A/N: Warning! Sexual situations contained in this chapter.

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Seether

Chapter Seven - Settling

By Randirogue

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"Met 'em in a Hotel beneath ground. Tell me that he's missing. Tell me this is one for Lollipop Gestapo. You were wild. Where are you now? Give me more. I have to learn to let you crash down—I have to learn to let you crash. Met 'em in a Hotel. You say he's the biggest thing there'll be this year. I guess that what I'm seeking isn't here. Met 'em in a Hotel. Met 'em in a guess world. Guessed anyone but you were wild. Where are you now? You were wild. Where are you now? Give me more. I have to learn to let you crash down. Where are the velvets when you're coming down? Hotel. You were wild. Where are you now? King Solomon's Mine's—Exit 75—I'm still alive—I'm still alive." (Hotel –by Tori Amos)

When Gambit got back to the mansion he found a nervous Bobby and Hank waiting impatiently in the rec room. They had jumped out of their seats when they heard the front door close, but they both sighed in disappointment when they saw Gambit, by himself, pass the rec room entranceway.

"Oh, it's just you," Bobby said as he settled back onto the couch.

"Glad to see y', too, Bobby," Gambit said wryly.

"Rogue isn't with you?" Hank asked. He turned a stern look on his best friend, Bobby, then looked back imploringly to Gambit, "Bobby assured me she was with you."

"Was, but den she left. Logan followed her, t'ough." Gambit said, becoming worried by their anxiousness. He joined them in the rec. room, sitting on the back of the couch to hover over Bobby, who moved over in response. Gambit beamed with his manipulation of Bobby and said, "Why? What's up?"

"Several things, actually," Hank said, "Jean, Warren and Scott left for the recon mission to Genosha to check on Magneto's situation and we received a disturbing message from Jean while she was en route to—"

"Get to de part dat concerns Rogue, mon ami," Gambit said cutting him off. His concern for Rogue was etching at his nerves, making him curt, despite his earlier decision to curtail his more extreme reactions ever since he'd noticed the deviations in his behavior.

"Jean felt Rogue remove her collar about…" Bobby checked his watch before continuing, "About forty-five minutes ago."

Gambit jumped up then, "De Shadow King—"

Gambit stopped short. A series of quick cutting images suddenly seared his vision in the space of a few seconds.

FLASH! Rogue. Logan. Alley wall. Snikt. Tear. Kiss. Grope. FLASH!

What de hell?! Gambit hid it from his outer appearance as best he could, considering the suddenness and extremity of it.

"The others are out searching for her," Hank said, misinterpreting the reason for Gambit's wide-eyed expression. It brought Gambit's attention back to Hank, though part of him lingered on the surprising images he'd seen. Hank continued, "I stayed behind in case she returned and Bobby just got back a few minutes before you."

"Searching for her?" Gambit said, trying to clear his head of the vision, "Why not just use Cerebro?"

"Xavier is, but… her signature won't register…" Bobby supplied.

"What y' mean? Dat she could be…"

"No, Gambit," Hank said, "I hypothesize that her signature has changed since her first …episode, is in fact still changing."

"How can it change, it follows her genetic structure, oui?"

"Exactly, Gambit," Hank said, bounding over to Gambit, "And all three scans I performed over the last few days have showed slight variations. I loaded each change as I noticed it, but Cerebro is registering static in her general vicinity. It blips out then shows static somewhere else a moment later. Last thing the professor reported, it showed two locations at once." Hank sighed and settled onto the couch himself. "I'm afraid that until she balances, Cerebro, will not be a viable tracking system for our Mississippi Marauder."

"What about her comm unit?" Gambit asked.

Hank held up said device to him, "She left it in her room."

Gambit spun on Bobby, who cringed from the venom in Gambit's fiery eyes, answering Gambit's implied accusation, "I didn't know, Gambit. I would've made her take it. You know I would."

Gambit settled onto the back of the couch again, "Dieu! Gambit knows, Bobby. 'S just frustrating. She be de most stubborn femme…Guess it be a good t'ing Wolverine was following her. Not'ing gets past his nose, n'est-ce pas?"

