"Oh, no. They're back already."

"It's been several hours. Count your blessings, Logan. At least it's only the two of them now."

"Count your own blessings. I'm taking off. I figure a few nice relaxing fights at biker bar and I might be back to normal. If not, then there's always alcohol and LOTS of it."

Xavier rolled his eyes but quickly concealed his look when the two young southerners walked in. "How was lunch?"

Rogue smiled. "Good," she responded simply, holding the laptop behind her.

"Jus' peachy, sir," Remy added.

"... Good to hear." ~Are they hiding something, Logan?~

~I don't care. I'm out of here.~

~Thanks for the help. Perhaps your apathetic mood will be altered after you get back.~

~Doubt it. The only stuff that gets me trashed isn't legal in this country. You're not going to see me again till January... if then.~

Xavier blinked, but let Logan leave. Rogue and Remy quickly said goodbye to him. Logan mumbled something that they decided to disregard.

"Um... Thanks foh lunch Professor. We're gonna go upstairs now, maybe watch tv..."

"You can watch it down here." There was no room for argument in his tone.

Rogue and Remy glanced at each other both thinking the same thing. 'Dammit.'

They wandered into the rec and flopped on the couch. Rogue grabbed the remote control and turned on the TV. "It's a Wonderful Life" was on. Rogue made a face and changed the channel only to see "Miracle on 34th Street." She continued to change the channel, finding nothing but sappy Christmas programs. The news station was the least sickening thing on. Both Remy and Rogue sat up straight when the news anchor began talking about an "angel" who several people claimed had saved their lives.

"Professor!" Rogue called out urgently. "Get in here quick! Ya have ta see this!"

Xavier hurriedly rolled in, surprised by her tone of voice. "What is it?"

"It's the angel people have been talkin' about," she explained, pointing at the TV.

"Dere's been anot'er instance of it savin' someone else."

"Interesting. This is the third occurrence this week," Xavier said, his eyes fixed on the TV. Soon the report on the angel sighting was over and another story came on, however, it was obvious the three mutants were intrigued by the idea of an "angel". The mutants at the institute had speculated he/she/it was a mutant, but details were sketchy at best. And, there was always the idea that the people who claimed to see it were just whack jobs.

Rogue crossed her arms over her chest. "While it's excitin' ta think that it might be true... there's no proof yet. No pictures, nothing. Just talk."

"Yeah... y' have one person say dat dere's an angel who saved her from a burnin' buildin' an' den everyone feeds off dat for who knows how long."

"You're both right, but we can't ignore the possibility that this person is, in fact, a mutant," The professor said seriously. "While it may be against my better judgment, sending you two out in the city alone, I feel it would be wise to try and find out more and perhaps offer him or her asylum."

The two teens practically lit up at the thought of getting out of the mansion and into town, alone and unsupervised. "If ya put it that way, Ah guess we could go out an' try ta make some sort of contact. What harm could we do?"

'With those two... anything,' the professor thought to himself quickly before verbally responding: "That is precisely the way I'm looking at it. So you two agree to go out?"

It took all Remy willpower's not to appear visibly excited. "Why not?" he answered coolly instead.

"Do ya want us to leave raht away?" Rogue asked, a bit too eagerly.

"Yes, why don't you do that? Oh, and take your communicators with you so you can keep me informed of any new developments." 'Thank goodness. At least they'll be out of my hair for the day... figuratively speaking of course.'

"Sure, professor!" Rogue said rising quickly to her feet. Her eyes slid slyly to Remy. "Last one to the garage rides on back!" she yelled before streaking out the doors.

"Hey, no fair, y' cheated!" Remy yelled back, hot on her heels. Xavier rolled his eyes before finding the remote and clicking off the TV.

Rogue easily beat Remy to the garage thanks to her flying powers. She was leaning against his bike when he made it to the garage about five seconds after her, grinning broadly. "Looks like Ah won."

"Don' give me dat merde. I know how much y' love t' hold on t' my back an' feel my muscles ripplin' underneat' m'coat..."

"That was befoh Ah started ridin' these things with Logan," she smirked. His face fell into an incredibly irresistible pout. It was the one look she couldn't help but melt at. "Fine..." She stepped aside and allowed him to take hold on the handlebars in order to walk it out. "Ah get ta ride it back though."

"Deal."

In a matter of minutes, they were leaving the mansion once again, but not in the luxury of a limo, nor with the company of anyone but each other. Rogue smiled, thinking that was what she'd wanted all morning but had really only achieved it then. Her hold on Remy's back became tighter in the form of a hug before relaxing again. She loved the feel of the wind ripping around her, almost as if she was flying.

Suddenly there bikes all around them, four custom jobs with riders in punk/goth clothes, each as unique at the machines beneath them. The blond in the colorful, highly embroidered jacket grinned and swerved unnervingly close to the bike the two mutants rode. Remy cursed and jerked the bike slightly to the right, nearly crashing into the black-haired rider with the Native American looks and the elaborate necklace who was equally close on the other side. The bikers let out joyful yells, and laughed as they continued to harass the red-haired couple, weaving skillfully in and out and around the bike, keeping them surrounded.

"Dat's it! I've had enough o' dis!" Remy growled under his breath. A hand left the handlebars just long enough to retrieve two cards from his coat and toss them on either sides of his bike. The small explosions caused the bikes flanking them to peel away but the riders seemed unconcerned, laughing as they sped past the couple, came together again and turned off down a side street.

Rogue leaned forward to put her mouth next to Remy's ear. "Hey, did they look familar ta you, too?" she asked, raising her voice over the roar of the bike.

