Sleeping Pills

Bib:

Rogue makes the mistake of putting a handful of the X-Men residants to sleep and has to deal with the consequences.

Story:

He'd been looking for her all evening, but struggled to find her. The kids were all back from school and no one had seemed to know where Rogue had vanished to. She'd been spotted around here and there, but it was almost like listening to tales of ghost spotting.

Finally, Remy caught Rogue sat at the table in the kitchen late in the evening.

"Bonsoir, so, dis be where y' hidin', huh?" Remy asked, approaching Rogue who glanced up from her book at him.

"Hmmm, ya need somethin'?" she questioned, seeming impassive and rather tired.

"Arugh, a new genetics teacher might be nice," said Jean Grey as she entered the kitchen and took a seat at the table with Rogue.

Jean near threw her bag down on the floor and held her temples. Both Remy and Rogue watched her rub them and took in her messy red locks, paling skin and puffy eyes. Jean glanced up to eye them both and then her eyes fell on the teapot in front of Rogue.

"You mind if I have some tea?" Jean asked, pointing at the teapot.

Rogue pushed the teapot towards Jean and she brought over a teacup with her mind.

"Do you want one Remy?" Jean asked, midway throw pouring herself some tea.

"Why not. Y' feelin' alright there chére? Y' be lookin' a bit pale?" he asked.

"Yeah, just these stupid night classes. Don't get me wrong, I love the course and all the work I do, but," Jean sighed into her tea as she brought it to her face, "it just gets a little tiring after a while?"

Jean levitated Remy's cup towards him and he took it in mid-air.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Rogue's slight unease. She had been staring at him quite hard from out of the corner of her own eyes. The harshness to her irises and the way her lips pursed as she bite the inside of her cheek made Remy halt in his decision to drink his tea.

"Anyway, no point in complaining. Not like I've got time for it anyway. I have to write a three page paper before tomorrow afternoon on twins and their genetics," Jean then proceeded to down all of her tea. Remy watched Jean's reaction as she pulled the cup away from her lips. She seemed to frown in a confused manner, but replaced it with a smile as she glanced back at Rogue. Rogue, who seemed to have realised that Remy wasn't going to drink the tea, returned her attention back to Jean.

"Thanks for the tea, Rogue," Jean said.

"Don't mention it," Rogue said, smiling as she drank her own brew.

"Arrr Jean, your back," the Professor said, entering the kitchen and joining them around the table. "How were your classes tonight?" As the Professor questioned Jean, he eyed the teapot on the table. "May I?" he questioned, but he did not really expect a response from Rogue.

Remy saw Rogue's face drop, but she said nothing as she watched the Professor levitate a cup to himself and pour some tea. Remy still held onto his tea, leaning back against the kitchen counter and watching the three people before him. He expected things were about to get interesting if they weren't already.

Jean seemed to be yarning a lot and almost dropping off into a deep sleep. The Professor was enthusiastic, having a lot of questions for Jean about her course. Rogue just seemed to be pretending not to even hear the pair by hiding behind her book.

"Twins are definitely a most fascinating subject," Hank said as he entered the kitchen and joined them. Storm was not far behind. Remy watched Rogue eye both Hank and Storm from behind her book as they each took a cup and poured themselves tea. Her eyes finally turned to glance at him when everyone in the room, expect him, had drank the tea from the teapot. Her eyes were a lot less harsh and now filled with something that looked like worry.

Remy just smirked as he meet Rogue's eyes. She didn't appear to find comfort in that, but comfort was not his aim.

Jean was the first to drop. Literally. The Professor had been running out of enthusiasm quite quickly as well. He tried to show concern for Jean who had fallen forwards onto the floor as she fell into a deep sleep, but he was beginning to fall asleep in his chair. Hank was knelt beside Jean and taking her pulse. He began to yarn as he explained to Storm, who had taken up a crouching position next to the Professor, that Jean's pulse appeared normal. The two of them soon ended up laying on the floor besides Jean and falling asleep too.

"Well, that was interestin'," Remy said, now deciding to pour his chilled tea down the sink behind him.

Rogue groaned as she dropped her book and rubbed at her face.

"Only Jean was supposed ta drink the tea! Not them!" she said, glancing down at all four of them.

Rogue then turned on Remy, "Why didn't you drink the tea? Not like your psychic," Rogue asked.

"Non, but I can read a person an' your eyes were screamin' out trouble. Surprisin' how de psychics didn't pick up on it. So, what's the next step in dis grand plan of yours? Why'd y' need em out for de count?" Remy asked, moving to boil some water and make a fresh cup of tea.

Rogue sighed as she went back to staring at the fallen four.

"Ah don't really have a plan. Ah was just gonna force Jean ta bed, is all," Rogue explained.

"Oh, and whys that? Y' ain't planin' on writin' dat essay of hers yourself, are y'? Or movin' in on that boy scout of hers?" Remy questioned.

"What? No!" Rogue snapped in outrage. "No, ah just wanted ta shut her up already! She's been goin' on an' on about trainin' all day an' studyin' all night an' she's gettin' way too grumpy from writin' all those papers of hers in the ungodly hours of the mornin'. Ah had ta shut her up for one night at least. Ah just didn't expect ta take the others out with her," Rogue said, biting the end of her gloves as she glanced down at her teachers.

