Sweety8587: Lol. Seriously the first review I got made me laugh. This chapter will have more Romy, for you to devour, and less Erica, which probably will make a whole lot of people happy… Still, read on… Enchantedlight: Thanks! Here it is! Hope you like! Chica De Los Ojos Cafe: Ah, that gives me an idea for a story…jj. Yeah, Marie loves the fact she can touch again, except I decided to overlook that in the last chapter. Anyway hope you like this chapter! TheRogueAuthor: Thanks for that! I've been getting that cliché remark a lot, so I've decided to embrace it. Everybody loves a cliché Romy story, unless you hate Romys… ishandahalf: Whoa long review!Good. Um, where do I start? Wow, so many theories and I can't tell you if they're correct or not! You're totally right though about how Marie has to live through school again! I mean that must totally suck. And I'm glad you don't like Erica. Seriously. Sorry for the lateness… Every time I sat to start writing, I ended up playing the Sims… MJK: Oh, I wish I could tell! Cool. Thanks for the compliments! Review again! TheDreamerLady: Yay! (dances around) I just hope it isn't a really small part… Y'know when I upload my next chapter, I keep on forgetting what I wrote in the previous chapter, and it makes me smile we I re-read your review, and I realize that I did write something funny. Okay, well thanks for that news, and here is the latest installment… scroll down…. Weapon X 61: Great her parents sound realistic, even though I kinda based them on mine…As for her cover? Hmmm, do you think anyone will really believe her? I updated as fast as I could… if you want to blame anything, just blame my time management skills… Rogue14: Agreed. Bobby and Rogue? What the…? Yeah, sorry for the wait. Hope you like. Willaj: Good point. Thanks; I guess getting to know the characters better is a good thing. Review! A Lost Soul: Thank you so much! I crave compliments, if you haven't noticed. Anyway please read on. Green Bird 2071: Cool. To answer your question: yes, Marie is adopted. Her past does include Mystique and Destiny, but at this stage I'm not sure how. If you have any more questions, just ask. Girl number 1: Your website didn't come out :-(. Maybe try putting spaces in-between the address so it comes out. Don't worry I'm obsessed with Gambit too and totally agree he should end up with Rogue (unless it's the movie-verse and Logan is around…) Okay, again, I got your review as I was typing this up, and um it made me feel real guilty. One another point I'm with you, is Bobby, you're right. I mean, how did he and Marie become a couple in the movie? Okay, moving on, here's the latest chapter… CajunBelle: Wow, well thanks. Don't worry, I sound like Kitty too, when I get excited, lol. Thanks for adding me to your favorites! Enjoy!
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EVERYTHING: pron. All things or all of a group of things; all relevant matters; the most important fact or consideration
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Life is complicated. She knew that. Everyone knew that. But her life always seemed to be hundred times more so than any other person. This time traveling crap had only confirmed her thoughts. Seriously, these things only appeared to happen to her. In any case, it was late Sunday night, and in a few hours it would be officially one week since she had entered this time stream. It was now impossible to believe that this whole mess was one big dream. She knew now that something indeed was going on.
She had opened the window, and was sitting on the window frame, dangling her legs into the empty the air. The cold, damp, windy breeze gushed in, the sounds of the night magnified, as the starlit sky hovered above. But this was an act that she did to clear her mind; one she did quite often, in her 'past life'.
In fact one time, Logan had caught her doing that, and he went into some rant about how she had no he-
Marie froze, her train of thought miserably interrupted. She missed him. She missed him so madly. Yes, sure, every time Logan went away she missed him. But she always knew that somewhere out there, Logan existed. Now in this world? She had no clue, whatsoever. He had no clue whom the fuck she was. Maybe to him, she was the beautiful stranger in his life. Not that she loved Logan, or anything, but ever since Jean had died last year, he had stuck around and soon she had gotten used to his presence. She was a big girl now, a young lady, and she, of course, could fend for herself, but it was nice a feeling to know that if she failed, there was someone out there to fall back out on.
"Well, there's always Remy," She laughed softly to herself. Her feelings for him were scattered around the entire place. Perhaps, maybe, she should just break up with David and go out with the 'Ragin' Cajun', as she had heard one groupie call him. Hell, why didn't she date both of them? She could touch, for now at least. In other situations Marie would have been basking in this. But, however, sadly even, too many other things in her life were going on. Like that woman that seemed to be following her everywhere. God, that woman was getting on her nerves. And she had been avoiding her parents, ever since yesterday when Remy appeared on her front doorstep. If she ignored them, maybe they would stop worrying about her. After all, she didn't need them to fuss over her -
Knock, knock.
