Yes, I'm alive, and so is this story. I have every intension of finishing it, even though I've neglected it for so damn long. There's a longer, more in depth note at the end of the chapter, so please, please enjoy and don't hate me too much.
Street Livin'
Chapter 26
After they reappeared, Logan called up a simulation program for a log cabin. Rogue glanced around curiously; she didn't even know anyone could call up a sim that wasn't used for training.
"What's wit' dis sim, homme?" asked Remy with the same curiosity.
"It's comfy," he shrugged as he took a seat in the chair next to the fire. "I prefer the real thing though."
Kurt peered around the room before he sat down on the couch across from Logan. "This looks familiar…" he mused.
Logan sighed. "You've been here before."
Rogue began scrutinizing it herself. On the wall, there was a picture of her and Kurt. "This was Momma's," she murmured as she ran her hand along the frame.
Logan nodded, not looking at any of the three younger students. Remy, feeling a bit misplaced in the family issue, took a seat closer to the door of the cabin.
"It's the one she had in the mountains near Auntie Irene," Rogue continued. She turned to Logan, tears pooling in her eyes once again. "How did ya know about this place?"
Logan took a huge swig of his beer, allowing the lager to slide down his throat before continuing. "We met when Kurt signed up for the school. I had been the tour guide – fun," he snorted.
"I remember that." Kurt interjected. "You didn't seem so happy doing it."
"That's what I got for skippin' out too much. Xavier an' I made a deal that I could leave the mansion as often as I pleased, but if he needed me for somethin' at the school, I'd be there."
Remy snickered and received a growl from Logan. "Sorry. Go on," Remy apologized with a smirk.
"Kurt was goin' ta be the youngest student at the school, so Raven was pretty concerned with his social life. I know you didn't have much of one in Caldecott an' that was the main reason you were goin' ta Xavier's."
Kurt nodded, his eyes far away as he recalled the day. "You told me to go play with Jamie. He was left out a lot because of his mutation and figured we'd get along," he reminisced, smiling. "We played video games – four-player though, sine he bumped out two dupes."
"Did ya win?" Rogue asked, trying to imagine the sight.
"I didn't stand a chance," Kurt smirked. They both turned to Logan after sharing another laugh.
"After you went off to play, your mother wanted to talk more 'bout the schoolin' you would receive since you'd been home schooled by her. I wasn't the best person to talk ta about it with, but she insisted talkin' to me."
"Sorry t' interrupt," Remy spoke up. "But were y' durin' alla dis?" he asked Rogue.
"Stayin' with Auntie Irene. Ah loved visitin' her, so the week befoh Kurt moved out, we vacationed there. Ah was upset about him goin' so Momma had me stay there foh another couple days while she took Kurt to the school. Ah didn't understand why he had ta leave, but then again, Ah was only five. Mah only other friend at the time was Cody from school – remember him?"
Kurt snorted. "That blond menace to society? I don't know how many times you came home with mud poured in your hair…"
Rogue grinned. "Momma said it was because he liked me." She spared a playful glance back to Remy. He smirked in return.
Logan waited for them to stop reminiscing before continuing. "She mentioned how yer had father died when you were younger and how it'd been hard raising the two of ya."
"She'd been raising us all our lives. Dad only sent checks since he was always off in Germany for the military. When he would come home, I barely knew him. Plus, he died when Rogue was really young," Kurt clarified.
"She was still sad without him," Logan explained. "Much more sad than she was willin' to admit to anyone; but I picked up on it. While I knew you were content playing, I offered to take her out for some coffee and –"
"It was her first date since Dad died," Rogue suddenly whispered. Raven had been listening to Logan speak, her wistful sighs filling Rogue up with memories. Her mind flashed through the memories as if they were her own. Raven had felt so giddy for being treated to something so simple as coffee. Logan wasn't the type to be an over the top flirter, but his compliments from that hour meant the world to her. It had been too long since someone of the opposite sex really appreciated her. "She saw a bit of Dad in ya."
His eyebrows rose. "Oh really?"
She giggled. "It's the hair. She remembers meetin' Dad before he had shaved his head foh the military.
The comment made Logan smile briefly. It was a smile people didn't see often, and it disappeared as soon as it flashed on his face. "After that hour, I wanted ta see her again. I knew she was leavin' the next day to go back to California."
"So you followed her back," Kurt guessed out of the blue.
Logan nodded. "I found out what part of California she was heading to an' I got on the same flight as her."
Rogue spoke up again softly. "You surprised her. At first she was frightened, but then when you guys started talkin' again, she calmed down." Raven was beginning to unintentionally fill Rogue's head with too many memories. A headache began to form. Momma, she whispered to the ghost inside her head. Ah know ya're excited, but ya have ta calm down. Let me think an' let Logan tell me in his own words.
I'm sorry, dear. It's been so long since I've been this close to him.
Ah know. Just relax though. Makin' me freak out will get ya nowhere. She felt Raven nod and then she slunk back into the unconscious of Rogue's mind. She could feel her mother still listening though. There was a gentle pressure on her shoulder that brought her back to the present.
"Rogue?" Remy had come up from behind her. "Y' okay?"
She realized she'd spaced out for several moments. She shook her head to clear it further and glanced up to Remy. "Ah'm fine."
"Y' sure?"
She nodded. "Yeah." Remy backed away and took his seat again; only half convinced that she was all right. Logan eyed her warily. She sighed, frustrated, insisting he'd continue. How she despised the looks she'd get from everyone when something like that would happen. He gave her another glance, but then decided to continue.
"Raven mentioned Beth – Rogue," he corrected himself with a look in her direction, "– staying with her long time friend. I just wanted ta spend some time with your mom though. Raven said she would call Irene an' let her know she wouldn't be home right away. When she told her, I could hear Irene laughin' on the other line."
"She probably foresaw the phone call," snickered Kurt.
"Yeah… that was a bit unnervin'," Logan admitted before taking another drink of his beer.
"Ya get used ta it," Rogue piped up, but then remembered that there would be no getting used to it anymore. She sighed and her face once again turned somber. Kurt nodded in her direction, signaling that he was thinking the exact same thing. Remy could tell the siblings both felt guilty since they'd barely given their dead aunt a second thought in comparison to their mother. He wanted to say that they shouldn't hold it against themselves, but it probably would've fallen on deaf ears. Now was a time of grieving for both of their fallen family members, so there was no point to tell them they couldn't.
Bringing them back on topic, Logan continued, "So… one thing led ta another an' here we are."
"In the cabin?" Logan nodded. Kurt glanced around more. "Who helped you design the program for it? I didn't know you were too keen on computers."
"I'm not. Xavier found out about the affair the moment I came back from California. He'd never seen me so… happy and at peace."
Rogue blinked, trying to piece everything together. "So if Momma was so happy with ya… why did Victor suddenly come in the picture? Ya obviously knew him befoh Ah came ta the institute - Ah remember you sayin' Ah smelled like him," she recalled with a cringe.
