A/N: Again, I'm horribly sorry about the lateness of this chapter. Between now and the last update I had school finals and work to deal with but now that I'm out of school updates should be more frequent. I also feel like this story is just dragging so I'm trying to get it over with as fast as possible. Lol. That aside, I did put a lot of work into it trying to get the characterizations right and all that jazz so I hope you all enjoy.As usual most of the stuff is from thetranscript of the show. All the stuff leading up to the part where shetells him to veer to the right, is actually mine though. XD Enjoy!

Disclaimer: The characters and plotlines of X-Men Evolution unfortunately don't belong to moi. Also, this idea of chronicling certain events in a character's life doesn't belong to me either. Full credit goes to Deandra who writes awesome Lord of the Rings stories. I got this idea from her and I suggest you go read her stuff.

Chapter 4- Betrayal

Rogue was sure she had never been more uncomfortable in her life. The humid bayou air made everything sticky and her clothes clung suffocatingly to her body. The stench of the swamp overwhelmed her senses so she could hardly breathe without gagging. The fact that the silence on the small motorboat was so thick she could have cut it with a knife only added to it. Gambit had been eerily quiet since he had agreed to let her help him. Plus, he had a look in his red-black eyes that Rogue had seen before but couldn't quite place.

"Cat got yoah tongue, Cajun?"

His devil eyes immediately focused on her as she turned around fully to face him. "Nope, just t'inkin' cheríe," he said, maneuvering the boat out of the way of some roots. His lips smoothed into a smirk. "T'anks f'r y'r concern, though."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Don't get yoah hopes up, swamp boy. Ah was just wonderin' why yah're so quiet all of a sudden, that's all. What were yah thinkin' about?" she asked after a moment, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Y' really wanna know?"

She nodded after a moment's hesitancy.

Gambit cocked his head sideways, studying her. "Why, Gambit was t'inkin' about y', chere."

Rogue blinked, mystified at his blunt answer. "Meh?" she repeated. She looked out across the bayou shyly, tucking a stay piece of white hair behind her ear. "Why meh?"

"Bein' completely 'onest, Remy finds y'…intriguing, f'r lack of a better word," he said, locking eyes with her. For one second Rogue felt the same pull she had the day they had first met. And then the moment was broken as she turned back around facing forward, feeling her pale cheeks light up. Whether it was with embarrassment or anger, she really wasn't sure.

"Why?" she asked softly, staring off into the jungle of the marsh. "There's nothing special about meh." Ah'm just a freak among freaks, she thought cynically.

"Y're not a freak, Rogue," Gambit protested, making her cringe. Did Ah just say that out loud? "Y' just can't let y'r powers continue t' dictate y' life."

Anger coursed through her at his last statement. Here she had been thinking all along that he understood her and that he was different then everyone else who told her that her powers didn't make things hard, that she was the one making things hard. People just didn't understand. "Don't tell meh what Ah can and can't do, Gambit. Yah don't know what mah powers are lahke, what Ah have tah live with everyday. Yah may think yah know but yah have no idea," she said with a finality she hoped would quiet him. Unfortunately, it seemed it was she who had said the wrong thing this time.

"No idea? Y' t'ink I have no idea Rogue?" The serious tone of his voice making her turn to look back at him. "Y're lookin' at de guy dat was called Le Diable Blanc f'r de better part of his childhood. When m' powers manifested I couldn't touch anyt'ing wit'out it explodin'. T' dis day I still got the scars on m' hands. So don't tell m' I don't know."

Their bodies tense and their eyes locked, Rogue and Gambit gazed at each other for what seemed like forever, until finally Rogue's eyes dropped down. "Ah'm sorry," she said with a shuddering breath, too ashamed to look back up.

Across from her, the tension slowly left Gambit's body. "S'alright cheríe," he assured her, steering the boat along. "Y' didn't know and Gambit's de forgivin' type."

Rogue gave him a small smile which he reciprocated before she turned around. Silence reigned on the boat again but with less tension then before. Suddenly, a vision flashed across her mind. An underwater mine up ahead.

