Alrighty… when I said I had to push the Rogue/Romy back, I lied, here it is in all it's glory!! Well, actually, organization wise, it just worked out better to have this chapter first. So all you other Romy shippers out there can stop bugging me!! (and it's a lot too, I think it's my longest chapter… or second longest) Alright, only two chapters left, I think. How sad. I've been putting off writing the last chapter. Anyway, thank you all SO much for the reviews, they make me so happy!! Keep 'em comin'!!!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Shhh!" Rogue heard Kitty say over several muffled giggles as she and Remy led her outside.
"What're y'all up to?" Rogue asked playfully. She was blinded by Remy's hands over her eyes.
"You'll see, Roguey." Remy answered coyly. While she didn't like not knowing what was going on, she reveled in the warm weather as the sun beat down on her bare skin. She wiggled her liberated toes in the grass of the mansion's front lawn beneath her.
"Ah told ya not to call me that, swamp rat." Rogue answered back.
"Okay! Okay! We're ready!" Kitty suddenly called out.
"Surprise." Remy whispered in Rogue's ear before he took his hands off her eyes.
She was immediately berated with a chorus line of "SURPRISE!!" Her senses were overwhelmed, leaving nothing for her to do but smile as Kurt, Scott, Jean, Kitty, Remy, Wanda, Pyro, Lance, Toad, Pietro, the Professor, Peter, Storm and Logan all welcomed her.
"What is this?!" Rogue gleamed as she saw a 'Welcome Back!' banner hung between two trees over a table filled with her favorite foods, including a big, brown, chocolate cake.
"Well, after everything that's happened, we realized how important you really are to us." Kitty explained.
"Oh mah god! Ah mean… thank you, but… oh mah god! Ah never…" Rogue stuttered, so surprised by the actions of her friends to spit out a complete sentence.
"Like, don't mention it." Kitty said, obviously proud of being able to leave Rogue speechless.
"Thank you." Rogue finally managed to say.
"Would you like a piece of cake, mein frauline?" Kurt jumped in as hanged from a tree branch over her head. Rogue smiled at him and nodded.
"I made it myself!" Kitty interjected as she poured cups of punch for everyone.
"Uh… on second thought… perhaps some pizza?" Kurt added.
"Hey! It's good! I swear!" Kitty shouted at him, offended. Rogue nodded at Kurt and he dashed off on all fours to serve her.
"Can I get ya some punch, ma chérie?" Remy asked in a very sultry voice.
"That would be great." She replied in just the same way, watching him follow after Kurt.
"Great t'have ya back, sheila." Pyro surprised her by smacking her on the back from behind.
"Yeah, we really missed you around here." Scott added.
"Thanks, guys." Rogue grinned humbly at them, until she caught a glimpse of the Professor and Magneto behind a tree, talking to someone who was sitting on the ground. Rogue thought the woman looked vaguely familiar, and didn't notice as everyone who had come to welcome her back had walked off to join their own circles. The woman looked sullen in the shadows and she felt as if she was turning a key in her head that has long been hidden from her.
"No trespassing." Rogue snapped around at hearing Mystique's callous voice, forgetting her thoughts.
"Wow, security's real tight for this bash, isn't it?" Rogue lit up at the familiar British accent.
"Let her go." Rogue ordered Mystique who was holding Betsy back.
"See? I'm on the V-I-P list." Betsy mocked her to her face. Mystique grumbled as she stood aside for Rogue. "Why don't you morph into something a bit… quieter?" Betsy said as she held up her palm and pulled her finger together. Mystique responded to Betsy's actions by uncontrollably shape shifting into a hummingbird. Betsy shooed her off as she flew away, leaving Betsy and Rogue alone.
"Betsy, what're you doin' here? Ah never absorbed you." Rogue grew concerned. "Did Ah?"
"So you know this isn't real?" Betsy smiled, confirming Rogue's assumption.
"It's real enough." Rogue mumbled, feeling slightly ashamed.
