The night was dark and the rain came down relentlessly over the mansion. Clouds shrouded the moon and stars, leaving little light. As the wind blew, thunder roared and lightning crashed, most of the X-Men were inside dry and warm. Rogue and Gambit had dared the torrential storm, one to get away, and one to keep the other there. Each fighting for what they wanted, their fight raging as fiercly as the storm around them.

"Damnit, Remy, ya get yer ass off'a that back bike, come back inside, and talk ta meh about this!" Rogue shouted over the defeaning winds. She tried to stay calm as fear overtook her.

"Non, Rogue. I'm done talkin'. I have t' go, I jus' can't do dis no more," he replied. Rogue couldn't see his face through the dark helmet. But his voice was even and distant.

"No, Remy," she pleaded. "Ya can't leave meh," hot tears ran down her face, mixing with the could rain, that poured down on her, causing her to shiver. Rogue wrapped her arms around herself. "Ah wont let ya go, not yet. Jus' listen ta meh, Ah'll tell ya everything ya want ta know, Ah..."

"Jus' stop, Rogue," he interupted. "You've hurt me enough, I've hurt you enough, i's time t' call dis quits. You have t' know when t' hold 'em an' when t' fold 'em,"

"This aint a game, Remy, this is mah life! This is our life, together. Please just listen ta what Ah have ta say, and then ya can do what ya want. Remy, Ah've been going ta..."

"No!" he shouted, stopping her words." I don' care anymore, dis is de end, goodbye,"

"No, Ah refuse ta accept that. Ah wont let ya go. Ya can leave but Ah'll came after ya. Ah'll find ya once ya've cooled down, and Ah'll bring ya back," she told him, stubbornly.

"No you wont," he said calmy. "You're goin' t' let me go, chere, an' you won' come lookin' for me,"

"What makes ya so sure'a that?"

"Because, I don' love you, not anymore,"

"Ah..Ah don't believe you," she stammered, taking a step back as he climbed off the bike and strode towards her. He took off his helmet and got mere mililters from her face. She could feel his hot breath on her face, see the determination, burning in his eyes, and she gasped.

"I don't love you," he ground out."I'm sorry, I didn't want it t' be like dis, but you left me no choice. Goodbye Rogue," Remy put his helmet back on, got on the bike and dissapeared into the dark night.

"Remy!" Rogue screamed, falling to her knees.

-

Inside the rec. room, Kitty, Ororo, Hank, and Bobby, were quietly enjoying a movie, when a womans scream interupted their movie. The scream had come from outside. It was loud and bloodcurdling. They all stood and ran to the door. Ororo reached it first, and threw the large doors open, to find her friend, on her knees in the rain. Ororo ran to her.

"Rogue, my friend, what has happened?" she asked when she reached her side. Rogue looked at her with an expression of one who had been deathly injured. Her skin had turned a light shade of blue, from the cold, her eyes were red and puffy, from crying. Her lively green eyes had been reduced to pools of pain and despair.

"He left," was the only reply Ororo received. Rogue sobbed even harder. Ororo knew who she was talking about. Only one person could have left Rogue like this. Ororo sighed and helped Rogue up.

"Come, Rogue, let us go inside, out of the rain,"

Ororo helped Rogue up to her room, wondering what had prompted Remy's departure. Rogue went into the bathroom without uttering a word. Ororo heard the shower come on and sat down on the edge of Rogue's bed. She wondered if this had to do with the argument they had a few weeks ago. Rogue emerged from the shower a few minutes later, wearing a bath robe her hair wrapped up in a towel. She sat down next to Ororo and leaned her head against her shoulder.

"He's gone for good this time 'Ro,"

"Did he tell you why he left?"

"Yes, he...he said he doesn't love meh anymore," Rogue choked out.

"I'm sorry, Rogue," Ororo said, not sure of what else to say. Rogue jumped up and began pacing the length of her room, like a caged animal.

"Who the hell does that cajun scum think he is?" she fumed. "Ah don't need him," Rogue stomped over to her dresser and picked up the jewelery box Remy had got her for Christmas. She stared at it, transfixed. "I hate him," she uttered before hurling the box out the window.

