Chapter 23
Day 1563
I can't believe this is the first time Ah've written in here in a week. Over a week, really. Time moves too fast, I guess. Or maybe I just spent too much time sleeping. That's definitely a possibility.
Considering everything, the last week of my life hasn't been utterly horrible as anyone would expect it to be. Me, Remy and Kurt are closer than ever now. Even though Remy was released from the Med lab a couple days ago, he'd still be down to visit me nonstop. And Kurt… I think he's scared that he'll lose me, too. He hasn't been going to school and probably won't go back for a couple more weeks. He spends a lot of time at church now… probably talking to Momma in his spiritual sort of way, which I just don't understand. He goes most of the time during my "routine naps". Sometimes I would sleep on my own and other times… it would be different.
The different times would be when the professor would come in and do a quick spring cleaning of my mind. He would pretty much clean up all the extra debris that was left over that night so as "not to cause me unneeded stress". I don't know what he does, but eventually I'll find out. And to think I sometimes wonder why I don't fully trust him.
They really think I'm oblivious, too. I know what's going on with me. I can feel it inside me… sort of coursing through my veins and throbbing through my head when I'm trying to sleep. After the professor is done doing his cleaning thing, he puts me to sleep so my mind can heal on its own. It just really aggravates me and now I'm happy that I'm officially not a patient anymore so I don't have to go through that anymore.
I can't wait to build my shields again. I took them for granted after I built them, and now that they're gone, I feel so vulnerable against people like the professor. And now add that he's been in my head twice everyday for the last four days. It's just… unnerving and I hate that feeling.
I better go. Remy should be done his first training session since… yeah, soon anyway and I haven't even showered yet. And I did promise Nathan that I would go to "the party" especially since he said that he made Scott buy the Hot Wheels plates. The things I agree to when little boys are about to cry.
Rogue
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"C'mon, yer not givin' up on me yet, are ya?" Logan partially teased as Remy took another breather. He and Logan had turned the danger room into a track and field gymnasium equipped with a work out station with weights and other exercise equipment. Remy had just finished a quarter-mile sprint and now he was bent over with his hands on his knees, panting.
"I've… done not'in but… lay in bed f'r a week wit critical… injuries, mon ami." He took a deep breath. "Don' give me dat bullshit," he smirked to lighten the mood of his statement.
"I was only kiddin' in the first place, Gumbo." However, Logan didn't smile in return. Remy noticed something different about the feral man. Well, he was still being Logan: quiet with the occasional barked order when Remy was to change exercises. There was definitely a difference though. No doubt it was his empathy on overdrive thanks to the blood pumping through his veins that picked up on Logan's oddness.
It was a wonderful feeling for Remy though. He felt so utterly alive again; his spatial awareness was running on its highest level and his empathy made him acknowledge everything that everyone was doing. Faintly people outside the danger room filtered into his senses (like up in the control room where Hank and Charles stood by). Mainly he felt himself and Logan. It was so revitalizing to be in tune with everything and everyone again – not overwhelming like he thought the experience would have been.
"Yer takin' too long," Logan grunted. Remy then realized that he had long ago caught his breath but was still hunched over.
"Do y' mind if we take a water break?" Logan snorted, but agreed to the break. Although the man had a healing factor, the 'Wolverine' still needed to replenish his body's lost water.
Remy plopped down on the backless bench along the track while Logan remained standing. He accepted the water Remy handed him and drank heartily. Remy then took the time to read, more like graze or skim over Logan's emotions. He felt traces of restlessness, anger, more or less what could be described as confusion, which in turn confused Remy. There was also exhaustion, but it wasn't physical.
"Are y' feelin' okay dese days, Logan?"
Logan stopped drinking his water. "I think if yer talkin' about how you an' Rogue have been in the med lab for the last week, I think I'm doin' pretty good."
"I didn' mean that." Logan only stared at him. It was a neutral stare – not like a deer caught in headlights, nor angry. "I remember de day dat I woke up an' Kurt was talkin' t' me."
"He's been actin' strange himself."
"But him I c'n understand why," Remy responded before continuing. "He told me about how y' found him outside wit' his maman in his arms." Remy took a breath to continue and he could sense Logan beginning to tighten up. "He said y' were cryin'…"
"I don't wanna talk about this, Gumbo. We need to finish workin' out."
"But-"
"No. We've wasted too much time just sittin' on our asses. Get up." With that, Logan turned away and started to walk over to the exercise equipment.