"Uh, veer tah the right," she directed, leaning forward and peering into the murky water.

Gambit complied. "Nice," he complimented.

A couple seconds later Rogue felt like breaking the silence again. she had wanted to know something for a while. "So, all this trouble and Ah thought yah didn't lahke yoah father," she commeted as casually as possible.

"I don't," he answered automatically. "Just cause someone adopts y', doesn't make'em a parent."

Rogue could relate to that. "Yeah," she agreed outloud, closing her eyes briefly.

"Mystique?" Gambit guessed. "Y' mean, it wasn't her 'motherly instincts' dat led her t' take y' in?" he joked humorlessly.

"Let's just say, it was may powers she wanted tah nuture," she replied quietly, shifting some tall reeds aside. Rogue was surprised with herself. She'd never felt comfortable discussing this with anyone else before. No one at the mansion could ever understand what with was like for her to be used by Mystique. Not even Kurt.

"Y' and Gambit could write a book about it," Gambit mused as she turned to look back at him. His eyes were dim and he spoke with a bitter tone. "Been down de same roads."

"Difference is yah're here tryin' tah save yoah father," she couldn't help but point out, staring out into the bayou jungle morosely. "That's more then Ah did."

How many months had it been since that night at the gazebo? More then half a year Rogue knew. And yet, the clear image of Mystique falling over the clif stayed so fresh in her mind, it was as if it had happened yesterday. That night she had become a killer, no matter what the Professor, Logan, or anyone else said. Mystique had used her countless times, something Rogue would always resent; but still, she hadn't deserved what Rogue had done. No one deserved that kind of punishment.

Gambit wisely chose to keep silent, to which Rogue was grateful for, and for the next couple of mintues the only words that were spoken were directions from rogue on avoiding the water mines. She looked ahead of them and was suddenly hit by another memory.

"We're almost there," she informed Gambit. "Head under those roots, it's the only safe way," she told him, pointing with one gloved finger. "They'll have lookouts too, so we've gotta be careful."

"Gambit's always prepared chere," her companion said behind her. "Dis boats only a decoy. We gotta get in de other boat in a sec."

Rogue nodded and continued to keep watch. Soon the familiar yet unfamiliar(if that makes any sense at all) mansion came into view. "Okay, now!" Gambit signaled, and he climbed into the inflatable boat quickly, turning to help her in. He hurriedly untied the two. While the motorboat kept going the inflatable boat stopped. Only seconds later a loud blast sounded and the motor boat was up in flames.

A bit shaken Rogue turned to Gambit who had an oar in hand. "Close call, oui?" He grinned at her before turning his attention to rowing.

Rogue settled herself down in the boat trying to slow her rapidly beating heart. As quick at he could, Gambit maneuvered the boat to the nearby dock where Rogue pulled herself up. She heard Gambit follow closely behind her and the two silently crept up the dock, towards the mansion.

Making their way up the dock without incident Rogue and Gambit took refuge behind a large oak tree. Looking over at the mansion from behind the tree, Rogue was calculating the easiest route in when she was bombarded by one more image from Julien's psyche. A security camera. With dread in the pit of her stomach she turned and found the camera attached to the very tree they were hiding behind. Her breath caught in her throat as the camera began to rotate in their direction.

She didn't hesitateas she turned to a surprised Gambit. "Get down!" she whispered urgently, lunging at him, effectively knocking them both over and sending them hurtling down the hill.

As they came to a stop on level ground below the mansion, Rogue lay still, her eyes closed, letting her body adjust to the shock of the moment. She felt Gambit stir at her side, felt him rise onto all fours, looking down at her. Opening her eyes, her attention was drawn to Gambit's hand, which rested next to her face, and before she could say or do anything, he shifted his hand, his uncovered fingers coming into contact with her cheek. She felt the familiar pull of her powers, saw the shock in his red eyes, and watched as his unconscious body fell to the ground next to her.