Another vision hit Gambit through the catch. Stronger, this time, longer. Sounds added.

FLASH! Bedroom. Sheets. Moans. Two writhing bodies. White stripe. Collar. Sweat. Moans. FLASH!

"Merde!" Gambit nearly stumbled off the couch with the intensity of that one.

"Gambit!" Bobby exclaimed, catching Gambit from toppling on top of him. "What is with you?"

Gambit's eyes were wide, disbelieving, denying what he was seeing. "Getting flashes… Just saw…" Gambit shook his head, trying to erase the images from his mind without any luck.

"Is it Rogue?" Bobby asked.

"Is she trying to speak to you telepathically?" Hank asked.

"It can't be… Saw de collar on her and y' said she took de collar off…" Gambit rubbed his eyes in another feeble attempt to rid himself of the images.

Another vision and Gambit did fall to the floor. He was grinding his fists in his eyes. It was even stronger this time. Sounds were more vivid, details more apparent. It was still clips, but each clip played longer, like video.

FLASH! "GRROWWLLL!" Logan barrel-rolled Rogue, like a shark subduing his prey, over and off the bed. FLASH!

Gambit crashed to all fours, but still the vision continued.

FLASH! They were tangled in the sheets. SNIKT! Claws sliced the sheets. Naked bodies. Rogue threw her head back, eyes shut, brow sweating, hair slicked with sweat. Logan fell forward on her. Her mouth opened, "Ohhhh! Gaaawwwd!" She bit her lip. FLASH!

Gambit whipped back as if struck, sat on his heels, back arched, fists at his eyes. Then he gained physical sensations with the continuing images. Felt their pleasure like stabs in his gut, in his chest.

FLASH! Rogue's nails scored Logan's back. "GRRRWWWLLL!" "OHHHHHH!" He reared back, arms opened wide, SNIKT, claws extended. She held on, lifted with him. He wrapped his arms around her, claws retracting. BUILDING. He lifted her. REACHING. Slammed her half on the bed, half against the bed. ALMOST THERE. Rogue gripped the edges of the mattress. CLIMAXING. Logan tore the mattress above her. FLOATING. Both grips released. Rogue slackened, crying, smiling. Logan collapsed against her, panting, spent. FLASH!

Gambit collapsed forward, head to his knees, arms pressed to the floor, gasping, no, gagging for breath. To Gambit it had taken forever to see it, go through it. To Bobby and Hank it lasted less than a minute.

"What did you see? Can you tell where she is?" Bobby asked, berating Gambit from over the top of the couch.

Hank moved around the couch. "Calm down, Bobby," Hank said as he rested his hand on Bobby's shoulder to move him out of the way to inspect Gambit's welfare. "Are you all right, Gambit? Are you in pain?"

"Non… Non, il n'est douloureux pas …" l'Anglais, Remy, English. He was still trying to catch his breath. "Not like dat, not pain… Mais, oui, what Gambit saw."

Gambit clutched his chest with his shaking hands. His eyes were wide, brimming with tears, but he wouldn't let them fall. He was trying to form his own thoughts, speak plainly, but couldn't. Everything was all spewing out at once, jumbled, wracking through him, choking him, "Rogue, chere--Logan… Dieu! De collar on… dey… Dey were toget'er… C'est impossible!"

He coughed and bowed his head, his shaking hands wrung in his lap. "Mais, it can't be. De collar was on. How Gambit see? She not have her powers, no telepathy, ils comprendent?" Gambit looked up to them, then, pleading for them to understand.

They didn't know what to make of what he was saying. Bobby was perturbed, but he was confused more than anything.

The words tumbled out of Gambit again, "Non, Vous ne comprendez pas—Je ne comprends pas! C'est makes no sense, jamais. Mais, et Ils etiaient seul—alone, saw dem alone—Dey were…" Gambit shook his head, coughing again. "Dieu! Can't even say it…"

Realization flooded Bobby's face. He stood and stared defiantly at Gambit. "You're lying, Gambit. She wouldn't. He wouldn't."

"Non, mais, non," Gambit said without looking up, all his words were coming out in a rush still, choking still, "Wish it be a lie, but Gambit saw it, Bobby—Dieu!—I felt it."

