Disclaimer: I've got a new plan – maybe I'll just stealthily sneak up behind the X-Men and grab them all! Then I'll lock them in my basement, and I'll finally own them. Cuz you know, there's no possible way they could escape, right? It's foolproof!

A/N: Me again! And with a longer chapter this time, huzzah! But that's later. First, a question – why did tons of people comment on 'pyjamas'? Is this some crazy Canadian way of spelling it or something? Is it spelt differently elsewhere? I'm so confused! So if somebody would explain, they'll be my hero. Now, onward to more of my incoherent ramblings!

Mysterious Fan Girl, Michelle, Kaylessa, mAd RoGuE, SadYear, dani, Rogue14, Ellavira, khay, frozen fireball, btch, Jordanz, Personage, hnh, AJ, De-Femme-O-Da-Night, PsychoRomyChica, Tokyobabe2040, Bluefireburns65, Lightspeed Suzuka, Star-of-Chaos, Midnight Selene, SassyGrl024, Pippin plays Bass, Rogue77, The Rogue Cajun, & PomegranateQueen – I gave out a medal last time, so how's about a nice thank-you card? Less glamorous, sure, but more personal and heart-felt!

Krac, Rogue4787, & everybody else asking about Rogue's powers – Patience, my pretties! I didn't forget about them or anything (that is, if there are any), I'm just delaying the information long enough so you'll all be nice and twitchy. ;-)

Gothic Cajun – You're delightfully insane – how fun! Don't worry, I'm always one for avoiding sanity. shudder But I must disagree, I think my crack bunnies could kick your chipmunks' asses any day! Thanks for your compliments – I'm legendary and a Romy goddess? Wow.

msqre – Aww, I'm the first person you reviewed? I feel so honoured! And thanks for your compliments on how I portrayed Rogue. I've always admired her strong character, so you can she sure that I'll write her that way; and I agree, who wouldn't drool over Remy?

Tayrion – New, eh? Don't worry, we'll corrupt you soon enough! Bwa ha ha!

Goldylokz – No comment? Well, I guess that means I can't respond! Except I just did… dammit!

Calliann – Don't worry, you're not the only drooler among us! In fact, I'd be worried about you if you didn't drool.

Princess of Monkeys – Love slave, eh? drool! Well, we can always dream. And kudos for you asking what Rogue's getting in return, nobody else did. There's a quasi answer in this chapter, so read on! And yes, Rogue and Remy were 12 and 13, respectively, when they met. Young, sure, but it works better now cuz they're 6 years older and at nice angsty ages, no? As always, thanks for your review – better late than never! ;-)

Seven Sunningdale – Rogue seeming similar to me is purely coincidental! Alright, fine, you caught me – I'm living vicariously through my fic! But with Remy there, can you blame me? And no, I'm avoiding a jerky Remy, unlike some people. gives you a pointed look Although it'd be nice to give you a taste of your own medicine! I just can't bring myself to do it, and deny everybody (and myself) Romyness.

Aro – Picturing Pyro as a janitor just made me laugh out loud. I wish, then I wouldn't have to go back to school! Stupid school – honestly, what has it ever accomplished? It's utterly pointless! I liked your prattle, by the way.

The no-name reviewer – I get what you mean about Belle. Don't worry, I hate her too, so in no way will Rogue take her bullshit! But I like sticking her in, because it provides more conflict, and those oh-so-fun feelings of jealousy. It'll be good, I promise!

Zen Bailong – Wow, I'm honoured! Plus you used the word 'dost', which puts you on my cool list.

Panther Nesmith – Thanks for the socks! I've actually got a pair like that, they're so fun! As a matter of fact, I'm wearing them right now – woah. I love cool socks. Thanks for not pitchforking my plot, I would've had to cry. But here's the hotel room scene! If you really want one of your sex-filled romps, you can just kinda stick it in there yourself, that work for you?

Green Eyed Lilys Daughter – Tee hee hee! You said 'cheerio', I love that! Are you aware that it's also a brand of cereal? Well, at least it is here, I'm not sure about other places. Anyhoo, I haven't mentioned the debt before – since the Guild didn't know the thief was Rogue yet they had supposedly done her a favour, that would imply that they didn't know they helped her out. But that'll be brought up in more detail later! Hope I've adequately confused you.

