Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from, the X-Men movie-
verse. Duncan and Hana belong to Corrinth, as does Ilehana Xavier should
she be mentioned. Star owns Golan, should he be mentioned too. All other
OCs belong to me, especially Blaze and Jessie.
A/N: Post X2 spoilers, and spoilers for Corrinth's Guardians of Destiny, which incidentally is excellent so go read it! Reviews always appreciated.
Scene 15
Blaze left early, sneaking out past Gambit as he snored softly on the sofa. The TV was even still on, volume turned down low as the morning news presenters muttered general rubbish, the remote still grasped in his hand. He only stirred slightly as the outside door rattled closed.
Later, as Bobby made pancakes and Logan went out for milk that wasn't past its sell by date, a bleary-eyed Gambit tried to show Rogue a few tricks of his trade. First, the ones that would stop her getting dead, mostly ditching drinks that might be drugged without letting on that the liquid wasn't going down her throat. The first few trials were a disaster. Apple juice got spilt all over the floor, Rogue was close to giving up and Gambit was out of ideas. But suddenly like remembering a song learnt in childhood, Rogue clicked and the next drink even Gambit himself had difficulties in believing Rogue hadn't drunk it.
"Whoa, Rogue!" Bobby exclaimed as Gambit nodded his silent approval. "You learn quick."
"I don't think I do." Rogue frowned, putting a gloved finger to her brow and rubbing her temple as though she had a headache. "Its all up here somewhere......... I think I already know this stuff."
"How?" Bobby asked as he put the mugs of steaming coffee he'd just made down on the table by his friends. "Something you learned on your travels?"
"No........." Rogue replied avoiding looking at Bobby she met Gambit's eyes instead. "I think I learnt it from you. You touched me, once, years ago. Part of you is still in my head........."
Bobby visibly recoiled at the memory, shaken and numb. He'd found them, walked in on Gambit touching Rogue's skin, standing firmer than Bobby had ever been able to manage as Rogue sucked his life-force dry. He, Iceman, had lost it and tried seriously to kill Gambit. Only Logan's timely arrival had saved the Cajun, but not his and Rogue's relationship. Was this all to come back again to haunt him a second time round?
"Then maybe we can put that power of yours to good use, eh Cherie?" Gambit replied carefully before turning to Bobby. "If it okay wit you Ami? I'se don't want my head bashed in again like last time."
"Will it help Jessica?" Was all Bobby wanted to know. Gambit nodded. Bobby echoed the motion, looking from his girlfriend to the Cajun. Biting his lip before he said something stupid, Iceman left the room. Seconds later the TV volume was turned up loud on some music channel or other. Gambit looked back at Rogue.
"Ready for a refresher course?" He offered her his open palm, waiting for her to remove her right glove. Their eyes locked as she slotted her hand in his, Rogue swallowing hard as Gambit concentrated on every last memory and skill that might prove useful to Rogue. But soon the pain of having his energy, his mutant power sucked right out of him made him gasp, eyes bugling. Hastily Rogue pulled her hand free and pushed her chair backwards. Gambit slumped in his own seat, exhausted. Rogue's bare right hand brushed the coffee pot as she leant back on the counter. In a flash it grew orange and throbbing. Rogue screamed as it exploded, covering her face with her arms as shards and hot coffee flew through the air. Bobby and Logan charged into the room to see what was going on, but Gambit had beaten them both to Rogue's side.
"I'm sorry........." She gasped, staring mournfully into his red-on-black eyes as he grabbed and held her wrists over the long sleeves of her top. "I didn't mean to hold on so long."
"Too late to be sorry, Chere." He acknowledged. "Did you get it all?"
"I think so." She pouted, thinking. He nodded, still not releasing her arms.
"Good. Do you know how long you got my powers for?" She shook her head at that and he felt her tremble in his grasp. "Then I suggest you don't touch nothin' for a while, Chere. Take it easy, okay?"