Logan rubbed his temple. How he hated this part of the story. "He was an old friend… buddy… rival of mine."
"Which was it?" Kurt asked accusingly, not liking where this was going.
"A bit of all of them. I met him probably twenty years ago in Canada. We hit it off as friends but we were always at each other's throat competin'."
"How did he meet Momma?" Rogue asked stoically; she didn't want to waste any more time with ridiculous bush beating.
Logan sighed. "Through me." As soon as he uttered those words, he was sure he'd be able to drop a pin in the room and it would echo loudly with how quiet it suddenly got in the cabin. He didn't look at either of the Darkholme children then, especially Rogue. He could feel her eyes boring into him. He could only imagine what she was thinking and didn't want to know.
Rogue stared at him with disbelief, her green eyes shining with tears. He… had introduced her mother to that monster? He had been telling her a fairy tale romance and ruined it by saying Victor was a friend of his? Her mouth opened a few times, trying to verbalize some sort of response. She had a slight feeling that this is where the conversation was going to lead, but that didn't numb the pain any less.
After a few moments of heavy silence from all three of the younger students, Rogue managed a "why?" Even the single word cracked with unshed tears and anger. Remy came up from behind her again, placing his hand on her shoulder once again. She stiffened at the touch and shied away. The motion hurt Remy as he felt Rogue close up into her internal shell. Remy could feel her tangible emotions being sucked out of the room and lock up inside her, despite her shields being superficial at best. He gasped at the sudden void of her feelings, but didn't let it show visibly.
"Rogue…" Kurt whispered.
She didn't respond.
"Are you sure you want to hear this?" Her brother asked, not completely sure himself.
She seemed to shrink in the oversized chair, her legs drawing up far into her body. She felt so small, so… betrayed. She didn't know Logan before she came to the institute, but an unbreakable relationship had grown between the two of them in her four years there. He had been one of the people to mold her into the young woman she was – he had been her protector, while she had been the outlet of his sensitivity. Considering all of this in her head, there was just something about utter betrayal that stuck out in her mind. How could he have not told her about this sooner? How did he stand by her day by day and not even hint at this secret? Why did he leave it until her world was already in a state of upheaval beyond repair? What? She thought harshly. Was he waitin' foh an' opportunity like this where he couldn't hide it anymore?
"I…" Logan started but then stopped. Silence spoke better than words. Both Kurt and Rogue knew that. "We can do this another time…" Logan suggested in an uncharacteristically timid manner.
"No." All eyes turned to Kurt. "I want to hear this." He made his decision. It was a matter of Rogue agreeing, though if she didn't want to hear it, he wouldn't have it either.
Remy hung out by the door. "Should I get goin'…? I don' really want t' intrude." He held on to the knob of the door so tight his knuckles had paled to white. Rogue was in her shell and it burned through Remy. He flashed back to the infirmary a week before, with Rogue in a coma. He couldn't feel her then as she laid fifteen feet away, and he couldn't feel her now as she sat ten feet away. He knew she didn't mean it, but with her emotions shut off from him – even the negative feelings – he felt empty. He had to get away from her, hoping the distance would soothe the pain in his heart.
Rogue didn't seem to hear him; her arms were locked around her legs with her fingers laced tightly. Her face dipped low so her forehead touched her knees. With her face hidden, she blinked repeatedly, trying to keep back the tears that prickled at her eyes. She clenched her jaw tight, knowing that nothing would prepare her for what she wasn't even sure she wanted to hear.
Ah can't do this, she thought, hoping her mother's presence would hear her.
Bethany… Raven's voice echoed gently through her mind. It is up to you whether you want to know what he's going to tell you. Either he tells you now or you let it plague your every thought.
Why didn't you ever tell me?
Did you give me the opportunity? Her voice was tinged with sorrow. I won't be the one to tell you now either.
Why not?
Because this just seems right, honey. Let Logan tell you his side and I'll fill in the holes. I promise.
Ah don't see why you can't be the one to tell me.
You can't hold it against me for not telling you before. Raven's voice became sterner.
Rogue felt guilty instantly. Ah know. Ah just… Ah don't want this to ruin my friendship with Logan. He's been there foh me since day one, Momma. Findin' this out… knowin' that he's the reason why we were both put through hell…
It was my fault too, Beth. I allowed it to continue as long as it did so please don't put all the blame on him. Just let him tell you.
You'll be here listenin', raht? She felt her mother nod deep within her mind. Okay.
She sighed and slowly looked up to Logan. "Tell me," she whispered evenly while looking at him, though her eyes didn't dare meet his. She lowered her eyes to a point on the floor and focused on the knot of wood in the floorboard. She would listen to what Logan had to say, but there was no way she would maintain eye contact with him.
"Rogue?"
She didn't shift her view. "Yes, Kurt?"
"Did you want Remy in here for this?" He noticed how uncomfortable Remy appeared, standing by the door. He knew if Remy grasped the doorknob any tighter, the Cajun would've charged it with his powers. Kurt was well aware of the tension in the room without any sort of telepathy and vaguely knew of Remy's empathetic powers and their connection with Rogue. He knew if Rogue didn't open up soon, Remy would spontaneously combust, mentally or kinetically.
Rogue blinked, suddenly remembering that Remy was still in the room. Her gaze shifted up from the floor to the door, where he stood with his hand frozen on the doorknob. "Remy, Ah…" She trailed off. Did she want him in here for this? She knew that she'd locked up behind her shields; she knew it was the reason why Remy looked so uneasy. She wasn't sure how she'd react to what she was about to hear and with Remy in the room, she was afraid of how he'd react to her emotions.
But on the other hand, going through this without him seemed unfathomable.
Rogue bit her lip for a moment and with a quick glance to Kurt and Logan, she got up and strode over to where Remy stood. She placed her hand over his and turned the knob, pushing it open. "Come with me foh a second," she murmured before stepping out of the cabin, gently pulling him out by his hand.
Remy shut the door behind him and saw that they were in a random forest. The air felt cool against his flushed cheeks as he heard a stream in the distance. He glanced around for a moment, trying to take in the realistic atmosphere of the simulation before Rogue grabbed his other hand and held it tightly. "Remy, would it be entirely selfish of me ta ask you ta stay in there with me," she asked before he got the chance to even look at her.
"Quoi?" His red eyes blinked curiously down at her. "Non. Non at all, chere."
"It's jus' that…" She took a deep breath. "Ah don't know what Ah'm about ta hear an' Ah don't know if Ah can keep mahself from lockin' up an'… Ah don't want ta hurt you jus' because Ah want ya there foh moral support."