A glass appeared before Gambit, held by a blue furry paw. Gambit never even noticed Hank had left the room.

"Calm down, Gambit," Hank said as Gambit took the glass and drank from it.

After a few sips, Hank helped Gambit to the couch. Gambit just fell into it; let it hold all of him. He was still shaking and the water spilled a bit. Hank helped him steady it, helped him drink it.

"Slowly, Gambit. That's it," Hank turned to Bobby, who stood still by the couch, aghast. He hadn't moved since he'd accused Gambit of lying. "Get a blanket, would you, Bobby… Bobby?"

"Huh? Oh, a blanket, okay…" Bobby went to fetch a blanket and Hank turned his attention back to Gambit, who seemed to be doing a little better.

Gambit finished the water and handed the glass back to Hank, who set it on the coffee table out of the way.

Bobby returned and Hank spread the blanket over Gambit. Remy didn't protest once, he merely let the couch cradle him, tried to keep his breath steady, and tried to keep his hands from shaking.

Bobby sat in a nearby chair, watching Gambit. He was concerned. He was bothered by what Gambit had implied had happened between Logan and Rogue, but at the moment Gambit's reaction startled him even more. Gambit seemed to be in shock.

Is it from what he saw? Is it from how he saw it? Was the method itself violent? The way Gambit's body jerked around sure made it seem that way. But is it from the trauma of the betrayal or the trauma of the seeing? And what does it say about Rogue's own condition? Did she send the images? Bobby doubted it. Rogue isn't that sadistic. But who then? And why? And were the visions even real?

Out loud, Bobby asked, "Are you okay, Remy?"

"Oui, t'ink so," Remy said and held up his hands to Hank and Bobby. They twitched a few times, but other than that, they'd stopped shaking. Gambit released a long sigh. "Be t'ankful y' didn't see it, Bobby. Watching y' and Rogue, dat was bad… but dis, dis was worse, one of de worst t'ings Gambit ever been t'rough. Better to face a whole mess of sentinels any day, n'est-ce pas?"

Bobby nodded. He got the idea. Just hearing it was bad enough for him. But it was almost you, Bobby. You turned her down. Okay, that thought made him feel guilty. Focus on Gambit, not yourself, focus on Gambit, focus on Gambit… He was trying to make it a mantra.

"Do y' t'ink it be true?" Gambit asked sheepishly. "Any of it? Logan and Rogue? Dat Rogue sent me de images?"

"Oh, dear," Hank said, "I'm not sure, Gambit. Can't you tell?"

"It felt real. Felt Rogue de most, more directly, but Logan wasn't far behind," Gambit let his head fall back on the top of the couch and closed his eyes. "But dat don't really settle it, t'ough. Don't know how we find out de truth."

"We could just ask them, Remy," Bobby said. It was almost sarcastic.

"Oui," Gambit said without looking at Bobby, "But, don't know if I want to know, comprendez-vous?"

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is there room in my heart for you to follow your heart and not need more blood from the tip of your star…" (Datura –by Tori Amos)

An hour later, the front door opened. Storm and the others entered and most, those that didn't have to debrief right away, went straight to their rooms. It was late, around three in the morning. All of them, though, some more than others, were fatigued, sleepy, annoyed, concerned and confused. Storm, Bishop, Emma and Sage joined the waiting Beast, Gambit and Bobby in the rec room.

After conferring with the Professor, Beast had contacted Storm and confided in her the new delicacy that surrounded the search for Rogue. Storm then decided that a discrete communication with Logan would be their next step. Locating him through Cerebro and then having the group busting in the room, heck, even knocking politely on the door first, was not a pleasant thought. Telepathic contact also held some tasteless and uncomfortable realities to it. If indeed what Gambit was force-fed was true, they didn't want to interrupt.

Like Beast, they had tried to contact Logan by way of his comm unit first, but found it to be turned off or lost since there was no signal. In the end, they had to allow Emma to do a telepathic probe. Storm, who was linked to the connection via Emma, was thankful that they had, indeed, made contact with Logan post-coitus, not during. Emma was adamant that they were in between and not merely after the fact. She also insisted that both Logan and Rogue had been and were being influenced by a sort of third party.

