Disclaimer: Marvel's, not mine.

Thanks to DemonicGambit, ishandahalf, silky black, GreenFairyGirl88, PomegranateQueen, Star-of-Chaos and TheRealMai for reviewing last chapter! I will try to answer questions next chapter.

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The cold, hard plastic of the binoculars stuck to the rims of her eyes as she scanned her target. She had been watching him for a few weeks now, and she had to admit this was one of her better assignments. The man moved with an agility and experience that impressed Anna. And she was a hard woman to impress.

She put the binoculars down and leaned back on the tree limb she sat on. Her mother, Raven Darkholme had been pressuring her for the last several days, wanting to know more details. But from what Anna had observed, Remy LeBeau had no reason to leave his home. Until recently that is. His friends and family adored his charm and warm smile.

And to the chagrin of Anna, so did his beautiful wife Belladonna.

But that had been before Anna had taken action. She had never meant to fall for her target, she had never meant to feel anything for anyone while on assignment. Something in Remy had melted the ice Raven had spent years forming within Anna.

She had to remind herself, Remy LeBeau didn't even know that she existed.

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Anna walked down the city sidewalk with a rapid pace as her fingers nimbly dialed a number on her cell phone. Placing the small object to her ear, she worked to blend into the afternoon crowd.

"Hey it's meh. Ah got something."

To passers by Anna looked like any normal human. Her white stripe was pulled back into a pony tail, her tight jeans clung to her shapely legs. She paused as she listened to the other end.

"Okay. Got it." Anna hung up the phone, glancing down briefly to place it back in her bag. As she did so, she bumped shoulders with someone. She looked up, coming eye to eye with Jean Luc LeBeau, head of the Thieves Guild, father to the man she was sent to watch.

He gave a smile and a nod as an apology, a slight smirk to his expression. Anna said nothing, but offered a fake smile, continuing on her way. But something about the encounter disturbed her.

She slipped inside a small café, heading straight for a corner spot. She pulled a small lap top from her bag and placed it on the round table. As she turned it on, a waiter came by to take her order.

As she connected to the server back home, she accessed the one file she needed. She wasn't sure why this idea had not come to her earlier. It was so simple.

Belladonna LeBeau. She had a small increment of the X-gene in her blood, but not enough to cause worry. Her family was feeding her an elixir of power, something that was encouraging her gene to advance, but slowly.

All she had to do was fool the trained assassin.

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Several years ago Anna Darkholme had used her power of absorption on her mother, causing her to inherit Raven's shape shifting abilities. Not to long after, Anna learned how to channel back to the powers she had taken over the years, using them when she needed to.

Right now she stood below the penthouse apartment building that Belladonna shared with Remy, taking on the form of her brother Julien Boudreaux. She knew from her observations that Remy was on a mission for his father that would last a ways into the evening if Anna had it calculated correctly.

She took the elevator up to their top floor apartment, her muscles relaxed despite her rapidly moving heartbeat. When she reached the front door she used Kitty Pryde's ability to phase to walk through the door.

It was dark inside. A few dim shade lamps scattered the large living room area, but no one was there. She smiled as she entered the bedroom, a light visible underneath what must have been the bathroom door.

Anna took a risk and phased her head through the door. And there was Belladonna, resting her head back against the bath tub, stretched out admist the bubbles and water, oblivious to Anna's presence.

Slowly, Anna entered Belladonna's mind using Jean Grey's stolen telepathy. Once inside, she caused Belladonna to fall asleep. As soon as her hand went limp, Anna rushed on quiet feet into the room. Pulling a needle and syringe from her pocket, she lifted up the woman's arm sticking the needle into an open vein. When finished Anna made sure Belladonna would not sink into the water while passed out, propping her up against the side.

But the opening of the front door distracted her, making her blood run cold. Immediately she changed into the form of Belladonna and turning the bathroom light off, she exited into the bedroom.

She heard footsteps outside, and she made way to the living room, grabbing a robe from the bedpost as she went.

And there he was, staring out the large windows, hands held behind his back. The tight black body suit he wore on his mission still adorned his figure, accentuating every firm muscle and wonderfully proportioned curve.

But even Anna's expertise could not sneak up or past Remy. He turned in one fluid step, facing her. She froze in her spot, her eyes glued to his perfect red orbs.

"Evenin' hon," she felt herself speak, allowing a small smile to creep up. The man was gorgeous, but Anna didn't have time to deal with something like that, especially while on a mission.

"Hey Belle, somethin' wrong?" Remy stepped closer, inches away from her.

"No, nothing cher. Just surprised t'see y'back so soon." She flipped her hair over her shoulder, a movement she had seen Belle do many times.

Remy smiled seductively. "You know I'm a master at what I do Belle. It was a quick in and out situation."

