Outside the school, it was quite calm. There was a small breeze that blew
some of the small leaves around the basketball court and towards the pond.
Underneath the trees, Rogue sat on one of the benches staring into the
distance. She didn't know why, but Gambit's comments had really gotten to
her. Now he was going to tell the Professor what happened, and that
wouldn't exactly earn her a place in the higher ranks of the X-Men. And
worse, she'd lost Bobby's trust and perhaps even him. How could one mutant
ruin her life in the space of a day?
"Rogue?" She looked up to see Cyclops coming towards her. "I've been looking for you, after you ran out."
"Sorry," she mumbled in reply. "I didn't wanna stick around."
"Yeah, he wasn't really playing things in your favour was he?" She shook her head, and he sat down next to her. "What happened in the city?" he asked, after a short pause.
"I thought Bobby told you."
"He told us that you both saw Pyro, and that after a fight, you managed to touch Gambit and leave him unconscious. Not exactly the most accurate account in history."
She sighed and looked down at her lap, her hair falling over her face. "Well, Gambit had me pinned to the wall," she said slowly. "He was about to throw one of his cards at Bobby, and." she trailed off.
"And what?"
"I kissed him."
"I see," Cyclops replied, sitting back a bit. "That explains a few things." Rogue just hung her head in shame and scraped back some hair behind her ears. He leaned forward again and tried to comfort her.
"Look, from what you've said, it sounds like you didn't have much of a choice. In order for your power to work, you have to make skin-to-skin contact, and that was your best means of doing it."
"I guess," she mumbled.
"It might not sound like it, but I can understand how you feel. Out of all the people here, I'd say you and I are the ones whose powers are more of a curse than a gift. But this is where we learn to control our mutations and use them to help people. You probably saved Bobby's life."
"And lost his trust in the process," Rogue added miserably.
"Not necessarily, try talking to him and see. Meanwhile, I'd recommend you keep well away from Gambit. He'll probably try to exploit your situation and make you do something stupid."
"Ok," she replied, standing up. "Thanks, by the way."
Cyclops smiled at her. "No problem."
Then she made her way back across the grounds towards the mansion.
* * * * * *
As she walked down the halls, Rogue still couldn't get Gambit out of her head, both figuratively and literally. She kept seeing images of him flashing her mind, his short-term memories and she was pretty sure she could speak French almost fluently now. Even Logan's mind hadn't remained this long, and she was in contact with him a lot longer than she was with Remy LeBeau. Gambit. Rogue scolded herself for calling him by his real name; he was after all her enemy.
As she neared the stairs that led to the dorms, she stopped and instead looked in the direction of the elevator that led to the lower levels. To the Infirmary. As if under some sort of spell, she changed direction and retraced her steps from a few minutes ago.
Inside the Infirmary, Gambit had given up singing and was now just flopped on his bed staring up at the ceiling. When he heard someone enter, he looked towards the door and a large smile spread across his face.
"Bonsoir cherie," he greeted Rogue, standing up and walking to the edge of the bars. "What can Gambit do for y'?"
Slowly, she approached the edge of the cage. "I wanna ask you some questions," she said in her bravest voice, trying to give it Logan's 'Lets get down to business' tone. "About what you were doing in the city."
He grinned. "Be more specific."
"Are you working for Magneto?"
"Pass."
She sighed in frustration, obviously the 'lets get down to business' tone wasn't working for her. "This isn't the kind of question you can pass on. Tell me."
"Or you'll do what, chere? Kiss me again?"
"No, I'll drain it outta ya" she said threateningly, pulling off her one of her gloves and stepping closer.
He held out his hand through the bars. "Go ahead."
She hesitated for a moment. It could be a trap. He could grab her, hold her against the bars so she'd be electrocuted. He could probably escape then. But he couldn't move that fast if she was absorbing him, in fact he'd probably be knocked out and leave her with the answers she wanted. She took one more step closer and went to take his hand.
Almost at the speed of light, he moved his hand and instead went for the scarf that was wrapped loosely around her neck. He obtained it and stood back away from her.
"Tut tut chere, y' should know better."
Rogue, who had also backed away from the bars, glared at him. "Well mah scarf ain't gonna help ya much."
"On the contrary," he said, holding it up while locking eye contact with her.
As the grin on his face expanded, the scarf began to glow like his cards had in the alley. Her eyes widened as she realised was he going to do. As quick as he'd snatched it, he tied the scarf around the cage and stood away from it. Within seconds, it exploded, blowing a hole in the bars and setting off the mansion's alarms. Gambit stepped through the hole, grabbed his coat that was on a shelf and peeped his head round the door while putting it on.
He saw a shadow on the wall and turned round immediately to grab Rogue, who had her hand outstretched, ready to touch him. Putting on his own gloves, which found in his pockets, he interlocked their fingers and pulled her out into the corridor. She tried to pull him back but he lightly crushed her fingers and held on tight.
Once they were out, he saw the elevator doors open and Cyclops came running out followed by Logan. Gambit pulled another card from his pocket, charged it and threw it into their path. Then he ran to the other end of the corridor and up the stairs, dragging Rogue with him.
On ground level, the kids were all out of their dormitories and wondering what was going on. Bobby was trying to calm some of the younger kids down while looking around frantically. Eventually he saw Gambit coming up the stairs, with Rogue in tow. She was still trying to pull herself free, without result.
"Rogue!" Bobby shouted, and started running towards her.
"Bobby!" she shouted back. She gave up trying to release the Cajun's hold on her and instead, swung him round into the wall. Dazed, he released her and rubbed his head. When he'd regained his senses, he charged up another card and threw it towards the nearest window. It exploded and he jumped out, leaving Rogue with a lot of explaining to do.