"So you're just going to settle?" Betsy said, surprised at Rogue's acquiescence.
"You don't understand." Rogue tried to defend herself. "My powers don't work here--"
"Well of course they don't. You can't absorb somebody when they're already here. Your powers would probably work on me, though." Betsy explained as she took in the scenery.
"No, that's not it--"
"I mean, I wouldn't want to leave if they were having a party for me, either." Betsy interrupted her again.
"Rougey, I got yo' punch." Remy said as he joined them. "Hey, Betts." Betsy just scoffed at him, leaving him a bit disconcerted.
"Cajun, Ah told you not to call me that!" Rogue yelled at him as she snatched the cup out of his hand.
"Well he's not going to learn." Betsy informed Rogue as if she already should have known.
"Jus' talk about me like I ain't even here." Remy mumbled bitterly.
"Well you're not!" Betsy said bluntly. "Rogue, he's going to stay exactly the same as he was the exact moment you last brought him here. It's going to get old quite fast." Rogue snarled at Betsy, then grabbed Remy. She planted her lips on him and threw them both into a passionate kiss to show Betsy what she had been trying to tell her. Betsy just sighed impatiently and rolled her eyes as she waited for them to finish.
"Don' worry none, chère, I'm on cloud nine." He responded simply when Rogue finally let him go. Betsy gave Rogue an 'I told you so' grin, as his response was rather subdued for the intensity of their embrace. Rogue forced out a smile to keep up appearances, but Betsy obviously wasn't fooled.
"Can you leave us alone f'r a little while?" Rogue asked Remy disappointedly. Remy nodded pleasantly, not acknowledging her feelings, and walked away.
"He says that every time, doesn't he?" Betsy asked, seeing right through Rogue's façade. Rogue looked back down into her cup, silently confirming Betsy's suspicions. "That's going to get annoying pretty soon… if it hasn't already."
"That's not important." Rogue spat defensively, trying to convince herself as much as Betsy. "What's important is how it makes me feel. Ah can do that any time Ah want. Ah can feel his lips on mine, Ah can taste his tongue…"
"Cheap cigarette breath for the rest of your life… how romantic…"
"It's safe here." Rogue brushed off her comment with a glare. "Ah can't hurt anyone here. Ah can feel truly close to him."
"Isn't the point of that to share it with him?" Betsy proposed. "I mean, he's been sitting by your bedside ever since… well, a day or two after we got back from Egypt and all he's been thinkin' about is just seeing your eyes again." Rogue sunk her head between her shoulders, feeling selfish. "I know he'd do anything in his power to make you feel like that."
"Ah can't go back." Rogue whimpered.
"And I can't make you. But soon, everything is going to be the same, day in and day out, over and over and over again. Nothing will change. I know this place is warm and safe, Rogue, but the point of living is taking risks. To learn, to grow, to change, to evolve…" Rogue finally looked up at her, coming to terms with Betsy's truth. "You have a gift, Rogue. Whenever you – 'you' being everyone in general – you take a little piece of them with you and incorporate it into who you are, and then you go on to share it. But you take so much more than that. You can empathize with people in a way that no empath could ever hope to. You can see the world from all points of view at once. You can help people in ways that no one else can, in the ways that count the most. It's your duty as a human being to come back and share with us as much as we share with you." Betsy's profound words touched Rogue in ways that no one ever had. She was nearly convinced when she looked back behind the tree to se the woman, sitting on the ground. She felt empty and guilty. It served only as a reminder of what would happen if she went back. "You know who that is, don't you?" Betsy sensed her concern.
"Not really." Rogue shook her head meekly. "But she hurts."
"Uh-huh." Betsy answered. "That's Miss Marvel." Rogue looked up to Betsy again with wide eyes.
"That's who she is…" Rogue muttered, the key finally opening the lock. For the first time in a very long time, she was fully remembering the events that happened back at the beginning of the summer.
