Hey all!

Reviews!

Seven-Glad to hear from you. I like to think lots of sweet things always happen in my fics. *wink* What evil can Mystique do? I mean, she's only got he BoM to do her bidding. Maybe she can irritate the palace guards by trying to kidnap teh Queen or whatever.

Glad you like your avatar. I was very excited to write that part. It's really fun. I suspect you will get a slightly curbed tip, because of what happens now that she's left her room, but you will be tipped, I'll make sure of it! I figured that in my world, since we're almost running reverse of each other, you'd try to make them happy instead of strong. Let's howl together. AWWWWWOOOOOOOO!!!!!! You know, two pwople have reviewee to say they're suspicious of you. Which intrigues me. Hmmm. Maybe I can work with that.

No prob beb. But if feel you must. . .I don't mind scrubbing a toilet or two. *wink*

Eileen-Your parents are great. You told me before, but it's still fun to hear about. Also, I don't thin the maid has ulteriot motives. Maybe. Who knows? I've mae you think of me while you're doing other things agian! Woo! GO me go me.

Maybe Remy won't have a headache by the end of this chapter. Who can say? *grin* Glad to hear from you.

Sphinx Chic-Can Pyro be bi? I have to have him flirting with 'Berto to set up for the end of this fic's last bti of Scott torture. And I figured the boy didn't get as much type time as others, so what the smeg, let him be gay. And, well, who else would Roberto be into? Scott, but he's taken. I promise Pyro will not let 'Berto monopolize him at all.

Every breath you take is creepy, and Interview withthe Vampire is good. I figured Wanda would wathc any movie based on an Anne Rice novel to either enjoy it or point out how much shit it is. Pirates or the Carribean was great. MMmmm.

Glad you like Rahne and Doug, and they maeka nother appearance! I'm proud of the maid. I think she's fun. Can I kee p teh grownies if he's bi? Thanks for cathcign up with us beb! Welcome aboard!

Ish-I forgive your last review. I want Will's hat. That was a rockin' hat. Much love to Bloom for it. I think he looks better as Will than Legolas. I really like Jack's hair though. I'm trying to get mine to do that. It's not working.

I tried to give you guys a cool rhyming name, but I'm o good at it. Poor canadians. *hugs Canada*

Three Peice Sluts? Hmmm. Now that my rock band has a name. . . That is great!

My room caught on fire, justso ya know. A lava lamp just burst into flames. It was crazyness. I put the fire out with my pillows, but now they're all burnt. Bleagh.

Chaotic Boredom- I believe I used Acadian right. Canucks. I forgot about that one. Sorry my updates were non-exhistant. I was lazy. You're not the only one suspicous of the maid. Hmmm. I'll have to keep that in mind.

Yumiko-Here's your fluff. Enjoy!

***

Remy arrived at the hotel just in time to see the oddest procesion anyone would ever witness. Mystique was leaning against the doorway of a conferenece room, Kurt figiting by her side, Logan smoking on the outskirts of the clump of people gathered to gawk. Headed toward the doorway was Jean, followed by Ororo, and a levitating Rogue. She was scowling and had her arms crossed. She didn't see Remy, and before he could think to ask what was going on, which would be after he was sure he'd stopped laughing completely, Rogue's entire deranged family, plus Logan were shut in the conference room, and the others had settled outside the room in the lobby or left.

Rogue scowled at the door for a second, wishing she had Scott's powers to break the door down. . .or kill Logan for putting Jean up to this.

Kurt looked none too happy either. He had taken a seat next to Mystique, because Logan growled anytime he tried to sit elsewhere. All the formerly fuzzy man wanted to do was bamf up to his room and continue dislikeing Mystique in peace.

Logan motioned to the seat on Mystique's other side. "Sit Stripes."

Rogue shook her head and sat on the floor. "Not on your life Logan."

Logan sighed and got up, making his way over to the perturbed southern girl. Before Logan got a chance to grab her and seat her himself she got up and sat next to Mystique, muttering about 'Stupid Canucks' and life in general.

Logan let it go and grabbed his chair again.

"Now we're gonna all sit here until you three can get along without anyone else getting killed or decieved in the process, okay? There's too much shit going on without you three adding to it. Smurfette, yo start. Tell us why."

Mystique glared at Logan, giving the men a good look at where Rogue learned her acidic stares. "Why what?" She asked, wishing fevrently that she could turn into a cobra and kill Wolverine without further alienating her children.

