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Rogue was coursing with energy and adrenalin, being able to drive in the country with no traffic and no police for miles to site you for speeding, always did this to her.
The local country station was blaring Terri Clark and Kitty had finally stopped complaining about the musical selection, the top was down and the wind danced wildly with Rogue's short hair causing her white streaks to mingle with her reddish-brown strands.
The scenery that surrounded them was incredible, the only structures were placed within miles of each other, all the open space was exhilarating, Rogue looked in the review mirror, Wanda was obviously enjoying herself, *Good* the Goth thought, *She was really upset this morning*
She spared Remy a sideways glance only to find him looking at her, "What?" she asked, expecting some smart-alack, cocky reply, he smiled, "Just enjoying the beautiful view, Cher`e"
She narrowed her eyes and turned her attention back to the road, a few minutes later the first signs of a town began to show, the houses got closer together and more vehicles were passing them.
Rogue slowed to the required speed limit and pulled into the nearest gas station that was next to an AM/PM, a lanky young man who looked to be about fifteen, came over, "Regular unleaded, Sugah" she said, flashing him an award winning grin.
The boy turned to mush automatically and went about his task, constantly sneaking glances at Rogue, receiving unnoticed glares from Gambit, Rogue smirked, *Too easy* she slipped out her wallet and got out a fifty, turning and handing it to Wanda, addressing both her and St. John.
"You two go get us some junk food, the big stores aren't gonna be around for at least another forty-five miles, we'll need something to hold us off" Wanda smirked, "C'mon Aussie" Pyro frowned at the nickname, but followed her without a word as she jumped out of the car and headed into the AM/PM.
"That'll be eighteen twenty-six" said the gas boy after dislodging the pump, Rogue gave him a twenty, "Keep the change, Doll" she winked before starting up the engine again and driving the short distance to park in front of the AM/PM.
Just for kicks, Rogue glanced in the review mirror to see the dreamy expression on the boy's face before one of his co-workers hit him in the back of the head to snap him out of it.
She couldn't hold back the amused smile, she was still in her usual Gothic attire and all she had to do was adjust her attitude a little to get a guy to fall for her, *See, you enjoy being out of your mask* a familiar voice observed in her head, her smirk returned, *It is kinda fun, Ah liked seeing Remy get all protective*
*I don't blame him, you're a lovely girl, he's going to have some real competition* Rogue blushed slightly, *Yea right, Ah'm sure every guy's gonna flock to me. Come on, Mes, it's a stupid notion*, *Not from wear I'm standing, and I am sure mister LeBeau would agree, child*
Just then Wanda and St. John came out with a load of snacks weighing them down, they piled everything in the back seat and Wanda started calling out the names of each item to see who wanted what, "Cheetos: Twisted, Regular, and Extra cheesy, Lays: Barbecue, Ranch, Sour cream and Onion, and Original, Chilly dogs and every topping you can imagine that would go with them, for dessert: Ding Dongs, Kit-Kats, Brownies, and doughnuts"
Immediately after her tally, chaos ensued, St. John and Rogue both grabbed for the chilly dogs, Remy fought Peter for the Barbecue Lays when Wanda held up an extra bag which was promptly removed from her possession, Kitty grabbed some Twisted Cheetos and two Ding Dong packets, Rogue scooped up the brownies and gave a handful to Wanda and Gambit, Peter snuck out all the chocolate doughnuts from one of the boxes before Pyro grabbed it and complained about there not being any éclairs, Kitty handed him the other box of doughnuts and his face lit up when he saw his favorite treat among the selection.
Soon everything settled down and Rogue drove out of the tiny parking lot back onto the road while Wanda passed out Root Beer and everyone ate, Kitty and Peter talked about music and school in between bites, St. John and Wanda discussed their powers and exchanged battle stories, Rogue drove with one hand and ate with the other, occasionally setting down her food to steady the wheel.
After a few minutes of silence up front, Remy tried to strike up a conversation, "So where did you get all that money we needed?" he half expected her to tell him to mind his own business, but surprisingly, he got an answer.
"Before my parents kicked me out, Ah used to do small jobs for my neighbors, they owned a convenience store in town a couple miles from where we lived and their son was my best friend, the two of us got paid for stocking the shelves and stuff. By the time my powers manifested, Ah had at least four hundred dollars including my weekly allowance. Irene found me and took me in, then showed me how to invest my cash wisely, she opened a private account for me. Then Ah started working odd jobs after joining the Brotherhood and X-men, what Ah have with me now is from that, it's only pocket money, the big bucks are in my account"
Remy's eyes widened, she had at least two thousand dollars with her, and that was only pocket money!!! *I wonder how much cash she has in her account....*
Rogue smirked at his thought, *Hook, line, and sinker* what she told him was true, but the money she had with her was from her account, it wasn't the kind of amount she always had on her or within easy reach.
