Note: First let me start by apologizing. It was weird, a couple of days ago I was going through my reviews and it suddenly occurred to me how long I've taken to update in between chapters. Again, I'm sorry; I never intended on taking so long with this story. So here it is, not as long as my longer chapters, just nice and concise. But don't think I'm giving you a makeshift chapter, it was always suppose to go like this…
Edited Out Song Lyrics: 2005 04 27
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Chapter 25
Makeups to Breakups
(Ororo/Logan)
Ororo stood in the forest, resting against one of her favorite oak trees. Surrounding herself with the beauty of nature was always her cure for a troubled mind. She was in such a complete state of tranquility, she almost didn't notice the dark figure approaching her out of the corner of her eye. Choosing to ignore the added company, she gazed up into the heavens, captivated by the star filled sky.
Logan stopped a couple of steps behind her. He knew that she was aware of his presence and took it as a bad sign that she did not acknowledge him. The gentle winds and rustling of the leaves added to the serenity of the early morning. Logan hated to interrupt the peaceful atmosphere, but he just had to something—anything to draw her attention. "It's a beautiful night," he said, searching for any response from her.
Without so much as a sideways glance, she remained as she was, taking in all that nature had to offer.
"A bright moon," he observed, cursing himself for not thinking of something better to say.
Ever so slowly, she turned towards him, seeing him for the first time. It was the man she remembered, the same man she fell in love with, yet everything had changed.
"…the stars…" he faulted a bit as their eyes connected, forgetting what exactly he was rambling about, "…the stars…"
In that instant, she looked away, again focusing up above.
He shook his head, accepting the fact that he was being ignored. "…It's a beautiful night," he finished, sounding defeated.
"It is," she agreed in a whisper, not even knowing why she felt the need to join in on his observations.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips with the joy that she had responded to him. Yet her response was so soft, he was second guessing himself on whether or not he had heard her right. Still, it boosted his confidence enough for him to bring up the real topic. "We didn't get t' talk tonight at the boathouse."
He waited for her to speak, but she again said nothing. It was then that he realized he might have celebrated too early.
"Everybody had a chance t' work things out…'cept us."
Again, she chose to keep her thoughts to herself, trying her best to keep her emotions under control.
He stepped directly in front of her, forcing her to look at him. " 'Ro, say somethin' t' me."
Her eyes connected with his. She wanted to look away, but she could feel them pleading for her to stay focused. "Do you have any suggestions?" She asked as a rush of wind blew between them. "Because right now I cannot think of much to say."
That's fare. I'm askin' for her t' speak when I'm the one that has t' give her an explanation, he figured, though he didn't know how to go about giving her one. "If I could explain myself t' you, my actions, I would. Look, I fucked up, big time."
She just stared at him, giving no reaction that what he was saying was making any difference on how she was feeling.
"I never meant t' hurt you, 'Ro. You've got t' believe me," he pleaded as he held onto her elbow with one hand, only because he wasn't sure she would allow him to hold her hand.
His words had affected her, though she tried to remain calm. "I never thought you purposely tried to hurt me," she stated adamantly filled with its share of sincerity. She breathed in heavy, then whispered tiredly, "Still, it hurts all the same."
"I know, darlin', I know," he said as he took a step towards her. "If I could do anythin' t' take that hurt away from you, you know that I would."
"I know," she said remembering how Remy took her pain of the Mutant Massacre and made it his own. Staring back at Logan she knew that he did not possess that power—he could not share her pain. "It is just not possible."
"I know," he repeated full of remorse. He wanted so badly to find the right words to say, but in the end the only thing he found worth saying was, "I'm sorry…"
Shaking her head, she replied, "No, I'm sorry." Ororo could see the shocked expression on his face at her words. She could tell that he was ready to interrupt her, but she continued over him, "I should have never flew away from you after…it happened." Ororo still could not bring herself to say the words out loud. "I should have stayed…we should have talked about it."
"You needed time t' yourself, I understand that." The fact that she was actually apologizing to him made him feel wrong all over; it should be the other way around.
With a sad smile, she remembered fondly, "We had some good times, some amazing times."
Logan smiled with her seeming to know all that she was referring to. Yah, they were amazin' times. The smile that was on her face was something he had waited all night to see; he took his time studying the shape of her lips as the smile began to fade from her face.
She started to blink more than usual, fighting back her tears. Looking over his head, she explained, "You could have called out anyone's name…anyone other than her."
"I don't know what happened t' me," he offered, knowing that it was a lame excuse.
"My best friend," she stressed as she found the strength to look him back in the eyes. "If you had only told me that you still had feelings for her…that you loved her…"
"No!" He yelled angrily, loosing temporary control of his emotions. Clenching his teeth, he stated adamantly, "Let's get one thing straight, I don't love her. At least, not in the way you think."
" 'Not in the way I think?' " His words troubled her to know end. "Then in what way? In what way do you love her?"
He felt like slapping his forehead because of his stupidity. Shit, I walked right into that one. "As a friend," he answered after a moments hesitation. He could see the doubt in her eyes, knowing that she could tell that there was much more than just friendship. "A friend who I've shared a lot wit'," he added, choosing his words carefully. "That's all, 'Ro. I swear it."
He really doesn't get why I am so angry, she noted to herself. Trying to find a way to make him grasp where she was coming from, she asked, "How would you have felt if the situation were reversed? If I had called out Remy's name?"
His muscles tensed at the very thought of what she was saying, proving the point she set out to make.
"Doesn't matter how much I could try and convince you otherwise, you would have still…"
"You're right," he answered knowing what she was going to say. I would have went crazy if she had called me Remy, knowin' the history those two have together. It would have made me suspicious as hell. "I jus' can't look you in the eyes ever again if we let this hang over our heads. I can't live wit' what I did if you can't find it in your heart t' forgive me. Not that I deserve it."
"Are you kidding me?" She questioned not believing what she was hearing. It was clear to her that he was totally clueless to how she was feeling. "Logan, I love you."
He was in awe at what he had just heard her say. She loves me…as in, now, and not in past tense?
As if to ease his doubt, she approached him with her hand out taking hold of his large hands. "My love for you has not change and I do not see it changing," she confessed truthfully. "I know it's true love because it's unconditional and cannot be turned off on a moments notice." Giving him a small smile, she placed her delicate fingers against his face, feeling his growing stubble. "Of course I forgive you."
That was all he needed to hear to make everything right between them. Grabbing her into an embrace, he promised, "I will make it up t' ya, I swear it."
He held her there, trapped in the safety of his burly arms, not noticing the dark clouds forming, darkening the moon lit sky.
(Rogue/Remy)
Rogue sat at the bar, tossing back a strong drink. Pounding her fist on the table, she yelled, "One more over here, Harry!"
