Chapter 2
Logan watched Rogue run around the obstacle course with the fastest speed he'd ever seen. Apparently she was in a mood to get things done. He could see her anger and rage from where he stood and it was keeping her going strong while the others had whimped out. As the simulation started to end and there was only Rogue left standing over Sabretooth's body, Logan dismissed the class. Rogue was breathing heavy and didn't move from the spot as Sabretooth's body faded away. He was sure something had been up ever since yesterday's afternoon when she came home smelling strongly of spices and mints. When he asked her about it, she almost yelled at him that it was new perfume.
"You alright stripes?"
"Ah'm finah."
"You seem more angry than usual. Are you sure something didn't-"
"Ah'm finah Logan. Ah just need ta be left alone."
"Well...alright, but if it's anything serious or something I can help you with then you come and see me. Or the Professor. Whoever, I don't care, as long as you're alright . I care about ya kid, and I don't wanna see you hurt and frustrated like this even if you do do better in destroying the danger room and knocking that popsicle on his arse. Ya got people who care about you Rogue. Don't push us away if you need help."
Rogue seemed to lighten up as she gave Logan a soft reply, "ah know Logan...Ah know." But the truth was, she didn't believe Logan. She trusted he cared for her even if he hardly showed it, but the others didn't really care. They didn't take interest. Kurt was good to her and so was Kitty, but that's because Kurt was her brother and just doing the brotherly thing by looking out for her and Kitty was her roommate who would be the first to get into trouble if anything happened to Rogue so she kept tabs. As for the others, like Scott and Jean, well, those two were fixated on each other and everyone else in the mansion seemed to have some sort of best friend they cared about more than her.
The showers were empty as Rogue entered them. She was glad she wouldn't have to wait in line for the other girls to finish. She let the hot water of the shower melt away the knots in her body from the work out. It felt so good just to stand and let the water run over her, but she couldn't stall any longer. She jumped out of the shower and dried off, pulling on her usual purple top and jeans. She left, skipping breakfast and just managed to jump in the back of the car to go to school.
School was a blur. Rogue ignored everything her teachers were sayings and ate on her owe at dinner time; again. She saw Kurt and Kitty laughing with some of the newer X-Men and trying to make them feel welcome, but she just didn't want to be there. She was tired of putting on a smile. Instead Rogue went for a walk, eating a cereal bar and forgetting everything else. Her mind wouldn't drift from Gambit's question the other night. That nice little get together turned ugly fast just like she knew it was going to. She couldn't stop replaying the scene of her slamming her fist on the table and walking out, knocking over a good few tables and coffee mugs along the way. How they argued in the parking lot and how she was willing to walk home (but Gambit, somehow, convinced her to let him take her home). It had been one big blow out, but she really couldn't help her reaction. The things that got said during that argument out of anger. They were horrible. She hated Gambit for saying those things to her. She might not have been nice either, but he still had no right saying those horrible things to her.
But then she'd found something this morning which was sweet. When she woke up, luckily earlier than Kitty, she had found a bouquet of roses on her pillow besides her head. The window was open and the curtains blowing in the morning breeze. Rogue read the little notice which said "forgive me, mon chérie. with love, Remy." Rogue had thrown them away, but was touched at what he had done while at the same time, mad at him for breaking in. But no one had ever given her flowers before.
Rogue came back to reality, noticing she was now sat watching the football team practicing. Some of the guys turned to look at her and she saw some of them talking to each other. She guessed they were talking about her. Then one of the guys came and sat next to her. It was Duncan. "Rogue right?"
"What's it to you?" She shot back knowing this guy was going to tell her to do one. And she really wasn't in the mood for being nice at the moment.
"What you doing out here in the sun. Thought vampires only came out at night." There it was. That same old stupid dick head attitude. Rogue hadn't even looked him in the eye. She really couldn't be bothered with Jean's ex. She came out here to get away from every one else. If they had a problem with that then tough.
"In books and crappy movies. Ah can do whatever ah want in the day. Including sucking the life outta stupid jocks who bother mah and won't leave me alone."
"No you can't. You can't use your powers or else you'll get kicked out."
It was then Rogue turned to face him. A look of seriousness in her eye. "Who's gonna stop me?"
Duncan swallowed hard before standing up and stepping away. Rogue had the feeling the only reason he wasn't running away was because his mates were watching him. "Look, no one wants you here mutie." He said aloud for his friends to hear. "So do one."
"Ah'll leave when ah wanna leave."
"No, you'll leave now."
"Make me." She dared, looking at him with glowing eyes that would scare even Wolverine. Duncan backed off a little more.
"Fine, stay, but don't use any of your mutie powers against us or else we'll tell and you'll be expelled." Rogue just ignored him as he returned to his game. Rogue watched them for a few moments and then the cheerleaders came to give her grief.
"Hey mutie, what you staring at?" said a ginger haired girl.
"I think she thinks she has a chance with one of the guys." Said another.
"Filthy mutant scum." Said a brunette.