She only had three thousand an fifty dollars left in her account after withdrawing the cash for their road trip, the money she usually carried around was a twenty.
Every last cent she'd ever spent or saved was a result of hard work and temporary jobs on Rogue's part, she hated barrowing money from people and had never asked for a loan in her entire life, whatever she had she'd earned.
"Ah know what you're thinking, Swamp Rat, and Ah know what kind of experience you've had as a thief, but if ya try to hack into my account, Ah'll kill you" she gave him a dead serious expression that, for once, Remy seemed intimidated by.
Rogue couldn't hold in her laughter, Gambit raised his eyebrow quizzically, "You should have seen your face, Ah haven't seen someone that frightened since Ah threatened Roberto when he first came to the Institute"
He crossed his arms and huphed, "Well, if me being scared makes you laugh, Cher`e, then you scare me anytime, it's worth it to hear that gorgeous laugh of yours"
She glared, "Could ditch the come-ons for one intelligent conversation?" he shook his head, "Got to keep being charming"
"Why?" he gave her a considering expression, then answered "Same reason you keep being Gothic"
A silence fell between the two as Rogue pondered this, then she heard one of her favorite songs start playing and eagerly turned it up, grateful for the distraction.
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Ororo was upset, no, that was a complete understatement, she was enraged, "How could Charles let them go like that?! After all the things Mystique has done, he is just going to let them join her!!!"
Lightning crackled in the sky as Storm vented her frustration to Logan, she was pacing angrily in a secluded area in the woods behind the mansion, it was a place that only her, Logan, Xavier, and Hank knew about.
When she had first joined the X-men, Wolverine, her, and Scott were the only students there, she had been taking a walk one day and stumbled into this clearing by accident. Logan had been there meditating and responded harshly to her interruption, though she was unfazed at his intimidating tactics, after she'd calmed him down and they began to talk, a strong bond formed between them and they became extremely close friends.
Now Wolverine was leaning against a tree smoking, letting Ororo's thunderous attitude play it's course, until she started directing her anger at him, "And why did you not make them stay? "'It's okay, they'll be back back'" that is not the Wolverine I know"
Logan threw his cigar to the ground and extinguished it, "Listen, Darlin', the reason I didn't stop them is 'cause I understand them. Stripes is just like me, a loner, a wanderer, she needs a place where she can sort everything out, so she went back to the beginning, it's the same as me goin' back to Canada. As for half-pint, Rogue has always been there for her, she wanted to return the favor"
Storm resumed her pacing, but the skies cleared somewhat and the lightning dispersed.
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Jamie sat in the room he shared with Sam, sulking as he starred into space, the other children were downstairs in the Rec. Room, playing video games or whatever else that they could find to exclude him from.
He wished Rogue was here, her and Rhane were the only two who didn't ignore him half the time, and Rhane still brushed him off when she was around the older kids, but Rogue almost always seemed to have time for him.
If the Goth were here now they would be playing tag or a board game or pulling pranks on Roberto, Kurt, and the others, he wouldn't be sitting here feeling lonely and left out.
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Jubilee sighed in frustration, she needed serious boy advice and she wasn't about to ask Tabby or Jean, according to her they were both airheads and complete sluts when it came to romance.
Jubilation didn't want or need to know how to wrangle a playboy, she wanted a boyfriend in an equal and honest relationship, *Where's Kitty when you need her?* she thought in exasperation, even Rogue would do, they both had always given her credible tips.
But her friends were off somewhere having fun with three of THE hottest guys on the planet, while she still had to go to school and Danger Room and debate weather or not to tell Bobby how she felt about him.
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Kurt was depressed, first it was his best friend, now his sister and Kitty, how many more people were going to leave?
He didn't think he could bear it, he decided to call Amanda and see if she was doing anything, he needed someone to talk to.
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Jean glanced into the empty room with a satisfied smile, *No Rogue, no Rogue* her mind sang, she made her way over to the Gothic looking side of the room and began to clean it up.
She had always hated coming in here and seeing how dreadfully decorated Rogue's side of the room was, dark and depressing, "Well I'll soon fix that" and she hummed while she continued to reshape the area she was working on.
"What are you doing?" Jean jumped in surprise and turned towards the door to find Warren Worthington III standing there, he was another reason why Jean wanted to get rid of Rogue, the millionaire with wings was absolutely gorgeous.
