Disclaimer: God created Stan Lee, and Stan Lee created the X-Men. God saw that this was good. There's no way I'm going up against that.

Author's Note: Wah! I was reading the chapters of this story again to remember where I had left off writing, and I noticed that my page breaks are missing! Does anyone know why? Does anyone know how I can fix it so that they're there again?

O! Sorry for disappearing! :(

-X-

Chapter #6: Planting the Seed
"Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?"
- Proverbs, 6:27

'Jean!' The Reverend Mother waved her hand in a slightly frantic manner as a wave of red floated through the busy market street.

'Do you want me to get 'er?' Remy asked, standing on tiptoe and peering through the crowd.

'I think she has seen us,' Sister Munroe replied, the sigh of relief evident at the end of her words. Sure enough, the wave of red had changed its course and was now streaming towards them.

As he waited, Remy felt the sun hot against his skin. It had been so long since he had ventured out of the Convent – out into the real world – that every little sensation triggered his senses. The market was crowded this morning and Remy marveled at the number of people out and about. Women were scurrying to find the best deals for the fruits and vegetables that would occupy most of their baskets. Men were lounging together in groups, either staring after their wives, or otherwise whispering about the latest political scandals. And then there were the children. Remy had never experienced such an abundance of children before. They were everywhere: jumping rope, throwing rocks, teasing stray dogs, and hanging off their mothers' aprons. Their rosy cheeks glistened under the bright sun and every now and then a pair of inquisitive eyes would stare at him for a good few minutes before turning away to gaze at something more interesting.

Jean approached them with a large, warm smile, regardless of being out of breath and a bit disheveled. 'Gosh, it's busy today!'

Sister Munroe nodded, and then grabbed Jean by the elbow and pulled her to the stall she and Remy had been standing at. 'Sister Elizabeth was in the middle of making Chicken Pot Pie before she realized that she did not have any chickens.' Sister Munroe sounded exasperated.

Jean chuckled. 'And she sent you and Remy out to get some?'

'I have never picked out a live chicken before,' Sister Munroe said, defensively. 'How am I to know what to look for? If I do not return with the most perfect of chickens, I will be hearing about it for days and days.'

Jean nodded, clearly amused. 'Not to worry, I'll show you what to look for…'

As Jean began instructing the Reverend Mother on how to first choose the chicken, and then to bargain the cost, Remy decided to walk around.

That morning, when Sister Munroe had first approached him about accompanying her to the market, Remy was a bit surprised. Although he knew that the nuns often ventured out into town to spread the "good word", it never occurred to him that they would go out to accomplish such mundane tasks as buying live chickens. When the surprise wore off, the hesitation kicked in. Since his fated arrival at the Convent, Remy had never once set a foot outside the large, stone walls. A part of him worried that it might still be dangerous for him. If the Assassin's Guild were still around, then surely they would be on the lookout. He was worried that if he was spotted, they would track him back to the Convent and he would end up putting all the nuns in danger. This he could not risk.

But Sister Munroe was adamant that he accompany her, and when she – perhaps a little slyly – mentioned that the Rogue Sister would be going as well, he decided to take the risk. Surely the Assassin's Guild had given up in their search for him?

Now, as he wove his way haphazardly through the bustling crowd, he found himself drifting towards the flower stand. He knew that this was where Rogue had disappeared to.

Sure enough, as he approached, he found her kneeling down and admiring a pot of yellow roses. As he often did when he came into her presence, he lifted his hand and rested it on his chest. It was a subconscious act that he was little aware of. 'Dere you be.'

He smiled when she looked up and acknowledged him, and he found that she was not alone. Crouched beside her were two children he had never seen before, but he knew immediately who they were. The young girl, perhaps four years of age, had stunning green eyes and a mop of vibrant red curls. She had an impish face that reminded him instantly of Jean. Beside her was a boy of perhaps eight years of age, with wavy brown hair and a curious smile. His nose was runny and he wiped it with the back of his hand.

'Nathan, Rachel, this is Mr. LeBeau,' Rogue confirmed. Remy remembered that Jean's son was named Nathan, and that he had recently been ill.

'Charmed,' Remy greeted, with a wide grin. The girl beside Rogue giggled up at him.

'Who is Mister 'Beau?' she asked, tugging at one of her curls.

'Hmm….' Remy crouched so that he was eye level with all three of them. 'I suppose… he be Sister Rose's friend.'

Rogue rolled her eyes and Rachel giggled again.

'So are we,' Nathan said, puffing out his chest.

'I'm glad to hear it,' Remy replied, ''cause I was beginning to t'ink de Sister was a loner.'