"Yup. And I bet she hasn't forgiven you, has she?" Betsy said as she pointed. "She still threatens to take over… deep down. You can only hear it when you listen really closely, when life is hard and you want to give up." Rogue nodded blankly as she couldn't take her eyes off Carol. "Out there she's already begun to come to terms with what really happened. She's actually begun to forgive you… in her own way." Betsy trailed off.
"Don't leave me here, Betts." Rogue whimpered on the brink of tears. "Ah wanna come home. Ah wanna see him." Betsy smiled as she hugged Rogue and let her cry on her shoulder.
"You know, everybody's been bugging me to get out back so you can make your dressing for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Do you make good salad dressing or something?" Betsy's comment caused Rogue to smile, forgetting her troubles.
"No, it's dray-sin'… y'know, turkey stuffing?" Betsy just looked at her blankly. "It's a southern thing." Rogue brushed her off, then stopped dead in her tracks. "Thanksgiving's tomorrow?" She developed a look of utter terror on her face, slightly frightening Betsy.
"Well, yes… you've been unconscious about a week." Betsy explained.
"No. Last thing Ah remember was sittin' on th'roof tellin' Remy Ah couldn't believe Thanksgiving was only three weeks…" She trailed off, confusing Betsy. "Ah lost three weeks of my life."
"Well we better not waste anymore--" Betsy said, putting her hand to her forehead to concentrate.
"Wait." Rogue stopped her. Betsy patiently looked up at her, waiting for her question. "When they realized how important Ah was--"
"It's because they always knew." Betsy answered before she finished asking. Rogue beamed with humble pride.
* * *
Rogue blinked her eyes open to see Betsy sitting beside her bed in a chair. Her dark purple hair was tied up in back with a clip. Her narrow Asian eyes looked tired, but relieved, her lips in a calm, loose smile. The next thing Rogue noticed after catching her first image of Betsy, was that she was holding her bare hand. She looked down, relieved to see the Betsy was protected by a thin pair of latex gloves.
"I'm sorry to make you nervous… it helps me connect." Betsy explained without Rogue having to say anything. She stood up to throw the gloves away in a trash can in the corner of the room by the door, drawing Rogue's attention to Remy, sleeping in a chair on the other side of the door.
"How long has he--"
"Shhh." Betsy stopped her. "He's a light sleeper."
"Oh, sorry." Rogue whispered back, following Betsy with her eyes as she walked back toward the bed, making sure she could Remy in her peripheral vision. "How long has he been sitting there?"
"Since the professor let him." Betsy answered. "He had some… stuff… he had to take of once we got back."
"Stuff? What--"
"I'll let him explain." Betsy cut her off. "He thought it would be real romantic if he was the first thing you saw you when you awoke, but I think it would be more romantic if you were the first thing he saw when he woke." Betsy looked back to him over her shoulder and focused on him for a moment. "He dreams about you, you know."
"Really?" Rogue blushed.
"Mm-hmm. He is right now. It's amazing, he doesn't ask for much, just to see your eyes." Rogue looked up at him and watched him while he slept. She'd never seen him so peaceful before. "Do you want me to wake him? I'll make your head explode--"
"What?!" Rogue shouted.
"Shh!! I mean in his dream… although…"
"No, just let him wake up on his own…" Rogue whispered again.
"Well, I wouldn't have to make your head explode, I could just--"
"It's okay, Betts. Just let him wake up on his own." She reiterated.
"Oh… okay then…" Betsy said disappointedly as she gloomily walked toward the door. She stopped in the doorway with Remy beside her in his chair. She glanced over her shoulder at Rogue, who glared at her back to go away. Then she looked back down, and kicked the leg of Remy's chair. "Oh goodness, look what I've done!" Betsy said overly innocently as Remy open his eyes and stretched his arms and legs.
"Hey, Betts, what was 'at for?" Remy asked groggily as he tried to adjust to the light in the room.