But does he pay any attention to her? The perfect one? No, he's too busy with his crush on Rogue, it made Jean shiver when she thought about it, how could anyone like that hideous mistake to the world, more than her?
"Oh, Warren, I was just tidying up the room a bit" she pulled her innocent good-girl smile.
"Sure you were, that's why you have a trash bag and are shoving all of Rogue's things into it" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I think you should leave before I tell Wolverine and Storm what you were trying to do"
Jean's smile wavered, it took all her ability to keep calm, *So he wants to play it that way, alright*, "Warren, you don't know how long I've had to put up with that devil, her second day at the Institute I caught her smoking weed, she threatened to kill me if I told anybody, she pulled a knife on me and it was so horrible" she inserted fake sobs for good measure.
"She hated me, I don't know why, I tried to be nice but then she started beating me, I went to the Professor but no one did anything about it. But she's gone now, I can finally relax, get on with my life" crocodile tears spilled down her cheeks, but the only thing on her mind was *I hope this doesn't ruin my make up, ugh, the things I go through for attention*
Warren didn't bite, in fact, he started laughing, "You really expect me to believe that? That's rich, Red, nice acting, I'm gonna go have a talk with Logan"
Jean gaped at him in astonishment, Scott would've eaten that up in a millisecond, *Okay, so he's not as stupid as the other guys I've dealt with* the telepath's jaw clenched dangerously, "I'm willing to cut a deal, I'll never touch Rogue's things again if you don't tell anyone about this, I will not allow my reputation to be tarnished"
Angel ignored her, "Don't you have cheerleading practice this week? I'm pretty sure Logan'll keep you on maintenance duty long enough for you to miss that and whatever other social events you have planned"
Jean glared, "You wouldn't", he smirked, "Watch me"
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Wanda laughed, it was a genuine, one of a kind, laugh, her first laugh in what seemed like an eternity. St. John loved her laugh, and loved the fact that he had made her laugh, he had been telling her about one of his many ventures under Magneto's employment, it was when he'd made Sabertooth particularly mad by 'accidentally' burning a patch of his fur off during a mission, Creed had been so angry that he would've slit Pyro's throat if Magneto hadn't tugged on the hairball's leash in time.
They were currently parked outside a grocery store in a town John had already forgotten the name of, Rogue and Remy had gone in to get the stuff they needed this time, Peter and Kitty had fallen asleep about an hour ago. It was about five-thirty pm. they would need to check into a hotel soon, then they'd go clubin'.
John grinned, he couldn't wait to hit the dance floor with Wanda.
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"....And Kitty loves these, and we'll need this and this, hmmmm" Rogue trailed off, as she came to the end of the caned food isle, an exhausted Remy leaning against an overloaded cart behind her.
"Please say that's all, Cher`e" Gambit begged breathlessly, Rogue had gone like Quicksilver on pixie sticks ever since they'd entered the store a little over an hour ago, she'd been grabbing stuff off shelves at lightning speed and tossing them in the shopping cart that Remy was pushing in her wake, this was the first time she'd paused.
"Quit your whining, Swamp Rat" she put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to her right side, thinking. Then without warning she took hold of the end of the cart and yanked it forward, causing Remy to lose his balance and stumble, barely managing to avoid falling. "Yea, Ah think that's all we'll need" Rogue called to him, not bothering to turn around as she made her way to a cash register.
Remy sighed, "Thank God"
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Wanda and Rogue exchanged mischievous smiles when they arrived at the hotel, a hyper Remy and St. John in tow, a sleepy Kitty and Peter lagging behind.
"Your boys' room is right next to ours" Rogue said, handing Remy the key, "We'll change and then head out" she shut the door before Remy could complain about the boarding arrangements, *A guy would have to be gay if Ah was gonna let him sleep in the same room with me*
*But you broke the poor man's heart* a mock saddened voice echoed in response to her mental comment, *HA, the only way to accomplish that would be to actually take the organ out of his chest and tear into a million little pieces* she bit back.
"I doubt Kitty will be joining us" Wanda commented, motioning to the bed where said person was curled up in a peaceful slumber. Rogue couldn't help but be amazed at how angelic the girl looked when she was sleeping, so unburdened and untainted, so young, *She's so innocent, why can't everyone be like that all the time? Why can't life be less complicated?*
*It is* Mesmero responded, *Life is simple, people create their own complications. They want to make themselves believe that there is no end to all the tragedy that goes on in this world, they are blind to answers that are right in front of them, they build on the things that are already there, they can't bring themselves to step back and start at the beginning, untangle all the messes they've created*
Rogue sighed deeply, then turned to her bag and began pulling out the clothes she planned on wearing tonight, Wanda was just putting the finishing touches on her outfit.