Mercury Dream – Don't worry about the screwing up of your last review; the confusion has passed, we've all learned from it and managed to grow as people. I'm so proud! wipes away a tear Anyhoo, thanks for the bio! Do you have a little too much time on your hands? I don't know why or how he started working in a bar in New Orleans, but we'll say a wizard did it. ;-)

vespie – In a nutshell, Canada is cold, hockey-obsessed, overrun with Tim Horton's doughnut/coffee franchises, and we do say 'eh' a lot. Or maybe that's just me. As for mayonnaise… huh? We have it, is that weird for some reason? I don't think I've heard that stereotype before.

Cloud Of Blood – Of course everybody talks to themselves! If somebody denies it, they're lying. I do it all the time, and even go one better by talking to inanimate objects.

You all still here? Good. Now, if I may direct your attention down a few lines, here's your chapter. Enjoy!


February Fifteenth

Chapter Seven – Obligations

Remy was nervous. Which was odd, because he never got nervous – it just didn't happen. Maybe it was because he was currently standing at the door of a beautiful woman. No, that wasn't it – he could charm women easily; with one smile they were putty in his hands. Maybe it was the fact that he was at the door of the beautiful woman that had haunted his thoughts for six years? Or maybe it was because she had actually managed to hold his attention for five years, three hundred sixty-four days, twenty-three hours, and fifty-nine minutes longer than anybody else ever had before.

Whatever it was, he would eventually have to knock on the door, so he finally did. When Rogue came to open it, Remy stood there, frozen in wonder – did she look like this right after rolling out of bed? He almost forgot how to talk, but somehow managed to bid her a good morning and feign nonchalance.

Meanwhile, Rogue was faced with several options. She could be mad that Remy had awakened her, be shocked that he was standing outside of her hotel room, be annoyed that she was now forced to break her promise to stay away from him, or be awed by his complete and utter attractiveness. Luckily, she chose none of the above, and decided on actually saying something instead of just staring at him like a smitten fool. Again.

"Mornin'," she finally answered, after reminding herself how to speak. "Can Ah… help ya?" she asked, as she couldn't help but look him over. How could he make a simple outfit like a trench coat, jeans, shirt, and boots look so good? 'Damn, snap outta it! Remember what ya decided?'

"Remy hopes so," he replied with a smile, as he noticed her look him up and down; he decided to do the same, and was amazed at what he saw. Although Rogue was only in a simple tank top and drawstring pants, she still managed to look incredibly sexy. She could effortlessly rival Belladonna, who always slipped on ridiculously expensive designer lingerie when she went to bed.

Beginning to feel a bit self-conscious at the way he was staring at her and avoided elaborating on his comment, Rogue decided should do something about it. "Are ya just gonna stand there an' stare at me all day?"

"Y' serious? 'Cause Remy sure wouldn' mind."

Giving an exasperated sigh, she moved away from the door and invited him into the lavish suite. "Remy needs t' talk t' y', chère," he said in a more serious tone upon entering the room. Catching a sense of urgency, Rogue agreed. "But do ya mind if Ah go change first?"

"Only if Remy can watch," he said as the easy-going grin slipped back onto his face.

"Just sit yo'self down, Cajun," she scolded as she pointed to the couch. "Ah'll be back in a sec."

Remy sat and waited for a few minutes, and then found his breath hitched in his throat when Rogue walked back towards him. How could she make something simple like jeans, a shirt, and boots look so good? He snapped back to attention when she sat down on the other end of the couch and began to speak.

"So, why are ya here, Remy? Actually wait, Ah'd rather know how ya found me first."

He gave a little chuckle, and answered, "Y' talkin' t' an almost-Master T'ief, chère. Remy have his ways, just like y' have yours."

"Ya just asked th' concierge if he saw a woman with white-streaked hair, maybe slipped him a few bills, right?" she smirked.

"Alright, so maybe Remy's ways aren't always de stealthiest or de most high-tech…" he admitted, which caused Rogue to laugh, and him to smile after he heard the pleasant sound.

After it died down, she began to question him again. "It's the day before th' weddin', don't ya have stuff to be doin'?"

