Disclaimer: I don't own the X-men, simply because slavery is illegal in the United states…otherwise…
Author's note: I know it has been awhile since my last update on this story but please forgive me, many things have come up, plus I was stuck on ideas…but now, here it is…also, please do not ask where Gambit has been and what he escaped…this will be a separate story that I shall begin after I have completed this one.
Undreamt Of
Homecoming
He stalked quietly through the woods, senses honed by years of captivity alert…searching…soon he saw what he was seeking. A man was leaning against a tree, cigar lit and staring at the stars…Logan was the man's name…he could trust Logan.
A piece of shadow himself, he sat down opposite Logan and stared at the ground that he had given so much to see "Homme Logan…"
Logan jerked and sat up straight, letting the cigar fall for a moment as the newcomer's scent hit him… "Gumbo? What the hell? Didn't hear you walk up…When...how…?"
Remy grinned, a hollow parody of his normal grin and cocked his head to the side "Remy got his ways neh?"
"Yeah, sure bub…where you been? It's been…"
"Remy know. Been six years…Remy check de paper."
Logan shifted himself around uncomfortably "You know I ain't gonna push ya if you don't want to talk about it, but I assume there's a reason you came to find me instead of going into the mansion…"
Remy fiddled with a leaf for a moment and sighed "Oiu. Remy got some t'ings te settle…he not up to de mansion, and de X-men...not now…"
Logan drew in the slightly altered scent of his team mate and knew where the conversation was going "You're lookin for Rogue."
"Oiu. Been te her window an she not der…"
"She's gone…"
Remy leaned his head back against the tree behind him and started to shake…he knew it. Rogue had always been impulsive…emotional…he should have realized that she had either moved on…or died…
Logan decided to ignore the cajun's shaking for the moment and continue "She left about five years ago…took a buncha kids we saved and went to set up house."
That shocked him. Kids? "Where?"
Logan shrugged "Don't know. Haven't heard from her since…she's doing alright though, every few weeks Xavier gets a letter from her. He's been hiding their location…for good reason."
Remy caught the lower shift of Logan's voice and stared at his friend "Someone want te find de filles?"
Logan nodded "A few people. Supposedly every flaming one of the kids is an Alpha level…and someone's been spreading rumors that Chuck's actually controlling Rogue, making her train an army for him…"
That confused him a moment, even as he started to feel a growing rage at the world in general "Chuck de one as never could get inte ma Chere's head…"
"Yeah, well, lot's of people are starting to overlook that little fact…"
He was suddenly overwhelmed by an intense need to be by Rogue…by the kids…to protect… "Remy need te find dem"
"Talk to Chuck. If you need help persuading him…" Logan unsheathed a handful of claws for emphasis
Remy turned to leave, coat swirling about him "T'anks"
"Welcome back from the dead Cajun…"
"Remy not back yet...he workin on it though" he slid into the shadows.
"Ain't we all." Logan stood up and headed towards the mansion. The Cajun was going to need a few things…
* * * * *
Rogue ran a hand through her hair and growled to herself, hunched over her diary…
…Six years diary. Six years…why am ah still waitin? Lord knows ah love Remy…love him more than he'll ever know…but the kids, the kids need a father…especially the boys. They need someone as can teach them…
Maybe we'll all jus pack up an visit the mansion, give old uncle Xavier a heart attack...maybe Logan could…
"What are yah thinking gal? Logan would nevah put up with all the kids…even if ah jus asked him to take the boys campin…ah, gal, yah need to get a grip…"
She set down her pen and looked up at the portrait of her love "Ah'm going nuts Remy. Yah durned swamp rat…why can't yah be here? Ah miss ya so much it hurts…an little Raven's sayin we're gonna have a daddy soon…it better be you yah hear?"
* * * * *
Remy sat in Xavier's office looking at the man that held the key to his future…he was trying hard to focus on Xavier...to listen…but a voice other than the crippled telepath's intruded Ah'm going nuts Remy…ah miss ya so much it hurts..
He shook his head and promised himself at the emerald eyed beauty that he would be there soon… "Remy be needin the address homme…Remy goin home."
Xavier wrinkled his face in a look of deep sadness "Remy, I cannot compromise their position…" he said, nodding to the walls.
Remy, born and bred to intrigue, understood the meaning behind the words though. He narrowed his red on black eyes and looked around. He nodded slightly "You be compromising no'tin proffessur. Remy an Rogue belong t'gether, ain't no'tin you can do te stop dat…"
Xavier smiled slightly and held a hand to his temple "It seems I have an emergency in the dormitories to take care of. You better be gone before I return…" he wheeled quickly out of the room and closed the door.
"T'anks" he whispered as he started to search eth office, top to bottom. The filing cabinet he dismissed, it was too easy to access, therefore would not hold the information he needed…
His eyes fell on the bookcase and he smiled…closer inspection revealed that there was no dust a bookcase's length in front of the last shelf…meaning that this shelf could move outward. After that it was a synch.
Remy pocketed the box that had been hidden and swung out the window after he had replaced the bookshelf.
Behind him, the door swung open and Xavier wheeled in, smiling.
Remy walked back into the woods, playing with the box…inside were files on Rogue and the children…and every letter that Rogue had written…for a moment, he simply sat breathing in the rich scent that accompanied her letters.
His reverie was interrupted by a low chuckle "Hey Gumbo, you gonna sniff her letters all night or are you going home?"
