I

Three Months later…

This plan is never going to work>.

Sure it will. >

No, it won't and then Remy's gonna kick my ass for helping you. >

"Gee whiz, thanks for the encouragement." Rogue said aloud as they walked down the hall, amid the clusters of students changing classes.

"I'm serious." Jean whispered as they ducked into her empty classroom for a moment. "He's going to be furious, and then as soon as he figures out I'm in on this, he's going to come back on me."

"Jean, Sugah, you worry too much." Rogue said gently as she perched on the edge of her desk. "You got to have a little bit of faith.'

"Now, you're starting to sound like Kurt." Jean said with a laugh as she took a sip of her coffee. "And what do you mean have faith?" She snorted. "This is Remy, we're talking about, the man blows things up for a living, not to mention a favorable hobby."

"Ah'll make it clear, you really had nothing to do with this." Rogue assured her. "That it was all mah idea and you just helped me along a bit."

"A bit?" Jean said her jaw dropping, "I practically orchestrated the entire thing."

"Yes but it was mah idea." Rogue said with a sigh. She shook her head lightly. "Do you think this is gonna stir up trouble?"

"You ask this now?" Jean said, her eyebrows flying up, as she tossed her friend a glance. "Isn't it a little late?"

"Jean Ah'm serious." Rogue said worriedly.

"So am I." Jean said then sighed at Rogue's expression. "Alright, you want the truth?"

"Yes." Rogue said. "Ah do."

"I think Mount Vesuvius erupting and burying Pompeii caused less trouble then you're about to."

"Jean!"

"Well it's true." Jean said. "But that's not something you should focus on now. It's not like you can change what you did, nor should you have too." She slipped a reassuring arm around Rogue's shoulders. "Your entitled to a family like everyone else sweetie, even more so and the team will see that."

"And the Cajun?" Rogue said softly.

"He'll have to deal, won't he?" Jean said as she used her telekinesis to shift the papers on her desk until she found the ones she was looking for. "It's not his problem anymore, is it?"

"Nope." Rogue said as she leaned harder against the desk and closed her eyes for a moment. "It's not."

Jean knew for a fact that was a bald face lie. Just because he and Rogue were apart, didn't mean Gambit was going to care any less about Rogue. It just meant he was going to have to learn to express it in different ways. Jean knew for a fact he was going to fly off the handle when Rogue finally worked up the nerve to fill him in on what was going on. It was something she was inwardly preparing herself for because when it happened she wanted to be as far away from Rogue and Remy as possible.

"Hey, what's going on?"

Jubilee bopped into the room, her usual cheery self dressed in a bright yellow leotard for her morning Intro to Dance class, as was the norm and carrying Genesis on her hip as she took in her two best friends. "You two seem down and out."

"Down but never out." Rogue said with a laugh as she took Genny from her mother and bounced the baby off her hip affectionately. "God, she looks more and more like Logan ever day."

"Tell that to him, he thinks she looks like me." Jubilee said as she chucked her daughters chin. "I really can't see ether of us in her yet." She snorted. "Well except for her temper ,that she got from her daddy."

"Ah'll bet." Rogue said as she inhaled the sweet baby smell, coming from Genny. The feel of her in her arms was enough to make things almost real for Rogue, and it reminded her of what she was striving for.

"So what's up?' Jubilee said. "And don't say anything because I can tell."

Rogue looked at Jean.

Jean looked at Rogue.

"Don't look at me." Jean said finally. "This was your idea." She held up her hands in defense and backed away as she took the baby from Rogue and smiled down at her.

"Come on tell me." Jubilee begged. "I can keep a secret."

Both women turned and looked at Jubilee skeptically, eyebrows raised.

"Okay, okay I can't." Jubilee modified. "But I'll give it a good try, I promise."

"Yeah until Logan tortures it out of you." Jean said. "And then it'll be all over the mansion like John's pet blazes."

" I promise I won't tell." Jubilee said. "Really, you guys should trust me by now."

" Okay, okay." Rogue agreed. " Ah'm gonna tell everyone at the meeting tonight, anyways, so it really doesn't matter if you find out now." She sighed. "But if you spread around what Ah'm about to say, Ah'll torture you and it won't be fun like Logan's."

" I get it already, so spill." Jubilee said as Rogue leaned in close and whispered something in her ear. Jean watched as Jubilee's eyes got wider and wider as Rogue spoke until she finally squealed. " Ohmygawd!"

" You can't say anything." Rogue said as she pulled back. " It'll cause a lot of trouble Jubilee, I mean it."

" I get it." Jubilee said enthusiastically until Jean sent her a mental message of what Rogue wasn't saying, but more of what she was implying. " Oh I get it." She said in dismay. "Well now I wish you hadn't told me at all, this is going to be hell to keep quiet about."

Rogue looked at Jubilee in apprehension as she paled visibly.

" I'm kidding." Jubilee said as she held out her arms. " Now give me my kid, I've got to take her to the day care and jet off to my dance class before they all take off on me."

Ad if on cue Logan strode into the room and gently removed Genesis from Jean's arms. "I need to borrow this." He explained gently as he cuddled his daughter close and kissed the top of her head.

"I thought we agreed she was going to the daycare today." Jubilee said perplexed.

"We did." Logan said. "But my afternoon classes got canceled, so I thought it would be a good time to spend some time with her. There's really no need for her to be in the day care when one of us is free, right?"

"Right." Jubilee said happily. "I think it's a good idea, not that you ever need an excuse to spend time with our daughter."

"Right, Good." Logan said then said quietly. "Plus Scott bet me a case of beer, their daughter was cuter then ours. I needed to get the proof that ours is, namely her."

" How?" Jubilee said dismayed. "And for the record, I don't like you using our only child to bet or as abet."