The Scarlet Witch was wearing a blood red shirt that had black sleeves coming down and flaring out at the wrists, she also harbored a pair of black bellbottoms that hung low enough on her hips to expose an inch of skin at her middle section. She slipped a few silver rings randomly on her fingers and began to reapply her makeup, which was blazing red lipstick and black eye shadow.
Rogue changed into a black shirt and put a dark, purple, see through top over it. She tugged on a pair of black silk gloves that ended at her elbows and then put on her usual black stretch pants which also hung low enough to expose skin, but the see through top covered that well enough so she didn't have to worry about absorbing someone if they brushed up against her.
She walked into the open door of the bathroom as Wanda came out, Rogue wiped of her makeup and studied her reflection in the mirror, *Maybe Ah shouldn't wear any tonight, it's not like anyone's gonna notice* she thought back to Logan and Remy's reactions the first time they'd seen her without her makeup, *Okay, so they might notice, but who cares? Ah don't see what the big deal is* so she decided to go clean-faced.
"Ready?" she asked Wanda with a smirk as they stood in front of their closed door, "Lets show those boys a good time" her friend answered, and with that, they headed for the guys' room.
Rogue knocked on the door, "Ya'll decent?" she called, a few muffled voices came from inside, then a loud THUD-BOOM sound, was followed by and audible string of French cuss words.
Wanda and Rogue both rolled their eyes and Rogue risked opening the door, St. John was laughing like crazy at a shirtless Remy, who was currently lying in a mess of shaving cream and water. Rogue shook her head as if she were disgusted by the act of immaturity, but neither girl could hold back their own laughter at the sight.
Remy grunted and got up, the girls gained their composure, "What happened?" Wanda asked, Gambit had a mock bitter expression on his face, "I was shaving and tripped on the dresser's leg when I tried to reach the door first. When I fell the bottle of shaving cream got knocked over along with Johnny's water, I landed on the shaving cream can and charged it and the water spilt"
Rogue smirked, "Why didn't ya shave in the bathroom?" "John was already in there, we were racing to see who could get done first" Remy answered pathetically, the girls tried unsuccessfully to fight off another round of laughter.
"Then I guess we'll just have to wait in the car for you guys. And keep it down, you're going to wake Peter up" Wanda waved her hand towards the sleeping Colossus as the girls exited the room and headed for the elevator.
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It was twenty minutes later when Pyro and Gambit came out of the building, Remy was dressed in a tight black shirt and pants that defined every muscle on his athletic figure, his trademark trench coat complimented the simple apparel nicely. Rogue immediately knew if she didn't find something else to concentrate on while they were at the club, there was a high possibility of dangerous results.
St. John wore a baggy reddish T-shirt that had a wild black design zig- zagging across the front and back, he also had on a pair of black cargo pants, with the same wild design only in red. Wanda smiled as she gave him the once over, "Not too bad" she observed, Rogue nodded in agreement and shifted nervously as the guys approached and climbed in the car.
Rogue backed out of the parking lot and threw all her attention into driving, *Oh no you don't, young lady, I will not have you brush him off because of some petty fear* Mesmero stated.
*Ah don't want him to get hurt, Mes!* *He knows of your mutation, he wont try anything that you don't approve of*
Rogue gave a mental sigh, so she had no excuse except for being afraid for Remy's saftey, but in her book that was good enough to stay away from him.
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The music was booming at ear-bleed volume, the dance floor was crowded, Rogue made her way through the growing mass of bodies and thankfully spotted an empty table.
Immediately after they sat down Remy asked Rogue if she wanted to dance, but before she could answer, a boy about nineteen with bleached-blond, close cropped hair and piercing blue eyes, stepped up to their booth and tapped Rogue on the shoulder.
The Goth girl glanced up and her jaw-dropped in shock, the boy mirrored her expression, "Marie!"
Rogue's mind was racing and her heart quickened it's pace, she barely managed to stammer out the guy's name, "Cody?"
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(A/N: Surprise, surprise. I know adding Cody is so unoriginal, but he is vital to this fic, well, sort of, at least he's vital to having Rogue and Remy get together)
J.D.: I love you all for the great reviews, and my muse loves you.
St. John: I'd love 'em even more if they got me away from you.
J.D.: Quit whining, wait you just gave me a good idea for my next fic.
St. John: Oh fantastic, here we go again......