* * * * * * *
Author's Note: Hi everyone, thanks for all your great reviews! It pains me to admit it, but I'm having a severe case of writer's block so if you have any ideas as to where the story could go, they will be very much appreciated!
"Rogue?" She looked up to see Cyclops coming towards her. "I've been looking for you, after you ran out."
"Sorry," she mumbled in reply. "I didn't wanna stick around."
"Yeah, he wasn't really playing things in your favour was he?" She shook her head, and he sat down next to her. "What happened in the city?" he asked, after a short pause.
"I thought Bobby told you."
"He told us that you both saw Pyro, and that after a fight, you managed to touch Gambit and leave him unconscious. Not exactly the most accurate account in history."
She sighed and looked down at her lap, her hair falling over her face. "Well, Gambit had me pinned to the wall," she said slowly. "He was about to throw one of his cards at Bobby, and." she trailed off.
"And what?"
"I kissed him."
"I see," Cyclops replied, sitting back a bit. "That explains a few things." Rogue just hung her head in shame and scraped back some hair behind her ears. He leaned forward again and tried to comfort her.
"Look, from what you've said, it sounds like you didn't have much of a choice. In order for your power to work, you have to make skin-to-skin contact, and that was your best means of doing it."
"I guess," she mumbled.
"It might not sound like it, but I can understand how you feel. Out of all the people here, I'd say you and I are the ones whose powers are more of a curse than a gift. But this is where we learn to control our mutations and use them to help people. You probably saved Bobby's life."
"And lost his trust in the process," Rogue added miserably.
"Not necessarily, try talking to him and see. Meanwhile, I'd recommend you keep well away from Gambit. He'll probably try to exploit your situation and make you do something stupid."
"Ok," she replied, standing up. "Thanks, by the way."
Cyclops smiled at her. "No problem."
Then she made her way back across the grounds towards the mansion.
* * * * * *
As she walked down the halls, Rogue still couldn't get Gambit out of her head, both figuratively and literally. She kept seeing images of him flashing her mind, his short-term memories and she was pretty sure she could speak French almost fluently now. Even Logan's mind hadn't remained this long, and she was in contact with him a lot longer than she was with Remy LeBeau. Gambit. Rogue scolded herself for calling him by his real name; he was after all her enemy.
As she neared the stairs that led to the dorms, she stopped and instead looked in the direction of the elevator that led to the lower levels. To the Infirmary. As if under some sort of spell, she changed direction and retraced her steps from a few minutes ago.
Inside the Infirmary, Gambit had given up singing and was now just flopped on his bed staring up at the ceiling. When he heard someone enter, he looked towards the door and a large smile spread across his face.
"Bonsoir cherie," he greeted Rogue, standing up and walking to the edge of the bars. "What can Gambit do for y'?"
Slowly, she approached the edge of the cage. "I wanna ask you some questions," she said in her bravest voice, trying to give it Logan's 'Lets get down to business' tone. "About what you were doing in the city."
He grinned. "Be more specific."
"Are you working for Magneto?"
"Pass."
She sighed in frustration, obviously the 'lets get down to business' tone wasn't working for her. "This isn't the kind of question you can pass on. Tell me."
"Or you'll do what, chere? Kiss me again?"
"No, I'll drain it outta ya" she said threateningly, pulling off her one of her gloves and stepping closer.
He held out his hand through the bars. "Go ahead."
She hesitated for a moment. It could be a trap. He could grab her, hold her against the bars so she'd be electrocuted. He could probably escape then. But he couldn't move that fast if she was absorbing him, in fact he'd probably be knocked out and leave her with the answers she wanted. She took one more step closer and went to take his hand.
Almost at the speed of light, he moved his hand and instead went for the scarf that was wrapped loosely around her neck. He obtained it and stood back away from her.
"Tut tut chere, y' should know better."
Rogue, who had also backed away from the bars, glared at him. "Well mah scarf ain't gonna help ya much."
"On the contrary," he said, holding it up while locking eye contact with her.
As the grin on his face expanded, the scarf began to glow like his cards had in the alley. Her eyes widened as she realised was he going to do. As quick as he'd snatched it, he tied the scarf around the cage and stood away from it. Within seconds, it exploded, blowing a hole in the bars and setting off the mansion's alarms. Gambit stepped through the hole, grabbed his coat that was on a shelf and peeped his head round the door while putting it on.
He saw a shadow on the wall and turned round immediately to grab Rogue, who had her hand outstretched, ready to touch him. Putting on his own gloves, which found in his pockets, he interlocked their fingers and pulled her out into the corridor. She tried to pull him back but he lightly crushed her fingers and held on tight.
Once they were out, he saw the elevator doors open and Cyclops came running out followed by Logan. Gambit pulled another card from his pocket, charged it and threw it into their path. Then he ran to the other end of the corridor and up the stairs, dragging Rogue with him.
On ground level, the kids were all out of their dormitories and wondering what was going on. Bobby was trying to calm some of the younger kids down while looking around frantically. Eventually he saw Gambit coming up the stairs, with Rogue in tow. She was still trying to pull herself free, without result.
"Rogue!" Bobby shouted, and started running towards her.
"Bobby!" she shouted back. She gave up trying to release the Cajun's hold on her and instead, swung him round into the wall. Dazed, he released her and rubbed his head. When he'd regained his senses, he charged up another card and threw it towards the nearest window. It exploded and he jumped out, leaving Rogue with a lot of explaining to do.
* * * * * * *
Author's Note: Hi everyone, thanks for all your great reviews! It pains me to admit it, but I'm having a severe case of writer's block so if you have any ideas as to where the story could go, they will be very much appreciated!