Remy stood up and followed him. "Why won' y' talk about it?" Logan didn't answer him. "Logan?"
He whipped around and glared at Remy with cold brown eyes. "Yer not my fuckin' shrink. Don't ask me questions that aren't any of yer business." His tone was low and even. The words were full of promise of physical harm, though Remy knew Logan wouldn't do anything. Nonetheless, Remy took a step back and nodded.
"Sorry."
Logan grunted another reply and pointed to the hand weights. "Start strengthening up yer arms."
"Logan… I don' t'ink I c'n do anymore t'day. We've been here f'r how long?"
"Only forty-five minutes."
Dammit… it feels like it's been two hours at least. "C'n I stop anyway?"
Logan's lips began curling into another snarl, but was halted by Xavier's voice booming over the danger room's loud speaker. "Remy, Rogue's been released from the med lab. As planned, we're going to throw a party for both of your healthy recoveries. Why don't you go wash up and be ready to see everyone?"
Remy turned to Logan, who nodded reluctantly. "Ya can go. I wanna see her too." Remy smiled and ran out of the room in record time. "Now he's movin'," Logan muttered, rolling his eyes.
Remy showered as quickly as he could without slipping on the wet tile. Rogue coming out of the med lab was a huge deal, especially to him. Sure, he'd seen her every day since his release – he'd even had breakfast with her that day (as he did everyday). This was monumental, however, because it was a step towards her healing. Physically, she was technically fine – though there was still the question of whether her powers had been affected because of what Victor had injected into her. Hank worked with her blood samples whenever he had spare time (and Hank being the devoted doctor that he was, made spare time for himself).
Unfortunately, the only conclusion he could come to was that her DNA was, in fact mutated. While it had taken no physical manifestation on her, there was no telling whether her powers were affected and if they were, there was no way to tell how they would be different exactly.
Remy sighed as he dried off and threw on his street clothes. He knew all of this and it worried him sick. Rogue had enough trouble and toil on her plate already. She had told him about the picnic memory in detail one day, so she had a little bit of time to deal with her mother's passing, but that was about it. She'd been stuck in bed for the last week and a half, recovering from her physical fatigue and partially from her mental breakdown, since there was no way she could fully recover from that one on her own.
He hated calling it a breakdown, because she was usually so strong. Although he didn't see her when she did 'explode' since he was blind at the moment, he had this horrible image of something that could've been easily ripped from a sci-fi movie: her white and auburn hair flailing, eyes glowing with powers that weren't hers… just all in all pure energy was cracking off of her. After imagining that sequence in his mind over and over again, he knew she had snapped.
Just thinking of that final sight of her again made his eyes glitter with tears. He blinked them back and rubbed his face roughly. "Wake up, Remy," he murmured aloud as he lifted his face to the mirror. His hair fell haphazardly and wet against his skin. Smirking, he thought to himself about the time he told Rogue he was going to grow his hair out...
"You're not serious, are ya? You're gonna look like a girl!" Rogue's gloved fingers flipped at the tips of Remy's shaggy hair. The fourteen-year-old giggled brightly as she imagined him with longer hair. He had long hair when they met, but it had been quickly cut off when Betsy discovered split ends about two weeks after they moved in. She took it upon herself to keep it trimmed properly. He attributed it to the fact that Warren wasn't always around to keep her company. It was cute at first, but it frankly he was tired of it. She finally left him alone when he turned seventeen.
"I don' see why I can'. It'll look cool."
"You're just silly."
He smirked. "Maybe I'm jus' jealous of y' long hair." He tugged at her wavy auburn locks, which at that time were up in a high ponytail. Normally her hair would have fallen at about the middle of her back.
"Yeah raht. Mah hair's a mess half the time Ah try ta do anythin' with it!" She twirled a white strand out of habit.
"Nah, y' hair is fun."
"Not raht now it isn't. The only reason Ah haven't cut it foh the summer is because Ah have emotional detachment issues," she joked in a matter of fact tone, though they both knew it was true. "Why would ya wanna start growin' it now? It's startin' ta get really hot."
He shrugged. "I'm sick of people tellin' me what t' do, especially wit' somet'in' as simple as m'hair. I mean, I'm gon' be 18 in less dan seven months. People should start knowin' dat."
"That's true. Somehow that had slipped mah mind," Rogue said softly.
