- Y'all know the dilly yo that I don't own these character or marvel…blah blah blah…
Author's Note: Anywho, this chapter is much better than the original. It's more realistic I supposed in the way the two would communicate with each other and what not. Not to mention, I made it so that the team didn't accept Gambit back so easily. But, honestly, I'm getting really busy with stuff like work and relaxing since I'm out of school and the weather is gorgeous in Vancouver that I haven't much time to really write anything. But, I want to finish this story in a few chapters so I can upload the sequel and finally – well, almost finally be back where I was before. Plus, I want to start the sequel for Somewhere I Belong, so I'll try to get this done as fast as I can. :) And I'll respond to reviews next time… I'm dead tired.
"Why can't we give love one more chance? 'Cause love's such an old-fashioned word. And love dares you to care." – Queen (been listening to a lot of Queen lately :)
A Different Way to a Perfect Ending
The glow started out small but quickly engulfed the card into a fiery crimson. A flick over his shoulder, and the card exploded with a loud 'boom'. The sound was followed up by a frustrated curse as he clenched his other hand into a tight fist. All around him there were people scrambling about, but he ignored the activity as he continued to curse the man that perhaps had changed the outcome of his life for the worse or the better, depending on who one asked. Angry growling became louder and when it caught up with the rest of the team, Gambit looked up with a faint hope.
"Wolverine, did you pick up anything?" Storm asked.
"I did, but lost the scent a few blocks from here." Wolverine explained bitterly and Gambit's eyes immediately lost the hope.
"It has been two hours since Rogue lost saw him. I think we need to return to the Institute and come up with a new game plan." Cyclops stated strongly.
"I agree with Scott. Perhaps the Professor picked up something with Cerebro." Jean added in as she began to look a little strained herself, but the whole team did by this point. Two hours of intense searching, and not even a footstep could be found.
"Slim… the child could be in serious danger if we don't act quick." Wolverine pointed out as a few worry lines were added to the already apparent ones on his forehead.
"Wolverine, we've been scanning the area for two hours already. If we had some sort of chance of recovering the child when we first got here, there's no doubt that we've completely lost it by now. I'm the leader of this team, and we're going to go back to the mansion and figure out how to get Jeremy home and safe." Cyclops ordered as he looked over at the other X-men.
"I agree vit' Cyclops. As much as I want my nephew back now, ve aren't going t'find him here." Nightcrawler agreed.
"Rogue's going to be devastated…" Gambit heard ShadowCat mumble to Iceman. Though he tried to dismiss the words, he couldn't because he knew it was true. When the team had arrived, Rogue was in such a state of panic that Beast had to inject a stabilizer in her. She quickly passed out from the drug, and Beast had taken her back to medical lab of Institute. Despite the fact that Gambit was extremely angry with his love, the anticipation of having to look her in the eyes and inform her that he had not saved their child was going to be painful for both of them.
Another flick of the hand, and another 'boom' followed with another 'merde'.
"Ya think ya can cut that out?" Wolverine snarled at Gambit. Even though he knew it wasn't Gambit's fault, he couldn't help but blame the man for his godson's disappearance.
"Fuck off." Gambit sneered back as his mood became more hostile every passing minute. As soon as those words left his mouth, Wolverine pounced on him with both claws shooting out. Placing a claw right up against Gambit's neck, he barked, "Don't fuckin' talk to me like that. This is your fault and y'know it. I warned you to not talk to her if ya were gonna take it away from her and ya didn't fucking listen. You better pray that the Kid is safe, 'cause if he ain't, there's gonna be some blood to shed. I can fuckin' guarantee that."
With a charged card in hand and positioned above Wolverine's head, Gambit responded with as much intensity, "He's my son."
"Ya don't deserve t'call him your son." Wolverine growled as he pressed the blades deeper into his neck. However, Wolverine's advantageous position wouldn't last as Gambit quickly turned the table by flipping the stout man over. Gambit recovered swiftly as he sprung up on his legs with a few charged cards in hand; ready to be thrown at the feral man.
"Whether or not I deserve t'call de petite my own, he is my son. Remember dat." Gambit hissed as he threw the cards at Wolverine who managed to dodge two out of the three. The third one hit him in the shoulder; and upon contact, it exploded and caused an excruciating burn. Wolverine managed to keep in the cry of pain while his healing power kicked in. He was about to charge at the Cajun again when he found himself frozen in mid-air.