Rogue was coursing with energy and adrenalin, being able to drive in the country with no traffic and no police for miles to site you for speeding, always did this to her.
The local country station was blaring Terri Clark and Kitty had finally stopped complaining about the musical selection, the top was down and the wind danced wildly with Rogue's short hair causing her white streaks to mingle with her reddish-brown strands.
The scenery that surrounded them was incredible, the only structures were placed within miles of each other, all the open space was exhilarating, Rogue looked in the review mirror, Wanda was obviously enjoying herself, *Good* the Goth thought, *She was really upset this morning*
She spared Remy a sideways glance only to find him looking at her, "What?" she asked, expecting some smart-alack, cocky reply, he smiled, "Just enjoying the beautiful view, Cher`e"
She narrowed her eyes and turned her attention back to the road, a few minutes later the first signs of a town began to show, the houses got closer together and more vehicles were passing them.
Rogue slowed to the required speed limit and pulled into the nearest gas station that was next to an AM/PM, a lanky young man who looked to be about fifteen, came over, "Regular unleaded, Sugah" she said, flashing him an award winning grin.
The boy turned to mush automatically and went about his task, constantly sneaking glances at Rogue, receiving unnoticed glares from Gambit, Rogue smirked, *Too easy* she slipped out her wallet and got out a fifty, turning and handing it to Wanda, addressing both her and St. John.
"You two go get us some junk food, the big stores aren't gonna be around for at least another forty-five miles, we'll need something to hold us off" Wanda smirked, "C'mon Aussie" Pyro frowned at the nickname, but followed her without a word as she jumped out of the car and headed into the AM/PM.
"That'll be eighteen twenty-six" said the gas boy after dislodging the pump, Rogue gave him a twenty, "Keep the change, Doll" she winked before starting up the engine again and driving the short distance to park in front of the AM/PM.
Just for kicks, Rogue glanced in the review mirror to see the dreamy expression on the boy's face before one of his co-workers hit him in the back of the head to snap him out of it.
She couldn't hold back the amused smile, she was still in her usual Gothic attire and all she had to do was adjust her attitude a little to get a guy to fall for her, *See, you enjoy being out of your mask* a familiar voice observed in her head, her smirk returned, *It is kinda fun, Ah liked seeing Remy get all protective*
*I don't blame him, you're a lovely girl, he's going to have some real competition* Rogue blushed slightly, *Yea right, Ah'm sure every guy's gonna flock to me. Come on, Mes, it's a stupid notion*, *Not from wear I'm standing, and I am sure mister LeBeau would agree, child*
Just then Wanda and St. John came out with a load of snacks weighing them down, they piled everything in the back seat and Wanda started calling out the names of each item to see who wanted what, "Cheetos: Twisted, Regular, and Extra cheesy, Lays: Barbecue, Ranch, Sour cream and Onion, and Original, Chilly dogs and every topping you can imagine that would go with them, for dessert: Ding Dongs, Kit-Kats, Brownies, and doughnuts"
Immediately after her tally, chaos ensued, St. John and Rogue both grabbed for the chilly dogs, Remy fought Peter for the Barbecue Lays when Wanda held up an extra bag which was promptly removed from her possession, Kitty grabbed some Twisted Cheetos and two Ding Dong packets, Rogue scooped up the brownies and gave a handful to Wanda and Gambit, Peter snuck out all the chocolate doughnuts from one of the boxes before Pyro grabbed it and complained about there not being any éclairs, Kitty handed him the other box of doughnuts and his face lit up when he saw his favorite treat among the selection.
Soon everything settled down and Rogue drove out of the tiny parking lot back onto the road while Wanda passed out Root Beer and everyone ate, Kitty and Peter talked about music and school in between bites, St. John and Wanda discussed their powers and exchanged battle stories, Rogue drove with one hand and ate with the other, occasionally setting down her food to steady the wheel.
After a few minutes of silence up front, Remy tried to strike up a conversation, "So where did you get all that money we needed?" he half expected her to tell him to mind his own business, but surprisingly, he got an answer.
"Before my parents kicked me out, Ah used to do small jobs for my neighbors, they owned a convenience store in town a couple miles from where we lived and their son was my best friend, the two of us got paid for stocking the shelves and stuff. By the time my powers manifested, Ah had at least four hundred dollars including my weekly allowance. Irene found me and took me in, then showed me how to invest my cash wisely, she opened a private account for me. Then Ah started working odd jobs after joining the Brotherhood and X-men, what Ah have with me now is from that, it's only pocket money, the big bucks are in my account"
Remy's eyes widened, she had at least two thousand dollars with her, and that was only pocket money!!! *I wonder how much cash she has in her account....*
Rogue smirked at his thought, *Hook, line, and sinker* what she told him was true, but the money she had with her was from her account, it wasn't the kind of amount she always had on her or within easy reach.