"Rogue," he whispered, pulling his hands out of hers only to bring them up to cup her face through her white forelocks to protect himself. "I don' care 'bout dat. If y' want me in dere, den I'm dere. No questions asked. If y' end up lockin' up, y' lock up. It wouldn' be de first time I wouldn' feel you."
"Ah know what it does ta you though! Ah hate hurtin' ya like that, Rem."
"It doesn' matter t' me, chere. All I care 'bout is you. You should know dat by now."
She bit her bottom lip to keep it from quivering. "Remy, Ah-"
He lowered his hands and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her in close. "Shhh." He could slowly feel her emotions trickling out once more as she peeled the layers of her shields away. As each one hit him – sorrow, betrayal, guilt, love, anxiety – he began to feel more at ease as they caressed over him. With his empathy practically back to normal, he knew how to sift between her emotions and his own, making sure the two didn't collide. Rogue's emotions fluttered over him, warming him to the core. He finally felt at ease once again knowing that she had opened up to him.
They stood silently for a moment as Rogue allowed Remy to envelope her in his embrace. She bit back tears, blinking her eyes several times to fight the burning behind her eyes. Once she was sure she had that under control, she admitted in a voice barely above a whisper, "Ah'm scared."
"Don' be." He tilted his face down to rest on the top of her head.
"Ah mean… jus' when Ah thought he couldn't hurt me anymore, he's found another way. He's dead and he's jus' hauntin' me an' everyone else Ah know…" She buried her face into Remy's shirt, breathing in the cologne that she'd loved for so long. She hoped it would bring her comfort, but it only made her feel more nostalgic for her mother.
"Some t'ings jus' don' go away as soon as y'd like 'em to, p'tite. But de only way he'll hurt y' is if y' let him."
She pulled away from him slightly to look up into his eyes. "Ah don't think Ah ever taught mahself to not let him hurt me. An' once Ah was actually comfortable in mah own skin, he came back without warnin'! How do Ah know that this is the end of it, Remy? Ah know he's dead, but where is it written that Ah don't need to check every shadow an' analyze every creak Ah hear jus' so Ah don't hafta be afraid anymore?"
"I don' know, cherie. I can' answer dat for y' anymore den y' c'n answer it for y'self." Rogue's eyes fell from contact with his, disheartened. "But what I do know, Rogue," he started, his hands sliding up her arms to rest below her shoulders, "is dat y' are one of de strongest people I know. Y' always have been. I admire dat most in y' – how y' still find it in y' t' have hope for de future even dough de past haunts y' no matter how hard y' try. I t'ink it's de main thing I feed off of when it comes t' de empathy because I never had any f'r m'self until dere was you."
Rogue's lip quivered again but instead of biting it to calm it down, she allowed it to curve into the tiniest of smiles. "Really?" Her voice came out so small and innocent that Remy couldn't help but smirk himself.
"Really." He leaned down slightly to brush the softest of kisses on her forehead without a second thought. He felt her powers pull at his energy even with the light contact with a slight shock, but otherwise felt unaffected by their effects.
Rogue's eyes fluttered shut, her cheeks immediately flushing pink. The small touch surprised her and her mind peaked in interest at what she gained from it. She didn't feel any of his powers leak into her nor did any memories, but his feelings tickled at her own emotions as if she had his empathy for a few moments. His warmth washed over her and the sincerity of his words filled her to the brim with the necessary courage to face anything that Logan could tell her.
Slowly, she grinned and looked up to him. "Did ya know what that would do?"
"Not in de least. Felt like de right t'ing t' do dough," he smiled back. He noted that her eyes shone more brightly than normal, almost as if they had a slight glow to them. The glow lasted for only a moment until she blinked again and then it was gone. Remy could only assume it was her new abilities reacting to the touch.
"What are ya thinkin' about?" Her tone was playful. Despite everything swirling around in her head, the small kiss made a world of difference. It was such a small sign of affection but it still sent her heart soaring. And of course, she was giggling to herself in her head: He kissed me!
"Y' eyes were glowin' like mine f'r a moment dere," he said curiously.
"Red?" She blinked in wonder, bringing herself out of her giddy state of mind.
"Neh, green still. I wonder if dey'll turn red dough, like if y' took more of m' powers."
"We'll hafta see later on," she teased.
"Later on," he repeated, motioning to the door.
Her face fell somber. "Raht." She took a deep breath. "Ah think Ah'm ready foh this now."
"As ready as y' can be, chere."
She wrapped her arms around him once more and pulled him close for a quick hug. "Thank ya, Remy."
"Don' mention it. Dat's what 'm here f'r."
She stepped away from him and breathed in deeply once more. She reached for the doorknob with one hand and slid her other hand into Remy's. "Let's go," she said firmly. He nodded and let her lead him back into the cabin.
-----
"Victor an' I worked for the Canadian government before I started helpin' out at the Xavier Institute. Like I said before, we were always competitive. When Xavier contacted me, Creed was insanely jealous. You know that he was one of us an' he'd heard of the school before Charles found me."
"Why didn't he help out at the school too?" Kurt asked.
"Xavier asked him if he wanted to, but he declined."
"If he was so jealous, why didn't he come here?" Kurt inquired, trying to fill in all the little holes for himself. He had a feeling Rogue wouldn't speak up, so he felt it was up to him to get all the minor questions that could've been overlooked out of the way and in the open.
"…Somethin' about having to work with me again wasn't somethin' he wanted to do," Logan explained. "He knew this place was prestigious an' was a good job opportunity, but the fact that I was here first pissed him off big time. But instead of explainin' that to Xavier, he said the school thing wasn't his scene. He disappeared for a while after that."
"How long?" Rogue whispered. She gained surprised looks from both Kurt and Logan at the sound of her small voice coming from the other side of the room.
"Seven years," Logan responded after a moment. "I stayed up here with Xavier, teachin' an' stuff like that. I was able to come an' go as I pleased so I traveled here an' there. No word from Creed until right before Kurt came to the institute."
Rogue snorted. "That's convenient." She sat curled up in the oversized chair she had been in before. Remy sat leisurely on the arm of the same chair, his arm thrown around the back of the chair for balance as his one leg propped him up from the floor. He squeezed Rogue's shoulder with his other hand reassuringly at her muttered words. She turned to give him a meek smile before turning her attention back to Logan.
"He called me up about three weeks beforehand – outta nowhere. Said he'd been in Seattle for some time but didn't get too specific." Logan paused for a second to crack his knuckles loudly. "He said we should meet up for beers an' catch up since he was in the area.
"Now, I was never fond of the guy, but I didn't mind havin' a beer or two with him. There's just somethin' about reconnectin' with the past that made me not want to blow him off completely."
"Did y' two meet up?" Remy asked.
"Yeah, but not until the weekend after Kurt came an' I was back from California. We met up at the bar near here for a couple hours, shootin' the shit for a bit."
"Did ya tell him about Momma then?"
"I mentioned comin' home from California a couple days before but women were a sore subject between me an' him, so I wasn't specific."
