Disclaimer: Marvel owns all X-Men related things, though I own this fic and the general concept for it.
Rating: Rated M for language and mature subject matter.
Enjoy the chapter!!
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It was turning into one of those nights for Rogue again. Another Carol attack.
Her dreams started so beautifully too. She saw Remy again, he was okay. She would cry words of disbelief and joy; he would whisper words of adoration and encouragement. It was like Rogue could feel his hands on her cheeks again, wiping away her tears. But more then feeling that touch again or hearing those words, Rogue just wished that her eyes weren't deceiving her. To see him awake, alive, as if nothing had happened. More then anything, that was what made her emotional.
But it wasn't so. Carol was manipulating her thoughts again, to images that caught her off guard and left her vulnerable. Changing from Remy into Ms. Marvel, his gentle hands now talons threatening to strangle and rip at Rogue's throat. Carol would cackle maliciously and then scream like a banshee, the sound racking at Rogue's ears and causing massive headaches. Rogue would latch onto the psyche of Carol and try to fight the madwoman off her, but as much as she now had her super strength, that didn't matter in the scape of Rogue's mind and her dreams.
There, Rogue was subject to the terror of Carol Danvers.
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Remy had slowly started nodding off around 4 am, two hours after Rogue had gone to sleep. Though not in the most comfortable position, better a hard wall and carpet floor then sharing a motel room with Logan again.
The momentary laps soon faded when Remy heard murmuring, his senses remaining aware at all times. Awake again, Remy moved forward onto one knee as he looked over the side of the bed. Rogue was having a nightmare. What began as only murmurs escalated into groans and tossing from side to side. Immediately, Remy sat on the side of the bed and gently shook Rogue to wake her up.
"Rogue," he said, barely above a whisper, her arms beginning to thrash out. Remy took a stronger hold on her shoulders and
shook with a bit more force, "Chere, wake up."
"No…" Rogue moaned out, trying to get out of Remy's grasp, but he kept his hold.
"Rogue…"
"NO!" She cried, pushing Remy off of her and across the room. He smashed into the wall hard, enough to make paint and drywall fall crumble as he lay on the floor. Rogue sat in her bed and became instantly aware of her surroundings. Her heart pounding in her chest and her breaths uneven, Rogue was suddenly aware of the absence of the weight she had felt. It was so real. Or maybe the nightmares were just getting worse.
Remy slowly regained consciousness, coughing, as a result of drywall dust and needing to catch his breath again having most of it knocked out of him… literally.
Hearing the coughs, Rogue gasped in surprise and rose quickly from her bed, floating a few feet above defensively, "Who the hell's there?!" She demanded.
As Remy regained some footing, his hand massaging to his now sore shoulder and shaking some dust from his matted hair, "Excellent way to greet an ol' face, eh chere?"
Rogue's face instantly fell as she realized who now stood at the foot of her bed. A million and one emotions flooding her at once; shock, amazement, fear, desire, hope, but most of all, relief. She gently floated down to floor beside her bed, but only moved forward a pace or two, still unsure that what she was seeing was real.
"Remy? That… that really you?" she mumbled out loud, her eyes unwavering from the figure before her. Thankfully, his eyes were just as stern.
"You been expectin' othe'a company, Anna?" he asked jokingly, that oh so memorable smirk of his appearing on his still scarred and unshaven face, hoping to somewhat lighten her surprised demeanor. Rogue knew it was him.
Wordlessly, Rogue approached him and silently wrapped her arms around his chest, her hands clenching the short leather jacket he wore. Remy didn't ask her why she started to cry when he heard the sniffles coming from his shirt. He simply moved his arm around her shoulders and gave her some form of physical comfort. There were a million and one questions he had for the woman who left him in his time of need. But the sight of her, emotional like this, he couldn't think of them. It suddenly felt like nothing mattered anymore.
However, it was Rogue who broke the silence, "Ah'm sorry…" She raised her head from his now dampened shirt and wiped away a few of the tears remaining, "Sorry everythang's a mess… Ah'm a mess."
Rogue tried to laugh it off, though inside she was still amazed and shocked to see him, "When did ya wake up?"
Remy didn't move as Rogue disengaged from him and moved back to the bed, taking a seat as if to calm herself, "'Bout a month ago," he said, "Must've been a hell ov'a bullet…" a moment of pause, gauging Rogue's reactions, "Or a hell ov'a kiss."