" It's not a bet really." Logan said with a wince, hearing the tone of her voice. The tone that clearly meant we will discuss this later in private and you'll be sleeping the pull out couch... again. "It's more of a theory, baby, and she's the winner hands down anyways."

" She is?" Jean said defensively. " I may be prejudiced but I think Olivia is pretty cute."

" Of course you do, you're her mother." Logan said as he turned to leave the room. "Fathers are less biased when it comes to their kids."

" Bullshit." Rogue said affectionately as they watched him go.

They could all hear him talking to Genny as he went. " Give daddy a smile sweetie, that's it. Now when Scooter looks at you, do the same thing, only bigger and I'll give you a cookie!"

"She can't smile any bigger then that!" Jubilee called with a laugh and a wave of her well manicured hand. "She's little; she has a little mouth, that's as good as it gets for her! I swear if that baby comes home blue again, your gonna get it Wolverine!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Logan said affectionately, his voice getting softer as he got further away. "I love you too Jubes."

"I love you too." Jubilee said, praying the honestly the baby wouldn't come home covered in blue pool chalk like she had the last time Logan had been watching her. It had put Kurt's natural blue coloring to shame and taken days to wash completely from her skin.

" This is what they do on their days off now you know." Jean said with a sigh as she sat down. " They used to work on bikes, work in the danger room with the safety controls off, fight, play pool. Now they sit around and argue about who'd children are smarter, better looking, ECT." She laughed. " Being the tough men they are."

" Mushballs, the lot of them." Jubilee agreed bluntly as she looked at her watch and winced." Okay now I really have to go, I'll see you guys later." She waved over her shoulder. " And Rouge your secrets safe with me, don't worry."

" Thanks." Rogue called, watching as her friend left. She turned to Jean with a sigh. " Ah am so screwed, it ain't even funny."

" Yup." Jean agreed as she took a sip of coffee. " It'll be all over the mansion by sundown, but then, that's what you wanted wasn't it?"

" You know me too well." Rogue said with a grin as she pushed herself off the desk. " Ah'd better go see what my music class is up too, hopefully not trying to butcher any type of music I like."

Jean nodded and watched her depart, the smile leaving her face as Rogue left the room. She sunk down into her desk and laid her head in her hands for a moment as she smiled sadly and laughed. " Oh Rogue." She said after a moment. " What have you done?"

Rogue was lost, totally in her own thoughts as she headed up the hall, munching on an apple she'd snagged from the teachers lounge on her way by, to notice when someone bumped into her. " Sorry." She murmured absently.

" Not a problem chere." A voice said gently, causing her to whip around and back step a bit.

They'd barely spoken in the three months they'd been apart, she'd avoided him, he'd avoided her. It was the name of the game for them now, aside from training with the team, they tried to stay out of each others space.

It was safer that way for both of them.

" How've you been?" She asked out of the blue, needing to know.

Ah miss you.

Ah want you.

Ah need you.

More then ever.

" Fine." He said amicably as he smiled at her. "You?"

I was stubborn.

I was insensitive.

I love you.

Let's try again.

So many words floated around them like flowers petals in an pond, nearby but just out of reach and deadly to try get if they moved out of your grasp. Nether could speak as they stood rigid, and tried to sift past the hurt and pain that they had caused each other equally, but found their way blocked by what seemed like an stone fortress of differences.

"Ah'm good." She said at last after what seemed like an eternity, as she swallowed her food. She couldn't help wondering how much she should tell him, wondering if he could tell something was different and then laughing it off. " Busy."

"That's always helpful." He said with a sad laugh.

" Are you going to the staff meeting tonight?" Rogue asked, knowing how infrequently he attended the regular meetings.

" Wasn't planning on it." He admitted. " Some of da older boys, havin a poker game and Remy thought he'd go instead."

" Be at the meeting okay?" She asked. "Just for tonight, for my sake."

"Why?" he asked worriedly. "Something wrong?"

" No." Rogue said with a laugh. "You should just be there is all, Ah'd like you ta be there."

"Ahright." Remy asked mystified a bit at her request. "If da chere asks, den Remy'll attend but you owe me one."

"Right." Rogue said vaguely as she continued down the hall, eating her apple and virtually ignoring the throngs of students still milling around the halls.

"Strange chere." He murmured as he watched her go, still admiring the sway of her hips under the black velvet skirt she was wearing. "But beautiful none da less."

He missed her terribly still, but it saddened him even more to think of being with her and having her unhappy because he couldn't give her what she wanted or needed so badly.

So he'd set her free to find someone who could, even though it killed him. Even though he still couldn't sleep at night, he missed her so much, the smell of her hair, her skin, what it was like to make love to her. The feel of her around him, on top of him, still haunted his thoughts like a spirit or ghost that taunted him alluringly.

"Lebeau!" A voice called from down the hall. Remy winced as he recognized Cannonball's voice from the auto lab. "You got a class to teach in here, or you just gonna stand there all day?"

"Coming." Remy said with a sigh as he turned and headed in that direction. Finding out about what Rogue had to say would have to wait until later that night at Xavier's staff meeting.

By the time dinner had rolled around that night, Remy was beginning to believe something was very wrong with his Rogue. Twice more during the day he'd seen her, and twice she had avoided him like the plague. "What is it?" he asked Scott as they filled their plates with food. "Do I smell or something?"

"No." Scott said with a laugh. "Why?"

"Rogue." Remy said.

"Ahhh." Scott said knowingly. "Is she still bothering you?"

"Yeah, no." Remy said quickly, changing what he was going to say. "It's just, Remy talked to her today and things seemed better, ya know."

"And now?" Scott asked as he waved to his wife as she entered the dining hall with their children in tow.

"Now she's back to avoiding me." Remy said sadly as they turned to go to their regular table with the rest of the staff and their families. "Like nothing happened."

