Parker awoke on a hard surface. Opening her eyes, she found herself in a medical facility of some sort. The last thing she remembered was being in the car with that nice guy—what was his name again? It didn't really matter now, as he was standing right by her bed.

"You a'ight now, petite?" he asked almost the moment she had opened her eyes and had seen him.

Parker nodded, then tried to sit up. She shook her head as she sunk back onto the table.

"No," she groaned, "And don't call me petite… Now, where am I?"

*********************************************

Many, many chapters later…

It was her first mission. She had failed. And they had lost.

She couldn't believe it.

"How could I… Why did—"

"Chere…" Remy stated hesitantly, gently squeezing her arm. She looked at him, eyes barren of emotion, of thought, of all but an empty void. "S'aight, chere. You'll geddem next time, Remy promises."

"I just… I'm not sure there will be a next time, Gambit."

Uh-oh. She was using his X-Name. She never said Gambit.

"Whaddya mean, petite?" he asked, taking her by the shoulders. They were now situated at the top of the huge mansion's stairs.

"I don't know if I can handle this mutant thing. I just… I want to go back to a normal life!" she let a tear run down her face, but he promptly wiped it away.

"Chere, dere ain't nothing dat's gonna be normal if ya run away," he stated calmly, taking one of her hands. She managed to pause her crying, but her sniffs lasted for a few more moments.

"But—"

"No butts about it. Now, Remy knows da way it's like out dere, and he promises dat you'd be much happier here, where dere are people dat love ya." He paused, and took a deep breath before continuing. "People like me."

She couldn't believe her ears. She had wanted to hear that from him for so long—could he actually be saying it?

Parker genuinely couldn't believe it. Remy LeBeau, the infamous Ladies' Man of the Institute—Of Bayville—loved her? He had to mean the family-type way. Everybody else did. It's what happened at the Institute. Jean and Scott had proven that.

"I—Well, I—I need to get rest. Goodnight, Gambit."

With that, she disappeared into her room. Damn. Remy thought bitterly, Dere she goes with that Gambit thing… He stared at her door, holding his arm out where she had disconnected hers from it.

And he had thought they were mutual about certain feelings… What a fool he had been.

He turned dejectedly towards the stairs and descended them slowly, glancing up once more to regard the closed door.

He pulled a sharp right at the bottom of the stairs, only to hault immediately. The familiar pipf followed by the stench of smoke caused his heart to leap, and he followed the sound.

Parker was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking very sheepish with her fidgeting fingers and her sly grin. He grinned in return, question clouding his dark eyes.

"I've never been able to respond properly when a guy confesses his love for me," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear. He grinned idiotically and closed the distance between them in one stride. This time, he took both of her hands in his and brought them to his face, gently kissing each figertip.

"Well, ma chere, you won't have to ever again, will you?" Remy asked slowly, stroking a strand of hair away from her blushing face.

"Well, I hope no—" She wasn't given time to finish her statement before his hungry lips had found her in a ravenous kiss. Her eyes widened in shock, but she didn't hesitate long before she threw her hands around his neck and responded just as fervently.

He was the one to pull away, with her giving a slight groan in disappointment.

"Now, now, Petite. Dere's enough of Remy for a lot more dan dat…" He winked suggestively and she blushed a crimson before he laughed and picker her up by the waist. He tenderly carried her to her door and set her down, swooping in for just one more light kiss before stalking down the hall merrily.

Parker grinned and wondered what she had gotten herself into before she retired to her room for the second time that night.

And just for the hell of it, he appeared later that nite, just to sit up and stroke her hair and be with his chere.

The end.