"Oui, dere's a rehearsal an' all dat crap around noon," Remy sighed. "But Remy needed t' see y' befo' y' went out."

"Why?"

"Does Remy need a reason to see a belle femme (beautiful woman)?" he flirted, only to have Rogue raise an eyebrow expectantly. Remy gave another sigh, and then looked directly into her eyes. "I don' wanna get married, Rogue."

At his words, hope flared up in her heart before she could repress it. "Ya don't?"

He shook his head. "It's an arranged marriage, t' bring peace t' de Guilds. Remy had no choice in de matter. Someday he wanna get married, t' someone he loves," he told her, as his red eyes seemed to glow while still staring into hers. "But dat's not Belladonna."

"Ah'm sorry," she told him, and meant it. Remy had responsibilities he hadn't asked for, and Rogue understood that; very well in fact.

"T'anks, but dat won't do much good. Dat's why Remy's here, t' ask fo' some help."

"Ah already said Ah would."

"Je sais (I know), but Remy need t' elaborate on dat," he explained. "Can y' tell de Guild dat dere is a plot, even if dere ain't? Den de weddin' can be called off."

Rogue paused as she took in his words. Thinking she would deny his request, he quickly continued. "Remy knows dat he got no right t' ask y' fo' anythin', and dat y' must t'ink dat dis be a cowardly way out, but Remy got no other choice. He wish he could jus' run away from it all, but den de Guilds go back t' war, an'…"

"Remy!" she said as she placed her hands on his knees, trying to calm him down. "It's okay, Ah understand. Ah really do. Ah'll help ya."

Remy stopped rambling, and breathed a long sigh of relief. "Merci, chère (Thanks, dear). Remy can't tell y' how much dis means t' him. All dat's happenin' be makin' him a bit high-strung."

"That's alright, sugah. Ah know what it's like ta have… obligations to people. It's hard to break free from 'em, no mattah now bad ya might wanna," she told him quietly.

"Like what?" he asked back, his intuition telling him that this might be a personal topic with her.

Rogue didn't answer back right away; she just stared at Remy for a few seconds, trying to decide whether or not to share this with him. She was very selective with whom she gave her trust too, but this choice turned out to be an easy one. She knew as soon as she looked into his eyes; they were full of concern and kindness, and she believed that she could trust him. He was a thief, full of secrets - just like her.

"Ah was trained to be a thief by a woman named Mystique," Rogue began slowly. "She was a terrorist, knew all th' tricks o' th' trade, so to speak. She adopted meh after Ah ran away from an orphanage, when Ah was little. It felt lahke Ah had a family fo' once, Ah was happy. But when Ah got older, Ah began t' realize the things she wanted meh to do… I couldn't go through with 'em."

At this point, Rogue looked down at her hands, unable to meet Remy's gaze. "Eventually Ah ran away from her. It was a hard thing t' do, 'cause Ah felt lahke Ah owed her fo' takin' care o' me, but Ah just had t' leave. So Ah know how ya feel, 'bout wantin' to get outta all this."

After her admissions, Remy was speechless; not only because of what she had said, but at the fact that they could truly empathize with each other. Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he told her, "Remy understands. He was adopted too, off de streets by Jean-Luc LeBeau himself. He took Remy in, an' taught him de art o' t'ievin'. Guess Remy feels he owes him, t' repay him fo' his kindness by tryin' t' bring peace t' de Guilds." Smiling in realization, he said, "Looks like we got somet'in' in common, neh?"

At that, Rogue managed to break into a real smile, albeit a small one, and looked back at him. "Yeah, Ah guess we do."

"Dat why y' came t' N'Awlins? T' help Remy out, 'cause y' been in de same situation?"

"Yes an' no, Cajun. Ah didn't know ya were th' one Ah was gonna be helpin' when Ah heard o' th' job. Ah came 'cause th' Guild helped meh once, so Ah'd lahke to repay th' favour."

At this tidbit of information, Remy raised a curious brow. "Excusez-moi? (Excuse me?)"