Rogue giggled and sighed at the response, "O' course. And resilient as eve'a Ah see," she said as she looked back to Remy, a somewhat forced smile now across her face. Remy never did buy it, he always saw through it, "It's good tah see you're alraght, Remy."
Remy nodded, "You too, chere. Was kind o' scared when dis Cajun wake up and yo' not dere no mo'."
Rogue laughed at the thought, "Ah've been just fahne. Really," she said simply, eyeing the Cajun as she spoke and seeing the dark circles under his eyes, "You wanna cup a' coffee?"
"At 4 in de mo'nin'?" he asked.
"Ah fahnd it helps sometimes," Rogue replied with a smile, standing from the bed and walking out of the room, Remy following soon after. They wandered into the expansive kitchen as Rogue flipped a light switch, blinding them both momentarily. She smoothly and efficiently started the coffee as Remy took a seat at one of the island's stools.
Remy reevaluated his surrounding in the new light, "You certainly made a good livin'. How'd you afford a place like dis?"
"Aft'a Ah went back to Caldecott, Ah found a letter from Irene. It was basically her last will and testament. In it, she gave me the keys tah this place, to use as Ah please," Rogue explained, bringing the coffee over to the island and placing the mug in front of Remy as she took her own seat across from him.
"Ah, I was wonderin' when I saw de place wheth'a or not I had it right," Remy replied, gratefully taking his cup and beginning to drink. The psychic had a mansion in New Orleans… Yeah, destiny was at work.
Rogue held her mug between her hands, waiting for it to a cool a bit, as she stared at Remy, "How long were ya here?" she asked him.
Remy stopped drinking and placed the half empty cup on the table, "Not dat long."
"Ah know ya bett'a then that, Remy. Seriously…" she demanded light heartedly.
Remy looked back at her and smirked, "How you always do dat?"
"Answ'a mah question," she said again. Remy could only answer her honestly by this point.
"Got into de city late yesterday and de first place I came was here. Was waitin' 'til you got home, wan'ed to talk to you 'bout what happened," he said, "But when you got back and you were cryin'…"
Rogue's eye widened as she drank her coffee. She hadn't realized he was there.
"I dunno. I didn' know why you were like dat, but I knew dat now wasn' de time to ask questions. So I was gonna wait 'til you woke up."
"And that was when Ah tossed ya into a wall," Rogue cut in, her shock soon subsiding. So like Remy to hide in the shadows and wait to make himself known.
"Gotta arm on ya, chere," Remy laughed.
Rogue didn't need to explain, she knew he knew about Ms. Marvel. How could he not?
"So, you said you had some questions?" she asked instead.
After a moment of silence, Remy asked her the question he had wanted to know since he woke up.
"Why'd you leave, Rogue?" he asked, staring her down. The tension suddenly increased in the room as Rogue's face fell again and she looked to a far wall to avoid him.
"That's why ya'll can down here? To ask a silly question lahke that?" she said, still avoiding having to look at his face.
"Really dat hard to believe dat I'd be de one to come down here aft'a ya?" he asked. She was avoiding again.
"Ah always kinda figured it'd be Logan, the Profess'a, or maybe Jean or Scott, askin' me tah come back… for the team and all," Rogue replied, standing from the stool and moving towards the kitchen window above the sink and staring out at the north sky, "Would'a thought you were smart'a, suga'h. Realizin' why Ah did what Ah did."
"I don' understand, Rogue," Remy quickly replied, catching Rogue's attention again, "I don' understand why you would leave right aft'a what happened. Yo' puttin' yo'self in mo're dang'a by leavin' da Institute walls."
"Lahke that did meh much good. Not lahke Malice still wasn't able to get her grubby lil' hands on mah pow'as while asleep in mah own bed," Rogue retorted, resting against the counter, "Ah'm no bett'a off in or out of the mansion."
"What 'bout de X-Men?" Remy asked determinedly.
Rogue looked at him with an unimpressed look in her eyes, "What about 'em?"
"You practically ripped up de team by leavin'. I wasn' de only one dat wondered. De entire team was at a loss."
"Hm, took meh leavin' for them tah notice Ah wasn't around no more? What a surprise," she replied sarcastically, crossing her arms across her chest, " 'Hey where's the girl that nearly killed all of us? Oh her? Yeah, maybe she went and crawled under a rock somewhere.' Jean must've been thrilled."
