"Five more minutes," Remy pulled the covers over his head.

Rogue placed her hands on her hips, "You are the one that wanted to leave bright and early again. Now get your lazy behind out of bed, we're burning daylight."

He looked over at her and frowned, "You are a dictator."

She rolled her eyes, throwing a black short sleeve shirt, a pair of jeans and boxers at him. He sat up and grabbed the clothes, heading for the bathroom. Rogue placed a plate with two eggs, bacon and buttered toast on the nightstand. She handed him a cup of coffee as he walked back into the room. He thanked her and took a long sip. They ate quietly, neither one seeming to want to address the almost events of the night prior. He gathered their dishes and placed them on the hotel tray as Rogue made the bed. He double checked that everything was packed up and draped their bags over his shoulder. He tried to cover a yawn as they checked out and walked to the car. In all honesty, he was exhausted. He'd tried his best but sleep just wouldn't come to him. He'd spent most of the night stroking her face, running his hand through her hair and watching her sleep. It all just seemed so easy for her.

"You want me to drive for a bit," Rogue asked as he loaded the bags into the trunk.

"Non," he rubbed his eyes, "I'm fine to drive."

Rogue took the car keys from Remy's hand, "No way, you look like you need rest. Did you not sleep well last night?"

"You win," he closed the trunk, walking to the passenger side of the car, "We can swap once we get food. I know the area so it'll be easier for me to drive. And, no, not really."

She nodded and pulled out of the parking lot. Within minutes Remy was back to sleep. Rogue smiled as she listened to his soft breathing. She felt his hand grab hers. She rubbed his hand with her thumb. He pulled her hand to his lips, lightly kissing her knuckles. She shook her head as a very groggy Remy fell back asleep, still holding her hand. She let out a long sigh. She felt so confused about him and what she wanted. Last night they'd almost kissed and who knows where that would have led. She was sure that Remy had been seeing other people and she was talking to Sam. Could she really be happy with someone else? She pulled down the visor as the sun started to rise. She let go of his hand, turning on the radio to tune out her thoughts.

"What time is it," he asked, his voice raspy.

She glanced at the clock, "Ten thirty but you can sleep longer if you need to. I don't mind driving."

He blinked a few times, "Damn, I didn't mean to pass out for five hours. I'm sorry, you must be exhausted."

"I'm fine," she assured him, "I got plenty of sleep last night. I meant to ask earlier but why did you smell like cigarettes this morning?"

He ran his fingers through his hair, "I couldn't sleep so I had a few smokes."

"You smoke," she questioned, "Since when?"

He let out a long sigh, "I only stopped because I joined the X-Men and I knew you hated it."

She paused for a moment, "I feel like you know me inside and out, but there's so much I don't know about you."

"No," he looked at his lap, "No, I thought I did or that I could but a lot of things have proved to me that I don't know the first thing about you," he shook his head, "I'm sorry, that was out of line."

She looked at the clock again, "Wow, twelve thirty already. Want to stop for lunch?"

"Yeah," he answered, "That's probably a good idea."

She pulled into the nearest diner. She knew he didn't mean anything by it but his words did hurt. She couldn't blame him though. She was sure he thought she didn't love him anymore and she hadn't done much to prove otherwise. She pulled herself out of her thoughts as she heard the passenger side door close. He was already headed for the diner. She scrambled out of the car to catch up to him.

"Hey," she grabbed his arm, "I can tell you're upset. Do you want to talk about it or…?"

"Do you, last night…why didn't you pull away," he looked down at her, "If you don't want me then why didn't you pull away?"

She looked at the ground, "Force of habit I guess. It's not like I'm not attracted to you, I'm sorry. I should have pulled away."

He placed both hands on her face, making her look at him, "Is that the only reason? Because you like the way I look?"

"Yes, well no but," she could feel her face getting hot.

He lean his head down, his lips next to her ear, "If that's the case then why don't I just take you in the back of the car right now? It's just physical, right?"

She pulled away, "It's not like that."

"Then tell me what it's like," he grabbed her shoulders, "Please because I sure as hell don't know," he hung his head, letting her go, "Forget it, let's just eat."

She shook her head, "I, um, I've actually lost my appetite. You go eat, I'll take a nap in the car."

