Chapter 5: Trust

            Rogue awoke  in the afternoon with a massive headache, and the minute she climbed out of bed, a wave of nausea seemed to hit her, and she found herself rushing for the bathroom, just reaching the toilet it in time.  She knelt over the toilet, vomiting, her face sweating, her body trembling, she felt so ill.

            When the worst of the vomiting was over – after about six waves of it - she rested leaning against the toilet, her cheek against the cold porcelain, one hand hanging onto the nearby sink for support.  She could feel a cold sweat on her face.

            "You were really bad last night," she heard Kitty Pryde's voice at her back.

            Rogue turned, Kitty was standing wearing grey pyjamas, leaning against the threshold of the door, Rogue hadn't even realised she had left the door open.  "Don't remind me…" she pulled herself up weakly and leaned her head over the sink and turned on the cold water faucet, and used her hand to cup some water into her mouth.  She swished it in her mouth, and then spat it out, she made a face, her mouth tasted foul.

            Rogue stood straight, and glanced at herself in the mirror.  She was still wearing the same clothes from the night before – which was a pair of black slacks, and a velvet bustier with a flowing black mesh top pulled over it. She examined her face, her makeup was still on, but it was smeared, and halfway across her face, and her hair was mussed and sticking up, and a part of the area of her hair that was bleached white jutted out at an awkward angle. 

            "I feel like shit…" Rogue groaned, she began to wash her face.

            "Well you should!  You drank non stop, you are like, SO lucky you didn't die from alcohol poisoning or something the way you drank last night," Kitty remarked. 

"Sshh, someone might hear," Rogue looked at Kitty's reflection in the mirror.

            "They're out for Lunch…" Kitty remarked, "For burgers and fries."

            The thought of food sent Rogue's nausea coming back and Rogue rushed for the toilet again as a seventh wave of nausea came over her.

            Kitty grimaced in absolute disgust, "oh that's just so attractive," Kitty came in and closed the door and locked it, making sure no one could walk in Rogue throwing up.  "Rogue, what was all that about, last night?" she asked.

            Rogue was gasping desperately after having thrown up, "what?" she asked in between, and then another wave of nausea came up.  Rogue couldn't believe she could have so much vomit in her.

            Kitty put her hand over her mouth and nose, the smell of the contents of Rogue's stomach was enough to make Kitty feel nauseous.  Kitty was now glad she'd skipped breakfast..

            "C'mon, I haven't known you forever but I know that last night was even weird for you…"

            "I don't know, Jesus, Kitty, haven't you ever done anything bad before?" Rogue demanded.

            "Sure I have but I haven't gotten dangerously drunk and endangered my life," Kitty sat up on the counter next to the sink, "Gambit was quiet all morning, what did you say to him last night?"

            Rogue sighed, "I don't wanna talk about it…"

            Hours later, Rogue wasn't feeling any better, and while everyone was outside enjoying another beautiful day, she remained inside, avoiding everyone, sitting in the recreation room trying to recover from her hangover, she curled up on the couch, with a hard rock music station on a low volume on the television, and flicking through a magazine. 

            "Well well," she heard Remy's voice, "it's the X-Men's resident alcoholic."

            Rogue slowly turned and looked over the back of the couch towards the door, Remy standing with his back right against the threshold, he stood kind of shaded, but the irises of his eyes – intense red – seemed to glow brightly, there was a lit cigarette in his mouth.  He was wearing faded jeans and a black tanktop, his strong looking arms hung at his side, boasting a perfect tan.

            "Do you mind?" Rogue demanded, "I can't stand the smell of smoke."

            "You sure don't mind the taste of booze," Remy retorted.

            Rogue tossed the magazine away and she pulled herself slightly up, kneeling on the couch, looking over the back, "get out, I could do without your smart assed attitude and smoke scented presence."

            "Too bad…" He remarked, and walked in, sauntered over and slumped down beside her on the couch, shoving his feet up on the coffee table with a loud thump.

