AN: Sorry I took so long! Man, I'm the biggest procrastinator in the world. Also, I made some allusions to Sinbad: The Movie, the book series Fearless, and some more lines from X-Men.

Ishandahalf – Is he? Or maybe not? He could be falling for her…or he could just be using her. I think everything will eventually explain itself. Hopefully. Well, it says in Kitty's bio that she's in Russian Club () so I decided to use that info in advantage…I basically used the French as a certain way to…lighten the mood, I guess? I LOVE PLAID TOO! Man, bunnies on crack? I wonder what would happen if they had crack…

Rogue Worrior Spirit – I like to think that they accept her because they accepted her first and she accepts them and they had some kind of kindred spirit bond, y'know? Who knows what Rogue will do? She is after all…a rogue. Wahh, pun!

Kanshisha Tenshi – And, where, pray tell darling dear, is the next chapter of KNOCKING AT YOUR DOOR? (Great fic, by the way, people go check it out.) Argh, I want a laptop. Well, my parents do work on weekdays…heh heh heh.

Legalos Luver – Did you see Pirates of the Caribbean? I wanna see that. I mean, yeah, that's where I get my translations too!

Rogue star – I think everything is being paced fast. Kinda like takin' crack, eh? =D Jus' kidding! This probably took me forever and a year, huh? Sorry!

Selene – Oh dear. Umm…yeah. When I re-edit this, I'll be sure to fix that, ma'am. *sweatdrop*

Barbara Ruiz – Here's another chapter. Hope ya like!

Bunny angel – I was seriously wondering where you were.

Carla – Well, I've just talked to your doctor and he went into a rather lengthy medical speech about this and that, and well, I can't seem to remember the rest. I think I dozed off, but hey! Next time I'll just believe you straight on! =D I tried to portray Kitty as someone that wasn't as ditzy as she usually is…and that she wants Rogue to understand what they're going through…y'know?

Comet-hime – The scene with Rogue and Logan? Yahh, I was thinking about the movie when I wrote that down! Hey, man, give Kitty some slack. Else she'll talk your ear off. And I hold no responsibility over that.

Sapphiregirl – Um…whew, what a workout from the summary above. So, anyway, yeah. It's out? Don't beat me? And I'm glad yah laughed, cause I'm normally really really bad with the whole humor thing.

Wiccamage – I bet this has been even longer…*cringes* I realize that some things in the story is sort of fragmented or uneasy or in different tenses (I nearly cried when I re-read that yesterday or some other) and I'm trying to fix that up, tambien.

Eileen Blazer – Hah! I knew you'd review! Yes! Anyway, of course everything is going to go all "gasp, no!"! What else would this story be? =D

Tokyobabe2040 – More? You want more? Are you crazy? Please? Pretty please? What? Hahah, just kidding, hope ya like, babe. Or is there still too much cliffhanging vibes?

Puppiescute – Hey, now, I'm not trying to hit on you or anything but, *points to summary*. I did warn ya about the cussing and stuff. Though I kept it at an all time non-existant in this chapter. Oh, she was able to kiss Gambit because one) he had draped one of her gloves over her lips and two) he gave her the bracelet that allowed her to touch.

PandorasBox – HAH! I knew you were still alive! First, you didn't update for who knows how long, and then I didn't see you review…*tear* Yah had me worried! Thank you so much! \m/

Ok, this is for AngieX and for everyone else, I guess, that's confused.

Summary: So, Rogue has a coke addiction but after Logan talks to her and she realizes how messed up she's become, she's trying to shake it off. Then comes in Remy who's trying to woo her off her feet. She's confused because she doesn't know why he's doing this and they go out on a date but he's saying all these optimistic things about being able to touch, yadda yadda. She gets upset because she "knows" that it would never be possible and tells him to…go away…in other words. Remy and Mags talk about the whole plan with Rogue and such, and Remy goes back handing her a bracelet that allows her to touch. He takes the transmitter and shuts it off so she doesn't find anything out and then he sleeps with her in the bed. Kitty went off to meet Colossus, since I couldn't think of a better screen name. *shame on me* Anyway, Kitty finds him and her in bed together, she wonders how Rogue can touch, and then Remy talks and then they fall back to sleep. Morning comes, she starts speaking French, can touch people, then Professor X starts questioning her and telling her that she has to take off the thing that keeps her happy until they declare it safe and valid. She doesn't want that. She refuses to give it up and says she needs some time away from the X-Men. Professor X agrees. She says her goodbyes, sort of promising to Kurt that she'll come back, practically promising to Logan that she'll come back, and when she gets to Kitty, she sort of freaks. Kitty thinks that Rogue is being selfish, gets mad at her, and strips her of the thing that she wants. But to prove her wrong, Rogue still leaves. And then you read this chapter! Hope it helped!

