Ch. 16
They talked for a long while. Well, Rogue talked and Remy listened quite a lot. He only offered up the occasional word, or laugh, or grin. The more she talked, the more her pain and confusion over the fight faded as well as the underlying fear. Little broke the string of words as she regaled him with childhood escapades and stories about the X-men. Images flashed in his mind as she spoke, so vivid that part of him felt he lived them with her. It was easy for him to imagine the fragrant air of the spring mornings she and Kitty had shared, or Raven's laugh, or Wolverine's infrequent smiles.
Those barriers dropped one by one for him until only the oldest and most insurmountable remained. The realization softened his smile and if Rogue noticed that he held her a bit closer, she said nothing. Though what did strike her is that yet again Remy had made her world right with so little effort. The hows and whys mattered little to her in the quiet morning with his warmth at her back and his laughter in her ear.
A weak reddish hue spread in a thin line over the eastern horizon to herald the sun's return. Both of their heads turned, and both fell into silent contemplation, and watched. The black blanket broken only by small pinpricks of silvery light raced away as orange followed the red in the old fight for domination of the morning sky. The sun's yellow mane rose in a regal sweep just above the line of its curve, a restless lion rearing its head. Two pairs of eyes narrowed and finally looked away, unable to endure the brightness any longer. Within minutes the battle concluded and the sun hung in its brilliant dominion.
Remy watched the light filter over her face and chuckled as she turned her head with a grumpy mutter. He understood the sentiment. Morning, to most a beginning, to them an end. At night it was easy to pretend that time stretched on in a vast endless wave and moments could be suspended forever. The day, however, gave no such illusions with its sometimes-harsh brightness and the easy track of the sun across the sky. Morning, she needed to get back, and he should go. Two facts the pair could no longer ignore.
And she knew it too. He felt her now restless shifting within his arms, and finally she levered up with a long sigh and a scowl at the sun. A grin formed at the fierceness of her expression, and the image of the sun turning tail to run like a small yelping pup before her ire. The last brought a laugh as he rose to his feet. Rogue turned to face with a wry grin and her own quieter chuckles. She took his gloved hand and rose as well.
He walked her to the edge of the manicured lawns that formed a physical as well as mental boundary. Beyond was her world. Something that Remy was separate from almost in its entirety. Rogue stopped as part of her longed to capture just a few more moments of peace. He waited with his usual patience for her to speak or simply to leave. Her slender fingers tightened over his gloved ones for an instant, then let go.
"Ah don't know how ya do it, Cajun," The generic name sounded sweet from her, "But thahnks." She turned and rewarded him with a smile. One that contained little of its usual melancholy.
"Jus' doin what any good homme shoul', p'tite," His grin broke the spell and that was his intention. The other residents of the mansion would be stirring soon and while Remy LeBeau would dare many things with a laugh and a grin, taking on half the X-men force before their morning cup of coffee seemed more foolhardy than daring.
Another smile for him and she stepped back once then twice reluctant to leave his vicinity. He watched on in silent amusement as she squared her shoulders and turned to face the mansion. Though with each step she took nearer his amusement faded. One by one her barriers rose from the crumbled dust. Remy wondered if he would have to start over again now as he shoved his hands into the trench's pockets and watched her leave. Then again, his gaze flicked from her to the still sleeping mansion; maybe they were the ones needing a fresh start with her.
He waited until the door closed behind her then slipped off into the trees where the sunlight had not yet reached. Even with the underbrush, dead leaves, and twinges, his steps were silent. Instinct took over as it always did when he went into deep thought. His body weaved through the forested area without a misstep. 'Wonder what she's lahke around de Wolverine?' He mused.
Wolverine, the long lost Father figure in her life. From her stories it had not taken a genius to guess just how close she felt to him. His thoughts sorted through each of her tales and 'listened' to the ones about Wolverine again. Teacher and confidant, strong, self-reliant, sure all of these things would comfort a fourteen year old who left home in the middle of the night under tragic circumstance, but it did not explain the closeness of the tie. He frowned, his gloved hand running over his stubbled chin. Remy decided to let the mystery lie in the back of his mind and moved on to the next.
Kitty Pryde. Now that was an uncomplicated bond. Kitty was the little sister she never had and best friend rolled all into one body. Rogue knew what others only suspected: Kitty's intelligence masked behind the valley girl speech and love of shoes. Rogue depended on Kitty more than the other girl ever suspected, or so Remy believed. It's why Rogue had placed herself in very real physical danger with the last Sentinel attack. That was not so hard to figure out. Kitty was to Rogue what the kid Mac had been. He suspected that in saving Kitty that day, Rogue was subconsciously assuring herself that she would have helped Mac if she could have helped him.
