First off, to my readers, I am sooo sorry this took so long. Real life has been invading my free time. Damn the college education! I have fanfic to write!!!! :) Anyways, I prolly won't update again for about another week. I have 'em...4 projects that I absolutely HAVE to do before Thanksgiving...But I promise it will be worth the wait. I think you guys will like where I go with this story...Anywho, I'm really not happy with the results of this chapter. (I may end up rewriting it eventually, but for now it's staying.) I just wanted to get this up and give ya'll something since it has been a while since my last update. I apologize for any bad grammar or spelling. I've read and reread this chapter trying to make it better and nothing has worked. :(
So, without further ado...
I don't own 'em...Wish I did though.
Somebody Else's Song - Chapter 11
"He hasn't left the Med Lab in two weeks. I am worried about him, Professor."
"As am I, Ororo," Charles answered looking up from his computer screen, "But Gambit has had a terrible shock. He needs to grieve."
"She is not dead yet," Storm sounded almost angry, "There is no reason to grieve. I refuse to accept that Rogue will not make a full recovery."
Charles exhaled, "Ororo, I want Rogue to wake up as well, but Elizabeth, Jean and I all came to the same conclusion---"
"Then we get a second opinion. Surly Lilandra will help us. The technology of the Shi'ar---"
"I have contacted her already. She cannot spare the time."
"After all we have done for the Shi'ar, Lilandra cannot tear herself away from her 'royal duties' long enough to help a lowly human? Is that it Charles?"
"She has responsibilities to her people," Charles half-heartedly defended his beloved.
"Of course...Please excuse me Charles, I am going to go visit my friend." Without another word, Storm exited Xavier's office, closing the door loudly behind her.
xxxx
"How are you?"
"Hm?" Remy's head shot up from it's place on Rogue's bed.
Ororo smiled sadly, "I am sorry, Remy. I didn't realize you were sleeping."
"Naw, 'Ro. Jus' restin' my eyes is all."
Ororo smiled weakly as she took a seat on the other side of Rogue's bed. For a moment, she regarded the scene before her. One of Remy's hands cradled one of Rogue's injured ones while his other rested across her scratched forehead. He looked terrible. Two weeks had passed since he and Rogue had been attacked. In those two weeks, Remy had rarely left the Med Lab. The first week he himself had been in a hospital bed, the second was spent by Rogue's side. His long hair was unkempt and he hadn't shaved since that day he had woken. He rarely ate or slept. Dark circles tinted the skin beneath his strange eyes and he looked much too thin. Rogue looked as terrible as the day they had brought her home. Though some of the bruises were turning to a yellowish color now, dark purples and blues still marked her scratched skin in some places. Jean and Celia had bathed Rogue carefully during her first week in the Med Lab, washing her hair and removing the dirt and grim from her skin. Every other day, Celia gave her a sponge bath, but since most of Rogue was covered with bandages and casts anyway, it wasn't too much of a job.
"You look terrible."
"So do you," he retorted.
She smiled at him, "At least I have eaten a decent meal today and had a shower. Remy, will you please eat something?"
"Ain't hungry," he replied as he stared at the feeding tube attached to Rogue.
"Gambit."
He looked up at her.
"Rogue would not want you to do this to yourself."
"Do what, Stormy?" he sounded irritated.
"Look at yourself. You are not eating. You barely sleep. You are recovering from a grievous injury---"
"Don' start wit' me, Ororo."
Something in his voice stopped her.
"Alright," she said quietly. Then she looked down at Rogue. Leaning over, she whispered loudly enough for Gambit to hear, "You had better recover quickly, child. You are the only one who can do anything with him."
"Dat she is," Gambit almost smiled, "She don' take none o' my bullshit. Calls me on it ev'rytime."
Storm smiled as she took Rogue's other hand.
xxxx
"How you holdin' up, Elf?"
"Fairly well, considering.," Kurt looked up from his game of solitary billiards.
"Mind if I join you?"
Kurt smiled slightly, grateful for the company and arranged the pool table for a new game while Logan grabbed a stick.
They shot pool in silence for a few moments before Wolverine spoke, "What's botherin' you...besides the obvious?"
"Nothing."
Wolverine grunted, but said nothing. A few more moments of silence passed before Kurt spoke.
"I finally got in touch with Mystique."
"And what did Raven have to say?" Logan took another shot, sinking 3 balls.
"She doesn't care," Kurt said in quiet disbelief, "How can she feel nothing when the girl she raised as a daughter could be dying?"
"When you find out the answer to that one 'Crawler, maybe you can tell me how she's been able to live with herself all these years after tossing her real kid into a river."
"Point taken."
"Come on, let's get outta here."
