Disclaimer: Characters haven't become mine since yesterday.
Author's Notes: Sorry for the cliffie last chapter, but thank you for all the wonderful feedback. You know, the Ro/Lo in this story came totally out of nowhere!! I swear, I never really thought about them as a couple before, but in the context of this story, I like it. So, I'm going with it. Sorry. Next story, if there is one, might not be the same. I don't really have any definitive stance on Wolverine's love life. If it seems like this story is zipping along a little too fast...hehe...oh, just wait. That was my evil writer's moment. I'm done now. Happy reading!!
****
Unexpected
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"So just let me try
And I will be good to you.
Just let me try
And I will be there for you.
I'll show you why
You're so much more than good enough."
-Sarah McLachlan
****
"In completely normal pregnancies, the placenta forms high in the uterus, right around here." Hank pointed to a specific place on the 3D hologram of a woman's body that he'd projected over the lab table. "But in about one out of two hundred pregnancies, the placenta forms much lower, either partially or entirely covering the cervix. We call this placenta previa, and it usually only occurs in older mothers who fall into certain risk categories. It's very rare for a first time mother under thirty, but…" He looked at the small group gathered around him. "Rogue appears to have it."
The woman partially sitting up on the infirmary exam table shook her head. "That sounds 'bout right, sugah. Nothin' easy for me."
"The bleeding was a warning sign of the condition." Hank turned off the hologram. "If I had gotten a chance to look at the results of your earlier tests, I would have spotted it right away, but it wouldn't have changed anything."
"W'at you sayin', mon ami?" In the far corner of the room, Remy unfolded his arms from the tight position he'd had them in for over an hour. "De bébé…"
"Is going to be just fine." The tension in the room melted in one collective sigh. Rogue felt Jean squeezing one hand, Logan, the other. Her eyes met Remy's for a brief second, before he looked away. She bit her lip and looked back at Hank as he continued, "I'm restricting you to bed-rest for another week, just to limit your movements and ensure that the bleeding won't return. When the baby is more developed, it might become necessary to induce early labor and deliver by means of Caesarian, which shouldn't be too traumatic because natural birth was never going to be possible anyway."
"It wasn'?" Remy asked.
"Too much skin-to-skin contact," Rogue whispered. "Ah'd rather not kill the child while Ah'm tryin' to give it life."
He looked up at the ceiling. "'Course, chere. Forgive dis Caj'n. He ain' had de time t'think 'bout any o' dis."
His bitter sarcasm cut into her, but she lifted her chin as much as possible. "Ah'll explain everythin' if ya just give me a chance."
"Seem t'me like you had plenty o' chances in de past two weeks."
Logan and Jean exchanged a look, before the red-haired woman glanced at Hank. "Do you want her to stay here, or can she be moved back to her room?"
"I want to monitor her for twenty-four hours. After that, bed-rest in her own bed would certainly be acceptable, and preferable." He peeked over his shoulder. Remy was leaning against the wall, looking like a thundercloud on two legs. It was obviously time to give the parents-to-be a long overdue moment alone. "Why don't we go upstairs and tell everyone the good news, if the Professor hasn't already."
Jean nodded before smiling down at Rogue. **See?** she silently told her. **You're still a momma.** She touched the white part of the woman's hair. **He is angry. Hurt and scared. But there's joy tucked away in all of that. Let him find it on his own.**
Rogue closed her eyes. "Thank ya, Jean."
She felt a huge, warm hand cup her cheek. "Stay strong, darlin'." Logan pulled away, and she heard his voice harden. "Gumbo…don't do or say anythin' I might have to kill you for later." There was no reply to this; a few seconds later she heard the infirmary doors open and close, and they were alone.
"How you feel, chere?"
His first sentence made her eyes pop open. "What? Why are ya…worryin' 'bout how I feel?"
