Knocking At Your Door

Chapter Two

By Kanshisha Tenshi

Disclaimer:  Hah!  You thought I owned it, didn't you?!

            Rogue's first impulse was to help this man as fast as her body could make her.  Then she remembered who it was, and her next impulse was to finish what the other Acolytes had started with him.  Wouldn't be so hard just to kick him a little more, maybe break his other leg...

            He groaned, tearing her from her thoughts.  Her X-Men training eventually got the better of her.  Scott and Xavier haunting her thoughts, she dragged him none-too-gently inside and shut and locked the doors, scowling.  Either she was weak or he was heavy, but she probably wouldn't make it to the elevator at this rate.  She'd have to check on his injuries here.

            She looked at his face.  Then she didn't look at his face.  Then she took just a peek and blushed, reprimanding herself.

            "Well, he's a little bruised but it ain't too serious.  Sabertooth was kickin' him an' punchin' him pretty hard in the chest and stomach...Ah guess it couldn't hurt to just take a peek.  For the sake o' science...An' helpin' him."  She peeled a tan trench coat off of him and worked on his black bodysuit, opening so that she could only see his chest and stomach.  She was stunned for a moment, staring.  A sudden chuckle brought her out of her...study.

            "Like what you see, chére?"

            "Ah was lookin' for injuries," she retorted indignantly.

            "Well, yo' welcome t' look anytime, petite, for as long as you want."

            "Ah told you, Ah was looking for injuries!"

            "Uh-huh.  Sure you were, chérie."

            "Ah was!"

            "Were not."

            "Was too."

            "Were not."

            "Was too...look, either shut up or tell me where yoah hurt."

            "If Remy tell you exactly where, will you kiss it an' make it better?"

            "No!  Now tell me or Ah'll add some o' mah own."

            He sighed resignedly.  "Okay, chére, you win.  I got some bruises on m'stomach, face an' chest.  Well, dey hurt, anyway.  Probably got a li'l blood on m'lip, but don' worry 'bout dat.  An' m'leg's broken."

            "So Ah take it you won't be able to get to the Med Lab by yoahself."  She frowned.  "Don't make anythin' outta this, Remy, but Ah'm gonna have to carry you."

            "Dat's a little backwards, chére," he teased.  "De husband's s'posed t' carry de bride across de threshold."

            "Ah ain't yoah bride.  Heah, just lean on meh."  She helped him stand on his good leg, the left.  With her supporting him, he limped over to an elevator.  Rogue pressed a button on the wall and the elevator opened.  She pushed another button inside and it descended to the first sub-basement.  Out they walked, and over to the Med Lab doors.  She had him sit on a table and take off his bodysuit (with a blush across her face, of course).  He sat on the cold metal table while she examined his leg, which was swollen and bruised from where it had been broken.

            "Ah have no idea how to set it...not painfully.  Ah could put you out cold for a while and set it as best as Ah can 'til Mr. McCoy gets back, an' then give you some Tylenol..."

            "Dat'd work, chére."

            "But--"

            "Jus' do it."

            "Problem is, Ah'd have to touch you.  It'd knock you out long enough for meh to set it.  But Ah really don' want yoah evil thoughts messin' with mah head."

            "Den jus' give me some Tylenol an' we hope for de best, eh?"

            "Ah could try anesthetics but Ah could end up givin' you not enough or too much...not that you haven't tried killin' meh..."

            "You still angry 'bout dat, petite?  It was only business."

            "So yoah business is to try to blow mah hand off?"

            "Um...apparently, oui.  Well, it was..."  He trailed off meaningfully.

            "What's that s'posed to mean?  Does it have anythin' to do with why they were attackin' you?"

            "Oui again, chére.  Yo' on a roll."  She rolled her eyes at him and began looking for a non-lethal anesthetic.  While she wasn't looking, Gambit flicked on a device in his coat's pocket so Magneto and the others would hear.  "See, Gambit t'ought dat by 'X-Men' dey meant de team was...well, all boys.  Den he saw you at de fight, chére, an'...he felt bad.  Really, really bad.  So he made his getaway, but had t' charge a card t' make it look like he'd done somet'in'.  Den when de Acolytes got home he started gettin' int' arguments wit' ev'rybody.  Finally, dose boys got too unbearable so he left.  He was gonna join de X-Men an' get de girls 'stead o'...well, gettin' de girls, if you know what I mean.  But de boys didn' want dat happenin', so dey followed him an' attacked him when his back was turned.  He was caught by surprise, so dey got de best o' him.  Dey broke his leg, punched an' kicked him a few times, den left when dey saw you.  Dey must've figured you'd bring out...eh, de Wolverine."

            "Please, someone, get meh a violin," she mumbled sarcastically.

            "So, you see, petite," he continued, unfazed, "Gambit jus' tryin' t' join de good fight is all."

            "Then where's yoah bags?"

            "He left 'em wit' Magneto an' dem.  He was so mad he forgot 'em."

            "Think you can just grin an' bear it?"

            "Uh...de pain o' disbelief or broken leg?"

            "Both."  She glared at him.

            "I t'ink dat can be arranged."

            "All raght.  This is gonna hurt.  Just keep your cool an' don't scream too loud."

            "Gambit never scream."  She started to shift the bones around experimentally, and he let out a startled, pained yelp.

            "Uh-huh."  She felt around where the fracture had been made, looking up at the ceiling.  She felt the bones align slightly, and held onto his leg in that position with one hand while reaching for a long, thick stick and some gauze with the other.  She braced his leg with the stick and held it there by wrapping the gauze around it, not too tightly but not at all loosely.  She tied it off and stood back to admire her handywork.  She looked up at his face and noticed his eyes were closed.  "Sorry 'bout that.  Hope it didn't hurt too much..."

            "Non," he said, opening his eyes and smiling at her through gritted teeth.  For the first time she noticed his eyes weren't brown at all.  Like card suits, they were red and black, with red irises and black sclera.  She inhaled sharply, involuntarily.  "Wha's de matter, chérie?"

            "Yoah eyes," she breathed.

            "Oui.  Dey weird, eh?"

            "No, they're...beautiful."  He smiled at her, and she shook her head quickly.  "Ah think Mr. McCoy keeps some crutches 'round heah.  Ah'll be right back..."  She left around a corner in search of said crutches, which were actually in a tall cabinet but she needed a moment away from him.  Remy smiled.

            "Ev'ryt'in' workin' so far," he said to the device in his coat.

Author's Notes:  You wanted a longer chapter and there it is.  For all of you who guessed/hoped, yes--there is/will be Romy involved!  Pretty much all of my reviews have been, "I love your story, it's great, please update soon with longer chapters!"  I'm so glad you all like my story. =D

Here's your update, it's longer, newer and improved-er!  So, anyway, I'll do shout-outs next chapter...providing I get reviews!  I love reviews.  They're better--well, almost--than chocolate.  I live off of them.  So, anyway, please review.  Be gracious if you loved it, be gentle if you hated it, just...say something if you're inbetween.