"So how did he come to meet Mom?" Kurt asked. Rogue's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat with his question as her gloved hand snaked up to her shoulder where's Remy's hand still lay. He glanced down to her and saw her hand sneaking up to his. He stretched his hand and laced his fingers with hers, giving her hand a comforting clasp. Although he couldn't see her face, he could feel a small amount of relief come off her. 'M here, chere.
"It was about six months after you joined the institute. You were feeling more homesick than usual. "
"I remember that," Kurt spoke up eyes faraway. "It was the beginning of spring and I'd just been home in February for Mom's birthday. I remember talking to Beth about her finishing kindergarten."
Rogue vaguely heard him say her given name, but didn't correct him. She knew he was thinking back to the moment, just as she was…
-----
"Oh, Irene, don't be silly," Raven told her old friend over the phone. "I'll be fine. Kurt'll be down to play with Bethany so time with," she peered over her should to see if her daughter was in sight. She lowered her voice before continuing, "So time with Logan should be plausible, just like last time."
"I sense something different though. I saw visions of another."
"Like what?"
"I couldn't discern his or her face. It felt… feral though."
"Sure you weren't seeing Logan?" Raven laughed. She'd gossiped to Irene like a teenager about certain attributes of Logan's character, specifically in the bedroom and couldn't help but laugh about it again.
"I'm serious, Raven!" Irene laughed in return, not sounding grave at all as she knew exactly what Raven was referring to. She coughed to clear her throat and spoke again. Her voice sobered slightly as she continued. "Honestly though, please be careful when it comes to him. This is all spelling out disaster for me."
"Irene, you know I trust your visions, but something about Logan feels so… right."
"I know he does, but-"
"Momma!" A small voice cried from the other room.
"Oh dear, I should go. Beth sounds like she's gotten into something. I'll call you later." Raven said hurriedly. Irene paused before saying goodbye herself and the blue skinned woman hung up the phone on its cradle. She quickly exited her bedroom and called out to her daughter. "What's wrong, dear?" She asked, once she found the young girl in her bedroom, toys scattered everywhere.
The young girl sat on her floor, eyes downcast to the doll in her hands. At her mother's voice, she looked up with tears glimmering in her big green eyes. "Ah broke her!" She held up her doll, body in one hand and dismembered arm in the other.
A small smile came to Raven's face as she tucked a piece of bright red hair behind her ear. Crouching down beside her, she gently gathered the toy from Bethany. "We can fix this, darlin'. Don't worry."
Bethany looked up, her bottom lip pouted and quivering. "Are ya sure? She's mah favorite."
"I know she is. How about I fix her up an' you get ready for Kurt ta get here."
Bethany's green eyes immediately lit up at the mention of her brother. "Okay!" Her doll instantly forgotten, she stood up and ran around her room, gathering up any toys that needed to be put away, which meant all her dolls because she knew Kurt didn't like playing with them. However, when one doll would go away, another toy – a car, a board game, a bucket of little green army men – would come out. Bethany grinned to herself as she knew what Kurt loved to do when he came home to visit.
Raven stood up, glancing down to the doll in her blue hands. Beth had simply tried maneuvering the arm a little too hard it seemed; nothing that couldn't be repaired. She turned to take a few steps out of the room, though she didn't get too far before a small hand tugged at her long white skirt.
"Momma?"
Raven glanced down to her daughter, who had a board game hugged to her body. "Yes, Beth?"
"How much longer before Kurt gets here?"
Smiling, she bent down to her daughter's level once more. "Not much longer at all, love." She tapped Beth gently on the nose which produced a sharp giggle from the five-year-old. "Don't get too excited though; ya know you'll be exhausted by the time he arrives."
"But Ah miss seein' him everyday," she pouted.
"I know ya do. C'mon, wanna help me get dinner together? We'll be eatin' as soon as he gets here."
"Okay!" Beth's grin returned ten-fold as she dropped the board game and grabbed her mother's hand. Raven ignored the spilled game pieces with a smile and led Beth out of the room and downstairs.
-----
"Won't you come in for dinner?" Kurt asked as Logan drove their rented car to the front of the Darkholme residence.
"Nah, you go have fun with your family."
"What are you going to do while I'm here?"
He shrugged. "Roam around and take in the area. Maybe skip over the river for the night and hit New Orleans." The fibs slipped easily past the older man's lips. He liked the kid and hated lying to him, but it would probably just confuse the hell out of the ten-year-old to know his teacher was sneaking around with his mother.
Kurt reached behind his seat for his weekend bag. "Kay. I'll see you Sunday then?"
Logan nodded. "Be good, kid."
The boy smiled and pushed open his door. "Bye!" He lowered the hood he'd been wearing since they arrived in town and ran up to the front door. It opened before he reached it and Logan watched as a small girl with curly auburn hair all but leap onto him, squealing with delight. Kurt grinned and hugged her tight, dropping his bag.
Logan's eyes brightened as Raven came outside, smiling widely herself at the sight of her son.
Beth let go of Kurt long enough for Raven to hug him hello. Once his mother released him, Beth eagerly grabbed her brother's hand and began tugging him inside.
"Let him get settled, darlin'!" Raven called to Bethany laughing as the storm door swung closed behind them. She bent down to pick up Kurt's forgotten bag, overhearing Beth talk a mile a minute in the house. Once she stood up straight again, she finally acknowledged the idle car sitting down the driveway. With a sly smile, she tucked her hair behind her ears and made her way down to the car.
"Hey, stranger," Logan greeted softly when she ducked her head in the rolled down window.
"Hey yourself," she smirked. "I've missed you."
"Sorry I haven't been around lately."
"Don't mention it. I know Xavier has ya busy."
"Still." He ran one of his calloused hands through his already messy hair. "Can I see you tonight?"
"Yeah, I'd like that," she said smiling. Her teeth gleamed white against the dark blue of her skin.
"I still don't understand how you can walk around here like that and not be discriminated against," he said softly, reaching for the orange-red hair tucked behind her ear. He fingered it for a moment before cupping her face in his large hand.
"The people down here are strange… How they react to me is a lot different than how they'd react to Kurt." She leaned her head into the warmth of his hand. "I guess they figure that since I can change my appearance, I'm not a threat since I don't always look like a freak to them."
Logan nodded, remembering that she shifted when she's be out in public with him – not out of shame for being a mutant – but out of sheer habit. When they'd been out before, Raven confided that when she'd take the kids out separately, she'd shift accordingly. She'd stay natural while out with Kurt so he wouldn't feel singled out, but would shift into something more "normal" with Beth to allow her the façade of a regular life she couldn't give Kurt because of the appearance he'd inherited.