Remy cursed sharply. "Actin' stupid again. Dis ain' de time for it." He took a few steps towards her, but still maintained a decent distance. Like he had been since she'd let the secret spill from her lips. "Dere's no more pain, oui?"
"No. No more pain." Rogue looked down at her hands, covered by white Lycra. "Remy…" She paused. "Ah'm sorry."
He released a heavy breath. "You should've told me, chere. But…you didn'. You hid it from me." Remy reached out and picked up her blood-stained pants from the chair on which they'd been draped. "Couldn' have much longer, neh?"
"Ya know Ah was plannin' on tellin' ya in the garden."
"I just want t'know why. Dat's all. Why, chere?" He dropped her clothes and approached the edge of the exam table. "Didn' you t'ink I could take knowin'?"
"Ah…" Rogue brushed tears away, frustrated that they just wouldn't stop. "Ah wasn't real excited 'bout the idea myself for a long time. Ah only just started likin' it. Lovin' it." She lowered her eyes to her lap. "And Ah didn' really know how ya'd take it; it ain' somethin' we've ever talked 'bout."
Remy rubbed his hand up and down his face. "Suppose we'd better start, chere."
She lifted one shoulder. "Nothin' to discuss now, sugah. Ah'm havin' it, whether ya like it or not."
She'd never seen the look that came over his face, and she'd thought she'd seen every look he was capable of. But then, he'd never looked at her like he didn't even know who she was, or how she could possibly be sitting in front of him, saying what was saying. "Did you forget **everyt'in'** 'bout Gambit w'en you dropped him in de snow?" he shouted. Rogue wanted to wince, but she maintained her composure. "Or do you t'ink 'cause he help kill in de past, he cap'ble o' killin' his own bébé?" She glanced away, but he grabbed her chin with his gloved hand and forced her to look him in the eye. "Do you?!"
"Ah don' know!!" she shouted back, jerking out of his grip. "Ah mean, Ah almost killed it!! Maybe Ah though' ye'd have the same idea!!"
Dead silence echoed her outburst. Remy took a step back, blinking once and then twice. "Chere…"
She covered her mouth with her hand. "Ah didn' mean that, Remy." Her hand drifted down to her throat. "Ah couldn' go through with it. Ya wouldn'tve been able to either. Ah know ya well enough' to know that."
"Den…" His chest expanded and contracted; he was struggling for each breath. "De question stays, chere. Why?"
"Ah'm scared."
As best he could remember, he'd never heard Rogue say that sentence. The cracks that had been punched into his heart with the news of her pregnancy grew wider. The fear on her face was obvious now that she wasn't hiding it. "You scared o' Gambit?"
"No." Rogue shook her head. "Never you, Remy. Ah've only ever been scared o' what you make me feel." She crossed one arm over her stomach. "Ah'm scared 'bout havin' a baby Ah won' ever be able to hold. Ah'm scared that 'cause o' that, Ah'll be a bad mother to it." She bit her lip. "Most of all…Ah'm scared that ya migh' never forgive me for what Ah did to ya." Rogue met his gaze. "Remy, Ah'm so sorry," she whispered. When she blinked, her tears spilled over. "Ah don' care what ya felt that made me do it, Ah shouldn't've left ya there. Tellin' ya what Ah did…that ya didn' have a home no more." Her smooth forehead crinkled. "How can ya even look at me anymore?"
"'Cause," he began. "You be de best part o' my life, chere."
His words only increased her guilt. "Stop sayin' stuff like that!!"
"Gambit don' like seein' his femme feelin' sorry for herself." He held up his hands. "An' 'fore you start in on de 'femme' t'ing, know dis. You are mine…more so now den ever. W'ether you like it or not."
Having her words thrown back in her face, especially when she didn't feel worthy of them, made her snap back. "Is that only 'cause one o' yer lucky lil' swimmers got though an' started somethin'?"