"Maybe she just needed to talk." Scott said as he hugged Nate and dropped a kiss on Jean's head. "Go ahead and get your food Honey, I'll watch the kids, I've already got theirs."

"Thanks." Jean said as she set the baby in her booster chair and hurried off.

"Anyways." Remy said as they sat down. 'What do you make of her?"

"I don't know." Scott said honestly. "Maybe she's healing, getting over the fight you had." He shook his head. "Anyways I wouldn't worry too much about it; she's been acting weird to everyone lately.'

"What do you mean?" Remy asked concerned.

"Oh nothing serious." Scott assured him. "It's just seems moody lately, she's got no patience, and no appetite. Look she's barely eating anything; she's just pushing it around plate." A quick look over told Remy, Cyclops was right, Rogue was barely eating anything. She was seated where she always sat, alone by the window, gazing out periodically as she pushed salad around her plate in lazy circles.

"And the trips into the city." Scott said. "She and Jean have been into the city like five times in the last three months, far more then normal, so what's that say?"

"That she likes to shop." Remy said with a sigh. "And we spend far too much time thinking about what they do when we're not around them."

"Still." Scott said as he handed the baby a piece of bread to gum. "Why are you worried?"

"No." Remy said. "Its jus she doesn't seem like herself, and Remy wonders why is all."

"Well I wouldn't even bother trying to ask Jean." Scott said as he took a bite of pasta. "Because she'll bite your head off."

"Takes dat best friend thing seriously does she?' Remy asked with a crooked grin.

"Very" Scott said with a sigh.

"Remy just wishes he knew what she was thinking." Remy said. "So he could put these feelings aside for good."

"Good luck there." Scott said. "Jean doesn't even talk to me about her friends, and I'm having sex with her regularly."

"Dat's more den I needed to know." Remy muttered as he speared a piece of steak and watched the women curiously. "Way more."

Ah can't do this! >

"Yes, you can." Jean said aloud as she filled a plate.

No, Ah can't >

"Yes, you can." Jean said, noting the panicky tone in her friend's voice and wincing at the sharp corresponding pull in her temples. "And stop thinking, your giving me a headache."

"Sorry." Rogue said as she heaped her plate with food, for her second helping. She wasn't really hungry but she'd seen Jean at the hot tables and thought it was as good a time as any to speak with her. "But it's true, Ah don't think I can do this tonight."

"You have to." Jean reminded her gently. "It's as good a time as any, and in fact it may be the best time. Before things go too far, and somebody notices."

Rogue knew exactly what somebody she was talking about.

"It's gonna hurt him." She whispered. "Ah don't think Ah ever realized just how much until now. Ah don't think Ah can do this to him."

"You, don't have a choice." Jean said gently. "He's knows you and your body like the back of his hand, any change, any bump, he's gonna notice right away."

"Maybe Ah should tell him personally." Rogue suggested. 'You know take him aside and fill him in?"

"On what?" Jean said quietly. "That all those trips into the city, you weren't shopping for cloths?"

"Good point." Rogue said. "It just seems really callus to just blurt it out in front of a group of people, after the fight we had about it."

"Rogue your pregnant, not dying." Jean said bluntly, letting the cat out of the bag. "He's gonna be upset ether way you tell him and your gonna have some questions to answer, harsh ones."

"And Ah'll tell him the truth." Rogue watching as Jean raised an eyebrow. "Ah will." She looked around quickly. "And watch how loud you say that will you."

"And ruin everything we've worked for?" Jean asked.

"Ah said Ah'd tell him he truth." Rogue said through gritted teeth." And Ah meant the truth."

"Ahhh." Jean said with a telepathic nod. "I see what you mean. Good then I'll back you all the way."

"Thank you." Rogue said "Back to my original question, should Ah tell him with the group or pull him aside. Ah kind of owe him, don't Ah."

"No." Jean said honestly. "You two broke up, you don't owe him anything any more and as harsh as it sounds it's true." She sighed. "Tell him with the team like you would anyone else or alone, I don't know, do what you think is best."

"Thanks for the advice." Rogue said sardonically as they headed their separate ways.

"Not a problem." Jean said with a smile as she rolled her eyes.

Big Problem.

But she wasn't going to say a word; it wasn't her place to tell Rogue so.

She'd find out soon enough on her own anyways.

"Remy wonders what their saying?" Gambit muttered as he watched the two women talk at the hot tables.

"And you call me paranoid?' Scott said. "Probably pass the potatoes."

"Very funny." Gambit growled.

"I'm serious." Scott said. "What's so funny about two adults, talking food over a buffet?"

"I suppose." Gambit admitted. "I just have the damnedst feeling something is wrong and I don't know why."

"Calm down, before you blow up the table." Scott said, gesturing to the glowing fork in the Cajun's hand. "And set the fork down, I already can't see colors, I don't need to be one eyed anymore then I am as well. I'm sure its nothing."

"Your probably right." Remy agreed as he stated to eat, watching as Rogue went to her own seat and sat down to eat her meal. "I mean it can't be too life altering right or she'd have said something to me sooner right?"

" Right." Scott said.

" Remy has one more question Scooter." Remy asked as he looked around the room.

"What?" Scott asked.

"Why's is da junior Jubilee purple?" He asked as he watched Jubilee feed her daughter, still speckled with purple paint, all the while shooting looks at a guilty looking Logan as he got his own food at the hot tables.

" She told us not to let her get blue." Scott said mildly as if that explained in and then went on feed his own child as Remy tried to figure out what exactly was going on with the adults of Xavier's school for Gifted Youngsters.

"Ah'm pregnant."

Boy, when he was wrong he was way off the mark.

Kind like thinkin an alligator in the bayou won't bite because it's already eaten.