The bartender, of the Tavern of the same name, approached his regular customer with a comical smile. "You sure no how to handle your liquor," he said as he handed her another rum in a medium sized glass.
"It's all in the genes," she said with a wink, knowing that he wouldn't understand her hidden meaning.
Rogue was hoping that a stop at Harry's, were she could get a quick pick me up, would help her when she spoke to Remy. However, she knew that the establishment did not have enough alcohol on the property she would need to get her even remotely tipsy, let alone ease her anxiety.
Her attention turned to the corner of the room where a man that had a little too much to drink, began picking songs in the juke box. "Shit!" He yelled as he hit the machine. "I didn't wanna hear that song. Gimme back my mutherfuckin' money or I'll kill ya!" He ordered the jukebox as he slurred his words.
"Ah wonder what song got him that pissed off," she wondered as she smirked at Harry. The song began to play in the background, causing her to roll her eyes in annoyance. "If he doesn't 'kill' the jukebox, Ah will," she mumbled to herself.
It hadn't been too long since she last heard that song, a couple of weeks at the most. Her thoughts unwillingly drifted to the last time she heard the tune.
---
"Shit, shit, shit!" With each word, Rogue's fist connected with the couch cushion, punching the stuffing out of it.
Remy happened to be passing through the living room that very minute and saw Rogue standing over the couch. "What's wrong, chere?"
"Huh?" She turned around to see Remy grinning from ear to ear, clearly finding her outburst humorous. "Nothin'," she mumbled.
Walking over to her, he pointed with his chin toward the cushion. "Are ya tellin' me dat pillow had t' die for no reason?"
"Ha-ha!" She laughed sarcastically. "Ah jus' lost a bet to Bobby, is all," she said pouting.
Picking out the feathers in her hair, he asked, "How much are ya out?"
"It not the money—it's the principle of the matter, ya know?"
"Yeah, I know," he nodded in understanding.
Rubbing her chin, she said, "Besides, Ah think he cheated."
"What?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
Her suspicious nature with regards to Remy went into overdrive as she asked accusingly, "Did you help him?"
"Don't know what you're talkin' 'bout, Rogue," he answered too cool, for her liking.
Narrowing her eyes, she said, "Ah think you did help him. Ah don't know how, but…"
A familiar instrumental began to play over the radio in the background. The music totally took Remy's focus away from Rogue. "Ya hear dat?" He asked with a bright smile and a sparkle in his eyes. "Stevie Wonder's My Cherie Amour. Dat's my favorite song."
La, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la (2x)
Listening for a couple of seconds, she answered, "Yeah, Ah hear it."
"May I have dis dance?" He asked, bowing before her with an outstretched hand.
She looked around the empty room and couldn't help still feeling embarrassed. "Here? Now?"
"Oui," he answered then replied to her second question, "Oui."
"Ah don't kn…" She tried to answer, but by then he had already taken her hand and pulled her into his arms. It was then that she understood he hadn't asked her to dance—it was more of a demand.
Together they swayed to the music, Remy leading the way. Within time, she moved in closer, resting her head on his shoulder, finally giving into the mood of the song.
She has heard the song before, but not for many years. The last time she heard the song she was probably a little girl—a time when the lyrics would go in one ear and out the other. However, listening to the song right then was hard for her to ignore. Every time she heard the word 'Cherie' as Remy whispered the song in her ear, she couldn't help but feel that the song was meant for her and her alone.
She hated Remy for choosing to dance with her to that particular song…a love that could never be. Still, some part of her ached—ached for the man that loved a woman he could never have.
Running his hands down her long curly hair, he wondered, "Ya ever hear a song a thousand times and never truly understand it 'til…'til…now?"
La, la, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la, la (2x)
Her eyes darted away from him, searching for the answer to his question. What does he expect meh to say? She wondered, angry that he had to ruin a beautiful moment by thinking out loud.
"T'anks, Rogue."
She looked back at him, almost forgetting they were still dancing. "For what?"
"De dance."
It was then that she realized the song was over and had been replaced by an up tempo track. "Oh," she mumbled letting go of his hands, flustered by the entire situation, "yah're welcome, Remy."
---
Crash!
Rogue snapped back to reality. Looking back toward the jukebox, she noticed the drunk man had collapsed with his drink on the floor.
Picking up her glass, she knocked back the beverage and slammed it down on the bar. She knew what she would have to do in order to get back in Remy's good graces, but she still wondered if she would be able to pull it off. Dropping a couple of bills by the empty glass she walked out of the bar.
o o o
Ororo held onto Logan, afraid to break away from his hold on her; however, she knew that she would have to eventually let him go and the longer she held on, the harder it was for her to do.
Stepping away from his embrace, she shook her head adamantly. "No, Logan, you do not understand." She could feel the winds around them begin to pick up, reacting to the turmoil she was trying to keep under control. "Yes, I forgive you…but I cannot forget what happened," she added, knowing he would need more of an explanation.
He looked at her as if she were speaking a foreign language. "Huh?" He asked still holding onto her hands.
"And because I cannot forget what happened," she explained, "I cannot continue with this relationship," she said softly as she let go of his hands.
His mouth hung open as if in a daze. " 'Ro…"
"It would not be fair for you or for me."
"That's bullshit, 'Ro," he said, fighting his rage. "Ya love me, but we can't make this work?" What kind of fuckin' shit is this!
"I will always be suspicious, Logan." She noticed him roll his eyes as if she was being ridiculous. "What kind of friendship can I have with her if I can't help but be jealous?"
" 'Ro."
"What kind of relationship can we have if I'm always looking over my shoulder when you are having a conversation with her?" She asked, knowing that there was no right answer to her question.
" 'Ro…"
"What kind of lovers can we be if somewhere in the back of my mind I'm praying that you remember my name," she whispered, overwhelmed with a sense of loss. "I have played second in line before and I am determined not to repeat that mistake."
He knew that she was referring to her past relationship with Forge and hated to be compared to him. " 'Ro…" he begged.
"Yes, I forgive you; if you don't believe anything else, please believe that," she pleaded hoping that he would understand that she wasn't taking any pleasure in hurting him. "But this isn't about you right now, it is about me and what I need to do for peace of mind."
" 'Ro…"
She interrupted him again, "It has to be like this, Logan."
No it doesn't! Moving closer, he appealed to her, "Give me another chance, that's all I'm askin'."
"Just give me my space," she countered, too close to him to have the strength to step away, "that's all I'm asking."
Grasping her tighter, showing no sign of letting her go he whispered, "I don't think I can."
"I don't think I can, either," she answered truthfully, too caught up with the moment to censor herself.