Suddenly, everything became clear to her as his psyche invaded her mind. The reason why she was here, his intentions the whole trip, were at the forefront of her mind. She had been used again, there was no denying it. After all the talking they had done, after the moments of understanding they had had, he had still used her. She stood and looked down at his motionless form and felt the deepest sense of betrayal. She had trusted him and he had proven to be just like everyone else.

Rogue heard him make a noise and realized that he was coming to. She stood over him, feeling anger like she had never felt swell up hin her. He opened his eyes and Rogue pounced. "How dare yah!" she snapped, grabbing his trench coat and straddling his body.

"What happened?" he asked, smiling confusedly up at her. As if yah don't know, Rogue thought angrily.

"Yoah thoughts are in mah head. Ah know everythin'!" she informed him, glaring at him heatedly. "Yah played meh!" she finally said, trying to keep her voice down but barely succeeding. Pushing him back down she got off him and started away.

"Rogue," he started feebly, but she didn't want to hear what he had to say. No doubt he'd probably just try to sweet talk her or use his charming power that she now knew about. He'd done it before.

"Ever since yah put meh on that train it's all been a part of some plan," she whispered harshly, crossing her arms and looking out over the bayou. Tears welled up in her eyes and she closed them trying desperately to hold them back. She would not let him see how upset she was.

Rogue heard him sit up. "Let m' explain," he pleaded wearily, still fighting the affects of her powers. She refused to listen though.

"Yah knew yah'd run into someone from the Rippers at that jazz club," she accused, turning to face him as he stood up. "Yah knew they'd come after yah. And yah knew Ah'd use mah powers tah help yah because yah wanted meh tah absorb information," she said, speaking softly but relentlessly, the look in her green eyes fierce.

Gambit seemed to deflate from his usual confident self. He spread his arms out in a helpless gesture. "'M sorry, Rogue," he said simply, and sincere as it was, Rogue's fury did not diminish.

"Yah used meh. Just lahke everyone else," she choked out, irritated at herself as her voice caught. Her hands were clenched into tight fists now and she gave him one last hurt look before turning her back to him and walking out into the fog.

"M' father's life was at stake!" Gambit called to her back, in a last desperate attempt to explain himself, but Rogue barely heard him as she stalked as far way from him as possible.

She reached the bayou bank and sank down onto the ground, wrapping her arms around her legs and staring out over the swamp but not really seeing it. In her mind, Gambit's memories played over and over again. His brother Henri's phone call. His plan to kidnap her. Him steering Rogue towards the jazz club knowing fully well who'd they meet there. Him doubling back to make sure Rogue followed him. She was then surprised to see Cyclops in the crowd. She felt his panic as he tried to make sure him and Rogue didn't see each other. Finally she felt his hesitance at her insisting to go with him, even though it was the one thing he really needed.

With Gambit's added memories, her mind felt more jumbled then ever. Part of her, the more rational part she supposed, knew that while Gambit's actions didn't speak favorable for him, his heart was more or less in the right place. He was doing exactly the opposite of what she herself had done. Instead of ignoring his brother's desperate plea to help their father, Gambit had, albeit reluctantly, come to his aid. And while Gambit had indeed used her to secure his success, Rogue could tell plain as day that the last thing he had wanted to do was hurt her. While this didn't make Rogue's anger dissipate, it did cause her to soften a bit.

A sudden memory, one not of Gambit's, swarmed in her mind. Various security cameras located around the Ripper's Headquarters. And while Rogue knew that Gambit's thieving skills cause him to have a sixth sense about those kinds of things, she also knew that his mindset at the moment was to get in as quickly as he could and get Jean-Luc out the same way. He surely wouldn't be focused on avoiding the cameras. The question was, could she forgive him enough to care?