Remy smiled, well and truly, the spicy smile that made women swoon as he looked up at Logan "Remy goin home"
"Well, you'll need this then…" Logan grinned in return as he stepped away from the bike he had been leaning against. Two packs on the side proved to hold some of Gambit's old clothing, an overnight kit, and some food "I figured you'd be driving straight there…tell the kids Hi from me alright? When things calm down a bit I'll visit, see what she was able to do with that ragtag group of hers…"
Remy grasped Logan's arm in thanks and drove off into the night. He had a way to go…and then he had to make sure he was still wanted…
* * * * *
Rogue paced around the kitchen…today was Saturday, no school for the kids…it was a bright, sunny day…and yet she felt anxious, full of energy…as if something was about to happen..
She scrubbed the counter for the third time and forced herself to sit down and analyze this odd feeling of anticipation…
Just as she was starting to see, to understand…she lost her concentration as three elated children came bounding in the door…followed by the scruffiest, muddiest dog she had ever seen.
Johnny, also covered head to toe in mud grinned, ignoring the mess he was making and looking at Rogue with pleading in his eyes. "He followed us home…can we keep him?"
Behind the erstwhile ringleader, Maggy and Thomas held the squirming creature and smiled angelically "Can we please????'
Rogue eyed the group and threw her hands in the air "Bathes for all ya'll. Now, and the dog. Do yah see what yah did to my kitchen floor? Once everything's clean again, ah'll decide on the dog."
Cheerfully, the group marched back outside to the hose and Rogue banged her head on the table.
* * * * *
Raven and Justin were walking outside, Raven exclaiming over the butterflies and Justin simply following happily when Raven lifted her head and looked towards Rogue's bedroom window. "Daddy?"
Justin followed her gaze to see a man sitting in the tree by Rogue's window…but he wasn't as trusting as Raven. "Raven, bubble him and bring him here."
Raven complied, crystals growing around the intruder to form a bubble which drifted gently out of the tree and to the two children. Justin soon found himself facing one Remy Lebeau…who wore as shocked an expression as Justin himself.
Justin was the first to speak "Hey…we know you…you're momma's painting…"
Raven clung to Justin's arm and nodded, smiling "Yep. Daddy!"
Remy, needless to say, was a bit overwhelmed and his silver tongue was no were to be found. "uh….bonjour?"
"There is a front door you know…" Justin continued irritably
That sparked a reaction in Remy "Remy got to make sure he welcome firs'"
"Why wouldn't you be? Momma's been waiting a long time for you…"
"Cause Remy been gone a long time…mebbe she change…mebbe no want to see me no more…"
Raven walked over to Remy and took his hand, making him flinch, but he soon recovered "You'll be alright Daddy. It's all okay now. We'll take you inside and keep you secret until you decide to come out…"
Remy blinked down at eth six year old girl that held his hand…and looked at the lavender winged boy that was simply smiling.
Justin laughed "Don't ask me, she's the one that sees the future…I just take care of her."
Bemused, Remy let the two children push him through a bedroom window. Once he was safely ensconced in a spare bedroom, the remarkable pair left, only to return a few moments later with an elegant, leather bound book "This is Momma's book…maybe you'll believe us if you read it…"
The moral side of him quailed at reading what was obviously a personal diary…but he needed questions answered…
* * * * *
Rogue threw the rag into the bucket and sighed. Mud gone. Children clean…mutt, well, the mutt was looking at her.
Cleaned up a bit, it wasn't so scruffy looking, and it was certainly a puppy…who was looking at her. And thumping it's tail on the floor.
She sighed "He's gonna be ya'lls responsibility…ya'll know that right?"
Johnny, Maggy, and Thomas all nodded "he can sleep in our rooms, and we'll feed him, and wash him, and walk him…and play with him…and…"
She grinned, holding up her hands "Ahlright, ahlright, ah believe ya'll take care of him…but if ah ever catch ya'll neglectin him, ya'll be hurtin got it?"
"Yes Ma'am"
Rogue smiled and glanced at the clock "Now get yahselves off to bed."
The troop, dog in tow, complied.
Rogue smiled and finish cleaning up, then headed to her room.
* * * * *
Remy stood, transfixed, by the portrait. He had snuck into Rogue's bedroom to return her diary…and seen the painting. How could he not stare? It was him…
And it more than convinced him.
He moved silently to the window sill and sat down to wait.
* * * * *
Rogue walked into her room, still full of energy and high strung, but determined to relax. She left the lights off, striding confidently through the room to her desk. There she lit the single light there and opened her diary.
She flipped quickly to the last page and stared, stricken, and what was written there…not in her hand, but another's...
Remy missed Chere too.
"Who…how dare…" she stuttered, overwhelmed…who could play such a cruel joke on her?
* * * * *
Remy watched from his perch in the darkened room and felt his heart flutter…he had almost forgotten how she looked…how she moved…how her voice sounded…
But now, he had made her angry…he couldn't have that "Remy wrote de truth. He missed you"
It made him smile to see her whip around in the chair to stare at the window…but it made him even happier to see the crystal tears of happiness in her eyes "Swamp rat?" she breathed.
"Oui" Remy slowly stood, scars and muscles protesting, but it didn't matter…all that mattered was going to hold Rogue…who was standing to reach him.
He melted into her embrace and sighed, face buried in her hair. Despite himself he started to shake…desperate for this to be true…to be real…
Rogue simply held him and waited patiently for him to talk…and soon, he did. "Remy sorry he gone so long, he had to wake up, den he have to wake everyone else up…after dat he have to figure out where he be, and how te get back…Chere still want te marry Remy?"
"Ah course ah do."
That night, Rogue simply held Remy as he cried.