Chapter Eight: Must Be Hard to Be You

"So, how long you staying, Rogue?" Fred Dukes asked as he managed to make a reasonable lunch.

Rogue was sitting at the table, accompanied by Lance and Pietro on either side. Lance hadn't said much about her staying and only seemed to be waiting for the food. On the other hand, Pietro kept on sneaking glances at her. Wanda had left to her room and Toad had said something about helping his Sugarwump.

"How long yah willin' fo' meh t' stay?" She walked up to Fred and dipped a finger into the sauce. "Needs a bit more salt." He nodded in consent.

Lance shrugged while Pietro zipped to her. "It would be sort of difficult, wouldn't it? You're still devoted to the X-Geeks, right? Or are ya going to stay on our side?"

Rogue processed these words for a moment and shook her head. "Ah'm not going ta be on any side. There's too much touble and yah don't know whether yoh on the losin' side o' not." She shrugged. "An' Ah ain' a loser."

"Hear, hear!" Lance smiled while Pietro frowned.

"Well, since I'm the leader of the Brotherhood, I disagree. We could use you." Lance scoffed and muttered a distinctive "you wish."

"No, you mean Father could use and manipulate her," Wanda added in distastefully. She stood in doorway, her arms crossed. "Pietro confuses the 'we' and 'Magneto' subject of the sentence."

Rogue raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Ah see." She turned to Lance, "Which room can Ah have?"

He shrugged and waved a hand. "It really doesn't matter."

She nodded and sat back down for lunch with the Brotherhood.

* * *

Remy woke up in the bed. His eyes blearily focused on all the familiar objects of his room. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, wondering how de hell did he get back here?

"So, how'd it go last night?"

Remy flopped back down on the bed. Without even looking at St. John, he muttered, "A g'mornin' could have bin jus' fine."

"I suppose breakfast in bed would have been better, too?"

"Wouldn' min'."

"Good to know, yet sadly, I cannot offer you my services."

"What do you want?" Remy exasperated as he tried to go back to sleep.

"Ol' Buckethead wanted to know how the plan went, mate, an' he wanted to know if you got it on her."

"Almos' had dis crazy t'ought he'd ask 'bout moi."

John answered back just as quickly, "Sorry, pal, don't think he swings that way."

Remy's interest peaked a little bit. He glanced over at him. "How would y' know?"

Pyro turned the question around at him. "How do you know?"

"Oh. Touchy subject, huh? Le's jus' leave it at dat, eh, mon ami?"

John shrugged and waved it off dismissively. "How'd it go? Has she been…neutralized?"

"Homme, she jus' eatin' out of m' han's. Den," he winked, "we slept together. Remy also tinkered 'round wit' it. Got her speakin' mon langue…literally."

"How do you know how to do that?!"

"When y' bin 'round long's I have, y' learn quick."

"Right." Shutting the lid of his lighter, Pyro got to work. "Let's go, hm? I'm sure we're supposed to be bloody busy today."

"No," Remy turned to the other side of the bed, "fifteen mo' minutes."

A deafening roar came from below them that made everything in the house shake. "Merde, I'm up, I'm up."

* * *

"Isn't that Gambit's coat?"

Rogue turned around, one hand on her hip. "If Ah didn't know bettah, Ah'd say you were almos' followin' meh. But, no, not Pietro, right?"

"Soitis!" Pietro stated triumphantly. "Fallin' in love with him?" he mocked.

Taking a threatening step in his direction, she answered him with a very forceful no. He smirked at her and answered flippantly:

"Good 'cause I saw him getting some hands-on time with Miss Redhead. We wouldn't want your nonexistanthearttobebroken, no – would – we?"

"Nice t' know yoh still y'self." She marched up to him, poking a finger into his chest, "Still that egotistical, cruel Daddy's boy that Ah firs' met. No wonder Ah left. Ah wouldn't want to be betrayed by mah own teammate."

Pietro zipped around her, his words echoing all around her ears. "Least I got someone to fall back on. You? You've got no one, not even your preciously loyal X-Men. We – the Brotherhood – won't protect you; don't think that.

"You're a loner, you know that, Rogue? You don't want anyone to know inside you that you're protecting yourself from all this harm that whoknowswillinflict on you. Man! I should've realized it – you're so predictable."

He opened his mouth to spew off more revelations when Rogue cut him off. "B'fore yah even try t' continue whatever the hell yoh sayin', Ah jus' wanna tell you to say it t' someone who cares." She leveled with his gaze, "Ah'm not here fo' yoh approval or use. Ah'm on'y stayin' here 'cause some o' y'all have somethin' Ah think yah need: hospitality." She grabbed her guitar and went downstairs to join Lance, but before closing the door, her hair made a swish as she looked back and said, "At least Ah know the people that Ah could trust."