She had also woefully told Logan about how Kurt hated to go out but Raven wouldn't allow him to become a hermit. And while he never verbalized it or made it known to her or Bethany, Raven knew that Kurt was intensely envious of Beth's human appearance and his mother's ability to change hers at will. It was that intuition she'd felt that urged her to look into the Xavier Institute in the first place.
"I like you better like this anyway," he whispered.
She pulled away slightly and turned to press a light kiss on the palm of his hand. "I should go in."
"Where should we meet?"
"Same place as always." She glanced back to the house. "I'll ask the neighbor to keep an eye on them. Nine?"
He nodded. "I'll see ya then."
She smiled and retreated from the car. She spared him once more gaze when she reached the front door, before disappearing inside.
-----
Later that night, with Kurt and Bethany tucked into bed after a long exhausting but refreshing night of board games and movie viewing, Raven thanked her neighbor for coming over. "I should be back by ten-thirty," she told the older woman, glancing to her watch. It was going on quarter till nine then. Tucking a brown piece of hair behind her pale ear, she bid the woman goodbye and slipped outside.
Within moments, she was in her car and backing out of the driveway. Her mind raced with the thought of seeing Logan again, even if only for a little bit. She knew she couldn't risk staying out all night with him; if Kurt found out the reason why Logan actually requested to chaperone his visits home, he'd be beyond confused and hurt. Raven did love seeing her son, make no mistake, but these late night rendezvous with Logan made her feel alive again. She'd been so long without companionship, even when her husband had been alive. Even a few carefree nights every few months satisfied the craving of being with Logan – but every time it was getting harder and harder to say goodbye.
For a moment, her mind drifted back to what Irene had been saying on the phone hours earlier. She felt herself dwelling on it, twisting it and turning it over in her head. Irene's visions were vague at best, but Raven knew not to ignore them, no matter what it related to. With a sigh, she gave herself one more moment of concern over it and cleared her mind. She felt the thrill of knowing she'd be with Logan soon enough overtake her and the vision was out of her head.
After she drove out of the outskirts of her small country, she knew she'd be at their meeting place in a matter of minutes. They always met at a small bar that Raven knew well. It was dimly lit and intimate so they could seclude themselves in a corner and talk about nothing for hours.
She pulled up in front of the building with a small anxious smile on her face. As she parked, she saw the car that Logan had been driving earlier was already there. She quickened her pace as her excitement got the best of her and entered the bar. Her eyes immediately focused on the corner booth they always chose to sit in, but noted Logan wasn't waiting for her alone. His face appeared stern and annoyed and his short frame huddled over the table. She could see the top of someone's head just over the booth.
Curious, she shyly strolled back to the booth, hoping Logan would notice her before she got there. About halfway through the bar, it was almost as if as his ears perked at the sound of her heels clicking against the wooden floor. His head turned and a smile she knew he reserved for her graced his face. Feeling more relaxed, she slipped up to the booth with more confidence.
"Hey," she whispered below the hum of the bar into his ear, placing a delicate kiss right inside his sideburn.
"Hey, yerself." He slid over for her to sit with him. She graciously took the seat but found herself face to face with the person he'd been talking to. Realizing it was up to him to make introductions, Logan spoke up. "Right. Raven, this is an' old friend of mine, Victor Creed. Creed, Raven. He wasn't going to stay long but just happened to be in the area," he practically snorted.
"It's nice ta meet ya," Raven said warily, noting Logan's tone of voice. Deciding to break the ice, she extended her hand across the table, which Victor accepted and shook briefly. His eyes bore into hers with an intensity she couldn't place as unnerving or welcoming. She could instantly see similarities between the two men even though they might as well have been night and day. While Logan stood at barely five foot five, she could tell that Victor towered over her lover even while he was sitting down. Victor also had blond hair that fell loosely against his face, slightly covering those indescribable dark brown eyes. She couldn't help but glance at Logan as his arm wrapped around her in a possessive manner that she wasn't used to. His cool hazel eyes pierced daggers across the table to his supposed friend and Raven couldn't help but wonder why Logan had let him sit here this long if he obviously wasn't fond of the man.
"Creed was just on his way out," Logan said evenly, not taking his eyes off of Victor.
"He's right," the other man replied, a small untamed smirk tugging on his words. He looked to Raven again.
"It was nice meetin' ya," she said again, hoping to defuse some of the tension in the small booth.
"Oh, the pleasure's been all mine," he said in a way that sent chills down her spine. He turned to Logan. "I'll be seein' ya around, pal."
"Sure," Logan scoffed as Victor got up from the table and walked away.
Silence settled over them for a moment before Raven couldn't take it. She turned to him, eyes wide with curiosity. "What the hell was that about?" Her voice was devoid of any Southern accent that she might have picked up in her time down in Mississippi.
"Not a clue. I was here waitin' for ya an' he here comes, sittin' like he owns the place."
"I thought you said you two were friends. You didn't seem too fond of him."
"'Cause I'm not. He's one of those friends who doesn't seem to get the friggin' clue that ya don't like 'em but still shows up here an' there just to piss ya off."
"How do you know him?"
"I worked with him in Canada. After I started working with Xavier he disappeared an' we got back in touch about five months ago near the school."
"Then… what's he doing this south?"
"Couldn't tell you. Maybe some detail work for whatever job he's holdin' now," Logan shrugged.
"You can't tell me you don't find that odd at all… that he just happens to be down here the same weekend you are."
"Of course I do," Logan spat. "I can't imagine why he'd follow me down here."
"Did you bother to ask him?"
"We were only sittin' here a minute or two before you came in. He avoided answerin' it when I asked."
She wrapped her arms around herself. "That's just… weird."
"Hey…" he said softly, drawing her in closer. "Don't let it get to ya. The next time I see him, whenever that is, I'll make sure he knows not to bother me on another date," he smiled, trying to bring whatever lightheartedness he could back to the night.
She glanced sideways at him, her eyes flicking their natural yellow for a moment. Logan could sense that she was still feeling uneasy about the whole situation. She sighed and murmured, "Why don't you get us something to drink?" She slid out of the seat to let him out.
He nodded, watching as she switched her seat to the one Victor had just vacated. He slid out of the seat himself, sparing a glance back to her as he headed up to the bar.
-----
"After that night, I didn't see her the rest of the weekend. She'd make excuse after excuse – though it always came around to spending more time with you so I didn't push it. It still hurt though.
"I remember coming home that time. You were quieter than usual," Kurt recalled.
"Somethin' about me that night brought out a part I hadn't wanted her to see – ever. We'd talked all the time obviously, but I was always vague about my past. When Creed showed up – I couldn't help but let that side of me out.
"It scared her, she told me a little bit later. That somethin' had clicked in her head an' she couldn't talk ta me until she sorted it out. After that weekend, we didn't talk for almost a month."
"That's when you disappeared and no one knew where you went," Kurt said, "Except maybe for Xavier."
