Authors Note: I just want to say how thankful I am to Alex (Aro) who wrote (painfully) Hank McCoy's speech in the opening of the story. Luv ya!!!

Dismal Angel 2010 - Episode 26

Chapter 1: The Engagement Party

"Good evening everyone. It is my honour and privilege to deliver a speech to our happy couple. Jean, Scott, if I may so boldly declare - it's about time. Undoubtedly, I see a magnificent future that awaits Mr. And Mrs. Summers."

Jean Grey and Scott Summers glanced towards each other with a loving smile, then back to Hank McCoy, who was giving the speech at their engagement party.

"When I see the both of you together, I see a whole. Through your feeble arguments, your whole might have separated but it always came back together. That is because no one else will fit your destined piece. That, my friends, is what I call fate. My complete confidence resides in your blossoming life committed relationship. I congratulate you on your much awaited for wedding-and remember here are many things that go into making a marriage happy: love and fidelity of course, innate trust, the security of having someone who will always listen, and to unlock the secrets of tenacity, stamina, forgiveness, or failing that defective memory. In the future, there may be little bumps in the road, but that is life, and I know you both will survive and get through anything. This I know, as I have watched your budding nine-year bond from afar, witnessing the good moments and the bad-and seeing you both get through it together with your forever binding love. Jean and Scott: Here's to the past for all that it taught you . Here's to the present for all that you share. And here's to the future for all that you can look forward together."

Hank raised his glass after finishing his speech, and Remy LeBeau raised his champagne glass to the toast with the hundred and fifty other party guests. He had to hand it to Hank McCoy. The man (or Beast if you preferred) could turn out a speech that would leave you speechless, yet constantly thinking about the meaning as you drowned your sorrows in champagne the rest of the night, which was what he intended to do.

Three weeks had passed more quickly than it felt they should have. Three weeks without further hitch. Something he was both thankful and unthankful for. It meant he had barely a week left until he would have to find a way to tell Rogue the relationship was over…but to find a way to do it without hurting her or without ruining chances for reconciliation.

No matter how much he had wracked his brains for a way to do this, no plan had come to him. There was no way to break up with her without ruining the relationship entirely. Their relationship was strained enough as it was. There had been nights when he'd been out with Rogue where he'd felt the relationship was barely hanging by a thread, and the thought left him quite uneasy.

He glanced over to Rogue who was smiling serenely, sipping on Champagne as she sat back in her chair. Her hair was pulled up in an elaborate combination of twists and curls, pinned up by sparkling butterfly shaped pins, he was sure it must have taken her all day to style her hair alone. She had a stunning grey satin dress on that accentuated her curves in all the right ways, and matching satin gloves that covered her arms completely. A silver chain dangling a crystal heart hung around her delicate throat, and it sparkled, catching the light of a mirrorball that hung in the centre of the ceiling of the hotel ballroom the engagement party was being held in.

Remy hadn't been able to take his eyes off of her all night, she was so beautiful that he almost found it difficult to breathe. They hadn't said much to each other all night, Rogue had been overwhelmed by an onslaught of old friends and colleagues from various other teams the X-Men were affiliated with, and Remy had found it increasingly hard to get her attention, so he'd given up for now, although begrudging every moment of it.

Remy took notice of Kitty was standing talking amongst Samuel Guthrie and Tabitha Smith. Kitty also looked extraordinarily beautiful, her short brown hair had been flicked outwards, and she was donning a pair of black flaring pinstriped pants and a simple white blouse.

"Why are you staring at her?" Rogue asked, she'd finally pulled herself away from a discussion with a man known as Peter, who Remy had never met nor heard of before.

"Is it just me or is she showing?" Remy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's just you," Rogue replied, sipping her champagne.

"No, she definitely looks like a bump is starting to show."

"Pregnancies don't usually show until about five months," Rogue shrugged.

"Kitty is about three or four months pregnant, surely it can show then…I mean she's skinny, so it's liable too, isn't it…"

Rogue shrugged.

"She's gonna look like a beachball with legs and arms by the time she's ready to drop."

"What is this big deal with Kitty and her pregnancy?" Rogue asked, "why do you care so much, it's not like it's your baby…"

Remy shrugged, "just making conversation," he looked at Rogue, "who's that guy you were talking to?" he asked, gesturing towards the man who had now walked away and was standing by the bar.