Standing so close to him, she could have easily forgotten all that had transpired—as if it were all some kind of horrid nightmare. However, it wasn't a nightmare, it was real life, something that she could not wake up from.
Snapping back to reality, she continued, "But damn it, I'm going to try…and I'm asking you to do the same thing."
"Don't leave like this. Not when we came so close to…to whatever it was we were goin'." Without any kind of warning, he dipped his head closer to her, brining his hands to both sides of her face and kissed her with the thought that it may be his last time.
She kissed him back with urgency, not wanting to be the one to pull away, but knowing that if she didn't step back soon, she wouldn't be able to stop herself.
Smiling softly, she brushed her fingers against his lips, tracing the edges for memory sake. She took a step back and before he fully realized what was happening, a gush of wind came in between them and lifted her away from his grasps. "Bye, Logan."
And with a wave of her hand, it was over.
Logan watched as she flew away from him. If he could fly he would have been right behind her, but on further thought, he figured it might not be such a good idea. Maybe I should do what she asked and give her some space.
With a load of pint up rage, he exploded and punched the oak tree with his closed fist. He found it easier to deal with the physical pain of his aching hand than the emotional pain of what had just happened.
Shaking his head, he held his crushed, bloody hand as it began to heal and walked away. Never did he think that he would be leaving without her and wondered if he had done the right thing. Being here alone ain't what I had in mind. Maybe I should have accepted Betsy's offer. If it meant being with Ororo instead of by himself licking his wounds, he would have risked making a deal with the devil herself.
o o o
Remy Lebeau had arrived at Winston's Cliff only minutes after making a brief stop someplace else. He was now resting on the hood of his car, looking at the sky and taking in some soothing music. He was in a state of ease, feeling as if a great weight, by the name of Rogue, had been lifted off his shoulders.
"WTYZ, bringing you the golden oldies, the radio DJ reminded his listeners. Right about now, we are going to reach back to the Jackson Five collection. You've requested it, so here it is, 'Never Can Say Goodbye'… "
Remy rolled his eyes pissed off with the DJ's song selection. Any song in de world, but dis song, he thought in disgust. It did occur to him that he could always get up from the front of his car and change the radio station, but he was just too comfy to move and decided that he could suffer through the song. Anyway, lil' Mike had such a powerful voice, he admitted. And dis is a beautiful song…
He chuckled to himself at the thought of a pre teen Michael Jackson singing his heart out to a girl who was obviously too much for him to handle. "Jus' let her go, boy. Ya don't need her; you'll be better wit'out her," he said out loud, knowing that nobody was there to listen.
He closed his eyes, trying so very hard not to be touched by the lyrics; however, he could not help but identity with the fool of the song. "I've been de fool one too many times…I ain't de fool no more," he whispered as if saying it out loud would make it so.
"Trust me, jus' say goodbye, kid," he mumbled, trying his best not to sound bitter.
The song struck a chord in him, something so deep that he managed to pick himself up from his comfortable position and switch off the radio. The last thing he wanted to think about was making up, especially after he was finally ready to let go. Finding his position back on the hood of his car, he lay down, his eyes searching the sky for a shooting star. Finding a shootin' star is considered t' be good luck…and I need all the luck I can get right about now, he thought to himself.
Resting his hands on the back of his head, he heard a swoosh from behind him. He had heard the sound many times before and knew that it meant that someone had just flown down behind him. Considering that so few of the X-Men could fly, the person behind him had to be one out of two people.
Please let it be 'Ro. It has t' be 'Ro, he thought to himself, not wanting to turn around and confirm his assumptions.
"It's meh, Remy," a southern famine voice stated.
Shit! He remained where he was, still trying to locate a shooting star. I wanted t' be alone tonight.
He remained where he was, still trying to locate a shooting star.She waited for him to respond, but none came. "Ah wanted to…"
"How'd ya know where t' find me?" He asked, still refusing to look at her.
"Bobby told meh you'd be here," she whispered into the night.
Now why would he go and do a t'ing like dat, he wondered to himself.
She walked slowly over to the front of the car and stood over the thief. His face remained still, if he expressed any emotion at all, it would be one of indifference.
He stared at her blankly, waiting for her to begin, but offering no sign of encouragement.
Looking down at her hand while playing with her fingers, she confessed, "Ah've been havin' a bad couple of days…"
He rolled his eyes, not willing to hear her tired excuses.
Ignoring his irritated expression, she pressed on, "Mah mind has been all mixed up—more so than usual. And then that guy who Ah absorbed in our last battle—he's been causin' all kinds of craziness in mah head." She paused, waiting for his usual 'are you okay, chere', but he offered no words or sign of concern.
All right, Ah'm gettin' nothin' from him. Ah guess it's time t' pull out the big guns. Standing up straight, she said, "Ah know that the first Remy Ah absorbed took over mah body and talked to you."
He was surprised that she had actually said something that peaked his interest. "How'd ya know?"
"Ah met him in mah head afterwards. He told meh that he spoke to you." Brushing her hair from her face, she asked, "Why didn't you tell meh?"
Shrugging with little care, he answered, "I didn't t'ink it was important."
Bullshit! She thought to herself, but knew better then to say it out loud. She was trying to make up with him so she knew she had to be extra careful because it could so easily turn into an argument.
Swallowing hard, she went on and said, "He told meh that as far as you were concerned, nothin' has changed…you're still playin' games."
I got t' sit up for dis one, he thought as he sat forward on the car. Raising his index finger in the air and squinting his eyes as if he were figuring out a complicated problem, he grilled, "Let me get dis straight. Ya got all worked up 'cause de guy dat's in your head—de Remy dat ya first touched—told ya dat playin' games?"
She nodded her answer wary of how he would react to the new bit of information.
"Well, fuck me!" He yelled sarcastically, slapping his knee. "Guess what Rogue? I was playin' games when I first met ya. I didn't give a shit about ya; all I t'ought about was figurin' out a way were I could screw ya and stay alive in de process. Big fuckin' surprise!" He could see her 'holier than thou' routine coming from a mile away and decided to stop her before she started. "And don't ya dare stand dere actin' all innocent. I was playin' you and you were playin' me…"
"Don't get all mad 'cause Ah figured out your game and played it better than you," she replied, too quick to bite her tongue.
"Oh did ya now? Who came lookin' for whom tonight?" He took her reluctance to answer the question as a sign that he was the better player. "Yeah, dat's what I t'ought."
She inhaled loudly, trying desperately to calm her emotions, knowing that the situation was already starting to get out of hand. "Okay, let's jus' stop all this…Ah didn't come here to argue." Once she was sure that she had regained her composure, she continued, "Remy, Ah was wrong; Ah'm admittin' it to you. These past couple of days haven't been the best for me. All the people runnin' around mah head…"
He waved her off, not willing to fall for any of her 'poor me' routines. "I don't need t' pile on your demons, I've got my own t' deal t' deal wit'."
