Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or anything associated with them…

A/N: I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day! Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than usual, but I wanted to get something out this weekend for all those who have stuck by this story! Thanks to everyone and especially those who have reviewed! You keep me inspired.

Chapter 21: Joining of Hearts

The following day was a blur of commotion as everyone made preparations for the wedding ceremony. The women spent most of the morning assisting Kitty in her quarters while the men helped Piotr and Kurt ready the Anna Marie. Mrs. Danvers oversaw the kitchen staff as they prepared the evening banquet and Reeves saw to the crew's comfort.

"Y' look beautiful, Kitty." Mercy said as she helped with her hair, giving her an appealing cascade of ladylike ringlets from the crown of her head, down her back.

"Thanks, Mercy." Kitty smiled as she fastened a necklace around her neck. "I'm so nervous. I can't believe this is finally happening."

Rogue smiled as she watched her friend. "Ah'm so happy for ya, Kitty."

Kitty stood and walked over to her friend and held her in a tight embrace. "I love you, Rogue. God, I'll miss the Anna Marie."

"Now don't cry…your make-up will run and look!" Rogue laughed. "You're wrinkling your dress."

Kitty laughed and wiped her finger under her eyes to catch the tears forming. All their heads turned when the door to the room opened and Wanda marched in with a grimace. "I am NOT wearing this!"

Laughter broke out once again as Wanda stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips sporting a pink, ruffled gown.

"Sorry, Wanda, but we had to use what was available. It doesn't look that bad…really."

"Doesn't look that bad…doesn't look that bad! It's PINK!" Wanda shouted as she threw her hands up in the air.

At that very moment, John walked up behind Wanda and winked to Kitty. "Wanda, love, you look bloody beautiful." He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed a feather of a kiss on her neck. "Play nice with the ladies. I'll see you, later."

To everyone's amazement, Wanda blushed and nodded. After John left, Kitty walked over to Wanda and started to eye her suspiciously. "What?"

"I was just wondering who you are and what you did with Wanda."

Wanda glared at her friends. "I do not find you amusing…but, fine. I'll wear the dress…but you owe me."

The women continued to talk and work, but when they finished Kitty gazed into her bedroom mirror. The peach lace gown had short sleeves and frothy layers that revealed the darker peach underskirt. A matching ribbon caught the gown high under her breasts, while the skirt skimmed the gentle swell of her hips. The mirror told her the color complimented her complexion. Her tan had faded over the past few days, leaving her skin with just a hint of gold.

"Ya look lovely," Rogue sighed. "The loveliest bride Ah've ever seen."

"Thanks, captain. Is it time?" Kitty asked.

"Yeah, are ya ready?" Kitty nodded and Rogue escorted her to the carriage that would take them to the Anna Marie.

When they arrived at the ship, the women left Kitty to take their positions on deck. Since Kitty's father was unavailable and Piotr wanted Remy and John at his side, Christian was to escort her to the altar. The boy was standing off to the side fidgeting with his necktie looking completely uncomfortable…but adorable.

"You ready, sweetheart?" Kitty asked as she held out her arm to the boy.

"Yes, ma'am." Chris straightened himself. "I would be honored to be your escort."

Chris pressed a bouquet of fragrant native flowers into her hands and she thanked him with a kiss on the cheek. But from the minute she saw him, Piotr held her attention exclusively. He wore a dark suit and his hair was groomed perfectly, his aristocratic features glowed like a bronze casting of male perfection in the setting sunlight. And when his warm hands enveloped hers she felt his love flowing through her in wondrous waves.

Kurt spoke of the duties of husband and wife, of the conditions of life that require commitment to weather, of the joys of loving and the necessity of giving. And when he asked them to repeat those solemn words of binding, not a breath was let.

There was a moment of hesitation when Kurt asked if there was a marriage ring. Piotr looked to Remy, who was standing beside him. Remy reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden band. Piotr took the ring and used it to seal the vows he'd made to his Katja. And then, with Kurt's permission, he sealed them again with an achingly sweet kiss. Pandemonium broke loose around them, hugs and laughter and shouts from the lads and chants from the crews. Then they were being dragged down the beach where Danvers had arranged a wedding feast fit for a king.

Kitty was floating, giddy from the intoxicating feel of being in love and being married. She ate and drank sparingly, feasting more on Piotr's dazzling smiles and the unabashed love in his eyes. Toast after toast went around the torch-lit circle and each lifted her heart.