"To hell with you, Remy LeBeau!" she screamed before grabbing a framed picture, of the two of them. She sent the frame flying after the jewelry box.

"Fuck you! Ah don't need ya! Ah hope ya rot in hell!" she hollored bfore sending her lamp out the window.

"Ah'll never forgive him or this!" she grabbed her armchair,"Never!" the armchair followed the other objects out the window.

-

Remy sat outside the mansion on his motorcycle, wondering if she was all right. Even though he had left her, he still loved her. He had only told her that lie so she would let him go. He was being selfish, he knew it, but he couldn't live like that anymore. Living without touch was hard enough, but living without trust, that was just to much. He needed, no, he deserved better. And she probably deserved better than him.

Remy looked up to her window, he could see he silhouette through her gossamer curtains. She was pacing rapidly, waving her arms indignantly. He shouldn't have come back, he was just torturing himself. He just needed to see her one last time. She stopped suddenly, and something came flying through her window, shattering her window in the process. He went to go examine it, when something else flew by landing just past the first item.

"To hell with you," he heard the tearful screams, and his heart ached. He shouldn't have lied to her, but he was weak. He knew if she came after him, he would return, now he was free.

Remy picked up the broken jewelry box. It was twisted and broken, like he had left her heart. The jewelry had spilled out into the street. He picked up every piece and put them, along with the jewelry box, in his bag. He also took the picture, leaving the mangled frame behind. Then he got back on his bike and left, as a solitary tear grazed his cheek.

-

Three Years Later

"Vous êtes si beau," Remy muttered to the woman beneath him. She was magnificent. He ran his hands down her slick body, admiring her beauty. Her curly auburn hair, with it's unique white stripe. Her green eyes, glazed over with desire. Her milky white skin. The sound of her voice as she called out his name. He thrust into her faster, seeking release.

"Rogue, Je t'amie," he whispered.

"Who the hell is Rogue?" she exclaimed. Remy looked down and his vision was shattered. The auburn hair turned black, the green eyes, brown. Her skin was now dark and tanned. The face that looked angrily into his was not Rogue's, but Angela's, no, wait, Sarah, that wasn't right either, Julie? It didn't matter.

"I thought I told y' not t' talk," he muttered angrily, climbing off of her. He had almost tricked himself into thinking it was her.

"Get the hell out!" the woman yelled. "You fucking asshole!" she spat.

Remy finished dressing and walked out the door, not looking back, as he slammed the door loudly. He needed a drink, he had been doing that a lot lately. Slipping and calling out Rogue's name. Some of the women hadn't cared, but most of them had gotten angry. If only he could get her out of his head, but no matter how much he drank, no matter how many women he slept with, he couldn't forget about her. He wondered what she could be doing. He hoped she was happy. He felt he had been a constant reminder of what she couldn't have. Or at least that's what he kept telling himself. She was better off without him, he hoped. He just wished he knew how she was doing. He had tried to forget her, to bury his love for her, to forget it with alcohol and women, but to no avail. None of it eased his pain, guilt, or regret.He sighed and continued on to his apartment.

When he arrived he shrugged out of his trenchcoat, letting it fall to the floor, and headed to the kitchen. He pulled out a beer and took a swig, surveying the place. It looked the same as when he left, a mess. There were clothes scattered everywhere, and a thin layer of dust covered everything. The place was dark and reeked of booze and cigarettes. Maybe it was time for him to go. He had been staying here for six months, longer than he had stayed anywhere since leaving Rogue. Yes, he thought, definatelt time to go. He noticed his answering machine was blinking and pressed the button. The soun of Wolverine's voice broke the silence.

"Listen, Gumbo, Ororo's taken a turn for the worse, she's gonna need a transplant, and she wants you to come see her before her surgery. So you better get your ass down here and not keep her waiting,"

That solved his where to go next dilemma. But concern for his friend kept him from feeling anything but worried. Last time he had talked to Storm she had told him she had PKD, but he couldn't remember what that stood for. Something, something kidney disease. She had been undergoing dialysis twice a week, but if she needed surgery it must have gotten worse. He'd better head back to New York, just in case. He just hopes Rogue doesn't take his return to bad, and moreover, he hoped he could handle seeing her again.