He looked amused. "Non, ma belle. You been mine since long 'fore I even got t'touch you." Remy put his hands on either side of the exam table, surrounding her from above. "Don' you know it by now? Dere's somet'in' good here, but only w'en we be t'gether. Dis…" He moved one hand to touch her stomach. It wasn't flat like he remembered, but round and firm. "Dis only make us better. Can you see dat?"
She wanted to throw her arms around his neck; the rollercoaster of emotions she'd been riding for weeks didn't show any signs of slowing down. "Ah though' Ah'd killed ya. But Ah couldn' kill what ya helped make. Remy…" Rogue reached up and touched his cheek. "Please don' be so quick to forgive me. Ah don' deserve it. Ah never will."
"Chere…dere's a lot I let you call de shots for." He covered her hand with his. "But you don' be de one t'decide dis. Gambit wanted t'die in de snow. You had me in dat pretty head you got…de death wish ain't somet'in' easy t'overcome."
"But, Ah…"
He laid his finger against her lips. "Soyez silencieux. For once, ma belle…stop talkin'. I know what I felt dat day. You wan' t'talk scared? De way Gambit saw himself in your eyes after Magneto made you kiss him…dat alone made him want t'freeze. But seein' you slip away from him…" Remy shook his head. "Dat was fear, chere. An' it stay 'til I see you in de boathouse."
"Sugah…"
"De Professor say…de past should stay in de past. Maybe he got somet'in' goin' wit' dat. He been righ' more often den not, oui?" She nodded. "Den…de past over wit', chere. Now de only t'ing we got t'worry 'bout…" He took her hand and put it on her belly; his palm closed over hers, connecting all three of them, despite the layers of material. "…is de future."
****
Jubilee's lower lip trembled and she turned her face into Logan's collar. "Rogonnaberigh?"
"Wanna try that again, Jubes?"
She sniffed and lifted her head. "Rogue's gonna be all right?"
"Didn't you listen to Xavier, darlin'?"
"I did. I just…" Jubilee wiped at her cheeks, suddenly embarrassed to be caught displaying this much emotion. "I just know you'd never lie to me, but the Professor…well, he'd stretch the truth…to protect us, of course!"
Logan snorted softly. "Well, in this case, he told it like it is. Rogue's fine. The baby's fine." His brow furred. "The Cajun's fine…for now. Nothin' to cry about anymore." He brushed away one of her leftover tears with his finger. "Okay?"
The girl nodded, then thought for a second. "They're still down there talkin', aren't they?"
"Yeah." His frown turned into a glower. "He didn't seem to be takin' it all that well."
"What do you mean? Wolvie?" Jubilee tilted her head to one side, making her earrings jingle. "Gambit wouldn't get mad about this; I just know it. He loves Rogue!"
Logan's fist balled up. "Love is thinkin' about the other person before thinkin' about yourself. Seems to me like he wasn't doin' that much thinkin' about Rogue when he saw the chance to get what he's always wanted from her in that damn…"
"Logan." Storm approached them, one eyebrow raised. There was only a flash of contrition on his face, but it was enough to satisfy her. She looked at the girl he had his arm around. "Jubilee, some of the students are putting together a card to take down to Rogue. Could you supervise the project; I see a problem brewing already between Heather and Mickey."
Jubilee reluctantly nodded and after giving Logan a hug, left them to do Storm's bidding. He turned his attention onto the weather goddess. "Heather and Mickey?"
"Our two budding artists," she explained. A moment passed. "Let me ask you something. Suppose we weren't able to touch. Ever."
"Ro…"
"And then say suddenly we had the chance." Storm propped her fists up on her hips. "Would you turn it down? Be careful how you answer this."
He wanted to laugh at the same time he wanted defend himself. He chose to take her hand. "I can touch you, darlin'. And I ain't never gonna take that for granted."