Anna could not help but move closer, his warmth attracting her body without warning. She stepped into his arms, a sly smile on her face. Without a second thought she grabbed hold of his neck and kissed him.

When she let go reluctantly, his eyes narrowed and he took hold of her chin.

"You've never kissed me like dat Belle," he said, his voice husky.

Anna's groggy eyes quickly cleared as she stared at him with a form of longing. Longing for what she knew she could not have.

Finally he let go of her chin. "I have t'go back to de mansion, give mon pere a run down on what happened." He gave a concerned smile as he walked to the door. Anna followed him as he slipped his hand into her own.

"Look Belle, I know dis was arranged, and dat things can never be truly real between us." He fingered a lock of blonde hair as he spoke. "But dat kiss is a sign of hope, n'est-ce pas?"

Anna could do nothing but nod her head. She heard his words and associated them with herself, knowing that it was a dangerous action. Never fall for your prey.

Before he opened the door, he leaned in, kissing her again, breaking her resolve as his soft lips meshed perfectly with her movements.

And then he was gone, leaving her to touch the area his lips had once been, question her cold heart, her firm belief.

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Remy LeBeau was in a foul mood as he sat captive in med bay. Anna Darkholme was the girl he had fallen for, ironically, naturally he supposed. A woman he had vowed to hurt had he been given the chance to find her. The woman that had brought him to this god forsaken place.

Rogue seemed so gentle, so innocent, so pure. But she had lost her memories. Anna Darkholme was a trained killer, an expert at what she did, taught by her mother Mystique. She must have learned at an early age that emotions were a risk on the job, that love was not an option, that the art of caring had to be set aside, even for those in your life.

By his own means, Remy had found out she had been the cause of his transfer to the mansion with Belladonna. Anna had spent a month watching his every move, studying him, finding his weaknesses. She had been responsible for the death of Belle. He wished this didn't have to be so complicated.

He needed to see her. Look into her eyes. Find out how she felt. Did she feel? Was she a good liar, manipulative to a fault?

Remy dropped his head back against the chair, shutting his eyes. His muscles felt limp, dead even, as if he had been shot right in the chest, leaving a burden inexplicably like that of heartbreak or deceit.

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Rogue was staring blankly at the cell bars in front of her as she played with her fingernails. With her memories back a bitter, nearly numbing absence of emotion filled her bones. This was complicated by what she had known for the last month without her true life experience.

She was no longer ignorant to her life, though she wished she were, as she felt hardened as she sunk back into her trained stature.

She didn't believe in Xavier's ideals like she once thought she had, but she still felt disgusted at how soft she had become. Over a man. The bond that had developed between them seemed almost instant. As if it would be inevitable, no matter their situation.

Anna was about to let her head fall against her knees, but as her eyes slowly hit the ground, she saw the ghost like girl sink up from the cell floor.

"Hello Katherine." Anna stated simply. She had been afraid of this girl without her memories.

The girl cocked her head to the side, hands on her hips. Anna knew the girl had lost the ability to talk. She also hated to be called Katherine.

Anna give a short laugh. "Sorry Kitty." Both girl's expressions went solemn, as words were lost between them. Finally Anna looked back up.

"So they still haven't been able to find or catch ya, huh?"

The small girl nodded, then extended one arm.

Anna squinted her eyes, a light smile creasing her cheek. "Are ya here ta help me girl?"

When Kitty once again nodded, Anna slid up from her seated position and reached out with one hand. She watched her tangible skin dissolve into Kitty's and wondered how her phasing ability still managed to work in the state she was in now. Forever untouchable.

The girl gave a giddy grin as she pushed Anna backwards through the wall into the next room. Anna froze as she stared forward through the glass pane. She was in med bay, in one of the smaller patient rooms, staring through a window into the main lab.

And there sat Remy, his back to her, his head hung back against the chair, eyes scrunched. He was alone. Anna glanced back to Kitty. The girl still had her hand through Anna's and slowly she eased her through the glass.

Anna took quiet steps forward, leaving Kitty behind, her eyes attached heavily to Remy's disdained figure the entire time. She was inches from him when he spoke.

"Well it's no wonder I never knew y'were watching me chere, you move like a skilled thief." His words were strained, his eyes still closed. Anna paused, sucking in her breath, afraid to speak. She was so unfamiliar with this fear.

Finally he lifted his head up and spun around in his chair his red eyes meeting her with disappointment.

"Ah tried," her voice felt sticky as she paused, swallowing. "Tried ta stop it all. Ah tried to leave it all."

His eyes glinted with distrust as he watched her speak.

"Ah know it was wrong o'me ta lead you up here the way Ah did-

"Y'killed Belle, Anna." The use of her real name on his tongue rolled off icily and she felt herself cringe.

