Authors Note: I cannot begin to say how pleased I am with the feedback I'm getting for this. I was a bit worried about it, but its made a couple of favourites lists already, so I'm smiling! Its nice to know how much faith y'all have in me!

Ishandahalf: lol, yep nice and normal. One day I will remember that he tried to blow her up and write a story accordingly, I think I'm gonna have to tattoo it onto my hand though otherwise it's a lost cause! Everybody needs a bit of fluff in their lives, I hope this does!

Star-of-Chaos: review addictions are terrible; I'll end up in review rehab before the year is out ;-)

MorriganFearn: ahh sparking a little controversy there with the California thing. Like I said, I've never been to California, so I have to go on what I've seen on TV, which is always the best thing to get opinions from, they often tend to sugar the pill. I guess in any place there will be good parts and bad parts, that's certainly the case where I live anyway so people will have different opinions depending where they're from. I agree with the warmth envy though, I'd love to fly south for the winter or something!

Marin M: ok, onto the second part of the California debate. In a vague attempt to mediate here, I think there are just some generalisations you have to take with a pinch of salt, after all, if I had a quid for every inaccurate British stereotype I've seen, I would be on a beach in the South of France right about now. Like I said, in any place there are going to be good areas and bad areas, its hard to get an even view. I'm sure nothing was meant by it. Shall we all shake hands?

EvilWhiteRaven: ahh well I tried, thanks for the review!

Freak87: haha, I'm trying to get a mental picture of that and its too scary for words! It seems I've failed slightly on the cliffhanger then, maybe some other time I'll get it right....

pyros-gal: why thank you. Good use of words eh? I think I know what you mean, unfortunately, I'm a very wordy person! Thanks for the review.

Turquoise: aww you're just lovely! I think parts of this are a bit rushed, later parts I mean, you'll see when they come around, I tried not to but I can't help it sometimes. And cliffhanger-ish can be a word if you want it to be, my spell checker says the "cliffhanger" isn't actually a valid word but I'm choosing to ignore it!

Anamaniax: y'know, its really really nice to still get the odd review for 'one more star...' even though its over and done with now, I'm very proud of that story so thank you very much! Thank you for the review for this story too, you said some lovely things
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Footprints in the Sand

Chapter Five (Nights)

Not too far down the beach, Rogue saw Remy sitting on the sand in front of a small campfire that he'd made. Walking over to him, it soon became clear that he also had a small, wicker picnic basket beside him. Clearly some thought had gone into this after all.

"Hey swamprat" she called as she walked towards him, making him turn and smile.

'Mon dieu,' he thought to himself. She looked gorgeous, wearing a purple off the shoulder top and a black knee length skirt, with oddly, black gloves and stockings despite the warmth. Still, she looked much more relaxed and happy than when they had met previously, this made a nice change. This wouldn't be the first time he'd felt like this about her though, especially when he'd seen her in that bikini...his mind began to wander to some of its more impure daydreams.

He snapped himself out of it though when she finally came and sat down beside him, taking in the warm glow from the crude campfire he had constructed from mainly, bits of dried driftwood.

"Bonjour chére. Hungry?"

"Sure." She tried to be as calm as possible and completely forget what he'd been like in her room. She found herself wanting, despite all the voices in her head and her better judgement, to give him a chance.

The picnic basket, it turned out, was full of the southern food that they both loved. Living in New York, it had been a long time since Rogue had eaten proper gumbo and she had forgotten just how spicy it was. Quickly she gulped down some water as it burnt all the coating off her tongue.

Her inability to handle chilli made Remy laugh. He was used to it, the spicier it was, the better he liked it. He was beginning to suspect that his mouth was in fact fireproof...

"So what y' doin' in California Rogue?"

"Ah'm just on vacation, came to get away for a bit y'know..." He nodded, he understood that completely. "And how about ya?" she countered.

"Same as y' chére, jus' need t' get away from everyt'ing."

Rogue watched the fire for a bit. She'd always liked watching fire; the flames seemed to dance and made her drift a million miles away. It didn't last long however.

"Y' come here from de south right? Same as Remy."