Merde, Remy swore, watching Rogue stride off into the fog. He closed his eyes briefly, struggling to quell the regret he felt at having used this girl who had been used too many times already. What an asshole y' are LeBeau, he thought idly, sighing in frustration. He looked towards the mansion with an angry gaze. Besides blaming himself for this, Remy also blamed Jean-Luc. His father probably wouldn't even be surprised to see him; probably wouldn't even thank him. It would be just like him to expect to be rescued. An' jus' look at y'rself LeBeau, y're still planin' on savin' 'im, he thought bitterly as he started carefully towards the house. Because no matter how much Remy wanted to leave him here amongst the Assassins for all the grief he was causing, most notably right now with Rogue, a part of Remy still felt terribly indebted to him.

He opened a side door and studied the dark hallway he was suddenly in before proceeding cautiously. Keeping his bo staff at the ready, he crept down the hall towards where he could see light. The light turned out to be an empty kitchen. Spotting a couple of empty cans, Remy picked one up, realizing that his signature cards would be too much of a giveaway.

Exiting the kitchen, he came across a corner in the wall and peered around it. At the end of the hallway, two men were guarding a door. Remy's instincts told him that that was where Jean-Luc was being held. He charged the soda can in his hand and rolled it towards them. They looked down at it confusedly for a second before it exploded in their faces, knocking them both out. Remy shook his head. Marius sure knows how t' pick'em, he thought, making his way past them and to the door.

Grasping the handle, he turned it and pushed the door open, his eyes immediately settling on his father who sat tied to a chair in the farthest corner of the room. Surprise registered in Jean-Luc's features along with a cocky smirk.

"Remy. What're y' doin' here?" he croaked, looking entirely too smug in Remy's opinion.

Remy bent down to charge the binds on his hands. "I've been askin' m'self dat very question," he replied callously.

"Y' actually came back. I thought y'd walked away from dis life," Jean-Luc said, ignoring Remy's harsh tone.

"I did, 'M jus' here f'r you," Remy reiterated, starting to walk to the door. Someone was bound to have heard the explosion.

"Even after all I put y' through," Jean-Luc stated, sounding amused, fueling Remy's irritation.

"Don' get any ideas, Jean-Luc," he retorted, shutting his eyes. "Nothin's changed between us. Now let's go!" he snapped impatiently. Here he was trying to save Jean-Luc's life and he was stalling for some reason. Something was holding Jean-Luc back from leaving and Remy didn't think he would like it.

"Wait a minute!" his father commanded, making Remy sigh exasperatedly and turn back around.

"What?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Jean-Luc edged closer to him. "We in de heart of de Assassin's stronghold! Do y' know what an opportunity dis is?" he asked, grinning in anticipation.

"F'rget it, we outta time, pére," Remy told him, turning away again and motioning Jean-Luc to follow.

"Remy, listen t' m'!" Jean-Luc pleaded. "Let's raid dis place and do some real damage. We can ruin de family," he whispered clandestinely.

Remy put his hand on the door and looked down. Here was the part he knew had been coming. "Y' don' need m' f'r dat."

"No, I don'," Jean-Luc agreed. "But I do need y' powers," he told Remy bluntly, resting a hand on his shoulder in what might have been a comforting gesture were the circumstances different.

M' powers. Dat's all I am t' y', Remy thought sadly. "I was right. Nothin' has changed," he said. Well, Remy ain't helpin' y'. Not dis time. He pulled away roughly, heading out the door, not caring if his father followed or not. The sound of boots against the floor informed him that he was following but before they could get very far, the last two people Remy wanted to see appeared seemingly out of no where.

"Well, well, dis must be father-son day," Marius Bordereaux said, looking very smug. At his side, his son Julien held a large bazooka and looked ready and eager to blast Remy and his father to the moon. For the second time in less then 15 minutes, Remy swore. Merde.

Sooooooo...how was it? Lol. I swear we're nearing the end! Please don't kill me but I'm bumping this up to 6 chapters now instead of 5, which was instead of 4. Yeah I know, I'm very indecisive. If you want to seen the episode Cajun Spice, I suggest you go to and look up the member queenofpaper who has uploaded all of the Evo episodes including this one. Oh, and as always, review, review, review! See you next chapter! XD