Rogue was enjoying the night's festivities as well. The wedding had been perfect and the bride and groom looked gorgeous. She had stood by Kitty's side during the ceremony, but couldn't keep her eyes from Remy. As they all stood before Kurt, she couldn't help but let herself imagine what it would have been like to pledge herself to Remy. And the way he looked with the subtle light of the setting sun…It wasn't as if she hadn't known he was gorgeous, but it was all she could do to breathe. She'd never seen a man wear a totally black suit before but it was haute couture of the first right.

As the sun completely set, both the Anna Marie and the Devil's Lust let loose a volley of celebratory cannonfire, along with more cheers. Lanterns blazed and rustic tunes filled the night. Men sang ballads and played airs on a bouncy fiddle, a high-piping piccolo, and a hurdy-gurdy. Merriment filled the air.

"Care t' dance, chere?" Remy asked as he held an arm outstretched towards her.

Rogue turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned her head against his soft, silk shirt, then started slow dancing with him. His heart light, Remy brushed his hand through her hair while he silently held her and they swayed to the music.

"Y're beautiful, mon cœur," he whispered.

She kissed his chest. "Thanks. Ya, know, ya're not so bad yourself, sugah."

He smiled as he felt her breath against his shirt. He could stay like this, in her arms, forever. "Really?"

"Mmmm." She looked up at him with the sweetest expression he'd ever seen on a woman's face. She twirled out of his arms, then came back flush with his chest. "Yeah, and honestly no man should look…" Rogue raked his body with her eyes, "…that good."

Remy laughed at that, and pulled her even closer.

The sound of a small boy clearing his throat sounded behind Remy as he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. "Excuse me, Captain, but may I cut in?"

Remy stepped away from Rogue and inclined his head toward the boy, granting his permission. "Oui, mon petite," he said and brought Rogue's hand to his lips for a gentle kiss before he departed. "Bonne nuit, chere."

Christian took Rogue by the hands as she watched Remy approach Mercy and begin to dance with his sister-in-law. Turning her attention back to Christian, she straightened his tie and smiled. The two danced in silence for a while, until Christian slowed.

"Captain?"

"Yes, darlin'?"

"Are you upset about losing Kitty to Captain Rasputin?" Christian whispered.

Rogue paused for a moment and looked down into the boy's face. "No, Ah'm happy for her. She's in love and Piotr is a good man. Why do ya ask?"

Christian looked down to his feet. "I just thought it must be hard to lose someone you're so close to. Won't you miss her on the ship, ma'am?"

"Of course Ah'll miss her, Chris, but she'll be happy and that's what matters." Rogue reached out and lifted his chin with her finger. "What's this about, darlin'?"

"Is Captain LeBeau going to stay with you? I –I don't know what I'd do without him, ma'am." A slow tear ran down the boy's face.

Rogue wiped the tear from his face and hugged him close to her. "Oh, sugah…you think Ah'm goin' to take Remy from ya? Ah'd never do that."

"Really?"

"Ah promise. He loves ya, Chris. Don't worry, darlin'."

Christian wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered, "Thank you, captain."

When the song ended, Remy parted from Mercy and Christian ran over to the food. Rogue was about to approach Remy when Henri stopped her and ask for the next dance. When Rogue scanned the beach, Remy was gone.

Slowly the wedding celebration broke apart and everyone went their own ways. Many returned to the manor while some walked the beach or retired to the Anna Marie. Rogue was walking down the beach when she noticed a small light coming from the upper deck of the Devil's Lust.

Remy had spent part of the evening digging away some of the debris from his cabin, searching through the ruins for anything that could be salvaged, anything at all. In truth, the crew had done an amazing job restoring the galleon, but none had had the heart to work in their captain's cabin until his return, so it remained untouched. Remy sat on the floor and listened to the silence. He sat the lantern down and looked over the room and held a small golden chain in his hand.

He hadn't been able to protect Jean-Luc or Christian from the pain that was life. Just as he couldn't protect himself.

But then, maybe life wasn't about protecting. Maybe it was about something else… something even more valuable. It was about sharing. He didn't need someone to protect him from the past. He needed the touch of a woman whose warmth chased away those demons. A woman whose very presence had made the unbearable bearable. At least now he understood.