Logan nodded then sighed. "I went searching for Creed – for what he had been doin' all these years, why he'd suddenly come out of nowhere… anythin'. When I ran out of leads in Washington State three weeks later, I came back. I finally called her and found out that she'd started seein' him."
Kurt's jaw hung open. "How does that even work?"
The older man shook his head. "Couldn't tell ya, kid. After she told me I had to hang up."
Rogue sat silently, pondering everything Logan had just told the three of them. She felt detached from the room – her only anchor being Remy's hand on her shoulder. Momma? She projected to the back of her mind, hoping her mother was still listening.
I'm here.
Ah need ya ta fill in the gaps here. Ah got an inklin' of what ya experienced while he told us what happened, but Logan can't tell us 'bout how you an' Victor started seein' each other.
She sat silently for a moment, her hand fluttering up to her temple as her mother gently showed her the other side of the story. After a few quiet moments, she whispered with a slight grimace, "He'd been watchin' her."
Remy looked down to her from his perched position on the arm of the chair. "Watchin' her?"
"She figured it out after they started seein' each other. He was almost stalkin' her in a way."
Everyone sat in a sort of stunned silence for a moment, taking what Rogue had said to mind. After almost a whole minute of agonizing silence, Remy was the first to speak up, voicing no doubt what the other two males in the room were thinking. "What I don' get, an' no 'ffense t' y' maman, but how exactly did she come t' be wit' him if he was stalkin' her?"
"He didn't make it seem like that," Rogue answered, drawing on her mother's memories.
-----
Kurt had been back up at school for about a week when Raven saw Victor again. She'd been at the grocery store with Bethany, doing some light shopping. She had a basket in one hand and Beth's small hand in the other.
"Momma, can Ah get that?" Beth asked, pointing excitedly at the candy in the aisle.
"No, darlin'. Ya had some sweets earlier today."
Beth huffed and pouted. "But Ah didn't have that much."
"Sweetie, no. Ya have stuff at home."
The young girl huffed again, yanking her hand out of her mother's grasp. She crossed her arms over her small chest, her patented pout ever present on her face.
"Bethany Marie," Raven said in a warning tone. "No candy."
"Fine," she snorted, leaving her arms crossed. She followed her mother obediently as they left the candy filled aisle. Beth's feet shuffled sluggishly in her sandals, losing pace with her mother step by step. Once Raven turned onto the canned food aisle, Beth was ten steps behind. With a smirk, she watched her mother glance down, thinking that Beth was still beside her.
"Beth?" Raven looked down, not seeing her daughter. She instantly went into worry mode even though she knew exactly where to find her.
Clutching her basket tightly, she left the canned food aisle and saw Beth giggling and running back to the candy aisle.
That girl could never hear 'no,' Raven scowled as she quickened her pace.
"Bethany Marie Darkholme, you come back here!" she called, her tone promising quite a disciplining when they got home.
She turned into the aisle and saw that her daughter had been stopped in her tracks. Standing before her smiling gently was none other than Victor Creed. Beth looked startled and glanced back, seeing her mother in the entrance of the aisle. Her face instantly relaxed as she caught her mother's green eyes and she fled to the security of the space behind her legs.
Raven, however, was a little surprised at seeing her lover's friend still in the area. She hadn't spoken to Logan since the weekend before, thanks to how he'd reacted to seeing the man before her.
She blinked, eyes flashing yellow defensively for a moment, making sure Victor knew who – and what – he was dealing with.
Victor spoke up first. "Raven… right?" He held out his hand. "We met last week."
With an eyebrow quirked, she reached out and shook his hand in return. "Ah'm surprised ya recognized me," she responded after taking her hand back. It'd been dark in the bar that night and she was wearing her hair shorter then too.
"You don't forget a face like yours," he said, smiling disarmingly.
Before she could stop it, a slight blush reddened her cheeks. Beth peeked around Raven's body, noticing that her mother seemed to know the man standing in front of them. She stepped out from behind Raven, keeping her eyes warily on Victor.
"I didn't realize you had a daughter," Victor observed, glancing down to Beth.
"Ah wouldn't have expected Logan ta mention it ta you," she retorted. She reached down and placed her hand on Bethany's shoulder, hugging her daughter to her leg. "Ah didn't realize you were still in the area. Logan said you were pretty vague about why ya were down here ta begin with."
"I'm here on business. My… trip got extended," he explained, taking a step closer to the two of them.
"An' what is it that you do, Mister Creed," Raven asked cautiously, hugging Beth closer to her body. Something about Victor set off every defensive alarm in Raven's body, and yet she still found herself slightly attracted to him in a way she didn't understand. Maybe it was the similarity he had with Logan? Or maybe it was because Logan had managed to unnerve her so much the previous weekend about this man that she couldn't help but be intrigued by him. Especially when she added Irene's vision into the equation – Logan had been the feral face that Irene had seen. Raven had never seen his eyes flash as dangerously as they had that night and she wasn't sure how she could deal with it. Victor had the same appearance, but something about him was oddly different and it drove her crazy that she couldn't put her finger on it.
"Research," he stated simply. "I could explain more about it, but not here."
"And where would you prefer?"
"Someplace a little more comfortable, like dinner or somethin'."
"Are you askin' mah momma out?" Both of them looked down to Beth, who hadn't spoken the entire time. She seemed a little excited that her mother was being propositioned by this man. He had frightened her at first because he had suddenly just been in front of her when she was fleeing back to the candy aisle, but seeing as how her mother apparently knew him, her nerves had calmed down and instead she was filled with curiosity. She'd never seen her mother interact with another man save for her father, and her memories of that were fading with each day since he'd died when she was so young.
"Maybe I am." His gaze shifted back to Raven, a smirk splayed across his face.
She blinked at him again, astonished that he was in fact asking her out. He knew for a fact that she was seeing Logan. Then again, things were kind of left open ended after he'd left with Kurt because she didn't know where their relationship was headed. They weren't official a couple by any means because becoming official would have meant explaining to her children that she was dating her son's teacher which was not a position she wanted to put herself or Kurt into. However, a night with Victor may not have been that bad an idea; perhaps she could find out why exactly Logan reacted to him so strangely the week before.
Raven smiled and shifted the weight of her food basket in her arm. "We'll have ta see, Mister Creed."
"Please, call me Victor," he insisted. He fished into his jacket pocket for a business card. After retrieving it, he handed it to Bethany. Bending down to her, he whispered, "You tell your momma to call the number on there when she wants to talk to me." He smiled and glanced up to Raven again. "I'll talk to you later," he said, waving nonchalantly before turning his back to them and walking down the aisle.
Raven watched him with curious yellow eyes as he disappeared around the corner and turned her attention to her daughter when she felt a tug on her hand. "Es… Es… Momma, what's that say?" Bethany gave the card to Raven, pointing at the bold letters above Victor's name and number.
"Essex Technologies, darlin'." She gave it another glance before slipping it into her purse. "C'mon, we should finish up here so we can head home."