Remy knew that she was lying, but didn't make any note of it verbally. "What do y' t'ink I should do wit' it den?"
"Hmm… Ah thought ya didn't want anyone tellin' ya what ta do with it?" she giggled.
"I be askin' for y' trusted opinion, chere. Dat's different an' y' know it," he snickered.
"If ya put it that way then… lemme see." She stood up from the ground of the basketball court and walked around to look at the back of his head. Her violet sundress flapped in the late spring breeze as her fingers began pushing his hair this way and that.
"Not so rough!" he mock-cried as she played with the coppery-brown strands.
"Sit still then!" She smacked him gently and he was still. "Ah don't know, sugah. There's not much ya can do with this mop ya call hair."
"An' y' hair is so much better?"
She stopped playing with his hair so she could bend down to look him in the face, remnants of a fake pout apparent on hers. "Ah thought ya said mah hair was fun." She made her lip tremble for more effect.
He turned away, crossing his arms over his chest. "Dat was b'fore y' insulted mine."
"You can't change yoah opinion just like that!"
"Watch me." Without her seeing, he fought an oncoming smirk off his face.
"That's not fair an' you know it!" She was nothing short of regressing to stomping her feet when Remy turned to face her with the biggest grin on his face.
"Y' know I'm only messin' around. Dere's gotta be somet'in' t' do wit' my hair dough."
She began fussing with the forelocks on his head. "Yeah… hmm… it would be so much easier if ya would just shave it all off…" Her eyes lit up. "Or ya could do somethin' else!" She grabbed his hand with her black lace gloved hand and hoisted him up. "C'mon!"
From that moment on, almost eight months before, Remy had the under layer of his hair shaved, thanks to Rogue. The look did suit him. He had to admit to himself though; when Rogue came after him with his electric razor, he was just a tad frightened. But she calmed him down with her soothing Southern accent and then just shaved off half of his hair. When she was done, he had a layer of hair long enough to tie in a ponytail, but the rest of it was gone.
"Now, see, that isn't feminine at all," Rogue grinned, dusting off her dress. Remy examined her handy work in the mirror in front of him.
"Not bad, p'tite." He turned to smile at her. "Not bad at all."
Satisfied with his appearance, he grinned at his reflection and left the shower room.
Rogue sideways glanced out her bedroom window, somehow remembering the same memory about Remy's hair. In the midst of throwing clothes everywhere, she'd found that violet sundress and the memory flashed in her mind. She smiled softly to herself, happy that it was indeed her memory, and no one else's.
She also noted that it had snowed a bit since the last time she'd had the chance to look out a window. She had just gotten out of the shower, leaving her waist length hair in a towel dried mess down her back.
"Ugh," she sighed, throwing another shirt across the room. "Ah need somethin' ta wear!" She looked around her room, noticing there was a piece of clothing on every piece of furniture and every possible flat surface. One her bed, a black blouse lay near a shimmering, silk red tank top. Rogue grinned. "Betsy always gives me the best clothes," she realized, remembering that the psychic had taken her shopping a few months before.
She walked across her room, tiptoeing through the path of tossed about clothes. She reached across the bed to retrieve the shirts, but when she picked them up, she knocked her golden angel bear off with a swish of the clothing. "Oops," she giggled to no one as she bent down to pick it up. She gave it a quick squeeze before replanting it on the bed. She began to stand up with the shirts but stopped mid motion. She looked to the bear with the golden wings quizzically. "Where's yoah partner in crime?"
Of course, the bear did not answer.
"Why isn't it here?" She dropped the shirts and fell to her knees to search under the bed. She pushed random boxes aside and saw a glimmer of pink. Grinning she snatched the stuffed bear by the wing and cradled it against her body. Without thinking or looking, she reached under her pillow and felt for her photograph. The edge of the small photo brushed against her wandering hand. Quickly, but delicately, she gathered it in her hand and pulled it out so she could see it.
Her mother. A princess, blonde and glowing. Funny how she found it hard to connect that face with the blue woman that died in her arms over a week before. Her index finger traced the face of the blonde princess before her, her eyes drifting down to her younger self from eleven years before. Her lip began to quiver as she realized – finally – what she had lost. "Momma…" she whispered before a sob took control of her body. Once the first one came, an onslaught of tears followed. She needed release. She wanted to scream. So she did.