"Can you determine their attacker?" Storm had asked Emma.

"Yes, and no," Emma said. "Attacker isn't quite the word for it. They are both aware of their actions, they have both consented despite their added… drive." Emma barely got it out without laughing.

"This is not a time for such humor, Emma," Storm said.

"Why not?" Emma asked. "You heard them, they are quite happy at the moment."

Several of the X-Men in Storm's search party couldn't help but snicker themselves. It was difficult to keep the situation unknown to them despite Storm's intended discretion.

"But they are not in danger?" Bishop asked. More laughter erupted and he grunted.

"Not exactly, no," Emma said, stifling down her own laughter as she was reminded of the duo's aches and scratches. After regaining her composure, she said, "Look, I can detect the influence, but it is… how to explain… it's like it's in a feedback loop. I can't pinpoint who or what or where with 100% accuracy. I believe it is Rogue herself, or rather an entity of Rogue that Jean and I encountered in her mindscape earlier. When I try to contact this entity, it responds with a telepathic wash that emulates the three words that accompany it—Endure, Heal, and Hope. I believe it is sincere."

"What about the Shadow King?" Sage asked. "Was he not released when Rogue took off her collar."

"Rogue insisted he is gone," Storm said.

Emma searched the astral plane, then addressed the assembled team, "He is contained on the astral plane. Quite impressively, I might add." She turned to Storm and with heady sarcasm, said, "So, since we have completed the search portion, being we have found Rogue. And since neither Rogue nor Logan are being harmed against their will—"

More laughter ensued.

"—a rescue is not in order. I think our job is done for the evening."

Needless to say, they returned to the mansion at that point. Storm had only relayed the most basic information back to Hank and the Professor before returning, despite that everyone in Storm's search party were completely aware of what had happened. Storm insisted that discretion was in order. She did not want to see her friend, Remy, hurt and embarrassed in front of all the other X-Men. Unfortunately, Remy's empathic abilities found it difficult to screen out strong emotions, so the wave of sympathy, humor, embarrassment and shock that emanated from the group as they passed by the rec room crashed over him. Gambit wanted to crawl into a hole and bury himself inside it.

Dieu! They all know… Not only dat, but it be true… it be true.

Storm, Bishop, Emma and Sage entered the rec room.

"I am sorry, my friend," Storm said, taking note of how Bobby deflated with her words. "Would you like to talk?"

"Non. Just want to be alone."

"You know my door is open should you decide otherwise," Storm said, then turned to the others assembled there. "We must debrief with Xavier. Then, I think we should all follow our compatriots example and go to bed ourselves."

Storm, Sage, Bishop and Hank departed. Emma remained behind. She gave Gambit a conniving grin, then said, "You have one consolation, Gambit. She did it for you." She didn't bother stifling her laughter as she left.

"That Bitch!" Bobby exclaimed.

Gambit's response was to cradle his head against his forearms. His knees were drawn up and his arms were crossed on top of them.

"God, Gambit, I'm sorry," Bobby said.

Gambit's voice was a low growl, a mixture of anger and pain. "Just go away, Bobby," Gambit said without lifting his head.

"Hey, I'm just as concerned as you, Gambit," Bobby said defensively.

Gambit looked at Bobby then. His eyes flared and his expression matched the harried anger and pain his voice held a moment before. Now, when he spoke, though, sarcasm was added to the mixture, "Concerned?! Don't y' mean regret? Dieu! I just bet y' be kicking y'self for telling her no right about now, non?"

Bobby was more shocked than defensive. He wanted to be offended, but couldn't. He knew it was true. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. There was so much he wanted to say, but all of it seemed so inappropriate, so hurtful both to him and Gambit, that he didn't see the point. So, he did the only thing he could do. He sat down and waited with Gambit for Rogue's return. He didn't want to confront her anymore than he suspected Gambit wanted to. Didn't even really want to see her, but that didn't change that he had to. Had to. Could Gambit do any less?

Remy rested his head against the back of the couch. The fabric was soft against the side of his face, but he didn't notice, all his awareness was devoted to his thoughts.

