A/N: First off, I'm sorry it took so long. School just started and I'm determined to get A's and B's this year. I have been working hard on this chapter in my free time, but there isn't a lot of that. It's Friday night now, but I know I won't get all of this typed up tonight. And since I'm going somewhere tomorrow, this chapter probably won't get finished until Sunday.

On a side note: I HAVE 109 REVIEWS!!!!! Thanx to all my reviewers for making that possible.

Well, without further adieu, here is chapter 17. I hope it's worth the wait.

Rogue awoke late Saturday morning to discover that her roommate was already gone. The mansion was calm, there was no shouting, no radios or TVs blaring, just sweet silence. In fact, the only noise came from outside. Rogue strained her ears, and found that she could hear people outside yelling and laughing. Wanting to know what was going on, she got out of bed and walked over to the window.

Peering through the glass she saw that the ground was completely white. Snow covered everything: the bushes, the fountain, the trees, all of it. It was a beautiful sight…except for the students running around in it.

Apparently the other kids were having a snowball fight of epic proportions. Rogue watched as they pelted one another with snow, trying to decide if they were playing teams, or every man for him self. It appeared to be the latter.

She watched Amara hit Scott in the back, then duck behind a tree where he couldn't see her. Scott saw Kurt, and, assuming he was the assailant, hit him with a fastball. The elf was forced to teleport out of the way. Unfortunately for Scott, this caused his snowball to hit Mr. McCoy. McCoy gathered up a boulder-sized snowball, and tossed it at Scott. The boy was knocked flat on his butt. His attacker, on the other hand, suddenly found himself surrounded by a dozen Jamies, each one armed with snowballs. Rogue couldn't help laughing as McCoy was driven into the snow.

Grinning, she stepped back from the window and quickly got dressed and went downstairs. She considered going outside, but changed her mind. It wasn't often that she got the mansion to herself. Granted, it wasn't as if the other's had left, but it was still better than nothing. Her mind made up, Rogue flopped onto the couch and turned on the TV to watch cartoons. She flipped through the channels until she saw her favorite super hero. The theme song was just starting to play. Rogue began singing along, softly at first, and then louder. Eventually she was on her feet busting out some dance moves as well, her voice ringing clearly throughout the house.

"Oh yeah, yeah!

I'm your basic average girl,

And I'm here to save the world.

You can't stop me 'cause I'm

Kim Possible.

There is nothing I can't do.

If you're in danger precious

Know that I am on my way!

(Know that I am on my way!)

It doesn't matter where or when there's trouble

If you just call my name:

Kim Possible!

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me,

When you wanna Paige me it's okay.

Whenever you need me baby

Call me, beep me if you wanna reach me!

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me!

Doesn't matter where, doesn't matter when.

I will be there for you till the very end.

Danger or trouble I'm there on the double

You know that you always can call

Kim Possible!

Call me, beep me, if you wanna reach me!"

Rogue stopped dancing, smiling broadly. Suddenly she heard someone clapping behind her, and spun around. It was Gambit. He had obviously been outside, as his dark hair was speckled white. For once his trench coat was not on, so she could see his shirt. It was black, with long sleeves that nevertheless showed off his sinewy arms. He had that same, playful grin she had seen on him the very first time they had met.

"Ah didn't realize Ah had an audience," Rogue said, feeling her cheeks turn scarlet. "How long've you been standin' there?"

He shrugged. "Long enough to know you got a beautiful voice, chere. It's a pity you don' use it more often."

She felt her cheeks grow hotter, and pretended to look at the TV so he wouldn't notice.

"Mind if Remy joins you?"

"With what?" she asks, looking at him again. He pointed to the TV.

"Oh. Um, okay, Ah guess."

Rogue reclaimed her seat on the couch. To her surprise, Gambit sat right next to her. As in, they were almost touching. She started to scoot away before remembering that they both had on long sleeves, and there wasn't any danger. It was still a little uncomfortable, though. No one had ever sat this close to her before…especially not a guy. Rogue discovered that she breath as well as usual.

"So, who's she?" Gambit asked, pointing to the screen and breaking her out of her reverie.

"That's Kim Possible. She's a teen superhero."

"Jus' like you, chere."

