Disclaimer: Marvel's, not mine.

Thanks to: Chica De Los Ojos Café, allie, Antonia, ishandahalf, Ms. Rogue LeBeau, ali-cat333, SickmindedSucker, and Totally Obsessed47 for reviewing the last chapter!

Side note to ish and SickmindedSucker: Yes, Scott hanging out with a tough crowd. It's a different world. But his actual character won't differ much from his original rigid self. Think the AOA comic version of Scott. It's something like that.

I will be gone on vacation, so I won't be able to update for awhile. I will try to get one more chapter up before Christmas though. I've realized that I'm trying to write a serious, romantic story, and I've set it in an apocalyptic world, complete with robots, bombs and stereotypes. Just try to ignore that stuff. 

…………………….

As soon as the door whooshed open and a slight breeze waved by Rogue's face, she knew she wanted to leave immediately.

About two-dozen people sat in one tiny area of the restaurant, crowded around the counter. All of them turned to watch Remy and Rogue walk in. They had such fear in their eyes.

Rogue felt herself cringe. It took all her might not to grab Remy and bolt out the door. Instead she took a few rigid steps and caught up to him.

It was then that she felt Remy's hand tighten around her wrist. Looking at the crowd Rogue noticed their looks of fear had turned to anger and curiosity. Glancing at Remy she realized why.

He wasn't wearing his sunglasses.

"Who the hell are you?"

The voice was cold, but the tone was more curious than violent. Rogue turned towards the woman who had spoken.

She was a pretty girl, but she kept it somewhat hidden behind layers of mascara and lipstick. Her red hair reached her lower back, the tips dyed black. Her eyes darted back and forth between Remy and Rogue with a dangerous glint.

Remy glanced at her once before turning his attention back to the crowd, and swiftly, he pulled his sunglasses out and put them on.

"We're just a couple people tryin' t'survive. Same as you."

Rogue swallowed, waiting for their reaction.

"No you ain't, you're a mutant, same as the Apocalypse that brought all this about!"

Remy raised his hands up in defense, as the man who spoke looked ready to punch him. "We may be mutants like Apocalypse, but we aren't wit' de homme."

"I hear they're tracking down mutants. He's looking for anyone to join his army. These people being her only puts us in jeopardy." A woman had stepped forward, an accusing finger pointed towards Rogue and Remy.

"Ah think we better go Remy." Rogue lay a gentle hand on his arm. She began to head for the front door, turning once she had reached it.

Remy was surveying the crowd one last time. And, although he wore his sunglasses, she knew that behind them his face betrayed his lost hope. Slowly he turned around and followed her out.

…………………………………….

They sat in the car for a few minutes. Rogue playing with her gloves, Remy clenching the steering wheel.

"Dis sure ain't a world to be different in, huh chere?"

Rogue lifted her head up, a white curl falling past her eyes. His posture sagged a little, his sunglasses still on, his jaw tight.

She wanted to respond, but the girl with red hair who had first spoken appeared suddenly, scaring Rogue slightly as she tapped on the driver side window.

Remy looked up and rolled the window down.

"Don't worry petit, us mutants are leaving right dis moment." Remy leaned over and started the ignition to prove his point.

"Wait a minute." The girl reached her arm through the window, a plastic bag in her hand. "I figured you stopped by for food, so here's some for the road."

Rogue reached over and took the bag, while Remy kept his hand on the stick shift, and his back leaned against the seat.

"Thanks-

"Wanda. That's my name. And it wasn't a problem, but I would get out of here now if I were you."

She took off quickly, not giving Rogue a chance to respond. When she had left, Remy rolled the window back up and put the car in reverse.

"That was nice o'her." Rogue said quietly.

"It was a pity gesture chere. Nothing more dan pity."

"But it was a gesture none the less Cajun."

Remy didn't respond, he didn't even look at her. His forehead was creased and she wondered if he was thinking about the past. A past memory. Something terrible.

She felt at ease when they exited onto the highway again. Even though out here it was open road, making them visible and vulnerable to anyone and everyone.

But at least out here Remy finally relaxed. And so did Rogue.

"Looks like we got a couple of muffins, sandwiches and chips." Rogue said, fishing through the bag. "Oh, and two bottles of water."

"I'll take one o'de sandwiches chere," Remy said softly, placing one hand out to his side, his eyes on the road.

Rogue began to unwrap the plastic from around the sandwich.

"It's turkey."

"Dat's fine."

"It'll be alright."

Rogue placed the sandwich in his hand as she said this. His hand slackened as he clenched his fingers around the bread, moving it towards his mouth.

After one bite, Remy responded.