Rogue nodded hesitantly as he released her before turning and stalking past Logan and Bobby to slam Blaze's bedroom door. Exhausted he fell into a fretful sleep face down on the bed. Rogue didn't say anything to Bobby or Logan, leaving them to argue over who was cleaning up the kitchen she commandeered the sofa, hands resting carefully on her knees.
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Blaze arrived back as the sun was setting, laden with designer shopping bags and with a tired slump to her shoulders. She kicked the door open to dump the goods inside as Gambit looked over to her from his seat on the couch, shuffling a pack of cards.
"You get what you need Chere?" He asked casually, but Blaze didn't reply as she reached out suddenly, snatching a gloved hand in her own right and twisted the wrist until its owner grunted in pain. Releasing the wrist Blaze met the would-be pickpocket's eyes, not smiling as Rogue blushed.
"You've got good very quick." A statement of fact that needed an explanation.
"I absorbed Gambit's skills when I touched him." So Rogue and Remy had been getting friendly? Blaze thought quickly. That would be why Bobby and Logan were making such a racket behind the closed kitchen door. Why couldn't Gambit get it into his head that touching the energy vampire was as good as them cheating on Bobby? Or maybe he did know.........
"Maybe you wont be such a liability on this mission then." Blaze acknowledged, kicking off her boots from her tired feet and risking an appeasing smile at Rogue.
"She could be valuable, Chere." Rogue glowed at Gambit's praises, but Blaze sensed what he meant instantly.
"Not a chance. Pick-pocketing and slight of hand is one thing, but you're asking for something else Remy and you know it." Rogue wondered what she was missing as Gambit replied.
"Not even for Jessica? Dis all for her Laura."
"Not in a million years will I pass on to a loving, innocent girl all the tricks the underworld has to offer on how to manipulate a man, let alone one who could kill a man if only he dared to touch her." The fire in Blaze's words implied more than Rogue understood, but was not lost on Gambit. He left for her room, slamming the door behind him.
"Maybe I wanna learn." Rogue tugged the glove free of her hand and reached out to touch Blaze. "If it'll help Jessica." Blaze turned on her friend with a scowl.
"No, Rogue. I know you've always been fascinated with Gambit's and my old life; you think it sounds exciting and exotic. In part you may be right, but more than that the criminal underworld is a dangerous, deadly world where normal rules cannot apply. Nobody cares for anybody else, only for power and control. Its seedy and vile and I'm sorry you are gonna have to be part of that tonight. By tomorrow you'll be glad I've refused to give you what I know."
"How can you talk about your old life like this so suddenly?" Rogue asked sulkily. "Time was you talked about it like you still belonged there, more than you do with the X-Men."
"I never belonged there." Blaze admitted as much to herself as to Rogue. "I've never belonged anywhere. But I'm beginning to realise I was meant to stumble into the underworld, meant to offer someone else a way out........."
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"That was sharp, Blaze." He complained coldly. Blaze now, she noted, not Laura. "You t'ink you so much more noble than Gambit."
"No." She whispered softly, sighing. "Just trying to put things in perspective."
"Our daughter worth less than whatever money we extorted in the past? Some perspective." Blaze closed the distance between them, took his chin in her hand and made him look at her.
"The past is gone, Remy. You taught me and bought me all the lessons that we needed to survive then, and I remember. Trust me, I can do this. I have to do this, to make up for abandoning Jessica........." Her voice died out as she spoke, her fingers dropping from his face. But he caught them and pressed them to his lips.
"I do trust you." He stood from his perch on the end of the bed, taking her in his arms. "That's what worries me Chere. I know I gotta stand there tonight and watch gang scum leer at you........."
"Then you see why we have to keep Rogue as sidelined as possible? For Bobby as much as for her."
"I wont even let him in the buildin'." Gambit adamantly stated. "Bad enough one of us has to go through this."
"As if you could ever have anything to worry about." Blaze countered, strangely echoing Ilehana Xavier's long-gone words to the Wolverine when he had less than appreciated a flirtatious friendship she'd had with a certain Cajun......... But Blaze knew nothing of that echo, knew nothing then but the pleasure in his warm lips brushing hers and knowing she was forgiven.
