Chapter 11

Gambit left a little after nine when he got a call from the guild. Nothing else had been said between him and Rogue, but somehow, even though she hadn't forgiven him, just sitting close to her and watching movies all day was the first thing to ease the stress that he had all week. The reason he hadn't gone straight to Rogue after his father ordered him to was because he was scared. Scared of getting rejected by her. Scared of how to approach her. He'd been watching her go to work and go home with this Natalie, not to be seen out of the flat until work called. He had been worried about her not eating. She'd been sat there in front of the tv for a long time just doing nothing when he peered through the windows. She hadn't taken any calls from the X-Men or anyone. She was just isolating herself and that was what made Gambit feel guilty that he might of broken her. But he was relieved to know she wasn't the thief.

So when the call came asking weather or not Rogue had taken the money, he gladly said no down the phone to them with Rogue sat besides him. They then asked for him to come back as they might have found the mole. Gambit stood up and looked to Rogue. She didn't look back.

"I gotta go now chére."

"Ah never asked ya to stay."

"I know... I'm just glad your eating."

"Ah didn't eat for you Gambit. Ah ate for Nat."

"Where is she anyway?"

"Most likely 'cross the hall. She and Mark, the guy across from us, well ah'd say they're a thing. Thing is, Marks too soft and shy ta make a move. Ah think Nat was gonna ask him if he wanted ta move in with her, but then... Ah happened..."

"It ain't your fault your here."

"No. It's yours." Said Rogue, cruely.

There it was again, thought Gambit. Rogue had brought down the shutters and locked him out again. Rejected him. No, he had to think about how Rogue felt, he thought. So he began thinking that if he'd just been called a good for nothing gold digger on his wedding day by someone he thought he was developing feelings for, then wouldn't he be pissed off at them too? Would he forgive them straight away even if they have told a shitty excuse of the truth? No. Probably not. So that just meant he'd have to give her time. And would have to try and try again to show just how sorry he was.

"You goin' or ya just gonna stand there?" Asked Rogue. Gambit had been so deep in thought he'd lost track of time and had been stood there thinking about Rogue and only Rogue. At lasted, he turned and closed the door behind him.

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"We think de assassins might of had a hand in dis." Said Jean Luc to his sons. "We found somethin' dropped by one of de statues by the west wing. It's a hair tie. And there was a hair on it. We're havi'n it run through tests now, but the colour of de hair was blonde."

"You think Bella Donna did dis?" Ask Gambit, a little shocked.

"Oui, but either way it's a led. Bella Donna's father is havin' every blonde assassin tested and it's de same with de guild and anyone we know who has blonde hair." Declared Jean Luc. Gambit couldn't be happier at that moment. Rogue's hair was brown and white. And if Bella Donna did get found to be the thief then that meant Gambit wouldn't have to marry her. It would mean that her father would either banish her or... Gambit suddenly didn't feel so good. She would either be banished or killed. He didn't want to marry Bella Donna but he didn't want her killed. But there was nothing he could do now. The hair had been found and was being tested and if it was Bella's then it'll be up to the assassin's guild to decide her fate. Gambit couldn't step in to save her and he couldn't steal the hair or else he'd be facing the same fate as the person who did do this. What did he do now? Why did he even care?

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Natalie got back in with Mark at eleven o'clock. It turned out that they had gone out to town in New Orleans for dinner and a movie. When they got in Natalie was looking shyly at the ground and Mark was looking at her with a smile. Mark had bright blue eyes and thick blonde hair. He reminded her of someone. Someone who she had thought about lately. And it made her sad.

"Oh Rogue. I...I didn't think you'd be up."

"Oh don't worry 'bout it. Ah was... Just... Goin' ta bed. Hmmm, you know. There's sumthing have been meanin ta talk to you 'bout." Rogue said standing up, feeling a little uneasy at her quick decision.

"Oh, okay. Well... I guess I'll see you later then Mark."

"Actually, it involves him too. Do you guys mind comin' in and sittin' down?" They did as they were asked. "Look Nat, it's been wonderful livin' with you and all. But... ah'm moving on."

