Chapter 2: Training
It was almost a week before Rogue was feeling well enough to get out of bed. Rogue had spent her time sitting in bed and watching TV, Gambit had brought one in and set it up at the foot of the bed.
Rogue was shaken awake one night by a smirking Gambit. "Rise and shine, Cheri."
"Go away, swamp rat," she mutter into her pillow.
"Ahh, Cheri, it is time for Remy to help his Cheri control her power"
Rogue sat up quickly "Really?" asked excitedly. Rogue had begged to begin training but Gambit had refused, saying that she was not strong enough, despite her firm objections.
"Oui" he replied. "So, get up, Cheri."
When Rogue entered the living room she found Gambit waiting for her.
"Not that Ah don't appreciate what your doing for me and all, buy why do we have'ta do it in the middle of the night." she drawled
"You said you do not wish to return home, oui?"
"Oui" she mocked
"Well you're professor is searching for you, non? Using that fancy metal hat?" he explained "Remy thinks it less likely that the good professor is up at 2 in the morning, using that fancy helmet."
"Oh" she said surprise at the amount of though that he put into it.
"Well, Remy thinks we should begin." at Rogue's nod he continued " First things first, when Remy was learning he began by learning how the power felt. Close your eyes, Cheri"
Rogue closed her eyes slowly. He might seem sincere but she didn't completely trust him.
"Now clear your mind, Cheri. Think only of yourself, feel everything inside you, concentrate on how you feel." He paused for a minute to allow her time to become self-aware "Now take my hand, feel what the power is like. Memorize the feeling right before you take my power."
Rogue opened her mouth to protest but Gambit cut her off "The only way to truly stop something is to understand how it work. If you learn how your power works, it will be much easier to control, Cheri"
Sighing, and nodding that she understood she grab his hand. Immediately she let it go. Gambit staggered "Are you all right" she asked concerned.
"Remy is fine, Cheri." he said "What did you feel?"
Rogue though back to a minute earlier "Ah don't know. Ah felt something, something Ah haven't before."
"Lets try again. But this time concentrate on that feeling, think of nothing else. Push that feeling away, refuse to allow it in. Hold my hand until you start to drain me"
Rogue though of the feeling, she pushed it down, she grab his hand. She stared in shock as nothing happened, she held his hand for 3 seconds before his power started to drain into her. She let go.
Tears of joy rolled down her face. "What's wrong Cheri?" she asked
"Ah never thought Ah'd be able to touch anyone." she sobbed.
"You still have a lot of work to do, Cheri"
"Ah know" she said drying her eyes, "But now Ah can hope."
He chuckled, "Again, Cheri"
Before she knew it Rogue had been at Gambit's for 3 weeks, her training was going very well, she could now touch him for 3 minutes and 14 seconds before her power overwhelmed her.
Rogue was surprised at how easily she fell into a routine here. Remy, as he now thought of him, was much nicer than she could ever have given him credit for. He woke her up at noon every day and made her lunch.
Remy would spend the next few hours teaching Rogue all the random tricks he had learned as a thief. Rogue was soon able to pick pockets, throw daggers, fight blindfolded (something she had never quite perfected at the manor), move swiftly and silently through out the house, and many more useful things. They would break for dinner at 7:30, which Rogue helped prepare, and watch TV. Then starting at 12:31 am on the dot they would practice her powers, and then go to bed.
One Wednesday afternoon found Rogue and Remy finishing their a sparring match.
"Cheri?" Remy asked.
"Yes?" Rogue answered, she frowned Remy looked oddly nervous, as if what he was going to say would upset her.
"Remy knows that you don't want to return home, but maybe you should let your friends know you're alright. Remy is sure they are worried."
Rogue looked at her hands, she hadn't thought about that "Ah guess" she said quietly.
"Maybe you should call them, Cheri"
"Maybe" she agreed. She was reaching for the phone when a sudden thought occurred to her. "I can't call from here" at Remy's puzzled look she continued "They'll trace the call"
He nodded "Well then we'll just have to call from somewhere else, eh, Cheri? Grab a coat, Cheri, we're taking a road trip"
"We are?" she drawled
"Oui"
"To where"
"Somewhere far away so we can call you friends. Remy thinks four hours at top speed should be far enough"
"Rogue agrees" she said smirking.
"Come, Cheri"
Four hours later Rogue hopped off the back of Remy's bike and walked towards a pay phone, picking it up she dialed the familiar number to the mansion.
"Hello?" Kitty's voice answered over a great deal of noise in the background.
"Kitty?" Rogue asked
"Like, oh my, god, Rogue!" The noise stopped immediately "Rogue where are you? Are you, like, ok?"
Rogue was about to answer when she heard the professor's voice behind Kitty. "Kitty please but her on speaker phone." Rogue heard a beep and then "Rogue are you alright?" came the Professor's concerned voice.
