Disclaimer: I run out of patience with disclaimers so quick. The one on the first page can count for the whole story, and I really own nothing.

Authors Note: I'm so glad people liked that first chapter! You've made me happy! Shout out time, its nice to be doing this again!

Fudgebrowne, thegambit23, scarlet stripes, heartsyhawk, GothikStrawberry: thank you very much for reviewing and for all the lovely things you said! Here's the next chapter for you…

Ishandahalf: yeah sorry, the surprise is gone, but there's many more chapters worth of surprise still to come! I didn't work at that place very long, but price checking the boys was funny, we just had to make sure we didn't do it often enough to get caught. I'm sure I will enjoy Moz! I'll try my hardest to give him a kiss, but I don't promise anything ;-) thanks for the review!

EvilWhiteRaven: I love Piotr just generally; he seems like such a sweetie, I'm sure if he were real we would get along great. Glad you liked the chapter, plenty more to come, so sit tight! Thanks for the review.

NiNab: I will try to email you when I update, but please don't get mad if I forget! I have a bad memory…thanks for the reviews though!

Sweety8587: This will be continuing, promise, its going to be pretty long too…thanks for reviewing.

Plague-darkholme: nope this is all set in the real world with no mutants and no powers. Thanks for reviewing!

Freak87 & Totally Obsessed47: well interesting is a good start! Thanks for the reviews.

- - - - -

Music When The Lights Go Out
Chapter Two (Something about set-ups)

Piotr gave a small, polite cough in order to attract the attention of his new "boss." She turned to him and smiled, evidently happy to see the artist himself. Remy felt his breath catch in the back of his throat. She was even more beautiful up close that she had been from across the room. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy having her…

"Everyone, this is Piotr Rasputin himself," she told the group of people that she was with, the ones who had been admiring Piotr's work previously.

"This is my friend, Remy LeBeau, Remy this is Rogue Darkholme who owns the gallery," Piotr reiterated for the sake of a proper introduction.

"Charmed madmoiselle," Remy smirked as he kissed her hand, turning on his charm to the max.

"Rahte…" Rogue withdrew her hand, almost as if it has been tainted.

Remy couldn't help noticing her accent. Ever since he had left home all those years ago he had missed hearing the familiar drawl of the southern states. Listening to her speak, even a few words was like watching thick, sweet molasses drip from a spoon.

"Dis is a nice place y' got here." He tried making small talk whilst giving her his most lazy, handsome smile. The one the guaranteed him the girl.

"Thanks…Ah think…" she said warily, eyeing the look he was giving her. She had seen a hundred men like him before. "Do ya like art?"

"Can't say its really Remy's t'ing, but mebbe he jus' needs a belle femme like y' t' persuade him."

Rogue rolled her eyes. She looked across for Piotr, maybe she could get a more interesting level of conversation out of him, but he had been enveloped and spirited away by the little group of slightly over excited students she had been looking after previously.

So far, she was very pleased with how this party was turning out. The majority of people who had turned up had been interested in Piotr's work and there had been a couple of sales already. It was very encouraging.

"So chére, how about y' give Remy y' phone number and we can go t' dinner sometime non?"

Rogue wasn't sure whether to slap him or give him points for boldness. She had to admire the man's gall, but at the same time, she hated his cocky arrogance.

"How about no, swamprat."

"Chére, y' wound dis ol' Cajun, but mebbe y' change y' mind, non?"

"Yeah rahte…" Rogue muttered as she walked away from a rebuffed Remy.

Meanwhile, Remy couldn't quite believe what had happened. His charm had failed him-that never happened! But maybe that just made it more interesting, after all, everyone knows that Remy LeBeau just cant resist a challenge and he was going to make her his next conquest whatever it took.

- - - - -

"Argh! Some people jus' make me so mad!" Rogue vented as she went and sat down with her friend, Kitty Pryde who had come along to the gallery to offer some moral support for the occasion.

"Why? Like, what happened?"

"Just some jerk who think he's gods gift ta women is all, he tried ta get me ta give him mah phone number…he had tha lamest pick up lines ever!"

Kitty laughed. "So like, which one is he?" she asked. She had been scanning the crowd to try and work it out anyway; she figured she might as well have some help…

"Well unfortunately, it seems tha swamprat is friends with Piotr, so Ah might not be able ta get rid o' him as easily as Ah would like…"

"What? So he's the guy standing with the tall, dark Russian and the little blonde girl? Rogue! He's like, totally hot!"

Rogue hit Kitty on the arm playfully for practically siding with the Cajun. "Ya didn't have ta talk ta him, he was horrible."

"Well I'd go for him."

"Then why don't ya."

"Because I like his friend more."

"Kitty!"

"What? A girl can't look now?"

"Just tha other day ya were goin' on an' on about how much ya missed Lance and wished ya had never finished with him an' now ya practically droolin' over mah new artist!"

Kitty was about to open her mouth to protest that she was sooo over Lance and she wasn't drooling over Piotr at all, merely observing, but she didn't get the chance.

"Excuse me miss, I'd like to buy a painting." A smartly dressed man tapped Rogue on the shoulder.

"O' course sir, which one were ya thinkin' of?"

As Rogue walked away with the gentleman Kitty turned her attention back to the two men on the far side of the room. Surely there couldn't be any harm in going over and talking to them. Rogue would flip her lid if she knew of course, but she wouldn't, or at least not until it was too late…

- - - - -

Feeling a small tap on his shoulder, Remy turned to find a petite girl with brown hair tied back into a ponytail and a big smile, standing right behind him.

"Hi I'm Kitty Pryde, I'm a friend of Rogue's." she introduced herself to the Cajun.

"Bonjour Kitty. Remy LeBeau, pleased t' meet y'. Rogue never told me she had such a belle friend," said Remy, huskily, turning on the charm yet again. Maybe if he could win her friend over, he would be one step closer to the Rogue herself. Picking up Kitty's hand, he kissed it, smirking as he watched her blush and smile.

"I just, like, thought I'd come over here and find out what you were like, Rogue doesn't seem to like you much…" Kitty said a little bluntly, taking a quick glance across the room to check Rogue was still occupied.

"Well perhaps Rogue jus' needs t' get t' know Remy a lil more huh? Mebbe if y' were t' give Remy her telephone number, he could get t' know her a lil better…"

"Well I could do that, but how do I know you aren't some kinda like, evil stalker creep?"

Remy couldn't help but laugh, though the girl was only looking out for her friend. "P'tite, y' have Remy's word dat he isn't an evil stalker creep."

Kitty stopped and took a look at the situation. Yes, this guy was trying way to hard with his charm and pick up lines, but he looked like someone who could stick a date with Rogue out and wouldn't just run away at her first sarcastic put-down, not to mention he was incredibly gorgeous!

Rogue was always turning guys who asked her out down flat, Kitty honestly couldn't see why sometimes, maybe she just needed a little push in the right direction and lord knows Kitty loved to play matchmaker…

Quickly, she grabbed a napkin from one of the waiters and wrote Rogue's phone number on it before shoving it into Remy's breast pocket and practically running back to her seat. Rogue was nearly done with her customer…

Kitty could help but grin a little at what she'd just done; she just hoped they were able to identify her body when Rogue found out…


ahh, just look what Kitty did… ;-)

Review please! A balloon if you do…