Disclaimer: Don't own the X-Men. Do own both Blaze and Raven.
11
"Ahem," A familiar distinguished voice interrupted Rogue's heartbreak as she watched Gambit kiss her body with no fear and so much love. "Its not polite to stare my dear…"
"You!" Rogue snapped, turning aggressively on Genie with a raised fist. Palming her off with a smile, the telepath merely uttered one small word and saved himself from a beating.
"Freeze." Rogue-as-Blaze froze, as did Blaze-as-Rogue, Gambit and Wolverine. The others became statues, unblinking as once Professor Xavier had been able to make people. Rogue-as-Blaze simply could not feel the body below her neck, but could still turn her head to keep an eye on the others. She was glad to see Blaze-as-Rogue and Gambit had just ended their contact, had no idea what prolonged exposure to her vampire-power would do to the Cajun if they had been frozen mid-kiss.
"That's better." Genie seemed genuinely pleased with his work, eyes sparkling as he rubbed his palms together. "Now then, it appears like our Cajun friend was right. That woman could almost have been written for him, wouldn't you say? Hum?"
"I guess…" Rogue growled, making Genie nod even more.
"Of course through your powers, and that rather lovely kiss, she now knows him inside out. I wonder if she would thank you for that if I woke her now?"
"No, don't." Rogue was quick to stop him. "Whatever you want from the X-Men, I'll see you get it…"
"The X-Men? Oh no my dear," Genie smiled at her warmly. "I don't want anything from any of you. All this," He waved his arm around generously, "Was for your benefit, and yours alone. You wished for it."
"I only wished to touch, not to have Blaze's body, Blaze's life…"
"I agree you only verbally uttered the paraphrase to allow me to aid you to touch." Genie nodded as he spoke, still smiling. "But I am a telepath my dear. I respond to the desires of the heart and mind as much as the words you uttered." He took a flamboyant low bow. "I am your perfect, indulgent servant. Now have you enjoyed yourself?"
"I guess, up 'til now…" Rogue stuttered, struggling to keep up with the mutant.
"Time to go home then perhaps? Back to your own body?"
"Will anyone remember this?" Rogue asked sharply, making Genie meet her stolen eyes. "Will they remember?"
"I can arrange it so that your friends do not appreciate what has gone amiss." Genie nodded. "They wont remember a thing, my dear Rogue. But you will."
"Then how do I know any of this even happened?" Rogue asked rhetorically, "That any of this was real?"
"Ah, how do any of us know that something in which only we find a truth, an attachment, was ever real? Something perhaps you should discuss with your blue elfin friend?" Genie smiled indulgently at her and then shook his head like a horse. "Yet I am afraid it will not be something that you have overly to worry about. When I say they wont remember anything, it isn't that they will forget everything either. The connection you have forged with Blaze and Gambit through this is a powerful one…"
"She'll still hate me, though she wont know why." Rogue filled in the gaps, closing her eyes slightly.
"And he will always look at you sideways and half remember what it was like to kiss you. The first man you were truly intimate with, am I right? That's not the kind of bond a telepath can break, and not something his wife was ever able to offer him." Genie shrugged, still smiling. "Being the 'other woman' perhaps more of a trial than you would have thought? Its certainly more than I would have thought, not that I know much of these things. But enough of this chitchat, you appear to have learned your lesson and that is all I ask. Back you go!"
"Wait, what lesson?" Rogue cried as the world blurred around her and everything went dark and echoey.
"To beware the green eyed monsters of course!" Genie's laughter followed her into the oblivion. "Or perhaps to be more careful what you wish for!"
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Rogue woke with a start and flung herself out of bed, flying to the mirror. She had never been more exuberant to see her reflection peering back at her. She shouted out "Yes!" at the top of her lungs and leaped two feet off the ground. She couldn't stop laughing at Storm when the concerned weather-witch banged on the door to ask if she was all right. Catching some of Rogue's giddiness, Storm resolutely banned the younger woman from caffeine and left her to it.
Never had Rogue been so relieved to pull on her gloves and coil a chiffon scarf around her neck. She left the room skipping, making her pupils giggle as she pushed past them on the stairs. At the foot of the staircase a young redhead looked up at the commotion, and then elbowed her Dad in the ribs to get his attention.
"Lookin' good Rogue…" Gambit sounded vaguely bemused as he returned Rogue's smile with a grin of his own.
"Thanks Swamp Rat." Rogue returned, giving him the benefit of a playful twirl on the third step from the bottom. "Shame the same can't be said for you. Jessie, how are you doin' for dresses an' stuff at the minute? Only I've seen the cutest Japanese one at the mall, an' with your birthday comin' up…"
"Are you kiddin'?" Jessie exclaimed gleefully, "Sounds great! Can I come with you to get it?"
"Absolutely Sugah. If its alright with your dad?"
"Go for it." Gambit encouraged, raising his hands in surrender and grinning. "Spend as much of Rogue's money as you want Jess. First time she ever offered to buy anyone anythin'."
"Yessir!" Jessie giggled, standing to attention and giving Gambit a cheery salute.
"Hey look who I found wandering around downstairs like he's forgotten he lives here!" Blaze's English voice called across the hall from the lift that served the lower levels. She sounded amused, yet still Rogue could hardly dare to meet the other woman's eyes. Her worry was proved well founded as Blaze's eyes darkened and her cheeriness seemed more strained under Rogue's scrutiny.
"How could I forget I live here with you mad lot?" Bobby Drake countered his friend, "Long lost kids, spontaneous eloping, you're hardly easy to forget… Don't glare at me Gambit I've missed out gettin' my digs in so far, okay?"
Blaze laughed, unhooking herself from Bobby's arm and going to scoot her family outside. Jessica ran on ahead whilst Gambit let himself be led, glancing back over his shoulder with a grin to get a dig in of his own.
"It better than bein' too easily forgettable! Who the hell are you again?" Gambit winked at Rogue making her smile, and the le Beau family was gone.
Alone with Bobby, Rogue suddenly realised how much she'd missed him. How different would things with Genie have been if her best friend had been here? Would she have gone to her confident and asked him for help? More than likely, she thought as she met Bobby's smiling ice-blue eyes and tried to think of something to say to him.
"Don't say anything Rogue." Bobby urged her, giddy as a schoolboy at the end of term. "I want you to have this first. You are not going to believe this!"
He held out a band cast of steel-coloured metal, buzzing as though it contained some mechanical or electrical parts. It was about a finger's width wide and shaped like a collar to fasten around her neck. When Rogue only looked at the device in mild confusion Bobby shook his head and adjusted his hold on the implement. Deftly he snapped it closed around Rogue's throat, watched for any change in her manner. She still looked confused.
"I found it Rogue!" Iceman enthused again, taking her hand in his and pulling her close to him. "I found the cure!"
She still didn't understand, not until he kissed her, and then she thought her heart might burst…