She only had three thousand an fifty dollars left in her account after withdrawing the cash for their road trip, the money she usually carried around was a twenty.
Every last cent she'd ever spent or saved was a result of hard work and temporary jobs on Rogue's part, she hated barrowing money from people and had never asked for a loan in her entire life, whatever she had she'd earned.
"Ah know what you're thinking, Swamp Rat, and Ah know what kind of experience you've had as a thief, but if ya try to hack into my account, Ah'll kill you" she gave him a dead serious expression that, for once, Remy seemed intimidated by.
Rogue couldn't hold in her laughter, Gambit raised his eyebrow quizzically, "You should have seen your face, Ah haven't seen someone that frightened since Ah threatened Roberto when he first came to the Institute"
He crossed his arms and huphed, "Well, if me being scared makes you laugh, Cher`e, then you scare me anytime, it's worth it to hear that gorgeous laugh of yours"
She glared, "Could ditch the come-ons for one intelligent conversation?" he shook his head, "Got to keep being charming"
"Why?" he gave her a considering expression, then answered "Same reason you keep being Gothic"
A silence fell between the two as Rogue pondered this, then she heard one of her favorite songs start playing and eagerly turned it up, grateful for the distraction.
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Ororo was upset, no, that was a complete understatement, she was enraged, "How could Charles let them go like that?! After all the things Mystique has done, he is just going to let them join her!!!"
Lightning crackled in the sky as Storm vented her frustration to Logan, she was pacing angrily in a secluded area in the woods behind the mansion, it was a place that only her, Logan, Xavier, and Hank knew about.
When she had first joined the X-men, Wolverine, her, and Scott were the only students there, she had been taking a walk one day and stumbled into this clearing by accident. Logan had been there meditating and responded harshly to her interruption, though she was unfazed at his intimidating tactics, after she'd calmed him down and they began to talk, a strong bond formed between them and they became extremely close friends.
Now Wolverine was leaning against a tree smoking, letting Ororo's thunderous attitude play it's course, until she started directing her anger at him, "And why did you not make them stay? "'It's okay, they'll be back back'" that is not the Wolverine I know"
Logan threw his cigar to the ground and extinguished it, "Listen, Darlin', the reason I didn't stop them is 'cause I understand them. Stripes is just like me, a loner, a wanderer, she needs a place where she can sort everything out, so she went back to the beginning, it's the same as me goin' back to Canada. As for half-pint, Rogue has always been there for her, she wanted to return the favor"
Storm resumed her pacing, but the skies cleared somewhat and the lightning dispersed.
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Jamie sat in the room he shared with Sam, sulking as he starred into space, the other children were downstairs in the Rec. Room, playing video games or whatever else that they could find to exclude him from.
He wished Rogue was here, her and Rhane were the only two who didn't ignore him half the time, and Rhane still brushed him off when she was around the older kids, but Rogue almost always seemed to have time for him.
If the Goth were here now they would be playing tag or a board game or pulling pranks on Roberto, Kurt, and the others, he wouldn't be sitting here feeling lonely and left out.
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Jubilee sighed in frustration, she needed serious boy advice and she wasn't about to ask Tabby or Jean, according to her they were both airheads and complete sluts when it came to romance.
Jubilation didn't want or need to know how to wrangle a playboy, she wanted a boyfriend in an equal and honest relationship, *Where's Kitty when you need her?* she thought in exasperation, even Rogue would do, they both had always given her credible tips.
But her friends were off somewhere having fun with three of THE hottest guys on the planet, while she still had to go to school and Danger Room and debate weather or not to tell Bobby how she felt about him.
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Kurt was depressed, first it was his best friend, now his sister and Kitty, how many more people were going to leave?
He didn't think he could bear it, he decided to call Amanda and see if she was doing anything, he needed someone to talk to.
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Jean glanced into the empty room with a satisfied smile, *No Rogue, no Rogue* her mind sang, she made her way over to the Gothic looking side of the room and began to clean it up.
She had always hated coming in here and seeing how dreadfully decorated Rogue's side of the room was, dark and depressing, "Well I'll soon fix that" and she hummed while she continued to reshape the area she was working on.
"What are you doing?" Jean jumped in surprise and turned towards the door to find Warren Worthington III standing there, he was another reason why Jean wanted to get rid of Rogue, the millionaire with wings was absolutely gorgeous.