Those were the first words that came to mind, after hearing Rogue speak later that evening at the staff meeting. He was so shocked in fact, he actually looked around the room to see if someone else had come in and spoken from behind him.

No such luck.

Her words sucked the air right out of the room and Remy's lungs like a punch to the gut, causing him to look around to see if anyone else was having the same reaction. He sat silently, not quite believing what he had just heard and yet knowing it was true.

That explained all of Rogue's strange behavior of late, what it didn't explain was anything else he needed to know.

The rest of the team sat silently absorbing the news as Remy felt his heart constrict in his chest while he waited for her to speak again. He eyed her body under the tight black jeans and green knit sweater she was wearing as if to see if there was any change, any swell indicating she was carrying a child but saw none, knowing it was far too early for there to be any signs.

"Well." Xavier said after a moment. "This is good news, congratulations." He beamed at Rogue then turned to Remy as if to congratulate him as well. The look on Gambit's face told him all he needed to know, and that there was still many questions that needed to be asked and answered.

But sure as hell not by him.

Suddenly Remy couldn't take it anymore, the room was spinning and all of a sudden he couldn't breathe. Knowing he would definitely talk to Rogue lately, he turned and silently walked from the room, slamming the door behind him as he went, so loud it shook on its hinges.

"Well that answers my next question." Scott said tersely as he leaned back on the couch.

"Mine too." Kitty said as she eyed Rogue in surprise.

"Oh dear." Xavier said, although he had known all along how the situation would work out. "This can't be good at all."

Rogue for her part didn't say a word, just sunk down on the nearest couch and dropping her face in her hands, wondered what in the hell she'd really done.

After a few moments of silence, Kitty finally spoke up quietly. "So do you want to fill us in Rogue, or are you going to just let our imaginations run away with us?" As she spoke she eyed Logan up and down as if to make a lewd suggestion that caused Jubilee to ball up her fists in rage.

"Kitty!" Jean said sharply.

"It's okay Jean." Rogue said quietly as she looked away and then back at the team. Her friends gazed back at her, unjudgmental but still questioning as they tried to figure what was going on with her and Remy. "I knew it was going to be this way remember?" She straitened up and sighed as she wiped the tears from her face. "Ask away if you have questions, I'm not afraid to answer."

"So it's not the Cajun's is it?' Logan asked kindly, figuring stating the obvious was as good a place as any to start.

"No." Rogue answered truthfully. "It's not, Logan."

"Whose is it?" Scott asked as he looked around surprise. "If it's not his."

"It's nobody's here." Rogue said at last. "I got artificially inseminated the last time Ah was in New York City."

"So who's the donor?" Jubilee asked, looking relived that she didn't have to keep what she knew about Rogue a secret anymore.

"Donor number 33642." Jean put in wryly at last as rogue caught her eyes and gave her a mental nod. "Dark auburn hair, green eyes, 6'3 in height, 185 pounds with an IQ of 112 . He's got the ability to store and convert the earth's natural energy's like wind and water to usable kinetic force using his body as a conductor. Works as a naturalist, loves the outdoors and music of all types and hails from the Southern United states just like Rogue."

"You were in on this?" Scott said in surprise as he looked at his wife. "And you didn't say anything?"

"I couldn't." Jean said. "Rogue came to me professionally and asked for my help. I'd have been breaking patient's privilege if I had."

" Good excuse." Kitty said huffily.

"Shut your pie hole before I rip you a new one." Jean said sweetly as she looked at Scott. "Why do you think we were going into the city? God honey, we couldn't shop all the time." She shrugged. " I took her to Janelle's clinic."

"Who's Janelle?" Jubilee asked in curiosity.

" Janelle Porter." Jean explained. " A friend of mine from Medical school, she's a mutant as well as a doctor." She sighed. " She runs a private fertility clinics for mutants, and only mutants who want to have children with others of our kind. When Rogue came to me, I knew she was the person to help her."

" And she did." Rogue said happily. " Ah got want Ah wanted."

" If you think about it makes sense." Jubilee said thoughtfully. " More and more mutant women are reaching childbearing age, they can't all find mutant men to sire children with."

"And not many would trust a normal man, not with the volatility of the situation between mutants and normals and the way the court systems are going for custody." Kitty agreed at last." A clinic is the right idea." She cocked her head though. " It still dehumanizes us though, it's kind of like saying we can't have kids normally, we're reduced to a number yet again if we go to a clinic, it's the same as registration."

" Not really." Rogue said. " And Ah think for me at least it was safer, Ah knew exactly what Ah was getting in too and with whom."

" Indeed, this is up for debate." Xavier said thoughtfully. " I'd like to learn more about it, Jean can you put me in touch with your friend?"

" Of course." Jean said. " I'm sure she'd be happy to talk to you."

"How'd you get pregnant so fast?" Jubilee said. ' Doesn't it take time to get pregnant like that. It doesn't normally work the first time does it."

" It didn't." Rogue said thoughtfully " It was the second time, Ah got lucky. It normally takes much longer then this and a lot more times."

" It's not an easy process by far." Jean agreed. "Rogue was lucky she got pregnant so rapidly, a lot of couples don't and spend a fortune trying again and again. Her age and her phenomenal health really helped her along."

"Ah really can't explain it." Rogue said. " That's why Ah waited so long to tell you all, Ah wanted to make sure Ah was out of mah first trimester before I spoke. It's very common to miscarry the first time around."

" A wise decision." Xavier agreed as he patted her hand." Even if keeping Gambit in the dark may not have been."

" I'll say." Scott said tersely. " I think offering your hand to a starving lion would have been better." He coughed as Jean elbowed him in the ribs. "What?"