Rogue narrowed her eyes and stood up. She dusted off her robes and grabbed Rachel by the hand. 'C'mon, children. Let's go find yo' momma.'

Remy chuckled and followed after her. 'I was only making de joke, petite.'

She huffed.

'Now you've done it,' Nathan piped up, wiping his runny nose with his sleeve.

'Ah'm not mad,' Rogue said, defensively. 'Pe'haps irritated, frustrated, and annoyed. But not mad.'

'At least I got you feeling somet'ing,' Remy said, under his breath, though not low enough to avoid Rogue's ear. She turned around and glared at him.

'What is your problem?'

Remy starred at her wide-eyed and shrugged his shoulder. 'Dere be no problem here, chere.'

'"Chere"?' Her hands were on her hips now and she stomped her foot with agitation.

Rachel giggled

'Look, I just want to be your friend, Rogue.' He held out his hand and presented her with a yellow rose. If he had paid for it or if he had swiped it from the vendor, Rogue could not tell. When she looked at it skeptically he rushed to continue. 'I know we started on de wrong foot. But you saved dis thief's life and he be thankful for dat. I'm sorry for de t'ings I said in de Church. I couldn't help it. Dey were honest words, but I know dey be out of line. I'm sorry.'

He presented the rose again. Rogue pouted, then bit down on her bottom lip. Remy could tell by her furrowed brow that she was thinking.

'Okay,' she said, finally. 'Fine.'

'Fine?'

'What ya said in the church wasn't outta line.' She hesitated slightly. 'Ah just don't have the answer…' But she had tried to find one. 'W'at if you fall in love?' he had said. 'W'at if you fall in love wit' someone who ain't God?' These words had kept her up all night. They haunted her. Fall in love? What did that mean? She loved many people in her life. She loved her brother. She loved Sister Munroe and Sister Betsy. She loved these children. She loved God. She knew what love was… but she didn't know what it meant to fall in love. She was not qualified to answer his question.

Remy nodded. 'Fair enough.'

With a serious face, she reached out and took the rose from Remy's hand. She stared at it for a moment, then grabbed Rachel's hand once more and led her into the crowd without another word. In her wake, Remy smiled.

'See?' he said, smugly, as he patted Nathan on the head. 'Dat's how you tame a woman.'

'By giving her a flower?' Nathan scratched his head, unconvinced.

Remy chuckled, and grabbing Nathan's hand, followed Rogue into the crowd.

-X-

Jean's house was small but comfortable. The front lawn was surrounded by a rickety white wooden fence, and was scattered with numerous toys. A stone pathway led up to the green door that stood open to provide the guests a welcoming threshold.

Jean and Sister Munroe stood in the incredibly clean kitchen and stared out of the window. They were watching Sister Rogue and Remy play with the children in the backyard. Rogue had Rachel on her back, and Remy carried Nathan. They ran after each other, playing a version of Tag that was popular amongst the young ones. Both Rogue and Remy were flushed in the cheeks. Both were laughing.

'Hmmm… now that's an interesting sight,' Jean said, watching the game. 'I don't think I've ever seen Sister Rose laugh like that.'

Sister Munroe watched them carefully. She was frowning, her brow wrinkled in contemplation. 'Interesting, indeed. It is starting to happen…'

She watched as Rogue and Rachel collapsed on a pile of leaves, giggling, while Remy swung Nathan into the pile as well. He held out a hand to help Rogue up. She took it, and as he hoisted her up, she stumbled against his chest.

'What's starting to happen?' Jean asked, as she watched Rogue step back apologetically.

'Rogue's destiny,' Sister Munroe replied, her brow narrowing even further. She was looking at Remy's face as he gazed after Rogue, who was leading the children back into the house. 'It is starting to turn.'

-X-

Remy leaned against the wall of the workshop as he pretended to listen to Scott drone on and on about his job. The women and children were indoors having tea, while he and Scott – whom he had been introduced to by Jean – walked around Scott's workshop adjacent to the house.

'It's not much,' Scott was saying, pointing at the new table he was building. 'But it's like a second job I can use to pay for the little things.'

Remy nodded automatically without really absorbing much of what Scott was saying. As he looked at the man, he couldn't quite understand how someone as pretty and vibrant as Jean – whom he liked very much – could find someone as boring and dull as Scott attractive.

'You know,' Scott said suddenly, looking at Remy. 'Jean almost became a nun, too.'

Remy looked up, surprised. 'Really?'

'Yup. When she was sixteen, she seriously considered it. It's not uncommon for some of the girls in this town to want to join the church. They're exposed to that lifestyle at a young age through church organizations and youth groups. Some get interested. Jean was one of them.'