Bethany nodded, grabbing her mother's hand. "Are ya goin' ta see him? Ah think ya should. He seems nice for a boy."
Raven laughed. "Maybe, honey. We'll see."
-----
Rogue stopped the flow of memories as she 'remembered' the two of them exiting the candy aisle once more. "She called him that night an' they went out ta dinner," she said, rounding off the story. "Ah don't think we need ta go any further," she sighed. She had remembered being excited for her mother meeting Victor – she naively thought the instant that her mother met another man and fell in love that everything would be happy. She scoffed at what she now knew, hoping she could've been even twice as wise about everything then as she was now.
She felt her mother slink back to the deep part of her mind, hiding in her guilt and embarrassment, knowing she had been just as foolish. Rogue vaguely heard Raven apologize once more before she disappeared for the time being.
"Y' okay, chere?"
She blinked up to Remy. Tears glistened in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She blinked a few more times, hoping they would go away but a lone tear slid out anyway. "Yeah," she whispered, reaching up to rub it off her cheek. "Ah'm fine. Ah think Ah've had enough foh tonight though."
Kurt nodded. "Me too," he said solemnly. He stood up, glancing to Logan. He didn't know whether or not to thank the man, but just settled for a meek smile before crossing the room slowly to the door. "Are you guys coming?"
Remy stood up from the arm of the chair, stretching slightly. "Oui."
"Ah am, too," Rogue said, pulling herself out of the large armchair. "You stayin' here, Logan?"
He shook his head. "I'll be up in a minute. I need to find Hank."
She tilted her head to the side slightly, sliding her hand into Remy's outreached hand. "What is it?"
"Somethin' occurred to me that I need to ask him."
She opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but she'd had enough for the evening. Recalling her mother's memories had taxed on her mind greatly and she felt fatigued, even more so after she stood up. "Ah'll talk to ya in the mornin' then."
"Night, kid." He nodded to the two boys. Kurt exited the cabin first, Remy and Rogue on his heels.
-----
Kurt teleported Rogue, Remy and himself up to the main floor of the institute after leaving the "cabin." His tail hung low with everything they'd just heard. However, his main concern was for his sister. "Are you sure you're okay?"
She nodded, keeping a hand by her temple with her other arm leaning on Remy for balance. "Ah'm just tired. Bringin' up Momma's memories in mah head wore me out more than Ah thought they could."
"Let's get y' up t' bed den, eh chere?" Remy wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"C'mon, I'll give you guys a lift."
"Kurt?" All three turned their heads as Kitty came running in from the other room. "Hey, I thought I heard you guys up here. 'Ro said you guys rushed out of the den a couple hours ago – is everything alright?"
"Yeah, Kit," Kurt replied, keeping his head low.
The brunette blinked between Rogue and Kurt for a moment, half-hoping someone would fill her in on why they appeared so glum. After seeing that no one was going to open up right then and there, she decided not to press the matter. "I see… well, I'll just leave you guys alone." She put a hand on Kurt's shoulder. "If you need to talk, buddy, let me know." She smiled sympathetically before turning her back to them to exit the main foyer.
Kurt glanced to his sister and Remy for a moment before calling out to Kitty. "Hey, Kitty, wait." As she stopped in her track, he turned to Rogue again. "Will you guys be alright getting upstairs? I kinda need to run this whole thing by someone on the outside, if you know what I mean."
"Sure, mon ami. I got her," Remy responded.
Kurt smiled at him gratefully before reaching out to hug Rogue. "If you need me at all-"
"Ah know where ta find ya," she said as she hugged him back. "G'night, Elf."
As Kurt walked off to tell Kitty what he could, Remy began walking Rogue up the stairs. "Ah'm happy he has a friend like her here," she said idly as they ascended the grand staircase. "Ah remember Momma was so worried about him makin' friends."
"Kit was de first one t' reach out t' y', too," Remy recalled.
Rogue nodded, remembering the hotel gift shop wistfully. "That all seems like a lifetime ago," she breathed. "It's crazy how much has happened."
"Tell me about it," he chuckled in attempts of keeping the conversation upbeat.
"Honestly though, we have the best support system in the world. Ah never imagined how unconditionally carin' a group of people could be." They finally reached the top step and began the trek to Rogue's room.
"I know what y' mean. I was jus' happy f' a place t' live when we got here. We got a whole new family here."
Rogue nodded, sighing.
"What's wrong?"
"The whole idea of family. It's always stung ever since things with Victor got bad. When we got here, this new family was more than Ah could've dreamed of, but Ah still missed Momma. Findin' out about her an' Logan an' everythin'… just makes me feel so guilty for being so stubborn an' not talkin' ta her."
They reached her door and entered the room slowly. "It's in de past, chere. No point in beatin' y'self up over it, no matter how much y' want to."
"It feels better havin' her up here," she said, tapping her temple. "But it's still a lingerin' feelin'. An' Ah don't think it'll go away anytime soon." She pulled away from Remy to sit on her bed. She sighed and fell back on her pillows, savoring the feeling of her own bed once again. It'd felt like an age since she'd relaxed on it.
Remy smiled, enjoying the content look on her face. He could still sense her previous feeling of nostalgia and guilt, but he felt simple relief roll over him from her side of the room. "Feelin' better?"
She found her golden angel bear under her left arm and hugged it close. "A li'l bit. Mah head is still beat but Ah'm startin' ta relax again."
"Bon, chere." He crossed the room and sat near the foot of her bed. "It's gettin' late dough. Maybe we should get y' t' sleep."
She sat up, placing the bear beside her. "Ah'm not ready ta fall asleep yet," she said with a slight whine in her voice.
"Dis is de part where y' yawn an' rub y' eyes anyway," he joked.
"Ah'm serious, Remy! Ah don't want ta fall asleep."
He scrutinized her face for a moment and crooked an eyebrow. "Y' afraid, ain' y'."
She looked away. "If today doesn't end, Ah can't dream about it – or even worse bring up more memories of him."
"Y' haven' b'fore dough."
"Ah have dreams with mah mother every night now – every time Ah sleep naturally she's there. Who's ta say Ah won't mistakenly bring forward her memories of him while Ah'm dreamin' an' mah head just thinks it's like Ah did today; like Ah opened the Pandora's Box of mah mind or somethin'."
"Chere," he edged closer to her on the bed. "Y' can' t'ink so pessimistically all de time."
She sighed. "It's so much easier. There's a lot less disappointment if ya don't get your hopes up."
"Remember what I tol' you – about hope?"
She nodded slowly. "Ah'm tryin', Rem. After hearin' 'bout Vic an' all…"
"Y' know what, chere? Y' didn' hide y'self at all durin' dat whole t'ing, an' dat tells me somet'in' 'bout how y' were dealin' wit' it. Dat also tells me dat de hope is dere, y' just pushin' it away. So jus' keep tryin' f' me, Rogue. Promise me dat."