"Nah, Ah've come here from the east, New York...."

"Forgive dis ol' t'ief if he's wrong chére, but dat don' seem like a New Yorker accent..."

Rogue laughed. "Ah moved from Mississippi ta New York a few years ago, Ah go ta school there."

"What? Like a boardin' school or somet'ing?"

"Ah guess, Ah live there an' everythin'..."

"Deres somet'ing y' aint tellin' Remy chére, he can tell."

"Ya really wanna know?" he nodded.

"It's a school for mutants."

"So dat would make y' a mutant huh."

'Well that's it' thought Rogue. He was obviously wasn't comfortable with the whole idea of mutants. She supposed that was just a risk of telling people. She had to say, she was disappointed though, she was growing to like him.

"Me too." Now that was a surprise answer, Rogue had been expecting a very abrupt end to their little 'date'.

"Really? Whats ya power?"

"I charge thin's up. Dey glow, dey explode, can't really explain it...How bout y' chére? Whats y' gift?"

"Mahne ain't a gift, it's a curse..."

"Go on chére, Remy ain't gonna judge or anyt'ing." Rogue gave him a very funny look.

"Anytahme Ah touch anyone Ah absorb their energy, if their a mutant Ah get their powers too. Usually puts 'em in a coma or at least knocks 'em out..."

"So y' never touch anyone p'tite?" Rogue nodded mournfully. It suddenly became very clear to Remy why Rogue was wearing gloves and tights on such a warm California evening.

It seemed like Rogue wanted to shift the attention away from herself as she decided to change the subject.

"Wah are ya wearin' sunglasses at nahte Remy?"

"Y' really wanna know?"

"Yeah, go on." Remy took a deep breath in, he figured she would find out sooner or later anyway, might as well be like this. He mentally prepared himself for screams of terror or her to run away, just like so many other people had done. Slowly, he removed the glasses, practically wincing waiting for her to say something.

When Remy took off his glasses, Rogue found herself met by the pair of most extraordinarily beautiful eyes she had ever seen. Black as the night on the outside, as red as a rose on the in. She guessed that most people probably found them fairly alarming, hence his bizarre facial expression, but then again, she wasn't most people.

"They're beautiful Rem."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they're unique." A grin spread across Remy's handsome face.

"Merci chére."

The conversation quickly took a different direction and before either of them knew it, they were talking about everything and anything, happily chatting and laughing like they had been friends from years rather than just a few hours.

Rogue knew it was late, but didn't know exactly how late. As she suppressed yet another yawn, she reached over and grabbed Remy's arm, turning it over to see the face of his watch. It was a quarter to two in the morning.

"Ah better go, Ah should prob'ly get some sleep. Ah had fun though, Ah'm glad we did this."

"Well perhaps y' would agree t' spend some time with me t'morrow chérie?"

Rogue considered it for a second. She want entirely sure there was much point in getting close to someone if they couldn't touch, she knew that eventually, he would just get bored and leave her. But hey, she was on vacation and what was the summer without a little summer romance?

"Ah'd love t'."

Remy smiled before snaking an arm around her waist and quickly pulling her into him, taking her by surprise.

"Well dis' be goodnight den." He took one of her gloved hands and kissed it, an action that made her blush a little, he noted with interest.

"Goodnahte swamprat."

"Goodnight chére."

Remy watched as Rogue walked back to her house and closed the door behind her. He gathered the picnic things and put out their fire before walking back to his own house. On the short walk home, he felt a broad grin forming, but his smile was bittersweet.

She was the most amazing and beautiful girl he had ever met, but surely it couldn't last. Not because of her mutation, oh no, Remy already had a hundred ideas of ways to get around that, each more inventive than the last. Why though, would angel such as herself want a common, lowlife thief like him?

Remy didn't know, but he decided that until she came to her senses, he was going to make the most of every moment.


So that's the painful introduction chapter out of the way. I have to say I've never been a big fan of them, but it's got to be done I guess. Personal opinion aside, I hope I haven't made too much of an awkward mess out of it.

As always, please review, I just love to hear from you!