Wow, so I'm glad everybody liked the Remy/Logan interaction (drinking buddies, LOL!) and the Rogue/Kitty friendship. I wanted to get this chapter out sooner, but school had just been crazy lately. And if you're in college, you'll understand about midterms and the almost zero privacy of the dorms. (Honestly, people knock on our door almost every twenty minutes looking for my roommate when she's not around, which is often. God what do I have to do, leave a sign on the door?)

DISCLAIMER: Nothing recognizable belongs to me. (No surprise there.)

-Chapter Sixteen-

- Clearing the Air -

"Waltzing Matilda, waltzing Matilda

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me

And he sang as he sat and waited by the billabong

You'll come a waltzing Matilda with me."

Remy groaned as his roommate's Aussie twang filled his ears. He cracked one eye open enough to glance at the clock. Another groan escaped his lips as he noticed the time.

St. John burst out of the bathroom door and kept humming off-key as he dug through his drawers. Remy gaped at him in disbelief. "Johnny, y' do know it's on'y seven A.M., right?"

Pyro flashed a grin in Remy's direction. "Yeah. Isn't it great? Trainin' got done early today."

"Trainin'?"

"Yeah, trainin' in th' Danger Room. Professor said ya don't have ta go 'til next week though." He cast a dark look at the Cajun. "Lucky."

Memories of the Professor explaining the Danger Room floated into Remy's murky mind. "Right, but dat still don' explain why y' up at dis ungodly hour o' de mornin'."

Piotr, who was making his bed, spoke up. "Ze training usually starts at five or six o'clock."

Remy froze in disbelief before burying his face into the pillow. The other two strained to hear his muffled comment. "Jus' kill me now."

St. John turned towards Piotr with a knowing look. "Didn' I tell ya? He's a certified nutcase."

"You would know, comrade, you would know." The Russian called over his shoulder as he left the room.

"Yeah." The fire-starter finished dressing and began to do his hair before a look of comprehension crossed his face. He ran out of the room, loudly proclaiming, "I'm not crazy, Petey!"

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Rogue sighed and pushed her eggs around the plate. Her brilliant plan to eat a late breakfast and avoid the curious stares was failing miserably. Apparently, everyone decided that the kitchen was the place to be late Saturday morning. She bit back a nasty retort as a group of the younger students' not so subtly pointed and whispered. Kurt and Kitty sat across from her, chattering away. Their tone was light and airy, but she didn't miss the concerned looks they shot her way. Jean and Scott wandered into the room, arguing intensely until they spotted Rogue.

Shaking her head in disgust, the auburn-haired girl dumped her plate in the sink and left the room, very aware of everyone's eyes following her every move.

She spent the next half-hour meandering through the mansion, searching for a place to be alone. It still amazed her how a place so huge could seem so small at times.

Finding the rec room surprising devoid of people, she made her way inside. Sinking into the couch, Rogue grabbed the remote, hoping some mindless television would help her forget her predicament.

"What are you saying? How can my fiancee be my half-sister and be pregnant with my best friend's baby!"

Click.

"What do you think Blue wants to do with a gymnastics suit and a mat?"

Click.

"Roberts shoot the puck, the goalie dives, and he misses! What a play; the Rangers score!"

Click.

"The lone wolf prowls the woods in search of his pack."

Click.

"A low is moving into the southern section of the state, so expect temperatures-"

Click.

Rogue tossed the remote aside. Debating what to do next, she tensed as a group of people passed by the door. Eventually their voices faded and she relaxed again.

"Y' hidin' t', den?" Queried an all-too-familiar Cajun drawl.

Rogue placed a hand over her rapidly beating heart as she spun around to see Remy tucked away in the corner, studying her over one of Piotr's many drawing pads. "Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry." He slowly stood up and made his way over to the couch. "'Bout lots o' t'ings, actually. Like yesterday."

"Don't. I was outta line, yellin' at ya like that."

"Doesn' justify me yellin' back at y'." He sighed. "'M sorry f'r dat whole t'ing at Caldacott, t'. I coulda told y' who I was. Hell, I shoulda told y' who I was."

"I wasn't exactly th' easiest person ta talk ta right then," said Rogue, a slight embarrassed lilt in her voice. They sat in silence for a few minutes, unsure where to go.

"So . . . I see ya still like drawin'." Said Rogue, lightly tapping the drawing pad.

"Yeah, one t'ing dat always stayed de same." He replied with a slight smile. "So how 'bout y'? Hear y' got a brother now."

"Half-brother; he's a year older than me. Mom gave him up f'r adoption when he was born." Rogue's lips twisted into a sneer. "Mother dearest arranged f'r both of us ta stay with th' Professor while she gallivants around with her boyfriend, Magneto. Th' guy Xavier always argues with." She clarified after seeing his confused expression.

"Guess neither o' us has much luck wit' parents." Remy mumbled to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"So . . . Ya wanna do somethin'?"

A sly grin spread over Remy's face. "How 'bout we play Candyland?"

Rogue smiled back. "Only if we take Queen Frostine outta th' deck."

"On'y if I can call y' Marie."

"Don't press ya luck."

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"Ow! Like, that's my foot, Kurt!"

"Well, you're hogging the view. Can't you just phase through me or something?"

"And chance getting stuck or something? Eww, no way!"

"Shut up both of you, they're talking again." There was a mad scramble for the gap in the door. "Dammit. We missed what they said."

"Maybe ya could try goin' in th' room." Said a gruff voice. The three teenagers stumbled over each other, trying to get away from the door. Identical guilty looks adorned all three faces. Logan crossed his arms over his chest. "Well? Someone wanna tell me what yer doin' or do I have ta threaten ya with extra trainin' first?"

