'Is everyone in this town insane?!' Laura thought to herself, as Rogue followed her back into the Institute (still complaining bitterly about the "swamp rat"). Then, a brilliant idea struck her, and she headed toward the library. Rogue still followed.
Dr. McCoy looked up, as the Laura entered the library. His kindly, "ah, you've finished your paper already," was met with an icy glare. He then noticed Laura's companion and smiled. She circled the room with purposeful idleness, while Rogue watched from the center of the room (still complaining bitterly).
Laura came to the door and exited the room. "Where are you goin'?" Rogue asked, quite confused.
"Away!" And then she door closed forcefully.
Rogue stood in the center of the library, stunned. She blinked away her shock and collapsed into a nearby chair. She looked up when she heard Dr. McCoy chuckle. "Ah'm glad you think this is so funny, Mr. McCoy. You go right ahead an' laugh. I'll just sit here, finding some comfort in the fact that my misery amuses you so."
"You mistake me, my dear. I am not laughing at your 'misery', as you call it. Merely its futility."
Rogue fixed an icy glare on her teacher. Dr. McCoy briefly considered that he was not overly fond of young women's icy glares and that he was receiving more than his fair share today. "What is that supposed to mean?" Rogue inquired venomously.
"'The restraints we impose on ourselves to refrain from loving are often more cruel than the severities of our beloved.'" Yes, three icy glares within a few minutes was quite unpleasant.
"Ah'm gonna pretend Ah didn't hear that."
"As you wish, but I ask you to entertain the thought of hearing this. Whatever else Mr. LeBeau may be, he is sincere in his affections for you," Dr. McCoy said seriously, looking Rogue in the eyes. She turned away with a petulant frown. Then he lightly added, "and it might be in the best interest of the Institute's peace and quiet, if you would…reconsider his advances."
"What peace an' quiet," Rogue replied, with the slightest suggestion of a sly smile on her lips.
"Point well taken."
Rogue returned to pouting, with her arms crossed over her chest. "Besides Ah don' need 'love'. Far as Ah can tell, it never did anyone any good."
"Aren't you a little young to be so cynical? Rogue, dear, you needn't confide in me, if you do not want to, but you are certainly welcome." It will never cease to seem strange that a man known as 'The Beast' could be so gentle and paternal. It always struck Rogue as odd for such kindness to originate in the soul of a large, blue, ape-like monster. Despite Rogue's appreciation for Dr. McCoy's tender concern, she began to feel cornered by his questioning. Her eyes darted around the room, looking overly bright. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and she began taking shaking, halting breaths. Dr. McCoy moved to kneel by the chair in which she sat and gently stroked her back. Rogue briefly flinched away from the contact, before realizing that he was protected by her shirt.
As the first tear rolled down her cheek, Rogue laughed ironically. She turned to face Dr. McCoy and asked him imploringly, "why….Why do things have to be so hard?" She swallowed the lump in her throat, before continuing desperately. "When Ah was a little girl, Ah used to wish to be special. Ah wished that Ah'd meet Prince Charming and we'd live happily ever afta'." Another ironic scoff. "Ah guess Ah shoulda been more specific. Ah'm certainly 'special', an' if my prince is anything, he's charming. But now all Ah can do is push him away; to keep us both safe, ya' know? Gawd, when did life start to suck so much?"
Had the usually stoic young woman not been crying, Dr. McCoy might have laughed. "When did life start?" The corner of Rogue's mouth twisted up slightly in amusement. "Don't worry so much. You're young. You'll have plenty of time to concern yourself with the whys and wherefores when you're an old woman. In the mean time, 'he that shuts Love out, in turn shall be Shut out by Love, and on her threshold lie Howling in the outer daekness.'"
Rogue looked at her teacher with wide eyes. "That is without doubt the most frightenin' thing you have ever said." She paused as if thinking about something very hard, her eyes still wide. "Excuse me. There's something I have to go do." And with that Rogue ran out of the library.
Author's Notes: This chapter really wrote itself…up until the last few paragraphs. That's what's taken me so long. I hope I didn't rob Rogue of too much of her coolness, and if I did, please forgive me! And I really think this is it for this story. I'll probably write more Remy/Rogue in the future, but not right away. Right now I'm working on an X-Men: Evolution parody of "The Princess Bride". I think it'll be called "Princess Bride: Evolution". Please look out for it; I think it'll be amusing at the very least. Anyway, I beg you to review (as always).
Oh! I nearly forgot to credit the quotes. The first one is by LeRochefoucard, and the second is by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. People knew what they were talking about back in the day. ^-^