thought as she shed her flight jacket. The Savage Land was straight out of all of those hollywood movies, complete with dinosaurs. That's the reason they were stopped at the moment. Logan has sensed/smelled something, and had given Remy and her the 'halt' signal. He had since then disappeared into the trees.
As she sat there, memories came flooding back. The time that the team chased Charles to Antarctica, only to find out it had been a trap set by Sinister. She had kissed Remy that day, as she was pulled from the cell. Her first kiss since Cody. But more terrifying then the fight with Sinister had been Remy's trial for the murder of the Morlocks. With their powers negated, they had finally been able to express their true emotions. Only to have their dreams shattered when she was forced to kiss Remy and absorb his thoughts and memories. And then the heart brake of leaving him behind. Rogue never thought she would return to this place. Antarctica was home to so many of her dreams and nightmares.
"Chere, ya feeling okay? Ya lookin green around the gills." Remy's soft voice dragged her back to the present. She could see the concern in his eyes.
"Ah'm fine. Just thinkin. This place has a lot of our history buried within it." She sighed as she hugged her knees close to her chest.
" 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.' (A/N: Eleanor Roosevelt) We look ahead to the future and not live in the past, Chere."
'If I only knew what the future held in store for me, Remy, I would share your sentiment.'
Logan came out of the under brush right behind them. "We need to move away from this area, ASAP. There is a Raptor nesting ground ahead. Don't want to tick off any of those ladies."
"Well, lets get a move on then. Ah don't want to be one of those big lizard's dinner." Rogue declared as she jumped down from the stone she had been sitting on. "Come on, slow pokes." With that, she took off in the direction where Logan had emerged from the trees.
Remy put his hand on Logan's shoulder, a silent request for him to stop. Looking around Logan, seeing how close Rogue was, he asked. "How much further we got until we hit da compound?"
"We should be there in a couple of hours."
"Good, cause Remy got a bad feeling about dis."
"You're not the only one, Cajun."
****************
He could smell a trap a mile away. This one stunk so bad that he noticed it was they had disembarked from the X-jet. 'Must be a big one if the Cajun picked up on it.' As the made their way up to the entrance of the stone fortress, Logan had the feeling they were being watched. The problem was he couldn't tell from where. The thought made him extremely uncomfortable as they continued along the overgrown grass path.
When the made it up to the huge steel doors, Rogue sweetly said, "Let's knock and see if anybody's home." With one single jab, she knocked the doors off their hinges and they fell with a resounding 'boom.' Remy put a hand to his stomach and counted his lucky stars that she had pulled the punch she had given him earlier.
The inside of the building was also overrun with various plant and animal life. As they stepped further inside the entrance, animals darted every which way, trying to hide. Sunlight streamed in through broken windows, brightening some corners while leaving other cloaked in shadows.
'There must be more rooms in here than the mansion. How are we ever going to find the diaries?' Rogue thought as she spied two different staircases in the main hall. Never taking her eyes off the stairs, she said, "Ah think we need to spilt up."
"Remy don't think dat such a good idea, Chere."
Placing her hands on her hips, she turned and faced him. "This isn't about me tryin to do things on mah own. This is about findin the diaries so we can get the hell out of here. Besides, we have our COM links. We can be in constant contact." She looked toward Logan, her eyes pleading him to agree with her. "What do you say?"
"She's gotta point. Could be quicker if we spilt up." He turned a fatherly gaze toward Rogue. "Use the COM link and check in every 5 minutes, if we don't hear from you, we'll come lookin for you."
"Deal."
Logan took the main floor, while Remy and Rogue each ascended a different staircase. "Be careful, Chere."
"Ah'll be all right. Watch your six, Remy, I won't be protectin it this time."
He flashed her a killer smile. "Ah always like it when ya watch my six."
Laughing, Rogue turned down the hall and into the West Wing.
****************
She had looked in every room that crossed her path as she traveled down further into the wing. Through constant communication, she knew that neither Remy nor Logan was having any better luck. Sighing, Rogue turned the last corner and entered a dark hallway where two Cerberus statues stood as guard dogs. Rogue kept her gaze on the statues as she walked by them. She could have sworn they were watching her as she proceeded down the hall.