She dropped some of her severity; his fingers were perfectly calloused and felt amazing against her small, cool ones. "Please don't be so hard on him, Logan. What he went through in Antarctica…it was a thousand times more difficult than he'll ever admit to. And I'm not just talking about his trial. I know how much he cherishes Rogue. He'd never hurt her on purpose." Storm let her thumb caress the back of Logan's hand. "But…he is just human, like the rest of us, with all the weaknesses and desires that come with that. And if you expected him to be a good little Boy Scout in that cave…you'd better ask yourself if you could have done the same in his place."
"The difference, Ro, is that I can restrain myself."
"Yes, you can." She let go of his hand. "You've been wonderfully restrained for years. Trust me…I know."
"I have been," he emphasized. "But I don't wanna be restrained anymore, Ro."
She gave him a doubtful look. "You don't."
Logan glanced across the room. Scott and Jean were watching them; they quickly turned their heads, feigning a conversation of their own. The Professor was herding children out of the room, urging the younger ones to head to bed. Bobby and Kitty were discussing something in depth. The other X-Men were scattered about, most of them just sitting and thinking, especially Hank who had gone through one hell of a ringer that night.
He cleared his throat. "Hey, everyone. Listen up." His teammates all looked at him, with varying degrees of curiosity and confusion. He could sense Storm getting ready to protest, so he continued quickly. "I'm takin' the woman standin' next to me upstairs, and you prob'ly won't see us 'til tomorrow. Anybody got a problem with that?"
Storm covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe this is happening…"
Scott was the first and only person to say anything. "Have fun."
Logan looked back at her. "Are you comin'? Or is it your turn to be restrained?"
Twin spots of pink appeared on her coffee-colored cheeks. She was going to get him for this. Someday, somehow. But for now…
As soon as the newly-formed couple had left, heading for the stairs and the first room they could find, Kitty looked at Bobby. "It was public. Pay up."
****
"Ah think yer gonna have to repeat that one more time, sugah. Maybe two times."
Remy nodded. "Gambit understand. It be a'lot t'take in, chere. But it don' come out'o now'ere. Been t'inkin' 'bout dis a long time."
"When?" Rogue looked at him, incredulously. "When did ya have the time to think 'bout it? When ya were tryin' to stay alive in Antarctica? Or in the past two weeks when Ah'd barely talk to ya?"
"Ma petit chou…I t'ink 'bout dis from de first time I saw you."
She shook her head. "Ah don't…Ah don't have any idea what to say."
"Why don' you just say 'oui'?"
"Because!" Rogue struggled to sit up. "There's all kinda stuff to be considered! I mean, for starters…"
Remy put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, hey. Lie back, chere. You got t'take care o' yourself better from now on. Don' need t'be workin' yourself up."
She complied; it was, perhaps, the first recorded instance of her doing anything he suggested without a fight. "For starters, Remy…ya know we can't ever have what we had that nigh'. So, why would ya want to…"
"Dere be more t'us den sex," he cut her off. "May not seem true, but Gambit can get by wit'out sex. He can't get by wit'out you."
"But…" Rogue's eyes darted back and forth between his. "What happens when ya wake up one day wantin' it?"
His smile was wicked. "You never let me show you my creative side, chere. Dere be t'ing's we can do dat would make your whole body blush."
Just the thought was enough to start that flush. She touched her hot cheek. "Remy. Ya can't be serious 'bout this."
He frowned. "Why you t'ink dat? 'Cause dere be not'in' in dis thief's pockets but playin' cards an' a folded-up stick? If Gambit went out an' stole you a ring, would you believe him?" Remy sat on the edge of the exam table. "Listen, chere. I grew up on de bayou, but dat not where I born. I had a maman and papa. Don' know where dey are now, an' I don' much care. But I don' ever want my bébé…or bébés…t'not know me."
"Ah'd never let that happen. But that doesn' mean we gotta…"
"Marry me, ma belle. Not 'cause you got to…but 'cause you want to."
Rogue swallowed back a heavy lump that signaled the onslaught of more tears. "Why can't Ah ever say 'no' to you, swamp rat?"