Remy finished stirring his tea, still watching Rogue. There was definitely guilt there on her face. But he just couldn't help but be amused.

"Why not just use y' powers on de femme if her presence be annoyin' y' so much?" Remy asked, supping his tea.

"'cause then ah'd have her stuck in ma head, genius! Wouldn't be the escape ah wanted. Anyway, you gonna help me get them up the stairs already, or what?" Rogue asked, having stood up to move over the fallen X-Men.

Remy chuckled at Rogue, then turned and began to leave the kitchen.

"Ain't mon mess to clean," he said.

"Bloody swamp rat!" he heard Rogue snap behind him.

Xxxxx

It was a little while later Rogue was caught trying to haul Storm to her bedroom. Remy had been silently enjoying watching Rogue struggle to put Jean and the Professor to bed, then, he felt slightly guilty as Logan walked in on Rogue half way up the stairs with Storm.

"Rogue?" Logan had questioned.

Rogue had laughed awkwardly and said, "Ah can explain."

Logan grumbled something, but said "Later, right now, we got a kid who needs us. So quit messing around and hand her over already. Go suit up,"

"Right," Rogue said, turning to leave after she handed Storm over.

Rogue stopped half way up the stairs, remembering something. She turned back to Logan and said: "erm, Hank's still in the kitchen."

Rogue backed off as she heard Logan let out a low growl. Remy was surprised at just how calm Logan was with her. He expected some yelling from the wild man. After all, when Scott, Kurt, Bobby, Ray and Tabitha had played a prank, he laid into them relentlessly. He found it rather amusing that she seemed to get special treatment from the man below

"Gator bait, get down here now!" Logan yelled up the stairs.

And there it was, Remy thought to himself, as he was discovered. Upon being found, Gambit had to admit that that nose of Logan's always impressed him. He came out of his hiding spot and followed Logan's instructions of helping him take Hank and Storm to bed while Rogue changed into her uniform.

Xxxxx

Remy hadn't expected Rogue's punishment to be the same night she committed the crime. Especially not after she had to absorb both Kitty and a young girl, Tilly, to save a lot of lives that night. But Logan had her kicking arse in the danger room till sunrise. He had put it this way, Rogue took Jean's, Charles, Storm's and Hank's nights away by putting them asleep, so she'll get her night taken away from her. Rogue was then expected to go to school, stay awake and apologise to Jean, the Professor, Storm and Hank once she returned. After she finished giving a half arsed apology, Rogue made her way towards her room as her punishment was up. Although, she could barely make it up two steps before she gave up trying to reach her bed and lay on the stairs.

Remy came out of hiding at this point and approached Rogue who was very quickly falling asleep on the stairs. He really did feel guilty for letting her get caught seeing as he was taught to never turn his back on another thief by his own guild. He just couldn't pass up watching Rogue run and complete her own sneaky scheme.

"You alright there, chérie?" he asked her, as he came to kneel beside her.

Rogue let out a mix between a growl and a moan as she turned her face into the steps.

"Go 'way Remy," she muttered.

"Looks like you could use a hand," Remy said, moving forwards and reaching around her.

"Ha, now y' wanna help?" Rogue muttered bitterly. Her harsh words didn't stop him from wrapping his arms around her and moving her into an easier position to lift. "Ah'm fine. Ah don't need-" she began to say, weakly hitting at his arms that lifted her up.

"Hush," Remy said as he then began to tackle the steps.

"Ah don't need help," Rogue said, giving up the fight as she did and just going limp in his arms.

"Sure y' don't," Remy humoured Rogue.

Rogue let her eyes flutter close after that and, for some reason, a small smile had graced her face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head into his shoulder, finding herself comfortable.

Remy found himself smiling as he noticed Rogue's smile and how her eyes had closed peacefully. He decided to take the long way around the mansion to get to her room, just wanting to hold her for a time longer. As he walked around the mansion with her in near silence, he felt a question itching to be freed from his tongue.

"Why'd y' really do it?" he asked Rogue as he made his way passed Ray and Roberto who looked confused at what they saw. Rogue was too zoned out to even acknowledge other people might have seen her peacefully settled in his arms.

"Don't know what ya talkin' 'bout," Rogue said, her accent thick with sleep and her eyes remaining closed.

"Why'd y' spike Jean's drink? She can't be dat annoyin'?" Remy said.

Rogue sighed into his chest and Remy smirked at the tickling sensation he felt against his chest.

"She had ta stop workin' or she was gonna drop," Rogue said.

"Like you?" Gambit shot back at her.

"Ah-huh. She was workin' too hard," Rogue muttered.

Gambit couldn't drop his smile as he continued to carry her. She was right. Jean needed a break. How she went about it wasn't the best way, but then again, he probably would have taken a similar route. He couldn't help but feel somewhat proud of Rogue's plan, even if it did back fire on her.

"De femme didn't wake up till early afternoon. Seemed a lot perkier. Think y' plan mighta worked, chérie," Gambit said, seeing Rogue's smile grow at hearing the news.

"'though, I be hopin' y' listen t' reason an' take un sieste without dose sleepin' pills," Remy said.

Rogue let out a lazy laugh.

"No problems there," she said, finally sleeping.

xxxxx

French Translation:

Bonsoir - Good Evening
Chére - Dear

Chérie - Darling
Non - No
Femme - Woman
Mon - My
Un Sieste - A Nap