He considered. "Now dat you mention it, dey sorta did, chere..."

She blinked a few times and then decided to forget about it. Remy tried to do the same thing, although he had the feeling it wouldn't be the last time he would see those familiar faces again.

After driving for many uneventful miles, Rogue and Remy reached the inner city. "Hey, chere," Remy called back as they hit the inevitable traffic. "Let's say we forget about dis angel an' hit de clubs?"

She smirked, but hit his helmet nonetheless. "Ya know we have ta do this. Xavier won't let us out on things like this again if we don't come back with somethin'."

"So... we do some 'investigatin' an' den hit the clubs?"

"O' course."

"I love de way y' t'ink."

Hours of questioning later they had turned up nothing, not so much as a feather. The witnesses, though willing to talk (some TOO willing) hadn't been able to give a clear, or even consistent description.

"Dis a useless. I say we get some coffee an' beignets to warm up an' figure out where to go from dere."

"That place we passed a couple streets ago? 'The Big Drip?'"

"Oui. It looked cozy."

"Sure," Rogue smiled. Remy turned right at the light to make their way back to the small café. "Ah'm actually kinda mad that we haven't found any leads on this angel."

"Why? De sooner we c'n say dat we don' have any evidence he exists, de sooner we c'n get partyin'."

"The rumor had ta start somewhere. Ah wanna know where an' why."

"An' since have y' had dis Nancy Drew streak in y'?" he teased, pulling the motorcycle into a parking spot.

She climbed off the back and pulled off her helmet. "Ah dunno. Ah'm gettin' curious Ah guess."

"T'ought y' didn' believe is dis merde?" he countered once he had his own helmet off. His shook his hair gloriously. Rogue knew he did it just to excite her nerves, but at the moment, it barely affected her.

"Ah said Ah don't know. It'd just be fun ta actually find something concrete, ya know? Ta be able ta say that we found the angel an' it isn't a bunch of shit."

Remy took her hand and led her into the café. It wasn't until they were sitting down that he responded. "Is dere some ulterior t'ing y' not tellin' me about?"

"'Course not. Can ya blame me foh wantin' somethin' supernatural ta happen?"

He stared at her blandly. "Chere... we be mutants..." he began.

"Ah know that, Swamp Rat!" she laughed. "Ya know what Ah mean."

He squeezed her hand from across the booth. "I do, cherie."

"Hello. What can I get for you two, today?" A mocha-skinned waitress with long black hair in cornrows and brightly colored beads at the ends stood next to their booth, snapping her gum and completely ruining the serious mood.

"Two coffee an' two beignets, si'vous plait."

The waitress scribbled it down. "Okay, coming right up. GREAT accent, by the way."

As the waitress walked away, Remy grinned at Rogue. "Now, see, I know how t' keep it in m' pants. I don' need t' flirt wit' ev'ry waitress we meet t'day."

Rogue glared at him at first but then her face softened. "Ah guess Ah'll play it ta Courtney's hair bein' the same color as mine," she joked.

"If dat's what y' wan' believe, chere..." he muttered with a smirk.

"What?!"

"'M kiddin'!" He gave her puppy eyes and when her harsh demeanor didn't fade, he quickly reached across the table for her hand and kissed the palm. She let out a tiny burst of laughter.

"Ah know. Jus' be quiet foh once an' don' say everythin' that comes ta mind."

"I NEVER say everyt'in' dat comes t' mind. After all... lit'le cabbages have big ears..." He grinned at her.

She glanced sideways at some of the other café customers, including a few younger kids drinking milkshakes. "Ah take it back. Ah'm scared o' the day when ya actually do say everythin' that comes ta that mind of yoah's. An' Ah hate it when ya use sayin's that yoah Tante Mattie used ta say. Makes ya sound old ta boot."

"I like t' t'ink of it as wise and experienced," he stated proudly with his ever-present smirk.

"An' here it comes..."

"What?"

"Ah'm waitin' foh ya ta go on and on regarding yoah lifelong experiences about everythin' like ya always do," she snickered back.

"I do not!"

"Do so!"

"Non!"

"Yes!"

"NON!"

"YES!"

"NON!!!"

"YES!!!"

"Ahem." The waitress was back with their order. She set the plates and the cups down in front of them. "Here you go. Try to keep it down, k?" She half turned to go then added, "Oh, and for the record... she's right. Women usually are."

Rogue grinned triumphantly and stuck out her tongue. "Told ya so." She immediately went to her coffee, signaling the end of their mini quarrel. Remy sighed in defeat and started to munch on his beignet. "So," Rogue began once she had placed her cup back down on the table. "Do ya just wanna hit the clubs after this? Ah mean... Ah'm disappointed that we didn't find anythin', but then what else could we do?"

"Well... y' COULD take t' de skies an' look f'r him dere... I t'ink dat might be a lil conspicuous dough."

Rogue looked as if she was weighing the options in her head for a moment. "Eh, screw it. Ah wouldn't even know where ta start lookin'. Let's just go dancin'." She smiled.

"Dat's what I wanted t' hear."

Remy tossed a handful of money on the table and stood. Rogue, after mentally calculating the tip he'd left, glared at him and added a several bills before joining him.

"Ya know," she started to say as he pulled on his helmet, "ya could've paid more attention ta the tip."

Remy purposely revved up the engine at that precise moment. "What was dat, cherie?"

She sighed hopelessly. "Forget it." She climbed onto the back of the bike. "Let's go," she urged, tapping his helmet.

The bike shot forward, forcing her to hang on or fall off. She rolled her eyes at the display of immaturity and leaned her head against his shoulder, watching the scenery flash past.

TBC...