Remy was taken aback, not believing what he was hearing. Rogue always had her insecurities, but she had never voiced them out like this before, "What are you talkin' 'bout?"
Rogue looked Remy dead set, "Oh, come on Remy! Don't pretend lahke everyone there wasn't somewhat happy Ah was gone. Sure, they probably acted lahke they were all worried, but in the end they knew they were bett'a off. No more haywire powers, no more accidental absorptions, no more super-powered terrorists coming to use me to destroy the world."
"Dat what dis is all 'bout? 'Bout what happened in de tunnels?" Remy asked moving up to Rogue as she continued.
"What this is about is how Ah'm more of a liability then an asset tah the X-Men. It's about me startin' ov'a again, Remy! Ah wanted to try again at a lahfe Ah ain't ev'a had. Somewhere where people didn't know me, didn't know what Ah am. Where Ah'm not constantly reminded of what Ah am or what Ah've done. It's the closest thang Ah have to a normal lahfe!" Rogue countered, never faltering.
Unfortunately, Remy was just as stubborn, "And what 'bout de life you left behind? Fo'get de X-Men or what happened with Apocalypse or Sinister. Why did you leave 'us' behind?"
Rogue was stunned. She didn't know how to respond. How could she tell it to his face; tell him that she didn't want him in her life anymore, that it was better the way it was? This is what she wanted to avoid from the beginning. She though he was smarter then this, taking the hint. His reputation clearly preceded him.
"I t'ought you said dat you weren' gonna leave dis Swamp Rat any time soon." Instead, she reverted back to defenses. Using those walls again.
"Heh, lahke Ah said, suga'h. Thought you would und'astand bett'a then the oth'as. 'Bout wantin' tah start a new lahfe, especially when it involves leavin' a lov'a behind," she stated, point blank.
Remy was confused at first before it hit him hard, "You know what happened? What happened wit' Belle…?"
"Ah know everythang that happened Remy. With Belle, with Julian, the Assassins. Sure, Ah pieced it all togeth'a with the memories Ah'd absorbed from ya ov'a tahme. But really, why not? You wanted an out, to not be a thief anymore, to avoid a condemned lahfe. Is it so hard tah believe Ah want mah own?" Rogue explained a bit calm for Remy's liking. His determination soon faded. If she couldn't forgive him for his past, then there was no point.
"Dat why ya left? Couldn't stand de things dis thief done?" he asked blatently.
Rogue looked up to him surprised, "What?"
"You know what I done, Rogue. I ain't gonna try and say they were justified. I got mo' skeletons in my closet den mos' should."
Rogue was still surprised, "Remy…"
"I can' even fo'give myself fo' dat, chere. So if dat be why, den…"
"Just stop," Rogue said sharply, cutting Remy off, "Ya shouldn't feel bad about it, Remy. And you shouldn't think that that would be a reason fo' meh to leave ya. Everyone has a past, especially people lahke us. Ah came to terms with what happened, and even if we were both still back at the Institute, Ah wouldn't have left ya fo' that."
Remy walked up to Rogue by the window, countering her by the counter and looked at her in the eye, "Den why?"
"Why do ya care? It's done! Ah've left and Ah ain't goin' back to the way everythang was befo'!" Rogue exclaimed, moving to walk away from Remy, but he quickly grabbed her shoulder and turned her back around and held her there.
"You really think I'm goin' to take an answer like that?"
Rogue didn't back down though, "Remy, listen tah the words Ah'm sayin'. Ah'm done! It's ov'a!"
"I know you bett'a den dat, Rogue. Try again."
Ah want mah own redemption. Ah want mah own lahfe!"
"And what was wrong wit' de one ye had?" Remy retorted, both getting increasingly frustrated with the other.
"Everythang!" she exclaimed, pointing out the window to open air, "Every damn day Ah spent in that mansion, Ah was constantly put in a position Ah nev'a wanted tah be in. Where Ah was responsible fo' people that Ah didn't even know and gettin' people Ah do care about hurt. Seein' ya lahke that…"
That was when it all came out and when her walls failed. Rogue shattered right before Remy as she collapsed onto her knees and began to sob, all the pent up anger she had for herself.