Remy assumed Rogue would be in her room, since while in the med lab, she had constantly told him that she couldn't wait to clean herself up in her own shower with her shampoo and special body wash – what she considered special anyway. Remy didn't understand the 'special' meaning and figured it was a girl thing.
He was on his way to her room when he heard a piercing shriek. I know dat voice, he realized gravely. He quickly checked around the hall to see if anyone else had heard it, but no one was present at all – most likely all down at the party. Remy picked up his pace, close to sprinting to reach her room.
"Chere?" he called through the door. He heard her sobbing loudly, but other than that, there was no response directed to him. He opened the door and ran in, the sobs not tapering at all. "Rogue?"
He found her on the floor on the side of her bed facing the window. She was curled into a ball, her half-dried hair curling and knotting wildly as she lay writhing in a towel.
Acting reflexively, he yanked the top blanket off her bed and used it as a barrier between them as he lifted her off the floor. Gently, he pulled her into his lap. Throughout the motion, she didn't cease in crying at all, but dropped the photo and bear so she could clutch onto Remy's shirt.
"Oh mah gawd, Ah miss her so much," Remy heard between her broken sobs.
"I know, chere," he whispered into her hair, rocking her back and forth gently. "I know."
"Ah don't understand… Ah mean," she gulped down her sobs, her breaths still shaky and shallow.
"Shh… tell me later. Y' gon' hyperventilate if y' try t' talk."
She nodded and then welcomed the comfort of his shoulder. He continued rocking her slowly, his eyes drifting to the photograph. He hadn't seen it in over four years. Hell, he didn't even know Rogue still had it. He thought that she had found some way to dispose of it, although he was happy to see that she hadn't. He knew that she missed her mother before "the incident" – he could feel it everyday. It was like a melancholy drop in her puddle of happiness, forever lingering.
She sniffled loudly, trying to compose herself. "Ah'm sorry," she whispered.
"Don't worry 'bout it, chere. I knew dis would happen eventually," he responded, giving her a quick hug before resuming his rocking motion.
"Do ya know where Kurt is?" she asked, her voice soft and quiet.
"He had some t'ings t' take care of before de party."
"Ah don't know if Ah wanna go…" she sighed. "But Ah don't wanna make Nathan cry."
"He tried de pouty t'ing on y' too?"
She half-heartedly giggled. "Of course. He always does."
"It's dat damn Jean," he joked.
She laughed again briefly. "Yeah." Her face fell as her eyes once again found the photo.
"Hey," Remy said, turning her face to him by covering his index finger with the blanket and pressing it to her chin. She gasped softly at his touch, becoming slightly embarrassed by the involuntary reaction, even if the contact was through cloth. "I know dis is gon' be hard f'r y'. Both of y' parents are gone now an' y' know, it's jus' hard." He scowled. "I've never been good wit' dis inspirational talk."
Rogue nodded. "Thank you, though Ah know what you're sayin'… it jus' takes time."
He nodded in response as well. "Y' ready t' get dressed now?" he smirked.
Her cheeks turned bright red when she realized how close to naked she was underneath the blanket and towel. "Yeah… can ya grab me a pair of jeans?"
He smiled again as he hoisted her and himself up in one fluid movement and placed her on the bed. Then he picked up a pair of tattered and worn jeans off the foot of the bed. "How's dese?"
"Dey're fine," she smiled, mimicking his accent perfectly. "Can Ah have a li'l privacy?"
"I haven't decided yet," he smirked once again.
Another blush formed on her pale cheeks. Since he told me he loved me, does he think this is okay? Is it okay? Am Ah obligated ta do stuff like this?
"Chere, I was jus' kiddin'. Don't get worked up." He bent down and kissed her head through a thin lock of white hair. "I'll wait f'r y' outside."
She shivered under his subtle touch, feeling exposed both physically and mentally. Somehow she'd forgotten about his empathy. "Okay," she murmured, keeping her head down so he couldn't see her prominent blush, regardless of whether he could feel it.
When she did manage to look up, she came face to face with his everlasting smile. That simple expression completely disarmed her panic system… suddenly she felt so completely relaxed. She found herself hopelessly gazing at that perfect smile and longed to just get up and kiss him like she'd seen in so many movies and that she'd observed from everyone else like Jean and Scott, Bobby and Kitty, even Remy with Sarah (from their memories).