Kurt Wagner. His 'Remy sense' detected something else there. Something Rogue was not aware of. It was not romantic inclinations, those he would have felt. Where Kitty was the little sister, Kurt seemed to fill both the role of big and little brother. The way he fussed over her when she was hurt, yet felt no compunction about pulling a prank or two on her. He rubbed his chin again, though this time to relieve an itch. Between Kitty and Kurt, Kurt was the most suspicious of him. He'd felt the other boys sideways glances and the emotions behind them often enough to be assured of that. But he was also happy for Rogue, to see her experience something to what Kurt had with Amanda, so he held his tongue for now.
The next rung in her social life was Jean Grey and Scott Summers. They had arrived at the mansion around the same time as Rogue. He wondered if there was not a deeper understanding between the three than anyone guessed at, well besides the Institute teachers and himself. Colleagues, yes that word fit Rogue's view of her two teammates. Grey and Summers were too different from Rogue for the three of them to be close friends. But they had experienced a lot together as the first three of Xavier's students, and they shared a common thread stronger than differences in music taste.
Professor Charles Xavier provided that thread: Hope. The depth of Rogue's respect for the man had surprised him. Weren't all teenagers supposed to rebel against authority? Yet Rogue held Xavier in a class all his own. Hope that she would learn how to control her mutation, hope that she would not have to shut the world off, hope that she and her friends would not have to hide forever. Not that she followed him blindly. There were things that she disagreed with, but the big picture she shared. Remy suspected that it was belief in that dream that gave Rogue the strength to face her mutation and have something resembling a normal life with it.
The soft metallic slide called his attention. Instinct again had prodded him to pull free his staff and extend it once he reached the wall. A small smirk formed, and he used to the metal pole to vault over the ten foot barrier. Not even a thump when he landed on the other side. His Harley lay hidden in the brush just to his right. Even as he went through the task of freeing the motorcycle his mind catalogued and sorted Rogue's stories.
Mental files formed on each person she mentioned and any information concerning them was tucked into that file. A thief's mind, his mind, analyzed and cross referenced until he had gleaned ever iota of data possible. It locked in new pieces of the puzzle she presented, but even though he now had a rough idea of the outline, the picture she formed was not that much clearer.
Questions remained. What had bond her so close to Wolverine, a man reputed to have no friends only enemies? What was this strange tie to Kurt? Why had she become so committed to Xavier's dream? And on and on the curiosities and wonderings went. He grinned and the engine roared to life then to fall into a soft purr. With every layer he pealed back with her new enigmas leapt to the surface.
'But de gonna have t' wait.' Remy thoughts meandered with a yawn. He had another job to do this evening and would need at least something resembling rest. The bike sped off and raced before the illumination of the nearly risen sun.
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The door thumped to a stop behind Rogue. Her shoes, dampened with morning dew, squeaked against the kitchen's tiled floor as she made her way to the coffee pot. 'Someone's up early.' A near full pot steamed in merry peace and she helped herself to a cup with a dash of sugar and no cream. 'Logan.' She thought after the first taste. No one but Logan, Storm, and she made coffee this strong.
"Mornin' Stripes," The gruff voice jerked her attention to the cracked door. With a yawn, she nudged it open to see Logan seated at a table nestled in the arc of a bay window. The morning paper spilled out over the table in front of him and the soft noise of the news permeated the room. Rogue glanced to the clock. 5:00. At least another hour to pass before anyone else thought of rising.
"Hey, Logan," She slid into the chair next to him. A jolt at the unexpected warmth of the ceramic cup hit her as she took the first drink. Hot and bitter-sweet, the coffee spilled across her tongue and left a trail of heat down her throat. A small sigh of contentment followed. Coffee, gift of the gods, and friend to non-morning people everywhere. 'Wonder if a love of caffeine could unite tha world?' She smirked.
"Have a good talk last night?" His was tone neutral, too neutral in fact.
"Yeah," Never did she think to hide it. What was the point with someone who had the ability to smell a three day old trail in the rain? "You mad?"
"Honestly?" She nodded though he smelled the nervousness on her. "Don't know. Can't say I'm too fonda havin' one of Mags' men so close, but he didn't do anything near as I can tell."
"Should Ah have invahted him fa' coffee then?" She joked. But Logan's keen ears picked up an undercurrent in her tone. Her jesting manner only covered up a serious question.
"Maybe," She blinked, "Would be nice to meet the kid yer goin' out with durin' somethin' other than a fight." His laughter rang gruff and short.
"Well there ya go, we ain' anythin' more 'n friends, so ya ain't gotta worry 'bout him n' givin Tha Speech," A grin lit her expression as Logan put down the paper and looked at her for the first time. Years of fighting, struggling, and barely surviving at times had given the stoic man a gaze that could wither even the most courageous. His students had seen it often enough. But in moments like this those steel gray eyes softened.
"Just friends huh? Right," He smirked. 'Don' wanna be the one to have this talk with her, but someone's gotta.'
"What else is there?" She looked down at the cup held between her hands.
"What else do you want there to be?" He countered.
"Want? What's that gotta do with anythin'?" One arm propped on the table and supported her chin.