At the far end of the hallway, stood two enormous wooden doors. They stood there, like sentries, guarding some precious secret that lay inside. The closer she moved toward the doors, she felt like she was getting closer to the answer. Rogue turned the doorknob, and was slightly surprised when she found the door to be unlocked. The old doors groaned as she cracking open them and peered inside.
On numerous shelves along the walls, Rogue found a library of books. 'If they would be anywhere, they would have to be in here.' As she stepped further inside, she found an old oak desk, red velvet couch, antique pictures and glass decanters full of liquor. 'This must have been Magnus' private study.' Hope bloomed inside of her as she made her way to the first wall.
Magnus had books and playwrights by every imaginable author: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Vonnegut, Steinbeck, Plato, Twain . . . the list went on and on. He even had some original prints of some author's work. 'What a shame, what a waste.' Shaking her head, she continued scanning all the books on every shelf until she finished.
"Damnit!" The diaries were nowhere to be found. 'I could have sworn they would have been here.' Slamming her hands on the desk in frustration, she hadn't noticed the shadow that had moved into in the far corner, watching her.
Looking at the desk a little closer, Rogue realized that one of the drawers had a lock on it. 'What the hell.' Grasping the handle, she pulled the drawer out, breaking the hinges. Inside the drawer were three books; similar to the one's in Mystique's possession. A smile crossed her face. "Irene's Diaries." She whispered as she ran her hand across the front cover to one of the books, moving the dust aside.
Hurriedly, she opened the first book and began skimming through the pages. She found that the events in this diary had already taken place. Picking up the next one, she flipped through the pages, again finding the past written in the pages. Crossing her fingers, she cracked open the front over to the last book. 'Third time's a charm.'
Again, another dead-end. Rogue slumped down into the old leather chair that sat behind the desk. Tears gathered in her eyes as she sat there looking down at the diaries. She closed her eyes and pinched herself, hoping this was all a bad dream and she would wake up at any moment. But she never did.
Something in the room didn't feel right. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the shadow fall upon her. Lifting her head, she opened her eyes and saw him standing in front of her.
Holding a leather bound book in his hand, he looked toward her and asked, "Were you looking for this, my dear?"
A/N: Okay I know that last chapter may have been a little lame on the action/adventure part, but it's called a bridge chapter. ^-^ I rewrote this chapter especially for Opaque, who asked for Remy to be included in the search for the diaries. Well, as an added bonus, I threw Logan in too. So, on with the story! :o)
Dreams
Chapter 8
Rogue stood on the edge of the cliff, looking down into the pre-historic scenery that spread out into the horizon. The Savage-Land had been the first place where she was able to touch other person without her powers hurting them. She had hoped that it would last, but during the battle with Sinister, the device that neutralized her powers had been destroyed.
She pulled up the woolen collar of her flight jacket around her, trying to ward off the arctic winds that blew her hair in her face. She was exhausted. Not wanting to push her powers too far, she had taken her time to reach Antarctica. But it still didn't help much. Turning to her left, she found a small cave and decided to take shelter there while she regained some of her strength.
The cave wasn't even a cave but a narrow opening in the stone cliff. She crouched down and climbed as far inside as she could and blew into her cold hands, hoping to warm them slightly. 'What I wouldn't give for a cup of hot chocolate, right about not.' She smiled as she remembered the past Christmas when Remy and her sat on the front patio, bundled up in warm sweaters. Drinking hot chocolate had then lead to the ensuing snowball battle, which she was happy to say she won.
A sound from outside the cave, grabbed her attention. Being as quiet as she possibly could, she listened, trying to determine if the noise was coming in her direction. After a couple of seconds, she was able to discern that whatever was out there, was coming closer to her position. 'Wait for the right moment. Three . . . two . . . one!'
Rogue came flying out of the cave with a heavy-handed punch, which unfortunately caught Remy square in the stomach. "Oh mah God, Remy!" Rogue yelled as she watched him pitch forward and land on his knees, gasping for breath. Crouching down, she began to babble. "Oh mah God, Remy. Ah'm so sorry. Ah didn't know it was ya. If ah'd known, I wouldn't have hit ya dat hard."