Pietro smiled wryly. Looked like he did his job – the Cajun's part seemed to have backfired because she was still covered head-to-toe. But by tonight (or tomorrow morning the latest) she'd be out of here and hopefully out of Bayville, tambien. Wistfully staring at the door she left through, he almost began to think that it would have been nice to be close friends with her.

Below the second floor of Mystique's old bedroom, an acoustic and electric guitar worked together.

* * *

"Glad you could grace us with yer presence," Sabretooth snarled snidely.

"Anytime y' wan' kitty-cat." Pyro grinned at Remy's comeback.

He stood from his seat and walked over to the refrigerator. Peter was crouching to look at where the remaining juice was.

"Could ya hand me a booze?" Pyro stood flicking his lighter as he heard Peter tsk under his breath. "Oh come on, we all need to wake up now – oh Bloody Mary!" He exclaimed, holding onto his right eyes as Peter had stood up and given Pyro a bottle. "Go put a shirt on, willya? Almost poked out my eye!"

Colossus smiled and settled on having Raisin Bran.

"What, no bacon and eggs for the rest of us?" John teased him as his and Remy's stomach grumbled. In response, they both caught the apples Peter threw at them.

"Oh, which reminds Remy, how did y' night go? Didn' see y' bike," he explained.

"I was back before you."

"Touchy subject, hein?"

Silence.

Which met more silence. Fire erupted suddenly in the kitchen sink.

"What de –"

"John!"

"Put it out, ya manglin' runt."

"I was just having a little bit of fun! Look, I can play house with them!" The flames contorted to make a house and a four-person family. As Remy and Colossus looked on in intrigue, Sabretooth went to answer the door.

"Get in," he growled menacingly.

Pietro ran over to Remy, asking him deliberately slowly. "What – happened – to – holding – up – your – part?" Remy raised an eyebrow. "She's – not – wearing – the – bracelet. She – still – can't – touch."

Remy snapped into attention. "Where is she? At de Mansion?"

"No, not at the Mansion. She's at the Brotherhood and she's leaving by tomorrow morning, hopefully. Better do something to fix up your botched move."

Pietro's grin did not meet with Gambit's eyes as he had already left for the Brotherhood.

* * *

"WHERE'S PIETRO?" The walls began to shake. Pictures and other various items that were not nailed to their spot soared around Wanda Maximoff. "WHERE HAS HE GONE?"

Rogue glanced at her before asking Lance, "Does this happen often?"

He nodded grimly. "Too many times to count."

"Why, Wanda, I didn't know you cared," Pietro tried to run past her but was put to a stop. "Oh, Wanda, not again!"

"Where were you?"

"You're not my babysitter – oh ouch!"

"WHERE WERE YOU?!" Objects continued to bounce off Pietro.

"Um, Sugar Muffin, maybe you shouldn't be doing that…you're kind of messing up the house…" Toad tried to reason with her. A throbbing vein apparent on her forehead and a rigid set of lips made him hop to a safer spot. "I think I'll jus' stay on this side. Don't get hurt!"

"Shut up, you infernal, smelly –"

Rogue ahem-ed slowly, letting the Scarlet Witch remember what she was doing before. "Oh, yes. WHERE WERE YOU, PIETRO?"

"I – ow! Jus' taking a – ooh – run! Ouch!"

"I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"

"Rogue, you're Lover – AHH! – Boy is coming – OUCH!"

"Wanda, could you please ask him who's mah 'Lover Boy' an' how would he know if this certain someone would be comin'."

"YOU HEARD HER, YOU BACKSTABBING PIECE OF –"

"I went to – AHH! OW! – see –"

"Well, well. Bonjour tout le monde. J'espère que je n'interrompe rien."

* * *

"Ah think Ah'm going t' be sick." Rogue jumped from her seat and bounded up the stairs.

Wanda threw a hex bolt at him which he somehow deftly avoided and jumped to the stairs. He took two at a time, wondering which door she went through. He decided to check the first room. Remy saw a makeshift bed-linen rope at the window. He smirked to himself and waited to hear a thump, which he did. He raced to the window, extended his bo-staff and miraculously managed to land without sustaining any immediate injuries. Naturally, his feet hurt from the impact, and he heard the roar of an engine and saw his all-too-familiar coat flapping.

Remy ran to his bike and followed after her.

* * *

Ah can' do it. Ah can't face him. Ah won' be able t' control mahself. Ah could run over to him and hug him so that he could comfort me…but then again…What are the chances o' that? Or Ah could jus' go t' him an' yell at him fo' not being' there fo' me. Fo' not explaining things, fo' not tellin' meh an' things. Ah jus' want to – UGH, Ah can't stand him! He was the one who got meh into this mess in the firs' place! Oh, if Ah see him again…oh, look, a diner. Ah'm actually hungry now.

