Chapter 7
Part I
For four nights Remy tried to sleep alone, and four times the dreams drove him to Dice's arms. On the fifth night she preempted him.
"Your place or mine?" she asked with a soft smile.
"Yours. Mine smells like stale cigarettes."
She wrinkled up her nose. "Yeah. Sounds good. I'll see you in an hour." He nodded.
Dice had taken to wearing more in the way of pajamas to alleviate her own embarrassment--and Remy's tendency to wake up in the morning with an erection. He would roll away from her hurriedly, ashamed of his body's reaction. He hadn't admitted that was what was going on, but she knew. That she knew probably made it worse.
Remy showed up in his sleep pants and a tank top--similarly trying to diffuse the frustrating sexuality of the situation. He crawled into bed beside her. She snuggled close and he squirmed, rotating his hips away from her. "Sorry."
"Don't be."
Dice lay awake for several minutes after he fell asleep. She and the Professor had been working on her powers for the last few days. It required a conscious effort to ease Remy to sleep, which she found reassuring. She was also more aware of others' emotions than before, recognizing what she otherwise would have simply dealt with unthinkingly. This eased her mind as she fell asleep.
A wordless cry woke her. Remy was arched back, mouth open, now silent. His breath came in quick, pained gasps. Dice was frantic; what was happening? She backed away from him and then she knew. She had lost control in her sleep. Once the contact was broken, Remy fell limply to the floor. "Ohmigod," she gasped. She checked to make sure she was in control of herself, and bent to help Remy.
With strength she had stolen from Remy, she lifted him to his feet. He staggered, but she leaned him against the wall. "Remy. Remy!" She slapped his cheek; he looked at her blearily.
"I didn't mean to, Rogue," he choked. "I had dis dream...don' let me die, Rogue," he gasped. Then he collapsed back to the floor, unconscious. Dice ran for help.
Part II
"He's going to be all right," Hank said. Dice looked at him; tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm going back to bed," Xavier said, "and you should too, Dice." She nodded.
Dice didn't go back to bed. She went to her room and methodically and carefully packed her knapsack. Then she walked down to the foyer. "Val?"
"Yes, Dice?" the computer system asked.
"I'm leaving the property."
"The gate will open when you arrive. Come back soon."
Dice choked. //I wish I could do that.//
With Gambit's power, she moved much more quickly than she expected. It didn't fade, even as night changed over to day in a spectacular sunrise. She found herself in the suburbs of New York City, and made it to Greenwich Village before the sun was fully in the sky. Dice wanted nothing more than to disappear into the mass of people.
Part III
"Dice?" Remy sat up. He was pale and trembling.
"Ah, you're awake." Hank's fuzzy blue form swam into Remy's vision. "I had hoped not to see you back this soon, Gambit."
"Quoi?"
Logan stood nearby. "You gave us a scare, Cajun. Dice lost it in her sleep and almost killed you."
Remy's face tightened. "I don't..." And then he remembered. "Oh, Dieu," he breathed. It was that same pain; like the marrow was being sucked from his bones. And there was nothing he could do but scream, and soon even that was gone. He was locked in a silent rictus of agony. He shivered.
Logan touched his shoulder. "Hey, you're okay," he said.
"Where's Dice?" Remy asked quietly. "Is she all right?"
"The Professor sent her back to bed."
"I want to talk to her. To tell her...to tell her it's okay." Logan nodded and left to find Dice.
"You'll be just fine in an hour or so. She managed to stop herself before she did any real damage." Remy nodded. Hank could see there was no point in talking to him any more.
Logan skidded down the corridor and into the infirmary. "She's gone, Remy."
"Quoi?"
"She's gone! Dice is gone." Remy stood, and Hank tried to stop him.
"Get out of Remy's way, Hank," he growled, his eyes brightening. Power sizzled at his fingertips. Hank stepped back. "We gwan have to wake de Professor."