"Don't be a smartass."
"Ah'm bein' serious, Logan. With everythin' goin' on in tha world n' heah. Bayville, tha Institute, everythin', makes what Ah want unimportant. Ya said it yaself. He works fa' Magneto. Too many otha things come first, y'know?"
"Maybe," He said again with careful contemplation, "So why are you even friends with the kid?"
"'Cause I don' wanna end up lahke Magento. Fahtin' everaone that don' see things mah way. Runnin' through anyone n' everaone that gets in mah way n' convinced that Ah'm rahght n' everaone else is wrong." His brows raised. Not the answer he expected at all.
"Stripes, I don't think you have to worry about that." He smirked.
"Not rahgt now. But what'a 'bout lattah? Afta Ah've been workin' n' fahtin' s'long as ya'll have?"
"You take it a day at a time. Keep yer eyes on the road n' occasionally look around t' make sure yer still on the right path. It's not always easy, but that's what yer friends are for, t' keep you on the right path, n' you t' keep them on it too."
"Ya make it sound sa' simple." He shrugged and took a drink of his own coffee.
"It isn't. I know that n' you know that, but the solution's still the same. Things change, Stripes, people change. You can only try n' change in the right ways at the right times. Screw ups are just a' fact of life. Believe me kiddo, I know. Answers usually are simple, just hard to execute." She smiled and Logan just waited. One thing he and all the teachers here tried to impress upon the kids was to talk to them and each other. Especially about things like this.
"Hard ta imagine you, tha Professah, o' Storm makin' mistakes." He grinned.
"We've just learned to mask it better, kid. That's another thing that comes with age." She smirked only to look down again.
"So, jus' fer arguments sake, what if meh n' Gambit. ummm. did .see each other?" It took over half the awkward question for Rogue to lift her head. Even then her gaze was still too low to meet Logan's.
"Fer arguments sake?" She nodded with a nervous shift. "Probably wouldn't be easy, but I think ya know that already. N' there is that small detail of where his allegiances are." Logan let the words trail off under the suspicion that Gambit working with Magneto was not the real issue here.
"So Ah should jus' f'get about it?"
"Didn't say that, now did I?" She shook her head. "All right, now, what's really on yer mind, Stripes?"
"Not sure really," Rogue stopped for a moment under the pretense of a drink. "Ah jus' enjoy bein' 'round 'im. S'mtimes it's lahke he knows what Ah want b'fore Ah do. Lahke last night, Ah wan'ed ta see 'im, had no idea how t' find 'im, n' poof theah 'e is." The beginnings of her smile and the softness of her voice made Logan wonder if this relationship was not already beyond 'friends', at least for her.
"And?" He prompted.
"That's tha problem," Rogue sighed and gained her feet. 'Here comes the pacin'.' Logan thought, and sure enough Rogue stepped around the table to the window. "Is theah an' 'And'? Ah mean what kind ofa relationship c'n come outta this? We fahgt Saturday n' meet up in secret that naght n' profess ouah undyin' love unda tha stahs afta kickin' tha crap outta each otha?" With each word Rogue's accent grew heavier and the pacing resumed. On her next pass by the table, she grabbed the cup and took a long drink.
"Be lahke s'me twistahed Romeo n' Juliet? N' thahnks!" She shook her head. "Ah ain' gonna end up lahke tha' n' Ah reallah don' think tha' Gahmbit's tha' type ta wan' tha' eithah." She went to take another drink only to scowl a second later. Out of coffee. Logan rose and took her cup over to the counter for a refill along with his own.
"All right, how would you try n' avoid that?" He smirked as his mind imagined a few scenes from the famous play but with the Montagues and Capulets replaced with Acolytes and X-men. Funny did not even begin to describe. Especially since Rogue was no faint flower to accept whatever destiny chose to throw at her.
"Thahnks," A brief smile formed when he handed her a fresh, steaming cup. "Ah'm not sure. 'Sides the obvious tha' is. He could quit tha Acolahtes n' come heah o' meh theah. But Ah ain' leavin' heah, n' Ah'm not s'sure 'e'd leave theah. S'tha' leaves not a whole 'lot a' options. I's not lahke Ah could jus' let 'im go inna faght, o' 'im meh."
"We ain't talking just fer 'arguments sake' anymore are we?" He arched a brow as she looked down.
"No, Ah guess not. Ah need ta figuah this out. Know what Ah'm gonna do b'foah it gets t'deep." He nodded though he was not surprised. Rogue was not one to rush into anything.
"Stripes, might be the only thing you can do is play it by ear, or just stop seein' the kid all together," Logan watched the frown form with his last words. Then she heaved a long drawn out sigh.
"Ah know. Ah'm lookin' at a dead end n' refusin' ta admit Ah see it comin' rahght?"
"Maybe. That's the problem, you just can't know fer sure what's gonna happen tomorrow or the day after. If somethin's important y' work fer it. You just gotta decide if it's important enough n' if the benefits outweigh the risks.