"It was nothin' big… After Ah ran from Mystique, Ah ended up here," she explained. "Ah was scared, confused, not really mahself. Ah wasn't sure if Ah was runnin' from somthin' or to somethin'… Anyways, Ah was wanderin' th' city an' a member of yo' Guild helped meh out, gave meh a place t' stay fo' th' night, some food. Ah got help, so when Ah heard y'all asking, Ah decided to give it back."

"Dat's honourable o' y', chère," Remy complimented her. "Y' a good person."

At that Rogue's smile faded a bit and she looked away from him, but attempted to light-heartedly say, "Ah try."

"Y' are," he insisted.

"Ya don't even know me."

"But Remy'd like t'."

Those words brought the sweet smile back to Rogue's face and even the faintest traces of her blushing, but now her eyes looked troubled. "Ah'd lahke that too… but ya have a weddin' rehearsal, and Ah've gotta go infiltrate th' Assassins, rememba?"

He just grinned. "Ah, chère, it's still early! We got time. 'Sides, we ain't even been properly introduced." With this, Remy grabbed Rogue's soft hand and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of it. "Remy LeBeau, at yo' service."

"Charmed, Ah'm sure," Rogue replied with an amused look.

"Don't Remy get yo' name?"

"…It's just Rogue."

"How mysterious."

"Oh good, that's what Ah was goin' fo'."

That caused Remy to chuckle. "Hey, Remy can be mysterious too. He also go by Gambit."

"Ah know. Ya've got yo'self quite a reputation." That was an understatement – she had heard a myriad of stories about him, all praising his skills. He was known as one of the best thieves in all of the Guilds, worldwide.

"So y' heard o' little ol' moi (me)?" he preened. "T'ink Remy might be better den you?"

Rogue was a decent thief, but much of her notoriety was only because she was an enigma, and not because of her talent. She had pulled a few jobs in Guild territories without their knowledge, which guaranteed to attract their attention; from there, the rumours grew. She knew she could never measure up to Gambit - she and Remy did things very differently. "Ah don't doubt it. We've got different styles though, it's hard t' compare."

"Well, what is y' style?" enquired Remy curiously. Rogue fascinated him, and he wanted to know everything he could about her. The fact that she was a fellow thief only served to intrigue him more; now he knew why women seemed to be drawn to mysterious men, who in most cases happened to be him.

She just smirked back slyly. "Lahke ya said, sugah – ya have your ways, an' Ah've got mine."

"Remy t'ink he'd like t' find out y' secrets, chère."

"Yah can try, swamp rat."

"Swamp rat?" Remy dramatically gasped, even clutching at his heart for an extra flourish. "Oh, chère, y' wound poor Remy. But he'll just take it as a good sign dat we've got pet names fo' each other already."

"Don't know if Ah'd consider that an endearment, cher," she mockingly shot back.

"Well, yah can always go back to 'sugah'," he told her in a falsetto voice complete with attempted Mississippi accent, which resulted in Rogue bursting into laughter and almost falling off the couch.

The mirth continued as the pair quickly continued bantering, which eventually progressed into an amiable discussion about anything and everything. Neither Southerner could remember the last time they'd had such a long and pleasant conversation; they were both so wrapped up in each other that the hours passed quickly by.

Remy was concentrating completely on Rogue; he was not only entranced with what she was saying, but also how she said it, the hand motions she got caught up in, and all the expressions that graced her face. He loved her smiles and her laughter, and tried hard to bring them out more often. Making note of every small detail, he eventually noticed her luscious lips; this of course caused the desire he had to kiss them to return.

'Non,' he told himself. 'Dat'll just lead to bad places… Actually, to very good places, but dat be a bad idea! Y' weddin' be tomorrow, an' if y' gotta go through wit' it, do y' want de knowledge o' what might happen wit' dis femme t' torture y' fo' de rest o' y' life? Y' won' be able t' go back t' her after y' get married, unless y' wanna be killed… it be best t' not do anyt'in'. But y' promised y'self not t' waste another chance wit' dis one, and dis might very well be de last chance y' have… Non! Dis ain't right, y' gotta hold off… merde, dis gonna be de end of me.'

While Remy was basking in Rogue's beauty and internally arguing with himself, she was doing much of the same; she loved hearing his stories of the Bayou in his husky accented voice, and how his eyes shone with all his emotions, and how when he laughed, it was deep, rich, and unrestrained. Eventually she began to focus on his lips, and how soft they looked - even better than in her latest dream.