"That's Peter Parker," Rogue said in a voice of awe, "you know about him, right?"

"Not really," Remy said, he cricked his neck.

"Spider-man," Rogue said, astonished he didn't know this, most people in the mutant world these days did.

"Good for him," Remy said, "wanna dance?" he asked, gesturing towards the dance floor. It wasn't the first time he'd asked. The first time she'd said she wanted to finish her drink, the second time she'd been involved in a conversation with Amara Aquila, and hadn't wanted to tear herself away.

"I'd rather not," Rogue said, "I'm wearing stilettos and they're hurting my feet."

"So don't wear any shoes, you think anyone is going to notice? No one can see your feet under that long dress anyway," Remy suggested.

"Maybe later," Rogue said, she took a sip of her champagne once again, "I'll be right back," she said, and she got up, limping away in her poorly fitting shoes towards the exit of the ballroom, presumably to the ladies room.

Kitty walked over, "Hey," she said brightly as she dropped into a seat at the table beside Remy, "How's it goin'?"

"Terrible," Remy uttered, "I can't help but think this whole night that Rogue has been avoiding talking to me. I know we've been okay this past three weeks, but sometimes it's like she really just doesn't want to spend time with me."

"Come on, Remy, half of the people here tonight we haven't seen in years, it's nice to talk to them again," Kitty smoothed out the front of her blouse.

"You're showing," Remy said.

"Hmmm?" Kitty blinked.

"Your pregnancy is showing…"

"Y'know, you're not the first one to say that to me tonight," Kitty admitted, "although, I think the way Bobby put it was that I looked like I was getting chubby…"

Remy made a face, "He's such an asschunk."

"Yeah," Kitty replied, "lately he has been…" she looked around, "where's Rogue?"

"Ladies room, presumably…" Remy glanced at his watch, it was after eleven, the party had been going on since seven pm, and yet, he and Rogue had barely spent twenty minutes talking since the start.

"I haven't seen you dance with her all night," Kitty confessed.

"That's because we haven't," Remy replied, "it's like I say, I could swear she was avoidin' bein' with me."

"Well, I'll dance, if you want," Kitty said, "but I can't guarantee you'll still remain attached to all ten of your toes afterwards."

"That's a sweet offer, but I'll be fine," Remy forced a smile, "hey, can I ask you something?" he asked.

"Sure?" Kitty nodded.

Remy got up, "come with me…" he gestured towards the back door, of the hotel ballroom, it was more of a fire exit, but it had been left open for those who were smokers who weren't permitted to light up a cigarette inside the ballroom. The moment Remy got outside, he lit up a cigarette, but he moved away from Kitty, and pushed the door closed so they were completely out of earshot of the party.

Kitty made a face at him lighting up a cigarette, "c'mon, Remy, I'm PREGNANT, you can't smoke around me…"

"I'm not around you, I'm six feet away from you," Remy said. "Kitty, do you think Rogue has been actin' pretty strangely around me lately?"

"Strangely in what way?" Kitty asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Like, she can't stand bein' around me…" Remy trailed off.

"That's bullshit, she loves you, Remy."

"Then why is it every time I go to hug her or something she moves away…"

Kitty fell silent, she had noticed this, only she didn't really want to admit it to Remy at all. Rogue had flinched from Remy several times when he'd went to touch her tenderly on the shoulder, Kitty had saw that during the last few weeks. Rogue would brush it off and say she either had to go, or that Remy had grease on his hands from working on that damned motorbike of his.

"It's not just me, is it, you see it too…" Remy said, looking at her.

"Remy, it's nothing, don't worry about it," Kitty said softly, "I'm going back inside, I don't want to be around your cigarette smoke," she said, she smiled, "see you inside."

Remy watched her enter back into the ballroom, and he sighed and took a long drag from his cigarette. He thought about Hank's speech. The words seemed to replay in his head, echoing. Your whole might have separated but it always came back together. That is because no one else will fit your destined piece.

Remy knew what Hank meant, because he was almost sure this was what he felt with Rogue, as if she were his soul mate, and they were destined for each other only.

If only me and Rogue had what Jean and Scott have, he thought dully, he exhaled a cloud of smoke. If only.