"Give me the keys, I'll drive," he sighed, "It's only a few more hours anyway. I'm sure the food at home is better than the food here."

They walked back to the car, Remy wishing he'd never opened his mouth. He'd give her a bit before talking to her about the situation. He hadn't updated his family about their break up. He knew she wasn't going to be thrilled about this but sadly he would need her to play along, at least around them. In order to get Jean Luc off his back about Belladonna. But he didn't understand what she felt towards him. If she was lying and it was just physical, why couldn't they be physical? He ached for her. He gave the silence about an hour before clearing his throat to speak.

"So," he began, "Please don't be upset but I didn't tell my family that we broke up. Before you overreact, it's mostly so Jean Luc wouldn't try to push the issue about a relationship with Belladonna again. I understand if you don't want to but…"

"Okay," she interrupted, "But after this trip I think you need to explain a few things to them. For the record I understand your reasons, but I relish the idea of lying to them."

He nodded and the silence resumed. What was she thinking? The was probably the stupidest thing she'd ever agreed to and she'd willingly done five hour Danger Room sessions with Logan. Was this an excuse to be close to him? Did she need an excuse? No, but she wanted an excuse that would leave allow her to be close without committing. Close enough to but just enough out a reach as to not cause extra hurt. She glanced down at the clock again, four o'clock. Her eyes widened as he pulled into the driveway of a house that was just a hair smaller than the mansion.

He parked the car, "It used to be smaller, Jean Luc bought the lots on both sides of us. Made the house bigger then bought the land that backs up to the river. What he needs all this space for I don't know but it's given us land to train."

Rogue got out of the car, gazing at the house for a moment before going to help unpack the trunk. Henry was waiting out front as they walked towards the porch, his arm wrapped around Merci's shoulder. Remy grabbed Rogue's hand, giving it a light squeeze before leading her up the steps to greet them. He could tell that she was nervous. He released her hand as they stepped onto the porch. Merci smiled, breaking away from Henry and opening her arms wide. He smiled back at her as he walked up to the pair.

Merci embraced Remy, "It's so good to see you Remy. We've missed you and I see you've brought a friend home."

Henry embraced him next, "You didn't come down for Thanksgiving you knuckle head."

Merci embraced Rogue, "You must be Rogue, Remy gushes about you all the time. It's so nice to finally meet you."

Once Mercy was done Henry shook her hand, "Extremely nice. Forgive me for staring, you just remind me of someone."

"Tha parce que c'est son," Remy told Henry.

Henry gawked at Remy, "That's her? Merde, how in the hell did you find her?"

"We kind of bumped into each other," Rogue said, "He actually joined my team a few months ago."

"So," Mercy thought for a moment, "You're also a…"

"Mutant, yes," Rogue nodded.

"We were told Remy was a class four," Henry paused then proceeded, "May I ask what class you are?"

"Okay," Remy clapped his hands, "Let's get these bags in the house, shall we?"

Rogue nodded and followed Remy inside the house. She followed Remy to his room. They had asked about Rogue using one of the guest bedrooms but Merci laughed, stating she was under no false ideas that they weren't intimate. Remy let out a small, nervous laugh as Rogue's face went bright red. Rogue's mouth almost fell open when she saw his room. It was huge and beautiful. There was a mahogany framed king-sized bed with black, silk sheets and black canopy. Two mahogany end tables sat on either side. There was a door to the right of the bed, leading to a huge walk-in closet. Across from the bed was a large mahogany dresser, a 60" flat screen TV mounted to the wall above it. The wall facing the back yard had French doors leading to a large balcony with a small, rod iron table with matching chairs. Between the French doors and the window was a grey, suede daybed.

Rouge blinked a few times, "This is your room?"

Remy placed the bag on the floor, "Yeah, I mean I only stayed in it for a few years before I left but yeah. I think it's a bit much. The door next to the TV is for the bathroom if you want to check that out. I'll take the daybed if it makes you more comfortable."

She looked at the daybed, "No, you can take the bed. You're taller than I am. I don't need all that space. Here, let me help unpack. I'll put our things in the bathroom."