"What do you mean movin on?" Asked Natalie.

"Ah mean, the only reason why ah came down here in the first place was cause of...Remy. His family lives here and he wanted meh ta meet em. Well... After tha weddin. But... Ya know how that turned out... So, ah'm goin' home."

"Oh...Oh Rogue. I'm so sorry."

"No ah'm sorry Nat... Ah'm leavin tomorrow. Ah'm gonna pack tonight and leave tomorrow."

" But what ta 'bout work?"

"Ah'll... Ah'll work ma shift... And ah'll tell Tanya what ah'm doin. Ah think she'll understand. But ah don't wanna leave you alone. And this is where you come inta this Mark. Ah know you two were think 'bout movin' in tagether before ah came along, and ah think it's a great idea. Ah think ya should do it. At least, that way ya know Nat's not gettin' some messed up flat mate or sumthin." They looked at each other then back at Rogue. She must have made it awkward for them. Rogue left to go to her room saying good night to both and bye to Mark.

After Natalie seen Mark out she knocked on Rogue's door to find her picking out and folding away her clothes into the bags they came in.

"Hey... I guess things didn't go well then."

"Nope... He told me that the reason he called meh a gold digger was because ah rejected him, and cause of his own guilt and anger at himself for not remembering if he slept with someone the night before our weddin."

" Oh... Well, he was defently wrong then for blamin' you. I mean ya were gettin' marreid to the man for cryin' out loud."

Rogue breathed out a sigh." Ah don't know Nat... Ah'm not... Ah don't really know how ta show love... Maybe he was right... Ah don't trust people easily... Maybe ah was givin' him mixed emotions."

"But that dun't give him no reason ta go sleep with some slut then take it out on ya."

"Ah know... He was bein' selfish. Only thinkin' 'bout himself and his needs... When ya left us that's what happened... But then, he refused to leave. He refused ta go till ah ate sumthin'. He ordered the food and everything. Really, he didn't want ta leave meh without knowin ah'd eaten."

Rogue looked to Natalie who shrugged her shoulders not understanding herself. "Maybe he's had a change of heart. Maybe he's realised what an idiot he's been and wants ta make it up ta ya."

"Maybe... It was kinda nice feelin' as if someone was lookin after meh... But ah gotta go Nat."

"You don't have ta go." Natalie said coming to stand right besides her, placing her hand down on the top she was folding. "You could stay. Try and make things right. It's obvious ya like him."

"And it's obvious you like Mark, but you ain't made ya move. Trust meh Nat, ah've gotta go."

"But why? Where will ya go?"

"Why? Cause ah came here ta get married, but instead, I had mah heart broken by bein' dumped at the alter. For the past week the only thing ah've had ta live for was workin', then after that... He won't go away Nat... Ah can't get Remy outta mah mind. When he came here, it wasn't to apologise, it was to ask if had stolen from his family."

Natalie gasped. "That slim ball!"

"Yeah, maybe. He said he dun't believe it was meh, and that his family was makin him do it. Ah don't know if ah believe him or not. But the thing is Nat, ah was actually starting ta fall for him all over again. Ah can't fall for him Nat. Ah've already been hurt by him once, ah can't be hurt by him again... Ah'm gonna go back ta ma foster home... There was a boy there who went inta a coma... And it was mah fault... Ah think ah owe him a visit and an apology. From there, ah don't know where ah'll go."

"... Oh Rogue... Why don't ya go back home to ya family. Ah know ya said ya relationship with ya family ain't great, but it must be better than here if it's really makin' ya that upset."

"Nat... There's sumthin have not told ya..." Rogue turned around to face Natalie in the eye. She actually didn't know what her reaction would be but she couldn't keep lying to her. Rogue had only told her and Tanya a bit of what had happened between her and Gambit. This girl had helped her out and she deserved to know the truth. "Ah'm a mutant Nat." Natalie's eyes were wide, but she didn't say anything. "The guy, Logan, who tried talkin' meh out of gettin' married, he wasn't mah father. Ah like ta think he is, but he's not. He's a mutant too. He was one of the mutants ah used ta live with. Ah used ta be an X-Men, Nat. One of these mutants ya see on TV."