Rogue broke this line of thought, slouched grumpily in her chair. "Why yo' a psychopathic bitch would be a good place ta start." Roogue continued looking angry and bored.

Kurt actually came to Mystique's defence, but only because Logan had promised that none of them would see the light of day until they could all get along. "So are you, mein swester. You're more like Mystique than you admitt." Kurt ducked under the table after he said it, avoiding being beaned when Rogue threw a water glass at him.

Rogue dived under the table after her brother. Mystique slid her chair back and watched Rogue pin Kurt. Kurt retaliated by tickling her with his tail, giving him an opening to pin her, right under Logan's feet. Logan reached down and pulled Kurt out of Rogue's reach and set the blue boy down next to him, leaving Rogue glaring at him under the table. Eventually both teens sat down again.

"Well, that was unexpected." Mystique said vaguely.

Rogue was still pouting. "Ah'm nothin' like her. She just uses people ta get ahead. Ah would nevah do that."

"Myabe not," Kurt soothed, "but let's hear what Mystique has to say for herself. If only so we can say she got the benefit of the doubt before we decided to hate her for the rest of our lives."

Rogue glared atKurt, but finally rolled her eyes and sluched down even more. "_Fahne_." She drawled, bracing herself for whatever load of crap Mystique was going to feed her.

Mystique decided to just dive in. Since convincing Rogue would be the hardest part, the shape shifter started there. "I never meant to use you Rogue. I just wanted to be near to you again. I missed being your mother for the six years I was gone. And has Xavier helped you control your powers anymore than I have? NO."

Logan cleared his throat. Raven gave him a slightly condescending look. "Of course, no corrupting my own children." Her voice dripped dislike, but was soon back to her almost pleading tone from earlier. "I thought I would be the best person for you to turn to. . ."

***

". . .And that is why I'm, as you put it Rogue, a psychopathic bitch." Mystique finished. Kurt and Rogue sat, looking at her, unable to believe what they'd just heard.

"Wow. . .I didn't know. . ." Kurt started, but decided to just let it go.

"Ah feel like a bitch now." Rogue muttered, not feeling quite as angry at Raven.

Ororo, whom Logan had asked to fill in for him after he realized that the whole meeting would be Mystique talking, handed Raven a drink. Not asking what it was, Raven finished it in one drikng. Raven doubted Ororo would poison her, and if the alcohol _were_ tampered with, the children would have to testify against the weather goddess.

Ororo sat back down, and looked at the students. "What would you two like to say?" Ororo secretly wondered if Raven was merely trying to get them to leave the X-men, but wouldn't say anyhting like that until she had proof.

Rogue tentativly got up and shook Raven's hand. "Ah can't fo'give ya. Ya done too much to me. But Ah'll try ta forget." Rogue let go of her foster mother's hand. "Fo' now at least," she couldn't help but add.

Raven was a little disappointed, but not surprised. Irene had told her Rogue was just like her in most ways. [Why must Irene always be right?] Realizing something needed to be said on her part, Raven nodded. "I understand. But you will accept the fact that I raised you and actually care about you?"

Rogue thought for a minute, before also nodding. "Yeah. But only because if Ah disown you, Kurt 'n' me won't be siblin's anymore."

Raven sighed. It would do. She turned to her son, who was looking akward. Finally he spoke. "You gave me, sort of, to my parents, and they gave me the best they could. I guess I can't hate you."

Ororo smiled, outwardly, as Kurt learily hugged Raven. In actuality, while Ororo was happy the children would be less unhappy, she still did not quite trust Raven. Storm couldn't help but watch Raven while she hugged her son, to make sure the other woman would not hurt Kurt.

After standing around feeling akward for a while, the four of them left the room to tell the others what was going on.

Scott was sitting next to Jean, who was there in case Raven, or Rogue, got violent. Amara was keeping Amanda posted on the situation. The rest were else where.

Raven noticed that her daughter's good for nothing boyfriend was suspiciously absent from the lobby. She put the information away for later use.

Rogue also noticed Remy wasn't there, and, not being ovely social with any of the congregated mutants, rolled her eyes and made her way to the elevator. Kurt asked Amara for her phone and 'ported to his room, while Raven merely walked out of the lobby.

***

Rahne was having fun with Doug. They were chasing ducks. The ducks were not having fun. They were a little unhappy about their current position. Neither pre-teen thought on of the fowl would snap.

