Chapter 13

Gambit had just let Rogue cry into his shoulder. He sort of felt content that there was a sigh of hurt there. Maybe it was a step towards forgiveness. But he felt sad and depressed that he had made Rogue cry. Although he didn't believe it was just him that had brought this on. Rogue was a tough girl and to have her cry like this meant that stuff had really gotten to her. Feeling uncomfortable, but not wanting to lose Rogue, he shifted her to his other leg. Rogue noticed his transition, of course, and attempted to get up, but Gambit kept her there by the waist.

"Tell me what's wrong Rogue? What's happened? Why are you here?" Of course, Irene had already told him Rogue was going back to her past to sort it out, but he didn't want her to get suspicious of how much Irene had told him. He wanted the answers from her. "Natalie mentioned a guy named Cody Robinson."

Rogue was silent for a while, never meeting Gambit's eye. "Cody... Was a guy, who ask meh ta dance... Apparently, he'd been crushin' on meh for ages and finally had the courage ta ask meh ta dance. Only, ah can't dance, and ah fell. Ah fell and he helped meh up... But then, we touched. Mah powers developed that night. And he went inta a coma for a few weeks..."

"I'm sorry chére."

"Nothin' coulda stopped it... " she said, getting up and Gambit let her go. Rogue continued washing the few dishes that were left. From the large pile of dishes that were on the drying rack, she'd been at this for a while. Standing up, Gambit picked up a pot towel, started drying and Rogue pointed him to the cupboard they went in.

"Ah didn't have much left ta live for in New Orleans when tha weddin' got cancelled. And ah was just gettin' inbetween two people who are actually in love, so ah knew ah had ta leave. Ah just didn't know where. Then Mark reminded meh of Cody and ah just... Felt like ah had ta say sorry ta him... After ya hurt meh, ah just didn't wanna live with the feelin' of guilt anymore, knowin' that ah'd hurt him and possibly ruined his life."

Gambit listened to her and felt a little upset at her for being hurt because of him. But then, he felt a little hope. Hoped that she wanted to be forgiven for hurting this boy Cody, so maybe she'd understand how he felt for hurting her and forgive him.

"Guess ya know how I feel then whenever I think of you, which is, pretty much, all de time... Think I'll ever be forgiven?" He asked, looking at her. She didn't meet his eye. Instead she looked down, into the water in deep thought before looking up to him.

"Ya really hurt meh Remy. It's hard ta even be in tha same room as ya. What you did, settin' meh up like that then knockin meh down when ah asked ya not ta dump meh at the alter, after ah promised ta be ya wife, it hurt real badly..." She looked back down at the dishes she had almost finished. Gambit felt a little let down, but understood." Ah didn't expect Cody ta forgive meh, but ah wanted him ta know that ah was sorrah, and if there was anyway ta make it up ta him or find a way ta make it up ta him then ah would... But Cody, he had time ta think 'bout what happened. Two years or more actually. And he figured out ah was a mutant, and couldn't help what happened. Plus, he said he saw meh on tv a few times with tha X-Men. Said he wanted ta come visit meh. Ah thought it was sweet."

Gambit's grip got tighter on the cup he was putting away, and the little lines that came out around his mouth when he was trying not to frown became visable. Rogue looked at him out of the corner of her eye, hearing him humph.

"Sounds dodgy ta me. Is he the reason why ya didn't wanna marry meh?" When Rogue turned away and obviously wasn't going to answer that, Gambit moved onto the next thing on his mind. "So, 'part from bein' dis pretty boy, then what else he got that ah don't?"

Rogue wanted to smile at Gambit's jealousy, but then she felt a little defensive for Cody. "Oh drop tha green eyed monster act. Ya had your chance, remember? Besides... Cody was the first guy who actually found meh interestin' and wanted ta get ta know meh... And ah did used ta have a crush on him. The freak and the beauty, or more meh bein' that quiet, invisible girl at tha back of the class room, admiring the popular cute jock at the front of the class with all his friends... Ah never thought that he'd actually be interested in meh too... But that was years ago, and both our lifes have changed. He's graduated from school, lost his papa and mama and moved down here with his granma and grampa. He's workin as a coach in tha local school. He's gotten accepted inta some good colleges. He's chosin' which one he wants ta go to, but, at the moment, he wants ta stay with his family for a while... He wants ta be a doctor... He's gotta good future ahead a him."

Gambit absorbed the information about what he was up against. He felt himself sinking again. How could he win Rogue over against a smart, good lucking, honest earning doctor that knew how to treat Rogue right? He couldn't. Rogue didn't even agree with what he did for a living and he didn't have to remind himself again that he always seemed to hurt her. "You gonna be part of his future?"

Rogue finished washing the dishes and started washing down the surfaces and table. "Ah don't know? Doubt it. Ah'm still that same girl, and he's still the same hottie. Only, he wants a wife, and kids, and ta settle down. But ah'm a mutant. Ah can't give him what he wants, and even if ah could, mah life would never be quiet. Plus, ah think ah actually startin' ta miss helpin' other mutants. Missin' the action."