She felt her hands clench at her side. "Ah was trained not to feel Remy, and yet Ah fell for you. Ah couldn't just ignore that."

"Just like I can't ignore everything dats happened either." She could see the conflict in his eyes as he inhaled slowly.

Anna walked towards him then, reaching behind him for his wrist, her hair dangling in front of his face. With her strength now back, she ripped the suppressor off. Instantly, the chains around Remy swelled pink, then puffed in a small explosion, freeing him from the chair.

He stood to his full height, looking down on Anna with the eyes that had been the beginning of this mess. So filled with the very emotions Anna had spent so long without.

"I wanted t'tear you apart when I found you Anna Darkholme. Why'd you have t'be Rogue too?" Remy lifted one hand up, as if to move through her hair, but the doors to med bay opened, halting his actions.

"Ah, so the reconcilation has already taken place, has it?"

The voice sunk into Anna's spine cutting it like a knife, but on careful inspection, she noticed Remy's expression changed to curiosity. He had never met Charles Xavier before.

"Yeah. What more do ya want from us Chuck?" Rogue spat in his direction icily.

Xavier's eyes narrowed at the name. Only one other man had called him that, and it had not been on pleasant terms. But this woman had always been strong willed, hardened to a default. She held no fear in her eyes.

"I would have had you work for me child. But you have decided to take another direction it seems."

Remy stepped forward then, realization setting into his features. "Yah homme, a direction o'integrity and just plain moral sense." Remy's eyes blazed as he met the man eye for eye.

Xavier chuckled, a sadistic hint lacing his tone. He stared long and hard at Remy. And Remy met his contact head on. Xavier's smile lessoned as his jaw tightened.

"Ah yes, that's right. Remy LeBeau was the man who's mind I could never quite access. That was why I had Anna watch you for so long. It seems I misjudged your commitment."

"I don't kill for sport." Remy replied bitterly.

"I am merely creating a perfect army Mr. LeBeau, one that will protect us when the war against mere humans arrives."

"And de mutants y'kill off ain't perfect?" Remy looked from Rogue to Xavier.

"They don't have the heart or strength of mind to last."

"Logan did." Rogue's voice was quiet, but rough in the background.

Xavier's eyes narrowed. "Logan had what I believed you to have Anna. But I was wrong."

Suddenly Anna gave a short scream, grabbing her head in pain.

"Ah won't let ya in!" Anna stepped back, bracing herself against the wall. Instantly Remy stepped in front of her, and with one burst of anger, he took a swing at Xavier's jaw, knocking the man back, distracting him from Anna's mind.

Anna was crouched on the ground, Remy in front of her. Kitty reappeared then, facing Xavier for the first time in a long time, her gaze confident, angry even.

But even Xavier could not touch her with his mind. And in one quick second Kitty had grabbed hold of the southern couple, pulling them into the ground.

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Remy shook his head, long strands of hair whipping against his face as he did so. His hands were placed firmly into the cement below him as he glanced upwards. They seemed to be in some sort of underground sewer system.

He looked up into the face of the translucent girl, but when she did not speak, he turned to Rogue, who had just stood up herself.

When she met Remy's eyes she understood his questions all at once.

"This is Kitty Pryde, Remy. She was brought into the institute a few years before you." Rogue glanced at the girl, as Remy waited for her to continue.

"She escaped, but she is slowly dying. Dissolving really. Her power was to phase through virtually any material, and as the drugs sunk in, she become more and more-ghostlike."

Remy stared at the girl, pity and rage obvious in his features.

"And you just hang around her girl?" Remy directed towards her.

The girl nodded.

"She's trying to help others, much like you were Remy," Anna stated.

"How old are ya?"

Kitty flashed her fingers several times.

"16?" Remy whispered, sinking back on his knees.

There was a long silence as Anna bit her lip, cradling one arm to her side.

Remy gave a loud sigh as he rose to his feet. Kitty began to march forward then, and as she did so, Anna followed, giving Remy no choice but to do so as well.

"Where are we Anna?"

"The Morlock tunnels. Xavier had the Morlocks taken out years ago. He viewed them as an unfit race." Anna sucked in a large breath, taking a step closer to Remy.

"Please call meh Rogue sugah." She pleaded, something she almost never did.

Remy looked at her, the woman who had once hated vehemently.

"How'd you lose your memories Rogue?"

Rogue stared forward, contemplating his question. She seemed to shiver as she clutched her arms tightly to herself.

"Ah gave up meh heart Remy. Turns out that's a risky move."

"Love always is chere."

She couldn't see his eyes, or his expression, but she took his words as hope, understanding. He could love her like she loved him. The strength in the air between them only worked to persuade what was surely already in their hearts.