~Here's the Romyness I promised.~

She was going to tell him.  She had made up her mind to tell the Professor everything.  Rogue walked through the mansion.  After all he was right, wasn't he?  The whole thing with the personalities she absorbed taking her over, she had stopped them.  Sure Logan had talked her down, but in the end it had been her who stood up and took back control.  She needed to stop hiding things from him, who knew; maybe some insignificant thing that she kept a secret was the key to her controlling her power.

She rounded the corner of the hallway to see the elevator doors to the basement levels of the mansion closing.  No big deal, she would wait on it to come back.  *Who are you kidding?*  She asked herself, knowing she would just press the button and walk back to her room, chickening out again.  No, she was going to do this today.

"Hold that elevator!"  Rogue yelled at the shutting doors as she ran down the hallway in a vain attempt to catch them.  Luckily for her a hand from inside stuck itself out and stopped the closing doors.  Unlucky for her the hand wore a fingerless glove.

"Consider it held."  A smooth voice exited, and the re-opening doors reveled none other than Remy LeBeau.

*Shit.*  She thought.  "Thanks."  She said.

"Where you headed?"  He asked as she stepped inside.

"B2."  She responded, indicating the level where Cerebro and the Danger Room were located, and intern where the Professor had since been spending the majority of his time.

"What a coincidence.  Remy be headed there too."  He smiled leaning into one corner of the elevator as the doors closed.  "Your Professor just paged me."  Remy pointed to his temple.

"What for?"

"Dunno,"  He shrugged.  "Just said to come down.  He call you too?"

"No,"  She looked down to the floor.  "I just got to ask him something."

~~~:*:~~~

"Ah, hello Rogue."  Xavier looked over from the computer screen he and Eric were consulting as she and Gambit entered.

"Hi Professor."  She looked over at Eric who sat by Xavier in normal clothes.  "Uh I needed to talk to you for a second."

"Of course."  Xavier nodded and wheeled towards her.  "Just let us speak with Mr. LeBeau for a moment and I will be right with you."

"Sure."  Rogue said and walked over to the other side of the room.  Xavier hadn't asked her to leave, but she figured they wanted some level of privacy with Remy.  Following the incident in London, he hadn't exactly been forthcoming with updates about Apocalypse, Mesmero, or really anything for that matter.

"Gambit, I want you to return to the office in the city and retrieve the Mesmero file off of our computer."  Eric stood from the monitor and stretched, apparently as tired as Xavier from the long hours in the lab.  "Also, go by Mr. Worthington's residence on your way out of town.  Charles received word that he was able to acquire some more documents pertaining to the three rings."

Gambit remained still in front of the two men, but raised an eyebrow.  "Remy don't think that the human chicken be too eager to hand anything over to him after our last meeting."

"True."  Eric thought a moment and returned to the screen.  "Nor would he be to see me.  With everyone else gone I guess you will have to go Charles."

"Rogue?"  Xavier asked, turning his attention to where she was pretending not to be listening over by the door.  "Would you mind going with Gambit into the city?  I believe you and Warren have enough history that he will take your word about Remy."

*No Way!*  Her mind screamed, but she looked over at the Professor, and at the bags under his eyes.  The search was taking more out of him than anyone realized.  He looked old, older than he should look.  Sure he was bald, but the Professor was never old.  He was the center of so many lives, the rock that all the students and most of the instructors depended on.  "Sure."  She said.  Xavier smiled his thanks, and Remy looked at her like she had just started singing 'The Star Spangled Banner' in Portuguese.

"Good."  Eric turned his full attention back to the screen.  "You two had better get going."

"Was there something you wanted to talk to me about Rogue?"  Xavier asked as she turned to leave.

"It's okay."  She looked back over at him.  "It can wait."

~~~~~

"What was that look about?"  Rogue asked as they exited the elevator.

"Expecting an argument, don think I have ever heard you agree to something so easily Chere."

"Well, the Professor asked me nicely."  She responded as they walked.

"Remy ask you plenty nice."

