Knocking At Your Door

Chapter 11

By Kanshisha Tenshi

            "Please don't tell Logan, Professah…" Rogue pleaded.

            "Why's dat, petite?"

            "He'd kill ya," she said, glancing back at him.

            "My foremost concern is that you redress yourself, Rogue; and you, as well, Mr. LeBeau.  Then we will discuss Gambit's reasons for being here in the first place, and why Dr. McCoy and I came home to find you half-dressed."  The two looked sheepish, and Rogue was red-faced.  They began to redress themselves.

            "Indeed, this is most…discombobulating," Beast threw in as the two finished.

            "Doctor, would you be so generous as to place our bags in their respective rooms?"  Hank nodded, hefting the bags up and hoisting them off to where they belong.  Professor Charles Xavier steepled his hands and thought for a moment.  "Hank will not inform Logan of the indecencies of the evening, nor shall I.  Nor, Miss Rogue, shall we inform Mystique, Kurt, or Kitty, or any other girls that might leak the information.  Now, let's get down to business, shall we?  Why are you here, Mr. LeBeau?"

            "Yo' de telepat', you tell me."

            "I prefer to not dig into peoples' minds without their permission.  At this point, however, though I have your permission it would be easier for you to tell me yourself."

            "I came t' join de X-Men."

            "Then again, perhaps I should use my telepathy."

            "Professah!" Rogue cried indignantly.  "Ya could try bein' a li'l mo' subtle!"

            "It surprises me enough that you've come to trust him, Rogue, when you found it so hard to trust your own teammates."

            "You didn't see him how I saw him," she retorted defensively.

            "Indeed," he commented with a raised eyebrow.  "And yet I did see him in nothing but boxers only a short while.  I must say, it wasn't a site one wishes to see on a return from a long trip.  I hope you saw no more than what we saw…?"

            "No, Professah, we stopped."

            "Oui.  De femme an' I didn' plan t' take it any furt'er dan kissin'."

            "Very well.  Rogue, perhaps it is best if you clean up.  There's no telling when Logan and the others will arrive.  Also, I would like it if you would help Hank in the unpacking.  Remy, if you would come with me, I would like to discuss your reasons for being here."  The two teens looks at each other doubtfully, but Remy smiled at her in a reassuring manner.

            "Go on, petite.  Remy be fine.  He t'ink he can handle some rich bald telepat' in a wheelchair."

            "I'm still here, you know."

            "Right."

            "Ah'll be upstairs if ya need meh, swamp…Remy."

            "Remy, if you will," Xavier invited, and Remy escorted him to the office.

            Upstairs, in Xavier's room, Rogue was unpacking clothing alongside of Beast.

            "Th' only time Ah got caught bein' happy, an' y'all had t' ruin it…"

            "Ah, and you were caught in the rain, wasting time on the ground," Hank quoted.

            "Say wha?"

            "A song, my dear Rogue, although it doesn't much fit."

            "Beast," she said, looking at him, appalled, "don't evah intrude on a girl's private convahsation with herself."

            "My mistake, madam," he apologized with mock sincerity, bowing low.  "I confess I should have known better.  I myself enjoy my own moonlit promenades with myself.  I really am good company, you know."  Rogue giggled.  "I enjoy long evenings filled with music, dance, walks on the beach…"

            "Operas," Rogue added hastily.

            "Why, yes, of course.  My dear, if you weren't already taken by that dashing young man with those devil's eyes I'd say we would make a good pair."  Rogue smiled at him.

            "Ah agree," she said with a curtsy.

            "I don't know that I'll ever find a girl quite like you."

            "Ah hope you can manage," she spoke, putting a hand to her heart.

            "How will I ever go on?  He is such a lucky man."

            Turning serious, she replied, "We aren't really datin', as it were."

            "Does not dating come before kissing?" he shot back.

            "Well, usually," she whispered sheepishly.  "Ah have no real idea wheah we stand at th' moment."

            "Do you wish to date him?"

            "Yes, but Ah'm traditionalist.  Th' guy should ask th' gal, not th' othah way around."

            "Perhaps it won't be very long before the guy does ask the 'gal.'  You can see it in his eyes."

            "Maybe," she mumbled thoughtfully, and the two returned quietly to their tasks.

            "Please don't take this personally, Remy, but you have been working for Magneto for some time and I'm not all too sure if I can trust your word.  Does your permission stand?"

            "Oui."

            "Then close your eyes, relax, and open your mind…"  A bright flash of light, and the professor stood with Remy.

            Guess dis be m'mind, non?

            "That it is.  I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to stand back, and leave me to search in peace.  I must locate your most recent memories…minus the details of your kisses and stripping, if you don't mind."

            Not at all, Mon Capitan.  Remy'd prefer t'keep dose t' himself, an' sacred.

            "As you wish.  To each his own."  Ah, here we are.  The day he arrived he was, indeed, genuinely injured…but faked the reasons.  He was sent here to spy, and for his own personal reasons…not realizing it was Rogue inside the mansion.  The look on her face when she found him…priceless!  This young man is quite the egocentric…although not as bad as Pietro Maximoff, from the memories I saw with Rogue.  He skipped forward through the memories, and one caught his eye.  A date?  Our young Rogue, on a date?  Logan would be proud of her…if he weren't so overprotective.  He moved forward in 'time'. 

            He saw Remy disabling all of the devices he'd placed in the mansion only days before.  He saw Rogue singing in the kitchen.  He was flying through the memories now, ghosts of the scenes acting them out as he passed.  He heard the doorbell ring.  Aha, and who might this visitor be?  Pyro?

            He decided to take a closer look at this memory.  He reached out to the ghost images of the scene acted out before him, and with a flash he felt as if he were there when it happened.  A spectator, he watched from the side as everyone's favorite line is repeated:

            "Non, I don'.  You can go back an' tell dose hommes dat dey can kiss Remy's—sexy—ass.  An' also, she's de only femme 'ere!  Dere ain't nobody else home!  Dere's nobody to spy on; Mags just has his tighty whities in a bunch.  Stop by de store on de way home, an' pick him up some Midol an' t'ongs.  Monsieur Kitty Cat'll 'preciate dat las' bit."

            "Ouch."

            As St. John started to walk away, Remy called out one more thing:

            "By de way, I quit."

            He saw then that Remy cared enough about Rogue, if not the cause, to give up a job he'd seemed to be happy enough with.  The Professor saw through that memory alone that Remy had no more ulterior motives.  The affection he showed Rogue was genuine, and Xavier would not step in the way of it.

            Rogue, he called to the girl telepathically as he slipped out of Remy's mind, You will be very happy together.  I'll take care of Logan.

Author's Notes:  Okay, not answering the reviews at the moment…because frankly, you should all go read a fanfic I discovered not too long ago!  I mean right now, people!  It's great!  Do yourself a favor and go read The Two Towers Are Falling Down, by ASGT and Kat Maximoff.  It's a crossover between Lord of the Rings:  The Two Towers and X-Men:  Evolution.  Also, please review it and encourage her to write a parody/crossover for Fellowship of the Ring and Return of the King, as well!  Even if you aren't a fan of LOTR, this story is just great!