"Only she doesn't have powers."

"And she's not as pretty as you."

Rogue looked at Gambit, and was met with his captivating red eyes. His expression had changed. It was still playful, but there was more to it now. The glint in his eyes, the curve of his lips, the tilt of his head; they all suggested that there was something beneath the playfulness.

His gloved hand reached up towards her face. Instinctively she pulled back, but he caught her chin with his thumb. Rogue's mouth was suddenly very dry. Her breathing quickened ever so slightly.

"You got beautiful eyes, chere."

He leaned forward, and Rogue realized that he was going to kiss her. She gently pushed him away.

"What's wrong?" he asked, looking slightly hurt.

"Ah only just met you yesterday, swamp rat. Ah barely know you."

He grinned. "Den maybe we should get to know each other a little better. Say, over dinner? Tonight?"

Rogue couldn't believe it. He was actually asking her out on a date. Her stomach erupted into a million butterflies.

"Ah guess it's a date."

Two weeks. That's how long it had been since Rosco, Nomed, and Vir'tan were sent through the portal, and they had yet to see any sign of The Guardian. Rosco was beginning to wonder if they were even in the right area, and said as much. The General sighed impatiently.

"Think about it, Geraldi. Do you really think the Emperor--may he live forever!--would send us here if The Guardian wasn't nearby?"

"I suppose not," Rosco agreed.

They were walking through what had to be the largest market any of them had ever seen. It was all one enormous building, with dozens off smaller shops and stands inside. A sign outside had dubbed it Bayville Mall. It was crawling with people carrying bags filled with items they had bought. The trio figured that a place this packed might be where their quarry was hiding. It would be an ideal place for her to buy a new wardrobe, so as to blend in with the crowd better.

The trio had already bought new clothes, as it had become apparent upon arriving that theirs did not fit in. So, after Vir'tan got a hold of some money (he didn't say exactly how he got it, and they didn't ask), they had gone to a small shop and bought new clothes. All three wore black, sleeveless shirts and black pants. They moved the daggers that had been at their belts into their boots, where they were covered up by the pants. Now, as they maneuvered through the sea of bodies, there was nothing to set them apart from the rest…aside from the fact that they were bare-sleeved in what these people deemed cold weather. Rosco couldn't imagine why everyone was running around with heavy wool shirts on. There was barely any snow outside, and he was plenty warm.

Rosco scanned the crowd, trying to remember what The Guardian looked like. He had only seen her face for a few seconds before she had portal-jumped. None of the faces he encountered matched his memory, nor were any of the people dressed in brown habits and cloaks. That wasn't surprising, though. If she had any sense, The Guardian would have changed her attire at the first opportunity.

"Alright," he said, "I vote we check the upstairs now."

The General nodded. "You and Vir'tan go up, I'll continue down here. Meet me at the front door in three hours. Be sure to search every square inch of that floor. Hua?"

"Hua!" Rosco said, veering away from Nomed, toward a set of moving stairs. He watched them, perplexed. Each step seemed to grow out of the floor, gliding steadily upward to the second level, where they just disappeared. People would walk onto the step emerging from the ground, ride it to the top, and then step off as it disappeared.

Vir'tan pointed towards the stairs, obviously thinking they should get on. Rosco nodded. Boldly he stepped forward, standing on an emerging step. Behind him, Vir'tan did the same. Rosco looked down at the shrinking ground, amazed at how smooth the ride was. He felt rather than saw the step level out, preparing to disappear back into the ground, and had to step off quickly. The momentum caused him to take several large, awkward steps. He watched, slightly envious, as Vir'tan stepped effortlessly from the staircase.

"Show off," Rosco mumbled. The assassin fixed him with a cold, heart-numbing stare.

"Never mind."

"A date? Really? That is, like, so cool!"

Kitty was practically bouncing on her bed with excitement. It was an hour later, and Rogue had just relayed the events of that morning. Not surprisingly, the news that her roommate had an upcoming date sent Kitty into hyperactive mode.