Her eyes narrowed sharply at his flippant regards to what she was going through. "No need to explain to meh. Ah'm dealin' with your demons too, remember?"
And dere she goes, tryin' t' make me feel guilty for what she had t' go t'rough when she absorbed me. Remy was angry, but he didn't know if he was angry at what Rogue was to do, or the fact that it was working. " kissed , remember?" He stated nonchalantly. "I nearly died, ya know," he added matter-of-factly trying to give her a dose of her own medicine. He saw the hurt in her eyes, which meant that he succeeded in what he set forth to do; yet, he wasn't happy about it.
He had crossed the line as far as she was concerned. "Let's not play who did what," she whispered as she looked him square in the eyes, "especially not after the other day when you left me alone with your friend the rapist."
Remy's face went still, hiding the shock he felt that she would actually take the bickering so far. But why should I expect anyt'ing less from he?. Nodding his head in acceptance, he relented, "I guess dat congratulations are in order for de both of us. We've proved dat we can still hurt each other."
Rogue looked away in shame, not even sure why she said what she did. The more she thought about it the more troubled she became. Ah said it 'cause Ah knew Ah could say it. Ah could always lose mah temper with him knowin' that he would eventually forgive meh…Ah do it all the time..
As if he could read her thoughts, he sighed. "I can't do dis anymore."
"Do what?"
"Dis." He could tell by her expression that she wasn't understanding what he was saying. "Us…whatever us is…I can't do dis anymore."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "All of a sudden? Without any warnin'?"
"I'm jus' tired," he stated simply.
She looked at him clueless, waiting for him to say more.
Standing up from the car and moving closer to her, he explained, "I'm tired of tryin' t' get close t' ya, only t' have ya push me away."
He's one to talk, she thought in frustration Taking a step back she yelled, "You do the same thin'! Anytime Ah'd ask you about your past, you'd change the subject."
Remy chuckled to himself, shaking his head. She still doesn't get it. She's not even aware dat she's doin' it right now.
Remy reached out his hand and grabbed her wrist, pulling her against his body, their faces almost touching. He noticed how instinctively tense she became.
"I'm tired of tryin' t' get close t' ya, only t' have ya push me away," he repeated slowly so she could realize that he meant physically instead of emotionally.
They stood face to face as his hands remained tightly around her wrist. Rogue knew that she was right in the middle of a game of chicken. She knew that he was waiting for her to move away first, just to prove that he was right in his assessment of their entire relationship. She did not want to give him the satisfaction; however, the longer he stared at her…
…so close, too close, one slip, one accident…'I nearly died, ya know,' she heard him repeat in her memory.
Yanking her hand away from him, she took a step back, giving herself the much needed space that she had grown to crave over the years. She looked back to him with guilty eyes, expecting to see him smiling triumphantly; however, his face remained still.
"I'm tired, Rogue," he repeated for the last time as he turned away.
Grabbing his arm, she said desperately, "It's only 'cause Ah'm afraid Ah might hurt you."
He pulled away from her, not wanting to hear the same thing again for the umpteenth time. Again he sat on the hood of his car, looking away from her out into the horizon.
"Ah'm jus' scared, okay?" she called out to him from where she stood. She wanted to cry, hating to admit to being scared, but she refused to let the tears fall. "But once Ah get back the bracelet…"
"You'll still be scared," he finished her sentence.
She watched as he picked up a rock from the ground and tossed it over the cliff without the familiar sound of his kinetic energy.
Looking up at the stars he said, "You'll always be scared. I know dat now…I can accept it…now."
She took his words as an insult. Stomping over in front of him so he could see her face, she yelled, "You don't know shit!"
"I know dat his isn't de first time your powers were negated," he responded calmly. "How ya acted dis time was no different dan how ya acted in de cave." He watched as her body language change with the mention of the cave. She seemed to become more timid with the memory. "I still couldn't touch ya," he concluded with a shrug.
Rogue did not have a quick reply for him. The fact that he brought up the cave brought out so many conflicting emotions, she chose to stay silent than to say something she may regret. Instead, she decided to bypass the entire topic. "What can Ah do to get you to change your mind?"
He refused to answer. Dere's not'ing you can do.
"You really want to touch meh that bad, huh?" She asked placing her hands on her hips. "But you did touch meh, remember? Although Ah guess holdin' hands jus' isn't enough for you.. It's all about sex, isn't it?" Looking up to the sky, she wondered, "Why should you be any different than all the guys out there?"
"Don't know," he replied with a shrug.
"Ah'm sure if Ah steal back mah bracelet and activate it then let you fuck me right here, you'd take meh back in a second."
"Dat's a start," he said, not stopping the grin from appearing on his face. "De Institute Security System is still not 100 so it won't be hard for you t' snatch it."
She gave him a wry smile. "Then I shall be back," she said in perfect English. With a wave of her hand, she took to the air.
He watched as she flew away from his sight. "No, ya won't," he whispered to himself. Resting back on the car, he closed his eyes, proud that he was able to stand his ground.
(Ro Joe/Sinister)
Ro-Joe awoke in a panic nearly falling off his chair. He swung his head from side to side trying to remember where he was exactly. Within minutes the memory of what he was doing at Sinister's hidden base was in the forefront of his mind.
Ro-Joe looked at his watch and cursed underneath his breath. He was at the base for much longer than was necessary. Rising from the chair and stretching his tired muscles, he began to pace the hallway grumbling to himself. "There's no way that readin' Psylocke's letter and thinkin up a response should take this long!"
He stopped pacing momentarily in order to wipe the bead of sweat from his forehead. He was becoming extremely nervous. The only way for him to ever make it to Magneto's secret meeting area was if he left that instant. Before he had the good sense to change his mind, he punched in the code to the lab.
The doors swooshed open as Ro-Joe bravely stepped through them; however, his bravery soon disappeared once he saw the look on Sinister's face.
Shit! What the hell was I thinkin'? He closed his eyes trying to prepare himself for whatever his boss would do. After a couple of seconds of silence, he reopened his eyes to see Sinister hunched back over a microscope deep in his experiment.
With a weak voice, he managed to say, "I've come to check on ya…on your response to—ah—Psylocke…if ya have one…yet."
"Why the rush?" He asked now focused on a computer screen.
"No reason," he lied nervously.
Sinister turned around in his chair to face the younger man in amusement. "A bulletin has been flashing on the radio. It seems like police are on a massive hunt for the murder of two police officers."
Ro-Joe held his breath, his body over flowing with anxiety.
Folding his hand on his lap, he added, "They're looking for a mutant by the name of Ro-Joe Johnson."