"Ah think they do. Ah mean, Ah'm not sure, but part a' meh says 'yeah'. Jus' not sure if tha's tha rational part a' meh," He chuckled at her lopsided grin. Inside, Logan knew the safest thing for Rogue was to forget the whole thing. From her words, it did not sound like she knew why Gambit was with Magneto nor was she entirely trusting of the kid's intentions.
His gray eyes settled upon her silent, contemplative visage. Those green eyes locked to the dark brew swirling in the cup with the steady roll of her hand as she held it. Rogue balanced at the precarious point in life where the choices one made today would affect the rest of one's life, a pivot between child and adult. Each decision made now would propel her into the future and form the rough sketch of her path. Experience told Logan this was the second of such choices for Rogue, the first being her decision to come to the Institute years ago.
She drank with a soft slurp and seemed to forget he even sat there with her. A grin cracked his stoic features as he took a drink of his own. Thoughts swirled in Rogue's mind in a whirlwind. He did not need to be a telepath to know that's exactly what was happening. It showed in the knit of her brow, the way she chewed on her lower lip. Logan knew she would make the right choices in the end, but that they would not be easy for her unless Gambit's path changed.
The obviousness of it saddened the gruff man. Rogue held a special place in Logan's heart. The daughter he might have had if his own life had not been such a chaotic and painful mess. He wanted to see her happy even if her mutation never came under her control. Gambit had fitted the last piece into place for her. Though he doubted either of them realized it. He stifled a sigh and rose with the sudden need to vent some frustrations before the morning lessons.
Rogue blinked and flinched on instinct when his arms came around her. Logan was not one to show affection beyond the occasional pat on the back. Her surprise dissolved into a smile as she returned the hug with both gratefulness and a sense of comfort. He squeezed her to him then let go with a light ruffle to her two toned hair.
"Listen, Stripes, no matter what happens with Gambit, with anything I'll always be here for ya. You've gotta good head on yer shoulders. you'll figure this out."
"Thahnks Logan," She smiled an expression he returned as he headed for the door.
"N' Stripes?" He called from the door.
"Yeah?"
"That hug never happened." Rogue suppressed a laugh and nodded.
"Don' worry teach, Ah won' let tha othahs know ya goin' soft," A grunt was his only response.
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I know this update took forever and I do apologize, but I was never entirely happy with this chapter. Yet there were some elements that I liked and overall I felt that it helped position the story into the place I need it to be. I am still wondering about this one, and will likely go back and re-write it at some point, or just scrap it altogether.
For the sake of getting this chapter up and running, I've decided to skip the personal thanks, but I am very thankful to each person who took the time to read and review this. Some of you have been keeping up with this story to since the first couple of chapters, some have come later on. Either way, thank you. It not only means a lot to me to read your words of encouragement and yes criticisms too, but they help me see where the story needs to go next.
Now a couple of people have mentioned the need for more action. To be honest this isn't a story that will have a lot of action scenes in it. The main focus of this is Rogue and Remy, or more specifically the evolution of their relationship. Action will only occur in this fic if it has (or will have) something to do with that relationship. I really do not want to say much more than that so I don't risk spoiling what's to come. But I will keep the need for action in mind because it does help add a lil adrenaline into the story.
Some comments on their relationship since I got a couple of reviews that specifically addressed this. One was concerning the rather heated nature of their relationship in the beginning and how it tapered off later. I will now refer to the famous (heh so I wish!) peanut butter and jelly sandwich scene. Here Remy realizes that the "usual" tactics are not going to work. The more he flirts the more she'll run, by taking that first fateful bite Remy silently and perhaps even subconsciously agrees to play things her way, though it will be his variation of her way. In the spirit of that, I've tried (and perhaps not done well enough) to show that of all her friends, Remy is the one that is constantly invading that great "Visible, Invisible Shield" that Rogue has erected around herself. He is both pushing and pulling at the same time. He knows it's a fine line, and he risks being doomed to that "friend" category forever, but he is a risk taker. Rogue is not sure what to make of him yet. She trusts him, yet doesn't, she likes him, but shouldn't and on and on. Remy is a walking contradiction to her life and for all that she has dealt with ok so far, there is still much that she's confused on. So her actions towards him can go from happy to sad in the blink of an eye.
I know this has caused some frustration in the way that they come close to admitting to each other that they at very least care, but then spiral out of it again. But they are also not quite adults, yet expected to play that role in a world that is increasingly growing violent for them. Subconsciously they both know that one day they will come into direct contention with one another, and they dread it. So they also try and distance themselves from each other without distancing themselves from each other.
They have a tangled web to weed through that is not entirely of their own making. I hope this helps alleviate the frustration a bit and answer some questions. This will likely be the only update before the holiday season, but I will try and have one ready shortly after the holidays end. I wish you all the best and thanks again for both reading and reviewing this piece; it truly does mean a lot to me.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!
