Disclaimer: If I owned X-Men/Rogue/Remy or any of the other familiar names in here, do you think I'd be posting it here? On FanFiction.net? Oh, but Marie Scarlett LeBeau is mine. Or rather Rogue and Remy's.

A/N: Okay, so it's been while, but I haven't forgotten about this story! I've just been busy! And I don't know why I started writing tonight (ahem…this morning). I guess I just got frustrated that none of the story's I'm keeping up on have updated, and so the muses were like "Well, maybe you could at least work on yours." And when the muses call, I try to oblige them.

Anywho, I want to thank all my reviewers for their beautiful comments. I'm gonna have to remember to read those when I'm feeling down, cuz that's the kind of thing that'll cheer me right up! I appreciated the help with the title problem, and the suggestions you made are wonderful! And I didn't even realize what a good stand-alone the first chapter made until some of you pointed it out to me. However, when I conceived the story, it was never meant to be a one-shot, nor will have the same tone. I don't want to give too much of it away (though I think those of you who read the pre-view teaser have already guessed what happens next), but the story's really taking 180 from the first chapter, but I think (I hope) you'll still enjoy it. So, you can take the first chapter by itself and ignore the rest, or you can stay with me through the whole thing (which might be a while, if you are aware of my horrible updating reputation). I would love it if you kept on reading, though. And if you reviewed, because those are great, too.

Brooding

Remy was brooding. She was the only one who really knew how much he truly brooded. She would let him for a while, but once she thought he'd had enough – gotten it out of his system, so to speak – she'd snap him out of it. And always just in time to keep him form spiraling into depression. She was perfect that way. She was perfect in every way.

But she wouldn't be there to pull him out of it this time. Just like he hadn't been there for Her.

He kept going over The Incident in his head. Over and over and over again. Like some morbid album stuck in a groove. It was killing him. What had killed her was now killing him.

He could have done something differently. Should have done something differently. But what? He had been all the way on the other end of the compound. Victory. It was supposed to be a victory. When they regrouped, he had strutted up to the other X-Men in triumph. But they weren't celebrating. He could feel that before he had even reached the main command center. But he had never dreamed why…

She was lying there. Everything was still. Like the whole world was holding its breath (no, that was too damned cliché for his taste.) Like all the world was dangling in the balance as it lost its most precious being. And she was lying there. Cold. So cold.

They had tried to explain to him what had happened. She fought valiantly. Passionately. The way she did everything. Fighting for the ones she loved. She charged Magneto from the air, counting on her strength to keep her safe. But Magneto sensing the movement, picked up something – anything – to defend himself. Using his powers. Using metal – any metal – to defend himself. Of course he used metal. Not just any metal. Her Achilles Heel. Ademantium. The one metal his bride was vulnerable to. Magneto had also counted on her strength to save her. He too had not realized it was ademantium. Or so he claimed. It went straight through Her. Instant death to the invulnerable.

The battle ended before she hit the floor. Everyone was too stunned to keep fighting. Magneto surrendered. Submitted to authorities. He won't hurt anyone else again. With Magneto out of the picture, mutants and humanity were surely on the way to tolerance. Even acceptance.

But Magneto had killed all that mattered in the world. Remy would rather battle the X-Men's enemies for all eternity with her by his side than live in peace without her. Selfish. Yes. Very selfish. The needs of the many outweigh those of the few. But this price was too high. He did not want to live in a world without her. There was no living without her. There was no world without her.

What could he have done differently to save her? Insisted on remaining with the main team? Ditched his own position? But he hadn't known. How could he have known? It was so sudden. For everyone. No one had known. No one could have known.

Denied. So denied. Of his love. Of his revenge. On the streets, you have the right to revenge. But the X-Men were different. They were "better" than that. They didn't take revenge. If Magneto had continued to resist after she… They would have gone after him. Remy might have had his revenge, then. But Magneto had submitted. Not because he felt bad. Maybe he did feel bad. But really, he was saving his own ass. Bastard. Knew he would be "protected" if he gave himself up. They wouldn't let Remy take revenge on a prisoner. The bastard knew that. More than anything, the bastard didn't want to feel the wrath of a man whose love had just been murdered. And what wrath Remy would have inflicted! But no. Denied.

Denied even of his good-bye. He was supposed to hold her in his arms. He was supposed to tell her everything was going to be all right. To beg her to stay with him. To stay among the living. To tell her that he loved her. To hear it back from her. She was supposed to tell him to take care of Marie. He was supposed to tell her not to say that because that's what they always say when someone's about to die, and she wasn't going to die. Hell, just being there would have saved her. Surely, it would have. That cliché he could deal with.

But no. He was denied. Denied of everything now.

~~~~~

Ororo approached in the doorway. He didn't even look up to note how she was dressed for this occasion. He had sensed her coming. Storm did not say a word. She did not have to. Remy knew that it was time for them to leave for the funeral.

As he forced his brooding thoughts to move to the back of his mind, one thought did enter his conscious mind, festering with the pain of losing his Loved One.

This is not really happening.