"I'd believe you chere, cept' every since I met ya, you've been walking around like you wished you were somewhere else." Remy turned towards her briefly. "You don't really think everything will be alright, do ya Rogue?"

Rogue blinked, distracted by his fiery eyes, challenging her. "Ah-Ah, o'course Ah do Remy." Rogue held the plastic bag in her hand closer, pressing it against her chest. "In the end."

Remy turned back to his sandwich, turning suddenly silent. After a few moments he reached over and turned the CD player on.

Rogue listened to the soft tunes, trying to scrutinize every line and beat, wanting no other thoughts to make their way into her mind. But the words them self contained no hope. She closed her eyes, leaning her head back. She knew that as soon as she did this her mind would switch to another world, letting the music transfer her.

She knew she would think of the past, or a future so impossible it hurt and yet begged to be thought of despite its pain.

"You know chere." Breaking her thoughts. "I've never seen a girl as sad as you. So desolate."

Rogue took his words in, her breathing becoming heavy as she digested it. She kept her eyes closed.

"But, you pull it off so beautifully Rogue."

Rogue swallowed, suddenly feeling a strong urge to cry. But she opened her eyes, wide, afraid to turn and look at him. But she did. She had to.

She knew he could feel her eyes on him. He turned around too, long wisps of auburn moving with him. He had such longing in his eyes, his face, his expression.

As if he had known her forever.

"Thank you."

She knew her voice sounded shaky, or maybe even choked up, but it felt right at least.

Remy smiled. "You know, dere are a lot o'women who wouldn't have taken dat as a compliment."

"Ah appreciate sadness."

"Has your life really been so bad Rogue?"

Rogue looked down at the plastic between her fingers. "Does life have to be bad to feel miserable?"

"I suppose not." He lifted the sandwich up again, taking a bite. "I would of given anythin' for a simple life though chere."

Rogue was at the edge of her seat, watching him take his bites slowly, his eyes carefully avoiding her, as he tiptoed around his past.

"But ya might wonder, if your life was so easy, what the point was. Ya might feel pain for no reason, and-and think, and wish, ya had one. One valid reason." She wasn't supposed to share this. This was personal. This was for her. But she wanted, and felt a need to tell him, to explain.

"But y'might also wonder chere, as you spend de first nine years o'your life on de streets, scraping for food and a place to sleep, what it would be like to have a nice bed, a TV. Maybe even a fucking family to eat dinner wit' every night."

"Ah guess you think Ah'm selfish, maybe even spoiled huh?" Rogue asked, as she put the plastic bag on the floor beneath her feet.

She could see Remy swallow and rest the sandwich on his leg. "I don't think dat Rogue."

"Why? Why don't ya think that? Everyone else does." Her voice didn't rise, although she felt frustration edging at the tip of her tongue. She wanted to push him, see how far he could understand her before it got too hard to handle.

"Because Rogue, I don't think you had it easy."

Rogue lay slowly back against her seat. How could he just say it like that?

"In fact, I think you're a good liar, I think you have a lot to hide."

Rogue crossed her arms. "That's funny, Ah could say the same about you."

"Yes you could chere, and it would probably be true."

"So, then what is it about you Remy LeBeau?" Rogue clenched her fists, willing herself to calm down. "Why don't ya just out right ask about my past and my problems? Why feign the understandin'?"

"Because chere," his voice had taken on a lower chord, a strengthening coldness, "Like you, I also appreciate sadness, but, I also appreciate a person's past, and dere right to leave it dere."

"Then how do ya get ta know a person if you can't know about their past?"

It was sort of as if the car had stopped moving, and the backgrounds and fields they drove by blurred, or maybe even disappeared. For a brief second, Rogue wondered where she would be right now if the world were back to normal.

"You would work around certain things chere, like you and I have been doing all along."

Rogue finally leaned back, uncrossing her arms, a rush of color and scenery and the nearly forgotten music clambering her senses. What Remy didn't seem to understand was that she did want to tell him about her past. Almost desperately. But, the words would not form, or escape her lips. She could see them frozen behind her eyes, as if that were the storage for memories.

She let the next hour pass by in silence, aside from the music. The music kept them separated without a steady awkwardness.

And slowly, Rogue felt her eyelids close.

……………………………….

Rogue stirred slightly, a small smile on her face as she her eyes parted open half way. She didn't want to sleep, she felt something missing.

And then she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she could see through a foggy lens. A large smile. So familiar. Blue eyes leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

And then her smile disappeared. She felt sick, a fleeting need to throw up. She grabbed her head, her hands pushing forward. She didn't want this man near her.

She could hear herself scream.

……………………………

"Rogue!"

Her body was being shaken.

"Wake up girl!"