Luckily, Remy showed no notion that he knew that she was thinking that. "I'll see y' in a few." He stood up and briskly walked out of the room, the smile never faltering one bit. However, when he stepped outside her room and shut the door, he breathed out, trying to relax. He felt every emotion of Rogue's as if it were a ripple in a lake or an echo in a cave to a bat. He never realized that before he would flirt with her but that time he realized it. And, in a way, he almost felt sickened by it. Yes, he loved her. He couldn't imagine living without her ever and every part of her personality just made him smile. But now he was thinking should he be cautious with the way he acted. Perhaps he'd said the words too prematurely in the heat of the moment. Maybe he wasn't ready for that type of level for their friendship?
"Merde," he mumbled to himself. From what he had observed, Rogue had taken their exchanged confessions to heart, big time. Not that he blamed her, since it definitely meant something to him too, but were they both capable of such a thing? What if it wasn't real love and they were just expressing their need of each other's forever friendship? What if one was, and the other meant it romantically?
Merde, he muttered to himself, this time mentally. I had t' go an' make t'ings so much more complex… I don' wanna say I regret sayin' dat t' her, but what if it was jus' a reflex t' say dat?
He was about ready to pull his hair out at his incoherent mental ramblings, but Rogue's door opened behind him. "Ready ta go?" She asked softly as he turned around. She was wearing the jeans he had picked up, plus a simple long black sleeve t-shirt with matching gloves.
"Sure." He extended his arm out to her which she happily took. "I tol' y' your hair has more white," he teased, observing her hair up in a simple messy ponytail. She left a lot of strands hanging around her face, a majority of them white. With how the rest of it was pulled back, white prominently showed on the top of her head. He noted that she hadn't bothered with any makeup, except for a small touch of gloss on her lips.
"Shut up," she giggled, though mentally she knew it was true. Her much earlier assumptions had been correct about how her white locks of hair came to be and the recent incident had only brought on more trauma. "At this rate, Ah'll have more white hair than Jean when she turns 60. That is… if she doesn't dye it until she's 80."
"She colors her hair?" Remy asked, astonished.
Rogue tapped her temple proudly. "Next ta you, she's the person Ah've absorbed most because she would lend me her psychic powers for our sessions. There's not much that Ah don't know about her."
"Merde. How much else y' know? Me an' you could start a blackmailin' business," he grinned.
"Enough ta bring the institute down, sugah," she laughed. "ya say that as if Ah didn't have anythin' on you."
"But, chere," he pouted, placing his free hand on top of hers that was secured in his arm. "Y wouldn' do somet'in' t' hurt dis poor t'ief, would y'?"
"Ah dunno," she said, smiling and avoiding his puppy eyes. She finally met them when she could keep the smile off her face. "Of course Ah couldn't. Ah could never hurt ya… purposely, Ah mean, because…" she glanced to her hands. "Accidents do happen."
"I know." He stopped walking suddenly before the corner that led to the steps. "An' I wish I could say de same f'r y'… but I know I hurt y'…"
"Remy, don't," Rogue pleaded. "Don't bring it up." He looked at her quizzically. "Ah just can't deal… with 'us' raht now." She let go of his arm so she could face him. "Ah mean…"
"Y' got too much on y' head already?"
"Yeah… that's it," she swallowed the breath she was holding down her throat. As Remy had been confused about the confessions, Rogue's head was swimming with so much more. She just figured one step at a time was the best way to take things. And right now getting over her mother's death was priority. Also, if she was preoccupied herself with that for an undetermined amount of time, she wouldn't have to concern herself with the confusion with Remy and her feelings for him.
"Hey, Rogue?"
"Yeah, Remy?" She placed her arm in his once again.
"We're still… friends, right?"
She smiled. He never sounded that small and so completely unsure – ever. It was really, well, cute to her. "Of course we are." She hugged his arm against herself. "If Ah'm anythin' ta you, ever, it'll be yoah friend."
He smirked. "Bon, chere." That simple statement lifted the huge boulder of confusion off his chest. It gave him a new boost of confidence. "Let's go, den."
"Yeah. Let's," she grinned, allowing him to lead her around the corner and to the top of the stairs.