Remy kneeled down in front of her and rested a hand on her shaking shoulder. Rogue would only continue to ramble, "Ah'm tired, Remy. Ah'm tired of worryin' that Ah'm gonna hurt the people Ah care about. What happened was all Ah could take. Ah had to leave. Knowin' that Ah'd ruined so many people's lahves… Ah couldn't take it. Ah can't take it anymo'…"
As he moved to embrace her, she shrugged out from his hold, looking up at him as if afraid of him. He was stunned by the action for a moment.
"It's just bett'a this way Remy," she said breathlessly, "Please…"
"Chere…" Remy started as he reached out Rogue again, but she again shrugged away from him, her forearms and hands uncovered. She moved her arms against her chest as she sobbed softly. She wanted to suffer alone. Somehow, she felt like she deserved it, "I ain't leavin' you like dis. You know I could care less 'bout what happened. Not'in' dat happened matt'as. All I know is dat I still love you and dat I ain't goin' anywhere 'til you know dat."
Rogue still refused to look at him, "You don't und'astand, Remy… Ah lost the one good thang Ah had goin' fo' meh. You were all Ah had, the only person that Ah could touch and that und'astood meh bett'a then anyone Ah ev'a knew, and Ah nearly killed ya because o' what Ah am."
"You weren' de only one to lose somet'in', Rogue," Remy countered, "When I found out you were gone, I felt like my only chance at a decent life was gone wit' you. You and de X-Men were all I had. And even wit' dem, It felt hollow wit'out you dere too."
Rogue began shuttering from her tears, "Why can't ya just be civil about this? Ah was tryin' to be decent about the whole thang. Just go, Remy."
A pang sounded in Remy's heart. Even after all this… they both can't live without the other… both somehow trying to do right by the other… and she was still sending him away. She was too stubborn now. Rogue would never change her mind when she had decided something. And apparently, she decided that their lives were somehow better without each other.
Remy reached out to Rogue one last time, but upon Rogue seeing his bare hand coming towards her, she again shrugged away from the embrace.
As badly as Remy didn't want to, he knew there was nothing else he could say to change her mind. He had already laid his heart out for her to see and Rogue was practically kicking him while he was down.
Remy stood from the kitchen floor and didn't even give the woman a second look as he walked to the kitchen door, but just as he reached it, Remy spoke to her one last time, "If you don' wanna come back to de X-men, or even comeback wit' me, i's somet'in' I'll have to live wit'. But promise me dat you'll get out of de city. You know my past, you know what comin' here meant. Yo' life is in dang'a de long'a yo' here. Get out of de city, and I promise you I won't cross yo' doorstep again."
Rogue stared at his receding figure, not saying a word.
"And jus' so you know," Remy continued as he walked to the front door, "Dat kiss you gave me… completely worth it."
The door shut behind him, and Rogue was again left alone.
The cold air quickly surrounded her as the sadness she felt earlier that evening soon returned. What had she done?
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Remy gently closed the door behind him and stared out into the darkest of nights he'd seen in years. Stars barely a light in the sky, the moon duller then he thought it could be. Even the city seemed darker then usual. Nothing was ever going to be the same after this.
Roughly shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, Remy searched around for a cigarette, finding one more crumpled then smooth, but it would have to do. As he walked up to his bike at a strolls pace, Remy lit his cigarette and took a long inhale. He sighed with a temporary relief, but as he relaxed he felt a tap on his shoulder. Some how, Remy believed it was Rogue, coming back to apologize and come back into his life the way they should be.
But as Remy turned to face the love of his life, he was met with a strong shock to the system pinching him in his side. Remy fell limp into the ground after having 10, 000 volts of electricity run through his body. The menacing figure stood over him, clearly not one of the womanly figure Remy was expecting. With the little energy he had, Remy turned back to the figure and instantly recognized the face and cursing him to hell under his breath.
"Yo' gettin' sloppy, LeBeau…"
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Yay! A chapter the day before school starts!! Yeah, I have my Life Drawing class tomorrow at 2pm, so I wanted to bust out another chapter before I have sleepless nights filled with projects and assignments.
So PLEASE read, review, comment and critque! I wanna hear what you guys think about this story! Especially now that we have hit the point you all were waiting for; the reunion with our southern lovers. However, bet it didn't end the way you expected, huh? XD Yes, I'm evil, but there is still much more to come! I promise!
So…
Until next time…