"Marie, it's going tah be midnight soon. Time tah go tah bed."
Marie rolled her eyes. How many sixteen year olds had a bedtime? Her household was beginning to remind her of the Brady Bunch. Even the mansion didn't have rules like that.
"Okay." She sighed, knowing that arguing would not help matters.
So, she swung her legs over, and switched off the light. Closing the window, she lay down on her bed and stared at her ceiling, her mind racing.
What she wanted was simple.
She wanted out.
---
Love or lust?
Stupid question, really. But it definitely was an annoying one. One that had been bugging her ever since he had walked out her front door. So many problems, so little time. It was a wonder she hadn't cracked.
Mare sighed and bent down further over her work. It was the next day, Monday and she was in French.
Anyway it was hard to complement this question, when the reason for her problem was sitting in the seat beside her. Marie wondered what Erica thought of their sitting arrangement and then quite frankly decided that she didn't care.
Remy LeBeau had been oddly silent the whole lesson, not even bothering to manage a 'salut'. He was staring at his work, ignoring her completely.
Due to the lack of conversation, she discreetly had her headphones on, and was listening to the radio. She had switched it off, to receive instructions for her next assignment, and now was putting it back on.
"-Mutant Registration Act. Congress will meet-"
Those first three words hit like a sledgehammer.
Beep!
She frantically looked down to the small screen. The cause of the problem was evident. Low Battery!
"Fuck!" she swore loudly.
"Evert'ing alright?" Remy commented mildly, speaking for the first time. There was a slight edge to his voice that stung.
"No it isn't!" she glared at him, "Mah batteries ran out!"
"So?" Remy did not sound impressed. But then, why should he?
"There was an important announcement involving mutants!" She glared, the importance so great to her that she had to converse.
'W'ats' it wi' y'and mutants? Y'one of 'em?" He asked roughly.
Stop.
She wasn't quite sure what made her breath short, whether it be the tone in his voice or the blunt question itself.
"No…" she finally breathed, in a very small voice, "You?"
If he could ask that question, then she could. Though she knew the answer, conformation would be helpful. Very.
"Remy dinks y'already know," His eyes had already returned to his all too easy work.
"Marie thinks she should tell everyone," she matched his tone.
"Remy dinks y'oughta s'ut up," he responded.
She gave him a startled look, and instinctively reached out for him. He quickly moved away, causing her to pull the back of his black shirt down slightly. She frowned at her gaze reached the nape of his neck.
"How did you get that bruise?" Gently she let go of the shirt.
He looked at her, through his shades, his face impassive, "A fight. Ain't y'supposed t'be doing dat work?"
Apparently she had touched a nerve, because he didn't even wait for an answer before turning his head.
"Yeah," she smiled softly, "Ah guess so."
---
"What you doing tonight?" Aimee casually whispered, during study period. They were sitting opposite each other in the library. The class was surprisingly quite small, and all was quiet, save for the whispers. The last two days had been uneventful, with Remy chosing to sit with Erica in all the classes they shared.
"Nothing," Marie responded, squinting at her work, "Ah hate grammar. Especially French grammar."
"Don't you want to know what I'm doing tonight?"
Marie looked up, "No. Not particularly."
Aimee wasn't fazed, "How about David? I mean you two haven't been out since Friday."
"Yeah, we did," Marie said distantly, "Tuesday. And today's Thursday. We're not married."
"Everybody's been going on about how you two are a couple."
"Mmmmmm." Marie said nochantly .
"You kissed him yet?" Aimee leant forward.
"Why do you care?"
'Why are you so into your French?" Aimee rolled her eyes.
"It helps drown out the pitiful sound that can be described as your voice." Marie smiled at her clever comeback.
But Aimee slammed her fist onto the table. Marie jumped.
"Spill!" Aimee glared.
"What?" Marie stared.
"Something's up with you!"
"Nothing is up with me," Marie panicked slightly. Was she being that obvious? Just because no one had said anything before, didn't mean that people hadn't begun to notice a change in her.
"You've been acting strange lately. I mean, you seem distant, you're not spending much ti-"
"Aimee!" Marie grabbed a book, opening up a page quickly, "Ah am fine!"
"Fine, then!" Aimee sniffed.
Marie ignored her, and then became worried. Aimee could always think of good ways to get people back.
"Marie, look!" Aimee perked up, pushing her own work away. She indicated her head to a few tables away, by the resource section, where a blue library trolley lay.
Erica and Remy were sitting very close, next to each other, kissing. Totally lost in one another. Totally blind to everyone else.