Rogue blinked several times, her long lashes darting between her visibility. She could see her passenger door open and looking to her left, she noticed Remy wasn't sitting there.

Because, she was in his arms.

Rogue lifted her head slowly, raising her arm to her forehead, much like she had done in the dream. She was sharing half the seat with Remy, practically in his lap, his arms around her.

And his eyes. Such concern, wide open, as if he had seen a ghost.

"Are you ok?"

His hands remained firmly on her shoulder and arm.

"Yeah, Ah'm ok sugah. Just a bad dream."

"I'm not one to pry chere, but dat was pretty severe. Does it happen often?"

Rogue squirmed a little, suddenly realizing just how close they were. Remy noticed her discomfort and giving a weak smile he tried to move around her, to his seat.

She inhaled, as he effortlessly moved her small frame back into her seat, and climbed over her. The small second he hovered over her she felt his hair brush across her face, the heat from his body nearly causing her to shudder. Then she remembered his question.

"Um, no, not that often. Rarely ever in fact. It must just be all the stress of what's been happening the last few days."

"Ok chere, whatever you say." Remy turned the key in the ignition again, but nothing happened. Rogue looked outside at the darkened sky, large, thunderous clouds roaming around them. She listened to Remy continually try to start the engine, and then heard his car door open. He moved to the front, lifting up the hood of the car. Small drops of water began to hit the windshield.

Rogue opened her door and stepped out. The wind was getting heavy and she trembled, clinging her sweater closer to her. She walked over to Remy, watching him play around with the engine.

"Anything that can be fixed?"

"Not with out a few parts. Dis car wasn't in de best condition." Remy looked up, roaming the skies, then surveying the land around them.

They were in the middle of nowhere.

"Well, why don't Ah just fly us to the next town?"

The rain began to pour down harder as she said this, immediately soaking them.

Remy motioned towards the car and they both rushed to climb back inside.

"Why don't we wait out dis weather first, huh chere? We have no idea where de next town is."

Rogue looked at the dashboard clock. It was flashing 11:34.

"Ah suppose, but it's already getting late."

"Oui." Remy bit his lip, looking to the back of the car, wet tendrils of hair stuck to his cheeks.

He hopped back out of the car, opening the back side door. He leaned in, fumbling with a few switches, finally triggering the seat to fall down.

He looked back at Rogue. "You're gonna hate dis, but, we can try sleeping dis way." Rogue took a closer look at the back. With the seats down, and a fairly large trunk, there was a sufficient amount of space. For two people who really liked one another anyway.

"Without blankets or pillows?"

Remy reached forward to the front, grabbing their jackets.

"I have a feeling we are going t'be sleeping in a lot of terrible places for awhile now. Might as well get used to it, non?"

Rogue watched him climb back down into the trunk, trying to lay their jackets out like blankets. Rogue couldn't help but laugh. Remy looked up as she did this, a wide smile of his own spreading across his face.

"Glad to see you smiling chere. See, if anythin' dis experience is worth that."

"My one smile?"

"Sure."

"You won't be saying that in the morning, when your back and limbs are sore." Rogue stumbled into the back, joining Remy's side. She removed her wet sweater and climbed under her jacket, pulling it tight.

"See, dis ain't so bad."

Rogue swallowed. The only thing she could really see were his eyes.

"It's gonna get colder though."

"You're invulnerable, you'll survive."

"Ah know, but you're not."

She could hear him move his position, and she felt his knee hit her gently.

"Oui. And I never much liked de cold."

"Well, you are a New Orleans boy. You ain't used to the cold winters up north."

"I haven't been a New Orleans boy in five years chere."

"Oh, well-

"Don't worry bout it chere, it's just one night."

There was a few moments of silence and Rogue lost sight of Remy's eyes.

"Are you sleeping Remy?"

"I'm gonna try. Never was much for sleep dough either." She could hear the wariness in his voice despite his comment. She knew he had to be tired of driving all day.

"Sleep will be good for us Remy. Never know who we'll have ta fight tomorrow." Rogue yawned. She could see Remy's eyes again.

And then, Rogue scooted closer, inching her way until she could feel Remy's chest. She nestled her arms underneath his coat, wrapping them around his waist. As she curled her legs around his, she felt his arms slowly reach around her. His breath was warm against her forehead.

"Rogue?"

"Shh. For warmth sugah."

That seemed reason enough for now. He pulled her tighter, relaxing into her body.

Despite the less than luxurious place to sleep, and the sharp cold air from outside, the two felt comfortable. Every move they made during the night coincided with each other flawlessly.

Had they been conscious for these observations during the night, perhaps it could have been more in that moment.

But it didn't need to be yet.