Chapter 3
Part I
Dice tossed restlessly in her bed. She was having the most awful dreams...
Finally she stood and went downstairs to get a glass of water. She drained the glass, set it in the sink, and turned off the lights. That's when the pain started. It was like the most all-consuming headache she'd ever had, but it wasn't a physical pain. Dice stumbled blindly toward the stairs, and at that moment her only guiding principal was stopping the pain. Her empathic senses led her upstairs, past the room she'd been given, to the top floor.
//It's not the fall that kills you. It's that sudden...//
"Stop!" she screamed, collapsing against a door. She looked up; the placard read "R. LeBeau." There was no answer to her furious pounding, so she tried the knob. Unlocked. Dice pushed her way in.
The room was dark. She could see no one, but felt a presence. Stumbling through the darkness, she found herself at the open window. Remy sat on the roof of the lower floor, his crimson eyes shining aggressively into the night, competing with the glow of his cigarette. He was no longer drunk, nor even particularly hung over, thanks to Logan's mutated blood cells swirling around his body. From time to time he looked at the ground and at his cigarette.
//When I finish this.//
Dice had never heard thoughts before; only emotions had ever been transmitted to her. She crawled out of the window and onto the ledge. "Don't do it," she said softly, sitting beside him.
"Et why not?" he looked at her. "I be a lovesick fool, girlie. And I done embarrassed myself for de last time."
"Did it ever occur to you that people would miss you too? And that two funerals in one week is too much for any family, however nontraditional, to bear?" Dice looked at him earnestly.
He shrugged. "Nobody care so much about Remy. He not very useful to de cause. Dey be okay when he's gone."
Dice rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. I'm just the new kid. Anyway, could you go ahead and do whatever it is you're going to do? Jump or go back to bed. 'Cuz you're making my head hurt."
Remy looked at her curiously. "Quoi?"
"I can feel your emotions," she said softly. "And just a moment ago I heard your thoughts. You wanted to finish one last cigarette before ending it all."
Remy's eyes narrowed slightly, with suspicion or something similar. "Do de others know you got dis power?"
"Professor Xavier says I'm a broadcasting empath. I can alter other people's moods the way he can influence their wills...it's imperfect at best." She shrugged. "It works okay, I guess. But it's a damnable thing. That and the fact that for about a year I couldn't touch anybody."
"Why not?" Remy trembled as he asked the question.
"Oh, see, I have what the Professor calls absorption capabilities. I've gotten pretty good with them, actually. I can project a field about three feet in any direction, and I can usually keep it from happening when I don't want it to."
Remy inhaled suddenly, shuddering. A tear raced its lonely way down his cheek. "Dieu," he whispered. And then he looked at her. It was her turn to shudder as those hellish eyes focused on her. She had seen some strange things--not the least of which was her benefactor, Kurt--but she knew what was going on behind those eyes. It hurt her, deep down, to be near him. But it also hurt her to even think of leaving him alone in his pain. She was stuck.
"I can help you, Remy," she whispered. "I can make it go away for a little while, if you want. Better than alcohol or drugs."
He blinked, and his voice was heavy with tears. "How would you do that?" he asked.
She slipped off her thin cotton gloves and took his face in her hands. "Close your eyes and be still," she murmured. He obeyed. Dice awoke her powers from their dormant state and coaxed just the ones she wanted forward. It was like visualizing a game board, moving the pieces to the positions she wanted and leaving the others out of play. Xavier had admired her control mechanisms, though they were imperfect.
Remy gasped sharply, almost painfully, when she activated her powers. For a moment they shared an image from memory; Rogue draining Remy nearly dry the first time he tried to kiss her. "I won't hurt you," Dice said softly, one thumb stroking his cheek reassuringly.
And then it was gone. Everything. The pain, the grief, the thoughts of suicide. All gone. Remy opened his eyes.
"It won't last," Dice said, and there were tears in her voice now. Her mind was shedding the excess emotion rapidly, producing a visible discharge from her skin. It produced a palely glowing aura around her body, which vanished momentarily. "I absorbed everything I could find, but it will be back."