Remy was intrigued. Scott was becoming a lot more interesting. 'What made her change her mind?'

Scott gave him a sly grin. 'Well, I guess you could say… I did.'

Remy smirked as he followed Scott's lead and sat down in one of the finished chairs. 'How you pull dat off, homme?'

'I'm not sure myself. I just plucked up the courage one day and confessed my feelings to her. I guess after that she compared the two lifestyles and chose me.' He was smiling. 'Bit of a fantasy, isn't it? Corrupting a nun?' He chuckled auspiciously.

'You be a lucky man,' Remy said, not sure what to think of Scott.

'More like a blessing than luck, my friend,' Scott said. He gazed at Remy critically. 'What about you?'

'W'at 'bout me?'

Scott leaned forward and looked through the door of the workshop, checking to ensure that none of the women were within earshot. 'Thinking of doing any corrupting yourself?'

Remy sat bolt upright in his chair. 'Eh?'

Scott leaned back and laughed. 'Don't worry, Remy. I won't say anything. It's just… you're kind of obvious about your feelings.'

'I don't know w'at you're talking about.' Remy's palms were getting moist.

'I was watching you with the Rogue Sister and the kids,' Scott said, lowering his voice. 'You didn't look like a man without any intentions…'

Remy clenched his jaw and forced some composure. 'We just be friends, me and de Rogue Sister.'

Scott smirked. 'Yea, okay okay. But listen. Don't feel bad about it. You can't help who you're attracted to.'

Remy stared, assessing Scott with his narrowed eyes. Then he smiled. 'She is beautiful.'

Scott grinned, his eyes warm. 'There's no harm in telling a person how you feel. Just don't expect anything in return. Sister Rose is very serious about her role as a nun. She's always talking about how it's her "calling". But if you plant the seed by confessing, and she dwells on it of her own accord… well, I wouldn't put you at fault if she changes her mind.'

This time Remy laughed. 'Assuming she's attracted to me, too. Somehow I don't see dat being a possibility.'

Scott shrugged and nodded his head in agreement. 'That's true. I coveted Jean before she had made her decision to become a nun. Sister Rose has already pledged herself. You might be better off just never saying anything at all.'

'Yea,' Remy sighed, running his fingers through his hair. 'I'd be better off.'

-X-

'You know, chere, I told Scott you and me be friends,' Remy said, as he walked with Rogue back to the Church. Sister Munroe was a short distance behind them, having left Jean's house a little after the other two. 'I wasn't lying, was I?'

'No, Ah guess not,' Rogue said, still holding the yellow rose in her hand.

'Oh good.'

The dirt path they were walking on was lined with trees on one side, and a row of flowers and stones on the other. The air around them was still, the sun nearly eye-level as it began its journey south. Rogue was being exceptionally quiet and Remy was not sure if this was a good thing or not. She did not seem to be in a bad mood, which was definitely a good thing.

He walked with her a little further before adding, 'you know, friends usually talk more den dis. Why you so quiet?'

Rogue groaned. 'Are ya always this annoyin'?'

Remy chuckled as he tried to keep up with her angry strides. 'You seem to get along wit' Jean's chil'ren,' he said, in an attempt to keep the conversation going.

Rogue nodded. 'Ah like them very much. They sometimes visit the Church durin' the week with Jean.'

'Kids are cute, I guess,' Remy said, the chicken from the market swinging from his hand. 'I've never really been exposed to many.'

'Ain't none in your family?' It was the first time Rogue had ever asked him a personal question. 'Ah mean… ain't there any kids 'round where you're from?'

Remy shook his head. 'I was one of de youngest in de guild. Some of us had de kids, but dey were always kept at home.' He frowned slightly. 'Never really t'ought about it.'

The Church was now visible in the near distance. The bright light from the sun shone on its stone walls and roof, the silver cross atop the tower sparkling against the pink sky.

'Ah love children,' Rogue said, staring down at the yellow rose. A petal pulled loose and slipped through her fingers. 'Some day Ah'd like to have mah own.'

She stopped suddenly as the words left her mouth, her eyes wide in horror. Remy turned to look at her, his mouth parted slightly in surprise. 'Rogue?'

'Ah…' She clapped her hand over her mouth, her shock at what she had just said evident in the trembling of her body. Before Remy could speak again, she ran past him towards the Church without looking back. The yellow rose lay forgotten on the dirt path where she had dropped it.

W'at in de world… Remy stared after her in alarm, a cloud of dust trailing behind her.