"So what're you gonna where? Are you guys going someplace casual, or somewhere dressy? Ooh, is he gonna take you to a real fancy restaurant? If you're going someplace fancy, you'll, like, need a dress or something. But if he's taking you someplace casual, a dress would be overdoing it. Maybe you should just wear a blouse and skirt. That's not too dressy, so you could wear it anywhere…but what about shoes? You can't wear heels, because of all the snow--do you even have heels? Or any dress shoes? Of course, you could always borrow some of mine--"

"Kitty!" Rogue had to shout in order to get the girl to be quiet.

"What?"

"When do you breathe?" Kitty stuck out her tongue at Rogue.

"So, where are you going?" she asked again.

"A little Cajun place called Spice City."

Kitty grimaced. "It sounds a bit tacky."

"It's better than Burger King," Rogue pointed out. Kitty nodded.

"And it solves the dress code problem. Definitely casual. Now to pick the outfit…"

Rogue groaned inwardly. It was going to be a long day.

A/N: Yippee, a date! How fun! And they're finally looking for "The Guardian." Wonder what's gonna happen next?

Btw, I have no idea why I put the Kim Possible theme in there. It just kinda happened, and I went with it.

Wow, I have a lot of reviews. I feel so special. Okay, time to answer 'em!

Amanda14: Is this what you had in mind for Remy? It'll have to do! And as for Rogue's powers, I have plans for them. Big ones.

Crazed Maniac 02: Of course you still get the date! Do you honestly think I would deny my homie G the chance to go out with Gambit? I read your new fic and reviewed (but of course). Um, nothing to say really. Check ya later!

The Untouchable Rogue: I think this chap answered your Romy question. As for the chips, I figure that since they're powered by the adrenaline response your body gives when it is threatened, they wouldn't affect friendly telepathic communication, because the adrenaline response isn't there. BUT if the conversation turns nasty and you start to feel threatened, they'll kick in. Does that satisfy your thirst for made-up knowledge? Hope so!

Ishandahalf: Just wait till you see the next chappy. ; P

Anime addicted: I'm glad you like it.

Yumiko: you got that right! And Gambit is cocky, so flirting after only knowing her for a day is right up his alley.

Krazy Xanadu: 150? You got it! The idea of Kurt being good with guns hit me like a .44 slug (ha ha). I was trying to do something ironic, and, well, there you have it.

Rogue77: Alas, I will not be updating quite as often due to my unfortunate enrollment in public school. Which reminds me, I've got homework to do. Darn.

Caliente: Yay! Another satisfied customer! More Remy, I promise!

Panther Nesmith: I'd die with a schedule like that! But Roguey can make it work--she's cool like that.

Rogue151: I LOVED Impact! I can't believe she killed Mystique! It was so depressing. Poor little Kurt. He looked so sad. And he's got the whole puppy dog thing going, so when he looks sad, it really pulls the ol' heartstrings, y' know? But for a few seconds I actually thought Rogue was gonna save Mystique. Dude, what if she had? Ooh, I feel a fic coming on! And why why WHY didn't they mention it in No Good Deed? Don't the X-Men care that Kurt's mom is dead? Or that Rogue killed her? How does Professor X feel about this? So many unanswered questions!…Just like the last episode of another killer TV show which I won't name. *cough Alias cough* Anyhoo, you get a date with Remy. Have fun!

Shadow of the Sword: I didn't say, 'cause I wanted to throw y'all off. But now I can safely say that yes, this is a Romy.

The Last Ronin: Where to start? Thanx for the detailed it review, it means a lot. I've tried to get onto that site, but it never let's me. The Internet gods must be angry. Oh well. As for all the stuff you mentioned being overkill for fanfiction--I would agree with you, except I plan on writing more than just fan fiction--I want to be a full-fledged author. This is like practice…and of course a way to have fun! Btw, are you ever going to update? I'm dying to know what happens! And you know, the whole not updating until you get good reviews breaks the cardinal rule of serious writing: thou shalt write, not for the masses, but for thy self.

Finished! Whew! It only took me thirty minutes…not that I'm complaining, mind you. Ok, a few announcements to make. First, because of my good mood, everybody gets a date, AND a big screen TV. Aren't I generous? Second, in case you haven't figured it out already: This is a ROMY. Begin rejoicing…Now!

OK, time to do your duty as readers and push the pink button. Come on people, I'm trying to reach 150. Help me out! L8r!