****
To Be Continued
Author's Notes: Sorry for the cliffie last chapter, but thank you for all the wonderful feedback. You know, the Ro/Lo in this story came totally out of nowhere!! I swear, I never really thought about them as a couple before, but in the context of this story, I like it. So, I'm going with it. Sorry. Next story, if there is one, might not be the same. I don't really have any definitive stance on Wolverine's love life. If it seems like this story is zipping along a little too fast...hehe...oh, just wait. That was my evil writer's moment. I'm done now. Happy reading!!
****
Unexpected
by Kristen Elizabeth
****
"So just let me try
And I will be good to you.
Just let me try
And I will be there for you.
I'll show you why
You're so much more than good enough."
-Sarah McLachlan
****
"In completely normal pregnancies, the placenta forms high in the uterus, right around here." Hank pointed to a specific place on the 3D hologram of a woman's body that he'd projected over the lab table. "But in about one out of two hundred pregnancies, the placenta forms much lower, either partially or entirely covering the cervix. We call this placenta previa, and it usually only occurs in older mothers who fall into certain risk categories. It's very rare for a first time mother under thirty, but…" He looked at the small group gathered around him. "Rogue appears to have it."
The woman partially sitting up on the infirmary exam table shook her head. "That sounds 'bout right, sugah. Nothin' easy for me."
"The bleeding was a warning sign of the condition." Hank turned off the hologram. "If I had gotten a chance to look at the results of your earlier tests, I would have spotted it right away, but it wouldn't have changed anything."
"W'at you sayin', mon ami?" In the far corner of the room, Remy unfolded his arms from the tight position he'd had them in for over an hour. "De bébé…"
"Is going to be just fine." The tension in the room melted in one collective sigh. Rogue felt Jean squeezing one hand, Logan, the other. Her eyes met Remy's for a brief second, before he looked away. She bit her lip and looked back at Hank as he continued, "I'm restricting you to bed-rest for another week, just to limit your movements and ensure that the bleeding won't return. When the baby is more developed, it might become necessary to induce early labor and deliver by means of Caesarian, which shouldn't be too traumatic because natural birth was never going to be possible anyway."
"It wasn'?" Remy asked.
"Too much skin-to-skin contact," Rogue whispered. "Ah'd rather not kill the child while Ah'm tryin' to give it life."
He looked up at the ceiling. "'Course, chere. Forgive dis Caj'n. He ain' had de time t'think 'bout any o' dis."
His bitter sarcasm cut into her, but she lifted her chin as much as possible. "Ah'll explain everythin' if ya just give me a chance."
"Seem t'me like you had plenty o' chances in de past two weeks."
Logan and Jean exchanged a look, before the red-haired woman glanced at Hank. "Do you want her to stay here, or can she be moved back to her room?"
"I want to monitor her for twenty-four hours. After that, bed-rest in her own bed would certainly be acceptable, and preferable." He peeked over his shoulder. Remy was leaning against the wall, looking like a thundercloud on two legs. It was obviously time to give the parents-to-be a long overdue moment alone. "Why don't we go upstairs and tell everyone the good news, if the Professor hasn't already."
Jean nodded before smiling down at Rogue. **See?** she silently told her. **You're still a momma.** She touched the white part of the woman's hair. **He is angry. Hurt and scared. But there's joy tucked away in all of that. Let him find it on his own.**
Rogue closed her eyes. "Thank ya, Jean."
She felt a huge, warm hand cup her cheek. "Stay strong, darlin'." Logan pulled away, and she heard his voice harden. "Gumbo…don't do or say anythin' I might have to kill you for later." There was no reply to this; a few seconds later she heard the infirmary doors open and close, and they were alone.
"How you feel, chere?"
His first sentence made her eyes pop open. "What? Why are ya…worryin' 'bout how I feel?"
Remy cursed sharply. "Actin' stupid again. Dis ain' de time for it." He took a few steps towards her, but still maintained a decent distance. Like he had been since she'd let the secret spill from her lips. "Dere's no more pain, oui?"