She turned when she heard a deep chuckle come from behind her. "It's about time someone knocked some sense into that Cajun." Logan replied, taking a drag off his cigarette. She glared at Logan as she helped Remy to his feet.
"Ah take it that Mystique didn't get too far with you guys." Watching Logan nod, she continued, "Ah should've know better than to think she'd last more than two minutes in that house."
Still clutching his stomach, Remy replied, "Actually, Chere, she lasted about 30 minutes. Dat is until she was 'sniffed' out, so ta speak." Remy added as he turned a smile toward Logan, who just growled back.
"Well, ah guess since ya're here..." Pointing to the moss covered stone fortress deep within the Savage Land, Rogue continued. "That's where we're headed." She turned away from them and walked closer to the edge of the cliff. "Normally, ah could just fly us over there and we'd be done in no time. However, ah don't think ah have the strength." Bowing her head, she wrapped her arms around herself.
Remy and Logan walked over and stood beside her. Logan placed his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Rogue. We'll go in on foot." Remy added, "Do ya think ya could glide us to the bottom, Chere? Ya know dat Remy don't like heights."
Rogue flashed him one of those heart stopping southern belle smiles, and gave him a small salute. "Ah think it's possible." Taking a hold of Logan, she looked back over her shoulder to Remy. "Don't be getting into any trouble while ah'm gone." With a quick wink, she and Logan disappeared into the clouds directly below the cliff. Seconds later, she re-appeared near the top of the cliff.
Remy stood back and let her land. They stared at each other for a moment, before Remy said, "Why ya gotta try and do dis stuff alone, Chere?"
She shrugged. "Maybe because ah've always been alone."
He pulled her close to him, and whispered in her ear, "Ya're not alone any more."
"Ah love you, Remy."
"Ah love you too, Chere. Now, lets go find dat cure."
****************
Hot, humid and tropical. 'Kind of reminds me of Mississippi.' Rogue thought as she shed her flight jacket. The Savage Land was straight out of all of those hollywood movies, complete with dinosaurs. That's the reason they were stopped at the moment. Logan has sensed/smelled something, and had given Remy and her the 'halt' signal. He had since then disappeared into the trees.
As she sat there, memories came flooding back. The time that the team chased Charles to Antarctica, only to find out it had been a trap set by Sinister. She had kissed Remy that day, as she was pulled from the cell. Her first kiss since Cody. But more terrifying then the fight with Sinister had been Remy's trial for the murder of the Morlocks. With their powers negated, they had finally been able to express their true emotions. Only to have their dreams shattered when she was forced to kiss Remy and absorb his thoughts and memories. And then the heart brake of leaving him behind. Rogue never thought she would return to this place. Antarctica was home to so many of her dreams and nightmares.
"Chere, ya feeling okay? Ya lookin green around the gills." Remy's soft voice dragged her back to the present. She could see the concern in his eyes.
"Ah'm fine. Just thinkin. This place has a lot of our history buried within it." She sighed as she hugged her knees close to her chest.
" 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.' (A/N: Eleanor Roosevelt) We look ahead to the future and not live in the past, Chere."
'If I only knew what the future held in store for me, Remy, I would share your sentiment.'
Logan came out of the under brush right behind them. "We need to move away from this area, ASAP. There is a Raptor nesting ground ahead. Don't want to tick off any of those ladies."
"Well, lets get a move on then. Ah don't want to be one of those big lizard's dinner." Rogue declared as she jumped down from the stone she had been sitting on. "Come on, slow pokes." With that, she took off in the direction where Logan had emerged from the trees.
Remy put his hand on Logan's shoulder, a silent request for him to stop. Looking around Logan, seeing how close Rogue was, he asked. "How much further we got until we hit da compound?"
"We should be there in a couple of hours."
"Good, cause Remy got a bad feeling about dis."
"You're not the only one, Cajun."
****************
He could smell a trap a mile away. This one stunk so bad that he noticed it was they had disembarked from the X-jet. 'Must be a big one if the Cajun picked up on it.' As the made their way up to the entrance of the stone fortress, Logan had the feeling they were being watched. The problem was he couldn't tell from where. The thought made him extremely uncomfortable as they continued along the overgrown grass path.