"Ah know." Rogue said sadly. " Ah can see that now, but Ah didn't know what else to do, given the fact he'd already said he didn't want children right now . Ah can't afford to wait and see what happens, my powers could come back at any time and then Ah might lose the only chance I have and Ah'm not willing to do that at all."

"Yeah, but how could you do that to him?" Kitty said, wanting to get her two cents in.

"It was kind of harsh to do that to him in that way." Jubilee agreed. "Although I can your point of view. I mean if you want kids, he doesn't have to be part of the equation if he doesn't want too be. This solves that part of the problem."

"I agree." Logan said.

"Thank you." Rogue said with a sigh. "At least ya'll are honest with me."

"We'd support in anything you do." Scott said as he pushed up his sunglasses. "You aught to know that by now."

"Yeah." Jubilee said as she leaned over and gave Rogue a hug. "We're a family after all."

"Thank you." Rogue said as (much to her horror) tears welled up in her eyes and she hugged Jubes back." You don't know how much that mean to me to hear that."

"Well, it's true." Logan said gruffly from where he sat beside his wife.

"I think I'm going to be ill." Kitty snorted as she rolled her eyes.

"Ignore her." Jean said. "Every family has one or two token bitches."

"Yeah and in our case it looks like Kitty's both ours rolled into one." Jubilee observed.

"Ladies be nice." Logan said then raised an eyebrow. "Or at least let us get the mud or Jell-O pit out before you start."

"Very funny." Jean said as she stroked Rogue's hair.

"So you think you're ready to tackle single parenthood?" Storm said. "Well when it comes to help, you couldn't have asked for better compatriots."

"Really." Jubilee said with a grin. "We're all ready made baby sitters if you need us. Logan does a mean diaper change."

"If he remembers to diaper the right end." Scott said with a snort as Logan flipped him the bird.

"It's not like you have to do this all alone." Cannonball put in. "We're all here."

"Indeed." Xavier agreed, feeling more proud of them then ever. This was the dream he'd always envisioned. A team that worked together and supported each other, no matter what. It gave him a sense of accomplishment to see his plans working so well with so many people. "Another child will be a blessing around here."

"So." Logan said a few moments later with a light cough. "What are you going to do about the Cajun?"

"What do you mean?" Rogue asked quickly.

"Well at this moment he's outside the room pacing the corridor." Logan said with a snort. "I can smell him, and he is angry."

"It'll be alright." Rogue said with a sigh. "He'd never hurt me or the baby. Ah'll talk to him later and see if Ah can make him understand."

"I wouldn't put to much hope into him understanding right away honey." Jean said gently. "He's pretty hurt."

"He's pissed." Kitty said "And he's got a right to be as far as I'm concerned."

"Luckily nobody cars where your concerned." Jean said harshly as she turned to Rogue. "Do you want me to be there when you talk to him, since I had so much to do with this?'

"No thanks." Rogues said. "Although Ah appreciate the offer. I need ta talk to him alone Ah think."

"We understand." Xavier said gently as he patted her hand. "Try to remember, if he speaks harshly, it's not him, it's the anger speaking." He smiled kindly at her. "He'll calm down if you give him time enough."

"Ah hope so." Rogue said as she wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Ah really do."

Remy was so mad, he was seeing red.

He paced up and down the corridor like a caged lion as pain, almost physical radiated through his body. He wanted to scream, cry, blow something up. Anything that would make the pain of what Rogue had done behind his back go away, so he could feel peace again.

How had his life come to this? He wondered, when a few months before everything had been about as close to heaven as he'd thought he was ever going to get. He'd had a good job, a nice place to live, good friend…

And most importantly he'd had her.

Rogue had been his light, his calming force when everything else was chaos around him and to find out she had done something like this, nearly dropped him on his rear end.

Her words floated back to him from the fight they had had that night " If you don't want to have a child then Ah'll have one without you." He'd never in a million years though she'd actually go ahead and get herself pregnant on her own. He'd thought it was a phase that she was going through, something that would pass in time when she realized it was a bad idea. What where the odds she'd actually go through with it?

About the same as the odds of her getting pregnant right away like she had.

A numbing thought occurred to him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

What if it was his?

He and Rogue had been sleeping together steadily since their powers were negated. In fact he'd pretty much moved into her room and her bed since then. Birth control had never been spoken off, he'd always been careful to use a condom and he'd thought she was on the pill; but what if he'd been wrong?"

The thought caused him to drop his forehead onto his hand for a moment, nit because it appalled him (God knows he wanted children with Rogue, just not now) but because he still believed it was the wrong time for them to start their family. They still had issues to work out and brining a child into the middle of things would be like throwing a kitten to a pack of wolves.

Or worse …Jubilee at the annul 50 off sale at Hugo Boss.

But if the baby was his, there was nothing he could do about it except stand behind her. He didn't want to sacrifice being around his own child if there already was one in the oven. Yet it infuriated him to think of Rogue getting herself pregnant intentionally and then telling him of her plans for a family. Almost immediately he pushed that thought away, he knew Rogue and she wasn't like that or at least he hoped and prayed she wasn't.

He didn't know anything anymore for sure though and that scared him most of all.

He was leaning against the wall, a few moments later when the doors to Xavier's office opened and the others began to file out, casting him looks as they passed and hurried off in various directions.

Out of the blue, Remy was reminded of a time when he was about eleven or twelve, and he'd been picking pockets at a street fair in New Orleans. He'd been about to lift a wallet from a older gentlemen as he watched a group of belly dancers work their magicks on the crowd when he'd heard a yell from across the street. Another boy, several years younger then him, had been picking the crowed as well, Remy had known this. They'd passed each other a few times and chatted, each to let the other know, no territory was being invaded, they were on friendly terms. The boy was little, thin and sick and Remy knew he barely made enough with what little he stole to feed himself on scrapes. He'd sometimes shared his spoils with the child, if anything to keep him from starving but they were far from good friends. Still boys on the street had to stick together and he'd helped the kid as much as he could. True be told, he wasn't much of a thief, he was often caught and twice Remy had helped him out of scrapes but Remy knew he was trying his damnedst to avoid working the streets at night to make money. A resort no boy wanted to face unless he had no other choice.