"For someone who claims to never sleep, you sure do it a lot." Betsy remarked. "Honestly, I don't know what you see in him." She turned halfway around, speaking to Rogue sardonically, but drawing Remy's attention to her for the first time. He stopped dead like a deer caught in headlights when he saw Rogue sitting straight up in bed. Betsy suddenly grew a grin of pride. "Can I stay and watch?" Betsy said with sarcastic pep. "Will you two just stay right where you are while I go get Kitty and some popcorn?"
"GET OUT!!" Rogue and Remy yelled at her in unison. She grumbled as she gave Remy a smile of approval, and finally left them alone. As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, Remy was at Rogue's bedside. She didn't see him get up and walk over, he was just there. An awkward silence overtook them as Remy just stared at her.
"Mon dieu, you got beautiful eyes." Rogue blushed at his explanation, then looked up at him to give him a better view. "How ya feelin', chère?" He asked as she scooted over on the bed to make room for him to sit.
"Alright… Ah guess…" she said.
"D'you wanna… y'know… talk 'bout anythin'? I mean, I been wit' Sinister, I know what he can do…"
"Well, Ah don' really remember any of that." She cut him off, gracious for his openness, but knowing that it was making him uncomfortable.
"What do you remember?" He asked innocently. She smiled and looked down at the hand he'd thrown over her legs to support himself.
"Ah vaguely remember sayin' somthin' about lovin' you." She glanced up to see his reaction, to see him looking at her with his jaw half open. He let his lips curl, smiling briefly, but then sighed with disappointment.
"You shouldn' say that, Rogue." He muttered.
"But Ah love you, Remy… Ah didn' think Ah could love anyone, ever, but Ah love you." She begged him to say it back. She had a horrible sinking feeling in her stomach. She was afraid she'd just ruined everything.
"No, chère, I mean… you shouldn' say that when… when I been lyin' to ya." She was relieved for a moment, knowing that it wasn't because he didn't love her back, but then a lump grew in her throat. After everything they'd been through, he'd still lie to her. She started to get angry as she struggled to keep the tears back.
"Ah knew Ah shouldna come back. Ah knew it… you were perfect." She mumbled bitterly, barely audible. "So you wouldn' ever change, Ah wouldna minded that, you were perfect."
"Rogue?" Remy grew concerned as she kept muttering to herself.
"What is it?" She suddenly barked at him, causing him to jump back. "What is it? Did you marry someone else while Ah was gone?"
"No." He couldn't help be smile at her accusation, but quickly regained his solemn composure. "It's about the vial."
"Ah didn't take it!" She shouted defensively. "Ah just looked at it, but Ah didn'--"
"I know. Can you jus' lemme finish?" He was growing impatient. She leaned back on her pillow, realizing that she was only going to make him angry.
"Sorry."
"S'okay." He said, pausing to formulate what he wanted to say into words. "When I told ya 'bout Julien, and how my powers were outta control," He looked up to her and she nodded, listening intently since the subject matter was something very important to her. "truth is… I never… I never got control…" He paused again to let what he just said sink in. "Sinister… he, uh… he saw somethin' in me he wanted, an' he promised me the world t'get it."
"He cut your head open." Rogue said, finally learning about the memory that had plagued her for so long.
"Took out a piece 'a my brain." Remy nodded. "It cut down the intensity of my powers. He kept the tissue in the vial. He threatened to kidnap me and put it back in if I didn' do whatever he wanted. All I wanted t'do was stop hurtin' people, but… but all I done since…"
"That's not true." Rogue tried to comfort him. "Ah mean… yeah, you've hurt me, an' Ah can't speak f'r anybody else, but Remy… Ah never felt so… Ah never… Remy, Ah… it was worth it."
"No, Rogue. Not for me. I hurt too many other people." She felt sorry for him, and was ashamed at herself for not being able to make him feel any better. "When I saw you, at the sphinx, it made me so angry. He wasn't worth whatever you could give him. He promised me he wouln' come near you, and den he… he made you hurt people… people you love, like he made me. I… I… Rogue, I killed him… like I killed Julien."