A/N: Post X2 spoilers, and spoilers for Corrinth's Guardians of Destiny, which incidentally is excellent so go read it! Reviews always appreciated.
Scene 15
Blaze left early, sneaking out past Gambit as he snored softly on the sofa. The TV was even still on, volume turned down low as the morning news presenters muttered general rubbish, the remote still grasped in his hand. He only stirred slightly as the outside door rattled closed.
Later, as Bobby made pancakes and Logan went out for milk that wasn't past its sell by date, a bleary-eyed Gambit tried to show Rogue a few tricks of his trade. First, the ones that would stop her getting dead, mostly ditching drinks that might be drugged without letting on that the liquid wasn't going down her throat. The first few trials were a disaster. Apple juice got spilt all over the floor, Rogue was close to giving up and Gambit was out of ideas. But suddenly like remembering a song learnt in childhood, Rogue clicked and the next drink even Gambit himself had difficulties in believing Rogue hadn't drunk it.
"Whoa, Rogue!" Bobby exclaimed as Gambit nodded his silent approval. "You learn quick."
"I don't think I do." Rogue frowned, putting a gloved finger to her brow and rubbing her temple as though she had a headache. "Its all up here somewhere......... I think I already know this stuff."
"How?" Bobby asked as he put the mugs of steaming coffee he'd just made down on the table by his friends. "Something you learned on your travels?"
"No........." Rogue replied avoiding looking at Bobby she met Gambit's eyes instead. "I think I learnt it from you. You touched me, once, years ago. Part of you is still in my head........."
Bobby visibly recoiled at the memory, shaken and numb. He'd found them, walked in on Gambit touching Rogue's skin, standing firmer than Bobby had ever been able to manage as Rogue sucked his life-force dry. He, Iceman, had lost it and tried seriously to kill Gambit. Only Logan's timely arrival had saved the Cajun, but not his and Rogue's relationship. Was this all to come back again to haunt him a second time round?
"Then maybe we can put that power of yours to good use, eh Cherie?" Gambit replied carefully before turning to Bobby. "If it okay wit you Ami? I'se don't want my head bashed in again like last time."
"Will it help Jessica?" Was all Bobby wanted to know. Gambit nodded. Bobby echoed the motion, looking from his girlfriend to the Cajun. Biting his lip before he said something stupid, Iceman left the room. Seconds later the TV volume was turned up loud on some music channel or other. Gambit looked back at Rogue.
"Ready for a refresher course?" He offered her his open palm, waiting for her to remove her right glove. Their eyes locked as she slotted her hand in his, Rogue swallowing hard as Gambit concentrated on every last memory and skill that might prove useful to Rogue. But soon the pain of having his energy, his mutant power sucked right out of him made him gasp, eyes bugling. Hastily Rogue pulled her hand free and pushed her chair backwards. Gambit slumped in his own seat, exhausted. Rogue's bare right hand brushed the coffee pot as she leant back on the counter. In a flash it grew orange and throbbing. Rogue screamed as it exploded, covering her face with her arms as shards and hot coffee flew through the air. Bobby and Logan charged into the room to see what was going on, but Gambit had beaten them both to Rogue's side.
"I'm sorry........." She gasped, staring mournfully into his red-on-black eyes as he grabbed and held her wrists over the long sleeves of her top. "I didn't mean to hold on so long."
"Too late to be sorry, Chere." He acknowledged. "Did you get it all?"
"I think so." She pouted, thinking. He nodded, still not releasing her arms.
"Good. Do you know how long you got my powers for?" She shook her head at that and he felt her tremble in his grasp. "Then I suggest you don't touch nothin' for a while, Chere. Take it easy, okay?"
Rogue nodded hesitantly as he released her before turning and stalking past Logan and Bobby to slam Blaze's bedroom door. Exhausted he fell into a fretful sleep face down on the bed. Rogue didn't say anything to Bobby or Logan, leaving them to argue over who was cleaning up the kitchen she commandeered the sofa, hands resting carefully on her knees.