Too late to shout a warning or help he watched as the hefty man, the kid had been trying to pick, caught on to what was happening to him.

Literally.

He'd picked the boy up by one scrawny arm and shook him so hard, across the street Remy could feel it and then proceeded to give him the beat of his young life. Gambit had stood transfixed, the wallet he'd been trying to steal forgotten as well as helping, as the crowed turned to stare at the gruesome sight in front of them. The look of fear on the young boy's face was something Remy had always remembered. It was a look of pure terror, he knew he wasn't going to emerge unscathed from this ordeal and in fact he hadn't. Remy had learned later the boy had died of internal injures from the beating the man had given him.

However it had been the look of acceptance in the boy's eyes that had always really haunted him. It was the look all boys on the street acquired eventually, a kind of acceptance that their lives on the street had begun like this, often brutalized at someone else's hands and that their lives would end like that. Whether it was at the hands of a Jon, a cop, a steal gone bad or even another stronger thief, it was bound to happen. It was a matter of when and how but that was all. When that day came there was no fight, just acceptance that this was their fate, there was no way to escape it.

It was a harsh warning about the even harsher streets of New Orleans.

As the team went pasted him Remy saw that same look to some degree. They knew there was a bad fight coming between him and Rogue, it was inevitable and it had been coming for along time. As if what was happening between him and Rogue had always been going to happen, and it had just been a matter of time before it occurred. Now there was nothing to do but batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to pass, to see what destruction lay in it's wake.

He waited until he was sure everyone had left the room except her before rounding the corner. She was leaning against the window, glancing out over the large expanse of the mansion's northern lawn and as he entered the room she turned to face him. She'd known, he realized that he would be back after the meeting. There was no surprise in it, only a recognition that they were going to talk. Whether she wanted to or not, was out of the question.

After a moment of silence, where each was trying to feel the other out and then finally Rogue broke the silence.

" You think I'm selfish?" She inquired as she crossed her arms over her flat stomach self-consciously. She knew damn well that's where his eyes were drawn.

" Is it mine?" he asked bluntly, as he stepped in the room and shut the door behind him firmly.

" You first." She said as she pushed away from the window.

" Yes, I do." He said instantly.

" Then no." She said harshly. " It's not yours, are you happy now?"

" Non!" He said vehemently as he sat down on the couch. " How could you do this, Anna?"

She flinched at the use of her real name, something only he could get away with and shook her head. " Ah didn't have a choice."

" Obviously you did." He said in disbelief. " It wasn't like you decided one day, to pack up, go to the city, get preggers, all on da spur of da moment. You had to have some sort of choice and planning in it."

" Jean and Ah had to plan it yes." Rogue admitted through clenched teeth.

" Jean helped?" Remy burst out, as his jaw dropped. " Is everyone in on dis but me?"

" Oh yes," Rogue said sarcastically. " You're the last ta know." She took in his angry shocked expression. " Ah'm kidding Remy, nobody knew until tonight, not even Scott or the professor."

" Remy just, I never…" he faltered for words. " I never actually thought you'd go through with this, it's crazy!"

" No." Rogue corrected him. " Letting what may be mah only chance at a family slip away is crazy."

" You don't know, this is your only chance." He said in exasperation.

" No Ah don't." She agreed " But Ah'm not willing ta let the opportunity pass by, in case it is."

" If I had thought for an instant, that you were desperate enough to do this," he said with a shake of his head. " I'd have…"

" You'd have what?" Rogue asked angrily. " Gotten me pregnant?" She scoffed. " No, you wouldn't have and we both know it."

" No I wouldn't have." Remy agreed sadly. " But there were valid reasons, why I wouldn't have."

" Like what?" She said tiredly.

" Like this!" Remy said. " We're always fighting, half the time we go on missions and don't know if we're gonna come back alive or feet first and that's just some of them."

" Well it's not your problem anymore know is it?" Rogue asked as she shook her head. " You don't have any ties to this child, my child."

" Of course Remy does." Gambit said as he plowed his finger through his hair and rose to approach her. " Because I still love you."

" And Ah love you." She said as tears filled her eyes. " But it's more complicated then that now."

" Obviously." He said with a cruel laugh. " Tell me, in the end, was all I was good for sex?"

" That's cruel." She whispered. " It was never just about sex with us, and you know it."

" No I don't." he said, cocking his head and looking at her. " I don't know anything, and I sure as hell don't know you. The one person, who, I thought I knew as clear as daylight."

" Ah didn't do this to hurt you." Rogue said " Ah did this for me, because Ah needed this."

" Suddenly it's all about you." Remy said. " Since when did that happen chere?"

" Since I would up with the chance of a life time and found I had nobody to share it with." She said. " And Ah don't have to justify mah actions to you."

" No." he agreed. " I'm not asking you too. What I am asking you is why you would do this and not tell me. You couldn't even give me that consideration, after all we've been though in five years?"

" Ah debated it." Rogue said thoughtfully. " But then Ah thought you might take it better, with the others around." She glanced at the ceiling. "Silly me."

" Yeah it was foolish." He agreed. " And just plain mean."

" And walking out on me wasn't?" She said with a laugh.

" Fair enough." He said " This is a lot more selfish Rogue, do you realize in all the time we've been talking you haven't mentioned the baby once? Only what you think and feel."

" Of course Ah'm thinking of the baby." Rogue said tersely.