Part I
For four nights Remy tried to sleep alone, and four times the dreams drove him to Dice's arms. On the fifth night she preempted him.
"Your place or mine?" she asked with a soft smile.
"Yours. Mine smells like stale cigarettes."
She wrinkled up her nose. "Yeah. Sounds good. I'll see you in an hour." He nodded.
Dice had taken to wearing more in the way of pajamas to alleviate her own embarrassment--and Remy's tendency to wake up in the morning with an erection. He would roll away from her hurriedly, ashamed of his body's reaction. He hadn't admitted that was what was going on, but she knew. That she knew probably made it worse.
Remy showed up in his sleep pants and a tank top--similarly trying to diffuse the frustrating sexuality of the situation. He crawled into bed beside her. She snuggled close and he squirmed, rotating his hips away from her. "Sorry."
"Don't be."
Dice lay awake for several minutes after he fell asleep. She and the Professor had been working on her powers for the last few days. It required a conscious effort to ease Remy to sleep, which she found reassuring. She was also more aware of others' emotions than before, recognizing what she otherwise would have simply dealt with unthinkingly. This eased her mind as she fell asleep.
A wordless cry woke her. Remy was arched back, mouth open, now silent. His breath came in quick, pained gasps. Dice was frantic; what was happening? She backed away from him and then she knew. She had lost control in her sleep. Once the contact was broken, Remy fell limply to the floor. "Ohmigod," she gasped. She checked to make sure she was in control of herself, and bent to help Remy.
With strength she had stolen from Remy, she lifted him to his feet. He staggered, but she leaned him against the wall. "Remy. Remy!" She slapped his cheek; he looked at her blearily.
"I didn't mean to, Rogue," he choked. "I had dis dream...don' let me die, Rogue," he gasped. Then he collapsed back to the floor, unconscious. Dice ran for help.
Part II
"He's going to be all right," Hank said. Dice looked at him; tears were rolling down her cheeks.
"I'm going back to bed," Xavier said, "and you should too, Dice." She nodded.
Dice didn't go back to bed. She went to her room and methodically and carefully packed her knapsack. Then she walked down to the foyer. "Val?"
"Yes, Dice?" the computer system asked.
"I'm leaving the property."
"The gate will open when you arrive. Come back soon."
Dice choked. //I wish I could do that.//
With Gambit's power, she moved much more quickly than she expected. It didn't fade, even as night changed over to day in a spectacular sunrise. She found herself in the suburbs of New York City, and made it to Greenwich Village before the sun was fully in the sky. Dice wanted nothing more than to disappear into the mass of people.
Part III
"Dice?" Remy sat up. He was pale and trembling.
"Ah, you're awake." Hank's fuzzy blue form swam into Remy's vision. "I had hoped not to see you back this soon, Gambit."
"Quoi?"
Logan stood nearby. "You gave us a scare, Cajun. Dice lost it in her sleep and almost killed you."
Remy's face tightened. "I don't..." And then he remembered. "Oh, Dieu," he breathed. It was that same pain; like the marrow was being sucked from his bones. And there was nothing he could do but scream, and soon even that was gone. He was locked in a silent rictus of agony. He shivered.
Logan touched his shoulder. "Hey, you're okay," he said.
"Where's Dice?" Remy asked quietly. "Is she all right?"
"The Professor sent her back to bed."
"I want to talk to her. To tell her...to tell her it's okay." Logan nodded and left to find Dice.
"You'll be just fine in an hour or so. She managed to stop herself before she did any real damage." Remy nodded. Hank could see there was no point in talking to him any more.
Logan skidded down the corridor and into the infirmary. "She's gone, Remy."
"Quoi?"
"She's gone! Dice is gone." Remy stood, and Hank tried to stop him.
"Get out of Remy's way, Hank," he growled, his eyes brightening. Power sizzled at his fingertips. Hank stepped back. "We gwan have to wake de Professor."