"You've got no chance you know. Not with them or any other guy." Continued the ginger who was leading the group. "Even if you weren't a filthy mutie, you'd be scum. You're kind deserved to be burned alive. All you do is litter the world in trash. Your a bitter twisted bitch who everyone hates and it burns to look at you. Your so disgusting I'm glad you'll never gonna met a guy and have offspring, cause then they'll be filth and a waste of space just like you-" The ginger didn't say anything more, as Rogue jumped her, grapping her throat and choking her while punching the girl blue in the face. She felt the other girls pull her off and scream at her, but she had lost it. She couldn't hold back anymore. She didn't care if she was getting kicked or scratched in the back by the other cheerleaders, this girl was gonna pay for what she said.
Rogue was finally pulled off the cheerleader by the Jocks and a sports teacher. All of a sudden, the cheerleaders were telling the teacher that she attacked Courtney or whatever the ginger girl's name was when she was trying to be nice and make friends with her. They said that Rogue threatened to use her powers and kill her. The jocks were saying she was using her powers to interfere with their game which was why Josh kept missing the ball. They said she threatened to ruin their big game this Saturday. They said she was mad. She did drugs. She was crazy. She was a wild animal. They called her a fifthly mutant.
Rogue was losing her grip on her temper. The couch was pulling her back inside and the jocks and cheerleaders were scratching at her. Finally she couldn't stop herself and stomp on the couch's foot and elbowed him in the gut before yelling "BACK OFF!" at the jocks and cheerleaders. Finally they backed off in fright and Rogue took off running, grabbing her school bag as she did. She ran out of the school and a little further after that. Then she slowed to a walk being out of breath. She screamed in frustration as she continued walking down the path. She wanted to cry at all the horrible things that had been said, but she kept her anger instead. It was better to be angry than show weakness if she could help it. After a few minutes of walking and trying to clear her head, she realised that she was going to get yelled at by not only her teachers, but by the Professor. He was going to lecture her for hours even though it wasn't her fault. She'll most likely be kicked out of school and most likely had threated her fellow X-Men's places at Bayville high. And to top it all off, it began to rain. Giving up on walking back to the Institute just to get yelled at, Rogue sat down on the curve and just hung her head. What the hell had her life become?
A motor bike engine was heard before the Cajun accent. "Chére, you alright?"
Rogue couldn't believe her luck. Not only had she been called horrible names, was going to get expelled, lectured for hours by the Professor twice for starting a fight and getting kicked out of school, and now having no hopes of a future, Gambit, the man who had been torturing her mind all day and possibly made her lose it with the cheerleader was there asking if she was alright. Rogue felt just as perfetic and filthy as the ginger had said, but she still had her anger. When she looked up to Gambit he saw the fire in her eyes. "Do ah look like ah'm alright? Do ya actually think ah'm alright? Just leave me alone ya stupid swamp rat." Rogue yelled at him, before getting up and storming down the path. Gambit kept up with her on his bike.
"Rogue-"
"Don't! Just go away and leave me alone!" Rogue screamed. Gambit had had enough of this and drove on the path in front of her to block her.
"What happened to ya face." Rogue thought great, she'd most likely cried without realising or the rain had made her make up run down her face. But Gambit didn't seem to have a look on his face that was worried about make up. Instead he lifted his glove hand to her chin and held it still while he looked closely at her with troubled eyes. Rogue pushed him away, but it was only her who stumbled back. Rogue touched her face and when she brought her gloves away there was blood on them. "Has someone attacked ya?"
Rogue thought about this. Yes, the cheerleaders had. They had been kicking and scratching at her. One of them must have done it when the gym teacher had her arms pinned behind her back and was dragging her off. Great, so on top of it all she now had a great big scratch across her face. But were they gonna get in trouble for it? Were they gonna get any form of a slap on the wrist? No, they wasn't. They would get off as being hero's and Rogue would be punished by the school and Professor. "Doesn't matter." She said bitterly as she dropped her gloved hand. She tried walking past Gambit, but he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her back to him.
"Oui, it does. Who's hurt you?" Gambits rage was almost more scarier than Rogue's anger. It made Rogue feel small as those red eyes beamed into her full of hatred for whoever did this to her. she thought it was sweet and kind of him to care, but she wasn't just going to bow down because he looked pissed. Her anger resumed.
"No it doesn't. It doesn't matter who hurt me cause ah ain't gonna get justice. We're mutants Gambit. We don't get fair treatment. Now let go. There's nothin' you or ah can do that's gonna solve anything. If anything, you'll make things worse."
"I'm only tryin' to help." Gambit said softly realising just how upset and hurt Rogue was.
"Well don't. Ah don't need your help or anybody elses. Ah'm finah on ma own."
"You're gonna tell the Professor right? You won't tell me, but you'll tell him. He'll sort des people out."
"No Gambit, ah 'm not. There's no point now. All he's gonna do is lecture me on how ah was in the wrong and ah can really do without it. Ah can do without all of this crap, so just leave me alone!" Rogue tried walking around the bike again, forcing herself out of Gambit's grip. Gambit drove besides her.
"Ya can't just let these people get away with dis."