"Like I said, THE PROFESSOR asked me nicely."

"You wound me."  He said as they exited through the main doors and started down the steps.

"So, how are we getting there?"

"Remy drive."  He responded walking over to a silver windswept sports bike parked outside the garage doors.  "You like?"

"One of the new Yamaha FJR 1300's."  Rogue commented and Remy raised an eyebrow.  "145 hp at 8,000 rpm, 100 foot-pounds of torque at about 7,000; even got ABS."  She recited as the made a half-circle around the motorcycle.

"Remy impressed.  You know your bikes."

She shrugged.  "More of a Harley girl."

"Here."  He tossed her the helmet resting on the seat.

"Where's yours?"  She asked as she inspected it.

"You got it.  Don't worry, Remy never wear it anyways."  He climbed on the bike and put on his sunglasses as he started the engine.  "Ready?"

She pulled the helmet over her head and got onto the back of the bike.  "Just don't be showin off!"  She spoke through the helmet as she reluctantly wrapped her arms around him and locked her hands together.

Remy smiled and pushed off with the bike, taking the gradual curve of the institute's driveway and going through the opening gate.

~~~:*:~~~

Remy made the hour and a half drive into the city in just over 45 minutes.  She was still wondering how they hadn't gotten pulled over, two teenagers weaving in and out of traffic at 90mph and him without a helmet would have any cop drop a doughnut and coffee.

Pulling into the basement parking complex below a high rise office building, Rogue started to unfasten the helmet.  It was sparsely occupied with cars, but by the few that were there, she could tell that this was no public parking garage.  A Mercedes, Ferrari, and even a Rolls Royce similar to the Professor's were the three closest to where Remy stopped the bike.

Gambit wasted no time walking to a pair of elevator doors in the corner.

"I'm surprised Magneto allowed me to come along."  Rogue said as Remy pressed a bare hand to the screen beside the elevator.

"Why's that?"  He asked pulling his glove back on as they entered the elevator, and it automatically started up.

"Well, I know the location to your New York base now."  She looked around the elevator, and noticed that there were no buttons or any other controls to indicate to which floor they were proceeding.

"He not that careless Chere, we be up and gone out of here long before we are enemies again."  He said as the doors slipped open.

"Nice digs."  Rogue said as she followed him in.  It was a fairly modern open apartment, with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked water separating it from West New York and the north part of Jersey City.  There was a small kitchen in one corner, and several doors which she only guessed were separate bedrooms.

"It's not much.  Just a place to rest if we are in the city for a period of time."  Remy responded going over to a large computer system and booting it up.

"Soldier of Fortune?"  Rogue asked, looking down at the array of magazines and the occasional book scattered across the living room. 

"Victor."

"The Death of Ivan Ilyich?"

"Piotr."

"Long Distance Runner."

"Pietro."

"Pyrotechnics monthly?"

Remy looked over from the screen and raised an eyebrow above the rim of his sunglasses.  "Do you even have to ask?"

"I guess not."

She looked around in silence as Gambit pecked away on the keyboard.  The apartment was nice, but she still couldn't picture Sabertooth, John, Piotr, Remy, Pietro and Magneto spending a quiet evening at home.  Actually she could, and that brought a smile to her face.

Exploring all she could without going past the shut doors of the other rooms, she resorted to looking out the windows.  "So do you link all your hideouts computer systems together?"  She asked.

Remy ejected a floppy disk and exited the program.  "What kind of employee would I be if I went around telling all the company secrets?"

"So you are an employee is it?"  She raised an eyebrow.

"Sumtin like that."  He rose from the desk and stood next to her at the window, joining in her watch over the concrete jungle.  The apartment faced the west, and the late afternoon sun was slowly beginning its evolution from the yellow of the day to the brilliant orange of dusk.  "You ready, or do you want to wait until after dark."

"Let's go."

"Sure?"

"Yeah."

"View a lot better at night."

"I said lets go."

"Much more romantic."

"Remy…"  She deadpanned.

He laughed and Rogue looked over at him.  It was the first time she heard him laugh.  Usually he would chuckle, a cracked smile and a look that encompassed the image that defined the word: cool.  But this was a full, uncovered, full smile laugh from the heart.

"Let's go."  She said as she walked away, smiling as soon as she had turned her head.