'What did you do now?' It was Sister Munroe. She bent down and scooped the rose up from the dirt path.

Remy did not turn to look at her. His eyes were fixed on the Church. 'W'at?'

'Sister Rose. Why did she run off?' Sister Munroe continued to walk along the path, and Remy, comprehension dawning on him, followed her.

'She said she wants to have children.'

It was Sister Munroe's turn to stop now. 'What did you just say?'

Remy, who had nearly walked into her, seemed to have recovered his senses and looked at her imploringly. 'We were talking about de children, and she said she wanted some. Den she got scared and ran away.' Sister Munroe stared at him, her large eyes narrowed. She did not speak. 'Rogue wants children,' Remy repeated, his heart racing. 'Nuns don't have children.' His lips quivered, as if unsure how to react. How could a nun want children of her own if she was not in doubt of her current situation? 'Does dis mean—'

'Stop it.' There was such finality in Sister Munroe's tone that Remy stopped speaking mid-sentence. 'Stop this right now.'

Remy stared at her. 'Stop w'at?'

'"[A] just man falleth seven times, and riseth again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief" (1). Stop pursuing her. She will not be yours.' The tenderness that Remy had often equated with Sister Munroe's beautiful eyes was now gone.

Perhaps it was her disciplinarian attitude, or perhaps her suddenly unwelcome aura, but Remy suddenly felt rebellious and frustrated. 'Why not?' he spat, his tone sounding unnaturally aggressive.

'Remy, get a hold of yourself. Consider whom you are talking of. She is a nun!'

'She is a woman!'

Sister Munroe glared at him. 'Walk with me.' She pulled the chicken from his hand and began walking on the forked path that led away from the Church. Remy, his fists balled in anger, followed her begrudgingly.

'Talk to me about your feelings,' she said, after a while. Her voice was steady now, without a hint of negativity. When Remy did not reply, she added, 'I am sorry. I did not mean to speak harshly. But you must understand the position I am in.' She gave him a small, but warm, smile.

Her warmth towards him seemed to have returned, and this helped Remy to relax a little. Slowly, he began to talk, and after only a few carefully chosen words, the floodgates crashed open and his feelings poured out. He told her about his attraction towards Rogue, about how he had dreamt about her ever since he had first gazed into her emerald eyes. He told her how Rogue had at first intrigued him, but after spending some time with her, how his heart would swell for her. He explained the aching in his palms and the clenching of his chest whenever he was around her, and how he had never felt this way before. He also explained his own confusion towards the way his heart and mind reacted whenever Rogue was near, and his frustration over the fact that he could not control them.

Sister Munroe listened quietly, her face forward and her eyes lowered. Remy could not read the expression on her face, but continued talking until there was nothing more to say. He looked at her nervously.

At first she made no reaction. She continued to walk along the path, the chicken swaying by her side. When she finally spoke, it was in a low, soft voice. 'Is this love, then?'

Remy stumbled as he walked, taken aback. 'Love?'

Sister Munroe nodded. 'It must be.'

Remy gazed at her, bewildered. 'But—'

'You cannot control with whom you fall in love,' she interrupted, and she seemed to be consoling herself as well as him. 'It is God who weaves that web.' She placed a hand on his shoulder. They stopped walking and looked at each other. 'I cannot chastise you for following your heart. But I am worried.'

''Bout w'at?'

'I am worried that you are tempting her.'

Remy felt a heavy jolt in his heart. 'I—'

'But perhaps she needs to be.' Sister Munroe nodded, as if this was the reasoning behind her decision to let Remy be. 'I have told you before. Rogue was adopted into the Church. Although she believes otherwise, this decision was not entirely her own. There was just no other choice for her.' She started to walk again, but this time it was back the way they had come – back towards the Church.

'W'at you be trying to tell me, petite?' Remy asked, his hopeful gaze aching for the answer he wanted.

'I am telling you to wait and see.'

'Wait and see w'at?'

'Wait and see if she feels the same way about you. It is only after Sister Rose comes to terms with her own feelings that she will be able to make the decision. Who will she serve? Duty, or love? For the first time in her life, she will have a choice.' They had reached the gates of the Church now. Sister Munroe turned to Remy for the last time before entering the grounds. 'Be patient. Give her time. See what will be.'

'Easier said den done, petite,' Remy said, frowning as he ran a hand through his hair.

'"In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength" (2). If you truly love her, then believe in that love. That is all. Let Time do the rest.' She squeezed his hand and continued though the Church's gate, leaving him alone with his thoughts, his longing, and his hope.

-X-

(1) Proverbs 24:16

(2) Isaiah 30:15