" Are you?" Remy asked. " Or are you thinking of what you want, a family, a normal life. You could care less about the baby really, it's the chance you want, not the responsibilities."

" Go to hell!" She snapped. " You've no I dead what your talking 'bout."

" Don't I?" He challenged. " I don't believe you."

" Ah don't care." She yelled." So I won't get a congratulations from you, Ah don't need one. You didn't want to be a parent Remy and Ah did, it's as simple as that. Ah look matters into mah own hands, because Ah had to. You wouldn't help me"

"Because you were acting like this!" Remy said as he rose, having had enough for one night. "Right now, I don't think you're ready for a goldfish, let alone a child. If that's the way you really feel, then you are one selfish person, and the one I feel most sorry for is the child your carrying because their gonna have to grow up with a half a mother."

" Go to hell!" she yelled again.

" Congratulations." He called back in a mocking tone as he stalked to the door, opened it and stomped out again, slamming it loudly behind him.

Once alone, Rogue sunk down on the couch with a sob as she laid her face in her hands. This wasn't hoe she'd wanted things to turn out, not at all and worst of all; she wasn't sure what she was going to do now. She hadn't planned this far ahead, she'd figured she and Remy would be on better terms then they were now, that was for sure.

Everything was a mess and it was all her fault.

Rogue was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't hear the office door open, nor did she see who was approaching her until he was standing right in front of her and he spoke

"Hey Kid, you okay?"

Rogue smiled at Logan's gruff but laced with kindness voice and shook her head as she looked up at him. "No." She said with a sniffle. "Ah've made a real mess of things Logan and Ah don't know what to do about it."

"Try ripping something apart.' Logan said helpfully. "I find that always works with me."

Rogue actually smiled at that. "What are you doing here anyways?" She asked. "Shouldn't you be asleep by now?"

"Jubilee sent me." Logan confessed. "She wanted me to check on you. Actually she wanted to check on you, but the baby was fussy so she sent me instead."

"She's still mad at you huh?" Rogue said, watching as Logan sank down on the couch opposite her.

"That's a mild term." Logan said with a sigh." But she'll get over it." He cocked his head. "So, I know I'm a poor substation for her but here… maybe this'll help?"

He jumped from the couch and left the room, returning a few moments later with two covered plates, that he set down on the coffee table along with forks. "Ta da!" he said as he whipped off the covers to reveal a slice of fudge torte for both of them. "This should help break the ice right?"

"Maybe." Rogue said as her stomach grumbled.

"Good." Logan said as he passed her a plate and flopped down in a nearby chair. "So spill."

"Logan we've known each other along time right?" Rogue said thoughtfully. "Ah mean, we used to go shopping together, you taught me to cook. Ah can ask you something honestly right?"

" Sure." Logan said. " Although in return, all I ask is that you keep quiet about the shopping and the cooking. I'd never hear the end of it if anyone else knew."

" Why 'cause Jubes would want you to shop with her?" Rogue asked, grateful for the distraction.

" I never thought of that." Logan said in horror." Now I really need you to stay quiet."

" Am Ah selfish?" Rogue asked quietly, out of the blue. " Really?"

" Normally?" Logan said. " No."

" But now?" Rogue asked.

" Rogue." Logan said with a sigh. " You risk your life every day, you fight harder then almost anyone I know, and you're not normally a selfish person. In fact I'd say you're pretty selfless."

" But not now?" Rogue said in dismay. " About getting pregnant."

" You're not the first person to see a chance at normally and jump at it." Logan said gently. " Okay, so you jumped like you were on steroids but still, you're entitled to be a little selfish once and a while."

" So you don't think I acted rash?" Rogue said around a bite of cake.

" I didn't say that." Logan said gently. "You took a chance, I understand that better then anyone else. You and I both know you take the chances life gives you, or don't have a life. The Cajun doesn't understand this, not from your perspective but I do and I'm telling you, you didn't do anything wrong. You just did it the wrong way."

" Thanks for being honest at least." Rogue said with a laugh. " But Ah didn't know what else ta do at the time."

" I get that." Logan said with a raised eyebrow. "But you could have found a compromise right?"

" That's the thing." Rogue said with a sigh. " Ah don't think so. Ah don't think Remy's problem is us having kids, it's having kids in general. Ah don't think he wants them."

" I don't believe that." Logan said to her surprise. " I think he meant what he said."

" Really?" She said in surprise. "Why?"

" Rogue." Logan said. " I know about being a guy and having kids, trust me. Two years again if you'd told me I'd have a kid and be happy settling down, I'd have said you were crazy but I am, go figure. Maybe it's just not his time yet."

"Maybe." She agreed. "But Ah couldn't wait, in case my powers came back."

"Then you did what you had to do." Logan said with a sigh. "We all make choices Rogue; it's just living with those choices that can be hard is all."

"Now you're starting to sound like Charles." She said with a laugh.

Logan made a face and whipped a pillow at her head. "Don't insult me like that, kid."

"Very funny." She said with a sigh as she smoothed her long brown hair over her shoulder. "You could do worse then become like him."

"What?" Logan growled. "Shop with Jubes?"

"Now that's just plain mean." Rogue said as she set her plate aside and tossed her fork on it. "Damn true but still mean, none that less Sugah." She sighed and turned serious. "Can Ah do this Logan?"

"Parent?" Logan asked with a raises eyebrow. "Sure, hell if I can do it you can and like everyone said the teams behind you for the most part."

"Except for Kitty." Rogue said.

"Yeah well, she's got permanent PMS anyways." Logan said. "Who cares what she thinks?"

"True." Rogue agreed "But what about Remy?"

"Now that's a different story." Logan agreed with a sage nod. 'he's gonna be ripe pissed for the next few months."

"And then every time he sees me, especially when I get bigger." Rogue mused.

