**Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters; please don't sue me I am a poor college student. I am not making any money off of this and I am just writing it for the benefit of my own entertainment as well as the entertainment of the other fans out there. Also, this is a story from my own imagination, any resemblance to real life events, or even those in fiction is completely coincidental. As an additional note, there are so many fan fiction stories out there on this site as well as others, so any similarity is coincidental or great minds just happen to think alike**
Note: I apologize for the spacing and random indents and anything of the sort. When the pages are loaded onto this site everything seems to get a bit messed up. I noticed that single lines get double spaced randomly. Sorry about that.
Character Note: In case it gets confusing, here's a refresher cheat sheet:
Gambit: Remy LeBeau
Rogue: Anna Raven (as called in the latest X-treme X-men comics)
Beast: Henry 'Hank' McCoy
Archangel: Warren Worthington III
Wolverine: Logan
Storm: Ororo Munroe
Cyclops: Scott Summers
Jean-Grey: Jean Grey-Summers
Through the Years
Chapter Four: The Magnetic Pole of the X-men
After a few days in Valle Soleada, Beast headed back to New York. He left Gambit and Rogue's house with the intention of returning after the wedding. After all, they had an extra room and he wanted to monitor them for a little longer, just to be sure that the effects of Gambit's immunity were permanent. Besides, he was going to house sit while Gambit and Rogue were on their honeymoon. Gambit and Rogue decided to have an impromptu wedding at Xavier's mansion two months after they got engaged. After all, they had been waiting for years for this day, why put it off any longer? The timing seemed right also, for once, it seemed like most of their friends were either visiting the Mansion or in close enough proximity to swing by for the wedding. The few that lived further were more than willing to attend this happy event. The Institute just seemed appropriate for three reasons: 1) it was where they first met 2) most of the guests lived on that side of the country anyway 3) it was the first place either of them could truly call home. Not wanting to copy Jean and Scott's outdoor ceremony, Rogue and Gambit decided to have it in a large drawing room that they both loved so much. Each had secretly spent many nights in front of the fireplace pining after the other. Rogue liked the fact that a large, elegant staircase was adjacent to the room, she had often dreamed about descending down those stairs to met Remy for some romantic reason or another.
"It's gonna be so hard for me t'keep my hands off of you, Chere," Gambit told Rogue as the taxi pulled onto the grounds of the Mansion. Before Beast left their house to come back to New York, they had sworn him to secrecy about Gambit and Rogue being able to touch each other. Obviously the other X-men knew that Gambit and Rogue both got their powers back, but they wanted to surprise everyone in person with their ability to touch each other. "Perhaps Gambit better get what he can now," he said with a smirk as his hand reached across the taxi seat and around her back.
"Perhaps Gambit better start practicing right now," Rogue said with smile, shifting just out of reach. "Besides, here comes the welcoming committee."
Wolverine, Storm, Jean, Beast came out to the taxi to greet their friends. Greetings were exchanged while luggage was unloaded from the taxi. Beast carried the luggage inside while Rogue was swept away by Jean and Storm who led her into the house talking a mile a minute. Wolverine went to sit on the steps while Gambit paid the taxi. Once the cab pulled away, Gambit joined his friend on the steps and pulled out a cigarette.
"Who would have every thought that you'd settle down, eh Gumbo?" Logan said while lighting a cigar.
"Who said anyt'ing about settling mon ami," Gambit said while accepting a light from Wolverine. "Der's no settling when love is involved."
The two men stood there and smoked in silence for a few minutes. Gambit took a moment to look back at the Mansion.
"No matter what happens, it always seems like we're being pulled back to dis place. I t'hought dat Magneto was de master of magnetism but it seems like dis old place has him beat, no?"
"You said it Remy, you said it."
While he sat on the steps Gambit talked with Wolverine about how much good luck played a role in his upcoming union with Rogue. It was by chance alone that he happened to find himself in a position in which he could even marry her. You see, Gambit was married once before to a woman named Belladonna Boudreaux. The purpose of that union was to bring together their feuding Guilds, almost in a Romeo and Juliet style. But like those fictional star-crossed lovers, Remy and Belle were ill-fated as well. On the day of the wedding Belle's brother Julian challenged Gambit to a duel and Gambit seemingly killed him. As a result he was banished in fear of the new and feeble peace being broken. Many years and adventures later, Gambit would be reunited with his wife when the X-men helped save the Guilds from the Brood. Belladonna was seemingly killed during the battle. Some time later Gambit found out that Belle was in a coma but alive. An epic adventure that involved securing the Elixir of Life in order to bring Belle out of her comatose state soon followed. Julian was also alive as a result of the Elixir and an addiction to the formula pitted him against Remy. In the end Julian was dead and Belle was given a small amount of Elixir that had to be rung out of the bed sheets. She had no recollection of Gambit or their marriage. Eventually her memories came back, only now she vowed to seek revenge on Gambit and Rogue. This resulted in the death of Cody, the boy Rogue put into a permanent comatose state when she first discovered her powers while he kissed her.