Remy nodded, taking the hand from his cheek and kissing the back of it. "Thank you, Dice," he said. "Thank you so much." She nodded and stood.
"I'm going back to bed, Remy," she said. "I would suggest you do the same. Tomorrow is another day."
Part II-Rites
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Kurt raised a hand to toss the first handful onto Rogue's casket. The Xavier family plot had grown substantially in recent years, to include his "extended" family as well. Rogue's teammates stood beside the grave silently. "Would someone like to say a few words?" Kurt asked quietly. "Remy?"
//I feel so numb. What did Dice do to me?//
He raised his head. "All right. I make dis short, cuz Remy be no public speaker." That brought a few grim smiles. "Everybody knows dat Rogue and I had a thing going. I's not sure exactly what dat was, but it was goin' pretty good. Rogue could never be close to anybody, physically or emotionally. She exiled herself as a lone wolf. De Professor can tell you, she was no easy beast to tame. De X-Men resisted letting dis wild creature loose among dem, but I tink it came out for the best. We are all better for having known her." He waved a hand slightly. "Dat's all I can tink of to say," he amended apologetically. Everyone nodded.
Kurt touched his shoulder. "That was very gut, Remy. Anyone else?" No one could think of anything to say. Finally Logan stepped forward.
"We all loved Rogue, even when we hated her," he said softly. "She was scarred more deeply than any of us, I think. But I think it's appropriate to keep this short. She wouldn't have wanted us to stand around sniveling for too long. We have work to do, she'd say. Go on with life." He looked around and stepped back uneasily. Kurt nodded.
"If that is all, we will say a prayer for our companion." The assembled mutants bowed their heads. "Father, who art in all things wise and judicious, we do not perhaps understand why you chose to take our beloved Rogue away. But those who knew her will never forget her, and we thank you for that lasting imprint. Receive our friend into your bosom and bless her. Her life was short but meaningful, and we thank you also for the time you gave us with her. Help us with our grief and let us heal. Amen."
"Amen."
The X-Men turned away in unison and walked back towards the mansion.
Part I
Dice tossed restlessly in her bed. She was having the most awful dreams...
Finally she stood and went downstairs to get a glass of water. She drained the glass, set it in the sink, and turned off the lights. That's when the pain started. It was like the most all-consuming headache she'd ever had, but it wasn't a physical pain. Dice stumbled blindly toward the stairs, and at that moment her only guiding principal was stopping the pain. Her empathic senses led her upstairs, past the room she'd been given, to the top floor.
//It's not the fall that kills you. It's that sudden...//
"Stop!" she screamed, collapsing against a door. She looked up; the placard read "R. LeBeau." There was no answer to her furious pounding, so she tried the knob. Unlocked. Dice pushed her way in.
The room was dark. She could see no one, but felt a presence. Stumbling through the darkness, she found herself at the open window. Remy sat on the roof of the lower floor, his crimson eyes shining aggressively into the night, competing with the glow of his cigarette. He was no longer drunk, nor even particularly hung over, thanks to Logan's mutated blood cells swirling around his body. From time to time he looked at the ground and at his cigarette.
//When I finish this.//
Dice had never heard thoughts before; only emotions had ever been transmitted to her. She crawled out of the window and onto the ledge. "Don't do it," she said softly, sitting beside him.
"Et why not?" he looked at her. "I be a lovesick fool, girlie. And I done embarrassed myself for de last time."
"Did it ever occur to you that people would miss you too? And that two funerals in one week is too much for any family, however nontraditional, to bear?" Dice looked at him earnestly.
He shrugged. "Nobody care so much about Remy. He not very useful to de cause. Dey be okay when he's gone."
Dice rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. I'm just the new kid. Anyway, could you go ahead and do whatever it is you're going to do? Jump or go back to bed. 'Cuz you're making my head hurt."
Remy looked at her curiously. "Quoi?"
"I can feel your emotions," she said softly. "And just a moment ago I heard your thoughts. You wanted to finish one last cigarette before ending it all."
Remy's eyes narrowed slightly, with suspicion or something similar. "Do de others know you got dis power?"
