Chapter 1: Birthday Blues

            "I can't believe you're leaving for the rest of the summer…" Rogue sighed, she sat at the edge of her own bed, watching Kitty Pryde packing a suitcase.  Rogue hated the fact that everyone had left for the summer, to visit family,

            Scott and Jean had gone to visit Jean's parents over the rest of the summer, Jean took Scott along to introduce him to her parents.  Meanwhile Evan and Ororo had gone with their family to Spain for a holiday of fun, and Hank had gone on a trip to an island on Scotland with Professor Xavier – to do some new research on mutant genetics. Kurt had gone off to France a week previous, his adopted parents had moved there, and he'd been looking forward to visiting them there.  

            And then Remy…no one was sure where exactly he had gone, he'd said he was going to go visit some family – that COULD have been anywhere…he hadn't been specific, and hadn't called, or written back to the Mansion – not that Rogue cared.  He'd been gone for a week and a half, and it had been the most peaceful week and a half of Rogue's life. 

            But now Kitty was going, this would leave only Rogue and Logan in the mansion.  And Rogue sometimes found Logan very hard to talk to.

            "It's gonna be so lonely," Rogue sighed.

            Kitty packed a pair of jeans into the suitcase, "I'm sorry…I wish I could get out of it, but mom and dad wanna see me…" she explained, "And I miss them," she added quietly.  "Rogue, why don't you just come with me?"

            "Cause we'd end up fighting if I did," Rogue admitted, "No you need some time away from the mansion and I'm not going to ruin it by going with you, I'll be alright here on my own."

            "At least Remy isn't here," Kitty pointed out.

            "Where exactly DID he go anyway?" Rogue asked.

            "I think he said New Orleans," Kitty replied, "that's where he's from you know," She continued to pack in a very organised fashion.

            "I wouldn't be surprised if he left just so he could avoid me finding out his little secrets," Rogue remarked.

            "He said to visit family," Kitty stated, "I didn't even know he had family…I thought he had no one to go to and nowhere to go, that's why I thought he joined…'cause there was no other alternative or something," Kitty gave a nonchalant shrug.

            "As long as he's not here, I'm happy," Rogue admitted sullenly.  "I saw him naked you know."

            Kitty stopped packing her suitcase and looked at Rogue with eyes as wide as tennisballs.  "What?!" Kitty gaped, "are you kidding me?!"

            "No…" Rogue admitted, "remember that night me and him had that argument in the Rec Room?"

            "When he was trying to pin the trust issues on you and make it look like you were the untrustworthy one?" Kitty asked.

            "Yeah…" Rogue winced at the memory, "anyway, that night, you were sleeping and I snuck to his room and I was gonna try to absorb his powers – and memories – when he was sleeping…"

            "And?" Kitty asked eagerly.

            "So like…I snuck in and I was like SO close to having done it, but then he woke up, he sleeps commando, the jerk pinned me against a wall, right in my face yelling at me, he wanted me to absorb his power – I think he was trying to scare me."

            "And he was naked?" Kitty asked, "did he have a—"

            "I didn't look there," Rogue cut in, "It was hard to when his face was right at mines…when he did turn I saw his ass for a second though," Rogue shrugged.

            "Was it nice?" Kitty giggled.

            "I've seen better," Rogue gave a shrug.  "At least he's gone for now…"

            "I feel really crappy to be leaving you on your own without any of us here," Kitty tossed a sweater in to the suitcase, "But hey, it's only three weeks," she added.

            "Yeah, it is," Rogue despaired, "Know the worst part?"

            "What?" Kitty asked.

            "You're leaving in like two hours…and my birthday is tomorrow…"

            "Your sixteenth?" Kitty asked, "oh my god, I'm like, so sorry.  I feel so bad now, I can't believe no one is going to be here for your birthday…why didn't you just tell us, Rogue?!" Kitty asked.

            "Because I didn't think it was important," Rogue gave a shrug, "doesn't matter now, anyway, does it?" she said.