His heart shattering, he lifted the chain and placed a kiss on its pendant. It was time to let go of the past. "Bonne nuit, mon père," he whispered as he placed the chain in his pocket.

Standing up, he blew out the lantern and walked out of the room that had been his alone and out onto the decks of a ship he hoped to share with the woman he loved.

Rogue was just approaching the gangplank to the Devil's Lust when Remy appeared.

"Chere? What are y' doin' here?" he asked.

"Ah was wonderin' the same about ya, sugah."

Remy met Rogue and wrapped an arm around her waist as they walked back toward the beach. "Remy jus' needed t' get away and wanted t' see de ship."

"Did ya find anything?"

Remy moved her hand to his lips so that he could kiss it. "Remy found more dan he could have hoped for, chere."

Rogue smiled up at him. When they got into one of the carriages and started back for the manor, she turned to Remy.

"We have ta go after the necklace in the mornin'. Ah wish we didn't but we do." She looked over to the man sitting next to her and the complications that would arise in the future played through her mind. No, she didn't want this to end, but she was powerless to stop it.

"Why do y' look at Remy like dat?" he asked.

"What? What do ya mean?"

"Forlornly. Y' remind Remy of a wishful dreamer starin' after somethin' she believes she can't have."

Rogue blinked and forced all the feelings from her body. She gently extracted her hand from his. "Ah didn't know Ah was doin' that."

"Y' do it quite a bit, actually."

"Well then, Ah have ta be more careful, won't Ah?"

Remy leaned forward as if to impart a great secret. "Remy t'inks y've spent way too much time tryin' t' keep anyone from seein' your emotions, chere. Remy's yours as long as y' want 'im."

"Maybe, but ya seem ta be able ta see into mah thoughts with uncanny accuracy."

Remy smiled and took her hand in his again and began rubbing small circles in her palm. "Stormy used t' say it was a gift."

Rogue leaned against Remy as they rode in the carriage. They sat in silence for a while and soon Remy realized that Rogue had fallen asleep. When they reached the manor, Remy lifted Rogue into his arms and carried her into the hall and up the stairs to her room. He tucked her in and watched her sleeping for a short moment. "Je t'aime, chere. Bonne nuit."

The next morning…

Rogue, Remy, Piotr, and Kurt met in the library the next morning. Wanda, John, and Henri had taken off earlier for a morning horse ride and to explore more of the countryside while Kitty was still resting. Mercy came into the room carrying a try of cups filled with the sweetest smelling substance Rogue had ever smelled.

"What's this, sugah?"

"Oh…jus' a little family recipe. Tante Mattie always says never t' start a day wit'out a kickstart. Give it a try…y'll like it." She handed a cup to everyone and then sat down in Remy's lap. "So what are y' talkin' about?"

"We need t' find somethin' dat's hidden around here." Remy said as he pushed his sister-in-law from his lap and onto the floor. "Careful, petite."

"Remy!" Mercy huffed as she stood.

Kurt cleared his throat and unfolded a map across a desk. "Piotr űnd I have an idea vhere it might be. Vhile you vere in Port-au-Prince, ve looked over the clues and the skull seems to be indicating this area." Kurt circled a section on the map. "Do you know this area?"

Remy and Mercy looked over the map and then looked to each other with a knowing look. "Dat's where de fissure is, mon ami."

"Oh…yeah…dat's where Henri and Rems always t'reatened t' throw me when I got int' too much trouble." Merci laughed. "Dat happened a lot."

"That sounds like the best place ta start lookin'. What do ya think, Piotr?" Rogue asked.

"Da," Piotr nodded. "Zat sounds like a plan."

"It's almost noon, mon amis." Remy said. "We should go, non?"

Rogue straightened, and nodded. "Yeah, Ah think we're ready."

At the crevice…

Remy watched as Rogue vanished into the fissure as he and Piotr slowly threaded the rope through their hands. She hung in the darkness like a quarter moon, suspended by a rope that burned into her chest and armpits. She heard the men talking above her, but couldn't make out the words. When she tilted her head back, the aperture high above her offered no more light than a twinkling star.

"Remy!" she yelled. "Send down a torch!"

Her voice bounced back and forth against the walls of the crevice; she didn't know if he had heard her or not. She rubbed her cheek against her shoulder and peered down. Blackness was everywhere, an inky veil that disoriented her, dizzied her. Nausea rolled through her. She squeezed her eyes shut and moved her hands a fraction of an inch upward on the rope, fearing that in the next second, it was going to snap and she'd fall into the fathomless darkness below her.