Marie froze.
She knew that she had no right to be mad. That she was being hypocritical. In fact, maybe she should even have been happy for Erica. Because, she and Remy, they weren't even going out!
But her body language told otherwise. It told how she really felt. Her hands began to shake, her eyes froze and her mouth widened. A sinking sensation occupied her stomach, as reality slowly began to show itself.
You know, weeks ago, she would have laughed if she had been told that someone could ever make her feel that way. Not any more.
"Marie?" Aimee now sounded guilty and if Marie hadn't been so engorged she would have been surprised, "Marie!"
Remy looked up from his position with Erica, alerted by the sound of her name. He sat up straight.
"Rogue!" he called out, sidling Erica away. She frowned at him and adjusted her hair in a huff.
"Rogue?" repeated Aimee and Erica together.
But it didn't matter. Because Marie had already stalked out the door, earning a dirty stare from the librarian.
Remy swore loudly, before leaping up and racing out the door.
Aimee watched the doors shut close, thoroughly confused, "Who the fuck would call someone Rogue?"
---
She could hear the footsteps behind her in the empty hallway. But that didn't make her stop. Hardly anything did these days.
"Chere!"
"What?" Marie snapped, "And don't call me that!"
"Rogue-" He began again.
"Don't call me that either," she picked up her pace.
"W'at's wit' yer?" He snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.
"What's with you?" Marie clipped, "Oh wait, Erica!"
"We're not goin' out!" Remy sounded exasperated.
"Oh, that's not the way she sees it!" Marie slammed her hand into a nearby locker.
"Merde!" Remy swore, "W'at is y'problem? Y'be kissin' dat David boy!"
For the first time, since they had met, he sounded angry, not to mention pissed off.
"But you pretend to like me. You pretend that you lo-like me. And is this how you keep up your charade? See, Ah never said Ah liked you! But you said you liked me!" She jabbed a finger at herself.
Remy sighed, suddenly looking tired, "Must y'complicate everyt'ing? Not like Remy broke de law or nothin'!"
She didn't say anything for a while. There wasn't anything to say to disagree. "Okay, maybe you're right. Let's just leave at that, then, shall we?"
She walked away, down the hall.
He stood there, watching her leave. He watched her every step. He watched the way her chocolate hair bounced up and down. He watched-
BRRRIINNNG!
The bell jolted him. Doors opened as students streamed out, talking, gossiping and joking.
"I hate myself."
He ran down the busy hall, weaving through various students before grabbing her hand and lowering himself onto one knee, stopping her in her tracks.
"What the hell are you doing?" hissed Marie, mortified. A few people in the corridor had stopped, and looked towards them, giggling and pointing with neighbors. Some people walked by, giving long, hard backwards stares.
"Forgive me," Remy sighed, "Remy was wrong. I care fo' yer. Deeply, chere. Remy is so sorry."
"Let me go of me…" She looked around wildly, embarrassed like hell.
"Remy knows y'feel de same way. W'y else would petite run out de door?"
"The building could have been on fire," Marie desperately tried to squirm out of his grip.
"I was tryin' t'move on. Y'made it clear dat y'didn' want Remy so Remy 'ad no choice but t'fallow y'words. But de closer he got t'dat fille, de closer he wanted t'be wit' you."
"Just get up," Marie whispered, "People are staring."
In return Remy grabbed her hand harder, and looked up into her eyes, "Why can't you be with me?"
She frowned. His accent had vanished, save for a faint trace and the sincerity in his voice had never sounded so true before.
"Ah have a boyfriend-" She looked downward, slightly apologetic.
Remy rolled his eyes, "If y'can call him dat."
"And…" She touched his hair lightly.
"And w'at?"
A tight circle of spectators now enclosed them, naturally preferring this source of entertainment far more than their next class. Remy straightened up, propping his knee up further.
"Ah… Ah don't wanna hurt you, okay!" With a backwards look at the crowd; she frantically motioned for him to stand up.
"'Ow could y'hurt Remy?" The Cajun remained stationery.
"Ah'll tell you that when you own up tah your own secret!" Marie whispered, paranoid that the others could hear,
"Maybe," Remy shrugged, "But y'ave more dan one secret, Rogue."
"So do you."
More people had stopped on their way to class. If a teacher walked in on them…
"Remy doesn't need dis. Remy wants," The Cajun swallowed, "Fo' everyt'in t'be normal. Away from you. Don't know why he bothers wit' chere if y'keep brushin him off!"
"Well, we have something in common," Marie joked weakly.