            Kitty did feel bad.  She hated how Rogue never told them anything about herself, if she had, Kitty would have known about this in advance and could have planned to stay an extra few days – or at least have a gift repaired, and now she didn't even have time to run out and buy a card.  

            Rogue sighed, "I'm gonna watch TV," she stated, and left the room.

            A few hours passed by, and Kitty came down the stairs dragging a heavy suitcase behind her, it came down the stairs with a thump, thump, thump, Rogue heard her and went into the hall, knowing Kitty was about to leave.

            "Your Taxi here?" Rogue asked of Kitty.  Kitty checked through a backpack she also was taking with her, just to make sure she had everything she needed.

            "I think so," Kitty stated, she flicked her long silken ponytail over her shoulder.  "I still feel guilty."

            "Don't," Rogue stated, she did feel bad herself that Kitty was going, she'd have no one but Logan to spend the rest of the summer with, and Logan wasn't the type of guy a girl hung out around all the time for social companionship.  He was a loner – like she herself had once been.

            As if he'd heard her thoughts, Logan came out of the hallway leading from the Kitchen, he looked at Kitty, "all packed?" he asked.

            "Yup," Kitty said, "I'm homeward bound."

            "You will call us, right?" Logan stated.

            "I will…" Kitty added.

            "Here, lemme take that to the cab for ya," Logan picked up her suitcase, it was heavier than she was, "Jesus Christ, squirt, what have you got in here?"

            "My life," Kitty stated, "My laptop is in there, so be careful," she added.  Logan led the way outside with the suitcase and headed over to a parked taxi that was outside.  Rogue followed.

            A distant roar could be heard off somewhere, it was growing closer.

            "What's that?" Kitty asked.

            And something on a speeding motorbike came down the driveway at some pace.  And soon, on a beautiful Harley Davidson motorbike, there was Remy, a he stopped it, but rested on it, and took a cigarette out and lit it, he looked at the girls, he took a drag of his cigarette, exhaled the pearly smoke, and murmured the word, "Bonjour."

            Kitty giggled, "Bonjour," she paused for thought, then stated, "Etes-vous bien?"

            "Je suis tout à fait bien merci," he remarked, and remained sitting on his bike, "Et vous?"

            "Bein, merci," Kitty giggled.

            Rogue looked at them both with much confusion, she glanced at Logan as if to ask what drugs Kitty and Remy might be on, but he wasn't paying attention, he was busy loading Kitty's large and heavy suitcase into the trunk of the taxi.  Rogue looked back at Kitty for an explanation

            "It's French, Rogue…" Kitty stated, "Y'know…the language…"

            "Oui," Remy took a drag of his cigarette.

            "I know that," Rogue stated, "what I was wondering is A: What were you saying, and B: why are you speaking French when English is our first language."

            "Well… A: She asked me if I was well," Remy ran his hand through his hair, the sun was beaming down on him, and his hair shone and Rogue could see slight natural tints of blonde in his hair.  "And I told her I was well, and I asked her the same."

            "Fascinating," Rogue said sarcastically.  "And what about B:?" Rogue asked.

            "B: I've just come from the French Quarter of New Orleans, and, as you might imagine, have been speaking a lot of French over the last few weeks with friends – and family."

            "You have friends?" Rogue made a face, "I'm shocked."

            "Hey!" Kitty suddenly realised something, "Rogue, you won't be alone for your birthday!"

            Rogue gaped at Kitty, she couldn't believe she'd let that slip in front of Logan and Remy.

            "Uhm…whoops…" Kitty looked at Rogue, "was that meant to be a secret?"

            Rogue folded her arms, "I'm gonna kick your ass when you get back from your parents in three weeks, Shadowcat," she remarked haughtily.

            "In three weeks you'll have forgotten about this," Kitty laughed, she hugged Rogue quickly, careful not to let their skin touch at all, "see you!" she stated quickly and jumped into the cab.  The cab drove off, and disappeared down the drive.