But does he pay any attention to her? The perfect one? No, he's too busy with his crush on Rogue, it made Jean shiver when she thought about it, how could anyone like that hideous mistake to the world, more than her?
"Oh, Warren, I was just tidying up the room a bit" she pulled her innocent good-girl smile.
"Sure you were, that's why you have a trash bag and are shoving all of Rogue's things into it" he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "I think you should leave before I tell Wolverine and Storm what you were trying to do"
Jean's smile wavered, it took all her ability to keep calm, *So he wants to play it that way, alright*, "Warren, you don't know how long I've had to put up with that devil, her second day at the Institute I caught her smoking weed, she threatened to kill me if I told anybody, she pulled a knife on me and it was so horrible" she inserted fake sobs for good measure.
"She hated me, I don't know why, I tried to be nice but then she started beating me, I went to the Professor but no one did anything about it. But she's gone now, I can finally relax, get on with my life" crocodile tears spilled down her cheeks, but the only thing on her mind was *I hope this doesn't ruin my make up, ugh, the things I go through for attention*
Warren didn't bite, in fact, he started laughing, "You really expect me to believe that? That's rich, Red, nice acting, I'm gonna go have a talk with Logan"
Jean gaped at him in astonishment, Scott would've eaten that up in a millisecond, *Okay, so he's not as stupid as the other guys I've dealt with* the telepath's jaw clenched dangerously, "I'm willing to cut a deal, I'll never touch Rogue's things again if you don't tell anyone about this, I will not allow my reputation to be tarnished"
Angel ignored her, "Don't you have cheerleading practice this week? I'm pretty sure Logan'll keep you on maintenance duty long enough for you to miss that and whatever other social events you have planned"
Jean glared, "You wouldn't", he smirked, "Watch me"
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Wanda laughed, it was a genuine, one of a kind, laugh, her first laugh in what seemed like an eternity. St. John loved her laugh, and loved the fact that he had made her laugh, he had been telling her about one of his many ventures under Magneto's employment, it was when he'd made Sabertooth particularly mad by 'accidentally' burning a patch of his fur off during a mission, Creed had been so angry that he would've slit Pyro's throat if Magneto hadn't tugged on the hairball's leash in time.
They were currently parked outside a grocery store in a town John had already forgotten the name of, Rogue and Remy had gone in to get the stuff they needed this time, Peter and Kitty had fallen asleep about an hour ago. It was about five-thirty pm. they would need to check into a hotel soon, then they'd go clubin'.
John grinned, he couldn't wait to hit the dance floor with Wanda.
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"....And Kitty loves these, and we'll need this and this, hmmmm" Rogue trailed off, as she came to the end of the caned food isle, an exhausted Remy leaning against an overloaded cart behind her.
"Please say that's all, Cher`e" Gambit begged breathlessly, Rogue had gone like Quicksilver on pixie sticks ever since they'd entered the store a little over an hour ago, she'd been grabbing stuff off shelves at lightning speed and tossing them in the shopping cart that Remy was pushing in her wake, this was the first time she'd paused.
"Quit your whining, Swamp Rat" she put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to her right side, thinking. Then without warning she took hold of the end of the cart and yanked it forward, causing Remy to lose his balance and stumble, barely managing to avoid falling. "Yea, Ah think that's all we'll need" Rogue called to him, not bothering to turn around as she made her way to a cash register.
Remy sighed, "Thank God"
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Wanda and Rogue exchanged mischievous smiles when they arrived at the hotel, a hyper Remy and St. John in tow, a sleepy Kitty and Peter lagging behind.
"Your boys' room is right next to ours" Rogue said, handing Remy the key, "We'll change and then head out" she shut the door before Remy could complain about the boarding arrangements, *A guy would have to be gay if Ah was gonna let him sleep in the same room with me*
*But you broke the poor man's heart* a mock saddened voice echoed in response to her mental comment, *HA, the only way to accomplish that would be to actually take the organ out of his chest and tear into a million little pieces* she bit back.
"I doubt Kitty will be joining us" Wanda commented, motioning to the bed where said person was curled up in a peaceful slumber. Rogue couldn't help but be amazed at how angelic the girl looked when she was sleeping, so unburdened and untainted, so young, *She's so innocent, why can't everyone be like that all the time? Why can't life be less complicated?*
*It is* Mesmero responded, *Life is simple, people create their own complications. They want to make themselves believe that there is no end to all the tragedy that goes on in this world, they are blind to answers that are right in front of them, they build on the things that are already there, they can't bring themselves to step back and start at the beginning, untangle all the messes they've created*
Rogue sighed deeply, then turned to her bag and began pulling out the clothes she planned on wearing tonight, Wanda was just putting the finishing touches on her outfit.