~~~

"Okay, Warren's place is just over the river."  Rogue announced as the elevator doors open into the parking garage.

"Actually."  Gambit replied leading her out onto the sidewalk that bordered the busy street rather than going to the parked bike in the bowels of the garage.  "Remy be getting a bit hungry.  What do you say to having an early supper?"

"This isn't a date LeBeau.  We are supposed to be getting important information to stop the resurrection of Apocalypse."  She crossed her arms, having already expected something like this coming.

"And it would be a shame to do it on an empty stomach."  He smiled.

She sighed.  "Well you're going to have to pay."  She said rolling her eyes; she was a little hungry after all.

"Now what kind of a date would it be if I didn't do otherwise."

"It's not a date!"

"Okay Chere, its not, Remy just be taking you out for lunch."  He raised his hands up in defense and backed away a step.  "Just think of it as improving relations between de Professor's and Eric's associates."

"So now you're an associate?"

"You always got to question everything Remy say?"  He arched a reddish brown eyebrow over the rim of his sunglasses.  "Take this street down one block, then go right one block and meet me at the corner."

"Where are you going?"  She asked as he started to walk in the opposite direction he pointed her in.

He looked back over his shoulder; face mostly obscured by the collar of his brown trench coat.  "Got to stop by an ATM and get some cash."

She started walking.  Occasionally she would bump arms with another person as they hurried by, but she was wearing her usual green shirt that stopped any unwanted skin to skin contact.  In all honesty she could have been in a bikini, because they were in a major business section of the city most of the passers by had on sports coats despite the heat of summer.

She looked at them as she walked.  Most didn't even look at her, or anyone else for that matter, as they rushed to their next appointment, meeting, or even home for the day.  It was odd, but she actually was feeling safe in a crowd for the first time she could remember.  In Bayville she was spotted and picked out immediately, but in the crowd of New York, she was just another person.

Why was Remy acting like he was?  Sure he was a flirt, he flirted with everyone.  But there was something different about the way he flirted with her.  He may make a caddy remark, or whisper an innuendo to any girl at the mansion and keep on walking, but he seemed to stick around and actually wait for her reply.  Why was it that when they were in a room full of people he would pass up Jean, Kitty, Tabitha, and the rest of the mansion's population and walk straight over to her?

She stopped at the corner, walking the two blocks before she realized it.  It was New York alright.  Hotdog vendor, honking cabs, and even a shady character by an alley selling watches.

"Ready?"

She jumped, spinning around and facing the source of the voice. 

Remy produced a wad of cash with a gold money clip around it.

Her eyes got wide.  "You pick pocketed that didn't you?"

"Sorry Chere."  He shrugged.  "Couldn't find a machine."

"That was somebody's hard earned money."  She scolded before she realized it, sounding a lot more like Kitty than she would like to admit.

"Don worry none, took it offen people that got plenty to spare."  He said as he slipped the wad back into his pocket.

"Hey!"  An extremely well dressed man with a woman wrapped in fur boa exclaimed not more than a few feet from the two mutants.  "Somebody took my money clip!"  He scanned the crowd, accusing eyes passing right by Remy and Rogue while he patted his pockets. 