"Where are we going?"
xxxx
"How do you feel, Bobby?" Psylocke asked as she entered his bedroom. Hank had allowed him to move to his own room a few days before, but he was still limited to complete bed rest. Bobby put down the comic book he was reading and smiled.
"Okay. But Hank took me off the really strong painkillers so I'm kinda uncomfortable, but I'll live."
"Can I get you anything? Are you hungry?"
"Betsy, knock it off, willya? I'm not dieing."
They grew quiet as thoughts of Rogue plagued both their minds.
"I didn't mean it like that."
"I know."
"Why are you dressed like that?" Bobby asked, changing the subject.
"I'm going to work out in the Danger Room. Blow off some steam," she answered regarding her outfit. She wore a plain black leotard, black crush velvet pants and a pair of black combat boots.
"You look hot."
Betsy laughed, "Thanks. You look like hell."
"Yea, well...actually most guys who've just been shot don't look nearly as good as I do so---" he grinned and shrugged.
"I am sorry about that, Bobby."
"Not your fault, Betts. Hell, if it wasn't for you I probably wouldn't be here."
"We survived."
"Yea...so far."
"Robert? Would you like to come run the simulation for me?"
"Aw, man. You know Hank would kill me...Sure." he grinned, sounding more like himself than he had in weeks.
xxxx
"It hurts so bad to see her like dis...And Xavier says she may never wake up...Pah! Even if she does, she won't be Rogue..." Gambit threw back another shot. He, Logan and Kurt sat at a table in a corner of the smoky bar. It had taken Wolverine nearly an hour to convince Gambit to leave the Med Lab. Finally, after Storm had promised not to leave Rogue's side and sworn to call him immediately if there was any change in her condition did Remy consent to go out with Kurt and Logan. Besides, he really needed a drink.
Logan and Kurt remained silent, each lost in their own feelings about the recent events.
"I tried to protect her...I tol' her to go..." absentmindedly he fingered the cut on his throat. It hadn't been bad. Just deep enough to draw blood. He remembered the look on her face, part terror, part resignation, when the solider had offered her an ultimatum: His life or hers.
xxxxxxxxxx flashback xxxxxxxxxx
"Give it to her."
The soldier nodded and stepped toward Rogue. He took something out of his bag and held it out to her. Remy couldn't see it from his position on the ground. He watched her eyes widen as she looked to the leader.
"Take it."
Slowly, she held her hand out and took the Genoshan salve collar.
Dieu, no...
"Put it on."
She didn't move. Gambit felt the knife cut into his skin, then something warm and wet rolled down his neck.
"Now. Or I will kill him."
"C-Chere...don'...don' do it..." he struggled to make himself heard. He was quickly loosing the ability to stay conscious.
"Ah don't have a choice," she fastened the collar.
"Glad you see it that way," He released Gambit, who fell face first into the ground with a groan. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote control. He pressed a button to activate the collar. Rogue felt instantly light-headed.
"She's harmless now. Let's go."
As two of the men took her by the arms, Rogue's eyes never left Gambit's.
"Chere..."
xxxxxxxxxx end flashback xxxxxxxxxx
Gambit closed his eyes to the memory of her being led away injured and helpless.
Logan watched the internal conflict play out through Gambits features. His deadly hands trembling in frustration and anger. Logan knew the feeling.
Well, nothing I can do to help him, 'cept maybe dull the pain.
He poured Gambit and himself another shot.
"To Rogue," Wolverine held up his glass.
"To Rogue," Kurt echoed, taking a sip of his water.
Remy nodded and downed his shot.
xxxx
"You got him drunk, Logan?!"
"The kid needed it. I figured this was the only way to give him a good night's sleep."
"And you allowed this, Kurt?"
"He is a grown man, Ororo. Nothing I could do." With that, Kurt left for his own room without another word.
"He is taking this so hard," Storm said sadly.
"Ain't none of us dealin' with it particularly well, 'Ro."
"Well, where is he?"
"I put him in his room. Takes a lot o' booze to knock that kid out."
"Goddess grant me the patience," she turned to leave.
"Where you goin'?"
"I'm sleeping in the Med Lab tonight."
"Why?"
"I promised Remy I would stay with her."
"...Need some company?"
Storm smiled, "I would like that, Logan."
xxxx
"Rogue, I thought you'd never wake up..." Remy kissed her full on the lips, his hands in her thick, shiny hair, "Thought you done left me behind."
"Never happen, Sugah. Ah love you," She beamed up at him, her green eyes shining.
"Dieu, you're so beautiful," He wrapped his arms around her, "Chere, I'm so sorry dat I couldn' protect you. I wanted to...I tried..."
She pulled away from him, "Ah know, Remy. All that's happened ain't your fault. Ah don't blame you fer any of it."
He started to say something else but she silenced him with a soft, bare finger on his lips.