"Do y'know how hard dis is fo' Remy?" As a joke, he lightly indicated his position.
"Do you know how hard this is for me?" She flushed.
"Ever since, chere, I met yer, mah life 'as changed! I can't stay away from yer; I can't stop dinkin' about yer. Y'everyw'ere! Just leave me alone, okay?"
"Leave you alone? You're the one stalking me!"
"I'm the one tryin' t'move on!" Remy yelled.
Silence. If Marie ever had seconds thoughts about if this mess was affecting Remy, they all but vanished.
A few of the bystanders began laughing, some leant forward trying to get a better view of the scene. Others frowned and whispered. All in all, Marie wished she could disappear into the ground.
"What the hell is going on?" she wondered out loud, talking more to herself than to him.
"Remy doesn't know," Remy shrugged, "Remy doesn't want t'know."
"Ah wish Ah was home," Marie muttered.
"What is going on here?" A teacher had discovered them. Hands on hips, narrowed eyes, "Move along, people! Nothing tah see!"
Remy gave the teacher a look, before breaking out into a smile.
"Marie?" He looked up again, tightening the grip on her hand again. His voice sounded surprisingly deep as he whispered her name. The remaining audience trained theirs ears.
"What?" she snapped "Thought you were mad at me!"
His response completely threw her off guard.
"Will you marry me?"
---
"And it was the most embarrassing moment of mah life!" Her face was still bright red, as it had been the whole of the previous class.
People in nearby tables, and even afar, were still pointing at her, laughing, whispering loudly. By this time she wouldn't be surprised if the whole damn school knew.
Aimee laughed, "It was hell funny! Even better than when you sat on that paint!"
"Thanks," Marie muttered darkly, "Ah had to wear a jumper aroundmy waistfor the rest of the day!"
"It was still romantic," Katie sighed.
Marie choked on her mountain dew, "ROMANTIC?" She spluttered.
"Yes," Katie said firmly, "Ah think it was."
"Katie…" Marie opened up her sandwich and removed the cucumber.
"No," Katie cut in, "Ah don't know what he said tah you, but he looked so sincere. Like, he was really into you…"
"And," Aimee butted in, "That can be arranged."
"… And that he cared about you. Loved even…"
"Whoa!" Aimee wiped the ice cream off her mouth, "Talk about cliché!"
"Who the hell has the right tah make mah life sound like a soap opera?" Marie wondered.
"What about David?" Aimee pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
"Before Remy arrived Ah thought you really like him. Now…" Kate shrugged, pushing her pasta around her plate with her fork.
But Marie frowned as a connection was made.
"Wait!" she snapped, "Rewind! You're right. Before Remy was around I liked David. A lot. But now Ah'm head ovah heels ovah some Cajun dude," She mused, "And mah feelings for David have basically vanished! That's what's different! Not Remy, but my feelings for him! If Ah had someone back then, Ah would have never been an outcast… and… oh mah god, everything, well, could change! Fuck…"
Katie and Aimee stared.
"Marie?"
"I think she's on crack," whispered Aimee audibly.
"Oh shut up," Marie quickly searched for an insult, "Just-just because you get it on with your cousin!"
"He was my second cousin!" Aimee snapped, "And this is not what the conversation is about!"
"Marie, what's going on?" Katie asked.
"Nothing," Marie sighed, "Nothing at all."
She put her sandwich back together and took a deep bite, looking away.
"That's what she said yesterday!" Aimee raised her hands, "Let's just call it quits, Foster!"
But Katie couldn't.
"We're your friends," she reasoned diplomatically, sipping her drink diligently.
"Do you think that's even going tah matter?" Marie demanded, thinking about her future experiences.
"Sorry?" Katie blinked.
"Two years from now; this time next year. Do you think it's going tah matter? No, it isn't!"
"Someone's in a bad mood," Aimee commented pleasantly.
"Ah'm not," pleaded Marie, "Just– just stop asking me so many questions, okay! Ah don't need this-"
"You don't need us?" It was a question and Katie's voice quavered as she asked it.
Marie didn't answer.
"God, Marie, Ah don't know what's going on with you!" Katie's voice grew angrier with every word, "We try tah help you and…"
"Ah don't need ya help!" Marie snapped, "Ah need tah be left alone. If you knew what Ah was going through!"
"But we don't!" Aimee suddenly spoke, "Because you never tell us!"
"Ah'm sick of this," Marie snarled, "And all of you!"
"Well tell that to your boyfriend!"
"What?" Marie stared at Aimee.
Aimee frowned, "I really don't know where that came from…"
But Katie, for once, had enough.