What are y' doing, Remy? Y' can't rightly go accusing her of infidelity after what y' did last night. Don't matter if she know or not. Not unless y' want one more t'ing to be feeling guilty over. Non, don't want dat. Got more dan enough of dat. Den what y' doing waiting up right where she going to pass? Well, 'less she fly up to her room. Why not? She can use telepathy or whatever she did to send me dose images, dose feelings, while she be wearing de collar, so why can't she fly wit' it on? 'Cause y' know deep down dat dis is just one more episode. Not exactly like de ot'er two… But Rogue was aware of what she be doing—she consented—more den consented…

Gambit collapsed back on the couch. It was all so overwhelming, so draining.

Dieu! What y' going to do, Remy? Y' just going to forgive her? Like y' want her to forgive y'? Do y' love her dat much? Or y' going to let y' jealousy control y'? Fight wit' her about it? Remy want to be bigger den dat. Want tp do de noble t'ing…

He rolled onto his side.

Merde! Remy really want to' pound dat chevrette, Logan.

He punched the couch cushion he was laying on. His anger turned to hurt again, flip-flop, flip-flop, like he had no control over it.

Never saw it coming. Never suspected he had de least bit of interest in Rogue like dat… Anf Rogue? Why she turn to Logan, to Bobby, but not y', Remy? She say she loves y', Remy, but she keep pushing y' away.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's easier not to be wise and measure these things by your brains. I sank into Eden with you. Alone in the church, by and by. I'll read to you here. Save your eyes. You'll need them. Your boat is at sea. Your anchor is up. You've been swept away. And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there, by yourself, chained to fate. I alone love you. I alone tempt you. I alone love you. Fear is not the end of this." (I Alone –by Live)

Rogue returned to the mansion a few hours later. Logan wasn't with her. They thought that it would be awkward if any of the others saw them return together. Didn't matter that most of them already knew what happened between them after Emma's interruption. Besides, they weren't really together. They were just friends. Closer now, but friends, nonetheless.

She parked Gambit's Harley in the garage, but came in the front door. She had the sneaky suspicion that Gambit had waited up for her, that he knew, knew before Emma had contacted Logan even, and she just had to see for herself. She didn't want to get into a knock down, drag out fight with him over this; she was feeling way to good—hopeful—and didn't want that to ruin her mood. But, she also didn't want to let this lie. She had to let him know that she'd done it so she could be with him. She had to show him that she wasn't so afraid anymore.

She found him asleep in the rec. room. She just stared at him a long time. Even in his sleep he looked haggard, hurt, betrayed. The sight of him both filled her heart to the brim and deflated it all at once. She hadn't wanted to hurt him. She hated to see him hurt. But she was so happy, so hopeful, that the idea of him no longer made her skin crawl.

"…And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there, by yourself, chained to fate. I alone love you. I alone tempt you. I alone love you. Fear is not the end of this…" (I Alone –by Live)

Oh, she knew that one night of sex with Logan didn't cure her fears. She never expected it to. And she doubted that she, the shimmering voice, the escaped bit of cloud, did either. Not completely. But it did heal a little piece inside her. Made her hurt a little less, which made her fear a lot less, not completely, but enough to be a start. She'd wanted it, sensed that it could help, but still it was confusing for her.

When Rogue had been intimate with Gambit in Antartica before the trial, she had loved it. When it occurred, it was the most precious thing to her, and she'd believed in that moment, for him, too. And yes, it did make her more comfortable with Remy for sharing such a loving experience together, for patching over the hurt deep inside her with Remy's love, Remy's genuinely caring caresses. But at the same time, it had all seemed so unreal, so staged, so manipulated. It wasn't just that Magneto, disguised as Eric the Red, had set it all up—something else she'd have to settle up at another time—but that Gambit had taken advantage of the situation as well. That she'd forced herself through it.

Even while she was elated with making love to Gambit, a part of her had felt used by him. She'd been so vulnerable then. The ghosts, the memories were overwhelming her. And as quick as he had been to rush to her aid, he stripped her of everything in his pursuit and his deference.

"Trust me," he had said, "and I promise dat de moment I can make t'ings right again…I'll move heaven and earth t' do it."

