Disclaimer: Marvel's, not mine.

Thanks to my reviewers! Roguechere, I will write when my stories end from now on…I can see how it might get confusing.

………………………………..

Remy clutched Rogue firmly to his body, making her blind to their attacker. She tried to shrug away.

"You broke your promise LeBeau."

Remy smiled and loosened his grip around Rogue, allowing her turn around.

Mystique stood several yards away, the gun aiming for the sky. Slowly she lowered it, pointing it in their direction.

"It was your own fault Mystique, takin' de word of a thief."

Rogue pushed away from Remy, and took several steps towards her mother.

She looked between them.

"I know why you came back here," Mystique said, taking one step closer, the gun never wavering.

"Dat so?"

Remy didn't even blink. Rogue felt invisible.

"Yes. You needed a place to hide."

Remy straightened his shoulders and crossed his arms, briefly glancing at Rogue.

"Mom," Rogue put one hand in the air, towards Mystique. "Can you just put that gun down?"

Mystique never even looked towards Rogue. "I'm not going to shoot you with it Rogue."

Remy smirked.

And then he blinked.

Mystique's gun began to glow pink with kinetic energy. Quickly she threw it in the air and watched it explode. She shot Remy a look, ready to pounce.

"Stop it!" Rogue yelled, stretching both arms out between them. "Nobodies killing anybody here."

Mystique and Remy paused, staying alert.

"You're gonna tell me what's going on."

Mystique placed her hands on her hips haughtily. "I'd love to hear what Remy has to say."

"Course you would," Remy breathed, pulling a cigarette from his pocket.

"We shouldn't stay out in the open like this," Mystique gestured around the field.

Rogue opened her mouth to ask why, but Remy's gloved hand put a finger to her lips.

"She's right chere. I'm a wanted man."

Rogue nodded and the three preceded towards the children's portion of the park. They all sat as far as they could from one another on a picnic bench.

"This isn't much better," Mystique said wryly.

Remy exhaled from his cigarette. "Well, we could all hop on my motorcycle."

"Okay, no more bickerin'," Rogue rested her elbows on the table. "What's going on here?"

"First I need to know who you gave that disc to," Mystique said, leaning forward.

Remy just smiled and smoked his cigarette, a glint of amusement in his eye.

"Dat was nearly five years ago Mystique. What does it matter?"

"I thought you knew who he gave the disc to?" Rogue interrupted.

"No. I just know where it ended up."

"It ended up in the government's hand two months ago. And I had nothin' t'do wit' it." Remy flicked the cigarette to the ground and put his sunglasses on.

"What was on the disc?" Rogue asked.

Remy looked away, but with his eyes now covered, his emotions were completely hidden.

"A list of every known living mutant, as of about six years ago."

"Where did a list like that come from?"

"From Charles Xavier," Mystique spoke slowly.

"Xavier?" Rogue whispered.

Her thoughts reverted to a time of cherry blossoms, warm water and white walls.

A past that as lovely as it sounded, she wished only to erase.

………………………

"Rogue?"

Rogue turned her head slowly towards the professor.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Yes. Are you listening to me?"

Xavier smiled in understanding.

"I think you have progressed very quickly."

Rogue pulled on the cord that controlled the blinds.

"Do you like flowers Professah?"

She couldn't see his expression now, because her full attention was out the window. It was sunny and light, and seemingly free.

"Yes, I do Rogue."

"Well, I don't. I hate them."

Rogue swung her legs around, and off the window-side seat.

She had bright green eyes. So bright, they gave away all of her intentions.

There wasn't really a way the professor could respond to her statement. And as she left the session and wandered outside, she began to smile.

It was her first real smile in two years.

Her heart had started to beat slowly again.

………………………………….

"So, if you didn't give it to the government, who did you give it to?"

Remy laughed and nodded his head back and forth.

"If I tell you, you might know who's chasin' me."

"So?" Mystique asked, her annoyance clear.

"You aren't here because you love me, are you Remy?"

Rogue's question cut through the air like a knife. You could hear children playing just two feet away, and it countered everything.

"I could be dead any day now Rogue. I wanted you to know de truth. Dat I've always loved you."

"What, you want her to experience your death twice?" Mystique's voice was bitter, and her long nails had begun to tap against the wood.

"Dis would be a lot easier if you weren't here," Remy spat.

"Funny, I was thinking the exact same thing," Mystique retorted.

"Just tell me who's after you Remy. What did you do?"

Remy looked to Rogue, then to Mystique.

"I gave de disc to a man named Nathanial Essex."

Mystique froze, her nails stopped a centimeter from the table top.

"You gave it to Sinister?"