"No. No more pain." Rogue looked down at her hands, covered by white Lycra. "Remy…" She paused. "Ah'm sorry."
He released a heavy breath. "You should've told me, chere. But…you didn'. You hid it from me." Remy reached out and picked up her blood-stained pants from the chair on which they'd been draped. "Couldn' have much longer, neh?"
"Ya know Ah was plannin' on tellin' ya in the garden."
"I just want t'know why. Dat's all. Why, chere?" He dropped her clothes and approached the edge of the exam table. "Didn' you t'ink I could take knowin'?"
"Ah…" Rogue brushed tears away, frustrated that they just wouldn't stop. "Ah wasn't real excited 'bout the idea myself for a long time. Ah only just started likin' it. Lovin' it." She lowered her eyes to her lap. "And Ah didn' really know how ya'd take it; it ain' somethin' we've ever talked 'bout."
Remy rubbed his hand up and down his face. "Suppose we'd better start, chere."
She lifted one shoulder. "Nothin' to discuss now, sugah. Ah'm havin' it, whether ya like it or not."
She'd never seen the look that came over his face, and she'd thought she'd seen every look he was capable of. But then, he'd never looked at her like he didn't even know who she was, or how she could possibly be sitting in front of him, saying what was saying. "Did you forget **everyt'in'** 'bout Gambit w'en you dropped him in de snow?" he shouted. Rogue wanted to wince, but she maintained her composure. "Or do you t'ink 'cause he help kill in de past, he cap'ble o' killin' his own bébé?" She glanced away, but he grabbed her chin with his gloved hand and forced her to look him in the eye. "Do you?!"
"Ah don' know!!" she shouted back, jerking out of his grip. "Ah mean, Ah almost killed it!! Maybe Ah though' ye'd have the same idea!!"
Dead silence echoed her outburst. Remy took a step back, blinking once and then twice. "Chere…"
She covered her mouth with her hand. "Ah didn' mean that, Remy." Her hand drifted down to her throat. "Ah couldn' go through with it. Ya wouldn'tve been able to either. Ah know ya well enough' to know that."
"Den…" His chest expanded and contracted; he was struggling for each breath. "De question stays, chere. Why?"
"Ah'm scared."
As best he could remember, he'd never heard Rogue say that sentence. The cracks that had been punched into his heart with the news of her pregnancy grew wider. The fear on her face was obvious now that she wasn't hiding it. "You scared o' Gambit?"
"No." Rogue shook her head. "Never you, Remy. Ah've only ever been scared o' what you make me feel." She crossed one arm over her stomach. "Ah'm scared 'bout havin' a baby Ah won' ever be able to hold. Ah'm scared that 'cause o' that, Ah'll be a bad mother to it." She bit her lip. "Most of all…Ah'm scared that ya migh' never forgive me for what Ah did to ya." Rogue met his gaze. "Remy, Ah'm so sorry," she whispered. When she blinked, her tears spilled over. "Ah don' care what ya felt that made me do it, Ah shouldn't've left ya there. Tellin' ya what Ah did…that ya didn' have a home no more." Her smooth forehead crinkled. "How can ya even look at me anymore?"
"'Cause," he began. "You be de best part o' my life, chere."
His words only increased her guilt. "Stop sayin' stuff like that!!"
"Gambit don' like seein' his femme feelin' sorry for herself." He held up his hands. "An' 'fore you start in on de 'femme' t'ing, know dis. You are mine…more so now den ever. W'ether you like it or not."
Having her words thrown back in her face, especially when she didn't feel worthy of them, made her snap back. "Is that only 'cause one o' yer lucky lil' swimmers got though an' started somethin'?"
He looked amused. "Non, ma belle. You been mine since long 'fore I even got t'touch you." Remy put his hands on either side of the exam table, surrounding her from above. "Don' you know it by now? Dere's somet'in' good here, but only w'en we be t'gether. Dis…" He moved one hand to touch her stomach. It wasn't flat like he remembered, but round and firm. "Dis only make us better. Can you see dat?"
