This is based loosely around the films, and set after the war at the end of X2. A lot of the characters that died are still alive here and I've put my own spin on the story.

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own anything.

Chapter One

Remy LeBeau had never really been one for second chances.

He believed that the choices people made defined them, and that was just the way it was. Choices were made and once it was done, the person just had to live with the outcome.

The problem was, Remy LeBeau was also a hypocrite.

He took a long drag of his cigarette as he glanced up at the huge and intimidating stately home now in front of him.

Remy had always lived his life one way, as a thief and a mercenary. He'd sold all and any of his available skills to the highest bidder, and he'd never had a problem with it before. Maybe he'd done a few things that tugged at his morals, but then he'd always reasoned that if it wasn't him doing these things, it would only be someone else.

Until he'd suddenly realised he was on the wrong side of thirty with nothing to show for it but his money and his questionable morals.

Which was exactly why he now found himself stood in front of a house so big it should technically be called a mansion.

Remy didn't have many friends, and one of the only people he could really count on lived here. So when she'd called to ask how he was doing, he'd jumped at the opportunity for a catch up.

For the offer of a place to stay.

For a safe haven.

Remy took a deep breath and flicked his cigarette out just as the huge oak front door opened and a breathtaking woman stepped out. She had beautiful cocoa coloured skin, steely grey eyes and shockingly white hair elegantly cut around her face.

Ororo Monroe looked just as beautiful as she had the last time he had seen her.

She was stern as she locked eyes with him, "Remy LeBeau."

He grinned and opened his arms for her, "Stormy!"

"I'm sure I've told you not to call me that" she said as she climbed down the stone steps and folded herself into his arms.

"Yo' know how dis one be f'r listenin'" he joked, pulling her tight into his chest.

"I'm glad you're safe" she said quietly.

In the aftermath of the war so much had happened and so many people had been lost, he was also glad to know that his old friend had survived unscathed. Or mostly unscathed.

"Come on inside" she said, turning and clearing her throat as she did so. "The climate here isn't quite what you're used to."

"Ain't much snow in de bayou" he agreed as he followed her into an impressive hallway with a grand staircase.

"I'm not really sure if this is the place for you, Gambit" she said as she turned a corner, "The school has some very strict rules."

There were two people walking down the hall that Ororo led him into, she continued to chatter about the school and the curriculum but he stopped listening. One of the people in front was a short man wearing a plaid shirt wrapped around the thick muscles of his arms. The second was a woman with long, curly aurburn hair that cascaded down her back and stopped just above the swell of her round behind.

Remy's first thought was how delectable she looked.

His second was that he was sure he recognised that behind and that shade of aurburn hair. The last person he'd seen it on had it cropped to shoulder length, but the curls were the same. Sure enough she flicked a white strand out of her face and he knew it was her.

"Rogue!" he called out.

She stopped and turned to look at him, a smile still lit her face from the conversation she was having with her friend. That smile froze on her face as her green as August eyes met his red and black ones for the first time in ten years. She stood stock still and stared at him, but she didn't say a word.

He moved to step closer to her, "Rogue" he said softly, "It's Remy."

Remy wasn't sure why he was prompting her, she had to remember him. He sure remembered her and the times they had spent together. He remembered the last time he ever saw her, sleeping soundly in his bed as he slipped out like the thief he was.

She had told him she loved him that night.

She had to remember.

"M- Rogue, do you know this guy?" the gruff little man asked, shoving an unlit cigar into his mouth and chewing on the end.

"Remy" Ororo came up from behind him, "How do you know our Rogue?"

Remy turned to look at Ororo before returning Rogue's gaze, she was still staring at him with her mouth open as though he was a mirage. "Worked f'r Misty at de same time" he muttered, beginning to feel embarrassed that she didn't recognise him.

"Is this-" the whiskery man stood next to Rogue started, pulling the cigar out of his mouth as he practically growled, "Is this the guy you told me about?"

Slowly Rogue nodded, "This is Gambit." She said it so quietly he almost wasn't sure he heard.

"Knew yo' recognised dis one!" he practically cheered, making a move to throw his arms around her.

He was stopped by the feral looking man who stood in front of her, his hand pulled out in front of him in a fist motion with three long, metal claws coming out from between his knuckles.

The sight sent shivers running up Remy's spine.

"You don't touch her" he practically spat.

"Wolverine!" Ororo chastised.

Remy was sure the confusion was down to Rogue's mutation. She had the ability to absorb memories, powers and the very life force of anyone that made skin contact with her. Luckily for him, Remy's mutation seemed to produce a static shield around him, at one time he had thought it was just around his brain and protected him from psychics, but it also seemed to shield him from Rogue's mutation as well.

"It's okay" he started, turning to look at Logan as Rogue seemed to have once again lost the ability to form words. "M' mutation-"

"I know all about yer powers, bub" the Canadian bit out, "Too bad they don't protect yeh from mine."

"Logan" Rogue sighed from behind him.

Before Logan could carry out whatever he seemed to be planning a door between the two of them opened and the infamous Charles Xavier wheeled out. "Good morning Remy, Logan" he smiled pleasantly, "Perhaps the two of you might like to continue this is my office."

Remy had only ever heard of Charles Xavier through his reputation and the work he had done for mutants over the years. If he was honest, he had expected to be disappointed when they did finally meet. However, the man now sat in the wheelchair had such a commanding presence and searching gaze that even the feral Wolverine took a step back.

Logan threw Remy one more dirty look before retracting those claws and following Charles back into his office. Remy glanced up at Rogue in the hope she might speak to him now that her feral guard dog was out of sight, she was not looking at him however as she ducked into the room. Ororo motioned he should follow and they both piled in.

