AN: Well here's chapter 2 not too long to wait I hope (a couple of days) and if it is, well, this is almost twice as long as the last one so that should make up for it, plus Remy gets recognised, Rogue explains how she can control her powers and there's some stuff with characters that I haven't used yet (Jamie).

On a different note here, I'm watching 'Jaws 2' while I type this and am I the only one who wants the shark to eat the kids, especially the girl who's always screaming, she's bloody annoying.

Ok, now on with the story.

Disclaimer: I own noting, nope not one little thing. I have kidnapped Remy though, so he can keep Marko (from 'The Lost Boys') company after Joss Whedon takes Spike back for Angel (I don't own them either) and I might kidnap Jamie too cos he's so sweet, but unfortunately I get no money for this.

All Grown Up

Chapter 2

"Everyone's, like, so excited that you're, like, coming, like, home, Rogue," Kitty gushed, adding several extra 'like's in her excitement. She was seated in the back with the other girl after, grabbing hold of her as they left the airport, while Kurt and Remy sat silently in the front.

Rogue smiled faintly at the young valley girl, who seemed blissfully unaware of her friend's lack of enthusiasm, she had been talking almost non-stop since the got in the car. 'Gawd,' Rogue thought wearily, 'does she evah shut up?' Out loud, however, she simply said; "Tha's nahce."

Kitty hadn't even so much as stopped for breath since Kurt had started the car, trying her hardest to fill Rogue in on everything she'd missed. The southerner had listened intently at first, enjoying the stories about Bobby's pranks and Jamie's revenge on the older kids who still treated him like a baby. Thirty minutes later she had started tuning her friend out and concentrated on watching the men in front.

Remy seemed perfectly at ease with the situation, turning occasionally to flash the girls a dazzling smile which made Kitty falter momentarily in her words but had no effect on Rogue who had seen it all too often. The cocky, flirtatious smile might have hidden his nervousness from those who didn't know him well but the woman he loved could see right through it, right to the fear he harboured about walking directly into the enemies home.

Kurt, on the other hand, was openly tense, gripping the steering wheel so hard that even the hologram's knuckles were white. He didn't trust the Cajun any more than he would trust the Brotherhood -- especially with the feeling that he knew Remy from somewhere and that they weren't friends -- but he would tolerate him for his sisters sake.

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While the four mutants made their slightly uncomfortable car journey those left at the mansion were faced with stresses of their own.

"Jamie, that does NOT go there," Jean scolded as four versions of the sixteen year old hung the 'WELCOME HOME ROGUE!' banner above the staircase, balanced precariously on ice ladders courtesy of Bobby.

"Well YOU hang it then!" the usually light-hearted boy snapped, having been told to move the banner six times already he was at the end of his patience.

"I CAN'T," Jean yelled back, "I'm TRYING to hang the lights. Just hang it above the fireplace, ok?"

"But you told me to move it from there in the first place," Jamie hissed through gritted teeth as he judged the distance between the versions of himself and the redheaded telepath, wondering whether he could throw his hammers at her before she realised they were coming.

"No, you couldn't," Jean informed him.

Jamie shrugged and threw the hammers anyway, hoping that at least one would hit her. Unfortunately for him Logan and Scott chose that moment to walk through one door while Ororo, the professor and several students came through another carrying trays of food and drink. People were forced to drop whatever they were holding and scatter to avoid the flying hammers and Scott's optic blasts as he tried to deflect the makeshift missiles away from his fiancée.

To add to the mayhem and confusion a voice was heard to remark from the main doorway, "All this f'r li'l ol' me? Y'all sure know how ta make a gal feel special."

Almost as one the room's inhabitants turned to face the newcomers. Kurt and Kitty were cling ing to each other, almost falling over with suppressed laughter. Rogue stood slightly in front of them laughing openly as she leaned against her smirking companion, her FAMILIAR smirking companion who's arms were wrapped possessively around her slender waist.

A growl and the familiar snikt of claws being unsheathed came from Logan a split second before Scott's voice was heard.

"You!" the young man snarled. (AN: Yup, he snarled, he's seriously pissed. I'll explain why later.)

"Move outta the way, Stripes, I don't want to hurt you," the Canadian told her, his rough voice deceptively calm as he stalked towards the couple, claws out.

Scott's hand was on his glasses, ready to cut loose with an optic blast as soon as Rogue was safely out of the way. "You aren't welcome here Acolyte," he informed the other man as a gasp went through the assembled mutants.