"Oh fine then!" she said, "Go!"
And that was exactly what Marie did.
---
Yesterday, Marie had complained of a headache and sore throat. Her parents, though slightly confused by her recent behavior, had believed her and in turn granted her a day off school. She was glad, not knowing how she could ever face Aimee and Katie again. Not knowing if she ever wanted to face them again.
The next day, however, she claimed to be well again. In the afternoon, she invited David over under the flimsy guise of an English report. Jack had seemed slightly suspicious, but Sarah supported Marie.
When the doorbell sweetly rang, she managed to get David inside her room before Jack had time to give him the third degree. She needed David's presence to soothe her. After all, Remy was right; both of them had to spend less time together and more time moving on, trying to make the other seem like a distant dream.
So, this was why David was lying on her bed. She was kneeling, on the other side, pointing to the postcards, pictures, magnets, curtains and the giant map that littered her headboard. Downstairs she could hear the faltering sounds of a piano, and Jack making a business call.
"… Niagara Falls, up the Canadian Rockies and then it's only a few hundred miles to Anchorage," She wiggled her hips slightly, and turned, smiling at David. She was trying to make small talk, and telling him about her plans for the future seemed to be working. Unfortunately those plans would probably never come true.
"Wouldn't it be cold?" David stretched.
"That's the point, stupid," Marie chided, turning and moving towards him, "Otherwise it wouldn't be an adventure."
David closed his eyes briefly, "And when are you gonna do this?"
She lay down next to him, and looked away, her eyes distant, "Ah don't know."
David rolled over and faced her, pressuring an answer.
"After high school. Before college," Marie shrugged. What else could she say?
He looked at her. She gave him a nervous smile and turned away. Not put off, he moved closer and brought his face towards her.
She scanned her memory. She searched for the date. 17th October, right? So, when were her powers activated? And the conversation she just had with David sounded…
Suddenly she felt the sensation of warm breath on her face. To unimaginable horror, David began to kiss her. She hesitated, as his lips touched hers, but when nothing happened she paused and deepened the kiss, opening her mouth. This was what was good about this timeline. No powers. The ability to be free. Serene.
Then there was that odd, vaguely familiar, squelching noise.
A sound that never failed to make her heart stop.
She pulled away immediately, horrified, her eyes magnifying at the scene. Deep purple veins bulged from David's body. His eyes had rolled backwards. He was gasping for breath. And with a final wheeze he fell backwards onto the bed. Where he lay, shuddering, jerking as if all the life had been sucked out of him.
"Oh mah GAWD! DAVID! FUCKING HELL!"
Marie never knew that she could yell so loudly. She could basically hear her cry echoing down the stairs. She frantically ran a hand through her hair, with no idea what to do.
From downstairs the piano stopped playing. Jack's voice stopped abruptly at the same moment.
Marie ran to the corner of the room, panicking. She was so fucking stupid! She wanted to help David, but found she couldn't even look at his body, lying there, gasping for air...
Sarah rushed in, followed by Jack. The door banged helplessly.
"Marie!" Jack shouted.
"Ah don't know what happened!" The sobs etched into her lies.
"David?" Jack ran to David, grabbing him by the chin.
"Ah don't know… Ah shouldn't have touched him! Ah'm so stupid! Ah knew this wouldn't last! Ah didn't mean-"
"Call an ambulance!" Jack barked
Sarah turned to Marie, her eyes wide, "Calm down…"
"We only touched!"
"Darling…" Sarah moved her hands downwards, in a futile attempt to calm Marie.
"Just get away from me!" she screeched, her voice breaking, her cries engulfing it.
"Will you call an ambulance?" Jack yelled.
Sarah moved closer towards Marie. Marie flinched.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, "Ah'm a curse!"
With backwards look at Jack and Marie, Sarah fled the room, in search of a phone.
But Marie fell to the ground sobbing, rocking back and forth, her tears blinding her.
Dammit.
She had screwed up again, just like always. But this time there was no one there to save her. There was nobody to comfort her, to offer the knowledge that peace was on the horizon. Instead she was empty, alone and vulnerable. She was hurting, her anger unspeakable, as she cried pitifully in the corner. Because slowly, but steadily, her life was becoming undone for the second time. And she knew, in her heart, that this time around, the pain was going to be ten times worse.
Shit, she should have known it wouldn't last
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A/N: This story is AU. So some things will be different. Just a warning for future chapters… Anyway, thank you for all your reviews! You guys rock! If you want to know when the next chapter will be up, check out my profile page. My timing may not always be exact, but it will give you a vague idea. So, moving on, don't forget to review!