            Rogue winced, the noise rattled her head and seemed five times louder than it should have to her ears.  She rubbed her head, "get out…"

            "No," Remy picked up the remote and flicked stations to another music station. 

Rogue gaped, starting to become irate already, "I was watching that."

"Well, you're not now," Remy remarked coldly, in a tone that seemed to match the one she'd spoken in the night previously.

Rogue yanked the remote back, and changed the station back, "Yes I am, get lost."

            Remy raised an eyebrow, snatched the remote from her fingers and changed it back.  "Make me."

            "Give me that!"

            "Take it from me," He put it behind his back.

            Rogue punched his shoulder with a gloved hand, not hard enough to maim him, she didn't feel strong enough today to do any serious harm to anyone.

            "Was that meant to hurt?" Remy stared at his bare shoulder, not even a red mark of where she'd hit him.  "Okay, I thought you were like to be strong as superman or something," he looked at her.

            "I don't feel well today," she sniffed, she looked away from him, she couldn't even be bothered fighting for the remote anymore, she pulled her legs up to her chest, and hugged them, resting her chin on her knees, she looked to the TV. 

            "Hung over?"

            "What do you think?" Rogue rolled her eyes.

            "You should keep out of clubs like Asylum, a lot of guys would try to hurt you," he glanced at her.

            "Like you care!" Rogue rolled her eyes again, she tucked her hair behind her ears, keeping an eye on the TV.  She felt out of place in a room she'd always been comfortable in before Remy had joined the X-Men.

            "Did I ever give any indication I didn't?" he asked.

            Rogue's head snapped to the side to look at him, her mouth dropping, "don't be an ass," she muttered, and got up, she was about to walk away.

            "Why do you pick fights, Chere, I'm being honest!" he yelled after her, he turned around on the sofa, she was now standing at the back of the couch, a few feet away.

            "I pick fights 'cause you started picking fights with me!" Rogue yelled at him.

            Remy stood up slowly and walked over to the other side of the sofa, and stood before her, "Yes, I admit it, I broke into the mansion, and yes!  I DID try to take you from here," He looked at here, "don't you think I feel guilty enough?!"

            "You don't feel guilt over anything," Rogue folded her arms and looked away.

            "What's going on…" 

            Rogue turned hearing Jean's voice.   Scott, Jean, Evan, Kitty and Kurt were all at the door, they looked at the two who had been arguing.

            "Ask him that question," Rogue pointed to Remy, "He's the one who's keeping secrets!"

            Remy broke, "Keeping secrets!?" he gasped, exasperated, "does anyone in this building actually know this girl's real name?!" he pointed to Rogue, "do you know her birthday?!  Do you know ANYTHING about her past?!" he demanded.

            The X-Men looked at each other, Rogue stood looking like a deer in the headlights.  No one knew much about herself, not her real name, her actual birthday, or even the exact place she'd come from in the South, all they knew was the little things that had been revealed.  Mystique being her adopted mother, her powers, and other such things.  But who she was still remained a mystery – and no one had ever seemed interested in finding out.

            "I find it hard getting lectured on trust, and the evils of keeping secrets from a girl who only goes by the name 'Rogue', and has some secrets of her own," Remy remarked, he walked past Rogue and headed out the door.

            Rogue stood, with bated breath, her heart thudding in her chest, she wasn't sure if it was anger, or if it was fear that now her friends would begin to ask her questions she didn't want to answer.  She looked at them, they kept their eyes off of her, and looked elsewhere.  They didn't want to be involved.

            "I'm, uhm…going for a walk," Jean stated, and turned.

            "Me also," Scott followed her.

            Kitty looked at Evan, "Hey, lets go surf the net," she said, and they too left.

            Rogue was left standing with Kurt, he refused to look at her for some strange reason.

            "He has a point," Was all Kurt said, and then without giving an explanation, he wandered off.

            Rogue stood alone, she felt so much like crying, and felt so much like kicking Gambit in the head.  She sat down slowly on an arm chair, and stared at the television, her heart suddenly feeling very empty.