Chapter 6: No More Lies
Rogue stepped into the recreation room only two hours later after the incident in the hospital wing, she looked healthier than Remy LeBeau had ever seen her. Kitty Pryde – after having been assured from Hank and Professor Xavier that Rogue would definitely be alright – had gone to bed. Remy however, needed to clear some things up with Rogue, and waited.
Remy was sitting on the armchair, he'd waited, he'd knew she'd come and find him – he'd been hoping she would. And she stood there at the doorway, and leaned against the threshold in an almost casual position. "How are you?"
"All tests show no signs of liver damage," Rogue replied quietly, "my body is in perfect health."
"And your mind?" Remy queried carefully.
Rogue walked over and slumped into the middle of the couch, "Professor Xavier wants me to start seeing counselling. Him and Hank are gonna be watching me closely from now on. I guess I don't blame them," she shrugged. "They wanted me to stay in the hospital wing overnight, I've spent enough time in that damn hospital wing to last me a life time, I don't think I could even stand another hour, let alone another night," she admitted coldly.
"What were you thinking?!" Remy finally demanded.
"Do I really need to answer that?" Rogue asked, looking away, she hid beneath her white streaks as she always did.
Remy sighed, "I would have killed myself, Chere, if you'd gone…" he looked at her.
"You don't mean that…" Rogue replied.
"The hell I don't," Remy snorted, he looked at her. "You stupid girl," he shook her head, "if you only knew…"
"If I knew what?"
"You rushed off without giving me a chance to explain about Genevieve…" Remy sighed, "and if…you might have died over something so stupid because of a girl who means absolutely nothing to me…"
"If that's so then why are you married to her," Rogue kept her eyes off of him.
Remy sighed, "are you going to let me explain without yelling at me or jumping to conclusions?"
"I guess," Rogue shrugged, she slouched down a little in her seat.
"I met Genevieve in Paris. We had a lot of fun together – but never had a relationship," Remy kept his tone quiet, "she shows up in New Orleans about two months later, I was eighteen at the time. Anyway, she asks me for the biggest favour in the world…she wanted to live in America – but to do that, she needed a greencard…and to get one…she had to—"
Rogue suddenly sat up straight, "Marry an American citizen…" she gasped.
"Right."
"You married her so she could get a greencard…but what did you get out of it? Sex?"
"No," Remy shook his head, "could never happen. Never in a million trillion zillion years – and then some."
"What do you mean…?" Rogue asked.
"She's not, uhm…how do I put this…completely woman…" Remy stated quietly.
"I…don't understand…" Rogue looked perplexed.
"She's a hermaphrodite," Remy folded his arms.
"Excuse me?" Rogue asked, she couldn't place the word.
"She's not completely all woman…she has melons and a cucumber."
"What are you talking about?" Rogue looked at him, she couldn't understand what he was trying to say.
"She has breasts…and a penis."
"Are you shitting me?" Rogue frowned.
"No!" Remy made a face, "Why would I shit you?!"
"Why would you lie to me about it…"
"I never lied."
"Yes you did."
"I never told you," Remy pointed out.
"It's the same thing," Rogue assured, "Anyway…why didn't you tell me…if it wasn't so big a deal?"
"Because I didn't think you would understand…" he sighed, "my father doesn't even know about it…" he explained, "and I thought if I told you, you'd maybe think…I was gay or something…" he shrugged. "Its my little shameful secret. You're the only person I've really ever told this…" he looked at her.
"Wait a minute…you married a herm-herma…half-man-half-woman…weren't you afraid of what might happen to that reputation of yours?" Rogue asked. She knew men like Remy liked to live with the reputation of being a ladies man. The story of having married someone with a penis might have affected how even women saw him from then on.
"I didn't know she was what she was until after the wedding. I didn't have a relationship with her, I never slept with her, I just agreed we'd get married, and then split. Two years later, we'd get divorced, and things would be fine."
"Is that why she's here?"
"Yes," Remy nodded, "because I need to sign divorce papers…only I've been warned – since I'm not exactly the smartest guy my age – I should have a lawyer overlook them…just in case there's something in there that says I should be paying alimony or something," he explained.
"I don't believe this…" Rogue shook her head. She wanted to be angry with Remy, especially over the fact that his keeping secrets might have cost her her life – true at her own hands, but still…
Rogue pursed her lips together, she wanted to laugh, she suddenly understood why Remy might have kept this a secret, it must have been embarrassing for him. And Remy wasn't exactly the kind of man who would get embarrassed easily.
"Don't look at me like that," Remy said, "and don't make assumptions. I only agreed to stay married to Genevieve because there was no emotional attachment…"
"Wait a minute – is this also the reason you were trying to avoid marriage to Bella Donna – in case you were arrested for bigamy?"
"No. I didn't want to be married to Bella Donna because I love you…that I thought I made quite clear," he stated firmly.
Rogue looked at him, "so…must have been pretty embarrassing for you," she said.
"Tell me about it!" Remy felt his face go red, "do you know how infuriating it is to find out your wife has a bigger dick than you do?"
Rogue burst out laughing.
Remy smirked a little, he had to admit, for someone who had been at deaths door only three hours earlier, now looked as if she'd fully recovered. It was almost as if nothing had changed since they'd bantered and put ice down each others pants.
When the laughter died down, Remy remained pensive for a time, then finally said, "I…made a pact with you…while you were on the bed dyin'," he said.
"You did?" Rogue sat forward a little, looking at him with interest.
"I told you that…if you pulled through…if you lived…I'd tell you all my secrets…and that I'd never lie to you again…" he looked at her.
"Never?" Rogue looked at him hopefully.
"Okay, well maybe the white lies where you ask me why I've been in the bathroom so long and I say I was combing my hair instead of telling you what I was really doing – but apart from that, I'll never lie," he looked at her. "I'm sick of…seein' you hurt…I'm fucking your life up…Kitty made me see that…"
"She did?" Rogue seemed surprised.
"Yeah…I used to tell myself every time I lied to you that I was doing it for your own good, but Kitty made me realise…I was doin' it for my own good, not yours…and every time I did, I hurt you…" he looked at her, "and I'm sorry…and I'll never do it again."
"Remy…you know that's a promise you can't keep."
"I'll try," Remy looked at her, "if it's the only thing that's gonna make us work then I'll do it…anything to make it so that I can be with you…"
Rogue looked at him and smiled a little. "You're sweet," she stood up, "I'm heading off to bed."
"Alright…" Remy trailed off. He was surprised after what he'd admitted about his promise to tell her all his secrets and never lie, that she had not asked him to tell her everything she didn't already know. He'd expected her to want to sit up until daylight came, and listen to everything he'd never told her before.
"Oh, and Remy?"
"Uh huh?"
"You don't need to lie about what you're doing in the bathroom, I already know what you're doing in there four times a day," Rogue smirked, "Night, Remy," she chanted, and with that, left the room.
Remy looked at the doorway she'd gone through, and smirked, for now, all was well, again.