She parked in the lot and entered the door, not noticing another motorcycle's engine stopping. The smells of coffee, eggs, and other foods invaded her nose. Rogue was greeted by a waitress and led to a booth that gave her a perfect view of her vehicle and ticket to the city that never sleeps.

Rogue ordered a light breakfast meal for supper and waited patiently, staring out the window. She saw a circle of kids crowding around someone in the center. She saw their mouths move in a way that she had seen many a time before in Bayville High…

They were about to lynch a mutant.

Sighing, she mumbled a quick "Ah'll be right back" to the waitress before setting herself outside to stand against the angry mob. She pushed her way to the center, encountering a boy perhaps two years younger with purple skin and two antennae-like tentacles on his head. His white hair was billowing around when it was set loose from under his black hooded sweatshirt.

"Leave him alone," she called out.

"What are you, a mutie lover?" The leader of the group stepped forward.

"No, not quite," Rogue forced a smile. "Ah'm jus' a person who's here t' protect those from discrimination." She pointed to the mutant, "See, he's exhibitin' self-control whereas y'all lost yoh cool. But Ah'm sure he might lose his patience if y'all don' stop harrassin' him. 'Cause Ah know Ah won' hold back if y'all start somethin' else with him."

"Yeah? What are you going to do? Read my mind? Throw me in the air?" He smirked at her, obviously thinking that it was a joke.

"Nah. Ah'm mo' of an old-fashioned type of gal. Ah like t' get up close an' personal, sugah."

"You an' him are going to take on" –he took a head count– "all six of us?" He laughed when she shrugged. "I can't believe this. A mutie-lover girl and a mutant against us." He paused for a moment and finally said, "C'mon, guys. They're not worth it." He jabbed a finger in Rogue's direction. "You're lucky you're a girl."

"An' you, suh, are lucky that yoh smart enough fo' takin' mah advice. Oh, an' by the way," she called sweetly to their retreating backs, "Ah'm a mutant, too."

He flipped her the bird, and she turned to help the other mutant. "Hi. Ah…um…are yah ok?"

"Y-yeah…th-thanks…are you an angel?"

Completely taken aback, Rogue stared at him in utter confusion, "What?"

Looking sheepish, he asked the question with much more bravado, "Are you an angel?"

"Uh…what makes you think that, boy?"

"Well, I figure that only an angel would come and protect me. Besides, you've got a fine ass for an angel."

Rogue laughed. "Ah'm sure the Lord's a real sucker for fitness, but Ah ain' an angel. Ah'm another mutant, jus' like you…"

"Oh, oh. I'm Guy. Guy Smith. I'm an orphan," he said sadly, his purple eyes filling with tears.

"Ah'm so sorry, Guy. If yah don' min' meh askin'…what are yoh powers?"

"My curse?" he muttered angrily. "My senses are too acute. I can hear, see, taste, feel, and smell better than anyone else which is so not cool at all. I never this, y'know, I can't even control it. There are just some things that are best not known, y'know? Oh yeah, an' these," he pointed to his antennae, "acts like a radar. I'm also thinkin' that I can sense vulnerability – physically and mentally. 'Course, I found this out from someone else, but anyway.

"Like, I can see that – emotionally, that is – you have a barrier and whenever a person is nice to you, you're one of two things: skeptical or flattered. More often than naught, the former. Your lack of trust is your weakest spot and you think you can do it by yourself. You can do anything by yourself. Man. It must be hard to be you. Burned too many times, huh?"

Rogue's eyes had widened all throughout this and she looked almost horrified. "I've scared you, haven't I, Ms…?"

"Oh, um, n—well, yeah, actually," she let out a weak chuckle. "You can call meh R—Ms. LeBeau." Ahh, damnit, Ah shouldn't have said that! What am Ah THINKING?!

"Ms. LeBeau? You don't seem much older than me, no offense."

"You'd be surprised, sugah. Now, go along, run off! Mah supper is gettin' cold."

He saluted farewell and began to walk away. When he disappeared from sight, she walked back in, almost cheerfully saying she was back to the waitress. She looked at her with envy and scorn.

She prob'ly hates meh 'cause Ah'm a mutant, too.

And then she saw why the envious look on her face. It even made her heart jump and her body temperature enflame. Rogue clenched her fists at her sides and hoped that no one could hear the quickened thump-thump of her heart.

"So, Ms. LeBeau, hm?" Remy sat across from her standing point, waiting for her to sit. "When's de honeymoon?"

Translations:

Bonjour tout le monde. J'espère que je n'interrompe rien. -- Hello everyone. I hope I'm not interrupting anything.