With his next breath, he had changed the subject, distracted her, took advantage. And she'd let him—wanting to be covered over from the memories, from the pain. The conflicting wants and needs and terrors were too equal. There was bad with the good.

"One more t'ing, chere. With your powers negated… It means this may be our one night. Our first. Our last." [1]

It wasn't the best time for it, now that Ah think 'bout it. But, truthfully, it was just as much my fault as it was his. Ah never did say no, now did Ah? And during, he'd been so tentative, so tender, prepared for my expected virginity—in more ways than one, and less in others. And he never brought up that Ah wasn't in the way he had most expected. And right after… Ah was so glad… It had been better than Ah had ever imagined. It wasn't just sex—like with Logan. Remy and I, we loved each other... And then right afterwards, he'd been so sullen… Like he'd regretted it.

And then the trial. The mind rape. And then she'd left him there.

With those things, their moment of tenderness, their expression of love, it had been made vile. It wasn't just a combination of bad with the good with the terror with the pleasure. It became a punishment. It joined the ranks of the core, though it didn't leave her memory like the things she no longer remembered, the things protected in the Core. She'd clung to the happiness of the moment of it with all her might, even tainted as it was. She wasn't going to lose it completely to the Core. It wasn't like the other times, where all she wanted to do was forget. And in doing so, the fear rose in her again. It undid what was healed in their lovemaking. Again, touch was pain, and the pain was fresh; it was raw; it was attached to Remy.

"There was a boy. A very strange enchanted boy. They say he wandered very far, very far, over land and sea. A middle child, and saddled by, but there he was, was he. And then one day, one magic day he passed my way. While we spoke of many things, fools and kings, this he said to me, 'the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.'" (Nature Boy --by David Bowie -- Moulin Rouge Soundtrack)

Rogue knelt beside the rec room couch and watched Gambit's sleeping form. She smiled. She loved him.

"It ain't all pain anymore, Remy," she whispered to him as she brushed a lock of hair off his face. "It's still hard. Ah admit it. But, it's manageable now. You'll see. We'll work it out."

She kissed him then. It was light and soft, a mere brush of lips. Her lips feathered his lips as she breathed into his mouth, "…Together."

She kissed him once more, stood and pulled the blanket up over him. As she turned to leave, she found Bobby was also sleeping on one of the couches in the rec room. She smiled a different, but no less appreciative smile. In a way, he was hers too. Not like Gambit was hers, but hers regardless. And she was grateful for it. She could never truly express how much. Not since Cody had she ever had a friend quite so wonderful as Bobby.

She fetched another blanket and covered Bobby.

"Thank you," she whispered to Bobby. She almost kissed his brow, but stopped herself. It was too soon for that.

Ah don't want to be cruel. Ah'm his as much as he's mine. Ah can't be any less, but Ah can't be any more, either.

On her way out of the rec room, Rogue paused by Remy again. She fingered the rose in her pocket, and smiled. She went to him. She curled his hand around the rose's stem, her gift, her message to him, and then went to her own bedroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Your flirt finds me out, teases the crack in me, smittens me with hope. Possibly maybe, possibly love. As much as I definitely enjoy solitude, I wouldn't mind perhaps spending little time with you sometimes, sometimes. Possibly maybe, possibly love. Uncertainty excites me. Who knows what's going to happen? Lottery or car crash, or you'll join a cult. Possibly maybe, possibly love…" (Possibly Maybe –by Bjork)

Despite her inordinately late night, Rogue was up bright and early, and in the most splendid mood. Seeing she was the first in the kitchen, she decided to prepare a breakfast feast for everyone. Milk, eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, fresh fruit to squeeze for juice, breads, sugar and flour and butter were all strewn across the counters. Coffee was brewing. What was prepared was warmed in makeshift heaters on the table waiting to be brought into the dining room. Rogue was practically flitting from counter to refrigerator to oven to table to stove to sink, moving to a chipper music all her own.

So consumed in her preparations, Rogue did not notice Wolverine enter the mansion's front door. She did not notice him leaning against the doorjamb watching her in differential amusement and admiration. Until, he laughed, that is.