            Logan looked at Rogue, "why didn't you mention to anyone your birthday was coming up?" he asked.

            "I didn't think it was important," Rogue asked, "everyone was excited about going off to see their families and stuff, I didn't want to steal their thunder," she added.

            "When is it?" Logan asked.

            "Tomorrow," Rogue sighed, "but it doesn't matter anyway…I'll be spending it alone, because all my friends are away…"

            "I'm here…" Logan reminded, he made a face, "ah, but I'm gonna be busy, playing poker with some local buddies," he admitted.  Rogue seemed surprised he had friends outside of the Mansion.

            "I take you out for your birthday," Remy jumped in, he climbed off his bike and walked over to them both, they were standing on the porch area outside the large front doors of the mansion, "buy you dinner," he winked.

            "I don't want to go out for my birthday," Rogue growled.

            Logan realised this might be a good opportunity to have them go out together and get to know each other – it might help this feuding subside.

            "Actually, that's not a bad idea," he said, "You need to celebrate, Rogue…sixteen, right?"

            "Yeah," Rogue sighed.

            "Sweet sixteen," Remy smiled a little, he winked again.

            Rogue looked away from him, becoming terribly flustered, for some reason, her thoughts flashed back to him naked in his room that night.  He had obviously forgotten about the whole incident.  "Look, Logan, I don't even LIKE Remy, why would I want to spend my sixteenth birthday with him?" Rogue asked in exasperation.

            "You guys don't get along too well, its obvious. You two need to spend some time together, where you can talk, and get to know each other, and maybe forget your differences…" Logan stated.  "I'm making you go."

            "You can't make us," Rogue looked at him in complete dismay.

            "Yes I can," Logan admitted, "remember I'm in charge?"

            "So?" Rogue asked.

            "Lets just say that if you don't, you'll find A LOT more chores on your list in the next three weeks than you would normally…"

            "That's blackmail!" Rogue gaped.

            "That's life," Logan shrugged.

            Remy looked at her, "Please?" He asked, "I'll pay for everything…"

            "No," Rogue was firm.

            "I'll sing happy birthday to you…" he joked.

            "No," Rogue stated again.

            "I'll go naked…" Remy suggested.

            Rogue winced, he hadn't forgotten after all then.  "NO!"

            Logan looked at the two confusedly, realising there was something between them he didn't know about.

            "What would make you go…?" Remy looked at her, "I mean, I can't have you celebrate your birthday alone…"

            "I'd rather celebrate it alone," Rogue admitted, she looked at Logan with pleading eyes.

            "I'll do anything if you go," Remy suggested, hoping it would somehow help her get to like him more – it'd certainly make her easier to live with.

            Rogue looked at him, "Anything?" she asked, her eyes lighting up a little.

            "Except tell you why I switched sides," Remy suddenly stated, he knew what she'd wanted.

            Rogue drew her breath, "then forget it," she stated, and went back inside, closing the door behind her.

            Remy sighed, "she's very stubborn."

            "Do you blame her?" Logan asked, he leaned against one of the porch pillars, he took a cigar out of his pocket and clipped it with one of his razor sharp adamantium claws.

            "How can I win her over?" Remy asked.

            "You're actually asking my advice, Cajun?" Logan asked, he pulled out a lighter and lit the cigar.

            Remy tossed his own cigarette away and stomped on it, grinding it into the stone step, "Oui."

            "Alright, you've asked for my advice, and here it is.  Rogue has had the kind of life where she's been abandoned, and betrayed almost all of her life…she's gone through some bad shit in her time, Gambit," Logan stated, "and if you want to have any kind of friendship with her – or at least be able to live with her comfortably without her bitching at you morning, noon, evening and night…then you're going to have to come clean – at least to her…"

            "You're saying…" Remy trailed off, his dark eyes meeting Logan's steely eyes.

            Logan took a puff of his cigar, and through thick white smoke, he said with a very strong tone, "You need to tell her your secrets."