Although he knew all this already, Wolverine didn't mind hearing the story again. The end result did leave him with a question. Wasn't he still married to Belladonna? Gambit when onto explain that shortly after Belle was brought back from her coma, her father clandestinely had an annulment of the union. Belle didn't remember Gambit so she didn't mind signing the papers to get out of a union with a stranger. Belle apparently forgot this fact when her memories came back, or her jealously of Rogue made her snap. Either way, Gambit was unaware of the annulment until just after he lost his powers. He and Rogue had been living in peace in California and his mind was constantly trying to find ways to ask her to marry him. He knew his marriage to Belladonna could be an obstacle, so he enlisted the help of millionaire and fellow X-man, Warren Worthington III. Warren's high priced lawyers looked for a way to quietly dissolve the marriage and found a rather interesting piece of information. Belle's father, Marius, wanted Belle out of the marriage realizing that there could be no peace between the Guilds. He had his amnesiatic daughter sign the papers and all that was needed was a signature from Remy. He knew that Gambit loved Rogue and the annulment would be a thank-you for Gambit's efforts in saving Belladonna. Marius died before he could find Gambit to give him the paperwork, but luckily it was secured in a bank vault in New Orleans, left with instructions to be signed by Gambit when he was found. Warren's lawyers found a paper trail leading to the vault, had the paperwork sent to Gambit, and Gambit took the necessary measure carry out the annulment. This left the ever-lucky Gambit free to marry his Rogue.
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Rogue stood with Jean and Storm in the center of the room that the wedding was to be held in. An altar and wedding arch were constructed by the fireplace and flanked with flowers on both sides. Chairs were carefully arranged in the center of the room. Since the X-men and others who were invited knew both Gambit and Rogue, there was no "bride's side" and "groom's side," and as a result, there was no aisle per say. A line of masking tape led from the stair case, around one side of the rows of chairs, and to the altar. In two days this tape would be replaced with rose petals. This was the path that Rogue was going to walk with her wedding party.
"Ah can't thank you girls enough for yoah help," Rogue said to Jean and Storm. "This room looks gorgeous; there was no way that Ah could have planned all this without yoah help in this short amount of time."
"Well Rogue, that's what bridesmaids are for," Jean said cheerily. "Besides, you told us what to do; we just had to put all the pieces together."
"We were just happy to help out," Storm added. "You and Remy mean so much to us that we were honored you asked us."
Jean continued, "After all, we only physically decorated the room and ordered the food for the reception. You and Gambit picked the flowers and the food, and handled everything with the invitations."
Upon hearing the word invitations Rogue's mind flashed back to a particular dilemma she found herself in while making up the guest list. During the planning process Rogue momentarily thought about inviting Mystique, after all for many years she had been a mother to her. She even thought of inviting Magneto since they had a…well… unique relationship. They weren't quite friends, but they had been there for each other during various times of need, for instance, when the Carol Danvers personality tried to take over her body completely. Rogue then thought better of inviting either of them. Even if she required a truce among all parties involved, she couldn't control the behavior of two known mutant terrorists, nor could she control the behavior of the X-men if they saw these enemies sitting among them during the wedding.
Unbeknownst to Rogue, Gambit also had his own dilemma when it came to sending invitations. He considered inviting Belladonna just to spite her since he legally wasn't married to her anymore, but he thought twice about it. He certainly didn't want any trouble from his EX-wife at the wedding; he didn't even want to think about what stunt she was capable of pulling. He then considered inviting Jean-Luc LeBeau and other members of the LeBeau clan and Tanti Mattie, but then decided against it. He hadn't heard from any of them in years and frankly he didn't want word of his impending nuptials leaking out to his enemies back home. The Thieves' Guild was the only family he had known for a good portion of his life, but the X-men had proven themselves time and times again to be more of a real family.
Storm's hand on her shoulder snapped Rogue back to reality. "Come on Rogue, everything is taken care of, so now all you have to do is enjoy yourself."
Jean added, "Since the rehearsal dinner is tomorrow night, and we'll see everyone then, tonight we're going to have a girls' night out!"
"Jean, are ya hinting at a bachlorette party," Rogue asked with an inquisitive look.
"Well, I do know for a fact that Scott, Logan, and the other boys are taking Gambit out for the evening, so we have to show them that we can have just as much fun. Right Ororo?"
"Absolutely," the weather witch said with a smile.
Rogue felt a smile creep across her face as she walked out of the wedding hall with her friends and into the unknown.
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Author's Note: I tried my best to explain Gambit and Belladonna's relationship using whatever information I could dig up. Those events are owned by Marvel, except for the explanation as to why they were no longer married, that's mine. If this has already been addressed by Marvel, I never heard anything about it. Oh well!
Tammy~ Although all the X-men are currently absorbed with wedding planning, there is no telling what Beast will have in store later, especially if he is going to be a house guest in Valle Soleada for a while.
Misa1124~ Thank you for your kind words :-) I hope that you continue reading the story and enjoy what my weird imagination cooked up.
Ishandahalf~ A wizard you say? Who knows?! As long as it isn't Mr. Sinister, right? :-P I hear ya, I've always enjoyed hearing what Dr. McCoy has to say. I mean he's smart enough to say whatever he wants on anything! And if it is any consolation, I think Gambit and Rogue have had enough drama in their lives in the comics, so the dramatic music will hopefully be kept at a minimum. But as with life, there always has to be some even if it is in small doses.
T.~ Glad that you are looking forward to the wedding, I know that Gambit and Rogue are too :-P
Rogue151~ Wow, Rogue151, it's kinda scary how you read my mind about Mystique. I am such a perfectionist; I couldn't leave an important detail such as Mystique's maternal relationship with Rogue, or Gambit's marriage to Belladonna unaddressed.
Dear Readers:
Gambit and Rogue cordially invite you to share their happy day.
When: Next Chapter
Where: Xavier's Mansion; Westchester, NY
What's going to happen: That's anyone's guess
Until next time!