"I knew it." Said Natalie pointing a finger at Rogue." I knew it was you! I thought I recognised ya on TV. Your that girl, the Rogue. The one who can take someone out with a simple touch." Natalie was giving nothing away except shock, but Rogue couldn't decided if it was good shock or bad shock.

"Yeah, that's meh. The untouchable. When mah powers first manifested ah turned to the X-Men for help. Ah ran away from mah foster mother and haven't seen her since... But that's cause she betrayed meh. She ain't bad, but she ain't innocent. She'd been lookin' after meh for mah powers. If she couldn't have seen the future and couldn't have seen what mah powers would be, then ah woulda been some street rat. Most likely, dead... No matter where ah go or who ah get ta know, they always turn out ta wanna use meh for ma powers."

Natalie looked hurt." I never knew 'bout ya powers."

"Cause ya never knew. Cause ah never told ya. Ya one of the only descent people I've known who hasn't used mah power, and ah had ta lie ta ya 'bout em. Ah'm so sorry Nat. Ah'm gonna go and ya won't have ta worry bout meh anymore."

"Wow, wow hold up. Do you think I'm a mutant hater?"

"Well, ya've not really said anythin."

"Rogue, ya the first mutant I've meet. I don't know how to react. I've never really gotten inta the whole mutants-are-bad, mutants-are-friends thing. I don't care 'bout dat stuff. I just wanna enjoy life. But I gotta say Rogue. Ya a good girl who just seems lost. If all mutants are like ya then I think I'm for." This made Rogue smile. Now she understood why it was so important to the Professor to get people to like mutants. Being accepted and knowing that you showed someone that mutants are no different than ordinary people felt amazing." Look Rogue, I ain't got no problem with ya bein a mutant. All I care 'bout is that ya safe and ya happy. We're friends and friends look out for each other. So, if ya really wanna go back home, then go, but just know that there will always be a bed for ya here."

"Thank ya Nat. Ya don't know how good it is ta here ya say that."

"I'll bet bein' a mutant seems hard. Now if ya want ya can borrow mah suit case. At Least dat way I know youll be comin back and to say hi."

That night, the girls packed and tried to enjoy what little time left they had together.

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The next day, some important news had been discovered. That day, Gambit and the guild had spent in a court like session. The next day Gambit slipped out to go see someone he felt should know what happened. He knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

"Oh." Said Natalie as she answered the door. "Rogue's not here."

"It's important." Gambit said, pushing past. Rogue wasn't on the sofa. He went to check out the rooms but she wasn't there either. "Where is she?" Gambit asked Natalie.

"She's gone."

"Fuck." Gambit cursed under his breath and running his hands through his hair. "Where?." He asked.

"Ah. Ah don't think-."

"Please. It's important."

Natalie thought about this. He looked desperate. A man desperately in love and she was a sucker for romances. "She's gone back home."

"The X-Men." Gambit breathed as he ran his hands down his face. If she'd gone back to the X-Men it would be harder to get her alone and talk to her. The Wolverine would be all over her making it imposable to get her away.

"No actually. She, erm, she's gone back ta Mississipi."

"Her home town? Why?"

"Erm, she said she'd put some guy in a coma and thought it was time she said her sorry. I don't think she knows where she's goin' from there, but I made her promise ta come back Rogue always keeps her promises."

That statement hurt worse than hearing she'd gone. "Yeah... I know she does."

"So ya goin after her?" Asked Natalie.

Gambit looked at Rogue's cheerful friend. She wasn't very good at keeping Rogue's location a secret. Did Rogue want him to find her? "Do you know where she is?"

"Yeah, she's headin' ta a hospital called Hope, but I'm not sure where that is. The guy she's gone ta see though who's in a coma, his name is Cody Robinson."

"Thanks, I can find her from that." Gambit said and left. But there was one thing on his mind more than him worrying about why and where Rogue had gone. Who was this Cody and what was he to Rogue?