"They're coming!" They heard Nathan cry, his footsteps retreating from the base of the stairs, no doubt into the arms of Scott or Jean. Another bright smile graced Rogue's face as she and Remy started descending the steps, greeted by applause. It felt weird to see everyone again, even though she'd seen them all over the last week. It had been too long since she felt… a belonging to these people. She knew these people cared for Remy and her and their well beings, but there was something different about having them all collected in the living room and waiting on them to come down. And they didn't want to do anything except… be there for her and Remy. The support they were willing to give her just lifted her heart. Somehow it worried her with everyone caring so much… would they take the place of her mother and fill the void in her heart? Granted, they had been her family for the past four years when she thought she hated her mother, but she couldn't help but feel guilty.
Stop bein' selfish, said a voice. Ya know these people care 'botu ya so jus' go with it. Have fun.
Rogue smiled to herself. Ah really need ta chill out. Ah'm such a drama queen.
Remy felt a wave of relief wash over Rogue and turned to her before they took a step down. "Y' okay?"
"Ah'm great now."
The party was fully underway in a matter of minutes. Remy couldn't believe the amount of people there – it was like every mutant he's met in the last four years happened to be present. A few humans were there too – some associates or friends of Xavier's and friends of the other students at the institute that were either alumni or were attending other schools besides Xavier's.
"Jubilee!" Rogue squealed as she let go of Remy's arm. The two girls collided in a big hug.
Once they pulled apart, Jubilee took in Rogue's appearance. "You look great!" She flipped Rogue's long ponytail. "And you grew yer hair out too? Awesome!" She glanced back to the abandoned but smiling Remy and waved. He waved back, grinning wider.
Jubilee had decided to go to school on the west coast in Los Angeles where she was originally from before Xavier found her. After she moved over to the west, she'd occasionally visit every now and then, but she otherwise was never at the mansion anymore. She, too, had grown her hair out, but her jet-black hair only reached about three-fourths down her back. She was still the bubblegum popping mall rat everyone knew though, even though she had changed dramatically besides that. Her style was more exotic that went great with her Asian ethnicity.
Remy was about to step towards the two girls except he suddenly felt someone jump on his back. It could only be one person. "Hey, Sarah," he smiled. He realized that he'd been unconsciously avoiding her since the night of the incident. His smile hid his awkwardness to everyone else, but once she climbed off his back and looked him in the eyes, she knew better.
However, she smiled in return, running a hand through her spiky pink hair. "How've ya been?"
"Pretty good, great now dough. It's great t' see her movin'," he said, referring obviously to Rogue.
"That is great. I can't believe the turnout for the part."
"Me neither." They both stood silent for a second, the awkwardness now unavoidable.
"Listen, 'bout that night… remember what I said… about choosin' between the two of us…"
"Sarah, please."
"No… lemme get this out. I just figured that you wouldn't be comfortable with the way we were anymore, but I would still really like to be friends."
Remy stared at her, unblinking for a moment. She was asking him for exactly what he wanted. He wouldn't be able to handle a purely physical relationship anymore, and it would be nice to get to know that magenta hair punk better without the use of sex.
He reached for her hand, and once he had it securely, he pulled her into a hug. "Merci, Sarah."
"Don't mention it," she whispered in his ear. She planted a soft kiss on his check and pulled away. "I'll let you go. Later, Cajun." She walked away, not turning back at all and disappearing into the rec room. Remy watched her leave and once she was gone, he turned to Rogue who was still chatting amicably with Jubilee and also Kitty and Paige. Rogue saw him and smiled brightly. He grinned in return and walked over to join the conversation.
Time passed and soon dinner was ready. Rogue gratefully piled mashed potatoes and fried chicken onto her plate. She found a seat in the dining room next to Kurt and kept the one on the other side of her empty for Remy. Her brother had gotten home an hour or so before, and since he walked in the door, he wouldn't let Rogue out of his sight.
"Ah'm fine, Kurt," she had insisted for the fifth time since he'd gotten to the party. "Mah head is fine. Mah body is fine. Ah'm fine."
"I know… I'm sorry for asking." He took a bite of his carrots.
She was silent for a moment. "It's okay, Kurt. Ah know how you're feelin'. Ah jus' don't wanna be this li'l fragile girl," she responded finally in a small voice. "Ah was released from the Med lab because Ah'm better. Ah actually can't wait till Ah can start trainin' an' takin' classes again."
Kurt finished chewing his carrots. "Do you know if anything's wrong with your powers?" He had avoided this topic for the last five days, but since she had insisted all was well, he couldn't help but let his curiosity take over.