"Don't tell me a woman like you has never sold her soul before?"

"Never." Mystique said through clenched teeth. "Especially not to the devil."

Remy smiled and took off his glasses, revealing his red eyes once again.

"To some Mystique, I am de devil."

"So the massacre was your fault?"

"Massacre?" Rogue questioned, eyeing Remy, whose long bangs were blowing slightly around his eyes.

"I tried t'stop it," Remy said wistfully. "Sinister had been building a small army of mutants he considered powerful. I never met them, but he wanted me to lead them. I refused."

"And now you're being hunted?"

"I guess you could say that."

"Well, I don't need to hear the rest of the story," Mystique said, standing up. "You'd have to be an idiot to deal with Sinister."

"Where are you going mom?"

"Back to an old life." Mystique turned towards Remy. "Try to stay away from my daughter after this Remy. You've said what you had to say."

Mystique looked between her daughter and the man she would love nothing more than to kill.

But she was a firm believer in making your own choices.

Once she had left, Rogue turned back to Remy.

"So what's the rest?"

"De rest o'what chere?" That dangerous, cold tone Rogue had become familiar with towards the end of their relationship surfaced again, as he looked down at his pack of cigarettes.

Rogue slid off the bench and began walking through the grass.

She felt his hand around her arm just five feet from the bench.

"Wait chere."

His voice was warm against her ear. But she tugged her arm away from his touch anyway.

"For what Remy?"

She looked at his eyes, his hands, surprisingly shaking as he played still with the cigarette carton.

"I don't deserve anything from you Rogue. But the rest o'my story doesn't matter. Please, I can't have you walk away just yet."

"I should leave Remy." She heard the logical words leave her lips, but her feet didn't move. His hand was in her hair again.

He didn't kiss her, he just took her hand and led her back to his motorcycle.

……………………………….

Rogue woke up naked beneath her white sheets. She stretched slightly and rolled to her right. It was empty, but she could hear Remy in the bathroom.

She smiled, and knew she was getting herself in trouble.

But, after all these years, they still fit perfect. His touch still thrilled her.

She rolled back over to hug her pillow, and opened her mouth to scream.

A large hand covered her mouth, and silenced her scream. His beady black eyes gleamed at her, smiling at her bare skin.

"Hey there sweetie. Why don't you stay quiet until Remy leaves the bathroom?"

Rogue narrowed her eyes, and mentally switched her powers back on.

She watched his eyes get large as the life was sucked from his very soul.

Once he had landed on her floor, she jumped from her bed and grabbed her clothes.

"Remy!"

She could hear his voice mumbling to hold on as she quickly dressed herself and ran towards her bathroom.

"Going somewhere dear?"

Rogue cringed and began to swoon, as a vibrating pulse began to set her body on fire with dizziness. She turned enough to see the blond haired woman laughing.

Rogue fell to her knees as Remy emerged from the bathroom, a lit up soap bottle in his hands. He was shirtless, only wearing a pair of black sweatpants, and he hurled the bottle at the woman, as he too covered his head with his hands and fell to his knees.

The woman dodged the bottle, but the kinetic explosion sent her flying forward.

Remy grabbed Rogue by the arm and they ran into the hallway. Betsy and Jean were just outside, perplexed looks on their faces.

"We all need to leave." Remy looked towards Rogue. "Take her with you wherever you go." He pushed her towards Betsy and Jean as the four began to run for the front door.

"What!" Rogue screamed. "I'm coming with you sugah."

"It's too dangerous Rogue," Remy shouted sternly.

"I don't care!"

Betsy and Jean jumped into a blue sedan parked on the sidewalk. Remy tried ushering Rogue into the back seat.

The knife shot into her left shoulder blade with full force. Rogue screamed and slumped against the car. Remy held her side and looked behind them.

Another man, with longer hair stood smiling from the front door.

"Here, take my keys," Betsy shoved her car keys into Remy's palm. "It's the black car in front of Jean's. Meet us at 4401 SW Washington."

Remy nodded and lifted Rogue into his arms, running for the car. A harpoon went shooting behind him. He set Rogue in the front seat, and jumped over the hood of the car.

The girls sped past them, and he followed right behind. He eyed his rearview mirror, but there wasn't a soul in sight.

"Rogue?"

There was blood all over the car seat, but she sat calm, hand around the knife and the wound.

"I'm still here Remy."

His hand reached for her empty one, and she squeezed it back.

"This is the life I never wanted you to see chere."

Rogue could barely nod in response.

"I know Remy."

Her head went back against the seat, her eyes rolling back, her muscles going limp. She could feel Remy tugging at her arm, as she fell slowly into darkness.