Busted! Ro Joe lowered his eyes to the floor in defeat
Sinister's seemingly pleasant mode soon turned serious. "I ask you again, why the rush?"
He began to babble in earnest, "It wasn't my fault; It was self defense. It was either them or me—so I shot 'em!" Walking up to Sinister, he begged, "I need a response from you to give Psylocke. If I don't give her one she'll hunt me down; I know it. And she can do it too, she's a telepath!"
"You never told me you were connected with the X-Men," he stated with controlled anger. "With Psylocke's capabilities, she could be in your mind right now…she could get a sense of what I'm doing here or snatch the codes to the base from your mind at the very least!"
"But I'm not in contact with her," he insisted, knowing that his very life hung in the balance. "I met her once long ago, but have barely seen her since tonight when she tracked me down—the bitch is crazy!" I Better tell him the whole truth. Taking a deep breath, he confessed, "I plan on goin' to Asteroid M…with Magneto. The last trip is in an hour or so in Buffalo, New York. I have to go—either I leave now or I get nabbed by the cops—shit, they know my name now, it's only a matter of time before they find me."
"But you can't go with Magneto. Psylocke won't let you," he said with a smile. "And I can't give you a response to her letter." His eyes shifted to the envelope over by the other table. "As you can see, I haven't even opened the note."
"Bullshit!" He cursed, too pissed off to remember that he was scared of the red eyed man. "This is my life you're messin' with," he yelled in frustration.
The scientist shrugged his shoulders without a care. "You'll never make it to Psylocke and then to Buffalo. You don't have enough time."
He was right—Ro-Joe knew it. He relented with the thought that Sinister wasn't going to give him the message and Psy would do something to him if he tried to head to Magneto and avoid her. This entire thing is fucked up. I might as well jus' turn myself in to the cops, considering that they'll probably catch me in no time.
He then noticed Sinister searching for something through his draw. He watched as the scientist pulled out a small metal device and tossed it over to his waiting hands.
"What's this?"
"Stick it on your forehead."
Ro-Joe gave him a quizzical look. "Yeah right, I'm puttin' this on my forehead," he said sarcastically.
"It will block you from psychic probes…but only for two hours at the most."
Ro-Joe starred at him in utter astonishment unsure of what to say.
Turning back to his computer, he mumbled, "You better leave now…if you want to make it in time."He's actually givin' me a way out---I can't believe it! Nothin' in the past couple of months I've known him has shown me that he has a heart. There was nothing he wanted to do more than leave that very moment and yet, he could not."I—I don't know how to thank ya." He's basically givin' me my freedom—he's givin' me my life back.
There was nothing he wanted to do more than leave that very moment and yet, he could not. "I—I don't know how to thank ya.""Don't get sentimental. I would have kept you here working for me if you weren't wanted by the police."
"Thank you, thank you, so much! You're the man!" He yelled in excitement running toward the door.
"While you're out there, send in the boy!" He called out after him just as the doors closed.
Sinister got up from the desk and walked to the examining table, making sure everything was ready to go.
The tiny envelope, which was given to him by Ro-Joe and written by Betsy, stilled remained on his desk…unopened.
(Jean/Scott)
Jean lay huddled in bed with her husband, not able to conceal the growing smile on her face. Thinking back on their first night together in a long time, she mused, If that was a preview of what is to come during our three-day lock in, we'll need our rest.
She watched Scott as he slept, his warm breath brushing against her in a steady rhythm. She wished they could stay in that position forever in each other's arms. How did she ever get so lucky to find a man like Scott, she would never know. Moments like these she felt an overwhelming love for him, she did not know what to do with herself. It was like she just wanted to be a part of him, more than just him being in her during sex, more than just connecting with him in her mind…just, more.
She gently removed herself from the arms of his sleeping form, careful not to wake him…just not careful enough.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked playfully as placed his arms around her, pulling her closer to him.
"I was trying not to wake you," she said as traced her finger around his neck. "I'm just a little thirsty. You gave me quite the work out, you know."
He gave her a quick peck on the cheek as he began to get up from the bed. "Let me get it for you…"
"Don't you dare," she stated as she gently pushed him back down against the pillows. "You need to save your strength. I'm far from finished with you," she said with a wink.
"Yes, ma'am," he surrendered, giving her a soldier's salute. He couldn't resist giving her a small kiss, which quickly turned much deeper as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her on top of him.
"Not now," she said playfully, pushing him away. "Later," she promised as she eased out the bed.
He watched as she wrapped her naked body in a bathrobe and left the bedroom, making her way through the dark house.
Scott was happy now that he had spent some quality time alone with his wife—he truly felt like he had finally begun his vacation. Jean was so trilled when he told her that he wanted them to spend three days together without being distracted with X-Men duties. He reasoned that they were off to a very good start and could not wait for her to return to bed.
He listened to the sound of running water which he figured was coming from the kitchen tap. He tried very hard to be patient and waited for her to quench her thirst. He could hear her begin to rummage through the house.
"Somebody left the window open!" Jean shouted.
"It wasn't me!" He yelled in response. It must have been one of the many guests we had over tonight. Thinking back to the entire team together in his living room, he remained optimistic that everyone would continue the bounding that had begun earlier in the night. I told everyone that they are welcomed to return anytime they wanted; I hope they will take me up on that offer…after the three day are up of course…
He heard she shut the window.
"Sweetie pie!"
His wife's voice cut into his thoughts. It took only a second to analyze her voice and even though she was calling him sweetie pie, he could hear a touch of annoyance underneath.
"How many times do I have to remind you to hang up your things when you finished with them or throw them in the wash?" She asked rhetorically.
I don't remember tossing my clothes…at least not today. "I'm sorry dear," he replied quickly. Being married had taught him that saying sorry was the easiest way out of a long lecture.
"It okay," she replied, lightheartedly, "just don't let it happen…"
He listened as her voice trailed off as if she did not feel the need to finish the sentence, considering she has told him the same thing countless times before.
Scott folded his hands behind his head as he sat propped up against the pillows, waiting for his wife to return to him. Now that he was up, he felt fully alert, ready to pick up right where they had left off an hour or so before.
The longer he thought about her and what he planned to do with her, the more he realized that she was still no where to be seen. "Honey?" He called out, expecting to hear her loving response.
There was no answer in return.
"Honey?" He called out again.
Again there was no response.
He began to think that she might have stepped outside for a few minutes. But if that were true, she would have mentioned it to me.
Scott sat up from the bed. "Jean?"
At that instant he wasn't about to wait for an answer already fearing that something must have happened to her. He threw over the blanket he was covered in as he found his boxers and quickly put them on.