"What?" Rogue was thoroughly confused.
"My powers re-manifested." Remy clarified. "De Beast said that anyone wit' the knowledge Sinister had, had t'know that operatin' on a developin' brain… he knew it would grow back." Rogue was sure she knew what he meant, but she wasn't sure she could believe it.
"So…?" She pressed further.
"See that plant in th'corner, behind the chair by th'door?" He pointed to a small tree behind the chair he had been sleeping in. She nodded and he closed his eyes to concentrate. She watched it as the planter sparked and a pink glow began to spread about it, then in through the soil, then up through the narrow trunk of the tree, spreading to the branches and leaves. When it started hissing, she put a hand on his shoulder, telling him to stop it. He shook her off, having to concentrate harder to uncharge it. When he opened his eyes to look back at her, she was terrified and confused.
"From across the room?" was all she could utter.
"Anything at all… from across the room." He nodded.
"Ah thought you couldn't control it? Ah mean, how did you learn so fast?"
"It took a lot 'a concentration… I worked wit' the prof. three days straight through… they wouldn't let me leave 'til they knew I wouldn't hurt no one. I still got a long way to go." Rogue leaned back on the bed, more frustrated about having missed so much by her absence than anything else. "But th'only way I could focus enough t'get this far… was t'think 'bout you." He hoped his remark would make her smile, but instead, she looked up at him, still in shock.
"Ah wish I'd known… then maybe Ah wouldn've…"
"Wouldn've what?" Remy asked, immediately worried.
"Up on the roof, when Ah got taken. Vertigo, she… she offered me control…" Rogue was interrupted when a glass jar holding cotton balls exploded on the counter in her room in the med lab.
"You what?" Remy tried to ignore the fact that things were exploding, trying to stay focused on his conversation, but he couldn't stop things from detonating all around him.
"No! Ah didn't mean it!" Rogue said, trying to make him stop. "Remy, please, Ah'm sorry, I would've done it anyway! I'm sorry Ah blame other people!" Nothing she said was helping, and he couldn't make himself stop. He grabbed the sides of his head again and tried to shut out everything, but it wasn't working. He started to run out of things to blow up, while Rogue tried to shield her eyes from flying glass and metal, when the bed frame beneath them lit up. "Remy, it's not your fault, Ah love you." With those words, he was able to take a deep breath and focus. As the bed stopped glowing, he looked up to Rogue, she was scared. But his empathy told him it wasn't for herself. She was afraid for him.
"Despite all the terrible things I done t'you? As much as I lied to you, and left you alone, and all the horrendous things I brought int'your life, you still love me?" He whispered.
"No." She said, pausing to think on her response. "Ah love you because you been played into doin' all those things, and you're tryin' your damned hardest to fix things. Ah also love you because you're the only one who's ever made me feel… not poisonous, or scary, or damaged. Ah love you because you haven't ever brought me a single horrible experience that hasn't made us stronger. He smiled, knowing her love was pure and true. "An' Kitty was right… you do have a cute butt." He turned a devilish smile at her.
"Cute? That's all?"
"Isn't that enough?" She smiled back.
"It ain't ever enough fo'Remy." He replied. "Especially after you tell me you love me."
"Oh yeah, about that… you're s'posed to return the favor." She encouraged him. He was suddenly no longer able to keep eye contact. The mere sight of it made her angry. "Remy--" He cut her off when he pounced on her, leaving her mouth occupied. At first she tried to resist, afraid she would hurt him, but after a second, when nothing happened, she gave in. After the initial shock of their touch, she could taste the cigarettes on his breath, the same he had in her head that would never go away. She finally convinced herself to push him away, to let go of feeling the rough skin of his chin on hers. Remy was smiling, quite proud of himself, but Rogue just looked frustrated and angry.