She looked up to him and behind a few tendril of white he saw her eyes gleaming with a glimmer of slight optimism "Ah can do that."
"Good. Now we jus' need t' work on dis sleep t'ing an' we'll be in good shape, non?" He smirked.
"What can we do that'll make me fall asleep?"
"Well, dere's de typical watch a movie, do each other's nail an' hair till we pass out…"
Rogue threw him an amused look. "Ah'm serious."
"So am I. It's fun when y' play wit' m' hair!" he laughed.
She smirked, batting her eyes playfully. "Any other bright ideas?"
"Hmm… we could have Henri come up here an' lecture y' on… nucleotides or somet'in' like dat. Dat would knock y' right out."
She almost laughed, but then her expression turned thoughtful at the mention of Hank. "What do ya think Logan had ta talk ta him about?"
Remy shrugged. "Couldn' tell y'. Dat does seem odd dat he had t' talk t' him t'night. Henri's usually in his lab workin' dis time of night, even if we did have de party."
"He's been workin' on mah mutation too, tryin' ta figure out what Victor did ta me."
"Do y' t'ink Logan t'ought of somethin' while y' were talkin'?" he suggested.
"Ah don't know…" She began racking her mind for the memory, quickly skimming over it for any clues. Her mind protested, wanting to shut down and just sleep. Rogue felt the oncoming of another headache just as she found it.
"Essex Technologies," she whispered, focusing on the card that Victor had given her. She swayed back and forth slightly.
"Rogue, y' okay?" Remy grasped her hand.
"Ah'm… fine," she replied after a moment. She shoved the memories away and sighed. "Now Ah'm really tired…" she murmured, rubbing her temple with her free hand.
"We'll figure dis out in de mornin' den." He let got of her hand and pushed himself off the bed.
"Where are ya goin'?"
"Gettin' y' sleepin' clothes. Y' didn' want t' stay in y' jeans, did y'?" He threw a smirk over his shoulder as he crossed the room.
"Oh." She tucked some strands of hair behind her ear shyly. "Are ya stayin' here tonight?"
"If y' want me to, I will. I can camp out on de floor," he said as he found her a large t-shirt and shorts to change into. "Here," he began as he handed them to her. "Why don' y' put dese on while I go t' my room real quick t' get changed m'self."
Rogue nodded, accepting the clothes from him. A headache pounded through her head, commanding her to fall asleep. She stood up, placing the clothes behind her. "You'll be raht back?" she asked Remy as he walked over to the door.
"Right back, chere." He felt her sleepiness plod around him. "Y' jus' tuck y'self right in t' bed after y' get changed, hein?" he suggested as he stepped outside.
"Kay…" he heard her say as he shut the door behind her. Quickly, he strode across the institute to the men's quarters. He could hear murmurs of people in their rooms and still downstairs. He didn't check the time while he was in Rogue's room, but he imagined it was past ten o'clock at least. They'd been down in the danger room for quite some time. Faintly he could hear Bobby downstairs, joking with Jubilee about who could out drink the other, so Remy could only guess that the older adults had either retreated to their rooms or to the den to relax.
Remy reached his room and quickly retrieved a pair of sweat pants and a white undershirt to wear to bed. He was about to exit his room when an idea struck him. He snatched a zip-up hoodie from his desk chair and then left his room.
He made it back to Rogue's room within a minute and silently slipped in. He turned to check on her and smiled. There she was, already curled up asleep on her bed. It looked like she'd just had enough energy to change out of her clothes before she crawled onto the bed and passed out.
Remy slipped over to her bed quietly, kicking her discarded clothes out of the way briskly and dropping his hoodie. He gently gathered the corner of her comforter and pulled it out from under Rogue. She murmured in protest.
"Hey, chere," he whispered as he dipped his face close to hers. "Y' should get under de covers."
"Mmhmm…" she nodded without opening her eyes. She tucked her legs up so Remy could pull the blankets out from under her completely before replacing them over her. He gently tucked her in, smirking all the while. "Sleep well, cherie. I'll be here when y' wake."
Rogue stirred slightly, nodding again. She tucked her hands underneath her pillow and pulled it close to her. She sunk into the comfort of it, a small smile curling her lips. Remy planted a soft kiss on the top of her head before pulling away. He took a few steps back away from the bed and bent down to pick up his hoodie. He slipped it over his arms quickly and with a final look to Rogue, he slunk out of the room with the same grace that he'd entered it.
After he shut the door to her room, he turned on his sock covered heel and headed to the elevator. With a smirk, he remembered his first instance of stumbling onto the elevator, his finger tracing the tiny blue button below the ground level button. He pressed the blue button and watched as the doors swished closed in front of him.
As the elevator traveled swiftly to the underground levels of the institute, Remy thought Rogue may want t' wait what Logan wanted t' find out from Henri, but I'm can't. He chanted 'Essex Technologies' over and over in his head, writing it into his memory so he could ask Hank and Logan about it the instant he saw them.
He had seen the look in Logan's eyes when Rogue said it while she recalled Raven's memory. It was a flash of recognition so slight that Remy probably wouldn't have caught without his empathy. He'd glanced up from Rogue to Logan and saw it in his cool hazel eyes. At the time, Remy wasn't sure if it had been the mention of Essex Technologies that made something in the older man remember it, or if it was something else. However, Remy knew it was too much to be a coincidence – Logan had been tracking Victor's whereabouts and ran out of leads all those years ago, plus Essex Technologies sounded like something that would deal with genetics and chemical drugs to Remy, so Hank had to know something about it, especially if he needed help in figuring out what had happened to Rogue's powers.
And that's what it all came down to – Remy wanted to find out what had happened to her more than anything. He hated being clueless about the incident and he knew she felt the same way. If he could do anything to solve it all for her, he would.
TBC…
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I honestly don't know where to begin with you guys. If you made it this far and you're a reader who still amazingly found this through your author alerts, I love you. And if you're a new reader who stumbled across the new chapter and read through all the previous chapters, thank you so much, I love you too.
I owe all of you so much for waiting so long for this story. I could go into every detail of the last two years and explain to you why I neglected it and abandoned you all, but you deserve more than my horrible excuses. Just know that I'm back now and this story is going to be finished. I can't promise when it'll be finished, but I assure you that it will be.
I've been sitting on this, agonizing about how you will react to seeing it on the update page. I wanted to make it long enough (11,349 words) just so I could make it up to those who have been waiting so unnecessarily long for this update. I originally just wanted it to be about 10,000 words, but then I just kept adding to it while editing, haha. But yeah, now I sit here with sweaty palms, anticipating what you all thought. So please, review, critique, flame, whatever.
Much love to you all. I wouldn't be a fraction of the writer I am without you guys reading what I have here.
Courtney.