Rogue spun to the source of the laughter. Upon seeing her enchanted expression and her not-so-Martha-Stewart appearance, Logan laughed harder.

In the rec room, Bobby stirred from the sound of laughter coming from the nearby kitchen. He recognized Wolverine's laughter and sat up. He looked around the room and saw Gambit, wide-awake, on the couch he'd occupied since the previous night.

Gambit was sitting up, feet planted firmly on the floor before him. His elbows rested on his knees and he was hunched over in contemplation. His gaze studied the rose that had been in his hand when he awoke.

"Well," Bobby had made it a question. Remy didn't answer. He just stared at that rose, twisted the stem side to side between his nimble fingers.

What's dis supposed to mean, Rogue? Is dis a break up t'ing or a make up t'ing? What game y' playing? What do y' expect from me, Rogue?

Gambit cringed as another peal of laughter erupted from the kitchen. He was feeling the motion and the heat designations in the kitchen with his kinesthetic sense. It was a stretch, reaching that directed, that far away, and through walls, but he did it anyway. He had to feel her, get any sense of her that he could. He wished his empathy worked similarly to his kinesthetic sense, could have that reach. If he could just have some clue where she stood with him.

Why y' be doing dis?

"Well, I'm going if you're not," Bobby said with annoyance as he whipped the covers off of himself and abruptly left the rec. room.

In the kitchen, Wolverine continued laughing as he gestured to Rogue's attire and she looked herself over. Her hair was tied in a messy ponytail, bangs and wisps hanging all over. She had on a pair of short-shorts and a spaghetti strap tank top. She was barefoot and she wore the collar. She had egg smudged on her nose and cheek. Flour dusted her chest and smeared her forehead.

In retaliation to his laughter at her appearance, she grabbed an egg off the counter and tossed it at him. To her surprise, he caught it and threw it back before she had time to prepare to catch it.

"Ahhh!" She gasped as she laughed. The egg smacked her hand, ricocheting off it and cracked against the collar. The sticky fluid dibbled down her neck and into her shirt. Shell bits stuck to her skin and fell to the floor. "Ewww!" She laughed as she wiped it off with her hand and screwed her face in disgust.

Logan's laughter continued, though it mingled with a quiet growl deep in his chest. The sight of her smearing the slimy fluid across her chest with her fingertips reminded him of the previous night in a primitive way. He enjoyed the show even if he, nor she, had any intentions of repeating it.

"Didn't you get enough last night?" Bobby asked as he strode past Wolverine and headed to the coffee maker. He didn't make eye contact with either Rogue or Wolverine, but despite his jab at Wolverine, he, Iceman, couldn't help but take in an eyeful of Rogue's fingers wiping the sticky substance off her chest.

"Did you?" Logan countered.

Caught off guard from Logan's comment, which reminded Bobby of his own indiscretion with Rogue the night before, Bobby spilled some of the hot coffee on his hand. "Damn it!" Bobby cursed quietly as he iced the injured hand up.

Rogue grabbed a damp wash cloth from the sink and continued to wipe off the egg. Bobby and Logan eyed each other with annoyance as they took up seats on opposite sides of the kitchen table.

Bobby sipped his coffee, then spoke to Rogue, "What's all this about?" His following gesture indicated the entire kitchen and her cooking breakfast. "You trying to make up for something or what?"

Playfully, Rogue smacked the top of Bobby's head with the wash rag. "Nope," she said, twirling the rag in the air behind Bobby's head. "Haven't done nothing wrong? Ah'm just feeling better than Ah have in a long time."

Then she tossed the rag into the sink.

"…And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there, by yourself, chained to fate. I alone love you. I alone tempt you. I alone love you. Fear is not the end of this…" (I Alone –by Live)

Rogue leaned into Bobby, playfully shoving her cleavage within inches of his face, "All clean?"

Bobby coughed. Logan laughed. He smelled the Cajun coming down the hall towards them, but he ignored him for the moment. He was having way too much fun messing with Bobby. Gambit would just have to wait his turn.

"Well?" Rogue pushed.

"Uh… yeah! You're clean..." Bobby stammered as he tried avoiding eye contact with Rogue's cleavage. He returned to drinking his coffee.

