Disclaimer: Don't own the X-Men. Do own both Blaze and Raven.
03
How long had it been, since she first crossed the threshold of this manor house, this extraordinary building? Fifteen years perhaps? Rogue didn't know, brushing her white streaks of hair back out of her face, weaving out of the way of a rabble of children as they ran past, giddy and so very, very young. Casually she ordered them to bed, knowing they'd probably ignore her anyway. She hadn't been here all that time, feeling trapped and unsure she'd left to travel, as she'd dreamt of doing all those long years ago. Before she'd found out she was a mutant, cursed, unable to touch another human soul for the rest of her life.
She'd come back eventually, rescued by the X-Men from under the threatening forepaw of Sabretooth. And she'd been welcomed into the fold again with open arms. The awe she felt, the great surprise and wonder that even after all these years since they had first broken up, Bobby Drake still professed that he loved her. Their getting back together was as natural as the progression from winter to spring. At the same time she could sense it like a ribbon of discord between them, that his love of her had stopped him having the wife and family the caring, gentle man deserved. When he'd finally proposed marriage not so long ago, it had been too easy for Rogue to deflect it as a bad joke. Too easy to break Iceman's heart…
Now he spent more time away from the mansion on missions than he ever had. Always the first to volunteer for games of espionage, for recruitment, for anything that got him away from Rogue, even for a short while. It broke her heart too, every time she saw him leave she screamed inside. But she would not see him cursed with her powers, bad enough one of them had to live life untouched. So it was she'd a moment ago seen him depart again, leaving for Alabama and a mutant child holding a town pretty much hostage. It may be a while before he made it back.
The TV was on in the rec. room, buzzing away to itself. But the room's occupants weren't watching it, too caught up in their own little world. A scrappy-looking terrier dog lay flat out on the floor, eyes watching Rogue balefully as she entered. Rogue knew she was intruding but she was needy for whatever company she could get. Scruffy the dog sighed once, rolled onto his back and silently begged his master to tickle his belly.
Gambit did as the dog wanted, lying on the sofa in jeans and t-shirt looking as relaxed and handsome as ever. Rogue wasn't sure why the sight of him playing with a dog was so funny, it just was as she smirked at her friend and dropped into a chair. Scruffy, as always a bundle of hairy energy, was suddenly back on his paws and trotting over to sniff the newcomer. Without a word Gambit waved the dog away nonchalantly, returning Rogue's smile with a grin of his own. A jet-lagged grin as he'd only returned from Europe that morning. Almost complacently his free hand drifted to the soft skin of the woman sleeping with her head on his chest, brushed her long red curls back from her face, enjoying her warmth as she snuggled against him. Her left hand clutched loosely at his black t-shirt, the rings she now wore glinting like flames in the low lamplight.
"So," Rogue broke the silence softly, not wanting to wake Blaze. "Must've bin a pretty eventful trip to Europe, Swamp Rat? How much you had to drink before this all happened?"
"Huh." Gambit snorted, rolling his eyes, voice equally quiet. "Not enough Cherie, that for sure…"
"So what, you actually propose? Or Blaze an' Raven just bully you into it?"
"Yeah, I'se bullied by a eleven-year-old…" Remy retorted sardonically, but couldn't hide the pride in his red-on-black eyes as he talked about his daughter. Rogue stifled a laugh. She liked Raven, little Jessica, a lot and didn't know anybody who didn't. Blaze and Gambit's daughter, the redheaded fire elemental had given Jess up for adoption when she was only three months old, feeling she wasn't able to keep her own child safe. For ten years Blaze had kept her daughter's existence secret from Gambit and the rest of the X-Men. It seemed now though, after the death of Jessie's adoptive parents and Blaze and Gambit's subsequent re-adoption of their child, that all manner of evils could be forgiven. At least they could if your name was Laura. Internally Marie glowered, recoiling as the dainty redheaded woman sighed in her sleep. It just wasn't fair… But she kept her feelings well hidden as she spoke to Gambit again.
"'Fess up Remy, you get down on one knee or what?" Rogue dug shamelessly, scratching Jessie's dog behind the ears with her gloved hand.
"Gambit don't kneel for nobody." The Cajun ex-thief quipped, his fingers stroking Blaze's bare shoulder, skin on skin. He only had eyes for his new wife but he gave Rogue as straight an answer as anyone would ever get out of him. "It one t'ing fightin' Magneto or Mystique, but I tell you Rogue I ain't never bin so scared as when I pass her that box with the ring in…"
"Where, when, how long was you engaged for?" Rogue pestered, coming over all girly and emotional. "Why didn't you come back home to tie the knot, you ashamed of us or somethin'?"
"Paris, Eiffel Tower, sunset, t'ree weeks, an' we kinda forgot, okay Cherie?" Gambit answered with a smile, meeting Rogue's eyes. "Hey if I knew you miss me dis much, I come back sooner…"
Rogue hated it when he looked at her like that, like he could read her soul, felt her heart almost stop under his gaze. Like magic the beautiful woman in his arms stirred into hazy wakefulness at his harmless flirting, Blaze accosting her best friend with a small "Oi!" in her sweet English accent.
"You got me on radar or somethin' Petite? A bloke not get away with nothin' round here no more…" Gambit offered gently, smiling as Blaze looked him in the eye and yawned sleepily.
"What kind of American uses the word 'bloke'?" Blaze teased, rubbing the sleep from her brown eyes and sitting back on her heels. Gambit caught one of her hands in his and kissed it charmingly.
"One hitched to an English fille, non? You still tired Laura, or you ready for bed?"
"I ain't got a clue how you put up with him." Rogue commented lightly as Blaze smiled, blushing like a schoolgirl.
"Practice." Laura answered succinctly, getting to her feet, followed by Gambit. "Good night Rogue."
"'Night." The Southern belle offered, jealously watching her friends leaving the room. Did Blaze have the slightest idea how lucky she was? With her perfect little ready-made family right down to the pet dog. A daughter of her very own, a child that looked up to her, to tuck in bed and kiss goodnight. And a man who not only loved her, but could show her every facet of the word… It just wasn't fair! How come Blaze got to have all of that and she didn't? What had Rogue done wrong? What made Blaze so much better than her? Impulsively Marie sobbed; putting a trembling gloved hand to cover her mouth, and wondered if there would ever be an end to the loneliness that devoured her…