Scott was about to jump out of bed and stopped short when he saw Jean enter the room slowly with a far away expression on her face and an almost smile. He froze on the bed, peering at her in order to see what it was she had around her neck.
It looks like a long piece of cloth. He watched as she took slow steps to him as she brought the cloth towards her nose and inhaled deeply.
"What is it?" Through the darkness he would see tears beginning to flow from her eyes. "Jean?" He moved closer to the edge of the bed as she dropped down beside him. He covered her with his arm in a semi hug, getting a smell of the strong cologne coming from whatever was around her neck.
"That's awful," he whispered, referring to the smell as it burned his nose hairs.
Looking up at him with tear filled eyes, she whispered, "It's my grandfather."
What? Her grandfather died a long time ago.
She held out the ugly brown tie that was around her neck so that he could better see it. "It's not really my grandpa's tie, but it's his cologne." She didn't have to trail far within her memory to remember the name. "Robust," she said with a bright smile.
Scott slowly began to recall a story she had told him long ago while they were still dating about her favorite grandfather and how he use to douse himself with a strong cologne. I remember Jean saying something about him dying and how she had an ugly tie to remember him by. Suddenly, the entire story flooded his memory. He looked at Jean in confusion as he pointed to the brown tie. "I thought the tie burned in a fire that you accidentally caused." Upon further thought, he added, "And didn't they stop making that brand of cologne years ago?"
"Uh-huh," she nodded, as she rubbed her face against his chest.
Brushing his hand against the tie he wondered, "Then where did this come from?"
She looked up at him, wanting to know the answer as well. "I don't kn…" she paused a moment, realizing that there could only be one possible answer.
Remy! She thought, nearly shouting his name out loud. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she had to be right. I told him the story about my grandpa the other night in the kitchen and he's the only other person I ever told that story to and tonight he said that he wanted to give me something, plus he spent most of the night by the window…
She thought, nearly shouting his name out loud. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she had to be right."This is pretty freaky."
With the sleeve of her robe, she wiped away the last of her tears. Looking towards her husband with a bright face and rubbing her runny nose she said, "Maybe it's not so freaky after all."
Scott gave her a quizzical look, but soon realize that whatever Jean meant, it wasn't going to be explained to him anytime soon.
She looked past Scott towards their bedroom window, her thoughts drifting from her grandfather to the Cajun. She really felt like running out of the room in search of Remy just so she could plant a big 'thank you/all is forgiven' kiss on his cheek.
I can't believe he went through the trouble of actually doing this for me. And to think about how I treated him tonight. He could have just thrown this out without saying anything to me—I would have never known—yet he choose to still give it to me anyway.
The touch of Scott's hand against her cheek refocused all of her attention to where it belonged. She stared him in the eyes, sadden by the fact that all she could see was her reflection in his glasses. Combing his hair with her fingers, she said softly with all her heart, "I love you so much."
"I love you too." He lowered her head, giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. Jerking his head away, he asked, "Can you move the tie from around your neck? I think I'm allergic to it." I'm not surprised it was taken off the market.
She smiled in response, admitting to herself that the cologne did take some getting use to. Smelling it one more time, she removed the tie from around her neck and swung it over the bedpost.
Positioning herself on his stomach with one leg between each side, she asked, "Better?"
"Much." Wrapping his arms around her lower body, pulling her closer against his chest, he wondered, "Now, where were we?"
"Ummm…"
He planted her earlobe with soft kisses then paused and asked, "Right here?"
"No," she answered shaking her head.
Moving his lips to the side of her neck, he sucked it hard, moistening the area with his tongue. "Right here?"
She giggled with anticipation then shook her head. "No."
Scott traced her with his lips, moving down her body resting on the nipple of her breast. Looking back at her with a wicked grin, he asked, "Right here?"
"Bingo!" She yelled, giving a thumbs up sign.
In a swift motion, he picked her up from his chest and turned her over on the bed…
o o o
Remy had a mischievous smile on his face. His mind had briefly wandered to an hour or so before when he made his return back to the boathouse through the window. He could still hear the sounds of the loving couple and the squeaking of their bed as he made his way quietly around their living room where he had placed a tie on the floor.
After Jean had told him the story of her grandfather that night in the kitchen, he made it a point to phone Jake the Liquor Store man and get him to buy an 'ugly brown tie' which were Jean's words when she was describing it to him that night. Remy would have bought the tie himself, but at that time he was too busy to go out shopping, considering they were still on Red Alert, plus he had been dealing with Rogue…
Ordering the Robust cologne was harder to manage since it had been off the market for years; however, that bit of news didn't trouble Remy too much. Everything had a price and the Thief was willing to pay top dollar for a discontinued awful smelling cologne.
He really wanted to see the look on Jean's face when she smelled the tie for the first time, but it wasn't to be. I bet she's gonna feel so guilty when she realized what I did for her.
The mischievous smile that was on Remy's face became bigger knowing that a 'Thankful Jean' would be far more entertaining than the 'Bitchy Jean' he had been dealing with. The trouble he had now was trying to figure out how exactly to use his new position with the first lady of the X-Men.
His thoughts were interrupted as he heard soft steps behind him. Turning around to face the other direction, he saw Rogue walking toward him. Can't believe she came back. It was then that he noticed Rogue swinging the bracelet around her finger looking very proud of herself.
He hid his shock, but wasn't about to do any cartwheels. She proved that she could locate the bracelet and nothing else as far as he was concerned.
"See, Ah got it," she said as she strutted proudly around him. "Ah know you thought that Ah would freak out or whatever. Sorry to disappoint you."
Remy brought both hands together. Clap…clap…clap
His applause was loud; however, it lacked any sort of energy.
She noticed his demeanor and knew the subliminal message that was being sent. "Hmmm, a sarcastic clap; that's a new one," she said without a care. "Ah'll give a lil' curtsy all the same." With one foot in front of the other, she gave a proper curtsy as if she were wearing a dress.
He watched her coldly, knowing that she was trying to get him to smile—it wasn't working. "I see ya still don't get it."
Pausing momentarily from her antics she asked, "Get what?"
"Remember what I told you dat day by de pool when ya were blinded in battle?"
She rolled her his visibly annoyed with having to repeat his philosophy. "Trust the people that care about you."
He knew that she was stalling—that she knew what he really wanted her to say. "What else did I tell ya, Rogue?" He asked calmly.
"When you're vulnerable, don't trust anyone," she mumbled impatiently. "We went over this countless times."
He nodded, indicating that she gave the answer he was fishing for. "Yeah well, I seemed not t' be payin' attention, but I'm payin' attention now. I should have followed my own advice." Pointer to her, he explained, "You had control of everyt'ing dat was in me."