"You want to stay here and discuss the moral ratifications, or get something to eat?"  He smiled, not lowering his voice despite the man still standing right behind him.

~~~~~

"Here you are Miss."  The waiter pulled out her seat.

"Thanks."  Rogue said as she sat, and Remy across from her.  Remy had lead her to a place in the bottom floor of a building called "The Oaks", or "The Pines", she couldn't remember exactly, but it was some name of a tree.  It was a relatively small restaurant, with even a small dancing floor that was probably more crowded in the evening hours.  A small band, or symphony, or whatever you called a piano, violin, cello, and a couple more people playing instruments she wasn't sure what were called.

"There ain't no prices on the menu."  She said as she open the leather bound list of meals.

"Yes."  He confirmed relaxing in his seat, looking much more home in the atmosphere of the restaurant than she felt.

"Why?"  She asked.

"Dunno, a class thing maybe?"  He shrugged as his eyes scanned the writing.  "Dey figure if you got enough to eat here den you gonna buy what you want anyway."

"Have we decided?"  The waiter suddenly spoke, appearing from the thin air next to rogue.

"Chere?"  Gambit asked, indicating that she should go first.

She scanned the menu one last time.  "I'll have the salmon."  She looked up at him.

"To drink?"  He asked, one hand held across his chest with a white cloth napkin draped over it, the other at his side.

"Water."  She said watching as he seemed to commit it to memory without writing anything down.

He gave her a quick smile as he turned to Remy.  "And you Sir?"

"Filet minion."  Remy stated closing the menu and handing it to the waiter.  "And a glass of your house red with a glass of water." 

"Yes sir."  He took the offered menu and picked Rogue's up from the table.  "I will return with your drinks in a moment."  With that the waiter walked away and through the restaurant.

They sat in silence.  Although he still had his sunglasses on, Rogue could tell Remy had his eyes shut and was listening to the soft violin coming from across the small dance floor.  She leaned forward and rested her chin in her hand.  What was he doing?

Could it be he was under orders to get close to her?  *Now that's a retarded thought.*  What would Magnito want with her?  Besides, most of the other girls at the mansion would be much easier to seduce or befriend if he just needed a hostage or something.

"What you thinking about?"  Remy asked jolting her out of her silent contemplation.  She looked up to see the waiter placing a glass of ice water before her.

"I'm just trying to figure you out."  She responded as he poured the red wine into a glass set before Remy, before tilting the bottle up and leaving the pair at the table.

"Really?"  He smiled taking a sip of the wine.  "What about Remy got you hung up?"

"Your consistent attempts to try and seduce me."

"Ooo,"  He sat down the glass and placed both elbows on the table leaning forward, face in his hands.  "That be a good place to start."

"You're not stupid."  She said.

"Thank ya Chere."

"So it's not just some attempt to get into my pants."  Rogue continued despite his thanks and the raised eyebrow when she mentioned getting into her pants.  "So why in the hell do you keep pestering me like this?"

"Remy think you got to figure that one out on your own."  He leaned back in his seat.  "But I can tell you what drew me in first."

Rogue nodded for him to continue.

"First it was sympathy, cause of your powers."  He stated seriously.

She crossed her hands over her chest and leaned back herself.  "What do you know about my powers?"

"Plenty, Remy know what it be like not to touch."  He held a gloved hand up and wiggled his fingers.  "Ask me you got it good; touch somebody they go to sleep."  He looked down at his hand.  "Better than blowing them up."

"Oh my God."

"Relax, Remy not repaint the walls with anyone yet."  He said in a joking manner, hoping to lighten the mood a little.  "He just glad his powers were weaker when he couldn't control dem."

Rogue leaned forward slightly.  "You couldn't control them?"

"Non, first time it happened was with a pencil at school.  Tried gloves to stop it, didn't work, burned my hands up pretty bad."  He took another sip of wine.  "Dat's when Jean Luke pulled me out and got my Nanny to home school me."

"You were home schooled?"  Rogue asked, trying to picture Remy paying attention in a one on one lecture.

He smiled.  "Well, Mattie tried."  His smile grew slightly, obviously remembering something of particular humor.  "Didn't take though, always running off during the day.  Life was just too exciting to waste inside staring at a book."  He shrugged.  "Learn more on the streets anyway." 

"How long did it take for you to learn to control your powers?"  She asked, now very interested.

"Keep from charging tings when I didn't want to, bout three years."

"Three years you couldn't control charging things?"  She exclaimed louder than she intended, but if the patrons of the restaurant figured out they were mutants, no one showed it.

"Yeah, wasn't like I blew everything I touched up, but I really didn't touch anybody or anything important during that time."  He voice unintentionally got somber again.  "Three years fearing killing whoever you touch enough to make you crazy."

She looked down at her hands resting in her lap.  "Yeah, it's been about a year for me." 

"Now don't go looking like your puppy got run over."  He reached across the table and picked her chin up with a gloved finger.  "You'll learn to control it, de professor seems like he wants to help ya."

For the first time since they met, Rogue didn't pull away from his touch.  And instead of holding on like she feared he simply dropped his arm to rest on the table.  This was why.  This was why he had been so intent on getting to know her.  Something that drove so many away was the thing that made him want to get closer to her.  He saw how hard her powers were on her, not because anyone could see their effect, but because he had gone through nearly the same experience.

"You tango?"  Her thoughts were once again halted, and Rogue wondered how long she had been looking at him.

Her eyes got wider.  "I know you did not just ask that." 

"Well?"  He coaxed, nodding his head over to the small symphony.

A familiar feeling rushed back into her system.  "I have never, and you can bet that I will never with you."

The corners of Remy's mouth curved upwards ever so lightly.  "Don want to bet me Chere."