"Ah'm fine Professor"
"Where are you?" asked Scott's desperate voice.
"Ah'm fine" she repeated.
"Rogue please tell us where you are, so we can come get you" said Professor X.
"That's not why Ah'm calling, Professor. Ah just wanted to let you know Ah am alright."
"Please, Rogue."
"Ah'm alright, Ah'm just trying to sort out what happened. Make sure it doesn't happen again."
"We can help you Rogue."
"Ah'm fine"
"You should have to do this alone, sis." Came Kurt's voice
"Ah-" she drew a deep breath "Ah'm not alone"
"You're what?" Jean practically screamed.
"Ah'm not alone" she repeated.
"Rogue, please tell us where you are." begged the Professor.
"If Ah tell you where Ah am you will want to come get me."
"So?" demanded Kitty
"So Ah don't want to be gotten." she paused. The X-men moved as one, closer to the phone straining to her what was said. A deep soft voice was saying "Come on, Rogue we need to go"
"Look guys Ah have to go. We're going to miss our train. Ah I just want to let you guys know Ah was all right. Ah promise. Ah'll be back soon. Bye" she hung up the phone. Sighing she turned to Remy. "Well that was fun."
He chuckled "I know, Cheri. Come on, we've go to get out of here, they'll be coming. Nice thinking with the train thing."
Rogue smirked "Yeah, yeah Ah know, but we've got to find a way to get rid of our sent, Logan could track us."
"Not to worry, Cheri. One of the first things a thief learns is how to get rid of his sent"
They all stared in shock as the phone line went dead. "What the hell is going on" yelled Logan. "Where is she"
They all turned to the Professor "Did you get a chance to look into her mind, Charles?" asked Storm.
"No" replied the Professor gravely, "I was about to when she hung up"
"Well she seemed OK. Right?" asked Bobby, somewhat hopefully.
"She did" agreed Kurt
"Yeah, and there's like no way that Rogue would sound so calm if she was being held against her will."
"If she was being held she would use her powers, and Charles has been checking nonstop for her." agreed Scott
"For now, we will assume that she is alright." said the professor, leaning against the arms of his wheelchair. "We'll just have to hope that when she is ready, Rogue will return to us."
It had been 6 weeks since Rogue had called her friends, she missed them terribly but she was happy where she was. She could now touch Remy for over two and half hours. 2 hours 33 minutes and 53 seconds to be exact. She could also touch someone by accident and not knock them out. Remy had had a great deal of fun jumping out at her at all times and grabbing her hand. After several dozen times of knocking Remy flat on his back, she had master the ability.
She knew her time with Remy was coming to an end, and that she would miss him fiercely when she left. Never had she imaged she would find such a perfect friend. They matched in every way. They joked and laughed easily, he knew just what to say to her to get her riled up and exactly what to say to calm her down. He was incredibly thoughtful and caring. He had listened to her story, her life before the X-Men, the betrayal of her mother, and the pain of losing control. And she had learned his. Growing up as a thief, a Prince of Thieves more accurately, learning about his powers, running away, all of it. He knew almost everything about her and she him. She had been extremely wary of the mutant at first, but when you got constant pieces of their mind shoved into your head everyday, it was hard to not trust him.
She woke up one Saturday morning, at six, very early for her. Remy was sitting next to her bed as always. He smiled when he saw she was awake.
"Don't you ever sleep, swamp rat?"
"But of course, Cheri"
She laughed, he said the same thing every time she asked. She sat up, and sighed deeply. "Remy I need to talk to you."
"Remy knows , Cheri. It is time for you to return to your family."
"Oui" she answered.
"Remy bought his Cheri presents"
"Remy, you didn't need to."
"I wanted to, Rogue." he said looking into her eyes.
"Thank you"
"Most welcome, Cheri" he said puling 3 huge bags onto the bed.
Rogue's jaw dropped, "How much stuff did you get me?"
"Just what you need, love"
Rogue opened the first bag, she gasped as he pulled out six sets of clothes.
"Remy thought you might need new clothes now that you don't have to be constantly covered."
"Oh, Remy, Thank you" she said breathlessly staring at the clothes in front of her. (AN I know absolutely nothing about fashion so use your own imagination, but keep in mind that they aren't girly, there dark colors, but stylish.)
"Keep going Cheri" he said nudging the next bag in front of her. Inside she found a set of throwing knives and Bo stick much like his. She had become quite proficient at both.
She stared again and Remy laughed. "Come now, almost done"
In the next bag she found two very expensive leather biking jackets.
"Remy-"
He cut her off "That goes with your other present. Come here " he said pulling her to the window, outside with a big red bow on it was the most gorgeous motorcycle Rogue had ever seen.
"Remy, its wonderful" she said throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him lightly on the cheek.
He grinned, "Come, Cheri, lets have some breakfast before you leave."
AN: Hey guys, I hope ya'll like it. Please review. Next Chapter up tonight or tomorrow