He closed the door behind them, not wanting any extra ears to hear them. She walked into the bathroom and nearly dropped their toiletry bags. There was a large jacuzzi tub with a walk-in shower next to it. Across from the tub was the toilet and a two-sink counter, a mirror hanging on the wall. Next to the toilet was a door. She opened it to find wash clothes and towels. She placed their soaps, shampoo, conditioner and puff in the shower. She then placed her face wash, lotion and make-up remover in the cabinet next to the sink. She took the sink to the left, placing her toothbrush and toothpaste down before placing Remy's next to the right. She noticed a few bottles next to the tub with essential oils, bubbles and bath salts. The bathroom felt more like a room you'd find at a spa. She walked back out as Remy finished putting their clothes away.

She plopped herself on the bed, sinking into the mattress, "This feels like a cloud. How did you ever survive Magneto's?"

"I've had plenty of jobs where comfort wasn't an option," he laughed, "This is all the doing of an interior decorator, I didn't get much of a say. Never had any complaints from the ladies though," he noticed her glare at him, "Sorry, bad joke. You're actually the only girl that has been in this room."

Rogue raise a brow skeptically, "I'm sure. What about Belladonna?"

Remy took a seat next to her, "Any time we'd do anything it'd be at her place. She didn't want anyone to see us together and her house is in the richer neighborhood. Besides, I made sure they kept my room in the same general area when they rebuilt. This is where we used to spend most of our time the nights you stayed over. I didn't want anyone else tainting that memory," he ran his hand along his neck, "Sorry, didn't mean to get all nostalgic."

She stood up, "I think I'm gonna take a bath. Work out some of the kinks from the car."

"Here," he grabbed her hand, "You relax, maybe watch some TV and I'll draw you a bath. I promise it won't take long."

He pulled her back on to the bed before getting up and going to the bathroom. She listened as the water began to run. The scent of lavender and vanilla seeped through the crack in the door. She waited about ten minutes before deciding to investigate. She opened the door to find the lights dimmed, candles staggered around the room and bubbles filling the tub. Remy stood up as he heard the creak of the door. He smiled at her softly as he gestured for her to come in. There was a towel and robe placed on the counter between the sinks. She looked back at the tub. Should she invite him to join her?

He kissed the top of her head, "Dinner should be at six, so take your time and relax."

She emerged from the bathroom about an hour later. She smiled at the shirtless and pants less man asleep on the bed. She stretched and walked over to the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed, pushing some hair from his face. He grabbed her hand, giving her palm a kiss before looking at her with a sleepy smile. She tucked some hair behind her ear as he sat up. He quickly pulled the covers around his waist, his face going red.

"What's wrong," she asked, "It's not like I haven't seen you in your underwear and those boxers have always done wonders for your ass."

He laughed a little, embarrassment taking over, "It's not my ass that's the issue. It's what sleeping on my stomach was hiding."

"Sleeping on your….oh," she pulled back, falling off the bed, "Shit," she pulled her robe a little tighter, "I'm sorry. I didn't even think. I'll get dressed," she stood up, "I'm so sorry."

He laughed more as her face turned red, "Haven't seen you this embarrassed about my body since the first time you came to my room and saw me naked," he cleared his throat, "It's, um, been a while since…well the last time that I had sex was…what I mean is."

"That night was the last time," she stared in disbelief, "I had figured you would have, I mean, it's been a few months now. You haven't…?"

He shook his head, "Not since you, no. It, it wouldn't be the same. But," he looked back at her, "If you and Sam have that's…that's cool. I mean great, no, I mean…"

"No," she could feel her face burning, "No, you're still the only one that I've…"

There was a knock on the door, "I hope I'm not interrupting," Merci called from the other side, "I just wanted to let you both know that dinner's ready if you two want to head downstairs."

"Yeah," Remy called back, "We'll be down in a minute. Just took a little bath, it was a long trip," he let out a sigh, "We should get dressed."

He showed her where he'd put her clothes before gathering his and heading into the bathroom. He admired her as he walked back out a few moments later. She wore a light purple tank top with a light gray, quarter sleeved, zip up sweatshirt and dark blue skinny jeans. She paired it with light gray flats, deep purple, heart drop earrings. She had eyeliner and mascara with a grayish eye shadow and clear lip gloss. She had pinned the sides of her hair back, exposing her face. The rest of her hair flowed down her back. It was naturally curly and bouncy. She also had her usual silver rings on her index fingers and thumbs. He wore his black sneakers, faded blue jeans and a form fitting black top. He had his necklace tucked in his shirt. She smiled at him as he walked over to her. She spun around a few times, getting his approval.