"Aren't ya gonna ask me how--"
"No." She interrupted him coldly. "Ah know why, and that's enough for me." She lied, so giddy and willing to do anything to have that feeling again, but on the outside, her expression was harsh and bitter as she folded her arms across her chest and refused to look at him.
"Roguey--" He pleaded with her.
"Don't call me that!!" She yelled at him, startling him. She sighed, realizing it had been a long time since she'd actually told him to stop. "Remy, why can't you say it?"
"Rogue…" He shook his head as he tried to find words. "Rogue… I… everyone I love gets hurt."
"But you do love me." He just looked at her, neither confirming nor denying her statement, but then again, she didn't need confirmation. "Remy, what else could happen?"
"You could die."
"Just because you say three little words? The point of bein' in love is so you can be completely vulnerable to someone else. Do you know how hard that was for me? I don't know why it matters so much, but it does. Please say it, Remy... if you mean it – an' Ah know you do… Say it so Ah can love you as much as Ah know you love me." He looked up to her and her piercing green, desperate green eyes grabbed him and wouldn't let go. He felt every feeling he had for her rise to the surface, and he wanted to throw up. No girl had ever made him feel him so nervous before… before Rogue.
"Chère… My whole life I been forced int'thinkin' if I cold live wit' her, and she could do f'r me what I wanted… then that's all I need. But when I met you… I honestly wasn' sure I could live wit' you an I still don' know. What I do know, is that I can't live without ya. Every second you're gone ain't a second worth livin'. Honestly, Rogue, I can't remember NOT lovin' you." He looked up from the playing card he'd subconsciously pulled out of his pocket and began fumbling with, to see her reaction.
"Sooo…?" She beckoned him to continue.
"Sooo… what I'm sayin' is, I love you, Rogue. I've always loved you, an' no matter what happens, I'm always gonna love you." She smiled as he finally let her heart be at ease, but she quickly went back to a scowl before he noticed. "What now?" Remy grumbled.
"That wasn't so hard, was it?" She said snidely.
"I got a feelin' it wouldna been the truth if it wasn' so hard t'say." She smiled, but neither of them knew what to say, so there was awkward silence.
"So how does it work?" Rogue finally asked.
"It's a plus 'a 'the powers unleashed'." He paused, but she just waited for an explanation. "I now have ultimate control over kinetic and potential energy. I can tap into the kinetic energy of your powers, converted it into potential energy, and hold 'em back… long story short, they can't hurt me." Rogue smiled at him innocently, but her eyes grew gradually more wicked. Luckily, Remy could sense what she was going to do before he did it, so he was prepared, but he didn't try to stop her. She would've jumped on him, but after having laid in bed for over a week, her legs were quite useless, so she grabbed him by the back of his neck, and shoved her tongue in his mouth. They shared a rather long, involved, passionate kiss. He put his hand on her cheek and she nestled it, without opening her eyes. She enjoyed the warmth of his lips and the feeling of his breath on her face. She could feel the tickle his eyelashes to the side of her face. But, she stopped when her tongue was stung by static electricity.
"Ow." She said, putting a hand on her tongue to see if she could feel a burn.
"Oh… about that… your powers are gonna find, away to compensate unless I keep puttin' more energy into it. Eventually, it's gonna start hurtin' ya real bad…"
"Then Ah gueth we'll juth have ta make 'em count." She said with a lisp as he brushed her white bangs out of her face.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Rogue151 – Oh yeah… "Planet X" and "Here Comes Tomorrow"… "Planet X" was awesome but I hate how Morrison made Magneto look like a pathetic old fool… Magneto is timeless villain, not an out dated one. And "Here Comes Tomorrow" is kinda confusing.. I'm not a fan of time traveling, but it looks really cool, I just hope it explains itself soon. And I subscribe to X-Treme… it's kinda sad right now… I hope this arc is better than the past few, what's wrong with Claremont? (I'm looking forward to the next arc though… I hope Psylocke comes back!!!) And Kordey's art makes me wanna barf. Anyhoo, I hope you like this chapter… Uber Rogue… Uber Romy!!