There was no space, no time, only the pull of gravity, the suction of the void. She couldn't have dangled more than a few minutes, but it seemed she'd been hanging here for hours, waiting for light to redeem her.

"Rogue," Mercy shouted.

Her name reverberated in the pit. She glanced up and saw a flickering light dancing toward her. The rope that held it coiled and uncoiled, serpentine, its tongue hissing fire. Rogue ducked as the torch darted past her head, then grabbed the rope and snared the end of the torch.

She gripped it, her breath erupting from her chest like hiccups. She peered at the wall in front of her. Maybe there was nothing down here. Maybe they were wrong. She tugged on the rope twice and Remy lowered her another two feet. Then she was directly opposite a tablet. It jutted out from the stone wall like a tombstone in a graveyard, and was tilted slightly downward.

She pulled a four pronged clamp from her pack and pounded it into the wall with a mallet. She was about to place the torch into it when something caught her eye. She held the torch in front of the tablet and leaned forward for a closer look.

"Hey! Ah found somethin', y'all!"

"Vhat is it?" Kurt yelled down to her.

"A tablet…it has some writin' on it…Ah think it's ancient Greek!" She answered. Fortunately, it was a language she could read.

Her eyes skimmed over the words, devouring them. Excitement knotted in her stomach. She put the torch back into the holder on the wall, and pulled a notepad from a side pocket. Quickly, she scrawled the translation. She couldn't believe it. They were right!

She wanted to yell up to the top, but decided to conserve her energy. She stuffed the notebook back into her pocket, pulled out a net, and carefully covered the tablet before fastening the drawstrings to a hook at the end of the rope.

She was about to start chiseling at the wall to loosen the tablet when the rope suddenly jerked against her chest. She dropped several inches; the rope tightened under her arms.

"Hey, what is happenin' up there?"

Her voice ricocheted about the crevice. She was directly below the tablet now and saw pick marks under it. Someone had tried to remove the tablet before. But who?

The rope jerked again. A weird creaking filled the crevice and she knew what it was. Her rope was fraying. She pulled the torch from the wall and held it up. "Aw, Gawd."

Easy does it, she thought. She placed the torch in her mouth, and reached for the rope above the spot where it was unraveling. She heard a resounding snap, a sharp, terrible sound that echoed in the crevice. Her fingers snagged the rope.

She dangled by one hand, the frayed end rubbing against her wrist. The torch burned her arm. Her face was contorted in a grimace as she stretched her other hand over her head. Sweat beaded on her brow, trickled into her eyes.

"Remy! Piotr! Anyone up there?"

She felt a hard yank from above, and the rope slipped through her fingers. She reached desperately with her other hand, but her fist closed on black air.

She fell.

"What happened?" Mercy asked as she neared the edge of the crevice.

"De rope broke. Remy doesn't know how it happened." Remy leaned over the edge and yelled down into the darkness. "Chere!"

"Which rope?" she demanded.

"Ze one Rogue was on," Piotr answered.

"What? No!"

Remy dropped to his knees and peered into the chasm, but he could see only blackness. He grabbed the rope from Kurt and quickly pulled it to the surface. Then he remembered the other rope. Maybe Rogue had grabbed it when the first one snapped. He scanned the ground, but it wasn't there. "Where's de other rope?"

Piotr glanced to Kurt. "I lost it. Vhen the other rope broke, I got distracted and then there was a heavy pull on it and I lost it."

Just then he heard a sound, a sound he couldn't believe, coming from the crevice. He dropped back to his knees, and cupped his hands at his mouth. "Chere, can y' hear me?"

Her voice sounded distant, strained. "Yeah. Ah can hear ya."

"Are y' alright?"

She didn't answer for a moment. "Not really. Ah need help. Any chance ya want ta be mah knight in shinin' armor and lend a hand ta a damsel in distress?"

"Why, chere, y' know Remy lives for such moments. Remy'll be right down. Where are y'?"

"Hangin' on the tablet, but Ah don't know how much longer it's goin' ta hold meh."

Remy looked over his shoulder at Piotr. "Can y' lower Remy down?"

Piotr nodded and helped attach a rope to Remy's waist.

Shaking her head, Mercy turned back to the hole. "He's comin', Rogue, in a couple of minutes."