"Remy don' work f'r Mags no more…"

Remy started but was cut off by Logan puttin himself between him and Rogue (AN: kinda squashed doing that since I haven't made Remy let go of Rogue yet!) and growling, "You heard the man, bub. You ain't welcome here. Now get goin' before I use you for target practice!"

"Logan, Scott, please calm down," th professors soothing voice stated, "Mr. LeBeau is here as Rogue's guest and should be treated as such. Ororo, could you please escort them to their room?"

"Of course, professor," the serene weather-witch smiled graciously at the younger mutants, "It is good to see you again child," she told Rogue while hugging her, seemingly unconcerned by the amount of bare skin the 'untouchable' was showing.

"Professor…?" Scott started, annoyed that, the one time Logan actually agreed with him about how to handle an enemy, his authority had been undermined and he knew the professor wouldn't let him have his own way now.

"He is a guest Scott, I will not tell you again. Now, Rogue, once you and Mr. LeBeau are settled I woul like you to come to my office."

"Sho' thang prof," Rogue drawled, smiling sweetly as she and the smirking Remy passed the still growling Logan and furious Scott, following Storm upstairs.

"Well, that was most amusing," Hank McCoy stated from the doorway he'd been standing in, unnoticed -- hard for a huge blue furry guy -- for the past five minutes, watching the proceedings silently.



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Twenty minutes later, showered and changed, Remy and Rogue knocked on the door to Professor Xavier's office.

'Come in,' he called telepathically, catching both off guard since Remy had never lived with a telepath and Rogue had gotten out of the habit of expecting a mental summons. They were, however, both perfectly composed as they walked into the spacious room and took seats opposite the wheelchair bound man.

"Y' wanted ta see us, professah?" Rogue asked cautiously, keeping her voice even so as not to betray her nervousness outwardly, which was pointless of course since Xavier was a powerful telepath but made her feel better anyway.

"Yes, I have some questions for you both. Firstly, Mr. LeBeau, I must ask. Do you still work for Magneto?" the professor, too, kept his voice neutral as he asked the important question, unwilling as the perceptive youngsters to show how nervous he really was. After all he was in a room with potentially the most powerful mutant alive and her lover, he did NOT want them angry at him.

"Remy already tol' y' he don', monsieur," the young man told him.

Xavier sensed nothing but honesty from the young man, who was offended at having to tell the telepath twice, and nodded in response before turning his attention to Rogue, "Now Rogue, I understand you are able to control your powers, is that correct?" the woman nodded, "Quite, would you mind telling me how?"

Rogue laughed softly as she remembered the event, "Not at all, sugah. It all started when Remy broke inta mah home…"

FLASHBACK

Rogue woke in the middle of the night with the uneasy feeling that someone had entered her home uninvited. Cautiously she padded out of her bedroom and into the hall, her feet making no sound o the wooden floors, thanks to countless hours of training with wolverine back at the mansion. She moved swiftly through the rooms, expertly avoiding the piles of clutter that littered the floor, surprised that the intruder had also managed to do so. There were only two logical conclusions for that. Either she was paranoid or…

"Miss me, chere?" a Cajun voice whispered in her ear as strong arms snaked around her waist.

Rogue wrenched herself violently from Remy's hold and, spinning round, slapped him harshly across the cheek, "What th' fuck d'ya think ya…" Rogue trailed off as she noticed something, she was in her nightclothes -- which meant no gloves -- she had just slapped Remy's bare cheek and he was standing there, fully conscious, and looking offended.

"Why y' hit Remy chere? He jus' come f'r a friendly visit."

"Remy…?" she whispered, a hint of disbelief in her voice as she tentatively reached out a hand to touch his injured cheek, fingertips barely grazing his flesh, with no reaction. Emboldened by the lack of reaction she placed her palm against his cheek and waited nervously for her powers to kick in. when nothing happened she burst out laughing even while tears ran down her ivory cheeks.

Remy wasn't really sure what was going on, one minute she'd been furious at him, the next she was holding his cheek while laughing AND crying for no apparent reason. It hadn't registered that the contact was skin to skin.

Eventually Rogue took her hand from his face and smiled brightly up at him, tightening her unconscious claim on his heart. "Remy, Ah c'n touch ya," she whispered, showing him her un-gloved hand.

"How?" he asked, trailing his own fingers gently across her face and looking directly into her sparkling green eyes, the joy in them reflected in his own demonic red-on-black ones.