When the made it up to the huge steel doors, Rogue sweetly said, "Let's knock and see if anybody's home." With one single jab, she knocked the doors off their hinges and they fell with a resounding 'boom.' Remy put a hand to his stomach and counted his lucky stars that she had pulled the punch she had given him earlier.
The inside of the building was also overrun with various plant and animal life. As they stepped further inside the entrance, animals darted every which way, trying to hide. Sunlight streamed in through broken windows, brightening some corners while leaving other cloaked in shadows.
'There must be more rooms in here than the mansion. How are we ever going to find the diaries?' Rogue thought as she spied two different staircases in the main hall. Never taking her eyes off the stairs, she said, "Ah think we need to spilt up."
"Remy don't think dat such a good idea, Chere."
Placing her hands on her hips, she turned and faced him. "This isn't about me tryin to do things on mah own. This is about findin the diaries so we can get the hell out of here. Besides, we have our COM links. We can be in constant contact." She looked toward Logan, her eyes pleading him to agree with her. "What do you say?"
"She's gotta point. Could be quicker if we spilt up." He turned a fatherly gaze toward Rogue. "Use the COM link and check in every 5 minutes, if we don't hear from you, we'll come lookin for you."
"Deal."
Logan took the main floor, while Remy and Rogue each ascended a different staircase. "Be careful, Chere."
"Ah'll be all right. Watch your six, Remy, I won't be protectin it this time."
He flashed her a killer smile. "Ah always like it when ya watch my six."
Laughing, Rogue turned down the hall and into the West Wing.
****************
She had looked in every room that crossed her path as she traveled down further into the wing. Through constant communication, she knew that neither Remy nor Logan was having any better luck. Sighing, Rogue turned the last corner and entered a dark hallway where two Cerberus statues stood as guard dogs. Rogue kept her gaze on the statues as she walked by them. She could have sworn they were watching her as she proceeded down the hall.
At the far end of the hallway, stood two enormous wooden doors. They stood there, like sentries, guarding some precious secret that lay inside. The closer she moved toward the doors, she felt like she was getting closer to the answer. Rogue turned the doorknob, and was slightly surprised when she found the door to be unlocked. The old doors groaned as she cracking open them and peered inside.
On numerous shelves along the walls, Rogue found a library of books. 'If they would be anywhere, they would have to be in here.' As she stepped further inside, she found an old oak desk, red velvet couch, antique pictures and glass decanters full of liquor. 'This must have been Magnus' private study.' Hope bloomed inside of her as she made her way to the first wall.
Magnus had books and playwrights by every imaginable author: Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Shakespeare, Vonnegut, Steinbeck, Plato, Twain . . . the list went on and on. He even had some original prints of some author's work. 'What a shame, what a waste.' Shaking her head, she continued scanning all the books on every shelf until she finished.
"Damnit!" The diaries were nowhere to be found. 'I could have sworn they would have been here.' Slamming her hands on the desk in frustration, she hadn't noticed the shadow that had moved into in the far corner, watching her.
Looking at the desk a little closer, Rogue realized that one of the drawers had a lock on it. 'What the hell.' Grasping the handle, she pulled the drawer out, breaking the hinges. Inside the drawer were three books; similar to the one's in Mystique's possession. A smile crossed her face. "Irene's Diaries." She whispered as she ran her hand across the front cover to one of the books, moving the dust aside.
Hurriedly, she opened the first book and began skimming through the pages. She found that the events in this diary had already taken place. Picking up the next one, she flipped through the pages, again finding the past written in the pages. Crossing her fingers, she cracked open the front over to the last book. 'Third time's a charm.'
Again, another dead-end. Rogue slumped down into the old leather chair that sat behind the desk. Tears gathered in her eyes as she sat there looking down at the diaries. She closed her eyes and pinched herself, hoping this was all a bad dream and she would wake up at any moment. But she never did.
Something in the room didn't feel right. Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the shadow fall upon her. Lifting her head, she opened her eyes and saw him standing in front of her.
Holding a leather bound book in his hand, he looked toward her and asked, "Were you looking for this, my dear?"