There was no reply. "Rogue, are y' okay?"

Again no reply.

If she had fallen, wouldn't she have yelled?

"Rogue, answer me!"

"Yeah," a faint voice responded after a long moment. "Hurry."

Rogue straddled the tablet as if it were a saddle. She pressed her face against it, and wrapped her arms tightly around it. She could feel the etched lettering against her cheek. How much longer would she have to wait?

She tried to take her mind off her precarious situation by going over what had happened. Her thoughts were interrupted by a creaking as the tablet slipped downward under her weight. It tilted at a forty-five degree angle and it was getting difficult to maintain her grip.

She realized that she was still wearing her pack with the tools. Nothing like digging your own grave. She didn't need the weight. She carefully shed the pack, one arm at a time. She was about to let it drop when she realized that the pick might still come in handy. She slipped her hands into the pack, felt the sharp tip, and pulled it out. Then she dropped the pack, and a moment later heard a clatter as it crashed against something, she thought. She listened for it to strike bottom, but didn't hear anything.

"No bottom. Great."

Talking aloud seemed to ease her fear. "Gotta do somethin', but what?"

She felt the tablet slip another inch. She closed her eyes. She felt the net beneath her legs, and wondered if she should unhook the rope to lighten the load. No, that would require too much maneuvering. A good jolt now and the tablet might break loose. Besides, she was the excess weight, not the rope.

"That's it. Ah've got ta get off."

If she could carve footholds and handholds with the pick, she might be able to balance herself on the wall. But for how long?

"Better ta die tryin' ta save mah ass than doin' nothin'," she muttered.

The tablet groaned and slipped again. It wouldn't hold much longer. Slowly, she worked her way up the tablet toward the wall. A few more inches, she told herself. Patience. Finally she was close enough to touch the wall with the pick. "Now, get some leverage."

She stretched her hand above her head and slammed the pick at the wall. But to her surprise, she struck something, and the pick flew from her hand. The tablet groaned, tilted even further, and she slid down several inches before she caught herself.

"Remy!"

Damn, she'd hit the torch holder. She'd forgotten about it. It was still there, secured to the wall by four prongs. Now it was her only hope. She had to get back up to the wall, and get a hand on it. If she distributed her weight between the base of the tablet and the holder she might save herself yet.

She imagined herself a feather-light acrobat gliding up the tablet and effortlessly balancing herself. The tablet groaned again, and she forgot about acrobatic maneuvers. She froze, but the tablet was shaking, and she was sliding back. She cursed. She slipped another few inches. The further she slid, the more the tablet pulled away from the wall. The groaning grew louder; the tablet was about to fall. Desperately, she clambered up the tablet and lunged for the wall. Her fingers hooked over the torch holder, first one hand, then the other. She tested the strength of the holder. The pick had knocked it slightly askew, and the prongs started to pull away.

"Nice." Carefully, she stood up on the tablet, using the holder and wall to balance herself.

"Rogue…are y' alright?" Remy's voice echoed eerily down the fissure. "Chere?"

"No!"

"Remy'll be dere any moment. Hold on."

"Good advice, darlin'," she said.

Remy was coming for her. Lot of good it would do if she fell. A shiver ran up her spine. "Ah hate holes!"

But the morbid thoughts kept coming. She looked up toward the spot of light high overhead. "Hurry, sugah."

"Ah'm goin' ta make it," she said between clenched teeth. "Ah'm not goin' ta fall."

She might even be able to salvage the tablet yet. When Remy got there- and he would get there- and she was firmly in his arms, she'd grab the rope that was still knotted to the tablet. She was sure that a tug from the top would loosen it. But she'd wait until she was out of this damn hole before she'd try it.

"Rogue?" Mercy called down. "Remy's startin' his way down now."

Great. More waiting.

She tried to relax by adjusting her feet. A mistake- but she realized it too late. The shifting of her weight had been all that was needed to jar the tablet free. With a loud snap, it broke and tumbled away.

Her legs kicked out, then scraped against the wall. She heard a crash as the tablet struck something. Her feet searched for a foothold, but the wall was nearly smooth. The torch holder bent downward, the prongs slowly working their way free.

"Oh, Gawd!"

This was it. She gritted her teeth; her heart pounded in her ears as the prongs pulled out of the wall.

She fell. Again.

A/N: That's all for now...sorry for the cliffy, but I won't keep y'all hangin' long. Thanks again!