Rogue shrugged, moving away from him and into one of the rooms many armchairs, "Ah dunno, sugah." She thought for a moment then got up again and walked through the darkened house to the front hall and picked up the telephone, dialling the number from memory. After a few moments she smiled, "Hi, Mr. McCoy, it's Rogue" … "Ah'm fahne thanks" … "No, actually Ah wanted ta talk t' you" … "No it's jus'…c'n ya meet meh somewhere tomorrah?" … "It's about mah powahs" … "Yeah Ah c'n get thahre" … "No, don' tell th' othahs" … "Thanks Mr. McCoy, see ya tomorrah mornin'. Bye," she hung up the phone and turned to the Cajun who had followed her, "What ya doin' heah anyway Swamp Rat?"

END FLASHBACK

"…An', accordin' ta Mr. McCoy, mah mutation had reached it's 'final stage'. now th' first tahme Ah touch someone mah body automatically absorbs 'em but aftah that Ah hafta think 'bout absorbin' 'em f'r mah powahs ta work," Rogue finished as Remy took her hand and kissed it demonstrating the fact that she could touch safely and offering her comfort at the same time.

"I see," the professor mused, but there is something you haven't told me, isn't there?"

Grinning Rogue shook her head, "Nevah could keep anything secret from ya. Yeah, mah control ain't just f'r when Ah use mah powahs, it's what Ah absorb too. F'r example if Ah touched ya now, professah, Ah could take ya powahs but leave ya memories, o' maybe th' othah way 'round. Maybe even nothin', it would depend on what Ah wanted to do. An' then Ah could use what Ah absorbed whenever Ah wanted."

The professor look startled at this, "I see," he said again, even more uncomfortable around the woman now, she wasn't potentially the most powerful mutant anymore, she actually WAS, "Well, you may leave now."

As soon as they left the professors office Remy pulled Rogue close to him and kissed her passionately. Right at that moment Scott happened to pass by the couple, a dark frown crossing his face as he glared at them from beneath his glasses, though both were oblivious to it, lost in the others embrace.

Ooooooooooh, (put on a singsong voice) Scott's jealous, find out why in later parts. Just so you know, I don't really have anything against Scott and Jean but he didn't want Rogue when she had a thing for him so now he's going to see what he's missing (laughs evilly) and I've decided not to put in Kurtty cos I can't be bothered to write it and it's the Romy that's important.

Well, did ya like? I'm not so sure about the car journey part, it seems a little weak, but I'm particularly pleased with the flashback scene, anyone else like that part? There will be more jealous Scott and pissed off Logan in later chapters, I'll give Jean a hen-night even if I decide not to give them a wedding and I'm going to have more frightened the professor because I find it amusing to have the worlds most powerful telepath afraid of a girl more than half his age.

Now for replies to reviews.

Aro: Two cookies and you were thinking about this silly little fic? Oh that makes me soooo happy, how's this chapter? Wasn't updated soon but it's longish so that makes up for it right?

TigerCat23: Glad you love it dear (you don't mind being called dear right?) here's some more, enjoy.

Caliente: There ya go, Wolvie recognised him first but I had Scott react more. Don't worry though the will be protective father Wolvie later, I promise.

elf-princess4: You want more, here is more.

ishandahalf: Unfortunately I don't have a bunny on crack to write fast, only a hyper puppy and she's no help. I try to be quick but I don't succeed, sorry. It is coming though.

Calliann: Glad you're still loving, and Logan recognised him first see?

sweet-chick3: Oooh, new reviewer, yay. Hey I've just realised I did just what you suggested in the review before I even read it. Great minds, no? Glad you love it.

Irony1: Here is the next chapter my dear, (do you mind being called dear?). Thanks for the quote, I love it and it's so true too!

ChaosCat: Yay, another new reviewer, I feel special. I'm sorry I didn't write more sooner but I had a slight case of writers block, but now there's THREE parts which is amazing for me really cos I usually lose interest in things by about this far, but nope, I'm gonna finish this one. I'll also stop babbling now.

ladychopsticks: An one more new reviewer (gets up and dances around) since you said please here is more. I'm pleased you like the Romyness, it's definitely the best pairing there is.

And that's it from me so if you kind people could possibly find the time to review while I get started on the next chapter I would appreciate it, not that I'm forcing you to review or anything.

Well, if everything goes to plan I should have chapter 3 done by late tonight early tomorrow morning.

Bye now,

Mercury Dream