She was halfway through a forkful of mashed potatoes when he asked. She stopped for a miniscule second and then continued to chew slowly afterwards. Once she swallowed, she replied, "I don't know." It seemed like her plate had suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world since it was all she was staring at. "Ah'm gonna test them tomorrow," she whispered. "Xavier an' Hank don't want me ta do anythin' without their supervision, but this is somethin' Ah've gotta do on mah own." She said it all with her eyes never faltering from the plate. However, her voice held so much determination and stubbornness that Kurt knew he wouldn't be able to change her mind.
So instead, he responded, "I'll be your test."
She blinked and looked up to meet his eyes. That moment was one of those times she wished Kurt had pupils. It was scary how much emotion he held in those solid golden eyes but then she loved that most about him. She actually wanted to test Remy's powers first since he had a small degree of telepathic powers with his empathy, but there was no way she could say no to Kurt in that state.
Kurt smiled softly. "Great."
At that moment, Remy sat down with a full plate of every spicy thing there was that night. Since it was a party in his and Rogue's honor, gumbo had been in the buffet. Remy, being the nostalgic sort, helped himself to a small bowl along with his other food. He had convinced a couple other people to try it as well. Some people liked it, some didn't. Oh well, Remy had thought as he sat down.
He glanced briefly to Rogue and Kurt. "What's up?"
Rogue smiled. "You got gumbo."
"Oui."
"You told me about it before. Is it as good as the real thing?"
He held a spoonful out to her. "Try it," he insisted.
Hesitantly, she sipped the spoonful. Her face contorted and she quickly pulled away. "Umm… it's real good, Rem…" Behind her, Kurt was snickering.
"Hey, Elf," Remy filled the spoon again and held it out to Kurt. "Y' turn."
As the spoon came dangerously close to Kurt's face, the blue mutant smirked and laughed "no way" before disappearing in a cloud of pink smoke. Rogue giggled with glee as Kurt reappeared behind Remy, making silly faces.
Remy turned and poised the spoon for launch. "Remy, don't!" Rogue warned, hardly containing her giggles.
"Do you really think you can hit me?" Kurt taunted. All the other people present took no notice of the playful fight. This sort of thing happened all the time. Xavier actually encouraged it since it allowed the mutants to practice their powers in a more natural environment instead of refraining them to the Danger Room.
Remy grinned. "I can guess where y'll go next, mon ami," he bluffed flawlessly. Kurt knew of Remy's heightened spatial awareness, but could he actually pinpoint where Kurt would reappear?
What if he could? Kurt asked himself. Only one way to find out… "Try me, Cajun."
Dammit, Remy thought harshly but his face didn't change from his cocky smile. He further poised the spoon, holding it at a slight angle towards Kurt with his left hand while his right index finger readied to catapult the gumbo.
Kurt got ready to teleport at a moment's notice. Rogue sat watching them both, hands covering her mouth. Remy was turned towards Kurt, ready to fire. It was like a scene out of a crazy western… with less guns and more eating utensils.
The next few moments were in slow motion for Remy. He felt Kurt begin to teleport as the sulfur scent wafted through his nerves. He had to get this somewhat on target or Kurt would call his bluff and hold it against him for who knows how long. He closed his eyes, solely depending on his powers to help him out. In a split second, Kurt was gone. Remy could feel his presence coming back to him… right behind him! With lightning speed, Remy twisted in his seat and fired the gumbo without a second thought.
Unfortunately for Remy, he heard the snickering of Kurt higher than he had aimed. Slowly, Remy opened his eyes, only to be staring at a steaming Emma Frost. The gumbo splatter on her previously pristine white cashmere sweater matched the newfound redness on her face.
"You little mongrel…" she hissed through clenched teeth. Rogue was frozen next to Remy, caught between a gasp and a giggle. Emma glared with such intensity that Remy could see diamonds forming in her irises. Cold, dark, and full of threat diamonds. The whole room slowly stopped, the attention of everyone turning to either Remy or Emma. Kurt still hung from the chandelier, afraid to even let his tail droop in the cross fire.
"Do somethin'," Rogue whispered from behind her hands. Remy didn't break eye contact with Emma though. Rogue looked up to Kurt instead. Their eyes met instantaneously and Rogue began motioning her eyes wildly. She pointed to him, then to the ground between her and Remy and then to the door as best she could without moving her head.
Kurt's eyes went wide as if to say "no, it won't work."
Her eyebrows rose, pleading. What Ah'd give foh telepathy raht now.