They talked for a long while. Well, Rogue talked and Remy listened quite a lot. He only offered up the occasional word, or laugh, or grin. The more she talked, the more her pain and confusion over the fight faded as well as the underlying fear. Little broke the string of words as she regaled him with childhood escapades and stories about the X-men. Images flashed in his mind as she spoke, so vivid that part of him felt he lived them with her. It was easy for him to imagine the fragrant air of the spring mornings she and Kitty had shared, or Raven's laugh, or Wolverine's infrequent smiles.
Those barriers dropped one by one for him until only the oldest and most insurmountable remained. The realization softened his smile and if Rogue noticed that he held her a bit closer, she said nothing. Though what did strike her is that yet again Remy had made her world right with so little effort. The hows and whys mattered little to her in the quiet morning with his warmth at her back and his laughter in her ear.
A weak reddish hue spread in a thin line over the eastern horizon to herald the sun's return. Both of their heads turned, and both fell into silent contemplation, and watched. The black blanket broken only by small pinpricks of silvery light raced away as orange followed the red in the old fight for domination of the morning sky. The sun's yellow mane rose in a regal sweep just above the line of its curve, a restless lion rearing its head. Two pairs of eyes narrowed and finally looked away, unable to endure the brightness any longer. Within minutes the battle concluded and the sun hung in its brilliant dominion.
Remy watched the light filter over her face and chuckled as she turned her head with a grumpy mutter. He understood the sentiment. Morning, to most a beginning, to them an end. At night it was easy to pretend that time stretched on in a vast endless wave and moments could be suspended forever. The day, however, gave no such illusions with its sometimes-harsh brightness and the easy track of the sun across the sky. Morning, she needed to get back, and he should go. Two facts the pair could no longer ignore.
And she knew it too. He felt her now restless shifting within his arms, and finally she levered up with a long sigh and a scowl at the sun. A grin formed at the fierceness of her expression, and the image of the sun turning tail to run like a small yelping pup before her ire. The last brought a laugh as he rose to his feet. Rogue turned to face with a wry grin and her own quieter chuckles. She took his gloved hand and rose as well.
He walked her to the edge of the manicured lawns that formed a physical as well as mental boundary. Beyond was her world. Something that Remy was separate from almost in its entirety. Rogue stopped as part of her longed to capture just a few more moments of peace. He waited with his usual patience for her to speak or simply to leave. Her slender fingers tightened over his gloved ones for an instant, then let go.
"Ah don't know how ya do it, Cajun," The generic name sounded sweet from her, "But thahnks." She turned and rewarded him with a smile. One that contained little of its usual melancholy.
"Jus' doin what any good homme shoul', p'tite," His grin broke the spell and that was his intention. The other residents of the mansion would be stirring soon and while Remy LeBeau would dare many things with a laugh and a grin, taking on half the X-men force before their morning cup of coffee seemed more foolhardy than daring.
Another smile for him and she stepped back once then twice reluctant to leave his vicinity. He watched on in silent amusement as she squared her shoulders and turned to face the mansion. Though with each step she took nearer his amusement faded. One by one her barriers rose from the crumbled dust. Remy wondered if he would have to start over again now as he shoved his hands into the trench's pockets and watched her leave. Then again, his gaze flicked from her to the still sleeping mansion; maybe they were the ones needing a fresh start with her.
He waited until the door closed behind her then slipped off into the trees where the sunlight had not yet reached. Even with the underbrush, dead leaves, and twinges, his steps were silent. Instinct took over as it always did when he went into deep thought. His body weaved through the forested area without a misstep. 'Wonder what she's lahke around de Wolverine?' He mused.
Wolverine, the long lost Father figure in her life. From her stories it had not taken a genius to guess just how close she felt to him. His thoughts sorted through each of her tales and 'listened' to the ones about Wolverine again. Teacher and confidant, strong, self-reliant, sure all of these things would comfort a fourteen year old who left home in the middle of the night under tragic circumstance, but it did not explain the closeness of the tie. He frowned, his gloved hand running over his stubbled chin. Remy decided to let the mystery lie in the back of his mind and moved on to the next.
Kitty Pryde. Now that was an uncomplicated bond. Kitty was the little sister she never had and best friend rolled all into one body. Rogue knew what others only suspected: Kitty's intelligence masked behind the valley girl speech and love of shoes. Rogue depended on Kitty more than the other girl ever suspected, or so Remy believed. It's why Rogue had placed herself in very real physical danger with the last Sentinel attack. That was not so hard to figure out. Kitty was to Rogue what the kid Mac had been. He suspected that in saving Kitty that day, Rogue was subconsciously assuring herself that she would have helped Mac if she could have helped him.