Logan was banging a fist against Charles' desk, "He shouldn't be here, Chuck" he said angrily, "I want him out."

"Excuse me, Logan-" Ororo started.

"Non" Remy interrupted, holding out a hand to silence her. "Excuse moi monsior, but who died an' made yo' God?"

Logan turned and let out an honest to God growl, "I don't want you within a hundred feet of her" he said, gesturing towards Rogue.

Remy turned to see she had taken a seat, her green eyes cast down at the carpet.

"An' why n't?" Remy asked, turning back to the only person in the room who appeared to be speaking to him. "Me an' Rogue were good friends."

"Friends?" Logan snorted, beginning to pace the room out of anger. "Do you have any idea what happened to her after you left, bub?" The gruff little Canadian demanded, he was getting a little too close for Remy's liking as he narrowed his brown eyes and bared his teeth in Remy's face.

"Logan" Rogue said softly, reaching out to touch the part of his arm covered by his short sleeved shirt. "Leave it."

"No darlin', I won't leave it" he all but growled, his expression softening when he turned to look at her. "He deserves to know what he did to you."

"Remy did nothin'" he burst out, slipping back into third person due to anger.

"That's raht, Cajun" Rogue jumped in, her green eyes burned like fire as she glared at him. "Ya'll stood by an' did nothin'."

Remy started at her, confusion colouring his tone, "Yo' lost dis one, chere."

Rogue sighed and rubbed her hands over her face, taking a seat on the long sofa and looking up to fix Remy with her green eyed stare. "After yah took-" she paused and swallowed, "After yah left, Momma weren't happy with meh, and she kicked meh outta tha family." Rogue let out a long sigh and flicked her white fringe out of her eyes, ""Not before she let Sabertooth go ten rounds with meh."

Remy was speechless, "Chere-" he said softly, reaching out to touch her only to think better of it and retract his hand. He didn't know what to say or what to do to comfort her, he had thought that blood ties ran thicker than that when it came to Mystique. He'd had no idea that Rogue would end up getting hurt because of him.

But if he had, would that have changed what he'd done?

Sadly, no. He'd had no choice, and as much as he'd cared for Rogue, his job had been more important.

"She had a severe concussion, three cracked ribs, four broken, a smashed knee cap, a broken jaw, a collapsed lung and so many bruises I can't even say" Logan bit out, getting all up in Remy's face again. "He left her just enough alive to know she was about to die, an' that's on you Gumbo."

Remy was sure his face was ashen white; sure he was a picture of shock as he turned to look at Rogue. She wasn't looking at him, her green as August gaze was fixed firmly on the floor as he stared at her.

"Logan" Charles stepped in, cautioning his old friend with a gaze. "I really don't see how dragging up the past will help anyone."

"It helps everyone to know the sort of filth he is" Logan was practically foaming at the mouth as he spat in Remy's direction. For once Remy didn't have a quick or witty comeback, because this time he couldn't disagree with the Wolverine.

He had done bad things in his past life, but this? This took first place.

He ignored Logan for now, turning back to Rogue. "How did yo' live, chere?" he breathed, wondering if he had any right to ask such a question.

"Logan touched me" Rogue said simply, "He leant me his healin' factor, an' saved m' life."

Logan shrugged in return, shoving his shoulder into the door frame and looking at Rogue with a rare tenderness in his eyes, "Ain't as if you ain't saved my life every day since then" he pointed out.

A smile twisted Rogue's red lips.

"Chere, if I had known-"

"Don't pretend ya'll would have done things different" Rogue whispered, cutting him off. "Ah was jus' a job tah yah."

"That's why he can't stay here, Chuck!" Logan burst out, moving to stand in front of Rogue. "He's only out for himself."

"That's enough!" Storm burst out, moving to block Remy from Logan's view and glare at him with her ghostly grey eyes. "What has he done to deserve such savagery?"

"The memory of finding Rogue beaten and bloody in the snow still keeps me up at night" Logan spat, pointing an accusing finger at Remy. "I won't forgive him for that."

"It weren't his fault-" Rogue started but Logan silenced her with a glare.

"It's in his past Logan" Storm pointed out, the air around her crackling with intensity. "I dare say we've all done things in the past we'd rather not speak of."

Logan huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, he couldn't argue with Ororo's logic and yet he couldn't bring himself to agree with her either. Remy feared that Logan may never forgive him for what had happened to Rogue, and yet he couldn't bring himself to care, there was only one person's forgiveness he wanted.

Yet she had refused to look at him since she had last spoken.

"Right, as I severely doubt I'm going to get a truce here before midnight why don't you take Remy to his room, Ororo?" Charles suggested, taking charge of the situation again. "Logan, if you cannot be civil then I suggest you avoid situations which may cause you to be rude."

Logan snorted but didn't argue; instead he moved to sit beside Rogue and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Remy was surprised when she didn't even flinch, in fact she barely even seemed to notice the contact. She barely let anyone share air with her the last time he had seen her, now she didn't shrug away from a casual touch.

A lot had changed, it seemed.

"Rogue, are you comfortable with this situation?" Charles asked softly.

"We don't turn our back on someone in need" she said quietly, "No matter who they are."

Logan shook his head, "Knew it was a bad idea bringin' her here, Charles" he said, shaking his head as Ororo ushered Remy out of the room. "You've turned her soft."

Charles laughed, "She's turned you soft."

"Yah'll are both soft, in the head" Rogue teased and it was the last Remy heard of the conversation as Storm practically dragged him out of the room. He didn't want to leave, he wanted to stay and tell Rogue how sorry he was. But she didn't want to listen to him yet, so he would wait.

He would wait until the right moment, and he would win her back