She wanted to throw her arms around his neck; the rollercoaster of emotions she'd been riding for weeks didn't show any signs of slowing down. "Ah though' Ah'd killed ya. But Ah couldn' kill what ya helped make. Remy…" Rogue reached up and touched his cheek. "Please don' be so quick to forgive me. Ah don' deserve it. Ah never will."
"Chere…dere's a lot I let you call de shots for." He covered her hand with his. "But you don' be de one t'decide dis. Gambit wanted t'die in de snow. You had me in dat pretty head you got…de death wish ain't somet'in' easy t'overcome."
"But, Ah…"
He laid his finger against her lips. "Soyez silencieux. For once, ma belle…stop talkin'. I know what I felt dat day. You wan' t'talk scared? De way Gambit saw himself in your eyes after Magneto made you kiss him…dat alone made him want t'freeze. But seein' you slip away from him…" Remy shook his head. "Dat was fear, chere. An' it stay 'til I see you in de boathouse."
"Sugah…"
"De Professor say…de past should stay in de past. Maybe he got somet'in' goin' wit' dat. He been righ' more often den not, oui?" She nodded. "Den…de past over wit', chere. Now de only t'ing we got t'worry 'bout…" He took her hand and put it on her belly; his palm closed over hers, connecting all three of them, despite the layers of material. "…is de future."
****
Jubilee's lower lip trembled and she turned her face into Logan's collar. "Rogonnaberigh?"
"Wanna try that again, Jubes?"
She sniffed and lifted her head. "Rogue's gonna be all right?"
"Didn't you listen to Xavier, darlin'?"
"I did. I just…" Jubilee wiped at her cheeks, suddenly embarrassed to be caught displaying this much emotion. "I just know you'd never lie to me, but the Professor…well, he'd stretch the truth…to protect us, of course!"
Logan snorted softly. "Well, in this case, he told it like it is. Rogue's fine. The baby's fine." His brow furred. "The Cajun's fine…for now. Nothin' to cry about anymore." He brushed away one of her leftover tears with his finger. "Okay?"
The girl nodded, then thought for a second. "They're still down there talkin', aren't they?"
"Yeah." His frown turned into a glower. "He didn't seem to be takin' it all that well."
"What do you mean? Wolvie?" Jubilee tilted her head to one side, making her earrings jingle. "Gambit wouldn't get mad about this; I just know it. He loves Rogue!"
Logan's fist balled up. "Love is thinkin' about the other person before thinkin' about yourself. Seems to me like he wasn't doin' that much thinkin' about Rogue when he saw the chance to get what he's always wanted from her in that damn…"
"Logan." Storm approached them, one eyebrow raised. There was only a flash of contrition on his face, but it was enough to satisfy her. She looked at the girl he had his arm around. "Jubilee, some of the students are putting together a card to take down to Rogue. Could you supervise the project; I see a problem brewing already between Heather and Mickey."
Jubilee reluctantly nodded and after giving Logan a hug, left them to do Storm's bidding. He turned his attention onto the weather goddess. "Heather and Mickey?"
"Our two budding artists," she explained. A moment passed. "Let me ask you something. Suppose we weren't able to touch. Ever."
"Ro…"
"And then say suddenly we had the chance." Storm propped her fists up on her hips. "Would you turn it down? Be careful how you answer this."
He wanted to laugh at the same time he wanted defend himself. He chose to take her hand. "I can touch you, darlin'. And I ain't never gonna take that for granted."
She dropped some of her severity; his fingers were perfectly calloused and felt amazing against her small, cool ones. "Please don't be so hard on him, Logan. What he went through in Antarctica…it was a thousand times more difficult than he'll ever admit to. And I'm not just talking about his trial. I know how much he cherishes Rogue. He'd never hurt her on purpose." Storm let her thumb caress the back of Logan's hand. "But…he is just human, like the rest of us, with all the weaknesses and desires that come with that. And if you expected him to be a good little Boy Scout in that cave…you'd better ask yourself if you could have done the same in his place."