"They already have." Rogue said stopping and looking up to the sky. She imagined being in a hot shower like this morning. Just having all the stress and aching pains float away like the aches and pains in her muscles after a danger room session. She could see getting angry at him was only going to make him more determined to make the cheerleaders pay. She really didn't want him going back to the school or to the Professor and messing things up for her even more. So she turned to face him, trying to stay calm when she spoke slowly. "Look, ah started the fight OK. Ah was in the wrong."
"I doubt that." Rogue closed her eyes. She was glad someone was on her side even without knowing the full story, but she really had to convince him, just to leave it be.
"It's true. Ah threw the first punch."
"Then I guess whoever ya were punching deserved it." He had no idea how right he was.
"Look, just leave it please. Ah don't need anyone else gettin' me inta more trouble. Ah'm gonna end up goin' home, getting lectured by the Professor on fighting, then again for getting expelled from school. Ah can really do with a break right now. Just some alone time before ah have ta go and face em."
Gambit could see the tears watering in her eyes and the hurt. He couldn't leave her like this. But if she wanted it. He couldn't move or say anything. Then she continued walking, wrapping her arms around her for warmth. Gambit got off his bike and started taking off his trench coat. He caught up to Rogue and placed his coat around her shoulders. She stopped as she felt his hands on her shoulders. He moved close to her ear and said, "Let me take ya some place warm. Ya gonna catch a cold walkin' home in dis weather."
Not knowing what she was doing, she let Gambit guide her back to his bike and slipped on behind him, still wearing his coat. In a few minutes they had arrived at a little coffee shop, and Gambit had ordered Rogue her mocha with sugar and cream. She thanked him and began drinking it. She was shaking and he could tell his coat wasn't keeping her warm. He moved around, closer to her and placed his arms around her.
"What are ya doin?" She asked in shock and pushed him away.
"I'm keepin ya warm. You're shiverin'."
"Ah don't need ya body heat Gambit. Ah'll warm up in a minute or so." Gambit didn't push her. He sat watching her. She seemed to be in deep thought. He knew he was going to start an argument, but he really needed to know something.
"Chére, have you made up your mind yet?" Rogue closed her eyes and looked like she'd lost all hope. Was it really that bad him asking her to marry him? She set her mug down and looked at him. He saw the tiredness and defeat in her eyes.
"Why can't ya find someone else instead of pestering me? All this time ya spending on me could be made more useful by you going out, using that Cajun charm of yours and actually finding a girl who wants ya as their husband." Rogue looked away. She didn't much like the image of a girl like Courtney with her arms and legs wrapped around Gambit and his ring on her figure. It made her feel sick and she paled at the thought.
"You know why. Ya the only girl able to do dis. It's why I told ya so much about the guilde. You already know stuff about me from the time you absorbed me. Maybe not every thin', but you'll be able ta learn an' pick things up fast. Ya pretty and my pére knows ya. It'll be believeable we've been dating while I've been in Bayville. Besides, it dun't look like there's much here for ya anymore. I'm sorry ta say it, but ya educations been blown outta the window. Ah already told ya your not wanted by Summers and you know ya won't get close to any other guy enough to go as far as marriage. It hurts, an' I don't wanna hurt you, but it's the truth. Come on Rogue, I need ya. You said de whole point of de X-Men is ta help others. Well I need ya help. And I'll be eternally grateful. I'll be at your beckon call and I'll be able ta give you a home, family, money-"
"Who do you think ah am? Some cheap desperate sult ya just picked up off the side walk? You're right, ah don't have much ta live for anymore, but ah still got the X-Men."
"Which you don't wanna go back to. I've seen you Rogue. I see you now. You're miserable here. You don't want to go home and you don't have to. Come with me back to New Orleans and I promise I'll help ya in anyway I can. Just be my wife, please. Ya right, you're not desperate or a sult. You're not stupid either, but your kind hearted. Please Rogue. I wouldn't be begging any other person to do this with me. It's how much having you for a wife matters."
Rogue breathed in deep and let it go. He was right. She didn't want to go back to the X-Men and get looked down upon like Evan was. At least he had his reasons for leaving and was doing something good with his life. If she went home having been kicked out of school, she'll be looked down upon by all the adults and other students would hate her for possibly making them lose their place at school. She wasn't happy there anymore and she had no future here except being an X-Men and going on missions. But she'd still have to put up with everyone in the X-Men having a go at her. Looking down at her shoulders, she thought about what Gambit was saying and it was all right. In there argument yesterday, he'd accused her of being in love with Scott who was whipped by Jean and wasn't ever going to fall in love with her. He was right. He told her she didn't trust and wouldn't get close to anyone; he was right. He said she wouldn't be able to control her powers, and he was right. She'd been at the Institute for three years and nothing had changed. It had just got worse. He said that she had nothing left to live for here, he was pretty much right about that. He said she was unhappy and she was. He said he could make her happy and she doubted that. But he also said he wouldn't touch her and would leave her alone after the marriage if she wanted. He'd said she could have all the money she wanted and maybe with that money she might be able to buy herself a private tutor or start up a business. But then she'd end up being a gold digger wouldn't she? When did her life get this bad. Nodding her head slowly, much to Gambit's surprise, she said "yes."