"Stop it, you two! This is not helping anything!" Jean said sternly as she used her telekinetic powers to hold Wolverine in place.
"Jean's right. You two are acting like children." Storm added in.
"Jeanie, let me down." Wolverine asked in a forced calm.
"Not until you promise me that you're going to act civilized." Jean insisted. Wolverine growled but nodded his head in agreement. Jean let go of her hold on him and he landed promptly on his feet. Though he kept his side of the agreement, he still eyed Gambit with hostility.
"We've wasted enough time as it is. Team, assemble on to the Blackbird. We're heading back to the Institute." Cyclops ordered.
The rest of the team obliged to their leader's command, some more reluctantly than others. As Wolverine walked past Gambit, he snarled loudly before continuing grudgingly to the Blackbird. Gambit responded simply by flinging a charged card that landed right behind Wolverine and exploded with a loud 'Boom'. Wolverine turned around and was about to charge at the Cajun, but the telepathic message he received from Jean stopped him in his tracks. Instead, he opted to growl once more at the Cajun before he returned to the Blackbird. In a few quick moments, everyone was loaded up on to the jet except for Storm and Gambit.
Hesitantly, yet knowing it was necessary, she walked up to her once best friend and gently said, "Gambit, I believe it's time to go."
"I ain't part of de team anymore, Stormy." He replied and flicked another charged card over his shoulder.
Hearing him address her as 'Stormy', the nickname she had always hated yet, at this moment she was probably the happiest upon being referred to that. "Gambit, this isn't about the team. Put your pride aside and join us on the Blackbird. I believe it would benefit your son greatly." Storm said with the motherly wisdom that was always embedded in her words.
"He's my son…" Gambit mumbled to himself.
"He's your son and a beautiful child, might I add." Storm said softly.
Gambit looked up at her and then towards the Blackbird. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and said, "I think it's about time you meet him."
He looked at her, his eyes filled with tears, "I t'ink so too."
-xoxo-
The dull buzzing of the fluorescent light mixed with the light breathing from her sleeping self were the only sounds that emanated from the room. With a twist of the handle, he entered the room quietly and seated himself in the chair next to her. Though the yellow light would normally take away from anyone's appearance, it merely highlighted her profile perfectly. He studied her as he leaned closer in towards her.
His hand reached out to her as the memory flooded his mind. He knew her skin was as soft as silk and he could still taste her honey-like lips. That night in the cave was all he had been living off of for the past three years. The kisses, the caresses, the touches, the heat, the passion – the memories were what kept him alive. They kept him alive while he wandered the cold arctic of the south. They kept him alive when he returned to the hostile civilized world. They kept him alive when he simply didn't feel life was worth living anymore and there were so many times in the past three years that he couldn't even keep count of how many times he was so close to blowing himself up.
If only he had found out that he had more than memories to keep him alive. If only he had been told that those bittersweet moments were actually more sweet than bitter. If only he had known that he had a son. There were no doubts in his mind that he would have been a father to that child from the day the boy entered the world. There were no doubts that despite his resentment towards Rogue, he would have not hesitated even a bit to return to her and be a family. But he wasn't given the chance and now that he was, he wasn't even sure if he would ever even get the chance of being a father to the boy.
"Jeremy…" She murmured softly in her sleep.
Remy snapped out of his thoughts as he got up off his seat. "Rogue?" He queried softly.
"Jeremy? JEREMY!" She sprung up, wide awake and with the same frantic look he had seen her with the last time she was awake.
"Rogue, it's okay." He told her gently.
"Remy? Where is he? Where's my baby?" She asked as she scanned the room.
"He's still missing." He responded.
"We have t' find him! Ah'll go find him! We have to find him!" She cried and struggled to get out of bed, but the drug was still effective as she found that her limbs weren't responding well to her persistent will.
"Rogue, sit down. Everyt'ing will be fine." Remy said and gently helped her rest back onto the bed. She clung onto his arm and looked into his eyes where the faint familiarity of the love they once shared returned. However, she quickly let go and looked away in shame as she realized that she had been responsible for keeping him out of his son's life.
The way she looked away from him only brought the resentment back. He leaned back into his chair as his eyes started to glow a livid crimson.