Kurt Wagner. His 'Remy sense' detected something else there. Something Rogue was not aware of. It was not romantic inclinations, those he would have felt. Where Kitty was the little sister, Kurt seemed to fill both the role of big and little brother. The way he fussed over her when she was hurt, yet felt no compunction about pulling a prank or two on her. He rubbed his chin again, though this time to relieve an itch. Between Kitty and Kurt, Kurt was the most suspicious of him. He'd felt the other boys sideways glances and the emotions behind them often enough to be assured of that. But he was also happy for Rogue, to see her experience something to what Kurt had with Amanda, so he held his tongue for now.
The next rung in her social life was Jean Grey and Scott Summers. They had arrived at the mansion around the same time as Rogue. He wondered if there was not a deeper understanding between the three than anyone guessed at, well besides the Institute teachers and himself. Colleagues, yes that word fit Rogue's view of her two teammates. Grey and Summers were too different from Rogue for the three of them to be close friends. But they had experienced a lot together as the first three of Xavier's students, and they shared a common thread stronger than differences in music taste.
Professor Charles Xavier provided that thread: Hope. The depth of Rogue's respect for the man had surprised him. Weren't all teenagers supposed to rebel against authority? Yet Rogue held Xavier in a class all his own. Hope that she would learn how to control her mutation, hope that she would not have to shut the world off, hope that she and her friends would not have to hide forever. Not that she followed him blindly. There were things that she disagreed with, but the big picture she shared. Remy suspected that it was belief in that dream that gave Rogue the strength to face her mutation and have something resembling a normal life with it.
The soft metallic slide called his attention. Instinct again had prodded him to pull free his staff and extend it once he reached the wall. A small smirk formed, and he used to the metal pole to vault over the ten foot barrier. Not even a thump when he landed on the other side. His Harley lay hidden in the brush just to his right. Even as he went through the task of freeing the motorcycle his mind catalogued and sorted Rogue's stories.
Mental files formed on each person she mentioned and any information concerning them was tucked into that file. A thief's mind, his mind, analyzed and cross referenced until he had gleaned ever iota of data possible. It locked in new pieces of the puzzle she presented, but even though he now had a rough idea of the outline, the picture she formed was not that much clearer.
Questions remained. What had bond her so close to Wolverine, a man reputed to have no friends only enemies? What was this strange tie to Kurt? Why had she become so committed to Xavier's dream? And on and on the curiosities and wonderings went. He grinned and the engine roared to life then to fall into a soft purr. With every layer he pealed back with her new enigmas leapt to the surface.
'But de gonna have t' wait.' Remy thoughts meandered with a yawn. He had another job to do this evening and would need at least something resembling rest. The bike sped off and raced before the illumination of the nearly risen sun.
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The door thumped to a stop behind Rogue. Her shoes, dampened with morning dew, squeaked against the kitchen's tiled floor as she made her way to the coffee pot. 'Someone's up early.' A near full pot steamed in merry peace and she helped herself to a cup with a dash of sugar and no cream. 'Logan.' She thought after the first taste. No one but Logan, Storm, and she made coffee this strong.
"Mornin' Stripes," The gruff voice jerked her attention to the cracked door. With a yawn, she nudged it open to see Logan seated at a table nestled in the arc of a bay window. The morning paper spilled out over the table in front of him and the soft noise of the news permeated the room. Rogue glanced to the clock. 5:00. At least another hour to pass before anyone else thought of rising.
"Hey, Logan," She slid into the chair next to him. A jolt at the unexpected warmth of the ceramic cup hit her as she took the first drink. Hot and bitter-sweet, the coffee spilled across her tongue and left a trail of heat down her throat. A small sigh of contentment followed. Coffee, gift of the gods, and friend to non-morning people everywhere. 'Wonder if a love of caffeine could unite tha world?' She smirked.
"Have a good talk last night?" His was tone neutral, too neutral in fact.
"Yeah," Never did she think to hide it. What was the point with someone who had the ability to smell a three day old trail in the rain? "You mad?"
"Honestly?" She nodded though he smelled the nervousness on her. "Don't know. Can't say I'm too fonda havin' one of Mags' men so close, but he didn't do anything near as I can tell."
"Should Ah have invahted him fa' coffee then?" She joked. But Logan's keen ears picked up an undercurrent in her tone. Her jesting manner only covered up a serious question.
"Maybe," She blinked, "Would be nice to meet the kid yer goin' out with durin' somethin' other than a fight." His laughter rang gruff and short.
"Well there ya go, we ain' anythin' more 'n friends, so ya ain't gotta worry 'bout him n' givin Tha Speech," A grin lit her expression as Logan put down the paper and looked at her for the first time. Years of fighting, struggling, and barely surviving at times had given the stoic man a gaze that could wither even the most courageous. His students had seen it often enough. But in moments like this those steel gray eyes softened.
"Just friends huh? Right," He smirked. 'Don' wanna be the one to have this talk with her, but someone's gotta.'
"What else is there?" She looked down at the cup held between her hands.
"What else do you want there to be?" He countered.
"Want? What's that gotta do with anythin'?" One arm propped on the table and supported her chin.
"Don't be a smartass."
