"Come here." Rogue patted the empty space on the bed besides her.

"What?" He raised one brow, wondering what she was up to.

She just rolled her eyes. "Just come here and sit down. I don't bite." Short pause. "Too hard, that is. Just sit down." He still continued to stand there, staring at her like she just asked him to handcuff her to the bed and to have his evil ways with her. "If you want me to tell you my mutant power, sit your arse down—now."

"Bribery?" He finally walked over and sat down on the bed next to her.

"Well, it worked, didn't it? Now—" She slid off the glove on her left hand. "Let me get dramatic for this." Rogue turned to face him better. She brought her bare hand up to his face. He raised his brow yet again. "Lets just say that if I touched you right down, I could absorb your memories and power."

His jaw fell and he glanced sideways at her hand. "You steal mutant's powers?"

"Yeah." She retracted her hand, feeling a small ping of disappoint when he looked relief as she did so. "I'm a mutant power thief." She breathed in sharply, "And did I mention when I absorb a person, I render them unconscious?"


"Can you control it?"

"Sometimes." Rogue answered, avoiding eye contact. It suddenly seemed as if she were ashamed of her power, and he felt it as he stared down at the side of her face. "So." She glanced up at him. "Is blowing stuff up all you can do?"


"About." Suddenly, he laughed lightly, running a hand through his dark hair. "Wow.. this is the longest we've gone without arguing or being sarcastic with each other."

"Don't get used to it." She laughed, patting his leg only to feel him practically jump out of his skin. There was suddenly an uncomfortable, awkward silence.

"Is that Tante Mattie callin' me?" He suddenly asked standing up.

Rogue stared in the opposite direction of him. "Just go."


_____


"You and Rogue gettin' together any better?" Mattie asked her nephew later that night.

"No." He answered, flipping through stations on the television. He was sitting on the couch; a bored expression was set on his face as he stared straight ahead with zombie like eyes. "Don't know why you and pa keep askin' that."

"Because you two can't be in the same room for two minutes without arguing with each other?" She suggested with a smirk. "It's almost like you two fight like an old married couple."

"No. We fight like a couple that doesn't even know each other."

"What would you say if I told you your father rearrange a marriage between you two?"

"I'd say what are you smokin' and can I have some?" He finally turned off the television and looked over at her. "He tried that before. It didn't work out well, remember?"


"It was only a 'what if.' Jean-Luc did think you guys would hit it off. You're more alike then you think."


"Yeah." Remy grunted, standing up. "Right."

"Where are you goin'?" She asked as he walked past her.


"Out back."

"Rogue is out there." He could almost see the smile form on her face.

"Figures."


"Play nice."

"Always."


_____


"What are you doin'?" Remy walked out into the dark, humid night to see Rogue in the swamp. The water went up to the middle of her calf.


"Nothin'." She answered in a small voice.


"Looks like a whole lot of nothin'."

"No it don't. Standin' here ain't a whole lot."

"It's a sayin'."

"Well, it's a bad sayin'."

She was pissed off at him. He knew it. "Rogue." He walked in as far as her and, with hesitation, placed his hand on her shoulder. "I—"

Suddenly, and unexpectedly, Rogue shoved him. For a split second, her eyes flashed with anger but they went back to their normal neutral emotion. She just stared down at him. He was sitting on his behind in the swamp with a surprised look on his face. "Well, aren't we in a mire situation." She snapped at him before walking off, back into the house.


_____


"I know he's related to you an' all but he's a bastard!" After taking a shower, Rogue stood in the hallway, talking to Mattie. "After findin' about my power, he freaks me like a freak and won't even touch me an' then all of a sudden—"


"Rogue." Remy, who had changed his clothes, walked down the hall in heavy footsteps. "I know you haven't liked me since I got here—"


She spun around. "Excuse me Remy but I never had a problem with ya until ya got all whiney 'bout me replacin' ya. I was even gonna forgive you about attackin' me out of nowhere that night until all your bitchin' and moanin'. To tell you the truth, right now, it's not even 'I don't like you', it's I can't even stand ya!"

Mattie excused herself immediately while Remy just smirked. "You're one of a kind, Rogue."

She blinked up at him, surprised. "Er, what? Did you even hear what I said?"


"Actually, I tend to doze off after the same person speaks for over several seconds."


While debating whether or not he was serious, Rogue just looked extremely uncomfortable. "I'll keep that in mind."

"I know sayin' I'm sorry won't help."

"You got that right. Especially since you wouldn't say it with sincerity."

"How about I made it up to you? Over dinner?" What the hell was he saying?


Rogue was wondering the same thing. She gave him a look of disgust. "God no. Who the hell do you think you are? You're askin' me out after---"


"Over dinner. In the kitchen." He cleared his throat before she could go on anymore.

"Well, aren't we in romantic."

"You just can't ever be happy, can you?"

She thought about it. "No." Short pause. "Can you?"


"No."


Rogue just smiled at that, tucking strands of white hair behind her ear. Right as she was about to say something, Jean-Luc rushed out.


"You two get ready now." He barked at them. "I have a mission for you. If you don't leave now, the Ripper's will beat us to it."

Rogue thought the vein sticking out of his forehead was going to pop.


_____


Next chapter – Rogue and Remy make a pact. I wonder what the pact is going to be?


I was going to write more but I'm exhausted. =(  Sorry but I'm really tired. I have at least three more chapters planned out, and perhaps an epilogue.