"Not another word, LeBeau," she lifted herself up and kissed him gently. He responded readily. Without warning, she deepened the kiss, opening her mouth to his. He moaned as he pulled her tight up against his chest. She responded with a soft gasp and a sweet smile before his lips descended on hers again. He pushed her back onto the bed and covered her body with his.
"Mmmm," she breathed as he showered her neck with kisses. She arched her back, pressing her body against his.
"Chere," he was breathing hard, "We need to slow down...You jus' came out of a coma---"
Without warning she turned the tables on him. Before he knew it, she was on top, her silken hair forming a curtain around their faces, "Ah don't wanna slow down," she whispered as she lowered herself further and began nibbling on his ear while her hands roamed his chest and shoulders.
He shivered as chills ran up and down his spine.
She sat up with a grin, "That do a little somethin' for ya Cajun?"
Before he could answer, a loud noise, like gunfire interrupted him. He watched as her body jerked violently. She never made a sound.
"Rogue?" he moved to sit up as she fell towards him. Carefully he took her in his arms, "Rogue?!" he shook her.
Then he heard laughter. He turned to look behind him. The soldiers.
His concern for the woman in his arms overshadowed his lust for revenge and he turned away from them. When he looked back at her she was covered in blood.
"Non..." he whispered, shaking his head, "Chere, no. Not again. Rogue, I love you."
The laughter became louder as Remy LeBeau watched his lover die in his arms.
"No...no...no...no..." he cradled her body to his, coating himself with her blood, "no...no...no..."
Remy shot strait up in his bed, covered in sweat and shaking uncontrollably. It took him a few moments to survey his surroundings. He was in his room at Xavier's. He was still fully clothed, except for his shoes and trench coat, and the sun was shining brightly through his curtains.
"Rogue," his fear of what could have happened to her while he was sleeping overtook him and he leapt out of his bed. Instantly, he regretted it.
"I hate you, Wolverine," he muttered as the migraine assaulted him, "Damn. Don' member ever havin' a headache dis bad..."
Slowly, and with some difficulty, Remy made his way to the elevator and finally down to the Med Lab. He entered Rogue's room and let out a breath when he saw her lying on the bed and heard the heart monitor beeping.
"Good morning, Sunshine," Jubilee said from her place beside Rogue's bed, "Or should I say 'good afternoon'? Do you know what time it is?"
"Non. An' I don' give a shit," Now that he knew Rogue was alive, Remy suddenly felt very drained.
"Gambit?" Storm questioned form her chair in the corner, "Are you feeling ill?"
"Jus' need to sit down is all..." Remy made his way to the empty chair on the other side of the bed and collapsed into it.
Soon as I recover from dis fuckin' hangover, Logan, I'm gonna beat de hell outta you.
"What do you think?"
It took Remy a minute to realize that Jubilee was talking to him. Painfully, he opened an eye and looked over to her.
"'Bout what?"
"I gave her a manicure. I'm pretty sure she's never had one before and since her powers are gone right now I thought she might like it if I gave her one. Storm picked out the color."
Remy moved so that he could see the tips of her long, slender fingers that extended beyond the casts that adorned both her arms. Jubilee had shaped, filed and painted Rogue's nails a beautiful shade of purple.
"Dat's real pretty petite. She gonna 'preciate dat when she wakes up. What d'ya call dat color?"
"It's called 'Mardi Gras Mauve'," Jubilee held up the bottle and squinted to read the small print. Remy gave a tiny smile to Storm who nodded slightly and stood up.
"I'm going to go take a nap. I'll be in my room if you need me Gambit."
"T'anks Stormy," he stood and fought the dizziness off long enough to embrace his friend. She smiled and left without another word.
Remy slumped back down into his chair and looked over at Jubilee.
"You can go if you want. I'm here now."
"Actually, I'd like to sit with the two of you for a while...if that's okay?"
Remy smiled at the young girl, "Dat's jus' fine petite."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Well that's that. The end. Somebody Else's Song is COMPLETE.
HA! Had ya there for a sec, didn't I?
Okay, chapter 12 will be up by next weekend, at the latest. I know some of you are desperate for some R&R, (I know I am) since we're gettin' really screwed with the current plot of X-treme, so I promise VERY soon that you'll get some interaction between the two. And hey, I gave ya that short little dream scene with Remy...:P
Coming Soon: Rogue's fate. And where is Carly now???
Au Revoir Ya'll,
-Alyx
Oh yea, I have two more fics up on now. Both are Rogue/Gambit fics. "If You See Him" is complete, though I have plans for a sequel and prequel. "The More Things Change" is not done yet, but I've got some really good ideas for it. It's a movie-verse fic. Anyways, if ya have the time read over those and lemme know what you think. :)