"Ah'm bein' serious, Logan. With everythin' goin' on in tha world n' heah. Bayville, tha Institute, everythin', makes what Ah want unimportant. Ya said it yaself. He works fa' Magneto. Too many otha things come first, y'know?"
"Maybe," He said again with careful contemplation, "So why are you even friends with the kid?"
"'Cause I don' wanna end up lahke Magento. Fahtin' everaone that don' see things mah way. Runnin' through anyone n' everaone that gets in mah way n' convinced that Ah'm rahght n' everaone else is wrong." His brows raised. Not the answer he expected at all.
"Stripes, I don't think you have to worry about that." He smirked.
"Not rahgt now. But what'a 'bout lattah? Afta Ah've been workin' n' fahtin' s'long as ya'll have?"
"You take it a day at a time. Keep yer eyes on the road n' occasionally look around t' make sure yer still on the right path. It's not always easy, but that's what yer friends are for, t' keep you on the right path, n' you t' keep them on it too."
"Ya make it sound sa' simple." He shrugged and took a drink of his own coffee.
"It isn't. I know that n' you know that, but the solution's still the same. Things change, Stripes, people change. You can only try n' change in the right ways at the right times. Screw ups are just a' fact of life. Believe me kiddo, I know. Answers usually are simple, just hard to execute." She smiled and Logan just waited. One thing he and all the teachers here tried to impress upon the kids was to talk to them and each other. Especially about things like this.
"Hard ta imagine you, tha Professah, o' Storm makin' mistakes." He grinned.
"We've just learned to mask it better, kid. That's another thing that comes with age." She smirked only to look down again.
"So, jus' fer arguments sake, what if meh n' Gambit. ummm. did .see each other?" It took over half the awkward question for Rogue to lift her head. Even then her gaze was still too low to meet Logan's.
"Fer arguments sake?" She nodded with a nervous shift. "Probably wouldn't be easy, but I think ya know that already. N' there is that small detail of where his allegiances are." Logan let the words trail off under the suspicion that Gambit working with Magneto was not the real issue here.
"So Ah should jus' f'get about it?"
"Didn't say that, now did I?" She shook her head. "All right, now, what's really on yer mind, Stripes?"
"Not sure really," Rogue stopped for a moment under the pretense of a drink. "Ah jus' enjoy bein' 'round 'im. S'mtimes it's lahke he knows what Ah want b'fore Ah do. Lahke last night, Ah wan'ed ta see 'im, had no idea how t' find 'im, n' poof theah 'e is." The beginnings of her smile and the softness of her voice made Logan wonder if this relationship was not already beyond 'friends', at least for her.
"And?" He prompted.
"That's tha problem," Rogue sighed and gained her feet. 'Here comes the pacin'.' Logan thought, and sure enough Rogue stepped around the table to the window. "Is theah an' 'And'? Ah mean what kind ofa relationship c'n come outta this? We fahgt Saturday n' meet up in secret that naght n' profess ouah undyin' love unda tha stahs afta kickin' tha crap outta each otha?" With each word Rogue's accent grew heavier and the pacing resumed. On her next pass by the table, she grabbed the cup and took a long drink.
"Be lahke s'me twistahed Romeo n' Juliet? N' thahnks!" She shook her head. "Ah ain' gonna end up lahke tha' n' Ah reallah don' think tha' Gahmbit's tha' type ta wan' tha' eithah." She went to take another drink only to scowl a second later. Out of coffee. Logan rose and took her cup over to the counter for a refill along with his own.
"All right, how would you try n' avoid that?" He smirked as his mind imagined a few scenes from the famous play but with the Montagues and Capulets replaced with Acolytes and X-men. Funny did not even begin to describe. Especially since Rogue was no faint flower to accept whatever destiny chose to throw at her.
"Thahnks," A brief smile formed when he handed her a fresh, steaming cup. "Ah'm not sure. 'Sides the obvious tha' is. He could quit tha Acolahtes n' come heah o' meh theah. But Ah ain' leavin' heah, n' Ah'm not s'sure 'e'd leave theah. S'tha' leaves not a whole 'lot a' options. I's not lahke Ah could jus' let 'im go inna faght, o' 'im meh."
"We ain't talking just fer 'arguments sake' anymore are we?" He arched a brow as she looked down.
"No, Ah guess not. Ah need ta figuah this out. Know what Ah'm gonna do b'foah it gets t'deep." He nodded though he was not surprised. Rogue was not one to rush into anything.
"Stripes, might be the only thing you can do is play it by ear, or just stop seein' the kid all together," Logan watched the frown form with his last words. Then she heaved a long drawn out sigh.
"Ah know. Ah'm lookin' at a dead end n' refusin' ta admit Ah see it comin' rahght?"
"Maybe. That's the problem, you just can't know fer sure what's gonna happen tomorrow or the day after. If somethin's important y' work fer it. You just gotta decide if it's important enough n' if the benefits outweigh the risks.