"The difference, Ro, is that I can restrain myself."
"Yes, you can." She let go of his hand. "You've been wonderfully restrained for years. Trust me…I know."
"I have been," he emphasized. "But I don't wanna be restrained anymore, Ro."
She gave him a doubtful look. "You don't."
Logan glanced across the room. Scott and Jean were watching them; they quickly turned their heads, feigning a conversation of their own. The Professor was herding children out of the room, urging the younger ones to head to bed. Bobby and Kitty were discussing something in depth. The other X-Men were scattered about, most of them just sitting and thinking, especially Hank who had gone through one hell of a ringer that night.
He cleared his throat. "Hey, everyone. Listen up." His teammates all looked at him, with varying degrees of curiosity and confusion. He could sense Storm getting ready to protest, so he continued quickly. "I'm takin' the woman standin' next to me upstairs, and you prob'ly won't see us 'til tomorrow. Anybody got a problem with that?"
Storm covered her face with her hands. "I can't believe this is happening…"
Scott was the first and only person to say anything. "Have fun."
Logan looked back at her. "Are you comin'? Or is it your turn to be restrained?"
Twin spots of pink appeared on her coffee-colored cheeks. She was going to get him for this. Someday, somehow. But for now…
As soon as the newly-formed couple had left, heading for the stairs and the first room they could find, Kitty looked at Bobby. "It was public. Pay up."
****
"Ah think yer gonna have to repeat that one more time, sugah. Maybe two times."
Remy nodded. "Gambit understand. It be a'lot t'take in, chere. But it don' come out'o now'ere. Been t'inkin' 'bout dis a long time."
"When?" Rogue looked at him, incredulously. "When did ya have the time to think 'bout it? When ya were tryin' to stay alive in Antarctica? Or in the past two weeks when Ah'd barely talk to ya?"
"Ma petit chou…I t'ink 'bout dis from de first time I saw you."
She shook her head. "Ah don't…Ah don't have any idea what to say."
"Why don' you just say 'oui'?"
"Because!" Rogue struggled to sit up. "There's all kinda stuff to be considered! I mean, for starters…"
Remy put his hands on her shoulders. "Hey, hey. Lie back, chere. You got t'take care o' yourself better from now on. Don' need t'be workin' yourself up."
She complied; it was, perhaps, the first recorded instance of her doing anything he suggested without a fight. "For starters, Remy…ya know we can't ever have what we had that nigh'. So, why would ya want to…"
"Dere be more t'us den sex," he cut her off. "May not seem true, but Gambit can get by wit'out sex. He can't get by wit'out you."
"But…" Rogue's eyes darted back and forth between his. "What happens when ya wake up one day wantin' it?"
His smile was wicked. "You never let me show you my creative side, chere. Dere be t'ing's we can do dat would make your whole body blush."
Just the thought was enough to start that flush. She touched her hot cheek. "Remy. Ya can't be serious 'bout this."
He frowned. "Why you t'ink dat? 'Cause dere be not'in' in dis thief's pockets but playin' cards an' a folded-up stick? If Gambit went out an' stole you a ring, would you believe him?" Remy sat on the edge of the exam table. "Listen, chere. I grew up on de bayou, but dat not where I born. I had a maman and papa. Don' know where dey are now, an' I don' much care. But I don' ever want my bébé…or bébés…t'not know me."
"Ah'd never let that happen. But that doesn' mean we gotta…"
"Marry me, ma belle. Not 'cause you got to…but 'cause you want to."
Rogue swallowed back a heavy lump that signaled the onslaught of more tears. "Why can't Ah ever say 'no' to you, swamp rat?"
****
To Be Continued