Ishandahalf – Yay!! You like my humor!! It's so hard to sit down and write funny stuff. Thanks for the sympathy about finals… they weren't as bad as I thought, but I guess I won't know 'til I get my grades back. (I think French raped me…) Hee hee, I'm sorry for making you think you had to wait, and I hope this was enough Rogue/Romy to make up for it!
Roguewanderer – Oh good, I'm glad that worked. Enough Rogue for ya in this one? I hope so, I doubt I could get anymore in there. I'm glad you don't mind that Jean lived. It just wouldn't have been right to let her die. I can't wrap up everything neatly if Jean died. Just the way it works. Anyhoo, I hope you like this chappy!
Gothic Cajun – Once again, sorry I made you think you had to wait. Hope this was good Romyness, eh? I'm so glad you caught the gold thing!! I wasn't sure if anyone was as obsessed with comics as me! Comics Jean does rock. I didn't like Evo Jean for a while there (could tell toward the beginning of the story?) But I have since pulled my butt out of my head, and she isn't so bad. Anypoop, hope you liked this week's installment!
Aimtbj – Perfect? Wow, thanks! Never fear, this was not the end… it was the climax of the story, but there's lots left to be resolved! I might have an epilogue, I haven't decided yet, there's one little part that doesn't seem to fit any where, but I dunno. Anyway, I'm glad you've enjoyed my story, and I hope you continue to enjoy it!
Julie – Thank you so much!! I'm so glad you liked my interpretation, even if you didn't like the comics. I haven't really thought about another story, I'll have to work on it for a while before I start anything, but keep checking back, maybe I'll come up with something. I'm so glad this fills the void Evo has left in you. Shame on KidsWB! For not wanting to bring it back… you heard that, right? At least it's back on Cartoon Network for a while. Thank you so much for your kind words!!
Sophie – Bwah ha ha ha!! Never challenge the master!! But that always happens when I write. I write it, and then I read it over and it doesn't make any sense. Long, long, editing sessions go into these things. Wow, computers are really bad at translating sarcasm, aren't they? Oh well, whaddya gonna do? Thank you for being so patient… but truth is, if I didn't give myself a specific deadline, I'd never finish it.
Ravyn Nyte – Yay!! A new reviewer!! Hee hee.. it took you a week to read this thing?? Blimey. I started to print it out for posterity's sake, and it's already over 500 pages double spaced. I'm glad you like enough to stick with it though!! (Even after I almost killed Pyro…) I couldn't kill Pyro after I killed Illyana... that would be too tragic. Thank you so much about the fight scenes… they're just so hard to write!! And I hope you like this Romy… but I think you're right, it did happen really fast. I'm just gonna go with… uh… absence makes the heart grow fonder. Yeah, that sounds good. And what can I say, it pleases the fans? Once again, I don't know about a sequel, but it is going to end soon… two more chapters left. I have to start writing the last one soon… I've been putting it off because I never want it to end!! (wow, how sad am I?) And about the Horsemen question, Sinister was the fourth. He was pestilence, he said so. He just didn't have to brainwashed into it. And what's going to happen with Carol… hmmm… you'll just have to tune in next week to find out!! Thank you so much!! Hmmm… wonder what I'll do with all those brownie points and that bag of chips… Anyway, thank you so much for your review, and keep 'em comin'!!
Aro – sorry if you think I'm updating behind your back… I post every week, like clock work! (You could put me on your favorites list, and you wouldn't have that problem! ;-P) Okay, I'm glad you didn't honestly think I was a king (could a guy write all this mushy romance?? I don't think so…) Thank you so much, and keep those reviews comin'!!
And you 20 people who have me on your watch list – Wow, I never felt so loved!!! But hey, where are my reviews?? Reading this thing ain't free!! (Just kidding, don't leave me!!! I'm sorry!! It was a joke!!!)