But snap one did. A big white duck got fed up with the wolf girl and the boy chasing him around and bit the boy. Luckily he was wearing long pants.

"Ag!" Doug jumped. Rahne stopped chasing the other waterfowl to make sure her new friend was okay. "I was beaked!"

Rahne noticed the abrasion on his leg and laughed. Doug looked at it and started laughing too. It took them a while to calm down.

When they did calm down Rahne noticed his bite was turning purplish. If she'd had any experience in the area, she'd have noticed it's resemblance to a hickey. She felt bad for laughing at him none the less. "Sorry. I would nae laugh at ye gettin' hurt, but that was. . ."

"Stupid." Doug filled in.

"No, funny." Rahne said, grinnign wolfishly, making Doug smile back. Their fun was interrupted when a near by clock started chiming the hour. Rahne's face fell.

"Five aleady? I have to go Doug. I gave ye my e-mail address, use it." Doug promised he would and waved good bye to his new friend. Rahne waved back and hauled off to the hotel.

***

Remy awoke to someone knocking on his door. Grumbling something about padding the outside of his door so he could finally get some sleep, Remy opened the door.

Rogue was a little embarrassed to be where she was. Her thoughts kept going back to the previous night. This was also making it hard for her not to smile.

"'Lo chere. Glad t' see y' not still mad about life." He backed away from the doorway and motioned inside. Rogue walked in and hopped up on a dresser that was at waist height, instead of sitting on the bed.

Rmey walked over to her, leaning on the dresser next to her. "Scared of me? I don't bite. 'Less you want me to." Remy smiled at her wickedly. Rogue laughed a little, glad to see he wasn't put off by her being there. Rmey couldn't help but add, "I t'ink you might bite though. But, 's long as y' doan draw blood, I doan see a problem."

Remy stood in front of her now, and Rogue failed to notice her legs opening, just slightly, to allow him to move in closer. At least, she didn't notice until he'd done so. She would have crossed her legs, but didn't want to push Remy away to do it.

Deciding that if she actually said something instead of sitting quietly while he started to do something stupid, he might avoid doing something stupid. But she couldn't blatantly say that she would knock him out. A subtle reminder was all she could get herself to give him.

"Ah thought ya'd be a little upset about the othah night. Wouldn't want that ta happen again, wouldja?"

Remy's hands were on her knees, which was distracting Rogue to no end. Noticing this, he slid them up her legs a little. Rogue grabbed his hands and held on to them. Remy leaned in farther, his hands pressed into her lap, still encased in her own hands. He whispered in her ear, keeping his hands still, much to Rouge's relief. And disappointment. "Y' thought wrong."

Backing away from the very flustered Rogue, but only far enough to get a good looka ther face, Remy continued. "I think what I got was worth more than the price I paid to get it. And y' went out with me de next night. 'Scuse me if 'm not afraid."

Rogue sighed. "That's stupid," she said, with very little conviction behind her voice. "Becasue a' me ya arent' gettin' any sleep, an' mah fostah mom belted ya in the head with a lamp. Not ta mention the evil stuff she'll do ta you if she finds out we're still goin' out-"

Remy used Rogue's last vestige of logical thought to pull out what he'd been aquiring before Todd interrupted him. Shoplifting had seemed like a smaller offence than pick pocketing, so he'd done it to get his mind off the tourists. Not to mention if he'd been really paying attention he would have noticed the jewlery in more than a passing way.

Rogue didn't have any warning. One minute her mouth was moving, the next it was being blocked by something. After a surprised second she realized that something was Remy's mouth. Covered in a piece of silk. She made a surprised noise before getting into the kiss. The kiss ended qucikly. Rogue was stunned.

"Ah. . .that. . .Hell," were Rogue's well articulated thougths about what had happened. She was debating whether she should bolt for the door or not. She was sure Remy wouldn't stop her. Maybe he'd follow her, but not stop her.

"Shhhh. You might be right. I may be crazy. But it jes' may be a lunatic y' lookin' for." Remy found himself saying. He inwardly winced and vowed to get some major sleep soon.

"Ah hate that song." Rogue said, not altogether seriously. Remy laughed until Rogue pulled him down to kiss her again.

***

Next chapter, satan worship and the rumor mill.

I wear my sunglasses at night so I can watch you REVIEW!

Peace and Love,

Panther Nesmith