The Scarlet Witch was wearing a blood red shirt that had black sleeves coming down and flaring out at the wrists, she also harbored a pair of black bellbottoms that hung low enough on her hips to expose an inch of skin at her middle section. She slipped a few silver rings randomly on her fingers and began to reapply her makeup, which was blazing red lipstick and black eye shadow.
Rogue changed into a black shirt and put a dark, purple, see through top over it. She tugged on a pair of black silk gloves that ended at her elbows and then put on her usual black stretch pants which also hung low enough to expose skin, but the see through top covered that well enough so she didn't have to worry about absorbing someone if they brushed up against her.
She walked into the open door of the bathroom as Wanda came out, Rogue wiped of her makeup and studied her reflection in the mirror, *Maybe Ah shouldn't wear any tonight, it's not like anyone's gonna notice* she thought back to Logan and Remy's reactions the first time they'd seen her without her makeup, *Okay, so they might notice, but who cares? Ah don't see what the big deal is* so she decided to go clean-faced.
"Ready?" she asked Wanda with a smirk as they stood in front of their closed door, "Lets show those boys a good time" her friend answered, and with that, they headed for the guys' room.
Rogue knocked on the door, "Ya'll decent?" she called, a few muffled voices came from inside, then a loud THUD-BOOM sound, was followed by and audible string of French cuss words.
Wanda and Rogue both rolled their eyes and Rogue risked opening the door, St. John was laughing like crazy at a shirtless Remy, who was currently lying in a mess of shaving cream and water. Rogue shook her head as if she were disgusted by the act of immaturity, but neither girl could hold back their own laughter at the sight.
Remy grunted and got up, the girls gained their composure, "What happened?" Wanda asked, Gambit had a mock bitter expression on his face, "I was shaving and tripped on the dresser's leg when I tried to reach the door first. When I fell the bottle of shaving cream got knocked over along with Johnny's water, I landed on the shaving cream can and charged it and the water spilt"
Rogue smirked, "Why didn't ya shave in the bathroom?" "John was already in there, we were racing to see who could get done first" Remy answered pathetically, the girls tried unsuccessfully to fight off another round of laughter.
"Then I guess we'll just have to wait in the car for you guys. And keep it down, you're going to wake Peter up" Wanda waved her hand towards the sleeping Colossus as the girls exited the room and headed for the elevator.
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It was twenty minutes later when Pyro and Gambit came out of the building, Remy was dressed in a tight black shirt and pants that defined every muscle on his athletic figure, his trademark trench coat complimented the simple apparel nicely. Rogue immediately knew if she didn't find something else to concentrate on while they were at the club, there was a high possibility of dangerous results.
St. John wore a baggy reddish T-shirt that had a wild black design zig- zagging across the front and back, he also had on a pair of black cargo pants, with the same wild design only in red. Wanda smiled as she gave him the once over, "Not too bad" she observed, Rogue nodded in agreement and shifted nervously as the guys approached and climbed in the car.
Rogue backed out of the parking lot and threw all her attention into driving, *Oh no you don't, young lady, I will not have you brush him off because of some petty fear* Mesmero stated.
*Ah don't want him to get hurt, Mes!* *He knows of your mutation, he wont try anything that you don't approve of*
Rogue gave a mental sigh, so she had no excuse except for being afraid for Remy's saftey, but in her book that was good enough to stay away from him.
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The music was booming at ear-bleed volume, the dance floor was crowded, Rogue made her way through the growing mass of bodies and thankfully spotted an empty table.
Immediately after they sat down Remy asked Rogue if she wanted to dance, but before she could answer, a boy about nineteen with bleached-blond, close cropped hair and piercing blue eyes, stepped up to their booth and tapped Rogue on the shoulder.
The Goth girl glanced up and her jaw-dropped in shock, the boy mirrored her expression, "Marie!"
Rogue's mind was racing and her heart quickened it's pace, she barely managed to stammer out the guy's name, "Cody?"
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(A/N: Surprise, surprise. I know adding Cody is so unoriginal, but he is vital to this fic, well, sort of, at least he's vital to having Rogue and Remy get together)
J.D.: I love you all for the great reviews, and my muse loves you.
St. John: I'd love 'em even more if they got me away from you.
J.D.: Quit whining, wait you just gave me a good idea for my next fic.
St. John: Oh fantastic, here we go again......