Amara eyes widened. "Rogue and the new guy are in there. It was all Kitty's idea! I didn't want to spy on them." Kurt nodded in agreement.

"Kurt!" Cried Kitty in a scandalized tone. "It was his idea, too." She proclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger.

Logan shook is head in annoyance. "I don't really care. Get outta here now and ya won't have to run an extra twenty laps next time we train."

They were gone before the Canadian had finished his sentence. His eyes were drawn to the slightly open door as peals of laughter came from within.

Checking that the coast was clear, Logan took a peek into the room. The two Southerners sat in the corner, a colorful children's game set up between them. Remy looked the complete opposite of the sullen, depressed boy Logan had drunk with on the roof the night before. And Rogue . . . Logan could count on one hand the number of times he had seen her truly happy, but none of them compared to the look of pure joy and ease that adorned her face at the moment.

Shutting the door behind him, Logan leaned against the wall and put on his most intimidating face. He knew it would cause his fiancee to tease him about his 'soft side' for weeks to come, but he just didn't have the heart to let anyone disrupt the scene inside.

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The board game lay on the floor, long forgotten as the two childhood friends reminisced and shared stories of years missed.

" . . . so me an' Henri got in deep shit f'r goin' wit' out pere's permission. I t'ink de t'ing dat upset him de most was dat I let someone see m' eyes."

"What is up with ya eyes anyway? Back in Caldacott they were, well, normal. That's why convinced myself ya weren't . . .well, ya." Rogue's face scrunched up in disgust. "God, I'm startin' ta sound like Kitty."

Remy laughed lightly. "Y' not dat bad. An' m' dad bought dese special contacts he made me wear. Said it would make everyt'ing easier."

"Did they?"

"People didn' run off screamin' when dey saw m' eyes anymore."

"I never ran away."

"I know."

There was a heavy silence for several minutes. When Rogue broke it, Remy had to strain to hear her words, even in the quiet of the room. " Do ya . . . Do ya hate me?"

"Why would I hate y'?"

"I- Ya knew it was me an' ya tried ta tell me . . . I was so mean ta ya . . . an' all that happened th' night I left with Cody an' Lil-"

"It's in de past. Honestly, It had been ten years and I had grown almost t'ree feet taller! I understood. We both changed over de years . . ."

"Yeah, when we younger I jus' thought o' ya as my best friend, but when I saw ya in Caldacott, I had a slight crush on ya . . . Oh, God." Rogue buried her face in her hands. "Tell me I didn' jus' say that. I cannot believe I jus' said that!"

"Hey, don' worry 'bout it," Comforted Remy with a slight grin. "Y' not so bad lookin' y'self."

Rogue pushed his shoulder lightly. "Ass." The insult held a certain degree of affection and both of them knew she didn't mean it. As they sat and talked they had easily falling back into the easy banter of longtime friends, years apart making no difference.

Her demeanor sobering, Rogue gazed at Remy with a pained look on her face. "Why'd ya leave?"

Remy stared at his hand, tracing random patterns on his worn jeans. "Back den, or now?"

"Then, now, both . . . ya pick."

"I - dad was . . . gittin' rough an' mom decided it was time t' leave 'im." He gave a slight smile. "I wasn' exactly complainin'."

"I remember ya comin' ta my house with a bruise . . . did he- did he do it often?"

Remy shrugged. "On'y when mom wasn' around o' wasn' enough."

"I'm sorry. It's my fault." Remy's head whipped up in surprise.

"Sorry! Y' fault! Y' didn' know, we were six! Y' got not'in' t' be sorry 'bout."

"I shoulda helped, said somethin' . . . I knew somethin' was wrong . . ."

Remy grasped her gloved hand in his own and looked directly into her emerald eyes. "Y' did do somet'in'. Y' were m' friend when I needed one de most. Y' did help, Marie, y' did."

She grinned at the earnestness in his demonic-colored eyes. "Thanks. Ya did, too."

Okay everyone, say it with me: AWWWWW! That last part wrote itself, I really wasn't planning on getting sappy yet, but it was just so . . . perfect for the makeup chapter.

Reviews

Night'sKnight: Thank you!

Captain Annie: Well, it wasn't quite a heated discussion, but I'm sure it was a relief. Glad you're liking it!

enchantedlight: Thanks so much!

A.M.bookwrm247: Aww . . . That is so sweet! Your review made my day. Thank you thank you thank you!

Rogue238: Thanks, hope you like this chapter too.

Gambit's Belle Rogue: Thanks for pointing out the cigar thing. I thought I had gone back a changed it before I posted, but obviously I didn't. Thank you!

Spicy Sweet: Well, they talked stuff out, but don't worry, this story isn't over yet!

Nettlez: I updated as soon as I could. Hoped you liked this chapter.

addtothenoise: Nothing too dramatic this chapter, but I think it worked.

Chica De Los Ojos Cafe: Yeah, it was transitional, but I had hoped to have the next chapter up a few days after that, not a few weeks later.

Le Diable Blanc: Of course they want more! They just don't know it yet . . . . Anyway, hope you like this longer chapter. There was alot of apologies, but it wasn't too confrontational.

EE's Skysong: Drinking buddies . . . I can just picture it in my head. Hmm . . . that might make an interesting oneshot . . .

simba317: HI! I was wondering where you were. Glad you've been reading, you really liked the story so I didn'tthink you could just up and leave me! Definitely angsty, I love angst! And there is more to come. . . . I love writing Logan as the guy that everyone knows could get them in trouble, but he doesn't. I think he'd be cool like that.