His head snapped to the side as another strong blow was delivered. He had to hand it to the little snot, he had some power behind those punches. In the long run, that wouldn't help him, though. What he lacked was conviction, purpose and scepticism. He followed too blindly, so the end that Death had planned for him would be all too fitting.

Another punch, this one bringing the taste of blood to his tongue and a smirk to his black lips. The boy was getting cocky; he thought he had this battle won. It was time to deal the winning hand.

Death was on his knees on the ground, his white hair covering his face when Pulse grabbed the lapels of his coat, pulling him to his feet.

"Not so tough when you don't have your powers to hide behind, are you?" he taunted, a confidence he had never known before sounding clearly in his voice. A confidence that was shattered when Death raised his head to reveal red eyes, burning with fire, and a maniacal grin that sent chills down the other man's spine. Suddenly, his wrists were seized in a painfully strong grip and his hold on the coat released.

"You think I need my powers to defeat you?" Death asked, punching Pulse hard in the jaw. The blonde man reeled sideways, falling to the ground. Before he could regain his footing he cried out in pain as a sharp kick was delivered to his side, the heavy boot cracking one of his ribs. "Was I supposed to lie down like a dog and take it because I did not have my powers to rely on?"

A boot to the face, shattering his nose. Death could already feel his powers returning, powers enhanced by Apocalypse to their full potential.

"My master gave me more power than a lowly weakling like you could ever imagine. I do not just cause death; I am Death."

A kick to the stomach so powerful that Pulse felt that he may never regain his breath. It was obvious now that he had been played. This... this... thing was stronger than he ever could have imagined. Suddenly, he felt the weight of Death pressing down on him as the monster straddled his waist, pinning him to the ground.

"Do you want to know how it feels to be powerless?" Death growled, his eyes flashing intensely as he delivered another fist to his victim's jaw. Everywhere but the eyes. He needed the eyes open.

"Please..." Pulse whispered, his voice choking on the blood in his throat from that last hit. But his plea fell upon deaf ears. No, that is not entirely true. His plea was heard, but it had the opposite effect as intended. Pleas for mercy only amused Death and fuelled his desire to torture in hopes of hearing more. His only response was to laugh; a cold, cruel, terrifying laugh that silenced any further pleas. A laugh that only grew louder and wilder with the horrific screams as he held Pulse's eyelid back and drove his finger behind the eye...

Gasping loudly, Remy's eyes shot open in terror.

It was jus' a dream. Jus' a dream, he tried to reassure himself, but it didn't fade quickly like dreams usually do. The pictures remained so vivid in his mind, more like a true memory than just a memory of a dream.

But he was awake now, and everything was fine. He could feel his heart hammering swiftly in his chest, the cold sweat on his forehead, the hand running softly through his hair...

Wait a second...

He wasn't alone. He was curled up next to a warm body. This wasn't his room. With a loud yelp, Remy wrenched himself free from the warm embrace and tumbled gracelessly out of bed, hitting the floor hard. With wide eyes, he looked quickly around the room before they fell upon the dishevelled figure in the bed that was looking upon him with deep concern.

Rogue.

It was at that moment that everything came rushing back with painful clarity. It hadn't been just a dream. It was all real. As the weight of his actions crashed down upon him anew, he buried his face in his hands and cried out in anguish. It wasn't quite as bad as the first time, when he had first been transformed back and still had the blood of his victims on his hands to drive their point home, but it still tore at his very soul. He felt Rogue touch his arm but he pulled away. She shouldn't be here, he would only ruin her. Ruin her like he ruined everything he touched. He was poison; deadly; Death...

No. He was Death no more. What Death had done in a few days Remy LeBeau would spend the remainder of his life paying for. He could never make up for it but, damn it, he was going to try. Taking a few deep breaths, Remy tried to slow his racing heart and push back the flood of emotions that had rushed to the surface. This time when Rogue reached out for him, he didn't push her away.

"Shh, baby, it's alright. Ya're just a little disoriented is all," she said softly. Slowly, he nodded his head to let her know he heard and understood her. "Why don't ya come back ta bed for a bit. It's still early yet."

The words were so... normal; the kind of words any normal couple would use on a normal day. But this wasn't a normal day, and they were far from a normal couple. Despite this, Remy didn't argue. Allowing her to pull him gently by the hand, he crawled back onto the bed but he didn't regain his previous position. Instead he curled up with his back to her, staring at the photograph once more. After a long moment of silence he heard Rogue sigh deeply behind him before her weight shifted from the bed.

"Ah'm gonna take a quick run ta tha store ta get a few things while ya rest. Be back in a jiffy," she said, rounding the foot of the bed. Through slitted eyes, Remy watched as she removed a hooded sweater from the duffle bag and pulled it on over her head, effectively hiding her unique hair. Dropping a pair of flip flops to the floor, she slipped them on her feet and was out the door.

Silently, he wondered if he'd ever stop worrying every time she walked out the door and left him behind if that would be the last glimpse he'd ever have of her.

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A/N: Hee! Before I added the separater and this author's note, this chapter had exactly 1111 words in it. Yes, I'm easily amused. Another thing that amused me? Well, not so much amused me as made me squeal? I broke into double digit reviews with that last chapter! 10 reviews! eeeee! Ahem. Anyways, totally loved writin' this bit. Love writin' the angst and the sap, of course, but damn if I don't love writin' evil, nasty scenes. mwahahaha! Now, before this gets too outta hand, on to the reviews!

BJ2: You're just tryin' to make me cry now, ain't ya? sniff Considering your views on Rogue, Gambit/Rogue and fanfics, your reviews always mean a lot. I love that I can remind you of what an awesome character Rogue used to be, and that Romy still has potential if they were only given the chance. glomps So much love.

Loneraven: An X4 would be lovely, eh? Actually, at this point, I'd prefer a spinoff that dropped some characters coughWolverinecough so the new characters could actually get some screen time and development.

rogueishLeia: Oh man, this is so weird. Curious about your name, I looked up your profile and it was so like lookin' in a mirror. Gambit/Rogue are my favourite couple in any fandom, totally adore Han/Leia and Lost is my new obsession just these past few months, and I adore the Sawyer/Kate dynamic. If that ain't enough, the love of rock music and Audrey Hepburn? squee That is so me. Creep. Spooky, even. ;) Anyways, glad you're enjoyin' the story and hope ya like this new Remy centered bit!

Anamarie: I made ya happy? beams Don't mind me, I'm overly hyper from lack of sleep. heh. Anyways, glad ya got the feel I was goin' for. I can see the scene in my head and as I played it out I found myself holding my breath during parts of it. I'm so glad that it translated well to the page. thanks bunches!

Rogue181: About time, eh? Talk about a long night!

Tammy: Glad you enjoyed seein' the other side of the coin here. I also wonder when they'll start talkin' again. They don't like to share any inside info with me until it's time to play it out.

ishandahalf: Yeah, the first night is always the hardest. Glad you liked the image painted there. As for X3, yeah, I have ideas though I dunno if I'll ever get around to writin' them. I have this list of one shots that I wanna do that just keeps growin'. We'll see.

WhytMajic: hee, I made ya squee! Look darlin', another chapter! And ya only had to gently prod once ta get it! ;)

toomakeyoulaugh: Welcome to my little world. ;) I love that ya just sat down and read the whole thing. Glad you're enjoyin' it!

Rogue14: How many more nights? I have no idea. I don't really have any plans for this fic, I just write it as it comes to me. As long as the inspiration keeps comin', the nights'll keep passin', I spose. And look, a long chapter! hee.