~~~~~

"Here they are."  Warren handed the tube he retrieved from his personal safe over to Rogue.

"Thanks."  She said, looking around the elaborate bedroom.

"You are feeling better then?"  The heir to the Worthington fortune asked as he shut and re-locked the safe.

"What?"

"The last couple of times I visited you were in the infirmary."  He explained turning around and facing her.  "I was going to stop in but my work schedule wouldn't allow me to come until after Dr. McCoy's visiting hours had ended."

"I'm fine."  She said looking at him.  His wings were out; emerging from the slits cut in his dress shirt, but still held close to his body.  She looked at him a moment longer, at the dark blue eyes and blond hair.  She was talking to the next JFK junior.  But in a dark twist fate had given him a mutation that could not be hidden with gloves, glasses, or even an image inductor.  So one of the world's most successful man and most eligible bachelor was forced to operate over the phone and internet.  *Shit, I'm zoning out again.*

"Probably best that you didn't show up."  She stammered letting out a halfhearted chuckle.  "I wasn't exactly in the best mood while I was cooped up down there."

"I can only imagine."  Warren smiled as they walked out of the room next to one another.  "We have a lot in common; I can't stand to be inside for long either."

"Well, you do have ten foot wings on your back.  I figure that might make any room feel like a cage."  She observed, wondering immediately after if she had overstepped her bounds.  She had know him what, 6 months, and only been around him for a few hours in that time.

Warren just laughed, the mental image of himself trapped in a giant birdcage popping into his head. 

Rogue smiled.  "We had better get going."  She said as they entered the main living room where Remy waited.  "The Professor probably wants to get a look at these as soon as possible."

"Well, anytime you are in the city give me a call.  And you are always welcome here if you need a place to rest before heading back to Bayville."  Warren said, looking at Rogue, apparently not extending his invitation to his other guest.

"Real nice place you got here."  Remy broke the silence while carefully observing a painting, observing too carefully for Warren.

"Thank you."  The Angel said walking up to him.  "After your last visit I felt it necessary to upgrade my security in order to protect it."

"Remy say it bout time you did so."  Gambit flicked the canvas of the painting, an obvious fake, but he decided not to bring it up in front of his host.

"Well, my old system was good enough to expose you."  Warren cut a glance over to the younger mutant.

"Remy wasn't himself that night, never be that careless."  He said as he rummaged through the inside pocket of his coat.  "So, what did you upgrade?"

Warren smiled.  "Do you really expect me to tell you?"

"Remy take a guess den.  Bet you upgraded your floor sensors to a tighter grid."  He lit a cigarette in the hall.  "Probably in square inches instead of square feet."  He exhaled; smoke outlining his words in the air.

Warren's eye twitched, and that was all Remy needed to convince him he was right.