"And bigger and bigger and bigger…" Logan said with a roll of his eyes. This time it was Rogue's turn to toss a pillow at him, which he caught cleanly and tossed aside in the blink of an eye. "What I'm just being honest."

Rogue snatched up another pillow, and hugged it tightly to her chest as Logan spoke again. "Can you stand having to see him everyday Rogue, at classes, after classes?" He whistled low. "'Cause if it was me, I think I'd have a hell of a time staying away from Jubilee."

"Who are you kidding?" Rouge said with a sigh. "You'd never be able to stay away from her and you know it."

"True." Logan agreed. "But if I stuck true to my form, I'd be on my Harley and out of her so fast, it's make LongShot look like Pokey the Turtle."

"Jubilee's been getting you to read to Genny again hasn't she?" Rogue said with a laugh as Logan actually blushed and didn't answer.

It was at that moment that the alarms in the mansion chose to go off in all their crowing glory with a loud buzzing noise equal to several dozen hornets on some good shit. Logan and Rogue both jumped up and headed for the hall way, reaching it as other members of the team began to pour from their rooms and into the corridor.

"What's going on?" Rogue asked as Scott hurried by, already dressed and ready to go.

"Mr. Sinister just attacked a main weapons armory in Colorado." Scott said as he stopped by her. "Major causalities. I'm assembling the team to head out right away."

"Ah'll get dressed." Rogue said immediately, stunned by the look on Scott's face as he responded a bit dismayed.

"I don't think that's a good idea Rogue."

"What?' She said, not quite believing what she'd heard.

"No powers." He reminded her. "And pregnant, don't you think it's better if you stay here?"

"No." Rogue said stubbornly.

"Well I do." Scott said with a sigh. "It's too dangerous for you to go."

"Yeah and we wouldn't want anything to happen to that golden child, now would we?" Remy said as he hurried by, heading for the hanger in a fast pace.

"Logan go suit up." Scott ordered before turning back to Rogue. "I'm sorry, Rogue, it's just too dangerous, stay here and help the Professor."

"Fine." Rogue snapped as Logan moved off, the prospect of fighting stirring his blood immediately. "If that's what you want me to do."

"It is." Scott assured her. "And I don't have anymore time to discuss it with you, I have to go, Jean and the others are waiting for me in the War Room." He turned and hurried off, leaving Rogue standing in the hallway, smoldering as the alarms began to quiet around her.

With a sigh, she turned and headed back into the lounge, flopping down onto the couch and bringing her knees up to her still flat stomach as she hugged a pillow to her chest gain and felt tears burn her eyes.

Logan was right.

Could she stand to stay in the mansion and see Remy, every day? To hear the crisis that he was obvious prepared to dish out in her direction out of anger and pain… and how would he treat her child when it was born? What if Remy was right and she wasn't cut out to be a mother and what type of life would her child have if she was always running off to fight some form of evil or another? What if something ever attacked the mansion (It wouldn't be the first time) and she wasn't able to protect her own flesh and blood?

So many questions pulled at her, grabbing for her attention at once, making her mind whirl and soon she found her eyes growing heavy as sleep began to over take her and dreams set in.

Rogue dreamed an intoxicating dream, a dream where she and her child could have a normal life. A nice house in a quiet town where nobody had to worry about attacking anything or fighting for anything more then a good spot at the local Fourth of July picnic. Where she and her son or daughter could be happy and not have to bear the constant worry that she'd always had to bear. It didn't occur to Rogue as she slept, she was dreaming Xavier's dream, a dream of what he hoped the future would be like when normals and mutants could live and co-exist together peacefully. The only thing that occurred to Rogue was that she felt happy and safe, for the first time in her life… or at least since she'd met Charles Xavier and joined the team.

It was hours later when Rogue woke, but it very well could have been centuries as she lay on the couch and thought about what she was going to do now. The dream of normality haunted her, and she knew for the sake of her child she had to grab at it while she could, even if it meant leaving behind the shelter of the home she'd grown to love and the family she had made.

Her child deserved a chance at a normal life and so did she.

Now, her only question was did she have the strength in her to do what she knew was best?

Rogue knew she did but it was sure as hell going to be the hardest thing she'd ever have to do.

Quietly, before she lost her nerve and changed her mind, she slipped up to her room and packed everything she thought she had of value, and then all of the cloths she thought would fit her in the coming months. After the last of several trips to her car to load it with boxes, she slammed the trunk as quietly as she could and look back at the empty house. She wondered what the team would think when they found she'd gone and not even bothered to say goodbye.

Remy wouldn't miss her that was for sure.

She slipped behind the wheel of her SUV and headed down the driveway, not bothering to fight the tears that steamed down her cheeks as she admitted to herself she was taking the coward's way out but had no other way. She reached the end of the driveway and with a final look back, headed out onto the road, not knowing what lay beyond for her in the morning.

After several hours of driving, as dawn approached, Rogue pulled into a small diner on the highway to grab some breakfast and a cup of coffee before continuing on her way.

It was then it occurred to her, she hadn't the slightest idea where she was going.

While waiting for the waitress to bring her order, she pulled a map out of her purse and spread it on the diner table, then, feeling whimsical(Or idiotic, take your pick) she closed her eyes and let her finger hit a spot, opening them again to see where she'd landed.

Legacy, Mississippi.

"Well hell, alright then." Rogue murmured, strangely content that her finger had landed in her home state, right where she felt she needed to be at the moment. "Alright then."

An hour later, after downing her food and two cups of the embalming fluid the joint was passing off as coffee, she dropped some money on the table and cruised out the door to her SUV. She slipped behind the wheel, slipped on her shades, and cranked the radio up loud so she could drown everything else out, and hit the highway, singing along as she went.

She felt better then she had in weeks.

Rogue was going home.

To be continued…