Chapter Three-

-One Week Later-

  Rogue sat in her favorite spot in the woods where she'd been going for peace and quiet even before she joined the X-men. Though, believe it or not, she'd felt the need to come here since then more than when she was with the Brotherhood (especially this past week)- and they were a wild bunch. The southern Goth breathed in the rich, earthy smell and the air that was still rain-fresh from last night, trying to center her mind. It was easy to see why Logan enjoyed this type of setting, and she didn't have his enhanced senses. Then again, she might've been here even more than she already was if that was the case.

  She had already missed dinner, and lunch since she'd left school that hour- not being able to stand it anymore at that point. But even the serenity of this place wasn't as good as it would've been to touch, no matter what she told herself. She leapt off her rock with a frustrated growl, running a hand through her chestnut and white-striped hair as she paced. Why must her mind always return to that? And always when she was so close to the only sort of peace she's ever known…?

  'Because it's never easy for you to relax after you've had a battle… especially one with him,' a voice in her head whispered. 'Because the fighting wakes you up inside, only heightening that restless energy. And because those dreams just make those battles with him harder.' Mentally she told that voice to go to hell, but then groaned. Those dreams… those horrible, wonderful dreams… Even after a week they hadn't gone away, and they hadn't faded in intensity. Every damn night…

  Gambit was still annoying her too, more than ever actually, and this afternoon they had another battle. She was starting to think he orchestrated all of it just to torment her again. Though the X-men did start it again (they seemed to do that an awful lot), but as long as it was in the name of mankind… for their own good she should say, since humans, "normal" humans, fought in their own name a lot too. Most of the time against the X-men, the 'good guys'. But she didn't know (or want to) why she was seeing things from the other side suddenly. She sighed and sat back down on the large rock, putting her face in her hands.

  Even before she found out that she was a mutant she had known she was different, had felt that something was missing, that she was empty. Then when she discovered what she really was, the flood of horror and fear had spilled over into her dream life- making it so awful she couldn't bear to sleep anymore, especially after she had to absorb someone. She just robbed herself, withdrawing deeper into herself and, unknowingly, into a state of madness until something finally gave her a form of peace in those midnight fantasies- a loving face she could never see, faceless hands that loved her, a warm, strong body pressed to hers in comfort… and so much more.

  Coincidently, they started after all those personalities were driven from her, after she lost control and ended up in that medical center fro a long while. And they had helped her to start healing, to open up. Though it just threw another wrench in her life finding out that her best friend was really Mystique- and that that same woman was her adopted mother. But her and Kurt helped each other with that, eventually. But this past week… she was almost afraid to go to sleep again- for an entirely different reason. And yet she anticipated them. Ever since the swamp rat kidnapped her and she later, accidentally, absorbed him. No matter that Gambit had saved her. Since then her dream lover had a face, an identity. But she had felt like she'd always known him.

  Her mind wouldn't go back to the pleasant anonymity, and so she accepted it (enjoyed it) a little in the dreams, but still she fought the feelings and the messages. She even did her best to put off sleep, but it left her in a wreck. Seeing the Cajun, fighting him face to face, after living with this every night this long… Needless to say she's had a rough time of it; she even assigned herself a few extra Danger Room sessions every night- in attempts to thwart the dreams or induce them, she didn't know.

  But her mind and body betraying her yet again, her breathing sped up as something was triggered in her mind and those dreams crept up, taking advantage of her weary state. And she forgot in that instant that those dreams were impossible and, besides, unwanted. "All alone again, petite?" A husky voice whispered in her ear. Rogue snapped back to reality, going cold (yet oddly warm) as she spun around. Why hadn't she sensed him  there? …Or had she…? "What're you doin' here, Swamp Rat?" She growled. It seemed he always showed up when she was trying to think or relax these days, so why hadn't she thought he would now?

  "Already wit' de pet names, chére. You sho' know how to make a mans' heart beat faster." He grinned maddeningly, circling her. Her own heart constricted a bit at the 'chére'. He'd called her that once before. So was he messing with her, knowing it would have some strange effect on her, or was it a slip? Dumb question; it had to be the first one, right? "I repeat, what are you doin' here?" she said dangerously, trying to ignore his remarks like she usually did.

  His red-on-black eyes seemed to sparkle as he stopped directly in front of her. "Remy was jus' takin' a walk an' saw dis belle fille all by herself." Rogue snorted, not believing a word he said. "What you doin' out here alone dis late?" She crossed her arms and glared at him in a very familiar way. "Not that it's any of your business, Cajun, but I always feel restless after a battle, and this is my spot." He grinned again, taking a step closer, and her heart kicked up a beat- though she refused to soften or back down. "I feel de same way," Gambit said, closing the distance. "So Remy thought dat maybe we do somet'in' about it," he practically purred, switching back to third person.

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