'No,' she told herself. 'Remember what ya told yo'self last night? This'll lead to bad places! Bad, naughty, sexy, good places… No! Stop that right there, he may be gettin' married tomorrow. Then this might be th' last chance ya have… But then could ya live with th' torture o' never havin' him again? Oh, he's so temptin'… damn, this is gonna kill me.'

Much like their very first encounter, the two barely took their eyes off of each other the entire time. Throughout the course of their talk, both had begun to unconsciously inch forward and lean in towards to the other. Finally a pause in the conversation occurred, and they realized how close together they were. Looking to the other's lips, at the same moment both thought, 'Screw it.'

Slowly moving their mouths to finally meet, they were about to touch and… across the room a clock loudly tolled twelve, startling them and breaking the moment. Rogue and Remy both looked towards it, frustrated that once again they were denied a kiss, but also somewhat relieved; both knew that if they were to kiss, they probably wouldn't stop. Yet for obvious reasons, their frustration and disappointment far outweighed their relief.

The chiming of the clock somehow made its way through the cloud of ardour in Rogue's brain, and she gasped. "Shit, Remy! It's noon! Ya have a weddin' rehearsal t' get to, an' Ah've still gotta go after th' Assassins! We've gotta get movin'!"

Remy gave an exasperated sigh. "Merde, dat's right. Why y' have t' mention dat?" But his irritation quickly disappeared, and his eyes lit up with a mischievous look. "Y' know, chère, y' don' really have t' go now, do y'? Since y' be tellin' de Guild dat a plot exists anyway… An' Remy jus' won' go t' de rehearsal! Dey don' really need him dere, he'd just be standin' dere lookin' pretty anyhow."

"Yah're th' groom - Ah think ya might be a vital part o' th' ceremony," Rogue told him sarcastically as she stood from the couch. "B'sides, Ah'm still goin' after th' Assassins. Fo' all ya know, there might really be a plot. Ya don't want them killin' ya, right?"

Remy grudgingly agreed, and then stood up as well. He helped put on her leather jacket, and then held the door open for her as they left, all in true gentlemanly fashion. It was well worth it, for he was rewarded with Rogue's brilliant smiles. On the way down in the elevator, Remy began to fill her in on some usual Assassin hangouts, hoping to make her job as easy as possible. 'She may be good at what she does,' he thought, 'But Remy wanna make dis as safe as possible fo' her.'

As the pair reached the lobby, Rogue turned to him and said, "Now, ya make sure that ya go to th' rehearsal, Remy LeBeau! Don't ya dare try followin' meh, ya hear? It's fo' both our sakes. We can't have the Assassins suspicious by ya not showin' up, or bein' seen with meh."

"Aww, chère, y' t'ink Remy'd do such a t'ing?" he asked with a fake pout.

"Yes."

"Fine den, Remy'll go. Happy now?"

"Yup."

"Good," he grinned, as he lifted up her hand and planted another kiss on it. He had decided that he liked touching her, and since their earlier attempts at kissing had been unsuccessful, he'd have to let this sustain him. For now. "Bonne chance, chère (Good luck, dear). Be careful."

With that, the two Southerners walked out of the hotel and off into the city in separate directions, each sparing one last glance at the other.


Tee hee hee! See, I'm just taunting and teasing you with Romy goodness, yet they never quite make it! Ha ha… you all want me dead, don't you? runs and hides behind the plot

Next chapter – our favourite Southerners are off to their doom! Rogue goes to find the Assassins, and Remy goes off to his wedding rehearsal. Yeah, they're both pretty much screwed…

But now for some quasi bad news. Don't freak out, but I won't be able to update as often from now on. I've got work, I'm back to school, and exams are coming up. I'll still be writing whenever I can, just don't expect updates almost every other day, like you've had. I'll try for once a week. Yeah, that's right, I've made things too comfortable and cushy for ya, haven't I?! Well, welcome to the real world! Toughen up!

Seriously though. Don't fret, there's no way in hell I'm abandoning this baby! The updates will be slow but steady. And as always, reviews just make my day. So bring 'em on! Shall we try to break 300 this time?

Kisses,

ish