He sighed, relenting. He blinked once towards Emma, telling Rogue that the telepath could easily freeze them with a single thought.
Rogue glared and blinked towards Emma. She has diamonds on the tips of her hair, she wanted to say.
Kurt quickly glimpsed towards Emma and saw her diamond shell extending through her hair slowly. Everyone knew Emma's telepathy was disabled when she was in diamond form. What confused Rogue, Kurt and Remy though, was why she was turning into diamond? She could easily pin Remy with his damaged mental shields… Emma could take any of them out with ease.
Remy felt the non-verbal discussion taking place, but then he couldn't take his eyes off Emma. She was genuinely upset about the sweater, but something told Remy it wasn't just for the expense of it.
"Emma?" Practically everyone's head turned towards the dining room entrance where Emma's husband, Shinobi, stood.
Emma said nothing, but the anger fell from her eyes. It finally made sense to Remy. The sweater had most likely been a gift from him – the sentimental value far exceeded the price tag. It was something he thought he would never feel from Emma with all his past experience with her.
Remy stood up – everyone's head turn again. "Emma… I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely.
The diamond crinkled out of her hair and Remy could feel her telepathy reaching over across the table. He believed she wanted to check for his sincerity.
"…It's okay…" she whispered, Shinobi now by her side.
"Let's go get you cleaned up," Shinobi said in a low voice as he helped her up. "It's not that big a deal," he soothed.
"But this was the first thing you ever bought me…" she whispered.
"It's okay, it's just a sweater," he insisted as he wrapped an arm around her and led her out of the room. The dining room remained silent before random discussions popped up again.
Kurt finally teleported down from the chandelier. "I think it's safe to say she's changed for the better," he said, sighing.
"That was really the first time Ah've seen her in a year. Ah can't believe how much she's changed."
"Maybe Shinobi's doin' somet'in' right," snickered Remy. Quickly, while the elf was off guard, Remy managed to grab his spoon and catapult gumbo onto Kurt's face. This time, there was no drawn out duels, no turned faces. Just Kurt with spattered gumbo on his face. There was that, and of course, Remy with a triumphant grin.
Giggling, Rogue wished everyday could be as carefree as that moment. She knew otherwise though. Her head began to throb, right at her temples. Gently, she rubbed one of them as she took a sip of water.
"Y' okay?" Remy asked as he handed Kurt a napkin.
"Yeah. Ah'll be fine. Just a bit of a headache." Remy and Kurt shared a quick glance before looking at Rogue again. "Ah'm fine!" She all but screamed. "Nothin' is wrong with me, dammit!"
"Now I know something's up. You never curse," Kurt pointed out.
"Well, y'all're drivin' me insane! There's nothin' wrong with me. Ya want me ta say that Ah know my blood's messed up an' that it's gonna affect mah powers? That mah head is just waitin' ta explode because Ah'm so fragile because Ah went insane a week ago! What do ya want me ta say?" Once again, the attention of everyone in the dining room had once again centered on the three of them.
"Chere… calm down. Y' know we didn' mean it like dat."
"We're just worried about you. Is that so wrong?"
"Not when Ah feel this strangled," she stated, more calmly, though they both knew she wasn't feeling any better. "If ya wanna help me, get me some aspirin or somethin'."
Remy nodded, standing up to go find Hank in order to find something suitable to give her. However, it seems that someone had notified him and Xavier of her sudden outburst, as they were on their way into the dining room.
"Rogue, let's go find you something for that headache," Hank said softly.
However, Rogue became defensive immediately. "You're not puttin' me back in the Med lab foh another week." Then she pointed at Xavier. "And you're not goin' back in mah head."
"Rogue, I didn't say I was going to do such a thing."
"Ah know that look!" She looked to Kurt. "Get me outta here."
"Rogue…"
"Do it!"
Torn, Kurt looked between her and the professor and Hank. To Rogue, he was apparently taking too much time. She ripped off her glove and smacked it against Kurt's face. She felt his power surge into her – somehow it was different this time. She felt so… alive again. Like she had control.
Once she felt that she'd taken enough, which was only a matter of seconds, she gave Remy a quick apologetic look and then glanced to the now unconscious Kurt sadly. She quickly got over her guilt for the moment and teleported away.
"Somet'in' tells me dat wasn' a good t'ing," Remy said, stating the obvious to the baffled Xavier and Hank.
TBC…