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Blaze arrived back as the sun was setting, laden with designer shopping bags and with a tired slump to her shoulders. She kicked the door open to dump the goods inside as Gambit looked over to her from his seat on the couch, shuffling a pack of cards.
"You get what you need Chere?" He asked casually, but Blaze didn't reply as she reached out suddenly, snatching a gloved hand in her own right and twisted the wrist until its owner grunted in pain. Releasing the wrist Blaze met the would-be pickpocket's eyes, not smiling as Rogue blushed.
"You've got good very quick." A statement of fact that needed an explanation.
"I absorbed Gambit's skills when I touched him." So Rogue and Remy had been getting friendly? Blaze thought quickly. That would be why Bobby and Logan were making such a racket behind the closed kitchen door. Why couldn't Gambit get it into his head that touching the energy vampire was as good as them cheating on Bobby? Or maybe he did know.........
"Maybe you wont be such a liability on this mission then." Blaze acknowledged, kicking off her boots from her tired feet and risking an appeasing smile at Rogue.
"She could be valuable, Chere." Rogue glowed at Gambit's praises, but Blaze sensed what he meant instantly.
"Not a chance. Pick-pocketing and slight of hand is one thing, but you're asking for something else Remy and you know it." Rogue wondered what she was missing as Gambit replied.
"Not even for Jessica? Dis all for her Laura."
"Not in a million years will I pass on to a loving, innocent girl all the tricks the underworld has to offer on how to manipulate a man, let alone one who could kill a man if only he dared to touch her." The fire in Blaze's words implied more than Rogue understood, but was not lost on Gambit. He left for her room, slamming the door behind him.
"Maybe I wanna learn." Rogue tugged the glove free of her hand and reached out to touch Blaze. "If it'll help Jessica." Blaze turned on her friend with a scowl.
"No, Rogue. I know you've always been fascinated with Gambit's and my old life; you think it sounds exciting and exotic. In part you may be right, but more than that the criminal underworld is a dangerous, deadly world where normal rules cannot apply. Nobody cares for anybody else, only for power and control. Its seedy and vile and I'm sorry you are gonna have to be part of that tonight. By tomorrow you'll be glad I've refused to give you what I know."
"How can you talk about your old life like this so suddenly?" Rogue asked sulkily. "Time was you talked about it like you still belonged there, more than you do with the X-Men."
"I never belonged there." Blaze admitted as much to herself as to Rogue. "I've never belonged anywhere. But I'm beginning to realise I was meant to stumble into the underworld, meant to offer someone else a way out........."
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"That was sharp, Blaze." He complained coldly. Blaze now, she noted, not Laura. "You t'ink you so much more noble than Gambit."
"No." She whispered softly, sighing. "Just trying to put things in perspective."
"Our daughter worth less than whatever money we extorted in the past? Some perspective." Blaze closed the distance between them, took his chin in her hand and made him look at her.
"The past is gone, Remy. You taught me and bought me all the lessons that we needed to survive then, and I remember. Trust me, I can do this. I have to do this, to make up for abandoning Jessica........." Her voice died out as she spoke, her fingers dropping from his face. But he caught them and pressed them to his lips.
"I do trust you." He stood from his perch on the end of the bed, taking her in his arms. "That's what worries me Chere. I know I gotta stand there tonight and watch gang scum leer at you........."
"Then you see why we have to keep Rogue as sidelined as possible? For Bobby as much as for her."
"I wont even let him in the buildin'." Gambit adamantly stated. "Bad enough one of us has to go through this."
"As if you could ever have anything to worry about." Blaze countered, strangely echoing Ilehana Xavier's long-gone words to the Wolverine when he had less than appreciated a flirtatious friendship she'd had with a certain Cajun......... But Blaze knew nothing of that echo, knew nothing then but the pleasure in his warm lips brushing hers and knowing she was forgiven.