He chuckled.  "Wasted money mon a me, didn't step through them, went over your grid."  Gambit put his hands together and flapped them like the wings of a bird.  "Don't just cover the floor; shoot the walls and ceiling wit beams to."  Dropping the charade and inhaling again he walked across the hall, looking it over.  "You got a decent system here, but anyone skillful enough to get past the exterior alarms would have no problems navigating through what you got inside."

Rogue could have killed him.  Here he was, in the home of one of the most wealthy and powerful men in New York, insulting everything he said.  Apparently Warren sensed her uneasiness and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Do you have any other suggestions?"  He asked.

Remy smiled.

~~~~~

She could feel the cooling chill of the night air, and was thankful the wind blew Remy's trench coat around her as he drove.  The bike slowed, the headlight casting brief illumination onto the gate of the institute as it opened.  Pulling up next to the garages Remy cut the engine, letting the humming fade away.

"So Chere, not bad for a first date."  He asked as she removed the helmet and stood off the bike.

"It was not a date!"  Rogue quelled her anger and exhaled as Remy removed the key and let down the kickstand.  "But I suppose that rumor will somehow be getting around the mansion."

He frowned as he removed the sunglasses from his eyes and fished in his pocket for a cigarette.  "Gambit don like rumors, so you don't have to worry about him starting any."  She looked up at him with a raised eyebrow as he lit one.  "You look surprised?"  He questioned.

"It's just that I figured…."  Rogue struggled with her words as he continued to look at her.  "I dunno."

"What?"  He asked.

"Well, people like you at school seem to like everyone knowing when they succeed at something.  And I figured that…"

"Remy about to be going around bragging that he got the Rogue to open up a little?"  He finished her sentence in an outline of smoke that drifted into the night air.

"Well, yeah." 

He took a step towards her and she tensed.  "Done told ya Chere, Remy not what you think he is."  He smiled, merely inches away from her face, and carefully took the document tube from her hands.  "You have a good night Chere, Remy take these down to Eric and de Professor."

"Remy?"  She called as he ascended the steps.

"Oui?"

"Smoking ain't good for you."

He smiled, plucking the half burnt cigarette from his lips.  He flipped it into the night, where it disintegrated.  "Den I better quit non?"  He asked, and continued up the steps.

She blinked hard as he turned and walked into the mansion.  She apparently needed to go inside and sleep; it had been a long day. 

~Clarification, they aren't 'together' yet.  Remember, she still hasn't gotten her French paper back yet ;)

Geminidragon: "The thing that's following Pogue around, its not Remy right?"  Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, guess you'll just have to keep on reading.  Mwa HA HAHA!

Rogue_star:  I had planned on John and Amara being friends, but I might make them more than that.  If you updated "Drifters" again it might persuade me…

Classic Tinker:  Wow, thanks.  I've never gotten an essay of a review before, but I liked it.  When the new episodes do air, I'll start the diary thing again.  Hopefully I will be able to finish this story before then, so I can devote all my thoughts to Rogue's thoughts.  I'll probably just start a new fic with them rather than tacking them onto the end of "Here's to the Good Life".  I'm having fun with the Kitty/Piotr.  It's hard putting a character that never shuts up with one who rarely says anything.  But I think the talkative, gossipy, valley girl and the quiet, serious, slightly dark but hiding his true feelings of sincerity and caring giant will pay off in the end.  Not sure who, if anyone, I'll pare Pyro with.  I think Amara works more as a friend and teammate as their powers complement each others.  Thought about the Scarlet Witch, but then what would I do with Toad's hopeless romancing?  To tell you the truth I just can't picture him with another because he is so complete and funny a character on his own.  If you got a preference or suggestion, let me know!

Alwaysright:  Thanks for the complement.  As for the rest of season 3, thanks but no thanks.  Although I want to know what is going to happen, I think I'll wait it out and be surprised when it airs.  Besides, I got my own plan in my head for this fic and I know I will be influenced if I know what will be happening.

Bunny_angel:  I'll get John to Fed-Ex the rest of the uneaten part to you.

Later everyone…