"Thank ya!" Rogue said. She stood and smiled. "Ah wouldn't want my best friend thinking Ah was dirty."

Bobby, having just caught her double meaning, looked to her with surprise. Then his face softened with his relent.

Logan grinned broadly. That's my girl. Don't let him push ya around, Rogue. He sniffed the air and smelled the Cajun as he was about to enter. He reeked of a dozen different extremely strong emotions, but Logan couldn't figure out Gambit's intentions because the emotional scents were too jumbled. He smelled something else too, so he said to Rogue, "Yer biscuits are burnin', darlin'."

Her emerald eyes widened in surprise and she rushed to the oven and whipped it open.

"Fiddlesticks!" she exclaimed and reached in. Logan sat back and watched.

"Non!"

Gambit raced to Rogue, but didn't make it in time. She grabbed the hot pan with her bare hands—just as she always did. She'd forgotten she'd had the collar on again. Rogue hissed and she dropped the pan of crispy-crittered biscuits clanging to the floor.

Gambit grabbed Rogue's bare wrist with his bare hand—She didn't flinch!--and guided her to the sink. He turned the cold water on and held her burned palm under it. Bobby was at Rogue's other side a moment later. He caught a handful of water, froze it and held it to Rogue's hand. This time Rogue did flinch. But it wasn't from their physical contact. It was from the pain of having the ice placed on the burn that was just showing signs of minor blistering.

Bobby and Gambit watched Rogue as they nursed her burn with their over-attention. Rogue was biting her lip, a sure sign she was fighting back tears. It was the first time she'd felt physical pain inflicted on her since she'd put on the collar. Hell, it was the first time she'd felt physical pain from something so mundane in years, not since the Savage Land, and before that, Genosha. It hadn't been a concern of hers on an everyday basis since before Carol Danvers. Still, she would not cry over this. She would not succumb. Nothing would take away the itsy bitsy victory she'd just won.

"Did Gambit ever tell y' how much he hate dis collar?" Gambit said with all seriousness.

Rogue was taken aback by his comment. Guess Ah deserved that one.

Gambit gave a small grin, just a twitch at one corner of his mouth, and squeezed her wrist lightly. Dis femme just don't ever play fair, does she, Remy? In a tone only slightly less serious than last he spoke, he added, "It be more of a pain den it be worth." Ain't dat de trut'! Dieu!

Rogue smiled and her tears eased, never crowning her lower lid. Thank Gawd.

Bobby looked from Rogue to Gambit and made a decision. He held the ice for Gambit to take, "I'll clean this up. You take care of her." He immediately went to work on the biscuit mess.

Gambit carefully held the ice to her burned hand. He didn't look at her as he spoke the next few words, "Y' sure know how to take de fun out of being angry wit' y', chere," He shrugged. "Getting hurt and all."

"It wasn't my intention to make it harder on ya, Remy," Rogue said, her voice barely a whisper. "You believe me, right?"

"I believe ya, chere." Gambit sighed. "Dis isn't over yet, t'ough. Y're not getting off dat easy. Not by a long shot." Why'd y' have to bring up dat bozo, Remy? [2] "Me eit'er."

Rogue nodded her acknowledgment even as she said, "Ah… Ah know."

"…And the greatest of teachers won't hesitate to leave you there, by yourself, chained to fate. I alone love you. I alone tempt you. I alone love you. Fear is not the end of this…" (I Alone –by Live)

Logan was mighty pleased with himself. My job here is done… Now ta get some danged sleep.

With his kinesthetic sense, his spatial sense, Gambit felt Logan leave the kitchen. Now if only I could get rid of de slushy.

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FOOTNOTES:

[1] Quoted from Uncanny X-Men # 248.

[2] Longshot! You have to remember lovable, lucky Longshot from the Australia days before Rogue was sucked into the Siege Perilous. Remy met him in early X-Men issues (non Uncanny), and he once asked Rogue, "How you really feel 'bout dat Longshot character?" right after he asked "What's y' real name, Rogue?" I think it was in the first Rogue Limited Series, issue 1, or right about that time in the mainstay series.

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