"Ah think they do. Ah mean, Ah'm not sure, but part a' meh says 'yeah'. Jus' not sure if tha's tha rational part a' meh," He chuckled at her lopsided grin. Inside, Logan knew the safest thing for Rogue was to forget the whole thing. From her words, it did not sound like she knew why Gambit was with Magneto nor was she entirely trusting of the kid's intentions.
His gray eyes settled upon her silent, contemplative visage. Those green eyes locked to the dark brew swirling in the cup with the steady roll of her hand as she held it. Rogue balanced at the precarious point in life where the choices one made today would affect the rest of one's life, a pivot between child and adult. Each decision made now would propel her into the future and form the rough sketch of her path. Experience told Logan this was the second of such choices for Rogue, the first being her decision to come to the Institute years ago.
She drank with a soft slurp and seemed to forget he even sat there with her. A grin cracked his stoic features as he took a drink of his own. Thoughts swirled in Rogue's mind in a whirlwind. He did not need to be a telepath to know that's exactly what was happening. It showed in the knit of her brow, the way she chewed on her lower lip. Logan knew she would make the right choices in the end, but that they would not be easy for her unless Gambit's path changed.
The obviousness of it saddened the gruff man. Rogue held a special place in Logan's heart. The daughter he might have had if his own life had not been such a chaotic and painful mess. He wanted to see her happy even if her mutation never came under her control. Gambit had fitted the last piece into place for her. Though he doubted either of them realized it. He stifled a sigh and rose with the sudden need to vent some frustrations before the morning lessons.
Rogue blinked and flinched on instinct when his arms came around her. Logan was not one to show affection beyond the occasional pat on the back. Her surprise dissolved into a smile as she returned the hug with both gratefulness and a sense of comfort. He squeezed her to him then let go with a light ruffle to her two toned hair.
"Listen, Stripes, no matter what happens with Gambit, with anything I'll always be here for ya. You've gotta good head on yer shoulders. you'll figure this out."
"Thahnks Logan," She smiled an expression he returned as he headed for the door.
"N' Stripes?" He called from the door.
"Yeah?"
"That hug never happened." Rogue suppressed a laugh and nodded.
"Don' worry teach, Ah won' let tha othahs know ya goin' soft," A grunt was his only response.
.................................................................
I know this update took forever and I do apologize, but I was never entirely happy with this chapter. Yet there were some elements that I liked and overall I felt that it helped position the story into the place I need it to be. I am still wondering about this one, and will likely go back and re-write it at some point, or just scrap it altogether.
For the sake of getting this chapter up and running, I've decided to skip the personal thanks, but I am very thankful to each person who took the time to read and review this. Some of you have been keeping up with this story to since the first couple of chapters, some have come later on. Either way, thank you. It not only means a lot to me to read your words of encouragement and yes criticisms too, but they help me see where the story needs to go next.
Now a couple of people have mentioned the need for more action. To be honest this isn't a story that will have a lot of action scenes in it. The main focus of this is Rogue and Remy, or more specifically the evolution of their relationship. Action will only occur in this fic if it has (or will have) something to do with that relationship. I really do not want to say much more than that so I don't risk spoiling what's to come. But I will keep the need for action in mind because it does help add a lil adrenaline into the story.
Some comments on their relationship since I got a couple of reviews that specifically addressed this. One was concerning the rather heated nature of their relationship in the beginning and how it tapered off later. I will now refer to the famous (heh so I wish!) peanut butter and jelly sandwich scene. Here Remy realizes that the "usual" tactics are not going to work. The more he flirts the more she'll run, by taking that first fateful bite Remy silently and perhaps even subconsciously agrees to play things her way, though it will be his variation of her way. In the spirit of that, I've tried (and perhaps not done well enough) to show that of all her friends, Remy is the one that is constantly invading that great "Visible, Invisible Shield" that Rogue has erected around herself. He is both pushing and pulling at the same time. He knows it's a fine line, and he risks being doomed to that "friend" category forever, but he is a risk taker. Rogue is not sure what to make of him yet. She trusts him, yet doesn't, she likes him, but shouldn't and on and on. Remy is a walking contradiction to her life and for all that she has dealt with ok so far, there is still much that she's confused on. So her actions towards him can go from happy to sad in the blink of an eye.
I know this has caused some frustration in the way that they come close to admitting to each other that they at very least care, but then spiral out of it again. But they are also not quite adults, yet expected to play that role in a world that is increasingly growing violent for them. Subconsciously they both know that one day they will come into direct contention with one another, and they dread it. So they also try and distance themselves from each other without distancing themselves from each other.
They have a tangled web to weed through that is not entirely of their own making. I hope this helps alleviate the frustration a bit and answer some questions. This will likely be the only update before the holiday season, but I will try and have one ready shortly after the holidays end. I wish you all the best and thanks again for both reading and reviewing this piece; it truly does mean a lot to me.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Holidays!