She was beaming in response to his words. And Ah liked that…wait a minute…Running over what he had said again in her mind, she asked with outraged, "Had?" Her head was spinning with the significance of his words. "So you don't trust meh anymore, is that it?"
"Now ya seem t' understand."
Is he actually serious? The fact that he was still sitting on his car without seeming the slight bit interested that she had the bracelet in her hand, spoke volumes. Shit!
The fact that he was still sitting on his car without seeming the slight bit interested that she had the bracelet in her hand, spoke volumes."Okay, Ah—Ah understand—Ah hear what you're sayin'. Ah can be erratic, right? Like one minute everythin' is perfect between us and the next minute Ah'm freakin' out on you." She remembered the day she told Scott the reason she broke up with Remy weeks before was because she wanted him to find a girl so he could satisfy his need without feeling guilty. Fuck, Ah could jus' tell him the real reason why Ah freak out on him from time to time, but Ah don't want him to know how pathetic Ah really am. Anyway, now that Ah have the bracelet, Ah don't have to act like that anymore.
Moving away from her thoughts, she continued, "That's over now, Remy. It's in the past. What Ah'm tryin' to say is, Ah want to make things right between us." With each word she took a step closer to him and professed honestly, "You're the only one that has ever given meh any kind of hope." Standing before him, she took a deep breath. "Remy, Ah love you," she revealed, bracing herself for what was to come next.
Seconds had past between them where neither had anything to say. Rogue searched his soul through his red eyes, looking for any lasting sign of hope left to cling to.
Remy gradually slid down the hood of the car and stood on his feet. He brought his hands to her face, carefully brushing her hair from her eyes so that she could see the sincerity in his face. Moving his hands to both sides of her hair covered cheeks, he stated, "Frankly mon chere, I don't' give a shit."
She shook her head so that he would remove his hands from her face. She expected to hear him say that after the way she reacted to him in the medial lab; however, some small part of her hoped that he would have returned the loving sentiment. "Ah don't believe you."
"Believe it," he stated simply.
"The day before yesterday you told me you were in love wit' meh and now Ah'm suppose to believe that you don't care?"
Looking helplessly into the sky, he said with a touch of amusement, "I mus' have been out of my fuckin' mind."
She could not find the humor in his statement. "No, you're out of your mind now and you're gonna kick yourself when the sun rises and you realize that Ah'm gone."
"Den go, Rogue!" He ordered, pointing over her head as if giving her the quickest route out of his life. "Leave me de fuck alone and prove me wrong."
"Fine, Ah will leave!" She lied, having no intention of doing so. "But first tell me that you don't love meh. Look meh in the eyes and tell meh it's over."
De ol' look me in de eyes routine, he thought unimpressed He had to answer that question so many times before, he felt that he had mastered it. I've been t'rough dis before wit' other woman; it was always a piece of cake. Staring his former girlfriend in the eyes, the words rolled off his tongue with little effort, "It's over."
It was now Rogue's turn to be unimpressed with his performance. She raised a brow sensing a moment of weakness within him for the first time. "That's not all that Ah asked you to say." Placing both hands on her hips, she ordered, "Now, tell meh you don't love meh." Yes, Ah'm bluffin', but for some reason Ah know he won't be able to say it. There's no way he can tell a lie like that to mah face and have me believe it.
He was trying to read her, trying to get a sense of where she was coming from, but all he could feel were a mix of jumbled emotions. Because he couldn't read her, he decided to go for the direct approach and asked, "What do ya want from me?"
"Ah want you tell meh you don't love me."
Instead of answering, he looked at her in utter stillness.
Just enough time had passed for her to declare victory. Raising her fist in the air in jubilation, she yelled, "Ah knew it; you're so full of shit!" Though he almost had me goin' there for a while, she admitted to herself. Now that she was sure that he still loved her, she snapped the bracelet around her wrist. "Jus' let me activate it and prove to you that Ah'm serious and that Ah wanna make things work and we can start over and…"
Remy was less concern with her babbling now that he could see how much she was shaking as she tried to operate the bracelet. Soon he realized that she had been twisted the device around her wrist and not much else. Nodding his head in acceptance he observed, Rogue is talkin' a lot 'bout what she would do and really isn't doin' shit. All dat yappin' about pressin' de button and it's no where t' actually bein' activated.
Suddenly to his amazement, he watched as her fingers moved directly over the activation button, ready to push down on it.
Fuck! Quickly, his hand shot up and was over her hand, preventing her from pushing down on the button
She furrowed her brow in bewilderment, confused by what he was doing.
Shaking his head sadly, he whispered, "It's too late."
"No, it's not," she answered, not believing what he was saying, "jus' let meh…"
"Yes, it is," he replied firmly.
A sense of doubt began to take over. She was suddenly beginning to believe that he was serious about ending their relationship. No, no, it can't be over. He's probably jus' tryin' to teach meh a lesson, the bastard. "Remy, please don't do this…"
"I can't do it again, Rogue."
She didn't want his words to sink in. He jus' needs to hear me say that Ah'm serious…he jus' needs me to say that Ah'll never hurt him again… The tears she had fought so hard to control were beginning to roll down her cheeks. "Ah'm beggin' you now, okay? I'm beggin' you. Ah'll do whatever you want…"
"Rogue…"
"Ah'll never hurt you again," she rambled on, "let meh prove myself to you."
"…It's over." Soon, he was prepared to say something that even he thought could never happen. Capturing her total attention so that she would have no doubt, he declared, "I don't love you."
Her mouth opened in shock, her body reacting to his statement as if the wind was knocked out of her. She felt cold as if someone had just drained all the blood from her veins—as if she were the one being absorbed.
"Oh mah Gawd!" Never in her life could she believe that he would ever say that to her—and have her believe it.
She bit her lip, wiping the ever flowing tears from her eyes. She searched his face for any sign of compassion, at that point she would even accept pity, but there was none to be found. "Well, Ah told you that's what Ah wanted to hear," she said softy, admitting to herself that he had called her bluff.
"Ah tried," she whispered, her voice shaky. Being turned down was hard enough, but the hardest thing she had to do was walk away from him. It took everything she had to turn her back to him, knowing that the next time she saw him, she would have no claim to him. Ah've always pushed him away before, but he would always find the path back to meh. So what was different this time? The answer soon came to her. Ah guess Ah finally pushed him away too far…too far to find the path back.
She took one step away from him than two, each step becoming less shaky than the one before. She set her mind on walking straight—where exactly, she didn't know, just as long as she kept on walking straight—one foot in front of the other. If she were headed in the other direction she would have most likely just walked off the cliff.
It took everything that was in her to not turn around and throw herself at his feet. Yes, even after her sob filled plea to him, she still possessed some dignity. But if Ah knew he would give meh another chance, Ah would do it in a heart beat...