"Professor Xavier says I'm a broadcasting empath. I can alter other people's moods the way he can influence their wills...it's imperfect at best." She shrugged. "It works okay, I guess. But it's a damnable thing. That and the fact that for about a year I couldn't touch anybody."
"Why not?" Remy trembled as he asked the question.
"Oh, see, I have what the Professor calls absorption capabilities. I've gotten pretty good with them, actually. I can project a field about three feet in any direction, and I can usually keep it from happening when I don't want it to."
Remy inhaled suddenly, shuddering. A tear raced its lonely way down his cheek. "Dieu," he whispered. And then he looked at her. It was her turn to shudder as those hellish eyes focused on her. She had seen some strange things--not the least of which was her benefactor, Kurt--but she knew what was going on behind those eyes. It hurt her, deep down, to be near him. But it also hurt her to even think of leaving him alone in his pain. She was stuck.
"I can help you, Remy," she whispered. "I can make it go away for a little while, if you want. Better than alcohol or drugs."
He blinked, and his voice was heavy with tears. "How would you do that?" he asked.
She slipped off her thin cotton gloves and took his face in her hands. "Close your eyes and be still," she murmured. He obeyed. Dice awoke her powers from their dormant state and coaxed just the ones she wanted forward. It was like visualizing a game board, moving the pieces to the positions she wanted and leaving the others out of play. Xavier had admired her control mechanisms, though they were imperfect.
Remy gasped sharply, almost painfully, when she activated her powers. For a moment they shared an image from memory; Rogue draining Remy nearly dry the first time he tried to kiss her. "I won't hurt you," Dice said softly, one thumb stroking his cheek reassuringly.
And then it was gone. Everything. The pain, the grief, the thoughts of suicide. All gone. Remy opened his eyes.
"It won't last," Dice said, and there were tears in her voice now. Her mind was shedding the excess emotion rapidly, producing a visible discharge from her skin. It produced a palely glowing aura around her body, which vanished momentarily. "I absorbed everything I could find, but it will be back."
Remy nodded, taking the hand from his cheek and kissing the back of it. "Thank you, Dice," he said. "Thank you so much." She nodded and stood.
"I'm going back to bed, Remy," she said. "I would suggest you do the same. Tomorrow is another day."
Part II-Rites
"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." Kurt raised a hand to toss the first handful onto Rogue's casket. The Xavier family plot had grown substantially in recent years, to include his "extended" family as well. Rogue's teammates stood beside the grave silently. "Would someone like to say a few words?" Kurt asked quietly. "Remy?"
//I feel so numb. What did Dice do to me?//
He raised his head. "All right. I make dis short, cuz Remy be no public speaker." That brought a few grim smiles. "Everybody knows dat Rogue and I had a thing going. I's not sure exactly what dat was, but it was goin' pretty good. Rogue could never be close to anybody, physically or emotionally. She exiled herself as a lone wolf. De Professor can tell you, she was no easy beast to tame. De X-Men resisted letting dis wild creature loose among dem, but I tink it came out for the best. We are all better for having known her." He waved a hand slightly. "Dat's all I can tink of to say," he amended apologetically. Everyone nodded.
Kurt touched his shoulder. "That was very gut, Remy. Anyone else?" No one could think of anything to say. Finally Logan stepped forward.
"We all loved Rogue, even when we hated her," he said softly. "She was scarred more deeply than any of us, I think. But I think it's appropriate to keep this short. She wouldn't have wanted us to stand around sniveling for too long. We have work to do, she'd say. Go on with life." He looked around and stepped back uneasily. Kurt nodded.
"If that is all, we will say a prayer for our companion." The assembled mutants bowed their heads. "Father, who art in all things wise and judicious, we do not perhaps understand why you chose to take our beloved Rogue away. But those who knew her will never forget her, and we thank you for that lasting imprint. Receive our friend into your bosom and bless her. Her life was short but meaningful, and we thank you also for the time you gave us with her. Help us with our grief and let us heal. Amen."
"Amen."
The X-Men turned away in unison and walked back towards the mansion.