"How could y' do it, Rogue?" He asked bitterly.
"Ah'm…"
"Sorry. We're always so fuckin' sorry, but dis is beyond any t'ing words would be able t'fix. How could y' do dis t'me? Did y' really t'ink dat I'm such a horrible person dat I don't even deserve t'be in my own son's life? Did y' really t'ink dat y' had to punish me even more because of what I did in de past?" He asked in a fury.
"No! That is now how it happened! Fine. Ah was stupid. Ah let ya go. But ah came back and ah would have done anything t'right the wrong. Ah wanted to tell ya. But ya pushed me away. What was ah supposed to do? Ya wanted your freedom from me. Ya wanted nothing to do with me. And ah gave ya that!" She explained in anguish.
"You didn't give me anyt'ing. Y' just let yourself off the hook. Y'know it and I know it. He is my son, dammit! Despite everything we went through, I deserved de right to know! He is my son!" He yelled at her.
"Ya yell as if ya think ah didn't know that! Yes, Jeremy is your son. Yes, it's my fault that ya didn't know about him. Yes, it's my fault that ah messed up. Yes, it's my fault that he's gone because of all this. Yes, everything is my fucking fault! Ah get your point. But ya turned me away! Ya didn't want anything to do with me. And Ah know ah should have told ya about Jeremy despite all that, but you tell me how ah can spend the rest of my life raising a child wit' someone who hates every bone in my body!" She shouted as the tears flowed down her cheeks.
Upon hearing her side of the story, his eyes softened as he took in a deep breath. "I don' hate you." He whispered.
"Ya did a good job of showing that." She replied sarcastically.
"Remember dat I'm not de one who kept your child from you." He responded bitterly as he felt his anger returning. Ready to respond with hurtful words of her own, she prevented herself from saying them as her senses returned.
"Oh God… Remy when are we gonna stop doing this to each other? When are we gonna stop hurtin' each other like this?" She asked and gazed into his eyes.
"I don' know, chere." He mumbled softly.
"Remy, please believe me when ah say ah'm sorry. Ah didn't mean t'hurt ya like this. Not a day went by that ah didn't t'ink of tellin' ya about Jeremy. If ah could change back time, ah would do it in a second. Ah'm so sorry." She apologized as she kept her eye contact with him.
"Rogue, I didn' t hate y'. I could never hate you. I just couldn't accept dat y' made a mistake. It was too simple dat way… I didn't want t'understand. I was angry wit' my life, wit' de fates, wit' everyt'ing in dis world. It was just easier t' be angry wit' you." He explained openly.
"Ya had every right t' be angry with me. It was my fault. No matter the circumstances, ah shouldn't have let go. And ah should have told ya about Jeremy. Now… ya may never…" She stopped mid-sentence as her throat tightened up and the tears flowed uncontrollably.
"We're gonna find him. He'll be fine. Don't you dare give up on him yet… not when I still haven't had de chance t'be a good pere t'de boy." Remy stated strongly and seated himself on the edge of Rogue's bed.
"He's beautiful, Remy. Everything about him reminds me of ya. You'll fall in love wit' the child… he's so gorgeous." Rogue choked.
"I know he is… y' are de mother after all." Remy commented softly as he gazed into Rogue's watery emerald orbs. Every nerve in his body wanted to reach out and hold her, but there was still so much uncertainty and things that needed to be said. Yet, those eyes, and the way her lips quivered with fear - naturally he found himself pulling her into his arms. Her shoulders were tense at first but relaxed as the familiar comfort of being in his arms returned. She clung on to him and breathed in the spicy musk scent that he emanated. He held her close as he allowed himself to drown in the lavender aroma that she always radiated.
"I missed you." The words slipped from his mouth with no restraint.
"Ah missed ya too." The words slipped from her mouth with no hesitation.
A few moments of bliss passed before the former lovers pulled away from each other.
The awkwardness resumed itself in the atmosphere as both their eyes shied away from each other. There were still so many words that needed to be spoken, so many problems that needed a resolution, and so many emotions that needed to be defined. But, they both knew that it wasn't the time to deal with any of it.
Instead, he offered his hand to her and said, "I think it's time we go find de petite."
She took his hand and replied, "Ah think so too."
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