"Hey, Rogue," he called to her.
Her heart felt as if it would jump out of her chest as she reacted to his voice. A subtle feeling of hope took over her as she slowly turned around to face him. He was closer to her than she thought he would be, only then realizing that she had not taken very many steps away from him. Her breathing slowed considerably, her body was still so she could hear ever word of what he was about to say.
"It's hard, ya know?" He said, his voice cracking despite him trying to hold back his true emotions. Despite his intentions to prevent her from knowing he was hurting too, he knew that she could hear the sadness and longing that was seeping from him. "It's jus' really hard," he repeated more sturdily.
She nodded her head, truly understand what he meant—it was hard. The longer she stood facing him, the more apparent it became that he was not going to say anything else.
That's it? She asked herself in disbelief. She watched him closely for any sign that he was wavering on his earlier decision. That's it, she declared, accepting her fate. Turning around she took another step, finding she had lost the confidence she had gained before.
She asked herself in disbelief. She watched him closely for any sign that he was wavering on his earlier decision. she declared, accepting her fate. Turning around she took another step, finding she had lost the confidence she had gained before.Remy watched as she left him. Jus' let her walk away, jus' let her walk away, jus' let her… "Rogue," he called again a little louder than before.
She stopped short, almost falling down from unbalanced. Facing him for the second time was as if he was ripping her beating heart from her chest. The tears began to roll down her face with new urgency.
"It's better dis way."
She had to bite her tongue to stop from yelling at him. How the fuck does he know what way would be better? Heat began to flow through her as she tried to control her anger. It was then that she realized that he did still care, but chose instead to be rid of her than to risk being with her. The fact that he was thinking logically instead of with his heart, burned her. He really doesn't believe meh when Ah say Ah won't hurt him again. Yes, she has had many chances with him before, but hated him for not giving her one more.
Again, she mustered all her strength to turn around, knowing that she had what it took to finally be able to leave him.
Jus' let her walk away, jus' let her walk away, jus' let her…"Rogue."
"Remy, enough!" She yelled as she spun around, her body shaking with pint up emotion. She felt as if she would explode with all the anxiety that he was causing in her. "Ah can't take anymore of this…you're killin' meh." Clenching her fist, she cried, "Jus' let meh go!"
"I can't," he said before he had the good sense to stop himself.
Everything that was in her became still, only her eyes growing with realization of what he had just said. "You can't?" She swallowed hard then licked her dry lips with uncertainty. "What do you mean, Remy?" She asked desperately. "What are you tellin' meh?"
His eyes shifted toward the grass as if he had said too much too soon. "I don't know," he answered so confused with his own words.
She zeroed in on him, not willing to let him escape what he had said. "The fuck you don't know," she replied as she stomped over to him.
He looked back into her teary green eyes—oh, how he wanted to look anywhere but there. It was too late; she had him locked in a stare that was too strong to break free, and so he stayed prisoner. "We can't undo de past; it's too fucked up t' undo," he stated, succeeding in fighting back his tears.
Nodding her head cautiously, she agreed, "You may be right."
"Dat's the one good t'ing 'bout de future," he continued, trying so hard not to caress her face, instead choosing to take her hand, "it's not messed up wit' all our shit."
She brushed away his hands in frustration with all his mumbo jumbo. "Forget the past and the future," she ordered impatiently. "What about the present, the now. What about us…now?"
"Now?" He repeated as if it were the first time he had ever heard the word.
Taking the time to contemplate the question, he thought, Now it is de early mornin'. Now we are on a cliff. Now we are together. Now we are close enough t' touch. Now not'ing else seems t' matter. Now, in itself, was easy to deal with; it was everything else that seemed to complicate matters.
Focusing back on her, he answered truthfully, "Now? Now I jus' can't make any promises."
Grabbing his shirt, she pulled him into her and whispered, "Gawd, Remy, Ah'm not askin' you to!" She buried her head into his chest, feeling that she would fall to her knees without his support. "Ah'm the one who is makin' the promises; can't you see!"
As he stood there, with her body pressed against his own, he could feel the pounding of her heart, matching the rhythm of his own. What else could he do? He had already told her he didn't love her. Looking into her teary eyes and lying to her that he didn't love her…she did that to him. A lonely tear managed to escape his eye to his disbelief. He couldn't even remember the last time he had cried and yet there he was actually having to wipe his eye. She did that to him and yet he still loved her.
He was damned…damned to love her, he could see it all so clearly now. It all made sense. His penance for all that he had done wrong in his life would be a love that could only bring him heartache. He now figured that Rogue would forever be his punishment and the fool in him was willing to accept his sentence without a fair trial.
In a mere whisper, he said, "Let's jus' take it one day at a time."
Slowly, she brought her head up from his chest in astonishment. For the first time of the night, she finally had found what she was searching for deep in his red on black eyes…hope.
"Startin' today," she said softly as the sun made its first peak out of the horizon, adding beautiful warm colors to the dreary night sky.
"Startin' right now," he added with a soft smile.
Both Remy and Rogue turned to witness the birth of a new day together with the birth of their new relationship. Turning back to each other, captivated by the moment where everything seemed to finally be perfect, they remained as they were in silence not wanting to spoil the moment with talk of what was to come—not wanting to discuss the fact that the not knowing was terrifying.
Remy was so caught up with the sight of his love and their renewed relationship, he missed the very shooting star he had spent the night searching for—and all the luck that came with it.
The End
oooooooooooo
Author's Note:
My Cherie Amour—Stevie Wonder
Never Can Say Goodbye—Jackson Five
Yeah, that's it. I truly want to thank every single person who reviewed and dropped me an email. I am going to write all your names down in the end because just knowing that there were people reading kept me coming back to write it all out.
The flashback of Remy and Rogue was a deleted scene that I probably wrote way back to be in Chapter 13, I don't remember why I left it out though. By fluke I found it again and decided to add it into the last chapter. I almost didn't put it in because I figured that two songs in one chapter were a little much, but I really like that song and it reminds me of there relationship, so… :o)
Sorry to all the Ororo/Logan people, but I felt that's how it had to end. Whether 'Ro made the right decision, I don't know, but I love that fact that she stood her ground. Too bad for Wolvie :o(
And for the Remy/Rogue people, 'one day at a time' can mean so many things. Will it all work out in the end for them or will it only end in heartache like Remy thinks will happen, who knows? I guess it would be me ;o) but you all can work it out in your imagination.
Still I'm not a bastard; I know that there are some things left unsaid like:
What will Xavier's reaction be when he reads the report and finds out what all the X-men have been up to? What's the deal with Rogue and her memories? What plans did Betsy have for Sinister?Of course there are many other things to wrap up which is why there is something else…
Next time: The epilogue