Chapter 1: Waiting Room

             Rogue hated Hospital waiting rooms, the most depressing kind of waiting room in the world.  The place where weary frightened people would sit, waiting on news of life, death or something sort of in between. 

             It was three am, and the hospital waiting room was completely empty, save herself and Remy LeBeau – who was sitting staring into space, obviously going over things in his mind again and again, the fact that any minute, a doctor might come through into the waiting room and tell them that Bella Donna had given birth to his child and that he was a father.  It terrified him, Rogue could see that.

             It frightened her too.

             This baby would change everything in their lives.  It was going to change everything between her and Remy.  Now that they'd finally reconciled, it was going to be a challenge to stay that way with Remy while he would be taking care of a child full time.  She wasn't sure how he'd manage, even if she did offer her help.

             Remy got up, pacing the room, "How long does it take a girl to HAVE a baby, anyway?" he asked of no one in particular.

             "Hours," Rogue said, "Although I don't imagine it's going to be a very difficult birth – three months premature," she pointed out.

             "Don't remind me," He sighed, he tugged at his long brown hair in a frustrated fashion, he sighed, "I hate waiting…I've never been patient," he muttered, "I like to think I am, but I'm just not…why won't they even let me in with her?  Shouldn't I be there for the birth?  I'm the kids father for fucks sake," he paced back and forth quickly, his sneakers making a strange pat and squeak against the tiled floor.

             Rogue got up, and stopped him, "Calm down alright, look at you, you're a wreck…" she put her bare hand upon his face.

             "Your powers…" he frowned a little, "They still haven't returned…" he seemed to only just realise this, he took her hand and ran his fingers across it, as if to test his assumption had been right.

             "I know…" Rogue shrugged, "I thought they would have been back by now…" she shrugged, "I took the whole bottle, I don't know how long the serum lasts…" she explained.  "They'll probably be back soon, though, its been over twenty four hours…"

             Remy looked at her face, "Your face is bruised…did you know that?"

             "I haven't even looked in a mirror since yesterday," Rogue admitted, images rushed through her mind of when she'd been date-raped the previous night, her attacker having hit her when she'd tried to struggle. 

             Remy ran his fingers across her cheek, "I'd feel better if you maybe saw about getting medically checked out…just to be safe…"

             "I'm fine," Rogue assured, she was a little uncomfortable with his touch right then, she wasn't sure if it was because they were in a hospital or if it was because his child was being born in some room nearby.  Or maybe that he'd brought up about her attack again, when the thing she wanted to do the most was just forget about it totally.

             Remy sat back down, his breath fast and uneasy, "it seems like barely yesterday I found out Belle was pregnant," he admitted, "it seems to have all happened so fast…"

             "I know…" Rogue nodded, "seems like only a few months ago you were taking me out for my sixteenth birthday – and next month I'll be seventeen…" she sat in the chair by him.

             Remy looked at her, "time flies…I guess…" he smiled a little, "you didn't have to come here with me, you know…"

             "I know…but I didn't want you waiting on your own," Rogue smiled a little, she put her hand on his, gingerly caressing the top of his hand with her fingertips.

             Remy looked down at their hands, didn't smile, nor frown, just examined them, the difference in their skin tones, his a deep tan, hers a milky ashen.  His skin rough, her skin like velvet.  "what would I do without you?" he asked, more to himself than her.

             Rogue laughed a little, and looked away, "harass me until you weren't without me," she shrugged, "just like you've always done."

             Remy turned twined his fingers with hers, and raised his eyes to hers, "thanks for being here…waiting with me, I'd go mad if I had to wait here alone," he sighed.

             Rogue smiled at him, a broad, happy grin.  With two fingers, she ran the tips of her fingers slowly down from his forehead to his cheek on the right side of his face, then with the backs of her fingers, brushed against the left side from the forehead to cheek.  It felt amazing being able to touch him without the worry of absorbing his powers. 

             Right then, he looked so vulnerable, and she felt the same, and she decided she couldn't wait anymore, she moved in, her lips parting a little.  Remy leaned in towards her sliding his hand underneath her chin, and tilting her head ever so slightly upwards, moving forwards, slowly, intently, his lips nearly touching hers.  She could feel his hot breath upon her lips, she closed her eyes waiting, praying for it to come.  She'd waited for the kiss since she'd known she loved him, and it had never come.  Now it seemed inevitable. 

             It was almost perverse, really, his ex-girlfriend in another room giving birth while she was ready to kiss him – and him the same to her.  Their lips were so near they were almost touching, the anticipation making Rogue shiver.

             "Mr LeBeau."

             Rogue cursed the doctor who entered the waiting room right at that moment, and Remy's head swung to the side, instantly distracted from the intimacy, in fact Rogue's lips brushed against his stubbly as he did.

             "Oui?" Remy stood up, letting go of Rogue.

             Rogue cursed Bella Donna, the baby, the hospital, and at that moment, even Remy LeBeau, she sighed and folded her arms in an almost stubborn way.

             "May I speak with you privately…"

             "I'll be right back," Remy assured Rogue, then left the waiting room with the doctor.

             Rogue leaned back in to her seat, crossing one leg over the other.  Looked like more waiting was in store for that first kiss.  Seemed like right then Remy was hearing the news of his newborn child and would be forgetting all about her and the way she felt for him – nothing would matter except that child.  She supposed she couldn't blame him.

             But she wanted to.  And if Bella Donna had given birth Rogue would have nothing to hold her back from beating her up for the trouble she'd caused.

             Rogue kept glancing at her watch, ten minutes passed, another twenty, then another ten.  Forty minutes in total and Remy had not returned.  It seemed as if he had already forgotten about her.  She'd almost given up home and was determined to get up and make her own way home, when Remy walked into the waiting room, his eyes red, his face pale, he'd been crying again, she could see that, and this time, she wasn't sure it was because of her. 

             "Remy…" Rogue asked, she stood slowly, and walked over to him.

             Remy looked past her, "They did all they could," He shrugged, as if to finalise a conversation that had never even taken place.

             Rogue frowned, "what do you mean?" she asked.

             He didn't answer, he simply sat down on the nearest chair, looking down to the floor, but somehow, she could sense what had already happened, and felt a strange cold feeling rush through her, it sent tingles down her spine in a very violent unnerving way, and she trembled.

"Remy…" she whispered.

"Go home…" he pleaded, "Just…just go home…"

Rogue looked at him, "But…"
             "I need to be alone right now."

Rogue felt emotion tugging at her heart, feeling the organ sink in her chest.  She obeyed, and left Remy to his solitude and his sorrow.