"Ya don't think he'd give that up for love?"

"It was only a crush."

"What if he thought it was more?What if he'd be willin' ta have ya for his wife no matter if ya can or can't touch." Gambit said with a sad face as he finished drying and putting away the last of the dishes. He watched Rogue finish up wiping the surfaces.

"Ah don't know... Guess ah haven't thought 'bout it seriously. Didn't wanna get mah hopes up... Ah guess ah'd reject him."

"Why?" Gambit asked, shocked.

"Cause ah wouldn't want him ta get hurt. Cause ah'd sacrifice a normal life and love... For love."

"If ya life weren't dangerous. If ya could have a life where ya knew he wouldn't get hurt, would you chose him?"

Rogue stopped what she was doing and looked at Gambit, placing her hand on her hip.

"Are ya askin' meh would ah chose Cody over ya?"He just looked at her. "Ah don't know Remy. Ah don't know him or you well enough ta chose. Ha, never thought ah'd be asked in tha first place ta chose a guy."

"So, is there still hope for me? You say ya don't know us well enough. Does that mean I'm not banned from your life for hurtin' ya?"

"Well, how else ya gonna make it up ta meh with what ya did. Ah still hate ya, but guess ah know, or more, understand from experience that ya need ta be given a chance ta make things right... Ah'm givin' ya a chance ta make it up ta meh, but if ya do anythin' like that again, ah'm gonna break ya arm inta three, got it?"

Gambit smiled at this. Finally happy and feeling like he had made it to the surface from drowning. "Don't worry, I won't. I'm gonna try my hardest ta keep ya safe and happy... But ah don't see how ya happy bein' back here in dis hell hole."

Rogue frowned at this. She didn't want to be back home either, but there wasn't much choice. From a cupboard in the kitchen, Rogue grabbed some tissue roll, fabric detergent and a sponge with a rough side. He followed her into the living room, holding his nose as the smell of sick got worse. Rogue got on her knees in front of the sofa and began cleaning the sick up from the carpet. Rogue looked like she was about to be sick herself.

"Why you doin' dat Rogue? It ain't your mess."

"Ah know. It's mah papa's, but he needs lookin' after." She coughed.

"Ya shouldn't have ta clean up ya father's mess."

"You didn't have ta save ya father either, but ya did it." She said, having finished wiping up the sick and throwing it in the bin. She didn't feel as sick anymore, and used the spong and fabric detergent to clean where the sick was on the carpet. " He's not well Remy. Ah gotta try helpin' him. 'ccordin' ta Irene, he ain't gotta live long... Ah already lost Irene. She's been lika mother ta meh... Ah spent so much time hatin' her for not tellin meh 'bout her powers or mine... Three years and not once did ah even call or write ta her...'pparently, ah still got time ta save mah papa. And ah don't want him ta die without even tryin'... Ah wanna try and fill in the gaps of mah life which ah ran away from. Irene told meh ta stop runnin', so that's what ah'm tryin ta do."

Rogue finished cleaning the carpet and went back into the kitchen to get a wet cloth to wipe down the surfaces in the living room. Gambit had followed her, asked where she kept the dustbin bags and started picking tins of beer and other more disgusting stuff up off the floor and throwing them away. Rogue watched him helping her for a moment.

"Ya know, ya don't have ta do that. He's mah papa, not yours. If ya tryin' ta win my forgiveness, then that ain't gonna get you it. It ain't gonna make me think or feel like ah can be 'round you without you hurtin' meh."

Gambit turned to face her. She looked so vulnerable stood there watching him help clean up. He didn't think he'd ever since her like this, except on their wedding night.

"I ain't doin' this ta suck up to ya. Not doin' it ta make myself feel better for fuckin' everything up between us. I'm doin' it cause I wanna help ya Rogue. I'm doin' it for you, cause I know and I can see how hard dis is for ya. I ain't leavin' ya like this chere. I'm stayin here with ya, even if I have to sleep on the floor, cause ah care 'bout ya. More than ah do me own family."

Rogue didn't know if to smile or not. She knew she was supposed to be hating this guy for what he did, but she just couldn't summon up that hate. When she looked at him, all that stuff what he said just made him seem like he was another person. This beautifully, handsome man stood in front of her was kind and caring and stubborn like her which made her want to smile. She liked this Gambit. She liked the old Gambit who liked to tease her and play bad boy, but she liked how sensitive this Gambit was towards her in this situation. She liked how he was actually doing something that wasn't for himself. He was doing it for her. But she just had two questions in her mind about this new Gambit. One, was this kind guy the real Gambit or, two, was he putting on an act? Either way, like she said it would take time to heal, so she'd also take that time to discover the answers to her questions. But for now, she gave him that little thanks of a smile, grateful that she actually wasn't facing this alone, and worried about what Gambit would think or say or do when he found out the truth about her family. For now though, she just enjoyed his company and support while it was here. She started cleaning the surfaces after Gambit had picked up the rubbish and together they made quick work of the living room in silence.