He offered her his hand, "You look as beautiful as ever. Ready to meet everyone?"

She took his hand, giving it a light squeeze, "As ready as I'll ever be"

Everyone's eyes fell to Rogue as they walked into the dining room. She couldn't believe the amount of people that were here for dinner. She could feel her heart begin to race, why was she so nervous? Remy let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, kissing the top of her head. She noticed two men standing next to each other, the one elbowed the other and whispered. The other man nodded in agreement before they both moved forward, standing in front of Rogue and Remy. They both nodded at Remy, who returned the gesture, then turned their full attention to Rogue.

"Bonjour petite, my name is Theoren," he kissed her hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

The other man took her hand from Theoren's, "My name is Etienne," he kissed her hand as well, "If there's anything you need while you're here, anything at all, please don't hesitate to ask."

Another man pushed both of them out of the way, "Bonjour belle femme. My name is Emil. Remy had told us so much about you," he kissed her hand as well, then looked her over, "His description didn't do you justice. If you ever decide he's not your flavor, I'm always available."

Remy shoved him teasingly, "And you call yourself a friend."

"Can you blame me," Emil asked, "I mean…she is perfection."

"Move you're behinds and let me get a look at this child," an elderly, African American woman walked up to Remy and Rogue, "Well aren't you just the sweetest little thing. It's about time someone was able to tie this boy down. From what I hear you really know how to keep him in his place. Now both of you give Tante Mattie a hug."

They both leaned down to give her a hug. Remy also kissed the top of her head. She smiled at him, taking both of his hands in hers and giving him a once over. Rogue laughed as she reached up and smacked him on the head. He grabbed his head in surprise, staring at her questioningly. He was about to speak but she put a finger up to stop him.

"Since when don't you come home for Thanksgiving," she scolded, "I know you have better manners than that, Remy Etienne LeBeau. Not even a call to say you weren't coming, I outta beat that behind."

Rogue spoke quietly, "That's my fault ma'am. I had gotten hurt pretty badly and Remy just wanted to stay to make sure I was alright. I was in pretty rough shape for a while."

"Child, call me Tante," she said sweetly at Rogue before looking back at Remy, "I'll let you off the hook this time. But you do that again, without so much as calling, I will come to New York and drag you back here."

He nodded, "Yes, Tante, I'm sorry."

"Good," she clapped her hands together, "Now all of you, to the . It's time for dinner."

They all hurried into the dining room. Remy guided Rogue, placing his hand on the small of her back. He whispered things to her, explaining the dynamics of the family. She listened intently. They both stopped when they saw not only Jean-Luc but Marius Boudreaux, Julien Boudreaux and Belladonna Boudreaux. Remy was told to sit next to Belladonna while Rogue was seated between Emil and Henry. Remy shot his father a dirty look as he sat at one head of the table before looking at Rogue apologetically. Emil pulled Rogue's seat out for her, giving Remy a nod before engaging her in polite conversation. Remy kept a close eye on Jean Luc, who had a mischievous smile spread across his face. From the corner of his eye he could see Julien looking her up and down as if she were a piece of meat. He ground his teeth together. What was his father planning?

Jean Luc cleared his throat, bring the focus to him, "Now, correct me if I'm wrong but you're the one that Remy brought to help rescue me? How interesting," he looked back to Remy, "But if my sources are correct is she not also the little girl you used to be obsessed with? How interesting indeed," he shifted his focus back to Rogue, "That you'd turn out to also be a mutant. I hear you go by a different name now, Rogue is it? It was brief but I believe you've met Julien and Belladonna. The gentleman at the other head of the table is their father, Marius."

Marius smiled at the girl with the unique hair and blazing emerald eyes, "A pleasure to meet you. If you aren't busy I'm sure my son would have no issue showing you around."

Remy's eyes glowed as he faced Marius, "That won't be necessary."

Jean Luc laughed, "You have prior obligations, do you intend to just have her wait around for you?"

"For once I'm not here for business, just pleasure," he spat.

Jean Luc waved his hand, "I assure you, you will have plenty of pleasure and a very tight schedule. Julien will show Rogue around."

"Excuse me," Rogue cut in, "I don't mean to sound rude but do I not have a say?"